It's getting to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go!

Hi peepz! Thanks ya'll for commenting! Whoever else read but didn't comment, shame on you! Just kidding!!! (Feel a little guilty, though)

Sunday was good. I went to the Carlsons for lunch... the Martinez family from North Bergen was there. Cute kids... I got handcuffed and shot at by Daniel. Funny! Nine year old boys are fun.

Monday I had to snap back to reality and go back to school. The drive was uneventful (which was probably good) and all that... chapel was good too. Our internet went down that night. I worked for 4 hours on my research paper... so yeah! I really need to get cracking on my paper though cuz the rough draft is due tomorrow along with my Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers summaries. (I did most of it over break, though.)

Final exams are creeping up. It doesn't look too stressful, though. I'm not completely sure of my finals schedules yet, though. I know I have my math exam at 9:00am December 16 and Doctrine on December 12 at 3:00pm. All the syllabuses are down online right now and I can't find the paper form right now. Haha oh well.

Amelia and I are going out as soon as I'm done with Doctrine. We're going to the store to get stuff for the wing wars. Yippee! But I have 2 papers due tomorrow... so busyness!

Yesterday I helped decorate a Christmas tree in Heritage hall. They were asking for students to help so I did! Twas fun and I got to see Kim's room and Cindy's room as well. Wheee! And then I read for 3 hours in the Eagle's Nest. It was all interesting and cool but I didn't get anything accomplished.

Ok the end

Random musings... (otherwise entitled "Don't want to start my research paper")

<--- This is Hapi! And I miss her! I got to chat with her the other day! Haven't done that in soooo long!!! I really miss the Maramaras... and the fun times we've spent. Webcams make the distance not seem so big. We had many fun times together.
"Tagaytay! I've been there!", "Becky! Remove!", "Star!", Spy on the boys, water fights!, tag, Tumbang Preso, movie making, Happy 4 Frendz!, "I'm gonna tell!", "But Hannah said I'm so clean!", Thanksgiving dinners, "So.. what are we gonna do?", and so much more!


<--- This is Elot! Oink, oink! And I miss her too! I miss the whole family... my little brothers JM and JC, and everyone else... even Kuya! Haha! "Yesterday Miziz!", "Ate Glo, did you do the laundry today?", Mafia, puyat-overs, movie marathons, unan tupa forever!, "Can't live without each other," pancit, fellowship around the laundry, "Here na we. Where na you?", "Dayudso! I persecute you!", "Touche!", badminton, Zoom!, "I-spoo ka oo oo!", and so much more...


<--- Little brothers! Ah, growing taller than me, but still my little brothers!

Miziz ---> Yesterday! Many good memories together... roasting, ear piercing, sleepovers, baptisms, Manasa, cheezmax, ah... so much!




<--- Eunice! Ah, little sister! So much we did together... "We're NOT sisters!", earthquake, sleepovers, tie-dying socks, books, bracelets, "TIM!!!", pointless letter to Keena, camps, talking, giggling, "chapped lips" (and all that...), "I'm not a genius!", flute playing, sitting in the front row Sunday nights, "Becky, you're so crazy!!!", "I'm hungry!" "Well I'm not adventurous!", "Your timing was wrong!", "Gaya-gaya!!!", "That's because we're SISTERS!!!", "YOU BRAINWASHED HIM!!!", serious talks, laughter... etc! Miss you, Nice!



<--- Sisters! Tuna, Bea, Kimyaxidoodle, PT Boog! What have we done together? So much! American Idol auditions, walking down the street dressed like freaks singing Christmas songs in July, "Stoyky!!!", "At least I don't talk to electric fans!", Yamani, Phantomesses of the Operatics, tea party, talking, laughing, "Becky and her breakfast!", "Have you ever ridden a horse?", "Coming to you this theater in May!" and all that! And then of course my fake cousins! Ah the memories! Pastors' Conferences, wars, guacamole, "We'll build make a tent outside and light a fire and cook an egg," Manila trip, camping, Busay, the name Stoyk, Venus, Family Park, "You didn't talk to me for a whole day!", "Keena's hair is like a briar bush!", water fights, dead fish fights, sand fights, graduation, musicals, Calvin's stupid jokes ("Moo as in moo and cow as in cow!"), Pogi Yogi!, bowling, singing, "Weird and unique are synonyms," "I'm going to make you cry, Stoyk!", hot marshmallows can burn, silent conversations, staring contests, the boys having wrestling matches, truth or dare! ("I like movies..."), and SO, SO MUCH MORE!!!

ANYWAY!

So explain to me why on earth a cellphone with no sim card would start ringing?! WEIRD!!!

Went to Panera's with Kaitlyn. Also went to Starbucks... 'twas fun! Great to hang out with her... and tonight we're going to the K's to watch "White Christmas."

Katie, thanks for being commenting faithfully! To everyone else *poke* -- leave comments! =) And one small favor, please write in your name and don't post as anonymous cuz that's really disturbing. HAHAHA

Ok, THE END!

Yours truly,

Oh oops this didn't have a title. HAHAHAHA huh?

La la la... yeah, I was taking pictures with the webcam while waiting for Joash to get back online. Last night was crazy. It was like we were making a silent movie via webcam! Halfway around the world and still able to goof off. We were having contests who could make the best faces. Made me really miss them -- lots of good memories with them! Can't believe they're going to our house for Thanksgiving and we're not there! Weird!!! If we were there, we'd probably make some crazy movie about a turkey. =) Even halfway around the world, things don't change. "Nice sweater. You look like a quilt." Ahh... funness! I miss home!

I'm listening to Steve Green singing "The First Noel." Funny, he was my favorite singer from when I was a little kid! My tastes must not have changed much... even more than 10 years later.

Aunt Annie, Uncle Don, and John came over for Thanksgiving. I spent the time bothering John. "You know what, you're such a pain!" "Do you miss me???" =) We also watched home videos... including Uncle Chuck and Aunt Genny's 25th anniversary thing five years ago.

I did laundry today!!! Lots and lots of it. I'm not coming home next weekend, so I'll have another load when I get back. In a bit I'm going shopping. It's that huge sale day thing... and I need closed shoes. I guess I'll have to give in and be trapped. I haven't worn closed shoes since I was 11.. no wait, 8! The shoes I've worn have never been completely closed. But I guess I need to find some... *sigh* Life in America...

I haven't cracked down on my homework yet! I really should... really, really should. I did start reading for Doctrine, but not too far. I need to work on my research paper and book summaries for Old Testament History 1. Ugh!!! But I'm greatly enjoying the NO SCHOOLNESS OF IT ALL!

I'm going through Romans again. Really good... seems like new all over again. I hit Romans 9 today -- lot about the Jews and Gentiles in there. You know how God's sovereignty can be labeled as "injustice"? Well actually He is unjust in a way. If He were completely just and gave us what we deserved, it certainly wouldn't be mercy! "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or hte man who runs, but on God who has mercy... So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires."

"...who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?" Romans 9:20-21

Happy Day After Thanksgiving!!!

The real reason for this post is that I'm trying out something in Picassa! Hahaha. The end 

Lots of catching up to do

Hopefully the computer won't freeze this time!

So let's see... where did I end last! Oh yes, it was Friday evening! The day after that was Saturday (duh) and the day we had our MuKappa dinner! It went really, really well! There was a good gathering (bigger than usual) and we had lots of cooks. The kitchen was quite crowded! I got to go to H-Mart and was freaking out when I recognized name brands! There were Maggi Pancit Canton noodles!!! Alexa was telling me to breathe in and breathe out. It was so cool!!!

I went to the Park's house around 4 and started cooking adobo. Ben made puto! It turned out well -- he used rice flour and he had found some bamboo steamers at H-Mart! We had a good time cooking and talking of course. Gordon had brought some "sweets" from South Africa. He also brought MILO! I think Milo is big in every country but America. WEIRD!!!

We went down to the basement after dinner and played games. That's when we got out Hobbes, Sam's snake. He's a very cool snake! I wanted to keep him. =) Now I want a pet snake! They can live in aquariums! I don't know what the difference is -- fish and snake are both in the aquarium! Why can't I have a snake! So yeah...

We played "Two Truths and a Lie" the MK version! Instead of 2 truths and a lie about ourselves (everyone has to guess which the lie is) we did it about our countries. That was cool. Then we played Balderdash, MK version. Instead of getting a dictionary and choosing a word, we gave a word in our language and everyone had to guess what it meant. There were some pretty funny ones out there!

We also played some Mafia... and Ephraim and Sam did a duet. Sam plays the violin and Ephraim plays the piano. They are AMAZING!!!

Sunday was good. I went to Warminster both morning and evening. The Wassons had me over for lunch... that was cool. Pastor Wasson came out of dispensationalism. He also said our provost, Todd Williams, visited their church last Sunday!

Monday was busy... (as usual) and so was Tuesday I guess. Can't remember! Oh yeah! I was studying for my 3 exams Wednesday. The exams actually went pretty well. Didn't do as well as hoped on my math exam (I couldn't figure out how to "design a fair game."), not sure about doctrine, and I slammed a 98 on my Teaching Bible final!!! YAY! I only missed 2 points in the entire exam. *Happiness* That made up for my OT test. (I got a 79) Blaaah. Thursday... what was Thursday... I forget. OH YEAH! Last day of freshman sem!!! We ate ice cream in our small group. That was about it.

Friday... just class. I drove home. Yeah.

Saturday morning, 6am, Andy and I went to school to pick up Patrick and Danae and we went on to D.C. for the day! It was a really cool trip! I enjoyed it, even though it was a long day! We visited the Holocaust museum. That was amazing! Very sobering. Truly the depravity of man came out there. There was an eternal flame thing with a verse from Deut. 4:9. I think it perhaps was out of context, but... yeah. After that, we ate lunch and then walked the mall from the war memorial thing to the Lincoln Memorial. It was a beautiful day! I'm glad we went.

We stopped by Wendy's to grab some dinner and then got to school around... 8:30ish. We got in around 10:30 and crashed. It was a good day, though!

Yesterday was good. Pastor Carlson preached on David and Saul -- two desperate men. (Nob and Doeg the Edomite and all that) Pastor Jay preached a sermon to children... which will be continued next Sunday! I managed to read Deut. 1-29 and only have 5 chapters left before tomorrow.

Drove to school this morning -- no problem. It's getting colder, possibly rain mixed with snow tomorrow. In fact, it's drizzling right now.

I probably forgot a lot of stuff, but serves me right for getting so behind... but the computer freezing wasn't my fault! I'll put DC pics up on Photobucket eventually. Oh and I saw a black squirrel.

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wrote a complete update. Very long. AND THE COMPUTER FROZE!!!

The End

No time...

No time to post all about MuKappa and everything -- three exams tomorrow, an incredible amount of homework for English on Thursday, stress level has increased... yeah. Basically -- I AM LIVING THE LIFE OF A COLLEGE STUDENT! (except I go to bed on time)



Having said that, here are new pics:
Freshman Sem Small Group Dinner
MuKappa Dinner
Tyler State Park
Updated campus pics

Homemade cookies + French silk ice cream + quiet dorm = nice evening

Elizabeth's mom made cookies and Katie Gregg gave out leftover ice cream from our get-together at Gaynell's house. I just went downstairs to grab some ice cream and then got a cookie from Meghan's room -- delicous! I am quite enjoying the evening. Cleric is having a concert tonight and most of the dorm is eitherthere or out somewhere else. I am taking full advantage of the quiet and am getting a lot of work done! (Except when I'm blog writing!) I invaded Ariel's desk (she has a lot of space on her desk... I like it) and wrote up my doctrinal summary! I like uninterrupted, straight studying. I even find it fun. Rachael yelled, "You're sick! Sick!!!" at me as I left with a "Homework calls!!!" earlier. Next semester is going to be tough, but I'm looking forward to the challenge and working hard! I also want to get a job on top of it all. Plus I'll be involved in a ministry... so basically I haven't really gotten to "busy" yet!

Freshman seminar is over next week! Yay! That makes me very excited! I have some more journal entries and I have to do the LRC orientation thing for my Campus Passport. Last night Gaynell had our small group over to her apartment and we played a few games, ate good food, and listened to Katie tell her engagement story. The short story would be that he took her out in the woods somewhere near his family's cabin (something like that) and she was looking over the stream and suddenly realized there was a message written in rocks in the stream: "Will you marry me?" He then got down on his knee and you know the rest... I hope that if a guy gets down on his knees to propose to me I won't laugh. I think it's fine for everyone else, but I can't imagine a guy doing that to me... but that is probably cuz I'm not in love and have no intentions of falling in love until after college. Haha. It's amazing how many couples dating on campus... basically I think that if you date (court would be better), college should be over with (for the guy more importantly). Of course it's different for everybody, but personally, I don't want to date/court ever while in college. Not the right time. Plus I'm personally not ready for it. So how did I get on that topic?! Oh yeah... freshman sem.

Let me see... since I haven't updated since Tuesday... ok so I went back to NJ for the dentist. I didn't have OT on Thursday so it was ok. I got to go to prayer meeting. Basically I was fine by the time I got to the dentist. I had gotten a piece of something out earlier Wednesday morning and I think that must have been it. At least it wasn't a bone chip. I skipped English class that morning... Billy didn't believe I actually would, but surprise surprise, I did! It was probably the best one to skip because, although we don't really do anything anyway, they apparently did even less of nothing.

After freshman sem, I hung out by the pond and then went back to my room to cleanup before room check. Sunhee rode with me to Gaynell's house. It was fun... didn't get lost. One car got lost, though. I think we were behind them when we left and we sort of got lost because they made a wrong turn. Oh well -- it wasn't hard to figure out. The time at Gaynell's, as I mentioned before, was fun. We played one game for a bit where we wrote categories of "most likely to..." on papers and then we wrote who we thought fit those categories. Dave got most of the categories. "Most likely to be a Russian Communist" There were some really funny ones there. Someone wrote "Most likely to own a house on Mars" and Gaynell had written "Becky and her painted dog." For some reason Gaynell is obsessed with the thought of my painted dog. We also played "Two Truths and a Lie." Most people thought I played the viola, but that was my lie. Ken had his lie as "I went to Russia one time and yelled 'Long live the Communist government!'" Crazy.

Today was good. During the announcements at chapel, Valerie and other girls did "I Feel Pretty" as a preview to "West Side Story." I'm going to it! It starts showing on Thursday and a bunch of us girls are going.

OH YES! I forgot to talk about our "Casino" day in math class! We basically gambled on games using several TI-83 calculators and Monopoly money. We all started with 100 but most lost money. One team double their money. After that we discussed probability and fair prices and all that. Then this morning we only discussed stuff. Mr. VanBilliard went on and on about how he loves games and how he loves crushing people and how competitive he is. Then we discussed whether or not gambling was right or wrong (not referring to wise or unwise). After that, he tossed 2 die on the table and it came up with a 7. He then started a discussion on whether or not God knew that the 7 would come up. He made us think about it for a while and then said "Your answer will tell me a lot about your theology and what you believe about the sovereignty of God." It was an interesting class... since when do we discuss moral issues and sovereignty in MATH CLASS?! Funny.

Ok, where was I? Oh yes... in Teaching Bible, we had our 'worship' service where we combined a lot of methods together using different groups. It was ok...

Doctrine was good... which reminds me of Doctrine on Wednesday. Mr. Krewson told us about this thing called the Messiah cam. There is a webcam on the Mt. of Olives to watch for the return of Christ. If everyone is going to see Him when He comes, why do we need the cam?! Besides, everyone will probably be looking anywhere other than their computers! Really dumb. Krewson said it was done by some Christians who had kinda... and Nick finished it off with "lost their marbles." Anyway!

After class, I went to the Eagle's Nest and started my doctrinal summary. I went down to the student offices afterwards to work on yearbook. That took about an hour and then I went to dinner... and now I'm back in the dorm doing homework (except for right now). Anyway! That's my update! Now it's time to work!!!

Fire drill!

There is no picture because I think I left my wire in NJ! Sadness... but life goes on. =)

EDIT: I added a random picture because a post can't be picture-less!!!

I left Monday morning early -- 6:45am! It only took about an hour and 45 minutes which meant I got within 10 minutes of school at 8:15. I had no desire to arrive early, so instead of turning, I went straight into Tyler State Park. I did my devotions and walked around taking pictures. It's really pretty there! I got a bunch of pics, but since I left the wire, you can't see them for 2 weeks.

Monday classes were fine. For math, we worked on probability -- basically self-taught. We all got to leave early from that which was nice. There was no homework either! Then we didn't have much in Teaching Bible. Class is canceled for tomorrow! I want to try to go to the 9am doctrine class so I can be done at 12, but now that my teeth are messed up, I don't know if I can make it. We have a doctrine exam next Wednesday (16th) and no class Friday! On top of that we have open dorm on the 17th. (We're having wing competitions... should be interesting)

Monday night was cool. SMF had 3 missionaries from the Persian area speak. They are with Operation Mobilization. It was really interesting -- I had never really heard much about those countries. I'm already going to take TESOL and now I'm wondering about going somewhere with it... =) It was such a neat evening! Then I got to eat breakfast with one of the missionaries this morning.

I took my OT exam this morning. I don't think I did that well on it. He asked a lot of question concerning what chapter certain things were said. I am so bad with references! I think the T/F questions were actually better. Oh well...

After lunch, I went to the pond to study. It's beautiful there! The squirrels are so funny when they chase each other. I love how they run up and down the trees with so much ease! I also love watching the ducks/geese land on the water. The leaves are changing all around campus. It is beautiful! I would love to post pics, but like I said, I can't. God's creation is so beautiful!!!!!!!! I love it!!! So beautiful! How can one go outside on a day like today and deny there is a Creator?!

I had a meeting with the Milestone at 6:30. (It is the school Yearbook) I am now involved! Yay! I'm excited! I have to work on a Homecoming page by next week.

We just had a fire drill. Thanks to one of the girls, our whole floor knew about it. =) I'm glad it was not at 3am as some have been. Oh well -- they're supposed to do 2 a semester and the semester is almost over. (This is our first fire drill) Anyway... imagine a bunch of girls outside in the cold! Kinda amusing.

Oh -- about the jaw. I don't know what's going on. It started hurting more this afternoon and now there's a bubble kind of thing in the back of the left side where the tooth used to be. My jaw is also swelling a bit. Weird. But anyway... fun times halfway around the world from my nurse mom. =(

Time to go to bed. Over and out.

P.S. This was posted on one of our "Toilet Tabloids" in our bathroom: What was Boaz before he married Ruth? The answer: Ruthless. WHY DOES THAT MAKE ME LAUGH?!


I miss PIP!!! (My dog)

Another beautiful day

It's is Sunday afternoon now. The day that started out very foggy is now a beautiful fall day. Church was good. Pastor Smith is still doing his series on churchmanship in the Sunday School. Pastor Martin apparently finished his series on repentance last week and he has now moved on to saving faith. Andy and I hung around for a little bit after church and then went home. I drove home -- I think it's fun getting back into the Jetta. I didn't even stall it! That little car has a lot of pickup.
John came over for lunch. I picked on him a bit of course. =) Then I did dishes and now I'm going to read a bit and maybe take a nap before the evening service.

In the midst of the conversations earlier this morning with people at church, I came to a realization. I think I've adjusted much more this week than I have in all the past weeks. I'm wondering if it's because reality has kicked in. My parents are really gone now and it's not just something that is in the future -- something that I don't want to look forward to. Now that they are indeed gone, I think I have forced myself to adjust. I do feel more like I belong on campus -- more than ever before. Of course it's weird being "independent." I had to go get gas, restock my food supply, get shampoo, do laundry -- little things that I've never really had to do. Having to stand on my own two feet is actually kinda neat. In some ways I don't mind, but then I start to wish I were a dependent little girl again. But in a general sense, I think I'm getting used to college. I'm actually happy, for the most part, at school. There are times when I still feel very different from everybody, but I've learned more about getting out and being alone. I wouldn't really choose to go around alone, but I'm usually not bored when I'm outside. The days have been so beautiful and sometimes I just like getting away. A few weeks ago I would have said that I didn't belong on campus and that I just needed to go home to everything familiar. Now, after adjusting more than before, I know God has me here for a reason and although I miss home and my parents, I'm not digging my heels in. I think I really was resisting before. Although I miss the familiar things of life, I do like getting used to the changes, and God has placed little things around me that make me feel at home.

It has been a growing time. The best thing I've learned so far is dependency on my Father in Heaven. This little girl has to grow up, but is still so dependent! I've learned more about crying "Abba! Father!" It is weird to go out without asking or go out and not stop by my dad's study and tell him where I'm going. Nobody calls me into his study to pray before leaving. Sometimes I feel like picking up the phone just to tell my parents where I'm going and should I do this or not. A year ago I could never have imagined the life I live now. Sometimes, walking around campus, I realize how real it is. I remember trying to imagine what it must be like to live away from any family... but now I'm actually living it. It's so different. So different. But I'm happy -- under the wings of my Father!

"Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new
strength;They will mount up
with wings like eagles,They will run and not get
tired,They will walk and not
become weary."Isaiah 40:31

"Ngunit silang naghihintay sa Panginoon ay
magpapanibagong lakas, sila'y
paiilanglang na may mga pakpak na parang mga
agila, sila'y tatakbo at hindi
mapapagod, sila'y lalakad, at lalakad, at
hindi manghihina."Isaias 40:31

And so it begins...

Well I have opened a new blog. I must admit that Blogger is easier for uploading pics -- since it is somehow linked to Picassa. I can't seem to use my own HTML layout, though Oh well.

Anyway! Gotta go. Latah!

New blog

Ok, starting a new blog. I shall update tomorrow... I know I haven't updated for a while. But I need to study!