It's Been Awhile

Hi friends!

I think it's about time I dust the cobwebs off of the ole blog. I just can't seem to be as consistent with this thing as I want to be. Oh...wait. I'm a graduate student. And it's finals week. Though, that doesn't account for the last 6 months of neglect. Speaking of graduate school....

Life is a funny, funny thing. Without going into excruciating detail, things didn't quite work out at Missouri State. There were definitely things I enjoyed about it, but also things that kind of made me crazy. Ultimately, I decided that the program at the University of Arkansas was best for me, so I contacted the "Man" to see if she (yes, she) would have pity on me and let me back in. Shockingly enough, she did! Ah Fayetteville, how I missed you. Those two months away were just too long. I kid. In all honesty, I truly love Northwest Arkansas. It's so beautiful and, for lack of a better word, eclectic. It's a very unique place. I think that I made the right decision, and I'm sticking to it!

That's basically the last half year of my life in a very, very, very, very, very, very tiny nutshell! I've been going to school mainly, and I continue to babysit every once in awhile.

Oh! And I had a failed Whole30 attempt in the month of September. It was more like a Whole10, and if we're being honest, I'm surprised I lasted that long! More on that later.

Love,

Haley

Natural (Ethnic) Hair

Hello everyone!

I am linking up with Kelly's Korner today for Show Us Your Life- All About Hair. I have never done a SUYL post before, but I've always wanted to, so I thought that this is one I could actually get in on, considering I'm not a mommy or homeowner yet. I also happen to have tons to say on this subject, but I'll try to keep it short. ;)

I have always been a self-proclaimed product junkie/hoarder, and when I decided to transition from relaxed to natural hair, my "habit" multiplied ten-fold. I like to change up what I use on my hair in search of the "perfect" product. Needless to say, I have yet to find them, but I have come pretty close!

One of the things I love most about  my natural hair is the versatility that I now have. I can do all sorts of things with my hair that I couldn't do when I relaxed my hair because it was lacking volume and texture at times. I've been natural for going on 2 and a half years.

Before I went natural, my hair often looked like this:

Straight and pulled back tightly (most of the time).

Or the occasional straightening and wearing it down.

After I went natural, I had many more options. Here is one of them:

This is a two-strand twistout (once I finally got the hang of them).

I don't have many other pictures of some of the natural styles I've tried, but there have been several more that I'll have to share in the future. I look online a lot for inspiration. Good ole, YouTube and Pinterest. What would I do without either? I have no idea. Ha!

On to products.

At the moment, my favorite products for my hair are Carol's Daughter. Target JUST picked them up a few months ago, so there are a couple of their lines of products in the ethnic hair section now. However, there is a much, much larger selection on their website. You can even become a member, and get special discounts and free shipping! And I feel like they are always having some kind of sale.

Pictured here is the Monoi sulfate-free shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask.

THIS collection is my absolute favorite right now. Not only does it smell amazing, but I really feel as though it protects and strengthens my hair. And the great thing about Carol's Daughters products are that anyone can use them! Not just "ethnic" hair types. This post is not sponsored in anyway, I just love their products that much. I also really like their Hair Milk Nourishing and Conditioning collection, but like I said, all of their products are great!

I'm sure many more of you out there agree with me when I say that I absolutely couldn't live without my Chi flat iron. It's a lifesaver. I, of course, used it a lot when I had relaxed hair, but it is still very nice to have when I occasionally straighten my EXTREMELY curly natural hair, too!

That post got a little longer than I expected, but I could talk about hair all day long!

Please leave any questions or suggestions in the comments!

Love ya,

Haley

The Beginning of My Life in Springfield

Hello Everyone! 

I figure it is time for an update. I moved to Springfield last Thursday, June 6. I was extremely excited leading up to my big move. I was ready to get up here and explore the city! Well, growing up in Small(ish) Town, Arkansas...Springfield is a city to me. Thus far, I really haven't done much "exploring" other than hitting up the ice cream/frozen custard shops in my area and trekking back and forth to my classes each day. 

Speaking of my classes, those have gone pretty well so far. I just started them on Monday and I already have a final on next Wednesday! That's right, just 7 class days into the first summer session. Granted, my classes are only 4 weeks, but that is still a TON of information to take in that quickly. I am really liking my class on stuttering, but that is probably because I haven't really learned much about this subject area yet. My class on voice though....snooooooze. My teacher is this cute little old man that tries to make jokes and keep us engaged. Poor thing. He tries ;)

And now for the not-so-good news. I had a mini breakdown on Monday. I guess the change just got to be a little overwhelming for me, and I finally just had to let it all out. I had been fine up until then. I didn't cry when I left Fayetteville. I didn't cry when I said goodbye to the sweet boys that I've nannied for the past 2 years. I didn't even cry when my family left to head back home after helping me move, leaving me all alone in the "big, bad city." Ha! I'm definitely the type to be pretty laid back and keep calm until everything just swells up and I boil over. It isn't my best trait, but hey, at least I'm honest. So yeah, I finally had my little "this-is-such-a-big-change-and-I-think-I-am-having-a-quarter-life-crisis" moment on Monday and called my mommy bawling. I told her that I wanted to come home. She told me I couldn't. It irritated me at the time, but I prayed and calmed myself down and the next day I felt like a new woman, ready to take on the world! I also called two of my besties. I don't know what I would do without them. 

All of this to say that change can be hard, but it is so important to push yourself beyond what you think you are capable of. I really think that I'm going to like it here. I truly believe that growth happens outside of your comfort zone. And because I am a sucker for a good quote, I will leave you with this:

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." 

-- Anaïs Nin

Just some food for thought,

Haley

Last Day of School

Well, today was my last day of undergraduate classes, and I honestly don't know how to feel. I truly have a mix of emotions about it. Part of me is ecstatic because I've been waiting on this day, for what seems like, my entire life. Part of me is sad because it is the big milestones such as this that make you realize just how quickly your life passes you by. Part of me just feels nostalgic about the entire thing. 

What I do know is that I've been blessed to be able to attend such an excellent university for the past four years, and to have most of that education funded for me. I know that my hard work is about to finally pay off, and I am moving on to better things. One of my favorite quotes, in fact, is, "There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind," by C. S. Lewis. I believe that to be true. I can apply that to nearly any part of my life. I am excited to move to a new city, experience new things, make new friends, and go outside of my comfort zone a little. 

There is no doubt that I'm also a nervous wreck at the thought of it as well. This is the furthest and longest that I will have ever been away from my family. I know that I will, of course, come home to visit as often as I can, but there won't be the comfort of knowing that my mom is only an hour away should an emergency arrive. Granted, that hasn't happened the entirety of my undergraduate career, but ya never know. 

Anyway, I thought I would just share some of the thoughts I am having about my last day of classes. I still have finals, and GRADUATION to get through. I'm sure I'll have a much more sentimental post about that. Ha!

Love,

Haley

Oven-Baked Chicken Fajitas

On Wednesday, I made the most delicious chicken fajitas! I believe it was my first time making them. If it wasn't my first time, then the other times I've attempted them weren't very memorable. Lol ;)

I used a recipe from http://www.budgetbytes.com/

These were so easy to make, and I loved that I could just throw them in an oven and walk away without having to stand over them. 

I forgot to take pictures before I had already dug into them, but these are the pictures I did get. They tasted just like my mom's, which was another accomplishment in and of itself. 

Oven-Baked Fajitas:

Seasoning: 

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/8 cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp corn starch (I omitted this because I didn't have any and didn't want to buy any for one recipe)

Fajitas:

• 2 small or 1 large onion
• 2 medium green bell peppers 
• 1 medium red pepper
• 1 lb. chicken tenderloins
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium lime
• low-carb tortillas
• low-fat sour cream
• cilantro

For full instructions, see: Oven Fajitas by Budget Bytes

I made a few modifications to the recipe. For example, I omitted the corn starch and used an orange, red, and green bell pepper instead of 2 green and 1 red. I also used olive oil instead of vegetable oil, but I don't think any of that matters. Tweak them as you see fit. You seriously won't regret making this recipe.

~Haley

A little throwback...

This picture pretty much sums up my sentiment of last semester entirely. I took this picture the day my GRE study book arrived from Amazon. As I've mentioned, we were all petrified of not getting into graduate school, and for some of the people in our program, that nightmare unfortunately became a reality. 

"I'll order a GRE study book early." "I'll spend a little bit of time everyday studying for the GRE." "I'll be prepared." "I won't wait until the last minute to cram for the test." "I won't wait until the last minute to TAKE the test." Little did I know, waiting until the last semester before applications were do WAS waiting until the last second. Silly, silly Haley. All of these things I told myself at the beginning of the semester, but the followthrough was lacking because I can assure you…THAT didn't happen. One of my biggest worries was paying for the darn thing. It is one expensive test. I've been able to pay for most everything on my own through my scholarships, grants, and student loans, but a large expense like that is not easy to just drop nearly $300 on when you're a college student. That isn't to say that my mom didn't help me because she's definitely bailed me out plenty of times, but it wasn't something she was able to do all of the time because she is a single mother of three children and I truly respect that.

Needless to say, I was able to pay for it in the end and signed up for it pretty close to the date I needed in order to get my scores back and sent by my graduate schools' deadlines as possible. Stressful, right? I looked at the book every once in a blue moon, and I attended a workshop one Sunday for a couple hours that was put on by the Multicultural Center (which by the way is fabulous on our campus). About a week before my testing date, my anxiety multiplied tenfold. When they say "hindsight is 20/20," they aren't lying! Oh how I wished I had spent the entire semester studying instead of waiting until the last minute. Not only the entire semester, but perhaps the last couple years! 

I decided to not get bogged down in the "could have, should have, would have" of the situation and make the most out of what time I had left. I flew through that book, highlighting everything I thought I possibly could need to know. I took practice test after practice test, and come test day I was exhausted, and barely had any stamina left to even take the test. I felt like I knew nothing of what would be on there. I did a lot of praying that last week before the test to say the least. I should mention that timed, standardized tests aren't my strong suit. In fact, I don't think they are hardly anyone's strong suit. 

All of this to say that if you're reading this, and your schools may require a GRE score or you're planning on taking it…make sure you do the exact opposite of what I did. ;)

Love,

Haley

Springfield, Here I Come!

It's funny how things work out…am-I-right?

I am a strong believer in fate/destiny/what's meant to happen will always find a way, but I was extremely validated in that belief last week. I applied to four different graduate schools, and we began hearing back from them at the middle of last month. We all anxiously anticipated hearing good news from our "choice" school, but secretly hoped that we could get into even just one.

I received my first letter in the mail. I was wait listed. I had a mix of emotions upon this news. Part of me was excited because, well, it wasn't a rejection. However, part of me was disappointed because it wasn't an acceptance either. I just told myself to calm down because I still had 3 more schools to hear from, and some people DID get rejected from there. After all, I still at least had a chance of getting in.

The next school I heard from was an acceptance! I was so excited!!! With this news, I knew that I would at least be going to graduate school, but it wasn't the school I was secretly hoping for. I had heard great things about the program, mind you, but it just wasn't where my heart was pulling me.

I got my next letter. My undergraduate alma mater had accepted me. This was my most exciting news yet because for the past few years, our instructors and professors had done nothing short of scare us to death about not getting in at their school, much less getting in anywhere else. My advisor even told me to not get my hopes set on getting into a "big" school (which I took to mean a "good" school). He also encouraged me to apply at a school no one had even heard of. Ha. No thanks.

My last letter, and the highest ranked school of my choices, finally reached me. I was, again, placed on an "alternative list." Bummer.

I decided to go ahead and accept the offer at the U of A because it was the best option I had from the schools I'd gotten accepted to, and I also interviewed for a position as a graduate assistant because I knew I was about to be out a LOT of money. You should know, I interviewed for one of only two positions being offered to over 20 applicants. I knew that the odds weren't in my favor, but I decided to give it a try and put it in God's hands.

About a week later, I received the news that I had not gotten the assistantship. I was disappointed to say the least. All I could think was, "student loan debt, here I come!" The very next day I got an email from my top pick, asking me if I wanted to remain on their wait list in the event that a spot should come open, and that she could let me know by the end of the day. Well, of course I did! Later that afternoon, I was offered a spot in their program. Ecstatic doesn't even begin to describe!!! Immediately, I felt a wave of heat rush over my body, and I swear my body temperature went up about 10 degrees in a matter of seconds.

I immediately started calling all of my "people," telling them the good news and asking them what in the world I should do. I knew that ultimately it was my decision, but I still needed advice because that's just how I am. Everyone was very encouraging, which was exactly what I needed. I thought about it for about 15 minutes, and promptly emailed the department head back to accept the position. If you know me at all, you know that's probably one of the fastest decisions I've ever made in my life, a life changing one at that. It takes me about that long to decide what kind of bread I'm going to buy at the store.

All of this is to say, that I will proudly begin my graduate studies this June at Missouri State University. I'm excited to see what the future holds, and I appreciate the support from my family and friends more than I can put into words.

Let the apartment hunt begin!

Haley

My Journey toward Applying to Graduate School: Part I

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times...I am the worst blogger EVER! Which is crazy because I love to read blogs and am constantly on them whenever I'm not on Facebook ;) Maybe it's the fact that I have commitment issues...who knows. I digress. What I really want to post about starting today is my journey toward applying to graduate school. Oh my goodness! Where to start.

When I first began college, I had absolutely no interest in going to graduate school. My thought process was, "I've already been in school my entire life, why on Earth would I want to add an additional 2 years on to that?" I wanted to get in and out in four years and be done. Well, as we all know very well, plans change. I went into college wanting to become a doctor originally, but I quickly changed my mind about that (see above: "in and out in four years"). I never identified fully with wanting to become a doctor, and I it felt more like, "I need something to say when people ask me what I want to be." It was also a huge financial burden and time commitment that wasn't something to haphazardly jump into. It wasn't long before I changed my major. Enter: my first cultural anthropology class. 

I thought anthropology was the coolest subject in the world. What's not to love about studying different people and cultures. I had always considered myself an open-minded person, and I thought, "I could totally do this." And besides, you always hear about how people just suddenly KNOW what they want to be after being in college for awhile. They take that magical class, and the sky opens up and the sun rays shine down with a hallelujah chorus, and they know their future. I thought that this was that moment for me. Little did I know, I was wrong.

Fast forward two years to the summer in between my sophomore and junior years. I really loved anthropology, and I thought it was a cool thing to study, but I didn't feel as though it was what I wanted to commit my whole life to. Granted, I had always had an internal conflict with my decision to even change my major to Anthropology, and there was always my mom, the nurse, there to say, "What are you going to do with that?" She had always preached the "Job Security" sermon, which I realize is important. I began to feel like I needed to really dig deep and find out what makes me happy, and I started realizing that becoming an Anthropologist wasn't that. 

Meanwhile, I was working my second summer with a group of at-risk youth with behavior issues. I've always loved being around kids, and I looked up to my therapist coworkers. I began to consider becoming a therapist because I really loved these kids, and seeing them make improvements and making a difference in their lives (even if I was just the summer help at the time) was so special to me.

So...I dug deeper, I thought about my future constantly and what I could do for the rest of my life. As I've mentioned, I have commitment issues. Add in the fact that I was spending thousands of dollars a semester, and I STILL didn't know what I wanted to be, and I was running out of time. I started asking people who know me, "what can you see me doing?" and "what should I be when I grow up?" It's almost as if I wanted someone to decide for me because this was a HUGE decision.

I continued researching different career paths: social worker/therapist, businesswoman, teacher, you name it. I came across the College of Education and Health Professions website for my university, and saw a Communication Disorders degree. Now that sounded interesting. I began researching more into it. I had heard of Speech Therapists, but it wasn't something I had ever considered for myself; however, the more I read about it, the more intrigued I became with the profession. BUT, it required a Masters degree (grad school, blech!), and that did not fit into my "plan." 

I've always very much been a planner. I dislike making last minute decisions, and if I wanted to pursue a degree in Communication Disorders and later Speech-Language Pathology, I would have had to decide like, NOW, if I still wanted to graduate with my Bachelors within the 4 year time frame. I emailed the adviser for Communication Disorders and set up a meeting with him. At the very least, I wanted to learn more about the profession. Well, by the time I left his office, I had a new major and a new lease on life. I had made a semi-spontaneous decision, and it felt GOOD. 

August rolled around and I anticipated starting my new classes. I was excited to see what was in store. I told myself that if I didn't like it, I could always just change my major AGAIN and stay in school a little bit longer. Needless to say, I fell in love with the subject and everything it had to offer. I FINALLY got my TAH-DAH moment when I was in my phonetics class. I was fascinated by all of the new things I was learning in all of my classes, and wanted to learn as much as possible in the two years I had left. Studying no longer seemed like a chore because I WANTED to know this information.

I know that many people have the presumption that speech-language pathologists(SLPs) sit with 4 year olds coming in and out of their office all day correcting their substitution of the "w" sound for the "r" sound. I even sort of thought that was what they did too until I got into my classes. In reality, there is so much more that SLPs do. Swallowing disorders, fluency disorders, articulation disorders, language disorders, etc. The list goes on. I'll admit that when I went into the program, I didn't even know there was a difference between speech and language. But boy do I know now!

I am so happy to have found the thing that I am passionate about in life, and to pursue it wholeheartedly. 

If you made it to the end of this post, thank you for reading!

Love,

Haley

It's been awhile..

It's official. I am the absolute WORST blogger in the history of bloggers. This little "project" I gave myself isn't quite working out how I wanted it to. I'm supposed to be documenting my college years. Ha! I've done a great job of that so far it seems. 

I do want to take a moment, and talk about losing my grandfather on August 19, the day after I moved back to college. He had had surgery on his neck and there were some complications and his health continued to decline steadily afterward. It was extremely hard on me because I spent a very large part of my childhood with that particular set of grandparents, and I was very close with my grandpa. He always told me I was his favorite ;) I think he really meant it, too! He was one of the sweetest people I know, and he loved everyone until it hurt. I love him so very much, and I know he will be an guardian angel to me and the rest of my family. It's just very hard to go through this, but each day I get a little stronger! I LOVE YOU GRANDPA! May he forever rest in peace.

Here is one of the only pictures I have with my grandpa. 

On a TOTALLY different note, today is the first game of the season. WPS! I can't wait to cheer on our Razorbacks with some of my favorite people!! Other than that, I plan on having a pretty lazy weekend. This past week wiped me out. I'm going to drive home tomorrow and spend the rest of Labor Day weekend with my family, so that should be fun. I need to catch up on some homework, too. :-/ Uh oh.

~Haley

Hello there

It seems as though life is getting a little hectic as this semester comes to an end. Projects, tests, recitals, cello juries, and so on and so forth. I don't have much to say, but I wanted to at least give an update. 4 weeks until finals! Woo, then Summer time! Although I'll be spending most of mine working, I am very happy that it is coming. I've pretty much been doing the same ole...reading other blogs religiously and never keeping up with my own. ;) When I think of something actually interesting to say, I'll come back. Adios.

Give and Get is Here!

Give and Get is Here!: "Enjoy 30% off from March 17-20 at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy plus we'll make a 5% donation to a non-profit."

Wow!

It sure has been a while. Months to be specific. I wouldn't even know where to start if I tried to catch up, but a few of the major events in my life include, but are not limited to:

My 19th Birthday!

Going to my first Razorback Baseball Game!

With beautiful skies

And my awesome roomie!

Witnessing a major fire at my neighbor's house

Witnessing the biggest snow of my life!

(Accompanied with somewhere around EIGHT (8) snow days!)

Watching Marley cut 10 inches off of her hair

Meeting the cast of The Buried Life!

Here I am with my signed poster!

(I also got about 6-7 inches cut off of my hair the day after my birthday)

I helped Allie celebrate her 21st!

AND I cut Connor's hair! 

That's pretty much a brief recap, things have been fun. Oh, one last thing. I broke my phone on Thursday, and my mom bought me an iPhone to replace it on Monday because I didn't know what I was going to do. And I am very thankful. She's the best!!

~Haley

I made some changes..

I was kind of bored with the other look, and since I'm yet to get a response from someone about getting a layout, we're stuck with this for now. I changed the colors up a bit to ones that I like better.
As for as new stuff...I've been taking finals like a mad woman. I've had 4 so far. One on Thursday, two on Friday, and one this morning. My last one can be taken at anytime on Monday in the Math Testing Center. Sounds scary. I'm horrible at math. I will be so glad when that is over, and I can go home with (almost) no worries for 5 weeks. Woohoo! I can't really think of anything new, so I guess this will be it for now. Sorry I've been kind of absent; I either have nothing to blog about or I'm just an incredibly boring person. 


I feel as if this quote is somewhat appropriate for today. Don't ask why.


 It's better to keep quiet and have people think you stupid, than to talk and confirm it. - Mark Twain




~Haley

Thanksgiving!

Well, Thanksgiving was awesome, of course. Lots of food, family, and fun! I got to see both of my great-grandmothers, and they were so sweet and cute! First, we went to my mother's maternal grandmother's (if that makes any sense) that lives in Hackett. She is 90 years old and cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner, and it was so good. She has lots of dogs, and my brother always loves playing with them. Some are better behaved than others. Haha! We also got to learn a few interesting things about her life while we were there. I love hearing from  her.

Then we went to a friend of my great-aunt and uncle's that helps them with placing college foreign exchange students. They were the sweetest and most friendly hosts ever! They were so nice to share their home with all of us. That's 11 of us just counting my grandpa and step-grandma, mom and aunt, and all the kids. They must have been slightly crazy! But everyone behaved fairly well considering the circumstances, and they had a beautiful house. There was also lots of great food there, and I ate way too much! However, I more than burned it off the next day working at Old Navy. Yikes! Talk about a madhouse. But I survived the longest 9 hours of my life! 

Sorry, no pictures! :( I'll try to take more. 

~Haley

Finally...

The week(end) before last was very busy, but so much fun! As you know, Friday at midnight was the premiere of the 7th Harry Potter movie. I can't wait to get started reading them, which I need to make happen soon if I'm going to be done in time. Then on Saturday, we went to see Spamalot! It was an awesome musical. Probably one of the best (of the few) that I've seen. It had some possibly "offensive" parts in it, but I loved it so much. And I want to thank my awesome roommate, Marley, again for getting the tickets for the five of us to go. That would be Me, Marley, Dylan, James, and Zach W. 

I have a couple of pictures from that night, too.

Marley and I..she's wearing a scarf AND a cardigan. I've never been more proud ;)

(and it looks like she's becoming a mini-me)

Oh how I love candid pictures!

Marley and I again

Zach and Marley :)

Then on Sunday, we (we being James and myself) got to join Marley at her family Thanksgiving dinner. There was lots of great food and nice people. And her little cousins were so cute! I didn't take any pictures though! I need to get better about that. Anyway, that was a great weekend, and next I'll post about Thanksgiving.

~Haley

Oh! And I almost forgot! One of the funniest things ever happened after Spamalot. After we dropped Dylan off at his cousins', we did a lip-sync/dance thing to the Spice Girls' "If You Wanna Be My Lover." What all of us loved the most was that Marley actually did it (reluctantly), and she did such a good job, and we were all very proud of her! Hehe! I've got to get a hold of that video! We recorded it via webcam on James's Mac.

Just an FYI

I'm extremely behind on posting, but once I'm back to my dorm and have my camera cord, I should have a long post or a couple of short ones..haha, we'll see.

Harry Potter!

Well, let me just say, I honestly had a great time last night/this morning waiting for hours and finally seeing the long-awaited Harry Potter movie. It was awesome, and had the most "disturbing" (I guess that's the right word) cliff-hanger. Especially for those who have not read, and have absolutely no idea what's going to happen next. I can't wait for the next movie. My goal is to read the books by then. Hopefully, I can do it. We shall see! Well, without further adieu...pictures!

Zach, Zach, and Marley

Zach and Dylan

James and Zach

Dylan and I

The seductive guys...hahaha.

Me and Holly

The girls!

Awww, roomie love! :)

I Spoke Too Soon

Well, let me just say, I hope I didn't jinx the poor thing. My brother re-broke his collar bone yesterday, and my mom called me not even 30 minutes after I made my last post with the news. It's crazy how things like that work. Proof that God is in control. He did take it much better the second time around, though, from what I hear. I just hope he heals up fast. 

On another note, Harry Potter tonight! 

I feel like an impostor going to see the midnight premier because I have not read any of the books. I started the first one twice, if that counts for anything. I don't know why. I just don't understand this hold it has on people. And the same goes for Twilight...what the heck? 

I suppose part of it stems from the fact that I like to rebel against conformity. Haha! I'm sure that made some of you-if anyone is out there-laugh. But really, part of the reason I don't follow these trends is a matter of principle. However, I can say that I read the first Twilight book through. I'm sure I'll get around to the Harry Potter books eventually. 

I'm sitting in the library right now. It's my usual hang-out spot. My 11 o'clock class got cancelled today, so I'm holding out here until lunchtime/whenever I have the nerve to go take my algebra test.

Talk to you all later, 

Haley

Exciting news all around..

First off, I have found my hero! Haha!

Well, I guess I should further explain.

Okay, I have been struggling with picking a major, and when I got here I honestly was set on doing biology/premed, but then I took Intro to Cultural Anthropology and fell IN LOVE. So, I got to thinking I would really like to major in anthropology because there are several avenues you can take with that. So, I was reading my anthropology book the other day, and I read about Paul Farmer. He not only got his Ph.D. in Anthropology, but he also got his M.D. at the SAME TIME from Harvard University. I was in awe, he's like living out my dream! It was awesome, and I was so excited. And I started doing more research and found out that there are actually programs out there for Medical Anthropology. I was considering Biological because that was the closest out of the 4 subfields that I knew of, and I was still considering med school, but this is just perfect. I'm so happy! They (whoever "they" are) say it'll just come to you and you'll know what to do -of course I didn't believe it- but now I really think it's true. It's so exciting. But sorry Mom, if I'm going to live out my dream, I may have to move even further to go to school for it. 

Also, an update on my brother. He is just as happy as can be. If you didn't know any better, you wouldn't know he broke his collar bone just under 2 weeks ago. Just on last Friday he was RUNNING, yes you read that right, running around and doing things like it never happened. He only wears his figure-8 brace now. It was really exciting to see because I was sooo worried about him. But he seems to be fine, and I know he'll heal up just fine and get back in to sports like it never happened. And I thank God for that!

Oh, and yesterday, Mom told me that we finally got everything moved into our new house! What a relief! But here comes the dreaded fun part: unpacking! Haha! 

Well, I'm glad I got to share my good news with you guys. I'm a very happy girl right now. 

Up next....dun..dun..dun...FINALS! Ahh!

~Haley

We Meet Again

Well, I guess it's time to update this sweet, little unread blog once again. I read other blogs like crazy, but I never really have anything to say on my own. Poo! Let's see here, since the building of Fort PUFI, I guess you could say a lot of things have happened. I got really bogged down in homework and tests and writing papers and etc. Maybe that's why I haven't updated? :) I survived though! It was definitely a crazy time, and now I'm just waiting and riding it out until it's time for finals! Ahh, the thought really scares me! My brother broke his collar bone last Thursday, November 4. It was just pitiful, and made me want to cry! He's doing a lot better now, and is up and about like he doesn't have a sling and a figure-8 brace holding his arm up, so that's awesome. He's such a tough guy, and I'm really proud of him! 

Also, we're in the middle of moving, which proves to be hard when we don't have our tough little brother to help us! And we're doing at a fast pace, so there's not really any rhyme or reason to this whole thing, which drives an OCD control freak nuts! We're going to get the bulk of it done today while I'm home, and my got movers to do the big stuff. Thank Goodness! I'm sure this is getting boring, and I don't really have any pictures to put up, so I'll end it here. 

For your enjoyment, a picture of me and my sweet little roommate before my first orchestra concert.