I Love My Dogs!

I have the two best dogs in the whole world! One is a german shepherd named Leyna who is 5 years old. My other  dog is a (super fat) beagle named Presley who is 3 years old. They each have very distinct and crazy personalities. For example, Presley is obsessed with food and I mean literally obsessed. She would do anything and everything for the smallest crumb of any type of food. She loves bananas, strawberries, broccoli, and even june bugs! I know it's so gross! But besides her strange eating habits, Presley loves to cuddle, snuggle, and be as warm as possible. If I'm laying on the couch, she'll come jump into the crook of my legs and curl up into a little ball. She is also a huge people person. She loves to meet new people and have them pet her and love on her (she's a little spoiled!).

My other dog, Leyna, is completely different than Presley. Leyna likes food, but isn't obsessed with it like Presley. However, she is obsessed with tennis balls and rocks. Our whole back yard is filled with river rocks and she loves them. She holds them in her mouth and wants us to throw them for her all the time! Other than rocks, Leyna is a very loyal, family oriented, and protective. She would do anything for her family and loves when we come home to see her.

My favorite thing about coming home is finally getting to see my dogs! It's the best feeling walking inside and seeing how happy they are that we're there. I truly do believe that a dog is a man's best friend as my dogs are two of my best friends! I can't imagine life without them. They make everything so much more fun, interesting, and exciting!

Camp Wartburg

Every summer since 6th grade, I have been going to a Lutheran summer camp out near Waterloo, Illinois called Camp Wartburg. My brother and I have always looked forward to the week we get to spend at camp! They offer different camps such as caving, horseback riding, high ropes, and tons of other options. However, when I got to high school, I wanted something a little more challenging. Every year, Wartburg sends a group of older kids to Colorado to climb a mountain, go white water rafting, hiking, and camping. I went on this trip for three years in a row and had a blast each time. After three years, it was my little brother's turn to experience this amazing trip.  

My junior year of high school, I decided I wanted to try my skills as a counselor. They put me in the "summer camp" kids group. These kids come to Wartburg every day of the summer whereas the kids in the specialty camps only come for a week. Having the summer camp kids is way more difficult because they get bored very easily. Most of the time the kids already know each other and they've done everything there is to do at Wartburg. It was difficult trying to entertain them and come up with new and fun things to do, but I still had a great time being their counselor. 

The past two years at Wartburg, I have been involved in something a little different called Shepherding Week. During this week, the camp is open to people of all ages with physical and mental disabilities. At first, I was a little apprehensive about being a counselor during this week because I have never been exposed to a large group of people with disabilities. I really had no idea what to expect, but it turned out that Shepherding Week was even more rewarding and gratifying than climbing a mountain in Colorado! For the past two years, I have been with the same group. All of the ladies in my group are physically disabled, but that sure doesn't stop them from having a great time at camp! We go swimming, make crafts, play games, read stories, and act in a talent show. I am going back for my third year as a counselor for Shepherding Week and am really hoping they put me in the same group again! 

Being able to meet and interact with these wonderful people gave me such a different outlook on life. Even though they aren't the same as everyone else, they have so much joy and happiness to give and are always up for a new adventure. I would encourage everyone to experience this at least once in your life because it truly does make you see things differently. I am now much more comfortable around people with disabilities and look forward to going to Shepherding Week all year. 

Grey's Anatomy

At Thanksgivng, my aunt started talking about this show she absolutely loved, Grey's Anatomy. My mom and I never heard of it, so we looked it up on Netflix when we got home. Luckily, they had seasons 1-7 (yay!). At first, I wasn't interested, but after I watched a few episodes with my mom, I was hooked - and I mean hooked! Literally, for the past two months, all I have been doing is watching Grey's! It's about a group of surgical interns, residents, and their mentors struggling and dealing with their medical training and personal lives. It incorporates drama, thrill, comedy, and romance. Since I want to be a nurse, this show definitely hits home. However, I do realize that it is a made-up and the stuff that happens in the show hardly every happens in real life, but I still can't get enough of it! I finally finished all the seasons and am all caught up which means I have to wait until the new episode comes out on Thursday (boo!). If you have Netflix, you should totally check out Grey's Anatomy!

Volleyball

Growing up, I tried about every sport there is to try: basketball, softball, gymnastics, band, and soccer. But it wasn’t until I started playing volleyball that I finally felt something click. My mom signed me up to play in a league outside of school because our elementary school didn’t have sports teams (not until 6^th-8^th grade anyway). I started playing in 4^th grade and found I was a natural at being the setter, which is ironic because it’s the same position my mom played all her life! Even though at the beginning I wasn’t very good, I had my own personal coach at home, which was awesome. She always helped me practice and gave me great tips and advice on how to be a better player.

Once I got older, I got more serious about playing. When I was 12, I joined a select team called Southwestern Illinois Volleyball Club. They were way more serious and disciplined than my school volleyball team. As I started playing more and more, the more I loved the game. I played during our school season (August – November) then went right into select (December – April) then went to different summer camps around the area (May – July). So for 7 years, I lived and breathed volleyball. My mom came to every one of my games and tournaments and I really appreciate her always being there for me, cheering me on.

Being part of a group sport really teaches you a lot of things about life. For example, since I made a commitment to my coach and team at the beginning of each season, volleyball became my number one priority (next to school of course). But that meant that I couldn’t always go to my friends’ house on the weekends because I had to be up for a 6am tournament on Sunday. Or I couldn’t just stay home and relax after a long day at school because I had a 3-hour practice that night. I learned what it meant to sacrifice and be dedicated to something greater than yourself. Another thing volleyball taught me was how to be a team player and a leader. As the setter, you are the brain of the team; you have to make decisions on where the set will go, you have to be constantly talking and keeping everyone’s energy up, you are the one everyone turns too. Being a setter is a lot of pressure, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Overall, volleyball was a very influential and important part of my life. It taught me to be a better person, to always give my best effort 100% of the time, and know what it means to be committed and dedicated. Since I began college, I haven’t had the time to play as much as I would like, but I’m hoping to join a sand volleyball team with my mom this summer. Volleyball is a fun, fast-paced, and challenging sport and I’m so glad it was part of my life.          

Quotes

Quotes have always been something I love. I love reading them, finding new ones, and sharing them with others (mostly my best friend Anna). Instead of just picking one, I thought I'd share a few. In my last post, I talked a little bit about Pinterest and it is one of my favorite places to find new quotes. Here are just a few:

"Just because you fail once, doesn't mean you're gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always, believe in yourself. Because if you don't, then who will?" -- Marilyn Monroe

I love this quote because there were a few times in my life that I have felt like I was a failure. But the important thing to do is to just get up and try again. When you don't get it right the first time, make sure you learn your lesson and go at it again. Just like Marilyn said, believe in yourself and you'd be surprised at the things you can accomplish.

"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole live believing that it is stupid." -- Albert Einstein 

This is one of my favorite quotes! I love this metaphor because it's so easy to understand. I feel like we do this all the time in real life. We make judgements on people before we even get to know them. It's important to get to know a person and see what they've been through and struggled with before you can judge how they're supposed to be. Everyone is a genius in their own way.

"When you have to make a hard decision, flip a coin. Why? Because when that coin is in the air...you suddenly know what you're hoping for." -- Unknown 

This is another one of my favorites because it's so true! Actually, tonight Anna couldn't decide what nail polish to use. So I took them and put them behind my back and whatever hand she picked was the color she'd use. When I showed her the color she picked, she said, "Aw man! I wanted to use the other color!" Even though it sounds kind of stupid, it's exactly what the quote is about!

"Having courage does no mean that we are unafraid. Having courage and showing courage mean we face our fears. We are able to say, 'I have fallen, but I will get up.'" -- Maya Angelou  

I love this quote because it's very inspiring and uplifting. Even though you may fall down a few times, have the courage to stand back up and try again. It is kind of similar to Marilyn's quote above: keep trying and don't give up!

Pinterest

Pinterest is probably my most favorite website. I am on it all the time! For those of you don't know what Pinterest is, I will give you a quick insight. It is basically a virtual pinboard. People posts pins of anything and everything from wedding ideas, recipes, quotes, and I could go on forever. Each person has a profile with boards. Some of mine include Style & Beauty, All About Nails, Yummy Recipes, and Cute Crafts. So, as I'm searching through other people's pins and I find one I like, I can repin it to one of my boards. That way it will show up in my profile for all of my followers to see. It was a little confusing at first, but once I got the hang of it, I couldn't stop pinning! It's a great way to become inspired and get ideas on all sorts of things. It's mostly a website that's for girls, but there are some guys that like to pin as well and more power to them! Happy pinning :)

How to Tip Your Server

Working at a restaurant this past year has really opened my eyes to the server's point of view. I have a new appreciation for what really goes on behind the scenes. However, the biggest thing I have taken away from serving is how to PROPERLY tip your server.

There's a few general things you should know about tipping.

10% = Bad service
15% = Average service
20% = Satisfactory service

I know many people think that 10% is a standard tip, but I get upset if I only get 10% or less. I'm making $4.95/hour and I'm relying on the guests' tips as the majority of my paycheck. It's also good to know that satisfied does not mean the same thing as exceptional. If your server is polite, attentive, pleasant, and provided you with a satisfied dine-in experience, they deserve a 20% tip. However, if your server goes above and beyond, you should tip more than 20%. An easy way to do the math without the calculator is to just move the decimal over and double! For example, if your bill was $25.00, move the decimal over = $2.50 (10%) and double (20%) to get a final total of $5.00 for a tip. For those of you who can't afford to follow the proper tipping rules, to be honest, servers would rather you stay at home. As I said before, we are counting on your tips as the majority of our income, so for you to come to the restaurant, take up a table in my section, make me give you satisfactory service just for a crappy tip? No thank you. (Sorry if that sounded rude, but it's the way 95% of servers feel). Another rule of thumb; if you get a discount (use a coupon) ALWAYS tip on the full amount. Servers have to provide the same service either way, so we're expecting a tip on what the full amount would be without the discount.

Now, every time I go to a restaurant, I pay close attention to my server and the environment. Before, I never really thought about tipping my server. I would always tip the bare minimum because I didn't understand how to tip properly. As I have worked in a restaurant, my perspective has changed drastically. I hope those of you who read this take your server's into more consideration the next time you go out to eat.

My Top 5 Favorite Books!

As I am an avid reader, I have decided to share my top 5 favorite books! They aren’t in any particular order because I couldn’t decide which was my absolute favorite.

I’ll start out with The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I have read this book and seen the movie so many times I lost count. It takes place in the early 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi. It is about a southern society girl, Skeeter, who returns home from college and turns everyone’s lives – and the community – upside down. She decides she wants to secretly interview the black maids who have spent all of their lives taking care of prominent southern families, especially the children. Although reluctant at first, the maids decide to open up to Skeeter about their lives and what really goes on behind closed doors. This book makes you feel like you are part of story. It has humor, wit, and a great story line that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last. I highly recommend this book!

I just finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins a few weeks ago and it was one of the best series I’ve read in a long time. It is about a young girl names Katniss who lives with her mother and sister in the poorest district of Panem, what used to be the United States. Long before, the 12 districts waged war on the Capitol but were conquered. As part of the surrender terms, once a year each district must send a boy and girl as a tribute to appear in a televised event called ‘The Hunger Games.’ Each year there are different rules and landscapes, however, the goal never changes: kill or be killed. When Katniss’ sister is chosen to participate, Katniss offers to go in her place and the hunger games begin. Once I started reading this series, I could not put it down. The characters were vivid and the plot was so interesting, I had to keep reading until it ended. The movie comes out in March and I cannot wait to go see it!

One of my next favorite books is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Since it’s been a few years since I’ve read it, I went to this website to get the summary:

http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Kite_Runner/Kite_Runner03.html

“Amir tells us about the unique relationship he has with Hassan, a Hazara boy who is the victim of discrimination, but ironically is the half-brother of Amir, a Pashtun. Amir is overwhelmed with guilt when he allows Hassan to be beaten and raped on the day Amir wins the kite-flying tournament. He lies to have Hassan accused of theft so he will leave their home and Amir can try to forget his guilt. Eventually, Amir and his father flee Afghanistan after the Russians invade and Amir takes his tragic memories to America to start a new life. Unfortunately, his debt to Hassan must be paid and he returns to his country to find Hassan’s orphaned son and rescue him. There, he discovers that Sohrab has become the sexual plaything of Assef, the bully who had tormented both Amir and Hassan when they were young. Ultimately, Amir must defeat Assef in a raging physical battle, take the damaged Sohrab out of Afghanistan and try to help him repair his spirit.” The summary is a little confusing, but I promise, the book is wonderful! This book was really interesting to me because it took place in a world that I was very unfamiliar with. The author also wrote A Thousand Splendid Suns, which is similar to The Kite Runner, and also a great read.

The next book on my favorite list is The Little Book by Selden Edwards is one of the best books I have ever read. When my mom first told me about it, I thought it sounded like something I had no interest in reading. However, when I was on vacation I decided, why not. I am so happy I listened to my mom because it was such a great book. Now, this book is very hard to describe so I will again rely on an outside source for the summary: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/dec/13/little-book-edwards-review.   “Over 30 years in the writing, Selden Edwards's unconventional family saga combines time-travel, baseball and psychoanalytic theory with, among other things, the terrible repercussions caused by Hitler's rise to power. The protagonist, Wheeler Burden, is feted for his baseball prowess, later achieving rock god status as the lead singer of Shadow Self, before finally becoming the reclusive author of Fin de Siècle, an edited edition of his boyhood tutor's notes on life in late 19th-century Vienna. Suddenly transported from the 1980s to 1897, he finds himself in the city evoked by his bestselling oeuvre. While there, he bumps into his youthful father, a gallant second world war spy who is similarly dislocated in time; embarks on a powerful love affair with the enchanting Weezie Putnam; and experiences the turmoil of a society "headed for apocalypse". Though at times Edwards's historical research is too prominent, this is a captivating tale with its exploration of intricate moral dilemmas and revelation of sensational secrets.” It took the author over 30 years to write this book, which I find fascinating! The way he was able to string together these events and taking the character back in time is enchanting and nothing like I’ve ever read before. The summary makes the book sound a lot more difficult to understand and follow than it really is. Trust me when I say this is a great and wonderful book!

The last book on my list is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy by Stieg Larsson. This is a very short synopsis of the first book. Mikael Blomkvist is an investigative journalist who is forced to take a leave of absence from his job due to losing a libel case. He is then hired by a retired industrialist to investigate the disappearance of his 16-year-old grandniece nearly forty years before. To solve the case, he begins working alongside the girl with dragon tattoo, Lisabeth Salander, who has incredible research and computer hacking skills. After the mystery is solved, they then prove the truth behind the libel case and take down a rouge financier. Although they don't end up happily ever after, there are still two more books in the series, so who knows?! I really like this series because it is a great story about murder, mystery, suspense, and romance all wrapped up into one. Even though it may drag a little bit throughout the book, it still has well-developed characters and a good plot that continually keeps you guessing.  

ROCKS, PEBBLES AND SAND

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items in front of him. When class began, he wordlessly picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about two inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles, poured them into the jar and lightly shook it. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things—your family, your partner, your health, your children—anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff.
“If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important. Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.”
Wise words. In your own life, be sure to take care of the rocks first—the things that really matter. Remember, the rest is only pebbles and sand.
                                                                         Anonymous

A few semesters ago, I took a speech class and our first assignment was to find something relatively short to read in front of the class. Being the procrastinator I am, I waited till the last minute to find something to read. I quickly went on the Internet and searched for short, inspirational stories. After reading a few, I didn't really see anything that caught my eye. Then, I came across this story shown above. I fell in love; I mean what a great message! I took it to read to my speech class and everyone loved it. I think it really hits home with a lot of people because it explains things in a way that's easy to see how it relates to your own life, no matter who you are or where your from. Sometimes you need a little reminder about the important things in life as they are overshadowed by the small stuff; things that don't matter in the long run. If you live your life according to the "jar method," then I think you'll be a much happier person. I'll end this post with one of my favorite quotes, "Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its trouble; it empties today of it's strength." So quit sweatin' the small stuff and live your life to the fullest with the ones you care about most.

I Am From...

I am from video cassettes,

From toys and blankets.

I am from the grass and hills of the backyard.

(Warm and welcoming on a hot summer’s day)

I am from the honeysuckle bush lining the fence.

The weeping willow whose long gone limbs I remember as if they were my own.

I’m from fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and fishing at the lake,

From Mammie and Bampy.

I’m from the up-all-nights and the go-getters

And from the loud-mouths.

I’m from follow directions but always have fun

And zip-a-dee-doo-dah.

I’m from cutting down the Christmas tree.

I’m from St. Louis and Germany,

Deviled eggs and green ham.

From dad crashing his motorcycle,

Forever a daredevil.  

From the thousands of pictures of faces familiar

Always present where it counts the most; my heart.