Valentines

I just went to Kroger to get some of those cute little valentine cards and candy heart boxes for my community group tonight.

When I was in the valentine aisle I saw a mom with some kids and I was just remembering how fun it was to do it all when I was little. I loved making my little "mailbox" that we got to put on the desk for all of the incoming valentines from our classmates. And then of course we would get home, sort through and pull off all the candy, and have little treats for our lunches for weeks!

So all you parents out there....just know that the dollars you spend on unnecessary things like valentine cards (that will ripped away from the candy and thrown away) are not dollars wasted. Your kids will look back on those memories -- of going to the store, picking out the "in" cartoon valentines, the popular candy, writing all their classmates' names on them, and taking them to school. And when they remember all that, I think they'll smile. Just like me right now. :)

Happy Valentines Day!

Jamaica, Florida, and Snow!!

It seems like it's been ages since I last made a post here.

A lot has been going on (is that new?) but, as always, I'm enjoying the challenges and joys that every new day brings.

Just a few days after my last post, in mid-December, I submitted the first of two applications for major national study abroad grants. I submitted the second yesterday, which was a big relief because I'd been working on it constantly for over a month and have been under a lot of pressure to make it competitive. Trying to juggle that along with the workload for my 20 credit hours this semester has been challenging at times!

I should find out which scholarships I've been awarded in mid- to late-March, so I'll keep you posted.

Winter Break was great - although it did go by pretty fast. I got to spend a lot of quality time with family-- in Sacramento, Chico, and Medford. It's hard to believe how fast time flies...every time I see my siblings they've grown another foot! Quite literally, too. I'm now the shortest in the family, besides nine-year-old Raam.

Thanksgiving Timelapse

I just HAD to share this....if you'll simply double the number of kids, you'll have the Foy Family Thanksgiving!

Finals, DEX, and a Tale from My Trip to China

I only have to survive two more weeks before it's home I go for a much-needed break from this craziness. This has been the busiest and most challenging semester I've ever had, academically speaking.

I've been forced to spend 90% of my time maintaining a good grade in my two honors courses: Analytics - Math Models and Medieval World. My business and language courses -- the "easy A's" -- have been all but neglected, which is frustrating since those relate directly to my major and I would like to spend a lot more time on them rather than just scraping by with the minimum required for an A.

In the midst of all this, plus a million other responsibilities, I almost reached the point of a nervous breakdown the other night. It's a lot of pressure.

BABIES!

I can't wait for this film to come out!

Three Holidays

It's been a whirlwind of a month! Even with the enormous workload I've had this semester, I was pretty good about inserting some fun into my week every now and then. I mentioned a while back that I'm leading a college community group with my church this year. A few weeks ago we set out to the pumpkin patch in hopes of bringing home a bunch to paint/carve, but unfortunately it was 7pm (and dark) by the time we got there and the patch was closed.

Our subsequent pumpkin-shopping spree at the local grocery store resulted in a rather goofy photo shoot and a memorable night. Here's a sample....

Out and About in Nashville

After some prompting from my mother this morning, I put down the books, took a day off from my studies, and set out for some "me time" in Nashville. My mom is always encouraging me to look into different events in the community and join the festivities wherever they may be. Her past recommendations include The Great Nashville Duck Race, the Live on the Green free concerts in the park series, and a plethora of other delightfully random events. Usually I'm exhausted by the end of the week and busy myself trying to catch up on sleep and inevitable projects that pop up during the semester. But today I was up for an adventure, and The Intergalactic Bead Show turned out to be just what I needed.