Hey everyone!! It's been a little while since i've been on this blog here. School got a bit crazy for a while and I was barely having time to eat and sleep, so my blog got a little neglected. I really wanted to post but just didn't have the time unfortunately. I'll throw in a few random pictures of what my life has been in the last month or so.

Coconut Poke Cake I made about a month ago for small group

Finally! A picture of Malik & I actually exists!

During this little unintentional hiatus, I have been doing a lot of thinking and have dealing with some things that I hope to share with you all at some point. It has kind of been a bit of a crazy month and a half! So many things have happened.

Lots of group meetings for projects the last couple weeks

Beginning of break...homemade pancakes, turkey bacon, & coffee with Anna

Well I obviously had Spring Break. I was here for the weekends, but was in St. Louis for the week days. The weekend at the end of break I helped with Children's Ministry Day. It was a long day but it was also a ton of fun. So glad to have been able to help with this event that helps provide children with a way to serve the community. The next day I got a little bit off my route on the way to Midway to pick my roommate up when she got in from Boston. Then the last couple weeks have been full and I feel like I have been running non-stop.

Enjoying 80 degree weather :)

My cousin Keziah thought my ankles made a great seat! :)

Also, in the last month my grades for the fall semester for officially entered and guess what?!? I made the Dean's List!!!! :) I was so excited since this is the first semester that I have made it. I have worked my butt off to get to this point and am proud of my accomplishments. Even if I come up short the rest of my semesters here, I will be proud that I made it just this once!

Volleyball every Saturday which means time with Noah :)

FOCUS Child Care Conference....It was a good but long day!

Oh and I got my cartilage pierced finally!! It was supposed to be my 18th birthday present, but clearly that didn't happen. It was just kind of a spur of the moment decision and i'm happy with it.

About 20 minutes after getting it done

Since Sunday I have been prepping the dessert I am making for Journey Group (small group) tonight. With our dinner for the night being hot dogs, baked bean, and chips, I didn't want to do anything fancy despite my craving Orange Brownies. So I finally decided to do a recipe that my mom and I have done many of times before for bake sales and just because. I made Mini Pies or Hand Pies. I used Strawberries for the ones pictured and am baking Triple Berry ones while we speak.

I made up a double batch of the pie crust on Sunday night. All that is in it is flour, salt, cinnamon/nutmeg, butter, and water. Fairly easy with the exception of cutting the butter in. That should be considered an arm workout in and of itself!!

Yesterday afternoon I rolled out the dough and made the cutouts, which I did with a flower cookie cutter that was about 3 1/2in. in diameter. I made about 22 pies with all of the flowers I cut out of the pie crust dough.

Last night after my Chemistry Lab, I came home and made the strawberry filling. I used one container of fresh strawberries that I rinsed and sliced thin. I then added a few tablespoons of sugar and a tablespoon of flour. I mixed it all up and there was more than enough for all of the pies. I had no hesitation in finishing off the leftovers!

This is what they looked like after I filled them and pressed them together with a fork. I put a few holes in the tops with a fork so that they could breathe and wouldn't explode in the oven. I then beat an egg in a bowl real quick and used a pastry brush to rub it on the tops of the pies. Then I put some of my homemade colored sugar on top. It happens to be purple sugar. I then put them in the oven and let them cook until they were perfect!

Don't they just look delicious?? I had to try one out to make sure they were good to share tonight and of course they were! A couple friends tried them as well and said they were really good! I also think I will have to write up an official recipe at some point... My mom and I just eyeball it. They looked, smelled, and tasted delicious! So I will take that as a success.

I'm sorry this is such a long post. If you made it this far then bless you. Hopefully you got to see the yummy food!! :)

Have a great week!! :)

Is Christmas Really Next Week??

Hey everyone!!

Well it's been a short while since i've posted anything and i'm sorry for my absence, but it was needed as the last few weeks have been hectic with finals, job stuff, and figuring out travel plans.

So for a quick overview of my life lately...

About a month ago I got a haircut (finally!) and new glasses! These glasses were about two years late and much needed!

This was right before heading home for Thanksgiving!
The Saturday before Thanksgiving my youngest biological sister came to stay with me at school for a few days before heading to New York for the holiday. Doesn't she just look thrilled to be hanging out with me for a few days?? Lol, she did have a 13 hour train ride before that so...

Getting back from Thanksgiving in NY I had to spend the next two weeks doing homework, practicing piano, finishing up projects and presentations, and getting details of work figured out.
It was pure craziness and sleep was a rarity!
There was one night I only got about an hour and a half because my brain just wouldn't slow down.

I spent several evenings and mornings in Larsen in a practice room for many hours practicing scales, triads, accompaniments, and repertoire pieces.
I really just thought this was a cool picture to record my clearly dedicated and focused practice time... :)

I really didn't have any big finals as they were all chapter tests, with the exception of piano.
One test however was take home, which was wonderful! And another test was open notes so that was a true blessing!!

The last couple days of finals week I spent time with my roomies and my 'roomies'.
All of us will be reunited in January when classes start again, with the exception of one. Nellie will be spending next semester on the other side of the pond. She will be taking classes and living in London. It isn't going to be the same with her gone but I know that she is going to have a great time!! And that God is going to do some amazing things in her and through her while she is there!
Plus we will be Skyping her during weekly Bible study...
Probably not every time but every now and then!

Me, Alaina, Emma, Mary, Alyssa, Jess, Nellie... Anna was working :(

The picture above is all of us minus Anna, who was working if I recall.
This was from the beginning of the semester at the Block Party.
The eight of us have all been living together since freshman year and we will likely be living together next year as well!! Well most of us anyways... (Save that info for later!)

The Sunday after finals I got to be in the Journey Tots room and got to spend time teaching and playing with this adorable little man! Noah is pretty stinking cute!
And he is going to be a big brother in just a few months!! Yay! :)

The beginning of December I officially started working at my church through NAMB.
This will be my job through next November, with the likelihood of continuing for the year after that.
I will continue doing what I already do with a few added jobs.
It is a blessing to be able to work doing what I love and enjoy while in college!
And it fits with my major and minor!
What are the odds?!
It truly is a blessing and I thank God for this opportunity!

Starbucks with Beth, Mary, Alyssa, and Emma!!

This picture really has nothing to do with this post, but I do look forward to spending time with all of those lovely ladies again in the coming semester!

So that is a brief overview and I look forward to getting some more posts up soon and hopefully more regularly this coming year!!
Hard to believe Christmas is next week and New Years the week after that!!
Where has the year gone?

Anyways, time to finish up work and prep for youth group tonight!
God bless you all!!