[A Year In Review: 2011]

Top 10 Most Important Dates of 2011

1. 2.22.2011 - The day I officially became an adult.
2. 3.25.2011 - When my father passed away.
3. 4.17.2011 - The day I started this blog!
4. 6.2.2011 - My high school graduation.
5. 6.4.2011 - The first time I ever traveled overseas. 
6. 8.27.2011 - When I finally took advantage of being 18 and got my nose pierced, a decision I am happy about every day.
7. 9.01.2011 - My first day in my new home in Eau Claire. 
8. 10.31.2011 - The first time I ever ran 2 miles.
9. 11.2011 - When I realized how solid the relationships I have are. 
10. 12. 22.2011 - The day I cut off 10 inches of my hair and donated it. 

Favorite New Experiences of 2011

1. College! 
2. Traveling abroad
3. Becoming a vegetarian
4. Live Simply November
5. Realizing how unimportant money and "things" are, and how much more other people could use the "things" and the financial resources I have. 
6. Donating plasma
7. Driving long distances
8. Learning how to knit
9. Becoming a Telefund Caller
10. Learning more about politics 
11. Becoming close to my high school teachers
12. Being involved in student body government
13. Falling in love with hockey
14. Being in a musical
15. Becoming a fan of country music

Best Concerts of 2011

1. North Choir Italy Tour 2011 - Concert in Rome - June 
2. North Choir Italy Tour 2011 - Concert in Levanto - June 
3. Florence and the Machine/The Black Keys - July 
4. Bon Iver - December 
5. The Compassion Project with Richard Davidson - May

Favorite Media and Entertainment Discoveries/Releases (In no particular order)

1. The Colbert Report
2. The Hobbit
3. This blog, this blog, and this blog
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
5. Kinfolk Magazine
6. Community
7. Limitless
8. The Da Vinci Code (Book)
9. This youtube video that always makes me smile...and that I now have memorized
10. The Hunger Games
11. Crazy, Stupid, Love
12. Brave New World

Top 10 Favorite Songs (In no particular order)

1. Home - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
2. Re: Stacks - Bon Iver
3. Little Black Submarines - The Black Keys
4. Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine
5. Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
6. The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco
7. Made in America - Toby Keith
8. Oceans & Streams - The Black Keys
9. Go To Sleep - The Avett Brothers
10. Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford & Sons

Things I Am Most Grateful For

1. A growing relationship with God
2. A family that is close, honest, and so caring and selfless. 
3. Friends that I can laugh with, be crazy around, but most of all, be loved and supported by. 
4. My InterVarsity small group
5. An education, and the finances that make it possible
6. A job that I really enjoy
7. A beautiful film camera
8. Warm wool socks/scarves/hats
9. Music, both creating and listening 
10. Blogs :)

Blog Stats 

1. Today's Letters - The inspiration for this blog (and this post)
2. Top 5 Posts - "Industrious" "Smile" "Snapshot" "LSN: Goals and Guidelines" "LSN: A Challenge" 
3. Top 5 Countries that read this blog - United States, Russia, Italy, Germany, UK
4. Month with the most traffic - November
5. Most random search keyword that lead someone to this blog - "salty blue" minerva

Looking Forward to in 2012

1. The world ending, obviously
2. Visiting my soul sister, Hannah, in Iowa this March
3. Starting my training position at Telefund
4. Running my first 5K in March
5. Celebrating this blog's 1 year anniversary!
6. Never having to take another Biology class again
7. A summer of new possibilities, and hopefully travel

[Inspiration]

I finally finished my scarf! I have been working on this scarf since Thanksgiving, and I accomplished my goal of finishing it on Christmas day! I have been wanting a warm infinity scarf for a while, so I decided to learn how to knit and to make myself one. Here is my inspiration. Here is my motivation.  Here is the final product. 

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." [Norman Vincent Peale]

It is nearly 10 am on Christmas morning, and I am the only one awake. I am reveling in the short time I have alone to reflect before the chaos begins again. I have had a wonderful few days home...here are some of the highlights. 

The ornament I made for my compassion child, Dado, who lives in Togo, Africa. "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble." 

1 Peter 3:8

...Dinner at the Hetrick's, I always feel so happy and at home when I am there. Plus the delicious pesto and salads are pretty great too. 
...Having my first walnut burger at Harmony since this summer. And sharing it with Jamie, Garrett, and Jenna. 
...Celebrating Chanukkah with the Buss and Sherman families. My first experience with latkes, this particular Jewish holiday, and the craziness of their gift giving. I even received a few presents, including a beautiful bracelet from the Buss family!
...The gift exchange with my friends; I love how perfect everyone's gifts were for each other, it just goes to show how close we are. Plus I got a rockin' sweater (which I am currently wearing), a metal travel mug (which I desperately needed) and a Starbuck's gift card (which is always appreciated).
...Shopping with my brother. Even though it took us hours to find everything we needed in Festival, and I actually had to drive him to buy one of my presents, while he spilled the beans about my other present, it was a really great bonding experience, and it was so good to spend time with him. 
...Playing nertz with Mrs. Hetrick, Austin, Molly, Adam, Jill, Jenna, Olav, Jamie, and Garrett. It was absolutely hilarious and chaotic, and I love my partner Garrett, and our killer team, the Alaskan State Troopers. 
...The worship music at the Christmas eve service. It is so good to sing about the true meaning of Christmas. So many Christmas songs now are about the sights and sounds of Christmas, and the songs that really touch on the birth of Christ are lost. Ending with a candlelight "Silent Night" was the perfect way to close the service. 
...Just being with the three other wonderful members of my family. "The Funny One," "The Fit One," and "The Beautiful One" just make everything so hilarious and I love being around them all once again. 


The time I've spent at home has basically been filled with great food, gift giving, and a sense of love and belonging. I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas, or Chanukkah, or Sunday and are surrounded by those you love. It is truly the greatest blessing during the holiday season. 

"You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you. That's where I'll be waiting." [Hook]

Over the weekend, I was able to go home and do so many amazing things!

My wrapped gifts! Brown paper, ribbons, buttons, and homemade gift tags. 

Best. Lunch. Ever.

Friday
...Garrett and I got up early to avoid mall traffic and get in some final christmas shopping. I also found some new jeggings and a blazer, both of which were on my "needs" list after my clothing challenge during LSN.
...We headed back to Hetrick's house to do some crafting...apparently Garrett's new favorite thing. 
...I got to split a delicious #13 with my mom, as per tradition. 
...Mara Lane came over and after a wonderful hug we hopped in the car and headed over to Jenna's house to see her for the first time since she moved in August. 
...The three of us headed back over to Hetricks', picked up some Chinese, and went to see Sherlock Holmes. It was pretty good I thought, but mostly I was just so happy to be with these wonderful people again.


Saturday
...Garrett and I got up early again, but this time it was to work out. We had our first trip to the Y complete with cardio and some crazy weight machine time. So pumped to continue this throughout break. 
...I headed back home and ate my favorite lunch EVER: chocolate milk, a spicy black bean burger, and spinach salad with feta cheese, walnuts, and raspberry vinaigrette. 
...I met up with Jenna at North and we saw Holiday Classics. The show was different than past years, yes, but it was still really amazing, it still brought tears to my eyes, and it was obvious how much joy and work the performers put into it. 
...Jenna and I went back to her Grandma's house and had a DELICIOUS dinner. How I missed the Riesterer's cooking...
...Jenna and I headed back to North to see Improvedy, another fantastic show. It was good to see people that still go to North like Lauren, Tori, and Laurel, but it was also cool seeing some of the returning college students. 
...After spending two days apart from my family here in Eau Claire, I got pretty lonely, so I had a skype sesh with Deaven, Meeghan, and Lauren. 


Sunday
...I had the opportunity to go to Community Church, where Jenna, Jill, and Molly go, and Austin and Garrett's dad is the pastor. I love going to Community Church because everyone is such a family, and I feel really accepted and loved, despite the fact that my family has never gone there. 
...I spent the rest of the day at home with my mom, enjoying spinach omelets, wrapping Christmas presents, decorating the tree, and baking cookies. 
...That night Garrett drove me to Bitty's where I spent the night (SLEEPOVER!) so we could get an early start back to Eau Claire the next morning. 

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!" [Charles Dickens]

In the making

 The final product

Dear Dad- Sometimes I wish you were here so I could ask you questions about when you were in the military. Your handsome picture of you in your navy uniform on the refrigerator reminded me of this. Dear Christmas Gifts- I can finally cross you off of my to do list. I loved picking out gifts for my friends and family, and I had a great time making some of them today with Garrett. Now, time for wrapping! This year I'm using ribbons, twine, paper bags, and buttons! Dear Colbert Report- I have watched about 5 episodes today alone. I think this is becoming an unhealthy obsession.


P.S. With the holidays coming up, many of the blogs I read begin talking about family traditions. It makes me remember all of the things I did with my family growing up, and it excites me thinking about the new traditions I will someday make with my own family. There are days when I get impatient, I feel so ready to get married and have children and make my own little circle of life and love. Then I remember all of the growing and learning I still need to do before I can begin to give my life to others in such a way. It makes me a bit sad too, knowing that before I even realize it, my family will be grown up, ready to take on their own lives, ready to reach their own goals. But I am getting ahead of myself. In just 8 days I will be home with my wonderful family, my two older siblings and my mother; we will reform the intense bonds that hold us together and amidst all the chaos, it will be warm and safe.

"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light." [Norman B. Rice]

There they are, Justin and the gang. 

Dear Dad- Matt said that this video reminds him of some of the stories you used to tell. True that. I really miss hearing about your time in the Navy, how you broke your leg, and just all of the life adventures you had. Dear Bon Iver- Thank you for the amazing music last night. It was such a magnificent experience to hear the music in the place that it was written about. Justin Vernon, just as you said, the whole concert, being home in this city, everything was "insanely perfect." Thank you for the incredible show. Dear Tuesday Morning- You were just one of those crazy wonderful mornings. Sleeping in until almost 10, getting my art presentation done, and getting the call coaching position at Telefund. Plus I got to see Bitty and Katarina this morning, and now I have a few hours for coffee and watching Friends. 


P.S. With all of the stress surrounding my friends' lives right now, I have been struggling because they aren't able to spend as much time with me, or give me the attention I think I need. I am constantly reminding myself that although they love me, they do have a lot on their plates, so they don't have time to spend with me like they usually do. I need to understand and respect this, as well as try to help them as much as I can. Whenever I feel myself struggling with this I remember Philippians 2:3-5, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. Your attitudes should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." 

"Minnesota, WI" [Bon Iver]

Over the weekend I finally went to Minneapolis, and I am still trying to recover. 

Before the trip...matching shirt set #1

In the hotel Friday night...matching shirt set #2

Coldstone after shopping...our perfect shirts in action!

 

Not proud, but it's the truth. This is our trunk after shopping.

Friday
...After some ambitious cleaning, laundry, and packing, we were all ready to set off for the cities, in our matching NRHH shirts. 
...We got to the hotel Friday night, and just sat around talking about how hungry we were. After some quick deliberation, we headed across the parking lot for a healthy dinner at IHOP.
...We put on our 90-year-old-woman swim suits and headed down to the pool, which disappointingly did not have a hot tub. We still had fun doing somersaults and putting furniture in the pool.
...We headed over to Target afterwards, starting our christmas shopping and getting legos for Justin and candy for Bitty. At one point we lost Bitty, who was NOT following the buddy system, but we ended up finding her in a rack of clothing. (And I'm the youngest one, really?)
...After Target we hung out in the hotel, jumping on the beds, playing hide-and-go-seek, and taking lots of dumb photos. Note the matching shirts...again. 
...Lauren/Mom kept insisting that we go to bed so we would be well rested for the long day ahead of us, but Bitty and I managed to get in a quick game of Elf, thoroughly annoy Justin, and tell secrets under the covers. 


Saturday
...7:30am wake up time. I stand up and jump on bed, excited, and then decide it's too early for that nonsense and lay back down. 
...We broke out our matching T-Shirts that we labored so hard on last week, and Justin even agrees to wear his. Good man.
...After breakfast we drove across the street to the Mall of America and head in for a day of shopping. 
...The trip to the mall was pretty successful, complete with caribou coffee, lots of christmas shopping, a little bit of clothes shopping, noodles for lunch, and a ride on the spongebob roller coaster. 
...We headed home that evening, stopping for coldstone and a picture on the way. 
...After an early morning and a busy day of shopping, all we could muster up was a chill night in the room until about midnight. 


Sunday
...After an "early" breakfast at 10am, I realized I had nothing left to do for the rest of the day. No homework, no cleaning, and all of my friends were gone. 
...I spent the day catching up on modern family, turned on the packer game, and then headed off to work and hall council!

“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” [Charles Dudley Warner]

Dear Dad- Thanks for loving me even though I suck at sports. That's all. Dear Finals Week- Thank goodness I am going home before you, I am bored out of my mind as it is. Everyone is running around like crazy, doing homework and papers and projects, and I just basically knit and watch friends because I have so much freaking time on my hands. It's enough to drive a person crazy. I WANT MY FRIENDS BACK! Dear Minneapolis Road Trip- T-Minus 19 hours. I can't believe it. Here's to a weekend of matching shirts, mini sticks, lots of pictures, and more shopping that I even want to imagine. 


P.S. This is a pretty profound statement, but when I raise my kids, I want them to think they are entitled to nothing except love. Love is the only thing that can really be guaranteed and the only that that can't be earned. Respect, opportunities, material goods, relationships, these things all must be worked for. But love? It is automatic with God. Even on days when my child might feel like no one loves them, I want them to know that God still does. I really hope it never gets to the point where my child feels that way, but it is comforting knowing that God can always be there and can always provide love when the world provides seemingly nothing. 

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then to rest afterward." [Spanish Proverb]

A really old picture of Hannah... due to general computer malfunctions. But she's really beautiful no matter when the picture was taken. 

Dear Dad- Sometimes when I miss you I just have to remember my father who will always be there. "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." Psalm 68:4-5 gives me so much peace. Dear Hanners- I am so happy I got to talk to you on the phone for a whole hour today! I feel so blessed to have such an incredible friend in my life, to call, to miss, to encourage, and to love. I am PUMPED beyond all belief to go visit you in Iowa. 100 days on the nose! Dear (almost) Stress-Free Weeks- I have three of these total to wrap up my semester. How on earth did I get so lucky? I have a laundry list of incredibly fun things to look forward to, and only a few projects and exams to really think about. This leaves plenty of time for watching Friends, knitting, and catching up with friends, which I am pretty happy about.


P.S. Citris prevents scurvy, so I consume it daily. The Christmas tree on my desk is second only to Charlie Brown's when it comes to crappy decorating. George Harrison is my favorite Beatle. I live for nature walks in the fall. I really wish I owned a pair of running tights. The Cinque Terre is my happy place. I love going to movies with Garrett, and it feels wrong to go without him, especially to midnight premieres. Scent is my biggest memory-trigger and I think my strongest sense. I love the feeling of getting into a freshly made bed. And with that, I conclude my ramblings of the evening.

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." [Sydney J. Harris]

The awesome gingerbread man Rachel made you a few years ago. 

Dear Dad- Mom sent me a care package with christmas cookies today! I ate 4 of them already... I'm going to miss making cookies with you this year. Dear Art Group- Thank you men for being so darn good with your hands. I love that I can simply state my ideas and you can make these concepts a reality. Thank goodness this is a group project, I do not have the talents that you all do! Dear Relaxation Exercise- Although this was one of the most random things we could've done in our Honors class, it was wonderful. I haven't done relaxation exercises like that since yoga, and boy do I miss it. I'm really not that stressed about the end of the semester/finals, but I know a lot of people are, and hopefully you all can make time to just relax! Tonight I'm going to listen to this song before bed, it's apparently the most relaxing song ever (clinically proven). Hope my roommate won't be too freaked out if she finds me passed out at my desk tomorrow morning...


P.S. El Camino was finally released! I am very happy to have my iTunes back so I have the opportunity to listen to it. I still can't listen to music very often since November though, I find myself either forgetting my iPod or taking out my headphones just to appreciate the silence of campus, especially with the new snow. 

"I just want to be snow because then everyone would love me and I would glisten in the moonlight and I would make children laugh so hard!" [Brittany Eland]

Over the weekend I sustained a few minor injuries, but had a great time with my friends as always. I am so blessed!

The beautiful snow!

Eating our Elf dinner...

Friday
...Katarina, Katie, Meghan, Bitty and I headed out to the mall to pick up supplies for Saturday's dinner and for our project of the evening. 
...We spent the entire night in the basement, working on our project and listening to music. 
...We also spent a good half hour spinning around the pole at the bottom of the stairs... oh how we amuse ourselves. 
...It ended up being another early night because both Meghan and I had to wake up early for choir.


Saturday
...Meghan and I headed down the hill when I sustained injury number one. I managed to fall right on my butt, before it had even started snowing. Now that is talent. 
...We spent about 2 hours rehearsing for the Holiday Concert the next day, which went really fast and was actually enjoyable. 
...After breakfast I decided to be productive and do some cleaning, laundry and homework. Bitty and Deaven decided to be productive and play "find it" with a bottle of hand sanitizer for two hours. 
...The five of us went down to the basement to put on our wing event, an Elf dinner and movie viewing, complete with M & Ms, chocolate syrup, maple syrup, pop tarts, and sprinkles on our spaghetti. (Which we won "group of the week" for in hall council, 4W is two weeks running, last time it was for playing in the snow in our swim suits)
...We then headed out to enjoy the fresh snowfall! We had a snowball fight, made a snow girlfriend for Brian, went knee sledding(second injury of the weekend, GIANT bruise, hit a rock...), and walked along Putnam trail and just observed the beauty of the first snow at night. 
...We went inside to get warm and ended up watching the Badger game and eating an entire bag of carrots. 
...To top the night off, I popped a water balloon in my lap. Good times. 


Sunday
...I got to sleep in for the first time in weeks, so that was amazing. 
...After breakfast, Meghan and I headed down for a good 7 hours of choir concerts. It was enjoyable, but a bit exhausting. The snow was amazing to walk around in. 
...Then it was off to the caf, A&P meeting, and hall council. 
...I finished the night off by completing two things I had totally forgotten: a group project poster collage and an application.
...I went to bed pretty late, and hit the pillow hard after a busy weekend. 

Live Simply November: A Recap

I did it! Yesterday was my last official day of "Live Simply November." The month went surprisingly fast, though there were times I just wanted it to be December! Although there have been times I have "cheated" and I didn't accomplish everything on my list, I would never count this as a failure. I gained so much through this experience and I'm excited to share what I learned. 

[I will be going pretty much in order of my original post, so you can follow along with that if you want.]


Goals:
-Read my bible daily I didn't do it every single day, but I did read my bible more than 75% of the month, which was definitely an increase for me. This was the single greatest part of Live Simply November without a doubt. I grew so much closer to God, I learned a lot, and my prayer time became more intentional. I would do everything again just for this one reward.
-Blog/write daily As you can tell I did not blog every single day, but I can say that I wrote at least once a day. Through blogging, journaling, writing my prayers, and just jotting down thoughts either in my art notebook or on my phone, I was writing a lot this month.
-Read through Walden by Thoreau Sadly, I did not accomplish this goal. I did start to read it, but I just couldn't find the time to fit this and all the time I wanted with God every night. I don't regret this at all, I know I will get through Walden again sometime, and I know my time with God was much more important.
-Write 1 letter/week This ended up being one of my favorite parts of LSN, I loved writing and recieving mail from those who chose to write back. There is nothing more satisfying than sealing, stamping, and sending mail.

Guidelines: 
-No texting Pros: I appreciated not having my phone attatched to my side 24/7 and constantly looking to see if I got a text message. I also LOVED the phone conversations I had, I feel that a lot of my relationships actually grew this month. Cons: It's really inconvient to have to call people about logistical things, or having to wait until after I get out of class/meetings to communicate with people.
-No ipod At times I wondered why I even chose to do this. I am glad I did though, I was able to discover a liking for country music, I proved to myself that it is possible to live without my ipod, and I got to eavesdrop on some interesting conversations. I am happy to have my stress-relieving, joy-enducing music back though.
-No TV Easy. I did want to watch Friends while I was at home though, and I was only allowed to if my friends wanted to.
-No movies, except in social situations Not an issue in the least.
-No beauty products I was so worried about not wearing make up, but I got used to it within a week or so. It helped that a lot of people said they didn't even notice. Also, it turns out I don't actually need hair product, conditioner works just fine.
-No spending This one was a bit tough, especially when I was home and really needed something. I did end up spending a bit of money, but it was all on gifts, so I think that's just fine.
-30 Items of clothing Laundry was such a snap! Last night I put all of my clothes back to their normal homes, and I was shocked at how extensive my wardrobe is. Even after dumping one paper bag full of clothes earlier this month, I went through and dumped one more bag. Why do I need all of these clothes?
-Computer use for: homework, email, blogging, bank accounts, UWEC accounts only  I did end up using google and youtube occasionally, but I never went on facebook or pandora which I'm pretty proud of. I'm going to check my facebook tomorrow night with Bitty by my side, so she can watch me try to untangle the mess she left there.
-Only one of the following: waterbottle, washcloth, towel, hand towel, spoon, bowl, fork, travel mug Dishes were easy. I don't know why I have so many dishes... I don't even cook. 


So that was my logistical analysis of how this month went. This change in lifestyle really taught me much more than just that I like my ipod and I don't actually like facebook(whoa, revolutionary, right?). I would say that this month I learned...
...How to prioritize. This is the first time in my life that I have spent more time with God than getting ready in the morning.
...God has amazing power and strength and he is my refuge. 
...How to be more intentional/productive with my time, especially when distractions are eliminated.
...That I don't need beauty products to be considered beautiful.
...I have so much "stuff" when others have none. I just want to sell everything I own and give it to starving children. I know that's unrealistic, but I'm going to try to get as close to that as I can.
...20 minutes of worship beat out listening to a Bon Iver, The Avett Brothers, or Mumford album any day.
...I don't mind being physically attached to my cell phone, but I need to make sure I'm not emotionally attached. Texting is convenient, but it's not the way to grow a relationship. 
...Friends are amazing, and they really prove their character when they put up with you not texting, freaking out about not wearing make up, and planning their lives(and budgets!) around the fact that you can't spend money. 


And with that, I end with a humongous thank you. Thank you for all of the encouraging words, texts, emails, letters, and phone calls. I treasure the fact that I have such amazing people in my life who backed me the whole way on this crazy journey. Thank you all!


"A friend is one with whom you are comfortable, to whom you are loyal, through whom you are blessed, and for whom you are grateful." [William Arthur Ward]