refreshing

In the past few years of working with college students I've seen many relationships begin (and most end). Many of the relationships are unhealthy. Much of that can be attributed to immaturity, humankind's selfish nature, or no older examples of healthy, holy, committed relationships in their lives.

If I know the students in the relationships well, I always try and talk with them. They already know what is wise. They know what the bible says. And they still make poor choices, for whatever reason. It can be discouraging to see the choices they make and then heart-breaking to see them go through so much hurt.

There's been so many situations. Couples who don't know how to communicate with each other. Or couples who date solely for physical reasons. Some have trust issues. Some don't spend enough time together and they feel neglected. Some spend time only with each other and no one else. Or maybe one half of the couple is into drinking or drugs. And in extreme cases, I've seen cheating, abuse, pregnancy, and abortions.

So today was very refreshing.

There are two college students that have been friends for awhile, and on our snow trip last month I noticed they were spending more time together. They asked if they could come talk to me today. Once we sat down, the guy looked at the girl, and then turned to me and said:

"So Sarah, I'm sure you've noticed she and I have been hanging out a lot. And you've probably guessed that we have feelings for each other. We do. And we want to pursue this. But we want to be focused on God. We really really do. We want him to be the center of this. And we want to go slow. We want to keep building on our friendship before we take things further. But we need help. We need advice. How do we stay focused on the Lord when we begin dating? How can we be encouraging each other in our faith? Where do I learn to be a spiritual leader in this relationship?"

I was shocked.

And so impressed with them.

You'd hope that this would be the norm for Christian college kids, but again, for whatever reason, it's not.

And you guys, it was SO refreshing! They want their relationship focused on God! I almost didn't even know what to say.

still sick

Yup, I've been sick all week. Boo. I was luckily feeling ok enough to go to work on Wednesday but other than that, I've been at home and in bed. I should have been using this down-time to read (I'm in the middle of 5 books) but instead I've been wasting my time away on the interwebs. Here are some things I discovered this week:

* Charlie Sheen is crazy.

* College boys are funny. (These guys are from University of Arkansas)



* I found a new favorite quote from twitter:

"Legalism says do so that you can become. Grace says you already are, so act like it." -Lauren Lankford

* 30 Rock continues to make me laugh week after week (after week).

* It might snow tonight at sea level. That's where I live. Everyone is freaking out. I have a feeling if it doesn't, people are going to be severely disappointed.

* Glee just released the two original songs they will be singing at Regionals. The first is called "Loser Like Me" and is upbeat and fun. The second is a Rachel ballad called "Get It Right". I once again just have to say Lea Michele's voice is flawless.

* The Academy Awards are this Sunday at 5 pm. You gonna watch?

GLEE-cap #14

Things I never want to see again: Brittany stripping, Mr. Schuester in a cowboy hat riding a mechanical bull, Rachel's party dress (if we can really call it that), and purple puke.

Not a fan of this episode. I keep hearing my dad's voice in the back of my head. "That show has horrible values!" Dad, lighten up! It's just a fun show. It's got great song/dance numbers and funny one-liners. And I love the characters.

But I can try and justify it all I want. It will not change the fact that Glee really does have horrible values. And this episode is a perfect example of that. So many cringe-worthy lines and sub-plots. I'll save those for the end of the blog. For now, it's time for the

TOP TEN QUOTES/MOMENTS FROM "BLAME IT ON THE ALCOHOL"

10) "There are new alcoholic beverages targeted to kids, Will. Just listen to the radio. Pop music now glorifies binge drinking. Just listen to any hit by pop sensation 'Ke-dollar-sign-ha'." -Principal Figgins

"...You mean Ke$ha?" -Mr. Schuester

9) Sue to Will: "I suggest you pre-emptively check into rehab, as you are a future alcoholic. I mean, come on, look where you are. You're coaching a glee club that can only beat choirs of old people. You're re-hashing the details of your failed marriage with the very lemur who rejected the bestial horror of your craven sexual advances. And when MY glee club crushes you at regionals, well, the last ounce of meaning will drain from your life and you will turn to drink." (I love Will mimicking Sue while she was talking)

8) "Did you hear?" -Brittany (about Rachel's party)

"Yes. Mercedes just told me." -Artie

"Tell them I'll go if they go." -Mercedes

"Tell 'em yourself. I ain't no pony express." -thug Artie

7) "It tastes like pink. It tastes like PINK!" -Rachel drinking a wine cooler at her party

6) "Don't You Want Me Baby" by Rachel and Blaine. Darren Criss singing an 80's tune? Yes please. It was fun seeing Rachel and Blaine sing. I never really thought they'd sing together because they go to different schools. (Btw, WHAT was Rachel wearing?? I think my grandmother owned that exact dress. And wore it in the evenings because it was her NIGHTGOWN.)

5) All the glee kids at school on Monday with hangovers and sunglasses.

"How 'bout some Bloody Marys, y'all." -Artie

"Are you kidding me? That last thing I want to do is drink." -Mercedes

"It'll help your hangover. That's what bloody marys are for. Hair of the dog that done bit...yo...ass." -thug Artie again. And then he proceeds to bang his wheelchair into walls and say "EH" to Cheerios as they walk by. Blame it on the alcohol, Artie.

4) "Yeahhhh happy face," -Mr. Schue drunk-grading, giving everyone A+'s. "That was a valiant effort." *burp* "You get an A+. That's how I roll." (slurring his words) "I don't even know who you ARE."

3) "Unfortunately Kitty Dukakis could not be here because of disinterest." -Principal Figgins at the school assembly.

2) Oh my gosh, my favorite scene was when Sue played Will's drunk-dial on the intercom. I could not stop laughing.

"Heyyyyy there, sexy lady. There's something I really really want to say to you. I love how you eat your lunch with your little plastic gloves and they crinkle and make the cutest sound I've ever heard in my life. Why don't you pick up some wine coolers and come over here and it'll be just one night of us just getting crazy, just get CRAZY. *mumble mumble* Roll around in the hay...I was just in some hay earlier tonight. Hey and I rode a bull and I was thinking of YOU."

Becky's face. Emma's face. Will's face. All the glee kids' faces. Classic. (Oh and I loved the shout-out to Grease with the xylophone opener and closer)

1) "There's a fair amount of the pot calling the kettle black right now." -Quinn

"That is so racist." -Brittany


Didn't Like:

* Rachel's party. Maybe I'm just super sensitive to stuff like this right now because some of my college students are into this scene and it really bums me out. I didn't like seeing the kids going crazy and being dumb.

* Mr. Schuester being all, "Who am I to tell them not to drink. I drank and blacked out when I was their age." Ummm, you can tell them not to drink because you're an adult and a teacher and a mentor and their glee leader. Oh and why don't you be a good example during Alcohol Awareness Week and go get drunk with the Beiste at a honky tonk bar? Awesome, Schue.

* The glee kids getting congratulations and fro-yo coupons after the assembly. Where's the discipline?! Are there no consequences for their actions?

* Blaine checking out if he likes girls. Glee writers, what is going on!?!

Some people said they LOVED this episode. One of their favorites this season. Am I just way off? What did you think?

time for a quiz

I was trying really hard NOT to get sick this winter.

I almost made it.

So yes, I'm battling a cold and quarantined to my room and bed. I'm in between naps and blowing my nose and thought I'd kill some time by doing one of those get-to-know-you quizzes. Aaaaaand begin:


Are you a morning or night person? definitely a night owl (I dislike mornings immensely)
Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods? sweet (desserts are a weakness)
What was your favorite childhood television program? tied between Alvin and the Chipmunks, Square One (on PBS), and The Cosby Show
Are you a collector of anything? I love pictures, so I guess you could say I take and save lots of photographs.
If you could be any animal, what would you be? bird
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? ability to fly (which is why I'd love to be a bird)
What is usually your first thought when you wake up? "Shut up, stupid alarm..."
What do you usually think about right before falling asleep? What happened during the day, tomorrow, things coming up, people God puts on my heart to pray for.
What's your favorite color? light purple (especially in sunsets)
What's your favorite animal? sloth (I got to pet one in Costa Rica and my heart melted)
Ever been addicted to a video/computer game? Which one(s)? Video games are dumb (personal opinion). However, when I was young, I LOVED playing Oregon Trail (Mmmmm buffalo meat) and Carmen Sandiego on the family computer.
You're given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on? A house, dog, travel, and retirement. Boo yah.
Have any bad habits? cracking my knuckles and ankles. It's horrible for my body and I know no one likes the sound. Sorry!
Have any celebrity crushes? Yep. Let's see. Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), Jim from The Office (John Krasinski), and my current celebrity crushes are Zachary Levi (Chuck on NBC) and Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schuester on Glee). I might have a little crush on Jake Gyllenhall, too.
Any tattoos or piercings? A hole in each ear.
What's the first thing you notice in the opposite sex? their smile
What personality traits do you look for in a partner? loving, kind, others-focused, funny
What personality traits do you dislike in other people? cockiness, arrogance, sonmeone who tears others down.
Are you mostly a clean or messy person? Clean for the most part, but I have my messy days. Especially after coming back from a trip. My suitcase and clothes will just sit there forever.
Do you see yourself getting married in the next 5 years? Yes please.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I love where I live. I could live here forever.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? New Zealand
Name 1 regret you have: teaching first grade
Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid: less worries and daily naptimes
Name 1 thing you love about being an adult: independence
What's your favorite song of all time? "C.S. Lewis Song" by Brooke Fraser. (all the lyrics in this song are from C.S. Lewis)
What's your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? Something with friends - dinner or game night or downtown or a movie.
What's your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon? sleep or take the neighbor's dogs for a walk
Have any hidden talents? Hmmm...I can't think of anything out of the ordinary. I can hip-hop dance, but that's not really hidden.
You're about to walk the green mile, what do you have as your last meal? Steak, mashed potatoes, strawberries, and a huge piece of chocolate cake.
What would be your dream job? an actress on stage (plays or musicals)
Which would you rather have, 100 million dollars or true love? True love. Money is lame.
Name 1 thing not many people know about you: I have become more of an introvert as I've gotten older. And I love it.

If you want to do this quiz on your blog, copy and paste and have fun. I'd love to learn more about you!

Judah day

I got to spend the whole day with my 2 year old nephew. *bliss* It was a day full of play-doh, puzzles, books (he loves it when I do voices), splashing in big puddles in the rain, eating, playing with a kazoo and auto harp (my mom's), drawing, going for a walk, and more. But our FAVORITE part of the day was watching "Make 'Em Laugh" from the movie Singing in the Rain.

Judah LOVES Singing in the Rain. He can sing the theme song and imitate the dance moves Gene Kelly does in the movie (Give him an umbrella and he will entertain himself for five minutes). Well, today we had on "Singing in the Rain" and I asked him if he wanted to watch the song "Make 'Em Laugh". We watched it at least 10 times throughout the day. We were both dying laughing. It didn't matter that we had seen it a million times before.

Sometimes Judah would just watch and laugh. Other times he would slide onto the floor and try to imitate whatever Donald O'Connor was doing in the movie.



As I was watching this video, it sort of hit me how old and mobile he is. I looked back on old blog posts when he was just months old. He was kind of a blob (a cute blob). He couldn't walk or talk or do much. And now two years later, he is a BOY. And growing up more and more every day.

GLEE-cap #13

Dang you, Sam Evans. You and your pretty voice and your pretty face. I will overlook the fact that you can't dance (sorry!) and just acknowledge that I really liked you in tonight's episode. You even made me like a Justin Bieber song. Now I don't know much about the Biebs. Probably because I am over the age of 12. Here's what I do know:

* His video for the song "Baby" has almost 500,000,000 views on youtube. Not 500 thousand. 500 MILLION. That video has the most views of ANY video on youtube. What. The. Crap.

* His movie "Never Say Never" just made 30 million at the box office this weekend.

* His hair looks like a comb-over, but from the back. A backwards comb-over? A forwards comb-over? Whatever. His hair is silly-looking.

* His followers/fans call themselves "Beliebers". And they will cut you. Seriously, don't mess with the Beliebers. They have made death threats against Selena Gomez (a young Disney teen star) because she and the Biebs are supposedly dating. The Beliebers are scary. Like PETA, but with ponytails and braces.

Ok, so back to Sam Evans. Sweet sweet gullible Sam. You believed Quinn saved Finn's life when he choked on a gumball? Presh. And you thought channeling J Beeb would win back her affections? Double presh.

I feel like I'm getting ahead of this week's Top 10, so let's jump in.


TOP TEN QUOTES/MOMENTS FROM "COMEBACK"

10) "Hey Will, Esme. So sorry for not being sorry for interrupting. But would you mind if I borrowed one of your rafters so I can hang myself? I did a test run back in my office and you know what? There's asbestos up there. And that can kill a person." -Sue

9) "You're lucky I left my blow gun at home, Air Bags, because I've got a clear shot at your nonnies." -Sue to Santana in glee club

8) I loved when the boys walked slow-mo into the choir room dressed as Justin Bieber. "Sweet Jesus, who bought tickets to Crazy Town?" -Mercedes. Everyone's expressions were awesome. Tina's and Lauren's were my fav. And Puck flicking his bangs to the side with the twist of his head...just perfect.

"Hey everyone. We're the new and improved 'The Justin Bieber Experience'. And we think this song is an anthem because everything Bieber does is epic." -Sam

"Truth!" -Artie (gangsta)

7) The song/performance to "Somebody To Love". When I first saw that GLEE was going to sing this song, I was like, "Wait, they already sang this." (the Queen song) But no, this time it was the Biebs. And I liked it. Good ol' sugary pop music. The ladies were going c-r-a-z-y during the performance which was funny.

6) "Listen, Zizes. I'm dying here. You got me every which way, and we both know I'm not the brightest. So, please! What do I have to do to getwitcho?" -Puck to Lauren

5) "Do dudes ever get erections when they wrestle with you?" -Puck to Lauren (Inappropriate quote but way too funny not to mention. Sorry.)

4) "Take Me Or Leave Me" by Mercedes and Rachel. True to form, these divas BROUGHT IT. I loved this song already, and I thought they did a great cover of it. Rachel must love Idina Menzel because in her first Diva-Off with Kurt, they sang "Defying Gravity" from Wicked and in this Diva-Off, their song was an Idina song from RENT. Oh wait, of COURSE Rachel loves Idina - Idina is her mom (on the show)! Pardon me, I just nerded out. Moving on...

3) The underwear scene. Lauren was trying to imagine the glee kids in their underwear while she sang and I was dying! First of all, Mr. Schue was wearing boxers and a vest. A VEST. I was giddy. Next was Sue in a black leather dominatrix outfit, mask, and sneakers. Then I see Finn in boxers and a Power Rangers T-shirt. And finally Puck wearing rock n' roll briefs. xoxo

2) Sam's James Earl Jones impression had me in stitches!! "This morning I woke up and decided to swallow the sun!" Ahhhhh! Loved it, loved it, loved it.

"First of all, that is offensive. He shot Martin Luther King." -Santana

"Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father!" -Sam, still doing the impression

1) Original songs for Regionals?! Yes please!


Final thoughts from the episode:

* It has been confirmed: Rachel shops at Kids R Us.

* Why did Finn look like a lumberjack during the "Sing" song?

* I miss Kurt, Blaine, and the Warblers.

* I miss John Stamos.

* I'm glad Sam broke it off with Quinn. Not so stoked he's with Santana, but whatevs. And I couldn't stand "cocky Finn" last week. So I'm glad he got knocked down a few pegs this week.

Now it's your turn, gleeks. What did you think of this week's episode?

Big Apple bound...again!

June of 2009, I had the opportunity to visit New York City (for the first time) with my dear friend, Amy. It was one of the best trips of my life. And ever since I left that magical city, I have wanted to go back. And friends, it's official. I'm going back!

Two years later, June 2011, I will be heading back to the Big Apple with Amy and our friend Jenn. We just bought our plane tickets today. I am still in shock: we found round-trip tickets for $299. WHAT!?!? Flying across the country for 300 bones? Holy cow, it's like a sign. We are meant to go back.

give us the pretty red bow!

We started a new series at the college group this week. We're calling it Controversies of the Christian Faith. We're going to talk about four controversies that are facing Christians (or the church) today. But we are going to do it non-biasedly. Whoever speaks that night will present both sides without bias. Then the students will choose the side they most resonate with and move to that side of the room. And then they will receive some "devil's advocate" questions. Those will help them figure out how to defend what they believe.

It was so fun to see their heads explode on Wednesday night. Well, it was fun for me. They were beyond frustrated. "Sarah, just tell us what to believe!" Nope. "Sarah, tell us which side you would go to!" No way. It struck me that they have not been in situations like this before at church. Their whole life, they've been spoken to, preached at, and told what to believe. To suddenly have both sides of a big issue shown to them and they have to choose what they believe (and not only that, but how to defend their beliefs)...well, let's just say their eyes were rolling back into the heads.

Wednesday's topic? Absolute truth vs. Relative truth. Is there absolute truth for everyone? Or is all truth relative to each individual person, their life, and their experiences?

At the end of the night I said, "You guys are in college. You are intellectually challenged every day in your classes. Why can't we do that spiritually? This series is going to be eye-opening, infuriating, and growing. You are going to take a stand for something. You are going to hear and respect the other side's views. We are going to learn from each other. And at the end of each teaching night, I'm not going to wrap up the talk with a pretty red bow. I want you guys to go home and continue wrestling with what you hear and talk about tonight. Talk to God, be honest with him, allow yourself to struggle."

"Sarah, give us the pretty red bow!"

"No. This is good for you."

*college students grumbling*

GLEE-cap #12

Love is in the air at McKinley High. Or is it? It seemed that for a Valentine's Day episode, there should have been a lot more relationship lovin' and not so much relationship drama. I didn't love this ep, but I found 10 things I could share that were good.

TOP TEN QUOTES/MOMENTS FROM "SILLY LOVE SONGS"

10) Puck watching Lauren eating the box of chocolates he gave her in "Geometry, or English, or something". After class is over, Lauren goes up to Puck.

"Stare at me again, and I'll break your nuts. Also, the candies you gave me? They sucked." -Lauren

"But you ate all of them." -Puck

"I had to make sure they all sucked." -Lauren

9) After Finn tells the glee club he is going to open a kissing booth and charge a dollar a smooch, Santana says, "I've kissed Finn and can I just say...not worth a buck. I would, however, pay a hundred dollars to jiggle one of his man-boobs." (This one was my favorite line of the episode!)

8) When Finn opens his kissing booth, and Becky steps up with her money and a big grin saying, "I want tongue."

7) Artie singing "PYT". Artie - you get TWO Michael songs in one week, brotha. That is awesome. (Brittany: "That's my man and his legs don't work!") And Mike Chang? Everytime you dance, I am mesmerized. You even rocked the moonwalk. I heart both you boys.

6) Finn giving Rachel the gold star necklace (even if it was from Christmas). Awhhhh...

5) "Look, you made your point. I'm sort of a b---h. But I'm willing to change. I won't tell Lauren to look out for poachers who might mistake her for the endangered white rhino." -Santana to Puck

4) "When I Get You Alone" - Blaine singing to Jeremiah, the GAP sweater-folder. The first time I heard this song, I was like, "meh". But I listened to it again and really liked it! The Warblers always sound so good. But I didn't really want to watch Blaine stalking/chasing a guy around the store. Weird!

3) Rachel singing "Firework" in the hallways, while everyone held sparklers. And she was singing into her hairbrush again, too! Even though I'm sad she and Finn are not together, I hope this means the diva-singing Rachel is back!

2) Kurt with his red microphone in Breadstix. "To all the singles out there...this is our year." PREACH.

1) "Silly Love Songs" by Blaine and the Warblers. A perfect choice of song to end the Valentine's Day episode. I loved when Blaine looked at Lauren and Puck and sang, "Love doesn't come in a minute" and then he looked at Santana and sang, "Sometimes it doesn't come at all." His face and her reaction are CLASSIC.


Now here are some things I didn't like in this episode:

* Finn and Quinn. Um, hello season 1, good to see you again? Actually, it's not. You two had your chance, move on. I hated that Finn wanted to get Quinn to kiss him, even though he knows she's dating Sam. And why can't she just break up with Sam instead of cheating on him and meeting Finn in the auditorium? (Which by the way is NOT a discreet place to play hide-and-kiss)

* the hallway smackdown between Satan, I mean Santana, and Lauren. Doesn't ANYBODY get suspended for fighting anymore? When Sam and Karofsky were punching each other in the boys locker room a few episodes back, neither of them got in trouble. And after this cat fight, Coach Beiste just tells Lauren to "knock it off and get going"? Where is the discipline, high schools of America?

* Tina breaking down during her song for Mike. WTH? I was so confused during that whole scene.

* Santana's candy striper outfit. Ew. Just ew. And giving Finn and Quinn mono? So mean!

* "Don't they (Harry and Sally) get together at the end?" -Blaine to Kurt, referencing they'll be like the characters from When Harry Met Sally. Thank you Glee writers for making it so obvious, when we already know what's going to happen. You don't have to spell it out for us.

What are your thoughts from the episode?

GLEE-cap #11

Well friends, it has been two long months since we've had a new episode of GLEE. But tonight after the Superbowl (good job, Packers) we were treated to a brand new one. Ahh, how I missed those gleeks and their beautiful voices and funny lines.


TOP TEN QUOTES/MOMENTS FROM "THE SUE SYLVESTER SHUFFLE"

10) The opening number got things started right away. While "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry played in the background, the Cheerios came out with bright blue wigs, bikini tops, and hula hoops made of fire. Amidst that chaos were some BMX dudes going to town with their bike tricks. And after the finale of megaphone bras that shot sparks, Sue got on her megaphone and said, "I'm BORED." I laughed heartily.

9) Sue's journal and inner monologue: "I am in crisis. Not even the 'can't-lose' combination of boobs and fire can get me anymore. Is it the raccoon hormones my new doctor gave me? Maybe. Here I am, 31..."

8) Rachel and Puck's duet "I Need You Now" was lovely. I don't think we've ever heard a song from just the two of them. I thought their voices blended really well. And I liked how Puck was staring the football players down while he sang. Oh and I also loved Rachel screaming and kicking her red tights at the football guys after they finished their song.

7) So many great Sue moments. Sue loses it in Figgins' office, starts throwing things around with dramatic music playing. Mr. Schuester is telling Coach Beiste, "I'm telling you. I wish you could have seen it..." when all of a sudden, the dramatic music begins again and Sue is in the boys locker room, throwing towels and balls all over the place.

6) "The Glee club together with the football team? It's like a double rainbow. A zombie double rainbow" -Brittany. And then Sue coming out of a stall and talking about her 2 pm ninja poops. Oh my ga.

5) Can we all agree that "Bills, Bills, Bills" was just an excuse to give us viewers some more Blaine lovin'? And I'm ALL for it. Side note: can I please have coffee with Rachel, Mercedes, Kurt, and Blaine? Thanks.

4) The girls joining the football team? Really? Once again, I have to send reality through the window with this show. I don't think there is a high school on earth that would allow girls to play TACKLE football with guys. However, I did like Rachel and Tina trying to speak around their huge mouthguards ("Who's Judy?") and Lauren telling the opposite team they're going to die.

3) "Thriller/Heads Will Roll" mash-up! Artie on main vocals, the zombie make-up and costumes, the dance moves, the marching band, and seeing my sister Emily in certain shots of the crowd (she was an extra for this scene) all added up to make this my favorite number of the episode. I'm actually glad they didn't do the Michael Jackson dance moves to this song. They took his classic song and gave it their own spin.

2) After the Cheerios lose regionals (after 6 straight wins), Katie Couric is kind enough to tell Sue she has been named "Loser of the Year". And here are the people she beat for that title: the economy, Mel Gibson, the housing market, Dina Lohan, Wall Street, Tiger Woods, the Dallas Cowboys, Brett Favre's cell phone, nine percent unemployment rate and Sparky Lohan (Dina Lohan's dog).

1) "I HATE YOU, DIANE SAWYER." -Sue

What did you guys think of the episode? And did you know we only have to wait 2 more days to see another new one? Woohoo! It's back every Tuesday starting this week.

beauty in the midst of chaos

Most of you know things are crazy in Egypt right now.

And yet, in the midst of all the horrific pictures and articles I am reading, I ran across this picture.


This is a picture of a team of Egyptian Christians forming a massive human shield to protect their Muslim countrymen as they prayed during the violent protests.

There are a million reasons why I love this picture.

If you want to see more example of this, click here and go to the bottom of the page.

I love the snow

I really do love the snow. I don't want to live in the snow. (Especially in the parts of the country where it is below freezing - sorry, friends!) But I love visiting it.

I'm back from 4 awesome days in Lake Tahoe with 18 college students. Imma be honest and say I wish I was still there. It snowed the second day we were there and we had fresh white powder to play in! We went sledding, made snowmen and snow angels, had snowball fights, and half our group went skiing/snowboarding at one of the nearby resorts.

It was a great trip, full of connecting with students and making memories with them. Two of my friends came up and cooked for us. YUM! And the last night, we had a Skit Night. It was so funny!

Great trip. Great snow. Great people.

Now please excuse me while I go sleep for 14 hours straight. Zzzzzz....