Christmas Update and My Day at the Beach

Happy Early New Year!
I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas, I know I sure did! To all of my amazing Belk (and 4th floor Clinton-ers): My closet will be well stocked upon my return to PC. Get ready to attack. :)
Me, my mom, and my sister all 3 scored matching Patagonias! Why is this so significant you ask? Well, it's awesome for 2 reasons. 1) Me and Baker have not matched since we were 10. 2) The company that Santa ordered them from sent her 3 Patagonias for the price of 1. Yepp, thank you, faulty processing!I also got a pretty awesome monogrammed Snuggie that matches my sister and my baby cousins'. Yeah..be jealous. May I add that this is Snuggie number 3?
Spending time with my family and Chad has been absolutely amazing! I've gotten to catch up with old friends and get to spend my New Years with them as well. Break has been awesome, but I must say..I'm quite ready to get back to PC. Can't wait to see/rage with you all!

Okay, on another note, Chad and I went to the beach today! Why? Well...why the heck not?! Broadway was still decorated for Christmas! We walked around for a while, ate at Key West Grille, and went and saw the Polar Express in 3D! Totally made my day! Why? Well, Polar Express is absolutely (well...on top of Elf) my favorite Christmas movie. Anyone that's been around me in the past two breaks knows that Elf very rarely leaves my DVD player during the holiday season. hah. Hokay, so I've attached some pictures of the day. We got to hang out with an ole Crab and wear some pretty sweet glasses at the IMax theater.


I just have to say something else. SNOW. Why do you go everywhere else except in my near area? Greenville...check. Easley...check. Darlington/Florence/Hartsville...NEGATIVE! So while waltzing around Broadway today I bought a sweet pack of Fake Snow. I come home full of excitement and I must say I am less than impressed. The picture doesn't really do it much justice but its like white icee with all of the juice sucked out. It doesn't even feel like ice! Well, God, if you're listening (well, of course you are!) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bless me with snow soon!

Happy New Years, Everyone, and remember Be Safe!
Much Love,
Emma

Let's Rewind a Bit...

Okay, so everyone has that one memory that they always associate Christmas with, right? I was thinking about this yesterday when I was babysitting a little boy, age 8, in the first grade. After picking him up from school, I look in my rear view mirror only to see him giggling to himself with the biggest smile on his face. My imagination got the best of me, causing me to eventually break down and curiously ask him what was so funny. Man, oh, man I did not prepare myself for his answer. Our conversation went a little something like this..
Me: "Campbell. What is so funny back there?"
Campbell: (Grinning while looking into a big red bag) "...nothin."
Me: "Okay, well, what's in your bag? Did you have a Christmas party today at school?"
Campbell: "No, I made something for my elves. I'll show you when I get home. It's going to be so much fun!"

Okay, so one can only imagine what I began to think after this. First of all, what in the world is an elf and why does he feel the need to make things for it? For the remainder of the ride home, I got a 8-year olds' explanation of what exactly an elf is. You see, apparantly, and geniously, they're these stuffed elves that apparantly come "alive" at night and are supposed to keep watch over the kids and report back to Santa. Well, Campbell had deceivingly come up with a plan to write them letters every night and ask them to complete a task. You know, to prove that they're real.
Campbell's master plan began to fall into place the moment we got home. The suspense was killing me. What in the WORLD was in that red bag?! You'll never guess. I walk into the living room only to see Campbell spreading chips and paper and anything else you can think of around the living room. Attached to said mess? A note. : "Dear Elves...if you're real. clean this up. haha. love, Campbell"
I'm not even kidding. So, this little "challenge" provided me with quite the challenge myself. What do I do? Do I clean it up so that his parents dont wring my neck when they get home? Or do I simply play along and leave the mess for them to clean up? I sneakily snuck to the bathroom and texted his mom. Luckily for me, she said to leave the mess. We can't crush the kids spirit this close to Christmas, right? (PS: look below for a picture of the little fella)

That whole experience really made me stop and think about my past Christmas' and my experiences with such. I didn't have magical elves or flying spying reindeer, but my Mom had her own special tool for behavior control. The magic spoons. Some of you may know what I'm talking about. The wooden spoons with the holes in them. Hurt like fire when you were spanked and made you think twice before commiting any sort of criminal act again...okay, maybe not CRIMINAL, but it sure felt like it. It got to the point, that, around Christmas time, all Mom had to do was OPEN the magic spoon drawer, and any noise or bickering upstairs would quickly die down. Looking back on it, my Mom was a genius, and her master plan worked. As a little "ha-ha" moment last year, Baker and I gave everyone in our family there own wooden spoons with their names on them. Lucky for us they haven't been used...yet. There's still plenty more Christmas' before I move out!

I've survived!

I did it! My first semester of college is OVER! And guess who finished with a 3.3? :)
Ya know, I'm not usually one to talk about my good qualities but I can't help but to feel a little proud of myself. I mean, yeah, it's not a 3.5 or a 4.0, but with all of my challenges and obstacles this semester, it shows that I've survived it all. Not only do I get to keep all of my scholarship money, but now i'm eligible for even more. It feels good to do well, and I can't help but to pray that I continue to pull out good grades for the next 3 and a half years.
Hard Work Pays Off...Right?
For those of you still taking exams, good luck! Can't wait for all of you to be home!
Much Love,
Emma

Something a Little Deeper

Alright guys, time for me to get deep and philosophical. I just went and saw "The Blind Side" and I am feeling like a pretty, well, for lack of a better word, crappy person. I've been having this feeling for a long time, but the movie has brought these feelings toward the front of my brain, and although it may be a hard reality to face, it's time to face it. I'm lost. I'll admit it, already! I feel that, although I have grown SO much as a person this semester, I have lost something. What is it, you ask? I've gained so much, what could it possibly be, right? I have new friends, old friends, a wonderful education, decent grades, a car, a home, and, most importantly a family. What in the world am I lacking? One word.
God.
I had SUCH an amazing bond with him when I got to school, but, with all of the hustle and bustle of new friends, classes, and my social life, I've finally come to terms that I've put him after all of it. I can't tell you the last time I went to church. Partly, because I don't belong at my church at home due to past issues, but I know that this is no excuse. So, call it an early New Years Resolution, if you will, but I have just made one. This year, I'm reaffirming my relationship with the Lord. I'm not perfect. He knows this. However, I have for SO incredibly long put him at the back of my mind and ignored the fact that he is still with me. I dont know, maybe if I don't think about all the wrong things I'm doing he won't see them, right? Especially if I don't think about them...right? WRONG.
I guess you can call this an epiphany, but whatever it is, it's something I needed. This Holiday Season, I'm making it my goal to find myself and figure out my relationship with Christ. He's missing and it's time to open my heart to him again.
He has just done SO much for me, ya know? (Note: I know I'm ranting...sorry.) Who am I to just assume that it's okay?! What in the world am I thinking? He doesn't have to love me. He didn't have to send his son to die for MY sins! But guess what? He did. And I have been nothing but ungrateful and unappreciative. How have I shown him my thanks? By going out to the houses, being selfish, and not going to church? Wow, great job, Emma.
But ya know what? After all of this...all of this..SIN, he still loves me. And he's going to forgive me. Again. Once more have I messed up, and once more is he going to clean up my mess. This time, I'm doing things differently. There's a new Emma going back to PC next semester, and she's focused on what's most important to her. The Lord.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Don't forget what it's all about.
Much Love,
Emma

In the Name of all that is Chex Mix...

Imagine this scenario:
You're a poor, hungry college student. It's exam week and its 11:00 pm the night before your Biology exam. You've been studying all day, and all you want is food. Unfortunately, your wallet is on the third floor of the building you're in...and you're on the first. Do you man up and climb the flights to your room?....absolutely not. You do what Katherine Wade does...you attack the vending machine. What else was she supposed to do? It was one of those events where the pack of chex mix got stuck and was simply dangling there. Free food! All you have to do is give a little push and just like that it's all yours! With the help of our dear friend, Carolyne, Katherine successfully gains her Chex Mix and continues to study for her Biology exam until way early the next morning.
Oh, In the name of chex mix. Here's to you, Katherine Wade...and you're free pack of Chex Mix.
PS: I just witnessed the following conversation:
Katherine: "Man, that was good Chex Mix! Should I go try for a drink now?!"
Carolyne: "Girl, shutup!"
gotta love 'em!

Stick a Fork in Me...I'm Done!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Wait...what? That's not right. Let's try this again.
It's the most "pull my hair out because I've been studying all night with no sleep" time of year!
Yes...that sounds much more accurate. Oh, exam week...how you are dreaded by every student on the Presbyterian College campus, including myself. Especially including myself. These past 4 days have all seemed to blend together, but I'll do what I can to get this right.
First and foremost can I just say that I absultely cannot believe that my first semester of college is already OVER?! Didn't I just move in two days ago? Surely 4 months of class has not already passed by...right? Wrong. It's December. Already. I've learned so many valuable lessons this semester on the grounds of everything from working out, eating, socializing, and studying. I know you're just dying to get some insight on this advice so (thanks for the idea, sarah derrick) I present to you, the top 10 things I've learned my first semester of college:
1) It's completely acceptable to schedule a class because all of your friends are in it...and you have no idea what the class is until the first day.
2) You don't always have to take your advisors advice. (For example: advising me to take linguistics next semester? i.e. the hardest class available for English majors?..not happenin)
3) Never EVER take your shower at home for granted. EVER.
4) Privacy is a priveledge. One you aren't blessed with very often.
5) Don't buy your books until after the first day of class. For some of your classes, you won't EVER open the book. Waste of money. (i.e. Basic Wellness)
6) 8am classes are a lot earlier than you think..especially on Fridays.
7) Go into classes with an open mind. You might just figure out that you're not meant to be a Bio major..or what have you.
8) Time Management: you need it. (Credit to Townley for this one.)
9) That not so long walk TO the houses is a LOT longer coming back at 4am...call the pondo shuttle. or Officer Woody.
10) The hill beside the library is a lot steeper than you think it is after a night of studying at 5am.
...and just for the heck of it
11) Avoid the Freshman Fifteen at all costs. Even if it means avoiding the ice cream in GDH...well, maybe.

This semester has brought me so much happiness and at the same time it's brought me more stress than I ever thought possible. I've overcome so many obstacles and I've grown so much just in these past 4 months, its crazy to even think about. I've experienced the excitement of Rush, the happiness of making my first "A" in a college level class, the joys of hour long dinners in GDH, and coffee breaks at Springs when I've been studying way too long.I've endured rainy pin attire days, "dead week", home sickness, and finals. It's been a wild ride, but it's been great. And the best part? I still have more than 3 years left of this wonderful place called PC.
Happy Studying! Remember, Christmas Break is just around the corner.
Much Love,
Emma

"But what do they do behind the curtain?..."

Guess what I did today?!
I saved three lives! Yepp, I gave blood! Lucky for me my iron was barely high enough to be accepted but hey, i'll take what I can get. (thank you, anemia.) Okay, so my day was pretty productive. Audra and I got out of class at 10 so, instead of doing what I usually do and take a nap, we decided to be super duper productive and go work out. Man, oh man did I need it! After burning close to 400 calories on the treadmill and doing a lot of ab workouts (PS don't make me laugh for a while. it hurts.), we ate a healthy lunch at Springs with Victoria...and lo and behold we found out about the blood drive! I jumped at the chance to give because I don't get to give as often as I'd like..you know, because I'm anemic. We convinced Audra to do it too, because she had never done it before. Yay for saving lives! But boo for new nurses who dig into your veins with a very uncomfortable needle. yikes...poor tamra. (that was my little nurses name. She was obviously new.)
So after giving blood I wasn't feeling so hott. After a 2 hour nap, I hit the books. Oh boy...I am so ready to get out of this Bio for majors class...this exam is going to be a killer. So, overall, today was a productive day, and I must say I'm pretty darn proud! And hey! I got a free T-shirt too! :)
PS: I will be home in exactly ONE WEEK from tomorrow!! I CAN NOT WAIT! Yay for Christmas, monkey bread, and egg nog.
Happy Studying and good luck next week!
Much Love,
Emma

My New Obsession and The Lovely Weather of PC

So, yesterday I may or may not have registered for my own Ebay account. And it may or may not have been a bad thing. Considering that I've spend a good half of my day on Ebay doing random things...this could get ugly. And...can I just say how stressful bidding online is?! Okay, for example. I was bidding on this ADORABLE Lily Skirt. Brand new, with tags and all. And I was SO pumped because I was the highest bidder for like the majority of the auction. Not only was I the highest bidder but wanna know how much my bid was?! ONLY $26.00! May I remind you, Lily Pullitzer is not cheap...this skirt retailed for $178 so I was pretty excited. Okay, back to my story. So, I was patiently awaiting by my computer to win this amazing skirt and all of a sudden..someone out bid me! Just like that! And..unfortunately..I lost. I know, isn't your heart just breaking for me?
Regardless of my frustrating loss, I did pull away with some successful buys. Brand New Polo hats for $8 a piece? I'll take it! So...word to the wise. Unless you want something that takes up way too much of your time and is completely addicting, don't sign up for Ebay. But, of course, you know I'll be keeping mine. Exams are approaching fast and I need as much procrastinating that I can get! (hence why I'm on here and not in the library) :)

Okay, new topic. The weather. here. sucks. Literally, once a week, mother nature decides to bless PC with rain. So, not only was today rainy, but it was worse than it has been in a while. Like literally felt like I was in the middle of a monsoon...Hence another reason I am so not thankful that Campus Police so nicely moved my parking spot across campus. But it'll all be changed after break...yesss. Okay, back to the weather. Apparantly there was a serious tornado warning in Clinton today? Where was I for this, you ask? I was stuck in Wal Mart. Not just like, shopping around "stuck". I was literally stuck in wal mart. They wouldn't let us leave because of the weather and tornado warnings. And all of the poor girls at PC had to go to our basement! Upon my arrival back to my room, I was informed of this...wow. Way to be safe, PC!
So I'm attaching a picture of my door. Our amazing RA, Gracie, is having a hall door decorating contest for Christmas. We have quite a pretty present, eh?
Be safe, everyone and study hard for Exams!
Much Love,
Emma

Let's Say Thanks!

okay guys, this literally takes 5 seconds and could really make the difference in someone's Christmas across seas.
http://www.letssaythanks.com/SendCard.asp

The adventures of Obama Mama and the KC Fog Light

So I definitely had a "first" today...my first wreck. Okay, so technically I wasn't the one driving, and technically it wasn't my car, BUT I was in the passenger seat. And Chad, if you're reading this, don't kill me for blogging about this, it's just something I want to do.
Okay, so my wonderfully sweet boyfriend decided in order for me to save gas he would pick me up and bring me back to PC on his way home (Coming from Clemson, this isnt a big deal). So he picks me up at my house at about 3 and we make our treck towards PC. Not only is traffic absolutely HORRIBLE..like literally bumper to bumper...brake lights everywhere, you know the drill, but the sun is going down and was in this extremely awkward and inconvienent place, you know, directly in your face. lovely. Okay, so, like I was saying, Chad was driving down I-20 and all of a sudden the little ole lumina (Hey mom, remember the Lumina!?) in front of us slammed on breaks...not just like a pleasant little tap, but legitimately SLAMMED on brakes. Needless to say, a "fender bender" was inevitable. So we bump into them and luckily no one was hurt and no other cars were hit in the process. The poor girl wasn't the friendliest but no police were called and her car wasn't hurt. Chad's car was pretty much untouched except his lights that he pretty much worships...fog lights? something of the sort...whatever they are, they're expensive and really nice apparantly. So a lot of phone calls and a little freaking out later, we continue our treck to Clinton and 2 hours later we made it. Only an hour longer than it usually takes...thank you traffic and retarded drivers. Much appreciated.
Regardless of the hectic trip, this break was amazingly quiet and really nice. Pretty sure I slept more in the past 5 days than I have all year. And, lucky for me, I got to spend nearly every day with Chad, which was a really big plus. He really keeps me grounded during weeks like the next two coming up (you know...exams? fun, right?!). Without him, I'm pretty sure I would lose my head a lot of the time. So here's to you, Chad...thanks for keeping me sane, and keeping your cool (well, most of the time) even through your obama drama and your kc fog light incidents... Love you. :)

Home Sweet Home

Can I just say that it is pretty darn amazing to be home!?! And the thing is, I haven't done ANYTHING productive since I've been home...and I absolutely LOVE it. Being home with my family is the best feeling in the world..you know, next to cuddling up in my fluffy marshmallow bed. :)
I've spent a lot of time with Chad, surprisingly and it's been really good to just hang out with him again kinda like we did in high school. Being in the wonderful and hectic world of college, I forget to stop and breathe a lot of the time, hence why I am truly thankful for this break so that I can begin to prepare myself for the "hell week" awaiting me within my return to school...yep...exams. So so scary! But, I know with the awesome support system that I have at school, and the thought of returning home for Christmas, I can somehow make it through...somehow. :)
Okay, moving on, tomorrow is going to be Amazing! Not only is it the 19th anniversary of the day I was born, but its Thanksgiving! I am so excited to see my family that I haven't seen in forever it seems like. Here's to food, family, and good times. Oh, and a little birthday cake, too.

Elf Yourself...do it!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/oNi4rHKKzf0zkCHf?cmpid=ey_fb_friend
Go watch this one and do one yourself! Love these girls! :)

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow...

I GET TO GO HOME TOMORROW!
I am indescribably excited...you know, if the all caps thing didn't give you a big enough hint to start out with. Sitting here in the common room of my dorm (with an annoying and persistant beeping in the background), I just randomly started thinking about all of the awesome things that I cannot wait for, and figured I'd share them with you. So mom, if you read this, get ready!
Dairy Bar, sitting by the fire with Greggy and Mama, going on a date night with my boyfriend like we did in high school, eating Sakuras (FINALLY), seeing my grandparents, having a wine night with my best girl friends, cuddling and SVU marathons with Baker, Venison night with Dad, Santa coming to Janies, hopefully shopping, cuddling on the couch with my mama, spending time with Beau, Mama's home cooking, taking a legit shower, and last, but CERTAINLY not least, sleeping in my MARSHEMALLOW BED!!
Unfortunately, to get the rainbow, I gotta get through some rain...aka two tests tomorrow. You know, the one's ive been locked in the library studying for all week?
Let the countdown begin! T-minus 19 hours until I'm headed home! :)

Cravin some lovin and and the sweet smell of home...

Okay, so after being in the library from 1 this afternoon until about 8, I decided to just call it quits. To my surprise, I find out that you can rent movies from the library! WHAT?! Needless to say, "Garden State" and "Becoming Jane" came back to my room with me for the evening.
I've felt so weird this week. Call it hormones or what have you, but I know one thing's for sure: I absolutely cannot wait to get home. I miss so many things about Darlington...oh my god did I just say that? Just the little things, like chili cheese fries from Dairy Bar, Racing to beat the car beside you going around the square, the Corner Connection...the list goes on. I'm pretty sure the thing I miss the most is without a doubt my family. I miss my mama more than anything in this world. Just talking to her isn't enough lately. I'm so ready to be home with her! (And Greg, Baker, and Dad and Beau too!)
I have absolutely no idea where this whole sappy mood came from...once again, blame it on what you want...but I absolutely cannot wait until Monday!
On a lighter note, I only have ONE class tomorrow! And....here's the big surprise...it doesn't start until 11! :) I can't wait to get to Furman. Like I seriouly almost cry thinking about seeing my best friends again. It makes me so so thankful that my group of friends, all attending different school throughout South Carolina, can all come together and act like nothing has changed. I mean...I'm sure some things have changed, but I know they're the same friends I had when we left. And I without a doubt can't wait to be with them again.Hence, my little sappy picture. T'was our last little get together before going our separate ways. :)

Pumpkin Pie, Macaroni, and Packages...Oh My!

So today has definitely, and surprisingly, been a pretty awesome day. First, I beasted my Basic Wellness test. And I just want to go on the record as saying that I absolutely adore Dr. Newman. He is quite possibly the cutest old man I've ever met. So I finished my test in like 20 minutes and as I was half way across campus, here I see little old Dr. Newman running after me advising me to come back because I had left off the entire back page of my test. Man, I love him.
So, being done at 10:00 today, I took a nice 2 hour nap. And it wasn't one of those where you wake up feeling even more groggy than before you went to sleep. no, no. It was such a revitalizing nap. ahhhhh. So needless to say, I'm feeling much better today.
Okay...my day has been good already, right? But wait, there's more!
GDH had THANKSGIVING for lunch! Was I in heaven, or what!? So after stuffing my face with macaroni and what have you, I go to Springs and what awaits me but a care package from my amazing boyfriend! :) Completely made my day. Sour Patch Kids, Orbit, and a sweet note telling me he was thinking about me during this week? How did I get so lucky?
Okay, so now that all of the wonderfulness of my day is winding down, time for the not so wonderful part. I am about to head BACK to the library for the FOURTH day in a row. I don't know whether to feel proud or depressed! hah
Much Love,
Emma

"Music Can Make a Movie..."

Okay, maybe not studying yet. It's only basic wellness! It can wait, right?
Just thought I'd mention how much I love my roomate. We may not completely agree on everything 100% of the time, but she sure does know how to put a smile on my face. For example, just now, insisting that I stop studying for the night, pouring me a glass of wine, and popping in my favorite Christmas movie (The Polar Express)? Man I love her.

History in the Making

It's already November and it feels as if my freshman year of college is flying by faster and faster with every passing day. College is so much different than I ever expected...on every level. Lately, my biggest challenges have come in the form of scheduling. In high school, it seemed as if there was too much time in the day. We spent our seemingly endless days at Mayo wishing our high school careers away. Now, it's as if I wish I had an extra 12 hours just to get everything done! This week has been horrible. Because Thanksgiving is right around the corner, my professors decided to be super sweet and throw me 4 tests this week. Really nice Birthday gift, huh?
Speaking of Birthdays, I'm so excited about this weekend! This Furman trip is really really needed. I can't wait to see all of my friends, but mostly, I can't wait to see Leah. Like seriously, I feel like a major part of my life is missing, and I hate it. Even though we don't see each other as much as I'd like, I am so thankful that we are still just as close, if not closer, than we were in high school. Thank God for good friends, and good wine.
Okay, so about this whole test thing...considering I have a test tomorrow I better get off the computer and study...or you know, facebook a little while THEN study at a much later hour.
Much Love,
Emma