Woot Woot Friday!!!

1. Today I have started my Christmas Break!! It is the first "free" break since I was in High School! I turned in my 2 papers, my seminar portfolio, and took my 2 exams, and now it's time to relax! For a little bit anyway, because I have some work to do over the break. 

2. Steve also has off! So we are heading down to his family's house for a few days! We'll also look at a wedding venue that I'm very interested in! I'm excited about that! I'll also make my famous pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!! Yummmm! 

3. I started writing in my journal again. I know that I am able to express my feelings more in it, which helps me not bottle them up so much. So we will see how long that lasts!!

4. I don't really have 7 things to say. Hmm...my brother is heading home for the holidays! I'm going to webcam with my family on Christmas Day since I won't be able to call. That should be nice!! 

5. We went to the Farmer's Market today! We usually don't walk around, but today we did! So we got some ciabatta bread, basil-infused olive oil, cheese I had never heard of but it was so good, and these rice balls stuffed with amazingness that we'll have for dinner!! I seriously should go there all the time!

6. I hope that everyone has an amazing holiday full of love and gratefulness!! I'm grateful for my family and my friends being in my life! I hope you all are too :) 

7. Michelle out! :)

*Sigh*

I don't really have a reason to feel this way, but lately I've been feeling pretty lonely. Actually, for the last year or so I have been feeling that way. Ever since I left Lincoln. I made some amazing friends there that lived close to me. Then I moved to Florida and had to make new friends, but I distanced myself because I knew I'd be leaving. I have friends here, but I know it takes time to get really close. I also feel like I don't relate to many people here anyway. Not that I've met everyone at school or anything. I usually become good friends with people that are older than me, so it's a big change not having that.

Steve is also away during the week. I know Christmas Break is coming up, and that'll help. I guess I miss my family too. I don't know. I feel distanced from everyone. Disconnected.

I shouldn't complain, really. I have an amazing life. I live in the country that I love, I am going to school for something I love, and I have an amazing fiance and an amazing family in my life. I just get down sometimes because I miss everyone!

Anyway, I got a job at a new Cafe a few weeks ago, and ended up hating it. I was on my feet for 5-8 hours a day, 3 days a week, and it was taking its toll on my schoolwork and my body. I couldn't walk for 2 days after working. And I was too exhausted to work. It wasn't worth it, I had to quit. The boss was the most annoying and frustrating man too. So now I'm thankful to have my days off again, especially my weekends since it's the only time I see Steve, and they were having me work Saturday and Sunday all day. Thank goodness for the money from the VA coming through!!

Next week is the end of term! I can't believe it! I have one more paper to write and an exam to study for, which I've already started anyway. I love to write research papers if it's something I'm interested in. I also just dedicate one day to writing it, because I can't do it over a course of a few days. I don't take breaks either, I just get them done in a few hours. If I take a proper break, then I will get writer's block easily. I got a B on my assignment for Education!! Woo! I think their B's equal A's for America though, because a D is still an average score. Who knows, really!

I got my ear pierced yesterday! My tragus one didn't work out, so I got 2 piercings, and I want to get a few more going along the outside of my ear. It's pretty!!

We want to go to Germany before Christmas for the Christmas Markets!! We've been talking about it for awhile, and now it's totally doable! I've never been, and I loooved the Lincoln Christmas Market the two times I went. I need a trip, badly. I love living in Europe because of the easy travel! Honestly, an airline ticket and a hotel for a few nights is equivalent to the price of flying from New Jersey to California!!!

I was just talking to my friend, Charlotte, about wedding plans! She got me all excited and recommended so much!! I'll be turning to her a lot, I think, for the planning, since I have no idea what I'm doing. We won't start planning til January though. It's scary and exciting!! I love this dress, but only if it comes in ivory! And shows no cleavage.

Christmas is going to be spent in Cornwall this year with Steve's family. They always treat me like family, it's really nice. And I looove Cornwall. I haven't been to my own home for Christmas since 2007 I think. It made me sad thinking about it the other day.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a lovely December so far!! These months are going by so fast. Enjoy them! <3

Quick Takes Friday!!

1. Happy Late Thanksgiving, everyone!! There is so much to be thankful for! I am especially thankful for my family and friends being in my life!! That's all I could ever hope for!! To celebrate, I went to school for 5 hours, then I made myself a nice pasta bake. Steve wasn't around so I didn't actually celebrate the holiday with food. I did end up getting kind of lonely because it's a holiday for families, isn't it? But in the end, I'm just thankful to HAVE a family.

2. Our couches are heeere! Well, not in our house until Wednesday. It would have been nice to have them here this weekend buuut we've waited this long, so I guess it doesn't matter.

3. I'm really enjoying school and learning about Psychology, especially when I get to talk about it with my uncle Scott since he's been through all of this! I am going to start being more disciplined and reading 1 journal article a week to improve both my knowledge and writing.

4. It is fuhreeeezing here!!! Oh my gosh, I just checked the temp and it's 25 degrees out!! Brrrr! When I walk to school, I'm ice cold. But since it's an uphill walk, I start sweating as I near the end of it, and when I walk into my classes, I'm sweating like crazy. It's sooo embarrassing, but at least it's a workout.

5. Speaking of workouts, Steve said my 3 workout DVDs have arrived!! I got a Bellydancing one, a regular dance one, and a Bollywood one!! I'm soooo excited! It's cheaper than joining a gym at this point. Plus I like to go there for the classes, not for the equipment. Working out should be fun, no? ;)

6. Oh! I got a job. It's in this brand new coffee shop that just opened up Wednesday. It's sooo cute there! I start tomorrow alllll day, and then Sunday for most of the day. It kind of upsets me because the only time I see Steve now is during the weekends, and now I'll be at work for those. So I'm thinking hard of what I want to do, especially if the VA pays me soon, which they said the should! Fingers crossed!

7. Finally, please keep praying for my wonderful cousin, Frankie. I haven't talked to him in awhile, so I'll try again next week to see how he's doing. He means so much to me and I don't want to lose him. We've already lost so many from his family, we don't want to lose him too. I love you, Frankie!


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and week next week!! <3

Quick Takes Friiiiiday!

1. We're engaaaaged! Woooo!! It's crazy to actually think that I'm all grown up now. It still feels surreal! I can't believe that we're going to be planning a wedding! The best part is that it'll be with the man of my dreams! It happened on the eve of our 2 year anniversary because he was leaving for school and wasn't going to be with me on the actual anniversary. Sooo it was Halloween! Haha! He tells me know he was going to whisk (not the utensil!) me away to Paris or somewhere like that, but we had a visitor :)

2. I'm thinking that I want to do the Romantic themed wedding-with antique pink roses and candles everywhere! Then we're going to put "Love" in different languages on a card on each table! I know, minor details, we still need to set a date and all of that, but it's fun to look around!! 

3. I finally have Beauty and the Beast!! My faaavorite movie of all time! I watched it last night for the first time in aaages, and I was crying! It was so sad and so sweet all at the same time! I love Belle and Lumiere! Awww aaaand the beast is ginger, just like Steve! And Belle, of course, is brunette! It's meant to be! ;)

4. I bought some fun sprinkles so I can bake cupcakes! Buuut I'm missing the baking powder...no biggie! This amazing recipe I bought has so many awesome looking cupcakes! But I want to create my own...I'm going to try to bake them with Bailey's Pouring Cream, and then later I'll bake some with almond. I want to decorate them all pretty-like!

5. Still no couches. But we don't mind sitting on camper chairs in the mean-time!

6. Yesterday was Veteran's Day! It's wierd to think I'm out of the military now and that I'm not longer associated with it. Happy Late Veteran's Day to all who served and all who are still serving, like my brother!!

7. As you can tell, I don't have much to say. Sorry!! I'll take pictures of my cupcakes if they look cute enough!! Have a great weekend everyone!

Quick Takes Friday!!

1. My very good friend, Arezou, is visiting us this weekend from Germany! She arrived last night and is staying through Sunday! We are taking her to a pub for dinner tonight, then off to Lincoln for the Manor Halloween Party on Saturday! Halloween is her faaave holiday so she's going to love this! Plus it gives her a break from German speakers all around.

2. The apartment is coming along great! It's so beautiful. I love being able to go home and walk to school each day since it's close! We are still hanging out on camper chairs, but it's no big deal since they recline back. We just got the most comfortable king-sized mattress (that's queen-sized in the US), and I just want to sleep in it all day!

3. I got a cold Monday because I stupidly walked to school that morning not wearing a coat, only a cardigan, and there was frost on the ground. I didn't wear a coat because normally I sweat so much walking up the hill so I thought I could cool down that way! Whoops! But I think it's finally clearing out and I'm not snoring as much (sorry, Steve!).

4. School is good, I feel a little behind though. I'm not sure why, I think I need to study and review more. I just completed my first paper for my Intro to Education Studies class, and I get to turn that in Monday. There are a lot of interesting areas in the classes I'm taking though. But some are boring as well. Oh well! I'm just happy to be a student!!

5. The VA pretty much sucks and hasn't paid me my 9/11 bill benefits! But they finally paid me part of my disability, which is really nice!! Patience is a virtue, I know. So I gotta look for a job next week! There are a lot of little shops around our apartment, so hopefully it shouldn't be too hard to find.

6. Steve is moving Monday! Well, he technically moved today, but no more Digby for him!! I'm so excited for what is going to happen for him in the future! I won't really see him throughout the week though :( I guess I'll get more schoolwork done since he won't be there!

7. Finally, Monday marks our 2 year anniversary! It doesn't feel like 2 years-it feels both shorter and longer than what it is. He got me a beautiful watch! I got him roof racks for his car...haha! Anyway, I'm happy to have spent the last 2 years with him, even with a year apart! I love you, Steven!

My Cousin, Frankie

This blog is dedicated to my most brave cousin, Frankie. You see, about 7 years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer and wasn't given long to live. Soon after that diagnosis, his father, my Uncle Mike, passed away. 3 months later, my cousin, his brother Nino, passed away. 7 months later, his mother, my Aunt Lina, passed away. He and his sister were left to suffer. But my cousin Frankie has been a fighter. He has a beautiful wife and daughter. He fought the cancer.

Within the last few years, he has had to have a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked well in his body and he has a condition where his lungs don't work as well as they should, meaning he is on oxygen.

My cousin is only 30 years old. He has always defended me against any boys being mean to me in High School. He has always secretly been my favorite cousin on my mother's side.

When I was in Arizona for a month before coming here, he was in the ICU for about a week. I went and visited him nearly every day. He wasn't given long to live, but since he's a fighter, he went through it and made it out! I feel like I got to know him again during that time because I haven't been around in the last 7 years. It was nice to be able to talk to him and just joke around.

I just found out yesterday that his lungs are not working right again and that they never will. The doctor gives him 1 month. Now, I don't believe in things like that. Doctors can't just give time limits. They have given him a time limit 3 times now, well that I know of. They have given others that I know time limits and they have made it past that. Therefore, I know he will make it. I have full faith in his bravery and in God that he will make it through this because he wants to. He wants to be there for his family.

Frankie, if you read this, I love you so so much and I am so proud of you for everything you've ever done and are still doing.

Frankie is on the left and Nino is on the right. This was on Frankie's wedding day! 

Living the English Dream...

I haven't written in a few weeks because it's been such a whirlwind!! I got my Visa on a Friday and left the next Sunday!

I am SO happy to be here! THIS is my dream! I worked towards this for a long time and finally it has fallen into place!! Everything about England makes me happy-the buildings, the roads, the people, the fashion, the food, everything! I feel so at home here and everyday, my heart is fulfilled!!!

And bonus!! Steve is here, of course!! He took leave for 2 weeks and we've been spending a lot of time together! He's at work now in Lincoln so I'm a little sad, but he'll be back tomorrow!

Going to school is absolutely amazing. Being a student is seriously the best feeling. Going to school without wearing a uniform is perfect!! My nails are painted purple and I don't have to worry about taking the polish off before Monday! I love it! I am an oldie though-everyone at school is 18! But I've met so many wonderful people, and I can't wait to get to know them over the next few years!

Steve and I found a lovely apartment 1 mile away from school! It's a brand new apartment building with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a spiral staircase that leads up to the mezzanine bedroom! And it's about 400 dollars less than what I get for housing allowance! I'll be able to walk to school easily, which saves me getting a car straight away.

I also want to learn Italian! A local college teaches it and I'd like to go! Especially before I meet my Italian family!!

I celebrated my birthday in London!! How perfect is that? Steve and I took the train there on Friday and stayed at this really nice hotel for the night. We ate at this vegan Japanese restaurant that was not worth the money (sorry Steve!), then we went and watched The Phantom of the Opera in the West End, sort of like our Broadway! Oh my gosh. It was AMAZING. I would see it again!! Even Steve liked it! We then walked around London and looked at the pretty buildings, then went to Big Ben and took some beautiful pictures. I can't post them on here because the internet is too slow! But that was really my favorite birthday. There is no better way to spend my quarter-of-a-century birthday! The last few b-days I had were really lame. I was taken to lunch for 2 of them but I didn't know anyone because I had just moved to wherever it was. So this one was very special to me.

This weekend we are going to Sian's birthday party, then heading off to Cornwall for the rest of the weekend!! I love Cornwall. I want to live there one day!

I love love looove being here. I am so thankful that I am living my dream!!

One last thing...please pray for my Uncle Chris who was submitted to the hospital for heart surgery. He's doing better now and is in the ICU for recovery. Also, my cousin Franky, who just had pneumonia and thankfully got out of the hospital. Thank you!!

I hope everyone is doing amazingly well!! <3