This summer was so much fun. Our family had so many events that brought so much joy to my family. First on June 20th, the most beautiful day of the summer, my sister got married. I was the maid of honor so I had alot of duties that required some big responsibilty. It was so nice to have the whole family around to enjoy this happy moment in my family. My whole family is very close but we all live far away from each other, so when we have big events like this you have to make the most of it. Also July 23rd my first nephew was born into the family. He was 8 pounds and 13 ounces. He brought so much joy to this family that all of us love so much. All of us come home just to visit little Will. On top of all this happiness, I had to work 3 jobs at the same place. I was a lifeguard, swim instructor, and assistant swim coach. These may seem like they can be very easy but they need so much patience and understanding. As an assistant swim coach, I had to prepare for all the swim meets by finding out what each swimmer can swim and if we will score any points.

But, by the end of the summer, I was somewhat ready to make a change because I was home for 3 months and it got old. I did almost the same thing everyday. I needed a change in routine.

Find out about how the first 2 weeks went in my next blog!!! Keep reading..

       Throughout my life, I have become really close with a lot of people and have made some really good friendships. But, I have felt that the friends that you make in your 4 years of college are the ones that will last forever. I believe that friends are always there for a helping hand when your family is far away or might just not understand. They can be a shoulder to cry on or just an ear to listen to you while you are going through rough times. Also friends can be there when you are having difficulty in school or in a certain class. They can be there for support. The friends that I have made here at the college are never-ending. I have a core group of friends that I always go to to make decisions with and have deep conversations with. I think that this group of people know who they are and they will definitely be missed this summer and always. To a certain someone, who is not coming back next year, she will be missed and wished the most  happiness in her life ahead. I am hoping that our friendship will keep going and never come to close. Without my friends, I would never have a second opinion on anything and never have someone to go to when my family is not around.

This summer is going to be filled with so many events that are in the family and my job starting up for the summer. My sister is getting married on June 20th and there are still some things that need to be finalized. I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful moment in my sister's life. She is so happy but after this day she will be even more happier. Then I start my summer job at a country club working 3 different positions. I will be a lifeguard, swim instructor, and assistant swim coach. I love this job because I get to work one-on-one with some children and of course the money is great!! Then my other sister is due to have her baby and I will be an aunt for the first time. I can't wait for a new life to come into our family. This will make our family much more complete. I am so excited for this summer to take flight. Only 7 days of classes left then the final week of exams. Then it is here for good!!!

There will also be some sadness at the end of this semester because some of my friends will not be coming back to the Mount next year! I am so sad but I know that it is not goodbye, its a see you later. I have made so many wonderful friends here and I will never forget them.

This past week was very stressful. I felt that everything was due all this week. I have had many pressures this week to get everything done for the end of the year. But this weekend, was so much fun because my aunt put on a wedding shower for my sister. It was so nicely put together by my aunt. The theme of the shower was tick tock around the clock. Everyone who was invited was assigned a time of the day and they were to base their gift around the time that they were given. The shower was just for girls!!! No boys allowed! haha. The food was so delicious which was handmade by my aunt and my cousins. When my sister was opening her gifts, the person who was giving the gift was to ask her a question about her relationship with her soon to be husband. I thought that was a cute way for everyone there to get to know about their relationship as a whole. Then my aunt made some cupcakes which were ammmazzzzinng!! It was so cute because on the top of the cupcakes there was a little bride and groom that were made out of gumballs and sugar.

Then later that night, we celebrated my sisters bachlorette party which was put on by myself and my other sister. We started at my sisters apartment and ordered some pizza. My family is really into dancing so we definitely had to have some music to start the party off right. Then we rented a party bus to take us to Byrnes Pub for some appetizers and pool. Some of my sisters friends came along with us which was fun because I have never really met them. Now, that I finally met them it will make the wedding much more fun.

This weekend really made it easy to forget all of the pressures of school and take some time to enjoy family. This weekend I really saw the big importance of family and how nice it is to spend time with them. Especially, our family which is so close and very happy.

It is coming down to the end of the semester and I am really excited. I know that there is a lot of stuff to do but spring is in the air and I have no motivation to do anything. I love when it gets really warm outside and people are sitting and studying in the quad. Also people playing frisbee and other sports in the quad. I have a lot of homework to do that it is really getting to me. I do admit I am really good at procrastination. Haha! But, I have caught myself up from when I waited alittle too long to do some stuff. I just can't wait until I start my summer job and I get to see my friends from home. My summer job is so much fun! I am going to be a lifeguard, swim instructor, and assistant swim coach. My job requires me to be outside all day! It is great. I am also so happy to be a maid of honor in my sisters wedding in June. So the faster school is over, I get to be with my family at my sisters wedding. I have been getting somewhat homesick throughout these past two months. I miss being with my family and friends from home. But on the other hand, I am going to really miss my close friends that I have met here at the Mount. W have all made plans to get together over the summer. I am counting down the days until I can be at home and not worry about any school work for 3 months. I wish that it would come a little bit faster than it is now. I feel that I am getting excited and it is going slow.

The whole month of April is going to be loaded with a lot to do. I am going to have to do a bunch of assignments for all of my classes and I also have so many family events that were packed into one month. First this weekend, my cousin is getting married in South Bend, Indiana at the church that is on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. I am really excited about this because I get to see my cousins and the rest of my family. Weddings in our family is a great reason to all gather together and celebrate this joyous event. Then next weekend April 12th, I am just planning on staying here on campus or going home. I am not sure yet. But then the next weekend, April 19th, is my sister's bachlorette party and shower that my aunt is putting on for my sister. My sister is getting married in June. I am her maid of honor. I might have stated that in a past blog, but I am not sure. I am so pumped about this because I love spending time with my older sisters and being crazy. I think the plans for the bachlorette party are that we are going to dinner and then dancing!!! We are making my sister shirts that say BRIDE-TO-BE!!!! Then the weekend after that, April 26th, I am taking the Praxis exam for Education majors. I need to pass this time because I need to be admitted into the Education department in the Fall. I have been preparing for so long for this day. There is only so many practice tests that you can take and forms that you need to fill out. I am so ready for this test to be over. In that fact, I am ready for this semester to be over. I am excited for spring and summer.

On top of all my weekend plans, I have homework and presentations that need to be done. School is so overwhelming right now it is not even funny. It is so hard to tackle all of this in one month. But, I have faith in myself and I want summer to come so bad, I will accomplish everything.

 

At this time in the semester it is time to make decisions on what I am going to be doing next year in regards to where I am going to live and what classes I am going to take. My friend Megan and I are trying to find some cheap apartments that are close to the Mount so we can afford it and take on our own responsiblity. I am really excited to live on my own and see how reality really is and what it takes. My siblings have given me the "heads up" on what it is cracked up to be. They have told me that it is not fun to make your own food and providing for yourself. I have come to the conclusion that it will be cheaper to live off campus rather than live on campus because the apartments we are interested in have all the utilities included into the rent. That is really important to look for when you are looking for apartments. I have got to admit that I am going to miss living on campus just alittle bit because I thought that it was a great way to meet new people and get involved in certain things. But on the other hand, I thought that there was too much drama with everyone and too many sicknesses were going around (which I always seemed to catch!!).  Those things I will not miss. I will miss the people that I have met here on campus that are living on campus next year.

Responsibility comes into play really big with living on your own for the first time. I will have to save up my money for every month rent. I will have to monitor what I spend my money on instead of just going out and buying things that are not needed. This might be a challenge for me since I am addicted to shopping.  But I think that I am ready for this challenge and ready to take on all the responsibilities that go along with it.

Thanks for reading my blog. Check it out next week!!!

       Spring Break is over and it is now time to get down to business with school. Yuck!! Spring Break was a time to relax and get myself mentally ready for what was to come. Oh, was I not prepared for what was to come this week. I have so many papers and tests that are packed into this week. This is a time where you really have to manage your time. From being in Project Excel, I received some great advice about time management. I learned that you should always accomplish one thing before you start on the next. This minimizes any confusion that may come up with what needs to be accomplished. I have also been taught to tackle the assignments in order from when they are due. This releases any stress of getting the assignment done on time for the class. I am also a big user of the student planner. Everyday I write down what needs to be done for every class. I really think that I would be lost without my planner. I feel that if you have everything written down then you can refer back to the list to check off what has been done. Other than my planner, I keep track of all my classes with a calendar that I have posted on my wall in my room to refer to when I am in my room. In the past year, I have really picked up on some techniques that help me manage my time. They have really been a godsend to get me through my classes. I do admit that my freshmen year I was a lot better and I have somewhat "slacked off" on some of time management techniques. But for the most part, I use majority that I learned.

        In our family, we have many traditions that make us unique from other families, but we also do what most families do. First, the whole family comes into town to my parents house. The night that we all arrive, we usually cover the kitchen table with newspaper to protect the table from the egg coloring. This is a fun time to joke around and tell stories from our daily lives. It is usually just as kids that decorate the eggs and my parents just take pictures and join in the conversations. Then my mom puts the eggs in the fridge until morning when we all eat our eggs together. (They are hard-boiled, of course!) Then the next day, the day before Easter Sunday, we veg out all day probably in front of the television watching some sport. Then we take a long walk before dinner and work up an appetite for a large dinner. Then the big dinner!!! YUMMY! It always consists of my mom's fabulous casserole and other sides like mashed potatoes and corn. Then Easter morning before mass, we all hunt around the house for plastic eggs which are filled with goodies that my mom aka Easter bunny hides. We all also have baskets with goodies in them that she also hides throughout the house. Then we go to mass. Then my mom and dad make the best Sunday brunch ever. This consists of brunch casserole which is bread on the bottom, ham, cheese, eggs, and corn flakes on top with bacon and toast on the side. Then after that, it is usually time to say goodbyes to mom and dad and be on our way our separate ways.

Many families have their own traditions that they follow for every holiday, but I feel that my family and I celebrate holidays in a fun and unique way. HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

This June, my sister is getting married and I am the maid of honor. I am so excited. But, these next few months are going to be very stressful with showers, bachlorette party,and last minute details. I love being apart of all these things. There are so many things that I have taken part in these past months with picking out her dress, my dress, flowers, food, music for the reception, church details. I could go on forever. It feels like the list never ended. Now, that it is coming down to the wire, things are starting to come together. I felt very priviledged to be asked to be her maid of honor. My other sister, who is already married, is her matron of honor. This Christmas, my other sister announced that she was going to have a baby this July. I am going to be an aunt!! I am so pumped. My love for children just became even greater because there will be a child in our family that I can spoil and spend so much time with. By the time of my other sister's wedding, she will be 8 months pregnant!! Wow, I know. So, our family has a lot of excitement going on.   

My sisters are role models to me. They are always there for me whenever I can't go straight to my parents. They are my guidance. I look up to them as what I want to become when I am older. They have upholded all the Christian values that my parents have taught us. They have become very successful with becoming professionals in the workforce. They are always the ones to call when you just to have a girl talk and break down. These two women are extraordinary. They have told me to keep my head up high and keep aiming for the stars. I do not know what I would do without them. Thank you Sarah and Ellen for your constant support and love.