Graduation, College, and Newfound Friends and Adventures

I did it! I finally graduated high school successfully, and have moved on with my life!

My amazing sisters

Jake and Natalia, two of my dearest friends and most favorite people in the world

Natalia. My best friend since Kindergarten. I love you!

"Achieved Graduation"-Sims 3 High-Five

Some of the lovely ladies from my Bible study 

I am sitting here in my dorm at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor! As I sit here among friends, I realize that I forgot some important friends: y'all! So this post is just kind of a bring-you-up-to-speed/my college adventures thus far.

I am sitting in one of the common areas with my amazing roommate, (Avery), our friend, (Ashley), and our (kind of strange) amazing RA, (Maggie). I have been here at school since August 20, and I am honestly loving it. College is the best thing that has ever happened to me! It is so amazing to be able to come here, and share my testimony with others. I hope that I can inspire others while here at UMHB, and that I can pour into their lives as they have poured into mine.

The best part of UMHB so far is the people that I have met here. I know that we have only been here about a month and a half, but I feel as if I have known most of these people my whole life. They are amazing, and are literally the kindest people I have ever met. My RA is absolutely AMAZING. I love her to death! She is the best RA at UMHB, and is the sweetest person alive. (Do I get paid for this now, Maggie?)

Before I came to school, my number one worry was not about classes or moving away from my parents. It was actually about my roommate. Throughout the entire summer, people told me that they either had a really good roomie experience, or an awful, terrible, horrid experience. So naturally, as any average female would be, I was nervous when my roommate walked into the room. My stuff was spewed everywhere, all over the room. My mom was trying to rearrange the furniture, and I was trying to tell my mom that we should "Wait on roommate. She may not want the furniture arranged this way..." Of course, while our room is a disaster and my mom is in the process of pushing one of the beds across the room, my roommate walks in. Soon, we put the room back together from the mother-tornado, and we started to bond over the decorating process.

Avery and I started texting each other in early May, just to get to know each other because we got along over a Facebook group message. I originally had another roommate, but she made other arrangements, which left me roommate-less. Avery didn't have a roommate around May, and by the end of the month we both realized that we got along pretty dang well. We requested each other as roommates, and DING! It was a match made in heaven. I don't know why I was nervous about meeting her in person, but I was.

It is pretty amazing how fast you can be friends with someone. That's how it was with me and Avery. We get along extraordinarily well. We do a lot together. We eat together, are in the same clubs/organizations, share a room, and even watch movies together. Avery is a fantastic roommate, but she's an even more fantastic friend, and I am so glad that we have had this chance to be with each other at UMHB!

AVERY!!! and me 

This past weekend was family weekend! My parents and one of my sisters came into Belton to watch the UMHB Crusaders (woohoo division 3 sports!), and see the campus and whatnot. It was so great seeing the family again! I missed them, but I am not as homesick as I was expecting I would be. Home will always be home, but UMHB just feels like a second home to me. God definitely put me here for a purpose! I have never felt more confident in where I am supposed to be.

The Fam. 

Here are some various pictures of various events at UMHB! 

Katie!

Dylan! 

Okay, so it's all football. But hey, our team is really good! And it's the primary time to socialize and get out there with people as a group. The picture on top is of my dear friend Katie, whom I have grown so close to this year. She is so kindhearted, and her spirit is so sweet. I love her to death! We have late night talks, and I know I can trust her with anything. The bottom picture is of my incredible friend, Dylan. His warm personality and amazing friendship has made me feel all the more at home here, and I cannot be more thankful for him. He has truly changed my life, and I cannot ask for a better friend. 

Classes? Oh yeah, classes. I do go to class guys! I am currently taking 17 hours, and am surprisingly doing very well with it. My workload is not that bad at all, and I am doing well. I'm a business major, and my business classes are the favorite parts of my day. (Besides the one at 8:00am. Ew.) Everything is pretty easy, and I am able to do what I need to do. I actually have more free time than I did in high school, and I actually get more sleep. It's so strange! 

As y'all know, I like to make up stories on my limb loss rather than the typical Neurofibromatosis spiel. I have told the typical stories such as shark attack and bear maulings, but I of course tell people the REAL story after I see their face go from interested to shocked. Nothing too intense has happened so far....my prosthesis is generally staying on, and I haven't broken it or anything yet. Although I did fall off my bike the other day in front of like four people...so I busted my real leg up pretty badly from that. 

Well, I thank you for reading this update on my life. College is amazing, and I cannot wait to post more crazy adventures with y'all. I wish you all good grace, and godspeed. 

Choppity Chop!

Senior year is going by quickly! As of today, we have 68 days until we graduate, which cannot come fast enough! I have had an amazing senior year so far, but can't wait to go off to college next year!

I just got  a new leg, which is awesome. It's a vacuum system rather than a pin lock system. I love it. It actually stays on, which is a plus, and it keeps up well.

Every year, my school sends all of the seniors off on a senior trip to a destination that the senior class votes on. This year, our school voted for Costa Rica! It was an amazing trip. We got to go see volcanos, trees, and a lot of gorgeous scenery. Hiking was easy with my new leg, and zip lining was great because my leg stayed on rather than falling off into the dark depths of the Costa Rican jungle. We ate a lot of rice and beans. Rice and beans with every single meal. Every. Single. Meal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner....beans and rice all the time. Needless to say, I have not eaten rice or beans since I've gotten back two weeks ago.

After a week of fun, it was finally our last day. We had the choice to either go white water rafting or to a private island and go beaching. Living in Texas, the only beach I have ever been to is Galveston, which is basically a dumping ground of many surrounding waters. The water in Galveston is grayish brownish green and nasty, while the waters in Costa Rica are clear and blue! So of course, I chose beach day. Besides, you can white water raft in the U.S.

My friend, Ashleigh, and I were looking for something to do. We decided that we wanted to bury another friend, Hutson in the sand. We started searching for him, but he had completely disappeared. We could not find him whatsoever. Finally, we spotted him by some hammocks. On our way over there, we were cut off my a rather large woman.

"Oh, you're having a much better time with your leg than I am with mine!" she says

Of course, I did a quick scan to see if this woman was an amputee. She wasn't. She did have on a knee brace or something, so fair enough. Oh, and by the way. This woman was from some other country. I could not pick out the accent she had.  But then she goes on.

"Oh but yours is completely gone! Choppity chop! My friend has both of her legs amputated at her hip! Choppity choppity chop!"

At this point, I am thinking..."What." I mean, I'm really chill and relaxed about my amputation and making amputee jokes. I really am. But this was so...out there that I didn't know what to say! She goes on talking to Ashleigh and I for a long time, saying "Choppity chop!" about six more times. Then it got a bit creepy.

"Anyway, want to go for a swim?" she asks

Praise the Lord for my dear Ashleigh. She immediately says "Oh look!! A baby pig!" We turned around, and sure enough, there was a baby boar and his mommy walking around on the beach. After this diversion, we start trying to escape this awkward conversation. But she asks us again. "Want to go for a swim?" She seemed rather eager, which was not too comfortable. I know this woman meant well, but I didn't know her, and I wasn't about to go swimming in the ocean with a stranger who seemed to have an obsession over my leg. I had to say something....I couldn't just avoid her again.

So I said "Oh, you know, I would love to, but we are actually looking for someone!"
"Oh, who?!" (Umm...creepy.)
"I'm looking for my....brother."

Now I don't have a brother. But if I say "I'm looking for a friend" it doesn't sound as eager, and it makes it seem obvious I'm trying to avoid her. So I just made it sound like it was more urgent by saying I had to find my brother. Besides, Hutson and I could easily pass for siblings.

"Oh! Your brother! Is he an amputee too?" Because apparently, amputated limbs are genetic. It can be, but not in this case.

"No! He's my....half brother. But yeah...I have to search for him. But thanks for the offer! Maybe we will see you around!"

She finally relinquished us. We found Hutson a few seconds later, and made our request to bury him.

He said yes.

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!

Hello everyone! Not really a huge post today, but I REALLY need your help.  I was selected as a finalist for a scholarship, and need as many votes as I can get so I can be a final contender for the scholarship money. Please vote for my video, and share with all your friends, family, neighbors, enemies, and everyone you know! My video is the one with the Eagle as the thumbnail. Thank y'all so much!

http://www.acu.edu/admissions/liveup/social/#finalists