Since Thanksgiving Break

Being so busy with Thanksgiving break, the last week of classes, and studying for finals, I completely forgot all about this blog!

Thanksgiving was great. I got to go to Grandma's house like we do every year, and even though there weren't very many people (it was just me, Stephanie, my parents, Grandma, Katy, and Bobby) it was great! Great food, great company, great football.. just a great break all around! We went to a Christmas movie Thanksgiving night like we do every year. We saw Fred Claus this year. That is one family tradition that I absolutely love.As tends to happen, the break was over and I was headed back to Lubbock much too soon. It had snowed in Midland over Thanksgiving (while we were in El Paso, of course) so the roads were icy on the way back. It took me a little longer to get back, but I made it back safely.

Another week of classes, and then one of my favorite Tech Traditions: Carol of Lights! November 30 was the 49th Annual Carol of Lights at Texas Tech. They lit up about 13 buildings on campus, centralized around the science quad, which is where the Tech choir performed a few Christmas Carols (in the dark). At the end, with a single flip of a switch, all the lights came on. It is such a beautiful thing to see, and they turn them on every night now!

Right after Carol of Lights, six of my friends (Clay, Kyle, Zach, Ashli, Mallory, and Kaitlyn) and I headed to our cabin in Ruidoso. My friend Clay drove, so I got to relax the whole trip. We got to Ruidoso around 12:30am Ruidoso time. We unpacked, talked a bit, and then went to bed. We all slept in the next morning, then spent all day Saturday shopping, hanging out, and eating. The girls made lunch (grilled cheese and tomato soup) while the boys watched football. Saturday night, we went to Casa Blanca, my favorite Ruidoso mexican food restaurant. We watched a movie back at the cabin, and went to bed. We got up fairly early Sunday morning, and the boys made french toast for everyone while the girls cleaned, packed, and got ready to leave. We left at about 11:30am and got back to Tech a little after 5:00pm. It was a quick trip, but it was so much fun!

Four more days of classes, and the first semester was almost over! Thursday was the last day of class, and Friday was a university "dead day". Basically, that meant there was no class so everyone could study. Not everyone took it that way.. My roommate Leah and I saw a group of about ten girls that live on our hall getting ready to go out and party. But we spent the day with our friend Kristin studying at a coffee shop. Then we had a designated girls' night in mine and Leah's room. The two of us, Kristin, and Lauren (the four of us are going to live together next year) rented "Kate & Leopold" (a great girl movie), ordered pizza for the first time all year, and then went to bed early.

Yesterday was another study day. This time I went to some cubicles in the Student Union Building until about 5:00pm. My three future roomies and I went to grab some dinner around six, then hung out in the room. We went to a friend's apartment and baked homemade cookies, blasted the new OneRepublic CD, and played Rummikub. It was some great bonding time =]

Today is the last full day of studying before finals. Tomorrow, I have a math final at 10:00am, a nutrition final at 12:30pm, and then my hardest one (chemistry) at 5:30pm. My only test Tuesday is the financial planning one at 5:30pm, and it's optional. I still don't know if I'm taking it or not. Wednesday is my last final: political science at 10:00am, and then.. I'M GOING HOME FOR A WHOLE MONTH!

I've learned that college is much much harder than high school. I've studied more for just the chemistry final than I did for all of my tests in high school combined. I'm really hoping for a B in that class, something I never would have settled for in high school..

Countdown: three days, four (or five) exams, about an hour of packing and a two-hour drive..