Chicago Update

Well I did not get the job in Chicago.  On the one hand I am a little disappointed.  I really liked the company and the people that I interviews with.  I think that I would have been a really fun place to work.  On the other hand when I left the interview I was very confident.  And even looking back two weeks later there isn't anything that I wish I would have said or done differently.  I feel that I represented my self and what I believe well and so it is hard to be discouraged.  I know that everyone is trying to be positive by saying that the Lord has something better, and I know that he does, but it isn't really something that I need to be consoled about.  I am excited to see what he has in store and until then I will keep seeking his guidance.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Confession

So confession, I am a blog-aholic.  I love reading blogs and I will check the ones I follow several times a week just to see if they have been updated.  This being said, I must admit that if a post is too long I will not read the whole thing.  I think one of the things I love about blogs it that they are often a quick snap shot of what some one is going through, a quick life update.  When a blog post is long and drawn out this defeats the whole point for me and I stop reading.  There are a couple of blogs that I like to check that do this quite frequently, and although I try to make it through the whole thing, I often find that if I don't see the point towards the beginning I loose interest.  Please don't think less of me but I just wanted to let you know that I am more apt to read your blog if you update more but write fewer words per post.  I hope that no one is offended by this.  I guess I am just part of the journalism statistic that says that the most important information should be at the top.  And that people hate to click and scroll to get to what they are looking for.  Just thought you might want to know.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Some Alone Time

I am a pretty outgoing person.  I like to be around people and I find that I don't need tons of "alone" or "me" time.  As I get older, however, I am finding more value in the quite times.  Times when there isn't 100 things to do, or homework or work pressure to deal with, and everything is just still, in those times I am finding value in taking some time to be by my self and to enjoy the still.  My new favorite things to do for alone time are craft and design blogs, a good pandora music channel, and candles.  After five years of living in a dorm room with a strict policy of no fire hazardous luminaries, I have found a new appreciation for the soft light of candles.  Black and white movies would also be on the list.

So what are some of your favorite relaxing activities?

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Chicago Drivers Ed

This weekend in Chicago I learned some driving lessons that I never had in driver's ed class.  For example, the lane lines are really just a suggestion.  You can really drive anywhere on the road that you feel is best.  Also the horn is a tool to be used in all situations, for anger, to say hello, if you are excited or frustrated, etc.  It was an experience all of its own.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Veggies

For family Thanksgiving this year my family was assigned veggies.  Not like a veggies platter but green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole and mashed potatoes.  This may sound like an easy task to some of you but I have never made a green bean casserole or a sweet potato casserole.  So when my mom asked me to find some recipes and make a grocery list, I immediately took out my new holiday cooking magazine and began searching for the perfect veggies to compliment the turkey my Grandma is making.  I found several that looked promising and made a list accordingly.  What I did not calculate into my plan was all the prep work that vegetables take.  There is so much peeling, chopping, and boiling.  We started cooking at 6 pm tonight and are just now finishing (10:45 pm).  And when I say finished I mean that I left my mom with all the clean up and one dish that still needs to be baked in the oven tomorrow.  All in all we made five dished, and not a single green bean casserole, or corn for that matter.  Now that hope is that they all reheat well tomorrow.  Happy turkey day everyone!  I hope that you all can count the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed and remember to have an attitude of gratitude not only tomorrow but every day.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

P.S. I think for Christmas I will volunteer to make something fun and easy like cookies!

Last One For Today

Well since I am catching up on my blogging I might as well tell you that the phone interview went really well and I have been invited to an in-house interview with the firm in Chicago.  I will be traveling up there this weekend to start looking at apartments and to have some getaway time with my mom and then have the big interview on Monday morning.  If all goes well I should know soon and could be moving before Christmas!  So keeping my fingers crossed.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

The Cheese Stands Alone

This comes from what a friend said to me last night as we were discussing all the newly engaged couples as of late.  I mean really it is to the point of ridiculousness recently.  Here is just a small list of the people I know who are getting married in the coming months.

• My friend Josie is marring her high school sweetheart Matt.
• Kaitlin is tying the not with Jim who she met online.
• Jess is marrying into the life of a solider with her love Conrad.
• Mandy found herself the country boy of her dreams in Jeremy.

On top of these four I am expecting three more in the near future, my sister and her boyfriend Matt, Leah and Sidney, and Leah and Matt.

I think it is going to be one packed summer full of road trips!

Love from Liberty,

Peggy

Love / Hate Relationship

I have a love / hate relationship with the internet.  I love the web but it hates me.  From the time we got wireless at my house this July we have had problems with it.  First it was a matter of getting it set up, then the router that we got wouldn't work.  After several hours of talking to tech support we have finally managed to have a steady connection for a while, until about a week and a half ago.  For some reason it just stopped working so after four days and several phone calls we finally got the issue resolved...well for some of us.  For two days my computer was working great, no problems and then for some reason it just stopped.  I tried everything I could think of.  I knew it had to be my computer because my sister's was working just fine.  After two days of destroying my settings and being completely frustrated I gave in and called the help line, yet again.  The lady was so nice and patient with me as I fumbled to do the things she asked.  She was able to remotely access my computer and change whatever was wrong and in about 30 min I was back up and running again.  This is great news since I am in the middle of an online class.  So thank you to cisco tech support, you were most helpful, yet again.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Blast From the Past

Last night I got to catch up with a good friend from high school, Sarah Springer.  Sarah is one of the funniest people I know.  She is so full of life and energy its some times hard to keep up.  Currently, Sarah is living in L.A. working on movie sets as part of the costuming crew.  She has worked with numerous stars including Orlando Bloom, Ryan Phillippe, Matthew McConaughey, and soon Katherine Heigl's new film.  I have to say that some times I am a little star struck by her.  Here she is a small town girl from Iowa doing exactly what she set out to do.  And to top it all off she is a genuinely nice and caring person.  It's always good to see a friendly face from the past.  And I think I will be needing to plan a little vacation to the west coast soon!

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Oh How He Love Us

Tonight I was reminded of just how much the Lord loves us.  I helped plan and event for my women's Bible study called 3:12.  These women are amazing and have become such good friends to me.  I wanted to help do something special and so I took an idea of an event we did at Liberty University and scaled it down to fit our group.  Every year at Thanksgiving Liberty has a communion service.  It is a powerful, and very special time of remembering what the Lord has done for us and being thankful for his sacrifice.  Each year is a little bit different but always it is a time where we encounter the Lord.

For my event I took several things that Liberty has done and made them my one.  We started out by watching a scene from the Passion of Christ set to music.  This movie is always a powerful reminder of the true sacrifice that was made on our behalf.  It is heartbreaking to watch but then again seeing a perfect God beaten and killed for our sins should be heartbreaking.  After this we read some of the names of God and their meanings, reminding us of who he is.  1 Cor. talks about having a clean heart before taking communion so I had every one write down things that needed to be given over to the Lord and prepare their hearts.  These papers were then dipped in red paint symbolizing the blood of Christ covering our transgressions.  We then nailed the papers to a cross.  After this we cook communion and had a time of sharing.

One of the biggest things that struck me tonight was when one of the girls was sharing.  She said that she had forgotten the joy that she can have in Christ and that she missed God.  I feel like that sometimes, especially when I haven't spent the time with the Lord that I should.  I miss him and I forget how much I really do need him.  We say that he is enough, that he is satisfying, that we are complete in him, but why then do we "need" so many things.  We "need" to do this or that, we "need" to have such and such, we "need" so many things that sometimes we forget that we need Christ.  We think of him as an added bonus that we can pull out and use when ever it is convenient.  We think of him as a want and not a need and a want is not something that is a priority.  I am guilty probably more than most.  There are so many things in life that I refer to as needs that simply are not, and yet when it come to the Lord, a true need, sometimes I think of him as a want, something that is desirable but something that can wait to later.  I need to change this thinking.  Tonight I was reminded that I too miss the Lord and that I need him.  Not just for a free pass to heaven and salvation but everyday, every hour, every min. I need him.  And I will need him more tomorrow than I did today and even more the next day.  I need the Lord, he can not wait till later, he must be the priority right now.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Exciting News!

This will be very short but I thought it was important enough to post a quick note.  I have a telephone interview next Thursday with an ad agency in Chicago!  That is all the more detail I am going to put for now as it is just a phone interview and I don't want to get too excited but I would appreciate your prayers  on this.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Life Update

As I feel I have been doing an exceptional job at keeping my few, but I hope faithful, followers updated recently, I feel it only fair to warn you that I may be falling into an old pattern of slacking again.  I have recently started a new job at the Dwayne Arnold Energy Center.  This is a temporary position as a helper during their refueling outage.  It is really hard to explain what I do as I still have not quite figured it out my self yet.  The current working schedule is six days a week 12 hours a day.  So basically I wake up at 5:45 am, be to work by 7:00 am, get off at 7:00 pm, eat supper, take a shower, my my lunch for the next day, and go to bed.  As you can see this does not leave much room for extra activities.  I will try my best to post something on Thursdays, which is my one day off, but until the middle to end of November, don't expect too much out of me and don't say I didn't warn you.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Let the eat cake!

In my new life of unemployment I have decided to try a new hobby, cake decorating!  My Grandma used to make and decorate wedding cakes, and my mom did all of our birthday cakes, but neither of these two decided to pass along this very valuable skill to me.  At first I tried to convince my mom to teach me, but as is with some things, it was soon apparent that parents don't make for the best teachers.  Part of the problem with my mom is that she said she didn't remember, which I think is really just her trying to get out of it.  So I bough a beginner's guide for some help and I must say that in my first attempt I was pretty impressed with my self.

I then moved on to shaped pans and tried my hand at the art of stars.  This pumpkin turned out pretty well but took a lot of time and concentration.

With two basics down I was ready to move on to learn some more techniques.  I traded my awesome babysitting skills (I don't really know about that but I do love kids) for a professional lesson!  Melanie Davis, from Melanie's Pink Cake Box, was my teacher and was really great.

After this experience I made one more cake to practice.  After the fourth cake I realized that we had way too much cake sitting in the freezer and I was time to give it a rest for while.    In the last couple of weeks I have successfully been able to give some of the cakes away to very deserving people and am excited to pick the hobby back up soon!  This come with another motivation, that today I got a giant cupcake pan for FREE! at a garage sale.  So be looking for another picture soon!

So what are some of your hobbies?  I am always looking for a new and exciting challenge.  Let me know if you have any ideas for my next project.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Amazing Women of God

Well since I told you about one amazing woman of God that I know,  I thought that maybe I should tell you about another.  I was privileged enough to have this wonderful woman as my roommate for a whole year!  We worked together in ministry and in the process became really good friends.  On top of that she is one of the most discerning people that I know and wise beyond her years.  I consider Robin P. not only my friend but in many ways a mentor to me.

Many of you may have heard about the struggles I faced in my first year as an R.A. at Liberty University.  It was one of the most challenging experiences of my life!  But I was not in it alone. God blessed me with Robin for a partner and a friend and together we managed to some how make it through the year.

During this time Robin was engaged to her now husband Jason.  These two people could not be more perfect for each other.  Jason is one of the most selfless people that I have ever met.  In the time that Robin and I lived together I remember several times where we were having a bad day and Robin would call Jason and he would go out and get ice cream not only for her but for me too!  It is not often that you find someone who thinks of others like that.

And Robin?  Robin taught me so much that year.  She taught me about unconditional love, about endurance, about balance, about commitment, but mostly she taught me about submission.  Submission often gets a bad rap and has an ugly connotation in our liberal, feminist movement world.  Most often we are taught as women that we are to be strong, independent, and to take charge if we want something.  What we don't hear about is the Biblical role of a woman and how that can be a positive thing.  Even though Robin and Jason were not married at the time, Robin submitted to Jason in their relationship and choose to follow his leadership.  She practiced this before they got married in preparation and I know from talking to her since she has been married that because of her obedience to the Lord's outline for a Biblical marriage, Robin and Jason have avoided some of the problems that they have seen others struggle with.

I really could go on and on about this AMAZING woman.  Robin and Jason celebrated the birth of their first child this year, a boy!  I got the opportunity to take some pictures several months ago when I was visiting.  I know that I posted them already but in cause you missed it here is a little reminder.

As I am writing my mind is flooded with all of the amazing women that the Lord has put into my life.  I know I will never be able to recognize them all publicly but these last two posts have really helped me to reflect and to thank the Lord for all of his many blessings, especially those of friendship.  Perhaps I will have to make this a little mini-series.  It is also good because it helps me to recall the things that I have learned from each one and from the Lord.

So who are the amazing women of God in your life?  I would love to hear about some of the people who have pushed, encouraged, challenged, inspired, and influenced you.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Blog Followers

So apparently I have a blog follower, someone besides my sister!  So here is a big shout out to Jess M, one of the best SLD's ever and my really good friend!  Jess like me has a love for photography and has her own blog, which you can check out by clicking here.  I first got to know Jess when we lived and worked together at Liberty University on dorm 5.  I was so blessed to have Jess as a part of my leadership team.  She is such a woman of God who truly offers and example of how to live a life that is ruled by Christ.  I can't even tell you how many times she has encouraged me and helped me to grow in my own spiritual walk.  One of the ways that Christ is evident in her life is in her relationship with her fiance Conrad.  These true are one of the most precious couples I have ever met and so easy to be around.  They both have such a desire to show people the love of Christ, both in their personal lives and in their relationship together.  If you have the opportunity to spend some time with these to you will quickly see what I mean.  Anyway, I love them and am so happy to have a follower.

Jess and I at one of many fun game nights!

With this comes a lot of pressure to stay updated but also some motivation.  This week I have been trying several new things and some new craft projects to keep checking back in and I will let you know how they are going.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

P.S. If you are a follower/reader who is not my sister, let me know so I can give a shout out to you too!  And feel free to leave comments!

Producitivity

Yeasterday I had a very long list of things I wanted to accomplish today, and for the most part I stuck to it.

• Paint the last drawer of the dresser.-CHECK
• Print and fill out paper work for temp. job.-CHECK
• Print letters for twinkle light board project. (more details to come)-CHECK
• Call my grandma and ask her about apple picking.-Oops!
• Cook delicious dinner.-CHECK
• Make at least one thing from the new cooking magazine.-Well I made cookies for cubbies on Wed. but they were not form the new magazine.
• Return movie to the library.-First thing tomorrow morning.
• Call Amber about Thursday -Maybe tomorrow.
• Read at least 50 pages of my book. -CHECK, actually I finished the whole book!

So as you can see I got almost everything done.  Hope your day was as fruitful as mine!

Love from Liberty,

Peggy

Accountability

Motivation often takes different forms.  I find that I am often motived by accountability.  If I tell someone I am going to do something I am more likely to accomplish it.  So in a effort to be very productive tomorrow I am posting a to do list.  Even if no one reads this, the possibility of another knowing and asking me about a task should be enough to encourage me to accomplish what I should tomorrow.

• Paint the last drawer of the dresser.
• Print and fill out paper work for temp. job.
• Print letters for twinkle light board project. (more details to come)
• Call my grandma and ask her about apple picking.
• Cook delicious dinner.
• Make at least one thing from the new cooking magazine.
• Return movie to the library.
• Call Amber about Thursday
• Read at least 50 pages of my book.

Ok well I think that is plenty to keep me busy for at least most of the day.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Love from Liberty,

Peggy

I love to bake!

It's true!  I love to bake.  Part of the reason that I love to bake so much is that most recipes include the same ingredients.  Flour, sugar, eggs, in almost every recipe the staples are the same.  And although I am learning to love to cook as well, baking is still my favorite.  I know that I have already shared my fool proof cookie recipe so today I wanted to share my new favorite site for baking ideas.  It's called Bakerella!  This site is filled with fun ideas for sweets in minis.  Today I made these cupcake bites.

They are so cute and really not that difficult. (I mean come on if I can do it so can you!)  Mine don't look as picture perfect as these but they are pretty.  You can find the step by step instructions by clicking here.  While you are on the site check out and try some of the other creative ideas and let me know how they turn out!

Love from Liberty,

Peggy

Paint Your Own Pottery

A couple weeks back I had the opportunity to meet some new friends and get a great craft idea.  Painting your own pottery is so much fun.  Last spring the girls in my RA group went to a place in Lynchburg, VA that allowed you to do this.  Our boss was getting married and we wanted to so something special for her.  We ended up choosing to do a his and hers dinner place setting with coordinating colors.  We each painted a piece and picked them up a week later.  It was so much fun!  But it was also kind of pricey.

Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago and I learned that you can actually do this fun craft project at home for a much lower cost!  Krystal purchased sever plain ceramic pieces from the Dollar Store!  Some where white while others were clear glass.  We then used acrylic paint to create our designs.  After letting them dry for several hours we baked them in the over following the directions on paint labels.  I believe that you bake them at 350 for 30 min. Then here is the trick to let the pieced dry in the oven.  Once the potter is cooled you are good to go!

They are safe to use and can even be put in the top tray of the dishwasher to be cleaned (yes I have tried this and it came out the same way it went in).  It was so much faster and cheeper.  I can't wait to try it again!

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

On The Job Hunt

Well as many of you know I have been on the job hunt lately.  After spending the summer killing my self with summer classes, I am now down to just one final class to finish my M.B.A.  I will be taking this class online beginning in October, and although I am dreading the class I can't wait to be done with school!  Finally!

This summer I babysat for three very cute kids, Max (8), Zach (6), and Makayla (5).  We spent out days at the pool, the park, doing arts and crafts, and at a wide variety of other places.  It was fun to have a break from school and to enjoy the outdoors during the nice weather.  Following the start of school I worked for a friend at a recruiting office as an administrative assistant.  I really enjoyed this position.  I got to call references, work with the database, and search resumes for job candidates.  Last week my friend decided to put in her resignation it order to take advantage of another opportunity.  Because of this my position was discontinued.  Although it was sad that the position was no longer available, I was able to find a new job quickly and this week I began a part time position at a cute little store called the Farmer's Daughter's Market.  Although I loved the girls I was working with, and the job its self, after a week it was clear this was not a professional work environment that I wanted to be apart of so on Saturday I turned in my apron and said goodbye to my co-workers.  I harbor no ill feelings and if you get the chance you should check out the store.  It really is a neat place.

After all of this tomorrow I will once again be heading up the job search, looking for the right fit.  I am focusing my hunt in four areas, locally (Cedar Rapids), CHICAGO, Minneapolis, and Internationally.  Chicago is really my first choice, well actually an international position would be awesome but not as realistic.  So if you or any one you know is looking for an honest, hard working individual with integrity please let me know.  I am really interested in the areas of marketing, advertising, public relations, event planning, or graphic design.  I am also open to another admin. position in order to get my foot in the door someplace.  If the job is in Chicago I am pretty much up for anything that will pay the bills!  Haha.

So that's what's going on in my life.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Honesty

Well it has been awhile since I wrote something truly from the heart.  Many times there isn't much that most of you who know me don't already know.  My life seems to be pretty stable most days.  The Lord is always teaching me new lessons but most of them are too hard to explain or have too much background.  I find that he often teaches me slowly and over time rather than big lessons all at once.  Maybe this is because I have a hard time listening.  Or maybe it is because I often need time to think and digest the things that he is trying to teach me and so he only gives me a little at a time as to not overwhelm me.  But this week I have been overwhelmed.  This week I am learning about disappointment, heartache, and honesty. 

I think so often my problem is not that I am not honest with others so much as I am not honest with my self.  If  I am not honest with myself how can I possibly be honest with those around me.  I find this is true for a lot of people.  They can see that what we are saying is not lining up with how we are living or acting or feeling but because we are not honest with out selves we don't listen or don't see what they are able to see.

This whole summer I have been learning about disappointment and failure.  It started with not getting a job that I really wanted.  It was followed by making a miscalculation in a class and not receiving a passing grade.  It has continued with an endless job hunt for a position in the work force.  And this week it was once again ripped at my heart with some news that should have been happy but is really more of a heartache.

So what have a I learned through all of this?  I have learned that we cannot control the choices of others.  I have learned that I must be honest with my self and with the Lord, even if it means telling him I am angry or upset or sad.  I have learned that God knows what we need even more than we do.  I have learned that sometimes failure is one of God's greatest blessings.  The Lord's plan is always better than mine, and I have been reminded that he must often break us before he can bless us.  I am learning to be more positive and to look on the bright side.  And I think most of all I am learning how insignificant I am and how my idea of control is a facade self manifested to help me justify sin in my life.  I am sure this idea doesn't make sense to any one else but that's ok because it is my self discovery.

Learning is hard.  It requires change.  It requires honesty.  It requires pain.  But in the end it is necessary.  With out change self destruction begins to take hold, eventually forcing decisions to be made and consequences to be paid.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

C is for Cookies!

I LOVE cookies!  I can't help it, they are just so good.  I find that I have no self control when it comes to these treats.  If I eat one I am sure to eat three... ok if we are being honest sometimes five!  So while I am waiting for my cookies to bake in the oven I though I would share my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

2 1/4 C. All purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 C. butter
3/4 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 Eggs
1 pkg. Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Now if you are one of those people who follows the directions to the T too bad!  I am not and guess what they turn out just fine.  Mix everything in a bowl and put on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes and enjoy!  Thats all there is to it.

And there's the timer!  Got to go!

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Becoming an Adult

The other day I was reading a magazine and in the back it had a section called "You know you are an adult when...".  Then listed below people had written in stating at what point you know you have become an adult.  As I have embarked on a major job hunt for my first "grown up" job it got me thinking, at what point do you officially become an adult?  Is it when you move out out of your parent's house?  Or when you stop calling them every time you need money?  Is it when you turn 18 or 21?  When you buy your first house?  I am not sure that there is one specific point where to transition from a child or young man or woman to an adult but the following are some indicators from my life that have paved the transition.

• When you get up and go to bed of your own accord with out someone telling you to.
• When you see the need to establish a budget and not just call mom or dad.
• When you know the difference between a need and a want.
• When you call and make your own appointments.
• When you realize the choices you make impact more than just your self.
• You know the definition of business and business casual and have the appropriate attire for those occasions.
• When monthly bills start coming in your name and not to your parents.
• When you know not only what you believe but why you believe it.
• When you are not afraid to stand up for what you believe in.
• When you understand that your words hold meaning and power and therefore you choose them carefully.
• When grace is something you extend to others.
• When you realize that the world does not revolve around you.

I am sure I could think of many more examples from my own life but these are the ones that came to mind first.  So what about you?  What are some things from your life that have shown that you are an adult?

Love from Liberty,

Peggy

Engagement Photos

I recently had the privilege of taking some pictures of my newly engaged friend and her fiance.  Kaitlin and Jim will be getting married next August in Duluth, MN.  Thanks so much guys for letting me take your pictures.  You guys were a lot of fun to work with, I hope you like them.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

A Little Mood Music

So tonight I had a homework assignment due (big surprise, I know).  Homework seems to be my life lately and it is getting harder and harder to motivate my self to do it.  Taking 5 summer classes is turning out to be one of those ideas that seems like a good one at the beginning but now I question what I was thinking.  Anyway, to help myself get motivated I put on a little mood music.  Sometimes this is classical or jazz but tonight I was in a really girly mood so I put on Pandora's Michael Buble channel.  This combined with lighting some scented candles and turing off the overhead light for the bed side lamps I have proved to put me in a better mood and get my work done more efficiently.  I will have to remember this trick in the next couple of weeks when I have my big papers due.  So what's your relax but still be productive trick?  I would love any hints or suggestions you might have.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Bed Time

There should be a rule that says if you go to bed early you will not wake up tired, no matter how early you get up.  I say this because last night I came up to my room at 8 pm, got into my pjs and put in a movie.  At 10 pm I went to sleep.  This morning I attempted to get up at 6:07 am, after hitting the snooze button three times I finally got out of bed around 6:33 am.  This left me less then 15 min. to get ready and leave my house.  I did so successfully but the point is this.  Even though I went to bed really early I still woke up tired.  It is just not right.  If you are responsible and go to be early you should be able to wake up refreshed and feeling rested, not like you are on autopilot or sleep walking.

Those are my thoughts for the day.  It is now 10:30 pm and past my bed time.  Good night!

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Success...well sort of.

Lets review the goals for today shall we...

1. Clear off my bed and make it so I can move out of the guest room downstairs
1. Well I made a huge dent in the mess that is my room...however, there is still stuff all over my bed so I guess its the guest room again tonight.
2. Apply for a job
1. Except for a phone number and a cover letter I have the application done.  This includes the five essay questions that are required.
3. Return movie to the library
1. Fail, I didn't even leave the hose today.  But I did make some cookies which was not on the list.
4. Paint the dresser
1. Success, I got not one but two coats of paint on the dresser and it is looking very sharp (if I do say so my self)
5. At least take the dirty laundry downstairs so that maybe my mom will do it for me
1. Over achiever!  Not only did I take the laundry downstairs I actually worked on it!

So overall I would say it was a very successful day.  Tomorrow I hope to finish the tasks that were not completed today and work on some homework.

Love from Liberty,

Peggy

Goals for Tomorrow

Goals For Tomorrow...

1. Clean my room
2. Apply for a job
3. Return movie to the library
4. Paint the dresser
5. Do laundry
6. Get ahead on school work

Ok so I know that doesn't sound like a lot but since my room is a total disaster and will probably take at least three days all by its self maybe we should revise.

New Goals For Tomorrow...

1. Clear off my bed and make it so I can move out of the guest room downstairs
2. Apply for a job
3. Return movie to the library
4. Paint the dresser
5. At least take the dirty laundry downstairs so that maybe my mom will do it for me

Forget about schoolwork for the day.  I did a lot today so lets pretend its Sat. and that I have the day off. Sounds good. I'll let you know how it goes.

Love from Liberty,

Peggy

Baby Elijah!

Crazy!  My roommate from two years ago just had a baby!  Robin and Jason got married the summer after Robin and I were roommates, and RA partners.  I got to go down to North Carolina on Wednesday to see the new family of three.  Elijah Daniel Purdy is such a little man!  He is strong for being only 7 weeks old. Of course I had to get some good pictures while I was there.  I took Robin and Jason's engagement pictures  and now I got to take the first semi-professional photos for baby Elijah.  Here are a few for you to preview.

Just Haven't Met you Yet

So I know that I am a hopeless romantic but I really love this song!  It's cute and makes me smile every time I hear it.




I'm not surprised, not everything lasts
I've broken my heart so many times, I stopped keeping track
Talk myself in, I talk myself out
I get all worked up, then I let myself down

I tried so very hard not to lose it
I came up with a million excuses
I thought, I thought of every possibility

And I know someday that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, that I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

I might have to wait, I'll never give up
I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck
Wherever you are, whenever it's right
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazing
And, baby, your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

They say all's fair
In love and war
But I won't need to fight it
We'll get it right and we'll be united

And I know that we can be so amazing
And being in your life is gonna change me
And now I can see every single possibility

And someday I know it'll all turn out
And I'll work to work it out
Promise you, kid, I'll give more than I get
Than I get, than I get, than I get

Oh, you know it'll all turn out
And you'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And I promise you kid to give so much more than I get
Yeah, I just haven't met you yet

I just haven't met you yet
Oh, promise you, kid
To give so much more than I get

I said love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
(I just haven't met you yet)
Love, love, love, love
Love, love
I just haven't met you yet


Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Game Night!

So it is no secrete that I love to play games.  I like card games, and board games, and games that make you feel silly.  I can't help it.  I think it is one of the reasons why I loved camp so much.  For the past 3 weekends my friend Jess and her boyfriend Conrad have been throwing game nights at Conrad's apartment.  It has been great to get off campus and fellowship with friends and to meet new people.  I really enjoy the group that has been coming.  Through these game nights I have learned a new game, it's called ninja assassin.

To start every one is in a tight circle.  Then on the count of three everyone must jump backwards into a ninja pose.  To determine who is going to start and then in one movement they must try and hit the hand of someone close to them.  The person who is being attacked has one movement to dodge.  If their hand gets hit then they are out.  I know that it sounds kind of weird but I promise it is really fun.  We have added a few rules as we have gone just to make it harder, like if you go out of turn you are out.  This rule has actually cause a lot of people to get them selves out.

Here are a few pictures from recent challenges.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

A Tradition Continues

If you have been following this blog for a while you will know that some friends and I have a tradition for Valentine's Day.  It all started four years ago when we realized that a good number in our circle of friends were single and had no plans for Valentine's Day.  This sparked the idea of celebrating together.  We decided that we would get really dressed up and go some place nice and treat our selves.  So we made a reservation and put on our heels and when out on the town.  It is a tradition that we have done every year since.  This year we celebrated a day early since Meghan no longer lives in town as she has graduated.  She is here for the weekend and so we went out tonight instead of tomorrow.  This year we went to a place called Shoemakers.  It is in one of the redone downtown buildings.  It has exposed brick and beams on the inside and is full of charm and ambiance, which is what it is all about right?  Afterwards we went to Doc's Diner for dessert and then to see Leap Year, which was really cute.  This year was probably my favorite simply because is it in all reality probably our last.  It has been fun to see how we have stayed friends and how much the Lord has worked in each of our lives.  These are girls that I know I can count on for anything and they know they can count on me.  It is my prayer that each of you knows how much you mean to the Savior this Valentine's Day and that you basque in his love for you.  I also pray that you like me have friends that you can count on through thick and thin and who support and encourage you to grow in the Lord.

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Snow, Snow, and Ice!

Well last week I told you all about the snow we got, this weekend is some what of a repeat.  Liberty cancelled classes on Friday and all of Lynchburg as decided to shut down due to the weather.  Last night at 9 p.m. you couldn't even get a pizza delivered.  Yesterday Leah and I spent the day watching movies and doing crafts.  Today we are being slightly more productive as we both have homework that needs to be accomplished.  On our adventure to the Rot for lunch yesterday I was able to get some shots of the snow, because as much as I hate the cold and wet, it is really a beautiful sight to see.  Enjoy!

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Socks

So last week I accomplished something very important... I bought socks that fit!  This may sound like some simple mundane task that no one really thinks about but I promise you that buying socks for me is often a disappointing adventure.  I have very normal sized feet.  I wear between a 7 or 8 shoe.  The problems is not that my feet are long but they are wide and thick.  Socks, like shoes are measured by the length of the foot, where the problem is is that the socks that are supposedly made for my size are size 7 to 11.  Now I am sorry but in what universe is the heel that fits a size 11 foot going to land in the same place as a size 7 foot? And the size smaller socks are too small to fit my wide feet.

So like I said I finally found some socks that fit like they are supposed to.  And do you want to know where I found them?...In the children's department!  Thats right for some reason the large socks in the little girls department fit perfectly.  Who would have guessed!

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Made in the 80's

It is the goal of Leah and I to do something different at every hall meeting this semester.  We started off with a foot washing ceremony, followed by a sardines hall meeting and tonight we did 80's flashback.  Dressing up for hall meeting is always fun and some of our girls get really into it.  To make it even more memorable, instead of having birthday cake to celebrate the girls who have birthday's in January and February, we had root-beer floats!  And while most of our girls are now made in the 90's, some of us earlier models still have the 80's proudly stamped on our date of birth!

Love from Liberty,
Peggy

Celebrity Look-A-Like?

So currently the new trend is to post a picture of which celebrity you look like as your profile picture on facebook... and I can't think of anyone that I have been told I look like!  So a little help?  Any suggestions?

Winter Wonderland!

Over the past 24 hours we have gotten about 8 to 10 inches of snow and it is still coming down!  We went to lunch today with the dorm and took lots of pictures and played in the white powder.  It's not the best snow for snowballs or snowmen or sledding but it is really pretty!  Here are some of the photos that we took.

Love is in the Air!

As it is almost February, the month of love, I have changed the look of the blog to match the current season. I know we are not quite there yet but with my track record for updating I figured I better do it now or it won't get done. Let me know what you think!

Love from Liberty,

Peggy

Jenna's Wisdom Teeth

So over break my sister had her wisdom teeth pulled out. Being the wonderful sister that I am of course I was there to support her... and to take some pictures of her afterwards. Since I am pretty sure that she is about the only person that reads this blog anyway I thought I would post a picture of her at her best to share.

She was acutally really funny afterwards. She kept asking for her phone. My mom and I did not feel that this was the best idea but she started getting really upset and so mom gave it to her and she used it to text us other wants instead of trying to talk.

Jenna, I hope you enjoy this post! I love you!

Love from Liberty,

Peggy

Quoteable

Some things are worth repeating...

"Don't complain. 80% of the people you complain to don't care and the other 20% are glad you have problems." -Lou Holts, told to us by Danny in RA meeting.

"Some people are like seagulls, they are noisy and crap all over everything." -Said by Dwayne Carson in RA meeting.

"Even in the perfect garden of Eden with no sin, there were rules and work to be done." -Miles McPherson.

EIBC Winter Retreat!

It's no secret that one of my favorite places in the world is East Iowa Bible Camp. It's where I spend a week every summer from 6th grade all through high school. In college I had the honor of spending two whole summers there working as a counselor and I loved it. I have often said that camp is like an addiction, the more I am there the more I want to be there. SO you can probably guess my excitement when I found out that this year's high school winter retreat was being held over my Christmas break from school! I have never been to an EIBC winter retreat! So over break I called up Tyson, the director, and asked to come help out for three days. It was such a blast. There were only 14 kids so it was easy to play a large group game, such as celebrity or telephone dictionary. We also had a lot of fun playing Wii karaoke and rock-band. I also got to spend the weekend with two of my camp friends, Jeremy and Sarah Risdon. On top of that I got to see Tyson and Sarah and the Berbs. If you are reading this and have kids I highly recommend that you send them this summer to EIBC. It holds some of my favorite memories and I met people who to this day are some of my best friends. It is a place of learning and fun and acceptance and of focusing on Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Love from Liberty,

Peggy