TWIRP: The Woman Is Required to Pay

This week at school is TWIRP.  It's where girls have the opportunity to ask a guy on a date.  There's kinda an unwritten rule that the guy can't say no.  It's supposed to be really secretive, so the girls send cards or hang posters telling the guy they've been TWIRPed but not revealing who they are.  Then the guy shows up at the designated location to find out who the girl is and where they are going.  The cool part is few girls actually TWIRP the guy she likes, it's usually just a friend.  It's a lot of fun because it's just an opportunity to hang out with one of your guy friends.

Karissa, my roommate, and I TWIRPed two of our guy friends.  It's going to be a blast!

Christen

I had a wonderful weekend.  Friday night I went to Van after classes, which is where my extended family all lives.  We ate dinner and then played cards.  I love being at my Nannie's house so much.  Saturday I slept late then we ate lunch, chicken and spaghetti.  Yum!  After lunch we celebrated my birthday.  It was awesome.  I got to have my nails done, and my parents' gift is to keep them up for one year!  YEA! I also received a body pillow, which I've always wanted, and a photoalbum.  My grandparents gave me money which was much needed.  Mark and Sheila gave me a cute shirt, pink pearls and fun earrings.  It was so wonderful.  I had the best birthday!

Thank you to everyone who made this an awesome birthday.

So, the reason Nannie's is so cool...  It was so funny.  Saturday I was sitting on the back porch with my aunts, mom, sister in law, Nannie and Cody's girlfriend, then the guys (Granddaddy, Dad, brothers, cousins and uncles) all came filing out of the house dressed in camo and hunting gear.  They each had their own guns and piled into my cousin's truck.  Sheila looked at me and said, "You need to take a picture of that and show the next guy you date what he's getting in to."  Haha, it was so true.  They went and just shot stuff.

Christen

I've heard it said, "Home is where the heart is."  Never before have I believed it as much as now.  Last year, I spent 9 months in Rockford, Illinois.  I would be lying if I said it wasn't the best year of my life.  But something was missing all year, and I have finally figured it out. 

Home. 

Today I sit at the computer at my real home in Longview.  I don't have classes on Thursdays so I came home last night after church so I could watch my little brother play seventh grade football tonight.  I got a lot of homework accomplished and feel so relaxed, which, if you ever read my site, you know has not happened this semester thus far.  Even though my parents are both at work and Scott's at school, everything is so peaceful and right.

I love school and my friends, but home really is where my heart is.

Christen

I feel like the coolest person on Earth.  Wow, I am so blessed to have amazing friends and family!  I'm not bragging.  I just want to share with you how blessed I really am.  Monday during the day my phone rang off the hook with people calling to wish me Happy Birthday, plus I got SEVEN posts on here (which is a new record for me), my parents sent me beautiful flowers and I got like 10 birthday cards from friends.  Last night, 5 of my friends took me to Olive Garden for a dang good time eating awesome food.  I would lie if I said I didn't taste some wine.  The waiter gave me a sample of the grossest liquid substance on the face of the planet.  Yuck, for real.  Anyway, it was super fun!  Then tonight I met my parents in Mesquite at the Macaroni Grill, which is my favorite restaurant.  We had a blast.

So bottomline, I love my birthday, I had an amazing birthday and I am blessed.  I love you all!

Christen

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to Christen, Happy Birthday to me!!

Yeah, I did it.  I sang to myself. 

Rockford was a blast.  I had just a good time with friends and at the wedding.  Incredible wedding by the way.  Last night my roommates surprised me with cake and the room all decorated.  So cool!!  Tonight we are all going out for my 21st birthday!  No, I'm not going to drink.  I'm just not.

EDIT: For the record, I'm not back in Rockford.  I just went for 5 days to visit.  I go to school at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas.

Christen

Hello from Rockford, Illinois. Everything's going wonderfully! Wednesday I had the most warm welcome ever. It's so great to see everyone and just be able to hang out. We saw Neopolian Dynamite after Cross Current. That's the funniest movie in the world! It was only Master's friends so we cut up and laughed so loud! Thursday I was at the church all day with Amy Becker and friends. We goofed off and stuff. Then I went to lunch with Matt Tripodi and Wendy O Brien, which was wonderful. Good times. Love you all!

Christen

I leave for Rockford in two days to go to Joni and Jordan's wedding.  It's going to be so much fun!  (Shout out to my AC Sis Holly who will be picking me up from O'Hare on Wednesday!  Thanks sis!!)  I miss my Rockford friends a ton.  Today I was thinking about different people who are 2nd and 3rd years this year.  I'll probably never live around them again.  It's so weird that they are living the Rockford life again and I'm not.  I'm happy here.  It's just weird.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays feel so long. I gave a speech in my 8 am class today.  It feels like a week ago.

Christen 

College is overwhelming.  I hope life slows down a little bit soon.  I feel like I'm just barely keeping my head above water.  I have a hard time enjoying fun things because I have undone homework looming over my head.  It never ceases.

We had PK Retreat (Pastors' Kids) this weekend.  It was my 9th year!  I had so much fun hanging out with some of the new kids as well as my long time friends.  We play this game called Wink 'Ems that's so crazy!  The younger kids think it's hilarious that I like it so much.  Sunday night we played for 2 1/2 hours.  It was awesome!  I can honestly say it was one of my favorite years.

Christen

This is a shout out to my little brother.  He had his first 7th grade football game tonight. They tied 12-12.  He had a great catch.  I was so proud!

Christen