In 2010 ..

Dear 2010 you have brought me much to remember ..

• I graduated with my Master's in Public Health
• I moved out of New York and back to Texas
• I moved in with my parents, hopefully only temporarily
• I took a class to improve my science gpa so I can apply to med school
• I interviewed for a full time job
• I was in a friends wedding
• I attended many, many weddings
• I went to a Texas Tech football game as an alumni
• I started going to a wonderful young adult ministry on Friday nights that has taught me more than I could ever imagine learning in 6 months
• I started going to a new church
• I ended the year about 10 pounds heavier than my heaviest
• I spent Thanksgiving with my family after 2 years somewhere else
• I bought my first car
• I started working full time
• I stood in line at Walmart for black Friday
• I went 365 days without ice cream (and I have already bought some to eat at 12:01 tonight)
• I learned about myself and what I really see in the future
• I learned that if you are going to pray there is no use in worrying and if you are going to worry not to pray
• I learned about myself and the importance of a season of singleness
• I got to attend my brother's football and basketball games
• I saw how syrup is made

2010 has had sooo many positives for me and so many changes. I know that 2011 is a year where many of my prayers will be answered and I am thankful in advance. I hope your 2010 has been great and I pray that the Lord keeps you into 2011 and for many more years to come. The best is yet to come!

Oh how He loves us

He is jealous for me,

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

I just get tears in my eyes when I hear this song and actually listen to the words.

He is jealous for me.

4:46am

Oh my! 4:46 am is becoming a time that I am coming into contact with more often. I hope that this proves fruitful. The amount of weight I have gained since I moved home is crazy ridiculous. I have got to do something about it. So waking up at 4:46 is what I have to do. It's what I have done for two days in a row. It takes 14 days to make a habit and thats what I keep telling myself!

Lucky for me I will be in NY this weekend and will be able to do afternoon work outs. I am looking forward to this mini vacation and attending Nathan and Marisa's 2nd and 4th birthday. I have missed those kids!

101 - 26 = 75

I only have 75 things on my 101 list left to complete! I have pictures for most of the ones that I have done recently, but that will be a whole other blog post. Recently crossed off..

2. Live in Texas again - I have lived back in Texas since May!

8. Buy a meal for a strange behind me in the drive thru - recently I have just been buying meals for people behind me at Chicken Express. One lady came up to my window after I bought it for her and said she felt like it was confirmation from God telling her that what she had been telling her coworker was right. I am glad I could be used to help her.

16. Take Physics II - I registered to take Physics II yesterday! This is the last class I need to apply to medical school!!

18. Foster - I put this on hold because I plan on going back to school within the next two years, but I will definitely put this back on my list in the near future since I have a passion for this.

33. Go to a Texas Tech football game - Two weekends ago I went back to Lubbock to go to a football game with my roommate from Senior year. It was Texas Tech's homecoming and they won the game. It was so fun to be back in the college football atmosphere!

55. Actually do my reading for school - This semester I actually read for school! Woo hoo!

57. Get a pedicure - the weekend after my birthday I went and got a pedicure with Carly!

65. Pick eggs from a chicken coop - My uncle saved eggs for me last week and I was able to pick them from his coop!

66. Eat the eggs picked from the chicken coop - My uncle brought over the eggs from the coop and we have been eating them! Yummy!

87. Go to one of my brothers football games - I was able to go to my brothers middle school championship football game! They won!!

88. Help make my sister a mum or garder - For my sisters homecoming this year we made a mum! We waited until the last minute and we were up until 12am, but it looked great!! :)

Woaah! That was a lot!! I am alll up to date on my 101 list!! Only 75 more left to go!

101 update minus the pictures!

1. Read the Bible cover to cover

2. Live in Texas again

3. Milk a cow
4. Go to the Oprah show/see Oprah
5. Visit at least 10 of the 50 states (preferably with Erin :))
6. Buy a meal for a stranger behind me in a drive thru
7. Take at least 5 angels from the angel tree
8. Become involved in Children's Church Ministry
9. Lose 50 lbs
10. Register and finish a 5K
11. Run a 1/2 marathon
12. Take a picture a day for a month
13. Find a job I thoroughly enjoy
14. Apply to med school {eek}
15. Take the MCAT again
16. Take Physics II
17. Learn to sew (with clean lines)
18. Foster put on hold due to my plans to go back to school! :)
19. Graduate with a Master's Degree
20. Go to top of Statue of Liberty/visit the State of Liberty
21. Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer
22. Watch Erin graduate from nursing school at Tech (She watched me graduate)
23. Sing in the church choir/praise and worship team
24. Get a new lens for my camera
25. Go through my closet and make a give away pile
26. Be on time to work
27. Buy a stranger a meal
28. Go back to Lubbock and visit the Hughes and the Jacksons

29. Do a devotional
30. Buy 10 crosses for my cross collection

31. Meet a blogger friend

32. Make Erin's dog Sissy a blanket

33. Go to a Texas Tech Football game

34. Go to a farm

35. Go to Six Flags

36. Bless someone without them knowing its from me

37. Work out 24 of the 30/31 days of a month

38. Buy new sheets

39. Grocery shop according to a list and not deviate

40. Take a multi-vitamin every day

41. Play tennis

42. Be truly happy with my body

43. Watch one movie a week at the movie theatre for a month

44. Eat the recommended value of fruits and vegetables for a day

45. Cook 5 new recipes in a month

46. Find a church small group

47. Take some pictures for a family

48. Go without ice cream for a year

49. Bake cupcakes from Martha Stewart's book and deliver to the daycare

50. Visit a Senior Citizen Center

51. Have a picnic

52. Go to the Dallas Zoo

53. Volunteer with an organization

54. Make my bed every day for a week

55. Actually do my reading for school

56. Take my winter coats to the dry cleaners

57. Get a pedicure

58. Keep a check register

59. Make a better quilt

60. Remake Jennifer pillow cases but nicer

61. Buy a sewing/embroidery machine

62. Get my car detailed

63. Replace the back window handle on my car from when someone busted the windows

64. Buy a new clicker for my car

65. Pick eggs from a chicken coop

66. Eat the eggs picked from the chicken coop

67. Buy some new jeans

68. Buy a new swim suit

69. Leave a large tip at a restaurant

70. Muddy Buddies

71. Go to a friends wedding

72. Be in a wedding

73. Be below 200 lbs

74. Be below 190 lbs

75. Be below 180 lbs

76. Do morning work outs for a week

77. Have morning quiet time with God

78. Pray before my meals

79. Go camping in a tent (with Erin)

80. Go hiking (with Erin)

81. Go white water rafting (with Erin)

82. Go without my cell phone for a day

83. Pay it forward

84. Workout with Tanna

85. Go to the beach with my brothers and sister

86. Help my sister redo her room

87. Go to one of my brothers football games

88. Help make my sister a mum or garder

89. Tithe over and above

90. Make all of the Christmas presents I give out

91. Paint pottery

92. Buy gerber daisies to put in a vase

93. Memorize new Bible verses

94. Not complain as much

95. Plant a flower garden

96. Plant a vegetable garden

97. Plant a fruit tree

98. Find a new hobby

99. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

100. Pack up apartment in New York

101. Love unconditionally

End of Medical School Prerequisites

1. I just registered today for the last class I need to apply to medical school!! Another thing crossed off my 101 list!! :) I am sooo excited about being done with my prereqs and just needing to take the MCAT.
2. At work this week they split up our current positions into two different positions and re-assigned people. I was initially really stressed about the situation, but I was blessed and favored to be given a position that would be one I am truly interested in.
3. Next week I have two days off of work and school and I am beyond excited for some time to sleep!
4. I am pretty obsessed with cake balls and I have made at least 100 this week.
5. I saw For Colored Girls this week. It was interesting. It opened my eyes to the people around me and how much as a society we deal with in the quiet of our home. I pray that my eyes and ears will be opened to those around me that need help.
6. I also pray that I can pay off this stupid bill for fixing a car for my sister. I know this too shall pass but it will be a good memory to look back at and help me remember not to be stressed about so much.
7. I start working with the youth at church on Sunday! Woo hoo!! That I am excited about. I finally found a church I love and now I will be able to plug myself into a ministry that I am passionate about.

Happy Weekend!! (:

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 6

I know that I have been slacking in my blogging lately. I have been just soo busy with work and school. I'm in no means complaining because I do enjoy my life. I am just super busy!

I have heard through the grapevine that I need to update my blog .. so here I go!! I am not saying these are the only things that make me happy, but here are quite a few! Some things that will make me happy in the future will be finishing this A&P class, taking Physics II next year, retaking the MCAT and getting into Medical School. These are some of the bigger things I hope to accomplish on my 101 list.

Day 6 - A picture of something that makes you happy

my family at the last Thanksgiving I participated in (due to being in NY) 2 years ago

I looove taking pictures and my camera's

I love pink and zebra!

I love my God daughter! and the ridiculously cute outfit I bought her!

I love to watch Oprah. I got DVR just for the purpose of being able to watch more episodes!

I love gerber daisies!

I love the Hughes kids. The first kids I ever nannied for

I love my friends!

I love being able to go on mission trips to mexico and other places to share the love of Jesus!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 5

Day 5-Your siblings

There's four kids in my family. I'm the oldest followed by my brother Tony - who is about to be 22, my sister Josephine who's birthday is a day before mine and is 17, and my youngest brother, DJ who is 13. I love to go back and look at pictures! Pictures are some of my most favorite things! I love taking them and looking at them!

23rd Birthday

My 23rd Birthday was so much fun and such a success!! Some of my closest friends came together to celebrate me and I loved it. We went and had dinner at Mi Cocina and had such a good time.

I have such good friends and I am so thankful for all of them!

Saturday was so fun too!! I got up and went and had lunch, shopped and got a pedicure with Carly. This weekend was more than I could ever ask or imagine!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 4

Day 4: Your Parents

What can I say .. these are my parents! They are both from Nigeria and have lived in the United States for over 20 years. This is the most recent picture I have of them from a wedding we went to this summer. Life would not be the same without them. Actually I would be non existent without them.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 3

Day 3: Your First Love

Eh .. Love ..

I often times think we use the word love so loosely and forget to reserve for those things and people that mean the most to us. Soo .. I don't really get to blog on this day 3 topic because I do not feel as if I have had a "first love" yet.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 2

Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name

Well .. this one is kind of no fun! I have always loved the phrase "live, laugh, love" and I thought it would be a good way to grasp what I am doing while I was in NY. But .. everything happens for a reason!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 1

Day 1: introduce, recent picture, and 15 interesting facts

Hmmm .. so how do I introduce myself? My name is Kristi, I will be 23 tomorrow and I currently work with children birth to age three with developmental delays or disabilities. I lived in Texas all my life up until two years ago when I lived in New York. I love pink, I love zebra, I love ice cream and I love babies. I really really love Jesus and my family too! :) I eventually want to get married and have a whole house full of laughing children - some natural and some adopted. I'm really weird about taking medicine and being "all natural" in a sense. To know me is to love me!

OnE: I am a neat freak and like everything in its place.

TwO: I love how peaceful the week is after going to church on Sunday.

ThRee: I want to get married outside and have hot pink and orange something or another.

FoUr:Certain textures bother me and make me gag.

FiVe: I skipped two grades when I was little, so I started high school at 12, college at 16 and my master's at 20.

SiX: I love shopping for clothes.

SeVen: I love to give to other people.

EiGhT: I have a really really cute God-daughter.

NiNe: I really really enjoy the color pink and zebra print.

TeN: I love pedicures.

ElEvEn: I could read for fun for hours.

TwElVe: I slept in my car on the side of the road in 10 degree weather.

ThIrTeEn: Sometimes I worry about never finding a husband and getting married, but then I remember what an awesome God I serve who is always working in my favor!

FoUrTeEn: I don't like chocolate.

FiFtEeN: My birthday is in 1 hour!!

30 Day Blog Challenge

So .. I've read quite a few blogs that are doing this so I thought it would be fun to join along! :) Plus it will be good for the memories when I decide to go back and print my blogging.

So here is how it works ..

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts
Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3-Your first love
Day 4-Your parents
Day 5-Your siblings
Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 7-Favorite movies
Day 8-A place you've traveled to
Day 9-A picture of your friends
Day 10-Something you're afraid of
Day 11-Favorite tv shows
Day 12-What you believe
Day 13-Goals
Day 14-A picture you love
Day 15-Bible verse
Day 16-Dream house
Day 17-Something you're looking forward to
Day 18-Something you regret
Day 19-Something you miss
Day 20-Nicknames
Day 21-Picture of yourself
Day 22-Favorite city
Day 23-Favorite vacation
Day 24-Something you've learned
Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26-Picture of your family
Day 27-Pets
Day 28-Something that stresses you out
Day 29-3 Wishes
Day 30-a picture

Lying

I would be lying if I said I had a perfect day. This morning I packed a whole days worth of snacks and meals. All healthy and I didn't say no to temptation twice. I ordered something when I went through the drive thru at Taco Bell. This didn't put me over my calorie limit for the day. It was the two pieces of chocolate cake I had when I got back to the office. I don't even like chocolate if you want me to be honest. But if I only made 3 bad choices out of all the choices I had to make today regarding food I am okay with that. I am one choice closer to taking back that control. The challenge starts Sunday and I am ready for that. My goal is 15 pounds by January 1st and I am excited for this challenge. I am also thankful for all of the help, suggestions, and encouragement that come my way.

If you see me eating something I shouldn't be, just ask me how many cheats I've had. And if you see me just hanging out, ask me if I've worked out. Every day won't be perfect, but everyday is a learning experience!

Taking back control

I recently, aka today, watched a segment titled "How Junk Food Affects the Body" (you can watch part 1 if you click the link) and went to the doctor yesterday. I have gained 8 pounds since I moved home and I just can't keep living unhealthy like I have been.

My relationship with food is not only unhealthy it's unrealistic. I can't continue to eat like this and expect to lose weight and be healthy. Soooo .. I am going to make a change and document my journey here. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I also plan on adding workouts to my schedule and just taking control of my life.

I may not be able to control some other things in my life, but I can control how often I work out and what I put in my mouth. Here's to tomorrow and starting new.

Update on my 101 in 1001

So since starting work I have been oh so busy. Work, school and trying to work out is A LOT harder than I anticipated. But .. since we are starting a new week tomorrow and a new month soon I thought I would give myself some goals to try and accomplish! :)

37. Work out 24 of the 30/31 days of a month

54. Make my bed every day for a week

76. Do morning work outs for a week

77. Have morning quiet time with God

78. Pray before my meals

88. Help make my sister a mum or garder

After re-looking at my list I get to mark some things off!! :)

99. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge - I did this with Carly!

100. Pack up apartment in New York

71. Go to a friends wedding

72. Be in a wedding

I was able to do both of these in one weekend thanks to Amanda and Adam!

I think this finally catches me up on my list. Hopefully this week I will be able to add more like making my bed for a week, hehe!

Happy rainy Saturday!

Gone for soo long

I have been gone for so long, but now I am back to blogging. :) I got the job I wanted after sooo many interviews and I couldn't be happier with this decision. I know everything happens for a reason and this job lets me flex my hours so I can take the last two classes I need for medical school!

Yes, thats right. After much prayer I have decided that I will not give up and continue with the last classes I need and apply maybe not this cycle but the next. I was given this job for a reason and I will take my flex schedule and use the blessing I have been given to get things in order.

Other than that life is life. I have been sooo busy with weddings, reunions and everything else in between but I am grateful for all of those opportunities. In New York I wasn't as social/didn't really have as many people to hang out with and I feel as if my prayers have been answered. I go to an awesome young adult ministry once a week and after this weekends picnic have made lots of friends who are in like minded faith as myself.

I was so ready to be done with school, but now I am going back!! I know roll your eyes at me! First class tomorrow so I am going to try and get in bed early!

Wedding 1

Wedding 2

No other pictures for like the other 7 from this summer.

Long time no blog

Hi my name is Kristi and I am a bad blogger! I know it has been such a long time since I have blogged and I have been sooo busy with interviews and looking for a job. As soon as I have all of that figured out I will be back on the blogging bandwagon. Not too much exciting is going on here - just life! :)

Happy 4th of July weekend!

Graduation

May 15th I graduated with my MPH (Master's in Public Health) Woo Hoo!! And here are all the glorious pictures to show for it!! It was soooooo long!! A politician spoke and basically just promoted his campaign and said "government is not the problem/enemy" .. we all rolled our eyes and just wanted him to get over with it. Either way - I am soooo glad to be done and to have survived the semester. It was probably the hardest yet most rewarding.

Heres me and N. I babysat him and his sis for the two years I was there.

My advisor and the teacher who made our lives literal hell this semester!

My roommate for the past two years.

Me and Allie.

Me, Selina, and Natalie.

Me, my dad, Marjorie and Nathan. I love his face in this picture. He was doing it on purpose! Haha!

Me and my dad.

Me, Allie, Charlotte, and Hayley.

Crossing the stage!

Walking in.

The small stage we crossed - haha.

Now that I am done - I am on to bigger adventures. Who knows what, but either way I will enjoy them as long as they don't require me to move to a new state with no one I know. At least not for a good while! :)

Live your Best Life Weekend (Day 4)

Our last day in NYC was spent doing some sight seeing. I have always wanted to go to Liberty Island and see the Statue of Liberty so we got up and did that. What I really really wanted to do was go to the top of the crown but you have to book 3 months in advance to do that. So we went had fun and took lots of pictures.

After that we met our friend at the MTV studios because that is where she works! We also rode the elevator with this guy from some show either the city or the hills.

All in all a great trip with a great friend!! Glad we were able to have such a fun time before I moved.

Live your Best Life Weekend (Day 3)

I think after this post I will be one post away from being caught up. So here is the last day of the LYBL Weekend and what me and Carly did after the run that day. We got up waaaay to early for a 2 mile run along the river and ending in Times Square. At the last minute we decided not to run but to instead take a taxi to Times Square and wait so that we could be close to the stage. In our attempt to leave we got stopped and ended up in a good position because we got to take some great photos of some of the celebrity's who were there - Dr. Oz, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J Blige, Suze Orman, and Gayle. After all was said and done with the walk we went home and took a long rest and got up to go walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. This was on my 101 in 1001 list. So we did that and got some amazing photographs that I can't wait to frame. Then we went and had the best pizza ever at a place right under the bridge. Never did we think we would have to wait in line for pizza, but we did and it was worth it. The atmosphere in side was great. All of the tables were right next to each other so when you were seated you were so close to the next table. It was great because we were able to have good conversation with people on both sides of us. I highly recommend walking across the Brooklyn Bridge at getting pizza at Grimaldi's if you go to NYC.

One more post about our trip to NYC, a graduation post and then I will be caught up! I am only a month behind! :)