An Underground Run

Today marked the 30th annual Groundhog Run, and it was my pleasure to experience this event for the very first time. The Groundhog Run is a race- which includes a 5K and a 10K- hosted by Children's TLC (Therapeutic Learning Center). Those who participate assist in fundraising for Children's TLC, a school that provides educational and therapeutic services to children with disabilities. The race takes place in an underground venue, which really makes the "Groundhog" experience come to life. 

Although I wasn't brave enough, (and let's be honest...in shape), to run the race, I did volunteer with a group of classmates from my CSD senior seminar class. Our task was to work at a water station, providing water to thirsty runners. It was actually a much more stressful job than I anticipated! We definitely weren't prepared for the rush of runners during the 5K, so we had to work pretty fast. By the time the 10K began, however, we had mastered the art of filling water cups. Overall, it was a really good experience. We actually met a runner who was an alum of Children's TLC from 1972, which I thought was really cool. Throughout the race, runners who stopped by our table were so appreciative of our help, which made me feel like I was doing something meaningful. If I remain in Kansas City next year, the Groundhog Run is definitely something I would like to help out with again- whether I choose to run in it or, most likely, volunteer again!

A Weekend in an Igloo

The closest experience to hanging out in an igloo that I've ever had was once when my brother and I built a fort in the snow. That is, until last weekend. After moving back into the "Treehouse" (the name my roommates and I have given our on-campus house) and getting all situated, it wasn't long before we noticed a draft of cool air flowing through the house. Checking the thermostat, we saw that the household temperature was at 62 degrees. We also noticed that the air vents were only producing a little puff of warm air. Oh great, we thought. Just in time for this cold weather! We called our RA and informed her that something was wrong with our heater, and she called for reinforcements. However, since it was a Friday night, no real help could come until the following Monday. My housemates and I then did the only logical thing to do in this situation...we threw a sleepover! We pulled out our blankets and pillows into the living room and made a cozy little space. We dressed in layers of sweatshirts and socks, and were sure to wear our gloves and earmuffs. As the night progressed, the temperature of the house seemed to be dropping more. Thank goodness for some great movies to help distract us!

A couple days later, Rockhurst Security brought us over a couple space heaters, which did wonders! Thank goodness for their help! The temperature of our house steadily increased, and we became brave enough to lose a few of the layers we had piled on. We are currently back in business with a fixed heater and a warm house. We're so lucky to have an RA who takes such great care of us!

When you wish upon a star

Happy New Year, readers! I hope you all had a happy holiday season and are holding strong to those New Year Resolutions! My Christmas break was so fun-filled that I don't know where to begin! What better place than at the beginning though, right?

Just a few days after finishing my finals, I decided to give myself an early present: a haircut. I had been letting my hair grow for quite some time and I decided it was time for a change. Overall, I lost 8 inches of my hair. It was scary watching it as it all fell to the ground! However, it was great to feel so light afterwards.

The following week I found myself on an airplane flying to Orlando, Florida, along with my boyfriend David. His parents asked us to join them in a Disney World vacation for a week. In addition to his parents and us, his grandparents, uncles, aunt, and cousins were present! Needless to say, it was a full house! (or condo...) If I attempted to write everything we did while we were there, this post would be impossibly long. Instead I will just give a brief overview:

• we visited all 4 Disney parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Hollywood, and Epcot
• I rode the scariest roller coaster I have ever been on, called the Rockin' Roller coaster
• went to an art class where I learned how to draw the Sorcerers' Apprentice Mickey Mouse
• attended a Pixar Parade
• went to a behind-the-scenes show that demonstrated how special effects are created in movies.
• watched a Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, and Lion King Show
• got to enjoy a Disney characters electrical lights parade
• saw a firework show that took place in front of the Magic Castle
• saw another very impressive firework show at Epcot 
• went on an African safari
• and my favorite: Fantasmic! A show where Mickey's imagination is threatened by the various Disney villains, but he overcomes it with good. Almost all Disney characters were in it! 

the Rockin' Roller coaster

I had a such a great time while in Orlando. What's great is that our passes are valid for a year. You know what that means.....hellooo Spring Break!!

And the Countdown Begins!

5 more days until the semester ends! Where has the time gone? I don't know whether to be excited or confused!

This past week has been a pretty eventful one. With it being the last week before finals, all major projects and assignments were due. On Thursday, I turned in 2 ten-page papers and 1 six-page paper. It was a moment that I had been waiting for for quite a while! With each paper that I turned in, I could feel the stress lifting off my shoulders. To celebrate the completion of our assignments, my housemates and I cooked a super delicious meal for our weekly dinner together. We decided on nothing less than...a turkey! This was my first ever turkey-cooking experience, and looking back I realize how thankful I am that I had help. Not only help from my housemates, but that of youtube and online how-to's. Considering how little we knew about cooking a turkey before we started the process, our end result turned out pretty well. Mashed potatoes and stuffing accompanied our main course, making it seem like Thanksgiving all over again! 

On Saturday, my parents drove up to Kansas City to watch the Rockhurst University student choir concert. Every year as the fall semester comes to a close, the choir performs in the Ceremony of Lessons and Carols. This is a beautiful Christmas concert where the choir performs the Christmas songs that they've worked so hard on during the semester. It's held at St. Francis Xavier Church right across the street, and is open to all students and the community. At this concert, a variety of instruments are brought in to accompany the choir, including an oboe, flute, violins, and a cello. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the music is! This year was my fourth, and final, year :( I know I am really going to miss performing in this concert!

students dancing to Christmas music

To kick off finals week, each year Rockhurst's student senate hosts a midnight breakfast on Sunday evening. All the essential breakfast foods are present, and for this reason it is a pretty popular event among students. This year, the line to get into the cafeteria went through the hallway, down the stairs, and into the student union. There were so many people! The fee was $1 or a canned food item, which go toward charity. Christmas music is played while everyone eats, and this year a mini dance party even took place. This breakfast is a great time to take a break with friends and get some energy for the long, (yet last!) week of the semester. To all students, good luck on finals! You will do great!

An Early Thanksgiving Feast

One of the most celebrated days for many a Rockhurst student is the Thanksgiving dinner, hosted by the Student Activities Board. Each year, SAB puts on a dinner for the students and faculty, about a week before Thanksgiving break. It's a perfect opportunity to get into the holiday spirit! All the staples of a Thanksgiving dinner are included- green bean casserole, stuffing, rolls, mashed potatoes, turkey, and pumpkin and pecan pie. In fact, it's such a big deal that students arrive as soon as an hour before it begins just to wait in line. The only cost is either a canned good or one dollar, which goes to a local charity. This year's dinner was absolutely scrumptious. It's heightened my excitement for break, which is only 4 days away!

On Friday night, I attended my sorority's fall formal- Theta Phi's in Disguise. I find this formal to be especially exciting. Each person in the sorority asks one of her sisters to find her a date. Until the night of the formal, she won't know who her date will be, and the date doesn't know who he will be going with. Each sorority sister decorates 2 identical masks- one will be hers, and the other will be her date's. They find each other at the dance based on their masks. It's always so fun to see who everyone brings! 

Cupcakes and Rollerskates

I feel as though these last couple days were a mini blast from the past. On Friday, I babysat for a little 4-year-old girl- soon to turn five. Since her birthday would be the following day, her mother said we were more than welcome to bake some cupcakes for the party. I haven't had a cupcake in ages! She left out on the counter a variety of different cake mixes, icings, and sprinkles. I couldn't pass this opportunity up! I quickly realized that the little girl loved to bake just as much as I did. She convinced me that she needed to take a taste test from every cake mix, so I decided I should do the same thing too :) Our finished products ended up being triple chocolate fudge, and fun-fetti, which happen to be two of my favorites!


The next evening, I attended the date party of one of Rockhurst's  fraternities. I was super excited when I found out we would be going roller-skating! Once we got to the rink, I was flooded with childhood memories. I remember how roller-skating was the "cool" thing to do when we were younger. I myself held a couple birthday parties at the rink. Since then, however, my skating skills have gotten a little rusty. I was pretty wobbly when I first stepped out on the rink, but by the end of the night, I felt I was skating much more smoothly. With the winter months approaching, this night of roller-skating proved to be good practice for another one of my favorite activities- ice-skating!

Babysitter, anyone?

After babysitting for a family for over a year, I recently spent my last day with the kids. I was both sad and happy to find out that the husband was offered a new job out-of-state, in the same city that the kids' grandparents and cousins live in. I'm happy that they can now live closer to their family, but it sure was hard to say goodbye to those kids- especially after getting to know them! It didn't feel so great losing a job either :(
I'm happy to announce that there is a silver lining, however. It seems like lately I have been showered with other babysitting offers! They keep popping up out of nowhere, and I'm quite okay with it! It's allowed me to meet a lot of great families in the community, some of which whose parents actually work at Rockhurst. I think this poor college student will be okay for the remainder of the semester- which is actually only 3 weeks and 2 days! Not that I'm counting down or anything...