Nature or Nature?

Hello peoples!

So.. With all that's been happening lately, and everything being said in the media about "dirty cops", riots, racism, injustice, and everything else, I keep thinking about something my father said a long time ago that seems very fitting:

"The people who tell us that humans evolved from animals are the same exact people who turn around and are SHOCKED when humans act like animals."

 And it's so true, isn't it? People spend their whole lives digging up research and facts to prove that we share common ancestry with monkeys, and that we are just slightly more evolved. These people stare into the face of humanity, boldly declare that we are evolved from animals, and then go completely shell-shocked when a riot brakes out over the death of one man, and the choice to not imprison another. We are SO floored by this concept and we demand answers.

Look around at humanity demanding justice! Everywhere there are people who are angry and confused. "How could this happen?" "This isn't right!" "Why is this person behaving in this manner?" We don't understand why people will act the way they do out of fear and anger.

We go about several different ways to try to find the answer. We watch trial videos, read interviews and reports, and pitch in our two cents to explain how we "Have the answer, and everybody is wrong except me, and you have to listen because I am very much informed now." after having spent the last half hour looking over jury notes and court case details with our morning cup of PG Tips English breakfast tea... Or whatever you drink. I'm not gonna judge you.

As an adult, and an American citizen, I absolutely believe it is our right, and beyond that, our obligation to be informed about what is happening around us. I believe in justice. If you have done something wrong, you need to pay the price. I am convinced, from what I have studied, that each of us is born with a sense that there is justice, and it must be implemented. We must have a reaction when there is an action.

But I also believe that, as a human being, we need to know what is at the heart of the issue that is going on here.

The issue is not justice .. Well, I mean, it partly is.. But the actual problem starts way before justice.

The problem, ladies and gents, is where we come to the conclusion of why people do what they do. How did we get to this point in the first place? It raises questions like: "Why did the people in Ferguson riot and destroy their own city when Officer Wilson was not charged with the murder of Michael Brown?" or "Why do the members of Isis murder the lives of innocent children?"
We know "why" they do this - it's because they are _fill in the blank_

-Angry
-Sad
-Hurt
-Scared

We know in general why people react to situations. But what we need to ask is "why do people react in violence when they are _fill in the blank_?" What causes us to lash out at others when we are frustrated, or what causes us to act a fool and throw a TV through a shop window when we are angry?

Do we act this way because it is a biological nature? To act like animals... because we are animals? What a crass thought. Comparing ourselves to creatures with nothing but raw emotion? No creative thought process, or ability to control ourselves.
I don't know about you, but this option doesn't make sense at all to me. Because we do have that ability to judge whether or not something is a smart move. We watch documentaries on the Discovery channel and I can GUARANTEE that each of you has at one point said out loud "Don't go over there, antelope! You're gonna get killed by those lions!"
Coming home from work, driving down the street and a bunny runs out in front of your car, causing you to have to slam on the brakes in order to avoid murdering Peter Cottontail. What's the first thing you think to yourself? "Dumb rabbit, I almost killed you!"

Do you see what I am saying? Our minds are not set up like the minds of animals. We can process words, we can learn languages, we can recognize people from years after not seeing them! We can memorize Shakespeare, learn new instruments, go fishing, drive, snowboard, run on two legs.... Operate heavy machinery!

 Guys.. We flippin figured out how to show emotion through written word by the use of punctuation!!

All I'm saying is to give credit where credit is due.. You are special. There is no way that I can see, how, even after "Millions of years" One species could evolve enough to do ALL of those things, when other species can't evolve to do even one.

So, coming back to what I was saying earlier about biological nature, it seems to me a foolish thing to blame "animal instinct" on something that we make a conscious decision to do.

But what if we look at it from a different perspective? What if we look, not at biological nature, but "human nature".  We've heard different descriptions of what human nature is, we've all heard the song by MJ "When they say, why? why? tell em' that it's human nature" You know what I am talking about.

It's the way we act as untouched, left-to-ourselves human beings.

Genesis Chapter 1 gives us the clear understanding of how we came to be. Humans! Who were in perfect fellowship with God, our Creator. He made us intricately and lovingly. He gave us minds that were intelligent, arms and legs that were strong, hands and fingers that could move, tear, place, cup, tickle, snap, brush off, clap, touch.. He gave us beautiful , perfect minds and bodies, and He made us in His own flawless design. *sigh*.. I have to pause a second because whenever I go through that in my mind, just how painstakingly we were fashioned, I don't know how anyone could want to believe that we were an accident, and evolved from pond goop. The thought is irrational.

Moving forward in Genesis, we learn about how we came to have the "Human Nature" we do now. Adam an Eve, God's first created humans, chose to sin against a Holy God, and thusly, sealed the fate for the rest of mankind. Our state, in it's creation, was that of  "passe non peccare/posse peccare" from the Latin, meaning it was possible for us to sin, and it was possible for us to not sin. God chose, in His sovereign wisdom, to give us volition in that area. We had the choice. And the first time that the option came up, that is mentioned in the Bible... What do we do? We mess it up. Causing mankind to fall into a state of "non passe non peccare"  meaning that it is now impossible for us to not sin.

This makes the term Human Nature synonymous with the term Sin Nature. It is us deceiving ourselves into thinking that we can create our own justice, and our own way of carrying it out.

Jeremiah 17:9 says that "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?

We know from the Word of God that there is a sin issue in this world. Humans, in their fallen, untouched, human nature, will act like untouched fallen humans. When left to our own devices, sinful emotions will always result in wicked actions.
Sinful human nature means that when we are angry about the results of a trial, we want people to feel our anger, so we do what we thing will make them understand! We lash out, we hurt, we destroy in order to try to make others feel as bad as we do.

In our sin filled, human nature, we seek out earthly vengeance and label it "justice".

It is not our biological nature, but our SIN nature that causes us to rationalize these actions that are so destructive and evil.

It is not animal instinct, but wickedness that would cause a man to think that slaughtering a CHILD could be a stepping stone to success.

It is not us... Channeling our inner beast that makes us riot in the streets with the express intent of causing chaos and injury. It is the sinful, fallen nature of a human being who denies his Maker, and runs away from the beautiful mercy that is offered.

How... How beautiful of a thing  would it be if there was no more of this? No more violence, no more pain and suffering for the innocent. No more injustice. No more hate, or anger?
We are promised that this will not happen on this earth. Mankind is full of sin, and sinners will act like sinners, and we cannot expect anything else.

The hope, my friends, is the amazing Gospel. The simple truth that God, who is rich in mercy and righteousness, came to earth as a perfect man, and died the death  that we deserve. Cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. When He died, He took our sin on Himself. When He rose again, He showed that He was qualified to do so.

Our God is a just God. Our sins demanded a payment, and He paid it in full, redeeming us from the consequences of our sins. Talk about justice huh?

The hope that we have, is in trusting in the God Who created us, to take away the sin that now plagues us. Asking forgiveness from the One Whom we have sinned against (Psalm 51), and asking for Him to put into us a new life. A life that lives for something more than the ordinary. To live a life committed to showing others the miraculous truth of God's life changing mercy.
A life lived in Christ does not mean that we will cease from all sin. But it means that we have new life that is guided into the righteousness of Christ.

I just want to leave you with this final thought:

God is good. Right? And there is good in every situation because He is good, and He is at work. We can trust Him to do good.

1 Peter 4:19 - Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

My Mood vs My Joy

"Moods nearly always are rooted in some physical circumstance, not in our true inner self. It is a continual struggle not to listen to the moods which arise as a result of our physical condition, but we must never submit to them for a second. We have to pick ourselves up by the back of the neck and shake ourselves; then we will find that we can do what we believed we were unable to do. The problem that most of us are cursed with is simply that we won’t."

Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest - May 20

 I once heard a quote that said "We cant let our circumstances dictate whether or not we are joyful." It was such a simple saying but it has had a constant impact on my life because it's so stinkin' true! There is no such thing as a perfect day, and if we wait around for one in order to be joyful then we will live our entire lives in a self dug pit of depression, anxiety, worry,  anger... The list goes on and on, but the point I'm trying to make is that if we are not fighting EVERY SINGLE DAY then we will be absolutely consumed by our own sinful thoughts and fears.

We don't wait to take care of our responsibilities until we "feel" like doing them. I am no expert, but I feel like if Jesus had waited until He "felt" like going to Calvary... We might have been waiting a while. The reality is that our circumstances change. They change for better or for worse. A lot of the time we look at what God is doing in our lives, and the trials He puts us through and we become discouraged because it's "not what my life is supposed to look like!".. I HATE that... I really do! Because I am so guilty of that so often! I look at Pinterest and scan through the interior design ideas and look at all the pretty things I could do. I sit and I think "I could totally do that if..." It's that little word: "if". It gets us all thinking, doesn't it? "IF I only had the money to do that", "If I only had a job that paid enough for me to be able to do that", "If only my husband had a job that paid enough for me to be able to do that", "If only I had a husband!"... If, if, if...

That stupid little word.. Who would have thought that two letters could start such an Indiana Jones style rock slide of discontentment?

And the sad thing is that most of the time we let it run its course! We don't fight it like we need to be doing. We become bitter, sad, melancholy, and discontent because we listen to closely to how our moods tell us to feel. 

I keep thinking of the verse in 2 Corinthians that says "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

How amazing is it that I have a God who makes His power perfect in my weakness? I sit and let myself be berated by sinful, ugly thoughts and here is my King looking down on me with mercy and compassion, and works in me to make me holy like Him despite that??

As good little Christians, we all know that God has given us the tools to fight our sinful thoughts and moods. That's pretty much common knowledge. I'm blown away by how blunt Oswald Chambers was when he stated that the problem is not that we CAN'T pick ourselves up, the problem is that we WON'T! God has given us volition, which means we have free will to act and make decisions for ourselves within the limits He set for us. That awesome gift of volition also presents us with very real personal accountability. That means that we are free to fight or succumb to our sinful moods, but we are not free from the consequences thereof. 

But when you think about it, the only reason we would stew in our own thoughts is because it makes us feel victimized. We LIKE having a pity party. Who wants to be accountable for something when we can just play the victim? But in training our mind to go there, and blame circumstance for the fact that we are not joyful, habituates us into becoming bitter, hard, angry and un-compassionate peoples. If you become this way, you have let yourself leave your first love, and you are no longer living in the reality of the gospel.   What kind of person wants to listen to someone complain about life for an hour, and then hear them turn right around and start talking about how wonderful Christ is? You would sound insane.. You cannot be a good ambassador and witness for Christ if you are a crazy Christian!

Now, please don't hear this as me saying that if you have bad moods, or find yourself complaining, that you aren't saved, or that you are a bad Christian. Because that is 0% what I am saying.  I complain so much, and my heart is so often consumed by my moods and emotions, that sometimes I start to feel anxious about my situation.. and my life is pretty stinking wonderful!!

What I am saying is that no matter what your life looks like, there will always be something that you are waiting for, something that is wrong, and something that you desire. Wherever you are, and at any given time, you will always have those 3 things. But by the grace of God, we don't have to let those three clouds keep us from seeing the Sun. :) Do you get what I am saying? God is the One who ordains our lives. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness, which means you have what you have, and do not have what you do not have because He said so! 

We need to stop looking at the unmet earthly desires so much, and focus on what is true: the message of His glorious gospel, His magnanimous compassion and forgiveness,  His unfailing and all consuming love and mercy, His never-ending faithfulness, and perfect provision for our every need. When we study, meditate, and focus on these things, then we are freed up to live in the reality of our glorious salvation. :)

The fight against my discontentment, emotions, and moods isn't going to end in this lifetime. But I walk in the spotlight of the Almighty who is ever living and working in me, and has promised to finish what He started(Philippians 1:6)!  We have the ability, by the grace of God, to fight our sin, to wage war against our sinful nature. And the best part is that we are not alone and we will never be left alone. 

So my advice, for those of you who have those 3 things burning in your head: "I am waiting for _____, ______ is wrong in my life, and I desire ______", my advice is to do exactly what Paul tells us to do: "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Do not let your circumstance dictate whether or not you are joyful. 
Give Him your anxious thoughts, your desires and your worries, and let your mind be filled with the truth of His amazing love and provision. You don't know everything, and you will never get to know everything. For now, your responsibility is to put it in the hands of the Creator, and to walk excellently while you are waiting, knowing that He who is in you, is greater than he who is in the world, and He will not let His child go without what they need. :) 

That one "Smoothie Shop"

Yesterday was an odd day...

It started off by landing my brother, my friend and I on the side of the FWY with a flat tire. The good news is, I got to accomplish something I promised myself I would one day do!

                     -I stepped onto the pavement of the road and closed my eyes and counted to 10-

Stupid I know... But I did not choose the thug life.... The thug life did choose me.

But that wasn't the weirdest part of the day yet!

I got to my first class on time, thankfully, and had brought in my cup of tea( Again, I did not choose the thug life).  The lesson was fine, but at one point I left the classroom to use the bathroom. I walked back in just in time to see this girl, who was sitting in the chair in front of mine, turn and proceed to accidentally knock my tea ALL OVER MY NOTEBOOKS, which were fully open and exposed and vulnerable.

I don't think I'm ever gonna bring that cup to school again because in my next class I was sitting there taking notes and picked my cup up, but dropped it and managed to get piping hot tea all over my red skinny jeans, and the seat! But it's ok guys! Because I spilled it just in time for class to get out, so everyone could see me stand up and traipse out of the room with a wet butt.         *CLASSY*

But it gets even better, ladies and gents! The day isn't over yet!!

My friend Liz and I got out  of our classes at 3:45 that afternoon, and my sister in law, Brittany came and got us because, well... Jon's poor little car broke a leg.
So we had an hour to kill before we needed to go pick him up from work. Brittany had a business card for this new shop and it was advertising free smoothies so we decided to go check that out!!

 As we pull up, I notice that the name of the shop is vo2 Nutrition. (ookayyy...) so we go in!

Now.. When you walk into a smoothie shop, you have this preconceived notion that the place will smell like wonderful fruits and ice creams... nope..
      We walk in and get slapped in the face with the smell of... Gym.            Hot, sweaty, stuffy gym.
                                                        (mmm... appetizing.)

Also, the people working there weren't dressed to make smoothies. We walk in on 6 or 7 super buff dudes wearing tank tops and gym shorts just over in the corner *making smoothies*!!!
I was so confused....
                   I mean... I wasn't complaining...
                                 I just wanted to know why Fabio was over there blending up fruit!

So long story short:
We found out that it was some sort of nutrition club that was doing a promotional "free smoothie - with health evaluation" thing.
The guy takes our orders and seats us at a nearby table. While we're waiting for our smoothies, this guy comes over with his muscles and Power Balance Bracelet, and puts these form in front of us to fill out!

If that was a test... I would have failed so miserably.

I lied about my weight, told the guy that I voluntarily eat eggs for breakfast (Which, if anyone knows me, knows that that is absolutely the most untrue thing I've ever said), and in the section where it asked "What is your favorite snack" I tried to put "potato chips" But my brain was all like "Nahh.. Spelling is overrated.."
So basically I tried to write "Potato" 4 or 5 times, scratched each one out (Who decided it was a good idea to give people PENS while writing things down!), and just wrote ice cream.
After that, he went through each of our forms... HE went through EACH of our forms.... INDIVIDUALLY.

I had the lingering fear that he was gonna look over at me, look back at the form, back at me,  eye me over and just shake his head and say "nahhhh."

So then they were gonna weigh us and measure us. At this point, 20 minutes after we walked in, all of us were pretty much tired, and embarrassed, and ready to leave, smoothie or not. So I piped up:

"Uhuhuhmm...  I just wanted a drink!"

"So you guys  don't want to get on the scale?"

"Uh.. No."  (Really, guy? you're asking girls if they want to step on a scale.. in front of people. How well has that been working out for you?)

Anyways, it took them 40 minutes to get us our drinks (Which weren't even that good) and we FINALLY left.
We gave Brittany a really hard time about it for the rest of the afternoon ;)

Well, that's the end of my day!  ... I'm pretty positive that my life should be made into a TV show. Who is in charge of that kind of thing?


The moral of the story, children: Don't bring tea to class, and FREAKING READ THE FINE PRINT!!

Not-so Paranormal activity.

I can't handle scary movies.
                           Like, seriously, I'm that girl that will jump 6 feet off her seat and scream like a little kid whenever anything semi-interesting happens on-screen. Example: Woman in Black. That movie wasn't even that scary but I was sleeping with the lights on for a week, unwilling to even walk across the hallway to the bathroom in the middle of the night because obviously the scary black-eyed woman was waiting there for me.
                            Not gonna fool me this time, black-eyed, screamy woman! Nya-nya!!

On the other hand, I am also that girl that can't seem to change the channel when there's something ghost related on tv, and I can't refuse an article about anything paranormal.

I have problems, I know. (Please don't use this as an excuse to send me scary things... I like sleep)

So, the other day I was scrolling through the humor section on Pinterest and I saw this post that obviously didn't belong there.
It had something to do with this true story news article from the 70's about how this mannequin-like woman with the fluidity of a regular woman but with absolutely no expression, and eyes that were too huge and other creepy things like the fact that she smiled and her teeth weren't human teeth.  I can't remember all of it. I went back to find the post. -http://9gag.com/gag/6407583-  here's just the basic story. You don't have to read it. You can just take my word that it was creepy.

I don't know why I make the choices to read these things! I only read them during the daytime! I think this is my mind being all like "Dude, it's totally fine to check this out. It's way more interesting than literally anything else you could check out."  I think I might start ignoring that part of my mind and just pick up a nice fairy tale when I hear it nagging... Way less disturbing.

So, the other night, after I read the article, the sun went down (as it usually does) and I found myself facing the darkness in my closed, bright, double-locked room.  That night was also the night I faced the consequences of trying to drink more water. By the repercussions of my decision, you would have thought I drank continuously through a hose the entire day.

                                    This was the routine I exposed myself to after everyone had gone to bed:

*Unlock door*  *run to turn on hall light*  Run to bathroom and turn all possible lights there* *Do business* *Quickly shut off all lights and sprint back to my room* *Relock the door*

                                           EVERY. FIFTEEN. MINUTES.

           The best part? This happened from 10:30pm to 3:00 in the morning!!!!!

You are dead wrong if you think that Jesus doesn't have a sense of humor.

You guys think I'm kidding about this, but I am so not!  I was so terrified every time I ran out into the hallway. In the time I was not in the middle of the horror of experiencing the obviously haunted area of my house that was ALL AREAS but the well-lit, and somehow impenetrable safe house, that was my room, I was laughing at the ridiculousness of my situation.

 Why do these things happen to me?  Oh yeah, because I bring them upon myself.

The saddest part is: I don't even believe in ghosts! I know that they aren't real, but the overactive, mental chaos ensuer that is my mind, still makes me freak the heck out! Isn't that stupid?

Hopefully one of these days I will start making wise choices and just stop watching and reading scary things altogether.... Oh well.
     

T.J Thyne and I are best friends... Kinda

"A dream is a wiiiiish your heeeart makes..."   Pretty much only at Disneyland.

Living in Southern California has several awesome benefits.  Two of which are:

-Disneyland! The Magic Kingdom (Where, for a small payment of about.. a leg and your first born, you can experience hours and hours of lines, screaming adults, and crying, cotton-candy coated children that just want a nap although they don't know it yet.)
But in all seriousness.. I love Disneyland so much. I wold live there if I could.

-Celebrities!! Just think: when you live in  L.A County you share the same air as the lords and ladies that fill your homes with music, tv and movies.  It's quite humbling, really (p.s. -not really)

But sometimes, in a beautiful collision, these two wonderful things are brought together.

Gather 'round, children, and let me tell you a tale...
                                                           ...a tale as old as time...
                                                                              ... That only happens once upon a dream..

                                Except this really happened.. and it happened to me.

Once upon a time...
February 29th is a special day that only comes around every four years.  Our good friends at Disneyland picked up on this and decided that it was the wisest choice to create the fantastic "One More Disney Day" where the park stays open for 24 hours straight. They let people keep flooding into the park until capacity is reached (Am I the only one that is sensing that this was a bad idea?).

We showed up to the park at about 8pm at night. I say "we" because I went with people. Duh.
(Going to Disneyland by yourself is a sad, sad experience....)

The line to the parking structure began all the way back at the off-ramp of the fwy (Seriously) and when we finally bought our parking pass the attendant casually states that "We can't guarantee you a space... just look around"

          So basically we spent $15 bucks for a chance to park... What a wise investment.
 Well we found a few spots, which was convenient because we had a ton of people with us and we brought like 3 cars.

We finally got into the park itself at about 9:30. When we entered, we were immediately swept away by the swarming, writhing sea of people that had obviously been there way too long and were blindly searching for the exit.

I think we managed to ride 4 or 5 rides by 2:00am -which is fantastic considering the fact that all of the lines were so long they began back at the entrances for other rides.. (Not even joking.. There are way too many people on this planet.)

It was about 2:30am when the hardcore group got in line for the Haunted Mansion. The rest of our throng left because they couldn't handle it. Just couldn't handle it.

Anyways, about halfway through waiting in line, I look over and I see someone I recognize. Freaking T.J Thyne is standing 10 feet behind me in line. T.J Thyne from the t.v show Bones -which is my favorite show. And then my brain wakes up and all of a sudden I find myself grabbing the person nearest to me (Which happened to be my dad who was nodding off while standing there. Needless to say he got a rude awakening.)
"asdfghjklxOMGDADDOYOUSEEWHOTHATIS-OMGTHATSTJTHYNEFROMBONES-OMGILOVEHIMINEEDTOMEETHIMDADADADLOOK!!!!"

                                   My dad has no idea who this guy is...

So I rinse and repeat to my sister Brittany who is also with us. She freaks out too because she shares my deep love for the show.

Now, if you have never been to Disneyland and ridden the Haunted Mansion, first, go do that now because ya need to.
Second, the way the line works is that eventually you are all put into a tiny room where the actual line disappears and you're all jumbled together. By the time we got out of the room and back into line, T.J Thyne had gotten ahead of me.
                                         I wanted to cry.
I kept trying to figure out a way to get ahead of him again so that I could wait at the exit and talk to him.
Well... My opportunity came as another group of people were let in and the crowd was jumbled once again. I got ahead of him about 6 people in line.   BINGO!!

My happy ending!!!!

I didn't even pay attention to the ride AT ALL... Like, I was riding this ride, but in my mind I was just traveling to the magical place where I finally meet one of my favorite celebrities.
I get off the ride...  and this is what happened next: the introduction!!

He walks out of the exit and I come up to him:

"Hey!"
"Hey there!"
"I just wanted to say that I'm a big fan and I really admire your work."

He smiles and says:
"Oh, thank you so much! What's your name?"

                        Ummm.... T.J Thyne wants to know my name...
"I'm Bitsy!"
"Nice to meet you! I'm T.J!"
"Yeah, haha. I know"

So the introduction was made and we talked for a few more minutes.  I asked if I could get a picture with him and he was totally all for it!
He put his arm around me and we got our picture taken. I shook his hand and we parted ways.
 
So never forget guys that in the Magic Kingdom:

                                                              Dreams do come true:)

Annnnd she's back(at school)!!!

During my winter break, I never pictured myself complaining about having to get up at 5:30, considering I never thought I would have to actually BE UP at that time. Besides,  I have several friends who make a habit of getting up at ungodly hours - and practically enjoy it!
 However, this morning when my alarm went of, blaring the least invasive and least annoying alarm you can find on a phone(...soooo many options... - she said sarcastically, because when a noise has the specific purpose of yanking you from a dead sleep, and dragging you away violently from your dreams, there are in fact very few noises that do this in a pleasant manner. I'm sure this is brand new information to you. ) I couldn't help but pout and whimper a bit, mourning the recently departed Awesome Sleep Schedule that I was privy to .

                              Oh well. Such are the opportunity costs of a higher education.

I find that the pains of facing the world (before the sun has even shown up) are lessened when one decides to take the time to make an awesome cup of tea and sits down to enjoy a few chapters of a new read.
Today's selection is The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Doyle is a mastermind... I wonder if he ever had to get up at 5:30... and I wonder if he was OK with that...

Anyways, in order to get to my ride's house on time (My lovely brother and his awesome wife - who have both so pleasantly agreed to let me ride with Jonathan to school, as his work building is only about 10 minutes away from there.)   I have to leave the house at 7:35. That means that I experience the wonderful feeling of walking out the door knowing that my entire family is still sleeping.

                    It's not the best feeling.  I get jealous easily apparently...

Rides down to the school are enjoyable. Usually my brother and I discuss movies or music or events. (It's more exciting than it sounds, ok? Keep your pants on.)

It takes about 45 minutes to get to The Master's College -Go Mustangs-  That means that by the time we get there I've nearly fallen asleep again... So getting my butt dumped off at the curb at 8:45am in 35 degree weather is.. less than desirable.
  (I nearly threw a fit that would rival the average 6yr old boy "Just got told he can't go to the park with his friends" tantrum... But I didn't... Cuz I'm an adult and I'm not allowed to do that anymore...)

I love going back to school to see all the people that I've really missed since last semester.  Running into all these random awesome people that I know is a fantastic experience.

I only have 3 classes this semester, but DO NOT underestimate how much work that means.  These teachers give out homework assignments like it's going out of style!
But in one of the classes I'm taking - I have the awesome time of experiencing my Dad as my professor. (He doesn't give me any special treatment... at all.  What ever happened to "Home Field Advantage?? I thought this was America!)

 I'm on campus from 9am to about 5:45ish because Jon is my ride back home too. (He experiences the "I hate homework, and the lower cafe smells of grease, and guess who I ran into" Bitsy.. He loves it so much.)

Over all, I am genuinely happy to be back at school... I just wish that it wasn't one of those life events that... I dunno.. Requires you to put on pants? Or shower?

Stay classy, America.

Monday morning - Poop in the Sink

"Mommy, there's poop in the sink!"

Living in a house with four other kids, ages ranging from 19 years old to 8 years old, there are some sentences that even I never thought I would overhear... But I guess there is always room for new adventure in the Moore household.

This exclamation came as a sudden and unexpected interruption to the family as we were all watching the Presidential Inauguration (Congratulations, Mr. President.).
Still, my mother reacted in patience as she replied "Who put it there?" -as if any 8 year old would willingly admit on the spot that she placed, and then discovered a chihuahua poopy in her bathroom sink. (Eureka!!)
Rachael vehemently denied knowing anything about its origins and insisted that she only found it there moments before.

For the next 15 minutes I got to witness my mother going from lounge mode into interrogation mode as she sat down the young Vespucci and her side-kick, Hannah(Who was at the ripe age of 9 and had a hard time remembering how to write out a capital "L"), and began to question them both about the indecent.
The conversation was filled with wide eyes and blank stares from the defense, which made for a convincing case of innocence... But my mom, who is incredibly experienced in the field of child-rearing, was not so easily convinced.

I trust I don't need to remind you that we're talking about poop... in the bathroom sink.   Ok? Ok.

Both girls were looked straight in the eye and each were asked if they had put the poo in the sink.  Both times the answer was a shake of the head and an almost pleading answer of "No! I didn't do it!"

Now, as a 20 year old college student, I expected to ride this out as a mere spectator of events, but apparently in some scenarios I am still pictured as the 6 year old little bobbed blonde girl that ran around pulling fire alarms and giving hair cuts to my barbies because "It looks better this way".

My mother suddenly decides to work a different option:

"Bitsy"
"Yeah, mom?"
"Did you put the poop in the sink"

                            My jaw hurt from how fast I snapped it open..

"Are you serious??? Mom, I'm 20 years old and have been in the living room all morning!
Why on earth would I put a dog poop in the sink?"

                                       My logic was sound.

"I don't know, honey, sometimes you don't tell the whole truth if you think you're going to be in trouble!"

                                            .... What?

"The toilet is right there next to the sink!" I laughed.  "I would just flush it!"

                       The situation was comical so I couldn't really take the accusation seriously.
          And I'm pretty sure my mom only asked me if I did it  for humor's sake.

So long story short, my young sisters continued to deny, with bold face, that they knew anything about this poopy fiasco.
My parents spent some good time talking to them and questioning them to make sure they were telling the truth.
I think eventually, they decided to believe the girls' story after many a tear and alibi.


As I sit at my desk writing down this, the newest adventure my family has had the pleasure to experience, I can still hear both my mom's voice, and my dad's voice resonating from the living room.

My only question is "If the girls didn't do it... then how did it get there?"

Dun Dun Duuuuunnnn!!
I can only hope that the culprit is found before they strike again...  Are any of us safe?