Christmas 3 & 4

Christmas number 3 was with my parents, my sister and her husband. They came over on Christmas Eve and we had dinner and did presents. It was rather low key. It was good to see my sister though. :)

Then on Christmas day my cousin (Scott) and my aunt and uncle came over and we had one last Christmas dinner. It was pretty good. My mom made these little duck things that I cannot remember the name of now, but they were good. And this rice that was amazing! I was getting kinda tired of turkey and ham so maybe that is why I was such a fan of dinner, but it was wonderful!

For me, sometimes it is weird to go back home for Christmas. It is just so much different. I don't know if it is a part of growing up or what, but Christmas just feels different these days. At least it does to me. I keep waiting to get excited about it like I used to as a kid... but excitement never comes to the same degree.

I mean Christmas has so much more significance now. Because as a child it was all about me and about presents but it had a sense of wonder to it... or something. I just always got so excited about it getting cold and putting the tree up and drinking hot chocolate... Now I am much more excited because it is about the birth of my Savior and it is about giving and not getting, and it is wonderful on so many levels. But it is just different somehow...

Anyway, after Christmas my mom and I tried to make gingerbread. And it was not wonderful. I don't know if any of you have an amazing recipe that you want to share but if so I would love it... Because my mom and I have tried different recipes for the last two years and we have not found one we love... But it was much better this year than last, so progress is being made! :)

Christmas 2

For my second Christmas I had a cold. No bueno. I got sick around a week ago and IT IS NOT GOING AWAY. We left early on Saturday morning for East Texas and I felt like a five year old again. I tried to sleep in the car. It didn't really work, but I got to rest a little on the way to my grandmothers.

We got to Gilmer around 10:30 and I ran to Wal Mart with my dad. We then went to Taco Bell and got lunch. About 5 minutes into eating the guy behind the counter announced that they were out of beef for about an hour. How crazy is that? Out of beef... at Taco Bell...

We then had Christmas dinner with my mom's side of the family. It is always great to see them. I have one uncle who has five children and three of them have children. The little kids grow so quickly. I had not seen them since last Christmas and it is amazing what a year will do to a 3 year old!

Anyway, Christmas was fun and my family is well. Though it was weird having Christmas without my brother. He is doing well in Japan. I told him to bring me back something pretty and Japanese... We will see what he gets... I am excited for him that he gets such a fun experience. :)

Christmas 1

I just wanted to say I have enjoyed this week SO MUCH! I know most of you still have work for a while longer, and I am sorry to seem to be gloating, but it is so nice to catch up on sleep and catch up with friends and family. I actually can say I have seen a few of my friends in the last week. WooHoo. And I finally saw that my friends get to have a life on Sunday afternoon when we are done with church stuff... Who knew?!?!


Saturday was my first Christmas of the season. (Note: I have three to go.) It went really well. I got to play with Jessica, which is always fun. She was sick though so she was a little cranky. She opened her first present and it only took her like 5 minutes. Because she is a 7 month old genius! :)

This year my cousin Jacki (Jessica's mom) hosted Christmas for the first time. She and her husband John bought their first house and it was fun to see it all decorated and to see them starting their own traditions. Anyway, since Jacki was hosting, I got to help for the first time. I brought hash brown casserole and got to make the green bean casserole, stuffing, and rolls. I feel like a real grown up! :) I also felt like a grown up when I got cash as a gift and knew I would spend it on groceries...

Another Semeter Down

Hello All,
Well yesterday I took my last final of the semester. I am officially half way done with law school and I am elated! I have the next month off of school! I plan to spend the first half vegging and the second half writing my "senior thesis"... I know you are thinking that kinda stinks... but it beats writing it during the school year.

As far as how this semester went. It was rough. It is funny, I was looking back at my Christmas blog/letter from last year this time and I am amazed at how little has changed....

I am really praying that the Lord will get the glory for my law school experience. I do not want to freak out about my grades. Everyone around me seems to and I just want to rest in the Lord and be content with what I get...law school is insane and I am really looking forward to my break. They say the first semester is the hardest. I hope that is true, because I do not want to endure this for six whole semesters. It has to get easier...Pray that I would continue to be an encouragement to those in law school and those who are generally around me. I feel like I have been to preoccupied lately... I really want to seek the Lord's will for my life and to fulfill His purpose. It is eases to get distracted during finals. Pray that I would be resting in the Lord despite the craziness. It is only through Him that we can accomplish ANYTHING. I want to know that I depended on Him and got through law school on His strength. That is my goal! :)

I quote this because it is almost exactly what I wanted to say today. I still want nothing more than the Lord to be magnified by my life. It is still my daily prayer that I would somehow manage to walk into law school and proclaim His name by my words and my actions. And I still feel completely and utterly blown away by His grace to me on a daily basis.

I can honestly say the Lord carried me through this semester. The first semester is undoubtedly not the hardest. Although I venture to guess this one was. This semester was hard because there was always a million things I needed to do. It bugs me that I so easily get into a frantic rush mode and I so quickly forget the things that are really important.

One of my friends reminded me of a great verse during my finals crunch and it encouraged me so I want to share it with you now:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. -- Hebrews 12:1-3

Thank you to all of you who were diligent to pray for me this semester! Your prayer means more to me than you will ever know! Know that my prayer for you is that you would fix your eyes on Jesus and run the race marked out for you! :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I went back to Dallas and spent time with my family. Thanksgiving is my mother's favorite holiday because everyone always comes to our house. This year we had 15 people sitting around decorated folding tables in our living room stuffing their faces. It was quite a sight to see.

My mother always makes a TON of food so we have Turkey Pot Pie and Turkey Tetrazini for about a week afterwards. If anyone is interested in either, I have some of both in my freezer in Houston! ;) Though you better act fast if you want to try some, because finals are a comin' and I am going to be eating them fast!!!

This year was special because we have a new addition to the family... As you can tell from the fact that every picture has a baby in it... If you keep up with my blog, you know that the baby is my cousin Jacki's daughter, Jessica. She is six months old and almost crawling. She is absolutely adorable and the center of attention and she loves it. She is big enough that she smiles and is beginning to have a personality of her own. It is great.

But my holiday was quite good. Mainly because I got to see my entire family, which doesn't happen often. My brother is going to Japan to see his girlfriend (she is in Japan for a year teaching English) over Christmas break and I probably won't see him again until May. So it was good to spend some time with him... It is weird that my little brother is big enough to go all the way to Japan alone... It is weird that he is old enough to have a girlfriend in Japan! I mean he is only a year younger than me, so I don't know why it freaks me out but on some level I expect him (and me) to stay young forever. Oh well... as you can tell from my last post, that is not an option...

Hope you all had a wonderful time with your families as well!



As far as school is concerned, I have 10 more pages of my writing requirement due tomorrow at 8am and a quiz on Wednesday in IP Survey then it is all studying all the time. Oh the joys of school. Have I mentioned I am looking forward to the 13th of December... I will have 53 hours down 37 to go... WooHoo!

Grown Up

This morning KSBJ proved to me that I am in fact an adult. During their morning show, KSBJ played a tone that can only be heard by children. Apparently there is a tone (which teenagers are now using for the ring tone on their cell phones) that is audible to the child but not adults. And low and behold, I could not hear it... At all... I was hoping maybe I would be able to hear it faintly... Like your childhood is fleeting, but not gone yet... But no such luck... Silence... It is official... My childhood is gone.

Sad day... Oh well... Had to grow up sometime. :)

Feel free to test yourself. Though I warn you, you may have to face the lack of music as I did...

Finals....

It is official. Finals preparation is beginning. I am about to drop off the face of the earth. For those of you that will begin to worry about me in a week or so, I am not dead, just buried under books... Have no fear, I will reappear sometime after December 13th... Ohhh, and I will be in a really good mood when I do. Because I will be over HALFWAY done with LAW SCHOOL!!!! Until then, prayer is more than welcome! ;)

Finals Schedule:
12/5: 9am-1pm Federal Income Tax
12/8: 9am-12pm Marital Property
12/12: 3pm-7pm Business Organization
12/13: 2pm-4pm Intelectual Property Survey

Shrimp = Death (Part 2)

Alright, so the day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived, I went to the Dr. and got my allergy results today. Yea! Turns out I am "highly" allergic to crab, shrimp, and lobster. I am "moderately" allergic to scallops, clams, blue mussels, and oysters.

The good news is there is a category above highly allergic, it is "very highly allergic"... Haha, sophisticated system, I know. So it could be worse!!! My Dr. said I still have to carry my epi-pen and chewable benadryl around with me always... but I should be able to make it to a hospital without dying if I ever ingest shrimp, lobster, or crab. So I guess the verdict is I am deathly allergic without my spiffy medication and with it, I still shouldn't take any chances...

A random aside, I asked my Dr. about imitation crab and she said it was fine, so I can eat cheap California rolls, but noting with real crab. :) WooHoo...

Brain Teaser...

I have been told this is a classic, but I had not seen it before and it actually challenged me, so I thought I would share a brain teaser I received today with all of you. :) Enjoy.

"Everybody has to cross the river"

http://freeweb.siol.net/danej/riverIQGame.swf

The following rules apply:

• Only 2 persons on the raft at a time
  
• The father can not stay with any of the daughters without their mother's presence
  
• The mother can not stay with any of the sons without their father's presence
  
• The thief (striped shirt) can not stay with any family member if the Policeman is not there
  
• Only the Father, the Mother and the Policeman know how to operate the raft
  

• To start click on the big blue circle on the right.
• To move the people click on them.
• To move the raft click on the pole (red dot) on the opposite side of the river.
  

Jessica is the coolest...

I have the privilege of having the cutest 2nd cousin in the world. I went to the Woodlands yesterday to hang out with my cousin Jacki, her husband John and baby Jessica! We went to the Cheesecake Factory and I got to play with her while mom and dad ate.

She is getting very quick (she is 5 months old)! I had her sitting on the table at one point and she had my straw out of my glass and into her mouth in about 2 seconds flat. :) She is also rolling over on her own... I am amazed at how fast she is growing. I get to see here every 2-3 weeks, but it is crazy how much bigger she is every time.

She has also recently learned that screaming at the top of her lungs can get her what she wants much faster than crying does and with much less effort. So keeping her quiet in a restaurant was interesting... I realized am still not ready to be a parent! But I enjoy stealing Jessica for an afternoon or evening and then giving her back. :)

I LOVE this weather

So from the moment I walked outside this morning till now, I have had the BIGGEST smile on my face. This weather is BEAUTIFUL!!! It finally feels like fall. I am trying hard not to blink, because I know when I do it will be over. But for the next few days, I am going to be running around like a giddy child...

I love when it starts to get cold, because it gets me into the Christmas spirit. Which I love!!! My Savior's birth, cold weather, and family... What a great season. And for those of you who like the more material things associated with Christmas, just remember 2 years to go and then I am a lawyer instead of a starving law student... Haha... Presents are closer than ever before. ;)

Happy cold weather day everyone!

For those of you who read my blog regularly, thanks! I am trying to make it as informative and entertaining as possible. I may not be there yet, but hopefully it is mildly informative and entertaining... and if not, I am open to suggestions... However, you keep reading so maybe I am doing something right... ;)

Melissa Wallace sent me this post this morning and I thought it was great. Hopefully one day my blog will be this entertaining. I know I am setting the bar high, but what can I say... I am an overachiever. :)

"I Googled It" Post from http://www.inleftfield.com/ that is cute:

The following story is 100% accurate, true and in no way made up. I must also say that it involves my 6 year old son, who just started kindergarten and is just now learning to read. The stage is now officially set.

Last night I was working in my office and the older two kids were upstairs playing on the computer. The house is networked, so all printing ends up coming out of my all-in-one in the office. Sure enough, it kicked on and began to spit out a picture. Knowing I did not click print, I was interested to see what would appear. Then came the sound of 4 little running feet…and giggles.

By the time said object had completed it’s printing, they were front and center to admire their handiwork. Sure enough, they successfully had printed a picture from the Internet of his favorite Star Wars character. I suddenly was VERY interested in how this happened. To which my little Bill Gates replied “I Gmailed it”.

Me: “What”

Mini Me: “I Gmailed it”

Me: “You mean Googled it”

Mini Me: “Yeah, I Googled it”

Next up was a trip upstairs to see exactly how he did this. He promptly showed me how he clicked on the icon, “clicked in the box”, used a Star Wars sticker sheet he had to type letters into the box (starwars as one word mind you), ; “then I pressed enter”. He then picked a result, printed and there you have it.

The best part of the story is the close. After saying our prayers each night, we share one thing we are thankful for. Mini me said he couldn’t think of anything. I said “you can’t think of anything?’” Then he said…”oh, I’ve got one…..

You guessed it….

“Google”

And a child shall lead them!

Blue Man Group

I went with some friends to see the Blue Man Group on Friday night. It was stinking awesome, except when I thought a computer generated man was going to jump off the roof of his computer generated office building. Luckily he did not do so. :) It was so cool to see them make music with the weirdest things. It was highly entertaining. I would recommend the show to anyone. Tracy Bohnam was traveling with the Blue Man Group and MAN does she have a good voice. She also plays the violin well. I was impressed with her, especially since I had never heard of her before the show! So next time the Blue Man Group is in town, you should all go!

On an exciting side note, I don't have to go to class until after 12 today. U of H is closed because of the rain. Yea for no tax!!! :) I have an interview downtown at 11, so it is nice not to have to go straight from class to my interview. Wish me luck on my interview and on getting there. My check engine light came on in my car yesterday... I am going to go have it checked out tomorrow... But I need it to get me to my interview first!!! :)

Shrimp = Death

Alright, so most of you know I am allergic to shrimp. And when people I ask, I normally say I am "deathly allergic"... I tend to be dramatic and such... Well Friday I had an allergy appointment to figure out how allergic I really am and it turns out I probably am "deathly allergic."

I went to an allergy doctor for the first time and told her my symptoms when I am near shrimp and she freaked out on me. She spent 10 minutes telling me how I can never eat shrimp or "I will surely die." She prescribed me 2 epi-pens and told me to keep them with me at all times!!! I also have to keep benadryl with me continually. (All of this is before she has the results of my actual allergy test.)

Then, she sent me to this clinic where they drew 6 viles of blood from my arm to do the actual allergy testing! It didn't feel good. But in a month I will have my allergy results and I will be able to tell you if my Dr. was being over dramatic or if I will "surely die" if I ever eat shrimp. Fun Stuff...

Happy Birthday Mom

Well, today is my mother's birthday and I wanted to take a few minutes to tell her that I love her... So if you are not my mother, you can skip this post, but you are more than welcome to read why I love my mom. :)

Top 5 (So as not to take all day... :) )
5. She is not pushy and lets me make my own decisions/mistakes... but she is there to pick up the pieces if it is needed. :)
4. She is a good friend. To me and to others...
3. She is a great hostess. She makes everyone feel welcomed and loved in our home. She also makes wonderful food all the time for anyone who enters our house... So come over anytime and get some good food!
2. She gave birth to me... without her, I would not be here. So thanks for that.
1. She is my definition of selfless love and I hope to love as sacrificially as she does. My brother and I are extremely blessed. :)

Happy Birthday Mom!

Procrastination...

It is such a beautiful day today and I am in a wonderful mood! God is good, life is good, and I don't want to study! :)

I am sitting in the library trying hard to read for Business Organizations and I just can't seem to be productive. I keep getting distracted. Maybe it is because I have been reading since 10:30 (with a few strategic breaks to eat lunch, and talk on google chat) or maybe it is because all I ever do is read, but right now I just don't have it in me...

So what better way to occupy my time when I don't want to read than to update you! :) As far as this summer goes, I am in the middle of the interviewing process and have no idea where I will be this summer. Your continued prayer would be much appreciated. :)

School is going well. I am getting caught up in everything. I have a big deadline for my journal next Tuesday, so there is no rest for the weary, but I am managing and I am not stressed. Praise God. :)

I went to the A&M Game last weekend with Chris and Lindsay and had a wonderful time! It was so great to see them both and it had been to long. They have the most adorable black lab puppy that I got to play with. Unfortunately we did not win the game, much to my brother and cousin's delight. Tech is the one game I want to take every year, since 1/2 of my family went there... Alas, my bother and cousin will be gloating this Thanksgiving. Maybe we can next! (Always the optimist.)

I also got to hang out with Tess and Laura. Laura has a sweet job at David Gardner and was blinged out when I met her for lunch. :) I think I would really enjoy getting to go to work every morning and putting on expensive jewelry that I don't have to pay for! Everything in there was so shiny... I was in awe... :)

Going back to College Station is always a weird feeling for me. I feel to old to be there, and like I should still be there at the same time... One of the joys of getting older, I guess. Though I have to admit it gets less weird every time I go.

On Sunday, I got to go to the Woodlands and see Jacki, John and Jessica. I should have taken a picture of Jessica for you. She is getting so big! She got her first pair of blue jeans on Friday and she was wearing them on Sunday. She looked so cute!!! I got to play with her for a while and catch up with Jacki and John. :)

It is nice to have time one the weekends not to study. I like putting life in perspective and remembering that law school is not everything and it is certainly not eternal. Because I seriously could study all day every day and there would still be more I could be doing. It is all about finding the balance. ;) Sometimes I do well, and sometimes I don't. :)

So mom, when you read that I took a study break to write this, just remember law school is not everything. :)

Decisions, Decisions...

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is about that time again. I thought I was making this big life changing decision when I decided to come to law school. I knew what I wanted to do with my life.... I wanted to be a LAWYER. Yea. I am done... Or so I thought (quite blissfully, I might add) for a year.

Now, however, I have to decide what type of lawyer I want to be. Now? In the very beginning of my second year? But why, you may ask... after all I do have two years of school left... And I have only begun to take specialized classes. I can't be expected to know what I want to do already?!?! Right...

Wrong. I am in the process of interviewing for jobs for next summer. Which means I need to have an idea of what type of firm I want to work. So, unfortunately I have to begin to specialize now. No pressure....

I am praying that the interviewing process will give me more insight into what type of law I would be good at and enjoy. I have two interviews this week and one next week and who knows after that. Please pray for the Lords will! That is what I want above all... But if you want to pray for more, :) pray that I would have discernment in what I should specialize in. I have so many options, which is a huge blessing, but can also be daunting at the same time...

On Campus Interview Firms give offers by December and if I get any offers I could know where I am going to be this summer by Christmas. Otherwise I will start applying with other firms in January. Hopefully I know something by December though, that would be one less thing to worry about in the Spring! :) I will keep you posted.

Yoga

In an attempt to reduce some of my stress, I have recently taken up yoga. I have found that it is a better form of exercise than I thought it would be. All you do is stretch and hold your body in certain positions and yet I leave drenched and tired. It is actually a great workout. So it is official, I am jumping on the yoga bandwagon. :)

I am really looking forward to improving my technique. The teacher of my class is good... but I don't really know what I am doing and I am sure I am doing half of it wrong. Monday was my second class and I realized most of the stuff I was doing the first week could have been done better. So I guess in a few weeks I may actually be doing some of it right. :) We will see... :)

I also went running the other day with Daniel and actually managed to escape without an asthma attack! Shocking, I know... I still DON'T LIKE running and have not managed to go by myself, but you never know... I may become a running yoga fool one of these days. :)

I need all the stress relief I can get. It is funny, I think I am doing alright... Not stressed out and functioning well... I think I am giving my stress to God and not trying to do this thing on my own... Then something that normally wouldn't upset me really upsets me and I realize how crazy stressed I actually am. Surrendering to the Lord is truly a daily process and sometimes it is not easy. :) I guess it is a good thing that we get to take it day by day. :) But praise the Lord that I am trying yoga and running because I need an outlet for sure!

Year 2 = Stress

So... I have decided that the second year of law school is not harder than the first, in fact, truth be told... classes are actually more manageable. I am taking classes I chose instead of them being forced upon me and I generally enjoy all of them. I also have been through a year of this so I know what to expect. But, despite classes being relatively easier, the second year remains harder than the first.

In my second year I am on a journal, I am the VP of a club, and I am doing OCI (On Campus Interviewing... for jobs for next summer). All of which take TIME. The second year is stressful because you are pulled 10 different ways in any given day. There are so many things competing for precious little time. I have been freaking out for the past three weeks because I am behind in everything and whats worse is I keep getting more behind. I am starting to get it all under control, but it is insane!

I spend about 10 hours a week working on stuff for my journal (Houston Business and Tax Law Journal), about 10 hours trying to get stuff done for OCI (researching firms, in a few weeks interviews, etc...) and about 3-4 hours doing CLS stuff (Christian Legal Society... the organization I am the VP of). All of which are obligations I didn't have last year. So it is making time management more of a issue than I had thought it would be. I then study for my classes about the same amount as I did last year, but that leaves little to no time for anything else. But I want to do other things, so studying has been taking a back seat... which gets me more behind... which gets me more stressed. It is quite a vicious cycle indeed!

But long story short, I have to get on the ball or I am going to crash and burn. I have to spend a few weeks really concentrating on school and getting caught up, or I am going to be so far behind that I won't be able to catch up even if I try... So if you want to say a prayer for me this week or next, pray I would be diligent to do my work and that I would have time to get it all done. :)

You can also pray for OCI. I have a few interviews throughout September in which I hope to gain employment for this summer. It is stressful and I don't have any idea who I want to work for or what I want to do with my degree, so pray for clarity in this whole process. :)

Anyway, year 2 is crazier than 1, but at least I am 1/3 of the way done! I know I will get everything done this year, it is just going to take a little determination and a lot of time. :) Oh the joys of law school. Aren't you glad you aren't in it! :)

I just wanted to provide you all with a quick update and let you know if you haven't heard from me recently and don't hear for me for a few weeks, please don't be upset... I am trying to be productive! I will return to normal eventually... It may be May of 2008, but it will happen.

I am adding a picture of my CUTE baby 2nd cousin. She is 4 months old and getting so big!!! She always calms me down and if my rant about the stress got you anxious, I hope this helps to calm you down too! Enjoy! :)

Barnes and Nobles Stalker?!?!

So, the weirdest thing happened this weekend. My friends and I were harassed at a Barnes and Nobles in San Antonio:

A man walked up to Erin (my best friend from Dallas) and I and proceeded to aggressively ask if he was "one of the most attractive men in the store," which, I have to say he was not (He was about 5'10, maybe 40 years old and average looking with dark hair and a three day old five o'clock shadow).

We didn't know what to do, so we just looked at each other shocked. My boyfriend Daniel was standing within earshot and walked up to see what was going on. The man proceeded to ask if he was more attractive than Daniel (no way!!!) to which my mouth dropped. He was being extremely aggressive at this point so Daniel told him he was more attractive to try to control the guy and see what he was so upset about.

The man said he wanted to hear from the girls and looked at Erin and I who were still in shock... To which Erin replied "More attractive than him?!?! No..." He asked why and Erin said "lets just leave it at no..." He walked off agitated and then re-approached us a few minutes later saying "if he shaved and put on a suit (Daniel was dressed up because we were going to a wedding) then he would be more attractive than Daniel, right?!?!?" We told him to "Have a nice day" and he walked away... But it was all quite insane.

I have to admit I was a little scared by the whole thing. Not that I honestly thought he was going to hurt me, nor could he have if he wanted to... Since Daniel was there... But he seemed so distraught. Like he had gone his whole life thinking he was the most attractive man in the world and someone had recently told him he wasn't and it was causing a midlife crisis. It was insane...

I didn't respond to him at any point partly out of shock and horror and partly because I was not sure what to say. In that situation do you appease a man that is clearly mentally ill or do you tell the truth??? My boyfriend is quite a bit more attractive than this guy and would not have had his feelings hurt had I chosen to lie to this man to get him the heck away from us and to make him feel better. But I couldn't do it. I could not bring myself on any level to tell this man that he was attractive. I certainly could not bring myself to tell him he was more attractive than my (quite attractive) boyfriend. (I am glad Erin answered for us and I didn't have to respond.)

But it was quite an interesting situation and I am still trying to process why I couldn't appease him. I could have told him what he wanted to hear and done so without hurting my boyfriend and hopefully gotten him out of there quickly and yet I could not bring myself to do so... I wonder why? What instinctively kept me from lying to this guy out of self preservation? I keep trying to figure it out and I got nothing...

All I know is beware of Barnes and Nobles in San Antonio... You may meet a crazy man looking for affirmation and be put to the same test I was...

Week 2

So... after three semesters of law school and a brief stint with summer school, I have decided that week two is by far the hardest week of classes for me. Don't get me wrong, studying for a final that is my only grade and that is 4 hours of constant writing is harder than anything, but week 2 is the hardest week of actual classes.

I think this is because week 1 is the last week that I have what I like to call "freedom." I don't study nearly as much in week 1 as I should... Because ultimately I know that I am gearing up for a full semester of reading and I just don't want to do it yet... So week 2 is when I functionally get into the swing of things and I read the full amount I am supposed to... Which is hard enough in itself, but then I also have to play catch up because I didn't read at all in week 1. Again, because I try to hold on to my "freedom" from reading for to long... Oh well, maybe next semester I will try to start reading in week one! :)

So, I am half way through my "hard" week and I should be able to catch up on all my reading by Labor day. So YEA for being on track for the semester. :) WooHoo!

My classes seem much better this semester. All except tax that is. It is hard and boring so far... But the rest are quite interesting and I think I am going to like them all. The old adage for law school is "the first year they teach you, the second year they work you, and the third year they bore you." I am fairly certain that is going to be correct, and I am OH SO looking forward to next year!

This year with my classes, being an officer in Christian Legal Society and being on the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal, I am putting in a lot more hours of extracurriculars than I thought I would. It is manageable, but I think I will find this year harder time wise because I am doing so much more than I was last year. So, if you want to say a quick prayer for Jen... you can pray I would figure out time management! That is one of my goals (pretty much always) but every year I see more and more reason to excel at the skill.

Back to life, back to reality

Well, I am finally back to Houston and back to law school. It is good to be home and back in the "swing of things" but law school is still hard. I didn't have to read as much this summer and I began to believe law school was less time consuming than it really is... Sad day. So I am readjusting to reading for 5 or 6 hours a day. I might add I am not adjusting to well, I have not read for some of my classes... so this weekend I get to play catch up. :)

I think I am really going to like my classes this semester! I am excited. I am taking Tax Law (which is in fact as boring as it sounds), Business Organization (My teacher looks like Danny Tanner and is SO FUNNY.. I think it is going to be my favorite class), Marital Property Rights (my teacher flies through the material, but actually points out the significant parts), and Intellectual Property Survey (It may be my easiest class, but it is kinda boring...). It is a manageable load and I have Fridays off! WHOOP!!! I am excited.

This means I will be able to make more trips home or to say College Station this year than I did last. :) Which is really great!!! Current Aggies, let me know if you ever have any tickets to the games, I would love to come to a few!!! I have missed my Aggie Football. It is just not the same from my living room couch.

I have been so crazy busy since I have been back. Yesterday I finally finished unpacking my boxes and my room is beginning to look like normal again, but I have been back for a few weeks and I am just now starting to get everything situated again!

I am sorry for those of you that have been wondering where I have been lately. I think I should be back to emailing/updating my blog with regularity now. So have no fear, Jen is here... Hehe... (Yes, I am a nerd!)

I am feeling much better in general than I did most of the summer. It is nice to be back in America. I really did love my experience, but I missed you all so much. It is nice to see all of your smiling faces again, and for those of you I haven't seen, it will be nice to see your face... eventually...

I'm Home

Hello All,
I am officially back in America and it feels great. I drove my car today for the first time in over a month! I was so excited. I almost forgot how to use the clutch! Haha. It is nice to be independent again and be able to go where I want to when I want to. Though I had the same freedom in Oxford, there I had to go on foot, now I have MY CAR. :)

I got back yesterday at 2:50pm and went straight to dinner with my parents at Taco Bueno. I missed Mexican food so much! I am going to eat it again tonight for dinner. It is funny how much I missed a type of food.... But you don't realize how much you like it until it is gone! Hopefully in the next week or two I will calm down about Mexican, but until then Tex-Mex it is! :)

It was so great to see my parents at the airport yesterday. I felt a huge weight lift from my back as I exited the gate. I realized I was really homesick but I didn't realize just how much I was ready to be back. I learned so much from my time in Oxford and the Lord was so faithful to show me how to cling only to Him, but MAN did I miss my friends. Being in Oxford was fun, but I have never felt so alone before. It is weird to go to a foreign country alone. I met some interesting people and all, but I could not shake my feeling of loneliness during my whole trip. I didn't like it. I felt like myself, but not at the same time. I wasn't depressed, I was just lonely all the time.

I decided I don't like being outside of the body. I think that God blesses us with fellowship for a reason and I don't like having no support system where I live. I did not meet a single Christian during my entire trip. Not one. Which was odd, because when my friend Mel came to Oxford for a week she met several (from Houston I might add) on the street. I don't know if I specifically didn't meet any because the Lord was teaching me something, but I didn't meet another believer. I think this made my homesickness harder. But I learned that at the end of the day, we need to depend solely on the Lord and not on other believers. (This is a lesson I have learned several times, but God always seems to teach me again in new ways.) I place my faith in the Lord alone, yes, but on a daily basis I have so much support that spurs me on to the goal. In Oxford that was not the case, and the Lord had to sustain me Himself. It was a wonderful time, but as a person who LOVES fellowship, it was quite hard for me.

So, being back in Texas and surrounded by my support, my prayer is that I would continue to apply what the Lord taught me during my solitude. I pray that my fellowship with Him would not be diminished by my fellowship with the body of Christ. :) And I pray that I would not take my wonderful friendships for granted!!!

I really did have an amazing summer and I am so thankful for my time in Oxford. But it is good to be home! I can't wait to see everyone!

Paris

It is official. I love Paris! I really do. It was my favorite city in my whole trip. I thought it was absolutely beautiful! For a girl that LOVES bridges, there were a ton. And for a girl that likes architecture, I had plenty to feast my eyes on. I went into Paris expecting it to be absolutely filthy and I was pleasantly surprised. Though it is by no means the cleanest city on earth, it was cleaner than I was expecting. :) Did I mention it is beautiful! Because it is!!! :)

Daniel and I kept very busy during our trip. We went on a Segway tour of the city the first night and got our bearings. We saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle. The next day we went on a bike tour of the Palace of Versailles. It was fun. The palace is pretty. Very ornate (if you like that sort of thing, you would really enjoy it). It was crazy crowded though. We got to bike around the grounds and have a picnic. I think that was my favorite part. The grounds are beautiful.

The next day we went up the Eiffel Tower, to Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe. We were quite tired after this. I don't recommend doing so much in one day, but when you only have three days in Paris, you do what you have to do. :)

We headed to Normandy the next day. It was interesting to see the remnants of the war. They have retaken most of the land and are using it for farming now, so you pull up to these Bunkers that are in the middle of farm land. It is quite crazy. And the beaches were all crowded with swimmers. There were still parts of roads in the water and random remains from the war everywhere and then people just swimming among it all.

It is hard to believe so many men lost their lives there. Both of my grandfathers were at Normandy (not on D-day, but soon after) and it was interesting to walk where they had walked during the war. I liked being able to put the place with the history. Made it more real.

On Tuesday, we headed back to London on the Eurostar. I liked the train a lot because the scenery was nice. The underwater part is about 20 minutes of darkness, but I like saying I rode on the chunnel! :) That night in London, we went to dinner and a movie (Miami Vice) and relaxed. Then we headed back to Texas on Wednesday morning.

I have had better plane rides, I must admit. We were sitting right beside a mother with a 7 month old teething infant that didn't stop crying much. Made it interesting for 9 hours. But at least we made it home yesterday, today would have been INSANE! Praise the Lord for making our flight yesterday and not today.

Scotland

Well,
I made it back from Scotland safe and sound. The 7 hour train ride seemed much longer on the way back, maybe because I was awake for it. But it was good to get back to Oxford. The weather was so nice in Scotland. It was around 65 or 70 the whole time, which was a welcome change from 85-90 with no AC in Oxford. I was dreading coming back to the heat, but luckily it has been cool here as well since my return.

I had so much fun in Scotland. I stayed in Edinburgh for two nights with a girl named Alyssa that I met on the trip. The first day, we toured Edinburgh and saw Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles Cathedral, and The Palace of Holyroodhouse. On the second day we took a tour of the Highlands (we got to see several Highlands cities and Loch Ness). It was amazingly beautiful! I have attached a few pictures, but you will have to wait till I get back to Dallas to see the rest. Sorry...

I am in the middle of my last week of my last class. Too bad my professor started flying through the material in an attempt to get it all in. I am mastering writing at warp speed and trying to retain the information at the same time. It is proving more difficult than I had hoped. :)

Good thing I am almost done. This final is supposed to be insane, but I should not be complaining because my other two finals were quite easy and to only have one hard final in law school (even in summer school) is quite a blessing. :) If you think about it from 7-10am (1-4pm my time) on Thursday, please say a little prayer for me.

I will be so excited after 4pm because I will be done with summer school and have a two week break before U of H starts again. :) Not only that, but I also get to go find my boyfriend after my final! He arrives in Oxford around 2pm on Thursday and he will be waiting for me once I finish. Great after finals treat! :)

Daniel and I are going to see Oxford on Thursday and Friday morning, then head to Paris Friday afternoon. We are taking a train and get to ride on the Chunnel! I have always wanted to do this, I don't know why... But I will etll you all about it in my next update. :) We then get to spend 4 days seeing Paris, Versailles, and Normandy and whatever else we find time to see. :) Special thanks to Abby's parents for letting us invade their apartment for the week, it is such a blessing! We then return to London on Tuesday night and will fly to Dallas/Houston next Wednesday.

I have had so much fun on my journey, and I would not change anything, but I am ready to come home! I didn't realize how homesick I would get before I left. I think it is because I have such an amazing family and friends that it makes it hard to be gone for an extended period of time. :) And I am ready to have fellowship again! I miss you all dearly and can't wait to see you in a few weeks! :)

Oxford/Bath Update

Hello All,
I hope and pray this email finds you all well. I wanted to let you all know I am doing well in Oxford. I have two more weeks of class and then I am done! The time has flown by, but it also seems like I have been gone forever.

My time has been much better since I finished my first class. I have a lot more free time now and am enjoying myself quite a bit more. I have my second final on Tuesday, and then for the last week and a half I will only have one class. I finally took some pictures of Oxford! I am going to send an email with all my pictures after this one. There are a lot, so you don't have to look at any or all of them, but I will send them none the less. ;)

Last week my friend Melissa came in town. It was GREAT to have a friend here!!! We hung out in Oxford for a few days then went to Bath/Stonehenge/Salisbury. We went to see a show (We Will Rock You) in London as well and I took her on a whirlwind hour and a half long tour of the highlights of the city. It was my best weekend yet. Thanks Mel for coming! :)

Next weekend I am going to Edinburgh, Scotland with a girl I met on the trip. I am excited. Then I have one more week of class before my boyfriend, Daniel, comes in town and we go to Paris!!! I am also extremely excited about this. :)

I hope to send out one more update before I come home, but if not, I will send you the rest of my pictures and a final update once I am back. I get back to Dallas on August 9th and I get back to Houston on August 13th in time for church. I miss you all greatly! I am sorry I have not sent many updates. It is crazy over here. But know I am safe, I am having fun, and I cannot wait to come home!
Please email me back if you have time!
~Jen

Oxford Update

Hello All,
I know I have not sent out an update in a while. I think I bit off more than I can chew as far as classes are concerned for the first week. I have survived my first week at Oxford! Yea. I have yet to see much of the city though, because most days I am in class for six hours and then I come home and study. I have my first final on Tuesday and then I only have two classes for the remaining four weeks. I think my life will be much more relaxed after Tuesday, Praise God!

It is so beautiful here. I will show you all pictures when I take some. Everything is so old and beautiful. It is amazing!!! I went back to London on Friday and went on a tour of Legal London. I then went to Blenheim Palace yesterday. It is 8 miles outside of Oxford and it is the birthplace of Winston Churchill. I will email you the pictures I took if you would like to see them, you can!

Anyway, I better get back to studying. I will send a longer update with pictures of actual Oxford later. Just wanted to let you all know I am still alive and kicking! :)
I miss you all!
~Jen

Internship/Oxford Update

My internship has been fantastic. I don't like research and writing all that much, so it has stretched me to sit and research for 8 hours a day. My writing ability has improved through the process and I could not be more excited about my judge. She is FANTASTIC. She is a Christian and I have really enjoyed seeing how her faith plays itself out subtly in her decisions. She is really hands on and has an open door policy and wants the interns to learn something from our experience. It has been fantastic. I spent my first four weeks on one decision. It was quite in depth and specific. I turned it in on Friday and my judge spoke with me on improvements I could make on the first half of it yesterday. She said it was well written and she was impressed with my clarity. I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED about this. Some of you know that writing is where I feel most insufficient, so to have such strong encouragement was a huge blessing. She is going to talk to me about improvements on my second half today. I pray that it is also encouraging feedback! :) :)

I leave next Tuesday for England. CRAZY. I have not even started packing. I don't know what I am thinking. I know I am going to be running around like a crazy person on Monday trying to get everything in order. It is all part of the fun though. :) I get to spend the first five days in London seeing the sights before I go to Oxford. I could not be more excited. I have never been to Europe and I am looking forward to seeing all the buildings. There is so much history! I can't wait to stand in a building that people stood in centuries ago. :) I am going to take hundreds of pictures, I can already tell. :) I am taking 3 classes once I get to Oxford. I will be taking Family Law, Alternate Dispute Resolution, and a class on the English Legal System. It is 6 hours all together and it should be fun. My grade does not transfer to U of H, so I don't have to worry about pressuring myself to do well. That being said, you all know me... I am going to try my hardest none the less. :) My classes are going to be fun though and they are all three areas I am interested in, so it should make class for 6 hours a day bearable. I only have class on Monday- Thursday, so I doubt I will be in Oxford much on the weekends. I am planning some day trips and some weekend trips. My friend Melissa is coming in town one week and we are going to go see Bath! And for the rest of the theoretical trips, I hope to meet some people in the program with me that want to go places. We will see. :) When my classes are over, I have five more days in Europe. I am planning on going to Paris. I want to ride the chunnel and say I was underwater. I think it is going to be cool! Hehe. Then I come back to Dallas on the 9th of August and will be here for a little while. So if you want to hang out with me in D-town, give me a call on the 9th or 10th. And then, I will be back in Houston on the 13th! :) :) I am excited to start school again and get back into the swing of things. I miss you all already and can't wait to come back and see you all again.

Alright, I think I made my update long enough. :) I am so excited about this summer. It has been amazing so far and going to Oxford is going to broaden my view of the world. I can't wait to come back home and tell you all about it. Email me back if you get time and let me know how you are doing! ~Jen

Update

Hello All,
I know it has been a while since I sent out an email update. Sorry. I am still alive and kicking in law school. I have been in five classes this semester and I just turned in my final projects in one of them today. Yea! I finished another one a few weeks ago, so I have three finals to go. They are next week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please be praying for me and my classmates for the next few weeks. Everyone gets so stressed out during finals and it is a really good time to stand out for the Lord. Please pray that I would be visibly different than my classmates and they would see Christ through me! Thanks.

I am done with school on the 12th. Praise God! This year has been really good though. God has been so faithful to me this semester and His provision for me continues to astound me. I am so at peace with law school because I know that He has me here for a reason. School is definitely difficult, but it is good to know that I am where I am supposed to be.

As for my summer plans, at the end of May, I will be moving back to Dallas and clerking for Judge Boyle (a federal judge for the northern district of Texas) for five weeks. My job will consist of researching and writing briefs for the judge. Some of my briefs may actually get published as case decisions... If this happens, I will send one, just to show you what I do with my free time. :) At the end of June I go to Oxford, England to study abroad for five weeks. I am going with Oklahoma University and am taking a class on family law and alternate dispute resolution. I am very excited to see Europe, as I have never been. Then in August I will be back in Houston to start year number two of law school! :)

Thank you all for your prayers for me through the school year! It means more to me than you know.

I hope this email finds you well! Please write back and let me know how you are doing when you get a chance! :)
With joy,
Jen Lewis

P.S. Praise the Lord, I am about to have a brand new baby second cousin! By the time you read this my cousin, Jacki, will have had her first baby. If you get a chance, please pray for her, her baby, and her husband. :) Thanks.

Guatemala

I just returned from my first international mission trip.  It is all to fresh and vivid to know what to post about.  I do know two things though:  1) I was blessed more than I could have possibly blessed anyone and 2) We are so blessed to live in America.  

Pastor Gregg talked about Americans being born with such privilege.  Just by being a United States citizen, I am one of the wealthiest people on the planet.  I have food, clothing, a car, shelter...  Anything I could ever imagine and I take it all for granted.  It is a shocking reality for me because  we are held accountable for how we steward what we are given.  This is a scary thought for everyone, but I had always taken solace in the fact that I was young, in school, and did not really have an income.  But even still the Lord has blessed me more abundantly than the majority of the world.  I need to seriously re-evaluate my spending and my thoughts on stewardship.  

The most shocking part of the trip, that will stay with me forever was the AIDs orphanage, San Jose.  The Mayan culture believes that if you are diseased and you have sex with a virgin, you will be cleansed of your disease (a similar belief is prevalent in Africa).  One of the precious little girls in the orphanage was 5 years old when she was raped by her father.  He transmitted his disease to his poor, pure and helpless daughter and then took her to San Jose.  I was so enraged and saddened.  How different than the relationship our Lord wants to have with us as our heavenly father.  I can't even describe my grief for this poor, precious little girl.  I pray that our Father wraps her so tightly in His love as she lives out her life in an AIDs orphanage.  

I learned so much more and would LOVE to talk to you about it anytime!  My web-album is below.  My encouragement to you  is if you feel the call of our Lord, Go!  You will be changed forever and you will not regret it.  

Guatemala Mission Trip

Summer Plans

Ok, So here is the final update on my summer plans. First of all, thanks so much for your prayers! God totally made my decision for me. I decided that if the Houston judge had called me back by the time I got home from school today I would accept the Houston clerkship. Otherwise, I decided I would call Judge Lynn in Dallas and accept the position.

Well, when I got home I had no call from the Houston judge so I decided to call Judge Lynn back and see if she was going to offer me a position or if she had more questions for me. The clerk for Lynn was not in her office, so I left a message for her to call me back. Five minutes later I got a call from another judge in Dallas, Judge Boyle offering me a clerkship, which I accepted (it took me a while to realize that it was not the same judge, it could have been bad. Thank the Lord I didn't say anything stupid on the phone and it all worked out). So I will be working for Judge Jane Boyle in Dallas for the first half of the summer. She was appointed in 2004 by George W. and sounded really nice on the phone. So to all my Dallas friends, I am coming home! And to all my Houston friends, I will come and visit you all on the weekends. :) I am just glad that the Lord made the decision for me.

I feel at peace about this summer and the crazy way it all worked out I know that it all happened for a reason. As soon as I got off the phone with Judge Boyle, Judge Lynn's clerk called me to offer me the position, which I had to decline because I am working for Boyle. Crazy huh? If judge Boyle had called even five minutes later I would be working for Judge Lynn this summer.

I then called the Houston judge and informed him of my offer and thanked him for the honor of being considered to work in his chambers. I also received two other offers for interviews today that I had to decline. One of them is Judge Lake, who is doing the Enron trial... weird huh? I think he would have been cool to work for, and the other was another Dallas judge. It is really cool to feel wanted. I have to say that God is funny though and I am glad things worked out the way they did.

Thanks again for all your prayers,
Jen

Summer Plans

Hey All,
I just wanted to ask you to pray for me tomorrow. I have an interview with a federal district judge tomorrow at 5:30P.M. It is for a clerkship this summer. They are kinda a big deal... I guess. Pray that the Lord's will would be done. I want to be where He wants me. If I am offered the clerkship, I have to take it (That is the way it works with judges). So pray that the judge would have discernment as to whether I am supposed to be in his office this summer or not...
Thanks guys!
Jen

Law School Update

I could not be more excited about my grades. I have never felt like writing was my strong suit and to have four essay tests in which I was being compared to people who have been writing for years, I was extremely intimidated. But the Lord is good. I put my faith in Him and He provided. I never expected to get an A in the entire time I was in law school, so to get one in my first semester truly blew me away. I pray that I can continue to depend on the Lord and not on myself for the next five semesters. I think that the biggest blessing bestowed on me through my grades is the knowledge that I can handle law school. I came to school not knowing exactly what specialty I wanted to do and in some ways not know what I was doing at all. I trust that the Lord will show me what he wants me to do with my degree, but surviving the first semester and doing well shows me that He does have a purpose for me being in law school and it is exciting. I still have no clue what I am going to do when I graduate, but I have complete faith that He will show me... In His timing. :)

My classes this semester seem like they are going to be interesting. My teachers seem nice so far... but we will see. I do not think any of them are going to be as inappropriate as one of mine was last semester so that is a blessing. I will have to update you more later on my teachers since I haven't really felt them out yet. My criminal law class is going to be very reading intensive. I have already had to read 148 pages and it is day 3... My other classes seem about like my classes from last semester. The only difference is this semester I have one more class than I had last semester so I may be bussier if that is even possible. My goal this semester as it was last semester is to keep my priorities in order and keep the Lord first in my life.

In case you didn't know, I am going overseas to Oxford this summer. I have always wanted to study abroad but have never actually done it for one reason or another. This summer is the last time that I will have the option to go overseas so I decided to stop coming up with excuses not to go and to actually do it. I am going with a program through OU so I will not know anyone before I go. Hopefully I will be able to make some friends on the trip though and I will be able to travel a little while I am in Europe. I have never been before so I want to see EVERYTHING. I know that I won't get to everything in one summer, but it is a start. :) I am taking 6 hours so my workload will be lighter once I get back. :)

Also, I am applying to go overseas during my spring break. My Church is hosting a trip to Guatemala and I am applying for it. Please pray that the Lord's will would be done. If I get accepted to the trip I will have to raise support in a very short amount of time, which is scary... You can be praying for that also. I am really excited about potentially going on this trip! :) I have never been on a mission trip before and I hope this is in the Lord\'s timing. I will let you know more later. :)

Anyway, thanks again for all of your prayer and encouragement. Please email me and let me know how you are doing!
Yours Truly,
Jennifer Lewis