Happy Halloween!

We had our last conference game today against Cedar Crest College. And we won!!! That puts our CSAC record at 7-4! My first ever winning volleyball season! Very cool. We dominated and put the game away 3-0. After the second game it was really odd, they made us sit down and they did their senior night honors. Oh well we didn't get destracted.

The game was supposed to be put on a live feed onto the internet, so my family planned on watching. But sadly the video didn't work :/. Maybe it will work later?

Anyway today is also Halloween. My pumpkin that Sam and Candace got for me is about as festive as I am getting this year. It was the decision between a costume or a horse show that I didn't even think twice about. So while people are out partying or trick or treating I will be indoors watching the World Series. Go Phillies!!! I've said it before and I'll say it again, never before have I watched or understood more baseball lol. Oh well 'When in Rome.' :)

Volleyball in the Big City

We had two games today. The first against Baruch College, and the second against Mount Saint Vincent. We lost to Baruch 1-3. Ugh. We should have played better and won that game, but like any other time we lose everyone was off in their own world.

We beat Mount Saint Vincent 3-1! And thank goodness. They were no better than Baruch, but they had an amazing defense! We could hit that ball with everything we had and somehow they would get under it. Props. But the squealing thing, that needed to stop lol.

We played at Baruch, which is located directly in NYC. It was crazy! The school was only a couple stories high on the outside but the gym was two stories underground with another level below that! New York is beautiful in its own way, but I'll stick to open land with ponies thank you :).

Centenary Squirrels!

So today in study hall there was this poor squirrel stuck on the inside of the library! Once people started noticing him the capturing began. He was a pretty smart squirrel and avoided all forms of entrapment. However that ment running around the library, breaking a whale, and hitting his head on a window. Eventually someone from security was able to grab him and he made a safe exit to the great outdoors. That was the most exciting thing study hall has ever seen!

Today was such a beautiful fall day! There are so many trees here that change colors its insane! Looking out my window you can see every color associated with fall. Its so pretty!

All the pretty colors.

The mountain. lol.

We did it!

We officially made it to play-offs! We beat Rosemont College 3-0. Tonight was both senior night and our own dig pink. We have two seniors this year, Cara Gibson and Yuki Arita. I love you guys!

For dig pink we sold cupcakes and collected donations all going straight to breast cancer research. We also decked ourselves out in pink jerseys and pink socks. To get everyone in the spirit of things we even made the other team white and pink jerseys.

Back in the Briar patch

HORSE SHOW! The best two combined words in the english language :). I had another IHSA show today back at Briarwood. The weather was so nice today! It was great. I really liked it especially since I'm not feeling well :/.

For some reason I was only signed up to flat today even though I signed up for jumping too. I rode a horse named Red and we did a great job and got first place! :) He was such a good boy!

I can't wait to show again, and hopefully next time I'll be able to jump! I will show again November 15th at Marist College. Can't wait!!!

458!

Red.

The newest addition.

Montclair State

We went to the Montclair State Tournament this past Friday and Saturday. The tournament was helping raise funds for breast cancer and they had a whole bunch of pink things for sale. Like t-shirts and crocs for only $2! I stuck with just a shirt though.

We got 2nd place for the whole thing. We beat Manhattenville College 3-0, Brooklyn College 3-0 and John Jay College 3-1. We only lost once to Montclair State 0-3.

On Saturday after playing Coach arranged it with my art professor to go to the Montclair Art Museum for my project. This way I didn't have to miss playing or be late with my project!

Keystone

We beat Keystone College yesterday and we won! 3-0! Now we are 5-4, if we win our next conference match we are going to play-offs! We have a tournament this weekend at Montclair State and we are looking to do well.

IHSA at Briarwood

Another full day was in store today with my first IHSA show. We had to leave the parking lot by 6:15am! We all packed into 2 vans and we were off to Briarwood Farm. When we got there the captains and Heather went to a meeting.

The way an IHSA horse show works is like this:
7:30 - Coaches & Captains meeting
*Here they draw the numbers of the horses each person will be riding and settle things for the day.
8:00 - Horse Warm Up
8:30 - Show starts
~Open over fences
~Intermediate over fences
~Open and Intermediate flat
~Lunch & Schooling Break
~Novice over fences
~Novice flat
~Then all of the strictly flat classes: Advanced Walk Trot Canter, Beginner WTC, Advanced WT, and Beginner WT.

I showed in Novice Over Fences and Flat, so that means all morning I got to sit around in the freezing, rainy, muddy cold and watch. It was cool to be able to really chill out and watch how it all works before I had to ride. But when my time came and I got on my first horse I realized just how cold I was! All of me was so stiff!

For my over fences class I rode Trooper, a small bay gelding. We had a few troubles throughout our round. We trotted the first jump and then he stopped at the second. That pony really needed leg!!! We made it through the rest of the course but because of the first part I didn't expect any type of placing. It was a good learning experience and I can't wait to be able to try it again.

Next was my flat class. I waited for a while till I had to get on so I was able to watch some more. I rode River in my flat class, an even smaller chestnut gelding. A 7 year-old warmed him up this morning so I knew I didn't have to worry about him being a jerk. We layed down a perfect flat class and we won! :) I was so excited!!! He was such a good boy.

Because I placed first I won not only a ribbon but a blue lay and a dunkin donuts gift card! While I was in the office I checked on how I did for my over fences just for kicks and giggles. And somehow I got reserve, which is 7th place. So I came home with two ribbons! :) There was also a guy from Campus Equestrian there and He will publish all the winners from the day and their home town!

Then I was able to change back into my warmer clothes and watch the rest of our riders go. Once the show was done we helped clean up and then we were good to head out. We got back after dinner was closed so Sam and I, Candace tagged along, went to McDonalds for some dinner. We then hit up DQ for some ice cream. It was well deserved after doing well at the schooling show and today! I can't wait for the show next Sunday!!! :D

The Centenary Crew.

My flat pony River.

My really muddy boots!

First and Seventh :).

My updated Ribbon wall!

Pressing On

We had another double header this week over at Neuman University. It went just like last Saturday and we lost both matches :(. I played really well though and 8 kills, 5 digs, and 4 blocks, with minimal errors :).

Before our games we had enough time to invade the class of 1986's reunion and eat their lunch. They did invite us in, so in we came lol. We filled up an entire shuttle and we definitely enjoyed eating the free food!

Our next game is a home game on Wednesday. I really want to win! I'm tired of this. I really want to have a winning season for once in my life! We could do really well in play-offs. We just have to get there.

Kelly's Mustache!

Schooling Show

Good morning! I woke up this morning at 6am happy as a clam for no other reason than a horse show! Centenary hosted a schooling show and it was a great warm-up for my IHSA show this Sunday.

The horse I rode was Karat. He is a big bay Trakehner! Awe. Like Groovin :). We did the Novice 2'6" Eq. bright and early so I would have enough time to get to class. Warm up was exciting and Karat needed some extra canter time. But once it was our turn to show things started to settle.

Our first round didn't go all that great but it wasn't terrible. Good enough for a 5th place. We got lucky with that one lol. Our second round was much improved! I kept my leg on and Karat stayed at the same pace. We took 1st in that class :). Our third round went really well, I would have like our finishing circle to have been done better but I was happy with it. We placed 3rd. Flatting is not something I am the best at but I remembered to keep my leg on and seat up and we placed 3rd there as well.

What a way to go in my first show here at school! It was weird not being on my boy, but I still had a blast!!! I put Karat away and gave him some well deserved treats, then I went to go close out my entry. I turned in my number and collected my ribbons. Not only did I get the four for my classes but I also got a fifth one. I had won Reserve Champion! :) Woohoo! The perfect way to start my day! :)

Karat.

My ribbon wall begins again!

The rest of my consisted of passing my History of Modern Art mid-term, volleyball practice and watching the school's play "The Clandestine Marriage." The play was really cute and it made me want to overact and watch silent films! Now I must rest for my hectic upcoming weekend. Two volleyball games tomorrow and a horse show on Sunday!

Not Preparred

I was at the barn today for my lesson and it was raining. Ok no problem, that happens. But then it was no longer simply rain. It started slushing. Then the slush got closer and closer to snow that this happened! There was white covering the ground :(. Saddest day of my life!

Later Candace and I were waiting for Campus Ministry Food & Faith to start so we decided that no time better than the present to decorate our boxes. We both decided to put all the letters and cards our families send us in them. I think they turned out pretty cool.

Candace's Box.

My Box.

Nothing Left

Holy cow I am drained!!! I've been going and going and going without a very real break for some rest. Tuesdays and Thursdays are hard enough as it is with riding and then 3 hourse of volleyball right after but 100 dives yesterday hasn't helped one bit. All of me is stiff and sore. I thought I felt like a 90 year old woman before, but boy was I wrong!

We don't have another game till Saturday and like last Saturday we have two :(. Two league games. I'm so tired of being at practice and feeling like the only thing I can accomplish is getting my serve over. I can't block, "only sometimes" says coach, and hitting is way out of the picture. I can't do anything right.

I have a quiz tomorrow, a 10 min presentation Thursday, and a Mid-term Friday. Along with a horse show Friday morning and Sunday. Help!

On a negatively positive note, I lead the team against Cabrini in kills! That sounds really great right? Well I had 6. Yeah, now it goes back to being bad again. Sigh. I just want to sleep.

Another New Do!

Erika and Jelena bought some semi-permanent red hair dye and since I already had bleached spots from my purple they invited me to try it out with them. The bottle says it should wash out in a few weeks so I went for it! Now I will have some random red for a while :).

Something More

A few weeks ago at the Campus Ministry's Food & Faith thing on Thursday nights we somehow got onto the topic about people who truly have never heard about God, different religious views and the knowledge and need for a higher power. I think I talked about this night before because it really rubbed me the wrong way, but I've thought about it a lot and when I opened one of the books I'm reading called The Air I Breathe by Louie Giglio, some of my thoughts were confirmed.

Louie talks about how in Acts Paul sees the people of Athens worshipping every god you could possibly think of and even had one call "to an unknown god." He goes on to say that everyone has some kind of feeling that there is something bigger than ourselves, some of us just don't know what or who that is. This brings me back to that night, I had said that even people in the very depths of African wilderness worshipped something. But they don't worship the water and the earth because thats what gives them life, I mean they think that it does, but when you are able to tell them of Jesus and His amazing sacrifice for them I've heard numerous stories where it all makes sense to them. People are out there searching for something that they don't know what it looks like.

We all have the need to worship something. All of this is really crazy because over the last few weeks the topics I keep listening to during Youth Group, Food & Faith, Church and Worship have been separated and I've just had to take a back seat and see how God would talk to me. Well it all came together just now. I'm in awe and amazement! Every time we talk about worshipping something people mention that they are addicted to their tvs or what not and I keep asking myself what am I addicted to that can/is taking my focus off of God. I've always thought to myself that riding could be that thing for me, I just love it so much and I've even said its the air I breathe. Creepy huh? I think as this has been brought up time and time again I'm starting to let go of riding being that important to me. Don't get me wrong, I still believe its my purpose in life, I've just been trying to re-evaluate whether or not its my doing or God's.

Things change when what's important changes. I hope that things are changing in me and for me. I hope that means my goals and ambitions aren't off track but if they are I want to trust God to blindly follow Him. I say blindly follow because I won't ever know what the future brings, not because I'm brainwashed or anything. That kind of was off track but I was recently told not to be brainwashed by religion or the right wing. Well I'll have you know that I believe what I belive religiously and politically because of what I've seen for myself. I am still finding out all that I believe politically but religiously I've got it. I will always be learning more and new things but go ahead and I ask me anything! And I mean anything! Go ahead try me.

Like I said I am amazed and in awe with everything that has just come together. I can't believe it. Yet I totally can :). And I love it! <3

Enough

The Lord's Prayer: "Give us today our daily bread."

TODAY - right now
OUR - not just one, a community
DAILY - everyday we must rely on Him

~Where your treasure is your heart is there also
~When we gain something we lose something else
~Something great is always there we just need to know what to eliminate
~When we lose something we then realize how much a gift it is

Enough

by Chris Tomlin & Louie Giglio

You are my supply my breath of life

Still more awesome than I know

You're my reward worth living for

Still more awesome than I know

All of you is more than enough for

All of me for every thirst and every need

You satisfy me with your love

And all I have in you

Is more than enough

You're my sacrifice of greatest price

Still more awesome than I know

You're my coming King, You are everything

Still more awesome than I know

All of you is more than enough for

All of me for every thirst and every need

You satisfy me with your love

And all I have in you

Is more than enough

More than all I want more than all I need

You are more than enough for me

More than all I want more than all I need

You are more than enough

Homecoming

Homecoming! My first official dance. What an interesting experience for sure. It was fun though being with the volleyball girls and Kathleen. We all sat around one table and had a great time in general.

Me & Kathleen.

The without roomies crew.

Cute.

The party place.

Look Beyond Our Walls

Yay for an A!

For History of Modern Art we had to make a collage. I did mine on world hunger/poverty. And I got a 100% and my professor kept it :).

4-1 Baby! :)

Woohoo! Go Cyclones! :). We beat Marywood 3-0 tonight. Thats the way we like it! Our conference record is now 4-1 and to make it to play-offs we need to be 6-5 at least. We are on our way there!

This is such a crazy experience for me! I'm on a winning team!!! No offense guys <3 lol. We play another team on Saturday and are out for another win!

Dorm Wars!

Dorm Wars! Its like a huge spirit day with each hall competing against each other. The teams were Reeves, Smith, Aderson/Washabaugh, Lotte/Van Winkle, Bennet-Smith/Founders and Commuters. Reeves totally had the biggest team :).

The competitions were an obstacle course, Bananagrams, Musical Chairs, a Dot game, and an eating Relay. Candace and I did the saltine cracker part. We had to eat four saltines without our hands and then whistle, then people had to be feed apple sauce and then a piece of bubble gum had to be found in a whole bunch of whipped cream and then they had to blow a bubble. We totally had the lead until the bubble gum :/. Reeves tied for last place over all :(.

Go team Reeves!

Jess, Me and Candace.

EAT! EAT! EAT!

USET Finals

Sam and I volunteered to help out at the USET Finals at the USEF Headquarters. When we signed up we had no idea that we would be asked to sit on buckets in the rain and direct traffic :(.

We got a lunch break so we tried to watch some of the riders do their gymnastics round. After seeing the riders on the bottom of the list go we all decided that when the top riders went that we would be done for the day.

The top riders were:
~Maggie McAlary
~Chase Boggio
~Jessica Springsteen
~Victoria Birdsall
~Tina DiLandri

Other names I recognized were Haylie Jayne, Zazou Hoffman, Jennifer Waxman, and Schaefer Raposa.

The Final Result were as follows:
1st - Matthew Matell
2nd - Jessica Springsteen
3rd - Maggie McAlary
4th - Elizabeth Lubrano

Noodle.

Jessica Springsteen. Bruce Springsteen's daughter.

Maggie McAlary.

Beezie Madden!!!

Targetup

Target is such a great place! And the one here even has a Starbucks in it! So Sam, Candace and I went and got some coffee and did some shopping. After getting all that we needed we ran across some awesome fun :). Halloween costumes. Oh yeah! We were having a blast dressing up and found a nice man to take a picture of us. We ran around for a while more and then found ponies on sticks! That totally ment we needed to have a race. We set my camera on one of the shelves and then we were off!

Sam and the Hot Dog.

The Gorilla and Candace.

Awe <3

Our counterparts lol.

Off to the Races :).