not once, but twice.

yup.

that's right.

i'm going to be an aunt TWO TIMES in july 2014.

sister and sis-in-law are preggo.

we're just a tad bit excited over here at my house.

(completely an understatement.)

(insta @purposelyathome)

the first day of the last.

today is it.

the first day of my last semester of college.

boy, howdy.

how i have been looking forward to this day.

it seems like only yesterday i was registering for my first semester of online classes.

and yet, it seems like it was eternity ago.

as i look back over my wonderful experience of college life, i am reminded of all the blessings that i experienced along the way...

`being able to stay at home and complete my assignments in the comfort of my own home.

`having a family that was there all along the way to support me.

(mom, i couldn't have done it without ya.)

`not having to worry about being "late" for class when i could just hop on the internet and be there in the midst of class session.

`being able to go to bed at 9:00 like an old grandma and not feel pressured to stay up with college friends.

`having the flexibility to spend more time with family and friends instead of having to sit through lectures in a college building classroom.

...sitting at the table in my pj's, just me and my lecture notes, studying for a final.

...being able to answer a discussion board in the empty library on my lunch hour.

...having the privilege of being able to take women's Bible classes and learning about how to be a homemaker and virtuous wife.

...having the most quaint classroom of them all.

...and sometimes, mid-term week just called for a breakfast of chocolate graham crackers with peanut butter and a diet coke.

...oh yeah, and then the little reminders for everyday.

yes.

it was an amazing last four years.

even with all the tears that were cried over accounting 1 and 2 homework and the instructors who would take weeks to email me and grade my work, these past four years held some of the greatest blessings in my life.

so here we go.

last semester, let's get you knocked out.

candy, sasquatch, and a trailer.

what do those three things have in common?

the reese family Christmas.

the cousins from georgia came to visit for the day.

we ate a hearty brunch and played phase 10.

and then, for the second year in a row, it was time to decorate the family float.

red, white, and blue was the theme for this year.

all the cousins piled in the truck driven by the brother-in-law and we traveled down the red-mud road to the country town of vida.

(also known as vider. hehe! ;)

after being rinsed off by the volunteer firemen (it had rained a lot the days before so it was a sloppy red mess), we were lined up among the other floats.

turning the float around to head back to the starting point, aunt needed her picture taken with sasquatch.

perfect.

and then it was home for another round of phase 10, present opening, and drinking eggnog punch.

merry Christmas everybody.

to save a kiss.

i turned on my music and set my running app. my ear buds were in my ear and i was ready.

i turned the bend and began running, settling into my routine at the running track in the community.

in the middle of the track are soccer fields.

in the distance, i noticed a high school "couple" sitting on the soccer field bleachers to my right.

as i drew closer to where they were sitting, i was shocked at what i saw.

the guy and girl kissing.

passionately kissing.

i continued my run and every time i made another lap and rounded that bend, the girl was either sitting in the guys lap, smothering him with her arms wrapped around his neck, or just majorly flirting with him by her actions.

i was shocked.

i mean, sadly, in our world today you may say: "big deal, they're kissing."

but, ladies and gentlemen.

it's a big deal.

click here to read a story of a girl who saved her first kiss.

your kiss.

the thing that you would never give away to a gross boy in school.

(after all, boys had cooties.)

the thing that only went to your mom and daddy when saying "goodnight."

the thing that was saved for prince charming and him only on your wedding day.

what happened?

how in the world did we go from thinking that "your kiss" was saved for your husband and only your husband to giving it to whichever boy would come and meet you at the soccer field bleachers after school?

i am passionate about this subject.

(read my story here.)

why can't we encourage the warrior poets in our life by setting the bar HIGH?

tell your boyfriend or fiance that you would like to save that piece of your heart until marriage.

girls, whether we realize it or not, we have a major influence in the lives of our guy friends.

when you make this major decision to be a set apart girl and save your first kiss, if the guy respects you enough (and if he doesn't, run far far away!), he will be happy to stay away from your first kiss.

he will be honored to honor your request. 

and if he's the right man God has for you, you both can share in that beautiful moment on your wedding day. 

if he's not the one, you can know that you are still a beautiful wrapped package without any tears,

saved and whole for your future prince charming.

i love you ladies and i know this is hard.

believe me, i do.

but guess what?

it will be worth it.

i cannot wait until my wedding day when i can give my first kiss to the one and only man God made just for me.

i pray so hard that God will give ladies the strength and courage to live a life of purity... 

with no regrets.

XOXOXO

the jingle bell run.

the entry fee had been paid by yours truly for the first time.

(after all, doesn't everybody's mom normally pay their entry fee? hehe!)

i was the only one.

sister was married and it was too far for her to drive.

mom had pulled a muscle while running a few weeks prior and was on the mend.

daddy had a men's meeting at church to attend.

i would be the lone ranger in this jingle bell run for arthritis.

the confirmation email had been received and i was ready.

the morning for the 5k arrived. it was very chilly.

i had laid out my new santa shirt (purchased just for this occasion), black running capris, and santa socks the night before.

waking up at 6:40 on this saturday morning, and after feeding the horses, i donned my gear.

mom and i arrived early and was directed to a parking space at huntington.

there were many runners already hustling and bustling about the campus.

mom and i found a warm building to wait inside until time for the runners to line up at the starting line.

finding my station on pandora, and sticking my headphones in my ear, i was ready.

mom gave me one last wave and smile wishing so badly that she was behind the starting line with me.

after the time clock reached 8:31 a.m., the announcer gave the command and the runners were off.

in the middle of the first mile, there was a snow blower.

blowing snow across the neighborhood street, we ran through it.

there were many runners--at least 300.

everyone set their pace and settled in for the 3.1 miles.

in between songs on my ear buds, i could hear the jingle of jingle bells.

everyone was provided with safety pins complete with jingle bells attached to them to pin their bibs on.

we were "jingling all the way".

i rounded the bend, and heard the cheering. i was nearing the end.

i sprinted the last few yards.

taking my phone out of my pocket, i was ready to press the "stop" button on my app after i would cross the finish line.

over the song that was playing on my ear buds, i heard my mom cheering me across the finish line.

yup, she's the best.

my time flashed: 29:29.

5k number ten. check.

after the race, mom and i went into the warm building again to warm ourselves. then, we ventured back outside and found the fresh orange slices from earthfare and the VIP coffee. 

(not that we were VIP. they were just nice people and shared their coffee with two freezing women--me and mom. ;p)

awards were next and then we fast walked/trotted back to the sub.

let's just say, we worked that heater and heated seats. 

Stats for Jingle Bell Run 5k:

Chip Time: 29:25.0

Gun Time: 29:29.0

Age Division: 20-24

Place: 5th out of the 12 in my age division

Overall Place: 146 out of 375 runners

Pace: 9:28