Virtually Run the 3.2 for 32!

I carried my phone while I casually ran the 3.2 for 32 last Saturday.  I figured I could share the course with y'all on here! My Hokies can tell in these pictures where I am but I'll provide some commentary. Essentially, this "race" is HUGE. Thousands of people. It isn't really a race though - no time or anything. You wear a bib, but instead of a number it says "I run 3.2 for..." and then everyone writes in who/what they run for.  On my bib I always write "Austin, Mary & ALL Hokies <3" Releasing the 32 white balloons and thousands of maroon and orange balloons:

This year was sort of windy and tons of balloons got stuck in that tree. Awkward.

Running down West Campus about to go around the duck pond!

Just carrying a telephone pole:

These guys didn't beat me but the corps guys with huge heavy packs on did!

No pictures at the duck pond. So crowded! But there were two acapella groups to keep us motivated!

Some bagpipers across from Cassell to encourage us:

Heading into Lane:

Running through the tunnel:

Reach for excellence!

 Enter Sandman was playing. Any Hokie knows this is unreal:

Heading up the hill by Stadium Woods. My neighborhood to the right!

Back on the main campus area, turning the corner by Torg to the finish:

Finishing HOKIE strong!

Waited to watch my mama finish!

Wearing my "I Only Run in Maroon & Orange" shirt from the expo:

Love my Hokies.

Hokies love Boston

  Between the events in Boston & the anniversary of April 16th here in Blacksburg, I can't find the right words for this post.
All I will say is this: Boston, we are here for you, just as you were there for us six years ago.     Prayers.

Christmas at God's House

This will be my only other post about Newtown.  I just can't help but think of that community tonight, especially after listening to the President speak on TV.   I found this little passage on Facebook.  I had tears rolling down my cheeks quicker than I could blink them away.  It definitely brings me some comfort.  I hope it does the same for you...

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
Their smiles were contagious; their laughter filled the air,
...they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
They were filled with such joy; they didn't know what to say,
they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

"This is heaven." declared a small boy, "We’re spending Christmas at God's house."
When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same,
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
And in that moment was joy that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
As they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
As if He could read all the questions she had,
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
Then He looked down on earth, the world far below,
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.
Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"May this country be delivered from the hands of fools",
"I'm taking back my nation, I'm taking back my schools!"
Then He and the children stood up without a sound,
"Come now my children, let me show you around."
Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran,
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT!"

I don't mean to exclude the adults that were lost in this tragedy. This post just warmed my heart. May they all rest peacefully.   Prayers and love to everyone in CT.

Hello, again :)

I can officially say it...my semester is OVER! I have time to BLOG! I have time to READ! I have time to CATCH UP ON SHOWS! I have time to SLEEP IN!
If you can't tell, I'm very relieved to be done with the fall semester. Overall, it was a great semester and I can't believe that in 5 months I'll be preparing for graduation. Unreal.
I am so happy to get back into blogging. There is a lot I need to catch up on!
However, today I only want to say one thing: My heart is broken for everyone involved in the tragedy that unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary.  I heard the news as I left my exam yesterday and I held back tears as I walked home. As a future teacher and someone who spends a part of every day with elementary students and interns with kindergarten, I could only imagine the precious faces that I see and think about never seeing them again. It's a sickening feeling and I cannot imagine that that feeling is real for so many people in Connecticut today. My heart is heavy, my thoughts and prayers are with them today and always, and I hope they know how many people are sending them love.  It may seem unlikely now, but the sun will shine again in their hearts. God Bless them.
Of course, it brings back memories of April 16, 2007 for me. I, along with the entire Blacksburg/VT community, will never forget the enormous amount of love and support we received from everyone all over the world.  I hope to 'pay-it-forward' and send my support to Sandy Hook this weekend. I encourage you all to do the same.  Although there are no words that can heal the pain they are feeling, just letting them know that they aren't alone can mean all the difference in the world.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

in memory of AKW

Four years ago today I lost a close friend of mine.It was the summer before our senior year in high school.Kind of funny how this is another "summer before senior year", although the college version. I'll never forget that day, but most importantly I will never forget that girl. 

 "a thing of beauty is a joy forever:it's loveliness increases;it will never pass into nothingness."-John Keats   Speak kindly to others -- Cherish every moment -- Take care of one another -- Have no regrets  Can't wait to say helloooo to the weekend.

Ten on Tuesday

Hey y'all :)Thanks for the sweet words yesterday.The vigil was amazing. Emotional and extremely well done, as always!

waiting to start

after the names had been called

I know it's late, but I wanted to post my Ten on Tuesday with Roots and Rings!

1. What was the last gift someone gave you for no reason at all?
Steven surprise visit was a gift in itself. It would have been a long, boring weekend without him.


2.What is the last gift you gave someone for no reason at all?
Hmm. Probably cadbury mini eggs for my mom. Her/our favorite.

3.What is your favorite thing you like to do alone?
Go shopping. Is that weird? I just think I'm the only one who has enough patience for shopping with myself...I take for-ev-er.


4.What is your favorite thing to with a group of friends?
Eat, go to Walmart, go downtown...typical Southwest Va activities

5.What is on your agenda for tomorrow?
A LOT...an 8 am, giving a tour at 9:30, class at 11, getting ready for Relay 1-3, work at 3 and handing out Relay shirts at the Team captains meeting at 7! I better get to bed pronto...


6.What would you do tomorrow if you didn’t have any responsibilities?
Sleep...sleep...sleep...watch Say Yes to the Dress...sleep...sleep...sleep


7.What is something you miss from your childhood?
Being able to wear whatever I felt like and it was always cute! Oh, and 90s boy bands.

8.What is something you don’t miss at all from your childhood?
Hoodrats in Virginia Beach. Just kiddinggg. I don't miss my HUGE glasses that I had. They weren't that big, but on a second grader...they look like bug eyes.


9.What is your favorite word?
Fancy.


10. What is your least favorite word?
Moist.



Those were super random. I loved it.

My Weekend and 4/16/07

Today's post is going to be a roller coaster ride and sort of a long post.I had an amazing weekend that I am happy to be sharing, however today brings back some sad memories for me but I still want to share them with you.After all, this is my own, personal blog.
We'll start with the weekend...  My weekend started off with a great day at work! I haven't worked on a Friday in quite a while (unusual for me) so I was really happy to be there for our fun movie day.After work I went to an acapella concert with my friend, Brittany! It was a lot of fun and the all-male group sang a lot of fun songs, including "I Want It That Way" and "Go The Distance" from Hercules, among many other songs. I really enjoy listening to acapella groups! There are a ton on campus. It's awesome.
Around 10:00 pm I headed home and Steven texted me that he wanted to Skype. So, naturally, I was anxious to get home because we haven't skyped/seen each other for about two weeks! We have talked on the phone, but that isn't the same.Long story short, I pulled up to my townhouse and who was sitting on my porch!??!You guessed it!

I got to see this guy in real life and spend the weekend with him.I think I was the happiest girl in the world!
On Saturday I woke up bright and early to walk the 3.2 for 32 on campus. I decided to walk with my Mom and two of her friends because I'm still trying to get over my sinus infection and didn't feel up to running. 

 The race starts with a balloon release on the drillfield. 32 white balloons followed by thousands of maroon and orange balloons. This moment is always emotional for me. 

The course then runs through campus, through Lane Stadium and ends back on the drillfield. 

 I have participated in the run each year it has been held and I will continue to do so in years to come!If you are ever in Blacksburg when the race is being held, I encourage you to run or walk it and be a part of our community where all are welcome.
After the run, Steven and I watched some of his brother's baseball game and went to Frosty Parrot downtown. I am slightly addicted to this place. We shared a bowl of white chocolate mousse (my favorite) and blueberry tart with fruit and goodies on top.

On Sunday I went to church and then headed to a lunch in memory of Mary Karen Read, a victim of the April 16th shooting. Her family established a scholarship in her memory and I was lucky enough to receive it my sophomore year. Each spring, her family travels to Blacksburg and all of the past and present recipients get together to have lunch and chat. Her family is amazing and I am so blessed to have received the scholarship and be able to carry on Mary's legacy through my desire to teach. Lastly, I spent the afternoon at Hokie Focus giving tours to prospective students. It was a hot day for tours, but at least the families were able to see our campus in the sunshine which is when it looks best! I had a full weekend that went by WAY too fast. I had fun, though, and am still so happy that Steven surprised me!  Today, we are ALL Hokies...

  

I took some time this morning to visit the April 16 memorial which is located in front of Burruss Hall.

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the shooting on Virginia Tech's campus.

Five years ago, today, I sat in my English class in Blacksburg High School. It was a normal, cold, April day. In high school you aren't supposed to have your cell phones in class, but no one listens to that rule. A girl, Emma, in my class received a text from one of her friends that there was a shooting at Virginia Tech. Cue the panic. Text after text started flowing in with the number of people dead. Everyone's worst nightmare was unfolding just a mile down the road. We all sat in shock as we were put on lockdown for the remainder of the day. No one knew what to do or say. There was fear for our friends, parents and siblings who were on campus that day.

School was cancelled for the rest of the week as our community tried to comprehend what had just happened and begin to pick up the pieces.

A former Blacksburg High School student, Austin Cloyd, was among the victims. That hit me hard. Her younger brother was in my class and my heart broke for him and his family.

I'll never forget going to the convocation on campus where President Bush came to talk. We didn't make it into Cassell Colesium, but instead sat on the turf in Lane Stadium watching the speeches on the jumbo tron.

There were hugs, tears, and hands to hold wherever you looked.

I'll never forget going to The Concert for Virginia Tech. I am a big Dave Matthews Band fan and I would never in a million years have thought my first time seeing them in concert would be in Lane Stadium or under circumstances such as those influencing the concert.

During that concert, Dave said something that still gives me chills today:

""I must tell you, there is no place I'd rather be in the world than right here with y'all, right now."

It was an extremely emotional concert, from the artists wearing VT shirts, to hearing the "Let's Go" chant as we waited for performers to take the stage. I have the DMB performance on my iPod and I listen to it every once in a while.

I will be forever thankful for the love and support the nation showed us that year, and each year after as we face each anniversary. From the students to the faculty to the community members to the alumni to the families to the Hokie fans everywhere...this day will never be easy, but we will prevail.

We truly are a Hokie Nation. And today, we are ALL Hokies.

Prayers, please, and Giveaways!

I went out of town this weekend but didn't bring my mac - shocking, I know! Pictures/recap to come. The weekend snuck up on me so I didn't have time to pre-write posts.

Anyway, today is going to be brief. I have a tough exam at 7 pm tonight, then another one tomorrow and my last one on Wednesday! Ahhh, here goes nothin'...

Today is the funeral for the fallen VT officer. Please continue to keep his family and friends in your prayers.  Unfortunately, Westboro Baptist Church has decided to picket Office Crouse's funeral today outside of the coliseum. I will never understand that group of people and I hope that our community chooses to ignore them this time because attention is what they seek. They know that their signs and words hurt people and they want us to get angry. What I hope is that people realize that they aren't worth our time, energy and anger. I would be happy to know that they are standing out there holding signs for no one to see. I think that would anger them more than us trying to stand out there and fight back.

The WBC visited Blacksburg last April and set up "displays" at three different locations.

In happier news, I need to catch up with Ashley & Crystal's giveaways! While I was gone, I did not get to mention these giveaways...
From Ashley's blog:

Marley Lilly scarf!

Port Southern package!

J Designs package!

From Crystal's blog:

Coffee cozy!

Starbucks fun!

Holiday Surprises!

Make sure you take a study/work break and enter those giveaways :)


xoxo,

Sunday Verse

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. -John 15:13

Today we remember those lost on 9/11, we pray for their families and friends and we honor and salute those who serve our country every day.

Thank you to the men and women not only in the military, but in our fire, police and rescue departments across the nation. Thank you for your sacrifices and for keeping us safe.

God Bless America

xoxo,