Busy as a Bee

Christmas Banquet with this stud

I have been busy busy busy as a bee. Officially finishing finals on Friday, I flew to home sweet home in Minnesota Friday night with some of my best friends from the land of nowegians and "Don't cha knows". Since touch down on Friday night, I have hardly had anytime to sit back and rest. Saturday I got caught up to speed what is going on with my sister's, Megan, wedding and went to Troll Haugen in Wisconsin to see my little sister nordic ski race at Holiday Relays, which has always been one of my favorite high school ski races to compete in. I was able to see numerous friends and it was fun to see my coaches again. Afterwards, I raced back to my grandma's who had to alter a dress I borrowed from my suitemate, Kayla. Then I drove over to Bethel University and got ready for the Christmas Banquet with my handsome date, Zach.
The night was filled with pictures, laughter, and dancing. It was a blast to connect with friends from Bethel and also spend some quality time with my boyfriend. We finished off the night by watching the Christmas class, It's a Wonderful Life. If you haven't seen this oldy, I suggest you find it.

My hospital bracelet

This morning I had the joy of experiencing a endoscopy. What fun! I must say it was much better than the colonoscopy I had to have this summer, two days before my 18th birthday. Fortunetly or unfortuntely the doctor did not find anything alarming, so Friday morning I get to do more tests. For having modern medicine, our society is very bad and slow at figuring out what is wrong with someone.

Homemade omlete by my mom

After my endoscopy, I spent the day curled up on the couch drinking hot cocoa, editing papers for my boyfriend, and helping my oldest sister with her wedding. I have yet a minute of my time, not to be occupied.
Although I am busy as a bee, I am so thankful and happy to be home. I never realized how much I would miss home (and home cooked food!) until I had to live on my own for four months. I really appreciate my mother's cooking and laundry skills much more after being away. I am also thankful to be surrounded by the beautiful snow in Minnesnowta. Chicago is missing some of the snow, but makes up for it in wind - a not so pleasant trade off.

I hope everyone is getting fat off of making Christmas cookies and enjoying the craziness of the Christmas season. Although I am a busy bee, I am a very happy busy bee.

Until Next Time, 

Miss Sass A Frass 

Minnesotans that go to school together, stick together

Usually heading to college is a scary, stressful, and strange experience. But if you know anything about my life, it is anything but ordinary, college was no exception. The transition proved to be...well...easy. With almost 50 college credits under your belt, summers spent away from home, and one of your best friends with you, the transition was easy and natural. When I hugged my dad goodbye, he looked at me and said, "wow, you are not shaky at all. Out of all the kids, you are the most solid on your feet, not nervous at all!" I replied with, "why should I be?"

That is exactly it too. I had nothing to fear at college. I knew I could handle college classes, I already had for the last two years through PSEO; I had been living in a dorm like setting at Camp Shamineau for every summer during high school; and I already had a friend, Sarah. I knew if everyone hated me, Sarah loved me and we would have a great year together no matter what happened. When you plan prom (from scratch) with someone (Sarah) you tend to become very very good friends.

College has been a great! I have had a lot of new experiences such as Paint Wars, Ollies Follies, Steak 'N' Shake, and being a Zombie! I have made lots of friends with girls on my floor, but also maintained my friendships from home, two of which have come with me to school. Through all these new experiences I have had Sarah by my side. I am so thankful for her. We have had fun through all our crazy college adventures, someone to support each other when dealing with family or friend drama from home, or just when we want to vent about how much we love and miss Minnesota. I have learned a lot of new things about Sarah while at school.

• Sarah is very good at blocking out sound and distractions around her-not very fun when I am not motivated to do my homework. 
• Sarah has fantastic jewlery (I did know this before I went to school and I find it quite helpful).
• When Sarah gets mad she likes to shake you, or on the rare occassion, shove you into a wall (this is very suprising for sweet, short Sarah). 
• I can always count on Sarah to get dessert with me. 
• Sarah has a very comfortable bed. 

Whether we are riding on the megabus, walking in the rain, or buying cupcakes from a cupcake truck, we stick together, from Minnesota and back. 

Until Next Time, 

Miss Sass A Frass 

Catch that Train

Well it has been a while since I have blogged. I figured everyone must be dying to find out what has been happening to my crazy life while at college. My latest adventure involves a convertible, train, and bus.

This weekend is Fall Break for Olivet Nazarene University. Naturally I decided to go home to Minnesota after being at school for almost two months (7 weeks actually, but who is counting?). One of my best friends, Sarah (also a fellow Minnesotan), and I decided to attempt the arduous journey to the cold North of Minnesota. 

The first leg of our journey required driving to the train station thirty minutes away. Finding someone to drive us there was a difficult task in itself, but luckily my roommate's friend, Ty, who we have kind of gotten to know, offered to drive us. The only downside is that his class ends at 12:50,
and the train leaves at 1:47. That does not sound like a big issue when the drive is only thirty minutes away. The drive is thirty minutes away when you 1) Speed 2) Don't get lost 3) Don't have to get gas. The first two had already happened to us the previous weekend when we took the train and the third Ty informed Sarah and I needed to happen. Ty happened to get out of class slightly late and then couldn't find us when he tried to drive up to our dorm. Eventually we found him, or he found us. He pulled up in a black convertible wearing some intense shades, that left us hardly recognizing him. We threw our suitcases in the back seat and left campus  and landed in a pile of traffic as every Olivet student and their mother tried to get as far away from the campus as possible. We then had to get gas. By this time Sarah's GPS says that we will reach the train station with three minutes to spare. Ty could tell that Sarah and I were starting to get very stressed out, so he turned to me and pinkie promised me that we would make it o the train station in time. True to his word, we arrived to the train station with 3 minutes to spare, even after we had hot traffic. Twice. I don't think I have ever sprinted (or been that rude to someone who has given me a ride) that fast in my life. Carrying a

backpack. Pulling a rolling suitcase. Ohhhh and holding a zebra pillow pet. As we reached the train platform, I heard it shutter, I screamed at Sarah to get on the train and we jumped into the train. We collapsed onto the seats at the front of the train car and noticed that the train was not moving. Sarah looked and saw that we had one minute and thirty seconds to spare. 

Three minutes later the train still had not left and the Metra trains are always on time. Sarah pulled up her train schedule and noticed a little detail we had misread. The train left at 1:57...not 1:47. I looked at her and told I was going to go buy our train tickets now. 

Thankfully, only the first half of our journey was that stressful. We are now sitting relaxing on the Megabus lamenting that Netflix is blocked and armed with two rape whistles. Here we come Minnesota!

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass a Frass

The Last Stretch

It is like running the dreadful 400 meter dash or the 300 meter hurdles. Your body is pumping and working hard to continue to push the edges of your full out sprint as you round the last corner on the track. You dig deep and find energy to glide over the last few hurdles, towards the finish line in sight. As the finish line comes closer with each step, your pushing yourself to cross that line, until you finally do and victory is yours!

That is what the last month of school has been feeling like-hitting the last 100 meters. Being so close, yet so far away from the finish line. Finally, with three weeks left to go, I feel like I have finally rounded the last corner. The end is really in sight. At the beginning of senior year, you tell yourself that the end is in sight and the race to get there will go by quickly, but just like the 300 meter hurdles, once you hit that 150 meter mark-rounding that last corner-your wondering if graduation is really that close. By the time you hit the 200 meter mark, you finally can see that the finish line-and you know it is time to give it that final push to kick it in to the end.

May 15 is my victory day! The day of my last final, the day of my last college class at Northwestern College, and my last day as a high schooler. I cannot wait. Victory will be so sweet. But not quite as sweet as the victory that Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 9:24-27

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

This verse is such a great reminder about the christian walk. Like a race, it is not easy. It is tough mentally, emotionally, and physcially. You have to push to keep going sometimes-through those times when we don't want to read our Bibles, pray, or listen to God. But just like a runner we have to push to receive that prize. But unlike a gold medal, our prize will not eventually disintegrate. It is eternal and everlasting! How crazy is that to think about?! Another verse that ties in with Corinthians is: Hebrews 12:1

 "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."

These verses really resonates with me as an athlete. I know exactly what Paul is talking about how hard it can be to do sometimes. Perseverance. Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do-the push, the drive-to keep going. But through perseverance we will complete that race and receive that sweet sweet reward!

With that in mind, I will run these last three weeks of school with perseverance, but I will not stop once I hit May 15. I will keep on running, so that I may not just receive my perishable reward-a diploma-but that I may receive my heavenly reward with Jesus Christ in heaven for all of eternity.

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass

The Joys of Bronchitis

My Current State 

Have you ever heard anyone say, "I hope you get bronchituis"? Yeah, me neither. I think people know it is just so awful, they do not wish it upon anyone. If you are wondering what bronchituis is and why it is so miserable, let me just share with you the joys of it.

1. It is the common cold...your typical runny/snuffy nose, sore throat, headache, tiredness that you get with any sickness. So that in itself sounds exciting! Paired with that, you...

2. Have a cough. A cough by itself, isn't terrible. Really, you can deal with it. But a cough that sounds like you are a cow dying of lung cancer...now that is really fun. It is even better when you have to hold your sternum because it hurts to much, or your head, because it shakes your head you get a headache. This picture is a perfect visual image of how I look everytime I cough...and sadly...I do look like Rudolph the red nose reindeer, just like this poor man in the image.


3. Have you ever wondered what Bronchitis really looks like? Yeah, me neither, but it will be a good education for both myself and for you. This is the disgusting image of what is really going on in a person's body who has bronchitis aka me. The likelihood of you getting bronchitis is increased if you have any kind of athsma...that includes sports induced athsma-lucky me!
Now if that doesn't excite you enough, let me get to the punch line! It lasts 4-6 weeks!! Ohhhh and did I mention there is no cure or antiboitics for bronchitis, because it is a virus? So watch out, the virus is probally lurking under your bed just waiting to get you!

Doesn't this image almost bring you to tears? Just look at the face of the poor little girl for a few minutes and feel the compassion inside of you seep out.
Think of me when you see this image. The little girl in me looks just like this.

On a final note, whoever invented this is a genius! I might have to try this soon.

Until Next Time,
Miss Sass A Frass

23k

Among 16,000+ skiers this weekend, I attempted a challenging, yet very fun race on the Birkie trail. I took part of the American Birkibiner Race-the largest nordic skiing race in North America. Instead of attempting the 54 kilometers of the full Birkie (Well, since I am not 18 I couldn't even attempt it), I skiied the 23k Kortelopet. I have never raced anything longer than a 10k. I was a little nervous. It proved to be very fun. Having the satisfaction of passing hundreds (literally) of skiers, while racing made me feel pretty good, the only drawback was that I started in wave 6, which made full on racing the course challenging as the trails were pretty chopped up. But it was deffinetly still fun! I finished in 1 hour and 38 minutes (contrary to the Birkie results, which has my results listed wrong). I got 2nd place overall in my age group! The only prize I got for doing so well is a very sore body! Ohhhh well! It was worth it!
With the Birkie, I completed 6 years of high school nordic racing. In those six years, I have lettered 5 times (I got my first letter in 8th grade); made all conference 3(?) times; All section 2 times; gone to State 4 times (twice on the relay, and twice individually), won the Mesabi East Invite (biggest high school race in North America) JV skate race by 1 minute, and have been part of 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place Minnesota State Teams. I would say it was a pretty good 6 years! Besides all of the accomplishments I achieved, I have made some fantastic memories, fabulous friends, and had some fast skis. I am looking forward to the day when I can teach my kids the joy of skiing.

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass

Friends are for Forever

I never truely believed the quote, "Laughter is the best medicine" until I encountered it's healing properties this last month. 

This month was met with some heartache and tears as I did not make the sections team (again). Although there was some unfair decisions made by my coaches, I have learned to respect them and be a team player. Even though I was sad and frustrated I continued to show up to practice, wax my friends' skis, and be a good captain. God strategically put people in my life that week month to encourage, support, and pray for me. Just to name a few:

Zach

He came and cheered me on, the blistery, frost-biting (I have it on my nose to prove the windchill of the day) day of conference. Although some of his cheerings made me mad ("you can go faster" is not encouraging cough!) seeing him out there cheering for me made my day and did make me race faster. Afterwards his sympathy and his positivety while putting up with tearful and self-pitying Mikayla easily gives him the "Best Boyfriend of the Year" award, plus taking me to Cherry Berry to drown my sorrows was a plus too! I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend! :)

Sarah & Rachel

They truely showed me how laughter can heal. I had a sleepover with them the same week of Conference and I could not remember the last time I had laughed that hard. It was so nice to have friends around me to be silly and goofy with! Plus it was my first major sleepover with friends in months, which made it even better! They helped remind me of what is important-relationships and laughter, the key ingrediants in life. I commented to my mom the day after the sleepover, "It is so weird how two nights ago I cried myself to sleep, and last night I literally laughed myself to sleep." Those type of friends are irreplacable. 

My Mom

My mom proudly braggs that she has never missed a single one of my ski races. Some might say that's crazy and she has no life, but I think it's her obvious act of love and support of me, and that means so much to me. She has been there to hold me when I cry, or when I clap my hands in victory. She is my #1 fan and no one can replace her. Her constant words of "You are a winner in my book" and "I am so proud of you" has helped me toughen up, smile, and brave those people who I would rather avoid. She has given me that courage to keep pushing forward. 

A lot of others have also been instumental in my life the last month, most importantly God. Through him, I found the strength to put on a smile, throw my head back, and hopefully be an example to others through this last ardous month. I am so blessed and I can never quite express that enough. So count your blessings, thank God daily for what he gives you, and praise him for helping you whether the storm.

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass

Bear One Another's Burdens

 I have been really working on making sure I do my personal devotions everyday. Having accountability helps. The last couple of weeks I have been memorizing 1 Corinthians 10:13 with my boyfriend.
1 Corinthians 10:13
"No tempation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the tempation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

This verse is really encouraging. It is such a great reminder that God is always providing for you and tht he truely cares about you. Just a quick snapshot from my own personal devotions. I have been reading through Galations and have officially given up on 2 Kings. I started with 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, then 1 Kings. Right now I am starting to hate the old testament-the whole he killed who to become king is losing me- so I decided I would switch to Psalms. Galations has been really good. The verse that really stuck out to me today was Galations 6:2, 

"Bear one another's burdens, so to fulfill the law of Christ". 

That is something I really need to remember. It is so easy to be concentrated on my own life and my own problems or issues. But God calls us to "Bear one anothers burdens". He calls us to take the focus off ourselves, and put our focus on others. Care for them, pray for them, and support others. That is my goal for this week. I want to be more than just someone passing through in someone's day. I want to be suportive and invested in other peoples lives. Get deeper than the superficial stuff. What are your goals for the week? Are your goals focused on you? Or are they focused on others? Most importantly, are they focused on God? 

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass

The Nanny's Life For Me

For the past two weeks, I have been busy being a live-in nanny and starting on campus college classes at Northwestern College. With a 7th grader depending on me for her needs, I have gotten a little taste of motherhood (along with learning about pregnancy in psych, I am in no hurry to give birth). 

One thing I have really enjoyed has been the cooking. I really don't mind making dinner (If I want to avoid premade frozen food like mac and cheese-bleh-I have to). My two favorite dinners have been Thai Peanut Noodles and Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo. Contrary to popular belief, I am a very talented cook (thank you very much dad!). 

I have also gotten to try my hand at discipline-it lasted a full minute, with the child's cooperation and agreement. Is it always this easy? 

My biggest challenge has been entertainment. Crazy thing! Kids do not find enjoyment in reading anymore. What a sad sad world! Instead, I found myself trying to pull away my ward of the week from the tv (surprise there!) and her ipad. After 5 hours of TV, apparently I am a nasty nanny for telling her to turn the tv off. The horrors! The motivation to do anything was very limited. I suggested ice cream-she suggested lying around. I suggested tubing-she suggested "lying around like a potato sack" (and that is a direct quote!). I suggested shopping-she said the "biggest she goes is Target" (poor girl needs to open her eyes to the joys of the mall)! I suggested seeing a movie-she said that she doesn't like to go to the movie theater. I suggested helping me vaccum out and wash my car-she said she had a vaccuum phobia. After I basically begged her to hang out with a friend, she finally agreed and proceeded to ask to go to ice cream and THEN the mall with her friend (miracles upon miracles!)! 

I have a couple days of nannying to finish up, then I am back in my own wonderfully comfy bed in my horribly cold room!

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass

Lasts and Firsts

        Minnesota is never predictable. Especially in January. You would think that January would be one of the most predictable months of the year-cold and snowy. But, alas, no. Every year it's a surprise. 2011: cold and snowy, 2012: no snow, 2013: cold and rainy? Yeah, doesn't make a lot of sense. Come on Minnesota get with it! I think Minnesota is trying to be Seattle, but just like the bible says, when a body part tries to be a different body part, it doesn't work out too well! Same thing happening here. Minnesota stop trying to be Seattle! It just doesn't work.
        This last weekend was the biggest high school race in the nation-mesabi! With over 1200 skiers, Giants Ridge in Biwabik, MN was a very busy place. The 2.4 k race course was even busier! Each racer had to do two laps. The course was skied 2200 times yesterday. Although I had two falls-one in the first 5 mins of the race-I had an okay classic race. Wayzata girls took 2nd place overall. It was a very fun last mesabi weekend of my ski career.
         Tomorrow, I start my very last semester of high school!! I am so excited to only have 17 weeks of high school left! Along with my last semester, I am starting something new-on campus PSEO at Northwestern College. I am excited to do something new and different, but also slightly apprehensive because I missed orientation due to mesabi and it is something I have never done! I am excited to finish up my senior year with 56 college credits and only three (hopefully) years of college left ahead of me.

Until next time,

Miss Sass A Frass

2-0-1-2

With the holiday festivities over, and life starting to return to normalcy, I started thinking about the past year and things that I have learned. Things such as, choosing your friends wisely, commitment, and not judging.
Friends that build you up, encourage you, and are trustworthy are the best ones to have. The bible reminds me of this in Thessalonians 5:11 
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
It's better to avoid those that tear you down, instead choose the ones who are just as goofy as you are (Example A Picture-my friends are just a weird as I am).
Another thing I learned was about commitment. God puts us all through trials that are not always the most fun and are painful. But even when your hurting, it is so important to follow through on your word and not to give up. God is probably teaching you a important lesson that will benefit you.
James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
It can be hard to see God's plan through the tears, but things usually turn out much better than you expected. 
Not to judge. This one was a toughy for me to learn, as I am a ESVJ according to the Meyers-Briggs test. But in the last year, I have really worked on the whole no judgy thing. The book Cross-Cultural Connections  really helped me in this area. CCC (the book) talked about how different people from different cultures do things differently. It doesn't make them wrong, it just makes them different. I have really tried to apply this in my life. Everyone grows up in a different way, doing things differently. They aren't wrong. They are just different (Example B Picture-I am not judging my sisters for being weird). 
Matthew 7:1-2
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

I learned countless lessons this last year, and I am already learning a new one this year: Trust. But I will save that one for a future post.

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass