Sooooo I have gotten pretty sidetracked these past couple weeks. Lotsa stuff going on and it's all gotten me off track and forgetting some important things that I needed to do! Crapola....oh well I'm getting it all taken care of! I need to be a better manager of my time/resources...yes, true story. OH--- This is my phrase of the moment.....actually, I stole it from Megan Dorn when we were in Jacksonville....I'm pretty sure she was the one who said it. Anyway, it's back in action and I think it is soooo cute how everyone around me is saying it. It cracks me up when I'm at work doing something and overhear a co-worker's conversation with Mark (my boss), and Mark  will reply to a comment with, "Oh, yeah, true story!" HA.....crack me up. Man....maybe the awkward side arm pump needs to make a comeback as well......yeah, it has been awhile since it had some Central IL action. I had Andrew's family hooked on for a while tho.....rockin. Steve even made an alteration to the move with both sideways and upwards motions--pretty jazzy.....I'll try to get a pic up here sometime. OH MAN--speaking of A.S.A.P., at Family Camp over Memorial Day, Andrew, Matthew, and I had an Awkward Side Arm Pump Diving Competition. I think Matthew's won......he added some awkward side kick as well which beefed up his dive....ah the memories. I just had to add that bc I realized that I never mentioned it to anyone! Fun times

An added note here-- please be praying for Andrew (my fiance)'s mom. She had breast cancer years and years ago, and her breast was removed, and she's been doing well ever since. Well, her last check up showed something to the drs and they wanted to do a biopsy. After Monday's biopsy they discovered that it was cancer in her other breast. Sooooo she is going in tomorrow to find out more. Please pray for strength for Carol, that the cancer has not spread and can be treated quickly as possible and taken care of, and for the drs working with Carol.

Sooooooooooooooo here's another long due update. Let's see....Christmas was pretty freakin awesome bc ANDREW PROPOSED!! Yeps, I am engaged. It was two days before Christmas-- I'm pretty sure when he busted out w/ the box and opened up to show the ring I went, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!!????" and proceeded to shove my head into my pillow lol. Then he asked if that was a yes, and I gave him a muffled 'yes' through my pillow, haha! He was so cute. I was very surprised at the timing...I knew that it would happen sometime, but to have it then was what caught me off guard. Hooray for me

Ummm......Melanie (my sister) is doing well.....she is several months pregnant and is excited about her new son! She and Dee changed the baby's name to David Othello, instead of Othello David. Good call Melanie.....her names have always been different, ever since we were little--Felicity, Ebony, a funny girl's name I can't remember, Othello, Fortunato, Orvin....yeah, oooh man. So I'm getting a new nephew--woot woot! Ebony is doing great...she is still adorable and is talking some and one bundle of laughs and fun!! I'm also seeing my other nephew and nieces more regularly now. Andrew had the pleasure of being around ALL MY FAMILY on Christmas.....he experienced a loud Kozicki household. He was perfectly content to hold little Sophie and chill in Pop's chair though.....and Mel and I got the fun jobs of being Ring-Around-the-Rosie and London Bridges coordinators. Oh, and I got to be a horsie.....fun times hehe! Andrew now will not even touch Ethan's hands though, after he tried the 'wipe boogie nose on back of hand then lick it off and try to hold hands with Andrew' move, haha. Overall, it was a good Christmas.....New Years I hung out at Andrew's brother's house. We played games and I could not bring myself to watch the Bears' disappointing performance......ouch.

My birthday is on Friday! I will be 24---time to bust out with the Ben-Gay, walker, and Polygrip! I'm getting old!!!! Criminey! Anyway, I have the weekend off from work, and Andrew's taking me out to dinner, I'm hanging out with Danielle, and spending time with my family....lemme know if I need to pencil you in for my birthday weekend!!

I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey....

I am a Mortonite for the time being! Yes, I have moved in with Connie and her doggie, Happy. I know this is a good thing for me, but I am still feeling kind of out of place, just with the moving and being in a new, unfamiliar place. Many of my friends and fam have no prob with change and tackling new obstacles and such. I, however, am not like that. I like my stability. I like things being the same. I like that I am--for the most part--a picky eater that has no prob eating many of the same things over and over and over again. Andrew has a certain way of driving me crazy by feeling the need to change and reorganize/rearrange everything every week. It drives me up a wall!  But in the past several years I've come across many situations that have forced me to confront change and deal with the unknown and discomfort that I tend to avoid. It has been good, because it has stretched me and made me step out of my safe lil box. But right now I don't want change. I want Right now I am living out of Rubbermaid tubs, a duffle bag, and several shoulder bags. My trunk is full of boxes of books, games and my file crate of important files....I have done this about three times....living out of tubs and my car. It bothers me. I know it is temporary and it will take a bit to get things settled and good to go, but....yeah I don't know. I'm really just rambing now. I think I am resisting this change because I know that it could lead to some huge changes in the near or not so near future...changes that scare me right now, even if it does mean it's the best for me. You are probably like, " What in the world is she talking about???!!??" Well, yeah, it is all complicated, and you have every right to be confused. And no, I am not on drugs, and I did not just eat a Hot Pocket nor did I rub it on my face..haha...

Soooo....I am working now. It felt sooo weird when school started and I wasn't going to class. Work is fine. I'm considering finding a second job, but not sure if I will. I'm still looking for a church to go to.....

I forgot what else I was going to write about. Hmmmmm.....

Hey hey everyone.....I know I've been craptastic at posting on this thing for well a couple months...I hope y'all are doing well. I have been working this summer pretty much, and hanging out w/ my fam and Andrew. I had been dealing with some stuff, and like I always seem to revert to dealing with things, had said " I'm going to do this myself. I don't need to bother people. I'll figure this out some way." When what I REALLY needed were all of my true friends--who I'd isolated myself from--who would pray for me, encourage me, and keep me accountable through my walk. Well...I am making some changes for the better to help my situation. For one, I AM MOVING IN WITH CONNIE!!! For those of you who don't know Connie, she is a wonderful, funny, sweet woman of God who I came to know through the Navigators and her three kids, two of went to ISU. Anyway, I'm moving to Morton to stay with Connie, which will 1) give me a place to live , and 2) give me a great friend to talk to, have fun with, study the Bible together, and whatever else comes our way. I am very excited for this. I will be finishing up my last class at ISU next semester (yeah, for those of you who thought I graduated, well I guess I didn't......blah)......but right now I'm working and saving up money and growing closer to God.

I forgot what else I was going to say, but I need to go anyway, so I'll have to write more later.

On an additional note, thank you to all of you who have been writing your blogs and pouring out your lives....it has been very helpful to me. ESPECIALLY those few individuals who questioned what the point was in writing anyway...was anyone even reading it?? It was the stuff that you were sharing that deeply impacted me this summer.... made me question what in the world I was doing with my life, what was I throwing away, what do I want to work towards, and how would I make changes to accomplish these goals. It is the example you set by continually striving to live for God every day that has really encouraged me. Thank you

Have a wonderful day everyone!

*****Please pray for my burned and little bitty blistered right foot that got injured during a freak sweet tea making incident. Thankfully the IMMENSE pain has dulled, but it still needs to heal completely. Thanks. And, oh, I will not be making bulk sweet tea for you anymore lol...sorry