Snow Day?

Wow, I am pretty terrible at writing consistently on here.I blame my 3rd shift lifestyle laziness!

My boyfriend works in a law enforcement agency and that's the route I'm planning to go down as well. "Crime never sleeps/stops, neither do we" is a saying I've heard repeatedly throughout my undergraduate study...but gosh, 3rd shift life is pretty rough! Even on his days off we're on the opposite schedule as everyone else. Awake some days until 9 a.m. and sleep often until after 5 p.m. -- I never have energy & I'm not a fan!

Anyway, I was shocked to wake up and hear about this:

Downtown St. Joseph, MI morning of 11/12/13.

Michigan *specifically the South West region* was hit hard with snow. Reports of between 9 and 15 inches of new snow across Berrien County {my mom & Grandma live here} Many area schools even closed due to weather/road conditions! 

Interstate 94 near Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, MI

Similar to what it looks like outside near where I live! Ha ha, nothin'

Crazy how a short 45 minute drive has such different outcomes! The good old 'lake effect'.

I love having less snow where I live because that means less shoveling and less work cleaning snow/ice off the car! But I also love living 45 minutes from where I grew up, and where we always get bombarded in the Winter time!

Now that I am not walking in a blizzard across campus, wishing I had skipped class, I enjoy the snow much more. I couldn't imagine living where I didn't have snow during the Holiday season. : )

Thankful November

# 9 I am thankful for social media! Crazy as it sounds to list this so high in my thankfulness, I truly am thankful for the opportunity to connect with family members/friends who live far away. Before Facebook I had to rely on snail-mail and then email but with Facebook, Skype, blogging, etc. I am afforded the luxury of truly connecting with family & I'm thankful!

# 10 I am thankful for the roof over my head and the food in my tummy. Often I catch myself complaining about the run down apartment I call "home" or the lack of food options in the fridge. But I try to remember, at the end of the day. I still have a place to call home, I am thankful for the warmth inside my home as we're entering a cold winter season and thankful for every full tummy I have after meals we've made and eaten. 

# 11 Tomorrow morning J and I are volunteering with a group whose primary mission is poverty reduction. They hold an event twice a year where community resources {free haircuts by the beauty college, DHS to assist with information and helping people complete the paperwork for government assistance, homeless shelters, women's shelters, support groups, clothing and hygiene products that were generously donated by the community for those in need, etc} are all made available under the same roof with free transportation and a free lunch provided for anyone in need that attends the event. My heart is so full when I help out with events such as this therefore I'm thankful for the opportunity to volunteer my time with organizations that do so much good in communities. note: I intend to recap this year's and maybe last years experience later this week or early next.

# 12 I am thankful for my college education. As much as I cringe at the thought of my $20,000+ debt in student loans and the stress of all things college university related, I am so so so thankful that I was able to attend and complete my bachelor of arts degree in a subject that I am very passionate about. My education changed my life. Throughout those four years, I became a much more open-minded and well-rounded individual. For those qualities and a great sense of accomplishment/pride, I am beyond thankful!!!



<3 KC