Happy. =)

After about 30 minutes of racking my brain trying to come up with an appropriate title for this entry, I finally just settled on putting my mood in the title line. Simply put, I'm happy. =) Today, surprisingly, was a good day at work, I had lunch with Aaron, and baked some delicious mango muffins. And as a side note, the "quick mix" station on my Pandora desktop app is awesome! My Jeep's radiator decided to die, but so many other good things have happened that I don't really care.

The wedding planning has begun and Aaron and I are super excited! Even though we aren't getting married until June 2013, we've decided that starting to plan now might be a good idea so it's not all happening during the last semester of my senior year of college. Everyday that goes by I realize how much stuff goes into planning a wedding. I can foresee it being stressful, but I know that in the end, it will totally be worth it. =)

Another reason why I am happy is because this week and next week are fair week!! I love fairs! Not because of the rides or stupid carnival games, but because of the food. Even though I am tall and skinny and try to stay in shape, I am a fat kid at heart. Cotton candy, fried chicken, candy apples, deep fried oreos, fried shrimp, and funnel cakes are my absolute weakness! (Beingets are too, but you can't really find those in VA) I just cannot wait to go to the fair later this week and twice next week! No words can be used to be describe how ecstatic I am.

I realize that as I write about my fantastic week that it is only Tuesday. Oh well. Let's just hope this trend continues into the rest of the week and this coming weekend as well. I'll try to get better at this whole blogging thing. =)

Completely Blessed

Upon reading blog entries from my fiance and another friend, I realize that I suck at blogging on an even semi-regular basis. I'm great at facebooking and even tweeting, but for whatever reason horrible at this! The past few weeks have been wonderful and hard at the same time. Through all of it, I can't help but feel incredibly blessed to live the life that I live surrounded by the most amazing family, fiance, and friends. =)

Last Sunday, my community said goodbye to an incredible, inspiring, and powerful lady. Andrea Lohr was one of the strongest women I have ever met. Despite being diagnosed with breast cancer and battling breast cancer three times, Andrea was always optimistic and had faith in God greater than anyone I have ever met. I only ever met Andrea a handful of times but every time our conversation went something like this:

Me: "You're such a strong lady! You're in my thoughts and prayers."

Andrea: "There are so many people praying for me. So can I pray for you?"

Even though she was fighting for her life, she was praying for other people. She was so selfless and caring putting others needs before her even when she needed prayers herself. Though cancer took her life, Andrea did not lose her battle. I know she is in heaven, CANCER FREE. Her legacy will continue to inspire everyone who knew her or has heard her story. My thoughts and prayers go her husband Matt, and their children Caroline and Carsen as they remember a truly amazing women. 

On Wednesday, my Dad was in a minor car accident. Though he suffered a minor concussion, he was not seriously hurt and I praise God for that. I was so relieved to find out that my Dad was okay and didn't have any serious injuries, but at the same time, part of me knew that the accident could have been much worse. My Dad is my biggest fan in everything I do. He is great and I am so lucky to have him as my Dad. I look forward to the day when my Dad walks me down the isle to marry the love of my life!

I know I talk about Aaron a lot when I do get around to blogging, but i'm going to talk about him again. He's wonderful and there's no other way to put it. I can't believe we've been engaged for almost a month! Time really is flying. I can't wait to be his wife and spend the rest with him! 

Summer is officially a little more than halfway over. This may sound weird, but I cannot wait to be back at school. I love college. I love everything about it. I love being independent and relying on myself. I love going to class and learning. And I especially love my friends. It will be great to be reunited with all of them for another school year. My college career is half over which means that I only have two more years with some of the best friends I have ever made. September 3 couldn't come fast enough! =)

Short, but Sweet =)

So it really has been forever since I blogged and A LOT has changed. But all for the good.

First off, school has been out for a little over a month and I have started my summer job. It's not my favorite thing in the world but I can't complain because it's a paycheck.

 Earlier this summer, Caitie and I had the joy of attending our friend Nichole's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and a very enjoyable reception. Best wishes to Adam and Nichole as they start their new life together as husband and wife! =)

A few weeks after that my younger brother, Andrew, graduated from Massanutten Technical Center and Broadway High School. My brother is now a state certified HVAC tech. I am so proud of my little brother and I know he will be great at what he does!

The biggest and most exciting thing that has happened in my life would most definitely be me and my boyfriend of 5 years, Aaron's engagement. Aaron and I got engaged on June 21, 2011 and couldn't be happier. I am so excited to be marrying my best friend and cannot wait to be his wife.

THE RING!

Sorry the pictures aren't the best! They're from my phone... 

So I really thought i'd write more than I did, but I guess short and sweet is better than long and drowning. =)

2 down, 2 to go!

As of 9:30 tomorrow morning, I will be half way through my college career. Wow! I honestly cannot believe that I have been in college for 2 years! Where has time gone!? In the past few days, I've been busy taking final exams, packing up my dorm room, and saying goodbye to friends as they leave for summer. Once again, I am the last one to leave for summer break. My roommate and 3 of my closest friends have been gone since Saturday and another close friend woke me up at 9:20 this morning to come over and say goodbye. Despite being excited that starting tomorrow I dive into the craziness that is summer vacation, I am saddened by the prospect of not seeing some of my friends again until September. I can honestly admit that when I said goodbye to Caitie on Saturday, I almost cried even though I will see her next weekend at a mutual friend's wedding.

Time really has flown! I remember moving into college summer of '09 and being so scared and anxious about big, scary college and now, as I look at the boxes sitting all over my room, I can't even imagine how much leaving this place after graduation is going to suck. Graduating will be cool and having a degree will be awesome, but you only get experience college once. Of course there's graduate school, but I've heard it's no where near as fun as the first 4 years are! ;o)

A few of my friends who are still in High School and getting ready to go to college in the fall have asked me what the best part of college is. And you know what? I can't really pinpoint one thing that's better than another. Going to class definitely isn't a high point, neither is the homework. Sometimes the dining hall food sucks, but hey, that happens in High School too. If I absolutely had to pick my favorite part of college, like if my life depended on it, it would be all the new friends you get to make.

The friends I have made over these past 2 years of my life are honestly some of the greatest people I have ever met. They're the type of people who I can always count on no matter what. The friends who you know that if you ever found yourself in jail, you could call them and at the drop of a hat they would be there to bail you out. The types of people who make eating lunch everyday last for two hours because everyone at the table is laughing to hard to eat. With these people I've stuck out Intro to Education, been bored to death in Macro Economics, trudged through Spanish, laughed so hard I cried during Symphonic band rehearsal, injected mice with drugs in BioPsych, and many other things that would take to long to specifically name. They honestly are the friends I will remember my whole life.

Dalton eating a beignet during our AMAZING interterm trip to New Orleans.

Jaime, Caitie, Nichole, Me, Caitlyn, and Tiffany during our last get together of sophomore year.

Caitie and I being .... well, pretty much our normal selves. =)

Sam and I looking spiffy because we randomly matched one day.

Katy, Sam B, and me before one of Caitie's field hockey games.

In closing, my friends are what have made these past 2 years of college so excited and fun for me. They've helped me grow stronger as a person and have taught me the true meaning of "through thick and thin" and for this, I am forever grateful. =) Another thing I will miss over the summer and next year is my dorm room. I have lived in the same room for the past 2 years and moving out of it will be bitter-sweet. The majority of the memories I have from the past 2 years have taken place in this room and they will be cherished. I hope the incoming freshmen who gets assigned this room will have as much fun in it as my roommate and I did. =) I feel like I have rambled enough for one night, plus it's getting late and I still have some packing to do and one last final to study for. To my friends who may read this, see you in September!! And to my dorm room, Dillon 121, thanks for the memories! It's been real! =)

Here comes Peter cotton tail!

As I sit in this dull, boring library on this semi-lovely afternoon, my mind cannot help but to wander off. One of the subjects on my mind is Easter. =)

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. When I think of Easter, of course I think of colorful eggs, bunnies, ducklings, chicks, sun dresses, bonnets, and all the other commercial aspects of the holiday. But I also think of the religious aspects of Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter. I feel fortunate that I go to a college that acknowledges Easter as a religious holiday and gives us Good Friday and the Monday following Easter off from classes. 

To me, Easter is very significant and special. I am a Christian raised and baptized in the Church of the Brethren denomination. Easter to me is always a wonderful reminder of how much God really loves me and all of the world. After 20 years of attending Easter services it always amazes me that one single man cared about all of humanity so much that he would give up his own life just so that we could live free from sin and oppression! While Jesus was hanging on the cross dying, he didn't just hang there in silence, but rather tried to save the thief and murderer hanging on either side of him so that they too could be welcomed with open arms into the kingdom of heaven. If that's not the ultimate act of kindness, I don't know what is. 

Another exciting aspect of this Easter is that it will be the first Easter that I will spend with my boyfriend of almost 5 years, Aaron. It will be the first major holiday that we spend together. =)

So to anyone who reads this, have a wonderful, blessed Easter! =)

"For God so loved the wold that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." -John 3:16

These are a few of my favorite things...

I'm not really sure what to blog about today. Nothing that exciting has happened since spring break ended. I've been busy with school and working out housing for next year. So instead of writing a long post i'm just going to share a few things for pondering. =)

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on <--Click to watch! 

My absolute favorite YouTube video! It is adorable and will make you smile. =)

This stuck out to me as I was on StumbleUpon. It's so true! 

This made me smile. =)

11:11, make a wish!

As I sit here watching How I Met Your Mother, I come to a saddening realization; spring break is almost over. =( In a little less than two days, I'll be forced to pack up and go back to school to finish up the rest of spring semester. Oh how I can't wait 'til summer! Spring break was just a too short taste of what awaits me this summer. The stress of school will be done with and all I'll have to worry about is work and finding time for my friends and Aaron. Until then, I'll just have to reminisce spring break.

The first few days of my spring break were spent with Aaron at his parent's house in Madison County. On our rainy Sunday, we had lunch with Aaron's Dad and stepmother and dinner with his mom, great aunt, uncle, and his cousin and her husband and kids. It was so great to be able to catch up with all of them! On Monday, we ventured into Charlottesville to spend the day together. We had lunch at Jimmy John's, saw the movie Take Me Home Tonight, hit up Smoothie King, then ate dinner at The Hibachi Grill. After our adventures day, we relaxed and enjoyed some quiet time with each other. Overall, it was a great day. =) On Tuesday, we had lunch at McDonald's and then said good bye. Though Aaron and I have been dating for almost five years, the good bye's don't get any easier and the time between visits doesn't go any faster.

On Wednesday of spring break, I had my first ever root canal. It wasn't horrible. I was sore for the rest of the day after it, but it wasn't unbearable. Thursday I took my dog to the vet for my parents and today I had lunch with my best friend from High School. Hopefully the last few days of my break will be as good as the beginning few.

I know that I've only written about the good parts of my spring break, but there was a not so good part to it. On Monday, Aaron and I visited his great grandmother in the hospital. Later that night. she passed away. She was 99 years old! Though I only met her a few times and she didn't know me when she saw me, I'm glad I had the chance to meet her. I know she will be missed by all who knew her, but from what I've heard about her, I know she's in heaven and I look forward to meeting her someday. =)

This brings me to the title of this post. Today, a 8.9 magnitude earthquake devastated the country of Japan. I have family in Japan and thankfully, they are okay. At 11:11 everyday, two times a day, I make a wish. It probably sounds really stupid, but I do it anyways. Today, my wish is that everyone will send up thoughts and prayers for our brothers and sisters in Japan. They really do need our emotional support in this rough time, so please pray for Japan! Even the smallest prayers can make a difference! =)

Spring Fever

Spring break is slowly but surely making it's way here and I can't wait. There is 3-ish days left until spring break and they are taking forever! In my mind, I cannot believe that it is ONLY Tuesday! The week before spring break is the worst! Every professor either has a paper due, a midterm scheduled, or both, so it's kind of crazy. Despite all the crazinesses of this week, I have found a few things to smile about.

As spring break approaches the only thing I can seem to think about is spending time with my wonderful boyfriend Aaron (though I just saw him yesterday). Aaron and I have been together for almost 5 years (July 26, 2006!) and have a great relationship. He is everything I have ever wanted in a guy and more. This is super cliche, but he has honestly become my best friend and i'm not really sure what i'd do without him. I am extremely excited to spend a few days just relaxing and visiting some of his family with him. I also feel so blessed to have a boyfriend that lives relatively close to me. Aaron and I have never been next door neighbors, but we also have never been separated by more than a 2 or 3 hour drive. I guess I can't really say that we're in a long distance relationship. A few of my friends have boyfriends who live in a different state, so I feel very lucky.

Another great thing to smile about is my friends. My friends are truly amazing. Hands down, I have the best friends in the entire world. They are all so amazing! The smallest things like a trip to Smoothie King, eating dinner together in the KCC, or getting together to watch TV can make my day. Especially during a week like this. My Mom  has told me over and over again that the friends she made in college are still some of her best friends today. I really hope this is true for all of my friends, because they're the type of people you only find once. =)

God is good. It makes me so mad when people say that there is no God just because things aren't going well for them. God is the reason I can still sit here and smile despite being so stressed and run down. I may be tired of school and worried about my midterm grades, but no matter what, I have God. I know that He will not dish out more than I can handle. I am trying my best to give Him thanks and praise even though it's going to be a long week because I know that I can look to God for help and He will make it better. =D So in closing, I'm going to quote a Bible verse from Psalms. This verse has become my motto for this semester and it servers as a great reminder that no matter what I can always look to God. =)

 "I life my eyes to the hill- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." 

-Psalms 121:1-2 

"i'm not going to fall!"

Today I went ice skating for the fist time since having surgery to reconstruct my MCL 4 years ago. My knee injury occurred during volleyball practice in HS, but none the less, ice skating made me nervous. After my knee surgery, the quad muscle (the muscle right above the knee) on my right leg was atrophied and weak. I couldn't bend my right leg for about 2 months and had to keep some sort of brace on my knee for about 8 months. When I could finally bend my leg again, it took LOTS of physical therapy and weight training to re-gain muscle and an almost full range of motion to get back to normal. But to me, my knee will never be normal.

To my wonderful roommate, today was not a big deal. For me, today was about over coming an obstacle and facing one of my biggest fears. The obstacle that I was facing today was getting my knee to move with the ice rather than against it. During all of my post surgery therapy I re-learned a lot of skills, but ice skating wasn't one of them. Leading up to today, I knew that it would be my mind versus my body as soon as I stepped onto the ice. My brain knew what my legs needed to do, but the muscles in my right leg didn't. My biggest fear about my knee whenever I am doing any type of activity is re-injury and ice in general scares me. I hate walking on ice in the winter. I'm always afraid i'm going to fall and hurt my knee.

So I got my skates, put them on, and stepped onto the ice. I would by lying if I said it wasn't a little rough at first.  It was. I have never thought about a simple movement so much! The thoughts going through my head were push off, bend knees, lift leg, and do it all over again. It took my poor little knee about 20 minutes to get the hang of it and the words "i'm not going to fall" were probably spoken a hundred time in those first 20 minutes, but it was all so worth it!  =D

As the night went on it got easier and easier. My skating got better and faster. I found myself being able to not only keep up with Caitie, but at points get ahead of her. At times I couldn't help but just think about how far my abilities have come since having surgery 4 years ago. I just couldn't help but smile! =) Being able to spend an hour and a half ice skating and be okay was a big deal to me. Up until recently, and especially today, my knee had been my biggest insecurity. After today, I finally feel like I can do everything that I did before my injury and that makes me really happy. =D

Caitie and I ice skating at the Main Street Arena.

As a side note, another cool thing about this evening is that Caitie and I witnessed the most adorable couple get engaged while we were ice skating. Who knew that faking a fall could lead to a happy ending? =)

the beginning

Number one! This is exciting!

Right off the bat I would like to explain how I came up with the name of my blog. Sonrisa means smile in Spanish and anyone who knows me knows that over 75% of the time I have a smile on my face. I LOVE smiling and laughing and well, anything associated with being happy. The main purpose of this blog is to talk about the moments, pictures, songs, stories, and people that help me find happiness in my life everyday. My dream is that someone out in cyber space will come across this, read it and have a better day because of it. =)

Secondly before I start blogging, I'd like to talk about me. =) I'm Holly. I'm a sophomore in college and am majoring in Psychology. I have the most amazing boyfriend, group of friends, and family that ANYONE would be lucky to have. I feel blessed to have them in my life. I am a very eccentric, loud, and fun person. I have A TON of interests and passions so I won't list them all here, but i'm sure that they will make it into my blog at some point. I love my life and wouldn't change any part of it! =)

This is a horrible picture, but it's me and my family. I love them dearly. =)

Today was a good day. I visited Broadway High School (my alma mater) to see their production of Annie Get Your Gun! When I was in High School, I participated in musical all four years. I loved musical. It was the highlight of my year every year and is quite honestly one of the only things I miss about BHS. 

BHS musicals are intense. Auditions took place in early December and lasted for a week. They consisted of reading lines, learning choreography, and singing. After a week, the cast list was published and we wasted no time getting to work. Our shows always took place the last weekend in February or the first week in March depending on the calendar and it honestly take every bit of those 3 months to get the show together. We had rehearsals for 3 hours after school Monday-Friday and choreography rehearsals from 9:00-5:00 on Saturdays. It was a lot of work but it was so worth it! Nothing can replace the feeling of accomplishment and happiness that I felt at the end of every show. 

For the past 2 years when I have gone back to see the musical, it has been bitter sweet. It's sweet because I feel very proud to have been a part of a great BHS tradition. It's bitter because I miss it. This evening when I was sitting in the audience it was no different and I kept thinking of how much I wished I could be on that stage again. But as much as I miss it, I am so incredibly proud by the students who are living it up this year. This is so cliche, but for those 3 months, I saw my fellow cast mates more than I saw my family. We laughed, cried, danced, sang, worked, and ate together. Everyone became my family and I will never forget those 4 years. =)

This is from my senior year. The musical was Singin' in the Rain. =)