Hi Universe, Want to be Friends?

Do you ever have those days where you wake up and just know that nothing will go quiet right that day? It feels like the universe just decided that day that it didn't want to be your friend. 

Yea well that was how today felt for me. I woke up just not feeling today. I just knew I wouldn't win today. It's not really a day full of big important things but there have just been a few wrenches thrown into my plans today and others lives as well apparently.

This morning instead of playing around on my computer until I had to go to class I went over to Starbucks. While there I realized I didn't print out my homework that was due during this first class. I cursed myself for forgetting, the item was pulled up on my laptop and everything. I quickly grabbed my coffee and sprinted out of Starbucks like it was on fire. I was able to race back to my apartment and print my homework on time, in fact I was still my usual 10 minutes early to class. Go me. 

Afterward I went to our campus' snack cafe to meet up with some sorority sisters for lunch like normal. I grabbed my salad and other snacks and was glad that I was able to the few road blocks that were put in my way. Little did I know more were to come.

Over half of the lettuce in my salad was bad, bummer. The yogurt and fruit cup I grabbed consisted mostly of fresh pineapple which I am allergic to which was upsetting as well. Overall lunch sucked. Us girls then chatted about how everyone was just struggling in general this week. We all made each other feel better with words of encouragement, I love my sisters. 

I then decided to not go to my next class of the day and take this time to relax and write this blog post. I think I made the right decision because I'm starting to feel a little better. Granted I have to go to work today but let's hope it's okay, it probably will be a low key day. I also may have a little girl bonding session with my boyfriend's little sister tonight. She just broke up with her long tern boyfriend and is pretty beat up about it. So I suggested we hang out with our good friends Ben and Jerry and pull out a good movie to watch.

Yay for eating our feelings and making fun of movies!

Well I hope all of your day/week is going better then mine. Let's hope this weekend holds something awesome to make up for this string of bad days.

XOXO 

ZMH 

Is It Still Monday?

Holy cow today has felt like three days. I did a lot but also nothing. Do you know what I'm talking about?

I think it felt like the day was so long because I didn't sleep very well last night so I was pretty tired, boo. So the plan is to go to bed early tonight. Or at least to be sitting in bed relaxing before midnight. 

Today I got up early for some daddy/daughter time. I met up with my dad downtown at one our favorite breakfast places, The Windmill. We sat and chatted and just enjoyed some great food. Afterwards he dropped me off for my first class of the day and I hit the ground running.

I went to class like normal and talked for a bit to my middle school crush for a bit. This guy I liked ALOT in middle school, he was like my first crush. To be honest the inner middle school me still gets giddy when I see him. So silly. Anyway, afterward I had lunch with some of my sorority sisters and we caught up and just enjoyed each others company. 

Off to my next class! Man was that class long and boring. Now I like the material but going to class is just like taking a million sleeping pills, snooze! But afterwards I came back to the apartment and did some homework and hung out. 

I had a dinner date this evening with two of my sorority sisters. We went out and got sushi at this great new sushi place downtown. It was so great to just let loose and have fun with them! We ate so much food and laughed a lot. 

Overall it may have been a crazy busy day but it was so wonderful.
Today made me remember how great of a life I have and that I need to remember to cherish everything.

XOXO

ZMH

Selfie Sunday

No today was not full of selfies because it was Sunday. I took this day to just have me time. It was so wonderful after this crazy busy week I had. 

I went up to Grand Rapids and went to Woodland Mall and several of the other shopping spots near there. I just wondered around the stores and enjoyed being by myself. I of course need some new shoes and clothes but the trip was pretty unsuccessful.

I did walk out of DSW with a brand new pair of heels. Now I have been on the hunt for the perfect pair of nude heels. The problem for me was that they were either super expensive or just not the right shade of nude for my skin tone. These heels I found though were perfect and I couldn't pass them up. They are Madden Girl and were under $50! I would call that a steal.

I cannot wait to break out these bad boys with a super cute dress or skirt. I will keep you posted about what I decided to pair them with for their first appearance. 

XOXO

ZMH

P.S.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how bruised and awesome looking my knees are right now. The things I do for dance.

Whirlwind

Man oh man this week was just nuts!

I guess everything just decided that this was the week to keep me super busy and going all the time. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun week but I am glad this up coming week is a little calmer and more normal. 

This past week I had several shift changes at work due to dance auditions. These auditions were for the faculty showcase in the spring, it's a pretty big deal here at Hope. I went to a majority of the auditions like I normally do but sadly was not cast in anything. I don't regret running myself wild trying to get to these auditions and wearing out my body because auditions are the best place to learn and push yourself as a dancer. 

I know your suppose to always push yourself in class but that can be really hard sometimes. You go to the same class a couple times a week and usually it's the same handful of combinations with a few tweaks. After a while it just gets very repetitive so that's why I LOVE auditions because their that extra pepper you threw into your chili. You encounter weird stunts, interesting pairings of body movements, and the choreographer usually will play their out-of-this-world music for you. Auditions are a complete game changer.

(This photo is from a while ago but I just love it! Teagan was super excited to help me tie my pointe shoes, it was adorable)

(I don't remember where I got this photo but I feel it really shows you have to have fun and goof off once in a while in dance)

(But working hard will get you to a point of almost perfection)

Besides the auditions I just had a lot of sorority meetings and a bunch of homework that seemed to pile up out of no where. In both those categories everything worked out and got accomplished, except some homework reading, but it was a bit of a struggle.

Alpha Gamma Phi is hopping right now trying to get things going. Can you believe we are already starting to plan our rush events? Here at Hope we only have rush and pledge in the spring so it's a little bit in the future which boggles my mind that we are already having to start planning that stuff. We even talked about formal and what our guess on a reservation number might be. Our formal chairs then proceeded to remind us we would have new members by then, everyone was just so blown away by that. WE WILL HAVE NEW MEMBERS IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS!!

Overall I have enjoyed the start of the school year and am really excited to do well. Tomorrow I will be relaxing by going shopping and then finishing up some last minute reading at the apartment. 

XOXO

ZMH

 P.S. 

I promise to post photos of my apartment soon. I have just been way too busy to take a few pictures and plus our apartment needs a little sprucing up.

(A couple weeks ago I treated myself by ordering this monogrammed necklace from Marley Lilly and I am so in love! I wear this necklace everyday and always get compliments on it. I highly recommend ordering a monogrammed necklace from Marley Lilly) 

(My sorority mama and I before a party we had with Hope College's mens swim team. We had so much fun and really embraced the 'freaks and geeks' theme.)

(One of my lovely sorority sisters Brittany. One of the few girls I know who is taller then me, it is quite impressive.) 

Time Keeps Passing

This past week has been a whirl wind. I have no idea where the week went. It is currently early Saturday morning and I could swear it was just Sunday yesterday.

I feel this week went by so quickly because I had it broken up. Last week Saturday at about this time my Aunt Shirley sent out an email to the family that my Uncle Mike, Aunt Sharron's husband, passed away. Now this wasn't a big shock to the family because he had a very serious fall three years ago that led to a lot of brain damage, paralysis, and just a steady decline in health. 

My Aunt Sharron has been through a lot these passing years because she always had Mike to rely on and do everything for her. She had to learn to be independent very quickly at a really late time in life. I saw her struggle but I also saw her grow to an even more amazing woman then she already is.

My Aunt is someone who inspires me. I saw all the hardship she went through and she made me realize that I have to stop doubting my abilities. I have to push through everything and go for every opportunity even if I know I will fail. I will still learn from that experience. 

So this week when my dad and I drove down to Indiana for the service on Wednesday I wasn't sure what to expect. I have been to my fair share of funerals for people close to me and also people not so close. There was something different about this one. We all had been expecting this to happen but we all were there for Sharron. We were there to show her that her family will come together when needed and won't ever leave her. 

This week wasn't so much sad but a happy occasion. We celebrated Uncle Mike's life and Aunt Sharron's strength. There was family in town from Washington D.C., St. Louis MO, and Michigan. We all came from hours away because family is THE most important thing to us. It doesn't matter what you have done in the past, we are family and we will be there.

I have to say I am pretty lucky to have such a big and supportive family. My family is awesome and I appreciate everything everyone has done from far away and near by. I could not have asked for a better life and so many great role models. 

Here are a few random photos of some of my family members.

My dad and grandpa

My dad and I 

Two of my cousins and my Aunt

My cousins and I

My cousins

XOXO

ZMH