Offic Fun. (Chili Day!)

This year for Alumni & Family Day the OCU Admissions Department held the first-ever CHILI COOK-OFF between the offices throughout campus.

Being the fun office we are........of course we participated in style!

We decided to not only submit a pot of chili for the cook-off, but we chose to make our chili together, because we're cute like that.

Well, despite our opinion that we had made the best chili ever, we ended up getting 3rd!  But don't worry.........we'll be back next year!!

Of course we took pictures...enjoy!






Teamwork!

 

Doesn't it look delicious!?! YUM.



OCU Campus Life Office Team
Chili Cook-off 2013

Today we paid off our first house.

David and I started looking at houses for fun back in August of 2009.  We loved the thought of being able to purchase our own home while we were still RDs of the dorm so we would be able to pay extra on it for a bit.  In November, we decided to take the leap and actually try to get a loan and buy our first house!  If you have never bought a house before, it is definitely a time filled with many emotions.  On December 11, we actually closed on our very first house.  We hated the thought of paying an extra $9-something a day EXTRA on our loan just because of interest.  So we decided, we would try to pay off the loan as soon as we could.  Our goal was to pay it off in 5 years.

Many people along the way told us we were crazy to think about paying off a house in such a short amount of time.  I guess that is understandable considering most people end up paying on their homes for many, many years...some even their whole lives...but we were determined to not be those people who pay thousands of dollars in interest over those years.

So, here we are three years and ten months ago as homeowners.  Actual homeowners...like, we owe nothing on our mortgage!!!

And now, here we are...

Can you read that?!?...It says mortgage PAYOFF!!

Writing our final check to the bank!!

WE OWN A HOUSE.  Unreal.

Niagara Falls Round 3

 

July 2013 I went to Niagara Falls for the 3rd time.

The first time I went with my sister and her hubby for vacation...that was back in 2006.  We went to Canada for a few days and I got to enjoy Niagara Falls from the more beautiful side!  We had so much fun!

The second time I went with the Bible Quiz Team in 2009 when Nationals was in Rochester, NY.  This was my first time to go to Niagara with David, and my first time to go on the decks...it was a lot of fun!  Man-o-man, there is a lot of water pressure coming off of those falls!

This summer we went again with the Bible Quiz Team because Nationals were in Rochester.  We chose to go on the decks again, instead of the Maid of the Mist.  I really like the decks better than the Maid of the Mist...it was a lot of fun!

Me at Niagara Falls (Canada) 2006

Niagara Falls 2009
Pictured L-R:  David, Heather, Adam, David

Our group:  Wendell, David, Hannah, Heather, Amanda, Jonathan, David

Home of the Garbage Plate

As I mentioned in a previous post, this year we went to Rochester, NY for Bible Quiz Nationals 2013!  We had such a great time!  Since we now have a larger group of young(er) adults, we decided to sneak away one early evening to go to Nick Tahoe's and get a garbage plate! 

Ladies and Gentlemen:  this thing is awesome!  I am so thankful for the Roberts Admissions Director for sharing this little piece of New York with us.

Here is our Garbage Plate Experience:

Friends. :)

I know it looks disgusting, but It. Was. Wonderful.

 

This is the most sketchy-looking eating establishment.

Bible Quiz Nationals - Rochester, NY

The theme for the week:  Pursue

As you know, every year we travel with the Vincennes FM Bible Quiz Team to Nationals every year.  This year nationals took place at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY.  We had a great week at nationals this year, watched lots of quizzing, played lots of scum (a card game...so fun), and even ate a garbage plate!


It is always encouraging to see and hear so many youth memorizing the Bible!  I know not all of them are making the best decisions, but the Word of God is in them, and no one can take that from them!

Hannah, Me, Amanda ready to play SCUM!

One of the things I love most about nationals is the time we get to spend with our friends and David's family!  This year, Amanda came too! (she is Jonathan's girlfriend) AND this is the first nationals that the Swanks have been married!  I LOVE having the girls around!  Before last year, I was the only older girl (besides the actual adults)!  These girls are such a great added blessing to my week!

Amanda and I at Lake Erie 2013

We also snuck away one evening to get a Garbage Plate!  Oh my!  I will post about this later!  YUM!


On the way to Rochester, we stopped at Lake Erie!  The Great Lakes are named appropriately, because they are HUGE!  It is so crazy to not be able to see the other side of a lake!

Niagara Falls 2013

On the way home from Rochester, we stopped at Niagara Falls.  I have now been there 3 times. (Once, I stayed in Canada with my sister and brother-in-law...and now twice with the Bible Quiz Group)  We did the Cave of the Winds the last two times that we have visited.  I like it WAY better than the Maid of the Mist!

Overall, it was a great week...exhausting, but still great!

David and I wearing our OCU shirts, as usual!

27 things to do at 27.

Spend 1 half hour in prayer each week.

Go to Zumba class at least 2 times a month.

Do not drink soda for 3 full days each week.

Take 4 naps each month.

Learn 5 new songs to sing at church.

Complete 6 Pinterest projects.

Do 7 creative/crafty "I care for you" things for David! (Things like I used to do.)

Put together 8 girls nights.

Feed our RAs 9 times.

Finish reading 10 books.

Visit my niece 11 times.

Do 12 Random Acts of Kindness.

Do something special for someone on the 13th of each month. (my birthday date)

Go to the movie theater 14 times.

Invite friends over to our apartment 15 times.

Go 16 days without cheese.

Go to 17 new places.

Invite 18 people to come to church with me.

Donate 19 items.

Watch 20 movies that we own that I have never watched.

Lose 21 pounds.

Straighten my hair 22 days for work.

Prepare and cook 23 new recipes for David.

Go on 24 dates with my husband...just the two of us.

Handwrite letters & mail them to 25 people that I love.

Write 26 new blog posts.

Read through the 27 books in the New Testament.

Life is not always fair...

We are all told at a very early age that life is not always fair.  Oh my!  As I have gone through my almost 27 years of life, I have learned...THIS IS SO TRUE. 

I have always struggled with seeing people with bad attitude get praise, because they have people in power fooled.

I have to constantly remind myself to live my own life, and live a life that would make God proud of me...I don't need or even want the praise these other people get, because I don't want to be two-faced and manipulative, but also...I don't need praise from man.  As Christians, we were told life won't be easy, living a God-pleasing Christian life won't be easy, but our reward is not on this earth...our reward is in Heaven!

For those of you who may be like me, and get wrapped up in the rewards of this world, I want to encourage you today.  I want you to know that God will reward us if we continue to follow Him and share His love with everyone around us!  Yes...even those who are snotty and hateful towards us.  This is a challenge.  A daily challenge.  I know we can do it.  Let's remind ourselves daily that this world is not our home...and our reward is definitely not here.  The things in our Earthly lives don't matter.

I want to be pleasing to God and encourage and help others to know Him and invite Him to lead their paths.