Last night we had a Leaders Night Out date for all of the Young Life leaders and trainees. We ventured out to Arcardia, OK to a place called Pops. It has HUNDREDS of different old school bottled drinks, with all different labels and flavors and colors (some of my favorites: Banana, Lenonade, Birch Beer). I settled with a root beer, but not any old root beer. I got a fair trade certified Maine root beer with a really neat label that looks like a mix of a moose antler and the squiggles I like to doodle. I also got a triple grilled cheese with cheddar, american, and provolone. I don't think I need to describe the heaven I was in.

Once we sipped and sat for a while, we headed back towards Norman and stopped at Blazer's Ice Rink in South OKC. Here, I played broom ball for the first time. It was really fun, and really funny to watch people make fools of themselves falling all over the place. Until that person is you.

Here commences my embarrassing tale:
I wish I could say I fell going for the perfect shot that ended the game and won it for (the DOMINATING) trainee team. But, I am not that cool. I was just walking across the ice towards the other goal when my feet slipped from underneath me and I landed flat on my back. While it was probably really funny to watch, the second I realized I was back-to-the-ground I felt my body screaming at me. People helped me up, but I could not put any weight on my left leg. I started hobbling over to the edge of the rink and wanted to cry. I could not walk last night without intense pain in my left-lower-middle back area. All night I tried to pretend it didn't hurt so I didn't seem dramatic... but the second I got into my room I let the tears flow. Shoot! I thought last night I had bruised my tailbone, possibly even broken it, and took 3 Advil and went to sleep. Getting up on my bunk bed was no painless task. All night I could feel it hurting, but just tried to sleep it off.

This morning I woke up and could actually stand/kind of walk on it, so I am pretty sure it's not broken. But it still hurts like a ^#&%@! to walk on it. But I am thankful it isn't like last night.

Tonight I am supposed to go ice skating with my floor, but I am kind of nervous. Me and the ice aren't quite bff's right now.

Something interesting I stumbled upon!

Via: Psychology Degree

A while back (I think) I wrote how I was starting training for a half marathon! To my surprise, I am actually staying with it! I didn't start my actual training until I came back from Christmas break, just ran every few days to stay in shape, because the new marathon I am running is not until April 10. So every other day I run 3 miles to keep building my endurance. Then, once a week, I run one mile more than I ran the last week. I started running 2 miles, then the next 3, 4, and so on. Right now I am at six miles. Because of the weather I have been having to run in the gym on the elliptical and on the track. This week it was finally warm enough to run outside and let me tell you. I felt like I was starting all over from the beginning! The changing elevations and inclines make it tougher, but it feels so much better. I can already feel myself getting acclimated to the outdoors. I found an application that serves as a GPS, calorie counter, pace keeper that is really handy, and helps me track my progress. I am really just excited that I have stayed with it and that it's becoming something I want to do more than feel I need to. Every other day (sometimes every day) I look forward to my runs. And usually I go to an abs class afterwards which gets me all feelin' fit. And I like it. I also am looking forward to my running partner. Even though he's six hours away and isn't quite as disciplined (yet!) he will be awesome to run with and will definitely kick my butt. My pace is probably double his... looks like we are going to have to compensate here! But I just can't wait until the Big D marathon on April 10th and to cross that finish line! And hopefully continue with training and complete the four seasons challenge! 

I feel like Hayden and I will be doing something goofy at the finish line, so this picture seemed to fit. Minus holding hands. That's cheezy. Gross.

 Start by cutting out the felt birds. I made a pattern out of cardstock and traced them a couple of times on the different colored felt.

 I stitched wings on each bird with 4 different colors of embroidery floss, then used black to stitch an eye for each. I thought this was tedious...

 Close up of one of the grey birds with coral wings

I then pinned the birds on in the pattern I wanted, then stitched each individual bird onto the muslin. This took forever, so I spread it out over a couple of hours.

 The finished front before sewing the sides together.

The final pillow. It isn't exactly how I wanted it to end up looking. I meant to add another 1.5 inch space around the outside so that the pillow would have a "framed" pillow, kind of how it looks in the above picture. I am planning on making more that work the way I want them. If anyone would like to purchase this one, or another one, I would be happy to make one! 

Sorry the picture quality is so terrible... I used my iPhone because I was too lazy to go pick up my camera.

Sometimes I miss having a car. Scratch that. A lot of times I miss having a car.

I miss it for obvious necessities such as a Target trip. To get dinosaur oatmeal and shampoo and Dove chocolate. Maybe it's a good thing I don't have a car to go to Target every single day...

But also for other things. Like going out and driving when you really just need to clear your head. Sometimes I would just go drive down Broadway just because when you are driving it's just you, your music, and your mind. A car is kind of like your private space. Which you really lack in college. I would really just like to be able to have my own space sometimes... my own sanctuary that isn't shared. Maybe that's selfish. But it's true.

Here's to jamming out to Iron and Wine's new album on Youtube because I refuse to buy it on itunes. I haven't gathered all my feelings about it, but it is different.

To reading blogs and feeling like I have been lost in a space time continuum and the life I am reading is actually mine (as HJP puts it)

To calling my grandpa and wishing him a happy birthday. And then him telling me about the 12 foot snow drifts on the south side of the house. For those of us navigationally challenged- that's looking out the window underneath the davenport.

To texting my mom to let her know I called grandpa, and also that I am getting a tattoo. And quick phone calls within .009 seconds of my text sending.

To late night talks with Hayden about brown paper bags, YL, "remembering when" and pretending to be frozen on Skype... but not being able to hold a straight face for longer than 2 seconds.

To discovering I fall into the "2-percenters" when it comes to human thought patterns. Watch this.

To stealing more than my allotted 2 sugar cookies from the cafeteria and not feeling guilty. Then storing them away like a chipmunk to eat when I am really craving them.

To helping my roommate get ready for her boyfriend's fraternity's date party. Curled hair, fake eyelashes, fancy dresses for her... cardigans and v-necks for me.

To quilts (background of picture) my mom makes me that I curl up under every night making me wish I was home.

These past few days have been therapeutic, for many reasons. One, I haven't had school since Monday, and won't have it again until next Monday. Hello six day weekend! With all this free time I have been crafting up a storm with my friend Jacqueline and my new friends down the hall that are really neat. Let's just say one is an interior design major and the other an art major. Talk about inspiration. Plus they have a personality just like Jack and I and listen to good music. What a plus. It's nice to have a place to go when you just wanna hang out and be bums. All-day-long.

So. Since Tuesday, I have working on a bird pillow, and I finished it tonight. It didn't turn out exactly as I wanted, but as a practice, it's good. It took forever to make because of all these individual stitches and the embroidery on about 48 bird wings. I will post pictures tomorrow and explain why I don't think it's the greatest thing ever (because most things I make are.... ha!) After I finished that, I started knitting. I am working on a grey scarf right now, and it's super addicting. Just what I need. I am just loom knitting right now. Once I am comfortable with that, I will move on to needles. I have in line a mustard scarf for Emily and either a periwinkle or brown scarf for Jocelyn.... aka Mopsy Daisy.... aka Mom.

Promise I will post pictures tomorrow, because the pillow is pretty neat. Also, thanks to Emily for the guest post yesterday!

Hey let go of what you know readers!

This is Emily, Jillian's big sister. Jillian asked me to fix some coding on her blog, but I'm going to take this opportunity to share some of my favorite pictures of my baby sis!

That girl never could turn down a cupcake (cookie, ice cream, candy)...

One Halloween we were Princess Jasmine and the Sultan. This is my favorite picture of us as little girls.

Look at her sweet little face!

Baby Jillian's first day at home.

I hope you enjoyed this- hopefully Jilly won't mind too much! Love you, sister!