Stress and (your choice of word that rhymes with stress)

Wow have I been busy the past week.  With final projects and tests coming up, I'm having great difficulty finding enough hours in a day.  But this weekend, I managed to get a good start on my website as well as take my last roll of pictures for photography and start filming for a movie.  Unfortunately, none of these things can be deemed completed.  

However, I also managed to accomplish some other things this weekend such as practice with Amy's tennis team, rock out on guitar hero, sleep at Amy's, eat pizza at Amy's, harass Kyle, rock out some more with guitar hero at home, eat some home cooked food, spend time with the parents, and find a few moments in between these where I didn't stress about school.

Don't worry, the good always seems to outweigh the stressful badness of the last two weeks of school!

Conference Tournament

This past weekend was the Conference Carolinas Tournament.  It was soo much fun.  This was the first year that the girl's team was eligible to go (the top 8 out of 11 teams get to go).  We were seeded 6 which was really good considering we were supposed to finish next to last!  

We drove down to SC Thursday and warmed up for about 45 minutes then went to the hotel before the banquet that night.  We were definately the best dressed team there (men's and women's).

Zach refused to smile.

Men's Freshman AND women's freshman of the year came from our school so coach was real happy.  We also had several people make honorable mention, second and first teams all conference.  We were also the only team with no seniors.

Friday morning, we were set to play against the third seed who beat us 6-3 in the regular season.  Coach just told us to have fun and be aggressive.  We did.  We won two of the doubles and two of the singles and lost the other three.  It was four all with Christine (our number one seed) up a set and on serve in the second.  It was a nailbiter.  The other girl beat Christine in three sets last time but Christine managed to dominate the tiebreaker and won the set helping our team upset the number three seed WOOP WOOP!!

We were pretty excited

.

Apparently we took all of that team's confidence away because they lost later that day to the number 7 or 8 seed muahahahaha and then ended up finishing the tournament 7th (out of eight!!)

But we got ready for our next match Saturday against the number two seed.  We played really well but we lost.  I lost the first set 6-2 and was down 5-0 in the second set when the match was called so luckily I have yet to lose a set 6-0 this season.  My feet began hurting really bad during that match.  But I tried to suck it up because we had to play again later that day.

Of course I didn't play as well and lost.  Andrea lost in the 3rd set breaker so we lost the match too.  But we finished fourth when we were expected to not even qualify for the tournament so we ended on a really good note.  Now our season is officially over.

2008 Lees-McRae Women's Tennis Team

by popular demand

Well at the request of Amy....the long awaited Wii Guitar Hero Documentary (for class don't worry I have a life)

Please...no autographs

this, that, and the other

Sunday at church, I gave a speech to ask the church to help me on my trip either through prayer or through monetary donations.  They gave me $1065.  It was really encouraging.  I am just so passionate about this.  I really believe that pictures coupled with stories can really push people toward action.

At the conference, we talked about a passage of scripture that I can't remember off the top of my head but it said that we are going to be lambs among wolves when we go.  It's crazy to think that but it's true.  Even in the little things like language and custom differences to how we viewed.  Everyone is looking at everything we do.  Sometimes I feel that I won't do God justice serving and I'm wasting people's money because I doubt myself but even so not many people are even interested in missions.  Even in the church.  There are a lot of churches that believe salvation is enough while others focus only on works.  Both are what we need.  Salvation should bring the desire for works, to do more to share God's love.  

On a lighter note, here are two documentaries.  One I did on Went and the other he did on me.  Mine would probably be funnier if you knew him but oh well.  Just in case you're interested.

Oh and today at practice...I was scared for my life.  We did reflex volley drills.  AHHHH I hate those.  This time, coach put the ping pong table (a metal one folded in half on wheels that came above our heads a few inches) halfway in the service box and the net person had to stand in front of it.  He fed short balls to everyone else and they tried to nail you with it.  We would play to 5.  The baseliners would get a point if they hit the ping pong table and two points if they hit the net person.  The net person would get one point if they could get it back in the court.  Luckily I didn't get hit.  Amanda did though...in the neck.  After she insisted she was fine coach made us keep playing it but luckily I had to leave practice early for class.  This was the first time all semester I was happy to leave practice early.

World Hope Training and Fundraising

This weekend I went to the training for my trip to Honduras in Alexandria VA.  It was really great.  It really did prepare me for the trip.  They got you thinking about problems you might have and how to deal with them and difficulties and changes to expect.  

I also learned about exactly what the organization do

es and how they function.  There were twelve of us there.  Everyone was from the midwest or up north.  I was told I had a southern accent.  I do have one but not as bad as they think I do.  

Alot of stuff needs to be said but not tonight...I need to catch up on sleep so I'll leave it with you.

maybe it's just me but the flowers seem so much prettier in DC

Moonboot Montana and Commercial

- Music video I made for class - 

Turned out pretty well I think considering all the technical difficulties.

- Commercial I made for class -

It's decent with a kicker at the end!

Close to the End

I finally resized the videos I've made for class so that I could post them on here but I left my usb drive at Brittney's.  Oh well.  

We had a chips and dip party.  Caitlin was there too.  We had french onion dip, jalopeno cheddar chips, barbecue chips, regular chips, nerds, and cookies.  We had quite a feast of junk food.  It was a nice way to relax.

Everything is starting to overlap, as is to be expected at the end of the semester.  All my projects along with tennis matches are starting to stress me out but I'm trying very hard not to.  

Tomorrow we have a home tennis match and then I leave for Alex

andria for internship training.  My parents are taking me so I won't have to drive the 7 hours by myself after the match.  Plus I have no sense of direction.  I won't be back until Sunday.

I got this in a fortune cookie.  

It was ironic because I certainly don't feel that way right now...

out...out...out of my shell

So yesterday, coach didn't let me play at the match.  I could have so creamed that girl but he didn't let me play so what can I do.  Well he didn't tell me until right before lineups.  I needed more warning than that because I definately did not see that coming.  I mean I prepared for that match knowing I was going to be hurting.  That takes a lot of mental strength and focus to know you're going to be in pain and be ready to block it out.  So yeah I lost it when he told me.  I mean I know I didn't let on that it hurt that bad to him so I don't know why he decided to do that.  The team played horrible though and we lost 6-3 but we should have won for sure.  Everyone played lazy except maybe Ashley.

So today we had another match.  Coach wanted me to rest my foot one more day.  Gahhhhh but I kinda figured he wasn't going to let me play.  It was easier to take this time.  He wants me to be ready for next week because we have some tough matches.  But anyway, we won 9-0.  Renee absolutely hates singles.  She told me during the other matches that she just doesn't like being out there by herself so I would go to whatever side she was playing on and stand by the fence.  She was really nervous too about being the only one to lose.  I gave her some advice just to keep her mind off that and focused on the winning.  It worked.  She won 1 and 2.  What can I say, I'm a great coach.

So I hope you like me starting every paragraph with so.

Breaking habit is hard to do.  But I'm trying and not just on the blog but in life as well.  Dare I say I have actually talked to people I don't know.  Shocker I know but that really is something I need to get over.  Especially since like everything I might end up doing after I graduate requires me making the initiative and the first contact.  

Why oh why me...

such and such

Well, my foot is swollen and when I tried to hit, I could barely run.  Actually I couldn't run but the athletic trainers gave me a new pad to put on my foot and it worked better although I have yet to play in it.  We have a conference match tomorrow though.  So I guess I'll test it out then.

I feel like I'm falling behind and just when I get motivated enough to get ahead, I find out that someone is already there.  I've missed my chance.  Thus forcing myself to settle for something less than I want but I'd rather settle and have a little something than nothing at all right?

oh snap!

Well today at practice, I was serving at the cones.  Apparently I jumped up wrong.  As I was going up, I felt something in my foot pop.  It was my right foot and it hurt really bad but I tried to suck it up and hope it got better but I could hardly walk so I finally broke down and told coach who sent me to the trainers.  They said I pulled or strained a ligament in the top of my foot.  So now I have another injury to deal with...