Jasmine's Nail Polish Blog

I can't even tell you how many colors of nail polish I have…

There’s my huge bag full of different colors, and then my bag of favorites that I take on our road trips. I change the color of my nail polish a lot…I get bored of the current color I am rocking, so of course I have to change it up! Usually I choose a new color based on my mood (side note: even though my nails are currently black, I am not in a dark mood!). I am wearing black primarily because I wanted a drastic change from the white nails I had last week.

I like to paint one nail on each hand a different color from the rest…wouldn’t want to be predictable, you know.  Right now I am sporting blue and purple on my right and left hands, respectively. Nail polish has it’s own personality. Blue, green, and purple are cool, calm, and relaxing colors. Maybe through my current nail colors, I am subtly telling myself to calm down, study, and get through finals this week! Red, orange, and yellow are fierce colors; I think I might paint my nails yellow for tournament time in March, because I want to show everyone that I mean business!

I really love to paint my fingernails…not so much my toenails right now since it’s really hard to maintain pretty toenails when you are playing basketball every day! The freshmen did a video skit of everyone on the team last year and they depicted me sitting on the court under the basket, painting my nails, and getting frustrated with Brittany as she was practicing shooting and her rebounds were disrupting my nail painting! It was hilarious! …Last year, one of our managers, Steve, let me paint one of his nails when our bus broke down on the way to Vanderbilt. We were sitting there at a gas station on the side of the road and had to entertain ourselves somehow, right? So I gave him a bright yellow nail! I joke with Coach Sherard that he is next, but as much as it would make everyone laugh it’ll never happen. Not even clear!

Go Flames!

-Jasmine Gardner #24

The Joy of Family

With only 15 days left until I go home for Christmas and 20 days left until Christmas day, I’m starting to get extremely excited to go home! Christmas has always been such a joyous occasion for my family. Prior to Christmas day, my family and I draw names for gift giving, decorate the inside and outside of the house, and if it gets cold enough in Magnolia, Texas, we get the fire going in most December evenings, but this is a rare occasion. Christmas this year will be the most different Christmas my family and I will have ever experienced.

            

Although Christmas will be different, it will be both a good and sad difference. Christmas brings so much joy to my life for many reasons and one of the main reasons is family. This year my family is trying to start new traditions like celebrating Christmas on Christmas eve now, having a gingerbread-making contest (guys vs. girls of course), baking and decorating Christmas cookies, making a huge dinner, exchanging gifts and then after dinner playing games like Mexican train, chicken foot, spades, gin rummy, and mad gab; then spending the rest of the evening watching a movie while drinking hot chocolate, again, if it is cold enough. One of the family’s favorite Christmas movies is Santa Clause, but since we are trying to start new traditions, the movie Elf may be the new favorite.

            

Why this year’s Christmas and all the Christmas’ to come will be so different is because this is the first Christmas my family and I will be celebrating without my wonderful father, also known as “Popper”. He could light up any room he entered with his charisma and joy; he knew how to make everyone laugh. Instead of focusing on the sorrow of his death, though, we want to focus on the joy that his life brought us and the time we had with him. This will also be the first Christmas my oldest brother Todd’s first child, Isabella, will be celebrating. She is a gift from God who came right when this family needed her. My dad died March 9^th and Bella was born April 13^th. Wow! God is so good, isn’t He? Right in the midst of one of this family’s greatest sorrows, He blessed us with a new life: a beautiful and happy life.

These are the main reasons my family wants to start new traditions for Christmas. It will be extremely hard not having my popper here with the family, but extremely good having my new niece here. I am so thankful for my immediate family and my family here at Liberty. The joy family brings a person can be explained, but it is at its best when it is experienced.

Go Flames!

-Emily Frazier #21

The Good Ol' Rot

On the Liberty's campus there is a cafeteria, just like every other major university. The cafeteria has a variety of names such as The Reber-Thomas Dining Hall and the Marriott, but to us it is simply the ‘Rot’.  

Although this name sounds like the food is bad, the food is actually quite good. There is a delicious salad bar, the Main Dish, the Fried Station (FYI, no basketball player eats there), The Wok, Mexican Place, Pizza Place, and The Gluten Free Station. The Rot provides variety so the students of Liberty University have plenty of choices to fill up their stomachs.  

Now, enough about the food... We spend most of our time in the Rot daring each other, talking with everyone, laughing at each other, and people watching. We have at least one meal a day in there and for the most part it is usually dinner. We always get to eat dinner together at the ‘Rot’ after a long, hard practice. At dinner time, we never spend less than an hour in there because of how much fun we have in the ‘Rot’. 

We always eat together and sometimes we have special guests. One of our special guests is this guy named Fredrick. He draws all of us cartoon pictures and always brags on how tall we are. Other people that we see almost every time in the ‘Rot’ are The Rot Boy, The Prophet, and random football players.  The Rot Boy is this really tall football player who we have never met but little does he know we talk about him almost every time we are in the ‘Rot’. The other boy that we have met is known as The Prophet around campus because anytime he sees something wrong, he immediately goes to them and prays for them. One time he saw Catherine with ice on her knee and he came and prayed over her knee. And last but not least are the football players who seem to be doing the same thing that we are doing -  just laughing and having a good time in the good ol’ Rot!

Go Flames!

-Jessi Edmonds #14

Why Not Liberty? Perspective From a 5th Year Senior

“Why not Liberty?” These are the words of Katie Feenstra spoken in 2005 after defeating DePaul in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.  Not only are these iconic words spoken by one of the greatest women’s basketball players to ever come through Liberty University, but these words resonate in my heart.

Entering into my fifth season as a Lady Flame, I am still the same advocate for Liberty University as I was when I was the ball girl at age 8.  Being a part of the women’s basketball team has been an impeccable experience.  The coaching staff and support staff have an abundant amount of passion and energy for the game of basketball that is infectious.  Some of the core values of the Liberty University Women’s Basketball team are relationships, commitments, and truth.  Throughout my career, each of these have been an emphasis.  Not only are the Lady Flames asked to uphold these standards through proper behavior, but I have firsthand seen the coaching staff live out these core values.  The leaders of this program not only care about success in the game of basketball, but are focused on developing champions in the classroom and in life.

The original vision to “train champions for Christ” is being upheld in all aspects of the University.  While academics and faith are the top priorities, Liberty also fields 20 NCAA Division I athletic teams, 31 club sport teams, a host of student activities, intramural sports, and recreational opportunities.  The environment at Liberty University is radiating with energy.  In addition to the extracurricular activities, Liberty hosts some of the world’s best-known speakers from all walks of life every semester; individuals include political leaders to Christian speakers and highly successful businessmen (such as Donald Trump).  One of the core values of Liberty University is community service.  Through this experience, individuals get an action-oriented curriculum by learning information in the classroom and implementing service in the communities, neighborhoods, homes, and hospitals in the area. I truly believe each of these reasons sets us apart from other schools. 

In my time at Liberty University, I have had the opportunity to experience the purpose of this great Institution in distinctive form.  Personally, living in the dorms for 4 years has allowed me to experience authentic community and life-long relationships have been formed because of it.  Going through and sharing life with teammates is one of the most rewarding elements of being a Liberty University Women’s Basketball player. 

Each year our team reads a specific Bible study and we have weekly discussions to expand on our readings.  A few years ago, we were reading a study by Priscilla Shirer (well known Christian speaker and author) and she came to Liberty University to speak. Let’s just say we gave her a standing ovation and a very warm welcome.  It was such an amazing experience to hear her speak and also have the opportunity to meet her afterward.  

In addition, campus facilities are above par and the opportunities are endless.  In the summer you will find us at the Campus East Clubhouse by the pool, and during the school year our team utilizes the Paintball Fields, Ivy Lake, the Lahaye Fitness Center, and the Tilley Student Center. These are just a few of the facilities myself, and my teammates, use on a consistent basis.  

Lastly, the relationships I have made with my professors are so valuable to me.  Not only have I received a highly-qualified education, but I truly feel equipped to excel in my field and make a difference.  On numerous occasions, professors have sent me personal emails after games to encourage and uplift me/my team.  I am sincerely grateful for the professors who have invested in me throughout my career.

It is truly an honor to be a part of a University that is designed to develop Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge and skills essential to impact and change the world.

Spreading the "Minnesota Niceness"

10,000 lakes, Mall of America, weather ranging everywhere from 100 degree summers to -20 degree winters, ice fishing, hot dishes, Caribou coffee, and the birthplace for the renowned businesses of Target and General Mills...

You are probably wondering “Where is this wonderful, blissful place? It sound fabulous!” Well, I am here to tell ya that it is my home state. You betcha, the beautiful state of Minnesota don’t cha know?! I truly believe I may be the only person on campus hailing from Minnesota, which is a blessing and a curse at the same time. The blessing being I get to spread “Minnesota Niceness” to all, and the curse being Southern people think that Northern folks have accents! On a daily basis people give me strange looks not only because I tower over them at 6 foot 5 inches, but because they think I say the words "bag", "tag", "flag", "swag" and pretty much anything with the letters “ag” strangely... Agree to disagree.

The sophomore class dreams of taking home visits to each of our states which are New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, and, of course, Minnesota. We would love to spend a summer traveling to each of these states and experiencing all the wonderful adventures that we know each holds. How realistic is that you might ask? Texas and Minnesota are on opposite sides of the planet pretty much! But as the old saying goes “where there’s a will there’s a way”! We will be in God’s country soon enough for our Thanksgiving games against Baylor and Texas A&M, so that checks Texas off the list! Next Minnesota?

Go Flames!

-Katelyn Adams, #34

Walking On...A Walk of Faith!

What’s up Ya’ll?! Hey, Ellee here, practicing my new southern lingo, no big deal. Since I lived in the country of Bulgaria as a missionary’s kid for the first half of my life and then also last year, lingo has been a bit of a diverse area of my life. I think I’m liking the low and slow Lynchburg twang. It has been such a blessing to be down here at LU. Everything about college is new and different and I love it. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is my love for basketball.

After having played the beautiful game all through my life, and even last year on some Bulgarian teams, I couldn’t see myself just dropping it cold-turkey once I headed off to college. I figured I’d just try out for the team! Without knowing how beastly the team was or what a Division I team is really like, I contacted the coaches and showed up on tryout day - typical freshman move. All I knew was that this was my one shot, and I would regret it forever if I didn’t just try.

‘To God be the Glory’, the coaches saw potential in me and accepted me onto the team! It has been such an adventure so far and I am so humbled and thankful for the opportunity. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to see if it’s all still real - and then coach sends us to the end line to run a 22 and I realize it’s quite real! Even the hard parts like running and lifting are a joy -they may not be pleasurable in the moment, but to train under such dedicated coaches and alongside such talented teammates is an honor and privilege.

Walking on is still a walk of faith every day as I try to contribute and give my best to help the team. I have a different sort of role on the team which can have it’s unique challenges, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m learning so much and making great memories! The best part has been the chance to represent God by having an ‘Audience of One’ whenever I play and giving Him the glory no matter the outcome at the end of the day. What an opportunity...I am so thankful! Catch ya’ll later!

Go Flames!

Ellee

The Lady Flames' Motto

Every year the Lady Flames choose a specific motto or chant that is stated after practices, weights, and games. Some of these phrases include, “No excuses, rise above,” “Together,” and “Earn it”. Each year is different and we try to make a statement that will motivate, encourage, and provoke energy.

Well, in the past we have included “To God be the glory” as a phrase for the post-game prayer. The saying is chanted with opposing teams after games as a witnessing opportunity and to remind teams who we are TRULY playing for. However, this year we say it at the conclusion of every practice, weight session, and game. This statement is more than just a declaration of being a part of a Christian University, but a message of recognition to the Giver of all our gifts and talents. Coach Green reminds us all the time that it isn’t about us, it isn’t about me; it is all about our Savior. John 3:30 says, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” WOW! It isn’t about me, isn’t about my performance, or my reputation, but truly about God and bringing Him glory. This past season, our team has gone through some mountaintops and valleys. However, despite all the questioning and uncertainty, we have learned that we must give Him the glory, no matter what. As a Lady Flame, I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am to be a part of this program and team. For me, it is relieving to know that it isn’t about me, but truly about something and Someone bigger than myself.

How easy it is to forget the simplicity of this principle in the midst of our busy and crazy lives, long season, and hectic school schedules. But, with a constant recognition of our Source, we have the opportunity to take the focus off ourselves/our issues and onto Him.

Lastly, I want to share with you a specific verse that has been encouraging me lately. Romans 9:17 says, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” This verse has been so uplifting to me this year. As students and basketball players, we are called by Christ to display His power and to make His name famous. How cool is that?

To me, this isn’t a phrase that is consistently repeated after weights, games, or practices, but a lifestyle of myself and the women’s basketball team of Liberty University. It is a motto and prayer that we wish to live by every single day.

To God be the glory... A phrase chanted since my freshman year, yet a lifestyle a Lady Flame tries to live by everyday.

-Brittany Campbell, #30

Pranks!

Hey! Kendra here! I have to tell you all about what I did last weekend to Steve and Matt's hotel room. I really wanted to pull a prank on them and mess up their room, but I had a hard time getting them to leave their room. Finally, I got my chance. We had a Super Bowl party in their room on Sunday night and since the Patriots lost, Matt had to run through the hotel's hallway screaming, "GO GIANTS!". While Matt was running around and Steve was watching him and making fun of him, some of us ran into his room and locked the door behind us. They saw us run in, but couldn't do anything because we locked the door!

For the next 15 minutes, Katelyn, Ashley, Emily, Reagan, Catherine, Terika, and I ransacked their room. We turned all the furniture upside down and put forks and knives in their beds. We toilet papered their bathroom and put bagels on their lights. My favorite part was the finishing touch - we stacked a Bible on top of the chair that we stacked on the bed!

...The only problem was that Terika's and my room was across the hall and we hadn't locked our door so Steve and Matt ran in and messed up our room too! We came out to find our room with our bed completely stripped and our clothes shoved under the bed. Next time we need to plan ahead better...it's all in the details!

It's all good, though. The next day we beat High Point and took over first place in the conference!

Go Flames!

-Kendra, #1

Sarah's Shout Out

Hey Everyone! I get to work with some great people here at Liberty, so I’m going to tell you about the people that I have come to know in the past few months that make this place special.

Coach Green
During my first week in Lynchburg, Coach Green took me fishing. He had two poles and would bait one and give it to me. I would drop it in the water and catch a fish, and he’d take the fish off and hand me the other poll, already baited, so I could continue fishing. This cycle continued for at least an hour, and he got quite the workout, because I caught so many fish! Now, this says a lot about Coach Green; he loves fishing and didn’t get to fish at all, because he spent the entire night making sure I had a great time.

Alexis Sherard
The daily banter that comes with sharing an office with Alexis and Sam is highly entertaining. When you throw Alexis’ kids in the mix, life gets even funnier! His son Elijah has been known to profess his love to both Reagan and Theresa via Coach Green’s marker board (he bawled his eyes out once when Kendra erased his message!), and his daughter Iyana can be heard singing in the shower from several hotel rooms down the hall! And even though sometimes I can’t find my stapler or tape because they’ve been in my office, I appreciate them being around, because it creates an awesome family atmosphere.

Andy Bloodworth
I knew Andy before I came to Liberty and right now I rent a room in the townhouse that she shares with her ever-loving dog, Honey. We have plenty of pictures of me on the couch with Honey walking all over me or sitting on my head…the dog likes to be really close to people! We aren’t roommates on the road, but we do have a great hotel tradition where we find the hot tub and relax the first night when we check into the hotel.

Heather Stephens
Heather is really sweet and cares so much for the people around us. She is always willing to do anything to help anyone. I was blown away when I first got hired, because Heather came into my office, asked if she could help me with anything, and sat there for the next two hours and answered all of the questions I had. Her willingness to give up two hours of her day to help me understand our workflow and team made my transition to Liberty so much easier.

Sam Choi (Graduate Assistant)
Everyone needs to follow Sam on twitter (@samjchoi). He is one of the funniest people I have ever met and there is never a day in the office that he doesn’t make me laugh. He self-professes to have a pea-sized brain, but he is really very smart, wise, and a good friend. And…in reality his head is huge to the point where he refuses to take pictures with his girlfriend (who happens to have a very small head)! He jokes that as a couple, they have a very average-sized head!

Katie Garlick (Secretary)
Katie and I have similar TV interests and enjoy a long, detailed discussion about the happenings on the latest episode of The Bachelor every Tuesday. For the record, we are not the biggest fans of this current season (come on Ben, make it more exciting!), but we still watch it just because we are addicted! Don’t judge her because of her TV preferences - she is super helpful, nice and has helped me so much in my transition to Lynchburg.

Steve, Matt, Carley, and Laura (Managers)
I really enjoy our managers; they are unbelievably helpful and make my job so much easier and more fun. Carley and Laura and I can find the smallest things to entertain ourselves with, while I play basketball with the guys every week. I will also forever think of Steve when I see the scratch on my brand new bocce ball set, because he mis-fired and the ball smacked down on the pavement two weeks ago at Charleston Southern. Good thing I won!

Paul Carmany (Sports Information Director)
While we are on the topic of bocce ball, let me just say that Paul is really talented; he clobbered Steve, Jamie, and I. Paul is also unbelievable; not only does he know the answer to any question I could possibly ask him, but he never gets mad at me for asking, even if it’s something I probably could of found out on my own. One of the best parts of my week is when Paul, Steve, Matt, Jamie, and I play basketball with some other guys in the athletic department. It’s not the highest level of basketball around, but it’s really fun to get out on the court and compete with friends.

Jamie Hall (Radio Announcer)
Jamie is our radio announcer and we share a similar sense of humor, which has made for long conversations on the bus and at shootaround. Granted, every conversation with Jamie is long, because he never stops talking, haha. Seriously, I have been at many restaurants with Jamie and not once have I seen him eat more than half of his food – he always has to take it home because he is talking too much during the meal and runs out of time to eat it!

Theresa Hoinsky (Athletic Trainer)
Theresa is my roommate on road trips and we share the same sentiment about our love for the warm weather in the state of California (she is from the Los Angeles area). We also love spending our nights chilling at the hotel, watching Say Yes to the Dress, and critiquing each dress the girls try on. Theresa also loves swimming and last trip Ashley, Emily, and I went to the YMCA with her and did one of her pool workouts. Thank goodness the pool closed 10 minutes after we got there or else I’d of been too tired to walk back to the hotel!

I get to work with some pretty special people and I hope you can come to our games and cheer all of us on!

Go Flames!

Sarah

Random Facts About Danika

Well today is my blog day and I had been struggling these past few weeks coming up with something to write about. So, I guess I'll just share some things about me that not many people know because they aren’t around me all the time, if very much at all.

I seem very chill and relaxed all the time because, well, haha, I am very chill all the time. I can also be very spontaneous. I like to go on trips without any planning - to an amusement park or just to visit someone.

A little story... I was extremely bored one day and was driving around all day trying to find something to preoccupy myself with. Eventually 5pm came around and I decided that I was going to go to King's Dominion. I called one of my friends told him to get ready - that I was picking him up in 15 min. We went and had a blast!

I’m a big animal lover as well and I have two dogs at home (Jack Russells) named Buddy and Casper. I also have an amazing cat here in town named Felix. Felix fetches, plays hide-n-seek, and acts like a dog for the most part, so he is quite an entertaining cat.

I am a huge food person; I really enjoy trying new things as long as they look good and don’t smell terrible like chitterlings (pig intestines), which smell so very super awful and look extremely terrible as well. I like to cook almost as much as I like to eat and coming from a home that at one time had two amazing cooks (Mom & Grandma) in it, I have eaten many dishes from different cultures that were fantastic. I also absolutely love sweet potatoes in any way cooked; I could eat them with any meal.

I really enjoy traveling, too. My family has lived in Germany twice, California, Louisiana, and Texas four times, and been to Spain, France, and Jamaica. My father and I have done two coast-to-coast drives when I was younger from California to Florida and back, which was tiring but a great experience.

Well that’s the most I can think of right now :) but I hoped you enjoyed this blog about me.

Go Flames!

-Danika, #12

The Beach!!

I’m going to tell you about our road trip to Myrtle Beach and Charleston! Myrtle Beach is about six hours away and I know this might sound odd, but I really like the long road trips! It’s fun to be on the bus, because Katelyn and I watch movies the whole time. This particular trip, our manager Steve really wanted to watch movies with us and so we made him watch chick flicks. He was super excited (no, seriously, he was thrilled!) to watch 27 Dresses, because he likes Katherine Heigl.

Anyway, on to the AWESOME resort we stayed in at Myrtle Beach. It was located right on the beach! We were in rooms that were like condos; they had a living space and a dishwasher and everything. I got to room with Tolu, which was really fun. One night we stayed up watching the Kardashians for a really long time! The second night, Tolu, Jasmine, Katelyn, Laura and I all walked along the beach, went hot tubbing in the hot tub by the beach, and followed that up with a trip to the steam room, sauna, and indoor pool. At that point, we still hadn’t had enough water, so we went to the outdoor pool where we found Ashley and Ellee. Laura tried to do some handstands in the pool and we made fun of her, because she’s super short (she’s our manager) and so her legs didn’t stick very far out of the water! We ended up finishing our night off with a jaunt to the hot tub by our actual building and found Coach Bloodworth, Sarah, Avery, Devon, and Amber. At least I think that is who was there - my glasses were so steamed up I could barely see! It was a giant Liberty party in the hot tub, though, and the best part was that the hot tub was so huge that we weren’t crowded at all!

I feel like I need to use this last paragraph as a shout out to someone that Katelyn and I (jokingly) torment on our road trips. Matt, our manager, is super nice and always brings us waters from the cooler in the back of the bus whenever we want them. We are sometimes are kind of demanding and the joke is that someday we are going to go up to him on campus when he’s hanging out with his friends and tell him, “Matt, I’d like a water in my locker before practice today; it needs to be toweled off (the sit in ice in the cooler and are all wet on the outside!) and ready to drink.” …Matt, we just want you to know that we appreciate you!

-Catherine, #44

A Lesson About Refining Silver

Hey Everyone!

Every game day we have someone who is chosen to do a devotional with the team, and I would really like to share what one of them taught us because it has been extremely applicable my life in this past week, as well as the lives of my teammates.

I am a freshman in college this year, so it is definitely full of new and exciting experiences. I absolutely love everything about Liberty, and my teammates are seriously the best I could ever ask for, but there are a lot of struggles along with the great things, just like everything else in life.

Kelley Deyo did the devotional before our High Point game, and I really liked what she had to say about hard times. I have personally had the opportunity to speak with her about everything that is going on in her life, and it has been an absolute blessing to hear how God has constantly been there for her family these past few months. The analogy she used in her devotional was purifying silver. The silver has to be placed in intense heat and all of the bad things are brought to the top where the refiner scoops it all out. When it seems like all of the impure things have been removed, something else comes to the top the needs to be gotten rid of.

It looks as if God is doing the same thing in our team right now. He is turning up the heat. With two practices a day, weights, film, meetings, five billion ice tubs, and injuries, it can be hard to keep in perspective all that God has for us as a team and as individuals in His kingdom. It is difficult at the time, but it is refining us as basketball players and turning us into adults that will glorify Him and His kingdom. This past week has been very difficult for me, and I feel God turning up the heat. It’s hard, but I know that God has greater plans for me, and I know that I will become a better person because of it.

I can’t wait to see how God is going to use the struggles on our team to make us better people and better players in order to bring Him the glory. God has great plans for the Liberty Flames, and I am so excited to see them unfold.

-Ashley #55

Tolu's Houston Christmas

Hey Everyone!

Tolu here! I want to tell you about my amazing Christmas break. It was great to go home to Houston for five days to see my family and friends. I treasured every minute, because I don’t get to see my family very often during the season.

I spent most of my Christmas break shopping with my family; we went to theGalleria every day but Christmas. Don’t judge my time management, though – I did most of my shopping before I flew home; I just wanted to pick up a few things for myself! Going to theGalleria was a great time of hanging out with my brother, sister, and best friend. I bought a lot of clothes for myself and my brother, of course, got a ton of games for his Xbox.

Okay, now you can judge, because what I’m about to tell you is funny. I actually didn’t wrap my Christmas presents until Christmas morning! So pretty much, I wrapped them, we went to church, and then we unwrapped them! Ooops! I will say that they were very well wrapped, though; I do a good job. ☺ The best gift I gave was probably the black suede pumps I got for my sister; she was really excited about them. For me, though, the best gift I received was just the opportunity to be home and be able to see my family. Not that I don’t love being at Liberty, but not everyone has the chance to go home for Christmas and I’m glad that I do.

Back to my Christmas...my family’s big tradition is to have a huge meal on Christmas day. It’s just my immediate family, and this year, we cooked everything on Christmas Eve – turkey, fried rice, potato salad, sweet potato casserole, mac and cheese...everything! I helped out with every dish, but the mac and cheese was my claim to fame. It was a great time of celebrating Jesus' birth and being thankful for all God has blessed us with!

Anyway, sorry to cut this short, but I have to run to a film session; gotta keep getting better!

Go Flames!

Tolu