ND highlight video. 2009.

Last week the athletic department hosted the annual O.S.C.A.R.S. award ceremony for all of the student-athletes.

It is always so great to get dressed up, hang out with amazing people, eat great food, and have a night to relax after classes.

I will post pictures and give more details soon, but until then, enjoy this video:

http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?code=nd&media=125774

GO IRISH!

kindness.

I know, I know, I still have a lot of catching up to do, but I thought I would take a minute out of studying to tell a quick story.

I am sitting on the second floor of LaFortune (the student center) to do some last minute studying for my French final. A few minutes ago, I looked up and saw a man who works for ND walking past.

He stopped, smiled, and said:

I wish you the best of luck on your finals.

I smiled back and said;

Thank you very much. Have a great day.

He replied:

Thank you. I will. You too.

So, I realize that this story may seems very insignificant and completely ridiculous, but for me, this little interaction was so refreshing. It seems so easy to get caught up in our own lives that we do not notice others or do not take the chance to talk to new people. The fact that this man who I had never met was willing to take a minute out of his day to wish me luck on my finals was enough to make me smile. I feel so truly blessed to have the opportunity to be surrounded by so many amazing people. To have people who are willing to take a minute out of their day to wish me luck on my finals. To be a part of such and amazing family.

I love the Notre Dame family.

go skyhawks.

So I am VERY behind in posting this, but I wanted to write a little something about my lovely sister JamieLee. She recently got accepted to
FORT LEWIS COLLEGE.

The fam visited campus a few weekends ago and Jamie seems to absolutely LOVE it there. From the pictures I have seen the campus in beautiful and Durango is a very cool city!

On another note, JamieLee also received notice that she was awarded the

Gates Millennium Scholarship!

I can't even begin to describe to you how excited I am for her! This scholarship made my dream to be at Notre Dame come true and I can only pray that this gives her the same opportunity to fulfill her dreams! It is such an amazing opportunity to receive this award and I feel truly blessed that both JamieLee and I were chosen as recipients.

Anyways, here's a shout out to my beautiful and fabulously funny sister JamieLee...

I'm SO proud of you and can't wait to see what amazing things lie ahead.

Can't wait to come visit!

GO SKYHAWKS! ... and GO IRISH! :)

beauty comes from within.

On April 11, Susan Boyle appeared on Britain's Got Talent ...

When she walked on stage, the crowd and the three judges all seemed to be laughing at her. They were clearly uncertain as to why on earth this woman was auditioning for the show.

Even though everyone judged her and cast her aside because of their first impressions, her performance was absolutely BREATHTAKING!

To see her performance use this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY. (I promise you, it is definitely worth the 7 minutes)

After seeing her performance on youtube, I was intrigued by the outpour of responses Susan was getting from her television debut .... While surfing the internet, I happened to stumble upon a quote by Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest:

“The way we see Susan Boyle is very nearly the way God sees us: worthwhile, special, talented, unique, beautiful. The world generally looks askance at people like Susan Boyle, if it sees them at all. Without classic good looks, without work, without a spouse, living in a small town, people like Susan Boyle may not seem particularly ‘important.’ But God sees the real person, and understands the value of each individual’s gifts: rich or poor, young or old, single or married, matron or movie star, lucky or unlucky in life. God knows us. And loves us. ‘Everybody is somebody’ said Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan at his installation Mass in New York City yesterday. That’s another reason why the judges smile and the audience explodes in applause. Because they recognized a basic truth planted deep within them by God: Susan Boyle is somebody. Everybody is somebody.”

I found this quote very inspirational. It was perfect to read in the midst of study days.

It is so easy to judge and to base our opinions of others on their outward appearance and first impressions ... Susan Boyle has reminded me of a very important lesson. The beauty of people truly does come from within. I hope I never forget this.

arabic culture night.

So I have been M.I.A. for a long time ... I have been VERY busy, so I am finally getting a chance to get caught up.

Over a month ago, my friend Maria was participating in Arabic Culture Night, so some of the girls and I decided to go and support her. I was very unsure about what to expect about the whole thing because I don't really know much about Arabic culture. The whole experience turned out to be so much better than I could have ever imagined.

It was a night filled with dancing, singing, poetry, and acting.

The entire experience had a very surreal sense to it. It was such a relaxing, happy, and intriguing atmosphere.



We got a little bored while we were waiting ... (why do I looks so angry? haha)
Casey and Justine...

Claire and me...

And finally, we got the see Maria!!!

Maria did such an amazing job ... the little skit was about 15 minutes long and she had all of her lines perfectly memorized!

I was such a great experience to see one of my friends pursue her passions.

Maria came to Notre Dame as an architecture major, but after 2 years in the program decided to change her major ... she is now a political science and arabic major and absolutely loves it!

It was so fabulous to spend a night with the girls, to experience something completely different, and to hear Maria and her amazing Arabic skills!

food for thought.

According to the United Nations Defense Programme, all people should have the human right to water.

EVERY person should have access to 20 L of water per day in order to sustain their BASIC needs.

Unfortunately, the majority of people living in developing countries have extreme difficulties to fulfill this basic necessity -

While many people in developing countries struggle to obtain 20 Liters of water to stay alive ... the average person in industrialized nations (including the U.S.) FLUSHES NEARLY 50 LITERS OF WATER DOWN THE TOILET EVERYDAY!

No matter how bad things seem, at least we have a constant supply of clean water, a roof over our heads, and a luxurious life compared to so many others.

We are so very blessed.

Looking back ... ReNew Orleans.

Lately, I have been very nostalgic for my trip to New Orleans. This trip last June could not have come at a more perfect time. I was looking for change. Looking for something new. Looking to make a difference.

I went on the trip not knowing a single person. We had one meeting before finals, but when I got there, I did not recognize a single face. I knew that this would be a great opportunity to meet new people, to experience something new, and to learn a little something about myself.

Little did I know that I would completely solidify my calling to help people and make one of my best friends in the process.

The 10 day trip was filled with a combination of hard work, leisure, and lots of people.

We ate crawfish with alumni.

We had a crawfish boil on the street in the French quarter.

We saw too much devastation.We visited the Lower 9th ward.
We worked to rebuild elderly housing units.

We raked, mowed, bagged, and cut.

We toured rebuilding neighborhoods.

We lived in a closed down school used by Catholic Charities to house volunteers.

We repainted Ms. Bertha's house.
She gave us crawfish, crosswords, and so many memories.

We learned what it means to truly make a difference.

These pictures are only a few of the hundreds that were taken during our ten day journey.

We rafted down a river in Louisiana, visited Bourbon Street, ate too many beignets, drank too much cafe au lait, toured the Super Dome, went to mass, talked on the school roof until 4 am, went cajun dancing, met so many amazing people, heard life-changing stories, and learned what it means to be a part of the human family.

Of all the things I have ever done, I think this trip would rank at the top. It is close to being at Notre Dame. I fell in love with the city and fell in love with the cause.

Looking back, this trip taught me more about myself than I ever expected to learn in ten days.

It was more than I ever could have hoped for.

never pass up a chance...

The first night I spent on campus as a freshman, our Frosh-O councilors taught us my first and favorite lesson about life under the dome:

Never pass up a chance to go to the grotto with a friend ... even it's 4 am or it's freezing cold, always take the opportunity. You will learn some of the greatest things about people on trips to the grotto.

Well, over the past three years I have never forgotten this lesson. No matter the circumstances, whenever a friend has asked me to go to the grotto, I have always gone. No matter what. In return, I have had friends drop everything to go with me to the grotto. I have some fantastic memories at the grotto. I have had some amazing nights there ... tonight was one of those nights.

I was snug in bed at 11:45 (which NEVER happens), when my friend Brianna sent out a text:

"Would anyone be interested in making a trip to the grotto conmigo?"

Well, this may not seem very significant, but to get this message from Brianna was a very big deal. In the three years I have been at Notre Dame, she has never asked us to go to the grotto. So of course, I offered to go. Even though I was snug in bed, already in my pajamas with my teeth brushed, I knew I needed to make the trip ... so I climbed out of bed, put on some shoes and threw on a jacket ... and off we went to the grotto.

Claire met us downstairs, then we stopped by CoMo to pick up Justine and made the five minute walk to the grotto.

We lit our candles.

Touched the rock from Lourdes.

Said our prayers.

One by one, we sat down on a bench. Justine, me, Brianna, Claire. We sat there, silent, but oh so happy to be there together. In all honesty, I have made many trips to the grotto, but something about this one was different. The four of us sat there quietly, knowing that nothing needed to be said. We have all have a stressful week and with the end of the semester quickly approaching, it is only getting more hectic from here. But for those few peaceful minutes, it was just four best friends being there for each other, simply by being.

It is nights like tonight when I realize that I am home. I realize that it is possible to have two homes, to make new friends, and if you are lucky, like me, to create a whole new family.

I am so thankful for my ND family. They make life here ever so sweet.

I am so glad I never forgot the lesson from that first night.

#52 is my hero.

This past Saturday was the first round games of the NCAA Women's basketball tournament. This year, Notre Dame was chosen as a host site, which meant that we got to see the ND vs. Minnesota game at the Joyce Center AND we got to watch my oh so fabulous roommate ERICA WILLIAMSON in action:

(no, this picture is not from saturday's game, and no, i did not take it ... but hey, it's all i could find when i googled "erica williamson")

As you can tell, the arena was pretty packed for Saturday's basketball action.

Despite being down by nearly 20 early in the first half, the Irish were able to bring the score to within 3 points in the second half. Unfortunately, we were not able to pull it out and lost in the first round.

The good news is that the ND women's team will return ALL of its players next year and will be adding the number one recruit in the country, Skylar Diggins (a South Bend native) .... here's looking to next season.

Congrats on a great season #52 .... I'm proud to call you my best friend.

You truly are an inspiration!

take me out to the ball game...

Today was a therapeutic day.

I spent the afternoon at the ball park, soaking up the sun, and watching the Irish take on the Seton Hall Pirates. The only thing that was missing was the peanuts!

Even though the Pirates won, it was great to spend an afternoon relaxing in the sun. I forgot how much I love baseball and it was so nice to be a part of the fabulous atmosphere.

The starting catcher for the Irish is one of my friends from French class.

Despite the outcome of the game, it was oh so lovely to spend an afternoon at the ball game!

Can't wait for the next game!

knowledge is power.

Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to go to a presentation by a man from Sierra Leon named Ishmael Beah, the author of "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier." Sierra Leon is located in West Africa and experienced a terrible civil war beginning in the mid-1990's. Ishmael was a child soldier for two years when he was 11 and 12. He spent an hour talking about his story ....

Ishmael lost his family during the war ... his mother, father, and two brothers were all killed within a two year period. He spent 45 minutes telling us about his life - pre-war, during the war, and post-war. He was a captivating speaker. I was absolutely mesmorized. He talked about violence. About death. About war. He talked about the evils that surround war, but most importantly he talked about why he wrote his book. He talked about why we need to speak out on important issues and why we need to stand up for what we believe in.

"When you destroy the facts of a story, you destroy its purpose. You need to have a purpose for telling a story. My purpose was to tell that [atrocities of war] were happening to human beings with same human tendencies as everyone else. We are all capable of losing our humanity."

He said that you can't ever give up hope and you have to give a human face to the experience of war. "Sierra Leone was never a hopeless country," Beah said. "Nothing can be done if you write something off as hopeless. Issues can be easily put off without human context - if you don't humanize an issue, people don't pay attention to it."

He also said you have to hold people accountable for their actions. Unless people are held accountable, they think that it is okay to do terrible things.

"I will never forget what happened, but you learn to live with it. You can find good things out of horror, and you can appreciate what it is just to wake up and be alive," Beah said.

I am so glad I decided to go to his presentation ... It is amazing to me how easily I get caught up in my "problems" and stress, without even considering how lucky I am to just be able to wake up in peace everyday.

After the presentation, my friends and I had to opportunity to meet Ishmael. My friend Claire asked him what we could to make a difference. He said that we had to humanize the situation, but it seems so hard to do that from so far away. We wanted to know what we could do to make a difference...

His answer was simple:

LEARN ... He told us to learn about the issues. To educate ourselves and to educate others. When I heard this, I realized how important education really is. It has the ability to humanize a terrible situation, to get people involved, and to truly make a difference.

When I hear about people like Ishamel it reenforces my desire to become a teacher. There is so much to learn about, so much to teach, and so much of a difference to be made. No doubt, it is not always easy, but it seems that it begins with the desire to get involved and the compassion to help others. I believe that if you truly want to make a difference, there is always a way to make it happen. I hope that one day I can make half the difference as those who have helped me in my journey. I hope that I can take a stand for the things I believe in. I hope to teach others how important education and knowledge really is ...

Like Ishmael told us as we were leaving ... Knowledge is Power.

p.j.'s special day.

This past week was Spring Break, so of course I headed home for some rest and relaxation (haha, sort of). Anyway, in high school I couldn't wait to get out of good old P-top, but now that I have been gone and experienced so many new things, I always LOVE coming back any chance I get.

The week was busy, but one of the highlights of my week was having P.J. take me to his kindergarten class as his SHOW AND TELL. He asked me to bring in his pole vault pole (an old broken pole that dad fixed up for him) and some mini hurdles. He also asked me to wear my ND jacket and brought a picture of me hurdling from high school. My little buddy was so cute!

When I got to class, he told the other kids in his class all about pole vaulting, demonstrated how to run over the hurdles, and told them about me going to school at Notre Dame. P.J. was SO excited! It was such a great experience.

After he introduced me, the kids had the opportunity to ask me questions. They asked all sorts of questions, but one kid's question was particularly hilarious ... he asked:

"WHAT ARE YOU MADE OUT OF?"

Hahaha, Dad said I should have told him TITANIUM ... too bad I'm not that quick.

Despite my lack of wittiness, I had a great experience hanging out with P.J. and his classmates.

He is such a funny kid and I love hanging out with him when I am home!

Thanks for taking me as your show and tell, P.J. It was indeed a very special day!

boost of confidence.

The good news is that next week is Spring Break! Unfortunately, that also means that this week is midterms week. As of this afternoon, I have written a paper in French, turned in a philosophy paper, written a 9 page midterm on the Civil War, and taken a French exam ... almost done. 4 down, 2 to go - social problems project and a midterm on the Vietnam War. Needless to say, this week has been pretty crazy. I am running very low on sleep. I am living off of coffee. BUT the weather is beautiful and I recieved this much needed boost today...

Dear RikkiLynn:

I just wanted to touch base to let you know I sent your recommendation out. I put a little note on it saying that, although the option did not exist, I thought you were in the top 1% of all students I've ever taught! Good luck! Keep me posted!

All the Best and Be Blessed,
Erin

I am in the process of applying for an internship with the ACE program (Alliance for Catholic Education) for next year. The application asked for four letters of recommendation - two from professors, one from a peer, and one from a rector. The email I recieved today is from a professor I had last year for a class on Manliness, Gender, and Race in the Antebellum South. This class was by far the BEST class I have taken at Notre Dame. I learned so much! Anyways, this email provided a much needed boost during this seemingly endless week! 4 down, 2 to go.

lovely tuesday.

I still vividly remember coming to campus for Spring Visitation during my senior year. It was such a surreal experience. I had always dreamed of going to Notre Dame and I was one step closer to making that happen. I remember stepping off the bus, looking at the golden dome, and instantly knowing that I had found my new home.
I remember walking into main building to register and seeing Rudy playing on a big screen. I remember walking onto South Quad with my host and her saying to me "It is such a great day! God must have known you guys were coming." The quad was covered with students playing frisbee, cornhole, football, doing anything and everything to enjoy the beautiful day. Little did I know how rare these beautiful days would be during the horrible South Bend winters.

Anyways, the point of this story is that today was one of these RARE beautiful days. When I came to campus on that April afternoon I didn't understand why everyone was so excited. Well, as each winter comes and starts to fade, I am beginning to appreciate these days more and more.

Today was a beautiful day. Sunny, (semi) warm, and not too windy. Despite my lack of sleep in the midst of midterms, today was a lovely Tuesday.

fighting irish.

Last night I went to the Bengal Bouts Championships at the JACC ... I think the story of Bengal Bouts gives a whole new meaning to the term "Fighting Irish."

Then:

Organized boxing was started in 1920 by football coach Knute Rockne, but the event did not become known as Bengal Bouts in 1931 when it took on the purpose of raising funds for the Holy Cross Missions in Bangladesh. Coach Dominic "Nappy" Napolitano served as coach and director of Bengal Bouts for nearly 50 years and his words became the motto for the bouts:

"Strong bodies fight, that weak bodies may be nourished"

The Congregation of Holy Cross began its missions to East Bengal, India in 1853 under the invitation of Pope Pius IX. Beginning in 1931, the money raised has supported these missions to India. They have established and supported medical facilities, as well as elementary and secondary schools. These missions also include extensive outreach programs that assist the poor throughout the country. This includes everything from literacy training to medical care to occupational instruction. Needless to say, the money raised from Bengal Bouts is truly making a difference.

Now:

After attending the championships last night, I was very intrigued as to where the money they earned actually went. During my search, I crossed paths with the blog of a fellow domer. He was a Bengal Bouts competetor who is currently in Bangladesh, trying to learn more about where the money they raised goes. I read this post and was absolutely fascinated at the amount of good that a boxing tournament is doing:

"Today, on campus at Notre Dame, is the start of the 78th annual Bengal Bouts tournament. Even though I’m thousands of miles away from the ring, I’m as close to the action as you can get.


The Bengal Bouts are a series of charity boxing matches where the proceeds from those matches come right here to Bangladesh. Ever since I’ve landed in Bangladesh, nine months ago, I’ve been trying to find out where that money goes. It’s been a long journey - literally and figuratively, I feel like I’ve gone through hell and high water to get to this point. Floods, riots, curfews, Cyclone, Sidr, food poisoning, hospitalization of a family member, dealing with corrupt officials, dealing with a water crisis - jeez, it feels like the list never ends. Each time some new problem came up, my Bengal Bouts journey took a back seat.


I guess it’s just sheer luck that, when I was finally able to embark upon my journey to see where some of the Bengal Bouts money is being spent, it happened to coincide with the beginning of this school year’s tournament. My trip to Jalchatra (where I got to meet the tribal people known as The Garo) is but one of seven locations in this country that receive funding from the Bengal Bouts. It really seems like Bengal Bouts money goes to every corner of this country. I’d love to track it all and show what happens at each of the seven locations. Unfortunately, my outside-of-Dhaka travel resources are fairly limited (especially since I carry around all this camera and computer equipment wherever I go). For now, it’s my hope the few days I spent in Jalchatra can help shed a light for my friends back home about the good they are doing in this country.


It’s a good feeling to know that, while I am here trying to fight poverty on the ground, there are 185 of my fellow Irishmen back at Notre Dame fighting alongside with me. Fortunately, for me, my way doesn’t involve that many bruises."

Again, I am truly amazed at the people I am surrounded by. They take part in this tournament for something bigger than themselves. This inspires me to do more, to make a difference, and to remember what it means to be part of the Fighting Irish community.

one of those moments.

After nearly three years at Notre Dame, I have experienced a lot of new things ... some good, some not so good. I have met 7 amazing girls that are now my Notre Dame Family. I have met more people from all over the world than I ever thought was possible. I never cease to be amazed at the caliber of people that I am surrounded by on a daily basis. I have taken 30 courses, some of which I absolutely loved and some that were a true struggle to pay attention in. I have spent countless hours in the library, pulled many all-nighters, drank too many cups of coffee, and read dozens of new books. I have cried too many times to count, spent too much time stressed, but all the while, I have loved every minute of my time at Notre Dame.

It is kind of funny because it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day hustle and bustle of college life, that I forget how truly blessed I am to be here. I can remember telling mom and dad that I was going to go to Notre Dame someday when I was ten years old. I vividly remember the first time we drove up Notre Dame Ave and saw the golden dome (which is still one of my favorite views on campus). But of all the things I have learned while being here, the most important is that I absolutely love to LEARN.

It sounds a little funny to say that I love to learn, but I get so much enjoyment out of learning something new. As a history major, I am so intrigued by people and places. On a daily basis, I am in absolute awe of my professors. I am amazed at how much they know, how much they enjoy what they do, and how they are always striving to learn more.

Today, I had one of those "wow, I love this place" moments. Instead of the usual fascination with the beauty of campus, however, this moment was more in fascination of the aura of the university. I feel so at home going to class everyday, learning new things, talking with professors, and discussing interesting facts with my friends. I adore the educational atmosphere and cannot wait to learn new things again tomorrow.

Parlez-vous Francais?

I am currently in my third semester of French here at Notre Dame. It's kind of funny because I took Spanish all through high school, but decided to fulfill my language credit at ND by taking French. While the language is quite difficult and the pronunciation is even harder, I really enjoy it. I think that it is an absolutely beautiful language and am very happy that I decided to try something new.

For class, we were told to watch the movie Monsieur Ibriahim. The film was in French, but we were able to have English subtitles. (To anyone learning a new language: Watching a movie in the language you are learning while using the English subtitles is the BEST way to learn better comprehension skills ... well, it has been working for me at least! haha)

To make a long story short, I was very unsure about this film before I watched it. I have seen several French films and have only liked a few, so I was not sure what to expect. To my surprise, however, this movie was fabulous. It is a story about a young Parisian boy named Momo, his relationship with Ibrahim, and the lessons they learn about life. Seriously, I LOVED it! So if you have a little extra time and want to try something new, then give this movie a shot. I think it has some pretty great lessons!

"Smiling is what makes you happy."

"You can find beauty wherever you look."

"If God wants to reveal life to you, he won't need a book."

"You only have one pair of feet. Look after them. If your shoes hurt you,you change them. You can't change your feet."

"When you want to learn,you don't pick up a book. You talk to someone."

"Your love for her is yours.It belongs to you. She rejects it,but she can't destroy it. She's just missing out on it. What you give, Momo,is yours for good. What you keep is lost forever."

"You can't understand everything with your mind."

"You have to look at them as if to say: "I've never seen such beauty before." For men like you and me... not Alain Delon or Marlon Brando...you're beautiful through women."

junior parents weekend.

This past weekend, my parents came to visit for Junior Parents Weekend!



Over the past three years, I have always heard people talk about how great JPW was, but it definitely surpassed all of my expectations. It was so amazing to be able to meet everyone's parents and to show our parents what it is like to be a part of the ND Fam.



The weekend began on Friday with dinner at one of our favorite hang outs: Main Street Pub.

It was great to go to dinner with Casey's family, Erica, and our friend Dex's parents. My friend David, who I met on my trip to New Orleans was also able to come with us!


The food and Main Street Pub is great and it is always a fun and relaxing place to go. They were getting geared up for St. Patrick's Day, so they had a very entertaining array of shirts for sale ... of course, my roommate Casey had to get one! haha.















Next was the Opening Gala on Friday night. This was such a great experience! They had the gala in the Joyce Center (the basketball arena and the fieldhouse). The night was filled with good food (especially the desserts!), great friends, and dancing! The dress code was semi formal and everyone looked absolutely fabulous all dressed up!

Here we are with some of our guy friends ... we were all on the dance floor and mom wanted a picture of everyone! (Thanks for all the pictures mom!)













Claire, Brianna, Casey, and I were waiting for the other girls to come ... it is always so much fun to get all dressed up!

Here is part of the group ... Claire and her parents, Casey and her parents, Joe and his family, and of course, me and mom and dad!

Dad and me.

I can't even begin to explain what an amazing experience Friday night was. It was so great to see everyone having such a great time with their parents. There was no awkwardness, no embarassment, but just everyone getting to know each other and experiencing life at ND.

On Saturday, we had a luncheon in our dorm, Lyons Hall. We had lunch in the chapel in the basement and ate Bruno's pizza! (My favorite) It was nice to just hang out.

On Saturday afternoon, we went to my absolute favorite bar ... THE BACKER!

The "Linebacker Inn" is a small bar right off campus, but I absolutely adore the atmosphere of the place. It was really fun to be able to take my parents there because I am pretty sure I was able to convert them to be backer lovers.

On Saturday night we all went to dinner at a restaurant downtown called the Vine. My friend Brianna organized the dinner and we had a room downstairs all to ourselves. We went to dinner with all of the girls, two of our guy friends from Fisher Hall, and all of our parents! Dinner was so delicious.

After dinner at the Vine, we headed to the College Football Hall of Fame, where one of our friends rented out the building for the night. It was all of our friends from the other dorms around campus. They had a DJ, dancing, desserts, and then had the entire Hall of Fame open for us to tour.

It was such a great night!

Finally, the weekend concluded on Sunday morning with brunch. Once again, the food was great and we got to sit with my friend Justine and her parents.


















Lou Holtz was the guest speaker ... he never ceases to amaze me. He spoke about his love for Notre Dame, his experiences at Junior Parents Weekend, and just about life.

Of all the things he said, I had two favorites:

1. He started talking about what made Notre Dame so special ... he said:

If you are a part of the Notre Dame Family, there is no explanation needed ... and if you are not a part of the Notre Dame Family, no explanation will ever suffice.

I thought this was so amazing ... and so true. Even as I am trying to write about this weekend in this blog, I am having a very difficult time finding the words to describe the experience. My time at Notre Dame has been filled with so many magical moments and I can't even explain how fabulous it has been. As my dad put it, "great people at a great place." so true.

2: Lou Holtz said that there are 4 things that you need in life:

1. Something that makes you happy.

2. Something to get up for everyday.

3. Someone to Love.

4. Something to believe in.

Thanks for a great weekend mom and dad!

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I'm so glad I got to show you what it is like to be a part of the ND Fam!

future president?

My brother Tyrel was awarded President Obama's Volunteer Service Award at the Blue Ridge Board Meeting this month.

http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20258637&BRD=2264&PAG=461&dept_id=506173&rfi=6

He logged over 50 hours of community service ...

Tyrel and Taylor Rock were the only two to recieve the award!
(omg ... they look SO old!)

Tyrel never ceases to amaze me in his genuine care for others. He is such a driven kid and truly amazes me.

With all the things he does, it makes me wonder what is capable of ... who knows, maybe
future president?

happy love day!

happy valentines day!

there are a lot of things in my life that i love, but most of all i love my family (my family and my nd family).

happy love day to everyone ... i hope your day was filled with lots of love.

miss you all. xoxo Rikki

happiness.

This semester I am taking a philosophy classes titled

Friendship and the Good Life

Today in class, we were discussing Aristotle, Plato, and what we thought constitutes happiness.

A lot of different definitions were thrown around ...

"to love and be loved"

"to have all of your wants fulfilled"

"happiness is a state of mind"

"being content with what you have"

obviously, there are many different ways that one can interpret happiness....

But I have come to decide that happiness is a combination of spending time with the one's you love, doing things that bring you joy, and knowing that no matter what, you always have someone there to support you.

With that being said, I thought I would make a list of things in my life that bring me

HAPPINESS

the grotto.

catching a glimpse of the sun beaming off the golden dome.

running around the lakes.

driving and singing with my sister.

hanging out with my buddy P.J.

my genius brother Ty who keeps everyone on their toes.

doing "mom" stuff with my mom.

working out with my dad.

having the time of my life doing absolutely nothing with the girls.

the feeling i get from having a really good vault.

football season.

being a gym rat.

being with the nd family.

looking at the mountain stars.

My list could go on and on, but these are a few of my favorites ...

What makes you happy?

don't worry mom and dad...

This morning while I was enjoying my tall skinny caramel latte (yummm!) from Starbucks, I was very intrigued by the "The Way I See It" on the cup...

"success in life is that your kids want to spend time with you once they have grown up"

well mom and dad, i am pretty grown up (sort of) and i still thoroughly enjoy spending time with you ... i think that makes you VERY successful!

SO:

What happens when you have these three ...

Plus these lovely girls...

Plus their parents ...

AND

friday night gala

saturday night "family dinner"

COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

(entirely rented out for the night)

sunday morning mass

JUNIOR PARENTS WEEKEND!!!

i can't wait to see you next weekend mom and dad!