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!