Imagination is more important than knowledge...

I made a sweet CD for my beautiful niece, Harper. I'm so excited to send it off to her so I decided to share the music I put on it. I think it fits Harpie well.

Sweet Harper, Don't ever forget how much I love you. ~ Aunt Em

1. Almost Over-Folk Soul Revival

2. Part Two-Folk Soul Revival

3. Viva la Vida-Coldplay

4. Slow Dancing In A Burning Room-John Mayer

5. You're Gonna Be-Reba

6. My Wish-Rascal Flatts

7. Meet Virginia-Train

8. Sweet VA-Folk Soul Revival

9. China Town-Folk Soul Revival

10. Don't Do Me Like That-Tom Petty

11. Two Princes-Spin Doctors

12. I Missed You-Lisa Loeb

13. Sister Golden Hair-America

14. You Are So Beautiful-Joe Cocker

15. Maggie May-Rod Stewart

16. Your Mama Don't Dance-Loggins and Messina

17. Baby I Love Your Way-Peter Frampton

18. Lullaby-Matt Costa and Jack Johnson

I'm So Blessed

Coffee and blogging...my two loves that I don't enjoy as often as I should. I also enjoy reading quotes (from my quote calendar!) I hung the one from last Thursday up on my wall and forgot to include it yesterday but it's a really great quote from Anna Freud- "I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time." I think I've become more confident now that I'm learning to be alone and comfortable with myself. I am blessed.

I have better friends than I could have ever hoped for. This came to my attention yesterday when I was overwhelmed with the people who loved me. One particular came over last night and we had a heart to heart over chocolate chip cookies. I love that sweet friend to death and literally would do anything for her. She is not only a beautiful person outside, her soul glows with each word she says and Christ's light shines through her into darkness. I am blessed.

I also realized today that my life could be so different. I'm lucky to be able to go to school. I'm lucky I have a roof over my head, clothes on my body, and food in my stomach. I'm lucky I'm sitting out of the cold and rain and on my laptop sharing my thoughts with you. I'm lucky I don't have to hide my opinion. I'm lucky I have a family that if I really needed them, would drop whatever they were doing to be there. I'm lucky I have friends that text me just to say hi or swing by my apartment just to give me a hug. I am so lucky and I am so, so incredibly blessed.

Thank you for being part of my life and a blessing to me.

XOXO

Quotes

I have this calendar that gives me little quotes for the day. Let me share a few of my favorites:

"I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment." ~Frances Farmer

"There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart." ~Jane Austen

"To love is to receive a glimpse of Heaven." ~Karen Sunde

"Nobody has ever measured, even the poets, how much a heart can hold." ~Zelda Fitzgerald

"Love is an attempt to change a piece of a dreamworld into a reality." ~Theodor Reik

"Dreams are necessary to life." ~Anais Nin

"The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." ~Allan K. Chalmers

"To love and be loved-this on earth is the highest bliss." ~Heinrich Heine

"The greatest gift we can give one another is rapt attention to one another's existence." ~Sue Atchley Ebaugh

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." ~Robert Frost

And I'll save my favorite one for last...

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." ~Aaron Rose

I'm sure there will be more later :)

I can't believe...

...it's been SO long and SO MUCH has happened in my life! Seriously!

I guess the most important thing that happened is MY SISTER HAD HER BABY (a month ago...).

Harper Jade Dudas was born February 24, 2011 at 6:40 pm. She was a huge baby, weighing over 8 lbs and was 22 inches long. She is probably one of my favorite people ever. When I went home a few weeks ago for Spring Break, she was only 2 weeks old but already has SUCH a personality...she reminds me a lot of Erica (although, she kinda, sorta looks like me when I was a baby...must be a Baxter thing). You can see SUPER cute pictures of her on my Facebook.

Hmm...I guess not much else has happened. Spring break was amazing spending time with Harpie and Erica and working. I'm so blessed to have a job to go home to. I was re-elected RHA President and represented the state of VA at the regional business meeting (No Frills) this past weekend at App State in Boone, NC. I'm so proud of everyone who was elected to be on the SEC next year. I think they have their work cut out for them but if anyone can do it, this board can.

My internship and classes are going really well. APO is starting to pick up again. Our numbers are a little on the low side but the group that's there is dedicated and I'm proud of them. Kay and I are still writing our advice column and that's getting great feedback so I'm really happy about that. We decided to try and live together again next year. I'm thrilled! :)

Other than that, I'm doing so great. I think I'm happy and that's such a big change for me. :)

I miss blogging. That was one of my New Year's Resolutions and I've been failing miserably. I'll have to try and fix it.

XOXO