Sitting in the apartment doing homework is not what I want to be doing.  So, I decided to blog instead.  I have really enjoyed spending some time at the lake last week with the parents (shout out to you mom & dad).  It was great to relax one last time before homework started.  Church is going great.  I really think I have found my groove with my mix on Sunday mornings.  All in all, things are going well.  here is a picture of the lake last week, and me at 11:45 p.m. today.

boat

I am at the houseboat for some R&R.  I do believe that there is nothing better than to sit back and watch the waves on Lake Travis.  Rocking back and forth instead of sitting in an apartment on campus just makes the week feel right.  So, here is to you...  wherever you are, just not at the boat!!!

Over time, changes and traditions... you figure it out.

So I spent some time reading old posts from a xanga account I have that I used to post to when I was at HBU...  very interesting stuff in there.  It is funny to see how much your life has changed over the last 5 years or so.  So, here are a few comparisons from those old posts and now.

First, I used to talk about how fun it was to stay up late and go to Taco Cabana late at night with friends and be in college.  Now, I have a hard time staying up past 12:30 and don't want to leave anywhere after 10 pm.

Second, I used to talk about how difficult some of my entry-level classes were at HBU, now I have made it through accounting classes, marketing classes and now know that managerial statistics will be the hardest class I will take in college... I had it so easy back then.  sad....

Third, I used to think that my dog Holly was the best thing ever, now I know she is.

Finally, I liked to be home, but knew it was always 45 minutes away so it was just another place to visit in college.  Today, I value everyday that I get to come home and be with family instead of in an apartment with books, TV and people coming in and out.

I just thought it was fun to read through some of those posts...  moving on to better and more important things........

Thanksgiving was great.  All the brothers and sisters came to Houston, and we just had a great time with family.  We continued a new tradition of playing guitar hero, discovering this year that we wanted to get the full band version.....  one problem, it is more expensive than we cared to play it.  So, we jammed out to guitars and Bon Jovi.

When I went back to school, it was time for 2 things in life....  school projects and the installation of the new sound system that I have been working on the last year and a half.  I got to work on the projects right away and actually stayed ahead of things for the first time in a while.  Aside from taking the final exams, I was caught up with everything up to a week before it was due.  It's a nice feeling.  Next I began to tackle the new sound system.  I could say a lot....  no, I mean A LOT!! about the sound system, but I will leave it at the following:  I learned a ton from being the project manager for a project of $200,000+ and I think although there is a lot of stress and time required, I know God used me and will use that experience very soon in my career.  It is still being completed, but it sounds amazing.  If any of you who have not heard it or seen it would like to, please let me know and I will arrange a private screening of the system.  I finished finals well, and the First Baptist Irving Christmas Events went well.  

After passing all classes and spending a few days cleaning the apartment for winter break, I headed home to Houston.  I told the parents I would come home Monday (Dec 22) in the afternoon.  But, after coming home from the last Christmas event at the church on Sunday night, I decided to pack and just hit the road.  I left at about 10:30 pm to arrive at about 2:30 am at Sarah's house.  Willow, her dog, was not too happy I woke her up that late, but she got over it soon, giving me licks and letting me pet her before crashing for the night.  I got up the next morning and went home 10 minutes away.  The parents were surprised, I think.  I enjoyed a few days at home before family came for Christmas.

Christmas Eve came on time (sometimes it does not, I bet you didn't know that), and we went to Uncle Mark's house for the Rowe Family Christmas Eve Dinner held every year.  Steak, mashed potatoes and 3 lbs of sweets later, we went home to get ready for Christmas.  Dad, Sarah and I watched National Lampoon's Family Christmas (a tradition) and went to bed.  Now, Christmas is not like it used to be these days.  Everyone used to wake up before even God would declare it day and bug the parents to get up.  This is not the case these days.  I happened to wake up somewhat early this year, though.  Christmas was great.  I got Planet Earth on Blu-Ray among other great stuff, and really enjoyed being with family one last time while I am still in school and on 'break' before the real world makes me work.  

A few days later, my dad and I took a Corvette ride to Conroe to help my grandparents with some easy yard work.  Yeah, it didn't turn out that way.  So, 3 bushes and 3 trees later (even the stumps were dug out), we went back home.  I have to say that there is something about a nice Corvette ride in the country with the top down that is just calming.  

This week the family (brothers and sisters) all came back for the Rowe family Christmas in Fulshear.  I has been a great time just hanging out with them.  The semester is going to start soon and life will get really busy, and I will never be on winter break again...  I am ready for the challenges and trials that 2009 holds for me.  It should be a good year, so let's party like it's 2009.