I'M DONE! I'M DONE! Well, almost. Oh, and a new recipe!

I've made a list. I've checked it twice. Although I cannot determine who has been naughty or nice, I can determine that I AM DONE WITH CLASS WORK FOR MY UNDERGRAD DEGREE! I'm not talking about a figurative list, either. I'm talking about the list I made a few weeks ago of EVERYTHING I needed to finish before finals. Now, the only things standing between me and that $60,000 piece of paper are time and three more finals that I will take next week. I'm almost in tears as I write this. How can this be? It seems like just yesterday I was starting my first semester at Hardin-Simmons, and now I'm literally done with everything, with the exception of finals. Surreal does not even begin to describe it.

The last three days have been a blur. I sat down at our kitchen table Sunday morning around 8 am and didn't leave the table until 5:30 that evening. I mean, let's be honest- I got up to eat, drink, and use the restroom. But, I did not do anything else expect try to finish everything so I could mark it off of my list. Exhaustion got the better of me, though, so it took until today for me to finish everything. 

I also have to brag. I took three classes this semester which required me to give a presentation or a speech. I gave my last speech last week, we gave our last group presentation today, and I gave my last short topic presentation this evening. I mentioned in my last post that I had not given a speech or presentation since 8th grade. I am (was/still kind of am) scared to death of speaking in front of people. I'm extremely shy in front of people I don't know (people who know me are probably laughing at that), but I really am. But, I survived, And you know what? I made a 98 on my last speech! 

I was complaining in a group text to my husband, mom, dad and sister that I just want graduation to get here and I want to go to Port Aransas. My sister told me to enjoy it and that the anticipation was all part of the experience and excitement. She was right. I'm finally figuring out that a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears have gone into my education the last three years and now that everything is winding down, it's time to enjoy it. Pretty soon, it will be time to start the next chapter of our lives. The song "You're Gonna Miss This" comes to mind....

Before our wedding, my sister made a scrapbook for me that had pictures and letters the people closest to me had written for me to read while I was getting ready. One letter that has stuck with me, especially this semester, was the one my cousin, Krista, wrote advising me to just breathe. "Breathe" is something my mother tells me almost on a regular basis, and I think it is so important. All of that to say, I am going to continue to breathe and enjoy the next week and a half! 

Now, how about a recipe? 

Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger meat

1 can of corn

1 can of Sloppy Joe sauce

1 bag of frozen tater tots

Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown the ground beef, add corn and sauce. Pour mixture into an oven safe pan, top with tater tots and cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 degrees until tater tots are crispy and cheese is melted. Enjoy! We topped it with mustard and it was delicious!

There is nothing healthy about this recipe. In my defense, I did say in my last post it would be the end of May before I would begin posting "healthy" recipes! :P

Just an Update and Ramblings About Life

Well, it's been over two weeks since my last update. Stress and lack of time have somehow managed to creep back into my days and make life hectic. 

With that being said, we've barely cooked. What we have made (sandwiches, $0.60 macaroni, and hot dogs) aren't worth posting about. My husband and I are very fortunate to live 15 minutes from my mom and dad, AND my grandparents, who have literally fed us almost every day over the last week and a half. 

I know we're supposed to enjoy every day as if it were our last, but over the last month (and probably for the next two weeks) I am in survival mode. Graduation is 19 days from today. NINETEEN. I may be the type of person who worries about everything, and though I usually welcome change, I am panicking.

I've been in a school setting for over 17 years. I've been a student, a daughter, a friend and recently a wife- in that order- for as long as I can remember. Now what am I supposed to do? Then you take into account that for the last two summers I've either been in summer school or planning a wedding and no longer have a clue as to what people do during the summer. Not that I'm complaining about that. In fact, I am EXTREMELY excited to rediscover how to enjoy a normal summer. 

Now throw into the mix the fact my husband MAY have a job opportunity that could change our lives as we know it. We've seen each other almost every day for the last three years, and now we may not be seeing each other for more than 20 days out of the month?!? However, if everything works out (we've been saying lots of prayers!) this opportunity may allow us to pay off all of our student loans ($10,000 for him and an upwards of $60,000 for me) in just a FEW YEARS. We would have to sacrifice our time together; however, we have tried to see it as an opportunity to sacrifice now in order to not have to suffer later on in life. God has a plan and we have chosen to continue to trust His plans for our lives. 

I read a blog post about graduating the other day and thought I would share the part that stuck with me:

"Above all else, I’m scared. I don’t know what this next journey will bring to me. Saying goodbye to happy hours, skipping class, and making the best worst decisions is one thing, but saying goodbye to ourselves is another. Azar Nafisi summed our almost post-college feelings perfectly: “You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place. You’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”

My biggest challenge right now is giving my last speech tonight. I spent 7 hours yesterday writing it, a few hours this morning rehearsing, and have to give it tonight around 6:30. I somehow managed to make it from 8th grade to senior year in college without giving a speech. That should tell you how much I enjoy talking in front of other people. I've chosen to just try and enjoy the last few weeks of college. It's bittersweet and it's scary, but it's also very exciting. 

AND in 20 days we'll be sitting on the beach, so there's always that to look forward to!

I am looking forward to having more time after graduation to focus on cooking and living a healthier lifestyle. This will probably be my last post until the end of May, but I'll be back with lots of delicious new recipes, I promise!

Passion Tea Lemonade (That Won't Break the Bank)

I love Starbucks. I'm not a coffee person, but I love (LOVE!) tea. Unsweet tea, green tea, passion tea, and passion tea lemonade are my favorites. However, I don't enjoy spending almost $3 every time I go to Starbucks.

I have seen this recipe on Pinterest and finally decided to try it today. It was a Pinterest SUCCESS! It tastes exactly like what you get at Starbucks. The amount I paid for all of the ingredients (which will make a lot!) MIGHT have bought only TWO passion tea lemonades at Starbucks.

Passion Tea Lemonade (That Won't Break the Bank)

Ingredients:
Minute Maid Light Lemonade
Tazo Passion Tea Bags
Water & Ice

Directions:
1. Fill a small pan with water and bring to a boil.
2. Add 1 tea bag and remove pan from heat. 
3. Fill a small tea pitcher with water and add the tea from the pan.
4. In a closed container (I used a water bottle) add tea, lemonade, and ice. Shake well.
5. Pour over ice and add a sweetener if needed. Enjoy!