end of semester

The changing of the Seasons

THIS POST IS REALLY RACHEL PRETENDING TO BE LAUREN:
(it's pretty close to home, though, if i say so myself)

Today, Rachel asked me why my desktop was still leaves and told me that I should change it to a snowy scene. Can I just say that I LOVED that idea?! So, Rachel and I sat down and did a google image search for different snowy scenes. Did you know that you can adjust the image search to be only large images!? Rachel taught me that today!


We started out looking for cabins. I told Rachel that I needed a cabin in snowy mountains with candles in the windows. She laughed at me. When I saw a Thomas Kinkade picture, I gasped with delighted rapture, and Rachel almost vomited on the computer, since she hates Thomas Kinkade so much. I don't understand her. Who WOULDN'T want one of those cute little cozy houses, nestled in the snow, full of cute children to comfort and candles in each and every window?

Anyways, here are some of the things we searched for:


All of this season-changing just makes me think about how glorious the future is. Rachel suggested that I get a wintery road, so that I could stay with the theme of traveling through the different seasons of life. We couldn't find a wintery road, but I all of these thoughts about seasons and the future have just made me so fluttery inside. I LOVE seasons.



Instead, after I gave up, Rachel found this PERFECT one for me. She said that, even though it didn't have a road, it was OK because it still reflected something about my future: An athletic man waiting for me in the Swiss Alps. Rachel is so perceptive. How did she know that I have always wanted that? Oh, and she is so funny, too. Have I mentioned before how beautiful she is? She is just breathtaking.... the definition of natural beauty, especially when she's wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt, like she's been wearing all week. Just gorgeous.

But I'm getting carried away!

Now I have to go to a meeting and then go to the gym and then eat an apple and a few vegetables (and MAYBE even a piece of delicious LEMON cake!!) and then I have to study after I go to a prayer meeting with James and Rachel's caregroup. Their caregroup is the best.

I can't believe it's the last week of school already! Goodbye for now!

COMING SOON*...

... to bookstores near you: Lauren Whitney Crosby's 375 page autobiography entitled "How to win friends and influence people: the secret of my successful existence"

*within the next 17 years

mixed vegetables.

exam week + hungry for dinner = microwaved vegetables

it's stud time

bye

GOING TO WALES

I just am so excited that I had to blog about this. Joanna and Brielle have had enough of my excitement and no one else is home. I just bought a ticket to Wales!!!!!! I will officially be leaving for the entire summer. So excited. So excited. So excited.

Breakfast with Rachy

This morning, Rachel and I began a wonderful tradition. Breakfast at a diner. See the above photos.

The name of the diner will remain nameless for protective reasons.

We considered how our friends don't ever eat out because of money reasons. I include myself in this group. But breakfast is the perfect meal to eat out. Portions are usually large and its relatively cheap. And it's my favorite meal of the day. The best part about going out to eat is that there aren't any distractions. You can talk face to face with your date (Rachel in this case...) without feeling like you could be doing something else at the house. We had a delightful meal and laughed and cried (not really). We watched an old man say very unusual words very loudly. I hope to do this with Rach even when we are old, married, and living in different places.

lauren singing celine dion at the top of her lungs....

so. i was sitting there listening to lauren singing along to celine (after posting the last post) and i got this message from joanna from the other side of the room:

AND... the result was the BEST VIDEO EVER:

joanna and i were struggling to not burst out laughing...

p.s. just WATCH laur's face when i start singing really obnoxiously. it is soooo good.

"YOU GUYS!....

... I can't even enjoy Celine when you guys are doing that!
I WILL go listen to her in my room!"
-lauren love

we <3 lauren

here are our CHRISTMAS PRESENTS from lauuuuren!!!!!!!






each of us pretty much flipped out when we found them laid out on our beds. we all put them on IMMEDIATELY.

it makes me so happy that everyone will now know that i love ethiopia. :)

here is our message to lauren:
brielle: i looooooooooooooooooove you!
joanna: lauren, your face makes my heart beat quickly!
me: lauren, you truly will make adorable t-shirts for your countless little ones!


----------

lauren says:"make sure you insert the fact our back room smelt so much like spraypaint that i almost fainted!!!"
brielle:"but lauren, why do our readers need to know that?"
rachel: "if only lauren asked that question EVERY time she made a blog post.... " [[ juuust kidding, laur... juuust kidding ]]

Last one to sleep

This is officially a first. It is 2:07am. No one has been awake for the past 45 minutes. Yet my eyes have been glued to this screen finishing my research paper. The amount of time it took to complete this paper was ridiculous. But it's done. Whew. I do feel tired. But I also feel like God is able to really answer prayers because I prayed to finish tonight. I didn't drink one sip of coffee.

Tonight, our household experienced a lot of laughter. If you haven't been around girls very much, you might get confused by this story. However, if you have been around girls, you also might be confused by this story. I arrived home at 10:30 tonight. All the girls were home (plus jd). This rarely occurs except for when we are asleep in our beds. Anyhow. I got home to find Stacey telling me about her chicken standing up. Rachel shoved her computer in my face to show me how she "elfed" us. Joanna giggled... Brielle canceled out all the noise with her headphones. I deboned chicken to relieve the stress of writing a paper. Seriously, for over an hour, we laughed about the weirdest things. Chicken, mouse poop, headstands, etc. And not just a feminine giggle, but heartfelt laughter that erupted throughout the house. We were all on the ground because we couldn't stand up and laugh this hard. Anyhow. It was a good night. Followed by 2 hours of silence in my pink tinted room. I'm very aware of mouse sounds outside my door. Sleep is calling my name. And I will answer. Good night readers.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

The Return of the Mouse

Two days ago, I opened our silverware drawer. What do I see but tiny pieces of mouse poop all over our silverware. After disinfecting each piece of silverware and checking all the other drawers, I hoped that I wouldn't see any of it ever again. I came home today, opened the drawer to cook get a fork for my sweet potato, and I saw it. Poop. He's back. I inspected the surrounding area. Poop on the floors. He's back. And I have two extra mouse traps. Gross. Gross. Gross. I hate (strong word choice? YES) his poop. And I dislike him. Very much.

the dreaded PEPCO MORNING!!!!!!

BASED ON A TRUE STORY.

please enjoy the following dramatized version of REAL EVENTS that happened to REAL PEOPLE one morning a few weeks ago.

the first few minutes may cause SHOCK and CONFUSION, but please persevere... the mystery will solve itself by the end of this short drama.





credits:

Character............................. Played by:

Lauren ----------------- Lauren
Joanna ----------------- Joanna
Pedro ------------------ Pedro
Rachel ----------------- Rachel
Brielle ----------------- Brielle
Stacey-------------- --- oh wait... she definitely wasn't there. that's weird. oh wait... no it's not.
Pepco bill ---------------itself
Albert Einstein -----------himself
Seabiscuit -------------- well, you know...
Red inflatable baseball bat-- "the stress reliever", patented stress management device

photobooth faves

hi. so my internet isn't letting me see the pictures that i've uploaded.... it's just a bunch of weird letters. i was going to try to put captions on these... but that's looking a little hard.

ANYways, so i have a ton of photobooth pictures and i wanted to put them up to give you a glimpse into my photobooth life.

i'll put the captions first, then you can match them with the pictures:

1. i had a huge test the next day and was sooooo tired of studying... and more than a little anxious about the test.

2. (i deleted it.)

3. my granny and i :) i adore her.

4. OK. funny story: this is the knitting club that meets at panera in germantown. i was studying next to them one day and almost DIED laughing sometimes. real quote:
"my daughter is obsessed with things that are yellow and red, and she's always like pointing to random things and saying, "yellow" and i'm like, "no, that's black!" so i just dyed some course yarn and quilted her a potholder- like a little pot holder that fits on her hand- that's yellow and red, so like, i can show her those colors when she gets confused."
WHO THE HECK KNITS A POTHOLDER FOR THEIR TODDLER?!

5. that's normah and i. she's like my zimbabwean sister :)

6. nicole catucci and i. i just died her hair brown yesterday. it was such a rush. she looks completely different.

7. i just put this picture in because joanna looks so BEAUTIFUL!

8.HAHAHA i could make a whole blog post out of this. in fact, i think i will.... let's just say, it's a card i made for lauren.

9. sometimes i like emo pictures. for some reason, i like this one. i look a little like a sad child. it's nice.

10. lauren love and i... i'm doing my "lauren smile" :)















lauren, just fyi, i have full confidence that you can ALSO compose a successful "photobooth faves" post. AND i never doubted your ability to make a "happy thanksgiving" post either, for the record. you are a capable young woman, with many skills....
post away!

I can wish people Happy Thanksgiving too, Rachel.

from my heart to yours <3

happy thanksgiving!
xoxo

Consider Greatness

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

interpretive dance part 2

interpretive dance part 1

to enhance your viewing experience, just watch lauren the whole time. she is the best, by far.

oh the feet. the feet. ha.

This Nicht

the day's triumphs

who...

... ME? oh i'm just baking pumpkin cookies and listening to italian opera.
nabd.




here is an amazing recipe for you:

Pumpkin Cookies!!

1 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 c. pumpkin

1 egg

2 c. flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

FROSTING:

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 stick butter

8 oz. cream cheese

Cream shortening, sugar, and pumpkin. Add egg and mix well. Add sifted dry ingredients. Drop from spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Beat frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cookies after they have cooled.

DOES NOT Make 48 cookies.

but the recipe says that it does.

We've been at the gym

Some people party on Saturday nights. We work out.

christmas music and general loveliness

i got to work today

and the parking lot was empty

and i realized

IT'S VETERAN'S DAY

and i'm a government employee

so i did a u-turn

and thanked God for the veterans

and went home

and got all cozy on the couch

and i have been sitting here ever since

reading my bible and

then

writing a paper about Usher Syndrome

with lit candles all around

and christmas music playing

and stacey baking apple crisp in the kitchen

and jade cracking silly jokes

and brielle reading humor blogs

and all is jolly

and warm

and nice

hooray for cozy, rainy days when you don't have to do anything pressing.

thank God for Veteran's day.

on another note, brielle just got the great idea of posting a sign in our bathroom which says:

"We aim to please. You aim too, please."

hahaha.. quality.

The Gentlemanly Act of Opening Doors

Opening doors for ladies is such a gentlemanly gesture. I love this concept. Opening doors to buildings and opening doors to cars are both acts that I love. Yesterday, I experienced the new way a man can open a door for a lady. It's one of those push buttons that people with disabilities use to open the door automatically. You push this large, square, blue button and the door opens. After taking my special education class, I realize the importance of making buildings accessible for people that have disabilities. So I completely appreciate these buttons.

Back to what happened yesterday. I was walking into a building and a young man saw that I had my hands full. He had the thought that it would be kind of him to open the door for me. But instead of using his strength to pull the door open, he pushed this convenient button and walked away. While I appreciate his intentions, I'm not so sure what I think about this new wave of gentleman like behavior.

does anyone here have LUPUS?!

- quote of the day, by stacey bazdash

Too much sugar and too little nutrition

For the last two weeks, I have been living off of a few select items that all fall under the categories of sugar and carbohydrates. It's a sad fact that in the midst of midterms, I cease to eat nutritiously. I need to stop this bad habit before it's too late.

Also, coffee. Our house has been replenished to over flowing with coffee. Which makes Stacey, Brielle, and I very happy campers. We are coffee snobs and prefer nothing but the best. Don't be fooled. The Maxwell House can has Starbucks in it. :)

Also, pumpkins. At the harvest party at church, there were soooo many leftover pumpkins. And I have been having a desire to get some pumpkins for the house. I was going to go pumpkin picking with a friend from school today, Danielle, but bad weather and high heels deterred us from going. So I took 2 pumpkins last night. They are lovely indicators that fall is still here.




Also, Joanna and Brielle are powerwalkers. I discovered this last Thursday night. I was strolling (trying to stroll) with them on campus at night, and they were walking at a pace that I'm sure brings their heartbeat up to a cardio pumping rate. I believe if they never exercise again in their lives, they will stay in shape because of their fast walking habits. I, on the other hand, love to walk at an enjoyable pace that I can take all the beautiful fall sites in. And this is why I have to go to the gym. And why I need to not eat all the sweets.

No more news really. Except that I am in this empty house. And I was talking to Rachel on the phone while writing this, which accounts for why my phone is included in each of these pictures.

Hey Nick, do you like my hat?!

"Well, Rachel, it depends on if you are trying to attract Eskimos or not...... "You're the prettiest white girl I've ever seen!" "Why thanks, Eskimo!" ...

... Hey Rachel, did you know that all Eskimos don't have first names? They're all called Eskimo... like Eskimo Rodrigez, Eskimo Miller.... You know, just like all Mongolians have the same last name. "

:)

OH MY GOSH. i love my brother.

seriously, i adore him. thanks for being amazing, nicky-noo.

p.s. shoutout to my beloved brittany for my beloved hat! :)

tommy toe toastie

this video has brought me endless laughter over the past month or so.

it is just so good.

i just got home from the harvest party (which was fun as usj) and i watched it. and it made me laugh.

cleeeeean carpets

this just in: the stanford estate's carpets are now sparkly clean.

yes, that's right, we finally got vacuum bags and then stacey literally went nuts with the vacuum and vacuumed everything in sight, including joanna's butt. [ok, maybe not joanna's butt. but i had to put something in to keep everyone's attention.]

this is big. this is really big. our living room floor was literally covered with leaves. COVERED. lauren would come out of her room, look around, let out a little dejected sigh and go back into her room every few minutes.

hence, lauren was ecstatic this afternoon when she opened the front door and TAAADAAAA! there was a bright, clean carpet to greet her!

she wanted to blog about her excitement, so she asked me to take a picture of her kissing the floor.

one of my favorite things ever is to video her without her knowing, so i took a video instead. we both agree that it is an amazing reflection of her delight in our clean carpets. take a look at this:

ALSO, and probably most importantly, LAUREN HAS THREATENED TO STOP posting if no one comments on our posts. please.... humor her. if you read this, just say something like "lauren, your new haircut is amazing" or "you are a comedic genius, lauren" or "wow! this post really reminded me of the broccoli that i ate for dinner!!! THANKS LAUREN!" as a comment, and i'm sure her frustration will be quickly appeased. if she carries out her threats, we will all be deprived of much laughter and mirth.

think about the children. do it for the children.

my room is SO CLEAN.

i just tidied it, while i was procrastinating instead of studying.

this is a very important part of my life.

hence, i tell you.

i also put up more magazine clippings/random memorabilia on my walls.

i love it. i want to cover my walls with them. :)

and this is just because i love joanna and i miss her. i haven't seen her in a while, it seems.

and now to study my butt off (pardon my graphic language) until all hours of este noche.

theeeend.

i love elizabeth

i have a story for you. it's called i love elizabeth.

once up on a time, there was a girl who lived in my parent's basement with her family. her name was elizabeth. she was the best. we have had so many fun times making goofy videos and taking goofy pictures on my computer. i love her.

the end.

Part of Your DORM

after a long night of studying and practicing, a tea-making session turned into this....

here's our version of the little mermaid's "part of their world".

i love joanna. :)

African American Boycott of L.L. Bean

i very much enjoyed this video, by The Onion, a fake news network....

again, this is a joke.

i emphasize this because joanna did not know it was a joke.

it is a joke.

the end.

i just discovered something creeepy

you can look at a live video feed online of the gym.

i think that's weird. i mean, it makes sense.. but i look at those bikes and think, "i've biked there".... which is just a strange feeling....

COMING SOON:

"LAUREN CROSBY INVESTIGATES: an exploration of the mysteries of our household"

and

"The Penitence Stool: Based on a True Story"

so, stay tuned.....

"Pay in Forward"

Hello Readers,

So today, I was studying at Mayorga with Bryce. A man comes up to me and asks if I go to UMD. I decide to answer truthfully and reply, "Yes. I do. I see you have some tickets to todays game." He says "No, but here you go" and hands me the tickets and leaves. I open the envelope, thinking he just gave me football tickets. But no. I opened it up and to my utter surprise, I found two Colbie tickets. Each ticket was 40 dollars. The envelope read, "Pay in forward. Enjoy and Seize the Day." I had to pinch myself (not really... I would never hurt myself).
Just yesterday, I drove in my car and heard the concert announcement come on. I wished I could go, but I just couldn't because of the price. And God decided he would bless me with something little, but meaningful. Very kind. So Jenn came with me and we had a splendid time. The concert was wonderful. I'm going to try to post a video, but my favorite song, Bubbly, is not a good recording because my singing overpowered hers :)
Couples surrounded us in every direction. But I had Jenn!!! On the way home on the metro, two very unusual boys strolled around the metro car for 20 minutes touching their fingers to all the hand grasp bars. A girl and guy behind us wouldn't stop talking in baby voices to each other and kissing. Gross. Honestly.

Now, I am back in CP. In this house alone. But I feel safe because of two reasons. God is here and is surrounding this house. But also because it is raining like crazy. And what idiot would choose a rainy night, of all nights, to rob a house?

grocery shopping

today stacey and i went grocery shopping.

you know your life is sad when grocery shopping becomes a social event.

"hey guys, let's go GROCERY SHOPPING!"

"YES!"

"i'll drive!"

no, i am not exaggerating.

almost every time i go shopping, i go with at least one other person. last time it was five people, and that's not uncommon. that's the best because then you're running around and bumping into everyone all over the place, comparing cereals and recommending apple brands.

i love the ritual of it all. piling in the car, pulling into the giant parking lot, getting our carts and embarking on our mission.

all the essentials are systematically added to our respective carts:

apples

bananas

milk

cheese

yogurt

pasta

cereal

cookie mix

deodorant

i really love running into her near the eggs and yelling at her to get out of my way and watching people's reactions when they don't know that we know each other.

what's more is, i think that, from my observations this past trip, Giant is quite a common destination for many groups of college students. today there was this one group of (obviously) college guys there, who i kept on running into. there were four of them, i think, but they surprised me a bit with their purchases:

"hey guys! you want me to pick up some asparagus? i love asparagus.."

and then i was stuck at the deli with them too. they were buying a bunch of different exotic cheeses. what regular college guy buys asparagus and half a pound of imported aged gouda (and two other cheeses that i have never heard of...)?

i couldn't help being curious...

as we progressed, stacey and i would use our mobile devices to inform each other of our shopping progress [real samples of communication]:

r: "hey have you got deli meat yet?"

s: "nah, but english muffins are on sale- buy one get one free"

r: "really.... hmm..."

.....

r: "oh my gosh the lines are loco up here"

this is just one of the many things i enjoy about college. when else will i be able to call up one of my best friends just to go grocery shopping with them?

the best part is coming home and actually having food in my section of the fridge and in my cabinet. i haven't had food for a week and a half. now my sections are literally filled to overflowing.... a very good feeling, indeed.

lies, lies, lies.

first of all, i would like to say that stacey was being completely satirical in her last post. don't love it, brittany, because she lied.

stacey lies.

everyone knows that stacey hates sunday nights. everyone. stacey was just making fun of lauren and how lauren loves to treasure the little moments of life (like eating home-grown tomatoes or challah bread, making pancakes, or visiting ghetto schools) and didn't mean a word of what she said.

second of all,

well, there is no second of all.

now i'm gonna make a video with lauren.

[LAUREN MADE ME DELETE THE VIDEO BECAUSE IT WAS DUMB]

well that's cute. haha. NOT.

ok the end.

Sweet Sunday Nights:

Sigh, Sunday nights are my favorite.

Lauren has a full conversation with no one in particular about what she will be wearing to her next costume party from her room. Brielle and I just sit her studying.

[ lauren waltzes across the living room. does a quick headstand & comments on the current muscle group that she strengthened at the gym today]

Stacey & Brielle: silence. 

Lauren: starts to sing her own rendition of "breaks my hearr -are are artt are art" by Regina Spektor. 

Silence is golden on Sunday nights. The sweet hum of the single cricket that lives in our house. The sound of the ambulance blaring down 193, the clippity clippity clap clap click click click of the typists each singing their own tune with their fingers. The water dripping into the bucket under the sink. The bugs chirping outside our window, as in, right outside our window. Actually - it sounds like they have somehow found a way to lodge themselves inside space between the screen and the inside window. 

Homework is being done. Texts are being answered. Noses are being sniffed and blown because despite the fact that the leaves are falling in picturesque rotations to the ground to the tune of the autumnal chorus - we are still in the middle of cold season. make that flu season. i mean, swine flu season.

yeah - sundays are the best. 

Sunday nights. With Regina.

Stacey: Ewww killl that cricket!
Lauren: Brielle step on it. It's just a cricket
Brielle (swinging her legs off the floor and practically standing on the couch): You kill it!
Lauren: Not with my bare feet!

Also. I studied today from 2pm till now and am planning on more. YESSSSS.

Right now, Brielle is enviously glaring at Joanna's whole wheat muffins and really looking as if she is going to take one.

Regina Spec is in the background. Coffee is being consumed. Conversation is sporadic. Loud music periodically blares. Phones ring. Keys on computers are clicking. Homework is happening. Sunday. Lovely lovely Sunday.

last night: a photojournal

so this was basically what my life was like this week.

11:43 : the whole gang

1:45 : the faithful few are left, josiah falls asleep sitting up

2:10 : it progresses

2:30 : going crazy from studying too much. study guide ~13 pgs here.

3:00 : it progresses ... even james succumbs.

3:15 : i am left with nothing to keep me company but the gentle snores of my slumbering companions.