So Blessed

This past weekend reminded me how immensely blessed I am to be at Hillsdale (not just academically, but in terms of friends)

I had a horribly long and busy week and was looking forward to Friday - lo and behold Friday came and it began with an essay that refused to print (making me ten minutes late for class), an equation on my chemistry test that was worth lots of points that I just couldn't figure out, and finally added stress as my Constitution class teacher mentioned we were having midterms this coming week. I went back to my dorm around noon and ran into my friend Allyn who lives in my dorm. She really wanted to hang out with me and so we decided that the two of us would go to the Hillsdale County Fair (I had gone two nights before for the concert but not for the 'fair' part). It ended up being such a day brightener and I even went on a ferris wheel!!

Then, one of my good friends named Ashley asked if we could go for a walk together to Walgreens and just chat - It was so nice to get to spend time with her and she's always inspiring me to be wise and think of others. So it added so much to my afternoon!

Finally, I spent the evening with another girl in my hall named Sarah and we just relaxed in her room and listened to a book on tape, which was soooo nice :) It was like storytime!

Rodney Atkins' Concert!

My friends Anna and Marie coaxed me into going to my very first country concert - and I loved it! Rodney Atkins was performing at the Hillsdale County Fair last Wednesday evening and we ate deep friend oreos, deep fried cookie dough, and corn dogs :)

The group: Anna, Marie, Anna, Linsey, Me

 Anna and I (She has the world's best hugs and brightens my days!)

 Rodney Atkins!!

 The stage - not quite the Grandstand, but still awesome!

The Grotto

I finally managed to get a picture of the Grotto today! If you forgot, the Grotto is the Catholic Women's household where my Saturday Bible Study is held. It's a beautiful old home!

I don't know if you can see, but that is a Papal flag!

New Standards?

It's funny how your standards can change in college - I now use a roll of toilet paper in my room as tissue cause frankly.. why would I spend a dollar on a box of tissue that will last a week? Also, college makes you try new foods (which I'm not totally objected to!) This is my favorite discovery:

This is the best oreo cookie ever! It has nutella and peanut butter on it :)

Downtown Hillsdale

I decided to go for a walk yesterday afternoon and check out downtown Hillsdale - such a beautiful small town!

First picture is downtown and second (above) is "Jitter's Cafe" downtown - my new favorite study spot!

Retreat Picture

This photo was taken on the last day of my retreat last weekend. It's me with all of the members of the "Catholic Society" on campus.

Marie

Meet Marie. She lives in my dorm hall (called "upper right") about three doors down. 

Ever since I came to Hillsdale, I've been trying to find friends that will not only be a lot of fun to hang out with but will also help build me into a strong woman of God. Marie is definitely one of those friends. She is always there to lend a hug (as you can see!), share advice, or just be silly. It's rare to find someone who will actually give good advice to you when you need it and not just say something that "anyone" would say. 

This is a picture of us before our "Garden Party" dance here at the College! 

Feeling Blessed!

Ever since I've gotten back from my retreat, I have been in such good spirits. On Sunday I had a relaxing brunch, studied with a friend, and got all my homework done early! (This is a first.) Yesterday, I got back my first two graded assignments - My Chemistry test was a B+ and my English Paper was an A-!!!! I had heard from my first day here that the average first essay is around a C, so this came as a TOTAL shock to me :) I also got to go to mass yesterday and spend time with new friends which was a lot of fun!

"This is the truth of the matter, men of Athens: wherever a man has taken a position that he believes to be best, or has been placed by his commander, there he must I think remain and face danger, without a thought for death or anything else, rather than disgrace." - Plato's "Apology"

This morning also started off well with my Western Heritage teacher discussing Plato's Republic - probably my favorite 'classics' book. It was a really interesting discussion and I made connections that I had never made before! It still amazes me greatly how Plato's human reason could come to such Christian and Catholic conclusions.

Catholic Society Retreat

I just got back from my first "real" retreat - I went on one when I was around 11 years old but besides bonding with my sister in law, I didn't get much out of it. Unlike that retreat, this one was really remarkable!

Why was it so remarkable?

1. I got to meet and get to know all the Catholic freshman ladies that I go to school with which was so nice.
2. It was good to get away from campus for a while - the fresh air, beautiful lake, peaceful silence, and new things to do.
3. I got to do Catholic stuff. Hardcore. I probably went to Adoration for a total of 5 hours in the last day. I've never done that before in my LIFE. It was so powerful. They offered nighttime adoration in the evening and everyone signed up for a time slot. I chose 5am cause nobody else had and it was so worth it. Rules are that Jesus cannot be left alone in the Sacrament and so two people must be adoring Him at all times when it is exposed. So, I was there praying with another girl who I got close to named Katie. It's so cool cause, in adoration, you don't talk; you are just both kneeling and praying in silence... together. It's hard to explain the connection.

4. What happened to me DURING adoration- Like I said, I'm new at this, so for the first half hour of my shift, I was so tired and kept falling asleep. This really frustrated me because I wanted to really feel Christ's presence and wasn't. I decided to focus on saying the rosary and about two decades in (all the while I was super sleepy) I felt this surge of energy just HIT ME. And, inside of me, I felt like someone was saying my name and all I could do was look right at the altar. It was so incredible. Unfortunately, it was only for five minutes but in that five minutes, I felt closer to God than ever before! I encourage anyone who hasn't gone to adoration... to go. That's all. Just go.
5. Finally, when I arrived back at my dorm, I saw all my hallmates and it felt so good to be back at "home" :) I really love it here. I am so thankful to God that I am given opportunities to worship Him and be with such loving people. Praise the Lord!

9/11 at the 'Dale

Being the patriotic school it is, Hillsdale goes all out on big days like 9/11. The campus walkways were all lined with American flags, a memorial service took place with a speech by a Marine, and a prayer vigil took place in the evening.

The bishop led the invocation and that was followed by the presentation of the colors by a US Army Color Guard. Hillsdale Academy (High school) students recited the pledge of allegiance while holding a flag and we all sung the national anthem. The speech was focused on the immense sacrifice made by those in uniform in the 11 years after the attack. Sept. 11, 2012 is the first Tuesday Sept. 11 since 2001. The service concluded with the ceremony ringing of the bell, and taps played by seniors.

It was all very moving!

God Bless America!

Hillsdale Countryside

On Tuesday afternoon, I decided it was time to get more groceries and since I don't have a car, I ended up walking. This turned out to be such a peaceful walk! I turned on my iPod and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day! Hillsdale is a very small county with only about 9,000 people. As small as it is, there are still elements that make it beautiful! (And I'm not talking about the college campus!) As I was walking, I crossed over a brook, saw a deer, admired farmland, said hello to every stranger, and smelled the Fall air! It was so relaxing and a great 2 mile workout!

Dorm Makeover!

Last night I decided spontaneously to redo my room's setup. I had gotten some new Audrey Hepburn posters and wanted a change - the bed was too hard to get into and it always looked so cramped in my room! Here's the makeover:

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

I love the new look!! :)

Oops!

I wanted to include the photo of our Bible Study Group so here it is:

It's the Little Things

Yesterday afternoon, to my great surprise, a plant of flowers showed up in my dorm - with my name on it! It was from a very sweet couple and absolutely made my day!!

I also went rummage sale shopping today and got all this stuff (below) for only $3.50! Yes, you read that right :)

I have also joined a Freshman Catholic Bible study (there are twelve of us) and its run by a wonderful woman named Ann who is a recent grad of Hillsdale and now works at the church (her job is basically to get Catholic women to feel at home and get involved in Catholic events on campus). She lives in a beautiful, off campus house called the "Grotto" where a Papal flag flies outside :) There is also a St. Veronica Chapel inside. This is where Bible Study is led every Saturday and I just love it! It started last week and Ann made all of us girls Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes! It's so nice to bond with the ladies. The book we are studying along with scripture is called "The Privilege of Being a Woman" by Alive von Hildebrand and so far, I think it's great! I can't wait to see what other events I'll get involved with - The first Catholic retreat is this weekend!

God bless, Kim

These last two and a half weeks have gone by so slowly, yet so quickly! I have done SO much (which made it feel like a long time..) but I have also been so busy that it's crazy to think it has been so long!

Update!

My Classes:

US Constitution with Dr. Portteus (most demanded class on campus!!)

Western Heritage with Dr. Moye

Rhetoric and the Great Books with Dr. Coonradt

Chemistry with Dr. Hamilton

Tennis with Mrs. Abel

 Above: Convocation Ceremony, Below: Charger Fan!

 Above: My cool lights above the window in my dorm room, Below: The view from my window

 Above and Below: Pictures of my dorm room the day I moved in (A bit messy...)

 Above: Campus Greenhouse, Below: Charger Football Game (My first football game EVER!)

Above is a picture of Nicole and I (Nicole is a girl down the hall from me in Olds) at the football game!

I usually won't post as many pictures as I did today, but I just started so I thought I would cover two weeks in one day!

College blogging!

Hi Family and Friends!

I created this blog because I would love to share with you all my new adventures, undertakings, and life lessons I will be encountering here at Hillsdale. I have been so busy that I haven't been able to stay in touch with everyone - hopefully this blog will help us stay in touch. I will try and post once a day with a picture and something brief about my day and what I've been learning!

                                                               God bless you all!