Cheese-ology

My roommate's favorite food is Macaroni and Cheese, so upon my discovery of "Cheese-ology" located in the loop, we had to give it a try.  With a variety of unique mac-n-cheese pairings, it was a little overwhelming to choose, but I finally decided on the Sante Fe...

Natalie chose the Classic...

Her sister chose Chicken Scampi...

And their friend from home chose the Philly Cheese...

Of those four, the general consensus was that the Chicken Scampi was the most delicious.  Overall, our experience at Cheese-ology was fabulous, and we will certainly be returning soon!

making KINECTions

New Years Day was spent recovering from the night before.  The evening was filled with delicious Lebanese food and great company.  If you've never tried Lebanese food, I would definitely recommend it.  It was delicious...I even tried raw meat!  Yikes!  After the feast (literally SO much food), we all watched the NHL Winter Classic (Washington Capitals versus Pittsburgh Penguins).  I was cheering for the Capitals; after watching 24/7: Penguins/Capitals Road to the NHL Winter Classic, I really identified with the Capitals.  The show chronicles the lives of the players, including practices, travel, et cetera.  What I found to be most striking was the half time speech of the Capital's head coach.  The team had fallen into a rut, losing multiple games.  As I listened to their coach's speech consisting of profanities and lacking effective encouragement, I felt as though I was back on the field hockey field in Fenton, MO...HENCE it was a no-brainer to cheer for the Capitals.  While the majority of the game was somewhat uneventful, the Capitals ended up defeating the Penguins. VICTORY!  After the game, we all played Kinect on Xbox360.  It was a lot of fun and a pretty good workout!  I even managed to capture my friend Beth's awesome volleyball skills...the quality is EXTREMELY poor, but this video was too funny not to include.

New Year's Resolution

It is in looking back on all that happened in 2010 while anxiously awaiting things to come in 2011 that I realize how wonderful life is.  One thing is for certain, everything happens for a reason.  Often times it's easy to get caught up in the moment and be completely focused on it, but in the end somehow, no matter how messed up or simply beautiful the experiences were, it all makes sense.  A friend that will forever remain in my heart once told me, positive equals positive.  By thinking positive things and making positive choices, positive things will happen.  This past year has been full of ups and downs, and it was no easy task to find the positive in every situation, but by moving on and accepting what has been, I find I can fully appreciate the present.  Of course, it's important not to worry too much about what the future holds but that doesn't mean that there is no need to set goals, appreciate successes, grow and learn from failure, and to think about the limitless possibilities.  No one and nothing should limit you, your dreams, or your desires.  In the end though, it's important to keep in mind that what lies ahead might not always be easy, but trust that it will be worth it in the end.

One word encompasses my resolution for the new year.  Trust.  This coming year I hope to learn to trust myself more, trust others more, trust in God, trust that everything happens for a reason, and trust that all things work out in the end.  I challenge myself, in 2011 and beyond, to be more courageous and fight for what I want and believe in.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." -Ambrose Redmoon