To God I'm Thankful...

HaPpY ThAnKsGiViNg!!!

For the first time ever, I am not able to spend Thanksgiving day with my family and friends, and I never realized how much I appreciate this day with them. Thanksgiving is an appointed time to focus on the good in our lives, and often I overlooked this day and the meaning of it. Starting now, I want to keep my eyes open to the blessings in each day and appreciate the people who bring love and light into my life.

I am thankful for:
I am thankful for my family
& their ongoing love and support for me.
I am thankful for my Momma and Daddy,
for believing in me, when no one else did...
I am thankful for my big brother/my best friend
& the friendship - bond we share...
I am thankful for my little brother
& all the amazing memories I have of him..
I am thankful for my friends
& the joy they bring into my life...
I am thankful for the US of A
& all the little things that come with it...
I am thankful for this once in a lifetime opportunity
to play volleyball in a foreign country...
I am thankful for the happiness that god
has bestowed in my life...
I am thankful for the countless blessings
this entire year through...
And most of all, I am thankful for a loving God
who meets my every need.

To my family and friends,
I love you and I miss all of you so much! I can't wait until Christmas to spend time with each and every one of you! I hope all of you enjoy this wonderful holiday with your families and friends!
Much love!
Ciao!
xo

Below are a few pictures of our Thanksgiving at Lauren and Taylor's Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was perfect, and I am so happy we were able to have a delicious Thanksgiving, American style. =)

The American volleyballers
On the left, from front to back: Jake, Adam, Missie, me & Heidi
On the right, front to back: Lauren, Taylor & Chris

♥ Missie and I ♥

Missie, Heidi and I

Heidi and I

It's Snowing!!!

So, this morning we woke up to a pleasant surprise - SNOW, and ohhh were we excited! Missie and I were upstairs doing our regular morning routine and Missie looked out the window and started screaming, "snow, snow, it's snowing, oh my gosh!" Come to find out, it is Missie's first experience in the snow. She has never had the priveledge, like most of us have, to enjoy the beautiful, white, fluffy snow that comes every winter! So, Missie and I got all bundled up and went on a walk to the Post-at, our local post office to pick up a box that her Aunt had sent to her. Along the way, we took pictures and stopped at a little bakery and got some goodies. The entire time we were walking Miss was in pure amazement at the beauty around us, she was like a kid in a candy store. I just loved it! It made me stop and think about how blessed I am to have grown up in such a beautiful place, aka Lake Tahoe!
I love the snow and I can never get enough of it! It's just gorgeous.
Here are some pictures of Missie's first experience in the snow and beautiful Austria in the winter!

Tag

Lo tagged me, and I totally forgot fill it out, so here it is :

8 Favorite TV Shows: I am not much of a TV watcher, so this could be hard

1. The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire
2. American Idol
3. The Hills
4. Unsolved Mysteries
5. ESPN
6. NFL Network
7. Family Matters
8. Family Guy

8 Things I did yesterday: This is not very fun for anyone to be reading, seeing as how my days are not very exciting lately :(

1. Slept until noon-ish
2. Took my meds
3. Ate some cereal
4. Took a bubble bath
5. Went to Zeilpunkt
6. Laid in bed
7. Read my new book "A Thousand Splendid Suns"
8. Talked to a few friends on the phone

8 Things I Look Forward to:

1. Feeling better!
2. Our big Thanksgiving FEAST!
3. Going home for Christmas!
4. My homecoming Christmas Party
5. Friends coming to visit me in Austria..hint, hint
6. Traveling with my family around Europe, in April
7. Becoming a better volleyball player
8. Playing beach volleyball - Summer '09

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. El Charro Avita
2. Olive Garden
3. CPK
4. BJ's
5. The Chart House..yummmm
6. Wasabi's
7. Mandrin Gormet
8. Pizza Barn

8 Things on My Wish List:

1. Play in the AVP
2. That my dreams stay big and my worries stay small...
3. To travel - when I am older...
4. To get married and have a family someday
5. Travel to Thailand
6. Hug my little brother again
7. Live in Australia
8. Live comfortably, without the worry of $

8 People to Tag: Well I only have two friends on here, and I was tagged by one of them..so I don't have eight..
1.Erica ?? =)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Update

Just an update, I was finally able to get into to see a doctor on Thursday, lucky me! I am suffering with a kidney infection, which is just what I figured was going on inside of me. For the past few days, I have done nothing but lay in bed n' relax, and I am going crazy. I can't wait until I feel 100 percent and I am back full force, please pray for me!

Oh the Joy of Socialized Health Care =)

So, the last few days I have been in an extreme amount of pain, and unable to figure out what is wrong with me! I am dealing with a sharp pain on my back side, right below my left ribcage, and I am almost positive that this pain is in my kidney. I am also experiencing exhaustion, dizziness, and headaches, and I have yet to figure out what is wrong with me. First off, I have never felt this pain before, so it is a little scary. And secondly, Who just gets a random pain in their kidney? It is definitely a first.
When I first started feeling this pain 3 days ago, I called my coach and asked him if I could please get a doctors appointment, and I explained to him what exactly was going on with me. He said he would give our club manager a call and see if he could get me an appointment. Well, that was on day 1 and absolutely nothing was accomplished. Day 2, yesterday I was still in a lot of pain, and in need of a doctors appointment, so I gave coach a call again and explained to him that I was in desperate need of doctor's attention. Once again, I was unable to see a doctor. And here I am day 3, still no medical attention and feeling like crap. Ohhhh the joy of socialized health care.
I have come to learn that here in Europe, the citizens are provided with socialized health care - universal health care, which is affordable for all residents in the governmental region. As a US citizen, I had absolutely no idea how the socialized health care worked, and I am now learning first hand. Pretty much the reason they can't help me is because there aren't any private doctors. All the doctor's work for the government and because they have this universal health care, everyone has to wait forever in order to get an appointment. People will call and make appointments months and months in advance because they can't walk in when somethings wrong. I'm coming to learn and experience that it's terrible and does more harm than good.
All things considered, I am laying in my bed wishing I was at home in the states so I could get some medical attention. I am trying not to worry, and I am praying and hoping that this pain resides and I start to feel better sooner than later. I can't help but wish that I had my momma or pappa with here to take care of me, and just love on me.
As hard as it is being away from home and dealing with all of these emotions, I am so thankful that I have the Lord to call on.
"I will never leave you, nor forsake you" Hebrews 13: 5-6. This scripture gives me peace in times of struggle.

Not slacking, bad luck...

Well, I have had the worst luck so far with this blogging business!
I posted a blog a few days ago about an experience I had on my way over here to Europe, and it is now gone. Ya, no where to be found! Just gone.
A few minutes ago, I was typing away, almost done with LONGEST blog ever, and my blog disappears on me. A blank page is left, no words, nothing! Yep, just gone. No where to be found!
I am very frustrated right now, and I wanted to let you all know that I am not slacking on keeping my blog updated, I am just having some bad luck with it!
I would attempt writing the current blog I was working on again, but I am off to club practice right now.
Ohhh the joy of computers!
Until next time, ciao!!!



(Mom's gonna love this one, she hates this face!)
Not gonna lie, a little frustrated...

Official Blogger =)

Thanks to my dear friend and teammate Lauren, I'm officially a blogger. I am very new to this blogging business, I didn't know blogspot even existed until Lo introduced our team to her blog, and I fell in love with it. =) I couldn't think of a better way to keep my friends and family up to date with my new, adventurous life over here in Euro Land. So, I jumped on the band wagon. With all the time on my hands, I figured it would be a great way for me to keep a "journal" of my experiences, adventures, and wonderful memories I am making, while sharing them with you aswell!
So, for all of you who I haven't been in touch with for the past few months, I am currently living in a beautiful town/city in Austria, called Klagenfurt. This pretty, old town is absolutely amazing, and I am loving every minute of it. Everyday, I find myself thanking the lord above for blessing me with such a perfect situation. It really is a dream come true. For the past few years I have constantly been go, go, go and as my mother would say I never took the time to stop and smell the roses. Well, I am finally granting my mother her wish, and I am totally enjoying myself while doing it!
My daily routine consists of volleyball twice a day, taking naps, eating - of course, reading (my new found love), surfing the web, and spending time by myself. After everything I have been through these past two years this is just what I have needed, to spend time by myself and sort through all my issues I have piled up ontop of eachother. Sometimes I feel like I am dreaming, because I never would have thought I would be living by myself and finally learning to be a "responsible adult" in a foreign country! Who woulda thought? Not me! haha
So, stay tuned and I will try my hardest to keep you all updated as I live out my dream...

Klagenfurt, Austria

Lindwurm (winged dragon): emblem of the city and was modeled on the dragon of legend, said to have resided in a swamp here long ago.

Worthersee: one of the largest and warmest alpine lakes in Europe

Photos by Lauren Evans