Happy Friday!

Y'all should give yourself a pat on the back! It might have taken a few pumpkin spice lattes to make it to the weekend, but hey, you made it! Fridays are a fresh breath of air, and they are getting seemingly more exciting as we dig further into football season and all things Autumn. I know that all of Cincinnati has enjoyed the cooler weather lately. Although we would all like it to cool down a little more. Mainly just because us girls everywhere are ready to wear our riding boots and sweaters again. This is the time when the Midwest really gets to shine and proclaim God's beauty. There are few things like it, and if you are from this part of the country you know exactly what I am talking about. I may be biased, but campus this time of the year is by far the best. I must admit that even on a gloomy day U.C. still looks pretty, but add colors of orange, yellow, rust, red, brown, and dark green in there and you have the perfect mix for the most beautiful campus in the country.

The school year has started out well, and of course DAAP is kicking my tail like always! I am taking wheel throwing (which is ceramics) and let me tell y'all, it is WAY harder than it looks. It is very much a love/hate relationship. One minute it's going great and the next I am just a hot mess with clay all over me. Ask my team, I sported clay all over my practice clothes yesterday at practice haha I am also taking intro to painting which I love, and it is much more in my comfort zone! I am using oil paints instead of acrylics and I am really enjoying learning something new that has so much history behind it. Not to mention I have the most fabulous painting teacher in the world, which makes the class much more enjoyable. It takes me a couple weeks to get back into the rhythm of a crazy schedule. Especially since I am working as well, which is new for me this year. If there is one thing that the Lord is trying to teach me this year it is obedience. Being obedient to God's Word is something that as humans, we struggle with. We are sinful by nature. Everything in our mind tells us that we shouldn't listen to God's way and instead we try our own. I know that every time I try my own way, one thing happens every single time...it backfires. Now why do I get it stuck in my head that my (sinful) way is better than the Creator's way? I read this on NewSpring's (NewSpring is a church that has several locations all over South Carolina) blog earlier today and thought I would share it with all of you..."We may never verbalize this belief, but anytime we refuse to step out in obedience, we are making it clear that we don't think that God knows what's best. Obedience is seemingly impossible at times, but when our obedience seems impossible, our God assures us that with Him anything is possible." This really hit home for me and made me realize that when you put God first, you will never regret it. His Word does not come back void! With that said, let God use your obedience to change the world.

Here a few pics from the last couple weeks + some fall apartment decor! We play Miami University on Saturday, kick off at 4! GO CATS!

You know you're getting older when you get excited to hang a wreath on your door! 

Salted caramel anything has my name written all over it.

Pumpkin spice Hershey Kisses. Enough said. 

At work we had our staff meeting to look at styles for  fall & holiday 2013. Too excited!

This would be where we mix the clay for my wheel throwing class. Yes, we even make our own clay which is quite the process.

My little station.  Messy is an understatement! 

It's the fourth week of school & I finally made something in class worth keeping!  You have no idea how pumped I was! Not to mention I have a lot of added pressure from my mother to bring home ample amounts of pottery that I made. (She somehow thinks this will save her money from buying pieces at Anthropologie)

Can't wait to wear my Patagonia with these riding boots.

Love my new monogrammed necklace. Matches perfect with my J. Crew field jacket that still looks as good as when I bought it my sophomore year of high school. 

My grandma & I at the game last weekend!

Cupie contest...which my partner and I won (even if it was by a half second haha)

My favorite little cutie, Parker!

Here is the link to the blog that I do my daily devotionals on... http://newspring.cc/blog/articles/how-will-you-change-the-world/
(copy & paste the link)

New Season. New Coach. New Era.

IT'S BACK!

College football welcomes us once again and it feels so good. The players, the crowd, the band, the cheerleaders, the students. Nothing compares and it truly is something that America takes a lot of pride in. From the pee wee level to the NFL we loveeeee us some football. It is the start to the best time of the year. The end of summer and the beginning of fall that eventually transitions to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yes, I know it is still a little ways away...but it's just right around the corner. The night before the first game feels just like Christmas Eve. I promise. My team has put in many many many many many many hours of  hard work to look our best on game day. I think that a lot of people underestimate how much time and energy we put into preparation for our games. Before our first game we drill fight song, tumbling, stunting, pyramids, baskets, chants and game day situations to get us ready. Our role is to lead the crowd and keep the energy alive during the entire game. So with that said, when the first offensive play of the game involved a turnover, we were just as frustrated as the rest of the crowd. We cannot wear our emotion on our faces. We smile, pick up our poms and do not let one bad play affect us for the rest of the game. After all we do still have 13 minutes left in the first quarter haha We cheer and motivate the fans that these boys can do what they have trained so hard for. It's so much more than just putting on a skirt and wearing a bow. Every single girl, guy and coach on my squad has a deep love for BearcatNation and that's what makes you a cheerleader. Representing the C during the good and not so good times. 

Saturday at noon we kicked off our season opener vs. Purdue. If I could sum up the game in one word I think we all know what it would be. HOT. It was the hottest game I have ever cheered at. The field temperature read 118 degrees. Someone after the game told me at its hottest it got up to 127. My coaches were great at keeping cool water for us on hand at all times and I think that's what made the biggest difference. Plus my partner (Ryan) was awesome and made sure I was feeling okay during whole game. With the heat problem set aside, the game had the most perfect atmosphere. Setting a new Nippert Stadium attendance record at 36,007. I have cheered at many different stadiums small and large, and nothing compares to cheering at our home turf, located in the heart of our campus. Obama just named it the best "bang for your buck" university in the country. Standing on the wall of a completely sold out student section I know exactly what he is talking about. Our new head football coach, Tommy Tuberville lead us to a huge 42-7 victory vs. the Boiler Makers. With that said it's time to refocus, stay humble, and start preparing for Illinois this weekend! 

Seriously. Our band is the stuff though. 

Sold out stadium + a white out= magic

This is before the game with about 20 minutes left til kick off. Nippert has this magical way of completely filling up at the very last second before the boys run out.

An hour before every game we have a pep rally performance at Sheakley Lawn right outside the stadium. I am middle layering (AKA holding up) the top girl in the air!

This is one of my best friends Caitlin! She was the cute girl I was holding up in the pyramid in the picture above. 

Okay. I am not sure if I can explain to you how legit this picture is. The man in the awesome white tux is the President of our university. He said if he got something like 500 retweets in under an hour that he would wear a white tux for the white out. Well he did that in about 35 minutes. I have never seen a President care about his student body so much. The guy next to him is the man who has won Cincinnati's heart, Tommy Tuberville. 

This was taken by my grandma at the Cat Walk. Cat Walk is when the players get off the bus and walk to their locker rooms to get ready for the game. We tailgate before this & invite the fans to give the players a warm welcome to get them pumped for the game. One of the best parts of the whole day.

We had to be "game ready" by 8 a.m. That means hair, bow, lipstick, the whole package. This was taken at around 10:30 a.m. & let's just say that I did not look like this after the game haha. This is one of my good friends Leigh, who played lacrosse at UC. Such a sweet girl!

Tommy T came to visit the spirit squads at practice last week to tell us how much he appreciates everything we do. He bought the band 350 white t-shirts so they wouldn't have to wear their uniforms in the heat. What other football coach takes the time, energy & effort to do that?

We asked if we could put him in a stunt & told him Prez Ono let us do it & he responded with "Well if Ono did it, I have to do it!"

These were taken 4th quarter...so my hair had gone up  in a pony tail & I sweated off half my make up.  We don't get to where our parents sit until then, so sadly my grandma was only able to get one pic of me stunting!

Literally the only stunting picture I have...I apologize!

HUGE shout out to my grandma for taking all of these awesome pictures for me! You're da best!

James 4:6

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."