You NEED to KNOW!

So there is this FABULOUS lady.

Her name is Jenni James.

She has re-written the Jane Austen series for young adults and not only has she kept the classic, beloved, well-known stories ALIVE, she has added twists and turns to make them her own.

I'll tell you this:
I LOVED LOVED LOVED them!
(Well, I've only read Pride & Popularity but I just KNOW they are all going to be superb.)

So you should get the book. It's available for Kindle, etc.

If you like letting go for awhile and indulging in a fabulous retelling of a classic novel, this is the book for you!

I laughed, cried, gushed, giggled, got mad and then happy again. This book is a treasure and you'll love it!!

So, now you know! But don't just take my word for it! GO! GO! Go get the book, you silly!

Enjoy!

"M" is for Music

Let's face it folks, I eat, breathe, sleep and dream the stuff.

Almost all kinds too!

Country, Pop, Oldies, Techno, Rock, (a little bit of) Punk....the list and variations go on forever.

I could sing, sing, SING all day if you'd let me!

I almost always have to have music playing or singing...lol.

I hate the question, "What is your favorite song?" Because, seriously? How do you answer that?

Which genre? What are we talking here? Love? Break-up? Pining? Happy-go-lucky? I-hate-the-world? Don't-mess-with-me-or-I'll-tear-you-to-shreds?

...WHAT?!?!

There are a few songs that I want to share with you today though. These songs in particular have pulled me out of some of my darkest days and thoughts. Or they've made me feel A BAJILLION happier than just plain ol' happy. I hope you like them to.

1. Here Comes The Sun, The Beatles

2. Big Girl (You are Beautiful), Mika

3. Hoppipolla, Sigur Ros

4. Vanilla Twilight, Owl City

5. Unforgettable & Smile, Nat King Cole

6. Enough Love, Duffy

7. Everybody's Changing, Keane

8. Faithfully & Don't Stop Believeing, Journey

9.Good Mornin' Life, Dean Martin

10. You Are Loved, Josh Groban

11. Firework, Katy Perry

12. Fallin' For You, Colbie Caillat

....haha, and that's just to name A FEW!

"L" is for Love, Laughter and Life

Have you ever had a day that was just plain miserable? Like nothing would go right no matter how much you tried or how long you kept your chin up? Yeah, ME TOO!

The good thing about those crappy days is that there is always a remedy.
Laughter & Love.

You can never have too much laughter fill your soul and love surround and envelope you. It makes living life worth it. I for one am grateful that I have a roommate who can make me laugh so hard that I almost "pee my pants". Just yesterday a picture make me laugh so hard I cried! And lately I've been watching a show called Dr. Who and I'll tell you this, it is pure and genuine humor! I just love it.

As for "Love". Well, let's face it. I LOVE TO LOVE! I know some people believe that the more you say "I love you" the less it means. I am NOT one of those people. I believe that if you say it and you mean it, those words can change a person. Physically change them. It's like a band-aid to the scraped up soul. When someone tells me that they love me, and they mean it, I know that life is better just because I am loved. I never want anyone to ever question if I care about them or love them so I will always, ALWAYS, say it.

One of my favorite songs is "You Are Loved" by Josh Groban which you can listen to here.

Now for "Life"
Life is beautiful. It really truly is. I LOVE LIFE! Even the bumpy, scary, unhappy, painful parts. There is so much worth living for and there is so much to be seen!

"K" is for Kindness

Everyday I wake up and say to myself, "Try a little harder to be a little kinder." It's kind of my mantra. I am grateful for the kindness that many others have shown me. Roommate, friends, teachers, parents, employees...the list of names is endless. But ultimately there is One above all else that has shown endless and everlasting kindness to me. He is my Savior and my Friend. I hope you know Him too.

"For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord."-Psalms 117:2

"J" is For...

"J"

The illusive letter "J".

I've been stumped by this letter!

I seriously have tried to write a "J" gratitude blog multiple times and I've got NOTHING!

What am I grateful for that starts with "J" that isn't covered in another category?

But here are the things I love:
Julie-my sister.
Joy-the emotion.
Jelly Beans-but only the tropical Starburst flavored ones that only come out at Easter time.
Jovialness-the act of being jovial
Jane Seymour-in The Scarlet Pimpernel
Jennifer Love Hewitt-in Ghost Whisperer (I really like that show)
Jackson Emery-Um... HELLO BEAUTIFUL! Need I say more?

So, there isn't much there but it's all I got for now.

"Sick and Tired..."

You hear that phrase a LOT. "I'm sick and tired of..." you fill in the blank. As for me? I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired...and in pain. For the last few months I've been suffering from pain in the upper right hand side of my abdomen. Right on my gallbladder. SO my doctor ordered an ultra sound for me. Great. But it wasn't so great to hear, when the ultra sound came back, that they couldn't find a reason for my pain. No gallstones. Which means I'm in pain with no answer as to why. That's the worst in my mind. Now, I've not been praying for gallstones, but at least gallstones would've been an answer. Now I'm left with nothing. I spoke with my doctor over the phone and she suggested I get what's called a HIDA scan. This is a little more in depth but can go further beneath the surface and reveal other things such as sludge or what my "ejection fraction" is. (An E.F. is how much bile your gallbladder ejects. Healthy is between 35%-75%.) I guess we'll see. The biggest bummer is that I have to wait until next Thursday at 7am to get the scan done. I'm trying hard to be patient and mature but all I want to do is cry. It's tough...playing the waiting game. But what doesn't kill ya, I suppose...

"I" is for Identity

Me.

My name is Caitlin Eileen Andersen.

I am named after my great aunt Eileen.

My parents are Clayton and Bonnie Andersen.

I look a lot like my mother's biological mother, Lee, when she was younger.

I am mainly Danish and Irish.

I am 5'4", with reddish brown hair and brown eyes.

I am 21 years old.

I sing. I act. I manage theater stages.

I have a very special spot in my heart for children, animals, music and films-especially old ones.

I can relate to Jane Austen's heroines, Elizabeth Bennett and Elinor Dashwood.

I have poly cystic ovarian syndrome and gastro esophageal reflux disease.

I am not the girl I was two years ago.

I am strong, compassionate, sometimes impatient but always willing to learn more.

I can only snap with my thumb and pinky fingers.

I am can be classified with OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder)

much much different than OCD and because of it, I am detail oriented and organized.

I make "To Do" Lists on a daily basis.

I have color coordinated my closet and my class schedule.

I make my bed everyday.

I like to get dirty when I play sports.

I like to play sports and play them hard.

I love Italian & Mexican food.

I dislike Fish.

My favorite color is Purple.

I want to be as elegant as Audrey Hepburn, as flirty as Marilyn Monroe.

I want to be as brave as my Mom and as patient as my Dad.

I love to travel and if I had a million dollars it would be split between, paying for the rest of my college career, a shopping spree and traveling to all of the places that I have ever wanted to go.

All of these things add up to me. But I would be remiss if I were to leave out the most important part of my identity.

I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father.

He is a King.

Because of that, I am an heir to that same throne.

I am A Divine Princess of a Heavenly King.

He loves me and I love Him.

I am nothing if not for Him.