Love of Purple...

K-state celebrates 150 years of higher education.
Photo courtesy of Kansas State University.

Today is Valentine's Day in case you forgot! Hee...but it also happens to be the first kick-off day for Kansas State University's 150th birthday celebration.

There are few things in life that bring me much more joy and pride than my alma mater! I BLEED purple. Now, I may not be the biggest sports fan of our teams. I mean I fly my K-State flag more than anyone in the state of Missouri or wear my K-State apparel on game day, but I don't go to games anymore. I just don't have the time, nor make the time.

The thing that makes me much more proud than our sports team is the idea that K-State truly was the first "people's" college. You see, K-State was the first land-grant university in the country. The Morrill Act of 1862 set aside federal dollars for universities to purchase ground to build institutions of higher learning in agriculture and sciences. K-State was formed on February 16, 1863, as Kansas State Agricultural College. Not just that we started the first school for common people to receive an education, we also were the second school to admit men and women equally.


Fast forward a few years, and K-State is well-known nationally and internationally for multiple reasons. We are the top-ranking public university with Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall scholarships. We also have the Biosecurity Research Institute, which houses infectious disease research found no where else in the country. The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility will also find its home at K-State. Not only is research done from university professors, but the highest ranking officials in our country ensuring a safe food supply against bioterrorism. We also have some pretty awesome competitive teams like the debate, livestock, crops, and other judging teams. BIG STUFF, YA'LL!

I am so proud to be an alumna of this university. In my opinion, there is not a more well-respected, research and teaching university than that of K-State. Not only is the College of Agriculture one of those, but so many other colleges like architecture, hotel/restaurant management, and others. When I tell people I went to K-State, they almost instantly talk about how I received a top-notch education.

I am so thankful I stuck with it, did all that I could do to be involved, and made the most of experiences, friendships and classroom/internship opportunities.

I try to support my alma mater as much as possible, from wearing purple on the most special occasions (like my wedding!) to financially supporting the university. When that phone call for Telefund comes in about another week, you bet I'll be sending my money to K-State! Go State!

Picking up where we left off...

I was going 100 miles an hour this week with lots of things going on. First, it has been absolutely gorgeous this spring for weather. I have loved being able to run in great weather. I'm not sure if I am ready for all the sweating though as the temperatures get warmer!

Wednesday was the test of all tests in my life this far with my comprehensive exam for my Master's degree. It was a 4-hour test in Kansas City, and it was one I was really nervous about. It is either pass or fail. You can complete all of the coursework with a 4.0, but if you do not pass this and the oral defense, you do not pass the program! I won't find out for another two weeks if I passed or not, but there is nothing more I can do.

On Thursday, I had the honor of having lots of ladies join us for our monthly MK girls night out in St. Joe. It was a lot of fun, and I got a couple of bookings and a new team member from the fun evening!

Friday, I had my last task force meeting before our annual campaign at work starts on Monday. I am praying all goes at it should, and we raise a good amount of money and get as close to our goal as we can. I then left work to head out West to Manhattan. I met up with Ronny and Kelsey Pope, Craig and Patricia Betzold and Kelsey's sister, Emily, for dinner at Olive Garden. You know we ate there because we had to load up on carbs! :) I love how we all can pick up right where we left off in conversation. We all have not been together since Ronny and Kelsey's wedding in September 2009, but it was so wonderful being together and talking about everything. Makes my heart so happy to have such great friends and husbands who are equally as fun to be with (you picked some good ones gals!) Kelsey, Pat, Emily and I then toured the Theta house since we had all not been back since last spring and had missed the renovations that happened over the last year. They have a pop machine in the kitchen!! No more 15 cent pops from the pop machine! We all loved being back at the house. It smelled the same, and looked cozy just as we had remembered it.

I apologize I can never get the pictures to save as they should! Regardless, how cool is this at the Theta house?!

Kels and I by room 11 where we first lived together! The room even has a MK consultant/Theta (which is where I started my business right in room 11!!!)

We all stayed out at the Pope ranch north of Manhattan for the evening, and it was really nice of Ronny's parents to host us for the night.

I didn't realize the race had been pushed back to 10:45 am on Saturday, so in a way I was bummed as I would not be able to stay around Manhattan as long after the race, but we also got to sleep in a bit longer, which I think we all needed from traveling. We even ate breakfast (I say that because I normally do not eat anything before a race as it makes me sick to my stomach). We headed into Aggieville and got ready to go for the 10K race.

Here are some highlights from the race:

Here are the girls before the race started.

• We started out all together.
• At mile 1.5, Pat had sped ahead of us,
• By mile 3, I had to scale my pace back from Ronny and Kelsey so I had to run alone,
• By mile 4, my foot cramped hard core and I thought I was going to have to take my shoes off but I didn't and I found a nice guy to pace with the rest of the race,
• At mile 5, we entered Aggieville where a bunch of people were cheering us on, but we still had 1.2 miles left (what a bad joke!),
• At mile 6, I really felt I almost had to walk the last .2 but that would have been crazy,
• At mile 6.2, I finished ahead of my goal of 1:15. I actually finished in 1:09:32! That is an 11:13 pace, which is what I have averaged on most long runs so far this spring.

Ronny, Kelsey, Pat and I at the finish line!

And what St. Patty's Day Race/K-State game day would be complete
without a green beer at Rusty's?!

 It was a great race day! It was a bit windy, which proved to be hard on the way back, but we all finished and were in good spirits after we were done. I completed half of one my goals with this race, too! I cannot wait until the next race we all decide to do together.  Maybe one in Nebraska this time?