The 3 things

For an official and successful McGrath Family Thanksgiving you need 3 things. Those things are:

1.) Friday night lasagna

2.) B-Dubs with the older cousins on Friday

3.) and Football.

Without those three things you can not pull off a successful Thanksgiving. Ask anyone in the McGrath family tree and they would agree.

- It is a tradition in our family to have a lasagna and spinach salad dinner the Friday after Thanksgiving after everyone has gone shopping, after the High school and older cousins have gotten back from the Buffalo Wild Wings and after everyone is done stuffing themselves already from earlier in the day. My grandma spends all day preparing the meal while everyone else sits back and enjoys the company of each other.

- The other new tradition that has been started is the "High School+ cousin's trip to B-Dubs", for all of you that do not know B-dubs is formally called Buffalo Wild Wings, aka BWW, aka BW3, whatever you want to call it. Every friday for the past 3 years there has been an Ohio University football game, and since 3 of the McGraths went to that school for college, we have gone to B-dubs to watch them play football, along with any other big games. this is just a way for the cousins to get out of the house, relax with one another, play "family-friendly" trivia, and tell jokes the whole time.

- What is Thanksgiving without football?! Whether it be playing or watching there is always football involved in this family gathering. We have one family that is from Detroit, Michigan area so they are Detroit Lions football fans. The Lions have signed a contract saying that they will always play a game on Thanksgiving, so the big family always tunes into that game to watch them play, and most likely lose. They have won a few, but for the most part they haven't really been too successful. Again, there is the Ohio University football game, and then the Dallas Cowboys games that we always tune into.

Thats just a little bit of how the McGrath Family Thanksgivings role in these parts of town.

This year in Pittsburgh has been a lot of fun celebrating with everyone, and really the 6.5-7 hour drive wasnt that bad, slept most of the way.

Next year is at our house which is that much better because that means that much less traveling we have to do. We just have to get everything prepared and ready. Should be fun!

Maybe my slacker sister will be able to make it next year unlike this time. She says she's been traveling too much, I say she's just lazy and doesnt love us! :(

we'll see... wont get my hopes up on that one considering i'm not her favorite brother anymore because I responded last to a text message she sent out to my brother and I. I see how she rolls...

Hope everyone had a good holiday break. I'm headed back to Funcie on Sunday night right after I visit my best friend in Columbus, Indiana. Yes Columbus, the same place I almost got lost coming back from, if you've been paying attention to my blogs! Should be fun!

Go Penguins

Go Bobcats

Go Colts

Peace. Love. and Turkey.

-Alexander Jordan DeFreeuw

The greatest

Everyone has their favorite holiday. Mine is absolutely without a doubt Thanksgiving. Yes St. Patricks day runs a close second because I am Irish myself and I used to thrive to be the little leprechaun at the Notre Dame games when I was little, but there is just something about Thanksgiving that just shouts LOVE ME ALEX!!! and so I listened to it and now it is my favorite holiday.

Why is this my favorite holiday you may ask?! Not necessarily because of the 7 hour car ride there, although there are never dull moments with those ((Especially if you get all 3 stooge kids in the car at the same time haha)). Its not because of the annual movie that we also go to during the break as a huge family. Its not because of the new Buffalo Wild Wings tradition ((all of the older kids go to BWW and chill, drink, and watch Ohio University football game)). Its not because of the lasagna dinner that we have every Friday. And its not about the family football game that we play in the backyard every year. The one thing that makes this the best holiday overall, is the quality time with family. Every year we get together with my moms side of the family, and she was the oldest of 8 children so this is a huge thing for our family. We are all spread out around the nation in different states. I love it.

This is how It is broken down:

(( FAMILY NAME (STATE): # OF PEOPLE IN THE FAMILY *Includes husbands and wives of the children that have recently been married))

DeFreeuw (IN): 5

Garrity (MI): 4

McGrath1 (PA): 2

McGrath2 (PA): 4

McGrath3 (PA): 5

McGrath4 (PA): 5

McGrath5 (MI): 5

Hayes (OH): 9

Mahlow (TX): 8

Landberg (MN): 3

Total: 50+ **varies each year depending on who shows up

There aren't enough words to describe how much I love this holiday because of those statistics right there lol

Every year we rotate between which house will be holding the family. Last year it was in Ohio, This year it is in Pittsburgh, next year it will most likely be in Michigan.

There are so many family traditions involved in the "McGrath Family Thanksgiving" which makes it that much more special and unique to me and the extended family.

We are leaving early Wednesday morning to drive all the way to Pitt. which should be an interesting situation. Me + Eric my brother + 7.5 hours of driving + A.D.D = deadly combination, really fun and entertaining, but deadly combo!

I will keep you updated once I get there and am settled in with the family.

This is gonna be an amazing Thanksgiving break!

You stay classy Muncie,

Alex " I'm going to gain so much weight this weekend " DeFreeuw

"I know you havent made your mind up yet, but I would never do you wrong. I've known it from the moment that we met, no doubt in my mind where you belong."

-Adele, Make you feel my love

New tactics

Imagine this scenario.... you have a test in a week. You could do 1 of 4 options:::

A.) Study every night for 30 minutes a night up till the day of the test

B.) Study just in class sessions taking notes hoping to understand the information

C.) Study the night before the test and pull an all nighter to study

D.) Just flat out not study at all and hope you can remember the lectures from before

Now as a college student what's the reasonable choice?! It cant be choice "A" because almost every students middle name should be "PROCRASTINATION", so that is out of the question. Choice "D" also might not be a good idea because there is always information on the test that you learned a month ago and probably forgot about right after you left the classroom that day, so that too is out of the question. Now you're left with choice B and C. Yea with "B" you're still taking notes, but if the test is not open notes, then what good are the notes but no studying going to do?! That leaves you with choice "C", and you know what C stands for?! CHAMPION!

Being a college freshman for approximately 3 months now, I have learned something about myself. Yes I procrastinate, who doesn't...honestly...?, but I've learned that I am a cram studier, and that I do better under pressure. Lately with my tests I have been staying up the night before the test and studying and doing little study tricks that will help me remember the information, and I have surprisingly done better on my test, speech, and paper grades than earlier in the semester. Now I know its not the most reasonable, smart, or healthy choice for me, but if it works then why stop?! Just saying... Although this method works I do not know how many more all-nighters I can pull. Yes I am a teenager, and yes I have bundles of energy, but I sure do love sleeping in my cold dorm room on my comfortable bed nice and warm under my power rangers comforter.

If you were put in that scenario and had to choose one of the 4 choices which one would you honestly choose?! Would you be the "perfect" student and study a little bit each night? Would you take notes and hope that you'll remember the information? Stay up all night? Or completely forget about the test and just wing it when the test arrives?!

Just some food for thought.

Happy Friday! ---- 4.5 more days until Thanksgiving break! ((including today))

With my most sincere regards,

Alex " LASTS ALL NIGHT " DeFreeuw

One of those instances...

This week, by far, has been one of the best weeks during my college career at Ball State. Why may you ask? Let me tell you!

1.) Little to no homework all week

2.) I got an A- on my comm speech

3.) Got to play indoor soccer and volleyball almost every night

4.) After killing my comm speech my mother came and surprised me and took me out to lunch at Red Lobster. I was feeling dangerous so I decided to try the Lobster and Shrimp pasta alfredo. Not necessarily the best choice, but it was still decent.

5.) I get to go down to DePauw University this weekend to visit my good friends from school.

6.) It's Monon weekend at DePauw. DPU vs. Wabash football game!!

7.) Tonight (Friday) is the Asher Roth and Fabolous concert!!

8.) No tests or anything this week.

9.) I'm just in a damn good mood!

The only thing I wish I could change about this week is my batteries.... Or shall i say battery...

My car battery was blessed with the hands of the almighty battery god this week. When I went to go use the car on Monday - I was running late to do a sorority serenade for the fraternity and so i was running out to my car to get the rose that was needed to do a serenade. I get to my car, and the power locks dont work, didn't think anything of it because it wasnt really working over the weekend. So i unlock my door and put the key in. Turn it... and no response... I have to be somewhere in 15 minutes, and now i dont have a car to do my errand.... AWESOME!!

::::FAST FORWARD TO TODAY::::

Its 10am and my friend Austin drove his truck to my cars location, and we jumped my car so it started, and it was running good. after a few minutes of just letting it run, we took the cables off and my car was running. I was thinking, "Ok the real test will be if I can turn my car off and it will turn back on by itself..." So I try my theory and it fails... miserably... haha

Needless to say I have to go to Sears to get my battery replaced so I can depart BSU at the same time I was originally planning, so we shall see. $100+ for a new battery and replacement fee...? FML

All in all this has been an amazing week and I love everyone for making it a great week!

GO TIGERS! BEAT WABASH!!!

LOVED. HATED. NEVER IGNORED. SIGMA PHI EPSILON!

Love, Peace, and Blessings,

Alexander Jordan Thomas DeFreeuw VI

Birthday wishes

There is always one day of the year that everyone loves. No matter your race, ethnic background, how you were brought up, your religion, it doesn't matter. This day could even beat out Christmas, Thanksgiving, and even St. Patrick's day as the best day of the year. No it's not Valentines day, or even Easter. Although those are good holidays, have you ever seen a life size easter bunny? Those are scary as hell! There is no way I can like a holiday if I am terrified by the animal that represents that day. NO WAY!

The best day of the entire 365

day year is the day that you were brought to this planet. Your birthday. The world was blessed on May 22, 1990 at 9:30am when Alex Jordan DeFreeuw was born. I was a chubby little baby, not gonna lie, but man oh man was I just precious! haha

The main reason I am writing about birthdays though is that there is a little controversy dealing with this subject. Now when you think of birthdays you think for example, I was born on May 22 at 930AM, and when that clock turns 12am on May 22 I officially turn a year older... but is that completely true? If you think about it, I cant really start celebrating my birthday at 12am because yea, I was born on May 22, but I wasn't technically born until 930am, so I'm celebrating my birthday for a complete 9.5 hours that I wasn't technically alive for when I was in my mother stomach... shouldn't it be your birthday starts when you were officially born and goes for 24 hours after. So technically my birthday would be from 930am on May 22nd to 930am on May 23rd? My friend and I were having a conversation about this earlier today when I was walking to class because it is her birthday today and I brought up the point that technically its not her birthday until after she was officially born...She believes that your birthday starts at 12am the day you were born, but she technically wasn't born until 12:17pm, so like I said she'd be celebrating her birthday for a complete 12.5 hours that she wasn't technically born during... So whats the answer to the controversy? Is it a full 24 hour celebration during the day you were born even if you weren't born at 1130pm on that day?? Or is it for a full 24 hour period after you were officially born?

Just some food for thought!

Peace and Blessings,

Alex Jordan DeFreeuw

Happy Birthday to Miss Saree Autumn Titus.

-You're an amazing person and I'm glad we get to hang out and spend time together. Never a dull moment with you, and I hope your birthday is an amazing one, even though you still aren't older than me... :( haha

YMMS

This was me when i was 4 years old. Cheesin as always!

And this is the reason I do not like Easter... This kid basically summarizes what goes on my head when i think of Easter..

"Oh the places you'll go"

This week has been an interesting one... Since I was sick half of last week and missed my classes on my Thursday, Monday, and Tuesday classes due to being sick I had some catching up to do. Now you would think that in college missing 3 full days of school would mean that I would have an unbearable amount to catch up on. Thankfully, that wasn't the case here. In the college you have a lot of papers. Those papers take time. In turn, you get class time to work on them. Luckily for me, in two of my classes we were working on writing a paper, and our speeches. For my english class we had to write a paper about a magazine ad of our choice and how it relates to americas society. Then we had to describe the ad as if we were telling someone who could not see it and tell them the characteristics of the people, product, surroundings, whatever it may be. Then in the end we had to explain whether we were convinced enough by the ad to want to go out and buy the product.

My ad was for Downy fabric softener and in short there is a couple in their kitchen having a romantic dinner in their house, and the ad is saying how the smell of the softener can bring out your alluring side, and make people want to embrace you. Personally, i was not convinced by the ad to want to go out and buy it. I would much rather stick with the detergent and softener that I've been using since I can remember. I like how I smell :) haha

For my comm210 class I have to do an informative speech, and I decided to do my speech on the University of Notre Dame. I feel that I know enough about the University and that if I can find ways to spice the speech up, people might actually like hearing about it. Even some Michigan and Ohio State fans as well!

As I said earlier, while I was absent I only missed days where the class spent time working on their individual papers and speeches, which I was able to do once I got back to campus.

All in all, the past week back at school hasn't been too bad of a week. Yea I've had my rough patches and had to make up 2 tests, but its college... I wont really complain about it because I know that I could have it completely worse than I have it.

I haven't figured out a downfall of the week yet though, which is a good thing!

"If you believe in yourself and believe you can do something, then you can do anything if you put your mind to it."