Christos Giagos "Spartan"

For those who do not know what MMA stands for, it is Mixed Martial Arts. My boyfriend, Christos, recently fought for the title in Respect the Cage. His opponent Chris Manzo was a very tough competitor, yet not tough enough for Christos. It was the first time I had ever watched Christos cage fight, and I was full of mixed emotion. I was scared, anxious, excited, nervous, nonchalant, worried, and absolutely terrified. He ended up being the 8th fight which meant I had to suffer in stress and worry for 7 fights before his even started. I became antsy and impatient. After seeing so many guys get punched in the face and taken to the ground, I could not even imagine seeing Christos getting hit or even hurt. 
The lights turned down for his fight (he was the main event) and right away I ran to the front next to his sister. I screamed the entire time. His fight was supposed to go 5 rounds for 5 minutes, but Christos KO'd his opponent Chris in the middle of the 2nd round. It was such a good fight and I was so proud of him when he won. His opponent Chris on the other hand was not so lucky. The paramedics came to take care of him as they walked him out on a stretcher. Christos was humble enough to shut the crowd up while they took care of Chris. Christos finally had the belt in his hands and was first to be named as the title. His hard work, determination, and desire to win left him successful in the end. 
Everyone, especially me, was so proud of him. During his speech he thanked everyone for their support including his fans and trainers. Christos then went on to say, "I'd especially like to thank my girlfriend who's supported me, Sami, I love you." It was the first time he had ever said it to me and it was in front of hundreds of people! I was sooooo happy and shocked at the same time. My cheeks turned red and I teared up, but at the same time I could not move. When I saw him I told him I loved him too <3 I am so proud of my boyfriend, Christos Giagos :)

Chris vs. Christos

Here is the link if you are interested in watching his fight!

http://www.sparwithme.com/

Volleyball Let Down

Usually the unexpected never occurred to me until recently. During one of my volleyball games, I landed on a girl from my team coming down from a jump. It rolled and at first I did not think it was too bad. I figured I could just walk it off. Obviously, that was not the case. I ended up going for a run a couple days later at the gym and unfortunately, my ankle gave out on me. I tried to suck it up like the stubborn person that I am. I was hoping and praying I was fine since I had a Las Vegas Tournament coming up. A few days after, my ankle was still swollen and bruised. I could barely walk so I decided to finally go see a doctor.
A couple x-rays after, I was informed that I could not play volleyball. With this news, I was horrified. Volleyball means a lot to me, of course (it's in my blog title). The doctor put me on crutches for a couple weeks and told me to rest, ice, compress and elevate. I did this, and this past weekend, my team left for Vegas without me. It was a little depressing knowing that I missed a whole Vegas experience with the team, but at the same time, I would have rather spent it the way I did with family, friends, and my boyfriend. 
Good News----I am back and healthy which means I get to go play for the Nationals tournament! :)

Beyond Amazing Birthday!

In the past, my birthdays have never been 100% satisfying. Usually one of my best friends ditch me or people forget it even is my birthday. This year was different. Being with and around the right people made my birthday weekend the best days of my life. On Friday, my roommates and I went out to a party in Lawndale. Even though the cops came in about an hour after it started, I still had a lot of fun with them. We made a stop at In-N-Out, watched the Jersey Shore at my boyfriend's house, and had a good night sleep. 
On Saturday morning, I had orientation for work until about 10:30 am. When I got back to my dorm, a few of my roommates and I decided to hitch a ride to the beach. It was such a gorgeous day outside and the weather was perfect. Laying out on the sand never felt so good and so necessary. Later, I got ready for a dinner with my volleyball team. My roommates and I went on the bus to Panama Joes on 2nd Street where we met the rest of my teammates. This whole group of girls in one place turned out to be extremely entertaining. They were all so fun, super nice, and hilarious! We met some cool people who welcomed us into the restaurant. After, my boyfriend picked me up and something happened next. He was driving and said, "Oh my gosh babe, my shoes are hurting me. I think I have another pair in the trunk...will you go get them for me?" Of course I was going to get them. I took the keys and as I opened the trunk, a group of 16 red balloons flew out. I did not expect it at all! I felt my face light up with excitement. He smiled at me and said, "There's more..open up!" He handed my a present to open. As I got to the bottom of the wrapping, it was a piece of paper. I was a little confused at first but then I kept reading. It was a ticket to STAGECOACH!!!!!!!! ahhh!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?! Omg, I was so happy! I gave him extra kisses and long hugs full of thanks and appreciation. 
The night was not over. He was about to drop me off at my friend Cristina's house until something came up and he had to pass by his house. He made me get out of the car and go inside for a second. I walked into the door and BAM, "SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISEEEE!" All my friends popped out of the dark and yelled out a huge wish of happiness on my birthday. It was scary, yet so thrilling at the same time. After I got shot with nerf guns and popped in the head with an abundant amount of balloons, I went around to give all my friends hugs. It was so exciting to see all my different friends in one room to celebrate my birthday with me. 
This weekend turned out to be my best birthday yet. I still have about 42 minutes to spend of it too. Hehe. I can't believe God has given me such great friends and has surrounded me with so much love. I am so thankful for all these people in my life. Happy Birthday to me! :)

Me on my birthday with the cup Jr made me for Valentine's Day :)

Crazy Week

Little did I know, volleyball would take such a toll on my life. I had two games this week. One against UCLA at home on Tuesday and the second was against UCI at 10 pm. Not only was it hard enough to compete two days in a row, but at the worst times. Tuesday was my friend Alli's birthday and by the time I got to the restaurant all our friends went to for dinner, they were already waiting for their check. I missed out :( The next day was extra long. After I went to my morning class, I had a lot of homework I needed to catch up on since I was away all weekend. Then at 830 pm, I left my room to head to my game. I do not know why we played our match so late, but by the time I got back home, I knocked out on my bed because it was so late. 
Not only volleyball has been taking up my time besides homework, but this weekend has been in need of preparation. I will be turning 19 on Sunday and everyone keeps asking me what I am going to do and inviting me to different things. Honestly, I have no idea what I want to do this weekend because I am tired of being pulled back and forth. All I know is that on Sunday I am going to church to thank God for another year of life and to the bowling alley to challenge my parents in a game or two. It is always fun playing against my parents because they met in a bowling alley and I tell my friends that bowling is a natural talent of mine hahah. I hope this weekend turns out better than I think. For my birthday I just hope to get an ice cream cone and possibly a car. I do not want to get my hopes up so we'll see! :) 

YUMMM!!!!

A couple girls and me from my team having fun on the Macbook in the hotel at Davis. 

P.S.

Listen to my song of the day....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REoYDVAWdVQ