Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Driving

Things heard, that somehow make logical sense now that I'm here.


"I'm not sure, because I've been a lot of ways home."
"Can't we just go the way we came?
"Oh. This is the way to the golden tulip."
"The zoo entrance is up here on the right I think."
"Guys, I don't think this should be this hard."
"I think I recognize this. I think we can go straight or left."
"There's the zoo entrance."
"Guys, we came this way. This should really not be this hard."
"The light is red!"
"I thought that didn't matter?"
"It doesn't matter, unless you're American."
"This is the way we came."
"Oh yeah those are the gates. Turn right."
"Left."
"You can't go this way this is a one way."
"Come on!"
"Yeah it should be fine."
"There are cars coming. This is not going to work. Well, you can't turn left again."
"Mais, si."
"There we go. Now right."
"Don't all these signs look French? You can tell it wasn't the Germans who came. They have different signs."
"There's the golden tulip."
"Where? I don't see it."
"I think I'm actually doing pretty well. Sometime I should tell him the way to get to the house and see if I can get it right."
"I really don't get why we can't just go the way we came."
"Go straight but not over that big bump."
"I think this was the bump we were trying to miss."
"No, this is a pothole. She was talking about that bridge."
"Just squeeze between these two."
"Mom, you told me that meant right. I've been saying left."
"So now just right here."
"Oh yeah, this is right. Because we passed that Happy Birthday graffiti on the way here."
"I actually knew that one. Because of the napkins."
"This actually is hopping during the day."
"Sometimes the carpenters block the door. Once I left and there were two. I came back and there were five. Can't you see I'm running errands."
"See you tomorrow. We'll text you to check your messages."
"During the day there aren't really any rules, but since it's night I don't think we can turn left here."
"I still don't see why we can't go the way we came."
"Well this isn't a road."
"We're home."
"Oh. I didn't realize it was so close."

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Frost!

There was frost on the knoll next to the apartamento this morning! What is happening to Texas?


http://www.redbubble.com/people/bethmason/works/7979191-first-frost


Happy Finals Week everyone! Drive safely on your journeys home.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Hello December!

Hello December! Hello Christmas, and Hannah, and travel, and parents!
Hello cold, and snow (maybe), and singing carols.
Hello to winter, lovely and frosty.
I cannot wait for all of you.


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Birthday

Friday was Kat's birthday, so thursday night we celebrated the end of her teen-hood with a special dinner and dessert and movies in a special blanket fort. Then we celebrated the last minute by running around the building right before the rain (happiness.)
I feel so blessed to have these three lovely ladies in my life. I learn so much just from just being with you three. I love you and I pray that each year continues ever more amazing than the last. 

Happy 20th Kat! 

Friday, November 15, 2013

A thought | a quote

James Fraser wrote "The aim of Satanic power is to cut off communication with God. To accomplish this aim he deludes the soul with a sense of defeat, covers him with a thick cloud of darkness, depresses and oppresses the spirit, which in turn hinders prayer and leads to unbelief-- thus destroying all power (instead of seeing Heb 11:1)."

I just liked this. Thought I would share.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Simple

Today I'm a little in love with simplicity.
Let's make life simple.

making the bed
comfy sweater
cup of tea
dinner with friends
laughing too hard
relaxing weekend
list of things to do
finding a good novel
choosing a chick flick
consolidating my online presence

It's a grand 'ole time.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Come right on in, November

Having a holiday to end October just feels nice, and Halloween is so fun here in the States. I'm using my college years to make up for the scariness of Halloween in Europe. It's fantastic.

You didn't think we were going to skip costumes just because we're grown did you?
Welcome to the 60s, 40s, 20s :) 


Also November ushers in the college "holiday season." As in: Thanksgiving and a myriad of events and Christmas parties are about to descend on us. Hopefully we can squeeze in quiet evenings of tea and studying. Let the fun begin!


PS: the weather might even turn to something more akin to actual fall! Yay for autumn!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Expiration Dates

A while ago, a few years ago by now I should think, I read this article and it made me wonder about myself.
In case you don't feel like clicking the link, it's a series entitled "Lies MKs Believe" by Michele Phoenix. This particular post is called "Everybody Always Leaves" and addresses the transiency of relationships for TCKs such as myself. I could take a long time to explain this, but a lot of you who read my blog probably already understand. If you move a lot, live in a culture that's not "your own" for most of your life, and then move some more, stuff happens to your relationships. If that doesn't make sense to you, leave me a comment with a question. Or read the article I linked to that I am now trying to summarize.
The article finishes with this truth, "the benefits of relationship are worth the risk of loss." And I believe that. I really do. I pour myself into people. I love. I fight distance. My prayers are aimed at targets sprinkled the world over.
But I still see relationships as having an expiration date.
I think part of the problem is that 95% (disclaimer: that's a random percentage that just feels true) of the people I love the most are TCKs like me, or other people who live transient lives.
When one of my friends marveled a little at the nonchalant way I treat the spans of time between seeing my family I looked at her and thought, "What did you think I thought would happen? What do you think two-year-old Kathryn thought when the teens she looked up to graduated high school, packed their bags, and left for America?" I just knew. I've always known. One day that would be me. And now it is.
(Don't read this wrong. I love my parents. They are fantastic. I'm so proud of them for where they are and what they do. They talk to me all the time. I wouldn't change one second of life the way we have it. Dear Mom, Dad, and Hannah, you are the greatest.)
One of my best friends in high school barely saw her family three or four times a year, between boarding school and working at camp in the summer. We were sixteen. How could I not have the strength to leave people after watching her be so brave? How could I ever hope to survive if I didn't suit up and cope?

I love you. Thank you for doing life with me, with your whole hearts.

So we love faster. We squeeze the marrow out of the life we have together now. We write our memories and the things we love about each other. We take too many pictures. We sing and do crazy things. We know that one day we'll be gone.
Then we'll only have Skype and 2am phone calls and the craziest alumni network you can possibly imagine (you can't even imagine.) We'll have visits and snatches and new friends in new places who don't always understand right away why we are rushing to squeeze the marrow out of life.
So no, I don't see distance as the death of all my relationships. I do know that it breaks some. There are friends I don't have anymore. There are new friends that I have now. I do know that when you do life together, side by side everyday, eeking it out together on days when you just want basketball practice to be over, walking over high hills, laughing and crying over life, it makes a difference.
So here are my questions, because sadly this isn't a post full of answers. This is a big issue in my life and right now I'm looking for clarity. I may be looking for clarity in this area for my entire life.
Isn't that not a lie? As in: doesn't everybody always leave? Isn't there always a move, a falling-out, a new schedule, and that greatest separator of all, death? I still think that these shouldn't keep us from loving, but aren't they still reality?
Next question, how do we love each other well when we're all protecting ourselves? I can see you friends. I can see me too. Our walls are going up, because it hurts. We've been apart over a year and it's stretching thin. I don't even need to phrase this as a question: we all know it hurts to keep caring and investing. So what do we do? When do we give in to other people's self-protection and let them go? Sure that would hurt, but isn't that what their self-protection implies they expect? Would giving up be weakness or wisdom? Cruelty or kindness? When is it ok to build our own? Is it ever? I talked about this a little a few weeks ago. I just want to expand. And I think the answer is maybe a little obvious, but that doesn't mean the questions don't toss in my head.

I know this isn't a blog where people always leave a lot of comments, but I'd appreciate a little coming together today. So leave me a comment if you have a thought. You can leave your name if you'd like (I'd like that but you don't have to.)

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Again

I can't sleep again,
just like all the time
except it's so late I can't take a sleeping pill.
That is
unless I want to miss all of tomorrow,
which is really today now.
However,
I think everything will be alright.
There is a lovely thunderstorm subsiding
now into quiet, wee, small hours of the morning.
Perhaps its receding sound will lull me
into a nap,
a morning nap.
Lovely.


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Trying


We are having one of these days. There are whale sounds emanating from our apartment (I won't be so cruel as to point out from whose desk they come.) Frustrated meeehhhing and "I'm gonna get this stinkin question right!" are an every-other-second occurrence at the moment. There is maybe even a little whimpering.  
So here is my plan: sleep. 
Tomorrow, which is now today since midnight has come and gone, I will study for friday. 
It sounds wonderful to me.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Pray

I was watching this video today.
It was just a beautiful reminder to pray all the time. It's a reminder to look for God all the time.
I've been forgetting that this week.
Isn't it funny how we can forget a little when things are going well how much God comes through for us when things are going badly?
That's my food for thought. Lean on God.


Thursday, October 17, 2013

Blessed | My Memorial

I wrote in my last post that I am starting a memorial. I may not have explained exactly what that is so here I will. A memorial is a thing (wall, shelf, notebook, etc...) that you keep to remind you of the ways God has come through for you. Right now mine is a piece of notebook paper with a sentence for each of the last three days.
However, my blessing have been so much greater than just those three things. In light of this, I would like to share and expand.
Over the weekend I got to go to our annual C-life retreat with one of my closest friends (see us "singing" down below.) We swam in a lake and jumped on scary things. We enjoyed the sun and watched the storms blow in while we ate s'mores and sang karaoke. We met a bunch of our new freshmen girls and did a skit all together. We came home to quiet afternoon.
I got to be with my friend Lauren and talk about all our stuff that's exactly the same a few times this week. She is truly a blessing to me.
I had lunch with my mentor on Monday. I saw God working in someone else's life. I got to hold a newborn baby.
On Tuesday, I had a lovely phone call with our "big brother."  A little girl almost fell asleep in my arms during the children's lesson. We watched "Step Up" in the middle of the night, because we could.
Wednesday was simply lovely, exactly the blustery kind of day that should make up all Octobers. My family and friends were all writing me messages. I felt like a real scientist during Micro Lab. Julia and I laughed, maybe too much, at Bible study, because that's how we are. The stars were lovely. The night was crisp.
Today everything is sliding by smoothly under the sun. Plans are being tossed around. Friends will be making their appearance soon. I made a photocopy run at work. While the copies were shooting out of the machine, I practiced solo swing dancing. If anyone saw me, I looked kind of insane or at least totally "Luna Lovegood" whimsical. I hope that's okay with the copy center people. They're generally pretty chill.
Now, it's not like this week's been all roses or anything. I definitely broke a giant glass dish, did a face-plant into a lake, and acquired a lovely assortment of random scrapes, cuts and bruises. I ran late to a few things. I sometimes fail at being a model of grace and love, often actually. So please, don't think it's all perfect or anything. I just wanted to count my blessings.

(***I am aware that this post may be seen as being a little cheesy. Just ignore it and watch this "Talent/No Talent" video. You can laugh at us, it's ok.)


Sunday, October 13, 2013

Truths

Recently a lot of things have been going on and I've heard a lot of truths. I want to write them down in one place so I can look back on them and have them to remember. So here they are. I hope they encourage you like they've been encouraging me.


I need to keep a memorial of the things God does in my life so I can look back and see his faithfulness.

Do I really think I have better things to do with my time than what is great on the heart of God?

Context! A verse can never mean what a verse never meant!

Gideon was cowering in a hole but God called him a mighty warrior. Why is he a mighty warrior? Because God said so! Why are we saints? Because the Lord named us saints.

When making a decision you should consider God's moral will, wisdom, and personal factors (what's happening in your life?) but all of reality is under God's sovereign will. There is no blueprint for my life that's exact. God wants me within his moral will. I'm not big enough to mess up his plan but I'm blessed enough to be a part of it.

The gospel is opposed to earning, but it's not opposed to effort.

The checklist of things that should be part of my walk with Christ is not about favor with God. I already have favor with God through Christ who bought it for me with his blood.

Two men sold themselves into slavery so they could go to an island and die for the gospel of Jesus. As they sailed away they cried out to their friends on shore "Let the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of his suffering!" In other words, everything should be Christ's reward and we should be paying it in love all the time. Those men could say "let us go die for Christ." They could say "Let the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of his suffering" in this big decision because they had already said it with their lives in a thousand small ways.

I shouldn't be about what I'm against. I should be about what I'm FOR.

This list is something I should think about more often.

If I seek contentment and assurance, I need to learn patience first.

Pride demonstrated as pride is obvious to me. It says "I'm better than that." Self-condemnation is also pride. It says "I ought to be better than this."

We have so much hope, so much to look forward to, when the Kingdom comes to Earth.

I should consider the decisions I think are small and meaningless in light of the King I belong to.
I should ask "What's the next step? How do I live intentionally for the glory of God where I am?"

I want my life to be an offering. Let that be my motivation, for all things.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Patience: It's a virtue

Yesterday our chapel speaker talked, briefly and among other things, about patience. He was saying that to be patient we should go to the store and stand in the longest check-out line. To learn patience, he said, we should stay in the slow lane on the highway. And my friends and I looked at each other. And Julia said "You already do that," while I was saying "That's what I do." So the moral of the story is: I'm a patient person.
Just kidding!
You're talking to the girl who bursts with news, who can't wait for Christmas, who reads the last sentence of a book if she's not sure it will be good. I looked up the ending to a movie I was watching with my friend a few weeks ago, because I can't handle suspense. I don't like to wait.
A long time ago, I prayed that God would make me patient. And he gave me people I had to be patient with. Isn't that always the way? I'm still working on this patience thing. I'm only now realizing, God already taught me to be patient with the small things. I can wait in a grocery line. I can enjoy a slow highway jaunt. Now it's time to be patient with the big things.



So here's to this school year, that has already started. May it go slowly and not be wished away into spring and summer. May it be enjoyed. May it be difficult. May it thoroughly teach us new things. Here's to a year full of patience.


Sunday, October 6, 2013

Caged & Uncaged


The last twenty hours have been difficult ones. When I went to bed, some time after two o'clock, I could not sleep a wink. My heart would pound against my bones every time I tried to relax and drift away. I tried to pray but my thoughts were whirring and my heart was beating and I couldn't focus for a moment.
So I got up. I read. I danced. I did laundry at five in the morning.
And I left for church still feeling like my heart was a wild thing trapped in my chest. I was anxious, trying to make a decision that I don't need to make right now.
Still the Lord blessed my day in so many ways.
I got to see the sun rising brightly above campus and step out into the crisp Texan air at four in the morning for a breath. I got to talk to people from Pine Cove. I read for bible study at golden hour by the pond. Two butterflies flew out of a bush to greet me. The air smelled like a summer barbecue as the sun was setting.
I sent out a message asking the girls in my small group to pray for me and left for bible study. While I was there our leader was speaking and suddenly something clicked. Jesus has a will for my actions. He holds my life in his hands. I will not stress or be anxious. He will not allow the devil to steal my peace from me. I need only lean on him.
And the peace that had left me when I started having these sleepless nights came flooding back in. All the knots loosened and things were as they should be once again. I could breathe. Great is the work the Lord is doing in all the Earth. He is magnificent.






When we got home we danced in praise in the living room. Declare: the Lord is good! He is stronger than any evil that may ever come against us.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Hello October | Home & Home & Home

Welcome to the lovely month of October.
I love a Texan October. Normally September is my favorite month. That's not because it contains my birthday.
September is the corner month of summer and fall. Of course autumn is my favorite season: crisp weather, cozy days, leaves changing color, breezes blowing in.
And in Texas we start getting that in October, kind of. The storms stop being summer storms and start being the rainy days of autumn. Not everyday, just some days are rainy. There's a light wind in the morning and the evening. Tea is brewing in the apartmento even more often. Life is lovely. Is it possible to have a comfort season? I'm going to say yes.

So that was my aside about October. Or maybe that was the real thing and these are the asides:

I miss my sister. So so much. Evidence: I'm listening to Red, Radioactive, Gunpowder and Lead, See You Again, Rehab... you know, all our summer tunes minus the jazz. Han, I wish you were here and we could hop in the car and go get milkshakes and jam out to the radio. We could drive to our spot and turn the car around. You could even make fun of me for not knowing ANY OF THE SONGS (hyperbole)

Along the lines of missing things, I've been missing home and home and home. Also, I know that when I go home I'll still miss home and home and home. They'll just be different ones. Is that forever.
Probably. It's kind of a shrug.
I am very happy here. Still, I am so excited to go running in the Black Forest and see fireworks, to visit my parents in a new home and see new things, and to go see my family in Virginia.


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

At the end of the day

There are two things on my mind and in my heart today.

Firstly, the question of what to do about people who need help, but won't let you help them. I know a bunch of people like this. I was talking to my "little brother" in Germany about one of them this afternoon.
Now I'm not talking about people who are carrying five boxes and won't let you grab one because they swear they've got it. I'm talking about friends who carry their internal burdens alone. They're independent in spirit. I know I can be like that at times too, so I won't blame them. I'll just pray.
I pray that God brings them joy. I pray that I can keep God's joy while still mourning with those I love when they need me. I pray that we can all grown in vulnerability and love, like Christ.


The second thing goes along with the first. It is simply a prayer that my heart would be broken for what Jesus' heart breaks for. I've prayed this before but my heart is breaking in new ways. I suppose this is an answer, so I'll pray all the more.
Lord, keep me away from my selfish ways. Make me look out at the world and see it the way you do. 



I think we can herald in October tomorrow. Today just isn't the day for it. Tonight is for tea, studying nutrition notes, listening to music in the kitchen, and listening with the ears of my heart.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Maybe Some Answers

Yesterday I studied but didn't really study for a test I took today. [I did study a bit today]
And last night I talked to two of my friends about questions and answers. So here are some.

I think that yes, some people would say I am too analytical. But I have decided it suits my process. I don't think I could operate as my personality within the mind of another. It wouldn't really be me if my brain had to work someone else's way. I'm comfortable in my own skin. It's a good skin to be in for me.
So, I'm just a questioning kind of person. And sometimes there won't be answers as concrete as I would like. And that means patience. [That is answer one.]

Some later questions were: what is the point of relationships? Why is it important to count on people? Have you ever wondered, why do we have friends? Not that I don't want them [I love my friends] I was just wondering what they are for. I had these questions separated before, but now I think they should be together. And the answer is God. God created us for a relationship with him and all our other relationships are a reflection of this, an outpouring. Jesus told us that love for God and love for others are the first two commands, the highest in the Law. So if the core reason for my existence is to love God, then the core of my being is relational. Therefor, we have friends and relationships. [A second answer]

I feel like I have a piece of clarity but all it illuminates are many more questions. I think I'm ok with that though. Having a mind full of questions isn't all bad. So this process of asking questions and finding answers really isn't over. This is just what I can articulate right now.
It'll do for now.
here is a picture of Kat, when we were trying to study

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Questions

I've been really distracted from blogging lately. Is that alright? To be distracted right now? I am going to say yes.

I've been off inside my imagination, with stories and what-ifs and dramatics. I'm realizing all the time (reading The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis will do this to you) that I'm not living in the present enough. Or am I? Have I ever? Do I think too much? Am I to analytical? Am I analyzing this too much?

And on and on and on... I'm not sure I've even stopped long enough to formulate all the questions. They're just a mist of curiosity in my mind.

Please forgive my lack of writing. I'll be back when I'm over this cold. Maybe I'll bring some answers with me, or even just some clearer questions.


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Nineteen

Today I came home to balloons



We had a lovely dinner



Because of the rain it was a picnic on the porch



There was much love





And some cake





And we watched an episode I love of Jeeves and Wooster
And friends came over to "do homework"

We planned our outfits for tomorrow
We really worked on our homework
We danced around
And forgot to do our pushups
Sang the song we've had stuck in our heads all week

And now I'm a year older
It was a lovely way to make the transition

Would that everyone were so lucky as they stepped into nineteen

Friday, September 13, 2013

Mirage

I'd just like to say a few things that I've been meaning to say for a few days; but after today these few things seem easier to say, easier to put into words.

A few days ago a friend of mine asked me if I believe that social media and blogs create a mirage of perfection that others feel the need to live up to.

I see where this can come from.
We like to have beautiful creative space. We crave control and perfection.
We do not want to be wallowers in the pool of self-pity. We do not want to be that person with the depressing blog that no one wants to read.
We do not want horrible pictures of ourselves on facebook because they make us feel ugly.
We do not save our sad memories forever in Instagram pictures, to stumble upon later and cry over again.
We do not want to write out our flaws in a post to be read and commented on by strangers. We do not want those facts locked in cyberspace for generations to come.

So yes, to answer your question, maybe we do create a mirage.

In that case, let me set the record straight: I am not perfect.
I sin.
I have bad days. I get homesick.
I procrastinate. I can be unmotivated.
At the moment I have a splitting headache.
I live in a lovely little apartamento on campus with my best friends, but it's not perfect and the people who live here aren't perfect.
We disagree with our friends. We argue. We sometimes argue over meaningless nothings.
We stress about school, relationships, money.
We hurt each other, and we have to apologize.

But at the end of the day I have a God on whom I can rely. My eternal hope is in him. His Son told me not to worry about tomorrow, or anything really.
He gave me friends to share the joy and the struggle.

So at the end of the day, when I sit down to write a post and I am tired and stressed, I am faced with a decision. Do I vent? Or do I choose joy?

Here in this place I decide to choose joy.



PS: here is a picture of us dancin' it out to the Cupid Shuffle for stress relief.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Cold Feet

I always have cold feet. Not in the proverbial sense, but in the literal sense. My feet are always cold. (Or nearly always but that is beside the point.) Especially when I am home.

Because I am comfortable being barefoot at home.
All my toes living out in the open along with me and my heart.



And right now my feet are cold, in Texas, where it should be hot in September. Except that my feet are telling me it's not hot in the apartmento.

I'm going to take this as a sign.
I am home.
I know it with my heart and all ten toes.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Thought for Today



I know this video is long. I had a lot of different ideas on what to post next but I just saw this and thought it was very interesting. Maybe I'll have more to actually write tomorrow but for now I thought I'd just show you what's bouncing around in my head.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Hello September Dearest

This picture sums up the day, at least parts of it.
The part where we ate waffles for breakfast.
The part where we relaxed.
The part where I got to talk to friends and family.
The part where I get to be alone for a breath.
The part where it still feels like it's summer, even though it's finally September.
Hello September. Nice to see you again, darling. 


Saturday, August 31, 2013

When the Credits Roll

These last two and a half weeks have been crazy.
Training, welcome week, classes started, job started, and it was so hot the whole.
Sigh.
Also, living with your best friends: it's a positive kind of hard.
Because we love each other and we're trying to learn to work together and care for each other and understand our pasts and our dreams and hopes and plans; all this in an environment where we don't get to "go home" to get away from each other and have our own space.
Which all four of us need.

So today, and also the last glimmers of yesterday, have been amazing.

We had a movie night. When it was over we and everyone had gone we just lay on the couch and talked life until 3 am. (Sarah wasn't here. We wished she was.)
Of course having stayed up so late I obviously (at least to me) could not sleep when we did go to bed.
I chatted with my family and a friend until 4 something then tried to collapse again.
Read Matthew 15. Then sleeping worked.

We woke up around 10.30 and I made crĂŞpes for breakfast.
We watched Sabrina for "cartoons."
Julia ran around doing things that Julia does like sing and go to auditions and get ready to perform.
We went to her band gig.
I wished Sarah was here for the hundredth time today.

Me and Kat took some pictures on a bridge.
We made plans to go back with Sarah and Julia.
We came home and said we were going to work but we watched "It's Kind of a Funny Story" instead.
In the movie, people ran down the halls to this song.
I love that song now.



And when the credits rolled we danced in the living room, just like always and ever.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Second First Day

Today was my second first day of school, because in college you have the monday first day and the tuesday first day. That's just how it is.

Today on a work errand it rained real hard. 
I was soaked. 
My shoes were soaked.
I sneezed.

A few hours later I left work. 
Golden light was filtering through the campus.
I rode my roommate's bike home.
There was no one around.

The four of us stayed in the apartamento living room.
We curled up under blankets.
I skyped my family.
Dinner was delicious.

When the night was turning blue we walked to the library.
We smelled the rosemary.
We picked some flowers.
We got some films for the weekend watching. 



Saturday, August 24, 2013

Off the Face

Sorry I have dropped off the face of the planet.
I might as well be on the moon.
The freshman have arrived.
This is the craziest five days of the year.
Maybe I'll resurface once classes start.



Welcome Week!
#umhbww13

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Just Breathe

Well that unexpected hiatus was due to my moving into an apartmento with my three closest friends (third friend is arriving shortly but it counts anyway I think.) Sorry for the lack of warning but it is what it is. We have been busy as bees unpacking boxes between training sessions and generally making this place adorable. Hopefully pictures will pop up here soon... when I take some.
This week will be generally hectic again as we will end training for Welcome Week and actually begin shepherding freshman into their new lives as college students. This is all very exciting.
I am very thankful, in a round about way, that I have had no time this week for my dear blog. I was so sad to leave my family and then for my dad to leave Texas to go back east. But that was all before I was back in the swing of things.
I still miss them of course (goodness yes,) but it is not crushing me.
God has me here and this is where I am. Good things are going to happen guys.
So now I do not have an extremely sad post from last week to look back on in the future. I have this one telling you it is bitter-sweet but I am excited.

To all my friends who are about to be freshman I say again: remember to breathe. The year will run away from you. I feel like my last year barely happened. Yet here we are, in the next year confident and still not having a clue at the same time. It will be grand. Just remain calm and breathe in...



...and out, and in, and out....

Friday, August 9, 2013

When You Miss the Dance


When you miss a dance, like I will doing this weekend and like I did last weekend, it's a good time to listen to a story and some good jazzy tunes
It'll make you think. 
It'll make you happier.

... I hope. 

Good thing our family is getting together tonight. You have to have something, even if it's just a good book.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Child

Don't kiddos just make you smile?
Here's some that made me smile:

Pictures of my little cousins sharing a chair because they want to sit together.

Being called a lady in line at the store. "Watch out! There's a lady behind you! Don't run into her!"

A mother "racing" her son to the door at the library.

When they stare at you because they don't know better.

Being told by another little cousin that it was "time to go home, missy!"

Seeing parents hold their children's hand in the parking lot.


Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Pathetic

I was away this weekend, on vacation, seeing old friends, failing to blog or upload any pictures. Then I spent yesterday recuperating from my vacation.
I know, pathetic.


And today is packing and cleaning and thinking about leaving in a few days.
It's happy and it's sad.

I love this picture. I told my friend I'll be the frog but now I'm not sure if it isn't a fish.
Since I miss all my friends I am willing to be either one.
Also, I've recently fallen for this Passenger song


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Hello August

It is nearly the end. Time to roll back to school...
but not without  a few more weeks of fun. 



Here's to finishing summer in style.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Final

My final exam for Chemistry is tomorrow.
I'm trying to be industrious but as we all know by now... let's just say it's not working.
Well not fully. I am getting lots of other things done, just not studying.



I really just feel like joining this girl on her ride.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Pondering


At the moment I feel like I am running through the maze of my thoughts. Do you ever feel that there is too much to think about? And it's daunting but it's beautiful?
In any case I think this image is a good one to describe my thoughts at the moment. I'm chasing them. I need to capture them for completion. 
Tonight was the last bible study I will go to with my cousin this summer. We all went for pancakes afterwards. 
There are so many swirling thoughts to be attended to. 
Hopefully that'll get done tomorrow. 
For the moment, all is well with my soul. 

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Gotta Swing!



This is a video of last night's swing dance. It was our third and, sadly, will probably be our last of the summer. Oh well! Hopefully we'll find places to go when we go back to school!
This time more of the family joined in the fun in honor of Aunt Ellen's birthday!

This whole video is pretty great but I'll try to give you a few highlights!
If you watch at 6:32 Hannah will appear in the right corner dancing with Glen, Aunt Ellen is dancing behind them. Stephanie (my cousin) is dancing with Brendan in the middle of the floor and my cousin Teresa and I are just barely discernible dancing by the door! (I was practicing my lead!)
At minute eight you can see my mom do a dip with Glen.
8:06 you can watch me dance with Brendan quickly followed by Stephanie dancing, quickly followed by Aunt Ann! You go ladies!
The last seven seconds of the video are us posing for a "picture." It's very amusing.

We're all in the video a bunch of other times as well. I keep seeing my mistakes but I'm glad to say that those are overruled by the good time I was having!

This is absolutely my favorite new hobby. I'm just going to watch that last seven seconds a few more times so I can see us all smiling together again. This summer is spinning to a close.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Bertie

Well my dears, my poor Bertie has died away.
No more decisions about where he will go when I leave for school.

Rest in peace Bertie.


Monday, July 22, 2013

Pondering

Right now I am lost in my imagination and childhood musings.
I have the urge to just ditch things and go paint.



It must be because I have a test tomorrow. We all know I am a horrible procrastinator... or rather a good one, depending on how you see it.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

friends meet friends | three

Todays edition of friends meet friends is about two of my friends who have been off adventuring.

Pictured above is my friend Anna. She came to our small German town in our senior year of high school, a crazy adventure of transition for anyone. This year she has followed that year up with another year of adventure and service that she chronicles in her blog, Looking at Birds. Her posts are delightful and thought-provoking. Also, it's a helpful news-letter for anyone who has had trouble keeping up with this adventurer. Now as a new year rolls to a new beginning she's starting another new chapter, returning to the states after two years abroad!
Second for today is my incredibly talented friend Ben (pictured here with his adorable girlfriend, Hanna, at banquet). After graduating in June, Ben has been spending his summer embarking on the adventure of teaching. But not only is he teaching; he's teaching in a foreign country he's never been to before, Korea. (Don't let him fool you though. He's definitely resourceful enough to figure it all out and laugh off any cultural mistakes.) This recent post of his had me laughing out loud. 

I miss having tea and long talks in the kitchen with each of you. I'm so glad you're out following what the Lord has for you and living your adventures. 


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Happiness.



I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately. I've been mostly tired and a little blah, feeling generally like this. But today I saw this Dove Camera Shy ad and it made me smile and feel like this (it's a Weepies song.) It makes me think of my mom too, when she tries to take our picture.
Hope it made you feel happiness too :)

Friday, July 12, 2013

Habachi and Michael

We went out to a Habachi Buffet and I may have gone overboard with Instagram a little.

I'm gonna miss this one while she's away at camp... sigh.
Right now we're chillin' and listening to Michael BublĂ© while we work on projects. I'm falling in love with our slow summer routine*. 
(*Disclaimer: I actually got stuff done today, but I like this relaxing part of the day.) 


friends meet friends | two

Here we are again. Meet some more of my friends who blog! Happy day!

Today it is time to meet some people from my high school days, though they weren't as long ago as that makes them sound. These two girls are two of my best friends on this spinning blue marble, and they started blogging alongside me. There's been a lot of elbowing and "when are you going to post"-ing to keep us motivated along the way.


Above we have the lovely Taylor. Her blog is a lovely, numerical, sporadic journal. Her posts make me feel like I'm right back with her. Spring break, when I went up for a visit, already seems so long ago.


And here we have Mikala. She also writes sporadic, thoughtful posts that make me miss her so much. I cannot believe it has been over a year since we hugged goodbye.

Both these lovelies are under the impression that I am the only person reading there blogs. If that's true it is a shame because they both make me laugh out loud (with the spitting and the driving.)
Writing this makes me miss you so much my heart aches. I want to be back on the basketball bus with you nuts right this moment, swapping jokes and making memories. I can't wait for the five year reunion when we get to open that paper. (And no, I haven't looked in case you were wondering; I am not completely incapable of keeping my curiosity under control.)

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Ideal

My lovely friend and I were just discussing the fact that you can now search your own pins on Pinterest. This might seem very uninteresting to you, but for those of us who spend a lot of time on there (like me) this is seen as a massive innovation, so please don't scoff.
This new trick is proving highly useful. It got me thinking. I search key words sometimes, wondering what I think.
{Isn't it curious to wonder how we think?}
Happy, adventure, letter... ideal.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 via Pinterest <3

So here is my apparently here is my ideal; a cool sunny day with friends, exploring and winding up in a countryside mansion, lovely teacups, perfect hair accessories...
What is yours?

Monday, July 8, 2013

I've Been Away

I got home to a letter and a facebook message from one of my best friends noting the fact that I have not posted in three full days.
I immediately got this song stuck in my head; really just because of the opening lines.
Still, it is time to return to the Weepies. They are definitely my favorite musical group. Deb and Steve, as we lovingly refer to them (my lovely Julia insists we love them so much as to be on a first name basis) not only have such an interesting lovable sound and wonderful, actually poetic lyrics in this age of meaningless tunes, but they are also a lovely love story.



So they are really all around fantastic. That is really all.