For the lack of blog posts... It's been a very busy but full and amazing holiday and I PROMISE an update is coming soon! I'm having a blast being with family and Dusty and it's kind of nice to take a break from the internet, to be honest. Don't abandon me now, I can't wait to give an update SOON!
Merry late Christmas everyone!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Updates!
I just feel the need to say this. I am COMPLETELY DONE WITH COLLEGE FINALS!
Forever! I can't even describe how good it feels to TYPE those words! And finals weren't even that bad this year! I only had two, which is probably the smallest amount of exams during a finals week I've ever had. And they weren't terrible. Of course, I say that all the time just so that I don't lose my mind if a test was really hard, but I'm confident this time around!
Other updates... The senior presentations went really well on Monday, I thought. My paper was on educational television for children through out the last fifty years... and I thought I did a good job. One of the most intimidating parts of the presentation is the question and answer section AFTER your presentation. This consisted of the BU history department professors grilling each and every senior with hard questions after their talks. And my questions? Piece of cake. Some of them didn't make sense to me and I was a little irritated thinking that maybe they were doing it on purpose (not making sense) but most of them were really actually nice and asked questions that were easy to answer. I am still hoping to talk to my advisor before today is over so that I can hear what he thought, since he was there and did ask a few questions himself. But yes, other than that? It went great! :)
Yesterday I found out that I will be student teaching three periods of 10th grade U.S. history in the Spring. I also got in touch with my cooperating teacher over the last week, who happens to be a friend of my mom's! I just think its so awesome that I put in no requests and got placed exactly where I needed to be. It takes a lot of the pressure off when I get nervous thinking about student teaching.
I leave tomorrow for Florida! FINALLY! It's been two and half looooong months since Dusty and I have seen each other. I really can't believe that... It honestly feels like just yesterday, I was sitting here typing out my post from the Florida trip, first time around. Time really flies, and yet sometimes it feels like its dripping molasses. We are spending Saturday at Disney World :) I am kind of a huge nerd and love ALL things Disney and so this is our Christmas present to each other. I can't wait. We got to go to Disneyland a couple of years ago in California and had a great time so I am sure Saturday will be just as fun. I'm also excited to see my cousin again and celebrate his 23rd birthday on Tuesday! Happy Birthday Reid!
I feel like there are a million and one other things to update on. Christmas banquet the other night was a blast. Getting dressed up was super fun. Spending time with my best friends from the last 4 years is ALWAYS a treat! And? The food was actually good this year! We had banquet at International Market Square in Minneapolis this year and as usual, it looked awesome. I got a new phone a couple weeks ago! My old one was acting funny and when I went into the Verizon store to fix it, they told me I had a free upgrade. So I decided to finally shed my rinky-dink phone ways and got a Blackberry. So far I really like it! It's weird being able to do things on a phone like check emails, facebook, and pretty much whatever else... But I'm gonna go ahead and stop right there because I'm sure the majority of you have already experienced this new thrill years ago. I think I might be the last person in the world to get a smart phone.
I guess I'm running out of things to update on for now... Hope everyone is doing AWESOME this holiday season and loving life! What other choice to you have, really?! There are a million and one things to be happy about ALL THE TIME!
Merry Christmas! Can't wait to post pictures from Florida on here for all to drool over... and, I can't wait to have my BF in Minnesota over the break.
Forever! I can't even describe how good it feels to TYPE those words! And finals weren't even that bad this year! I only had two, which is probably the smallest amount of exams during a finals week I've ever had. And they weren't terrible. Of course, I say that all the time just so that I don't lose my mind if a test was really hard, but I'm confident this time around!
Other updates... The senior presentations went really well on Monday, I thought. My paper was on educational television for children through out the last fifty years... and I thought I did a good job. One of the most intimidating parts of the presentation is the question and answer section AFTER your presentation. This consisted of the BU history department professors grilling each and every senior with hard questions after their talks. And my questions? Piece of cake. Some of them didn't make sense to me and I was a little irritated thinking that maybe they were doing it on purpose (not making sense) but most of them were really actually nice and asked questions that were easy to answer. I am still hoping to talk to my advisor before today is over so that I can hear what he thought, since he was there and did ask a few questions himself. But yes, other than that? It went great! :)
Yesterday I found out that I will be student teaching three periods of 10th grade U.S. history in the Spring. I also got in touch with my cooperating teacher over the last week, who happens to be a friend of my mom's! I just think its so awesome that I put in no requests and got placed exactly where I needed to be. It takes a lot of the pressure off when I get nervous thinking about student teaching.
I leave tomorrow for Florida! FINALLY! It's been two and half looooong months since Dusty and I have seen each other. I really can't believe that... It honestly feels like just yesterday, I was sitting here typing out my post from the Florida trip, first time around. Time really flies, and yet sometimes it feels like its dripping molasses. We are spending Saturday at Disney World :) I am kind of a huge nerd and love ALL things Disney and so this is our Christmas present to each other. I can't wait. We got to go to Disneyland a couple of years ago in California and had a great time so I am sure Saturday will be just as fun. I'm also excited to see my cousin again and celebrate his 23rd birthday on Tuesday! Happy Birthday Reid!
I feel like there are a million and one other things to update on. Christmas banquet the other night was a blast. Getting dressed up was super fun. Spending time with my best friends from the last 4 years is ALWAYS a treat! And? The food was actually good this year! We had banquet at International Market Square in Minneapolis this year and as usual, it looked awesome. I got a new phone a couple weeks ago! My old one was acting funny and when I went into the Verizon store to fix it, they told me I had a free upgrade. So I decided to finally shed my rinky-dink phone ways and got a Blackberry. So far I really like it! It's weird being able to do things on a phone like check emails, facebook, and pretty much whatever else... But I'm gonna go ahead and stop right there because I'm sure the majority of you have already experienced this new thrill years ago. I think I might be the last person in the world to get a smart phone.
I guess I'm running out of things to update on for now... Hope everyone is doing AWESOME this holiday season and loving life! What other choice to you have, really?! There are a million and one things to be happy about ALL THE TIME!
Merry Christmas! Can't wait to post pictures from Florida on here for all to drool over... and, I can't wait to have my BF in Minnesota over the break.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Banquet Edition!
{last night was my last Christmas banquet... ever. I just have to say that it was also the best banquet... ever.}
Sunday, December 12, 2010
God makes me laugh, and smile
I have been fairly stressed out about money issues lately. I work two jobs pretty frequently through out my weeks, but I don't make very much. They are more than able to cover the costs of the things I have to worry about right now (gas, bills, and a little extra for whatever) but still, it always seems that I come up short just at the most horrible time. I'm trying to get everything lined up for my Florida trip on Friday and have just been worrying up a storm about how I'm going to pay for things down there.
Does God not make it so totally clear that he will provide? I have been somewhat ignorant to that promise in the midst of my stress. I tend to ignore the promises a lot, actually, because in the heat of the moment of frustration, stress, irritation, or worry I become quite human and just rely on myself to get myself out of it. Well, that is, until this little thing called my conscious reminds me that I have someone watching over me who will MORE than take care of it.
Anyway, the other day, my mom and I had to switch cars for a little while so that I could take Bernice, my elderly friend, to get her hair done. She has trouble getting into my car. Heck, I have trouble getting into my car. So we swapped. My mom ended up having to leave for work before we could switch back and I remember feeling really bad that I left my car on practically empty, and then I began to stress about the fact that I would need to fill my tank as a result. My mom got home around 8, I hugged her goodbye, and drove off in my car, to see that she had filled it with gas. My car isn't expensive to fill, but it's a gas guzzler getting about 12 miles to the gallon, and right in the middle of a stressful moment where I thought I'd have to shell out forty dollars to re fill, my mom just does that. I was so happy, and so thankful in that moment. First, I called my mom to tell her I loved her and appreciated her a million times over, and then, I prayed and thanked God for the same thing.
Now, this is really weird. I have this wooden shoe box underneath my bed that I keep old cards and notes in. Dusty actually got it for me one year as a birthday present and carved my initials into the side. It's a cool little keepsake, and tonight, for some random reason, I decided to go through everything in it. I'm weird in that I save EVERY birthday card that anyone ever gives me. I know that's weird to some, but I just don't like to throw them away for some reason. I was reading all the notes from birthdays gone by and skipped over the one from my grandparents, mainly because they say the same thing every year. I then immediately felt bad about it, so I decided to go back and read one. And when I opened it, three 5 dollar bills fell out.
What!!!
Alright, so 15 dollars isn't that much, but hey now?! When do I ever sit in bed on a Sunday night at 1:45 in the morning (it's finals week) going through old cards like that? And when do I ever open up one from the grandparents to find a random three bills fall into my lap?
Do you think that God is trying to tell me something? Oh, I dunno... maybe it's "Hey, Case, I really am in control. I know you are stressed about money, but you don't have to worry. I'm going to take care of it."
In my head, that's what I heard God saying tonight. I wanted to give off my joy some how, not to brag about suddenly being fifteen dollars richer, or to brag about having such a wonderful mom, but to totally brag about the fact that I was in need of something bad, and through a little prayer and lesson, God showed me that he would be there for me. I laughed out loud, and then I smiled. God, you just have a way of doing that to me :-)
(PS, I should probably pay my grandparents a visit tomorrow to tell them that story. I think it might warm their hearts, maybe just a little.)
Does God not make it so totally clear that he will provide? I have been somewhat ignorant to that promise in the midst of my stress. I tend to ignore the promises a lot, actually, because in the heat of the moment of frustration, stress, irritation, or worry I become quite human and just rely on myself to get myself out of it. Well, that is, until this little thing called my conscious reminds me that I have someone watching over me who will MORE than take care of it.
Anyway, the other day, my mom and I had to switch cars for a little while so that I could take Bernice, my elderly friend, to get her hair done. She has trouble getting into my car. Heck, I have trouble getting into my car. So we swapped. My mom ended up having to leave for work before we could switch back and I remember feeling really bad that I left my car on practically empty, and then I began to stress about the fact that I would need to fill my tank as a result. My mom got home around 8, I hugged her goodbye, and drove off in my car, to see that she had filled it with gas. My car isn't expensive to fill, but it's a gas guzzler getting about 12 miles to the gallon, and right in the middle of a stressful moment where I thought I'd have to shell out forty dollars to re fill, my mom just does that. I was so happy, and so thankful in that moment. First, I called my mom to tell her I loved her and appreciated her a million times over, and then, I prayed and thanked God for the same thing.
Now, this is really weird. I have this wooden shoe box underneath my bed that I keep old cards and notes in. Dusty actually got it for me one year as a birthday present and carved my initials into the side. It's a cool little keepsake, and tonight, for some random reason, I decided to go through everything in it. I'm weird in that I save EVERY birthday card that anyone ever gives me. I know that's weird to some, but I just don't like to throw them away for some reason. I was reading all the notes from birthdays gone by and skipped over the one from my grandparents, mainly because they say the same thing every year. I then immediately felt bad about it, so I decided to go back and read one. And when I opened it, three 5 dollar bills fell out.
What!!!
Alright, so 15 dollars isn't that much, but hey now?! When do I ever sit in bed on a Sunday night at 1:45 in the morning (it's finals week) going through old cards like that? And when do I ever open up one from the grandparents to find a random three bills fall into my lap?
Do you think that God is trying to tell me something? Oh, I dunno... maybe it's "Hey, Case, I really am in control. I know you are stressed about money, but you don't have to worry. I'm going to take care of it."
In my head, that's what I heard God saying tonight. I wanted to give off my joy some how, not to brag about suddenly being fifteen dollars richer, or to brag about having such a wonderful mom, but to totally brag about the fact that I was in need of something bad, and through a little prayer and lesson, God showed me that he would be there for me. I laughed out loud, and then I smiled. God, you just have a way of doing that to me :-)
(PS, I should probably pay my grandparents a visit tomorrow to tell them that story. I think it might warm their hearts, maybe just a little.)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Lately.
The past couple of days, I have really struggled with being apart from Dusty. Some days are harder than others. I suppose I probably sound like a lame loser to some, groveling over the fact that I am in a long distance relationship. Like some people haven't ever dealt with it before!
In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is apart from his wife for nearly twenty years! This, of course, is if my memory serves correctly, as I am currently taking a class on Greek Civilization, but seriously? Twenty years apart?
In the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Orlando Bloom's character, Will, spend seven years apart from his true love Keira Knightley/Elizabeth Swan. Whenever I am having an emotional moment I sometimes YouTube "The Longer the Waiting" by Josh Turner and watch video montages set to the third Pirates movie (Wow, did I just completely throw myself under the bus or what??!)
Soldiers are separated from loved ones, sometimes for years. A friend of mine in the Air Force recently told me that he is going to Iraq this summer and will be gone for 6 months, and he has a girlfriend. She's gonna have to bear with the long distance.
So what do five-six puny little months even matter, anyway? Why am I so sad?
I sometimes blame Dust for all of this hardship. I get angry and defensive that he left. I tell myself that I am not good enough, that he didn't love me enough to stay here, and it sucks giving in to those lies. They are NOTHING but lies. While I can be the first to admit that I still don't completely understand why he had to leave, I will say that I am using this time, to the best of my abilities, to try and see what God can teach me. Find the lessons in it that God wants me (and him of course) to learn. I can't guarantee that there won't still be hard days in this journey, but that's just it... it's all a part of the journey.
It's not fun to be apart from someone that you love and care about. 6 out of 107. Thats the amount of days I have seen Dust in the last 107 day period. 6 FREAKING DAYS! It completely sucks, my friends. And I want it to be over. I find myself stressing out over the time that we do get to spend together when I prepare to visit because I want to enjoy it to the fullest, but the stressfulness of trying to enjoy it reminds me that its a temporary visit, and I get all the more sad. But... It is all part of the journey.
What can you say when encountering hard times in life? What do you do about it to make everything worth the tough that you went through?
I turn to my dad on this one. He has used the following clip from the movie "A League of their Own" a million times in his classes and football practices, and I think that it en-capsules exactly the answer to what God might say to me if I were to ask, "God, why is life sometimes just so hard?"
What will I say fifty years from now when this season of life is far behind me? Would I trade this time for a different circumstance?
No.
I have grown so close with my roommates this semester, and had more fun with them and my other friends than almost any other semester in college. I have wrapped up classes and done a good job doing so. I have made new friends, deepened my faith, enjoyed every last minute of this time I have in this season of my life. I have grown to even enjoy work more, embrace the time I spend with the elderly, and I have leaned into my family in a way that I never have, and they have fully given back to that in being supportive in helpful when I find myself down. Dust and I work at our relationship a thousand times harder because WE HAVE TO! It's our only choice right now! And it's teaching me things. It's hard, it's so hard to figure it out sometimes, and to just be okay. But it's worth it. The road less traveled is never easy. But it's worth it. I hold on to that hope every day that this will all be worth it in the end.
Thanks for sharing the truth Tom Hanks.
In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is apart from his wife for nearly twenty years! This, of course, is if my memory serves correctly, as I am currently taking a class on Greek Civilization, but seriously? Twenty years apart?
In the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Orlando Bloom's character, Will, spend seven years apart from his true love Keira Knightley/Elizabeth Swan. Whenever I am having an emotional moment I sometimes YouTube "The Longer the Waiting" by Josh Turner and watch video montages set to the third Pirates movie (Wow, did I just completely throw myself under the bus or what??!)
Soldiers are separated from loved ones, sometimes for years. A friend of mine in the Air Force recently told me that he is going to Iraq this summer and will be gone for 6 months, and he has a girlfriend. She's gonna have to bear with the long distance.
So what do five-six puny little months even matter, anyway? Why am I so sad?
I sometimes blame Dust for all of this hardship. I get angry and defensive that he left. I tell myself that I am not good enough, that he didn't love me enough to stay here, and it sucks giving in to those lies. They are NOTHING but lies. While I can be the first to admit that I still don't completely understand why he had to leave, I will say that I am using this time, to the best of my abilities, to try and see what God can teach me. Find the lessons in it that God wants me (and him of course) to learn. I can't guarantee that there won't still be hard days in this journey, but that's just it... it's all a part of the journey.
It's not fun to be apart from someone that you love and care about. 6 out of 107. Thats the amount of days I have seen Dust in the last 107 day period. 6 FREAKING DAYS! It completely sucks, my friends. And I want it to be over. I find myself stressing out over the time that we do get to spend together when I prepare to visit because I want to enjoy it to the fullest, but the stressfulness of trying to enjoy it reminds me that its a temporary visit, and I get all the more sad. But... It is all part of the journey.
What can you say when encountering hard times in life? What do you do about it to make everything worth the tough that you went through?
I turn to my dad on this one. He has used the following clip from the movie "A League of their Own" a million times in his classes and football practices, and I think that it en-capsules exactly the answer to what God might say to me if I were to ask, "God, why is life sometimes just so hard?"
What will I say fifty years from now when this season of life is far behind me? Would I trade this time for a different circumstance?
No.
I have grown so close with my roommates this semester, and had more fun with them and my other friends than almost any other semester in college. I have wrapped up classes and done a good job doing so. I have made new friends, deepened my faith, enjoyed every last minute of this time I have in this season of my life. I have grown to even enjoy work more, embrace the time I spend with the elderly, and I have leaned into my family in a way that I never have, and they have fully given back to that in being supportive in helpful when I find myself down. Dust and I work at our relationship a thousand times harder because WE HAVE TO! It's our only choice right now! And it's teaching me things. It's hard, it's so hard to figure it out sometimes, and to just be okay. But it's worth it. The road less traveled is never easy. But it's worth it. I hold on to that hope every day that this will all be worth it in the end.
Thanks for sharing the truth Tom Hanks.
Monday, December 6, 2010
I'm back, don't you worry
Alright, I sincerely apologize to whoever has been wondering or waiting for a post on here... as I have been lost in the busyness of school, papers, quizzes, life, and football games. Bethel football made it into the semi-finals after defeating St. Thomas this past weekend! My family has obviously been really busy following the team all over the place for games. Over the weekend of Thanksgiving break, I got to road trip down to Chicago to watch Bethel play Wheaton in the second round of playoffs. My friend Betsy actually lives in the Chicago area, so Katie J and I were able to stay at her house, meet her awesome parents, and have a great time touring the city of Naperville! Maddie and Randi (two of my other roommates) were able to join us for a couple of hours and we had such a fun time. The downtown area of Naperville was all decorated for Christmas and it looked so cute.
After Bethel played Wheaton, and WON, I had a lot to get through school wise (hence the absence from blogging). I am happy to announce that my Senior Seminar paper is COMPLETE- all 32 pages, done and turned in! The next phase is to prepare a presentation that will be given in front of ALL the history professors at Bethel. Oh, no, it's not intimidating at all, in case you were wondering. And in case you are really still wondering, I'm being sarcastic. I'm confident that it will be fine, and finals will go smoothly afterward.
OH! And Thanksgiving, I didn't even get to recap about that! I had a great time with friends and family. We all gathered at my Uncle Bob's house in North Oaks and had a great time. I especially love the time I get to spend with my grandparents at every holiday. I'm very fortunate that both sets of my grandparents are actually very good friends... of course every holiday we miss Grandpa John, but I'm so glad that my Grandma Bev has always been welcomed at every single family gathering with my mom's side of the family. It's also fun to have new babies around at holiday celebrations! All my cousins are starting to have kids, which is a lot of fun. How adorable is this picture....
My cousin Drew's daughter Malaina planted a sweet kiss on my cousin Brittany's daughter Olivia. Adorable.
The game this past weekend against St. Thomas was unreal. Definitely one of the most exciting sports moments of my life! St. Thomas was our only loss in the regular season, and so it was a pretty huge win for Bethel. My dad was pretty nervous all week leading up because the winner goes on to semi finals... in other words, the winner of the game would be one of four teams in the whole country continuing with practice this week! Pretty insane! It was such an incredible game. Both defense and offense played so great and held St. Thomas for a full sixty minutes. If you are curious to hear more about it, here are some great articles written up in the paper about the whole game between the Royals and the Tommies:
http://kstp.com/sports/stories/S1867247.shtml?cat=7
http://www.kare11.com/sports/sports_article.aspx?storyid=887297&catid=24
And of course, an amazing picture that I stole from the Star Tribune website of the victory:
It was honestly such an incredible weekend. To make it even more special, Friday night (before the game) we had "roommate night" at our house. The night was filled with delicious food: Gouda cheese covered with croissants, Brie cheese and raspberry chutney sauce, crackers, and Mediterranean chicken pizza. A-MAZING. Plus, chocholate chip cookies for dessert. We had an awesome time being together. I love those girls. It's never a dull moment with them around.
Sunday was a very relaxing day. I recently discovered the most amazing blog that is full of fun ideas for homemade crafts. I spent the day making a gift for my mom based off an idea I got on their DIY page. If you are looking for fun gift ideas, especially for Christmas, make sure you check them out, I LOVE this website! http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/product
Once I am absolutely positive that my mother has not been keeping up with my blog, I'll post the gift that I made and would LOVE to hear feedback on what you think about it! :)
As for this week, I am ecstatic to be able to go to Ohio this weekend to watch Bethel play Mount Union in the FOURTH ROUND of playoffs! Can't wait! Next week I have three finals, then I am off to Florida to visit DUSTY!!!!! For seven days! And then we have three days apart before he FINALLY gets to come home for Christmas. I just can't even wait.
WHEW!!! What a lot to catch up on. I'm so glad I finally have a few days to rest and not have ANY homework to worry about. That will surely free up some time to keep writing on here. MISSED YOU ALL!
After Bethel played Wheaton, and WON, I had a lot to get through school wise (hence the absence from blogging). I am happy to announce that my Senior Seminar paper is COMPLETE- all 32 pages, done and turned in! The next phase is to prepare a presentation that will be given in front of ALL the history professors at Bethel. Oh, no, it's not intimidating at all, in case you were wondering. And in case you are really still wondering, I'm being sarcastic. I'm confident that it will be fine, and finals will go smoothly afterward.
OH! And Thanksgiving, I didn't even get to recap about that! I had a great time with friends and family. We all gathered at my Uncle Bob's house in North Oaks and had a great time. I especially love the time I get to spend with my grandparents at every holiday. I'm very fortunate that both sets of my grandparents are actually very good friends... of course every holiday we miss Grandpa John, but I'm so glad that my Grandma Bev has always been welcomed at every single family gathering with my mom's side of the family. It's also fun to have new babies around at holiday celebrations! All my cousins are starting to have kids, which is a lot of fun. How adorable is this picture....
My cousin Drew's daughter Malaina planted a sweet kiss on my cousin Brittany's daughter Olivia. Adorable.
The game this past weekend against St. Thomas was unreal. Definitely one of the most exciting sports moments of my life! St. Thomas was our only loss in the regular season, and so it was a pretty huge win for Bethel. My dad was pretty nervous all week leading up because the winner goes on to semi finals... in other words, the winner of the game would be one of four teams in the whole country continuing with practice this week! Pretty insane! It was such an incredible game. Both defense and offense played so great and held St. Thomas for a full sixty minutes. If you are curious to hear more about it, here are some great articles written up in the paper about the whole game between the Royals and the Tommies:
http://kstp.com/sports/stories/S1867247.shtml?cat=7
http://www.kare11.com/sports/sports_article.aspx?storyid=887297&catid=24
And of course, an amazing picture that I stole from the Star Tribune website of the victory:
It was honestly such an incredible weekend. To make it even more special, Friday night (before the game) we had "roommate night" at our house. The night was filled with delicious food: Gouda cheese covered with croissants, Brie cheese and raspberry chutney sauce, crackers, and Mediterranean chicken pizza. A-MAZING. Plus, chocholate chip cookies for dessert. We had an awesome time being together. I love those girls. It's never a dull moment with them around.
Sunday was a very relaxing day. I recently discovered the most amazing blog that is full of fun ideas for homemade crafts. I spent the day making a gift for my mom based off an idea I got on their DIY page. If you are looking for fun gift ideas, especially for Christmas, make sure you check them out, I LOVE this website! http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/product
Once I am absolutely positive that my mother has not been keeping up with my blog, I'll post the gift that I made and would LOVE to hear feedback on what you think about it! :)
As for this week, I am ecstatic to be able to go to Ohio this weekend to watch Bethel play Mount Union in the FOURTH ROUND of playoffs! Can't wait! Next week I have three finals, then I am off to Florida to visit DUSTY!!!!! For seven days! And then we have three days apart before he FINALLY gets to come home for Christmas. I just can't even wait.
WHEW!!! What a lot to catch up on. I'm so glad I finally have a few days to rest and not have ANY homework to worry about. That will surely free up some time to keep writing on here. MISSED YOU ALL!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
On thankfulness.
Sorry for my absence on here. I have been so busy over the last week that I just haven't had the time to even think, it feels! Plus, I think that I have had a little bit of blog-writer's block. And okay, also, I got a twitter (As I posted last time) and I'm going to be honest, it kind of took over my life these past few days. I had no idea what to write about on here in the midst of busy days with school, working both my jobs, and trying to get organized for Thanksgiving. OH! And going out of town to Iowa to watch the Royals defeat Wartburg in the first round of playoffs last weekend! WOO HOO!!
But anyways. I was reading one of my favorite blogs today and was totally inspired to write about something that I am extremely thankful for. And you might think its silly, I think its special and awesome and amazing. This post is going to be
All
About
MOSES!
My dog!
Going back to said favorite blog... I read this quote which I believe to be totally true:
"Dogs are such wonderful animals and are basically magic wands of happiness"
How could this not make you happy?
Our family has had Moses for over two years now. He's an adorable spunky but loving lab and I just can't express how much I love this dog. Moses is such an obey-er. He loves to please his family members by being obedient and does a pretty darn good job of it. He is playful and SO CUTE and he brings me so much joy!! I love him.
Mo's REAL parents belong to two family friends of ours who happen to be neighbors. His brother also happens to be the dog of one of my good friends at Bethel, so its fun to have connections. One thing that I love is that Dust was around to see us get our adorable new puppy two years ago.
The thing I love is that the day after we got Mo, Dust and I started dating! So that holds special memory for obvious reasons. Moses is such a great companion. He makes a great pillow, is always good for some love, and never lets me down.
It is kind of crazy to think that a simple animal could make such a difference to somebody, but dogs really do that! They are so intuitive into human feelings. Its kind of crazy, I think. Remember the post I wrote about the night I broke down over how much I missed Dust? Moses put his paw right up on my leg as I was in tears, and it was like he just knew. I love that about dogs! They just love you, no matter what.
Here's another thing. You can't know my dad without knowing how much he adores this dog. He doesn't go a day without saying "That dog loves me!" or "I really love Mo." That dog does everything with my dad. He follows him while he mows the lawn. They run miles to Bethel together (without a leash, obedience remember?). They snuggle together at night while watching ESPN. Wanna know a secret? I think Moses has been a remedy to my dad since my sister and I are both away at college. Granted, he still has my brother, but they both have kind of adopted Mo as another member of the family and he does a pretty awesome job at keeping them happy with my sister and I not living at home right now. Don't tell my dad I said that :) He might be too tough to admit it.
I'm thankful for MO, in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Of course I'm thankful for a host of other things, but I have read recently about dogs that have passed away, or dogs that have become new members of the family, and I think that its pretty cool to see just how special those little pets can be. They are the best.
Do any of you have dogs or other pets that have made your life happy? If so, feel free to chat with me because I am a sucker for a great dog story!
I LOVE MO!
Just for fun, check out how hilarious and hysterical my dog can be below...
But anyways. I was reading one of my favorite blogs today and was totally inspired to write about something that I am extremely thankful for. And you might think its silly, I think its special and awesome and amazing. This post is going to be
All
About
MOSES!
My dog!
Going back to said favorite blog... I read this quote which I believe to be totally true:
"Dogs are such wonderful animals and are basically magic wands of happiness"
How could this not make you happy?
Our family has had Moses for over two years now. He's an adorable spunky but loving lab and I just can't express how much I love this dog. Moses is such an obey-er. He loves to please his family members by being obedient and does a pretty darn good job of it. He is playful and SO CUTE and he brings me so much joy!! I love him.
Mo's REAL parents belong to two family friends of ours who happen to be neighbors. His brother also happens to be the dog of one of my good friends at Bethel, so its fun to have connections. One thing that I love is that Dust was around to see us get our adorable new puppy two years ago.
The thing I love is that the day after we got Mo, Dust and I started dating! So that holds special memory for obvious reasons. Moses is such a great companion. He makes a great pillow, is always good for some love, and never lets me down.
It is kind of crazy to think that a simple animal could make such a difference to somebody, but dogs really do that! They are so intuitive into human feelings. Its kind of crazy, I think. Remember the post I wrote about the night I broke down over how much I missed Dust? Moses put his paw right up on my leg as I was in tears, and it was like he just knew. I love that about dogs! They just love you, no matter what.
Here's another thing. You can't know my dad without knowing how much he adores this dog. He doesn't go a day without saying "That dog loves me!" or "I really love Mo." That dog does everything with my dad. He follows him while he mows the lawn. They run miles to Bethel together (without a leash, obedience remember?). They snuggle together at night while watching ESPN. Wanna know a secret? I think Moses has been a remedy to my dad since my sister and I are both away at college. Granted, he still has my brother, but they both have kind of adopted Mo as another member of the family and he does a pretty awesome job at keeping them happy with my sister and I not living at home right now. Don't tell my dad I said that :) He might be too tough to admit it.
I'm thankful for MO, in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Of course I'm thankful for a host of other things, but I have read recently about dogs that have passed away, or dogs that have become new members of the family, and I think that its pretty cool to see just how special those little pets can be. They are the best.
Do any of you have dogs or other pets that have made your life happy? If so, feel free to chat with me because I am a sucker for a great dog story!
I LOVE MO!
Just for fun, check out how hilarious and hysterical my dog can be below...
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Wednesday... what's on your mind?
Here is what I've been thinking about on this Wednesday:
-Harry Potter 7 part 1.... in 36 hours.
-This song:
-Twitter-ing (@casleimil, just made it and struggling to sum up my thoughts in 140 characters)
-Visiting Dustin Wade Wahl exactly one month from tomorrow!!!
-Greek Civ term paper is due on Monday and I can't quite think of 12 pages worth of material on the Plague of Athens... suggestions?
-Thanksgiving Break starts a week from today... THANK GOODNESS for the extra day off this year.
-Not quite sure what to think of being completely done with classes forever in less than a month.......
-Snow must melt, I can't take this weather this early in the year.
-But I do love the holidays, and as long as I've mentioned one song already, here is my favorite Xmas song on the radio every year:
-I need a nap.
-I secretly snapped the best picture ever taken
Teeeheehee.
-Harry Potter 7 part 1.... in 36 hours.
-This song:
-Twitter-ing (@casleimil, just made it and struggling to sum up my thoughts in 140 characters)
-Visiting Dustin Wade Wahl exactly one month from tomorrow!!!
-Greek Civ term paper is due on Monday and I can't quite think of 12 pages worth of material on the Plague of Athens... suggestions?
-Thanksgiving Break starts a week from today... THANK GOODNESS for the extra day off this year.
-Not quite sure what to think of being completely done with classes forever in less than a month.......
-Snow must melt, I can't take this weather this early in the year.
-But I do love the holidays, and as long as I've mentioned one song already, here is my favorite Xmas song on the radio every year:
-I need a nap.
-I secretly snapped the best picture ever taken
Teeeheehee.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Cuteness.
I have spent the last few days "off" from writing here because of my busy weekend and (guess) being sick. Again.
Before I get into what "cuteness" was today, I have to show you a picture from my weekend:
THAT would be the Bethel football field on Saturday afternoon. Completely covered with snow, aside from the lines that mark the downs. It was the craziest game, but one- we won! And two- we are going to the playoffs! This weekend in Iowa. My family is pretty excited, especially my dad. I just can't imagine playing in that kind of weather, ever. But the Royals pulled it off and played a GREAT game.
So tonight I had work at Pres Homes. I can't remember if I have talked about this couple before, but there is a married couple who live in the building I work at that are just SO in love. It's actually super cute, they are in their mid-90's (!!) and have been married for over 60 years. I know that they lived in Philadelphia for several years, and they both have very proper, east coast accents. They are adorable. I wish I had a picture. The husband is so tall and the wife is just a shrimp. And like I said, they are in their mid-90's and so they always stroll into the dining room with their walkers. Well anyways, tonight I walked up to them to ask them how things were going and Dick (husband) looks at Miriam (wife) then looks at me and says,
"My wife absolutely fascinates me."
Now first thing I think is, that is absolutely adorable. But then I think... what could possibly be fascinating about a 93 year old woman?
We chatted a bit more and Dick continues: "I've been married to her over 60 years and she still manages to keep me completely interested. She is unbelievable, fabulous. The poet Emily Dickinson once said, 'When the soul selects, it shuts the door' and that is what's happened with me. The moment I laid eyes on her so many years ago, I knew she was the one. And she still manages to fascinate me!"
I hope that my husband can say that about me when I'm 93, wrinkly, probably a little chubby, and out of it. Because really, is that not true love right there? Being old and not quite the same as you once were at your youngest, and yet, your husband still finds you absolutely fascinating? :)
That was my cute story for the day. I love old people! Just love 'em.
Here is my last story of the day that I think is cute, but you probably won't. I gotta try to get through it without tearing up a bit... Today, I popped a ZIT on my baby brother's forehead.
Beau's first zit. Can you believe it? The real tragedy here is that his voice is unrecognizable these days. I can't hardly believe Beau is going through puberty.
Love you Beau :) I told him I would give him a blog shout out. Once he reads this he's probably going to be sorry he even asked.
Before I get into what "cuteness" was today, I have to show you a picture from my weekend:
THAT would be the Bethel football field on Saturday afternoon. Completely covered with snow, aside from the lines that mark the downs. It was the craziest game, but one- we won! And two- we are going to the playoffs! This weekend in Iowa. My family is pretty excited, especially my dad. I just can't imagine playing in that kind of weather, ever. But the Royals pulled it off and played a GREAT game.
So tonight I had work at Pres Homes. I can't remember if I have talked about this couple before, but there is a married couple who live in the building I work at that are just SO in love. It's actually super cute, they are in their mid-90's (!!) and have been married for over 60 years. I know that they lived in Philadelphia for several years, and they both have very proper, east coast accents. They are adorable. I wish I had a picture. The husband is so tall and the wife is just a shrimp. And like I said, they are in their mid-90's and so they always stroll into the dining room with their walkers. Well anyways, tonight I walked up to them to ask them how things were going and Dick (husband) looks at Miriam (wife) then looks at me and says,
"My wife absolutely fascinates me."
Now first thing I think is, that is absolutely adorable. But then I think... what could possibly be fascinating about a 93 year old woman?
We chatted a bit more and Dick continues: "I've been married to her over 60 years and she still manages to keep me completely interested. She is unbelievable, fabulous. The poet Emily Dickinson once said, 'When the soul selects, it shuts the door' and that is what's happened with me. The moment I laid eyes on her so many years ago, I knew she was the one. And she still manages to fascinate me!"
I hope that my husband can say that about me when I'm 93, wrinkly, probably a little chubby, and out of it. Because really, is that not true love right there? Being old and not quite the same as you once were at your youngest, and yet, your husband still finds you absolutely fascinating? :)
That was my cute story for the day. I love old people! Just love 'em.
Here is my last story of the day that I think is cute, but you probably won't. I gotta try to get through it without tearing up a bit... Today, I popped a ZIT on my baby brother's forehead.
Beau's first zit. Can you believe it? The real tragedy here is that his voice is unrecognizable these days. I can't hardly believe Beau is going through puberty.
Love you Beau :) I told him I would give him a blog shout out. Once he reads this he's probably going to be sorry he even asked.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Yayyy for Friday and for LIFE!!
This has just been the BEST week.
I met with a man named Bill this morning for coffee to interview him about a television program he hosted in the 1950's. His information is EXTREMELY useful/helpful for my senior sem paper. I am so excited about this paper, guys! I know it might make me sound a bit dorky but I am really pumped about the information and sources that I have and I really hope it reflects on all the hard work I've been doing this semester. I never thought that the connections you establish could lead you to having a conversation with one of the earliest TV show hosts in the state. Crazy!
That kind of set the tone for my whole day. I got a lot done at work because I happen to have another big paper due next Friday that I hadn't started yet. Good research. Then I received probably the best news of my whole day!
I'm student teaching at Mahtomedi High School next semester! Not just Dusty's old school... but a really good district to have experience. I have been praying pretty much all of college that I would be placed where God wants me to be. I have faith that this will be a great experience for me! Even better is that my friend Jana, also the same major as me, is student teaching at Mahtomedi as well, so we will have the option to carpool. In other words, we have the option to save gas!
The last great thing about my school day: My professor pushed back my next big paper from Friday to Monday!!!!! BEST NEWS EVER!! Especially when you are in the midst of trying to finish a good 25 pages :)
I am so thankful for the way things have turned out this week. It has been so encouraging to have things open up for me.
I've been reading around and it sounds like everyone is up to some fun stuff. It helps to know that it is finally acceptable to listen to Christmas music... has anyone turned on 102.9 yet?!
Happy Friday and Happy Weekend, everyone!
I met with a man named Bill this morning for coffee to interview him about a television program he hosted in the 1950's. His information is EXTREMELY useful/helpful for my senior sem paper. I am so excited about this paper, guys! I know it might make me sound a bit dorky but I am really pumped about the information and sources that I have and I really hope it reflects on all the hard work I've been doing this semester. I never thought that the connections you establish could lead you to having a conversation with one of the earliest TV show hosts in the state. Crazy!
That kind of set the tone for my whole day. I got a lot done at work because I happen to have another big paper due next Friday that I hadn't started yet. Good research. Then I received probably the best news of my whole day!
I'm student teaching at Mahtomedi High School next semester! Not just Dusty's old school... but a really good district to have experience. I have been praying pretty much all of college that I would be placed where God wants me to be. I have faith that this will be a great experience for me! Even better is that my friend Jana, also the same major as me, is student teaching at Mahtomedi as well, so we will have the option to carpool. In other words, we have the option to save gas!
The last great thing about my school day: My professor pushed back my next big paper from Friday to Monday!!!!! BEST NEWS EVER!! Especially when you are in the midst of trying to finish a good 25 pages :)
I am so thankful for the way things have turned out this week. It has been so encouraging to have things open up for me.
I've been reading around and it sounds like everyone is up to some fun stuff. It helps to know that it is finally acceptable to listen to Christmas music... has anyone turned on 102.9 yet?!
Happy Friday and Happy Weekend, everyone!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Blessed.
Who knew that Wednesday would bring so much JOY to my life!!!!
1. I am officially graduating in the Spring of 2011 with my two majors as planned! My advisor just took a half hour of his time to help me fulfill requirements I was missing for my history major. I am so so so glad and THANKFUL that this worked out.
2. My grandma called me today to tell me some awesome news.... January 14 thru the 22nd I will be cruising the Hawaiian Islands with Grandma Bev, my mom and my brother!!
3. I am so excited that this is coming together. I am hoping by today or tomorrow to book a flight to Florida to visit Dusty again from December 18 thru the 23rd. We had no idea that this would work out but over the last few days, things have just kind of fallen into place to make this a reality. I didn't think I was going to see him until Christmas or later, and even then it would have been a VERY short visit.
4. I managed to crank out fifteen pages of my senior sem paper that is due next Monday... Me, the procrastinator that I am! Only ten more to go and I am DONE!...... With my first draft :) Even still, a good feeling to have that under my belt.
5. My cough is mostly gone, again! Thank the Lord!
I have been feeling so down lately for a variety of reasons, and then things start to fall in to place and it makes me realize that I am really blessed. I have so much to be thankful for that I really don't deserve. Knowing that I am officially graduating is such a huge relief, and I have a lot of great stuff to look forward to coming up in the next couple of months here. Thank you to those who have been praying for me these last few days. You have NO idea how much it means to me! And thanks-BIG THANKS- to God, right? He somehow always manages to pull through. I prayed all weekend that he would keep me focused this week to get stuff done and what do you know... I somehow come up with fifteen pages.
Life is good.
1. I am officially graduating in the Spring of 2011 with my two majors as planned! My advisor just took a half hour of his time to help me fulfill requirements I was missing for my history major. I am so so so glad and THANKFUL that this worked out.
2. My grandma called me today to tell me some awesome news.... January 14 thru the 22nd I will be cruising the Hawaiian Islands with Grandma Bev, my mom and my brother!!
3. I am so excited that this is coming together. I am hoping by today or tomorrow to book a flight to Florida to visit Dusty again from December 18 thru the 23rd. We had no idea that this would work out but over the last few days, things have just kind of fallen into place to make this a reality. I didn't think I was going to see him until Christmas or later, and even then it would have been a VERY short visit.
4. I managed to crank out fifteen pages of my senior sem paper that is due next Monday... Me, the procrastinator that I am! Only ten more to go and I am DONE!...... With my first draft :) Even still, a good feeling to have that under my belt.
5. My cough is mostly gone, again! Thank the Lord!
I have been feeling so down lately for a variety of reasons, and then things start to fall in to place and it makes me realize that I am really blessed. I have so much to be thankful for that I really don't deserve. Knowing that I am officially graduating is such a huge relief, and I have a lot of great stuff to look forward to coming up in the next couple of months here. Thank you to those who have been praying for me these last few days. You have NO idea how much it means to me! And thanks-BIG THANKS- to God, right? He somehow always manages to pull through. I prayed all weekend that he would keep me focused this week to get stuff done and what do you know... I somehow come up with fifteen pages.
Life is good.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Saturday and Sunday.
Hello Hello everybody.
Well, it's back. The cough. I'm laying in bed hacking away wondering what I did to deserve a round two. I'm frustrated, to say the least, that this annoying little bug (or whatever it is) has crept back into my life almost more quickly than before.
Regardless of my cough, it was a good weekend.
Friday night I got my hair colored. I realized sitting in the chair at the salon that I almost always end up getting my hair done on Friday evenings and for some reason, I find that to be kind of silly. Maybe it's because I'm always sitting in the chair, foiled up, texting all friends to find out what it is that I'm missing out on. But, whatever. I don't want to take a risk of sounding too glitzy here, but hair appointments are kind of "my" time that I really look forward to. I go to a place in Uptown and kind of have developed a routine for whenever I get a hair cut.. or color.. or whatever. I leave an hour and a half early because I know I'll run into traffic. I never HAVEN'T run into traffic going on 94 towards Hennepin. I usually get to my salon way too early and therefore, I shop. I get a coffee. I people watch. In case you didn't know, Uptown is host to a whole different crowd of people. For instance, the other night, as I was waiting to cross the street right by Chino Latino, two kids (both couldn't have been older than 15) motioned to hand me a flyer for palm reading nearby. I obviously turned it down, but was curious as to why two teenagers would be handing that stuff out on a Friday afternoon?? Beats me.
I got finished with my hair appointment and kind of forgot to factor in the change in sunset this time of year. It was 8 p.m. and really, really dark outside and I was parked at least six blocks away. I tried to stay in the open because I have this fear of walking alone at nights to my car. I also tried to call a million different people to sidetrack me, but no one answered. As I neared my parking spot, I noticed the cutest little apartment building and I began (for some reason) to think about Dusty's living situation at the moment. He is currently battling some critters who have taken up residency in his house. They have left some little mouse turds as evidence of their stay. I kid you not, as I walked along thinking about teeny little mice hiding out in Dusty's house... A mouse DARTED right across the sidewalk. At my feet.
I screamed.
As if the thought of getting attacked freaked me out... a harmless little mouse made me even more scared. I sprinted to my car and got the heck out of that situation.
I ended up just watching TV with my friend Kristin afterward while my other roommates entertained some friends in the kitchen at our house. It was so nice just to relax on Friday.
Saturday was a really fun day also. Bethel played Hamline University and-get this- beat them 52-0. Not only that, but the defense only gave up 18 yards to Hamline, THE ENTIRE GAME! I'm so proud of the Royals this year. Especially that defense :) Hm, they must have a really great coach to credit that to! Ha, my dad would kill me if he saw that I wrote that. Luckily, I have gotten several texts from my dad saying he STILL can't figure out how to access my blog, so I think we're in the clear.
I went to a wedding for a friend Saturday night that was just really nice. Beautiful ceremony, dresses, flowers, and music. I think the cutest part of the ceremony was that the groom's best man was his GRANDPA! I love that! It was nice to attend a ceremony later into the evening, and also nice to see Callie as always. We grabbed dinner before the wedding with Tom (Dustin's roommate/best friend) and overall I just had a really nice time.
Today has been long, but great. For one thing, it was my first Sunday off from work and I was so excited to be able to go to church today. I picked up my sister and drove down to Minneapolis (forgetting all about the Vikings game). Our church is right across the street from the stadium where the Vikes play and Sunday home games can get kind of messy, traffic-wise. Wasn't horrible this morning, but I did see a LOT of Moss jerseys, which I find to be kind of funny/ironic. Church was really good today. I always kind of get nervous when I go to the church I grew up in. I love it there, but in college, it was often really hard to find a ride, and so my visits to church have always been somewhat sporadic since I've been in college. Factor in the work thing, and it has just been really difficult. Our church has gone through some pretty major changes over the past two years, great changes, but I feel as though I've really missed out in getting to know new people there and plugging myself into our church community. Let's just say, knowing that I have Sundays off now, and getting to be in church, is a really good feeling. And presents me with a hopeful wish of getting more involved at my church. I decided to be brave and go by myself to the Young Adult ministry after the service and actually enjoyed it. I sat alone and just kind of took it in, and it was enjoyable. I sometimes judge those situations too quickly, but this time I prayed for a humble attitude and just kind of let myself enjoy it.
We then had lunch at home as a family, but also shared with the young adult pastor of my church and another member. Very fun, I liked being able to get to know the pastor better and kind of considered it a "plug" to getting more involved, personally. Moses, as always, entertained our guests to the fullest.. right up until about dessert time when he decided that he was sick and threw up in the backyard. That dog, I tell ya. Sometimes, he can just be so weird and goofy.
This week, I could use some prayer. I have a really big paper due next Monday (minimum of 25 pages) and also, have to start research on another 15 page paper due the same week. On top of two other smaller papers dealing with my ever-so-interesting Greek Civ class (sarcasm) so if you think of it, pray that I will manage my time well this week. Other than that, I have no complaints. Life is good, and God has been great to me this week.
Oh, and as long as I've got your attention, maybe you could pray for my cough to disappear for a second time :-)
Thanks! And good night!
Well, it's back. The cough. I'm laying in bed hacking away wondering what I did to deserve a round two. I'm frustrated, to say the least, that this annoying little bug (or whatever it is) has crept back into my life almost more quickly than before.
Regardless of my cough, it was a good weekend.
Friday night I got my hair colored. I realized sitting in the chair at the salon that I almost always end up getting my hair done on Friday evenings and for some reason, I find that to be kind of silly. Maybe it's because I'm always sitting in the chair, foiled up, texting all friends to find out what it is that I'm missing out on. But, whatever. I don't want to take a risk of sounding too glitzy here, but hair appointments are kind of "my" time that I really look forward to. I go to a place in Uptown and kind of have developed a routine for whenever I get a hair cut.. or color.. or whatever. I leave an hour and a half early because I know I'll run into traffic. I never HAVEN'T run into traffic going on 94 towards Hennepin. I usually get to my salon way too early and therefore, I shop. I get a coffee. I people watch. In case you didn't know, Uptown is host to a whole different crowd of people. For instance, the other night, as I was waiting to cross the street right by Chino Latino, two kids (both couldn't have been older than 15) motioned to hand me a flyer for palm reading nearby. I obviously turned it down, but was curious as to why two teenagers would be handing that stuff out on a Friday afternoon?? Beats me.
I got finished with my hair appointment and kind of forgot to factor in the change in sunset this time of year. It was 8 p.m. and really, really dark outside and I was parked at least six blocks away. I tried to stay in the open because I have this fear of walking alone at nights to my car. I also tried to call a million different people to sidetrack me, but no one answered. As I neared my parking spot, I noticed the cutest little apartment building and I began (for some reason) to think about Dusty's living situation at the moment. He is currently battling some critters who have taken up residency in his house. They have left some little mouse turds as evidence of their stay. I kid you not, as I walked along thinking about teeny little mice hiding out in Dusty's house... A mouse DARTED right across the sidewalk. At my feet.
I screamed.
As if the thought of getting attacked freaked me out... a harmless little mouse made me even more scared. I sprinted to my car and got the heck out of that situation.
I ended up just watching TV with my friend Kristin afterward while my other roommates entertained some friends in the kitchen at our house. It was so nice just to relax on Friday.
Saturday was a really fun day also. Bethel played Hamline University and-get this- beat them 52-0. Not only that, but the defense only gave up 18 yards to Hamline, THE ENTIRE GAME! I'm so proud of the Royals this year. Especially that defense :) Hm, they must have a really great coach to credit that to! Ha, my dad would kill me if he saw that I wrote that. Luckily, I have gotten several texts from my dad saying he STILL can't figure out how to access my blog, so I think we're in the clear.
I went to a wedding for a friend Saturday night that was just really nice. Beautiful ceremony, dresses, flowers, and music. I think the cutest part of the ceremony was that the groom's best man was his GRANDPA! I love that! It was nice to attend a ceremony later into the evening, and also nice to see Callie as always. We grabbed dinner before the wedding with Tom (Dustin's roommate/best friend) and overall I just had a really nice time.
Today has been long, but great. For one thing, it was my first Sunday off from work and I was so excited to be able to go to church today. I picked up my sister and drove down to Minneapolis (forgetting all about the Vikings game). Our church is right across the street from the stadium where the Vikes play and Sunday home games can get kind of messy, traffic-wise. Wasn't horrible this morning, but I did see a LOT of Moss jerseys, which I find to be kind of funny/ironic. Church was really good today. I always kind of get nervous when I go to the church I grew up in. I love it there, but in college, it was often really hard to find a ride, and so my visits to church have always been somewhat sporadic since I've been in college. Factor in the work thing, and it has just been really difficult. Our church has gone through some pretty major changes over the past two years, great changes, but I feel as though I've really missed out in getting to know new people there and plugging myself into our church community. Let's just say, knowing that I have Sundays off now, and getting to be in church, is a really good feeling. And presents me with a hopeful wish of getting more involved at my church. I decided to be brave and go by myself to the Young Adult ministry after the service and actually enjoyed it. I sat alone and just kind of took it in, and it was enjoyable. I sometimes judge those situations too quickly, but this time I prayed for a humble attitude and just kind of let myself enjoy it.
We then had lunch at home as a family, but also shared with the young adult pastor of my church and another member. Very fun, I liked being able to get to know the pastor better and kind of considered it a "plug" to getting more involved, personally. Moses, as always, entertained our guests to the fullest.. right up until about dessert time when he decided that he was sick and threw up in the backyard. That dog, I tell ya. Sometimes, he can just be so weird and goofy.
This week, I could use some prayer. I have a really big paper due next Monday (minimum of 25 pages) and also, have to start research on another 15 page paper due the same week. On top of two other smaller papers dealing with my ever-so-interesting Greek Civ class (sarcasm) so if you think of it, pray that I will manage my time well this week. Other than that, I have no complaints. Life is good, and God has been great to me this week.
Oh, and as long as I've got your attention, maybe you could pray for my cough to disappear for a second time :-)
Thanks! And good night!
Friday, November 5, 2010
The One Thing.
Here I am, in a river of questions. Can I pour my heart out to a listening ear?
I see this life; Its valley's and mountains, and I think of all the roads that brought me here.
I've questioned my reasons, the life I'm living. I've questioned my ability to judge wrong from right.
I've questioned all the things that I've ever called certain: my race, my religion, my country, my mind.
But the one thing I don't question is you!
You really love me like you say you do
Hold me..
I've questioned significance, meaning and relevance... Does the work I'm doing really matter at all?
Well, I've questioned my friendships, alliance, dependence...
Who will still be here when I fall?
Only one thing doesn't change... only one thing stays the same!
All I know at the end of the day is your love remains.
The One Thing by Paul Colman.
_______________________________
Have you ever climbed a mountain before?
I have. No, seriously, I have.
In 2006, my uncle, Doug, took me and my two cousins, Reid and Eric, to Aspen, Colorado to climb Mount Elbert. This mountain is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains, and is also the second highest mountain in the United States. The tallest mountain, Mt. Whitney in CA, is taller by only 65 feet.
This mountain is TALL.
And NOT easy to climb.
When my uncle got the three of us cousins together at Easter, 2006, he was pretty straight forward about the plans for this trip. He wanted us to climb the mountain, all four of us, together. Reid was going to Ecuador for school in a few months and this was a kind of "last hoorah" before we lost Reid and Eric and I entered our senior year. I was all for the trip. I didn't really anticipate what a huge task it would be to actually climb a mountain. I was just excited to go on a vacation to Colorado (favorite state, remember?).
We finally left for our trip right at the end of July, '06. The first couple of days were awesome. We stayed in a cute, lodge-y hotel in Snowmass (little village outside of Aspen) and finally the day before our official climb, we went on a little hike to get acclimated and prepared. Okay... I am SO not a hiking person. I learned that on this little hike we took. I have skinny little legs that get tired pretty easily, as it turns out. I felt pathetic behind my cousins and my uncle. They did it with ease, and I was panting by the end of it. I didn't know how I would possibly get through the following day. I was nervous, unsure, and feeling like I couldn't do it. I had that uneasy, queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. We went to bed early because the TRUE hike of Mount Elbert would take place the following morning at 7, so we needed to be up by 6 to drive there. Am I a morning person? No. Am I a morning person when I'm about to climb upward for about four straight hours? NO!
The three of us at the end of the little hike. I might look happy but I was putting on a mask to hide how I truly felt, I'm sure of it. Or maybe I'm just so happy to have my beautiful long natural colored hair that I still regret dying blonde.
Waking up for the morning climb was difficult and I barely slept the ride there. My uncle gave a little devotion before we started climbing and I barely recall the words. I was nervous and scared.
Climbing upward, at an altitude that you really aren't used to, is hard and difficult. Especially for someone like me who is unathletic. The task was great, but the accomplishment was visible for me and Eric, Reid and Doug with every difficult step forward. The weird thing about that climb, was that the more difficult it became, the higher we hiked, the more this verse kept replaying through my brain: (Phillipians 4:13) I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
I set it to a tune. I sang it over and over. I took in the beauty that was revealed the higher we went. I would have missed out on ALL this unbelievable scenery and incredible view. I knew God put this challenge ahead of me not to be weary of it, but to OVERCOME it, while also giving me unbelievable gifts along the way.
In the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldridge, there is a chapter on God's kiss to his beloved. God wants to romance us and show us his "kiss"... He LOVES us! John Eldridge writes about how early one morning on a vacation near the ocean spending quiet time with God, a humpback whale jumped out of the water and made a HUGE splash. He described that as the kiss of God. Something so significant and unreal, something straight out of God's creation, given to show his romantic love for his people.
The closer I got to the mountaintop, the more I felt like I was legitimately going to pass out. Reid and Eric were FAR ahead of Doug and I. I was struggling with every step. It seemed SO incredibly close, yet so far. I had about 40 feet to go when Eric and Reid jogged down from the top to finish the climb with Doug and I. We finished the climb ALL together. It was incredible. Nearing actual exhaustion, I reached the top, let out a huge breath of relief, and looked around.
These pictures are pretty awesome, but don't even do justice to the emotions and feelings that I felt getting to the top of the mountain. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. Everywhere around us, just mountain peaks. For what seemed to go on forever. I literally felt like I was on top of the world. And in a way, I was! I made it to the TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN and I felt like I could just reach up to Heaven and feel God wrap his arms around me out of pride. Ever since that day (and ever since reading Captivating) I consider the beauty of God's creation to be his kiss. A sunset, an eagle soaring, a starry sky, an old tree. That is all God's incredible work, all created for us, his kingdom, to enjoy and love!
The other cool part about the climb? I made it. I struggled along the way. I almost thought that I couldn't make it to the finish. But I kept going. Partly because I had no choice, but mainly because I knew the view at the top would be worth the struggle.
Do you ever wonder what it's going to be like when we get to Heaven? A life that is gone, an earthly life, full of sin, struggles, temptations, and difficulties, and yet for those of us who decided to choose God over ALL these things, we will reach the top and remember our struggles as being a part of the JOURNEY to the ultimate prize.
Sorry for those of you who think I am cheesy. But I am in a mood right now where I just can't shake the wonder of God. Through this experience of accomplishing something big, I grew much closer to my Lord and it is something that I will never forget. The fact that I got to experience it alongside my dear uncle and two of my cousins, who are actually more like brothers, makes it all the more amazing. We did it together.
God is so cool. He made the second tallest mountain in America and for those who choose to embark on the adventure, he gives you a pretty fricken' sweet view at the top, all worth the struggle of the climb. I can't explain how awesome it is to make it.
Here is a little snippet of the emotions we were feeling after climbing four hours to get to that top...
I'm not really sure why I paired this with the song lyrics I included at the top, but I really like the both of them together in one blog post. I LOVE that song by Paul Colman. It makes me smile.
Goodnight everybody.
I see this life; Its valley's and mountains, and I think of all the roads that brought me here.
I've questioned my reasons, the life I'm living. I've questioned my ability to judge wrong from right.
I've questioned all the things that I've ever called certain: my race, my religion, my country, my mind.
But the one thing I don't question is you!
You really love me like you say you do
Hold me..
I've questioned significance, meaning and relevance... Does the work I'm doing really matter at all?
Well, I've questioned my friendships, alliance, dependence...
Who will still be here when I fall?
Only one thing doesn't change... only one thing stays the same!
All I know at the end of the day is your love remains.
The One Thing by Paul Colman.
_______________________________
Have you ever climbed a mountain before?
I have. No, seriously, I have.
In 2006, my uncle, Doug, took me and my two cousins, Reid and Eric, to Aspen, Colorado to climb Mount Elbert. This mountain is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains, and is also the second highest mountain in the United States. The tallest mountain, Mt. Whitney in CA, is taller by only 65 feet.
This mountain is TALL.
And NOT easy to climb.
When my uncle got the three of us cousins together at Easter, 2006, he was pretty straight forward about the plans for this trip. He wanted us to climb the mountain, all four of us, together. Reid was going to Ecuador for school in a few months and this was a kind of "last hoorah" before we lost Reid and Eric and I entered our senior year. I was all for the trip. I didn't really anticipate what a huge task it would be to actually climb a mountain. I was just excited to go on a vacation to Colorado (favorite state, remember?).
We finally left for our trip right at the end of July, '06. The first couple of days were awesome. We stayed in a cute, lodge-y hotel in Snowmass (little village outside of Aspen) and finally the day before our official climb, we went on a little hike to get acclimated and prepared. Okay... I am SO not a hiking person. I learned that on this little hike we took. I have skinny little legs that get tired pretty easily, as it turns out. I felt pathetic behind my cousins and my uncle. They did it with ease, and I was panting by the end of it. I didn't know how I would possibly get through the following day. I was nervous, unsure, and feeling like I couldn't do it. I had that uneasy, queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. We went to bed early because the TRUE hike of Mount Elbert would take place the following morning at 7, so we needed to be up by 6 to drive there. Am I a morning person? No. Am I a morning person when I'm about to climb upward for about four straight hours? NO!
The three of us at the end of the little hike. I might look happy but I was putting on a mask to hide how I truly felt, I'm sure of it. Or maybe I'm just so happy to have my beautiful long natural colored hair that I still regret dying blonde.
Waking up for the morning climb was difficult and I barely slept the ride there. My uncle gave a little devotion before we started climbing and I barely recall the words. I was nervous and scared.
Climbing upward, at an altitude that you really aren't used to, is hard and difficult. Especially for someone like me who is unathletic. The task was great, but the accomplishment was visible for me and Eric, Reid and Doug with every difficult step forward. The weird thing about that climb, was that the more difficult it became, the higher we hiked, the more this verse kept replaying through my brain: (Phillipians 4:13) I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
I set it to a tune. I sang it over and over. I took in the beauty that was revealed the higher we went. I would have missed out on ALL this unbelievable scenery and incredible view. I knew God put this challenge ahead of me not to be weary of it, but to OVERCOME it, while also giving me unbelievable gifts along the way.
In the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldridge, there is a chapter on God's kiss to his beloved. God wants to romance us and show us his "kiss"... He LOVES us! John Eldridge writes about how early one morning on a vacation near the ocean spending quiet time with God, a humpback whale jumped out of the water and made a HUGE splash. He described that as the kiss of God. Something so significant and unreal, something straight out of God's creation, given to show his romantic love for his people.
The closer I got to the mountaintop, the more I felt like I was legitimately going to pass out. Reid and Eric were FAR ahead of Doug and I. I was struggling with every step. It seemed SO incredibly close, yet so far. I had about 40 feet to go when Eric and Reid jogged down from the top to finish the climb with Doug and I. We finished the climb ALL together. It was incredible. Nearing actual exhaustion, I reached the top, let out a huge breath of relief, and looked around.
These pictures are pretty awesome, but don't even do justice to the emotions and feelings that I felt getting to the top of the mountain. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. Everywhere around us, just mountain peaks. For what seemed to go on forever. I literally felt like I was on top of the world. And in a way, I was! I made it to the TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN and I felt like I could just reach up to Heaven and feel God wrap his arms around me out of pride. Ever since that day (and ever since reading Captivating) I consider the beauty of God's creation to be his kiss. A sunset, an eagle soaring, a starry sky, an old tree. That is all God's incredible work, all created for us, his kingdom, to enjoy and love!
The other cool part about the climb? I made it. I struggled along the way. I almost thought that I couldn't make it to the finish. But I kept going. Partly because I had no choice, but mainly because I knew the view at the top would be worth the struggle.
Do you ever wonder what it's going to be like when we get to Heaven? A life that is gone, an earthly life, full of sin, struggles, temptations, and difficulties, and yet for those of us who decided to choose God over ALL these things, we will reach the top and remember our struggles as being a part of the JOURNEY to the ultimate prize.
Sorry for those of you who think I am cheesy. But I am in a mood right now where I just can't shake the wonder of God. Through this experience of accomplishing something big, I grew much closer to my Lord and it is something that I will never forget. The fact that I got to experience it alongside my dear uncle and two of my cousins, who are actually more like brothers, makes it all the more amazing. We did it together.
God is so cool. He made the second tallest mountain in America and for those who choose to embark on the adventure, he gives you a pretty fricken' sweet view at the top, all worth the struggle of the climb. I can't explain how awesome it is to make it.
Here is a little snippet of the emotions we were feeling after climbing four hours to get to that top...
I'm not really sure why I paired this with the song lyrics I included at the top, but I really like the both of them together in one blog post. I LOVE that song by Paul Colman. It makes me smile.
Goodnight everybody.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Annoyed.
Today is November 3rd. The day after election day. Election day is a big deal, and to be honest, I had kind of a mixed emotion type approach toward attitudes that I felt were being projected around campus today.
Two of my good friends didn't vote. My dad didn't vote. MY DAD! He is like the most patriotic person out there. And I'm disappointed. A number of my professors made comments today about their dissatisfaction with the election results. I saw so many Facebook statuses today devoted to how much "America sucks" and how ridiculous the results were. One status in particular that just made me cringe:
"America is that drunk friend who made a lot of bad decisions last night."
Hmm.
Here is what I think of that, and every other negative comment I heard today.
We, as AMERICAN citizens, are beyond lucky to be living in a country where the makeup of our government makes a COMPLETE shift in a span of 24 hours... and yet, we DON'T have to worry about our own personal safety. Do you realize the significance? There is no rioting in the streets, no bombing, no fear of people making rash decisions out of anger toward election results. In case that doesn't make sense... Our House of Congress went from being majority Democratic to Republican in a days time. The Senate is also nearly equal in terms of numbers, and ALL WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS HOW ITS GOING TO AFFECT DECISIONS. We don't have to worry about people throwing rocks into shop windows, or setting things on fire, or shots ringing out in the streets. Quit complaining about the "drunk" stupidity of America, ya fool. That's what I have to say about that...or in particular, that's what I have to say to the person who made the Facebook status. I don't think YOU, as a reader, are a fool. I like you :)
And in regards to voting. We exercise one of our most precious rights as American citizens by voting. We are so unbelievably lucky that we get to personally choose who we want to represent us as American citizens in our government. And not voting is basically saying: I don't care. It's saying to thousands upon thousands of people who have served our country for over 300 years that their GRAVE sacrifices mean absolutely nothing. It's slapping freedom in the face out of ignorance and laziness. I don't know why you wouldn't just vote. It took me five minutes! And it's a pretty cool process, when you think about it. And plus, if you live in a little neighborhood like me where your closest voting place is the church down the street, you run into people you know! I saw my 5th grade teacher and we had a nice little chat. Moving on... Since my state is currently in a recount for the governor race because the numbers are so close, I get irritated knowing that people so close to me just didn't vote. My dad's reason: He didn't know enough about the candidates. So what! Call someone who does. I will be the first to admit that sometimes, politics go WAY over my head, but I still try to talk with someone who does know a thing or two about the upcoming elections, and I get their opinion. I go to people I know well and trust. It's easy!!
It's especially frustrating that the governor race is between the candidate I voted for, and the opposing candidate, whose plan for the future is to tax student loans 10%. 10%!!!!! That's going to affect me (and my friends that didn't vote) and I don't want to see the race go to a person who is willing to put this law into effect. So what if I don't know everything there is to know about the candidate I did vote for? I know enough to know that my vote and yours makes a difference.
That being said, I really don't think it matters whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, a conservative, a liberal, a hippie, WHATEVER. You should still just vote!
Sometimes, I think people get caught up in taking our country for granted. We are lucky to live here. There is no place in the world like America, like it or not. I'm proud to be an American, and I am happy to give back just a little by participating in election day. I wish people weren't so ignorant to the blessings they have in life just by being American citizens.
I promise NEVER to go on a political rant again. But this is something I feel strongly about and something that I feel shouldn't be left unsaid.
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." -Thomas Jefferson
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Watch this!
So... My roommate Jackie has an ever growing obsession with Josh Groban. I can't blame her, since Josh Groban happens to have one of the most amazing male voices I can think of. She showed me this video clip from Youtube and I have to post it for everyone else. PLEASE watch it!
I love this song, and think about it in terms of my relationship with God. Imagine that God's name is inserted at the beginning of every line! Powerful!
In other news, I am so proud of CALLIE today because Bachmann (so far!) has been leading the way to victory tonight! Callie works for the Michele Bachmann campaign and has been SUPER busy the last couple of months getting ready for this day! CONGRATS CAL!!
Also, my former roommate and good friend TORI got engaged on Saturday morning and I am SOOOO happy for her. She came over last night with wedding magazines and her amazing engagement ring of course :) Her fiance, Brett, proposed to her while she was SKYDIVING. Incredible right? I know!!!
It is NOVEMBER! And I can't believe it. I am semi-losing my mind. I have two HUGE papers coming up that I just can't seem to find the time for and it's getting to be a little crazy nuts. Prayers are greatly appreciated.
I still miss Dusty. I miss him A LOT. I get sad thinking about how far away he is sometimes.
Good news, my cold is officially (almost) gone! I have taken Nyquil the last two nights and it's helped A LOT just to get rest.
Again, I am feeling like my posts are getting more and more boring... Hmmm... I need some more exciting things to happen in my life I guess. Nahh... I'm just fine with how things are at the moment! Besides the fact that I am sans-Dusty.
That is all!
I love this song, and think about it in terms of my relationship with God. Imagine that God's name is inserted at the beginning of every line! Powerful!
In other news, I am so proud of CALLIE today because Bachmann (so far!) has been leading the way to victory tonight! Callie works for the Michele Bachmann campaign and has been SUPER busy the last couple of months getting ready for this day! CONGRATS CAL!!
Also, my former roommate and good friend TORI got engaged on Saturday morning and I am SOOOO happy for her. She came over last night with wedding magazines and her amazing engagement ring of course :) Her fiance, Brett, proposed to her while she was SKYDIVING. Incredible right? I know!!!
It is NOVEMBER! And I can't believe it. I am semi-losing my mind. I have two HUGE papers coming up that I just can't seem to find the time for and it's getting to be a little crazy nuts. Prayers are greatly appreciated.
I still miss Dusty. I miss him A LOT. I get sad thinking about how far away he is sometimes.
Good news, my cold is officially (almost) gone! I have taken Nyquil the last two nights and it's helped A LOT just to get rest.
Again, I am feeling like my posts are getting more and more boring... Hmmm... I need some more exciting things to happen in my life I guess. Nahh... I'm just fine with how things are at the moment! Besides the fact that I am sans-Dusty.
That is all!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Hallowe..... Wait, time out
Well, I have officially been defeated by sickness. I had to call in sick to work today. Last night, I went to Valleyfair with a bunch of friends and I had a really great time. Since Valleyfair is converted to "Valleyscare" for Halloween, the end of the night meant the ENTIRE park was covered in synthetic fog from about FIFTY fog machines and as you might imagine... Inhaling a bunch of weird thick fog with a horrible cough is a recipe for disaster. Throw in riding a SCHOOL BUS on the way home, about a 40 minute ride, and yea... It doesn't make for a very fun end to the night. I woke up this morning ready to cough up a lung and I felt terrible about calling in, but really couldn't see myself going to work. It's hard when you work at an assisted living home because YOUR sickness could easily project itself onto helpless elderly people... see how I easily convince myself that I did the right thing?
My mom, thank goodness, is having the whole fam over for pumpkin pie and dinner tonight and honestly, I think I just need a night at my true home. Hopefully I will be feeling better by tomorrow and will be able to work at Eagle Crest at night.
I really miss Dusty.
On a high note, here are some of the things that I am happy about involving the past week:
-Taylor Swift's new CD came out, and I LOVE IT!
-Bethel beat Concordia yesterday
-Jackie's dad's famous spaghetti sauce with noodles for dinner Friday night... MMMM.
-Mom took Carly and I shopping on Friday!
-I called Dust last night REALLY late into the night (I was up half the night hacking away) and he still managed to pray for me over the phone. Love him.
I am just praying and PRAYING this cold goes away! It's been a rough few days! Thank goodness the rest of the weekend is going to be restful.
Then I will snap back to it and write a much better post! :)
My mom, thank goodness, is having the whole fam over for pumpkin pie and dinner tonight and honestly, I think I just need a night at my true home. Hopefully I will be feeling better by tomorrow and will be able to work at Eagle Crest at night.
I really miss Dusty.
On a high note, here are some of the things that I am happy about involving the past week:
-Taylor Swift's new CD came out, and I LOVE IT!
-Bethel beat Concordia yesterday
-Jackie's dad's famous spaghetti sauce with noodles for dinner Friday night... MMMM.
-Mom took Carly and I shopping on Friday!
-I called Dust last night REALLY late into the night (I was up half the night hacking away) and he still managed to pray for me over the phone. Love him.
I am just praying and PRAYING this cold goes away! It's been a rough few days! Thank goodness the rest of the weekend is going to be restful.
Then I will snap back to it and write a much better post! :)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Think Deep
Recently, I had a conversation with a friend. This particular friend shared a lot about profound experiences that they have had so far in their lifetime. They asked me about mine. I was a little dumbfounded when I tried to think up an answer.
I guess that I have had a lot of somewhat profound experiences. One of the earliest I can remember is the birth of my brother, Beau John. I was 7 years old when my youngest sibling was born and I remember every little detail about the day. I remember my dad calling the house to tell my aunt (who was watching us) that we had a little boy. Carly and I were overjoyed to add a brother to our family. I remember visiting him at the hospital and marveling over his tiny little body. I remember holding him and getting a Barbie doll present for being a sister (Ha). I remember my parents couldn't think of a name for him for three days and finally they settled on BEAU and it was just perfect for him. That was pretty profound.
I remember losing my grandfather in one of the most profound ways. June 17th 2005. I had spent the past three months watching my grandfather slowly succumb to the battle of lung cancer. Literally, I watched him cough up bloody pieces of his own lung. It was absolutely horrible. The week before he died, I left on a leadership retreat in the boundary waters of MN with my friend George and my youth pastor, Tom. I knew the day I left that I very well would never see my grandfather again. He was barely recognizable from all the weight he lost and could hardly talk by the time I left. I spent 9 amazing days up north, deepening my relationship with God and just getting away from the hard times of home. Our last night of the trip, we as a group took turns doing a fire watch through the night. This consisted of each one of us spending hour long shifts in the middle of the night keeping the fire going and having quiet time with God. I had really wrestled with the thought of losing my grandpa because I hadn't really ever experienced death before. It was such a tough concept coming to terms with never seeing someone in this lifetime again. I was awoken for my shift of fire watching at 12:30. I quietly spent time with the Lord and asked him to calm my heart and soul in the wake of potentially losing grandpa. I looked to the stars... There were about a million of them in the dark sky. I closed my eyes and felt God's presence rushing over me, just assuring me that it would ALL be okay. I looked at my watch and saw that it was 1:15 a.m. and my shift was nearly over. I thanked the Lord for being my safety and comfort and quickly headed back into my tent for bed. The next day, we headed home from the retreat. A fast seven hour drive went by and my parents picked me up and shared news with me. My grandpa, John, passed away that night at 1:15 a.m.
That was pretty profound.
One of the more recent experiences I have had was last January. I had the AMAZING opportunity of taking a J-term class abroad, studying psychology. Our class traveled to Germany, Austria, France and England in the span of about 3 1/2 weeks. It is one of the most memorable trips I have ever been on.
In Germany, we spent three days in Munich. Munich is a large city, and just a quick train ride to Dachau, where the first concentration camp of World War II still remains. Me being the history nerd that I am, I have always wanted to visit a concentration camp. I knew leading up to it that I would have an interesting experience touring the camp. Our class headed to Dachau on a Sunday morning. It was an incredibly cold day and the snow was falling as we walked to the camp entrance. I can't really explain to you what it feels like to stand in a place that was once home to so much injustice, pain, suffering, and death. All I can say is that it's eery beyond what you would expect. There are two memories from that day that stick out to me. One occurred after spending a quick twenty minutes in an outdoor chapel that was built in memory of the Jews who died in the camp. Our professor gave a quick devotion on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who died during WWII. Everyone I was surrounded by would not SHUT UP about how cold they were, how much they wanted to leave, and how hungry they were for lunch (since we left for Dachau around breakfast, a lot of us skipped out on our meal). I don't know that I've ever wanted to hit someone in the face more than in that moment. I couldn't help but scream in my head... DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?! YOU'RE cold and hungry? We are all bundled up in thick coats and Ugg boots!! People DIED in the dead of winter at this place and often wore nothing but RAGS! And you are sitting here, on the trip of a lifetime, complaining about being cold??! I should say, every person complaining was a girl. Sometimes, I can't stand girls. And yes, I realize, I AM ONE.
Entrance to Dachau "Work makes you free" (The great lie of concentration camps)
The second profound thing that stood out to me about the Dachau experience was that the very next Sunday, I spent the morning church service at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Two extremely different but huge experiences from one Sunday to the next. Kind of profound.
The Europe trip in general was such an amazing experience in my life. I have had a lot of pretty profound experiences. I struggled to think of things when questioned by my friend, and yet they are there. What have you experienced that's profound, recently or far back in the past?
Sometimes it's good to look back at these things because they remind us that life isn't just about the simple things, not that that's not something to live by. Life will always bring about profound experiences, and we have all experienced them.
And that's my little profound insight for the day :-) You're welcome.
I guess that I have had a lot of somewhat profound experiences. One of the earliest I can remember is the birth of my brother, Beau John. I was 7 years old when my youngest sibling was born and I remember every little detail about the day. I remember my dad calling the house to tell my aunt (who was watching us) that we had a little boy. Carly and I were overjoyed to add a brother to our family. I remember visiting him at the hospital and marveling over his tiny little body. I remember holding him and getting a Barbie doll present for being a sister (Ha). I remember my parents couldn't think of a name for him for three days and finally they settled on BEAU and it was just perfect for him. That was pretty profound.
I remember losing my grandfather in one of the most profound ways. June 17th 2005. I had spent the past three months watching my grandfather slowly succumb to the battle of lung cancer. Literally, I watched him cough up bloody pieces of his own lung. It was absolutely horrible. The week before he died, I left on a leadership retreat in the boundary waters of MN with my friend George and my youth pastor, Tom. I knew the day I left that I very well would never see my grandfather again. He was barely recognizable from all the weight he lost and could hardly talk by the time I left. I spent 9 amazing days up north, deepening my relationship with God and just getting away from the hard times of home. Our last night of the trip, we as a group took turns doing a fire watch through the night. This consisted of each one of us spending hour long shifts in the middle of the night keeping the fire going and having quiet time with God. I had really wrestled with the thought of losing my grandpa because I hadn't really ever experienced death before. It was such a tough concept coming to terms with never seeing someone in this lifetime again. I was awoken for my shift of fire watching at 12:30. I quietly spent time with the Lord and asked him to calm my heart and soul in the wake of potentially losing grandpa. I looked to the stars... There were about a million of them in the dark sky. I closed my eyes and felt God's presence rushing over me, just assuring me that it would ALL be okay. I looked at my watch and saw that it was 1:15 a.m. and my shift was nearly over. I thanked the Lord for being my safety and comfort and quickly headed back into my tent for bed. The next day, we headed home from the retreat. A fast seven hour drive went by and my parents picked me up and shared news with me. My grandpa, John, passed away that night at 1:15 a.m.
That was pretty profound.
One of the more recent experiences I have had was last January. I had the AMAZING opportunity of taking a J-term class abroad, studying psychology. Our class traveled to Germany, Austria, France and England in the span of about 3 1/2 weeks. It is one of the most memorable trips I have ever been on.
In Germany, we spent three days in Munich. Munich is a large city, and just a quick train ride to Dachau, where the first concentration camp of World War II still remains. Me being the history nerd that I am, I have always wanted to visit a concentration camp. I knew leading up to it that I would have an interesting experience touring the camp. Our class headed to Dachau on a Sunday morning. It was an incredibly cold day and the snow was falling as we walked to the camp entrance. I can't really explain to you what it feels like to stand in a place that was once home to so much injustice, pain, suffering, and death. All I can say is that it's eery beyond what you would expect. There are two memories from that day that stick out to me. One occurred after spending a quick twenty minutes in an outdoor chapel that was built in memory of the Jews who died in the camp. Our professor gave a quick devotion on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who died during WWII. Everyone I was surrounded by would not SHUT UP about how cold they were, how much they wanted to leave, and how hungry they were for lunch (since we left for Dachau around breakfast, a lot of us skipped out on our meal). I don't know that I've ever wanted to hit someone in the face more than in that moment. I couldn't help but scream in my head... DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?! YOU'RE cold and hungry? We are all bundled up in thick coats and Ugg boots!! People DIED in the dead of winter at this place and often wore nothing but RAGS! And you are sitting here, on the trip of a lifetime, complaining about being cold??! I should say, every person complaining was a girl. Sometimes, I can't stand girls. And yes, I realize, I AM ONE.
Entrance to Dachau "Work makes you free" (The great lie of concentration camps)
The second profound thing that stood out to me about the Dachau experience was that the very next Sunday, I spent the morning church service at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Two extremely different but huge experiences from one Sunday to the next. Kind of profound.
The Europe trip in general was such an amazing experience in my life. I have had a lot of pretty profound experiences. I struggled to think of things when questioned by my friend, and yet they are there. What have you experienced that's profound, recently or far back in the past?
Sometimes it's good to look back at these things because they remind us that life isn't just about the simple things, not that that's not something to live by. Life will always bring about profound experiences, and we have all experienced them.
And that's my little profound insight for the day :-) You're welcome.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Well hello there....
Man, I have really been sucking it up at posting on here these past few days. There are a multitude of reasons. One... I felt as though my writing style was getting a little bit ba-ba-ba-BORING and two... I was really busy over the last week. I did a really smart thing after getting back from Florida... I slacked on homework. Actually, I just didn't really do ANY of it. So this week, I hit the books and got things crackin'. I actually got a lot done too... had I not been such a sloth and waited until now to finish a zillion things, I would have had more time to write on here. But... No matter now. I'm here and I'm back again!
Now that I have probably officially lost all my followers (again, crickets chirping......) I suppose I should write about something that people might find SOMEWHAT interesting?!
Like I said, it was a busy week. I finished a big chunk of research for my senior seminar paper, I wrote a book report on "The Odyssey" for Greek Civ, AND I just cranked out a ten day curriculum grid for one of my education classes. Now, as a college senior who has put in a fair share of work towards my education, I have to say three things:
1) Writing a senior seminar paper that has to be at a minimum of 25 pages is not a task to be taken lightly. Leaving the research until the LAST minute is a horrible, horrible decision.
2) There is nothing worse in the world than sitting in NEAR EASTERN AND GREEK CIVILIZATION class on a beautiful Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock.
3) Actually, there is something worse. It's called designing a curriculum grid for a 6th grade geography class. On a lazy Sunday afternoon. When you got about six hours of sleep. And there is a 16 and Pregnant marathon on MTV.
Those are my weekend/school insights for today. And don't you forget it.
Anyways, my weekend went a little something like this. After I finally got out of class on Friday afternoon, I came home and had a glorious restful evening with Jackie. We watched Four Weddings on TLC for about three hours. Then we decided to take a little dinner break and got sushi at Byerly's. Delicious. Dusty always makes fun of me when I tell him I get sushi because really, I just get California rolls, which are the least sushi-ish of the lot. I can't help it that I enjoy the simple things in life, plus, I can't handle spicy. Our house had a bonfire which went late into Friday evening. I got to catch up with a couple of friends that I haven't seen or spoken to in awhile, so that was really nice.
Saturday was a tougher day. Bethel played St. Thomas, at St. Thomas, for THEIR homecoming. We played our hearts out, and still lost. It was such a close one, and I felt really bad for my dear old dad after the loss. But, it's alright. I still love the Royals, like I have for the last ten years of my life :)
Katie J and I had a few friends over to my house on Saturday night for a relaxing round of movies and treats. As much as I miss hanging out with the BF on Saturday nights, sometimes there is nothing better than laying around with your girlfriends in sweatpants and a greasy pony tail. Sorry if that description was a little nast.
I spent the morning at work (Pres Homes) and then attacked the remainder of my homework for about five hours. I then watched another devastating loss (Vikes vs. Packers) at my parents house tonight. It was great to be with family. The only one we were missing was my sister. I felt full at the end of the night, being around the fam is just always, always the best. My mom made me a delicious taco salad and then we made caramel apples. I guess the whole time I was over there, my brother and Dusty were texting about how they are going to open up a restaurant someday. Hm! Interesting idea, boys! I guess I can't knock it, having two of my favorite guys in the world collaborate on something wonderful ;-) Beau will just have to grow up a little bit, 15 may be a bit young to start up a restaurant....
I'm getting a cold. Dang. And, speaking of cold, that random 80 degree October weather decided to pack up and skip town. It's wet and rainy and brisk outside. And... our heat isn't working at our house. Dang. So I am currently curled up in bed wearing socks and a sweatshirt. Watching Say Yes to the Dress.
Ya think I need to maybe sway away from the bridal stuff? Meh. What can ya do.
One random thing: I decided that for the month of November, I am going to take Sundays off from work. I have just REALLY missed going to church. As much as I love those old people at Eagle Crest, I really miss being spiritually fed on Sundays. Does that make sense? I may be missing out on the money, but I figure, God will still provide! Right? I hope so. It's all good, I trust him. He's been pretty good to me so far.
Hopefully I will have something more interesting to write about tomorrow. Good night friends.
Now that I have probably officially lost all my followers (again, crickets chirping......) I suppose I should write about something that people might find SOMEWHAT interesting?!
Like I said, it was a busy week. I finished a big chunk of research for my senior seminar paper, I wrote a book report on "The Odyssey" for Greek Civ, AND I just cranked out a ten day curriculum grid for one of my education classes. Now, as a college senior who has put in a fair share of work towards my education, I have to say three things:
1) Writing a senior seminar paper that has to be at a minimum of 25 pages is not a task to be taken lightly. Leaving the research until the LAST minute is a horrible, horrible decision.
2) There is nothing worse in the world than sitting in NEAR EASTERN AND GREEK CIVILIZATION class on a beautiful Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock.
3) Actually, there is something worse. It's called designing a curriculum grid for a 6th grade geography class. On a lazy Sunday afternoon. When you got about six hours of sleep. And there is a 16 and Pregnant marathon on MTV.
Those are my weekend/school insights for today. And don't you forget it.
Anyways, my weekend went a little something like this. After I finally got out of class on Friday afternoon, I came home and had a glorious restful evening with Jackie. We watched Four Weddings on TLC for about three hours. Then we decided to take a little dinner break and got sushi at Byerly's. Delicious. Dusty always makes fun of me when I tell him I get sushi because really, I just get California rolls, which are the least sushi-ish of the lot. I can't help it that I enjoy the simple things in life, plus, I can't handle spicy. Our house had a bonfire which went late into Friday evening. I got to catch up with a couple of friends that I haven't seen or spoken to in awhile, so that was really nice.
Saturday was a tougher day. Bethel played St. Thomas, at St. Thomas, for THEIR homecoming. We played our hearts out, and still lost. It was such a close one, and I felt really bad for my dear old dad after the loss. But, it's alright. I still love the Royals, like I have for the last ten years of my life :)
Katie J and I had a few friends over to my house on Saturday night for a relaxing round of movies and treats. As much as I miss hanging out with the BF on Saturday nights, sometimes there is nothing better than laying around with your girlfriends in sweatpants and a greasy pony tail. Sorry if that description was a little nast.
I spent the morning at work (Pres Homes) and then attacked the remainder of my homework for about five hours. I then watched another devastating loss (Vikes vs. Packers) at my parents house tonight. It was great to be with family. The only one we were missing was my sister. I felt full at the end of the night, being around the fam is just always, always the best. My mom made me a delicious taco salad and then we made caramel apples. I guess the whole time I was over there, my brother and Dusty were texting about how they are going to open up a restaurant someday. Hm! Interesting idea, boys! I guess I can't knock it, having two of my favorite guys in the world collaborate on something wonderful ;-) Beau will just have to grow up a little bit, 15 may be a bit young to start up a restaurant....
I'm getting a cold. Dang. And, speaking of cold, that random 80 degree October weather decided to pack up and skip town. It's wet and rainy and brisk outside. And... our heat isn't working at our house. Dang. So I am currently curled up in bed wearing socks and a sweatshirt. Watching Say Yes to the Dress.
Ya think I need to maybe sway away from the bridal stuff? Meh. What can ya do.
One random thing: I decided that for the month of November, I am going to take Sundays off from work. I have just REALLY missed going to church. As much as I love those old people at Eagle Crest, I really miss being spiritually fed on Sundays. Does that make sense? I may be missing out on the money, but I figure, God will still provide! Right? I hope so. It's all good, I trust him. He's been pretty good to me so far.
Hopefully I will have something more interesting to write about tomorrow. Good night friends.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for.
The cross pictured hangs right above my mirror in my bedroom. Dust gave it to me on our one year anniversary last October. I didn't expect anything this year for the second anniversary because both of us are pretty much broke, the distance thing plays in, and plus, I just wasn't expecting anything! Well... Look what I got....
I adore yellow roses. Love them. And he just knew. Thanks Dust :) I love them
The two year anniversary was great. I don't like to make a big deal out of anniversaries too much because we still are only in the dating phase, but I still like to acknowledge and celebrate them! We had a skype date at the end of the night that kind of turned sour (it was my fault). I still struggle with getting used to the distance thing and I felt really bad this morning about ending our two year on a bad note. Luckily, I'm dating a guy that is more than understanding, even when he shouldn't be, and for now, I think I'm forgiven :)
Even still I feel bad. I know these last couple of days have been hard for Dust because he has been busy looking for a second job. I shouldn't have put extra stress on him, especially on such a special day. I prayed all day long that God would provide for him, by opening up an opportunity with the job he really wants (valet with my cousin, Reid.) God answered. Nothing is completely set in stone yet, but Dust got the job today! HOORAY FOR GOD'S FAITHFULNESS! :) :) :) This is a huge blessing for him, and for me. Now that Dust has a second job secured, he will {hopefully} be able to find a time to come and visit in the next few weeks. Not knowing when I was going to see him again was the worst, and I think a great contributor to my crabby-ness the past few days.
I found this song through a friend recently that I have been replaying over and over that has helped me to get to the heart of what love really means. Especially after causing a lot of arguments the past couple of weeks. It's really hard for me to sometimes drop the arguing just to know that everything will be okay, above all else. Especially when God is at the center. I absolutely love this song, and I feel that it displays that message of remaining focused on what matters most in a relationship with God and with others, so I wanted to share it with everyone in blogworld. Enjoy.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Cheers to two full years.
Two years ago.....
August, '08.
Summertime and this guy that I knew named DUSTY WAHL started talking to me a little bit more than usual. I was flattered of course because I had gotten to know him earlier in the spring when we had a night class together. We didn't know each other super well, but the way he talked to me made me feel like I could definitely want to get to know him better. We casually texted, saw each other around, and finally, he asked me to go out to talk and "catch up." The funny thing is, we didn't really have anything to catch up on, being that we weren't the closest of friends. Oh well, I said yes of course! He was extremely good looking and I knew that he was a catch, how could I not? And plus, if all else failed, we could always talk about Martin Luther King, since that was the subject of our night class together. We went to this location:
The Island at Northwestern College. A place that holds sentimental value to the both of us for a variety of reasons. We had a great time laughing, talking, and getting to know each other better. I wore a white shirt and squished a bug on the elbow of it by accident and remember thinking I'd blown it. Dang it. Turns out I didn't blow it, I just ruined the shirt. We didn't stop talking that whole night. We covered just about everything: family friends dating school future plans life sports movies jokes memories secrets and the like. It was a really great night. We were supposed to watch a movie after hanging out at the Island but I decided to play it cool and go back to my room. I told him my friend was waiting for me to hang out and I'd have to reschedule. Good move huh? I'm not gonna lie, I really really REALLY wanted to watch the movie!!! But... I thought I shouldn't be too available too soon.
Later in the week, we were talking more and more. Dustin asked me on a whim if I'd want to go to a friends cabin. Uh... DUH!! I will continually thank my dear Maddie forever because she agreed to come along for moral support. So off to the cabin we went. To hang with CJ, Garrett, AND... Dusty Wahl!
Dust and I really hit it off that weekend. It was clear that there was an interest but it was kind of an unspoken thing the entire weekend. We all had a blast together and got along great. I remember watching a scary movie with the whole group and sitting next to Dust on the couch. The kid just would NOT make a move. I made it clear that I was more than okay with cuddling on the couch but still... didn't make the move. It's alright, I'm not bitter :-)
September, '08.
Me and this Dusty guy started hanging out quite a bit. We got to know each other a lot better through more hanging out, talking, texting, bumping in to each other all over school, ya know, the typical things that happen at the exciting start of relationships. We had a blast those first couple of months. We hung out with my friends, his friends. It was great. We had a few dates. One was with another couple at Benihana's, where this was taken:
^Can you tell we were a little nervous to be going out on a date and taking pics?^
I knew all along that Dusty was a special guy. We got along so well together. We had a lot in common. Our dads were friends when we were growing up (They both worked at Northwestern College). My mom's office was next to Wade's. We both loved rap music. We both loved scary movies. We could both talk for hours, but also listen to each other for hours. There was a lot of talking those first couple months. We had a lot of fun dates. We both loved FOOD! And restaurants :) And stupid comedy films. And we both loved God. Had that desire to grow closer to him. We both had a great group of friends. We knew how to have fun together. We still do!
That's the thing that I love, I still have such a blast with Dusty. He makes me laugh. He makes me smile and giggle like a little 7th grader. He shares things with me that just make sense. He has the best advice. He is constructive with that advice. He's intentional about showing love. He's a HOTTIE! He's a softy (yep, he is.) He's just an awesome, amazing, and wonderful guy that I am really lucky to have.
October 18th, 2008.
Our family had just been blessed with the addition of our adorable dog, Moses. We brought the pup to Dusty's football game against Hamline University (where Dustin scored the one and only touchdown!) It was a nail biter game that we ended up WINNING.
Yep, there we are. On that fateful day :)
We went back to the Island, where we had our first date. Hung out, talked, laughed. Went to my parents house. Watched a movie in the basement, sister ran down the stairs..
"I told my friends that we can't hang down here because Casey and her BOYFRIEND are watching in the basement."
Good one, Carls.
Dusty commented that he liked my sister referring to him as "my boyfriend." Me being a little snippy sass, I responded with "Huh! Is that what this is?"
Dust: "Yeah!"
There ya have it
And that was exactly two years ago. TODAY! I can't hardly believe it. My longest relationship! DAHHH!! But the thing is, it's not the amount of time that marks the significance of the relationship. It's the memories, and the genuine friendship, companionship, love that we both have for each other. I am really lucky, guys. I am happy with Dust, the happiest! The luckiest!
Dustin Wade, I love you. You are my favorite person on the face of this planet. You are so funny. You are so smart in your own way. You are so amazing! I love who you are. I am so thankful for you. You are a great friend, great boyfriend, great person. I miss you.
Happy 2 year to us!
August, '08.
Summertime and this guy that I knew named DUSTY WAHL started talking to me a little bit more than usual. I was flattered of course because I had gotten to know him earlier in the spring when we had a night class together. We didn't know each other super well, but the way he talked to me made me feel like I could definitely want to get to know him better. We casually texted, saw each other around, and finally, he asked me to go out to talk and "catch up." The funny thing is, we didn't really have anything to catch up on, being that we weren't the closest of friends. Oh well, I said yes of course! He was extremely good looking and I knew that he was a catch, how could I not? And plus, if all else failed, we could always talk about Martin Luther King, since that was the subject of our night class together. We went to this location:
The Island at Northwestern College. A place that holds sentimental value to the both of us for a variety of reasons. We had a great time laughing, talking, and getting to know each other better. I wore a white shirt and squished a bug on the elbow of it by accident and remember thinking I'd blown it. Dang it. Turns out I didn't blow it, I just ruined the shirt. We didn't stop talking that whole night. We covered just about everything: family friends dating school future plans life sports movies jokes memories secrets and the like. It was a really great night. We were supposed to watch a movie after hanging out at the Island but I decided to play it cool and go back to my room. I told him my friend was waiting for me to hang out and I'd have to reschedule. Good move huh? I'm not gonna lie, I really really REALLY wanted to watch the movie!!! But... I thought I shouldn't be too available too soon.
Later in the week, we were talking more and more. Dustin asked me on a whim if I'd want to go to a friends cabin. Uh... DUH!! I will continually thank my dear Maddie forever because she agreed to come along for moral support. So off to the cabin we went. To hang with CJ, Garrett, AND... Dusty Wahl!
Dust and I really hit it off that weekend. It was clear that there was an interest but it was kind of an unspoken thing the entire weekend. We all had a blast together and got along great. I remember watching a scary movie with the whole group and sitting next to Dust on the couch. The kid just would NOT make a move. I made it clear that I was more than okay with cuddling on the couch but still... didn't make the move. It's alright, I'm not bitter :-)
September, '08.
Me and this Dusty guy started hanging out quite a bit. We got to know each other a lot better through more hanging out, talking, texting, bumping in to each other all over school, ya know, the typical things that happen at the exciting start of relationships. We had a blast those first couple of months. We hung out with my friends, his friends. It was great. We had a few dates. One was with another couple at Benihana's, where this was taken:
^Can you tell we were a little nervous to be going out on a date and taking pics?^
I knew all along that Dusty was a special guy. We got along so well together. We had a lot in common. Our dads were friends when we were growing up (They both worked at Northwestern College). My mom's office was next to Wade's. We both loved rap music. We both loved scary movies. We could both talk for hours, but also listen to each other for hours. There was a lot of talking those first couple months. We had a lot of fun dates. We both loved FOOD! And restaurants :) And stupid comedy films. And we both loved God. Had that desire to grow closer to him. We both had a great group of friends. We knew how to have fun together. We still do!
That's the thing that I love, I still have such a blast with Dusty. He makes me laugh. He makes me smile and giggle like a little 7th grader. He shares things with me that just make sense. He has the best advice. He is constructive with that advice. He's intentional about showing love. He's a HOTTIE! He's a softy (yep, he is.) He's just an awesome, amazing, and wonderful guy that I am really lucky to have.
October 18th, 2008.
Our family had just been blessed with the addition of our adorable dog, Moses. We brought the pup to Dusty's football game against Hamline University (where Dustin scored the one and only touchdown!) It was a nail biter game that we ended up WINNING.
Yep, there we are. On that fateful day :)
We went back to the Island, where we had our first date. Hung out, talked, laughed. Went to my parents house. Watched a movie in the basement, sister ran down the stairs..
"I told my friends that we can't hang down here because Casey and her BOYFRIEND are watching in the basement."
Good one, Carls.
Dusty commented that he liked my sister referring to him as "my boyfriend." Me being a little snippy sass, I responded with "Huh! Is that what this is?"
Dust: "Yeah!"
There ya have it
And that was exactly two years ago. TODAY! I can't hardly believe it. My longest relationship! DAHHH!! But the thing is, it's not the amount of time that marks the significance of the relationship. It's the memories, and the genuine friendship, companionship, love that we both have for each other. I am really lucky, guys. I am happy with Dust, the happiest! The luckiest!
Dustin Wade, I love you. You are my favorite person on the face of this planet. You are so funny. You are so smart in your own way. You are so amazing! I love who you are. I am so thankful for you. You are a great friend, great boyfriend, great person. I miss you.
Happy 2 year to us!
Friday, October 15, 2010
HAPPY WEEKEND
Look who I get to babysit this weekend.....
No, I'm not babysitting a RAT ;-) It's Duke!! Dusty/Callie/Char's dog! Look at him! He decided to take up residency on my bed this morning while I was getting ready for schoooooooool. Char and Callie went out of town for the Wahl grandparents 60th wedding anniversary so I am the official dogsitter for a couple of days.
I had a rather hectic morning... As I was leaving my house, I could NOT find my keys. Not for the life of me. I turned my room, bathroom, and living room upside down looking for them and got really stressed out. I decided to not call Dusty out of frustration because he is always my go-to person when I'm freaking out and need to vent. I finally found them in the TRUNK of my car (Yeah, I know, what the heck??!) But ended up missing Chapel in the process. I finally get up for Chapel and still find a way to miss it. Dang it.
But everything is fine now. I had a great night last night celebrating my friend Lindsey's birthday. We went out to dinner at Seven Sushi downtown and then went to a dive karaoke bar that ended up being really fun! In a rush to clean out my back seat last night (so people could actually sit in my car) I threw a ton of crap in the trunk, along with my keys. I used my spare to drive home in a rush and so that is how the key situation came about. Sometimes, I want to hit myself upside the head to knock some sense into it.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to spending the evening celebrating homecoming at the homecoming banquet, and seeing Triple Espresso (a comedy play) with my mom, grandma, and brother. I miss my bro. I haven't seen him/hung out with him in a while. It will be good to have a little family time! Then I'll go home and play with Duke. And maybe let him sleep in my bed. Just don't tell Char.
I'm excited to write on Monday because it is a very special day..................
Happy weekend! :)
No, I'm not babysitting a RAT ;-) It's Duke!! Dusty/Callie/Char's dog! Look at him! He decided to take up residency on my bed this morning while I was getting ready for schoooooooool. Char and Callie went out of town for the Wahl grandparents 60th wedding anniversary so I am the official dogsitter for a couple of days.
I had a rather hectic morning... As I was leaving my house, I could NOT find my keys. Not for the life of me. I turned my room, bathroom, and living room upside down looking for them and got really stressed out. I decided to not call Dusty out of frustration because he is always my go-to person when I'm freaking out and need to vent. I finally found them in the TRUNK of my car (Yeah, I know, what the heck??!) But ended up missing Chapel in the process. I finally get up for Chapel and still find a way to miss it. Dang it.
But everything is fine now. I had a great night last night celebrating my friend Lindsey's birthday. We went out to dinner at Seven Sushi downtown and then went to a dive karaoke bar that ended up being really fun! In a rush to clean out my back seat last night (so people could actually sit in my car) I threw a ton of crap in the trunk, along with my keys. I used my spare to drive home in a rush and so that is how the key situation came about. Sometimes, I want to hit myself upside the head to knock some sense into it.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to spending the evening celebrating homecoming at the homecoming banquet, and seeing Triple Espresso (a comedy play) with my mom, grandma, and brother. I miss my bro. I haven't seen him/hung out with him in a while. It will be good to have a little family time! Then I'll go home and play with Duke. And maybe let him sleep in my bed. Just don't tell Char.
I'm excited to write on Monday because it is a very special day..................
Happy weekend! :)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Whew. Taking a deep breath.
Well, last night was a little rough. I ended up writing a post about frustrations, irritations, about nothing at all in particular. I ended up deleting it because things tend to be a little more dramatic at night. Am I right? But I don't want this to turn into some emo rant blog where all I do is complain and carry on about my emotions when I'm tired and weepy at night.
Bottom line is, I need to start getting in shape when it comes to my attitude. I'm having a hard time adjusting to a new season of life. What else is new? Who out there can't relate, ya know? I'm trying to start today. It's a process, I'm working on it :)
Today has been a really cool day! I don't know if I have ever written about this, and if you aren't a nerd at heart like me than feel free to skip over this. I'm in my senior seminar class for my history major and the class is basically writing a research paper on a topic of our choice. I chose to write about how children's public television shows influenced early childhood education over the last thirty years. A few weeks ago, we had dinner at our professor's house (a fun night in itself) and I mentioned my topic, and a girl in my class said she interned with TPT (Minneapolis' PBS station) and said she knew of a bunch of old children's show footage available that might help. WHAT?! Just exactly what I needed! I made an appointment with her old boss and this morning, we met to go over the footage. It was so awesome! I had no idea I would be visiting a television station. The building was located in downtown St. Paul. I walked in and there were tv sets all across the lobby playing episode of Sesame Street. Brendan, the man I was meeting with, met me and brought me up to his office. It was the coolest thing, you guys! I was in the middle of a television studio/set. It turns out that Brendan is the producer of the show Almanac on PBS, a show I don't really watch but have heard of. His office had EMMY awards hanging on the shelf!! NUTS! Anyway, he put together about three discs of material containing examples of children shows produced in Minnesota over the last few years. We watched some of the footage together and it was so interesting. I know I'm kind of a history nerd, but it was such a cool, random experience. And EXACTLY what I was looking for in terms of sources. He even gave me the email address for the hosts of these shows, they are retired old men who still help out at the station!
It was such a great thing to have that experience today. I was so nervous that it would be a waste of time, it was the complete opposite. I loved it!
I am looking forward to tonight also. Some of my roommates and I are going out for a friends birthday. Amy just made pumpkin muffins, they were delicious. I wore a scarf today. Hello fall. Already I am having a much better day, than last night when I was just reveling in the negative.
Other exciting news... Dusty found a place in Florida! Ya ready for this??
That right there is Dusty's home! Look at it! Maybe a little old looking, but do you see all those palm trees? And can you imagine the space???!
I'm so proud of that guy. I don't know many that could establish themselves that quickly in another state. Yay for Dust.
Hopefully I'll write again tomorrow, I'm looking forward to Homecoming at BU this weekend!!
Bottom line is, I need to start getting in shape when it comes to my attitude. I'm having a hard time adjusting to a new season of life. What else is new? Who out there can't relate, ya know? I'm trying to start today. It's a process, I'm working on it :)
Today has been a really cool day! I don't know if I have ever written about this, and if you aren't a nerd at heart like me than feel free to skip over this. I'm in my senior seminar class for my history major and the class is basically writing a research paper on a topic of our choice. I chose to write about how children's public television shows influenced early childhood education over the last thirty years. A few weeks ago, we had dinner at our professor's house (a fun night in itself) and I mentioned my topic, and a girl in my class said she interned with TPT (Minneapolis' PBS station) and said she knew of a bunch of old children's show footage available that might help. WHAT?! Just exactly what I needed! I made an appointment with her old boss and this morning, we met to go over the footage. It was so awesome! I had no idea I would be visiting a television station. The building was located in downtown St. Paul. I walked in and there were tv sets all across the lobby playing episode of Sesame Street. Brendan, the man I was meeting with, met me and brought me up to his office. It was the coolest thing, you guys! I was in the middle of a television studio/set. It turns out that Brendan is the producer of the show Almanac on PBS, a show I don't really watch but have heard of. His office had EMMY awards hanging on the shelf!! NUTS! Anyway, he put together about three discs of material containing examples of children shows produced in Minnesota over the last few years. We watched some of the footage together and it was so interesting. I know I'm kind of a history nerd, but it was such a cool, random experience. And EXACTLY what I was looking for in terms of sources. He even gave me the email address for the hosts of these shows, they are retired old men who still help out at the station!
It was such a great thing to have that experience today. I was so nervous that it would be a waste of time, it was the complete opposite. I loved it!
I am looking forward to tonight also. Some of my roommates and I are going out for a friends birthday. Amy just made pumpkin muffins, they were delicious. I wore a scarf today. Hello fall. Already I am having a much better day, than last night when I was just reveling in the negative.
Other exciting news... Dusty found a place in Florida! Ya ready for this??
That right there is Dusty's home! Look at it! Maybe a little old looking, but do you see all those palm trees? And can you imagine the space???!
I'm so proud of that guy. I don't know many that could establish themselves that quickly in another state. Yay for Dust.
Hopefully I'll write again tomorrow, I'm looking forward to Homecoming at BU this weekend!!
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