BEFORE... 

Picture Update

Well, I am still waiting on some pictures from Kenya. I have also decided that I have way too many pictures (insert tourist comment here). I don't know how I am going to post them on here just because of the sheer volume. We'll see...until then, these are the adorable little boys I had to leave. They are all so big and grown up. Isaac can't say my name at all, so instead he calls me "Marmee" or "Mermee," one or the other. I miss it!

*Notice the bright colored playset in the background of one of those pictures. My friend Jacob helped me give it a makeover. Kelly just wanted it to look fresh, so we bought some bright colored paint and went to town. I will put up before and after pictures later on.

Isaac found this monkey at another house...it is bigger than he is! 

My little guys, Ethan and Austin. Notice the freshly painted playset! 

TINA! My greatest buddy and roommate, at our old stomping grounds, LCC. It is so good to see a familiar face! 

Home Sweet Home

I am back! We got into Quincy last night a little after 10. My mom ended up getting sick so I had to drive the 5+ hours home from Kenosha, Wisconsin. It was really strange to be driving again. Even though eight weeks without a car is not that big of a deal, it took me a little while to get aquainted with my parents' van.

Update on the rest of my flights: Not only did I sit next to a few drunk guys and a kicker, I also saw some maker-outers. No joke. This couple on the flight from London to Frankfurt starting making out moments after we took off. Guess who was sitting right across the aisle from them!? ME! I just closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on my CD player. The flight itself was really bumpy and I got stuck in the very last row. The flight to Chicago was okay. The worst part was that we didn't have our own personal TV screens. I know, I know. I am such a selfish American, but when you are short and sitting in the very last row of the cabin, it is difficult to see over the seats and the other people to see the postage stamp size screens. I ended up having the two window seats to myself, so I attempted to get comfortable. I failed, but it's okay. I am home now and I won't be on a plane again until December (if all goes according to my plans). My luggage finally showed itself in Chicago and it was a lovely sight to see. These Italian ladies cut me off though and I had to ask for help to get my stuff off the belt. My parents and Grandma were waiting for me just outside of customs and it was nice to see them again. We drove into downtown Chicago and ate at Ed Debevics. I have always heard stories about this place and I finally got to eat there myself. I wasn't hungry, but it was still cool to be there. We dropped my dad off on Michigan Ave. for a conference and we drove up to Kenosha, Wisconsin to stay the rest of the week with some family.

Thursday was absolutely miserable. I woke up at 6 am and could not sleep. I was beyond exhausted and felt like a truck hit me...twice. My mom and grandma and aunt wanted to go to Gurnee Mills to shop so I tagged along, but I was in such a daze. It was a really weird experience to go from living in Kenya for six weeks to going shopping in America. Culture shock at its best.

We ate at Cracker Barrel twice yesterday and I was able to eat the one thing I was craving all summer: macaroni and cheese. I still haven't had my mom's homemade macaroni with Velveeta, but they promised I could have it today. I am still on a terrible schedule and I can't sleep, but that should get better with time. I plan to relax for the weekend and unpack and such, but come Monday I have to crank out a bunch of papers and assignments for this lovely Internet class. I think I have two weeks to finish it, but my goal is to be done by this Friday.

All in all, the summer was amazing. If any of you ever get a chance to go to Kenya, take it. It is so much fun. Safari, amazing animals, great people, crazy driving experiences, and monkeys randomly coming in your yard...priceless!

I know that I promised pictures, and they will come, but some of them haven't made it here from Africa yet. The CD my friend burned for me didn't work and our computers here aren't reading it or something. However, I will share this one picture. This is my roommate, Christina, and she was the first person, outside of my family, who called me Wednesday night when I came home. It was so great to talk to her! We got to stop at good ole LCC to meet up with her last night and it was a very sweet reunion. I am really looking forward to moving back into the apartment to hang out with her this semester!

Okay, the end.

Half Way There

I have made it to London! I am halfway through my 34+ hour trip home. I have to fly to Frankfurt, Germany and then back to Chicago, so I should be on home turf sometime after 8 pm tonight.

I tried to post a few weeks ago, but Blogger was dumb and deleted it. I was a little frustrated, but I guess I will just have to make a huge post when I actually get home.

The rest of my trip was incredible. I can't believe my time away from home is very nearly over. I needed these eight weeks so badly, and it was good. Really, really good. All I can say is that God knows what he is doing, even when we think he doesn't.

I sat next to two different fish on the flights to Dubai and London. By this, I mean that they drank like fish. It was out of control. This one guy ordered one Jack Daniels after another. I found it humorous, but after a while, he really started to stink. Plus I had captain kicker behind me. He would not stop kicking my seat. Oh well, I had the window seat, so that was a bonus.

My flight doesn't leave here for anohter two hours, so I am not quite sure what I am going to do to kill the time. I don't have any money, I don't have anyone to talk to, my cell phone doesn't work here, and it is too early in the States to call anyone via my phonecard. Perhaps I will go explore...

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Last week, I got to feed giraffes! I got to touch their faces! I have pictures, don't you worry. One of my friends in Kenya made fun of me the whole time because I took so many pictures. He kept calling me a tourist, which technically I was, but I did stay for over a month.

Anyway, talk to you soon, my friends!

Jambo!

Greetings from Nairobi, Kenya!

I am sitting at the hangar where my uncle is a pilot. We came for a quick business/pleasure Internet run. I need to work on my Internet class, my dad needs to do some work stuff, and Chris has some flight reports to write. However, I found my way to Blogger and decided to write up a quick post.

Things here are a bit cloudy, and "cold". It has been like 65 degrees everyday, not really my definition of cold. We have been to the elephant orphanage, the Massai market, and on Monday we take off for a birthday safari in Amboseli. I will turn 21 on the 21st in a game park in Kenya. How is that for a fun memory?!

Like I said in my last post, the past three weeks have been nothing short of amazing. There have been some ups and downs, but mostly ups. I don't want to bore anyone with the details, but man, I have been to some very cool places. If you ever want a very detailed report, you may borrow the journal that was given to me the day before I left. I have written in it every day religiously. It has a crazy amount of details, but hey, what did you expect? I have taken close to 1000 pictures on my killer camera. I have tried to document all of the food I have eaten as well, including veal (not my favorite) and stuffed grape vine leaves in Athens. After I got past the idea of eating tree leaves, I was just fine.

I have been doing some fun reading and some tough reading. I have also been keeping track of special verses or quotes that have hit me in a very cute little memory card notebook deal that was also given to me the day before I left. Cool cool. Also available for loan come August.

Anyway, I need to get on with my class stuff. Just wanted to give an update from this side of the world.

Random tidbit: Did you know that when you are south of the equator, the water in the toilet bowl swirls clockwise, as opposed to the counter-clockwise motion one would find north of the equator. However, since we are so close to the equator here in Kenya, the water in the toilet is just sucked straight down. Now you are all smarter because of this information.

Kwaheri.

P.S. The post title, Jambo, is hello in Swahili. Kwaheri means goodbye. You are also smarter for the new words I have taught you!

Ciao, Ciao and Arrivederci

Greetings to all three of you who read this!

I am in a very smoky Internet cafe in downtown Athens, Greece. Tonight is our last night and we thought we would do a quick email run. The trip has been amazing, to say the least. I have taken so many pictures and made so many memories already, and the summer has barely even begun.

Just thought it would be cool to post on this from Greece. I will update when I can, but maybe not until I return to the States. It all depends on the Internet connection in Kenya.

Have a great summer! Feel free to email (eks621@hotmail.com)

How could I forget?

I finally got my new camera! It is a black, Fujifilm Finepix S5100. It is the coolest! I even bought a fun camera bag to store all of my cool camera accessories, including a brand new 256 MB storage card! I think I will be set for my summer excursion. It has 10X zoom and 4.0 megapixels. Good stuff.

Antio! (That is good-bye in basic Greek.)

Jennie and her beau, Jarrett. I got to eat lunch with them on Sunday. Good times, lots of laughs! 

The three musketeers! What a lovely picture shot. Are we cool or what? 

Melissa's wedding! The fab-four :) 

"This is it. Don't get scared now."

This lovely quote is from one of my all-time favorite movies...Home Alone. For the most part, I have remained very calm through this packing process. However, I am starting to get a little paranoid about being mugged or attacked or something. You know what though? I took kick-boxing. I lifted weights for a little bit (probably not long enough). I can defend myself. Or, I could always take my cool drum major whistle from high school...

Yes, it is nearing 2 am. I got a phone call tonight from a friend who went on the study tour two years ago. He told me why our professor is so emphatic about packing lightly. Apparently, we could be lugging our luggage for a mile or so, maybe more. Cool. Awesome. Really wish I would have known that prior to midnight the night before we leave. My suitcase is still really heavy, and I even took things out of it. I don't have enough room for all of my books without trying to kill myself. I am taking three in my carry-on, and hopefully my parents will bring the rest of the shelf in a couple of weeks.

Last night one of my friends called to ask if I would be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Of course I said yes. I am way excited about that wedding. It will be next September. Then tonight, another friend asked if I would be her maid of honor. HUGE GRIN! I have never been a maid of honor before. Well, I was kind of Krista's co-maid of honor, so I guess that is a lie. I am so excited though! It was a good moment in my kitchen to be asked by a childhood friend, one of my best friends, to play such a special role in her wedding day.

I was able to touch base with most of my good buddies before I take off tomorrow. I wish I would have had more time to spend with all of them, but it just didn't work out. I am leaving bright and early tomorrow morning, or should I say in just a few hours. We fly out at 5:40 pm from O'Hare. I will return (hopefully) to Chicago on Wednesday, July 20th at 7:40 pm.

Until July, my friends :)

Have a great summer!

P.S.

I almost forgot one of my favorite comments from my graded paper. Sorry to bore, I am just really excited about the way my professor received it.

There was one sentence that I threaded throughout my paper and it goes a little something like this: "But the question still remains: are these books about [homosexual lifestyles/divorce/single-parent homes] promoting these books, causing us to become numb to the idea?" At the end of one of these questions, my professor simply wrote, "Yes. They are."

Interesting, huh? When I turned my paper in, we were talking about the ways our faith tends to creep in and effect so much of our life (and rightly so). She shared with me that she goes to the Church of Latter Day Saints and that she wrestles with topics such as the one in my paper, too. It was just an interesting moment and an even more interesting conversation to have in the doorway to her office at ISU.

Anyway...I thought it was neat.

Children's Literature Revisited

So, while I was gone at my friends' wedding this weekend, my graded paper arrived from my professor at ISU. Good news...294/300. I got a 98% on my paper about families. This is what my teacher had to say.

Argument: "Well done."
Unity and clarity of analysis: "Not bad."
Depth of thought: "Thoughtful and clear."
Assignment requirements: "Good work."
Other comments: "I think your wrestle with your values was very productive. Because you cared, you worked harder and had a more thoughtful piece of writing as a result."

At the end of the paper, she wrote a few other comments:
"I personally think that marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God and should be protected and properly encouraged."

Overall, I am glad I wrestled with this topic and that I have still been chewing on this material. I am also really excited about the comments my professor wrote in my paper.

And that's all she wrote.

This Just In...

So many updates. A lot has happened in just one short week. The pressure is on. I only have a few more days at home and there is still a LOT to take care of.

First of all, as of yesterday at 1 pm, I am now even closer to my senior status at ISU. Our grades were posted and I got straight A's! I was really nervous about my chemistry exam grade, but I got exactly what I had to get to keep an A. Is it pathetic that I figured that out prior to taking the test? Oh well. I am very pleased.

We "roughed it" for finals week. Jess and I felt so ridiculous sitting on the floor trying to type on our computers. It was quite the sight. We ended up watching DVDs on my computer all week long. It was just like a fancy camp.

Hmmm...we are completely moved out of the apartment. It took several hours to clean the whole place. We also didn't realize how much "stuff" we still had to pack up and move out into our tiny little Hondas. Props to Jess who has become a super-packer! It was amazing how she got all of her stuff, including a coffee table and a vacuum cleaner, in the backseat of her nice Accord. It was kind of strange to leave that place with her, knowing that we will never be roommates again. We have lived together, through the good times and the just short of good times, for the last three years. We always had a wonderful time and we worked well together. Lots of laughs, lots of tears, and lots of fun memories!

We had our "last supper" as roommates. We went to Olive Garden and enjoyed bruschetta, alfredo dipping sauce, and even chocolate lasagna for dessert. I love that place!

I went to two showers last week, one for Melissa and one for Jess. Both of them were equally fun. Becca (Jess' sister) did a spa theme for the shower. That should explain the masks on Kim's and my face. However, if you look closely, you will notice that mine was frozen. It was just supposed to be chilled, not a solid mass of ice-like substance. It was SO COLD on my face! We enjoyed laughing about it though.

I said goodbye to the 4th graders I have been tutoring all semester. What a great group of kids. They made me this book in which they all told me goodbye. It is hilarious! One of the girls said something like this: "Thanks for coming to our class. You are nice. You know how many teachers can be meen, (note the spelling) and you were nice. Have a gerat summer!" The other entertaining one said this below a picture of a sunset: "This time has now ended." Kids say the darndest things!

I also said goodbye to my little guy Sammy. We had a fun week searching for the characters in his vents and I also witnessed him saying what might have been his first cuss word. Now I know that cussing is bad and it has the power to speak negative volumes about your character, but hearing it come out of Sammy's blunt but innocent mouth was the funniest thing I heard all week. His parents helped me move my box spring and mattress to the storage unit and then we went to dinner. Lots of laughs and a nice way to end our year together. I am really going to miss all of them this summer. I am glad that we will have email access in Kenya. It will be nice to get updates on what they are doing and how Sammy is changing over the summer. Keep your fingers crossed, this might be the summer they kiss those pull-ups goodbye!

I went fishing with Poppa G on Monday. I caught several blue gill and a few bass. It was very peaceful and very relaxing.

SIDE NOTE: I have turned my phone off twice now in the last few days. It is a really nice feeling. Sometimes my phone drives me nuts.

I leave for Europe in 6 days. OH MY GOODNESS! Where has all the time gone? It doesn't matter, I am so excited to get out of here and experience what lies ahead!

Kelly sent us some more recent pictures of the boys. I barely recognized little Isaac. My how he has changed. It makes me feel old! They made a paper chain thing to hang on their fireplace showing how many days left until Rob got to Kenya. BTW...he made it safely and will be there for the next three weeks. Please pray for all of them!

The book list has grown to 16 books. I might have to make a few cuts when it comes time to packing those beautiful hardback heavyweights into my suitcase. Thanks again for all of the suggestions! I will post my final list prior to my departure.

Thanks for sifting through all of the updates! Until I post again...adios, or should I say, arrivederci!

Gone fishin' with Poppa G. I actually caught several fish! 

Our fabulous kitchen. 

Our empty apartment. :( 

Kim Hageman and I at Jess' shower in Bloomington.  

My last dinner with Sammy and Emily. We went to Carlos O'Kelly's. It was great!  

My adorable 4th grade class from Brigham Elementary. I tutored in their room every Friday. Those kids are very special and we had a great time together. 

2nd Semester roommates: me, Christina, Jess, and Brittany. We enjoyed our "last supper" at Olive Garden. 

Me, Melissa, Krista, and Jess...D2 buds forever! 

Jess made a nice little pallet.  

Jess and I had to rough it...it felt like camp! 

Ethan doesn't look like a 7-year-old boy, he looks so grown up! Only a few more weeks until I will get to hug all of these boys! 

This is Austin, and yes, I taught him to do that. I am just so proud! 

Wow. He has gotten so big! Isaac turned 2 on May 7th.  

That's All Folks

I am officially finished with school for three months. Three years under my belt...one-and-a-half to go. I can make it. Just two more semesters of classes and a semester of student teaching. Praise the Lord. [For those of you who know me well, you know that I actually enjoy school and it will be somewhat strange to not be taking classes at some point.] I signed myself up for a summer online class, so this should get interesting, considering I won't really have easy access to the Internet for eight weeks. It will be a good class though. One of the books is called "Holler if You Hear Me." It is a first-hand account from a guy who taught in the Chicago Public School District. I have already read it once for fun, and now I get to read it again! I highly recommend this book. It is a fast read and it offers some very interesting insights, not only for potential teachers.

Thank you, all, for the reading suggestions. I have already made a few purchases. I am conjuring up a nice little book list, but it has definitely grown beyond ten books. That's okay though. I found out I have more layovers this summer than I thought, so these books will come in handy. They will come in nice and heavy, but that's okay too.

Mandy-where on earth am I going to find that old Donald Miller book without spending $35 for it?

Sammy Update:
On Tuesday after school, Sammy and I were moving through our normal after school schedule, which begins with bathroom break. While he was in the bathroom, he started yelling into the vent, "Rex! Rex! Where are you?" Then he started making walkie-talkie noises and saying, "Erin, Miss Erin, do you copy? Are you there?" I had no clue what he was doing. We finished with the bathroom break and he immediately ran into the kitchen and laid down on the floor next to another vent. "Rex! Rex! Erin, do you hear the voices? Do you hear them?" I was really trying hard not to laugh, but at the same time I was getting frustrated because he kept yelling and yelling at me about these voices. It wasn't until he said this that I figured out what he was doing: "Rex! Woody! Buzz! Where are you? Are you coming through this vent?"

Oh my goodness. It was hilarious. He seriously thinks that the Toy Story 2 characters are in his vents. So, I played along as well. Even Emily started in on it. For the next hour and a half and for most of yesterday, we laid by the vent in his room talking to these characters, reassuring them we would leave the lights on for them if they wanted to come to Sammy's room. Yesterday, Emily was trying to distract him and told him that the characters went back to Andy's room (if you are not familiar with Toy Story, Andy is the little boy who owns all of these toys). I thought Sammy was going to cry. He kept asking when they were coming back to his house and when he could play with them.

Priceless. Absolutely priceless.

I must go now. Hopefully we will have more Toy Story adventures today!

Addendums

Well, I don't really know what to say. For those people who made anonymous comments (BTW...I really think anonymity is awesome), let me clear a few things up...

As for the incident last Friday at the pharmacy. I don't think I said it was at the pharmacy, but it was. I don't know if the lady was a Christian or not, but I was just using that example to pose a question I started wrestling with LAST SUMMER. I realize that Christians are not perfect. I never said they were. I am a Christian and I am a far cry from being perfect, but the One I am following IS perfect. I was just really upset about what had happened that day simply because any human being, regardless of their belief system or the lack thereof, has no right to be a jerk, especially to a customer! So sue me. That is my opinion, and much like many others' opinions, sometimes they stink. Also, within the last two weeks, I have dealt with human resources type people and service people who have just been plain rotten to be around. They were negative, sassy, and very short (and I don't mean height). I was simply frustrated and like I said before, confused.

That being said, let me clear up a few things about this little paper that I wrote this week. I included a letter to my professor about my struggles with said paper. This week I have felt like one of those dogs who runs around in circles chasing its tail all day long. There was never any resolution for my paper. I completely see both sides of the coin and I never intended for people to think I was being judgmental. I really feel like our society is at a really low point right now. You know, where do you draw the line? Come on, it is sad, and I know I am not the only person who believes that to be true. As for my paper, my thesis ended up being something like..."While it is necessary for children's literature to reflect society, there is a blurred line between reflecting and determining." Basically, I needed to write a critical paper for my class, I chose the topic of families, and this is where I ended. I am not saying I know the answers to the questions I posed in my paper, but that I too am CHEWING ON THEM. I am not trying to be "holier than thou" but it was something to look into. I waffled through my paper, never really landing on either side. I mentioned how books about divorce can be truly healing for children who have found themselves in the midst of that situation, and that books about same-sex parents can be the same. However, by continually publishing literature on these topics, I feel like we are at a greater potential to become numb to the whole thing. My paper was fairly decent, but nothing to call home about. I tried my best, and you know what, it is finished and that is all that I care about at this point. I will get back to you in a few weeks when I find out how I did on it.

Now, for more exciting things:

-All of my furniture has been relocated to a cute little 5x10 storage unit. Special thanks go out to my friend Josh who came up and helped us carry everything down the stairs, out to a truck, back out of the truck, and into the unit.
-After tomorrow, we will have NO furniture for the rest of the week. Kind of exciting, but weird at the same time.
-Next week, even though it will be sprinkled with two precious finals, is going to be a lot of fun. I have something special planned for every day.
-I will be home very, very soon. I am leaving in 17 days to experience what may become the best summer of my life. I just found out that I will be helping at a VBS in Nairobi. How fun is that?
-I have found more U2 songs to listen to. Actually, I just started venturing away from the four I always cling to. I can't remember the names right now, but nonetheless, they are fun.
-To my friends who know how to deal with confrontation, please offer me some advice. I cannot continue to bottle things up inside and then explode with tears. Not cool, not cool at all.
-To those of you who have seasonal allergies, how are you managing right now? Is it just me, or does everything outside and inside make you miserable right now?
-My parents are good people. They came up last night and helped me move everything today. My dad took care of the loading/unloading stuff, and my mom helped me clean our apartment, namely the kitchen and my bathroom. They also provided me with some quarters for my rip-off laundry room. Rock on.
-I am reading Blue Like Jazz right now. I started reading it last summer but put it down for various reasons. I have tried again though, and I LOVE IT! I can't wait to just sit back on my bare floor and read it until it is finished.
-I am searching right now for a summer book list. I would like to take ten books with me this summer...five for me to take in May and five for my parents to bring over in June. Seeing as I am in the middle of Blue Like Jazz, I would like to definitely continue reading more from Donald Miller. However, I need some suggestions. Any takers?

I apologize for another random post. Just felt like I needed to make a few adjustments, or for a more creative word, addendums.

That's a wrap.

P.S. Kim, I would love it if you could possibly make me a Bulgarian Adventure CD or perhaps an Egyptian Adventure CD. Your comment made me laugh out loud...again, so sorry about that silly little mix-up :)

All Over the Board

Only one day left. I can make it. Just a few more hours to go. With only a few things remaining on my beautiful to-do list, there have been a lot of things on my mind. In no particular order:

-I have been writing a huge paper for my children's literature class. I have been chewing on it for quite some time, but it hasn't been until this week that I have actually put any of it on paper. I decided to write about the portrayal of families in children's lit. Wow. What an eye opener. I really struggled with this paper for the simple fact that I am a Christian. It was very hard to look through the shelves of books like "Heather Has Two Mommies" or "Stepchild" or even "One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads" and not wonder what God is thinking about the things that have happened here. I have had several mini-conferences with my professor about this paper and each time, we come to the question of whether or not this literature is right or wrong. I have been swimming in circles with this paper, trying to ask the question "are these books okay for children to read?" I still don't have a solid answer. The only thing I could come up with is that children's literature should be society reflecting but not society determining or driving. It is just so gray...nothing seems to be black and white anymore. I like rules and I wish there were more rules about some things. I see both sides of the coin with controversial literature, but still, I just don't know what is right. I am sure none of this makes sense, but my head hurts now, so that's all there is about that.

-Tonight I went to dinner with the family I babysit for. They have really taken me in and usually include me in their family dinners once a week. Sammy's sister, Emily, is 13. Sometimes I really struggle with relating to her because we are just so different. She mocks me for listening to Christian music and tells me that I don't know anything simply because I don't know that Destiny's Child got back together or because I don't know Kelly Clarkson's newest song. She gets really sassy when I don't give her the answers to her homework. Plus, she talks back to her parents and to me and it really, REALLY bothers me. My parents are always telling me to try and remember the things she has to deal with (meaning Sammy and his autism). So, I try. Sometimes I do alright, but other times she just tests my patience. Back to tonight: we planned to go to Carlos O'Kellys to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. However, when we got there the place was crazy crowded. So, we left. Changing plans doesn't always go over too well with Sammy. He had his heart set on going there. Plus, he saw the WBNQ on-location van and was very excited to see them broadcasting. The whole way to the Schlotzsky's he cried in my backseat. It was quite pitiful. Anyway, when we went into Schlotzsky's, Sammy started yelling and somewhat made a scene. Sammy's dad was guiding him to a table, but he definitely didn't go quietly. Emily was with them for a bit but then came back over by me and her mom. She just looked at me and whispered, "This is sooo embarrassing." In that moment, I felt awful. You know, it is sometimes hard for me to take Sammy in public for fear of the reactions of others, but I don't do it everyday of my life. Emily has dealt with this for the last eleven years of her life and will continue to deal with it for the rest of her life. It has to be tough. Tonight I had a glimpse of her life as the sister of a boy who has autism. It was quite the humbling experience.

-The best band ever??? A few years ago, a good friend of mine introduced me to a band called U2. I liked to listen to them on occasion, but never really loved them. My friend sure did though. So, as time went by, I started to really like them as well. However, a time came that I didn't really listen to them too much anymore. Last week, though, I stumbled upon one of my roommates "Best of U2" CDs and I started to fall in love again. I am not sure that I would say this is the best band ever simply because I do not know all of their songs. But wow, I really do like their music. I find myself repeating these songs: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Desire, Sweetest Thing, and Bad. I am sure there are lots more songs I need to find out about, but these are really fun. I am intrigued by a lot of their lyrics. I really wish I could ask my friend about them, but not today. Maybe someday.

(BTW...all suggestions for U2 songs are welcome)

-Conflict. Confrontation. I need to be better at this. I am not saying I want to become combative, but my roommate kindly reminds me that we were called to be peacemakers, not doormats. I hate confrontation. I would rather shoulder all the blame than risk confronting someone or telling someone how I truly feel or how they have hurt me. Yikes, I have a lot to work on.

-Moving out. The time has come. My parents are coming this weekend to take the furniture away to a storage unit for the summer. Looks like we will be "roughing" it this week...no beds, no couches, no kitchen table, no desk...it could get interesting!

-20 days. That's all. I have to admit that my summer schedule still hasn't sunk in yet, but it will soon. I am starting to get anxious. I am curious to see what I will learn while I am away. Selfishly, I NEED this trip. I need to get away for a while and be alone. I am sure that I could have done that without skipping the country, but oh well. I keep thinking of all the things I learned four years ago when I was in Africa for only two short weeks. I will be there for six weeks, plus the two weeks in Italy and Greece. I am ready. I want to listen. I want to learn. I want to be changed.

Told you. All over the place.

Food for Thought

I know, I know, clever title. In all seriousness, I have a concern. As a Christian, a person who is called to be different and to be set apart, how do we respond to those who are not Christians?

Hear me out on this. I just had a really disappointing experience with another human being. This person was cruel, rude, a bit sassy, and treated me like I was just a dumb box of rocks standing in front of her. My response: tears. I understand that Christians are supposed to try to live according to higher standards, but how, without being disrespectful in return, do we make our point that we have been hurt? I am sure that none of this makes sense, but it is a question that has haunted me for some time now, even with other Christians. I know that we can use Scripture and try to hold one another accountable, but what do you do when the person who has hurt you doesn't care about your Christian standards or the Bible or even the right thing to do in a given situation?

I know that there isn't always a "right or wrong" choice, but rather a good choice and a better choice. I just have a hard time with wanting everything to be black and white, right or wrong, good or bad, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

It's time to forgive and move on, I guess.

Thunder=Allergen

Funny story. Maybe it won't be so funny now, but I laughed pretty hard at this.

Today Sammy was asking me why I was coughing (really I was sneezing). I told him that I have allergies and I then asked him if he has any allergies.

His answer: "Yes, yes I do. It's the thunder. It makes me scream."

Anyway, I thought it was pretty cute. It is much better though if you can hear his little voice. Funny stuff.

Loving and Loathing

Loving spring and its fragrance.
Loathing my body's response to said fragrance. Two words: seasonal allergies.

Loving the fact that I have only 13 days of classes left.
Loathing the overwhelming amount of work that I still have to do. Yikes. It could get ugly.

Loving that May 25th is almost here.
Loathing that again, I still have so much to do before I can leave. I don't know how I will finish it all!

Loving the sunshine and the possibilities for a tan.
Loathing my apartment deck and the fact that only a small sliver of it gets sun in the afternoon. Tanning this afternoon didn't really work out for me. Don't worry, I was doing homework at the same time.

Trust

Trust is something that I struggle with. I think that a lot of people do, actually. It is hard for me to let someone else in because I have a deep fear of being hurt. Therefore, it is hard for me to trust God at times. I have been learning, bit by bit, that God won't let me down. I have learned this through classes at LCC, life experiences, and the testimonies of others.

Today I learned a lesson in the classroom of life. I sing with a friend of mine at his church sometimes and I have gotten to know some of the people in the congregation. There is this older man, let's call him Jack. He serves as an elder at this church and he has always been the first to greet me every time I am there. He is such a nice guy! I have been singing at this church all year and I really look forward to seeing Jack when I go.

Anyway, today's sermon topic was on tithing, but I would say that the overall theme was trust. The preacher talked about trusting God with our firstfruits and basically, trusting God with our whole lives. He reminded me that God isn't going to fail me and that if I choose to put God first, everything else will fall into place.

Enter Jack. Like I said, Jack is an older man and he could probably retire soon. Just two weeks ago, he lost his job. He was the only income for his family and their income was quickly cut off. The next weekend, this church body had a banquet where the families that serve as leadership were supposed to give a pledge for an upcoming building campaign. Jack and his wife had already decided that they would give based upon his income. Even though his income no longer existed, they still pledged the same amount at the banquet as they had decided before he lost his job. Wow. That takes courage. That takes trust. Jack and his wife stepped out on a limb. They took a leap of faith, knowing that God was going to catch them no matter what happened.

Lo and behold...

On Monday, Jack started applying for more jobs and came across three possibilities. On Tuesday, he sent in his applications. On Wednesday, he had two second interviews. On Thursday, Jack had three job offers! I don't know which job he will end up having, but wow. Isn't that amazing?

Thank you, Jack, for reminding me that God is so much bigger than me. Thank you, Jack, for teaching me through your very life to put God first. Thank you, Jack, for you taught me things today that you will never even know about.

Mazel Tov!

My two best friends from home just got engaged Wednesday night. I can't believe how quickly time has gone by! It seems like only yesterday that Shawna was secretly pining after him from afar. Look how far they have come! Congratulations are in store!

Best friend #1 Shawna Nobis 

Best friend #2 John Mitchell 

Sometimes my camera shocks me and takes a fairly decent photo. This is one of the dogwood trees in my neighborhood. Isn't it beautiful? It's a good thing I took this picture when I did because the next day, my neighbor boys thought it would be cool to swing bats at the tree limbs and knock off a bunch of the petals. I guess it's true...boys will be boys! 

Important Numbers

Number of days spent in classes: 19

Number of days spent taking finals: 2

Number of major projects that must be completed: 5

Number of days until I have to move out of the apartment: 32

Number of days remaining at my job: 32

Number of days until I leave for my European adventure: 43

Number of days until I finally arrive in Kenya: 60

"All good things come to those who wait." -I don't know.

It's a BEAUTIFUL Day in the Neighborhood!

Man oh man. What a great day outside! The sun is shining, there is a light breeze, the grass is getting greener, I am wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops...what more could a girl ask for? I just got back from RIDING MY BIKE to class. It was delightful and money-saving. That's a huge plus. However, for those of you who are avid bike-riders, take note: Don't wear flip-flops that have no thong in them. Your feet slide everywhere when trying to pedal.

A few reasons why yesterday, April 4th, was such a GREAT day (in no particular order):

1. NO MORE SOCKS! Put them away and bust out the sandals because flip-flop season has officially arrived. I no longer have any closed toed shoes here except for my running shoes, because take it from me, you can't run in flip-flops.
2. Turned off our air this past weekend. I love having the windows open and I love saving money.
3. Went to my "kiddie lit" class on the quad yesterday. How cool is that?
4. The quad was packed with people. Very exciting. We had lunch on the patio in the sun.
5. Skin season has officially opened. Don't hear me wrong on this, but everyone starts shedding layers right about now. It is really quite entertaining. It just amazes me what some people wear to class. Enough on that.
6. I watched the Illinois game with my ultra-athletic roommate. I am such a loser when it comes to sports, but it was really fun to get into the game with her. Even though it was a sad, sad ending, it was still a great game to watch.
7. I finally started to feel and sound a bit better yesterday. The sickness isn't gone yet, but we are getting there.
8. I am going to have another cousin in Africa come October! Kelly sneakily sent an email late last night sharing the news. I have been secretly hoping for this news to come for a long time!
9. Sammy and I went to Miller Park yesterday and he was SO GOOD. We spent an hour, I kid you not, looking at these war-time memoirs. There are replicas of cannons, tanks, and such. He even climbed into a hatch on one of the tanks. I am not sure if we were supposed to do that, but oh well. He got to pretendd he was a soldier and he loved it! At any rate, he didn't run away, start screaming, or hit me during our time together. Maybe he has had spring fever since January and the sunshine is finally curing some of those temper-tantrums.
10. My dates have finally been set for the summer. I will have layovers in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Paris, France. Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.

Anyway, those are the reasons I can remember why yesterday was such a great day. Today is going just dandy as well. How could it not when my day started with an invigorating bike ride.

Let the sun shine!

Beautiful flowers! My friend Steph was in town last week and I was supposed to have dinner with her. BUT, since I have been so ridiculously sick all week, I couldn't go. Instead, she brought me these lovely flowers. Unfortunately, they are slowly withering away and I have yet to smell them! At least I can enjoy looking at them, right?
 

Good friends are hard to come by! Jill Dicken was in Quincy this past weekend. She was visiting for her nephew's 7th birthday. It was so fun to see her again and catch up in person!