i was on spring break for the past week (and so was my bestest friend, sarah... so i got to spend time with her... it was wonderful!), so it's been a little while since i've updated my blog... how sad... i'm sure you all missed my radom jabberings. =)

well, i must say, i've been havin a tough couple of weeks. jimi is in the middle of iraq, and i just can't seem to get away from the news. there were a few nights that i stayed up staring at the television for no apparent reason. i couldn't bring myself to turn it off. in some weird way i guess it was comforting or something. it's all the same information now though. no one knows when it's going to be over, but people continue to ask. it's so frustrating. i understand that people want to know. believe me. i want to know just as much if not more than most people, but i just can't take listening to one more person say that they don't know anything.

i got out to visit some of jimi's family. it's so nice to see them. they're such wonderful people. they've always been so kind and supportive of me. they're like my second family. (i hope that one day they'll be my real second family) =) becky (his little sister) and i went to applebee's one night. i'm so amazed by her maturity in this situation; she's been so strong, and i'm so proud of her. hope and gary (jimi's aunt and uncle) had me out for dinner on saturday night. hope had her sister's kids, too. let me tell you about an amazing woman!!! she has four kids of her own- 3 handsome boys, and one beautiful little girl- and then she has her sister's three kids over, plus two dogs, AND gary!!! ;) i don't know how she does it! it's always so nice to spend time with them. they always make me feel so welcome, and i just feel closer to jimi when i'm with his family. (so if any of you are reading this... i love you so much... thanks for everything!)

so as i was saying before... i was having a rough couple weeks (between visits to the miller's) but today was WONDERFUL kate and lindsay came rushing into the room this afternoon yelling, "IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS!" because i had gotten six letters from jimi. it was so wonderful to read them. i can almost hear his voice as i read the words. and yes, i cried. his sweetness, kindness, and caring never cease to amaze me. he's such an incredible person... words could never express how special he is and how much he means to me. i always had this idea of what love was like, but this is so much better than i could ever imagine. i hope he gets home soon... i can't wait to... i don't know... i can't wait to do anything with him. i just want to be with him. i've never missed anything or anyone more in my entire life. until then, i will just have to pray and trust God for his safety.

today was another gorgeous day. i'm getting spoiled. kate, lindsay, patty, and i ate lunch by the pond today. it was so nice to get to sit and enjoy nature for a change.

i've had a much more emotionally stable day today. however, i don't know how long that will last. i have a feeling i will be on an emotional roller coaster for the next few months. i just can't wait til all this craziness is over. i can't say i'm totally against this war though. something needs to be done, and it apparently can't be done peacefully. it's going to be extremely difficult to just sit here watching the news, not knowing where jimi is, or if he's ok. but i know God is in control, i know jimi is in His hands (john 10:27-28... "my sheep listen to my voice; i know them, and they follow me. i give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. no one can snatch them out of my hand."), and i have every confidence that He will protect him...

ah, st. patty's day...

today's been an interesting day. scratch that. it's been a horrible day. i should've known it was going to be a bad day when i couldn't sleep through the night. i got out of bed this morning, ready to give a speech in my speech class. i was confident. again, i should've known. somehow my five minute speech turned into a two minute, five second speech. how did this happen, you ask. wish i could tell you. i've been trying to figure it out all day. i haven't even come up with a theory. i'm completely flabbergasted. on top of that, i got back a test on which i got a 76 (so much for the luck of the irish). THEN i came back to my room, completely defeated, and opened the new york times website only to find some more horrifying news. apparently the U.S. has ended negotiations with the U.N. and will most likely be going to war in a matter of days or weeks. to some of you, this may be good news, but to a girl whose boyfriend is in the army and currently stationed in iraq, it is anything but. i'm having slight difficulty deciding whether or not to watch President Bush's address to the nation tonight. on one hand, my day has already been so horrible, i fear a nervous breakdown; but on the other, i think i want to know what's going on. ignorrance is only bliss in some situations. plus, i'm probably going to find out anyway, so i might as well get it straight from the source.

somehow st. patrick's day has lost some of it's luster for me.

i'm going to scream. i just tried to post something, and it didn't work. it did, however, succeed in deleting everything i just wrote!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ah, saturday. i love saturdays... the days of freedom and laziness. today was an exceptionally wonderful saturday. the weather was GORGEOUS! i think the temperature actually hit 60. the birds were chirping, the sun was shining, the suirrels were... uh... well... doing whatever they do, and i was reveling in the beauty and serenity of nature. it was the perfect day... almost. if only i could have spent it with my boyfriend. i try so hard not to allow this situation to keep me from enjoying myself, but it isn't exactly an easy task. i've been through this before, but at that time the world was in a much more stable state (what a scary thought considering the state it was in at that time). jimi has been in kuwait (this time) now for approximately two months. two months... i can't believe it's been that long since i've seen his smiling face. the thought brings tears to my eyes. no one should have to be away from the love of their life for that long. but like i said before, this isn't the first time. i will get through it. i don't know how- other than by the grace of God- but i will get through it. for some reason days like these make me think of him more than other days. maybe because they bring with them the thought of hope and peace. whatever the reason, i miss him very much today. i long for the day when we will be able to walk down the street, hand-in-hand, reveling together in the beauty and serenity of the world around us.

unfortunately my computer skills are much worse than my grammar skills. i want to link to my roomate, kate's blog, but i'm having a little difficulty. where's my boyfriend when i need him? oh right, he's in kuwait, or iraq (he couldn't tell me exactly) fighting our "war on terrorism".

well, i've decided to join the world of "blogging", since all my friends are doing it. i feel a little left out. plus, it gives me a chance to use my ever-so-excellent english skills. yes. i am a nerd. i like english. deal with it.