"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face"
-Victor Hugo






...which reminds me... i need to see my katie... and sooooooon!!!!

i had a wonderful christmas! i hope you all did as well.

i spent most of the day laying around, making dinner, eating dinner, and laying around some more with my family. i also received wonderful reminders that i have some very special people in my life, whose minds i must have been on at some point during the day (and who are often on mine as well) since i got text messages from them... which completely made my holiday. it's 'little' things such as these that make life worthwhile.



love to all...

it's 4am and i'm wide awake.



and i have to be up in 3 hours.




i've taken longer naps than that.

i read this in the daily bread this morning, and thought it was pretty awesome... so i decided to share...

"Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
-Hebrews 8:12

the author was talking about how pastors and Christians in general emphasize that God says He'll forget our sins. he continued by saying that this isn't always very comforting to people because God can always remember... he is God after all. then the author spoke about a time he heard a pastor say that the verse says God promises to remember no more. it doesn't say he'll forget. it says he chooses not to remember. that is so much more powerful than forgetting. he willingly chooses not to remember so that we can be right with Him.

awesome.

i heart lancaster county.

this weekend was fantastic. i got to spend most of saturday with my buddy, garrett from high school. it was absolutely wonderful to spend time with an old friend... especially one who loves God with all his heart, and cares so deeply about people. there's something so comforting about friends who know you well and with whom you can be honestly yourself. i hope we get to spend more time together soon.

after hanging out with garrett, i went to reading to see the kateness, which was wonderful as always. we spent the evening driving around berks county looking at people's christmas decorations. some were very nice, others were completely ridiculous, and we had a wonderful time making fun of the latter and laughing like idiots. it was great.

on sunday i went to church and saw some people i haven't seen in a while... like jess kerr... the coolest girl in youth group! i miss her so much. after church mark and i went to lunch and then to borders and target. it was an experience, as always.

speaking of missing things... i miss lancaster so much. i absolutely love being there. i'm so much happier when i'm in that county than i am any other time. i can't really put into words how i feel when i'm there. garrett asked me what i love about it, and i didn't really have a good answer. i said it reminds me of bloomsburg in some ways, but it has good aspects of a city. that doesn't nearly describe why i love it.

i love it because to me it's home...

huzzah!!! classes are over for the semester!!!

AND i'm going to lancaster this weekend to see some of my most favorite people in the whole wide world! woo!

and now i present a survey... stolen from the roommate...

Name Four Bad Habits You Have:
1) Eating junk food late at night
2) Talking to myself in public... I've gotten so used to doing it since I now live alone, that I forget that I shouldn't do it when other people are around
3) Sitting with my leg under me, so that it cuts off the circulation and makes it "fall asleep"
4) Cracking my ankle incessantly before I fall asleep at night

Name Four Things That You Wish You Had:
1) My favorite people nearby
2) Something shiny (hahaha... I was just perusing jewelery stores with a bunch of giggling women)
3) A doctoral degree, so that I could just get on with my life already! hahaha
4) The ability to draw and paint well

Name Four Scents You Love:
1) My parents' house
2) My vanilla cookie candle
3) Fields in the summer
4) Christmas trees

Name Four Things You'd Never Wear:
1) Fur
2) Camoflage
3) Ridiculously long fingernails
4) "Ug" boots (or whatever they're actually called)

Name Four Things You Are Thinking Now:
1) "I'm up way past my bedtime."
2) "I'm old."
3) "We're getting our Christmas tree tomorrow!!!"
4) "I have a lot of work to do!!!!"

Name Four Things That You Have Done Today:
1) Went to 2 classes from 9 am- 3pm
2) Drove home from Scranton
3) Went to dinner with my parents, and had this amazing penne with vodka sauce at Balzano's in Bloomsburg (i highly reccomend it... the food is fantastic, and Mr. Balzano gives you a hug and kiss when you walk in)
4) Went shopping in downtown Bloomsburg during their "Late Night Shopping" event with Ceej, Brenda, Erica, and Mama

Name the Last Four Things You Have Bought Recently:
1) A shirt
2) Bread
3) Aluminum foil
4) Krispy Kreme donunts (mmmmmmm....)

Name Four Drinks You Regularly Drink:
1) Diet Orange Slice (or Sunkist)
2) Cranberry apple juice
3) Water
4) Chai tea

Last Thing You Laughed At?
Ceej flirting with the cute jeweler

What's Under Your Bed?
I'm not entirely sure

What Time Did You Wake Up Today?
7:00 am

Current Hair?
A ponytail in disarray (did i spell that correctly?)

Current Clothes?
Pajamas!

Current Desktop Picture?
Johnny Depp playing the bass guitar *sigh*

Current Worry?
School, future, life in general ;)

Current Hate?
Petty girls

Last CD You Bought?
um... All American Rejects "Move Along"... total impulse buy... it's fun to listen to, but nothing to write home about

Favorite Place To Be?
Pretty much anywhere in Lancaster County

Least Favorite Place?
Pretty much anywhere in Lackawana County (Scranton, in particular)

Favorite Color?
Blue, or teal, or purple... depends on the day and the object

Favorite Day?
Saturday

1 week to go.


oh yes, then there's the next three semesters...





is it weird that i want to be a grown up?

*sigh*

so much on my mind...


i wish i could turn it off...

15-18We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.
18-20He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

Colossians 1:15- 20 (The Message)

once again, i'm at catholic social services, and i'm bored to tears.

the only difference is that today my head feels like it's going to explode, and i'm feeling a bit nauseated. it's fantastic.


can't wait to get home...

first of all, i feel i must warn those of you who read this blog on a regular basis that i will probably be posting a lot of excerpts from the irresistible revolution for the next couple of weeks. forgive me, but i just can't seem to help it. it's like the guy read my mind.

so here are some thoughts from mr. claiborne for today...

"Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, 'You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet'" (p 65).

"...I had no idea who St. Francis of Assisi was, but somehow the divine whisper that he and those young radicals heard in Italy in the thirteenth century was very familiar: 'Repair my church which is in ruins'. Now hundreds of years later, another bunch of young dreamers was leaving the Christianity that smothered them, to find God in the abandoned places, in the desert of the inner city. I felt so thirsty for God, so embarrassed by Christianity, and so ready for something more" (p. 65).

and finally...

"We do indeed have a God of resurrection, a God who can create beauty from the messes we make of our world" (p. 67).


good stuff...

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves... and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."
-Romans 8:26-28 (The Message)


*sigh*

i just started reading the irresistible revolution, by shane claiborne. it's fantastic. this guy and his friends are doing all they can to change church as we know it, and i must say, i'm thrilled. i'm tempted to head down to philly to help them out.

here's my favorite part so far...

"I developed the spiritual form of it [bulimia] where i did my devotions, read all the new Christian books and saw the Christian movies, and then vomited information up to friends, small groups, and pastors. But it had never had the chance to digest. I had gorged myself on all the products of the Christian industrial complex but was spiritually starving to death. I was marked by an overconsumptive but malnourished spirituality, suffocated by Christianity but thirsty for God".

i can't tell you how many times i've felt just like that...

there is hope...

time to whine...

my apartment is freakin' freezing!!! AND i have no one to cuddle with to keep me warm.

i started field placement late (which, by the way, was not my fault in any way), so now i'm beind on my hours, and i'm probably going to have to do 2 extra weeks after the semester is over. ARGH!


time to be positive...

i only have 1 class tomorrow, and then i'm going to lunch with the girls from school.

cj and i (and perhaps others) are going to do something fun for halloween this weekend! wee!

i have wonderful friends, and even though i don't get to see them as often as i'd like, they're always in my heart (there's no way to say that without sounding sappy).


"there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven..."

northeastern pa=bleh... southern pa=weee!


i had a FANTASTIC time with the kateness this weekend! i'm so incredibly sad that we don't live closer to each other. no one around here understands the ridiculous things that come out of my mouth when i'm tired, or why i dance when i like certain food (or when there's a song in my head). she's spectacular, and i heart her very much. hehe

the weekend was somewhat bittersweet, though. i had so much fun, but i kept thinking that i was only going to be there for a short time, and i still have quite a long time to go before i can go back for good. i can't wait for that day...

in the meantime, i don't really know what to do with myself. i constantly feel like i'm waiting for my life to start. i really don't enjoy that feeling, and i wish i knew how to make it go away. ugh... i feel old...

he's been home for years....



we haven't been 'together' for years...


but thinking about what he went through-what we both went through-what millions of others are going through- still makes me cry...



nothing good comes from war...


cultivate peace...

so bored!

i'm currently "working" at catholic social services. for the past 3 hours, i've had just about nothing to do. i did some homework, but there's not much i can do here. i'm so tired, and frustrated that i can't be at home working on the paper that's due on thursday (or taking a nap... haha). it's a bunch of silliness i tell you!

blah. i guess i'm finished complaining now.


on a happier note... i'm gonna be in lancaster this weekend!!!! i finally get to see my kateness!!! it's been way, way too long!

by the way, if anybody's free friday night, let me know.

1 more day down... at least 208 to go...





*sigh*

i wanna have a halloween party!


who wants to come???

from My Utmost for His Highest by oswald chambers…

By Spiritual Confusion

“Ye know not what ye ask.” Matthew 20:22.
There are times in spiritual life when there is confusion, and it is no way out to say that there ought not to be confusion. It is not a question of right and wrong, but a question of God taking you by a way which in the meantime you do not understand, and it is only by going through the confusion that you will get at what God wants.
The Shrouding of His Friendship. Luke 11:5-8. Jesus gave the illustration of the man who looked as if he did not care for his friend, and He said that that is how the Heavenly Father will appear to you at times. You will think He is an unkind friend, but remember He is not; the time will come when everything will be explained. There is a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller communion. When God looks completely shrouded, will you hang on in confidence in Him?
The Shadow on His Fatherhood. Luke 11:11-13. Jesus says there are times when your Father will appear as if He were an unnatural father, as if He were callous and indifferent, but remember He is not; I have told you—“Everyone that asketh receiveth.” If there is a shadow on the face of the Father just now, hang onto it that He will ultimately give His clear revealing and justify Himself in all that He permitted.
The Strangeness of His Faithfulness. Luke 18:1-8. “When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” Will He find the faith which banks on Him in spite of the confusion? Stand off in faith believing that what Jesus said is true, though in the meantime you do not understand what God is doing. He has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you ask.


whoa…

the other day i heard someone say that the moment you begin to think nothing exciting is ever going to happen to you, that's when it does.







they lied.

i love school.

i sound like such a big nerd, but i am absolutely thrilled to be back in school. i began to feel like i would never think again. it's such a fantastic feeling to be involved in intellectual discussions. hooray for academia! hehe

speaking of reasons to say, "hooray!"... the kateness is coming up to see me tomorrow!!!! it's been quite a long time since we've seen eachother, so i'm very excited! i think we're gonna go over to clarks summit for a little while, then maybe to old forge for pizza. we'll probably end the evening by watching a silly movie and drinking some girly wine. woo!

and... now i've run out of things to say...

g'night, kiddos. :)

man, i miss those mountains.

well, i'm back in the east...

colorado was absolutely amazing. boulder is my new favorite city. the people there are so laid back, open minded, and healthy. i absolutely loved it. i'm already looking forward to my next trip out there, whenever that will be.

the scenery, of course, was indescribable. here are some pictures, but trust me, they don't do those beautiful mountains justice...




this picture is of my mother (the one with the 'antlers'), my aunt susie, and my uncle tony (the one making the 'antlers') on a trail along boulder creek


this is one of many views from rocky mtn. national park in estes park, colorado

this is the local elk herd in estes park (this is what they call a "nursery herd"-- the fawns and mothers are separated from the rest of the herd. the fawns are about the size of an adult white tail deer). we were so close to them. it was absolutely amazing. they are such beautiful creatures!

and this is the town hall in nederland, colorado (about 17 miles from boulder), where my cousin cindy lived when she first moved to colorado. it's not a big town (as you may have guessed), but it's full of charm and friendly people. visit if you ever get the chance.

there ya have it... just a glimpse into the wonderful west. :)

and now it's back to reality... classes start in 2 weeks... hard to believe...

me - lancaster =

it is amazing how much i miss that place today. i keep thinking about the market, and square one, and the random places i used to drive to just to clear my head. i'm determined to get back there after grad. school. i hope that's where life takes me, cause that's really where i want to be. it's funny to think that just a few years ago, i hated being there. this was due to the fact that it takes me a great deal of time to adjust to anything new, and i was homesick. it took a while, but eventually i fell in love with the place. it has become home to me, and i'm definitely homesick...

B.O.R.E.D.


school cannot start soon enough! i've spent the past month rotting away in front of the television. i can be sure that my brain has shrunk because of this. it may sound crazy, but i cannot wait to start classes. i'm just hoping i enjoy them at least half as much as i enjoyed my classes at millersville (ah, millersville... i miss it already *sniff*).

luckily, in a couple weeks i will have reason to tear myself away from the tv. my cousin is getting married in boulder, colorado, and some members of my mother's family (including my immediate family) are trekking out there for the event. cindy (my cousin) and david (her fiance) are having the ceremony on some sort of plateau type place in the rocky mountains. it promises to be rather beautiful. most of us are planning to be out there for about a week. we plan to do a lot of hiking and sight-seeing. cindy and david are convinced that i'm going to want to stay, and from the way describe it, i think they're right. it sounds like my kind of place. they say that most of the people out there are modern-day hippies, and boulder is full of coffee houses, book stores, and art exhibits. my parents may have to come up with a way to trick me into getting on the plane to come home. it will be so good to get a new perspective... especially right before beginning a new chapter in my life.

i can't wait to get out there...

thought for the day...

"Every noble work is at first impossible."
-Thomas Carlyle

lyric of the moment...

they say we've been looking for illegal immigrants
can we check your car
i say you know it's funny
i think we were on the same boat back in 1694

-indigo girls "shame on you"



so i've been a college graduate for almost a month now, and i'm still not sure i know how i feel about it. i'm not sure i'm ready to grow up, but i have no choice. life is changing a mile a minute, and i'm not doing a very good job of keeping up with it.

i'm not fond of friends being far away. my biggest wish at the moment is that all the people i love could be in the same place at the same time... all the time. i'm always hesitant about making new friends, probably cause i'm not very good at it, and there have been very few times in my life that i've met someone new and they turned out to be a really great friend. that makes the friends i have special though. i just wish they were closer.

it's funny... i want everyone to stay in the area (and others to move to it), and all the while i'm thinking about where i'm going to be in 2 years. at this point i have no idea. i could be across the country... or in another one. who knows. the thought both excites and terrifies me at the same time. i don't like change, but at the same time, i like knowing that there are more adventures out there for me. my life is such a dichotomy sometimes.

so this is my last night in this dreadful apartment. woo!!!

as much as i'm not going to miss this place, i am going to miss all the late night chats and lazy afternoons of watching food network with the roommate. i'm sure we haven't had our last late night chat or our last afternoon of food network, but things certainly won't be the same anymore. i'm really gonna miss millersville too. i feel like i just got settled, and now i'm leaving. it really doesn't help that i'm moving to scranton, or as i like to call it, the armpit of pennsylvania. i wish i was excited about moving on to the next phase of my life, but instead i'm kinda terrified. *sigh* i am so bad at change...

song for the day...

Attention! Attention!
May I have all your eyes and ears to the front of the room,
If only, if only for one second
Will you hear what I have to say?
Oh, did I mention when I see you it stings like hell?
To the fact that we could have something that'll never happen.
This table has taken a turn for the worst,
Rock bottom and over the edge
Well it’s not like it hurts that much anyway.
Upside-down and inside-out,
When I leave here I’m going alone
Well it’s not like, not like it, hurts much anyway.
Attention! Attention!
May I have all your eyes and ears to the front of the room,
If only, if only for one second.
Will you hear what I have to say?
Oh, did I mention when I see you it stings like hell?
To the fact that we could have something, something…
This balance has weighed out our heart’s desire,
I’m trying to make it alone.
Well it’s not like it hurts that much anyway.
Upside-down and inside out,
When I leave here I’m going alone
But I’m dying, I’m dying, to touch..’
And it’s not like it, not like it hurts much anyway.
Attention! Attention!
May I have all your eyes and ears to the front of the room,
If only, if only for one second.
Will you hear what I have to say?
Oh, did I mention when I see you it stings like hell?
To the fact that we could have something that’ll never happen.
Did you hear what I have to (say)….
Attention Attention
Upside-down and inside-out
Attention Attention
Upside-down and inside-out
Attention! Attention!
May I have all your eyes and ears to the front of the room,
If only, if only for one second.
Will you hear what I have to say?
Oh, did I mention when I see you it stings like hell?
To the fact that we could have something that’ll never happen.
Did you hear what I have to (say)...

-The Academy Is... "Attention"

i am now a college graduate!!! :)





so excited about marywood...




but i'm really gonna miss millersville...

i'm so tired...



i have a million things on my mind...


i'm frustrated... and i'm sad... but most of all...



i'm so tired...

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

-Psalm 34:18

i hate feeling like i'm being used.


i hate feeling like i'm being left behind.


i hate feeling like i'm falling.


i hate feeling like i have no place to land.


i hate how much i miss the way things used to be.


i hate feeling like i'm the only one who misses it.


i hate feeling like everything's changing except me...

i'm having an "i miss old friends" day today. there's something so comforting about people who have known you a long time... i really hope i get to see these people soon... it's been way too long...

besides feeling very nostalgic today, i am stressed to the max with school. i about had a nervous breakdown last night when i found out that my project for research methods is going to be quite a bit more involved than i originally thought. i hate how i allow things like that to affect me so much, so i'm trying to just let it go, and trust that it will all work out. this is not easy for me. i'm good at holding on... not letting go... but the thing is, all i can do is my best... the rest is out of my hands...

on a very different note, mark sent me the link to this video today about 9/11... pretty heavy stuff... check it out (i only watched the first 10 minutes or so, but what i saw was very well done... better than fahrenheit 9/11, if you ask me)

on that note, i'm off to work... love to all...

I don't think I'm any closer now

Than I was at fifteen

I still don't know what I really want

Or how I really feel

Sometimes I think I've seen too much

Sometimes nothing at all

And sometimes I think I just forgot

What I was looking for

-The Cure "Ocean"

You will keep in perfect peace


all who trust in you,


whose thoughts are fixed on you!


-Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:16-18

First of all thanks for listening to our song
We hope this finds you driving in your car
or where ever you are breathe out and breathe again
know that life is hard, but its worth breathing,
listen to me now for love, oh love, It's waiting for you just to say

here come better days
here come better days
better days, and a better place I know.

Secondly I'm all messed up so royally
I stumbled my way here, but wait,
oh wait grace has found me
shaken up my soul, grace will follow
wherever you will go, listen to me now grace,
oh grace, is calling for you just to say

here come better days
here come better days,
better days, and a better place I know.

Green grass and I'm laying in the sunlight of you,
the wind is moving through the trees blustering you,
and the better days you bring, the better places found,
feasting at your table I'm overwhelmed,
and I lift my glass drink to those who never gave up,
clouds pass fading into memories gone,
and all I know for life is life and love and peace,
what else could there be?

here come better days,
oh here come better days,
better days, and a better place I know

-Robbie Seay Band "Better Days"

ah, james... i love james...

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.
2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet,"
4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

-James 2:1-4 & 14-16

yes, today is sunday. no, i didn't go to church.

for quite some time now, my desire to be involved in church has been on what may best be described as a roller-coaster ride. my "distaste" for some aspects of the church (and by this i mean the "community of believers"-- a.k.a. christians) began during my sophomore year in high school. i went to a conservative christian school in bloomsburg, whose leaders tended (in my opinion) to be comprable to the pharisees described in the new testament. in my experience, many of the leaders of this school failed to love as Christ loved. they had very stringent standards of dress, behavior, attitudes, and opinions that could not be defied or even questioned without some kind of reproach. (in contrast, most of the teachers i had were wonderful examples of Christ's love, and i am truly thankful for them.) before i go on, i will say that i don't mean to berate these individuals. we are all human, and i am just as capable of mistreating people as they are. i am merely using them as an example to explain my feelings about the church.

there are many examples stored in my memory that i could recount for you, but i don't think they're necessary in making my point. i will just say this: there were many situations in which individuals involved in the school (teachers and students) were in need of some compassion, but instead were attacked and scolded for what was seen as their "shortcomings". naturally, i became fairly angry and hurt about this mistreatment, and because i was young and immature, i allowed what began as "righteous anger" to turn into bitterness.

in the year that followed, painful situations escalated at school. in addition, my beloved piano teacher passed away prematurely from heart disease, my boyfriend at the time was deployed to kuwait for six months, my youth pastor and his wife moved away in order for him to continue his education, and several major disagreements errupted in my church. the combination of all these situations caused a flood of questions to flow through my mind. the most prominent of which was, "if this is how christians treat people, do i really want to be labeled as one?"

with the assistance of time and several loving mentors, i began to understand that the hurtful behavior of the individuals mentioned before was not christianity, the basis for which is love, grace, and acceptance. this realization didn't solve much for me. yes, it answered the question of what christianity is really all about, but it also induced another, perhaps bigger question: "how do we accomplish this?" this is a question that i still often ask myself. i think it's a question that we need to never stop asking. how do we love as Christ loved? how do we become, as my youth pastor so poignantly described it, "jesus with skin on"? obviously, there is no easy answer, but i think that at the core, we must stop focusing on ourselves. last week i drove through a little town outside of lancaster called conestoga, and noticed the sign in front of one of the churches on the main road. it said, "at the center of sin is i". i think we can all agree it's a bit cheezy, but i think the point is valuable. until christians stop focusing on ourselves, we will continue to hurt those around us and fail in our calling to love.

all this to say that today i was thinking about why i didn't want to go to church this morning. there are many reasons. some are purely personal that i just need to get over, and some are more, fundamental, if you will. i think the christian community has come to a crossroads. we are stagnant. something needs to change, but are we willing to do the work involved to bring about this change? last night mark and i went to provident bookstore. while browsing the "church" section, mark noticed that many of the books were about "the emerging church". we both stated our pleasure in knowing that there are other people out there who are willing to critique the church, but mark questioned whether this was a movement that would bring about real change, or if it was all just a bunch of rhetoric.

something needs to be changed, and i'm beginning to believe that the church, as it is, cannot be fixed. i think that, in a lot of ways, we need to completely abandon the way we do things now, and start over. i don't know how to accomplish this, but i hope and pray that God will enlighten us... and soon...

i don't have much to say, other than... this weekend was loads of fun... and here are some pictures from t.j. rockwell's...

in case you don't know, this is me, the kateness, and amber

and here's katie and laura

hope everyone is having a great week... love to all...

since it's almost time for my least favorite day of the year, i thought i'd share my favorite valentine's day card...(check out the website too... what's your favorite?)

can't. fall. asleep... must. stop. thinking...

forgive me... i have no time to post... and no exciting events to post about...




(happy, mark? )

it's the first day of my last semester! i cannot believe it. it seems like yesterday i was moving into the dorm! madness i tell you!

anyway... today was interesting. i was supposed to start working at the CDRE, but the building had to be closed because of hazmat contamination. so... i went grocery shopping instead. oh, how i love grocery shopping. it seems that i ALWAYS manage to go when it's raining. i really need to time these things better.

as always, i miss bloomsburg. i had such a great weekend, it was so hard to leave last night. on saturday, i went to carri and michelle's with shell and brandon. the 5 of us, along with tony (brandon's old roommate), played board games all night. for anyone who hasn't experienced michelle killian in board game mode, it is a sight to behold. she gets ridiculous. it seriously made my week... especially when she yelled out, "eat dirt, bird!" it was a great night. shell and brandon are the best (as we all know), and michelle and carri are just so much fun. tony is too... i just don't know him that well yet, and he spent most of the night trying to gross me out... which continued the next night at good old days. i can't really blame him though, it's very easy to get a reaction from me.

speaking of good old days... we hung out there on sunday night cause brandon's old roommates ran out of oil, so they didn't have heat in their house. there really are no words to describe good old days... you'd have to experience it for yourself. there's just something incredibly enjoyable about hanging out with your friends and watching drunk people sing karaoke.

and now i will leave you with this thought... "whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -mark twain

love to all...

well, once again i'm wide awake at 1 in the morning. tonight i'm thinking about friends... in particular, some i haven't seen in quite some time. it's funny to think about how close we were at one point, and now we talk about once a year... if we're lucky. there's one friend who always seems to pop up just when i need someone to cheer me up. i miss that person the most tonight... and other nights too... and even some days. hopefully i'll get to see this person soon... possibly this summer.

which reminds me... nobody else wants to go to the grand canyon with me? we don't really have to do the grand canyon, but it would be fun to do a little camping/hiking trip. c'mon, guys... you know you want to!

wish me luck... i'm gonna go try to sleep now...

g'night, kids... much love...

i want to hike to the bottom of the grand canyon (and back up to the top, of course). who's with me?!?