Wow, has it been just…an amazingly awesome last few days. And those words really DO NOT adequately say what I’m feeling. Just because I’m terrible with words and all…getting your emotions onto the printed page? Not easy.

But even though these past few days are worthy of pages of writing(don’t leave – I won’t really write that much!!), I really do need to go to sleep soon because church is in the morning and getting eight hours of sleep would really be quite delightful!

But yeah…let me at least briefly describe what I’ve been doing recently. Went back to Gainesville this past Wednesday…one last hurrah!! On Wednesday night, got in and chilled with Rob for a while…was so good to just hang with him and talk and….have great times. I have to say, I’ve had lots of good friends…but never one quite like him. And I am most exceedingly grateful to my Father for blessing me so!!!!

I will not be derailed too much in this brief recap though…! And so Wednesday night was suitably glorious for my return(me and Rob and Andrew ended up watching a movie that will remain nameless, but started with “Pride” and ended with “Prejudice”. Hey. Don’t judge) and ended with me reading some classic Lord of the Rings as I drifted off to sleep(nothing better than reading about sleepy willow trees to help you go to sleep!).

And Thursday started just as relaxingly…sleeping in late and eating crispy bacon with the dudes…yesss. Later that night, me and Rob headed over to Dan and Betsy’s house for just pretty much the most perfect night…playing horseshoes in the rain…grilling and eating deliciousness…talking for hours on end…and just soaking in the blessings of such sweet fellowship!!! You know those friends who you can just talk to about ANYTHING…and whom you just CONNECT to? Well, my conversations with Rob and Dan and Betsy are just always amazing because they’re those type of friends…a communion of love, indeed. So that night…well…just YES.

And the next day was just as sweet. Wow, looking back on it, I really can’t believe how awesome all these days have been!! And I’m rapidly falling asleep, so I better stop rambling and hurry up! But yeah, did some errands in the pouring down rain in the morning(cut my hair…it is so short now, eeek!) and then in the afternoon went to see Rebekah Hope! She’s been staying at her family’s lake house after her surgery, so a bunch of us went to chill with her…it was a pure delight to see her again!! And that evening, prayer and praise. For one last time! We ate delicious spaghetti and read through 1 Thessalonians and sang and talked about controversial topics and prayed and worshiped God. And that really says enough. Oh, and we ended that night with some delicious coffee(Laurie made it – how I will miss her! And not just for her coffee!)

And this morning(we’re finally to today!) began as all mornings should. At the disc golf course. Me and Rob and Galan and Deanna and Shari and Laurie and David and George and Becca went over to Northside park and hit up the course bright and early(8:30 IS early, I swear!) and it was ever so beautiful…I love doing things early in the morning and watching the wisps of fog melt away as the sun hits them and seeing the sparkling dew on the grass and feeling the very first hints of the sun and watching the clouds form in the sky…and walking through all of this with your very best friends. Truly, I’m going to miss this.

And now, I’m home in Tampa. And while I love my friends OH SO MUCH, I also love my fam and it was so good to be back with them and talk with my dad and mom and chat about random stuff with Laura and Maryanne in my room and just relax on my bed. And speaking of bed. It is time. I think I said this was going to be a short entry. Oops. You all have permission to slap me next time you see me!

And I really want to write a more insightful entry about college and my feelings about leaving it…and yes, that will probably also be a very long entry. Alas, now is not the time. And I feel my heart is too full…as I have said before and will say again, I feel so overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord. I can never stop thanking Him for his marvelous blessings to me and for the friends and brothers and sisters He has given me in this life…and I can never stop praising Him for His love that extends over the heavens and is greater than the seas…and I can never forget the works He has done in my life with His mighty hand…and all I can do is love Him. Because He loved me first.

Wow, am I exhausted!! It’s a been a crazy and TIRING last few days…

I don’t have time for a long update(well technically I DO have time, but it’s getting late and I rather want some sweet sleep!!)…so I guess I’ll just have to summarize!

Maryanne graduated from Gaither this past Friday! WHOA. My little sister is now practically a college student. Craziness. I just wish I could be at UF one more semester, because I think that would be really sweet to be able to be at the same school with her! Unfortunately, since she’s four years younger…we’ve never been able to be in the same school together. Except for when we were home-schooled, but that doesn’t really count. Anyway, the graduation was super awesome!! And nice and short. College graduation ceremonies…take a hint!!

And because she was graduating, my Uncle Maury and Aunt Cheryl came from Omaha, Nebraska to visit! They were here from Wednesday of last week until today…they stayed at the nearby Baptist camp(where I worked a few summers ago), so I spent much of my time ferrying them to and fro…I think I could drive that route without headlights, blindfolded. Don’t dare me to try it though.

Anyways, the time with them was sweet! We watched lots of movies with ’em, went to the beach, had way too much good food…you know. Oh and speaking of movies, last week the whole family(minus Katharyn, sadly…) went and saw Star Trek at the theatre. It was most excellent – better than I expected! – mostly because it pulled a lot of the old lines from the TV series and really kept the spirit of Star Trek. We were pleased!

Anyways, there is much more I could talk about, but it is time for sleep. So farewell. And…live long and prosper.

Once again, it’s a beautiful Monday morning at the christian study center!! Ok, well actually it’s sorta gray and gloomy outside, but I’m inside and drinking my peppermint mocha so I feel quite warm and content. Mmm….

Anyways, I really really really should be working on my lit homework that is due tomorrow, but I cannot get myself inspired. Oh dear. This could be a problem. Well in the meantime, I’ll just update y’all on what I’ve been up to lately! Yes, this is a great way of distracting myself!

But really, this past weekend was just AWESOME. Even if it was insanely busy and I am now recovering from a long and frenetic week. On Friday, I had my lean exam and for the first time in a little while, I feel I’ve dominated an engineering exam, YES! It was a good feeling after all my studying to know that my grade will prove my efforts! After that, I went home where I made lasagna. Lasagna is a very time-consuming process…but it’s all worth it in the end. And the reason I was doing this is because my mom and Maryanne and Laura were coming to visit Gainesville this past weekend! They came in on Friday afternoon and we then went over to the Lebos for dinner…where we had great times eating, talking and playing games…it was so awesome to be able to have some of my favorite people in the same place at the same time. After a long night there, we went home(my mom and sisters stayed at Deanna, Amy and Shari’s place). The next morning, after I got some errands done, my mom and sisters came over to my place where I had bacon and coffee ready and we had a nice relaxing morning…culminating in a delicious lasagna lunch! Maryanne helped me make the garlic bread and Laura helped make the salad…and of course, the lasagna was already almost ready since I’d made it the day before. Deanna and Rob were with us too, so we had a delightful lunch. Even though the lasagna didn’t quite stand up firmly, it tasted delicious…so I was happy. So much fun to be able to make my family my favorite meal!!

That afternoon, we all went to campus where I showed my mom and sisters all the best spots of campus(the stadium, the Union, the place where I study at Library West…wait, maybe that last isn’t the *best* spot..) My mom and sisters thought the campus was quite beautiful and the fact that it was a GORGEOUS day outside didn’t hurt! It was a beautiful spring day with a nice breeze blowing…and flowers blooming everywhere! Anyway that evening, me and my sisters hung out with Rob and had a typical college night. And by typical I mean frozen pizza and Guitar Hero and Family Matters. Yes. Oh, and my sisters helped me hang up some posters in my room, since I almost always forget to do that on my own. The next morning we all went to church, which was a great service(James Walden was back in town!) and my family got to meet lots of my friends. I have to say, sometimes I forget(how dare I!) how blessed I am to have such great friends AND such a great family…I was reminded of this as they intermingled in church!

Afterwards, me and my mom and sisters went out to Subway for lunch and after a few pictures and parting words…they left for Tampa. Upon which I promptly took a nap. It was indeed a wonderful weekend and I only wish I’d done it sooner!! God is so good to us!!!

Now I really do need to do some of my lit homework…not sure how much of it will even happen now, as I’m meeting Katie and Lars for lunch at Larry’s Subs in a few minutes. Ah well. There’s always this afternoon!! Farewell, all!