What Has Been, What Will Be.

In 2012 I:

Got engaged to my soulmate.
Got confirmed in the Episcopal Church two days later.
Went to China and had my life completely changed forever!
Interned for the second time for my favorite youth group in the whole wide world.
Landed my first big girl job as a children and youth minister because of said internship.
Made wonderful, precious new friends that I cherish.
Began working at a great church, with a great boss, and surrounded by a loving congregation.

Oh, and then somewhere along the way I gained 20 pounds. Woops.


In 2013 I:

Will lose that 20 pounds (plus 10 more).
Go back to school (in a week!) and graduate college this year with God's help.
God willing, marry my best friend.
Have many experiences that I have yet to know about.
Cherish the time I have with my family and friends.
Pray more.
Learn more about the God I serve.
Be a better example as a Christian and as a role model for young people.
Try to be more patient.
Love unconditionally.


2013...bring it on. God, walk with me during this next year and help me grow in you and for you. Keep my family and friends healthy and safe. Let me find the confidence and motivation to accomplish any and everything you lay before me. Help me to be a strong and effective leader. Show me your will for my life, and help me make important decisions in ways that will glorify you. Give favor and blessings to Lawrence as he finishes school with me and tries to find a good job that will help support us so that we may get married this year. Please, let this be a good year.

I am so hopeful for this year, and all that lays ahead. I am so THANKFUL for what has been in 2012. It was a life-shaping year, for sure. Thank you, Father. All honor and glory is to You, and You alone.

Time Flies.

I can't believe that it has seriously been 8 months since I was in China. This time last year I had just recently found out that I had been accepted to go on the trip. I was full of anticipation and nerves. Today, a year later, I'm full of love, awe, and to be honest, a little bit of heartbreak. You see, when we left the foster home I'm pretty sure that part of my heart was ripped out as we drove away. It stayed there as I flew home.

I miss my time with those babies. With the nannies. With Hannah and the sweet staff that work so hard and pray even harder for these precious little lives.

I witnessed true miracles while I was there. Things that I will never forget, and never stop praising God for. Oh, how it fills my heart with joy just to be reminded of the great works He did while we were there.

How I wish I was back there...How I wish I could just touch their little faces, little hands. I would give anything to smell like baby again, and have formula stains all over my clothes. To feel the immense heat of little tiny bodies sleeping soundly in my arms. To hear the laughter that a simple game of peek-a-boo elicits.

I miss Colton and Levi screaming "WO BU YAO TOM!" while I had to physically carry them away from the beagle that stared so sappily at us, wondering what on earth he had done.

I miss Josiah reaching for me yelling in his language for me to pick him up, even though he was so heavy I couldn't manage for very long. :)

I miss Lena's beautiful eyes, and her smile when we played every afternoon.

Most of all, I miss my chunky Michael. What I would give for a few more moments with him. That little one stole my heart in a way I never thought possible. I would do anything to bring him home. I wish with every fiber of my being that it wasn't impossible. I miss him so much it hurts.

It's completely selfish of me to say, but I'm sure I will cry when the day comes that he is matched with a family that isn't mine. Of course I will be thrilled for him, but I will miss always wonder about him. I will always love my little chunk.


I wish I could go back and bring Lawrence with me so he could experience the wonder and the beauty of God's love for the orphan. Adoption has always been part of our plan, but it was never made more concrete with me than when I was in China. I want him to see what I saw, and feel what I continue to feel. There is nothing so beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Maybe someday I can go back. One day we will go, I'm sure. And when we do, we will be bringing home our baby.


How I long for that day.

A Greater Calling.

When people you love and respect turn out to not be the people you think they are, what do you do?


I had a professor at Lee who always told us not to put too much faith in our mentors, because if they fall, we have a big chance of falling with them.

My mentor has fallen.

But I won't fall.


Of course with these revelations coming to light, I've questioned myself. But in the end, not only do I have faith in my own abilities, but above all I have faith in the God that put me on this path. I have faith that I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't His will. It wasn't my mentor who put me here, it wasn't me who put myself here. It wasn't even my plan to be in ministry. It was, however, in God's plan for me. Therefore, all of my faith is in Him.

I'm not doing this for recognition, or glory, or for self-importance. I do what I do because I was called to do it. Because it's something greater than me. Its the chance to give a gift to a child that will not only change his or her life, but save that life in the end. To help a child know Christ...there is no greater calling for me.

I pray for my mentor, a person who despite his flaws, has taught me a lot about ministry and given me so much of the experience and confidence I have today. I pray that the spark re-ignites for him. That the fog that clouds his path lifts, so that he can see once again that what he is doing is so much more than just a paycheck.

Haunted.

It's 3 AM.

I should be asleep.

I want to be asleep, actually. But instead my mind has somehow slipped back into that dark place that it hasn't been in almost nine years. That dark chasm that is only opened when there is an unbearable wound causing what was once stable ground to falter and give way.

This is a feeling I haven't felt since I suffered the greatest loss of my life thusfar. It was a loss that was unexpected. Unprepared for. Unwarranted.

Tonight I feel that same loss for people I don't even know. I look at my clock and imagine those 20 little souls sleeping soundly in their beds, never expecting that in six short hours they would be

...I can't even type it.

Oh, God. Why. Why did this happen, why was it allowed to happen. Oh, how my heart hurts. Why am I so burdened by this? Why? Why can't I be one of those people that acknowledges the tragedy of this situation and then goes on? What is different about THIS story that I just can't forget? Why have the faces of those children and adults not left my mind for seven days? I wish I had never seen them. I wish I didn't have to know who they were. I would give anything to give them back to their families.

Oh, how I would do anything to make December 14 not happen.

They say that when you have a child, you instantly love them like nothing else in the world. funny thing is, I'm not even a parent. I don't even know what it's like to love my own child. The closest thing I have is a dog. If I am so haunted by these little faces that I didn't even know, i'm almost afraid to have my own child one day.

I'm afraid to love something that much.

Oh, Father, as we near the daylight hours of this dark day please hold every family affected by this tragedy tightly. Weep with them, and bring them comfort. It is only You who can heal their wounds.


What I would do to bring them back.

End of the World.

...Funny joke! Did anyone ACTUALLY believe it was going to be the end of the world today? Doubtful.

Anyway...
I need to get better at blogging.

Things are happier than they were the last time I blogged, where some of China babies are concerned. Lena is still here, and doing well. My heart sings. Our Christmas boxes are sent, and although only one has arrived so far, I am hopeful that the other three will show up and didn't get lost on the way to China. :\
I am sad that sweet Alan, one of the babies we were sponsoring for Christmas, passed away suddenly at the beginning of this month. As heartbroken as I am that that sweet little face is not going to be here on this earth anymore, I am so happy to know he has a true home now. He IS Home. And what a glorious home it is. God just needed another angel to help with Christmas this year.

Of course, with all the tragic happenings of the past week, He must have needed a lot of angels this Christmas. Please join me in praying for the Sandy Hook families. They need our prayers and our love so, so much as they navigate the dark and terrible road of tragedy.

 Father, please wrap Your loving arms around every person touched by these horrific events. Help ALL of us find peace in the aftermath. Walk with them as they start this journey to find a "new normal", and comfort them when they cry out for You. Lord, only You know why this horrific act took place. I take comfort knowing these little ones are safe with You, now free of all of the pain and ugliness of this world, but I weep for those who have been left behind. I ask for guidance and peace that only You can provide, Lord.

Oh, how it breaks my heart that there is so much pain in this world. That this time one week ago those twenty babies were sound asleep in their beds. Oh, how I cry for them.

It is times like that that make me wish that God hadn't given me such a heart for children. I haven't slept soundly since last Friday. I had to fight to keep myself from grabbing all of my Sunday School children and covering them in snuggles and kisses last Sunday. I can't even fathom something happening to one of my little ones in my class. I wept so hard during the Eucharistic prayer that I could barely take communion. And still, I know that as much as I am affected here in Tennessee, it is NOTHING compared to what the community of Newtown is feeling. Lord, hear their cries.

On another, happier note, today is Lawrence's birthday. We're officially the same age again. He caught up! For eight more months I will not be the "older woman" anymore. ;] I can't wait to celebrate his birthday with my family, especially since last year on his birthday we were in the ER while he was getting diagnosed with pneumonia! I pray that his next birthday will be his first as my husband. The plans are made, but only God knows whether our best laid plans will hold true. I pray that they do, but I keep reminding myself that God's timing is perfect, and mine is not. (Even though most of the time I think it is! :P)

I am especially excited that he will be joining my mom and I for Christmas Eve services at work. I'm even MORE excited that not only will this will be the first sermon I will have heard since I started there in September, but also the first sermon I will have heard Jon give! How fitting that it will be on the eve of the most beautiful day of the year. I love my job, I love the people I work with, and above all I love that God chose to use little old ME to do His work. An honor and privilege unmatched by anything else.

Well, blog. I think it's time to go to bed. Hopefully I'll remember to blog some more another time. Ya know, since the world didn't end and all. :P

Hope and a Broken Heart.

I haven't posted anything since coming home from China, mainly because I don't even know where to begin. So much has changed in so little time that it's just like a whirlwind came and carried me away to the here and now.

Tonight, though, I just have to vent.

When I was in China, I was able to say with 100% certainty that I watched two miracles happen before me. Children who never should have survived, who were medically given up on and were literally hours from death, received the very things we prayed so much for every morning. Seeing such things as these happen firsthand, it really proved a lot to me about hope and the power of prayer and miracles.

I never thought that tonight I would be praying for another miracle.

Every morning in China, we all gathered in the backyard and had a group prayer meeting, going over a list of people and situations that needed prayer. One day in particular I was tasked with praying for Lena, one of the heart babies that I had grown fond of in the few days we had been there. There was no "particular" reason that Lena needed prayer, for a heart baby she was pretty healthy- her only problem was a small infection on her toe. I never imagined that I would be a sloppy, snotty mess when I was done praying for her. I felt so burdened for her, and felt so much love coupled with sadness for her as I prayed...I still can't explain it other than to say that God took that moment to break my heart for what breaks His. From that moment I felt a sort of special "connection" with Lena. She was already the first baby I held while I was in China, now she was tugging army heart strings for no apparent reason. Even after I left, this little girl tugged at me ever so gently from time to time for no apparent reason other than the fact that I missed her.

Tonight she is tugging on my heart strings again, because now it is she who needs a miracle. Lena's heart is very sick, and her body is weak. For months her surgery has been postponed for various reasons, and today was supposed to be the day she underwent the risky procedure to fix her. Instead, today it was discovered that there will be no procedure. That Lena's heart and body are far too fragile for such a risk. For all intents and purposes it would seem like there is no hope for Lena.

The pessimist (or perhaps the realist) deep down inside me wants to agree that perhaps there is nothing more that can be done. But my soul says that there is hope. My heart tells me to remember the days I spent in tears asking for a miracle for Alea, or in fervent prayer when it seemed all hope was lost for Maya. Look at the work that God did in those situations. He showed us all that the only real hope lies in Him, and Him alone.

Despite the fact that it looks like there is only sorrow ahead, I am comforted in knowing that there IS hope for Lena. I believe that if it is God's will, her heart will be healed in a way that will defy all earthly medical understanding.

I will not give up hope. I will not give up on Lena's miracle.

Woop WOOP!

So proud of my honey, the new director of College and Career!

He has hoped and prayed for that position for so long, and I know he will revamp our group in such a way that GREAT things will happen. So happy and excited for him.

Some BIG decisions coming our way soon...It's a little intimidating , but exciting all the same. Keeping my faith in the One who knew every step of my life before I was formed. I know His way is the righteous way. All I have to do is listen, and follow Him.

Giving Thanks.

First off, I just want to take this opportunity to thank my Lord and Savior for protecting me today. Had it not been for a random "inconvenience" like my wallet falling out of my purse at Lawrence's house, then I wouldn't have been waiting on Lawrence at the gas station. If I had gotten gas like normal, I would have been the one who was sitting in the turn lane, and I would have been the one who got smashed by the crazy man in the SUV that lost all control of his vehicle as he was trying to get away from ANOTHER accident that he caused. I've prayed all day for the people who were unfortunately involved in that terrible accident, and I've been praising and giving thanks to the God who laid His hand of protection on me today. Thank you Lord.

Secondly, I just want to thank the Lord for the work that I can see Him doing in my life, and in Lawrence's. For so long I've prayed (and worried) and prayed some more that things would come together for us. Finally, it seems that little by little, they are. I've always known that if I kept my faith in God that things would come together as He wills, and on His time. I'm so excited, and so hopeful about our future now. I can't divulge anything just yet, but he is definitely at work, and I am SO thankful. Thanks be to the God who provides.


So blessed. So happy. So thankful.
Always.

Photofail.

So....you would think that after 2 and a half weeks in China, surrounded by tons of the most precious little kids known to man and armed with my 5D2 that I would have some BALLIN' pictures.

And I do.

HOWEVER......

I'm not "supposed" to post them, because China is weird like that.


I'm still trying to figure out a way to share my pictures in a way that would be "appropriate"...so when I find that out I will let ya know! I'm really eager to share with you some of God's most beautiful creations!


Other than that, life is good. I'm babysitting a little China princess, and I'm blessed to be interning for the youth/college at church again.....with an exciting prospect at the end of the Summer that I am not at liberty to share yet. Praying all things work out, though.

I don't know if people think that Lawrence and I are getting married THIS October or what, but there has been a lot of wedding talk lately. Not that I mind, I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it! We've gotten some baseline planning done, and i can't wait to get more in depth with it. :)

The only crappy part of the summer so far is that my camera had an accident the day before we left China (NOT my fault for once!) and it is currently back at Canon getting fixed. Initially the wait time was to be two weeks, but who knows....it may even be as long as six. I've got some shoots coming up that I'm SUPER excited for, but no camera. Luckily, I have great photographer friends.....maybe I can ask nicely and borrow another 5D2 for a day. I MISS MY CAMERA.

Lastly, before I hope in the shower like I was supposed to have done 10 minutes ago....

It is with a heavy heart that I ask for prayer for the Krull family. For 18 months their sweet little daughter has fought bravely in her fight against a very mean cancer. Now her fight will soon end and she will return Home to our Father. Please pray for mercy and comfort for her and her sweet family in the days ahead. She is so brave. Her reward will be so great. My heart is burdened knowing her life will be so short, but joyous in the fact that she will know no pain and will be Home with our Father in heaven for eternity.

And, in something that is truly a testament to God's greatness...right on the heels of this sad news comes the joyful news that Alea, one of the sweet babies I met in China, is currently in surgery receiving a new liver. What makes this so great is that while we were in China we were told just how hard it would be to get her a liver in China. To put it bluntly, it would take a miracle. Every morning we prayed fervently for her, that she would be healed. When things looked bad for her, we prayed harder but still no liver came. Today, God answered the prayers of so many of us and Alea has received her miracle. Pray for her little body to accept this liver so that she may become well, and for a quick recovery so that she may fully enjoy her health. Finally, pray that she may be matched with a loving mother and father who will treat her like the beautiful princess that she is. :)  My heart is so joyful today.

Home.

No China posts yet...I gotta catch up on the journal entries I'm actually graded on first.

But I'm home, and it's great. Can't wait to get back in the swing of things.

I really want my life to follow God's plan for me. I will follow wherever He may lead.

Today my future got a little more exciting, and a little scarier. Soon, I will find out just how much.

All I can do is have faith and pray that things work out as God wills them.

That's all I can hope for.

It Begins.

I'M ON A BUS. I'M ON A BUS. EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME CAUSE IM RIDING ON A BUS.


Officially beginning the trip to China! :D

Tick Tock.

It's almost here. In 15 hours I will be leaving to meet the bus to take me to the airport.

Tomorrow, I will be in the air to Beijing.


It still hasn't sunk in.


I still have to pack. I still have to do laundry. I CAN'T BE GOING TO CHINA TOMORROW. AAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW.

Clearance.

I'M OFFICIALLY CLEARED TO TRAVEL!

After one final run-around from the health clinic, I have gotten the A-OK to travel to China in 10 DAYS!
So relieved and excited and anxious to see where God takes me spiritually on this trip! I AM SO EXCITED. The countdown has officially begun.

Also, today marks 1 1/2 years until our wedding date. It makes everything feel so much more real. This is crazy exciting, but also pretty nervewracking as well, seeing as how there are a TON of things to prepare for! And I'm not even talking about the wedding. That's the LEAST of my worries. I'm concerned more about that part after the wedding is over. You know, LIFE? Yeah. But I know everything will work out in God's time and in the way that He has planned for us. :)

On a somber note, I want to express my sincere condolences to my friend Sonja and her family. Their sweet little baby, Jaxxon, passed from this earth suddenly on Tuesday. I can only imagine he was an angel too perfect for this damaged world. Sonja, Nelson, and big brother Connor will always have a special angel to look down on them from this day forward. May the Lord walk with them and comfort them during this time of unimaginable grief.

Hmm.

It's been a week since I last posted.

First off, the baby squeal went to baby squeal heaven two days after we...erm...received him. He's buried next to the fence with the baby duck. (Baby animals suck at staying alive!)

Tomorrow is my last exam for this semester. Tomorrow is also the day that I find out if I've been cleared to travel, health-wise. :\ Thanks to my stupid mitral valve issues, I may not get cleared. I don't even want to think about the possibility of not going to China in 11 days.  We shall see, I guess. Prayers would be greatly apreciated.

On a lighter note, tomorrow will 1 1/2 years until I marry the love of my life. Not that I'm counting or anything. :)

Today.

Good: Made it to class on time when I thought I wouldn't.

Bad: typhoid pills I had to start today have made me MISERABLE all day.

Good: Got to spend the day with Lawrence and Sam.

Bad: Sam decided to gift us with a baby squirrel. (at least he was gentle!)

Good: Had a wonderful time at my last youth meeting before the trip, and felt so humbled and blessed as they sent me off by praying over me. I love them all!

Bad: I'm gonna miss them when I'm gone!

Good: The squirrel was still alive when we got home!

Bad: We don't know what to do with it.

Good: it's been an overall awesome day filled with the best people. So blessed and thankful to have each and every one of them in my life. :)

Grumblings, Part 2.

What happened to part one, you don't ask?

Blogger ate it. Yay, Blogger!


Probably a good thing it got eaten. I said some not-so-nice things due to my level of STRESSED OUT-NESS lately.

I still think these not-so-nice things in my head, but in my head they shall stay.



In other news,

I frowed up on Saturday. This is news because 1. I never throw up. and 2. The epicness of said-barf was so extreme that even Lawrence was impressed. *takes a very gross bow*

Yeahhhh. I'm the barf queen.


-awkward moment where I realize I just told everyone I barfed-



ANYWAY.

Also, I leave in 19 days.


Down to the wire, we are.

I also have to come up with the *Surprise!* money to pay for my required "HIGHLY recommended" immunizations before I go. Because that big ol' "all inclusive" lump of money I shelled out for this required trip in the first place wasn't enough. That's cool. I see how it is. Gotta throw another extravagant party for [insert university president's name here] after all.

Grumble. *breathe*

BUT THAT'S OKAY.

Yes, [Insert school's name here] may or may not have completely screwed the pooch when it came to mentioning the plethora of hidden fees associated with this required-to-graduate trip.

Yes, because of that I will now be unable to graduate from said school after I have taken the aforementioned required trip.

YES I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THIS.

But as disappointed as I am, I'm still even more grateful that I'm getting to go to China. I'm still excited about waking up in Beijing for two and a half weeks, surrounded by a group of pretty cool people and an even cooler (And cuter) group of Chinese orphans. I'm getting to accomplish one of the top three dreams of my lifetime, after marrying the love of my life and going to China for a second time to actually bring HOME an orphan. (ONLY 7 MORE YEARS!!)

So yeah....There's disappointment. There's stress. A lot of stress. But there will be excitement, and a LOT of joy. I know everything happens for a reason. All of this is in God's plan.

It's gonna be great.

Bam-A-Lam.

Today has been quite a day.

Got to sleep in, which was nice. This week has been awesome for sleeping in. I could do Easter break every week....

I had originally planned to just lay in bed and play Mass Effect all say, but the raging pain in my head shouted that I was not allowed to do that, and that I needed sunlight and action instead. Soooo I went to Cleveland and hung out with Mom. Every day I am reminded of how blessed I am to have her in my life. I love my mom like there is no tomorrow. She's the bomb diggity. :)

It was around this time that I got two different, and exciting phonecalls. One was exciting enough, but the second one I still haven't fully recovered from. God is moving. He knows the plans He has for me. I can only pray that He continues to work in these situations. I will go where He leads, no matter how different or how scary it may be. I'm so excited.  I hope everything works out so that I may share more. For now, cryptic is best. :)

On a more somber note, a young girl lost her life on Keith Street this evening. I don't know the exact circumstances, but the scene was troubling. We passed through not long after it happened and saw the coroner's vehicle taking her body, and I've been rattled ever since. I pray comfort and peace for her family and friends during this unimaginably tragic time. My heart is heavy for a young life lost.

Tomorrow starts the weekend, and even though this week has been crazy easy, I'm still ready for it. Can't wait to see my honey and my puppy! And really excited for worship this Sunday.

Life is good.

Woops.

Obviously I haven't been keeping up with this thing like I planned.

Easter weekend will do that to you, I suppose.

Speaking of, Easter weekend was awesome this year. St. Peter's Good Friday service was so moving that I literally don't have decent words for it. It was beautiful, crushing, reverent, somber, hopeful, all of these things. It felt wrong to speak, even after it was over. The crucifixion of Christ never felt as real as it did in the nave last Friday. I was so glad to have gone.

Easter Sunday was pretty legit as well. Packed house, and quite festive. I was also privileged to hear one of the most beautiful and amazing stories I've ever heard, courtesy of Mrs. Beth. I love her. She's beautiful on the inside and out. :)

Today I (FINALLY) got to see Lawrence in a suit. It was sexy. And by sexy I mean "Omg I want to see this every day of my life melt me into butter" sexy. Good thing I'm marrying him. MUST SEE MORE SUIT-WEARING.

Now I'm in the final hours of my four-day-long Easter break. It's been a much needed period of rest.

It's also 25 days until I leave for China.

25 days.

I'm suddenly not as ready to go as I had thought. It's beginning to seem very, very real now.

Even more real now, because I JUST GOT MY CHILDREN ASSIGNED TO ME!!!! One little boy has joined a foster family, so I won't be seeing him while I'm there. Kinda bummed, but glad he is with a loving family. The little girl IS still residing at the foster home, so I will be able to interact with her a lot! I'm so excited, I've been reading her story since I found out I would be going to China. I know God has something in store for the both of us. I don't expect to be the same person when I leave China as I was when I arrived.

I'm so excited so excited so excited SO EXCITED. BABIES! CHILDREN! CHINESE KIDS! WOO!

Okay so maybe I AM ready to go.



....I need to go to bed. Actually, I need to read for my class tomorrow evening. But I have time to do that tomorrow. BEDTIME. MUST GO.

KTHXBYE.

Thursday on a Friday

I'm pretty sure the highlight of my day was getting to spend time with my mommy. It makes me happier than anything. I have the best mom in the world, no lie. She makes everything better. I love her more than anything.

Of course, another highlight was my snuggle nap with my buddy Sam. I know I talk about him in practically every post, but that's because I love him so. He's my good boy. ;)

Nothing much for tonight. It's sleepy time.

Good Friday service tomorrow...well, THIS evening. I'm excited. Love St. Peter's. Not a better church out there.

Until tomorrow, peace out.

Wednesday.

Wednesdays are my favorite.

Why? Because today....

...I sent off my passport and visa application. I hung out at church and got to make and bring food to some o my favorite people. I went deaf at youth. I stuffed more Easter eggs than I can count. I threw my iPhone in the garbage. I found it in the dumpster covered in garlic sauce and pizza grease. I sucked a bug up my nose. I went to BW3s with some awesome people and laughed till I was sore.

Now I'm lying in bed while Sam hits in me in the face with an oven mitt.


I love Wednesdays. 😃

Dog Parks, Passports, and Wooden Boxes.

First off, as a side note, it's midnight and there is a bird chirping incessantly outside my window. Y U NO GO TO SLEEP, BIRD.

Anyway.

Today we took Sam to the dog park so he could have a playdate with his girlfriend Inca (And so we could hang with Mariah while our lovebirds played). I'm pretty sure we're going to have to re-name him Simple Sam. If he wasn't staring at you with his beady yellow eyes and supplying you with an amazing slobbershower, he was trying to eat water (and poop), and cheating trying to cheat on Inca with members of both sexes. Obviously, Sam isn't picky.

It was a lot of fun though. Simple Sam has managed to go from being the awkward puppy that tries to bite everyone, to the awkward boy who everyone wants to be friends with. I'm so proud of our boy...Ha!

After we took Simple Sam back to Lawrence's, I headed home and procured some more supplies for our new photo-shipping endeavors! Woop woop! There are some pretty cool things going down at Lawrence J Photography these days. Proud of my man for coming up with such great ideas, and very proud that I get to work alongside him.

Also, MY PASSPORT FINALLY CAME. *CARTWHEEL* *PARADE* *WEIRD-KAZOO-NOISEMAKER-THING YOU GET AT PARTIES*

...Not that I'm excited about this, or anything. Pfft.


YESIAM


Gonna get that, along with my Chinese visa application, sent off tomorrow. Then the last major hurdle will be immunizations....that I keep putting off.

Guess I'll man up and do it Friday. Maybe. *Shudder*


Anyway. It's closing in on 1 AM and I have class in the morning. Bright side?  TOMORROW IS ALSO YOUTH GROUP DAY!

It's the little things.

True Story.

There will never be anything on earth that smells worse than cat poop.



Fact.

Testing, 1...2...75.

I need to get (back) in the habit of keeping a journal before I take my happy butt to China, where a daily journal is required. Obviously, you know how much I'm going to hate writing about being in an amazingly beautiful country, surrounded by tiny little Asian babies. 

So here it is...Ch-ch-check it out. It's my IDEAL goal to write in this thing every day. It is my realistic goal to blog at least every other day. Definitely every week. If I fail to do so, hit me with blunt objects until I pound something out. 

If you do this sort of blogging thing and you feel so inclined, follow me. If not, lurking is good too. Just don't do anything creepy. I'll come after you with scissors.