Just can't let go

Well, this blog has been languishing for the past year or so, averaging about a post a month.

But I'm not letting it go. First, I decided to change the banner and my photo (both having been up for over a year). And second, I figured out how to post without having to sign out of everything google and sign back in with my old handle. Now this blog is associated with my new google account (since marriage) and I'll be automatically able to post.

An additional part of the problem has been our relative "poverty" level - we've decided against getting internet at the apartment. It's a $15-60/month investment that we aren't too keen on exploring because of our budget. Two, no internet at that house helps us study. Three, we have free high speed internet at the school (and our jobs), which gives us incentive to spend our work/internet time there, and spend our time together and on class reading while at the apartment.

But that all equals to my not having a lot of accessibility or time to post. Every 6 months or so, I decide to put more energy into posting (in order to keep up with friends and journal the day to day things of life). And usually I'm a bit behind.

Oh well. I'm just not ready to let it go, yet.

The Last week + Plans

Monday: Final Exam (Theories & Techniques in Counseling)
Tuesday: Flight & Travel
Wednesday: Sleeping in
Thursday: Dinner with Family
Friday: Christmas Shopping (not completed)
Saturday: Papa Murphy's Pizza (Adam: Very happy)
Sunday: RMCC, Christmas Choir, Thinking Putty & Great Dinner!
Monday: Christmas Shopping aborted, Haircut; Addiction, thy name is Cesar Millan
Tuesday: ? + Christmas Shopping, Choir Practice
Wednesday: Cookies, Happy Birthday Jennie!, Frantic wrapping
Thursday: Happy Christmas!

Influence

Marriage changes things. I'm the one who seemingly influences Adam many times, but he'll be happy to know his influence on me is clearly showing tonight.

A bowl of cereal has never been an appropriate meal (in my mind), unless it's 6:45 am. Not in Adam's world. A bowl of cereal is a most excellent and desirable dinner, oftentimes.

Since Sunday dinner was huge, and I had no need for another large meal, I thought I'd skip dinner and just head to bed. Homework has kept me up later than I suspected, and so the rumbly in the tumbly began.

And I reached for the cereal bowl.

Things

It sounds windy outside. I don't see the tree outside our balcony moving.
I don't want to go grocery shopping.
I can't decide which grocery store to shop at
I need to go to three of them to get different things at good prices
Adam is studying Hebrew
I'd rather watch him, with the the glow of the "dining room" lamp illuminating his profile
Grocery Store.
Ugh.
Funny.
Sad/Poignant.
We're going to Schnucks. Aldi another Day. Trader Joe's yet another.

Elegance

Adam handed me the water I asked for -- in one of our Crystal wine glasses. Water, garnished with ice.


And it does make me feel a little more elegant, yes.

Fear in the City

I'm required to write response papers on the Theories and Techniques chapters I'm reading each week. So in that spirit:

A "Response post" on the Sex in the City Movie


"We're just two adults who have decided to get married."

While Adam's proposal was very romantic, we had talked about and even planned aspects of our wedding before the proposal. We had decided weeks before that we WERE going to be married, it was just a matter of time.
I think one of the most steadfast things about our marriage is that Adam once stated (and we both understood) that Love is --yes, about passion, friendship, romance - but it's ultimately about a decision.

Charlotte (reading Page Six) "'Proving to single gals everywhere that there can be a happy ending over 40'"
SITC writers just addressed one of the biggest fears and questions that American women have today. (Am I too old? Will this ever happen?)

Big: "young Lady, you need to get glasses."
Carrie: "No I don't, I have yours."
(I just liked this one. Yay for sharing stuff in marriage!)


Big: I want you. That's what I want. I coulda just gone down to City Hall."
Expressing the view of engaged men everywhere. Big weddings are always for the girl (and misc. women around the bride), very rarely does the groom care whether or not the wedding is large. Adam and I were really tired of the overwhelming-ness of a big wedding by the end of our engagement, and we were only engaged for 4 months!

Ok, the food in this movie is RIDICULOUS. They could only eat and spend this way if they were making a hollywood salary.

Miranda: "No I'm not all right. You two are crazy to get married. Marriage ruins everything."
So, you have the "forever single and loving it,"as typified in Samantha and the "Marriage/Relationship fulfills all" as typified in Charlotte. But the paragon of "marriage eventually dies a horrible death" is Miranda. The sad part of watching this character (and those in real life that believe in that philosophy) is that she doesn't see what she did to contribute to the breakdown of her marriage. She says the above to Big, who realistically is battling his own fears that his marriage to Carrie will break down.

Big calls Carrie and in one of the better, understanding, Carrie-as-counselor moments, she tells him that "it's me you're marrying. It's me and you." And that's very true. Commiting to one another, when you suspect that it can get bad (as exemplified in Miranda and Steve's relationship) is frightening. Fear raises a big, unabiding head. And you have to realize that the other person is in it, all the way, and that you're committed to being with one another.

So, for the last 10 minutes I've been wondering what bothered me about the climax of the "jilted at the alter" scene and it's this: Carrie, the night before is understanding and calm, but when it comes down to it, what does she scream at Big when she sees him after flees? "I am humiliated!" Now, yes, there are many things we can say about that, but it seems as though 1) it's not authentic to the "it's you and me" thing she said and 2) It's about her humilation, not his fear.

"Is it all about putting his needs before mine? Is it all about the other person? Is that Love?"
Miranda jumps in: No. that's marriage." Obviously, being all about the other person to the sacrifice of even your own wants is a negative thing to the SITC powers that be.

Dang, the writers are hitting on every fear!
Charlotte: "Because I'm afraid something bad is going to happen! I have everything I've ever wanted. I'm so happy that I'm terrified. Nobody gets everything that they want."

Yes! Carrie finally get's it: "And Miranda, in that article, I did not say 'we' once. The whole wedding was my point of view."

The final answer overall in the movie is to risk for a relationship, which is true, but it's tainted with the idea that you will not be whole unless you love yourself. This, enhh. Not so true. I would agree that a person needs insight into themselves, but much of that comes with being in relationship and seeing yourself as you really, really are: the good and the bad.
Forgiveness is a main theme, but what forgiveness means or encompasses isn't discussed much. (In the end, Steve and Miranda go to counseling and decide to put the past behind them.)

It was a good movie overall, probably put it in the 2.5 star category (not high enough to own, just rent).

Thank You's

Much of today was spent being grateful for what we have. Lots of people have been sending gifts and also have been probably been wondering where the thank you notes are...!

My problem is that I cannot make myself write a generic thank you note. I've talked with other brides, and they say they have about 4 different templates that they use. Me? no, I actually TRY to use a template, but I feel as though a person spent time and effort on a gift (or gave us cash - which turned into the sofa I'm sitting on right now) and I want them to know how we're using what they gave us!

So each note becomes a little bit personal -- which means it took me an hour and half to write 12 notes today.

But they are getting done! And as I write them, I remember how gracious our friends and family have been.

and the image is not actually my thank you notes...but they're pretty!

Housing Crisis

Nearly 60 percent of the loans were made in California, Florida and Arizona, where home prices rose — and subsequently fell — faster than almost anywhere else in the country.

Yahoo News/The New York Times

So, What NYT is telling us is that the mortgage lenders, home buyers and home builders were dumba**es, Sold people homes and gave them mortgages for WAY over what those people could afford, because basically, everyone "should" have the American dream.

I know I'm not sounding very hardcore republican right now, but a bail out will only do so much, and I'm not really for it that much. Frankly, Americans need to have a very long lesson in personal financial responsibility, work ethic and humility. If you can't afford it, don't buy it.

Listening to:

But this is the way I need to wake I wake to you
You never left me all that I had dreamt had been untrue
Open my eyes, I see sky

Oh oh oh, oh oh
The way you keep me on my toes,
I, I,I will be fine
just say you'll stay forever mine
till we fall asleep tonight

Joshua Radin
feat. Ingrid Michaelson
Unclear Sky
"Sky"


(Our first dance was a Joshua Radin song, so his songs have special meaning to me!)

Best

As I was making tuna casserole for dinner tonight, I was trying to figure out what standard wedding gift I will get everyone who marries within the next 40 or 50 years.

I started out with the little colander. It's cute, it's practical, it's great. Then I thought, no, the really helpful and great thing are those little, tiny white spatulas. They get all the soup out of the can (and honestly, it was a wedding gift because we used money donated, not because we unwrapped it as a gift. But I knew I wanted one!)

THEN I thought, "no, it's this little tiny casserole dish that came in the package of three knock-off-brand Pyrex dishes. I bought it a while back when I was on campus, making dinner and didn't have a pyrex dish. Originally I thought the little one would be the one I use least. Oh no! I use it most! Mini Casseroles for Mr. Porcella and me.

But then I changed my mind. Nope, it's the slightly-larger-than normal toaster oven...which actually I've been using more as a mini oven than as a toaster, and it's GREAT. it cooks, and we don't heat up the entire apartment.

So basically, wedding gifts are great. They make making dinner so much better. I used to have to figure out how much of a recipe I could fit into this or that wrong-sized dish. No longer!

And with that, I'm sitting down to watch "Opportunity Knocks" and write Thank You notes.

A day

We've consolidated our music onto my iPod, and two seconds ago Rachel Yamagata was singing, "He lights a lamp inviting him, He's a bandit and a heartbreaker, Oh, but Jesus was a crossmaker."
The first time I heard her light voice and the chords that remind me of Simon and Garfunkle, Adam and I were driving down to he Covenant housing to drop him off at the end of the night. I'm still amazed at the power of music to bring a scene directly into my mind's eye.

He just walked into the kitchen to pour himself a bowl of cereal...Which I suspect is "Chocolate and Peanut Butter Spheres." What? Kix, but flavored by Chocolate and Peanut butter. Why don't they call it Peanut Buttery ChocoBlast Kix? Because we just returned from what Adam calls the Thrift Store for Food, "Aldi's". (It's a super inexpensive grocery store -- German style! yay! ....and you don't get the best quality food, but when you're working part time through grad school, you shop at the cheapest thing available.)

Life has been good, and we're on the eve of our 1 month anniversary. Hebrew has dominated his studying, "Integrative Psychotherapy" has dominated my reading. We've got 4 couples coming over to hang over this weekend - whoever thought that newlyweds hide away got it wrong.

I guess the best part is waking up in the morning - usually having kicked off all of the blankets, or stolen all of them, and knowing that he'll be there for the next night too.

Quote

"Well, the point is, we all agree that it's a ridiculous place to live."

My boss,
after a office-wide discussion of the drop in temperature from Wednesday to today, and in the recent St. Louis past.

Married

Well, it's been 2 months since I posted, and I'm sure almost no one is reading this, except the random family member or those with an RSS feed.

Truthfully, one of the reasons I didn't post was that each time I thought up a post during my engagement I wanted to complain. Spending two months with all of my earthly belongings at one apartment, but sleeping on a blow up mattress at another was enough to drive me a little crazy and make me a bit ungrateful (although I'm abundantly grateful for my female roommates who allowed me to stay with them).

On top of it, I dealt with many of the questions and decisions having to do with planning a wedding, but never was able to see those small things that indicate that you are, in fact, getting married.

So having a wedding seemed surreal. Even getting my hair and makeup done seemed as though I was just playing a bit of dress up.

But at the end of the day, I was pronounced as having a new name, and was Adam's wife.

Blogging...slowly

I'm always yt (<--- Adam's addition, as he just reached over and stabbed at the keyboard with his finger) Anyway, as I was saying, I'm always glad that Molly and Addie update their blogs semi regularly. It makes me feel like I'm keeping up with my friends back home, and even some of my STL friends.

My personal blog? pathetically, woefully neglected.

So, the quick and dirty in 4.5 seconds:

Friday was the last day of class, which now opens up 12+ hours a week for me to do things other than study...work, wedding, things like that.

Both Adam and my cars have things wrong. Mine is likely a mildly annoying and moderately expensive muffler/exhaust problem. Adam's is almost definitely breaks, and not the "cheaper" break repair. Anyway, we're looking for God's provision in that area.

Our future aprartment (he's presently living there) is very bare, but it makes for memories that I'm sure we'll look back on and laugh about. ("Remember our first meal in our first apartment..where we sat on the floor, balancing our pizza and cheap wine?")

I'm working a lot. Weddings are expensive, and I'm not really talking about our own. Presently we know 17 couples getting married this summer (this SUMMER!) even though we're only invited to about 10 of them. Target, here we come!

Adam translated 1st John, and we read through it together. To quote Miss Molly Routson, 'You really CAN trust your translation." That said, 1st John is convicting and it was really good for us to read through.

Life is busy, but when is it not? We're both looking forward to the end of July, and the conclusion of Adam's Greek class. Then, Wedding and hanging out for a few weeks before classes start up again.

I fell off of the face of the earth

There's a deep part of me that wants to go to each of my friends and say, "I'm sorry. I know that engaged girls fall off the earth, and her friends are all wondering where she went and why she hasn't been around." When I was single, I assumed it was because there was this lovely world that I wasn't a part of, consisting of only the fiance and fiancee.

But instead, I have fallen off the edge of the earth because life has come at me so fast I barely have time to ...well, do anything anymore. It's a huge week of transitions.
Adam is starting Summer Greek and Exegesis (one of the hardest classes), I'm working, I have class, I'm starting a Counseling internship, we're both moving, my roommates are moving (so the really great year of living together is closing) and, oh, this little thing of planning a wedding in 10 weeks.

And it's Adam's birthday. Today. So off I go to try to (in the midst of packing, Greek class, Thank You Notes) let him know that I really do love him to pieces.

Finals week

Good:

The feeling when putting a textbook up on the bookshelf for the last time, knowing that you read it thoroughly, and didn't bomb the test. And it's now on the shelf.

Bad:

Dogearing books. According to my Fiance.
"Do you DOGEAR books?!"
"...uh, no, of course not. Only when I'm writing a paper, referencing the book and it won't stay open. Kinda."

Some Assignments I'm glad to do

I have to memorize this. I'm glad I do:

I remember my affliction
and my wandering
The bitterness and the gall
I well remember them
and my soul is downcast
within me

Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord's great love
we are not consumed
for his compassions never fail
they are new every morning
Great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself
"The Lord is my portion,
Therefore I will wait for him."

Not gonna Lie

The title is a phrase I've picked up here from my roommate...or someone.

Not gonna lie, it's been a tough week. It started with a migraine on Sunday and ended with a sleepless Thursday night full of anxiety. Not the worthwhile anxiety, but the kind that you wake up the next morning realizing how not-in-control you are, and so therefore the anxiety has no real purpose, because it's not as if you could change the price of fuel/flights/rice in China.

Squashed between the migraine and anxiety were tests and papers, particularly a Greek test that took my fiance away from me for a good 48 hours. That doesn't seem significant, except that there's been little sleep for both of us, though for different reasons.

we're now both sitting silently, waiting for the chicken to bake and dinner to commence.

It's raining a bit, and that's basically the mood. somber, drab, blah.

Not what I thought it was

Funny how your mind comes up with the most "plausible" explanation when you are a) awakened from sleep and b) have no previous experience with what is really going on.

I thought it was first an incredibly fierce storm with high winds, and then thought perhaps the medical helicopter that flies over our house 4 or 5 times a day (Covenant is across the street from a major StL hospital) was flying too close. For a second I wondered if the helicopter might crash down on top of the house.

nope.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/18/illinois.earthquake

I've now experienced an earthquake.

Did you know?

There are birds that sing during the night? Midnight, to be exact. Outside my window. I suppose I knew that Nightingales did, but I was pretty sure that they were a bird most at home in the orient, not in say...Saint Louis.

Indeed. Nightingale

Now that I can't really sleep, I'm trying to figure out what kind of bird it is. Whichever it happens to be, it occurs to me that perhaps this bird is just as sick as I am of the ETERNALLY COLD TEMPERATURES and wind being suffered here in STL and decided to sing despite it all. (Tomorrow it is supposed to warm up.)

Poll of the Day April 8

What one kitchen item can you not live without? (i.e., if I had to add something to my sparse wedding registry, what would it be?)

Answer in the comments!

Once in a Lifetime

I'm engaged!

Once in a Lifetime Seats

Appropriately, I am drinking a cup of Coffee

From my Online class, "Psalms and Wisdom Literature." Lesson on Proverbs/Wisdom:

"Some summary definitions: what is wisdom in the Bible? One author says it is the ability to cope. Well.... that might be as simple as a cup of coffee...!"

Dr. Phillips Long

Overheard

"It's got a little hat! I love the internet!"

Philadelphia

Text to Molly: "I just drove past a "Ritas"!

Adam and I traveled the 15 hours to Philadelphia, spending the night in Pittsburgh, thereby cutting the travel time into two chunks (10 hours and then 5 hours). So far we've had a GREAT time, hanging out with his immediate family and friends. So far:

































































I spent St. Patrick's Day with a Real, straight-from-Ireland-Irishman (Adam's brother-in-law). Got my first Irish kiss (on the cheek) on St. Pattys and drank my first Guinness.


We spent time with Adam's grandparents and parents at a Cricket club last night. It was established sometime between the war of 1812 and the Civil war (they're not exactly sure when the old club house). When a 'up and coming' sport became popular, the club transformed a lot of the grass lawn used cricket games into this new 'lawn tennis" game. This particular club has hosted both the USTA and Davis cup championships. There are 70 clay, grass and hard tennis courts available for play. It was quite wonderful.

Right now we're at a Coffee house that has been converted from a shoe warehouse. It's quite gorgeous. The only problem is that I logged into my Covenant account and see on a syllubus that I need to write a paper (I knew about that) but I didn't realize that I needed a particular book. So, I will be reading like a crazy woman when we return to STL. For now I'll just enjoy my surroundings :)















































*Also? I hate blogger. Well, I hate how much time I have to put into formatting the photos and text for my posts to be readable. If you're reading this in Internet Explorer, I don't know and kinda don't care if the text is all screwy. So, if you're an IE fan, switch to Firefox. It rocks IE.

Orchid Show date

About a week ago Adam mentioned that he'd like to go to the Orchid Show at the Botanical Gardens. So we had a double date with my roommate and her boyfriend and enjoyed the delicate beauty of orchids. I took over a hundred photos, but I won't post that many.
:)

New Sites

I am posting ....even though I should be reading more for my Midterm tomorrow. I'm becoming an expert on Psych Disorders. (not even close).


That said, My roommate and her boyfriend's websites are listed to the side. They are both fabulous and thoughtful people....far more fabulous and thoughtful that I. Or, maybe they just post their thoughts more often.

Li'l Light's latest post is very telling of life in the Bayer House. ;)

Now, back to Bi-Polar Disorder and Schizophrenia. Joy.

Snow Day

Sarah, Sweeping a Path. As of right now (3 hours later) it does not exist

"I'm not even sure what I'm hoping for"

The title was not said by me, but its (again) a good assessment of my own feelings. Yesterday the high was 79 with a breeze. Perfect, perfect, perfect weather to sit out with friends on the porch and listen to everyone swapping stories.

Today, the high was ...oh, somewhere in the mid 30s, rainy, sleety, freezy and altogether gross and icky out. And, as if that weren't enough, rumor (and weather.com) has it that we're to expect 6-10 inches of snow (depending on who you talk to) by tomorrow afternoon.

In Minnesota, 6-10 inches would be "whoh! a few hours delay to work. Fabulous!" If even that. In MN, the MNDot trucks are out all night, in formation, scraping each snowflake off of 35E and 35W. As it falls. Before. It. Hits. The. Ground.

In Missouri? People run around screaming. Panic, fighting for that Last Little Debbie snack food (Third most purchased item after milk and eggs in MO before a snow storm. That's right. Straight from the Little Debbie District Manager's mouth...through another source, of course.)

But there is this sense of panic and the disturbing knowledge that any cognitive ability to drive has just dribbled out of the consciousness of the native Missourians. Add to that, Weather.com posted "THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL MAKE DRIVING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ...IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. MOTORISTS SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER POSTPONING TRAVEL UNTIL ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS IMPROVE LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING."
Run. For. Your. Lives.

So, we're expecting a snow day tomorrow. If they cancel class, it will be the 4th day this semester that they've shut the seminary down. We've already added 15 minutes to each Tuesday and Thursday night class (getting home at 9:30. oh, the joy of 3.5 hour classes.) as well as an added mandatory Saturday make-up class.

I'm not even sure what I'm hoping for.

What Should I Blog about

"The problem is, I'm so inconsistent that only 2 or 3 people read my blog."

Not said by me, but very true about my own blog.

Taking cues from Addie and Molly:

Annoying:

• A headache this morning, because of that stupid knot in my back
• feeling behind in reading, but too scared to really see how much I need to do
• Getting stuck in the ATL Airport on your way to San Antonio because Barak and Hillary are campaigning. Then, because you've been stuck for so long, the wedding you were flying to is now occurring, and you're still in ATL, you fly back to St. Louis. (This didn't happen to me, but my roommate's boyfriend. When he blogs about it, I'll link.)
• Not being able to style my new haircut the way the girl did yesterday
• Eww! The bullets on this template are horrendous. yuck. I'm too busy to try to figure out the code. They will stay.
  

Wonderful

• Adam bringing over an "expensive" (for us) bottle of wine for dinner (the dinner he gave 4.5/5 stars)
• home cooked lunch with these fabulous people (remember This? I got to meet the author!) I've now bookmarked their website.
  
• Hanging out with the two men of the house - boyfriend of mine, boyfriend of roommate - just chatting, on a Saturday afternoon.
• 60 degrees outside! we're taking a 5 minute walk, (because homework is a slavemaster.)
• Having a job, getting my first paycheck!
• An offhanded comment that he REALLY liking the bangs and the hair (without knowing I was frustrated because I couldn't style it 'right.')
  

Thanks, MSN

MSN has an article, "The Top 10 Websites You've Never Heard Of" - Check it out.

Yesterday, I had a discussion with some co-workers about wanting to read Les Miserables, but as we talked about it, I thought "How am I ever supposed to get through that book, with life happening at light speed?

This morning I've signed up for DailyLit's emailed segments (there's 679!) and I've read one chapter. I know that I'll get behind, but I'm of the opinion that failing to do something perfectly but continuing to try is better than thinking, "oh, I'll never succeed at that."

I've also been sucked into "Damn Interesting," which has proven to be quite appropriate. Hopefully they'll have a lot of unusual history stories. Because I am a history junkie. I'm already planning what we can do when we visit Philly and DC in 3 weeks!

Finally, Adam and I watched "Michael Clayton" last night - Bruce Clark recommended it, so we downloaded the rental off of iTunes. Outside of having to wait for 4 hours for the 1 GB to download (Does that seem unusually long to anyone else?) it was convenient to not have to leave the house to get a rental. We did hook up speakers to my computer, because, let's face it, there really aren't good speakers on anyone's computer.

Valentines Day, 2008

I still hate valentines day. (mostly.)

I declared this to one of my best guy friends this morning, and in one way it's very true.

Singles feel their single hood most acutely today, and many of those attached to another are either feeling the pressure to perform, or have resigned themselves to a moderate amount of effort - effort that may or may not meet the expectations of their significant other.

That all said, this has been a pretty darn decent (albeit sleep deprived) valentines day. Adam and I have plans for tomorrow, and I awoke early this morning to bake homemade cinnamon rolls (his favorite addiction) for VDay2008. I wonder what I've gotten myself into for future VDays.....

I'm however in full support of Molly's Black (lab) Thursday declaration, and loved this commercial she posted. You should watch it. It will make your Valentines day that much better.

And in honor of my cynical, jaded VDay self, the one that is still there a bit, I link to this post.

Trying this AGAIN for the 4th time

I've had a post written for about a week, and as time has gone on this week, I've tried to add to it. The problem is that Blogger's preview is not accurate to what is seen in Firefox. Of course I haven't checked it in IE, because IE is stupid.

So here I go again. It will be a mix of what was written and a few additional comments from today.

This was originally titled: Holiday Survey

I just received a "year in review" updated from a friend of mine, which reminded me to write a little something here.

A friend of mine asked how I had changed, since I've begun dating Adam. I couldn't think of anything at the time, but I realized shortly after that conversation that something has indeed occurred: I have dedicated hours of time cleaning up my iTunes "Coverflow." One of my boyfriend's personality traits is loving an organized iTunes. So he and I've been working on it for a few days.

Christmas break was great, and since I've had almost 6 weeks off, I'm ready for classes to begin. Classes last semester went very well. I'm finishing up my final 4 classes and will begin my counseling internship next year.

A great blessing in my day-to-day life has been my 5 roommates. 6 people living in one house has a good chance of bringing stress and frustration, but we've worked through the little conflict we've had, and each girl brings a lot of grace to the table. We also have bonded through our love of impromptu dance parties.

So, here is a picture montage of the month of January:

I went home and spent time with the Fam

Adam came home to Montana to celebrate my birthday and Christmas vacation. He survived a bunch of talkative German folk who get together frequently for coffee.

I celebrated my 25th birthday. At least that's was the median guess of my age.

My roommates planned a Karaoke outing for my and Jess' birthdays (Jan

2 and Jan 11).

I sang Karaoke, which is no surprise to anyone who knows me. Robbie Rayburn and I rocked it out on Grease.

The best part of "5-roomates +a long Christmas break" is the various laid-back things we've been doing - marathon games of "Settlers of Cataan," lots of dinners and a fabulous "PJs and Pancakes"

In which we also watched cartoons, as

we enjoyed lots of coffee with a great breakfast spread.

I returned to small group.....




















And started up babysitting the cutest little girl on earth....

Overheard

K: Huh. Adam, what is it that you're making?
Adam: This is what we call Bachelor food.
(later)
K: So you're putting...?
A: Parmesan cheese
K: Oh, in eggs.
A: Mmm hmm.
K: What are you doing with the noodles?
A: They're going..
K: Oh, they're going IN the .... Hmmm.
(Sarah starts laughing.)
A: Yep, Hannah's being brave tonight.
K: Oh, HANNAH'S eating this too?
Kelly and Sarah burst into laughter.