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| I love this time of year. Not only does it mean that we have frequent breaks from work and school, but also that we have time with family and friends, and we're forced to think about other people. I love that! There's something so magical (for lack of a better word) about this time of year....everyone is looking forward to the first snowfall (unless you live up north in the frozen tundra and have already had your first snowfall...), the air is crisp and laced with anticipation. Christmas music abounds in the stores and on the radio (I love that it's the one time of year when secular stations play songs that are unabashedly about the Savior of the world!!). It's so fun!
I also think I love this time of year because my walk with Christ becomes so much deeper. I'm sure that everyone's walks with the Lord are somewhat cyclical, but it's about this time of year that I feel Him so close to me and working so obviously in my life that it cannot be denied. The same is true this year. Today was a God-day. He has been orchestrating today for months... let me back up.
My parents moved to San Francisco in February of this last year. Of course this move has brought a ton of changes to our family, one being that for the first time in my life, Thanksgiving will not include a gathering of my entire immediate family. In 24 years, I've never once been away from my parents for Thanksgiving. Frankly, I never have cared to. So, it's with this in mind that I began this week. I knew that when Tuesday rolled around, all friends would be packing up their cars and headed home. Me? I'm home. I stayed home. Yesterday afternoon I did some things around the house, but was definitely a bit more mopey and depressed about having to stay in town for the holiday.
Then I woke up this morning. I started my morning with a cup of coffee and the Lord (a winning combination!), and then one of my former students (who's now a fifth grader) came over for the day. She got here about 8 a.m. and we snuggled under blankets and watched the movie My Girl. I know, not Christmasy, but it's what we had. Then we Christmas shopped, ate lunch out, worked a puzzle, watched Matilda, and wrapped presents. I dropped her off at her house around 6 p.m. and... they invited me to stay for supper! We ordered pizza, and I stayed for 3 more hours, talking, laughing, and dreaming. I was SO encouraged. A quick stop at the grocery store later (you wouldn't believe how many people are there!), and now I'm home...basking in the glow of the lights from the Christmas tree, and thankful for God's provisions...even in the small things, like being invited to dinner tonight. Lord, thank You.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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| Why do I procrastinate? I'll never totally understand it. It's genetic, somewhat. It's also a habit. And I think it's kind of fun. Well, it's fun until it's necessary for me to really get down to work. This is exactly what happened this afternoon. Keep in mind, I've known about these papers for grad school for several weeks now. It's now the end of week 3 in my six-week Psychology course for grad school... and even though I've known about these papers for weeks...and they're due today...when did I write them? Tonight. Well, I actually wrote one of them yesterday, but needed to format and cite it today. I went to school this morning intending that I would stay after school for a bit today and work on my papers. This is the thing about not working ahead: you don't account for the unexpected. This is what happened to me today. I arrived at school and my aunt told me that my cousin is coming for a visit today because he's in town for some training for work. I haven't seen Drew in a long time (a year? maybe more?), and so of course I wanted to head over to my aunt and uncle's house for dinner tonight to see Drew and spend time with the fam. Actually, Drew showed up at school, so we got to chat in carline and enjoy some time at school before leaving for the day. I headed to Chuck and Ann's, and in true Craig-family fashion, we ate a grand meal. We had a wonderful pre-Thanksgiving meal of chicken, ham, green bean casserole, rolls, yams, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. MMM! Let's not forget the black-bottom banana pie, either! Yum!
I am so blessed. I love my family. I love to have family close by, and of course I really miss my family members that are far away. I enjoyed tonight, though, and always enjoy time spent with my cousins here. I always felt like it wasn't fair that I didn't get to know them very well when I was growing up, but now I get to make up for lost time. I especially feel like I have to make up for lost time with Drew. Since he's a decade older than I am, we really didn't ever bond when I was younger. After all, the only years we were living close to one another, he was a teenager, and way too cool to be around his little cousin! But now...now I'm loving getting to know him because he's a really cool guy. I am blessed to have him for my cousin. I only wish he lived closer!
I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that I love being around Emily so much...we're a lot alike, she's just 6 years ahead of me! :) We enjoy the same things, share a love of geneaology and all things family, and enjoy people, in general. I can't wait to "grow up" and be just like her!
And Sam's hugs... he's a good hug-giver, and I always look forward to having a Sam hug.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again... I only wish I could take all my friends and family and move them together into a central location. It's so hard to have them all over the place! I have cousins I don't really know, and family that I never get to see! It'd be so nice to have everyone nearby. Can't wait until heaven!!!!
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| Well, another weekend has come and gone (how does that happen so fast?!). It's now 11:30 p.m. and I should most definitely be snuggled under the covers by now. But... the world of sports has captured my attention. Namely, football. When did this occur? I'm not really sure. Even just a few years ago I recall thinking that football was the silliest sport anyone could ever conceive of. I mean, c'mon... rationally... whose idea was it to gather a bunch of big guys and jump all over each other in an effort to get a ball to the other end of the field? It's silly.
And yet... and yet here I am, up waaaayyy past my bedtime in order to watch the Colts play the Patriots. There's only 2 minutes left in the game. Then I'll go to bed. And still I wonder. When did I become a football fan? And I guess I've pretty much decided upon the Colts. For awhile I was divided between Colts and Chargers. I still like the Chargers (c'mon...it's San Deigo, land of my childhood). But it does make more sense to embrace the Colts cult, since I will become a resident of Indianapolis in just seven short months (yay!!!).
I've decided to give grad school a break for now. I'm in the middle of my third class... so I'll finish this psych class up, and then I'll let it rest. It's turned out to be more than I wagered. I knew it would be tough, but I guess I'm just not yet sold enough on what I'd like to do ....
AND THE COLTS WIN!
Sorry for the discombobulated entry...but I'm tired and spastic and thrilled that the Colts have WON!
YAY!
goodnight.
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| I'm back... and better than ever! :)
We've gone 2 months without having internet at home... it's a long, complicated story, but let's just say that I couldn't be happier now that we actually have internet back in our house! You should hear the conversations going on between me and Abby at the moment.
Abby: "Erin! I can actually check the weather on my computer. Right now it's 60 degrees in Concerti."
Erin: "Where's that?"
Abby: "I don't know...but it's 60 degrees...and I found out on the internet... my iPod touch! I just installed the flashlight application!"
Erin: "I'm talking to my Grandma on the internet!"
Abby: "What?"
Erin: "It's better than a snow day! We can watch movies from netflix on the internet now!"
Abby: "I think we need to do the happy dance! Who needs cable?"
*Mutual sighs of relief and contentment, with giddy laughter in between.
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| I am so blessed! This weekend was amazing! Friday night, Lexi came down from MD and she and I went into the city to see the monuments at night. I never tire of that sight...it's gorgeous! Then she and I just hung out and chatted it up. It meant so much to be able to "compare notes" on life, so to speak, and to be able to commisserate, encourage one another, and get to know each other better. She's an amazing woman...someone whose heart beats for the same things that mine does...someone who longs to know her Lord better and love Him with everything she has. Saturday Lexi, Abby and I met up with Kenton and Wendy, and Pete and Jessie for lunch at Chili's. We then came back to my house to play games (Last Word, Taboo, and Apples to Apples: Bible Edition). I don't always love games, but it's fun when they're word games, and when I'm doing it with people I like! :) After everyone else departed, Laura came over and she and Abby and I had a movie night. We didn't want to watch a chick flick, so we watched Double Jeopardy. It'd been years since I had watched it! Yesterday was spent eating lunch with my Chuck, Ann, Emily, Evan, and Caroline at the Officer's Club, and then hours and hours of working on grad school stuff. Today we had a field trip to Pumpkinville. Though fun, it was exhausting. I had a student slip in the mud. I'll have to write that story down later (it's hilarious!). But then that same student suffered a back injury on the moonbounce... ugh. Now we're back and I have to focus my efforts on grad school stuff that's due tonight by midnight. Almost done with class #2! | | |
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