What I've Been up to: Dec. 3

    Ok, I clearly have not kept up with blogging lately.  To tell the truth, I haven't had the desire to recount all the details of life lately- too much to remember!  I also have been so swamped with schoolwork, that when I have free time, my brain has pretty much shut off for the day.  So, I will attempt to recount the last few weeks:


1. Thanksgiving Break!

Family Christmastime fun!

Oh my goodness!  It was such an amazing time to be at home and see my family.  We had our first Thanksgiving at my dad's new house, which was really special.  I also got to catch up with my relatives and friends who came to celebrate with us.  I can't describe how exciting it is for a college student to ride home and await seeing your parent for the first time in weeks.  I rode the Megabus back-- I highly recommend it-- and was so thrilled to finally hug my daddy!  Everyone else was out of town so dad and I got to go out to dinner and spend the evening together.  It was so special to have quality time with him, which continued into Saturday when we drove to Terre Haute for the National XC Championships.  Butler placed 3rd and I was so so happy we drove out to see such an exciting moment!  I let myself sleep in a little, had an "old fashioned" game night with friends, got in the Christmas spirit with the annual family trip to Oakland Nursery and had an amazing time at home.  While it was very hard for me to come back-- I always struggle with transitions-- I am doing a lot better today and I am fully aware that God has me here for a specific purpose!


2. Running Running Running!

For a while, I've been on a never-ending journey toward running again.  I've started running progressions, and then had to stop because of other issues.  Finally, I'm out on the trails again.  I've been praying for quite some time that running will be joyful again.  After a heartbreaking senior year of xc and track, I had all but given up on hope of enjoying and succeeding as a runner again.  It's something I don't take lightly too either, because I see so much of God's joy in my running and I did not want to lose that.  So I'm refocusing and trying to build up hope again.  That is why I am so happy to report that running is fun again.  The first few runs back were miserable and I couldn't help but stop a lot of the time.  But I am feeding my body better and I am feeling so much better every single run.  I'm up to 45 min. runs with a cross training day after 2 days of running.  Tomorrow, I get to run with the team for the first time since I've been injured!  Praise the Lord for healing and restoration.  I know there is still a long ways to go physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Yet, I also know that God has already done so much and he is faithful.  There is no need to worry about how fast I will go or what place I will get, because my only job is to do my best and let God worry about the details.  I am so blessed to be able to enjoy running again and I cannot express how grateful I am for that!

3. Finals Preparation
Thus begins the finals preparation.  We have two weeks of classes before finals start on the 16.  I am very blessed and have my last two finals on that first day (Monday).  I have one final that is given a week earlier and my other two classes don't have a typical final format.  That means I will be home with the family by Tuesday!  I am very very thankful for that.  It does mean that I have a pretty stressful few weeks of projects, studying and early tests though.  This week was actually the hardest, with a speech today and a presentation tomorrow.  But I felt good about the speech and am ready for the group presentation, so I coasting home at this point.  Or...at least that is what I'm telling myself!  In the midst of this craziness, I'm also trying to get out there more and be more sociable- something I've been lacking in.  That is both a praise in progress and a prayer request!

Anyway,  happy Tuesday and I promise that some "fun" posts are on their way.  In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out how to decorate my dorm room for Christmas aside from the mirror and window drawings I have made already.  Stipulations?  We can't have any lights or hang anything from the ceiling.  I need your ideas!

My gorgeous window art