Okay, there are a lot of pictures. I tried to whittle them down, but hopefully you can scan through them and get a good feel for the trip…

Dominican Republic 2008

Well, the most amazing man in the world and I went to Lawrence, Kansas a few weeks ago to visit the lovely Kathryn Crumb, who is slowly but surely changing the world down at the University of Kansas. On the way, we picked up the lovely Timothy Goering (currently in the USA from Germany), and all had a lovely time together. Here are some precious moments from our trip:

After Kate stabbed me in the heart with jealousy while regailing me with tales of playing Capture the Flag throughout the entire campus, and crawling through tunnels underneath the Library, I picked myself off of the ground of envy and we journeyed through the depths of the KU library. Timothy “just happened” to stumble upon a section of books that relate EXACTLY to a huge paper he needs to research. It was kind of scary. Not to mention the scary KU Library delving into the depths, floor after floor. It was great.

Me & the sweetest little Jayhawk in the world. I’m taking the place of a proud sister here. And yes, we’re sitting on a roof.

Well, what else do you do when you’re walking around and there are pointless construction blocks of interesting shapes lying about?

Yes, Timothy really did try to throw Kate off the roof and then he stepped on her last grip for life. Seriously. Those Germans.

I haven’t had much to blog about lately, it’s the holidays and my mind has been in a weird place, a good weird place. Just, not really thinking concretely, but just being really happy. Things are going really well and I keep finding more and more ways that God continues to faithfully literally remove things from my life that I want to keep for my own reasons. It’s a weird feeling, I hope you know what I mean. It’s almost like I don’t have anything to fret or stress about because God has ripped things out and seared my heart back together in new ways these last months and I guess those transforming moments are beginning to have an effect in my life, because I find myself really surprised that my mind isn’t going in circles all the time with worries or insecurities.

It’s bizarrely freeing. I have to rediscover what to do with my thoughts.

So, I was at the high school overnight for New Year’s eve from 2 to 6 (and thank you to Tyler for going with me! And for “unlocking” the door…twice…I’m still impressed…), and there Mitch tried to connive me into going to the ski trip in Winter Park, Colorado. So, needless to say, I skillfully manipulated him into a free trip and some extra benefits in exchange for my fantastic chaperone services. Actually, I wasn’t trying to manipulate, I guess I’m just naturally a ruthless negotiator.

So, I’m sitting here in a condo, with a moose head staring at me, by the fire, with the mountains outside, eating mac & cheese just made by two 14 year olds. I’ll be back on Saturday night.

Check out the pictures from my trip to Arizona for Lea (O’Dell) Gottry’s wedding, and to visit my amazing friends in LA!

 Do it! They’re awesome!

Well, I’ve gotten to do some fun things since I’ve been here in LA, too many to recount, really. Most of all, though, I’ve been able to reconnect with my friends here and spend time with them, and I’ve met some amazing people. That has been the best part, by far. It really doesn’t matter where you go in the world, I’ve noticed, it’s about what you’re doing there or who you’re with.

But, on that note, I’ve seen lovely Hollywood (um, no), Melrose, spent the night in a beach house in Laguna Beach, UCLA, Southern Cal, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, and much more I can’t think of right now. More details (and pix) to come.

Things here are really fast-paced (for those of you back in NE - or DE for that matter), obviously, and I never feel like a hillbilly until I’m here, because I don’t have a cell phone, and blasphemy, I don’t have myspace. I know, it’s ridiculous. Anyway, it’s crazy-fast around here, and I’m living in a house with 4 women, so there’s a lot going on, lots of people to meet! And they are all very very warm and welcoming, and eager to hear about what the heck we do in Nebraska, anyway. But, most of them are jealous of my church - yeah, Coram Deo! RepreSENT!

So. I feel kind of quiet in mind and spirit….no one would be more shocked to hear that than mom…people here are so passionate and active that I feel like I have no burden to be so right now, and so I’m just kind of observing, being, and listening. Which is good.

Today I went to the Cedars Conference on Human Trafficking, which was pretty intense and a lot going on. I met quite a few people, heard some definitely intense and interesting things…lots to think of. Some networking action…we’ll see.

And at the end of the day, I met a man named Bob who works with stunt men, and who ran away with the circus when he was 15 in the 1950’s. That was pretty dang interesting. He started talking to me about his memories of Omaha, and they included a lion escaping and hanging out in a restaurant, and a woman dying after falling off a trapeze and having to finish the show as they were carrying her off…

You just never know. Welcome to my life.