Top moments of 2008

1. Having my favorite person ask me to marry him. And lumped in with this one: wearing my ring around and staring at it during class, shopping for dreses with my Mom and sisters, and various other engaged/weddingish things. Also, going caneoing with Jared and going to see Wall E with him! Such a great day. Jared is wonderful. I love him very much!

2. Graduating!! It was about time. Also falling into this category: getting my two diplomas in the mail (which might have been more exciting then actually graduating - seriously), seeing my family and Jared at graduation, graduating with greek and engineering honors, and finishing all the classes that I never thought would be over.

3. The Delirious concert, in Richmond, the day after Jared and I got engaged. Standing in the front row, almost getting my hand shook by Martin, singing all my favorite songs, having Jared and my family there, and eating at my favorite mexican restaurant in Richmond. It was the best. Great great great night!

4. Living with the Howards. I was going to say Les Miserables and Fiddler on the Roof, but I decided to lump them in with all the things that are great about the Howards: Having meals made for me, having great desserts and ice creams around the house, being made to laugh all the time, and meeting interesting people when they come to visit. :) Yay!

5. Camping with my family! I love it. I am so glad we went last year. So much fun. That being said, I can't wait until Jared gets to come with us next year!

6. Making my quilted table runner with Jared. I need to get pictures of it, but I think it is so awesome and great. My crafts always come out a little lopsided and sloppy even when I try really hard, but this one is almost flawless and it just makes me so happy. I know it is because Jared squared all my corners for me and helped me pins stuff and iron it. He is great and I can't wait until it is on display in our own little house.

7. Our fourth of July party. Enough said. It is awesome.

8. Christmas. Getting my shopping done early this year. Making Christmas cookies and decorating them. Going to DC with Jared to see the Botanical Gardens and various other things. All the cookbooks that my parents gave me (such a surprise to get my favorite cookbook). The frames Sarah bought, the cute little Bath and Body set from Hope, the sewing stuff from the Sheltons, and my favorite present that I cried about, my scrapbook from Anna. So awesome I have wanted one for so long. :)

I guess also in here is buying all our Christmassy stuff for next year with Jared. 75% of our tree!! Lights for a dollar and bulbs for 25 cents! And making little stuffed felt ornaments with Jared - it is so fun when he wants to do craft things with me! Although, it is kind of annoying that is look better then mine (heh). Christmas is going to be so much fun next year!! Yay for us and yay for Christmas decorations.

9. Going to Colorado and spending so much time with Stephanie! I miss her greatly. Love love love! Spending time with Anna, getting to go to Whit's End (highlight of my trip), seeing Focus on the Family's headquarters (so cool), seeing Cater Rock, Pike's Peak, and the Air Force Academy (so neat). Did I say just spending time with Stephanie?!? Going to the little old amusement park with Sarah, Peter, and Anna and riding the little train. That was really neat.

10. Learning to forget about grades and spend time with my family and friends! I have to thank Jared for this one. Spending more time with my family and friends is totally worth it, much more then getting A's all the time. I learned that a B at the end of a semester that you know that you spent time with other people and made them happy, makes me much for happier then just an A during a semester where all I did was sit in my room and study. I guess I shouldn't have waited so long to learn that, but then my grad school wouldn't have been payed for, so I guess it had its benefits too.

11. TAing and getting into graduate school, at a top 2o engineering school, for free, and getting paid. Yeah, it was pretty sweet. I have to fight with them a lot to keep my non-thesis status, but only one more semester of filling out paperwork and I will be done forever!!

I am sure there are other great moments, but I can't think of them right now. So I am going to go back to reading my books and maybe I will add to this later, but probably not. I like spending time away from the computer during break. heh. But the main thing to take away is that I have so much to be thankful for! I love my family and I love my fiance and I love where God has placed me right now in life and I pray that he continues to show me how best to use my life to honor and glorify Him.

Happy New Year! May 2009 and be a grand year of growing closer to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Love,
Faith

NEW BLOG!!!

Sarah has a new blog where she is posting her scribbles. Someday she'll be famous and will be able to say you saw her scribbles when she was young. Head over to her blog and comment your email or send her an email and get signed up to see her drawings. It is great; you won't be disappointed.

GO SIGN UP!!!

Proverbs and Psalms countdown...

Sunday made for 203 days until my wedding. I worked it out that I would start counting down to my wedding then by reading from Proverbs 31 to Psalms 1. So starting Sunday I read Proverbs 31 and Monday I read Proverbs 30 and yesterday I read 29. If you want to join in and read with me you can. heh. I divided Psalm 119 into 26 sections because it was really too long to read in one day. I started 181 days ago and read from Psalm 1 to Proverbs 31. And that chapter (119) was a little rough because you couldn't really think about it at all. So I divided it to give more time to think through all it has to say. So anyhow, today is Proverbs 28. Maybe once I get back in school I will post my favorite verse of the day or something. Feel free to do the same if you ever read along, even if it is for a day.

Today is 200 days until my wedding!

One more...

One semester to go until school is finished forever!!

And my professor asked me to TA for her again next semester. YES!! That is so great because the department had me signed up for some other class and that would have been so annoying because I would have had to learn a whole new subject over again. This is good because I know all the experiments and how to grade for the labs and all that fun stuff. It should be a great semester next semester. I like all three of the classes that I chose. Great stuff. I am taking 1) Flexible Macroelectronics 2) Engineering Decision Making 3) Steel Structures. The only one that I think will be a lot of work will be that steel structure class, but that is cool. I am up for a challenge.

And I am HOME!!! What a wonderful feeling.

Broadway rhythm... everybody dance!

The Howards are taking me to see Les Miserables on Thursday!!! How great is that? I love Broadway. Love love love. If tomorrow were Thursday I would say (or sing) "one day more"... heh. Anyhow, they asked me tonight if I wanted to go with them and of course I said "yes!!!" Now I have something to look forward to in the midst of finals. Woohoo. I am so excited. Broadway thrills me. It is so much fun.

My countdown to freedom:
* Final tomorrow at 2.
* Final group paper due at 6.
* Final math homework due Thursday.
* Final Lab taught on Thursday.
* Final labs graded from Thursday - Monday.
* Final Monday at 8am. Bleh.
* Proctoring a final on Monday at 10am.
* Grading a final Monday afternoon.
* Final 15 page paper due.
* HOME!!!
* One last final due by Wednesday evening.

My sister and Annie are geniuses with the camera. They had some film to use up and asked Jared and I to pose for them Sunday afternoon. It was fun despite the rain. This is one of my favorites.

This is my Jared and me. I had the great pleasure of spending my entire thanksgiving break with him (and I basically mean ENTIRE). I did no schoolwork, but who cares about schoolwork when you have someone as great as Jared around?!? Jared knew I was sort of grumpy Saturday (for no reason that I can explain because everything was going very smoothly and I was having a lot of fun) so he spent the rest of the day doing things for me and cheering me up. He took me to get my watch fixed and he helped me quilt together the rest of my table runner and then took me over to his parents house and helped me iron the binding and cut out the borders and all the boring stuff in quilting... He let me do the fun stuff and he just sat around and helped in whatever way he could. Jared is wonderful. I so look forward to spending the rest of my life with him and trying to outdo his kindness. I think it will be fun, hard at times, but still fun.

And finally, thanksgiving was great. I did nothing, well no schoolwork. I hung out at my house a lot and of course went to the Robins for thanksgiving dessert leftovers. Jared and I watched A Christmas Carol, Toy Story, and Rudolph. We played scrabble and cribbage and did crosswords and quilted and ate tons and tons of mom's wonderful food!! I love spending time at home with my family and Jared and my friends!! It was so good to see Hayley this weekend and eat her delicious food as well. Woohoo. I love holidays. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorites.

I love us!

"When Christoph Römhild, a Lutheran pastor in Hamburg, Germany, sent Carnegie Mellon Ph.D. student Chris Harrison a list of 63,779 cross-references between the Bible's 1,189 chapters, the two became enthralled with elegantly showing the interconnected nature of Scripture. Each bar along the horizontal axis represents a chapter, with the length determined by the number of verses. (Books alternate in color between white and light gray.) Colors represent the distance between references. Graphic by Chris Harrison, Carnegie Mellon University"

SO COOL!!

Here's the deal, I have two classes next week: Tuesday 2-4:40 and 6-8:00. So I am planning on driving up to College Park on Tuesday (leaving Salisbury around 10:30 or 11) and going to school all day and then driving home that night... So, if there is anyone that wants to spend a bunch of hours at Ikea or on campus in the library you can come with me. You can go to Ikea for hours and hours and hours and then come pick me up when you are finished or you can just come read in the library for hours and hours and hours. If that sounds like fun to anyone, leave me a comment and I will try to work it all out. heh. You know you want to take me up on this sweet deal. :D

I have this thing for ampersands... maybe because the word is so fun to say. If anyone could find where I could buy bookends that were ampersands or any other nifty ampersandy things, that would be so awesome. I want to have them all over my house. I think they are so neat looking.

Jared & Faith.
Woohoo.

Ampersand

&

Ampersand

&

Ampersand

&

This was the most amazing rainbow I have ever seen. My camera phone doesn't do it justice, but imagine this so bright that you almost had to squint. It was so bright and the second rainbow was much better defined. I was happy that my camera phone picked it up this well. But it was breath taking. Wow. (I have the photos on my flickr, but I thought it looked more amazing pasted together).

For me the coolest thing about rainbows is knowing that they are a promise from God... how awesome is that?!? We have a visible sign of his love. Amazing.

Skype me...

I have finally downloaded and installed Skype to my computer. So leave me your user names and I will add you to my contacts and maybe I will talk to you sometime. I still need to get a mic, but I could listen to you talk. :)

Oh, my user name is gth.faith or search Faith Harr.

Bridesmaid skirt???

I saw this skirt at GAP today and I love it. I think it is perfectly adorable and it is in pretty much exactly the color I want. Could this work as a bridesmaids skirt? Comments. Discuss this and let me know what shirts would look good with a skirt like this. My dress is kinda fancy so the shirt would have to be rather fancy too. The skirt is Cotton/silk taffeta. Anyhow, I'm brainstorming ideas... Leave me a comment on your opinions because I don't really care as long as Jared is there. ha ha.

Plus, we could buy it on the first Tuesday of a month and get 10% off since I am a GAP card member. Or we could talk Hayley into getting a job there again for a short time to get some sort of sweet employee discount. :)

Happy gym face!!

After over four years of the same running shoes... I finally bought a new pair today!!! 1. Because they were R'boks which have been the only comfortable running shoe that I have found for my feet and 2. Because they were only 25 bucks at Rugged Warehouse and 3. They were in my size and 4. They are purple and 5. They are official super running shoes or something fancy like that. Anyhow, I love them and can't wait to break them in at the gym tomorrow. My feet are so happy in them.

I have a sweet husband-to-be. He surprised me with dark chocolate and a new charm for my necklace for no reason at all other than to be sweet. It is a UNC charm. How awesome is that!?! I can't wait for basketball season now! Woohoo.

Also, I love my family!!

Finally, GO VOTE!!

I am coming home this weekend. But if you don't see me this is why...

Things to do:
* Meet with the photographer (Thursday)
* Finish writing my cover letter, cv, and teaching portfolio
* Meet with SU (Friday morning)
* Reformation conference (Friday Night)
* Reformation conference and party (Saturday 3:30 - all evening)
* Grade 52 labs
* Study for a math midterm (11 chapters!! Yikes) and do homework for it and work a few practice exams... bleh. Favorite class (material wise) this semester, but that isn't saying anything.
* Write Estimation and schedule for a four story office building
* homework for ENRE684.
* Women's retreat meeting (Sunday evening)
* buy mango at Sams (because I am almost out)
* Go to La Tolteca (because I really miss it - this is definitely going to have to move to next week)

Oh, and church, spending time with the family, and seeing Jared as much as possible. He might just have to sit around and watch me grade papers this weekend. Oh, and Joe wants me to either remind me mother to make him fudge or for me to buy him a Smith Island cake. I don't see either of those happening this weekend, maybe next weekend... Don't worry Mom, I made him an apple cake last night. I think he will be okay if I don't get any of the sweet things for him.

If you want to see me just let me know. I have a few free days in February and March. ha ha ha. But seriously, if you tell me you want to do something with me I will make time in a few weeks. But right now I am definitely running on like two or three weeks notice. heh. Such is life. I can't wait until it slows down again.

I should be madly studying for the FE, but I had to take a break and tell you all what happened to me today. I think it is hilarious. So let's start off by saying at the TAs meeting yesterday we were all joking around about this kid that keeps coming to my office hours. The other guy TA told me that I better watch him because he probably has a crush on me or something. We all laughed about it and built our circuits.

Which brings us to today... I packed my bag and get ready to walk out of class. And this kid gets up to walk out at the same time. We walk down the hallway together and the hallway splits. He heads one direction and I head the other (to go out to my car). Suddenly he calls out my name and comes jogging towards me. And I figure he is going to ask a question since he is forever asking me to explain stuff. ha. He looks like he is at a loss for words at first, and I thought OH NO! This isn't good. So he finally says, "I was wondering if you would have dinner with me sometime..." And I went into panic mood and all I could think to do was throw up my hand and say, "Sorry, I am engaged!!" Poor kid. He made some dumb joke about me not being old enough to be engaged and then ran off. Jared asked me what his face looked like and I really don't know. I was trying to avoid looking at him. ha.

So now I am starting to believe the other TA and I am worried that that other kid we were joking about will show up to office hours with flowers or something. ha ha. I mean, who asks out their TA? Plus I am sick and I was wearing my glasses and jeans and a t-shirt today. What is up with this? Jared pointed out that he has obviously been thinking about this for a long time, which makes it even more funny. I joke around with all my kids. Do I have to worry about all 50 of these guys having a crush on me? But seriously, asking out your TA will you are still in class with her?!? What is that! I still can't understand...

Anyhow, I have never been asked out by someone out of the blue before. I thought that was so funny and odd and strange that I had to share it with the blogging world. :D I think I will start out next semester by holding up my hand and declaring that I am getting married in July. heh. Maybe that might work. Or as Jared said I could be mean, but that is no fun. Who wants to come to lab with a mean TA?

I am going to Reality Factor this weekend with the youth group! I look forward to it. Woohoo!

Next weekend (25th) I am taking the FE. YIKES!!

I have two midterms this week! And a ton of labs to grade... That is about all that is going on in my life right now. heh. Oh, and I am trying to fill out my applications for SU.

I bought an album of Sovereign Grace's worship music yesterday. This is my favorite track off of it. I have been listening to it on repeat all day. It has mesmerized me; both the words and the music are incredible. You can listen to part of it here. I think this song is a great reminder that this earth is not our home. Our home awaits us. We will someday be in heaven, before the throne of the King of Kings, praising our creator. How glorious!

It is not Death to Die

It is not death to die
To leave this weary road
And join the saints who dwell on high
Who’ve found their home with God
It is not death to close
The eyes long dimmed by tears
And wake in joy before Your throne
Delivered from our fears

Chorus
O Jesus, conquering the grave
Your precious blood has power to save
Those who trust in You
Will in Your mercy find
That it is not death to die

It is not death to fling
Aside this earthly dust
And rise with strong and noble wing
To live among the just
It is not death to hear
The key unlock the door
That sets us free from mortal years
To praise You evermore

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)
Original words by Henri Malan (1787–1864).

The grandi-howards have crab feasts for all their family to come to two or three times a summer. All five of their kids came today and some of their kids and some of their kids. Joe also invites some of his old friends. I pigged out on Trader Joe's cornbread and Popeyes spicy chicken. I got to show off my ring to all my "cousins" (Joe calls me his granddaughter since I have lived here longer than anyone else). heh. Being a part of a big family looks like a lot of fun. I hope my siblings and I get together lots of times after we are all married and have children. I look forward to that.

One thing that I love about living with the Howards is getting to talk to so many interesting people. These are people that I would never strike up a conversation with normally... like Joe's old high school friends and people that taught under him when he worked in the schools around here. It is so much more interesting then talking to people who are my own age! I love talking to people older than me. They are so much more interesting and have so much more to offer me then my peers do. I feel like time is well spent talking to people like that. I also enjoy being just old enough to carry on a somewhat interesting conversation from my part. I can talk about school and work and what I am doing. It is great. I really have enjoyed living here! It has been a huge blessing.

Oh and I bought a new music cd at Covenant Life today. It is incredible. It is called Come Weary Saints. Some really meaty praise music. I'm really feasting on it. Also, on my playlists recently have been igrace hymns cds (not the prettiest voices to hear singing - but the words are such gems). Mr. Howard and I were discussing how great and uplifting and convicting old hymns are today!! I love them. And of course GT and the Halo Express... I just bought them all on Cd (all 7 of them) and I have been listening to pure scripture for the past week in song form. It is incredible. I have felt so encouraged all week at school. A couple "bad" things happened at school and I was perfectly content and unfazed. I claim it was the music I was listening to this week. I think it has a huge influence on my life.

And thanks to Mr. Howard for the great pointers on how to make my wedding invitations look more classy. I will probably be trying some of those tips. Woohoo.

This is my favorite bouquet!!

This bouquet is lavender roses, astilbe, and agapanthus (Lily of the Nile).

Has anyone heard of agapanthus and do you know where to get it? I don't really are aout the astilbe. I don't think it really adds anything to it. I just love the lavender roses and dark blues together!! Beautiful!

I have a dream...

Since taking classes at Salisbury and transfering to Maryland, I have wanted to change the way Salisbury teaches engineering. I have wanted to offer them solutions to helping students addapt to College Park and having ways to make sure that what they learn at Salisbury will be the same as that at Maryland. I've been throwing the idea around recently about teaching once I get out of school (which is why I am getting my masters). So I found this job posting at Salisbury tonight and I was seriously excited. The one problem with it - they want someone with their Ph-D. I believe that I have the experience to be able to fill the position since I transfered to Maryland and I know people at Maryland that I could partner with.

Anyhow, that is my dream right now. I'm praying about it. You can too. I know God will give me whatever is best to serve Him, but this sure does sound fun!! I'd love to have you pray with me about this. Life is exciting, isn't it?!?

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. "

News about me:
* I am totally in love with my ring (and Jared). My ring just gets prettier each and every day. I love staring at it in the brightly lit classrooms. It is especially nice when I am seriously bored. I didn't ever think I would like looking at a polished rock so much. heh. I never thought I would like flowers or get married right after college either. I just think Jared picked out the perfect ring for me. I LOVE solitary, round-cut, traditional rings. Man, I love it. :)

News about someone else:
(since I keep getting asked.....)
* Stephanie is having a boy.
* Her due date is January 4, 2009.
* She is feeling better than she has.
* Ben and she are in the process of looking for either a new apartment or a house.

This was my favorite dress. But I couldn't find it anywhere to try on. And the dress I finally picked out is so much cooler than this dress and not really like it at all. ha. When we first went to try on dresses they made me try on dresses with parts of this dress in them. I never liked any of them. Sigh. A few days later my mother was feeling rather depressed and told me that dress shopping would cheer her up. After visiting another store, we went to a store downtown and I started trying on random dresses. The last one I tried on was the one that I didn't ever want to take off. It was so much fun to wear. I brought Sarah and Hayley back later the next week to see it. And TODAY... I finally went and bought it. It will take four months to make, but it is going to be SOOOOOOO awesome. And no, you don't get to see a picture. You will just have to come to my wedding to see it. It is made by my favorite wedding dress designer (or the one that I liked the most of her dresses), Maggie Sottero. What fun!! And I got 10% off the dress today.

So ... I BOUGHT MY DRESS!!!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I can't wait to try it on... I think I will be driving to see it all the time and trying it on.
It is amazing!

300 days...

Until I don't have internet anymore,

get to wear my favorite dress,

and eat chocolate peanut butter cake.

Excited?

My parents, Dean, and Jared came to visit me today!! People I know (and like) are always such a welcome sight. I get to see Rachel Townsend tomorrow and we are going to see Jars of Clay, Third Day, and Switchfoot. I am really looking forward to seeing Jars of Clay!! Woohoo. Oh, and I get to hear C.J. Mahaney preach tomorrow! I have never had the pleasure of hearing him speak. I love his wife and his books. I just finished Feminine Appeal. I couldn't put it down. My favorite C.J. book so far is the Cross Centered Life. Jared gave it to me for graduation, but I left it at his house. And since I don''t go over to his house very often, I borrowed Dad's copy and have been rereading that one. heh.
So parents, good friends, great music, and wonderful preaching... it looks to be a good weekend.

I saw this today... I thought some of you would like to see this. It very touching.

I'm a teacher now...

I really enjoyed teaching today!! It was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who prayed for me. I had a blast for two hours helping students learn about circuits and how much fun they are. If I continue to enjoy teaching this much, I think I will apply for a job teaching physics back in Salisbury next year. That would be awesome! So I loved my first class. They all were very good... well, there is always that one kid in every class that thinks they know everything, but even he wasn't too terrible. I think I handled him pretty well. I didn't let him get away with anything. Oh, and one last thing... I LOVE LOVE LOVE real chalkboards. The ones that erase really well and are just plain wonderful. Wipe erase boards have nothing on chalk boards. I want to get a chalkboard when I homeschool my children. That would be fun. :)

Funniest moment: The class starts off with me lecturing for half and hour before lab starts. So they all sat down at their lab benches and I started teaching. This one kids goes, "Wait! YOU are our teacher?!?!" It was really funny.

I teach my first lab today.

YIKES!!!

I must be at school (because I am posting). Today Sarah, Mom, and I woke up at 5:30 (which is the time Jared wakes up everyday. I don't know if I can get out of bed that early when I get married to him. Although, it will give me quite a bit longer of a day) and drove up to College Park. They dropped me off and I just finished orientation and filling out payroll information. They went to Ikea and Anthropologie and maybe David's Bridal to look at bridesmaid dresses. I'm waiting around for a meeting with the professor that I am TAing for this semester. She is a new teacher at the University and I don't know if she has ever taught before... sigh. I am sure it will be fun, I was just hoping to have the professor that has taught this class for the last four years. He was awesome to work for last time I helped with this class. I still feel just as not qualified as I did last time. heh. I wonder if you ever truely feel prepared for anything in life. I guess that just makes us depend on God more.

I don't know what I'll be doing this weekend. My watch stopped so I am going to need to go get the battery replaced on that. Maybe I will beat Jared at some more Cribbage. He almost beat me last night. It is really a fun game. I enjoy it a lot. Luke, Dad, Jared, and I played "Up the River Down the River" on Saturday and Mom, Dad, Jared, and I played Hearts and Spades on Sunday. I love playing card games. Cards cards cards. I keep forgetting that I want to teach Jared how to play Clue. I played it with Stephanie while I was in Denver and I really enjoyed it. I bought it for her so that she could have a game. I let her pick anything and that was the game she picked. I hadn't played it in years, but if you all go out to Denver and visit Stef, you can stop in and play Clue with her and Ben.

Anyhow, I am off to my meeting. I should have a few interesting stories once my job really starts up. I think I am going to be a really mean TA (or at least strict). Happy Labor Day Weekend!! The traffic on the bridge is already terrible. Boooooo!

My sister drew this picture!! I'm a huge Christian Bale fan. One of my friends at school and I celebrate Christian Bale by having CBADs (Christian Bale Appreciation Days). We watched all his movies worth watching and some others that we would like to forget. heh. Anyhow, this drawing would only be more awesome if she had given it to me...

WANTED: 1 Wedding Photographer

I need a wedding photographer... :) Any ideas? I figured that last time I needed something big (a house in College Park) I posted it on my blog and I ended up living at the Howards (which has been amazing), so maybe someone out there knows a photographer who would be just as amazing (they could even be half as amazing and they would still be totally awesome because that is just how great the grandi-howards are!!).

S A V E T H E D A T E

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Time: TBA (between 1-3 sometime... the bride can't make her mind up)
Who: Jared and Faith are getting married!!!
Where: Providence Presbyterian Church
Reception to follow in Princess Anne.
More details to come.

I might be buying my dress this week!! :D

I went to the gym today and this afternoon I am going to take Hope to see Journey to the Center of the Earth. I've had a lot of fun cooking this week while my parents are away. Cooking always takes longer then I expect though. I have to start on dinner as soon as lunch is over. So far we have had roast beef, green beans, mashed potatoes, and blueberry pie and chicken pot pie, corn on the cob, tomatoes, rolls, and peach pie. Tonight I think we will use up the leftovers from the pot pie.

In other news, tomorrow Hayley, Sarah, and I are going dress shopping. I want them to see the dress that I really really really really really like. YES!! And then we might go sailing. What fun the summer is!

Olympic gold medalist and outspoken Darfur activist Joey Cheek has had his visa revoked by the Chinese embassy, hours before the speedskating champion was set to fly to China.

Click for the rest of the story.

For those of you that don't have facebook. Here are a few shots from Colorado!! I have seen the Air force academy, Pike's Peak, the outside of Whit's End (it was closed), the Rocky Mountains, Boulder Co, the Denver Zoo, the Denver Capitol building (totally awesome), and hiked and walked around all over all sorts of small towns and little trails. It has been a blast. I love seeing old friends and getting to spend time with them and my little sister. I will be sad to come back. The first and last photo are from a little 100 year old amusement park that we went to on Friday night. The middle photo is the Air Force Chapel (it is AMAZING)! The chapel and the capitol have been two of my favorite places that I have visited so far. I love architecture. It intrigues me. I'll talk more about it later, but I think Stef and I are going to go play Ultimate!! YES!! Love to all at home!

Anna and I went and explored downtown Denver today. The capitol building was really awesome.

Just a quick note:

* This week (Monday - Friday) I was camping with my family in beautiful Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland. We hiked, relax, saw the olympic kayak team practicing, and saw Dark Knight (AMAZING MOVIE) at midnight on Thursday night. It was great. I love camping with my family and I can't wait to take Jared along camping with me!!! YES!

* Saturday night I went to the Delaware State Fair with Rachel Townsend, Hayley, and Jared. I stuffed my face full of all sorts of good food. I had Grottos Pizza, kettle corn, carrot cake, and strawberry pie. It was amazing. I love summer.

* Tomorrow I leave to fly out to Colorado to visit Steffy and Sarah Meadows. Anna and I are going to Whit's End, Pikes Peak, the Air Force Academy Chapel, Red Rocks, Denver, and all sorts of other fun places. I hate flying, but I look forward to being there. Funny, I miss Jared already though. What will I do with myself?!?

I'll blog again next week when I get back. I'll be back on Wednesday (the 30th). :D Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Oh, what a melancholy choice this is,
Wanting home, wanting him,
Closing my heart to ev'ry hope but his,
Leaving the home I love

Since I had a suspicion that Jared was going to ask me to marry him Friday, June 28, I had a little time to think about it. At first, I didn't think that was such a great thing because at first thought I just wanted to tell him to wait. But then I thought that I would probably just keep telling him to wait for forever, if I had told him to wait. Once I started thinking about it, I realized the only two things that were keeping me from rushing into marriage (other than school - heh) was the fear of growing up and not wanting to be the first to leave my family.

Growing up is not fun. I mean it is, but at the same time I just wanted to stay 10 for the rest of my life or maybe to stay 17 (and a senior in high school). Or to bounce between those two ages, with the knowledge that I have now. I wanted all my siblings to stay frozen in time and for my family to go camping together and to laugh together forever. However, that is not how God designed this life. We get old. We grow up. We leave our families and go own to have our own. The memories we made with our families remain, but we start to make more with new people and in new places. It isn't bad, just hard sometimes. But God is good. I know that he doesn't ask you to do something and then not give you power to do it. And things that seem like they are going to be hard are good for you because you have to depend on God alone for your strength because you know you can't do it by yourself.

As to the second reason, I have already been the first one to leave my family. I went away to school two years ago. And I am the oldest so it makes sense. I will still see them and can still have fun with them. I just won't be there whenever I want. This is probably the harder one for me to swallow. I miss my family so much when I am away at school. I miss being a part of their lives, not just them. I miss sitting in Sarah's hallway talking to her until all hours of the night, being teased by Luke, and trying to be heard at the dinner table. I miss my Dad giving me hugs and leaving me presents under my pillow, I miss my Mom's cooking for me, and Anna asking me to take pictures with her. And it is hard for me to know that I will be in the same city as them, but living a different life. I know I will see them, but I won't be there to catch every job and hear every story that happens. It makes me sad. Sigh.

I realized that if God is calling you to something you should jump right in and face your fears. He knows what he is doing and delaying that is going to just cause you more trouble. I didn't have any valid excuses for not saying yes. Skip over the next paragraph... it is sappy.

I think Jared is a great guy. He encourages me Biblically and points out things in my life that I need to work on (but he does it without making me feel less then him). In the past year he has become so much more caring then I could ever imagine. He tries to look for ways to make my life easier and encourage me. Like when I drive the 2.25 hours back to school, he talks to me on the phone while I drive. This may not seem like much, but 1. I dislike driving and 2. He dislikes the phone and 3. A year and a half ago he wouldn't have done this. He took me to see Leeland this past semester. Again, this doesn't seem like a lot either, but Jared doesn't like concerts and he doesn't like much CCM music. And he went to Delirious with me two weeks ago!!! That was so awesome because he gave up his seat for standing with me at the front. And it was probably the last Delirious concert I will go to. If you had asked me two years ago who did more work in our relationship, I would have said me. I remember talking to my mom about this and how I felt like I was the only one that ever gave anything. Now I feel like Jared is so thoughtful all the time and doesn't give me enough chance to give of myself. heh. I have no reasons not to marry him. He makes me laugh. He knows how to communicate his way through a fight that I have started. He is patient with me and he points me to a great walk with Christ. I thank God for having blessed me with him. I thank God for last summer.

God is so good to me. I trust him. I look forward to seeing what the rest of my life holds. Happy negative one anniversary, Jared! I look forward to spending my life with you.

Goodbye, my Marble.

Last July I had to say goodbye to my dear cat. My parents took her to be put down because Tiger had caught a bat and we didn't know if it was rabid. But she ended up coming back. I thought she was going to be put down, but instead last minute they just put her in a cage for six months. This time she won't be coming back. I really thought that since I had cried my eyes out last summer and had prepared for her to die that I wouldn't be as affected this time around. I think the part that makes me cry the most is thinking about whenever I used to cry. Marble would come running from whereever she was. Most people though she was a grumpy cat, but she was the sweetest, dearest cat to me. When I cried she would run over and still her little head in my face and curl up next to my head. It was so cute. She'd let me cry into her fur and do whatever I wanted to with her in those moments. I cried with her a lot over the past 14 years. She was my baby; she listened to everything I said. I'll miss her little marbled face. She's had a good life and I thank God for my funny little cat. Goodbye my furry friend. I love you.



Pictures from December 2006.

The fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. When I was little I used to ask if I could have a picnic for all the families instead of a birthday party. I love having lots of people over at my house and getting to play games and sit around and talk (the talking part has only become a favorite of mine in the past few years). This year I brought one of my friends from school home with me. I remember once that Sarah Meadows was saying that she like when her two worlds came together and got to meet. I didn't know what she was talking about then, but now I understand and agree. It is really neat.

The fireworks got rained out and Hayley, Rachel, Jared, Laurie, Luke, and Michelle and my family sat in my living room with the lights off and watched the lightning and rain outside. It was fun. I like doing random what-other-people-might-consider-boring events with my family and friends.

Hayley, me, Michellle --> my friends are both taller than Jared... weird.

My dad wears this shirt every year. He was explaining to a group of us this year that is doesn't work out very well to wear it on St. Patrick's day or Easter. Dad, also left me m&m's under my pillow when I came back this weekend. YAY!! They were peanut m&m's. Yum yum yum.

A table shot. This is the 4th for me. People eating in my backyard. Eating so much food until you burst. I love it.

Saturday, Michelle, Sarah, and I went to visit Jared's cute little house (and no Jamie, I didn't get pictures - maybe someday). Then we went and picked blueberries out and drove down to the Taylors for some board game and sailing fun. Also, really awesome food and confetti cup fun!!! I don't know what it is about confetti cups that I love, but they sure are good. Mrs. Taylors grilling is always good. She even cooked my meat well done for me. How sweet. It was delicious. Hayley even made us a cherry pie for dessert. That was awesome as well.

Sunday my Mom made me sweet corn and green beans from the garden before I drove back to college park. The sweet corn was amazing. I had at least 7 ears of corn before I left!! I left at 2:40 and arrived in College Park around 6:30. Yes, it did take that long to get back here. The traffic was awful. Boo holiday beach traffic. Michelle and I listen to Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader on the way back. Then as I was carrying in my stuff I found this in the back seat:

I flipped it over and on the back (like the picture) was a card from my dear Jared. He's so sweet. That made me smile. It is sitting next to my bed now reminding me how thoughtful Jared is. I thought I would tell you all how great he is to me. It is making me smile while I finish up these two project papers and take two final exams and have a cold. Miserable summer cold.

In my last post I forgot to say how AMAZING my ring is!! All I told Jared was that I wanted it to be traditional and classy and not too big and white gold. I know Jared is great at picking out gifts for me. He is always so particular about what he gets. I knew that he would do a great job. And he didn't disappoint. Afterwards, I asked him how long he had my ring and he asked, "this ring?" I looked at him and said, "were there others?" Sheepishly he admitted that this was the third one that he had bought for me. :D That is my Jared. My ring is perfect for me!! It is the most beautiful ring that I have ever seen. The stone isn't too small and it isn't too big. It sparkles like crazy and I love to play with it. I couldn't have imagined it any better. Jared is great. My ring is perfect. :D Weeeeeeee!!!

Anna kindly took a few pictures of us today. This is probably the best shots you are going to get of my ring until 1) you come see it in person or 2) I get my wedding photos.

Jared actually held my hand. ha ha. I can't wait to be able to hold his hand and hug him whenever I want. That will be so fun.

I know the pictures are kind of goofy, but then so are Jared and I. I hope that these make Jamie and Dasha, Mrs. Shelton, Linnea, and others in far off lands very happy. :) Oh and my ring really is incredible!! I love it more each minute. Weeeeeeeeeeee!

* My favorite number is 3.
* Jared and I are 3 years and 33 days apart.
* My birthday 6.21.1986 can all be divisible by 3.
6/3=2
21/3=7
1986=3=682

I love 3s!

So what could be better then to get engaged 33 months and 3 days after you were first asked out?!? It just added to the awesomeness!

For those of you that want the story: Last Saturday when I was home for my birthday Jared asked me to come home this weekend. He said we would go canoeing if I came home. I have been asking Jared for almost 3 years to take me canoeing, but we hadn't ever been, so of course I said yes. I came home this weekend and on Friday Jared took off work an hour early so we could leave around 3 and canoe down to Shad Landing and have an early dinner. We paddled down to Shad Landing (which took about an hour and fifteen minutes) and ate lunch/dinner. Jared packed lunch meat, cheese, bread, chips, yogurt, red grapes (my favorite, he likes green grapes), and Gatorades. Once lunch was over, we left. We outran a storm on the way back (it rained on us for a short time, but it was so hot I didn't care) and loaded up the canoe. I then dropped Jared off at his house and took the canoe back to my house and showered. I ran out to pick up movies for Anna because she was sick. Jared came and picked me up around 8 and we went to see Wall*e (which is an adorable movie). Then we headed back to my house around 11:30 and walked around my neighborhood. Jared then suggested that we go look at the stars in my field. So we walked back there and looked at the stars. There was no moon and all the stars were really hazy. So we are sitting on a picnic table out there just looking around for a while and then Jared asked me which star was the brightest and so I looked around and didn't see any that stood out, but then I turned around to look at him and he was smiling and holding the ring. So he got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him. And I said YES!! Then we hugged, prayed, and went inside to wake up the family around 1.

My mom has a picture on he blog that is sort of similar to my ring. Anna has been sick so I haven't gotten any pictures yet. Maybe next weekend when I come home.

Saturday we went to see Delirious? and that we so amazing. We had front row standing sections thanks to my Dad and Luke. It was so great to take Jared to something I greatly enjoy. It was very sweet of him to go on the 10 hour trip down to Richmond and back with my family and me. Richmond was great. We ate at an delicious little Mexican restaurant and had Krispy Kremes and saw Delirious? in this incredible old opera house called the National. The traveling was not great, but it was worth it. It was a neat concert.

So there is what I did this weekend. Any questions? Did I forget any details that you want to know?

I get to see Delirious tonight!!
I'm so excited.
Here is my favorite song, Majesty and another cool song called Wonder. :D

Majesty

Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire

Wonder

Is it any wonder that my heart is on the line
Is it any wonder that my words are out of time
Is it any wonder that I miss you like your mine

Oh sweet heart you've broken this sweet heart
Oh sweet heart you've broken me.

You set my world on fire
I'm turning inside out to be with you
So I'll be waiting here
And our love can live forever
Coz In your eyes I've seen who I could be
So I'll be waiting here

I also want to take time to publically thank my parents for being so awesome. I love them both very much and I can't even begin to express how wonderful they are to me. I had a lovely birthday with them. My Dad gave me a pen knife and a screwdriver and two textbooks. heh. My Mom made me cream puffs and waited on my hand and foot. She also bought be crossword puzzles. Both my parents are so dear to me. I love them so much. Thank you both for putting before me good examples of what a Christ centered life and relationship is. Thank you for sending me to college and for encouraging me and being proud of me. I love being your daughter.

My Dad is great. He will listen to me ramble on for hours and hours about school while everyone else is bored out of there mind. He likes math. I like math. It works out well that way. My Dad also leaves me presents under my pillow at random times. He came up to visit me this semester and snuck upstairs and left me a bag of ginger snaps (one of our favorites) under my pillow. It was so sweet; it made me cry when I found them after he had left. He is one of the smartest people that I have ever met and he had the best sense of humor. He has been a great example in my life and I am so thankful for his guidence.

My mother bakes and cooks me whatever I want each time I come home. Even if she wasn't planning on it and I mention that I want something else. She is amazing. I love her dearly. She listens to me talk about anything that isn't school related. She gives me hugs (so does Dad). I get so hug deprived at school. She fills my car with gas and writes me at least a note every other week at school. Her notes most often come at the perfect time and cheer me up and encourage me to press on.

I am supposed to be taking an exam right now, but I felt like telling the whole world how wonderful my parents are for me!!! I am so blessed. I thank God for that. I hope I can be like them someday. They've taught me a lot. I love them. It is neat how God gives us the parents that are best suited for us. I am so glad for mine. I couldn't have asked for more.

I know both of my parents love me very much and that is a great blessing. Even great is the blessing that they love God and have taught me to follow Him. Thank you both.

A few thoughts from John Piper:

1. Can we be set free from the fear of failure by telling ourselves that it is in our nature to fail?

In part, yes, but for the Christian there is far more. The fear of failure is ultimately conquered through Christ. We need to…

…own up to our sin—the real failure. We fall short of and belittle the glory of God by pursuing our own greatness. (Romans 1:18-23;3:23)
…change our goal. In faith, we should pursue the glory of Christ, the perfect one, rather than our own perfection. (Galatians 5:1-5)
…trust in Christ for our perfection, because we are judged according to his righteousness as he intercedes on our behalf continually before God, the Father. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Which brings us back to where we started. Do you really trust God this morning? Do you trust him for who he really is—a sin forgiving Savior and an infallible guide to everlasting joy? If you do, you will aim to make his counsel decisive in all your decision making.
And the counsel that you hear in Psalm 25 is . . .
First, that as you walk with him there is going to be trouble, and you will struggle with fear and loneliness and guilt and confusion.
Second, that when you do, you should come to him in prayer and bring all your struggles with no hesitation.
Third, that the basis of your expectation when you come is not that messages are promised in visions but that guidance is promised in humility and in the fear of the Lord.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Immerse yourself in the written Word of God; saturate your mind with it. And pray that the Spirit of Christ would make you so new that the spillover would be good, acceptable, and perfect—the will of God.

Meet Wordle

This is my last blog post.
I used the word home a lot.

This is the second chapter of Philippians: http://wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/25476/Philippians.

This is an awesome website: http://wordle.net/

1st day being...

22

Well, after tonight half of my semester will be finished!! Next Tuesday all my midterms will be finished. I think summer classes are easier, but maybe it they are just so quick that you don't have a change to realize how much work they are. Either way I have enjoyed my two classes so far. :) I love learning.

I get to come home tonight to celebrate my birthday and see my family!! I am excited for real meals. I have determined that I should never live on my own. I love to cook, but it just isn't worth it for one person. It is so much more fun to cook for other people. I was telling my mom all the things that I have eaten in the past 9 days up here and it went something like this: stuffing, English muffins, sunchips, granola bars, frosted mini wheats and milk, yogurt, cheese and crackers, crepes, dinner rolls, baked beans, grapes, and kiwis. As I was talking I realized that I am eating a lot of carbs. Carbs seem to be the easiest food to make. Kiwis are my favorite fruit right now.

For my birthday my parents are taking me to see Delirious? next weekend! Their new album continues to grow on me while Coldplay's hasn't increased in my opinion. Sarah gave me Les Mis to listen to and that is my other new music fad right now. I have been listening to it really loud when my two roommates are gone. I love Broadway. I want to go see more musicals. And plays, I would go see plays again too. I hope the Grandi-Howards take me to more plays this year... :D

The gym has been so empty and nice whenever I have gone in the past two weeks. However, last week some girl had a seizure and today the fire alarm went off. Thankfully, both days it was relatively cool outside and I finished my run around campus. It made it a little more interesting. I found out that I can run from my parking spot on campus to the gym in about five minutes. That was pretty sweet. I usually pay 75 cents to park their for an hour. So now I can save money next year and I will just run to the gym.

Another thing, it is so much easier to go to the gym when someone is going with you or you are making someone else go. So hopefully Mom will go with me when I get home. :) I fight myself every day to go to the gym. I tried lifting today, but my chest still hurts from the car accident last week so I gave up and just ran. I wonder when that will get better. I looked online and I think I might have bruised my sternum. Anyone know how long that takes to get better? They didn't say much about it online, but the symptoms sounded like what I have. It hurts when I pull the wrong way, laugh, cough, breath in deeply, and most of all when I turn my neck and upper body to back up my car (weird).

Well, I should get back to studying for my midterms and writing these project management papers. I am beginning to like civil engineering. I especially like Reliability Engineering. I think that would be a neat career. It is under appreciate in the engineering field, but it is really interesting. I would get to break things and find out why they fail. That has always been my favorite thing to do. I love breaking things and then figuring out why they broke and how to make them better. I love learning that there are all these ways to break things that give you information to build things better and how people don't ever think to apply them. I really love everything I have learned in reliability; I would say I have enjoyed both my classes, but I had to write that dumb journal paper for my reliability class last year. That class itself was interesting. I am very happy that I decided to go to grad school. I seriously love learning all this stuff. Okay, I really have to go.

See you in Salisbury this weekend! Going away from home makes home even better when you get to come home. :D One day more all on my own...

Home home home home home home home home home home home home home home home home home home home home home!!!!

This video just makes me smile. :D
He looks so happy. I love that line about the law of averages.
Michael Crawford is singing on the Wall*e soundtrack!!
Thank you Mrs. Taylor for introducing me to the real phantom of the opera!!

And thanks to Hayley and Sarah for giving me the best birthday present ever two years ago. Seeing Phantom on stage is still such a wonderful memory. I will never forget it. It was lovely. I just smile when I think about that too. I am richly blessed.

New Blog Stuff

I started messing with things last night and then I had to fix all the mistakes that I saw. I know that there are probably many more, but I am going to bed. If you find anything that looks funny or links that don't work please leave a comment and let me know of the flaws. And I am still messing with the colors, but I am tired right now. Good night.

I really liked Coldplay's last album. I've been listening to their new album and so far I only like a few songs off of it, I really don't like two of the songs, and I don't care about the rest. However, I think this video is especially pretty. Apple was brilliant when they put this together. I really don't like Apple so that is saying a lot.

My Friday the thirteenth camping trip and car accident.

I have included pictures and maps below to help with the explanation. So my small group left this morning at 8:30 to head down to the Big Meadows area and go camping for a night. We passed Harrisonburg and headed out of Skyline Drive. I noted them both on the map. Along with a very small town of Elkton and an even smaller town of Grottos. Note those two towns they will be needed later in my story.


The next picture is of the entrance to Skyline Drive. We were following my friend Michelle (far back might I add since my other friend Rebecca is the most cautious driver that I know). And she missed the entrance to Skyline Drive... So at the top of this hill she randomly pulls into this u-turn lane (I would put her in same school of drivers as Stephanie Hornor...maybe not as spastic). I am turning around and looking at the entrance to Skyline Drive because I recognized it and wanted to see if we had really passed it. I never saw Michelle turn. Rebecca did, but when she went to stop her rug was all crammed under the brake petal and wouldn't go down. So I never saw what really happened because I heard Rebecca cry out and as I turned I flew forward into my seat belt. OUCH. We stopped immediately, but Michelle's car flew across the opposite lane of traffic and over the hill between the two roads and into Skyline Drive. Only her one air bag went off, neither of ours did. Needless to say the camping trip was ended here. Everyone was stiff and sore, but we all were walking around and talking. The park rangers were awesome, as were the ambulance drive and the fire men. They were all so sweet and talked to us for a long time. The single cop that showed up (later than everyone else mind you) was extremely grumpy and gave Rebecca a ticket for speeding and for being reckless even though we all (all three of the rest of us) tried to tell him that it wasn't her fault and she is the most careful driver that we know.

Rebecca has AAA and had to go with her car. So I rode along to go with her car and her. The tow truck the cop called was from Grottos (remember on the map where that is). He told us that Grottos had nothing in it for us to wait around in and so he was going to leave us in Elkton where at least they had a few stores to hang out in. Fair enough.

So he left us at a Pizza Hut. We used the restroom and I quizzed the cashier on what was in the area that was fun. She told me to go to a battlefield that is over an hour away (sounds promising this little town does, right?). She told us there was a Dairy Queen and gas station across the street and the other way there was a dollar general. We hung out at DQ for an hour and a half and ate our ice cream and started shaking and just wanting to find some shoulder to cry on. Then we wandered down to Dollar General for some form of entertainment (cribbage maybe?). They didn't have cribbage, but I bought cards and Sorry to play with Rebecca to take her mind off the whole day. Then we happened to look down the street and saw a Subway!! It was wonderful because we hadn't eaten all day since breakfast and it was now around 5:30 and Rebecca's parents were still an hour away. So we went in there and ate subs and played sorry.

After her parents arrived, we drove down to Grottos to pick up all our stuff from the car and then we drove the four hours back to College Park. And now I am back and about to go to bed because I am really tired and sore. Anyhow, what is a story without car pictures. Below is Rebecca's cute little jetta. The poor little thing. Her Dad said it was a lemon anyhow.

If you think about it, you can pray for Rebecca. I know she is going to take it really hard. She already has a pessimistic view on life. So I know this is going to be rough on her. She looked so sad all day and I couldn't even get her to smile, which I can normally do pretty easily. Thanks!!

Happy Friday the Thirteenth!!

This is my new favorite application on google. I have always loved looking at the satellite pictures on google maps, but now they have STREET VIEW!!! It is super awesome coolness. Can you find where in the US of A this picture is? I'll give you a hint, it is in the United States (but those are the only places so far with streets). It shouldn't be too terrible hard. I left the address in from when I was poking around different places in the country. And one more clue: it is more northernish. Out west is so depressing with no trees and all that brown. I am so glad I like in a pretty state. I like the look of the entire east coast. :)

To prove the great stalking capabilities of google maps... I give you the hospital where Sarah Meadow's works. I also found Stef's apartment, but it was too far off the road and kind of blurry.

Lisa Wright has a blog and pictures of her three adorable children!! She is Lisa Sperow for those of you who don't know who I am talking about. My old babysitter.

I graduated last week.
I am a really mechanical engineer now!
And a real physicist.


I stole this picture from Anna. Maybe I will post more later, but they are all on my flash drive, which is on my keys, which is in my room, and I don't want to walk back there because I am making chicken pot pie and german chocolate cake for dinner. I like cooking. I start classes again Tuesday. I am paying for my summer classes so I can finish my degree in a year. I didn't realize summer classes cost SO much more then regular schooling. Yikes. $444 a credit hour. I am taking 6 credit hours. The school would pay for them if I did my degree in two years, but I am trying to finish in a year.

Have you read about this? I felt like crying when I read this. I have always really like Steven Curtis Chapman and his family. They seem so real.

Maria Sue Chapman (2003-2008)
Maria Sue Chapman, adopted and youngest daughter to Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed Wednesday night in a tragic accident in the family driveway on Wednesday evening. She was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital but for only reasons God can explain she went home to Him... not to Franklin as we all so desperately wanted.

Your prayers are needed for all in the Chapman family. This is a family who has so generously loved and given to so many. Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman's completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago. These words are unthinkable to type. And yet we trust in a God who was not surprised by this and because of Jesus I am certain through faith in Him we will see Maria again. - Jim Houser (Manager)

What this quote doesn't mention is that one of his sons was driving the car. That makes it incredibly harder on the family. Please pray.
* By mail, send to PO Box 150156 Nashville, TN 37215.
* In lieu of flowers, the Chapmans request any gifts be directed to Shaohannah’s Hope.

In the words of SCC:
"We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end."

edit: Thursday morning

At 9:45 I finished my last exam and left 15 minutes early to go figure out grad school stuff yet again (I am trying to sign up for two classes and one of them isn't showing up...anyhow). At noon I turned in my journal paper. So that means... I am finished undergraduate schooling forever!! And now I am going to go play soccer with Andrew and Chris. Then gym with Michelle one last time before she leaves me. Tonight I am going to dinner with my small group and then Michelle and I are going to watch movies tonight (I'll probably crash since I only had two hours of sleep). Tomorrow I am going to go bike riding with the Howards to get ice cream and then graduation!!! la la la. Who ever thought I would graduate college, God is great. Through my weakness He is strong. :D Weeeeeeeeeeee!

I'm just going to just write down here because it is along the same line of thought. Soccer yesterday day was amazing. I love playing soccer and it rained yesterday for a while during the time we were playing and that made it all the more better. Plus, it was only me and 7 of my favorite guys on campus playing, so that was even better. And I can still play soccer, which is sweet!! So that was great. Then I went on a trip to Michelle's house (in Odenton) to pick up her honor cords that she forgot (no, I didn't buy honor cords because I didn't feel like paying the money for them). Then we took showers and headed to DC for dinner! *green turtle doot doot* Dinner was really good and laughing with all the girls was a blast. Then we headed back to Michelle's house to watch Equilibrium. But the guys called and wanted to play signs. So they came over around 10:30 and stayed to 3 playing signs.

Signs is this new game I just learned. Each person has a sign (like mine was looking at my watch and Andrews was throwing a frisbee and Alision's was opening a book...etc). There is this invisible ball that you are trying to pass around the circle and hide from whomever is in the middle. To pass the ball you must first do your sign (to show that you received the ball) then do someone else's sign (to send the ball), that person must see you and accept the ball by doing their sign and then pass the ball along. It sounds complicated, but it is really fun. The person in the middle goes around asking people if they have the ball until they catch a glimpse of the signs and can follow them to a person and make someone mess up or have the ball for longer than three seconds. It gets pretty intense at some points.

Then I crashed on the floor and slept until 7. And then I went back to the Howard's and slept some more until now (10:50) and now I am going to get dressed to go on a bike ride with the Howard's. We are going to get ice cream. Woohoo. Tonight I am coming home to pack some stuff, get a good night sleep, wake up early to make the Howard's Swedish pancakes tomorrow, and go to graduation!!

Life at school, without school, is great fun. :D I should hang around after finals more often. Everyone but the seniors are leaving this morning though... sad sad sad. I am glad I am coming back next year to see almost everyone.

Best Friends

Anna took us on a photoshoot to Pemberton. I love these pictures. I love these people! I love being home; six days to graduation. :D

Today is national Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!!

*hint*
*hint*

I love chocolate chip cookies. I'll give rain checks and you can send them to me next semester. :D We can pretend that September 20 or October 11 is ccc day and I'll enjoy them just as much (for those of you who didn't plan ahead this year to send me cookies today - heh).

(Scott, Fred (and yes, I am always on a team with another F name making it impossible to assign things by letter - I just think it is funny that I am always with a F since there are so few F names), Allison, Me)
(Cameron, Fred, Me)

Since I haven't posted pictures of me for a while... here are two from today. This is my senior project prototype... (Dad the second one of the back of my head is for you - note the beautiful circuit board and me hooking in the voltmeter - isn't it great? :D Oh, you can also see the red bucket playing double duty by running up the stairs and back down the stairs to act as the holder). Anyhow, sorry but I can't really explain what is going on in these pictures for patten purposes. This is only the prototype, the actual system looks a lot cooler. But I thought I would post pictures (one of the guys is taking the photos - so he isn't in the pictures) of the best team that I have ever had (the best team comes with drawbacks though, they work too hard and we spend too much time in meetings - heh). But if that is what I have to give up to not have to write the entire report (like I have in previous semesters), it is a small price to pay. Anyhow... here is what I have been working on for 16 weeks. It is pretty exciting! The final report is single spaced and 120 pages and the final presentation is tomorrow. I get to wear a suit!! :)

I turned in homework yesterday and that 120 page final project report. I took one final exam today and turned in a presentation for that class and a homework set. I have my final presentation for my senior project tomorrow. And then all I will have left are:

* Mechanics Final (Saturday --> requested to be moved to Tuesday at 2pm and granted. YES!!)

* Reliability Final (Wednesday 8am)

*Reliability Journal Paper (Wednesday 5pm)

* Graduation Main Commencement (Thursday night May 22)

* Graduation School Commencement (Friday noon May 23) and I am so glad I refused to speak at graduation. That would be too much pressure.