What an Incredible Day!

Oh my gosh, I had so much fun today. George and I went up to the Ocoee River. Actually, we first went to the Chilhowee Mountain lookout, and it was amazing. So beautiful. But then we went to this part of the river where there is a small beach. George made a sea turtle out of sand and I secretly named it "Sven."

It was such a gorgeous day. And I think I needed it more than I realized. To go somewhere I hadn't been and to just take it all in. It was more impressive then I originally believed it would be and I'm looking forward to going back. Christy-Anne has been talking about going camping and now I really want to. I think it would be fantastic.

I've been doing a lot of writing outside of the blog lately. It's been healthy. Because I've been getting some stuff down that I've been almost too afraid to write about otherwise. Stuff about my life and where it's going. But I think it's going extraordinarily well. So yay for that.

Keep praying for Elise and her family, please. That's my biggest concern in life at the moment. I can't wait to fly home and see her.

Looky, Looky.

I got hooky-ed up today with cable TV and Internet.

No more creepy town libraries for me! Whaha!

Elise Update.

She has chicken pox, which is not good for a child with such a high risk type of leukemia. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks.

Homesick... Again...

I've been severely homesick for the last few days. I went with Christy-Anne to see the Ocoee River on Thursday night, even though it was too dark to even make it out, and it was nice to talk to her about some things. Like being homesick and missing the familiarity of Seattle and everyone there. She had a hard time understanding where I was coming from when I expressed my longing to her a few months ago and she challenged me, saying I could be just as much myself here as I could back in Seattle if I just allowed myself. But over time, she'd thought about this more and realized how growing up here and knowing most, if not all, of the area's hidden corners, she told me she never thought about how much this place makes up who she is. And it was then that she gave me credit for trying as hard as I have to embrace where I am, because she couldn't imagine how difficult it must be to ache for something that you know. And most of the time, I feel like I don't know anything. It's this constant feeling of out-of-place-ness and it can get exhausting.

Anyway. I'm working on flying home in October. In the meantime, I'm getting things ready for the fall. I have to renew my FAFSA but I have to do it online and I need my dad to help me with it, which means I'll have to wait until next week, because that's when the house is getting hooked up with cable and Internet. Finally.

Okay, that's all.

What Else?

I have no idea.

Once again, another day, not much to write about. For me, it's the weekend, because I have today and tomorrow off. However, the assistant manager of the store asked if I would come in later tonight and work a brief three-hour shift... But I'll be honest. I really don't want to. I want to take my whole day off and I feel really selfish for that.

Other than that, Christy-Anne, George, me, and a few others are heading to the cheap theater to see Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man's Chest later on today. That'll be fun.

I'm sorry I haven't had much interesting to say lately. I think my mind has been so preoccupied with what's happening back home, I feel like I haven't really been where I actually am. My heart and my mind are there with Elise and her family. Simultaneously, I have stuff happening here that has me preoccupied as well, but that's a whole other story.

There are things I need to do. I've got to start kicking my butt into shape and do them.

Like getting Internet hooked up in my house so I don't have to keep coming to the library to write about nothing, nothing at all!

Bleh!

I don't have anything to really write about. Life is good, I ache for home, I think about Elise all the time... That's just how it is.

I painted one of my bedrooms last night. Bleh...

And yes, I do have a new phone number. You should all call my mom and get it from her and call me because I can make international calls now to Canada! I know because Jets called me this week and it didn't cost me any minutes.

Yeah, okay, that's really all I can think of right now. This was dumb.

Some Things.

Prayers are working and Elise has shown promise. So much so, she was released from the hospital yesterday and allowed to go home. I was so happy to find out.

Christy-Anne gave me a really great idea for sending her something very special. We're also working on finding a way that I might fly home during my fall break in October, that way I can visit her and be there with her for a while. It'd be great if Christy-Anne and George could both go with me. I don't know... But I know I'd love it.

Besides that, there haven't been too many developments. I'm still getting my new house put together and we've painted over the majority of the house in great new colors. Very contemporary and fun. We're decorating and getting everything arranged. Our place is going to be one of those hang-out places that everyone wants to go to after work. That's just how it's going to be and I'm glad. I can't believe how long I went after moving here without truly socializing.

And on that point, it's been really great sharing myself with people lately. Thurday night, I went with Christy-Anne to the small group she meets with and it was really nice. Everyone was really open and friendly and very interested in who I was, which has always been something I have selfishly wanted to be. Interesting. And they affirmed me when I told them my story of how I moved out here and the fact I don't regret it, that I learned a ton, and even though there's still healing taking place from all the emotional damage that Andy left, I've really come to understand the vastness of God's power and authority in my life. I have to give a great big shout out to God for all the good I have in my life right now. I feel so content and fulfilled. I guess this is what you call joy.

Anyway. Once again, I'm at the library, checking up on things, reading my Elise emails and now I'm here, writing again. This will always be therapeutic for me... I don't know why. It simply must be a part of myself that aches to get out on an almost-daily basis and the only way it knows how is through blogging. Of all things. Five years now and it's still not old.

I've been missing my friends lately, though. Like Steph, Leah, and Ryan. Not to mention some friends who I know have gone through a lot of changes. Like Travis, who got married this month! Man, I wish I could've been there to see... But I'm sure it was beautiful. And I've had the chance to talk with Jets lately, whom I miss just like any other friend. But now, with my new Cingular phone and plan, I can talk a lot more limitlessly... Hint hint...

And that's all for now.

My Humble Request.

The girl I babysat before I moved out here, the one whose family I went with to Florida back in the day, was diagnosed with leukemia this week.

Her name is Elise and it would mean the world to me if you kept her in your prayers and good thoughts while she and her family go through this scary time.

I feel terrible because I can't be there. If I could have my wish, it would be me instead. Because this girl has a lot more to do. And I believe she'll do it.

I'm Know I'm Scarce!

But I moved and it's crazy and I can only get to a computer on a rare occasion! I'm at the library again, trying to check all the important stuff! You know how it is.

Anyway. Things are still going. I'm talking to more people over the phone, which is nice, because I feel like I haven't talked to anyone in ages! You people need to call me. Seriously.

I'm At A Library!

Because I currently don't have Internet because all my stuff has been moved out of my apartment and into my new house! Pretty stoked about it, quite frankly. You won't believe me if I tell you but I'll tell you anyway, because it really is true--Jeremy took it upon himself to get a couple of friends together and move all my stuff out of my apartment and into my new house FOR ME. Yeah! He volunteered to just do it... for me! Which made no sense but he wouldn't take "no" for an answer and everyone else was telling me that it was okay and that it was a good thing and I finally had to cave in. But I'm glad I did, because I have no idea how else I would've been able to move all that junk otherwise. Praise God for kind and giving individuals like Jeremy! Seriously!

And the house is going to be amazing when it's all put together. Christy-Anne and I are both officially moved in and now just waiting on Shauna to get her stuff in, but that probably won't happen until August. Either way, I'm just glad to be in a house, where other people live besides just me! And "Hazey Jane" is enjoying herself a great deal too.

So I may be coming to the library for the next couple of days to keep in touch with the world while I'm getting everything set up in the house. I have to have the cable guys come and hook us all up, which takes time and money, of course. You know how it is with me. We've been through this before...

Anyway. I really don't have that much else to update about, except that life is going splendidly. The weather here is amazing. Humid but amazing. Of course, the friends are even more amazing. Not to mention the fact that I've been spending time with people and a certain someone who has been blessing me in incredible doses.

I want God to be my heart.