SURPRISE!

Can you guess who the owner of these books is?

Monday I spoke with Esh on the phone for just long enough for her to tell me that she will be coming to the states this weekend to take classes at the local college. Shortly after that I ran out the door to meet with the midwives. We had a long but wonderful meeting all afternoon. We talked about a lot of things and they signed off a bunch of stuff for me. At the end we discussed my apprenticeship with them. Right now the clientele at the birthcenter is primarily Mennonite and many of them are uncomfortable with someone unmarried being at their prenatals/births. So, I really can't get a good number of clinicals here right now and also, I'm just not thinking that I'll be ready to be out on my own going to births in about a year and a half. As with everything timing is super important. I know midwifery is my calling but I don't think right now is the time. I came home and told my parents what we'd talked about. They asked what I planned to do and I said get a good job, keep doing my book work, and then go on my course's Dominican Republic trip in March. After about 5 minutes of talking I was convinced that going to college this semester would be better and I had a huge peace about it too. Monday was the first day of school and at this point it was about 4:30 pm on Monday! Mom and I ran up to the college and I signed up for classes. I was very blessed to get only the best professors even at that late date but that does mean I have 8 am classes 5 days a week!!!! AGHHHHH! I did get the last spot in several classes as well. God made such a path for me! So, this semester I'm taking Biology, the second half of American History, History of Jazz (super fun class), Medical Terminology, and Bowling. Esh and I are in bowling together and that should be fun. I've been once and already learned that Wii bowling gives one false hope! The prof. is really funny and this should definately be a blow-off class.

Well, those text-books are calling! Yep, it's the very textbooks in the picture.

The doggies!

Here are a couple of rare pictures of our dogs. Shawna normally sleeps on Larry Boy's bed instead of her own as she is doing in the first picture. The second picture is rare because they get along well and play together but never sleep so close to each other. I took both of these through the back doors so I'm glad they came out as well as they did.

As heard in the coffee shop. . .

Coffee shops are interesting places to sit and inconspicuously listen to interesting conversations of those around you. I mean, honestly, when you take a book and go to Starbucks to study, how much of that time are you truly immersed in chemistry? How much of the time are you staring at the page and not truly reading a word but learning a lot about the philosophy of the people at the next table? I've heard many interesting things sitting at the local Starbucks but the quote that I can remember today was heard as mom and I were traveling home from Visiting Amy last week. When mom and I stop at a Starbucks on the road it's never just to get that caffeine fix. It always includes a use of the "facilites" as well. I was innocently sitting at a table sipping my Grande White Chocolate Mocha and waiting on mom when the nearby conversation between a mom and two daughters caught my attention. The older daughter (college age) declared to her mom and sister, "The fun of going to parties is lying about them." My thoughts pause, my head turns to see what the mother's response will be. My eyes see the mom's head nod in affirmation. My ears hear "of course" pass through the mother's lips. My brain becomes befuddled. I mean, who does she have to lie to? The most likely people are her parents and she's just confessed this to her mom who agreed with her!

I hope to post more "as heard in the coffee shop" entries as I hear them.

Vacation

I had a great trip last week! My family and I went and stayed in a cabin on Brownwood Lake for a few days of R&R. I got a lot of studying and sleeping done and took some beautiful sunset pictures. Then on Sunday mom and I head to Dallas to visit Amy and her family. While we were there I ate Israeli food 3 times!!!!!! Amy and I played lots of nertz and Wii. I stayed up almost all night on New Years and then woke up again in time to watch the sun rise. I enjoyed some good shopping and general chatting and hangin' out. On the way back we stopped in Fort Worth and visited with Judith who is a friend of mine from school in Boise. She lives in Canada so it was a great blessing that we ended up in the same place at the same time.

As the sun begins to set. . .

Sunset

Hangin' out on the last day of 2007
You know you gotta sport some 'tude while puttin' on the lipgloss.
This is the movie we slept to on New Years afternoon.

Shirts courtesy of UJ

Best photo shoot ever! We HAD to eat chocolate to do it!

Judith and I