This title thing is driving me nuts...how do I get rid of it?

I have the blessing of being the maid of honor for one of my dearest friends and college roomate Missy Lindstrom in her wedding this summer to Brendan Cook. (who you could say was pretty much one of my college roomates as well :) ) And this is the bridemaids dress she picked out, look how pretty it is! Good Job Missy :) I can't wait to wear it. Now I just need to get a date, a dress like this shouldn't be wasted you know ;) Only the Lord knows though. Everything else in Boston is going good, it finally feels like spring here, it has been in the 60's the past couple of days and tomorrow there is rumors of 70's I think I am going to have to take a trip to the beach before my weekend class starts. I am offically staying in Boston until the end of June. (my goal is to have everything with school finished by my 24th birthday) Than I will travel home to Minnesota, and enjoy a summer on the lake and the birth of a new neice or nephew!!!! Man this weather can really put you in a good mood!! I must get back to reading though, I was just so excited about this dress I had to share. Have a great day.
God Bless! 

The many wonderful Faces of Camp





Everyone needs a cool Aunt Melly to teach them fun tricks their parents wouldn't teach them. (By the way Gabe was a natural when it came to hanging a spoon off of his nose!)






This is one of my best friends from high school's wedding last fall!! I love and miss you Kris and Cooper :) 

Hello Family and Friends, It has been a long time since my last post, but there is a very good reason for that, not much has changed in the past 2 weeks. Which is a good thing, it is nice to have consitancy in life every now and than. We just finished our second reading week at GCTS, and since the last reading week I had I spent in Florida with my family this reading week just didn't seem to be as much fun. But I did get a ton of work done because well I have to. The second reading week always has a looming factor of the fact that the end of the semester is coming sooner than we would all like, and time is running out to get done the piles of work in front of us. Oh well thats grad school. I did make a change of summer plans this past week however, I am now going to live in Hamilton until the end of June (99% sure at least). This way I don't have to worry about saying good-bye to all my friends while doing finals and papers, and I can finish my last class and thesis here so that when I drive home at the end of June I will be completly done with my masters degree (Lord willing). I am excited to stay and be by the ocean when it is warm and enjoy summer days in Boston. But I will also be excited to move home in July and enjoy the minnesota summer life style as well. I have worked at camp for the past 4 summers and I don't really know what a normal summer is anymore :) Well folks thats about all, sorry it isn't too exciting of a post. I hope that all is well for everyone wherever you are. I think I will post some collage's just for fun so my blog has more life. :) P.S. if anyone knows how to get rid of that anyonning title thing in the middle of my blog please let me know! Thank you!

You know that you are a true grad student when not only do you spend both friday and saturday night studying at the what has become the newest excitment in your life..... the new Panera Bread that opened in town (which has wireless, and bottomless cups of coffee...what every student needs to survive hours of studying at one time) but the workers start to recongize you (and probably take pity on you because you are always looking intensely at a book or a computer) and they start to give free food :). Really it doesn't get much better than this.

Life this past week has been really good, I had the week off from babysitting so I was able to spend more time studying (at panera) and with friends (again at panera, its really just another Gordon Conwell hang out sometimes) This weekend has been really low key which is always nice. Tomorrow morning I am going to cheer on my good friends Sabrina and Steve in Boston's half maraton (Good luck Guys)

Next week marks midterm week which includes a big greek test, all sorts of reading reports and other stuff due for other classes, it is going to be a long week. But the following week is reading week so that will be something to look forward to in the middle of trying to understand participles. (trust me there not fun)

I hope that you are all well. Thanks for checking in! Congrates to the program staff (and all staff) of Flathead, I am very excited for you guys and all of the things God is going to do working through you.

God Bless!

A Rollarcoaster of Sleep

For some reason this past week has been a huge reality check that my life as a student is t minus 2 months and counting. When you have been doing school for 6 straight years you always know the end is coming but you never actaully think you will get there somehow. So I spent the past weekend mainly sleeping trying to catch up, and taking advantage of the fact that I had nothing on my schedule this past weekend. I also spent this past weekend going through what felt like a rollarcoaster of emotions everything from feeling like I can't wait to leave GCTS to I am not ready and I don't want to go and everything inbetween. I am more stable now, I think the sleep helped, I just pray that the next two months are not like this past weekend or I don't think I am going to make it :) If you are praying for me if you could lift up my classes and that I would work hard and finish as strong as I started. And if you could also pray for a job back in Minnesota this summer, that God would clearly open doors and use me where I could best be his servant, thank you very much I appericate it. If you have any prayer requests please e-mail or call me I would love to pray for you. Have a great day everyone

The Chaco Tan is back

This past week I spent in Florida with my family. It was so wonderful to spend a week with them. We did lots of fun stuff (see pics below) I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family. Coming back from Florida was harder than I thought it was going to be. I just got so used to having my neices and nephews around all the time that when I woke up Wed. morning it was to my alarm clock and not them. Than I realized I had to go to greek class and take a quiz which was a little rough. So wend. morning was a little rough I just wanted to be back in Florida with my family but I am doing much better now. I had a great class in the city last night (urban youth ministry) It totally got me pumped about doing ministry and getting a job in the summer. So it is back to reality but it is all good, I really do enjoy school and it helps to know I only have two months left and than I am all done! Well I must study for another greek quiz I have tomorrow. I hope that everyone is doing well!

Disney World

Abby taking a break!
Look at all the people. It is crazy when you think about how many people each day go to Disney World, at times I felt like I was being hearded different directions we try to do simple things like park the car. They have a system for everything at Disney World.
Lucy meeting Princess Jasmine
The Grosklags' Gang on the Jungle Cruse

 

Disney World!

What is a good family vacation in Florida with out Disney World? We went to Disney World on the last day we were there, we were all a little tired but we still had a great time. Disney World really is one of the happiest places on earth, I found myself getting wraped up in all the excitment. It was really fun to watch the kids get excited, especially when we met Mickey Mouse.

Sam and I waiting for the 3-D movie, that squirted water at us

We quickly learned on this vacation that Gabe LOVES rides! My sister Dawn and her husband Kevin waited in line with Gabe for 40 mins for the Dumbo ride and the entire time he just pointed at the ride and said "ride, ride", He even like the train ride back the parking lot. He is an easy kid to please and made it 11 hours at Disney World. That is pretty impressive for a 2 year old!
Mom and Gabe on the Tea Pots ride. (He cried when it was down because he wanted more)
The ride of the day was Buzz Lightyear. This is my brother in law Kevin working on a new high score. go kevin go! 

Beach Fun

We went to Coco beach one of the days we were their, checked out Ron Jon's surf shop and the beach, those were both really fun but their isn't much to say for the rest of the town. On the way back we stoped at a Dunkin' Dounuts which I was really excited about because I have their coffee just about every day here because they have one about every 2 miles no lie. So I went in and order my coffee as usuall, and when I ordered it I said it pretty fast because if you don't say it fast in Boston, they will quickly get frustrated with you. But I had to say my drink order 4 times for them to get it. I think I might have become a little to used to living in the fast pace east coast after a year and half :) Moving home to Minnesota will be an adjustment. Gabe sporting his new shades!
Lucy and I playing in the ocean
The guys feeding the massive amount of birds that came when we brought out the goldfish crackers. They were a little to close to my head for my comfort level, but thats just me ;)
Pa Pa and Abby

 

Spring Training

Sam enjoying watching the players different during batting practice, he was impressed with all of the homeruns.

My family and I went to the Minnesota Twins Spring Training. It was a lot of fun to watch to players practice, afterwards we got a bunch of autographs. I think it is kind of weird that I was asking for autographs of guys my age or even younger but I'm sure I am not the only 23 year old female fan that does it, so it is not that weird. I was dissapointed when I missed Torii Hunter's autograph but everyone else in my family got him.

Title:

Johan Santana

Torii Hunter

Joe Mauer

 

Sea World

We had a great time at Sea World, I must tell you the truth at age 23 the desire to want to work at Sea World with the dolphins and killer whales is still just as strong as when I was 8 years old.
The Thesien Family
Shamu!
Gabe loved the dolphin shows!