3 Days...7 States...5 Hours from Home

 
I LOVE ROAD TRIPS!!!

Well I am almost done with my journey from Boston to Minneapolis! It has been a great trip for the most part. The first day after I drove away from Boston with tears in my eyes, I drove 9 hours and stayed with the grandparents of 2 of the kids I babysat in Boston. They were so sweet, it reminded me of staying with host families on Day Camps. The next day with Nicholas Spark's The Wedding in my CD player I drove 11 hours to Indiana to stay with my Cousin Holly. Listening to a book on cd it made the time go by very quickly. Than I left my cousins at 3:30 the next day I thought I would make it home by midnight, but you would think after living near a big city for two years I would know better than to try and travel through it during rush hour. I ended up having to go on a detour through Chicago because 94 was under construction and it took me an extra two hours to get through Chicago. I can't say that I love Chicago right now. :) Than as I crossed the WI state line I noticed that there are deathly black clouds in front of me, which turned out to be a hail strom...so I was delayed for another half hour. So I didn't make it back to Minneapolis tonight as planned. Instaed I am in a hotel in Madison, which is fine, because I still have 5 hours to go and I wouldn't have been able to finish the trip tonight. But I am ready to be home. That is all I have, over all it has been a smooth trip, my girl blue has been good to me. Tomorrow I will be home...that is a wonderful thing. I hope that everyone is well...Below is one of the ways I kept myself entertained for the past 3 days :) 

 
And I'm Off!! Day 1 of my road trip and I'm enjoying the ride with Blue!
 
The Bridge to Nigara Falls which is where I stayed the first night with a the parents of one of the families I babysat for!
 
Day 2, It's Hot but I'm a happy camper, I listened to The Wedding, which took 8 hours at the end I cried, I don't know if it was because it was good, or because I had been in a car for 8 hours, either way it entertained me for a while!
 
Getting Tired...I am on the Ohio Turn pike starting to feel the drag of my trip 

 
Day 3...It feels like I am running the increadiable race!! I only have 8 hours to go!! (or so I thought)
 
Chicago...I saw more of Chicago than I cared to today, since I had to take a detour through the city that took 2 and half hours!!
 
This is what I thought of Chicago after I finally made it through 2 hours behind schedule with my clutch foot hurting, and my blatter about to brust I wanted to give 'em one of these!
 
I had a lot of Dt. Coke along the way! 

Good Bye Boston

Well if you know me at all, you can imagine this past weekend has been a roller coaster of emotions.
My birthday was wonderful, Polly (one of the little girls I babysit) and I went to her family's country club and spent the morning swimming, than I went to the beach with my two best friends, than I celebrated my birthday with about 30 of my Gordon Conwell friends. It was a day full of joy and laughter but also sadness because I had to say good bye to so many great people.
Sat. was good I spent the morning with Cassie at our favorite store A to Z which is something we did a lot together over the past two years, than I packed and cleaned my room.
Today I went into Boston with Sabrina, we tried to go to the Red Soxs game but the rain put a stop to that. It was a huge bummer Sabrina and I both love baseball and have been able to go to a couple games together and Fenway and we were really hoping that is how we could spend our last day together, but we still had fun, we ended up seeing a movie and Boston (lake House...it is good :) ) But than it was time to say good bye, and after I drove away, all of the emotions of saying good bye to Boston and everyone in it caught up with me. It is really hard to leave. But I am lucky to be able to move home to my family and some great friends as well. Man life is funny huh. My new favorite quote is from a country song ....(thank you Cassie)
Life ain't always Beautiful...But it is a beautiful ride.
It is hard leaving, it is hard saying good bye, but it is only hard because it has been so great for the past two years, and I have been so blessed and I have learned so much in good and hard times. But on I go, to the next phase.
Thank you to all of my Gordon Friends, I will miss the wonderful community that we are so blessed to have, I am praying for you all

Runaway Horse

Today I was on campus, loading my life into the trunk of my car, when I saw something at Gordon Conwell that I have never seen before...a runaway horse. He was just trotting right on through our campus, his rider was about 10 minutes behind him trying to catch up to him on foot. It was an intresting sight to say the least...Just when you think you have seen all there is to see on your campus a horse comes trotting on through....you got to love it!

I am all packed, expect for what I need this weekend, all of the details for leaving are taking care of, and I have four more pages of my 12 page research paper for Church History and I am off. I am looking foward to the weekend, a party tomorrow night than time with my girls Sabrina and Cassie before I leave on Saturday and Sunday! Than I hit to road Monday moring. Even though I am packed, and ready to go and have said so many good-byes to people who are so near and dear to my heart it has not hit yet that I am leaving forever...I feel like I am going off to camp and that I will be back in the fall.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend! If you are have time on Monday Tuesday or Wednesday, give me a call I will be traveling arcoss the country! (especially if you have Verzion :) ) Don't worry mom, I have a head set for my phone so both hands will be on the wheel at all times!! (10 and 2 even ;) )

May you all find joy and peace in the Lord today!

Between 2 Worlds

Time is flying by, I leave for Minnesota a week from Monday. No matter how you slice it or dice it, to move home to Minnesota which is where I want to be and where I feel called to be, I have to leave Boston. Two years ago I "blindly" drove out here not knowing a soul, not knowing if I would like the East coast and now I have established my life out here by myself with great friends, a great church, and great families to work for. I guess it just goes with moving on with your life and starting new chapters, you must say good-bye to where you are. This transition stuff is perhaps my least favorite times in life. But they are good and serve a purpose I am sure :)

This past week was good, it went by fast though, I put in a lot of babysitting hours, trying to save for the long trip home. It has been great to spend time with the kids I babysit though, there are going to be very hard to leave, I have been with both families the whole time I have been here, I live with one of them, and the other one is having me over for a "fancy" dinner tomorrow night for my birthday/going away/graduation. They are the sweetest family, and I am so blessed by both of them.

I took my final for church history, and I am well on my way to finish my paper, this just leaves putting the pieces of my thesis together and 1500 pages to read and I am done with my masters degree and with school. That is something that has not registered yet for sure, even though I am in the process of applying for full time youth ministry jobs I still feel like I will be going back to school next fall.

We finally had some good weather on the North Shore, I spent some time at the beach today and walking around Manchester by the Sea. It was great to be outside and you can never go wrong with a beach and cute beach towns like Manchester, although the parking is kind of a pain.

That is all for now, one more week in Boston, but it should be a full one, trying to tie up lose ends, spending time with friends, and finishing my paper.

I hope that everyone is doing good! Have a wonderful Day!

P.S. Happy Father's Day Dad!! Thank you so much for all that you do for me! Love u!

P.S.S. GO MINNESOTA TWINS!!! They are rockin' it right now. Hey Minnesota peps who is up for a game!! :)

A Surprise Weekend!

This past weekend I went home to Minnesota for a family wedding. I had no idea that I was going to be going home for the wedding until my mom called me this past Monday and said "what if I flew you home this weekend for the wedding?" So we made the reservation and early Thur. Morning I was off on my 7th round trip in less than 2 years.
The best part about coming home is that I got to surprise my sisters and nieces and nephews who had no idea that I was coming home. I surprised almost everyone at Sam's baseball game Thursday night. It was wonderful to be able to surprise everyone.
Friday morning we headed up towards Lusten, Minnesota. We stayed at a beautiful resort right on lake Superior. We had amazing weather and spent our time playing baseball, throwing rocks in the lake, going on walks, and relaxing. The wedding (my cousin Amy got married) was so beautiful, it was outside overlooking Lake Superior, the dance was a good time especially with Lucy and Gabe who couldn't get enough of the dance floor. And my mom and dad, there were some of the first people out on the floor dancing...maybe that is where I get it from! All in all it was a great weekend, it was so nice to be in Minnesota, and to be with my family. When I was saying Good Bye to everyone I was telling Sam that the next time I come home it will because I am moving home, he looked at me a little confused and said "you mean you don't have to go to college anymore?" All Sam(8) has ever known is Aunt Melly coming and going for college. It is nice to say that I will be home for good now. (well at least for a little while :) )
I have a little under 2 weeks left in Boston which will be packed full and fly by fast. That is all for now, I hope that everyone is well!

P.S. GO MINNESOTA TWINS!!! (Boston red soxs 2: Minnesota twins 5) whoa who!

Pictures from the weekend!

 
Abby!
 
Lucy in my sunglasses!
 
Gabe and Kevin

Beautiful Northern Minnesota! 

Pictures from the weekend!

 
Playing Baseball friday night before dinner!
 
My sisters and me at the wedding! (Dawn is due in 6 weeks!)
 
The Newly Weds!
 
Gabe's first trip down the alpine slides at Lutsen Ski Restort 

Seriously...More Rain

The weather forecast for the next 3 days....rain rain and more rain, and watch out for flooding. Oh man, what can you do though, you can't control the rain.

So I have finally picked a date for when I will be moving home...drumroll please (just kidding) Monday June 26th I will begin my three day journey from Boston to Minneapolis which is just short of 1400 miles. I am excited for the road trip though especially by myself they really are just a great time to help you to process the chapter in your life you have just completed and begin to prepare for the next chapter of your life which you are about to open. and it is a great time to just jam out as well. And I won't be alone I will have my girl blue...she has seen me through a lot that trusty cavalier :)

Another date for you Gordon Conwell peps to keep in mind is June 23rd. (which just happens to be my 24th birthday for anyone who thought that date sounded familiar :) ) I will be having a birthday party/going away party at Matt Miller's house in Rockport. It starts at 6. Jeff Hannah is BBQing with some southern love, bring something to share and your own drink.

That is all I have to report right now, life is going really good, I am just enjoying spending quality time with some great friends before I leave. My semlink is moving along nicely I should be finished with both tests and the papers by next week, which just leaves me 1500 pages to read, and some on line interactions to do. Than I just need to piece my Thesis together and I am all done. Praise the Lord.

I hope everyone is doing well. Remember to always love the Lord with all of your heart, mind and soul. Peace to all.