Wow, it's been almost a year since I ventured to my Xanga site.  I even forgot how to post a new entry.  (Figured it out, though; guess I'm pretty smart.)  I'm trying to decide the best way to update everyone when I'm in Uganda (and I plan to write a lot, so if you're subscribed to this and don't want to get emails while I'm working in Uganda, you might want to unsubscribe!).  I'm guessing I'll just use Xanga...

I don't know.  It's 1 am, but I've been thinking about LASP and Uganda and I'm too excited to sleep.  I'm leaving in about six weeks.  Just got my typhoid and yellow fever shots, and we've figured out which malaria prophylaxis (?) I'm going to take.  And I can wear flip flops and skirts that go to the knee... haha, exciting. 

Looks like I can post pictures, sounds, and videos on here.  How exciting. 

I really have nothing to say that's worth reading, except that my friend Lindsey Bailey, whom I studied abroad with in Costa Rica, is here for Thanksgiving break, and I'm so happy!  She's friends with my brother Conrad and my other friends from church (they all go to Olivet and met Lindsey after we got back from CR), and so she decided to drive all the way from Illinois to Virginia to visit everyone for the week. 

But I didn't know she was coming, so Dad asked me to come into the den for a minute, and goodness!  she was sitting there!  I haven't seen her since May 2005 when we left Miami after our re-entry retreat.  I just love surprises.

I'm just loving this year.  I don't even really know what it is.  I was unhappy sophomore and junior years, but I've finally found that joy again.  I walk around outside at school, and I just can't help but smile - because the sky is beautiful, or the cold is refreshing, or because the roses outside LEAD are still blooming....I love finding contentment in the little things. 

I wonder how Uganda will change me. 

So apparently I can put different fonts on here now.  Well, how exciting.  I visited JMU last weekend again, just to see everyone, and it was wonderful :).  But the greatest part about it is that the trip really made me feel peace about staying here at ENC.  I just didn't feel like I needed to be at JMU anymore (good thing, since I had decided to stay here anyway... haha).  So I just felt like I had such a huge burden lifted from my shoulders...whew.  So thankful :). 

So here is a beautiful picture of Phil, Ashley, and me at Graham's 21st birthday party (a "pirate semiformal"... yeah who knows).

It was so great to be with Ashley for the whole weekend... man, I miss that girl.  She really is amazing, and I love her so much! 

(we took a few pictures.... i don't think there were any that were good of both of us, but they were still funny, like this next one ... hehe.)

This morning, I got up at 5:30 a.m. to go work out at the Y with Em, and it was great!  I hope I can start to do that at least 3 times a week... maybe every day.  I'm thinking I'll swim three days a week and run the other two.  Yeahhhh for getting back in shape and having lots of time in the morning!  This morning was so wonderful because we got back here at 7, I ate breakfast, did devos, and still had so much time to just rest.  And Blake asked today if I'd like to be a part of early morning prayer Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 ... maybe I could do that but just come in a little bit late.  Wouldn't that be wonderful to get into that schedule? 

Ok, time for me to get back to reading about human behavior.  Good stuff, I tell you.

p.s. I love the social work program here at ENC.  So thankful ...