It’s true. It’s starting to grow on me. Not to mention all these nifty exercises that Kelsie taught me. Which is handy, because my normal situps just weren’t hurting enough recently. But these moves on the exercise ball, well, they really help me satiate my masochistic tendencies. Ha.

Anyway. Nothing to say, I’m just really trying to make good on the promise to update. I’m thinking that once classes actually start, I will probably only post once a week. None of this three posts a week nonesense. That simply won’t do when I have things going on other grocery shopping and a million emails for MuKappa.

I’m leaving tomorrow for Portland/Vancouver. I”m excited, but also really nervous. Would you mind praying? I’m nervous for lots of reasons. A. I’m always a bit nervous about new modes of transportation. I’m taking the bus to meet Twaan before we catch the train down. I’ll just feel better once I meet up with him downtown. B. I’m nervous to spend this much concentrated time with all of Twaan’s friends. Granted, I actually know two of them from Colorado–but those are actually the ones who make me most nervous. C. I’ve been doing much better lately at this whole relationship thing, but I still have moments where I freak out about commitment and long term things. I feel like this being the third trip to Portland/Vancouver says something about me being committed. Don’t get me wrong–I am. But things in the future still make me nervous. (Like: oh my gosh. I have to get a job and be responsible and be on my own this time next year. hello? this realization=terrifying)

so if you’ll pray that God would just give me peace and encouragement for all these things, that would be great. We’ve been doing pretty good, me and God. I’m more trusting lately, and I don’t freak as much. But still. I have moments. (I guess we all do, though)

…for the first time since I came back to Seattle two and a half weeks ago. It’s the nice drizzle that I like about Seattle. I walked home from housesitting last night, with only a brown sweater over my blue Henley. I got back to the apartment, my jeans soaked all the way up three inches from the ground, but the rest of me was pretty dry. That’s one of the wonderful things about Seattle rain. I didn’t own a raincoat until an awesome sale took place this summer, and yet, I’ve lived in Seattle for two years! Two years and no raincoat.

I’m sitting here now, at my secretary which we affectionately named Rhonda earlier this week. Instead of a chair I’m using Kelsie’s exercise ball which was recently pumped up. Supposedly this is going to give me better posture or a strong back. Right now I just feel a little sore from not having anything to lean up against. I have a steaming mug of Indo tea with far too much sugar in it. Cars are racing along the street below our apartment, the noise is softened today by the wet pavement. The whole sky is grey and there’s a sort of fog in the air, the kind that makes the whole world lazy and sleepy.

I think I’ll make soup for dinner tonight.

On Thursday I went to Fred Meyer with Anna and August. On the way home, we passed this long row of blackberry bushes, with no obvious owners (they were attached to a fence that enclosed a business which sells different kinds of landscaping/rock/pavement materials). Anna emptied her Fred Meyer bag in to her back pack and we started picking. WE estimate we got 2 pounds of fresh blackberries—for free! It was wonderful. We trudged back home with sticky red fingers, and later that evening we had people over for desert: blackberry tarts. Several rounds of catch phrase later, and we still have a lot of blackberries, and left over custard. I think we’ll have people over again soon.

There isn’t much else to say. It’s a lazy, quiet day in the neighborhood. There’s still steam coming off my tea, wafting up into the open room before disappearing into the chill air of our apartment. Anna is reading a book in the chair behind me. I think I might do that as well.

Ciao mes amies

Look, updating! I’m trying to make good on that promise!

Next week Twaan and I are going to Portland/Vancouver. We have friends that live down there. Jared and Teresa, who we’ll probably be staying with. And Caleb and Kat who we might help move depending on when exactly we do go down.

Vancouver/Portland is home to a lot of the missionaries from Indonesia. From Jared and Caleb as MK’s, to the Pust family, it’s like going down to see Twaan’s extended family. It’s feels even more so that way since the adults get called Aunt and Uncle. In Indonesia, it’s a sign of respect, and the missionaries adopted it.

I think we are (hopefully) going to hike Multnomah Falls. I’m looking forward to it. I saw it when we drove past in June on our way to Idaho. Even such a short glimpse was enough to make an impression, I love waterfalls, and these looked really pretty. It’s only a 1.2 mile hike, but we can go the extra 6 to the top of the “mountain.” We’ll see. I haven’t run since I’ve been back to Seattle, so I’m not sure how I’ll be feeling about 7.2 miles. (And now that I think of it, that might be one way too…)

Today is nothing exciting. If you are out there and you read this, please pray for me. There are three of us living in the apartment now, and it’s hard to not have someone feeling left out. Usually, it ends up being me. It’s actually quite exasperating, because these are two of my really good friends. But we just don’t always do very well as a threesome. Drives me nuts when I want this to work so well.

blessings.

oh! PS! I wrote a whole two paragraphs today! WOOHOO. I hadn’t written anything since June before today.

I haven’t updated in quite a while. Not since January. and it’s September. I’m about to embark on a whole new school year. I’ve completely forgotten about this blog. I don’t know that anyone even reads it anymore.

Hm. I think, maybe this year, I will try to be a better updater. Here are some basic things going on right now though.

Classes start on the 29th of this month. That’s really far away, and yet right around the corner. I’ve been back in Seattle moving in to the apartment for about a week. I still have a couple more boxes to get from random people, and my couch as well, but I have mostly moved in just about everything I own in the SEattle area. It’s been interesting. Kelsie was already here, and I feel like I have moved in to someone else’s home in someways. Anna comes tonight, and Caitlin just before school starts again. I’m sure it will feel the same for them. But One can never say exactly what anyone else is feeling. (Half the time I don’t know what I’m feeling.)

I’m president MuKappa this year–it’s the club on campus for MK’s (missionary kids). I’m excited for it. It’s going to be a great ministry. The club is going to meet at our apartment each Sunday night for dinner and hang out. I’m so excited to get to know the girls (and guys too). We’re having a girl’s small group made up of MuKappa people also, and I think that will be fantastic.

Twaan and I are still dating. Which is amazing after the hellacious year and summer that I’ve been through. I feel like some of the original passion has died down, but I also think that’s normal. I appreciate our relationship in quieter (but no less important) ways now. I appreciate having someone to just be with, and not have to always be doing something, or feel the need for activity. Last night we finished a movie, walked back to my apartment where he collapsed on my couch while I had tea and sat beside him. And it was probably one of the nicest nights since I’ve been back.

Other than that, life goes on, much as it always has. I’m tired today, because I walked up to Safeway and walked down with a whole bunch of groceries (if you live in Seattle or know Queen Anne you can understand that it is a bit of a hike to the grocery from Nickerson Street). Tonight I am going to make sloppy joes, see a friend, welcome Anna home, and just hang out. Very cowish (to those who understand that). Very lovely.

love and blessings