The Day of Great Combinations

coffee and conversation jump start the day right.

reuniting with a CUC friend -- a juxtaposition of catching up on life and reminiscing.

sunshine, sunscreen, and sand smells staining my skin.

lakeside seating perfectly sandwiched between a friend and a cousinsister.

laughter and love. lots of it.

reminders

of not being alone.

of growing up that's done and will come.

of the okay factor in it all.

and now...chocolate milk and Frankenstein. (a bit of polar opposites, yes?)

~"Life is short, let's go live it. Ain't no time for wasting time. Days like these go by way too fast. Yeah, days like these, you wanna make them last." ["Days Like These" - Jason Aldean]~

"Out of Chaos..."

This move has an intimidating weight that I am trying to fight from sitting on my shoulders. The excitement is hiding

behind the nerves,

the to do list,

money,

praying for things to come together,

the Unknowns,

and trying to be everywhere for everyone at once before Moving Day.

Enter music that saves my sanity and makes me slow down for a few minutes, that quiets my soul and stills everything.

Yes, this is chaos.

Yes, this is scary.

But yes, this is exciting.

And yes, this is good.

And yes, beautiful things will come from this.

Future Project?

So there's this website where people take photographs back to the exact place where they were taken, and they take another. It's not recreating it, it's putting it back in context...but in the future. Check it out, and you'll see what I mean.

Basically...it's awesome.

And it has me thinking that I'd love to do something like that.

~"We try to grab pieces of our lives as they speed past us. Photographs freeze those pieces and help us remember how we were." [-Gene McSweeney]~

A Wonderful [Wedding] Weekend

My heart overflows with joy from the weekend:

reuniting with friends after months apart

celebrating a birthday

seeing two dear friends united in marriage

watching the newlyweds enjoy their special day to the fullest

dancing like fools at the reception with the other Concordia ladies :)

a long walk

lots of driving...and safely while driving

the necessary tears that come with closure, heartache...and loads of thanksgiving

a great hike

sightseeing in Cedar Rapids

movie watching with Mattchu

And while Aaron and I hiked, he pointed out a bench tucked away in the tall grass. The top of the plaque sums this entire weekend:

Thanks, God.

Stay Tuned...

My blogging is always the most sporadic whilst I travel. Forgive me.

I will be back in the groove on Monday.

For now I am basking in time with some wonderful friends.

The time to meander home is coming way too quickly...then again, doesn't it always?

The Fruit of 2 Days of Driving

I have gotten to see a lot of beautiful scenery in the past two days, wow. I wish I could have taken pictures of everything.

One day I am going to take a road trip. I will have a destination in mind, but I will savor the sights on the way, stopping on whims to take pictures or see the random touristy spots along the way (like the Oz Museum here in Kansas). That would be a dream vacation.

But for now, off to simply dream.

Let's Pretend This is Wednesday's Post

Sometimes words aren't enough to calm the swirl of emotion and thought.

And sometimes the swirl moves so quickly that it cannot be caught.

In those times, that voice appears again, quietly calling:

"Be still awhile, and you'll stop that feeling of falling."

In that still time, look around you at the wonders there

At all of the joys that'll turn into memories to share.

Let them warm your heart, and let them drown out

All of those troubles that your mind used to shout.

Soon a smile will melt into your lips, boldly shining

And it will seem like simply perfect timing

To be reunited with this old friend once more.

And then you'll wonder, What else does this day have in store?

And off you'll go, happily on your way

To embrace the now-glorious day.

[goodness, i missed writing poetry.]

~"Give me the beat, boys, and free my soul, I wanna get lost in your rock'n'roll and drift away..." ["Drift Away" - Uncle Kracker]~