last week

Texas.  (I had never seen palm trees before.  I stood wide-eyed looking at the one in the schoolyard.  The sixth-graders stood looking at me and laughed.)

Oklahoma.  (At my sister's college.  The sun went to bed.  We didn't.  I kept thinking, "How did I do this in college??")

Nebraska.  (Why hullo, spring.)

Hay look -- it's Christmas in March!

the third thing

And I expect this is the only time I will get to post something like this:

I'm engaged!

It is without question the most dramatic surprise I have had.  It is also a classic case of Caroline insisting over and over "NO that will NEVER happen"...and then eventually, "Well actually..."

I am very, very happy:  Not so much about getting married (although that is exciting), but about to whom I'm getting married.  It (he, rather) brings joy and blessing from the Lord.  "My thoughts are not your thoughts," God told Israel.  Seems to be true in this also -- and hurrah for that.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

[intermission]

[Nebraska.  February.]

Dad gave me a fancy phone a few months ago that takes pictures.  So now I have a camera with me wherever I go.  When I am driving someplace, I will suddenly step on the brakes and pull over so I can take pictures.  This keeps happening more and more and it is a time-consuming habit, but I can't seem to get out of it.  Anyway:

This was close to home and I hope no one recognized me.  All the truckers driving past must have wondered why some nicely-dressed girl was hopping around in the ditch in her flats to take pictures of...the roadside??

the second thing (finally) -- same old?

Not to be mundane...but I get to go back here this summer:

Mongolia!

This is what the camp looks like in the wintertime (photo credits to camp staff).  Of course it will look more like this when I go back:

Every time I think about seeing the friends I remember, I get re-excited.  (And thankful.)

Lord willing!

the first thing (fingerprints)

Several things have been happening lately.

I graduated college:

That is the first thing.  I am happy about this.  I haven't asked, but I think Dad is also happy to not have three kids in college anymore.

One of the nice things about graduating was that I also got this in the mail:

When I mentioned my licensure the other day, somebody brought up drivers' licenses.  Well, yes,they are similar in that it helps to not be a criminal to get/keep either one.  A teaching license is slightly more involved.  The state had to fingerprint me to see if I was really a criminal or not.  The results showed that I was not, so Iowa said that, after four and a half years and a lot of work, I can teach "for real" now.

New Year's Day