Good Things

Dear faithful blog readers,

It's been two weeks since I blogged. More, actually. 16 days, to be exact. I'm sorry it's been so long!

I've been in college for two weeks now. It's been really good. It's been hard at times. I miss being with my family. But it's just a different stage of life, and it has gone very well so far! There are lots of decisions to make on my own, new expectations from new teachers, classes that really challenge me, and I've met so many people that I recognize way more faces than names!

The cafeteria food is really good. The salad bar, smoothies, and sweet potato waffle fries are the best. And soft-serve ice cream with Oreos? Yum.

Classes have been interesting. My favorite two are Composition 1 and U.S.A Comprehensive Survey (US History). College operates very differently though, especially regarding assignments. The professor hands you the syllabus on day one, and says:
"Here is everything you need to know to succeed in this class. Get all the assignments done on time and keep up with homework! It's all on page four." And then they let you loose. Its overwhelming to say the least. Thank goodness for planners!

Amy and I are loving rooming together. It is really nice to have a place where you can just relax... not have to adjust to living with a new person. (not to say that rooming with someone you don't know is bad at all... can be great!) I think it's made the dorm feel like home more quickly. We've also gotten involved in RUF, and are starting to build some good friendships there. People are so welcoming, and have been amazing about getting us involved, giving us rides, etc. :)

Whenever I go through big changes, I'm so thankful that I have God as my refuge & strength! I don't know how I'd do it without Him. I look at others around me who don't know Him and are trying to do this whole college thing by themselves. It really is in Him that I have confidence.

Anyway...all that to say that it's been an overwhelming & busy, but great two weeks. Hopefully I'll be getting back to blogging every week as I settle into more of a routine :)

And, because I can't post a blog without some photos.... here are some from our family trip to Jekyll Island a few weeks ago. At the very end are some photos of my dorm room too :)

And.....my dorm :)

Have a wonderful LONG weekend! I'm loving being home with my family for a few days :)

A New Adventure

Tomorrow I leave for college.

Wow.

A year ago, I was busy applying to colleges, writing essays, and thinking about majors - essentially, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the next four years. Big decision for a 17 year old, right? I guess most of us have to do it.

To be completely honest, it was scary at the time. I worried (the worrying was pointless, the concern was not - I didn't miss deadlines! :)) about choosing the right state, the right college, the right major, the right scholarships...

...close to home? Far from home? (But where is home?) Public? Private? Christian? Secular? Small? Large? A major sure to get me a "good job?" Or something I love?

Living outside of the US added another level of difficulty - getting documents to colleges and scheduling interview times is a bit more complicated when you are 12 hours ahead and thousands of miles apart. (Yay for email and Skype!) But with lots of advice from family and friends, lots of researching, and lots of prayer, things all fell in place. I applied to three colleges, chose one, chose a major, chose a dorm, and chose a roommate. (My best friend! Everyone thinks it's hilarious that the twins are rooming together...why not?! We like each other!)

God has provided for me - beyond all I could ask or think. He has provided financially, emotionally, and spiritually. I feel prepared. It's so much easier to see God's hand in the whole process when I look back at it. A year ago, I felt so unprepared and overwhelmed by all the options and things to do. But now I look at all the great opportunities He has given me - everything from the creativity to write essays and the time to apply for scholarships, to the blessing of spending my high school years in another country and of having my family near me the first year - and I'm so thankful!

Here's to change, to learning, and to a wonderful God!

A design I printed for my dorm room/photos are abstracts from driftwood beach on Jekyll Island... more photos from our trip to Jekyll Island to come soon. :)

The Marsh

It's grassy. Muddy. Watery. Green. Sometimes yellow. Lots of crabs. No sharks. (I thought there were when I was 7.)

Come see it! :)

Setting Sun

Setting sun
+
Tall pines
+
Spanish moss
+
Lush marshes
+
Golden light
=
Happy photos
 
I love photography so much. And I love my family. And the One who created all of it.

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!

Psalm 113:3

Designed Stuff

Hello all! We are all moved in to a rental house, conveniently located near our home church AND near where my sister and I will be going to college. :) I haven't had internet access for a few days, so that's why you haven't seen a post in a little too long. But I'm back with something I've been working on today. With lots of bare walls in our house and a dorm room to decorate, I'm inspired to design. Here's the result:

And another style - just different background/colors :)

I designed them to be desktop backgrounds, thus the small reference size. It looks bigger on my desktop! Feel free to download for your computer - just click on the image, zoom in on it, side click, and set as your background! Or save it to your computer and set it from there :) Enjoy!