Hearty Bean Soup!!!

Washed Kidney and Gorbanzo beans....yumm

The finished product!!!

Hearty Bean Soup:

So, can I serve you up some?! Yumm!

More Drawings

More pictures for your enjoyment.......

"Stylish"

"Thoughts"

England approaches

As July comes to a close, I am in awe of how quickly it has flown by. I await August with deep anticipation of all it will bring. I am so thankful to God for this opportunity! It has always been a dream of mine to travel to England. Growing up and watching classics like Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice (the older version), Emma, Princess Bride, Ever After, and other films set in the English countryside- these are just some of the stories that have written this dream within me. When I first read C.S. Lewis', "The Chronicles of Narnia" I was so obsessed! Anyone who has ever been near me during or after I read a very good book, knows how engrossed I am in the story. I can go for weeks thinking and talking about it. England holds a mystical, magical feel to me. Great writers such as: Chaucer, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Ernest Hemingway, H. G. Wells, Charles Dickens, as well as countless others- they have given me appreciation for the written language. How can anyone argue that anything (aside from the Bible) is more beautiful, more genius, than British Literature?! I am so thrilled to be able to study Literature in the country where such geniuses existed. Just think, were it not for the gift of printed word, writers' works, such as Shakespeare, would be lost to us! What a very boring world that would be. :) But, that being said, I am so excited to study at Oxford University! Although it has been many years since C.S. Lewis walked its halls, I know I will be overcome with the brilliance of it all. I can't wait!!!

Failed Attempts

Guitar: the first instrument I attempted to learn. I quit my classes after a year because I was sick of playing the same children's songs. If the Barney theme song had been our next piece, it might have prompted me to continue.

Piano: the second instrument I attempted to learn. I quit my lessons after a year because my teacher wouldn't teach me fast enough. I believe that I learn quickly and I want to know everything!

And now, I regret that I didn't stick with it. I wish I knew how to read music easier, play the piano, and have a better understanding of the components of music.

Karate: quit after a year and a half because I was bored. I wanted to kick some booty. Hehe

Volleyball: two years in highschool and still love it!

But, the most important thing that I could stick with is my relationship with Christ. I will never be bored or give up on my Savior. :)

The Here and Now

This summer has been an interesting experience, and it's still not over. Living with my Sister has its ups and downs, which is to be expected. I have enjoyed our laughs and the different things we have done together. I'd forgotten what it was like to be annoyed with a sibling. Thankfully, after we have argued and pouted off, we still make amends like we used to: come to each other with hugs and sorries. Haha. It's wierd having not seen her very much for almost 4 years, besides the summers when she came home between semesters. But, even then, she was always working. It's strange how much people change during college. Especially when you aren't there beside them to see it all happen. Different thoughts have been obtained, different behaviors, different tastes, and it's hard sometimes to take it all in because we want so much to remain the way we were as children. Hanna and I wish sometimes that we could be kids again and play legos all day! Haha. I miss riding my bike every summer with my brother and sister. But, there are so many things now that I am experiencing that I wouldn't trade for another moment of childhood: college, my relationship with Christ, becoming an Aunt, traveling to Europe (dream come true), and growing in the awesome God-led relationship with Benjamin! I can not give enough thanks to the wonderful Savior who is working in it all!