Awkward and Awesome!

Shirt: c/o CAbi  Jeans: Nordstrom  Boots: Steve Madden  Bracelet: Invisible Children 

Awkward:

 Waving and smiling at someone across the hall as you run into a large potted plant. "Oh yeah, just really enjoy foliage, don't mind me."

Hitting my head on four objects in 24 hours: the fouton, the floor, a dresser and my bed. My brain was just plain certain I was nine inches shorter than I am. He's still not positive of my actual height.

Walking into work to hear my boss say, "What are you doing here?" Come to find the girl whose shift I was taking showed up too! After her talking to the boss for about 5 minutes she had to stay and work her own shift. Poor the her. Awkward the me. 

Walking into the lobby of my dorm and hearing a guy say, "Are those hunter boots?!" I look up and he and his lady friend are both just staring at my footwear, "Why, yes, yes they are." 

Awesome:

I have successfully remembered to water my daisies everyday for a week now. I believe this is good news for any future children I might have, I will not forget your nutritional needs. I may forget to buy your favorite cookies, but only if they don't line up with my favorite cookies.

Today is Happy Women's Day. That sounds like a good day for chocolate, doesn't it? 

Getting to go home for Spring Break yesterday. Spring Break doesn't actually start until tomorrow. Yippee! 

The true awesome, the best awesome, the awesome that will cover an entire year of awesome: How God is using the Kony2012 Movement. It's incredible. It's gone positively viral. We were hoping for 500,000 views for the entire year, in these past 4 days we've gotten over 50 million. Stop Kony is everywhere, his face is on everything. God took this and just ran with it. It's incredible. If you have yet to see the video, here it is, and if you have any questions, I'm planning to post FAQs from Kony2012 within the next few days. Stay tuned.                                                                                          

If Money Grew on Trees Instead of Being Made From Them..

 

   

       

Cardigan  Tank  Dress  Suit   Phone Case  Sunnies  Duffle  Sunnies Case

..This is what I would be purchasing. But instead my money goes and lives in the bank waiting to be transferred to Uganda in May. Not that I mind. 

Joseph Kony

Joseph Kony is this guy: 

He is the number one wanted war criminal in the whole, wide WORLD. 

But you've probably never heard of him. 

Or if you have, you've heard very little. 

I've written about the longest running war in Africa before, especially here, on October 16th, four days after President Obama sent U.S. advisory troops to aid the Ugandan army in their efforts to arrest Joseph Kony. In an attempt not to be redundant, I encourage you to click that link and see a lengthier summary of what is truly going on with our family in Central Africa. Because that's what they are, our family. 

Right now, our family in Central Africa has been living in fear for the past 26 years because that man up there, Kony, has been terrorizing with his "Lord's Resistance Army" or LRA (absolutely no affiliation with Christianity or the Lord). He has captured over 30,000 children and used them as soldiers and sex slaves, making them live out unspeakable night mares. 

Why hasn't he been stopped? 

Because Kony knew what he was up to, he attacked the people who didn't even touch the world's radar screen; they come from the lowest of the low end of the socio-economic scale and were invisible to the world for almost 20 years. 

But then these three boys went over to Uganda on a crazy adventure to try to film the war that was happening in Sudan at the time. Long story short, they made these children visible through the Non-Profit they started called Invisible Children. 

And so now here we are. Everything is in place for Kony's arrest and the liberation and rehabilitation of his child slaves. Why do I think God is allowing this to continue for even another day? 

Because you need to be aware. 

Invisible Children's goal for this year, 2012, is to make Joseph Kony the most famous man in the world, after all, he is the worst criminal in the world, everyone should know his name. When he is arrested he will be taken to the Hague and tried for 12 counts of crimes against humanity and 21 counts of war crimes. The entire world will watch. As this man who has become evil incarnate finally receives justice, every one will have to take notice. Every "bad guy" out there will have to know that we will seek them out, even when he oppresses the invisible. Don't you see? Those "invisibles" are our family members, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts. Our liberty is woven with theirs. 

And so, this year, 2012 has been dubbed the year of justice. 

Spread the word. 

Let's make Kony famous. 

KONY2012.COM

Interested?

I'll tell you allll about him tomorrow. 

This man will be the most famous man of 2012.
Might want to keep your eye on this. 

Awesome and Awkward Thursday

Awesome:

 A $5 sweater. He used to be $70. How do you like them apples?..er, sweaters?

Mom being OK with me possibly going to Greece next year. Poor that lady, she puts up with so much from her wanderlust daughter.

Daisies live in my window. They wave at me in the morning.

Black bean and Quinoa Infused Tortilla Chips. Go try 'em.

Not having to do dishes for a whole day!...minus one bowl. But only one bowl!! 

Awkward:

 Being told, "That's a very unusual last name." "Well, what's yours?" "Hopper." And Natkin is unusual?

The Chipolte waitress-person calling me "lady;" "What salsa you want, lady?"

 Walking into the hallway with a shirt that is..er..rather low because I live with 24 women, and it's Open Hours- 3 guys, right outside my door. Oops. 

 Having the "Write Right" guy (these English Majors they pay to read over your papers and edit them for you) reading my paper in front of me. Oh yeah, totally meant to write did not and not didn't..uhh..yep.

Reading a sale sign as "$5 stuff." It said "$5 off." I read it out loud to Ethan about 4 times before he corrected me.  

I promise to bring pictures back in the very near future. Pinky Promise. Thumb Promise. Ring Finger Promise.

11 Blessings, Counted

Today I need to write a paper for a scholarship. It's half way done, but I was supposed to write it a month ago..about that.
However, Hulu and writing to you guys seem to have taken priority. How are you today?
In my attempt to not to homework, I thought I'd tell you of 11 things that are wonderful. Perhaps I've been playing Bing Crosby in my head due to the snow, but here are 11 blessings:

1. My last night class was cut from 2 hours to half an hour

2. My class today was cancelled, giving me more time to procrastinate with my paper                                     (I'll stop with the classes now)

3.  Tomorrow is Focus Day. It's a day that all classes are cancelled so that students can attend a variety of seminars on one particular subject and how it effects our lives. This year is about Modern Day Slavery, which is a total passion of mine. I'm attending every seminar I can manage. 

4. Ethan's coming to Focus!

5. My hair is growing. We had a conversation, and he promises to continue to do so. It's quite exciting

6. Only 5 days left of classes until Spring Break.

7.  A Professor who has been to Uganda about 15 times and gave me lots of suggestions for foods I have to try while I'm there this summer. 

8. Chapel band.

9. This incredible book I'm reading for my Social Justice Class, it's called There are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz. It's a true story about two young boys growing up in Chicago's Projects during the 80s. It's an incredible book (I may have repeated myself there..it's worth repeating- incredible book).

10. Learning about Uganda this summer. I get so excited when I think about it. 

11. Thursday I get to sign up for my Cross Cultural Trip- a three week international trip required by the school. I. am. so. jazzed.  

I Went to Chicago This Weekend...

...and only came back with one picture.

But it was a picture from the Garfield Park Conservatory, which was amazing, the rooms there are so incredible, I can't imagine how you could take care of all those different plants!
Chicago in general was amazing, we got to go to Reverend Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Push Coalition, a Muslim Masque and an amazing play. It was a great weekend.
If you do end up in Chicago soon, go check out the Conservatory, especially because it's warm right now (it's a rather nice reprieve from outside). But you might want to take more pictures than I did... Blogger fail a bit right there.