January

..Tends to be a tiny bit dreary. Just a tiny bit. Because once all the glitter settles from the confetti on New Years you tend to notice all the salty snow on the side of the road.

So, the answer? We are in serious need of inspiration. 

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."-MLK jr. 

Because Martin Luther King Junior Day is in January too.

And,

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."-John 1:5

Eclipse

Dress: Gifted (Nordstrom) Tights: Nordstrom Vest: c/o CAbi Boots: Gifted (Steve Madden)

Some days are not as much fun as others. You know, THOSE days. The ones that are so un-fun they're just plain silly. 

Yeah, I have those too sometimes.

But today I heard a song I've heard a thousand times before and I caught something.

David Crowder's Oh, How He Loves Us

"And all of the sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions                                                              Eclipsed by Glory"

May your afflictions be eclipsed by Glory too, even on those un-fun, silly days.

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Awkward:

 Forgetting to use swipe my ID card before opening the dorm door. Every. Time. Then having to put down my books, purse, bag, phone, and what have you to search for the card all while someone in the lobby looks on and eventually takes pity on seemingly new girl and opens the door for me. 

Wearing an exceptionally long skirt and having it get stuck under your chair as you walk away. Poor skirt, I probably stretched it out with all the times it got stuck today. 

Going to shake someone's hand who was not reaching for me. He was reaching for the woman standing a few feet away from me. Hands ran together and all I could say was, "oh, heh, intercepted." 

Remember those pictures I showed you from Julianne, Hannah and Elizabeth were visiting? Well here are the "blooper" versions:

             

Awesome:

The beauty of not putting things away: you find fun DVDs you didn't realize were at school with you! See Mom, putting three DVDs in one DVD case is not all bad. Unless you're looking for Everybody Loves Raymond and Mad About You at home. In which case, I'm sorry. 

My J-term class. J-term is 15 school days in the month of January where you can get 4 credits completed. It's great. I'm taking Law as it Applies to Special Education and it's so interesting! All about past cases and how they've influenced how we approach Special Ed today!...Ok, you can call me a nerd. It's OK, really, I can handle it. 

The beautiful weather outside this past week. Although everyone has said this already but 45 degrees in January? What a happy week! 

 Remember Julianne who visited this week? She's now in San Diego being trained to be a roadie for Invisible Children! She'll be driving around the country showing documentaries, selling Invisible Children merchandise and pretty much saving the world.

Driving. It's really one of my very favorite things to do. Even when I watch my gas needle sink, it's still so relaxing. I sincerely suggest that all of you go out and buy a manual car. You'll drive your stress away.  

"Right to Grow"

"The refusal to recognize the handicapped child's right to grow is a travesty of justice and a denial of equal protection under the law." -Senator Harrison Williams

My personal goal that has stemmed from my calling in life is to start the first special education program in Uganda (in Central Africa in general, actually). Quotes like this that come from my Law as it Applies to Special Education class only make me more excited to get going.

Visiters

My old roomate, the lovely Julianne (blonde below) and two of her three sisters (they're quadruplettes...I KNOW!) came to visit! Among many things, we made pinterest-y crafts, ate a lot of food and watched Baby Mama (have you seen it? It's a must. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at their best), we took pictures! So here's our photoshoot. 

Julianne, Hannah, Me and Elizabeth

  

Sweater: Pimark Tank: Old Navy Jeans: H&M Boots: Blowfish

 

Shirt: Old Navy Scarf: Ten Thousand Villages Jeans: Marshalls Boots: New Look

Sweater: TJ Maxx Jeans: Old Navy Shoes: Target Ring: Etsy

Arn't they adorable? 

All the outfits were inspired by the blog The Daybook by Sydney Poulton and her family. You should really check it out, you'll end up just as hooked as we are. 

Awesome and Awkward Thursday

Awkward:

Misusing the word "prolific" multiple times. Serious malapropisms. 

Walking between two star crossed lovers. Who stands 12 feet away from each other while they gaze longingly into each others' eyes?  And did they really have to do it in the door way?

Moving great big bags back into my dorm. I mean, how do you carry 4 bags and a computer gracefully? 

Awesome:

Finding silverware I thought I left at home. 

New Years Eve and pretty restaurants.

My Mom being a fashion consultant, it's an awfully nice help sometimes. Especially when her consultant friends give us samples of microderm- microdirmi- microdermibrasion kits. 

 Antique Mall-ing. An old suitcase with the initials "HF" on it for $15. "HF?" you ask, yep, Henry Ford. I bought Henry Ford's suitcase. No, I did not make that up...my Mom did. 

 Work Christmas party. Working at a toystore, Christmas time is kind of insane so our Christmas party is kinda like a post-Christmas party. It was so fun, dinner, telestrations (like telephone but with pictures) and engagement/wedding celebrations. 

Kisses From Katie

There are some things that you all should know.
I am leaving for Uganda in May.
I'll be gone for a month.
A year and a half from when I land in the States, I'll be going back to Uganda, to student teach.
I'll be gone for 11 weeks.
And about 6 months after I land in the states, I'll be going back to Uganda again. To live.

As soon as this book Kisses from Katie hit the bookshelves in October people started telling me to read it. "It reminded me of you," they would say, and the book looked great, it was on my Christmas break book list. So I'm reading it. All those people who told me "it reminded me of you" were under-exaggerating. In fact, this book is so prophetic of my life to come that sometimes I cannot read much, it's almost scary, like I'm receiving a letter from future me.

Katie and I have one difference though, only one that I can see. She went there not knowing what she was supposed to do, only that she was supposed to go, and I have an idea of what I'm supposed to do. My idea meant that I needed a college degree.
My goal is to start the first Special Education program in Central Africa.

Well, now you know.