Here I am,

sitting in class, not studying for the test I have to take in eight minutes. I'm not worried. It's just Tax Accounting. That's what we have calculators for, right?

I wanted to tell you all something mildly hilarious that happend in class Tuesday...

After class was over, this boy from the other side of the room approached me and said, "You shop at Target a lot don't you?

I replied, "Yes, just about every single day."

He said, "I work in the women's clothing department and figured you did..."

What can I say?
I'm embarrassed.
I'm proud.
I'm a little creeped out of his awareness of what I am wearing every day...

White New Years

So some of you know I headed out to Washington State the day after Christmas to see Brett and meet is family. They live in Bellevue - right outside Seattle. (it's like Marietta to Atlanta)
It's beautiful here! Floating bridges everywhere and evergreen trees and mountains in the distance. He drug (dragged?) me around the city on Thursday - we went on top of the space needle and all around the city. We've been to several dinner parties with his old high school friends and their wives/kids and some family get-togethers. I feel like I've met the entire state! Brett came down with something a few days ago. Most likely a virus of some sort. We laid on the couch all day Saturday and most of Sunday. It was awesome. (not that he is sick, but the forcing us to relax part) Sunday(yesterday) we drove down with his parents and another couple to their cabin on the Hood Canal. I am upstairs in the living room right now looking out the huge windows at the Olympic Mountains.
They look a lot like this...


Except more snow-covered.
Beautiful place. Right on the water. And there's about 2-inches of snow on the ground.
Mom has made me swear I would never move here. I swear. But it's been a great trip and I look forward to coming back here soon.

Anyway, lots of pictures and video footage of our trip that I'm sure (?) I will consider sharing at a later date.

Love to everyone back home and Happy New Year!

School's Out!

Well, for me at least... and only until January 3rd. This Accounting thing is kickin' my butt! But I'm honestly enjoying school (?) and that's the first time in my life I've ever said that... ask moma! Hopefully by June I will have all my credit hours done for my Associates Degree in Accounting and I can start an internship somewhere in the summer or maybe the fall? That's the plan...

So in answer to Bill's question - Yes, I have learned something.
My brain is so full of stuff right now that I'm looking forward to the holidays to sort it though and file away the things that need to be remembered and send the rest to the recycle bin.
College isn't the only thing testing me right now though, dating is hard too.
When people asked me a few months ago, how are you and Brett? I would say, "Oh we're great... still like eachother and having fun". While that is still true, I would add to it, "It's HARD!" You find out so much about yourself and how you argue and how you handle situations with grace and be careful about what you say because you realize your words have so much weight to another person... even more than your best friend. Maybe not more than your mom, but close. Suddenly I realize the power of words and their ability to lift up or tear down. Yikes... I'm a name caller, that's for sure. Something to work on in the new year. But not til then?

I'm watching the Little kids right now... they're pretty darn cute. Especially around bedtime if you can imagine that.
That's when the slap-happy kicks in and the re-donkulous silliness comes out... the best kind of laughter.
Here's a pic of Adeline - she turned 1 on December 1st.


Anyways, they Nyswanders are coming soon - yay!
And we will see those bright and shiny Fritchy faces not too long after.
So many things to look forward to!!!

Peace and Love.

PS - why is it so flippin' hot outside!!! It just ain't right!

I've learned how to knit.

I figure if I'm going to be a godmother I should start doing godmother-type things...
So I'm knitting Isaiah Grace a scarf. And it's gonna get cold up there soon!

Here are the beginnings:


In other news,

1) You can now watch TV while you pump your gas at Walmart on 41.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.

2) I read a sign outside of a church last week that said, "God checks his kneemail".
Equally as wrong.

3) Answer me this... Why do some of the people I love the most have to live so d*** far away?
And reading their blogs seems to make it worse. It's selfish, but I'm mad.

4) I love the fall season. And I really love the season of life I'm in.
But it's so dang busy! I wish I had more time to keep up with you all!
Don't take it personally (AMY) :)

5) I turn 21 in 27 days.

6) I feel like I'm stealing Annie's list-making trademark, so I'll stop at 6 instead of going to 7 like she usually would.

Key Largo

...is amazing!
I landed yesterday afternoon and hit the Miami ground running trying to catch up on all the things my family has been doing for a month.
The house is awesome. Right on the water. And we have a long skinny dock out to our boat that is as useful as a car would be in Marietta. John showed me his collection of frozen sea life, including a shark (about 2 feet long) several mean looking barracudas (makes me want to sing that song) and the ever-loved "Steve" (JohnJohn likes to name things) which the boys found out is a hog fish. But still affectionately known as Steve. They've devised a (made up) point-system for every fish they catch. I think John's in the lead as of late.
Then we hopped in the boat and drove across the bay to a restaurant and watched the amazing sun set and ate delicious fresh yellowtail snapper. Seafood = yum.
It's good to be with my long-lost family again.

How was your Scotland trip?

I think I decided that you will just have to ask me in person.
There's NO WAY I could begin to sum-up all that happened over the last couple weeks in one blog... or even ten blogs! I felt every emotion possible. Everything from the happiest I've ever been - watching another person coming to know Jesus as their personal Savior, to being afraid for my life. It was intense to say the least.
I told mom on the way from the Miami airport (I haven't seen my family in a month!) that it felt like I had to be on guard the whole time I was there. It was like I shifted into defense-mode like we were going to battle. Darkness all around us makes the light much brighter to those who recognize it. I am so greatful and humbled by God's plan to use this team to bring glory to him in the country of Scotland. Those youth are amazing and I can't wait to hear how God uses THEM in this next year. Seeds were planted in them that week that will not be overlooked.
There are a million awesome pictures of sweet faces and fun games, but I forgot my memory card adapter so you'll have to wait until I get back from family vacation to see them...
Annie has them up on a mac website though, I think.

Cutest EVER!

This is Isaiah Grace's pool face.

She was so cute last week when Bekah and her and I went to their neighborhood pool.
Cutest thing in it!
Those Nyse girls are my fav-o-rite.

Love!