Found: Old Puppy Pictures

Dear Winchester,

I love you, but I wish you were still small and cub-like rather than large, gangly and clumsy.

Missing good old cuddly times.

Awwww puppies.

A List For The Ages

What a beautiful morning!

Here I am in Fayetteville. Alex has just gone off to work her day shift at Jose's, a Mexican restaurant in Springdale. We stayed up late last night talking after an evening of movie watchin' and exchanging gifts. By the way she is an amazing gift giver. If anyone ever needed help picking a random gift for me I'd say (to quote Grace Slick) "Go ask Alice!" Well... you ought to call her Alex, but Josh always thought I was saying her name was Alice before they met.

Anyhow, I'm so happy to be here with her.

My thoughts waking up today went from the crazy, late-night Goldfish and Oreo-consumption-induced dream that I had to my neatly packed suitcase on the floor by the bed.

What would I do if it were not for the lists I make?

List-making seems to be handed down to me genetically, most people in my family do it. My father does it obsessively. He has a list for everything, all kept on index cards and post-its on his bathroom mirror.

Personally, lists are how I get my brain organized. I make lists for everything, including:

• Packing for trips, long or short
• Homework assignments
• Possible outfits I should try on/wear
• Outfits to wear day to day
• Things I want to write about
• Books I want to read
• Projects I need to do or finish

And on and on... lists are basically the only type of records that I keep, because I've always been opposed to journaling. I tried journaling a lot when I was younger, and looking back on those entires I found the whole "Dear Diary..." thing a bit insipid and forced. The content itself was dry and it was obvious that I focused on the small, unimportant details of life rather than the big picture. I wrote more about how I felt about other people than what my own thoughts and ideas were. So for me, lists are a vital part of my life. I doubt that I'll ever kick the habit.

♥ What kind of records do you keep - whether day to day or things that you'll keep forever?

I think photo journaling sounds like fun. I am just not very proficient with cameras.

And here is some inspiration for your list skeptics:

Secret Society of List Addicts

TeuxDeux

Listography

TTFN!

we're living in a den of thieves..

It seems that no amount of audible, repetitious reasoning can make me feel less nervous about my first semester's finals at Drury.

Although I am very fortunate that I only have to take three, they are of course in my three hardest classes and I have two in one day.

But this is not so much to worry about..

The main issue is campus life. I'm so thankful to have met a few sweet girls and the time I have spent with them is precious and I hope that it continues, however.. exposure to yet more of the disappointment that is the human race has begun to bring me down. Okay, that may be a bit harsh. Still...

I'm so ready for the holidays, which are all happiness and light (hopefully, barring any over-zealous family discussions) and I am in serious need of the peace they will provide, badly and urgently.

As a kid and a teenager, I was a total under achiever; a belief that God has a will for my life has changed that a lot. I want to be and do everything that I can, but I am only one little person. A girl who is still growing up and finding who she is, exploring the world, and will likely be in that same state for a long remainder of time. For this reason I really hope to do well this semester, so that I will gain confidence - something I strode into university with at first, but has slowly diminished over the past few months. Part of maturity is realizing what you don't know, which turns out to be.. well, almost everything.

I pray for God to be my hope, be my encouragement, and my shelter. Provide me with the strength to persevere through stressful times. Help me not to let other people steal away my identity. Your love and grace flood over me.

and it's contagious...

p.s., I miss you brother.

Happy 1st Birthday to Anabelle!

Josh's sweet little niece turns one year old today, happy birthday!

Words to Create By:

When you are describing,
A shape, or sound, or tint;
Don't state the matter plainly,
But put it in a hint;
And learn to look at all things,
With a sort of mental squint.
~Lewis Carroll