A Chop and a Build

Accomplished a few things today - a hair cut chop for one:

Before the chop

That's a lot of hair...and it's all mine...

post-chop

Now, I need to bag it up, print the donation form, and mail it off to help some kiddos in need. Woot!

Also managed to build a desk (with rolling drawers and everything!) while inflicting minimal pain to myself:

right out of the box

mid-building process

all finished (& typing on it now!)

picked up a bruise while attempting to get the heavy box up my back porch stairs

And that's not all! Tonight I met up with my sister and another friend (and my roommate) for dinner (at a new place - yay for trying new things!) - it was a wonderful chance to catch up, enjoying food and fellowship at the same time.

Summer is such a great time - I feel like (when I push myself) I can get a lot done. But the school year is great too...and we're starting back soon...

(Finally) Packing the Suitcase Away

There are many things I haven't kept up with this summer...and blogging is apparently one of them. As school starts, who knows if I'll be able to keep up - I hope I will. I'll have a brand new desk to keep my computer on in our living/dining room here at the apartment (photos to come once I pick it up from the store and assemble it), so there will really be no excuses - I'll finally have real work space! :)

Enough about all that, though...

I must say, I believe I lived the following quote this summer:

- because that's just about what happened. (I haven't used my own closet since the middle of June!)

But it was totally worth it.

However, things are finally settling down - back in Chicago to get ready to start the school year. (No more "big" trips till October - phew!) The suitcase is stored under my bed, and clothes are hanging in the closet as I try to get all the wrinkles out.

I'm glad to be home, yes, but I wouldn't trade this past summer for the world. As the final days of summer wind down, it's time to wind up for school mode. Let's go!

My Confession

Here comes the sun...doo do doo doo...

Go back to sleep alarm! Why did it have to come up at 6:45 today? School's over...

Oh, that's right - there were plenty of things to do...

Gym, breakfast, shower, car emissions test, clothes donation drop-off, coffee and book-reading, Reconciliation, Target, bank, cookie stop, gas, errand for a roommate...and all before noon!

(The rest of the day was not so productive - although, I did watch the AMAZING USA-Ghana soccer game - "We believe that we will win!!")

It's a Costa Rica jersey (from when my sister studied there), but it's definitely done its job getting me ready for the World Cup! Go USA!!!

The best thing, by far, was Reconciliation - I had made an appointment with my school's pastor in order to prepare myself better spiritually for my upcoming pilgrimage. It felt so good to get some things off my chest. (I really should make a habit of Confession more often!)

Slowly but surely everything for the trip is coming together...except for the packing...I still have to get on that...