Thankful for: Chapel

It's November. Crazy isn't it? November means Daylight Savings Time, leaves changing colors, sweaters and jeans, boots, pumpkin pie, half-price candy corn, and Thanksgiving. I love the Fall!

This year is different. I'm not in Iowa where there are dead, smelly, wet leaves laying under piles of snow. I'm in California where there are palm trees un-willing to loose their leaves (thankfully!) and no snow. That being said, I want to start this month off being thankful for the main thing in my life right now: Providence.

Every day (depending on homework, obviously.) I want to post about one thing that I am thankful for here at college. Accompanied by a picture. You probably guessed that. I don't think I could do something like that with out some photos tossed in. : )

Today I am thankful for Chapels. Singing praise to our God with the students is amazing. There might not be hundreds of students, but listening to all of the students lifting their voices high unto the heavens is an amazing sound. I especially look forward to Tuesday night chapels every week. There is something about ending the first day of the school week praising God in chapel. It helps me to relax at the end of a normally super stressful day.

What are you thankful for today?

Beach Camping

And I'm back! I took a break for awhile because I decided that doing the writing and reading for these hard college classes was more important than blogging.

Okay. So, that's only partially the truth. But it makes me seem less lazy. 

Anyways. I went camping over reading break. It wasn't like camping in Paulina or Okoboji or Yankton. This was CAMPING. Spot-a-pots and all. This was camping on the beach. Ocean in front and mountains in back. 

After a 2 1/2 hour student senate meeting I was ready to get outside and enjoy God's creation. We drove along the beautiful coast on the PCH to Mugu point beach (or something like that) just outside of Malibu California. After setting up the 16 person tent and exploring the rocky beach, a couple of us decided to hike. As we trudged up a narrow, sandy path that basically went straight up the mountain, I was struck by just how beautiful the view was. You could see out over the ocean for miles. The sky and ocean blended together, there was no distinction between the two. 

After forging our own path and trying not to fall down the mountain side we made it safely back to camp. Hot, dusty, and a little scratched up. 

Later that night we sang songs around the campfire. It was an amazing experience. There is something awe-inspiring about singing about God's wonder and his amazing creation while staring at the Milky way and listening to the ocean waves crash against the rocks. Afterwards, we laid on the beach watching stars shoot across the milky way, listening to funny, some times embarrassing stories. 

View from the mountain 

Another view from atop the mountain

The Majestic Ocean

I spent the whole morning watching the waves and dolphins. It was amazing. Breathtaking. I can't wait to do it again! But for now, I need to finish the 5 loads of laundry and a Humanities paper. After the beach . . .that's just blah.

From Elizabeth, the Providence Rock!

Beach Day!

I am once again a beautiful shade of lobster red. Gotta love the beach. No, really, I love it.

Santa Monica Beach

(The beach, not the sunburn, just so we're clear.)

All college beach day is my new favorite day of the year. I spent the whole time in the water. It was so amazing. As soon as I swam out (okay, waded out) we saw two dolphins off to the side of us. How cool right? But it doesn't  stop there! We then saw sting rays, a school of fish, a lobster, and a sea lion. Now there's something you don't see in the midwest. The water was so clear, and once you got used to it, not all that cold.

I also learned to body surf today. Riding on top of the wave is an amazing feeling. One moment you are swimming so hard to get that wave and the next you are being propelled along trying not to get a mouthful of salt.  I also managed to hang on to my sunglasses the whole time! Although, now that I look back at that .  . .I have raccoon eyes.

I don't get why everyone complains about Mondays. Monday's really aren't so bad. Granted, not everyone spends Mondays at the beach, but they should. I could get used to the whole three day weekend. Sadly, the realization that tomorrow there is an 8:45 am meeting is starting to sink it. (Who schedules a meeting for that early in the morning? Oh yeah, Justin Bleeker. What was he thinking?) Ah well. Such is life.

Alright. That's all from this ocean lover. Watch for sting rays and don't forget sunscreen.



No really. Sunburns suck.

Living the College Life

 I want to blog to let you all know that I'm alive over here in CA, but of all the amazing things I've done this weekend, I can't come up with a good blog post to save my life. I've written and re-written close to four times now. Fifth time's a charm??

Providence doesn't have class on Mondays, which basically means, three day weekend/do what you put off until now. Here's the gist of what I stayed occupied with this weekend:

• Sand Volleyball. SeaBeggars natural habitat seems to be the sand volleyball courts. It's awesome.
• Flying Dutchmen. Basically a wet, wild, fast game of duck, duck, goose. 
• Played volleyball in the dark. That was, interesting, to say the least.
• Signs. This could be a Ms. VanDyke game. It's hard to explain, but it's similar to silent football. Basically, lets say for example, you wave your hands. You then have the sign and try to pass it by doing someone else's sign. (standing up) They then receive it by standing up, and then continue to pass it until caught by the person in the middle. You'd think it was easy, but then you'd be wrong.
• Went to church, and then had lunch at Ruby's. Back at my dorm I started reading/napping. Read a page, to tired to turn the page so I'd close my eyes for ten minutes, finally turn the page, and continue. 
• Played more volleyball.
• I did laundry today. But that's boring and now my black shirts are covering in lint. At least I have socks now :P
• Cleaned my room . . .even though I should have been doing other things. 
• I started Choir and Piano, the two Monday "classes" that I have. It's been to long since I last got to play a piano. I still haven't actually gotten to play . . .I tried but it was a rather scarring incident. that piano was so out of tune it hurt. 
• I payed for college. Biggest check I've ever written. Won't be the last one. Bummer, huh?
• Played more sand volleyball. It was rather warm out there . . .builds character right?

(we really like sand volleyball here)

Okay. That'll work for now. My creative juices were pretty much all used up this weekend. I'm either going to go to bed like a good little college student . . .or read the next Harry Potter. 

Let's Go Running!

I went for a run.


Let that sink in for a moment.

Yep. Went for a run. And I have the sore legs to prove it!

Could have finished my Doctor Who episode, but Nooooooo, I went on a run.

I ran for an entire half mile before stopping. Oh, you don't believe me? I understand, I still don't believe it and I actually was the one doing the running. Granted, that first half mile was all down hill . . .baby steps people. (Running baby steps, but baby steps non-the-less)

I did almost fall flat on my face, but had I not almost done that I would be worried about some strange Doctor Who character who abducted me and turned me into some weird running machine. Stupid bumps. But to be honest, it was dark. Plus, its hard enough to breath and run at the same time, and now you expect me to watch where I'm going at the same time? Crazy.

I'm going to give you a chance to let that sink in for awhile. In the meantime, I'm going to sleep, because tomorrow we are going to hike Eaton Canyon. Good thing I have tennis shoes that are meant for marathon runners.

(Don't get ideas. I am NOT running a marathon.)

For Lack of Better Title: Day 1

Alright, Day 1 of the my college adventure. I've been in the great state of Cali since Wednesday morning where I promptly broke my new sunglasses, went to the beach, fell asleep and fried to a crisp. I assure my new classmates that I am not normally this shade of red. Hopefully . . .

Anyways. I'm getting ready to move in soon. I still can't believe that I managed to fit everything I wanted/needed (mostly wanted) for college in two suitcases. Southwest airlines lets you take two suitcases for free. Granted they are under 50 pounds of course. Which, mine where not. Both suitcases were a pound over weight. Thankfully they let it go, which is good because I had no room to take anything out and put it in my carryon.  But honestly, I have a lot of stuff. I'm surprised it wasn't more overweight.

Landed in LAX with no problems, other then being a little sore and cramped for sitting for roughly 4 hours. Nothing was stolen from my bags, which is always a good thing. Although, TSA did search my one bag. You would think that they know how to work a zipper, but according to all my inside pockets, they don't.

Switching into my swimsuit we headed to the beach for a picnic lunch, a swim in the ocean (which tastes terrible, just to let you know) and a nap. According to my sister I was out cold, and even the seagull by my head couldn't wake me up. Other then the beautiful sunburn I have, that was an amazing nap. :)

Thursday was shopping day, where I pretty much doubled my belongings in one afternoon. Now, I just have to relocate it from the trunk of the car to my dorm room. Let's get this adventure started!