A Weekend at the Lake

What a fun week! After arriving home from a long but delightful weekend doing the graduation circuit thing, I rested for an evening (5/11) and then set off for Lebanon, MO en route to Table Rock Lake. My friend Leanna, who lives near Lebanon, has a lakehouse near Branson and Kate, Sarah, and I all went down there with her. We first spend the night at her house, watching movies, talking, laughing, and "helping" with the farm chores. I actually did not help at all, but more likely only got in the way. Still, I appreciate her family's obliging me and making me feel like I got the full farm experience. The four of us dressed for the occasion, complete with farm hats, pitch forks, and rubber boots. I had one particular goat friend who thought it her duty to make me feel welcome, rubbing her nubby horns against my jeans and tugging at my jean buttons. I was taken. I wanted to pack her up for home.

The following morning we had a hearty farm breakfast (yes, I really milked the farm experience) of fresh, scrambled chicken eggs, homemade hashbrowns, and homemade toast. Boy, we were ready for the day. We set off for the lake and made a significant stop in Springfield on the way down. We found two used book stores and spent about two hours pouring through classics. I had forgotten how much fun it can be perusing books with fellow book lovers. I bought 8 or 9 books for about $20 including Ethan Frome, The Time Machine, Poems of George Herbert, Middlemarch, a few others, and best of all Go, Dog! Go! Yes, I like your hat. We stopped at a Thai restaurant for lunch, delicious! They even let me call ahead and request cymbolic Thai songs for Kate and Sarah. ;)

At the lakehouse, we crashed for a little bit, watching Hogan's Heroes and playing Farkle. We made dinner, alfredo bacon pizza and homemade humus with rosemary oiled pita. Yum! We then pulled out the aged sparkling grape juice and toasted each other. Apparently, there was a little something in it because they said I was acting drunk afterwards. I know I wasn't, however, and I would prove it, but I can't remember much, so... :) After dinner we watched Gaslight, an old Ingrid Bergman movie. Great movie, but I fell asleep for the climatic last hour. But, I do know that the good guy won!

The next morning, after a sound sleep in the two sets of bunkbeds (there were two other bedrooms available, but we of course all wanted to sleep together), we played tennis. That was great fun and we all learned something new! Posted is a picture of our amazing prowess.

After tennis we took a dip in the lake until we were chased by snake heads headed our way and then raced back to the house and sat in the hot tub till we were all pruney. :) Then, we showered up, ate leftover pizza, smoked up the house with the oven again, haha, and then cleaned up and left for the outlets.

At the outlets, we shopped till we dropped and were mostly successful, though Kate never found a suit. I found a $3 Ann Taylor wool skirt that makes me look about as teacherish as I can get. I hope it'll make me look like more of a prude in Germany and less kiddish. :)

After a delightful ride back to the Baumer's house we shared our goodies with Leanna's parents and had more homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream. yum! Though we were planning on watching another movie, we were too tired and lounged on Kate and my bed. The next morning I left for Stl while the girl's stayed to do some archery/shooting. I wish I had been able to as well, but I didn't have the time.

Needless to say, it was a great weekend with great friends. Praise God!

A New Season

Wow! Graduation Day was hectic, fun, exciting, exhausting day. I'm pretty sure I've never had a fuller day. However, I am so blessed for the days events which included graduating, seeing family, packing, saying goodbye to friends, and becoming a girlfriend. I am continually amazed by God's providential hand in my life, planning events in ways far beyond my ability. For one, my family forgot their graduation tickets at home, leaving me wondering how they were going to get in. As I was waiting in the crowded AC lobby for them, I overheard a woman talking to one of the staff members, handing him five tickets, explaining that they were extras. I went up to him and asked if I could use them for my family. He not only gave them to my family, who was walking in at that exact moment, but also kindly helped us find a few more. Who would have known? I admit my own lack of faith in the process and looking back regret that instead of praying for God to provide a way, I schemed and fretted about how to get the tickets. God is faithful to us even in our unbelief. In my class, Romans and Galatians, we have learned how one of God's main points in Romans is that He is faithful to His unconditional promises, and that this is what really saves us, not our faith in Him. Praise God, for I am daily reminded of my own depravity. He is good all the time.

So here I am now, unpacking a never-ending supply of worthless possessions and thinking of what I've left behind. I am in STL for a reason this summer, and want to live intentionally while here. I am excited about some opportunities I have and the time I have to do them. Yet, they are quieter things, not the busy and social bustle I am used to. This'll definitely be an adjustment. I've really come to enjoy being an RA, being around tons of people, running from group to group, and sharing my life with a wonderful group of meaningful friends. Here, in the "real world," there are not crowds of Christian peers at your finger's reach wherever I turn. I wonder how my adjustment will be to this? Moving from one phase to another, very different, phase. I am again thankful for the consistency of God's faithfulness and the wisdom of His provision. I am excited for this season, but bittersweetly reflective of the last. Is life always this way?