I delight in lessons in love.

mom and lb after she won a gold medal in special olympics bowling on her birthday!

me and craig on the last day of carpooling to work together, for now anyway.

Lessons.

I just keep learning them.

Lately though, I have had a more difficult time articulating my strong feelings in to words. I've realized more than ever as of late, that life is dynamic. And that dynamic is difficult to get used to because circumstances are always changing. Circumstances as I know will be different in the future as they are now different than they were in the past.

Things change, people change, but we go with it, try our hardest and make it work. Things can and will work together for our good. Our abilities and capacities can and will be expanded to handle whatever comes our way. That is a blessing to know but difficult to remember always.

It is the simple things that have been getting me through. For example:

• Last night, LB and I were "eggosizing agether" (translation: exercising together) and as I watched her trying to keep up with Jillian Michaels (which is difficult for us all...right?) I couldn't help but smile at her willingness to try and to have a blast doing it.
• Earlier in the week, as Craig and I were driving to work, we saw a peacock running up the side of our road. Craig loves peacocks, loves them. He was thrilled!
• Mom and I have been getting up early and walking. Having Mom all to myself is a rarity so I know to appreciate it and enjoy every minute when it happens.
• I've had some good chats with Craig, even though the circumstances are trying, I am so grateful for the relationship we have.

The point of the story is that life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful. Even the awkward, uncomfortable, even flat out embarrassing moments of life can help us to have greater capacities to love and to appreciate the small and simple things.

I delight in my desk.

This is my desk.

Lots of things have happened at this desk. I have studied, slept, read books on almost every subject imaginable (within the realm of reason). I have written letters, paid bills, composed emails on various subjects, typed papers, take home exams, and skyped/google chatted/facetime-ed. I have colored, glued, drawn and taped various clinic materials.

We have a history.

While this is an elementary delight...it is a very real one.

Tomorrow, I'll be studying for the Praxis at this desk for the very last time.

I delight in the last day of graduate lectures!!!

It is a celebratory moment.

I can't/don't even want to think about how much time I have spent sitting in this classroom over the past 21 months. I do however love all the knowledge I have gained in this classroom. Honestly, it thrills me to think of the erin who entered this classroom back in August of 2010 and the erin who exited the classroom tonight. There's a bit more rattling around in this head of mine these days. I'm excited to put it to good use in helping others!

And so, dear classrooom...

It's been great. But I'm glad we're done!

Please draw your attention:

I've added some pages to the blog. (And changed my header.)

Home is the page you're currently on. (Unless you're reading this on reader.)

Why I Blog--

This is really important to me. So I decided it deserved its own section! I hope you'll take the time to read it. I've updated it since I initially wrote it when I began the blog. My invitation always stands. Delight daily.

About me--

I'm still not sure how I feel about this one, but given some feedback and personal experience, I realize that I like when there is a spot to get to know a writer. It's a very elementary "about me" but there is always room to grow.

And there you have it.

Also, while we're on the subject of business:

Due to reasons relating to my current schooling and job search, I will not be posting anything here that is too specific on where the next months of my life will be taking me. Please see the formerly abandoned personal blog at: justoffthemap.blogspot.com. It only accepts invited readers so contact me if you want to fit that request.

Exciting things I tell you!!!

I delight in feeling competent.

Today at the hospital, I did acutes. All day. Okay, some outpatient MBS' and voice treatment too.

The best part is that I felt really really good the whole time!

This picture is from when I stood in line to submit my graduation request.

Tomorrow is my last real class of my graduate school career. After that, it's only two exams that stand in my way--the praxis and my cleft palate final.

All I can say is, it's about time.

I delight in "just sitting."

There are very few people you can "just sit with" for an evening and leave feeling like you did something so much more exciting than what you actually just did.

For some, just sitting can be awkward.

Of course, just sitting isn't staring at another person for a couple hours, oh no, it's talking about the nearest book in the room, or that recent news report. It is catching up on recent events, activities, movies, books and thinking about what lies ahead. It is laughing but rarely crying. It's bouncing ideas, planning future activities (pencil and planner included) and dreaming about future adventures. It is counting down the last 60 seconds, so as not to appear too boring and leave at an unearthly early hour :). It is going home with more shoes than you left with.

Just sitting is just what I needed.

p.s. it is also essential that randomly breaking into the water buffalo song be completely acceptable.

I delight in a sister's love.

lb in her snuggie

I haven't talked much about LB (otherwise known as Christin, my little sister) in a while.

Since moving home back in December, LB has been adorable as ever. She often leaves me voicemails on my phone while I'm at work saying things like, "Sis, this is your "widdo" sis. I call you and, you not there. Please come home and give me hugs. Okay? I waiting for you!!!"

How can you not love that?

Well...there are times when you just don't want to be touched or hugged or told how much your missed. However, for the most part, 95% of the time, I love it! The thing I need the very most at the end of my day at my externship is a big smiling sis wiggling with her arms spread wide saying "hug me hug me hug me."

I could delight in something LB does or says every single day. In fact, Craig and I were talking just a few days ago about how happy we are to have such a happy little sister even though she does get a little annoying at times, right Craig? :)

All and all, I feel abundantly blessed to have someone under my same roof who has as much a capacity to love as Christin. It truly is a gift. When I think about far we could come as a people and as a world with a little more love toward our neighbors, our friends, our families and imagine a brightness. Christin has a brightness about her because of just how much she loves others. You can't help but smile.

And so, today, I delight in you my little lou. You make me happy and your hugs do to!