Thriving in the beginnings of Spring!

It's over ! Hooray! Winter quarters in Walla Walla are now a thing of the past ! I can now look forward to Spring and Summer, which, if they are anything like this Fall and Winter, promise to be wonderful.

The week progressed at both a frighteningly slow and incredibly fast pace. There was some intense annotating done at the beginning of the week as I finished up the last of several books. The Kwanza meal turned out tasty on Thursday, which was the night of doom. The next day, I had my senior paper due as well as another paper. Jon was kind enough to read my senior paper, all 30 pages, and make editing suggestions for me. It's funny how easily you as an author can completely miss obvious things because you are so used to the words your eyes just sort of glaze over them. Quality time was spent with Kate (Turabian, a citation handbook), as I went through each and every footnote and had to create my own method of citation in several instances for uncommon sources such as UN and Amnesty documents that were found online. Jon was wonderful throughout it all, as I was grumpy and stressed and tired and irritable and pessimistic. He went out and got my groceries for the Kwanza meal when I didn't have time to, he proofread my paper and gave me massages throughout the week and encouraging texts as I trudged through my reading and writing and cooked me meals when I lacked the time or energy. Friday, after it was all over and I had gleefully turned in my papers, he let me use his tub and take a long hot bath, followed by a long massage. How wonderful.

Sabbath was a time for one thing only- rest. We went to church, stayed for Potluck, and then took a nice long nap. That evening was simple and fun, Beauty and the Beast and Enchanted :) The following day we hit it hard once more for the final stretch. My official finals were over by Monday, a history oral at 9:00 AM, which was nerve-wrecking, but despite me talking at lightening speed I still managed to pull it off and get an A. Western Civ terms and essay followed, as Jon aced his Hebrew and Arabic final. Literally. 100% on both. Genius. A couple more French assignments and I was happily done with winter quarter !

To celebrate, we crossed a few things off our calendar of things to do. We went to Lions Park and climbed a tree and fed the ducks (not from the tree), we rode our bikes to Oregon, played pool, and identified some constellations. I even got bold enough to do something for Jon he had been asking me to do for quite some time, cut his hair. I had warned him I had no experience and it was probably a terrible idea. I finally broke down and agreed, with the condition that we do it Wednesday of finals week, when he wouldn't have to face anyone else before going home and his mom could fix it the next day if needed. After much stalling, I finally buckled down and did it. Luckily his hair is curly and seems to have blended in any mistakes I might have made.

And now I am home. I have done a weeks worth of errands in the last two days. Teeth are now clean and happy, eyes are checked and new prescription ordered, hair is cut (a bit too short mind you), clothes are washed, and lots of food and other supplies have been well stocked (thank you parents!). Why have I done all this in 2 days when I have a whole other week off for Spring Break, might you ask? I'll tell you why. Because Sunday morning, at 6:05 AM, mom and I are flying off for five days in the Big Apple! That's right, we're hitting the town! Sunday through Friday will be filled with activities such as Central Park, Saks Fifth Avenue, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the MET, Times Square, and of course, Broadway. We will be seeing Jersey Boys one night, South Pacific another, and the New York Philharmonic the next. What a trip ! I will arrive back late Friday afternoon and drive back to Walla Walla Saturday in time to see the Walla Walla symphony perform the ballet Sleeping Beauty on Sunday. How amazing is my life I ask you?? Pretty darn amazing. I look forward to each and every day, surrounded by the people and activities I love .