Well, it has officially been a long time since I have posted. I didn't post over Christmas break--I think I was too lazy and yet too caught up in the things going on around the house. Now we've been back to school for two weeks already in this new year, and it is flying. We just finished our 1st biochemistry test--and it was a doozy. It wouldn't have been so bad I think, if there was more time to really let all those enzymes sink in and time to integrate all these metabolic pathways that lie at the heart of why and how our cells function. Alas, there was only 2 weeks for the really challenging stuff.
I really enjoyed my Christmas break--I spent 2 weeks at home with the family, which included sharing a room with my sister Emily and listening to her sleepchatter and fighting over the covers with our elbows. In a word: RELAX. I started out the break by going with a friend to Powell's bookstore in Portland--a whole city block with seemingly miles of bookshelves. I spent probably 3 hours there, and could have spent more. A great place to hang out. I went home a few days later to join the family. It was a time for reading (I read a whole novel in 1 day!), lots of board games (a couple awesome games of Scrabble--and I won both times!), a few movies, hanging out and talking, and TONS of eating. So much good eating--Mom fixed several amazing meals. I mean, by the time you have 3 birthdays PLUS all the festivities of Christmas and New Years, you're bursting at the seams. And the Hiatt family always has several Christmases...we even added one this year for my sisters' boyfriends. So we had a lot of people coming and going--boys, friends, both, family, international friends, but it was fun to share the experiences, especially with a couple of new Christians with whom this was their first Christmas as believers. On Em's birthday we went on a mishap-filled snowshoeing adventure, and I enjoyed the great beauty and winter-wonder. We also were able to spend a few days as "just us" as a family at the beach--it was freezing cold (literally frozen water on the sand), windy, and actually quite beautiful. I love how we can just be total goof-bombs at the beach and nobody cares because pretty much nobody is there to care. Our dog is able to run free and goes absolutely crazy when we throw her tennis ball or when she's chasing after birds. And I love it how, for once, Dad decided to take over meal planning so that Mom could have a break, and yet he couldn't get the boxed pizza cooked right because he didn't really follow the directions and so he had to call in the calvary. In the pics below you'll see a little bit of our crazyness over the break. I also celebrated #23 by meeting up with a college friend visiting from Chicago and hanging out with the family (and winning my dad at my new Scrabble game!). But I think one of the coolest moments overall was Christmas Eve service at the candlelight service with all of us kids and friends (minus Derek--Jess was sad) in a row singing Christmas carols and lighting up the room with the candles and with the Glory of God which is indwelling in our hearts. And I loved those moments sitting around the Christms tree where I could relax in the evening playing carols on guitar. I was able to visit my home church in Seattle and see the wonderful people there who I love dearly. Although I received some very nice gifts for Christmas, I am so thankful for the gift of family and friends, but most importantly, for the gift of Jesus.
And despite our culture thinking of Christmas as the height of winter, winter has fully come now. Today, of all days (because of the test), was the day it started snowing a little before 6am and accumulated so much that even our test proctors couldn't get to school on time! it was not a problem for me since I live on the hill. We delayed the test for an hour, and then all my other activities for the day were canceled, so I took a long walk in the snow instead, which I am now paying for with sore muscles. It was beautiful though--I do love walks in the forest. And I walked all the way to downtown, where people had gotten really creative near PSU on the Park blocks and made all these cute snow people. The roads were horrible though, and I was so glad I wasn't driving. I don't know what tomorrow will be like, but I better plan on going to school, i.e. i should go to bed now. I'll probably write some deeper musings later. I haven't had time, with frequent testing, to keep up with this as much as I'd like, but we'll see.
Other random updates:
Favorite song right now: Give Me Jesus by Fanny Crosby (on Jeremy Camp's new CD)
Favorite piece of clothing: soft scarf from Aunt Kathy
Favorite accessory: electric blanket and warm slippers
Current food kick: Thai
I've recently joined a small community group/Bible study through my church and am loving it.
