chaos as a lifestyle

one of the best sayings: when it rains, it pours.

completely appropriate as i sit here watching it rain (again). never seems to stop
[at least it's better than the snow i saw falling last night]

but it is also appropriate since that saying describes life.

my first semester was nowhere near as busy as this one. yes, i was constantly doing coursework, but i was not traveling anywhere near as much as i have been in the last month or so.

april was crazy: preached the first sunday, spent five days driving around and interviewing the following weekend, went to and helped out with my cousin's wedding the next weekend (and battled several inches of snow), and went home for easter break.

so here's a more detail of the downpour i've been experiencing:

the wedding was awesome. my first wedding to lead, and it was a learning experience. my sisters used my camcorder to get the whole service, although i'm never on the screen since i was hiding behind the trellis and pillars and flowers. it was a good, fun, relaxing and utterly enjoyable time with family.
and the snow was fun but not. made everything look pretty since the world was not quite green yet, but horrible on country roads that were not plowed. so it tore up the undercarriage/skid plate on my car.

i got back to st paul sunday evening. at 7, i met with a group to work on our presentation that would take place the next morning.
[and we totally rocked the presentation skit!]

finally got back to my apartment around 9:30 pm.

up early monday morning for class.

and worked on a bible study for my book of revelation class.

then the next day i packed, attended class and drove back with a sem colleague to south dakota through the rain.
arrived in parkston at 10:30 and was told i looked exhausted. cause i was.

note: i spent less than 48 hours in st paul before taking off for almost a week

then on wednesday, when i wanted to sleep in, i was not really able to. i had a big essay to write. then that afternoon was spent easter dress shopping for the neighbor girl.
so we drove up to mitchell where we met mom to go shopping.
and forgot mom's car in mitchell.

so thursday was a trip to mitchell.
otherwise very low-key and included much needed rest and maundy thursday service at salem in parkston

friday was getting my car prepped and ready to go
[dad fixed the skid plate on my car]
and then the drive to omaha to hang with kayla, where we went shopping and ate food and had some bonding time.
we went to good friday services at a local congregation where we were overdressed (we wore dress clothes...who knew that jeans were acceptable?)

saturday involved being lazy, visiting kayla at work, and renting "hereafter" staring matt damon

sunday was church in the morning. we both wore skirts, but it was borderline too cold to wear anything but pants.
then we loaded my car and i took off to spend the rest of the day in parkston.
spent the afternoon and evening with mom, dad, ki, colten, grandparents and neighbors.

monday i tried to sleep in (unfortunately i had a problem the entire week with waking up no later than 8 am) and slowly got ready to drive back to st paul.

and i'm not going anywhere for a few days. my next trip is to the black hills for sister bonding time with kayla and kendra may 6.
this friday, i'm spending time with friend(s) here in the twin cities.
this sunday, i preach at salem english in minneapolis.
i have class, but not much homeworkwise until may 10, which is when i as a graduating senior really need to buckle down and work on final papers [ideally i will be working earlier]
my last final is due may 15, which is mere weeks away...

and in the midst of this, i'm working with first call stuff. talking to a congregation that is interested in calling me and [hopefully] setting up ordination and installation for this summer

forecast for the next month: torrential downpours

fortunately i prefer downpour to the annoying, never-ending mists