I am alive . . .

so, because a little birdie told me that I should update this journal, I thought I would take a few minutes to do that.

Life here has been crazy and wonderful. I have been dancing pretty regularly. I dance with a preformance troupe Shazam, as well being involved with a blues group.

I have been taking 18 credits this term, including an honors seminar, a construction class, chemistry, financial math, and a computers class. They have been going really well and this term has been pretty simple for the most part.

I started working for Fred Meyer Jewelers at the local mall, as well as I was recently hired by the College of Ag as a lab monitor.

and the last few bits of news involve church. I just did training at my church for AV. It is so cool. there are 12 people on the team to do slides alone. I really love my church. and, on top of it, I have started the process of applying for a spot on their Czech team for this summer.

If you all can be praying that God can lead me with where he wants me this summer, it would be really great. The major thing is that I would end up with only about a thousand dollars to put towards school next year from summer employment if I go. I am paying rent and tithe out of my pay checks during the summer, so what I have to put towards next year is smaller than what I would like . . . I am hoping that I can follow God through all of this . . .

But, it is late and i am going back to school tomorrow, so I should be getting going!

AJ

Happy Birthday to Me!

So yes. today is my 19th birthday! yah! I am going dancing tonight and trashing my ankle for physical therapy tomorrow. ;-) But I really have felt so loved here. I got sung to at Flock last night, a surprise birthday cake from my floor, and more people here have said happy birthday since I got up today than any did within a week of my birthday before this (well besides my parents/family) so yah. It has been good so far and I will put up pictures or something later after my birthday, which I will take my camera to! Tootles~

Hey all!

So, hi all. I am doing okay, besides the fact that I found out on Tuesday that I have tendonitis in (at least) my left ankle and it is getting progressively worse due to all the dancing I have been doing over the past month and a half. I am still dancing and as of next week, I will be down graded to a few social dances and blues dancing. No jazz routines (at least not to Joe's speed of music), no arials (or at least not too many), and yah. so that's kinda a bummer, but I am glad that I can at least keep dancing.

Another positive thing is that I probably will be making Blam! I heard from a little birdie that auditions are more just a formality, which puts me at ease. I have been stressing about them for a while now . . .

And something else fun is I finally took the initiative and set up a birthday party for myself. It's really laid back. I was going to go dancing after audtitions on Monday, and so I just invited friends to come with us. I think it is going to be fun. I am going to enjoy just having so many of my friends together, doing something I love doing.

And, in closing, here is something that I did today because I was bored and wanted to share with you.


Create Your Own!

Hope it gives you a taste of life here. (and yes, I know there are lots of swing pictures, but those are the only ones that I have of life here. . . it's kinda become a big thing to me!) I need to take my camera out more!

Dobro Noc!
AJ

Swing!

Hey, so I thought I would post some pictures here (round two with the Blogger to get pics in here correctly)

This is a picture from the Jack and Jill contest at our big dance on Friday. You dance with three different partners and you are judged (I think) on your technique and your stylizations. This was the last round when I was dancing with Travis. I was really excited to have him as my last round partner since we havce danced a lot for Blam practice and just in practice. He is a great partner and lead, as well as blues dancer.

More pics!

I have a few others, but I will wait for now. I have conquered the picture adder thingy!

Yah for me!

AJ

Hey

So, I haven't been updating this very much. Life here has been crazy. And for all of you who are reading this and thinking she has taken on too much, I have said no to certain things. But I have said yes to some things too! I am having fun with all that I am doing, don't worry bout that. Homecoming week is just going to be crazy because I am not going to have time that weekend to do homework . . . yah. You can see the problem in that. . . .

But yah. Life here has been changing me. I have been having to redefine what I believe, why I believe it, and how I share that. Don't worry, I am not going to start practicing eastern egyptian religion or something. I just am coming across different things here that I have to decide how I will react and everything.

I miss everyone at home. I feel disconnected from all that is going on, but most of the time I have so much going on that I don't think about it.

Lets see, I got a job! Very exciting. I am working at the front desk of my res hall for two hours every week. I could have picked up 2 more hours but they were on wednesday during the worst time for me so i was good and said that I wouldn't (aren't you so proud!) so yah. What else is new.

I am going out tomorrow to ARDEC (school farm) to work with my hieffer for little national western. That will be fun.

I got a really good back rub from one of the guys at swing on wednesday. the only problem is, it wasn't long enough to get rid of the knots, it was just enough to soften them up. And that means my back has no clue what to do. I don't think I have ever not had knots in my back . . . yah. so I am trying to figure out how to keep from putting more knots in my back while not hurting . . . . :)

I did get compliments on my back rubs . . . (its a tradition at Old C's to give back rubs) It was funny to see Shane's head lull when I found a knot. It was entertaining. Nina didn't like it so much because Shane was giving her a back rub, so when he was too relaxed, she didn't get a back rub . . . :-D

So yah. I should be getting down to a meeting for a biology thing . . . yah. Blah.

Tootles
AJ