Just Keep Swimming ...

This morning, I woke up in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  I turned off my alarm and pulled the electric blanket back over my shoulder for twenty more minutes of warmth before I got up to take a shower.  As I was drying my hair, my cousin Gavin told me we weren't going to church because the kids are sick, and when I came downstairs in pajama pants and a Michigan hoodie, 3-year-old Fiona ran up to me and jumped into my arms, giving me the best "good morning" hug ever.

Yep, it's Winter Break in Michigan (like Spring Break, only with two feet of snow on the ground), and I am thoroughly enjoying the time to rest and recuperate before completing the second half my second college semester.  On Friday night, I took the train from Ann Arbor to Kalamazoo, respectfully declined a Miller Lite from the surprisingly attractive law student sitting next to me, and sat on the stopped train for three hours while we waited for the new crew to get their "full night's sleep" of four hours.  I didn't mind a bit, since I couldn't imagine anything more satisfying than sitting and doing nothing for once in my college life.

I'm spending the break with my cousins Gavin and Karen Taylor and their adorable kids, Fiona, Drake, and Silas, with whom I also spent Thanksgiving.  It's so wonderful to have a home away from home and to be able to build these great friendships that were completely unexpected.

Everything else has basically been carrying on as usual.  I'm learning how to say "no" to occasional events just to keep my sanity, and I somehow manage to keep up with my job and get all of my classwork done on time.  I'm watching my friendships strengthen and struggle as a result of how much I have going on, and as much as I'm growing closer to my friends from the music school, I've realized how much I need to keep up with my Intervarsity friends, who always feel like family to me.

When I met with the A&D dean this month, his first words, as usual, were, "You came back."  We caught up on how classes are going and where I am with money.  He asked me to come back in March to schedule my classes (he said that if I'm investing this much to go here, I might as well get my money's worth) and to figure out the money situation.  He can try to get me some money, but again, the art school doesn't have a lot to give away.  On the contrary, I reapplied for music scholarships and told Dr. Lyman and the other recommending professor that I won't be coming back unless I get more scholarship money.  Although Lyman never replied to the email, I think he took it seriously, as he has talked with the music dean at least a couple of times to see what they can do.  I wasn't sure how he was going to deal with it, since he could just as easily take on some more freshmen next year rather than upping my scholarship, but it looks like he wants me back.

I still love everything that I do, and as stressful as it is, I have been so encouraged by God's grace in allowing me to get everything done and live to smile about it.  I never realized until this year how much energy I have, but I think it's because I've never been stimulated by so many things that give me this energy.  I thrive under pressure, and I feel like the need for sleep and the restraint of a 24-hour day are the only things keeping me from doing everything all the time.

The pictures below are of the Michigan hockey game I went to (quite the experience, let me tell you) and the massive amounts of snow that have been dumped on us this week.  I already loved this place ... the gorgeous snow all over the place doesn't hurt, either.

Go Blue!

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Yost Arena

Water Buffalo doing his dance to the Doobie Brothers

These guys frequently pay me a visit.

My favorite tree.

What I see walking to the school of music every morning!