LOVE

[taken at my surprise 18th birthday party]

This is my happy picture lately... every time I'm feeling stressed out or overwhelmed, I look at it and think about how blessed I am to know each one of these people and how deeply I love them.

It really works. My heart and face smiles every time!

SUNSHINE

The sun is shining today... there is a very strong correlation between the bright rays and my happiness. :)

Not only is the sun shining, but I ate leftover Coldstone ice cream birthday cake for breakfast.

It's been an interesting... hour at my house today...

• First, Katie, Becca, and I heard stories about Mom and her roommates in college... HILARIOUS.
• Second, I found out that I've been using hand soap as body lotion.
• Third, I was sitting on the front porch doing homework when Katie and Becca drove by and shouted my name. I screamed. Really loud. They thought it was hilarious. Katie called me a minute later and all she could manage to say was, "Hey Vicky..." and then burst out in laughter.

Anna is coming over to sit on my bed and do homework!

Small group is meeting at our house tonight.

I LOVE TODAY.

:):):)

It just keeps hitting me over and over again... like a really big... something: I'm going to South Africa in seven months.

I should be doing homework, but I'm completely and utterly distracted. This is where the discipline for the last post comes in;)

The Wonderful Craziness of Life

Oh boy! I just spent the most incredible week in Portland with Katie, Kristi, Becca, and the Winslow family! It was so wonderful, lots of hanging out, relaxing, and seeing awesome sights: mountains, the coast, waterfalls, and lots of spring colors. Gorgeous. Our motto for spring break was "It's a road trip, everything's funny!" And, it truly was. I've never laughed so much in my life. And our theme song... wait for it... Go West Young Man by none other than Michael W. Smith. Yessss.

Highlight: Friday. During the day we got to see downtown Portland. In the evening, Mac and Jon's friend, David, came over. David is without question the funniest person I have ever met. And it was so great to hang out with Mac again. We played several games which were incredibly entertaining. Later, we danced for a while. After everyone went to bed, Jon, Mac, and I played keep-it-up with a balloon... for, like, two hours while listening to Michael Buble and Michael Jackson. It was such a funny night... we were all tired and just cracking up the whole time.

Ok, so, it was an absolutely wonderful week and the whole time I was ready to give up on school. The thought of returning to Minneapolis and 7 weeks of school simply disgusted me... (keep in mind: the day we returned I was miserably sick and had just spent 30 hours in the car). However, this morning in class, I received the first boost of grace, strength, and motivation to finish well. It has been my prayer all semester, but I haven't really been living that way. I don't want to look back with regrets on my last semester of high school.

That being said, I want to live the next two months very intentionally by really pouring myself into my studies and savoring the precious little time I have left with this year's students. This means I need to take control of my time and use it well, not waste it, which I find that I do all too well. Praying for grace.

Finally, a few things I'm looking forward to:

1. I turn 18 next Monday... crazy.

2. Spending more quality time with the girls (Becs, Katie, Kristi, Liz, and Hannah).

3. Summer and sunshine.

4. Starting at BCS in the fall. Absolutely stoked.

5. Serving at Lausanne in Cape Town, South Africa in October. What an incredible opportunity.

God is so good to me. I am more than blessed.

Ok, I really need to do some homework before my next class. The productive time usage begins now. :)

ciao,

whit