Quick Trip to the States

At the beginning of the semester, I had planned on using my week of Spring Break to work more and spent a chunk of time on homework. I have several large papers coming due in April, so figured I could spend some valuable time researching for those papers. However, those plans changed. For some time now, God has been reminding me over and over that people/relationships are more important that school and good grades. Not that good grades should just be thrust completely aside, but in the grand scheme of life, it doesn't really matter if I earn my B.A. with a 3.5 or a 3.2 or even a 2.8, does it? 

The end of January I got word that my dear friend, Trina was battling Lymphoma. She isn't just a dear friend, but practically family. I've lived with her family, taught her kids, made precious memories with them all, went to her oldest son's wedding, worked in the ministry with them, etc. and etc. As we have told people, we are family, just not blood related. :) 

Anyways, I used my Spring Break to spend a few days with Trina and her family in CO, where she is undergoing Chemo treatments. It was a blessed time. I was able just to relax and spend time talking with each of the family. I love this family immensely. They have been with me in some of my hardest days and I'm glad I was able to return the blessing. God is good. 

hanging out with my "siblings" 

our #epicfail of making a heart :)

On my way home, I stopped in Seattle for breakfast with my brother, sis-in-law and new niece! My bro and his wife made a fabulous breakfast, thanks guys! and I just got to sit and hold Lanie. After a few hours with them, Zeb dropped me back off at the airport. But I was flying standby and wasn't able to get on the afternoon flight. Next flights weren't until hours later and the next one was already oversold. So Zeb came back to pick me back up. We spent hours in traffic to go a friends house for dinner. But it was worth the time on the road. I got to meet some awesome people and have an amazing dinner! Side note: my new contacts/place to stay in Seattle, since my brother is moving. 

Then back to the airport I went. Went through airport security three times in one day for two flights... yeah, some people call me crazy. :) 

Lanie Rae

chilling with Aunt Barrie 

Sigh of Relief

   I was so exhausted tired by the time I was settled into my seat for the flight from Fairbanks to Minneapolis, so I pretty much fell asleep right after taking off. Slept off and on for the next 4 hours. My brain was working much better after sleeping those hours. After waking up, I had a nice conversation with the lady sitting next to me. She had been in Alaska for a family vacation with her children and grandchildren. She was a really sweet old lady. At one point we were talking about airplanes and she told me that her father, who was born in 1892, had to go to a boarding school after his father died. Her dad as a young boy used to lean over a particular fence not far from his school and watch Wilbur and Orville Wright test fly their planes!

dark, stormy cloud near Minneapolis

   Well, about an hour outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul we hit some rough turbulence. They were having thunderstorms just outside of the city, which was causing our rough flight. It probably was the worst turbulence I've ever experienced on a large jet. Because we were in a holding pattern to land in Minneapolis and didn't have enough fuel to hang out in the sky waiting, they diverted us to Duluth, MN. The landing there was a little scary, first sigh of relief after landing there. It was gorgeous weather there, but of course we didn't get to actually enjoy it. We all sat on the plane for about an hour. Finally they cleared us for take off and to head to Minneapolis. Still rough skies near St. Paul, so more turbulence to endure. I took a picture of the sky outside the city. You can see the dark blanket cloud stretching to the west. Another sigh of relief after landing in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

flying over Minnesota

  I arrived in Denver Monday evening. Was picked up from the airport along with 2 others coming in for the wedding this weekend. They had come in from Mongolia, so they were pretty much exhausted from traveling.
  Tuesday Trina and I went car shopping for most of the afternoon. We found some possibilities, but everything nicer was a bit more than I had wanted to pay. Wednesday morning, Mickey, Jonah and I went to go look at another car. That was the one! It's nothing fancy, but good car. Its even one of my favorite colors. :) Shiny, dark forest green. So, we purchased it yesterday! A huge sigh of relief! Glad that's over.
  Several hours after buying the car, I headed down to Colorado Springs to see a friend at the Airforce Academy. It was a nice little drive (only one wrong turn). Major thunder and lightening storm down that way. I loved it! Thunder and lightening is one of my favorite things. Lance gave me a little tour of campus, it was evening by the time I got there, so most places we couldn't go into. But still got a feel for the place - it is a HUGE. After which we went to Olive Garden - yummy!!!
  Tomorrow starts the wedding preparations, so I'll be busy for the next couple days. Looking forward to it though. It will be fun with all the people we have here. Until then....