So I'm living in Sioux Falls, SD, and I have an apartment with two other girls. I was working to jobs... one at a bakery and one at a bar, but I quit the bar job so I can get more hours at Hy-Vee. I'm ballroom dancing as often as I can, and I have developed a deep love for dirt track racing. Especially sprint cars and B-modifieds. I dyed my hair back to the original color... ok, a little darker. But I don't have red highlights anymore., I have been drawing more lately then I have in probably a year or so... I haven't pulled the paints out but I think it's a matter of time. I go to a small group occasionally, which consists of about 8 other college age kids. I have dropped two sizes since Honor Academy, and my hair is about 5-6 inches longer. I still love flowers and have two pots on my balcony. I have a Guinea Pig named Corky, and she is all black. She has listened to more complaining and crying and bad language-throwing and general emotion then probably even Timothy... at least in these past few months. I am deeply grateful to have her in my life. (Yes, I am going on about an aquarium pet. Sue me.) Living paycheck to paycheck with a little in between has been really fun and liberating. I like being on my own a lot and Sioux Falls is a great little city. Lots of dining options... I've never been anywhere with more resturants in proportion to it's population. (except perhaps Minneapolis). They have an orchestra too. A hockey team as well- my friend Keli never misses a game if she can possibly help it and I hope to accompany her at least a few times this season. I love my ballroom classes as well- the instructors make it feel easy and that to me is an amazing quality to have in a studio, especially when you're giving group lessons.

Speaking of Timothy, yes we are still together and...

We're engaged! On February 28, 2009 I will resign the surname Bast to the past and embrace the love of my life as my husband. I get teary-eyed and speechless just thinking about it... how blessed and honored I am to recieve his love and how thankful I am to God every day for putting us together. I know I can't possibly deserve to be this happy except by the grace of God... oh, how happy I am! I know the next few years will be increadably difficult at times and that there will be tears and misunderstandings, but I know there will be joy and happiness too, and I will get to serve and bless the most amazing man I have ever met everyday, and we will grow together through all those hard times. I'll be moving to Canada for the first few years while we settle in and then hopefully we'll moving someplace warm... like South Carolina or south Texas. Yum!

So there is a little about my life... I write as much to myself as to my readers (if there are any)... i love to look back on old posts and see where I've been.

Whew...

So much is going on right now, I feel like I'm going to implode... The only reason I actually have time to post right now is because the carpet is going in upstairs and all the furniture is downstairs- so I cannot ever do laundry right now, because my baskets are full of toys and clean clothes and the dressers are in pieces. I can't sweep, because the carpet fibers and dirt from the boots will just follow the broom. sigh. So I'm sitting in my second home: The Beanery- coffee and conversation in a delightful small town. Internet too. (obviously, since I'm on the laptop.)

How did my mother do an addition? My respect for her grows every day. If I had a large amount of money, I would finish everything in their house and install an outdoor shower. :) My mother deserves it. Sigh. The Lord promised to reward those who handle little with excellence- I am among the little, now I need to master the excellence. :)

I'm getting everything paid off... cell phone, credit card, etc, and I'm going to set up bill pay online and get on a real live budget. If I believed in New Year's resolutions, this would be mine.

I have made an amazing discovery in the past week: I have the power to bless people. Don't laugh- I'm serious. I have the power to bless people. If you think about it, it is an issue of a lot more depth then we as Christians usually apply to it. It's on the same wow level as realising that you can pray and things will happen. Really! Not just financially (though the Lord has been speaking to me about that too), but I have been given gifts- music, creativity, a hospitable spirit, culinary talent... so much! And I have realized that not using those talents to bless others is as much a sin as not tithing. Think! There is so much in scripture! The Lord rewards those who use what they have to serve Him! This isn't rocket science, it makes sense! (And just so you know, I'm writing this to myself as well; so that when I look back on ancient post I can see what the Lord has done in my life.)

I once said that I would like these words on my gravestone (if I have one): "She loved God more then she feared man". Now I just need to live a life worthy of it.

And to my friends who read this even though I don't post often- I miss you and love you. :)

Well, I have survived one week in the sunny city of Philadelphia... or the quiet suburb of Wyncote. It's really beautiful here... lots of trees, old houses- Tudor, Colonial, Victorian... all very charming and many with beautiful gardens. I have the spacious third floor room, complete with big screen tv and over 600 channels of nothing- honestly, I've browsed... and I don't get how people watch so much of it!

I am here primarily to take care of Jack. Jack just turned 2 months old on the 26th... and he's not colicky, and he giggles and coos and is discovering his thumb. He is a joy and I love him very much already.

His parents, John and Angelique, are newly-weds. They were not expecting Jack... he was a wedding night baby. So you have the joys of being a parent rolled together with the blessing of each other during those first few years. It's a lot of fun to watch them argue... I hope Tim and I do it so well.

Jack isn't on much of a feeding schedule, but he takes a nap with me at about 11 every morning... then wakes up and eats, I grab something, then if it's nice we go for a walk. We've only got lost twice and only told his mother once.

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I got to go to Ocean City, NJ, with the family last weekend. I technically had it off so they arranged for me to stay in one of the rental condos so I could have space. I was three blocks from the beach and the boardwalk... and I must say that every time I see the ocean I am overcome by the beauty of it. Mountains are gorgous, rivers, lakes and trees are homey and tranquil, but the ocean is such a combination of awesome power and peaceful soothing that I'm hard pressed to find a reason as to why I don't live there. (Besides the obvious reasons.) Someday I will, whether that's early in life or at it's waning moments, I will live on an ocean beach. And I will drink my coffee and bury my toes in sand that feels like powdered sugar every morning I can. And I'll chase the reflection of the moonlight on the bits of foam that roll in with the waves.

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I have a cell phone, if you want the number just call my mother- (you know; grand central) and she will be happy to oblige, I'm sure. I have two new pairs of shoes... Angelique grew out of them during the whaling days... and I am 7 blocks from the train station to anywhere in Philadelphia. The family here has a large (16 lbs) cat named Barney, who is on a diet. I have been working out on John's rowing machine and hope to lose some weight too. I am going home for Thanksgiving, and I'm going to Canda for Christmas... SOOOO excited about that.

I'm pretty lonely right now. I'm looking for a church in the area, but the one everyone says would be great for me turned out to believe that the gifts ceased with the apostles. So, I'm praying about that. They have a really great youth ministry.

This is a long post... and I haven't had any supper yet- So, Goodnight.

I did go to Canada...

And guess who was waiting for me at the airport with a red rose, my favorite Canadian chocolate bar, and a kiss? None other that the love of my life!  we got lost on the way home... if you can call it that. We took a wrong turn but knew exactly where we were... His mom said he was losing consentration because he was twitterpated. I agree.

I had a wonderful time... went driving around looking at old houses, (one of my favorite things to do), had coffee at a dear little bistro called Maripoza's (Don't sue me if I didn't spell that right) and they have the hugest chocolate-frosted doughnuts ever. Called 'um Texas doughnuts... go figure. Then we got together with some of the 'gang' and went 5-pin bowling- great fun, and if I ever find anywhere that has it in the states I'm taking myself (and getting bowling shoes that don't match... such fun!) I got better scores when I chucked the ball randomly or went "Grandma" bowling then I did when I tried to throw the ball straight! Such is life.

Did you know that Canada serves their iced tea sweetened? How does it work that they do and I'm suck dumping little packets of sugar in mine and getting grit at the bottom? *sigh*

I crashed their little motercycle. A little Honda 250... I was wearing Joel's pointy-toed cowboy boots (and NO, I don't want to discuss the fact that there technically isn't another kind of cowboy boot) and was driving around the house. Took a corner too fast and when I went to hit the break I missed it cause of those dang boots... paniced, gave it more gas cause my arms locked, and drove right into a cedar tree hedge. I was wearing my helmet, thank you. Messed up my back pretty bad. I broke the clutch cable on the bike, but Joel was happy that I straightened the fender. So, I've decided not to buy Aaron's 400, and I think I'll probably stick to riding for the most part. I do want to try again and get it right, though.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip, and much too short for my liking. I hope I can see Timothy before the Holidays, but if not, I'll see him then. I might get to celebrate my 20th birthday with him!

I'm applying for school...