falling

I seriously cannot stop talking about how much I love fall. 

It's busy, it's hectic, school threatens to drag me down into the deep, dark, depths of depression. Okay, so maybe that last line was a bit of an exaggeration. But really, it's a busy, crazy season. I'm spending 14 hours in class a week, observing therapy sessions about 4 hours a week, and working about 25 hours a week. The rest is spent trying to keep up (or should I say catch up) on homework and assignments. It's crazy. BUT fall makes it so worth it. The moments that I open my window and smell fall (and try to ignore the seasonal allergies), the moments that I can sneak a short walk or a run, and yes, even the moments that I spend sitting at my desk doing homework with a candle burning are worth it. 

This weekend, my best friend/boyfriend came up to Mankato. We've both been busy and a bit overwhelmed with school and decided we needed a fun weekend. So, we ate out at a fun pizza parlor downtown (you can draw on the tables), we bowled, we went to an apple orchard and attempted to make apple turnovers and applesauce out of the apples, we made a delicious supper, watched a movie, went to church, ate lunch, and walked outside at Minneopa State Park. Whoa! Busy, but fun. It was good. So good. Fall is wonderful. I dread the day when it's too cold to stroll outside comfortably. Maybe I'm not meant to be a Minnesotan. But let's not think about the cold quite yet. Until that day comes, I'm soaking in every color-changing leaf, every breath-taking view from the hilltop, and every moment of solitude that I can. Nothing beats fall. Oh, and cornbread muffins fresh out of the oven.

P.S. Someone got a new camera, but I won't tell you who. It's not a professional one by any means, and not even close. It is, however, an upgrade from the free digital one I have been using. Now just to learn how to manually operate it =)

Darkness

In the midst of darkness...

We live in light.

1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession,, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Balmy Weather and Cancelled Classes

Mondays. Let's face it, they're Mondays.

However, today I enjoyed:
1. My second class of the day (2 hours long) got cancelled!
2. A run with my uncommon spare time. Perfect weather and beautiful down and up hill trek.
3. Oriental Stir Fry. Mmm.
4. A re-organized room. It feels so good to have everything in it's place.
5. Enjoyed the 70 degree weather. It felt SO good after nearly a week of chilly temperatures.
6. Got the night off of work and enjoyed supper with good friends =)
7. Drank lots of water. Mmm.

Mondays aren't always so bad.

Thought of the day.

Sometimes the answer is...that there isn't one.

day. over.

ever had a day where you get home for the evening and you are so tired that you don't even want to hit the shift key and use capital letters and proper grammar and you write really long run on sentences? that's me. yup. class, big exam, class, second day in a row of five hours at work training the new staff (wearing business casual clothes..yeah, i'm not used to that). i grabbed a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream (don't worry, i'll run it off tomorrow morning) and my laptop and propped my feet up. yay for the end of the day.

BUT

it was a good day. i woke up to the chilly fall air creeping through my open window. bliss. i read matthew 24. i wore jeans and an olive green 3/4 length sleeve shirt. i had soup for lunch. i had time in between my exam and next class, so i sat behind the bell tower on our gorgeous campus. the fall breeze mixed with leftover summer sun was so...refreshing. the quiet (yes, quiet in mankato!) afternoon hour was so wonderful. i got jason gray's new cd. i was reminded at how awesome freelance whales are. i heard that we're in a freeze warning. (WAIT. what was that??) okay. so maybe i'm not too thrilled about that. but i am thrilled about the fact that I'm leaving my window open tonight and that means i can curl up under a million blankets. mmm. that's my favorite. and you know what makes it the best day?? i'm going to bed right now. goodnight world. until tomorrow, hannahbrooke. 


p.s. yes, that photo is terrible quality. i took it on my phone. it looks beautiful on my phone screen. i promise. 

September 11th, 2011.

Ten years ago I didn't understand. 

Now, I do.

Somehow it hit me more today how big of a tragedy this was for our nation. And not only our nation, but the world. The widespread effect that one day in history had on our world shocks me. As a 5th grader sitting in my classroom when I heard the news, I had no idea that ten years from that day the world would be this way. I had no idea that we'd still be at war. I had no idea what it even really meant. It's painful. It's haunting. It's terrifying. We live in a dark world. It's a reminder that we are not in control. It makes me so thankful to know someone who is. Someone who has always been there for us, even in the darkest places. Someone who will continue to be with us, no matter the situation. I am thankful. 

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them: for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 56: 3-4 When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

Falling into September

-The leaves turning colors and crunching under my feet as I walk in the crisp air. 
-The crops turning colors. 
-Driving from Mankato to Mountain Lake.
-Driving through town with the windows down.
-Gravel roads. You just gotta do it. 
-Sunny days with green grass, blue skies, and a vibrant mix of colors.
-Wearing jeans again and starting to pull out the long sleeves.
-The smell of apple candles burning in early fall and cinnamon in late fall. 
-Starting the nightly routine of hot chocolate.
-Walking. Yep, walking. Anywhere. All the time. It's fall and it just feels...good.
-Studying outside...or reading when I want to avoid studying =)
-Sleeping with the windows open. 
-The tree outside my window...can't wait until the leaves change color!
-Changing music playlists...Melody Gardot (new to me), old Norah Jones, and when I feel like it, country. yep. 
-Sitting outside and writing. With pen and paper. Or writing at my desk with the lamp on. 
-The smell. Yes, fall does have a smell. 
-Sometimes I wish fall lasted all year.

Just a post..

Blogging.
I don't know how to do it.
I read other blogs, gaze at their beautiful pictures and put together lives.
Me? Well...I still use a camera I got for free my Jr. Year of high school (I wish that wasn't the case..) and I see my ramblings as far from being put together as can be.


But for some reason I want to write. Write whatever I have to say...for whatever reason I feel like writing it.
And for now, I'm not going public with it. If someone stumbles upon this somehow, have fun reading it I guess.
But right now, this is me. Me and my imperfect blog and thoughts. =)


I'm sitting here in my 3rd and final year at MSU- Mankato. I'll be graduating in the Spring with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Disorders. What's that? Well...I did want to be a Speech Therapist. You need a Master's Degree for that. 2 1/2-3 more years of school and a CFY (Clinical Fellowship Year). Do I still want to be a Speech Therapist? Well...maybe. But I don't really know. All I know right now is that my plans are changing. God's leading me in another direction. I don't know what direction that is yet, but I'm feeling a lot of peace while waiting to figure it out. That's not normal for me. I'm usually the person who has to have everything set out in front of them ahead of time. I'm thankful for peace =)


Yes, that means I believe in God. Living for him, and KNOWING him are the two things I really want to do. It's crazy sometimes...but that leads to crazy awesome.


I'm dating a Marine. He's pretty cool.


I'm content...(Phillipians 4:11) I love where I'm at- my school, my job, my family and friends. I love where I came from- my town(s), my homes, my experiences. I've learned a lot from the difficult times and the times where I had no idea what the outcome would be. I'm thankful for the hurt I experienced. I'm excited to see where I'm going from here and how God will use me and my life.


Blog post #1...done. Blog posts to come? We'll see. I guess it's a start..