hello goodbye

my 'weekend' started on friday morning. lara and i met early at ihop for a a farewell breakfast with angela, who left for orlando on saturday. it is strange to think that she won't be within a few mile radius, after having had that for so long, but, since steve works for jetblue, and jetblue is adding a direct flight from orlando to dulles, we expect to see her (hopefully) regularly. the bonus is that since my motto is 'i'll go anywhere there is a free place to stay,' i've added a city to possible destination vacations. i think disney world as an adult would be a roarin' good time.

friday afternoon, i left work early for a homecoming. steph was back in town from montana, so a group of us met at cpk for dinner. as always, there were plenty of laughs.











it was an interesting evening, in that it is the largest social gathering i have been in in some time. perhaps its the natural evolution of aging, but for months now, the idea of the 'party scene' has been completely abhorrent to me. i enjoy doing social things in small groups (under 5 people), but large groups are just not my thing anymore. i though perhaps i would find that being back in that environment, i would realize that i had missed it, but that was not the case. nstead i found myself wishing there were a lot less people, so i could interact more with the people i really cared to. i guess this social butterfly may have permanently gone back into the cocoon.











the rest of the weekend was spent preparing my lesson. there was one break for unexpected hilarity. i went out to grab lunch and gas, and as i was pulling out of the gas station, so was someone else...with the nozzle and hose still attached to their vehicle. i have never seen such a thing, and am completely befuddled as to how that driver did not know they were pulling off a 6 foot hose from a pump. but it did provide some comic relief.

this week's lesson was on miracles. the upside is that i got to teach one of my all-time favorite scriptural stories..about the woman with the 'issue of blood' who makes her way through a mob to touch the hem of christ's robe and is healed. i love what that says about the power of faith, and how it reminds me that it is an active, not passive state.

the downside is that between gospel doctrine and stake enrichment, i've taught every week for the last three. what that means is that i have spent the last three weeks pretty stressed out. i was supposed to teach again next week, since i will be gone for the two following, but i hit my wall. so i found myself a sub.

that provides a great deal of relief, but it also makes me extremely ancy for my upcoming trip. so far, i have been pretty relaxed about it, knowing that there were many 'obstacles' in the way before my departure. but, with the last major one removed, i am anxious to go NOW.

jesse is planning all kinds of fun activities for my time in california, and i can't wait to reconnect with family and friends in utah, and to celebrate with jill and corey.

11 days is too many!!