The Month is Gone again.

Once again the month is gone. It is the end of May and not much blogging so we will get to basics.

I am spending the summer in Chicago. Working with my babysitting jobs and tutoring.

I am looking forward to some down time here in the city. Since I have moved up here, it has been full of getting to know my school, finding friends, getting acquainted with the city, finding work, and falling into a "way too busy" lifestyle.

I have made a little list of summer goals and look forward to slowing down and prioritizing life. Here is a little preview of my goals. Not in any peculiar order.

1) Sit through a court hearing. I have heard you can go to the county court house and observe a trial.

2) Go to Pilsen and other diverse communities. Pilsen is a mainly Hispanic community and my friend Adam and his fiance will be moving there after they get married next month.

3) Ride the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier.

4) Invest time with people on the street and those in different situations. (Pray for God's guidance in this area)

5) Dance in the Park (Rachel has talked about a little dance instruction in millennium park and some music) and different festivals.

6) Go to one of Nick's (the kid I tutor/babysit) baseball games

7) Go with Jayme to a taping of news ch 2 (Jayme is Nick's mom and she said I can come to work with her some time.)

8) Ride on the Yellow line of the El. (It goes out to Skokie and only runs at certain times)

9) Visit the Field Museum (only big museum here in Chicago I have not gotten too, I think.)

10) Watch fireworks at Navy Pier (they have them twice a week and I am going to be around for the fourth! so that shouldn't be difficult)

11) Play my guitar at a nursing home (I have to find one first :) )

12) Play chess or checkers with a friend on the lake front (there are permanent stone boards along the lake)

13) Make Sushi

That is all I can think of for now. Last weekend I went canoeing with my family and friends. It was such a fun time. (although I think I got sicker from it). Derek, Claire, and I were together in a canoe which was super fun. Claire was our emergency alarm. Anytime she saw a ripple she would scream and get scared. but we just had fun with it.

Landon ended up riding with Steven in a canoe which had previously got wrapped around a tree. They bent it back but still Steven had to bail the whole time while Landon rowed. Oh the memories. And one of our other canoes got caught in the current and a log and is still at the bottom of the vermillion.

I made fudge yesterday. well it was an adventure. Joe helped, but I still forgot 1/2 the ingredients. lol (I guess I can't multi-task that well-talk and cook). I only forgot a "dash" of salt and a little vanilla. Dad would have hated that recipe.

In the end, it tasted really good and I even turned a few into truffles. When I took it over the our after-school program Lynette (the lady in charge) hid the fudge in her drawer (I guess it was good)

Looking forward to my friend Val coming into town this weekend. Hope to keep more on top of this blog thing.

It's about time.

Well the first school year at Loyola is wrapping up! I can't believe it! I have one last final Wednesday night.

Today is a beautiful day. (I should be typing this outside). I got up around 6:45 and prepared for a 4 mile race to support 4 organizations that support women's health here in the City. I did not expect to run the whole thing but wanted to support my friend Megan.

Well back up- Last weekend I ran a 5K with my cousin Traci. <--- this is an event I have been training for for about 2 months or so. The 4 mile race was a random suggestion Thursday night.

I was actually able to run both the 5K on the 25th and the 4 mile run today. It was a beautiful day and both races were run by the lake. That is my biggest accomplishment besides finishing school stuff!

Other news: This week was full of Friends. Last weekend Traci came in for her birthday and run the race with me. Tuesday one of my friends was here for a conference and we went to California Pizza Kitchen <-- good food. Wednesday I got to go to Moody's chapel. Thursday some friends from Tremont were here (Tyler Thompson presented a monologue drama of the Biblical story of Mephibosheth). Friday my friend Val came in and was here til last night.

Moody chapel: gave me a new appreciation of the past God has brought me through. Sometimes I get so focused on the future I forget to praise God for His presence in my past.

Yesterday we (Rachel, Val, Joe and I) took the after school kids Joe and I hang out with to fly kites. (17 kids+6 "adults"+a Chicago park full of a million kids=PANIC and craziness). It was a full day but so much fun. When we initially got to the meeting place there were no kids and then about an hour later there were 17!!! 4 2-year olds and a few other younger ones, but we came back with 17 and some great pictures and memories.

Here are a few pictures of the last week. Never mind, they won't upload. Maybe later.