Yes, an update...

I have recently had a couple of people ask if I was ever going to update my blog again, so I figured it was about time that I did so. It has been a couple of months, after all.

Senior year has been good. I know that seems like such a simple, nondescriptive word for last 3 1/2 months of my life, but it really is the best adjective for it. Good. I have really enjoyed my classes, which are all in the social work/sociology/psychology areas. The workload is not as heavy as last year, and I find the materials to all be quite interesting. One exciting thing in regards to acadamia: I had the opportunity to go to Indianapolis with one of the social work professors and two other students for the North American Association of Christians in Social Work Conference back in October. It was awesome! The workshops were great and very though-provoking. Most of them had to do with integrating faith and the social work profession. I learned a lot about a variety of topics and had a ton of fun.

Another exciting thing happened in October... my brother, who is in the Army and is currently stationed in South Korea, surprised us all with a visit! :) We had no idea he was coming; he literally showed up on the doorstep. He was back for about 2 weeks and spent a few days with me up at Dordt. It was great to see him again. He only has a couple of months left over there, and then he moves to Georgia (the state, not the country). I am just glad he will be on this side of the world again!

The rest of my family is doing well. Not a whole lot new with them. My sister is in high school now. Crazy. Dad still enjoys preaching, driving the bus, and feeding people. Mom somehow puts up with both Hannah and Dad and keeps things in order at home. :) She also continues to homeschool Hannah.

I only have two and half weeks left at Dordt. I can hardly believe it and am not exactly sure how I feel about it. Part of me is very excited. I am really looking forward to Chicago next semester (by the way, I am working at Rice Children's Center, a residential treatment center for children with behavioral and emotional problems... I am so excited!) yet I am also dreading saying goodbye to people. I do not want to leave my roommates or my other friends. And I am really sad about leaving the nursing home that I work at. I love the residents. Plus I have an amazing church home here. Despite the pig smell and the flatness of it, I have somehow come to love Sioux Center. Perhaps I will stay in the Siouxland area after graduation; I am not sure yet. Part of my heart is still in Denver, though, too, and Alaska, for that matter. I have thought about going onto grad school right after Dordt, where I would probably study geriatrics (working with the elderly) but I think I am ready to be done with school for a while. Still waiting for God's leading on that one. For now, I am doing my best to focus on the present, enjoying the time I have left at Dordt and trying to get all of my end-of-the-year projects done. ;)

Even though Thanksgiving has come and gone, I pray that we are able to continue to count our blessings. We have so many. Love and Prayers.