A visit from Dawn

My old roommate Dawn moved to NC about 4 years ago and soon after her Mom and sister left the area too. Dawn got married last summer to Rick, a guy she met in NC. This summer the whole clan came to the Goshen area for a week of vacation. I spent a couple evenings with them and had so much fun!

Dawn & me

Thursday evening Dawn and Rick came to my place for dinner. After dinner the group of people that we used to hang out with back in the hey-day of singles at our church came over to visit. All of them are married now and most have children. We had brownie sundaes for dessert and sat around talking for several hours. It was really good to see everyone again!

Rodney & Cindy Schrock with their girls Allyson and Janae (and Kaycie still in mommy's tummy!)

Dave & Crystal Lehman with their children

Allyson Schrock, Marcus Housholder, and Leah Housholder

On Friday evening I went over to Dawn's grandma's house to hang out with the rest of her family. I spent a lot of time with this group of people -esp back when Dawn's dad was dying of cancer, so it was really good to have a chance to reconnect with everyone.

Diane Rodman (Dawn's mom) and me

Deana Rodman (Dawn's sister), me, and Dawn

Another fun filled trip to Chicago!

On Wednesday, July 23rd I went to Chicago with the other women from my home group - Patty, Bonnie, and Amber. It was a pretty relaxed day - mostly just walking around seeing the sights and window shopping. We started at Millennium Park where we took the obligatory photos at "the Bean." We then progressed down Michigan Avenue.

Patty, Amber, me, & Bonnie holding up the Bean

I had brought my ipod along to take to the Apple store - it was sick and giving me a sad face error message. The Apple people told me that the harddrive had failed and that it'd cost more to fix it than to buy a new one...so now I'm ipodless. :( Oh well, I guess that's what I get for buying a used one off a friend. Live and learn.

Amber & Patty

me & Bonnie

We had lunch at one of my favorite places - Buca di Beppos! None of the others had ever been there, so I got to share the fabulous dining establishment with more people! :) We had such a fun lunch here - the food was great and we just couldn't seem to stop laughing about everything! Too fun!

Advertising my status! :)

I also got to introduce these gals to my favorite urban grocery store - Trader Joe's! :) We also goofed around at the Sports Authority - taking photos of silliness!

me pretending to be an athlete...HA!

Amber taking the bull by the horns!

Amber high-fiving Ronald McDonald!

We stopped at Crate and Barrel to droll over all the things we'd love to have in our homes. I ended up making a purchase there! I've been looking for a waffle iron for about 3 months and finally found just what I've been looking for there! Ti was a big more than I'd usually spend, but since it was exactly what I wanted and I hadn't been able to find it int he Goshen area I decided to splurge!

I laughed and laughed!

Our last stop was at Ethel's Chocolate Lounge on Michigan Avenue. We shared the fondue platter...YUMMY!

The yummy fondue platter!

It was a wonderful day full of fun, great conversation, pee your pants extreme laughter, and fantastic fellowship! I love these women!

Bonnie, me w/eyes closed, Amber, and Patty

Friends are friends forever...

"Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Cant believe the hopes he's granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong"

These are the lyrics to a song by Michael W Smith from the album "Project" that was released in 1983. The song is a quarter of a century old now and has been played to death. Some of my "too cool for school" friend mock it when it comes on the radio. And while I can see how they may consider it a bit cheesy, I do still appreciate the lyrics, especially this week as one of my best friends and her husband move to England to follow the call of God on their lives.

Rebecca (Howland) Robinson and I have been friends since the summer of 1981. We were both new to the neighborhood that summer. One random afternoon I went on a walk with the mission of meeting the other kids in the neighborhood. The first person I met was a little girl that lived in a basement apartment. She was probably only 4 (I was a very grown up girl of 10!) and she just started talking to me and wouldn't stop! I was saved from her constant chatter when an older girl (8 yrs old) who lived upstairs in her house came home. This girl had two pigtails high on the sides of her head, a huge grin, and was wearing a Wonder Woman bathing suit! She bounded out of the car straight over to me and we began talking, leaving the poor little girl staring up at us. She introduced herself as Rebecca and thus began a friendship that would hang on through the highs and lows of puberty, first loves and first heartbreaks, family members dying, and all the other things that life throws at us. And while I have 2 sisters, Rebecca is the person that feels most like the sister I was meant to have.

Rebecca and her husband (Earl) left on Tuesday to move to England. They will be helping lead a church in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. It is an exciting next step in their lives. Both the church they work with and they themselves will be changed in remarkable ways through this experience. I am sincerely filled with joy at the opportunity that this is for them. The hard part is that she is gone...indefinitely. Rebecca and I have been apart for periods of our lives during school and stuff, but this is the first time that there isn't a "return date" set for us to live close to one another again. And we don't know if that will ever happen again.

I am thankful that we live in the times of email, facebook, blogs, skype, and super-cheap online calling cards so that we will be able to keep in touch. And like the the song says, "our hearts in big and small ways will keep the love that keeps us strong."

Rebecca and I on the morning she left for England

trip to St. Louis

Since the doctor gave me an "all clear" I decided to get on with vacation plans ASAP. July 12-15 I spent visiting friends in St. Louis, Missouri. I stayed with my friend Jenelle and her family. Jenelle and I worked together my first year at GC back in 2001-2002. We developed a very special friendship and have kept in touch through the years. I make a trip out to see her once a year if I can. It's always refreshing to spend time away from Goshen with someone who knows about my life here. It's like having the best of both worlds!

Saturday I drove out to St. Louis - it was a pretty nice drive overall. I ran into about 30 minutes of torrential downpour midway through the trip, but other than that it was uneventful - the way I like driving trips to be! I arrived while the family was at a birthday party, so I enjoyed stretching on the couch and reading my latest novel. When they arrived home I was a part of bedtime stories & such with the kids and then stayed up entirely too late catching up with Jenelle.

Isn't he just too cute?!

Sunday I went to church at St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship. I have been to this church a handful of times and feel comfortable there. Many of the regular attenders recognize my from my other trips and want to hear how things are going. One family - the Sprungers - sent two of there sons to GC where the boys lived in my residence hall. Their entire family was in church that day, so I spent time chatting with each one of them hearing what they are up to now. I felt at home - what a pleasant feeling when you are far from home.

A photo of me in a vineyard

Sunday afternoon Jenelle had to make a road trip to drop her daughter off to spend time with her grandparents from Tulsa. It worked out well that this was also the time that worked best for me to get together with my other St. Louis friend - Mike. Mike picked me up after church and we drove about an hour to the west of the city to the Mount Pleasant Winery. We did a little wine tasting and then sat out on the veranda where we talked and took in the majestic scenery for a couple of hours. We drove around more of wine country and then headed back to the city where we ate dinner at Stir Crazy - a fun "make your own stir fry" restaurant. It was a relaxed and enjoyable afternoon/evening.

Mike at the winery

On Monday I went to St. Charles with Jenelle and her little boy. We walked around the shops and I purchased a bunch of spice blends and bouillons from the various spice houses. After walking around there we drove down to the south end of the city for a late lunch and shopping at Trader Joe's! That evening we enjoyed a dinner of pasta with pesto made from the basil grown in her garden and fresh sauteed zucchini and corn on the cob. We also drank the bottle of wine that I had purchased at the winery the day before. It was a delicious meal and there was great conversation as we visited with her husband around the table.

Jenelle and Jacob

On Tuesday I had planned on heading back to Goshen early in the morning, but decided to delay my departure a bit so that I could go to lunch with Jenelle at Stellina Pasta Cafe. It was SO worth the adjustment to my schedule! I ordered the "Hog Wild" - a sandwich of shaved ham, bacon, granny smith apple, white cheddar, and sweet hot mustard on grilled peasant bread. I got the watermelon salad with it - a salad of watermelon, red bell pepper, fresh basil, and oil & vinegar. And while these two items were delicious, they did not compare with the sandwich that Jenelle was willing to share with me, the "South Side Smoke" - pulled pork, caramelized onions, and smoked Gouda cheese on a sea salt ciabatta bun. She had raved about this sandwich, but I generally do not like pulled pork and was unwilling to order it for myself. I am so glad that I tried hers! It was an absolute taste explosion in my mouth!

Me, Jacob, and Jenelle outside Stellina's

I then made my trip home in record time...just under 6 hours! It was a wonderful trip and I look forward to my next trip there!

All better!

It's amazing to me that I felt better so quickly after my surgery! I had surgery on the 3rd and by the 8th I was feeling almost back to my old self. I had a check up with the surgeon on the 10th (1 week after surgery) and he said that I am healing nicely. I have a few light restrictions for about 4 weeks - no lifting over 20 lbs, no abdominal workouts, and no sunbathing with my stomach exposed. The only one that feels like it might cramp my style is the lifting part. Not that I bench press that kind of weight on a regular basis, but general stuff around the house that needs to be done can sometimes tip that scale a bit. I'm making it work though.

I realized how thankful I am to live in Goshen - for a smallish town we have a top notch hospital with excellent doctors. I felt well cared for by all the medical professionals involved in this ordeal - from the ER nurses to the anesthesiologist to the receptionist at the surgeon's office!

And while this was not what I had planned on doing over my summer break, I felt like it was a pretty good time to have it happen. No one at the college was inconvenienced by my absence and I had time to fully rest and recover without worrying about getting back to work. And I should be healed fully by the time school starts and can help carry in stuff on move in day!

Leah turned 3!

My little friend Leah turned 3 on Friday, July 4th. I decided that her party was an event that I couldn't miss...even if I had been in surgery just 30 hours before it! It helped that her family takes very good care of me and made sure I had a comfy chair/lounger available at all times. The kids had been given the heads up that I wouldn't be my usual active self. Simon asked, "So she's not going to be Hyper Susie?!" They were all very gentle with me. Here are a few photos of the precious 3 year old!

Leah with her Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake

Isn't she just too cute?!

Princess Leah!

I've taken it as my official role as Leah's most frilly of aunts to make sure that she has the appropriate accessories needed to be as girlie as she wishes! Her birthday gift this year was a trunk full princess dress up clothes - tutu, tiara, high heels, and jewels included! :)

Surgery...piece of cake!

My surgery was rescheduled after I complained to my doctor that I couldn't deal with the pain for another whole week. She moved it to Thursday, July 3rd. It was a good experience all around. My pre-op nurse was a former GC student and friend, Laurel. I was much more nervous than I had anticipated and having a familiar face put me at ease. The doctor, OR nurse, and anesthesiologist all had GC connections and talking about those connection is the last thing I remember before waking up in recovery. When I woke up I was crying...don't know why...and the nurses were giving me some good care and trying to calm me down. I think the tears were a mixture of the fear I had bottled up before surgery, the pain I had been feeling, and relief that it was all over. I went home a couple hours after surgery and spent most of the weekend on the couch at my mom's house. Here are a couple photos of my wounds...

One of my incisions is where they went in via my belly button.

These are the two incision on my right side where they actually went in to remove the gall bladder.

I have one other incision that is about 5 inches above my belly button. This is actually the incision that has been causing me the most discomfort during my recovery. I think that may be due to the fact that there i s more muscle present in that area of my abdomen. maybe? I'm guessing on that! :)

Another beautiful wedding!

Jeron Baker and Leah Yoder were married on Saturday, June 28th. These young adults were students that transferred to Goshen from Hesston College. While they did not live in my residence halls I had the privilege of getting to know they through mutual friends and worshipping together at LifeSpring Community Church. Jeron and Leah will be moving to Hesston, Kansas soon after they return from their honeymoon where he will work for the college - coaching tennis and recruiting. Leah will be teaching in an elementary school there.

Here are a few photos from the beautiful day...

Leah being walked down the aisle by her parents.

The happy couple walking down the aisle.

The first kiss!

Me with the happy groom.

Kendra King (a good friend/former student), me, and Char Hochstetler (my mentor and kindred spirit in student life here at GC.)