Eli's the Manning now...

I’m far too competitive to feel sorry for Tom Brady. The Giants played a great game, and deserved to win. At least it was exciting.

In other news, life at school is moving along at a steady pace. I can’t believe I’m already almost halfway through the semester, the time has disappeared. I don’t think it’s going to slow down anytime soon either, which is kind of unfortunate I guess. I’m not too worried about school this term, but I’ll know for sure once I get the scores back from my first round of tests at the end of this week. One of my nursing classes is a joke- we went into the first exam with 20 extra credit points. I guess it’s important information (nursing care of spiritual needs) but the prof has made it really easy. I’ll take whatever bones the College of Nursing wants to throw at me, because I don’t think it’ll be many more.

I think learning about why people are the way they are is something that I’ll never get tired of. The time I spend in Child and Adolescent Development is some of my favorite time of the week. The prof really knows what he’s talking about, and I find it all truly fascinating. I think that’s a big part of why I want to be a nurse instead of a doctor. Being a doctor is about knowing medicine, being a nurse is about knowing people. I’ve already noticed myself acting more like a nurse- listening better, picking up on non-verbal cues, asking better questions. One of the first things my favorite nursing prof asked us last semester was the color of our lab partner’s eyes. People just don’t pay attention to things like that, and when you do, it makes all the difference.

For the last week I’ve had the Wicked soundtrack stuck in my head… and I think my roommate is getting sick of it always playing on my computer. I can’t help it, I really like musicals. I read the book over break and was less than impressed. I felt like the author took a great story and turned it into something I didn’t want to read. The musical was a completely different story. Brett surprised me with a trip into the city to see it last weekend and I pretty much just sat there in awe for the full two and a half hours. (I think he liked it too, whether or not he wants to admit it.) It’s been playing in Chicago for something like the last 3 years, and the actors really know their characters. The plot is much better too. I usually don’t like it when musicals/movies deviate from the book, but since I didn’t like the book very much, this was a welcomed change.

I remembered while working at the Writing Center today why it was that I wanted to be a teacher for so long. I love seeing the light bulb go off. Being able to explain something in a new way or introduce a whole new perspective to people and have them finally understand something is one of the greatest feelings in the world. I usually can’t stand working at the WC because it’s hard to have one of those experiences where you feel like you’ve made more of a difference than just in someone’s grade. I guess I like to think that in some small way, making someone a better writer makes them a better person. Call me crazy.

In a random side note, I’ve stopped biting my fingernails. I’m sure Mim would be proud. I never realized just how fast nails grow, but I have to carry a nail file around with me all the freaking time and it kind of gets annoying. It’s an important habit to break because always putting my fingers in my mouth as a nurse can be really dangerous to my health, but it definitely made life a little easier.

I think that’s about it for this week. The Dance Ensemble concert is in two weeks and I think we’ll be ready for it. I love our costumes and will be sure to put up some pictures when I get them. Hope all is well with all of you.

Love and miss-

3 down, 5 to go

Well, Dad says that I don’t update this often enough, and I told him it was because there wasn’t ever anything to say, but I suppose that now that a new semester has started I can talk about that.

Coming back to school was nice. My flight was an hour late, which was a bummer, but not as late as originally thought. I have decided that I really do hate flying, and that it hates me back. Last year I don’t think I had a single delayed flight. This year I don’t think I’ve had a single flight not be delayed. I always try to have a good attitude about flying, especially because I hate it when people start yelling at the ticket agents like it is THEIR fault that the plane is late, but this time I suppose I’d gotten my hopes up a little too much. Brett was nice enough to pick me up from the airport, even though I’m pretty sure he hates driving in Chicago more than I hate flying. Either way, I really appreciated not having a two hour bus ride at the end of a long flight. We got back to Valpo around 11pm Sunday night.

Classes didn’t start until Wednesday, so that gave me some time to spend a fortune at the bookstore and get organized. I think I spend more money on books each semester than some people have the entire time they’ve been at school so far, but I guess that’s just one of the many perks of being a nursing major. It doesn’t help that all nursing textbooks are freaking expensive.

Another perk of being a nursing major is having homework due the first day of class. There should really be a rule against that. Instead of getting to enjoy my last night of freedom like most people, I was stuck doing worksheets and going to bed early for my 7:30am lab. Luckily, the lab was really fun. This semester is when we learn how to do the real nursing stuff- like catheters and different methods of drug administration. There’s no doubt that when I finish this semester I’ll feel like a real nurse. After this we learn a lot more specifics to different fields- psychiatric nursing, pediatrics, OB/GYN, geriatrics… you know the fun stuff. I can already tell that my pharmacology class will be a lot of work, but I’ll feel really smart for having taken it. There are some classes that you take, work hard in, and don’t feel any smarter at the end of the semester- this is not one of them. I decided that is one of the reasons that I like science classes better anyway- I’m always learning something new. After a while, every English and Theology class seems to be the same thing- read this and discuss how it affects you and the world. Not that I don’t enjoy that, because I do, but I don’t always feel like I’m learning. Liz would probably say that’s one of the strengths of English, that it teaches you without you noticing that you're learning.

My microbiology professor (who sounds like an auctioneer when he lectures) has already claimed that his class will be my favorite of the semester, but I’m not really convinced. It’ll be really interesting, but I think I’m going to REALLY like my child and adolescent development class. Professor Hughes is hilarious and I know I’ll like the subject matter. He’s really sarcastic and already admitted that he likes smartasses, so I figure I’ll do just fine there. That class also has some non-nursing majors in it, so it’s one of my last opportunities to interact with normal people. I’m excited.

I guess that’s about all so far. It hasn’t snowed since we got back, and the campus being green is kind of strange. I’ve been taking advantage of the slow start to the semester to do some reading as well. The musical “Wicked” is on a long term run in Chicago, and I figured I’d try to read the book first. It’s not at all what I expected it would be, but it’s kept me entertained, and I’m interested to see where it’s going. I went to church at the chapel this morning which was kind of weird, as always. I just don’t think I’ll ever be fully comfortable in a Lutheran service.

Hope the holiday season treated all of you well!

Love and miss-

My First White Christmas!

This Christmas season didn’t disappoint. I was glad to finally get home after finals and fourteen hours of flying on the 22nd. Whoever is in charge of the academic calendar should have to travel on the days they make the end of the semester because it was hell this year. After stops in Phoenix and Las Vegas, I was ecstatic to see the green carpet of PDX. I feel like I’ve seen my fair share of airports, at least west of the Mississippi and hands down Portland is my favorite. Not just because it’s home, but because it’s has the best customer service, most food choices both in and out of security and the fastest baggage return. If I had to fly in and out of O’Hare or BWI every time, I’d probably fly a lot less.

Anyway, I got to see almost all of my friends right away because my friend Chris hosted a Christmas party, and was nice enough to make sure I would be home for it. Most of the schools on the West Coast finished their terms the week before I did, so they were bragging about being done before me. We’ll see who’s laughing in May when I’m finished a month early and enjoying the sun at Fenway.

Christmas itself was a little strange this year since neither Nate nor Liz was home, but I suppose that’s the way life works nowadays. My birthday was fun and a lot of my friends stopped by to help me celebrate my last year of minordome. (yes, I made that word up) It was really fun to have Liz and Billy out here to help ring in the new year, and just spend some quality time together. I’m headed back out to Maryland in May after I’m done with school and before Dad graduates and I’m hoping to get to see Mrs. DePriest in action- I still haven’t made it to Northern HS.

Thank you to everyone for my gifts- between Christmas and my birthday, I really got everything I asked for and more. Not sure how I’m going to get it back to school with me, but I’ll make it work somehow.

I’m excited to start the new semester, which is full of science classes. Two nursing courses including pharmacology, two biology classes (microbiology and human nutrition) and a psychology class about child and adolescent development mean a lot time spent in labs, but I’ll probably love every minute of it. Everyone at school asks me if I hate nursing yet, and I just don’t see that happening any time soon. This semester also brings the dance concert, A’s baseball (when they play the White Sox) and a trip to Boston to bring it all to a close. I can’t wait to get back to school. Not super excited about the “feels like -3” that I’d be experiencing right now, but I guess I’ll be using all of the winder weather gear I received.

Love and miss-

At least I still have David Beckham...

I don’t even want to talk about sports right now. I’m considering quitting being a sports fan altogether. Oregon football died a quick and painful death when Dixon tore his ACL- we should be playing for the national title. Oakland traded not only Marco Scutaro, my favorite player on the team, but also Dan Haren, the best pitcher in the American League. Billy Beane has officially started rebuilding for Fremont- don’t even get me started on the scheduled move. Oregon basketball was doing well, until yesterday when they lost to an unranked Nebraska and the University of Portland women lost in the semi-finals to UCLA, again.
So I give up.

School is going well. We’re officially done with classes now, and finals start tomorrow. I’m not worried about any of them- my grades can’t really change. I am very excited that this is the last math test I’ll ever have to take! I’m a little disappointed that I don’t get to leave here until Saturday, but that’s just the way life works sometimes I guess. We got about 7 inches of fresh snow yesterday which has made campus look very wintery. It also feels very much like Christmastime. I already have all of my presents planned, and since I get home so close to Christmas, I’ll have to bring them home already wrapped. Since I’m only home for two weeks, I shouldn’t have an issue with room in my suitcase or anything.

Dance Ensemble is going well. We’ve finished the choreography on both of my dances, and I really like the way they turned out. Our outfits are pretty sweet- it’s nice to finally have a dance outfit that I like (because those brown velvet unitards from sophomore year were so hot).

My roommate and I decorated our room for the holidays and unintentionally, it all matches what we already have, so aside from the tree, we may leave it up for a while. We also rearranged our room so that it is more conducive to being able to watch tv/movies/whatever else we want to watch. I like it because it’s a lot different than the set up last year and it makes our room feel bigger.

Other than that, not a whole lot has been going on. It was nice to go home for Thanksgiving, and I’m excited to see Liz and Billy for New Years. I can’t believe I’m almost twenty, that certainly makes me feel kind of old. It’s not a very exciting birthday, but not having “teen” at the end makes it a little different.

I hope you’re having a great holiday season and you’re staying stress free… I can’t wait to see those of you on the WC in just about a week.

Love and miss-

It's the beginning of December and it's snowing for the first real time all year.

Jesus is loving on me a little more today.

And I thought beating Michigan was nice…

Now the Ducks are ranked #2 in the nation. It literally barely gets better than that.

It’s November, and it hasn’t (significantly) snowed yet. We had a few flakes fall a couple of days ago, but it didn’t stick and most people missed it. The weather is just starting to get cold, and I’m trying to rebuild my tolerance for the winter. School is going well, I’ve gotten into a pretty good rhythm, and my classes are interesting still. That’s always good because most people hate their classes by the end of the semester. We have 4 more weeks of class and then finals, and I’m halfway through my sophomore year. That’s crazy.

I was put into 4 different pieces for the Dance Ensemble concert- a lyrical, modern/jazz, jazz and hip hop. I opted out of the lyrical because the rehearsal timing made my Tuesday really busy. I was a little disappointed when my hip hop dance was cancelled a week later, but I love the other two pieces and it’s getting me back into pretty good shape. The other day I was nailing triples better than I have since… ever. I’m not sure what happened, but something clicked, and that’s always fun.

There hasn’t really been a whole lot going on around here, just a lot of studying and watching movies. Brett’s parents came up from St. Louis this weekend and it was nice to see them again. The more time I spend with them, the more comfortable I am around them, and I feel like the more they like me- all good things I suppose. We’re going to a concert in Chicago on Friday with his brother, so even though I didn’t end up in St. Louis for Thanksgiving, I’ll still be spending time with his family this month.

Oh dang, the Colts lost again this week which means my roommate’s not going to be very happy. Oh, my friend James had reconstructive ACL surgery about two weeks ago and it’s been cool to see everything (like his physical therapy) from a nursing standpoint instead of just a normal standpoint.

So… what does everyone want for Christmas?

One Month Into Sophomore Year-

I can’t believe that the time has gone so fast. This last week went by at lightning speed. My classes are all going very well, and I tried out for the dance ensemble on Friday. While that will take up a good chunk of time, I’ve realized that I miss dancing too much and it’s a really good way to get back in shape. It’s amazing how tight a year and a half can make me. The ensemble pretty much just puts on a dance concert in February, but it’s something that I’m really looking forward to and it hasn’t even started yet. I find out Tuesday which dances I’m in. I’m hoping for a lyrical and a jazz piece, but I told them that I’m pretty much up for anything. It’s two hours of practice a week per piece, so I’m not really looking for more than three. Somehow having dance take over my life calms me down more than I thought it would- probably because it’s so familiar.

Nate sent me a text message today that said our A’s need to win all of the rest of their games in order to finish the season at .500. That is gross. I’m really hoping that next year we’ll be able to put up a decent fight in the pennant race. I’m also hoping that maybe I’ll actually get to see the A’s play a game, unlike this year. I have, however, seen more baseball games in more stadiums than ever before. I saw the Rockies play in Denver while visiting Nate, and the Orioles at Camden Yards just before the wedding. Then, when I thought I was done with baseball for the season, Brett and I went down to St. Louis last weekend for the Cardinals/Cubs double header. His parents got us the most amazing seats. The first game we got to sit in a luxury box that one of his dad’s college friends had bought at a hospital auction. (Now there’s something worthwhile to buy at those charity things you always go to Dad) His parents are still very nice people and we talked some baseball, and some nursing and watched the Cardinals lose, which was unfortunate. The second game we sat five rows from the field in his dad’s company seats. Talk about a whole different experience. I was sitting right next to the Cubs dugout, so I’m pretty sure Lou Pinella and I are BFFLs now. (best friends for life, for you old folks) We sat there with Brett’s older brother, Dan, who was also randomly home for the weekend and one of his friends and that was really fun. I like Dan a lot, and the Cardinals actually won that game, so the overall atmosphere was better. Oh, and Brett got a foul ball, so all of his childhood dreams were fulfilled. I’ll put up some pictures when I get them from Dan.

Down and back to St. Louis in a weekend is a lot of driving, and that made last weekend pretty much non-existent, so that’s probably why this week seemed to go by so fast. Next week starts October, and I’m only 2 weeks away from Fall Break, which is our halfway point for the semester. THAT is hard to believe.


On a completely random note, my interactions with different people today made me realize just how much can change in a year and a half. One of my friends is still at home trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, one of them just broke up with his girlfriend of 2 years and one of them has been fighting in Iraq for the last nine months. So much has changed since I last saw them on graduation day.

Oregon 39- Michigan 7 It’s a great day to be an Oregonian in Indiana.

First of all, congrats to the Ducks for the amazing blow out of Michigan yesterday- I knew there was a reason I have four Oregon sweatshirts.

I’ve been back in Valpo for a little over two weeks now, and it feels much longer. Aside from being in a different, much bigger room, nothing has really changed for me since I left. I was surprised how easy it was to get back into the swing of things- in a lot of ways it seems like the last three months didn’t really happen. We all have fun stories to share about the summer, but we’ve pretty much picked up college life where we left off. The worst part about being sophomores is the changes is housing. While moving into bigger rooms is great, there are also a lot more options for res halls, and that means people are much more spread out. My world last year pretty much consisted of the west sides of the 4th and 5th floors of Alumni. While my best female friends are all on my wing again this year, everyone else is spread all over campus which I have a feeling is going to become a much bigger pain once the weather changes. Luckily a lot more people have cars this year.

My class load is definitely full. My nursing classes are hard, as I expected and require a lot of out of class work. My theology prof got his doctorate in Old Testament studies from Yale and has us reading practically the whole thing in the next month. I’m actually pretty excited about that because I never read the OT, and since he knows so much about it, he does a great job explaining it. My writing class with Prof Uehling doesn’t seem to be a lot of work, but he’s also the only teacher I’ve ever had that can actually compare me and Liz. My first paper is due this Friday and I’m hoping that it meets his expectations. My statistics class is a joke so that’s a relief. My dance class doesn’t require anything of me outside of class, but I’m so out of dance shape that I’m feeling it all week long.

So far I’m really enjoying each of my three on-campus jobs. The first one is the same job I had last year, only at the front desk of my new dorm which is much harder to get into. I’m only working that about 6 hours each week. I work as a writing center consultant another 5 hours a week, and that’s actually really fun for me. I enjoy helping other people organize their thoughts into a well-written paper. My hours at the admissions office change weekly depending on what needs to be done, and after the next week I won’t be doing a whole lot for a while, which I think will be good for my schedule.

As you can see, I’m a pretty busy girl these days. I’ve been able to stay on top of my studies and find some time to hang out with my friends and if life keeps as it is, I can’t complain at all. If only the A’s could finish above .500, life would be glorious.

From Chambers to DePriest...

It’s been a while. To be honest, I kind of forgot all about blogging. I seem to have filed that away with the other school stuff to the back of my mind- my apologies. This summer has been a lot different than I thought it would be, but it’s been good. Between all of my travels I haven’t been able to find a summer job, but I’ve managed to pay all of my bills thanks to house-sitting and such. The golf tournament went really well and it was good to see some cousins that I haven’t seen in a while.

Liz and Billy’s wedding was perfect. I flew out there early to help Sissy with the final touches and it was fun to see the new house and meet even more of Billy’s family. Everyone kept telling me that Lizzy and I look alike, which is a little weird for me because I never thought we looked alike when we were little. I guess now that my hair isn’t as blonde, and the six years between us isn’t as obvious we do look more alike. I still don’t really see it though. It kind of creeps me out how much we act alike and how similar our tastes are, but I suppose that’s part of being sisters or something. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her wedding dress. It didn’t really hit me that she was getting married until the rehearsal. I know, that sounds ridiculous- but we’ve been planning for so long that it wasn’t until they started practicing their vows that I realized that it really was happening, and soon. I was fine all the next day until she put her dress and veil on, and then I had to concentrate on not losing it. My big sister was getting married, and I found myself a lot more emotional than I thought I was going to be. Seeing her walk down the aisle even brought a few tears to my eyes. I was really proud to be her maid of honor. Giving the toast at the reception was harder than I thought because I wasn’t planning on crying during that either. I’m really not usually a crier. I think it turned out all right though. The reception was perfect. Everyone seemed like they had a really good time. I don’t know if it’s because this is the only wedding I’ve ever been in, but the reception seemed like it flew by. Once the dancing started the fun really started. Apparently people in Maryland don’t really dance but that’s their loss. I had no idea Papa was such a dancing fiend, but I think he was on the dance floor more than everyone else. Yes, Nate, Liz and Billy were successful in their goal to get me drunk. So now they’ve moved on to planning my 21st birthday… I’m a little worried.

Overall being in Maryland with so much of the family was great. Mom, Liz, Billy and I went to the Orioles game on Sunday, a huge group of us went into DC on Tuesday and spending Wednesday night in Baltimore was really fun- despite all the rain.
Me, Liz and Mackenzee in Baltimore

The Family in DC

You decide if we look alike-




I have a midterm on Monday, I leave for Mexico on Thursday and after that the time really starts to fly by. Oregon reception, junior high camp, packing and I’m back to school already. Crazy.

Some Pictures...

I think I've finally figured out what was wrong with my attempts at posting pictures, so here are some from the last semester at school-

Bethy and I at one of the basketball games.

Girls' Night Out with Katie and Bethy.

Sigma Chi Formal 2007 with my date, Justin.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Formal with Brett, Seth and Jen.

I should be outside enjoying this weather...

Ok so I’ts been forever, and I’m sorry about that. School is over and I’m back in the beautiful state of Oregon loving this amazing weather. I’m also still unemployed and bored out of my mind, so if you can help out with that at all, it would be greatly appreciated.

On a better note, my last week in Valpo was absolutely perfect. Friday night Katie, Beth and I went back to the fondue place for a final girls’ night of the year and the waiter, while not as attractive, was much nicer than Tom. We came back from that and even though I had two finals on Saturday (seriously, my school is so dumb) I still watched a movie with Jamesy and Jon, as well as the other John, who is their roommate in the house next year. We watched Green Street Hooligans, and it was actually pretty good. Rather bloody, and a little more Elijah Wood than I can handle but still very entertaining. Saturday night Brett and I went out to dinner and then to the Bullwinkles of Valpo where I promptly got my clock cleaned in miniature golf. I’ve decided that those things should really only be 9 holes long, because I just get bored from concentrating and start trying to see what I can make the ball do. Consequently, my score suffers. So I lost by 8 strokes. There’s a reason my golf team participation didn’t extend past freshman year of high school. Monday after my biology final a bunch of us went out to the dunes, which may not sound very exciting, but when you’re stuck in hickville, the beach is actually really nice. Plus, it’s right on the shores of Lake Michigan, which is so cold that you get numb after a while, so swimming isn’t actually that bad. It turned out to be about 95 that day and I got a really nice tan. After a shower and some pizza I went to my last night of work and worked on finishing packing. (which is another story in itself) The next morning Bethy and I finished loading the car and left for St. Louis around 2. I drove through some serious downpour and followed an undercover cop most of the way which was rather entertaining. Once we got there we went to dinner with Jon and Brett, since they live in StL and experienced Ted Drewes which I’m told is a hometown favorite. It also happens to be owned by one of their frat brother’s family. I met Brett’s family and his best friend, all of whom are very nice people. (and I’m not just saying that, they really are nice). Bethy and I left relatively early the next morning and started the longer leg of our drive. I can honestly tell you that there isn’t anything exciting between Saint Louis and Denver, unless you happen to be a fan of the Royals. I’ve pretty much decided that I just hate Kansas City as a whole (mostly because I’m bitter that the Royals never moved to Ptown- we are SO much cooler here). Bethy’s house is very country but also very welcoming and she lives in a gorgeous valley in Colorado- no wonder she misses the mountains.

Visiting my brother in Denver was really nice. The weather was good and it was fun to see how he lives out there. I’m ready to adopt Carmella when I move out of the dorms, and the restaurant he works in serves a great filet. After a Rockies game on Saturday night (against none other than the Royals) I felt that I had experienced a fair amount of Denver in the few days I was there. The Real World house is no longer a house for those of you who care. It’s also located about three blocks from Coors Field, lucky bastards.

Since I got home about two weeks ago I’ve been watching a lot of the Discovery Channel, an entire season of Brothers & Sisters and consumed a ridiculous amount of girl scout cookies. Mom and I fly down to Santa Barbara tomorrow for Grandpa’s memorial tournament which is at the Montecito Country Club this year, so it should be very special.

On a side note, I’ve spent almost fifty hours in the air in the last nine months. I’m a professional traveler. Seriously.

Call me, I’m bored.

The end of a new beginning...

I can’t believe that my freshman year is almost over. This year has flown by at a ridiculous speed. I feel like it was just last week that I moved in here, and I’m getting ready to pack up my stuff in a few days. I’ve already scheduled my classes for next semester (and it looks crazy by the way) and found a roommate and room. Katie Fix and I were able to get into Berg, which is one of the nicer dorms on campus. It’s unfortunately located away from all of my classes, but almost all of the dorms are, so I figured it didn’t really matter. I’m excited about my elective classes, I’m taking Advanced Composition and then a dance class. That English class is a 400 level class, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be really hard, but I’m excited about becoming a better writer, even if I won’t be doing very much of it in the future. My last final is on May 14th, and I leave for Colorado with Bethy the next day. We’re stopping by St. Louis that night on our way to see some friends, and then I’ll be visiting Nate in Denver before flying back home on the 20th.

When I get back my only goal is to find a job. Between the wedding, junior high summer camp and a trip to Mexico with Katie, I’m hoping to find one that can give me a lot of hours while I’m home, but won’t be too mad that I want to take the time off for those trips. The wedding is fast approaching and I’m getting pretty excited about it. Liz seems to have everything under control, and I’m looking forward to helping her put the finishing touches on everything when I fly out there at the end of June. It’ll also be good to see a lot of family members that I haven’t seen in a while.

There’s not a whole lot going on out here right now. The weather has been ridiculously nice, and I’ve even gotten a bit of a tan, if you can believe that. You tend to forget how hot it can get out here when you’ve come out of a sub-zero winter. Everyone is pretty much just getting ready for finals and making plans for this summer. It’s become very clear to me that I didn’t completely think through the going so far away to school thing. I’m going to be sad when I have to be away from my new friends for so long. If I lived in the Midwest, I could visit people but instead I’ll be reconnecting with old friends, which will be nice- but it’ll be interesting to see how that all works out since we’ve all changed over the course of the last year.

I’ll keep you updated if anything exciting happens in the next few weeks.

Love and miss----

Is it Summer yet?

So plenty has happened in the last month. I’m sorry that I haven’t been doing a very good job updating this but college life has gotten rather busy lately. However, I have a test in bio tomorrow, so I figure this is a good time to do a little updating.

Spring Break was exactly what I wanted it to be. It was incredibly relaxing and a lot of fun to see how my friends have adapted to their own college experiences. I started the break off with a trip up to Seattle to visit Seattle Pacific University and the million friends I have up there. Ok, so maybe it isn’t a million, but it seems like it. I spent the first night with Seve in her dorm room, and the next with Ali. It was interesting to see college in a different environment. Valpo is certainly a small town, and while we live close to Chicago, we definitely don’t go there as often as I would like. SPU is in the heart of Seattle, and a much smaller campus, despite being relatively the same size. It was fun to wander around the Pike Street Market with the girls, and to sit for some coffee and good conversation on a beautiful northwestern spring day. I could tell that my friends love it there, and really feel as much at home there as I do here, so that makes me happy. I would also like to point out, in case any of these people find themselves reading this, that SPU has most definitely THE most amazing campus food program ever. Granted, Valpo has pretty crappy food, I was still left in complete awe when I walked into their amazing cafeteria. Gaining the freshman fifteen would certainly be a problem for me if I went to school there.

I also ventured down to OSU for a couple of days to hang out with Lacy, Kelsie, Carolyn, Nick Foey, Angie and a few other people. Talk about a huge campus. Holy cow. While seeing a bunch of people I knew from high school but would rather not have to talk to was kind of awkward, it was overall a good time. The weather was also good while I was down there and Lacy and I were able to catch up on life, which is always important.

When I got back to school the fun really began. Last weekend I went up to Wisconsin for the Sigma Chi Sweetheart Ball with my friend Justin. I wasn’t originally planning on going, but his original date backed out at the last minute, and since I knew we’d have a good time, I offered to go if he couldn’t find another date. It was a really fun weekend. My good friends Beth and Sandy were also asked, so we had a lot of fun dancing the night away together. Unfortunately my date managed to hurt himself while attempting to do the worm, but knowing me, I had no problem holding my own on the dance floor anyway. It’s always fun to get all dressed up, and it was much less stressful than say, prom, so that was good. It was a good chance for me to meet a lot of the older guys in the fraternity, and since a lot of my guy friends chose to join Sigma Chi, I knew a lot of people that were there.

This last week, my best friend Katie flew out to visit me for her spring break. I’ve decided that I can’t bring any more friends out here because they just keep breaking the hearts of my boys. In less than two days Katie had boys chasing after her. I’ve tried to tell people that Oregonians are just on average more attractive than Midwesterners (no offense, I love you all) but I think that people might finally believe me. It was really fun for me to show her what my life is like now. She finally got to meet all of the people I’ve been telling her about and to see that I really do have great friends out here. It was also important for me to have my friends meet her, because she is my best friend and I want them to be able to know who I’m talking about when I talk about her. I can honestly say that I think she had an absolute blast while she was here. While Valpo normally tends to be a little dull to those that don’t go to school here, this weekend proved much more entertaining. Between drunk boys getting arrested and doing other stupid things, and just having a good time doing the little things (like kill Bethy in ERS)… there was little downtime this weekend. I was sad to see her go, and I think she was kind of sad to leave, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she came to visit me at least once more before I graduate.

I fly home for Liz’s wedding shower this weekend- and while it’s a lot of traveling, I’m looking forward to seeing family and celebrating fun stuff. Oh, and chocolate. I’m really excited about lent being over- this no chocolate thing has been KILLING me.

I'm not sure if "Spring" is really the right term for this break...

Well a lot has happened in the last few weeks. Most recently, our power went out in our dorm, which was rather annoying, but not a huge deal. It’s hard to think that this time next week I’ll be home- the time has flown by. I feel like I was just home last week. I think today might have been the first time in my life that I ever found myself disappointed that it was snowing. There has been snow on the ground since the second week of the semester and most of the time I really don’t mind. It’s actually a lot of fun to be able to play in it whenever I want. Plus there’s always the chance that you’ll get thrown in the snow, or maybe I’m the only one that has this problem, but I’ve gotten to know some of these snow drifts pretty well in the last few weeks. We even got so much snow that our classes were cancelled for the first time in over 18 years and it added to what may have been the best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had. Everyone makes such a big deal out of the holiday, but I can honestly say that being alone on Valentine’s Day isn’t such a huge deal if you have good friends.

On that note, I’d like to point out how much I love the people that I’ve gotten to know over the last six months. Everyone asks me what brought me all the way to Valpo from the beautiful state of Oregon, and I think the most honest answer is that I knew I would like the people I met here. And I haven’t been disappointed at all. In fact, in a lot of ways I couldn’t think of better people to be friends with at this point in my life. I can have an incredibly good time with these people while staying true to myself, and I’ve made some truly unforgettable memories in the last few weeks alone. For instance, my friend Lisa Bunn, who goes to Notre Dame, came to visit me last weekend, and while I was working went down to Phi Sig with James and Jon. First of all, most people I know wouldn’t be willing to go down to a frat house with boys they don’t know, but Lisa is totally one of those people, and I love that she’s so close. She’s that little taste of home that I need every now and then. I knew she’d have a good time- I’ve never been disappointed with the time I’ve spent with James and Jon. I knew they’d take care of her and make sure she was enjoying herself. And she had a good time, and so did they. Lisa and I also took our obligatory trip to the local Cold Stone, and while the service was good, the cake display was a little lacking. At least for Lisa, queen of the cakes.

This last Friday night Katie, Beth and I went to Red Robin for dinner before we went to see the Vagina Monologues. I don’t know if you’ve ever witnessed the Vagina Monologues, but I highly recommend it. I was a little awestruck, just because I wasn’t sure what to expect at all, but it was really funny and a good way to spend a Friday night. After that I went down to SigEp, which is the fraternity that most of my guy friends joined, for a dance party, which is always a good time. Last night was our last home basketball game, and I think we may have a chance at the Mid-Con Tournament next week- we’ll have to see. I can’t believe that March Madness starts so soon. After that I went down to Sigma Chi with a lot of my friends and unfortunately lost in Beirut, but seeing as my partner had to drink it all, I couldn’t really expect to win all the time. All in all, it was a good last weekend before break. I’m going to miss these people while I’m home, but I’m excited for a trip up to Seattle and down to OSU to see how college life is for those people.



On a complete side note, I was thinking today about how much I miss Uncle Paul. I was reading a book for CORE (the most worthless class ever) and one of the characters reminded me of him, and therefore how much I miss having him around. Uncle Paul was the kind of man that could get away with saying anything and everything, no matter how inappropriate it was, just because he was always doing it out of love. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought to myself “did he actually just say that?!” but with Uncle Paul it was always okay, and for good reason. I wish he could meet my new friends, and tell me what he thinks of them. He used to always tell me that he was going to give my eventual boyfriend the third degree to make sure that he was right for me, and I’m really disappointed that that can’t happen. I guess when I think to myself “uncle Paul would have really liked this one” then I’ll know he’s worth my time :)


Didn’t mean to leave on such a sad note, but it’s time to go show yet another prospective student around good ole Valpo in all it’s dirty, construction filled, snow-partially covered glory. I’ll see you soon!

Love and miss-

Blame it on the Lake Effect

So it was negative seven when I walked to class today. Counting the wind chill it “felt like” negative twenty five. I’d be happy with above freezing sometime soon.

All in all, I love college life. I love the independence and the freedom and the new opportunity. I’ve loved the chance to redefine who I am, what matters to me, and what I stand for. Not surprisingly, I’m not that much different than I was in high school- at least on a basic level. I’m still known as the girl that does what is right, and I like that. I definitely feel like this is where God wants me to be right now, and that’s a really exciting thing. I’m waiting to see what He has in store for me next. Sometimes though, I miss high school. Today was one of those days. I came across some dance team pictures and thought about how much I miss that. I never thought I would miss the way that dance took over my life, but I really do. I shouldn’t be surprised that my passion would be missed, but it went beyond that. I miss the team, the girls, the hard work and long hours. I miss the food for sure. I miss being a part of something bigger.

Christopher James called me today, and I love him for it. I was just thinking this weekend about how I hadn’t talked to him in a while. He’s preaching at church in two weeks and it kills me that I can’t be there to see him in all of God’s glory. That boy was born to teach and does such an amazing job at it. I’m just excited to be a part of an HSM podcast while I’m home. I have no idea what we’ll be talking about, but I decided that if they ask me to give the high schoolers some advice it would be to enjoy high school. Especially the seniors. I think we were so focused on getting out that we didn’t make the most of our last few months of high school, and childhood. College is amazing, that I’m sure of. But I DO miss high school- something else I thought I’d never say.

So we learned today in my A & P class about how blood diffuses through the capillaries. Part of the reason why I want to be a nurse is because I am completely and utterly fascinated at the wonder of the human body. The topic of evolution came up in conversation with one of my friends today, and I told him that the more I learn about the human body, the less I could ever think that we evolved from a single celled organism. It’s so true. The way our body works is so intricate and detailed that it had to have been created at the hands of an amazing and incredibly intelligent designer. Plus, creation gives life purpose instead of just random chance. I’d much rather believe I’m here for a reason, even if I’m not sure what that reason is. Yet.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever experienced your nose hairs freezing- but it’s not pleasant. And it happens every time I step outside.

Love and miss-

Let it SNOW!

So the snow makes the campus much more appealing. Or my mind has just trained itself to think so. Classes are going well and I love being back at school. Being home was nice, and it was good to see everyone, but right now- this is where I belong. I’m actually dreading the summer when I have to be gone for so long.

One of the biggest draw backs of choosing to go to school so far away is the lack of nearby friends when class isn’t in session. My friend Beth, who is from Colorado, and I decided that it sucks more for us when we go home because we don’t get to see anyone from school. Most of our friends can meet in Chicago for the day, or drive down to St. Louis or Indy for the weekend and spend time with friends they’ve made at school. I’ve met one kid from Oregon while I’ve been here, and while he seemed nice, I’m not going to call him to hang out over the summer. This is a serious problem. Luckily I’ll be pretty busy this summer with classes and working, plus the wedding and all of that traveling, so hopefully it will go by quickly. I’m going to end up taking some summer courses at CCC so that I can fit a theology minor into my already packed nursing schedule so that will occupy a good portion of my time. I’m also thinking that in summers to come it would be fun to be a camp counselor for a majority of the summer at some (perhaps Lutheran? This is because that is God’s favorite denomination and I wish to find favor with him and the chosen ones.(edited by Beth)) Christian camp. A number of my friends here have done that, and I always thought it was a good idea. What better time to check that out than college? There’s even this program that sends you to one of a number of camps across the country which would be pretty sweet. Although, camp in a state like… Missouri just doesn’t sound as fun as the good ole PacNW. We’ll have to wait and see what the next year brings, and if it’s anything like the last year there’s no way I can even try to predict it.

This last weekend was a prime example of why I love college. Friday night I worked from 7-9 and then went with James and Jon down to Phi Sig for some frat fun. After several observational rounds of flippy cup and Beirut, I enjoyed meeting a lot of the guys and having a chill night. I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t have been more fun to join in the drinking, but for now, I’m happy just watching- especially since I’m so competitive that watching any kind of game is entertaining to me.
(I was holding this beer for them while they played, so Jon thought he’d be funny and take a picture about it. Jamesy looks much more trashed than he really is)



Saturday was super fun. Beth and Katie took me out for dinner because we decided that we needed a girls’ night. So we got all dressed up and they took me to Café Fondue. They know me way too well. The food was excellent (seriously, whoever invented fondue should be made president of the world…or at least the food network), the waiter was hot (shout out to Tom... not that he’s reading this) and the whole dinner was just good times. Then we came back and got ready for the FOAM PARTY. Basically, for those of you that haven’t gotten to experience this amazingness, it’s a dance party with a foam machine that makes it like a dancing in a huge bubble bath. It’s mucho fun. Especially for a danceaholic like me. Plus my friends were there, and I wasn’t without a sweet dance partner all night, so it was pretty bomb. Except when I lost my shoes and then had to run back to the car bare foot in the snow. That wasn’t so fun.

Katie, Bethy and I dressed up for girls’ night. We look HOT.




Love and miss-


ok so the pictures didn't work- i'll try to fix that sometime later when i'm not on wireless..

Happy Christmas, Merry New Year and I hope you’re all enjoying winter…

Well folks, I’ve been home for almost three weeks now and I can eagerly say I’m ready to be back in Valpo. Coming home wasn’t what I thought it would be at all. I was pleasantly surprised by some aspects and very disappointed in others. I think coming home from college for the first time is probably one of the most difficult situations to predict, or maybe I just didn’t do a very good job of it.

Going away to school was something that I always wanted to do, and now, having come back, I’m very grateful that I followed through on that. Some parts of me look at the close friendships that my friends have maintained by going to school together and I’m a little jealous, but I think that is mostly because I feel left out of a lot of things. I know that I’ve stayed close to the people that I care about most, and that’s all that really matters. One of the things that has caught me the most off guard is how much I miss my Valpo friends. There’s something about college, and I think those of you who have been will agree, that makes the friendships a lot more meaningful. I don’t have to be friends with people just because they are in my classes, or on my dance team, or live next door. Instead I get to be responsible for the friends that I make, and if I do say so myself, I’ve done a pretty good job of making some pretty great ones. Because this is the case, I find that I have more in common, and actually enjoy the company of my friends at school a lot more than most of my high school acquaintances. I also think that seeing these people everyday has made not seeing them at all much more of a shock. Throughout high school I was never really best friends with people from school, but instead people from church. Therefore, I didn’t see people all the time like I do at school. It’s been really weird not to see those people at all. I live across the hall from Bethy and Katie and see them almost all of the time I’m in my room. Not being able to just lean back and yell across the hall is something that I miss much more than I thought I would. I also miss how drama free college is. Not all of you may agree, but I think that because we are friends with people we choose to be friends with, there is no need to “pretend” to be friends with people, and the subsequent drama is much less. Yet another simple joy in going to a school where I knew no one.

One of the things I have been disappointed with is the lack of follow through surrounding the people that I left behind. Perhaps it was unfair of me to assume that they would be excited to see me since I’ve been gone for four months, but the people that I thought would make hanging out with me a priority have apparently moved on in life. That’s fine, just wasn’t really what I was expecting. I was interested to see that the people that did make time for me were the people that I probably missed the most, but certainly didn’t expect to miss. Even if I only got to see them once or twice for coffee or lunch, they made time for me, and that really means something. So to those of you that did, thank you- I really do appreciate it and wish we could spend more time together. (and Michael Walcher- I’m so thankful that I got to actually talk to you, even if it was only for a little while. It was probably the best birthday present of all. It’s not everyday a girl gets a phone call from Germany! )

I’ve spent a lot more time with my family than I anticipated, but I’ve enjoyed that too. Sometimes a movie with Mom, or dinner with Dad is more appealing than a “night on the town.” There was a lot of wedding talk, not surprisingly, but it made me realize how grown up we all are. I mean for goodness sake my sister is getting MARRIED. Talk about being in the real world. I also almost feel like I’m finally a part of “the big kids” now that I’m in college, instead of just always being “little Vickie.” I’ve come to realize that I’ve picked up on a lot of little mannerisms of Mom and Dad (for example, the title of this entry… very Dad.. no?) In some ways that’s a little shocking, but also not surprising considering how much time I’ve spent around them in my life.

I can easily say I’m glad I’m not in high school anymore. I went to lunch with Katie today, like we used to, and just being in the school felt weird. I always hated it when people came back from college and acted all superior, but there is something about going off to college that changes you. I love Katie to death and most of the time forget that she’s a year younger than me, but every once in a while I think “wow, that seems very high school.” It’s not that I think I’m better than that, it’s just that life is much different for me now, and I don’t really miss a lot of that.

I also don’t miss this weather- what is WITH all of this rain?

As you can probably tell, I’m very excited to go back to school, and I’m glad about that. It shows that I’m happy where I am, and with the person I’ve become. As we rang in the new year at Angie’s house the other day, I thought back to the exact same day a year ago, and decided I’d rather be where I am, and who I am today than go back to that time. This last year has been rough for me, but I’m thankful for all of the ups and downs because they have made me the person that I am today, and I can honestly say I’m pleased with the Vickie Chambers that is sitting here right now. I don’t regret a single decision made in the last year, even though I know if I had changed certain things life would be much different for me. This is where I saw myself and this is where I am- no mistakes, no regrets, no wish for change. I can only hope that the next year brings just as much growth, although perhaps with a little less heartbreak. This last year has taught me a lot, and I know that I am a strong enough person to get through whatever is thrown my way, no matter how far out of left field it may seem. With my friends, family and Jesus at my side, I’m ready to take on anything and everything- and hoping to do so with a smile on my face.

Right now though, all I can really think about is how much I’m looking forward to Wednesday night at 6pm (CST) when Shane is done with track practice and I can walk over to ‘Berg for probably less-than-amazing food served on a tray and sit down with Bethy, Katie, Derek, Cody and Shane (no more Tim :( ) and talk about our first day of classes and what we expect from the next semester. Follow that up with some fourth floor Halo fun, and a good movie with a certain attractive baseball player from St. Louis and I’ll be in heaven. Maybe “Vail of Paradise” isn’t so far off after all.



Ok, ok, ok…so that was uber cheesy. But it was also way too perfect to pass up.
Love and miss-

Finals Begin.

So it’s 9am, and my first college final starts in an hour and a half. Sure, I should probably be going over my English lit notes, but for the first time in my life my grades are good going into finals, and I don’t have to scramble to get them up. Plus, I know this stuff and I’m not worried about not doing well. I just read Christopher James’ blog and that made me want to write in my own.

I cannot wait to see all of my friends from home. After being such a large part of my life for such a long time, it’s been weird to only talk to them every once in a while, and even then only hear their voices. I called a few of them the other day because I needed some help with one of my papers and I knew they would be able to help me, and I realized that things really will be different when I come home. And I’m scared. Not that I think we won’t get along, or we won’t have anything to talk about, it just won’t be the same, and that makes me sad. I knew this coming here, that once I left in August, things would never be the same and now, four months later, the time has come to once again return home. And I’m scared. Not that I don’t love it here and don’t want to have to deal with the millions of questions that everyone will ask me about school. I’m excited to answer those, Valpo really is the perfect place for me. But it’s just me out here, and some people just won’t care as much as I want them to. They’ll listen to me talk about my friends and pretend to care, all the while wishing they could just start talking about how great life is for them at __________. It’s hard because I know I’ll be the same way. Part of me will want to hear all about other colleges, but part of me won’t because then I’ll have to come to terms with the fact that we are growing apart, and there are certain people that I just am not willing to lose. I’ve found that the people that I talk to from home and want to see most are the people that are still living the life I am familiar with. Katie, Danny Boy, Alex Marie- I know what they are talking about when they talk about their lives because they, while having also grown as people, haven’t grown away from what I know. But even with them, talking on the phone is different than seeing them in person, which I’ll do next Monday. And I’m scared. Scared because I’ll have to admit all of the things I’ve been trying to deny since I got here. Scared because I know we probably won’t care as much as we used to. Scared that I won’t feel like I belong when I go “home.”

i love you, but i'm scared.

Less than Two Weeks left at Valpo!!

I miss the days when the weather was above freezing. It hasn’t climbed above 30 all week, and the wind chill makes it usually feel in the single digits. I’ve never been this cold. It’s not very much fun. I learned today that going outside in 20 degree weather with wet hair is not a smart idea. I know, I know- it’s common knowledge to most, but I’m new to this. The worst part of it all is that we haven’t had a real snowfall yet, and that makes me sad. I was looking forward to the snow and Oregon has gotten more snow than Valpo. Chicago got almost a foot last weekend, but we barely got a dusting. I’m going to be very sad if it doesn’t snow before I come home- which is in only 12 days!!

I can hardly believe that the semester is almost over, and that I’ve been here for four months. My classes are coming to an end, and I can say that I’m proud of the work I’ve put out in my first semester of this crazy college education. My finals should be pretty easy, and are spaced out well, so I’ll have plenty of time to study for them individually. Dad flies in next week and heads out to Valpo on Friday. Surprisingly a good number of my friends will still be around, so he can meet them. I was afraid the campus would be pretty empty. We then spend the weekend in Chicago and fly home Sunday night, the 17th. I really can’t wait.

I’ve talked to most of my close friends pretty regularly and I’m uber excited to see them in such a short time. I’m looking forward to plenty of Dawson, movie nights and a trip to FX. I’m glad that even though I’ve been gone for so long, a part of us will never change, and we’ll always be able to remain the close friends we’ve always been. It’s going to be unusual to be away from my new friends. It’s surprised me how well I’ve gotten to know each other in the last few months. I’ve eaten dinner with the same six people every day since August and to think that I’ll be celebrating Christmas, my birthday and New Years without them is a little strange. They have become my family, and I’m sure that they’ll be getting numerous text messages over the three week period. I’ll just have to remember the time difference and make a point not to call them too late. Three weeks seems like a lot of time, but considering the number of people that I want to see before I fly back, I have a feeling I’m going to be rather busy, and January 8th will be here before I know it. Time literally flies by and it’s hard to stop and absorb it all sometimes. Luckily that’s why I’m born right after Jesus- it gives me a reason to have EVERYONE over for some fun. (by the way Dad- I’m having people over on my birthday, hope that’s okay!)

Other than that life is good, as always. I suppose I should mention that facebook doesn’t lie- I am in fact in a relationship. His name is Brett and he’s from St. Louis. At this point it’s new and I’m just interested in seeing where it goes.

I love you all and I can’t wait to see you!!!!

South Bend, Indy and Chicago… Vickie’s Tour of the Midwest

Well, I’ve been pretty busy the last couple of weeks, and I’m really excited to see Sissy tomorrow when she swings through Valpo on her way to Iowa, and then picks me back up Sunday and I get to see what life is like in Maryland. Three weeks ago (seriously, the time FLIES by) I went over to the University of Notre Dame to visit my friend Lisa Bunn because it was her birthday. She and I worked together at Cold Stone this summer and discovered that we also went to Nike Soccer Camp together when we were little. She’s pretty much the only person that I know from home within a 500 mile radius of me and since it had been almost three months since I’d seen anyone I knew, I was excited to see her. Plus she’s one of the most optimistic people I know and I knew we’d have a good time. Seeing the Notre Dame campus made me realize just how much I wish Valpo had cool architecture- but the Christopher Center (the library) looks pretty cool, and the plans for the new student union will make us look a little more modern and a little less 1960s. It was really fun to sit and talk with her for a couple of hours. She went home for their fall break so she caught me up on all of the Cold Stone gossip and we bonded in our mutual dislike of the Midwestern landscape. I was planning to spend the night out there but remembered at the last minute that I had to work the late shift and had to catch the last train home. Oh well, just gives me reason to head out there at another time.


Happy Birthday Lisa!!!

The next day I dragged my friend Beth, who lives across the hall, into Chicago to see Mat Kearney play the House of Blues. I’d seen him play at a church in Canby last summer, but it was a very acoustic show. I love his music and it sounds even better with a full band. Beth had never really heard of him, but she ended up liking his music and asked to borrow my CDs when we got back. The weirdest thing was getting off the train and walking down Michigan Ave. and realizing that we really are growing up. Neither of us had been to the city without our parents before and we were excited to think that we’re now big bad adults. We also stopped for some McDonalds, which I haven’t had since I got here, and it was just what I remembered- delicious. Overall it was a really great trip into the city- I decided we don’t do that enough.

The next weekend Beth, Katie and I went down to Indianapolis to see RENT! on stage. It was PHENOMINAL! We’d looked into getting tickets after we watched the movie about a month earlier, saw that it was playing in Indy and decided it was worth it to go. Even though it’s not the same cast as the movie it’s still amazing. To hear those voices in real life just makes the characters come alive, and I’d already fallen in love with the story. We hit up Circle Center which left Beth a little paranoid (she’s definitely a small town girl) and I enjoyed the best cup of hot chocolate ever… gotta love Godiva.


This is me and Katie outside of The Murat Theater in Indy.

Other than the fun weekend adventures, my time has been spent sleeping, reading, studying, watching movies (if you haven’t seen The Departed yet you should.. it’s really good.) and getting soaked in this terrible weather. If you think it rains a lot in Oregon.. psh, try living out here. They try to tell me that it isn’t always this bad, but from what I’ve seen the rain never stops. And it’s cold and windy, which just makes walking to class miserable. Everyone is getting excited about going home tomorrow, and while I’m a little sad to have to wait another month, I’m really excited to see Maryland and meet Billy’s family again. Somehow he got us tickets to the Maryland/Wake Forest football game next Saturday and I’m really looking forward to experience football at a big school. 91,000 people is a helluva lot. I think our football team won 3 games all season, but I never wanted to sit in the rain and watch them play. Our basketball team seems to be doing well, and is fun to watch. I’m officially a member of VUCRU, which is our student section- complete with matching t-shirts.

As you can see, life at Valpo is good. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving week, and I look forward to seeing many of you soon!!!

Much love-