I love that today is Friday! I'm working only a half day today, then I'm meeting my mom and my sister at my townhouse and we're going to go crazy - shopping and decorating and deciding on paint colors. Eventually, it will be a warm, cozy place to be. Now it's just a cozy place to be with WHITE WALLS EVERYWHERE! So they're helping me to remedy that problem. Don't get me wrong, I can likely do it myself, but why would I choose to do that when I have two immediate relatives who have degrees in interior redesign?!?! :) So that is my tonight.

Tomorrow is the best, though .. I get to take my niece and nephew, Lexie and Zachary, for the day and I am sooooo excited! It has been really weird coming home to an empty house, as opposed to when I used to live with them and came home to them eating dinner. The second I would walk through the door they would both yell, "Auntie Kami!!" and come give hugs and kisses, as if I hadn't just seen them that morning! It's a routine that I miss to no end, so I am thoroughly excited that I get to see them!

Sunday is church, likely followed by some time with Monte and the kids. I love that my Sundays aren't planned out (beyond church) and I can figure out what I'm going to do when the time comes. All I really know is that my weekend is going to be great and I am really looking forward to it!

This coming Thursday (the 24th) is Monte's birthday, so I'm headed out there for the celebration with the family. I'm going to leave work a couple of hours early so that I can get out there and bake his birthday cake with Claire. She loves to bake, and I love that baking is something we can share because we have such a great time when we do! We're also in charge of dinner that night, as I just couldn't make Monte prepare his own birthday dinner. That being said, his request was steak on the grill - uh oh! I can't grill worth anything, so I realized I was stuck - until Monte came up with the fabulous idea of inviting his parents over for the celebration and asking his dad to grill the steaks. Fabulous! Not only do I not have to worry about me being the one to ruin dinner (hehe!), but now I get to meet his parents as well, and I am totally looking forward to it. It's going to be a great evening, with dinner, cake, presents and lots of time with the family. I love birthdays - this one is going to be great!

Soooo .... what's new with all of you?!

I've been thinking a lot lately about some cherished memories I have in my life, and realizing the significance of each of those events in shaping me for the future. One such memory is my youth group's many missions trips to downtown Chicago. On one particular trip, we spent our free day at Six Flags. I remember sitting at the top of the Giant Drop (much like the Power Tower at Valleyfair), just waiting to plummet to the Earth, and singing out (along with my friends, Michelle and Marie), "Be bold! Be strong! For the Lord thy God is with you. I am not afraid, NO NO NO! I am not dismayed, uh uh. I'm walkin' in faith and victory, come on and walk in faith and victory, for the Lord thy God is with you!" And with that, the ride would fall to the ground and we would scream every second of the fall!

It's moments like that that make me realize just how much my family shaped and impacted my faith, how much of a huge role my youth group played in solidifying my beliefs, and how much the role of my close friends played in my life. Had it not been a 'normal' thing to be a Christian in my group of friends, it likely would have been something that I would have ignored or walked away from, for fear of being rejected. Instead, I was blessed with some phenomenal Christian girlfriends, a great mother who continually reminded me of God's love for me and of how much I can and should have faith in Him and His promises for my life, and a church youth group that provided the fellowship I needed and the lessons and instruction I craved to grow as a Christian.

I look back and I see how much I was fed in my Christian walk, and I am so grateful for it. My knowledge of the Bible started from the time I was a young child learning memory verses in Sunday school ... and it continues to today, when I am spending time in the Word, growing closer to my Savior every single day.

God is so wonderful and He has blessed me so much in my life! Thank you so much to all of you who have been a part of that blessing - you are loved more than you will ever know!

Well, I can finally say that most of my transitions are over! What an amazing feeling that is! Now it's just a matter of bringing more order and organization to my life, but that will come in time. Where to begin? How about I back up to last month. One of the best blessings I had last month was to get to see my best friend, Michelle! Monte and I drove to Forest City, Iowa and met up with her and Ethan (her husband) for a day of food and mini golf (a typical combination for Michelle and me!), and it was so wonderful! She's in her last month of pregnancy, so it was fun to see her with that big belly (because pictures truthfully do not do justice!). Unfortunately, our time together felt all too short, but was still completely worth every moment of the drive there!

Shortly after our mini-trip to Iowa, I got to go to Colorado for five days of relaxation! We spent most of the trip in Breckenridge, and about two days in Vail. We hiked, shopped, (the girls) had a spa day, went white water rafting, ate at LOTS of amazing restaurants, and just enjoyed the feeling of being a tourist in a new city! It was a trip that I can't wait to repeat, and one that I will hold in my heart for a LONG time!

Right after our return from Colorado is when the crazy really began! We got home on Thursday night, and the chaos started early Friday morning. Missy helped me pack up all of my stuff, and we hauled the first load of it to my storage locker in Plymouth. We met Monte and Claire for dinner at Benihana in Maple Grove (which was amazing, by the way!) and then back to Monticello to pack up the rest of my stuff. We got it all in the Tahoe, and I brought the load back to Plymouth where I met Monte and Chris. We unloaded at the townhome and took a few trips back and forth to the storage locker to get all of my furniture and belongings. What a busy night it was! I am so thankful that they were there to help me, though, as I'm not sure what I would've done without them! Afterward, we went to dinner at Bonfire and all headed out on our own separate ways. Saturday morning I woke up bright and early and drove to Jamestown, ND to my brother, Tory's, house. Spent the evening with he, Lisa (his wife) and Eli (my nephew) in preparation for Jack and Yvonne's (Lisa's parents') 30th Anniversary party. The party was great - Eli and I jetted out around 9:30pm and I brought him back to Tory's house and put him in bed. Sunday morning consisted of a quick trip to the High School (where Lisa works), an overly long visit to Babb's coffee shop, and then a drive back to the cities. I had to make stops at my sister's house and my brother's house to gather the rest of my things, but it worked out and I was back in Plymouth by about 5pm. Spent lots of time unpacking and am still completely unorganized and can't find most of my things! :)

I'm anticipating that, over the next couple of days, the townhome will become much more organized and comfortable for living. I'm excited to have it done and to have guests over! Will you be the next guest?! :)