spring has {finally} sprung

The crocuses have arrived & I don't know that I've ever been more excited to see them!

After a strange Michigan winter {where it snowed on Thanksgving, was clear on Christmas, & snowed again into March}, these little beauties are my official go-to sign that my favorite season has arrived. 

care package!

This week's photo of the week is the package I received today... My household (a small group within my home church) sent me all sorts of chocolate and home-baked goodies.

I feel like this is a part of God's provision for me in the preparation for the upcoming, crazy month of April.
Three of the four weekends in April will have me off campus, and only one of them will find me at home...the other two will put me far outside of my comfort zone. Combine this with my introverted love of being alone in a predictable environment, and it's going to take me lots of coffee and lots of Jesus.

So a box of blonde brownies, homemade cookies, chocolate, granola bars, and puppy chow... that's what I need this week; an excuse to slow down, breathe deep, take care of myself, indulge a little, work ahead on homework, and appreciate the support system of people I have rooting for me.
Sometimes I'm distant. Sometimes I get frustrated. Sometimes things feel awfully lonely...
But I am loved. I am supported. I am valued. I am appreciated. and shoot dang, I am eating some chocolate!

what happens at 1:00 am

This week's photo is a blurry little representation of what I was doing at 1:00 this morning.


Yup, welcome to college where you do silly things like read good books at weird times just because you're wide awake and you have no finite obligations until 5:30 pm the next day.


So why is this my photo of the week?

(1) One of my new year's resolutions was to read a book a month for pleasure. I'm a little (okay, a lot) behind for March, so I got the first 50 or so pages read at a weird time between 12:30 and 2:00 am.

(2) I'm getting better at managing my priorities and time and doing more of what makes me happy. Books make me happy.
It's kind of ironic how taking on more things (such as being a business owner AND picking up more tutoring hours) has motivated me to make better use of my time and do MORE of what makes me happy (such as reading books at 1:00 am AND clearing my head by playing the piano in the music building AND actually leaving my dorm room to do fun hilarious things with friends like waiting in line for two hours for a concert and getting shakes at 10:00 pm).

Time management, friends. One of the things I will keep learning and relearning and then relearning again and getting better and better at every time.