It's almost 5am and I've been wide awake for the past 3 hours.  After staying up for the past 30 hours (18 of them spent on a plane), I slept for 5 or 6 and now am awake again.  A 15 hr time differential really makes an impact on sleeping schedules.  I can't complain though -- New Zealand was the most incredible place I've ever been.  The pictures you've seen do it no justice.  The snow capped mountains, palm trees, beach, and ocean within a 5 mile radius were breathtakingly beautiful.  It was an action packed two weeks.  Helicopter rides, skydiving, bunji jumps, snowmobiling, skiing, cruises, jet boat rides, fishing, glacier hikes, beautiful drives along the coast... and the list goes on.  Here's some pictures...

On the glacier

Fishing

Dale jumping...

Me jumping

Dinner with Aussie friends

Me bunji jumping

Dale bunji jumping

Dad bunji jumping

Rugby night with Aussies

More skiing

Currently Listening Clarity By Jimmy Eat World see related

A friend just turned 21... here are some pictures from the night and what happened

My boys             Ben                          Me           Springer

                      THE BIRTHDAY GIRL: LINDSEY NELMS

They won't let me upload anymore pictures.... Sad, but pictures of my straightened hair are coming soon.  Stay tuned

Currently Listening All That We Needed By Plain White T's Hey There Delilah see related

My Valentine's Date...  since I'm sure you were all wondering about it

The Team

The Game

The dates: Marc    Bethany     Anna        Allison        Allison

It was a blast -- but they did lose -- and the girls left before the game was over...

In other news, I learned how to salsa dance the other night with these amazing people

        Lindsey          Casi            Xander      Alicia(my date)  Ben

The group (+about 50 more that aren't in this picture)

Hope you're all well

I am thinking it's a sign
That the freckles in our eyes are mirror images
and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned
and I have to speculate that God himself
Did make us into corresponding shapes
Like puzzle pieces from the clay
and true, it may seem like a stretch
But its thoughts like this that catch my troubled head when you're away
When I am missing you to death
When you are out there on the road for several weeks of shows
and when you scan the radio, I hope this song will guide you home

They will see us waving from such great heights
"come down now," they'll say
But everything looks perfect from far away,
"come down now," but we'll stay...

I am incapable of deserving or winning something from God and until I come to that realization, He is powerless

Focus on others in conversation
How often do you choose to let the conversation revolve around somebody elses life?  Isn't that part of our purpose -- to love somebody else? 
Humility
Hmm... duh
Quiet life
1 Thessalonians 4:11,12 -- Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody
Ways to love
It is hard to find appropriate ways to show love... pure love -- a very different kind of love than we are used to seeing in today's love.  It's a love that is close to being non-existent in today's culture.  The world's definition describes love as a feeling -- a feeling that is so misleading and opposite of what love really is supposed to be.
Live to standards I have set for myself, not what standards others have set for me
This can go with the next point -- what is our motivation for living the way we do?  Is it because of our personal faith and beliefs or is it because we feel we have something to live up to for others. 
Proper motivation
See above
Awareness of purpose
It is so easy for me to forget my purpose in regular day to day life.  By keeping it in the forefront of my mind, it changes how I approach every situation and decision I make because there is a reason/purpose for it. 

I'm so glad we have a purpose to live for... so many people live in the moment with nowhere to look.  The only people they ever "run" to is somebody -- who's probably in the same place they're at -- taking them nowhere.  Yet, somehow, they feel so accomplished and proud that they live for nothing and nobody.  I sometimes want to scream to these people, "you have the directions right in front of you -- why is it so hard to find guidance there instead of trial and error over and over and over?"

I love you guys -- you mean the world to me a million times over.  *Love*

Currently Listening Rockin' the Suburbs By Ben Folds The Luckiest see related

I have figured it out... I think

I like things too much

I get attached to people and places so easily that everywhere I go seems like the best time of my life.  I move from George Mason/PHC/VA to Nebraska and think Nebraska is the greatest place.  From there I move to Nashville and think it's the greatest place.  From there I come back to VA for a weekend to hang out and remember why it's the greatest place.  Somehow, I don't see this as a problem.  Maybe it's sign of contentment and happiness.  I think that's how I'd like to look at it, at least. 

So I'm having a great time being back in Virginia for the weekend.  I had Fall Break from school in Nashville and came back this way on Wednesday night, skipped my one class on Thursday and am currently enjoying Saturday morning in bed -- where I have not spent much time.  The past two nights, I don't think I've crawled in before two or three in the morning, and usually it's because of people in the house.  Always fun to revisit old people and old places... I think so at least. 

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend.  Love, hugs, and kisses