Not Sure

My year of interning has come to a close, as most of you know, and I will not be returning for a second year. However, I will still be living in Norman and sticking around the RUF community. I feel as if an era of my life has ended. The end of the school year and Summer Conference was extremely difficult for me. For the first time in five years, I am not expected to show up at RUF or really have to be involved at all. Of course, I still want to be there and will be, but it is not necessary since it is no longer my job and I am not a college student. I got my degree. (though it's not helping me out very much at the moment). RUF has been an huge influence in my life and I am sad to not be directly involved. I signed up for the internship and moved out to Norman expecting to do an amazing job and change lives and show people the Gospel, but instead I was shown the Gospel, my life was changed, and the people that I was hoping more to minister to ended up ministering to me. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have had to love and be loved by the students of OU. So many people have reached out to me and loved me and welcomed me into a wonderful community. Thank you to those that have done that.

The next couple of months I will be in Huntsville working for my dad and searching for a job out in Norman. I am hoping to return in the middle of July to seriously look for something to do. To be honest I have no idea what that will be and that is terrifying. I am not sure what is next for me in life. It will be different. People say different is okay, but I'm not sure.

Day of Fun

It's so nice to be back into the swing of things now that the semester has started. We had almost a full or week of normality, but this week OU has been closed for the past two and a half days due to ice and snow. I would definitely say there is more ice than snow though. It's white, but very VERY slippery. I think there is something so comforting about being inside and bundled up with a blanket and some tea. I almost feel as if time has stopped over the last couple of days. Groups of people have been getting together and hanging out, playing games, watching movies. Typically, my days are filled with meeting with people at specific times and a variety of activities that require me to show up relatively close when they start. It's freeing to not be constrained by time and have the ability to just go with whatever comes up and stay there as long or as short as I want. Timelessness. It's awesome. I feel like I have experienced that several times this week. I would like my whole life to be like that. I think being on time and setting times for things is an important and necessary thing to do for life. But ideally it would be great to live life as things come up and enjoy the moment you are living for what it is. I think I generally am somewhere else wherever I am. I can't say that the past two and a half days have been altogether impressive with what everyone did or conversations people had, but they have been so fun, unrushed, and low key. It has been great. I'm assuming the ice will be mostly gone by tomorrow and everything will be back to normal. That is exciting too. Woot. It's definitely been several days of fun.

2009

I am twelve days late on posting a new year's blog...but here it is. Yay 2009!!! 2008 was a great year for me...or the second half of it. Actually all of it had good things and good learning experience. I am excited to start another year and so far 2009 has been fantastic! I just got back from Winter Conference with RUF. There really isn't a better way to start your year than hanging out in Colorado with great people, great teaching and great scenery. It was beautiful. The only downside was the result of the National Championship game. I've gotten over it now. Actually, I was over it within 5 minutes once I realized that Ole Miss is actually the number one team in the nation, since they were Florida's only loss of the season. Woot! Hotty Totty!! I know that that is poor logic, but just let me be deluded into thinking that.

Also, in 2009 I got two new roommates. They two and a half days I have lived with them have been awesome!! It's going to be a great semester. I am so excited to see what this semester brings. I feel settled in Norman and hopefully interning will be ballin' this year. I am going to Peru for spring break with a couple of students and the RUF from the University of Texas. I'm really excited, but I have no idea what I am getting myself into. Peru Mission, the organization we are going to volunteer for, seems like an incredible organization. I can't wait to find out more about it and see how God is using the people in Peru to advance his kingdom.

Honestly, 2009 has a lot going for it right now. That's exciting. It's totally going to chumpatize 2008.

Seriously.

To return to my original purpose of this blog (which is updating people on my internship), I need to write about the first semester as a whole. I was briefly sidetracked for about 3 months with randomness and trivial posts. For the more serious followers of my blog, I apologize. For sillier reader, I am sure I will digress again. But for now I am completely serious.

I cannot explain what it was like to move to a completely new place, knowing practically no one and having to instantly be friends with people, to pursue them and initiate all points of meeting. That was definitely new to me. I don't think I understood what that meant (and probably still don't) when I first moved to Norman. Looking back over the past 4 months I can honestly say there was not a collective time where I thought I had made a bad decision in going through with the internship. At each point I have been thankful for what I was learning and the relationships that were forming. And I have so much joy in talking with the girls I have had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with. I honestly cannot imagine myself doing anything else at this time in my life.

I did not notice any significant change as the semester progressed, but thinking of all that has happened so far it is really interesting to see how the students have changed, how I've changed and the overall experience of being an intern has changed. I feel like the Norman/RUF/Christ the King Pres community is a 3rd home. Third only because Huntsville and Oxford are homes too. I was telling a couple of people the other day that I am extremely excited about going home for Christmas. I get to see some friends and my family, there really isn't a better time than that, but I am sad to leave for two weeks before coming back for Winter Conference. I am happy here, I am also happy at home or in Oxford. It's strange but such an amazing feeling. Originally, I would have never thought that living in Oklahoma and being an intern at OU would have been a great fit for me. Now I couldn't imagine anywhere better. I am so thankful for the people that God has put in my life here, for the people I get to work with and the friendships I get to invest in. I love being involved with the people here and most everything about my job. I am looking forward to coming back to Norman and OU in January for another semester. I am so glad that God is at work and that he is in control of things. That is a hard concept for me. I cannot wait to see what 2009 is going to bring. It will definitely bring back the exclamation, "HOT DOG!!" I'm bringing that back. Get excited! It'll be awesome.

Hey Buddy, wanna go pick some snowberries??

It's officially after Thanksgiving, which means it's CHRISTMAS!!!!! or well the Christmas Season. Christmas isn't for another 26 days. I have a rule for my life that there is NO Christmasy things before Thanksgiving...mainly because I get sick of Christmas music and Christmas movies and Christmas clothes and Christmas decorations if it starts before Decemeber. But tomorrow is December 1st and in case you were not aware of this...Christmas is in December. Woot.
The past four years, my friend Leah and I have always watched Elf and have continuously quoted it throughout the season. We're still planning on watching this movie together even though she lives in Knoxville, TN and I live in Norman, OK, but we'll see each other in Oxford before Christmas...and thus the Elf screening will happen. I'm planning on watching it before then though. Maybe every day...or every other day. We'll see...I am also looking forward to watching Little Women, A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, and many others...I might even try out White Christmas...I've never seen it, but I hear it's pretty classic. Yay ELF!!!!!

Oxford and More

I've been rockin' the Thanksgiving break for about six days now. It's been awesome! Though it hasn't been as restful as I wanted, I have been able to go a lot of places and see some people I have missed over the past few months.

My break started with a brief visit with Lauren and Walt Jones who so graciously let me stay at their house in Ft. Worth before my flight left Friday morning. It was great to see them and catch up on what's going on in their lives and everything.

I made it home the next day with no flying problems whatsoever. That restored my faith in the airline industry...for now.

Saturday, my parents and I went to Tupelo. I kicked them out of the car at my brother and sister-in-law's house and continued on my way to the beautiful Oxford, Mississippi. Home of the Ole Miss Rebels! Who aren't doing so bad in football this year...not great...but better. I'm proud to be a Rebel. It was so nice to be back, even with most of the people I know gone, it felt like I was home. Bottletree was still kickin' and Square Books was just as great as ever. I loved seeing Lauren Babbitt and Whitney Williams and catching up with them. Check out why this place is so great...

Bottletree Bakery...as the sign clearly states...Best Coffee and Triple Berry Muffin EVER!!!
The inside of Bottletree...It's pretty much perfect...and where I spent about half of my money while I was at Ole Miss
Still Bottletree...that's the coffee...I bought some. Drink it with me...
Square Books...beautiful...*sigh*
Upstairs at Square Books...Where I spent the other half of my money...
Downstairs at Square Books...I love books. They're so great.

After going to Oxford, I spent some time with my brother and sister-in-law in Tupelo. And then came back to Huntsville. On Monday, my friend Shelton and I drove to Cullman, Alabama to have dinner with our friend Victoria. It was great!! I love seeing friends and being able to pick back up right where you left off. The rest of the week for me should be lower key. Tomorrow we'll get together with family and do the whole turkey and pumpkin pie thing and then I don't have anything planned. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really looking forward to doing nothing. It'll be so great!! While I love being home with family and friends, I am definitely missing my new friends and my new home in Norman. It's weird how quickly you can grow to like a place. I think that is a good thing. Woot! Thanksgiving.

Because I said I would?

I was tagged in a note of facebook that said I had to write 16 random unrelated facts about myself and tag 15 people in it. Normally, I don't participate in these things. But who doesn't like to talk about themselves? So, I am letting you people know as well.

1. I hate peanut butter, you can be offended, horrified, surprised or whatever emotion you want , I think it tastes, looks and smells super gross.

2. I was in a show choir in 6th grade that made me dress up like a clown and sing and dance...I never realized how creepy that was until I found out everyone's irrational fear of clowns

3. I sleep with a stuffed lion that I've had since I was two. His name is Azzie. He rocks. Most people think that he looks like a weasel or ferret or some other creature besides lion, but they are wrong.

4. I'm awake for approximately 18 hours every day.

5. I love coffee--just black coffee--non of that latte stuff. I'm done with that.

6. I used to only drink something with three ice cubes in it. Not two, not four, just three. I grew out of this. Don't worry I have other weird things to keep my OCDness going strong.

7. The sound of any kind of smacking or noise made with a mouth makes me feel like I'm going to throw up.

8. My third biggest fear is of sharks. They are terrifying. I don't get in the ocean due to this. They are in there and will more than likely find me and take an arm or two. I also hate sand. But I like going to the beach and not actually being near it. So maybe I don't like the beach. I like the mountains.

9. I used to iron my money. And occasionally wash it if it was excessively dirty. I don't do that anymore either.

10. My parents made me write all the verses in the Bible about honesty and deceit when I lied to them one time. I did that a lot when I was younger. Apparently it's not a good thing to do and honesty is a big deal in the Bible. Lying is bad. Don't do it.

11. I love the South and the charm it has...especially Oxford. I don't know if I could live there forever, but the four years I spent there were definitely worth while. I think I have idealized it since I've left. I love the trees and the quaintness of everything. The manners and the style. Bottletree, Square Books, Faulkner's Woods... I miss it.

12. Writing letters is my favorite. I would write anyone a letter especially if they would write me back. I think it is a lost art. There is something so much more personal about a handwritten letter than an email or text message or even a phone call. Feel free to write me anytime. 813 East Hayes Street Norman, Oklahoma 73071

13. I insisted on people calling me Romona when I was in preschool. It was a ballin' name back then...I don't think so anymore.

14. My family is awesome and hilarious. Really you should hear the stories. They are probably some of my most favorite people in the world. I love spending time with all of them. There is never a dull moment. Mary is always doing something or Bill is saying something that is not quite what you would ever expect from them. Unless you know them of course and then it is totally typical. Love it.

15. My favorite tv show is Friends. Thought Arrested Development comes in at a close second maybe even infringe on the number one spot. The Office and Seinfeld are also in the running. Those are my top 4 favorite shows. I guess if I'm completely honest Lipstick Jungle would fall into the number 5 spot, I know, it's a really really dumb show. I got sucked it.

16. I like learning and reading. Especially about things that interest me. If I could choose between books, movies, and television. I would choose books. But I would miss movies and my top 5 favorite shows.

So there you go. Anything else you want to know. You can ask, I'll probably tell you, but no promises.