quick quick

This will be a really quick post as my comp. is about to die due to me not hooking it up (charging) it last night. I FINALLY got back in my kayak last night with Dave's encouragment and we went out boating for awhile. I basically immediately flipped over and had to get help to get back up. I wanted to work on my roll but I pulled a muscle in my shoulder a week or so ago and it hasn't really healed yet. So, I tried my off-side (left side) roll and that was just insanely hilarious. I wish I woulda had pictures. Nevertheless, my shoulder still hurt like crap this morning and I'm back on my pain pills (fun stuff). So, that was the good news.

The bad news is that my Geol. teacher just whipped out some math homework we're going to have to do this week and I am FREAKED!!! I'm T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E at math and ESPECIALLY at converting things from inches to kilometers to miles, etc. MOM HELP! lol I think Dave might be able to help me (I really really hope so). Anyways. I gotta get off here. My comp. says it's gonna "go to sleep" in 10 mins to I gotta jet.

Love you all!

p.s. B I really enjoy talking to you more too! It's been super nice. Shannon thanks for all the great talks we have as well. They mean alot to me and they keep me updated w/ what's going on w/ the fam. X & O's to my sis's!

Random facts and funnies

The British pound is worth $1.90 right now

Clinton will go down in history as the only president to have Hanky Panky between the Bushes (lol!)

The oldest woman in the world died 2 days ago. She was 116.

When asked what he thought about foreign affiars, Clinton replied, "I don't know, I never had one."

Cardiovascualr disease is the biggest killer in the U.S. 80% of those deaths are preventable by a change in lifestyle.

Chrysler Corporation is adding a new car to its line to honor Bill Clinton. The "Dodge Drafter" will be built in Canada.

The Japananese have a higher life expectancy than Americans by about 5 years.

Hope you're having a great day!!!!

4 out of 5 is no good

Well, my Geol. teacher gave me a big fat NO for taking my exam early. So, we'll have to wait a few days to go to Ireland in Dec. But, my final for that class is on a Wednesday. So, instead of having to leave on Saturday, we'll be able to leave Wed. evening or Thursday morning, good stuff. I'm still a little dissapointed, but I don't want to drop the class because I really like it, and well, I need it. It's my last science and I think it's gonna be easy on the scale of things. So, that's my news for today. Took my first quiz today and got 90%, so I'm happy about that. I was a little nervous, but I think I'm getting back into the swing of things here. School seems so much easier at this age--maybe it's because you can set yourself apart from it. It's not my whole world. My life doesn't revolve around school (my schedule does though, lol). I like that I can see it from afar and still do my best and get good grades without killing myself physically and emotionally like I did the first couple of years of college. Yeesh! Well, I'm out. Gotta eat then go to my Lit. & History class (the one w/ the absolutely insane woman who tellls you WAAAAY too many details about her life). We'll see how it goes today!

peace out dudes!

Struggling to pray

Lately I'm having a hard time knowing how to pray. It's like, I start talking to God, and then I go blank. I have been taught at PBC how to pray and it was too elaborate for me. There was too much order and you always had to pray in a certain way. I just want to be able to have a conversation w/ God, yet sometimes I feel I'm not doing it adequately. Does that even make sense? Do you think there is a certain, more correct, way to pray?

Weekend was good. I worked all day Saturday at NOC rafting guiding. It was nice to be on the river but I had an AWFUL group that afternoon. They were boyscouts and their troop leaders were TERRIBLE! They kept counter-stroking every stroke I made! I was exhausted at the end. But the worste part was one of the troop leaders turned around and told me, "You're worse than my wife!" I guess he thought I was telling them to paddle too much or something. And, no tip from them. Ugh. Boyscouts suck.

Dave's parents left Saturday morning as well. They were heading to the Outer Banks of NC. We had such a good time w/ them while they were here. I'm SO glad they could come. Now we just have to look forward to seeing the rest of the family at Christmas.

Had a couple of NOC GAP people over for dinner (make your own pizza) last night. Richard (dad/old man of the group), Ben (Richard's son--Harvard boy but actually has a good sense of humor), and Heather (co-worker/friend/ and hopefully paddling buddy). Dave was there too. We had a good time swapping old stories and laughing over them.

I'm back at school this morning trying to catch up on homework. If I can help it this semester I'm going to keep doing homework on the weekends to a minimal.

Catch ya later!
P.S.--spell check isn't working here at school (maybe pop-up blockers or something) so you'll have to deal w/ the bad spelling.<3 u Shannon!

They're related

Aren't they cute? Dave's gonna kill me, lol ;).

Well, 4 of my 5 teachers have agreed to let me take my exams early. I just have to try and convince my geology teacher. She said no at first, but when I told her all my others had agreed, she said she would, "think about it." Please pray that she says yes because Dave and I would really like to be able to spend as much time w/ his family and friends as possible since we only get over to Ireland every 2 years.

The Nelson adventures

So far we have gone to Joyce Kilmer memorial park where there are old growth forests (hence the huge trees), the Biltmore Estate, and whitewater rafting (yes they made it in one piece, I'm an amazing guide I'll have you know). We also got to have Sunday lunch w/ my dad and lil sis! That was REALLY REALLY nice as I hadn't seen them in quite awhile. So there you have it. Yesterday Mervyn left for a quick business trip in Boston and is due back today.

On the school note--today is my first day of school. I went to my first class this morning and am awaiting (however not super excited) about my fitness/wellness/walking class this afternoon. I DID however talk my English teacher (morn. class) into letting me take my final exams early (Dec. 8th) so we could leave for Ireland a week early. Now I just have to convince my other FOUR teachers it's a good idea too! Well, I'm off.

P.S. the snake picture is from the hike in Joyce Kilmer--and yes, I jumped a mile. Plus, what kind of snake is this anyways???

CUTE beach pix of my sis's kids

How cute are these pix! I love the one of the twins under the table the one of all four of them on the boat! Shannon, Levi's hair looks really good! Does he like it?

Dave's parents are on their way here! They arrived in N.Y. yesterday and drove to N. Virginia last night. They'll be here sometime soon (hopefully!). Can't wait to see them! Plus, tomorrow morning I hope to go boating w/ a friend from work. It'll be my 2nd time this summer I've been in the water w/ my boat (pretty sad). Gotta jet! I'm in the library and I need to get home and fold some laundry!

Christmas in August

Last night was a big party here at NOC called "Christmas in August." We have a big raft parade down the rivers biggest rapid w/ all the different departments here creating their own float. GAP didn't do one this year, we just decided to watch. It was a blast though. Again, great carnage at the falls and some pretty cool raft ideas--dragon, smoking computer, house made out of rafts, etc etc. Then there was music, food, and dancing. Good stuff. I missed dancing w/ Dave at last weeks party, so it was great to get to dance with him this week. He's a good dancer, although he wouldn't tell you that. We had a good time. Then he went home and I spent the night with the girls. I gotta jet though, the office is getting a little crowded. Love ya!

Amazing love

Well, this week has been pretty busy with work. Fun work though, I've been out on the river quite a bit. Monday (last Monday) the staff went rafting on the Ocoee--we had TONS o FUN! Such a blast! Then Tuesday night was the Raft Guide Olympiad. Different raft guides from all over compete in a race to see who's the best guide. They have to get into alot of eddies and throw ropes and all sorts of stuff. It was fun to watch the carnage over the falls though--hilarious. That night they have a big party afterwards, that was loads of fun too. I hadn't danced in so long! Good stuff.

Well, the big news for this week actually started with our tithing last Sunday. We had to pay my school tuition this week so things were REALLY tight. When Dave went to write our tithe check for the church he really didn't want to write it cause we didn't have the money at that time. Well, we discussed it and decided it was God's money anyway and He would figure it out. Soooo.....this week we got back all but a DOLLAR in tips of what we tithed! It was amazing and so so cool. I love when God just works in ways we can see and glorify Him. We serve an AWESOME GOD! Well, that's my news for the week.

Dave's parents are coming in this weekend and we're really excited! We already have lots of places to take them--the Biltmore Estate, Chimney rock, rafting on the Nantahala (Dave doesn't this we should take them, but I told him his parents are still adventurous and they can hack it! They're NOT even old!), hiking in an old growth forest called Joyce Kilmer, etc. I'm really excited to see them. And, all four of us will be eating w/ my Dad and my little sis next Sunday for lunch, so I'm psyched about that too. Ok, I gotta jet. There's a grill out party at our apartment tonight. We're going tubing in Deep Creek and then grilling out! TTYL!

A run with God

Last night I needed to get out of the beach house and away from people. I walked to the beach and just started running--barefoot through the sand. As I ran my heart and throat cried out to God. Tears ran down my face and I sat down and cried, staring at the waves and talking to God, pleading with Him. I am tired of being bitter. I am tired of being selfish and worrying about other people's "stories", as Aslan says. I told God this. I just want to be a servant--make me a servant, give me that gift, I pleaded. Servants don't care if they are being taken advantage of, or doing more than others because they just want to serve. I want to feel that way. I want to do the dishes and refill the ice trays and always pick the clothes off the floor and not care how many times someone else does those things. I just want to be the child God created me to be--no ego, attitude, bitterness, selfishness. Only love and giving and forgiveness!

I continued to walk and pray and cry until I came to an ending point and I told God "I am not bitter, I am Yours, and You are living in me and do not accept bitterness or selfishness--I'm YOURS Lord--fill me with Your will." It felt so good just to cry out to God. I don't do that very often. Really cry and yearn and pour my heart out to the Lord. Please pray that I'll implement these things in my life. I cannot continue on in the way I was going. I WILL serve with a loving heart. Make me a servant Lord...

On a light and funny note: as I was walking to the beach these three boys yelled out to me--"How old is you?" I continued to walk and ignored them. Then they got to their house (the one we pass to get to the beach) and continued their question. "How old is you???" I still ignored them but I REALLY REALLY wanted to turn around and say "IT'S HOW OLD ARE YOU, AND OBVIOUSLY TOO OLD FOR YOU IF I'M CORRECTING YOUR GRAMMAR!!!" lol Thanks for reading guys! I love you!

fun in the sun

beach pics

before and after the haircut

beach bum

Ah the beach. It's been extremely nice just lazing around. Today we took a couple of coolers w/ our lunches and stuff, 2 umbrellas, and all our toys (kayaks, boogie boards, and woofle ball stuff). We stayed from 11 to 4. GOod times. I've gotten a pretty kickin tan w/ VERY little burning (I'm a little pink around my lower back--oops!). Last night we went to Dairy Queen then watched some Shark week stuff (YAY SHARKS!!!). TOnight I think we eating seafood alfredo (per TIm) and then going Putt-putting. Sometime this week we're gonna try to make it to Southport and go eat some seafood at the Provincial Seafood company (if we can find it).

I'm at the flying pig right now. I just had THE BEST smoothie. It was called a Swamp Monkey. Basically it's a chocolate shake w/ bananas. MMMMmmmmm! Good stuff!

OH! And guess what???? DAVE GOT HIS HAIR CUT! It looks REALLY good, Eric did it for him. Anyways--hopefully we'll get a pic of his hair on here soon. Well, I'm out--need to get back to lazin' around. Peace!