Concert

Last night Kristin and I had our first official "social" at the house of the semester. This year took off in fast forward and hasn't slowed down much since. We finally all took a little break for dinner and a concert. It was a blast! There were about 10 people over at our apartment for dinner...Kristin cooked and friends brought desert. SO GOOD! Then we headed out to the concert. I haven't listened as much to Cademon recently but had a blast from the past hearing songs from about 10 years ago when they were first getting started. It was a great break in the action from the craziness of life!

family reunion!

my new look

I had dinner Wednesday night with two of my aunts and uncles...a Burdine reunion rendezvous in Columbia, SC! Ed and Becky flew out from CA to spend a week in GA and SC touring and taking sailing lessons...or rather a sailing "class" in Charleston, SC.

Becky explained at dinner how they have an exam at the end of their lessons and they earn a certificate. She is interested in merely SURVIVING the class with the remnants of tropical storm gale force winds on the East coast right now. :) John and Tammi drove down from Charlotte, NC and we ate dinner about 3 blocks from my apartment at "California Dreamin.'"

In honor of my future move out to the West coast Ed found a platnum wig for me so I won't feel out of place in LA. They gave me the run down of how to survive in southern CA. Jennifer and Beth, if you have any pointers for me I am open! :) I'm looking forward to being there and enjoying warm temps minus the incredible HUMIDITY here.

California

For some this entry will come as a surprise because the past few months have been busy. Busy with life, school and... a new relationship. In July mutual friends, Lee and Trisha Mitchell, introduced me to a pretty amazing man...Ben Mosier. We started out corresponding through email, he was in Alaska working and I had recently returned from AK back to SC to continue working. Emails led to phone calls, more phone calls led to Skyping, and this past Labor Day weekend I flew out to Los Angeles to meet him in person. Ben is going to seminary full time at Masters in LA, CA. He will be coming out East to spend Thanksgiving with me and extended family in Charlotte, NC. This relationship has been a blessing in my life!

The bigger update, I am finishing my program here at CIU in December and was initially planning on moving back to AK to work again for the school district and seek out ministry oppurtunities. Those plans have shifted some and I will be making a 3,000 road trip with a girlfriend here to LA...coast to coast. I am moving now to LA to live and work and have time near Ben so we can get to know each other better, IN PERSON! Long distance is okay for a time, but there comes a time when you need time near that person. So, for those interested in meeting Ben, he will be in AK with me in December. I know our time will be packed between his family and connections in the Valley and mine, but we'd love to spend time with you!

I will try my best to do better at keeping ya'll updated. My spare time has been on the phone and skype lately. :)