Labor Day

What better way to celebrate 1 year in cambridge then a roommate trip?? Laura and I headed out to Chicago for the weekend and had an incredible time.

Laura had never been to the midwest and boy did we show her what the midwest is all about!

Saturday we spent in NW Indiana on a farm with corn, a lake with huge rafts, and even some naturally growing marijuana! It was fun to be reunited with Valpo friends as we celebrated a birthday and caught up on life. The night ended with a massive "Ghosts in the Graveyard" game that was very intense, and very unexpected!

Sunday we headed to Valpo and spent the afternoon and evening enjoying campus and friends. It was fun to see how much has changed, and how other things will never change! Laura was also able to come to a Candlelight service which definitely was one of the highlights of being back in Valpo.

Monday we were in chicago all day doing a lot of the tourist things. Many of these things I hadn't done since childhood so that was really fun to see new parts of chicago. The Art Institute is incredible, and the architecture tour was fascinating (as well as a fun way to see chicago from a new angle)

We flew out early tuesday morning with Laura having seen so many different aspects of the midwest that i love!

Now that i'm back in cambridge, i feel i can finally regroup and get into a routine after a crazy summer of traveling. I still have one wedding left in St Louis this month to go to, but am excited to end this years travel schedule with a fabulous wedding and tons of friends!

Another Wedding!

I was able to head back to Chicago-land and celebrate with Jill and James on their big day!!

it was so special to be part of the wedding party and to see Kappas from the class ahead of me! the reception was at the Blue Chip Casino and I was able to throw some money into the slots which was definitely a source of entertainment!

The wedding was gorgeous, the reception was fun, seeing extra friends (thanks Seth and Jen for driving up and Steph and Erin for hosting me!!) was wonderful... overall the weekend was fabulous!

I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Chicago/Valpo. and cannot believe i'll be bringing Laura with me!!

Family Vacation

As the three of us have gotten older, it has become less and less often that "vacation" actually has involved us all leaving the house together. Throughout college vacation symbolized returning home. Not this year! We were so fortunate to be able to get all 5 of us down to Myrtle Beach for some relaxing family fun! What a blast it was! I'm still recovering (read my shoulders are peeling) but it was well worth the pain to see the family!

Family Vacations have always been one of my favorite things we do- from christmas dinner on the curb in Guam, to Bali and the eager salesmen, to Banff and lots of laughing, to cross country road trips in a minivan with The Singing Bible! Our vacations are never dull and certainly bring us closer together!! this latest one proved to be no different and i'm already excited about the next time the Killmer's can be together again!!

Finally Summer

So June was rainy here in Boston. The "official" number I heard was 4 sunny days... that means 26 of clouds and rain.... wow!

But then July rolled around. Friends came from the midwest to celebrate the 4th in the place where it all started and they brought the sun with them!! We toured Boston and even went on a harbor boat cruise during sunset on the 4th and got to see fireworks from there! An incredible weekend full of fun, catching up, and even a flat tire!

Then I got the awesome opportunity to get a tour of Maine from Bowdoin College alum (and my roommates!) It was great to finally see the places I've heard so much about this past year and to finally get to the beautiful state of Maine. Truly "vacationland" as their license plates say! 

(pictures from the weekend: trip to LL Bean Mothership Store, Lobster eating on an island!, swimming in freezing water, being at Lands End!)

A new year, continued belief

As I begin a new year of life- yay 23!- I read something on a blog that I wanted to share:

"Believing isn't rooted in your personal power or inner strength. Believing is about waking up every morning and taking up your cross daily. It's about knowing and understanding that no matter how trashy things may look, Yahweh has a plan that He's working for good through His children. Believing must be a daily choice and a way of life. 

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, was God's spokesperson during a rotten time in Israel. The nation faced exile, death, destruction affliction, torment, separation from God... not a pleasant list. Jerusalem was sacked and burned on August 14, 586BC with Jeremiah most likely nearby watching the flame. 

Yet, reflecting on all of this in Lamentations 3:22, Jeremiah records this amazing idea "Because of the Lord's faithful love, we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: the Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him."

Definitely a good verse to memorize as I get ready for another year of adventure and unknowns!

Summer??

Summer has officially begun. In Boston that means using an umbrella regularly, it has been fun enjoying warmer days and visitors!

The days are still bizarre as i sleep when most people work and work when you should be sleeping... and then the days that i try and stay awake are just crazy. These sleepless days are highly enjoyable as everything seems a little funnier when you're not completely alert! Last friday was such a day.

After finishing a 12 hour shift, I left the hospital and went to pick up Ellen's mother in law. yes, I was entertaining my friend's mother-in-law! I enjoyed getting to know this awesome South African woman and had really good conversation about education, health care, and soccer. 

The two of us headed downtown for a haircut. we rushed back to cambridge in order for me to get a couple hours sleep before I needed to be at the airport to pick up Megan! Megan flew in from Indianapolis a few days before her conference started so she could see this awesome city i live in! Friday night however, we briefly saw the inside of a restaurant before heading home so i could get to work on time. It was definitely a busy 36hrs!

My time with Megan was wonderful as we got to explore Boston and Cambridge with Carrie's dad, who was also in town for a visit. We did some things that I had previously done, but also tried out some new things and enjoyed simply being in Boston. Staying in a hotel in your own city is also an incredible luxury and I enjoyed staying with Megan in her hotel room one night!

Megan and I enjoyed a Harbor Cruise- with a great view of Boston!

Then i worked a 40 hour week while anticipating Steph's arrival on Friday. 

Unfortunately, Steph couldn't get to Boston from Chicago until Saturday afternoon due to weather. When she was here we had a great time celebrating my impending birthday with some other friends at a BBQ and catching up on life! Our time together was WAY too short, but I feel lucky to have had any time with her at all.

Summer with a full time job doesn't hold the same excitement as summers away from school. But, I'm so thankful to have visitors to get excited about and a job that allows me to enjoy the sunshine, if it ever decides to come out!

Here are some pictures from Summer 2009!:

Me and Andrew (before he headed to NC for the summer) after seeing Spring Awakening in Boston

at Hope Fellowship's Passport to the Nations Night (I joined the Japanese!)

My roommates and I enjoyed a Red Sox/Yankees Game at Fenway!! not too shabby for the my first game!

my "patient" (Laura had just had a wisdom tooth removed that morning!) and I before the game!!

we were prepared for freezing temps and a rainy 9 innings!

waiting...

God has been teaching me about being patient and waiting. I've been learning a lot on patience, but waiting sure is difficult.

I waited for direction with what job to take, and took the one job offer I got here in Boston because it was clearly God's leading, even if it wasn't what I was expecting to go into. Adult Oncology has been very difficult, challenging, and has provided great opportunities to learn. Now Youville has been bought out. (news article is here) Spaulding Rehab is one of the top 7 rehab facilities in the country and is joined with Partners Continuing Health, which encompasses some of the major Boston hospitals! I feel so fortunate to have no concern about job security, and now have many new opportunities presenting themselves as the buy out finalizes. 

what an awesome reminder of how good God is! I need to remember that in God's timing, everything works out to his glory. Maybe that's actually what God has been teaching me about all along