barefoot in D.C.

project day #9 was spent in washington d.c. and i couldn't have been more excited.
my heart feels at home in big cities, so ever since i first heard rumor that we would be venturing there my pulse had been quickening.
and it once again reminded me why i would very much like to spend my life in a city very much like itself.
the day started early with a 4-hour drive ahead of us...which ended up being beka, betsy, layne and i sleeping while freddie drove (i still feel bad about this)
the majority of our day was spent at a salvation army where we put on a little car wash to raise money for the chapel.
it was way more fun than i had originally imagined it would be. i found that i enjoy vacuuming cars, so if you ever need someone to make your car floors presentable, hit me up.
around 5 we moved onto the metro station and rode it into the city where we had the opportunity to share some food with the park dwellers.
i still find it mildly ironic that our nations capital is one of the most homeless populated cities in our country...you can tell alot about a nation by looking at it's poor...way to go U.S.. way to step up to the plate.
i can't really rant about the speck in our nation's eye though, because i'm definitely enabling the problem...ugggg...my selfishness rears it's ugly little head again.

aside from all this...it was a rainy day in our nation's capitol.
when we got back to the smithsonian metro i was able to wring the water out of my shirt.
and as much as i hate wet clothes, i was not upset, because that day had been perfect in so many ways.
once again, i am in love with these people that i have spent my summer with.
and i haven't done a very good job of letting them know that, and today i will change that, i'm writing letters to them all...it's hard for my heart to contain all this.

i love you.
and i will leave you with this...
enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

i am a horribly selfish person.
my heart is hurting right now just thinking of my actions sometime.
in my skewed attempt to guard my heart i seem to have completely disregarded anyone else's feelings.
ugg...i'm sorry if i've made your heart ache.
i'm sorry if i have been unkind.
forgive me, because i can be so ignorant of my own silly selfishness.
i want to tell you, really i do...silly insecurities.
my heart is growing tired, about as tired as my body feels right now...
i wonder if my actions have discouraged you, i hope not.
maybe the newness of tomorrow will change things.
i sure hope so...
again, please forgive me.

sand. everywhere.

my head is swimming today...
so many things i could possibly say...
sometimes i feel like my posts get much too wordy.
i'm sorry if what i say sometimes doesn't make sense.
but maybe i'll make you smile along the way...
speaking of smiles, here's some of what is making me smile today.

• holding babies (especially when they smell like sunscreen). this may sound semi-creepy, but whatev. you know you love it too
• holding hands.
• peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.
• the "where the wild things are" preview that i saw last night.
• neville longbottom's sweater vests.
• cardigans with jorts.
• oversized beach towels
• starbucks with my life group.

i have so much joy in this silly heart of mine today.
my eyelids are heavy with the sleepiness that i feel, but hopefully the smile is still shining in my eyes.

LOVE.

you bring me closer to love.

i feel like this past week has been so full.
...of life
...of love
...of frustration
...of excitement.
there are so many things i could tell you.
so many new friendships, sometimes it's overwhelming.
all of these hearts that i care so much about, i don't want the next three weeks to pass.
i wouldn't mind staying here for always.
one day i will write to you a list of things i will miss about this summer, but for now i will tell you of the greatness of the past few days.

yesterday, after getting back from work where i basically just hung out with freddie all day, i came home to my housemates, and their smiles. i love being welcomed back after being gone at work. we giggled, had a bit of a dance party, waited impatiently to see how the coloring of layne's hair would turn out and just sat together. before dinner, i changed into my new dress (i wish i could describe to you how perfect this dress is...you may find that real silly, but ooofff, you should see it) and layed around the couch with karin. we talked about how hard it is for us to emotionally disconnect from some songs. we let billy joel sing away the sadness in our eyes.
at session we were blessed by neil kring's rendition of journey's "faithfully"...thank God for that. ha. after session we came back to our house and ate ice cream (it's kind of just our thing)...with peanut butter and cereal. you don't even know how much i appreciate the people i'm living with and their love for strange food combinations along with me.

monday was my day off. it started off early. 6am for sunrose devotional. this was my first time attempting to participate in this, but i'm so glad i did. it was a great way to start the day. after this me, da-vid, and tricia headed back to my place and talked while pancakes were being made. josh came over later and we all had a wonderful pancake breakfast together. (if you didn't know, sharing breakfast with others is one of my very favorite things to do, so my heart was all kinds of happy) we then proceeded to laze around and just 'soak up each others' awesomeness' [mean girls reference].

now there is today. i don't work 'til 4...so i am left with so many possibilities for the morning.
i have decided to: go running, get some coffee, spend some much needed time with God and get pumped about working tonight....(right).
let's enjoy this day together, mkay?

in this day...

i like:

• surprises from friends (especially coffee...my heart jumped a little when i found it)
• the wallflowers
• dinner invitations
• dinosaurs
• getting off work an hour early

i do not like:

• how timid i am
• the distance between me and my family right now
• holding back
• when people are ocd
• the ankle bracelet of mosquito bites i have right now.

but guess what....this day is more than all those things.
and for that i am so grateful.
my joy is overflowing.

my ten favorite things...at this place in time.

10. bike rides. while wearing a sundress. to get a coffee. and spending many moments writing a letter.

9. hugs. any kind, really. bear hugs. side hugs. awkwardly long hugs.
i had been really missing these, thankfully my family here at LT has filled my hug void.

8. running in the park. i ran to a new spot today...i had to stop and just wonder at it. i thought it had such beautiful possibilities. a picnic?

7. looking at wedding photos. (oncewed.com) despite my fear of marriage i love sharing in the joy of a newly married couple...oh giggles and giddiness

6. loving someone so much that their interests and desires become mine.

5. picnics. on the beach. with root beer and friends. knowing that in that moment there was nowhere else i would rather be.

4. holding sleepy babies (if you know me you know this is huge for me, i have a bit of a fear of children)

3. the blueberry bagel i'm eating for lunch right now, with peanut butter and bananas. and strawberries and blueberries..yummmmm

2. late night hookah cirlces with people i love. i think i admire these people more and more everytime i'm with them. those are moments that i wouldn't mind pausing and living in forever.

1. receiving letters in the mail. and sending snail mail....hint hint :)