dancing shoes

The past few days have flown by. Seriously, I don't think I remember a week ever disappearing as quickly as this one has. But even though the days have been passing at warp speed, they have been such very good ones. And filled with dancing.

It all started this weekend, with ATO formal in New Orleans. Brady, Lacey, Ed and I had a lot of great bonding time, great food, and great conversations. The actual formal Saturday night was on the Riverboat, which was awesome. Probably should have taken some pictures. Lacey and I promised ourselves we would take lots of pictures throughout the weekend, so naturally we only have these to show for it:

Good enough, right? At least we have some proof that we were actually down there.

We got back to Oxford Sunday night, and Mom came to Oxford Monday afternoon. It has been so fun watching her meet everyone and experience things like brother-sister Brick House love and Milkshake Monday in person. Somehow this Milkshake Monday turned into an improv dance party, so most of the night was spent Jai Ho-ing, Cupid Shuffling, and Party Rock Anthem-ing...good times.

Besides all of that, I have just been hanging out with Mom, doing a slight bit of thesis work, unsuccessfully attempting to make nice-looking bowls in Ceramics, and enjoying the perfect spring weather all week. And, of course, a lot of dancing on my own, thanks to this song.

It's been stuck in my head all week, and now it will probably be stuck in yours. You're welcome.

To top it off, all of the dancing this weekend and week has just been a warm-up for DG formal tonight. Bouré first, Colonel's Quarters second, and all of my friends together in one place...looks promising to me! I'm ready to get these afternoon classes out of the way so that I can dance the night away. It's a good day to celebrate - Oxford, springtime, friends, and life.

lately

A more extensive update on how incredible this Spring Break has been will follow, but for now...I am back from the beach for the day and lounging around the condo until dinnertime, so why not blog?

I realized I left everybody hanging with the whole "check back Thursday morning to see where I'm going to law school" thing. So - drumroll please - after a week of literally playing deal or no deal with my future/life, it's decided. University of Kentucky College of Law it is! A week and a day after the decision became official, it feels exciting, confusing, surreal, strange, _______ (fill in just about any adjective you want and I've probably felt it). But good. Very good. The Lord is faithful.

[UK Law - another place to add to the ever-growing list of places called "home"]

From Friday to Monday night I was in Ocoee, Tennessee, for the Wesley Retreat, and it was a pretty incredible time. And now I'm in Orange Beach with mis mejores amigas living it up, with lots of sun, sand, good food, even better cake, time to relax, and time to work (and by work I mean hardly work at all) on things for school. Next week is going to be madness, but taking an entire week off is quite worth it.

I've also had time to read lots of magazines this week, including but not limited to Real Simple, Vanity Fair, InStyle, and Relevant. This never happens and, to be honest, probably won't happen again until next Spring Break. But it's been great and has provided me with various interesting thoughts and perspectives. One of these I will now leave with you. Here's Scott Avett in Relevant, writing on art and faith:

"Our hands and minds, legs and mouths, eyes and ears, arms and feet were all made with purpose, and though you may never find that exact purpose, it is your obligation to yourself and God to search for it, and to search endlessly for a perfection that, though you will never achieve it, you must seek. This is faith. This is spirituality."

Scott Avett's a champ and you should totally listen to his music. Enjoy the last couple days of break!

by this time next week...

By this time next week, I will be in the mountains. Not these particular mountains - this is Maine and I'll be in Ocoee, Tennessee. But I'm sure it will look at least a bit like this.

By this time next week, I will also know where I will be next year. For the next couple of years, actually. So much for the April 2 seat deposit deadline I thought I was aiming for. But, then again, this is exactly the sort of thing that would happen. Crazy. So crazy that I am actually incredibly calm about it. So crazy that there is absolutely no denying that this is the hand of the Lord.

If anyone is reading this and wants to find out the final verdict, check back Thursday sometime after 9:30 AM! Not that I have time to blog about it this week. But let's be real. If I wasn't blogging, I'd be working on my thesis, and that's no fun. Then again, if I don't finish this thing soon I won't be going anywhere next year. Such is life. But anyway, the clock is ticking for Katie's major life decisions...not much longer to wait until the Lord reveals His plan! In the meantime, prayers for discernment, encouragement, and someone to help me attach handles to mugs in Ceramics are appreciated. Thursday it is! Thursday it is.

What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease. My Comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand...