What I've Been Up To

I am now back in Chicago, living in the University Center once again. Since I was in hibernation from blogging this whole summer, I thought I'd give a recap of what I've been doing all this time:

Garden department, Home Depot. I watered plants, loaded brick and mulch, sold lawn tractors, and planned out people's gardens with them. I enjoyed my short stay at Home Depot, with its good pay and simply the fact that it was a home improvement store. Josiah worked there with me, so that was a plus as well. I was supposed to transfer to a store in Chicago, but it just didn't happen. So I'm currently looking for another job. Again.


Summer classes. I took "Art History I" and "Diversity in America" online through Hawkeye Community College. And I will NEVER, I repeat, NEVER do this again unless it is absolutely necessary. Sure, I saved thousands of dollars by getting these classes out of the way, and I'm grateful for that. However, when running into friends asking how my summer has been going, I hate talking about homework. All online classes ARE is homework.

CLEP tests. I took four $80 tests in Psychology, Natural Sciences, College Mathematics, and English Composition; I passed them all. So, I got 27 credits, more than will actually transfer but 27 nonetheless, out of $320. Good deal, huh? I think so too, the math and English tests were really pretty easy, the psych test was an educated-guessing game, and the science test was definitely the hardest test I have EVER taken. So now, I might be a junior instead of a sophomore. I don't really know.


Sunday morning worship. I got the opportunity to help with praise and worship at Open Bible a couple times, and it was great. Singing with the old team, God really reminded me of the power in music, how it's a medium in which we connect with him. Then there was the morning Pastor Bill sort of threw me a curveball - I got to practice early that morning to realize that I was leading the worship that morning, then came to discover how dreadfully HIGH the songs were for my range. Though I was freaked out, God really humbled me that morning, and I was forced to give my abilities all to him, and he made it an amazing time of worship. Unforgettable.


The best family reunion ever. Epleys from all over came to Waverly in the scorching heat, we ate lunch then played in the sprinklers back home, had water balloon fights, got a history lesson about the family farm from my great aunt Florence, sat and caught up with family members that I don't even really remember ever meeting in person. At night we grilled burgers and sat around and talked. I left early the next morning for Chicago, so I missed the last part of the reunion. But like I said, it was, in my perspective, the best family reunion ever.

Highlight of the summer: the family dinners where Josiah came over, and the night that Megan and Jarred came also and we built a bonfire. If I have one regret over the summer, it is that I didn't spend more time by the fire, making s'mores, cuddling with Josiah on my swing, watching the stars. I miss the stars when I'm here in Chicago, the city is so bright that you can't really see them.

So there's my summer in brief, now I must begin a new story in Chicago. Stay tuned...