wow. just, wow.

first off, an update to my 22 by 22 list...

1. read the Bible in its entirety

getting further and further behind. but God will give me power to keep on.
2. run 500 miles in one year

mileage: 112. but i haven't ran in over a week. :( (pulled hamstring)
3. go horseback riding

i could only dream at this point.
4. save $2500 for my future

you better believe it. i am almost half-way!!!
5. become a 4.5 tennis player

i'm going to have someone rate me during/at the end of this season. i'll find out. =)
6. collect all spare change for missions

this goal might be dropped. but i have picked up a missionary to support for $10/month, which isn't much, but more than i have done in the past!
7. cut down my closet/clothes

i sold some to plato's closet. AND i have given away more than 2 boxes to goodwill. i am down to the clothes that i will actually wear regularly. GREAT success.
8. go to a Ben Folds concert

not yet, but shane wants to hit one up around his birthday
9. read 20 new books

i think i had read 2 before this update, and i'm currenly reading harry potter 3, but i want to finish ALL of them by the time we get married next june. how i will do that during school and student teaching, i'm not sure...
10. find a new favorite band

done. the weepies. amazing. and perfect for my running style.
11. go to a Frontier Ruckus concert (or 5)

unfortunately not. and it's going to a be while until i do. but maybe they will take me up on the house-party offer i had last spring.
12. grow my hair to the middle of my back

it is well past shoulder length. =) and no cutting until thanksgiving. (unless my split ends get unruly.)
13. touch ground in 10 states

michigan, indiana, ohio, pennsylvania, new york, new jersey
14. feel confident in a swimsuit

this has potential to happen soon, except swimsuit season is practically over. doesn't mean i'm done working on my body though.

15. collect pieces from garage sales/flea markets and transform them for my future home

mirror, sconces - done.

16. continue taking piano lessons and perform for church

i took two from dukes this summer and already got significantly better. AND danielle and i have duet music for a christmas piece to play at church. =)
17. memorize a book of the Bible (longer than one chapter)

this has not happened one bit yet. i think that a chapter is good way to start for now. =/
18. memorize that same book of the Bible in Spanish

likewise.
19. ride a new rollercoaster with my hands up for every moment

DONE. =)
20. teach JJ (my niece) how to play tennis

haven't started yet. need to sooooon.
21. teach JJ how to speak 20 meaningful sentences/phrases in Spanish

ive taught her: "dejame en paz" and "hazme azmuerzo" (leave me alone & make me lunch!) =)
22. plan my perfect wedding

my dress - done, photographer - done, girls' dresses - almost, reception look - done, this is all in very good progress.

in other news - tomorrow (today, really) i start pre-season with my tennis girls. it's my last tennis season, my last semester at school, so many lasts that i'm NOT ready for one bit. i'm the type of person that LOVES college - absolutely everything about it. sure, i look forward to the summers - but i am always ready to go back. i love class, i love playing a sport, and i LOVE living with my best friends. PLUS - it's not the real world. i don't have financial issues, i don't deal with job loss, i don't have to worry - because i'm surrounded by goodness and life seems beautiful.

i'm very excited about this tennis season, as i have mentioned in past posts. i'm excited to see what God can do through me as a servant and minister on the team. i'm excited about the new girls and the new chemistry our team is going to have. and how excited the other girls on the team are and how we can feed off each other to really make this year different, to make it great. tomorrow's the day that i present my "lessons from montana trip" to the team and really talk about my objectives for this season and the commitments that i have and want them to have for the team. i'm not ready at all to present this. and it's well, 12:30 am. and i have a million and a half other things to do before that. i need to pray about that meeting, and really have God give me the words and inspiration to help us all to have united spirits and committed minds for this team, for this season.

okay - that paragraph was not at all what you wanted to read. sorry - i just needed to type it out, it helps me.

so i packed up my room these last few days. everything. tomorrow, when i fill up my car (and i mean REALLY full) i will have 95% of my belongings with me, 0% in my room at home, and about 5% in my closet, stacking in neat piles of boxes, crates, and madness (which are mostly teaching supplies and textbooks for my future classroom.) it's so weird to really think that this is the beginning to the rest of my life. i know that everyday is the beginning really, but seriously - this is how shane and i look at it:

today - move to college for preseason.

beginning of september - start 1st semester...thanksgiving break...end of semester.

1 month at home: substitute teaching/working at target.

january 17th: move to chicago for student teaching.

may 6th: finish student teaching.

may: home to substitute teaching, final wedding plans, etc.

june 3: get married and start my life in the real world. (after the honeymoon of course. =))

it's crazy to thing that just 9 months from now i will be married, living in chicago, with the MAN OF MY DREAMS and just being. being together. together. =) boy, does that make me happy.

and with that note - i will blissfully fall asleep, and wake up, teach my last week of sunday school, pack the rest of my car, drive to school, see my fiance, and move into my apartment.

God, You are good. so good. help me to see it and live it at ALL times.