break (so far)

I have been home for three and a half days and it has been absolutely glorious. I haven't written a line of code or read a sentence of a textbook. Victoria & I joined the Y for this gap month and have been going to work out together every morning. I've been to two parties, spent plenty of time with family, and completed most of my Christmas shopping. And today, I got up, went to the gym, put back on my pajamas, and sat around forever. I was going to go to the Sarahs' Christmas party but I had a headache so I just stayed in. It was wonderful.

Speaking of wonderful :), on Tuesday Patrick brought me these beautiful flowers that I have in my room now--lilies, chrysanthemums, carnations, daisies, some other stuff mixed in. They make me smile. Things are going well between us. He's coming up for his church's Christmas Eve service, and I'm going with him to it. That should be good.

I'm enjoying spending time with my sisters. Victoria and I have done a bunch together and that's been good. Briana and I haven't got to hang out much but we have been beating each other up as usual, so I've enjoyed that, haha. I love my family. I'm not sure there are any others like us. But I think it's great that my sisters and I are 21, 18, and 13, and still wrestling each other to the ground, and that Mom, Victoria, and I randomly drift into heated theological conversations, that we make art out of tangerine peels at breakfast, and that decapitated gingerbread people are legitimate works of art in our household. I love it. Go ahead, you can think we're all crazy, but I wouldn't want it any other way :)

I anxiously await my class grades. Those last two weeks were intense. I've never worked so hard as I did the week following Thanksgiving with all those projects due. I was sleeping far too little and writing code for 6 and 8 hours at a time. It was terrible, and I have no idea how my grades will turn out, but we'll find out in a few days. I'm not even thinking about next semester until later. I can't handle any more class right now.

In other school-related news, on Tuesday I think I finally decided that I'm definitely going to Clemson and I may not even fill out any grad school apps. I don't know, I just think I belong there. It feels right. And if I hate it, I'll finish out my masters there and go somewhere else for the Ph.D. I'm not giving an official answer yet. I'm not quitting my other applications yet. But I think I'm getting closer being okay with making those decisions.

Well, I think that's all to report on that's of significance. I'm sure there will be more reflection later. Not being in class all the time frees me to think about other things like God and myself and overall just processing everything that's happened in the past semester because it's felt like a blur. It'll come clear later when I have time to think about it. 

If I don't write before, I hope that you all have an awesome Christmas :)