Welcome to Moody

It's here! Or I should say, they're here! Students, new and returning, are arriving on Moody campus for the start of the 2010-11 year.

That gentle lulling tide of summer break stillness and rest has rolled into energetic splashing and crashing waves. Let me tell you, the moment students stepped on campus and we started hugging our returning students and welcoming our new, I was so excited that it's time for high tide.

That rhythm of work and rest has cycled back to work, and the work at Moody is just such a privilege. And, we can be happy laying on the beach for only so long until we want to roll up our sleeves and work for God's kingdom, you know? But speaking of laying on the beach, what a blessing it is, can I get an amen? More Florida pictures still to come.

Besides that little thing about Moody being such an exciting place of training the next generation of young adults to take the love, compassion, truth, grace, and hope of the Gospel to every corner of their hearts and every corner of the earth, there is something else extra about this year....

My sister Hosanna (Hoz) is a new freshman! It was so exciting to see her and Mom's faces amidst the sea of students on the plaza on freshman move-in day. Mom started crying within the first five seconds, and Hoz remained a rock throughout.

I've grabbed some pictures off of Mom's computer for you to see of the day. Apparently, I carried around my camera bag all day as a mere purse as I forgot to take many pictures.

{Goodbyes}

{Hello's}

{Meeting Hoz's roommate, Rachel}

{Getting the room set up}
Um, can I have a set of those sheets please?

{More pictures}

We had lots of funny stories from Hoz's move-in day. Here's one of them: An RA had come into Hoz and Rachel's room and was talking with Rachel. She saw Hoz's picture frames, and said, "Why does your roommate have a picture of the RS and his wife? That is sooo weird." Seconds later, we walked in, and everyone laughed as I explained that Hoz and I are sisters, therefore warranting "the RS" a place in her family picture frame.

Hoz got to meet the President and the Dean on her first day too, which we didn't think was too shabby for her first day.

After getting Hoz off to orientation meetings, Mom and I went to 3rd Coast for brunch, complete with a hot raspberry scone and conversation that warmed and sugared my soul. We carried that conversation all the way home where I'm spending the weekend until Neal gets back from a wedding he's in in MN.

This August I think I've spent much more time away from Neal than with him, but that's the nature of August in Residence Life and it'll settle soon. But I'm thankful for all the sweet time I've gotten to spend with family! Until then, we remember that students and work and everything in between is the whole reason why we're here. And Moody students, we're so glad you're here.

I had worked on this post at home over the weekend, but had trouble uploading it. So you'll see it's a few hours outdated, as it's no longer the weekend, and I'm no longer at my family's. Neal and I are finally at home in Chicago living under the same roof (it's also the same roof that 900 college guys are living under, but that's beside the point). We both have miserable colds, but we're happy to be back together and putting our suitcases AWAY, at least for a little while.

Florida Scrapbook Pages

When I sit down to write a blog post, it helps me to reign in the chaos of my experiences, thoughts, photos, and many, many facets of life by remembering why I created this blog in the first place. Looking back to my first post, I said it would be a "modern scrapbook, a prayer journal, a writer's notebook, a folder for notes & quotes, a message in a bottle, a blog."

For me, our Florida vacation pictures and stories are for the "modern scrapbook" part of this blog. Instead of buying albums, printed papers, and scalloped scissors, I go here.

If you'd like to take a peek, read on!

While I am utterly captivated by the beach and have to be practically bribed away come evening by a good dinner or the promise to return for sunset, the pool was one of my favorites this trip.

Every day but one or two, Neal and I had the pool completely to ourselves. And, on occasion when Neal stayed inside to get a bit of extra studying in, I was alone with the 5-star pool. Me and 5-star pools get along extremely well. We have, you could say, good chemistry.











Other fave spots on vacation: the screened-in porch. Or as they call it in Florida, the lanai. But it feels just silly for two Chicagoans to call it that.

The screened-in porch was home to Neal studying every morning before I got up (I'm telling you, allllmost finished with that Masters!), my time in the Word in the morning, the both of us reading during afternoon rain storms, and relaxing after a day at the beach. Because you usually do need to relax after a day at the beach, haha.

Neal and I kind of have a thing for screened-in porches. His family had a wonderful one in their previous house, and I like to say we fell in love on that porch.




Chili's. Chili's could have whole pages to itself in the "Me + Neal So Far" scrapbook. It all started during grad school when we constantly needed a place to process with one another all that was going through our heads during grad school. We started getting Chili's gift cards as rewards from our credit card.

It was the perfect collision of supply (rewards gift cards) and demand (our need to get away together to mentally dump), and our relationship with Chili's was born and has been maintained to this day. Oh the dreams, secrets, and thoughts of the Andersons that the walls of Chilis' hold. It seemed only fitting that we visit the Naples one a couple of times!


Since this post has morphed into taking us through places special to Neal and I in Florida and otherwise, why not close with one of the most special places of all. Here's a glimpse of the Sandpiper, the beach restaurant where we got engaged.


Sunning, isn't it? It was the most beautiful place to say, "Yes!" and is such a gorgeous place to revisit.

So, those are some of my faves! The pool, the screened-in porch, Chili's in Naples, and the Sandpiper engagement spot.

Goodnight, friends. I hope you enjoyed some of these scrapbook pages. Have sweet dreams tonight of the places you love, with, more importantly, the people you love.

New Beginnings

Last night I did something I've never done before.

I went on a bike ride in the city by myself. Sounds strange, even to my own ears, that I wouldn't have done that before. But truth be told, I don't much like being by myself, and usually if I want to do something in the city, I want to enjoy it with someone else.

But last night after dinner, Neal had to study (now just one final away from his Masters!), and it was a beautiful summer evening. It was too late to make plans to with someone else, but then I thought of my bike and of Lake Shore Path. I'd hardly be alone there. I grabbed my bike lock key and camera bag and considered it a date.

It was lovely. I think I might have to try it again sometime.

While I rode, I thought some of how I love living in this city. I thought some about students arriving soon, and about how our ministry to student leaders starts for the year... tomorrow.

I think Neal and I are both ready for this year. Not exactly in a dramatic way, but in a "the-tide-is-rolling-in" way that feels inevitable and natural and good.

New beginnings. Year No. 2 at Moody. Year No. 1 ended up being the most challenging season of my life to date, which came entirely unexpected. Year No. 2... expect the unexpected. Open wide my mind for possibilities. Reach for my soul to be stretched. Be content in all joys and trials. Pray. Watch. Trust.

I'm glad to be here.

Baby Kaden

Press pause on the Florida pictures for a few days. My newest nephew, baby Kaden, is here!

There's not much else in the world I love more than when my sister Tiff has babies. They are the most scrumptious treat you can imagine. With Kaden, her fourth and final, I was free as a bird to spend lots of time with him and Tiff. No more glares and evil eyes from nurses like when I arrived at 1:00 in the morning from college to see her firstborn, Garrett.

This time I arrived at a normal hour, bearing Baby Gap and Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.

{Because sisters know.}

{Baby Kaden}

Tiff, thank you for sharing Kaden's first week with me! In addition to the joy of meeting him, this week felt like textbook definition of "sisters" to me. I believe the definition goes as follows:

A.) Be there for each other to celebrate the great joys and landmarks of life together.
B.) Fall madly in love with each others' babies and snuggle them endlessly.
C.) Laugh and cry together in the same sitting.
D.) Eat plenty of ice cream together, multiple times a day if necessary.

In this blog, I've talked some about trying to find and enjoy the small blessings in each day, even in the midst of a difficult season of life. It wasn't too hard to find them this week.

Before closing out this post, I thought you might enjoy seeing Kaden's brothers and sister welcoming him home.

{Garrett}

{Lilly}

{Connor}

"Babies are such a nice way to start people." -Don Herrold
I completely agree.

The Beach at Pelican Bay

My very favorite quote is by E.B. White and says,

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day."

Here you'll see pictures of 10 days of simply enjoying the world, particularly on the beach at Pelican Bay. It's these beach days, getaways, and times of rejuvenation that fuel my body, mind, and spirit to arise in the morning seeking to improve the world on the ordinary everyday.

One of the ways I enjoy the world best is with sun, sand, and salt water. And enjoy we did! Deeply, happily, and thankfully. Here are a collection of photos of our days at the beach.

{Mangrove walk or tram ride to the beach}
(Can you already see why I love it here?)

{Most days we took the tram, but this day we walked}
{Breathtaking arrival at the beach}

{The ultimate R&R}

Happy days! More to come.