New School Year

Here we go! The students are back in Columbia and the parking spaces are gone! I was spoiled by the ease of getting around Columbia this summer and all of a sudden - they're back - which is great! My life and David's life revolves around college students and we love it.

David was in Birmingham this week fundraising so that he can get back to working on campus with The Navigators. He isn't quite there yet, but he is getting closer! He is aching to get back to disciple the guys he started discipling last year and meeting more this year. He is trusting that the Lord's timing is perfect and that ours is not.

This was a big week for me with work/school! Wednesday we had Cool Off Carolina, a pool party at our Strom Pool. We had free pizza, hot dogs, chips and vitamin water for everyone, along with a volleyball tournament next to the pool and boche ball and corn toss! We had several hundred students show up. It was a lot of fun!! This event is our big Welcome Week celebrations by the Alumni Association

This picture was taken before the Volleyball Tournament started - Cocky our mascot came to the event and was a hit!

Then Thursday I started classes. I'm co-teaching a U-101 (freshman seminar) class with my boss. She's great and I think we're going to enjoy our class. I also take a class on Thursday nights that helps all the graduate teaching assistants be better teachers. Monday I start my other class, Trends in Higher Education. The VP of Student Affairs and Dean of Students at USC is our professor in the Trends class. One thing I love about my master's program is we have the actual practicing professionals teaching our classes, which is super cool. We of course learn the research and theory regarding higher education, but we also get a chance to be face to face with practitioners to learn about higher education.

So, pretty soon our lives will be busy again! I usually like being busy so I'm excited. I'm especially excited about being surrounded by all our friends again who were gone most of the summer!

Caroline update: she's kicking! David can finally feel her sometimes! It is pretty exciting! We ordered our crib and have started picking out nursery stuff. Everything seems to be going smoothly. After my next doctor's appointment I move from going once a month to going every two weeks! It makes me feel like I'm far along or something :-)