Chocolate with kidney beans!

The other day I went to the store strictly to buy milk and eggs and of course a baguette...and somehow some chocolate hopped in my basket when I wasn't looking! I decided it wouldn't be right for me to abandon it so now it has a home next to my sugar cubes on my shelf:) Okay, so this chocolate has something special. It's not your ordinary (but extrodinary) French dark chocolate. No, it has tiny pieces of kidney beans mingling inside. Your probably thinking "that's just wrong" like my roommate Jenna informed me...but don't judge until you try it! To me it's perfect...just a little square of chocolate with my tea in the evening and all the worries in the world just dissapear. Is that what they mean by food-therapy? Maybe I'll switch to retail therapy tomorrow! At least for the afternoon.

Tonight, I got the best news! Emily is coming to stay for Christmas!!!!! Do you know how much that makes me just want to sing? Like tons. My roommates were studying when she told me and I didn't want to disturb them, so I just did my happy dance! No doubt about it, my siter is the best!

Guess what? Tomorrow I don't have any classes! Another great thing...today couldn't be any better. I'm really glad to have a long weekend so I can have a little fun and still get my presentation ready to go for Tuesday. God is good.

Well, I think I'll share this last little thing just as a bit of encouragement. A few months ago, I was in a bible study by Beth Moore and she was talking about trusting God in everything and she made a little side point that has kind of stuck with me. She talked about playing the "worst case senario" game when problems arise. My first reaction was "what, that seems kind of backwards" but now I do it all the time without even realizing it. Okay, this is what you do. When a worry pops into your head take it to the extreme and see how even if the very worst were to happen, God is still in control. For example, lets say I'm worring about a test in school (totally hypothetical) I say to myself...what if I get a C on this test. Quelle horreur! Then I say, no, what if I fail then I'm kicked out of school next semester and I have to go home and clean scum off of the toilets in some reandom restaurant because I can't find a job. (I come from a long line of worriers so this comes pretty natural to me) Even if I "lose" everything, I've still gained everything. I still got to spend a semester in France, live in an apartment with its own set of challenges, meet new people at church, and hopefully grown in some aspect. And as if all of that were not enought, I still have Christ! And in Christ we can find joy in any circumstance. How could we not?

Sorry to go on and on...I don't want to preach to you but I do think it's really cool how God can make something you heard months ago just pop into your head to comfort you. Not that I'm really worring about school this point, but like I said I'm a natural.

Well, time for me to go to bed. This has been such a great day and I don't want to it to end, but if I want tomorrow to be equally as enjoyable I should probably get some sleep. Night everybody!

So much time and so little to do....scratch that, reverse it!

It seems I have just enough time to write a quick note before going to bed! As you can probably tell, the pace is starting to pick up. School is in full swing now and some days I feel like it's the best thing ever, and others I have no idea what we were talking about for the last hour! Funny how that goes. Next week, I have my first presentation so I've been trying to prepare for that. Fortunately, the university library is packed with interesting material and reading about Rousseau and his works has been facinating. We'll see if I can explain any of it next week in front of the class:) At least I get to give my presentation first and then it's over no matter the outcome.
Alright, I know this is just mean but here is a picture of my latest yummy treat...millefeuille. Also known as the best dessert known to man. If you come to France to visit me, I'll totally buy you one:)



Well, the things that are really on my mind right now are probably not worth writing and giving more attention. So, I'm just going to take some time to do some reading and then sleep. I can't wait for tomorrow morning....markets!!!! I'm in desparte need of some veggies:)

Hope you are all doing well. I'm praying for you as I walk over this bridge every morning....it's a long bridge:)

Avant d'oublier

Last week was a whirlwind, and I'm glad I'm keeping a journal because otherwise I would have nothing interesting to write. My brain must be too busy right now to keep up.

To start off the week, we had our first class (linguistics) and things went pretty smoothly. After class, we all just kind of wandered about town. It's funny how many things I totally missed last time. For example, we went to one of the gardens and there were wallabies, bunnies, weird chickens, ostrages,goats, and some others that I don't recall.



Tuesday was crazy long. It started with a meeting at the bank to open an account....let's just say that about 100 signatures later, I think I have one. They litterally have an inch thick file on me now. Crazy.

After that, the rest of the day was spent in class. Since we aren't really "in the know" about what is good to take or not, we just tried everything that seemed okay. It's a good thing we did that too because we sat through one course that we thought would be perfect and it turned out that we needed a base in latin to follow along at all. Scary stuff. Everything is working out school wise though. It's going to be a challenge, but that's exactly what I signed up for:)

As far as fun things go, this week I cooked a lot more and got inventive. One night I needed to use up several tomatoes from the market (mostly so I could buy more...so yummy and like 6 for a euro) so I made tomates au four. I'm guessing we just call them baked tomatoes in english...sounds weird??? Yes, it was a lot of tomatoes but oh so delicious. I also toasted some baguette with fresh chevre on top!

Tonight, I made a yummy soupe aux lentilles:) Delicious yet again...and pretty healthy too! Oh, I forgot to tell about the amazing student price we found at a local sandwich stand. For three euro, a student gets a sandwich (on a baguette), two pain au chocolats, and a can of pop! What a deal. Or i can go to the cafeteria and have a full meal for the same price....but I prefer taking my lunch to the park to eat and people watch when it's nice out.



Friday night I went out with a few of the other students and we had a great time. First, Jenna and I went to take pics of the cathedral at night, and then we went down to the river where there was a jazz band playing and people line dancing! It was fantastic and so very French. Loved it.


Yesterday passed without much to note...a bit of shopping, organizing, homework, and cleaning.

And finally, that brings us to today...what a wonderful day!!!!! This morning I went to church and we had communion, sangs songs I new, and listend to a sermon that was like many I've heard before about "l'amour de Dieu" but in French it really comes across better:) Then, this afternoon I was invited to have lunch with some of the people in the church...and they also invited some others that were my age. Finally, I got to know a few young adults and learned that they actually have a Bible study each week together and they invited me!!!! Yay. Needless to say we had a great afternoon eating, laughing, and strangely enough playing Wii!

Just last night before I went to bed, I prayed asking God to make a way for me to meet some French Christians my age to help me grow and become a part of this society. Wow, He answered my prayer quickly! Anyway, I'm just so thankful to have met some new people.

After a wonderful lunch and dessert (yum) we went to the ruins near their house and also to the flee markets. Here's some pictures. And also the family that organised this afternoon.




Well, I better get to bed. Class in the morning and then the rest of the day in the library preparing for my first presentation in a couple of weeks. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me. As you can tell, God is good and faithful in all things:)

Tranquille en Ville

While wandering the streets this morning, I couldn't think of a single thing I'd rather be doing. The markets were full of people making careful selections of exotic vegetables and the most beautiful fruits imaginable...that are actually ripe! In my attmept to buy only what I could use and keep in my tiny fridge, I came out with clementines(yes dad, I'm keeping up my vitamin C), haricots verts, onions both red and white, an avocado, a few tomatoes, some tender lettuce, and some flowers of course! Luckily, I made it to the markets just before they closed ! While walking to the bus stop with my arms full, there was a guy playing some sort of strange instrument and he was dressed up in a costume of sorts singing folk songs. I couldn't help but set down my bags and take a quick photo! Anybody know what this is?

I love walking through town...couples walking home together after shopping each holding one handle of a shopping bag, little French kids begging their parents for sweets, and the sounds of tiny French cars whizzing by!

Yesterday morning I had the chance to clean the apartment and finally take some pics. The people who lived here before us left so much stuff behind, some of it useful but there are some things that just should have been thrown away years ago...so we are still in the process of getting things cleared out.


Okay pics... This is our tiny fridge and sink..but functional since we buy most everything fresh from the markets.

Here we have our "dining room" and our toaster oven...i'm still learning how to use it! There are four girls living in the apartment and we have two bathrooms and two mini kitchens so it works out fine.


So this is our bathroom shower/sinks and the toilet is in it's own little closet(i thought i would spare you that picture.) Yes,I know the curtain is dreadful...who would ever choose dolphins? It must have been cheep, at least let's hope



This is my closet, or half of it. It really is a decent size in my opinion especially since I don't have that much to put in it:)


And finally we come to my bedroom. This afternoon I think I'm going to go get some posters and hang them up just so the walls aren't so bare. I totally forgot to bring pictures of everybody to pin up, but I'll figure something out.



Oh,I almost forgot. Last night my roommates and I went out to eat and we went to this great pizzeria that was built in the 14th century...but somehow i forgot to really look at the menu before the waiteress came to take our order so I just quickly picked something without really reading what it was. I figured, it's pizza...you can't mess that up right? Wrong...it totally came and was covered in anchovies. I ate it anyway, but I've learned my lesson...read first. Ha.


(me and a roommate,Jenna,at the restaurant)

Okay, I'll leave you with this...a picutre of my lovely salad from lunch:) All from the markets this morning.

Tours de Tours

It's true...man cannont live on bread alone, but throw in some cheese,chocolate, and chouquettes and one can do pretty well:) So any of you that have heard anything from me in the last few days know that they haven't been perfect, but I had a wonderful day today and once again and back to my normal France loving self.

Jet-lag took a toll on me, actually is still in the process seeing as how I haven't slept yet, but hopefully that will reside soon:) I'll be able to post a few picks later, but my apartment is cute. And by cute, I mean tiny (kind of like acute right emily?.) Fortunately, I went to IKEA the other day and bought a few things to brighten up the place and today I bought some pretty purple flowers for my room! As some of you were wondering, there are three other girls living in my apartment which might get kind of crazy at times. Oh, and I'm on the top (5th) floor so we have a terrasse. I even have these funny metal blinds on the outside of my window that kind of roll down like a garage door and block out all light whatsoever! Nice for napping I guess? I wouldn't know.

Today really cheered me up because I got to get out a bit and explore the town and buy groceries, a cell phone, internet, a backpack, and of course the much needed parapluie (umbrella). All of those little interactions are so fun because for example, I get to describe what I want in a cell phone in French and hope the guy understands. Luckly my French skills are totally coming back and I can't wait to see where this year takes me!!!

To top it all off I got to talk to mom and dad on the phone today! What a comfort to hear their voices and know that they care. I have such a great family!

Well, I shouldn't write everything about my life today or you'll all get really bored and never read this again. So as the French say...à la prochaine!

Packing Time

It never ends…or does it?  Wouldn’t it be great if I were brave enough just to travel with a toothbrush and underwear and avoid packing altogether?  But then again, I would have to pack a suitcase full of cash to purchase new everything upon arriving causing just as much frustration.  Perhaps I’ll find a happy medium.  That would be fantastic:)  Take off is on Thursday so I better get back to packing, cleaning, and dreaming of fresh baked bread!