Fun stuff

Cake Pops!

We made Lauren walk up the stairs and ACT surprised, hahah!

This last weekend was a busy one! It was my dad's birthday on Saturday and for years I have been trying to convince him to go to California Adventures for his birthday because he has never gone before. My plan at last came to fruition. Muaaa! Just kidding. We drove down to L.A late Thursday night and then spent all day at Disneyland and California Adventures. It was very uncrowded (so nice). Unfortunately Disneyland is definitely better in my childhood memories but getting to finally spend some quality family time was really nice. We stayed with our friends the Wiricks in Orange County. They are such an awesome family and we enjoyed every second of our time with them. On Saturday we went back to California Adventures for a couple hours and rode the rafting ride 3 times in a row. Sadly I must report that California Adventures is going to the dogs. They have eliminated my mom's favorite fountain, the Giant Orange, the cool metal sun on the ferris wheel, Mulholland Madness, and the Maliboomer. They are making it less California-y and more Disneylandish. Oh well.

After speeding home on Sunday I had exactly one hour to get ready for Lauren's surprise party that I was throwing. It turned out really well. It was a Super Hero themed dance party and I made all of Lauren's favorite desserts. The Funfetti Cupcake Cake Pops turned out super cute if I do say so myself! Unfortunately Lauren wasn't truly surprised...she said my texts inviting her to watch Batman were "too formal." Ok so maybe planning surprise parties is not my expertise, at least for people as "witty" (Wesley's words) as Lauren :)

10-10-10

Phew! What a week. I'm currently sitting at Shelby Patty's dorm desk at Wheaton College. Sarah Phillips and I set out for our midwest adventure on Wednesday. We drove down to LA and stayed with Hannah Bredberg for the night. We actually stopped by UCSB on the way down to visit Kelsey O'Brien for a little while also. So far our travels have been so smooth. It was quite the task planning the traveling details a few months ago but everything has worked out perfectly. A van from Hillsdale College met us at the Detroit airport. The drive to Hillsdale was amazing. We sped past quaint farms with picturesque red barns and hundreds of beautiful fall trees! All of the leaves have turned yellow, red, and orange. My brother was actually in Michigan as well for the Michigan vs. Michagan State football game. We were texting back and forth about how pretty the state was.
Sarah and I had a wonderful time at Hillsdale. I felt like I had stepped back in time. The tiny campus was just gorgeous. We got a tour, had a meeting with an admissions person, attended some classes and got to hang out with one of my best friends Emily Johnston. Everyone there was so friendly. I kind of felt like I was on a different planet. We were driven early Saturday morning to Jackso0n, MI where we caught an Amtrak train to Chicago. Unfortunatley we experienced two delays but we made it into Union Station eventually. Shelby and Eli were waiting for us. Eli was our official Chicago tour guide. The city was beautiful. It reminded me very much of New York City but some people argue that it's cleaner. We went to Millenium park, played in the fountain, ate yummy Italian food (Giordano's Deep Dish Pizza had way too long of a wait) saw the Moody Bible Institute where Eli goes to school and just enjoyed each other's company.
At the end of the day we took a commuter train out of Chicago and into Wheaton. After getting settled in Shelby's dorm we had fun eating ice cream and getting to meet her friends. This week has been go go go and I definitely nodded off multiple times during church this morning. Now we're just relaxing in Shelby's dorm until we walk downtown.
This trip has given me a ton to think about. Do I like big schools or little schools? Do I want to go to school in California or out of state. So many decisions to make. It has been a little annoying how we keep getting mistaken for high school students and then have to explain that we are really freshmen who go to our local junior college but plan on transfering. Also all of our college friends have made so many new friends and relationships that we are getting anxious to make some of our own as well.
Sarah- I love you so much. I honestly don't know what I would do without you. God has blessed me so much by keeping you in my life this year. I know He has awesome plans for us both. We just need to hang in there and trust Him. Love you, xoxoxoxo
I'm trying not to think about the huge Physiology test and Sociology test I have awaiting me at home. The work just never ends I guess. But I'm so thankful I've had the opportunity to go on this trip. It has been awesome.
xoxoxo Evelyn