Tender Mercies -- a listening ear.

I had the most wonderful afternoon today.

Today as a whole was pretty good (Mondays and Wednesdays are my work instead of school days).

I worked at the museum,

then I went to the class I TA for,

and then my good friend and I sat in the hallway of the JFSB for over 2 hours talking.

It was so nice.

Life has been pretty lonely.

My research trip was wonderful but not without some pretty excruciating trials.

I got home, started a wonderful new job, but I'm still figuring out some things.

I haven't really had anyone to talk to for awhile.

I didn't think I was much of a talker but I certainly was today.

Poor Lynn got an ear full.

Lynn and I are in the same cohort, meaning we had basically all the same classes our first year.

So we talked, struggled, and pulled through a lot with the other girls in our class.

It has been a long time so we caught up on crazy things.

Like her crazy experiences this summer,

and my experiences with crazy people.

:)

Anyway, bottom line:

I am grateful for kind people,

who sacrifice their time and sanity for someone.

Because really,

I think we all are struggling a bit more than we let on.

Often more than a bit.

♥ ♥ ♥

Awesome archaeology -- "We like them to be dead...and human."

Yesterday was technically the first day of classes.

I say technically because I technically went to class but it wasn't mine.

Let me explain.

This semester I have 2 jobs.

I love them both.

Not equally, but there is enough love to go around.

Heaven knows I don't love anything outside of archaeology at present.

But that is besides the point.

My first job is my favorite.

I work for the publishing arm of the Anthropology department.

I absolutely love it.

I am learning so much.

My second job is also for the Anthropology department.

I work as a TA for the Intro to Archaeology course.

This job is also fun.

It is the class I attended yesterday.

The quote in the heading was said by the professor who was trying to explain to the students what exactly archaeologists study.

Dead people and their cultures.

Not dinosaurs.

People really struggle to understand that.

I can't figure out why.

Oh well.

In other good news I am now a part-time student.

There are good and bad things about this.

Good: I can afford tuition.

Bad: I am a part-time student and therefore am a lesser citizen in the eyes of the university.

...or so I thought.

I wanted to use the facilities here.

Not the bathroom...the pool, weight rooms, courts etc.

It costs $45 for part-time students.

I went to pay it and the guy asked me if I was a grad student.

I said yes.

He informed me that grad students are super special and always have access to facilities,

even if they are part-time.

I am sure I have said it before but I love being a grad student.

It is marvelous.

So life is good, school is starting, and happiness is the most present emotion at present.

Yay!

♥ ♥ ♥

Weak Sauce -- The BYU all-happiness pass.

Ok, it is really an all-sports rather than an all-happiness pass but it does make me oh so happy.

I bought a BYU all-sports pass.

Which lets me into any BYU NCAA event.

Which I think is fan-friekin- tastic.

http://byucougars.com/home/w-soccer

Last night I went to the BYU Women's Soccer game.

We lost.

It was very sad.

It was a bit of a dirty game.

Miami was not always so friendly.

Pushing, punching, and kicking won them more yellow cards than points.

But regardless of how much better your ball skills, if you can't get it into the goal, you will still lose.

Unfortunately Miami got it into the goal...once.

We did not.

Oh well.

Next game.

Which I will be to.

Because I have my all-sports pass.

♥ ♥ ♥

Weak Sauce -- working at working out.

Working out...ugh.

I'm not one of those girls that heads to the gym for the fun of it...despite a pretty athletic background.

I have to have some kind of purpose.  

Losing weight or having a six-pack really isn't that inspiring to me.

Which is strange apparently.

Or so I am continually told.

So I gave myself a goal:

Do a triathlon!

But then I needed something to keep me going.

So I talked to my sisters and we are talking to others and we are all going to keep each other in check.

Sounds fantastic right?

Except we don't necessarily live near each other...

and we all kind of have different goals...

and like to work out at different times...

so working out together won't really work.

So what did we do?

We made a blog where we are going to post our goals, workouts, inspirations, and whatever else we feel like posting.

We're girls, there are endless possibilities.

(the inspiration for this came from my brother the little juan and his cross-country team)

It is called The Rolee Polees.

It's going to be so much fun!

♥ ♥ ♥

The end of Project 52

I honestly wondered if this would happen but it has.

Over a year ago (on August 1, 2010) I started a photo project to document a very important year in my life.

The goal was to take a picture each week that summarized my feelings for the week.

It is now completed.

Which is really strange.

This year I started and completed my first year of grad school,

decided on my thesis subject,

got a grant to get my data for my thesis,

excavated in Jordan,

researched for 2 weeks at the American Center for Oriental Research in Amman, Jordan,

drove all over Italy and Sicily to Roman theaters,

went to England and Wales,

decided to pursue a doctorate...in England,

and basically changed my life.

These are a select few things, and in no way give an accurate picture of this year; more things have happened and there is no way to include them all.

The overarching theme is:

Life is a gift, everything this year has attested to that.

It is a blessing.

For some reason that I cannot comprehend I am on this particular path.

I am so grateful for that.

It has been amazing and I have no doubt whatsoever that it will continue to be that way.

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for all of these blessings.  

I wish I could tell you all of the miracles that have happened this year.

But it would go on for way to long, so I will resist. 

Suffice it to say, it has been a miraculous year.

Here is some photographic proof: 52 Lights in the Dark.

♥ ♥ ♥