Less sleep makes for longer days.

I walked lightly through the Olson's land observing how the sunlight was bouncing off different objects. Shadows covered items that gave it more drama than it deserved. The farm screams of old age as I traveled from one spot to the next. Raising my camera, I focus on a tin can. The shutter releases.




I spent the early morning photographing elements in the farm that I felt was photographically interesting. I avoided human presence in the pictures, but kept in the element of human effects. Time alone doing my photography thing was something I needed. I've spent two weeks with people; time to get away for an hour.

After a while, Laura came out in her Walmart vest and her hair fixed ready to spend eight hours behind a cashier's counter. She walked towards me while I took a picture of some old building, and handed me a note. Girls like notes. They're fun to write and good to read, but you would never hear of a guy writing a guy a note before parting ways. Girls like them, though. I'll write a note to a girl, except I didn't think of it with Laura until she handed me one. Doh...obligation calls.

Laura seemed to dread saying goodbye much more than I saw necessary; however, she did say a fine goodbye with hugs and all. She drove off and that's that. I spent the next few hours talking with Uncle Jim and Angela and packing up my stuff before Julia came.


Karen and Angela have piano lessons taught by Michelle. Angela practices some pieces in the morning. 

The wait for my plane is excruciating. I missed my first flight, so now I'm waiting two and a half hours for the next. It's not that we didn't leave early enough, but there was a crazy accident on the road that delayed us. Julia and I did bond again for the last time, so it was good to have the extra time to talk with her. She had some things on her mind that she needed to get out, so I appreciated that God provided us that extra time. Not so much that it was an accident that granted the time for us...you know what I mean.

I must say that the week with the Olsons has been a very relaxing and destressing time. I needed this. I needed the break from school, and I needed the break to be spent in a unique way. Being out of California for a couple weeks was indeed refreshing. I thank God that I was able to talk and learn about every person in that family on a deeper level. Maybe not as deep as some people may think, but I've come to know each and one of them better; and that was worth my trip.

Julia and I gave our parting words and goodbye hugs just outside the departure terminals. I wrote both Julia and Laura notes knowing that they'd appreciate that, plus it wins points with the ladies. Ha! If only they weren't Julia and Laura would that make that statement worth something...

I love those girls.

I'm feeling the nostalgia now. Indeed it will be a hard thing to step onto the plane. But life goes on, and I know that Julia and Laura will always be around.

Sling on my backpack, throw my camera onto my shoulder, and head over to board the plane. It's going to be a long flight.

The Laura Effect.

I'm going to say right now...that the Olson kids are brutal at Dutch Blitz. I know that I'm only a beginner at the game - learning the game only this past Monday - but I can't get over how incredibly fast these girls are with the cards. I played Angela one on one today just to see if I could at least handle a two player game.

The final score: Angela - 130; Lem - 45

I'm not quite sure if I was frustrated or amused; most likely a little of both. One thing's for sure, though, and I was 100% humbled. That's alright, Angela and I had fun.


Karen and Angela are the only home schoolers left out of the eight kids. Insane. Here Karen is working on math, the subject we all can vouch for as the most favorite. Yeah... 


Lunch. What fun it is to eat! 

Laura, Brad, and I drove over to Jim and Michelle's apartment in the afternoon after Laura got off work. It was a lot of fun seeing Michelle again. I think she has changed the most out of the five oldest kids, but I think that's only because I hadn't seen her in over five years (I think). Jim is one cool bean. He's really energetic when it comes to doing the spontaneous, and there was no trouble feeling comfortable around him.

Michelle didn't cancel a lesson she had to teach, so we all trucked over to Northwestern University and hung out for an hour while Michelle went off and did her teaching thing. Jim went and socialized with some of his friends, which left Laura, Brad, and I to explore the world of Northwestern. I have to say that the campus is one of the most scenic I've seen. I told Julia later that it kicked Crown's campus in the balls for having a lot more trees and a lake. She told me that Crown had all that and even better, but I never saw it. I guess I should have asked. Oh, well.


Laura viewing the lake at Northwestern College. I consider this my money shot for the whole trip. 


Brad exploring the bridge and what lies beneath...(Which is nothing.) 

Anyhow, so I took a lot of pictures of Laura and Brad hanging out at Northwestern and appreciated the cool greenery once again. The lake was awesome. After a half hour, Jim found us and we met up with Michelle and Andrea, who arrived not long after, and headed to TGI Friday's. Julia arrived a little later to hang out with us as well. After dinner, we went back to Jim and Michelle's apartment and socialized and looked through the wedding album. A lot of fun to see the Olson gang that I grew up with all together. Jim is crazy. Perfect addition to the family. Heh.


Strangely, this is the only solo picture I took of Jim. Jim on the cell. It doesn't really do justice to his character, but it's all I got. Sorry, Jimmy. 


The five oldest Olson kids; it was fun to get them all in one picture. (Left to right) Andrea, Julia, Michelle, Brad, and Laura at TGI Friday's. 

Around 10 pm, we headed back to Cambridge to end the night. Laura and I talked about what she'll be doing in the months ahead when she goes to training for YWAM in Hawaii. She was thinking of stopping in LA for a couple days before heading to Hawaii, and I suggested Janel as a place to stay. She got really excited about that idea, so perhaps Laura will make an appearance in So Cal sometime in January. I told her she needs to experience driving in LA; she told me she has no desire to drive there.

When we got back to the Olson's, Laura and I watched old home videos of when Laura was in Indonesia, so I got to "meet" the whole Indonesia gang. After about an hour of watching I said, "Laura, you had eight crazy months over there!" She nodded in agreement. There was so much footage of good times that was only a fraction of the stories Laura would tell me. I fully understood how hard it was for her to leave two years ago.

Laura and I talked into the wee hours of the night. I think it was close to 3 am before we both realized that Laura had to work tomorrow at 11. It was such an encouragement talking with Laura like that again. The things we talk about are challenging and comforting and refreshing all at once, and it is a blessing that I can connect with someone so closely in the way I connect with Laura. I've learned tonight talking to Laura how much she's grown and matured throughout the years, and that is encouraging. Very encouraging indeed. God has really given me a great gift when He put Laura in my life.

She went to bed; I played the guitar until 3:30 am. Music has become an integral part of my everyday goings. I find my stress is released through listening to a good album or playing my favorite songs on the guitar.

It'll be one hard thing stepping onto the plane tomorrow.

J.L.O

My last full day here in Minnesota. I remembered my conversation with Julia on the way down from Crown yesterday. We talked of life and friends and of God and love, and we talked of all the things in between. The more I talk with and learn about Julia, the more I grow to love her. She has become such a wonderful friend to me, and one who's proved to be a person to look to when times get rough. I know she will pray for me when I need prayer, and her support for her friends is an attribute that is hard to find in most people. I think that makes Julia one of my dearest friends.


This is Julia. 

I just thought I'd write that down before I forget. I look forward to this day. Some of us will go and visit Jim and Michelle and have dinner with them tonight. Julia will try to make it down from Crown after classes as well.

Play true.

I never got to hang out with Patrick today, but I guess that's alright. Maybe someday in the future we'll cross paths. I mainly wanted to know his life story because, according to Julia, he's had a rough history. I would have love to know how he got through the tough times to where he is now, which seems to be a God-centered person really making an impact at Crown.

The majority of the day was spent with Julia and Stacy. People like Emma and Andrew came and went throughout the day, but Julia and Stacy stayed consistent. Mostly because I was Julia's friend who was visiting, so I followed her like a lost lamb. Stacy is Julia's best friend at Crown, so she hung out a lot with us. I really got to know Stacy really well, and I was glad to know that Julia had someone like Stacy around to be there for her, and vice versa.

Julia drove me back to the Olson's, and we arrived around 6:30 or 7. Julia and I noticed Andrea's car parked behind one of their barns, so we went to check it out. Laura was sitting in the grass in front of the barn playing with the puppies, which was a funny site considering that Laura already looks like a 14 year old. She looked like she lost four more years seeing her sitting by herself playing with the doggies. That's sort of a mean thing to say, but I know she can take it.

Anyhow, Julia and I walked up into the barn to find Karen and Andrea rummaging through stuff. I gave Andrea a big hug; I wasn't sure if she knew I was coming or not. Regardless, she was very happy to see me, as was I to see her.

The night ended after Laura and I returned back home at around 12 am. We went out with Julia and Brad to see her youth pastor and wife, and then Julia, Laura and I went out to Perkin's to hang out with Laura's school and church buddies. I'm realizing more and more how much older I'm getting when I look at recently graduated high schoolers and seeing how much they look like kids to me. Anyhow, we had a fun time and I was glad to meet more of Laura's friends and those who are influential in her life.

Before Laura went to bed, she brought out the guitar and asked me to play a couple worship songs so we could sing. That meant, in my mind, that I could play since I can't really sing and she could sing since she can't really play. We're such a team. Anyhow, it was very cool to actually play worship songs and play with actual emotion. Worship songs usually don't do it for me at church, though it seems more personal playing them in your own room. I rarely do that, though, so playing while Laura sang was rejuvenating. By the way, I've learned that Laura has quite the voice. I remember her telling me she sang for chapel back in Indonesia, but I always thought that was because they really didn't have anyone to sing. Yesterday, she played me a song she wrote, and I was really impressed how well she could sing. It was encouraging to see her channel that talent into her passion for God.

After singing a couple songs, Laura threw out the question, "If you were ask one thing from God, what would you ask?" I guess Laura acts on her emotions more than I, and a couple good worship songs can heighten a spiritual sense. I tend to keep that in check, but it's good every once in a while to have someone come up and challenge you to not keep it in check. A good spiritual high is healthy sometimes, but that is besides the point. All I could throw out for an answer was Christ to return. I believe my whole reaction to life right now is I'm tired. I'm really exhausted going through day to day living and dealing with the suffering that a Christian goes through. I'm tired of this, and I want to go Home.

Laura said she'd ask for a pure heart.

The Crown of Julia's academics.

I pulled into Crown College in St. Bonifacius to visit Julia and experience college life at her school. It was close to 6 pm when Laura and I arrived, and we spotted Julia and Stacy sitting under a tree alongside the road before we reached her dorm. Beacuse we left for Crown not long after Laura arrived home from work, I drove so she could rest. Ironically, she didn't sleep for even a blink, and the both of us just ended up talking the whole one hour drive there. Good stuff talking is. (<--there's a bit of Yoda dialect for ya.)

Julia took Laura and I around campus to eat, meet her friends, and show off the academic areas of Crown. The time was fun, and I got to know Julia's roommates more in depth by just hanging out in her suite (it was open house that day). Laura's been at Crown before, so she saw familiar faces; and the familiar faces recognized Laura. Julia is very proud of her school, and I'm very amazed at how many people she knows. Julia is quite the social butterfly. The fact shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.


(Left to right) Anna, Julia, and Laura hang out in Julia's suite where four(?) other girls live. Funny, two of the three girls in this picture do not live in this suite. 

We played some bball as well just for the heck of it. I also learned that Craig Cook is now a professor at Crown. That was a random discovery for me. The night seemed long going from place to place around campus and meeting all of Julia's friends and acquaintances, yet I had no compliants.


This picture is up because 1) I'm good-looking, 2) I'm even more good-looking when I have a guitar in my hands, and 3) I'm in a room with like five ladies (even though it doesn't show in the picture; you just have to trust me on that one). Booyah! 


(Left to right) Anna, Laura, and Julia pose for a picture as they head up to Anna's dorm room. 

If you're wondering where I am now before I hit the hay, I'm in one of Julia's friend Patrick's room. He's a very fun guy, and we clicked well. I haven't gotten to know him all that well yet, but I look forward to tomorrow to learn more about the closer people that Julia spends time with.