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.
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