the post that must be written

Wow ... it's been thirty-six days since we left for China.

It seems like a life time! And also a terrible time to not be able to blog.

Yes, friends, I'm afraid I have exactly 0 blog posts written from China. I know ... I promised I would have one EVERY day. But I forgot that we only have one laptop that passed the China security, and then the plug blew up. I probably will not be able to catch up with that information, and for that, I am truly sorry.

But I am trying to get back into the habit of blogging and whatnot. I've found that as I've delved deeper into the Spanish world, my ability to express my thoughts in English is getting worse and worse. I apologize for my lack of grammar as well.

With the start of December, I can hardly contain my excitement.

It's no secret that I am pretty effected by the weather. I actually hate winter weather (except for the snow) and I do not like day light savings time. But I do love the HOLIDAYS and my birthday that is coming up in the future. I love how close my family gets, regardless of the presents we receive. Christmas carols are finally on the radio ... It really is a BEAUTIFUL TIME!

Usually winter is a pretty bleak spiritual time for me as well. EFY and trek and Girls Camp are six months removed and I usually feel as if I've lost my mojo. However, I am happy to report that this year, the mojo is still going pretty strong. I went out with the sister missionaries from Rolla yesterday and it was such a splendid experience. I also have been truly studying the Old Testament, and really, it isn't as bad as I thought.

I have to say, though, that the most wonderful thing about this season is that I have another little sister to share it with. Minsy and I are pretty much super pals now, seeing as I spend all day with her. This means that I get a little less accomplished than before our trip (even though I never really got that much accomplished anyway), but I love hanging out with my tiny sweetheart. She really acts like a toddler instead of a four year old, but she is super spunky. I love her to pieces and it is so fun to watch her discover things and for me to learn new things about her as well.

Life is good ... it really is.