leaving madison...

i'm moving. soon. far too soon.

lots of people have been asking me how i'm feeling about it. i never know how to answer them. i have a lot of emotions running through me. sad, excited, nervous, peaceful, confused, annoyed, joy, disappointment, fear, anticipation, it goes on and on. and it changes by the day. okay, maybe the hour.

so to recap some of the pictures from recently, i thought i would just list some of the things i'm going to miss about living in madison. this is NOT a complete list. and they are in no particular order. this is just how the pictures came up.

1. being goofy & playing with the kids.

i've been baby-sitting for a family part-time for a little less than a year now and it has been the highlight of my week. from grace's silly hugs, to ben's squeal of excitement when i'm there, to snuggles with isaac, it has been so fun to be a part of this family.

i mean, who wouldn't love wearing a pirate mask & making silly faces as part of their job?

or seeing siblings who really like each other? (and boys that wear plaid shorts!)

and baby smiles...

i love this picture.

2. my roommate & settlers

okay, so this picture is adorable, right? mr. darcy will miss his favorite holly. he's been giving her a few extra snuggles. its like he knows something is coming up. he is both amused and frightened by the boxes in the apartment. there aren't words to describe my froommate (friend + roommate), so i'll just leave it at i'll miss living with her. and having a constant settlers opponent. maybe i'll have more of a chance at winning by playing against my parents.

3. the farmer's market.

one of my all-time favorite madison activities. fresh food. fresh flowers. beautiful.

who wouldn't love the bee guy?

the colors...so many photographic oppotunities. if you can fight your way through the crowd, that is.

the flowers. i have many, many flower pictures. must be hereditary.

okay, so i'm an introvert, but i still don't mind the crowd. makes me feel like i'm putting myself out there even if i'm just walking through, not talking to anyone. also, the men carrying flowers. gotta love it. someday, maybe that will happen for me.

the peppers. not my favorite food, but they sure are fun to look at.

our bounty. this was the most we've ever bought at the farmer's market. it made for a ridiculously amazing dinner.

4. the terrace.

summer nights with music, conversation & friends.

afternoons of sunshine and jesus time.

fun chairs. beautiful sights.

spectacular.

oh, and don't forget the ice cream.

have yet to get back on a sailboat after the last incident in high school with cathy's dad. the mast broke in the middle of the lake. awesome. oh well, they still look cool on the lake.

sunset. lake mendota. not to be confused with monona. gotta love the isthmus.

5. my lifegroup.

i've attended blackhawk church the past few years while living here. it has been a great church. i've had some great teaching there and met some great friends. i joined a lifegroup there and had the opportunity to help lead it this past semester. it's been fun (and awkward at times!) and has provided me with some great friends. good thing they like me enough to come help me load up the moving truck even if i am leaving them....

like i said, not a complete list, but at least a little glimpse into the past few weeks & my life in madison...