Having everyone around this week was awesome, and now I'm trying to adjust to our very quiet, empty-seeming house. 5-12 extra people hanging around make a huge difference.

The bits of the symposium that I got to attend were good. I went with my friends to hear Dr. Rast and Dr. Scaer, got to matins every day and vespers a few times, and hung out at the HT booth with big-shot merchandise person (and Triplette) Naomi.

Unfortunatly, real life interfered with my week and I had to spend most of Tuesday and Thursday afternoon and evening at school. Any other week of the semester I would love my classes and enjoy being on campus, but this week it was just a big pain.

On Thursday evening we all went to church at Redeemer, and then Katie drove all us wild teenagers to the Sabre of Boldness ceremony. Bishop Walter Obare of Kenya won the award, and Pastor Olle Fogelqvist of the Swedish Mission Province accepted on his behalf. Lynea and I met Pr. Fogelqvist before the ceremony. He asked us if we were part of the HT group and if we would be in Colorado Springs this summer, and told us about the group he is planning on bringing. (At the risk of sounding totally frivolous, I have to say I had never heard a real Swedish accent before and his was great!)

I am very glad to say that after everyone left I did NOT crash and I did NOT spend most of the day crying into a pillow like I have every year. I went to my favorite class and talked about Bosch paintings, talked on the phone with Rachael, went out and made $15 an hour babysitting, and talked to Naomi. All in all, a much better end to the week than a sore nose and puffy eyes.