theological library.

i'm sitting in the theological library. i've been here for over an hour. we came in to make copies of books for our papers. my books don't actually exist. they're either checked out or lost somewhere in the abyss of not-yet-reshelved and somewhere in someone else's stack books. which makes our paper writing experience a frustrating one, to say the least.
but there's something about this library. it's always the quietest. you can seriously hear a pin drop in here. usually it's relatively empty, but not now. tonight it's so full. there are people lining the walkways. that's how you know it's all almost over. people packing the libraries until they close in the middle of the night. reshelving carts overflowing with books everyone is looking to use. long lines for the copy machine and study rooms. 
everyone in here is thinking the same thing. "if i can just make it to friday."
actually, "if i can just make it through tomorrow then i'll worry about making it to friday."


i'm thankful for the theological library. and all the important information it has for us to learn about our faith. and write ridiculously long exegetical papers about passages we will never want to read again once we've finished. because it's what makes the apu experience one that is uniquely apu. 


and the books are old so they smell good!

shoes.

as you may or may not know, today is "toms a day without shoes" day. i love toms. i love shoes. i love supporting people who don't have shoes. 

which i do regularly, by purchasing toms. (hah! retail therapy with no guilt!)

helpful shoes for all occasions!

in typical apu fashion, there are people who are insanely opinionated about this day. although it is normal for people to be walking between campuses without shoes, today it happens in abundance. 

some people think it's dumb to raise awareness for people without shoes by spending one day without shoes. they think it doesn't do much. i understand their thought process. 

here's my however...

however. although we aren't doing something for them directly, we are helping people be aware that it is a serious problem. we are helping ourselves develop sympathy and empathy for these people. i know that walking around barefoot today isn't going to solve anything. i'm aware that it may be unsafe, and kinda gross. but it is so, so worth it to me. 

so, i'm walking around shoeless today. for the beautiful children i met in south africa and swaziland this summer, who do it every day.

for this precious little girl who traverses through trash full of dangerous things to her little feet every time she leaves home.

on a completely different note.. have you noticed that each of my titles is one simple word (usually a noun)? typical katie. sticking to a pattern. 

birthday.

thanks friends, dad, and lynette!

birthdays are my absolute favorite. it isn't even just my birthday. i love them all. 

i love the anticipation of the day, spending time with all the people that are important to you, hearing from the ones who are far away.. i love the way you can justify eating unhealthily. i love beautifully wrapped presents, thoughtful presents, singing cards..hah. 

i love how, on your birthday, you know how important and loved you are.

and i really love how birthday celebrations last for like 5 days. even when you're in college!

thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday! you made my day so special!

people.

the people i love have really been on my heart today. maybe it's because i'm overwhelmed and tired, and want them not to be? also, i just love them. and am so thankful for them!

my wonderful, silly, little [big] brothers...

my twin, andrew.

my hilarious kent.

my beautiful, loving sisters...

my trustworthy, lovely mads.

my wise, adventurous, beautiful mer.

my sassy, sweet emmy.

my faithful, forever irvine friends....

my beautiful, godly em and kim.

my fun, outdoorsey, tan alis.

my life apu friends....

my happy, energetic, social, christina, crystal, and jess.

my hardcore, loving elise. and brianna!

school.

school is honestly the most time consuming job ever. i am in awe of the people who are able to constantly be going to school. i think i'll be more than done after getting my graduate degree. and i'm doing it all in one fell swoop and finishing my undergrad early. 


sometimes it's just so frustrating. i mean, there are so many things that i could be doing with my time that are more important than working on worksheets, or one page responses to books i've kind of skimmed. like feeding hungry people. building them houses. raising money for them. working in south africa. hanging out with jerry in zimbabwe. you know. those things where you make a difference every time you do something? and they're realistic. people actually do things like leave for a year and hang out in africa. or i could just hang out with people here. in camden. or even make my roommate's lives easier. i try to do that each day, but it would be so much better with extra time!


anyway. this was just a quick homework break. now back to tolstoy's the death of ivan ilyitch.


on the plus side..i really am so thankful that i have the opportunity for an education and am constantly praying for the ability to appreciate it. 

we did it. we found the best pancake mix. i love my roommates for letting me take up the kitchen for an hour, and helping make 3 different batches of pancakes. 
based on color, texture, taste, and consistency, this mix was by far the winner.

additionally, today i got an app for my iphone that searches for places to eat that have a gluten free menu, in the area surrounding you. so great! i learned that they even have a few choices in edmond. oklahoma, here i come! its called the gluten free registry. it was $1.99 (the first app i've paid for in my two years of being an iphone owner) but so, so worth it. i feel better just knowing i will always be able to eat something.


my body is still so swollen. its kind of funny, but mostly sad. i'm going to my primary care doctor friday morning. i'm going to take a picture with him. facebook profile pic? he is definitely my hero right now!

oh life.

over the past few weeks, i've been inundated with homework, doctors appointments, and chapel. also. blogging still seems slightly ridiculous to me. 
anyway...
today i went to take pictures with my brother for formal. it was so cute. and funny. i miss those dress up, grown up days. 

on the doctor front....the pulmonologist told me he was throwing up his hands, he just didn't know what else could be wrong. so he ordered a new ct scan, and a stress test for my heart, which is working too hard for some reason. i had the ct scan on wednesday. they injected radioactive gas into me for a while, and also had me breathe it. nothing hurt (except putting the iv in because i have really small veins). it was actually kind of cool. i felt like superman. monday morning i have the stress test. its making me nervous because i can't take my inhaler, so i know i'll be having at least an asthma attack, if not another whatever problem i have attack.


also, with all my allergies, my foods are super limited. however, my body is still constantly swollen which is ridiculous.


but i got to see my maddy today, which was lovely.