Tonight I'm sitting in my apartment watching out of my window as a series of storms roll in. Its been raining lightly for almost an hour now, and I noticed that now it is lightening to the southwest--the direction our weather comes from. The days are markedly shorter now; a sign that fall is coming, but not yet. Summer will hang on just a bit longer I suppose.

Things have changed. Fundamentally and totally. No longer am I a college student. I graduated in May and since then life has been very different. Much has been great, some not so much. God has been in it, intervening and working behind the scenes to work things out. It's been tough at times, having been used to being very busy and having more friends to be with than time, then finding myself without a job or many friends near. But things picked up. I've been working with a brand-new business doing energy related engineering and consulting work (or trying to get that work for the business), and though I have a daily bipolar relationship with the work, its been good for me. And it is work, which is something to do other than send out resumes and not get replies all day. I got to design the website and customize the CMS (Content Management System) behind it, work the business side of engineering which I've been learning quite a bit about. If nothing else, I'm learning slowly to be 'self-motivated' and learning a ton about business, diplomacy, and marketing.

I also got to go to Jr. High and High School week of camp at Gasconade this year. Its such a pleasure being out there and I love being able to serve God that way. More importantly, I began dating the most amazing girl ever this summer. Rachel is so fantastic and has been such an encouragement and inspiration for me. Words fail to describe her, other than that she is really great. I'm so excited.

Other than all of that, all has been quiet lately. I stay pretty busy between talking on the phone (to the special girl and others), doing work for the business, distracting myself, and traveling home and to Evansville, where Rachel lives. Not a bad life, and I feel like God is still growing me in a big way in this time of transition. That being said, I still haven't found the 'new normal'. It takes time, from what I understand, going from the 'normal' of college life to the normal of the coming years. I'm sure the change isn't over yet. I am still excited about those coming changes, and though now it feels like change comes precious slowly, before I know it life will have changed again. In the meantime, though, I will enjoy life as it happens and do my best to savor the here and now.

This is us. Most of us anyway. I'm going to miss these people. Alot.

As I was taking pictures for a friend's booth at a block party in St. Louis, I saw this: A T.V. reporter playing catch with one of the kids across/by the news-van. This went on for a good 10 minutes.