So I can't believe that it's been since September since I last posted.  It's amazing what can happen in four short months.  I was going to post something in December but only got half way...so for the sake of wanting to make it look like I wrote alot I will share with you the unfinished entry...

"So I've really learned a lot this last year.  More than I thought I could ever take in, in the short amount of time I've been here.  But if I could leave with just one thing, it would be the plea to get to know people.  Open up to others!  Be vulnerable!  Share your life with them.  Don't hide yourself away.  Yes, I know it's hard and scary and you're taking a chance.  And it will hurt.  A lot.  People will always dissapoint you and life will let you down.  And you will leave those people and wonder if your heart is ever going to stop hurting.  But the pain of being dissapointed or leaving friends is nothing compared to the pain of saying goodbye to someone and both of you thinking that you wish you had known each other better.  I'm starting to think that's the greatest you never expect."

Yeah, I know it wasn't much but it was just a little piece of my  heart from the last year.
So now I'm back in the good old freezing MI (it got up to 20 today but this weekend it's just getting colder..I think it was high of 17 or something like that...yeesh..almost makes me want to move back to TX...almost. lol)  Looking for a job and just babysitting on the side.  I babysit these two little boys whenever their mom needs me.  Man, the youngest one is sooo cute.  And they are such...guys.  They love American Gladiators, Wrestling, Cars, Football, everything.  It's funny when they try to get me involved with playing.  They always lose me whenever they start saying things like "I recovered it!" or "so it's 1 and 10"...or something like that.  Sports jargon just goes right over my head, lol.  They can be so rambuncious (sp?) and crazy and make me wanna pull my hair out but then it's so cute when they turn on the radio and the 6 year old is singing along to Taylor Swift's "Our Song".  Man, I'm so glad I'm not married so that kids aren't even an option right now.

I'm reading lots now that I have so much time on my hands.  Today I started Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill and I'm getting The Barbarian Way out of the library.  I really want to study revival and prayer.  Do any of you know of any good books to read?  I would love to get input.
I've also been writing more and looking for writing/poetry contests so I can hopefully make a little money on it as well.  And of course, I'm starting to make cookies and stuff to send to all my little interns back in Texas to let them know they are cared about and thought of way up here.

So..I never know how to end these things so I'll just stop.
Much Love ~ Gabrielle

So I'm in Michigan once again. 

My mom's party is over.  She loved it, it was a great surprise...with many funny things that we just can't get away from when Chauvins try to plan and throw a party.

Traverse City is soooo beautiful.  I love the water.  And the sand that makes your hands and feet the softest they've ever been.

I got sick on Monday and I'm still recovering...and yet today I'm taking my youngest sister to the fair with one of her friends.  I really don't like the fair.  Don't like the rides that look like they could break down at any second.  Don't like the smell of the piles of grease that they like to call food and sell for ridiculous prices.  Don't like the evironment or the old (and not-so-old) guys looking at me in ways I don't want to think about.  I just don't like it at all.  But I do like my sister.  And she likes the fair.  So I will go.

Went out with my mom last night.  We saw Ocean's 13 and went out to Fazoli's and talked and had a really great time.  Then went to see the end of a softball game with my sister and becky.  My relationship with my family is really getting better.

It's weird being here.  Things have changed...well actually that's not true.  Almost nothing has changed here.  But I've changed.  I've changed a lot.  And everything is different now.  It's weird to "come home" to a house where you don't have a room anymore.  And it's your sister's room now and you're just sleeping in it because you got sick and she doesn't want to catch anything so she's not sleeping in it.  Weird to think about the past and how things used to be.  Augh, I think I've done a little too much thinking over the past couple days. 

Well my time is almost up so I need to go.  Just wanted to update ya'll on how things were.  Can't wait to get back down to Texas....well, actually I could wait the rest of my life to go back to Texas, but I would terribly miss the people, cause I love you all so much.  I'll be back this weekend!  Cya then.

So a lot of crap (I hate to use a crass word but I can't think of anything else at the moment...) has been going on lately.  In case ya'll don't know what's been happening, I'll catch you up to speed.

~ I have had quite a bit of pain lately in my abdomen and have something wrong but the doctor's don't know what it is so I have to get an ultrasound on Friday...at 3:30 in the afternoon because I have to work on Friday but I can't eat OR DRINK for 8 hours before the procedure so I won't be able to eat or drink ANYTHING after 7:30 in the morning while still going about my day in stinking hot east texas

~ I've been freaking out about money things.  Like money for mine (and Danielle's) mission trip.  And for my HA account, and the medical stuff, and I know that my parents are taking care of it but I feel bad about it all

~ Yesterday I lost a good friend and fellow January Intern and ATF/BC caller.  David Hernandez died yesterday evening on the way to the hospital.  A day before he was supposed to leave on a mission trip.  I still can't believe it.  He held so much light and life and love in him (and he was so tall!  He was 6' 9") that you couldn't help but be happy and encouraged around him.  Please be praying for his family as well as all of us here at Teen Mania, he will be dearly missed.

~ A girl I know down here is waiting to hear if she is going to be dismissed or not

~ And just the stress, loneliness, pain and storms of life in general

But today, while I was thinking about life, what things are truly important, and what I really want people to remember me for when I'm gone, it started to rain.  And instead of just rushing to the next building I wanted to get to, I walked.  And enjoyed the rain.  And wondered at how something so simple like rain, just water falling out of the sky, can carry so much meaning and emotion.  So I went behind a building and just stood there for a while, my face looking up, greeting the drops that were continuing to fall on me.  Then I started walking down the pavement and the road/sidewalks and splashing through puddles and finding big puddles to run and jump in.  And it was amazing, it was so relaxing and refreshing and liberating.  It was just God and me enjoying his creation and not acting like an adult at all.  It was so good to cry, and let go of my fear of man, and just be with God and know that it's going to be ok.  Danielle would be truly proud .

Well I should get going, have things to do, people to see, books to read, papers to write...etc.

Goodnight from Garden Valley, where all the women are lovely, all the men open every door and the word symposium strikes fear into the hearts of many.