Back to School...O back to School!

Hey mom,

   I wanted to start off by saying how much I loved being back at home for winter break. Christmas, Mark getting married, the snow, and being with you guys was sooo much fun! It makes me sad thinking about it now. How sad it was leaving the comforts of home, but basically leaving you, dad, and Mal was sad. But I am fully back into the swing of college life at APU! It's been great seeing friends and being back in new classes. I got the best welcome I could get when I was tackled by Chandler at the airport. She missed me and you know how much I missed her. As much as I love the snow, the warm weather has been so nice to be back in. My classes are good too! I like all of my professors as well. My classes are Rhetorical Theory, Research Methods, Christian Ministries, Exodus/ Deuteronomy, and Christianity and the Creative Process. Mom, you would love Christianity and the Creative Process. It's all about using the arts as ways of worship and what Christianity looks like in Hollywood and culture. It's a pretty cool class! Anyway, work has also been good except for how many people have been laid off over the past few months. Almost 10 different people have been laid off for different reasons, but mostly they didn't use integrity. Pretty crazy. Also, it' been raining soo much lately. This past week it rained a week straight. It sucked and it just didn't stop. But now it's sunny and the mountains look gorgeous with snow on them. Life is good mom and I'm really starting to enjoy college life. I'm comfortable at APU and it's been cool to see how I'm growing. I'm even keeping my room clean and doing my laundry without Chandler's help! It's a miracle! I hope everything is going well back home and I know things felt a little empty after I left, but it's nice that you got Mallory around. If you didn't have her then you would have been really sad empty nesting it again. By the way, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Anyway, catch you later and I love you sooo much.

Your son,

Trent

Home Again

Hi Mom-
  Well this is not as cool as the other posts I've done since usually I'm 2000 miles away, and this time you are in the next room.  BUT there's still plenty to update you on. 
    Since my last post kind of a lot has happened.   First is that I quit my job at Thinkwell after 2 years to head to Africa.  Its kind of weird to leave that place since its been such a huge part of my life, but it was time.  I will miss the people so much, but I didnt always love the job itself (not that I have to tell you that since I called you crying about it on more than one occasion).  Plus I got to be a producer for a while.
  Then I had to say bye to the girls and that was the hardest part.  Saying bye to Shauna, Brew, Paige, Pete, and Jed was so hard since it was the best year of my life.  Living in Pasadena was so much fun and I learned a ton about myself, life, and how amazingly lucky I am to have incredible friends around me all the time.  I dont think I'll ever have as good of a living situation so Im just grateful for it.  I came back home to you right before Christmas and of course the house smelled, sounded, and looked like Christmas.  I am so grateful for the Christmas' we've had.  I love our traditions from the abelskeivers, to the homemade chicken soup, to the story we read every Christmas Eve, to getting new PJ's, to watching a Christmas story.  It makes the season the best ever! Plus it was fun to finally meet all the chapel people, and have Dave and and Jess with us for Christmas!

      Then the old high school girls came over the day after Christmas and Dad made everyone breakfast.  It was so much fun to see all those girls again and they kept saying how they loved coming to our house to see our family.  Then headed up to Madison with Em and Donna and their hubbies.  And spent New Years downtown with Angie and Tommy. 
     Since then just been catching up with old friends and making new ones (I love your friends from the chapel), and spending a lot of time with the Haywards prepping for my Africa trip.  Plus support has really begun to come in and its been extremely humbling.  I just feel so encouraged and supported in this next adventure and I have you guys to thank for so much of that!  So thats it for now, since we live together and talk everyday, but just some of the highs we may want to remember.  Love you!