Crickets in Trees: Winter Trip Series: Volume 1

Along with fun sewing projects to help pass my first Chicagoland winter, I managed to fill February and March with 4 different trips to keep me busy. James and I found some great flight deals, and decided that James should go on a hiking “man trip” in February with some grad school friends in West Texas, and that I should go on a “girl trip” to meet up with the ladies in Houston. Next James and I led a Wheaton Mission Trip to Denver in early March. Then I went on a quick business trip to Geneva College in Western PA with a professor and a few students last week, got home on a Wednesday night and took off on Thursday for a college girls reunion in Kansas City.

Needless to say, I succeeded in keeping myself busy this winter! But each of these trips was a great blessing, and I want to do a little post to share each of these trips. It makes sense to go chronologically, so first up on the docket: Houston!

One of my good friends from grad school, Sara, moved back to Houston after graduation (where she is from) and is now in law school at the University of Houston. She’s a smarty pants and a super motivated chica, so after 3 years of grad school in Princeton she’s tackling another 3 years of law school. Although I have no desire to visit Houston in August when it’s smacking of heat and humidity, Houston in February sounded great: 70 degrees, sunshine, shorts with a light cardigan, yes please! So two of my other friends from Princeton, Alison and Anna, flew down form their corner of the states and I hopped down from the Midwest and we had a fabulous weekend together.

I lived in a close community with these women during our Princeton years—classes together, studying together, small groups together, partying together, spring break trips together, Thanksgivings and Easters together, and more. And when you are in grad school on a tight budget away from your families, you also spend A LOT of time together in each other’s apartments. James and I have both really missed this Princeton community since we’ve left, and getting back together with them was like a breath of fresh air. Time with these gals is guaranteed to bring great food, lots of nibbles (as Al likes to say!), vino, time spent cooking, shopping, great conversations, and plenty of laughter. This weekend was also a time of encouragement and prayer, as I faced a real disappointment in my life.

I didn’t really take any photos while I was there, so these pics are from Anna.

Sara, Anna, Al, and me, after some serious damage on Chocolate and Carrot Cake.

I really have no idea what is happening here, but I think this pic is really funny. :0)

Sun-bathing at "The Houstonian," a super swank country club where we spent a whole afternoon. Yes, having come from -20 degree weather I was THRILLED to be laying out in the sun.