an update from indiana

I love this blog. I love it so much that I feel the need to update it from home. So, I'll just fill you in on the last couple days..from my interesting day of travel on Saturday, to life in Kouts.

I think it's safe to say that last Friday & Saturday was one of the worst 48 hours of both Courtney's and my life. Now, I don't want to be a negative Nancy..but, I think you guys may enjoy reading about our series of unfortunate events.

I don't even know where to begin to be quite honest.

I'll start with Friday morning. I set my alarm to go for a jog in the morning..but I fell back asleep after the alarm rang. At 6:30, Courtney and I got ready for school and went to devotions at 7:45am. Then, we went to kindergarten to do begin our daily regimen. Ms. Roy, the kindergarten teacher, asked us to decorate a big bulletin board for a project the kids are doing. C and I have become professional bulletin board designers/decorators in these past few weeks. In fact, we're considering starting a bulletin board business, where we go school to school, decorating to our hearts desire. But, don't worry, for now we're staying where were at. Anyways..we got really creative, and used everthing from yarn to chalk. As we were decorating, Leon, a young Hopi man who works at the school, asked us to do recess duty..which means we push kids on the swings for a half hour. It's fun though. For chapel Friday, we had a special guest, named Matt Keller. He's a silly cartoonist from Niagara Falls, NY. The kids enjoyed his presentation thoroughly. After lunch, Courtney and I had computer classes to teach. Basically during that we have to make sure the kids stay on task and answer any questions they have. Now, obvioulsy no part of that was plagued by unfortunate events. Just be patient. It will come.

I almost forgot one special thing..the one absolutely wonderful thing that happened on Friday. We recieved a giant box labeled "cookies by design." Apparently, it had been sitting by the mail boxes in the teacher's room for quite a while. But, we never noticed it! Immediately, C and I ripped it open and were filled with joy to see our beautiful cookie bouquet! It was house warming gift arrangement. There was a cookie tree, cookie house, cookie welcome mat, personalized "Court & Lo" cookie, and last..but most certainly not least..a "Home Sweet Hopi" cookie!!!! I ate the welcome mat one as we watched the newest episode of The Office online...which was a disappointing episode. Oh! I almost forgot..the cookie bouquet was from Katie..were thinking Katie Lauer..or maybe Katie Hauer...not completely sure which one. Either way..THANK YOU! We truely loved it.

Anyways, on with the bad day. So we walked home through asandstorm, which was painful on the eyes and skin. It was extremely windy, like nothing I've ever experienced. We were dreading all the sand that would be in our house..it finds its was through anything..even the cracks in the windows. We made it to the house..and found that we were locked out. Court thought I had the keys..and I thought Court had them. We looked for open windows..and found none. I ran back to the school to ask if someone had the spare keys....no one did. But..our principal was out of town, and one of the teacher's was house sitting for her. Therefore, she had the keys to her house, and we knew there would be spare keys somewhere in there. So..we went through her house searching for our keys..finally found them..and finally unlocked our now sand filled dwelling.

I immediately started packing for home..since I would be leaving Sat. morning. Courtney made us dinner..and burned her hand severely in the process. After dinner, we went to Stan and Beth's for an hour or so, came back and went to bed knowing we had to get up at 3am to be on the road by 4am. We did all that right on schedule. It was interesting driving through the desert for 1.5 hours in the pitch pitch pitch dark..plus it was still sandstorming. But, we made it to the bus stop in Flagstaff right on time. After 2 hours on the bus with 6 interesting people..especially the driver..who was not the kindest soul I've ever met, we arrived at the Phoenix airport. My flight wasn't till 1:20..and it was 8am. I was going to have some serious time to kill. But, I love airports..so it was no sweat. After waiting for 30 mins in a long line to check my bag..I was told that I could only check it 4 hours prior to my flight. I got out of line and sat in a chair for an hour..then got back in the long line to check my bags.

Next, I went upstairs to all the stores/restaurants to get some breakfast, do some serious people watching, and buy a book. I bought a muffin and a smoothie and took off my sweater because I was hot. A half hour later, while I was in a book store..I realized my sweater was gone. I went into panic mode. I retraced my steps 5 times. no sweater. I walked up to a service desk..manned by intense looking cops, and asked for the lost and found. They asked me what I was looking for and I shamefully said,"...um..I lost my sweater..." How dumb does that sound?! I felt so embarassed. They aren't there to find my insignificant sweater..their job is to keep the peace in the airport..stop crime...things like that. So, they took my name and a detailed description of the size small, light green, black pin striped, button up..missing sweater. I decided it was time to go through security and get to my gate. This was my first time to take a laptop through security..and unfortunately, I had never paid attention to the laptop procedure when others do it. I did it all wrong. Thus, some mean TSA lady screamed at me and gave me dirty looks. I hate when I disappoint people..and this felt like the ultimate disappointment (at the time at least). As you know, you have to show photo ID with your boarding pass to get to your gate. So, I did that, and in the chaos of grabbing all my stuff, just stuck my license in my pocket. Unfortunately, I forgot that the jeans I was wearing reject everything you put in its pockets. The pockets just refuse to function as they were created to. And they lived up to their reputatuion by rejecting my license. But, I had no idea that this had happened. All the sudden I was missing a precious sweater..and my stinking LICENSE! I tried not to cry..or get Incredible Hulkishly angry. For the second time in 1 hour, I retraced my steps to find a missing item. I was too embarrassed to go tell the cops that I had now lost my license, along with the sweater. I just said a prayer and kept my cool. I couldn't lose it, not while I was alone, in an airport full of strangers. I wasn't going there. Finally it was time to board the plane! I still had no license or sweater, though. Just as the plane was about to shut its doors, an airport worker ran on and got on the PA system..he said "is there a Lauren Sandberg on here?..I have your license here..it looks like you're from Indiana" I slowly rose to go retrieve my missing belonging. I felt my face get redder and redder..it was the walk of shame. My head was racing..I was so glad they found it..but so mad it had to happen like this..such a public annoucement of my loss. I just kept thinking..I came here today with my sweater, my license, and my pride..and lost all three of them before the day was over.

Anyways..we landed at Midway..I waited 45 mins for my suitcase. Thus far, this day had not gone according to plan...and was about to get a little bit worse. I had to find the Coach bus for NWI and get dropped off in Portage. After 10 panicked phone calls to my mom trying to find the bus..I finally came upon it. After getting on the bus..I realized I accidentally told the driver I was going to Merrillville...ooopsy. I meant to say Portage. This wouldn't be a big deal..but they put your luggage in different places according to your destination..so it was a big deal. I told her of my blunder and apoligzed..she didnt take it so well. This sassy Chicagoan got very mad at me..said some harsh words and eventually said she would take care of it.

Somehow, I made it home alive. My dad picked me up and we went to Wal-Mart, then home to celebrate my mom's Bday.

Since I've been home, I've cleaned the house, cooked, baked, ran errands, and helped Matt move out and prepare for the wedding.

Today, we had family pictures taken by Amber Birky. It was fun. Maybe I'll put some on here when we get them.

This post is insanely long..sorry about that. In case you were wondering..I was a little home sick..and it's good to be back..it feels like I never left. But, I'm looking forward to getting back to AZ and seeing Courtney!
That's all for now :]
love,
Lo