Time is Getting Short

Hey gang!! Well, have lots of stories, info, memories, and all of that jazz. But I have a lot of schooling to do today, so I may need to keep it short and sweet.

Handball-
It has been way awesome. Last week I just had normal practices that have been beneficial like always. Getting great technique and movement and drills and skills in. The whole shabang! We have been focusing mainly on a few plays that we are trying to get down to the science. Lots of crosses and fakes involved. Its really fun. My favorite thing in handball is when we pull a sweet play with lots of crossing and confuse the D like crazy and then find a wide open gap and get a totally free beautiful goal! That's what its all about. My coach is proving yet again to just be soo awesome! He talks with me after practices about things I'm doing well and things I can work on. A very awesome guy and full of encouragement. Rad dude - as we say it in Mo-town, CO!! We talked about doing a few extra sessions, but he and his wife just had a little baby girl about 2 and a half weeks ago, so he has is hands tied up at home. Understandable. ;) But that's ok, I still feel like I am gaining so much. Friday night was really fun with my team. Four of us went to Victoria's house and hung out for a bit. Just hanging with girls was fun, haven't done that in some time. Then her dad, who is awesome btw, made us a very nice dinner. Mexican food... so good! Her little brother is the cutest thing ever to. He can understand English, just not speak it. So he walked into the room with this crazy stare at me and asked me some question in Icelandic, I couldn't understand. Then he whispered to his sister, "Does the brown girl only speak English?" HAHAHA brown girl!!! It was really funny and one of the cutest things a four yr old has ever said I think. But then got in the hot tub (pottur) and chillaxed. After Saturday's practice a 4 girls met up at Haukup (the "walmart" of Iceland even though its not even close) in search of pumpkin carving. I somehow convinced a few girls to attempt to celebrate Halloween with me. But after our disastrous failure to find pumpkins anywhere, we went to my house and watched scary movies. Fun Fun day with the girls. Then on Sunday, we flew to Aeykiry (I think its called) to play a game. It is the second largest city in Iceland located about 6 hr drive north. The flight was only 45 min. It was really weird because we flew from Reyk airport, and there was absolutely NO security. I mean nothing. No metal detectors, anything. I am surprised they even checked our boarding passes, there was nothing! It blew me away. And the team traveled alone. No parents or anyone verifying everything was ok, coach was already up north and we just had to meet him. It was fun, just different ways then I am used to. I liked it. But when we got there we play against a team. Tied 10-10 at half. Second half we came out much stronger and were in the lead until the last 4 min. Tied once again at 20-20, they scored 2 points with just a min and half left. Big disappointment because I guess we needed to win that game. Coach was not happy... But, played really well, got lots of good goals in. The game was a good one, just needed a few touch ups here and there. We are working on it! I got the official email of going to Poland. That is going to be a blast! Nov 15-23! Be praying for me, I am really hoping I show well and get to play a lot!

Soccer- I am loving when I do get the chance to play because it has narrowed itself down just a little bit lately. Practice times have been all over the place this past week for handball, and handball is my priority here. But Monday, I did got to the fitness training and Tuesday did double back to back practices. We play indoor on a turf field. Just 7v7 5v5 and ball work stuff one those nights. It is really fun. I missed it Thursday night- bummer. Then Friday night got to go to another fitness practice. I am doing my best to get touches on the ball, but it has been pretty slim lately. Because Poland is coming up, my practice focus is on that. But, I will not lie to you, I love soccer so much. I am definitely having withdraws from it.

Social Life- Um... hm. What can I tell you about that? Not sure really, its been fun. Have actual friends not that I can just call and count on and hang out. Handball girls, school friends through Halli, coffee shop people. On Thursday I went with Toni to the place that she has been volunteering because she has no school. It is a Christian cafe that is really cool. I love the people there. We met this Indian man named George. He is one of the most humble men I have ever met. He has been in Iceland for 16 yrs and now owns his own restaurant called Indian Mango. He invited Toni, Petra, and I to dine there last Monday night (last night- and it was awesome! never tasted anything like it) on him. It was a very expensive dinner and he was so grateful that we came to eat it. Uh, really cool dude. Then Friday hanging with the handball girls was really fun, also again on Saturday afternoon was way fun. I miss just handing out with a group. I am all about the groups and lots of noise and chaos and people. Not getting too much of that here, which is a great thing and a bad thing. :) But then sat night I went to this Halloween dance at Broadway. It was really fun. Toni and I got dressed up as Mrs. Smith maybe, I am not really sure what we were actually. But we were definitely the most moderately dressed there, the girls were absolutely ridiculous! I couldn't believe it. We met up with this kid named Olli. He is really cool and we tagged along with him for the night. It was a good Halloween. Way different then trick-or-treating that's for sure. They don't even do that here. The most they do is go to shops dressed up and they have to sing to get candy, and not many do that and the ones that do are all under 10 yrs old. Its weird. But ya, that's a short short run down. I have turned out to be making quite a few friends. Steinar I probably see the most. He is sort of, well he is in love with Toni! haha. So I see lots of him. Andri and Frikki also tag along a bunch. Not much Frikkin anymore. Beta is awesome. She is so much fun, spunky crazy girl. Love chillen with here. Then there is like all of Halli's classmates; Orri, Glacier, Mushroom, Peter,... ugh can't remember the names. The names here are ridiculously hard to remember. The last three I just said are the translations because they are easier to remember! haha. O and Steppi. He is awesome. Takes me out for ice cream and cruzin and music and movies. He is really cool. He helped me with my computer last night. It has been so slow and virus filled, so he totally helped me out a bunch. It took like 2 and a half hrs, so we watched The Rock and fixed my computer. He is a nice kid. Elsa is also really cool. She is great and English and really wants to come to the states soon. Talks a lot! Gotta love it. There are all the people I have meet through Filadelphia (my Church) and through Glaetan (the christian cafe) as well. Tomas is the youth pastor, really cool dude. Petra, lovely 19 yr old girl. Eyore we call him. Petra's bf. funny kid. Katie and Eric who are married and basically live at Glaetan -live in the loft above it actually. They are really really cool down to earth people with a fire heart for God. It is fun to be around them. They joke and make fun of stuff just like back at home. Original form the states. Olli is sort of new, he is a handballer at FH and I met him just this weekend. We are going to hang out wed though. He is really nice, christian boy, lives in Hofnarfordur. Cool guy. Toni, Steinar, and I are gunna do a double date. haha! um... That's about it.

Family- My parents are still gone. Getting home on Thursday from a 3 week holiday in FL. Lucky Lucky ducks. But the house as been doing just fine without them. Rags has had a few people over on the weekends, Halli chills here all the time on the computer, and Erla has been sick since last week. I have been continuing to do dishes- not too happy about that one actually. I am NOT their mother! haha. No, it hasn't been too bad. O and Toni has been living here since Thursday night. Her family went on holiday until tomorrow so she has been crashing here. It has been fun, we have been working out in the mornings together at Hauker and doing devotions and stuff. She is really cool. We have been connecting tons. Which is good. :)

Well, that is once a gain a very general overview of my life here as you know it. It is still awesome! Getting busy more and more. I live for being busy, I go crazy without it. It fuels me, therefore, busy is good. School is hard of course, but still plugging along. All is well and appreciating all of your thoughts, prayers, and emails. Thanks everyone!