What a year. It's been one of the most exciting, tumultuous years of my life. So much has happened. Kath and I rejoined NCC youth, we came close to losing our house, declared bankruptcy, went to YFN in Texas, spent a week with our best friends in North Carolina, I taught a girls dance group for kids camp, went to the beach for a month, wrote 50,000 words in my novel, The Hawk and The Hunter, and to top it all off, I turned 18. Whew.
A lot of good things happened. A lot of crap happened. All in all, I think '09 was better than '08. And I'm personally in a better place. Despite, or more probably because of all the difficult things, I've come through a stronger person.
I'm looking forward to this year with a positive expectation. God is good, ya know? In February I'll begin teaching a young girls' dance class and I fully intend to have completed my book by June. As for further education, well I don't really have a clue, but God does. =)
Here's to 2010!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Forehead Smacking
Ever had one of those moments where you just roll your eyes at yourself and think, "where was my brain?!"? Then your palm invariably makes its way towards your forehead and you give yourself a good smack, right? Well I had a moment like that this morning.
I tripped down the stairs, rubbing sleep from my eyes, and plopped down on the couch, much like any other morning. Mom had a scrapbook open and Dad had his bible out. After a few minutes he got up to refill his coffee cup and casually commented on how wet the floor still was. I looked questioningly at Mom and she said, "Apparently someone started to refill the Brita pitcher and left the water running last night."
There it was. Did you catch it? My forehead smacking moment.
Yes, it was me. Our faucet tends to run slowly, so around 1 a.m. last night I had started to refill the pitcher and then went down to switch my laundry over before going to bed. And in the process I forgot the water!
Thankfully Mom got up around two to discover a curious dripping noise and a really really wet kitchen rug. The rug had soaked most of the water up and the mess wasn't too big.
So other than my red forehead, no real harm was done.
(Oh, by the way, God totally dealt with my fear issues and camp was freakin' awesome!!!!!!)
I tripped down the stairs, rubbing sleep from my eyes, and plopped down on the couch, much like any other morning. Mom had a scrapbook open and Dad had his bible out. After a few minutes he got up to refill his coffee cup and casually commented on how wet the floor still was. I looked questioningly at Mom and she said, "Apparently someone started to refill the Brita pitcher and left the water running last night."
There it was. Did you catch it? My forehead smacking moment.
Yes, it was me. Our faucet tends to run slowly, so around 1 a.m. last night I had started to refill the pitcher and then went down to switch my laundry over before going to bed. And in the process I forgot the water!
Thankfully Mom got up around two to discover a curious dripping noise and a really really wet kitchen rug. The rug had soaked most of the water up and the mess wasn't too big.
So other than my red forehead, no real harm was done.
(Oh, by the way, God totally dealt with my fear issues and camp was freakin' awesome!!!!!!)
Friday, July 3, 2009
Camp
Wow, I haven't blogged in way too long.
Okay, so camp is in two days. Sunday morning we will go to the church at 10:00 a.m., and begin our epic journey. As excited as I am, I'm having some fear issues. I know, I know, it's ridiculous for a seventeen year old to be scared of leaving home for a week. But all the same, I am.
It started about three years ago. We were traveling home from KC, and we witnessed a really bad wreck. I cannot tell you how much that has messed with me. Ever since then I've struggled with fear when taking trips without my parents. I've worried that when someone leaves the house, they might not come back. It has affected my driving very negatively. I can't tell you how many bad dreams I've had about crashing the car.
As long as I'm with Mom or Dad, I'm okay. But for some reason whenever I face being separated from them for any extended period of time, I'm afraid. Even if it's a good thing that I'll be gone for, like camp.
And don't get me wrong, I really really want to go to camp! I wanted to go to a camp last year. I prayed for it. I asked God for it. And I was super excited when Mom and Dad said yes! God totally brought this together. So why am I so afraid?
Then last night I had a dream. We, (the whole family, though Dad didn't really have an active role in the dream,) were at an amusement park and we were staying on this little platform thingy with no walls and only a roof that was attached way up high to the side of a building. It wasn't a ride, it was like our hotel or something only we were the only ones dangling midair. Weird, right?
It seemed completely normal in the dream and it was nearing the end of the day and Kathryn and I were trying to decided what to do with our last half hour. Devin had texted me and invited the two of us to hang out with him and the rest of the youth group somewhere in the park. Kathryn wanted to go, (of course, haha,) but I was a little more unsure. I wanted to make sure that Mom would be okay and for some reason in the dream, (I can't remember why, now,) I was afraid that something might happen to her if we left.
Then while we were still deliberating about it on our little platform, a red dragon came out of nowhere and shot flames at us a few times before flying off again. Completely weird, right?
Kathryn and I had just decided that we would go join up with the others and started to pray and ask God to keep us all safe, when the dragon came back, almost in retaliation to our prayer. We all ducked and scattered and I quickly said, "never mind!" meaning I didn't want to go. The dragon stuck it's head under our roof and we rebuked it, but it didn't leave right away.
It flew away and that's all I remember. Since it was so weird I thought it would be a good idea to tell Mom and Dad about it to see if they thought it had any spiritual parallels. Mom immediately hit the nail on the head and said that it probably represented some internal fears and doubts about the trip. Before that I hadn't talked about or really even admitted to myself that I was scared, but she was so right. And the first step to getting over something is to admit it.
Anyway, so if you happen to think about it, pray for me. I'm sure that I'll be okay and that everything will be great because, hey, God is good! I'm just having a little trouble getting there. Writing about it helps a lot though. =)
Okay, so camp is in two days. Sunday morning we will go to the church at 10:00 a.m., and begin our epic journey. As excited as I am, I'm having some fear issues. I know, I know, it's ridiculous for a seventeen year old to be scared of leaving home for a week. But all the same, I am.
It started about three years ago. We were traveling home from KC, and we witnessed a really bad wreck. I cannot tell you how much that has messed with me. Ever since then I've struggled with fear when taking trips without my parents. I've worried that when someone leaves the house, they might not come back. It has affected my driving very negatively. I can't tell you how many bad dreams I've had about crashing the car.
As long as I'm with Mom or Dad, I'm okay. But for some reason whenever I face being separated from them for any extended period of time, I'm afraid. Even if it's a good thing that I'll be gone for, like camp.
And don't get me wrong, I really really want to go to camp! I wanted to go to a camp last year. I prayed for it. I asked God for it. And I was super excited when Mom and Dad said yes! God totally brought this together. So why am I so afraid?
Then last night I had a dream. We, (the whole family, though Dad didn't really have an active role in the dream,) were at an amusement park and we were staying on this little platform thingy with no walls and only a roof that was attached way up high to the side of a building. It wasn't a ride, it was like our hotel or something only we were the only ones dangling midair. Weird, right?
It seemed completely normal in the dream and it was nearing the end of the day and Kathryn and I were trying to decided what to do with our last half hour. Devin had texted me and invited the two of us to hang out with him and the rest of the youth group somewhere in the park. Kathryn wanted to go, (of course, haha,) but I was a little more unsure. I wanted to make sure that Mom would be okay and for some reason in the dream, (I can't remember why, now,) I was afraid that something might happen to her if we left.
Then while we were still deliberating about it on our little platform, a red dragon came out of nowhere and shot flames at us a few times before flying off again. Completely weird, right?
Kathryn and I had just decided that we would go join up with the others and started to pray and ask God to keep us all safe, when the dragon came back, almost in retaliation to our prayer. We all ducked and scattered and I quickly said, "never mind!" meaning I didn't want to go. The dragon stuck it's head under our roof and we rebuked it, but it didn't leave right away.
It flew away and that's all I remember. Since it was so weird I thought it would be a good idea to tell Mom and Dad about it to see if they thought it had any spiritual parallels. Mom immediately hit the nail on the head and said that it probably represented some internal fears and doubts about the trip. Before that I hadn't talked about or really even admitted to myself that I was scared, but she was so right. And the first step to getting over something is to admit it.
Anyway, so if you happen to think about it, pray for me. I'm sure that I'll be okay and that everything will be great because, hey, God is good! I'm just having a little trouble getting there. Writing about it helps a lot though. =)
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Movies, Movies, and More Movies
One of the things that was really fun about just being the four of us while the girls were in Highlands is that we got to watch a lot of movies that Kath and I had never seen before. All in all I think we watched about seven movies that were new to us. We borrowed The Holiday and Flash Gordon from Uncle Josh and Aunt Carolyn and Mom bought Rush Hour from Wally World. I'd have to say The Holiday was my favorite out of the three, but Flash Gordon is a close second just by virtue of the fact that it is the cheesiest, best 80's movies ever. We also watched Spies Like Us, (an 80's comedy with Chevy Chase,) and needless to say it was equally amusing and ridiculous.
On Sunday we all slept in as late as we wanted to, and then stumbled out of bed to go see Terminator Salvation. It was pretty good. Fairly dark, but that's kind of a requirement for those end-of-the-world type movies. It had some really cool action sequences and stuff like that, but not as much plot as I would generally like. Still, I enjoyed it. There were so many startle moments! I think I must have jolted out of my seat half a dozen times. Haha.
It was around 4:00 when we got home and we started fixing dinner. Oh my gosh it was amazing! We had homemade guacamole and queso with tortilla chips for an appetizer while we worked on fixing baked potatoes and stuffed mushrooms with garlic, cheese, and cream cheese. Then Dad fired up the grill and made steak while Mom assembled a salad with bell pepper, tomato, and feta. What a meal! Once it was all prepared we watched Taken for the first time in the Great Room with our feast. It was so good!
And the movie was awesome too. Admittedly, it freaked me out quite a bit since the storyline is horrifically realistic and not some futuristic fantasy, but it was still really good. The Dad searching for his seventeen year old daughter did not spare anyone in his efforts. Major bad guy booty whoopin' occurred on a regular basis. Gotta love it.
So yeah, I definitely enjoyed getting to watch so many movies. =D
On Sunday we all slept in as late as we wanted to, and then stumbled out of bed to go see Terminator Salvation. It was pretty good. Fairly dark, but that's kind of a requirement for those end-of-the-world type movies. It had some really cool action sequences and stuff like that, but not as much plot as I would generally like. Still, I enjoyed it. There were so many startle moments! I think I must have jolted out of my seat half a dozen times. Haha.
It was around 4:00 when we got home and we started fixing dinner. Oh my gosh it was amazing! We had homemade guacamole and queso with tortilla chips for an appetizer while we worked on fixing baked potatoes and stuffed mushrooms with garlic, cheese, and cream cheese. Then Dad fired up the grill and made steak while Mom assembled a salad with bell pepper, tomato, and feta. What a meal! Once it was all prepared we watched Taken for the first time in the Great Room with our feast. It was so good!
And the movie was awesome too. Admittedly, it freaked me out quite a bit since the storyline is horrifically realistic and not some futuristic fantasy, but it was still really good. The Dad searching for his seventeen year old daughter did not spare anyone in his efforts. Major bad guy booty whoopin' occurred on a regular basis. Gotta love it.
So yeah, I definitely enjoyed getting to watch so many movies. =D
Monday, June 1, 2009
Food, Fun, and Friends
Wow, I haven't written in way too long. Sorry, my apologies. ;) Let me see if I can catch up on the last couple of days.
On Friday nothing particularly out of the ordinary happened until Mom got a call from Sarah Taylor saying she needed some place to be for the afternoon and evening. (Her Dad was in the hospital undergoing some tests. He is still there. The situation looks bad but God is in control so keep him in your prayers.) Anyway so she had dinner with us and we watched So You Think You Can Dance, (LOVE that show,) and talked and laughed until she went home later that evening.
Late Friday night Kath and I were watching The Holiday, (it's becoming one of my favorite romantic comedies ever,) when I got a text from Rachel asking if we wanted to do lunch the next day. Well of course we did but Kath had to be at work at one so we settled for an early lunch at Barberitos, (our traditional meeting place.) I drove the van there, (yay me! Haha!) and learned some very interesting and cool things about Mom from when she was a teenager that I didn't know before. ;)
So we got there and ordered our burritos and two large quesos to share and thoroughly enjoyed the food and each other's company. It was nice having Mom with us since most of the time we go just the five of us girls, (can't exactly snatch Mom away for a lunch outing and leave the Littles.) And since the Littles are currently visiting grandparents there was no reason for her to stay home!
After Barberitos we went to the Factory Connection which is conveniently located next to where Kath works. I think we must have spent close to an hour there just chatting and looking at clothes. One of the things that I like about the Factory Connection is that they always have long dresses. There was one hanging in the window that I had been looking at for a couple of weeks. It was gathered under the bust line and had three or four tiered layers with embroidery on every other layer. It was sort of a sienna red with cream colored thread and I just loved it. So I finally tried it on and it looked great! Since I had some cash from a recent baby sitting job I decided to get it and Mom said she'd go halves with me on it. =D
Rachel bought a cute leather turquoise purse and an adorable celery green summer dress. Caroline got a great pair of trouser style jeans...and I can't remember if Meg bought anything or not. Haha. So after making our purchases we stopped in to show Kath what we bought and she, in turn, oohed and aahed over each brilliant buy! =D
Then Meg explained to me that they really didn't have to go home yet so of course I invited them over. We started talking about fun movies and things and I told them about Flash Gordon. (We borrowed it from Uncle Josh and Aunt Carolyn and it is so funny! Cheesiest movie ever, bar none.) They decided that they would enjoy getting a good laugh and we put it on. They were already crying from laughing so hard within the first five minutes. The theme song by Queen is priceless!
Just when Flash Gordon was reaching it's end, Sarah Sutton came over to spend the evening with us while her parents were in Tally celebrating her Mom's birthday. We had a blast being together! They all stayed for dinner which consisted of spicy sausage and Cajun rice with bell peppers. Yum.
When we were finished Kath cleaned up from dinner and volunteered to make cookie dough! Oh man, it was sooooo good. Sweet and light and fluffy and oh so yummy! We made two batches and ate about three fourths of it! Haha.
Meg, Rachel and Caroline ended up staying with us until around 10:00 and Sarah left at 11:30. It was such an awesome day! I haven't had a day with friends in a long time. And we hadn't seen Meg, Rachel, and Caroline in over a month! Oh, the travesty! It was great to be able to catch up.
On Friday nothing particularly out of the ordinary happened until Mom got a call from Sarah Taylor saying she needed some place to be for the afternoon and evening. (Her Dad was in the hospital undergoing some tests. He is still there. The situation looks bad but God is in control so keep him in your prayers.) Anyway so she had dinner with us and we watched So You Think You Can Dance, (LOVE that show,) and talked and laughed until she went home later that evening.
Late Friday night Kath and I were watching The Holiday, (it's becoming one of my favorite romantic comedies ever,) when I got a text from Rachel asking if we wanted to do lunch the next day. Well of course we did but Kath had to be at work at one so we settled for an early lunch at Barberitos, (our traditional meeting place.) I drove the van there, (yay me! Haha!) and learned some very interesting and cool things about Mom from when she was a teenager that I didn't know before. ;)
So we got there and ordered our burritos and two large quesos to share and thoroughly enjoyed the food and each other's company. It was nice having Mom with us since most of the time we go just the five of us girls, (can't exactly snatch Mom away for a lunch outing and leave the Littles.) And since the Littles are currently visiting grandparents there was no reason for her to stay home!
After Barberitos we went to the Factory Connection which is conveniently located next to where Kath works. I think we must have spent close to an hour there just chatting and looking at clothes. One of the things that I like about the Factory Connection is that they always have long dresses. There was one hanging in the window that I had been looking at for a couple of weeks. It was gathered under the bust line and had three or four tiered layers with embroidery on every other layer. It was sort of a sienna red with cream colored thread and I just loved it. So I finally tried it on and it looked great! Since I had some cash from a recent baby sitting job I decided to get it and Mom said she'd go halves with me on it. =D
Rachel bought a cute leather turquoise purse and an adorable celery green summer dress. Caroline got a great pair of trouser style jeans...and I can't remember if Meg bought anything or not. Haha. So after making our purchases we stopped in to show Kath what we bought and she, in turn, oohed and aahed over each brilliant buy! =D
Then Meg explained to me that they really didn't have to go home yet so of course I invited them over. We started talking about fun movies and things and I told them about Flash Gordon. (We borrowed it from Uncle Josh and Aunt Carolyn and it is so funny! Cheesiest movie ever, bar none.) They decided that they would enjoy getting a good laugh and we put it on. They were already crying from laughing so hard within the first five minutes. The theme song by Queen is priceless!
Just when Flash Gordon was reaching it's end, Sarah Sutton came over to spend the evening with us while her parents were in Tally celebrating her Mom's birthday. We had a blast being together! They all stayed for dinner which consisted of spicy sausage and Cajun rice with bell peppers. Yum.
When we were finished Kath cleaned up from dinner and volunteered to make cookie dough! Oh man, it was sooooo good. Sweet and light and fluffy and oh so yummy! We made two batches and ate about three fourths of it! Haha.
Meg, Rachel and Caroline ended up staying with us until around 10:00 and Sarah left at 11:30. It was such an awesome day! I haven't had a day with friends in a long time. And we hadn't seen Meg, Rachel, and Caroline in over a month! Oh, the travesty! It was great to be able to catch up.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A New Leader
Last week Devin stepped down from leading our dance group. He said he had other things that needed to take priority and stuff like that. So Uncle Josh took over last Wednesday said he would be possibly need assistance in the near and distant future. (Dancing isn't really in his comfort zone, but he has really great ideas and stuff.) I immediately volunteered after class and he said we should talk about it some time.
This past Saturday he left a voice mail on my phone saying that he wanted to give me a chance to help choreograph a second dance for YFN, (if we win the talent show we get to preform again,) and to lead the group that is going. I was so excited! So while he teaches a drama to the group stays home, I'll be teaching our dance to the rest of them. How cool is that?
So on Tuesday in between getting my permit renewed and taking the ADAP class, Uncle Josh and I met at the church. He had taken a seven minute song and condensed it to just over ninety seconds, (that's the limit time for the talent show.) Uncle Josh is so amazing! He did a such a great job. It's an amazing song and we choreographed the first half of it. Devin came in after a few minutes and helped us figure out a few things. It was so much fun.
Then the next day I talked to Uncle Josh on the phone and he said that Devin still wanted to dance in the group if I didn't mind. I was like, "are you kidding me?! Of course I want him there!" He's a great dancer and has the passion needed for the song. I had hoped he would want to, especially since we only have one other guy in the group.
Anyway, since last night was the first night doing the new dance, Uncle Josh lead it, just to make the transition easier. Next week I'll take over. I'm so excited! This kind of thing is so up my alley. And the dance is going to be amazing! Devin says it's "sick." I know that's supposed to mean it's uber-cool and I'm sorry, but when you've spent hours feeling nauseous and throwing up in a car, the word "sick" will only make you think of one thing. Haha!
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this opportunity. It's totally a God thing. =D
This past Saturday he left a voice mail on my phone saying that he wanted to give me a chance to help choreograph a second dance for YFN, (if we win the talent show we get to preform again,) and to lead the group that is going. I was so excited! So while he teaches a drama to the group stays home, I'll be teaching our dance to the rest of them. How cool is that?
So on Tuesday in between getting my permit renewed and taking the ADAP class, Uncle Josh and I met at the church. He had taken a seven minute song and condensed it to just over ninety seconds, (that's the limit time for the talent show.) Uncle Josh is so amazing! He did a such a great job. It's an amazing song and we choreographed the first half of it. Devin came in after a few minutes and helped us figure out a few things. It was so much fun.
Then the next day I talked to Uncle Josh on the phone and he said that Devin still wanted to dance in the group if I didn't mind. I was like, "are you kidding me?! Of course I want him there!" He's a great dancer and has the passion needed for the song. I had hoped he would want to, especially since we only have one other guy in the group.
Anyway, since last night was the first night doing the new dance, Uncle Josh lead it, just to make the transition easier. Next week I'll take over. I'm so excited! This kind of thing is so up my alley. And the dance is going to be amazing! Devin says it's "sick." I know that's supposed to mean it's uber-cool and I'm sorry, but when you've spent hours feeling nauseous and throwing up in a car, the word "sick" will only make you think of one thing. Haha!
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this opportunity. It's totally a God thing. =D
Driving
We are finally moving forward! Tuesday Mom and I stood in line for an hour at the DMV and got my permit renewed. Yes, it had actually expired. Ugh. I can't get a license until I've had 50 hours behind the wheel, 6 of which have to be at night. I've only had about 5, none of which have been around other cars. Mostly parking lot and neighborhood stuff, you know?
Later that evening Kath and I did a four hour class and test at the tech on Alcohol and Drug Awareness. (It's now a requirement for getting a license.) The test was ridiculously easy and we both got all twenty questions right. =P One thing I did learn is that waiting until I turn 18 to get a license will be more simple because until you turn 18 you are only eligible for a Class D license which has extra restrictions on it. If I wait I can get an adult license without doing anything in between.
So for the next few months I'll be driving Kath to and from work in the van, (YIKES!) I drove her to work today, but I let Mom take over on the way back. I had had enough for now. It was so nerve wracking! The van is one big hunk o' junk and it's pretty scary driving it. My heart was beating so hard and my muscles were all tense and I was shaking and stuff. Meh.
Don't get me wrong, I want to drive. I look forward to the freedom that it will provide. But it's a pretty scary prospect. You're in control of a potential weapon, really. Plus I've had bad dreams where I was trying to drive and like totally screwed up. Doesn't help matters much.
But Mom said I did a good job so that's encouraging. I tended to lean too far to the right, but it's better than the left. I'd rather go off the pavement than hit another vehicle. Of course if I could split the distance evenly that would be even better. =P
Later that evening Kath and I did a four hour class and test at the tech on Alcohol and Drug Awareness. (It's now a requirement for getting a license.) The test was ridiculously easy and we both got all twenty questions right. =P One thing I did learn is that waiting until I turn 18 to get a license will be more simple because until you turn 18 you are only eligible for a Class D license which has extra restrictions on it. If I wait I can get an adult license without doing anything in between.
So for the next few months I'll be driving Kath to and from work in the van, (YIKES!) I drove her to work today, but I let Mom take over on the way back. I had had enough for now. It was so nerve wracking! The van is one big hunk o' junk and it's pretty scary driving it. My heart was beating so hard and my muscles were all tense and I was shaking and stuff. Meh.
Don't get me wrong, I want to drive. I look forward to the freedom that it will provide. But it's a pretty scary prospect. You're in control of a potential weapon, really. Plus I've had bad dreams where I was trying to drive and like totally screwed up. Doesn't help matters much.
But Mom said I did a good job so that's encouraging. I tended to lean too far to the right, but it's better than the left. I'd rather go off the pavement than hit another vehicle. Of course if I could split the distance evenly that would be even better. =P
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