Outlines, Friends And Ice Cream

Hello hello hello! Guess what! I had a lovely day today! hehe As if you couldn't tell. :)


Say hello to lovely 7 am! I got to class early..... like beat the teacher by fifteen minutes early (though I was still the second one there). The first half consisted of a lecture about outlining. The second half we were supposed to start our outlines. Well I was a little ahead of the rest of the class and had mine almost finished, but for a few nitpicky things. So after it got it's stamp of approval from Ms. V, I left! 


When I got home, dad asked me to go get lunch so I also was able to run by the bank and gas station on the way, two things checked off my to do list. The three little ones and my mom were at the Ohio Renn Faire all day today so it was just dad, Garrett and I eating lunch. Garrett scarfed his down and left for a friend's house and my dad retreated to his room to work on a sermon which left me to finished my allotted chores for the day. While I was doing those, Carl came over again to work on dad's car. And he brought me ice cream! :D Yes I know, it was very sweet of him. 


The rest of the afternoon, I spent working on my outline for my American Government paper. It's boring stuff, let me tell ya. But I got a good chunk of it done before I finally had to take a break. Ice cream will only last for so long before the temptation overwhelms you. ;) Carl came in and joined me and when we finished, instead of going back to my homework like I should have, I decided to read. I finally finished 'Lady In Waiting' though! It's taken me forever but I'm done! And it was a fabulous book!


I finished reading just as the little children came home with my mom. By then, Carl was also done working on the car and of course, being in love with him, Lucy wanted him to push her on her trike again. And being the ever so obliging gentleman he is, he did. Gavin walked up and down the driveway with us, telling us all about the faire and his day while Lucy chattered on about stuff. Then it was time for dinner. We got pizza and Carl stayed to eat with us before he had to leave. 


Being Thursday night, I had mime practice! Hannah came over and we had a lovely time practicing and talking and giggling. It was fun and we made progress! Next week though, I hope to practice at church instead of my house. Spatially, it works better. 


Now here I am, thoroughly tired out and decidedly done with homework for the night. Tomorrow is Friday which means sleeping in, all day to do homework and the start of an awesome weekend! But that's another story. 


Oh! I'm listening to the LotR soundtrack at the moment and you should too! It's good stuff that. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy-OP9rGFJE

Until next time!

Just The Right Thing

Surprisingly, today turned out much better than I expected! Seriously! After yesterday, I figured I'd hole up and do homework when I wasn't at class or work. But no! Here's what happened.


First was class this morning. Waking up at 6 was not easy but I did it. I decided to throw my hair in a ponytail and wear a sweatshirt instead of dressing up for class so I could eat breakfast. Class lecture was spent trying to stay awake while writing review notes for next week's test. Lab was an hour and a half spent working equations over and over..... and trying to stay awake. However, I ran by Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte on the way home and there was no more trying to stay awake. :)


I wasn't home too long before Carl came over to look at the cars. It's funny how God knows just what you need and God provided my best friend! I didn't realize how much I needed a friend until I saw him drive up the driveway. How great is that! He stayed for lunch and until I had to leave for work. We had a lovely time talking and laughing and walking with Lucy up and down the driveway (he pushed her on her tricycle for a while which I thought was rather cute). He even gave me a piano concert before my dad claimed him to go look at his car. 


Then it was off to work for me. It went quite well today! We had a whole lot of kids but we kept them all alive and well. Now I'm sitting here with the peace and quiet with my chocolate ice cream, watching Runaway Bride. Good chick flick (shut up Carl!)! 


Now for your song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isHfhuOlFCM

God's pretty cool right? So yeah, tomorrow is speech class again. But He's gonna carry me into that class and out again and I'll be just fine! *deep breath*...... I hope.....


Until next time!

Desperate For Escape

Today didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. My admirers in class went a little far with their comments. At first I was able to brush it off but as the day has worn on, it's been bothering me more and more. 


When I graduated last May, I steeled myself in preparation to experience a lot of things in college. Differences in beliefs, different people, lots of homework, new locations and even the dirty humor and language. But I did not prepare myself to be the feast for a man's eyes. Because I didn't get a lot of guy attention in high school, I figured I might make a few guy friends but pretty much be passed over otherwise. Today, I realized that is not the case. I'm sick and tired of the guys not looking at my face when they talk to me. A few of the comments today have me feeling dirty and degraded, even though I didn't do anything but be me. 


Honestly I'm ready to quit. I'm ready to forget this college thing and begin preparing myself to accomplish my ultimate calling, to be a wife and mother someday. I don't want be exposed to all the dirty humor and language anymore. What's more, I don't want to have to endure the double takes and the ogler's eyes. 


My prayer at the moment comes from Matt. 26:39b. "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Earnestly praying that last part is harder than I thought possible but I'm trying. I don't know why I'm going through this but I know that if there is no escape hatch, He will give me the strength to get up and face the world each morning. Good thing too because I can't do this on my own. 


Until next time. 

Monday Traditions

I'm alive! I survived! Remember that test I told you about yesterday? Yeah, well I was up until 11:30 last night studying for it and then woke up at 6 this morning for class (as usual). I skipped breakfast cause I was so nervous and got to class about 20 minutes early. With all that extra time, I was able to do my devotions (shorter than I would like) and run through the study guide again before class started. Well, first we went over our current events assignment and got into some heated debate. You can read all about that on my other blog, "The Scribblings Of An Average College Student". Then came the fifteen minute break, all of which I spent listening to the surrounding students complain about how they were going to fail cause they didn't study. Hmm... I wonder why! Anyway, finally it was test time. I feel like I flew through it.... oh wait.... cause I did! And I feel like I did well. I was the third person done, handed in my test and was in the car by 10:10. Yeah! :D


When I got home, I had my daddy time which is becoming a much loved Monday tradition. He took me out to lunch and we had a great talk! I kinda like being grownup. Yeah, once in a while he gets on me about picking up my game but for the most part, there isn't as much critique in our conversations as there used to be. We had a good time! We talked about school and missions trips and boys and the test. Good stuff. 


I helped him wash the dog when we got home and then it was time for another Monday tradition! My afternoon nap! I'm lovin' Mondays now. I got to sleep for about to hours and then decided I should probably get up so I'd sleep tonight. Also, there was quite a pile of laundry to be done so I worked on that while watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding (hilarious movie!). 


Enter mom and the children from stage left. I guess everyone had a great day at Co-op and they all seemed quite happy with their day's achievements. Gavin and Maisy ate early and left for BSF which left mom, dad, Garrett and I to eat together. After dinner, my mom and I had a good conversation about a potential ministry. We're going to research it and I'm really hoping it works out!!! 


Two scoops of ice cream later, we gathered in the living room to watch a movie. We decided on a chick flick called Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past. I highly don't recommend it. One of those just not very good chick flicks. Stick with the Jane Austen. Anyway, after that, everyone said their goodnights and I packed up my stuff for tomorrow. And hallelujah I have speech class tomorrow! Woot woot! Oh! 12 weeks left in my first semester!


Now for one of my all time favorite songs by a new found favorite artist! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRb3JliK_Rs

Ok, enough daydreaming. Until next time!

Sermons, Pizza and Friends

Oi. It's only 10 and I'm tired but I figured I'd post real quick. So, here's a whirlwind tour of my day. 


This morning my alarm went off at 7 and I decided to go to second service so I could sleep for two more hours. It was ever so nice! I got there with plenty of time to spare and sat through a wonderful service! Let me tell you right now, my dad is an awesome preacher! Don't believe me? Hear for yourself! Here is the link to all his sermons and I highly recommend that, if you find yourself with time to spare, listen to all his sermons on Revelation. They're amazing to say the least! 

http://www.livingstreamscc.org/sermons.html

After church, Jess, Matt, Garrett and I went out for pizza. Watching Matt and Jess insult each other across the table brought back fond memories of lazy Sundays at my house and lunches at our favorite Chinese place. Of course, we had Kate with us then but we still all were trying to figure out what Jess was laughing about. 


Garrett and I passed Carl on the way home (I think he's stalking me ;) ) and when we got back, we found we were home alone! Know what came next? That's right. The "Dance around the kitchen when the parents are gone" ritual. Meanwhile, Carl and I played 20 Questions over text. Harder than it sounds actually. 


Finally it was time to leave again. I grabbed the remainder of my pumpkin cookies, my two brothers and my keys and headed to Hannah's house! We were there to watch the football game but none of us watched a bit of it. Instead, Hannah, Shannon, Danni and I watched the little brothers play Halo and we also went for a walk. We walked down to the beach (Hannah lives on a lake) and almost everyone started playing with some lost plastic shovels, digging holes and making forts out of sticks and leaves and rocks. At one point I commented "Gosh guys.... I feel like I'm babysitting you!" to which Danni replied "Hey! You aren't babysitting me! Now can I have another popsicle?" haha Danni is awesome. :)


The time to leave came too soon so I again gathered up my siblings and keys (left the pumpkin cookies there though) and came home. Now I'm taking a short break from studying for tomorrow's American Government test. It's sooooooo much information! Thank goodness the test is multiple choice. But I'm still going to be up for probably another hour or so. :P Oh well. 


Until next time!


P.S. I'm quite nervous about my test tomorrow and your prayers would be greatly appreciated, dear reader. Thanks!

Mother-In-Training: Package Includes Picture Books, Coloring Pages And Pumpkin Cookies

Phew! What a weekend and it's only Saturday night! I can't remember a more satisfying weekend than this one. Why? Well I'm glad you asked!


It all started Friday morning. My mom left early for a conference and I was called out of my sweet sleep at 8 am to begin my role as mother-in-training. By then, everyone else had already eaten breakfast so I ate and indulged myself with a cup of coffee. Then, dressed in my sweats, I began the day with helping Maisy with her homework. Lucy was a little rambunctious yesterday so I found her some coloring pages to keep her busy while I completed MY homework. And I did too! Just in time. Gavin got back (from wherever he was) with Caleb and I had to feed the wild children their lunch. 


After lunch, Maisy and I had the bright idea to make pumpkin cookies! Well, we made the dough and as everybody knows, sugar cookie dough needs to be chilled for an hour or so. During that hour, I lost Maisy's attention so I finished the cookies by myself. As you can see, they turned out quite nicely! Even Maisy said they were as good as Grandma's which is a HUGE compliment!


The whole thing was a three hour process and in between getting cookies out of the oven and putting cookies in the oven, I read books to Lucy. She fell asleep just in time for me to make the icing and put the finishing touches on the cookies. As I finished, Dad called and asked if I was up for pizza for dinner. Heck yes! Who turns down pizza?! So we ate in style, all gathered in the living room, watching The Princess Bride, while eating pizza and pumpkin cookies. Bedtime ensued and after they were all put abed, I said goodnight to my dad and retired myself...... to read and text for another two hours. :)


I actually got up this morning at 7, just in time to wave my mom out the door for the last bit of her conference. Surprisingly, I felt like cooking this morning so out came the skillet and I cooked up some bacon and eggs for everyone. Then after a quick shower, I gathered up the younger three and headed to church. Today was my mom's scheduled cleaning day but I figured I'd go and do it for her so when she got home, she wouldn't have to go herself. With Gavin and Maisy helping, we flew through the job and were home before you could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. 


We had leftover pizza for lunch and Lucy insisted on watching the Arisocats. (And just because Carl has never seen that movie, here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfdL7k136co) That worked out just fine for me cause I got a good piece of homework done! Then the highlight of my day: Carl came over for a bike ride! It was an absolute perfect day for it and Garrett, he and I went about 17 miles. When we got back, we ate cookies and watched Lucy prance around the living room, singing songs and giving us the fast forward versions of all the Disney movies she's seen. That little girl is quite the show off... but she's cute about it. How come that never works for me? 


Anyway, my mom commissioned me to go get milk and tomato sauce for dinner so Garrett, Carl and I ventured out to the store. It didn't take long at all (yes, I drive fast) and when we returned, we finally got Carl to stay for dinner! Spaghetti and salad with a side of Victor Borge was on the menu. Good food, good laughs and very good company. All in all, a lovely night! 


Now here I sit, procrastinating on homework, eating popcorn and listening to some good ol' Mozart. And my room is a freezer! I love it! 


Ok, off to finished this forever long study guide. Until next time!

Feminine Friday: The Key To Beauty

Upon some reflection of my recent blog posts the other day, I realized that everything has been about school, work and my day to day life. In the meantime, I've been studying Biblical femininity and though I've come across some very interesting ideas and thoughts, I've somehow failed to blog about them! Silly me! So, in order avoid making this mistake again, I have officially named Friday 'Feminine Friday'! What does that mean? It means that on Fridays, instead of posting about my daily happenings, I'm going to post about my search for Biblical femininity and any of my findings, thoughts, interpretations, etc.! And just a side note: Guys, feel free to skip over Fridays posts from now on. :) So, I sincerely hope that I give you ladies something to think about while learning some things myself! 

For our first post, I have found the key to true beauty! That's right ladies, honest to goodness beauty! It's found in 1 Peter 3:3-4:

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

First of all, this doesn't mean that to be truly beautiful, we have to look plain. No no no no! We should strive to look our best. BUT! We shouldn't be putting more time into our outer appearance than into our inner beauty. Why? "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." (Prov. 31:30) As we grow older, our outer beauty will fade. We will get wrinkles and gray hair and sagging cheeks. But the Bible says that "a gentle and quiet spirit" is unfading beauty. Not only is it considered unfading beauty but it is of great worth in God's sight! 

I confess, I have trouble with having a gentle and quiet spirit sometimes. I've wanted to be angry and demand that I get something when I want it and stomp around, slamming doors and being not very nice to people. That's not being very gentle or quiet though. I've gotten a bit better at keeping myself in check at these times and praying for God's peace and patience. Sometimes it comes easily and sometimes it doesn't but hey! We're all works in progress right?

And so, my lovely ladies, that is all I have for you today. Until next time!

Tests, Mime And Poetry

Good evening my fair readers! Another sunset, another day gone and more to tell you about.


Today was speech class. I knew we had a test today but I also knew it was open book, open note, open study guide and collaborative so I wasn't worried about it too much. So, I walk into class all bright and cheery.... until I hear the words "Good morning! It's impromptu speech day!" Ha! Good thing she brought cookies or she might not have made it out of the parking lot alive. It didn't go all too badly though. I think I did well on my test but that part was easy. My impromptu speech was on my favorite childhood memory. We were handed a topic, sent into the hallway to brainstorm for three minutes and then asked to come back in and give our speech. Oh the joys of knowing everyone in class. I was nervous but not terrifyingly so and I'm told I did well. I only hope so! Also, I noticed today that Ms. V doesn't just call me Casey, she calls me Miss Casey. I think it's kinda funny because I've been called Miss Casey by like everyone since my freshman year of high school. Guess some things never change. :) 


I got home to an empty house, ate a late lunch and left again for work. Work went pretty well today too! I worked with Karie today. We started off with like 31 kids but thankfully that dwindled rather quickly. We had 12 for a while and then they were all gone by 5:45. So we got to lock up and go home early! 


Big event of the day? I had mime practice with Hannah tonight! :D She did really well too! She caught on quickly and I know she'll be responsible about practicing and being prepared. I'm so excited about it!


Now I have another poem to share with you. This isn't one I wrote but it's really good and I wanted to share it! So, enjoy!

The Single Gift

How blessed you are, oh single one

Don't talk of care or woes.

You've got too much to be thankful for,

Oh what, you'd like to know.

It's no mistake, no misdirection

Of God's perfect plan

That you've not found that special lady,

Or you, that certain man.

God loves you so and has much more

To give than you've ever received. 

That He's giving His best to you right now,

You really must believe. 

His best is Himself, do you have it in full

Or only a bit on the side.

No man can meet your needs like God, 

Nor can a lovely bride.

If your life's not complete, you know that Jesus is

And your life He will fill

If you'll only put Him first each day

And live do to His will.

He's gifted you for undistracted 

Devotion to the Lord. 

There should be nothing that can interfere

With Him and prayer and the Word.

Unless you let down the guard of your heart

And let others take His place,

Then you'll lack joy and peace and hope

And not experience His grace.

So give your heart right back to God,

Let Him keep it safe for you.

And when it's better than His best,

He'll make your one into two. 

-- Donna L. Mihura 

And now for your song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIOH8k7SG3U

I'm still stuck on The Man From Snowy River if you couldn't tell. :)

By the way, the moon tonight is absolutely beautiful! Until next time!

It's Here...... Officially!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Fall! :D It's officially here and it makes me quite happy.


Fall (or autumn) is my favorite season I think. Why? Well there's so much I love about it! Crisp clear days, sweatshirts, bonfires and s'mores, long walks, starry nights, hot apple cider, colorful leaves, Thanksgiving (one of my favorite holidays). What about you? What's your favorite part of fall?


Well I figured that to celebrate, I would post a poem I wrote last year. Enjoy!


Autumn: Dedicated to the season

Summer fades into memory

Days by the pool long gone

Long sleeves are now the style

Cool weather coming on

Trees dress themselves up

In colors of orange and red

Riding down a country rode

Leaves of green have fled

The brisk wind blows strong

Making fallen leaves dance

Skipping across the grass

Through the air they prance

Corn leaves whisper whisper

Their tassels growing tall

Golden kernels ripe and ready

Picked up as their stalks fall

Pumpkins grow big and round

Bright orange their lovely hue

Shapes are cut into their skin

A Jack-O’-lantern grins at you

Apples ripen on their trees

Some sour and some sweet

Making cider and apple pie

A special autumn treat

Children thinking of sweeter things

Halloween is coming fast

Plan the costume of ghosts and ghouls

Get to that candy at last

Grandma planning for Thanksgiving

There is that turkey to buy

Cornbread, beans, cranberry sauce

And don’t forget the pumpkin pie

Summer fades into memory

Shorter is the day

The seasons change with time

Autumn’s here to stay


Until next time!

Admirers, Dragons And Soundtracks

Well my friends, the time has come again for me to write another post. And today was slightly more interesting than yesterday! Only slightly though. So, read on at your own peril. 


Class went well today. We had our group project thingy today and so far I'm getting an A in that class! Also, I got a present today! Robert brought me a dragon from the Ren Faire he went to this past weekend! Now there is a story behind this. He texted me Friday and asked if he was a dork for going to the Ohio Ren Faire Saturday. I told him no and that I'd be going to one in October. He then said that had he known I liked them, he would have invited me but it was too short notice by that time (keep in mind, I couldn't and wouldn't have gone). Well apparently his late notification warranted making amends so he brought me a blue dragon stuffed animal! I named him Ferdinand (with the help of Ms. V) and he now proudly sits with my other stuffed animals. By the way, yes I am 18 and a half and I still have a few stuffed animals. 


Moving on. The other...... interesting thing that happened today was a quote from class. Well, two actually. First, it somehow got around to my group (which contained Brad, Darius, Robert and a few others) that I've never had a boyfriend and furthermore, I've never been kissed. Now me, I have no problem with it whatsoever. In fact, I'm proud to say it! Other people though think it's ridiculous. Darius was the first to say so. "You've never been kissed?!?!? We gotta fix that." Later, Robert addressed the subject again! He asked, since I've never had a boyfriend, if I've ever had my heart broken. I told him I had and very briefly explained that I've had trouble with friends all through high school. He put an arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze saying "That's my girl! I learn something new about you every week!" Hmmm..... ok? So? Sheesh!


I got home unscathed by any more remarks about my lack of a love life. Leftovers was on the menu for lunch and I was able to get a bit of homework done. Then I got to call Rachel! Poor girl was being tested for heavy metal poisoning for six hours today (oi vey!) and needed some company which I was glad to give! We only talked for a few minutes but it was nice to talk nonetheless. After that, I read for a while. It took longer than usual to get through a chapter because it's one of those books where you take notes while you read it. So I'd read a paragraph, write something down, read two paragraphs, write something down, read a page or two, write something down.... you get the picture. 


A little while later, my mom came in to inform me that she and my dad were going out to dinner. That left me in charge. You know what that means. That's right! Dance party in the kitchen! We have fun. :) So, while jammin' away of course, I got the kids fed and the kitchen cleaned up. Then I was able to get some of the mime stuff worked out for the upcoming mime in October. One thing to check off the To Do List! I also got to play piano until my fingers hurt. 


By then, Lucy was asking for popcorn and a movie so I readily supplied both. Just so you know, I make some pretty good popcorn. Anyway, I got Maisy and I some sweet green tea and we settled down with our treats to watch The Man From Snowy River. I have to say, I'm currently stuck on that soundtrack. I LOVE IT!!!! Here's my two favorite songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvs9hwxE7YA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYN0qYG1egs

Definitely one thing I'll be adding to my Christmas list. 


So that was my day, the good, the bad and the ugly. Although there wasn't really anything ugly in it but I had to finish the phrase. :) Until next time!

Complaining Classmates, Ren Faires And Cheeseburgers

Monday. And guess what! I made it through alive! Shocking right? Yeah I know. 


This morning was American Government class at 8 am. I got there at 7:30...... and the sun wasn't even up yet! I do not like that prospect one little bit. Class was...... class. Three hours of lecture is boring to say the least. During our 15 minute break in the middle, the group of classmates around me just sat and complained about our test next week. They were whining about not knowing what to study and not understanding anything and I was sitting there thinking "Sooooo you study ALL OF IT!" Geniuses. Wow. And we're in college! Just... wow. Anyway, finally it ended. 


On the way home, I grabbed some cheeseburgers for my dad and I for lunch and we had a pleasant conversation while we ate together. Monday's are Co-op days so my mom and all the kids are gone until like 4 which leaves the house to my dad and I. Honestly, I'm loving it! Having that time with him is something special. 


After lunch, I took a nap! And it was ever so nice! Two hours of peace and quiet. I didn't want to get up but I knew I'd not sleep at all tonight if I didn't. So out of my snuggly bed I came to do some homework. I read the assigned for class tomorrow and wrote up the intro to my group's speech thingy. Then it was dinner time. My Grandma joined us this evening and she told us all about her trip to Colorado. After helping clean up the kitchen, I was able to go for a walk! 


When I got back, I didn't feel like studying anymore so I started looking up some costume ideas instead. I'm going to the Renaissance Faire in two weeks and my costume leaves something to be desired. I found a few ideas and among some pictures, I stumbled upon this vintage wedding dress:

It's perfect! Exactly the style I would prefer for mine someday! Modest, simple and elegant. Too bad they don't make them like that anymore. Oh well. 


During my search, I got to talk to my friend David from Brazil! It was great cause I hadn't talked to him in a few months. Now that I think about it, he's the one that inspired me to start blogging in the first place. Except his fell apart and I'm still going strong! haha Oh the irony. But it was good to talk and catch up. And dare I say..... possible missions trip in the future? *crosses fingers* I'm definitely praying hard about that one. 


So, tomorrow is Speech Class!!!!! Everybody give a cheer! Along with not having to get up till 7, I love that class and I don't have to work tomorrow! I have the feeling it's going to be a good day. 


Well that's all I have for you today. Until next time!

A Splendiforous Sunday

Hello again! Today turned out much better than I thought it would! Church was fantastic! My dad preached on Revelation 15 and 16. The major point that hit me (heh.... again) was the our God is all knowing and all seeing. Not a bird goes unnoticed by Him. He knows the past, the present and the future. So why do I worry? It's quite unnecessary. 


After church, I went out to lunch with the family. It was lovely! The fish and strawberry pie was as delicious as the company was delightful. I so enjoy spending time with them! During the meal, Garrett and I had the end of the table to ourselves. When I told him that I was considering cutting my hair short and dying it strawberry blond (the latter of which I recently threw out as an option), I asked him his opinion, figuring he wouldn't really have one. But no! He surprised me with "Well I can't really visualize it but I'm sure you'll look good with whatever you decide to do with it." Awwww! What a sweet brother I have. :) 


When we got home, I found myself with time to spare so I called up Rachel for an impromptu visit!! I was sooooo glad I could finally get over there after not finding any time this past week that was good for both of us. But it was great to see her! We talked and laughed and just sat in companionable silence for a while, her head on my shoulder. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better evening! Oh! And of course, coming back from Rachel's, I have to bring a classic Rachel line with me. :) "I'm turning into Ghandi..... only with more tasty alternatives...... and more feminine." How I love that girl! I hated saying goodbye and I'm already looking forward to our next time together, whenever that may be. Hopefully soon!!


So I decided that since most of my past songs have been pretty piano and such, we needed something epic. Here is one of the most epic songs I could find. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbbsCTafRNw

Did I mention that I only have 13 weeks of school left? YAH!!!! Let the countdown begin! :D


Until next time!

An Amazing, Spectacular, Fantastical Day

Did you know that 'fantastical' is an actual word?! Yeah I know! Awesome right? :D 


Ok, moving on. Hi! I'm in the best of moods right now if you couldn't tell! Why? Well the title of this post kind of explains why. But let me fill you in on why it was such a good day! 


First of all, I slept in until 10! That NEVER happens! Being so close to lunch, I skipped breakfast and ate leftover pizza an hour later. Yes I do realize that that's against the diet's rules but we just said goodbye to the diet today so there! American Government was the side dish with my pizza and vanilla iced tea today. I got a fair amount read when I got a text from Carl, asking if Garrett wanted to go play football with him and some of his friends. I asked him and he gave me the "*shrug* Sure. Don't have anything else to do." So off we went. I stayed to watch since we wouldn't be there very long and I was kind of his ride. But I got to see my best friend today which automatically makes it a good day. :) 


When we got home, it was back to the books. Another half hour later, my phone rang! Now you have to understand, no one calls me or texts me anymore so whenever my phone makes noises, I get excited. And I got even more excited when Zach's voice floated through from the other end! I haven't really talked to that kid in over a month so we had lots of catching up to do. He told me he was home for the weekend and wanted to call me. Way to make me feel special! :D Points for him! 


After we finished our conversation, I went with my mom to drop Maisy off at a birthday party. Ok, so before I say this remember, no diet. After dropping her off, we ran by Starbucks! I hadn't had coffee in WEEKS!!! Joy to the world! With our pumpkin spice lattes, we stopped by Goodwill to look for some costume stuff. I'm going to the Ren Faire in a few weeks and, excepting my cape, I had nothing to wear! So we found a cool dress and a belt that I think will be perfect for the occasion. 


Home again home again to the desire to not really do more homework. So, being such a nice day today, Garrett and I went out for a ride! It was loverly! We rode 17 miles in just under two hours! I know I know, excruciatingly slow for some people but that's the farthest I've ever ridden and we both slowed down toward the end. It was good to get out and ride again after so long! Hopefully we can repeat the rout at least once this next week but we'll see. 


When we got back, my mom left for a Co-op mom's night. Just as I was thinking "Oh great. Now I have to play babysitter instead of finishing my homework," my dad walks in the door! So after eating dinner and cleaning up the kitchen, I handed the babysitting duties to him and retreated to my room. Finally I finished the chapter! *does a little happy dance* And just in time to join the boys for some popcorn and watch part of Back To The Future. 


So, now you know why I had an amazing, spectacular, fantastical day! And an amazing spectacular fantastical day deserves an amazing spectacular fantastical song! A happy song! The happiest song I could think of! And ironically, it's called The Happy Song! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHcrf-rgqDo

I hope your day was as good as mine, my dear reader! Until next time!

Happy Birthday....

A month late! That's right. That was today's big event. My brother Garrett's surprise party! His birthday was in August and since he turned sixteen, I wanted to do something extra special instead of just buying him a present. So, I threw him a surprise party! The fact that it was a month later was on purpose. He NEVER suspected!!! :D How about I relate the story to you along with my day. Buckle your seatbelts cause here we go. 


First we jet back to the beginning of August. I began planning this party then by e-mailing his four closest friends and asking them if they were up for planning something secret. Of course they were and gladly jumped into the operation with me. 


Fast forward to today. My mom and I had one of the people coming (Nathan) invite Garrett over for the afternoon to get him out of the house. So I spent the morning discreetly doing chores, making sure all the decorations had been safely stowed away and creating a short list of last minute things to get. Finally he left! As soon as that door shut, my mom and I went into a frenzy of cleaning and decorating.We did a pretty good job too! My mom offered to go to the store and get the list of stuff so while she was gone, I actually had some time to play piano. When she got back, we put the finishing touches on the preparations. 


Becky was the first to arrive with Casey (the other one) not far behind her. We spent about half an hour standing in my kitchen, listening to Casey give us about 25 ways to kill a fish. Odd? Yeah, just a little bit. Then Garrett and Nathan pulled up! Becky, Casey, me and my family all stood silent until he opened the door, at which point we all shouted "Surprise!" like you do at these kinds of things. I wish you could have seen the look on his face! He was so confused. It was GREAT! Then someone said "Happy really belated birthday!" and he got it. :) 


We had a splendid time together! Becky's brother, Robert, joined us later and we all had pizza and ice cream. We tried to play Speed Scrabble but everyone ended up laughing so hard over different things that we just quit. My dad built us a bonfire so we were outside for quite a while before Garrett suggested we watch Victor Borge (the pianist comedian from yesterday). After the movie, I was able to walk everyone to their cars, give out hugs and thank yous and see them off. So the party was a huge success! Did I mention I love my not so little brother? 


I just have to add, what a gorgeous night it is tonight! The stars shining brightly and the moon glowing to beat the band. The cool air coming through my window, escorting in the cricket's songs. Absolutely perfect! A night like this deserves a song like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iO8wQ9PZZg

*contented sigh* Until next time!

Class Fun, Long Walks and Texts

Today was a pretty good day! Hmm..... is it just me or does that sound familiar? I don't know. Anyway, it was! I got up at 7 for class and discovered that there's nothing like some Strauss with your eggs. His waltzes are epic! 


I left for class ten minutes early and consequently got there like 40 minutes early (I'm usually half an hour early anyway). It was nice though! I was the first one there and Ms. V and I had a good little chat. Did I mention that today was speech class day?! Yeah! I love Tuesdays and Thursday now! Class went well. It was mostly taking notes during a lecture about listening. Oh boy oh boy. Afterwards, we got into groups to plan a presentation for next week. Of course I'd be in a group with Darius, Brad and Robert all at the same time. Lucky me huh? And of course I'd come home with some Darius lines. "We'll make a wild child out of you yet!" haha Good luck with that buddy. But my personal favorite: "*gasp* She laughs!" Apparently it bothers him that I don't talk all that much to the group and he bugs me about it..... every class. Oh well. He'll get over it eventually I guess. On the way home, I got like four texts (none of which I looked at or replied to until I got home mind you). I discovered that they were from Robert and Darius. I also discovered that they got my number from dearest Brad. Lovely. I might need to have a little talk with that boy.....


After lunch, I actually did some homework! Aren't you proud of me? :D I started researching for my government paper that isn't due till November. You may think me crazy for starting so early but we get extra credit for handing it in early! So heck yes I'm going to hand it in early! 


I worked on that for a while before my mom interrupted me with some details to figure out about tomorrow. Oh yeah! I didn't tell you what's happening tomorrow! Teehee. Well just to be safe, you'll just have to wait. Anyway, we got those sorted out and she vented about some....... issues going on with my little brother. After we finished our talk, he came in a few minutes later and I decided to quit homework and take him out! So off we went to the park! We had a lovely time walking and talking and laughing. Gavin makes me smile like no other. It was such a pretty day too! The leaves were falling gently through the air as the breeze played with them and tossed them about. When we walked through the woods, it felt like I was walking into a Lord of the Rings movie! Why oh why didn't I bring my camera! I only had my phone which produced the not so good picture above. Oh well. 


After about an hour and a half, we went home to find a pile of laundry waiting to be done. While we did it, we watched Hidalgo! Great movie! When we had finished folding clothes, my mom convinced me to make dinner for me, her and my dad. I guess they love the shrimp I make. It didn't take much persuasion cause I actually like to cook. :) 


The shrimp turned out perfectly and the nice part about cooking at my house is...... whoever cooks doesn't have to clean up! So, since I cooked, my mom insisted that my brothers clean up the kitchen tonight. Score! That left me free to go outside with Lucy for a little while. We walked up and down and up and down and up and down the driveway and sang Disney songs while swinging. I love it that she loves to sing with me. :) She's so adorable! 


A little while later, we were called in to watch a movie with everyone. It was a concert of some guy who doubled as a pianist and comedian. He was pretty funny and his piano playing was excellent! Too bad I can't remember his name. Anyway, that got me to listening to some of my favorite piano songs. Here is my all time favorite piano song by a pretty awesome pianist. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chMEUIInXeg

So, tomorrow is Friday! No class, sleeping in, homework and then that thing in the evening that I can't tell you about yet. But tomorrow's post will be good hopefully! 


I hope your day was as pleasant as mine, my dear reader. Until next time!

Another Sunset, Another Day Lived

Today went quite well! I was up at 6 and out the door by 7:15. The sunrise this morning was absolutely stunning! I made it to class fifteen minutes early. Being Wednesday, it was Physical Science class today. Booooooriiiiiiiing. I almost fell asleep and I was taking notes! Lab was fun though. It was me, Christina and Remon today. Christina and I had fun messing up with our calculations and figuring them out together. Meanwhile, Remon was quite...... how shall I put it....... attentive. Pulling out my chair for me, opening doors, walking me to the parking lot... yeah. Weird. Anyway, the lab took up the full two hours and I didn't get home until 11:30. 


Upon arriving, my sweet mother made me a delicious salad for lunch! Then I discovered that I didn't have any homework for class tomorrow (Speech! WOOT!!!) so I had a few hours to kill before work! I was quite creative too! I worked on some potential mime songs, played through the Moonlight Sonata twice (remember, just the first movement) and wrote a short sequel to one of my stories! 


By then, it was time for work so I headed to the school. I worked with Karie today! :D We have a good time when we work together. And today we actually had a miracle occur! The two problematic kids that always stay late left WAY early! However, we didn't get to leave till 6 anyway. Oh well. The day was pretty smooth and we didn't have to sit anyone in time-out! Bonus! 


When I got home, my mom took Gavin and Maisy and left for Bible Study. So, left here with Lucy and Garrett, I ate dinner while listening to Disney songs with Lucy and helping her sing along. Then she and I danced around my room to some good ol' Beach Boys. While checking my Facebook, she asked if we could watch a movie. I told her we could and she went running out of the room. A few moments later, she poked her head in the door and asked "Are you coming sweetie?" She's so cute! 


We ended up watching Singing In The Rain. And Garrett watched with us! :D I love that movie! Here is one of my favorite songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu6--WBPBHo

It ended just as mommy and daddy got home. So, we all said our goodnights and I retired to my room. While writing up notes for this post, I got to text with Joe for a while! Sweet guy. He called me today but I couldn't talk cause I was at work. Hopefully tomorrow! 


Now, my "deep" thought for today. I found this anonymous quote on a blog and I thought it interesting. "A husband is a brother you choose." Never really thought about it that way but I guess it's true in a way. Something I'll have to give more thought I think. 


Until next time!


(Photo courtesy of Carl Watkins)

FREEEEEEEEEE!!!

That's right! Free as a bird! Here, let me fill you in. 


I got up at 7 as was usual on Tuesdays. Ate breakfast and as I was getting ready for class, I checked my student e-mail. In my inbox, I discovered an e-mail that said class was cancelled for the day! To make matters better, I wasn't working today either! So suddenly, my entire day just freed up! Woot! 


I took my time getting ready and spent a good long hour and a half doing my devotions on the porch. It was loverly outside this morning! I snuggled up on the porch swing with my Bible and had some very good God time. It was great! Oh! And while I was sitting there reading a chapter in Romans, a hummingbird flies up and just flits there, staring at me. We had a staring match for a minute or two and then it flitted off somewhere else. Now how many people can say that they won a staring match against a hummingbird?! Not many I assure you. 


After I had finished, I decided that instead of doing my homework, I would ask my mom if there was anything I could help her out with. There was (as always). She needed a box of clothes run to a good friend of ours and pleaded with me to go shopping for her. I was pleased as punch to say "Sure! Give me your list!" Garrett accompanied me and we had a blast, jammin' away in the car! First we went to the Middletons. Those kids are like my kids! I've been babysitting them for 5 years now and it's so awesome to watch them grow. Paige lost two teeth already! Oh how fast they grow up! Anyway, after dropping the clothes off there, we went to Wal-mart. Oh boy did we have fun there! Ninja running through the isles and spy walking around corners. It's not easy with a cart though. But we got everything on the list and were on our way in an hour. Oh! Did I mention that that was my first time shopping for my family by myself? I did pretty darn good too! 


On our way home, Gavin called and asked us to run by Frosty Boy and pick up some fries for lunch. Heh.... remember Mr. Diet? Well he doesn't let you eat french fries. Hello torture. The drive home was terrible. Upon arriving though, I discovered that my dad had had some kind of bread something for lunch so my mom said that I could eat a few fries to even it out. Hurrah for mothers! While eating lunch, my mom and I had a good talk. At one point Gavin came in asking where Lucy was and my mom bares her "claws" and says "She's asleep and don't you DARE wake her up!" in a pretty scary voice. I'm not kidding. Medusa was in my kitchen today. A little while later, she lost the diet coke I brought home for her and when I pointed her to it, she goes "Oh, thanks. I was having separation anxiety." haha I love my mom. :) 


The afternoon went pretty slow but it was good. I played piano for a whole hour! I actually played through the first movement of Moonlight Sonata. There's like four movements but that's a kind of ridiculous 18 pages so I think I'll just work on learning the first one really well. That's a manageable 5 pages and it's the part everyone knows. Anyway, after that, I got a few things on my To Do List done, not including homework. When my dad got home, I was summoned to help move rocks. Oh the joys of hard labor huh? He likes to keep me at it. I don't mind all that much though. 


When we finished, my mom had our dinner ready and my dad took her out to dinner, leaving us kids to fend for ourselves. teehee You know what happens when they leave. That's right! Music and dancing and funness! Lucy and I had a blast cleaning up after dinner while dancing around the kitchen. And let me tell you, we're pretty good dancers. ;) 


Let's see. Kids fed: check. Kitchen cleaned: check. Dancing executed: check. Ah yes. After that, I was able to go for a walk! Joe accompanied me. :) Not physically though. While walking, he called me and we talked for a good long time. It was nice! I hadn't really talked to him in forever! Out of the many amazing Joe lines, the best was "Oh look! I just ran over the magical star in the race of life!" haha I just love that kid. He's great. 


After we finished talking, I went inside to find Lucy watching Beauty And The Beast. The following then occurred: Movie: "I don't mean to intrude but..." *I stop it the movie* Lucy: "I've lost my horse and I need a place to stay for the night." Me thinks she's seen that a few times. Yeah.....


Cue mommy acting. I got her changed into her jammies, read her a book and tucked her in with her blanket. Then after a quick prayer and kissing her goodnight, I left her to the nightlight's care. Coming downstairs, Gavin, Maisy and I started watching Hidalgo while I folded laundry. I hate that chore. Every time I do it, I always tell myself that someday, I won't be folding four baskets at a time. Someday. Anyway, I got it all folded and put away by the time my parents came home. Then I kissed everyone goodnight and here I am, writing this. All in all, I did not get a lick of homework done today. But oh well! It was just reviewing for what we're going over in class tomorrow anyway. 


Now, your song. Let me tell you, this is probably one of the best dancing songs in the whole wide world! I confess, I'll turn it on and just dance around my room when I'm in a really good mood. It's quite fun! However, I'm not 17 anymore. :) Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6f9RcnpiQQ

Until next time!

Little Fish, Big Fish

Contrary to the title, this post has absolutely nothing to do about fish. Well, rather metaphorical fish. No real fish. Sorry. 


Today was another good day, besides the having to wake up at 6 part. I've decided that I now leave my house Monday morning for class way too early. The sun groggily drags itself out of bed to meet me, speeding toward the interstate. This morning it tried to blind me, but I defeated it. Muahaha! *ahem* Anyway, I got to class (American Government) without any mishaps or amazing adventures. I sat in my usual seat. As usual, the professor was 10 minutes late. We were assigned our research paper topics today and we had to present our government comparison project things in class. Now, as you know, the kid that sits next to me every week texts during the whole class. During break, I was sitting there minding my own business when he turns to me and says "I think I did this wrong..." That's right! HE SPEAKS!! Who woulda thunk it! But beyond that, I talked to no one. That's right. I'm a little fish in a huge pond. 


After class, I had the pleasure of going to Co-op for lunch! Oh the welcome I received when I walked in! It was sooooo good to see everyone again! Those silly girls make me smile like no one else! "What we'll do is we'll go online and order a man for Casey! Problem solved," compliments of Alison. :) Oh and don't forget Danni's pickup line of the day: "Girl, you so fly you put Amelia Earhart to shame!" (Danni suggested I cut my hair and dye it strawberry red. Maybe?) Both Aaron and Jordan greeted me with "Hi..... why are you back?" haha How I missed them all!!! And I kind of enjoyed being the big fish in the little pond again. :) 


When I got home, I had the afternoon to myself so I went to visit an elderly neighbor of mine. Back in middle school and most of high school, I would go visit Grandma Betty once a week. Unfortunately, adding a job my senior year and college stuff, my visits tapered off to nothing. So it was great to go over and catch up with her today! I just love sitting and listening to her, even if the conversation consists of the weather and what she had for dinner last night. But it's kind of comforting! She wanted to know all about college and my job and life in general. We had a lovely talk!


Then it was time to leave for work. The other girl I was supposed to be working with didn't show up so I was stuck with 22 kids, all by my lonesome. Believe it or not, I fared quite well! I had to crack the whip a few times when they got rowdy but I just took them outside early so they could run off some energy. The best part? I actually convinced one of the little girls that my pen was a broken magic wand. I love little kids! 


Finally all the parents came to pick up their children so I had no need to sell any of them to the passing traveling circus. I actually got home 15 minutes early! Looking around for dinner, I opened the freezer and out flew a pizza and some waffles. I think the carbs know that I'm back on that diet and are attacking me now. But I was good and I put them back and found something else to eat, no bread or sugar involved. One more week! 


Dinner cleaned up and baby installed at the table with the updates of a coloring book and crayons, I was free to call Rachel. We talked for a while and had a good conversation but the poor dear is doing terribly. :( I'd really appreciate it if you'd pray for her, my dear reader. She's not doing well AT ALL. I really think that I might one day have to duct-tape her back together. All these new problems just popping up out of nowhere! So yeah, prayers would be very much appreciated. 


By the time we finished talking, Lucy had made her way outside with my parents so I went to retrieve her. We watched Shirley Temple and let me tell you, my little sister is the modern Shirley Temple! I'm not kidding! She's got the adorable face and cute little voice and curls to prove it! 


Now I'm here writing this and that's my day! As for your song, I think I've used it before but it's so good that it's worth using twice. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC2nFFu-mj4

Honestly, I can now say I have a name to put in place of that "Someone". :) But don't you..... no..... stop it..... ah ah ah...... no! I'm not telling you! So you can stop asking and pleading and put your curiosity away! You're not going to find out! Ha! 


Until next time!

Quotes, Cheesecake and Autumn

Today was absolutely fantastical! I haven't had this good a day in a loooooooong time! 


It all started this morning when I came out of my room. A little bit of background for you, I straightened my hair last night so it would be straight for church today. So, I come out of my room this morning and Lucy points at me and says "..... Your hair is straight Casey...." with the most disapproving look on her face. I told her that it would be curly again tomorrow. Later, she came into my room while I was getting ready and says in a very stern voice "You didn't fix it!" How adorable is that! 


Church was GREAT! My dad preached on Rev. 14. Now he's not a fire and brimstone preacher by any means but these Revelation sermons get him fired up! And if you read it, NO DUH! It's good stuff! Second service I sat in the Family Room (our fellowship hall) with Matt and Garrett. Cue another priceless Matt Remmel line: "Call upon the name of the Lord and He'll text back!" 


After church, my dad declared it official carb day which meant we took no observance of our diet today! Kudos to my father! This being the case, he treated us to Chinese food for lunch! My darling Hannah came with us (since she was hanging out with me today) and we had a good time with my brothers at our table. My favorite quote of the meal came from Garrett. "You find a fortune cookie without a fortune and you're dead. You find a wrapper without a fortune cookie and a fortune and you're screwed." The reason we know this is because we have gotten fortune cookies without fortunes and Garrett actually found a fortune cookie wrapper, sealed up without a fortune cookie inside! So there's the story behind that one. :) 


When we got home, Hannah and I went on with our plan to make cheesecake. Having put the word on Facebook earlier about the afternoon's events, Matt joined us. Funny how guys only visit for the food. Anyway, he kept stealing the chocolate chips and cookie dough until we finally got it in the oven. It was such fun making it with Hannah though! She's so cute and has to do everything completely perfect. When scooping the cream cheese into the bowl, she kept saying "Waitnothere'smore!......... Waitnothere'smore!......... Waitnothere'smore!!!" And yes, it was all one word. 


While waiting for the cheesecake to finish cooking, Matt, Hannah, Garrett and I played Speed Scrabble. Unfortunately I don't have a quote for you because all the best part were either Hannah squealing or Matt trying to say his made up words. After our game, we watched the great and powerful Tim Hawkins! "Romeo Romeo, where ya'll at? I'm freezin' up 'ere in these tights! Come 'ere boy!" If you not seen him, go look him up on Youtube. Absolutely hilarious! 


At the end of our movie, Hannah's mom came but we cleverly evaded her by telling her that I could take Hannah home later. It worked too! So, with time to spare and the cheesecake still not ready, Hannah and I went on a walk! When we got back, we could FINALLY eat our delicious dessert! It turned out quite well too and boy is it going fast! Though that's probably a good thing since it's back to dieting tomorrow. Joy. 


So, after eating our treat and talking a little more, I sadly had to take Hannah home. On the way back, I rode all the way with the windows down, trying to concentrate on the road ahead of me and not the beautiful sunset or the moon that was already shining high. Then turning on my street, I saw it! A few patches of red among the green leaves! Even though it isn't officially Fall till September 22, I think we can say hello to it now! And here is a song to celebrate! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOSg7LFgt6Y

Ok, I'll stop rambling and let you get to more important things. I hope your day was as lovely as mine, my dear reader. Until next time! 

Tea, Good Movies and Thoughts

I just love lazy Saturdays, don't you? You wake up late and lie there for five more minutes (or half an hour) just smiling because you know you have nothing planned for the day. That's what happened to me this morning. 


Now did I stay so unproductive? Of course not! I've gotten a few things checked off my To Do List actually. Clean my room: check. Get ingredients for cheesecake: check. Reply to some very overdue e-mails: check. And all that by about 1! 


My mom made her and I lunch today (chicken salad, yum!) and then we spent most of the afternoon drinking raspberry tea and watching Seabiscuit. If you've never seen that movie, I highly recommend it! There's a bunch of awesome quotable lines in it (and I'm not talking humorous) and it's just a really good story! 


However, there is one thing that kind of annoyed me. At different parts of the movie, they just skip right over long periods of time. First it's March and then they jump to October. My problem: life doesn't do that! And oh how I wish I could just press the fast forward button sometimes. And sometimes I wish I could press pause and even stop! But life doesn't have those buttons. The hands on the clock keep ticking..... though I guess that's only if you aren't looking at a digital clock. 


Now for your song and let me tell you, this song describes me PERFECTLY today! Enjoy! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ24YLB5cPc

And yes, I have been dancing around my room today. Don't judge me. 


Until next time!

Mood Swings

Funny thing how one little thing can completely change your mood! One little thing like a call from a friend. A hug from your brother. A letter. Good stuff that. :)

Today's been quite a good day! I got to sleep in this morning (a new Friday tradition :)). Homework wise, I got my first college project done (for American Government) and most of my assigned chapter read. My dad took me to lunch and I got to see Hannah today! We made plans for getting together Sunday! Finally a social event! :D Anyway, after she left, I got the mail and found I had a surprise letter (the highlight of my day)! I also got to talk to Rachel today! Then it was time for work which went quite well. I worked with Karie today! She's awesome, but being related to me, of course she is! After work, I finished some more homework and at the moment, I'm sitting here watching A Knights Tale with my brothers! 

Now for a song! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpErX3KVF60

I'm in quite a good mood if you couldn't tell. :) 


Until next time!