Oddly Happy

Yes you read the title right. This week has had it's ups and downs so far but I'm really oddly happy about it! Let me tell you why.

First, I got my complete Biology outline done yesterday. Second, I got my complete paper for worldview class written today! That means I have a bearable amount of homework for the next two days! :D

Also, I found out that I will only be going to Brazil for two months, not six. I'll be leaving with the BRCC medical trip in early July and coming back in August instead of December. I was told you need to be 20 to teach at the school but I'm not exactly 20 yet. Oh well. On the bright side, I will be here for three of my siblings birthdays, Thanksgiving (one of my favorite holidays), maybe get a car soon and be able to start college when I get back.

So there you have it! I'm in an oddly happy mood and those are as good of reasons as I can give you. And just to prove it, here's a quirky song for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzCpBoxF2gc

Until next time!

Hot Cider and Old Stories

Another snowy day in Indy today. And more on the way tomorrow! At the moment, the wind is pretty strong, making huge drifts that should be oh so much fun to play in (that reminds me of a song).

So I guess I should tell you what I did today. Well, I spent pretty much all day working on a Biology outline. The good news... I GOT IT ALL DONE!!! :D That was the only homework I did today.

For dinner, we all went next door to my Grandma's. Nothing like spaghetti and some yummy homemade tomato sauce! Then all the grown ups got to reminiscing about the old days and the blizzard of..... well I don't remember what year it was. And the photo albums came out with the hot cider and soooo many stories were told. I just love hearing my mom and dad's love story. It's pretty sweet. I love my family.

Oh! It's my mom's birthday today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!

Goodnight dear reader!

Not Much

As you probably already predicted, I really don't have much to tell you about today. I had Co-op as usual. Classes were good, drama was fun and we got home a little earlier than we normally do. My mom and dad went out on a date tonight so it was just the siblings and me here. We ate pizza and ice cream and watched Robin Hood and Return to Cranford (well, ok I did). And now I'm here writing to you.

Really I have one thought for today. Lots of stuff has been going on in my life lately and here's a song that pretty much sums up how I feel about it. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHfj89ukEO0

Until next time!

Two Extremes

How I dislike feeling this way. So disappointed and yet so content at the same time. Like air and water. I guess I'll go with the happy first.

I got to spend all day with Jess and Matt again today. It was wonderful to hang out with them and laugh and joke around. First we just laid around my house. Then we went to the Ostendorf's for the first half of the Super Bowl. After we dropped Jess off at her house, I watched the third part of Emma and now here I am.

The other part to my day was not so pleasant. Kate and I had a talk this morning. I just want to say that, Kate, if you're reading this, I'm sorry. How I wish I could be the perfect friend but I'm human and I make mistakes. I'm so sorry I hurt you and I hope that you will find someone else who will be a truer friend than I. I love you.

Here is where I say, goodnight dear reader.

Thoughts of Gratitude

Believe it or not, I actually have some deeper thoughts for you today! I got this book for my birthday and I've been reading all day. It's called 'I Kissed Dating Goodbye' by Joshua Harris. So far it's really good and I highly recommend it. It's really got me thinking.

In the first chapter, there's a story about a girl named Anna and a dream she had. She dreamed that she was walking down the isle on her wedding day to take her place next to the groom. As the ceremony started, another girl from the audience came up and took the groom's hand. One by one, several others followed until there was a line of girls at the alter. When Anna asked the groom what was going on, he said "They're girls from my past. They don't mean anything to me now... but I've given my heart to each of them." Anna replied "I thought your heart was mine." "It is, it is," he pleaded. "Everything that's left is yours."

This story made me think of how glad I am that I've kept my heart. Oh sure I've had your little girl crushes and I won't deny that I've thought at times how nice it would be to have a boyfriend. But really, I'm glad I haven't moved beyond "just friends" with anyone. Part of it could be that, to my knowledge, no one since 8th grade has been looking to be more with me. I just want to thank God right now that He spared me that temptation. If anything like the dream above ever happened to me, it would only be me standing there. There would be no string of guys behind me with whom I'd shared my heart.

I'm so glad that on my wedding day, I can say to my husband "I'm giving you my heart, unbroken, unsoiled, whole and pure. Just for you." Until then, no matter what the world says, I am content to wait and serve God as best I can by myself. I know that someday He'll bring me someone wonderful who was worth waiting for, all in His timing. It'll definitely be a challenge and I may be tempted to stumble but when the day comes, I'll be glad I waited.

Ok, enough sentimental stuff. Goodnight dear reader. Sleep well.

Snowed Out and Snowed In

Oh the disappointment! Due to the huge snowstorm that blew in this morning, we had to call off tonight's party. Hence my party was snowed out and I was snowed in so I have a very uninteresting post for you.

So, today was filled with mostly homework. Biology, biology, biology test, biology, biology, biology, biology...... you get the picture. I did get all my homework done though. Then I read a new book I got from my grandma for my birthday! I Kissed Dating Goodbye. It's pretty good so far!

Tomorrow I'm sure I'll have lots of time to read!! That's AFTER I sleep in. :) Then a few friends and I are trying to coordinate an outing to the park to play in the snow. We'll see if that works out.

Sunday is church and I'm working at the B&B. Then it's the SUPER BOWL!!! Which the Colts are playing in!! We're spending the first half at the Ostendorf's and then coming home for the second half. Call me a lunatic but I'm skipping the second half to watch Emma!

Well, there you have it. I have nothing else to say so I shall bid thee, goodnight!

Beginning Again

Well folks, here I am once more. Except.... now I write as an 18 year old, not as a 17 year old! So far, I've not felt the effects of being "grown up". I'm sure that will happen soon enough though.

Aught I tell you about my day? Well, if you insist. First, I woke up at a glorious 7:30! I had all my siblings, my parents and my presents waiting for me in the kitchen. I got a purple skirt, socks, a Newsboys CD, an iTunes gift card and my favorite, a courting candle! Let me explain. First, a courting candle is the strange device you see in the picture. When a suitor comes calling, the father will twirl the little wooden piece up or down the candle stick based on how much he likes the guy. If it's farther toward the top, it means that the suitor is approved. If it's toward the bottom, good luck buddy. It's a thing they used back in the colonial days. My mom got one when she met my dad and now I have one. Should I be concerned?

Breakfast was omelets and bacon... and coffee of course! Then I actually did some school while talking to my friend Carl. Three cheers for humorous conversations to lighten up the heavy worldview homework!! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip..... ok you get it. Lunch was pizza and I spent my afternoon spending my gift card. Now I'm stocked up with good music! Then it was time for work. When I got there, all the little kids had balloons and shouted "SURPRISE!" as I walked in. They had all made posters that were hung up around the room and I got an amazing number of hugs. I love hugs. :) When I got home I hung out on the Internet for a while until my dad got home with dinner. More pizza!! While eating, we watched three episodes of Robin Hood! An amazing series if I ever saw one. And now here I am writing this.

Before I go any further, I must ask you a favor. They say there's a snow/ice storm that's coming our way and will go from Thursday night to Saturday morning. If it's as bad as they say, my party will be cancelled! Dear reader, if you would please pray that it will be very light or none at all, I would so appreciate it! Only God can change the weather.

One last thing. I've found a theme verse for this next year. Many know it well but I thought I'd share it with you anyway.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Cor. 13:4-8a

I really want to work on loving like this over my 18th year. Yeah I know I need to work on it all the time but I'm going to be meeting so many new people, whether in Brazil or college, and loving them is going to be coming up constantly. Really it comes up every day if you think about it. So there you go, my goal for my 18th year. To be better about loving people like Christ.

So there's my day and all that it entailed. Until next time!

One Last Night

Well my friends, here I stand at the end of a journey. My 17th year is rapidly coming to a close. However, a new journey begins in a few hours.

In short, TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!! :D

I don't feel like I should be turning 18! I feel like I should be just 15! These past few years have sped by me and they left me behind. But time goes on as time will and here I am, almost grown up. However, just because I'm 18 doesn't mean I'm going to stop playing doll house with my sister or stop dancing around our kitchen like a maniac or even resist the urge to ninja roll or spy walk around my house. I'm going to take my own sweet time catching up to myself and there's not much anyone can do about it.

Just to prove it, here's an absolutely hilarious song. Be careful though. It gets stuck in your head like nothing else will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8

I wonder if the people who made that were homeschooled.

Well, here's my last goodbye while I'm 17. As the great Shakespeare once said... adieu, adieu, parting is such sweet sorrow.

Friends, Good Songs and Blood Smears

Please don't let the title concern you. All in good time dear reader. First I shall tell you about my day I suppose.

It was pretty good. Pretty normal.... as usual. We had Co-op today. Woopdidoo. Worldview was spent watching a fifteen minute video (through which I did my best not to fall asleep) and preparing for our quiz in Biology. Biology was a little bit more interesting. We did the blood smears today. That's where we take a tiny (seriously like a drop) bit of blood from a volunteer (not me) and look at it under the microscope. Then two other people in the class got their blood typed. You know; A, B, AB or O and whether it's Rh positive or negative. After this, we took our quiz on which I aced. Then came a lunch of baked potatoes. After, me and a bunch of other people in study hall practiced our blocking and lines. Then came drama which went very well. We got alot done and I think our director was pleased.

Now to give you my new favorite song. I think it's gonna be my theme song for the time being. Well, one of them. By the way, the video for this song is really stupid. Just listen to it and don't watch it. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gou7sarzyNA

As to friends, this whole thing with Kate is psyching me out. Apparently Kate's got problems with me so I'm not "allowed" to talk to her. "Give her space! Give her space!" is all I hear from Jess. I haven't talked to her in a week so today I wrote on her wall on FB "Just so you know, I love you. Deal with it." By the way, the last part is a quote from her book. Anyway, Jess then commented on it, giving me the definition of the word "Space". Then Kate goes "Give me an "S"! Give me an "P"! Give me an "ACE"! What's that spell? "SPACE"!" Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that letting your best friend know you love her was forbidden. Please accept my apology. Here, let me grovel at your feet. THIS IS DRIVING ME MAD!!! She won't tell me what's going on and I can't stand it. What a wonderful 18th birthday this is going to be.

Ok, I'm finished rambling. You could pray for me about this if you would. I would really appreciate it. Until next time dear reader.