~Hope the Dope~

2009-03-15T19:16:00.000-05:00

Untitled

2008-02-21T13:10:00.003-05:00

Well after the super bowl, we talked w/ our small group leaders and decided we'd keep going weather we wanted to or not, to maybe get to be friends w/ some of the girls and hopefully be a good influence. It's also easyer to know that some of them admit that their not Christians because their Christian friends aren't any different from everyone else.

We're all doing well here, and we've made it this whole winter w/ nobady getting sick, that is except for our dog Lucy. I've never heard of this happening before but it's really hilarious, because she lost her voice and can hardly even bark. At first, her bark just got really low and weird but now it just comes out as a squeak. And Luke of course has to tarrerize her and get her workd up so that she keeps trying to bark but can't. It's probably because she yiped her head off at Candace and Michael when they came. They came here this weekend for the second time since they've been married. We had fun w/ them. We surpised Candace and she at first had no idea she was comming here. Michael told her they were visiting his family, but he told her later that at the spur of the moment he decided to come see us. So she thought she was comming to surpise us. (Getting confusing?) But when they came, we acted like we weren't here and we all knew they were comming, so we pretty much scared the crap out of her. The house was totaly emty and quiet, but when Candace opened the library door were we all were, everyone screamed at once and she was so freaked out that she tried to shut the door back right away. She was like "Keep that horrible noise in there!"
Really soon after they got here we sat them down to watch the big thing around here that were CONSTANTLY quoting. It's this comidian guy Tim Hawkins's vidio 'Full Range of Motion'. (Actualy, right now Pris and Luke are quoting it.) And to be honest when I heard, he was a Chritian comedian I thought "this is probably gonna be lame" because I had seen other Christian comedians who wern't very funny to me. But oh my gosh, I sarted crying I was laughing so hard. It was a real ab workout! He does a lot of parodies of famous songs. You should check him out on you tube.

Anyway, the next day, Michael set up all his sound equitment he brought, outside on the porch. It was so loud that way down the road it could be heard. So Michael sang and played the guitar and all the neighbors could hear, then came the scarry part. They made me get my keyboard and hook it up the the system amd sing and play. It was really nerve racking knowing everyone for miles around (not really) could hear wether they wanted too or not.
Afterwards, Mom and Dad said they really want me to start taking voice from someone at a colage nearby us where they have a lot of good vioce and music teachers. I really hope I can. That would be like a dream to take voice from someone really good. I don't want to sing opera though and it seems like everyone I've known who takes voice ends up singing opera. I just want to have a natural sounding vioce thats really good. Hopefully that's possible for me.

Just a random thought: I think Winter's going way slower than usual just to spite me because I hate it so bad.
The next time I post it will probably be Winter again.
I have a very bad habbit of typing half a blog post, saving it as a draft and never finishing it to post it. Well, this time I'm posting it weather it sounds finished or not. So there.

2008-02-04T20:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't blogged in months!

I almost decided to delete my blog because I hardly ever have time to write anymore. But right now I have a lot to say.

I'm kind of quiet sometimes. It's sometimes because I don't really have anything to say, and other times I just have so much to say I don't know where to start. I feel like that now.

I feel really discouraged but also very thankful too.

Alright so, Kezzi and I want to a super bowl party last night at church with the youth. We've been really discouraged with them because of their lack of heart for the Lord and immaturity but Mom and Dad have been wanting us to go to just try and be an example.

Last night it was just really disheartening and it made us both pretty mad to tell the truth. It's not like we expect them to be really great kids or anything, 'cause what we've experienced so far was enough to tell us that the majority of them definitely don't seem to want to live comepletly for God, in fact, it doesn't seem like they really care at all. And a lot of thing's we heard and saw while we were there (and I mean a lot) aren't even comfotable to say. Nearly everyone was coupled off and WAY too touchy, a few kissing, and some would go outside together in the dark holding hands. You get the picture. Even the girls were all over each other in a way that I wouldn't do just because some things are just inappropriate, even with each other.

I was still just trying to get over those things and be friendly and hang out with everyone, but Kezzi, who probably did the smarter thing, (and I don't blame her,) was so irritated especially after overhearing something outragous that, (again I wont repeat,) was going on, sat by herself and watched the super bowl. There were a few youth leaders there but I get the impression that they hold back a little around when the leaders are around probably because one couple got cauught and seperated and had a "talking to" a while back.

Well, we left before it was over and headed to the house of some of our family's friends to spend the night. The atmosphere was so different there it was really cool. We walk in from all that, to a family of 4 little girls and 2 boys sitting together in the living room talking to each other and watching the super bowl. What a swich. I love their family so much, and their Mom was so understanding as we went off about what happend and how irritated we were about it. They homeschool and have a lot of the same convictions as us and actually all the kids and their years apart are set up just like us. 4 girls and then 2 boys and 1 on the way (it'll have to be a girl!).

Well, anyways it made me really thankful for the good life we have and the good freinds we do have like at dance and in Missouri and a few more that really do have a heart for the Lord and we're not the only ones out there! It can get discourageing though after all the youth groups we been to, that sadly, most of them are that way. I guess we can only pray for them and try to be an example the best we know how.

I'll probably post tomorrow about some fun things that have been happening instead of all this crap : )

~Hope

Shy Kid's

2007-11-27T21:49:00.000-05:00

We did this a few nights ago when we were being stupid and I just had to post it. Priscilla almost looks like a four year old in there! No I'm kiding. But that's seriously how we act in all our old home vidios. Kezzi's already almost like my Mom. It's not even right how natual she is at it.

Status

2007-10-21T15:28:00.000-05:00

Hope is thinking that the computer is a time thief and has had much better things to do as of lately. She probably won't blog for a while, she's so busy.
Sooooo she's out....

I wonder how many people read my blog but just don't bother 2 comment...

2007-09-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

Btw, Who likes the cute smiley dude?

"HOW 'BOUT THAT?"

2007-09-17T20:26:00.000-05:00

My week in Myrtle beach was aaaaawesome!! I spent it riding the crazy waves, lazying...I mean laying on the beach, in the hot tubs, swimming in the pools, being beat in ping pong, shopping, going on a boat ride, watching tv, and mostly having a great time being crazy w/ the Houks! Yep, I know that sounds fun. Annnnd it was. Who's not jealous? Yeah that's what I thought.
The best part was probably the cruise. That day was a bad but good day for that. It was really storming when we got out there and pretty cold but I think that made it kinda more adventurous w/ the boat rocking and all. I kept trying to stand up w/o the railing. I didn't do too bad actually. I decided then and there that I want to marry a pirate and so does Kezzi, so one day we'll both marry pirates and we'll go off and sail all over. Heck w/ college and being successful... we'll have more fun! ; ) Sound like a good life plan? I think so.

Well, on a more serious note, I realized while I was there, how different I feel about modesty as I used to. Before, when we'd go to the beach I was always kinda ashamed of what I have to wear when all the other girls are in bikinis and I stand out like a sore thumb. But I totally see it different now and it makes me happier this way. I just see the girls on the beach who are hanging all over their boyfriend totally exposed like that. It's just so cheap and lame. And walking around wearing that makes them look cheap and like they're just wanting attention and it just looks pretty shameful. Not that every girl who wears a bikini wants attention it just looks that way. It also makes them really self conscious and I'm just sitting there so glad that I don't look and feel like that. I feel covered and secure and it's so much better that way.

It was so weird while I was there, thinking that Priscilla was practically all the way around the world. Creepy. Strange. It's good to have her back w/ us. You know, to complete the foursome. : ) No, I missed her. Now Candace on the other hand...even though she was w/ us she really wasn't. In her own little world these days. ...I wonder why?

Kezzi and I have been practicing a way to say awesome like our friend Chris. You gotta say it lazy and slow and make the "a" like a long o.
Aaaaasome. Yep.
Sweeeeeeet.

~How 'bout that?~

I'm not putting a title up! I can't think of one!

2007-08-28T16:24:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's high time I post again aint it?
A lot's happened since last time I posted.
Let's see... we did the lamest perfomance ever, Joseph and the technicolor dream coat. >:b I was glad when it was over.

C&ace got engaged!!!! Read about it at shadybrook acres and at C&ace's blog.

We went to Missouri again for the H2O. It was a ton of fun. The ride home though...ugh, we left strait from the H2O at like 12 and drove all night till 12 in the afternoon. Needless to say, after that I was thankful for my own bed!

The evening we got home, Michael proposed to Candace. And it was the weirdest proposal ever!
Again go to the other blogs and read about it.
Let's see... the other night Kezzi Pris and I went to visit w/ the Tarpleys, friends that used to go to our old church and a friend of theirs Chris. We went bowling and made fools of ourselves but had fun doing it.

Oh I'm so exited! Tuesday, I went to look at keyboards, and Mom said her and Dad agreed to buy me a really nice one!!!! So it'll come in next week and we can go and get it!! It's a Roland and it can hook up to the computer and I'll be able to do a lot w/ it. I can't wait to start messing w/ it!!

We've been having fun filthing out at our unfinished lake. ("Filthing" comes up as spelled wrong, but one day we'll have it added to the dictionary.) I just love the squishy, silky feeling mud at the bottom. There's a rope swing that's really high and so far I've been to chicken to go off it. I do like getting a running start and jumping off the edge. One night at about 9 Dad and us girls decided to go swimming in the dark. It was awesome! I rowed around in one of the kayaks getting creeped out by this one place that was hard to row away from. Then the neighbors heard us and hollered over that we were crazy. We got to do it again.

Because of last night I'm happier about dance. We danced at a church and did some really neat worship songs. Which one of them was just Pris and I doing improvisation. It was my first time and I was really scared but it worked out okay. I like dance a lot more when we're not doing worthless lame stuff like Joseph. This time we even did a few numbers from HiStory. I can't wait to do HiStory again, we'll be dong it again in November. We may be going to Alabama to do it sometime, but we don't know when yet.

(Okay I'm pretty much out of things to say but this post doen't seem complete.

So........I'll just keep talking and anoying whoever reads this by blabbering about nothing.)

I dont want it to be fall yet. I don't like cold weather. Some of the leaves are already turing yellow : (.

I can't wait til we go to the beach w/ Lori and Kenny. It'll be fun.

I love waking up to music playing. What if there was no such thing as music? What a boring depressing life. I guess God knew what He was doing and knew that I'd go crazy without it. But I guess if we never had it then we wouldn't miss it, but life wouldn't be complete.

I hate spiders and crickets. I've had to squish way to many the last few days. The door down stairs it messed up and is letting in all kinds of creeps.
Let's see, how can I end on a good note...?
Um, I know, C , no C#- yeah (Okay that was really lame! : /)
Sorry, I'm tired. I stayed up way to late.
Well...believe it or not,
~I'll be back~

2 BUSY 2 POST

2007-08-07T16:12:00.000-05:00

I'll blabber later sometime...
~I'll be back~

More Partyin'

2007-07-20T16:16:00.000-05:00

Alright, I can't let the other girls outdo me in posting. I usually try to post more often 'cause I don't have a face book. Oh well I haven't really succeeded in posting often though. Well, we had a great time in MO! It was nice being back again after nearly a year.

I'm really exited about our lake being dug out! It'll be filthy hard core! It won't be long til it's done. And when it is, I'll be spending nearly every day down there. It's gonna have an island, a rope swing and a sandy beach! We also have a canoe to use. That'll be way better than the 4 foot pool we used to have.

I had a super busy weekend. Lets see... Friday night we went to see the new Harry Potter. It was good but not for a Harry Potter movie. I'd hoped it'd be a little better. Anyway we stayed up really late then the next morning, we got up really early for a curriculum fair. It kind of seems like the homeshcoolers there in general are not near so nerdy and typical "homeschoolerish" (Is that a word?) as they used to be the previous years. Well, I got to meet Danya a girl Kezzi and Pris had already met at another curriculum fair and see an old friend of mine who I only get to see every couple years at curriculum fairs. That evening the four of us girls went to a 60's birthday party of a friend of ours Kelsey. We all dresses up as much like 60's as we could and went and saw Hairspray. It was really a high energy fun movie, but there was some inappropriate dancing in my opinion. Zac Efron made the movie a lot better. ; ) I think we all have a crush on him!

We got back to Kelsey's and had a blast dancing to the Hairspray soundtrack. Afterwards we played some games one of which was one person would start a beat and everyone would join in tapping on cups and making weird voice noises. It was so cool sounding. I love doing that. Well Kezzi and I decided to just spend the night there since we had to go to church near there anyway and it takes an hour from our house. Candace and Pris decided to go home. Party Foul! But we had fum without 'em anyway :b and stayed up and had some really good conversations till 2:30.

Sunday after church we went to a friends wedding and got there late because there was a misprint in the directions. Afterwards, there was a big dinner and dancing. I think that's how every wedding should be. None of that quick cake and punch and go home stuff. It's a celebration for goodness sake! We learned some square dancing-ish dances that were really fun and energetic. It was a ball. (No pun intended). We didn't get home till like midnight or later. So here I am drinking coffee and feeling the need to go swimming and get my energy out.

I'm so glad! Mom promised us a two week complete summer vacation were we get to sleep in as late as we want for once in our lives and not do one ounce of school. But after that we'll start up full force for the year.

Annnnnnnd I'm out...

~I'll be back~ (knowin' me it'll probably be a while though ; )

That was like, the best party ever!

2007-07-03T15:25:00.000-05:00

I'm so exited! I'm finaly getting to do what I've wanted to for a long time! Next week I'll be starting piano lessons and in the fall I'll be taking choir. Also, all four of us may start taking voice with our neighbor. Yippee!
Saturday, one of our dance teachers had her 18th birthday party and graduation party combined. In the invitation, it said it was a Hiwian party. We got there and it really did look like some Hiwian beach resort. They even had Hiwian music blaring and the cake looked just like a sand castle. It was so cool. Well, I had a lot of fun swimming in the pool, playing volley ball, (my favorite sport) doing the limbo, taking a little hula class, having water fights, and watching fireworks. We got home at 1 and though the next day I was dead tired it was totally worth it! I also hurt my hip pretty bad jumping into the pool but it was still worth it.
This coming dance production is a modern version of the bible story of Joseph. It's gonna be pretty funny. I'm actually one of the brothers, Zebulin. Zeb the pirate. Yep. We each have a character we're dressing up as. Pris is a cowboy, and Kezzi is a break dancer. We also get to gather our own costumes, so I'll have fun with mine! I'll probably get some ideas from Pirates of the Caribbean.
This morning I woke up at 6 with a horrible ear infection and couldn't sleep. It still really hurts and the tylenol isn't working...waa...wa. Alright I'm shutting up.

Happy 4th Everyone!
~I'll be back~

Lightning makes me exited and sliding down waterfalls scares me

2007-06-25T20:05:00.000-05:00

We're very much a traveling family. I didn't even have time to post before we left again for my grandma's cabin in NC. We went w/ our cousins, and of course if we go w/ them, it'll be fun. And it was! The first day we went to this really huge toy store for the younger kids to blow their money. Then we went to SLIDING ROCK! It's part of a river and it's solid smooth rock to slide down. It would be the awesomest place ever if it wasn't so darn cold. Nearly unbearable, but worth it. Then that evening we drove in an outrageous storm w/ lightning crashing everywhere. Incredibly beautimous!! I should be scared of it, seeing that we've have some close calls...but I'm not.

Well the next day we went on a hike to a huge waterfall, and discovered a place to slide down. It took a lot of guts and a final shove from Kezzi (not literally) to do it, but it was well worth it!

We had a blast and stayed there all day till it was time to go.

**Obviously I haven't had any time on the computer cause this is so old. I just now got to publishing it.

~I'll be back~

On Vacation

2007-06-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm here in Mo bloging from the lap top at a friends house. We had a ton of fun at the resort with the S's. It was short though, and I wish we could have stayed there longer. We swam, swam and swam some more and when we weren't doing that it was TV time. We take advantage of the TV when we're on vacation because we don't have cable or satlelight and never watch it anyway. The night the S's left Dad and us girls went to the indoor pool and started making a whirl pool. We got everyone else in the pool helping us out. It was awesome. Then came the craziness. Dad did this really wacky belly-flop into the water that I can't even describe. Imagine an old man of 48 doing that. Everyone, even the people we don't know, were laughing at this.
Btw, how come I'm always the one telling about the weird or embarrassing things that happen? Maybe the other girls consider it normal and don't think twice about it. Or else they're just too embarrassed to tell about it. Who knows?
Well, after hearing so many good things about Worldview from Pris and others who went, Kezzi and I are going next year and Priscilla will probably go again too. I'm glad. It will probably be fun. And good for me too.
~I'll be back~

The Ridiculous Rescue of Mr. Bob

2007-05-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

So, I was out standing by our trampoline and all of the sudden I hear this little "bzzz...bzzz..." in a rhythm. I look over and there he was, a helpless, stupid, gigantic horse fly with it's head that was much to big for it's body stuck in the net trying to get free. Well, I looked close to further examine the situation at hand and found that this poor fly was fated to die if otherwise I had not been there to pity the idiotic creature. This flie's crisis would have obviously been a hopeless cause so I pulled on the net a little to free the panicking thing, but alas... the head was still much too big and Mr. Bob (the fly) began panicking all the more. So, I courageously looked around on the ground for a stick with which I could poke the head through and finally found one of suitable size. I took it and pried the head through and low and behold Mr. Bob finally got free! So, seeing that I saved this flie's life it should be eternally grateful should it not? But no. Not even one word of thanks did it give me. It Just flew off and went on it's merry way without even a second thought of his rescuer. Sigh.*About the name Mr. Bob, it came from the name we gave a fly at dance class that used to pester us every time. We joked about another fly being Bob's girlfriend. So, since this one was five times the original Bob's size I assume he is Bob's father, and therefore Mr. Bob.

Hmm. This sounds like something C&ace would write...oh dear! I guess I can just say I had a C&ace moment. : /

Alright, Here's the Filth

2007-05-17T19:26:00.001-05:00

Okay. I'm finnaly back blogging again. (I'm probabley saying that every time now.) Here's something I desighned for a t-shirt that I want like it. Too bad nobody makes custom shirts with your name and birth year on them. Or at least I haven't seen any. Kezzi and Priscilla both drew diferent ones like it with a different desighn. We should start some sort of buisness out of it ; ).

Well, we had another week off of dance again and getting back to it is hard work. Wed. youth went really well and this was the new youth pastor's fist time speaking there. He had a lot of good things to say. This past weekend Mom , Dad and the three youngest kids went to visit family in NC while the teenagers stayed home and partied! Well...not quite, but close to it. The first day we went to see Pirates of the Carribian 3. It's definatly the best of the three in my opinion. We were wondering if there will be a fourth or not. It's hard to tell. Anyway after that we went shopping (which happens to be a major weakness of mine : ) and blew some money. Then we went to a HiStory cast party which was a cookout with swimming and volly ball. Btw dancers, including me, can't really play! : ( It was a blast though! Then sunday, we left the house at 7:30 to perform a dance at a church. It was really hard since I'm totally not a morning person and add too the fact that we stayed up way too late. Not good. But enough bellyacheing. That whole day we spent with the family who owns the dance studio laughing and having a good time, going to their church, going to see a Marry Poppins dance recitle and seeing Pirates 3 again which took up the whole day.

Today Pris left for MO to go to the world veiw conference there. And, (I can't wait!) we'll be going there in a little over a week to a resort with the S's (most of you know who that is) and then staying with some other friends for the rest of the time.

Well, to those of you who've been nagging me to post, especially you Taylor, all you get is some boringness, so there it is.

A Little More Weirdin' Out

2007-05-07T08:43:00.000-05:00

Friday night, after a baseball game, our family, Lori and Kenny and Grandma and Grandpa went to these peoples house that have a lake like the one we're going to dig out so we could take a look at it and ask them a few questions. It was in the evening and sorta chili but while we were standing around I heard this huge splash and turned around to see a pair of shoes go in the water, ...and of course I knew it was Kenny. He dove in out of the clear blue just for the heck of it. That's Uncle Kenny for you. After that we had to endure complaints from the boys that they weren't allowed to jump in too.

A ccouple of days ago, Luke Josh and I want down to the spring which is very muddy. It's so bad that any were you step it's either calf deep or up to our knees. We walked for hours along it and once we got to a place were we couldn't go any further,...we started a mud fight. They didn't show me any mercy. It was the most ferocious mud fight I've ever been involved in. (That kinda figures since the only other mud fight I've been in was only with girls.) But it was a lot of fun except I probably wont be having many more. Cleaning up was a pain.

Well, we've been really into ping pong lately but the thing is, we don't have a ping pong table. We actually use (sad as it is) our kitchen table. But a table big enough to sit our family isn't too bad for ping pong. We just shove aside the chairs, attach the net and it works great. It's just (like everything else about our family: ) a little weird.

Our dance recital is this weekend and I'm really nervous. I always complain about this, but we just learned the routines and have hardly had time to practice them. Our hip-hop song is really funny though. We're doing it to DCtalk's Jesus is Just Alright and it has the most wacky steps of anything I've ever been in. It's gonna look like we're having way too much fun on stage.

Candace's Blog

2007-04-30T17:08:00.000-05:00

Canadace has her own blog now too. Now we finnaly all have our own blog. It's called Candy Land. You can visit it here.

2007-04-26T16:32:00.000-05:00

Mom, Pris, and Kezzi went to MO for a few days and C&ace and I are taking care of things around here. Luckily we're off for nearly all of our school.

A couple days ago I got my hair cut pretty short compared to how it usually is and compared to the rest of the girls. I like just having something different.

It's really funny, there's this 5 year old boy at church who really likes me for some reason, and tells me I'm his girlfriend. It's so cute. He said he likes my haircut. I was so flattered.

About the cartoon pix...don't ask. (No, actually C&ace found it.) I thought it was funny.

I went to youth group last night and they were having a game where each of the small group leaders picked their 10 favorite songs and we had to guess who the song was by and who chose it. Our team didn't win. I only knew one of the songs and I had no idea what kind of music the group leaders liked. In our small group, we talked about what it means to have a "cross centered life" which is the title of the next book we'll be studying. Basically the question was, "How often do we think about what Jesus did for us on the cross, and how often do we thank Him?" and just that we should live our lives reminding ourselves daily.

Well, my voice has been totally messed up and it's getting worse. I try to talk and I just squeak. I try to sing along with the new CD's C&ace got with her and well...it's pretty bad. lol.

(Okay I've gotta say this. As I'm sitting here, C&ace is playing the song Juke Box Blues from Walk the Line Soundtrack...and she's dancing around square dancing by herself while doing the Charleston [if you can imagine that, but you probably don't want to: )] with a spatula for a banjo...and singing along!! Whoa! I know, very weird! Just thought I'd share that. :0)

Another funny thing, Luke, Abel, and our cousins Josh and Paul are outside right now making a mud slide out of the yard running the hose and getting completely filthy muddy sliding down it. Looks like they're having a great time while ruining the part of the yard that already had no grass growing on it. They felt bad and tried to "fix" it by planting weeds there. Totally pathetic. They look like a bunch of cave men all covered from head to toe in mud.

Anyway, (I'm trying to focus here) here's a Barlow Girl song that really describes how I've felt lately. It's so awesome how God shows Himself to us in new ways all the time.

I walked with you

Just like we've done for so long

You seem so near

But even that's become so common

It's not just You, just been together so long

That I thought I knew everything about You

But today I saw

Did You open my eyes?

'Cause I feel like I've just seen You for the first time

I didn't see You

But God I want to

You've come alive

And I think I've fallen harder than the first time

Was I so blind?

How did I now see You?

Yet in all that time

You never left my side

So for all my life I will live to know You

So here I am, I'll take Your hand

I see Your face I feel You close

The love You've always shown me

Won't miss it now can't waste a day

Jesus I'm Yours completely

...Or not(?)~(reffering to previous post title)

2007-04-14T17:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm back. ...Yeah I know I've been pretty slack lately with blogging. It's been about 2 weeks since last post.

Anyway, all of us girls decided late one night to sleep outside on our hill without a tent, just sleeping bags. It was fun but Kezzi and Pris wimped out in the middle of the night and went back inside to sleep in their warm, dry beds. : )

A while ago we went up to the lake, and even though the water was chilly the beach felt great.

But so much for that great spring weather though. It's been record cold around here for this spring. A lot of the new leaves are wilted and discolored. It was pretty bad having to dress warm for Easter. It actually snowed briefly (very briefly) on good Friday.

However, despite the cold, I have had some time outdoors. We've been doing this really neat nature program and it's got me down by our creek some.

I was totally creeped out this morning. I found a brown recluse and luckily killed it successfully. I've found one every day for the past three days. I was proud of myself for not running to ask someone else to kill it while I let it get away. (That's typical for me.)

Dance has been going good. Just a week off after HiStory got me pretty out of shape. I've been doing more at home like I'm supposed to, and I've been pretty sore. Our recital is coming up quick. It's in May, and we just learned one piece yesterday and have others that still need to be finished. It bad for me because it takes me a while to learn the choreography. Oh well.

Well, we were gonna have a bonfire tonight with some friends, but it's been raining hard so we'll have to hang out inside. Bummer.

Kezzi's started learning the guitar and it's amazing how quick she's starting to play songs. She's been playing constantly so no wonder. It's awesome. We've been having a good time with it. Her and I have spent all day singing with her on the guitar.

Spring is here!

2007-03-26T10:33:00.000-05:00

I've spent just about every day lately outdoors going on walks, hiking to the creek, and enjoying great weather. All the redbud trees and flowers are starting to bloom and the yard's looking pretty again. I feel sorry for Candace way up north where it's still like winter. But she'll be home very soon!

Friday we went to our cousin's baseball game and afterward a few of us went bowling so our cousin Lily, who has a seizure disorder, could play. It was pretty funny when one time she threw the ball into the gutter even though there were gutter guards.

-
I had 2 of my friends spend the night Saturday. We camped out in the camper at the top of our hill and we had a lot of fun eating junk food and staying up late. That evening we had a cookout at our house with 4 other families and later Dad got his huge amount of fireworks out that he'd saved for just such an occasion. The boys had a great time putting on a show for us.

Today Pris and I went shopping and it was a successful trip, but it's pretty sad how hard it is to find modest clothes these days. Especially now that it's springtime. But I am liking the new style for girls long shorts. It's nice to be able to dress in style but still be modest. I just wish there were more options than there are for girls who want to dress right.

I've been reading a book called You Are My Hiding Place by Amy Carmichael. A part I just read is about learning to lean on God. Here's a quote that really spoke to me.

"His hand has grasped me, in recent days, as my understanding opens up to the word trust.

Trust, I have learned, means: to lean on, to place my confidence upon (Young's Analytical Concordance).... And after this discovery, I've found many verses in the Psalms that provide great comfort when translated in this way. For instance, 'I have trusted in [leaned on, placed confidence in] your lovingkindness.' (Psalm 13:5). So I may say: That lovingkindness which has loved me with everlasting love, which forgives and cleanses and will never tire of me--that lovingkindness, Lord, I lean on. Doesn't this tell us something about the love of God--and isn't it just like Him to let us know that He wants us to lean on, not only His lovingkindness, but His very self?"

HiStory Weekend

2007-03-19T13:51:00.000-05:00

I haven't had time to blog lately 'cause we've been so busy with all day rehearsals, out of town company, and performances. Well, overall this weekend went great. I think the first one which was on Friday, and the last one on Sunday night, were the best. (That is, for me anyway.) It was so neat, seeing everyone involved come together for this like they did.

It was hard dancing for 4 days in a row, but it was way worth it and the whole thing was really awesome. It was incredible how God just anointed the whole production. The place was pretty packed out every night and we sold a lot of tickets, so that was good. I'm hoping we can do it again before too long. We've actually talked about going on tour to a few states, so, who knows?

We have a new craze going on with all the boys around here. They all have air-soft guns and have been shooting and battling a lot. Last night I went over to Lori and Kenny's to help babysit, or maybe it was just an excuse to hang out and play with baby Sarah. It was really funny when Kenny got home, because he got out the air soft guns guns and he and Josh started shooting at each other across the room with me caught in the middle. Yikes! It got pretty crazy (as always). Later they started useing a basball bat and trying to hit the plastic bebees. Pretty hard.

For the last few days we've been helping out at the Beck's house they're renting. They now have a ton of stuff, thanks to the people who have given it, and are overwhelmed with it all so we've been going over to help sort and organize. It's amazing how it makes a huge difference everyone just giving a little .

Well, Pris got a car for real this time and it's actually hers. With the last one the dealers were asking more for it than it was worth. It's a silver '02 grand prix Pontiac. It's a lot cooler then the other one and a lot more sporty.

2007-03-11T18:53:00.000-05:00

A few days ago some very good friends of ours the Beck's, lost everything. Their house burnt down and nearly everything was lost. They did save a couple of small things, but they have to start all over with nothing. We are thankful that God kept everyone safe with no injuries. You can read more about what happened at shadybrookacres and theprissycloset. Please keep them in your prayers. I can't imagine what it would be like to have everything gone so quick.

Earlier that day we did a lot of gardening and outside work. I can't believe it's already time for gardening again. We rented a tractor and Dad tore down our pool and cleared a lot of brush with it. Were getting rid of it because we can't finish the railing on it soon enough and we have neighbors with little kids and with no gate or railing, it might be dangerous. It was getting old and falling apart anyway. We're also getting chickens this spring, and I get to be the one in charge of taking care of them. (Oh boy.)

Well, there were consequences from all that fun at the creek. I have a whole bunch of poison ivy and it's killing me. I have some on my face too. It's not fun stuff that's for sure.

We're taking off school this week for spring break, so that'll be pretty nice. We have company coming, and HiStory rehearsals taking up a few mornings so Mom decided to let this be a week off.

Pris got a car Saturday. It's a white '96 Buick Riviera and in really good condition. Still, we joke about it being a grandma car. It was even previously owned by an older lady. Dramatic difference from Candace's purple bug. I guess the cars say something about their personalities don't you think?

Last night at 10:30, on the spur of the moment, our whole family decided to go out for ice cream. The place we wanted to go wasn't opened that late, so we went to McDonalds. Picture this: a family of 9 crowds into a, (for the most part) empty restaurant late at night and once they take forever to order, they all crowd around a small table laughing and going crazy making racket and acting like a bunch of teenagers (adults included). Once they finally leave, they peel out in the parking lot in a mini van. Yeah, that's us. And in case you're wondering, we did get some weird looks, especially driving out of there, a few people at a table turned around and looked at us like "What in the world?" when we pulled out. Very embarrassing I have to say, but I'm sort of used to it by now. I guess I've just excepted that a have a weird family.

"I'm not sure, but I think I'm confused."

2007-03-08T20:17:00.000-05:00

See if you can get any of these. I found this one below on the Internet.

This is a really confusing but funny quote from the book Alice in Wonderland.

A piece of advice:

"'Be what you seem to be'--or if you like it simply--'Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.'"

Whew, what was all that? I'm sure you had to read it a few times. It reminds me of what Bilbo says in The Fellowship of the Ring.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Yeah, pretty confusing and sorta pointless I know. Anyway, there's not been much going on around here lately. Today I think I'm having a bit of bad luck though. This morning I ruined a loaf of bread because Mom forgot to tell me something. Later I burned a sandwich because I forgot about it. (Forgetting things is pretty frequent for me. I forget just about anything and everything.) And a little later, I opened a cupboard and a cup came crashing down, nearly hitting my head, shattering 3 plates and breaking a few cups. I'd better be careful today or I'll ruin something else : ).

This afternoon a few of us hiked down to the creek again and had a lot of fun. You can read about in at Kezzi's blog. She just posted about it.

2007-03-04T21:32:00.000-05:00

We had a HiStory rehearsal yesterday, and it lasted all day from 9-5. It felt like an extremely long day. I'm really excited that it's only in 2 weeks. It's gonna be awesome. I can't wait!

Anyway, it was my turn to get sick so I had to stay home from church alone all day today with nothing to do but watch movies and lay around. I decided to watch The Passion for the first time, and wow, it was very tough to watch but it really had a lot of impact on me. I hadn't seen it yet because when it came out, everyone said I wouldn't be able to handle it since I already tend to be sensitive and emotional. They were probably right. I was crying through the whole thing. It made Jesus' death so much more real than it ever has been to me. I'm glad I saw it before we do HiStory because it'll make my parts in it easier to portray what I'm trying to. One of my dance teachers said I needed to work on the acting and my facial expressions now that I have the steps.

This evening I went over to our cousins next door. They were doing some work on their house and I came over to help and hang out. They're a riot. Their whole family, especially my aunt and uncle, are in this craze and are totally obsessed with Napoleon Dynamite (which is pretty weird since it's usually not the adults it's the kids). They don't say anything without having something to do with it, whether it's a direct quote or an altered one to fit the occasion. We'd say something to Uncle Kenny and he'd take forever to think of an answer that a line from the movie would fit. It kinda got contagious after a while of nonstop Napoleon Dynamite, whatever you want to call it,(obsession?) and I couldn't stop. Josh and Uncle Kenny were telling me about a really funny idea they have of filming their own version of it and altering things in it to make the scenes fit to everything in their life. I didn't know you could do a spoof on a movie that was already so weird. They also had a few more ideas for some things that maybe eventually we'll get to film.

What we can't see

2007-02-27T16:51:00.000-05:00

Today, Luke and I decided that we were going to walk to a nearby creek and hike as far as we could along it. We wanted to take Josh with us but he still wasn't through with school so we walked down to some other neighbors to play basketball while we were waiting. Luke was laughing and making fun of my sorry basketball skills, but who cares, girls can afford to be bad at sports right? Anyway, Josh came with us and we all had a great time wearing ourselves out walking for hours along the creek. Too bad we didn't have our canoe down there...and a snack. We discovered a few great places to go when it gets warmer out though, a vine swing and a tree right over the water which was a great place to jump in. I can't wait till spring!

Kezzi and Pris are now also sick with the stomach bug and we had to miss a dance performance at a school yesterday because of it. Well, I guess it's better now than later when we have the big production coming up. I hope whoever is going to get it, gets it now instead of later.

Lately I've been reading Screwtape Letters (by C.S. Lewis) and Piercing the Darkness (by Frank Peretti). Screwtape Letters is a series of letters from a senior to a junior demon who is assigned a person to tempt, and try to take over completely. I just started reading Piercing the Darkness but it's a fictional story about some events that take place in a town and includes whats happening in the spirit world too. It's made me think a lot about the fact that there is a spiritual realm, that people are totally unaware of, which I believe is all around us.

I'm realizing that there really is a devil who is constantly trying to get us to fall, but also that there really are angels and The Holy Spirit there to help us stand against Satan and his attacks. To me, that's incredible and it helps me do what's right to remember that even if it's something little but wrong, it's giving the enemy just a little bit of room.

I've had the attitude before of, "Oh, it's not that big of a deal. It's so little it won't matter." but that's exactly what Satan wants us to believe. I've also known people who take it too far and blame everything on Satan's attacks. I think that might be giving him too much credit, but we do need to be aware that there's a lot of spiritual things that we just can't see.

Bridge to Terabithia

2007-02-23T20:25:00.000-05:00

All of us girls (Candace, Pris, Kezzi and I) went to see Bridge to Terabithia Thursday. We don't go to see movies very often, only when there's a really good one out. This one was no exception. It was about 2 best friends who loved to play in the woods and pretend and use their imaginations. It was really moving. There was a few really sad parts and all of us cried at least once, Pris and Kezzi almost the entire time. It reminded me of how we used to play and have a blast in the woods making our forts and creating elaborate things to pretend. I wish I would have seen that movie when I was younger. It would have been so inspiring and given us a lot more ideas. It made me wish I could be 8 again and re-live all those memories of tromping around outside inventing characters and some awesome stories and almost being able to feel like I actually lived them. To bad we have to grow up so quick and no longer appreciate those things like we used to. But there's definitely a good side to growing up too. Oh well, we can't have it all (at least not at once).

Well, it's already starting to feel like the beginning of spring. I can't wait till it's actually here. I think I'm getting early spring fever. It's going to be in the 60's tomorrow & we invited some friends over for dinner & a bonfire.

Hello...

2007-02-21T21:07:00.000-05:00

Hello,

I now have my own blog instead of sharing. It'll be nice, sort of like having my own room. I have it all to myself. Anyway, today was the normal school routine. This afternoon I went to dance. It was pretty exhausting, especially since I already had no energy. Our teacher worked us hard. Even harder than usual. But besides that I'm doing great and very thankful I'm well, unlike Annalise, she has the stomach bug(poor thing). Just hoping I'm not next.

Today, I found online piano lessons taught by ear. I'm not very good @ reading music but I love to play, so I know this would be a lot better for me. My old piano teacher used to get frustrated w/ me for not being able to read music very good and always playing by ear. Maybe I was just not meant to learn that way.

Well, I'll be posting again shortly.