Making Memories

Can't talk, too tired and not much time. Will elaborate and do a Bible thing tomorrow. I'm gonna use list format to run over the day's awesome events :)

-Church was good.

-went to see Star Trek. ABSOLUTELY *AMAZING* MOVIE. WOW. I HAVEN'T BEEN THAT IMPRESSED WITH A MOVIE SINCE LIKE...I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN. IT WAS STINKIN' EPICCCCCCCCCC! WOW. GO SEE IT NOW. SO GOOD. SO GOOD. SOO GOOD!

-I ate a giant (GIANT) Rice Krispy treat at the movie, and those are my favorite.

-On the way home from the movie, Mrs. Martha (Matt and Katie's mom) called and asked if we wanted to go out on the boat. We said yes.

-Go home and change into bathing suits. I wash off my make up so it won't run when I do stuff in the water.

-They pick us up at the beach (in the boat).

-Beautiful weather.

-IT'S JUST US!!!!!!!! For the first time in actually-not-exaggerating YEARS (only two, but still, YEARS), it was just us. No other families, no catches, just us and them.

-Had an amazing time in the water fooling around like old times.

-The ride back, Mrs. Martha gave in when we begged her to go top speed. We flew over waves and the boat went crazy. It's times like that when I'm sure I have the best childhood of anyone in the world. I mean, being with my closest friends and the wind and the water and being perfectly happy...how can you top that?

-We all decided to order pizza and meet back at Matt and Katie's house. They dropped us off at our house, though, so we could get out of our bathing suits. I just put on, like, almost-pajamas, lol!

-Watched "Marley and Me" while eating pizza and warding off the dog, Hershey :)

-Katie fell asleep like halfway into it :)

- Matt was adorably sad at the end (if you've seen it, you know why; if you haven't, I'm not saying anything ;) ).

-We came home, and I'm typing this.

-I get to sleep in tomorrow.

What a great day, you know? Don't you just LOVE those days when you just smile and think, "I am the luckiest person in the world right now." *sighs contentedly* Carpe diem, y'all! You never know when you're making a memory!

A Little Bit of Everything

VERY GOOD EXCUSE: My grandma had a heart catherazation and we had to go and see her and then bring her home and spend the night last night. So, I didn't just ditch posting or whatever :) (My grandma is okay.)
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But I do have a Challenge!! Bwahahaha. Eat a War Head candy without making a face. Hah. Let me know how that goes, because I've never been able to do it. I love those things.
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No Carpe Noctem thoughts today :( Sorry.
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Okay! So...I finished driving!! We just have to call the Department of Non-public Education and have them send me some certificate of elegibility or something and then I can get my permit! *gasp* :) AWESOME!!

"Mirror" is okay. I'm back to writing it, but almost half-heartedly. I went back and read it, and I'm going to have A LOT of editing to do -_- There are so many things that are just unrealistic and almost silly. *sigh* Oh well.

Dang, I feel boring again. I'm sure I had something to say...DARN, WHAT WAS IT??

Well, I changed my profile picture on Gmail, and it randomly changed my picture for some other blogger stuff...*shrugs* It's been dong weird things like that lately. So annoying. So far on the pole, the second picture, the universe one, is winning. I agree. That one is my favorite, I think. So, I'll be changing my profile picture to her as soon as the poll is closed. If anyone hasn't voted who actually cares, vote now! Lol :)

My daddy is still in Jamaica, and he's having a good time it sounds like. He and the other guys went to the market today. How cool is that? In some ways, I wish I were there, too. In others, I'm glad I'm not. I'm weird that way. I love to travel, but I hate trying new food and the traveling part (the car ride or plane trip), I don't like. *shrugs* But Jamaica sounds SO cool.

Well, I don't have any more news, so I won't keep blogging about nothing :) Talk to ya later! Carpe diem!

Turtles

Driving went much better today!! Everything went very good, actually. The only bad thing that happened was that I ran over a turtle. Yeahh...I tried to miss it, but instead I steered right onto it. *sigh* I also almost got this bird. He wouldn't move! I thought he would fly away, but he just SAT THERE! At the last second he flew away, though. The boys were like, "Wow, you weren't gonna move, were you?" And then when I hit the turtle like five minutes later, they were like, "What are you gonna hit next? Hey, look! Turkies!" -_- That's me. Just mowin' down wildlife.

But it was pretty hilarious.

Only now I feel so bad about killing the poor little turtle. *sob!*
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Name Day! My faaaaaavorite!

Um. Hmm. A name...What should I do today?

Heheh, I have the perfect one:

Awanata.

It's a Native American name meaning "turtle" :P Oh, the humor of it all. Just kidding.

Definitely NOT something I would name my kid, but funny all the same.
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Matt and Katie are coming over again today. My mom will pick them up at school, and they'll come home and do homework. Then Matt will have to go to this award banquet thing, and Katie will stay here and I'll help her study for a million tests. Seriously, she has like spelling, history, science, geography (I think), and something else. Poor kid.

Oh, this is really random, but we had to weigh the guys' luggage before they left for Jamaica, so we had to find our scale. I didn't even know we had a scale. But I weighed myself, and I weigh like 123. Haha, one, two, three. Yeah, anyway. It's just weird because I've almost never weighed myself. Only at the doctor. And I haven't been to the doctor in over a year. Before that, I hadn't been in about five years. Our family is disgustingly healthy :P We're not, like, health freaks or anything, we just never get sick. I've never had strep throat or the flu, and I've had four ear infections in my whole life.

*knocks on wood*

Well, I'm hungry. The leftover pizza in the 'fridge is calling my name. Ttyl! Carpe diem!

P.S. Thanks for following, Dressed Like Violence!

P.P.S. Is there a story behind that name? Just curious.

P.P.P.S. DAAARN! I was gonna start doing my followers' names for Name Day! Dangit, I forgot. Okay, here's a bonus name then: Seth. It's Hebrew and it means...let me look it up..."appointed". And it means that everywhere; no confusing multiple meanings this time :)

Cherishing Family

*does a happy dance* IT'S QUOTE DAY!! YAY! MY FAVORITE!

But even before THAT, I have news:

I DID SOME OF THE DRIVING PART FOR DRIVER'S ED TODAY!!! YAY! It was kind of fun, medium boring, and quite nerve-wracking. I messed up some, too, which was embarassing. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Overall, not bad I don't think :)

Okay. Quote time.

"He who knows right will do right." --Socrates

I know I've talked about this before, though, so I won't go into detail. I just think it's cool. At first it makes no sense and you're like "nuh-uh", but then Socrates explains it and it makes perfect sense. Here's the link where I talk about it in detail(ish): http://puelladei.blogspot.com/2009/04/if-you-read-all-this-ill-give-you.html
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Well, the "family" is here again! With the dads gone to Jamaica, we have to help take and get Matt and Katie home from school. AAAND because my driving stuff is at their school, it all just works out. They're actually here right now. Lizzy and Katie are in Lizzy's room. I don't know what they're doing. Matt is flipping through channels and refusing to give up the remote. Which is fine because I'd rather post that rot my brain on the TV, MATTHEW. :) Just kidding.

Tomorrow the same thing will happen, only Katie has a million tests on Friday so I'll have to help her with that. Hmm.

Well, I don't have any more to say. Have a great day, and I'll probably continue doing the same! Carpe diem! Cherish your family. And remember, not all family is your own flesh and blood.

P.S. Could someone tell me who my latest follower is?? My computer is being stupid and won't load the Follower thing. Grr.

Pictures!

I'm thinking of changing my profile picture to one of those. And since this is Picture Day, that just works out perfectly :) Which picture should I change my profile picture to? Fireworkds, universe, or eye? Lol! Or should I just keep the one I have? Comment and tell me!

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Well, Daddy is on the plane on his way to Jamaica. I hope everything goes just right and nothing bad happens...yikes.

I feel incredibly boring. I haven't written in forever, and I feel like my imagination is fading altogether. I honestly think it has something to do with my being on the computer ALL DAY LONG. I really think it cuts your creativity and semi-melts your brain. I'm not trying to sound like a granny, it's just something I've noticed. Hmm...I won't if I can discipline myself enough to restrict my computer time...it's possible. Maybe...

Well, yesterday was fun!! At my dad's birthday/Going-Away-To-Jamaica party, there were all the funnest people there: Matt, Katie, Daniel, and Kaitlyn. I probably spelled her name wrong. I always do.

Anyway, we got out this giant bubblewrap pouch that the new couch was brought in. Matt got under it and we just ran around and stuff...then we took turns sitting on the bubblwrap and being pulled down the hill in my yard. And it rained on us...

I'm not sure why, and I'm sure you don't know either, that was such a fun, amazing evening. But it really was. It was like being with my family for the first time in a long while. I think of all those people as being my family. I have some really close friends (Ellie, Gabrielle, and some others), but they don't really feel like family, you know? Matt, Katie, Maddie, Ryan, Daniel, David. They feel like real family.

*shrug*

I'm reading a book called "Dragonspell" right now. It's okay. I don't like it A LOT, but it's pretty good. The reading level is below mine, I think. But the author--I forgot her name--has weekly online classes and mentoring sessions or something. She's also e-published four of her fans novels. Interesting, right? I might have to look into it. Maybe.

Well, I'm really boring right now, so I'll just stop. Carpe diem.

Forever Young Award

I know sometimes I wish I could stay fifteen forever. Does anyone else have the Peter Pan tendancy to never want to grow up? If you do, this award is for you! :)

Love is a Verb

Word of the day: love.

How unoriginal, right? Well, maybe, but this DC talk song has been in my head all day, and it just seemed like the right word to use. The song that's been stuck in my head is called "Luv is a Verb". This is the first verse to the song:

Pullin out my big black book

Cause when I need a word defined thats where I look

So I move to the L's quick, fast, in a hurry

Threw on my specs, thought my vision was blurry

I looked again but to my dismayIt was black and white with no room for grey

Ya see, a big v stood beyond my word

And yo thats when it hit me, that luv is a verb

Cool, huh? I think we all need to remember that. Love isn't just something you say to people; it isn't just a mushy emotion. It's a VERB. If you love someone, don't just tell them. Show them.

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Well, today is my daddy's birthday!! Happy birthday, Daddy! Although, he rarely reads my blog anyway, so he probably won't see that...haha :)

Tonight we're having his "party". Tomorrow, he leaves for Jamaica. Crazy, right? I can't believe I haven't told y'all this before: he's going on a misison trip to Jamaica with four other guys from our church. I hope they'll be safe. And have fun. And help people learn about God. And be safe. And meet lots of new people. And be safe.

I'm such a worry-wart. I'm not super worked up or anything, I just really hope nothing goes wrong. That would be more than awful.

I have a really bad headache. Owww...

I've read ten books in two weeks. Wow.

My head hurts. And I have nothing more to say. Carpe diem! :)

P.S. Seth, you're awesome! Thanks for following!!!

Questioning God (not an original thought, just original wording)

Okay, so, let's say you've gone hiking. You're just walking along sweating and swatting gnats and hoping ticks aren't dropping on you when all the sudden this random guy pops up and invites you to his little cabin over there. Since this is a hypothetical situation, you agree. The guy leads you back to the cabin, and you both sit down on his porch and have a glass of lemonade.

Then he announces that he is Jesus, aka God (derr ;) ).

You can ask him one question. One question. ONE QUESTION.

Now, I know some of you don't believe in God. I know that at least three of you are opposed to the idea of God. Well, just pretend. This is not going to be a conversion thing, it's just an interesting exercise we did in youth group, so you're safe.

Now. What's your one question?

Let's think about it. You're face to face with God, and you can ask him anything you want. It probably won't be "Whose idea was it to make misquitos anyway? It was the Holy Spirit, wasn't it? I knew it. He's so transparent."

*clears throat*

Anyway.

So, think of your question.

Like, now. Stop reading and THINK OF YOUR QUESTION. Make it good. This is your one shot to take advantage of Mr. Omniscient.

Now that you (theoretically) have your question, here comes the interesting part: That's the thing that's holding you back from God.

Even if you're already a Christian, there are little things that make us hesitant to commit ourselves to God. I have about a million little things and maybe you do, too, but the one question you ask will probably show you what your biggest "problem" with God is. Interesting, isn't it?

(Here comes the part where I get personal and start RANTING. I'll understand if you want to stop reading right here.)

I didn't say my question outloud in youth group, because I'm sometimes closed like that. Somehow it's so much easier to write my true feelings than to say them to someone's face. *shrugs*

My question is going to seem silly. It's going to seem stupid, childish, unimportant, and almost petty, but here goes:

So, God; why didn't you give me an older brother?

And that's it. After I had my question in mind, that's when the youth leader was like, "The question you would ask God is what's holding you back. That doubt is the main reason why it's hard to commit yourself to God." (Or, you know, something like that.) And I thought to myself,

Oh.

That's it. That's true.

That really is what's holding me back.

I may have said this before, but bear with me (if you're still with me at all). As long as I can remember, I've wanted an older brother. It's what I pray for every night, what I wish for one every first star, what I read some books for. Almost as soon as I could talk, that's what I asked my parents for. They explained that God hadn't given them a boy first. He had given them ME. And I, at two years old, was like,

SO? ADOPT.

Well, THAT never happened. And ever since, I've been wishing I had an older brother. In some ways, I think all my problems would be solved if I did. Like, I really think that. Everything that bothers me or is hard for me would be solved or at least helped if I had an older brother.

I want an older brother so bad I sometimes get crazy-jealous around people who have older brothers. I tell Maddie all the time how lucky she is to have Ryan, and never to take him for granted. I DREAM about older brothers. I write the dreams down so I can read them later. I read over certain passages of certain books on a regular basis and try to imagine that I'm the girl in the story, the girl with the older brother.

I'm telling you, it's the one thing I would give anything for.

I can't think of ANY GOOD REASONS for God NOT to have given me an older brother. WHY DIDN'T HE? Having an older brother would have solved so many of my life's problems and caused none. How is it possibly better for me to be brotherless? It doesn't make any sense to me. At all.

Joseph had ELEVEN brothers. Ten of them older.

Would it really have made a difference if he had had NINE? God could have given me the extra.

*sigh* I know it has nothing to do with God "running out of" older brothers. He didn't give me one for a reason. I just really wish I knew what it was.

Wanna know the most disgusting thing about this whole thing?

God sorta gave me an older brother.

Yeah. When I was eight. This guy came along who was just like the older brother I'd always wanted. For the first time in my life, I was really happy. Everything was great. I was so happy. I was thrilled. Like never before, my life was complete. Nearly perfect.

Then four years later, God takes him away. His family decides they don't want to come to our church anymore. Like *THAT*, I never see him anymore.

Uh, ouch. Thanks a lot, GOD.

At least that's what it feels like to me.

*groans* Dang it, now I've gone and made it sound like I think God is this big, insensative jerk. I don't really think that. Not really. It's just that...well, I am sort of mad at God for not giving me the ONLY thing I wanted. God created the Heavens and the Earth, surely he could give me my older brother!!

And he could. But he didn't. Which tells me something:

There's a reason for it.

I sure don't know it, and I may never know, but there IS a reason, and it's all for the best. I just need to remember that.

So, what's your one question? What's keeping you from turning to God?

(Sorry about all the ranting. I feel really bad about blurting all that out now. But after taking all the trouble to type it, I think I'll just keep it. *sigh*)

P.S. *GASP* I have another follower! Emma, YOU ROCK!!

Awe-Summm Award!

Cinderella from the blog The Path Less Traveled (http://theyounglife-n.blogspot.com/) tagged me for this award! How cool is that? Thank you so much, Cinderella!!

Okay, so here are the rules: List 7 things that make you Awe-Summm and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers you love. Make sure to tag the recipients and let them know they have won! Also link back to the Queen that tagged you.

7 things that make me awesome:

1. God
2. My family
3. My creativity
4. My friends
5. My persuasiveness
6. My love of writing
7. My love of languages

7 bloggers that I tag:
Ellie B from Just...well...me
Gabrielle from DownSpout
Katrien Scarlet from Shadows in Her Mind
Lizzy from ooooo
AEGIS from Thee Randomness

Love y'all! :) It was hard for me to pick only seven of you guys. And I didn't choose any guys, although I "love" y'all, too. I didn't want this to get weird, lol ;)

Excuses, Excuses

I am evil and must be destroyed.

I didn't post yesterday.

But I have a fabulous excuse!!

Ready? Here it is:

I had no time.

I woke up at eight and had time to get dressed, eat, and skim over some peoples' blog posts before Maddie and Ryan were dropped off at my house. (I'm babysitting while their parents go to a home-school thing.) So then the next six and half hours were spent hanging out with them!

Things We Did:
1. Fed the fish at the lake
2. Fed the ducks at the lake
3. Saw the cutest ducklings EVER
4. Played a mystery and deduction game called Crack the Case (Maddie, who's seven, is REALLY good at that game!)
5. Watched the Bilbo's birthday party part of Lord of the Rings
6. Played a lot of hide 'n' seek
7. Ate lunch (cherries and Hot Pockets :D)
8. Went down to the "beach"
9. Took my dog on a walk
10. Watch part of Hannah Montana
11. Lizzy and I showed them our dances

I think that's it.

So then at three thirty, they get picked up and I start packing to go to a sleepover at Ellie B's.

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but a couple of days ago, I GOT THE FINAL BOOK IN THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS TRILOGY!! YAAAAAY! Yeah. Sorry.

So I finished packing and called Ellie to ask her if I could come early. The party started at six, but my parents wouldn't be home from the home-school thing, so a family friend was gonna pick me on her way home from work and drop me at Ellie's, and just take Lizzy home with her. I also told Ellie that I was almost done with the Mortal Instruments book, and that if I finished it before I had to leave, I would bring it to her. Her response:

"Hang up. Go. Read. NOW."

Lols :)

So I sped read like 150 pages and finished the book two minutes before the family friend came to pick me and Lizzy up.

So, see, it's not actually my fault I didn't post.

...

Okay, yeah. Still my fault :P

Sorry. I'm making like no sense probably. I'm going to come back tomorrow and read this and be like, "WOW". But I'm reeeally tired. That's why I'm not making a lot of sense (if any at all). I got to sleep around four last night (sleepover at Ellie's), and woke up at nine forty-five. So, that's really not that bad. But I'm still a little out of it.

I had a really good time though! Two of Ellie's friends from private school came, and they're so fun and nice. We all had a great time together. And we watched Veggie Tales at like three in the morning. So that was FUN!!

Lizzy used to love Bob the Tomatoe. He was, like, her favorite.

Okay, wow. I usually make a little more sense when I've had... *counts on her fingers* ...almost six hours of sleep. I don't know why this time I'm especially...incoherent.

I also just drank a coke, so I'm hyper and about to crash at the same time.

I'll shut up.

No dark thoughts today yet, but I'll let ya know if I come with a good Carpe Noctem idea.

Carpe diem. Peace out.

(And if you're reading this blog for the first time, I promise I'm not always this...scattered? Whatever. Bye.)

OHH, and ONE LAST THING:

Thanks for following, Mike!!!!!

Check out my new signature! Thanks, Gabby!

Advertising

Tadadadadadadaaaaaaaa!

Sorry. Sudden outburst. I'm hyper right now and I don't even know why. All I've had to eat today is Honey Nut Cheerios and orange juice. *shrugs*

Well, playing with the little kids last night was fun. Not amazingly fun like sometimes, but still fun. A kid who doesn't usually come to band practice came, and he is not as aquainted with his imagination as one might hope. We wanted to play orphans, and he goes, "What's that?"

Maybe I'm asking too much of the kid, but, really, it's not that hard to figure out. Probably I just have a wacked idea of what a "normal child" is because my friends and I and everyone I play are...well...not normal. Anyway, it was still fun, but different than usual. But I relearned how to make Jacob's Ladder and Cup And Saucer and the Witch's Broom with a string, so it's all good ;)
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Today is Name Day! I'm going to start doing names of my followers! I'll start with the unusual ones, and move on to the more familiar ones. Or at least that's what I WAS going to do.

I tried Googling the meanings of several names, and there wasn't an entry for them! Apparently, some of the names don't exist or something! Crazy, huh? The names that I tried and couldn't find meanings for are:

1. Aegis
2. Krevan
3. Araken
4. Earwen

Weird that Google had almost NOTHING for those names. I love them all and think they're so cool! Too bad I can't find the meaning. If any of you four are reading this and you know what your bloggername means, will you email it to me so I can use it for a later Name Day? My email is embersmokeman@yahoo.com. If you don't want to, that's fine, too.

Since most of the unusual names are, um, unusual, I'm going to go with...Ellie B first! She's one of my best friends, so she seems like a pretty good place to start.

Alrighty. Ellie is a nickname, but because I don't know if it's okay to give out her real name (it's something you would never guess from "Ellie"), I'm just going to use "Ellie" anyway. Ellie means... *tries to remember without having to Google it* ...darn. Okay, Google, here I come...Oh, wow! Another multi-meaning name! Here's what I got:

Noble, exalted, sun ray, shining light, foreign, famous warrior (all those were from one site!), light, most beautiful woman.

Wow, that name is PACKED with meanings! I think the one I've heard most often is "noble, exalted", though. Or maybe light. Anyway, Ellie, you have a pretty powerful name!
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Oh, and check out this blog. It's done by a girl named Meggie, who is a friend of Lizzy's (my sister). Lizzy said her blog could use some publicity. So, here it is!

http://hehehehahahagirl.blogspot.com/

I'm sure she'd be thrilled if you just dropped her a comment or something :)

Oh, and here's Ember's blog, too:

http://furieritekachina.blogspot.com/

Haha, sorry. I feel like I'm boring you with commercials or something, advertising blogs like this! LOL! Okay, ttyl! Carpe diem!

Best Book and Being Better

>:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

That's how I feel right now. My computer is being unbelievably retarded. I've been trying to load the same page since--are you ready for this?--LAST NIGHT. I've been trying to get to the same thing since LAST NIGHT! I started trying at four in the afternoon, tried until six, ate dinner, came back, tried again until ten-thirty. Then I got up this morning, did math, then came back and tried for FOUR MORE HOURS. IT WON'T FREAKIN' LOAD!!!!!! I'm so mad I can't even BEGIN to explain how annoying this is!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Okay. Sorry. I actually have some really happy stuff to tell you! I FINISHED THE FINAL FARSALA BOOK LAST NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND IT WAS SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh! It was soooooo good! I actually cried because it was over. Yeah, I actually did that. But I was so sad that the books are over! I love the characters! They feel like friends. I thought I felt like that about other books, but this time the feeling of closeness with the characters is unbelievable. I feel like I know them, and now they've left. Their story is over, and I'll never know what happens after this. I love them!! *sigh*

Best books I've ever, ever read. Sorry, Inkheart, Eragon, Twilight, the Mortal Instruments trilogy, the Farsala trilogy surpasses all of you. Sure some things were sad, and some things were unexpected, but...wow. Just wow. Hilari Bell has to be one of the most brilliant writers ever. Seriously. I'm speechless. Amazing books, amazing ending, amazing characters, *sob* I'm gonna miss them so much! *soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooob*

*wipes eyes* 'Kay. I'm done.

Oh. Guess what? That page just loaded. *blinks* Well...yay.

Aaaaaaand my week is back to being amazing :)

Tonight I get to play with the little kids! I'm so excited! Playing with them always reminds me of...better times. Times when I was the little kid and was being played with. Good times. I'm glad to be able to help these little kids have memories like that of their own.

It's sunny today! My garden is lookin' good. The seeds haven't sprouted yet, but the tomatoes and pepper plants look happy. They're still pretty small, but they look healthy so far. I've planted squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers. Red peppers, I think. Lol, I can't remember for sure...but I'm pretty sure they're red.

Oh, whoops! Today is quote day! Alrighty :D Here's the quote of the week:

"That doesn't matter," said Jiaan. "What matters is that we have to be better than the Hrum. We have to be. Because if we're not, then it's all been for nothing. All the fighting, all the deaths. For nothing, unless we're better than they are. ...It's not about my father. It's not even about the Hrum. This is about our honor. We have to be better than they are, or it doesn't even matter whether we win or not."

That's a quote from, you guessed it, a book in the Farsala trilogy. I tried to pick a meaningful passage that wouldn't spoil anything in case any of you want to read the books (I HIGHLY recommend them).

Isn't that quote so true? If you're fighting for something, you have to want to be better than the people you're fighting. If you want to be in the popular crowd, you ought to want to bring about good changes, too. Same if you want to be the president. You can't run with the intention of being a worse president than the one before you. You have to be better. It's not about the old president. It's about you. It's about you being better.

*shrugs* I don't know. It just like that passage. And when you read it in context, it's even better.

:)

Carpe diem! And remember, be better :)

An Enchanted Forest and A Happy Week!

Haha, I know it's a little girly, but I thought this picture was cool. I don't really know why, it's just like the classic enchanted forest. I think it's really well done, too.

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I know this is random, but want to show y'all this before I forget. It's sooooo funny!! It's called Bible in a Minute. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar_k8JjVWQA

Anyway, today I went bathing suit shopping. I already have a bathing suit, but since we live closer to the lake, my mom figured we'd be going swimming more often that we do normally. *sigh* Bathing suit shopping is usually hard for me. Not because I'm overweight (I'm actually not too bad), but because I feel so...exposed in most of them, lol! It's hard to find one that I feel comfortable wearing, because, sorry, but I don't just lay on the beach and watch everyone else have fun. I like to actually DO stuff without worrying that my top is gonna fall off! I found one that's cute and I feel okay in. It's a little low, but I figure I can get used to it. Let's hope.

Haven't written Creepy in a couple of days. I'll force myself today.

OHHHHHHHHHHH guess what?? I got the third book in the Mortal Instruments Trilogy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Books are the only thing that get that many exclamation points. I'm really excited! So is Ellie B. Or at least she will be when she gets the text I sent her, lol! We both love the books now. I let her borrow the first one when she came over a couple of Fridays ago (remember?), and she loved it, too. YAY! Now I'm reading two books at once again. *sigh* The final Farsala book (which is still good), and the City of Glass.

Tomorrow night is band practice and I'll get to play with the little kids (Abby and Jarrod, and Ryan and Maddie)!! Yay again! This week is just going fabulously so far. And to end it, I'll be babysitting Maddie and Ryan, and then going to a sleepover at Ellie's! Seriously, this is like the best week EVER. YAY YAY YAY YAY! Sorry to be so ridiculously happy, lol :)

Okay, here's one bad thing: I've been trying to load the same stupid page for--NOT EXAGGERATING--almost fifteen minutes. What is WRONG with this stupid computer? GOSH! Windows Vista sucks. Seriously. No one buy it. It's a waste of money, and time.

Oh, and I have a question for all the guys out there: You know that you're going to a magical world, what do you bring with you? You also know that you're going straight into the hands of the evil and extremely powerful rulers of that land. Besides, like, a gun, what would you bring? Think practical, too. Paige is bring stuff like ibuprofen and ChapStick and stuff like that, but I don't know what Darren would bring. Guys, help! :) Thanks!

A PICTURE! *GASP*

*jaw absolutely hits the floor* I've heard of miracles, but really, two new followers in two days?? Lol! It's my lucky week! Thanks, Alex! I love your blog, by the way.

Okay, I know you're wondering "Uhh, what's up with the picture?" Well, it's me and the girl that looks like my character! *gasp* I actually figured out how to get a picture on here. That alone derserves a round of applause ;) Just kidding. But yeah. The costume we're wearing are the costumes that we wore for our hip-hop/jazz dance the finale. The one with funky looking hair and a too long nose is me. I'm holding the flowers that my parents got me.

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Okaaaay! It's WORD DAY!! Hmm...I'll do something to do with dance: pa de sha.

Three words, I know. It's a ballet move that's French for "step of the cat". Cool, huh? Not really something you're going to be using every day, but still. I had to do something dance-ish.

Did you know that all the ballet moves are really just something in French? Haha, you probably did. I'm just so slow that I didn't think about it until like last year, lol! I don't know what everything means yet, but I'll get there. It's funny, I wonder if I could talk to French people in ballet terms...lol!

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I am cold. And I have wet hair. And I'm getting a headache.

Okay! I turned on the heat :D Complaining is over!

The final book in the Farsala Trilogy is good. I'm more than halfway done. I'm reading it slowly so it won't be over so fast, lol! The second one is still my favorite, which is really strange. Usually I like the first book in a series the best. Hilari Bell just got better, though! I know this is going to sound very sexist, but she's amazing at coming up with battle plots and stuff for a girl. I suck that that kind of stuff. I have to glean info from all the guys I know on what to say about battle tactics, lol!

Umm...wow. I really don't have much else to say. It's been chilly out for a couple of days, which basically sucks.

Okay, I'll just stop wasting your time, lol! Carpe diem!

Pascal's Wager

Twenty-two followers! Whoa! Thanks, Gracie! :)

Well, the recital went amazingly. We all did very well, with no extreme mistakes. I'm just sad dance is over until like September!! Noooo! That's so sad :( I love dance. It's so much fun and it makes me feel great.

It's also really sad to think about the fact that I'll pretty much never see the seniors again. Ever. Possibly they'll come around for the recitals once a year, but they won't care about me. I care about them because they're awesome and moderately nice to me and I look up to them. I'm just a freshman who doesn't say much. (Yeah, I actually keep my mouth shut at dance :D) It's always sad to see friendships fade. But, hey, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. The seniors haven't forgotten me completely YET! Lol ;)

The one good thing about dance being over is that I'll get to play with the little kids every Wednesday night now!! (Band practice for the church band, their kids come along, etc. We've been through this.)

I didn't write any Creepy--whoops, I mean "Mirror"--this weekend, but that's okay because it doesn't feel like I'm avoiding it like it sometimes does.

I watched the movie Zathura tonight. Stupid movie. No offense to any die-hard fans reading this ;)

Um...OHHH, right! Today is Bible Day! Okay, well...Let's go with Pascal's Wager. I know some of y'all are familiar with that (maybe ALL of you...), but let me just go over it really quick:

Blaise Pascal. Famous science guy. He was French (you can kinda tell from the name). And invented the first calculator (ish) thing. And I knew all that without Googling it :D That's what Challenge B does to you. *shudders...then grins*

Oh, yeah, and something about Pascal Triangle or something...I don't really pay attention to the math part as much. Haha, just kidding.

Anyway, Pascal basically said that we should put our bets on God.

Everyone wants to have a good life, right? I mean, seriously! Pascal's thinking was that if you believed in God and served him, you would have a wonderful life. Not *necissarily* because God exists, but because you believed you were doing right, and that makes us feel good inside. Plus, living by God's ideals is a lot more peaceful than living by what the world says.

So then Pascal said this (not actually quoting, here): when we die, either there is a God and we served him and we got to Heaven, or there isn't a God and we cease to exist.

If you chose God and he's real, then you have a happy life on Earth, and then die and get something even better. If you chose God and he's fake, then you have a happy life on Earth and lose nothing.

If you reject God and real, you live a sadder Earth life, then...let's just say, ya don't go to Heaven ;) If you reject God and he's fake, then you've lived a sadder life and gained nothing.

So pretty much, you get the better deal if you believe in God, whether or not he's real.

Personally, I believe there is a God. It doesn't seem very logical that all the world evolved from a premordial soup or whatever. Believing in God makes more sense to me. God makes sense to me, and I'm discovering that more and more as I look into things.

I DO see little inconsistencies in the Bible, though, I'm determined to figure out why that is. I don't want to just turn a blind eye to those things that appear to contradict each other--pretending a problem doesn't exist doesn't make it go away. I want to learn the truth. I want to look at the facts, and see where they lead me. I'm going to TRY not to be biased, and see what happens.

But I'm betting on God.

"If you believe, and God exists, you gain everything. If you disbelieve, and God exists, you lose everything."

Victory!

BEST RECITAL EVER!

I am so tired I can't say anything more, but just know that it was WAY better than the rehearsal, everything went perfectly. I love dancing. It makes me feel so amazing, and nothing is more fun. Aaaaaaaaaaaand...

I got a picture with the girl who looks just like my character! Does it GET any better?? :) Talk to y'all tomorrow!

Good News, Bad Luck

Good news about my make-up bag! A lady from the dance studio called and said that no one picked up my bag, but no one has been in the auditorium since last night, so she thinks it's probably still on the counter. Someone will be by the auditorium to unlock the doors at four-thirty, so we'll be going by to pick it up then. Yay!
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Okay, so it's Challenge Day. AGAIN. Um...Gosh!! I think I'm gonna change this to some other kind of day. I'm just not good at this. And I don't think y'all do the challenges anyway, lol! (That's not a bad thing. I'm just saying.) What should I change this day to? Any ideas? Let me know!
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Not much at all has happened today. I wrote a paragraph of Creepy--I mean "Mirror"--and I got a stone bruise -_- I was running up the hill in my backyard and my foot came down on some evil little rock or something. Ouch!! It hurts, and what's worse is I have to dance tomorrow! What if it's still all bruised? Bruises don't heal THAT fast! *moan* This is just not my week apparently. My usually okay luck has turned against me. Greaaaat. (Note extreme sarcasm.)

However, "Mirror" is going tolerably well, so that's good. I'd rather have rotten luck and be able to write. I guess. *sigh* I don't know. I love dance. And I love my cell phone!! And my rings were in the bag, too. I'm addicted to my rings. I have like fifteen rings. Only two were in the bag, but they were my favorite. Completely irreplacible because they hold so many memories and stuff. Hopefully the bag really is on the counter. Although with my sudden change in luck, I would be surprised if it wasn't.

Sorry. I'm going all gloomy on you. I'll just stop now before I say something even more depressing.

Maybe I'll write some "Mirror". Paige is depressed right now, too, so this is probably a good time to write. I'll be able to make her unhappiness more authentic.

*eyes widen* More good news! I have twenty-one followers! Even after that one person stopped! Wow. It's honestly hard to believe that more than like four people care about what I say. Seriously. I have a hard enough time getting my debate partners to listen to me! Haha, just kidding (mostly). But still. Thanks for following and reading, guys! It means a lot to me!

Carpe diem!!

Rehearsal Update

I'm home from my rehearsal.

I've been to twelve rehearsals in my life.

This was the WORST EVER.

Terrible. Horrible. No good. Very bad.

The stage is so much smaller than any of us remember, and we are a HUGE class. Like, twenty girls. On a smallish stage. We were constantly running into each other. No one could do well. Disaterous.

I messed up a little in every dance except the tap, which is my favorite, so that was good. The ONLY good thing.

We had four dances in the first half, so that means we have to dance, go back stage and transform ourselves in like five minutes. STRESSFUL MUCH??

THEN THINGS GET WORSE. A LOT WORSE.

Okay, so my mom and Lizzy and I are on the way home, and I'm griping about how bad I did, and asking Lizzy if she saw this really amazing girl with red hair dance (if you're reading this, Meredith, it's you). Then my eyes get all wide and wild as I say in a panicking voice,

"GO BACK! I FORGOT MY MAKE-UP BAG!!"

My mom freaks, we swerve around and start speeding back to the auditorium.

I know. You're thinking, okay, it's a make-up bag. Bad, but not THAT bad. I mean, you'll just have to put your make-up on at the auditorium instead of at home. No real biggie.

Hahahahaha. If only it were that simple.

MY PHONE WAS IN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*panicks all over again*

My beautiful red LG shine was in there. Who knows if someone got it?? I need my phone! If someone finds it, they'll be able to steal it and run up charges and do who-knows-what with it! AND the make-up was a pretty significant problem, too, I mean, I love that stuff. But my PHOOOOOOOOOOONE!!

So we race back to the auditorium, my mom lecturing me about why didn't I keep up with it, why did I even bring my phone back there in the first place, etc. etc. I'm not really freaking out TOO badly, because, I mean, we haven't actually been gone from the auditorium for very long. Someone will be there to unlock the door. I can go right in and get my bag, and everything will be fine. It always is.

We pull up in the parking lot and, thank goodness, there are lights on in there. I run as fast as I can to the front door and pull, crossing my fingers.

It's open! Yay!

I run the last few steps to get to the auditorium and yank on the double doors.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It's locked. It's locked. It's locked.

EXCUSE ME?

So yeah. I still don't have my make-up, or my phone. I don't know where it is, if someone got it, or if it's still there. I feel like cussing right now. But, of course, I won't. At least I won't type it.

But I'm really stressed, scared, bummed, and...shocked.

Okay, have any of you seen Ferris Beuler's Day Off? If you haven't, it's about a teenage boy who's sort of invincible. He does awesome, crazy, irresponsible things, and everything works out for him. Things just fall into place in the most unbelievable ways.

Not to brag, but that's kind of how things happen for me. Not ALWAYS, but most of the time. I mean, think about the whole tights thing. I was never super stressed out because I figured it would all work out. That's usually the way things happen for me. It's weird and disgusting, but true. Things just work out right.

So, I wasn't really worried when I lost the make-up bag. Sure, it was a pain to turn around, but I knew the doors would be unlocked and my bag would be right where I left it.

Only it wasn't.

Hmm. Weird. And awful. *shrugs thoughtfully* I just really hope it turns up. It will be terrible if it doesn't. Like REALLY, REALLY, YOU-HAVE-NO-IDEA-HOW-BAD terrible.

Hooray for a reality check, right?

*sigh*

Tights and Tight Spots

Darn. I missed another day of posting. But I did post twice on Tuesday (was it Tuesday?), so I guess that makes up for it :)

Okay, so here's the quote for yesterday: “Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind.” Shakespeare

I agree. Whenever I'm guilty, I'm constantly afraid that so-and-so is going to "find me out". It's an awful feeling, don't you think?
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Okay, today is...NAME DAY!! Simple, fun, I love it! :)

Today's name: Kendra.

Why not? Y'all should know what my name means. Pretty soon I'll probably start doing your names, so watch out ;)

Kendra means "fair one" or "fire sprung". Pretty awesome, huh? I feel okay with bragging about this name because I actually picked it. It's not my real name. Orrrrrrrr, it might be, and all the other names I use are fake...lol, I'm not saying one way or another. If I use one of my names for the Name of the Week thing, I'm going to pretend like I picked it whether or not I actually did.

Sorry. Unnecissarily confusing. Anyway...

That's what I always thought it meant. But just now when I double checked, I also found "greatest champion", "knowing", "chief hero", "keen power", "water baby" and "magical".

O.O

WOW!

I'm pretty sure "water baby" and "magical" are incorrect. I happen to know that the name Kenda, no "R", means that, so I think it's probably a mistake. But I might be wrong. It happens occasionally ;)
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Lizzy's dance rehearsal was last night, as you know. I got to put make up on her. She's really gorgeous WITHOUT make up. It was like having a life-sized Barbie doll to dress up, lol! I actually did a good job on the make up. She looked like she was about sixteen, when she's actually twelve and a half. *shudders* THAT was weird.

**WARNING! LONG STORY COMING UP!**

The rehearsal went well, she looked beautiful, no one messed up, we went out to grab some Wendy's afterwards, and everything was going great. All we had to do then was run by Wal-Mart to get some tights for me to wear for MY rehearsal (which is tonight). I know I should have gotten the tights before then, but I just...didn't.

So anyway, we went to Wal-Mart to get my tights (suntan and pale pink). I had a mental picture of the tights display, but I had no idea where that place WAS. So Lizzy and I hunted all over the store while my dad got a hose bolt or something. We didn't find the dance tights (there's a big difference between "tights" and "dance tights", by the way).

Finally, I was like "Let's just ask someone." So Lizzy's all like "There's a guy! There's a guy!" I was really looking for a female worker since I didn't figure the guys would know, but I asked the guy anyway. He didn't really know. So finally we found a lady and asked her. She pointed us to the display without blinking. Halelujah!

We went to the display, located the right colors, and looked for my size.

No size 12-16. In pale pink OR suntan.

It's like nine-thirty at night, my dad has to get up early the next day, my mom is home from being out of town and waiting for us at home. DANG IT!!

Lizzy and I meet Daddy at the check-out empty handed. Daddy pays for the hose thingie and we speed over to Target.

"This is where Momma got my tights," Lizzy says as the two of us run into Target. "So I know they're here. Hope they have your size." I didn't say anything. We looked in the Women's department, but all I saw were regular tights and hose. So I go the dressing room area and ask the lady,

"Where are the dance tights?"

"We don't have dance tights."

*blink*

"Are you serious?"

Lady tried not to smile. "I'm serious."

"WELL. That really sucks. Thanks anyway."

Lizzy and I went back to the car. It's now after ten o'clock, and I was still tight-less. My rehearsal was the next day, and my tight size was no where to be found.

Reeeeeeeeeally not a good situation.

Daddy told me we could go to a different Wal-Mart in the morning. Hopefully they would have my size.

So this morning I woke up stressed, at breakfast stressed, got on the computer stressed, and did some math stressed. I was putting off the trip to the store for who-knows-what reason. I also really didn't want to tell my mom about the situation. She can get a little...tense about that kind of thing. Daddy and Lizzy seemed to think the same thing, because neither of them mentioned our little shopping frenzy either.

After I did some math (GAHH!), I decided to check my top draw again for tights. I checked a week ago, and they weren't there, but sudden random miracles have been known to happen to me.

So, I dug through years of dance costumes, panty hose, soccer jerseys, knee socks. Nothing. With a sigh, I started putting everything back.

That's when I saw them.

Neatly folded in the corner of the drawer was a pare of pale pink tights. Beside them, a pair of suntan.

Go figure.

:)

So now all that's left for this evening is to get excited and nervous, get dressed, and go! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. I hope I don't mess up. I know this is only the rehearsal, but I'm still excited! :) Talk to you later! Carpe diem!

Seven Friends in a House...

Haha, I saw this on Steph's blog and just had to do it :) Sorry for posting twice in a day.

Pick 8 random friends you feel comfortable around. (Four girls, four guys -- include yourself) [Lol, the girls were easy, and three of the guys were. After three, everyone else I know just ties, so I just picked Ben 'cause he'd be funny for some of the questions, lol ;)]

1. Ellie B
2. Gabrielle
3. Lizzy
4. Me
5. Daniel
6. David
7. Matt
8. Ben

These eight people you just picked are stuck in a house with you for a whole year. There is no leaving the house at all until the year is completely up. If you had to choose a person for every question below, write down which person it would be.

There are four rooms, who would be in each room?
1. Me and Ellie
2. Lizzy and Gabrielle
3. Ben and Daniel
4. Matt and David

If there was someone singing in the morning who would it most likely be?
Me!

If someone was considered the dad and the mom of the house, who would it be?
Most mature girl in the house: Ellie, but I dunno. I have some mother-like tendancies myself.
Most mature guy in the house: Probably Daniel.
There you go.

If you wanted candy really badly and all of the 7 in the house had some, who would you take it from?
Any of them. I have no limits when it comes to getting candy!!

If two people were caught making out in a closet who would it be?
*blink* Honestly, none of us girls would go for that. Or the guys for that matter.

If someone had to watch you brush your teeth (every) morning, who would it be?
Lol, Gabby.

There was two bags of chips bought at the store, but 20 minutes later they are gone. Who ate them?
David and Matt.

Who would hate being in the house the most?
Me, because I have issues when I don’t get enough space, and Ben because he would go crazy around certain people for that long.

Someone took a (brand spanking new) pair of socks that were never worn, who is the thief?
Haha, me. I’m always borrowing Lizzy’s socks.

Someone swept all the dirt under the rug, who was it?
Me. I’m the queen of shortcuts.

If there was argument in the house, who would be the ones arguing?
David and Daniel, David and Ben, Me and Lizzy, Gabrielle and Ellie. Matt doesn’t ever do anything complicated enough to need to argue about it. Just whack him and be done with it.

Who would be the one missing there boyfriend/girlfriend that wasn’t in the house with them?
Lol, none of us have significant others...that I know of…

You walked down stairs in the middle of the night for a glass of water, someone is dancing on the table in there Leopard Thong. Who is the crazy one?
Where would anyone get a leopard thong??

A pillow fight broke through, who started it?
Me and Gabby.

There’s a marathon of your favorite TV show, what is it and who would be watching it with you?
I honestly don’t have a favorite show…

Someone made a fort in the laundry room, who was the kid?
Matt. Possibly with help from David. Then when I found it, I'd immediately go into efficiency mode and make the fort better.

There’s a prankster in the house that put plastic on the two toilets in the house, who are the pranksters? Ben. Alllllll Ben ;)

The music’s too loud, who turned it up? All us girls!!

There’s a mouse crawling on the floor all over the house,
a) who is the first one to scream? – Ellie.
b) and who is the one to jump is someones arms? Lizzy.
c) Who would be the one to kill it? – Ben or Daniel. Gabrielle wouldn’t be afraid of it, she’d want to catch it and set it free.

Someone’s crying, who is it and what happened? No comment.

Who made pancakes in the morning and almost caught the house on fire? Ben. Or me.

Who gets sick of each other the fastest in the house?
Ben and David, or David and Daniel, or me and Ellie. After a while, we start to rub each other the wrong way. Gabrielle and Matt rarely ever make any of us extremely mad. Lizzy and I are used to living together. No, wait. I know! I would definitely get sick of someone prettttttttty fast...no comment.

Someone’s tanning on the roof who is it?
Lols, I don’t know…

Who is the tallest in the house?
Hmm…Ben or Daniel. Not sure which.

Who is the shortest in the house?
Lizzy, I think.

Who is the loudest?
David.

Who is the clown?
Ben and me. I goof off all the time.

Who is the one you go to talk to the most?
Ellie or Gabrielle.

Who is the one that always comes up with stupid ideas?
Matt and Ben, lol

Who's in bed first?
Lizzy.

If someone woke everyone up with pots and pans who would it be?
Matt.

Who is always dancing?
Gabrielle :)

Someone has the same sweater as you, so you get mad at them. Who is it?
Lizzy. As sisters, we have a lot of matching stuff.

You spilled ice all over the kitchen floor. Who would be the one to slip on it first?
Ellie. Lols.

YOUR TURN! ;)

Couch Potatoes Can't Apply Makeup

So yeah. That's what I've felt like all day, lol! I'm so lazy. I watched like two whole episodes of Nanny 911. Yes, I did. And it's even pretty outside today!!!!!! I have to get out of the house! What is wrong with me? Okay, I know what's wrong with me...

I'm afraid of ticks. How pathetic is THAT? There was one on my shirt Friday after I took a walk, so I freaked out. And now I don't want to go walking in the woods anymore. And that's like my favorite. :( I'm such a wussy!! I'm not sure why, but ticks seriously creep me out. *shudders*

Someone stopped following my blog. Apparently they realized that it's not healthy to listen to the rants of a weird-o like myself ;)

Tomorrow is my sisters dance rehearsal! My mom won't be home from speaking at the practicum, so I'm going to have to do her hair and makeup. O.O HELP! I hope I do okay with that. I'm not completely incompetent in the art of beautification, but I'm not exactly an expert either. And I've never tried to apply eyeliner to anyone but myself. I'm also a big believer in less is more, so I hope I can bring myself to put enough on her so that she doesn't look washed out under the lights. I'm pretty sure I'm over-thinking this.

I started the final installment of The Farsala Trilogy today!! So far, it's fine. Not great or anything, but, I mean, I'm only on page like twenty-five. I'm not sure why I'm not at least halfway finished yet. Either I'm being lazy, or I just don't want the trilogy to end!! I think it's a little of both.

*incoming sarcasm* You should be proud to know that I wrote 619 words today. *sigh* I know, I know. I should be doing more than that, but at least I'm writing AT ALL. Yesterday was better. I wrote like...oh. Less than that. Well, one day recently, I wrote a bunch. I don't remember what day, Saturday or Sunday maybe. But I HAVE been writing. Promise :)

Tonight a family that goes to our church is coming over to eat ice cream, return my dad's tiller, and help us fix a problem with the stupid printer or something. Haha, I love having good friends! Abby and Jarrod are so much fun. I've mentioned them before. Abby is seven, Jarrod is nine. They crazy and fun :) So I'm looking forward to this evening.

Well, that's all I can think of to say! Hope I didn't bore you to death...anyway, carpe diem!

Be, Like, Idk, Articulate-ish or Whatever ;)

Sorry I didn't post a Bible Concept yesterday. I couldn't think of anything. Although LotR does have some cool symbolism, so maybe that counts...? Haha :)

Well, today the weird headache and utter tiredness is back. I wonder if it has something to do with today being rainy and cold. Ick. It's springtime, people. Not time for rain and coldness. Bring on the green, sunny and warm weather!! Gosh ;)

Well, today is Word Day. I'll have to think of something really interesting to jolt me out of this gross mood...

Articulate.

Perfect. I love that word. I think everyone ought to know what it means, so that when I tell you to puh-leez be more articulate, you know what I'm talking about.

To be articulate means to say exactly what you mean. To use good words, ones that carry a lot of meaning and express exactly what you're trying to say. If you're articulate, it makes you more convincing and persuasive and just generally more intelligent-sounding.

The lack of articulacy in today's culture is astounding. It's like nails on a chalkboard when I hear my little sister say things like, "Hand me that thingamajigger over there." IT'S A CAN-OPENER, OKAY??

The world would be such a nicer place if people would just say what they mean. Fewer misunderstandings would occur, and conversations would be so much deeper and more profound.

Another pet-peeve of mine is when people swear because they think it's cool. That is the height of inarticulacy. Honestly, if you can't think of a better word to use than s***, just keep your mouth shut. It doesn't make you seem cool, just extremely dull and unintelligent.

Any idiot can cuss, but to show true distain and anger without resorting to obscenities takes real skill.

And so, my word of the day is "articulate" :D
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I finished book two in the Mortal Instruments trilogy. It. Was. Awesome. I can't wait to get to the store and buy the final book in the trilogy.

I also finished the sequel to "A Great and Terrible Beauty". It wasn't that great, but then again, neither was the first book. It's actually a little satanic in my opinion. I'm only reading it now because I like to finish what I start, and I want to know exactly how Gemma is going to destroy Circe once and for all.

My mom is out of town speaking for Classical. She'll be back on Wednesday, the day of my little sister's dance rehearsal. My rehearsal is Thursday. Our recitals are on Saturday. If you live near me and know me personally, I'd be reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally happy if you showed up. If you need details, by all means let me know :)

Carpe diem, even if it's rainy and cold.

LotR!

Lord of the Rings Fill-Out! :)

How old are you? 15

Is this your first tag? Well, I wasn't actually tagged. I got this off another blog (http://thoughtsofashieldmaiden.blogspot.com/search/label/writing)

Have you ever moved? Yep.

What is your favorite animal? Tiger.

What is your favorite movie? Bourne movies, Ocean's movies, Lord of the Rings, Aladin :D

What is your favorite book? I have so many. Right now, it's a tie between The Mortal Instruments Trilogy and The Farsala Trilogy. Amazing books.

Are you an elf? Only half.

Who do you like better, Eowyn or Arwen? Eowyn. Not even a choice in my opinion.

Who are your favorite Lord of the Rings characters? Definitely Aragorn and Sam.

Do you get a lot of homework? It's unbelievable. I have at least six hours every day. Haha, all my work is "home" work :D

Do you like blogging? Love it!

Do people think you're strange? Yup.

Do you like getting comments on your blog? I LOVE IT!

Do you like getting new followers on your blog? OH YES!!!! Makes my day!!

Do you get bored easily? Yeah-ish.

How many followers do you have? 20. And they're all awesome.

Who do you like better, Sauron or Saruman? Ooh, Sauron.

Do you like school? Not really. I liked philosophy, though.

Are you a good actress? I think so.

Do you like taking personality quizzes? Haha, y'all know I do :)

Do you like long or short posts? Long ;)

Are you easily entertained? Haha, yeah.

Are you going to tag someone else? Sure. If you're reading this, CONSIDER YOURSELF TAGGED!!

Fighting for Freedom

Hey. Sorry I didn't blog yesterday! Ellie came over you know, so there wasn't that much time to post. But I *did* think of a challenge!! I know; amazing, right? Haha, it's not even good, but here it is anyway:

Do something you're "too old" to do.

Not like throwing a tantrum in the mall or sucking your thumb. I mean something that you stopped doing just because you're "too old". Play with something. Imagine something. You can pick *what*, just do something. :D

Lame. But not as lame as the last one? Hopefully.
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Okay, that was Friday. Now for Saturday. Carpe noctem day. Ehhh...I got nothin'.

OOOOOOOOH but I do have good news!!

Ellie and I talked about "Mirror" a lot last night and this morning, and we have some great plot ideas! I might actually be able to write today! Yes!! We'll see, though. I mean, if anyone can turn a great idea and some good words into a new case of writer's block, it's me.
-_-

I saw 17 Again today!! Oh. Em. Jee.

GREAT MOVIE!!!!!!

It was funny, had a good moral, and, okay, Zac Efron was in it, so that helps a lot, too, but it was just so good! And he *was* really cute. AWWWWWWW he cries. It was soo sweet!! *sniff sniff* I almost cried, too. And I (almost) never cry in movies unless the older brother dies or leaves or something. (I'm a totally sucker for older brothers.)

Sorry. I didn't mean to go all screamy-girly on you. But it really was a good movie.

*gasp* I just read Puddle Werld (awesome blog that I follow), and the post gave me an idea for a Carpe Noctem thing!! But it's kind of stealing the idea if I talk about it...Oh well. I'm going to use his topic as mine, but by all means go read the original. I don't want to take the credit. (Although, I *am* going to take a whole different approach to it :D) Here's the link: http://www.puddlewerld.com/2009/05/how-can-taleban-be-defated.html
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Carpe Noctem Day! :D

Topic: Terrorists: Can't we just live and let live?

To put it simply, NO.

Aren't people basically good deep down?

To put it simply, NO.

I think people are born good to some extent. I mean, we all have a sinful nature and everything, but I don't think anyone is *born* evil. However, people CAN become evil, and once they are, no, they are not "basically good deep down".

Now, some people say that we should stop fighting the terrorists. Leave them alone, they say. Live and let live.I'm fine with that. You're probably fine with that. Most people (serial killers not included) are good with that!

Except the terrorists.

THEY WANT TO KILL US. It's part of their religion. Their Bible says "KILL ALL THE NON-MUSLIMS!"

Ohhhhh but we can't fight back! That's inhumane! They believe they're doing good! LIVE AND LET LIVE!! PEACE!

Yay, peace. Peace is good. But I think for peace to work, both sides have to agree to NOT KILL EACH OTHER.

I am all for peace. Really. As much as I enjoy stirring up trouble and debating, world peace is a wonderful that I want us to have! I think it would be WONDERFUL if we could live in harmoney with the Muslims. Some of them are probably really great people.But as long as they are bombing America, it is America's job to fight back.

America is not "attacking" the terrorists. It is purely self-defense.

What kind of country would we be if we just sat here and let the terrorists kill millions of innocent people just because it's in their religion to do so?

We'd be a wussy country that no one felt safe in, that's what we'd be.

I want peace. But it's not up to us anymore. We HAVE tried to be friends with the terrorists. Didn't work. If we're going to have world peace, it's up to them now. We're fighting in self-defense. Any time they want to come over and have a nice PEACEFUL cup of coffee with us, I say go for it.

But until then, America, keep on fighting. Because we are not a country to be pushed around destroyed just to prove we're "nice guys". We have to fight to be safe. To be free. And that's what America is all about.

Kavi and "Cooking"

Name Day! :D

The name of the week is Kavi.

I know, I know. Another boy's name beginning with "Ka". Sorry. I must just really like names like that. But I didn't just pick this because I like it. I picked this name because it belongs to my favorite character in that amazing trilogy called the Farsala Trilogy. He's the coolest character in my oppinion. Gosh, I wish I knew other people who've read it so I could talk about it with someone!! If any of y'all have read the books, or if you ever do, please let me know so we can talk about them!!

Meaning of Kavi: unlike most of the other names I've done (okay, so I've only done one other name...), "Kavi" seems to mean the same thing wherever I look. It means "wise man" or "wise poet". It doesn't really fit the character much, but I still like the name and the character.
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When I woke up this morning, my headache was finally gone!!!!!!! I was really happy, lol! I got up, ate a Pop-Tart, and then we got a call from the realtor saying that someone wanted to see the old house! So the whole family went back to the old house to get some more junk out of it and just vacuum and dust and stuff. It looks much nicer in there than I thought it could. Lol, if any of you are looking to buy a house, let me know ;)

Tomorrow night, Ellie B is coming to spend the night! I'm so excited!!!! She hasn't even seen the house since it was finished. How pathetic is that?? One of my best friends ever, and she hasn't even seen the place with carpet. *rolls eyes* Anyway, I'm super excited that she's finally coming. We never see each other anymore. :( But we are tomorrow, so I can't really mope. ;)

I was determined to work on "Mirror" today whether I liked it or not, but I ended up just reading over the last part and editing a little. *sigh* I really do hope I finish this book. I have so many ideas. I just don't understand why I can't WRITE!! *grrrr*

Well, it's Thursday, which means I have to "cook" dinner. Yeah, cook is soooo in quotation marks. I think I'm gonna make microwavable Stoffer's mac and cheese. Delicious, filling, acceptable, and virtually fool-proof. My kind of meal ;)

I'd better get to cooking. I need all the wiggle room I can get.

I'll post tomorrow if I haven't burned the kitchen down or something ;)

Carpe diem!

Idolized Pasts, and TOO MANY BOOKS

“The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idolized past.” –Robertson Davies

Ugh, I am so guilty of this. Honestly, my perfect future is just having things and people around that aren't anymore. I need to live in the present and future, and I don't. I won't say much more about that, though, because I know I go on and on about that sort of thing a lot. As live-in-the-moment as some people think I am, I really need to work on on seizing the day. THIS day.
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My grandpa arrived safely yesterday at around 2:30pm. I love my grandpa. He's so funny and fun. He's directionally challenged, though, so that makes stories of his road trips quite entertaining :) He's always so together, dressed in a nice suit and everything. I don't know. He's just a really cool grandpa.

I've had this headache that won't die since yesterday morning. And I'm so TIIIIIIIRED. I don't know why, I got ten hours of sleep last night and the night before, but my eyes just won't stay open. It's irritating.

I have dance tonight. Last one before my recital on the 16th. I think we're ready. I hope some of my friends will come. Last year I was seriously depressed because no one but my family came, and not even extended family. Just my mom, dad, little sister, and one grandma (who's awesome, don't get me wrong). I don't want to sound like a spoiled brat or anything, but I wish people would make time to come see my recital.

Okay, wow, that really did sound bratty. Sorry.

I don't even want to talk about how "The Mirror" is going.

On a lighter note, I went to the book store again last night and got the third and final book in the Farsala Trilogy!!!!! I don't say this very often, because I have ridiculously high standards, but thos books are absolutely AMAZING. Hilari Bell does an extraordinary job of weaving her three main characters together and fitting all the little plot hitches together. You have to read it to believe it. Of course, I don't think everyone would like the books. You have to like the kind of style and genre (sort of fantasy, very adventure, sort of legend-ish). Ellie didn't really like the first one. Well, okay, she didn't really read it. She started it, but didn't finish, lol! But then again, she didn't finish "Eragon" either, so don't think just because she didn't like it, it's not every bit as amazing as I say it is ;)

I'm also reading "Mortal Instruments Trilogy Book One: The City of Bones". It's good. Seems sort of looooooong, but it's good.

I read "A Great and Terrible Beauty" a few days ago. Okay book. I bought the sequel last night. It's not amazing. Some stuff was irritating and I felt like the conflict got solved really quickly, but it was okay. Pretty well written.

Okay, I'll stop raving. Well, no, I won't. I want to say a couple more things :D

Thing One: I'm stressing myself out over BOOKS! I'm in the middle of... *counts* ... SIX DIFFERENT SERIES right now. How am I supposed to enjoy any of them when I'm in the middle of everything?? *SIGH* So, I'm thinking I need to concentrate on one at a time. (Oh, dang. SEVEN. I forgot one.) Which means I'll be saving the Farsala book for last because it's my FAVORITE and I want to be able to enjoy it to its fullest, which I can only do if I'm unstressed. *moansigh*

Series I'm in the Middle of:
1. Pendragon books (I don't even like them that much, but I feel like I should finish them. *groan* Should I just drop it? Tell me what you think in a comment.)
2. Mortal Instruments Trilogy
3. Great and Terrible Beauty Trilogy
4. Inheritance Cycle (This shouldn't count, should it? I mean, it's not really in my control to read the last book until it comes out...)
5. Farsala Trilogy (AMAZING BOOKS!!)
6. Ranger's Apprentice series (I'm pretty much in the same boat with this one as I am with the Pendragon books.)
7. Hmm...maybe I miscounted. I can't think of a seventh series after all.

*stares sullenly at the screen* So yeah.

I also got left at the book store last night. THANKS A LOT, FAMILY. Haha, just kidding. It was a miscomunication :P

Carpe diem.

Paige

It's Picture Day! I know this isn't very creative, but this is a picture of Paige, the main character in my book "The Mirror". It looks EXACTLY like her. It couldn't have been better if I had drawn it myself. (Not that I can draw, lol!) Anyway, I'm hoping this will spark my creativity and get rid of my writer's block...so far, NOT WORKING. *sigh*

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My grandpa is coming today! He's supposed to be here in like seven minutes. He lives about four hours away, so we don't see him much. He hasn't even seen the house all finished! He's going to be so surprised to see how far it's come since he saw it when it was under construction.

Uh-oh...

I just realized I haven't really cleaned my room up a whole lot...

Gotta go! Ttyl!

Fire!

Word Day again! I'm gonna combine word day and a regular post, okay?

When I was unpacking some more junk today, I found a Christmas present I'd lost and forgotten: Daily Spanish for Dummies: Pocket Edition. How cool is that?? I'm learning Spanish now! Only the problem is, the tiny pocket version doesn't have a whole lot besides some basic stuff and how to pronounce things. But, it's spurred me on to try to learn Spanish over the summer. I know I won't be fluent in just a few months, but I want to learn what I can. My mom says she thinks she might have the Spanish text book I'll need in Challenge III (eleventh grade/junior year), and she'll get it out for me! Yay!

The down side is that now I can't stop pronouncing things like Spanish. -_- *shakes head hard* Must stop! Lol! Still, I love languages. Especially Spanish.

Which brings me to the word of the day. And, as you probably guessed, it's Spanish :D

Fuego!

It means "fire". I know, very beginner, and I knew it even before I started this "Spanish course", but I love the way it sounds, and, what can I say, I'm a pyro ;)

Endings

I know some of you like to write, so this might resonate with you :)

You know the feeling where you finally have a ending thought up for your character? You smile and think, "Yes! That's perfect!" and inwardly reassure your character that even though they're about to be eaten by six different mosters and have the love of their life threatened with death, the ending to their story is great.

I love to imagine my characters' endings. I make a lot of bad things happen to them, and it kills me, but I know it comes out just right. I mean, who doesn't love that warm, satisfied feeling when you read the last sentence in a book and just smile; everything happened exactly right. Not what you expected, and tons of terror between beginning and end, but everything turned out right.

Sometimes I feel like apologizing to my characters. I want to tell them to hang in there because I have things all worked out. For the best possible ending ever. And the bad guys totally GET IT in the end.

See, that's kind of how God is with us. He has my story (and yours) all thought out, with the ending just right! Bad things happen, but in the end, everything works out in the way it needs to, and the "bad guys" GET IT! Isn't that cool??

I love to think about it like that. I tend to be a huge worrier, so it's really calming to think that God has it all figured out anyway. My story is written, he's just kind of reading it now. He knows what's coming, and he laughs with me, cries with me, and knows that in the end, he's got the very best ending all picked out for me.

It's almost exciting. I mean, don't you love those books that have your stomach churning with anticipation? The main character is caught in a terrible situation, and you just can't imagine how the writer is going to get him out.

My life is a page-turner, and so is yours. Only God knows whats really goin' on, and he can't wait for us to find out, too! I almost picture a little boy jumping up and down saying, "See?? This is my favorite part!! I told you it turned out okay!" Isn't that cool?

So next time you're having a terrible day, or something really bad happens, just remember, God has your story all written, and it ends just right.

Gender Confused

Well, today has been interesting. I got woken up at 8:30, and the whole family went to the old house to get some more junk out of it. I went through my stuffed animals and found Bendy Wendy, Kasey Cartwheel, and Headstand Baby. I love those guys. Er, girls.

The gender mixing up thing seems to be a pattern today. I accidentally said something about a blog person being a girl, when, it turns out IT'S A GUY. And his profile absolutely screams I'M A GUY! Guess I never read his profile. *blushes in embarassment* So now I feel really stupid and bad.

And I also just realized I'm doing the confess-little-bad-things-ahead-of-time thing AGAIN. But seriously, I when he told me he wasn't a girl, I just blinked and stared at the screen for like a full minute, trying to think of a way to save face in the whole situation. It's not that he's girly-sounding or something! Not at all! I just figured he was this girl's sister. Only it turns out it's her BROTHER and...yeah. *MOAN* Why does this stuff always happen to me?

As you might have noticed, this isn't really a Carpe Noctem thing. That's because I've run out of dark thoughts for a while. But I did think of like half a dozen good challenges last night. Only when I woke up, I couldn't remember what they were -_- (That's a little guy glaring. I love that emoticon.)

In like twenty minutes, I'm going to dance for an extra practice thing. I just took a shower and my hair is still wet though, so I might have to dry it. I hate drying my hair.

Okay, so I've been following this blog (http://youve-got-something-to-say.blogspot.com/) And I really liked it. It was interesting, and the people were really cool. And then I found out something:

THEY DON'T EXIST.

Yeah, they're, like, made up. This girl created all of them and makes them post and stuff. How awesome-and-annoying-at-the-same-time is that?! The girl who created them is named Steph (at least she blogs by that name), which is funny because I loved to write and do stuff like she does, and "Stephanie" is one of my aliases. (Actually, the guy that I thought was a girl is Steph's brother.)

But anyway, I love the blog even though the characters are unfortunately just that--characters. To read all about them in Steph's book, go here: http://soshewritesstoriesandcraplikethat.blogspot.com/ You have to scroll all the way down to start at the beginning though. But I really like the blog of the characters (Something to Say). Just saying.

Well, I'm going to go read some more about Seth now. Bye! And if I think of a dark thought, I'll post it later :)

Never Mind

Okay, forget it. I'm changing Challenge Day to something else. Any suggestions? Please? Lol!

It's the first Challenge Day!

It's Challenge Day! The day I've been dreading all week! Okay, maybe not DREADING, but I'v been struggling to come up with a decent challenge. I think I might do kind of a series. Like, one challenge leading to the next. But I don't know. All my ideas seem pretty lame to me. *deep breath* Okay. And my first attempt at a challenge isssssssssssssssssss...

Do something.

As boring and lame as that sounds, it might (MIGHT) actually be interesting if you try. It's something we did in youth group a couple of years ago.

First, you decide on something you've always wanted to do, but found an excuse for why you didn't do it. ("I honestly don't have time right now", "I will just as soon as things settle down", "I have the rest of my life to do this", "It wouldn't work anyway", etc.) Think of something you've always wanted to do, and then do it. Take little steps, TINY steps if necessary, but DO IT. Maybe you should write down a goal to reach by a certain day or something. I don't know. But this is the push you've been waiting for. DO SOMETHING.

Even if it's weird, if you've always wanted to do it, you should try. At least try. It might not work out, but at least you'll know that you really did put some effort into it this time. "To be great is to be misunderstood."

Let's be great (I think I'm gonna do the challenges with y'all)!
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That was definitely pretty lame. But oh well. Now I have to go think of something I've always wanted to do and haven't done...NO EXCUSES, KENDRA.

Time to seriously carpe diem.