My Daybook: Week 12

Date: 5.29.10
Starting time: 5:52pm
Mood: Down.
Outside my window: It's really nice.
I'm thinking: Nothing.
I'm reading: "The Book Thief". Which is intriguingly written and very good so far.
I'm listening to: Technicolor Phase by Owl City.
I'm wearing: Jean shorts and a black tank top with a leopard on it.
Yesterday, I: Babysat all day. It was pretty awesome. An excuse to build pillowblanketcouchcushion forts.
I'm excited for: Nothing.
I'm sad because: I'm fine.
I'm hungry for: Not hungry.
The song stuck inside my head is: "Hallelujah" by Rufus Wainwright
I want: I hate this question.
I love: This weather.
I loathe: Crane flies.
This week, my goal is: Shake this.
Ending time: 5:56pm

~Kendra

School

Cavender says I hafta post ;P And we talked a lot about this subject today, so he suggested I post about it. Way to open the door for a Kendra Rant, Cavender XD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whether your thoughts are on summer being so close you can taste it, or exams beating you over the head with a 2x4, school is most likely on your mind this time of year.

I'm one of those people who hates school, but loves learning. Every once in a while I can step back and agree that school is really important and it gives you a great foundation for the rest of life.

But some people just plain hate school. They don't see the point. You know what? I don't think that's their fault. I think it's the school's fault.

Schools these days aren't giving you knowledge, they're teaching to test. They're teaching you exactly what you need to know to pass. They don't expect you to understand. They don't expect you to know how to think. They don't expect you to be able to apply what you learn. In my opinion, that's robbing you of half your education.

School should be directly related to life. I'm not saying that it is, I'm saying that it should be. Teach us how to think, not how to spit information back at you. Teach us to read, understand, and be able to communicate ideas. Teach us history so this next generation won't make the mistakes we've repeated for centuries.

You know what I think? I think school is not supposed to be about fitting yourself into an academic box and making good grades. I think school is supposed to be about empowering ourselves with knowledge. Giving ourselves a solid foundation of numbers, logic, history, English, biology, physics, art, music, current events, and public speaking. We go to school to get a foundation that we will use for the rest of our lives!

Every subject we learn is integrated! Our Creator did not just make a bunch of independent subjects to be studied! He made everything fit together in beautiful and delightful ways! He left behind all this knowledge, just waiting for us to soak it in and see how it all works together. When we don't embrace our education, we're cutting off part of what makes us in God's image.

School should not be where our parents shove us because that's just what you do. School should not be about becoming popular because a full social calendar is what it's all about. School should not be where our curiosity and creativity are squashed to promote class efficiency. School should not be a place where we are brainwashed because that's how we're supposed to think.

School should be where we go to soak in the knowledge that God has created for us to learn! School should be about making strong friends who will help you become who you're supposed to be. School should be where we're encouraged to ask questions and be our own person. School should be a place where we're not told what to think, but given the tools to draw our own conclusions.

School should not be about facts or about grades. School should be about gaining life skills in specific areas and learning to think. Because when it comes down to it, understanding HOW to think is a lot more useful than being told WHAT to think.

~Kendra

25 Things

I did a tag on Facebook last night, and thought I'd bring it to the blog world! It's called 25 Things. You make a list of 25 random facts about yourself, and then tag 25 people you want to get to know better. I love doing these things and then reading what everyone else puts. Well, here goes!

25 Random Facts About Kendra
1. I cannot stand the word “chick” when referring to a girl. It’s degrading. Unless, of course, you’re using it in a degrading way, and then it’s fine :D

2. I'm allergic to peanuts.

3. I argue just for the heck of it.

4. I'm a dancer.

5. I have a serious fear of food poisoning and tapeworms.

6. My audio processing is zero. I can memorize by hearing, but not process. So, spelling anything to me is completely and utterly OUT, but I will be able to repeat it back to you forever.

7. I don't really like food.

8. I love music in a minor key. So much. It's crazy. I loooove it.

9. I wish more than a lot of things that I had a bigger family.

10. I'm a suspicious person.

11. I haver very eclectic taste in music.

12.Hilari Bell is the writer I think I admire the most (for her writing, I don’t know anything about her as a person).

13. I take random pictures of myself when I’m bored. And it makes me feel vain when I think about it.

14. I’m TERRIBLE at buying gifts.

15. I’m really unobservant.

16. Soccer is my favorite sport, but I’ve played basketball, tennis, tee ball, golf, softball, and dance (still do XD), too.

17. I write lots of unsent letters. It's how I roll.

18. I like giving advice

19. I dislike wearing sunglasses. They make me feel like a diva.

20. Almost everything about me has an exception—or a contradiction. I hate the word chick, but you can use it if you’re being degrading. I’m extremely NOT a touchy-feely person, but there are certain people that I do actually like hugging. I’m a cheapskate, but sometimes I just splurge. I’m not girly at all, but I love heels. I don’t like chick-flicks, but 27 Dresses is one of my favorite movies. And on and on and on.

21. Begging is just not my style.

22. I believe that people who pull “cute” to get their way should be slapped. If you can’t persuade someone with your words, you don’t deserve to get your way anyway.

23. Watching people spit out their toothpaste (or even seeing myself do it) disgusts me beyond belief.

24. Irony is WIN.

25. I believe the most powerful thing in the world is Words.

Now I tag...anyone who wants to do it! If you will, leave me a comment so I'll be sure not to miss your answers!

~Kendra

Dance, Dance

Well, the old philosophy of
"Bad rehearsal, good performance"

has been proven...

CORRECT!

Things That Went Wrong at Rehearsal:
1) I messed up some foot work in dance #1, Razzle Dazzle.
2) The spacing wasn't great on Razzle Dazzle.
3) I work a short-sleeved leotard for the tap dance, which we were supposed to, but no one else did, so I looked weird.
4) I couldn't find my black capri pants for the tap dance. I had to wear my shorts that were part of another costume!
5) I did the wrong number of fouette turns in my ballet dance! It was really obvious.
6) I had a few wardrobe issues.
7) I almost forgot the end bow thing for my tap dance.

Yeah :( But...

The recital was great! I messed up a bit in once dance, but other than that, I have to say it wasn't bad at all :) I had SO much FUN! I love my dances :) My makeup was even fine! And I changed my hair three times and nothing horrible happened :) Also...

I DID MY SPLIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First time ever going all the way down. Can you believe it?? I felt myself hit the ground and kind of looked down, shocked. After the dance, I ran back into the dressing room to do it again. Could it be true? It was! A year and a half of training ends in a perfect victory! Yay!

I also had awesome people come watch me! David, Daniel, their parents, Cassidy, Brianna, my family, my grandma and Cavender! Yay! Most of them had never seen me dance before, and it was really important to me that I do as close to perfectly as I could :)

Dance songs (all of them were cut to fit the time frame):
1. Jazz: Razzle Dazzle (different version)
2. Tap: The tap dance was a cappella!
3. Ballet: Dance, Dance
4. Jazz/hip-hop: Bad Romance (WARNING: suggestive lyrics and language. The language was edited for the dance.)
5. Finale: Thriller! (We did the dance, too :D The Youtube vid won't load for me, so I'm going to cross my fingers that it's a good one, lol XD)

[Captions on the bottom]
Bad Romance poses + Razzle Dazzle costumes = ...this XD (I'm far right, and my face looks weirddd >.>)

Guess which one is me? The one with the dorky leotard and shorts, that's which one! >.< XD
I'm on the far right. With the gray, white and black tie-dyed tights.
Woo! :) I'm front and center, with the same gray, black and white tie-dyed tights.

Good weekend, awful ending. But I'm not gonna think about that :) The dance recital went great, and that's what I'll remember :)

~Kendra

Dance (Rehearsal)

Today is my dance rehearsal! I'm very excited. I love dancing and I love performing. I don't get stage fright, and I love what I'm doing when I'm up there.

Everyone has that one thing that's amazing to them. I know I'm a writer, but I'm so much a dancer, too. This is going to be sooo cheesy, but when I'm dancing, nothing else matters. I might be depressed, but I don't feel that. I might have just pulled a muscle, but I don't feel that. I might be so tired I can barely breathe, but I don't feel that. When I'm dancing, all I hear is the music, all I feel is joy. Everything I am goes into the dance, and I could do it forever.

I love to dance.

The energy.
The music.
The beat.
The excitement.
The subconscious counting that tells you exactly where you are.
The intensity.
The joy.
The passion.
The fun.
The feeling of your body doing exactly what you tell it to.

I can't describe dancing, and maybe I've tried too hard. All I can say is that I love dancing, it's a part of me, and it's been shaping me for fourteen years.

~Kendra

Consumed

Well. Hello. I'm not doing very well lately. I usually try really hard to hide my hard times from Carpe Diem, but I feel like sharing today.

My worst times are the times that happen in my head. When bad things happen to me, I get frustrated and irritable, but I much prefer that to those times when it's all in my head. There's no escape. After all, wherever I go, there I am with me.

To put it all very simply, I'm not happy. I'm not satisfied. I'm just not happy. I don't know what to do. It's not that I need God. I mean, I do, but I'm doing fine with God. I'm happy there, and he's helping me. It's other than that. The thoughts that don't leave me alone. I think all the time. Even my dreams are bad.

Last night, I had the kind of dream that bothers me the most: a searching dream. I hate searching dreams. You never find what you expect. Either you never find what you're looking for, or you find something that's wrong. Like searching for you dog, and you find it, but it's got a disease. Or you're looking for a bathroom, and all the stalls are occupied. Or you're searching for a mirror, but when you find one, your reflection is all wrong.

Last night I was searching for a person. People are the worst, because they're, well, people. Everything about searching for a person seems ten times more realistic than searching for a mirror or something. Ten times more realistic, ten times more urgent, ten times more difficult, and ten times more awful. It was the pinnacle of my hidden bad times recently. I don't know.

I'm not trying to depress everyone, I'm not trying to say something profound, I'm not trying to teach a lesson, I'm not trying to drum up sympathy. I don't know what I'm doing.

I'm just typing.

~Kendra

P.S. A fellow-blogger named Jared Kraft is just getting started with a really cool music service for blogs. He writes theme music for you blog! The rates are very reasonable, too. Right now he's having a give-away where you can win a 2 minute theme song! To check out his blog, click on the button:



For more information go HERE.

Kendra's Epic (and Painful) Fail

I had play practice today at 1:30.

I rode with my grandma after church, and she dropped me off at the Students' Center, where it was supposed to be. It was POURING down rain, which was fine with me :D I love storms.

I went up to the door and walked in. However, the second set of doors were locked. Great, I thought. It must not be here after all. I know they told me it was here! I turned around and headed back for my grandma's car.

Only she drove away.

I ran after her a little, but in the rain I'm sure it was hard for her to see or hear.

I really did not want to walk to the other building in the rain. I tried calling different people in the play, but no one would answer. Finally I decided to cowgirl up and walk through the deluge. I picked up my bag and water bottle and went over to the other building.

What the heck. No people.

Frustrated and confused, I guessed that I must have been totally wrong and practice was at the high school and not the college. The high school really wasn't much farther, so I figured I'd just walk. I took a deep breath and set out in the rain again.

Note to self: Even if you are planning to dance barefoot like everyone else, do not wear high heels to play practice. End note to self.

"At least now I can really relate to 'Eliza' running through a rainstorm," I muttered, trying to shelter my bag full of journals and books for when I wasn't dancing. I called both my parents to let them know to pick me up at the high school, but they were still at church. There's no cell signal at my church building. *sigh*

I walked a long way, but my feet were starting to blister from the heels. So I shrugged and took them off. I mean, this is ME we're talking about. I prefer barefooted anyway.

Also being me, the twisty country roads didn't bother me. The possibility of redneck creepers didn't bother me. Blisters didn't bother me, walking didn't bother me, rain didn't bother me. What DID bother me?

WHAT IF THERE WERE LOOSE DOGS??

The terrifying thought plagued me (XD).

After about twenty minutes of walking, I started to get worried. I didn't remember the high school being this far away. It was only about a five-minute drive, surely I wasn't THAT slow of a walker. I pressed on.

I tried calling my parents again to ask them how far they though I would have to walk. Still no answer. I tried calling Ellie 'cause I was bored and starting to be more than a little worried. Someone to talk to would have been nice. She didn't answer either. I tried Kyle, but, again, no answer.

By this time, I'm really worried. There was no way that I'd passed the high school, but there was also no way that I shouldn't have come to already. I didn't know what to do. So I kept walking.

Finally, I either got a hold of my momma, or she called me. I can't remember which. But I told her what was going on, and she was a bit freaked. I guess I don't blame her. I was in short shorts all alone on a redneck country road. Prime target for a creeper. I hadn't really thought about it that much XD Creepers I can handle.

But dogs. Not so much dogs ;D

So, my mom agreed with me that I couldn't possibly have not come upon the high school. We talked things through, and guess what?

Basically, I had made a wrong turn >>>>>>.<<<<<<>.<>.< Gosh, I ruined everybody's everything, and it's completely my fault! And my feet hurt XD

So, today has been pretty fail, and I don't know how to make up the practice. We'll see how it goes.

You know what's weird though?

Those of you who know me know that I tend to freak out. Someone ate the last hot chocolate, someone stepped on my toe, someone took my bracelet, I have to try a new food, all that = KENDRA FREAKS.

But when something really weird/scary happens, I'm perfectly fine. I shrug off the freaked-out-ness and figure out what to do.

I'm so strange XD

Anyway, I just thought I'd share one of my biggest fails yet :D I'll call it "Kendra Gets A Time Wrong And Makes A Wrong Turn And Ends Up Making Her Mom Get Her And Ruining Everyone's Plans".

*sigh* Ah well. Live and learn. I promise you all, nothing like this will EVER happen again XD

~Kendra

Busy!

This has been a busy week! Monday-Wednesday, I helped with 6-8-year-old day camps at practicums. Practicums are basically three day day conferences for people who do my kind of homeschooling. The moms (or dads) can drop their kids off at the appropriate camp while they go get training and listen to speakers. Handling 50 little kids is exhausting and challenging, but I LOVE it. Kids are one of my favorite things in the world.

Yesterday, I slept in. I hadn't been able to sleep past 6 o'clock in six days! I sure made up for it yesterday. I slept about 12 hours and got woken up at 11:40 (thanks, Daddy XD). The rest of the day was pretty chill, and I went to Cavender and Matt's band concert that night. I'm really not a person to give compliments and I'm not easily impressed, but I will tell you something:

Cavender is a beast on the trumpet. Just saying.

Today, I woke up from an extremely awesome dream, but unfortunately have a cold :( Not enough sleep and not enough vitamin C, I guess. I'm taking Zicam and drinking lots of water because guess what happens tomorrow?

My first "King and I" practice! 5 hours of nonstop Siamese dancing! That will really be something! Never in my whole life have I danced alone, so this will be a very new and challenging experience. I hope I don't mess up! The play is in just over a month. Think I can master a 16-minute foreign ballet in that time? Honestly...

I think so :)

Here's to staying positive and having a great summer! Hope you all are doing great. Carpe diem!

~Kendra

It's Mother's Day

When I was little, my mom was my best friend.

I would follow her around the house and say, "Remme dis book." She would stop whatever she was doing and we would read, right there.

She would wake me up every morning by singing to me. We sang all the time. We sang real songs, we sang made-up songs, and we made our own songs to go with Nursery Rhymes.

We would cook all the time, too. I would eat really weird and random things. Like raw onions.

We played Blocks. I had a lot of blocks. We built stuff, but not just that, we played SERIOUS BLOCKS. Like, all the longskinny blocks were people and we acted out legit stories.

My mom can sing.

My mom is a born teacher. And she teaches the 8th grade.

My mom is really smart.

My mom is one of those people that everyone likes.

In a lot of ways, my mom is like me. We're both logical and stubborn and LOVELOVELOVE to read. Our minds work really quickly and go in lots of different directions at once. We both have a "low idiot tolerance," which basically just means we're impatient XD

All of this translates to one thing:

Either we get along great, or we don't get along at all XD

When two people are so alike, there are bound to be lots of personality clashes. As I've been growing up, that's happened a whole lot. I can be quite an exasperating person. I'm great at learning peoples' buttons, and I'm also great at pushing them. The past couple of years have been rougher than ones before, but lately I think we're getting along again...

You'd think that hitting Sweet 16 and trying to grow up would make a relationship even rockier, but life (and moms!) are full of surprises. Lately I've found a really cool, reasonable, logical, fun friend and ally in my awesome momma. I don't wanna say it's a shock, but..well... ;)

My mom is pretty cool after all :) Okay, fine, VERY cool. I do love you, Momma.

~Kendra

My Daybook: Week 11

Date: 5.8.10
Starting time: 7:30pm
Mood: Tired, but good.
Outside my window: It's sunny and gorgeous.
I'm thinking: About allergies.
I'm reading: "The Book Thief". Which is intriguingly written and very good so far.
I'm listening to: Computers humming and Lizzy in the shower.
I'm wearing: Rainbow-polka dot Soffes and a pink T-shirt.
Yesterday, I: Took my grandma out for a Mother's Day brunch, went shopping, and ate at a really nice steak restaurant for dinner. (OMGITWASAMAZINGANDIDON'TEVENLIKETOEAT.)
I'm excited for: It's summerrrrrrrrrrrr :D And Cavender might be at church tomorrow. Possibly. Maybe.
I'm sad because: Hmm...Well, I'm kinda sad about some stuff, but I don't feel like going into detail XD
I'm hungry for: I might eat a brownie in a minute.
The song stuck inside my head is: "It's My Life" or whatever. Some Glee song that the seniors at my dance place dance to.
I want: Aghhhh.
I love: Summer. Among other things.
I loathe: Allergiesssss.
This week, my goal is: Exercise, WooT! XD
Ending time: 7:38pm (Ohh yeah, I just correctly guessed the time.)

~Kendra

Little Things

Today has been one of those "little things" days. You know, those days when nothing exciting happens, but you smiled enough to call it a good day.

Last night (which was really today), I fell asleep listening to music.
I slept until almost 11:30 this morning :)
I remembered my dreams enough to write them down.
I had delicious pasta for lunch.
I laid on the beach in the sun and listened to music and read for two hours :) :)
My dog surprised me with a visit to the beach too.
I wore no sunscreen and didn't burn at all.
My summer freckles are coming out. (I never understood why girls in books complain about freckles so much. Maybe I ought to hate my freckles too, but I don't. I've always liked them:))
I drank orange juice with ice in it. I love that.
I had yummy hot dogs and seasoned fries for dinner.
I ate two cupcakes :D
I acted out a Bible story with my scattered collection of animal bands.
I sat out on the screened-in porch and journaled.
I talked to Cavender for a tiny bit, which was an awesome surprise. (He's grounded.)
I watched the end of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

What a great day :) Sometimes the little things make all the difference, we just have to be careful not to miss them.

Carpe diem :)

~Kendra

tExTiNg PaRt ThReE: The Good

Click to read PART ONE and PART TWO.

So, I think we can all agree on a few things:
1) Texting is becoming increasingly popular
2) Teens text a LOT
3) There are both pros and cons to texting

Today I want to focus on the pros, The Good.

While it's easy to see why lots of people (primarily adults) have problems with SMS, there are a lot of really helpful things about it. First good thing, convenience.

Texting is extremely convenient. You whip out your phone, press a few buttons, and you've communicated. Simple, fast, and discreet. It's especially helpful in situations where you want to do something under the radar. Quickly texting your parents to get you out of a party with drugs and alcohol. Texting a friend to remind them not to say anything about a surprise party. Letting your mom know that Dad's home so she can hide his birthday present. Things like that are MUCH harder to do when you have to make a phone call. Sure, you can leave the room if you're discussing something private, but in the case of surprises or awkward situations, that just makes it worse.

Texting instead of calling also provides you with time to consider your response. Something a lot of people struggle with is saying things they later regret. With a text, you can read it, think about it, and type drafts of what you want to say. If you're on the phone with someone, there's only so long you can think before the silence goes way past awkward. There are some things you'd rather not answer at all, and texts are much easier to ignore than someone yelling in your ear.

There are also fewer misunderstandings in writing. With all the he said-she said junk that can go on, it's helpful to have records of what was said. It's a lot simpler if you're in a crowd or somewhere loud, too. Getting a text that says, "This is the longest hour of my life" will never be misunderstood as "I'm having an affair with your wife." When people are yelling at each other through cellphones, stuff like that could, and does, happen XD

It's also easier to remember information . If someone texts your their house address, you can refer back to it instead of trying to hold it in your mind as you drive.

Then, the most popular reason to text: It's just less awkward. All the above reasons play into this. You can respond when you want to. You can ignore it if you want to. You can think about your response. There are no awkward silences. There are fewer misunderstandings. It's easier to remember things. It's just less awkward! People that you would NEVER feel comfortable phoning you can text. It's like email. Or IM. For one reason or another, texting is a more comfortable and safe-feeling way to communicate than calling.

And there you have it. The Good of texting.

It's convenient.
It's quick.
It's discreet.
It provides time to consider a response.
It eliminates awkward silences.
It removes more misunderstanding.
It makes things easier to remember.
It's just less awkward.

'Course there are some definite downsides to texting. Stick around for The Bad ;)

~Kendra

Narcissism At Its Longest

So, I'm late >.< Awel Prince is having a blog-party-give-away thing and I loved the questions. Unfortunately I'm too late to enter the giveaway, but I really want to answer the questions. Hope that's okay!

**I'm having trouble with links not working, so sorry about naming your blog and not linking back to it :(**

1) What's your all time favorite blog/blogger? Yikes! Picking favorites is terrible >.< To name a few...Rear Window, The Word Crafter, Teen Justice, One Sparkling Star and My Life's Graffiti.

2) How do you personally define forgiveness?
Forgiveness is when you finally banish your hard feelings toward someone and can genuinely love them in Christ.

3) What object of your possession has the most sentimental value in your eyes?
I'm a really sentimental person; I have a lot of little things that mean a lot.

4) What song do you consider your personal theme song?
Hmm, Relient K has a ton of great songs that really resonate with me at different times. Up and Up, Best Thing, and Must Have Done Something Right come to mind with my life right now.

5) Do the opinions of others about you really matter to you?
It depends. Actually, no. It doesn't. Yes, they matter to me. I'm pretty much always either trying to make a good impression, or shock people >:D

6) Do you ever make up words?
OH MY GOSH YES. My family--no joke--made a dictionary for all our made up words. We are insane.

7) Off the top of your head, do you know what your middle name means? (You can look it up though! :)
Uh. Marielle. Something about the sea. *looks it up* Ah. Awesome. "Star of the sea."

8) What's is something that never fails to make you smile?
Cavender.

9) What person has touched your heart the most?
Hmm, in what way?

10) Give a scene in a book where you really understood what the author was trying to convey.
I'm sure there have been scenes like that, but nothing will come to mind.

11) What do you think of HTML? Is it the ENEMY or your friend?
Uh...I have no knowledge on this subject whatsoever.

12) What person comments the most consistently on your blog?
Hmm. I feel like it's a pretty good balance actually.

13) Who is your personal hero/heroine (fiction or real, or both)? Why?
My dance teacher. She is so amazing. I want to be just like her when I grow up.

14) Are you curious or are you satisfied knowing that "that's just the way it is"?
Wow, anyone who knows me knows that "just because" is one of the most frustrating things you can say to me.

15)List the your top 5 favorite songs. Do they have anything in common? Why do you love them?
They're not necessarily in order here...1) Call Me by Shinedown, just because I love the song. 2) Forsaken by As I Lay Dying, I love the lyrics and the sound, and it makes me feel awesome. 3) Painting Flowers by All Time Low, I think it was a clever take on Alice in Wonderland. And I just like the song. 4) Treasure by Flyleaf, I love the lyrics. For some reason it gives me chills. 5) Numb by Linkin Park, again, love the lyrics. And I love Linkin Park. Ugh, it kills me to only pick 5 XD I have sooo manyyy and for different moods, times, reasons.

16) Do you ever get into arguments with...your characters? (that's if you write a book :). And if you don't write, do you think you would?
I do, yeah, and not just about the stories they're in. Paige Walt argues with me all the time, but mostly about my own choices. "Kendra, what are you thinking? Don't say that, try this..." etc.

17) While reading a book or watching a movie, were you ever blown away by an unexpected plot twist? What was it and how did you react?
Inkspell and the Mortal Instruments come to mind.

18) What's your personal opinion of i-designs? (orignal, I know, but I really want to know! :)
Hmm, I'm not sure what this is talking about actually...

19) What's your favorite color combinations?
Blue and green in all variations.

20) What's your favorite comic book series?
I have never read a comic book in my life to be honest.

21) What is the oldest book you've read? How old was it? (By old, I mean, like antique books...the manuscript doesn't have to be old, just the copy of it. :)
Oh, hmm...I'm not sure. Our books are all in good condition, so it's hard to tell how old they are. We have an old LotR box set though.

22) What character in any movie or book, would you say is the MOST like you?
Well, Belle from Beauty in the Beast is always freakishly like me. Betsy from the Betsy-Tacy books is also amazingly similar to myself. Even the events of her life mirror mine! It's crazy!

23) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Hmm. I'd just be nicer. I don't feel like I'm a very nice person. I feel like I'm selfish and greedy and mean more often than not.

24) As a child, what was one thing that always frightened you? This could be something real or imagined! :)
Being out of control. Any way, shape or form was my biggest fear.

25) What's your life motto?
Carpe diem, of course.

26) As you're sitting in café, you're given a note: "It's in your best interests to meet me at 7 P.M. tonight, alone, at Pine and 4th." How would you react?
I'd go to Pine and 4th, of course! 'Course I don't know if I'd go alone. No one ever does and it always turns out awesome anyway XD Plus if I got a creepy note like that and didn't tell anyone, I know of a few people who would be ticked XD

27) Name seven of your favorite books.
Ugh. This is too hard. Mortal Instruments, Farsala Trilogy (those are six books together) and...Sophie's World.

28) Name your absolute favorite font (you can have more than one though)!
I don't have one.

29) Have you ever cried over...a book or a movie?
Uh, duh XD

30) What's something that's brought you so much comfort?
Books. Books, books, books.

31) Describe what you would call a perfect moment.
I'll know it when it happens.

32) What's the fastest you've ever read?
Hmm, I read Brisingr in two days.

33) What's your favorite book/movie genre?
Books, fantasy. Movies, action.

34) Do you say one word a lot just because of the way it sounds? If so, what's the word?
Hmm...actually, no XD

35) What's something you thought you'd hate, but ended up loving?
Root Beer.

36)Do you prefer British or American spellings of words (ex: the British favourite to the American favorite)
I do not have a preference. Although British spellings seem to have unnecessary letters, and I dislike unnecessary things.

37) List a few of your favorite names.
:O Oh my gosh, I was doing this just today. And I was having a lotttt of trouble. Here's what I got:
Boys:
1) Matthew
2) Jordan
3) Seth
4) Ryder
5) Everett
6) Cole
7) Drew
8) Jayden

Girls:
1) Khloe
2) Avery
3) Juliet
4) Lauryn
5) Raegan

38) What is your favorite movie?
I love The Matrix. But I also love Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. And the Bourne movies...

39) Imagine you're writing a story, and one of your characters keeps something buried in a box where no one will find it. What's in the box and what's its significance?
It's obviously meant to be a secret.

40) Was this boring? (be honest! :)
Nope. I love fill-outs.

If you wanna do it, that's cool with me :)

~Kendra

Pure in Heart Award

Rachel B tagged me as a girl who's Pure in Heart! Cool :) Thanks, Rachel!

"Rules:"
1. Post about the tag.
2. Pick 8 bloggers who deserve this award.
3. Leave a comment on the blogs of the people you tagged letting them know they were awarded.
4. Answer the questions along with your post.

1: Apples, Oranges or Bananas? Well, bananas do this weird thing to my throat, but then it's basically a tie between apples and oranges. I really love eating orange slices at soccer games though, so oranges win :)
2: How many siblings do you have? Biologically, one: 13-year-old Lizzy. But if you count all my unbiological, might-as-well-be siblings you have to include Matt, Katie, David, Daniel, Jordan, Aaron, Cassidy...
3: How old are you? Sweet 16
4: Do you live on a prairie, woodland, swamp, city or other? Other. I live in a small town. I absolutely love it :)
5: Scissors or glue? Scissors >:)
6: Describe your dream house. :O I've never gotten this question on anything before. This is awesome. Okay, hmm...First, the yard has to be big with lots of trees (pine trees SO do not count -_-) and preferably some small woods in the backyard. The house itself I want to be big, but not HUGE. Two or maybe three stories, four bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, playroom are all important. I'm more into modern styles. THIS rather than THAT. Of course, I don't want my house to feel like a museum, I want it to feel like home, so we'll see.
7: Is your room clean? Uh...It's actually not that bad :O
8: If you could be a movie character for a day, who would you be? Hmm...Maybe Eowyn.
9: Italy, Greece, France, Spain or England? Ireland. But of those, Greece. Italy and France are close behind.
10: What denomination are you? Kind of nondenominational.
11: Do you sleep with a stuffed toy (BE HONEST!!!!) Why yes, yes I do. Charles the Pilgrim Bear and Happy the Hippo, who doubles as an extra pillow. (She's getting a little flat...)
12: Gum, chocolate, or jelly beans? Normally gum, but my jaw has been doing this weird thing lately and chewing gum is no fun anymore -_- I also hate jellybeans. So, chocolate.
13: What is your favorite book? Oh wow, this is sooooooo hard. The Farsala Trilogy, and the Mortal Instruments are probably the closest. Probably.
14: Favorite ice cream flavour? GREEN mint chocolate chip and cookie dough.
15: If you had to eat one type of food for two weeks, what would that food be? Pasta.
16: What is your favorite Olympic sport? Speed skating. Apolo Ohno ftw :) And I really like gymnastics and diving.
17: If you woke up and discovered that you had turned into Miley Cyrus for the day, what would you do ( note, I am NOT a fan)? Uh. I don't know. I would hate it though.
18: Describe yourself in three words. Sarcastic. Persuasive. Crazy.
19:What do you hate? Stupid people XD
20: If Elmo came into your room with a gun, what would you do? "Hey, buddy, you have that pointed backwards. Turn that around--there you go."

I know tag...
Hannah
Emma
Cori
Nicole
Earwen
Bethany
Moonshaw
Abby

~Kendra

New Thoughts

Modesty.

I’m starting to see this in a new light. You know, modesty isn’t just about being modest. It’s about being considerate of those around you. What might actually be pretty decent clothing can still make some people uncomfortable. Specifically, guys.

Before, when people would say things like this, I would just roll my eyes. “I’m not immodest, okay? If your mind goes there, that’s your problem.”

While I still sort of believe that, it’s kind of mean when you think about it. Sure, guys need to be able to control their minds, but we don’t need to make it harder for them! Guy and girl minds work differently. Basically, guys are just more physical, and their instincts are more physical. The strongest, most amazing Christian guy is going to struggle sometimes. It’s not fair for us girls to parade around, leaving the self-control to all to them. It’s just not fair.

As nice people, not to mention Christians, we should try our best not to make others stumble and fall. Guys try really hard, y’all. (Well, most of them.) How fair is it if we don’t try at all?

This has never really been a personal thing for me, but I feel like it is now. I’m seeing this issue in a whole new light, and it’s incredibly eye-opening.

I’m not saying girls should dress only in long sleeves and skirts. Not at all. I’m also not saying that the responsibility of keeping minds pure rests completely on girls. Not at all. I’m saying it should be a joint effort. Guys, don’t go there. Girls, don’t lead them.

Be considerate, okay? Be fair. Be modest.

The word is taking on a whole new meaning for me.

~Kendra

My Daybook: Week 10 and Things to Try

Date: 5.1.10
Starting time: 10:38pm
Mood: exhausted, but happy
Outside my window: It's dark.
I'm thinking: about dance
I'm reading: "The Book Thief". Which is intriguingly written and very good so far.
I'm listening to: computers humming and the occasional gmail chat sound.
I'm wearing: navy sweats and a green top
Yesterday, I: worked, and hung out at the lake
I'm excited for: it's summer :) That alone is exciting enough.
I'm sad because: I'm actually not. I'm really happy.
I'm hungry for: GOOD GRIEF. NOTHING. I've eaten like a PIGGG lately. No lie. Yesterday, I ate more than Daniel. He is a sixteen-almost-seventeen-year-old BOY. I also ordered two entrees at the restaurant. Yes. Two.
The song stuck inside my head is: Nothing.
I want: to see Cavender more often
I love: :)
I loathe: hmm...I'm not even sure.
This week, my goal is: to get exercise and notice a difference in myself XD
Ending time: 10:46pm

The sixth and final Summer List...

Things to Try
1. Cucumbers - For Cavender
2. Tomato sandwich - For my daddy
3. Google Chrome - For Kyle
4. Actually going to bed when I'm supposed to - Just for Kyle. Hah.
5. Playing MW2 - For Matt, suggested by Kyle
6. Enjoying chick flicks - For Lizzy
7. Shoes that show my toes - For my mom
8.
9.
10.

Any ideas on things to try?

~Kendra