HEY! :)

Hi! :) Remember me? Kendra?

No?

...

Yeahh, this is awkward.

Anyway, hello there :) It is July 6th, which means there are 2 days until something very big happens to me. You might remember me talking about this in January, and if you don't, here's the post: Official Announcement Post.

*gives you a minute to read it*




*still giving*




Finished? Yeah, you didn't read it, did you? :P

Anyway, it basically says that I am going to Europe. I am going to Spain, France and Italy, without my family, for 19 days. That's a long time, my friends. Up until this week, I haven't been nervous whatsoever. Up until today, I've only been nervous about the plane (I've never been on one before). But now, I'm starting to get just plain old nervous in general.

19 days is a long time! Almost three weeks, in fact! I won't see my friends, my family, my dog, my bed, anyone for almost a month! What have I gotten myself into?

But the biggest part of myself is still really excited :) I'm not going to flip out and beg to get out of this like I used to do about things. I'm going to pretend I'm not nervous at all and get on the plane without a single tear. I'm going to console my mom and Lizzy and tell them I'll take pictures and notes for them and not to be sad. I'll be strong.

I'll get homesick, I know, but I'll also have a really good time. It's literally the chance of a lifetime. I can't believe I get to do this! This is so cool!

Prayers would be greatly appreciated if you ever happen to think of me during the next few weeks. I know I'll be needing them, if only for the little things.

Talk to you later! Bye!

~Kendra

P.S. I miss this...

Official Announcement Post

Some of you may already know this. I've known about it for months. But see, an announcement this amazing deserves a proper post. And I'm just now in the mood to do that.

I love languages. I love foreign music. I love learning. I love different cultures. I love traveling.

Have you ever heard of People to People? It's a student ambassador program. The idea is that we can create peace and cultural understanding by getting to know the people and letting them know us. Real unity won't come from Government to Government, it'll come from People to People.

A couple of years ago, P2P invited me to go to Japan. My parents didn't think twice before saying, "No." Last year, I was invited to go to Ireland. Ireland, you guys. My favorite. My parents at least looked at it before saying "no." This year, I got a third invitation to go to Spain, France and Italy. Spain and Italy are in the top 3 places I want to go. I wanted to go so much when I saw the invitation, but I didn't even bring it up. I knew what the answer would be.

My parents saw it lying on the counter eventually. I admitted that yeah, I really wished I could go.

They said, "Okay."

The next thing I know, I'm at an orientation meeting with hundreds of other highschool kids, listening to a fun, polished lady talk about the benefits of the program, and P2P alumni share their amazing experiences.

Unfortunately, not everyone can go on the trip. The invitation goes out to lots of kids and some show up at the meeting, and some don't. From there, if you still want to go, you sign up for an interview process. Out of the hundreds of kids, only FORTY will be chosen.

Believe it or not, I'm one of the lucky forty.

Guys. I'm going to Europe. I'm going to EEEEEEEUUUUUURRRRRROOOOOOPPPPPPEEEEE. I'm going to lie on a beach in Spain. I'm going to have real croissants in France. I'm going to see the ancient Roman ruins with my very own eyes.

Can you believe this, you guys? I mean, really... I'm going to Europe. I'm going to be traveling, learning, broadening my horizons, stepping out of my comfort zone, being an ambassador to the world :) This is the most incredible opportunity I think I've ever had and I'm going capere every diem.

~Kendra

GUESS WHERE I'M GOING?

I'm doing something great tomorrow. And the next day, and the next day, and the next day until Thursday. You may already know what it is (and I honestly can't remember if I've mentioned it before), but I'm going to give hints. Ready?

Happiness.

Got it? No? -_- Okay.

JOY. And WONDER.

Yet? No?

Here's a big one: four parks.

...not yet?

Fun, excitement, memories, characters.

Anything? UGH!

WISHES AND MAGIC AND DREAMS COMING TRUE. DO YOU HAVE IT NOW? :DDDDDDDDD

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Disney World might possibly be my favorite place in the whole wide world aside from...um...nah, it's my favorite place. Wishes, dreams come true, magic, wonder, rides, excitement, fun, memories, characters, PETER FREAKING PAN, rides, food, shows, ALADDIN AND JASMINE, songs and parades and stories and being a kid again and imagination and castles and pirates and shops and BELLE and happiness and happy workers and little kids and Splash Mountain and mermaids and lions and kings and kings that are lions and staying in a Disney resort for the first time and swimming in Disney pools with fake ziggurats and wild animals.

Disney World. Possibly the happiest, most fun, memorable, adorable, creative, perfect place in the world.

Me, tomorrow, Disney.

I am one happy camper.

OMG :D

~Kendra

I'm Posting... :3

I'm sorry I haven't been posting! *sigh* I don't have any especially good reasons besides the old favorite:

I've just been busy.

But I really have XD I've been feeling behind ever since the trip to Great Wolf, and then Wednesday-Friday, I was out of town at a conference. It was really awesome and definitely worth it (I'll probably be posting about it at some point), but I'm back to treading water in school. Gah.

I'm especially behind in math, which sucks. At least I'm getting it though, right? Usually I just keep up with the pace, ignoring my issues. This year I'm actually slowing down to learn the concepts. So...that's good...right?

Tomorrow I have a Family Tree project due. In Spanish XD It's pretty fun, but a little complicated. I'm not sure which labels to put and how to show all the relationships. I also wanted to make the poster look like an actual tree, but there's not really room for a leafy outline and trunk at this point...

So yeah. My life has not been boring lately, I'm just telling you the boring PARTS because telling the exciting parts would take a lot more time, and I still have philosophy and Shakespeare to tackle...not to mention babysitting tonight...Although you really can't call it babysitting when Matt is now FOUR-FREAKING-TEEN and Katie's almost twelve.

That's kind of scary.

>.>

*stops ranting*

~Kendra

P.S. If you want to, check out this blog. It's...sort of hard to explain. But I like it XD Check it out: A Crossroads of Rhyme and Reason.

Awards!

Thanks to Bleah Briann for making the awards for the Scavenger Hunt! Take the one that applies to you, I'm trusting y'all :)

First Place:
Second Place:
Third Place:
Participation Award for Hunters:
Participation Award for Hosts:

Thanks for playing, everyone!

Also, I'm going to Great Wolf Lodge tomorrow and won't be back until Friday :) I'm hoping this time will be better than when I went in March XD That wasn't much fun.

~Kendra

Summer Travels

Ah, traveling. It's what some peoples' summer is all about. Some people like to use summer as a time to relax and just enjoy the things we miss during the school year. My family is in the middle. We don't travel much, but we try to get in a good vacation and a little get-away somewhere among the long hot months.

These next few weeks are my travel weeks. Tonight, my younger sister Lizzy and I pack our bags full of basketball shorts, grubby T-shirts, lots of socks, a pair of sneakers, and an air mattress. What are we doing? YOUTH MISSION TRIP!

It happens every year. Some of you may even remember me going last year. Well this year, our church recently bought a new building! It's the perfect thing for our church, a real God thing. However, because it was so important to purchase the building, there hasn't been a lot of funding toward the youth mission trip.

So instead of packing it in a car and driving 6 or 8 hours, my youth group is doing the stay-cation version of a mission trip. We're packing our bags, same as usual, and meeting at the church for a lock-in. But this year we'll stay at the church. We're going to work on the building, work at our local food pantry, do some work on a farm, help at a battered woman's shelter, and stuff like that, all in our community. This idea came together really at the last minute. Another God thing for sure.

The day after the mission trip, my family and my "brothers'" family are leaving for Sanibel, Florida! Vacation time! WooT WooT! It's gonna be pretty awesome. Lizzy and I have been saving our pennies for this vacation for months. I'm super excited :D

The only downside to all this awesome is the blogging factor. *tragic sigh, violins play* I don't expect to be blogging very much, if even at all, until we get back from Sanibel on August 10th (Happy Birthday, Cavender XD). I might post once or twice, but I'm not sure what the computer and internet situations will be in Sanibel.

So, until the 10th, adios, sayonara, arrivederci, au revoir, fare thee well, GOODBYE! :D Prayers, especially for this youth mission week, would be greatly appreciated. Let's hope we can really make a difference in peoples' lives for Christ.

~Kendra

Biltmore!

Last week, my family and I went to Biltmore house. It's the largest private residence in all of the United States! It's so amazing! It's HUGE and absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Ahead of it's time, too. Even thought it was built around the 1890s, even the servants had electricity and running water! Wow! Unfortunately, pictures weren't allowed inside :(

Not only was Biltmore beautiful, but so was all of downtown Ashville! Even the clouds were amazing that day. It was a great trip.

Captions on the bottom; click to enlarge.

On the way to Ashville...Double chins. Ya gotta love us, right? XD

Don't make fun of me. The hotel room was awesome, okay? :P

The Batman Building! Er, I mean, the Jackson Building XD

I don't remember what this building was called, but it's so cool from this angle, isn't it?

There's this little tribute to folk dancers. There were three statues of ordinary people dancing. I wanted a picture with this awesome little girl :)

Shopping girls, haha XD

BILTMORE! :OOOOOOOOOO That thing has 250 rooms, and every one of them is stunning.

There are gargoyles, if you can see any. That just about made my day XD



Yes, it's what you think. "~Ember~" written in ketchup with a toothpick. Yeahh...she stalks me, what can I say?

We got caught in the rain. *sob* LOL JK, I loved it XD

Clouds. You knew I wasn't gonna let it go without some storm pictures, right? :)

Eeee, how awesome are those???

A favorite of mine.

Lizzy's camera-crazy. I'm getting more and more used to it. We passed the long drive to Ashville by playing models, haha! Note the freakish Elf Ear...lol...

Lizzy: "Take your hair down!"
Me: "Nah."
Lizzy: "Kendra, please."
Me: "No."
Lizzy: "Pleaseeeeeeeeee!"
Me: "Nooooooooooo--"
Lizzy: "KENDRA."
Me: "Kayfine."

My beautiful sister, Lizzy!

My turn to wield the camera! >:D

I looooooooooooooooooove this picture!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was an awesome trip :D

~Kendra

Beach

I can't believe I haven't mentioned it much before. But, guess what?

I'm going to the beach with some people for my Sweet 16 :D We're leaving today and coming back Saturday. I might have internet, but even if I do, I probably won't post XD I'll be busy having lots of fun. I'll let you know how it was when I get back, but for now, goodbye!

If you wouldn't mind saying a prayer for safety and for us not to be too swamped in schoolwork while we're there, that would be great, lol :) Thanks, y'all!

~Kendra

P.S. I may have Kyle update if something REALLY MONUMENTAL happens. Like if we crash into the ocean or something. That'd be pretty monumental. Or if I decide to move to the beach. Or if we discover cold fusion by accident. Something like that. Or maybe just if we're having a really epic time. We shall see.

kBai.

~Me again

List Format: DC

LIST FORMAT!

- I'm typing on my friend's laptop, and some of the keys are missing -_- There are just nubs where the key should be. So that's annoying. (Love you, Amanda :))

- Feeling MUCH BETTER

- It's very cold and rainy

- I love my friends! We all ate Atomic Fireballs on the metro ride back to the hotel, and the pictures are unbelievable :)

- Everything is SO HUGE!

- I saw the Declaration of Independence!!!!! And the Constitution! It was amazing.

- I told a really personal secret to my friends that I love, and I'm starting to regret it...which is horrible, because I really trusted them...*sigh*

- I haven't studied for the biology test AT ALL. Monday is gonna SUCK.

- We leave tomorrow.

- I'm tired, but nowhere near Tech Week Tired or Practicum Tired.

That's about all. I've lost two followers :'( Oh well; ya can't please everyone!

~Kendra

Monumental Monuments

Hey! I'm in DC!!

Can't talk long, really tired, really sickkk!! It feels kind of like a knife is stuck in my throat :(

We looked at the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials! WOW; not to seem, like, country or anything, but they are SO HUGE!! Way bigger than I thought they were going to be. The quotes written on the walls are amazing, but I actually don't agree with some of what Jefferson said... :O It feels weird disagreeing with one of the founding fathers...

There is already drama between some people. *sigh* I haven't figured it out yet, but Kendra is on the case...

Not that I'm nosy or anything.. ;P

Well, super tired, talk to you later! No promises about tomorrow.

~Kendra

Basically Nothing...Oh, Yeah, and Washington

So, today was good. Just long. And this evening has seemed longer than anything in the world and it's only NINE O'CLOCK. What am I supposed to do all night? FACEBOOK??

I could write. But I don't know what to say. I sort of feel like a failure in that area, but it's not as depressing as you'd think.

Tomorrow I leave for the class trip to Washington, DC!!!

Sorry; maybe I should have mentioned that sooner? Lol ;P

I should be a lot more excited than I am. Like, I'm not dreading it or anything, just not as psyched as I should be. WASHINGTON, DC!!

...meh. It's not, like, MULAN or anything.

Lol.

Guess what? There's a get-together at Mulan's house this Saturday for movies and pizza. FUN FUN FUN!! Only I can't go, I'll be in Washington.

*sigh*

I know, Washington beats pizza and movies, but still. I'm afraid people are going to start forgetting how much fun we all have together and stop hanging out. Hopefully that won't happen. Shang wants to meet at the coffee shop more, which would be lots of fun, too.

I'm really tired but NOTHING compared to how I was a week ago. NOTHING. I'm still kind of sick. I should really be in bed resting right now, or at least not on the computer. Or I could be reading "Pride and Prejudice." Or trying to write. Or getting ahead on school work.

But I'm not. I'm here.

And...that might have been building up to something profound, or maybe my brain is just going in circles. I think the latter.

:)

I might try to blog while in DC, but no promises. If I don't, I'll just talk to you on Sunday/Monday! Bye, y'all!

Post 200: Mission Trip, and Him

This is post #200, y'all! Wow, okay, I know this is weird, but I feel all this pressure to make this an amazing post, lol! That's why I didn't post yesterday; I was busy all day and didn't have enough time to write anything worthy of the title "200th Post". So, I waited. Hopefully, this will be worth it for you :)

Okay, I have so much to say!!

1. Mission Trip Update
2. Run Down About Last Night
3. Apology for My Last Crabby Post
4. God Day

This may be a long post.

Mission Trip Update:

Honestly, there is no way to fit everything in. I'm going to resort to my essay-type way of organizing:

What: A mission trip with Group Workcamps Week of Hope! The way it works is your youth group goes, and then you're split up into a lot of different groups mixed in with other youth groups. The first year our youth group did this, our youth group was so small that we were all completely split up, no one from our youth group was with anyone else from our youth group. This year, there were 24 of us, so we were all with someone from our own group.

Who: In my crew, I had Matt (my "little brother"), but he was the only person I knew. Besides him, I had a crew leader who acted like he didn't want to be there, a Catholic girl who cussed her brains out, a boy who was fun, a boy who acted spiritual during prayer time, but never followed through, a girl who was nice but quiet, and me. We were working with another crew who had Gabrielle in it, and another boy from our youth group, Michael. Also in that group were a fun guy named Joe, a total city-girl leader (but she was very nice), and a spoiled-but-sometimes-fun girl.

Where: Nashville, TN. It was hot and muggy and buggy, but really not that bad. It rained Tuesday and some of Wednesday and Thursday. What I was actually doing was working with a group called Lifestyle Ministries. They recently got kicked out of their building, so my crew was helping them fix up some trailers and stuff to use in the meantime.

When: Our youth group met at our church building last Saturday at 8pm for a lock-in!! It was SO MUCH FUN! We stayed up all night until 6am when we loaded ourselves into the four vehicles we were taking and started our trip to Nashville. We slept some, but I only rally got three hours of sleep, which was fine. We were having too much fun to sleep.

Why: Because we want to serve people, grow in Christ, and have a total blast!

The sleeping arrangments: Our girls were split into two rooms because of our large number. I was in a room with Brianna, Ellie B, a girl named Jessica, a girl named Cassidy, Gabrielle, my sister Lizzy, and one of our youth leaders, Kathie. The room was a good size; just big enough for all seven air matresses, all our crap, and a little walking space in between, lol! The only real complaint I have about the sleeping arrangement was that it was SO FREEZING a couple of the nights. It was actually difficult to sleep it was so cold. Oh, and the rug had not been vaccuumed in AGES. It was utterly disgusting. But, you got used to it XD

The volunteer staff: Horribly. Mean, grouchy, unfair, ungodly, unfun, BLECKO. But, we managed to have fun inspite of the evilness. (One of the ladies actually told one of our boys who was kneeling at the cross praying that he had to go to bed because it was "lights out time". How lame is that?)

The programs: Not as meaningful to me personally as other years have been, but still nice. It was a good way to regroup after a long day and praise God. Even if the worship team sounded like a strangled goose trying to play guitar with its feet and keep time with its wings.

Overall: Sucess! I felt like I grew a lot closer to the youth group, and closer to God as well. Ellie B is such an incredible...I don't know, mentor almost. She's such a fun person who helps me see God in a different perspective.

Let's get personal for a minute (**WARNING**: PERSONAL AND SLIGHTLY MUSHY SECTION. IF YOU WISH TO SKIP OVER THIS, YOU MAY): Wednesday was "Emotional Night", where the program is the most meaningful, and people spend a lot of time with God in prayer, and usually end up crying. I did not cry the first while. I actually left with a bunch of people to go to another room and wait for the ones who were.

Then, I started feeling like I had cheated myself. I hadn't really taken the program very seriously because it was...well...sort of lame. I realized, though, that just because the program wasn't as good as usual, that didn't mean I couldn't get something out of it anyway.

I went back to the big room, where the only people left were people from our youth group. We take things very seriously, WAY more seriously than the other youth groups there, at least. One guy was at the foot of the cross praying. I sort of felt led to sit beside of him. He was the only one up there, and I felt like he would want someone to join him. So I did.

I started thinking, too, about why I'm not close to God. Y'all might think that I am, but I'm not. I'm really, really, REALLY NOT. I rarely pray, and when I do, the prayers are deep, but very short, and usually when I'm in bed going to sleep, so I end up dozing off.

Mostly, that's because I'm angry at God a lot. For reasons that seem very petty, too, but they aren't to me. Things that would roll right off some people really bother me, and still do.

I know loving someone at 12/13 is supposed to be impossible. Loving someone *really* at least. Having crushes, of course, anyone can have, but really, honest-to-goodness loving someone doesn't happen until at least your teenage years. Or so people think. Or so I thought.

I really loved someone, you guys. Maybe you won't or can't understand, but I really loved this person. It wasn't mushy, I didn't have a crush on him, I just loved him so much. I didn't even realize it. I'd known him since I was 8 years old, and I didn't even know that I loved him. He was a part of my life, a precious, irreplaceable part that I so took for granted.

If this helps you understand, he was like my older brother. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know how much I wish I had an older brother. It's the one thing I would wish for if I had one wish. It's what I think about when I blow out my birthday candles. It's what I want when I see a shooting start. It's how I close my prayers at night. I want an older brother, and for 5 years, I had one.

Five happiest years of my whole life. I was finally fulfilled, finally, whole, finally happy. He was like my brother. I loved him like a brother, and he treated me like a sister. He explained things to me, he made me laugh, he protected me. He was everything I could have ever asked for a million times over. I loved him a lot, but I never thought about it much because I figured he would always be here. He was like the rest of my family, I could affored to take them for granted because there would always be time to appreciate them later.

I didn't realize that he meant so much to me until he left.

His family stopped coming to our church, they stopped coming to my school, and his mom was unhappy at my family and our church for a reason that I don't know to this day.

All the sudden, after five years of having my dream, loving someone so much that if I thought about it, it hurt, he was gone. I stopped seeing him, and only then did I realize how much he meant to me, how much I depended on him.

I was shocked by the pain of losing him. Love like this doesn't happen at twelve, I scolded myself. You can't hurt like this at my age! Stop being so dramatic!

I told myself I was being ridiculous, that it was hormones or something, but it still hurt, almost physically. I didn't want to think about Him, but I didn't want to forget Him either. It was a constant battle of mind vs. heart every day, every moment.

I cried myself to sleep every night. I prayed so hard that His family would come back to church. Every time He wasn't there, I had to go to the bathroom and force back tears.

All this sounds stupid, ridiculous even to me, but I can't begin to stress the truth of it to you. I'm not exaggerating, I'm not being melodramatic, although my friends told me I was for years.

I finally told my parents what was wrong more than a year later, and they actually believed me. They were the first people to really get it. They told me that what I was experiencing was a kind of unconditional love that the other girls my age were just having trouble understanding yet. Knowing that I wasn't crazy made a world of difference, and I didn't cry that night after I told them.

I was better for a few weeks, but the pain kept coming back. It was better, but still there.

This whole aftermath thing has been going on for 42 months, and I've learned to hide the pain very well. My friends got tired of listening a long time ago, and eventually my parents even started using the generic responses, "I know you miss Him, but just give it more time. Don't try to hold on to this, Kendra."

I was actually doing very well with this until Wednesday, Emotional Night. I've learned to push this back into my mind, where it's still there, but I don't have to think about it. It's not a bad way to deal with this, it's practical and helpful, but as I sat at the foot of the cross, I just couldn't really pray with it lurking over my shoulder.

I was angry at God. Too angry to really get close to him. Why had God taken Him away from me? God had given me the one thing I'd always dreamed of, let me taste it, and then ripped it away from me again. Why on Earth would a good God do that? Ellie B assured me that God was there for me, and he wanted to help me. I believed her, but it's still like someone punching you in the face, then offering to get you some ice. If they just hadn't punched you in the face to begin with, you wouldn't need their stupid ice!

Ellie B helped me think back to that post I wrote a while ago, about trusting God, the author of my story. Bad things happen to me, but God knows the ending. Even thought I can't tell what he's doing, he has things worked out in the end. I don't know the ending, but I know it's good, and I know losing Him plays into that somehow.

I'm still struggling with that, and He still holds a very special part of my heart that I don't know if I'll ever get back, but I think I'm starting to really work through this. I'm starting to trust God a little more, and believe that he really does have my best interests at heart. I know God loves, and I know he has the end of my story already outlined, I just have to trust him that he knows what he's doing.

**END PERSONAL AND SLIGHTLY MUSH SECTION.**

Sorry for dumping on you. I can't believe I just wrote all that. I haven't told many people at all about that. There are only three non-family members who know that. And I just put it out there on my blog for all to see. But I think that's a good thing. I think it's a sign that I'm finally starting to let it go, give it to God. I'm healing. Slowly, but surely, I'm healing.

No, that's not right. I'm not healing.

God is healing me.

You know, I know I was planning on telling about last night and posting something for God Day, but I think I'm just going to leave this like it is. Last night was fun, and filled with family and friends and wild golfcart rides through thorns and a horse, but I think I'm not going to go into detail. I typed out all the important things, the things that will really matter ten years from now.

Thank you for reading, and, please, carpe diem. Carpe diem before it's too late. Before that person you take for granted gets taken away. Carpe diem NOW. Not tomorrow, NOW.

CRABBINESS

I'm back! I have so much to say, but I'm too tired and crabby to type everything out. VERY short version:

1. Fun
2. Terrible crew
3. Matt in crew
4. Matt is hilarious
5. Moose
6. Not homesick
7. Horrible Red Shirt Staff
8. Overall yay
9. Lizzy not bad
10. Music
11. Emotional night
12. Lame contest
13. Rude youth group
14. Obnoxious-beyond-all-compare person
15. Retarded-beyond-all-compare person.

Crabby. Tired. Had fun. Won't type all now. Probably will forget everything. Oh well. Deal with it. Bye.

Okay, I lied about not posting,

Joraiem tagged me, so I have to do this NOW otherwise I will forget, lol!

What is your favorite book?
The "Farsala" trilogy by Hilari Bell, or "The Mortal Instruments'' trilogy by Cassandra Clare

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
Ireland, or Paris.

If you could go to any fictional place where would you go?
Ooh, gosh, I don't know...Like, seriously. I cannot decide.

Do you love to write or do you just like writing? or do you write at all?
Do you even have to ask? I LOVE WRITING.

What do you want to be when you're a grown up?
Writer, lawyer, kindergarten teacher.

Favorite animal?
Jaguar, tiger, wolf.

Favorite song?
Lux Aeterna, Citizen Soldier, This is Home...

Do you like school?
Not a whole lot...well, sometimes, yeah.

Are you people person because I'm getting the idea that you are?
Haha, I am very much a people person.

Do you like to talk?
Psh, DUH!

Favorite food?
Tomoatoe soup, pizza.

Hobbies?
Reading, writing, debating, swimming in the lake.

Favorite Author?
Hilari Bell. She is no doubt the most talented female auther I've ever read.

Favorite weapon?
Sword, usually a broadsword

Is this a fun tag or are you getting bored?'
It's good, I'm just in a hurry 'cause I have to go eat.

Do you like Hannah Montana and all those girly people and movies like High School Musical?
Not really, no.

What are you scared of?
Losing people I love, creepy spiders, crane flies.

Favorite flower?
I don't know names.

Do you always use the same password or do you use different ones?
I use three different ones, but that's it.

Almost over...

Do you like blogs?
Totally.

What is the expression on your face?
Impatient, thoughtful.

Are you going to tag anyone?
Maybe.

Color of your eyes?
*sigh* "Blue with little explosions of green in them."

*ok finished the quiz...did you just sigh?
Yes, lol!

Okay, I tag...Cavender, Bekah, and Steven!

Over 'n' out.

Farewell! (Fairwell?)

Hey! I just got finisned packing my one allowed duffle bag with mid-thigh length shorts and a secret stash of rice krispy treats! I also just washed the dog. Now my hands smell like doggie and shampoo...

I don't think I can post for long, we're doing housework. Tomorrow, a ton of family is coming, including my favorite aunt! And I won't be here! *sob* About the time they're getting here, I'll be almost at our destination...yikes!

Lizzy is pretty nervous, and I'm...*very* surprisingly NOT. I can't believe how UN-nervous I am! I'm totally excited!

OMG! Today is Carpe Noctem Day! I have a whole post to put together! *screams* How am I supposed to think deep and controversial thoughts in like five minutes?

Okay, well, this is the last time I will be posting on Carpe Diem until Saturday, August 1st. If you are going to miss so much you can't wait until then, I, along with all the other youth, will be blogging every (ish) night on the youth trip, and you can read that here. I don't know that you'll be able to comment, though, and I'm *sure* I won't be able to respond.

Please keep me in your prayers this week, and I will talk to you later! Carpe diem!

Follow Kendra on the Youth Trip!

Hey! Sorry for posting twice, but I just wanted to drop this link off.

While we're on the mission trip, all the youth blog every night to keep in touch with our families and stuff. I thought I would post the link so y'all can read what I write every day if you want to!

Link: http://crossroadsncyouth.blogspot.com/

(I also put the link on the Out-of-Town Heads Upgadget to your right.)

Happy reading! I'll post tomorrow, but that'll be it for this blog until at least next Saturday.

Carpe diem!

*yawn*

Tired. Very tired.

The lake does that to me. I have soooooo much that I really want to say, but I think I'm just gonna make this really short and then go read "Da Vinci Code".

Challenge Day: Pick a past challenge and complete it. Click on the little thing at the end of this post that says "challenge" and it'll take you to all the posts with challenges in them.

-Lake with Matt and his friends
-Fun
-Shower
-Look at Evolution flair on Facebook
-Here
-Mission trip tomorrow-ish.
-Bye

Wow, I have no idea why I'm *SO* sleepy!

Butter Beans and Stuff

“Books have knowledge, knowledge is power, power corrupts, corruption is a crime, and crime doesn't pay..so if you keep reading, you'll go broke.”

Haha, a perfect example of the logical fallacy "the snowball". And it's the Quote of the Day, today being Wednesday.

STEVEN IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG 39 FOLLOWERS?????? THAT IS UNREAL! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

*clears throat* Okay. Sorry. I'm done.

Today we went mission trip shopping at Goodwill. I went into the Men's section, grabbed the first three pairs of basketball shorts that looked like they might fit, tried them on, they fit, and was done in like six minutes, no lie. Lizzy spends an extra ten minutes and comes out looking like Miss. Gorgeous-And-Put-Together even though she's wearing men's clothing. *sigh* It's not fair.

We saw "Night at the Musuem 2" today, too. It was good. I liked the first one better personally, but everyone else in my family (as well as Matt) liked this second one more.

Lizzy and I went with a bunch of people from church to pick butter beans (lima beans) tonight. It was so fun! I think I would really like living on a farm, for a little while at least.

Besides that, not a whole lot is happening. I'm thinking of making a little sidebar gadget thing with links to posts about my Family, Friends, and School for people to click on if they want to. It must be kind of confusing for you guys when I talk names and stuff. First, though, I'll have to make the posts...

Okay, here's an idea. I'll make them, post them before this one, and then post this last so it still shows up at the top.

Why am I talking (typing?) to myself like this? Oh well. Bye. Carpe diem. Summer is coming to an end, people!!

Citizen Soldier

Sorry for not posting yesterday! I was just about to when we had some unexpected company. This lady that my mom works with and her three kids: Daniel (14), Emily (12) and Caleb (10). I had so much fun! I just thrive on people. Being crowded gives me energy, so these past few days of PEOPLEPEOPLEPEOPLE has been so much fun for me!

We all went swimming, and then I got my mom to ask if they could stay for dinner. They did! Yay! Daniel is a really good musician. He taught himself piano from YouTube vids, and now he's taking lessons. Guitar is the same way. He played our old pump organ, and the little keyboard we keep in the unfinished part of the basement! I really like to listen to him play, and he doesn't mind playing in front of people, so that's cool.

Tomorrow we're going shopping for mission trip clothes. I know I haven't said much about the mission trip at all, have I? Well, it's for a week and we're going somewhere seven hours away. I won't say where, though, just for safety's sake (not that I think any of you are stalkers, lol).

I'm kinda nervous, but I don't get nearly as homesick as I used to, so I think I'll be okay. My lil' sister Lizzy is going this year! That's gonna be weird. Not bad (necessarily), just...weird. And so is Matt. That'll be like having a little brother, too. His mom already told me like all this stuff for me to ask him and make sure he does, lol! Hopefully having people to look out for will make me less nervous. It usually does.

Tonight is Challenge B orientation! (AKA, orientation for 8th grade, which my mom teaches.) One of my friends is going to come because her little brother is gonna be in my mom's class, so that should be cool.

I really love Challenge B. Like, I would sit in on the orientation if Kirsten wouldn't get bored to death. Challenge B was, like, the best and funnest year of my whole life.

Well, I need to go, so let me do Word and Picture Days really fast:

Word Day: Agape (pronounced ah-GAH-pay).

No, it's not actually an English word. It's Greek.

"Agape" means love, but not just "love". It means brotherly love, the love you have for your friends and family.

You see, in Greek, there are actually three different words that mean "love": agape, phileo, and eros. Agape is brotherly love, and phileo is kind of the same, only more unconditional (I think). Then eros is more like lust.

Cool, huh? I think we ought to have three words for love, too. It would take away so much confusion, don't you think?

Picture Day:

Whether you believe in this war or not, it is our duty as Americans to support our troops. They put their lives on the line every day for you and me. They are so brave, and we cannot forget it.

Citizen Soldier by 3 Doors Down.

P.S. SOMEONE MADE AN OFFER ON OUR OLD HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? SOMEONE MIGHT FINALLY BUY OUR HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Please pray that this works out!

July 17, 2009

*sob* I've lost two followers in one week!! What has happened to my streak of good follower luck? Oh well. A three steps forward, one step back.

People are coming over for dinner tonight. Matt and Katie ("little brother" and "little sister") and their parents, and this guy that's helping our church build a bigger building. The guy has a daughter my age, and then two younger boys. This is going to be an interesting evening. Hopefully, the girl will be nice and hopefully Matt and the other two boys won't do evil things to us the whole night, lol!

Last night and today, I read over my fire fairy stories. They need so much work. Usually, I read over them and like them, even if they are a bit juvenile. This time, I was just disgusted with myself. *sigh*

I figured out why my stomach muscles aren't that sore this morning. I stopped lifting with my abs and started lifting with my neck. *rolls eyes at self* My neck is sore instead. I can't believe this. It's not like I don't know how to do crunches. I mean, I do, I guess I just...didn't, lol!

Okay, Challenge Day! No one does the challenges, which just figures because I'm finally getting creative with them. Here's the dumbest, and possibly easiest, challenge yet: take a picture of your eye. And preferably upload it somewhere as proof, but you don't have to. You can just tell me. You will get an award for it. *trumpet sounds*

I need books. I've read everything I own. I haven't been to a bookstore in FOREVER. I'm dying. Withering away. HEEEEEEELP!

Oh, guess what? The Youth Mission Trip is a week from Sunday! *gasp!!* It came up so fast! And it sucks, because that means that school starts in less than a month! NOOO! It feels like I just got out! And I've actually been out for way longer than anyone else, so I have NOTHING to complain about, lol! Still, being off has been nice.

On the other hand, being a nerd and all, I'm really looking forward to having to use my brain again. I feel so pretty-minded (read the "Uglies" series by Scott Westerfield. Highly recommended.).

*sigh*

That's all. Bye.