Audition Results

Well, the cast list for "The King and I" has been posted. I really wanted to play Eliza, the main character in the ballet portion. Of course, this is only my second play, there were several good dancers and the audition instructor had me doing the part of the Angel the whole time, so I knew what to expect when the list was published.

Which is why it shocked me so much when I got Eliza.

I was so shocked when I saw my name next to Eliza. I gasped, jumped out of the chair and covered my mouth XD A pretty cliche reaction, but the truth all the same. Lizzy asked me what was wrong and I told her I was Eliza. She was thrilled for me. I then ran upstairs to share the news with my parents.

I'll be honest, I know I can dance. I'm not pulling false modesty there, I'm a pretty good dancer. But I just knew that someone else would be better, and better suited to the part. I was hoping for Eliza, but not really expecting her.

I just can't believe it. I'm so excited.

If you want to see what I'll be doing, here is the ballet on Youtube.

Part I
Part II

Thank you so, so, SO much for all your prayers! I know they helped!

~Kendra

Picture Day

Click to enlarge.
What does the picture make you think/feel/notice/imagine? I'd like to know, if you want to comment :)

The Surprisingly Perfect Christmas

Children
Hershey's
Rambling
Ideal
Stockings
True family
Magic
Always
Snow

:)

No more Christmas Countdown; Christmas is now.

Wow. You know that feeling--that warm, glow-y feeling--when you can't think of anything that would make something better?

When you clean your room well, and it just feels perfect.
When you see a blanket of snow without any footprints.
When you hear a beautiful song.
When you taste the perfect batch of cookies.

When you have the best Christmas ever.

I hope y'all's Christmases were as good as mine. I got lots of good stuff--stuff that I'm happy about--but when I stop and think, I can honestly say that the best part of today has been the people.

I was really starting to worry that this Christmas was gonna be another personal flop. Last night I was freaking out again, over-analyzing and basically ruining Christmas for myself. Then, I remembered the original problem and mentally slapped myself: "Kendra. This was the entire point of your thoughts this Christmas. I mean, it wasn't even a month ago that you figured out your problem was trying too hard. And what do you call this??"

I decided right then and there that this year would be the best Christmas ever. And you know what?

I think it was.

I woke up, and found Baby Jesus lying in his manger on the table in the big room downstairs. Taking him up in my arms, Lizzy and I climbed the stairs with our parents, giddy with the idea that this is the day we've all been waiting for.

Through the hall, across the living room, to the hearth in front of the fire.
My "stocking" on the left, Lizzy's on the right.
I see an iHome!! Lizzy squeals at a new scooter--one actually big enough for someone over the age of six.
My eyes fall on a calender reading: "1,000 Places To Visit Before You Die", and I love it right away.
I take in a memory card for the digital camera I opened last night, and I see a tiny glass bunny waiting for me to smile at it.
There's lots of candy, too, and a puzzle that's a sphere.
A Santa for my collection, and the Lover of Learning statue-doll I've been wanting.
Out of the stocking I pull candy, Bath&Body Works stuff, and more.

Everything is wonderful, and we watch my parents open their "stockings", too.

A little later, my grandma shows up with her bags of pre-picked-out gifts for us. I unwrap all the clothes I picked out and loved. I still love them.

Soon Mr. Keith-from-church comes to enjoy Christmas morning with us.

Not long after, as I'm putting the finishing pieces into my Jacob Black sphere puzzle, our neighbors come over for Christmas brunch.

Minutes behind are Matt and Katie.

Breakfast is huge: grits, two dozen eggs, biscuits, bacon, ham and orange juice.

I will discontinue the picturesque, poetry-like talk for a while because I hate writing in present tense and just realized I'd been doing it. *dreamy feeling vanishes rudely*

So, Matt (little brother) drank, like, half a bottle of orange by himself ;) while he and Cody thought of all the different angles of cannibalism (inspired by Cavender's cannibal peeps theme. Ask him for more details XD).

Examples the Two Came Up With:

- feeding a pig bacon
- feeding a chicken eggs
- feeding cheese to cheese...thanks for pointing that out, Cody...LOL.
- feeding a cow milk. (To this I said, "Well, that's not really cannibalism seeing how calves DO drink milk." Cody replied, "Oh, but it's probably goat's milk." >incredulous silence on my part< Then I was like, "From the cow's udders?" Cody: "...ohh, yeah..."
- feeding your nose a booger (Thank you, MATT.)

After eating a lot of good food, we kids went downstairs and played Outburst Junior. That was pretty awesome :) Matt and Katie found their presents under the tree, but I wouldn't let them touch them. (Well, sort of. Matt touched them anyway. *grumbles*)

Cue cross opening.

Yay, Lizzy! What a cute idea!! So great for the first Christmas in the new house. Perfect. You'll have to wait and see it when I post pictures ;)

After the neighbors left, everyone (AKA, my mom and Mrs. Martha) decided to point out the fact that Matt is getting bigger than I am. *glare* Thank you, I really would like everyone to just take a moment and notice that. *grumble* Just kidding...mostly. But it is irritating to say the least not to be able to actually hold him back when he tries to steal my last cookie, etc.

The funniest part was the feet thing. Matt got really nice new boots for Christmas, and

They.

Are.

MASSIVE. Truly MASSIVE.

I wear a size 11 in women's shoes, which is nearly unheard-of-ly big. I put my foot next to Matt's boots, and HOLY JEEZ THEY LOOK SMALLISH. I put his boots on, too (don't tell him, okay?) and they were roomy to say the least XD

Lizzy's getting taller than me, too. Well, not yet, but her legs are like two inches longer than mine, easy. She's gettin' there. But I don't really mind that much. It doesn't bother me that she's getting taller than I am like it does that Matt is. Weird, huh?

Lizzy got a scooter for Christmas, an iHome, cute clothes (that she said she'll let me wear!!!), a scooter, and assorted other cutenesses and candy.

I got lots of awesome stuff that I mostly already mentioned, but I got a cool journal, too. I wanted to mention the journal individually, haha!

Katie did not get a dog for Christmas. NO, REALLY? *SHOCK* :P Luckily we had gotten it through to her that she REALLY WASN'T GETTING A DOG, so she wasn't disappointed. *whew* But she got really cute stuff anyway. An awesome outfit that made me "jealous", a swing that will attach to your CEILING, and bunches else.

Matt got coats, boots, a camcorder (:O), a PS3 (um, I *think* that's what it is...), and more. Yay!

After everyone left, we watched my present to Lizzy: the Wizards of Waverly Place Movie. Complete with extended scenes, a rock that changes colors, special features, and, of course, wonderful older-brother-little-sister moments. *sniff sniff*

I really can't tell you how awesome today has been. I mean, if there was ever a You-Had-To-Be-There moment, this is it. I feel sorry for anyone who didn't share Christmas with us, because when you share it with friends like this, it just doesn't get any better.

Merry Christmas, bloggers. Let's always remember the reason for the season: the pregnant teenage girl, the confused (of course) guy, and the little baby that would save us all.

(Just one more time: don't you love God's sense of irony???)

~Kendra (the signature isn't working correctly, sorry!)

P.S. Pictures taken with my VERY OWN NEW CAMERA THAT I LOVE (even though it's purple XD) coming soon!

OMGosh!

Holy wow! I have 80 followers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is so insane! I never thought I'd see the day! Good grief, how can all these people possibly care about what I have to say????? :)

For some reason this feels like a really momentous occasion (hence my posting twice in one day, usually a strict no-no of mine). I'm going to do two things in honor of it. First, obviously:

THANK YOU SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO MUCH CHRISTIANMILES AND THE COWGIRLS! Y'ALL ROCK! I recommend checking out both blogs I linked. The Cowgirls have a great blog where they post about their life in TN, and Christian has an amazing blog where he posts writing tips. Super helpful, check it out!

Second, I'm going to see how many people actually READ the blog :) The gadget says 80 followers, but wonder how true that is? Let's see how many of you guys are really paying attention ;) I'm putting a poll on the side, let's see if we can get 80 votes! I've been wanting to test this for a while, and the 80th Follower Celebration seems like the right time to do it.

Thanks so much to all you guys. You make blogging the best experience ever. What would I do without you?

What a God Moment :)

I had in mind a hundred different things to post on. Today has not been one of those days where I can't think of anything to say. I've had lots of ideas that cover lots of different angles, but when I came downstairs and checked my email just now, I knew what to post on.

I just had such a God moment.

Ellie B slept over last night, and we talked about a lot of deep things--as usual--but one thing in particular has been bothering me. We used to have this amazing friend a few years ago. She's still a friend of ours, but different things happened and we've kind of fallen apart. We talked about her a lot, and came to the conclusion that everything was over. As much as we hated to think it, we figured the friendship was pretty much dead.

And you guys know how my week has been, right? Just one thing after another, everything sucked. School, family, emotions, the "personal junk" I asked for prayer about, everything.

It wasn't one of those "mad at God times", just more of a completely discouraged feeling that's been hanging over my head. The talk about the fallen friendship was just the icing on the crap cake (lol).

I came down here to blog and see if I could write anything. I saw I had a message in my inbox. I shrugged and clicked on the message.

It was from the "lost" friend. She apologized for the randomness, but said she felt like something was up and wanted to see if everything was cool with us.

I don't know about you, but that was one of the biggest WOW and GOD moments of my life, and definitely of the past few weeks.

I haven't talked to this friend really in three months. Ellie B hasn't talked to this friend for real in a long time. And all the sudden, God laid on this friend's heart the fact that something wasn't quite right.

Well, guess what? I sent a message back explaining my feelings and why the different circumstances bothered me. I read and re-read the message several times, making sure my tone was how I intended it to be (it's so hard to communicate tone in emails; you really have to be careful). I think we can work this out.

Oh my gosh, I didn't even think about this until JUST NOW. Guess what our youth group study was on today?

Friendships.

Wow. I rarely get this excited about God stuff like this. As bad as that is, God really has to HIT ME WITH IT for me to get it. Boy, he really did today. I'm just smiling. Can you even believe how awesome God is?? Without me even noticing it, God shaped this whole day--and last night, too--preparing me for that email. I thought my friend was lost to me forever, but guess what? ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!

He's not an ancient force that stopped interacting when the Bible was finished.

God is here, God is now, and God is doing things in our lives NOW.

Wow.

What an interested, alive, personal God.

Parts I and II

Well, I'm going to type some stuff now, and then finish this post later tonight after play practice so I can include what happens then, too. That way, I don't post twice and clog up y'all's dashboards, but I have time to post everything I want to say :) Because I am NOT going to type out a whole run-down of my day at 10pm tonight when I can barely keep my eyes open.

Wait...I can barely keep my eyes open now...

I am runnin' on adrenaline, people!

I'm pretty sure the schedule is about to become a thing of the past. I'm just too busy to crank out good advice, character sketches, awards, etc. on a daily basis right now :(

I still love "Mulan" SO MUCH and I'm definitley gonna cry when it's over in a little more than a week, lol :'( The school performance is a week from tomorrow, and the last show is a week from Sunday. This has been the most amazing and fun experience, and I treasure everyone I met. I'm going to miss them so much...

"I'll Make A Man Out Of You" is getting better and better. Shang still hit a couple of flat (I think XD) notes, but I'm confident that he'll fix that before showtime.

I have written absolutely, flat-out NOTHING that wasn't school-related for about two weeks. That's pretty bad, I know, but I'm so caught up in other stuff that I barely have time to miss it. I know once the play ends (*SOB!!*) I'll have more time, but I really don't want it to end. Really. I'm really tired all the time and I'm working on school until 11:30pm some nights, but it's all worth it! I love this play!

I'm trying to make this a balanced post with stuff about every aspect of my life, but somehow everything comes back to "Mulan".

The stuff that the cast is doing together is gonna be awesome. This Saturday, some people are going to a little coffee shop owned by one of the mom's of someone in the play. We're gonna eat stuff and maybe watch "Mulan" on the big TV :D :D :D I want to go SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO badly, but my mom says she'll have to see how I feel and how school is going for me. She thinks I'm wearing myself to a pulp, which maybe I am, but that's okay with me! *sigh* I can still see her point though. I'm going to work really hard in school and eat lots of healthy stuff so I "feel good" this Saturday :D :D :D

Oh, remember how last Saturday's practice was from 10-5? This one is from 2-7, so it isn't as long. Yeah. I don't know why I'm telling you this.

On opening night, we're all going to go to a Mexican restaurant together!! And then the day after opening night, we're going to a little pizza place. And then on the day of the last performance, we're gonna go to someone's house for hot dogs and chips and stuff!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!

I love these people and I want to spend as much time as possible with them before TIME'S UP! Because even if they all do plays in the future, this exact awesome cast will NEVER BE EXACTLY THE SAME TOGETHER EVER AGAIN!!!!!! I must CARPE DIEM and enjoy everything to absolute highest degree NOW NOW NOW!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

O.O

Wow. I'm not wound tight right now or anything...

Okay, end Post Part I.

PART II:

It is after play practice. Hmm. Shang and Mulan still have a ways to go before they have all their lines down at the end :- Yikes. We go on in 8 days. The director was not exactly pleased with our progress.

Other things happened, but I think I will document them in my journal and not on the blog :P

Thanks for reading!

Long Life Lessons

FOLLOWERS SAY ON CARPE NOCTEM HAS OFFICIALLY STARTED!! :O :O
---------------------------
Well, today is Question Day, but I won't be able to do it for lack of a question, lol!
---------------------------
So, justagirl4god awarded me in the Honesty Scrap thing! Instructions:

1) Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award.
2) Share "ten honest things" about myself.
3) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
4) Tell those 7 people that they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving.

Thanks, Rachael!!

Okay, 10 honest things...

1. I don’t (usually) like to eat.
2. I like the moon better than the sun.
3. I have a strange fascination with thieves, assassins, etc.
4. Although my blog is named ~Carpe Diem~, I totally suck at carpe-ing my diem.
5. My goals for my life include becoming a writer, lawyer, kindergarten teacher, and mom.
6. The author I admire most (aside from the obvious like Tolkien and stuff) is Hilari Bell.
7. My hair is naturally this weird mix of corkscrew curls and waves (maybe it sounds pretty, but it’s not, lol).
8. My eyes change color.
9. I sometimes bruise/get scratches/have pulled muscles from dreams.
10. My #1 wish of ALLLLLLLLL time is to have an older brother.

Ta-da! :D I now tag/award...
Jaynine
Seth
Steven
Cassie
Mr. Puddle
Meggie
Gabrielle
---------------------------
Okay, so today has been weirdly awesome.

First of all, let me start out by telling you how a typical school day goes for me.

9:30am: Get woken up by mom.
9:45am: Actually get up.
9:40am: Go upstairs and eat breakfast (and read Dear Annie in the paper, catch my favorite comics in the funnies section, read a chapter or two of whatever book I'm reading..."
10:10am: Come down stairs and "start school"
10:11am: Check all my many emails, check my blogs, check Facebook, stalk some people on Facebook (maaaaaybe...)
10:30am: Repeat.
10:40am: Actually start school. Fiddle around with some research for Western Culture, glance at biology, check off twice as much stuff on my list as I actually did.
11:05am: Repeat what I did at 10:11.
11:30am: Do a math lesson.
11:55am: Well, I've been hard at work all morning, so I guess I can just read or goof around until lunch.
12:30pm: Lunch.
1:05pm: Write a paper...or at least a couple of paragraphs...okay, four sentences maybe...
1:10pm: Check Facebook.
1:30pm: Finish paper...or at least a couple of paragraphs...
2:00pm: Check Facebook, emails, blogs...
2:20pm: Do some logic.
2:40pm: Glance over some reading for Art History...
2:50pm: Get side tracked by this old story I found in my room...
3:10pm: Oh, wow! A whole day gone! Guess I'll call it a day.

-.-

Long schedule short: My work ethic sucks. Absolutely SUCKS. I know that, and the people that I admire the most do not have sucky work ethics. I would like the people I admire to think well of me, too.

So.

Today, I decided to exercise the self-dicipline I KNOW I have (...don't I?) and work HARD. Actually HARD.

I was at school by 9:30. I attacked biology with ferver. I got a lot more done than usual, and OMG I UNDERSTOOD IT??????? I did!

Then, I got to work on the bibliography that I'm supposed to have been keeping for six weeks but haven't. It is no easy task tracing down every website you used to find research on the Renaissance, Albrecht Durer, Jan van Eyck, Michelangelo, El Greco, Leonardo da Vinci, the "Pieta", "The Resurrection", and "Arnolfini's Wedding".

But I did it.

Then, I got to work on the vocabulary list I'm supposed to have been keeping for six weeks but haven't. That was a bit easier.

THEN, I FINALLY started working on my Art Grant Project. (Basically, we have to put together a presentation to apply for a "grant" for an art project. We give a presentation to the class, and then the class votes on whether or not we get the grant.)

Step One: Decide on a project.

Yeah. My work strategy basically sucks.

So, anyway, I got up to date on the Grant Project.

Next, a math lesson.

Next, attack a chapter in logic.

By this time it's 3:30pm, and I've only checked Facebook once. I've also had the most enjoyable (NO sarcasm!) and productive day I've had in a long time.

Then, I attack the Art History paper on Leonardo da Vinci some more.

By this time it's 4:15pm. Busy day, crazy, day, but a really fun day! :O :O :O Weird, huh?

So, my dad comes in and tells me that if we want to grab a bite to eat somewhere before the special play practice at 6pm, we should go. (It takes us 45 minutes to get to the play practice town). The special practice was for me and the other people who are working with the Hun puppets.

So, we go eat at Pizza Hut, just me and my dad, which was awesome. I get along with him so well. We always have such a fun, easy time. We're a lot alike.

Play practice went well. Working with a big, heavy-ish puppet is a challenge, and my arm is a tad sore (lol), but I think I'm getting it, and I had a lot of fun. I'm really getting to know people better, and I'm getting to be more of myself around them.

We came home, and watched two episodes of this spy-mystery-action-freaky-action-spy-mystery TV series we got on DVD called Alias. It's so awesome, but this last episode had some stuff set in a creepy, bad-conditions mental institute...do I even have to say that I am a little creeped out?

So, after an awesome day in all ways possible...

I still have to read a ton of "Gulliver's Travels", do some Latin, and read some Art History stuff.

*SIGH*

SLACKING DOESN'T PAY, PEOPLE! And actually doing the work can be more enjoyable than doing nothing all day...

I am a bit worried about getting those three last things, done, though...Tomorrow's schedule:

8:00am: GET UP.
8:30am: Eat something (c'mon, just oneeeee bite...)
9:00am: Get self looking...decent.
9:30am: Leave for play practice.
10:00am: Play practice.
1:00pm: Lunch break.
2:30pm: Resume play practice.
5:00pm: Get out of play practice.
5:30pm: Babysitting
11:00pm (hopefully): Come home, sleep.

...

And WHERE am I supposed to fit in reading "Gulliver's Travels", doing some Latin exercises, and reading loooooong chapters in the Art History books?

Ohh, right, I should have been doing that instead of posting...

XD Ah, well. Some things never change.

Carpe diem, everyone! And sorry for this epic-long post...

Er, Don't Bother Reading

Play practice was today!!! YAY!! I really love it. I'm gonna be SO SAD when "Mulan" is over. I'll probably do another play, but I like this one!

We're continuing to just run through the show, and today we got to my all-time favorite "Mulan" song: "I'll Make a Man Out Of You". Our Shang (Matt B, not to be confused with Matt, my "little brother") does a great job of acting, and his singing is good, too. He didn't hit a couple of notes, but you could tell he realized it. I'm sure he'll be fine by showtime.

We went through my second Hun part, and afterwards, Matt B gave kind of a "good job" look and gesture. Cool.

*two hours later*

Sorry. I got interrupted for dinner, etc.

I'm so upset right now. Like, really, majorly upset.

Guys, don't feel obligated to read this girlish rant.

So, I had Facebook up, and then I had to go to dinner, and then I came back, and I had an IM message from Shang, only I hadn't seen it because I was at dinner and so now he's offline and he probably thinks I just didn't talk to him and so I feel really, really, REALLY awful, and I would have liked to talk to him too so I could have told him that he did well at practice because he's always telling me that and I never tell him that so that would have been the perfect opportunity to tell him only I missed it and he probably thinks I just ditched him or ignored him or something and he doesn't get on Facebook that much I don't think, so I might not get another chance to say anything for a long, long time and if he is ever on Facebook, he probably won't say anything to me because he thinks I don't want to talk to him or I'm rude or something!

...

*EPIC GASP*

HE'S BACK ONLINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And he said "hi" again! And now we're talking! And he doesn't hate me!

*wipes brow*

Um, wow. Okay. Sorry. Girlish tirade over.

I promise, I'm really not like this usually. All of you new followers, don't be scared off. This is really, really, really unusual for me to go all baserk like this.

*shakes it off*

Anyway.

Uhm, I have nothing more to say.

*feels stupid*