Birfday!!!

I have the greatest friends in the whole entire world.

How to Avoid Studying for a Chemistry Exam: A Guide

1. Reset your alarm 3 times... ultimately changing your wake up time from 7:30 am to 9:45 am

2. Finish administrative assistant work for Dad, taking as long as possible to make phone calls and record contact information.

3. Read through unread items on Google Reader- after all, you wouldn't want to miss any breaking news.

4. Wander through house looking for ideal study place.

5. Gather chemistry book, notebook, pencils, multi-colored pens, etc

6. Set up study place to allow optimal studying aesthetics.

7. Realize that your study place is located in a prime location for Christmas light bokeh. Follow through with realization by snapping some photos.

8. Text someone about how much you hate studying for exams.

9. Take pictures of the presents.

10. Realize that you're really quite hungry.

11. Make and eat lunch.

12. Decide to turn the photos you've taken into some sort of blog post.

13. Download a new Lightroom preset for the occasion.

14. Edit said photos in Lightroom.

15. Write blog.

16. Upload pictures.

17. Realize that you've successfully avoided studying for 6 hours.

18. Start to think about studying.

19. Repeat as needed.

Epic Quotes and Awesomesauce

So, Jonny and I went to see Close Your Eyes, The Word Alive, Underoath, and A Day to Remember, on Sunday, at the Orbit Room in GR.  It was easily the most hardcore show I've ever been to, and it was definitely in the top 3 shows I've ever been to (With the Underoath/ABR/Emery show last year, and The Classic Crime in May). There were lots of epic quotes from the evening, so I'm gonna pull a Lady G and list them.

[[Warning: Some of the people there did not have good language.  I will censor.  But unless you live under a rock, you'll probably know what they were saying. Mmmkthxbye.]]

*Standing in line*
Kid: Anyone got an extra ticket? Anybody? I've got forty bucks straight up for anyone who's got an extra ticket.
*blank stares*
Kid: FINE. I'll double it. Sixty.
Me: *to Jonny, but not as quietly as I intended* That's not double. Double would be eighty. I may be homeschooled, but I can do most basic math.
Kid in front of us: Hey man, if the homeschooler's correcting your math, you better move on.

Guard at door: ID. *marks our hands* Go in there.
Jonny: Oh, thank you, sir.
Me: Shut up. Stop thanking everyone you meet.

*Inside*
Close Your Eyes: THIS is my worship. THIS is my life.
CYE: CIRCLE PIT! CIRCLE PIT!

The Word Alive: I want to see this place moving from side to *censored* side.
TWA: When I say MOVE, I want you to *censored* MOVE.  And not a moment before.  3...2...1... ATTACK! MOVE!

Jonny: I want to crowdsurf.
Me: Go! I've only seen one person fall on their head and get dragged out by the security guards.
Jonny: ...

Jonny: I'M GOING IN! *leaps into mosh pit*

Spencer (Underoath): I want you guys to know, that Jesus is the reason we do all this.  We're not trying to shove anything down your throat, or judge you, but He IS the only way, and He IS the only reason we're able to be on this stage, rocking your teeth out tonight.

Me: You are SO sweaty.
Jonny: It's not my sweat.

Random drunk girl to me: Is THAT the new BLACKBERRY?
Me: No...
Her: I WAS SO EXCITED!

*After*


Guard at door: You kids have a good night.
Jonny: Thank you! You too, sir
Me: STOP. DOING. THAT.

Jonny: What are you doing?
Me: *running THROUGH massive puddles* I don't even care. I'm so hyper. I just almost got hit by a car. I'm just going through them.
Jonny: Follow me!
Me: I don't jump!
Jonny: PRANCE!

Jonny: I can't hear anything
Me: I bet we're screaming at each other in this car right now.
Jonny: We probably are.

Me: I went to a concert with Emilyy last year-
Jonny: Too soon?

And then there were the moments of sheer epicawesomewinsauceness.
*Jonny moshing AND crowdsurfing
*Toilet paper being thrown around the crowd.
*Random hardcore-dancing-kid man-hugging Jonny... twice.
*Throat clearing in the middle of "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of"
*Downfall. Of. Us. All. Enough said.

And If I Do Not Miss A Part Of You, A Part Of Me Is Dead

You still cross my mind from time to time
And I mostly smile
Still so set on finding out
Where we went wrong and
Why
So I retrace our every step with an unsure pen
Try to figure out what my head thinks
But
My head, just ain't what it used to be
Then again
What's the point anyway?
I remember you ascending all the stairs up to the balcony
To see if you could see me, hidden quietly away
I remember the skin of your fingers
The spot three-quarters of mine always touched when I was out of things to say
You held my hand but you were to afraid to speak
You were to afraid to speak and I could never understand
I remember when you leaned in quick to kiss me and I swear
Not a single force on earth could stop the trembling of my hand.
I remember how you smiled through the smoke
In a crowded little coffee house
And laughed at all my jokes
and I remember the way that you dressed
How we wasted all the best of us in alcohol and sweat
And I remember when I knew that you'd be leaving
How I barely kept on breathing
And I swear if we could do it all again
I'd feel the same pain
I remember painting circles in the terminal in tears
How I wept to God in fits
I've hated airports ever since!
It must be true what people say
That only time can heal the pain
And every single day I feel it fade away
But
I still remember how the distance tricked us
And led us helpless by the wrist
Into a pit to be devoured
I still remember how we held so strong to this
Though we had never really settled on a way out
I still remember the silence
And how we'd always find a way to turn and run to our mistakes
I still remember how it all came back together
Just to fall apart again.
My dear, I hear your voice in mine
I've been alone here, I've been afraid, my dear
I've been at home here, you've been away for years, I've been alone
I breathed your name into the air
I etched your name into me
I felt my anger swelling, I swam into its sea
I held your name inside my heart
But it got buried in my fear
It tore the wiring of my brain
I did my best to keep it clear.
So dear, no matter how we part
I hold you sweetly in my head.
And if I do not miss a part of you
A part of me is dead.
If I can't love you as a lover
I will love you as a friend
And I will lay a bed before you
Keep you safe until the end.
-Andria


I just posted most of that from memory.  I need to go listen to La Dispute for about 3 hours now.  It's been too long.  Their lyrics are just so raw and gorgeous.

"And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped."

12 years.  For 12 years, this woman had been ill.  She had been unclean, shunned, cast out from society.  Friendless, rejected by her family, hated by even the church- all because of a physical problem which she could not stop.

One day, she heard that Jesus would be passing through.  She had heard stories about his miracles and healing, but she knew that she, an unclean woman, would never be permitted to speak to Jesus.  Risking everything, she went into the public eye, amongst the crowds.  She heard cheering and talking, and suddenly, there He was.

She reached out her hands, stretched her fingers, just a little bit farther.... and she brushed one of the fringes on his cloak.  He stopped, and turned around.  She tried to hide...

"And Jesus said, 'Who is the one who touched Me?' And while they were all denying it, Peter said, 'Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.'  But Jesus said, 'Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.' When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed.  And He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.'

Faith.  We talk about it a lot.  The word is thrown around in church like a football in the Super Bowl.  But this woman, she displayed faith.  She reached out as far as she could, satisfied with just touching the garments of Jesus.  She wasn't asking to hold His hand, or sit down with Him for an hour.  She was content to touch a FRINGE on his cloak, knowing that would be enough to heal her.

aklm ;lwi al imlwi mr;l3i m;lKM! :L#Km

Time for some randomness again.

I AM GOING TO SEE UNDEROATH AND A DAY TO REMEMBER. In *counts* 11 days.

Hoo-Ah-Lay-Ah! (Ah-lay-ah-lay-ah-HOO!)

School tomorrow. Blegh. I hope there are parking spots.

SAT Saturday. Blegh again. I hate math. Stupid math. And while we're on it... I also hate chemistry a bunch.

Is it second semester yet? No math, no science, just Spanish and Philosophy.  Plus I'll know if I'm going to Moody.

I wanna go to Moody.

Ian and Avery are coming this weekend. (!!!) I love those small children.

I have a headache. I need to shower. I think I'll go downstairs and shower and do my Bible study and go to sleep.  Sweet, sweet sleep.

Upcoming Excitement/Plans:
SAT/Lunch with Gloria: 3 Days
Hillsdale: 8 Days
Underoath: 11 Days
Dowagiac: 18 Days
PIATT LAKE: 22 Days.

WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!
(I'm in a weird mood right now)

Peruvian Best Friend

I'm sitting here at my table, choking back tears.  Why?  My best friend is moving on Thursday. 

This isn't your ordinary move- a few cities over, maybe a state or two.  It's not even cross-country.  

 No, Ben is moving from Lima, Peru, to Zurich, Switzerland.  My dear, dear Peruvian best friend, whom I see once a year, will now be even further from me. 

Such an eternal connection has been formed in the 3 years I've known him.  I can't even believe that he's moving.

 When we said goodbye in Peru this year, we knew that there was a chance.  There was a chance he wouldn't be there in 2011, a chance he would be in Switzerland.

I clung to that hope while at the airport.  It was the only way I could possibly keep it together.

 I have never been good with goodbyes.  Saying goodbye for a year is bad enough.  I could not let myself consider the possibility that it was goodbye for... forever.

 Those final hugs, choked back tears, last insults... they've become more poignant now.  I can't imagine a Peru trip without Ben.  Who am I supposed to share my iPod with?!

Sure, we'll be able to talk once he gets to Switzerland and finds an internet cafe.  Of course, I'll send him letters and blow my money on international calling cards.  But having no idea when and if I will see him again on this earth... it's heartwrenching.

 Who is going to insult me, then laugh and say "just kidding, dude?"  Who's going to speak with that great Beaner accent?

 Ben Castillo del Geiser... I am going to miss you so incredibly much.  I will look forward to Heaven even more now.

Random memories are coursing through my brain... so here we go.

This year, Ben was at the airport when we got to Pucallpa.  I sprinted through the crowd to hug him, and as he hugged me back he said "I just cropdusted you."

Gooch Monkey. The end.
How much does "THIS" cost?
The first year... watching youtube videos and listening to music at his house.
Being connected by an iPod cord no matter where we went.

The "blessing" on his last night this year.

I'm sorry that this is so rambling and not correct grammatically and whatever.  It helped to get it out.

Everyone in this room seems hell-bent on annoying me to death today.

My Dreams vs. Your Dreams

A long time ago (8th or 9th grade), I attended a youth rally in Southgate.  Most of it, to be honest, was really lame... local bands, a youth pastor who had never had any form of training.. but one point from one speaker really stuck with me.  He read 

Psalm 34:7, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Then he talked about how often this verse is misinterpreted.  So many people read this verse and think "Oh, cool! I'm a Christian now, so now I'm going to get whatever I want!"  When that doesn't happen, they get mad at God, feeling like they've been gipped somehow.  That, obviously, is incorrect.  


We were told to focus on the first part of the verse, "Delight yourself in the Lord." To delight ourselves in the Lord means finding all of our joy and our delight in Him and Him alone.  It means leaning wholeheartedly on Him, and trusting in His plan.  THEN, said the speaker, the desires of our heart will begin to be the same as God's desires for us, and we will realize and attain those desires.


Paraphrasing, this verse would then read:

Delight yourself in the Lord, and His desires will become Your desires, and then He will give you the desires of your heart (which are the desires of His heart for you.)

This brings us to today.  As I read and ate lunch, my mind started wandering.  It started traveling into the land of What If, the country of If Only, and the continent of I Wish.  While I was thinking and praying about a certain situation, I prayed "Oh Lord, that is truly my dream."


Then, in the same breath, a fraction of a second later, a burst of realization "Of course, that doesn't matter, until my dream and Your dream are the same.  Until I am truly delighting myself in You."

I can't begin to explain how I feel about this poem.

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
--ee cummings 

Miriam Adeney

"You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place." -Miriam Adeney, anthropologist.


I read this quote in College Park Church's Vision Trip manual, which I'm currently reading for a project I'm working on for Pastor Doug.  The quote was in relation to debriefing from a missions trip.  Tears sprang (sprung?) to my eyes the second I read it, because it is SO TRUE.


No matter where I go, no matter what I'm doing, Peru is always so close to the surface.  I am always restless.  The mere sound of Spanish being spoken makes my heart leap.  Certain smells and tastes take me back almost immediately to those smoky, dusty streets.  A picture, a song, a memory, a random quote, and I'm in tears again.


PART OF MY HEART will always be there.  I will never be completely at home again.

Random Happiness

As I was trudging down the hall towards my Spanish classroom today, I glanced at the drinking fountain.  I'm not entirely certain why I glanced at the drinking fountain, maybe to size up its cleanliness for future reference.  At any rate, my glance led to a second glance, which led to me spotting a piece of folded paper.

"Please open," said the paper in bubbly, girlish handwriting.  Curiosity got the best of me, and I obliged. "You never know what a simple compliment will do to someone's day.  Have a wonderful day!  Keep this trend going around the campus- leave your compliment somewhere random at Mott!"

A burst of unrelated sentences

This weekend is going to be busy. I am falling in love with photography.  Mike Yankoski is cool. The Hillsdale County Fair is the place to be. I just shaved my legs. Today was spent cleaning. And then cleaning some more. I had Chinese for dinner. Goodwill trips are the best, especially when I find a giant old picture frame to use as a prop. Man vs. Wild makes me feel nauseous.


I GOT POSTED ON THE SPARKLIFE BLOG: http://community.sparknotes.com/2010/09/30/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-dual-enrolled-student
Party.in.the.epa. :)

There Y'are

Shmancy new design courtesy of Green Leaves Blog Remodeling Services.  :)



Cheers!


- Lady G

Doy gracias a mi Dios cada vez que me acuerdo de ustedes. -Filipenses 1:3

Ay, mi familia peruana. Te extraño mucho. Yo quiero estar en Pucallpa ahora.

Ustedes estan en mi corazon, ahora y por siempre.

Grand Getaway

Last weekend, my family went to the Grand Hotel, on Mackinac Island, for the weekend.

There are no cars allowed on the island, so the main forms of transportation are horses

And bikes.

We spent Thursday afternoon walking around downtown

It had just rained, so the light was beautiful :)

We had a casual dinner at The Jockey Club (delicious) on Thursday night. 

Spent Friday walking around downtown some more.

Then, we had dinner in the main dining room on Friday night.  The Grand Hotel has a long-standing tradition that after 6 pm, all men must be in jackets and ties, and all women must be in dresses or "very nice pantsuits."

 

Even Ian and Avery :)

We do family pictures when we're all up there, since there aren't many other times that our family is all together AND dressed up.

BoBo!

Mi familia

The whole family

Such a good looking family :)

Dining room

Fancy shmancy. 

The main dining room's menu includes a lot of really big French and Italian foodie words.

You get 5 courses: Appetizer, Soup, Salad, Main Course, and Dessert

I had Grilled Pineapple with Whipped Marscapone and Wildflower Honey Syrup (pictured), Beef Broth with Sherry and Herb-Mallow Celestine, Vine-Ripened Tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella Pearls with Ginger-Balsamic Vinaigrette, Garlic Roasted Prime Rib of Beef with Creamed Spinach Brioche, and Blood Orange Angel Food Cake with Caramel Sauce.

Yes. That IS a lot of food. No. I did not eat it all. Yes. It WAS absolutely delicious.

We left the Island on Saturday night after dinner at The Gate House (The Grand's "sports bar" restaurant- at the bottom of the hill.)  The Ferry ride back to Mackinaw City was FREEZING, but there was the most beautiful sunset I've seen this side of Piatt Lake.  I'll end with a few pictures of that.

(Jenney: I am SO SORRY that my horizons aren't on a third. I'll try to do better next time. *cowers*)

Tell Someone About Blogs Day

So, apparently, someone-or-another made up this holiday.  I'm pretty sure only one person reads my blog, and since she mentioned me on her blog (HEY! Maybe more people will read mine now! WIN.), I figured I would return the favor and make a list.
Unfortunately, I'm a day (technically two) late. The "holiday" was September 17.

Lady G- She posts pictures, poems, stories, essays, and random things about life.  She also happens to owe me a letter.
Pioneer Woman- Recipes, photography, blogging, humor, contests. Hilarious.
SparkLife- Two Words: Dan. Bergstein.
Quiet Life- I first discovered Mizz Booshay (Donna Boucher)'s blog through The Pioneer Woman.  Donna posts photography articles for P-Dub.  Upon visiting Donna's blog, I discovered LOTS of photography things, recipes, and articles about living an unashamed Christian faith. Good stuff.
Jess Van Lue- My favorite local photographer
Jasmine Star- My favorite wedding/engagement photographer. She's from CA, and I stalk her blog ;)



That's it, I guess. Do me a favor? If you read my blog, and you are NOT a girl from SAN with crazy-long blonde hair and a penchant for cooking, drop me a comment :)

Mom and I made Lomo Saltado for dinner tonight.  My favorite Peruvian dish, Lomo Saltado consists of beef tips, tomatoes, red peppers, onions, and garlic- stir-fried in a mixture of soy sauce, cumin, and vinegar, and served on top of french fries.  We tried to make patacones (plantains, fried, smashed, and fried again) to go with it, but they didn't turn out.  Served it with white rice, and I drank my last Inca Kola.



Other than the patacones, the food was delicious.  It took me back to those nights at Los Rosales, talking and laughing in a flowing mixture of Spanish and English, and loving with my whole heart.  I know that statement seemed really out of place, in this random "here's what happened today" post, but I don't really care.  It's true.  I miss it so much.


Naturally, the dinnertime conversation was on Peru, and I finally got up the nerve to ask Dad about going early.  He responded pretty positively, said we can talk about it.  Since it wasn't a flat out no, that makes me hopeful!  I would have to raise at least half of the money by myself, but I swear, I won't buy anything except gas from now until then if it means I can go early! 

Blogging my Community College Registration Trials

Beginning of the summer: I tell Mom that to get a jump on things, I should register for my fall classes now. I do, with no problems. Chemistry in Clio from 11:00-12:30 on Monday and Wednesday, leaving me an hour to drive to Flint for Spanish from 1:30-3:30. On Mondays, I'll go back to Clio from 6-9 pm for Intro to Psych. No classes on Tuesday or Thursday, no classes before 11=Perfect.

Middle of July: Bored in the staff office, I decide to check my MCC student email account (something I do maybe, MAYBE, once a month.) I click on the email labeled "URGENT" and realize that if I don't pay for those classes the NEXT day, I will be dropped from all of them.
I run to the main office, scream something along the lines of "I have to go to my mom's my classes will be cancelled we're all gonna dieeeee" to Laurie, and leave the Miracle Building.
By the time I get to my mom's cabin (about 5 minutes later), I have ANOTHER email on my MCC student account, telling me that the payment deadline has been extended by two weeks.  I figure, I'm already down here, so I go ahead and pay for the classes.

August 30-ish: Dad wakes me up with the phone in his hand.
"Sorry to awaken the Princess at the early hour of 10, but Mott wants to talk to you."
I take the phone, clear my throat, and croak "Hello?"
"Hi Alyssa!" says an all to chipper voice. "This is [I forgot] at the Northern Tier Center! I just wanted to let you know that your Chemistry class has been cancelled due to low enrollment! You'll have to register for 1 of the 3 open classes! There's a 9 am MW in Flint, a 1:30-3:30 MW in Flint, and a night class in Lapeer! What? You didn't want classes before 11, and the other Flint class is during your Spanish class? Sorry! Guess you're screwed! This IS Mott after all. Students first! Ha! Okay, buh bye hon! Have a great day!"
(note: embellishment can be neither confirmed nor denied.)

Sept. 3: I resign myself to taking the 9 am class in Flint. This will require me to sit on campus, in Flint, for 3 hours in between classes, but hey, who cares? At least there's a lot to do at Mott. And it's a really pretty campus, with some great people. (MY HAND IS RAISED SO HIGH IT'S BREAKING THROUGH THE CEILING.)

Upon registering for the class, I go to my account summary to make sure they didn't charge me. There's no charge for the class, but there IS a $3 Drop/Add fee. For the class that the college CANCELLED just SEVEN DAYS BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS. I resolve to call them later, and go to bed.

Today: After trying several other options, I decide to take a World History course online through MCC in between my MW classes. At least it will give me something to do, right? I log on to the website, find the class, click register, and... nope. Of course it's not that easy.
"Prerequisite not met: DLES-100."
I call the school. They inform me that this is a 3 hour, free, online course that is required before any online class can be taken through Mott. It teaches the basics of email, internet, and computer usage.
I hang up, hit my head on the table, and go watch Gilmore Girls.

Don't Tell Me It's Over

I've never dealt well with the end of summer. It's always been hard to let go of days filled with worship, games, and friends; and nights filled with stars, laughter, more worship, and girl time.  In the past, it wasn't easy to go home, to be back under authority, back to school. It's always been difficult to be away from people I was with every day for months. 

In the past, though, I had a best friend at home.  I had someone who would share in my pain.  I wasn't alone looking at pictures and finding the PERFECT songs.  The end of the summer was bad, but not so bad.  It wasn't the end of socialization or the end of being with my friends.

This year, however, the end of the summer is even worse than most.  I'm not just leaving freedom, I'm leaving all of my close friends.  I'm not just going home, I'm going back to being mostly alone.  

Just don't tell me it's over.

In which the author jumps back in as though she never left.

TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW!!!! Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow, you're only a daaaaay aaawwaaaayyy!!!
What?
What's that?
You want to know why I am so excited for tomorrow?
...
TOO BAD. I'm  not going to tell you. Nanner nanner.
Oh.
What?
What's that?
We're not in second grade anymore?
*shrugs*
News to me.
Fine. I'll tell you.

Tomorrow, Mom and I shall drive to Dowagiac (or Dowa-wa, as Emiller calls it.)  We're going to watch the DUHS alumni soccer game, which will pit Craiger and E-Train against each other in an epic battle of the best friends.  THEN, the great fun begins. Following the game, we're gathering at la casa de Pastor Douglas y Tia Marilyn for a bonfire, complete with s'mores, hot dogs, and (almost) ALL OF MY DOWAGIAC PEOPLE!!

But wait! There's more! If you call now, I'll throw in this cheap book light!

On Saturday, I'm riding to Grand Rapids with Craig for the staff reunion. We shall eat Yesterdog, and swim, and reunite, and hug, and talk about things that happened at camp, and text the people that aren't there (cough, ROOMIE, cough) about how much we wish they were there. THEN, we'll drive back to Dowagiac. The NEXT morning, Mom and I will meet Aunt Kendra and drive back to Piatt Lake, where we shall remain until Thursday.

Plans. I like them.
What?
What's that?
NO. Of COURSE I wasn't just bouncing up and down with excitement.



ps: I apologize for making a lot of this post sound like a post written by someone I really can't stand. Jocie knows. Ohhh, Jocie knows. (I almost died today.)
pps: Expect a post soon-ish, In which the author goes on a bit of a tangent about ministry. That's right. Because it doesn't really matter if you sleep in a hotel or on the ground, whether the Gospel is being preached. One does NOT make you more of a missionary than the other. ...Must... wait... to... discuss...

The Last Song

Love is fragile. And we're not always its best caretakers. We just muddle through and do the best we can. And hope this fragile thing survives against all odds. 


At least you have the courage to feel. You feel everything so deeply.

...

This is the [insert superlative here] summer EVER.

shortest.
weirdest.
greatest.
saddest.
biggest.
etc.
-est.

Camp

(Check out the Peru Blog for info about that)

I'm sitting in the living room at Hobson's cabin with Craig, watching Spain and Portugal play soccer and hating vuvuzelas.  I can't believe HYC 2010 begins tomorrow. Insane. My mind is spinning.  The sunset tonight almost made me cry. It's going to be an interesting transition. I like fourwheeler rides. The curve of secrets just about heard another one tonight. Dang. Hello perfection. My mind is spinning. Pray. I need to minister. GLORIA! Yay! Moving in tomorrow. Peru pictures on the wall, a flag on my bed. Worlds collide. I can't. He can. Which is good. Because I can't.

Peru 2010

Leaving for Peru on Tuesday
The team blog is here

These Nights Keep Me Alive

It's officially summer. I slept with my fan on and my window open. (And an extra blanket, since it's actually NOT officially summer yet.)  We had another bonfire last night, the second of the season.  It was wonderful.  Aaron and Mr. Ridley and I were talking about shooting stars, then I looked up... and we all saw the most brilliant meteor I've ever seen.  Thanks, God.  Yup, You're awesome. I remember now.

We ate way too many Twizzlers, I snuggled with Judah for a bit, took some pictures.  The stars were more brilliant than they had been yet this summer.  I found the Little Dipper, and declared it officially summer.

Bry came around 10:30, so we laughed and conversed and whatnot... Just us three friends, sitting on a wooden swing, staring at fire.  I couldn't believe it when I pulled out my phone and it was 12:03... three minutes past curfew.  I drove home with my windows down, listening to some music... Oh, such a great night.  I told Mom I was home and went to my room.  There's something so relaxing about a bonfire; I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.  That hasn't happened in a long time. :)

On A Lighter Note

On the happier side of things...
I'm done with school.
I took the SAT.
I'm going to Kalamazoo this weekend to babysit.
I've got my Hillsdale week scheduled.
I'm going to see The Classic Crime and Ivoryline on Wednesday.
Peru is only 42 days away.
Gorgeous weather.

A Brief, Childish, Girly Rant

Prom.  It's just a dance.  It's not even that important.  I've had people tell me that they wish they wouldn't have gone.  Those who are older and wiser say that it doesn't matter.  I'm homeschooled, so it's not really an option for me anyway unless I make a lot of extra effort.  The Homeschool Prom was a maybe, if I tried hard enough.
I tried.  Things didn't work out, my group fell apart.  I really didn't care.  (really.)  Until now.

My best friend just sent me a picture of her dress, and several other friends have pictures on facebook of their dresses, their dates, their dance, their food, etc.

And I *am* a girl.  I don't even dance.  But I enjoy (on the rare occasion) getting dressed up, having someone do my hair and makeup, taking 1000s of pictures in one evening, being told I'm beautiful.  I like posing with friends, making special mixes, and buying picture frames, and being sparkly. I am a girl after all.

I spend a lot of time trying to convince myself and others that I'm different, that I'm not into stuff like that, I'd rather study/just be friends/not dance/wear jeans.  And normally, that's true.  But apparently, I'd really like to go to a flipping prom.  I'd really like to take way too many pictures, slow-dance to a cheesy song, wear an uncomfortable dress, and eat a meal that's not that great.

Tonight, at least, I wanna be normal.
Dang it.

Blue eyes, you're the reason for my change.

This past weekend was so, so, so good. I'm not going to try to recap all of it, because I would fail.  However, I will share some pictures *in absolutely no order*... because I'm addicted to Piatt Lake.

Almost summer :)

Our version of the polar bear plunge.

Home.

Sunset+Lifeguard stand+Craig+Deep Conversation=Amazing

 

Higher than best.

Ohheybestfriend

Devotions on the lifeguard stand.

DOF.

Love.

These people have my back.

Days Like that Should Last, and Last, and Last

Such a great weekend.  I'm so thankful for my friends. 
So much laughter, so many great conversations, and SO many pictures.
More to come.

For now, I'm just... thankful.