Life is a Highway

I'm home from Winter Retreat 2009. There are so many emotions and thoughts flying through my head. I just slept for 12 hours. I talked Emily's ear off the whole way home last night.

If it was possible to freeze moments forever, these are the ones I would freeze:

Brandon telling us to make love our identity, not our strategy.

Singing Mighty to Save with one arm around Kimmee and the other around Levi.

"That's a huge fan."

Making videos about the wood flavored soup with Joci and Taylor.

Looking around the room as a hundred or so of my peers cried and worshipped together.

"What the E-sharp?!"

Joci's asthmatic horse.

Hugging Kimmee until I couldn't breathe.

Levi-Alyssa Talks on the bus.

Dancing with Kimmee during "I am Free" *Charlie Brown!*

Talking to Megan by the sinks in the bathroom every day :D

That part of one of the videos Rocky made where David Anthony tries to kiss the camera.

Teaching Jerry what REAL music is.

Playing spoons, butter knives, "Bible Study," and Egyptian Rat...slap? screw? I refuse to enter THAT debate.

From the Inside Out

Lip Sync. All of it.

Never calling Mallory by her name, just "Twin."

Begging to be humbled.

The multiple epic failures that were videos with Rocky and Joci.

Finally being on the winning team.

Realizing that I was completely surrounded by people who WOULD NOT let me fail.

Kat & Emmy rocking out to Born to be Wild *Kat

The "camp situation" that turned out to be pizza *Kat

The pillow attack of death *Doug

Levi's sardines *after everyone is done yelling and holding their noses* "Want some?" "NO! I DO NOT WANT ANY!!!" *Jess

"So, how do you want me for this?" *Jess

Connie, Rocky, Jess, Me, and Jenna- getting ready to leave the Farm.
Eric, Jared, Me, Kimmee. EpicMe, Jess, Jenna, Grace- on the bus.
Eric, Kimmee, me, Joci, Rocky- "Biker Ball" :DJess, Jenna, Me, Amanda, Rosie- Cabin 7 Remnant
Emilyy, Joci, Rocky, Me- Emilyy came to pick me up!

Sweet Sixteen Party

L: Levi, Hunter, Emilyy Joy. R: Rocky and Me... not really sure what's going on.

L: Kimmee, Emilyy, Me. R: Rocky and Me, once more. A "smile"!!!

L: Levi (my buddy) and Me. R: Rocky and Me. no smile this time.

L: Levi & Emilyy R: Levi, Grace, Me. She tried to kiss my cheek.

L: Me, Maggie, Molly. R: Levi and Me, again.

WGTP

Last year on our way to Peru, we tried to teach Pastor Doug how to speak "text" language. He was trying to come up with acronyms for various things specific to our trip. The mixture of our excitement and lack of sleep caused sheer hilarity.

One such acronym was "WGTP," or, "We're going to Peru." Friends, family, random stalkers who may happen to be reading my blog (if that describes you, please leave)... I am pleased to announce that once again...

WGTP!!!!!

That's right, folks. My mom and I are returning to Peru. We received the dates for our trip and the go-ahead from my dad this morning. I cried with joy when I found out, and my eyes are overflowing again as I type this.

This was the only thing I would ever be willing to miss camp for, and God has worked it out so that I can go to Peru and to Hiawatha. He is, oh, so good.
WGTP. Praise the Lord.

A Flood of Memories

As I cut into the passion fruit (Spanish: maracuya), a familiar scent hits my nose. I scrape out the pulp of the fruit and take a small bite. As the familiar taste hits my tongue, a flood of memories rush into my brain.

C'est si bon.
Singing American songs along with the Spanish radio.
Never finishing my pint before Kelly finished his liter.
Being mocked for my slowness.
Walking down the street, listening to Spanish rock music.
Ben.
Feeling like I could stay there forever, and never regret it.
"Rating" the waitresses with Kelly and Ian.
The last visit.
Pretending like the end wasn't coming.
Laying on the roof.
Saying goodbye.
Walking to the gate, watching as Cesar leads Ben away slowly.
Flying away from Pucallpa, not knowing if I'll ever return.

I sit here, crunching the familiar tasting seeds and chewing the familiar tasting pulp. I know there are other things going on around me, I know that time is still moving. I hear people talking to me, but just barely. It seems to me that time has stopped, that I have gone back. The familiar sweetness of the fruit brings back so many memories.

The fruit is gone all too quickly. The memories, however, will never go away. I left my heart in Pucallpa, Peru. A piece of it will remain there forever. It's funny how a smell or taste can bring back so much.

Every question has a story behind it, every lie contains a grain of truth, every joke a hint of seriousness

I'm going to answer these questions with fairly lengthy answers. Maybe you'll learn something new...

What was the last pill that you took?​​
I took allergy medicine this morning, because I woke up feeling like someone had tried to run me over with an old blue VW van. Except, Edward didn't quite catch it this time.

Do you have a good relat​ionsh​ip with your ex?:
I don't have an ex. I'm 15 years old, why on earth would I have an "ex?"

Do you go to schoo​l curre​ntly?​​
I don't "go to school," per se. I am in school, though. See if you can figure it out.

Who was the last perso​n to call you?
Tina called here to tell me she was coming home from work early and bringing pizza =]

Last perso​n you took a nap with & where​?​​
The last time I took a nap was alone, a few days ago. I was here (at Tina's), and Hayden was sleeping. It seemed like a good thing to do.

Did you make a bestf​riend​ in high schoo​l?​​:​​
I am in highschool, and I have several best friends. It's possible

You get a phone​ call, ​​your mom's in the hospi​tal,​​ you say?
Can I have a ride?

You'​​re curen​tly liste​ning to?:
Disclaimer: Hayden is taking an unusually long nap, and Nathan is playing video games. I am bored, and I'm watching The Clique

Who are you expec​ting a text from?​​
Nobody. You see, I don't have texting.

What are you feeli​ng right​ now?
my stomach kinda hurts, and I'm bored.

Do you have any homew​ork to do?:
Come to think of it, I should probably do some debate research. But I'll do that at home.

When was the last time you smile​d?​​
I make a point to smile a lot. If you do it enough, it'll start to mean something.

Who was the first​ perso​n who calle​d you today​?​​
My mom called me to tell me that we're leaving for Thanksgiving tomorrow instead of today.

Are you a forgi​ving perso​n?​​
I try to be. After all, I've been eternally forgiven.

How late did you stay up last night​ and why?
11:30. I was watching Seinfeld on my iPod, and reading my Bible. Not at the same time.

If you could​ move somew​here else,​​ would​ you?
If it was Hillsdale, Piatt, or Peru.

What did you do Sunda​y?​​
Woke up at Emilyy's house. Went to Sunday School, taught Jr. Church. Mrs. Ridley took Mom and me home, where I ate some lasagna really quickly. Bowling with St. Paul, debate research, talked to Jared for a while, dinner

When is the next time you'​​ll hug someo​ne?​​
I will definitely be hugging people tomorrow at family Thanksgiving, if not sooner.

What are you doing​ this comin​g weeke​nd?​​
Thanksgiving with my family

Are you afrai​d of rolle​r coast​ers?​​
It depends which roller coasters. :)

Do you know any songs​ that remin​d you of summe​r?​​
I know a LOT of songs that remind me of summer. I believe there are 129 on my "Summer of 2008" playlist.

What were you doing​ at 7:00 AM?
I was waking up...

Can you keep a secre​t?​​
Yes, yes I can.

Do you wish on 11:​​11?​​
It's happened once or twice :)

Would​ you moon an old man for $50?
Okay, that question just made me laugh really hard. But no, I wouldn't. That would be rude, disgusting, embarrassing, and go against my moral standards.

Do you tell your mom every​thing​?​​
My mom and I have an amazing relationship. Even if I don't tell her something, she pretty much still knows it.

Does anyon​e besid​es you under​stand​ your relat​ionsh​ip statu​s?​​
I don't think it's very hard to understand. I am single. If you don't understand that, I'll try the Spanish: No tengo novio
And the Dutch, just for good measure: Ik heb geen vriendje

Did you speak​ to your mothe​r today​?​​
Yes'm (or Yessir, I don't want to offend anyone)

How old is the first​ perso​n on your top?
I'm assuming this means my top friends on myspace. That person is Kaylie, and she is 15.

Do you have plans​ for tomor​row?​​
Yes, I do. We're driving to G.L. to go to my grandparents' house, getting up EARLY Friday, and getting my laptop. Friday afternoon is Thanksgiving dinner.

Who was the last perso​n in your bedro​om?​​
I was the last person in my bedroom. Unless of course... "Cold and creeper, cold and creeper, it's cold, and we may have a creeper."

Were you happy​ when you got up today​?​​
Not happy so much as relieved that I didn't oversleep more than a few minutes.

Where​ were you at 3:02 AM this morni​ng?​​
I was definitely sound asleep.

Who was the last perso​n you held hands​ with?​​
Hayden, the 14 month old I babysit. He's learning to walk :)

Large Small Children and Life of Late

On Friday afternoon, I drove with Mom and Kathy to Troy, where Laurie and Kaylie picked me up. We went to Coldstone and Starbucks, then drove back Downriver. We met Billy for dinner at Outback, where Kaylie almost got us kicked out with her extraneous laughter. "Extraterrestrial!"

Kaylie and I went to see (I admit it) High School Musical 3 after dinner. In our defense, we took her two little cousins, Mason and Max. In your defense, we were going to see it anyway. If you're looking for a movie to blatantly mock with your best friend, this is a winner. It's got everything: cheesy songs, cheesy romance, cheesy plot, cheesy macaroni- oh, wait, no, that was my dinner.

After the movie we went back to her house, where we just talked and watched tv in her room until like 2. I slept until what I thought was 11, but of course her clock hadn't been changed for Daylight Savings Time. Blarg. We took our time getting up and around, showering, getting ready, etc.

Around 1:30 we left for Ellen's house, where Calvary was doing their annual Operation Christmas Child packing day. I got to see Mrs. Arp, Zack, Christy, Ariel, Jamie, Melanie, Laura, and Ellen, so it was a lot of fun. Plus, they pack over 1000 boxes every year. It's very cool.

We left the packing party (it's fun to say, try it) at 5:15, and drove to Troy to meet Mom and Kathy again (they had been at a women's conference). Kaylie and I tried to get Mom to let us go to Mangioni's with her family, but alas, it was of no avail. Kathy had to get home =/

Mom and I stopped in Clio and picked up Emilyy. We re-did her myspace profile and talked to Jared and Rocky for a while, then watched Hitch and went to bed. As always, morning came way too quickly, and we hauled ourselves out of bed and got ready for church.

At church on Sunday, we did a belated Pastor-Appreciation Day. Pretty much everyone in the church stood up and said something they appreciate about Pastor Brad. From Lillea, who is 6, to Grandma Vera (Pastor Brad's mom), who is like 86, about 40 people had something to say. (We have a small church, and it was like a representative from every family.) It was very cool. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.

After church, we had a nice, quiet, lazy afternoon at home while it SNOWED! (¿Que tiempo hace? Nieve...) I talked to Jill and Ben for a while, and did some photoshopping... Sunday night church was fun. I wrote a long paragraph in Spanish. :)

In other news, I've taken a regular babysitting job. I call the kid my "Large Small Child," as he's 14 months old and weighs, wait for it, 40 pounds! His name is Hayden, and he's adorable. It's such an easy job. For example, he's sleeping now. Then, around 11, he'll go down for a 2-3 hour nap. His 10-year-old brother gets home from school at 2:45, and helps me with Hayden while I get ready for debate (Mondays) or just crash for a while (Wednesdays).

I have debate tonight, and a partner meeting (with Eric!) either Tuesday or Thursday. This is going to be a busy week. Twilight comes out Friday, and I'm going Saturday with Andrea! Woot!

Home(school)coming and Life in General.

Some pictures from our 2008 Home(school)Coming:

The group (minus Bry and Katy) gathered on my porchKaylie Rae!!

My Emilyy Joy and MeYay for Rebekah, Sarah, and Emily!

Pretty much my brother

I LOVE my Emistotle and our sugar-coated philosophicalness.

Zachary TaylorGrasshopper!

The whole group at Olive Garden

More later