Holding On and Letting Go

I have tried, and tried, and tried again, to put into words what I have been feeling lately.
I mean, I really have a way with words, I can put into writing what I couldn't make come out of my mouth in a million years.
But I haven't yet been able to wrap my mind around, and understand, the emotions that have crashing through my life lately, and write them down. My poor diary hasn't had a good, happy and upbeat entry in weeks....[yes, I'm one of those girls...not]
So, here I am, attempting to write it down, and why, you ask, would anyone care about my tumultuous emotions? Well, they wouldn't........

I don't even know when it started, it just did. Everything is fine, life is going along relatively smoothly, things are getting done, I've been keeping busy, blah blah blah.
But for some reason I've been feeling......unrest. I wanted nothing more than to just disappear, and come back when things had settled down.
It's been one of the hardest things trying to obtain a job, I need a car [preferably a truck], I need money, I need a scholarship, how else will I pay for college?
I can't get a car without money, and I can't get money without a car.......such a vicious cycle.

11th grade isn't all that bad, American Literature is rather boring and dull, but it's alright. I'm hounded by the annoyance of being a writer, but being terrible at grammar, why is that!?
U.S History is enlightening, I enjoy it, and Biology is just...eh, even if it did give me the answer to a crossword question last night........
It struck me as odd, and rather frustrating, how all my earlier years of school were an enjoyment. I loved to learn, filling my bran with all these facts and what-not. But I guess lately, getting so much older, I have more responsibilities, I have more things I'm able to do, school has become almost.....a burden. Then I want to smack myself because I know school is necessary, and I hate hating it, does that make sense? Probably not......

Then I got my licence, the actual card, not a permit with parental restrictions, the actual licence which mean I can go anywhere I want without an adult. And that in and of itself is another thing that has been troubling me, that wonderful feel of freedom as I'm leaving the driveway to go somewhere.

Standing on the border, lookin' out into the great unknown, 
I can feel my heart beatin' faster as I step out on my own.
There's a new horizon and the promise of a favorable wind,
I'm heading out tonight, travelin' light, I'm gonna start all over again.


That sudden and intense yank on my heart, the desire to just........go. To just drive till there isn't any road left, drive until I run out of gas, fill up and then keep going. As cliche as it sounds.....to just go where my heart takes me.


And buy a one-way ticket on a west bound train,
see how far I can go, I'm gonna go out dancin' in the pourin' rain,
talk to someone I don't know.


I sound so selfish don't I? I know I'm not the only teenage girl to ever feel this way, but I'm not like most teenage girls.
I'm a child of God, I'm pursuing membership in my church, I have duties, responsibilities, I have a wonderful and amazing family and great, loyal friends who I would never leave behind just because I have that wild side of my heart begging me to go. Of course, the feelings haven't truly faded, but I have more than I'm willing to let go of just to go off chasing a dream.
There's still so much I can do where I'm at, go to college next year, fall in love, get a degree in Journalism and take a professional photography class, publish the novel I've been writing for the past two years and a book of poetry.
I'm so happy where I'm at, but we all have a little bit of a free spirit in us, that wild side, I guess mine's just a little more.... prominent, than most.




Then there's the stress of college, my dad makes just too much money for me to qualify for FAFSA, I can't get a grant, and I'm loath to get a loan. I've been searching for a scholarship I can try and win, their out there, I'm just having a terrible time finding one.
I want to go to college so bad, there's so much more I can pursue there, my education could be so much furthered. I just pray God shows me the path He wants me to take sometime soon :)

There's another thing I'm feeling selfish about, my best friend. She's gearing up for college in January and she's got a job. And I'm stuck here with no job, and my last year of high school breathing down my neck, we only ever see each other for a few hours on Sunday. And I hate it, we spent so much time together when we were younger, when we were young enough that nothing mattered. We didn't have anything to worry about, everything was easy, but now being so much older we never have time to spend together anymore, and I hate it so much. I feel jealous of her, and yet I feel so, so happy for her at the same time, it's so confusing!

Sometimes I feel like I hate my life, but then that's just my bratty side that doesn't know when to shut up. Because I have a wonderful life.
A family, friends, a Savior, a roof over my head, food on my table, clothing, and all the other things others don't have, and I'm so amazingly blessed and thankful for it.
I have a King in Shining armor always there to come to my rescue until I have my Knight to do it for me.
I have an amazing and caring Queen who is always there to help me through anything, tell me what I need to do, give me the advice I need and turn me back the right way after I've veered of course.
And as much as the other princes and princess of our little proverbial castle annoy me to death, I have them and I love them.

I've mentioned this already, I believe. How I'm turning seventeen on Saturday, when  feel I've barely had time to enjoy being sixteen.
The last three years have flown by so quickly, every time I glance around my little Monkey is getting bigger, my brother is growing like a weed, my older brother is a man! Where did all the time go?!
Sometimes I wish I could go back to when I was nine, that was a great year, I loved being nine. Go back to when everything was fine, I didn't have the problems I have now, my brothers still deemed me worthy to talk to, school consisted of two subjects, I lived in my favorite house, if we were in trouble I was to young to know or care, things were just easier then.


But I've only written everything that seems to be going wrong, I guess I should write all the things that have going right.

I'm seventeen in four days.....yeah, I'm pretty sure that's self explanatory :)
I've been getting so much better at my writing, I've written so many poems, long detailed poems that tell a story. And I'm so proud of them, I have enough, that by next year I will get them all ready to try and get a book of poetry published.
My novel is coming along well, I've stopped writing it for now though, my emotions where pouring too much into it, and I didn't want my state of mind to influence too much where the story would go.
But I have so much of it written, pieces from the middle, pieces from the end, I just need to connect all these pieces and proofread, then I'm all set :)

On Friday and Saturday I'm having my birthday as a karaoke party, hehe.
At least we can all sing with varying degrees of success, although I think my best friend sings better than me.
We have a little bet going in our singing duel, if I win I have to buy her a box of Mike 'n' Ikes, if I win, she has to buy me a bag of Skittles ;) I'm looking forward to it, throwing what ever embarrassment I may have of singing in front of my friends and family to the wind, and just having fun :)

Well, it always happens, I actually was able to get it all down. That felt a little like venting.
That was venting wasn't it? I actually feel a little better.....*smile*

OK, so that was long....probably one of the longest posts I've ever written.
So anyway, that's kinda been me for the past few weeks, as much as I'm not happy, I am happy. Does that make sense?

I hope you all have a Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year =)

New Years Resolutions:
-stop slacking in Algebra
-pursue a job with a little more fervor than I have been
-finish my novel

Thankful

This last week was my favorite time of year. Beside the breath taking beauty of the trees' new garb,

it's a time were we all can just take a step back, and look at life. Look at what God has given us, see the beauty and love that surrounds us. We list things we're thankful for, we stuff ourselves with the traditional foods and we enjoy our family's company.

This year I [along with two of my siblings and my dad] went up to northern Oregon to visit my grandparents for Thanksgiving. It was so beautiful there, [albeit freezing cold ;] I absolutely loved it. After Thanksgiving day we all drove to the coast to see the ocean [can you believe it was my first time ever seeing the ocean!?] we visited Depoe Bay and Lincoln. We trolled through the little sea-side town that bordered the shore line and ate a wonderful dinner at a place called Tidal Raves.

The wind was blowing hard that day, and it was below 30*, my jean jacket over my hoody was barely enough to keep me from becoming an icicle.

Well, to touch on the ocean..

That day there were waves crashing against the rocks and sweeping thirty feet up the shore, dousing my younger brother who decided that it was cool, and he could now say "I have been touched by the ocean!'"

His shoes are now hard and white from the salt ;)

Standing as close as we could get to the water, we often had to scamper backwards to avoid the waves rushing up in an attempt to freeze our feet with it's frigid waters.

The only thing I could think of as I gazed across that vast expanse, was the awesome power of God, it was very humbling.

After a day spent at the coast and in town we finally drove back to the house. I lay on the couch that night smiling as I rewound the memories in my mind, letting them cement themselves into my memory, for I knew they would be cherished for a long time.

What I was thankful for last week,

The time I was able to spend with family we don't often get to see, and having the chance to see something so beautiful and powerful.

And I was thankful that I had another year to enjoy my family, to see them laughing and smiling.

I was thankful for the love, kindness, joy and care that I have gotten from my family and friends this year, and for the life I have been given, 

I have been given a loving family, amazing friends, a roof over my head and food on the table and the grace of a Savior who saved me from myself.

Who could ask for more?

*photos by me

Fun Fun FUN!!!

I promised a post on my camping trip, so here it is.

Friday evening at 6:00 myself and three other teens met for a camping trip at the church here in Oroville to carpool to the area we where going to stay at. [along with four adults who camped with us]

Getting in the RV we drove to a female member of that church's house who kindly let us use her pool and yard that led down to the river about 60 ft. away. getting there we started setting up camp, and about ten minutes later we where joined by about six other teens. Two tents went up, one for the guys, one for the girls. Tables and chairs where bunched under two white canopies. A little time later dinner was eaten, fried chicken and potato salad.

More chairs where gathered around a small fire pit where most of us gathered to sit, while a couple of the boys decided it would be fun to jump in the freezing water at 9:00 at night. Time went by quickly, and before I knew it it was dark, and one of the guys had brought out his guitar and we all listened to him play. It was passed around to the couple others who could play, then at around 10:00 there was a small devotion, then we all sat around talking, waiting up for the last three people who wouldn't get there till around midnight. They arrived almost exactly at midnight, a boy and girl siblings and another girl. Then we where up for another hour before we all went to 'bed' [aka the ground :] in the tent. A few songs where sung, one of which was sung in a different language by a very talented singer :] After a few more giggle and "ssshh's" we all fell asleep.

The next morning some of the teens woke early and where up around the fire at around 6:00 am, myself included. We sat around talking, daring the three boys to do what they had said they would do, get up at six in the morning and jump in the river. [kudos the the ones who actually did it :] 

One by one the rest of the group crept out of their respective tents and bundled up by the fire, [it was cold that morning] As the sun steadily rose we ate breakfast and had another devotion, we sang four songs, all accompanied by a guitar and drum from the siblings who had arrived the previous night. 

When we where finished cleaning up the breakfast mess, everyone began getting ready for the kayaking trip that was planned. Around 9:00 everyone was ready and some rules where laid out, everyone grabbed a kayak, oar and kayaking partner and got into the water. I was in a three person kayak with two friends, [we laughingly dubbed ourselves the three musketeers, Vader, Einstein and Groovy :P :]

Pretty soon everyone was in the water, and we were on our way, it took D, E and I almost forty-five minutes to get the hang of our paddling system. Our kayaking trip was going to last about two and a half hours, but about thirty minutes till the end we grew tired of the difficulty of a three person kayak, and I switched with someone else onto a single person kayak, leaving my previous group in my wake. :P

We were on the water for almost three hours straight, I had never gotten sunburned in my entire life, but Saturday was memorable not only because of the amazing time I had, but also because it marked the very first time Dani Rains ever got sunburned :P [rubs arm cringing]

When we finally arrived at the outlet at the end of our trip we piled into three trucks and drove back to the camp site. Four of us did some exploring in the wooded area of the spot we were in, then we all walked up the hill to the woman's backyard where she was letting us use her pool. We spent almost an hour there until we all drifted back to the camp site to play some volleyball. After awhile [vader] and I went out to do some kayaking, we had some fun with that for about thirty minutes, but then the call of that amazing pool grew to be too much and five of us went back up to swim. [the river water being so cold it was just too unpleasant for any real swimming] we played Marco Polo and Shark and Minnows. Then we where given two water 'torpedoes' which we threw around and chased through the water, that was the second most fun part of the day for me, next to the kayaking trip.

Then we finally got out after about and hour and a half to go eat dinner, I had to leave at 8:00 that night, and it was about 7:00 when we finished eating. We played volleyball again for awhile, then one of the woman decided we where going to have a 'talent show' where everyone [adults included] had to participate, doing whatever silly, weird thing they could come up with. I thought I would get out of it seeing as how I had to leave in twenty minutes. But she started it early so I had to be in it before I left :)

I was third to last, doing something silly with another girl there. Then it was finally time for me to go, saying goodbye I looked back at all the people and the new friends I had made and thanked the Lord I was able to come. I had an amazing time, I now have many new memories, and wonderful and funny moments to look back on. I hope I will be able to do it again next year :)

Renewing old bonds

As we walked and talked, what where you thinking?

Close family friends unseen for many years, caused by a great distance between us, where finally reunited with us for a day. Smiles, hugs, joyful hellos all around. A mothers best friend for so many years finally seen again can cause one of the most happy smiles her daughter has ever seen come from her mother. it makes her feel happy and joyful for the opportunity. 




Contact via the internet can acquaint one with someone only so far, seeing them in person is a something entirely different. But an immediate hug can shatter your slightly nervous waiting-on-the-outskirts entirely :)
ten minutes of hugs and greetings and finally everyone gets inside, but that is simply a different environment for the talking and laughing to continue in.


After awhile tired and weary people drift off to bed, sleep is welcome. The next day more catching up and laughing, a morning walk with a new friend through the neighborhood. [my first without male company]
Finding much common ground and talking of our Salvation and the ways the Lord has worked in our lives, the morning went by in a flash of enjoyment and pleasure.
Thoughts drifted through my head, what does she think of me? Do I seem strange and unusual? Does she find me pleasurable company?


Not quite wanting to, we drift back home, crowded house full of chattering people.
The noise is that of happiness and biblical talking points, varying levels of voice pitch float through the house. Two of us find some quiet escape in ear budded music and email catching up :)


After the day has ended and everyone has quieted down a friend and I settle down for the journal/diary entry of the day. Contentedly listening to the strumming of the [very talented] guitar player. A smile raises to my lips, relishing and storing away the moment, having not experienced anything like it before.


It amazes me how after so many years the bond between two families can be renewed and strengthened as though not a single minute had passed. Parents joking and laughing about things in times past that remain wonderful memories and times of fellowship. I praise God for the opportunity I had to meet them all again [and a new one :] I was blessed with a day of memories, and I pray that we will all meet again in the future.


The bond of a friend and sister in Christ will last forever, unbreakable.

Memorial Day Memories

Memorial Day, a day of remembrance and thanks. Remembering the men and woman who give or gave their lives to keep thousands of people they don't even know safe and alive. And thanks to them all for doing it, I for one have a deep gratitude and respect for our troops.


Well, beside the remembrance part, Memorial Day for us is a large and happy event. And annual party that brings together up to fifty friends and family for a day filled with laughter, games and food.
Starting at 11:00 am. our party consists of various games scattered around the lawn of my pastors yard, (where the party is held, it is a very large backyard) there is a huge lunch and dessert later on as well.


On the porch are four jars varying in size and shape, each filled with a different kind of candy. At this game we have to write down how many pieces of candy we think are in each jar, whoever comes the closest gets the jar of candy. (my brother won two of them this year :)


When it is time for lunch everyone makes a couple lines. There is so many different things to choose from, potato salad, macaroni salad, watermelon, a fruit and whipped cream dish, chips and so many others. It was all amazing.  


The eating is done and the competitions haven't started yet, so Sarah and I get on the trampoline with a couple little girls, Kaya and Jo-Jo (a nickname) Those two girls are the sweetest things you could ever imagine. Both of them got a hang of jumping on the trampoline pretty quick. Squealing and smiling they said I was Bullseye, Sarah was Jessi, Kaya named herself Buzz Lightyear, and Jo-Jo was Woody. And that is how Jojo got a ride on my back, I mean, I was Bullseye after all ;)


After a few minutes of that we entertained them by pretending we where 'Gonna get you!!"
But when my back was turned both little girls tackled me from behind. I almost couldn't get up I was laughing so hard. I still smile and laugh at the memory of that thirty minutes playing with them. It is a special feeling knowing little kids and babies like you so much :)

Later on there is the balloon stomp, and the water balloon toss.
At the balloon stomp we have an order we go in, so first there is the younger children. Each with a fully blown balloon tied to their ankle, they all stand on the tarp spread out on the grass and wait for pastor to say go.
The point of this game is to stomp on everyone else's balloon and pop it. So after about three minutes of squealing, laughing and determined gusto, there is only two kids left. They both go after each other until finally we hear one last POP!! And the last kid standing is the winner of that age group. 
Next is the teens-twenties, then adults.


I being in the teens group do what I always do. I hop around staying out of the way until there is only me and a fully grown guy left on the mat. We circled each other for quite awhile trying to pop the others balloon, being the last girl standing I was getting a lot of cheering. But alas, a few minutes in, I backed up just too much, and the grass popped my balloon. He won, but most of us thought it wasn't quite fair seeing as how he didn't pop it. I will be back for redemption next year!!


The games are over and lunch is eaten, dessert finally makes it out and everyone is sitting and talking. Four of the men are in the farther part of the yard playing Horseshoes like they do every year, and the woman are all sitting around chatting and holding the newest addition of a friends family.


I got a lot of good pictures yesterday :) I think days like that are perfect memory and photo album makers ;)
Next to birthdays, Memorial Day is the most looked forward to event of the year, and I have so many years of memories on those days. It amazes me how many wonderful and happy memories can be made in six hours, and I am blessed with all the time I can spend with friends and family in Christ. 
My thoughts are filled with happiness, and the memories of the past with joy.


*God bless our troops

Market

Yesterday was the Thursday Night Market in downtown Chico.  (Now, I simply love going to these markets, there are so many things to enjoy or look at.)
As my mom and my Gramma and I waded through the sea of diverse people I could help but contemplate on the large variety of people out there that night.


Young teenage girls wearing almost nothing at all, others girls wearing things that I believed they believed made them look 'cool', but only made them look like they where trying too hard.


There where teenage guys, some wearing 'emo' style, others trying to look 'cool' and <personally> they where pulling it off rather well ;)
Some had long hair down or in ponytails, others short and spiked. It made me wonder what went through their mind when the ones with long hair put it up in a ponytail everyday.


And then there where the adults. Some where holding small children or walking with friends. Others where out alone, now as adults they looked rather normal, but it is impossible to be walking downtown in Chico and not see the oddball adult, and I did see a few! I walked down the stalls looking at the sweet, juicy red strawberries, I look around and see a woman holding a small child girl, smiling at her and kissing her cheek, to her right a man in a black suit with a bright red [bow]tie, long hair and boots. As I continue on on I notice a small group of teenage girls, one talking loudly and stringing the 'f' word into her sentence, I cringed at the word and felt sorry that someone barely older than me felt it necessary to use language like that.


We keep walking, and I keep watching all the people, the college students handing out flyers or pamphlets on some concert playing or a charity event. I am eager for the day a group of friends and I can come out here on a Thursday night and walk through all the stalls, looking at the homemade jewelry, pottery or even chairs.


We reach the corner of a block and of course, we just have to go into Powell's, the best 'old-times' candy store ever. There where over forty people crowded into the store, mom and Gramma stopped for some Gelato ice-cream and I went farther to the back to get a candy stick for my brother and sister. I also had to get a swirled lollipop for me. I am not usually a 'lollipop' kind of person, but it looked good and I wanted something sweet :) Finally after paying, we squeeze out through the crowds and move on.
We keep walking, then stop at a stall where my mom buys some kale, the English man working the stall calls her 'love' in his endearing accent. I grinned and mom smiled :)

We continued on, my mom and Gramma wanting to hurry, as they where getting tired. I wanted to walk the entire Market, but we had only come for vegetables. We had almost reached the end of the block we where walking along, we drew near to the park where I rock band was playing and hundreds of people mingled about going about whatever they had come that night for. I saw many boy and girl couples holding hands, some kissing. And I wondered if they had any idea of the risk they where taking together like that, did they even care? I couldn't help but wonder where the majority of these people where going.

I love going to the Markets, I love to see the produce, and I love watching the people. (You can tell a lot by what a person wears to places like these.) As we started to leave I wished again college wasn't a whole year away, I wanted to be one of the teenagers in these groups I saw walking about downtown. I do recognize the extra dangers going to college can present for a Christian, the temptations you can fall into. But I always pray that when the time comes that God will give me the strength to stand for what I believe, and to stay pure. I know the time will come when my faith is put to the test, and I will trust in the Lord to pull me through and be by my side always. I am still looking forward to college and the new and strange life it carries with it, but I am willing to wait. To let my faith grow stronger <and my brain ;P>


P.S: A very good special friend of mine {:)G} is going to college in a few months, and I want her to know she will always be in my prayers :)

Days like Today

Today I had the feeling I have been experiencing more often lately again.

I was out in Chico with my mom and Gramma, going on errands and perusing the Health Food Store. Listening to them talk about this and that, the ingredient in this brand over that brand, the cost of this type over that type. Smiling to myself, eager for the day I will stand by my mom and decide whether the cheaper price for the less healthy peanut butter is better than the higher price for the healthier stuff. Of course, I already do this, I am my mothers 'right hand gal' as she likes to call me. And I cherish this position. It's my personal job and responsibility, we talk about what to make for dinner, whether we should put this seasoning in or maybe this other one. We plan out shopping, if we need more carrots or more celery instead. And I love doing this with her, beside the special 'time' we get together, it makes me feel like I'm growing up even more. Where my mom trusts me and looks to me to help her decide something when it comes to our food, or what brand to get. You know, things like that.

I guess the way I would describe the feeling was a kind of desire, or longing. I longed to be the grown adult walking down the rows of food items with my mom and my own cart, looking at the ingredients on a bottle of syrup then setting it back in disgust when I see how much sweetener is in it. (yes mother, I blame you for making me notice that all the time!! I love you :)

I had the great desire to have my own paycheck. So I could be shopping for myself, choosing between two things that I need, consulting mom on which one I should get. Maybe I feel this way because I think it will make me even closer to mom, she's been teaching me so much. How to keep myself and others healthy, how to cook and season just right. I love learning all these things from her, she's teaching me how to be a mother. I think that is the perfect way to describe it, my mom is teaching me how to be a mom, and I love her for it.

I look to my mom as a figure that I wish to be someday, with my own family, my own husband and kids to take care of. Someone I can call on a bad day and talk to so she can make me feel better, or call when I'm just not quite sure about something. I want to be able to pass on this small promise of purity ring to my eldest daughter someday, and be able to make her understand what it means. And how it used to be her grandmothers before she gave it to me. I can't wait till the day where I can be home with all my kids and my mom is over, spoiling them like all grandmothers do :) Me standing in the kitchen remembering how I used to be the kid sitting there smiling at my Gramma.

Days like today make me realize what a great mom (and Gramma :) I have. I am blessed with a mother who cares about who I will be someday, who cares enough to teach me the things a good Christian mother should know. And I know, when I am married and have my own kids (if that is His will) I will always be able to count on my mom to be there. God really blessed me with someone like my mom, and I thank Him for her every day. I love you mom :)

Driving

Well, today is exiting, thrilling, amazing, humbling and scary all at the same time. Today I go to the DMV to get my permit so I can begin the driving process, finally, after years of waiting. I finally get the one thing almost all teenagers long for in their teen years. A license, well, what is so special about a small piece of plastic that is going to spend almost 99% of it's time in your wallet or purse? It's a sense of freedom, it's almost like the last step to adulthood, and you are finally deemed responsible enough to drive out on the open road. You can go places on your own you never would have been able to before, do errands for your mom, drive to school on your own. But with these few cool things you can do, you are also taking on a great responsibility, you are putting yourself and others at risk if you do not take this privilege seriously. I'm not sure whether I am more exited and ready for this new bit of road in life that has been opened to me, or more scared about what I may face on it. I have always been so ready to grow up, eager to go ahead to college, but annoyed I'm still stuck in the last years of High School, I have always wanted to be independent, to go out and drive around where I wanted to, or to go somewhere on my own. But now that I am almost 'grown up' I'm not sure if I'm ready, do I want to lose this last bit of the kid in me? Then I begin to go through the mental list of how being 'almost an adult' will help my mom and dad. When I need to go to work, I can drive, and mom won't have to take me every time. When mom needs a couple things from the grocery store, I can get them for her, she won't need to. Or when I need to go check in at all the places I applied for a job, she doesn't need to take the time to take me, I can do it myself. I am looking forward to all these things, I am happy I will be able to help my mom out in more ways than I already do. But the cons of growing up are also dangerous, I could cause an accident. Or hit someone crossing the road, no matter whose fault it would be. I could get hit by a car as well. I came to the conclusion that growing up and taking on new responsibilities is a good thing, I'm learning to be mature in new things. And that almost all things I will begin to do in the next two years will all have cons, or some kind of danger. There is a danger in everything we do, to some degree. And maturing and growing up is all a part of life. I am ready to do this, and I can always count on having a solid rock at my side, always there watching over me, keeping me safe if that is His will. Or involving me in something that may get me hurt or someone else. To teach me a lesson, or to test my faith in Him, or even to save someone else through me. I don't know what life is going to bring with my being able to drive, I don't know what is in store for me, or what may come of all this. But I am ready, and no matter what happens, good or bad. I will always trust in my Savior.

Our Little Adventure

This has been a very eventful day and morning. Well, to begin my story; we are all <as in my family> sitting in our living room watching TV, the time reads 9:45 pm, and suddenly my dad gets a call. Not good. Well, it turns out Cal-Trans needed a new water pump to replace the one that had broken down, though they described it as 'exploding'. So they needed a new one. Now. And would you care to hazard a guess where they needed this water pump? For those of you who didn't guess correctly, it was in San Jose, down below San Francisco. Four hours away.


Well, I volunteered to go with my dad to keep him company and awake. I am glad I did, but the story is only beginning.........first we start out going down to his work place and hooking up the new water pump to the hitch on his truck. Then we climb in and off we go, (mind you that it is now 10:00 at night) we are tooling along at a pretty good pace considering we have a 1,000 ib. pump trailing the truck. We're singing to our songs, making annoyed remarks at the stupid drivers on the road, and making up words to a Sugarland song. Finally we get all the way down to San Jose at around fifteen after 1:00 in the morning. So it's back up, turn here, turn there, back up again, and finally we have the new one positioned correctly and we again, back up, and hitch up the busted one. Then my dad walks down to the Cal-Trans workers to see where they needed him to leave from, (the freeway traffic had to be cut off for the time it took to do all this) I am in the truck sitting....sitting.......fidgeting.....squirming........sitting, for thirty minutes I do this, while waiting for dad to come back up to the truck. Well, a little more than thirty minutes later he does, and tells me that the workers can't get the thing to suck in the water. They needed it to do this because of flooding that was a risk to the road.

And so the Cal-Trans guys didn't want us leaving yet until they got it working, so we wait some more. Dad goes back down to see if he can help, but another fifteen or twenty minutes later he comes back and says we can go. But they still haven't got it to work right. And they didn't see a reason to keep us there any longer, so off we go on our four hour drive home. It is now 2:48.

We were both rather hungry and needed some coffee, so we stopped off an exit about five minutes away from our previous position. There were two gas stations and two fast food joints, all, of which were closed. Slightly annoyed we leave and get off at another exit, where we find some more gas stations and a McDonalds, these too are closed. Now really annoyed and joking about how it just 'wasn't meant to be' we go to yet another exit where we find....yes, more closed gas stations and fast food joints. So finally, almost steaming and needing a bathroom and a good hot cup o' joe, we make it  to another exit, were we find an am-pm, delighted to find it open, (with a bathroom) and four different selections of steaming hot coffee. So getting our coffees( I must say, that was a good cup of joe) we picked up a snack, sweet tarts for him, butterfinger for me.

Now we are finally back on the road after getting gas, for the truck and us. It is now 3:40 am, and we are enjoying ourselves. The roads are almost empty and the city lights are twinkling like a sea of stars, it's quiet and we're sitting comfortably in it. But remember, coffee doesn't last forever, neither does caffeine. So about an hour later dad is dead tired, and still hours to go. It isn't easy for him, since he was up by 6:00 am the day before and hadn't slept since, I am also very tired, so it wasn't a simple task trying to keep him awake and alert. (much to my unhappiness) There really wasn't anything I could do to help, beside starting to sing, and I'm afraid that would have done more damage than good...................

So now it's about 5:23 and we only have about forty-five minutes to go till home sweet home. But dad gets a call saying that they never got the pump to work right, they said they stepped to the left, stepped to the right, turned around and did the hokey poky. But that didn't work either, not sure yet how it all will turn out. And finally, we get home at 6:00. But six is when dad has to go to work, so he had to drop me off at home and go straight to work. I would have had to get up two hours later anyway, so I never went to bed, if I had I would have been a zombie all day. So here I am writing this all down because I though it would make an amusing story. I can hear the house quietly and slowly waking, the birds are beginning to sing, Hannah is rustling under her covers and Ben is shifting. The cats are playing and the sun has begun to rise over the hills. 

The Dude in the Demo

Does the title confuse you? Well, it may confuse you, but it amuses me :)

Once a year, our Home-school Group, gets together in April for a Progressive Dinner. Ages 14+, now two weeks before the dinner we have an Etiquette Class, where all the Dinner attendees must must learn how to be lady-like and gentlemanly. Now at this class two people have to volunteer for the 'demo', so an 'acquaintance' of mine<yes I'm talking about you my G.> volunteered to play the girl <yes she is a female!!> And volunteered yours truly to play the dude. Now do you understand the title? I bet you do. So now on Friday I will be acting like a dude for the entire class as I demonstrate how the guys must act and treat the ladies of our group.

Now, of course, I have no problem helping out! No, I enjoy helping in any way I can. But as you can see, I am a girl playing a dude. You can tell how I may have.........how shall I put it......concerns.... in all this. But strange as it may sound, I am looking forward to it!!! I know, you are thinking, "OK, she is officially weird" And I of course understand your sentiments, you are not the only concerned one here my friend. Well, I get to dress up in my jeans and a button up shirt, and I may even wear my brothers fedora :) 

And I believe the most fun I will have is acting like a 'gentleman' to my best friend!!!!!! And I will of course, live up to my reputation and act like a goof-ball the entire time. Silly faces behind her back, bunny ears when she's not looking. Oh dear, I just realized she reads my blog, hehehe, well, she'd do the same!! :P