Guess What!?!

So it's been a while. Ok, yeah, not a while while, but long enough for it to seem like a while. :P Where have I been? Well, I have some news.

First of all, we went to DC! WASHINGTON DC. Yes, the capital! And it was really fun. ;) I'll be posting tons of pictures up soon, probably day by day so that the post won't be too long. It was kind of like a mini-vacation. A fun, four day trip. Starting on Saturday and ending today. We did so much. We've been there before, but that was years ago. So this year we went to the places we never got to (except we went to 1 of the same...). Again, pictures (lots) coming soon. ;)

Second of all, the news I got while we were there. I GOT INTO YOUTH ORCHESTRA! I don't know what to think. I'm excited, yes, but I'm a little scared. Because I know it'll be really hard. But still, I'm excited. Thanks for the prayers for the audition. They must've helped. :D

So. Be back soon and see ya later!

Saturday Morning Daybook

*this post was written Friday night, but not posted till Sat. morning*

hosted by Jo March

Date...May 27, 2011

Starting time...7:58 PM

Mood...happy, excited, ecstatic...

Outside my window...It's wet and dreary. It thunderstormed (that's not a word!?) today...

I'm thinking...about this weekend and about how I'M DONE WITH SCHOOL! (except for my end-of-the-year testing...still have that to look forward to.)

I'm currently reading...Strength and Glory by T. Elizabeth Renich

I'm listening to...Josie singing "Where is my Hairbrush?" from Veggie Tales...who knows why...

I'm wearing...Striped gray, purple, orange, and pink shirt with jeans (yes, even though it's hot. I'm in pretty desperate need of shorts. :P).

I'm looking forward to...the weekend! (more on that later)

I'm hoping...that I don't get too desperately hot

Yesterday, I...finished Math, saw some friends (you know who you are), and...went to swim practice

I'm hungry for...not much. Just had dinner.

The song stuck inside my head is...Your Great Name by Natalie Grant

I love...hmm...summer! A couple bad things about it, but lots of it is nice.

I loathe...when summer comes and you have barely any short pants. They're SO HARD to find these days! They're either too short (for me) or they don't fit right...ugh...

This week, my goal is...To post up pictures soon! You can tell me if I succeed.

Did I meet last week's goal?...well, I don't know of I did my best, but it was...OK. Not great, not terrible--OK. We'll see. At least I can be in Evans if I don't get in...

Ending time...8:05 PM

A talent that (must) run in the family...

So most of us are pretty musical around here...

But who knew that he would start so soon?

That's talent right there. ;)

P. S. My audition is TOMORROW. Please be praying that I'll do my best! I'm...uhh...kind of nervous, so...uhh...yeah. PLEASE PRAY. Thanks! ;)

P. P. S. Swim team started yesterday! Not much to post up yet, but soon the meets will be starting and stuff, so...(well, not exactly *soon*, but...)

What was that about the world ending?

So now it's May 23, and we're all still alive. Hmm...

Supposedly on Saturday we were supposed to have been taken up into Heaven, earthquakes were supposed to caused lots of destruction, and disaster was supposed to be all over. But it didn't happen. And the sad thing is, people are now blaming this on Christians in general.

Uhh...where does it say that? I thought that it said that "but about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." And now people are claiming to have a SET DAY and a SET TIME that the world will end? Do I believe it? Definitely not. And since nothing happened, I feel bad for those people that sold everything and stuff, because they thought that the end of the world was coming.

So now I've heard that there's a new prediction from some people: October 21, 2011. Supposedly that would be because only some people were taken up on Saturday, and the world will actually end in October. Hmm...sorry, guys. Don't believe the Bible says that anywhere. In fact, I was inclined to think that it said that no one knows when it'll end...

So we'll just have to wait here God until HE--not anyone else--decides that it's time for the world to end. And in the meantime, we can do what we were made for. We can glorify Him. ;)

Saturday Morning Daybook

hosted by Jo March @ scraps

Date...May 21, 2011

Starting time...8:27 AM

Mood...tired, ready for tomorrow

Outside my window...sunny, blue skies, flowers out

I'm thinking...about Bubble Down

I'm currently reading...Not Without Courage by T. Elizabeth Renich

I'm listening to...music

I'm wearing...Gators shirt, athletic short things (gab's)

I'm looking forward to...tomorrow!

I'm hoping...that I don't get to hot today...

Yesterday, I...sang and played at the co-op performance thing...

I'm hungry for...ANYTHING. I'm so hungry...

The song stuck inside my head is...Deer in the Headlights by Owl City. He just added the vocals on his site yesterday...and it'll be coming out as a single on Monday.

I love...music. ;)

I loathe...when I get so hot I feel dizzy and stuff.

This week, my goal is...to do my BEST on my audition. It's on Wednesday. I'll tell y'all how it goes...please be praying!

Did I meet last week's goal?...Well, I did work hard on my viola stuff. But, sorry to say, my epic still isn't done. :P

Ending time...8:32 AM

Epic?

So I've told y'all I've been working on an epic. Want to know what an epic is? Or at least what Mrs. G. defines one as? Here:

Remember the epic characteristics:

1. The hero is a figure of national importance.
2. The action involves a long and dangerous journey.
3. The setting of an epic is large in scale.
4. Supernatural beings and events play a role in epic affairs.
5. The style of an epic is formal and grand. (not required)
6. The action of an epic starts in the middle of things, rather than at the true beginning of the story.
7. Epics assign short phrases (epithets) to individual characters.
8. Epics usually contain 24 books or parts. (Your epic/story does not have to be 24 chapters long. You have a 2-page minimum. Yippee!)
9. Be creative. Use Greek gods and goddesses (mythological) or angels and demons (spiritual warfare).
10. Include dialogue.

Ok, so that's Mrs. G's definition. Doesn't sound too hard, does it? Uhh...well...for some reason it's a lot harder then it looks--for me. Right now I have a whole folder for epics:

And inside that folder are 8 documents...all of them at least a little different. It's getting kind of scary.

And that's not even counting the other ones I've started/deleted/written beginnings for! Get this: we've been working on this for 3 weeks now...and I just started a new one yesterday. I'm really starting to freak myself out. ;) Mom says she just wishes these epics were done.

If you have any suggestions for epics, you can comment and tell me what you think would make a great story. :P

P. S. Did I forget to mention that I'll have to read this in class!?! Why, oh why...

Radiance Giveaway at By The Way

Come and join Nana at By the Way in her giveaway! It's gonna be tons of fun...

So here's the question for Week 1:

When did you first give your life to Jesus? How did He reach out to you? What was your first response?

Ok...umm...quite complicated question. ;) I think I was...4 maybe (?) when I "invited Jesus into my heart". But since then, I've changed. I'm a new person; I'm Catholic; and I believe different things now. I couldn't say there's an official time and hour that I gave my life to Jesus. But since I became Catholic and really started to understand my faith, I think I've been a lot closer to Him.

How did he reach out to me...hmm...well, I think He, first of all, comforted me. I was at a point in my life where I knew my old church super well, had a lot of friends there, and most definitely didn't want to change churches. It was really hard. But he helped me through it, and now I'm so glad we did it.

I think I just started getting excited. I had kind of 'known' what I was supposed to believe before, but once we converted I started actually realizing the truth my new faith had. I actually believed instead of just knowing what to believe. Because then I understood why what I believed was true. I could have 'proof' for my beliefs.

We've gone back to that year a lot, thanking God that we converted when we did. Because we needed our strong faith for that next summer, and the following year. Because, some of you will remember, just 10 months afterwards, Opa fell, was hospitalized, and died. Then Aunt Monica, Dad, and I all had surgery in the course of 4 months...it was just a mess.

So...yeah. Told ya it was complicated. :P

My Dear Friends...

I've been thinking a lot...and I mean A WHOLE lot about my friends lately. Whether it's blog posts, emails, or just events coming up, all of it seems to point to me and say YOU ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE THE FRIENDS YOU HAVE. And I agree, of course. Friendship is so easy to take for granted...sometimes you just don't think about how thankful you should be. So I thought I'd start posting a little about my friends once in a while. Not just people that I meet one day and call them a friend the next...no, I meant the people that I've known forever and love to spend time with (but you'll find that there's more then one person I'd class with my good friends that I've never met. :P)

So here it goes. I'll tell you why I love them and why I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. I'm gonna take 1 person at a time...but I'll ask you before I post picture of you. ;) (unless you're my sister...she doesn't get a warning. :P)

You're welcome to join me in this...I'd love it if you did. All I'm doing is asking myself a couple questions about my friends.

So today's about Gab. Y'all know her--my best friend, oldest sister, and beautiful young

lady.

What makes this friend so very special to you?

Everything. ;) She someone I can talk to a lot; she shares a bunch of my frustrations; and she understands me fairly well.

What’s your favorite thing about this person?

Hmm...probably just that we're so close. A ton of families nowadays have sibling rivalry problems and stuff...but ours isn't that way. Gab and I often squished together in stuff--like, at lot of stuff. We're thought of as twins also...which I think is kind of crazy, since we really don't look like each other that much.

If you could go anywhere, what specific place would you take this friend with you to?

Hmm...probably Rome. We'd go and visit ancient landmarks, see the Pope, stuff like that. But then I'd also like to go to Madrid with her for World Youth day...;)

So...

Thank You, Gab, for being my Best Friend. ;)

Saturday Morning Daybook

hosted by Jo March@Scraps From My Workbasket

Date...May 14, 2011

Starting time...10:00 AM (yes! It's morning!)

Mood...happy, a little tired, a little...I don't know...

Outside my window...It's not a super happy morning. It's kind of gray. :(

I'm thinking...about Mom and Dad...

I'm currently reading...Not Without Courage by T. Elizabeth Renich...and then all my history reading

I'm listening to...Josie playing I'd Do Anything for You from Oliver on the piano

I'm wearing...Jeans :P, blue blouse...

I'm looking forward to...NEXT WEEK. It'll mean: last day of co-op, get to see friends we don't see often TWICE! And it'll mean that school's really nearly done.

I'm hoping...that I get some history reading done today

Yesterday, I...watched National Treasure (it was really good! I'm not a huge fan of movies that have...too much...action, and this one had a lot of spy stuff, but it was really good. Might have a review...we'll see), had a viola lesson, and worked on my epic.

I'm hungry for...just ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast; they were good.

The song stuck inside my head is...I'd Do Anything for You (I don't know if there's a "dear" on the end or not...)

I love...icing that's made RIGHT. If it's not, I don't like it.

I loathe...getting sticky from icing. :P

This week, my goal is...work really hard on my viola stuff and finish my epic.

Did I meet last week's goal?...didn't do this last week...

Ending time...10:07 AM

Our Lady of Fatima...

Today's the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima!

For those that don't know what that is...

The story of Fatima is about three children: Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta

They have a vision of Our Lady...and nobody believes them. So they kind of get in trouble.

They're supposed to meet with Mary every month. And everyone's mad at them...especially the government.

Still nobody believes them, so they ask the lady for a sign. And she says that she'll give one in October...

Well, October comes and all the parents and friends and people don't believe that a sign will actually happen. A ton of people make a pilgrimage to where the three children said they met with Our Lady. And she gives them a sign.

First, the sun gets bigger and bigger and looks like it's dropping down to earth. People thought the end of the world was coming. And also, the rain stopped and everyone's clothes were dry.

Later on, Jacinta dies from a disease or something...Lucia lives the longest and becomes a nun. I think she died a couple years ago. I'm not really sure.

(P. S. I'm doing this from memory, so all my facts may not be completely right. :P)

But anyway...if you want to know more about it, but don't want to read a book on it, they made a movie in 2009. Here's the trailer:

Happy Feast Day!

Who can possibly resist?

Need I say more?

Happy Mothers' Day!

Happy Mothers' Day to all you moms out there! (though there are probably very few that are reading this...:P)

LOVE YOU, MOM!

P. S. This is also Mom and Dad's anniversary! 18 years! WOW. ;)

So...what now?

It's on the news everywhere: Osama bin Laden is dead! He's dead! Rejoice and be happy!

In the NY Times Pres. Obama says that "justice has been done". The article also says...

The news touched off an extraordinary outpouring of emotion as crowds gathered outside

the White House, in Times Square and at the ground zero site, waving American flags,

cheering, shouting, laughing and chanting, “U.S.A., U.S.A.!” In New York City, crowds

sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Throughout downtown Washington, drivers honked

horns deep into the night.

Wow. That's a lot of celebration just 'cause America killed someone.

All over I'm hearing/seeing stuff...from suggestions that yesterday should be a national holiday to people celebrating joyfully that Al-Qaeda's sought after leader is finally dead.

And I'm left standing here wondering what to think. Yes, I know this guy was cruel. He was a killer. I know that. But then I'm left to think, What would Jesus do? Would he have rejoiced that America finally has "justice"? Would he have declared the the death of a man is cause for celebration? A what happened to love your enemies as yourself?

There's such thing as 'righteous anger'. I think that the US had reason to be mad with Osama bin Laden...but I don't know if killing him is justice.

I guess killing him is the only way to save others from being killed by him...but still. I don't know.

Don't get me wrong: I know full well that this guy was NOT a good guy. I'm not trying to defend him or anything. I'm just suggesting something...

So...what do you think?