Return of the Writer

I had completely forgotten about this blog! Amazing how insane life can get sometimes. Not that I'm complaining - this has been a great year!! I haven't been bored, that's for sure. And so much has changed. It makes me a little sad, thinking about what things used to be like, or how things are going to change even more. I suppose that's what senior year is like. What an adventure life is; I can't wait to see where it takes me!
I think I'll try, once again, to stay on top of writing on here! Sometimes a wordsmith needs a way to let off some steam, or share a fun moment. And this is definitely a better outlet than Facebook for it.  =P

Fabulous 50's

Sock hops. Elvis. Silly Putty. Peanuts. Cinderella. Smokey the Bear. I Love Lucy. Mr. Potato Head. 3-D movies. James Bond. Saran Wrap. Lord of the Rings. "Under God". Yahtzee. Marilyn Monroe. Jif peanut butter. Wizard of Oz. Doctor Suess. Denny's. Poodle skirts. Yo-yo's.


Oh, so much came from the 50's! I'm excited because in history we're doing a project on different decades, andI got the 50's. It should be a lot of fun!! Just looking up some of these things... made me realize that this is one interesting decade. =)
Can't wait to get started!

Tickle the Furniture!

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, just for good measure -- little kids are the greatest.
Last night I was babysitting four kids - a 4th grader, a 2nd grader, a kindie (the only boy), and a 4 year old. They are some of the coolest kids ever, and I absolutely love babysitting them. At one point, I was dancing with the littlest girl when she suddenly sat down and just stared at me. So I asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like dancing?" After thinking for a second, she said, "No! Well... only with TobyMac." I about died. Later that night, we were watching a movie. The little boy was half asleep in my lap, and the two younger girls were "fixing" my hair that had been through a brutal game of Simon says. I ended up with a flower clip on the top of my head, and one ponytail holding only a small part of my hair. And the two girls were so proud of their masterpiece!
There are so many stories I could tell about these kids, but I don't think I have enough room here. ;)
Really, there is nothing that makes my heart happier than innocent little kids who really love life. I think I have a lot I can learn from them.

2011, Here We Come!

Can you believe it's a new year? I feel like every year is just going by faster and faster. I don't know what this year holds, but I can't wait to see. Maybe dreams will come true, or maybe there will be tough times. Maybe both. But through all of it, I know I can count on my friends and family to continue supporting me, as I do the same for them. 
2011? Could be just another year, passing us by. Or it could be extraordinary. I don't know about you, but I'd definitely prefer having something to remember from this year. Forget New Year's resolutions - who actually succeeds in keeping them anyway? Here's just one: 


Be Magnificent.  


[Yes, I stole this. But I think it's fitting, don't you?]


Happy New Year!!!! God Bless!!

I Had My Bellybutton Surgically Removed

So my family has a "game" of sorts, where we'll randomly poke each other in the stomach, and if we hit the bellybutton, it's like extra points. My sister and I were playing with our cousins, and a poking war began, mostly the other three girls against me. When I tried poking one of my cousins' bellybutton though, she turned to me and stated: "I don't have a bellybutton. I had surgery and got it removed."
I love the way kids think. They really do say the darndest things.

Rock-A-Bye Baby

I just love having a baby fall asleep while I'm holding them. It's so relaxing, having them snuggle into you. Of course, it's also a real workout. Especially if the little darling will fuss the second you sit down or try to put them in their crib.
The baby girl I just babysat loves to be held. And she loves to be moving while you're holding her. So I was walking around the house and talking to her. No, I'm not completely crazy - she was talking to me too. She's actually very talkative and was able to hold up her end of the conversation with a lot of "hey"s and some mostly incoherent babbling. It was really, really fun. Until she started getting super tired. Then she went completely rag doll on me, flopping all over the place. So I got to keep walking around, trying to keep her from flipping over in my arms, and not being able to stop or sit down. But even though it was tiring, I loved it. Every time she thought I was going to put her down, she grabbed me as tight and she could and cuddled her face into me.
It helps that I'm a major pushover when it comes to really little kids. =)

Following Our True Leader

Today at church there was a very interesting message that's completely relevant to today. It really made me think, so I thought I'd share.

Pretend you're playing follow the leader. Are you going to follow the leader and flap your wings like they are?

Or are you going to sit in a recliner, saying "I'm flapping my wings in my heart."?

Now pretend you're playing Simon says. When Simon says "Go clean your room," are you going to come back and say "I memorized what you said. I'm even going to have some friends over and we're going to study what it would be like to clean my room."?

You can laugh, but follow the leader and simon says are a lot like listening to God. You can't just act in your heart, or memorize what He says. You need to do what He says, and follow His will.