Merry Christmas

Another Christmas has come. We're heading up to the family farm in an hour or so. I'm savoring my last few moments of peace before entering the hubbub and craziness of my family and the 5 gaming systems that my cousins got for Christmas. Not to mention the 6 dogs and extended family....this will be crazy. Anyway, I wanted to wish all of y'all a Merry Christmas, and leave you with the lyrics to one of my new favorite Christmas songs.

The ending of December 1943
Somewhere in the forest
The snow was three feet deep
Two allied soldiers walking
Trying not to freeze
Far from home on Christmas Eve

A cabin with the light on
Brought them to its door
A woman said, "In my home
You can't bring in your war
So leave your rifles outside
Up against a tree
There's peace on Earth on Christmas Eve"

And they sat by the fire and they talked all night long
Sang Christmas hymns and showed pictures of home
In the middle of a great war it's so hard to believe
There's peace on Earth on Christmas Eve

Later in the evening, footsteps in the night
Two German soldiers freezing
The woman went outside
"You're welcome here in my home
But your guns will never be
There's peace on Earth on Christmas Eve"

The soldiers all were frightened
When they stood face to face
The woman said, "You're brothers
Part of the human race
Tonight we're all just family
And we'll get down on our knees
And praise His name on Christmas Eve"

And they sat by the fire and the talked all night long
Sang Christmas hymns and showed pictures of home
In the middle of a great war, bitter enemies
Found peace on Earth on Christmas Eve

Early that next morning
They went their separate ways
Shook hands and hugged that woman
There on Christmas Day

My cousins

So according to Julie, my blogging assignment is to introduce you to my cousins, so you actually know who I'm referring to half the time. :P The first 9 are on my mom's side, and the last 3 are on my dad's side.

1: Tyler (18). Tyler is pretty much my big brother. He's been there for me for my entire life, protected me, watched out for me...he's even covered for me to keep me out of trouble (it didn't work, but still). Sure, we've had some arguments, but I will always cherish my relationship with Ty-Ty. Tyler's the first one of the cousins to go to college, and he's a happy freshman at UVA.

2: Brian (16). Brian is my wonderful, sweet autistic cousin. I absolutely love this boy, and if you ever think of making fun of him, you will no longer be considered my friend. I have before and will again beat anyone up who so much as considers picking on him. He's not always perfect, but he tries his hardest.

3: Richard (15). Richard and I have an interesting relationship. As much as he gets on my nerves a lot, I can't imagine life without this boisterous, crazy boy. There is no way I can ever get cocky when he's around, that's for sure. :) I can't wait to see your truck!

4: Matthew (15). Matthew is my favorite farm boy ever!!! He's been racing go-carts lately and is quite good at it! We've had many, many fun experiences together. He and his sister just got 2 adorable beagle puppies, Dixie and Daisy (both girls). They are sooooooo precious!

5: Emily (13). Finally, we come to one of the girls!!! :) Emily is really 12 (haha 'grandpa') (j/k) and totally rocks!! ;) I can't even explain most of our inside jokes, but among them are the boys in speedo's with six-packs, She's got that sparkle again, and there is a cute little asparagus, no? I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. She is also the best softball pitcher ever!!!

6: William (12). William...wow, this boy is awesome! He is always patient with me, even when I don't quite understand how to play Halo 3. :) My 1st marriage proposal came from him when I was 7 (don't tell him I told you that, though). His house is incredible, and Shadow dog is the cutest, sweetest dog ever!

7: Mary Katherine (12). Mary Katherine and I look sooo incredibly similar. In fact, people often confuse us for sisters. I'm not sure if we've been called twins yet, but since we are about the same height, I wouldn't be surprised. MK is a swimmer, and is also probably one of the smartest members of our cousinship.

8: Stuart (10). Stewie is the most imaginative and creative one of us. He is forever making up a story or "playing with his imagination". His dream in life is to grow up and become a movie producer. He is also the funniest one of us, in fact we are always laughing at Stuart's latest comments when we get together.

9: David (9). AH, and we come to the not-so-little baby of the family! David probably wouldn't appreciate me calling him that, but he's so sweet that I can't resist. Even though he's almost taller than me, he will forever be my little cuddle buddy. Plus, who can resist a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, handsome fellow? :)

Now to my Dad's side:

1: John (20 something) John's my sorta-half cousin. I haven't seen him since I was little, but he's still totally awesome and is aways included in my cousin lists. :P

2: Ariadne (2). Addie is my little sweetheart, who is pretty much like my baby sister. She's the cousin who lives the closest, and as a result, I get to babysit her at least once a week. She's soooo incredibly gorgeous, too!!

3: Cousin #3. My 3rd cousin, Addie's baby sister or brother, hasn't been born yet. He/she is due the week of my graduation, and will be welcomed with lots of hugs and kisses.

And there you have it. All of my 1st cousins. :P

I know, another quiz, but...

I said I had a quiz fetish...something about how much time it takes to fill out something so worthless is great. :P

About YOU:
Do you have a lot of friends? sure
Do you like your family? totally
What kind of music do you like? Pretty much everything except rap and hard rock
Would you ever run for president? um...no
Is there a song lyric that you think reflects your life? "Miracle of the Moment"

Just Random
What color is your tooth brush? Green and white
Were you anti-boy bands back in the day? it really never mattered
What type of survey questions do you hate? dumb ones
Is there anything that you need to have all of the time? my cellphone, Bible, and computer.
What kind of shampoo do you use? I use several kinds.
Conditioner? See above.
Do you feel guilty easily? somewhat, yeah/
Do you constantly think someone is mad at you? Not unless I have a valid reason to think that.
Are you bossy? sometimes.
If your father was your age and not your father, would you be friends? um....we might be...he was apparently a little wild as a teen.
Are you involved in school activites? haha...does TCC count?
What's your family situation? huge Southern family.
What color shirt are you wearing? grey

When's the last time you..
Brushed your teeth? this morning.
Listened to a rap song? yesterday (while doing Crank That (soulja boy))
Listened to a rock song? today
Went out to eat? Chickfila on Halloween night.
Got a phone call? last night
Made a phone call? Yesterday just after physics class.
Skipped school? not intentionally...but according to Chad, missing class last week for vacation was as bad as skipping.
Felt guilty? This week.
Went swimming? July
Went shopping? last Sunday
Got a 100 on a test? Yesterday.
Were insulted? Two days ago.

Have you ever..
Smoked? no.
Drank? not really. I've had alcohol before, but never much.
Sworn? yeah...not totally proud of that...
Lied? yes.
Cheated? maybe on a test when I was little, but other than that, no.
Ran away from home? no.
Left a party/"get-together" because you felt uncomfortable? no.
Questioned your existence? not really...I like existence.
Been on a cruise ship? nope.

School
Where do you go to school? I am a proud home schooler. :P
School colors? overrated.
When do you have lunch? whenever
Who sits next to you in english class? Amanda
Do you take a foriegn language class? French 3
Do you hate school? no
Would/have you ever dropped out? no way.
Where's your locker? don't gots one
What's the best thing about school? learning..seriously, and friends
The worst? homework and stress (oh and drama...don't forget drama)

More Random Questions
Have you ever been insulted by a stranger? probably
Do you make plans around your TV schedule? no
What color is your alarm clock? purple (matches my room)
Do you enjoy cooking? yeah.
Have you ever tried to start a hot new phrase on your own? no...
Would you want to write a book? Totally!!!!
Do you think the 80s will come back? I hope the fashion doesn't.....

Movies
Have you ever seen Star Wars: Episode II? Yep.
Chicken Little? I have no idea.
Did Dodgeball have a point? never seen it.
What did you think of the ending of Coyote Ugly? never seen it.
Favorite movie sequel? Bourne Supremacy
Worst movie ever? Pirates trilogy...all of them.

MORE random questions!
Do you have a MySpace?! used to, but nope.
Online journal? yeah but I don't use it
Niece/nephew? do I have one? no
Do you have a cell phone? haha, ja
Do you know all the words to "American Pie? no....but a lot of 'em
Do you enjoy taking internet quizzes that tell you about your personality? if i feel like it
Do you know what a nimphophobiac is? nope.
Do you believe in God? yes. Definitely
What kind of dressing do you use for your salad? ranch or Italian !
Blue or black ink? black
Ever written a love note? don't think so...
Do you call people strange things? haha sometimes.
Do you go to church? yes
Did you have a kite as a kid? yeaha...lol

40 Secrets About Yourself

Ok, so I should probably be doing homework, but since I have a quiz fetish, I thought I'd post this one. :)

40 Secrets About Yourself.
Be honest no matter what.

One. Have you ever been asked out?
Yes (haha...Liz, you know what I'm talking about)

Two. Where was your default picture taken?
Don't have one on here.

Three. What is your middle name?
Elizabeth

Four. Your current relationship status??
Single

Five. Does your crush like you back?
ooh the mystery...maybe, who knows?

Six. What is your current mood?
Somewhere between euphorically happy and depressingly sad

Seven. What color pants are you wearing?
pajamas

Eight. What color shirt are you wearing?
Navy (CWIS '05 shirt)

Nine. What is your favorite thing to do?
I LOVE to skate.act, read a really good book

Ten. If you could go back in time and change something, would you?
Yes. Definitely yes.

Eleven. If you must be an animal for one day, what would you be?
Dolphin

Twelve. Ever had a near death experience?
Yes, I have, actually.

Thirteen. Something you do a lot?
read

Fourteen. What do you want to be when you get older?
either teach high school English or join the FBI

Fifteen. Who did you copy and paste this from?
Sasha

Sixteen. Name someone with the same birthday as you?
JaJa, Katie

Seventeen. When was the last time you cried?
last night

Nineteen. If you could have one super power what would it be?
to read others minds

Twenty. What's the first thing you notice about the opposite/same sex?
height, eyes, hair

Twenty-one. What do you usually order from starbucks?
Haha, ben!! :P My favorite Caramel Mocha Latte.

Twenty-two. What's your biggest secret?
nothing I'd want to blurt out onto the internet...

Twenty-three. Favorite color?
lavender, pink, and green.

Twenty-five. Do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows?
of course! I love Disney movies(the old ones. And Disney shows...

Twenty-six. What are you eating or drinking at the moment?
sucking on a cough drop

Twenty-eight. What's your favorite smell?
Fresh Roses, Rain

Twenty-nine. Describe your life in one word what it be?
Confuzzled.

Thirty-one. Have you ever kissed in the rain?
no...though that would be pretty cool

Thirty-two. What are you thinking about right now?
This insane lab that my "wickedly-cool physics professor" assigned

Thirty-three. What should you be doing right now?
Writing an essay or doing French homework

Thirty-four. Who was the last person that made you upset/angry?
I don't want to talk about it.

Thirty-five. Why are you doing this?
Because I don't want to do homework. :)

Thirty-six. Do you like working in the yard?
It's alright, I guess

Thirty-seven. If you could have any last name in the world, what would it be?
I like mine...or a certain guy's.

Thirty-eight. Do you act differently around the person you like?
I try not to. I really don't like fakes.

Thirty-nine. What is your natural hair color?
blonde (though some say it's red)

Forty. What did you think about this survey?
Totally random. :P

Converge

I don't know if y'all have plans for Saturday night around 7:00pm - 9:00pm, but if not, I would highly suggest something. Whether I end up going depends on how exhausted I am after taking SAT's on Saturday, but I'm definitely going if I'm not. There's this thing at Colonial Baptist called Converge. According to the guy who invited me: "For everyone who does not know what Converge is, Converge is a time every month where students come together and are encouraged, by things like worship (which is the main focus) through testimonies of other fellow students and prayer, its basically a time for students to come and be encouraged in their walk with Christ!!! its a really awesome time, that is COMPLETELY student led!!!" So, if y'all are bored or something and want to come, call my cell and let me know!!

Random CWIS quotes

So I'm going through my CWIS notes trying to clean up some stuff, and I found a TON of CWIS quotes. These are pretty awesome, and by far the most random in the history of CWIS. Brianna, you are probably the only one that will get most of these....since most of them came from the infamous press conference and our notes. :P

"My brain hurts!"
"Was Scooter Libby convicted?" "I don't know...was he?" "I'm asking you: Was he? "Was he?" "That's right, was he?" "Was he?" "Was he or was he not?" "Um......" "It's not that hard...yes, no, or maybe!!"
"God bless the Aide-De-Camps!!"
"I am so confused"
"I was going to say 'so far, so good', but...."
"Graham's Jeopardy music set an appropriate setting for the evening."
"How long have we been here?" "Forever and Always!"
"Senator three under par"
"What part of this bill DO you oppose?" "Huh?"
"Kids are interested in medicine???"
"It's non-permanent."
"Does that include body waxing?" "Oh gosh, no!"
"One of us is a senator from Texas." "Thanks for clarifying that."
"I actually haven't said this yet."
"You could practically go out and find it on the street!" "Have you ever done that?" "Um...yeah."
"It's not as addicting as your morning coffee!"
""Would you let terrorists smoke only irradiated marijuana?" "Um..." "While being forced shaved?"
"Not in the case of the Danes, the Swedes, the British, the..."
"Are you a rogue CIA agent?"
"We are going to die"
"It'll be a little problem"
"What on earth?? That is so dumb and rude! 2 hours before the mock they are taking the best people and forming a super-caucus??? What was that?!?!??!?"
"We need to come together!" "Diversity, man!"
"He's hot...wait, that TOTALLY came out wrong..."
"Undying/Unrequited love"
"What the heck does Ben have in his mouth?" "It looks like a battery..." "Yeah. Stupid! My first thought was 'cigar?'" "Or he's over there smoking cannabis" "lol...and you can find it on the street." "Wait.....it's a pen cap!" "Ok, now I feel dumb!"
"I asked him if he was looney."
"even if they are tortured and returned to their own country after the torture.." "Is that possible?"
"Joel needs to shave"
"and he thinks I'M random???"
"If they are willing to kill, why would losing a finger matter?"
"It's a rip-off."
"What exactly IS bio-piracy?"
"I have free speech!!"
"Are you cold or is it just us? "Kinda sorta." "In other words, it's just us." "Fosho" "Wow...I didn't realize you were so gangsta!" "Gangsta?" "Wow..."
"Human sniffing-dogs or human-sniffing dogs?"
"How is this enforced? "Wonderful face." "A wonderful face enforces it?" "No comment." "That's technically a comment." "No comment on that, either." "We have really lame conversations..."
"The girls were great. The guys...pathetic."
"I hate my camera!"
"Maybe the thunder was caused by Austin's communication with his aliens... :)"
"What happened to 30 seconds?"
"Thank you, and I would strongly urge you to vote for this bill." "...That was incredibly awesome"
"We commend you, Amanda!"
"Mom: 'So, what did you do at camp?" "Tyler: 'I did extensive research on torture!"
"Bill Nine, the Science guy"
And of course, no CWIS quote list would be complete without the "What about 6 o'clock?" - "Oh! that's the torture bill.....zzzzzzzz"

Question

Ok, I have a question for y'all: How do you deal with a 15 year old who cusses like nothing else? Particularly a 15 year old male that's about twice my size. One of my cousins has been cussing for awhile (and I'm not talking about occasionally and only 'light' cuss words, I'm talking about whenever his parents aren't around to hear it and serious foul language) and his sister asked that I speak to him about it. Thoughts?

Dancing Through Life

Liz and I have decided that we officially have a love/hate relationship with technology. Her computer went on the spritz the other day, causing her to call me instead of iming me. Then, one of our phone connections was messed up while we were talking. Life would be sooooo much more simpler if it weren't for our technology, but how in the world could we survive? I love my computer, and rarely go anywhere without my cellphone.

I went to Meredith's senior day last Friday. I have to admit that after spending time there, I really actually want to go there. I never thought I'd say that, but I love the campus and the teachers and students really seemed to want me there. Plus, it has one of the top English programs in the nation. We'll see what happens. I'm touring William and Mary as well as University of Richmond the end of October.

Where were you?

So where were you six years ago?

I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. I was 11. Mom was sitting in the living room folding laundry on the couch. I was sitting on the floor reading. The phone rang, and it was my aunt. I can remember her asking mom if she had the tv on. When mom told her no, she said to cut it on.

I didn’t completely understand what was going on at first. I knew that planes had just hit the WTC, but didn’t know what that meant for Americans. I watched in horror as not one, but 2 planes hit. Finally, I couldn’t handle the images anymore. I ran to my room, and turned on the radio. I ran back into the living room when I heard the 1st tower fall.

And then the Pentagon...

That night, our church held a candlelight vigil. I can remember standing in church, surrounded by both friends, regular church attendees, and people I’m sure had never seen the inside of a church. Black, white, poor, rich, farmer, banker...it didn't matter. We were all united.


Where were you?

Have You Forgotten?

My best friend

A friend calls to see if they can come over
A best friend just shows up whenever.
A friend has been over maybe 5, 6 times
A best friend is there more than you are.
A friend says hey to your family
A best friend runs over and hugs your mom.
A friend thinks your siblings are cute
A best friend wrestles with your little brother and plays dress-up with your sister.
A friend clears her plate after dinner
A best friend gets up and asks your mom what she can do.
A friend asks you for a snack
A best friend is already in the kitchen getting her and your sister a snack.
A friend comes over on Friday and leaves Friday night
A best friend comes over on Friday and dosen't leave until Sunday night.
A friend knows your family and that's it
A best friend knows your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Friends come and go but your best friend and you will never grow apart; always and forever I'll hold you in my heart.

1,000,000 memories. 10,000 inside jokes. 100 secrets. 1 reason. best friends.

let's become little old ladies together. we'll stay up late looking at old pictures. we'll tell "remember when" stories and laugh until our sides ache. let's become eccentric together. the kind of old ladies who take long walks, wear silly hats, and get away with acting outrageous in public places. if anybody should ask how long we've been friends, we'll say forever. let's become little old ladies together because a friendship as special as ours can only grow better through the years.

it's that up all night. all the time. girl talk. never fight. pinky promise. guarantee. best friends forever. kinda thing.

tips for southerners headed up nort

So my friend composed this list for southerners heading up north, and I'm just now posting it. This was started as a joke. She actually doesn't believe this (except for the cruller part). :P

1) if you are flying a confederate flag, you will not be welcome. the war is over, we won, get over it.

2) it was NOT the war between the states, it was the civil war, and if the south rises again we'll just beat her back down.

3) we don't drink icees. we drink slurpees. if you don't understand the difference, you will when you walk into a 7-11 (another thing you probably won't understand.)

4) sweet tea is non-existant. we don't understand how you can drink it. unsweet ice tea with lemon, and maybe a hint of mango, raspberry, or blueberry is pretty much what we offer.

5) we don't say 'ya'll', or 'ain't'. We use the phrases 'you all' and 'is not'. we will laugh at you if you use your southern expressions.

6) doesn't matter whether you think you are or not- to us, all southerners are rednecks.

7) we don't do nascar. we don't have nascar museums or monuments. we don't close down stores on race days. we don't have weddings on the race track. be prepared to experience culture shock.

8) we don't 'bless your little heart' or call you 'puddin' and 'sugar'.

10) we don't play country music. we don't like country music. don't ask us why- it's better just to accept it as it is.

11) we ARE all yankees. hurling that at us as though it's an insult really doesn't hurt our feelings. 'yankee' is the northern lifestyle.

12) don't ask where to find the closest 'sam's' or 'bj's'- we have publics and giant.

13) you aren't from here unless you chop down your own Christmas tree while singing carols and drinking hot chocolate. you really aren't from around here if your tree is a fake.

14) if we're talking too fast, you're talking too slow.

15) we don't talk funny- you do.

16) We don't drive tractors down the road- leave yours at home.

17) If you don't know what a cruller is, you're really missing out.

11) BBQ is grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. Anything else is pulled pork.

19) Don't say yonder. We don't know where that is.

20) There shouldn't be a Mason-Dixon line... we're all the United States.

21) We may not follow NASCAR, but we have something even better- Hockey.

22) Our words have fewer syllables than yours.

23) Sorry, you're not allowed to bring your guns up north.

24) We don't have county fairs. Or livestock competitions. We have the Westminster Dog Show.

25) Icing goes on a cake. Frosting occurs when you have a light snowfall.

26) 'G' is actually a much used letter of our alphabet... we don't go 'runnin', 'singin', or 'dancin'.

27) We don't 'fix' to do anything. Like Nike, we just do it.

Country Girl

My favorite place in the world to be is on the farm. I don't know what it is about the farm, but it brings out a side in me that very few people outside my family have seen. It's incredibly freeing to not have to worry about spending hours in the morning getting ready, since there's no one around to notice whether I'm wearing makeup or whether my hair has been brushed that day. I can just be myself out on the farm.

There are still parts of the farm that I have never been on (which makes sense considering that it's 1000 acres). I do have my favorite spots, though. I love going down to Sandy Creek and building dams, or just putting my feet into it. The stoop behind the old hog pen is a great place to sit and have conversations with the girls. There's the traditional bonfire area near road to the right of the house, the trampoline from the 70's that is still holding together, the tire swing that only David and Stuart can fit into now, the big magnolia in the front yard that used to be as close as we were allowed to the road. The hunting is just as great around there. There are so many places to go, and just about every type of game you want. I enjoy going deer spotting at twilight. They tend to hang around the creeks and streams.

The best season up there is the fall. There is so much going on. It's dove season there, so there are always tons of birds and hunters around the place. The crops are being harvested, which is always a blast. The farm is beautiful during the fall. Honestly, there is nowhere I would rather be than on the farm. If any of you ever get to come visit, I'll have to make sure you experience some of the wonderful things. :)

Musicals

Most people who know me know that I am a HUGE theatre person. I've been acting since I was five, and love every minute of it. Whether I'm on stage acting, backstage stage managing, or simply helping with makeup, I have a blast!! So, I thought I'd list some of my all-time favorite Broadway musicals.

1.Phantom of The Opera (Le Fantôme de l’Opéra) This is by far my favorite. What's not to like? It has an amazing story line, and the music...wow, it's absolutely gorgeous. Even if you can't see the show, go listen to the soundtrack on Myspace or something. It's amazing. Here's the story plot: **note: This is a spoiler, so if you don't want to read it, skip to the row of stars**


Prologue

It is 1911 and the contents of the Paris Opera House are being auctioned off. Present are the auctioneer, porters and bidders. Raoul, now seventy years old and in a wheelchair, buys a poster and a music box. As the auctioneer displays the Opera House chandelier, he explains that it is connected with the legend of The Phantom of the Opera. With a flash of light, the audience is flung back in time, when the Paris Opera was at its height.

Act 1

We are thrust in the middle of a rehearsal for the opera Hannibal. Monsieur Lefèvre, the retiring manager of the Opera, is showing the new managers, Monsieurs Firmin and André, the great stage. As the prima donna, Carlotta, is singing, a backdrop falls to the floor, nearly killing her. The cry is raised, "It's The Phantom of the Opera!" Upset, Carlotta refuses to sing.

Meg Giry, daughter of the ballet mistress, Madame Giry, suggests her friend, Christine Daaé, take Carlotta's place. Christine has been taking lessons from a mysterious new teacher.

At her triumph in the Opera, is Raoul, a nobleman and patron of the Opera. Raoul recognizes Christine as a childhood friend. He comes backstage after the performance to escort her to dinner, but Christine tells him she cannot go, because her teacher, "The Angel of Music," is very strict.

When Raoul leaves Christine's room, the Phantom appears. Christine is lured into the bowels of the Opera House, where the Phantom will continue her lessons.

He leads her to his underground lair, where she sees a frightening vision of herself in a wedding gown. She faints, only to be awakened several hours later by the Phantom's music on the organ. Creeping up behind him, she rips off his mask. Horrified, he takes her back to the surface.

The Phantom has sent notes to both the managers of the Opera, as well as Raoul, Madame Giry and Carlotta, which give instructions that Christine will have the lead in the new opera, Il Muto. The manager's refuse to give in to the Phantom's demands.

Il Muto proceeds as planned, with Carlotta in the lead, and Christine in a secondary role. As promised, disaster strikes - the stage hand, Joseph Buquet, is killed, and Carlotta's voice is stolen.

In the confusion, Raoul and Christine escape to the roof of the Opera House. There, with all of Paris around them, they pledge their love to one another. They cannot see the Phantom overhearing their vows of love. Enraged at Christine's betrayal, the Phantom causes the final disaster of the night - the mighty chandelier comes crashing to the stage floor.

Act 2

The second act opens at a grand Masquerade Ball, held on the steps of the Paris Opera. No one has heard from the Phantom in six months. Christine and Raoul are engaged, but are keeping it a secret; Christine keeps her engagement ring on a chain around her neck.

Suddenly, the Phantom appears, disguised as The Red Death, and delivers to the managers a score from his opera, Don Juan Triumphant.

At first, the managers refuse to perform the strange, disturbing opera. Then, with the help of Raoul, they devise a plan to trap the Phantom, using Christine as bait. Plans for Don Juan Triumphant, and the trap, are made.

Christine visits the grave of her father. There on the grave stands the Phantom, beckoning her to join him. Raoul appears and takes her away.

At last, the opening night of Don Juan Triumphant arrives. The theater is surrounded by guards and police, eager to catch the Phantom. As the opera comes to its end, the Phantom takes the place of Piangi, the lead singer. He confronts Christine on stage during the performance, and escapes with her once more to his labyrinth below the Opera House.

In a last confrontation, the Phantom gives Christine a choice: stay with him forever, or he will kill Raoul. Her decision brings to an end the story of The Phantom of the Opera.

**********************************

2:Cats Cats is a wonderful Andrew Lloyd Webber Musical based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and other poems by T. S. Eliot. I'm not going to go into the story line, but you need to see this one. The music is some of my favorite (my favorite of all is "Mr. Mistoffelees") and is definetely written in T.S. Eliot style. :)

3: Grease Grease is a total dance musical set in a 1959 high school. There are a few scenes and moral messages that are definitely not for younger kids, but it's still an excellent show. Random Fact: according to one of my military brat friends, Grease is not allowed to be performed in Japan in high schools because the government thinks it will send out a rebellious message to the teens.

4: Les Miserables Les Mis is a musical composed in 1980 by French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg on a libretto by Alain Boublil. Through-sung, it is perhaps the most famous of all French musicals and one of the most famous and most performed musicals worldwide. It's a story of grace,love, passion and survival in the midst of the French revolution. Les Mis tells the stories of paroled convict Jean Valjean who, failing attempts to find work as an honest man with his yellow parole note, tears up his shackles and conceals his identity in order to live his life again; the police inspector Javert, who becomes obsessed with finding Valjean; Fantine, the single mother of Cosette, who is forced to become a prostitute to support her daughter; Marius, a French student who falls in love with Valjean's adopted daughter Cosette; Eponine, the young daughter of the Thénardiers who falls in love with Marius; the Thénardiers, who own an Inn and exploit their customers; and Enjolras and the other students, who are working toward freeing the oppressed lower class of France.

5:Lion King How could I leave this one out? The broadway version is about 10000000 times better than the disney version. There is way more music, and the story plot is entirely more awesome.

And Finally:
6: Hairspray I have yet to see the new movie. The show, however, is amazing! It's so much fun, and will definitely have you wanting to get up on stage dancing at the platter party and singing along to "You Can't Stop The Beat." It's such an inspirational story, too. Note: This is also not entirely appropriate, so watch what audience you take to this.

By no means is this all my favorite musicals, but these are the top 6. :)

How to Become the Perfect Guy in Every Christian Girl's Opinion

Be prepared in the near future for my wonderful best friend, Lizzie, and my book: How to Become the Perfect Guy in Every Christian Girl's Opinion. :) note: just a working title. :) If any of you (especially guys, but the girls are great, too) have any wonderful tidbits of advice to put into this, please feel free to pm me on the forum, ask for my email address, or leave me a comment on this!!!

CWIS

Wow, so much has happened this week!! I'll try and briefly highlight it with some quotes/highlights from the week:


"Mr. Vogo, why you walkin' like a ticken?"
"Sam is Fallacy slinging!"
"Lose the notebook, and be your normal self, Daphne."
"What do you think about killing babies?"
"No, they choose a brief moment of pleasure."
"Cannibis is not as addicting as your morning coffee."
John sleepwalking
Moldy ice
"I broke my wrist running into a wall playing basketball."
"Can you define 'sexual abuse'?"
Vogo rapping
Some people not knowing the words to the national anthem
Windsor doing the teapot dance
Pain Conditioning
"Should we give the terrorists irradiated cannibis while force shaving them?"
"glue, glitter and shiny red apples"
"I bet they don't wash the lettuce"

There are sooo many others that I can't even begin to write down or remember.

Graduation

On Thursday, my 18 year old cousin, Tyler, graduated high school. The graduation trip was pretty fun...despite the crazy wild driving, almost MISSING the graduation, the bomb scare, certain racist remarks from my grandma, and the 1 cousin that I can't stand. :)

The graduation was at 4:00, so all of the family made arrangements to be at my aunt's house at 2:00 and we would leave her house at 2:45. When mom and I, my grandma, and my Aunt Betsy and cousins Matthew and Emily got there at 2:05, Aunt Martha was STILL in her pj's giving Tyler and his gf, Leigh, their graduation presents. We didn't end up pulling out of her driveway (in 2 cars, driven by Aunt Martha and Aunt Betsy (the 2 crazy drivers in the family)) until 3:00. Aunt Martha was on this kick about our clothes. She swore that they wouldn't let anyone in unless they were dressed properly, and that no one was supposed to wear jeans to the party afterwards at her house. My cousin William only brought shorts, which he was wearing, until my aunt discovered it about 3 minutes from her house. She made us all turn around while she went home and found him some pants (that were too long and too tight for him). We probably didn't really leave until 3:10. Then we got stuck in HORRID traffic on the bridge over one of the tunnels in Norfolk (the Berkley bridge). My aunt's driving had passed the point of crazy driving. She was cutting over 4 lanes of dead stop traffic, slamming on brakes, gassing the car...I was glad I was in the other car, though it wasn't much better since we had to follow her.: We then had to go a back way to Old Dominion University (where the graduation was held) through the "ganster" neighborhoods of Norfolk. Seriously, we all thought we were going to get mugged or something along those lines. It was crazy. We got there at 3:57 exactly. Aunt Mary didn't get there until just before they called Tyler's name.

Then we got home and found out that just after we had gone over the Berkley Bridge, someone found a suspicious looking package in the tunnel. They shut down the tunnel/bridge, called in the bomb squad, and they blew it up only to discover it was a package of clothes.

As for the racist remarks, well....let's just say no one was prepared for some of the stuff my grandma said. I wish I had had a video camera to film everyone's (especially Matthew's) reactions. :)

The graduation was surprisingly difficult for me. Tyler is and has always been like my big brother. He's always been there for me, has always protected me, has always comforted me, and has even covered for me (don't ask). This week, I realized that I won't get to see my big bro that much any more. It was hard. Sometimes, I hate change. I wish things could always stay the same. I know that we all have to move on, but knowing that you will lose track of people and drift apart is never easy.

CWIS is in 4 days!! I am mega excited!!! This year is going to be so much fun!

Conferences, colleges, and cats.

This weekend I was up in Virginia at the homeschool convention. That was pretty fun. the Home4school store had a booth there, so I got to hang out with Brianna, which is always fun. :) I arrived at my aunt's 1700 style "plantation" (it was built by the man who built Tuckahoe, and my aunt and uncle added on two wings) on Thursday afternoon. Mary Katherine and William immediately introduced me to the newest temporary residents of Joe Brooke: 3 stray kittens they found in the barn. There were 2 black ones and a gray kitty. Aunt Mary guessed they were maybe 2 weeks old, and we think the mother may have abandoned them. At any rate, they were sooooooo sweet!! The only bad thing was that they hadn't been de-clawed, so I now have scratches all over. They think they have found a home for the gray kitty (which MK kinda took under her wing).

On Friday, we went to the conference. The best session (to me, anyways) was a college panel session. They had invited admissions counselors from ODU, University of Richmond, Patrick Henry, Regent, and the VA community colleges to come answer questions for 1 hour. Since U of R is one of the colleges I have been considering, it was great to get to hear what the counselor had to say. I got to talk to her afterwards, got some info about the school, and she gave me her card.

We had invited Brianna to come back with us and eat dinner at Aunt Mary's that night, but she wasn't feeling so great, and decided not to go. That was probably a good thing, because if she had she would have ended up spending the night with us. We had a really bad storm that night. I think the power went on and off at least 6 times, but the house has a backup generator, so it only went completely off twice. Aunt Alice and MK had come for dinner and to watch Johnny Kapahala, and they had to wait until the storm was over to go home. We stayed up until 12:30 and watched "The Pursuit of Happyness" (misspelled on purpose).

On Saturday, we went back to the convention until 2:00. Bri and I had so much fun playing certain jokes on Vogel (who deserved them. :)) Then Mom and I drove to my grandma's, where I got to see my horse, and hang out with Emily for an hour.

Memorial Day

A friend of mine brought up an interesting point on his blog. America does little to honor our soldiers on Memorial Day, a day that is purposefully set aside for the commemoration of our soldiers. It makes me so mad. I have several friends who are either over in Iraq or Afghanistan, on leave, or getting ready to go over there. Josh is over in Iraq for two years with only a two week leave. Why does America persist on considering Memorial Day simply another day off work?

Apparently, Memorial Day hasn't always been on the last Monday in May, though. Fronm 1868 until 1968 it was observed unofficially on May 5th. Then General John Logan got Congress to make it a national holiday on May 30th (chosen because it was the only day that a battle was NOT fought on). However, shortly after it was celebrated for the first time, Congress moved it to the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend. In a 2004 Memorial Day speech, the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) stated that:"Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

I find it difficult to believe that Americans can treat this day like any other. Even as I write this, American soldiers are DYING defending this country. Even if they don't believe we should have entered into this war, they should at LEAST respect the soldiers and what they are doing to keep this nation free. I know that we wouldn't be here today if it weren't for our soldiers. If it weren't for the brave men that we had during the Revolutionary War, who stood up and fought when all odds were against them, history and this country as we know it would be severely altered. If it weren't for our soldiers in the both WWI and WWII, all of Europe would be completely different from what we know it to be today. We need to be congratulating and remembering our soldiers sacrifices, not forgetting their memory.

Carl Klang sings the song "I Am The Unknown Soldier". Carl rewrote it for music from a poem written by Patricia O'Grady Parcells. She wrote the poem for her father who is POW/MIA. Patricia has visited Vietnam twice attempting to find her Father. I thought it would be fitting to end this blog with the lyrics to that song. This song is dedicated to all the POW and MIA soldiers.

"I am the unknown soldier
Some call me M.I.A.
Some say I can't go home again
Some say I chose to stay
I am the unknown soldier
who you refuse to know
A brother and a friend of yours
Who left so long ago
Some call me P.O.W.
The one they left behind
I am the unknown soldier
The one they never tried to find
I'm the one they never tried to find

I'm a farmer from Missouri
The soldier from St. Paul
I was the hero of my family
And still my pictures upon their wall
I'm a poet and a scholar
And the boy who lived next door
I am the unknown soldier
Forgotten on a foreign shore
Long forgotten on a foreign shore

I was someone's lovin' daddy
I was someone's pride and joy
I was someone's tender lover
A worried Mama's little boy
And if you should just forget me here
Then I should forget you too
Please won't you try to bring me home
For I'm someone who belongs to you
I'm still someone who belongs to you

I am the unknown soldier
With no more tears to shed
I'm just a fading memory
A part of the living dead
My country has betrayed me
Yet I have forgiven you
And every night I pray to God
That somehow he'll forgive you too
Yes even somehow he'll forgive you too

I am the unknown soldier
The one for whom you cried
That familiar face that you can't face
The one your country told you died
I am the unknown soldier
With dreams you'll rescue me
And I am a man who understands
Only death might ever set me free
Only death might ever set me free

I am the unknown soldier
And I'm black and blue and grey
I said I am the unknown soldier
And I die slowly every day
And I'm tired and I'm hungry
I am the unknown soldier
The one you bought and sold
I'm the one you bought and sold

So lay down close beside me now
And gently stroke my face
And wrap your arms around me now
Before we leave this place
Some called me P.O.W.
Some called Me M.I.A.
Some say I can't come home again
But I will return someday"

Sisters

I'm in a little bit of a reflective and a little bit of a melancholy mood right now. I was just thinking about my sisters. Ok, so they are really my cousins, but we have practically grown up together, so I think of them as my younger sisters. Emily is 12 :) (actually, she's 13, but because of "grandpa" I had to throw that one in), and Mary Katherine is 11. Even though there have been times that I have wanted to wring their necks (ok, not literally, but you get my point), I can't imagine life without either of them. All three of us gals are so different. Emily is the sporty and boy-crazy one of us. Mary Katherine is the genius, who also swims and is quite good at it. I'm not the genius MK is, but I do have my moments. I'm the bookworm, actress, and future lawyer/agent. Like I said earlier, we are extremely different, but we compliment each other a whole lot.

I spent last weekend with the two of them at Nana and Papa's lake house. We had some quality girl-time together, which consisted of certain...um..compromising photos (haha), concerts, plays, STARBUCKS, scrapbooking, and discussions of clothes and boys. That was so much fun! Usually whenever all three of us are together, there is at least one of the boys around (there are 7 boys), so we don't get as much uninterrupted girl-time. Not to say that I don't like having y'all boys around, but sometimes it's nice for it to be just the girls. Anyway, I just wanted you gals to know that I love you, and can't wait to do this again!

Cinderella

So I apparently haven't dropped my old cyt roots that much.:) I'm 99% sure that I'm going to audition for the 1st CYT summer show ever!!! They are doing Cinderella, which is probably the most popular cyt play ever, (this will make the....3rd or 4th time that I've been in it) but it is so much fun!!!! I've missed doing theatre so much, especially with Ms. Natalie. Even though I love working with ALP a whole lot, I miss the old CYT days. One of the many things that is so special about CYT is all the prayer and worship that goes into these plays. Some of my favorite and most treasured memories were made sitting around in a circle with my friends, lifting up the cast, play, audience members, etc. I honestly can't wait!

PS: If any of you want to/are going to audition, let me know. :)

Sitting on the dock of the bay

I spent a wonderful weekend at a gorgeous location. It was my aunt's 50th birthday, and all the ladies in the family (the three girl cousins included) went to my uncles parents lakehouse for the weekend. Mom, Mema, and I got to the house on friday and ended up having to wait an hour or so for the rest of the fam, but that was ok, because I got to relax on the dock swing with a good book. :) That night, we went to see "Smoke on the Mountain" at some local theatre. It was an ok play, it just wasn't my favorite. (Not to mention that I had just seen High School Musical at Memorial and then CYT's Le Fantome de l'Opera the day before (which, btw, was an excellent play and made me sad that I wasn't in CYT anymore)) We didn't end up getting to bed until 1:00ish.

On Saturday Emily, MK, and myself decided to brave the risk of hypothermia. We put on our swim suits and waltzed out to the dock. We stopped on the way down there to get the Super Mable, which is a three person inner tube raft thing. We tied it to the dock and climbed on it so that we could attempt to get a tan before getting in the water. I happened to get into the water in a rather, um, unconventional method. Mk got off onto the dock first, then Emily and I both went to get off at the same time. Unfortuately, she got off a fraction of a second before I did, causing the supermable to flip, which then caused me to go head over heals into the lake. I came up shaking from the coldness, but less than 2 hours later, all three of us were in the water.

As we were all out there, we saw an old friend, Hall, drive up in his boat. We then hooked Mable up to the new speedboat and we all went over to their house for a while. Out of Hall and Molly's 3 sons, only Harry (the 9th grader) was there.

That night, we attended a four tops concert. That was interesting. Only one of the tops, the Duke, is still in the group. The other 3 members are newbies. They did a good job, I just didn't know a lot of the songs. Aunt Alice, Aunt Mary, mk and I went to Starbucks to get coffee afterwards.

I have SAT's on saturday. I'm a little stressed about the math section. It's the only one that I still consistently have a low score on.

Babe

We started our pig dissections in class on wednesday. I have to say these next few weeks are probably going to be the most, um, memorable ones out of the whole year. Several of us decided that our pigs deserved names. Mine is Babe (after the movie), Chelsea's is Bojangles (because she was craving it then) Blake's is Smithfield's (after the barbecue restaurant), Joey's is O.J. (after O.J. Simpson (he said that if he had to be cutting the pig up, it might as well be someone he disliked)), and Becca's was originally Wilbur (after Charlotte's Web), until she realized it was a girl. She tried to change the name to Wilburetta, but Blake pointed out how much it sounded like a gun. :)

We've already identified the outside structures, and skinned them, so now we get to start cutting them up. We have all pretty much decided that the one thing we will remember 20 years from now was when Cameron's dead, skinned, fetal pig pooped on him. I'm serious. It was nasty, and yet incredibly fun to watch his reaction. :P

In other news, I'm pretty much as stressed out as I've ever been right now. I have 2 major essays coming up, several ap exams, SAT's, scholarship essays, dissection write-ups, finals, three speeches to finish, and countless other things. I have to admit, it's a lot of stuff to do just for college. It's scary to think that your whole future may rest on one test, but it might. If I don't get a high enough score on them, there is no way I'll get in to William and Mary, which is where I really want to be. It also might decide my future career. If I can't do good enough on the SAT's, how can I ever do good enough on the L-Sat's? Anyway, I'm just stressed and not in the worlds best mood when it comes to homework. :)

addendum to previous entry

I was just informed by mom that I should clarify something: The mouse/snake incident was the 1st time I have ever seen an animal inside that house, so never fear, her house is not normally animal-infested (unless you can count my dog and my cousins 2 dogs.) :)

Wonderbar

So right now, I am soooo incredibly happy! These last two weeks have been so wonderful. I spent the last weekend in March at Grandma's. We went up there "American Big Band," which was a concert/theatrical production of the Big Band era. The show was SOOOO much fun! I LOVE that music, so I totally enjoyed it.


We spent Saturday night after the show with my grandma. I have always called her house a farmhouse, being as she lives on 1000 acres of farmland in VA. However, I was informed by my mom today that she doesn't live in a farmhouse. Therefore, I shall resort to using the term given her farm by my city's local paper, "an antebellum plantation." Anyway, farmhouse, plantation or otherwise, my parents and I stayed there on Saturday night. We had all gotten showers, and grandma, mom, and I were sitting in her little den talking. By this time, it was probably 11:45. I look over at the couch my mother is sitting on, and see this little "thing" come bouncing out from behind it. Naturally, I start screaming for Daddy to come and dispose of whatever I saw. Daddy comes downstairs, wondering why in the world I am screaming my head off. He looks in the corner of the room and discovers a mouse. We set mouse traps, but never did manage to catch the thing.

Then on Sunday, Mom wanted me to go get the clothes out of my grandma's drier, which is located in a damp basement. I went down, put the clothes in a clothes basket, and came back upstairs. I was walking down the stairs for the 3rd time to put the laundry basket back down, when I hit this pipe. I reached out to steady the pipe (no, I didn't break it) and happened to glance down. There was a foot-long copperhead snake that was hanging off of the ledge, that could have bit me 3 times, maybe more! Yet again, I called for Daddy, who came to the rescue. Did I ever say how wonderful Dad's are??? :)

That part wasn't sooo wonderful, but I did get to spend some time with my cousin, Emily, and "our" horses, Shy and Stevie. Note: I say ours, in reality, Stevie is more my cousins, and Shy is more mine.

The Monday and Tuesday following this little mis-adventure, I was downtown at the General Assembly building. It's always so much fun to be downtown. Then Friday, I went BACK downtown to the history museum in order to attend Trinity Academy's "Much Ado About Nothing." I got to spend time with my friends Lizzie and Sarah and their mom, as well as get to see some of my friends in the show. Saturday, my Aunt Martha was here, along with my cousin, Brian, for a swim meet. It was great to get to see them, as I don't get to see the two of them a lot. Though I must admit, I could have done without Aunt Martha's constant lectures on the necessity of me driving every day and the fact that I never could get into W&M, whereas my wonderful, 8-month-older cousin could have if he had wanted to. :)

Finally, this week was spring break for everything but civics/debate. That was....interesting, to say the least. I'm not usually accustomed to getting asked out by the line, "So, are you married?" :) (in case you are wondering, I did turn the guy down.:))Other than that, I've enjoyed not having any deadlines this week. :)

Well, Mom and I are about to go out and $hop!!! :) Happy Easter, y'all!

Wishing

I'm sort of procrastinating right now...I'm supposed to be writing a Lit. essay, but I don't feel like it. :)

There's one place I wish I could be and a few people I wish I could be with right now. I want to be on "my" horse, feeling the cool wind in my hair as I go tearing across the fields on the farm. I want to feel Shy's power, and yet be able to sense her gentleness at the same time. I want to have my "sisters" riding with me. I dream of the summer, and going down to Sandy Creek, putting my feet into the crisp clean water, building forts with the gang, and of course going swimming in it. I can't wait to go over to Joe and Tina's and go swimming in their new pool.

The only thing that is missing from all this is my granddad. It's coming up on the eighth anniversary of his death, and I miss him so much. I'm the second oldest grandchild, but I'm the oldest girl, and so I was always "Papa's fine girl". I miss that. He used to save his loose change in this old glass jar of his. It would sit on his desk in his office in the house (he had 3 offices on the farm), and it would stay there until I could get all the pennies I wanted out of it. I can't help but wish he could be here to see how much things(and people) have changed. I know he'd be so proud that Tyler is graduating high school (in fact, he'd probably want a front row seat). I don't want to go through and name everyone, but I know he'd be so proud of all his "fine grandkids". I am thankful that I had him for nine years of my life.

Anyway, I will see many of you at the tournament tomorrow. :) I love all ya'll!

Stressed!

Did I ever say that school defines my life? Well, it certainly is defining it right now. I have to write 3 more 6-minute speeches, finish typing one up and get it posted in a week. I also have two 1500 word essays due by the 1st week in March. On top of that, I have to finish our reading assignment by Monday, do my lab write-up by Wednesday, and then start studying for an Anatomy test. Oh yeah, and I should probably study for SATs!!!

Emily, thanks soo much for getting me started on the Agatha Christie books!! I am living the world of mystery and crime currently.

Off to be buried under a mass of homework. :)

Happy Valentines Day

I had a relatively good Valentines Day. I woke up this morning, only to be handed a card by my mom from my cousin. Emily sent it with Mom while we were up there this past weekend. And yes, Emily, I did wear the necklace to one class. :) I always find it's good to reflect on Valentines Day, and so I'll leave you with "the love" passage from the Bible:

1st Corinthians 13:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Debate

I had the wonderful privilege of timing for the debate tournament this past friday. I can't believe that I have waited this long to get involved in debate! One of my friends asked me why it was that I love it so much, but have never done it. I told him I really had no clue, I just thought when I was younger that it was boring, and that no one in their right mind would ever do debate. Boy, have my opinions changed. Now, I can't wait until next year so I can do it! Unfortunately, Mr. Wirtz changed the date for the March tournament, so some of my best friends can't compete. :( Oh, well, at least some of my friends will be there! :)


I was @ my aunts house this past Sunday-Tuesday because Mema had a knee replacement. my 11 year old cousin, MK, and my 9 year old cousin, David, had a snow day on Monday. We had so much fun together, since the three of us were left alone all day while the adults were at the hospital w/Mema. Mk and I sat around in our pj's all day and watched several chick-flicks. I have always had a hard time bonding with mk, so that was a blast.

Can't wait till the March tournament! See y'all there.

SNOW

YAY!!! It's FINALLY, after 2 years, SNOWING!! I am so incredibly happy. I don't have school today, and I don't actually have much to do! It might not be a whole lot of snow, but it is DEFINITELY enough!!!!

Thanks to my wonderful still 12 y. o. even though she is 13 (haha, you know what I'm talking about) cousin, ya'll all know I'm the family poker champ! My aunt says that the games in our family have constantly gone down hill, from backgammon, to B.S, and now texas-hold-em poker. :)

I had a pretty good Christmas. I got an iPod from my parents, and amazing speakers from my wonderful grandmother. I also got a razr cell from the aforesaid grandma. :-) Girls, we really do need to have a sleepover sometime. How about during the summer, we should all go to the lakehouse like Emily and I did, and MKK, you can join us! That would be fun!

As I've looked back over this past year, I've realized what a crazy roller coaster it has been. I've struggled some with fitting into my family. I know several of them read this, so I'm not going to go into huge detail here. That I shall save for my diary. However, I'm trying to learn to be content with the family God gave me, regardless of how imperfect some members may seem.

We did finally have that piano recital (long story). It went relatively well. The piano didn't seem QUITE as bad as it had before.

Oh, yeah. I was just reminded by my mother that 24's season premiere is tonight in about an hour, and I still have some homework to finish. :)