Changes.

Today was a normal Sunday. I went to church, had lunch at Stony Point with my friends, came home, took a nap, went to my dad's, and later went to watch a movie with some of the senior crew.

While I was at my dad's house, I took his camera and decided to really look at things. So much has changed since my childhood. The house itself is the same, but it's deprived of the life I once knew. I don't know, it's just really changed...

The facade; pretty much the only thing that is visually the same. However, if you were to go back in time about 10 years, you would see my sisters and I running around with the other kids in our col-de-sac. We would ride our bikes, roller blade, or play hide-and-seek until the sky was littered with stars and our parents yelled for us to call it a night; always.

Rarely were Jennifer and I allowed to ride our bikes to the end of this street; at least not without permission. I remember the one time I did, and let's just say that my dad was very intimidating standing in the middle of this road when I came back... I didn't try that again.

There used to be another sign that was also posted on this pole. It read, "Slow, children at play." I remember helping my dad put it up. He had to hold me so that I could put the screw in. That sign is gone now; kind of ironic because seeing kids outside playing has become a rarity on our street. It's sad :/

There used to be an extra part to the post. The wood that the mailbox is resting on extended further back, and there was another piece of wood that stuck straight up right behind the box. Candice and I used to climb on the extended wood and practice flying for cheerleading. She would work on her heel-stretches, and I would practice cupies and libs. And on the 4th of July, we used the straight up-and-down piece to nail down a "happy lamp." You lit the fuse and the contraption would spin around and around until it popped out into a lovely paper Chinese lantern. I kept that thing for months :)

The back-street behind our house. This was the street where I learned how to roller blade, Jennifer learned how to ride a two-wheeler, and we would create new tricks on our scooters.

This pile of wood used to be our playground set; including swings, slide, tree-house area, and trapeze swing.

The jungle gym; which I used to sit on top of and feel like I was king of the world. Now, it's being used to hang plants... strange.

A look through the back window; what a quaint little kitchen... right? As I glanced through the curtainless window, I realized how open our kitchen was; open for our neighbors to see us in our socialization. I wonder, then, if they noticed how much things changed when our household became broken...

And lastly, my old shared bedroom. This is what it looks like now; having not been used for a full-night's sleep in over three years. Before Jennifer left the crib, Candice and I shared this room. And after adding the addition, Jennifer and I slept here. The gloominess of this room is the complete opposite of what it once was. Picture this: bunk beds with Beauty and the Beast bed sheets, toys and stuffed animals scattered in piles all over the room, a single lamp atop my dresser that resembled a stuffed dog hugging its puppy, and a TV stand filled with books that supported a small television (no cable, of course). It was in this room that Jenn and I would build forts, play stuffed animals, pretend to be Power Rangers, trade Pokemon cards, play school, and hide our babysitter's Sailor Moon plushies.

I guess what I'm getting at is that time alteration blows my mind. The changes aren't noticed as you're progressively exposed to it, but seeing the way things presently are and remembering how they were so long ago is just odd. Yes, nothing in life is completely static. And I know that that's how it should be, but sometimes I wish I could catch a glimpse from the days of yesteryear; sometimes...

I know this post was crazy long! So if you read the whole thing, then I give you major kudos! I love you all :) Goodnight!

Sweet relaxation :)

Dear today, You were really quite lovely. Thank you :) Love, Stephanie

I woke up this morning around 9:45, and, despite getting less than five hours of sleep, I got myself ready for the day instantaneously. At 11, I met up with the lovely Meaghann for a brunch date at Panera :) Haha, I almost went to the wrong one... How embarrassing would that have been?! Incredibly; but so typical me, haha. But yes, I thoroughly enjoyed our hang out time! We talked for three hours! But the cool part is, there was never any sort of awkward lull in the conversation. We just jumped from topic to topic so effortlessly. Ah, I do love discussing life and the thought processes of the mind :) Which brings me to something I was realizing earlier today, and that is this: Every youth leader is different. Whenever I hang out with them, each person has something different to bring to the table; whether it's giving advice or discussing viewpoints. I just think that's so awesome! I love my leaders; my friends :) They bring me happiness :) Okay! Haha. So after leaving Panera, I ventured back to my house for a period of relaxation. Just picture this for a second: me; wearing this (yes, mine is zebra print):

while watching this:

Yes, it was rather amazing :) But alas, after a few episodes, I decided it was time for a little nap; which may or may not have been disturbed by text messages... but we won't go into that, haha. Once I woke up, Jenn and I went to Casa Grande for some dinner; yumm! While we were there, this huge group came in for a boy's birthday party. Can you say loud? This only solidified my desire to only have girls, haha. Honestly, I just can't handle the chaos. Plus, I'd have more fun shopping for girls' clothes :) Anywho, Jennifer insisted upon swinging by Target on our way home, and we walked out of there with New Moon, The Lovely Bones, and two seasons of Dawson's Creek. I have this issue with Target where I want to buy everything I see! For instance, Jennifer strayed on over by the game section, and they had "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" for the wii... Ugh, I wanted it so bad! Is that sad/dorky? Well maybe it is, but I just love that show. I want to be on it so bad just to see how well I could do! Eeep, look at me getting sidetracked! Okay, so after I took my sister home, I headed over to Kelly's for a movie night. We watched New Moon while sipping on hot tea and laughing at Taylor Lautner :) Afterwards, we talked for at least an hour on a variety of subjects; loved that! It wasn't until around 1:45 a.m. that I officially decided that Kelly and I needed some sleep; at which point I came back home. And now, here I sit! I wonder if you all think I'm crazy for blogging at 3:29 in the morning, but the truth is that I have to blog every night before I go to bed. It's so ritual now that it feels bizarre when I don't. Maybe I'm strange. It's a definite possibility :) Goodnight world! I'll be seeing most of you all in less than 8 hours. Love you all!

Location: Home | Arrival time: 4 a.m.

Well, let's start at the beginning shall we. For starters, today was senior skip day! I tragically came down with the stomach flu... ;) So, since I had nowhere to be, I slept until about 11:50 a.m.; so late! But I suppose I'm just making up for the sleep I deprive myself of normally. Overall, the afternoon was pretty uneventful. I watched t.v. with my mom, browsed the internet, and finished my ink-stylus project. Oh! and I was informed by my sister that I went over on picture messaging by $40 this month... fail! You'd think that my mom would be really angry with me, but she hasn't actually said anything to me yet; which I find odd... Anyways, I took my little sister to Chick-fil-a for some dinner, and ran into a few members of the family I used to babysit. I do miss them! Afterwards, we picked up Jenn's friend Harry and headed downtown to the senior visual art showcase. I am so proud of them! Especially my little Adelaide! She has developed such an amazing talent, and I have loved seeing her progress over the past three years. It's truly amazing! Tonight, she sold three of her pieces! Eeeep! Exciting and emotional :) Seeing all of the seniors' work hanging on the gallery walls really hit me... I have less than a week left in the Center for the Arts. The class that I've grown and developed with will be no more. I won't be seeing them every day.. It's just pure craziness! At any rate, Jennifer, Harry, and I left the gallery a little after 9, and proceeded to take some pictures in the sketchy alley on the way back to the car. Ha, and might I mention they we were being creeped on the whole time by some guy on a bike... awkward!

My love, Samantha vant' Riet's art (various animal eyes). See the red dots? Yep, that's right! She sold two of her pieces! So happy for her :)

Addie with her pieces :) The one on the far left is the only one yet to be sold! Craziness!

Harry and Jennifer: cutest best friends ever! Love them :)

Me; moving my arms the way Jennifer asked me to, haha :)

Okay, so after I took Jenn and Harry home, I headed over to David's casa for some substance-free partying! It was quite fun :) Let me just say, the dancing was crazy, haha. I think the guys had a little too much fun... dancing on each other. Haha! Seriously, I think that's when they had the most fun; no joke! While I was there, I also decided to partake in the water-pong festivities :) And let me just say, Destry and I are legit! We may or may not have pwned some noobs :) There was quite a bit that went on over the course of the four hours in which I was there, but it doesn't all need to be typed out. Elsbeth and I departed a little after 3 a.m.; thus why I didn't get home until 4. But it's whatevskies, my mom is in West Virginia, and Jenn knew I would be out late. I'm supposed to have a brunch date with Meaghann in about six hours, and I really hope that she hasn't forgotten... Well, my loves, I am going to say goodnight now (though it's technically morning). I love you all!

Some paintings that I love:

Las Meninas (Diego Velazquez)

^^Really love that little girl.

(2nd Fave)

Blue and Grey (Mark Rothko)

Improvisation 28 (Wassily Kandinsky)

The School of Athens (Raphael)

Ancient of Days (William Blake)

^^LOVE love LOVE!

(Fave!)

I wish I knew

the processes of your thoughts;
the illusions of your iris;
the hurt of your heart;

the method of this madness;

explanation.

Day after day;

emptiness after emptiness;

judgement after judgement;
deteriorating.
Satisfaction in deprivation;
victory in loss;
anger in controversy;
pain.
I am conscious of my words;
yet they remain unspoken.
Fear of hatred;
of inflicting damage;
on you;
on me;
on what we have.

Help...

I am

concerned.

That's all I have to say right now.

I love you all.

Goodnight.

And all the roads we have to walk are winding

And all the lights that lead us there are blinding

There are many things that I would like to say to you

But I don't know how

-Oasis, "Wonderwall"

Shiny pants; shiny faces.

Today, I only had school for about 45 minutes, and that was only to block our dance piece on the stage. So, once I was released around 10:00, I hit up Chick-fil-a for some breakfast; which was absolutely delicious :) From there, I got a gluten-free Smoothie King smoothie and delivered it to Heather; who sadly had to have her wisdom teeth removed. Thus, I spent a good portion of my day just hanging out with her; which I found to be both fun and relaxing. Love you dear :) I got home around 5:20, ate my dinner, and then got ready for my dance performance tonight; which was slightly awkward. We had to perform a piece about technology during a school board meeting. Odd? Yes... I'm just glad we could recycle "Cyborg" (Tony's robot piece) and not have to learn a whole new dance from scratch. It was a little agitating, though, because we didn't get to perform until almost an hour after they told us we were going to; thus meaning that we stood around doing nothing for a long time. This large amount of free time led to some interesting things:

Haha, "warming up." Tree pose!

"Sir! Don't judge us for our shiny pants!" Haha :)

And since I didn't get to leave the school until 8:30, I didn't have time to get the makeup off of my face. So I went to 1822 and the McDonald's drive thru looking like this:

It's true; I have no shame, haha :) And let me just say, I downed that McDonald's large sweet tea in approximately five minutes... Apparently I was slightly parched. Well, now I'm sitting here and my eyes feel so incredibly heavy. I have no school tomorrow though, so I get to actually sleep in! Glory! I'm not sure what's on the agenda for tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll find something :) I love you all! Goodnight!

P.S.- If anyone knows who "stalker101" is on wordpress, please let me know. Thanks!

If you choose to read nothing else, at least skip to the bottom :)

There isn't much to say about today, but at least it was a good one! Despite getting around only four and half hours of sleep an having to complete my physics homework during other classes, school wasn't too bad! I had dance for a little over three hours at the end of the day, but she only had us dance for like the last hour or so. Well, actually we were working with Tony on our robot piece, but that's getting into unnecessary details. At any rate, tonight was quite lovely :) After Bible study (which is always nice) I went to Starbucks with the lovely Heather for some tea and convo time; which always makes me happy :) Then, I came back to find Christian, Mack, Kathryn, and Elsbeth still at Scoob's. So, naturally, Elsbeth and I ended up going on a little rendez-vous of our own for some food at the BK Lounge (teehee); which was followed up by a brief car chat (love those!). So yeah, essentially that was my day in a nutshell. But I do have some exciting news! Well, it makes my excited... Anyways, I technically only have three real days of school left! Eeeep. Tomorrow, I only have to be at school for about 45 minutes. I was given wednesday off. Thursday is chalked full of senior activities (meeting, graduation practice, and picnic). Friday is senior skip day :) Then it's the weekend, and monday is a student holiday! Haha! And then, I won't be at school next thursday because it's my court day. And yes, next friday is my last day of classes! Praise Jesus!

Oh yeah! My little sister drove us to my dad's house today! I cannot believe she's old enough to drive. Yes, I know it's only a learner's permit, but still! It's craziness!

I'd like to share some other things with you as well; starting with some great pictures taken by Mrs. Mora :)

I mean, I try. Haha :)

Stare down! Kay sees how dramatic this is ;)

Dear Alex, you're pretty much my best friend of the male gender :)

Now, for your amusement... it's Micah Voraritskul ladies and gentlemen! Haha, look at how he commented on this picture:

Dear Stephanie, Thanks for being five inches taller than me. Baptising you was really fun. Like dunking a white female Shaq. in a small lukewarm bathtub.

That literally made my day, haha! I'm still laughing on the inside; so humorous :) Goodnight my loves!

6,700 gallons and counting...

I cannot even believe how drastically everything has changed for me over the past year and three months, and it's all for the better! I was thinking today about where I was at the beginning of my high school career, living simply on a day-to-day, practice-to-practice basis. I feel like everything I did was so superficial; so lacking in any sort of fulfillment. Exhibit A:

Granted, competition cheerleading and dancing weren't necessarily bad aspects of my life. But it completely consumed my life. It was what I lived for. Ha, that is such an awkward and baffling thought! I can't even imagine living my life that way anymore! No social life, only one or two really close friends, spending every spare second of time outside of school either at practice or doing homework... But even more than that, my relationship with God was practically nonexistent. I thought I knew what it was all about, but I knew nothing.

And now, I cannot help but marvel at the wonderful results of God's unending love and compassion! He gave me you all! He showed me how wonderfully amazing my life can be through Him! And he blessed me with all of you, my friends, to help guide me along the way :) When I came into this youth group fifteen months ago, I literally knew two people; Addie and Whitney. I clearly was not raised in the church setting, and you all probably thought I was incredibly strange, haha. (I can't say that I would blame you, haha.) Despite all of that, though, you all embraced me with open arms, and you showed me more love than I would have ever even thought possible. Never in my life have I had such an amazing family; one that truly cares about me; one that I would do anything and everything for. Standing in the services today (as well as at the grad banquet) I was reminded of how blessed I am. This beautiful group of people and I are about to embark on one of the greatest journeys of our lives, and I am so glad we have each other to help get us through it. Senior class of 2010, I love you with all of my heart and soul. I am so proud and lucky to be standing with you all as a SEEK graduate :)

Now, don't think I've forgotten about the rest of you! I could never do such a thing! Junior girls: You all have become so close to my heart. Every single day, I thank God for placing you in my life, and for our relationships that have been forged. Leaving you all is going to be one of the most difficult prospects of this college endeavor. All of you have touched me in so many different ways; I'm going to have to dedicate an entire blog to you all; which I will. But even still, I want you girls to know that you are (and have been for quite some time) the people that I admire most. Your hearts are so sincere, and your nature is so loving. I like to refer to you all as my "babes;" due to my overwhelming love for you all who just so happen to be younger than I. However, you all are constantly easing my burdens and advising me in times of utter chaos. I could not have come as far as I have without your presence in my life, and I could never thank you enough for that; ever....

And, of course, I could never forget the incredible youth leaders :) What an amazing support system you are! You all have graciously taken the place of my parental figures in terms of guiding me through my internal struggles and listening to the things I bear on my heart. Honestly, I wish I were related to you all; my beloved older sibling. I think of many of you that way :) You never judge or belittle me. You are always willing to listen to me ramble on for hours and actually hear what I'm saying. You all make me feel cared for in a way that I hadn't felt for quite some time. I could never repay you for everything that you've done for me. And ever though I'm younger than you all, I hope that maybe you could trust me to return the favor some day; I'd love that.

I just love you all so much! Thank you for showing me how wonderful this life can be! I am who I am because of you all, and I'm loving every minute of it :)

SpontaneiTea :)

Oh today! How lovely thou hast been! I started off my day with a bagel from Einstein's and a Starbucks date with Lindsay :) We talked for over two hours, and it made me so happy :) Love you Linds! Then, after bringing my little sister home a frappaccino, some stylus writing (so tedious!), browsing the interwebs, and dinner with the fam (part of it, anyways), I met up with Kelly at Starbucks. She drank her chai, we nibbled on some chocolate, we caught up on the day's events, and then we headed back to her casa for a... wait for it... POINTE SESH! Ahh, so much fun! And we took lots of pictures :) Have a looksie!

Which one's ice cream and which one's cake?! Haha!

Sure, our toes may have been a little squished when it was all said and done, but it was so worth it :) Afterwards, we enjoyed some lovely hot tea and decided to send pictures to a few of our darling friends :) This amused me; so, so much! Haha, you have no idea!

Creepin!

This, is the story of our friendship. Haha! Love you Kelly :)