Hey! Hey! You! You!

It's just so catchy :)

Is it, like, in phase with the moon?

Hahahaha; biggest laugh of the night!

Okay, so for some reason I must have been really tired last night because I slept until 1; which made me feel like the biggest bum ever. Unfortunately, I woke up with my elbow hurting; bone wise. I don't know why it hurts, but cracking it doesn't help. Anywho, I enjoyed laying around my house in my pajamas until 3 or so, and then got myself presentable. I found out my living situation for next year! Even though I got rejected from the substance free housing, and I got put in one of the worst dorms on campus {Lakeside and no AC}, I still have hope that this could turnout alright! My roommate looks very chill and sweet. I saw her wearing a cross in a few pictures, so I'm assuming she's a Christian. And I also didn't see a single picture of her with a beer in her hand; which makes me very happy. As long as I'm not living with a crazy party girl, I can deal with living in a normal dorm. But yes, I figured out all of that around 5. And after browsing her facebook, I took Jenn to go get some dinner. I have never seen Arby's that chaotic; ever. We didn't get to sit down and eat there because it took so long, so we got it to-go. I dropped Jennifer off at the house, picked up Chandler, and drove up to WEAG to meet people before going to the Flying Squirrels game.

Kathryn, Kim, Chandler, Colin, Chip, Michael, and I all went, and it was pretty fun! We sat near this crazy little girl who kept trying to start the wave. She was legit yelling. Colin and I thought she was going to fight us for not complying, haha. We left at the top of the eighth inning; at which point the Squirrels were winning 7-4 I believe. Then we all {minus Chip} went to Bottom's Up Pizza in Kathryn's car. Can you say tight squeeze? Haha. We sat outside in this beautiful weather just eating, laughing, and being awkward as usual :)

There was something weird going on below us, but we couldn't see what it was exactly. All we saw were at least eight cops walking in this huge group. Sketchy? I think so. Anyways, once we were done, we all piled back in Kathryn's car to go back to church and get our cars. And, as soon as I got home, I got on Skype to video chat with Heather :) We talked for over an hour, and I found it to be quite entertaining. I taught Heather how to take screen shots on the macbook, and we both went a little crazy, haha. See for yourself:

Teehee :) Goodnight my loves!

I got my power back!

Thank God! It was out for over five hours! But anyways...

I got up early today to get my test results from the doctor, and I don't have a foreign disease. Yay! Haha, I could have told them that, but it's whatevskies. I got home around 10 and decided to try relaxing; which is practically am alien pastime for me. I sat down with my cereal, opened facebook, and decided to catch up on the episodes of True Blood that I had missed. Apparently, though, my household and I weren't on the same page. Nugget wouldn't stop barking, my mom kept trying to initiate conversation, the house phone rang a few times, and my sister kept texting me and made me search practically every bedroom to find this shirt she was looking for. Ugh! I know they didn't intend to disrupt my chill time, but it was slightly frustrating. At any rate, I left around 2 to pick up these two little girls named Grace and Emily {family friends} for some quality hangout time. I do love them. It's been truly crazy seeing them grow up so fast! I took them to the pool for a few hours before taking them out to dinner. We didn't set out for the restaurant until after the storm passed, because let me tell you it was pretty bad. My house lost power and the traffic lights near Innsbrook still aren't working! But anyways, after I dropped the two of them off with their mom, I drove out to the south side so that I could hitch a ride with the Tobey's to the J Roddy show down at the Canal Club. They were so good! I made me just want to jump up and down and throw my hair around in crazy directions, haha! I love hearing new artist's for the first time and liking them right off the bat. It makes me happy :)

Let me tell you what else brings me happiness: seeing Joni and our other youth leaders jump and dance around like crazy people. I absolutely love it! After the show, we were transported back to Heather's humble abode; where I stayed and talked to her until 1 AM {when she kicked me out, haha}. I am so glad that I could be welcomed home to the sweet sight of light coming through our windows. I was so afraid that I was going to have to shower in the dark, haha. But alas, her I sit with the TV on as well as my lamp. Happy day :) I would say today's been a good one; even if it was a tad long. Before I go, though, I want to pose a question... Do you think that children know too much? In terms of mature topics and happenings in pop culture and whatnot? After spending the day with Grace and Emily, I wonder how on earth these kids knew some of the things they knew; things that I weren't really aware of/exposed to until middle school or later. How did that happen? Who taught these traits and information bits to children as young as first graders? Fighting, slanders, sex references; it really is too much. Just something that was kind of bothering me.... Goodnight.

I felt spacey the whole time I was typing this...

Hooray for sleeping in! I didn't get up until 12 today, and it felt splendid. I got on facebook and what not for a bit before I actually got myself presentable. Then, I met up with Kelly at 2 for some lunch and shopping. We ate at Baker's Crust, and successfully found what we had set out to find; with the exception of a box, haha. I stopped by the Apple store before I left to get a case for my iPod touch. Little did I know that I got ripped off; figures. Anyways, I came home for a bit before going to my Dad's house for a while. I didn't leave there til about 9:30; at which point I left to meet up with Kathryn and Elsbeth. The three of us ventured over to Connor and Sketch's house {Lindsay was there too!}, and ended up riding in the back of Sketch's truck to go get donuts. Twas fun indeed :)

{Banana nun? Haha, don't ask...}

When we got back, Lindsay and I tried {and failed} to figure out Sketch's facebook account, and Elsbeth and I stalked Kathryn's new roommate, haha. But alas, we had to leave around 12:45; which brings me to where I am now. My mind tends to contemplate things when I'm quiet. here are just a few questions that I've been pondering over the course of the day:

1. How can someone else see so much in me when I don't see a fraction of it in myself?
2. Can spending time with someone be burdensome for them?
3. What on earth is my college roommate going to be like?
4. Am I even ready for college?
5. How exactly do friendships progress?
6. Do people remember half of the things they say or promise?
7. What sparks inspiration?
8. Do we speak for our own sake or for others?
9. Why is expressing emotions so difficult to do in words?
10. What can I do to ensure that my friends are happy?
11. Why do I stay up so late?
12. Why is it that changes over time are harder to notice than subtle ones?
13. Do we choose our motivations or are they instilled in us?

Okay I'm going to stop there, haha. My eyelids are droopy and I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow! Goodnight my loves! You mean the world to me :)

Yeah we like waffles!!!

Today was splendid my friends; truly so! I didn't wake up until 12:30; giving me a grand total of a twelve hour slumber! Woohoo! That certainly makes up for the two hours I got the night before on the plane ride home from Brazil. But yes, I woke up and got myself ready for my doctor's appointment at 2:30. I was afraid I was going to have to get approximately four shots or so, but it turns out I only needed a finger prick and this skin sample thing to make sure I didn't get a disease while I was out of the country. I was in and out of there in less than an hour! Holla, haha :) So then I went home for a short while before going with Jennifer to see Ramona and Beezus; which was such a cute movie! I laughed, and I cried. It made me happy on the inside :) Then, after dropping my sister off at home, I went on a Sushi-O/Cold Stone date with the lovely Heather Tobey for two and a half hours, haha. I love our dates, they put me in my happy bubble :) So I got home around 10:30, and actually ended up on skype... where I video chatted.... with Heather. Haha! We may or may not have had a skype date that lasted 1 hour... 28 minutes... and 26 seconds ;) I find that to be quite hysterical. We basically spent four hours together; no big deal. And after we say our goodbyes via webcam, I drove over to Ellizabeth's to hang out for a bit. Sadly, she leaves for Texas tomorrow, and she'll be gone for an entire week. We had smoothies and had a nice little chat in the blue room. I do love Elizabeth :) She had to kick me out at 1:45 though, so here I am blogging. The last post was a doozie {in regards to the length}, so I'm cutting this one short by my standard. But, before I depart, please enjoy this lovely video of Taylor and I from the eighth grade; declaring our love for waffles... hahaha! She posted the link on my wall earlier, and I had no clue it still existed!

Haha, Goodnight my loves!

Oi! Bonjia!

Hello long lost blog! I have quite a bit to write seeing as how I've been in Brazil for the past ten days! The trip was so incredible! I got to forge some life changing relationships, and I experienced things I never though I would have. Whether it was working in the trade school {planting, painting, or teaching English class}, delivering groceries to families in the slums, visiting the orphanage, attending church services, or just going to the markets and hanging out with my friends, it was all amazing! So first of all, let me start my saying that I absolutely LOVE those little girls at the trade school {Julia, Jeovana, Ana, Amanda, Amanda, Bianca, Bianca, Gabriela, Milena, Monique, Sophia, Paloma, Dioney, Rebeca... to name a few}. I wish I could see them all the time. I grew so attached. I also really love Iago. He is just too silly :) And then one night, at the rec center in Roberto and Rachel's neighborhood, Stephanie and I met this group of little girls who were no older than nine or ten. We couldn't understand a word they were saying, and they didn't know any English, but they bought Stephanie and I slushies and candy! I didn't know what to say! It was one of the sweetest things, and all I could think to say was "Obrigada" {thank you}. Then, at Junior's college ministry, I met Anna; who sings in their worship band. What a lovely girl! She asked me to pray for  her and the work that the band was doing, and she in turn prayed for me. I literally cried; not because I was sad, but because I felt truly touched. I just think it's truly amazing that this complete stranger would trust me enough to do something like that, and be willing to do the same for me... The slums were hard to visit; to see the severe poverty before your very eyes. Makeshift houses made from scrap materials that you and I would view as garbage {not even the size of my bedroom and housing possibly six people}, trash littering the ground, children running around barefoot or even naked, sewage flowing between rows of houses, and more than a few expecting mothers. I just couldn't help but think, "Could I live like this?" I don't think I could, and it pains me to think that 25% of the 35 million people of Sao Paulo that live that way. I want to do something to get them out of that place. I hate knowing that these kids are going to grow up and become so desperate that they turn to illegal activities. Maybe not all of them will, but Roberto said that was the norm... The whole experience made me really appreciative of what God has blessed me with, and the things I normally take for granted. I think everyone on the team shared that gratitude. It was certainly a learning experience, and I wish that words could accurately depict the marvelous time I had in Brazil. I grew closer to my WEAG friends, made many new friends, and saw things that I never thought I would. Here are a few picture's I'd like to share with you:

Te amo, Brazil :)

Goodbye America!

Okay, here's a rapid rundown of todays events:

• Woke up at 10:45 via a text message from Nikki.
• Met up with Heather for lunch at Chipotle :)
• Went to the pool; where Nikki and I watched Juliana's dive meet :)
• She also gave me excellent insight; which helped confirm Heather's advice.
• Had a dinner date at Cheeburger Cheeburger with Nikki.
• Went home and watched True Blood.
• Realized that I forgot to fill out my health forms for JMU.
• Now I have to go to my doctor as soon as they open tomorrow morning...
• Went to Starbucks with Kelly and Ellory.
• This would have been more fun if I wasn't so stressed out. Sorry girls...
• Drove over to Elizabeth's for a bit.
• Saw Kathryn and Elsbeth for maybe 5 minutes before they left.
• Said my goodbyes to Kim and Elizabeth.

Tomorrow, I am leaving for Brazil! You know, I have never been more stoked to be leaving the country than I am right now. All of this stress and emotional disfunction has really brought me down tonight, and I feel like leaving this place might help with that. But moreover, I'm really excited to make new friends and have this incredible experience with people whom I love dearly. This opportunity is one that I never imagined I'd get, and I am not about to take it for granted. I love you all so much! If you would be so kind as to keep me and the rest of the Brazil team in your prayers, that would be lovely :) See you on the 26th!

{Just for your enjoyment. This has been my favorite song on the Eclipse soundtrack. It's helped lighten my mood the past two days. Maybe it's the beat; maybe it's the girl's voice. Regardless, enjoy!}

I fixed the video!

Sorry! I accidentally set it to private... my bad :]

Why is there a hole in my woffee?!

{Okay, so I made this video at 3 AM... it is now almost 4:30 and the video STILL would not upload on Blogger. So now I'm posting it via YouTube. Blogger FAIL!}

{This video was officially done uploading at 4:43...}

{And Kim, I love you and your epic craziness :) You make me want to frolic, haha!}

Haha, I do love my new laptop :) But anyways, the Eclipse soundtrack is pretty much making my life as of recent. After having my parking lot convo with Heather, this song came on, and I realized that this is why I don't like getting really emotional around my friends. It isn't because I don't trust them (because I would trust quite a few of them with my life), but I just hate feeling like my burdens are weighing them down or lowering their level of emotional happiness or stability. I'm not sure if that makes a lot of sense to anyone else... But yeah, give it a listen if you so choose. I love you all so, so much! I hope you enjoyed my awkwardness via video, haha. Goodnight/good morning!

This dance is called: "Sensational Slip n' Slide"

My alarm woke me from my slumber at 6:30 AM today; for I had a breakfast date with Lindsay at 7:30. And for those of you who are reading this and wondering, "What the heck were they thinking?!", you should know that Linds just so happens to be helping with Arts Camp; otherwise we wouldn't have made plans so crazy early. She got a little lost on the way there... but that's alright, haha. We enjoyed our Starbucks and just chitchatted until our little hearts were content. However, we were a little distracted by the women that were at the table next to ours. They kept singing these little tunes and making very odd noises with hand motions. Just take my word for it, it was strange, haha. Unfortunately, Lindsay had to leave a little before 9 to get to church on time; which left me with an entire day stretched before me. I went to Walmart in search of sweatpants, and they had none. Fail. But, of course, Target never fails me! I found sweatpants, a security wallet thing, and a book :) Then I went home for a little while to just chill before being invited out to lunch with Sam and Addie. It's been a while since I've really talked and caught up with them, so that was really good. And after spending some time on my computer at home, I ventured up to WEAG for a little {just for fun} dance/choreo sesh with Heather and Ellory; twas fun! I'll admit, I'm a much better "dancer" than a "choreographer" (Choreographing can make me somewhat anxious.) but I really had a good time being in that creative atmosphere and even playing around a bit :)

{Exhibit A, haha. Photo cred: Ellory}

But yes, I had a marvelous time with these two lovely girls. Happiness? Yes, yes, yes :) We took our leave around 5:45. I was just going to hang out at church until 1822, but my phone was dying. Thus, I drove all the way back home. Once there, I plugged in my phone, changed my shorts, tried to make myself look somewhat decent, and then was on my merry way back to church. I made it back by 7:15; plenty of time to eat pizza, get some Pepsi, and socialize. Matt was there tonight! It was so nice to see him; even if he had to be in a wheelchair. It's just good to see him on the path to recovery, and not lying in a hospital bed. You know? 1822 was really good tonight! The worship was amazing(!), and I could really relate to the topic Scoob's sermon; which made focusing very easy to do. Afterwards, Kathryn and I went to McDonald's for a smoothie and some sweet tea, and we actually ended up talking in there for at least an hour; the way things were, the way things are, the way things could have been, the things we don't understand... I really do enjoy talking to Kathryn. I feel like we are emotionally similar; even if we share different viewpoints. And neither of us are afraid to share exactly what's on our minds or how we really feel. There's never really a need to water anything down, because we both just get it. Thank you, Kathryn, for being the incredible friend that you are :) I love you very dearly :) Then, after I took Kat back to her car at church, I had to drive home in this terrible storm. I was very literally frightened. The visibility levels were like a 2 on the 1-10 scale because of the mass amount of water pouring from the clouds. The wind was blowing rather fiercely. Lightening was flashing everywhere like a strobe light. And then, right as I pulled into my cul-de-sac, this bolt of lightening came down like right behind my neighbor's house. Ahhh! So once I was in my driveway and my car was off, I waited until after the next lightening strike to run to my front porch. I legitimately thought I might get struck by lightening... But alas, here I am same and warm in my bed. And so, my dears, I bid thee farewell and goodnight :)

Oh darling understand...

that everything ends.

Have you ever looked at a picture and felt like crying because you can't go back to the way things were?
{I have.}

{P.S.- Sorry for my absence yesterday. If you were curious, here's what my day consisted of: sleeping until 1, coming home and relaxing, dinner at my dad's, bible study, extended hangout time with Heather at the Garrison residence, and tea time with Kelly at her house.}

Just for tonight, darling...

let's get lost.

No. 111

Call me a bum, but I despise greeting the world earlier than 7 AM; which is what I did this morning after less than five hours of sleep. I woke up around 6:55 because I had to be at church by 7:45. Unfortunately, I had to dance in the sanctuary service. This early rising/lack of sleep would take its toll later, but I haven't gotten there yet... Anyways, once we were done dancing, Annemarie and I went to her favorite Starbucks downtown to hangout before third service. Twas a lovely Starbucks indeed! I had never been to that location before, but I really liked the vibe. Then, once we got back to church and the worship was all said and done, my body started to shut down. Yes, I fell asleep in church for the first time ever, but I kept waking up whenever my head would lull towards Annemarie, haha. It's because of this little dozing fest that Heather no longer believes that I require no sleep. Womp, womp... But, continuing on, we had a Brazil meeting after service {5 days!}; which was followed by a lovely lunch date at Sticky Rice with Annemarie and Heather :) I had never been before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We shared some edamame and enjoyed sushi and a dirty vegan. (Haha, that sounds funny.) As to be expected, we fought over who paid for what. I won; duh :) But that's beside the point... After Heather brought us back to our cars, I went home for a two-hour nap before going over to my dad's for dinner. I tried sleeping at his house too, but I couldn't tune out the sound of the race playing on the TV, so that was a fail. Cindy came over for dinner; which is always a pleasant surprise. I do love her; she is too sweet. I wish I could say my father was just as nice. He made it a point to comment on my sore muscles by saying, "Well it didn't take you long to get out of dance shape did it?" The first time, I kind of laughed it off. The second time he said it... actually kind of made me want to hit him. Maybe he's insinuating something, maybe it's because he wasn't sober. Regardless, the remarks were NOT appreciated, but I try not to dwell on things like that. I left his house around 8 so that I could be at Elsbeth's by 8:30 so that her, Kathryn, and myself could partake in 7/11 free slurpee festivities. We hit up three locations where we successfully got free frozen treats :) We had these two groups that were basically following us, and this awesome Asian boy was friendly enough to say hello; which made me happy :) After we were all full of slurpees and on our way to belly aches, we went over to Elizabeth's to hang out with her and Kim (later joined by Colin). Elizabeth dyed her hair tips blue, and Kim dyed her's purple (forgetting that she has to take her senior pictures in a week, haha!). Everyone then proceeded to tie-dye various items of clothing; tee shirts, shorts, and even a sports bra, haha. Kim's hands were covered in red dye, so it pretty much looked like she'd killed someone. Oh... And then (!!!) I picked up Emily Collins and Chandler to join Elizabeth, Carlton, Kathryn, Kim, and I on a 1 AM Waffle House trip! We pretty much had the coolest waiter ever. his name was Garry. He thought we were pretty crazy; both because of our volume and because almost all of us ordered a chocolate chip waffle, haha. I myself had a chocolate chip waffle and a hashbrown. Ha, so not good for you, but so delicious at the same time. And now, for the duration of the evening, I shall be slumbering at casa de Elizabeth. Goodnight my lovelies! Pleasant dreams :)

{Happy 7/11 Day!}

Let's have some P.T.!

Early rising is difficult for me. Granted, my definition of "early" is probably different from yours, but yeah... haha. I was greeted by the alarm clock at 8 AM, and I may or may not have hit the snooze button twice. But alas, I had to get myself ready for a full day of dance classes; 9-5 to be exact. We worshiped, balleted, jazzed, and even pointed the day away. Haha, Elizabeth Ratliff could even believe the moon walk on pointe, and she was actually really good at it! Needless to say, though, I am rather sore. I would love a back massage right now; and for my thighs to tone down the pain level a bit. And this, my friends, is exactly why I need a dance class in my schedule for next year. I've only been out of a dance class for about a month and I feel so out of shape. Workout fail, haha. At any rate, I was outta there at 5; at which point I came home and showered, half-napped, and then went and got Panera to-go with Jenn. We've been enjoying the Hills marathon that's going on on MTV; good stuff indeed. I just can't imagine having a camera following me every second of every day; having every fight, breakdown, and controversy exposed. It's just craziness. On a separate note, I think my lack of sleep is starting to take a toll on my body. I've just been feeling really, physically exhausted the past few days, and I don't like it. And with Brazil only 6 days away, I am going to be praying for some extra energy.

Philippians 4:13 (New Living Translation)

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Ah... Well, tomorrow is going to be even earlier, so I should probably catch some Zs. I love you all very much! Goodnight :)

Someone take note

because you may never hear me say this again...

i. am. tired.

I'm pretty much on zombie status right now. My body is utterly exhausted, and I don't really know what my issue is. Well, after about three hours of dance, I'm ready to call it a night. Tomorrow comes early, and I have dance from 9-5... Love you all, and farewell.

This one's for yesterday!

Sorry for the delayed post! I transitioned straight from a two hour car ride to getting to a sleepover. So let us start, shall we!

Okay, So I had to wake up at 5 AM yesterday because Taylor and I had to be at JMU by 7:45 for orientation. What a long day it was. We walked around, listened to some speakers, ate lunch in D-hall, met with our advisers, made our schedules, and got our student IDs. All of that lasted until about 5 PM; at which point Taylor and I got to do some shopping for JMU paraphernalia . I ended up getting a sweatshirt and some baggy sweatpants; chyeah chyeah! I did meet some really nice people over the course of the day; which was awesome. To name a few, I'm facebook friends with Tahsin, Lizzy (Elizabeth), and Emigdio; love it! But yes, I was rather exhausted after such a lengthy day. I practically slept the entire car ride home. When we finally got back to Taylor's house, I gathered my things and went home. There, I had to shower, pack a bag, and then go find Jenn and I some food; after which I headed over to the Kelly's for a sleepover with Nikki, Annemarie, and Heather :) We talked for hours while nibbling on popcorn and cookies that were too delicious for their own good. I suppose we finally hit the sack around 2 AM, and needless to say I was the last one to leave this morning, haha. (Well, technically it was this afternoon... but whatevskies!) And I don't know which one of you made those apples, but they were real good; major kudos! And now here I sit, just filling out some forms and browsing the web. I've got a sweet frog date and some dance classes later, so for now I shall bid thee farewell. Bye!

Bungi! Umm, I think you mean bandeau...

I woke up around 11 this morning, got dressed and whatnot, and then met up with the lovely Nikki Medas for a lunch date at Panera at 12:15. I do love her :) We were wondering, though... is it rude to move tables if an obnoxious family comes and sits at the table right next to you? Haha, well that's what we ended up doing. But anyways, we enjoyed our food, and then headed over to Starbucks; yumm! We departed a little after 2:30, and I headed home for some chill time before going over to my dad's house. We ended up going out to dinner (which is a rarity with him) at Ruby Tuesdays. Let me just say, they have the greatest mashed potatoes. Moving on! Youth group was quite delightful this evening. I found myself being more focused than I have in a long time. Scoob made great improvements on his sermon from last night, and I found it much easier to comprehend. I actually spent a majority of the time journaling. I found it to be an excellent opportunity to get my thoughts out. There seem to be so many things just floating around in my head these days.... At any rate, I thoroughly loved the dance sesh to Love Drug afterwards. It pretty much made me fill with joy :) Ellory, Heather, and myself found an odd, sensational urge to talk as though we wore head gear and overactive saliva glands; which somehow led to us going to Sweet Frog, haha. I do love Sweet Frog. It always hits the spot! And I do love the superb company I keep. Ellory wasn't aware that the band/bra tops are called bandeaus and not bungis, haha. It's always entertaining with those two :) After taking them back to church, I showered and ventured over to Taylor's house; where I am currently sitting on her bed and typing this. We have an early morning for orientation though (leaving here around 5 am), so I'm going to hit the hay. Peace!

P.S.- Sorry if this blog was awkward and lacked flow. I'm pretty scatterbrained right now.

Hey, guess what. JACOB LOSES!!!

As many of you may know, my day didn't start off on the best foot. (If you have no clue what I'm talking about, read the previous blog.) Since I've already posted about that drama, I'm going to skip over that and begin with my departure from my house. I met up with Ellory at Barnes & Nobel at 12. She and I browsed through all of the journals and sketchbooks they had available, and El purchased to by the time it was all said and done! Then, around 1, we met up with Lorraine for a little promenade around the mall. We ate Chick-fil-a and did a little shopping in Urban. I found these really intriguing rain boots...

Would you be my friend if I went out in public like this? Haha!

Lorraine found some cute heels. I'm still rockin' the boots.

She's hot. You know you're jealous ;)

Once we were done there, Ellory and Lorraine had to make their way to various appointments, and thus I went home. I tried to activate the phone that I bought from Lorraine, but they told me I had to buy a data plan even though I didn't buy the phone through the store. I wasn't even trying to extend my contract! This frustrated me to no end, so I went out in search of any possible enV2 that might be left over in their stock; no such luck. However, I did meet these two lovely women who found a way to altar our minutes plan so that my sisters and I could all get upgrades, have to purchase the plans, but only have to pay and extra six dollars a month! Glory, glory, praise! I now have a new phone that actually functions! It was good timing too, because in addition to the front of my phone not working, the space bar being jacked, and my "m" and "n" keys being utterly retarded.... part of the keypad on the front of my phone fell off today! That phone is officially dunzo. But anyways, 1822 was fun, and afterwards I went to see Eclipse again with Nikki, John, Rebekah, Timo, Ben, and Josh. The movie was even better the second time, and these kids are truly hysterical. Here are some highlights:

Nikki: "John's team Jacob."
Rebekah: "John's a douche bag."
{Teehee...}

{Wolf version of Jacob walks up...}
Rebekah: "I want one! ...But only if he's half-naked all the time."

Nikki: "Eww, vampire sizzz."

{Boys laugh at something that is not funny...}
Rebekah: "Why are we friends with them? Can someone give me one good reason?"
{Haha, she didn't get a response...}

Josh: "John, what if I were Jacob and you were Edward, and every time I saw Nikki I tried to convince her that I loved her more and tried to steal her from you?"
{Oh, what if?! Haha, well that'd be awkward....}

Okay I'll stop now, haha. But needless to say, I had a lovely time :) It was a great way to end what started as a dismal day. I do have wonderful friends :) You always bring happiness into my life; thank you! And now, my loves, I bid thee goodnight. Love you!

P.S.- I want my own Edward Cullen so, so terribly! Seriously, he is the most perfect boy EVER! Yes, I am in love with a fictional character, but you know what... I'll get my head out of the clouds when I find someone equally as amazing in reality. Ahhh! I just wish he were real! It's to the point where seeing and/or reading about his and Bella's relationship makes me feel all happy and giddy on the inside. (Apparently it's on the outside too; considering that Nikki, Rebekah, and I had our squeals of excitement compared to the sound of a squeaking door...) Oh well, a girl can dream can't she?

So, my mother just tried to tell me

that I need to start getting home by midnight...

Ha! Are you kidding me right now?!

Now that I'm 18 years old,

and I've been doing this for 2 years....

Now you want to monitor me and set a curfew?!

I'm sorry, I don't think so.

Maybe I sound like a brat right now,

but this is really screwed up.

Some of you know the situation,

and some of you don't...

Just take my word for it.

This is practically a joke;

to which I will not comply.

{I suppose you can guess how that conversation went...}

{I'm so ready to get out of this house. I'm so done.}

It's left. No, it's right! LEFT! Oh dang it, I was supposed to turn left...

Today was really quite simple. I woke up, got presentable, and then took my sister and her friend Harry to Short Pump. I got some Starbucks before traveling over to Sweet Frog to hang out with Elsbeth :) We got a lovely visit from Will and Jackie, and, as a method of greeting, Jackie pressed her mouth to the outside of the window; thus leaving this lovely mark:

Not gonna lie, Elsbeth and I found this quite humorous :)

We also saw the Millers while we were there. Yay WEAG party! Anyways, Elsbeth had to peace out around 3, so I went back over to the mall and hit up Victoria's Secret. I got this sweatshirt that I had my eye on during choir tour, and some free flip flops (woop woop!). From there I visited the Apple store; where I played with the Mac book and the iPad. I do hope my father keeps his promise about getting me that laptop; I do, I do. Moving on... I talked to Candice while I waited for Jenn and Harry to meet up with me, and this creepy guy sat on the bench right next to me and tried striking up a conversation... I'm sorry, no. Needless to say, I was quick to get up from my seat and scurry back towards the car, haha. I had dinner with my dad around 5, and just kind of hung out until bible study; which was at Joni's. I really have missed bible studies at the Garrison household. Something about it just makes me really happy. And, since I'm on that topic, I really thought tonight's discussion was awesome! It's the first time in quite some time that I felt like we actually got something accomplished! Anywho... Heather, Ellory, and myself took a little trip over to the Short Pump area in search of some chocolate for Heather. Barnes & Noble was closed, so we ventured to Walmart. Let me just say, Heather can be just as indecisive as I am sometimes! This picture is proof! She had to give herself a count-down and get Ellory's opinion before making a selection. Yes, Heather, I'm driving the bus, haha. I love you!

Side note: I need to be more stealthy when I take pictures, haha!

We left there and drove down to Sheetz so that I could get a smoothie. Ellory hated it, but I thought it was delicious. And after dropping El and Heavs off, I drove to Elizabeth's; where we watched Sorority Row. After the flick, Elixabeth, Carlton, Eric, and myself went to Waffle House at 1am. Eeeeeeep! Kim was there for the movie, but didn't join in on the late night snack adventure. Womp!

Like I've said before, we don't discuss nutrition at the Waffle House...

Okay, I need someone to explain to me why Waffle House thinks that onepiece of cheese is sufficient for an order of triple hashbrowns. It just doesn't cut it! Now, I'm not much of a complainer, and I do love Waffle House, but that is just not logical. At any rate, we left there a little after 2, and I was back home around 2:45. Haha, and here I am once again blogging on the brink of 4am. I'm not sure this is good for my health.... Oh well! Goodnight my dears!

We're the social circle. Actually, we're a triangle. NO, WE'RE A SCATTERPLOT!!!

Today was another one of those "waking up to an alarm" kind of days. I didn't sleep well at all last night because I was in fact hit with a "bad night" as opposed to a "bad day." Thus, Motrin has been my BFF for the past 30ish hours. Anyways, I got myself presentable (straightening my hair for the first time in over a week), and went on up to church. I got my bagel and tea for breakfast; which is always yummy! I was pleasantly surprised to see a certain someone at church; even if it was only for a little while. She always makes me happy :) And she knows who she is ;) After service was over, a group of us headed over to Stony Point for lunch. Say it with me: Chipotle! So I sit down at the table, take literally one bite, and taco juice spills out all over my dress; we're talking multiple splotches of meat run-off everywhere! Were I not as shameless as I am, I would have been really embarrassed to be seen in a public place like that. If that wasn't enough, Austin and Michael tried to move our table, and in the process my drink was knocked over. Yes, my drink was spilled all over the table and onto the ground. But Austin, be the lovely "boyfriend" that he is, was kind enough to refill my cup for me, and we got another table; so it was all good! We walked around for a bit after we ate (taco stains and all!). Elsbeth and I saw a giant "SALE" sign in the window of Anthropologie, and we couldn't resist! We took a look around; though not purchasing anything as I'm sure you can imagine. Cara Smith was in there! I love talking to her. I couldn't tell you exactly why, but I do :) Anyways, I came home for a spell, watched some of The Parent Trap, took a nap, watched a little Hocus Pocus, and then Jennifer and I went out for some dinner at Casa Grande. The food was lovely, and it was overall a really nice and relaxing dinner. Then, around 8:30, I headed over to Kathryn's. Her, Elsbeth, Colin, Austin, Kim, and myself drove out to Goochland to shoot off some fireworks! We hit up two different locations to avoid cops, haha. It was a fun experience. The works of fire were very pretty, and I found it fairly amusing that I rode in the trunk of Colin's car, haha. We even did a little star gazing :) Happy 4th of July! Eeep. Well, Colin eventually had to go home, so the rest of us went to Elizabeth's for a bit. I ended up staying the longest; as is tradition. I don't know what I would do without that girl. She is always able to reassure me that I'm not a complete screw up and/or an idiot, and she always gives sound advice. She listens to the things on my heart, and even lets me get some crying out. I can always trust her to keep my sanity in check. Oh, I do love you Elizabeth! I didn't end up leaving her casa until after 2 am, so here I am blogging and it's almost 4. Woop! Well, I suppose I'm going to try to get some sleep. Goodnight my loves!

{And answer the question on my last post! I want your opinion!}

Your opinion is highly valued.

So... here's what I'm wondering:

Would I look odd if I got my nose pierced?

{I'm looking for honesty people.}

My 100th post!

It doesn't feel like I've written that many blog entries... Craziness!

I suppose you could say today was a recovery day from the past two weeks. I found myself sleeping in until 12:46 pm. Ridiculous? Absolutely. After getting dressed and whatnot, I was pleasantly surprised to find the mail man on my doorstep with my visa in hand. Hooray! I'm not going to lie, I was starting to worry. And it's valid for 10 years! Needless to say, I am rather stoked. I ate my bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats (even though it was past lunch time) and spent the rest of my day just relaxing and watching a marathon of America's Next Top Model; something I haven't done in a very long time. That show is always so entertaining for some reason. Then, after Jenn and I saw Tyra name the winner, we headed over to my dad's house for dinner. We don't normally go over there on Saturdays, but apparently he's made plans for tomorrow evening. With whom I do not know, but let's not go into that. Anyways, he made grilled shrimp, and it was simply delightful. Then, around 8 or so, I took my sister up to Dick's to get a new mouth guard for field hockey; twas a fun little errand (if I do say so myself). I was planning on meeting up with friends afterwards, but I started to not feel so well. I felt a "bad night" coming on, so I decided it would be best to just take a Motrin and chill out at my casa for the night. I caught myself up on the episodes of True Blood that I had missed, and boy was it crazy! There's so much going on that I had forgotten about, it was hard to keep it all straight. And right now, well, I'm typing this up while watching Silent Library with Jennifer. I just got this awful pain behind my sternum, and I have no idea why. It's rather annoying really, but no worries. On a side note, I feel like I'm constantly in a state of worry. I wish I could help everyone; that's what I really want. I want to put an end to the pain and struggles that are faced by my friends. I want it to all be okay... When will I accept that it's ultimately out of my hands? If I'm being honest, I'll probably never be able to get rid of that feeling, but I need to still place my trust in God. That's becoming a real issue for me. There's just this feeling inside of me that's consistently concerned: If I am not here to look out for this person, then who will be? Who cares enough to notice what's going on? To love this person as much as I do? The answer is blatantly obvious, but the internal nagging fails to cease. How can I suppress this feeling when my desire to help still burns within me?

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NIV)

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

In regards to the Fourth of July, I hope you all have a lovely one! I'm not sure what I'll be doing (considering that my mom's in West Virginia, my dad's being sketchy and is doing Lord knows what, and my older sister will more than likely be with Chad), but I'm sure Jennifer and I will find a way to celebrate. I love you all. Goodnight.

A flashback from July 4, 2009.

{sparkler art with taylor}

Things I Learned on Choir Tour:

1. 9 times out of 10, Gabe is in fact lying to you.
2. Our youth leaders are never serious about taking us to the Waffle House.
3. The senior girls are not considered cool enough to hang out with the boys.
4. Ellory is clumsy; always falling through doorways and whatnot.
5. When you think you're completely exhausted, you can indeed "fake it."
6. Sleep is lovely; though not always necessary.
7. Josh does not consider others (mostly in regards to making our bus smell completely rancid).
8. Joni and Gabe just can't even believe themselves, haha.
9. Lindsay deserves an award for everything she dealt with. {I love you babe! And thank you!}
10. iPod karaoke is both humorous and entertaining. {Elizabeth and I made the top 3. Chyeah!}
11. You can't assume anything on choir tour.
12. Crocodiles can be insulted; at which point you apply pressure to the snout and go for the eyes.
13. Any sentence ending in a question mark is considered a "stupid question."
14. Sam Leper hates me.
15. Lorraine is hysterical when she's on steroids.
16. Bus 1: We are troopers! 99.7 degrees, say what?!
17. Febreeze is truly a gift from God.
18. One-piece bathing suits can actually be cute.
19. No matter how much I wish it were otherwise, drama is unavoidable...
20. I have some truly lovely friends!

THIS IS CHOIR TOUR!

{Well, at least is was!}

P.S.- Did anyone else realize that this was on Youtube?! Bahahaha!

{I am so sad that I'm done with youth choir forever.}

{Even though I only got two years, you all made it truly incredible.}

{Thank you loves, you've changed me for the better.}

{I wouldn't exchange these experiences for anything.}

This heavy heart

burdens itself in tenfold. If I've learned anything as of recently, it is that love is sacrificial; and bitterness lingers at its right hand. The line had been drawn, but I wasn't prepared to have it ripped at the seams; feeling like the one thread that refuses to be cut loose from either faction. Perhaps this heart is selfish. In fact, I know it is to some degree, but more crucial elements are not overcasted; nor shall they ever be. I just feel torn; lost and utterly befuddled. I can be told repeatedly that this isn't my battle, yet I refuse to raise a white flag. I want so badly to mend what has been damaged; to repair these walls that are falling to shambles. My tears of anticipation have evaded me, but now I am left with a hollow core; slowly being drowned with guilt and sorrow. Knowing that this was coming and realizing that any effort would render itself useless. However, realization does not insinuate acceptance; which deprives me of faith and trust. I need to believe that {even though I can't produce a resolution} nobody will be left alone or uncared for. More than anything, I just want to be a ray of sunshine in the lives of others; to bring them joy. But who am I to compete with the ultimate source of light and love? Why can I not just have enough confidence in God to trust that everything will work out in the end? I constantly insist upon placing these things on my shoulders out of stress and worry; always out of love. I need to accept that this is a transition phase. God blessed us with the ability to handle life's struggles, and He isn't presenting me with any obstacles I can't handle. I just need to get my act together. My actions and emotions need to keep pace with my brain. It's just extremely difficult for me to disregard my emotions. And perhaps this isn't the end, but things will certainly never be the same. I just pray that I won't be forced to choose... that isn't something I could handle.