A Summary Of These Past Few Months

I've been meaning to write another post for quite a while now, but I just never got around to it.  So much has happened in these past months that I don't even know where to begin.  I guess I'll start with June because nothing of much consequence happened in May other than graduation.

On June 4 My mom and I left for Israel with SLU 401.  It was such a phenomenal trip.  We went everywhere and saw everything.   There would be about 4 or 5 things on our agenda for the day, but by the end we would end up doing 10 to 12 things thanks to the amazing Dr. Jay Strack.  I met some wonderful people who I truly love to be around.  I can really only say good things about this trip.

A week after getting back from Israel I headed up to college orientation.  It was a blast! I met some really nice folks and got all the classes I need at the times I wanted, so I'm pretty pleased with that.

July brought a whole host of things.  I ended up getting violently ill on the 2nd and was not well enough by the 4th to participate in any patriotic activities.  This is the second year in a row that I haven't gotten to celebrate the 4th.  Last year I was flying to London and this year I was puking my guts out. Hopefully this doesn't become some kind of horrid tradition!

The Last week of July Dori, Amy, Emily, Chloe and I spent a week up in the mountains in Georgia.  It was way too much fun! I hadn't seen Chloe since last summer and it was really great to spend time with her again.  We did so much while in Georgia.  We hiked, swam in waterfalls, rafted down the Chattahoochee River, went to a fair, and spent the afternoon on a boat in the middle of a gorgeous lake surrounded by mountains.  Not to mention we watched Pearl Harbor three times and fended for ourselves quite well.  It was a really great week.

August, thus far, has been a month of late nights and goodbyes.  This month I have been cramming as much time with my friends as humanly possible.  I have already had to say goodbye so many times a people head off to various states to begin their college adventures.  I'm the last of my friends to leave and let me tell ya, it's killing me!  I have one week left to pack up the last 18 years of my life and move into my dorm to begin my adventures.

That's pretty much all I've been up to.  We'll see if it's another four months before I get to this again.

BEDA #30: Last Day Of BEDA/Prom

Today is the last day of BEDA, FINALLY! This has been a good experience it's just that I feel more like it has been a chore, especially in these last days, than a fun challenge.  I feel like I might just be getting the hang of this blogging thing.

Today is also prom.  I'm quite excited.  My dress is dark turquoise and I got some really cute silver flats to wear with it.  My hair appointment is pretty soon so that's why I'm blogging in the morning as apposed to late in the evening.  I'm sure tonight will be fun and then tomorrow two of my bestfriends and I are going to spend the day a spring just having a blast.

That's all I really have to say.  I wanted to go out of BEDA with a bang, but I guess that's not going to happen.

BEDA #29: IHOP And The FREAKING ROYAL WEDDING!

I had my first IHOP experience today.  I'm not sure if it was a success or not.  I really don't like pancakes so I decided to get an omelet with a waffle.  The omelet was good.  And I'm sure the waffle was good, I just couldn't tell, because of the four different syrups I tried, I did not like one of them.  Maybe I'm too picky, but they were just nasty.

And HOLY CRAP, THE ROYAL WEDDING WAS TODAY!!!!!!  Kate was gorgeous in her wedding dress! Simply breathtaking.  And William looked dapper in his suit.  All of the pomp and pageantry was splendid.  The British sure know how to do a wedding.  And seriously I want Kate's dress.  The lace was gorgeous as was the embroidery along the bottom.  She just looked so elegant and regal today.  It was incredible.  I wish I could have seen it in person.

BEDA #28: Impromptu Piano Concert

I have been thinking about what I was going to talk about all day today, and finally I have something to say.

I had some plans to go to an awards ceremony with my friend but had to cancel because I was just feeling overwhelmed about homework and such.  Not long after my mom got a call from my PaPaw saying that the Curls (some very dear friends) were taking him out to dinner and that there would be a piano concert by Lucy Pat afterwards.  Needless to say, my mom and I had to say yes to that.

Now when I said concert I said it for a reason.  Lucy Pat is the best pianist I have ever heard.  She has played professionally for many, many years and can play anything in any key.  When she plays it is like you can actually see the music.  It leaps into the air and is almost tangible.  It goes deep inside you and touches every heart string so that you experience every emotion, individually and all at once.  It is breathtaking and beautiful does not even begin to describe how she plays.

The reason for this gathering is that tomorrow is the third anniversary of the day my grandma passed away.  Bill Curl has been one of my PaPaw's best friends for years and years, and Lucy Pat, my grandma's.  They called up PaPaw this afternoon and told him that they were going to take him out to dinner and have a concert afterwards, as I have previously said.

I really cannot get over how incredibly Lucy Pat plays.  I never get tired of listening to her play.  She could play for hours and hours, and when she stops it feels like only moments have passed by.  She played quite a few of my grandma's favorite songs tonight, including Clair de Lune, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, and I sang along as she played Amazing Grace.  My grandma sang all four verses of amazing grace the day she died when she heard that she was coming home from the hospital.  I cannot even begin to say how honored I am to have sung it tonight, especially alongside Lucy Pat.

The Curls are just some of the most special people that anyone will ever meet.  They have been missionaries all over the world and now, in their retirement, they minister to the missionaries who are actively serving all over the world.  I remember when I was in AWANA as a little kid one of the pages in my Sparky's book included an activity in which you prayed for missionaries and wrote them a letter.  I chose the Curls.

I do hope that someday I can be like them.  I would love to live in the UK as a missionary (which they did for many years in Wales).  Mr. Bill even got to meet the Queen by some providential chance.  I really can say nothing but good things about them.

Days till Israel: 37

BEDA #27: Today Was Just The BEST!

Hello again interwebs.  I very nearly forgot about you to night, but hark I did not.  

Today was just the best day ever!  I am officially done with highschool classes, I had a fantastic time getting coffee and a Chipotle burrito.  Then I went to church and got to just have the best time with some of my favorite people ever, and lastly I went to Bible study which was just wonderful!  Basically today was just a party.  I have not laughed so much for so long in quite a while.

Going to my last highschool class today has really got me thinking about how different it will be next year when I am away at college.  I hadn't felt truly sad about leaving until today.  But at the same time today has been so wonderful that I haven't  had time to feel sad really until right now.  I'm going to miss the fantastic car rides with all my friends and the wonderful conversations we have.  The good thing is I don't have to give it all up right away.  I still have this summer to continue to forge these bonds that will hopefully not be broken.  That last sentence was way cheesy, but that is really how I feel.  I think I'm going to be done for now before I get all weepy up in here.

Days till Israel: 38

BEDA #26: Oh The People (And Creatures) I Wish I Could Meet

I wish I was a hobbit.  Or at least that I knew one.  The way Tolkien describes them makes me want to find one and sit down and have a chat.  I deeply wish that these little creatures were real.  They just seem so endearing and fantastic.  I think that most of all I should like to meet Bilbo, Pippin and Merry.  They have always been my favorite of the hobbits introduced in LOTR.  Don't get me wrong, Sam and Frodo are great too, but I just feel that the other three would be more interesting to talk with.  Especially Bilbo with all his adventures and tales to tell, and I think that Pippin and Merry would be fantastic for a laugh.  Why couldn't I have been born in Middle Earth?

I would also love to meet the Weasleys, Arthur and Molly especially.  The Weasleys are my favorite characters in the whole HP series.  Well except Percy, of course. He's just a prude.  But to spend a day with Fred and George, or Charlie, or Arthur and Molly would be truly fantastic.  I can just imagine how my sides would ache after a day laughing with the twins.  And to hear of the places and things Charlie go to do with dragons would be thrilling.  I would love to discuss the functions of silly muggle trinkets with Arthur and hear stories of the trouble the children got themselves into from Molly.  JK Rowling sure did something right with the Weasley family.  That is until she killed of Fred.  I don't think I'll ever forgive her for that.

Now as for Narnia, I would like to meet Aslan, Mr. Tumnus, and Edmund.  Aslan really because he is just Aslan.  I mean seriously he is freaking amazing!  I feel like the conversations with him would be truly remarkable and always satisfying.  Mr. Tumnus has always been one of my favorite characters.  I would like to have tea with him and hear him play his flute.  I feel like he is the kind of friend that everyone should have.  Edmund has always been a favorite of mine as well.  The way he was redeemed and truly changed after the mistake he made is remarkable.

I wish I could visit these realms and magical places, but I guess that's what books and imagination are for.  So until I can visit I will just read about them.

Days till Israel: 39

PS I just found out today that I got into the nursing program at the school I am attending in the fall!!!  I have been waiting for forever to hear back and could not be happier!

BEDA #25: 40 Days

Today I wasted gas.  This morning I left the house as usual for physics  only to get a call when I was about halfway there telling me that it was canceled.  Then later tonight I got all the way to church for band rehearsal only to find Aaron walking out of the building, guitar case in hand.  I rolled down my window and it seemed that we were the only ones to not get the message that rehearsal was canceled.  So I made my way back home and decided to do something productive with my time, namely play Lego Harry Potter on the Wii.

When mom got home I read some of The Hobbit to her as she sorted laundry and tidied up a room.  I do like reading aloud and will probably be doing it with increased frequency these next forty days.  I say this because today marks forty days until I get to got to Israel this summer.  I decided to give up TV and movies as sort of a lent type thing in the forty days leading up to it.  My mom is giving up soda for this time.  Let me just tell you today has been pretty tough.  All day I've been wanting to watch something, it's probably mostly just because I have resolved not to.  It's going to be tough, but I know I can do it.  So here goes nothing.

I think I will end today with some more of The Hobbit and then if I finish that I'll move on to No Limits, by Michael Phelps, which I found in my sisters room when browsing her bookshelf.  I'm not infatuated with him, I mean he is a phenomenal athlete, but I'm not a screaming fan girl, I just thought it looked interesting. Now when it comes to JRR Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Winston Churchill, I go into major screaming fangirl mode.  I really just can't help myself.  They make me giddy.

And there I will leave this little blog for today.  Perhaps I will go more into my love for those three men tomorrow.