For Eden... and Paul

This
This past week, we found these kinda-cool/kinda-gross skeletons in our basement walls!
The reason? well, see we got rid of Paul's room because Momma really wanted to do this:
Yesterday, I was in my room, and I stopped for a second to stare at a patch of light on my floor. I suddenly realized that I didn't know why I was staring, and then I realized that it was because I had never seen sunlight on that side of the room before! Without that wall, I now can have a small bit of sunlight in my room twice a day! That's kinda cool.

Early Christmas Gift

Today,
Today, When I arrived at Timmy's house, I brought him a surprise!Yes, it was his Christmas gift 2 months early!
Timmy's surprised because, although he was expecting this, he wasn't expecting something quite like this!
Here he is trying on his studly new footie-pajamas!

Arkansas Trip

Last weekend Jon, Tim, and I went to Arkansas to visit our good friend, Charles!

I had some misconceptions about how the trip would turn out, but it was really great! I didn't feel left out from the group, and I never had to worry about lack of excersize. The first morning, after experimenting with a waffle recipe, we looked up Devil's Den national park to find some hikes we would like.
There was a middle school on a field trip, so we took the less popular trail first. On our way to that hill, we could hear little girls from farther away singing part of a song from Aladin: "Still I think he's RATHER tasty!" It made us laugh a little, and I said, "You guys should sing to those girls." Not wanting to miss a chance to show off their studliness, the guys simultaneously started singing "I can show you the world" really loud. I could fainlty hear some laughter on the other hill, before "SHH! guys! there're people on the trail ahead!" The guys shut up as a middle-aged man came around a bend ahead. "Could you guys keep it down?" he asked. He waited for our shocked expressions before telling us he was just kidding.

Three miles later, we ate lunch and began the trail Devil's Den is most famous for. We hiked to a little cave, got out our flashlights, and I was nominated to lead the way. The cave was pretty small. I had never been in one that didn't have lights or a guided tour. Tim had to watch his head, not just because the celings were low, but because there were bats hanging from them. We had to crawl over huge rocks and through tiny holes. Once we even saw a flattened bat on the floor. After we got home, Jon and Charles went to return the flashlights to Alex's boyfriend. "You didn't take a bat, did you?" he asked them. He then told them about his friend who tried to take a bat from the cave, but got fined $2,000.

The next day, we walked around Fayetteville. On our way to the farmer's market, we saw a guy on a moped go over a speed table without slowing down. As he was only going 20 mph or so, he only got like, a foot of air. It was only funny, though, because after he landed, he gave us a quick look that said, "That's right, I'm cool!" Later, as we were walking, Charles suddenly took off running, and jumped off the end of a speed table. After he landed, he shot us a "cool" look.
Later, a lady in a car passed a pedestrian she obviously knew, because she rolled down the window, and in a scary voice, said "Hey, little girl, want some CANDY?!"

Before we left from Charles's house, Jon called home. His mom had said I could sleep at their house so I wouldn't have to drive home and then back again for church. She told him over the phone that I couldn't stay in the guest room anymore because someone was staying there, but I could have a blow up mattress in the girls' room.

We got home around midnight, and Mrs. Belsan was really nice about me staying there, and told me that the girls could tell me where to find a towel. I told Dea and Asha a little about our trip, and then decided that a shower would be nice. Dea said, "Okay, so there're towels in the closet out there, and you can just use the shower in the downstairs bathroom." So I opened the door and was a little confused about the amount of doors there were. "Yeah, the door right next to you." she assured me. I opened the door, only to find that it was not a closet, but the guest room, and a huge guy from our church was on the bed looking at me! I had just enough time to say "I'm so sorry!" before I shut the door. I had to double check with Andrea that it was the other door right next to me before I got my towel.

I was still feeling all nervous, so it didn't surprise me that the next step I took sent me flying down the stairs! I made a lot of noise and hoped I hadn't woken anyone up before I went to the bathroom.

I was finishing my shower, and tried to shut off the faucets. The cold water turned off, but the hot water got turned on full-blast.It was incredibly hot, and I started getting burned all over and managed to jump out of the shower, but it was still on! I tried a few times to turn off the faucet, but it was so hot, I couldn't make it until I picked up the towel serving as a mat, and blocked the spray. I then got dressed quickly and discovered that I had red burns on my arm and the back of my hands.

It was a crazy evening, but it made a great story. Here are pictures from the trip:

Fall Happenings

Halfway through every season, I wish it were the next. This feeling's always strongest, though, towards the end of summer. Maybe it's because a lot of interesting things happen in the fall; I don't know.

• Almost every year, the beginning of July marks the beginning of the next round of my endless battle against the squash bugs. Casualties are high on both ends, the squash bugs (or SB as I will refer to them from now on, not because it saves much time, but because I may sound a bit cooler) the SB losing comrades by the hundreds, and me only benefiting from approximately 1/20th of the pumpkin seeds. The SB are killed prematurely by getting scraped off the underside of leaves ("Gross! The eggs are under my nails!") or poisoned by bug powder ("Oh, Seven! You are the last word when it comes to bug poisons!") or killed manually by my thumb and forefinger. ("Hey! Their guts must smell like some sort of fruity body spray!) Don't worry, I never actually got close enough to find out what they really smelled like, let alone rubbed their seductive odors on me, as many of you would have done in my place. Anyway, the SB have killed the root of the last plant, but I was left with five survivors, a little premature, but still fine-looking pumpkins.
• 
  
• I am well into the routine of school, and with all the small things to look foreward to, time flies until after the holidays. October Madness is one of the things I associate with the cooler weather and the changing leaves. On a typical year, by the time October comes around, every weekend in my calendar is booked with one event or another... or both. This year, I am out of high school, and not tied down by a zillion activities. Although I miss the activities themselves, I'm glad I have more time in this month for other things. 1. Next weekend, Tim, Jon, and I will travel to visit Charles in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 2. When we get back, it'll be fall break, and I'll have a couple days off school. 3. As soon as school comes back, my cousin comes to visit her Kansas relatives! 4. Before it's time for her to go back, The Kansas Bible Camp retreat starts, and I will be attending that. 4. I will have time to come home and take a nap before I have a very important date* 5. On Friday the 31st, I (Lord willing) will have an awesome Halloween party.
• 
  
• Last, I guess, it's the season of my birthday. When I was little, I associated autum and Halloween with my birthday and got over-excited about them all. Although all the things that made me excited when I was younger (birthday parties, school parties, and trick-or-treating) don't affect me anymore, I still associate this time of year with that same childish excitement. I see red berries growing on our small tree, and I have to show someone. "Here, Tim! Eat this poison berry, and I'll pay you three cents!" I go to walmart for a toothbrush, and I have to walk through the halloween aisle to see the different costumes. And, on my birthday, although Dale looks down at her odometer saying, "Look! 666! The devil's number! (gasp!) and it's the devil's birthday too! ...and I have to buy her a present!" and though I have dinner with my family instead of a slumber party, and although instead of a regular happy birthday song, I get my whole family singing "HallowEEEEN is my birthday...." in their highest, squeekiest voices,** I still get excited about it, and treat it as if it's a special day. And in the end, that excitement usually makes it one.
  

*Details I will Divulge despues (The Spanish slipped out, and I left it there because I couldn't resist the alliteration. If you have any other D suggestions, please comment)
** Source: the CREEPIEST SHOW EVER

Random Google Image Search

1. Age on upcoming birthday:


2. Place I'd like to visit:


3. Place I like:

4. Favorite Person: (caption to this one read, "Jesus or Charles Manson?")
5. Favorite Food:
6. Favorite Animal:

7. Hometown:
8. Name of past pet:
9. Name of past love:
10. Favorite Color:
11. First Name:
12. Middle Name:
13. Last Name: