New Bangs :)

Here they are! I can actually see :) Boy has my hair has gotten outrageously long! It's time for a trim, but that will have to be at the end of June...

I also got to talk with Alicia for 3 hours today :) It was wonderful!

Have you ever sorted through hundreds of moldy onions?

I hadn't until tonight. I didn't even know that onions could become moldy! Needless to say it was a pretty disgusting sight.

Every last Monday of the month, a couple of us from my home church volunteer at Food For Lane County which is an organization that gets food donations from surrounding restaurants, cafeterias, and businesses from all over the county. I absolutely love volunteering here. You meet some pretty cool people, and it's actually really fun! When you arrive you have to sign in, wash your hands, and put on an apron. I love any excuse to wear an apron. I don't know why I have a thing for them, but I do :) There are dozens of carts full of food items that need to be packaged into smaller containers that will feed families of four. There are people that get the bags ready, pack the food, and then people who write out labels for the packages. Tonight my duty was labeling which I love! There are several categories that the food is separated into and put into crates where it is then put into the freezer.

As you can probably tell from my other posts, I absolutely adore elderly couples! I think they are so stinkin' cute :) Well there is another elderly couple that I absolutely adore who volunteers the same time as me. I don't remember their names because I didn't get to talk to them today, and I met them probably 5 months ago, but they must be in their mid 80's. They are absolute sweethearts. They come out to volunteer together every week. Isn't that the coolest? I hope that my future husband and I do the same someday.

After we finished packaging all of the food items, it was time to sort the onions! Oh my! I've never seen so many rotten onions. We were given crates of them, and we had to decide whether they were salvageable and peel away the bad parts, or decide that they were too far-gone. I did cry a bit. Too bad I didn't have any onion goggles. Those would have been handy!

At the end, Dan who is head of the organization took some of us outside to the back of the building to look at their compost piles. Super cool! When I have my own house and garden I definitely want to start one. Back by the compost piles we saw a deer. It was probably only 10 feet away from us. Surprisingly it wasn't scared of us at all, and continued to eat grass even while we moved around. Once we came back in we had dessert. Food For Lane County doesn't give away dessert items, so any donations of dessert go to the volunteers who are helping :) Score! Tonight there were rice krispy treats and brownies. Yum!

Today has been both good, and frustrating. Registering for LCC has been extremely complicated and confusing. I've had to re-apply twice now, and they still aren't allowing me to register. The orientation class that I have to take before I can sign up to be in my CNA class is filling up, but since they keep miss communicating with me, I'm still unable to sign up which creates a dilemma. Hopefully they will have everything figured out by Wednesday. Another issue is that I can't sign up for my CNA class until the 15th of June. The class starts the 21st and I am afraid that I won't get in. My mom keeps telling me to stop stressing myself out about it. She says if I don't get in then I'll just take the class fall term, which is ok, but I wanted to do it this summer. If I don't get into my class, hopefully I will be able to take some of the classes I need to take this summer instead of the fall. We'll see. For now I just need to calm down and trust that everything will work out how it is supposed to.

Tomorrow I am going to call the college in Colorado that I am going to apply to, and learn more about their nursing program and see if I am on track. I'm pretty sure I only have Microbiology left, and I am going to re-take anatomy 1 and 2 and try to get an A. I also need to contact the school in Idaho that I plan to apply to and see if I am on track for applying there as well.

Today my mom booked my airline tickets! Idaho here I come :) I am so excited to get to spend a week with one of my favorite people in the whole world. My sister Jen is somebody that I look up to a lot. Her poise, grace, intelligence, encouragement, and loving spirit just amazes me. I don't ever remember a time where Jen and I fought. We've always had a close relationship, and an even closer one now that we have both grown up. I wish that I could see her more than every 6 months. The last time that I saw her was at Thanksgiving. That is why I wouldn't mind going to nursing school in Idaho. I would be living in the same town as her for once :). I am also excited to get to spend more time with my brother-in-law Jake, and of course their yellow lab, Samson. I love him!

My flight leaves June 1st at 3:05 pm to the land of potatoes, and I will be returning June 8th at 11:20 am. One thing you may or may not know about me is that I absolutely LOVE flying! If nursing doesn’t work out, I would seriously consider becoming a flight attendant. Airports fascinate me. I love watching the people. I always want to know where they are going, and where they have been in life. I have also always secretly hoped that I would run into a famous person while at the airport. Seeing Chris Martin or Guy Berryman would be just swell :).

Tomorrow I am getting my bangs cut and styled. I am way long overdue. My bangs are OUT OF CONTROL! Lately I have just been pinning them back because they are not cooperating. I am going to go for a different style than I have done in the past so I am a little wary, but excited. I don't know how to explain it, so I'll just have to post a picture. I am also going to skype with Miss Alicia Jean Keithley at 4:00 pm :D I suggested that we skype at 5, and she agreed. Luckily she reminded me that she is an hour ahead. I totally spaced that fact. I would have been late to our skype date haha. We have texted a lot since school got out, but we have yet to have a long conversation, so tomorrow we are going to catch up and it is going to be wonderful! While I am in Idaho, hopefully Alicia will make it down to Boise one day and we can hang out. After we skype, I am going to go to my church's college group which will be nice. I have been lacking in spending time with God lately. That needs to change.

This last week I was up in Newberg, and it was so wonderful! I got to spend time with and see some more of my favorite people; Margaret, Karina, Nick, Brandon, Heather, Carter, Lissa, and Mandee! Coming back to Newberg and helping out with Genesis reminded me of how much I love Fox and kind of rekindled my sadness of leaving such an amazing place. The students would ask me what year I was, and I told them that I was going to be a Junior at Fox, although it was not true. I just decided that instead of having to go through and explain the long story of why I am leaving fox, it would be easier just to not tell people.

So much of my life is up in Newberg, and it is hard to adjust to living back where I grew up, and not by my close friends. I just keep reminding myself that my goal in life is to become a Nurse, and in order for me to accomplish that goal I am going in the direction that will get me there. I also remind myself that in two years I would have experienced the same separation from my close friends. I am just going through the transition a little earlier. I also realize how my leaving Fox also affects the lives of my friends. Not only am I adjusting, but they have to adjust as well. No longer will they get to see me on a daily basis, but what is good is that I am only a short car ride and phone call away. I still want to be a big part of their lives, as will they always be a big part of mine.

This whole past year I have been praying to God asking him to direct me and show me the path to take, and he delivered. My last semester at Fox was by far the hardest one, and I’ve come to realize that God has something else in store. Although I love Fox so much, I feel that he is leading me in another direction to a whole new adventure. I wasn't feeling like Fox's nursing program was the right fit for me. I just couldn't see myself there, which surprised me since it had been my plan ever since my sophomore year of High School. I'm still unsure of where God's leading me, but I have complete faith that whatever it is, it is going to be awesome. Maybe he will take me to Colorado, or Idaho, or maybe he's got something entirely different in mind. For now, I am here in Eugene, listening and waiting and being present, here and now. I pray to God everyday that he will bring me a community of people here in Eugene that I can grow close with, I haven't found them yet, but I know they are here. I
just need to discover them!

Oh life... you are harder than I ever imagined. Sometimes I think to myself, “you’re an adult, when did that happen?” It sure sneaks up on you!

Silver Creek Falls

Would have been a cute one, but it's blurry. Bummer!

Bridal Shower

Operation bridal shower complete!!! It's done, and I am so happy with how it turned out. At first I was afraid that nobody was going to show up since it was 7 o'clock and nobody had arrived yet, but there ended up being twelve of us! The decorations came together beautifully which was a relief. The vision I had in my head when I was planning it looked good, and the end product ended up looking just like I wanted it to :) Everyone was impressed with my hand made flower lanterns. They didn't believe me when I told them that I made them. I am pretty crafty if I must say so myself :) Laura was very excited, and I could tell that this shower meant a lot to her. She was so happy, and that made all of the hard work worth it. I think for a first timer I planned a pretty fantastic party! Now with one bridal shower under my wing, I'm prepared for the next one. Hopefully that will not be for awhile! Here are some photos from the party~

Kudana

So I found this video online of the Marimba band from Eugene that was playing at Saturday market last weekend, and I felt that you all needed to see what I experienced haha. I particularly like the dancers in this video :) Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJJDAANiAVc&feature=related

The Bavarian Haus

I have finally returned from a day with the parents and Zoe! First off, wasn't it the most beautiful day ever? It was absolutely perfect hiking weather. At 11 am, my parents, my dog, and I headed to Silver Creek Falls near Silverton. Zoe sat in the backseat with me. She seemed excited about the occasion. I think at first she thought she was going to the dog park because that is where we usually take her, but she soon realized she was on a day trip with the Adams!



Once we arrived, we parked and found a nice picnic bench in the sun and ate our lunch. There was a wedding reception taking place not too far from where we were, so it was interesting to listen to their conversations. The groom had an English accent which was fabulous. I think accents are wonderful! I also heard some interesting music. There was a lot of Enrique Iglesias, "I can be your hero baby." It still rings in my head 9 hours later...

Once we finished lunch, we headed for the trails. We weren't able to go on the Canyon trail with Zoe, but there were still some trails in the surrounding area that we were able to hike. We saw the North Falls, the South falls, and lots of little creeks. It was beautiful! We definitely want to go back without Zoe and hike the full trail. It was fun having her with us though :)

After our little trek, we went and explored Silverton, and Mt. Angel. I showed mom and dad where the Mt. Angel Abbey was that I went to one time, and we had fun looking at all of the old beautiful houses in Silverton. When we were driving around in Mt. Angel, we came upon this restaurant called "The Bavarian Haus." It was this cute little German restaurant. They had patio seating, so we sat outside. German music was playing the whole time which was fun! There was quite a variety of tunes. It started out with Om pa pa music, and then it went to upbeat German pop. My mom and I shared the fondue appetizer. It came with apples, bread, and German sausage that we dipped in a cheese fondue made from beer, wine, and Swiss cheese. It was DELICIOUS! My dad ordered a steak sandwich which was also really tasty. Then we all shared an apple strudel :) Super fun! Once we were finished eating, it was back to Eugene.

Currently my father is mowing the lawn at 8:35 pm. I think this is a random time to do it considering that it is almost dark. Haha oh well. Hopefully none of our neighbors are in bed yet! Tomorrow's agenda entails going jogging in the morning, trying on my brides maid dress and doing some fittings, baking a cake for the bridal shower, and making sure that everything is ready for the bridal shower on Saturday. My mom and I will also be cleaning the house, and my car desperately needs a bath!

I will be posting more pictures from today's adventure soon!

Fruit Nut Medley Mix

Currently I am sitting at my dinning room table eating my fruit nut medley trail mix from Costco. Most of you probably know already, but besides being addicted to cereal, I am addicted to the fruit nut medley mix. It has dried apples, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, bananas, cherries, raisins, and then peanuts, almonds, and walnuts. Can you get any more delicious and healthier than that? The dried apples are my favorite and usually the first to disappear from the bag. Usually I scavenger around everything in the bag in hopes of finding the apple chunks. It's tricky though because the apples and the pineapples look very similar. I'm a pro at distinguishing between them now, but it was difficult at first. Last year in Hob 3, all of the girls on the floor loved the mix too, especially Miss Amy Jackson. We would both sit in the hallway, and eat all of the apples in my trail mix instead of doing our homework. Every time I would come back to school from being home for the weekend, one of the first questions that was asked of me was, "did you get more fruit nut medley mix?" The answer was always yes. The bag that my mom has recently purchased is probably the best bag I have ever had. There are apple chunks up the wazoo! Amy Jackson is missing out! If you haven't had the opportunity to experience this delicious medley, you need to go to Costco and get a bag right now! You won't be disappointed. I hope :)

It's been awhile since I've written a new post, so I have a lot to catch you all up on. We'll start with last Friday.

At around 2 o'clock, Zoe and I headed over to Springfield to pick up Laura. Our first destination was the dog park. This was my first time taking Zoe to the park without my sister so I was a little nervous, but I had faith that Zoe would be safe. I always get nervous at dog parks. You never know what dogs will be nice, and what dogs will be dangerous. Zoe loves everyone, so you have to watch her and make sure that other dogs aren't getting angry. When we arrived, there were probably about 7 or so dogs in the park with their owners. Zoe ran around and said hello to probably every dog in the park, and they all were having fun playing. While Zoe was off running around, Laura and I just sat at a picnic table and talked while we watched Zoe. It had been awhile since Laura and I have gotten to talk in person. I love being able to sit and talk with her, but it also makes me sad because I've come to realize how different we both are now. I used to think that there was change in her personality and behavior, but lately I have been thinking that there has been more of a change in me rather than her. I think that quite possibly the reason why we have grown so far apart is that I have grown up while she has stayed the same.

Laura is getting married in less than a month, which worries me, and blows my mind. I don't think that her and Ryan are ready to get married, and I am not the only one who thinks this way. She knows that I don't think that this wedding is a good idea, so there's nothing more that I can say or do except to pray and be there for her. I feel like you should be excited when one of your best friends is getting married, but I can't be excited with her, which is hard. I put on a smile for her though, because she means a lot to me. June 12th is going to be a tough day. I have to walk down that isle, hold my flowers, smile, and watch her make this life changing decision that I wish she wasn't making.

After we had been talking for a while, we noticed this big German Sheppard getting kind of aggressive with another dog, so I grabbed Zoe and we headed to Skinners Butte Park. Skinners Butte Park is one of my favorite parks to visit. It has a concrete whale structure and another structure that we have no clue what it is. We think it is a turtle, but it would have to be an extremely abstract turtle. Usually the whale and turtle are either gray or blue, but recently it has been painted several different colors. So we hung out there for a little bit, and then we went to the post office so that she could mail off her wedding invitations. After we finished there, I took her back to her house and headed home.







That evening, my parents and I went on an art walk in downtown Eugene. Every first Thursday of the month all of the art gallery's downtown stay open late and have community art displayed. Every gallery has a live band playing inside, lots of snacks, and LOTS of wine. There were many tipsy grown ups! It was pretty fun for a while, but soon everything started looking the same and I was ready to go. My parent's still wanted to look though, so we didn't leave for a while. One thing I did not enjoy about the night was that in one of the gallery's I was hit on by this gross man. Of course that would happen to me! I got rid of him fast though thank goodness! After we were done downtown, my parents and I met up with my sister Shelley and her friend Pariz at Chapala’s Mexican restaurant at the Oakway mall for dinner. It was soooo good! I hadn't had Mexican food in a long time. It was nice to get to go out and spend time with my family, but I wish that Jen and Jake could have been there too!

The next day was Saturday market! My mom had to be there by 8 am, but I didn't end up going until around 1 pm. Finding a place to park was a nightmare! I have never driven around in circles in Eugene so much in my life. Finally I found a spot, but it wasn't very close to the market unfortunately. There were so many people there that day, and the weather was beautiful! I hadn't had lunch yet, so I got some phad thai, which was AMAZING, and I got a fruit salad. There were not as many hippies at the market as there usually are, but I did get to see some hippie dancers! There was a marimba band that played called Kudana, and they were super good. There were about 12 musicians in the band all ranging in different ages. They were super entertaining to watch. While I was watching the band, someone tapped on my shoulder and asked me if the band had just started. I recognized the voice and turned around and realized that it was Diana Koekkoek my friend and old small group leader. She was surprised to see me too! Out of all the people she could have asked, she tapped on my shoulder. What a coincidence. We talked for a while, and then she invited me to go with her and her family to see the Springfield High School play Cinderella. I hadn't been to a high school play in ages, so I was super excited to go. It was really good, I was pleasantly surprised! It was great getting to hang out with the Koekkoeks again. In high school, Laura and I used to go over to their house every Tuesday night to hang out with them. I miss those days.

After the play, Diana and I went and got a chocolate crème pie from Marie Calanders and then we headed over to our friend Claire's house. It was so great to get to visit with Claire. She graduated from nursing school a year ago, and understands the stress and frustrations that I am dealing with. She tried getting into nursing schools for five years, and it's taken her a long time to get to where she is. She was telling me about the program that she did in Colorado, and I am seriously considering it. She absolutely loved her education there and highly recommended it to me. She only ended up paying about $2,000 for each year that she was in school. It is only a two-year degree, but you are able to get your RN and she has a friend who was in the same program as her who is now getting her bachelors degree online, and the hospital she works for is paying for it! Sounds pretty fabulous to me! She gave me the number of a lady that would help me with any questions that I have, so I'm going to call her tomorrow. The application isn't due until March, and the program doesn't start until next fall. Colorado seems so far away, but if it gets me to my goal of becoming a nurse, then I'm willing to go anywhere that will get me to that goal. Plus it's only for two years. We'll see what path God leads me on!

Mother’s day was very low key, which was nice! My sisters and I got my mother a beautiful Orchid, and she was very excited about it. We had lasagna for lunch, and then we all took our Sunday afternoon naps :) Then at 4 o'clock, my mom, sister Shelley, and I went to the movies and saw the movie Valentines Day. It was really entertaining! I don't know if I would buy it, but I would definitely see it again. Then at 8 o'clock pm my mom and I watched the finale of the Amazing Race. The cowboys didn't end up winning like I had hoped, but at least the models didn't win. I didn't like them very much. The rest of the evening consisted of watching some episodes of the Office, and then looking at failblog online. Pretty low key. Today I didn't wake up until 11 am. I had plans of going running this morning, but at 7am I looked outside and saw that it was raining, and that finalized that decision. It's supposed to clear up tomorrow, so my plan is to go tomorrow morning. We'll see if that ends up happening.

Once I got up, I organized and cleaned the bathroom. That was quite the job. I threw away a lot of things, but I still have so much. With my sister and I combined that bathroom is completely full. I can't even imagine how everything fit when all three of us girls were living at home. I finally got things cleaned up though. Next I am going to take a shower and pick up my room a bit. My friend Karly is coming over tonight to hang out. I'm super excited because I haven't seen her since Christmas break. We've both been super busy, so it will be nice to get to sit and chat. I'm so glad that I have her here in Eugene. Even though we both have grown up so much, we still get along so well and it feels like nothing has changed. That is what I love about hanging out with her. It reminds me that even in the midst of our ever-changing lives, some things do remain the same.

Currently is it pouring outside, but I love it. I love the sound of the rain trickling down the drainpipe. Although I do wish it were sunny out, I'm kind of enjoying this typical Oregon weather :)

Well I'm going to go watch my dad on TV. The TV station is revealing a new set that they have been remodeling for quite some time now. My dad says that it looks really nice, so I'm excited to see it!

Fly Me to the Moon

After spending 3 days in the house without leaving once I might add, the room is finally complete! The only things left to do is hang up my lantern, curtains, and pictures. It feels so good to have all of my belongings put away and in their places. I found that it is way more fun to clean your room and unpack when you've got newly painted walls! I love the colors I chose. Thank you Margaret for helping me decide :)

Ever since retirement, my mom has become quite the craft guru, especially with beading. She's even taken beading classes at the local community college. I always love it when I'm talking with her and then she says, "oh it's time for my class, I've got to go." It sounds pretty similar to what I usually end up saying to her :) My mom has started selling her jewelry at the Eugene Saturday market with my friend Laura’s mom who crochets hats. I'm really excited to get to spend most of my Saturday’s downtown outside in the sunshine helping them at their booth. I absolutely love people watching, and in Eugene we've got some great people to watch. My favorites are the hippie dancers. It would not be Eugene if we didn't have the hippie dancers and their crazy outfits. Tomorrow will be the first Saturday for me, and I'm excited!

My mom and some ladies at our church want to start up a website where they can sell their crafts and things. They meet every 3rd Thursday of the month to discuss things. Yesterdays’ meeting was at our house. Goodness gracious do those women talk up a storm! I was sitting at the bar in the kitchen while they were in the dining room, and it was exhausting just listening to them. They spent about 20 minutes talking about diets. The food that they love to eat, and absolutely cannot stand. Then they switched and talked about the weather for another 20 minutes or so. Just lots of funny conversations like that. I was highly amused. I was glad that my mother was not involved in those crazy conversations. She was in the kitchen with me getting snacks together for everyone.


At 3 o' clock my parents and I headed over to Yachats on the coast. My dad was subbing for a saxophone player in the Yachats Big Band. Throughout my childhood and much of high school, my dad played in a big band. It was always so much fun getting to go to his concerts, hear him play and watch the dancers. Before last night, it had probably been 4 years since I've heard my dad play in a band. I didn't realize how much I missed it until watching him last night. He was so happy. He misses being able to play every weekend like he used to. He substitutes for different bands in the surrounding areas occasionally, but he just doesn't have the time to be a constant member of a band.

Typically these concerts attract many elderly, and this concert was no different. I love seeing all of the elderly couples get out there and dance. It's probably the sweetest thing you ever saw. Just warms your heart :) There was one couple in particular that caught my eye. They looked to be in their mid to late 80's. She had on a black dress that had tan colored outlines of flowers, and she wore this sparkly green and purple jacket over top. He was wearing black slacks, and a black western style button up shirt. They were so adorable. As frail as they looked, this couple danced to practically every song. The concert was 2 hours long, so you can only imagine how tiring that would be! It just amazed me how much stamina they had. They were out there more than a lot of the younger couples were. They danced so fluidly together. You could tell they had been dancing with each other for years. After the concert was over, my mom and I talked with the couple for a bit. We asked them how they had the energy to dance every song for 2 hours, because we knew for a fact that we would have needed a break. They said, "Well we just love dancing, so we just dance as much as we can." They have been each other’s life partners and dance partners for 59 years! That's love right there :) We ended up not getting back to Eugene until about 11:30, and instead of going to bed right away, I decided to watch Robin Hood. Oh how I love that movie, although it is much better when I watch it with Margaret because she laughs at and enjoys the movie just as much as I do.

Today after I eat breakfast and get ready for the day I'm going to go hang out with my friend Laura. I think we'll take Zoe to a dog park, and visit all of our favorite Eugene sites like we used to do. I also need to be measured for my bride’s maid dress and then send out invitations for Laura's bridal shower.

Some exciting news! I might be able to spend a week with my oldest sister Jen in Idaho in early June! I would fly, and I absolutely love flying! I only get to see my sister about every 6 months, so this would be a special treat. My parents are going to Idaho in late June, but I will be in my CNA class. I am also going to Idaho in August with Nick and Brandon for 4 days to see Alicia, but we'll only be spending the night with my sister, and I want to be able to spend more time with her. So hopefully this works out! Well it's a beautiful day and a busy day, so I better get started!

And The Final Colors Are...

Tree house and dried hydrangea!

I am on day 2 of painting, and it's still a work in progress. I thought I was getting pretty close to being done, but then this morning I found several spots that needed to be touched up which resulted in realizing that the whole wall needs another coat. Who knew that light yellow was going to be so difficult to cover? So I sit here on my bed with my glass of 1% milk (don't worry it's on a table this time) and eating my chips and tuna fish sandwich taking a mini break from my paint brush and paint roller. I don't think I want to paint again for a while. It so much more work then I remember!

After I finish doing a second coat of the dried hydrangea, (I really could just say beige, but dried hydrangea is much more fun) then I can vacuum and start to move all of my stuff back in which will be another big chore in itself.

Well I've finished my lunch, so there are no more distractions keeping me from painting. I'd better go finish it. Wish me luck...

Back In The Adams Household Again

So lesson learned just a few seconds ago...
Do not decide that you "think" your mattress can balance a cup while you are typing because it will result in disaster. Yes I admit that I stupidly placed my hot cup of peppermint tea on the wobbly mattress, and yes it did spill. Now my bed smells like peppermint, which isn't a terrible thing, but it was hot and made a mess, not to mention that I wasted my delicious tea!

This is day 3 of being back at the folks place. It feels weird to be done with school and to be back home. I feel like I'm just home for the weekend and that tomorrow I have to head back up to Newberg for school. Being home for the summer is usually easy to transition into to, but this summer I think will be different for me. I'm not returning to Fox in the fall, so I'm not just home for the summer, but for at least the next year. The way I like to look at it is that even though I'm leaving a place of familiarity, at least I'm moving back to a familiar place as well. It's just going to take some getting used to.

These past few days at home have been very relaxing and wonderful. I came home early Saturday evening to find the pantry stocked with LOTS of delicious cereal. I have a cereal addiction, so this was a big deal! I soon found myself lounging on the couch in our family room flipping through movies on-demand. Oh how I love on-demand! There is so much you can do. You can watch movies, listen to music, watch TV shows without commercials, exercise, sing karaoke, and play games. After spending about 15 minutes trying to decide what to watch, my mom and I decided on "The Little Lady." I don't remember much of it because before too long I was passed out. There's nothing better than falling asleep to a movie. Finally I found enough energy to move myself from the couch to my bed at midnight.

I woke up the next morning at 11 am feeling the most rested I have felt in a long time. When noontime arrived, my sister Shelley who just moved back home as well, and I decided to take our dog Zoe to the dog park. This was my first time at a dog park, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I loved it! I've never seen my dog so happy, just roaming free and playing with other dogs. We were out there for about an hour or so until Zoe finally ran out of steam. I LOVE riding in the car with my sister, because she is just like me. She dances and sings really loud. My friends always find me amusing when we are riding in the car, but they never join in on the fun. I'm glad that my sister will dance in the car with me. I bet I got it from her.

When we got back to the house, my parents had bought us cafe yumm for lunch. Soooo good! I always feel very Eugenian when I eat Cafe Yumm. Then it was time to tackle my room. Can you say DISASTER! Since my sister is moving back home, she has a load of stuff in my room. I don't have any of my belongings from school in there, but with the combo of her stuff and the things I already had in my room, it is chaotic! Luckily I was able to go through my stuff and I got rid of a lot of things. I probably threw away about 50 old birthday cards that I have had since I was 7 years old. I kept some, but I decided that it was time to get rid of most of them. I'm such a pack rat, but I'm working on changing that.

Today was a pretty low-key day. I woke up around noon, ate life cereal, read the comics, and then got ready for the day. My mom and I went to Jerry's to look at paint for my room. Before I can move any of my stuff back into my room, we have to paint. Right now I am deciding between having either one wall red with the rest beige, or one wall green with the rest beige. We got color samples and I like them both. I'm leaning more towards red because it is exciting and more exotic, but I'm still not sure. Do I choose caliente, or tree house? I've decided that I love paint color names! Melon Popsicle, hint of mint, franks fire, khaki shorts. Who thinks of these names anyway?

I have a lot I need to accomplish tomorrow, which means that I probably shouldn't sleep in as much as I have been lately. Bummer. I need to call LCC and ask about my CNA class, plan a bridal shower, hopefully decide on a paint color and start painting my room, and best of all I get to skype with Margaret, my room mate and one of my best friends! Now it is time for some life cereal and some more tea! Hopefully I don't spill it this time :)

Here We Go!

After much contemplation on whether or not I should start a blog, I finally made the decision! Throughout my childhood I always had the grand idea to keep a journal. I thought, how fantastic would it be to write about all of the exciting adventures I experience and to be able to go back and read about them later. I seemed to get a new journal every year for Christmas, so the idea of starting a journal kept becoming this "grand" idea of mine. Yet, year after year I would fail to write in it. Sure I had written a few entries, but the problem was that the entries were four months apart.

This idea of keeping a journal kept resurfacing itself throughout middle school and high school, but it never found itself to be a lasting routine. That is why I was hesitant to start a blog, knowing my tendencies to not stay up to date on things. With all of that said, I figured that in this time of drastic change in my life, it would be helpful to write about the things I'm feeling, the things I experience, and the things that I learn along the way. I'm not much of a writer, but I decided to not let that stop me. So I'm doing this, and I'm excited for those of you who plan to follow me as I write about my life adventures!