On last Saturday morning my brother, sister, and I went to spend the week with friends while our parents were gone at a conference in Georgia. For Saturday, Sunday, and Monday we went up to Crooked Lake up by Fort Wayne, IN.
I thought that we would spent the three-day weekend tubing behind our friends' boat, and maybe swimming a little bit. Instead, they purchased three wake-boards over the course of the weekends, and kept two.
On Saturday, we started to try. We didn't have instructions or anything, so we had to figure out how to do it on our own.
We ended up going back to the cottage with only one person successfully getting on top of the water: me!
On my second try, I managed to get on top of the water, even though I squatted the whole time and never actually stood up. But hey, I got on top of the water, and for that I am proud!
The next day the teenage guys looked up instructions for how to wake-board the real way, with much better results than before.
We stayed out on the water for most of the day, coming back in to eat a late lunch at 3:00, then we went back for more wake-boarding. This is where the sunburn comes in.
We thought that we put sunscreen on, we thought that we put it on good, but we didn't. The result being: we got burnt. Badly.
That night when we came in, we kept our legs as stiff and straight as we could, since they looked like lobsters and felt like they were on fire. Getting to sleep that night was NOT fun!
And now, nearly a week later, my sunburn is STILL peeling from when it started two days ago. I'm totally used to my shoulders and back peeling off a few days after I get burnt, but not my ears. Yes, my ears peeled. Gross! At this point, my legs have still not peeled, and are red and itchy.
Now, with my sunburn going away, I can't wait to go back on the wake-board and try to do some tricks!
28 June 2009
12 June 2009
The Tractor and the Turtle
I just spent most of my day at my grandma's house with my dad, doing some of the work that comes with having a gorgeous pond in the spring, including wading into mud a foot deep, chopping off branches from trees, and pumping air into a hose underwater so that we could retrieve a sprinkler pole that was knocked down during an incident with my dad's kayak. All in all it was a good day, especially since I got to be in the water, which was surprisingly warm.
And then, to top it all off, Dad let me drive Grandma's little tractor-thing up to the barn. I love to drive. I love driving the riding mower, although last time I drove it I was this _______ close to hitting our car, I hit a post, I backed up into a bush, and I mowed half the lawn before I realized that the blade was off. I also really like driving my Grandma's little tractor. It goes faster than the mower, and it also stops faster, so there is no fear of backing up into a car with your foot jammed on the brake. Today was only the third time I had driven it, but I enjoyed it. I'm a little scared to drive a car, since I have mostly tried to steer from the passenger seat, and that normally results in me swerving all over the road, trying not to get too close to either edge. But like I said, I enjoy driving.
I was taking the little tractor up to the barn, glad that I had asked Dad about driving it for the third time, when I got up to the barn. Right next to the fake fire hydrant (that I had only just noticed today after going to Grandma's house for years) was a six inch round little painted turtle. I pushed in the brake, then turned the key. I lifted up my foot and the tractor lurched forward. Not a very dignified stop. Plus, I was six feet away from the barn. Dang.
I ran over to the turtle and picked it up. I ran to my dad and yelled, "Dad, look what I found!"
He looked at it and said," It's a little painted turtle! Where did you find it?"
As I opened my mouth to answer, I dropped the turtle. Poor turtle. I picked it up again.
And it peed all over my flip-flopped foot.
Poor me.
I set the turtle down, and went to rinse off my foot.
Never drop a turtle. Ever.
And then, to top it all off, Dad let me drive Grandma's little tractor-thing up to the barn. I love to drive. I love driving the riding mower, although last time I drove it I was this _______ close to hitting our car, I hit a post, I backed up into a bush, and I mowed half the lawn before I realized that the blade was off. I also really like driving my Grandma's little tractor. It goes faster than the mower, and it also stops faster, so there is no fear of backing up into a car with your foot jammed on the brake. Today was only the third time I had driven it, but I enjoyed it. I'm a little scared to drive a car, since I have mostly tried to steer from the passenger seat, and that normally results in me swerving all over the road, trying not to get too close to either edge. But like I said, I enjoy driving.
I was taking the little tractor up to the barn, glad that I had asked Dad about driving it for the third time, when I got up to the barn. Right next to the fake fire hydrant (that I had only just noticed today after going to Grandma's house for years) was a six inch round little painted turtle. I pushed in the brake, then turned the key. I lifted up my foot and the tractor lurched forward. Not a very dignified stop. Plus, I was six feet away from the barn. Dang.
I ran over to the turtle and picked it up. I ran to my dad and yelled, "Dad, look what I found!"
He looked at it and said," It's a little painted turtle! Where did you find it?"
As I opened my mouth to answer, I dropped the turtle. Poor turtle. I picked it up again.
And it peed all over my flip-flopped foot.
Poor me.
I set the turtle down, and went to rinse off my foot.
Never drop a turtle. Ever.
11 June 2009
"A lot" or "alot" ?
If you ask for my opinion, I think that the word[s] "a lot" should be spelled without a space between the "a" and the "l".
Why the space? It doesn't do anything for the word[s], it doesn't make it look better, all it does is take up extra space. No pun intended.
So, I think that since the space is superfluous, everyone should just write it without a space. I don't know if anyone else does this, but I always write it without the space, then as my laptops underlines it in red, hitting the delete key four times, then rewriting it the "right" way.
The space seems unnecessary. At least to me.
Why the space? It doesn't do anything for the word[s], it doesn't make it look better, all it does is take up extra space. No pun intended.
So, I think that since the space is superfluous, everyone should just write it without a space. I don't know if anyone else does this, but I always write it without the space, then as my laptops underlines it in red, hitting the delete key four times, then rewriting it the "right" way.
The space seems unnecessary. At least to me.
08 June 2009
Abigail's 4th tooth
My seven-year-old sister Abigail just lost her fourth tooth. The whole day, she's been trying to wiggle her tooth so that it would be looser. Finally, right before she went to bed, I pulled it for her. In the first picture she is looking down at the little case that the tooth is in. In the second picture, she is holding up the box and smiling big, showing off the space where her tooth used to be.
She was very excited.
07 June 2009
SERVE 2009
Every summer our church hosts an event called SERVE. During this event, the church sends out around a hundred teens and elementary kids. They go out into the city and do service projects around the community. The teenagers spent the whole week at the church and sleep in classrooms. The younger kids do service projects during the day and then spend the night at their houses. SERVE impacts people all over Muncie. it is really cool to see how appreciative people are of what you've done.
SERVE isn't all work. You normally get placed on a team with someone you requested. On Wednesday night, we have a party for the teenagers in SERVE, better known as "The hog roast," complete with slip'n'slide, pond, bonfire, and roasted hog. The hog's head is left displayed on a table so teenage boys can get their picture biting, kissing, or licking it.
On Friday night we host a Party in the Parking Lot of our church for the whole city. We have blowup games, a rock-climbing wall, free Hawaiian Shaved Ice, free Lemon Shake-ups, free hot-dogs and hamburgers, free lemonade, ect.
SERVE is the best week of my summer. I really enjoy being with all my friends and having fun while I help people in my city.
SERVE isn't all work. You normally get placed on a team with someone you requested. On Wednesday night, we have a party for the teenagers in SERVE, better known as "The hog roast," complete with slip'n'slide, pond, bonfire, and roasted hog. The hog's head is left displayed on a table so teenage boys can get their picture biting, kissing, or licking it.
On Friday night we host a Party in the Parking Lot of our church for the whole city. We have blowup games, a rock-climbing wall, free Hawaiian Shaved Ice, free Lemon Shake-ups, free hot-dogs and hamburgers, free lemonade, ect.
SERVE is the best week of my summer. I really enjoy being with all my friends and having fun while I help people in my city.
05 June 2009
School's out!!
Today is officially the last day of school. Officially. Since I go to a charter school where we only attend a brick-and-mortar school two days a week, yesterday was the last day of school. But not officially.
Ours is the only school in the surrounding area that is just now letting out. All the other schools got out several days ago, at least. I really like my school, but the beginning of June is too late to get out.
The lateness may have something to do with the fact that we started in September. That was because our building wasn't ready. Besides, I haven't done any work in two weeks. Oh well.
At least school is out for the summer and next year is high school.
Ours is the only school in the surrounding area that is just now letting out. All the other schools got out several days ago, at least. I really like my school, but the beginning of June is too late to get out.
The lateness may have something to do with the fact that we started in September. That was because our building wasn't ready. Besides, I haven't done any work in two weeks. Oh well.
At least school is out for the summer and next year is high school.
03 June 2009
Baking with Powder
The worst things to eat are pancakes that have baking soda substituted for baking powder. Some of my most vivid memories of food include pancakes that my brother Joseph and my sister Anna made with baking soda, and pancakes that I have made with baking soda.
The first happened when we lived in Colorado several years ago. My older brother and my younger sister decided to get up early and make pancakes for the family. It was all a big secret and the rest of the family was not allowed to set food in the kitchen until they had finished. When they were finished, the family was ushered into the dinning room, where we were presented with a plate of steaming pancakes. They looked delicious and everyone quickly piled their plate full.
As we bit into our first bite of hot pancake dripping with melted butter and syrup, we caught Joseph and Anna exchanging worried looks as they chewed their first bites. I pushed the fork into my mouth, anticipating something that was not there. I choked a little bit, then swallowed the bite. I looked at my mom and asked "What's the matter with these pancakes? They don't taste like they do when you make them."
Mom ate her first bite, then asked Joseph and Anna what they put in the pancakes. They said that they had followed the recipe except for the baking powder. They told her that we were out of baking powder so they used baking soda instead.
"Isn't it the same thing?" Joseph asked.
"No!" Mom exclaimed. "Are you sure that we don't have any baking powder? I thought I just bought some. Why don't you check the shelves and make sure we're out."
Joseph went into the kitchen, and returned with two unopened cans.
We threw the pancakes out.
I made my pancakes last summer when all of my relatives were visiting us. We had sixteen people staying in our house, and breakfast was a big event. One morning I decided to make pancakes. I mixed up the batter fast, and then started to cook them. I set the first plate full on the table as people started filtering into the dining room. I tasted a little bit of the cooked batter that had fallen off the ladle. Baking soda.
We had cereal for breakfast that day.
The first happened when we lived in Colorado several years ago. My older brother and my younger sister decided to get up early and make pancakes for the family. It was all a big secret and the rest of the family was not allowed to set food in the kitchen until they had finished. When they were finished, the family was ushered into the dinning room, where we were presented with a plate of steaming pancakes. They looked delicious and everyone quickly piled their plate full.
As we bit into our first bite of hot pancake dripping with melted butter and syrup, we caught Joseph and Anna exchanging worried looks as they chewed their first bites. I pushed the fork into my mouth, anticipating something that was not there. I choked a little bit, then swallowed the bite. I looked at my mom and asked "What's the matter with these pancakes? They don't taste like they do when you make them."
Mom ate her first bite, then asked Joseph and Anna what they put in the pancakes. They said that they had followed the recipe except for the baking powder. They told her that we were out of baking powder so they used baking soda instead.
"Isn't it the same thing?" Joseph asked.
"No!" Mom exclaimed. "Are you sure that we don't have any baking powder? I thought I just bought some. Why don't you check the shelves and make sure we're out."
Joseph went into the kitchen, and returned with two unopened cans.
We threw the pancakes out.
I made my pancakes last summer when all of my relatives were visiting us. We had sixteen people staying in our house, and breakfast was a big event. One morning I decided to make pancakes. I mixed up the batter fast, and then started to cook them. I set the first plate full on the table as people started filtering into the dining room. I tasted a little bit of the cooked batter that had fallen off the ladle. Baking soda.
We had cereal for breakfast that day.
The Cross
I love this picture.It's a huge cross by the side of the road that we pass every time we go to Colorado. Every time we pass it we try to be the first person to spot it. I think that it is some sort of memorial, but I'm not for sure.
02 June 2009
"The Motions”
While my family was in Louisville we went to some old friends’ church. Their worship leader played a song by Matthew West, called “The Motions.”
I really loved it and have been singing it in my head for the past few days.
The chorus of the song goes like this:
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions
It makes me think about how that applies in my own life. How am I “going through the motions”? How am I putting on a show and covering up how I really feel? How am I just doing the Christian thing and not really putting God first in my life?
Thinking about this song, I realized that most, if not all, people have ways that they are “going through the motions” and not being real in their relationships. I don't want to be that person who is totally fake about their whole life and are just going through the motions of everything in their life.
I really loved it and have been singing it in my head for the past few days.
The chorus of the song goes like this:
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions
It makes me think about how that applies in my own life. How am I “going through the motions”? How am I putting on a show and covering up how I really feel? How am I just doing the Christian thing and not really putting God first in my life?
Thinking about this song, I realized that most, if not all, people have ways that they are “going through the motions” and not being real in their relationships. I don't want to be that person who is totally fake about their whole life and are just going through the motions of everything in their life.
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