Africa Bound

Patience

2009-05-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

God has been teaching me patience with this Africa situation for a long time, I was even questioning for a while if I was even supposed to go. Then through prayer and talking with friends and family and doors opening I realized that this is where I am supposed to talk my life. I am scared, happy and nervous to see where this is going to take me. I want to leave tomorrow but things take time. When I send them a email it takes about two or three months to get a response back. At first I was bothered by this. Then I realized that I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD! Now I am OK with it I have come to a peace with it know that God's timing is MUCH better then my timing. So for now I wait I keep practicing my patience until I get that email that has the heading BOTSWANA on it.

AFRICA

2009-04-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

I feel like all I have been doing is waiting for the day to come when I am finally on that plane! The thoughts of leaving have been constantly on my mind. I have been looking back at journal entries that I have made over the past years and there was one that really stuck me so I thought that I would share it....

June 28, 2ooo

Today went good for the most part. I was able to get stuff done around the house and clean my car. The message really moved me tonight it made me realize that I want to go! I want to stand up and run out that door I am ready and willing and I just need to do it. I need to stop talking the talk of going and actually go I really need to start running towards the door, the time has come and I want to move forward. I want to and need to. I want to take your love for me to the next level. I want to know you more.

Wow was all I kept saying after reading this If I look back at what I have done over the years since this journal entry I think that everything that I have done and learned as brought me to where I need to be to leave. I am not saying that I am perfect and that it will be easy but I am truly ready willing and able. I have the support of family and friends and that means the world to me.

DREAMS

2008-01-27T09:07:00.000-08:00

Ok so here is the deal I always remember my dreams!! Usually they are dreams that could actually take place in real life like plying with Kaden and Kendall (my Nephew and Niece) or going to a family reunion or just hanging out around the house. But sometimes they take this crazy spin usually I just wake up think to my self that was a little silly and go right back to bed but last night was a little different........................

While in the middle of a perfectly nice sleep this is what was going through my head.

I was at my parents house with my roommate and good friend Angela. My dad was sitting on the couch watching the MSU Basketball game (pretty normal so far). Ok well I was cleaning out the windows with a vacuum because they were really dirty and my mom asked me to clean them for her before she left for Meier. While in the process of cleaning the windows I was getting a little scared because I am afraid of spiders and there were a ton of dead ones in the window frames. Well I was on my last window I pulled out the frame to clean it and a huge spiders fell to the floor this one was alive. I was in a panic, I asked my Dad to get up and kill it but he wouldn't help me. I watched it run up the stairs not knowing what to do I just screamed.............

Well that scream is what woke me up I was screaming in real life. I was now awake and in my bed my heart was pounding!! Like I said earlier I can usually go right back to sleep but this night was different from any other night I was scared and I couldn't fall back asleep. I actually pulled all my covers back to make sure there were no spiders. Then I laid back down and tried to fall asleep still no luck, so I got up went to the bathroom came back turned on my Ipod and put on Chris Tomlin hoping that would relax me enough to fall asleep luckily I was able to fall back asleep. I can honestly say that if I never have a dream about a spider again I will be a much happier person!!!

Question?

2008-01-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

Do you ever just wonder what you should or shouldnt say to people...... Maybe it's jsut me but i hope it isnt!!!

WOW

2008-01-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

I really can't believe how long it has been since I have posted it's been way over a year but I feel like I shuld get started again so please bare with me!!!!!

2005-12-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

I havent posted in a while so here is life in a nutshell....

Work
Work
Work
and more Work

And the funny thing is, is that I am loving it!!!!! :)

FUN FUN FUN

2005-11-24T08:11:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Today is a day filled with family and fun. The usual great food and then laughing and hanging out later the normal trip to the movie theater to see a movie!!! I know it may seem strange to some that we are going to see a movie on thanksgiving day but it is just something that we have done for the last 8 or so years. Last year the movie of choice was Polor Express this year we are not sure it might be, Yours Mine and Ours.

Where I have been

2005-11-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

Things have been crazy for me, the new job has finally started. I LOVE it, the kids are awesome and the other poeople I work with are great too. Sometimes I just listen to the things that they say and watch the things that they do and I am blown away.

unsure

2005-11-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

I am sitting down looking out the window I will give youone guess what I can see falling from the sky.

SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not sure what I should do laugh, cry, or scream in excitment.

Today

2005-10-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well I Am still waiting for my new job to start, I know that I got the job which is great but I am hopping that the job starts soon really soon. It is hard when you are used to a certain amount of money coming in and then it stops. So in the mean time I think that I will spend my extra time with God, fixing up my duplex, working out with Richelle and random other stuff. So if you are bored feel free to call me so that we can hang out. I only have a little while before the new job starts and I will be back to my busy schedule.

Well on a different note my Grandma is doing great, she is recovering from her surgery really well. She still gets really moody and goes from mad to really sad in a split second. Hopefully today I can go over there and have lunch with her. Soon I hope that she will be back to her normal feisty self. I really miss that side of her, even though there were timer where it would get a little annoying it was still great to know that she still had it in her.

Colorado was awesome!!!!

2005-10-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

Colorado was awesome!!!! Now I want to go there this summer for at least a week and a half, I just don’t think that you can see all there is to see in a week. Not only do I want to go to Colorado but I want to go to Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. I want to go back to all the places that I remember from when I was a kid. Mountains and amazing when we first crossed over the border into Colorado all I wanted to see was the mountains it seemed like it took for ever for them to come across in the horizon, but as soon as we went around a huge curve there they were, at the point they only looked like little hills but the closer we got the bigger they became. It just amazes me!! We were listening to a song by Chris Tomlin, and well it brought tears to my eyes, just knowing that God put all that into place is breathtaking. I know that there are many times where I take things for granted, from the changing colors of the trees, to the stars in the sky. Seeing the mountains just reminded me off all the things that God has created. So I thought that I would post the words to that song by Chris Tomlin that reminded me of God’s creation, along with some of the pictures from Colorado.

"You do all things well"
By: Chris Tomlin

Mountain Maker

Ocean tamer

Glimpses of You

Burn in my eyes

The Worship of Heaven

Fills up the skies

You made it all

Said, "Let there be"

And there was

All that we see

The sound of Your voice

The works of Your hands

You do all things well

Star creator

Wind breather

The strokes of your beauty

Brushed through the clouds

Light from the heavens

Touching the ground

Imagination runs wild

And breaths the breath of life

Across the fields

Across the miles

Pictures

2005-10-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

http://community.webshots.com/user/kirjoyheb

Go here to see my photo album

Fun and Crazy

2005-10-12T00:15:00.000-07:00

I have been doing really well this week, everyday I have gone for at least a 2 mile walk, and I am planning on being able to run it by Christmas. The part I hate the most about running is running when it is really hot outside (besides the fact that I really don’t like to run). So I thought that if I started running when it is colder outside then by the time the really warm summer weather gets here again I will actually like running. Also I have wanted to start going to Fitness USA again. I really didn’t like going by myself, and now I have someone to go to Fitness USA with me. My friend Richelle wants to start going with me so that will be a lot of fun. It is so much easier to work out when there is someone to do it with. So now we will be able to go there together and it will be a lot harder to make up an excuse on why I “can’t” go.

So I am leaving for Colorado tomorrow (Thursday). I am SO EXCITED! It has been such a long time since I have been out west, and the best part about it is that I get to go with Hillary. She Absolutely LOVES Colorado, and when I say she LOVES it I truly mean it. I have never heard her say anything negative about it that has to be true love. She is planning on moving out there when she graduates, now I will have even more of an excuse to go out there because she will be there. We are driving there, that will be half the fun, a lot of fun and crazy events of your life take place on Road Trips like getting attacked by a million of mosquitoes while trying to fill your gas tank up, or having to be the one who is driving the car over a bride when usually you like to put your head under a blanket and have some one tell you when you are safely across. We are going out there for a wedding Hillary cousin is getting married, her Aunt and Uncle we nice enough to let us stay with them at there house two of the nights that we are there. That will save us some money so that’s always good. We are not going to have that much free time to really do a lot of exploring, but we are hoping to go to a Hot Springs and go on at least on hiking trail. Well I need to go out for my daily walk. I'll post some pictures when I get back, and let you know all the crazy happenings in the 24 hour drive there and back!! :)

It makes me cry!! :(

2005-10-02T23:18:00.000-07:00

There were two things yesterday that made me cry.

1. Talking to my Grandma on the phone, I was just happy to hear her talk, even though I knew that everything had gone great with her surgery it just didn't seem real until I talked to her.

2. The football game. I was raised to love MSU and along with that came the true hatred of UofM. It doesn't really matter at all to me who they are playing I want the to lose, that's how deep the hatred runs. So needless to say I was devastated when my Spartan's lost the game.

CRAZY

2005-09-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

I am working at my Aunts Motel this weekend because she wanted to go visit my Grandma in the hospital. It was supposed to be easy and uneventful. Well let's just say that it has been the most crazy hours of my life.

(first let me say that I was not supposed to do anything with the UHall part of it at all, we were just not going to rent out trailers because it is to hard to try to teach people how to do.)

(Also we are booked for both Friday and Saturday night because there is a horse and Gun show in town.)

Here are the events of the Day SO FAR:

1. A Lady comes to the front office to inform me that she is not leaving her hotel room, because her sister passed away, and she was told by my aunt that there would be room for her. Well I guess my Aunt must have forgot that we were already booked up for the weekend. She started crying telling me that there was no other place for her to go.

2. A UHall truck comes in. In my head I am thinking Oh S**** what am I going to do know. Well they then tell me that there truck is not working right. The back end wont open so they cant get any of the stuff out of the back end. Well being as smart as I am I give them the 1-800 number of UHall repairs. Then they come in and tell me that they want me to give them a day free because they are not going to be able to have the truck back in the time that it was due back because they had to get it fixed. I then gave them another 1-800 number to the main UHall branch so that they could talk to them. So hopefully the get a extra day so I don't have to deal with that till tomorrow.

3. Last night the Police department brought in a lady to stay at the motel. Well I think that her husband was hitting her so she took off in her truck with her dog. Well she got pulled over because of the way that she was driving. It turns out that her licenses was suspended. Instead of giving her a ticket they brought her to the motel to stay so that she could be a way from her husband. Well she left the next morning with out paying. About two hours later she shows back up at the motel with her dog. She has crippling arthritis, so she has to walk with a cane. Not to mention the fact that her dog is pulling her. She asked to use are phone because she needs to get a ride. About an hour later her HUSBAND show up to get her. She comes to give me a hug and to thank me for my help. She then tells me if he hits her to call the police. I ask her if is safe for her to go with him, I told her that we could get her another rife to wherever she wants to go. She tells me that she will be alright because she has her pepper spray. Then gets in the truck and they drove off.

4. Then another UHall truck comes. In but this time I have to check them in so I call another 1-800 number and ask them if they can talk me through. I was able to do it with there help and everything was ok.

Hopefully nothing else crazy happens today. We have no more rooms to rent out so the Door Bell should not ring to much more! :)

I love My Grandma!!! :)

2005-09-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say thank you to anyone who was praying for my Grandma. Her surgery went good and right now she is in recovery. Hopefully I will get a chance to go see her. Thanks again to anyone who waws praying for her it really means a lot. :)

Rain

2005-09-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

I love rain! :) Except when it causes water to come into by basement. Then I really don't like it that much at all. We have a plumber coming tomorrow so hopefully everything will work out. I had a great day today, I was able to hang out with the Potters, and then my cousin Shelby. But the best part of the day was hanging out with Cole. I have missed spending time with her so it was great to hang out hopefully we can make Wednesday nights and Cole and Kirsten night.

My Grandma is having her surgery tomorrow morning (Thursday) at 5:00am. I said earlier that I wasn't nervous but well now I am. I guess today I was just thinking about her not being around and I started to cry. She is the rock of our family the one that holds the rest of us together. When ever there is a fight with family members, she gets the peace back. We also all talk to her about everything. I don't think that there is anything that she doesn't know about me. So please pray that everything goes great.

Weekend

2005-09-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend was great!!! I was able to go to my sisters Thursday-Monday and spend time with her my brother-in-law and best of all my niece. I post some pictures later. She really has developed a great personality; I can really see both Casey and Keith in her. She loves animals and reading books, I must have spent at least two hours each day just reading books to her. Some of them I read over and over and over.

I have a prayer request my Grandma is going to have open heat surgery to repair two of her valves in her heart. The reason that her valves are blocked is because about two years ago she had radiation for her breast cancer. It's funny how something that is done to help one thing can cause harm with another thing. I am not that nervous though because my grandma is not nervous at all she is so excited to have this surgery. She is happy because after she has healed completely from this surgery she should have a lot more energy. The surgery is Thursday morning at 5:00am. So for the next few days I will be helping my Aunt out at the Motel because my grandparents won’t be there. Wish me luck!!!

Gilmore Girls

2005-09-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

I love Gilmore Girls, especially because I get to watch it every Tuesday night with my roommate and good friend Hillary. We are both so into the show that it is crazy, we have even both entered a contest to win a trip for two to the set. We promised that if either of us won we would take each other. So if you want you can pray that one of us wins!!! Just kidding but sending a little luck our way would be nice.

OK I have decided that I want to Marry a Luke as in Luke Gains from Gilmore what a perfect man. Affectionate, Funny and an outdoors man. Not to mention that he is Laid back, but at the same time he is set in his ways. He remembers the little things. A lot like my Dad.

More of New Orleans

2005-09-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

Here Are some more pictures of New Orleans!!!! These pictures are from the swamp tour that we went on it was awesome!

Take my breath away

2005-09-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

44

41

I was raised to love sports, and for those of you that have had the pleasure of going to a MSU sporting event with me know that at time I can get a little involved in the games. I have been know to get loud (louder than I normally Am) , today was no exception, while watching the football game MSU v.s. Notre Dame is was all over the place. On the Picnic Tables, pacing in circles and in the last drive I was on the floor. In the end MSU came through with the win.

New Orleans

2005-09-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

OK so for all of you that don't know I went to New Orleans earlier this summer. So I thought that I would post some pictures of the New Orleans that I will always remember. It was an awesome vacation, that I will never forget. So here they are!!!

2005-09-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

Ok I think I have the pic thing figured out!!!!

More pics

2005-09-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

She is thinking about eating the sand

Lyndsey loves water!!!!

Having her first ride on a motercyle!!

I told her to kiss the camara

She decided that the sand looked good enough to eat

OK I hope this works

2005-09-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

Lyndsey found a catapiller she was in aww!!

Trying to get back

2005-09-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get back into this whole blog thing. Even if no one reads it I just like being able to write things down for me. But for all of you that do read it, it's for you to. Now if I could just figure out how to get pics up that would be great.

2005-09-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

I love my Niece Lyndsey!!! She makes me laugh! :)

Long Time

2005-09-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have been gone from this for a long time. This summer has been so busy that I am surprised that I even survived. I really haven't seen anyone this summer but hopefully with school starting and my schedule getting less busy, I will be able to see people more.

Today will be busy though I have to help my Aunt with My cousins, they need to be taken and picked up from sports. Since my Grandma and Grandpa are down in Ohio today she need help. So I offered. I love my cousins so it really wont be bad at all. Well it is getting close to that time where the picking up and dropping off begins so I got to get going.

Summer

2005-06-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

ok I have been gone from this for a long time. But I have been busy. I am so glad that summer is finally here. Even though it is 90 degrees in my duplex because of the lack of air conditioning. It is much better than it being cold. So many great things are coming up this month. From bachlorette parties to weddings to vacations. It is going to be a great month. OK this is all I have time for now.

Weddings

2005-05-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well the Summer of Weddings is soon beginning. It is so exciting!!! I don’t think that I have even had this many weddings to go to in the time span of one year. All the mail that I have received at my new Duplex has either been for a bachelorette party, Bridal Shower, or a Wedding. My roommates have been laughing at me over all the weddings that I have this summer. It feels like every single weekend I either have a wedding to go to or a bridal shower or a bachelorette party. This leaves me with very busy weekends which can be a good or a bad thing. The best thing though, is that fact that the one week that I have a vacation planed there is no wedding stuff that I have to go to at all that week. It actually turned out really well. Also the fact that some of the weddings are for me and a guest and well since I am not dating anyone I have to try to find someone to bring. The last wedding I went to my cousin came with me as my guest. We did have a lot of fun together so it wasn’t too bad after all.

Busy

2005-04-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

I have been busy!!!!!! And by busy I mean busy really busy. I feel like I have been running a million miles a minute. From working, to trying to get my duplex in order, it is starting to drive me crazy. I am so ready for a stress free week. I not sure why but the last couple of weeks have been extremely stressful. I have started my week off good though. Sunday I went to a Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns and Steven Curtis Chapman concert with my two cousins and a friend. The Concert was great and really relaxing just what I needed. The Last night was 24 which is always a relaxing time. I was able just to sit down for a while and just relax. There was no one opening the front door every 5 minuets, no one yelling for the channel to be changed or for the volume to be turned up or down. It was just mellow which was exactly what I needed. I also got a really good night sleep and I am at the potters right now Mallory and Marah are eating breakfast and Macy and Meah are sleeping and last but not least Micah is at school. Then I work at the Twist tonight. I so glad that I have small group tonight I feel bad because I have missed like the past three weeks but I am going tonight hopefully before small group I can go for a walk with Bethany we are trying to start walking together hopefully at least four or five times a week. On a even happier not I only had to pay 8 dollars of my own money to fill up my gas tank because my cousin got me a $25 gas card for my birthday so a full tank of gas and I only personally paid $8 I think that is great. Ok well I have to get them started on school work.

I hope that everyone who reads this has a stress free week as well.

Spring Break

2005-03-30T11:30:00.000-08:00

Well according to the computer it is 70 degrees outside. Which is a good and a bad thing. It is great because I love the worm weather but it is a bad thing because Mason has a half day of school today and there are only two of u s working tonight at the Twist which means that we will be really busy and I wont get out of there till late tonight. My aunt and cousins and grandparents are leaving on Thursday fro Florida which means I will be holding the fort down at the twist most likely I will be there from open till close most of the next week. It stinks because I will b e working all day long on my birthday. Not the best way to spend a birthday but I guess it will have to do. I have to look on the bright side and realize that I will have tons of great dessert fro my birthday!!! Not that I can’t have it everyday that I work. I can't really take advantage of it because I have too many wedding that I am going to this summer and one wedding that I am in. So as much as I would love to eat it everyday I can’t. So if you get bored at all this week you know where to find me and hopefully it will be nice and worn out the rest of the week. If it snows again I think that I am going to have to move to Hawaii. Which by the way my sister and brother-in-law are going on Vacation for 10 days. I was supposed to be going with them but that didn’t work out. Instead I get to help my parents watch my niece Lyndsey.

2005-03-29T07:41:00.000-08:00

Well the sun is out and the birds are singing. It finally feels like we may have a chance for some warm weather. I realized yesterday as I was sitting on my front porch with Hillary how much I enjoy the Sun. I don’t think that I would be happy living somewhere where the sun didn't shine that much. We were sitting outside out front door just laying there enjoying the sun shining on our faces. It felt so good; we started talking about all our great plans for our house this summer. And all the stuff that we need to get done before the summer really starts.

1. Re paint the front door

2. Re seed the front lawn (the people who lived there before us had two great Danes and well needless to say the dog kind of wrecked havoc on the front lawn.)

3. Get a new mail box; I think that the mail man would appreciate one that was not old and rusty.

4. Get new address numbers for the outside of the house so that you can actually see our address from street.

5. Plant a flower garden. Right now the one that is there has some flowers starting to poke through the ground but it also has a lot of weeds.

6. Re-stain the back porch.

7. Clean up the underneath of the porch. (The last people to live there left a lot of crap)

8. Get a picnic table

9. Buy a grill

We plan on having a lot of barbeques this summer, so we need a grill to cook with and something to sit on.

OK and that is just the outside of the house there is another huge list for the inside but only one thing at a time. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

If anyone knows anyone who is selling a washer and/or a dryer please let me know.

Happy Easter

2005-03-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

Today instead of going to Church at Riverview I went to the Church that I grew up in with my family. Today my cousin Blake was baptized. I was really proud of him because he was so nervous. It made me remember when I got baptized like Blake I was baptized on Easter Sunday, my and my other Cousin Rick were baptized on the same day. We wanted to get baptized at the early service so that there would not be as many people in church. Looking back on that now I find it really funny. I was so happy for Blake because the whole family was there. All his Aunts and Uncles and cousins from our side of the family were there, I think that is the first time in like 10 years since we have all been there at one time. That in itself in a answer to pray.

Ok so today both guys and girls MSU Basketball play so lets cheer on our teams today!!!
GO GREEN!!!!! GO WHITE!!!!!

oh and really good news me and Shelby might be able to be camp counselors together this summer how exciting!!!

I need to sleep

2005-03-24T16:01:00.000-08:00

SLEEP I NEED SLEEP!!! I have been so busy lately that I have forgotten to sleep, well not really forgotten to sleep but just not really had the time. All I really want to do is to catch up on sleep and hang out with people that I have not seen in a while. I have been really busy with the Super Twist. So if anyone wants to visit just drop on by I am sure that I will be there. My phone has not been working, I will go from 1 message to like over 20 messages and some of them are from the week before. I really need to get it fixed because it is driving me crazy. And has caused some problems. So if you call me and leave a message and I don’t call you back it is because I never got the message because my phone is stupid.

I would really appreciate it if everyone could please pray for my friend Liz and her husband Justin, Justin is in Iraq right now I am not to sure where he is stationed but I do know that last week a man in his unit was killed by a sniper. He has a wife and two kids, this is the first funeral for the family. This will be the first funeral that his wife has ever been to, she has never had anyone close to her die. Please pray for their whole family during this hard time. Also please pray for my friend Liz that she can keep up that the hope that Justin will come home, pray for his safe return.

I guess it just brings my right back to how fast we can leave this world, So since I don’t say it enough. I want to tell all my Friends and Family that I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Birthdays

2005-03-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

So Tomorrow is my Mom's birthday, I think that my sister is coming into town with my Niece Lyndsey so that we can take her out to dinner. Birthdays have really got me thinking on how fast time really goes by, most of my friends are either engaged or married, I am nowhere near getting married and surprisingly I am fine with that, I am glad where God has me, I have the liberty to go anywhere and not have anyone back home who is holding me down, not that all of my friends are being help down by their significant others, but I just have more freedom to pick up and go and I love that. Well I have to get to work have a great day everyone!!

Gone

2005-03-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

I know I know it has been a long time. Lets be honest though life has been really busy the Super Twist is no open!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not sure yet if it is a good thing or a bad thing. I love wroking there, I love the people I work with and the money is good. But now I am really busy, run run run that is all I do. From one job to the next. This week is not as bed because it is spring break so I don't have one of my jobs, but that means that I am working 40 hrs at the Twist. The worst part is smelling like Ice Cream. I know that might sound crazy but I do I come home smelling and feeling Ice Cream. So if you are board at all this week come and see me in Mason by McDonald's at the Super Twist.

MSU

2005-02-23T14:21:00.000-08:00

Last night was awesome!! I really love the girls in my small group (Renee, Kristen, Ashley, Devon, Lindsey, and Kali) to be honest I really don't know what I would do with out them. It is a great time just to come together and be open and honest with what God is teaching us and the struggles and trials we are going through. Not to mention the prayer that I know I am getting that is so unbelievably helpful.

Tonight should be really fun it is the last home game for the MSU Girls Basketball Team. Me Ashley, Kristen and Lindsey are all going, it was nice because we were all at small group last night so we all decided to go together. I usually games and Lindsey and Kristen went on Sunday and had a lot of fun so they wanted to go to the game today. Jeremy is going to go early and pick up tickets for us girls so that we don’t have to go super early to wait in line. I think that is so nice of him because whenever you have four girls all trying to get some place on time we are bound to be a little late. It's just the way things work. My dad will be sitting with us that should be pretty funny he won’t mind though he has no son’s except for two Son-in-laws and out of the seven of his Grandchildren none of them are boys so he is used to being around women. Mr. Mason might come to so then my dad won’t be all on his own. I really hope that we win tonight we should have no problem because we are playing Michigan and they should not be hard at all we already beat them once this year and that game was away so I am not to worried.

Fun and Crazy

2005-02-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

Things are finally starting to come together at the Duplex. Pictures are hung, the railing is back up on the steps and the dishwasher is finally starting to actually clean dishes instead of making them even dirtier (ok well it is not totally fixed yet but it is a lot better). I still have to finish painting the basement and front door area so if anyone would like to help please let me know. I could really use the help it is too high up and I am tired of just two people painting. If there was like four or five of us we could have it done in no time at all. I am having people over this Saturday night after Church to play games and just hang out, and so people can see the place. So if you want to come over just give me a call or leave a post and I will give you the directions.

Today was pretty interesting, Meah took off her dipper and went to the bathroom in her crib, I went up there wondering why she was up, I assumed that Micah had gone in there (Which he likes to do) and woke her up. When I got up there her light was on (which means that Micah had been in there but ran out of there as he herd me coming up the stairs) and she told me "I peed" So I had to strip everything off her bed and put it in the washer then I had to re-make her bed put a new diaper on her and lay her back down. The Girls Mallory and Macy are Watching Napoleon Dynamite possibly one of the finniest movies ever made. Later today after I am done here I am going to run errands with Nicole. I have to get my brake light fixed on the Jeep before I go to Kalamazoo on Friday.

So I am thinking about getting a perm not are really tight curly perm but a loose curl perm, what do you think I need some thoughts, Me and Ashley think that it would be good idea because I can blow dry my hair straight or let it go curly. I am trying to grow my hair out for Nicole's wedding this summer, right now I am really fed up with my hair so I need something done to it to keep me from cutting it. Let me know what you think.

Tonight

2005-02-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to be productive today, when I got home from work I wanted to go see Ashley at work and get pampered, well actually I needed to get my eyebrows waxed. Instead I fell asleep, not exactly what I wanted to have happen. Tonight I have small group which will be great I love getting together with the girls. I have to decided what I want to have for dinner before I leav. Even though we don’t meet until 8:00.

Dr. Phil is on right now and this lady on the show is a complete wack job. She is just going to ride her daughter into the dirt. Ok I need to concentrate on the show now.

Life

2005-02-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

This is for you; well you know who you are. I know that I have been absent lately from my blog but life I must admit has been a little crazy. Between moving into my new place and getting everything settled and finished there and working I have been one busy person. Even though I have had a lot to do there are still things that I need to stop and take a break for.

1. Going to central, ok well I guess it was not that important for me to go there, but I did really want to go, even though a certain person came home that weekend instead of staying up there so that I could stay in her dorm room instead of staying with my cousin at his place, and get woken up by his one loud drunk roommate and three of his roomates friends. No Angela you decided to not be up there so you made me have to deal with that (thanks!!). It was not all that bad though his roomates and his friends did offer to cook me breakfast in the morning, because they felt bad that they had woken me up, I delcined though because in a apertment of two boys who knows how long food has been in the fridge, espically with one of them being my cuz. Also that bacon looked really gross.

2. 24 ok I know to some people this may sound crazy but we are addicted to 24. Nicole, Chaz, Noel, Grace, Kyle and Melissa,myself and this past week Paul joined us. So for the first time in a while I was not the "7th" wheel (only single person with three other couples.) watching 24, I think that we may have Paul hooked but it might take at least one more epsoide before he really gets sucked into it.

Ok well that is it for now, the Potter kids should start walking down those steps at any time to eat breakfast and start school.

2005-01-26T13:57:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy day. I have been at the Potters working which is normal but today was different Mike was sick he has a temp of around 102.0 so he was in bed all day sleeping which meant that I had to keep the kids quite which is not a easy task especially to keep Micah quite. So I sent Marah and Micah outside for a while. Then they came in and were playing cards and I made them promise me that they would pick them all up.

Well here is what Micah said after they were done playing with them.

"God can you please come down here and help me pick these up or I will spank you."

Now you see he was very upset because he had just about finished picking up all the cards when they fell out of his hands and back on to the floor. He really wanted God to come and help him so he had to act like a adult and put a consequence so it like a adult does when they ask a kids to do something.

2005-01-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

Well it is time to say good bye to living with my Aunt. I loved living with my Aunt and three Cousins, but it is time for me to move on. Now I will be living with two friends of mine Hillary and Angela. We are moving into my parent’s duplex. I will now be living on Ash Street in Mason. It will be so nice to have my own Bedroom and two have two full bathrooms. We are still getting the place "Living Ready." The people who rented it from my parents before were terrible tenants, the carpet is terrible and we can’t get it replaced till the beginning of summer which I guess is not to long. The water from cleaned the walls was dark brown due to the fact that they were smokers. So not only are the walls gross but, the carpet is really gross as well they had a Great Dane (but they told my parents they didn’t have and pets.) They had very nasty wall paper up in the kitchen which had to come down. There is also a border of wall paper in both bathrooms the still needs to come down. There was only one wall in the living room that had wallpaper and a wall downstairs that had wall paper. I am so sick up taking down wall paper.

All the walls need to be fixed buy taking out screws and nails (I have no idea why one place would need so many screws and nails in walls to hold up pictures) and then we need to spackle the holes up and spackle all the other random weird holes in all the walls. Then paint, the living room is two different colors of green. Each of us will be painting our bedrooms a different color. We need a fresh coat of white paint in the Kitchen and down stairs. The last thing to paint will be the bathrooms we haven’t decided what color to paint in there yet. So if anyone wants to help me paint. Or just clean the place or help me move let me know I could really use the help. I hopefully will have everything done and be able to move in the end of January beginning of February.

We are also on the hunt for a dryer someone already gave me a free washer so all we need is a dryer. We can do with out one for a while though we can hang stuff up to dry. We are also looking for a couch if you know anything let me know.

2005-01-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Well the madness has started, the break is over and work had begun and soon school will start too. I wish that I I had like three months off but I guess that is what the summer is for I feel like I need to sleep for like two weeks straight.

Ignite was awesome, I don't think that it could have been any better, God was really speaking right to my heart. I pretty sure that I am going to LT again this summer, I just need to pray about it for a while longer and hope that a few more things get worked out. Even though I am scared to death to go for a third time I really feel like it is what God wants me to do. Today is a busy day I am working, spending time with Ashley and then going to look at bridesmaid dresses with Nicole, Melissa and Devon,

I have a break..... well sort of

2004-12-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

This week has been nice. Classes are done but work is not, so even though I have somewhat of a break I am not just sitting around doing nothing. This week is going to be busy. I have Christmas parties and Christmas shopping that I still need to finish. It seems like this week is going by so fast. Tomorrow after a full day of watching kids I am heading down to my sister Casey's house to spend sometime with her and my brother-in-law and my niece Lyndsey. This will be Lyndsey's first Christmas she turns 1 in February. Then on Thursday Casey, Keith and Lyndsey and I, will drive over to our other sisters house. Kim and her 6 kids and Casey, Keith, Lyndsey and my parents and I will have our Family Christmas.

Then back with Casey to her house Thursday night. I am leaving Casey's on Friday and going to Riverview for the Christmas Eve Service, not sure yet what service I am going to so if you know what service you will be at let me know!! I am hoping that this year my whole family will join me at Riverview so that I don’t have to head over to my family's Church when I am done at Riverview. My parents are have been thinking about switching Churches they are just not getting fed where they are at right now. Then I wake up Christmas morning open the presents from my parents and then it is over to my Grandmas house. The whole rest of the day will be spent with my cousin’s aunts and uncles we will have breakfast sing carols and read the Christmas story. Then we sleep a while make lunch. Eat and then it is off to our yearly custom of going to the movies on Christmas day. I know that might sound crazy but we have done it for years. On our way home from the movie we will stop somewhere and get something warn to drink then we will drive around for about two hours and look at Christmas lights. Then next week it is off to Ignite I am so excited that I am going!!!!!! Then after Ignite is over work and school start up again and the break is over. :(

Mall

2004-12-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

I was at the mall today and I finally found something to wear for Kristen and Jeremy's wedding. It has taken me forever to wear something but it has been done, I actually think that I will be able to use that as my Christmas outfit too. Now I need to find jewelry for it but I think that Shelby and Kelsey are going to help me with that either tomorrow or Friday. I as getting so excited that Christmas is coming the Music always reminds me that Christmas is fast approaching. I still have so many people to buy gifts for. Ok time to help Blake with his homework and study for a test.

New Car

2004-12-11T00:54:00.000-08:00

So my parents decided that it would be the best idea for me to buy my Dad'd jsep. I am so happy!!! Even though wrecking my car totally sucked I am glad that I am getting the jeep out of it. I guess good things do happen in all situations I just didn't think that I would see the good results out of this situation so fast. The only down side with the jeep is that it sucks up that gas, and with gas prices being as high as they have been that can get a little bit expensive. I also need to clean it. Since it was my dad's car it is inside is not clean at all, not to mention the outside which is cakes in mud. Thats what you get when you have a dad who loves to hunt and be outside.

It smells like Sugar Beets!!! I guess deer like to eat them so my dad had to buy some to place around his deer stands so now the jeep smells like beets. I hate beets especially the smell of them. I guess I cant complain though it could smell a lot worse. It could smell like dead deer since one was in the back about a week and a half ago. Luckily that smell didn't stay. So if anyone knows of a place that does a good job cleaning out the inside of cars let me know!!!!

Life

2004-12-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

Today was a good day. I really enjoy spending time with a family. Growing up I was pretty much a only child even though I have two sisters they are 10 and 11 years older than me, so growing up it was mainly me and my parents. Now living with my aunt and Shelby, Kelsey and Blake. I feel more like a part of a family again. Just being able to have someone to do the dishes with is great. It is so nice me and Shelby pretty much spent the whole night together. We cleaned the kitchen, put up Christmas lights and just talked, and watched some t.v. I love it!!!!

Tomorrow morning she will some in and wake me up, she is my new alarm clock until I get mine back from the apt. Then in the afternoon I will pick her up from her hair appointment, and we will go shopping, we both need a black shirt for a picture for my Grandma and Grandpa. We are also picking up the platter that we made for them for Christmas. Ok well it is getting to close to my bedtime. I want to finish watching Armageddon.

Busy Busy

2004-12-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

OK today was a very busy but wonderful day!!!

1.THE LANSING CHRISTIAN GIRLS BASKETBALL IS THE CLASS D STATE CHAMPS

( for the second year)

The game was awesome it was back and forth the whole time. Finally it went into over time and Tiffanie Shives came through with a 3 pointer well not only was it a 3 pointer but it was easily a NBA 3 pointer. Than they fouled her and she was on the line and made both of her shots, to be honest I don’t really remember much more besides the fact that they missed a basket and we had a few more points and we ended up winning in overtime by 4 points I don't remember because I was so nervous and so excited at the same time. What a wonderful ending to a awesome season. I am so happy for Tiffanie who was named Miss Basketball for the State of Michigan in case you don’t know what Miss Basketball is I'll try to explain it the best that I can. All the Varsity coaches in the state from A B C and D class schools vote on which girls basketball player they think is the best Tiffanie Shives had the most amount of points. So she was given her rightfully earned title as Miss Basketball which means that she is the best basketball player in the state of Michigan. She will be playing next year for MSU and I cant wait to watch her play there. ok here are four websights about Tiffanie and Lansing Christian.

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041129/SPORTS02/411290333

http://www.detnews.com/2004/highschools/0411/30/d01-19559.htm

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041130/SPORTS02/411300331/1021/sports02

http://www.freep.com/sports/preps/miss30e_20041130.htm

I'll post some later about the State Championship game.

2. I moved out today and thanks to Ross and Ashley and their truck and to my Mom and Day and their jeep and a Uhal and to Mike and his Jimmy. I was able to get pretty much everything moved over in less than a hour and a half. Then Angela came to my aunts house and we were able to get my room set up and all my cloths put away. The only thing that we were not able to fix was the cable but we need to have someone else fix that because it need to get re hooked up from the basement and it was way to confusing when we went down there to try to look at it to get it fixed.

Well it has been a very busy day and I am really tired, I am going to go to bed in my new room for the first time. But first I have to go say hi to my cousin Shelby and her friends Alyssa, Lindsay, they just got back from their first High School Formal dance. They all looked so cute.

I hate Insurance companies

2004-12-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

OK I am getting really frustrated with everything with my car. They keep leaving me messages on my cell phone to call them about my car but when I call them they tell me nothing different it is the same thing over and over. I am starting to get really ticked off!!!

They wanted to know wether or not I wanted the cost of my Cd player that I had put in my car for my birthday, added to the price of the vehicle, but since the car is "totaled" why would I want that added to the price of the car, I just had it put in so I would not be able to take it out and use it in the next car that I get if it is added into the price on the car, if it is added into the price of the car than they would be able to just sell it to someone else.

Also since there it only "cosmetic" damage to the car and the engine is not broken or anything than I might want it added to the value of the car because if they give me enough money back for my car than I might be able to just get the car fixed, and just have to pay a little of money out of my own pocket to fix it.

But before I decided on wether or not I am going to be able to do that, I need to know how much money I would get for my car and how much money the repair shop wants to fix it. But the repair shop tells me that they need to know how much the insurance company is giving for the my car first before they decided how much they will fix it for. Which makes no sense at all.

The insurance company is sending over another person to look at the car to tell how much I will get for it even though two other people have already looked at it. It is just driving me crazy, I will not know anything for at least four more days. Which means that no decisions can be made before than, and that I am out of a car for that many more days. I just don’t know how people do it. I guess it just gives me a reality check of how lucky I have been to have a car, and how lucky I am that I am even alive. Well I am still doing good, but my back is still really stiff and I cant lift much so I have no idea how I will be able to move out this weekend since I cant lift anything that weighs that much, so if anyone wants to help please let me know it would be very much appreciated.

Thank you eveyone who was praying for me!!!!!

Please Pray!!!

2004-12-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

ok so one more reason that I hate slush. I got in a car accident, don't worry I am ok and so is the other lady. Her Big truck is fine but my poor little Saturn well that is a different story. I think that it is totaled, which is the last thing that I need right now. I need to remember, Romans 8:28 "God works good in ALL situations for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. " Well it is one thing to say that and to think about it, but it is another thing to believe it. I know that God is going to show his hand in this situation but sometimes it's hard. It could have been a lot worse if my car had gone off the right side of the road, I most likely would be dead because there is a huge ditch and my car would have rolled down the ditch. And at one point my drivers side was in front of the truck but at the last second my car slid around and the truck hit my passengers side instead. So I have many things to be thankful for. As my mom said "Things could be a lot worse instead of getting a call from you I could have been getting a call from the Police telling me that you were dead, a car can be replaced you can't." I am fine but my back is really sore I sure it is just from the impact but I need to go see the chiropractor and have my back but back into the right place. Well if you could please pray that some how God will provide a car, my Dad is hoping that he can get a new truck and I would just have his jeep, so please pray that everything would work out.

Over

2004-11-26T22:52:00.000-08:00

OK the day is finally coming to an end. Right now I am sitting in my apartment Jill, Angela and I are about to watch the Day After Tomorrow. My friend Jill gets extra credit for her class if she writes a paper on how it relates to her class what a nice way to get extra credit !!! I cant believe just a few more days, and I will be moving how weird is that!!

Well the movie has started!!

CRAZY!!!!

2004-11-26T15:03:00.000-08:00

Today was crazy, I was hoping to go and get some x-mas shopping done for some family, well I got some of that done. I was able to get a big plate/platter painted for my grandma, I hope that she likes it, I am sure she will but I don't know. Then we went to the mall I have no idea why we went there. I knew that the mall was going to be crazy but I had no idea that it would be that bad. I wanted to tear my head off, literally. I walked into New York and Company, to look for a black shirt for a picture that we are getting taken and as soon as I stepped into the store I turned around and walked out, it was way to crazy!!!!!! The we walked up to Hollister with my cousin's and well that was crazy too, I walked in and that walked out. I am done with shopping!!!! Even though I do not have any of it done I am boycotting!! OK well I am not done shopping but I am not going today or tomorrow, I need a break!!!

Happy Turkey Day!!

2004-11-25T08:57:00.000-08:00

In light of thanksgiving I wanted to make a list of the TOP 10 things I am thankful for:

1.) The Big Guy, he has always been there for me, and well he died for me.
2.) Family even though there are time they drive me crazy, I luv them lots.
3.) All my friends I think you know who you all are. Thanks for all the help and laughter!
4.) Riverview and all the people there, you guys are all amazing.
5.) All the family's that I have watched over the years not only have I just watched their kids but they have all made me feel loved and supported. I feel like a part of their family's.

(ok so now the fun crazy things I luv)

6.) Old t-shirts they are always so soft.
7.) Black and white pictures.
8.) Good books to read.
9.) Wireless Internet
10.) Last but not least I am so very thankful for everyone who is reading this list.

(Thanks Shelton and Jo for the idea!!!!)

Family

2004-11-24T20:14:00.000-08:00

I think that I have the best family in the world!!!!!! Not just my parents and my sister and brother-in-laws and nieces, but my extended family. I LOVE my cousins they are so awesome and care so much about me it means the world too me. Especially for them to let me live with them until I can move into the duplex. My Aunt had to do so much work to get a room ready for my to live in. That means so very much to me.

Shelby and Kelsey if you read this always remember that I love you!!! Anytime you have a question about anything you know where you can find me. In my NEW ROOM!!!!!!!

Even more snow

2004-11-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

ok I am going to apologize now for everything that I am about to complain about......

1. Snow I love it but there are some very annoying things that come along with it cold weather. I love a lot of things that come with cold weather like, hockey, hot coco, Christmas lights, snowmen and sledding but that cold nasty slushy snow I could do with out. The light cute powdery snow is fine but the slush is nasty.

2. Drivers, ok driving in the snow is like riding a bike when you first learn you will never forget how no matter how old you get, well I think that a lot of people need to be reminded how to drive in the snow. YOU CANNOT GO SLOWER THAN 28 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. It is more dangerous than if you were to go faster. People seem to forget how to drive when that first snow hits for the winter. People are driving like they are from Hawaii or something and they have never seen snow. I can understand why someone from Hawaii would have a hard time driving, just like a first time bike rider is going to have a hard time but they will learn. But a 10 year old bike rider who is like a 45 year old Michigan driver they should know how to drive.

I am sorry for all the complaint's I just to get all of that out. Have a great Snowy Day!!!!

SNOW!!!!!

2004-11-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

Ok I am really not ready for this I am sitting in the couch looking out the window and you will never believe what I am seeing! SNOW!!!!!!! Why is there snow already, I mean I love snow but not yet I feel like it is a little to soon for snow.

OK enough of snow, the rest of this week is going to be busy very very busy. Tonight me and my cuz Shelby are coming to my apartment and packing up some more of my stuff and then taking it over to her house where I will be living for the next couple of months. I am actually really looking forward to it, even though I will be living in the room where the dogs sleep it will not be that bad. Then on Turkey Day we have a total of 35 family members at my aunts house I know that 35 may not seem like that may people but 35 Hebden's that will be one loud house. After we eat most of us are going to see the polar express on the Imax at celebration. I am really excited, movies on Thanksgiving have been a family tradition for about 10 years now. I feel a little guilty when we go there because I am making people work instead be being with there family, but whether or not we go to the movie they would still have to be their. Then on Friday I have a Christmas gift that I have to start working on for my Grandparents, me and my cousin's plan on doing something together. I hope that it all works out. Then we have Saturday I am not sure yet what I have going on that day but I am sure I will have to do some more packing, then church. Next comes Sunday, I work in the nursery, and then more packing and then small group. Then the weekend is over and another week begins.

Sports

2004-11-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

Ok so I have dicided that I am addicted to sports, now don't get me wrong I am not addicted to playing sports but watching sports. I really just cant get enough of them. Although I prefer to actually be at the game, watching them on T.V. will do. I have been really excited latley about Lansing Christian girls basketball games. When I was in highschool we were never good at sports we would have good seasons but I don't think that any of our teams won any tournments. Well last year and this year has been a differnet story. Last year the girls basketball team won states. Now I have been to many sporting events where it has been a very important game, but feeling of excitment at that game was a different story. I sure that I have never been that excited before. This year the girls are doing another fabulious job. They have been blowing every team out of the water. For most of the games they have won by at least 25 points and some games even more. I hope that they can win agian this year, but if they don't it will be ok, Tiffiane a senoir will be heading off to play for Michigan State next year, I cant wait to watch her play there she is truly amazing.

I never

2004-11-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

OK so I just told Nicole and Paul the other night that I would never be a person to start blogging but I think that I have changed my mind and here is the reason why. I am moving I know that may sound like a stupid reason but for a few months I will be living with my aunt and then I will be living by myself for a while is a duplex until my roommate's will move in.

Well If you know me than you know I am a people person so living on my own will give me a lot of free time I mean a lot and I am not to sure yet how I am going to handle being on my own but I guess we will just have to see how I do.