Rachel's Jr. Prom

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Guest Post

Today's post comes from a vibrant young enthusiastic writer~ my daughter. She writes some awesome stuff (no, I'm not biased, trust me, you will agree) and I am proud to feature a post from her on my blog. If you get a chance swing over to her blog at http://echoessilencepatienceandgrace.com

Choosing My Own Way Of Life

echoessilencepatienceandgrace | March 2, 2011 at 7:24 pm | Tags: life | Categories: Twaddle | URL: http://wp.me/pVnVH-4g

"Sometimes, I've believed more than six impossible things before breakfast."

I do all sorts of crazy crap with my friends just because it's fun, we call it making memories.

I don't care what people think about me, never have. I march to the beat of my own drum, always will.

A lot of people have told me they think I've changed...honestly, I just believe I'm in the process of finding myself.

I've made mistakes in my life; and I'm guessing I'll probably make a few more before I finally bite the dust. But that's okay with me. I believe some of the best learning experiences of your life are your biggest mistakes.

Sometimes, I laugh at things that aren't funny and I smile at things that don't matter.

I respect myself.

I'm not afraid to take a stand for what I believe even if it means I'm standing alone.

I am broken, alone, empty and confused some days.

I have also been made whole; never been more sure of myself; and felt overwhelming love.

Some days I am under the impression I am bullet proof.

I am smart. I am strong. I am stubborn.

I'm a fighter.

I will probably offend you at some point. You'll get over it.

I'm full of secrets.

I've witnessed and survived things most people don't even have to face in their nightmares.

You mess with my family or friends, and you mess with me.

I am beautiful, inside and out.

I don't easily forget.

I'll never let you see me cry.

I put up walls for a reason.

I listen and I observe. A lot of people take this as being shy. They're wrong.

If I've never met you, I can tell you a lot about yourself just by looking at your shoes. Think I'm lying? Try me.

I'm a bookworm.

I write. A lot. A whole freaking lot.

I am athletic but I am not graceful.

I am both silly and sarcastic.

I have big dreams and great taste in music.

I am mysterious.

I am spontaneous.

I am driven.

I am determined, passionate, old-fashioned and a little bit crazy.

I make wishes on stars and yellow lights at intersections.

I still watch Disney movies and I love to color.

I have known heart break...with this comes the understanding that some hurts never fully heal, but the pain does become bearable.

No matter how many times I fail, I will get back up.

I'm proud of where I come from.

I'm proud of who I am.

I will be unforgettable, simply because I'm me.

And I will always live for the moments that I can't put into words.

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Saturday 9

Okay, so my Saturday 9 is quickly becoming my Monday Morning Memes.I can't figure out how to get subscribed to the Saturday 9 so that the questions are sent to me. So I go to my friend Kristen's blog and copy the questions from her blog. How lame is that? Sorry, I just don't know much about computers or the web. Heck, it's a miracle that I'm able to blog, even as rare as that is.

Here are this week's quesitons:

1. Tell us about a time that you had way too much Jose' Cuervo. Um....Never, I've never tasted the stuff.

2. Do you agree with the following statement: "The older you get, the faster time goes by". Absolutely, I mean I know in reality time does not speed up, but it sure seems that way. When your babies aren't babies anymore, and you are constantly in a rush, just to keep up with them, I just wish it would slow back down again. The older I get the more difficult it is to get everything done in a 24 hour period is a more accurate statement.

3. What do you usually do in your down time? I am a an NCIS fanatic, so I love to curl up with my heating pad (cause my back is usually hurting) and just watch some good NCIS, or if that's not available, I love to read, right now particularly about nutrition, and sometimes, I just paint and that takes me away from this world.

4. When it comes to the opposite sex do you feel you have a grasp on them - or do they continue to surprise you? If I had been asked this same question 15-20 years ago, I would have definitely said I have a grasp on them, but I've grown a lot in the last 22 years, and so has my spouse, and he has surprised me quite a few times over the last several years.

5. What is your hometown famous for? Piggie Park a drive-in resturant is pretty famous around here, but even more recently and more widely known is the Zack Brown Band, yep, he came from little ole' T-town. As a matter of fact, I used to babysit one of his band members--isn't that a hoot!

6. How many romantic relationships have you had? Well, romance is not exactly dear hubbys specialty, but he does try, on occasion, when it's like our anniversary or something special.

7. What is the best concert you have ever been to? Well, I've only been to one, it was a Point of Grace concert, and it was nice, but I guess I'm just SO MUCH NOT a fan of LOUDNESS, that I really truly didn't enjoy it that much, and is probably the reason I haven't gone to another one.

8. Which famous person would you like to meet? I can't really say that I would particularly LIKE to meet a famous person. They are just people, so there is not anyone I really particularly admire that happens to be famous that would drive me to want to meet them. However, if I did meet someone famous, it would be pretty neat I suppose.

9. Has a newspaper or television reporter ever interviewed you? If so, what were the circumstances and what did you think when you read what you said? I'm content to say, that I have never been interviewed by a newspaper or television reporter. I am more the keep to myself type anyway.

The Great Fairy Rescue Playset)

 The above picture is of my version of the Fairy House from Tinkerbell's movie, "The Great Fairy Rescue". I made this for a sweet little girl that I babysit that turned 4 on Monday. I can't wait to give it to her today when she comes over! I know the pic is a little blurry, my son took it with his phone, but if you click on it to open as a file it should get larger for you to view. Let me know how you think I did on it! I love comments.

Saturday 9

1. What celebrity do you think is the MOST foolish? It is kinda hard for me to judge that since I don't personally know any celebrity's and I know things in the media get blown out of proportion. But I will say after watching several shows of Jon and Kate plus 8, Dancing with the Stars 2010 (which totally turned me off from that season) and Sarah Palin's Alaska -the episode with Kate Gosselin, that she (Kate Gosselin) has definitely not done anything to promote her image in a good way. The earlier episodes of Jon and Kate plus 8 were endearing, the latter ones, not so much. I know they both made mistakes in the marriage-- that's not what I take issue with. It's just that she seems so ungrateful and spoiled now-- not the great home mom of 8 kids she first started out to be. Not that I condone Jon and his actions, but at least he does try to keep out of the media.

2. What are 5 things you don't care about? Facebook, what kind of car I drive- as long as it runs and has heat and air, the Emmy's, the Oscar's, and the SAG awards, and sports, oh, wait...that's 6, sorry.

3. What 'issue' do you think your opinion is so right about that you end up trying to sway others to your point of view? Probably the nutrition issue, I think we have been dumbed down in believing what is good for us and what is not. Not that I know everything, I am still learning so much. But I feel pretty passionate about that.

4. What personality do you like to listen to on the radio? I don't. I don't like to listen to anyone talk on the radio too much. If I'm listening to the radio I listen to Intentional Living, but I don't particularly like listening to "talk" radio. I want to hear good Christian music when I listen to the radio.

5. What culture are you facinated by? For the last several years, my oldest daughter and I have been facinated with the Irish culture. I have a natural facination with all cultures, anything that is different from what I've known and why. Particularly Irish though since I know we family roots there.

6. You are alone with your lover's diary. What do you do? psssh,, he won't even read a book let alone write a diary -- are you kidding me?

7. What frustrates you? Mostly, myself.

8. Do you remember the first time you were on the internet? What did you do first? I can barely remember yesterday, anything before that I can not be held accountable for.

9. What was the biggest fight you have ever had with someone? This blog has a policy of no mooning. Those things are over and done with, don't dwell on the past.

Saturday 9

In an effort to get myself to blogging a bit more, I've signed up with Saturday 9. Now I know today is not Saturday, and I will probably be late again in the future. But hey, it's a start. Here are the 9 questions from this past Saturday.

1. Have you ever been to Japan? If not would you like to travel there? As a matter of fact, I have. I was born in Tokyo, Japan~~don't get too thrilled for me, I was born there. My father was in service over seas. I would like to travel back there, the sites I've seen on slides my mother and father took while there were there are phenomenal.

2. Have you ever played a game that required the removal of clothing? I am sad to say, yes. I was a small child though, 8 years old to be exact, and did not fully understand what was happening until it was too late and the shame of it stayed with me for most of my life.

3. Have you ever dated one of your best friends? Yes! And I married him too!

4. Have you ever kissed someone you didn't know? No, I have not.

5. What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie? I must say it is a tie between "Finding Never Land" and "Fried Green Tomatoes" and "Pride and Prejudice".

6. What feature are you most insecure about? Well, frankly, pretty much all of them. I guess my biggest peeve would be my inner thighs, they have been pudgy my whole life and I've never liked it. Now I am just pudgy all over, so I guess it matches now-- lol.

7. What do you miss most about being young? Who said I was old???? I want names, 41 is not old!!

8. Who is the most annoying musical artist ever? Okay, so I'm not a huge music buff, I'm sorry, I just can't stand for lyrics to play over and over in my head, but again, I would have to say the guy who sings "Feelings", the Beatles for the song "Michelle, My Belle" (yes, I know I was named for that song, and I hate it), and who ever wrote "This is the Song that Never Ends".

9. Have you ever applied for a job that was an internet hoax, asking for credit history and social security number? Well....kinda. I didn't give out credit history or social security number, but I did get taken for $60 that I didn't have to spare.

Chicks and Their Mommas

Well, as I said before, I'm not that great at being a consistent blogger. In the time since I last blogged, I moved my daughter to Atlanta, spent 3 1/2 weeks crying about it every day, she decided it wasn't for her so she moved back home (happy dance - AND it was on my Birthday!!). She is now enrolled in online college courses, we've done almost all we need to do for the Christmas Holidays, and I'm just tired.Though I am truly happy to have my chick back with me.

So the rest of this post has pretty much nothing to do with chicks or mommas, but just some things that have been rolling around in my head. Some that I have given much thought to, some I wish to give more thought to, and some I probably haven't given enough thought to.

Why do the holidays have to be so exhausting? I long for a time just to sit and be. Soaking in what this moment in time truly represents. Although, I have come to the understanding that this is not the "real" time of year of Jesus' birth. I've been told (*please note I have not researched this for myself, but do trust the knowledge and spirituality of the one who told me this) that Jesus' birth actually took place in the spring around the time of passover. Makes a lot of sense when you actually think about it. The Old Testament is a forshadowing of the New Testament. The passover originated when God told the Hebrew children to kill a lamb and put the blood on their doorposts so that the Angel of Death would know to "pass over" that house during the time of the plagues in Egypt. So it suits to follow that Jesus' birth would be at the time of passover, just as his death and ressurection was as well. Oh well, it's something to think about anyway. Perhaps I will get around to researching it for myself one day soon.

So the day we are accustomed to celebrating the birth of our Savior is just one week away. The biggest thrill for me is seeing the ones I love, receive gifts that express that love and the joy on their faces. My most treasured moments are when they actually like/love the homemade gifts. This year, they even got into the spirit of making gifts for loved ones. I hope this is a tradition that will remain in our family. You know they go through that phase as little ones that they don't really know about buying presents. A picture that they've colored is a treasured gift, it means as much to them as it does to us. Then, as our society dictates, they fall into the stress of thinking they have to purchase gifts for them to be special. So it is truly special when they come full circle to "I'm going to make this for mom, dad, brother, sister because it will mean something to them to have it and it will mean something to me to make it for them. Yes, tears of joy are falling as I type this. 

I hope that as days pass on and turn to months and years, that we will begin to see outside of our circle even more. We have done things with our family on a regular basis to meet the needs of others. Sometimes I wish to do more, though, much of the time it is not possible, not only financially, but physically for me. My second daughter this year had set aside money for purchasing Christmas gifts. She heard of a family that was in need, and through proper channels, decided instead of using her money to buy gifts for our family, she would use the money to buy for the family in need. She plans to make us homemade fudge as our Christmas gifts. She has little to no idea that she has already given me and my husband our gift by choosing to do this for this family in need.

We are truly blessed, and for this I am truly grateful. Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope your days are filled with blessings and that we all remember to count each and every one of them and give thanks for them.