I'm gonna miss this...kind of.

So much of this years "lasts" are over. I was trying to think of a list of them, but the one that is at the forefront of my mind is ball. First and last Senior Ball is over. I hadn't been anticipating it that much this year. Yes, I was excited...but nothing in comparison to last year's feelings. And then I had the most amazing time with the most amazing friends and it made me think a lot. I don't know what it was about ball, but I think it got everyone thinking, "this is one of our last events where all of us are in one place having a lot of fun together." No matter what you do, it gets you down a little bit.
Excerpt from Rachel's blog:
"Senior year is so weird. For the fall and winter, it's dark and cold out, and you're sitting and waiting to hear from colleges. Everything feels slow and all you want to do is getting moving and get out. And then spring comes, and you choose a school, and APs start picking up, and everything just starts to go so fast. It's like you're waiting for the plane to take off and you discover that you're actually attached to a rocket. Now I'm just hanging on by my fingernails, hoping I can survive all of the changes that are suddenly very close, and very real."
That is exactly along the lines of how I'm feeling right now.
I've begun to realize this is the end of this stage in my life and we're all moving on. We're growing up. That's hard, but how can we let it hold us back? Some people choose to revel in the high school years and esteem as some kind of "glory days", but why? You choose the way you live your life. Take a chance, move on. Live for each day and face it as a new beginning, a fresh start, new adventures (I think my subtitle says something like that =]). I wish we could all live life like that. Imagine how excited we would be to wake up in the morning. How happy it would make us. Anyway, life is getting crazy. I don't think it's going to stop getting crazy either. And it's sad, yet thrilling all at once. Get ready to see me flail...
=]

Alvin and the Chipmunks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npObNVS6Gck

So I posted in honor of getting my wisdom teeth out and let's be honest, the Chipmunks freakin' rock.
No, I'm not anywhere special unless you count the indentation I have made on the couch. However, this is a general life step that most people end up having to take. And it's not as fun as I was anticipating. Haha. I mean it's funny at times-like when I'm sitting with my socks tied over my head with frozen peas in them. But definitely not at other times-like throwing up more in the past 24 hours than ever. It's only been twice, but still. I hardly ever throw up. I guess it's the mix of medication and not being able to eat much, having a fever, being in pain. I don't know. I'm not trying to scare those of you who haven't gotten it done, but it does suck. You can still be strong through it though. It's kind of a roller coaster ride of feeling good and then feeling disgusting. And even when I feel good, the vicadin makes me a little out of it.
It's good to know that this is temporary. It's especially good to know that by the time I'm fully recovered I'll be going into prom day. And life is going to feel grand. =]
It's upsetting to me to be going through this and being such a "wimp" when a lot of people all over the world suffer this much day in and day out until they die. That's a really sad/morbid thought. But, I really want to work to help people like that as I live my life of "privelege". Finding out HOW I'm gonna do that is the hard part. I know I need to listen to God's call and if I'm constantly attentive to Him, he will show me. But I just wanted to say that I don't think that this is just a call in my life. This is something God has called each and every one of us to. To help the weak and poor, the suffering and sad. And that doesn't mean each of us have to become doctors and travel all over the place...not at all. I'm beginning to learn that God uses me where I am to do His will. And he'll do that for you too. It can be simply smiling at someone in the halls at school.
Just something to think about...

It's picturesque...

I took these yesterday!








Today, it's raining. We went to the huge parade in the rain. It was miserable, but it was still funny to see all the kids soaked in their dutch clothes with their little wooden shoes clompin down the street.

Renewing memories

Alright, just for clarification purposes:
This blog is going to be really unorganized (obviously) and not always easy to read. Writing doesn't come naturally to me and putting my thoughts into words is not my forte. If you know me, you know that I tend to "drop sentences"..."Well this one day I dsjkfghiedjfnllMEHH." Ha. I just want to let you know that I mean well. I really want you to be able to "walk" with me through my new experiences. I feel like I've been learning so much through my many trips and somehow I'd like to attempt to pass that on. Forgive me when I can't make things clear and laugh at me when I make a mess of it. =] Most of all, have fun here. I hope I can at least make you smile through my words.

And now back to Pella, Iowa. Where it:
1. Doesn't actually smell.
2. Isn't boring.
3. Does harbor some different family. But I am who I am because of these people!

So halfway through the second day of being here my dad brought me down to the little square and we walked around it hand-in-hand. We went into Jaarsma's Bakery where you can get the best bismark in the country. I felt like a little dutch girl who should have been wearing here wooden shoes and bonnet. =] He told me stories of the people who own shops and how he knows a lot of the people who have chosen to spend their whole lives here. He reminded me of how mom and he met and even showed me the many houses he had lived in while growing up here. As we walked I let the memories sink in along with the sun. It was really fun to hear all of the stories.
Realization struck. This is where I was born. (I saw the church I was baptized in!) This is where my roots are and part of who I am. It's been amazing to see things and connect them to my memory of coming here to visit in the past. Just today as dad and I drove around the town, we passed by the playground that I believed to be a castle as a kid. It still is pretty impressive which is awesome. A lot of times things tend to lose their majestical feel when you revisit the past, but not this. I went back by myself just to swing and absorb. My best friend Lauren and I used to strip to our underwear and run around in that park (through water fountains and sprinklers...it was all in good taste, haha) during the summer. We'd buy little dutch waffle cookie things and chow down as we swung as high as we possibly could. It was there that my brothers taught me how to hide in the "peaks" of a playground.
How can I have so many memories of a place that I only knew as a 5 year old?? I'm not sure, but it's amazing. I'll be walking by an old building and like a wave, a memory will come to me. I find comfort and love here in a way that can't be found anywhere else. And I love it.
My family is odd. Have you met me?! Haha. When we went over to grandma's the other day I watched descendence in action. I don't know if I just made up a word..but I'll explain. Grandma was doing things and saying things that I see in Dad all the time. And then Dad was doing and saying things that I see in myself every now and then. I'm like my grandma! I haven't seen her in years and to meet her and appreciate her for the first time is interesting. I get my blue eyes from her. I get my stubborness from her as well. And a lot more too...
So pretty much I've realized that this place is beautiful. It represents a part of me that no other place does and instead of being a surly teenager that drags her feet, I'd rather be a young woman (did I just call myself a WOMAN? wierd) exploring her past.
I can't wait for tomorrow when the rest of my siblings show up. That means more stories and more fun. =]
I'll leave some pictures tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get a shot of my "castle!"

Home, home on the range...

So I know this is sort of a wierd spot to start this thing. However, I am on quite an adventure as we speak...so I thought I'd share it.
I'm in Pella, Iowa. When I first found out that we'd be coming out to this "neck of the woods" I wasn't thrilled. Far from it actually. I hadn't been out here in at least 8 years and there were valid reasons for not wanting to come this way...
1. It smells. You think I'm joking, but you know that "farm smell"? Permeates here.
2. It's boring. There's nothing but fields and farms out here. Nothing to do!
3. Wierd family. I haven't seen them in forever. I think my Grampa's funeral was the last time. Sad, huh?
Let me give you a little taste...

This is the pool at our first hotel.
The view from our window.

Label on the toilet. Haaa.



I don't think there was anyone else with us at this hotel.


Our first night was spent in a really OLD Days Inn. It was funny. I didn't care because it's one night and people deal with much worse conditions than these...but this was so bad! The carpet was greasy, the bedsheets were "bally" and see through, the bathroom was mildewy, the towels were stained and crusty, and there was certainly no accessing the internet. I didn't take a shower there because I was afraid I'd come out feeling more dirty than clean. (It bothers me that all of this bothers me, but that's a whole nuther story...) I was a little bit discouraged.

I'm uber tired right now, but I'll let you know how things changed tomorrow. =]