Five Sad Things

It feels a little bit strange to be writing about sad things, when I do not feel particularly sad.
But there are certain things about my life that are very, very sad right now.
So I thought I would share them. =)
And they're sad, but not depressing. It's just kind of this feeling of knowing that life is changing, and it's going to keep changing, and understanding that that's the way it's supposed to be, and yet kind of wishing that things didn't have to change.
Anyways... sad things (also known as evidence that nothing stays the same forever):

• Today I said goodbye to my cousin Jason. I don't know if I've ever hugged someone goodbye before and known that I wasn't going to see them for a long, long, long time. I mean, I had thought about Jason leaving before, but it was just sadder in the actual moment than in my head. Jason, you have played a huge role in our group of cousins, and it will not be the same without you!! 
• I realized that I only have 2.5 weeks of co-oping left to do. It feels like I just started! It feels like I have learned so much, but still have so much to learn! I don't think I'm ready to leave. Maybe I could just co-op for the rest of my life? No, I don't want to do that. But yeah... it really has been a learning experience.  I think I have become a better writer, and also learned a lot of things about people and holding conversations and asking questions and recording answers and mac computers. So yeah... I'll be sad when it's over, but I'm so grateful for the experience! 
• The school year is wrapping up....slowly but surely. All I have left to do is math. And a pig and cow eye dissection. lol. But this is my last year at Countryside with this particular group of friends. I cannot believe that 12 years of my life could just go by so quickly. What if the next 12 years go by just as quickly????? what if I am thirty before I know it?????? and what exactly is all going to happen in the next 12 years anyways??? I HAVE NO CLUE!!!!!!!!!!! it's so exciting! =) But I also feel a bit sad that this part of my life will be over, cause it was a pretty good part of life. 
• Math. Math is a sad thing. One minute, you're like "whoa. I understand this! It makes SO MUCH SENSE!!" and then the next minute, you see the words "Graphing Rational Functions" and BAM- it no longer makes sense. Maybe it is not math that is sad. Maybe it is my brain that is sad. 
• McDonalds no longer makes McMinis. I do not know what idiot decided to take McMinis off the menu, but it was not a wise decision. McMinis were... well, perfect. In every single way. There was no flaw. The bread, the chicken, the sauce (the McDonalds in New Hamburg always put the perfect amount of sauce on...)... The really sad thing is that I still get cravings for them. But now I know that I will never eat another mcmini again. This world is a cruel, harsh place. 

And that's it. 

Those are my five sad things. 

Simple Thoughts I Have Had and Lessons I Have Learned In The Past Few Days

• Don't drink coke. I just drank coke, because I was very thirsty, and for some reason, Coke appealed to me. Even though I don't normally like it. So anyways, I drank some, and now my stomach is making strange noises. 
• Don't ever think that you are just going to take a short nap, and that you will wake up refreshed and with enough energy to do twice the amount of work that you could have done if you hadn't taken a nap. Because you will not wake up refreshed or with more energy. You will, in fact, feel even more tired than before, and wish that you had just pounded through the paper that is due tomorrow. 
• People from the Woolwich Observer are not mean, as you may have been previously led to believe. If you happen to run into one of their reporters, you should not panic and feel all intimidated, because that reporter will probably take the time to talk to you and end up being really nice. 
• Prioritize. Seriously. John 15: 1-4 "I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the words I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." Make time to "remain in God", because the time that you spend with Him will ALWAYS be more valuable than any other way that you could have spent that time, and you will not regret it.
• Something that one of my pastors said during communion last Sunday (it's also in the Bible =))... "He that has the Son has life, and he that has not the Son has not life." It sounds so simple. And yet it feels wrong to say that it actually is that simple because of the intricate plan that God orchestrated and everything that Jesus went through to make salvation possible. So it is completely simple and yet unthinkably complicated. The ultimate paradox. 
• I am insanely excited about this weekend. Do you know why??? (This is going to make me sound incredibly lame... oh well. I guess that it's time to show all of you the real me.=)) I have absolutely no plans!!!!!!!! none! except for mother's day on sunday. But seriously... friday night at home. I can work on school stuff. All day Saturday at home. I can work on more school stuff!!!!! 
• If I was a dog, I would want to be exactly like my dog, Blitz. except for the killing kittens part. Except for that one vicious streak, she is this completely gentle, laid-back dog. And sometimes she runs, but not for long. lol. and she has these insane brown eyes that make you just want to sit and pet her all day. And if you stop petting her, she will put her paw on your arm, and look at you, and you just have to pet her again. She's just so cute! This is coming from a person who doesn't like dogs. 
• The retired men in Woolwich Township are getting artsy. there is one that weaves, one that knits socks and mitts, and one that quilts. 
• Sleep should be optional. 
• Days should be longer. 
• When stressed, youtube is the place to go to. =) lol. "Are you okay?" "Are YOU okay?" lol. 
• the newest development on the ugly sweater: the sweater itself is not actually ugly. it just looks ugly on me. I am the problem here. I just wanted you all to know that. It is not the sweater's fault. 
• I must be stupid. because i am blogging about nothing, instead of finishing a fascinating paper on the Black Death. And the Pied Piper. That dude was creepy (and possibly completely fictional). But seriously... someone should make a movie about him. or write a book about him. Because a story about a guy who played music and led all of the children away from their town out of spite would just be kind of fascinating. Also, I would like to know what he did with the children after he lured them away from their homes. 
• I wish that I was already graduated. 

The Crazy Month of April

I cannot believe that April is over already!! It went by so insanely quickly! And it was awesomely busy! A lot of fun stuff happened this month! Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures of a lot of it... So bear with me as I talk. =) 

 Okay, so as you can see, this first picture is a collage of my wonderful cousins! We had an amazing day together! So many memories were made!! Guys, it will take me and Lisa a lifetime to forget the sight of the four of you hopping the Bruce Trail. And I'm positive that none of us will ever forget Tracy! Plus, our picnic was pretty special. The moment that Kenton realized that he had set his drink right in the jar of salsa was special in its own way. =) And Lisa,  you and I have a lot of things that we need to do together in the future. =) It was a great day, and I'm so glad that we got to spend it together! Jason, we're gonna miss you so much! Cousins times just won't be the same without you!

These two pictures are of my class. We had a great afternoon taking grad photos with sarah jantzi (who is the world's best, funnest photographer!). It was so much fun to laugh with you guys and just hang out! I'm so excited about graduating with you all!!! I mean, I am excited to graduate, period. But it is even more special because I get to do it with some of my best friends. I love how we can laugh and joke together. And I will never forget the moment when the following conversation happened:
Me: "I wanna stay up all night and jump around..." (I sang that. because it's a song. and it had been stuck in my head all day. So i sang it. it had to come out.)
Josh: Hey, Jas, who sings that song? (he sounded super-interested. like he actually wanted to know.)
Me: One Direction!
Josh: Keep it that way.
I decided not to take it personally. =)
It was just a generally awesome afternoon. =) I love how we all tease eachother! And on that note... keep up the cute smiling, Josh. =)
And Greg, you do an excellent chicken imitation. I have never seen anyone do it better. =)
I can't wait to graduate with you all!

This is my desk at the Independent!! Isn't it great??? =)

But on a more serious note.... I am loving co-oping. I really am. Journalism is just kind of awesome. Do you know what journalism is??? It's information!!!!! Neat, logical, organized information! There is something comforting about the simplicity of it. You're not required to be funny or witty or sarcastic. I can go home and work on my book or writer's craft and be as creative as I want to, and I really do love that too. But there's something about simply presenting information clearly and logically and figuring out the best way to present it that I really enjoy. You just have to know what you're talking about! That's all that is required of you! And if you don't know anything about your topic (which you often don't), you find someone qualified and learn from them. When you are a reporter, you get to ask as many questions as you want to, and it's okay. It's doesn't mean that you are nosy or stupid. It's what is expected of you! Journalism is the perfect mix of interacting with others and working on your own. There is a certain kind of power that comes with being a journalism. You have the power to talk to anyone that you need to. You have the power to guide conversation. You have the power to tell the truth. In my case, I tell the truth about Woolwich's tree situation, the Kiwanis Lobsterfest, and the Easter Bunny Express. And maybe someday I will have the opportunity to expose the truth about more important things. I think that might be what I love the most about journalism so far. The fact that the entire objective of it is to spread the truth. And that doesn't always happen, unfortunately. But ideally, every journalist would approach each assignment that they are given with the purpose of sharing the truth. I think that the reason that I like this idea of uncovering the truth so much is because I know that God is truth itself, and what better way for me to glorify Him than by sharing truth with others? So yeah... enjoying the Independent. Could almost see myself doing this as a career. The only problem is that I don't know if I'm good at it. lol. but i not only like the Independent because i get to write, but also because of the people there. They're so funny! I am just in complete awe of their wittiness. And I like that I get called "Miss Jasmine" by some of them and "Co-op student" by others. And today, I laughed so hard. Because they're renovating the building right now, and they were talking about how they should have something hanging at the front of the building that kind of symbolizes Elmira. And Chris was like, "We should have something Mennonite hanging up." And then his eyes got really big, and he was like "Hey!!!!!!!!!!! we should hang Jasmine up there!" and I was like "oh, thanks, that makes me feel very special." and he was like "don't worry. We'll send you somewhere nice to be stuffed first." and i was like "You treat me so well. Thank you." anyways... enough about the Independent. =)

okay, that is the end of the pictures. here we go with the words. =) 

Well, I played in a volleyball tournament. And it was tons of fun, even though I was in the process of getting a really bad cold and just kind of felt fuzzy and really tired all day. But yeah, it was fun volleyball! Plus, my team won the tournament. It was my first time ever winning a tournament with guys and girls in it. =) It felt nice... i think i'll do it again sometime. Perhaps on May 19? =) 

And because we won the tournament, I got a gift card. And so I went to the mall and bought a pretty shirt. But then I did something so stupid. I bought an ugly sweater. It is UGLY. i cannot believe that i bought it. it was such a mistake. i am never ever going to wear it. and i can't return it, because it was a final sale. seriously... sometimes... i am stupid. 

Also, I went to Toronto for a weekend. It was a good weekend! I learned a lot... had fun with my class... heard mysterious thumping going on late at night. ;) Oh yeah.. korean food is bad. That is a lesson that will stick with me for a long time. Also, I played "List Everything You Know About The Germans" for the first time in my life. Best game ever. =)  

And I played baseball for the first time this year! it didn't go too badly! I didn't strike out at all. And i somehow managed to never hit the ball straight to the short stop, which is definitely a problem that I have. And it was awesome, because the whole time I was outfield, not one single ball came to me!!!!!!!!! not one!!!!!!

There is a new  insult in the Shantz household! Thanks to Wendy. lol. So she was kinda grumpy the other night, and she had the fridge door open, and was taking a really long time deciding what she wanted to eat. And so I was like, "Wendy, make up your mind and shut the fridge door!" And Wendy turns around and gives me this intense glare and says "You're the fridge." it cracked us all up. it is my new favourite insult. =) 

okay.. i need to go work now. 

hopefully by the end of may, i will be all done my work. =) 

The Results Are In!

Today was a funny day.
I laughed a lot.
I cracked myself up many, many times.
And I was just sitting here thinking about life in general, when i started remembering funny stuff that happened today, and it made me laugh all over again. So I was sitting here on my bed laughing all by myself, when Renee stopped by my room.
Lately Renee has been full of smart remarks, and they always make me laugh so hard, because clearly, she is developing a sense of humor, and so our relationship is at this strange place where we can laugh like crazy together, but also get insanely annoyed with each other.
Anyways, this is the way our conversation went:

Jasmine: Hahahahahahahahahaha! (that's me laughing)
Renee: Jasmine, can I tell you something?
Jasmine: Is it something deeeeeeeeeeeeply personal or veeeeeeeeeery important? (yup, there were that many e's.)
Renee: No.
Jasmine: Then I'm not interested.
Renee: Oh. Well, I just wanted to let you know that the results from your test came in.
Jasmine: The results? Wait, what test?
Renee: You are officially crazy. I'm sorry, but we're going to have to lock you up now.

Yup. That was it. Our great sibling moment of the day.
I just thought I would share with anyone who happened to be interested.
Also, I am now certifiably crazy, according to "the test". Haha, I think I know some other people who should maybe consider taking the test too. =)
Kenton also made me laugh really hard very recently.
I went into the living room and he was sitting there on the couch, looking at flyers and making funny noises.

Kenton: Blub blub blub. (those are the noises that he was making)
Jasmine: Um, Kenton? What are you doing?
Kenton: I'm just sitting here making motorcycle noises.
Jasmine: Motorcycle noises?
Kenton: Wanna join me?
Kenton and Jasmine in unison: Blub blub blub.

I still don't know how those are motorcycle noises, but it was just so incredibly random and funny that it makes me laugh every time I think about it.
Have a funny evening, everyone!

Digging Wells in the Desert- an attempt to explain a very amazing concept

So as you know, recently (okay, so for the past few months), I have had a thing for the book of Jeremiah. And I finished reading it awhile ago. I've read other books of the Bible since then. But Jeremiah has just kind of stuck with me, because the lessons that I learned while reading it keep coming back to me.

And recently, I was reminded of what is possibly one of my favourite parts of Jeremiah. (I was reminded of this while I was in Home Sense for the VERY FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, and i kept seeing all of these pretty paintings, and it made me feel so sad, because I cannot paint. However, if i COULD paint, I would totally paint a picture of these verses. It would be the very first thing that I painted.)

Okay, Jeremiah 2:11-13:

"Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols. Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror," declares the Lord. "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

The Israelites had God.

They did.

God, the spring of living water, provided an oasis for them. An escape from the dry, hot, empty desert and the inevitable aimless wandering that He knew they would do if they were in the desert.

And I imagine that for awhile, they were content in that oasis.

But then someone- possibly some young, curious person who didn't remember what life was like before the oasis, looked out at the desert and saw all that space.

The sky and the sand and the hills and the sun.

We're going to call this person Me. Because in so many ways, it is me. And maybe you too.

From the edge of the Oasis, the desert didn't look that bad to Me.

Me probably wondered what was on the other side of the hills.

And for awhile, Me squelched the desire to find out what was outside of the oasis. What life was like in the desert.

But as time went by, Me found that the oasis felt more and more limiting, and the boundaries became more and more confining. The desert seemed so big. So full of possibilities.

And so Me gave in. Packed some bags, maybe took some friends, and left the spring of living water that had provided everything they had needed.

Me chose to leave. Chose to exchange the security of the oasis for the openness of the desert.

But it didn't take long for Me to find out that life outside of the oasis was not everything that she had hoped it would be.

It was hot and dirty, and when the wind blew, sand swirled around. Me spent every single day wandering aimlessly, headed for no particular place. No definite goal in mind. For all she knew, she was going in circles.

Most of all, it was dry.

And there was no escape.

But she wandered and wandered.

At this point, you would think that she would realize that it was impossible for her to survive on her own and return the Oasis.

But no. Me decided to take matters into her own hands.

She would dig a well. She could be self-sufficient.

She tried her best.

But she simply could not do it. The sand kept sliding back into the tiny hole, and there was no way that she, weakened from lack of water, could ever possibly reach water.

Lol I just realized that I don't know what happens next in this story! I really should have thought this through.

Maybe Me dies there, beside the slight dent that she has made in the sand.

Or maybe someone from the oasis searches for Me and finds her curled up and hopeless, just in time and carries her back to the living water and she lives and gains a full understanding of how necessary living water is to survival.

I guess that either could work.

But my point is this:

Me was so stupid!

She thought that she could survive on her own!

The oasis was right there! She could have turned and gone back to it at any point. (Unless of course, she was lost. lol, we're going to ignore that possibility, okay? I am not good at illustrations.)

In my head, I have this picture of Me.

She is on her knees, furiously digging in the sand with her hands, trying to reach water. Using so much energy even though she must know in her heart that what she is trying to do is impossible. And I also see the oasis. It is beautiful and green and cool and the ultimate contrast to the desert. It is within Me's eyesight.

And if Me would just stop digging, stand up, and turn around, she would see it. She could run to it if she chose too.

The oasis is right there. Easily within walking distance.

But Me is so busy trying to survive on her own that she doesn't see it.

It seems like I spend so much time trying to dig my own wells. And i panic and freak out and feel like life is unbearably complicated.

When all the while, God is right there. Right there. So close, that I could reach out and touch Him and experience His peace. I just have to choose to.

So many times, I just run to God when I get really, really thirsty.

But why would I not just stay with Him? Why would I not constantly dwell in the oasis that He has provided for me?

The place that He has designated as a reprieve from the harshness and hopelessness and uncertainty of the desert.

The boundaries of the oasis actually give freedom, because in those boundaries is every single thing that I need to survive. And I can wander in the desert, and be in awe of all the space and all the directions that I could go, but it doesn't matter, because in the end, the desert will only bring death.

Because as full of possibility as it is, it cannot provide me with Living Water.

That can only be found in the Oasis.

The Best of February/March 2012 (in no particular order)

Okay, so I got to the end of February and was like "Whoa! Where did February go???" and now it's the end of March (okay, and the beginning of April) and Meg asked me if I am ever going to do an end-of-February/March post, and I was like, "What??? March is over now too???" What will that girl tell me next??? =)

Clearly, 2012 is going to be over before I know it.

So here are random things that made February/March good/interesting/exciting/awesome. (These months put me through many emotions, I tell you.)

So this first picture is of my old card table. This was an excellent card table. It served me well. It had a broken leg, but it didn't even collapse that often. This is the card table that I sat at while I did biology last year. This table and I have been through much together. We learned about Punnet Squares together. And yes, I never fully grasped the concept of Punnet Squares (I don't even know if "Punnet" has one t or two), but still... I feel as though this table and i bonded over sciencey things.

But it was time to upgrade. So I did. And I like my new desk. I love my new desk. Sometimes, I can even figure out math questions when I do them at my new desk. Clearly, it is a magic desk.

This desk is special because...well, I am going to write books at this desk. I am going to make my black and white scrapbook at this desk. I am going to finish Advanced Functions at this desk. This is going to be a busy desk. However, as great as I think this desk is... it has one flaw.

It has a drawer. A beautiful, wonderful, big, empty drawer.

And I have no clue what to put in it!!

What does one do with a whole extra drawer?????

So yeah... if you need storage space... I have a drawer. =)

So I got a cold. It really sucked. I felt so fuzzy. It was like my brain had been replaced with Kleenexes. Very heavy Kleenexes that were all fighting and trying to get out of my head. That explains the permanent headache. A Kleenex war was being fought in my head. And I lost my appetite. That was truly traumatic for me. I knew it was bad when I didn't get my eleven o'clock p.m. craving for a mcmini. Also, pretzels started to taste good to me. and I don't like pretzels. So anyways.... I walked around in a daze last week. And Wendy also had this cold. And I got home from school one day, and saw her laying on the chair, and she just looked exactly the way I felt. Except littler and cuter, of course. =)

This next picture means a lot to me.

It is a dishwasher. The one that my family owns.

And see all those pretty little blue lights?

Those mean that it is working.

That it is washing dishes, so that we don't have to.

It even dries them!

I can't believe that I lived 18 years of my life without one of these! =)
So this is my bulletin board. And the other day, I was looking for a place to write down my to do list. And i like to do it in a place where i can always see it, so that if i am tempted to do anything else (like, ahem- blog or something) i will feel horribly guilty. i do love to torture myself that way. anyways, i was annoyed because my board was full, and there wasn't room for me to write on it. so i was gonna take down all my pictures and notes from my friends, but then i started looking at them and remembering the good times i've had with my friends and i was like "eh. I'll buy a new board."

so i did.

so now, my friends smile at me from one board, and my to do list glares at me from the other one.
SPRING WAS HERE!!! I miss it. A lot. But I believe that it will be back!

I have a lot of shoes. Too many, perhaps?

If it helps... I don't wear most of them.

Okay, that doesn't help, because if i don't wear them, then why do I feel that it is necessary to keep them?

My little sisters were out drawing with sidewalk chalk on one of those insanely gorgeous days! So I joined them for a little bit. I have this issue... and it is that i can't draw. And i really really want to be able to draw, because I keep thinking of these amazing amazing things that i would draw and paint if only i could... and i can try to describe them to someone else, or i could try to write down what i see in my head, but it just isn't the same as actually being able to paint. i don't know what i am going to do if i have to go through the rest of my life with these amazing pictures in my head but not be able to express them. seriously... the inspiration is going to start leaking out of my pores soon. If i seem to be surrounded by a pink mist all the time... don't worry. It is just the inspiration escaping in the only way it can, since i am horribly artistically challenged. this just doesn't seem fair to me.

I bought a new purse! It's not the same as the old one.

So I hate egg yolks. But i love egg whites.

And so, instead of simply avoiding fried eggs altogether, like i used to, i came up with a creative, yet simple solution to my problem. All I have to do is eat around the yolk.

As you can see, I have gotten pretty good at it. lol.

The sausage is just there because I thought it really added something to the eyes- i mean eggs.
oooh! This is me and krista! In February, Krista, Jamie, Jason, Chad, and I drove down to MBS to drop off Jason and pick up Ben, Greg, and Jason. Lol that was such a fun weekend!! I have so many memories! Things like being half-asleep at like, three in the morning, and hearing Jason, who was driving, choose the song "Jesus, Take the Wheel" from Chad's ipod. Things like craving granola bars with Jamie and Krista. and sleeping in a big, big bed in the hotel. And going to Joanne's. And there was the time that me and Krista considered going through someone else's pantry early in the morning, looking for pretzels. And laughing at the border. And being scared silly about our co-ops, which started the day after we got back. And being so hungry, but not being able to decide where to eat on the way home. And eating amazing peanut butter ice cream with Krista and Jamie. So much fun. =)
this is me and meg celebrating my eigh-TEA-nth birthday and just generally bein' happy. nothing unusual. =)
There was lots of tea and laughter and feathers and strangling.
Oh oh oh!! (lol it's so much fun going through these pictures, cause sometimes i forget that I uploaded a certain one, and then i see it, and all these memories come back, and i remember how much fun i had!)

So this is the team that i was on for the all-girls volleyball tourney!

We won the tournament. =)

And it was so much fun!

I have never heard so much laughing happening in one gym.

Who needs boys anyways?? =)

And to all the girls on my team.... I had so much fun with you!! We should totally do it again sometime! =)
And then after the volleyball tournament was over... me and meg decided to end the night by going out for Valentine's Day.

We went to Wildcraft.

A word of advice: never go there.

There are creepy waiters there.

And if you do happen to go there and get a nice waiter, well, just stay away from ordering any dishes that involve duck or goat cheese.

But it would really be better if you just didn't go there. lol.

That was the shortest meal ever.

And we went to Mcdonalds and got Mcminis after.

We recently reached the point of being able to look back on this as a fond memory. =)

Okay, so that is just some stuff that I did...

There's other stuff that happened too.

I started my co-op and I love it. That's probably one of the bigger things in my life right now.

And God's been teaching me lots lately. My new motto for the rest of my life is "Trust and Wait". because those seem to be two things that i am very bad at.

So this is beside the point... but I am kind of confused about what I am supposed to be blogging about. Lol and all of you are like, "um, it's your blog. write about whatever you want to."

But it's like this:

I like to blog. i really do. And sometimes i feel like rambling about nothing, and other times i actually feel like creating a structured blog that shares what God has been teaching me and stuff.

But i read this article recently about blogging in a way that honors God, and it just totally confused me! Because it said that you shouldn't write about "nothing", but you also shouldn't share all of your deep, personal thoughts.

And to me, sharing thoughts about God feels like, as personal as it gets. That may just be because i am the type of person that I am though. And clearly, I'm not going to share all of my secrets and stuff on here.

I guess I just need to find a balance that I feel comfortable with. =) But i still don't feel like there's anything wrong with sometimes doing posts about things that hold no significant value.

Okay. That was just me expressing my confusion in a very confusing way.

So i think i'm pretty much done writing now...

I'm gonna do choir homework now.

And decide whether or not to play hockey tomorrow.

I hate making decisions.

Sunshine and Summertime (Yes, that was a reference to a country song. i know. i'm disappointed in myself too.)

So the lovely weather that we have been having has made me look forward to summer! And thinking about summer reminded me of how much fun i had last summer!

Last summer was exceptionally fun, and i don't really think that this next summer could possibly measure up to it, but i'm excited about seeing if i can make it just as good. =) although it will be hard, considering that my three best friends are all going far away this summer. but that's okay. it'll be good for me, i'm sure. =)

I thought that i would share some memories from last summer....some pictures will have explanations underneath them, and others won't, because- well, because i have a short attention span, and uploading these pictures has already taken a long time, and i already wish that this post was finished. i really gotta learn to focus. it would really be valuable to not lose interest in something ten minutes after i start doing it. i think this is why i don't like games. and why movies have to be really interesting or exciting or funny, or else i fall asleep. also why it's taking me forever to write chapter seven of my book. If anyone has any brilliant ideas as to how increase my attention span, i'm definitely open to suggestions.

also, i'm very hungry right now.

i want those good mozzarella cheese sticks appetizer things that come with that good sauce.

but we won't dwell on that. =)

this is me and clari at youth camping, after we went wading. it was fun. felt a little bit gross until our dresses dried, but totally worth it. i'd go wading again with you any day, clari! =)

this was the greatest day at the beach ever! the weather was perfect, and we swam and ate and read and got sunburns. i will never forget stopping to buy candy at a bulk barn and opening the van trunk, and seeing the big water cooler fall out and spill all over the parking lot. this was also the day that we discovered meg's extraordinary talent for finding christian radio stations, no matter what area she's in. it's not a bad talent to have. the best station was Smile FM. "Less blah-blah-blah, and more la-la-la!"
i got to join meg and her family at a cottage for a weekend, and it was great fun. =)

Canada's wonderland... i love rides that spin in circles. i also loved being pulled 170 feet into the air, and then being dropped into a freefall... Meg and Greg, if i was going to plummet towards the ground with anybody, i'd want it to be you guys. =)

My two funny little sisters... i love their friendship, and how they enjoy doing stuff together, even if it's just sitting at the edge of the water and drinking juice boxes.

WHAT???? is that a... smile??? on kenton's face??? why, yes, i believe that it is! haha. gotcha, kenton. =)
this is wendy and telulah!! i actually forgot about telulah until i went through my old pictures. i still think that she was the cutest puppy in the world. and although there was much debate about whether to call her "Buttercup" or "Telulah", we all know that in her heart, she was a Telulah.
This is me and tory at youth camping. we always have such good conversations... generally when we're supposed to be participating in something that we don't want to. =)

this was my view from my air mattress on the beach at the cottage. i can't wait to go to the beach again!! =)
Everybody, meet Kitten. (I was the one who named her, in case you were wondering who was behind that brilliance). Kitten grew up, and is now a very fat cat, and kind of annoying because she's so tame. But back when she was little and scared of me, i kind of liked her.
Last summer, my church had the funnest bike social that i've ever been at!! I don't know why it was so much fun. It just was. =)

this is me and meg and kenton at Wonderjam. Despite what the picture looks like, we don't actually look quite that dorky.

oooohh!!! this is me!! with dogs! I don't even like dogs! they're hairy and smell kinda bad. but puppies are okay! and i'm good at putting them to sleep! one puppy just curled up in my lap, and i petted it for awhile, and then it fell asleep, and then before i knew, i had like, seven more puppies sleeping around me. it was truly a precious moment. =)
i did a lot of reading this summer. it was great. but there's still so many more books out there to read! how will i ever get through them all??? and what if i miss a truly brilliant book? sometimes it's overwhelming...
again... the day at the beach. =)

This is me and meg at the cottage again... we took a paddle boat and our laptops out to an island and wrote and sat in the waves (but not with our laptops) and my knees got really sunburnt... it was awesome. =)

so this is not nearly all the fun times that i had, but it's some of them.

can't wait to see what summer 2012 will be like...

but first i gotta finish high school. =)