Sang as they walked, and walked, and ...

Goodbye, Dear Reader

2011-11-10T20:01:00.004-06:00

As great having this blog has been, I can't work on it anymore. I have other things that need more attention. I really liked having this blog - maybe I'll start a new one sometime, who knows? :)

These are the days I'll remember :)

2011-10-17T14:17:00.004-05:00

Anyone reading this blog must think that I am severely bi-polar. ANNOUNCEMENT: I am most decidedly not. So, now that that's taken care of...

I have a great family. Really, truly, great.

Noah got his Eagle this last Sunday!! We're so proud of him :) He's certainly worked hard enough at it. His dedication is inspiring. He hit a few rough patches, but it's all good now!

My Dad, just plain rocks. He doesn't have any more travel for the rest of October!! **does happy dance** In the meantime, we're working on the truck (oh, about that! We ordered a part from a junkyard, and from the description, it sounded like the part we needed, but alas, 'twas not. So we (we = Dad) called the yard and explained the situation, and they gave us the part that we NEED free of charge! That's good customer service.) and gettin' ready for the "perfect" hunting season for hogs 'round these parts. When all the bugs are dead. And the plants. Which means no pesky allergies! We both went out Saturday with a good friend of my Dads, and scouted a new hunting lease. All Saturday long. I loved it, a lot :) The people out there in the wild Texas country are hilarious! They're open and honest about everything. They live plain lives, which I much rather prefer to those mad city schedules.

My Mom's working towards the perfect life. She loves laughing :) Honestly, Noah and I hang out with her so much, that I can't imagine life without her. She keeps me in line. :)

You know, alllll the time I feel really inspired to write on here, and feel a great, big, perspective-altering entry just waiting to burst through, but now that I'm here, I feel just fine. Funny how that works.

Noah's best friend turned 18 yesterday. That's strange. He's an Elder now! Man, that freaks me out. It doesn't seem right that everyone is older. They remain in my mind about two (or four) years younger than they are in reality. hmmfgh.

As for today, we're all just living life. I'm keepin' myself together, but that's an ongoing process. For the rest of my life. :)

The next time I feel that burn to write, I'll follow it!

5 weeks is a long time. Luckily I had my Mom :)

2011-09-26T22:36:00.002-05:00

Maybe, the reason I've been in such a bad mood this past - wow, it's been a week - is because I'm buckling down.

Vacation. is. over.

It was sooo much fun! All of it was, well just amazing. I felt like the character in a Jane Austen novel, traveling to foreign countries (England, and Italy!!), to her country, and exploring the wonders of the unknown. Through farms and farie-land, cathedrals and castles, markets and marquees. and my Mom was there, right there with me. :) I hope that I get to go back someday - seeing Pisa (I know!!!!!), and Florence (I know!!!), and all over England with Aunt Jenn and the kids, and sometimes Uncle Nat, was really fun. :) My favorite part of vacation was visiting the family, and our friends from Texas.

Pictures will be posted. How soon? Probably in a few weeks. Most likely just on facebook.

I had so many moments there, where I just thought "This is me, in (fill in the blank)." Sometimes it was London, at Charles Dickens home, or Stonehenge, or Bath, Westminster Abbey, or in the countryside, or Chatsworth house (PEMBERLY!), or in Florence, or by the leaning tower of Pisa, or walking down the streets of Florence back to my buddies apartment, on my own, just hangin' out. Then were moments that I won't forget too from the Bottrells, like the looks Lucy'd get when she needed to go to the bathroom - oh man. :D When she'd get glassy-eyed, we knew it was time to go into panic mode :D Oh, goodness.

I've got to go now, I'll write again soon.

I'm SMILING, see?

2011-09-24T14:59:00.002-05:00

Life is good.

Last night my Dad and I went to the PESH - Marcus game! PESH got licked, but it was a good game! Kept me guessing 'til the end. I enjoyed watching a lady in sitting in front of my Dad and me almost as much as the game - her son played on the team, and when ever he made a good play, she would get up and do a little dance - so cute. :)

Later, I put on a few of my Ray Charles records, and tidied my room. It felt so good.

Life is good. That's what I've got to say.

Hey there Dear Reader,

2011-09-21T23:37:00.003-05:00

Why is it, that every time I sit down to write a blog post, I start out with "yep, Imma slacker"? Not keeping this thing (this lovely thing that I absolutely love, as almost no one reads it, and I can express myself freely, without fear of being reproached) updated is totally okay. I just wish I hadn't let it go quite this far.

Anyway, no use whimpering over spilt molasses. LIFE IS GOOD! And I feel fine. Most of the time.

I haven't sat down and expressed myself like this, in... well, probably since the last time I wrote in here. I've lost my journal. It isn't good to let things simmer for too long, I've found.

The care-free mind-set of summer's past, and now school, and responsibility has set in. It's good to have moderation. I forgot all about... well, all troubles while Mom and I were on vacation. I've heard that said before - "I forgot all my troubles" - and I always thought it was corny. I totally understand now. We were so occupied with having a great time, that we didn't have room for unpleasant things. Not that responsibility is unpleasant, but the memory of neglected responsibility is.

Golly, I'm just feelin' really cruddy right now!

Things always look better in the morning, and besides, I am really blessed. I shouldn't complain. I'm too blessed for that. I'll say good-night now, and look towards tomorrow for a fresh start.

It's just one of those days.

p.s. AHHH! I did it again!! This whole complaining thing! Gosh, what a downer. I'll write something positive really soon.

I think it's time to tell you...

2011-08-03T18:22:00.002-05:00

The truth. I'm going crazy.

Yesterday was FANTASTIC! I signed up for Community college (at 15? I'm surprised too) and then went over to my best friends house, only to travel to IKEA: a wonderful land full of unsuspecting shoppers, yummy food, and great curtain displays, perfect for hide-and-go-seek (as long as you make sure that someone's really looking... otherwise you're just standing there giggling about the customers walking by to each other, waiting for the seeker to find you ;). We went back Home (to her Home), and had turtle-time - we just laid around... some of us took naps. It was really great. :) We ate dinner, scrambled to find phone numbers, laughed a lot, and all in all,

had fun.

Now. Today. I woke up late. And on the wrong side of the bed. Then I didn't do anything about it. Then it festered. Then I became a grumpalufigus. Then I did something about it. It began to wear off, and some AWESOME friends came over with her kids, and we talked and talked and talked! They, left, and now, I think the grumpalufigus germ wasn't completely wiped out at the beginning of the day. Although, it's getting better.

You know, it seems like I come here most often when there's a problem, and not very often when there's just a happy thought. I've got to work on that.

I was thinking about all of the things that are going on; all of the people and places I know, and that ones that I'm going to know, and the things that are happening to them, and it's seems like a lot to take in at once, and that's why I'm really grateful that I don't have to take it all in at once. I think if I did, I really would go crazy, but as it is, I think... nope, I know that I'm gonna be alright.

I'm working on it. Hakuna Matata

Confession of a Slacker

2011-07-14T23:04:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'm a procrastinator.

Yes, I have an embarrassingly messy room.

Yes, I don't exercise enough.

Yes, I don't get to bed a a reasonable hour.

but I always get things done.

but I know where everything is.

but I do exercise, and that works pretty stinkin' well. I am healthy.

but I always get to my appointments in the mornings, and I enjoy the occasional sunrise now and then.

But I'm working on it, everyday.

And that's what matters.

Jubilant Acolytes :)

2011-07-01T13:16:00.006-05:00

ju*bi*lant - adjective

feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.

ac*o*lyte - noun

a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession.

- an assistant or follower.

The last... six months I suppose, have been filled to the brim, past it's tipping point, and then splashed madly into every aspect of my life with Jubilee - a celebration of the restored gospel, and righteous youth. Our beloved Prophet Thomas S. Monson asked us to put on a production that would

1. Provide our youth with an opportunity to have a memory for a lifetime.

2. Allow the youth to mingle with other youth with the same standards.

3. Use the event to "Proclaim the Gospel."

Those were the outlines, and our leaders went from there. They got Jubilee approved by the Prophet, and have been working towards last week, the 23-26 of June, for two years. They have been faithfully dedicated to this calling, enduring everything to the end and beyond. They love the Lord that much. Jubilee included everyone in the Dallas, Texas mission, so that meant all of the youth 14-18 in the stakes from Plano, Allen, Carrollton, Dallas, Dallas East, Frisco, Gilmer, Longview, McKinney, Richardson, and Tyler. That's about 1,800 youth. Our theme was "Standing Together As One For Truth And Righteousness" -- and that is exactly what we did. Jubilee was a combination of a youth conference and a production - like sometimes people put on for a dedication, or a re-dedication of a temple, except we weren't dedicating or re-dedicating a temple, we were celebrating the gospel, and doing exactly what the Prophet wanted (and God wanted) us to do. It encompassed everything from dancing (3 two hour performances), to a youth conference with speakers from all over the great state of TEXAS! We stayed strong, we endured, we performed, and we rose victorious and powerful. Over ourselves, over the adversary, over all that we choose not to do.

2 Nephi 2 : 27"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."

That's the real-deal. That' is what I have to say. If I've got that down, and truly understand, then I've got nothing, absolutely nothing to worry about. There aren't very many things I can say that about. This is rare and precious.

On Thursday ensambles practiced, and our Opening Ceremony was shown to the world! The Opening Ceremony was done by the youth, for the youth. There were about 140-ish youth in the Opening Ceremony, and we've been practicing for months. We started from scratch, so we put our hearts and souls into making it all it could be, all we dreamed it would be. Seeing those youth from there, on the arena floor like that - and by "like that" I mean in the exited, joyful, wonderful spirit that they carried - was unique, in that not everyone got to see that. Not everyone gets to see that at all, ever. I am so grateful for the fantastic youth that we have here in this time, especially the ones in this charming land called Texas.

also, after the Opening Ceremony, and a few short talks by our area authority and a youth, we had a dance! A dance with 11 stakes, and 1,800 kids - can you imagine?! It was so much fun, and because Gemini (the same people that did the lighting for the Superbowl, including the half-time show) was doing all of the lighting for the entire show, they agreed to do it for the Opening Ceremony and the dance. It made it just that much better. It was almost surreal, being there. We (or I) had heard about it so much, I had worked toward this so much, that being there, at Jubilee, at the dance that we'd talked about for months!! It was amazing. The dance was awesome. If you want to see pictures, just go to my facebook, and there'll be a few shots from the dance there.

On Friday we (the youth) spent our time at the local high school (which we had rented out) for half of the day (half of the youth were there), and the other half rehearsing the show. At the high school there were speakers assigned to present certain principals to us youth. We heard talks on Modesty, Prayer, Choice and Accountability, The Divine Nature of Womanhood, The Power of the Priesthood, and much, much more. Depending on who you are, you would have heard different things at the workshops. Whoever we were though, we learned a lot. Everyone did. I don't think it was possible not to learn. Everyone took away a special message from God, just for them, presented by our wonderful speakers.

On Friday we also performed a service project! We had the missionaries come over (they performed in one of the numbers), and while they were here, they worked on helping us with our service project, which was personalizing Books of Mormon. Each of us got 1 Book of Mormon, and while we had time, we highlighted certain scriptures that we really enjoyed and found worth-while (the Elders had a few suggestions just in case we couldn't think of any), and wrote our testimonies on a slip of paper that was then tucked into the front of that wondrous book. It was fantastic, in every way, and oh so powerful and inspiring.

Another plus about this whole extravaganza was the food! They gave us super yummy food while we were at Jubilee - Mexican, Subway, Papa Johns - they really went all out for the participants of this. Which was great. :)

Also on Friday we had an all-cast dress rehearsal, which was great because it gave us an idea of what to expect. And then I knew.

On Saturday we performed. Three times in fact. Once at 10:00 (which was probably our sloppiest show, not to say that it wasn't wonderful, jaw-dropping, inspiring, incredible, stirring - it just wasn't our best. It was our first show. There, enough said), and then another time at 1:00, and then once more at 7:30. Between shows we cleaned up, prepared for the next show, ate, a lot, and uplifted each other. Between the 1:00 and the 7:30 we gathered 'round and sang hymns in the gym of the high school. We spent some time (a lot actually) singing, and listening to the message of Elder Lesuier, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. It was wonderful!! Being there, in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, was awesome, and feeling God smiling was the best feeling ever. I know that God was there with us every moment, that He was and is with us always, the whole time, and that He's mindful, aware, and watchful of all of us, as incredible as that may seem. It true. I know that it is, with every part of me. I know He hears every word, and He know just how I feel, and I can pray for answers, I can turn to Him for peace... or just to be heard. He hears every word.

Aside from the Zion that we created together while we were there, our performances went splendidly! All of the numbers were a hit, and all of the them went according to plan. phew! One thing about this Jubilee, that I haven't seen anywhere, ever, is the miracles. I have never noticed so many miracles, or seen them as plainly, as obviously as I did with this Jubilee. One of my best friends Diana, hurt her shoulder while she was practicing for the Opening Ceremony, and we were both really worried about it, so she got a blessing, and when the time came for the Opening Ceremony, she was able to perform as well and she ever had, as if the injury had never happened. When the number was over, the pain came back, but for every performance, she was healed. She was able, somehow, to perform and do things with her arm and shoulder that would have been excruciating if not for her blessing. That injury would've taken so long to heal. And yet, in the midst of Logic, there is the Gospel, and the miracle of the Priesthood - the Power of God. Another miracle is our music. For Jubilee we couldn't have live music because the center that we were using only allowed for two microphones (legal reasons...), so we prerecorded all of the music. I was privileged to be a part of the recording choir. What a blessing! One blessing, was that I was able to sing. I was able to sing with a voice that was far and beyond better than my own, and when I went Home my angel voice would linger for a time, and then retreat until the next practice. I have not seen that voice resurface since that time (the time of the recording choir) except with the ward choir, and in church now and again. And in the Opening Ceremony. Seeing, and feeling angels helping our little choir become all that it was, was an incredible thing, and I knew - I know - that God was with us as we sang for Him and His glory. Another miracle performed was in the recording itself. The recorder, mixer, whatever-you'd-like-to-call-Him guy was a blessing. He was called up because of his reputation for excellence, however his phone voice sounded a little bit... dull. I was told my either Sis. Erikson or Sis. Poulson (the two ladies heading the whole project) that he was very monotone, and extremely... agreeable?

"This is what we want to do..."

"yea"

"And this is what we'd like you to do..."

"yea"

" and we would like to do it on this date"

"yea"

"and this and that and the other"

"mhmm"

until she told him who we were-

"and we're from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints"

"Oh really!? I love you guys!! I worked with some of your youth a while back, and..."

which led to a 50% discount. Woo-hoo!! This guy (I wish that I'd caught his name) still had his doubts though. We, as a choir, could only meet for the recording once, because of the distance between all of us. We went to a few practices, but we only had the means for one actual recording session. This guy (lets just call him Steve) told us that it wasn't possible. For that many songs, for that period of time, for singers as inexperienced as us; well, it just wasn't possible according to Steve. Even professional singers would go flat at the end he said. It was our money though, and if that's what we wanted, then that was what he was going to do. The day came, and we were all exited. We warmed up, and sang. We sang our hearts and souls into those songs - we sang our testimonies into them. They sounded great from where I was standing. After the last number, Steve said he wished that we could all just hear what he heard. As we were leaving, someone (I think it was our choir director, Bro. Schultz) found Mr. Steve in another room, crying quietly to himself. He said that that - what we just did - was a miracle. He said that that shouldn't have happened, and it did.

As he was editing it all, he called one of the Sis. up (either E or P) and told her that he couldn't, he absolutely couldn't charge anything for this recording. Mr. Steve said that it blessed his life so much more than he could bless ours, so he gave the recordings to us, free of charge.

Another miracle came with the fabric that we needed for Jubilee, because we needed a lot of it. Sis. Erikson, or Sis. Poulson, or maybe both! were searching for a warehouse that had a price for the amount of fabric we needed that was in our price-range. They were searching and searching, and came up with nothing. They felt impressed to visit one warehouse in particular, so they went there, and found out that the guy that ran the place was LDS, and he actually was responsible for some of the fabric that was made into either temple clothing, or garments! So he gave us a huge discount, and we were able to make it.

One more miracle before I move on to Sunday: The entire stake needed matching tee-shirts for our stake number, so Bro. Crandall stepped in and helped us out. He sent the order in to a company that he's worked with, and they charged us only the cost for making the shirts. Bro. Crandall said that they didn't make a dime off of that order. A miracle!!

One thing that I forgot to mention about Saturday was that I was in the ensemble number "Praise The Man" (which I was able to be in, among others, along with the Elder and Sister Missionaries) about Joseph Smith, and the Restoration of the Gospel. The practices for that number were so powerful, and so, so inspiring. We could feel the Spirit so strongly - all of us in the number could! The performances went awesome, but it wasn't until I was riding Home with Dad that it hit me - Joseph Smith really did see God, and God really did answer the earnest prayer of a 14 year old boy from New York. He heard Joseph, and farm boy with little education in the country, but strong faith in God. He answered this boys prayer - He must be mindful of all of us, that are, have been, and will be. He really heard Joseph, and He really answered him, in a way that changed the world forever. The fulness of God's truth was now on the earth, or was in the process of being brought to pass, and the world grew more and more ripe for the knowledge every moment. It still does. The Priesthood is restored (the power to act in God's name was restored, and the authority to do so)! It hit me them, with a power that it had never before used, or I had never before felt at least, and I cried inside for joy! It's true! God loves me! He hears me! I felt these truths burning inside me, and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was all true. I know that God was there with us every second, that He always is, and that He loves me so much more than I can understand. I know that there is no limit, no boundary to my God's love, and that it is never, ever too late to turn to Him, even in the face of mistake. I once heard at efy that the mistakes you make don't define you, they refine you, but that's only if you let God into our equation. Into our problem, and into our life. I know that my God (I feel so joyful writing that - "my God!") loves me, and will do, and has done everything that can be done for me, and every last one of my brothers and sisters in Heaven, and on the Earth. He reaches beyond to the farthest corners of understanding and makes the awesome power of - frankly - everything so simple. He loves me, and wants me to come back to Him. He sent my older brother, His son, Jesus to die for me, so that if I chose to, I could return to live with Him again. In Heaven there was a war or words, a war of opinions. It was the first war we had ever seen between good and evil. This war was over choice. Satan, then a brother, wanted us to be automatic. We would be good, and come Home. Every last soul. We would not choose, we would just be. One third, one third of the children of God chose that plan, and rejected Jesus and his sacrifice, and God's plan of choice and accountability. Now, we are on the earth; we are choosing. The score isn't yet tallied, and it is never too late to join God's team again, because that's where our spirits want to be - our divine nature dictates that goodness equals happiness.

Alma 41:10 "Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness."

And that's the Gospel. It was lost, and now it is found. Faith, hope and charity are Godly, so they are essential.

That is what I learned at Jubilee.

On to Sunday!

The entire experience of Jubilee was awesome, in the gazing at the mountains and wondering at the stars kind of way, but it didn't really impact me that much except for those few moments in the car, and the miracles that I saw. It was just a cool thing. On Sunday, our youth had a testimony meeting. All of the youth that participated had an opportunity to bear their testimonies, and what they learned at Jubilee. Wow. I have never in my life felt the Spirit of God so powerfully as I did that night. Everyone was crying, and everyone was hugging, because when we were that filled with love, we just needed to share it. We felt God so perfectly, so poignantly, that we all couldn't take it with a solemn face. We were too joyful for facades. We saw each other plainly for what we were - children of God. Brothers and Sisters in the faith, and in Heaven. We all created friendships and strengthened older ones with the power of that experience. Enemies embraced, and testimonies were created. Some of us could hardly speak as we bore our testimonies, because of the poser there. I've never been one to cry or blubber, but that night I couldn't help it. I haven't cried that much since I was a baby. Seeing my friends bear their testimonies made me so so grateful for them. My friend Lizzy, that I've known since she was 3 months old and I was 6 months, bore her testimony, and cried. In all of the years that I've known her, I have never once seen her cry, even when her sister died. My friend in my ward bore her testimony, and as she did I was so proud of her, for how far she's come, and how far she has to go! She is truly a walking example of conversion. From avoiding church, to bearing her testimony to all the youth in the stake! She is going to enjoy so much the journey ahead. Almost all of my friends bore their testimonies, and I was filled with the Spirit as I felt God, and soaked up the truth of these youths words, and witnesses. I feel like nothing can stop me. That feeling when you come out of a really good meeting? X that by 1,000 and you'll know the power of the Spirit we felt. The Spirit we continue in now; the power of testimony that invited such a Spirit. Sometimes someone would go up, and they would just say their name and ward, and I would be a mess of tears! The Spirit was more powerful than I thought was possible, than I ever dreamed it could be, and I have had some large dreams. All of the practices, all of the chaos, all of the late nights and early mornings, rushing and running for Jubilee - they are all worth it, if just for that meeting. That meeting was the whole purpose of Jubilee, and because of it, I am stronger. I am more powerful. I know that God hears me. I know that God loves me. I know that my God restored His truth through Joseph Smith on September 21, 1823, and that nothing can stop the power of God, and His work on the earth today. We are so blessed. We only need to see it, and we'll see the charmed lives of a chosen people. Chosen people, chosen for this time, to bring God's truth to all of our brothers and sisters on the earth today, listening and watching, waiting for the truth. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true and living Prophet on the earth today, and that he really does receive revelation from God. I know that the work done in temples is sacred. I know that the only way to live, is though God. I know that God has instituted authorities throughout the world through the church for the benefit and betterment of all mankind, and that we will always, always receive an answer from God if we ask in faith, believing sincerely that we'll receive an answer to our prayers. I know that the Book Of Mormon is the word of God. I know that the truths in that book of scripture are inspired by God, and that everything in that book is there for a reason, for a purpose. I know that God is always mindful of us, and will always return if we offer a broken heart, a willing heart, and a contrite spirit - a spirit willing to love, and to soak up the spirit of God, even when our lives, and our hearts, and our minds don't believe it's convenient. I love God. If I know nothing else, I know that He loves me.

This is what I learned at Jubilee. This is why I will never forget Jubilee, and what it has done to all that have participated.

You know it's bad when...

2011-06-14T17:19:00.002-05:00

you have a dream that Dad'll come Home. That's what happened last night. It was the best dream ever. I dreamed that I met Dad at random, and he was coming Home - he was on his way. I was sooo happy in the dream; I had an amazing warm, happy feeling. A feeling like - LOVE. And then I woke up, and remembered that it's not real, and he'll be back tomorrow. Which I'm exited about! But having him right there for a while was nice too. Please COME HOME DAD!

Dear World,

2011-06-02T21:35:00.004-05:00

My Dad is Home.

I can't express how happy this makes me! We only have him until Sunday, but until then, we're going to party... kinda. As much as a Dad with things to do can... we'll have a blast. =)

Love,

Emily

okay, just one more thing!

2011-05-18T23:02:00.002-05:00

I was looking through pictures really fast and found this awesome one from the New Years dance. Instant favorite? I think so :)

Reporting for duty -

2011-04-27T21:47:00.001-05:00

Yep, it's May. When did that happen? Now, I suppose... that's too soon for my liking - Jubilee is in less than a month!

Or close to that. Either way, it's not a a million miles away like it was last fall; now we're taking care of business. Nowadays Mom and I go to 3-4 Jubilee meetings a week. It's kinda taken over our lives, in a good way - in the best way possible! So much has happened since I really posted last - it's too bad I haven't been able to record any of it. I'm kind of updating right now - a status report of sorts?

Update of the Adams:

Noah: Made all A's in his community college classes - sociology, english, and basketball. He got his permit! He's working towards his license. He's currently looking for something to do, and spends his time hanging out with Jacob, playing basketball, or playing baseball. He's exited for summer, and misses his friends a lot, but loves spending time with his FAMILY! Noah is going to be great. He was going to paint his room, and soo he thought "hey, if I'm going to paint anyway, then my walls really don't matter NOW, because they're going to be painted!" So he sharpie'd ALL OVER his walls! I love it in there :) Every time I go in I draw something new... and he's decided not to paint after all.

Mom: is doing a juggling act now. She works between kid stuff, calling stuff, Jubilee stuff, family stuff, and friend stuff. And house stuff. She is amazing. She's going all-out with Jubilee too, which makes keeping up a full-time deal. Her current side project is arranging a party for a graduating senior at the children's advocacy center - that's a side project. How amazing is she?? She still waits for the evenings though, when we can curl up on the couch with ice-cream, and a great Jane Austen movie + lulu. Those evenings are the best.

Dad: Is traveling too much! He's home now, but for a while there I was worried that all of that travel would be written in the weekly schedule. Seriously, weeks at a time. It was not fun. But he's home now! and working a lot on guns. He has a load that he wants to sell; it's become a hobby of his. He's gotten really good with guns - whatever he doesn't know he finds out. He currently has the certification for Chief Range Safety Officer. He could teach Classes if he wanted to! I am so glad that's he's home. Now if only he would read to us...

Me (Emily Anne): I am okay. I'm working on my piano always, ad reading a lot. My "Making of America" class finished up so now Wednesday is a FREE day! I haven't really begun on German, really, so I'm doing that now. Seminary is almost over, and I hope to attain Excellence in Seminary this year - I've just got to finish up the Doctrine and Covenants & ace the scripture mastery test & make up for attendance, and then I'm set! Jubilee is wonderful, and getting better every day :) Life seems to speed up while my days slow down - it's an odd transition, but I'm getting there, to the point where I can manage it well. Okay, and Personal Progress... well, it's still there. I will get to it, I know I will. It's just a matter of prioritizing. Like right now!

I should be getting ready for bed. Or watching American Idol. What in the world am I doing on here when Scotty is waiting to serenade me on DVR?!

I'll write soon. :)

Some days. hmph.

2011-03-11T22:41:00.002-06:00

Some days are really bad. Some days feel like they didn't happen, and there should be waaaay more to it - is it really over? Some days I have to sit down, and wonder what in the world I did that day that was worth-while. Some days the only thing I feel like I did well was going to Seminary. Some days just need to be plowed through to reach the next dawn. Some days I sit down and think for a long while about what I am thankful for. And then it all comes back. And I am okay. And my life does not spin wildly without any intention of stopping in any particular direction for me anymore. Some days, it takes time, and some really great happy music to build up again.

And some days, some days end with me saying thank you, going to sleep, and dreaming deeply while the world continues to spin.

Just Stoppin' In...

2010-12-20T23:21:00.009-06:00

Christmas is on Saturday and we're all getting in the Christmas spirit!

We've yet to decorate (technical difficulties.) but tonight we went to a neighboring neighborhood and looked at all of the lights! They have some amazing ones :) Dad took a video, so if he sends it to me, then I'll post it here. There was one house that had the entire house covered with lights and synchronized to Christmas tunes, on the radio. I didn't know people could do that! They pulled it off really well.

Anywho, a while back I was thinking, and I knew that if I didn't start writing down my thoughts, they would get sucked into that black-hole of forgetfulness in the back of my mind, so I wrote it down. Here is the result:

Ode to America

By Emily Adams

Our Founders built a House;

They laid it carefully.

It’s called our Constitution

And with it we are free.

Our House shields us from

Prejudice, greed, and mortal vice-

The kind we’ve seen history use,

And pay the price.

The foundation we know is firm,

And the divine design is sure.

For every ailment we possess,

Our House presents a cure.

Now, we build upon our faithful House

That is tried and true;

It’s too much for our little House,

It’s starting to fall through.

Improvements that offer progress,

Development, and change,

Are just another load to be endured.

Our House is looking strange

With all Its bending and shifting

To accommodate new weight-

Sometimes it seems like its name is

Its only recognizable trait.

New orders, edicts, and departments

Are brushing to the side

The pillars, and provisions,

That were so fortified.

Our new additions are crushing.

Our House can barely be seen

Among all of the Construction;

It’s like we’re wiping our slate clean.

Our House is now taller then ever;

It towers high above the rest,

But It’s only lights, windows, rented rooms-

We’ve buried away our best.

Underneath the paint, and glass, and shaken frame,

Our original still stands;

Always firm, but in need of aid;

Whatever repair demands.

Still It declares - a more perfect Union,

Tranquility, and peace,

Though It’s listeners and believers

Continually decrease.

It’s very floor is being crushed

And still It carries on;

Surviving, and entreating others

to join in Its simple song-

“Freedom and Liberty,

With God by our side;

There is nothing that can stop us

When comes the rising tide.

Our foes and persecutors may

Scoff and jeer and scorn,

But we are in America:

Where Opportunity is born.

Our present we have fought to gain.

Though they taunt, judge, and oppress,

Our future will shine brighter yet,

Our children’s children we shall bless

As we march forth with faith

Knowing that our time will come,

And our dawn will break through,

As we join in from

Our Churches, and our Homes,

For there is where we lead;

And by our example

Will He plant the seed.”
(sorry about the underlining) That's what I've got! We love you Bostons! (Uncle Bob, please tell me what you think :) Merry Christmas!

Good Gracious!

2010-12-03T22:37:00.003-06:00

Well, I've decided that I'm going to keep this blog going. For a long time I've just used it to look at other people's blogs - I've made a decision though. The show will go on! I suppose it won't make a difference for the 1 loyal follower (thanks Sierra!) but maybe, just maybe, if I make a habit of writing everything that's going on - family concerns and happy thoughts, personal experiences that make me grateful and things that I've just gotta share with someone - annnddd post it for all the world to see (even if all the world is preoccupied with more important things) I'll be able to see things a little bit more clearly as I look back and examine things closer to put them into words, rather then thoughts. Sure there are journals, but in journals my mind wanders wildly, and I jump from one thought to the next faster then a bumblebee in an arboretum. Here, I'll have a purpose, a focused concentration of thoughts designed to do something, not merely vent emotions (most of the time). And that's what I have to say!

Around here we joke that Texas is the bi-polar state. Texas is doing it again - it gave us just a hint of winter, just a few days of fall, just enough to set the trees off de-leafing themselves, and then started back into summer weather. It's beautiful weather, but rather hard to follow. Yesterday it was so cold I wore a jacket and boots in the morning, and then by 2:00 it was around 70 degrees. Last week it was just as indecisive, only more extreme. It fell to the looow 30's and then hopped right back up again.... it's nice, but not quite the weather we've expected now that it's December! Pssh, I should know by know not to expect anything but heat in the summer with Texas... wishful thinking is always wonderful though. It's nice being able to go outside and see the leaves and Christmas lights without having to put on a jacket. That is my happy thought :)

I'm stalling, and now I know it. The actual-factual reason I think I've started writing again isn't the indecisive weather. Howdy died today. We've had her for 14 years, and she took the eternal cat-nap today. She has been such a blessing in our home, and I am so grateful that we were able to have her. She came to us because of a garage sale. Rewind 14 years, and my Mom was at a garage sale buying a bookcase when the owners (also the people running the sale) told her that they had a cat, and they couldn't keep it. They were moving to England in a few, short days, and the person they originally intended to give the cat to was now in the hospital. So they offered. And my Mom said "no thanks." Later when they delivered the bookcase, they told that the cat (Howdy) was still there! Mom considered it, and as a surprise for my Dad, got the cat. She was already named - they called her Howdy because of her calico pattern :)

Today is May 25, 2011; I found this while looking through drafts of posts that I never published. I realized Howdy's eulogy was never completed. Well, now it will be. Howdy was such a blessing in our lives. She's a part of the family. Having her here, having her home, gave us all I think another thing to love. One more element of Home. She brought me back to earth a few times, I know. Every now and then, out of the corner of my eye, sometimes I think I see her... and then I remember. but it's okay, because she did the best that she could, and now she's living on cloud nine! :) I can't remember a time when we didn't have her... she's always been there. She had the most pampered and domestic manners! She taught Snuggs how to be an inside cat, and then she taught lulu how to sleep on Moms feet (which she now does). She was finicky, and sometimes moody, but she was a great cat. Mom called her a "celestial" cat. She gave us all love, and Home.

SuperMom

2010-07-11T12:57:00.003-05:00

I hear a lot about how the world is ending. About how our society is becoming demoralized, and how the family is being weakened. About how superstars and athletes are being glorified. The world will end eventually, but I don't think that it'll happen any time soon.

Today for my Mom's sunbeams class, she told the story of Moses, and of the Pharaoh, and how Moses came to be in the palace. She had her three-year-olds act out the different parts - Moses, Pharaoh, the Princess, Moses's Mom, his Sister, and his Brother. She said that they acted it out about four different times, and that every time they would switch around parts. She has three little girls in her class, and all of them are disney princess diva's, so I thought that there would be a huge scene about who could be the Princess, but my Mom said that the most popular part there was the Mom. The Mom who had the brown shawl, and not the hot pink one (which, by the way, is their favorite color), and who did not live in the castle. I can totally see them too, sitting there with the baby doll in their arms, playing the Mommy role.

So, maybe the world is ending. Maybe "society" is going downhill. But as for me, I think we're pretty safe for now.

2010-04-24T21:04:00.007-05:00

Last Post - January 18

Wait, what?!

What a slacker. On the upside, I've been journaling!

So, an update on the fam:

Dad: is planning a fishing trip with Noah in the fall, and is so exited about it! He is the Young Mens Pres. and tries to hunt when he can. He also has a new toy called TV-be-gone that looks like an ipod, but is really a universal remote. A couple of nights ago Dad and I went out on a Daddy-Daughter-Date and saw a movie, and then went for some drive-by TV off turnings at a few sports bars. Good times. :)

Mom: is the Sunbeams teacher, and loves it! She crafts and is currently working on decorating our house. She loves the homeschooling group we're in right now, and is teaching a class there.

Noah: is a social butterfly. Or maybe a Moth would be more manly. Definitely a social Moth. We both went to youth conference about a month ago, and loved it (the theme was LIFE: Live It!). He is stoked about the fishing trip, and is trying to convince Dad to take him to New Jersey on a business trip so that he can visit New York and a friend while he's up there. We're both signed up for EFY and are practically counting down the days until we get to go! He recently re-discovered motown and is now a avid listener, right now his profile picture on crackbook - I mean facebook - is Sly Stone. Oh yea.

He is also going to Collin county Community College part time and really likes it. Goodness, I could write a whole post on Noah, so I'll just sum up with he enjoys life! If you want details, then feel free to write to him on CB (dang it!) FB.

Emily: is very busy. I'm enjoying school, Piano recitals, my babysitting job twice a week, my garden, Seminary (that goes for both Noah and me), sewing, and good buddies (especially when we have movie nights!). I really liked General Conference this year! I'm looking forward to Girls CAmp this summer, and am trying to save up enough babysitting dinero to pay for both camp, and EFY. All good things. :)

We are all really grateful that winter is over, and that the Texas Bluebonnets have decided to come out!

What if...

2010-01-18T17:08:00.010-06:00

my Dad did not like basketball so much? Let's see...

He wouldn't have gone to play with the guys at church some years ago when he was a teenager.

If He hadn't gone to play, He wouldn't have made friends with the people there.

If He hadn't made friends with the people there, He probably wouldn't have been so willing to hear the missionaries.

If He hadn't heard the missionaries, He wouldn't have been baptized.

If He hadn't been baptized, His wouldn't family wouldn't have become active in church.

If He hadn't been baptized, He wouldn't have served a mission.

If He hadn't served a mission, He wouldn't have gone to a certain singles ward.

If He hadn't gone to that singles ward, He wouldn't have met my Mom.

If He hadn't met my Mom, He wouldn't have had Me and Noah,

and Noah and I wouldn't be here today.

Since my Dad's family have become active in church, they have adopted four kids, one of which is now serving a mission. My Grandma is actively engaged in family history, and the names are sent to temples to have baptism's, sealings, and endowments performed.

Noah and I were born in the church, and are preparing to serve missions.

My Dad has heard back from some of the people he taught on his mission, and they are going strong!

And it started with church basketball.

P.S. Christmas post coming soon! I'm just trying to find the camera!

Emily Needs...

2010-01-12T08:43:00.004-06:00

I heard about this from a friend.

What you do, is you google "(your name here) needs" and then write the first ten results. Here are mine.

1. Emily needs help deciding how to cut her hair.

2. Emily needs assistance with dressing, as well as structure and monitoring for her activities.

3. Emily needs to be told "No, there are certain things that are just NOT allowed".

4. Emily needs is on facebook.

5. Emily needs to get her tortillas.

6. Emily needs Bernard's watch!

7. Emily needs prayers.

8. Emily needs a share in Liverpool.

9. Emily needs a middle name.

10. Emily needs a Naomi.

P.S. Pops left this morning. We'll miss him. He's headed for Phoenix Arizona, 70` weather, Uncle Dave and Aunt Erin and their kids.

No ice cream? That's okay.

2010-01-01T03:24:00.004-06:00

Tonight there was a New Years dance. It was a blast. I danced almost every dance and Noah made up for the dances he didn't dance with the way he danced the ones he did. He was never wanting for a partner. We got in about 1:30 to find that Mom was/is sick. She hasn't been feeling very good lately, and now a fever has set in. If you can, can you please remember her in your prayers?

**********

With the new year here at last, it's giving me a chance to start over fresh. Or maybe to finish things up. Maybe something in between; starting to finish. Finishing to start.

I heard once (okay, more than once) that "each day is fresh,with no mistakes in it" but a new year is different. You measure long-term goals, and size up possible opportunities. Or maybe that's just me.

With the new year, I've decided to do a few things differently. These are mostly just s few things to keep in mind as I'm going about the day.

I would like to be kinder, and remember that the world is most definitely not going to end because of no ice cream, or because I am late. I would like to be more educationally oriented. I would like to read the scriptures every day. I would like to learn to laugh at my struggles, and look at them from a "five years down the line" perspective. I would like to listen. I would like to remember.

I am going to update this with all of the Christmas posts that I never posted. It will just come a little bit later.

I hope that your new year (it's new, so it doesn't have any spots on it. It's squeaky clean) is filled lots of lovely skies and lovely ideas. Have a wonderful 2010!

P.S. Pops is still here!! We are so glad to have him here for so long!

29`! woo-hoo

2009-12-24T18:49:00.003-06:00

Yes, it's 29`, expecting 24` tonight. The snow started this afternoon and hasn't stopped since. We're going to have a white Christmas!!! (for the first time I have ever lived here!) (also, to clarify from the last post, the snow stayed for 1/2 and hour, not snowed for half an hour).

P.S. Pop's came to Texas yesterday! He's going to be here for Christmas and possibly for the New Year. We don't know yet. We're just glad to have him here for the moment.

Let it Snow!!

2009-12-07T19:29:00.004-06:00

Yes, you heard me right; it snowed!

"What? In Texas? But it was just 74` the other day!"

Yep! And today (actually this happened on the 2nd) we got good, solid, white, wet, snow!

We got a good solid 1/2 inch for a good solid 1/2 hour! I think it's an omen for this December. =)

Recap of more than a MONTH

2009-11-30T17:01:00.042-06:00

I know I haven't kept this updated (Uncle Bob!) so now I'm updating it.

October 6th: Noah turned 16!! AAAAHH!!

He celebrated his birthday in the surprise fashion and was flown to Orlando Florida for a weekend full of adventure, wonder, and intrigue. The main event was the DEW tour finals (which is kind of like the X-games, except it tours the country) but they also went to other places like The Hard Rock Cafe and theElement store. The Hard Rock was cool (from what I heard) because there was so much memorabilia (like R.E.M's jeans, and Elvis's suit, and John Lennon's piano!) in the open, and because they were given a special tour of the Cafe which included seeing the Lennon room (apparently they don't show that to a lot of people) and the "fun room" that contains memorabilia/props that's too awkward or large to display downstairs, but too cool to just give up, so they store it up there. One of the cool things about the fun room was that you were allowed to touch everything. So Noah and Mom touched the yellow bike from Yellow Submarine, and the throne that was in The King and I, and Mick Jaggers guitar, and other mind-blowing items. Not to mention a lot of signatures, because the fun room is were groups hang out before a performance in the Hard Rock theatre, and it became tradition to write your name on the wall. Noah liked his surprise. A lot. When he got back he told us about all of the insane stunts that the athletes (are they athletes?) at the DEW tour performed; using wonderous skater-lingo all the while. For about 3 days after they got back they would start each sentence with "Dude!". That's what 500 skaters for 3 days will do to you. =) It's worn off now.

October 24th: Homecoming! Noah is a 16-year old now, so he invited his "good friend" Courtney, and they doubled up with Noah's friend Jacob and his date Nina. They're so cute.

The group.

Nina's older brother Jordan standing as a warning for Jacob with his harpoon gun.
Noah: always prepared

"How you doin?
(Please note the matching corsage and button hole pin. Courtesy of Mom, she's amazing)

After dinner the boys led the girls to a candle-lit dessert awaiting them in a nearby park. There were candles lighting the path down to the dessert, and we had a little girl in the ward dress up and throw rose petals as she led them down the path. She loved doing that, and Nina and Courtney (actually, the little girls name was Courtney too) thought it was adorable. Very romantic.

(sorry about the under-line. Again. I don't know how that gets here, so I don't know how to remove it.)

October 30th: Halloween! (I'm still coming off of my sugar-rush)

Noah went off with some buddies to explore haunted-houses, but we all went to the trunk-or-treat at the church. Noah went to his friends building to do their trunk-or-treat, but we all did one. There were some really great costumes this year. I love being the Nursery leaders daughter. Here are some photographs from the event (my favorite costume I didn't take a picture of: a kid said that he was a werewolf, and it wasn't a full moon. Very clever.):

Soooo-oo mucchh suugaarrr ->

"This never happened."

After that we went home and enjoyed Frankenstien until the wee hours of the morning. It was nice while it lasted. =)

November 25: The Gibersons (Sis. Gib, Katie, Tana, Duncan, and Thad) came over

(From left to right: Me, Tana, Katie)

and then I became ill. They left early so as not to catch whatever was causing my 102` fever. I saw a doctor on the 25th and they diagnosed me with either sever Bronchitis, or early pneumonia. I stayed sick all through..

November 26: Thanksgiving! The time when everyone comes together to remember all of their blessings. Specifically the blessing of sustenance. We had a small (as small as Thanksgiving can get) Thanksgiving dinner at home (so as not to infect everyone else) with a 8 pound turkey (compared to Aunt Lorie's beast of 22 pounds), and three pumpkin pies. =) We were eating leftovers all weekend long. Leftovers are the best.

I'm grateful for this holiday, and the time it gives us to sit down and remember how blessed we really are.

December 1: I hunkered down and posted more than a months worth of events! That's worth remembering. I was deemed completely whole yesterday so now I can go back to Seminary! =)

Now it's December and we're all busy with Christmas arrangements and holiday joviality! Tis the season.

Ignorance is bliss....

2009-10-14T13:04:00.003-05:00

... in a few rare cases. One such case just happened to happen today;

My mom and I went away for the weekend for Girls camp, so the boys took full advantage of that and did all of the manly things that we never let them get away with (i.e. eat meat-only breakfast's, lunches, and dinner's & making knifes with buddies until the wee hours of the morning) and when we got back, we found to our horror, no more ice cream!
So I was overjoyed when I found a large bowl of vanilla ice cream in the freezer. I discreetly motioned to my mom and we made a break for it later that night when the boys weren't home. It was delicious. Especially with some brownie mixed in. We ate some of it while watching Pride and Prejudice last night, and the plan was to finish it off this morning (breakfast of champions right?). While we were obliviously munching away, Noah very suddenly walked in the room. He didn't seem very fazed that we were eating his ice cream. Little did we know that we weren't eating his ice cream at all! It was our good friend Bert's ice cream, who is a very energetic eater (lets not be gross, shall we?). He had a very selective memory until we had eaten almost all of it, and then,
"whoa! that's Bert's ice cream!"
Thank you. =)

2009-10-05T11:53:00.001-05:00

General Conference was so goood this year!

Quotable Friend Cont.

2009-09-30T17:41:00.004-05:00

I told you, dear reader, about Elmo. I recently had a chance to talk to her again. We reminisced on some of her blonde-moments. I would like to share them with you.

ELMO: *deep in thought*.... *showing sudden annoyance* "That's so stupid how they do it out of planes!"

HER MOTHER: "Um... What?"

ELMO: "Fly fishing!

That would be so expensive, and really hard..."

(setting:coming back from body worlds)

ELMO: "I wonder what they do with the skin..."

ME: "Maybe they study the skin cells"

ELMO:*exasperated* "Emily, there's no such thing as skin cells.."

(setting: We were talking about Kanye West and what the president called him)

ELMO: Wait, what did he call him?

OTHER PERSON: "Jack-apple" (the real word was not appropriate for a temple recommend holder to say)

ELMO: ..... Why'd he call him that?

That's all i've got. I hope you enjoyed these as much as I have.

Recap of the Weekend + Monday

2009-09-30T17:32:00.003-05:00

This time of year is always fun for our family. My Dad's birthday is on the 27th, mine is on the 28th, and Noah's is on the 6th.

My Mom's birthday is randomly placed in February.

Anyway, this past weekend has been filled with exiting encounters and experiences. Exhibit A: The Jelly Belly RV (9/26/2009)

That nigh on made my day. The owners of the JB-mobile worked for the Jelly Belly company, going all across the east coast "bean-boozeling" unsuspecting candy lovers like myself. I got pepper. They were (and are) very nice and let us see the inside of the JB-mobile. After we got out, we immediately went into the store and bought 2 pounds of assorted Jelly Beans. There were (and are) a lot to choose from:

Exhibit B: My Dad's birthday (9/27/2009)

We had originally planned to wear all black, but seeing as his birthday fell on a Sunday, we didn't want people to get the wrong idea. We had a delicious dinner at home and invited the Grizzles over. My Dad has been 29 for a pretty long time. You would think that he would get tired of the age after 11 years. =)

(That's banana pudding, courtesy of Sis. Grizzle. Thank you!)

Exhibit C: The Mystery Chalkers (9/27/2009)

During a fireside, someone came and chalked our driveway. This is part of the result. Thank you mystery chalkers.

Exhibit D: My birthday. (9/28/2009)

This is me at Yogurtville, right bfore I "blew out" my candle (which, coincidentally, is the same candle my Dad blew out).

P.S. Sorry about the weird line under this last part of the writing.

Quotable Friend

2009-09-25T13:14:00.004-05:00

I have a dear friend who shall remain nameless. For the sake of the story, we'll just call this being "Elmo". I was at Elmo's house recently and I told Elmo about a movie called I am Sam, about a mentally retarded man fighting for custody of his 7-year-old daughter, and in the process teaching his cold-hearted lawyer the value of love and family. It is a very sweet movie and by the end of it I was a mess. I told Elmo this and E (who is 14) said that she (ok, let's just throw it out there) was crying by the end of it too. She looked at me and said a extremely pitiful, but somewhat wistful voice; "I wish my Dad was retarded...."

She was completely serious.

I love her.

Love at (someone else's) Home

2009-09-16T10:07:00.008-05:00

Aren't french bulldogs supposed to be vicious, terrorizing guards? Sophie (the bulldog) guarded, but it was more to make sure that her (seven!) kids were alive and well than to defend the castle.

And I thought Jon and Kate had it tough.

(From top to bottom: Panda Bear, Uno, Bandita, {on the left of B} Bella, {to the right of B} Snowy? To the far right is domino, and then there's Little Tex)

This feels like Washington...

2009-09-15T07:29:00.022-05:00

In my portion of Texas, it has been soggy for four days. This is extremely contrary to the normal Texas weather. At this time of year, usually it's about 100 degree's off and on. If we're really lucky, we get nice breezes and 70 degree weather. Usually. But this is not normal. According to the local weather station:

Cloudy. A chance of showers. An isolated thunderstorm is possible in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. North winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

It's been very muggy these past few days. It is not uncommon (under these uncommon circumstances) to have rain three times a day. Sprinklings of course.

When I was little, I thought that when it rained, it meant that God was crying. And coincidentally, the raining started on the 11th.

My garden is loving the rain. I think all of the plants are appreciating the rain. The thunderstorms are a bit frightening, and our puppy gets scared, but the after effects of the rain are lovely. The silver lining in all of this (other than happy plants) is, that this is perfect weather for reading.

We had some friends come over yesterday (they just missed the showers) to walk, and talk, and raid the candy-jar. I have no pictures from the walk, but I do have some pictures form after the walk, when the effects of the sugar are starting to kick in. :) We love them.

That's a umbrella she's tossing up. ; )

This is a first... and last

2009-09-02T10:16:00.005-05:00

Reader, I went dumpster diving. Not in a dumpster, but in my trash can. That's kind of the same thing though, and I can't thing of any other title to call it. "Trash tracking"? "Scum searching"? I think dumpster diving is most fitting.

I heard a ringing noise (like a telephone) coming from the trash can, so I opened the lid to confirm. I confirmed. I informed the head hauncho of my discovery, and he informed me that that was $50 going in the trash. So my options were either pay for it, or dive for it. Noah was put at risk of losing $25 if he did not help in the search too. So we searched. And we came to some conclusions.

1. We need to tie the trash bags off when we put them in the trash can.

We tried to take the bags out and then pat them down, but things just kept spilling out when we took the bag out. It looked to me like a quarter of the trash from each bag came out when we snatched them.

2. We need to always, always put things in a trash bag.

There was melted slushie, and dead/rotten things, that had just been thrown in there because that was the closest trash can. Not to mention little trash cans that don't have bags. So in addition to the sticky slushie, you get used tissues, and half-eaten candies stuck to your hands. Blech.

3.We need to be more careful of what we throw away.

I have no idea how that phone got in there. But it did. And now it's gone. We concluded that it had gotten some unknown substance in it and therefore, it wouldn't be useable.

We still had to pay for it.

Do you see what I see?

2009-09-01T16:29:00.009-05:00

I see treasured memories in the form of objects

I see a whole wall of bookcases filled with the accumulation of years of faithful book fairs and "field trips" to the book store

I see a dog, worn out from playing with three-year olds all afternoon

I see a miniature rocking chair with the sole purpose of amusing such three-year olds

I see family photos from past years

I see two pairs of scriptures, still on the fireplace where Noah and I put them after we came home from seminary

I see three game controllers still left out from their last use

I see my Dad and my Brother coming home after a long day of construction work on their "super blind"

I see shoes scattered all around the house, taken off as remembered

I see a sink over-flowing with dishes owing to it's caretaker's clever but short-lived excuses

I see books scattered everywhere, originating from the book-wall

I see about ten copies of the church news and ensigns stacked on the coffee table, the reader valuing them too highly to throw them away

I see a "Barbie pink" purse on the couch

I see my Brother sifting through it in search of my mothers cell phone

I see three blankets, carefully folded by the most recent user's enthusiast, after a brief afternoon nap the previous evening

I see our big dog on the porch, watching squirrels chase each other

I see our newest cook book sitting on the table, tempting me with such recipes as Lemon-Blueberry cream pie, and Alfredo stuffed Chicken

I see a camo-patterned bag, stuffed full of thing you just might need while waiting in the blind

I see a vase full of white daisies, still fresh after two days

I see a box full of jars of peach jam, still waiting for a place to be deposited

I see some of our "food storage" piled in the corner, trying to be hidden by a large bench

I see a "diary" consisting of seven pieces of paper, as carefully cut, colored and stapled as a five-year old can, waiting to be written in

I see semi-new text books, waiting to haunt and delight all of us

I see a photo album, blending in on the coffee table with the magazines, filled with pictures of our most recent expedition

I see a very well lived in house

Vacation in a Nutshell

2009-07-25T23:34:00.008-05:00

I wrote the following one night during the middle of our vacation.

I really should keep this updated while I'm on vacation. And I suppose that I will put in post all of my experiences... some day.

Just so I'll remember what we've done....
-I saw amazing rock formations in Colorado
- had a crazy trip up to Utah
- caught up with cousins
-went to a lake with family, sea-doo's, and a boat
-did the whole pioneer-day thing
-had the opportunity to do baptisms in the Manti temple
-watched lots of Television
-dropped a friend off at EFY
-picked a friend up from EFY
-saw HP6... twice!

What I have to look forward to:
-Yellowstone National Park
-more cousins
-excellent book references
-more crazy midnight drives

We went through 8 different states. In chronological order; Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming. It was a really fun trip and I'm glad I got to go, but now I'm just glad to be home.

I knew we were back into routine when the day after we got home I found: Dad in his lair doing work/farmtwown, Noah facebooking, and Mom and I late yet again for a Doctors appointment. There's no place like home.

P.S. I know, I know! I haven't kept this updated. We really got home like, two weeks ago. We've just done so much in such a short amount of time (that's my excuse and Im stickin to it!) that I've kinda been dreading the time when I actually sit myself down and make myself post this! So, the blog will get the clipped version of all of the Adams past events.

I love my job

2009-07-15T13:38:00.008-05:00

I'm not exactly legally allowed to have a job, but I do.

I'm illegal.

I'm breaking the law.

I'm going out on the limb.

I'm babysitting. (you wild thing!)

And the kids just crack me up!

Here are some of my favorite "ism's" from some of the kids that I babysit.

COURTNEY: "Once I was in love with a pole."

DARREN: (exclaiming the following in frustration over having dirt in his shoes) "Bad word! Stupid!" ( yes, he did say the words "bad word")

OLIVIA: (Setting: she was told of the name of the old buddy her mom had just re-connected with)

"But-ler! His name is Butt-ler?!

ZACH: "Emily? You and me are going to go to the temple and get married."

COURTNEY: "Should I make the princesses crown pink, or purple? I'll do both!"

ZACH: (speaking to his Mother) "Mom, you should wear make-up. Then people would like you better."

OLIVIA: (Relation: cousin. Setting: she was just told that she looked cute) "I kno-ow that!"

And what did I say when I was their age you ask?

EMILY: "Barbie, I have some bad news for you. You're made of plastic."

No T.V.!

2009-07-14T16:27:00.002-05:00

Today I watched about 4 hours of television. To me that's 4 hours too much. I can not believe how wasteful and time-consuming, and rotten, and stupid T.V. is! It does have benefits like General Conference, and Discovery channel, and the History channel but then it has a few stupid shows that I really could live without. I just didn't notice how much T.V. I had watched until I looked at the clock.

"when it's good it's very very good, and when it is bad it is horrid"

I wasted 4 hours of my life just to see how Shirley Jones got engaged, or to see how those wacky Disney channel characters got out of that sticky situation in just 30 minutes. About half of television is just commercials anyway! So, I spent 2 hours of my life being sold sketchers, Oxi-Clean, and Bend-A-Roo's. The thing that I dislike the most is how time-consuming it is! You don't gain anything by watching these shows. You just get easy entertainment.

That's it. I will not watch any more television until I get back from my vacation.

Phew!

2009-07-12T20:19:00.002-05:00

Dad, Noah and I where walking to my Dad's truck right after a splendid fireside activity, and what do you think we found on the back bumper? My Mom's keys! That may not seem very important to you dear reader, but to our family it's a miracle.

That set of keys hold the keys to our house, car, the nursery cabinets at church, two mystery keys, and the "unlock/lock" clicker for our car. If we had lost that set of keys, I'm sure we could have gotten duplicates of all of them (except the mystery keys, we don't know what they unlock so we don't care for them much) but we wouldn't have been able to replace the clicker. Plus it would have taken a lot of time and pestering to get duplicates of all the other keys.

The miracle is that I put those keys on the bumper this morning, and since then my Dad's truck has traveled to and from the church five times. Our family has some very determined guardian angels to whom I am very grateful.

Our Superheros

2009-07-11T18:39:00.016-05:00

Katie and Tony were *here a little while ago with the kids! We took advantage of their stylin' pj's and made a photo shoot of the night. Here they are!

"BAM! BAM!"

"Gotcha!"

"To the rescue!"

"How do you work dis ting?"

"Thtick 'em up!"

* This was around June 23rd, when Aunt Lorie got married.

???

2009-07-08T17:28:00.002-05:00

Today my corner of Texas had 110 degree weather in the morning, and hail the size of dimes in the afternoon.

How does that work?

Good Messes

2009-06-30T18:19:00.005-05:00

There are bad messes like this:

And then there are these wonderful messes that you love to get into:

(those are apricots on the left)

P.S. Pictures form Aunt Lorie's wedding coming soon! Including pictures of Katie's cute kids!

2009-06-24T13:04:00.001-05:00

Dad, I LOVE YOU!!

Finishing Books

2009-06-24T12:06:00.004-05:00

There's something so lonely about finishing a book. Reading a book for the first time is great because you don't know what's going to happen. You get the excitement of not knowing, anticipating what the next chapter holds. And then you finish it, and there's no more funny outburst's from the character's. No more waiting. It's kind of a disappointment, you get excitement and expectation, and then there's nothing to expect. It's like losing a good friend. You know all of the speeches. It loses some of it's magic. It becomes less real, as you look back into random pages of the story.

Reading a book for a second, or third time is different. Of course you have to wait for a while to read a book again, unless it's layered. You have to forget some of the lines. Reading a book again helps you remember why you loved it so much in the first place. Sometimes when you read a book again you see something you didn't see before. That's one of the best parts of rereading a book.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book that I just finished.

"There are lots of things that never go by rule,

There's a powerful pile o' knowledge

That you never get at college,

There are heaps of things you never learn at school"

"Humor is the spiciest condiment in the feast of existence. Laugh at your mistakes but learn from them, joke over your troubles but gather strength from them, make a jest of your difficulties but overcome them."

"There is so much in the world for us all if we only have the eyes to see it, and the heart to love it, and the hand to gather it ourselves-so much in men and woman, so much in art and literature, so much in everywhere in which to delight, and for which to be thankful."

- L. M. Montgomery

I just lost my appetite

2009-06-18T20:32:00.005-05:00

after looking at the pictures here. I'm never ever going to eat anything fried again. The pictures just get worse and worse.

(WARNING: Discretion advised. Viewing pictures may lead to vomiting, vegetarianism, stomach ache, loss of interest in the state fair, or fainting)

Trek and other tidbit's

2009-06-14T20:13:00.009-05:00

Really sorry about the delay!

There's just been so much going on like, Noah going to EFY, and cleaning the house, and catching baby birds (more on that later) and umm.... did I mention that I got a sewing machine!?

YES!!!

My Dad gave it to me! I love that guy! It was really unplanned, I had no idea until I opened the box! Dad loved keeping me in suspense. I love it (the sewing machine, not the suspense)! It's has a lot of features that I don't know how to work yet, but I will. I'm reading the manuel. After I'm finished with the manuel, I'll know how to monogram, do button holes, make quilts, and, umm . . . lots of other things. I don't know what they are yet because I haven't gotten to that part of the manuel!

Anyway, about Trek.

It finally happened! The youth of your stake trekked! They were supposed to trek 25 miles, but after the 2nd day there were so many kids that had heat exhaustion, and the doctor was down to 5 (?) IV's. So they decided to cut the hike short. Granted, they still stayed in the wilderness of the LBJ Grasslands for the full three days. But they only trekked 10 (some have said 9 1/2) miles. In two days!

The *first day it was awfully muddy (from what I hear). Some of the trekkies said the mud was up to their shins, and they had the muddy pants and pantaloons to prove it. They had to push their 350 pound carts through clay (from what I was told). Helen Butcher said that it was "the most physically and mentally demanding thing she had ever done in her life". But every trekkie that I spoke too said that it was worth it. All the youth- from our ward at least- bore their testimony of the faith of the pioneers, and of the gospel itself. A lot of them testified of the power of the preisthood and family's. You could really feel the spirit when they bore their testimony's.

A lot of the trekkies said that doing Trek has really made them appreciate the things that they said they had taken for granted before. Like food, and mattresses, and gatorade. =)

About the bird; Dad and I were picking up a trailer from the church to convert half of it into a cooler, and there are these little birds at church called killdeers that always twitter around in the church parking lot. My Dad (he's so cool) saw a baby killdeer. Baby killdeer's can't fly, but they can run. So we chased it around the parking lot and caught it!

*This happened on Thursday the 11th

Rained out

2009-06-10T20:10:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was supposed to be a "last supper" at Bishop's house before Trek but, unfortunately, the elements had other ideas. The plan was to go over to Bishops house to swim, and smoke yummy meat, and swim, and eat, and... and I think you get the picture. But it was not to be.

It was overcast all day, and I think it sprinkled for a few minutes in the morning, But the sky didn't give any other indication of the massive storm that it was harboring. We (Dad, Noah and I) got there an hour early to set the fire going in the smoker and set chairs up. It was steadily getting darker as we became more prepared for the activity.

We started seeing lightning about 20 minutes before the activity, and we told the few people that had started swimming Noah to get out of the pool. Ten minutes before the activity a tornado warning was issued. We were about to start to make phone calls to tell people not to come but before we had the chance, it stopped. By the time people started showing up it had become apparent that this would be a very short activity. People would eat, chat a little, and then leave. That's all that they would have time to do before the storm would hit.

It's amazing how fast you can do things if you really put your mind to it. We cleaned up the all the food, got chairs picked up, and got the smoker squared away in 7 minutes (that's a estimate, it could have been longer). People were still arriving despite the green sky and 2nd tornado warning. Those people were promised burger's and by golly they got them!

Going home was a nightmare though. Los Rios (a flood area) was crazy! We didn't know if it had ust started raining there, of if it was flooded. But we had to get home as quickly as possible and that was the quickest route. To be safe, we put the truck into four wheel drive. We lived. It wasn't flooded too badly.

The rain stopped about ten minutes after we were home and safe in the closet. So, the storm lasted about 30 minutes. Not so massive... in our area. From what I heard, the place where we're doing Trek (which started today!) got hammered!

Poor Trekkies.

Trent's Graduation

2009-06-09T10:20:00.049-05:00

Trent graduated with the largest class in the country.

1300 kids graduating.

After the ceremony and a graduation lunch we went to the pond by our house for pictures

Books

2009-06-08T15:52:00.006-05:00

Some of my new favorite books:

The Hiding Place

By: Corrie Ten Boom

True Story

During the Second World War, the Ten Boom home became a refuge, a hiding place, for fugitives and those hunted by the Nazis. By protecting these people, Casper and his daughters, Corrie and Betsie, risked their lives. This non-violent resistance against the Nazi-oppressors was the Ten Booms' way of living out their Christian faith. This faith led them to hide Jews, students who refused to cooperate with the Nazis, and members of the Dutch underground resistance movement. On February 28,1944, they were betrayed. Corrie and Betsie were arrested. Corrie's brother Willem, sister Nollie, and nephew Peter were at the house that day, and were also taken to prison. Four Ten Booms gave their lives for their family’s commitment, but Corrie came home from the death camp. She realized her life was a gift from God, and she needed to share what she and Betsy had learned in Ravensbruck: "There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still" and "God will give us the love to be able to forgive our enemies."

Stepping Heavenward

One Woman's Journey to Godliness

By: Elizabeth Prentiss

True Story

"How dreadfully old I am getting! Sixteen!" So begins "Stepping Heavenward", the journal-like account of a 19th century girl who learns, on the path to womanhood, that true happiness can be found in giving oneself for others.

Going to the Chapel and we're, gonna get ma-a-aried

2009-06-04T09:38:00.046-05:00

Aunt Lorie's Bridal shower was Saturday May 30th, 10:00 AM (sorry about the delay). We told embarrassing stories, ate yummy food, and in general, had a marvelous time.

Thank you Sis. Boyce for the pictures!

Orange Cup!

2009-05-28T09:58:00.005-05:00

My Mom and I discovered Orange Cup at the Galleria. We went there to kill some time while we waited for the 10:00 showing of Star Trek in IMAX. Holy Macaroni! That place is delicious!! They sell 3 different flavors of frozen yogurt. Natural, Zum, (the u is supposed to have two little dots over it) and Acaiberry. They have every kind of fruit you can imagine as toppings (except tomato. and avocado. that would be gross.) the Zum is the natural with real orange juice squeezed in. And the Acaiberry is the natural with pomegranate and Acaiberry (yes, that is an actual berry). Our family went there a couple of days ago, and I wanted to share it with whoever might read this. It's toio good to keep all to myself. The yummy yogurt mixed with fresh fruit..... YUM!

American Soldiers

2009-05-25T20:12:00.010-05:00

Memorial Day was here, and now is gone. All I could think about was no school for my public-schooled friends, and everyone would get a holiday from work (everyone except the soldiers). I didn't think about the soldiers who everyday have to go out into a unfamiliar country, where they don't know the people, don't know the language, don't know if they'll be alive that night. I didn't think about the real purpose of the holiday. About all the soldiers that offer up their lives for us. I am so grateful for those soldiers. If a soldier ever happens to read this, I want to say thank you. Thank you for all that you do.

"But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand

they wrought for, is their monument today, and for aye."

-Thomas Dunn English

The 5 browns

2009-05-17T09:24:00.011-05:00

We had another big rain here in Texas. Not as big as the other one that I wrote about, but still a big rain (even for Texas). The thing about this one was it rained for a longer time than the other one so there was more flooding. Enough flooding to make my Dad go to Bonham to pick up some hunting gear that was stationed there. Two hunting blinds and a pig trap. He said that the water was 2 feet deep!

It takes about 1 hour 8 min. to get to Bonham according to Google Maps, so thats 2 hours travel time, plus 3 hours working time to get all the stuff out. Dad had five hours of things to do so he missed out on the "Five Browns". "Who are the five browns?" you may ask...

The 5 Browns are LDS siblings that all play the piano. They went to Juilliard together and have toured the world. And, all of them been playing the piano since they were 3 years old. Most 3 year olds can't sit still during sacrament meeting but these kids learned how to play piano! They stopped in Plano a while back and did a fireside for the youth. I was too young at the time to go to it though. dang

So *this was my first time seeing them play. It was amazing! They are incredible pianist by themselves but together with the Dallas orchestra! It was stunning, breathtaking, awesome, awe-inspiring, sensational, spectacular, extraordinary, incredible, jaw-dropping! (now that I've exhausted the Thesaurus post on "amazing," I'll move on)

The first half of the presentation was accompanied by the Dallas orchestra and the second half was the pianists playing together. In the first half they did a bit called "Carnival of the Animals" that went through the different animals out there. They played the Swan, Lion, Donkey, Cuckoo Bird, Aquarium, Turtle, and the Pianist. At the end of one of the numbers I looked over at at Noah and Joseph (who took Dad's ticket) to see what they thought and..... they were asleep! Both of them! They didn't wake up until the last number in the first half from the clapping. During intermission my Mom gave them each a piece of gum and then they were fine. =)

On the way home we sorta got lost, thanks google but that's O.K. because we had a handy-dandy VZ Navigator on Moms phone to get us on the right track! In the end though, we got home at around 12:00. Oops!

Seminary the next day wasn't as enjoyable as usual for some reason.

*This happened on Thursday the 14th

Trek (the earth kind)

2009-05-14T07:22:00.009-05:00

For those of you who don't know what Trek is, Trek is a reenactment of the mormon pioneers that our youth do every 4 years. The mormon pioneers trekked more than 1,000 miles on foot to get to Salt Lake. (Originally they had intended to reside in Jackson county Missouri, but people sorta wanted to kill them so they had to move. In fact, for a period of time it was legal to kill mormons in Missouri, [that law wasn't revoked until the 70's!]) The youth don't trek 1,000 miles, but we still trek a good distance.

Unfortunately I missed the cut-off date by 27 days. But that doesn't mean that I can't participate in the preparation activities! Last night at mutual we had combined activity and we did a lot of pioneer-ish games. I got there 25 minutes late so I missed the first activity but the second one was the stick game. You have a long, sturdy, stick and two people sit on the ground foot-to-foot facing each other and grab the stick. Then you have to try and pull the other person off the ground. The point is to try and stay on the ground because if your pulled off the ground you lose.

So we did that, and then we did a relay race. There were 3 teams. The person in the front would run to the other side of the gym, put on some pioneer clothes that had been placed there earlier, run to the opposite side of the gym, tag the wall, run back, take all the clothes off, run over to your team and tag your teammate. It was really funny to see some of the inventive ways the youth wore the clothes. The rule was that you had to wear the clothes. Wether you wore the skirt on your hips or on your head it didn't matter, as long as you weren't carrying it.

After that we did tug-o-war. I thought it was just hysterical how all of the priests and teachers (+ a leader) were on one team, and all of the beehives, mia-maids, and deacons were on another (the laurals didn't participate). My hands hurt! I couldn't fully bend my fingers for five minutes! Darn priests.

So the guys liked that activity (the ones on the winning team at least) so then we did an activity for the girls. We learned how to dance. I have never seen so many boys disappear so quickly. All around the gym you could hear cries of "I'm too tired" and "my hands hurt too much" and "I just remembered I have to talk to bishop about... something". Trent was man enough to dance, so him and I paired up. Trent loved the dance....

After that, the Laurel's announced that there would be popsicles in the kitchen. There was suddenly a stamped of teachers and priest's (most of whom I'm sure weren't there before) to get to the kitchen. Then everyone went home.

It was fun to do those activities, and I wish all of the trekkies luck. I can't wait until my turn!

four years from now....

P.S. I'm sorry that I got this post in so late! This happened on the 13th.

Star Trek!

2009-05-08T00:16:00.005-05:00

So, tonight I went with my Dad and Mom and saw Star Trek while Noah was at a friend's house. It was really good.

I don't really know a lot about Star Trek but, I know the basic's. Captain Kirk, Spock, "Beam me up Scotty", bad eyebrow jobs. All the important things.

It was kinda cool to see the story before the story before I saw the story. Now I kinda wanna know what happens afterwards. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT going to become a Star Trek junkie, I just want to maybe see the first episode of the real series to maybe see what happens to them.

It was cool that we saw the movie when we did because apparently everyone else on the planet thought that it opened at midnight, so we met the waiting line on our way out.

Noah would have really liked the movie. It was his kind of movie. Not only were they traveling through space so that they could blast aliens with super tricked out future laser guns, but they could appear out of thin air on alien planets. And as an added bonus, there were about a million explosions in the movie. I think there were two scenes total where the U.S.S. Enterprise team wasn't in the middle of a huge the-world-is-going-to-end explosion. There was this one scene with Cap. Kirk as a kid driving a cool old restored corvette. Noah would have loved it. Unfortunately it fell off a cliff.

Anyway, all things considered, Star Trek it was a great movie! It's got nothing on Pride and Prejudice of course, but I'm sure that my Dad would say that Pride and Prejudice has nothing on Star Trek. I guess you can't argue with opinions. =)

Seminary comes early tomorrow (or is it today?) and I have to get some sleep. So...

"Live Long and Prosper"

Storm!

2009-05-02T23:11:00.009-05:00

Every thing's bigger in Texas, including the storms. Tonight our area had a Texas-sized storm and our family went into the closet more than once with our panic-stricken dog. Almost all of our family anyway. Dad didn't want to be in a 4 x 4 space with three sick people (Noah's sick too). And so he waited outside, checking the weather updates and the damage done so far on his phone.

Dog's are supposed to have a good sense for these kind of things. I really hope that isn't true. By the look of our little dog you would've thought we had Katrina, Ike, and Rita combined coming at us. Our bigger dog Buddy on the other hand, was just a tad calmer, and that put us more at ease.

During one of these closet party's, my Mom commented that there wasn't a lot in this house that she was attached to. That got me thinking. She's right! If something like Katrina or Ike were to happen, how many of the things that I hold dear now would hold the same value then? Again, I get a chance to put things in perspective.

I feel so blessed!

My dog just barfed. Good feelings gone.

Sickies

2009-05-01T23:49:00.011-05:00

So, my Mom and I are sick. I've excepted it. It's official. For a while I tried to deny it but, the coughing and sneezing got the best of me and I gave in to my fate of sitting on the couch watching daytime television. But, looking on the bright side, I get to eat popsicles shamelessly.

I began my day with sleeping in until 8:30-ish and then doing a whole lot of nothing for the next 5 hours. Doing nothing really takes a lot out of you, so I took a nap. I once heard "How glorious it is to do nothing, and then take a nap after wards" but I can't agree. Not today! Being sick means that I can't go outside the house, I can't clean, I can't cook, I can't ride my bike, I can't study, I can't garden! I might sound like a whiny two-year-old, but those are the things that I had planned on doing that day and being sick kind sorta wrecked it. I even missed classes for this illness!

Right now I'm trying to look for the silver lining in all this and I think I've found it. Being sick gives you a lot of time to think. And read (when your not watching Oprah). I've done a little bit of both, and have found some great books! My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, edited by David Emblidge is a collection of newspaper columns entitled My Day that Mrs. Roosevelt did on a regular basis. Her column discussed everything from being a grandmother to the United Nations. She was "surprising and personal, My Day reveals Mrs. Roosevelt's indefatigable (what a word!) will, unflagging energy, and unequaled ability to make ""ordinary people" care about the issues of the day." That's according to the inside flap. Another one is Return from Tomorrow by George Ritchie edited by Elizabeth Sherrill. Fantastic book! It is the true story of a man who died (hold on, it gets better) and then came back to life nine minutes later. Now he did this more than 20 years ago when they didn't have all this fancy machinery, so something like this was literally a miracle. During those nine minutes he met the Savior, and had a glimpse into heaven and hell Here's a clip from it:

"I got to my feet, glanced back at the bed. Someone who looked like me was still lying there--and this one looked dead. I looked at my own hands. If I were to be a doctor, I would need my hands. But I couldn't touch things. That decided it. No man in this fix could become a doctor! Then suddenly I was no longer alone. Someone stood there. I knew it was Christ, though my chief impression was of dazzling, blinding light." He asked "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH YOUR LIFE?" Thoughts replaced speech in this strange dimension, with no re-considering possible. "Well, I got to be an Eagle Scout" "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO TELL ABOUT ME?" I changed the subject. "I'm too young to die." Very kindly He said, "NOBODY IS TOO YOUNG TO DIE. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH YOUR LIFE?" Total recalling, detailed and perfect. No horrendous depths but no heights either, only an endless, short-sighted, clamorous concern for myself. Then the rage! It wasn't fair! "How could you judge a person who hadn't even started?! What about the insurance money coming when I'm seventy?!" The Presence beside me seemed to vibrate and shimmer with holy laughter, not at me and my silliness, not a mocking laughter, but a mirth that seemed to say that in spite of all error and tragedy, joy was more lasting still. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH YOUR LIFE TO SHOW ME?HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOVED WITH YOUR LIFE? HAVE YOU LOVED OTHERS AS I AM LOVING YOU? TOTALLY? UNCONDITIONALLY?" "Why, I didn't know Love like this was possible! Someone should have told me! This was a fine time to discover what life is all about. Why hadn't someone told me?!" The answering thought held not on rebuke, only that hint of heavenly laughter, "I DID TELL YOU. BY THE LIFE I LIVED. BY THE DEATH I DIED." I noticed we were moving...

That's the condensed version of that paragraph.

He focus's a lot on the infinite love that Christ showed when he was in his presence and how

everything seemed bearable when he was there with him. I was inspired when I read this and highly recommend this for anyone!

So I guess being sick was a good thing them. I got a little down time to stop and re-adjust what I'm doing, to be sure that I make room for the important things in life.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get a popsicle.