kahdalea. a poem

There is a place where the mountains meet the sky;

It is nestled in the Blue Ridges where hawks and eagles fly.

The highways are dotted with wildflowers

And the roads are narrow and winding,

And it is this patch of heaven

That I find so spellbinding.

It is here among the rustic cabins where in the afternoon we rest

That I feel most at home- where I'm truly at my best.

Something about the mountain air

Awakens all around-

Awakens those hidden quirks

That are sometimes buried in the ground.

Each June upon arriving, a gaggle of girls awaits-

Shedding tears of joy and megawatt smiles as our bus passes beneath the gates.

The friendships there grow deeper

As the summer comes to pass-

As adventures in those mountains

Create memories that will forever last.

There is a joy about the grounds

Echoed by laughter and folly's piercing sounds.

The challenges are many-

Not for the faint of heart,

Not allowing you to feel lonely,

But distracting  should you start.

I now feel at peace beneath the stars shimmering in the night,

When I’m lying in a hammock, bathed in moonlight

Because out in the trails of Pisgah’s woods,

We adventure in packs.

We adventure and discover beyond our limits

And indulge in our love of trailside snacks.

The trails offer a constant lesson- there's always something new to explore.

More of a teacher than textbooks is nature's ever-open door.

Relying on our creativity and resourcefulness

Has taught us lessons in finesse

Has taught us how to trust our instincts

And brave whatever obstacles put us through challenging tests.

From rock climbing on the cliff faces and resting in their shadow

We return after days and nights to the beautiful valley down below.

Exhausted, dirty,  starving: we return from our trips

Laden with stories-

Laden at times with cuts and bruises-

From our adventures amidst God's glories.

Morning, noon, and night- many a time the forest rings

Deep with vocal and guitar-strummed harmony as the whole camp sings.

Banging on dining-hall tables or sitting round the fire, we raise

Songs sometimes sad and pretty

Songs sometimes wild and witty

Across the mountains -almost to the city.

Ever since that fateful summer when I was a girl of twelve,

I've been forever changed- encouraged to rejoice in myself.

"Just let Him mess with you," Mrs. Anne has been known to say

Encouraging us to live for others each and every day.

Encouraging us to live by example-

Leading others to happy confidence along the way.

When the hydrangeas bloom in early June

And the clear cacaphony of crickets sings in joyful tune,

Round the lake I roam

Round, worn path where in my comfort I've grown,

I know this place will forever be my mountainous home. 

this week

T.G.I.F.

I have never been so happy for a Friday, ever. 

**correction, I've never been so happy ON a Friday, ever. 

that's saying a lot...I'm happy every day. 

But this week reeeeaaaallly tried to take it out of me.

Took 2 naps a day and had go to bed early every day this week

Hardest week of my life.

 

Got a concussion and my head glued back together

 (don't crowd people into hammocks, kids- they break.)

Sunday night 

and ever since then I've had a splitting  headache

no energy

awful mood swings

constant dizziness

and general BLAH.

 Okay I know that doesn't sound awful but honestly I had to sleep so much

just so I could have SOME fraction of energy to deal with family and try to do school.

it was surreal...

Never been so low on energy in my life

I COULDN'T EVEN DO MY NIGHTLY STRETCHES AND CORE!

I was too miserable-feeling to be upset about not making homecoming court

which was really disappointing thinking about it now

BUT:

IT'S A NEW DAWN

IT'S A NEW DAY

IT'S A NEW LIFEEEEE

and i'm feeeeeeeeeelin goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood.

I'm back bitchez. 

Motherly Monday

WOOHOO IT'S MOTHERLY MONDAY!

from one of the greatest mothers there is....

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."

happy accidents

This weekend brought quite the adventure..
Saturday night I was at dinner with my friend Sherm and she and I were just digging into some DELICIOUS salmon and snowcrab dish when we got an unexpected phone call.
Our friend, Frances, had been on her way home (2 hrs away) from a volleyball tournament when, after an already chaotic night, their van got a flat on an overpass not 10 minutes away from the restaurant sherm and I were at.
Fran, Sherm and I are best friends but because she lives so far away, Sherm and I don't get to see Fran too often so when she called us asking for help, we jumped out of our seats (literally) and drove to save her from the side of the interstate.
The rest of the night was calm in comparison- Fran and one of her teammates spent the night with us and we had a mahvelous time just catching up and staying up late just chilling and enjoying eachother.

It's amazing how what seems like an awful evening (for Fran, at least) can turn into a cherished memory between friends. I am so thankful for their team getting a flat- it provided us with a fun, love-filled evening and unexpected catch-up sesh that only being with your best friends can give.

I'm not that girl.

I fart.

Incredibly disgusting, I know, and far too much information for a good first impression, but I just thought someone should know the truth about me for once. For some reason I’m one of those people labeled “perfect” or as someone who "has it all together all the time."

First of all, have they taken a look at my hair in the morning? Medusa's looks better. 

Honestly if they took a look at my hair any time of day... I'm surprised I don't scare people with my accidental girl-from-The-Ring impression at times. 

Secondly, get this: someone once told me that I was intimidating- I’m 5’2.

I would just like to say, I’m not that girl. 

You know what I am, though?

I'm a try hard. 

I try hard in everything that I do. You won't catch me slacking off or giving up just because I can. Sure, that might seem annoying at times to other people, but ya know what? Doing well makes me happy. 

I enjoy working hard and giving my best effort- putting my best foot forward, as they say.

I enjoy trying hard to get to school RIGHT on time (not gonna get there early or anything...I will take as much sleep as I can get, thank you.) but when that bell rings, I'm there. 

I enjoy taking my own notes and making nice outlines and doing even small projects well not because I'm OCD or super structural (literally a 2% structural person in any personality analysis deal) but because I don't wanna put my name on something that doesn't represent my best work. And doing shitty notes=shitty grades. No thanks!

I enjoy pushing myself to my physical limit when I run- have you ever crawled across a finish line because you ran your body past its point of exhaustion? I have. Yeah, I'm a little crazy, but what can I say? I try. Hard. 

I'm a nerd. 

I genuinely enjoy learning things and studying and finding new connections between lessons. I enjoy analyzing passages and writing my thoughts down when I feel inspired to do so because it gives me energy to do so. 

I'm weird. 

I think in poetry. P-O-E-T-R-Y. Some people walk up to a test and are thinking "oh shit I shoulda studdied harder" whereas I think more in free verse and stanzas about the impending doom I'm facing with an analogy of sorts to a caged bird upon a pedestal of lies. Kidding...dunno where I was going with that one there. Never thought about that analogy until now. Really do think in poems though. I just don't wanna publish any of them because they're fine just sitting in my head for now. 

I'm unashamed. 

School spirit day? I'll be dressed up. Pep rally? I'll be screaming. Need a volunteer? PICK ME PLEASE! I have no problem getting up in ridiculous clothes and making a fool out of myself to keep people entertained. It just makes me happy to make you happy. 

I'm not perfect- but I wouldn't want to be. If I tried then I'd probably worry about chipping my freshly - oh there goes my perfect manicure.  I'm not at all who everyone seems to think- much more than meets the eye or first impression. You don't have to look hard to find the chips in my teeth and tangles in my hair, but that's okay with me. I have nothing to hide. 

What is failure?

I was asked to write an essay describing a failure that I've experienced and what I've learned from that, and it got me thinking.
I could come up with PAGES and PAGES of things I've tried to do and not succeeded in- but does that really mean I FAILED?

I mean, looking back at my geometry grades from sophomore year and a couple of 31%'s (I was kinda proud/mortified of how low of a score that was..new record!) you might say "Yes, you idiot, you failed that- see the grade?"
But what is failure?
I may have received an F grade- but I didn't fail in learning something from that bad mark.
So I don't consider that a failure.

Then again, talk to my eye doctor- I can't see the definition of leaves or facial features without my glasses on and he would tell you my eyes have failed to pass many eye exams.
But I didn't fail- my eyes did.
Do we really need eyes anyway? Hellen Keller certainly didn't.
And in fact, many would say that physical blindness (I'm not really blind.. just go with the train of thought) leads to greater sight- insight, that is, and heightened awareness of the world we're in.
So that's not a failure.

Dree 2, Failure 0.

Example 3: Student Council
I've run for exec board positions, class president, etcc and in the last 2 years, out of the 4 positions I ran for (on top of class rep): Junior Class prez, Student council treasurer, senior class prez, Student Body Prez- I didn't get a single one.
FAIL? not a chance.
Because although my efforts didn't grant me my desired result, each of those speed-bumps has taught me something or gone on later to show me a reason why it's a great thing- a success even- that I didn't win those elections. Yes, I come away from each lost election with a bit of a bruised ego and a few tears, but in hindsight I always am able to smile and appreciate God's hand in those losses. (Notice: I say losses, not failures)
Student Body prez, for example.
1.) I ran against the girl I'd beat for 1 exec board position sophomore year but lost to junior year for treasurer. She and I are friends, granted we're always competing with eachother, but still friends and honestly, she has shown a greater capacity for that kind of leadership. She just simply has more time to devote to the positions. I've been getting stressed and anxious about all these college applications, essays, school work, cross country season, family life, etc and if I'd had the added responsibilities of Student Body Prez I probably would have had a mental break down for REALZzZ about the 2nd day of school.
Made it almost 5 weeks now and no breakdown in sight! SUCCESS!
2.) She has a bit of a speech impediment- when she gets nervous, she stutters, and she gets nervous any time she's speaking to a large group, which means that over the announcements twice a day, she stutters. But it's been improving as our school year goes on. Her winning that election has enabled her to work toward conquering her obstacle- and I thank God each day that I didn't win so that she has the chance to do that.
THAT is not a failure at all.

Dree 3, Failure ZIP

Let's look at my cross country highschool record....
The number of times I've passed out in races and had to crawl across finish lines is climbing onto my second hand. That does not mean I failed. I gave everything that I'd had on those days: my body just couldn't keep up with the effort my mind was trying to put out.
When we don't complete races (have to drop, etc) our coach puts "DNF" for Did Not Finish on the split summary sheet. He uses these sheets to calculate our workout times for the following week, track our progress, etcc.
To me, this DNF stands for something more than "Did Not Finish" because to many, that would imply that I failed at that task- but nope! I didn't! HAHA
DNF means "Did Not Fail"
On that day, if I really gave all I had an my body just gave out on me, then that's not a failure.
And from those experiences, I've learned something new every time, so that's not failing to learn.

No one can accuse me of failing to try
or
failing to work
or
failing to give everything I've got to every part of my life.
Because that's not how I roll.
like eminem said so poetically,
"Success is my only mothahsomethin option, failure's not"

On Health by Dr. Dree

It’s time to say bye to bikinis and hello to birthday treats, snowballs, big cookie days and stress eating! But not to fear; with all of the delicious treats to splurge on now that school is back in session, one CAN still enjoy delectable pastries and bon- bons without putting on that Fall 15! Here’s 10 tips how:

1. You can enjoy everything, but in moderation.

Don't be so focused on cutting out, instead, think of cutting DOWN on amount and portions.

2. Go green- as in eating!

Eat Spinach. And green beans. Or broccoli. Or kale. OR ALL THE ABOVE. Because girls need iron and all those veggies are high in iron and other antioxidants that have numerous health benefits. Don’t like green veggies? Idea: spinach in a morning smoothie. Trust me, 3 handfuls and you won't even taste it. THINK of the hidden health benefits!

3. The miracle drug: H₂O

 Our bodies are 60% water, so drink up. The recommended daily consumption is about 3 liters (6 disposable plastic waterbottles, 3 nalgenes) a day if you're not in the sun too much, 5-6 (or more) if heavily active. Drinking more water will help increase your metabolism, make you feel fuller, keep you energized, and help your brain function better. What’s not to love?

4. Get sleep-

Honestly, really, sleep trumps studying. Sleep trumps Grey’s anatomy. Sleep trumps everything. It's more important than cramming for that testand will actually help you do better in school. Plus, the more sleep you get, the better you’ll look (your metabolism works while you’re sleeping and in those hours you’re not eating or drinking any calories!) and feel. Take a nap, cut the procrastination, or just get to bed earlier- whatever it takes to catch more of those Z’s. Your body will thank you.

5. Play outside.

 Really, PLAY. Laugh, swing on the swings, hit the tennis ball or shoot some hoops with a sibling if ya have one or a borrow a kid if ya don't. Pet rocks work fine too. Laughter is the best medicine for stress.

6. Ditch the Chips.

Satisfy your crunch craving with raw veggies- carrots (eye-brighteners), sugar snap peas, celery, broccoli, bell peppers…the list is endless. If you MUST eat chips, try baked versions or vegetable chips (Barbara’s makes a delicious sweet potato & beet chip that is wonderful with hummus or chicken salad.)

7. Be a nut.

Snacks are important- they keep you from overeating at mealtimes. Want the perfect snacks? Think nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, etc. Easy snack idea: 1 serving of dry-roasted edamame with fresh blueberries. Trust the doc, it’s delicious.

8. Work out.

Though it's kinda a given, working out and exercise still deserves a place on this list. Even just 10 minutes will release endorphins and make YOU happier and better able to focus in school and on homework (or [insert fave show]).

9. Take 5.

Take just 5 minutes a day and devote them solely to prayer or meditation but instead of YOU doing the praying or talking, clear everything out of your mind an just let God talk to you. Spiritual nourishment is just as important (more, really) as physical!

10. Set goals:

Want slimmer thighs, washboard abs, or Michelle Obama arms? Or do you just crave that healthy glow? Set personal goals for yourself in your eating, workout, and rest habits- daily, weekly, and monthly- and dedicate yourself to keeping track of progress and then achieving them.

**Dr. Dree is not really a doctor. These are just suggestions of healthy alternatives gleaned from several nutritionist visits, Pinterest inspiration lists, and life. 

D.E.S.I.R.E.

1 word
5 letters.
2 syllables

This cross country season, it's a word definitive of our team. 
Definitive of our dream 
to win. 
to return
to our former strength
our former place at the top. 
It's about time. 

Desire. 

It's a word that inspires the question "How bad do you want it?"
BUT 
taken further, it inspires another question:
HOW HARD ARE YOU WILLING TO WORK FOR IT?

because all the desire in the world
all the fight
all the want
all the thirst
cannot be quenched without putting in the work.
100%
all the time
day in, day out
24/7
It's the diets
the core work
the completed workouts
the rest
the ice baths
the stretches
the mentality
all to back up one inkling of a feeling- that urge to win. 
To prove that we are the best of the best. 

And I can't wait to bring that back. 
It's been a while, for me, since I've felt such a strong urging and will in my running
guess that's what 9 years of a sport does to you
but the fire is back
and stronger now, than ever. 

How hard are YOU willing to work?
'Cause I promise you, I'll work harder. 

bad habits

Do you ever venture around your house or shuffle through drawers 
and come up with pieces of half-chewed gum or errant, opened, sticky mints?

When washing dishes, do you come across a disgusting, hardened former bit of Stride stuck to a plate you're trying to rinse off?

Do you question your whole family, 
angrily demanding who dared to inflict their disgusting behavior on you?!

And then, when you do, does no one 'fess up?????????

Well, here is your confession. 

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, please don't hate me. 

I am a gum deserter. 

It has been 3 hours since my last desertion

 and I'm already feeling remorseful because I have no idea where that little sucker is

and I'd like to just throw it away

or maybe finish chewing it... 

Okay, I would like to finish chewing it. 

The MINTY FRESHNESS IS NOT ALL USED UP YET!

in fact, I remember it being barely used at all. 

I'm not even sure I got a full chew on that little stick I just recently lost..

OH THE AGONY. 

Really, you haters would understand and wouldn't hate so much if ONLY you knew how tragic losing that piece of gum you'd become so attached to is. 

Really.

 It's nearly a 911 crisis, except that gum doesn't have a tracker and generally they wouldn't appreciate if you called them asking for help to find your ABC gum. 

I have an even bigger confession. 

On top of being a gum-deserter, 

I'M ALSO A DENY-er

if you ask me if that was MY gum stuck to the bottom of the plate I had been eating off of 

or if that which was left on the kitchen table after I'd eaten a snack there

was MINE?

I'd tell you no. 

Ew. that would be SO gross. 

Ggenerally i'll volunteer to throw it away later 

but it was NOT EVER me who left that gum... 

I'm really working on it. 

I swear. 

I would like to actually stop deserting my gum and begin enjoying it. 

But first I need to find the piece I just lost.....
or maybe not and let someone else find it...

something new every day...

Today I learned something that I "already know"

aka I've already been taught it

already heard it

already thought about it

but never really ACKNOWLEDGED it (yes acknowledged is spelled like that..reminds me of fledgling...like birds. like a sparrow. They're so cute!) or LIVED it...

Ya know how sometimes you KNOW something to be true you just need an outside source to tell you it's true, too, so that you act upon it? 

Well, lately for me, that elusive "something," that "it,"

is that Life is about Service

but more than that, it's about HUMBLE service. 

Serving JUST BECAUSE. 

DOING for others just for the act  of the doing. 

not for a reward

just because it's the nice thing to do

(and an added bonus of it making you feel like an awesome person/superhero (like the avengers).) 

Really. 

We are called to a life of service, and more specifically, to LEAD a life of service. As in being a leader. 

This is all coming into my head because in my theology class (religion, faith, whatever you wanna call it), Leadership and Faith, we're reading a book/personal retreat on ministry and leadership entitled Help! I'm a Student Leader by Doug Fields. 

Now lemme say, this book is not perfect. 

It can get quite redundant, actually, and we're only 20 pages in. 

But the redundancy is for repetition, because repetition makes memory and memory influences thought and thought influences actions...great cycle, dontcha think? Well, Mr. Fields had a point in all this redundancy, and now I can't get the concept of service out of my head. 

Our assigned reading for the night involved leading as a servant. 

The whole first chapter of the book, actually, concerns the fact that

 to lead is first to serve, 

with humility and grace (she's miss united states)

And an important aspect of that service is HUMILITY. 

not doing it for the reward... my teacher said, "There's a difference between being recognized for work and working to be recognized"

and that makes SO MUCH SENSE. 

It's crazy how sometimes your life and the events in it seem to have a motif or a theme for a period of days/weeks/years/etc

yes, I'm talking literary analysis-style themes and motifs #nerdprobs 

Well, the theme du jour (well the sparknotes-style theme, since theirs are always 1 word and that's not REALLY what a theme is...) is

wait for it

keep waiting

can you guess it?

just try

dunh dunh dunh dunnnnnnhhhhh

SERVICE!

you're the winner of jeopardy

congratulations, captain obvious! you picked up on some subtle contextual evidence. yeah.

(sorry that was obnoxious...it entertained me when I typed it and I don't feel like removing it because it's late and I'm getting lazy..)

But I'm not kidding....
I've been hearing and thinking and reading and talking and watching  about and listening to and swimming  all about service lately. 

I've just become more aware of how many things I do or am involved with are serving acts or are done through service organizations, etccc and have been hearing lots about it from teachers in various classes, in homilies, random radio-host talks, etcc. 

Example:

I'm part of a start-up organization for our local children's hospital and we just had a major fundraiser so that's gotten a lot of news coverage (AMAZING! We feel so blessed because of it!!!! I can't believe our baby is growing up:) But sometimes I get those little selfish desires and urges at our functions to be in the spotlight. I get a sense of the bad kind of pride that I helped start this organization. I mean, I am EXTREMELY proud of the fact that we pulled this off and were able to make an organization that does so much community good

but I feel like sometimes I get the urges to "use" that service for personal gain

ya know, pad my resume, make me look all good and serving. 

And to be honest, this organization isn't the only area I've felt these selfish desires and such. I'm so ashamed. I know it's only human, but I like (and this comes from pride too) to think I'm above acting so selfishly. 

But I'm gonna face the facts and admit that I'm not above that. Hell, I'm way below it. Classic book definition of selfish actions and the antonym for altruism=ME. Not all the time but sometimes. 

All this college resume building and application-completing really doesn't do much to help with your ego. 

If anything, it builds it a little too much and makes you hyper-aware of yourself.  

All of these people want to know every single thing that makes you awesome, and I, understanding how competitive the college process has become, am happy to oblige them in providing every single little detail of accomplishment of mine. 

But then I start looking at my accomplishments and extra curricular activities and service not as something to do because it's what I enjoy doing (I'm just an overachiever...I like always wanting to give 100%) but as something that 'looks good on a resume.'

AND THAT'S NOT THE POINT. 

School, sports, service..

none of it is about making yourself look good or giving you that "extra edge" in the college search or job hunt. 

If it is, then you're missing out on the important part of each of those. 

It's like you're trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle of a painting blindfolded....

you might be able to feel the pieces into the right positions but you can't enjoy the fruits of the process because you were just going through the motions just to complete the task at hand. 

School is about learning (saving that rant for another day..)

sports are about so much more than selfishness (again, gonna save it)

and service is about HUMILITY and helping others

easy as pie to look at and say

hard as balls to live out.

But that doesn't mean you can't try. 

This afternoon, I came home from school to a messy kitchen. 

From the surrounding quiet of the house, I deduced that my mom was already napping...

messy kitchen+napping mom=she's tired and could use a little break

So I cleaned the kitchen for her.

 No big deal..but it meant something to her. 

She doesn't KNOW that it was ME who cleaned the kitchen, but she knows that someone took care and cleaned up after her for once, and in that, she's affirmed just a little that she is not alone in the housework and that 

she 

is 

loved.

Of course, Mom knows she is loved by us (speaking as the kids)

 buuuuuut it's good to be reminded by something more tangible than an assumption based on genetic predisposition and hormonal ties (although I mean those are pretty tough to break...)

and what better way to show someone you love them than by humbling yourself to, 

'wash their feet?'

To take their tasks into your own hands and then to go beyond that and do something that eases their life and shows them you care. 

If I, in doing that small task for my mom, can help ease her day's burdens just a smidge, then I'm happy. 

I'm not trying to do big things. 

I'm just trying to do "small things with Great Love" as Mother Theresa would say. 

Wake up in the mornin

**to the tune of Ke$ha's Tik-Tok**

Wake up in the mornin feelin like

 it's time for yoga

pull the sheets off of my head

-they were wrapped like a toga!

'Fore I hit tree, stretch my knees

 -I'm just tight like that

cause when I rise in the morn' I have a sore back

I've discovered the secret of morning happiness: stretching. 

(and not talking to my sister until spoken to...)

(and even then only using a small whisper and smile so I don't get yelled at for "fussing")

But really.

 STREEEEETCHING makes a world of a difference in how you wake up (or how I wake up)

I'm not saying that I roll out of bed and that I'm all perky and pliant and just hitting every stretch. 

It takes me a good minute just to roll my head around enough so that I can stand trying to touch my toes.

And then when I get there, it's a real struggle not to just fall over from loss of balance and inability to stand on my own 2 feet. 

But after a good 5-10 minutes of stretching (just holding 10 seconds-ish) per stretch I just wake up

Suddenly I have balance

I feel a vibrancy running through my veins

I feel good. 

Awake.

Happy.

 And I see rainbows and doves and smiley faces...

kidding. 

but the stretching really does put me in a good mood and prepares me for the day with an energy and peace of mind and ability to deal with all my grumpy siblings and parents. 

TRY IT. I DARE YOU. 

And tell me that you don't feel better and more ready to take on the day's adventures...

I bet you can't prove me wrong. 

Weekend's Adventures

This weekend was quite the adventure...but isn't that what Labor Day Weekend is all about??

Getting to live a few more days of summer in the middle of the beginning of school just to give ya a little reprieve before school starts to get REALLY demanding again (I swear if mine gets any tougher I'm going to collapse before our next break...)

WELL as far as breaks go, mine certainly was that.

Friday night was my break from responsibility...

(La teammates)

WEEEELLLLI wasn't supposed to run in a scrimmage race Friday afternoon
(hurt my achilles...)
but my coach decided he didn't want to listen to the trainer and asked me to run anyway
soooo just did a PART of it (had to get SOME kind of workout in).
 it was so nice to run part of the race without the pressure of really competing.
Not that I dislike the competition, but sometimes it's nice to have a break from the norm, especially seeing that we won't be having any breaks from competition all season.... I also got to encourage my teammates all through the race and it was so rewarding to help them reach their goal times and push themselves.
 As soon as I got home from that I jumped in the shower, ate a quick snack, and headed to the football game...
 IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!
Our team KILLED the competition and I liked being out there to support the guys and see everyone
...for about 30 minutes...
 and then it just got hot and gross and stinky and sweaty
SOOO, naturally, my friends and I left
and went to Whole Foods for some grub... 
CALIFORNIA. CLUB. ON. GLUTEN. FREE. BREAD= BEST DECISION EVER.

 It was so good (dunh dunh) so good (dunh dunh) so good (do doo doo doooooooo)
annd then we went back to my friend's dad's casa. 
Except he wasn't home... so we had people over(: and THAT was really funny. 
Especially because her older stepsister was there and had a couple friends over and they were QUITE tipsy- it was our entertainment any time we went into the house..
 But then we found out about another party that was going on SOOO we left her dad's and all drove to this other girls. 
IT. WAS. CRAZY. 
and the weirdest party I've ever been to... 
She has the perfect house for it and her parents don't care about what's going on BUUUT it was just the strangest vibe and ehhhhh. 
Not an awful party but just not exactly the most fun place to be driving for ya know?
 Highlights: lots of white girl schwasted booty poppin and people jumping off the roof into the pool.
 Oh and the girl whose house it was at has ponies!!! 
(Of course we went see them!)  
 none of that actually happened. Well it might have.. depends on who you ask...

Saturday: BEST DAY OF THE WEEK. Break from boredom

Babysitting.

Time-3.5 Hours

Payment- $70

Cute Children- PRiceless

 It was AWESOME. 

The kids were adorable or sleeping over half the time..

 And the other half we were at the pool.

 #winningateconomics

HOW PRESH IS HE?!?!? Love this little guy...

After babysitting the real fun began:
some family friends and I had been planning a surprise p@rTay for 2 of our friends, Anna Kat and Davis, (whose birthdays are next weekend) that was scheduled to commence Saturday afternoon (and did...I just like the way the past tense sounds on that part...yes, I just did that.)

MY part of the plan was to pick up Anna Kat's sis from their casa, pick up Anna Kat from work, and convince both of them it was time to go horse back riding at my cousin's house.
 And they bought it, but (according to plan) when we got to my cousin's, we found out that the horses were at pasture and we couldn't ride them and (according to plan) Anna Kat's little sistah's gluc-o-meter just so happened to be all the way BACK at their house.

All the while, the guys were getting Davis to Anna Kat's house (location of la surprise) so we were just kinda stalling/covering up

And then we headed back to Anna Kat's to get the glucometer, went inside to talk to her sis for a second, adn then (according to plan) the boys showed up because they wanted to come visit for a sec. Magically Anna Kat and Davis both turned around at the same time and we took advantage and screamed SURPRISEEEEE as more of our friends started running from every direction, nook, and cranny in the house. It was great.

And then.................................. we had a paint war.

most of da crew (after)

And waterballoon fight

and jumped on the trampoline with soap, played frisbee, dribbled some soccer balls, chilled, ate, ate, ate, had a cookie cake (and cookie cake fight) and just had a great evening. It was spectacular. Plus once the boys left we girls finished off the cookie cake. SO WORTH IT.

Sunday- break from da boys

Was supposed to be Tunica Hills hiking day BUUUT due to some extenuating circumstances that didn't work out for anyone.
 But I DID get to go to mass and hear a lovely gospel about humility.
And my brothers went fishing with my dad so we had a girls night. When I say girls night, it was more like girls' afternoon and evening.
We had a pool party at my cousin's with just my mom, sisters and I, then went to Whole Foods for some dinner (it's been a deliciously WHOLEsome weekend:)) and then came back home and baked gluten free chocolate cupcakes
 (POSITIVELY SCRUMPTIOUS).

Jane was the master baker....

I just helped as needed: 

I'll have to post the recipe because it was H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y.

 Oh and Sunday I started working on making my homecoming dress. I don't actually have a date.... but that's not really as important as the dress, now is it?

Monday (today)- bReak from plans.

I DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Kidding. But it was all unplanned. Which is basically as relaxing as doing nothing.

Ran 5 miles (way too fast:)) around the Lakes
 and then went home and made an egg white, turkey, spinach omelet and smoothies for the fam
 (well just the girls since the boys were fishing)

And then just chilled all day...
 worked on HW, ACT prep, visited my grandma and had lunch with she and my cousin, did some more college application stuff and scholarship applications, and science fair.
Seriously, that stuff wears ya out! But it was a good day.....
and I'm now going to go do a little core and stretching
 to close a great (non-labor intensive) Labor Day Weekend.

Ciao!

Ahh the genius of a tired mind..

I dunno about YOU people, but when I can't sleep I sometimes just start writing poetery...
This was last night...

My Sister- the Snorer. 

Horror of horrors:

My sister's a snorer.

She snuffles

 and growls

and makes all sorts of sounds.

Unnatural,

 un-soundly,

 and completely astounding

are the harumphs

 and bronkle-humphs

 that

into my ears are resounding.

I just want to sleep

but can't count to sheep-

or hear their little bleats-

as I lie between the sheets

because of her abominable, 

insurmountable,

COMPLETELY UN-DROWN-OUT-ABLE

snoring.