No, I'm not dead...

... i've just been MIA for the last few weeks, sorry if you all thought I had fallen off the face of the earth. If you tried to make off with any of my CDs or stuff, please return it before I discover it stolen.

Anways....

The practice club in didsbury went great, we got to lead 2 kids to Jesus, which was awesome! We got adjusted to big clubs...

Tofield: First, we got to help save one more girl, which was cool! Also, our billets kids and us (me and Lizzy, my partner) were on a zip line, and one of the kids (they're twins) decided that he was goign to let one of the thinner trees lower him to the ground. Needless to say, that didn't work, and resulted in him breaking the tree and his ankle, putting him out of commision for the entire summer. And this is a fairly active kid, so..... aside from the fact that he got really bossy, he's fine... his sister might not be by the time the cast comes off... lol!

Smith: this was our first small club, i think at most we had 14 kids, as opposed to 35. But it was still fun.... the freakiest things occured! this one girl in Tofield, Torey, looks like Lacey, the Brittany in Smith looks like the Brittany in Three hills, and her older cousin Alexx sounds like the other Brittany's brother Jesse! So freaky....

So tomorrow (today?) I get to go home! The only downer is the 6 hours in the car with Cody and Shawn... pray for me!!!!!!!

Off again...

So I'm off for Week 2 of summer missions training with CEF in Didsbury, then I'm gone to Barrhead, Nampa, Falun, and Spruce Grove, respectivley, for four more weeks. Week One went all right, there are only about 8 other summer missionaries/interns this summer, so we'll be busy. My partner for the summer, Lizzy, and I are probably going to get along while we're travelling, so that will be good. Adam, my friend from church (?) is only doind a VBS in Linden, so I might try to get Spruce Grove off and come help him out.

I only have time for this one little post, Didsbury is a whiles away, and there's construction on the road to, so that'll be intresting... anyways, I got to go. Wow, it feels like I'm leaving home or something... I'm going to be kinda homesick, if you guys could pray for me... Pray for the kids to! Cia!

Hmmm....

Alright, I admit it, I have been bitten by the Facebook bug, and on my profile there, I added this neat little thing called an Honesty Box, where people tell you their opinions of you anonymously. I thought this would be a handy little gadget hanging around, so I decided to add this. Look what this chick wrote about my religious status (which, by the way, is "Jesus Freak -kinda like a Christian, minus the rules"):

"You make christians sound like a bad thing, rules? and you seem guilty to be called one."

The way I see it, your average churchy Christian is a rules and religion freak, who holds to "Jesus plus equals the Gospel." I am of the mindset that "Jesus, plus, does not equal the Gospel." I don't like the stand that the church takes on rules and religion, I try to concentrate more on the relationship part of the deal. Also, I am NOT ashamed of Jesus, nor am I guilty of being called one of His followers. And I don't make it my primary goal in life to make the church look bad either, I am just saying that I don't beleive in their religion, I beleive in a relationship.

Comments?

OK, its been a while in Bloggerland...

..since my last post, and I still have almost nothing to say! weird... Randi, I hear ya!

Lets see.... First and foremost, I got slammed with a round of @!!!&%@& bronchitis, due to the fact that we have mold growing in what's left of the house, my dad got double pnemonia, my brots are both coming down with bronchitis (we think), the only one who isn't sick is Mom, who's only home half the time! Sheesh! We first thought my throat issues were from screaming all weekend at YC (which was awesome, TobyMac and Skillet are awesome! And I got autographed and high-fived by Hawk Nelson! Yay!), but when I started coughing up... stuff... (blech) we went to the doctor and found out I have bronchitis. And then I started coughing up blood with the, ahem, stuff..... blech. Anyways.....


As I mentioned, YC was AWESOME!!!!!!!!! The only person I wanted to find, but missed, was Melissa, my cousin, dang. However, I ran into about 15+ people from school, so that was good. Wish Heidi and Jared could have gone, but oh well, what can you do, esp. when Heidi broke her foot a week earlier? (don't worry, she's all right now)

9 DAYS OF SCHOOL LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THEN 2 DAYS OF EXAMS!!!!!!! YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!! Bethany and Saralyn and I are planning a movie night, should be fun. I have earned the title of "sheltered" after I mentioned that I have never seen Matrix, Final Fantasy, or Phantom of the Opera. Poor me... meh.

Joined Facebook.... wish Dave would put me on his friends list... argh. oh well.

And... what else....?

Oh yeah, while Spoke and Paula were away, our church redid their house, it looks really cool now. Evidently Paula was crying when she saw the mudroom.... :D And our church has been feeding us since we've all been sick.... Leona, loved the farmer's sausage last night! I love my church!!!!!

And since I can't think of anything else....

SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I'M HYPER!!!!!!!!!!)

How do you cope with this?

Not sure how long this has been going for, but I'll try to make sense...

Lately, I've been feeling like I'm nobody's favorite, or that I'm not the best in anything, and it's been driving me... not nuts, but to the point of depression I guess. I feel like my friends play favorites between me and their other friends, I'm never good enough to make honour role, I've never earned a gold in any karate competition (or any sports event, not counting my grade 3 soccer team, but that doesn't count).

Like today during chapel, Jewel and Jen were sitting next to me, and Jewel had Skittle's that she was sharing with Jen, but when I aksed for some, she was just like, "Well, I promised Jen she could have some", and wouldn't share with me, which got me fairly moody and somewhat antisocial that afternoon.
Then at youth group tonight, I kept feeling like I didn't fit in with any of the kids, seeing as the Lindenites all hang out together and I can't seem to get attention from the PCA/Townie/homeschoolers from 3 Hills. I mean, Heidi and Josiah did some shoulder tag and free spar with me, and Gynelle and Devon and I were giving each other tattoos (with Sharpies), but I feel like I don't have any really close friends anywhere in that group. I wonder if I should quit going...

And at school, Bethany, in Grade 11, kind of understands, and is sympathetic, but when I sit with her and Saralyn at lunch in the hallways, all the popular people come up and hang out with Bethany, and for the most part ignore me. James and Stephen sometimes talk to me, sometimes John, but that's about it. Days like this make me wish I didn't have to go to school... Jared and Josiah are probably my two best Grade 10 friends, and the only thing that we really have in common is guitar and an expressed intrest in the same band that we all want to play in. (actually, they started it...)

At church, the Bridge's and Warkentin's hang out with me, and I have some adult friends, but it's not the same, esp. seeing as my best friends are all Acme/Didsbury homeschoolers. Tom and Dave, they pay some attention to me, but I can tell I'm not a favorite of anybody at school, or church, and seeing as I don't think my brother's like me... I feel like I'm alone, without a real friend anywhere. I'm nobody's favorite, and I'm always second best or worse, never the best in anything. Why can't someone pick me to be their favorite, for just once? I know God loves me, but he can't choose favorites between his children, so that doesn't help me any.

As I type this, I can barely see the keyboard, this is the first real crying I've done, since I don't dare show weakness in public. I don't know why, I just feel like I need to be tough to fit in. It obviously ain't working.

Pray for me, please.

Feel like one of the elite now...

Still have had no time recently to post on here, check my email, or even play my guitar, so I'll just make this quick...

Now have zero walls or floor, have a curtain seperating my room from my bro's, have a mouse problem, and can get from my room, through my bros' room, and into the office without going through a door, very cool! However, can't wait for my walls to come back up so I can change in some privacy... !!!

Getting back to the "elite" topic, I graded for my first degree purple belt on Tuesday, which was very successful (and painful), now feel very elite now! James thinks it should only take me a year and a half before I get my black very happy!! Now, to convince my dad to let me do karate over the summer and take the July grading...

Injuries for the month:
1) Shin splints on Wednesday that got me out of P.E.
2) High heels on gravel. No prizes for guessing what happened.
3) Accidently catching my fingers in a locker on Friday.

Good grief, that's the last month, all rolled into 3 consecutive days!

Hey other bloggers who read this, anyone get an email from a Debra Pasquella? If you did, do NOT, for any reason, go onto her blog, it is a virus!! Anyone know who the heck she is?.....

And got to get ready for school tomorrow...

Pity Me

Since I'm tired, I'll just go straight to the chase here...

Alright, so BC was fun, but we got home at 12 midnight on Friday the 13th, to find that our toilet had blown (thankfully just the 'in' tube, not the 'out'!) and flooded our trailer from the front entryway in the middle, ALL the way down to my room on the end. Nasty. So the next day we had the disaster crew in to start the rip-up-all-wet-carpet drill, and I got kicked out of my room for a couple of nights.

Then on Monday, they started ripping out walls, kicking us out entirely to the new Best Western in town, 5 minute walk from school. So todays Thursday, and we finally moved back in today, but still are trying to keep everything off the floor. Most of my and my bros' worldly possessions are in boxes in the kitchen, and we are all tired and stressed, and with the new round of snow that we are having... @&%&@*#&^!!!!! Help!!! Prayer would be greatly appreciated by all right now!

now I'm tired, and I gotta give the computer to Nathan, and go eat dinner before I go to youth tonight... *groan*

Not again!!!!!!

Evidently, heaven has April Fool's, and God's pulling a big one on us, with the snow over the last few days, as well as landing me with another big round of the flu. That brings about the question: WHY ME?!?!?!?!

Sunday morning, I woke up fine, but started feeling cruddy towards the end of the day, that should have clued me in that all was not well. Monday, I woke up feeling nasty, but still had to go to school, and then out for dinner with Jewel and Jen at the Mission. (Side note: yummy flatbread and cheesecake!! Drool.) That probably was not my best desicion, seeing as I got sicker, and I think they're sick too... dangit. Oh well.

Monday night I was running 39.61*C, not fun. Have been living off various cold drugs all yesterday, am staying home again today, which means I have to miss my Secret Garden audition after school today... ARGH!!

AND let's not forget the fact that I am currently 21/30 hours done of the 30 Hour Famine, with only 96/380 dollars collected... However, still have some time for donations, if any of my readers want to chip in some...

Now think I should go get dressed, first time I've been out of pajamas in the last 2 days... And I can barely walk without feeling lightheaded... Dang colds.

In the last week or so...

... not much has been happening, but I felt I should post, just so you all don't think I've died or something. Anyways...

Went on a shopping trip with Jewel, was very fun, aside from the fact that it took 2 whole days of shopping to find a punk-like jacket I liked... in the guy's section of Wal-Mart, no less! I am now wondering, why don't I shop in the guy's section more often, they always have the cooler (cooler meaning funnier and more punk-like) clothes, whereas the women's section has all the 'dressy' stuff. Rawr. Oh well, the jacket looks very cool, and I already have some pins on it... Hey Spoke, when are we getting the patches?! Finally have the jacket...

Oh yeah, also got to see Eragon in theatres, right before it came out on DVD, it is sooooooo good! Jewel and I have decided that we are going to find a day to go see Bridge to Terebithia, and then the second movie in the Eragon series. Now want to read the books... sooooooo good! I love fantasy movies!

Am wishing that whoever does the hiring at the Mission would get back to me and tell me if I have a job or not, dangit! Jared and Jesse both seem to think I'm in, and Jewel says that they really need dishwashers there, so it makes sense for me to be hired... but I hate not knowing!!! AAARRRGGHHH!!!!!! *ahem*

And..... not much else happening...... yeah.

YAHOO!!!!!!!!!

Due to excited-sounding comments from Paula (lol! :D) and my own desires to inform you all of how Provincials went.... I'm going to wait and tell you closer at the end of this post. Quit moaning, I'm getting there!

Saturday started by waking up at 5:00 (blech), getting my gi packed together, getting a large travel mug of coffee, and getting driven out to the Gorr road by my dad, who was kind enough to wake me up by letting my listen to his new ring-tune, namely Vertigo. So envious... Anyways, only had to wait 2 minutes for Kinseys to come pick me up, was wished good luck by Dad, and was off.

After little to no conversation in the truck, and a quick stop at Timmy's (Dawn was desperate for caffiene), we finally arrived at the school.... to find out that some paperwork had gotten messed up somewhere, and everyone had been locked out. We had to wait 20 minutes for someone to come let us in, and then it took a while to get set up, so opening cerimonies didn't happen until 9, a full hour late! Rawr.

Then, after waiting 2 whole frickin' hours, all the time freaking out cuz my parents were running late and weren't there yet, my age group and belt level was finally called to Ring A. I only had 3 opponents, only one of whom was female, and another who was a purple belt. Started feeling slightly hopeful...

Seeing as I was the youngest in that age group, they called me up first for Kata. I choose to do Heien Sandan, now in hindsight, I should really have done Heien Yondan, the green belt kata. Oh well. I think I got a score of about 18.0, not too bad...

HOWEVER....

Kumite was divided up into gender for my age group, that was my only mercy. They (the judges) asked us to do a type of kumite that I didn't know how to do, involving Jodan-Chudan-Mai-geri, I am used to doing Jodan-Chudan-Jodan-Chudan. And to make matters more interesting, my opponent was, I think, a lefty. Dang.

Anways, I came away with (drumroll please)..... a silver in Kumite and a bronze in Kata. Was fairly pleased, am now wishing I had done better, but oh well, may be good enough for Nationals now! Was also happy that my parents showed up in time to see me get my medals, and that my Sensei was very impressed with me.

Now my "trophy shelf" is getting a good chunk heavier (Those medals were freakin' heavy!), and everyone at church was very impressed with my accomplishments.

Next: Nationals? Hope so!!

Words you may or may not have ever heard before now:
Sensei: Karate teacher
Kata: Series of moves meant to kick butts of imaginary opponents
Heien Sandan: Orange belt kata
Heien Yondan: Green belt kata
Kumite: Sparring
Jodan: Face level
Chudan: Stomach level
Mai-geri: Front snap kicking

Excited!!!!

Wow, almost two whole weeks, and not very dang much to say.... Cool, a first!... Spoke, please keep your comments about that to yourself!

So I have provincials tomorrow for karate, am very excited!!! Of course, I'm dreading getting up at 5 on a Saturday morning... blech, the life of an athlete! (never thought I'd be calling myself an athlete, another first!) Oh well, all my dad needs to do is have me on the road by 6:15 so Sensei Dawn and James can pick me up. My fambly might come after opening ceremonies (at 8), hope they do! Really hope my sore muscles from volleyball diving (ouch) have recovered by then, as of now, it hurts to make a decent front stance! Owie!

Went to a monster truck jam last Saturday in Calgary. Allow me to just say, that for those of you who may consider going, please remember to bring hearing-preservation devices of some description, cuz it is Freaking Loud. Honestly, my ears were ringing for 2 days after that!

Umm.... Went to see a friend of mine play a basketball game, which turned out mediocrily crappy, seeing as A) the enemy team won and B) said friend hurt his knee and could barely walk for about 5 minutes, which scared me somethin' fierce. However, he's fine, I'm happy to report, and is off at zones this weekend in Airdrie. GO SABRES GO!!!!!

Umm..... Have signed up to do the 30 Hour Famine twice this year, I think I'm going to regret it, but oh well, I guess I can cheat on the second Famine with the Crew..... Spoke, you did not see that last sentence....

And now am at Grandma's for another... let's see.... 40 minutes until Mom and Dad get back from Calgary.... hope Dad remembered to hand in my SIN form, cuz I need it to get a job at the Mission, and I really want to work there, not just for the reason that 5 of my best friends work there: the Sieben twins, the Lawrance guys, and Heidi..... Jewel said she's going to talk to her boss and possibly arrange an interview for me.... I owe her majorly if she can do that!!!

Wish me luck at Provincials!!!

I need a boyfriend!

So, yesterday was Valentines day for married couples/lucky people with dates, but was Singles' Awareness day for people like me. So hoped I would get asked out yesterday.... oh well, maybe next year.

Got some affection, Mom and Dad gave me a chocolate heart -yummy- and a plushy teddy bear, very cute! However, the little singing stuffies that my brother's got.... the "O-lay-o-lay, hothothot!" isn't too bad, but the other one..... out of a sound sleep at 7:30 on a holiday! Grr!!

Also got 2 O'Henry!'s at school, both extra caramel... mmmmmm. Already ate the one from Chelsea, haven't gotten around to the one from Shane yet. Oh well.

Very funny, since yesterday was also Jesse's birthday, he got a lot of heart-shaped cookies, and didn't want them all, so he was trying to give them away. And since my locker's next to his... lol! Envision:

"AJ, want a cookie?"
"Sure, thanks."
"How about 3?"
"Even better!"

-Man, they were dang good to, thanx Brooke/Beth/Mrs.R/whoever else made them!-
Also got a cookie from Levi, and got a 5th at the Single's Awareness thing that night. It was hilarious, since there were about 12 girls and only 3 guys bothered to show up! lol.

Other than that, I have decided that unless Kari stays around to keep putting on Single's events, February 14th is still gonna be dang miserable, esp. if we have the same weather that we had yesterday. It's my theory that God designed mankind to live in 20*C, why else would the Garden of Eden be in the Middle East?! Humans just were not meant to function below -10... lol.

Ooo, song just came on, must practice to CD! "I once was lost, but not I'm found...." I love Todd Agnew!

New semester...

First off, apologies for not posting for a while, my computer at home crashed, and one just can't access Blogger from school, dangit... @%*&#!!! Oh well, I'll live. Anyways...

So I'm nearly a week in to semester 2 at my school, am still thinking I'm gonna hate gym, but everything else seems pretty good.
English should be dang easy, even though I'm having my first spelling test since grade 3 tommorow... (homeschooling has its perks!).
Career transitions with Mr. R, who goes to my church, should be good, very useful in finding a job! Am wishing I could take work experience at the elementry school with Jen and Jewel, but oh well. Bible though.... the subject itself isn't bad, it's just Mr. D...!!! Meh...

Physed... have been swimming all week, and the class has already sustained injuries. Brooke cut her lip on the bottom of the pool, and Chauncey passed out during whirlpool.... very unnerving. Last I heard, this has already happened to him before, hope he's ok. Anyhow, next week is floor hockey at Bethel, shd be misery for someone who hates playing any hockey!

Pure Math... they call this the hard course!! We just did exponent rules today, old hat since grade 8! Of course, Mrs. S is also the Physics 30 teacher, sooooo...... *gulp*


For the most part, semester two is going easy! And with 3 days of school next week, 2 days the week after, and Provincials in karate on March 10.... Yippee!!! Oh yeah, can't forget to mention the Minutia Conspiracy concert on Sunday!!!

And that's about it...

Oh yeah! 1 1/2 weeks ago, I stayed awake 37 hours without sleeping! OK Jenna, not counting 10 minutes during the church service... that doesn't count though! New personal best! I think KJ made it 30 hours, impressive.... was sooooo tired after that....

Finals week... *moan*

My mind is being slowly fried by studing for 4 (OK, 5) exams that I have either already done or am currently dreading. Gagh!!!

I had my 2-part French final over 2 days last week, that was a dang good final, my grade jumped up a whole 5%, now I'm at a 70%!!! Those who know me know the end of the world is coming when I am happy with a 70% in a school course, but oh well, Mr.H is a really tough teacher! I've heard some of the science 10 stuff was getting taught at college! College, I say! If you don't believe me, talk to Bethany.

My drama final was yesterday, it was a dang whole lot easier than I thought it would be! According to some grade 11's and 12's, Miss.P is an easy teacher, and I'm already getting high marks in her class.

I had a science unit test for biologylast... Friday, I think it was. What teacher gives us a test before finals?!?! I think I got a 70-something, not toooo bad I guess.... meh.

So I've spent today at home studing for my Soc and Sci. finals later on this week, will spend tomorrow morning in the same manner, then I get to go to the office and do paperwork. How fun. Might be able to fit in some cram time while working...

Wish me luck with my finals this week!!!! *gulp*

Aw man, we haven't even mentioned next semester!! I've heard Mrs. R is a brutal gym teacher... *whimper*

Tagged!

Annacond just tagged me! (it was this tag or the newer one, I decided to do this one. Dang hard choice though!) OK, here we go...

A-Available or single? Unavailable, but single
B-Best Friend? Jen, Jewel, Tina, Lynsey, Lacey... pick me one!
D-Drink of choice? Loaded coffee. If I can't have that, then a large Dr. Pepper
E-Essential item I use every day... Spray-on conditioner
F-Favorite color? Blue, black, lime green
G-Gummy Bears or Gummy worms? Gummy worms! Great for pranks...
H-Hometown? Small town Alberta
.J-January or February? February... it's that much closer to spring!
K-Kids and names: N/A
L-Life is incomplete without? Love, chocolate, caffiene, and Jesus
M-Marriage date: Uhhh.... not for a long time!
N-Number of siblings: Three. I'm the oldest, lucky me, I get 2 little minion slaves! MUHAHAHA!!! *ahem*
O-Oranges or apples? Apples - apple pie, apple sauce, and any other of my mom's creations!
P-Phobias or fears? Bees, spiders, crowds, minor clausterphobia
Q-Favorite quote? "Me? I'm a dishonest man, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something... stupid."- Jack Sparrow, POTC1
R-Reasons to smile: My family, my friends, and prank ideas
S-Season? Summer and fall, hot temperatures and not as much Alberta gumbo
T-Tag 3 or 4 people: Paula, Spoke, Meadow
U-Unknown fact about me: Hmm, let's see... I can do a Yoda voice, a Gollum voice, and a decent Jack Sparrow imitation.
NOTE: I didn't say I was exeptionally good at the Yoda voice!
V-Vegetable you don't like: One?! Onions. Followed closely by cabbage.
W-Worst habit: I am an avid nail-biter
Y-Your favorite food? Umm.... one is Oasis french fries (mmmm, grease!)
Z-Zodiac? Sagittarius

Tag!

Happy New Year!!!

So we're 36 1/2 hours into the New Year (yay), is going pretty good so far! Have done a bunch of 07 'firsts', as follows:

First Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
First Food: nacho chips while watching afore-mentioned movie
First Sleep: 4:30 in the morning, after Lacey quit talking. Woke up at about 10:30 that morning.
First Person Seen: my friend Jenna
First Disturbing Image: Jonathan minus his shirt
First Cup of Coffee: around 11:30 a.m.
First Car Accident (ever!): Jenna's mom backing into Jonathan's car
First Party: My parent's annual NYD bash, very fun!
First Injury: Falling off the (big and slippery) inner tube, twice!
First Weird Taste: Lacey's mom giving me straight peppermint extract for a cough.
First Weird Dream: I had one, just forgot what it was! Probably a good thing though...
First Music Listened To: Amber's mom turned on SHINE FM in the car, then I listened to Hawk Nelson last night
First TV watched: The Superbowl yesterday during the party
First Baby Seen: Zach! What a cutie...
First Hug: Courtesy of Jess, who recently got back from Abbotsford
First Overnighter: At my friends' place, NY eve/day


Yeah, 07's going pretty good so far! Hopefully school goes by good this year, I don't end up flunking science, hopefully will get my second purple belt, hopefully will completely read the Bible all the way through this year, and I hopefully am going to get asked out this year, please to any cute guys out there! Anyways....

Happy New Year!