Catching Up

When I sat down to write this blog, I was going to attempt to describe every detail of my life that I have yet to write about, but some of it just doesn't matter, so I chose to spare you.



GRADUATION!!!


Let's see...we will start with the day of. I had to pack and get ready because I was going to be staying the next few nights with all of my family from CO. So I started getting ready early...too early. I was completely ready and packed about two hours before I needed to be, and since I am not a patient person, this was very difficult for me. Well, we pick up Allison and are on our way, however we failed to account for the massive amount of traffic. I was worried for a while that we were going to be late, because they told us to be there at 5:45, which, to me didn't make much sense, since the ceremony didn't start til 7. We get there, put on our caps and gowns and then wait, and wait, and wait, and wait...and wait some more. It was miserable. SO hot!!! I was the third person to walk across the stage, so then I had to wait on the other 427. About half way through I really wanted to shlump forward and not sit up any more, but NO ONE else was shlumped over, so that would have looked really bad. Once the ceremony was finally over I tried to find my family, but there is no way to get up from the floor where the graduates are to up where the parents are without going outside, so I climbed up. Yes, climbed, in a dress, heels and everything! (I'm just that hard core!! ;)) Any who...then the pictures started...and they didn't stop until Sunday!!! That is 4 tedious days of picture taking!!! My cheeks were plumb worn out by the end. I had a great time while all of my family was here. We went to the Parthenon, Rotiers (nom nom nom), a barbecue at my grandparents house...which turned into a concert, my party, and a fish fry. While we were all at my party (which was at Legends Steakhouse), I got to see most of my family all in the same room. It was surreal! I loved it so much!! Thank you to all of you that traveled all this way to see me! It was amazing!

So now it is June 11th, nearly one month since graduation.

Right after everyone left, I went to Washington DC. It was really neat, and surreal (yes I do like that word. I've yet to find another one that describes my feeling so perfectly.). I mean you hear about DC all the time. It's in movies, in the news, but actually being there and seeing all the buildings I've seen on the big, and small screen was dream-like. Although, it may have been dream-like because I was SO tired and practically asleep on my feet. The group we went with was a Catholic school group. I attended mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception. I'd been to a Catholic funeral and wedding, but never just a mass. It was very interesting. Conversations I had with the priest gave me lots to think about...as if I don't do enough of that already.

After DC I wasn't home for another several days. I was socializing A LOT. Then it was my birthday. Allison spent the night (we stayed up til almost one), and we got up to go get my license at 5:30 AM. She must love me a lot... any who. We went and got breakfast at McDonald's and had Dr. Pepper that was more like crazy carbonated soda water, with not very much Dr.Pepper flavoring. We get there at about 6:45 and the place is suppose to open at 7. There were some people ahead of us, but it wasn't too bad. I got the number A002. This makes me think we will be out of there in no time and that I will be the second person to go. FALSE. There are also Cs and Gs and other letters that happen to go before A. How this works I'm not quite sure. Any ways, it still didn't take long...and it really didn't feel long because Allie and I laughed the whole time. We were most definitely the happiest people there. :D Well we get out of there at about 8 am. What is there to do at 8 am? I can tell you: NOTHING. So we went to Starbucks, where I was tragically disappointed in my coffee...or lack there of...it was all milk and sugary syrup and not enough coffee. Then we thought we'd go to the mall. We figured it probably opened at 9. We got there a few minutes before 9 and were sitting on a bench when one of the mall walkers asks us if we are waiting for the mall to open. Then she informs us that Book-a-Million opens at 9 and all the other stores don't open 'til 10. So we sat there for a bit trying to decide where to go from there. We decided to go to Target, the TJ Maxx, and then back to Smyrna. We went to Chic-Fil-A for lunch and ended up spending about 2 hours there. Haden came and visited with us for a while. Then we met Dana at the Target (and Ross) in Smyrna (we waited in the patio furniture section) where we got a bunch of dorm stuff. Then Allie and I came home and took a nap. Then she left, I watched a movie, ate dinner and Papaw came over for cake and ice cream. Happy Birthday to me!! :)

Since then I've read a book, laid in the sun, organized my room and bathroom like you wouldn't believe, checked up on some college stuff, applied for a job at McDonald's :/...such things as this.

Well that's all for now, but I plan on getting back into the habit.

My Life

So, the last couple of posts have had some deep meaning or have been thought provoking, I decided it was time for a 'me' update!!

My last day of high school was yesterday, and it was only a half day...which is a funny story...lets start at the beginning.

Sunday: My grandpa decides to take my family out to lunch after church. We go to the Golden Wok, which is a Chinese buffet (all you can eat I might add. I had 2 full plates of food and 2 dessert plates...) I tried raw oysters on the half shell for the first time, but I ate it wrong. Instead of just letting the whole thing slide down, I tried to bite and chew. I would not recommend this for anyone who would like to keep their lunch. (I did keep mine, but it was a little difficult.) I also tried sushi. I've had California rolls before, but never true sushi. It was pretty ok. Not my new favorite food, but I would probably eat it again. Anyways, the story begins at the end of the meal when I got my fortune cookie. It said you will receive an unexpected gift next Tuesday.

Monday: I took the US Government and Politics AP exam during periods 1-3. The multiple choice was easier than I thought it was going to be and the free response questions were more difficult than I thought they were going to be. I ended up leaving early out of fifth period, and was told that my sixth period already knew about it.

Tuesday: I get called to the office first thing in the morning. I found out that I had won a set of tires out of a drawing of students with perfect attendance. I thought this was extremely ironic, seen as how I don't own a car. I was told that I had to be at the Central Office at 1:00 on Wednesday to get my picture taken and receive my certificate. I also got, in the mail, a laptop that my Grandpa Jones bought me for a graduation present! (thanks again! I love it!) We also received our caps and gowns for graduation. I realized later that night that my fortune cookie came true!! (My siblings are not happy that theirs haven't come true yet...)

Wednesday: Dana took me to the Central Office so I could get my picture taken with the Bridgestone representatives. There were students from other schools there as well. I found it extremely ironic that it was a special thing for perfect attendance and people from two of the schools didn't show up. Anyways, after that we did a little shopping for my graduation party and picked up the kids.

Today: I've been trying to get all of my papers organized. They were beginning to take over my room, but I think I've contained them now. It was a daunting task, that's for darn sure. Now I'm going to eat.

God: The Ultimate Genie (title to be read in announcer voice)

At church Wednesday night, David (the youth pastor) mentioned that he watched Aladdin with his wife over the weekend. He talked about how if Aladdin had rubbed the genie's lamp and turned down the three wishes, 1) the movie wouldn't have been as good, and 2) we would be screaming at the TV, "ask for a million dollars, ask for a new car, ask for something!!" He made the point God can do greater things than the genie. BUT He has to be called upon. Every time God did something great it was because He was called upon. Okay, time for my own thoughts. First of all, I thought about how genies have limits. They say, "you get three wishes and here are the rules." God gives an infinite amount of "wishes", and there are no rules. Yes, He can choose to not grant every one, but still, it's a cool concept. Imagine what this world would be like if we called upon God. Imagine the changes that could be made.

Further Explaination

So, I must make an addendum to last nights blog. I didn't really say what I meant, or at least it came off wrong. Ok. What I meant was that even though that's how we deserve to be seen, but that's NOT how God sees us. Instead, He loves us, so much so that He sent His only son. I guess what I'm getting at is how undeserving we are and how great God is. --sorry for the confusion.