Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music.

Personally, I don't listen to main stream music.

Sure, I hear it while shopping, or in a friend's car, or on tv. But I don't consciously go out and find it, and I don't own any cds of mainstream music except for some Classical songs and I love Jazz, too.

Why?

Music was created for a purpose: to glorify God.

Satan was created as the archangel over all the praises sung to Him, so it should be no surprise that when he fell and warped things, he warped the very nature of music, too.

Not that I am against all music that isn't a hymn.

I think that as human beings made in the image of God, we reflect part of His nature by being creative. Music is an excellent expression of that creativity! I like all genres.

But, if it's not music made to bring glory to God, then I don't make a habit of listening to it.

Music affects us in a way that nothing else does; it doesn't just stay in the realm of the soul (mind, emotions, will), but goes into our very spirit. It can alter the way we think, feel, and treat others.

I'm just very careful about what I listen to. I don't know what else to say... and yes, I know I sound completely ridiculous but it's my opinion and I'm entitled to it. Don't think I'm being "judgmental" about music, because I'm not the judge. God is. Take it up with Him.

-Hannah

Day 15 - Your favorite tumblrs

Actually, I don't follow any tumblrs. I am annoyed that tumblers is spelled incorrectly, however.

But, I do have a favorite blog.

This sweet girl was an acquaintance of mine in junior high and high school, and she is fabulous. I've grown up with her, watched her get married, and now she has a cute baby boy named Ryan!

You can read Mrs. Britney Gulbrandsen's blog here. It's precious.

I love that she tries to make a conscious effort to bring beauty to everyone around her, and always with a smile, too.

Day 14 - Your earliest memory.

My earliest memories are very sweet.

I remember my mom singing and rocking me to sleep every night when I was very, very little.

I remember my dad reading books to me, when I was very, very little.

I remember my first dog, Jed, who had to be put down and comforting my parents in the car when I was very, very little.

I remember asking Jesus into my heart and thanking Him for taking away my sins... when I was very, very little.

I remember making cookies with mom and my cousins, and decorating them with sparkly pink and red frosting, when I was very, very little.

I remember when my parents hid my Easter eggs that I had worked so hard to decorate, and getting SO MAD at that Easter bunny for stealing my eggs. When I was very, very little.

I remember being in preschool and doing crafts and singing songs about rainbows and kitties when I was very, very little.

I

remember

A lot.

And they are all good memories. Thanks mom and dad. :)

Day 13 - Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.

I'm not sure about moving, but I think I would enjoy living somewhere where the leaves change colors and there are actual seasons.

As far as places to visit (and these are not in order):

• Alaska
• Greece
• Israel
• Canada- specifically Prince Edward Island
• Bahamas
• Italy
• Spain
• France
• Austria
• Australia
• Russia (yes, really)
• Turkey
• Africa
• All the US national parks
  

So... basically I would love to go see the whole world? If only!

Scary thing is, this is just the short list. I have a much more detailed one... so, ummm, I'm a dreamer too. This whole challenge thing is making me look at myself in a whole different light. I think I need a reality check! But I reeeeeaaaaaally wish I could see everything on my list. I love looking at God's creation.

Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.

• Woke up late, scrambled to get ready
• Dentist's appointment (funn)
• Run Daniel to Peter's house
• Fill up the car at Chevron
• Run home, eat lunch & grab coffee
• Drive to work
• Work.
  
• Drive home.
• Spend some time with Grandpa & Grandma Jones
• Talk to boyfriend, talk to other friends
  
• Help make carne asada tacos for dinner
• Blog (quickly), check FB (quickly)
  
• Clean
• Help brother with resume and applying to college
• Clean some more
• Write
• Go to bed!
  

Not a particularly thrilling day, but hey no school or homework was involved so YAY. :)

Day 11

Day 11 - "Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up."


Ok, here we have:


Deep Enough to Dream by Chris Rice

Everything Glorious by the David Crowder Band

Friend Like That by Hawk Nelson

Work by Jars of Clay

Set the World on Fire by Britt Nicole

Unbreakable by Fireflight

Sadie Hawkin's Dance by Reliant K

Shine by the Newsboys

Jesus Freak by D.C Talk

Salt in the Snow by The Silver Cord

Hmm. So I guess this is supposed to say something about me?

Yup.

Challenge Day 10

Day 10 - "Discuss your first love and first kiss."

I have a friend who was born the same day as me, and our moms are great friends so we've grown up together. Well one day-- we were four I think-- we were playing house. But we knew that we couldn't be a daddy and a mommy without being married first (of course!), so we kissed to "get married." It was cute. But our moms didn't think so!

Ha. Oh, the logic of little kids!

:)

Day 9... My Future & an Arizona Snowman

Right now, I have absolutely no idea what my future holds. I have a bucket list, and I'm already checking things off of it (and I add new things all the time), but as far as specifics go, I don't know.


Hmmm.


All I ask for my future is that I'm following whatever path God has for me; that I haven't strayed. Even if I'm on that path alone, I'm sure it will be glorious!

That's the thing. God is so exciting. If you really know Him, you know that He's positively addictive. That's all I want. Whatever He has planned for my life, I am fully confident that it's better than anything I could think of on my own.


:)

On a totally unrelated note, check out this Arizona snowman! It completely surprised me today on my way to class. It was just chillin' on this random table. Made me smile!

Day 8 of the C.

"Day 08 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life"

Ok, so that last post is pretty awful. So I'm going to pretend it's tomorrow and do number 8 too. Aaaaaaaand it's another way to put off finishing my paper (I need a break).

Anyway.

I think that I almost always feel satisfied with my life. Who wouldn't be? I love it.

I have everything, everything in the whole wide world. I am completely happy, because I have JOY. That is what 2010 for me has been about.

Joy.


How to be content, or satisfied, in all things. When my dog is happy to see me... every single day of my life. Or when I feel hopeless studying Hebrew and want to throw my flashcards covered in 7 different verb categories out my second story window.

When I look outside, and see little plump brown cactus wrens making nests in the neighborhood saguaros, crowned in all their glory with snowy white and buttery yellow blooms.

When I see javelinas patrolling the neighborhood, and my mom trying to chase big horned owls off the roof.

When I am at school, and running on little sleep and coffee, and I want to take a nap but it's only 10 in the morning.

When I stop to take a picture of a pretty flower on campus, and someone notices and says hi, and then Bam! I made a new friend and shared a beautiful experience.

When my friend calls me crying because her hamster died, or when a coworker just needs a hug.

When I have my quiet time with God, and He puts everything back into perspective.

When I'm in pain all day, or when I'm not.

When I spend time with my cousins, any of them- I love them all dearly, and whether we're playing Hungry Hungry Hippos or talking about their day at school- I know that I have been blessed with an awesome family.

When little girls at my church share their secrets with me over candy canes and hot cocoa.

When my AWANA girls come in tired from life, and sigh in relief at my encouragement and support.

When I'm feeling ugly and waaaay tired at a friend's party, and my dad catches me sighing in the mirror and says, "Yes, Hannah. You're still beautiful."

When my brother asks me for help- and I may not have a lot of time, but I stay up all night to help him finish a project or show him how to write a resume, or surprise him with a Suns game. He's a great brother, and the only one I've got.

Wow, how's that for rambling.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I really love my life. I won the lottery.

-HJ

Challenge Day 7

Today I have to cover, "Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality."


Confession.


I didn't even know what mine was, I had to look it up.

Turns out, I'm a Sagittarius, which is a horse or centaur (depends where you look I guess?)

I'm supposed to like art, and traveling, and be great at life in general. Well, this could describe anyone really, so I guess you could say it fits me too? I love art and traveling, at least.

Honestly, I think this one is a big waste of time... any of the zodiac descriptions could fit anyone, really.

:)

Challenge Day 6

My own personal style....


Well, it depends. At home, I pretty much live in sweats or my favorite pajamas, because who cares what you look like at home, right?

For school, I have moved this year from school casual to business casual, because I'm in the Provost's office and I have to look nice. That means no more flip flops, and I have to dress up a little. It's kind of fun though! But it takes more time in the morning, so... hmm. I love the Avenue right now as far as places to shop.

As for my hair, it is naturally straight. Lucky me, I know. I like it medium length- I don't like it short, and I would grow it out longer, but then it's too much work. So medium is good. I usually just blow dry it upside down, and then I curl in my different layers so I have cute little curls framing my face. Or, I might put it half back, with a fancy clip or something. Recently, I've discovered those little spin- pins, those spiral bobby pin things? Those are AWESOME. I've been experimenting with putting my hair up, and so far it's been really cute.

I hardly ever have my finger nails painted- I think too many years in marching band broke me of that habit (you're not allowed to wear it). I always have my toes painted though- I feel naked when they aren't painted.

And I rarely ever go out without makeup on.

So, I guess at home it's whatever I feel comfortable in, and at school I'm by no means a fashionista but I do make an effort to look professional.

Challenge Day 5

Today, I'm supposed to write about a time I thought about ending my own life.

I don't think I have ever seriously thought about it- I think I've thought about what it would mean if I died, what it would mean to my family if I were gone. I've wondered if anyone but my family would come to my funeral, but that's always been with the thought that I hope I'm not in a freak accident or something.

Of all the places in the world I could have been born, I was put in America. Of all the families out there I could have been put in, I was put with two loving parents; parents who always made me and my brother first in their lives. Of all the places I could have ended up, I ended up right where I am... able to hold a job, and go to college for free. I have the privilege of putting into other people's lives with volunteer work, and I have an absolutely astounding church family I treasure more than anything. I have few close friends, but many good acquaintances, and I have been blessed with a capable mind and many talents to boot.

Why would I give that up?

Especially because my life is not my own- it belongs to Someone else. He gets to decide when I join Him, not me. What a slap in the face to God it would be if I decided I knew better than Him when that time was. Ouch.

I think it's awful that people feel so sad and desperate with their lives that they feel they have no reason to live. That's tragic, but suicide is never the answer. In fact, it is an incredibly selfish thing to do. It doesn't just affect you; it affects the lives of your family and countless others around you. Yikes.

Anyway. I hope tomorrow's topic is a more positive one!

Challenge Day 4

My views on religion.

In the entire world, there are only two religions. Really. There are many, many shapes and colors of them, but when you look in the box and take off all the ribbon and wrappings you find either one or the other. The first you find is the religion of "I." "I" do good things or "I" don't do this, or "I" can do whatever I want because their is no God (although, that last one falls more under the category of mythology and not religion). The other one is the cross. That Jesus was both fully man and fully God, that he came to earth to suffer and die on the cross as atonement for our sins, as a perfect sacrifice, so that we could spend eternity with him. That there is nothing we can do to get to heaven ourselves, except accept the free gift of salvation and ask him into our hearts. That we do nothing; He already did everything.

That is all.

Challenge Day 3

For this post, I'm supposed to express my views on drugs and alcohol.

Drugs I am completely, completely against. Why on earth would you want to kill your brain cells?! And your body, and your life? They slowly take over, and alter absolutely everything in your life. They alter you. And in a non- reversible way. There are other, better ways to cope with life people. There are.

Alcohol I am completely, completely against. I don't drink, and even when I turn 21 in a few days, I still won't. Why? Alcohol does the same thing as drugs, just maybe not as fast. Why would I want to kill my brain cells and spend money on that? Plus, I know how it makes people act. It's not very becoming. It seems like people just like to use it as an excuse to "loosen up," and then they can't be held responsible for their actions because they were under the influence. Well, yeah, but that was your choice to put yourself in that situation. I've seen too many people get raped, hurt, abused, and addicted to it. I don't think it's cool. No, I'm not for prohibition or anything- if you want to drink, it's your legal right to. But you won't catch me participating in it.

Truth is, I don't need drugs or alcohol to have fun. I live a kind of lonely existence because of that choice, but you know what? It's SO worth it. I don't have to deal with any of the issues that go with either one of those two, and I'm still perfectly happy. :)

Challenge Day 2

I'm supposed to write about where I want to be in ten years.

Hmm. I hope by then, to have learned Greek.
I want to have visited Europe with a good friend, and be done with or in grad school for my master's or phd.
I hope to be married, and maybe have a kid or two.
I want to look forward to waking up every day with someone I love and is my best friend, and who enjoys the little things in life that I do... a warm cup of tea, or the wagging tail of my puppy. A soft blanket, or the changing autumn leaves.

I would like to be in a place where the leaves change color.

I hope that I am able to bless people with my life as I have been blessed.

I want to have a library, with a book I've written and published in it.

I want to still be an AWANA leader, because I think it's important.

I hope that I have enough money that I'm not hungry, but not enough to spoil me and forget the Giver of money.

I want to be an aunt. I want my brother to be happy. I'm looking forward to the day that I have little nieces and nephews to spoil.

I hope that I have more time to paint by then, and that I've had the chance to just sit somewhere overseas- at some old ruin, perhaps in Greece; and paint.

I want to know my Savior on a deeper level than I do now. I don't want to ever, ever be complacent with that relationship.

I hope that I've made it as a technical writer at some point in that ten years.

I want to have checked off a lot more of my bucket list by then, so I can start writing about all the amazing experiences I've had.

I think that about covers it. It's getting late, anyway... and these are pretty awesome wishes so I'll say goodnight for now.

Challenge Day 1

This is supposed to be a picture of me with 5 interesting facts. There's already a picture of me in the sidebar, so I'll get on with the five interesting facts:

1.) When I went with my high school marching band to march int he St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, we did a lot of sight seeing. We went to Blarney Castle, and we were supposed to all be in line to kiss the infamous Blarney Stone. Instead, I went with a few friends and my camcorder light and explored the dungeon underneath.... the dungeon I'm pretty sure we weren't supposed to be in. It was FUN. Instead of kissing some germ- ridden, I've-heard-that-locals-come-pee-on-at-night slab of stone, I did something different and had a blast!

2) I don't compartmentalize my life like I'm realizing a lot of people do. I know people who try and fit certain areas of their life into little boxes; for instance:

*Church life is on Sunday or whatever night Youth Group/ Bible Study/ Whatever is on, not for my everyday life.
*School life (I will only do school things at school)
*Social Life (I will do whatever I want with certain groups of people, but I have to behave around the goody two- shoes types)
*Family life (I will "endure" my family for the occasion, but not really attempt to connect with them in any sort of meaningful way)

And there are others.

I don't do that; I am always me and true to myself at all times. I never put on a show for people or adapt my behavior to whatever social situation I'm in. I may make a brief appearance at a party where there's alcohol, but I don't drink. Ever. (trust me, if I did everyone would be talking about it) I know a lot of people who cuss and swear like it's a normal thing to do, but I never engage in it. I may talk about movies, but I don't accept invitations from friends to see things I know are inappropriate. I don't back down on issues that are touchy, such as abortion or why I despise Harry Potter.

And most importantly, I don't try to put God in some little file folder in my mind, where I only think about Him on Sundays or at Bible Study. He is a constant part of my life; I talk to Him all the time. I don't set "prayer times," I just have this never- ending ongoing conversation with Him. It rocks.

3) I take God very seriously. I make time to study His Word as well as talk to Him. I have memorized over 1,000 Bible verses/passages so far, and have even taken Hebrew so that I can read the thing in its original language. Now that I can, I'm working on Greek. It's just that important to me. And you know what? I've learned SO much about the Bible, about God's people, and even about Him! No more of that "it was translated incorrectly" crap. I can read it for myself. Watch out: this means that I can actually hold an intellectually sound discussion about things that people want to gloss over or say "wasn't translated correctly." I now keep people (namely professors I really scare the you- know- what out of) accountable. It's awesome.

4) Something not about God: I co- founded the ASU Charity Knitting Club at ASU (even though I mostly crochet).

5) Even though people want to tag me as strictly left- brained, I'm not. I draw, paint, play several instruments, scrapbook, crochet/ knit, and compose music. When I was in 10th grade, I was ranked the 9th best percussionist in the region of schools in Mesa. Without a single private lesson. So yes folks, I do do other things besides school and work and volunteering. :)

The 30 Day Challenge

I was reading a friend's blog, and she is doing this 30 day challenge thing. I decided I'll give it a try, starting sometime this week (but not today).


Day 01 - A picture of you and 5 interesting facts.
Day 02 - Where you’d like to be in 10 years.
Day 03 - Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 04 - Your views on religion.
Day 05 - A time you thought about ending your own life.
Day 06 - Your personal style.
Day 07 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.
Day 08 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.
Day 09 - How you hope your future will be like.
Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.
Day 11 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.
Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.
Day 13 - Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.
Day 14 - Your earliest memory.
Day 15 - Your favorite tumblrs.
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music.
Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year.
Day 18 - Your beliefs.
Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents.
Day 20 - How important you think education is.
Day 21 - One of your favorite shows.
Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?
Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 girls who are famous who you find attractive.
Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it’s about.
Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why.
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you.
Day 27 - A problem that you have had.
Day 28 - Something that you miss.
Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days.
Day 30 - Your highs and lows of this moment.

Some College Wisdom

Oh, the lessons I'm learning in college.

That Tolstoy is one of my favorite authors. That Greek verbs have 6 principle parts. That I really don't get a lot of Israeli humor, but I can say, "I love filalafel," so it's ok.

I learned that eating lunch with one of my professors is nice. And sitting up front in class is a good idea. That yes, it's probably weird that I'm facebook friends with some of my professors... but I always have gotten along better with older people than myself.

But the most important lesson of all: that God will continue to give me opportunities to speak about Him if I only pay attention and follow His lead.

Last Wednesday, I gave a lecture on a research project I did about three Jewish holidays and their origins, customs, connections to other ancient cultures as well as connections to the New Testament (or Greek Scriptures; I've learned that's a less- loaded way of saying "NT," and attracts more attention). I had a full room of people show up! To hear what? To hear about God. I focused especially on the connections of Pesach (Passover) to the book of John, and basically explained what Christianity is founded on theologically. Awesome. This was the 5th time I've presented it, so that's 5 room fulls of people who have heard the gospel in a nutshell.

Ok. So that was cool, but the week got better.

This upcoming semester, I'm doing another project with my Hebrew professor, but this time I'm focusing on the role that Hebrew names play in Hebrew and Greek narratives. It's absolutely fascinating, and apparently a unique project to boot.

So unique, in fact, that I've been asked to present my preliminary research at an English conference titled: "Text, Lies, and Mediascapes: Narrative Forms Shaping Human Experience."

Wow! It seems the more I want to talk about God and His Word, the more public opportunities He gives me.

On top of that, I've applied for a research scholarship as well as an English scholarship, and by what I can only call a miracle the Director of Graduate Studies wrote me a letter of recommendation for it. ?! Go figure.

I am so excited for what's ahead! And very grateful for the chances to talk about the whole purpose of my life; loving God, and loving His people the way He would have me love and care for them. Amen.

Student Colloquia this Wednesday, Nov. 3rd!

Ha, there isn't anything framing my flyer... yay jpeg files! Anyway, come check it out. :) I'm speaking.

October

October has been a great month. School is going exceptionally well, and so is my job. I still love it- I look forward to going every day! Clubs and committees are running smoothly, and I am presenting my Hebrew research at the next Student Colloquia on Nov. 3rd, and there will be food. I am also applying for another scholarship, so that I can do more research next semester. I ticked off 3 more things on my bucket list this month, too! Yay.

I can't believe it's already half over... where did it go?!

I also get to go to the Quarterback's Luncheon at the Buttes, for free, because they are launching the new Sparky license plates and because those fund our scholarships, some of us get to go and be there for it. Awesome!!

Today, I had lunch at the exclusive University Club with some bigwig Superintendents from around Arizona, and got to explain my MATHgazine and a little bit of our grant project. I love my job. :) Hopefully the rest of this month goes well too. :)

Lately. For lack of a better title.

Today I made the decision to drop my Ancient Greek class. This means that I will probably have to drop my Classics major altogether too, but we'll see. It isn't that the class was too hard. Actually, in my opinion Hebrew is conceptually much more difficult. However, the sheer volume of memorization required every day for this class was just too much for this girl. I am in my 3rd year of Hebrew, and I work (as an Editor no less), and there a TON of organizations I'm involved with and have responsibilities to on campus. And I have a minor. And I volunteer. And, and, and... that's all I seem to be saying lately, and this girl needs a rest! I decided that is just isn't realistic to try keep going to bed at 1 and getting up at 4 to do more homework and more studying- I just can't keep it up. Everything will be ok though. I'm glad that I at least tried it, and this really doesn't affect my future career plans. Nobody is forcing me to learn Greek, after all. And I'm way harder on myself than anybody else is, and I can always learn Greek some other time and at my own pace.

I am a little disappointed, sure. Languages just open up a whole new world to discover, especially the ancient and dead ones. I am discovering this with Hebrew. For instance, in my Lit class the other day (titled, "The Bible as Literature"), we read some of Judges. At the end of chapter three, there are these verses (KJV):

¹⁵But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

¹⁶But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

¹⁷And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

The story is in the little details.

First of all, it's kind of weird that the writer mentioned that Ehud was a Benjamite that was left- handed. But, in Hebrew, "Benjamin" is a name meaning "Son of my right hand," so it serves a purpose in contrasting the character's name with what he does. Then in 17, we have this nice little detail about king Eglon being "a very fat man". Why is that even in there? Because in Hebrew, "eglon" means "calf," so you have in essence "the fatted calf" that is slain later. The Israelites would have been familiar with this imagery as animal sacrifices were part of daily life. And interestingly enough, "Ehud" comes from the Hebrew word "Ikhud," which means "one" in the sense of being united- and that is what happens when the king Eglon is killed- Moab gets reunited with Israel.

Knowing Hebrew is so much fun! For my next paper in there, I'm doing a word study on Hebrew names and their literary significance in the Bible. Names really do serve a purpose quite often, the more I'm looking at them.

I am determined to learn Greek at some point, and I already know more than I did at the beginning of the year, so we'll see what happens with that. :)

Peristroika and Just Oika.

"Oika" is part of my 40+ Greek vocabulary words that I have to have down by TOMORROW. It means "house." I'm trying to think of things that remind me of each word, so oika gets Peristroika. It works better with other ones, such as "anthropos" (meaning human being- differentiating between humans and gods), and "anthropology."

Greek is a little ridiculous, and in fact I shouldn't even be on here right now but I need a break.

Classes are going pretty well, and so is work. I think I'm getting my own office! How cool is that? With a name plate and everything. I'm so excited. I submitted my first proof yesterday, with "Hannah Jones, Editor" in it. Oh, so fun. And they are even ordering me a graphics tablet... wow (I've been bringing mine because I do some of the illustrations)!

So far I have been up to my eyeballs in work, and right now I'm going off of 4 1/2 hours of sleep, the norm so far. Yay me.

On a more positive note, I LOVE seeing friends and people I know randomly around campus. Today I saw Kelly (an old high school band bud), Amber (an even older bud from JH), Becca (from Hebrew last year!) and made friends with one of my co- workers who is also an undergrad (he's going to be an engineer). And all of these people were happy to see me!

I am also the newest member of Sigma Alpha Lambda, another honors organization. And I'm adding to the Undergrad Student Colloquia series I'm in charge of this semester- now, professors will have their own lecture series. :)


Life is hard, but it is good. And it will all be worth it in two years when I walk across the stage or more likely field and pick up my two hard- earned degrees and certificate. :)

Summer Goals Update!

So, how did those summer goals go?


I found a job working as an assistant for someone at the beginning of the summer. Score! So that took care of the employment part... plus, I got hired by ASU as a writer/ editor for an ASU publication, so Double Score!! Today was my last day of summer, first day of grown- up job. :)

As far as losing weight, I have not lost as much as I wanted to, but it's ok. The point is that it's slowly coming off, and it took a while to put it on so it makes sense that it will take a while to get it off. But I'm happy with the progress.

Organizing= Success! I moved a bunch of books to the guest room, and went through all of my school papers. All of my other stuff is organized now, too.

Drawing/ Painting... eh. I did do some drawing, but hardly any painting.

My quilt? Not finished surprise surprise, but I have done a lot. Quilts are so expensive, and I'm sure if I had the money it would be done now, but oh well. It isn't a race, and what matters is how it turns out.

Cooking? I bought myself a Magic Bullet, and LOVE IT. I have made so many smoothies with it, as well as home made pesto and different pasta sauces. My grandma even bought me my own basil plant so I can have as much pesto as I want. Wasn't that sweet of her? My mom went to Minnesota for two weeks, and I cooked while she was gone. I loved it! And my dad & brother did too (not that they weren't happy when mom came back, but hey they liked what I made). :)

A far as guitar goes, I DID learn more!!! I can now play a few songs and I'm learning more.

And I did read my books ahead of time! Yay. I also bought a tablet for my Mac, and figured out how to make my own flashcards with it!! Hebrew and Greek don't have very usable fonts to make flashcards with, so now I can draw my own (as well as draw whatever else I want to!).

This summer was great. I hope next summer is at least as good!

Job Update!

I have some exciting news!! I landed my first real career job as a writer!!!! I will now be working for ASU, under the Vice Provost of Mathematics as a writer/ assistant. I am so happy with this, because it is the first step to becoming a technical writer, and because the job counts towards my writing minor (that equals one class I don't have to take!!!!).... and, as an added bonus, I get to work with my brother's Prime the Pipeline project at the Polytechnic campus! How awesome is that?!

Just wanted to share.

-HJ

Question & Answer

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked an odd question by someone who doesn't know me very well. He asked me, flat out, "Are you happy with your life, and where you are right now?"

And I thought about it for a while.

Eventually I smiled, and answered truthfully, "Yes, yes I am."

He gave me this funny look, and said, "Well how did you manage that?" and I replied, "Well, a lot of prayer."

"No, really- I pray a lot too, but how did you get there?!"


"Um, really, a lot of prayer."


It was the beginning of a Priceless conversation.

But you know what, I was honest with him. I really am very happy and content with my life right now, and I know that is a direct result of praying and taking care of my relationship with Christ.

That is the key to happiness and fulfillment- that long- term contentment people crave.

Let me explain what I mean.

Many people think that you have to work to get to heaven, but this is not the case. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, lest anyone should boast." There are MANY other verses that back this up, but this one states my point very well. Rather than works, we acknowledge that Christ came to earth in the form of a man, that he died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. He took the punishment for all of our sins, past and present, and all we have to do to secure that our future will be in heaven with Him is to acknowledge what He did, and invite Him into our hearts.

Something amazing happens when we do that.

There are three parts to man: a physical body; a soul which encompasses our mind, emotions, and will; and then we have this third part of us called a Spirit. When we invite Christ in, our Spirit is where His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) comes in and takes residence. Here's a diagram I drew to illustrate. In olive green are the Greek words for these found in the New Testament so you don't think I'm just making this up.




Ok, so Christ takes up residence in our Spirits. Now, there are 2 parts to being a Christian. The first part we already covered- asking Christ into our lives. That's the easy part. The second, however, is much more difficult and is a continuous process.

The second part of being a Christian is allowing Christ to change us from the inside out. If we let Him, He changes us into different people that exhibit His characteristics (this is what is meant when people talk about becoming "Christ- like"). It works like this:


He changes our mind, emotions, and will from the inside out. It's amazing, but it's a choice. We have to let Him- He won't do it without our permission and active involvement. This is what the Christian Life is all about- this process of changing our very nature into His; of allowing Him to come in and clean up. Out of this stems our works, our habits, our everything- purpose in life, figuring out our calling, how to serve those in need- everything stems from this process. In my life, this is not a result of my "working and trying harder," but rather a result of listening to God's voice nudging me into a new way of being; of letting Him take over every area of my life.

This is what my life is about. I've surrendered to this process. And you know what? IT IS AWESOME. Painful, full of tons of learning experiences, but nevertheless awesome. And it is the sole reason that my life is so good- I really can't take much credit for it on my own. This is why I answered the way I answered that question, The Question of Questions: "Are you happy with your life, and where you're at?"

Thank God, yes! :)

Just some thoughts from my heart (and years and years of study and personal experience),

-Hannah

August

Why, school- why are you only TWO WEEKS AWAY?

I need more summer. I don't want more summer, I need it. I have spent a good deal of it reading school books, making a TON of flashcards... I even have my own flashcard page on a flashcard- making website. My brain could really use more of a break, seriously.

On a more positive note, I rock... I got all the textbooks I need for next semester for $45!! Yep. Of course, it helped that I already had one that I need for a Classics class; you know how I know I'm a nerd?! I bought the book about a year ago, on my own, because I thought it looked cool. Apparently so does one of my proffs... that's like the ultimate nerd test. You buy textbooks before you know they're textbooks! Well, yay, one less book I have to buy right?

Also, I am making great progress on my adorable owl quilt.


This photo really does not do it justice, but it'll work for now. I still need to add leaves on the branches, and a few more little owls, and then I have to sew everything on right, stuff it, and finish it. But hey! I'm mostly there!

**This is my ORIGINAL work, and I'm copyrighting it. You won't find a pattern for it anywhere else, because I completely made it up. So don't take it or claim it as your own- you'll regret it.**

And, today was a great day. I went to lunch with my mom and a bunch of other awesome moms from Trinity, and I got to work from my computer there too! It was like work, and socializing, and there was pizza, and all around awesome company. It's a weekly summer tradition we all have, and growing up with it I guess I love it, and am sad that we only have one more "Pizza Tuesday" left this summer. Sad!! But it made me appreciate today even more. :)

Aaaand on a final note, I just finished watching this little cutie again, and I caught this funny behavior on my phone... it turns out the dog is a great hamster watcher!





Well, summer is almost over, so I'll have to post my follow- up to my Summer Goals! Hmm... :)

How to Make an Easy Appliqué Owl.

These are some practice ones I made, in preparation for a quilt I'm making. I have very, very limited sewing experience- I just made this up as I went. Luckily it worked! Enjoy. :)

First, you need to make a pattern. I drew mine by hand, but I'm sure one could find something off the internet.

Here's mine. Made with a pink Sharpie, and just on ordinary everyday lined paper. Nothing fancy needed.

This is how close they are- not perfect, but pretty close. :)

I found a honeybun with some crazy material I liked, and if you know what a honeybun is then you already know that the fabric comes pre- cut into strips. No extra cutting or measuring needed. Just be sure to use the back of the fabric for tracing, and realize that your owl will be a mirror image of your pattern when right side up, unless you flip the pattern over.

Next you simply trace it, I used just an ordinary pen.

Here's that mirror image. This is your base piece for the applique. Everything else- eyes, beak, whatever- gets sewn on top of this piece.

Next is the wing. I cut out the wing slightly in my pattern, just so I could get the basic shape of it without having to draw another pattern. Again, make sure your pattern is facing the same way you cut the base piece or it will be backwards.

Simply place it on...

No pinning necessary!

Then place the eyes (I picked out fabric that had these eye shapes already in it, I just cut them out, but you could make yours however), and beak.

This applique is small enough that I didn't need to pin anything, the fabric just stays in place when I sew it. Lucky me, I know.

Add some details, like feathers or some funky stitches, and that's it! All done.

Now you're ready to experiment with whatever interesting shapes you can find on material, such as the wings on the owls shown above.

**NOTE: Unless a special backing is applied or an actual quilting appliqué stitch is used for all details and all around the owl, these will fray over time. I'm sticking this nifty backing on mine to prevent it, but it's just something to keep in mind.

A little note of encouragement

So tonight I was invited to 5 different places at once. My dad says to me, "well... if you time it just right, how many can you hit?" Haha. Love my dad.

Anyway, I go to the one that asked me first, because it's polite. And because I kind of had to, it was sort of a club meeting/ summer social for the Classics club at ASU.

We were supposed to watch Gladiator or 300, or something at least Classics related, but instead somehow we ended up watching Life of Bryan. I want my time back, it was so incredibly offensive. Granted, parts of it were hysterical, but on the whole it made me really uncomfortable.

And it hit me: yep, this is why I usually don't go places.

College kids. Tonight, conversation centered around drinking stories, racial jokes, and things like Harry Potter (which I haven't read btw) and movies I, you guessed it, haven't seen. Not to mention the whole conversation on music, where I hadn't heard a single song they were talking about, and therefore had absolutely nothing to contribute to the discussion.

So I don't have any drinking stories, because the only alcohol I've ever had was one sip of wine at Christmas two years ago (with my mom's permission, she was right there), and 4 sips of kosher wine this year at Passover, because, you know, that's part of it (Passover). But seriously folks, that's it. I don't turn 21 until December, and even when I do I'm not going to drink very much, if at all. I just don't like what it does to people.

I don't have any bad jokes either, because I don't think about things like that. Lascivious references were passed back and forth like 4th graders trading pokemon cards, and I had no clue as to what they were from. Most sexual innuendos I was totally in the dark on. I had no comment on the latest ribald movie.

Can you say... awkward?


I just don't have much to talk to people about. So I sit there quietly and uncomfortably, because I'm pretty much the only one not getting things and not laughing, and it's just awkward. I can't help it! I am who I am, and I'm not ashamed of it, but I feel bad for making others uncomfortable. They don't quite know what to make of me.


Oh well. I guess this is where I say I am what I am: totally naive about things.

But you know what?

It's ok.

That's right- it's ok.

I mean really, what am I supposed to do- go educate myself about these things so I can "fit in?" Read all the trendy magazines, watch the trendy movies, drink the beer, compromise my reputation? I don't think so. There's a reason I haven't done it already, and I'm not about to start.

The truth is, I'm glad I still have my innocence. And even though I know people snicker at me and totally, totally make fun of me behind my back... I'd rather that than be called a hypocrite. Because that's just it... I practice what I preach. Am I perfect? HA, certainly not. It's a process, I can tell you that. But I'm still a person of integrity, still a person of my word, and still following God. Because of my relationship with Him, I can't do those things. My conscience just won't let me.

Is it easy? Heck no. Who wants to be made fun of? Who wants to be alone a lot? Who wants to be known as the girl you can go to for answers on a test, but rarely anything else? Exactly.

It is hard sometimes. Ok, maybe more than sometimes.

But all things in life worth having are, I suppose.

I guess I just want to encourage those few out there like me that it is ok, and that you're not alone. People won't remember a ton about you, but they will remember how you live. And more importantly, God sees too and will reward you for making choices that please Him. He values your innocence! It's really a gift in disguise; when I get married someday- if I do- I won't have anything polluting my marriage. I won't have any baggage. I won't have any regrets! How awesome is that? Well, it is awesome, and completely worth paying the price for.

So for those of you out there making fun of me, I get it. I soooo get it, believe me I know I'm incredibly out of the loop of most of what's going on. But it's ok. I forgive you.

One day you'll understand.

All the Single Ladies

So what's in the water lately??

Every time I turn around, people are getting married. Like I'll be on Facebook and think, "now who the heck is... OH! THEY GOT MARRIED!"

But it's like every other post on my home page!

Dang.

I know it's a direct result of the area I live in, and even though on one level I get it, I still think it's a little crazy. I don't think there is, but it's almost like there's some sort of competition to see who can marry the fastest or something, and it makes me a little uncomfortable. Not that there's anything wrong with marriage, even at 18- 20, but whoa people, slowwwwww dowwwwn. To be called an old maid or to be treated like there's something wrong with you at 22 or 23 is CRAZY. Just sayin'.

Anyway.

What I really wanted to write about is letter writing.


Yes, the good old- fashioned practice of a hand- written note on nice stationary... remember those? ;)

One of my dearest friends recently sent me a letter, and I have yet to get back to her. Here's my problem:

I. Can't. Choose. The. Stationary.


I know, I know- that is a completely POINTLESS and STUPID problem, but it's nevertheless true. Here's what goes running through my head:

"Wow! That was so sweet of her!!! I'll write her back today. *goes to desk* Hmmm. Should I use this one, or make her one? Maybe I could use my water color postcards, and paint her something. No, I want to write more than that. Wait. I could use stamps, stamps will work! No... I don't want it to look completely dumb, because other than thank- yous I have owl and kid stamps. Ehhhh... Here! I can totally use these!!! Oh wait.... no I can't, I've had these since grade school, and she deserves something a little more sophisticated than bunnies at a tea party. We are not in 1st grade anymore. AHA!!! These look cute! Oh, darn, why do they have to be invitations?!"

And on and and it goes. I know people, I need help. I think I'm going to just go get some new stationary tomorrow, because I feel awful for not having written her back yet. Oy!

Family Update?

With my mom partying in Minnesota for two weeks (sniffles at the HOTEL PARTIES I'M MISSING), the fam here is sort of a mess.

First there's my dog, who thinks he's a mother duck. Yeah, that's right- my dog's a him.



Poor, confused, Raisin. ;) (but still cute!)

Second, my poor brother has some kind of flu bug.


Poor Daniel. I got him some Sprite & Jello, so hopefully he'll be able to keep those down.


What in the world is next? I hope nothing... but I probably just jinxed myself.

Happy Belated Father's Day Blog

Hmm, what to say about my dad...


1) I remember when I was really little my dad would read a book to me every night.

In the morning, he would read to me from the paper. I'm pretty sure I was the only kindergartener who asked the teacher if she read about the latest headline. :) Well, I remember that was one of the best times of the day- snuggling on dad's lap with a book. One time he came home with this book about really furry cats that acted like people (one even pretended to be a hobo), and other times he would read Miss Spider. But my favorite thing he read to me was a ginormous collection of selected Biblical stories for kids, but in a very grown- up way, and there were lots of cool pictures and artifacts to look at with each story.

2) I also remember him taking me to the park, and for long walks. I remember him teaching me how to swing by myself (a big thing when you're little! ...well, at least to me it was), how to ride a bike, and how to climb this curly piece of playground equipment I couldn't figure out. Even when I was really scared, having Dad right there to catch me always gave me the courage to try and figure the scary things out (you know... like scary curly playground equipment). ;)

2) When I was a little older, maybe 8, I remember my family was going through a hard time. I was worried, and didn't know what to do with that kind of worry. I'll never forget looking for my dad one day. No particular reason, I just wondered where he was. I looked everywhere for him, but he wasn't to be found! I even checked the garage to see if he'd left, but both cars were there.

Finally, I looked in his closet. Sure enough, there Dad was- sitting cross- legged on the floor of his closet, reading his Bible. And it clicked; that's what you do in hard situations. You turn to God.

3) When I was a little older, I remember dad buying my brother and I our first Nintendo. It was a Super Nintendo, and boy were we excited! All three of us played countless hours of Donkey Kong Country, and my brother and I were so impressed that he beat the thing. :D Dad has always been our hero, even when it comes to small things like video games.

4) My dad is also very smart. He can solve rubix cubes, beat you at chess, and was ever- so- helpful with my math homework throughout the years, especially with trig and the little bit of calculus I had to know. Thanks, Dad.

5) Dad is a quiet person, but when he speaks he's either cracking a joke or saying something incredibly profound. He's the type of person who rarely speaks up about things in public, but when he does, everybody listens and fully respects what he has to say. Dad has taught me to be careful with my words, as well as taught me not to waste them. I've never heard him say a bad thing about anybody. Thanks for the lesson, Dad.

6) Another thing I love and respect my dad for is his being a great example of a Godly man. Aside from working hard and providing for his family, Dad has shown me an unconditional love- something I know not every daughter gets. He has always been there for me, always. He always has my best interest at heart, and is not afraid to tell me to shape up when he needs to. But it's ok- he does it gently and without anger.



7) There is so much I could say about my dad, but the bottom line is: he's great. I'm so glad he's mine! I could not have asked for a better father if I had custom- ordered one.

The Lesson of Joy!

"Do not sorrow; for the joy of the Lord is your strength." -Nehemiah 8:10b

So pretty much, if you know me, then you know that my life is about growing in my relationship with Christ and about showing His love to people.

This is a learning process. :)

Lately, I have been learning about one particular thing: Joy.

I am learning that Joy is not the same thing as happiness. That Joy comes from the assurance that God is in control, that He's on my side, and that no matter what happens, I can rest in Him. This is what true joy is!

I'm learning that joy is not dependent on feelings. While I may feel happy, I may not feel happy the next minute.

Like if I just handed you a new car, I bet you'd be pretty happy. But if I took it right back I bet you wouldn't be happy anymore. ;)

So, this is where joy is different. It doesn't matter if I'm having the crappiest day of my life, or if my world isn't exactly perfect, or if I let myself down once in a while. It doesn't matter if I'm at a spiritual low or between a rock and a hard place, or even if I'm feeling down because life isn't fair.

What truly matters is that I can have a peace that passes all understanding, and true joy because I know who I am, where I come from, and what my purpose here on earth is. It comes from knowing my Creator, and seeking His company! Most of all, I know that I am treasured by Him and that no matter what, I am His and He loves me more than I can even fully comprehend.

I am learning that this is what joy is. :)

The Perks of Dog Sitting...

While I am STILL looking for a job, I've taken on a few dog- sitting jobs.

This is Georgia. Sweet disposition, and quite the cuddle bug!




So, what are the perks of dog sitting?

1) Well of course, getting paid. But aside from that:

2) Free food! Of course, with the whole losing weight thing, it's been hard not to dive into the ice cream. But I haven't!

3) The dogs themselves. They are all so playful; well, except for the two I'm watching right now. Here's the scene:

Me: *pick up ball, go to backyard, dogs follow. I throw the ball. "Go get it!" I yell, enthusiastically.

Blaise & Dakota: "What, does she actually think we're going to get it? Let's watch her get it." And they sit there!

As I retrieved the ball from the bushes, I swear they grinned at me. But moving on.

4) Pools! I love houses with pools. LOVE them. Sure, I can go swimming whenever I want to at home, but with a bunch of people. At other people's houses, I have one all to myself. I am trying to spend a lot of time in them, because it's good exercise and easy on my knee. Should have brought the sunscreen though... right now I could be mistaken for a lobster.








Me =






Maybe it'll turn into a nice tan??

Summer Goals

I've decided that while I'm waiting to hear back from potential employers, I'm going to write down some of my goals for the summer. I've divied them up into categories: Personal, Chores, School- Related, and Fun. This post will be incredibly boring for most of you- sorry. It's more for me than anyone else.

Personal: Feel Good.

1) I'm going to lose 20 lbs on purpose. Now that my knee can tolerate a bike again, I will be biking and swimming every day early in the morning, along with eating healthier. No more biscotti with my morning coffee, and definitely no more big helpings of my special tortellini pasta with butternut squash sauce. :( This also means some serious weight training. I usually lose 15 lbs every summer just from stress reduction, so maybe I can make it an even 35 this time? That would be awesome.

2) I'm going to get more sleep. I'm so tired of looking like a cover model for Zombie Magazine. No more dark circles, no more dependency on coffee to stay awake in the morning! On average I get about 5 hours a night, if I'm lucky, but now I can get a whole lot more! That is guaranteed to make me feel like waking up in the morning, and will probably help with the whole weight loss goal, too.

Chores: Organize My Life.

1) I'm going to go through my closet and get rid of a ton of clothes I don't need anymore. Seriously, it's time to get rid of the stuff from 8th- 12th grade. Yikes.

2) I'm also going to go through my books, and see if I can't come up with some other place for a lot of them. My room is beginning to resemble a small library, and while I've ALWAYS wanted a library like Belle's in Beauty and the Beast, right now it's not very practical.

3) With the space I'll create from re- locating books, I'm going to better organize all of my crafty/ artsy stuff. It's not terrible now, but I'm going to find something that works better for organizing all of my:
knitting needles & crochet hooks
YARN. Oh man, that stuff piles up from leftovers from projects!
paintbrushes
paints
paper- watercolor, sketching, etc.
pencils/ markers/ glittery things/ etc.
scrapbooking supplies (again, a lot of stuff here too)
stamps, ribbons, etc.
school supplies
beads (good for all sorts of media)
sewing stuff
fabric. uggh.

I don't really have knick- knacks, so that's good. Very, very good. But, I do have a lot of school papers to go through. Some of them I need to keep, but a lot I don't. They just clutter up my desk to the point I'm annoyed just looking at the stack of them.

School- Related: This summer, it's going to be about Getting Ahead.

1) Regularly go over Hebrew flashcards, and finish worksheets from last semester. If I can keep up with the vocabulary, which was A LOT this spring, I will be ahead for my third year this fall.

2) Start making flashcards for Greek. I found an awesome new website for those beginning Greek, and I am going to make flashcards for all of the grammatical terms, and learn the alphabet (print and script) for the fall. I have a feeling I will be thanking myself over and over again that I did!

3) Pre- read my books for all of the English classes I'm taking in the fall. I usually try and read what I can of textbooks before the start of school anyway, but I have a ridiculous amount of reading to do this semester... and if I have already read my books (for at least the English courses anyway), then I should be a lot better off than trying to stay up late and finish things during the semester. I'm trying to break that 5- hours- of- sleep-if- I'm- lucky streak!!

Fun: Hey! I can finally have some!

1) Catch up with friends! I don't get to see them nearly enough during the school year, and they are important. This is a priority.

2) Music: I'm going to improve my sweet guitar skills. If I can master just a few more chord progressions, then I can pretty much be my own band! I'm my own drums, keyboard, and bass. And soon guitar. Of course, I can't sing worth anything but that's ok... I'll find someone who can.
Can't forget, either, the good 'ol piano. I am going to be more dedicated to learning more this summer. I am going to record my compositions, and learn a song I've wanted to learn for relally long time.

3) I would love to finish my quilt, but I need a job first to secure the things necessary for its completion. So far, though, it's pretty darned cute! And owl themed. I'm in love with them.
I'm also going to make my own dress form, and figure out how to make my own dresses. Cute, light, summer ones, of course. Here's one of my practice appliqué owls. I have several different kinds, they aren't all shaped like this one. That's because I made my own patterns for them.


4) Painting. Drawing and painting are huge de- stressors for me, and I've begun to copy some of my favorite paintings and sculptures in black and white (it's the Classics major in me). I am going to add to this collection, and paint my very favorites. Check my "Experiments in Shadows" post for some examples if you want.

5) Cooking/ Baking. I love love LOVE to do these things. However, because I'm focusing on being healthier, I'm going to focus more on the cooking part. I already know I can bake well. ;)

I need to pay more attention to my mom, because she's an absolutely skilled woman when it comes to taking ordinary things and making them taste extraordinary.

6) Grandparents. Wait, what? I know, that's what just went through your head. Let me explain. My grandpa has been valiantly fighting that line between life & death for a while now... cancer does that. My goal with him? To get his life story. He has done it all- worked in a lot of different places, had many experiences in different parts of the country, and raised a large family. Every time I'm with him I learn something new about his life. A lot of times, old people (sorry grandpa) will tell the same old stories over and over, but with him it's not like that. He always has some new tales up his sleeve. Like when he was in the hospital recently, I learned that he wore pantyhose in a satirical production of a barn wedding. ??? You can't make this stuff up.

7) Well, can't leave out writing. This ties in with number six I guess, but I want to start writing my book. It's been in the planning stages for some time now, and I think with a few more tweaks of the character development I can finally start it! I'm excited. I also want to write and illustrate two children's books this summer. Contents are a secret though, because I don't want anybody taking them!

I guess that's about it for now. I know I had a few more, but I need to go help with dinner. :)

-Hannah

In Honor of Mom Part II

Well. I suppose I had better post some really sweet memories and things about her before ya'll get the wrong idea. ;)

Some of my very first memories of her are from when I was still pretty much a baby. She would rock me and sing me to sleep every night.

I also have her to thank for being such a wonderful example of what it is to be a Christian woman- compassionate, gentle, and real. Speaking of compassion, I don't think I've ever met anyone else in my life whose compassion matches hers. I remember one day coming home from school and finding her sobbing in our living room. A quail had flown into our long kitchen window and was hurt, so there she was with it wrapped in an old washcloth, rocking the twitchy thing and crying. She's like that, and I'm glad.

She also sets an excellent example of how to grow in the faith. She prays with other moms once a week for kids at my brother's high school, and she and a friend pray every Friday morning for their kids. She makes going to church a priority, and even when she feels terrible she still goes.

Mom is also very creative. She has the best handwriting, and when I was little I always had the best school projects! She's artsy in her own way, even if she denies it.

Another thing I appreciate about my mother is her ability to cook. Oh my, she does it a little too well. Everything she does always tastes really good, but trying to watch how she does things frustrates me because she doesn't really follow recipes and it's hard to remember.

My mom also has a heart for people. She fills the role of counselor in many lives, not just mine. She is the first person everyone goes to for help or advice, and it is always given lovingly and for free. :)

I also have to say that she is FUN. Always the life of the party, NO ONE ever forgets my mom once they've met her. No matter where we go, she always runs into someone she knows! Seriously, everywhere.

And finally, she has this unique ability to get things for free, often. Because she is so funny and nice, she somehow affects people in a way that they give her things. I'm trying to figure out how she does it! Free dessert, free products, free drinks, free makeup, free whatever- it happens everywhere. What's so cool about it is that she never expects it- people just like her that much. :)

There is so much more I could say, but I guess the bottom line is that I am very blessed to have her as a mom. What more could a girl ask for?!

In honor of MOM

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday, to be closely followed by Mother's Day on Sunday. I have to share some of my favorite memories of her with all of you.

Memory #1

I will NEVER forget the time we drove up to Minnesota the summer before fifth grade. We crammed all of our stuff in the car, and didn't stop for two days. No hotels, nothin'. My brother and I got so annoyed with each other that we built a wall of stuff in the middle seat just so we wouldn't have to look at each other! So poor mom, dealing with two cranky kids, was forced to take over the job of distracting us. We were stopped at a gas station in Kansas, and mom mysteriously disappeared into the quikie mart. She came back and we got onto the interstate highway, and then... she whips out a pair of these!!


She put these puppies on, and waved likes a madwoman at passing old people. Oh my gosh, we had never been more embarrassed before. Priceless.



Memory #2

The next memory I will NEVER forget of my mom was the time I took my best friend Naomi on her first camping trip. We had to take two cars, so my dad & brother rode in one and us girls got in the other. It was a long drive, and we talked and chattered away. Until Mom broke out the CDs, that is. She popped in some oldies and started seriously groovin' to the beat. My friend looked at me, as I turned red, and we both laughed so hard that the Sprite we were drinking was in serious danger of coming out our noses. She got the car into it, too, and we were b-boppin our way through the forest. I can only wonder what the local wildlife thought.



Memory # 3

Years later, I took same friend Naomi with my family to Disneyland, because she had never been before.

Naomi, my mom, and I were walking around Main Street when, lo and behold, a fire truck drives by full of firemen with band instruments.

Before even thinking about it, my mom YELLS and I mean YELLS:

"Look, those are some horny firemen!!"

People stared. I cringed. My friend turned crimson, and so did one of the firemen. I could have died, but it was pretty hilarious.



Memory # 4

This is on ongoing memory, because it happens all the time. Maybe I should call it a characteristic of hers instead of a memory.

Anyway, it's a well-known fact that my mom is cool. Much, much cooler than I am- by far. She is so cool, in fact, that many of my friends text her or come over to see her under the pretense of seeing me (but I know they just want to see her). :) She has been dubbed "Mama Jones," and the story of that is of course worth hearing.

My brother had some friends over one time to create musical fusion in our loft. They had brought over another friend that had never met my mom, and he was kind of a shy kid.

Well they were all upstairs, and Brittany (the cute one) made him call my mom. Why, you ask? I have no idea, it was just random. So this scared kid calls my mom- without knowing it was her- and what on earth does my mom do? She doesn't even know who's talking to her, but she decided to start talking like a Southern African American lady. Oh yes, she did! So this poor kid is getting very confused, and talks back like a African American man. And thus, "Mama Jones" was born. When he came downstairs later, he met her in person. Then they told that poor kid who she was, and he about died running out the front door (I kid you not, he sprinted out that front door!).

I guess I should also tell you that when she used to work as a waitress, sometimes she would wait tables with foreign accents. Just because. Yup, NEVER a dull moment at my house!! :)


Well I have to go, but I will probably post more tomorrow.

Experiments in Shadows

Lately, I have been drawing up a storm. I have never had art lessons, but they are something I wish I had. I have just been experimenting with some of them, and concentrating the most on shadows. Enjoy!

The Dying Gual

The Dying Gual's head.
I love it.
Even if he does somehow mysteriously look like one of the Village People. Y-M-C-A!

Lady with an Ermine

Guess who? ;)

Venus de Milo... head

I am going to try and paint this one!