Chad!

So, as of two days ago, I am now the proud owner of a car! God provided me with one for a VERY affordable price, and although it's rather old, it only has 45,000 miles on it. I still haven't quite gotten used to the idea! His name is Chad. There is a story behind this name. One day I was on facebook, and I stepped away from the computer for a second. My dear brother seized the opportunity and began to type a status for me. While holding me back with his right hand, with his left he typed, "Lindy was awake all night dreaming of Chad and wondering if she ruined her chances with him." I do not know anyone named Chad. I have never known anyone named Chad. From that day on, whenever I would accidentally leave my facebook up, Chad would appear again, courtesy of Jamey. "Oh Chad, I count the days 'til we can be together!" and etc. It keeps everyone entertained. Now Chad is the name of my car. Take that Jamey. :)

Summer Summary!

I don't know how, I don't know why, and I don't know if it will last, but for some reason my computer has decided to let me post pictures! It has been such a struggle trying to get it fixed, and I highly doubt it's fixed now. There's no reason to go into that. I shall now attempt to get any readers I have left caught up on my life. Hopefully I'll be able to go back later and post pictures from the remainder of my senior year, but for now I'll stick with what's happened this summer.

My summer began with a rather exciting event: my high school graduation! It was a very special day, and I still can't quite believe it happened.

My wonderful friend Kara made my graduation cake for me. On top, it has a camera, knitting needles, and yarn, and on the sides it has other little figurines that represent important parts of my life. It was an amazing cake, and extra special because Kara made it for me.

Summer project: Winnie the Pooh from Sculpey!

We went to the beach for a few days with my cousins.

Me, my brothers, and more cousins on the 4th of July.

My family

I went to Texas to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins. We had such a lovely time; it truly could not have been better!

We went to Sea World 3 times!

Sunday morning before church.

At Sea World again.

Some of my friends and I had a summer Bible study. It was wonderful. Yesterday, those of us who were able went and had a picnic at the lake. We went swimming, talked on the sand, and played on the swings. In this picture, you see me with Elise and Kelsey. Susanna took the picture. All 3 of them are leaving for college in a few weeks, and I am going to miss them so much.

Well, there you go. Hopefully I'm back for real now! I hope that you've all had a summer as nice as mine.

Class of 2010!

I have a big week ahead. A week from tomorrow, I will be graduating from high school! This year has gone by so fast; I've hardly gotten used to being a senior, and now here I am. I'm certainly looking forward to being done! After Tuesday I will be finished forever. You may or may not be wondering what I'm going to be doing in the fall, but I'll tell you anyhow. :) I'm doing something rather unconventional, I'm not going to college. *gasp* I've never felt that God was calling me to go for 4 years, but up until several months ago I was planning on getting a business degree at the local community college. As my parents and I prayed about it, however, we began to feel that that wasn't where God wanted me after all. It's always been my dream to own a small yarn shop, so over the next few years, I'm hoping to work at the type of shop I'd like to own, so I can get some practical experience. I'll also be looking for classes on how to run a small business, and so forth. It's going to be an adventure! It certainly won't be easy, and I don't exactly know what I'm doing, but I know that God has brought me this far, and His faithfulness is unchanging! I can't wait to see where He takes me from here.

So, I haven't posted since last year. Considering that it's January 3rd, that's doesn't sound so bad, but I also haven't posted since late October. My computer hasn't been letting me post pictures, and I just haven't felt like messing with it. Couldn't I have written a post without pictures? Of course, but is that fun? Not so much, but I still can't get it to work and I figure that this is better than nothing. If you're reading this, hopefully it means that you haven't given up on me. Thank you very much. I hope you all had a good Christmas! Mine was wonderful; possibly the best I've ever had! We stayed at home for the first time since 2003, and my grandparents came for a week. It was great! We played lots of games, and just enjoyed being together. I've had such a wonderful, peaceful, 2nd half of December, and now I'm preparing to dive into crazy January! I will be working on a new CYT play very soon, and I'm starting school again tomorrow. It's going to be an intense month, but I'm looking forward to it!

Summer Photo shoot

Happy August! I've had such a lovely week. For the first time in I don't know how long, I've hardly been anywhere, and it's been so nice. I need time at home every now and then. I got out all of my scrapbooking supplies and completed 6 pages so far. I love knitting so much, but I think I have the most fun when I'm really into a scrapbook page. I've been reading a lot this summer. When we went to the beach in June I started the Anne of Green Gables series. Mom made me read them when I was 12, and I hated them. (Mainly because I was reading them against my will.) I decided to give them another try, and I'm in love. They make me happy! I'm in the middle of Rilla of Ingleside now, and I'm going to be very sad once I'm finished. I don't know that I've ever enjoyed books quite so much. I've spent enough time with my friends this summer to be very content. I've had a sleepover nearly every week! It really has been a wonderful summer, and I can't believe how fast it's gone by. My 18th birthday is less than a month away. Last week (I think) Jamey and I had a little photo shoot in the yard. Photographers we ain't, but it was fun. Here are the results.

P.S. I just finished Rilla of Ingleside. I haven't been able to put it down all day. Now I want to curl up in bed and read, but read what? Yes, I have other books I wanted to read, but nothing seems quite as nice. At the moment almost feel as though there isn't anything to look forward to. Oh well, I suppose I'll get over it. My goodness, I love those books....

Sculpey Fun!

The other day I got together with some very good friends and had a sculpey day! It was great. We all sat in the kitchen and enjoyed each other's company as we worked. I can't even remember the last time I did something like that with friends, and I hope we can do it again! I loved seeing what everyone came up with. I wish I'd brought my camera. Whenever I leave it at home I always regret it. I did take pictures once I baked them at home. I made the flower basket and fish there, and the others the next day with some left over inspiration. :)

Mini tea set

Looking Back

This afternoon for some reason I decided to get out my old journal from 2003. I was eleven when I started writing in it. It's so funny! When I look at old pictures of myself I tend to think of myself as pretty much the same, just younger looking. That (quite obviously) is not the case. My old journal, in a way, is more interesting than the one I keep now, because I really wrote down what I felt, instead of what I wanted to remember. I could be very dramatic at times! Things were so important then that I hardly think about now. I go from talking about some deep secret to writing that I got new "Juicy Apple" shampoo and conditioner, to commenting that the fish we had for dinner was "edible" to worrying about money. Some things I wrote are surprisingly deep, some are interesting, and some are just funny! I had so much fun with it that  I thought I might share a few quotes with you. (Original spelling!) The funniest things are, I'm afraid, a little too personal to post. :)

"I would rather have Nanny and Granddaddy come tomorrow than be the First Lady and a Billionare when I grow up!"

"When I turned 11, my Whole prospect of boys changed. Don't tell anyone about this, OK"?

"there are no words to discribe how I feel about spring."

"Once he called and talked to everyone and when we said goodbye we both said "I love you" and neither one of us thought the other was weird."

"Courtney is coming tomorrow!  I can't wait! I wont be able to write to you for awhile because she will sleep with me like she always does. (Halelewya!)" (Courtney is my cousin)

"I wish asking someone to go home was good manners."

"Its a very long story but the bottom line is that he is an annoying little brother who gets mad when you want time alone with your best friend even if you and your best friend have been playing with him all day and he gets you SO mad that you get him in a choke hold  and then he tells your Mom and Dad and you have to come in for the rest of the afternoon and your so upset that when your dad tells you to come turn your light off and you're getting out of an E-mail and then he tell you to hurry up and you yell I'm Coming and he thinks it's ment to be disrespetful so he sends you to your room and gets really mad. See what I mean?" (I somehow imagine that that whole scenario was slightly different than I described it... :) )

"Just so you know, my life is not a boring as it sounds. I just don't write about EVERYTHING because I just don't have enough time!"

On the subject of tea, and etc...

A cup of tea and a good book. It sounds so very appealing! Several months ago I was very definitely NOT a tea drinker. I'd tried it once or twice, and I thought it was gross. My friend Kara was very much a tea person. She talked all the time about how wonderful it was! It sounded like fun, but when we were together I'd always drink hot chocolate. Then one afternoon (I had had a very hard day.) I decided I needed a cup of tea. I'm not sure why, I just did. I had a vague idea of how to fix it, because Kara showed me once. Soon I was sitting in my chair with a cup of raspberry tea, and lo and behold, I liked it! Go figure. Tea and I are now great friends. I'm also falling in love with teacups, and I've started collecting them. Here are some pictures of my favorites. (Actually, most of my collection.)

My chicken miniature tea set. It makes me smile.

My newest addition, a beautiful cup and pot set.

I got this one a long time ago.

This one is an antique demitasse cup that once belonged to my great (and possibly great great?) grandmother. The baby in the background is me!

I got this miniature set when we went to Colonial Williamsburg.

This belongs to a set I got for my 9th birthday.

My friend gave this to me for my 8th birthday.

Here's the whole shelf.


And here's Kirby. :)

Post #100!!!!!!!!!!!!

100 facts about myself, in honor of my 100th blog post!

1. When I watch a movie where people speak with an accent, (English, Scottish, Southern, etc) for the next day or so I automatically think in that accent.
2. I don't like onions, and I HATE cottage cheese.
3. My family has bad allergies. I don't have many food allergies, but I am allergic to cats. I used to be allergic to dairy, but I grew out of that.
4. Fall is my favorite season, I love snow, and Christmas is my favorite holiday.
5. I have never been out of the country.
6. A frisbee is the only thing I can really throw; I am NOT athletic.
7. I think I'm a bit ADD.
8. I have 8 cousins, and the 4 youngest were born in the same year.
9. I always sleep under my big fleece blanket, even in the summer.

10. When I was little, I drew a picture of my dream room. (lavender walls and a loft bed) That's what my room has now.

11. I have been in 20 something states, but have never left the country.

12. I LOVE history! Especially medieval history.

13. My knitting business started at our old church's choir Christmas party.

14. I don't mind snakes at all, (unless they're poisonous) but I HATE spiders! I've held a snake as big around as a softball, but I scream if I see a tiny spider. (Much to the delight of my brothers)

15. When I'm nervous, I giggle. This often proves to be very inconvenient.

16. I have a weakness for blankets, fleece, purses, and stuffed animals.

17. When I was little, I collected everything, from old bandaids to toothbrushes. Now I collect teacups, stamps and postcards.

18. I met THE Donut Man, and he gave me a hug!

19. I ate dog food once, I think before I could walk.

20. I really like Broadway music, but CYT music is the best.

21. I enjoy way too many things, and I have a hard time limiting myself to a reasonable amount of projects.

22. Math and I do not get along. At all.

23. I have AMAZING friends and family, and I love being with them.

24. I love to talk with friends! However, when I'm in large groups of people I'm usually pretty quiet, especially when I don't know everyone.

25. I love to read, but have trouble making time for it sometimes.

26. I LOVE taking pictures, and going back and looking at them later. I have a sneaking suspicion that my friends groan inside when they see me with my camera. That is, unless it's my friend Kelsey. She groans out loud. (I love you Kelsey!)

27. I think Les Mis is the most amazing story ever!

28. I can't stand doing only one thing at a time. If I'm knitting, I'll listen to music, if I'm watching a movie, I'll quilt, and so forth.

29. I love to play the piano, especially when I'm playing from my Scarlett Pimpernel or Phantom of the Opera songbooks!

30. I hate change.

31. If you look up the word "unathletic" in the dictionary my picture will be beside it.

32. I've always wanted a pet of my own, like a bunny, but all I've ever had is a fish. (Besides Kirby, obviously.)

33. I love the mountains, only mountain roads make me nervous.

34. I have one pet. Kirby is my dear, sweet, wonderful goldendoodle.

35. I have an odd fascination with putting half finished knitting projects on Kirby's head and taking pictures.

36. Before Kirby, I had one other dog. Buffy. Buffy was a Dachapeekapoo.

37. My favorite dishcloths to knit involve more than one color.

38. I took tap dancing for two years when I was little. Do I remember anything? Nope.

39. I always wanted a horse when I was little.

40. We have lived in this house for 8 years. We lived in two other houses before this one.

41. I love fresh tomatos, but I detest cooked tomatos.

42. Red roses are my favorite flower.

43. I've been homeschooled from kindergarten on. I went to preschool at my church.

44. I love to read.

45. I drew out my first idea for a dishcloth pattern backstage during a CYT rehearsal. That was over 2 years ago.

46. I can crochet a little, but I learned to knit first, so I never did much crocheting.

47. I hate movies with lots of blood and gore.

48. I like happy, sentimental movies.

49. Dust is the bane of my existance.

50. I am very excited to be halfway through. Will I make it all the way? We'll see.

51. Every morning I have a piece of peanut butter toast for breakfast.

52. I hate storms.

53. It is my dream to wear a hoop skirt someday. Civil War fashion is my favorite.

54. I own several coloring books.

55. I'd rather talk in person than on the phone.

56. I wish I were a better writer than I actually am.

57. I dislike bright orange.

58. I love fruit.

59. I'd love to go to Europe someday. (Who wouldn't?)

60. The two most unusual things I have knitted have been a hammer cozy and a high five mitt. Long story.

61. I listen to different music than most people my age.

62. I want to have a craft shop someday.

63. If I ever have kids (and I hope to.) I want to homeschool.

64. I'm quickly becoming addicted to sock yarn. (Not good, considering how long it takes me to knit a pair of socks!)

65. Every time I have tried to start a garden it has been a failure.

66. I love watching the little birds at our bird feeder.

67. Hot weather stinks.

68. I have shelves in my room anywhere they will fit.

69. I grew up listening to Adventures in Odyssey. I still do.

70. I made a total of $5.00 profit at my first craft sale.

71. When I was little, 8 was my favorite number.

72. I am beginning to wonder if I will ever make it to 100.

73. Furthermore, I highly doubt anyone will ever read all of this.

74. 72-74 were kind of cheating. Whatever.

75. When I was little I always spent my allowance on Beanie Babies. I still remember the thrill of having a new one.

76. I love to swing! It feels like flying.

77. Rain isn't so bad, but I hate storms.

78. I wish I could fly like Peter Pan!

79. By this point I can't remember what I've said, so I've probably said something twice.

80. I have dreams of a celery green nursery decorated with old fashioned Winnie the Pooh things....

81. I'm terrible at long projects, because I get bored with them after awhile. I always come back and finish them though.

82. During the final stretch of the last 2 CYT plays I was in I injured my big toe and had someone step on it. (I'm getting desperately random)

83. I'm really quite terrible when it comes to anything technical.

84. My nose was squashed when I was born, but it unsquashed after awhile.

85. When I was 18 months old I could sing the 50 states in alphabetical order and sing all the books of the Bible.

86. I totally missed my second blogoversary. (Did I spell that right?

87. I'm quite fluent in pig latin.

88. My 3 year old cousin pointed out that my knees are bigger than his.

89. When I was little I'd find books that I'd like and read them over and over and over and over.... I didn't branch out much.

90. I got glasses when I was 3.

91. I first sang in church when I was 5. It was a duet with my little brother, who was 3 at the time.

92. When I was 12, I was scared to death to be part of my little churches Christmas play. Now my best memories are from CYT. (Christian Youth Theatre)

93. The Berenstain Bears book, "The Bad Habit" got me to start biting my fingernails. Sister Bear did it, and I thought it sounded cool. (I don't anymore!)

94. Reading Emerson's Essays was my worst school experience this year.

95. I'm not at all a fan of texting.

96. I adore painting ceramics. I painted a plate last year that took 8 hours.

97. I wear my great great grandmother's engagement ring.

98. Olive Garden is my favorite restaurant.

99. I tried to write a book when I was around 12. It's the most boring thing I've ever read.

100. I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!

Homeschool Prom ~ 2009

Last night was the homeschool prom! This was my first time officially going, but I was a server last year. One of the nicest things about it is the fact that so many people just go with friends instead of dates. There are, of course, quite a few couples, but some of them just go as friends, and there are there more than enough people who came with out a date to make being date-less

fun. I went with my dear friend Crystal. We've been planning this for nearly a year! She came over to my house to get ready beforehand, and fixed my hair. She is amazing with hair! I don't know what she did, but it was amazing. We were both excited, and maybe the tiniest bit nervous. Once we were there it was so much fun! There were a lot of people I knew, so there was always someone to talk to. I had never done anything like this before. The historical ball was nice, but this was REALLY nice. I loved seeing what everyone was wearing. After dinner we danced for a few hours. I say we, but that isn't entirely correct, because I didn't dance much. I'm not that good at it, and I couldn't quite get up the nerve. We did some songs that I knew though, like YMCA, the electric slide, and the Hokey Pokey. :) The whole evening was as nice as I'd hoped it would be. After the prom was over (at midnight) I went to my friend Parri's house and spent the night with some friends. We talked until 3 in the morning, so I'm pretty much exhausted at this point.

We sat with my friends David and Rebekah.

Alex, me, Kelsey, and Elise

Kara

Caroline, Katie, David, Rebekah, and me.

Jamey was a server.

Snow!

For all practical purposes, it hasn't snowed here since early 2004, when Kirby was a puppy. On Monday they said it was supposed to snow 2-5 inches, and we got 7! Needless to say, we were pretty excited. We bundled up and went outside and stayed outside basically all day. It was so much fun!

Me with the boys.

Isn't he cute?

Sledding.

This was NOT supposed to happen!

Kirby and our snowman.

Kirby playing in the snow.