CrazyGirl observes Answered Prayers

So, ask anyone who knows me, every year around Christmas, I start hoping for snow. Despite living in a region of California that it doesn't really snow. We got a little snow in January of my 3rd grade school year...but once you made a snowball, it took all the snow off the ground. I still remember, being 4 years old, in the living room at my old house, sending a silent prayer for a White Christmas. Every year since then, I have hoped and prayed for a White Christmas. Every time someone told me it wasn't gonna snow, I told them I was gonna believe it was anyway.
Needless to say when I got an emergency weather alert to my phone last week, saying it was supposed to snow this Friday, I was super excited. Everyone told me it wouldn't. Everyone said not to be disappointed when it didn't. Well, this morning, the pond outside my dorm room was frozen over, which made me happy! And little snowflakes were fluttering down, but melting before they could land. But, still, there was snow, and I was excited!

Then, tonight, while I was at my work Christmas party, it started snowing enough  to stick, which made me extremely happy! My excitement was very real, and overflowing.

Then, as we made the LONG drive back to campus (it normally takes 15 - 20 minutes, and it took us an hour and a half) I continuously spouted my excitement. It was coming down really hard, which made it hard to see, and Californians REALLY do not know how to drive in the snow. But, we survived the drive back and I rushed outside to play in the snow. My Christmas prayer since I was four years hold had finally come true. I was more than excited. I seriously felt like crying because I was SO happy.

I still don't know how to express my excitement over the snow. It's so gorgeous, and I can truly say it feels like being in a Winter Wonderland. I know it's not QUITE Christmas yet, but it's the Christmas season, and God saw it fit to answer the childlike prayer I've been saying for 16 years now. It was a long wait, and not necessarily a prayer of necessity, but the snow in Redding tonight is most definitely proof that God answers even the most ridiculous prayers uttered by a four year old. It was an earnest plea from the very bottom of my heart. I seriously am not sure how I am going to sleep tonight because the excitement is overflowing. ♥
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes Stealing Joy

A while back, I had the joy and pleasure of working for a friend of mine's grandma, AKA Meemaw. I got to spend countless hours with her, listening to her tales of college and early married life and life after kids. I was blessed to witness the blessing she was to everyone she came into contact with, whether it was the cashier at the grocery store, or her dear friend that we ran into somewhere in town. She is full of sass and spunk and is wiser than she likes to think. One day, she said something to me, that I will never forget. 

It was a typical day, we had done some grocery shopping, and were headed to In-N-Out since that was her favorite place to eat. She offered to buy my lunch again, as she had every time. I turned it down, saying I could get it myself, but thank you. Only, this time, instead of simply shaking her head at me, she turned around, hands on her hips, and looked me in the eye. "Stop stealing my joy." I remember thinking "What?? What is that supposed to mean?" She just looked at me for a minute before continuing. "Look, if I didn't want to buy your lunch, I wouldn't offer. I want to do this for you. It brings me joy. So stop being prideful and stealing my joy. Let me treat you." 

Now, those were some pretty profound words there. It's been almost two years since that happened, and sometimes I still have to stop and let them sink in. But, as the Christmas season approaches, I've been reminded of that conversation more and more. You see, I like getting people Christmas gifts. It brings me joy to see them open a present that they've either really been wanting, or that totally reminded me of them, and was a dead on answer to what to get them. That makes me so extremely happy. Yet, lately, more and more people (including my family) have been telling me "Don't get me a Christmas gift." or "You didn't have to get me anything." or they think I'm expecting something back. NO. I am going to get you a Christmas gift, because you are someone special to me, and Christmas is a season of giving. I know I didn't have to get you a gift, but where is the fun is being forced to get someone a present? I LIKE doing this. Let me enjoy my favorite part of the Christmas season; GIVING. I'm not expecting anything in return. You are my friend or family member and I love you and want to show you that. Don't diminish that by assuming you need to buy me something in return. Accept my present, open it, give ME the joy of getting to give you a present. And, people, seriously, STOP STEALING MY JOY.

Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

P.S. Merry Christmas♥♥♥

CrazyGirl observes Her Future

You know, there is a LOT about being at a University that makes you start REALLY thinking about what you want to do with your future. Obviously there is finding a major, but there are also a TON of people asking what it is you want to do with your life. Now, I'm not saying this is a bad thing, because it's not. But, it does make you start thinking.
Now, as most of you know, I'm at school to become a kindergarten teacher. BUT, what some of you may NOT know, is that if you ask me what I want to do with my life, being a kindergarten teacher is NOT the answer I will give you. Because, to me, being a kindergarten teacher is just a career to pass the time between now and when I get to start my real calling. To be a stay-at-home-mom. Now, I've heard the feminist rants about how I'm going against everything feminism has worked for and blah-di-blah-di-blah. (Which, FYI is a false statement, since feminism worked for the right to CHOOSE). But, that's not going to change my mind.
You see, ever since I was a little kid, I knew in my heart what I wanted to do. I wanted to dedicate my life to raising my family and to being an amazing wife to my husband. Now, when I decided this (at about four years old) I didn't really have much reasoning to support it. But, the older I've gotten, and the stronger in my beliefs on this subject, the more reasoning I've come to see. I was blessed enough to be raised by a stay-at-home-mom. She is an amazing woman of God, who has set a great example for us over the years. She was the soccer mom, the room mom, the mom who brought homemade cookies to every class party when that was actually still allowed in school. She made every birthday cake, and threw every party. She put up with us and our friends no matter how silly and loud we could be. As I got older, she became my confidant, and my best friend. I know to this day I can trust her with anything. I really and truly look up to my mom.
When I look back at my younger years, and the fact that me and my siblings were all younger and thus harder to handle, I realize my mom must have had the patience of a saint to put up with us, and an unconditional amount of love in her heart for the four of us kids. She is a HUGE part of the reason I want to be a stay-at-home-mom.
But, she's not the only reason. In the Bible, God calls us as women, once married, to submit to our husbands. In my personal opinion, I feel that dedicating time to building your family is a HUGE step of submission to your husband, and it's definitely one I'm willing to take. I know some girls feel called to huge careers or missions overseas, and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with that. But, it's not my calling. I know that to some of you, the typical housewife gig holds little to no appeal, but I can't imagine doing anything else with my life. It just wouldn't be right. At least not for me. And I'm not saying that all of us are called to be wives and mothers, but I know that there is nothing else I want to do with my life. And God knows that too.
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes Texting

Texting. It's a wonderful invention that allows me to stay connected to my friends both near and far. Same with Instant Messaging. I love that with just a few taps on the keyboard I can start a conversation with a friend that could possibly last all day. But, at the same time I hate texting.
You see, I used to enjoy texting my friends, seeing who was up to what, and then figuring out if anyone wanted to hang out. It was simple, convenient. Now that I've moved, it's still simple and convenient and a useful thing to use. But, I miss face-to-face conversations. Phone calls are nice, I love actually being able to hear someone's tone of voice, picture their facial expressions while we talk. Skype is even nicer. I get to see them (when the computer isn't freaking out on us) AND hear their voices. But, there is just nothing like a good, old-fashioned, face-to-face conversation. Honestly, I think most of us take those for granted. We are so used to seeing people everyday, face-to-face, that we don't think about what it might be like when that isn't an option anymore. Sometimes, the urge for a face-to-face conversation is so strong, I consider hopping in the car and driving home just for some quality time with my friends there.
Luckily, my friends love me as well, and two of them were amazing enough to drive up and spend some time with me at school. It was beyond wonderful. It was like combining the best parts of both worlds. And, sorry to those of you who prefer texting, but there is just something so wonderful about catching up with a real-life conversation. It was almost therapeutic. I'm one of the lucky few who lives close enough that I could drive home easily, but it was still so amazing to see my friends. Texting will never take the place of real friendship.
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes Timing

Timing is a funny thing. It can make or break something. I constantly hear "Oh . . . the timing just wasn't right." And, that's rough, because really we can't do much of anything about the timing of things. But, God controls that, and I believe He truly does let things play out in the perfect timing. An example of this happened tonight.
You see, like most girls, I struggle with self-image. And, lately, I've been struggling with it a lot more than usual. Just this morning I was praying in frustration, asking God why suddenly I was experiencing these insecurities again, trying to make sense of this sudden bad perception of myself. Then tonight, I was sitting in the food court at the mall with my roommate, talking, laughing, you know, normal young people stuff, when a woman approached me. "Um, excuse me, well, I really just felt God calling me to talk to you tonight. You just have this light about you, and so I wanted to give you this." Then she handed me a note and walked away. Curious, I opened the note, and what I read inside almost brought me to tears. "I see a gold crown on you, and that you have a gold heart. I also see a lot of light over you. I feel this scripture is for you. Zechariah 9:14 'Then God will come into view, His arrows flashing like lightning . . . God of angel armies will protect . . . He'll rescue them. They'll become like sheep, gentle and soft, or like gemstones in a crown of the sun. The how they'll shine! Shimmer! Glow!' You're beautiful" Honestly, there might have been a point in my life where I would have been completely weirded out by that entire situation. But, I know we serve a mighty God, and He cares for each of us individually. And when one of His children is suffering, or doubting the beauty He created them to be, He likes to remind them of His power and love. I don't know if that woman will ever know just how much her short note affected me, but I pray she might somehow know.
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes...herself...

So, I'm gonna get really honest with you all tonight. I can be very judgmental. I have, on more than one occasion, been the person sitting in church thinking "Oh my gosh. Did you see what she is wearing? *cough* skanky *cough*" and "What is he doing here? He definitely is a party boy during the week, and cusses up a storm when he's not at church. Ugh." I'm sure that at one point, most of us have had thoughts similar, although yours might not necessarily be as harsh as mine tend to be. And, since I'm being 100% honest with you all tonight, I'll admit, I didn't see the problem with this. I was in church, on my high horse, judging everyone who walked through the door. That was just the way it worked. My problem was, I failed to realize that I am no better than any of them, in fact, I might just be worse. 

But, I recently have come to realize the MAJOR error of my ways. I am NO better than ANYONE. And I have no right to think I am. I needed a reality check, and someone had to knock me off my high horse. Now, I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who are hoping for some tragic story of someone coming along and popping my ego, insulting me to the point where I realized how wrong I'd been, but that's not quite how it happened. In fact, I got a pretty gentle wake-up call. 

Most of you have heard me talk about the Wolf Pack, and they are definitely where this all started. You see, I probably would never have hung out with any of them. They didn't fit the "image" of the crowd I was supposed to be hanging out with, at least in my own head. And, even still I'm amazed at how God put them in my life. It was nothing short of a miracle. This amazing group of people were the least judgmental people I'd ever met. And, suddenly, I was left to look at my past behaviors. 

Then, I moved up to Simpson, and I watched as tons of people did the exact same thing I'd always done. And no one ever thinks it's wrong. But, last night, I was sitting at church and the pastor was talking about the 1 John 3:15 "Anyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him." I was again struck with this thought that I am no better than anyone else. If God is the only judge, then who am I to judge everyone else? I am not better than anyone. I don't sin any less. I am just as much a sinner as every person I pass on the streets. So what makes me think I'm any better? I tried justifying it with "Oh, it's just human nature" and "Well, everyone does it." But, in reality, I need to check myself. And knock off this judgmental habit of mine. I'm not saying it's gonna be an overnight transformation, it's definitely something I'm working on everyday. But I'm making progress, and that's something. 

Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes Being Blessed

So, I've been up at Simpson for exactly a month today, and I absolutely love it! I have fantastic roommates and a great job! My classes are going great, and I'm adjusting to dorm life (AKA little to no sleep . . . EVER). But, this weekend, I had the opportunity to go home for the first time, and I took it.
Being someone who likes sleep, you know I was excited when I was willing to get up and be on the road by 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. I had my stuff packed three days in advance, and I didn't shut up about going home the entire week leading up to it (and probably drove my roommates nuts). That morning, I was up bright and early, and actually smiling before 8 a.m. The drive home seemed to fly by, and when I passed the sign that said I was entering town I did a little happy dance (and to the guy driving next to me, don't judge. You have NO idea how happy I was to be home).
When I got home, Dad was the only one out in the living room, so I hugged him, then threw my bags on the floor and gave my puppies some love (and, yes, I used the puppy voice, thank you very much). Then, I got to see my mommy and get a good, old-fashioned Mommy-Hug (they work wonders, in case you didn't know). Then, I got to see almost the whole Wolf Pack, and I got to see Kelsey! It was amazing! Although, saying goodbye again kinda sorta really sucked. I mean, I know I'll be home again soon, but I still hate goodbyes.
Today, while a bit worn out, I have been in a FANTASTIC mood, and I honestly think it's because I got to spend some time at home with the people I love. There is something therapeutic in that. And, as hard as it is to say goodbye (I may or may not have cried for the first 15-20 minutes of the drive back to school), it is so worth it to see all the people you've been missing. I wouldn't trade it for anything. And, honestly, realizing how much I'd missed a town I never thought I'd miss was kind of astonishing. I can't wait to be back. ♥ I love the people who have made my life so blessed.
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes the Odd Compliment

Today, as I was leaving class, one of the girls in my class commented on my outfit for the day (which, I might add, I was rather excited about wearing). She just happened to say in passing "Hey. I really like that skirt. You know, you always wear the cutest outfits."
Now, to most girls, that's a fairly common compliment, but that made me so excited. I have never really been one to dress up or even really make an effort for school. But, my goal for this school year was to move beyond my big tee-shirts and jeans stage and onto actually figuring out my own style. So, to have someone who had no idea that I was working on that, compliment my style was beyond amazing. She had absolutely no idea that she would make my entire day by saying that.
Which brings me to the real point. We say stuff all the time that we don't really think about. An odd compliment, or maybe even a snarky comment to a friend. But, what we don't realize, is those words have a certain amount of power in other people's lives. To the girl you just complimented, you could have just made her entire day. But, if that guy heard the sarcastic insult about him you muttered to your friend, you could ruin his day. Our words have power. (A lot of it.) And we take that for granted on a daily basis. But, maybe we should all think about using the power of our words, and the power of a smile every day, and we could make a pretty big difference. Think about that.
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl Observes People

Today, a friend and I went to the local Starbucks for a study session, hoping to avoid the distractions of being on campus, we packed up our books and headed out. While we were sitting there, an older couple sat down next to us. Being the people watcher I am, I silently observed the couple. I noticed the worn, but beautiful rings that signified what I can only assume was years of marriage. I watched the familiar way they interacted, as if they had known each other forever. Intrigued by the love plainly written across their faces, I continued to observe this couple. I watched the way he looked at her, almost like he was falling in love all over again, every time he glanced her way, and they way she took his compliments bashfully, smiling and looking away and occasionally blushing.
Once they got their coffee, I watched as she leaned forward flirtatiously, watching his face as if he was the only person in the room. Suddenly, with a giggle, she reached forward and swiped some whipped cream off his coffee cup. He gave her a shocked look, then an adoring grin, as he swiped the whipped cream off of her coffee in retaliation. She giggled and smirked at him as if telling him to be ready for payback. That was when it hit me. This couple is flirting. It seriously made my day.
In today's world, it can be so rare to see couples still in love, or even still married. So, to witness this couple, obviously so familiar with each other and blatantly in love with each other, was such a blessing. I don't know if anyone else in Starbucks even picked up on their flirtations, or the way he took her hand while they were leaving. Maybe it's the hopeless romantic in me that caught it, but I'm so glad I did, because, quite simply, it made my day.
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes the Wolf Pack

So, this story starts a few months ago, when I was introduced to this girl. She seemed funny, and sweet, and we seemed to click pretty well. The next morning, she messaged me on Facebook and said simply that she was glad to have met me and that she hoped we'd have the chance to become closer, and that she knew we would become good friends. That girl was Alex.
Little did I know her words were far from inaccurate. I was slightly busy when I met her; juggling first a 19.5 credit workload and a part-time job, then moving from that directly into two jobs that left me working pretty much all the time. But, we managed to hang out here and there. Then, I found out my amazing news about going to Simpson, and I kind of just dropped myself off the social radar. I mean, I saw people every once in a while, but my real focus was working and moving to Simpson. Then, I got scheduled to be selling smoothies at a festival here in town, and in a spur of the moment decision, I tweeted that I'd be there and that someone should come visit me. Well, Alex decided to take me up on that offer. She came with a friend of hers, and afterwards they invited me to go to In-N-Out with them. Part of me argued and said "No. Don't go, you have to work." But then this other part of me was like "Umm . . . hello? You're young. You haven't done anything social in ages. JUST GO." So, I went. That was the night I met Nic. He seemed fun, and funny, and he and Alex kept referring to "The Wolf Pack" (whatever the heck that was). I never realized I'd actually end up introduced to them.
A few nights later, Alex and I decided to hang out again, then we decided "Hey. Why not invite the guys?" (At this point I'd only met Nic.) So, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, we invited a group of guys I'd never met to hang out at my house. (I know, I've gone off the deep end, right?) That night it ended up being me, Alex, Nic, Spencer, Austin, and this guy Taylor. He was the second member of the Wolf Pack I met. He seemed pretty cool, a good sense of humor and whatnot. But, again, I was kinda pretty much 100% focused on Simpson, so I didn't think much of it.
Then, a few nights after that, I was introduced to the rest of the Wolf Pack. I met Corey and Drew, and was there with Alex and Taylor. We had a ton of fun that night, just hanging out and being ourselves. But, again, I didn't really think much of it. Then, the more I was around the Wolf Pack, the more I loved them all. They all have such great personalities, and are some of the most amazing friends a person could ask for. I could go back and tell you every memory with them, but I don't think I could do all the memories justice.
Needless to say, Alex, Corey, Nic, Drew, and Taylor have all come to mean so much to me, and if you had told me that just over a month ago, I would have told you that you were crazy. I was headed to Simpson, that was all that mattered, and the last thing I needed was an attachment to this little town. And, yet, here I am, with a week and a half left before I move, and I'm already dreading that goodbye. These are the kinds of friends you want to keep for a lifetime, people who accept you where you're at, who are there for you when you're down, and are happy for you when you're glad. They can make me laugh and I don't feel the need to pretend in front of them. I know that they always have my back, just like I always have theirs. And, while I'm still very much looking forward to all the adventures to come at Simpson, I can only say that I'm thankful for every last memory I have with this random, crazy, amazing, wonderful group of people who call themselves "The Wolf Pack" and I am so honored and blessed beyond belief to have been able to experience this time with them, and to be a part of their Wolf Pack. I will miss them all so dearly, and I will look forward to seeing them when I'm home. But, most of all, I want to make the most of every last moment this next week and a half with the Wolf Pack.
I love you guys so much, it amazes even me.

Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes Passions

Passion. Obsession. Insanity. Call it what you will, but everyone has something that they feel passionately about. For some, it's politics, for others, music, and there's even some out there with a passion for math. As for me, I find passion in the small things.
Waking up early when I'm camping, drinking hot coffee, and just soaking up my surroundings. There's just something so wonderful about that. Or in my baking. I mean, something about measuring, mixing, and then baking something is so wonderful it's therapeutic. Pulling a warm, savory smelling tray of muffins out of the oven? It's pure bliss.
I find passion in reading. I absolutely love being able to find a great book and just get lost in it. How amazing that someone can so eloquently phrase something, that you find yourself in a whole other world, just based off letters on a page. And music. I ADORE music. No, you're right, I couldn't carry a tune if I had a bucket to hold it in, but that's never stopped me from being passionate about music. I love getting lost in a song, when you can just completely relate to the lyrics, and the instruments are so perfectly played. I love when you can feel a song building; a soft intro with just piano or guitar, then they bring in the percussion and then the lyrics are just so powerful you're completely blown away. That's something I find passion in.
I also find passion in my writing. This blog, my journal, my poems, and my songs. My journal probably holds the best of my writing, because I allow myself to get so lost in the writing, not worrying about who will see it, and what they'll think. Which, occasionally leaves me stumped as to what I should write about on here. Not because I'm really concerned that someone might not like me, but because sometimes I wonder if people can actually handle what goes on in my mind. My second best writing is probably in my songs, because I really just express myself. I try not to force the lyrics, so I have notebook after notebook of little one liners I scratched down as they popped in my head. But, there is no feeling that really compares to being able to actually finish a song. After reading, rereading, and tweaking all the little details, then having it express what I want in a way that just flows. That's always so amazing to me. And, part of me wants to put my songs out there, then I do this thing where I type the whole thing out, get ready to post, and chicken out. Maybe someday though.
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes New Adventures

Life has this funny way of doing what we least expect. Things we expect to be easy can end up being extremely challenging. Things we figured would be a challenge end up being a piece of cake. Curveballs are more common than a perfectly laid plan that actually works.
When you look back at your outlook on life from one, two, or even ten years past, you realize that most of the time you aren't where you expected to be. You may not be far off, but most of the time you aren't right on, either. This isn't a bad thing, it's what makes life an adventure because you never know where you will end up.
God calls us all different places, and that TOTALLY plays a part in where we end up. If you had asked my sister when she was a freshman in high school if she would ever travel to Russia, she probably would have said no, yet, just a few nights ago I went with to pick her up from her month long trip to Russia. Yet, if you would have asked me when I was a freshmen in high school if I would ever go to community college, I would have laughed, told you that you were crazy, and sworn that I was headed straight to a four year university. Yet, I just finished year two at my local community college. If you would have asked me when I was four years old what I would be doing after I graduated from high school, I probably would have told you that I would either be A) breeding dogs or B) married to Prince Charming. Neither of those are anywhere near where I'm at today. And in all honesty, I'm okay with that. God is working in my life in big ways, and I am absolutely excited about where my life is heading. It was nowhere near what I had planned out for myself, but that is okay, because God's plan for me is SO much bigger than my own and that is absolutely beyond 100% amazing. He has provided more than I could ever have imagined for myself.
Which brings me to the main point of my blog post tonight, I, CrazyGirl am excited to announce that come fall, I will be heading off to Simpson University♥. That's right, I am completely 100% finished with community college and heading off to the school of my dreams. As if that's not enough, God has also provided me with three amazing roommates; Allison, Courtney, and Hannah. We've talked via Facebook, and I can already tell this year is going to be an amazing one. I cannot wait to meet these girls and share our year at Simpson
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥ (AKA a Simpson Red Hawk)

CrazyGirl observes the struggle

So, a few weeks ago now, I did a post about Prince Charming, and how I needed to spend the time enjoying my friends and not be focused on finding him. Well, I'm finding that's not always as easy at it sounds. I AM enjoying time with my friends, that's not a problem, the problem is how often I'm reminded of how single I am. I don't try to look for the clues. In fact, I try to avoid all those reminders. But, when you're cruising along, windows down, music up and some cute love song comes on, and you aren't the one in charge of the radio, it's like *BAM* instant reminder. It's hard when you struggle with being happy for someone and completely bummed at the same time. And I feel like I'm doing that pretty much every single day. Most of my friends are in relationships, and I struggle with being jealous. This isn't a pity party, so don't take it that way. This is my attempt at being honest with you guys. I'm getting real, and letting you know that this stuff I say on here, it doesn't all come easy. I wish it did. But, I struggle. I mean, I am only human.
I still deal with the urge to go to a party in hopes of having some kind of a social life. And, I definitely still struggle with the desire to be in a relationship. I don't have this thought that a relationship will make me whole, or make my whole life perfect or anything like that. I know that being in a relationship has struggles of its own. I just have this extremely deep-rooted desire to have a relationship. And I couldn't even tell you why. Maybe it's that since I was a little kid, I've wanted to be Cinderella, or that I have an addiction to romance novels. But, either way, I still struggle with the longing to have someone love me that way. And I don't want one of those little flings that won't ever mean anything. I don't want a flirtationship (where you flirt all the time, and border on dating, but know it won't ever happen). I want a relationship. I try to stop those thoughts when they come. Take them captive and throw them out. But, they seem to be so persistent, constantly barging into my mind. I've been praying about it. But still I feel overwhelmed.
It's so ironic that I should be so overcome by the desire for a relationship when the creator of the universe longs for one with me. We have a relationship, God and I, but I wouldn't consider it romantic. I don't know that that's what God wants either. I trust Him, with my life, my future, my feelings, my thoughts, everything. I've given this issue to Him over and over and over. Yet, so much of the world seems focused on the romance, and avoiding it is pretty much impossible. I know the perfect guy for me is out there waiting, and I pray for him every morning and every night. But still I struggle.
It sometimes seems to me that all I ever do anymore is struggle with getting rid of these thoughts, thinking of other things, praying about forgetting this idea. But still it persists. I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm only human after all. I'm entrusting it to my Heavenly father, AGAIN. I just pray I can learn to be content where I am. Which is very very single.
Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl♥ observes Memories

So, hitting a point of what I'm deeming "desperate writer's block" (that point in time where you REALLY want to write, but are so out of ideas you can't think of anything), I decided to post on Facebook and see if any of my friends had a good suggestion of what I should write about. One of the people I've been friends with the longest commented that I should write a blog about memories. Well, she and I have PLENTY of memories together. Some are sweet, some are fun, and some have been sworn to secrecy. (Didn't every little kid have a secret?) But, I think right now, it's time to shed some light on those memories.

So, now that my friend is freaking out reading this, I'm NOT going to blog about our secret. It's a secret for a reason my friend! But, you and I did have some pretty fantastic times together. All the times we spied on my sister and your brother, swearing that they would end up married someday, and all the crazy adventures we went on simply because we imagined an entire scenario. Did you know you were the first person I'd ever met who owned a guinea pig? I thought that was the coolest thing ever.

I remember this one time that we were at her house, playing Super Mario 64 (if there are any youngins reading this, that's a game for the Nintendo 64, pretty much the GREATEST gaming system of all time), it was five of us; me (of course), her (Taylor), her brother (Zac), my sister, and my younger brother. Super Mario was only a one-player game, and Zac had the controller at the time. He was in the world with the grass and the tilting bridge thing and the bomb-ombs and (my personal favorite) the Koopa the turtle that you could jump on, hijack his shell and surf around the world until something hit you. (Please, 90's kids, tell me you know the level I'm talking about. Where you had to run up that HUGE mountain that had oversized metal balls rolling down the pathway trying to pummel you to death and if you FINALLY made it to the top of that mountain then you had to defeat a boss.) Anyway, we were on that level, and there were boxes you could smash for coins. But there was also a small box. And Zac had made Mario pick up the small box and started calling it "Baby Box" and he ran around the entire level holding Baby Box, until he tripped over something or ran into a bad guy and the box shattered. Then, enjoying the attention from his gimmicks, he started running all over in search of Baby Box, saying maybe it had run away or was scared or lost. For some reason, I found this hysterical. So hysterical that I actually wet my pants laughing at him, and then wanted to die of embarrassment. Because, of course, both my siblings, as well as Zac and Taylor, knew that I had wet my pants laughing. To this day, I don't know why I thought that was SO funny. But apparently, it was. I have to admit, I was crushed when I found out they were moving. And so far away too. I can't even begin to imagine how crazy everything would have been if Taylor and I had been friends through all of junior high and high school. . .we would have wreaked havoc. Just sayin'. 

But, after they left, life still went on, I had another friend, one from school, and she and I were inseparable through late elementary school and junior high. I'm not going to lie, we were probably kind of nerdy (then again, that was when junior highers actually hit an  awkward stage) but we thought we were awesome. I remember we both saved up and bought Tamagachi's. We thought they were the coolest thing ever. We would hook them to our belt loops or our backpacks and take them to school with us (in case you don't know what a Tamagachi is, it's a keychain that has a screen and some buttons and you get to have your own virtual pet that needs to be fed, played with, taken to the doctor, and you even had to clean up its poop. But ours were REALLY high-tech, and you could put the sensor at the top of the keychain up to your friend's and your Tamagachis could play together [and occasionally they would actually have a baby together. . .AWKWARD] which gave your pet happiness points and that made it live longer). Our teacher told us not to play with them during class, but being the extreme rebels we were, we played with them during class when we figured the teacher wasn't looking (Mom, if you're reading this. I never EVER played with it during class, I always payed attention. . .I also ALWAYS did my homework). She and I also became masters of passing notes. Our junior high was notorious for always seating people alphabetically, and having last names close in the alphabet meant most of the time we sat one in front of the other. We had entire routines planned out, where she would braid a note into my hair or I'd fake attempting to pop my back, etc. (Again, mom if you're reading this, I NEVER passed notes. . .EVER. [Also, for you who might be reading still in junior high or high school, don't pass notes in class. Bad plan.] ) 

I made another friend in junior high, and she and I got really creative with the note passing (we had to be creative, we didn't have texting). At one point in time we were paying a kid in our math class a quarter a week to be middle man (basically we sat on opposite ends of the classroom, and he sat directly between us. Somehow we convinced him that a quarter a week was more than enough pay for him to catch the note in the middle, make sure the teacher didn't see, and then pass it to the other person, and all without ever being allowed to read them.) One time, we were passing notes, and (since you can't read tone) we had a misunderstanding and ended up not talking for three whole class periods. Then, at lunch, when we had calmed down a little, we went to talk about it, and ended up busting up laughing at how ridiculous it was. I think she might actually still have those notes, and we were only in 8th grade. 

Of course, after junior high, high school rolled around. And, my-oh-my, did high school have its memories. Starting from day one. I was (as hard as it is to imagine) a cheerleader. Here's photo evidence (also, don't mind the awkward perm. . .I thought it would be fun. . .)

Anyway, my first day of class, during keyboarding, I got seated next to this kid, who at first I thought was kind of weird. He talked a lot more than I was used to, and didn't seem to care what the teacher was talking about. Soon enough, I realized he was more than weird, and that maybe we would actually get along. We ended up staying seated there all year long. And, more often than not, he was doing what he wanted to do, and not necessarily what we were supposed to be doing. Somehow in the teacher's eyes, I was always going along with him. I remember one day, she had locked all our computer screens so we would pay attention to her. Well, he figured out that even though our mouses didn't work, the calculator button on the keyboard still did. So, appearing to be paying attention, he started pressing the button, over and over and over. Apparently realizing that, for once, he was paying attention, the teacher started to think something was up. When she figured it out, he had pulled up over 200 calculators on his locked computer screen. For the rest of the class period, she constantly checked both his and my computers. And yet, he ended up being one of my best friends. 

I was truly blessed in high school with my close-knit group of girl friends. Yeah, we had our differences, we didn't always get along, and sometimes we could be downright petty. But, we were still close, and we all had very strong morals, so we dealt with a lot of positive peer pressure. We never really considered partying, drugs or alcohol. It was just assumed we wouldn't. It was really fun too, because we not only went to school together, but we also went to church and youth group together. We spend a TON of time around each other. We did these things for each of our sweet 16 birthdays, and called them the 16 sweet things. For one of our friends we were making a scrapbook as a surprise, and accidentally I mentioned something about it in front of her, and realizing what I'd done, trailed off in mid-sentence. My sister went white as a sheet, freaking out that I'd spoiled the surprise, and our other friend started saying "Are you CRAPPING me?!?" over and over and over. We still say that because it was so funny. I have laughed with those girls, I have cried with those girls, and we have all spent a little time mad at one another, but we had so many good times together, and I'm glad we are still friends. 

Of course, then there is college. I didn't get to jet off to my dream university or anything glamorous like that. And sometimes, that REALLY bothers me. But, I take for granted the amazing friends I have here in town. One of my friends I bonded with at the end of my senior year. And she will forever be one of my BEST friends. We have made so many memories together in the past two years, and I cherish every last one. This girl has seriously been there for me through thick and thin, we have overcome so much, and I love her to pieces. One of my all-time favorite memories of me and her is when we were camping. One morning we woke up kind of early, and she rolls over, stretches, and get this huge grin. Then says "Let's all be violent." Just like that. She is the one who is ALWAYS willing to go to Target with me, even when we are flat broke. We also did henna tattoos, and she was the one who was game for both of us doing minion tramp stamps. We've figured out that we have this wavelength that both of us seem to be on most of the time, and it's awesome.

And then there is my other friend, we were close in high school, but really seem to have bonded in college. I don't know if it's the feeling of being mutually stuck at the community college, or the fact that we are surrounded by creepy people. But, either way, I'm so glad we've become close. We definitely share this mutual love of the movie Pitch Perfect, and will quote it often. One of the greatest memories was senior year homecoming where we got to go stand on top of the tower and watch the football game from there. It was amazing. Then, a few weeks ago, we went and watched a meteor shower (okay, there weren't really too many meteors) but it ended up being really fun. Everyone just kind of hanging out, having a great time. I know we've had some pretty crazy ups and downs, but I'm sure that the future will just bring more great memories!

Another great friend of mine, I've known since she was in kindergarten and I was in 1st grade. I love that girl to death. We have like a gazillion and one memories together. We used to go on these "short" walks that would last up to 5 or 6 hours. We would just talk. About anything and everything. We could talk for hours. She actually just got married in December, and I'm so happy for her. I don't even know where to begin with our memories. One of my favorites is the video we made one day after school, of us being ninjas. It's up on my Facebook page if you're just dying to see it. Or the one we made with our mutual friend, and her now sister in law. Then I got the blessing of being in her wedding. I was so happy for her, and I'm so excited for the life she is starting with her husband, although I do miss her. I know she will always be one of my dearest and closest friends, and I love her for that.

I just have to say that I live a pretty blessed life. I know I didn't cover everyone I know and love in here. But, there is only so much to say in one blog post. I'm so thankful for each and every one of the friends I have, and for all of the friends I've yet to make. God has truly blessed me. I also have some friends that I used to be close to, and we have just kind of drifted apart, and that makes me sad. But, I know God has a plan for all of us, and I'm excited to see where we are all going.
Til Next Time,
CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes Finals Week (in a poem)

I love having a blog. So much. Not just because I'm one of those annoying people who can just keep talking for DAYS, but also because blogging give me this way to feel like people are listening to me, having a chance to see what some time inside my head is like. (Although, for some of you, that's scarier than for others.) And, while I do sometimes have very deep thoughts (thus deep posts), other times my thoughts are more goofy (thus my goofy, dork-side-is-showing posts) and today, my thoughts are on my upcoming finals. I am NOT looking forward to finals. Like, seriously, whose bright idea was it to not only make us suffer through a semester of class, homework, projects, reading assignments, and exams, but then decided on TOP of all that we should have an entire week, fully crammed with accumulative tests so that every college kid will spend the week trying to remember what on earth we talked about for the first week (okay, okay, the first HALF) of the class, shoving every tidbit of information possible into our brains, and needing a straight IV of coffee just so we can function?!? And, who agreed that THAT was the best way to see if we'd understood the class, much less deserved to pass it? They obviously never consulted me. But, since I like rhyming things from time to time, I thought maybe I would make up a poem about finals week. 

Finals Week:

A Poem by CrazyGirl♥

The college is crowded, we all need caffeine.

We're all here to take finals, what an ugly scene

So much to study for, the info won't keep.

Coffee's the answer, or Red Bull, or sleep. 

Sleep? What is that? We're in college after all, 

This spring is about classes, I'll sleep before fall. 

So many tests I have to study for this time, 

Geography, Philosophy. . . did I already pass Sign? 

Information is overloading into my brain, 

I need more coffee, I'm going insane. 

The terms are all blending, I'm making up words

Tectonic arguments, map-thinking. . . is that a bird?

Oh goodness! Distractions, distractions galore. 

Focus, kid, focus, You want a good score. 

Maybe a break, just a short one, would work. 

Three hours later, I awake with a jerk. 

Crap! I fell asleep, I missed studying time, 

I'll drink a Monster, a coffee, maybe try some Red Line. 

A shot of espresso, now THAT'S what I need,

Okay, now I'll hit the books, and read, read, read! 

I've studied, restudied, I'm ready for the test,

I've got this, I've studied, and I'll do my best!

The test is in front of me, but I know this stuff.

Wait. . .what's this? Was this whole class a bluff?

I studied, did homework, took notes, and read,

I drank enough caffeine that I should have been dead.

But, where did this come from? This gibberish here?

We never went over it, not once this year.

The whole test is like this?!? I don't understand,

I came to class, took notes, studied and planned. 

Yet somehow none of the information I've got,

is anywhere on this test, it's a sticky spot. 

I guess an educated guess will have to do. 

I won't be able to breath right, until finals are through! 

 

To all my fellow college students, I'm sure you can relate. And I hope you enjoyed my attempt at humor there. 

Til Next Time,

CrazyGirl♥

So, I did another post just a few nights ago, and it felt amazing. It had been way too long since I'd posted on here, and I'd forgotten just how much I love writing on my blog. I know I have like a whole whopping four of you that read this, but I want to thank you guys for reading it. You don't realize how much that means to me. You're willing to take time out of your day to read whatever gibberish nonsense I'm posting about next, and I love you for that. Really. I do. 

But, now that I have FINALLY taken the time to thank my ginormous group of readers/followers, I'll get to the long part of my post. Something I don't know if I'll ever tire of talking about. Prince Charming. 

For years and years and years I've been dreaming of the day I'll meet my very own prince charming. I've imagined pretty much every different scenario, what I'd say to him, what I might be wearing, what he might be thinking. But, the other day I started thinking about all that dreaming I've been doing. It started when someone posted something about not getting their knight in shining armor, but instead getting an idiot wrapped in tinfoil. This thought occurred to me; what if I had spent so much time thinking about and worrying about finding my Prince Charming, that I'd missed out on some of the good times I could have been having? I mean, it's not like God is sitting up in Heaven going "Hahaha. Let's just keep Katie single so I can make forever alone jokes about her." No. He's got the perfect guy out there waiting for me. I can't control the circumstances that will lead me to meet him, so why not enjoy the wonderful life God has blessed me with? I have these amazing friends who have been there for me through so much. They've dealt with the good, the bad, and a whole LOT of the ugly, and yet, they still love me. God too. I only have so much time left with them. I will ALWAYS consider them some of my greatest friends and some of the biggest blessings in my life, yet circumstances will change. We won't always be able to just drive a few minutes and have a heart-to-heart. So, while I don't have a boyfriend to deal with, why haven't I spent more time cherishing these friendships? I'm SO blessed, every day of my life I'm given new blessings, and I sit there and take them for granted. 

I'm still young. For Heaven's sake, I'm only 19. I've got time to find the man I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with. Besides, 1 Timothy 4:12 reminds us "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." God has blessed me with the chance to use my youth for the good of His kingdom, so why am I wasting it dreaming about Prince Charming? I could be using this chance to make even more wonderful life-long friends, and strengthen the friendships with the others. I mean, I still desire to find the man God has planned out for me, but I can't speed up that process. In Song of Solomon 3:5 it says "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." I'm pretty sure that constantly dreaming of Prince Charming and hoping to meet him and planning for when I do, might sort of count as trying to awaken love before it pleases. Just saying. . . 

Besides that, God reassures us in Jeremiah 29:11 that he has a plan for us, a plan that includes a hope and a future. And, that's a promise I'm willing to count on. Besides, I don't have time for Prince Charming. ;) 

Til Next Time,

 CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes Social Status

So, I'm here again, telling you all about a bunch of stuff you probably don't really care about, but something has been weighing heavy on my heart. Lately as I scroll through Instagram and Facebook and Twitter and whatever other social network site they come up with next, the majority of the pictures are of people partying; drinking, doing drugs, the whole shebang! And most of these kids aren't even old enough to drink legally. And, obviously there's not really any way to do illegal drugs legally.
The thing that makes me extremely sad about this is that now, partying doesn't make you a "bad kid" or "hardcore." No, partying is the norm. Everyone is doing it. It no longer shocks me to find out that a 16 year old is already hitting the local parties. It saddens me, but it doesn't shock me. And that's pathetic. Partying shouldn't be normal and/or accepted. Do people really not understand that it is illegal? Especially since the majority of the people that I've talked to about their partying habits actually drive themselves home. Shouldn't this terrify us as a society? And, why on EARTH does partying make or break your social status? Seriously?!? The qualifications to go from being a "nobody" to being a "somebody" are that you have to go break the law with a bunch of other underage drunkards? (Which by the way, is in quotes because you don't need a social status to be a somebody. God already knows you and loves you. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than the sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31. Cool, isn't it?) I mean, in Proverbs 20, verse 1 it says "Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise." To me, that's a sobering (no pun intended) thought. I know to some people wisdom isn't a big deal, and I know I am not anywhere close to being considered wise, but I pray that God will lead me to make wise decisions, and that right there tells me that partying is not a wise decision.
If that doesn't get you, 1 Peter 5 verse 8 says "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." That doesn't frighten you? I mean, God just said that the devil is looking for the chance to devour us, and that we need to remain sober and watchful to avoid being devoured by the devil. Something about that word choice just gives me the shivers.
Now, don't look at this and be like "Oh! Look at this Holy Roller! Telling everyone not to party..." Yeah, I'm suggesting that 1. underage drinking is morally wrong (oh yeah. . . and did I mention that it's illegal?) and that 2. being drunk is wrong by God's standards. God calls us to a higher standard of living, and guess what, that higher standard doesn't mean we can't ever drink. Once you reach the age of 21, I don't find any evidence to support that drinking is wrong, in moderation. Just because you are 21 doesn't mean you should go get completely wasted every weekend (or during the week, because I've seen a crazy amount of mid-week parties where large numbers of people were drunk beyond reason in the middle of the day.), but it means that in moderation there is nothing morally wrong with the occasional drink.
Don't get me wrong, I have been tempted to go to a party. When you live in a town, where the majority of the people your age see nothing wrong with partying, it seems easy to justify. I mean, come on. You are just trying to be social, right? Wrong. Knowing partying is wrong means I need to avoid it, at all costs. "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins," Hebrews 10:26 "Do you not know that you are God's temple and God's spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy and you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 And last but not least, "the reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life." Proverbs 22:4.
That is enough to make me want to avoid partying, underage drinking, being drunk, drugs, and worst of all this idea that you HAVE to party to be "a cool kid." Who cares?!?
Til Next Time,
CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl honors Throwback Thursday

So, right about now, I should probably be doing homework, but instead, I'm here writing to you guys. And, since the internet is abuzz with random themes for each day, and Thursday is now Throwback Thursday, I thought I would share a "throwback" that is one of my favorite memories.
I was actually talking about it today with my grandpa, and it includes him. You see, as a kid, I was kind of on the daredevil side. I was determined to be the first to try stuff. When my older sister swam into the deep end first, I decided that I had to touch the bottom of the deep end first. I succeeded. And, even though I have a fear of heights, when my grandpa suggested that for my 10th birthday, he would take me for a hot air balloon ride, I went for it. I remember spending the night at my grandparent's house (the first time I had ever done that by myself), and waking up at 5 in the morning. There was a hoot owl outside the window, making its eerie noises. Despite that, I was beyond excited. I decided that for breakfast, I had to have granola, just like
Grandpa. It was from Trader Joe's. (I don't know why I remember that detail, I just remember). This guy came early in the morning, and he and his crew stretched the balloon out over a field at Grandpa's house. They brought this huge fan, and started blowing air into the balloon. The balloon was HUGE. They inflated it sideways, which surprised me. Once they got it inflated, it was big enough that I could have walked inside of it (I was really tempted to, actually). Finally, after what seemed like ages, we were getting ready to take off. We climbed inside a basket (which was a lot bigger than what I had expected, since my only experience with hot air balloons was what I had seen in cartoons). Slowly, the balloon moved up and up and up and up and still up. I remember pointing out my aunt's house from the air, and I could see them waving. They seemed tiny, like little ants. We didn't go very far, but I didn't care. I was way up in the air, in a hot air balloon. I felt like I could see everything. I vaguely remember being concerned that I might fall out, but the adventure of it all was more exciting than my concern. Eventually, we landed the balloon in a field just a short ways from my Grandpa's house. I remember seeing cow bones as we were drifting down, and thinking of the Lion King and the elephant graveyard. But I reassured myself that MY adventure was WAY better than Simba's.
After we landed the balloon, and the man and his crew folded it up and packed it away, we all drove back to my Grandpa's house, where the man awarded me a certificate, and a pin. Then to celebrate, they had me drink a red Solo cup full of sparkling cider without using my hands. I had officially taken my first hot air balloon ride. I still have the pin, the certificate, and all the memories. It's a small pin, that says "Cheers Over California." I love thinking back on that day and remembering the sense of adventure I felt. Maybe someday soon, I will go for another hot air balloon ride.
Til Next Time,
CrazyGirl♥

Oh the Things Children Say! ♥

So, I know my blog posts have been on the serious side lately, and while I still love each and every post I've done, I figured maybe it was time for a lighter post. And what makes me happier than spending time with the AMAZING children in my life? Uh. . . absolutely NOTHING! So, I figured, that in the name of spreading smiles, I would make a blog post compiling some of the most hilarious and adorable things kids have said to me over the years!
While sitting at his table coloring, a five year old I babysit looks up at me with a serious expression on his face. The following conversation takes place.
Him: "Katie, how old are you?"
Me (having just turned 18): "I'm 18."
Him: "Oh. Ok. Do you have a boyfriend?"
Me: "No. . ."
Him: "Oh. . . maybe you should get on that."
Me (chuckling slightly): "Oh really??"
Him: "Yeah. I think you might be running out of time."

While doing puzzles one Saturday afternoon, a six year old girl looks up at me in panic.
Her: *gasp* "You didn't go off and get married on us, did you???????????"
Me: "No. I didn't."
Her: "Oh. Whew! 'Cuz if you got married, then you would have kids of your own and wouldn't want to play with us."
(I love the fact that in her mind, being married meant I automatically had children. . . not just one child. . . multiple children of my own.)

At age 15, I was working with a group of kindergarten girls. In the middle of a round of Simon Says, where Simon was trying very hard to get me out the little girl says
Her: "Simon says . . . Katie needs to do a cartwheel."
Here's where I do a cartwheel.
I look up and she is staring at me, mouth wide open, completely in shock.
Me: "What?"
Her (emphatically): "I didn't know OLD  people could do cartwheels!"
I love that at 15, I automatically became old.

One Sunday morning, I came into the two's and three's class to find all of the kids standing in various spots on carpet squares. One little boy quickly explained. "Miss Katie! Hurry! The world froze over and now it's melting and you have to get on an ice skate or you'll DIE!"
So . . . apparently now we all have the ability to ice skate on water? With only one skate.

I babysit for a family with twin girls and their younger brother. The girls came home from kindergarten with plenty of knock-knock jokes, including all the classics (Yeah. They're STILL telling jokes like Knock knock - who's there? - boo - boo who? - don't cry, it's only a joke). But, the girls' younger brother could NOT let them be ahead of him, so he began telling knock knock jokes
Him: "Knock knock."
Me: "Who's there?"
Him; "ahskdkfkdifl"
Me: "Umm, akdolekfifis who?"
Him " akdofdkdjk akdnofdjiofdj ksdifodol             BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
And he was legitimately laughing, that deep belly chuckle that kids get when they find something genuinely funny. This went on for a good portion of the next hour and a half. On the plus side, you couldn't help but laugh along.

Another time, with this same family I was staying with just the younger brother, and in the midst of playing in the backyard, the neighbor turned on the lawn mower, and this kid was beyond excited.
Him: *gasp* "Do you hear that??"
Me: "Yeah. . . ?"
Him: "It's their helicopter."
Me: "Bud, I think it's their lawn mower. . ."
Him: "No! It's their helicopter! They just want you to think it's the lawn mower."
Me: "Do you want to check?"
Him: "Yes! I do."
*lift him up to see over the fence*
Me: "Do you see the helicopter?"
Him (extremely dejectedly): "No. They've hidden it."
Haha. Although, knowing my luck, he was right.

One day I was sitting with two boys I babysit for on a regular basis, the older brother was 5 and the younger brother 3.
Older brother: "I know what I'm going to be for Halloween."
Me: "Oh really? What is that?"
Older brother: "A monster. . . or a ghost."
Younger brother: "I'm gonna be a ghost monster."
Older brother: "A ghost monster isn't real. And it isn't scary."
Younger brother: "It is too! It's a ghost and a monster combined."
Older brother: "Katie, do you know what a ghost monster looks like?"
Me: "No. I don't know."
Older brother: "It looks like my younger brother. So it's not scary at all."
The younger brother makes a scary face, then goes into deep thought. . . for a three year old.
Younger brother: "Know what I wanna do to a ghost monster?"
Me: "What do you want to do?"
Younger brother: "I want to poke it's eyes out. . . yeah. That's what I want to do."
Older brother: "Then poke your own eyes out."
Bahaha. The two of them never cease to crack me up!

With the same two brothers, a few months after the older one started kindergarten (and thus informed me that he, did indeed, have a girlfriend), we had a conversation concerning his girlfriend, only it didn't quite go the way I expected it.
Me: "How's your girlfriend, buddy?"
Him: "I don't have one anymore."
Me: "Aw, I'm sorry, kiddo."
Him: "It's ok. We just had different interests."
Me: "Oh, really? Different interests?"
Him: "Yeah. She didn't like Rocket Boy."
Just in case you were wondering, Rocket Boy is his favorite show.

I have so many more stories, but right now my brain doesn't want to think of them. So, I'll save them for another time when we need some laughter!
Til Next Time,
CrazyGirl♥

CrazyGirl observes a Heavy Heart

Tonight during my Childhood Development class, I was perusing the book, and came across something I found rather interesting. The first sentence beginning the book was talking about how from conception on, a child is growing, developing, and even learning. Their outside environment starts to play a HUGE factor the moment the child is conceived. And while some of you may be going "Whoop ti do. . .why should I care?" I was sitting there just thinking over and over "Really? The book REALLY says that?" Not because I don't want to believe it or hear it, because I actually agree whole-heartedly with that statement. But to me it's interesting that a society can agree with the statement that a human being begins living at the moment of conception, and yet they can turn around and say that abortion isn't murder.
I write this with a heavy heart, because just thinking about it makes me feel sick to my stomach. The thought that as a country we can just turn a blind eye to the fact that every day someone is murdering an innocent baby terrifies me. I know there are all sorts of arguments and controversies related to this subject. I know not everyone agrees with my opinion. But whether you agree with me or not is not the point. The point is that there is scientific evidence that proves that babies begin living the moment they are conceived. And, yet, every day, some young girl is being told that the baby inside of her is just a bundle of nerves, that it won't feel pain. Anytime the subject of abortion comes up and someone tries to make the point that the fetus doesn't feel anything, my mom always says the same thing. She talks about when she and my dad went to the doctor for an ultrasound (of me!) and were concerned because I wasn't moving, but the doctor poked me (to ensure that I was, indeed, still living) and at 14 weeks in the womb, I flinched. I was very obviously shocked and displeased that the doctor had interrupted my peaceful relaxation. You see, at a whole whopping 14 weeks old, I felt the doctor poking me. But I was just a "bundle of nerves" and I "wouldn't feel a thing"
I feel like I'm not really ending with a point here. But if you take anything from this post, anything at all, just remember that as soon as conception takes place, that baby is a living, feeling, growing organism.
Til Next Time,
CrazyGirl♥

That One Statement

The other day, I had the pleasure of going to coffee with a friend from high school and jr. high. Like any friendship, ours had, at more than one point in time, suffered a hiccup or two. But, while catching up over a warm cup of coffee, she made a statement that, while simple, caught me off guard. She simply said "You know, I'm really glad we had that group of friends in high school and middle school. We kind of saved each other." Now, to anyone in the coffee shop observing (*cough chough* eavesdropping), that was indeed a very simple statement and actually very normal for two college age girls to say while catching up. But, it triggered this thought process in me. First, it made me look back at our friendship; the good, the bad, the goofy, and even the ugly. She was right. The four of us girls that did everything together for all those years, we all saved each other. We saved each other from the pressure to party, smoke, drink, do drugs, or mess around with guys. You're probably scratching your head right now saying "How?" The answer is simple. Because the four of us had a connection, a bond, and had all somehow come to some unspoken agreement that the whole "bad girl" thing wasn't for us, we experienced the all too rare positive peer pressure. Within our closest friends there was the pressure to stay away from harmful behaviors and addictive substances.
The next thing this made me look at is the younger generation and their friendships. Sure, these girls have their "BFF's" and their "homies" or whatever term it is that they are using right now. But the difference between the quality of their friendships and the quality of the friendships I had is astonishing. You know the main difference I see? Cell phones. These kids don't develop REAL social skills. Sure, they can "communicate" their feelings via Facebook and Twitter. They can easily become "instafamous" by repetitively using the hashtag #FollowMe or #TeamFollowBack, etc. But in all honesty, these kids have lost the art of face-to-face communication. Don't get me wrong or twist my words into me saying that cell phones are the root of all evil, because that's NOT what I'm saying. Cell phones have many great uses and come in handy EXTREMELY often. But, we rely too heavily on them. Cell phones are not an attachment to our hand. They aren't a continuation of our arm. Facebook is NOT a diary. Twitter is NOT your shrink. Texting isn't the ONLY way to talk to someone. Did you know that phones still make calls? Because it sure doesn't seem like many people know they do.
This train of thought, of course, led me to start thinking about what would happen if each of us put down our cell phones for even just a half hour every day and started talking to other people. What if, for 30 minutes out of every 24 hours, you turned your phone off and used your voice? What if all of us put our phones away during meals and while holding a conversation with someone else? Don't you think the quality of our friendships would improve? That this generation of kids would have some kind of social ability? Or, what if we put our phones down for an hour, and not only talked to someone else, but actually went outside? I have a friend that I enjoy taking walks with. The two of us will set out on a "short" walk, start chatting, and get so completely lost in the conversation that we don't feel the need to be texting or using Facebook or checking Instagram. We don't feel like we need to Tweet that we are on a walk (I mean, honestly, who really cares?). Most of the time these "short" walks will end up lasting for two, three, four hours. And we don't even notice.
As I thought more about this shutting off our phones thing, I started thinking, what if we spent as much time in prayer or reading our Bibles as we do on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. We could completely improve the quality of our lives if we would just shut off the computer or the phone for even just an hour each night and spent that time seeking Christ as earnestly as a teenage girl searches Facebook for that hot guy in her Biology class. If we gave Christ even half the effort we put into Facebook stalking other people, our lives would become so abundantly rich. And yet, we can't seem to part from the little box that puts the whole world at our fingertips. My question is, WHY?? Why on Earth would we hold onto something that connects us to the entire world when simply shutting it off and sending a little prayer to Heaven connects us to the very being who created the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. I mean, how does that even make sense? And where do we get the authority to put God in the background anyway? How many times in even just the past week have you said "Ok, God, just hang on one second while I finish this phone call/this e-mail/this text message/this Facebook post?" Since when is social media more important to us than the God of the universe? The God who sent his son to die for us? The God who loves us so much that he spared us the torment of Hell by allowing his ONLY son to be tortured to death on a cross for each and every one of us individually. We are such an arrogant generation. When did we as mere human beings gain the right to push God to the side? He tirelessly and relentlessly seeks us day in, day out. And we sit on our high horses, with our little iPhones attached to our hands saying "Nah, you can wait, God, Facebook is more important." And, yet, none of us seem to notice. We are so blessed and God gives us such comfort and we take such advantage of that. We complain because we can't have the newest, most expensive clothes so that makes us "poor." We get angry because our friends just got the new iPhone 5 and we are still stuck with the 4S. Is the cute guy you just got a number from REALLY more flattering than the fact that the creator of the universe loves us and wants to pursue us? I highly doubt that the boy from Geometry is really that spectacular. Yes, I can completely understand wanting to find Prince Charming and be whisked away into a romantic fairy tale romance. Hey, I can even understand just wanting at least one guy to just give you a second glance. I've been there. It's a tough spot. Until you start to think about the irony of that. God, the savior of the world, creator of the Universe loves you, wants you, and thinks you are amazingly beautiful. Yet, we are passing that up in hopes of a text with a ":)" from some guy. WHY?
All in all, I have one main point to make from all of this. Today's society needs to get their priorities straight. God needs to come first in our lives. Family and friends need to come second. And social media/cell phones need to come way in last place. Facebook is NOT that important.
Til Next Time,
CrazyGirl♥
P.S. Thanks to the person who spurred this whole thing. You know who you are.