Basketball Memories... eeek!

So first of all, I decided I do indeed want to blog more. Every time I blog I feel like I have to catch the blog up to what's happened in my life but now I decided I'm just going to blog whenever I feel like it about anything i feel like. I think that's the point of these things anyway. Well actually.... for me the point of blogging is simply to follow other people's blogs and use their crafty tutes. :) (tutorials)

Anyways.... do you ever have random thoughts or memories of how someone treated you poorly and relive those feelings? I was driving home today and I, for some reason, thought back to my freshman and sophomore year of high school playing basketball. I had a terrible coach. (I feel safe saying that because I'm sure she'll never read this.) She treated me and my teammates like we were the worst sinners in the world. She would say things like that too. I remember one away game we were warming up and I don't even know what we were doing- probably just laughing while shooting... anyways she SCREAMS at us to come over and YELLS at us for ALL to hear... saying things like we must not be Christians because of what we're doing.... honestly... we were so confused. And angry. Who wants to play for a coach after a stunt like that?!
Anyways that's not actually what I was thinking of while driving. No, this was MUCH less awful. Much more petty. and much more personal.
We had JV games and Varsity games. I was a starter for the varsity team. Now don't go thinking that I was a good bball player just because I'm tall. I was not very good at all - definitely not the 5th best player on the team. You probably wouldn't believe me if I stopped there because come on... I was a Varsity Starter! In normal schools I'd probably get a letter right??? WELL...... She started me on Varsity so therefore I was ineligible to play in the JV game... which was more my level. I started Varsity and played a whopping TWO minutes... if I was lucky. Then she would sub me out with someone much more skilled and I sat the bench the rest of the game. The reason why??? So that my teammate - who was very good- would be allowed to play in the JV game  and Varsity. Isn't that rotten? I still got mad about that when I thought of it, and that happened like 8 years ago!! I really need to get over it. ha!

Now back to making Christmas presents!

Ciao

Finally, what else I did...

My parents have been home for a number of weeks now, but I never finished my series on what I did when they were away... so here's the ending! :)

I ate the other half of the pack of steak and grilled me some tators! yum!

I made a hot chocolate milkshake, which was pretty much a vanilla malt. more yum!

Remember how I said I went to Ohio? Well, on the way home my friend and I stopped at the Steelers training camp.

Unfortunately it was the day before the first preseason game so there was no public practice. boo

I went shopping and got all kinds of goodies!!

I made an earring holder...

here it is! not the best picture since the background is the same color, but you get the idea.

I started cutting patches for my next project: a blanket! :)

And that's about it... I picked some flowers and welcomed them home. It's been fun....

Parents Gone, Part 2

Some more things that occupied my time "alone".......

I finally fixed a dress. I had ripped some of the threads in the ruching before I got to wear it out:

I also went shopping and got a new dress! :)

After working a nearly 12 hour day cleaning teeth, I thought I deserved to grill myself a steak.

I didn't think to take a picture 'til after it was gone!


I went to Ohio, but alas! did not take any pictures! :(




short post.... more to come soon!

big picture

sorry that my picture is HUGE! i'm not trying to be vain, i just don't know how to make it smaller. help!

Things I've Done While the Parents are Away....

To catch you up on where I'm at these days.... I found a boards patient. That whole situation was quite an ordeal... one where I was forced to trust God, and one that he rewarded me for.

I aced my boards, graduated from HACC's dental hygiene program, passed my next 2 boards, and got my license. I found a job 4 miles up the road from my parents house, which is where I am currently residing.

I LOVE the working life. It is just as magical as I hoped it would be. I am not just speaking of the joys of cleaning teeth, but the most wonderful part.... Going to work, coming home and doing whatever I please. I have no other obligations! It's so wonderful to not have to bring your work home and work on it some more to be ready for the next day. All I have to do is make sure I have a clean pair of scrubs! :) I still haven't gotten my first paycheck yet though, so... I still feel like a student in that area.

Moving on...

My parents went on a cycle vacation to Colorado for 10 days. That means I rule the roost! I decided to blog about what I'm doing while they are away and don't force me to make them supper. (my least favorite duty). So here we go...

First, I of course had to make a list of things to do:

I picked some flowers for some indoor nature-beauty:

I decided to try to highlight my hair from a box:

I kind of felt like Medusa, though the thought of snakes coming out of my head makes me queezy

The end result in my typical hairstyle. I'm not a huge fan of it, but the box was cheap.

I thought maybe Greta would want some highlights too... You know, for some added dimension.

I removed the last of the wallpaper in my bedroom:

Some parts are really gross.

I discovered that my dad's grill is really easy to use:

He told me to stay away from the steaks.

I really hate dragging the photos to the bottom of this post in increments so I think we'll make this a multi-part post. :)

More adventures to come.....

I heart The Farming Momma

OK.... So I follow this blog called The Farming Momma. It's really well written and is usually quite funny. I found the blog through my sister's blog- Shades of Grey - and after I had been reading it for a while I asked Karla who The Farming Momma is... Turns out I've actually met her. Anyways... there are many funny stories about all of this but most likely, if you're reading this you've already heard them.

WELL..... the Farming Momma has recently mentioned me by NAME in her blog... for which I feel most honored. (i won't mention the fact that she listed all the bloggers she could think of...) HA! Ok so I think I'm supposed to blog about this award she "gave" me. Since I'm always struggling for something to write (note that this is only my 10th? post in over a year) - I'm gonna do it. So thank you from the bottom of my heart, Farming Momma, for this great award!

..

Because I've received this there are a few things I must do:

- Add a link and a note of thanks to the person giving the award
- Pass the award on to 15 bloggers whose blogs you have recently discovered that you love
- Share 7 things about yourself

Seven things about myself:

1. I love to scale stain off of people's teeth

2. I love yellow rubber ducks and giraffes

3. I only have 36 days left that I have to go to school. (wait what?!!? wow! that's amazing!)

4. Our thermostat in our apartment is set at 57 degrees.

5. I love to be in the woods, in the mountains, and/or by a body of water and can't wait to get out of this small town where I have to put a lawn chair in my parking spot to save it after I've shoveled the snow out.

6. Sometimes I wear spandex, sweatpants, a tshirt, long sleeve tshirt, and a sweatshirt to bed. And that's under 6 blankets.(refer to number 4 if this sounds bizarre)

7. I am really good at remembering birthdays and phone numbers.... even my elementary school teachers and friends. Here's proof: Miss Ranck, 3rd grade, Feb. 14th. Miss McGinnis, 5th grade, April 29th. Rachel Lusby (bender) 593- oh wait... i probably shouldn't post that on here. haha well her birthday was Feb. 6th anyway.

So now I have to find 15 bloggers....

1. From the Guest Bedroom -friend from HS

2. Jenny's Endeavors -friend from Elem/Middle School

3. Shades of Grey -big sister

4. Robyn in Burundi -friend from VA

5. Revelling, Reckoning, Rambling -friend from HS

6. Live.Laugh.Love -friend from work

7. Life of 2 Kings -they don't actually blog anymore.... but my 2nd cousin

8. Simply Serving -also doesn't blog anymore -friend from church

9. The Lehman Family -friends from.... school/church/life

10. I guess I can't count the Farming Momma -friend of big sister

that's actually all I have... time to go get ready to clean my momma's teeth!

Resolve to Rely

So I've had this blog for a little (very little) over a year now... and I only made 7 posts!!! As suspected from the beginning, I'm not a good blogger. Most likely, you read many interesting, funny, and witty blogs every day. Well... Allow me to be your source of boringness.

I started a blog post a couple weeks (or was it months?) ago, but I was too tired at that moment to actually make it a real post so I just jotted some notes and a copy of a conversation I had with my boyfriend. I meant to finish it in the next day or so, but end-of-semester demands are quite.... demanding. Then with all the Christmas traveling and festivities, I haven't had a chance to... or at least, that's my excuse.

So here it is...

Ok... well I was having some difficulties with school and I was trying to fix things and figure things out on my own, worrying about them and the like... when ...

My devotional said something to the effect that when things build up, God is seeing what our reaction will be and if we turn to him for help or just try and do it all on our own........i usually do the latter

I then was talking about this with my boyfriend... mentioning how I usually try to do things on my own until I fail and give up... then I turn to God. Andrew challenged me to stop before failing (i think i was on the verge) and turn to God first. Before, I was complaining about my troubles... and he said to let God handle them... and I responded with...

i actually thought about that - it's funny you should mention that. the thought danced quickly through my mind amidst my worries - "if things were all easy i wouldn't need faith - i should just rest and let him handle this"

the thought was too fleeting. but thanks for bring it back! it is easier said than done.

A:how easily it is to forget.........i hate that

A:prone to wander

Then I remembered something from my class at school that day. We were talking about lesson plans and teaching hygiene in schools and adult groups...

it's like our lesson today in class- positive reinforcement and negative consequences- we give negative consequences so that a bad behavior becomes extinct - but sometimes it takes multiple consequences for the same behavior before someone learns

that's what my instructor said and i thought about how frustrated i would be with myself if i was God!!!

I suppose my New Year's Resolution will be to let the bad behavior-- not relying on God-- become extinct. Wish my luck!