Changes

Life is full of changes. They can either come slowly or crash into your world with the impact of a runaway rhinoceros. Some changes are happy, such as graduating, or can be heartbreaking, like a death. It is the latter change that my family and I experienced this Christmas season. Grandma passed away on Christmas Eve, after battling Alzheimer's disease for many years, and having suffered infections during the last month. We knew her passing was imminent, but that doesn't soften the edges of sadness as much as I thought it would. The thing about change is that you eventually adjust to it, and this is not the exception. Time slows down for nothing, so we pick ourselves up and keep going. However, that does not mean that we will forget her or the good times we had together. Grandma was too important to us and had too much personality to be forgotten.

Hallelujah!!!!

It only took six stores and trying on about twenty pairs for me to find shoes! This was Mom's reaction to this triumph. It's kind of my reaction to the fact that this is post number 100!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

Actually the first link is Mom's reaction, the second one is mine. She was really going to sing the Hallelujah Chorus right there in the mall. Dad and I intervened. It just isn't as impressive without music and more people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOTCvzbRQ2U&feature=related

Facts Of an Amazing Christmas Play

1-(not pertinent to the said Christmas Play) I really like listing all these facts about my life, from my perspective. It's nice to see everything in a nice numbered list. Makes me feel better about life.

2- Jason and Jonas were kind of the stars of the play, and being loving family members, Mom, Dad, Rachel, Lilly, Lucy, and me went to see it.

3-Jason and Jonas's starring parts were as Joseph and Baby Jesus. They made a great Joseph and the cutest Baby Jesus. I might be a bit biased, though.

4-It was the most amazing church Christmas play I've ever seen. All the plays I've been in have looked at plays like that for guidance. Sadly, we never reached the awesomeness of last nights play.

5-(once again, not pertinent to the Christmas play) I'm getting ready to go church shoe shopping. Wish me luck, and that my mission may be completed.

Facts Of My Life At the Moment

1- I should really be posting pictures from Thanksgiving, but I'm feeling too lazy to right now.

2- Despite the fact that I avoid old storage building like the plague, I have gone into the ones at Grandma's to find Christmas stuff and cardboard. I don't intend to go back into them for at least a month, when we have to put the Christmas stuff back.

3- I bought some really cool stuff off Etsy.I love Etsy you can find any amazing, weird, or totally useless thing you want on there. For example, Dr. Who bracelet, bubble gun scented brain soap, and knitted sweater for apples.

4- I'm kind of bored with this post now, and I'm getting ready to help Mom take supper to Aunt Cindy.

Halloween

Since October was crazy we didn't do much for Halloween, but it was still fun. As a matter of fact I believe it's one of the best ones we've had in a while. Even if we didn't get our Jack-O-Lanterns carved until the night before, and never painted the other pumpkins. It's alright, I found out I'm better at carving then painting.

Cleveland County Fair

I know I'm horribly behind on my posting, and I'm very sorry. Anyway, here are some pictures from the fair, which was a few weeks ago. Dad and I were the only ones who had any interest in beating the fair crowds, so it was only the two of us. It was nice, we like just walking around to look at everything, and the food. Nothing beats fair food. Healthy-no. Delicious-yes.

Mom's Birthday

Jonas enjoyed his cabbage leaf.
Lucy...not so much


Dad gave her new loppers, which she has fun with. (No child's hair was actually cut in the taking of this picture.)
Guess what else Jason gave Mom? Conway Twitty tapes!!! As you can see, she was speechless. :)
One of Mom's friends made the cake. It was really pretty.
Lucy took it upon herself to babysit Bob for me.
I know it was a while ago, but here are some pictures from Mom's birthday party. Jason smoked ribs for her, so the party was kind of an all day affair.

My Birthday Party

My Amazing 17th Birthday

So last week was my birthday, which was absolutely amazing! Thank you everyone who made it awesome! On the actual day I entered the world Dad took me to Brattonsville. We both love historical sites, and enjoyed being able to ponder the old buildings and monuments. And I took ten million pictures of everything. In the words of Dad "I really burned up the camera". Here are some of the pictures. I'll have to make another post for my party.

Labor Day

Senior

We made the move to Grandma's house this weekend. It feels odd, but that is to be expected. We will be able to visit our house which helps a lot.
Today was my first day of my last year of high school. I'm not sure if it has really hit me that I'm going to be graduating in a year. It's kind of a scary thought.
When I was younger I thought all high school seniors were smart and really cool. Turns out I was very wrong. I have changed a lot since I was a freshman, though. The other day I was reading through an old diary from that year, and I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the things I had written. Tis the way of life. When I'm twenty I'll probably roll my eyes at this years diary. That is one thing that will probably never change, my eye rolls. Along with my eyebrow raise.

Finally

I know it has been a pathetically long time since I've posted, but I have a very good excuse. Grandma picked up a stomach virus about three weeks ago which totally wiped her out. She became very dehydrated and weak. The weeks since then have been crazy, with one problem after another hitting her. It seems that things are starting to settle down now. Grandma is in rehab and will hopefully be able to come home soon. The pictures are a little of what I have been up to lately.
Built a sandcastle complete with a flower forest.
Ate drumsticks. Lucy was a chocolate monster by the time she finished her cone.
Gave Dad sparklers (he did like them, it's kind of hard to tell in this picture)