¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo, Amigos!

Oh wow, stop the presses, I'm writing! Er, wait, does that mean I should say "start the presses"? idk.

My life for the last bit has been fairly routine. Work, church, crashing at home. Maybe reading some Shakespeare when I feel like it. Oh, geez, Hamlet is due tomorrow...better finish it tonight hehe. It's really really awesome. I would love to go see the actual play sometime.

Speaking of shows (although of an altogether different sort), I am going to a Relient K concert on May 30 at the Wonder Ballroom. I don't think you really realize how much fun that will be for me. I have been into this band since I was a preteen, and now I'm going to get to see them live. I know I know, it's just a show, not like meeting them or anything. But to me it IS a big deal. And some good friends of mine are going to go with me, so it'll be a fun evening.

Paul and Ethan are coming home from college soon! For Paul it's just a visit, but Ethan will be here all summer. :) I hope that there's some overlap time in my and Ethan's Home Depot jobs...that would be so fun to work with him. Although I think I'm starting to get a little more comfortable talking to the other people working there...I'm not really used to being the "new" person somewhere. Usually it's "new" people that come to my church, so it's tougher this way. But guess what: God threw open the door for me to give these people some WORD. lol but seriously, it's true! It's not all the time that someone hears you're a Christian, so they say to you, "I'm open to talking about that." I am so excited but so scared! I'm not a strong person, so being the one who is supposed to know the answers is intimidating. But I'm praying, and I would be thankful if you would too.

Steps for Life is coming up fast. I hope you can be there, whoever is reading this! I am so thankful that I got that whole day off work. It is so important to me to be there, since not enough pro-life people go each year. That is starting to bother me rather seriously. Pastor's right: how many people went to Luis Palau's big party? Thousands. How many go each year to the Walk for Life? A few hundred. What is wrong with our brains....

I don't know if you've heard of the fashion designer Christa Taylor. She's a Christian who designs and sells modest, beautiful clothing for women online. She also has a blog that talks about fashion, current stuff going on, and moral issues. I saw her at the Steps for Life last year (I didn't introduce myself because I wasn't sure it was her), but I found out that she's going again this year. Soooo I sent her an e-mail asking if she would maybe do a post on her blog talking about the PRC and the upcoming walk. She wrote back about three days later saying that "it couldn't hurt!" I was very happy! idk how many readers she has in this region, but maybe God will use it somehow. Either way, I'll be happy to meet her at the walk!

A Good Day.

Today Jeff came over...twice! :) The second time he came over he drove his motorcycle, which was kinda cool. I have kind of gotten used to the idea of a motorcycle being a feasible means of transporation, but when he drove away I still felt a little scared and uttered a short prayer. So, yes, it still seems dangerous to me. But it is ooookay. I will not worry about it...-_-

But anyway, when he was here, we destroyed some stuff in the backyard. First we pulled apart that old, broken couch swing. That was pretty easy, so we worked on the playhouse. Yes, the playhouse is completely obliterated. I won't lie; I'm a little sad about that. I have some fun memories with that thing, and I know that the little kids will miss it when they come over in the summer. But it's okay, at least it gave Jeff something to ax down! hehe he was laughing when he saw how fearful I was of that ax. Come to think about it, he was laughing at me the whole evening! Oh well, I suppose I make an entertainingly dumb sight oftentimes.

Today in my writing class, I was assigned to write something that is my favorite memory. I had two choices in my head that I bounced back and forth between. I finally chose Bible quizzing, which has had a profound and very positive impact on my life, mostly in the way of relationships. If there was one time I could ever go back and relive, that would be it. With almost nothing done differently. Isn't it rare how often that happens! Even the best memories will sometimes have something that you wish you could go back and fix. It's a treasure when something is a blessing from God from beginning to end, no doubt about it.

The other thing that was runner-up was actually an evening I had this last campout. Jeff, Bek, me, and Jason all went out and talked on the docks. I got to lie down and watch the stars during that time, and it was really good conversation. I'd hung out with Jeff before, but never really gotten to know anything all that deep. It felt good to be able to have a conversation with someone that is completely serious, but still really enjoyable. And of course I loved talking to Bek. I don't get to see her all that often, only once a year usually. She's more mature than a lot of people give her credit for, I think.

I'm supposed to be in bed right now. I'm not tired. But I will go to sleep now, because I know that I'll be zonked in the morning if I don't. :(

Trapezii. I feelz dem.

I haven't been on a computer in two days, and I didn't miss it at all! Yesterday morning we went over to the Sires/Naish house and did some moooooving! I actually really enjoyed it, my muscles are pretty sore (in the good way). After a beautiful day, we left mid-afternoon to get me to the library. I shelved for two hours , then went back to Jeff's house for some more moving! Then I went to Meymey's house for a sleepover. Well, actually we went to the Potts house till like 1:30 or so. Elder Dave helped Mike with their bathroom while we sat around (except for the bathroom run/Doritos coveting trip to Fred Meyer).

Next day, we started out at Permapost wheeeee. Not all that exciting, but I learned that dancing with a vacuum can be rather fun when one puts in their earphones. :P We then went over to Jeff's again, which is pretty much where we spent the rest of the day. Megan, Janelle, and I packed up the kitchen; Jordan and Bill washed out the nasty fridge; Drew and Jeff put up sheet rock.

All this sounds not all that great, but I really had a great time. I mean, come on: I spent like a day and a half with some of my best friends, just a really good feeling. Of course, there was the whole episode tonight...ugh. I suppose if I get into it again, I'll just get me and certain readers of this frustrated all over again. But let me clarify that any anger I felt (or still feel, actually) is tempered by the fact that I still love them and always will. I hope you feel the same...?

I wrote today. I did! It's a four-stanza poem, and it's been in my back pocket since this afternoon. It's not half bad...okay, yes it is half-bad. But I think it's half-good too. Maybe just because it's something, but I feel better about my "ability" to write now that I have something down on paper. Maybe someday I'll start putting my real writing on this blog; it's all stashed away somewhere.

Emily is Boring Today :'(

So yesterday I was moping that I wouldn't have any fun on the weekend with my friends. So guess what? I got an email from Michelle this morning asking if I wanted to go hiking with them? Sounds great right? Well, of course, you know me; I said no. :( I know, I suuuuck. But geez guys, can't you be a little more creative in your plans than two hikes in one week? Because you know that you'll never get me to go....

Part of my finger is going numb. Kind of freakin' me out, but Mom said don't worry about it. So I won't. 8(

Last night I watched (on Youtube) one or two episodes of a reeeaaaally old TV show called 21 Jump Street. The show itself was ehh. Kinda average quality, but there is one big reason I lurved it. Can you guess? ;)

So, instead of going hiking, it seems I'll be running around town doing errands and stuff with my mom today. Sounds boring, right? Might not be. idk, I think I like my family more these days. Bill and I get along better (for the most part), Mom has her ups and downs, and Dad is much more gentle. :)

So I sent in an email to Michelle this idea: since I'm rejecting the whole hiking thing, do you guys want to come over here after the hike and hang out/get some food? I can't guarantee what time would be okay, since Michelle hasn't emailed me back yet saying if she likes the plan. Once I hear from her, I'll try to figger what time would be good.

Well I gotta go take a shower and do some chores. I think I better cool my amount of computer time for a while here...Mom is getting pretty whiny about it.

My Goals for the next Decade.

Okay, here they are:

1 year:
have my driver's permit.
be an expert on something.
be nice to Lily.
get in shape.
be a good cook.

5 years:
work with books.
have a driver's license.
go on a road trip.
be a bridesmaid.

10 years:
married with kids.
maybe doing some writing.
have something published.
have an active ministry in my church.

"There's a party in my tummy"--UGH GO AWAY

So last night at Danna's party was really really fun. We had this AWESOME water balloon fight in the huge greenspace behind their house, and I think I got the wettest. lol yeah my hair, clothes, and glasses were so drenched. But I got some other people almost as wet as they deserve. :) Jordan Parks arrived late, so he was completely dry after the fight...so Sam picked him up and held him in the air while Jordan Varela and Charlie shot him with a Super Soaker!!! Good times.
Pastor taught a devotional from Ecclesiastes, which was really good. I sort of like the smaller teaching times; they're more personal and, idk, I just think it's easier to focus on what he's saying when it's in such a small, direct, audience.
We had a water-chugging contest: three rounds. I participated in all three, but UGH it hurt after the last one. Of course nobody beat Sam; that guy is Superman at everything!!!
I spent the night at Megan's house afterwards. We went to be pretty early, but that was because we had to get up at (ew) 6:30 this morning. Bleh. But of course it wasn't all bad, since we were going to church and all. But, just to be safe, Megsie and I didn't sit in the peanut gallery this week...to conspicuous if somebody falls asleep. lol but I don't think either of us did anyways. Michelle, on the other hand....
When I took nursery shift in the afternoon for GBI, I realized something: I love kids, like a ton. But I'm not very good when there's a crisis. I'm either afraid that if I don't do anything, they'll think that kiddish shenanigans are ok. But if I send them in to their parents or something, I'll be perceived as inept or harsh. So I found myself asking MIKHAILA of all people, "What should I do about this?" And Mikhaila's great and all that, very mature for her age, but she's only thirteen. Not the wisest person in general.
Pray for ministerium on Tuesday. Pastor's going to bring rebuke to the fellow pastors about Dr. Schumaker. I know a few of the pastors in our district, and I love them dearly as brothers and mentors in the faith. I hope they have open ears to this.

I want and don't want to grow up....