PuZzLeS!!!

I have decided that I am 1/4 8 years old, 1/2 21 years old, and 1/4 89 years old.

My young 8 year old self comes out when I want to do something fun, like race my sister to the car, pedel really fast on the carts and skate through the grocery aisles, or eat ice cream for dinner.

My 21 year old self, does the grown up things she needs to, CAN eat ice cream for dinner, can do crazy fun pranks on friends, or take road trips with sisters/friends.

And now my 89 year old self. Well I knit (not nearly as well as my younger or older sister but I can whip out a pretty mean scarf :) I am planning on learning to sew sweet things for my niece (again not as good as my older and younger sister or amazing mama!) I love to garden, go to the farmers market and then can, dry, and preserve yummy foods for the winter like in Little House on the Prairie. But the most grandma-ish thing that I do...I do puzzles. And not only do I do puzzles, but my friend and I (Amanda) FRAME OUR PUZZLES AND HANG THEM AROUND THE HOUSE!!! We have accomplished three puzzles, framed them, and hung them around the house. Even more impressive, our photomosaic Van Gogh Starry Night puzzle (Wicked hard by the way!!!) we hung a museum light above it!

But onto the reason for this post:

I started a new puzzle, a 1000 piece puzzle, and my table is too small. I need a new puzzle table. A big one, with a wide smooth space, so that I can do my grandma-ish puzzles without worrying about pieces falling off the sides (which occurs often). So when I have my own place, I may possibly have a puzzle room, or at least, just an awesome puzzle table :)

Stop Waiting

It is important to enjoy the moment in your life that you are in. This is something that I will never master, just continue to work on for my life! Being content is so hard, we are constantly being told by that if you just get that promotion, that car, that job, that amount of money, you will be happy. But that is not true, not in the least. Being content is about being happy with what you have, where you are at, and who you are with. It doesn't mean you have to be set with what have, you can still work hard and want to do better in your life.

Also, nothing, nada, nilch, zero (except for Jesus) is perfect...so waiting for perfect in the world is a forever game.

I think I should get this verse tattooed on my arm so that I don't forget it! Or maybe just on my foot...ideas? Or i could just be chill and make it as a poster and put it on my door...but that is too easy!

Well as Glozel says 'over and out!'

No matter how old, busy, or grown up I get...

I hope I never forget to drop what I do and do something fun. To think of something that would be "yumbo in my tumbo" (credit to Amanda Lacey Bates' French Teacher :)and to run across town and get it (aka Greek Fries...if you haven't had any, get some ASAP!!! :) Even after getting those delicious fries, to drive aimlessly to find The Castle (Stadium High School) and look at the beauty of a building, out of place in Downtown Tacoma, yet seamlessly still fitting for the area. Even though I have work to do, lessons to plan, papers to correct, papers to write, laundry to do, or whatever else this life demands of me, I pray that no matter how old I get, no matter how busy I am, no matter how 'grown up' I am, I will every once-in-a-while (hopefully more often than not) drop it all and be spontaneous, adventurous, or whatever the heck I want to be other than a robot to a demanding culture.

it is here...s-n-o-w!

Snow...

Just the word makes me happy. Say 'snow' to me on a sad day and my first thought will be, 'Where! Here?! is snow coming, are we going to the mountains?!" I mean think about it, snow sounds like a lot of other good words
Snuggle
Snuffleupagus
hmmm, okay so I can only think of two words that snow sounds like but it makes all these happy feelings inside of me :)

And it isn't just how snow looks, how it drapes the entire world in a beautiful, pure, innocent frosting of white, it isn't how though it looks perfect untouched, it is still amazing seeing scattered footprints from kids playing with their parents, to animals running through it, to college students making snow angels, it isn't that is creates a silent beauty that mutes the sound of the world, it is the fact that weather you like it or not, you are forced to slow down. It becomes accetable to go outside and play, no matter how old you are. People do not speed to work, they take their time, being safe and cautious. The world understands if you are late or cannot come to work, it is rather, 'take your time, get here when you can safely'. Yes it does cause hiccups in traffic, in your so busy, overscheduled, hectic, well thought out plans but you know what, for one day or two or even three, take the time to enjoy the simple gift that you were given. Yes it is cold, and wet and can get dirty, but hey snow doesn't come that often, enjoy it while it is here.

i dare you...

Go ahead, I dare you...

to be different

to stand out

to not change when others are around

to live outside of the box

to not care

to live

to just be

Trying to be someone else is a waste of who YOU are

-Kurt Cobain

He...

There once was a girl named Katie,

some would consider her a lady,

she liked herself, most of the time,

but other times wished she could change her mind,

she thinks quite a bit about things,

that makes her want to sing,

or sometimes those thoughts

create a longing sought

a sought of a place and a time and a being

when all she could do was just

B

E

without care or concern for others

except the One that created her in her mothers

My must these worries roll so in my head?

why must these feelings keep me in bed?

Why can't the Son just shine through me?

Oh because I am to busy being just

M

E

Let him who created, formed, and saved

be the center of my focus, my heart, my way paved

Trust Him with my worry, cares, and tears

because He alone will catch all of my fears.

Slacklining!!!

Slacklining....an amazing activity where an individual walks across an inch wide piece of webbing that is strung between two trees. Of course this may sound simple but they you can add in jumping, turning, bending, and all sorts of other tricks. This photo was on Hannah's 18th Birthday where we braved the weather and setup the slackline in the park in-between rain showers. We had an awesome time of slacklining, playing frisbee and of course, jumping pictures :) If only everyday could be filled with such fun! But alas, back to the real world of to-do lists and un-fun stuff. But I am working on at least once everyday, to do something that I truly enjoy, even for a few minutes, because life is to short to be full of dumb stuff...you must someday just jump around, even if it is just on a little piece of rope between two trees :)