Up and runnin'

I finally have my computer almost back to full use. That being said, here's an update of our lives.
We went to the Cities last weekend and had an absolutely fabulous time! We had lunch with some very dear friends of ours, which, in my opinion, was definitely the highlight of the trip! We hadn't seen them in over a year, so it was great to hang out with them, and see their beautiful little girls. Thanks, Audra and JP, for a wonderful time!



Later Saturday afternoon we went back to the hotel, and my aunt and a couple of cousins came over. We had a good time talking while the kids swam in the pool. It was really fun to watch my cousin's little boy play with the "big" kids in the pool!
That night we were able to go to Maranatha, which was another huge hit. :-) I absolutely love being a part of that church, and as always I can't wait to go back.
Sunday afternoon my uncle came over for lunch, and we had a great time talking--and playing with our cousins, of course!

I got through the first week of school pretty well. I ran into a couple of friends, one of whom was homeschooled and is a Nursing major. That has been really good, 'cause we've been able to hang out a bit and go to class together. I also met someone that is in three of my classes--and she's hoping to be a Nursing major, too. A couple of my classes are pretty big--well, not big compared to most schools, but big for NDSU, and big in comparison to two of my other classes, which each have around 20 kids. Two of my classes have nearly 400 students, and one I would guess has at least 200.

In other big news . . . drumroll, please . . . HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL IS BACK!!! I absolutely love HS football--WAY more than pro, and probably more than college. Even bigger news . . . Carl is starting Varsity as a sophmore! He starts on kick-return, onside kick-off and onside kick-return (I think that's right). He also subs in a lot on defensive line for a couple of the seniors (one of the reasons that he doesn't start is that if he did he couldn't play JV). He got a lot of playing time last night, which he loved and we loved watching. And we won, by the way 7-0. Anyhow, here are some pictures. Carl's number 60. Oh, and we're the white jerseys.

Carl's the kid in the middle trying to block a pass.

Quick update

Well, school starts tomorrow, and the closer it comes, the more I think, "What have I gotten myself into?!" :) Actually, I'm getting excited, too. I'll be able to see friends that I haven't seen in years, and see them more often! The part that has me concerned is a couple of the classes. One reason is that it is really hard--and I do mean really hard--to get into Nursing school at NDSU. I'm gonna be working my tail off day and night to get in. However, I've finally gotten it through my head that I'm just going to do my absolute best and leave the results up to God (I know that's how it should always be, but it's hard to leave it in His hands sometimes). The other reason is a bit more complex. I'm taking Psychology (yuck!) this semester, and I'm not looking forward to having to listen to all their humanist, socialist, materialist propaganda. I've never been one to keep silent about my beliefs and opinions (just ask Hannah!), so it might be hard not to get into trouble in class. But, I trust God to bring me through, and maybe it'll be an opportunity to witness to my classmates.

We had an absolutely fantastic weekend, but unfortunately, at this point I can't post any pictures. We had a bit of a scare last night when my computer almost contracted a nasty virus, and so it's out of use until my dad can fix it. When it's up and running, I'll post more about that. All I'll say right now is that we had a fabulous time hanging out with friends and family.

Back off government!

"That government is best which governs least."
~Thomas Paine

Braces

Yep, it's true. Last Thursday I finally had braces put on. Robbie will be getting his off by December, and Carl had his put on this past March. Why the wait for me? Well, a certain graduation/recital may have something to do with it. Anyway, my family's been bugging me to post a picture of my braces, so here it is.



Not much else to report these days. I've been putting in a lot of 7 or 10-hour days at the daycare, and while it can be tiring at times, it's been a lot of fun. Carl started football practice today, so he's happy. Of course, it's the hottest day of the summer, and that's the start of practice--as usual! Still, he's excited and we're excited to watch him play again this year.
This picture is actually from last week or the week before. We were sitting at the table eating supper when Robbie noticed this sitting on the power line in the neighbor's backyard. We see 'em all the time out in the country, but in the middle of the city? Not so much. Apperently, there's a nest of them a few blocks away.

35 reasons not to sin

1) Because a little sin leads to more sin.

2) Because my sin invites the discipline of God.

3) Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.

4) Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.

5) Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.

6) Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.

7) Because I am doing what I do not have to do.

8) Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.

9) Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.

10) Because my sin saddens the godly.

11) Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.

12) Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.

13) Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.

14) Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of
disobedience.

15) Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.

16) Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.

17) Because my sin may influence others to sin.

18) Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.

19)Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.

20) Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.

21) Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.

22) Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.

23) Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.

24) Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.

25) Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.

26) Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.

27) Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.

28) Because my sin is adultery with the world.

29) Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.

30) Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.

31) Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.

32) Because to sin is not to love Christ.

33) Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.

34) Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it’s own.

35) Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

~Found on the Rebelution Blog

Quote to ponder

"Grace doesn't create loopholes in the law--it eliminates the law, because it requires relationship."
~Bruce Harpel

Fun tag

Normally I don't do tags, but this one looked like fun, and it'll give y'all a little glimpse into my life. I'm not going to officially tag anyone, but if you want to do it, let me know so I can see your answers!

~Favorites!

What is your favorite animal? Lion.

Who is your favorite author? C.S. Lewis.

What is your favorite instrument? The piano, though I love a good guitar solo, too.

What is your favorite sport to watch? Football!

What is your favorite sport to play? Three-way tie between baseball, basketball, and volleyball.

What is your favorite movie?
Sound of Music.

What is your favorite classic literature book?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

What is your favorite store? Uh . . . probably a Christian bookstore.

~~~~~
Would you rather...?

Would you rather buy a new book or re-read one? Depends on the book, but probably buy a new one.

Would you rather spend money or save it? Save it.

Would you rather go on vacation to the beach or the mountains? The beach!

Would you rather play an instrument or listen to it? I can't decide.

Would you rather be indoors or outdoors? Outdoors.

Would you rather have your room painted lime green or purple with pink dots? Lime green (pink and purple? YUCK! Though lime green isn't exactly pretty, either).

Would you rather live in a cave or in a tree house? A tree house like in the Swiss Family Robinson!

Would you rather have a cat or a dog? A dog (not only do I despise cats, but I'm allergic to them).

Would you rather host a get-together or go to one? Probably go to one; it's a ton of work to host!

~~~~~
About you!

Do you have any siblings? Yep, two younger brothers.

What year were you born? 1990.

How many times have you moved in your life? Twice.

How long have you been a Christian? Since I was 3.

~~~~~
Totally random

Christmas or Thanksgiving? Christmas (though this year it might be Thanksgiving, as it sounds like there will be a wedding in the—extended—family that weekend . . . )

Words or pictures? Words.

Iguanas or turtles? Iguanas (except for the time that a friend's iguana nearly gave me a heart attack! I didn't know it was in the bathtub until it moved!).

Randomness or sense? Sense.

Books or magazines? Books, definitely books!

Summer days or winter nights? Summer days (who here in the tundra actually LIKES winter?!).

Screaming monkeys or running bears? Running bears. I've heard screaming monkeys, and they're obnoxious!

Jane Austen or Charles Dickens? Charles Dickens—no contest there!

Scotland or Ireland? Ireland.

Running or walking? Walking.

RedHawks game

Last out to win the game!

The teen that honors God . . .

. . . Will have His blessing on her. Okay, yes, that's a take off of a line in Facing the Giants; however, it certainly applies here. Today my friend Amy Anderson (17 years old) won the USGA Girls Junior Amateur Championship and brought home another big trophy to go with her and her brother's ever-growing collection. We followed her progress online yesterday and today, and are so excited for her! Throughout her young career, Amy has always given all the glory to God for her ability. She has honored her parents and loved her family, and is very outspoken about her faith in Jesus Christ. Today, God honored her for that, and I am blessed to call her my friend. Way to go Amy!

Click here for more info about her win today.

And the camping adventures continue . . .

I think the title says it all. Every year we have some sort of misadventure that, at the time, is frustrating and very unexpected, but in time, it sure makes for some good memories! This year was no exeption. Warning: This will probably be a very long post.

We got to the campsite Monday afternoon, and set up camp in the rain. It wasn't downpouring, but raining hard enough to be a nuisance. But, we still managed to get all the tents set up, with the tarps on top of and beneath the tents (you camp long enough in the Upper Midwest, you learn that tarps are your best friends). We set the campstove up under a tree, and were able to have a good supper in our screen tent without getting too wet. That evening, Dad set up the air mattresses, and later that night he came out and told Mom, "Our mattress won't hold air." She said, "I'm sleeping in the car." And she did. Or, to hear her tell it, she tried to sleep. But every time she got in a comfortable position, she'd hear another mosquito buzzing in her ear. She figures she probably killed around 50 in one night! :-)

It rained off and on all that night (and let me tell you, trying to sleep with the rain hitting the tarps is a JOKE!), and in the morning, one look at the clouds and we knew it was going to be another wet day. So after a quick breafast, we headed into town to get a new air mattress for Mom and Dad. While we were there, it absolutely began to pour outside--it's been a while since I've seen rain come down so hard! So, instead of heading back to the campground, we decided to drive into Valley City, where we had lunch and visited the Bald Hill Dam. That afternoon Carl, Robbie, and Dad got some biking in before supper. That night, it was like a repeat of last year's Wizard of Oz adventure. The wind blew so badly that our entire tent felt like it was going to take off! The sides were heaving in and out like you wouldn't believe! Last year, it only lasted for a couple hours; this year, not only did it last the ENTIRE night, but it was super windy for the next two days, too!

Wednesday was full of biking, canoeing, and hiking time. All of us except Mom love doing the bike trails, so of course we were very busy with that. And everyone except me went canoeing at least once that day. As for the hiking, well . . . last year Mom and I climbed Ridge Line, the hardest trail in the park. It feels like you climb 250 feet straight up, though in reality it's spread out over a little less than a half a mile. Mom said that NO WAY was I going to give her another cardiac stress test this year, so Carl agreed to do the trail with me. It branches off another trail that is one of our favorites to bike or hike, so our whole family decided to hike together to where the trails split. Then Carl and I hiked up, and up, and up . . . and up . . . and . . . up. And when you get to the end of the dirt part of the trail and break out into the grass and sunlight, you have to go up some more! Actually, it wasn't too bad, and we made good time. That night, winter decided to hit. It got down to about 45 degrees for the following 3 nights! I slept with two blankets and a sweatshirt, with the hood pulled over my head! And of course, that was the night Carl decided he wanted to go up and take a 24-minute picture of the stars (he held the shutter open for that long to get the rotation of the stars. He did this last year and it turned out really well). We all went up there, but after getting out of the van, looking at the stars, and trying to take some pictures, Mom and I got back in the van and took naps! Still, I can't wait to see how Carl's picture turned out!

Thursday and Friday were spent doing more biking, hiking, and canoeing. We hit just about every trail possible, and did many of them more than once. We saw quite a bit of wildlife, including having deer jump right out on the trail in front of us a couple of times! Another pasttime we kids enjoyed was climbing the tree in front of our campsite. It was really easy to get up, and is very comfortable once you're up. Robbie actually did some reading while in his perch! On Friday, when we went in to town to get ice for the coolers, we also stopped at a couple little antique-type stores, where Dad found a few things for Mom and himself.

Saturday was a bit of a mad rush to get everything packed into the two cars and out of the campground by 1, but we made it, with over half an hour to spare! Then came the wonderful job of unpacking! We were all happy to be home, and able to sleep in our own (WARM) beds that night! Still, we really enjoyed our trip, and we had a fantastic time! And here are the pictures you've been waiting for . . .

setting up the tents in the rain

what campfire would be complete without s'mores?

consulting possible sites for next year

grass snake that I found and Carl caught

two of my best friends

my awesome family--four of my best friends!

helping Dad pack up the vehicles