32 days.

 

Hi.

That's how long until I will be in New York City for the very first time. Back in February our trip to Ukraine had to be canceled due to unrest in the country.  But we are all really excited for NYC! Partly nervous, but mostly excited. 

one of my favorite days in New York, visiting the half frozen lake.

Visiting Grandma's gravestone for the very first time..


Niagara tho...

And thennn, only 42 days until we go to Minnesota for Kortney and Mat's wedding. I can't wait to see all my New York family again! I've missed them so so SO much.. although two months isn't very long, it has felt like so much more!

The past months have been pretty crazy, with babysitting and preparations for the mission trip. I've also been looking at colleges, it is so weird that I am old enough to make a for sure decision for my future. There are so many different things that I could choose and I am only supposed to choose one? Choices, choices...How fun.

 Relaxing in OKC with some of my favorite kiddos.


"He thinks I'm his daddy! Silly kitty!"


No comment. ;)


Tuesday was Jillaina's 10th birthday, we had chicken and rice for dinner, and cake after with some of our older brothers and sisters. Heidi surprised me with a visit, I've missed her! It is weird not to see her very much anymore. Hopefully this summer we can hang out more!

"Kitties!!"

Easter at Jennaea and Ben's

 

Yay for cousins!

 

And grandmas and uncles!

 

Favorite photo from a couple weekends ago.

This is a public service announcement:
Sonic now has NERDS slushies. I recommend the grape with NERDS. You would think that adding to such a great flavor as grape would be superfluous, but believe me, it's not! They are way up there with cranberry limeades(lite ice, extra limes, and the occasional addition of lemons)

Hey... if anyone wants free kittens we've got seven.. but seriously. Come and get'em.

I love making birthday cards. :)

 

You know you needed to laugh..

I guess that's all.
Until next time.
Stay real folks.






 

uhm?

 

I am dazzled by the sky. always.

 

 

I've been sick for almost two weeks now and it's been miserable.

Because January is my month for nursery at church, and I LOVE nursery, especially on Sundays because there are so many more kids! I love kids, they are so much easier to get along with than adults. I was only in nursery three out of the four sundays that I was supposed to work. Now that, is just sad.

 

On lighter note, I'm feeling much better. I mean, I can hardly hear out of my left ear(ear infection or something?) but I had my first full nights sleep in three weeks last night! So its not all bad. Also, I got switched to the bass clef in bell choir, which makes me so incredibly happy, since I pick it up so much easier than I did the treble clef. I do miss my old treble clef neighbor though, Sarah was the best. Anyway, happiness, okay?

 

THIS: Pompeii  

seriously, a song about history. this is just so good.

please, just listen to this.

 

TWENTY-FOUR DAYS UNTIL NEW YORK. yayyayyyaay! I haven't been to New York for eight whole years, and that is an awfully long time. I am so excited to see all my New York cousins and aunts and uncles! I wish there was less time between now and then.

 

I don't like meetings or hats. or orange juice. or medicine.

I like summer and good books(I recently read The Selection... definitely a re-read!). also, water. and caramel.

I have this thing against colored toothpaste.

I think that by the ocean would be a cool place to live.

 

Okay, that's all. I just wanted to say hey.

Someday my post with lots of pictures will finally upload!

Until then, xoxo

-jkr-

 

p.s. I've decided that I just LOVE the blue.. a lot. Change is good.



Updates and lots of lovely music

 

 

Happy 2014!

 

So far this year has been fantastic.

I rang in the New Year with a several of my favorite people at the bowling alley.

My youth group had an all-nighter, it was pretty much the best fun ever. Of course, by seven in the morning we were all pretty loopy and ready to sleep, forever.

 

On New Years Day, we went to my grandparents and had our annual black-eyed peas dinner. Ya know the saying, 'Eat poor on New Years and eat rich the rest of the year.'

It was fun.

 

Christmas was good! We had everyone together this year, the house was full to the max, but we all had a lot of fun. My favorite gift is probably my Bible. It is purple and beautiful, I already love using it!

 

Here are some fantastic songs ya'll should listen to:

 

From Seth:

Box In Love

Same Love (From A Christian)

All Of Me

 

From Other Amazing People:

Lord, I Need You

See You Tonight

Memory

 

Funny Videos To Watch:

Sesame Street Hunger Games: Catching Fur

Kid President's 20 Things We Should Say More Often

 

Yeah, Those are cool.

 

I am getting very, very excited about #summer14 in Ukraine. For reals, can this year get any better? :) I got my passport in the mail on Christmas Eve, so that was a good gift. 6 months isn't so far, right?!

 

Yesterday was my first day back to school, ugh, I like school, but I just really didn't want to do it this week, like at all. I read four chapters of Geography, it talked about Ukraine some so that was cool.

 

I read a lot this break and watched a lot of Christmas movies with Steven's mom, Annette. We probably watched around 18 movies and ate a ton of candy, crazy, I know. But it was fun. :) It is officially freezing over here in Kansas. I have mixed feelings about it. I like the beautiful snow, but I am happy when it gets warm enough to melt away. I don't know, I just adore the sun I guess. Summer can't come any faster for this girl over here!

 

Tonight, Janelle and I made attempted to make a gingerbread house. Haha, you wouldn't believe that anyone could make something that ugly. We had a lot of laughs though, and the frosting actually tasted decent for once!

 

I am reading three fantastic books right now, ones that you just don't want to put down 'cause they are so good. One, my friend Mary loaned to me and its called Sharing Jesus Without Fear, it puts a real interesting look on how to witness. My favorite parts are when the author says "There is no success, there is no failure, in God's kingdom when people obey Him and share Jesus." In one of the other books I'm reading there is a quote by Oswald Chambers "Waiting doesn't mean sitting around with folded hands, but to learn to do what you are told."

 

Lastly, Here is a worship song I've been listening to a lot lately. Enjoy!



Orange Monkeys and Mental Breakdown Sundaes. #getmeone!

I am really tired tonight. I think I've made a few "Orange Monkey" comments. Someone who has known me forever, looked at me and said "I think you should go to bed or something, cuz you're talking crazy." 

I am really lonely tonight. All my siblings(and bunk mates) are at a friends house. So I'm all alone(with my parents) in my house. I got a taste of what it meant to be an only child tonight, and it was good, but now it's bedtime and I don't have my sisters to protect me from snakes and scary monsters. 

I am really happy tonight. I've been in an unspoken argument with a friend for over a week now. I was mad at her for being mad at me for something I couldn't change. I was feeling pretty crappy about it because I didn't know how to fix the problem, until tonight, after ignoring me, she walked up to me and just started sobbing. So I hugged her and let her cry, and then she told how she was so stressed out with decisions she is having to make and how I had just scared her so bad, by making her think about the future. I apologized and told her that I wasn't making any life-altering decisions right now regarding what had scared her so bad about me. I think we both felt loads better. I think what I had 'done' was just the cherry on top of a mental breakdown sundae(I sound well versed in that because I make those often.. And most of the time out of myself). To the person who helped restore this friendship(you know who you are), I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are amazing. <3 

  Gorgeous sunset last night! PTL

For the first time. Since July 22nd, 2012. I'm starting to believe that good decisions were made that day. Four days short of a year, thank You Jesus. I like the direction my life is heading.