These next few days...

    "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6: 34

 

 

 

Tomorrow will be full of studying for my 90 question final in biology happening on Thursday.  There's going to be 6 pages with 45 vocab, 6 matching, 23 short answer, 13 multiple choice, 1 figure to label and 2 essay questions. I need to review all of the last four modules.

Have I mentioned that dropping out of biology has crossed my mind far more than once?

I would still have to take it again, because I need biology to graduate. And I'm halfway through, with a soring grade level, but it's just far too stressful. I'm so grateful that I'll be halfway through after this Thursday and that I have a Christmas break for the rest of December.

 

 

I'm also going away to a youth group retreat this weekend, leaving on Friday and coming back late Sunday afternoon. I'm anxious about the retreat as well. Last year, at least I had my sister to be with. But this year she isn't going! She's not in high school anymore. When I turned in my form, I requested to have a room with Amanda, one of the girls I stick to during youth group. I remember being in a room last year with very pretty girls. I felt out of place and awkward. Especially since I didn't know them very well. Th Fall retreat is usually a lot of fun. I think once I find a seat on the bus and we're on the way there, my worries about the retreat should fade away. After all, I had a whole bunch of fun climbing Ghost Mountain with Amanda last year!

 

 

One of my youth group leaders is ordering 20 hand drawn tags from me! Whoo! That means I'll make $10..haha I wonder what book I should put that money towards? Maybe I'll put it towards purchasing Tangled, we still don't have that on dvd. The only thing is that I only have 6 tags made, which means I have to make 14 more! That's going to be a lot of work...which is a little stressful too.

 

I'm not going to Bible study tonight. There's just too much recapping of Biology to do in order to be able to go tonight. I might go next week...but I feel like I never learn anything and I feel like it's a waste of time, especially since I feel like I never have any free time anymore...haha. We'll see, I guess. But since I'm staying home, that means I get to have supper with mom and Britney, and mom's going to make me my favorite meal! Taco soup! Have you ever tried it?

 

I only have one more MOPS before Christmas, then it starts back up in January. It's so nice to finally have some money flowing in. I feel so much more free to be able to purchase some books I love that I would much rather own than continue to check out from the library!

 

 

I doodled Olaf from Frozen on my church sermon notes on Sunday....haha. Maybe it's just me, but sometimes if I doodle during church, I'm able to focus on what the Pastor is saying much better.

 

I stayed home from youth group too....I decided I really needed to decorate my room for Christmas and I wasn't going to have time for it all week or this weekend since I'll be gone, and once I'll be back, it will already be so far into December that my decorations won't be up very long.

 

I hung lights and garland all around my ceiling. They're beautiful to turn on at night when all of the other lights in my room are off and the Christmas music is playing on my radio.

 

 

I also set up my Christmas Town set from my Nana. I took everything off my dresser that way it looked pretty...haha! Can you see my aquarium plant in the corner?

You can also see some more garland next to my window curtain! Haha

 

 

Have I mentioned that I am SO ready for Christmas?

And some snow too??

 

Dad: 3

Mom: 5

Britney: 2

Mandie: 2

 

I've done some more shopping as well!

And sending out two penpal letters today...one may just be headed far up North and one may be going straight out west......just maybe. =)

 

 

I'm so excited for December 16th! We're going out to breakfast on Main Street, then we're heading to our favorite tree farm in Pennsylvania, then coming home to decorate our tree and go out later in the evening to watch The Desolation of Smaug! I'm so excited to go see it! 

 

 

 

-Stephanie

 

 

 

 

 

 



Kristoff

I just had to draw him. Because I love him ^_^

 

-Stephanie

It's beginning to feel like Christmas

Christmas music officially came on our local radio yesterday. I turned on my radio when I went to bed last night , and woke up to Christmas music in the morning because I forgot to turn my radio off! Today I sat a small Christmas tree on my night stand. I know it's early, but I love this time of the year!

 

I'm beginning to get the warm feeling of Christmas filling my spirit.

 

Mom, Britney and I decided to go Christmas shopping today.

I now have gifts for:

Mom: 4

Britney 2

Dad: 2

Mandie: 0

And about $50 left to spend.

I think I'm off to a good start- though not all that I got is from today. (=

 

Also, instead of tithing to my church this year, I decided to donate to a organization for Christmas.

The last two years I've done Operation Christmas Child.

This year I decided to do Toys for Tots:

 

I think these will make three little girls very happy. Don't  you think?

It worked out perfectly too! I only had so much money to spend, and my total was 50 cents under the amount I had in my tithing envelope! It was absolutely perfect.

 

I also gave some change to a Salvation Amy bucket in the mall.

The bellringer nodded at me and said "Thank you, Happy Holidays!"

I looked up at her and said with a smile, "Merry Christmas to you!"

Realizing that she wasn't going to offend me, she said Merry Christmas in return.

 

I understand the whole Happy Holiday thing...but to me, when someone wishes me a Happy Holiday,  it just puts a damp towel on the whole meaning of Christmas. To spread Cheer.

I hope not to offend anyone when I do this, but I say Merry Christmas whenever I can when December finally rolls around.

Just saying the words puts a happy skip in my heart.

 

And guess what!

We had snow flurries today!

There wasn't enough to lay a thin coat on the ground, but it was still beautiful to watch the snow flakes beautiful descent from the sky.

 

With the warmth of the crackling fire coming up through the vent in the living room, I moved towards our large upstairs window. Feeling the warmth under my feet as I stood right above the vent, I opened the window curtain and found myself gazing at the stars. It was such a clear night that I couldn't resist climbing into the window and taking in the pure amazement of it all, of God's magnificent creation, and just being quiet for a while.

 

Then I started to think about people that are just so wrapped up in themselves and the modern world that they can't let themselves be amazed for a moment about how amazing the world is.

How a tree can grow from just a seed. How a star thousands of miles away can still shine bright enough to make a bright impression in our evening sky.

 

Which reminds me! Just the other night in Virginia there was a  rocket launch.

In precisely 10 seconds after it took off the rocket came into view.

I watched it go up, up, up, until the rocket was gone, immersed in the clouds above where my eye could no longer follow.

It was so much fun to watch!

I really hope to watch a meteor shower one day...I still haven't gotten around to that yet.

 

 

I just finished reading "The Curse of the Spider King" today by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper.

I still can't really decide whether  I like this series or not.

Some parts of the book are questionable and more haunting than I appreciate.

But yet, I still want to see how the story wraps up.

 

 

Until next time!

 

-Stephanie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me through the ages...

 

Me through the ages at my homeschool umbrella group!

It's so funny sometimes to glance back and see how much I've changed in just four years...enjoy!

 

7th grade! My year of skinny jeans and big earrings with short and straightened hair.

 

 

8th grade! My year of naturally curly hair.

 

 

Freshman year! My first year of highschool!

 

 

Sophomore year! The proofs were just sent to yearbook staffers today!

 

I think the most recent is my favorite. It's the only one so far that you can clearly see my eye color.

 

Not only have I changed physically, but also spiritually and emotionally.

These last four years of CBA have strengthened me in so many ways.

School may be overwhelming this year, but there's always one year in highschool to everyone that is just overbearing.

 I'm halfway through the school year and I can finish it off with soring grades!

(But not until I've had Christmas break....haha)

 

-Stephanie

 

 

 

Bilbo's Handwriting

I decided to try some majestic handwriting today...

 

It really is amazing how many things I can find to do that keep me from studying for my biology quiz happening tomorrow. I should really stop procrastinating now and buckle down to study. *wink*

Farewell!

-Stephanie

P.S. I now realize that I forgot the I in Tolkien. Oh dear me.
It was fun trying to have Bilbo's handwriting never the less!!

 

 

First day of child care!

       I must say that it was much better than I was expecting. I was quite skeptical thinking there would be an overload of kids since we get $25 each time. But it was pretty evenly spaced out.  Mckenzie and I were first put in the infant room together, then they moved us to the older preschool kids. Then after 20 minutes of being in there, Mrs. Shrock asked if one of us could go back over to the infants, so I went. I was over there for about 20 minutes....but it was so chaotic. There was four helpers including myself and 8 babies. And the babies were all over the room, one in a swing, another in a bouncy thing, one crawling around and the rest were crying being held.
The other three helpers were older women, so they called me all over the room because apparently I had a better back, so I could pick the kids up for them. One time I just sat on the floor and looked at the babies crying and they all seemed to be looking at me as if saying "How dare you make me cry?" while a lady was pulling down a babies pants making sure she didn't have to change his diaper. At that point I was really doubting myself....I had practically had no experience with babies before, but I managed to make one baby stop crying by taking her out in the big room and just pacing back and forth.

Thankfully, Mrs.Shrock came back and offered to take the 20 pound baby off my hands...(Yes. The baby was that heavy.) and asked if I wanted to go back to the preschool room, and I said yes.

I really like it in the preschool room because it's more fun than work. We had snacks, sang Christmas songs, learned about leaves, colored coloring pages, put together a huge puzzle and had story time about foxes (which was sort of funny because Mckenzie and I looked at each other and mouthed the song "What does the fox say?" at each other!)

I really enjoyed being around this girl named Waverly! She was so extremely sweet and sat on my lap, or was always sitting next to me. She has perfect blond hair and beautiful blue eyes. She came in her Dora the explorer footed pajamas! (Aww!)
Then once the moms started coming to pick up their kids Mrs.Johnson wanted Mckenzie and I to help put away chairs, so I had to leave Waverly, but she was so sad about me leaving.
"I don't want you to go!" She gave me a hug and I told her I would see her next time.

Then Mrs.Shrock handed Mckenzie and I our $25 and asked if we were permanent helpers, we both said yes and she said "I'm glad we can depend on you!" as we headed to help put back the chairs for the moms.

Mrs.Johnson gave us a schedule of the rest of the dates and told us she would give us another one once MOPS starts back up in January after Christmas, but she made sure that we wanted to come back first.

I really had fun, and it gives me some good experience to be around younger kids. I don't have any younger siblings, so I'm kind of clueless when it comes to being around kids.

But as far as babies....I just can't do that just yet. The ladies were really happy to have me in there with them, but I didn't feel like much help.

So I'm glad I'm back to the preschool-I need to start out slow! Haha especially since I practically have had no childcare experience before.

Also, Mrs.Johnson said that the church was a perfect place to advertise for babysitting when I need some money.  Shannon (another girl that carpools with Mrs.Johnson) said she put up a paper with her number on it and her phone was ringing off the hook! I'm not quite ready to do that just yet, but it's good to have that avenue when I need more money.

Mckenzie and I were talking about how $25 is a lot of money to us and she's going to spend it on movie tickets, makeup and clothes and stuff and then she asked me and I was like "Um...books." Haha.

Now....to finish schoolwork I didn't complete before I left this morning...

-Stephanie



Pumpkin Carving

A little behind with the autumn festivities this year! Here's the pumpkin I carved last night!

 

 

 

Can you guess who it is?

Hint: Under the sea.

Good luck!

 

-Stephanie