Another Missouri Trip

I am finally posting again!! Call the newspapers!! (Ok, don't.)

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Anyway, we just got back from yet another trip to MO. We had a great time as usual. This time Mom and us girls all went for a homeschool get-together that our friends host. We had a blast throwing water balloons, playing wiffle ball, volleyball, and frisbee.

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A big part of the trip for me was taking a trip into town to Evangel University in Springfield. I found out that I knew the kids of the art professor there and I'd heard a lot of good things about the school so I went in to check out their art department. I've been considering different schools around our area here but just haven't found anything that really felt right. So many people I talked to didn't have good things to say about the art aspect of the surrounding schools. But anyway, I went to Evangel and was really impressed. I'm still just praying about it and will be checking out more schools in our area just in case... (it would be SOO hard to leave home). If you would, I could really use prayer for this. I don't even know for sure yet if I should go to school or not. I know this would be a really big decision to make and I want only the Lord's will!!

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P.S. My friend Garrett has a very thought-provoking post up right now (called Nothing is as it Seems) You can read it here and comment or just think about it. :)

Late Night Movie

Last night, Candace, Hope, Kezzi, and I all went over to Grandma & Grandpa's to visit. Well, actually, Candace was over there first and then Hope and I went over to join the party (cause we know that wherever Candace is, there the party will be also) :). Turned out that Candace had borrowed a movie, THE movie 'Patriot' to be exact, and was planning on watching it with Grandpa. So Hope and I decided not to miss out and, of course, when Kezzi heard we were watching a movie, she came prancing over as fast as her short legs would allow. We finally stopped visiting at around 11:00pm and snuggled in downstairs, Grandpa in HIS (and no one else's) armchair ;), and us girls scattered around with blankets and yummy snacks provided by Grandma, who doesn't like watching hard war movies but loves to run around and feed us!! ;)

Anyway, I was reminded again of why I like the Patriot so much. Last time I watched it I was a few years younger and I didn't understand as much as I did this time. I will admit, it's very hard and emotional (I cried, of course), but it has such a beautiful meaning behind it that I'd never caught before. I used to think it was a movie about revenge - the good guy kills the bad guy to pay him back for all the bad things he did. But it's not. Instead it's about motivation and understanding what drives you. At first, Benjamin Martin acts in fear of losing his family or his family losing him but then starts realizing that he's really not in control of that. No matter what he does, danger will come to him and his family. He slowly realizes that he cannot act based on what might happen or what he wants to happen. He must act based on what is good and right and true, which, in his case, was helping secure the freedom of the United States. (And since killing the bad guy happens to help in the cause, it just makes the movie that much better.) :)

Back from Camp But Not Back Home... yet

Wow! What a week and a half I've had. I flew to Missouri on the 29th and stayed with some dear friends for 5 days then went to a Worldview Academy Camp with two of those friends. It was amazing!! I learned SO much and you'll probably hear more about it in the posts to come. In short, VERY short, my perspective changed on how I view ministry for Christ and how I walk with Him through ministry. Through learning about how to defend my faith, I learned more about the nature of God and why I should give everything to Him daily so that He may work through me to affect others. I went "out witnessing" for the first time and realized that it's not as scary as I thought but actually very exciting and challenging. I also learned more about art and why some modern art does qualify for the Christian definition of "ART" while some does not. I'm still in the process of processing everything I learned but every day something will come up that will remind me of a lecture at Worldview and challenge me to dig deeper and think harder.

After WVA my family and the family I'd been staying with took off for a weekend vacation in Branson. We had a fun, relaxing time swimming and getting lots of sun. Now I'm with just my family staying with some other friends in Missouri. We will be traveling home tomorrow.

Life On Oak Hill

My Aunt Lori now has a blog and she's keeping busy posting about all the happenings over on their side of the hill. Be sure to stop by here and leave lots of comments!! (I'll leave it up to each of you to decide whether to be obnoxious or not.)

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There's sure to be some interesting posts going on over there!! They're a great bunch of family and the coolest people you'll ever meet!!

Friday Night Fun

Hey folks! Tonight we have a friend over to spend the night and since there's already four of us sisters... when we invite another girl over, it's an automatic party! We've been having lots of fun playing guitar (that would be Tristan and Kezzi), singing, and just having a good ol' time. Right now I am home sitting with the sleeping younger kids while the rest of the girls went to get some goodies for our movie time. Just thought I'd snatch this minute to post. :)

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I've been doing quite well lately. I'm realizing that this time of my life is filled with evidence of the Lord's faithfulness. He has really been opening my eyes to see just how much I'm blessed. I still struggle quite a bit with keeping totally focused on Him and being content but I know the Lord is blessing me with a time of peace and I need to be grateful for it while walking through it. I realize it won't be this way forever.

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Another blessing is the beautiful weather we've been having. I love the beginnings of summer when it's not too terribly hot but warm enough to get some sun. We've been outside quite a bit planning new flower gardens and even building a new patio area complete with a small water fountain and a fire pit. Along with the new improved chicken house, our property is looking more country"ish" and homey. I like it. :) It makes me feel even more like a country girl. ;)

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I know this sounds realaxing and all, but like I said in my last post... I HAVE been busy!! :) My main concern, as of last night's meeting for this subject, is getting in order what I need for my mission trip to Kenya. We practiced using the story cloth last night and I'm afraid I stumbled through it a bit. The stories are all the ones I grew up on, but I realized that I need to work on my storytelling skills! :) I also need to start getting a passport, shots, and 'fun' stuff like that.

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Well, the girls are back so... let the party begin!! ;)

Busyness (not Business)

Ok, definitely time to post again. I'm really busy right now... or at least it really feels like I'm busy. I was just bellyachin' the other night about how much I have to think about. I've got work, trying to make sure I'm doing my part at home, dance recital coming up Friday, drawing for my fourth book, another trip to Missouri to plan for, a mission trip to try to raise money for, the list goes on. I'm really feeling the Lord testing me in how much and how often I'll lay it all at His feet. I found myself slacking on my quiet time, like not even doing it, and kind of getting in selfish brat mode. But since I've been making it priority again, which was a few days ago, I've been feeling His amazing peace flood over me and realizing (yet again) that if I give it to God, I don't have to take so much on myself.

Anyway, we have recital coming up Friday and I'm pretty nervous about it. Ususally I'm not at all nervous about recital since HiStory performances are our main focus but for one thing, my first dance I've choreographed will be performed there and for another, I just learned the dances about 3 weeks ago!!

I've also been working lots on my fourth book. I have two pictures almost finished and I'm finding out that I've gotten faster than I used to be. If I wasn't doing anything else besides working in the mornings, I could do half a picture every afternoon... which means a picture every two days (do the math, it's true).

Oh yeah, and I went to see Spiderman 3 on opening night!! Candace and I went and since the movie started at seven, we had to buy tickets at four that afternoon. We had the tickets, but then we didn't get there early enough so it was REALLY crowded and Candace and I didn't even get to sit next to each other. I kept wanting to lean over and make comments but stopped myself when I realized that was a strange guy sitting next to me, not Candace. (No, they didn't look alike.) :) The movie was pretty awesome, considering I didn't even see the first one. Very action packed but with a good plot too.

The other day, Candace announced in all seriousness that she was going into town to get kidnapped.

Don't worry, the movie store didn't have it... Of course, we had fun with that one. "Ha ha, Candace is going to get kidnapped!" Yeah, I know, lame. We all thought it was pretty funny though.

Candy Blogs

Candace has now entered the wonderful world of blogging! Visit her HERE and leave lots of obnoxious comments!!