{Life} It's Been a Big Week

It's been a big week.

Crazy week.

Went-so-fast, I'm-still-on-Thursday week.

Monday was normal. I was finishing up all the school I needed to do for my upcoming classes, then I had volleyball practice. We went out for supper as a team afterwards. I love my team. I love spending time with them off the volleyball court. I followed Mary Frances to the restaurant, and that was quite the experience! *lane change* immediately followed by *lane change*

Tuesday morning was class. Tuesday afternoon was senior night volleyball-our last home game. It was a big night because all three teams played. All three teams also won :) It made for a late night! :)

Wednesday morning was more school work. Wednesday afternoon was class and then grocery shopping. . I had one of those experiences that you only have when you drive yourself. I got into the check out line, and had all my stuff on the belt when I reached in to grab my wallet and realized I'd left it at home. Which was a little awkward. I kid you not, the wallet has a mind of it's own. (It's like the one ring in the J.R.R. Tolkien books) Wednesday night I spent packing for volleyball nationals on Thursday.

Thursday morning, we left at 5:00am. I had to get up at 4:15am. It was really, really early. Anyhow, it made the first game at 9:00am a little rough. We played four games on Thursday. It was rough, rough. Fun, but so rough. We were just NOT playing our best. Thursday evening we made matching bows. Rachel was our ever-patient teacher. She had a group of giggling girls with lighters to keep under control. I'd say she managed quite well because nothing caught on fire :)

Friday. We played games. But we were done shortly after lunch. Most of my team went to a pumpkin patch. But I really, really needed some quiet time. So I stayed with my parents who grounded me and got me on the right track. We joined the team for dinner at a restaurant called "spaghetti works".

Which brings me to one of my nationals HIGHLIGHTS. Our buddy team. So we signed up for a a "buddy team". You get to meet them, hang out with them, encourage them, make them gifts (remember the bow making, we made bows for our team :), watch them play, and in our instance, go out to eat with them. They were from Fairfax, VA. I'll admit, I was worried. Getting to know people out and out scares me. But I had Hannah on one side and Mary Frances on the other, so I was set. As is, I had nothing to worry about. Those girls were fantastic. They were homeschooled, they played volleyball, they watch movies, read books, and can sympathize with our inability to make a circle. I loved them. It was really hard to say good bye on Saturday, knowing there was a big possibility I would never talk to them again. I really wanted to get to know them MORE.

After dinner we had a team movie night watching Moms' Night Out. Ironic, a bunch of teenage girls getting together to watch Moms' Night Out. But it was comfy, all sprawled all over the hotel room, passing around a bag of kettle corn.

On Saturday we had two games. The last one was playing for the championship in the bronze division. It was probably one of our better games. But their jump servers, and 6'1" hitters got the better of us. I was personally exhausted. So, so tired. But we finished, we had pictures together. Then we went out to lunch. I have to say, at that point, I was ready to be done with volleyball. It's been a day, and I'm ready to jump back in, but I have to wait a whole year. Nationals was a special way to end. It was a humorous, fun, exhausting, loud, and unforgettable experience. With that, I'll end my descriptions and my blog post. :)





OH, WAIT! One more thing. So, during one of our last games, Mary Frances served and it was a really good serve. Obviously, she yelled in excitement. Her gum went FLYING across the floor. It was hilarious. And a little embarrassing, because I squealed and jumped out of the way. :)


Ah, man. One other big, exciting thing. Out of the 18 teams at the tournament, ours was chosen by the refs and tournament directors to receive the sportsmanship award. Pretty special, if you ask me!


EEK! I can't forget a picture!!

{Pictures} Past and Present

I really enjoy pictures.

I enjoy taking pictures, looking at pictures, you name it. They mean more to me than words. No, words of affirmation is definitely not my love language!

I can look at pictures over and over and over. And love them the millionth time just as much as I did the first.

Our computer used to scroll through pictures as the screen saver. I loved it. I could just sit an watch it forever! (*Pauses as I go set our screen saver to doing that again*)

So this post is dedicated to some of my favorite pictures to look at over and over.

 So that's my cousin in the blanket. That's my dad and my uncle swinging him. They do this to everyone when we all get together. They've done it to me, my aunt, Tyler, all the little kids. It's really fun. Sometimes they just swing you by your arms and legs, but the blanket was deemed more comfortable. The other game my dad plays with little kids is "Kota bowling". It started when Kota was younger. We would set up some random objects as bowling pins, and dad would slide him across the floor on his back to knock them over. Needless to say, my mom has never participated in these activities. She generally refrains from watching at all. But her facial expression is why I love this picture! :)

 (Isn't that a throwback Thursday?) This would have been our first year of JH volleyball. I love this picture because when I look at it I think how little we were. So little. But at the time, I certainly did not feel little. I was playing my first year of CHIEF volleyball, I was no longer little ;)

 That picture was our Christmas card picture one year. My mom apparently gave up on trying to dress us nice, and went with the clothes closest to the door. Then accessorized accordingly with axes and chainsaws. Stormy was on cloud nine to be holding a chainsaw, and wouldn't take his hands off of it. :)

 2011, I believe. Long before a basement was even thought about. I took this picture with my little point and shoot camera after I climbed the windmill. There's flaws to the picture, but I love how it's pretty (sunrise, blooming redbud trees, warm color) and very realistic (buckets, hoses, electric lines..).

 Oh, that. I will never get tired of it. The occasion was, of course, playing around at the Salvation Army. This was my first time shopping with the DeWolfs. Since then, I've learned how many upsides there is to it!

 This, I can pinpoint as my first real interest in photography. There's a bunch of pictures from that morning that I really love. But this is probably my favorite. After those, I was hooked!

 Has anyone heard of our O'Malley obsession? We've named all the yellow cats that end up at our house O'Malley for several years now. My dad refuses to let that change. I think it's a little morbid. Anyway, this was O'Malley 1 (O'Malley 5 is sleeping on the couch!). He was yawning right at the camera. :)

 This picture gets me every. time. It was a complete fluke. But a good fluke! ;)

 Now here is where I got by very own "big camera". I think there is approximately one million pictures in the first week I had it. I had my own laptop that I would upload them on so I didn't flood the computer.

This was Tyler's junior year. I was taking his school pictures, and our dog "Cat" hopped in on some. There's about a dozen of either Tyler of the dog looking away from the camera. But then there's this one. What are the chances? Their expressions are even similar (weird, I know. But I think they are!)


Wow. Wow. Wow. That was the perfect excuse to look back through old pictures AGAIN! *sighs* I love doing that.

{A Few of My Favorite Things} Highlight Reel

Life has been busy. Happy, busy, exciting. It's fun. So here's my highlight reel:


We had two toddler stay with us last week for two days. Isaac, 4 and Abi, 3. I had so much fun. Probably because my mom did all the hard stuff and I just got to hug them and play with them and give them cheez-its :)

Abi (talking to the boys out the window)

I get to be around so many little kids lately. It's probably one of the best parts of my busy schedule right now. There's Elanor on Tuesday morning, Westin and Ella on Wednesday morning, and Ethan on Sundays. I love being around babies/little kids so often. They make me happy!

The sunrise through our upstairs window this morning. I love how you can see the silhouette of the trees across the road.

Then there was this sunrise, on Sunday morning. It was one of the kinds where the light is shining through a gap in the clouds in very distinct rays. These are my favorite sunrises, I do believe.

What would a post be without a little talk about volleyball? Our season really is more than half-way over. I'm not ready for it to end yet. Maybe by November I will be. But for now, I'm going to enjoy that the season is still here. Our AD (*cough* *points at my dad*) managed to schedule us a particularly busy week. One game on Monday, two on Tuesday, one on Friday, and an all-day Saturday tournament. When it rains, it pours. But in this case, the rain is a good kind that I love. :) Here's a picture. Natalie took some pictures for me. She does things with my camera in the dark gym that are way beyond me!

That's me, number 11, trying to be a tall person. I think I actually blocked this one. Blocking has got to be one of my favorite things to do. There's low pressure, because I'm short and I'm not expected to block every ball. But it is so exciting when I actually CAN! I love playing against hitters who hit nice and low!

Homemade Frappuccino. Mrs. Mann heard all about this. It is one of my new favorite drinks. (I won't confess to having made it almost every day last week... buuuutt....) Anyway, I changed a recipe from The Pioneer Woman website until it was just how I wanted it. It tastes like ice cream. Awesome.

The CD player in my car. I love listening to books, but if I do that while I drive, I fall asleep. Not cool. I've been listening to Keith and Kristyn Getty, and Sovereign Grace (Valley of Vision). I can sing along and keep myself awake. Which is good. Very good.

I'll stop now. Here's a picture of my fluffy goats ?last winter, Mrs. Mann. There not this fluffy yet, but they'll get there ;)

{Life} My First Encounter With a Police Officer

I had my first encounter with an on duty police officer this week.

Pretty much since I started driving, I've been imagining what it would be like. Would I be pulled over for speeding, or doing something really ditzy...would I even know why I was pulled over?

Would I be in tears, would I hold myself together?

My best imagined scenario was that I would be pulled over for something I had no control over (NOT speeding!) and I would pull off the innocent victim look well enough to win him over. AND that he would just be able to go through the glove box and find what he needed. AND that I wouldn't go to jail...

But, in reality, it was one of the best moments of my day. So, here's the story.

Monday night: I was forced to fuel my car up all by myself for the first time, and it was late. So I took every precaution and just called my dad so he could walk me through the ordeal and make sure I didn't, you know, put diesel in it or something. 'Cause I would do something like that! So,  here I am working through the process with the phone in one hand and the gas pump in the other. I had taken my wallet into pay, so I just laid it down on my car. I got the fuel, remembered to shut the opening (which was a miracle) and headed home.

I'm the only one who didn't see the problem with that situation... but, yes. You guessed it. Somewhere along they way, my blue-buttoned wallet went flying off the car.

Fast forward to Tuesday morning: I was putting some things in my purse and realized I didn't have my wallet. That's okay, I was pretty convinced it was somewhere near. After searching high and low, I came to the conclusion that my wallet was not in our house. So after consulting with my mom, I decided to head for the gas station and ask there. ON MY WAY, my cell phone rang. Guys, I almost didn't answer it, 'cause I didn't know the number. But I did.

I'm talking to who?? A police officer?? And you have my wallet?? And you'll meet me at the gas station??

Yes, all of that was true. So I rolled into the gas station, and there he was! And it was me who got out of the car, not him. And there was no flashing lights. And I didn't go to jail. And he's my knight in shining armor.

Anyway, that was the big drama of my week. I lead an exciting life like that :)

{Life} Fall

I'm going to tell you some of my favorite things about fall. Some will be very cliched (hoodies, long pants), but I'll try to tend closer to the creative side!

Apple cider

My mom spices apple cider with red hot candies. It is maarrveelloouuss! 

My goats start getting fluffy

Their winter coats start growing, and they get to looking very...round. It is so cute! They just look warm and cozy!

It's the season before winter

So I always have winter ahead of me!

It's our social season

Doesn't that just sound like something from Pride and Prejudice? "It's the social season in London." Anyhow, we commit ourselves to not being at home much. And it's just for one season, so I can handle it.

Dark mornings

It's fun for it to be light outside all the time. However, there's something that feels right about getting up before the sun. And there's something quieter about the house when it's dark.

Volleyball

Need I say? Volleyball brings so much excitement! Last night, for example. We played best 3 out of 5. It goes without saying, but we played all five. And WON! Added to that, it was a team we really wanted to beat. Not to mention it helped our league standing. (Veritas is in our league, right?)

Hoodies, long pants

Yes, wearing shorts is fun. Being sweaty the minute you step outside is not. Yes, wearing long pants and hoodies is fun. (There's downsides to long pants and hoodies, but I want to think only positively about them. Ask me about the downsides in January!)

My mom's fall decorations

Mom really truly enjoys arranging cornstalks and pumpkins and hay bales. Sometimes I'm just not sure about the things she likes to do...But I think she does a good job. 

Apples

We've had apples coming out of our  noses. I think it's a good problem to have. At least it tastes good. I helped with the first round quite a bit, but this time I haven't helped at all. Which is kind of sad to me. But I still get to eat applesauce, apple butter, fried apples, and dried apples (it rhymes! I feel like Shakespeare!)

Fire

Our fireplace isn't burning full time yet, although dad did start if for a few days when it got down to 39o. But I am eagerly awaiting the day!

Who doesn't enjoy fall? It is just a beautiful season. I wonder what fall would be like if you lived in a place with no trees (Like Western Kansas!)?

{Life} I Have a Condition

Guys, I have this condition.

I think it's frequently called "Terrible Time Management Skills".

In my case, you can't always tell I have it. See, I can hide it pretty well sometimes. I can have completely productive days. I do all my subjects in reasonable amounts, and I'm done before two. Shucks, sometimes I'm even done before lunch.

But then...

It strikes. A hard blow. I'm left laying on the couch napping in the middle of the morning on a school day. Which, as you might guess, doesn't really get things done. (Sorry Mrs. Mann, I know I way overkill on commas!)

The cures for this malady are pretty obvious. But that does not make them easy. I SHOULD take a good dose of self discipline, diligence, and studious list-making every morning. But more often I take doses of "I'll get it done later", "I'm busy today and can't do it all", and "Don't worry, I won't forget that very important project".

My mom rocks at time management. Seriously. She's a task-oriented list-maker. She's happy when she's accomplishing things and moving through her goals. My personality is layed-back. I am actually  generally just as content doing nothing as I am doing something.

So that, is my condition. Here's some things I often try to combat the spread of this disease in my life:

• List making. No, I'm not good at this. I'm bound to lose my list, or forget about it half-way through the day. However, if I can stay focused enough, it generally helps me. I do enjoy putting a little check mark by completed projects. (Who am I kidding? When I get something done, I scribble it out in pure excitement!) It also keeps me accountable. At the end of the day, I don't want to see a bunch of things left that I could have done and didn't. It really bothers my conscience.
• Time limits. Or time goals. Just time frames that I'm going to work on something. I tend to work harder and more focused when I have a time goal.
• Limited time. When I have a really busy day, I'm actually more likely to get things done, because I feel rushed. When I'm home all day, I just put things off, and put things off...

Anyone have and tried-and-true tips for time management?

{Life} It's Been a Good Break

I'm back in the blogging world.

*waves hand at cheering crowds*

As an assignment, I love this blog. I can do it when my brain just won't handle Algebra 2, or a cow eye dissection. Like today. But when I'm left to my own motivation, it just doesn't seem to happen. Ah, well.

This summer, like most, was just over the top. I had some lovely adventures and some wonderful down time as well. Then volleyball started and life got even better. So, to recap:

I went to Alaska again. My dad did not come surprise me in the airport, but I had some equally memorable adventures. Like one day when I was babysitting four children versus the usual two, and due to some shenanigans with the locks on the door, myself and three panicking girls were locked outside and four year old napping boy was locked inside. The solution? Climb a ladder that was stabilized by the aforementioned girls, to the roof and wake up the napping boy through the window so he could unlock the doors. Good times, I tell  ya'. I also kayaked quite a bit and fell in love. More on that later. Here's some of my favorite picks from my Alaskan adventures:

RV trip sites- Liberty Falls

Liberty Falls Hike

My cousin, Jena, in Valdez, AK

Hiking with the fam

Yard view at midnight

Boat captain selfie

The 4 year old bed thief

Yard view

Cousin camp tshirts

Kayaks and the river

Sorry, I had a lot of favorites!

Anyway, by the time I made my way home, it was time for volleyball to begin. And my usual doubts about my team, my own performance, etc. Volleyball can show me many of my own sins. Worry, pride, idolatry. But it brings so much fun. I love it. Love the game, love the people.

We also had kittens born this summer. We've actually never had kittens at our house. Which is pretty unusual, because we have had barn cats. By the time I got back they were becoming cute and fun. 

One of my favorite activities this summer was taking my cousin's senior pictures. He was excited, which made me excited, and made the whole process easier. He took me all over creation to his favorite spots. It was a blast! (Anytime with him is!)

Blooper reel!!

As a little wrap up, I got two vehicles this summer. A car, which I named Bruce and a kayak, which my dad named the USS Banana (it's bright yellow). Bruce is being worked on a little bit before he's ready to go. The USS Banana went on her maiden voyage last Sunday, and worked like a charm.

So that, is my break in a nutshell!