My Today :)

Today was a lovely summer day complete with friends, family, fun, worship, and baking; my most favorite things!

It started out with a trip to Six Flags with my cousin, Hunter, Trent, Joel, and some of their friends. Six Flags is always fun. No matter how hot I love the thrill of the roller coasters and the talking time I get with friends.

When I got home I decided to be productive. I finished loan applications, job resumes and applications, and organized my pictures/files on my new computer!

I was going to write more graduation thank you notes but I ran out of stationary. I was going to the store to get more and had requests from Hunter and Avery for brownies with ice-cream and hot fudge. That sounded way more exciting so I went with it.

I came home (and happened to be alone) so I turned on my worship music and baked brownie for their delightful dessert.

Today was fun, productive, and full of things I love most! I like summer.

I try.

The summer sounds like the perfect time to do all of those things you have always wanted to do, right? I know that as school comes to an end I am making a list of what I plan to accomplish with the time I have all summer. Usually the summer goes by too fast or those plans just go unfinished.

This summer I am going to focus on what is most important to me and whatever else falls into place will be great :)

The big one this summer is to workout. I have often tried to run(or jog... or walk) consistently and right when I start to build up my side hurts and my lungs constrict.... so I give up. I never had the motivation to push through. I get too weak. I feel like I am going to collapse. I try. I really do.

Every time I go running I hear a voice (God's encouragement) in my head whispering, "don't push yourself too much. just do what you can." I want to get better though. So I push aside the voice and keep going. Run faster for longer. I end up just burning out though. Now that doesn't get me anywhere.

Here is to starting fresh.

The last time I went running (yesterday) I listened to His voice. I would push myself a little but not too much. When I was getting tired but knew I could do a little more I would just repeat "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength... Whatever I have, wherever I am I can make in through anything in the One who makes me who I am." (Philippians 4:13, NKJV and The Message).

I was able to run/walk off and on for 2.5 miles. I am pleased with that. I will improve but I will do it moderately. I am excited to see the change over the next few months.

Honestly, one of the things I am most excited about in college is having a fitness room. I cannot wait to have workout equipment at my disposal. I have friends I will be able to go running with too. This summer I am really motivated to workout more so it will be normal in college.

Aside from working out, I am going to work on my baking skills this summer. (Yeah, those don't sound like they go together do they? Oh well!) For Christmas, my parents gave me cake decorating tools. I would really like to put those to use and learn more! Hopefully that will happen!

The last, but most definitely not least, goal for this summer is to spend as much time with as many different people as possible. I have friends that I know are always there and if we have no other plans we all get together. This summer though I am going to be purposeful about making those friendships stronger and building friendships with those I never did. Leaving for college in just a few months is really what has pushed me to do this. People are important to me and I don't want to be forgotten nor do I want to forget them.

So, those are my summer goals. Hopefully I will have frequent and positive updates!

Summer Lovin'!

Graduation is complete. I am a high school graduate with the adventure of summer upon me!

Next stop? California!

In T-minue 6 hours I will be on an airplane headed to stay with my uncle and aunt then sister and brother! I am so excited to see so many amazing sites and spend time with family! I love visiting new places and touring the city!

I am going to take way too many pictures and enjoy a wonderful start to summer!

When one season ends, Another must begin

Summer is drawing to a close. The excitement and anticipation we all held just a few months ago is slowly fading. We really did make the most of this break though. This was one of the best summers I have ever had. They get better and better every year.

Yes, it is hard to believe that it has been three months since school ended. In just 5 days we will be hopping into the busyness of homework and studying and classes. Time flies so quickly. I think you realize that more as you get older. I still sit here shocked that I will be in 11th grade. I remember so clearly my first day of third grade and thinking all those high school students were so big! Now I am one of those high school students and have been for a while. 2 years. That is all and I will be graduated. Crazy, huh? =)

School is going to be an adventure this year! I am excited. I love to learn. There are always days when I cannot wait for summer and cannot stand homework, but there is always something exciting about school to me. This year I have a pretty light load. Only 4 classes. I start at CAIA on Tuesday. I will be there two days a week. Tuesday and Thursday for Spanish 2 and Advanced Math. I start TCC duel credit classes on the 30th. I will be taking Chemistry on Monday and Wednesdays then English online. I am sure college classes will be quite the experience! I am so blessed because I have 2 friends in my chem class and 4 in english! I thought I would be on my own once I started college. Yeah, not possible with my friends. We are pretty much inseparable. =)

This has been an amazing summer and I am excited for this next season.

Random Excitement

Summer always has its slow times and busy times. I have spent most of my summer in a non stop blur of excitement. Therefore when I am able to catch a moment where I'm not going at 100 mph, I read or accomplish something.

The past couple of weeks I have not sat down at all, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The Bailey's, our friends from Georgia, came for a week. When they are here we always have something to do. We just pulled out our ping pong table again, so entertainment was easy to find. We all love to play cards and games too. I baked a lot. I always find that fun, so the week could not have gotten much better. :P While they were here we invited lots of friends over and had a little party. We danced, played ultimate frisbee (my team didn't win, but I almost fainted on the last round because it was so hot!!), ping pong, cards, and just enjoyed being together.

Thursday (the day the Bailey's left) our theatre had its first annual Gala. It is a formal theatre event where actors/actresses are recognized and given awards. It was a huge success, especially for out first time. I'm so excited for next year. Everyone looked fancy. I am going to put the pics on Facebook and post one with all the "Rosie Award" winners on another post (I haven't uploaded them onto the computer yet).

On Friday my younger brother, Ethan, tested for his low brown belt and passed. He is doing incredible in karate and lovin' it! =) It was a long tournament because so many people are testing but we had fun.

Saturday we had the Messingers over. I think my parents have known them for a long time. I love their family! We played our new favorite game with them. If I posted what it was, you would want an explanation and it just wouldn't work so I am not even going to say what it's called. I guess you will just have to wait in suspense and play with us sometime. ;) We LOVE it though, and play so much. Nat and Doug come over a lot and play with us.

Today we went on a mini road trip to Eastwood (it is in east Texas, past Dallas). My dad found some land out there he liked. In the near future his dream is to own acres and acres of land with a big main house, and 5 mini cottages (there are 5 kids in my family, so each of us he would let choose the style and it would be "our" cottage). His plan is to use it for family reunions, weekend getaways, and to rent it out. It would be a really neat place for people to go on retreats, go for a simple family vacation, a girl's weekend, etc. He has been praying about it a lot. This is no small/cheap idea, but God for sure answers prayers and if this is something that my dad is supposed to do, God will provide. He always does. We for sure know a lot about that. =)

Well, there is an update on my life and all the random excitement it has held!

Sunburn

I am red and burnt.

We went swimming at the Pollocks yesterday and I spent my time laying out under the sun...reading. We were there for a few hours and I jumped in the pool to cool off a few times, but I was enjoying myself just relaxing...until...

last night when something hit my legs. Or today when I took a shower and the water felt like it was pounding my shoulders and legs.

I am sure it will all be over tomorrow. That is normally how it is for me...then I will be tan. Yay!

The weird thing is...I am ready to go swimming again. All day I have been wanting to go to NRH2o. We had season passes a few years ago and I loved it. Plus on Wednesdays some of my favorite people are there! All of my little kids I love to babysit. I am gonna go with them one of these Wednesdays. =)

Today was kind of a boring day...I finished a book then had nothing to do. I have a project on hold...I am waiting on something before I can continue...so I can't work on that. I guess a day with nothing to do is okay sometimes...I like to do though...i'm not a good boring person.

Well that's all for now. Have a wonderful hot summer day! =)

its definitely summer break

Summer has been so much fun! I have been so busy, but home enough to get things done.

Last week I did study. My friends and I sat there the whole time thinking "we should not be doing this. its summer." But sure enough it could not be helped...I had to study for the accuplacer, which I still haven't taken. I think this is the last week! Oh no! =) I also need to spend some time studying for the psat and sat, but I mainly want to get college testing out of the way.

So for the fun part...last Tuesday we had a sleepover birthday party for Grace. Almost every girl from school was there. It was crazy, but also our last time to all hang out before Grace's family moves to California for the summer. :(

Thursday I had an orthodontist appointment..no fun, but afterwards I hung out with friends and ended up spending the night with Portia that night. We had yummy chinese food and watched part of the first Lord of the Rings. I love being with Portia! =)

Friday morning we went to the cowboys stadium! That was so much fun! That night we saw the Triple Threat concert. It was amazing! My friends are so talented. :) Saturday night we had a graduation party for a friend who is one of 5 boys..I have grown up with their family my whole life and they are pretty much my brothers. Sunday we had a graduation party for my older brother, Hunter. I read my letter to him when everyone was saying something to him...I cried. I am going to miss him so much when he goes to college, but we still have the rest of the summer!

In between all of that I have played lots of cards with my family. We love games. :)

That would be my busy week. Today I am home. It is actually nice. I have been sort of productive. :P I uploaded all my pictures from the stadium, cut a watermelon that has been in our fridge for a week (it is so sweet and delectable!), picked the strawberries and blackberries from our garden, watered the garden, and started dinner. I am probably making a blackberry pie tonight!!!

Well, I guess that's enough for now...:)

End of School Bash

On Friday we celebrated the end of school and the beginning of summer! The Pollocks pulled together a swim party. We all had a blast and of course someone got thrown in...it wouldn't have been a pool party without that. =)

A lot of the girls sat on the edge of the pool the whole time...the water was still pretty cold.

Megan and Ashtyn :)

James attempting to jump into the float. :P

Ethan diving over a noodle. Pretty nice action shot, right?

It's beginning to feel like summer!

I love summer! Although, we might be scorched in the sun at times, summer is amazing. So far, it has not been too hot.

Tuesday I was organizing my room. I was trying to clean out all of my school books, throw out papers I did not want, and get all my report cards together to write up my transcript so I can register for TCC duel credit classes, when Ash told me that mom said we could invite people over. I scrambled to finish my "summer room cleaning", take a shower, and pick up the house a little.

I got everything done in perfect timing and we had about 6 friends come over. We hung out with Beth, Blake, Brandon, Jake, Alicia and Miranda from about 4-10 at the park and my house playing games and watching movies. It was really nice to have such a fun time and not have to be thinking about what I was going to have to catch up on for taking this "break."

I ended up spending the night with Beth and staying up until about 2...We slept until 10:30 though! My body normally does not let me do that but it sure did feel good! Beth and I had an amazing time...all day we kept saying, "It's Wednesday and we don't have school. It's summer!" I think we just needed the reminder to keep having fun. We talked, talked some more, went to the pool(actually swam for a little bit-didn't go under the water though. It was still a bit too cold!), made a cake, talked again, and went to Charlie Brown practice. We talk a lot. =) It was a blast and I am really looking forward to all the fun things summer break holds.

Beth and I were talking about things we could do this summer. We really want to go to the zoo, try to go to Six Flags, go to NRH2O (hopefully), and definitely swim at her neighborhood pool. Those are all things we can do in big groups so after I get back from being out of town next week, we are going to plan something! :)

Snow White!

Today started our first day of the 2 week theatre camp of Snow White! Auditions went well. One funny part is when anyone trying out for the witch or Enviana (the step mom) had to go up on stage and show our "laugh". I think I can speak for all of us when I say we looked like we were making fools of ourselves. =) So Ashtyn (my younger sister), Ethan (my younger brother), and I are all waiting patiently(yeah right...checking our e-mails every 5 minutes) to see the character list! I will probably post a short blog on the results soon!