Indecisive

This weekend is the Regionals Tournament for soccer. I can't decide if I want to go with the girls. I would rather go home, to be honest. I just really want to be there right now. I want a hug from my mom. Every time I think about home I just want to cry. It's pretty ridiculous for me. I mean, honestly.

Ring, Revisited

I found my ring!

I was putting on a sweatshirt just now and it fell out of the front pocket!
Amazing.

Except I feel pretty ridiculous, because I know for a fact that I checked the pocket of this exact sweatshirt while looking for the ring...

Ring

I lost my ring.
And I am very upset.
I liked it a lot.

I have checked virtually everywhere.
Clothing.
Car.
Room.
Desk.
Dresser.
Bathrooms.

Honestly.
What the heck happened to it?

Bracelets

My friend Kris taught me how to knot hemp a certain way a few days ago. So I made a bracelet and I am now wearing the finished product. I love it, it's way cool. Now I'm making one out of cotton twine; I'm using the same knot that I used for the hemp bracelet, though. I'm stoked to finish it, not gonna lie.

Brother

My brother, Wesley, is a senior in high school. He plays the trumpet phenomenally. This weekend All-State music auditions took place. Last year he took first in the district, making it into the All-State Orchestra, which is excellent. Thus, some pretty high expectations had been set for this year. According to my mom he was a bit more nervous than he usually is for auditions and whatnot - which is saying something, because he's an amazing player and basically never nervous. Of course, naturally, he took first in the district again, making the orchestra.

I am so proud of my brother. I love to brag on him to other people. He deserves some fantastic credit, though, because he's worked really hard over the years. And plus he's just a super great kid, so why not let people know that? Honestly. He's really intelligent; he'll be majoring in trumpet performance and math next year. Impressive, I know. He's a nice, sweet guy. He's hilarious. He's got so much ability in so many areas - and he's still got a ton of potential, you know? He's just a well-rounded individual and I love him dearly. I'm glad I'm only four hours away this year; hopefully in the coming months I'll be able to see him more than I did last year (fall break and winter break excluded, that is).
















This is a picture of my brother (um, the one on the right... ha) and our (well, more so his) friend, Kelsey. It was taken this past spring at our high school's graduation ceremony. Kelsey graduated, my brother was playing in the band.

Night

I thoroughly enjoy night.
Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy day, too.
But honestly.
I would consider myself more of a night person than a day person.

I really enjoy being outside at night.
Especially during the colder months of the year - but that's the drawback... I'm not a fan of the cold.
I think it's worth it, though, if the sky is clear.

I wish everything (school, work, etc.) could occur during the night... and then we could sleep all day...

... that'd be great.

Facebook

I'm thinking about deleting my Facebook account. I haven't quite decided yet. As nice as it is, I think technology is sometimes a burden to deal with. It's always there. And although I wouldn't say it's the same as peer pressure, there is an expectation, if you will, to be on the same page as everybody else. Plus it's great to know what's going down on certain nights and whatnot, reconnect with old friends, etc. Man. Half of me loves this time I'm living in, half of me dislikes it. What I wouldn't give to go back in time and live in the days of the open frontier or the turn of the century.

Cold

It is so cold today! I just sat outside in the cold for a good hour and a half watching a soccer game with some of our soccer boys. Central is hosting a conference tournament here this weekend - and I'm super excited, because I love those soccer games... but man oh man, it is going to be a cold and wet weekend. Although I think it's actually not supposed to rain on Saturday. Hopefully not, anyway!

I should really start wearing warmer clothing when it is cold outside. Granted, I was wearing a sweatshirt, but just a t-shirt under that. Thankfully a couple people brought out blankets and shared them. Nice soccer boys. Aw gee. I love them.

Seriously, though. I am not looking forward to winter. I wouldn't mind it so much if there were no such thing as ice or snow - or if ice and snow could exist without either being cold themselves. Warm snow... wouldn't that be something?

Delirious Doodling

I often doodle when I am bored, tired, or in a good mood. This also includes writing random things here and there, whether they be words, phrases, or paragraphs about anything and everything. When I do write, I like to do so in cursive. Only during this strange doodle phase, though. Otherwise I use my ridiculous chicken scratch. Well, it really isn't as bad as chicken scratch. It simply... flows. I suppose it's partly cursive, technically; I connect a few letters here and there. My handwriting evolved quite a bit during eleventh grade, which is when I started taking Arabic. I like my handwriting, though. Many people say they can't read it too well, though. Oh well! I also like my ridiculous drawings. I often draw little characters. Not cartoons, necessarily. Just weird-looking stick figures and animals - especically elephants. Oh man. I like elephants. A lot.

Annnd this post is going nowhere.
I think I'll end it here and now.

Foundations

Alright. I'm just going to put it out there -

I can honestly say that I do not hate anyone.
Never have.
I doubt I ever will.
I can also honestly say that I do not hate many things.
Ramen Noodle Salad (sorry, Mutti) is the first - and, at this moment in time, the only - thing that comes into my mind when I ask myself what I hate.

I'm going to come to the conclusion that I don't hate a whole lot in life.

Except for when it comes to my Foundations class.
Now, I don't hate my teacher.
I don't hate the class material.
I don't hate the textbooks.
I don't hate the assignments.

I simply hate the actual class period each week.
Oh goodness.
First of all, why in the world do we even need three-hour classes?
Second, my teacher does not present us with enough material or lecture notes to last an entire three hours each week. He goes on tangents. He spends five minutes explaining something that I could say in thirty seconds.
Third, the room is always freezing. It's forty-five degrees outside, the air conditioning does not need to be on! Come on, people.
I really like to complain, but I don't do it very often. So I'm allowing myself to do so with no regrets!

Foundations. Ugh.
At least I truly am learning quite a bit.
Oh well.

Open Dorms

Tonight my dorm had open dorm night, meaning the guys were allowed to come over and hang in our rooms and such. Pretty fun. Let me tell you, though... I think my favorite part of the whole ordeal was having our room be the cleanest it's been since move-in day.

Just kidding.
But seriously.

: )

Forum

Today I drove down to Columbia to help out with the children's ministry (iROCK) at Forum Christian Church. I really like it there. I went down around 8:45 to be there for 9:30 Sunday School and stayed through the 11:00 Jr. Worship. I was basically a supervisor, if you will, this week. I think I'll probably go to the 9:30 church service and then help out with Jr. Worship. I'm really excited to make this my church ministry. iROCK (Intentionally Reaching Out to Christ's Kids) is a great program and it has developed really well over the years. The children's minister is a recent CCCB graduate, so it's nice to have that bit of a connection. She's really great, I like her a lot. But yeah! Forum is way cool. I'm excited for the rest of the year.

Expectations

Today is going to be so great! I can't wait to see what God has in store for me. I don't know why it's going to be so great, I just have that feeling... I love that feeling. It's probably one of my favorite feelings in the world. Probably? Scratch that. Definitely is more like it!

I'm stoked.

Weekend

A lot of people are leaving for the weekend. Well. By 'a lot' I mean three. Still. That does seem like a lot to me. And it seems most people have already gone off-campus tonight. Such a bummer.

I should be using this time more wisely. Do a devotional. Bible study. Something. Anything.

Eventually I will.
!

Chips

I like Hint of Lime chips a lot, I've decided.

Mob-town

I am back in Moberly, Missouri. And I am happy.

That is all.

Dentist

I don't enjoy going to the dentist.
I never have.
I never will.
Today was no exception.
The technician was terrible. The woman that usually works on me is really kind and gentle. I like her. But for some reason, I was put in with somebody else and let me tell you... never again. My mouth is still sore -twelve hours and twenty-nine minutes later. That is just not right.

Oh well.
At least I got a free toothbrush out of the whole ordeal.
And a small tube of toothpaste.
And a small box of floss.

Travel size for my convenience!

Three cheers.

Bag

Today my mom made my bag that I talked about on August 13.
I was really excited. I know I said that I wanted to help, buuut that didn't exactly happen.
I just watched her make it.
I love that.
Watching her, I mean.
That would sound kind of weird if it were anybody but my mom.
But it's the simple truth.
I also love hearing her.
Listening to her, yes, but also hearing her.

I like tangents.
Anyway.

My bag is way sweet.
It's got kind of an eastern print. Not quite Asian, not quite Indian. A mix of both, almost.
Its main colors are tan, black, red and blue.
The lining is red and it's got a pocket made of the outside print on the inside.
It's also got a cute, little, gold button on the outside to keep the top closed a bit.

I love this bag.

Girls

The little girls next door (and a friend) came over to chat when they saw me get out of the car coming home from church today. All I heard was, "Look! It's big Natalie!" and I knew what was coming. Sydney, Natalie and their friend came running over. I was practically knocked over with Syd and Nat's hugs. Too cute. I had started to walk over to our trampoline because I saw a cat sitting on it; it actually turned out to be their cat, Tess. Then the girls wanted to explore the barn next to the trampoline, but my dad had put all kinds of stuff in there and I didn't want them to get hurt. So they peered into it over the half door, instead. They were really impressed when I told them previous owners used to keep a horse in there. You should have seen the looks on their faces! Precious. Then they asked me if part of the barn used to be a chicken coop. I think it was just used for storage, and that's what I told them. But Natalie was especially convinced that it was a chicken coop and that my family should keep chickens in there...

Eyebrows

I wish I could raise one eyebrow at a time.
Alas, I cannot.

Honestly.
Just imagine how much better my facial expressions would be if I could do so.

Cedar Rapids

I like Cedar Rapids.
A lot.
I've missed it.
I'm glad to be here for a few days.

PS:

Bears.
Beets.
Battlestar Galatica.

Fall Break

Tomorrow I'm heading up to Cedar Rapids for fall break! I'm super excited. My dad's coming to pick me up after chapel, around noon or so, I believe. I'll be in CR until Wednesday. Then I'll get to drive back down myself; it'll be nice to have a car for things such as going to the church I want to go to... and driving to places for service hours. Otherwise, I don't plan on using it much. Even though gas has dropped to below $3 here in Moberly! Isn't that crazy? Way cool.

But yeah. I'm stoked for break. I can't wait to see the family, and it's definitely a good time for it... people are starting to get a little stir-crazy, if you know what I mean. We all need a break, that's for sure. It's neat, because last year at Utah, it was the first year they implemented a fall break - and here at Central, it's the same deal, I believe. I suppose I am simply a very lucky student!

Today

Today's going to be great.
I just know it.

Pictures

I can't believe I haven't taken pictures for the past two Sunday posts!

I am ridiculous.

Edit: Fixed.

Iced Coffee

Iced coffee is delicious.

Oh! So are animal crackers.

Accountable

Today I went out to the little stage area in the timber/field that I have come to know and love dearly. However, I was with three friends. We went to have some quiet time away from campus and do our own Bible studies. It was really nice. I hadn't set aside some time to read my Bible and have devotional time yet, so it was good to go out. Going with them was also a good thing, because it was actually encouraging to have them near and just be in silent fellowship in the presence of God. I think we're going to continue to do this together; we'll be able to hold each other accountable for the study and that's always great.

Bitter

A lot of my friends went out to eat and/or went down to Columbia today. I had been outside, behind Pelfrey, studying for a good four hours or so. I went back inside to find all of the girls gone. I got on Facebook and talked to somebody, soon finding out that a lot of people had left. I was upset by this. Why didn't anybody call me? I mean, honestly. I really enjoy going to Columbia. And supposedly they had just left as I was winding down with my studying and reading. So what the heck? I talked with a friend about this a little and seriously, I was being pretty bitter about it. He called me a crab cake, even. ! I deserved it, though, not gonna lie.

I eventually texted Loree to see what was up, even though I already knew. Man, I'm such a jerk.

'Where are you guys?'
'The mall.'
'Psh whaaa? Since when?'
'We just got here.'
'Oh.'
'Sorry. What are you doing?'

I didn't respond...

Why was I so bitter? It really wasn't that big a deal. I shouldn't expect to be invited everywhere. Would my day really have been made any better by going? What would have been accomplished by my going? Would I have even bought anything? Would I have even been in a good mood? ... Who knows?

How and why I let such small things bother me now and then is beyond me. Usually they don't; I'm pretty sure that this wouldn't have bothered me on most days. But for some reason... it hit a button. I'm so ridiculous. And I didn't even have a bad evening or anything when it all comes down to it. So I need to quit and just let it go. I mean, I think I already have, but if anything like that happens again in the future I need to make a conscious effort to not react the way I did today, that's for sure.

Gum

Uh-oh...

I think I may be developing a slight addiction to gum. I really hope not. I'm going to have to start rationing my pieces. Or just make sure that I share it with others each time I take a piece. Well. I'm usually pretty good about that, anyway. But seriously. Take one piece, give out two.

... I've always made fun of people who are addicted to gum. I'm a big enough hypocrite as it is, I don't need this on my plate, too!

Firework

That's right. Firework, not fireworks.

One of my friends had a single firework to shoot off, so tonight after the bonfire he and I drove out to find a gravel road and light it. Brilliant. We had to use the car cigarette lighter thing to light the fuse, but hey - you gotta do what you gotta do. I thought it was going to start some timber on fire because it first shot off to the sides of the road into wooded areas and started to spark, but thankfully it was alright!

Good day. Good night. Aaaaaand fireworks are sa-weet.

Warheads

Right now I am enjoying a fantastic, lemon-flavored, 'Extreme SOUR' Warhead. It is blowing my mind!

I haven't been able to find Warhead candies anywhere for a good four or five years. Probably longer, actually. But lo and behold, Jordan came walking into Lang lobby the other day with a beautiful, green bag of Warheads.

And there was much rejoicing.

Wal-Mart.
Halloween candy aisle.
Brilliant.

Ahhh, how sweet life is right now.
... er, how sour... ?

Sleep

I didn't sleep last night. It was ridiculous. I needed to get so much done... and I definitely didn't get it all done. My crash wasn't terrible. I felt like I was going to be sick during SALT, though, so that wasn't good. Definitely nodded off in the gym... yeah... then I slept far too long afterwards. However, I was good for the rest of the day, thankfully. Foundations was a little rough, but it always is - regardless of how much sleep I've gotten. Let's just say I'm really excited to sleep tonight...