Hey everyone!
Here's a tip of what not to do: DROP YOUR IPHONE DOWN A CLIFF AND INTO A LAKE AND THEN NOT SEE WHERE IT LANDED AND SPEND 5 MINUTES LOOKING FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cause that's what I did, and now I am paying the price(literally). Anyways, to make the situation just a little bit more enjoyable for everyone, we went to the phone store today and they said I essentially can't upgrade my phone until someone in our family is due for an upgrade, which is a month from now. The only thing we might have been able to do was to switch my phone out for one of my old ones or one of my sibling's old ones, so we came home, only to find out that we had gotten rid of them all. However, there IS one bright side to my phone catastrophe, I have THE MOST patient and loving and understanding Dad in the world. I know that if my Mom had been the one to deal with this, she would have had my head.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that today I am happy to have an amazing Dad who puts up with all my stupid beyond stupid mistakes, like dropping your phone down a cliff...With 5 kids, patience is a MUST for the parents, however, my dad has what seems like a never ending supply of patience towards us and what we put him through. For instance, one of the many times my littlest brother Aedon lost his glasses in a field, my dad spent two hours searching on his hands and knees for the glasses. Or, another example, when I shattered the screen on my FIRST iPhone, my dad stayed up until 3 in the morning to try and fix it, and then got called into work at 5, he went through the WHOLE day with no complaint or frustration, now THAT is an awesome Dad. I could tell you so many other stories about him, but instead, I will just say this, not only is my dad the one who's up with sick kids in the middle of the night, or the one who cleans up all the accidents and messes that we make, or the one to call when our technology isn't working, he is the MOST patient man I have EVER met in my life, and it's days like today when I am eternally grateful for that!
<3 Always,
Rose
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Day 13- MUSIC!!!
Hey Everyone,
So, for those of you who don't know, I am incredibly musical, and basically wake up singing and tapping and anything else. This afternoon, as I was working on my computer, I found a playlist, "Amanda's Playlist". I knew instantly that this was Graham's playlist for his ex-girlfriend(I inherited his computer...), I spent the next three hours just sitting and listening to it, I'd heard all the songs on it, but it just spoke to me. I know it's titled Amanda's Playlist, but it was almost like Graham was speaking to me through the music, it was like Graham was reminding me that he's gone, but our God makes AMAZING things out of miserable circumstances. One of the songs' chorus actually SAY, "You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us." How encouraging is that?
The ONLY person that shared my intense passion for music in our family was Graham, so it just seemed very appropriate. I have always loved to sing, and when Graham began singing in his Junior year, I was thrilled. But, for those of you who didn't know Graham, he was a huge overachiever, and was good at basically everything he did, and singing was no exception. I'm gonna be honest, I was INCREDIBLY jealous when he "took the spotlight" from me, who had been singing since I could talk. This was incredibly shallow and self-centered, and it is one of those things that I know I will regret for a long time, why couldn't I just be happy? I was very proud and happy that I had someone who loved to sing as much as me, but it hurt to see him be better than me at something that was MINE, I was the singer! I did enjoy having someone who could just pick up a guitar or piano and we could jam for a while, and I miss that, but it just bothers me that I was secretly envious of his success.
Since Graham has passed, I have an even BIGGER passion for music(if that's even possible...), because I know that he will love it. Not because I'm singing it, but simply because it is music, and music is a part of him, just as it is a part of me. I know that Graham would be a proud big brother and was a proud big brother because of my passion for music, and every breakthrough I make in music, I think two things. 1, I thank God for the GIFT of music, and the impact it has me, and 2, I think, now I have another skill for Graham to enjoy!
Finding this playlist this afternoon was truly amazing. It seemed like a very personal message from Graham to me, saying that he will love me and be proud of me as long as I continue to sing and worship Christ through song, even if I never I improved at all in my music. I am so blessed to have a big brother who was so much like me! :)
This is Graham's solo for his high school a cappella group that he led, all the choreography and voice parts were arranged by him.
I just love this video. It shows Graham's happy go lucky personality to a T. Again, all the choreography was made by Graham, as well as the voice parts. :)
<3 Always,
Rose
So, for those of you who don't know, I am incredibly musical, and basically wake up singing and tapping and anything else. This afternoon, as I was working on my computer, I found a playlist, "Amanda's Playlist". I knew instantly that this was Graham's playlist for his ex-girlfriend(I inherited his computer...), I spent the next three hours just sitting and listening to it, I'd heard all the songs on it, but it just spoke to me. I know it's titled Amanda's Playlist, but it was almost like Graham was speaking to me through the music, it was like Graham was reminding me that he's gone, but our God makes AMAZING things out of miserable circumstances. One of the songs' chorus actually SAY, "You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us." How encouraging is that?
The ONLY person that shared my intense passion for music in our family was Graham, so it just seemed very appropriate. I have always loved to sing, and when Graham began singing in his Junior year, I was thrilled. But, for those of you who didn't know Graham, he was a huge overachiever, and was good at basically everything he did, and singing was no exception. I'm gonna be honest, I was INCREDIBLY jealous when he "took the spotlight" from me, who had been singing since I could talk. This was incredibly shallow and self-centered, and it is one of those things that I know I will regret for a long time, why couldn't I just be happy? I was very proud and happy that I had someone who loved to sing as much as me, but it hurt to see him be better than me at something that was MINE, I was the singer! I did enjoy having someone who could just pick up a guitar or piano and we could jam for a while, and I miss that, but it just bothers me that I was secretly envious of his success.
Since Graham has passed, I have an even BIGGER passion for music(if that's even possible...), because I know that he will love it. Not because I'm singing it, but simply because it is music, and music is a part of him, just as it is a part of me. I know that Graham would be a proud big brother and was a proud big brother because of my passion for music, and every breakthrough I make in music, I think two things. 1, I thank God for the GIFT of music, and the impact it has me, and 2, I think, now I have another skill for Graham to enjoy!
Finding this playlist this afternoon was truly amazing. It seemed like a very personal message from Graham to me, saying that he will love me and be proud of me as long as I continue to sing and worship Christ through song, even if I never I improved at all in my music. I am so blessed to have a big brother who was so much like me! :)
<3 Always,
Rose
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Day 12- GOD'S CREATION!
Hey Guys!
So, today, our family did something really, REALLY cool. We went to this forest preserve called Wilson Creek Gorge. The beauty that surrounded us was truly gorgeous, I'm so sorry I didn't get a picture of it! :( Anyways, we had heard about a specific swimming area called Harper Falls, and went to "go check it out". We had no idea what we were in for!
First off, the falls were a good 2 miles away, no one told us that. Secondly, the trail, if it could even be called that was very, VERY rough. Lastly, once we had gotten to the falls, we realized that we could actually RIDE the falls down into a swimming hole at the bottom!! Being from Chicago, this was something we had never even HEARD of, much less done it!
We took the risk though, and I am so glad we did. I have never done anything that can compare to what I did today, and I loved it! I am so happy that we have a God who MADE everything, who MADE those falls that we rode on today, and who still is a loving God, and cares for every SINGLE person. It's times like these that I realize just how big, mighty, and MAJESTIC our God is, but it is also humbling because I am reminded that God doesn't have to love us, God didn't even have to MAKE us, but he does it anyway. It reminds me that God has the power to completely wipe out all of mankind with just the swoosh of his hand, but instead he loves us, and he is merciful towards us, and he will always forgive us, no matter how many times we screw up!
One of my all time favorite verses in scripture, Exodus 15:6-7 reads this, "Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty, you threw down those who opposed you." Let's break this down a bit, "Your right hand, O Lord was MAJESTIC in power", so our God is super powerful and his creation displays how majestic that power is. Then we read on, "Your right hand, O Lord shattered the enemy." I love how matter of fact and honest this is, "Our God is awesome, and powerful, and majestic...oh yeah, and he can crush you flat at any given point..." That's what I think when I read this passage, it shows the dualism of God's personality so well. Think about a parent, your parents love you, however, they can also be stern with you, and they want to teach you that your choices have consequences. It's the same with God, God is loving and will never stop loving you, however, he wants to teach you that disobeying God has it's consequences. Consider Jonah, after everything that Jonah did to disobey God, was God angry? No! Did he ever STOP loving Jonah? Nope, in fact, he gave him a second chance, just like he gives US second chances. Let's keep reading, the last verse can be a bit confusing, "In the greatness of your majesty, you threw down those who opposed you." This passage can be a bit contradictory, but I want to break it down. First off, "In the greatness of your majesty" I think it is implied here that God is acting in the name of his majesty, I may be wrong, but that is how I interpret it. So, with that out of the way, we can make sense of what the verse says, "In the name of your great majesty, you threw down those who opposed you."
That's all for now!
<3 Always,
Rose
So, today, our family did something really, REALLY cool. We went to this forest preserve called Wilson Creek Gorge. The beauty that surrounded us was truly gorgeous, I'm so sorry I didn't get a picture of it! :( Anyways, we had heard about a specific swimming area called Harper Falls, and went to "go check it out". We had no idea what we were in for!
First off, the falls were a good 2 miles away, no one told us that. Secondly, the trail, if it could even be called that was very, VERY rough. Lastly, once we had gotten to the falls, we realized that we could actually RIDE the falls down into a swimming hole at the bottom!! Being from Chicago, this was something we had never even HEARD of, much less done it!
We took the risk though, and I am so glad we did. I have never done anything that can compare to what I did today, and I loved it! I am so happy that we have a God who MADE everything, who MADE those falls that we rode on today, and who still is a loving God, and cares for every SINGLE person. It's times like these that I realize just how big, mighty, and MAJESTIC our God is, but it is also humbling because I am reminded that God doesn't have to love us, God didn't even have to MAKE us, but he does it anyway. It reminds me that God has the power to completely wipe out all of mankind with just the swoosh of his hand, but instead he loves us, and he is merciful towards us, and he will always forgive us, no matter how many times we screw up!
One of my all time favorite verses in scripture, Exodus 15:6-7 reads this, "Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty, you threw down those who opposed you." Let's break this down a bit, "Your right hand, O Lord was MAJESTIC in power", so our God is super powerful and his creation displays how majestic that power is. Then we read on, "Your right hand, O Lord shattered the enemy." I love how matter of fact and honest this is, "Our God is awesome, and powerful, and majestic...oh yeah, and he can crush you flat at any given point..." That's what I think when I read this passage, it shows the dualism of God's personality so well. Think about a parent, your parents love you, however, they can also be stern with you, and they want to teach you that your choices have consequences. It's the same with God, God is loving and will never stop loving you, however, he wants to teach you that disobeying God has it's consequences. Consider Jonah, after everything that Jonah did to disobey God, was God angry? No! Did he ever STOP loving Jonah? Nope, in fact, he gave him a second chance, just like he gives US second chances. Let's keep reading, the last verse can be a bit confusing, "In the greatness of your majesty, you threw down those who opposed you." This passage can be a bit contradictory, but I want to break it down. First off, "In the greatness of your majesty" I think it is implied here that God is acting in the name of his majesty, I may be wrong, but that is how I interpret it. So, with that out of the way, we can make sense of what the verse says, "In the name of your great majesty, you threw down those who opposed you."
That's all for now!
<3 Always,
Rose
Monday, July 28, 2014
Day 11- Youth Group!
Hey Friends!
So today, I'm posting about something that has truly made me the woman in Christ that I am today, youth group! I cannot imagine going through middle school and high school without a youth group, but the youth group at Blanchard is pretty special...
From the beginning 6th grade all the way through the end of your senior year, you are put with the same group of amazing people. You begin to establish deep and rooted relationships with each and every person of your small group, and eventually, they become your second family. By the time you reach your junior or senior year, you as a group have made so many memories that you feel like you've lived your LIFE together. That bond that began to form as awkward and shy 6th or 7th graders, now seems to be made of steel, and NOTHING would be able to come between you and your small group. But, no matter how amazing your small group is, there are leaders behind the scenes that have worked their BUTTS off to make sure you have an awesome time at Blanchard.
Blanchard youth groups don't have just one leader. Of course, you have your one "main" leader, but then you have so many others that branch off from that. You have college students, parents, grad school students, or even married couples that truly have a passion for middle school and high school students. It is so nice that if for some reason(NOT SAYING THAT THIS HAPPENED TO ME), you don't see eye-to-eye with your youth pastor, there's at least a good 5 or 10 other leaders that you might see eye-to-eye with, and that is not something that every student has. I especially enjoyed having the college students, because you, as a high school student, or even a middle school student, can relate to a college student, because they're not that much older than you! It wasn't so long ago that they were in high school or middle school and experienced a lot of the same things that you are going through. I am so happy and grateful for the chance to be able to be a part of such an amazing youth group, and have amazing beyond amazing leaders to help me every step of the way. So, if you were EVER a leader in The Stand(middle school) or The Edge(high school), I want to thank you. Thank you for the countless hours you have devoted to us, thank you for the energy you spent on us to make sure that we were having a fantastic time at youth group. Most of all, thank you for enduring all the pranks we have pulled, or the middle school drama we involved you in, or the bruises that we gave you on the broomball court, because I KNOW that you did it out of love for us!
So today, I'm posting about something that has truly made me the woman in Christ that I am today, youth group! I cannot imagine going through middle school and high school without a youth group, but the youth group at Blanchard is pretty special...
From the beginning 6th grade all the way through the end of your senior year, you are put with the same group of amazing people. You begin to establish deep and rooted relationships with each and every person of your small group, and eventually, they become your second family. By the time you reach your junior or senior year, you as a group have made so many memories that you feel like you've lived your LIFE together. That bond that began to form as awkward and shy 6th or 7th graders, now seems to be made of steel, and NOTHING would be able to come between you and your small group. But, no matter how amazing your small group is, there are leaders behind the scenes that have worked their BUTTS off to make sure you have an awesome time at Blanchard.
Blanchard youth groups don't have just one leader. Of course, you have your one "main" leader, but then you have so many others that branch off from that. You have college students, parents, grad school students, or even married couples that truly have a passion for middle school and high school students. It is so nice that if for some reason(NOT SAYING THAT THIS HAPPENED TO ME), you don't see eye-to-eye with your youth pastor, there's at least a good 5 or 10 other leaders that you might see eye-to-eye with, and that is not something that every student has. I especially enjoyed having the college students, because you, as a high school student, or even a middle school student, can relate to a college student, because they're not that much older than you! It wasn't so long ago that they were in high school or middle school and experienced a lot of the same things that you are going through. I am so happy and grateful for the chance to be able to be a part of such an amazing youth group, and have amazing beyond amazing leaders to help me every step of the way. So, if you were EVER a leader in The Stand(middle school) or The Edge(high school), I want to thank you. Thank you for the countless hours you have devoted to us, thank you for the energy you spent on us to make sure that we were having a fantastic time at youth group. Most of all, thank you for enduring all the pranks we have pulled, or the middle school drama we involved you in, or the bruises that we gave you on the broomball court, because I KNOW that you did it out of love for us!
<3 Always,
Rose
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Day 10- Caroline
Hey guys!!
So today, I am happy because I have the most fantastic big sister in the world!! We were never super close, because we are very different, but with the loss of Graham, who often acted as the "middle man" between us, we have grown so much closer.
My sister is basically the complete opposite of me, I like to have everything organized and planned out, and she is a much more laid back and easy-going person. She can be incredibly messy, as I can too, but I cannot tell you the amount of times I have been driven crazy by her messes and she has been driven crazy by mine. Despite all our differences though, we have grown very close. We share the same "I can't stand Mom" attitude at times, that Graham never really understood, and whenever I have a fight with Mom, or want to talk to her about something, she is always there.
One huge thing that I struggle with is being assertive, and making my needs be heard in the sea of other voices and other needs, and my sister has taught me so much about how to be assertive, and how to time it, and things like that. I remember one time in specific, I had been wanting to talk with Mom about something all day, and I saw my chance and took it, only to have Mom tell me, "I can't deal with that right now..." and Caroline spent the rest of the afternoon coaching me on how to have the conversation, and encouraging me to not back down. She even sat in on our conversation so that if at any point I needed help, she could step in.
That means so much to me, just knowing that she loves me and wants to help me, and will do anything she can to try and help me. So, thank you Caroline, for always being there when I need you, and for always encouraging me to not let myself be forgotten, no matter how many people are in the family!
So today, I am happy because I have the most fantastic big sister in the world!! We were never super close, because we are very different, but with the loss of Graham, who often acted as the "middle man" between us, we have grown so much closer.
My sister is basically the complete opposite of me, I like to have everything organized and planned out, and she is a much more laid back and easy-going person. She can be incredibly messy, as I can too, but I cannot tell you the amount of times I have been driven crazy by her messes and she has been driven crazy by mine. Despite all our differences though, we have grown very close. We share the same "I can't stand Mom" attitude at times, that Graham never really understood, and whenever I have a fight with Mom, or want to talk to her about something, she is always there.
One huge thing that I struggle with is being assertive, and making my needs be heard in the sea of other voices and other needs, and my sister has taught me so much about how to be assertive, and how to time it, and things like that. I remember one time in specific, I had been wanting to talk with Mom about something all day, and I saw my chance and took it, only to have Mom tell me, "I can't deal with that right now..." and Caroline spent the rest of the afternoon coaching me on how to have the conversation, and encouraging me to not back down. She even sat in on our conversation so that if at any point I needed help, she could step in.
That means so much to me, just knowing that she loves me and wants to help me, and will do anything she can to try and help me. So, thank you Caroline, for always being there when I need you, and for always encouraging me to not let myself be forgotten, no matter how many people are in the family!
<3 Always,
Rose
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Day 9- being a sister
Hey guys!
So, today's topic may seem a tad bit repetitive and very similar with the post on Adoption, but that's because they are very closely related! All of my life, as long as I can remember, I have loved kids, I remember telling my Mom in first grade that I wanted to teach kindergarten, and that still has not changed. I have always been envious and jealous of my friends who had younger siblings, because that is what my heart truly desired. I genuinely feel that God was preparing me to be a big sister for my entire life! Literally the DAY I turned 12(the age you have to be to work in the nursery) I sat down with the childcare coordinator at our church, and I was serving by that next Sunday! It is still amazing to me how prepared, and excited, and "well, it's about time!" I felt, I got to be a big sister!
That's not to say that being the youngest didn't have it's perks(because, it DID!), but I was ready to be a role model to someone else. I love the fact that I have experience being the youngest, AND being one of the oldest, because I know for me, my Mom(who is the youngest of her siblings) was always the one I came to when I was being left out. As a mom, I will be able to see not only where the younger kid is coming from and know how he is feeling, but I will also be able to see where the OLDER kid is coming from and how he feels, which will be a major plus for me!
I am so in love with being an older sister, and I am so in love and proud of my younger brothers. It brings me so much joy to work with them on homework, or make a meal together, or even just to play a game with them. Even sitting here, typing this, I can't help but smile and know that I am SOOO blessed to be able to set an example for these boys, and to love these boys with all my heart.
Everyday in our house is an adventure, and I love that! Growing up, I was always a bit of a spit-fire, to put it kindly, and I didn't quite fit in with the rest of my family, I loved them, but I didn't know where I fit. Take looks for example, my Mom has blonde hair and green eyes, my Dad has black hair and green eyes, my sister has blonde hair and blue eyes, my brother had blonde hair and green eyes...and then there's me. BAM! Brown(almost red) hair, and brown eyes...like, what? Anyways, my spunky personality and my looks did make me stand out a bit from my family, but then the boys came. Two brown haired brown eyed boys, and one black hair brown eyed boy, and all the sudden, I knew why I had always looked different from my family! I knew that I was helping to bridge the gap between the boys and our "original" family. I am so glad that these boys match my obnoxiously loud personality, because in my mind, I knew that with these boys, our family was complete!
So, today's topic may seem a tad bit repetitive and very similar with the post on Adoption, but that's because they are very closely related! All of my life, as long as I can remember, I have loved kids, I remember telling my Mom in first grade that I wanted to teach kindergarten, and that still has not changed. I have always been envious and jealous of my friends who had younger siblings, because that is what my heart truly desired. I genuinely feel that God was preparing me to be a big sister for my entire life! Literally the DAY I turned 12(the age you have to be to work in the nursery) I sat down with the childcare coordinator at our church, and I was serving by that next Sunday! It is still amazing to me how prepared, and excited, and "well, it's about time!" I felt, I got to be a big sister!
That's not to say that being the youngest didn't have it's perks(because, it DID!), but I was ready to be a role model to someone else. I love the fact that I have experience being the youngest, AND being one of the oldest, because I know for me, my Mom(who is the youngest of her siblings) was always the one I came to when I was being left out. As a mom, I will be able to see not only where the younger kid is coming from and know how he is feeling, but I will also be able to see where the OLDER kid is coming from and how he feels, which will be a major plus for me!
I am so in love with being an older sister, and I am so in love and proud of my younger brothers. It brings me so much joy to work with them on homework, or make a meal together, or even just to play a game with them. Even sitting here, typing this, I can't help but smile and know that I am SOOO blessed to be able to set an example for these boys, and to love these boys with all my heart.
Everyday in our house is an adventure, and I love that! Growing up, I was always a bit of a spit-fire, to put it kindly, and I didn't quite fit in with the rest of my family, I loved them, but I didn't know where I fit. Take looks for example, my Mom has blonde hair and green eyes, my Dad has black hair and green eyes, my sister has blonde hair and blue eyes, my brother had blonde hair and green eyes...and then there's me. BAM! Brown(almost red) hair, and brown eyes...like, what? Anyways, my spunky personality and my looks did make me stand out a bit from my family, but then the boys came. Two brown haired brown eyed boys, and one black hair brown eyed boy, and all the sudden, I knew why I had always looked different from my family! I knew that I was helping to bridge the gap between the boys and our "original" family. I am so glad that these boys match my obnoxiously loud personality, because in my mind, I knew that with these boys, our family was complete!
<3 always,
Rose
Friday, July 25, 2014
Day 8- LaRusso Lovin'
Hey friends!
I am so happy to have been blessed with our amazing family friends, the LaRusso family. Growing up, the LaRusso's had two kids, Adrianna was a year older than my sister, and Marina that was Graham's age, and for as long as I can remember, we have been great friends. I can't remember a Christmas or New Years that we DIDN'T do anything with them(should make for an interesting holiday this year...), and I cannot even tell you the number of times I've come home, to find either Aunt Gina or Uncle Craig...which I love!!
Our families have truly been through thick and thin, and I am so blessed to say that Uncle Craig, who works as a nurse, was the one to carry me into the first surgery that I can remember. The LaRusso's have always been considered an extended part of our family, and vice versa, so when Graham died, it was like they were loosing there own son, or their own brother. However, the whole grief process has brought us so much closer together! Growing up, Caroline and Adrianna always had each other, Graham and Marina had each other...and then there was me... Don't get me wrong, I am in NO WAY saying that loosing Graham was a GOOD thing, but ever since the funeral, which was the first time I saw Marina in the 5 days that Graham was in the hospital because she was at college, Marina and I have grown so much in our friendship, and in our sistership.
You may be asking, why be thankful or happy for them TODAY in particular? Well, today was a bit of an interesting day for our family...It turns out that the bar stools we had purchased got sent to our OLD house address, as well as a number of other things; school books, picture books, and I think maybe even a violin??(...DON'T ASK!!! We are a very strange and talented family...) Anyways, before we even KNEW that they had been delivered, Aunt Gina drove past our house, saw the address labels, and took them back to her house. So today, when we finally realized what was going on, my Mom called Aunt Gina, and it seemed like she knew more about what was going on then any of us did! A long story short, the UPS is picking them up from the LaRusso's house, and shipping them here, PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!
I am so happy to have been blessed with our amazing family friends, the LaRusso family. Growing up, the LaRusso's had two kids, Adrianna was a year older than my sister, and Marina that was Graham's age, and for as long as I can remember, we have been great friends. I can't remember a Christmas or New Years that we DIDN'T do anything with them(should make for an interesting holiday this year...), and I cannot even tell you the number of times I've come home, to find either Aunt Gina or Uncle Craig...which I love!!
Our families have truly been through thick and thin, and I am so blessed to say that Uncle Craig, who works as a nurse, was the one to carry me into the first surgery that I can remember. The LaRusso's have always been considered an extended part of our family, and vice versa, so when Graham died, it was like they were loosing there own son, or their own brother. However, the whole grief process has brought us so much closer together! Growing up, Caroline and Adrianna always had each other, Graham and Marina had each other...and then there was me... Don't get me wrong, I am in NO WAY saying that loosing Graham was a GOOD thing, but ever since the funeral, which was the first time I saw Marina in the 5 days that Graham was in the hospital because she was at college, Marina and I have grown so much in our friendship, and in our sistership.
You may be asking, why be thankful or happy for them TODAY in particular? Well, today was a bit of an interesting day for our family...It turns out that the bar stools we had purchased got sent to our OLD house address, as well as a number of other things; school books, picture books, and I think maybe even a violin??(...DON'T ASK!!! We are a very strange and talented family...) Anyways, before we even KNEW that they had been delivered, Aunt Gina drove past our house, saw the address labels, and took them back to her house. So today, when we finally realized what was going on, my Mom called Aunt Gina, and it seemed like she knew more about what was going on then any of us did! A long story short, the UPS is picking them up from the LaRusso's house, and shipping them here, PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!
(From Left: My sister Caroline, My brother Jack, Marina, and Me)
<3 Always,
Rose
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Day 7- Bring on the RAIN!!!
Hey All!
So, if you were in the Lenoir area this afternoon, the skies truly opened up and it started POURING, like more than once! Not only does rain rejuvenate the plants and animals and grass and trees that we need to survive, but the rain also rejuvenates my SOUL, but maybe that's just me...
I cannot tell you how many different times our family has attempted to go camping, only to get stuck in a thunder storm, trying to set up tents. I remember the very first time we took the boys camping with us, it was one of those days. We had finally gotten the tent up when we heard thunder and the reactions of my parents vs. the kids was hilarious, my Dad turned to my Mom and said, "well, looks like dinner's gonna be in the car..." At the same time, I turned to Graham and yelled, "RAIN PARTAY!!!!!!!!!", and I was in eighth grade... For as long as I can remember, rain has always, ALWAYS been a source of joy for me and my family, we camped in the rain, sang and danced in the rain, created a slip and slide down our back yard in the rain, and even SWAM up to one of our local parks after it's lake had flooded(that was a fantastic day...:))!! Even when I was as young as first grade, I remember that if Mom thought it was going to rain that afternoon, I intentionally "forgot" my umbrella, so I could have an excuse to get wet walking home.
So, when the boys came and told me they wanted to play in the rain today, I had no hesitations at all, and before my parents were able to stop us, all five kids were running around in the rain and having a blast! Acts 14:17 says this, " Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Therefore, rejoice in the rain. Rain for the Israelites and for anyone in the bible times meant food, it often meant money, it meant fresh water, and it meant JOY!!!
<3 Always,
Rose
So, if you were in the Lenoir area this afternoon, the skies truly opened up and it started POURING, like more than once! Not only does rain rejuvenate the plants and animals and grass and trees that we need to survive, but the rain also rejuvenates my SOUL, but maybe that's just me...
I cannot tell you how many different times our family has attempted to go camping, only to get stuck in a thunder storm, trying to set up tents. I remember the very first time we took the boys camping with us, it was one of those days. We had finally gotten the tent up when we heard thunder and the reactions of my parents vs. the kids was hilarious, my Dad turned to my Mom and said, "well, looks like dinner's gonna be in the car..." At the same time, I turned to Graham and yelled, "RAIN PARTAY!!!!!!!!!", and I was in eighth grade... For as long as I can remember, rain has always, ALWAYS been a source of joy for me and my family, we camped in the rain, sang and danced in the rain, created a slip and slide down our back yard in the rain, and even SWAM up to one of our local parks after it's lake had flooded(that was a fantastic day...:))!! Even when I was as young as first grade, I remember that if Mom thought it was going to rain that afternoon, I intentionally "forgot" my umbrella, so I could have an excuse to get wet walking home.
So, when the boys came and told me they wanted to play in the rain today, I had no hesitations at all, and before my parents were able to stop us, all five kids were running around in the rain and having a blast! Acts 14:17 says this, " Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Therefore, rejoice in the rain. Rain for the Israelites and for anyone in the bible times meant food, it often meant money, it meant fresh water, and it meant JOY!!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Day 6- God's GOODNESS!!!
Hey Guys!
So today, I am happy just to have an awesome God who loves me endlessly, and has planned out my life to a T. I find that we as huimans find it easy to give thanks to God and be grateful for what we have, but as soon as life gets harder, we turn our hearts away from God and begin to ask that infamous question, "Why God?!" However, Romans 5:2b-5 says this, "...And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope."
The struggles that we have in our lives can do one of two things, they can either tear us away from God, or bring us closer to God, but that choice is ours to make. Trust me, I KNOW that it is not always easy to give thanks to God, when all you really want to do is be angry and frustrated, but if you look at the little things that God gives you in your struggle, you will see that God is showing you that he still loves you and cares for you. One of my favorite songs has a chorus that says, "What if your blessings come through raindrops? What if your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near? What if trials of this life, the rain, the storms, the hardest nights, are your mercies in disguise?" If I have learned anything in these past two years, it is that God is an awesome BEYOND awesome God, who works in marvelous and mysterious ways that we could never comprehend or understand, so if your hope and trust is in him, everything will work out fine. Romans 8:28 reads, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
One of my dear friends has a phrase that she likes to say...like ALOT. "God is GOOD, ALL the time!!!" Yes, God is good in the sucky times, and yes, God is also good in the scary times. So REJOICE! Rejoice for the joy of knowing that God is good, and will never leave you! Psalm 23:4-6, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear NO evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
So today, I am happy just to have an awesome God who loves me endlessly, and has planned out my life to a T. I find that we as huimans find it easy to give thanks to God and be grateful for what we have, but as soon as life gets harder, we turn our hearts away from God and begin to ask that infamous question, "Why God?!" However, Romans 5:2b-5 says this, "...And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope."
The struggles that we have in our lives can do one of two things, they can either tear us away from God, or bring us closer to God, but that choice is ours to make. Trust me, I KNOW that it is not always easy to give thanks to God, when all you really want to do is be angry and frustrated, but if you look at the little things that God gives you in your struggle, you will see that God is showing you that he still loves you and cares for you. One of my favorite songs has a chorus that says, "What if your blessings come through raindrops? What if your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near? What if trials of this life, the rain, the storms, the hardest nights, are your mercies in disguise?" If I have learned anything in these past two years, it is that God is an awesome BEYOND awesome God, who works in marvelous and mysterious ways that we could never comprehend or understand, so if your hope and trust is in him, everything will work out fine. Romans 8:28 reads, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
One of my dear friends has a phrase that she likes to say...like ALOT. "God is GOOD, ALL the time!!!" Yes, God is good in the sucky times, and yes, God is also good in the scary times. So REJOICE! Rejoice for the joy of knowing that God is good, and will never leave you! Psalm 23:4-6, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear NO evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
<3 Always,
Rose
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Day 5-Adoption
Hey all,
So, I know I've been talking a lot about my family on here, and it is probably annoying, but please, read one last one?...for me?? My family is incredibly unique in many ways. My parents met in Uganda as they were serving as missionaries, got engaged there, came to the states, and got married. Just over a year after they got married, they got pregnant with my sister, and they've basically had kids ever since. There are so many other things that makes our family unique, but I am going to talk about one in particular.
The summer before, I entered middle school, we learned a very sad, and a very surprising thing about my family, we learned that my grandma had grown up an orphan, and had spent time at a boarding school for orphans named Crossnore. It was from that point on that my parents were very, very interested in adopting(or trying to adopt...) from Crossnore. That trip to North Carolina was pivotal in our family, from that trip we all grew to have a heart for orphans, or children from broken homes, but we had no idea what we were in for... As soon as we got back to Illinois, my parents wasted no time at all getting licensed to for foster care(which is necessary to adopt).
Now, fast forward a year and a half, in the middle of the afternoon, the phone rang. My mom was giving piano lessons out of our home at the time, and was giving them then, so I picked up the phone. "Hi, this is DCFS(Department of Family and Child Services, or the foster care place...), we have two little boys sitting in our office that need a home tonight." Can you imagine being 14 years old, and trying to figure out what to say to that? Obviously, I politely ran into the studio where my mom was working and said, "I need you...like NOW." Before I even knew what was going on, I had 3 hours to get everything in my room into garbage bags, or grocery bags, and get the room ready for little boys, because I was becoming a big sister. That is how our crazy adoption story began.
Soon after the boys came, we got ANOTHER call from DCFS and were asked to take in the boys' younger brother, Aedon as well. What we didn't know is that the foster family that Aedon was staying with was completely convinced that THEY were going to adopt him. This led to a long and drawn out custody battle, which ended in Aedon's foster mom storming out of the courtroom, and leaving it to DCFS to pick up Aedon from daycare and bring him to us. In early October of 2010, after we had gotten Aedon and felt that our family was complete, we began to move towards adoption.
I am so happy to say that in May of 2014, the boys were FINALLY adopted, and they are officially ours. It takes a lot of patience, kindness, and a true heart of service to do what our family did. It was a huge adjustment for my parents, going from having a 14 year old as their youngest, to having a 2 year old. But, it also took a lot of sacrifice and adjusting for us. When we got Aedon, we had 6 kids ages, 19, 17, 15, 7, 3, and 2, now THAT'S an age range! However, it is very clear to me that God was preparing me to be an older sister for all my life. I had always loved little kids and wanted so badly to have a younger sibling of my own, and I honestly can't even imagine my life without being an older sister. It has truly shaped me and molded me into the young woman that I am today, and I am so happy to have had this opportunity.
Adoption changes not only the child's life, but it changes the entire family's life, for the better. That's not to say that it is easy, or fun all the time, because adoption certainly has it's share of challenges, but the impact you could make on a child's life is worth going through all the challenges in the world.
So, I know I've been talking a lot about my family on here, and it is probably annoying, but please, read one last one?...for me?? My family is incredibly unique in many ways. My parents met in Uganda as they were serving as missionaries, got engaged there, came to the states, and got married. Just over a year after they got married, they got pregnant with my sister, and they've basically had kids ever since. There are so many other things that makes our family unique, but I am going to talk about one in particular.
The summer before, I entered middle school, we learned a very sad, and a very surprising thing about my family, we learned that my grandma had grown up an orphan, and had spent time at a boarding school for orphans named Crossnore. It was from that point on that my parents were very, very interested in adopting(or trying to adopt...) from Crossnore. That trip to North Carolina was pivotal in our family, from that trip we all grew to have a heart for orphans, or children from broken homes, but we had no idea what we were in for... As soon as we got back to Illinois, my parents wasted no time at all getting licensed to for foster care(which is necessary to adopt).
Now, fast forward a year and a half, in the middle of the afternoon, the phone rang. My mom was giving piano lessons out of our home at the time, and was giving them then, so I picked up the phone. "Hi, this is DCFS(Department of Family and Child Services, or the foster care place...), we have two little boys sitting in our office that need a home tonight." Can you imagine being 14 years old, and trying to figure out what to say to that? Obviously, I politely ran into the studio where my mom was working and said, "I need you...like NOW." Before I even knew what was going on, I had 3 hours to get everything in my room into garbage bags, or grocery bags, and get the room ready for little boys, because I was becoming a big sister. That is how our crazy adoption story began.
Soon after the boys came, we got ANOTHER call from DCFS and were asked to take in the boys' younger brother, Aedon as well. What we didn't know is that the foster family that Aedon was staying with was completely convinced that THEY were going to adopt him. This led to a long and drawn out custody battle, which ended in Aedon's foster mom storming out of the courtroom, and leaving it to DCFS to pick up Aedon from daycare and bring him to us. In early October of 2010, after we had gotten Aedon and felt that our family was complete, we began to move towards adoption.
I am so happy to say that in May of 2014, the boys were FINALLY adopted, and they are officially ours. It takes a lot of patience, kindness, and a true heart of service to do what our family did. It was a huge adjustment for my parents, going from having a 14 year old as their youngest, to having a 2 year old. But, it also took a lot of sacrifice and adjusting for us. When we got Aedon, we had 6 kids ages, 19, 17, 15, 7, 3, and 2, now THAT'S an age range! However, it is very clear to me that God was preparing me to be an older sister for all my life. I had always loved little kids and wanted so badly to have a younger sibling of my own, and I honestly can't even imagine my life without being an older sister. It has truly shaped me and molded me into the young woman that I am today, and I am so happy to have had this opportunity.
Adoption changes not only the child's life, but it changes the entire family's life, for the better. That's not to say that it is easy, or fun all the time, because adoption certainly has it's share of challenges, but the impact you could make on a child's life is worth going through all the challenges in the world.
<3 Always,
Rose
Monday, July 21, 2014
Day 4- HEALTH!!
Hey All!
Today, I am a very happy gal :) I am happy because I am healthy. So many people take that for granted, but I am so grateful to be healthy and to be able to live my life to the fullest!
Almost two years ago, our family received some very scary news, my dear cousin, Clara was diagnosed with brain cancer, and given 16 months to live(correct me on the specifics!), obviously, she has outlived her 16 months and then some, and today, she got a CLEAN MRI!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!! I can't say that I know Clara real well, being that she is 31(?) and I'm 19, and that I've grown up very far away from her, but regardless, I love her dearly, and was so thrilled to hear the news this morning.
Since she has been diagnosed, I definitely think that we have been brought closer together, as an extended family, just as Graham's passing brought my immediate family much closer together. That's not to say that either one of these are particularly good or happy things to have to endure, but it's simply life. Life sometimes gets messy, chaotic, and doesn't always go by what we have planned, but it's how we react to what life gives us that shows and shapes us into the people we want to be. When Clara was diagnosed, our family essentially had two options: we could be sad and miserable, and just give up hope of anything, OR we could be happy, we can rejoice in the time that we have with her and rejoice in the person that she has become, obviously, we chose the latter.
Not only does this say a lot about our family, but it says a lot about who Clara is as a person. We ran a 5K to support the research at Duke in late March of last year, and that was absolutely an amazing experience. Team Clara(or Clara's Angels), came in as a first year team, and we had more than 500 people showed up to support her!! We raised an immense amount of money(I can't remember the specifics right now), and we raised Clara and our family's spirits. Clara is the most determined, strong headed, sometimes outright STUBBORN person I have ever met, and I love that about her. She is very much like me in that whatever happens, no matter how much life sucks, she will always, ALWAYS have a smile on her face. Her attitude about her cancer is simply amazing, and amazingly simple. 'When I die, I die. And I know that that is God's will, I know that God has numbered the days of my life, so when I die, I'll know that I've lived my life to the best of my ability, and I've done what I was meant to do. Until then, nothing will stop me from living my life'. THAT, my friends is an AMAZING attitude :)
Words cannot express the joy I feel today, knowing that she got a clean MRI. That doesn't mean the cancer is gone, because the cancer will NEVER be gone, but it means that she will be sticking around for a while, which is a major blessing for me, and for all of my extended family. I know that the war against cancer is not done, nor will it ever be done, but I also know that my cousin isn't going anywhere, at least not yet. That fact in itself, is the biggest comfort for me right now.
Today, I am a very happy gal :) I am happy because I am healthy. So many people take that for granted, but I am so grateful to be healthy and to be able to live my life to the fullest!
Almost two years ago, our family received some very scary news, my dear cousin, Clara was diagnosed with brain cancer, and given 16 months to live(correct me on the specifics!), obviously, she has outlived her 16 months and then some, and today, she got a CLEAN MRI!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!! I can't say that I know Clara real well, being that she is 31(?) and I'm 19, and that I've grown up very far away from her, but regardless, I love her dearly, and was so thrilled to hear the news this morning.
Since she has been diagnosed, I definitely think that we have been brought closer together, as an extended family, just as Graham's passing brought my immediate family much closer together. That's not to say that either one of these are particularly good or happy things to have to endure, but it's simply life. Life sometimes gets messy, chaotic, and doesn't always go by what we have planned, but it's how we react to what life gives us that shows and shapes us into the people we want to be. When Clara was diagnosed, our family essentially had two options: we could be sad and miserable, and just give up hope of anything, OR we could be happy, we can rejoice in the time that we have with her and rejoice in the person that she has become, obviously, we chose the latter.
Not only does this say a lot about our family, but it says a lot about who Clara is as a person. We ran a 5K to support the research at Duke in late March of last year, and that was absolutely an amazing experience. Team Clara(or Clara's Angels), came in as a first year team, and we had more than 500 people showed up to support her!! We raised an immense amount of money(I can't remember the specifics right now), and we raised Clara and our family's spirits. Clara is the most determined, strong headed, sometimes outright STUBBORN person I have ever met, and I love that about her. She is very much like me in that whatever happens, no matter how much life sucks, she will always, ALWAYS have a smile on her face. Her attitude about her cancer is simply amazing, and amazingly simple. 'When I die, I die. And I know that that is God's will, I know that God has numbered the days of my life, so when I die, I'll know that I've lived my life to the best of my ability, and I've done what I was meant to do. Until then, nothing will stop me from living my life'. THAT, my friends is an AMAZING attitude :)
Words cannot express the joy I feel today, knowing that she got a clean MRI. That doesn't mean the cancer is gone, because the cancer will NEVER be gone, but it means that she will be sticking around for a while, which is a major blessing for me, and for all of my extended family. I know that the war against cancer is not done, nor will it ever be done, but I also know that my cousin isn't going anywhere, at least not yet. That fact in itself, is the biggest comfort for me right now.
<3 Always,
Rose
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Day 3- Emily
Hey guys!
So, today I am happy because I know that God has blessed me with many amazing friends back home who will always love me, no matter what. Today I am especially happy to have Emily Trowbridge as one of my closest friends.
As many of you know, I lost my older brother about 15 months ago due to a sudden heart attack at age 19. Last fall, I was feeling alone, obviously my friends wanted to be there for me, and they tried to be there for me, but they couldn't relate to what I was feeling, I needed someone who KNEW what it felt like to lose someone. Enter, Emily Trowbridge into my life! Emily came in as a college student looking to lead high school students in the youth group, and we hit it off almost instantly! We are very alike in our personalities, attitude about life, and we even grew up two blocks away from each other! It is still insane how I lived 18 years and never knew who she was...Anyways, the first Sunday she visited, we started talking and I just thought, "This girl is soo cool, wouldn't it be awesome if we ended up becoming friends?" Well, apparently she was thinking something similar to that because later that week she messaged me and basically said, I love your personality and your attitude about life...let's be friends...and that's how it started! As the year went on, we grew in our friendship, to the point where she wasn't even really my leader, but more like a really good friend(I mean, she IS like a year older than me...). I quickly learned her story, and it was obvious to me that God had really put Emily into my life when I needed her most, and I am so grateful for that!
I had always thought it would be a really cool thing for me to be baptized on Easter Sunday, because the funeral was that last Easter, and the Easter before that, Graham was baptized. As Easter drew nearer, I began to talk to my youth leader about being baptized, and I remember the first thing he said was that we weren't having Easter baptisms this year. Instead, we would have a baptism night on a Wednesday night, after the communal dinner, and that "random" Wednesday night just so happened to be the one year anniversary of Graham's death, March 23rd. The second thing my pastor told me was that I needed a mentor. Instantly, I thought of Emily, and she was more than happy to become my mentor. As we worked through the "Baptismal study" booklet, we grew into even closer friends. I learned that her experience with grief and loss was very, VERY similar to mine, and I knew the struggles that she faced in her life would be an example of God's grace to me.
I cannot imagine my senior year without this wonderful lady in my life. I can't imagine going to church and NOT seeing Emily and giving her the biggest hug ever, and I can't imagine being baptized without her in my life! Emily, she is more than a leader, more than a mentor, even sometimes she is more than a friend to me, she is my sister! Her smile and outgoing personality shines in absolutely everything she does, and she has the most contagious laugh EVER! Emily wasn't afraid to meet me where I was at, in my misery and sorrow. In fact, she climbed into that pit of misery and sorrow with me, and helped to bring me out. Even if I'm not completely done with grieving(I never will be), I would not have the peace, love, and JOY that I have today without her. Emily worked hard to teach me that although she had met me where I was at when I felt alone, I had a savior who was already there, holding me, and meeting me in my sorrow and misery. Above all, Emily showed me that it is ok to be happy. She showed me that Graham would WANT me to be happy and enjoy my life, I shouldn't feel guilty about being happy, or enjoying my life without him. Instead, I should live my days out to the fullest, because that's how he lived his life, and his life was cut painfully short, so I should live my life to the fullest because I can, and because he can't, and because he rejoices in heaven when he see's his little sister happy and joyful and successful in life. I don't know WHAT I would do without knowing these simple things, and I KNOW I have Emily to thank for that. So, thank you Emily! Thank you for meeting me where I was at, teaching me that I have a savior who had already done that, and thank you for bringing me to a place where I can be at peace with my life, my past, and my future. Thank you for showing me that Graham would want me to be happy! I love you lots lady!!
So, today I am happy because I know that God has blessed me with many amazing friends back home who will always love me, no matter what. Today I am especially happy to have Emily Trowbridge as one of my closest friends.
As many of you know, I lost my older brother about 15 months ago due to a sudden heart attack at age 19. Last fall, I was feeling alone, obviously my friends wanted to be there for me, and they tried to be there for me, but they couldn't relate to what I was feeling, I needed someone who KNEW what it felt like to lose someone. Enter, Emily Trowbridge into my life! Emily came in as a college student looking to lead high school students in the youth group, and we hit it off almost instantly! We are very alike in our personalities, attitude about life, and we even grew up two blocks away from each other! It is still insane how I lived 18 years and never knew who she was...Anyways, the first Sunday she visited, we started talking and I just thought, "This girl is soo cool, wouldn't it be awesome if we ended up becoming friends?" Well, apparently she was thinking something similar to that because later that week she messaged me and basically said, I love your personality and your attitude about life...let's be friends...and that's how it started! As the year went on, we grew in our friendship, to the point where she wasn't even really my leader, but more like a really good friend(I mean, she IS like a year older than me...). I quickly learned her story, and it was obvious to me that God had really put Emily into my life when I needed her most, and I am so grateful for that!
I had always thought it would be a really cool thing for me to be baptized on Easter Sunday, because the funeral was that last Easter, and the Easter before that, Graham was baptized. As Easter drew nearer, I began to talk to my youth leader about being baptized, and I remember the first thing he said was that we weren't having Easter baptisms this year. Instead, we would have a baptism night on a Wednesday night, after the communal dinner, and that "random" Wednesday night just so happened to be the one year anniversary of Graham's death, March 23rd. The second thing my pastor told me was that I needed a mentor. Instantly, I thought of Emily, and she was more than happy to become my mentor. As we worked through the "Baptismal study" booklet, we grew into even closer friends. I learned that her experience with grief and loss was very, VERY similar to mine, and I knew the struggles that she faced in her life would be an example of God's grace to me.
I cannot imagine my senior year without this wonderful lady in my life. I can't imagine going to church and NOT seeing Emily and giving her the biggest hug ever, and I can't imagine being baptized without her in my life! Emily, she is more than a leader, more than a mentor, even sometimes she is more than a friend to me, she is my sister! Her smile and outgoing personality shines in absolutely everything she does, and she has the most contagious laugh EVER! Emily wasn't afraid to meet me where I was at, in my misery and sorrow. In fact, she climbed into that pit of misery and sorrow with me, and helped to bring me out. Even if I'm not completely done with grieving(I never will be), I would not have the peace, love, and JOY that I have today without her. Emily worked hard to teach me that although she had met me where I was at when I felt alone, I had a savior who was already there, holding me, and meeting me in my sorrow and misery. Above all, Emily showed me that it is ok to be happy. She showed me that Graham would WANT me to be happy and enjoy my life, I shouldn't feel guilty about being happy, or enjoying my life without him. Instead, I should live my days out to the fullest, because that's how he lived his life, and his life was cut painfully short, so I should live my life to the fullest because I can, and because he can't, and because he rejoices in heaven when he see's his little sister happy and joyful and successful in life. I don't know WHAT I would do without knowing these simple things, and I KNOW I have Emily to thank for that. So, thank you Emily! Thank you for meeting me where I was at, teaching me that I have a savior who had already done that, and thank you for bringing me to a place where I can be at peace with my life, my past, and my future. Thank you for showing me that Graham would want me to be happy! I love you lots lady!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Day 2
I'm back :)
Today, I am happy because I have a wonderful mama who really wants me to succeed in life. Like all teenage girls, we have our fights and disagreements, she drives me crazy, and I drive her crazy, but at the end of the day, my mom is my MOM, and she loves me. My mom devotes an incredible amount of her free time researching things for me, whether it's colleges, jobs, the nearest DMV, or just how to make my favorite dish, none of these I ask her to do, but she does it out of love. Now, I'll admit, she does tend to drive me crazy and stress me out when she says things like, "When should we start driving again?" or, "Look at this job I found for you!" but she truly does it out of love, because she wants me to succeed in life. She was the one responsible for finding BOTH of the colleges that I was interested in going to, and honestly, without her, I don't know where I'd be.
It's not like she doesn't have enough to worry about already, because with five kids, Lord knows, she needs a break! That just makes it even more special that no matter what, she wants the best for us, and she WILL find the best for us. Literally, she devotes every waking minute of her life to us kids, and I don't think that we realize all that she does for us, but then I log onto the computer and see five different church youth group pages up, or registration for sports teams, and think, "did she REALLY just do that?" My mom is almost always juggling a million different things, trying to take this kid there, and feed that kid, and put the right shoes on this one, yet in the back of her mind, she has so many other things she thinks about for me and wants for me that I rarely get to see, it really is amazing.
It constantly amazes me how despite her thoughts and never ending lists of things that need to be done, she can look at me, and know when something's up. I am so lucky to know that no matter how crazy life gets, no matter how many things have gone wrong, no matter how TERRIBLE the timing, my mom will always, ALWAYS be my number one fan. I am so incredibly grateful for everything my mom does for me, all the crap that she takes from me, the many miles she's driven for me, the many meals she's cooked for me, and the many MANY hours she spends thinking about colleges and DMV's and churches, because not all moms would do that, so if your mom does, be thankful and happy that she does! No matter how stressed out it might make you...;)
Thanks Mom!
<3 Always,
~Rose
Today, I am happy because I have a wonderful mama who really wants me to succeed in life. Like all teenage girls, we have our fights and disagreements, she drives me crazy, and I drive her crazy, but at the end of the day, my mom is my MOM, and she loves me. My mom devotes an incredible amount of her free time researching things for me, whether it's colleges, jobs, the nearest DMV, or just how to make my favorite dish, none of these I ask her to do, but she does it out of love. Now, I'll admit, she does tend to drive me crazy and stress me out when she says things like, "When should we start driving again?" or, "Look at this job I found for you!" but she truly does it out of love, because she wants me to succeed in life. She was the one responsible for finding BOTH of the colleges that I was interested in going to, and honestly, without her, I don't know where I'd be.
It's not like she doesn't have enough to worry about already, because with five kids, Lord knows, she needs a break! That just makes it even more special that no matter what, she wants the best for us, and she WILL find the best for us. Literally, she devotes every waking minute of her life to us kids, and I don't think that we realize all that she does for us, but then I log onto the computer and see five different church youth group pages up, or registration for sports teams, and think, "did she REALLY just do that?" My mom is almost always juggling a million different things, trying to take this kid there, and feed that kid, and put the right shoes on this one, yet in the back of her mind, she has so many other things she thinks about for me and wants for me that I rarely get to see, it really is amazing.
It constantly amazes me how despite her thoughts and never ending lists of things that need to be done, she can look at me, and know when something's up. I am so lucky to know that no matter how crazy life gets, no matter how many things have gone wrong, no matter how TERRIBLE the timing, my mom will always, ALWAYS be my number one fan. I am so incredibly grateful for everything my mom does for me, all the crap that she takes from me, the many miles she's driven for me, the many meals she's cooked for me, and the many MANY hours she spends thinking about colleges and DMV's and churches, because not all moms would do that, so if your mom does, be thankful and happy that she does! No matter how stressed out it might make you...;)
Thanks Mom!
<3 Always,
~Rose
Friday, July 18, 2014
Day 1
Hey Friends!
So, recently I have been inspired by my friend who challenged herself to post for 100 days straight for the things she was thankful for in her life, or for the things that made her happy. What struck me was the fact that she CHOSE to do it, no one challenged her to do it, it wasn't a homework assignment for a college writing class, she truly and genuinely WANTED to do it! Reading her posts have got me thinking, "Hey, this seems like a really good and fun thing to do, why don't I try it?" So, here is Day 1 of 100 happy days :)
Today, I am happy for one of the greatest youth leaders that I've had in my life, Miss Erin Barrett. Erin has a way of seeing right through the "mask" I put on to convince everyone that I'm ok, which I admit, can be VERY frustrating at times, because you can't hide ANYTHING from her, but she truly and genuinely cares about me, and will not be fed that same, "Oh, I'm fine, how are you?" crap.
In eighth grade, our church came up with the "Brilliant" idea to combine the high school and middle school students for Sunday School...WORST.IDEA.EVER!!!!!! Just imagine, being in a room of complete strangers, who are all older than you, and half of them are one of your siblings friends, yeah...that's where I was. But then there was Erin, bright and chipper, and excited to meet all the new students, and I distinctly remember thinking to myself, "This is the stupidest thing ever...why is she sooo excited?" And that's how we met, she led me as a shy, terrified, frustrated, and awkward eighth grader, and did eventually break through my "tough" outer core ;)
As I entered high school, more struggles and hurdles were thrown my way, and Erin did an amazing job once again. My best friend's sister was studying abroad in Malaysia, and she was having a really hard time with it. Erin(being Erin) could see that this was really hard for her and wasted no time at all "adopting" us into her group of senior girls that she led. From that point on, she was basically my mom/leader/friend/mentor/sister and so much more. Sophomore year began with the exciting news that Erin would get to be our small group leader, and I was beyond thrilled! The next year of small group included tears, laughs, bible studies, coloring(don't ask...), baked goods, and so many other marvelous things, and without Erin, our sophomore small group would NOT have been the same.
The last two years of high school were by far the hardest, and through the struggles, and the nights of crying and praying, Erin stood by my side through it all, never ceasing to encourage and uplift me. Then, another tornado was thrown my way, the summer of my junior year, Erin announced that she was MOVING! Instantly, my heart broke, and I basically felt like I could just collapse into a ball of tears at any moment, BUT God knew what he was doing! He knew that the move would be good for both of us. We still talk on the phone frequently, and we're just as close as when we lived 10 minutes away from each other. Erin, I hope you had the most fantastical amazingly awesome 30th birthday, if I helped to make it even a FRACTION of how fantastical amazingly awesome YOU are, I think that's a success!! Erin is the most happy, outgoing, smiley, peppy, energetic, bubbly, and loving person I have ever met, literally a truck could hit her and just keep driving, and I would not be at ALL surprised if she just popped back up with that huge smile on her face and say, "I'm good!!". Basically, she's superwoman...;) I hope my blogs speak to you, and encourage you to count the blessings in your life, and feel free to leave comments below!
<3 Always,
Rose
So, recently I have been inspired by my friend who challenged herself to post for 100 days straight for the things she was thankful for in her life, or for the things that made her happy. What struck me was the fact that she CHOSE to do it, no one challenged her to do it, it wasn't a homework assignment for a college writing class, she truly and genuinely WANTED to do it! Reading her posts have got me thinking, "Hey, this seems like a really good and fun thing to do, why don't I try it?" So, here is Day 1 of 100 happy days :)
Today, I am happy for one of the greatest youth leaders that I've had in my life, Miss Erin Barrett. Erin has a way of seeing right through the "mask" I put on to convince everyone that I'm ok, which I admit, can be VERY frustrating at times, because you can't hide ANYTHING from her, but she truly and genuinely cares about me, and will not be fed that same, "Oh, I'm fine, how are you?" crap.
In eighth grade, our church came up with the "Brilliant" idea to combine the high school and middle school students for Sunday School...WORST.IDEA.EVER!!!!!! Just imagine, being in a room of complete strangers, who are all older than you, and half of them are one of your siblings friends, yeah...that's where I was. But then there was Erin, bright and chipper, and excited to meet all the new students, and I distinctly remember thinking to myself, "This is the stupidest thing ever...why is she sooo excited?" And that's how we met, she led me as a shy, terrified, frustrated, and awkward eighth grader, and did eventually break through my "tough" outer core ;)
As I entered high school, more struggles and hurdles were thrown my way, and Erin did an amazing job once again. My best friend's sister was studying abroad in Malaysia, and she was having a really hard time with it. Erin(being Erin) could see that this was really hard for her and wasted no time at all "adopting" us into her group of senior girls that she led. From that point on, she was basically my mom/leader/friend/mentor/sister and so much more. Sophomore year began with the exciting news that Erin would get to be our small group leader, and I was beyond thrilled! The next year of small group included tears, laughs, bible studies, coloring(don't ask...), baked goods, and so many other marvelous things, and without Erin, our sophomore small group would NOT have been the same.
The last two years of high school were by far the hardest, and through the struggles, and the nights of crying and praying, Erin stood by my side through it all, never ceasing to encourage and uplift me. Then, another tornado was thrown my way, the summer of my junior year, Erin announced that she was MOVING! Instantly, my heart broke, and I basically felt like I could just collapse into a ball of tears at any moment, BUT God knew what he was doing! He knew that the move would be good for both of us. We still talk on the phone frequently, and we're just as close as when we lived 10 minutes away from each other. Erin, I hope you had the most fantastical amazingly awesome 30th birthday, if I helped to make it even a FRACTION of how fantastical amazingly awesome YOU are, I think that's a success!! Erin is the most happy, outgoing, smiley, peppy, energetic, bubbly, and loving person I have ever met, literally a truck could hit her and just keep driving, and I would not be at ALL surprised if she just popped back up with that huge smile on her face and say, "I'm good!!". Basically, she's superwoman...;) I hope my blogs speak to you, and encourage you to count the blessings in your life, and feel free to leave comments below!
<3 Always,
Rose
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