Dear Everyone,
With the chaos and craziness of summer schedule, I have really struggled to stay up to date with my blog, and I've realized that in the next couple of weeks, it's only going to get HARDER to stay up to date, so I figured that now would be a good stopping point. This blog has taught me so much during my year of transition, mainly it's taught me that there really IS always a silver lining. If you look back on days like the day I didn't make it into Wheaton, you can see just how fast people gathered around me, and loved me, and it has taught me so much about what it means to have a thankful heart. Secondly, it has given me a way to keep friends back home in the loop, I have heard over this year from so many different people how they love reading and seeing pictures of our new life here in NC. This blog was an incredible blessing for me, though if I'm being honest, I will say there were days where I did NOT want to sit and write about how my day was. I am so glad that God used my friend Kady, who first inspired me to do this, and put it on my heart to carry it out much longer than a month. I look around at my "new" life now, and I can see how God has provided for our family in so many awesome and unique and special ways. Take Adrienne for example, Adrienne is the ONLY person I know here outside of my family who understands the struggle of NOT having Tate's Ice Cream on a humid summer night downtown, so when I'm missing home, I go to her. If I'm confused, and I'm looking for direction as to where to go from here, I turn to Katie, the ultimate planner and most organized person I know. When I'm having a crap awful day, and I just need an extra hug and someone to listen to me rant, I go to Patricia. Lastly, when I need someone to just laugh and be goofy with, I go to Jae or Cassie. Each of the people that I have met here and truly gotten to know and love serve a different role for me in my beautiful mess called life, but like a magnificent puzzle, when all the pieces come together, they make something beautiful. Whether they are a corner piece, a side piece, or a middle piece, the puzzle wouldn't be the same without them.
Moving forward this summer, lots is going on with me, my friends, and my church, and we are in need of prayer for many things. Next week starts our annual Lenoir Area Missions Project(or LAMP for short) that is a collaboration of middle schoolers from churches all around Lenoir that spend the week together serving their community. I pray that God would give me strength and endurance and patience to work with these students all day every day, especially when the exhaustion and frustration begins to kick in. I pray that God would use me to break through and speak to at least one of these students, I pray that the joy that I find in Jesus shines for these kids. I pray for Adrienne, as she preps for LAMP, VBS(the following week), and the high school trip to Costa Rica in mid-July. I pray that you would give her peace of heart and of mind as she plans for these massive trips and projects, I pray that you would show her just how amazing she is at her job, and remind her of how much her students love her. I pray that I will continue to find peace and joy enough to battle each wave of grief and homesickness that comes this summer. Lastly, I pray for the church. Many of you don't know, but our church is in the midst of leaving the presbytery. I pray that even during this time of transition and uncertainty that we would continue to be a blessing to the community. I pray that the people in Lenoir would know, we are not bible-bangers, we're not southern baptists who will make you uncomfortable, we are not better or worse than you, we are PEOPLE who genuinely want to love and serve other people. We are people who have a heart to share the good news with other people, but we are ordinary people just like you. I would so appreciate you joining me in prayer for these things, I know it's a LOT of things to pray for.
This coming year, I DO plan to create a new blog, though I probably won't be posting on there NEARLY as often as I have posted here. I will be taking classes at the Caldwell Community College, which means I very well might share classes with Cassie or Katie, or both, and I am very excited about that. I want to thank each and everyone of you who have read this blog, or lifted my family and I up in prayer, or sent letters, or talked on the phone, or video chatted, or even just texted, it means SO much to me that I have many back home who will always love and support me, no matter how far away I may be. This year has had it's ups and downs, good days, and bad days, laughter and tears, and trials and triumphs, but in the end, I have come out of this year a better, stronger, happier, more confident, and more independent person because of it all. "I can do all things, through Christ who gives me strength."(Philippians 4:13)
God bless!
<3 Always,
Rose
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Day 376-Babysitting
Saturday, June 6th
Hey guys,
Today, I got to babysit for someone outside of my own family! It was seriously a blast, and I am so happy to see that my name is indeed making it's way around Lenoir, and hopefully I'll be having MANY more babysitting jobs soon!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today, I got to babysit for someone outside of my own family! It was seriously a blast, and I am so happy to see that my name is indeed making it's way around Lenoir, and hopefully I'll be having MANY more babysitting jobs soon!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 375- Panera!
Friday, June 5th
Hey guys,
Today, we drove all the way to Winston-Salem so that Aedon could see an eye specialist. As exhausting as today was, being stuck in a car with 2 crazy boys for 3 hours, we DID get Panera, so that made my day.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today, we drove all the way to Winston-Salem so that Aedon could see an eye specialist. As exhausting as today was, being stuck in a car with 2 crazy boys for 3 hours, we DID get Panera, so that made my day.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 374-Library Card
Thursday, June 4th
Hey guys,
So, amazingly enough, up until now, I have NOT had my own library card here...I figured that after almost a year, I should probably do that...So I took the boys to the library and was able to get my own card, AND get 3 new books for myself that I'm seriously excited about. :) It's true what they say, "Having fun, isn't hard, when you've got a library card!"
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, amazingly enough, up until now, I have NOT had my own library card here...I figured that after almost a year, I should probably do that...So I took the boys to the library and was able to get my own card, AND get 3 new books for myself that I'm seriously excited about. :) It's true what they say, "Having fun, isn't hard, when you've got a library card!"
<3 Always,
Rose
Days 372-373:LAKEHOUSE
Tuesday, June 2nd and Wednesday, June 3rd
Hey guys!
This week, some of my friends from back home were able to make it down to visit Linda, so I got to spend a whole 2 days at the lake with them!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys!
This week, some of my friends from back home were able to make it down to visit Linda, so I got to spend a whole 2 days at the lake with them!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 371-Relaxing
Monday, June 1st
Hey guys,
There's no better way to start off your June than having fun outside with friends! Today, Adrienne was the first of any of my friends have met the chicks, and it was super exciting! We got to spend a whole hour and a half together before she had to head back to work. I so enjoyed just being outside and enjoying the wonderful weather with her.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
There's no better way to start off your June than having fun outside with friends! Today, Adrienne was the first of any of my friends have met the chicks, and it was super exciting! We got to spend a whole hour and a half together before she had to head back to work. I so enjoyed just being outside and enjoying the wonderful weather with her.
<3 Always,
Rose
Monday, June 1, 2015
Day 370-Laughs
Sunday, May 31st
Hey guys,
Tonight at youth was...interesting...on so many levels. It was easily one of the most hilarious nights I've had in a LONG time though, so I thought I would share some of the many quotes from last night...
(Talking about boundaries, a student raises her hand) "I have curfew as a boundary."
Adrienne: "So, what's your curfew?"
Student:"...well, I don't really have one..."
Adrienne: "When you hear the word pastures, what do you think of?"
Leader: "Sheep?"
Jae and I: "BAAHHH!!!!!"
Adrienne: "I am one of those who wants to go THROUGH the fence, it makes me who I am..."
Student: "...who I YAM?
Adrienne: "Oh shush, yams are good for you."
Adrienne: "So none of you get frustrated with waiting to date?"
Student sitting next to me leans over and says: "My parents haven't told me I couldn't date...it just ain't happening...the struggle is REAL."
So yes, tonight has shown me just how much laughter can change everything.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Tonight at youth was...interesting...on so many levels. It was easily one of the most hilarious nights I've had in a LONG time though, so I thought I would share some of the many quotes from last night...
(Talking about boundaries, a student raises her hand) "I have curfew as a boundary."
Adrienne: "So, what's your curfew?"
Student:"...well, I don't really have one..."
Adrienne: "When you hear the word pastures, what do you think of?"
Leader: "Sheep?"
Jae and I: "BAAHHH!!!!!"
Adrienne: "I am one of those who wants to go THROUGH the fence, it makes me who I am..."
Student: "...who I YAM?
Adrienne: "Oh shush, yams are good for you."
Adrienne: "So none of you get frustrated with waiting to date?"
Student sitting next to me leans over and says: "My parents haven't told me I couldn't date...it just ain't happening...the struggle is REAL."
So yes, tonight has shown me just how much laughter can change everything.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 369-Pool
Saturday, May 30th
Hey guys,
Today, we had our inaugural trip to the pool, summer has OFFICIALLY begun! The boys and I spent MANY days at the pool back home, we would ride our bikes there almost every day, and so many firsts happened there. In fact, both Aedon AND Shane's first "real" bike ride was to the pool, and their first bike lock was bought so we could go to the pool. These kids are both legitimately part fish, and honestly they can probably swim better than I can. Even though this summer is different, because it's not the pool we're used to, it was still equally wonderful as it has been in years past, and I am so glad that the pool is STILL one of the closest things to our house.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today, we had our inaugural trip to the pool, summer has OFFICIALLY begun! The boys and I spent MANY days at the pool back home, we would ride our bikes there almost every day, and so many firsts happened there. In fact, both Aedon AND Shane's first "real" bike ride was to the pool, and their first bike lock was bought so we could go to the pool. These kids are both legitimately part fish, and honestly they can probably swim better than I can. Even though this summer is different, because it's not the pool we're used to, it was still equally wonderful as it has been in years past, and I am so glad that the pool is STILL one of the closest things to our house.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 368-Phone Dates
Friday, May 29th
Hey guys,
There's something about talking with someone on the phone, and HEARING their voice that just helps to make your whole day better. Texting is great and all, and I'm not gonna lie, I do love me some texting, but when things are falling apart, if there's someone you can CALL and hear them encourage you or give you advice, or whatever else, THAT can change a day! Today, I not only had one phone date, but I had TWO, and it was wonderful beyond wonderful to hear both of their voices and be able to talk to them about my life and everything, and hear about theirs.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
There's something about talking with someone on the phone, and HEARING their voice that just helps to make your whole day better. Texting is great and all, and I'm not gonna lie, I do love me some texting, but when things are falling apart, if there's someone you can CALL and hear them encourage you or give you advice, or whatever else, THAT can change a day! Today, I not only had one phone date, but I had TWO, and it was wonderful beyond wonderful to hear both of their voices and be able to talk to them about my life and everything, and hear about theirs.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 367-Goodbyes
Thursday, May 28th
Hey guys,
So, today is one of those days that I've been dreading for a LONG time, today is our LAST bible study/the sending off party for Katie and Patricia. These girls have been SUCH a blessing for me, and just a blast to be around. Though we may not always get done what we're supposed to, we ALWAYS have fun, and have laughs. This group has become one of my highlights of every week, and basically my core group of girls who know me, and what's happening in my life. It makes me sad to know that this is the end until next fall, because I will miss seeing these girls every Thursday, and laughing with them every other day of the week. What makes me even MORE sad is the fact that two of them are LEAVING! Patricia is going to Germany to visit her Aunt for 2 weeks, and Katie, probably the one I'm closest to in this group is going to work at Eagle Lake Summer camp for 5 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with my life without these two...:(
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, today is one of those days that I've been dreading for a LONG time, today is our LAST bible study/the sending off party for Katie and Patricia. These girls have been SUCH a blessing for me, and just a blast to be around. Though we may not always get done what we're supposed to, we ALWAYS have fun, and have laughs. This group has become one of my highlights of every week, and basically my core group of girls who know me, and what's happening in my life. It makes me sad to know that this is the end until next fall, because I will miss seeing these girls every Thursday, and laughing with them every other day of the week. What makes me even MORE sad is the fact that two of them are LEAVING! Patricia is going to Germany to visit her Aunt for 2 weeks, and Katie, probably the one I'm closest to in this group is going to work at Eagle Lake Summer camp for 5 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with my life without these two...:(
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 366-PEACE
Wednesday, May 27th
Hey guys,
In today's modern society, things are constantly moving. We are constantly going to one place or another, and if we're NOT, then we don't really know what to do with ourselves. Today, I experienced just how TRUE that is, especially with me. In my life, I have about a million different things to do, and responsibilities to uphold, I am not used to having a WHOLE DAY to do one thing. Today, however, I got to experience that, I had nothing to do, all day, except for worship practice tonight. I'm not gonna lie, by the time I had to leave for practice, I was going just a tad bit crazy. This all just reminded me though of how hesitant I am to slow down in my life and just relax. I need to learn how to just be STILL, just enjoy the moment, with nothing to do, no where to be, just having a few moments, maybe even a few hours of peace.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
In today's modern society, things are constantly moving. We are constantly going to one place or another, and if we're NOT, then we don't really know what to do with ourselves. Today, I experienced just how TRUE that is, especially with me. In my life, I have about a million different things to do, and responsibilities to uphold, I am not used to having a WHOLE DAY to do one thing. Today, however, I got to experience that, I had nothing to do, all day, except for worship practice tonight. I'm not gonna lie, by the time I had to leave for practice, I was going just a tad bit crazy. This all just reminded me though of how hesitant I am to slow down in my life and just relax. I need to learn how to just be STILL, just enjoy the moment, with nothing to do, no where to be, just having a few moments, maybe even a few hours of peace.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 365-My Katie
Tuesday, May 26th
Hey guys,
First of all, I'm not dumb, I KNOW there are 365 days in a year, and this SHOULD be my last post going by the numbers. However, somewhere along the way, over the course of the year, the numbers got screwed up. I did look back to see the date of my very first post though, and that was July 12th, so I will have my last post on July 11th.
Now that that's sorted out, let's get down to business. Today, I am saddened to say was my LAST quality one on one time with Katie for the next FIVE WEEKS. In the past year, Katie has been so much MORE than a friend to me, she has set an example for me of how to lead others, she has been one of those who is ALWAYS there when I need it, she knows the days when I might need a little bit of extra encouragement, and she truly LOVES me. Quite honestly, I have NO idea what I'm going to do without her for these next 5 weeks, but I DO know that she is going to be having a BLAST serving God, serving others, and bringing the word of God to people who may not have ever heard it.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
First of all, I'm not dumb, I KNOW there are 365 days in a year, and this SHOULD be my last post going by the numbers. However, somewhere along the way, over the course of the year, the numbers got screwed up. I did look back to see the date of my very first post though, and that was July 12th, so I will have my last post on July 11th.
Now that that's sorted out, let's get down to business. Today, I am saddened to say was my LAST quality one on one time with Katie for the next FIVE WEEKS. In the past year, Katie has been so much MORE than a friend to me, she has set an example for me of how to lead others, she has been one of those who is ALWAYS there when I need it, she knows the days when I might need a little bit of extra encouragement, and she truly LOVES me. Quite honestly, I have NO idea what I'm going to do without her for these next 5 weeks, but I DO know that she is going to be having a BLAST serving God, serving others, and bringing the word of God to people who may not have ever heard it.
<3 Always,
Rose
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Day 364-Memorial Day
Monday, May 25th
Hey guys,
Today is Memorial Day, and I am so grateful for all who have lost their lives serving our country, and those who still are serving today. A few years ago, we were given a project to do to help us realize just how much of a sacrifice many of these soldiers made for us. We were to interview someone that we know, a family member, a friend, whoever that has served our country, and do a report on them. For me, it was mind blowing, these people have given SO much for us, even if they survived and have returned home, they continue to battle, whether it's PTSD or just simply getting re-acclimated in "civilian life", these soldiers continue to sacrifice their lives for us every day, on and off the battle field. Let's remember them, and do them justice, today and always.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today is Memorial Day, and I am so grateful for all who have lost their lives serving our country, and those who still are serving today. A few years ago, we were given a project to do to help us realize just how much of a sacrifice many of these soldiers made for us. We were to interview someone that we know, a family member, a friend, whoever that has served our country, and do a report on them. For me, it was mind blowing, these people have given SO much for us, even if they survived and have returned home, they continue to battle, whether it's PTSD or just simply getting re-acclimated in "civilian life", these soldiers continue to sacrifice their lives for us every day, on and off the battle field. Let's remember them, and do them justice, today and always.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 363-We're OFFICIAL!!!!
Sunday, May 24th
Hey guys,
After being here for almost a year, and attending First Presbyterian for the majority of that time, today it was made official, we ARE members of First Presbyterian Church of Lenoir! YAY!!!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
After being here for almost a year, and attending First Presbyterian for the majority of that time, today it was made official, we ARE members of First Presbyterian Church of Lenoir! YAY!!!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 362-Hibriten
Saturday, May 23rd
Hey guys,
Today, the unthinkable was done, I, Rosemary Elizabeth Stevens, got OUT-TALKED!!! That's right, it ACTUALLY HAPPENED!!! Cassie and I went to go hike up Hibriten mountain for lunch today, and we both enjoyed it immensely. I enjoyed getting to know her better, hearing bits and pieces of her story, and just being with her, and quite honestly, I'm pretty sure she enjoyed the fact that SHE did most of the talking, not me. Of our friend group, I am the one who usually gets given crap about my big mouth, so the fact that someone actually talked more than me was amazing!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today, the unthinkable was done, I, Rosemary Elizabeth Stevens, got OUT-TALKED!!! That's right, it ACTUALLY HAPPENED!!! Cassie and I went to go hike up Hibriten mountain for lunch today, and we both enjoyed it immensely. I enjoyed getting to know her better, hearing bits and pieces of her story, and just being with her, and quite honestly, I'm pretty sure she enjoyed the fact that SHE did most of the talking, not me. Of our friend group, I am the one who usually gets given crap about my big mouth, so the fact that someone actually talked more than me was amazing!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 361-Baseball
Friday, May 22nd
Hey guys,
It is that time of the year again! It's baseball time! Even before the boys came, Graham was very involved in baseball, he was even on the travel team for a few years, so I have grown up going to baseball games and cheering on my brothers. I've gotten so that I actually ENJOY going to the games, and I can actually understand what's going on.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
It is that time of the year again! It's baseball time! Even before the boys came, Graham was very involved in baseball, he was even on the travel team for a few years, so I have grown up going to baseball games and cheering on my brothers. I've gotten so that I actually ENJOY going to the games, and I can actually understand what's going on.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 360-Everything will be OK!
Thursday, May 21st
Hey guys,
It's very ironic that my post yesterday was all about my friends and how great they are, because they are one of the only things that actually got me THROUGH today. Today, I lost my job, because of my own stupid mistakes. I am the sort of person that tends to be VERY hard on myself when I'm NOT perfect, so knowing that I lost my job because of MY mistakes was hard for me to take in. All day though, my friends reminded me of 3 things, first, you are human, and humans make mistakes, it is OK to not be perfect. Second, they reminded me that I DID handle the situation with maturity and grace, I was honest about what happened. Lastly, they reminded me that this is GOD'S PLAN, just like it says in Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans I have for you.' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" God knows what he's doing, and he's not just going to leave me on the side of the road somewhere, because I am his BELOVED.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
It's very ironic that my post yesterday was all about my friends and how great they are, because they are one of the only things that actually got me THROUGH today. Today, I lost my job, because of my own stupid mistakes. I am the sort of person that tends to be VERY hard on myself when I'm NOT perfect, so knowing that I lost my job because of MY mistakes was hard for me to take in. All day though, my friends reminded me of 3 things, first, you are human, and humans make mistakes, it is OK to not be perfect. Second, they reminded me that I DID handle the situation with maturity and grace, I was honest about what happened. Lastly, they reminded me that this is GOD'S PLAN, just like it says in Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans I have for you.' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" God knows what he's doing, and he's not just going to leave me on the side of the road somewhere, because I am his BELOVED.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 359-Friends
Wednesday, May 20th
Hey guys,
I honestly have no idea HOW many times throughout this blog I've said "I have amazing friends" or something to that affect, but here I go again, I'm going to say it. I HAVE AMAZING FRIENDS!!!! Today,Adrienne and I met for lunch at the park, and we got to talking. At LEAST 3 times in the conversation I thought to myself, "This girl REALLY knows me!" which is a feat in itself, because I'm not the easiest person to understand sometimes. Anyways, today showed me once again how amazing my friends are, and how amazing the connection between Adrienne and I really is.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
I honestly have no idea HOW many times throughout this blog I've said "I have amazing friends" or something to that affect, but here I go again, I'm going to say it. I HAVE AMAZING FRIENDS!!!! Today,Adrienne and I met for lunch at the park, and we got to talking. At LEAST 3 times in the conversation I thought to myself, "This girl REALLY knows me!" which is a feat in itself, because I'm not the easiest person to understand sometimes. Anyways, today showed me once again how amazing my friends are, and how amazing the connection between Adrienne and I really is.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 358-Little Ones
Tuesday, May 19th
Hey guys,
So, I really love my job, and it's days like today that remind me just HOW MUCH I love it. Alora was invited to a pool party at her friends Abigail and Zeke's house today, and I probably spent at LEAST half of the afternoon playing with Alora, or with Abigail, or at times both, and it just warmed my heart. No matter HOW frustrating or tiring it can be to constantly be with kids, it is also incredibly rewarding, and I was reminded of that today.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, I really love my job, and it's days like today that remind me just HOW MUCH I love it. Alora was invited to a pool party at her friends Abigail and Zeke's house today, and I probably spent at LEAST half of the afternoon playing with Alora, or with Abigail, or at times both, and it just warmed my heart. No matter HOW frustrating or tiring it can be to constantly be with kids, it is also incredibly rewarding, and I was reminded of that today.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 357-Jae
Monday, May 18th
Hey guys,
So, today was a pretty great day. Today is one of my closest friends, Jae's 18th birthday! I so enjoyed spending the night talking, laughing, and just celebrating her. Jae is one of the most fantastic people I have ever met, she has a deep care for each and every one of her friends, but at the same time she is EASILY one of the goofiest people I know. She balances her caring for her friends and being there when they need it, with being a total goof, and making memories that you can ONLY have with Jae. The fact that Jae is leaving in just a few short months makes my heart so sad, but I am also so excited for her in this next exciting chapter of her life. It is truly a BLESSING that saying goodbye is so hard for me, because it means that I have wonderful beyond wonderful friends.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, today was a pretty great day. Today is one of my closest friends, Jae's 18th birthday! I so enjoyed spending the night talking, laughing, and just celebrating her. Jae is one of the most fantastic people I have ever met, she has a deep care for each and every one of her friends, but at the same time she is EASILY one of the goofiest people I know. She balances her caring for her friends and being there when they need it, with being a total goof, and making memories that you can ONLY have with Jae. The fact that Jae is leaving in just a few short months makes my heart so sad, but I am also so excited for her in this next exciting chapter of her life. It is truly a BLESSING that saying goodbye is so hard for me, because it means that I have wonderful beyond wonderful friends.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 356-Integrity
Sunday, May 17th
Hey guys,
Today, before a room full of high-school students, the integrity of our church elders was put to the test. Our church has entered into the process of leaving the presbytery and joining another denomination, due to differences in beliefs. Tonight was SUPPOSED to be a time for the youth to be able to ask their questions about everything that is going on, and get some answers. Unfortunately, as the night began, the elders realized that they couldn't do this. Because it was an official meeting, there had to be a representative from the Presbytery there, and unfortunately, there wasn't. Instead of just continuing on, as if nothing was wrong, the elders immediately filled us in. The elders showed their integrity, and their respect for the presbytery, despite our different views and opinions. The elders did their best to answer questions as they could, but if there was a question that was approaching the border of what they knew they couldn't talk about, they simply said, "we can't answer that right now." How cool is that?
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today, before a room full of high-school students, the integrity of our church elders was put to the test. Our church has entered into the process of leaving the presbytery and joining another denomination, due to differences in beliefs. Tonight was SUPPOSED to be a time for the youth to be able to ask their questions about everything that is going on, and get some answers. Unfortunately, as the night began, the elders realized that they couldn't do this. Because it was an official meeting, there had to be a representative from the Presbytery there, and unfortunately, there wasn't. Instead of just continuing on, as if nothing was wrong, the elders immediately filled us in. The elders showed their integrity, and their respect for the presbytery, despite our different views and opinions. The elders did their best to answer questions as they could, but if there was a question that was approaching the border of what they knew they couldn't talk about, they simply said, "we can't answer that right now." How cool is that?
<3 Always,
Rose
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Day 355-Crafts
Saturday, May 16th
Hey guys,
So, I spent a good deal of my Saturday making a birthday present for my friend. If you know me well, you probably know that there are two things that I truly enjoy and find happiness in above everything else, music, and crafts. It's hard to explain, but when I have completed my craft, and I see what I was imagining in my head come to life, I get so much joy from that. I get joy from knowing that I made that, with my own two hands, my art tools, and my imagination.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, I spent a good deal of my Saturday making a birthday present for my friend. If you know me well, you probably know that there are two things that I truly enjoy and find happiness in above everything else, music, and crafts. It's hard to explain, but when I have completed my craft, and I see what I was imagining in my head come to life, I get so much joy from that. I get joy from knowing that I made that, with my own two hands, my art tools, and my imagination.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 354- Parents Night Out
Friday, May 15th
Hey guys,
Parent's Night Out has quickly become one of my FAVORITE things that our church does, and tonight was no different. Not only did I get to see my friends for the first time in a whole TWO.DAYS.(yes, that's a LONG time for me!), but I also got to help take care of a bunch of adorable munchkins :)
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Parent's Night Out has quickly become one of my FAVORITE things that our church does, and tonight was no different. Not only did I get to see my friends for the first time in a whole TWO.DAYS.(yes, that's a LONG time for me!), but I also got to help take care of a bunch of adorable munchkins :)
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 353-Relaxing
Thursday, May 14th
Hey guys,
So, I am on day 2 of being sick, and I'm ready to get back to "real life". Today was so nice for me to just be able to relax, sleep, and NOT have to worry about anything for a change!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, I am on day 2 of being sick, and I'm ready to get back to "real life". Today was so nice for me to just be able to relax, sleep, and NOT have to worry about anything for a change!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 352-Feeling Loved
Wednesday, May 13th
Hey guys,
Today, I was sick. Not just like, a head cold, but SICK. Being the person that I am, I HATE being sick, not only because I don't feel well, but because all my other commitments to other people and things fall through. I know it's silly, because it's not anything that I can help, but it just makes me feel horrible, like I somehow let them down by getting sick. I am one that constantly likes to be busy, all the time, constantly going, so when I have to slow down, I really struggle. I think in my 4 years of high-school I missed MAYBE 3 days of school, because I see that as others depending on me, and when I can't be there, I feel like I've let them down. So when I started making all my cancellations for today, I was pretty frustrated, but my friends and boss responded AWESOMELY. Instead of being upset that whatever was supposed to happen wasn't going to, their first and only concern was me. They wanted me to get better, and they wanted me to know that it was ok. That attitude simply made my day today!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today, I was sick. Not just like, a head cold, but SICK. Being the person that I am, I HATE being sick, not only because I don't feel well, but because all my other commitments to other people and things fall through. I know it's silly, because it's not anything that I can help, but it just makes me feel horrible, like I somehow let them down by getting sick. I am one that constantly likes to be busy, all the time, constantly going, so when I have to slow down, I really struggle. I think in my 4 years of high-school I missed MAYBE 3 days of school, because I see that as others depending on me, and when I can't be there, I feel like I've let them down. So when I started making all my cancellations for today, I was pretty frustrated, but my friends and boss responded AWESOMELY. Instead of being upset that whatever was supposed to happen wasn't going to, their first and only concern was me. They wanted me to get better, and they wanted me to know that it was ok. That attitude simply made my day today!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 351-Good Student
Tuesday, May 12th
Hey guys,
Alluding to my previous post, I have been having to deal with a teacher who is taking advantage of his power, and has disrespected all of his students and the work they've done for him. He has shown that he has put essentially no effort into this class, or his students, yet he expects them to put forth their best effort. Every part of my being wanted to give him a crap assignment, because that's what he gave us to begin with, but I had to resist. I realized that it was not worth risking my grade in this class to prove a point, and this teacher should get my best effort, whether he deserved it or not. One of my favorite quotes from Dave Willis, "Show respect even to people who don't deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but of yours." is what I just lived my life by today.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Alluding to my previous post, I have been having to deal with a teacher who is taking advantage of his power, and has disrespected all of his students and the work they've done for him. He has shown that he has put essentially no effort into this class, or his students, yet he expects them to put forth their best effort. Every part of my being wanted to give him a crap assignment, because that's what he gave us to begin with, but I had to resist. I realized that it was not worth risking my grade in this class to prove a point, and this teacher should get my best effort, whether he deserved it or not. One of my favorite quotes from Dave Willis, "Show respect even to people who don't deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but of yours." is what I just lived my life by today.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 350-Superior
Monday, May 11th
Hey guys,
Sometimes in life, people are not the greatest. People can be selfish, inconsiderate, rude, mean, harsh, cold, and so many other things. Some people may make you feel like you want to pull your hair out, a single hair at a time. However, when people like that are your superiors, it is your job to listen to them, and follow their instruction. You need to put your own thoughts and feelings aside and, out of respect for your superior, honor their wishes and listen to them. I felt that at a new level today. Today, it was obvious that this person had let all this power go to his head, but I knew I had to obey. No matter how much it ticked me off to see him taking advantage of us, there is nothing that I could have done to change that. So many times, Jesus was treated unfairly, and Jesus saw others treated unfairly, but did he get out his picket sign, go stand on Wall Street, and chant about how it was unfair? No! He swallowed his pride and his opinions and feelings and did what he was told, because they were his superiors, and it was his place to do so. I think what happens a lot of times when boss's are being unfair, or mean, or whatever else, they are looking for someone to stand up to them, they are looking to be disrespected, so that that person can be made an example like, "this is what happens if you disrespect me." sort of an attitude. Instead, what would happen if we as the workers held our tongues, and gave him respect, and honored his wishes? The chances are, he'd probably be pretty confused, wondering why these people still listen to me if I treat them badly. From there, you could have a chance to explain how God calls us as Christians to honor our superiors. Obviously, this goes to a certain extent, there comes a time when your morals are questioned, and then you defend your morals with all your strength.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Sometimes in life, people are not the greatest. People can be selfish, inconsiderate, rude, mean, harsh, cold, and so many other things. Some people may make you feel like you want to pull your hair out, a single hair at a time. However, when people like that are your superiors, it is your job to listen to them, and follow their instruction. You need to put your own thoughts and feelings aside and, out of respect for your superior, honor their wishes and listen to them. I felt that at a new level today. Today, it was obvious that this person had let all this power go to his head, but I knew I had to obey. No matter how much it ticked me off to see him taking advantage of us, there is nothing that I could have done to change that. So many times, Jesus was treated unfairly, and Jesus saw others treated unfairly, but did he get out his picket sign, go stand on Wall Street, and chant about how it was unfair? No! He swallowed his pride and his opinions and feelings and did what he was told, because they were his superiors, and it was his place to do so. I think what happens a lot of times when boss's are being unfair, or mean, or whatever else, they are looking for someone to stand up to them, they are looking to be disrespected, so that that person can be made an example like, "this is what happens if you disrespect me." sort of an attitude. Instead, what would happen if we as the workers held our tongues, and gave him respect, and honored his wishes? The chances are, he'd probably be pretty confused, wondering why these people still listen to me if I treat them badly. From there, you could have a chance to explain how God calls us as Christians to honor our superiors. Obviously, this goes to a certain extent, there comes a time when your morals are questioned, and then you defend your morals with all your strength.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 349-Mothers Day
Sunday, May 10th
Hey guys,
So, this Mother's Day, there was a huge emphasis, at least in the christian community, to NOT acknowledge Mothers, because it makes others feel left out. Not others like kids, or Dads, but others like those who have lost a child, or cannot have a child, or have adopted, or whose child has left the faith, or anything else. With this, I completely agree, Mothers are wonderful, Mothers are superheros, but what about those who haven't had a chance to be a mother? To those people, I would say that I'm SURE there is someone, somewhere, who looks to you as a mother figure, and you look to them as your child. This is almost better than being their Mom, you don't have to deal with the yelling, screaming, slamming of doors, or anything else that accompanies an argument, but they love and respect you just like their Mother. What about those who have children who've left them, or left the church? As someone with personal experience in this, I can say, this is hard for any Mom. There is a delicate balance of loving your children and wanting to protect them, and letting them be independent and make their own decisions, even if you don't necessarily agree with it. As a Mom, when it gets to the point, there's nothing more you can do than to pray, and wait with open arms, hoping that one day they'll find their way back. Last, what about those who've lost a child? This can be one of the hardest, most real pains that anyone could ever have. You give up your life to loving them, caring for them, supporting them, housing them, providing for them, and teaching them, and then all the sudden, that's gone.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, this Mother's Day, there was a huge emphasis, at least in the christian community, to NOT acknowledge Mothers, because it makes others feel left out. Not others like kids, or Dads, but others like those who have lost a child, or cannot have a child, or have adopted, or whose child has left the faith, or anything else. With this, I completely agree, Mothers are wonderful, Mothers are superheros, but what about those who haven't had a chance to be a mother? To those people, I would say that I'm SURE there is someone, somewhere, who looks to you as a mother figure, and you look to them as your child. This is almost better than being their Mom, you don't have to deal with the yelling, screaming, slamming of doors, or anything else that accompanies an argument, but they love and respect you just like their Mother. What about those who have children who've left them, or left the church? As someone with personal experience in this, I can say, this is hard for any Mom. There is a delicate balance of loving your children and wanting to protect them, and letting them be independent and make their own decisions, even if you don't necessarily agree with it. As a Mom, when it gets to the point, there's nothing more you can do than to pray, and wait with open arms, hoping that one day they'll find their way back. Last, what about those who've lost a child? This can be one of the hardest, most real pains that anyone could ever have. You give up your life to loving them, caring for them, supporting them, housing them, providing for them, and teaching them, and then all the sudden, that's gone.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 348-GAME TIME!
Saturday, May 9th
Hey guys,
Today is the day that I and so many other youth and leaders have been working towards not only all this week, but for MONTHS, we have been planning for this. It's yard sale day!!!! YIPPEE!!!! All day today we had a flow of people, from the time we opened the doors at 7, to the time we closed down at 12. It has just been awesome to see ALL our hard work and planning pay off! What's been even cooler, though, is to see the dedication and work ethic of these students. Most students were up by 5:30 at the very latest, and were at the church by 6:30, ready to go, they did not leave the church, or stop moving for that matter until 4 o'clock that afternoon. As we all became more and more exhausted, the students attitudes actually got better! There was no complaining, no "I'm so tired, I want to go home." but there were high school kids being self-motivated, and working together as a team to get this done well, and get it done fast. These kids are just AWESOME, no matter how tired they are, they don't stop. In fact, at one point in the day, one of the students wasn't feeling very well, but she refused to sit down and rest, when we finally did get her to sit down, she fell asleep in 5 minutes, THAT'S how tired we all were! At the end of the day, I'm proud to say that we made over 3 thousand dollars, and we're actually ahead of where we should be for fundraising!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today is the day that I and so many other youth and leaders have been working towards not only all this week, but for MONTHS, we have been planning for this. It's yard sale day!!!! YIPPEE!!!! All day today we had a flow of people, from the time we opened the doors at 7, to the time we closed down at 12. It has just been awesome to see ALL our hard work and planning pay off! What's been even cooler, though, is to see the dedication and work ethic of these students. Most students were up by 5:30 at the very latest, and were at the church by 6:30, ready to go, they did not leave the church, or stop moving for that matter until 4 o'clock that afternoon. As we all became more and more exhausted, the students attitudes actually got better! There was no complaining, no "I'm so tired, I want to go home." but there were high school kids being self-motivated, and working together as a team to get this done well, and get it done fast. These kids are just AWESOME, no matter how tired they are, they don't stop. In fact, at one point in the day, one of the students wasn't feeling very well, but she refused to sit down and rest, when we finally did get her to sit down, she fell asleep in 5 minutes, THAT'S how tired we all were! At the end of the day, I'm proud to say that we made over 3 thousand dollars, and we're actually ahead of where we should be for fundraising!
<3 Always,
Rose
Friday, May 8, 2015
Day 347-Coming Home
Hey guys,
So, there has been a HUGE influx of videos in social media of soldiers coming home to surprise their family, and I've got mixed feelings about them. On one hand, it aggravates me, and quite honestly makes me jealous. I get it, these people have missed there son or daughter or Mom or Dad while they were away, but it makes me sad. It makes me think, what could happen if Graham showed up on our doorstep one day? What if it WAS all just a big joke? I know that it's not possible, and not realistic, but it breaks my heart. I just swell with envy towards those family who DO get the luxury of seeing their loved ones. On the other hand, it gets me excited, because I know that there WILL be a day when I get to see him again, and get to have that awesome reunion that will be even more epic and heartwarming than ANY of those videos. For me, it STILL seems unreal that he is REALLY gone, or that any of this is really happening, so those videos just make it that much worse, it just makes me so sad. I know that that is NOT the point of these videos, but if you've lost a loved one long before it was time, you can't help but wonder, what if? I wish so much that I could have that experience of Graham showing up at our doorstep, or at church, or whatever, but I know that it won't happen, which just makes the hurt worse. I can't wait for that day that we ARE reunited, and that wonderful moment that I can run into my brothers arms once again.
<3 Always,
Rose
So, there has been a HUGE influx of videos in social media of soldiers coming home to surprise their family, and I've got mixed feelings about them. On one hand, it aggravates me, and quite honestly makes me jealous. I get it, these people have missed there son or daughter or Mom or Dad while they were away, but it makes me sad. It makes me think, what could happen if Graham showed up on our doorstep one day? What if it WAS all just a big joke? I know that it's not possible, and not realistic, but it breaks my heart. I just swell with envy towards those family who DO get the luxury of seeing their loved ones. On the other hand, it gets me excited, because I know that there WILL be a day when I get to see him again, and get to have that awesome reunion that will be even more epic and heartwarming than ANY of those videos. For me, it STILL seems unreal that he is REALLY gone, or that any of this is really happening, so those videos just make it that much worse, it just makes me so sad. I know that that is NOT the point of these videos, but if you've lost a loved one long before it was time, you can't help but wonder, what if? I wish so much that I could have that experience of Graham showing up at our doorstep, or at church, or whatever, but I know that it won't happen, which just makes the hurt worse. I can't wait for that day that we ARE reunited, and that wonderful moment that I can run into my brothers arms once again.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 346-Yard Sale finished!
Thursday, May 7th
Hey guys,
So, I'm very proud to say that today, we achieved our goal for the yard sale. From the get-go, Adrienne made it clear not only that she didn't want to have to be setting up Saturday morning, but she wanted to be done by Thursday!! Considering the amount of things that we were given to sort through at the beginning of the week, and the amount of stuff that continued to pour in throughout the week, it was AMAZING that we got it all done! Last night, I spent probably 4-5 hours sorting and pricing for the sale. Even when the worship team came in to practice, we just worked around them, and continued to power through. I left at 8 o'clock, and there were still LOTS of people working, and LOTS of stuff to get done. I believe they finally left about 9:30, but it DID get completed!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, I'm very proud to say that today, we achieved our goal for the yard sale. From the get-go, Adrienne made it clear not only that she didn't want to have to be setting up Saturday morning, but she wanted to be done by Thursday!! Considering the amount of things that we were given to sort through at the beginning of the week, and the amount of stuff that continued to pour in throughout the week, it was AMAZING that we got it all done! Last night, I spent probably 4-5 hours sorting and pricing for the sale. Even when the worship team came in to practice, we just worked around them, and continued to power through. I left at 8 o'clock, and there were still LOTS of people working, and LOTS of stuff to get done. I believe they finally left about 9:30, but it DID get completed!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 345-Weather!!
Wednesday, May 6th
Hey guys,
So, you know it's a good day when it's warm enough for you to go to the park not once, but TWICE in the same day! We got to have a picnic with some of Alora's little friends from school, particularly Abbigail, who has quickly become one of her closest friends. The two of them are absolutely adorable together, they are absolutely inseparable when they're together, and it just warms my heart. Quite honestly, they remind me of me and my best friends at that age, and I know that they will be "forever friends" :)
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, you know it's a good day when it's warm enough for you to go to the park not once, but TWICE in the same day! We got to have a picnic with some of Alora's little friends from school, particularly Abbigail, who has quickly become one of her closest friends. The two of them are absolutely adorable together, they are absolutely inseparable when they're together, and it just warms my heart. Quite honestly, they remind me of me and my best friends at that age, and I know that they will be "forever friends" :)
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 344-Yard Sale!
Tuesday, May 5th
Hey guys,
Today, we started our weeks worth of preparation for this crazy yard sale...as I walked into fellowship hall this afternoon, it was UNREAL how much stuff was there that we had to sort through and organize before Saturday. I walked into just a mass pile of clothes, furniture, shoes, boxes, basically everything you could ever think of. To make it a little more "interesting" shall we say, there was a bible study meeting that night, so we HAD to get things cleaned up enough to have a meeting there tonight. As we all looked around the pile, it legitimately looked like 20 garages threw up in our fellowship hall...talk about stress! Luckily, we had a "team" throughout the week of Katie, Adrienne, Adrienne's brother Dustin, and I who were on the war path to get this done! Without the team, I seriously doubt that it could have gotten done at all...
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today, we started our weeks worth of preparation for this crazy yard sale...as I walked into fellowship hall this afternoon, it was UNREAL how much stuff was there that we had to sort through and organize before Saturday. I walked into just a mass pile of clothes, furniture, shoes, boxes, basically everything you could ever think of. To make it a little more "interesting" shall we say, there was a bible study meeting that night, so we HAD to get things cleaned up enough to have a meeting there tonight. As we all looked around the pile, it legitimately looked like 20 garages threw up in our fellowship hall...talk about stress! Luckily, we had a "team" throughout the week of Katie, Adrienne, Adrienne's brother Dustin, and I who were on the war path to get this done! Without the team, I seriously doubt that it could have gotten done at all...
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 343-Engagements!
Monday, May 4th
Hey guys,
So today, I got the phone call of a lifetime!!!! I got a call from one of my closest friends back home that she and her high school sweetheart got engaged!!! It has seriously rocked my world, like when did we get old enough for this to start happening??
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So today, I got the phone call of a lifetime!!!! I got a call from one of my closest friends back home that she and her high school sweetheart got engaged!!! It has seriously rocked my world, like when did we get old enough for this to start happening??
<3 Always,
Rose
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Day 342-Dance
Sunday, May 3rd
Hey guys,
At our church, dance is a HUGE thing. One of the family's in our church actually owns her own dance studio, and I kid you not, every SINGLE one of the girls under the age of 12 either are in it now, or have been in it at some point. Not only that, but a lot of my friends have carried their passions for dance as little girls into their teenage lives, and are INCREDIBLY talented. Today is the company concert, which is essentially what these girls have been working towards for the past 6 months or more, and I am SO excited to see the fruit of their many hours of rehearsal.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
At our church, dance is a HUGE thing. One of the family's in our church actually owns her own dance studio, and I kid you not, every SINGLE one of the girls under the age of 12 either are in it now, or have been in it at some point. Not only that, but a lot of my friends have carried their passions for dance as little girls into their teenage lives, and are INCREDIBLY talented. Today is the company concert, which is essentially what these girls have been working towards for the past 6 months or more, and I am SO excited to see the fruit of their many hours of rehearsal.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 341-Music
Saturday, May 2nd
Hey guys,
Today, I spent hours perfecting my first music video in a while, and it made me so happy! I am constantly singing; around the house, in the car, in the shower, wherever and whenever, I'm singing. A few years ago, I started making videos covering some of my favorite songs to sing, or a song that someone else had requested. So making my first video today made my heart smile, and just reminded me of how blessed I am to have been given the gift of music.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today, I spent hours perfecting my first music video in a while, and it made me so happy! I am constantly singing; around the house, in the car, in the shower, wherever and whenever, I'm singing. A few years ago, I started making videos covering some of my favorite songs to sing, or a song that someone else had requested. So making my first video today made my heart smile, and just reminded me of how blessed I am to have been given the gift of music.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 340-Baseball
Friday, May 1st
Hey guys,
Baseball season is OFFICIALLY underway for the boys, and for our family, that means a LOT of hour stressing over little league games. Our family has always had a heart for baseball, we're die hard Cubs fans, Graham and Jack both played travel baseball for probably 4-5 years each, my Dad coached for probably at LEAST 6-7 years, and now the little boys are getting into it as well! Suffice to say, when baseball season rolls around every year, we get PUMPED! Today was the first baseball game I was actually able to be at, and that made me super happy. I got to see Shane pitch almost the entire game, and I got to see how much he's improved since last season.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Baseball season is OFFICIALLY underway for the boys, and for our family, that means a LOT of hour stressing over little league games. Our family has always had a heart for baseball, we're die hard Cubs fans, Graham and Jack both played travel baseball for probably 4-5 years each, my Dad coached for probably at LEAST 6-7 years, and now the little boys are getting into it as well! Suffice to say, when baseball season rolls around every year, we get PUMPED! Today was the first baseball game I was actually able to be at, and that made me super happy. I got to see Shane pitch almost the entire game, and I got to see how much he's improved since last season.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 339-Katie
Thursday, April 30th
Hey guys,
So, Katie and I very rarely go more than 3-4 days without seeing each other, yes, we are absolutely spoiled ROTTEN! Anyways, today, I got to see Katie for the first time in over a week, and it was GLORIOUS!! We had not really gotten a chance to talk in person since I made my college decision, and I KNEW that she would be one of the ones who was most excited for me(mainly because I'll be at her school...),so it was great for us just to be able to talk. We literally stood out in the parking lot after bible study for probably 20 minutes or more just talking about what next year held for us, and how excited we both were that we'd get to see each other even MORE!!!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, Katie and I very rarely go more than 3-4 days without seeing each other, yes, we are absolutely spoiled ROTTEN! Anyways, today, I got to see Katie for the first time in over a week, and it was GLORIOUS!! We had not really gotten a chance to talk in person since I made my college decision, and I KNEW that she would be one of the ones who was most excited for me(mainly because I'll be at her school...),so it was great for us just to be able to talk. We literally stood out in the parking lot after bible study for probably 20 minutes or more just talking about what next year held for us, and how excited we both were that we'd get to see each other even MORE!!!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 338-Home!
Wednesday, April 29th
Hey guys,
Today's post is fairly simple. I am happy today because I got to come home by 5!!! I know this may seem small and insignificant to some, but on Wednesday nights during the school year, I normally will not get home until 8:30 and the very EARLIEST.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today's post is fairly simple. I am happy today because I got to come home by 5!!! I know this may seem small and insignificant to some, but on Wednesday nights during the school year, I normally will not get home until 8:30 and the very EARLIEST.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 337-Mentoring
Tuesday, April 28th
Hey guys,
In lieu of yesterday's events, I realized that being content this next year is going to be a struggle. As my friends are all off at college, it will only be harder for me, who is at home. I knew from the minute I made this decision, that I would probably need a mentor to hold me accountable, and encourage me to tackle everyday struggles with Christ as my focus. As I began brainstorming who I could possibly ask to be my mentor, it seemed fairly obvious who it should be, of course, I thought of Adrienne. Adrienne reacted with lots of enthusiasm and excitement, as I knew she would, because now not only does she have me for at least another year, but she also will get to see me and spend time with me on a weekly basis, and we will get to grow our friendship SOOO much over the next year. Today, we met just to talk about what I wanted our mentorship(?) would look like, and what I hoped to gain from it. I am so excited to have this opportunity to not only grow closer with Adrienne, but also just to strengthen and deepen my relationship with God.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
In lieu of yesterday's events, I realized that being content this next year is going to be a struggle. As my friends are all off at college, it will only be harder for me, who is at home. I knew from the minute I made this decision, that I would probably need a mentor to hold me accountable, and encourage me to tackle everyday struggles with Christ as my focus. As I began brainstorming who I could possibly ask to be my mentor, it seemed fairly obvious who it should be, of course, I thought of Adrienne. Adrienne reacted with lots of enthusiasm and excitement, as I knew she would, because now not only does she have me for at least another year, but she also will get to see me and spend time with me on a weekly basis, and we will get to grow our friendship SOOO much over the next year. Today, we met just to talk about what I wanted our mentorship(?) would look like, and what I hoped to gain from it. I am so excited to have this opportunity to not only grow closer with Adrienne, but also just to strengthen and deepen my relationship with God.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 336-Decisions
Monday, April 27th
Hey guys,
There comes a time in everyone's life where you cannot avoid it any longer, you MUST make a decision that could change your life forever. For me, today was that day. With the May 1 deadline coming up right around the corner, my parents and I came into this week knowing that we could not avoid it any longer, we HAD to decide. So, after a very emotional discussion with them last night, and an eye opening bible study this morning, I am at peace. I am so very relieved to say, the college decision phase of my life is FINALLY over, and I will be attending community college in the fall. Obviously, this was not my first choice, but despite my opinion, God knows that it is the BEST choice for me right now. As he says in Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord. 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope, and a future.'" Although I am not thrilled to be sticking around, this passage is so encouraging to me today to know that God DOES have my best interest at heart, in fact, sometimes my best interest is completely the OPPOSITE of what I have expected, but that's ok. I want to thank you all for the many prayers and support that you've given me as I walked this journey, it does not go unnoticed, and it means SO much to me!
<3 Always,
Rose
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Day 335-Great People
Sunday, April 26th
Hey guys,
Overall, I'd say that family camp was a BLAST! Despite my sleep deprivation and stress of college searching, I was able to put that aside for just a few days, and have fun. I have made so many new friends, little companions, and SO many new memories, whether it's racing through Wal-mart at top speed, or watching from the shore as my friends try to "butt scoot" their canoe across the lake, it was a weekend to remember! I could not ask for a better group of people to spend it with, the body of the First Presbyterian Church is a wonderful, WONDERFUL thing, and I am so glad that I get to be a part of it! This weekend will be one that I will probably come back to time and time again in my life, and I am so grateful and feel so blessed to have taken part in it!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Overall, I'd say that family camp was a BLAST! Despite my sleep deprivation and stress of college searching, I was able to put that aside for just a few days, and have fun. I have made so many new friends, little companions, and SO many new memories, whether it's racing through Wal-mart at top speed, or watching from the shore as my friends try to "butt scoot" their canoe across the lake, it was a weekend to remember! I could not ask for a better group of people to spend it with, the body of the First Presbyterian Church is a wonderful, WONDERFUL thing, and I am so glad that I get to be a part of it! This weekend will be one that I will probably come back to time and time again in my life, and I am so grateful and feel so blessed to have taken part in it!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 334-Fear Factor
Saturday, April 25th
Hey guys,
Today, I had quite an awesome "proud big sister" moment. Every year at camp, they put together what they call "Fear Factor" where the contestants have to eat a variety of things, including dog food, octopus, wassabi iced oreos, "pig slop", a spoonful of "mayo"(turned out to be pudding), and a slab of butter. Shane, EASILY the pickiest eater of our family volunteered, and was one of the youngest contestants. Shane ended up beating all but one of the other contestants, and tied for first place! That's right, the child who refuses to eat cheese just won a fear factor game, WHAT is the world coming to?!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
Today, I had quite an awesome "proud big sister" moment. Every year at camp, they put together what they call "Fear Factor" where the contestants have to eat a variety of things, including dog food, octopus, wassabi iced oreos, "pig slop", a spoonful of "mayo"(turned out to be pudding), and a slab of butter. Shane, EASILY the pickiest eater of our family volunteered, and was one of the youngest contestants. Shane ended up beating all but one of the other contestants, and tied for first place! That's right, the child who refuses to eat cheese just won a fear factor game, WHAT is the world coming to?!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 333-Walmart Adventures
Friday, April 24th
Hey guys,
From the college visit in Columbia, we pretty much came home, unpacked, repacked, and headed out again for family camp. Family camp is something that is brought up in the church quite often, and it's something that I've been looking forward to for months now. It is basically a long weekend of "camping"(in cabins) as a church, and just getting to know one another better. Pretty much as soon as we got there, Jae realized that she had forgotten something, and needed to go to Wal-Mart, and me, being the good friend that I am, decided to go with her. As we left the camp, we encountered our first obstacle, essentially, we did not know where we were. The camp is sandwiched between two larger towns, and we just had the hardest time determining what town was closest. Once we finally figured out which town was closest, we realized that the store was a LOT farther than we thought it was, but we did finally make it to the store. As we pulled into the parking lot, Jae just says, "Oh shoot! I don't have my after nines!" If you don't know what that is, it basically means that new drivers are not allowed to drive after 9. The time was 8:38, and the camp was 20 minutes away, doing the math, we realized that we had 2 minutes at the MAX to get in and get back out. We dashed through the store parking lot, and through the aisles(probably looking like complete freaks as we did it...), and made it back to the parking lot, the time was 8:41. We had 19 minutes to make a 20 minute drive. As we sped down the interstate, we both sat on the edge of our seats as we ate our pretzel m&m's(don't ask...), we knew it would be close. Luckily for us, thanks to Jae's driving skills we pulled into the campsite at EXACTLY 8:59, I even took a picture! I don't know about you guys, but that is a pretty epic way to start family camp!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
From the college visit in Columbia, we pretty much came home, unpacked, repacked, and headed out again for family camp. Family camp is something that is brought up in the church quite often, and it's something that I've been looking forward to for months now. It is basically a long weekend of "camping"(in cabins) as a church, and just getting to know one another better. Pretty much as soon as we got there, Jae realized that she had forgotten something, and needed to go to Wal-Mart, and me, being the good friend that I am, decided to go with her. As we left the camp, we encountered our first obstacle, essentially, we did not know where we were. The camp is sandwiched between two larger towns, and we just had the hardest time determining what town was closest. Once we finally figured out which town was closest, we realized that the store was a LOT farther than we thought it was, but we did finally make it to the store. As we pulled into the parking lot, Jae just says, "Oh shoot! I don't have my after nines!" If you don't know what that is, it basically means that new drivers are not allowed to drive after 9. The time was 8:38, and the camp was 20 minutes away, doing the math, we realized that we had 2 minutes at the MAX to get in and get back out. We dashed through the store parking lot, and through the aisles(probably looking like complete freaks as we did it...), and made it back to the parking lot, the time was 8:41. We had 19 minutes to make a 20 minute drive. As we sped down the interstate, we both sat on the edge of our seats as we ate our pretzel m&m's(don't ask...), we knew it would be close. Luckily for us, thanks to Jae's driving skills we pulled into the campsite at EXACTLY 8:59, I even took a picture! I don't know about you guys, but that is a pretty epic way to start family camp!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 332-College visits!
Thursday, April 23rd
Hey guys,
So, today marks the beginning of my insane long weekend adventure...should be fun! We headed off today for South Carolina to visit Columbia College, which at this point is my first choice school. As we arrived on campus, I could just hear the choir bells ringing, and I knew that this is where I belonged. The school is small, like 400 undergrad students small, but that would be just like home for me! My student host was absolutely AMAZING, we got along super well, and she was so kind and welcoming to me. We got to sit in on an Old Testament Survey class, and I REALLY enjoyed it, we had a worship night led by students, AND we played glow in the dark capture the flag. I think it's safe to say that this weekend is off to a great start!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, today marks the beginning of my insane long weekend adventure...should be fun! We headed off today for South Carolina to visit Columbia College, which at this point is my first choice school. As we arrived on campus, I could just hear the choir bells ringing, and I knew that this is where I belonged. The school is small, like 400 undergrad students small, but that would be just like home for me! My student host was absolutely AMAZING, we got along super well, and she was so kind and welcoming to me. We got to sit in on an Old Testament Survey class, and I REALLY enjoyed it, we had a worship night led by students, AND we played glow in the dark capture the flag. I think it's safe to say that this weekend is off to a great start!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 331-Meds?
Wednesday, April 23rd
Hey guys,
So, today was definitely one of those days where you have to search to find a silver lining. I had been having trouble breathing for 2 days, and I knew with the weekend I was about to have, it could easily get worse, and then we wouldn't be able to do much. So, this morning I got to urgent care at EXACTLY 8:00 when the doors opened, only to find that 50 others had that same idea. 3 and a half hours later, I FINALLY was seen by a doctor, who basically told me what I already knew, I had bad allergies. However, she DID prescribe me some medicine that she believed would help, so I guess that's the silver lining? I'm glad that it's not more serious, and I'm glad I have medicine to be feeling better soon, but I could have easily spent 3 and a half hours doing more productive things!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, today was definitely one of those days where you have to search to find a silver lining. I had been having trouble breathing for 2 days, and I knew with the weekend I was about to have, it could easily get worse, and then we wouldn't be able to do much. So, this morning I got to urgent care at EXACTLY 8:00 when the doors opened, only to find that 50 others had that same idea. 3 and a half hours later, I FINALLY was seen by a doctor, who basically told me what I already knew, I had bad allergies. However, she DID prescribe me some medicine that she believed would help, so I guess that's the silver lining? I'm glad that it's not more serious, and I'm glad I have medicine to be feeling better soon, but I could have easily spent 3 and a half hours doing more productive things!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 330-Good weather!
Tuesday, April 21st
Hey guys,
So, today was a glorious day. It was sunny and warm, flowers blooming everywhere, and it was a great reminder that summer IS right around the corner. I got to enjoy playing outside with Alora instead of being cooped up inside, and I think it was just what we both needed.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, today was a glorious day. It was sunny and warm, flowers blooming everywhere, and it was a great reminder that summer IS right around the corner. I got to enjoy playing outside with Alora instead of being cooped up inside, and I think it was just what we both needed.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 329-My year
Monday, April 20th
Hey guys,
So, this week is going to be CRAZY busy, and much more busy than normal, but this week also marks year anniversary of when we first came down to look at houses. As I go into this insane week, what a great reminder it is to look back at this past year and see just how many times God has provided for us, over and over again. I know that no matter HOW stressful or busy, or frustrating, or scary life can be, God is already there, and carrying us all through it.
<3 Always,
Rose
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Day 328-Marina
Sunday, April 19th
Hey guys,
I've got to be honest, this is probably going to be one of my more emotional posts, so get ready. In my life, for as long as I can remember, Marina has been there. Marina wasn't just a family friend, she wasn't just Graham's friend, she wasn't even just MY friend, she is like my 2nd older sister. Our families grew up spending time together, they lived just 3 blocks away, and had 2 girls, the same ages as Graham and Caroline. We spent every Christmas and New Years Eve together, we've had countless barbecues and birthday parties, we've had camping trips and sleep overs, we've played HUNDREDS of games of Spaceopoly, we've had secrets and stories, we've had countless home video footage, and above all, we've just had each other. When we were little, it was always Caroline and Marina's older sister Adrianna, and then Graham and Marina, and I would just sort of tag along behind them, but as we got older, Marina and I became closer. When she left for college, none of us had any idea what was in store for us in the next few months, we only knew that we wouldn't live 3 blocks away from each other anymore, and that was emotional enough! When Graham was in the hospital, we all gathered around his bed, but there was a hole that could only be filled by Marina. Because Marina was already having a hard time in her freshman year, Aunt Gina decided that it would be better to fly down there and tell her in person what was going on, and bring her back for the funeral. Because of this, literally the first time I saw Marina in 6 months was at the funeral, when we saw each other, we both just broke down and ran towards each other. As we sat there crying, it dawned on me, Caroline and I were NOT the only sisters that Graham had had, and they were grieving their brother just as much as we were. As two years passed, we grew even closer, and savored every moment we had together.
Early this week, I got news that Marina, who is studying overseas in Ecuador not only is being treated for strep throat, but now she has mono as well. This week has been so hard, she has been constantly on my mind, and I wish more than anything that I could go see her and comfort her. I already was missing her tons, but this week has just put a new spin on things, it breaks my heart to know that she is really, REALLY struggling right now, and there's not much I can do other than pray. It's bad enough to have mono, but to have mono in a foreign country with 2 months left before coming home? I can't even imagine. With all the crap this girl has been through, it really doesn't seem fair, but that's life sometimes, unfortunately. It has been hard for me this week, because I have to just let go and trust that God will have his way in this crappy situation, I just have to pray. I would so appreciate your prayers for Marina, whether you know her or not, she needs it. Please pray for peace for not only her family, but also for our family as she is overseas, pray for wisdom for the doctors and nurses treating her, pray for comfort and peace for her, and above all, just pray for healing. Thanks so much!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
I've got to be honest, this is probably going to be one of my more emotional posts, so get ready. In my life, for as long as I can remember, Marina has been there. Marina wasn't just a family friend, she wasn't just Graham's friend, she wasn't even just MY friend, she is like my 2nd older sister. Our families grew up spending time together, they lived just 3 blocks away, and had 2 girls, the same ages as Graham and Caroline. We spent every Christmas and New Years Eve together, we've had countless barbecues and birthday parties, we've had camping trips and sleep overs, we've played HUNDREDS of games of Spaceopoly, we've had secrets and stories, we've had countless home video footage, and above all, we've just had each other. When we were little, it was always Caroline and Marina's older sister Adrianna, and then Graham and Marina, and I would just sort of tag along behind them, but as we got older, Marina and I became closer. When she left for college, none of us had any idea what was in store for us in the next few months, we only knew that we wouldn't live 3 blocks away from each other anymore, and that was emotional enough! When Graham was in the hospital, we all gathered around his bed, but there was a hole that could only be filled by Marina. Because Marina was already having a hard time in her freshman year, Aunt Gina decided that it would be better to fly down there and tell her in person what was going on, and bring her back for the funeral. Because of this, literally the first time I saw Marina in 6 months was at the funeral, when we saw each other, we both just broke down and ran towards each other. As we sat there crying, it dawned on me, Caroline and I were NOT the only sisters that Graham had had, and they were grieving their brother just as much as we were. As two years passed, we grew even closer, and savored every moment we had together.
Early this week, I got news that Marina, who is studying overseas in Ecuador not only is being treated for strep throat, but now she has mono as well. This week has been so hard, she has been constantly on my mind, and I wish more than anything that I could go see her and comfort her. I already was missing her tons, but this week has just put a new spin on things, it breaks my heart to know that she is really, REALLY struggling right now, and there's not much I can do other than pray. It's bad enough to have mono, but to have mono in a foreign country with 2 months left before coming home? I can't even imagine. With all the crap this girl has been through, it really doesn't seem fair, but that's life sometimes, unfortunately. It has been hard for me this week, because I have to just let go and trust that God will have his way in this crappy situation, I just have to pray. I would so appreciate your prayers for Marina, whether you know her or not, she needs it. Please pray for peace for not only her family, but also for our family as she is overseas, pray for wisdom for the doctors and nurses treating her, pray for comfort and peace for her, and above all, just pray for healing. Thanks so much!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 327-No Boys!
Saturday, April 18th
Hey guys,
So, this weekend Shane had a soccer tournament in Greensboro, ALL weekend, so the 3 boys and Dad were gone from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. It was so nice to have peace and quiet, to have a CALM couple of days, and above all, to have time for just us girls. With a family as big as mine, you've gotta be loud to be heard, either that, or you'll just kind of fade into the background, so it was SO nice for me to have a time with JUST Mom. She and I could actually talk without being interrupted by small children, or dogs, or Dads, or sports events, or whatever, her attention was on me, and mine was on her!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, this weekend Shane had a soccer tournament in Greensboro, ALL weekend, so the 3 boys and Dad were gone from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. It was so nice to have peace and quiet, to have a CALM couple of days, and above all, to have time for just us girls. With a family as big as mine, you've gotta be loud to be heard, either that, or you'll just kind of fade into the background, so it was SO nice for me to have a time with JUST Mom. She and I could actually talk without being interrupted by small children, or dogs, or Dads, or sports events, or whatever, her attention was on me, and mine was on her!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 326-1947 Dance
Friday, April 17th
Hey guys,
So, when you see an old picture of people enjoying coca cola with the old fashioned bottle, you are able to get a glimpse into what our grandparents and maybe even parents experienced growing up. For one girl in our youth group, she looked at this picture and saw SO much more, and she turned it into a reality. For months, we had heard about this "1947 Dance" and didn't really know what to think, or what it would be, because Jae, the mastermind behind it, was still formulating ideas. As the dance got closer, ideas started falling into place, and the night began to take shape, it would be a fundraiser for our missions trip this year, a night of swing dancing, hors d'oeuvre, and even a photo booth. At this point, I'm pretty sure ALL the girls got super excited, and wanted to do anything and everything to help this night happen, and we couldn't have done it without all of their willingness to help! As I walked into the fellowship hall this afternoon, with only hours before the dance, I was awestruck, there were fairy lights and flowers hanging from the ceiling, antique radios and other antique decorations, Coca Cola bottles(of course), and I just instantly thought, "Alright, when I get married, Jae is going to be my wedding planner!" But the shock wore off pretty quickly when I realized just how much still needed to be done in the next few hours. The next few hours of decorating and running around like chickens with our heads cut off really showed to me how much these students will and want to support their fellow students in every thing they do. Everyone was working quite literally until there were people standing at the door. All in all, tonight was a HIT! So many people came and enjoyed it, I've been hearing from people all weekend how much fun they had. In all honesty though, this night would have NEVER happened had it not been for Jae, and her interpretation of an antique photo of people enjoying a coca cola, so I want to say thanks. Thanks for putting this all together, for the many MANY hours you spent planning, decorating, and stressing I'm sure over this one night, thanks for taking things into your own hands when you had this idea! Also, I want to say, you did an AWESOME job tonight, the hours of preparation for this night really showed, and it was outstanding. You decorated, cooked, shopped, set up tables, set up the photo booth, gave us each specific jobs and responsibilities, advertised, organized, AND got all the high school students who came to help to dress up, which is pretty impressive, so seriously, a job WELL DONE tonight, I honestly am in AWE of how much you did and how well you did it tonight!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, when you see an old picture of people enjoying coca cola with the old fashioned bottle, you are able to get a glimpse into what our grandparents and maybe even parents experienced growing up. For one girl in our youth group, she looked at this picture and saw SO much more, and she turned it into a reality. For months, we had heard about this "1947 Dance" and didn't really know what to think, or what it would be, because Jae, the mastermind behind it, was still formulating ideas. As the dance got closer, ideas started falling into place, and the night began to take shape, it would be a fundraiser for our missions trip this year, a night of swing dancing, hors d'oeuvre, and even a photo booth. At this point, I'm pretty sure ALL the girls got super excited, and wanted to do anything and everything to help this night happen, and we couldn't have done it without all of their willingness to help! As I walked into the fellowship hall this afternoon, with only hours before the dance, I was awestruck, there were fairy lights and flowers hanging from the ceiling, antique radios and other antique decorations, Coca Cola bottles(of course), and I just instantly thought, "Alright, when I get married, Jae is going to be my wedding planner!" But the shock wore off pretty quickly when I realized just how much still needed to be done in the next few hours. The next few hours of decorating and running around like chickens with our heads cut off really showed to me how much these students will and want to support their fellow students in every thing they do. Everyone was working quite literally until there were people standing at the door. All in all, tonight was a HIT! So many people came and enjoyed it, I've been hearing from people all weekend how much fun they had. In all honesty though, this night would have NEVER happened had it not been for Jae, and her interpretation of an antique photo of people enjoying a coca cola, so I want to say thanks. Thanks for putting this all together, for the many MANY hours you spent planning, decorating, and stressing I'm sure over this one night, thanks for taking things into your own hands when you had this idea! Also, I want to say, you did an AWESOME job tonight, the hours of preparation for this night really showed, and it was outstanding. You decorated, cooked, shopped, set up tables, set up the photo booth, gave us each specific jobs and responsibilities, advertised, organized, AND got all the high school students who came to help to dress up, which is pretty impressive, so seriously, a job WELL DONE tonight, I honestly am in AWE of how much you did and how well you did it tonight!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 325- Bible Study
Thursday, April 16th
Hey guys,
For the past few months, Thursday's have been a day that I ALWAYS look forward to. Why? Because that's when our bible study meets. I have so enjoyed getting to know each of the girls on a much more personal level, and I love hearing about what's going on in their lives, how their week has been, etc. Today was the first bible study since I left for Chicago, so I was VERY excited to see my girls. Unfortunately, the praise band had rehearsals at the same time, so I only got to be there for half of it. For me, this is the first bible study that I have really and genuinely been a part of, and the past few months have been such a great reminder that bible studies ARE necessary, accountability groups ARE necessary, and community IS necessary! God did not make us to be alone, independent from other humans, no God made us to be a body that craves human interaction, for survival, for comfort, for wisdom, for basically everything, we NEED community!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
For the past few months, Thursday's have been a day that I ALWAYS look forward to. Why? Because that's when our bible study meets. I have so enjoyed getting to know each of the girls on a much more personal level, and I love hearing about what's going on in their lives, how their week has been, etc. Today was the first bible study since I left for Chicago, so I was VERY excited to see my girls. Unfortunately, the praise band had rehearsals at the same time, so I only got to be there for half of it. For me, this is the first bible study that I have really and genuinely been a part of, and the past few months have been such a great reminder that bible studies ARE necessary, accountability groups ARE necessary, and community IS necessary! God did not make us to be alone, independent from other humans, no God made us to be a body that craves human interaction, for survival, for comfort, for wisdom, for basically everything, we NEED community!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 324-OFF!
Wednesday, April 15th
Hey guys!
So, today Alora had a school field trip, and Mom had signed up to go a few weeks in advance, so I got to have the day off! After a crazy busy spring break, and then coming back and realizing that my college had a different spring break than I originally had thought, and I was a week behind in all my assignments, I was glad to have this day to try and catch up a little bit.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys!
So, today Alora had a school field trip, and Mom had signed up to go a few weeks in advance, so I got to have the day off! After a crazy busy spring break, and then coming back and realizing that my college had a different spring break than I originally had thought, and I was a week behind in all my assignments, I was glad to have this day to try and catch up a little bit.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 323-Preview Day
Tuesday, April 14th
Hey guys,
As many of you know, right now my options for the fall are fairly limited, basically either go to Columbia International University, in South Carolina, or go to Community College. Having this past week be a little bit more calm, and less fast paced has really allowed me to think and pray long and hard about next year, and to just wrap my mind around this idea that whatever happens, I'm going to SOME college next year, and it WILL be God's will for me. The more I thought about it, the more I really felt like God is leading me to Columbia, though it will be a HUGE leap of faith financially to send me to college, I truly feel in my heart that it IS what I'm being called to do next year. As I talked with my parents about it, of course, they were much more hesitant, and more realistic about the fact that I WILL be leaving college with close to 80 thousand dollars in debt, and just trying to help me realize and understand just how much that is. Coming home, it was definitely a bit discouraging, that my parents didn't necessarily feel the same way that I did about college, but I knew that the next step for us AS A FAMILY would be to visit it. So, this morning, I called up my admissions counselor and registered for a preview day there for April 23rd-24th, complete with an overnight host, attending a few classes, learning more about financial aid, and just being on campus. Though it may not be quite as big of a step as I would like, it IS a step towards making a final decision, and I am so excited to make that final decision. I have a feeling that this weekend for us will be pretty "make it or break it", in the past few months, God has provided, but in his time, and in his perfect way. For instance my job, I spent six MONTHS looking for a job in Lenoir, with very little success, but I sent this lady one email asking her about her need for a nanny, and just one week later, I started! So I know that God is going to use this weekend to show me and my parents just a little bit of what he has in store for me, and what my next move should be.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
As many of you know, right now my options for the fall are fairly limited, basically either go to Columbia International University, in South Carolina, or go to Community College. Having this past week be a little bit more calm, and less fast paced has really allowed me to think and pray long and hard about next year, and to just wrap my mind around this idea that whatever happens, I'm going to SOME college next year, and it WILL be God's will for me. The more I thought about it, the more I really felt like God is leading me to Columbia, though it will be a HUGE leap of faith financially to send me to college, I truly feel in my heart that it IS what I'm being called to do next year. As I talked with my parents about it, of course, they were much more hesitant, and more realistic about the fact that I WILL be leaving college with close to 80 thousand dollars in debt, and just trying to help me realize and understand just how much that is. Coming home, it was definitely a bit discouraging, that my parents didn't necessarily feel the same way that I did about college, but I knew that the next step for us AS A FAMILY would be to visit it. So, this morning, I called up my admissions counselor and registered for a preview day there for April 23rd-24th, complete with an overnight host, attending a few classes, learning more about financial aid, and just being on campus. Though it may not be quite as big of a step as I would like, it IS a step towards making a final decision, and I am so excited to make that final decision. I have a feeling that this weekend for us will be pretty "make it or break it", in the past few months, God has provided, but in his time, and in his perfect way. For instance my job, I spent six MONTHS looking for a job in Lenoir, with very little success, but I sent this lady one email asking her about her need for a nanny, and just one week later, I started! So I know that God is going to use this weekend to show me and my parents just a little bit of what he has in store for me, and what my next move should be.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 322-Back to Work
Monday, April 13th
Hey guys,
So, as much as I LOVED my Spring Break, seeing my friends, and just having a week off from most of my regular responsibilities, I've gotta be honest, I missed my little chickadee that I'm used to spending all day every day with. I was actually looking FORWARD to going to work today, even if it meant I had to get up at 6, and it means a LOT more stress for me. As much as she drives me crazy, and frustrates me to no end with her attitude and stubborn personality, she is really a wonderful kid, and I SO enjoy watching her every day!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, as much as I LOVED my Spring Break, seeing my friends, and just having a week off from most of my regular responsibilities, I've gotta be honest, I missed my little chickadee that I'm used to spending all day every day with. I was actually looking FORWARD to going to work today, even if it meant I had to get up at 6, and it means a LOT more stress for me. As much as she drives me crazy, and frustrates me to no end with her attitude and stubborn personality, she is really a wonderful kid, and I SO enjoy watching her every day!
<3 Always,
Rose
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Day 321-The Little Shelter
Hey guys,
I knew from the get-go that coming back from Chicago would be hard, it always is. Here's what I didn't realize though, because I HAVE adapted very well here, a part of me is already viewing Lenoir as home! So, I have homesickness, but then I realize that to a certain extent, Lenoir is my home...which got me super confused. So, as I do with just about everything that confuses me, I decided to write about it, and here's what I came up with. Again, this is me, and MY OPINION, I don't want to offend anyone!
Home. What is it? Where is it? Who is it? For me, home is where I KNOW I belong. Home is filled with laughter and love. Home is where the people and places you love combine into one, big, beautiful mess. Home is where your heart is, but it's also so much more than that. Home is where your happy can be found, where walking down the streets brings memories flooding back. Home can penetrate even the darkest of days, to bring a smile to your face. When life pulls you every which way, home is always there, like an anchor holding a ship steady against every crashing wave. Home is holding hands around the table before every meal. When you have ventured out too far, afraid that you can't make it on your own, home will always be there. Home is NOT a place, or a thing, home is the little shelter you've made for yourself in your heart. Where you have worked so hard to store all your memories good or bad, people you love, all the places you've been, and all the life-changing experiences that make you who you are. Though you may have a specific area that you think of as "home", the truth is that home is with you where ever you go. Home is your childhood stored in your heart, along with everything else, big or small, that work together to make you who you are. Whether people, places, things, memories, music, or emotions, they are all stored up in the little shelter in your heart called home. Home is like the wind, some days it's so strong it whisks you off your feet with a single blow, yet other days, it seems like it's barely even there at all. Some days, you long for it with all of your being, yet on other days, you wish it would just go away. Home is a wonderful thing, though it's different for each and every one of us, we all share a deep love and appreciation for our home. Though your "home" of the world might RESEMBLE the home in your heart, the one is your heart is so much more special and valuable. Why, you ask? Jesus lives in our homes in our hearts as Christians, and he safeguards it against the pain, stress, and anger that life tries to throw at us. Jesus knows our home inside and out, and therefore, he knows us far better than any friend ever could.
<3 Always,
Rose
I knew from the get-go that coming back from Chicago would be hard, it always is. Here's what I didn't realize though, because I HAVE adapted very well here, a part of me is already viewing Lenoir as home! So, I have homesickness, but then I realize that to a certain extent, Lenoir is my home...which got me super confused. So, as I do with just about everything that confuses me, I decided to write about it, and here's what I came up with. Again, this is me, and MY OPINION, I don't want to offend anyone!
Home. What is it? Where is it? Who is it? For me, home is where I KNOW I belong. Home is filled with laughter and love. Home is where the people and places you love combine into one, big, beautiful mess. Home is where your heart is, but it's also so much more than that. Home is where your happy can be found, where walking down the streets brings memories flooding back. Home can penetrate even the darkest of days, to bring a smile to your face. When life pulls you every which way, home is always there, like an anchor holding a ship steady against every crashing wave. Home is holding hands around the table before every meal. When you have ventured out too far, afraid that you can't make it on your own, home will always be there. Home is NOT a place, or a thing, home is the little shelter you've made for yourself in your heart. Where you have worked so hard to store all your memories good or bad, people you love, all the places you've been, and all the life-changing experiences that make you who you are. Though you may have a specific area that you think of as "home", the truth is that home is with you where ever you go. Home is your childhood stored in your heart, along with everything else, big or small, that work together to make you who you are. Whether people, places, things, memories, music, or emotions, they are all stored up in the little shelter in your heart called home. Home is like the wind, some days it's so strong it whisks you off your feet with a single blow, yet other days, it seems like it's barely even there at all. Some days, you long for it with all of your being, yet on other days, you wish it would just go away. Home is a wonderful thing, though it's different for each and every one of us, we all share a deep love and appreciation for our home. Though your "home" of the world might RESEMBLE the home in your heart, the one is your heart is so much more special and valuable. Why, you ask? Jesus lives in our homes in our hearts as Christians, and he safeguards it against the pain, stress, and anger that life tries to throw at us. Jesus knows our home inside and out, and therefore, he knows us far better than any friend ever could.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 320-The Fantastic Foursome!
Saturday, April 11
Hey guys,
So, I like to think that there is a little bit of a "four muskateers" thing going on in our youth group, and I love it! Because we are the only ones who consistently come to bible study, and the only other consistent person goes to another church, the four of us have a little bit of a deeper connection than I do with the rest of the group. Especially lately with Katie, like if she sits somewhere, it's basically assumed that I'll be on one side of her...Anyways, the foursome consists of Katie, Patricia, Adrienne, and me, and I love it SOO much! This was the first time since I left that we were ALL together, so it was really great to be all together again, and for me to return to "normalcy"(or what passes for normal around here...)
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, I like to think that there is a little bit of a "four muskateers" thing going on in our youth group, and I love it! Because we are the only ones who consistently come to bible study, and the only other consistent person goes to another church, the four of us have a little bit of a deeper connection than I do with the rest of the group. Especially lately with Katie, like if she sits somewhere, it's basically assumed that I'll be on one side of her...Anyways, the foursome consists of Katie, Patricia, Adrienne, and me, and I love it SOO much! This was the first time since I left that we were ALL together, so it was really great to be all together again, and for me to return to "normalcy"(or what passes for normal around here...)
<3 Always,
Rose
Friday, April 10, 2015
Day 319-Cinderella
Friday, April 10th
Hey guys,
If ANY of you girls have not seen Cinderella, go do it. Like seriously, stop everything you're doing right now, get in the car, drive to the theater, and SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if you don't have little girls, that's ok, you should still see it. This movie is the epitome of what every girl anywhere needs to be told, and it warmed my heart to see it being portrayed so well tonight. One of the main themes of the movie is simply, "Have courage, be kind." That's it, simple and clean. Because when it comes down to it, no matter what you look like, no matter how much money you have, no matter how good you are in school, no matter WHAT, kindness will always shine through. One of my favorite moments of the entire movie is when Cinderella comes down the stair case in her servants clothes, or whatever you would like to call them, and sees her prince in the living room waiting for her. Throughout the movie, the Prince assumes that Cinderella is some mystery princess, so as she comes down the stairs, he realizes that she is indeed NOT a princess. Cinderella looks at the glass slipper in the Prince's hand, and then up at the prince and says, "I'm not sure if this slipper will fit me, but if it does, will you take me as I am; an honest country girl?" And the Prince looks back at her and says, "Of course." BAM! That right there is SO important, and SO missing from our society nowadays, so I LOVE the message not only in this scene, but throughout the entire movie, you don't have to try to show your heart, you just have to take off the makeup that covers it up.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
If ANY of you girls have not seen Cinderella, go do it. Like seriously, stop everything you're doing right now, get in the car, drive to the theater, and SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if you don't have little girls, that's ok, you should still see it. This movie is the epitome of what every girl anywhere needs to be told, and it warmed my heart to see it being portrayed so well tonight. One of the main themes of the movie is simply, "Have courage, be kind." That's it, simple and clean. Because when it comes down to it, no matter what you look like, no matter how much money you have, no matter how good you are in school, no matter WHAT, kindness will always shine through. One of my favorite moments of the entire movie is when Cinderella comes down the stair case in her servants clothes, or whatever you would like to call them, and sees her prince in the living room waiting for her. Throughout the movie, the Prince assumes that Cinderella is some mystery princess, so as she comes down the stairs, he realizes that she is indeed NOT a princess. Cinderella looks at the glass slipper in the Prince's hand, and then up at the prince and says, "I'm not sure if this slipper will fit me, but if it does, will you take me as I am; an honest country girl?" And the Prince looks back at her and says, "Of course." BAM! That right there is SO important, and SO missing from our society nowadays, so I LOVE the message not only in this scene, but throughout the entire movie, you don't have to try to show your heart, you just have to take off the makeup that covers it up.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 318-Sister Day
Thursday, April 9th
Hey guys,
So, as I try to recharge a little bit from my crazy week packed with emotions, reunions, hiking, and just plain fun, I decided to leave today open. As someone who is ALWAYS looking for something to do, that was definitely a struggle for me today, but it was also good. Sometimes it is good to just sit, and be still, and I think I still need to get better at realizing that. So, instead of waking up with a list of things I HAVE to do today, or places I HAVE to be, or people I HAVE to meet, I woke up with the idea of what do I want to do today, what do I want to spend my time doing? And the answer came from two small voices outside my window...As much as the boys can drive me CRAZY sometimes, I really do LOVE being a sister, I LOVE being involved in their lives. So, I spent the day today with them, just basking in the present moment.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, as I try to recharge a little bit from my crazy week packed with emotions, reunions, hiking, and just plain fun, I decided to leave today open. As someone who is ALWAYS looking for something to do, that was definitely a struggle for me today, but it was also good. Sometimes it is good to just sit, and be still, and I think I still need to get better at realizing that. So, instead of waking up with a list of things I HAVE to do today, or places I HAVE to be, or people I HAVE to meet, I woke up with the idea of what do I want to do today, what do I want to spend my time doing? And the answer came from two small voices outside my window...As much as the boys can drive me CRAZY sometimes, I really do LOVE being a sister, I LOVE being involved in their lives. So, I spent the day today with them, just basking in the present moment.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 317-Goodbyes and Hellos
Wednesday, April 8th
Hey guys,
So, I don't know about you, but I STRUGGLE with goodbyes, they seriously suck. I don't know if it's because I just get so attached to my friends or what, but goodbyes for me are never, ever easy. Today, we embarked on our journey home, which meant that I would have to say my final goodbyes to Wheaton until my next visit, and that's never easy. For me, Wheaton is the place where ALL my closest friends are, the friends that have grown up with me, watched me struggle, held my hand through hardship, and were always there to lend a hand, to listen, to help, or just to hug me, and tell me that everything would be okay. As I sat in the church Sunday night, it struck me, this is going to be the last time I'm here for a while, as I looked around the room, there were so many memories, of childrens choir rehearsals, of meals shared together, of leading kids camp, of bible studies and Sunday Schools, of being bombarded with people as I walked down after being baptized, and for me, the most powerful memory was that of the endless line of people, quite literally winding out the door and up the stairs, of people in shock and sadness, waiting for their turn to comfort my family. I couldn't help but tear up as these thoughts and memories swirled around in my head, so much of my life had been spent in that ONE room of ONE building. At that moment, my phone buzzed, it was Katie telling me how strange it was that she was looking around the room for me that morning, and I wasn't there. At that point, something clicked for me, I realized that while many memories have been made in Wheaton, and while I leave many people who are so dear to me, I also get to see my friends back home, my friends who I also love dearly, and even better than that, I get to make new memories in this new place, and that makes me excited. So, although today is a sad day of goodbyes for me, I know that right around the corner is a chance to say hello to my friends here, and hello to new adventures that my life might have.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, I don't know about you, but I STRUGGLE with goodbyes, they seriously suck. I don't know if it's because I just get so attached to my friends or what, but goodbyes for me are never, ever easy. Today, we embarked on our journey home, which meant that I would have to say my final goodbyes to Wheaton until my next visit, and that's never easy. For me, Wheaton is the place where ALL my closest friends are, the friends that have grown up with me, watched me struggle, held my hand through hardship, and were always there to lend a hand, to listen, to help, or just to hug me, and tell me that everything would be okay. As I sat in the church Sunday night, it struck me, this is going to be the last time I'm here for a while, as I looked around the room, there were so many memories, of childrens choir rehearsals, of meals shared together, of leading kids camp, of bible studies and Sunday Schools, of being bombarded with people as I walked down after being baptized, and for me, the most powerful memory was that of the endless line of people, quite literally winding out the door and up the stairs, of people in shock and sadness, waiting for their turn to comfort my family. I couldn't help but tear up as these thoughts and memories swirled around in my head, so much of my life had been spent in that ONE room of ONE building. At that moment, my phone buzzed, it was Katie telling me how strange it was that she was looking around the room for me that morning, and I wasn't there. At that point, something clicked for me, I realized that while many memories have been made in Wheaton, and while I leave many people who are so dear to me, I also get to see my friends back home, my friends who I also love dearly, and even better than that, I get to make new memories in this new place, and that makes me excited. So, although today is a sad day of goodbyes for me, I know that right around the corner is a chance to say hello to my friends here, and hello to new adventures that my life might have.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 316-Emily Squared
Tuesday, April 7th
Hey guys,
I think it's interesting how quickly I form a connection with people. For these two girls, I have only known them for about 2 years, but at the same time, I can't imagine NOT having them in my life. In two years, I have grown so close to both of these girls, but in two completely different situations.
I'll start with Emily Lengal first, mainly because I met her first. Emily and my friendship blossomed out of tragedy and great loss for both of us, while I was grieving the loss of my brother, she was grieving the loss of her boyfriend of two days. Read that sentence again, TWO. DAYS. 48 HOURS! Literally the first time they held hands was in the hospital. From the get go, we were sort of drawn to each other, at the hospital we would do whatever we could to go in together to see him. At the funeral, she sat next to me, as a member of our "extended family" and was my rock for that day, and for the days to come. As time went on, our friendship blossomed, she became my life line of sorts, I knew that whatever I was dealing with in my life, I could come and talk to her about it, and she would do her best to help. The first summer she went home, it was very hard for both of us to say goodbye, but throughout the summer, we kept each other informed on what was going on in our lives, and supported each other in prayer. I remember one particular instance that REALLY opened my eyes to just how much Emily cares about me, as I was off at the Life Student Conference, a week that I KNEW going in would NOT be an easy week for me, she was in Pennsylvania, her home, supporting me in prayer. As she was counseling at summer camp, she could not shake the worry and heartbreak she had for me that week, so when her best friend asked her what was bothering her, she just broke down. She told her all about me, and where I was that week, and how hard it was going to be for me, and together, they sat there and prayed for me. How cool is THAT?! Anyways, that is only the beginning of our wonderful friendship, and I am so excited to see where the Lord decides to take this friendship.
Then, there is Emily Trowbridge. She and I met in the fall of my Senior year, she was a freshman at Wheaton, interested in helping with the high school ministry at our church. In that time in my life, I was really struggling, I was in a pretty severe depression, my friends did all that they could to try and help me, but they just couldn't understand what I was feeling and going through. I had basically dug myself a trench, protecting myself from the chaos and hurt and fear of life, while also dwelling on the sadness that consumed me. Emily did more than just try to help, Emily climbed into that trench with me, and fought the battles of life alongside me that year. When we met, we instantly realized that we have a LOT in common, we are very similar personality wise, we both love to laugh and have fun, we both love music, we even grew up in the same neighborhood and didn't even know it! Despite these many similarities that certainly HELPED to build our relationship, I think was really brought us together was that she, too had lost someone, she KNEW what I was going through. As Emily and I grew closer throughout the year, I began to consider baptism more seriously, knowing that not only was it my last year here, but also, there had been tremendous growth in me. When my youth leader told me that I needed to find a baptism mentor, who would walk through the baptism study with me, pray for me, support me, and lead the congregation in prayer for me on that night, my mind instantly went to Emily. That's not to say anything bad about any of the other leaders, but something inside me KNEW that Emily was the right person to do this with. As we ventured into the baptism study, shared our stories, and just continued to get to know each other over the next few months, we formed a special connection, one that no one else will ever have in my life. Emily is, was, and always will be my encouragement to get baptized, and my mentor. Emily is the sort of person that you can go days, weeks, maybe even months without seeing, yet in the back of your mind, you know she hasn't changed. When I see her, even if it HAS been months without talking, we pick up right where we left off, and I think that's awesome.
Being able to see either of these wonderful girls is a real treat for me, but today, I got to see them BOTH ON THE SAME DAY!!!!!! I spent all day yesterday finalizing plans, and just generally freaking out that I would get to see BOTH of my Emily's in one day! I am so blessed to have these two amazing women in my life, I love the unique connection I have with both of these girls, even though their names may be the same, our friendships are very different, but equally wonderful in their own way. I sincerely hope each of you reading this either have an Emily in your life(not literally...), or that one day you will FIND your Emily.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
I think it's interesting how quickly I form a connection with people. For these two girls, I have only known them for about 2 years, but at the same time, I can't imagine NOT having them in my life. In two years, I have grown so close to both of these girls, but in two completely different situations.
I'll start with Emily Lengal first, mainly because I met her first. Emily and my friendship blossomed out of tragedy and great loss for both of us, while I was grieving the loss of my brother, she was grieving the loss of her boyfriend of two days. Read that sentence again, TWO. DAYS. 48 HOURS! Literally the first time they held hands was in the hospital. From the get go, we were sort of drawn to each other, at the hospital we would do whatever we could to go in together to see him. At the funeral, she sat next to me, as a member of our "extended family" and was my rock for that day, and for the days to come. As time went on, our friendship blossomed, she became my life line of sorts, I knew that whatever I was dealing with in my life, I could come and talk to her about it, and she would do her best to help. The first summer she went home, it was very hard for both of us to say goodbye, but throughout the summer, we kept each other informed on what was going on in our lives, and supported each other in prayer. I remember one particular instance that REALLY opened my eyes to just how much Emily cares about me, as I was off at the Life Student Conference, a week that I KNEW going in would NOT be an easy week for me, she was in Pennsylvania, her home, supporting me in prayer. As she was counseling at summer camp, she could not shake the worry and heartbreak she had for me that week, so when her best friend asked her what was bothering her, she just broke down. She told her all about me, and where I was that week, and how hard it was going to be for me, and together, they sat there and prayed for me. How cool is THAT?! Anyways, that is only the beginning of our wonderful friendship, and I am so excited to see where the Lord decides to take this friendship.
Then, there is Emily Trowbridge. She and I met in the fall of my Senior year, she was a freshman at Wheaton, interested in helping with the high school ministry at our church. In that time in my life, I was really struggling, I was in a pretty severe depression, my friends did all that they could to try and help me, but they just couldn't understand what I was feeling and going through. I had basically dug myself a trench, protecting myself from the chaos and hurt and fear of life, while also dwelling on the sadness that consumed me. Emily did more than just try to help, Emily climbed into that trench with me, and fought the battles of life alongside me that year. When we met, we instantly realized that we have a LOT in common, we are very similar personality wise, we both love to laugh and have fun, we both love music, we even grew up in the same neighborhood and didn't even know it! Despite these many similarities that certainly HELPED to build our relationship, I think was really brought us together was that she, too had lost someone, she KNEW what I was going through. As Emily and I grew closer throughout the year, I began to consider baptism more seriously, knowing that not only was it my last year here, but also, there had been tremendous growth in me. When my youth leader told me that I needed to find a baptism mentor, who would walk through the baptism study with me, pray for me, support me, and lead the congregation in prayer for me on that night, my mind instantly went to Emily. That's not to say anything bad about any of the other leaders, but something inside me KNEW that Emily was the right person to do this with. As we ventured into the baptism study, shared our stories, and just continued to get to know each other over the next few months, we formed a special connection, one that no one else will ever have in my life. Emily is, was, and always will be my encouragement to get baptized, and my mentor. Emily is the sort of person that you can go days, weeks, maybe even months without seeing, yet in the back of your mind, you know she hasn't changed. When I see her, even if it HAS been months without talking, we pick up right where we left off, and I think that's awesome.
Being able to see either of these wonderful girls is a real treat for me, but today, I got to see them BOTH ON THE SAME DAY!!!!!! I spent all day yesterday finalizing plans, and just generally freaking out that I would get to see BOTH of my Emily's in one day! I am so blessed to have these two amazing women in my life, I love the unique connection I have with both of these girls, even though their names may be the same, our friendships are very different, but equally wonderful in their own way. I sincerely hope each of you reading this either have an Emily in your life(not literally...), or that one day you will FIND your Emily.
<3 Always,
Rose
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Day 315-The LaRusso's
Monday, April 6th
Hey guys,
So, since I've gotten to Chicago, I have been staying with our dear friends, the LaRusso's, but I have always known them as Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig. When we first moved from North to South Wheaton, they lived right down the street from us, and had two girls, the same age as Caroline and Graham. Caroline and their oldest, Adrianna quickly became best friends, and Graham and their youngest, Marina followed suit. I cannot even TELL you how many hours I've spent with them, how many laughs I've had with them, how many conversations I've had with them, or how many memories I've made with them. Basically, Aunt Gina, Uncle Craig, Adrianna, and Marina are a part of our family, they always have been, and they always will be. Growing up, neither of us had any family real close by, so we spent many holidays at each others house, particularly Christmas. Each Christmas Eve, for probably at LEAST 10 years, we would play spaceopoly, and because I was so little at the time, I got the great honor of being the "Laser Lady". I'm not going to lie, it was strange to be staying with Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig while both girls were away, especially Marina. When we were little, it was normally Adrianna and Caroline playing together, and Marina and Graham playing together, and then there was me...the awkward 3rd wheel...but since the loss of Graham, Marina and I have become MUCH closer, so yes, it was weird. It was weird staying in Marina's room, with pictures all over the place, while she's overseas in Ecuador, but it was also awesome. Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig have basically always been my "second-parents" if my real parents weren't around for some reason or another, and because their NOT my parents, I was able to have conversations with them without me being completely irrational and "teenager-ish", or feeling like I'm not being heard. All in all, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig for hosting me this week, I SO enjoyed it!
Hey guys,
So, since I've gotten to Chicago, I have been staying with our dear friends, the LaRusso's, but I have always known them as Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig. When we first moved from North to South Wheaton, they lived right down the street from us, and had two girls, the same age as Caroline and Graham. Caroline and their oldest, Adrianna quickly became best friends, and Graham and their youngest, Marina followed suit. I cannot even TELL you how many hours I've spent with them, how many laughs I've had with them, how many conversations I've had with them, or how many memories I've made with them. Basically, Aunt Gina, Uncle Craig, Adrianna, and Marina are a part of our family, they always have been, and they always will be. Growing up, neither of us had any family real close by, so we spent many holidays at each others house, particularly Christmas. Each Christmas Eve, for probably at LEAST 10 years, we would play spaceopoly, and because I was so little at the time, I got the great honor of being the "Laser Lady". I'm not going to lie, it was strange to be staying with Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig while both girls were away, especially Marina. When we were little, it was normally Adrianna and Caroline playing together, and Marina and Graham playing together, and then there was me...the awkward 3rd wheel...but since the loss of Graham, Marina and I have become MUCH closer, so yes, it was weird. It was weird staying in Marina's room, with pictures all over the place, while she's overseas in Ecuador, but it was also awesome. Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig have basically always been my "second-parents" if my real parents weren't around for some reason or another, and because their NOT my parents, I was able to have conversations with them without me being completely irrational and "teenager-ish", or feeling like I'm not being heard. All in all, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig for hosting me this week, I SO enjoyed it!
Back Row from Left: Mom, Dad, Uncle Craig, Aunt Gina
Middle from left: Caroline, Adrianna, Me, Marina
Bottom row:Graham
<3 Always,
Rose
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