Homecoming!

This is the part of the year that everyone looks forward to in their high school lives. It's a week full of crazy outfits, bonfires, TPing (and NOT getting caught) and teachers not even trying to teach because the kids.. well we are NOT focused at all. (Except for Goodale.. too bad I'm not in math anymore..shucks..) You have the people who like to go all out with the outfit days, and then you have the "I'm too cool to dress up like an idiot" people.

Our week consists of something around this:

TUESDAY: Geek Day

You have people literally dressing up with their parents old clothes from the 80s and 90s, the huge glasses with tape in the middle of them, people with crazy hair that no one could ever pull off, and then of course the "dress shirt and tie under t-shirt look" to look like a teacher in our building. We won't say names.

WEDNESDAY: Construction worker/ Duck Tape Day

Some people went way all out for this day. Some had the whole construction worker look going, while others covered their head to toes with duck tape. It was CRAZY! Girls made dresses and cheerleading outfits, and some had pants and shirts.. all made out of duck tape. Now for me, that is a lot of money to spend on duck tape! I wonder how much time they had on their hands to do that!

THURSDAY: Twin Day

Mario and Luigi is the most creative I have seen today! (props to michael and nathan) There are matching shirts, dresses, tutus, you name it! This night is also the night of the PowderPuff GAME, and the bonfire after... SENIORS RULE! Tonight is the night that Homecoming king and queen are crowned!

FRIDAY: SPIRIT DAY!

This is my favorite day of the week. Not only because you get to dress up crazy to support your school, but you realize that THAT night is the intense homecoming game! (The endless games and NO CLASSES is pretty legit as well....)

Then, of course, you can't forget about the endless TPing and writing on cars and windows late at night. The adrenaline rush during this time is so much fun, but you better watch out for Sparling people.. he is one his "A" game this year. (Not that I know or anything...)

CLASS OF 2011 ROCKS! :]

i cant think of a title for this one ;]

All you need is love

All you need is love

All you need is love..love

Love is all you need.

Today I'm in the best mood that I have been in (while at home in Iowa) than I have in awhile.

We had the event "See you at the Pole" this morning and it was a better turn out than I had expected. "See you at the Pole" is an awesome even that happens every year around the country. It's a time where fellow students and youth groupers can get together as one, and pray for their school and their school year. People involved gather around their school's flag pole in a circle and just pray. You can pray about anything you want to, and it's really encouraging to see young middle schoolers stepping out of their comfort zone and just praising the Lord. This morning we had about 20 or more students gathered around the flag pole and we ended our time by singing "How Great is Our God". It was so awesome to see everyone there! One of our teachers even came over to pray with us. Praise the Lord! :]

One other thing that I'm really excited about is that I'm going to be starting a fundraiser at my school for an orphan care center in South Africa. The Story: One of the Townships we were in while in South Africa has given our organization a huge piece of land to build an orphan care center. It had to go through the leaders of the town, and then up to the chief, but it came through! This piece of land is 4 football fields big! The center will be there for children to get something to eat each day, to do their homework and get tutored, and just a place to worship God. This care center will cost around $25,000. My goal for this fundraiser, with the high school and middle school is $4,ooo. I'm going to try to make an awesome video to help pump up the schools, and of course we are going to make this a competition between grade levels ;] With the help of friends, and the grace of God, i MAY be able to put it together! haha I suppose we will see huh?

cant get enough love

I feel like a stranger in the world that im living in. I go day by day in a weird mood of not having any desire to even get ready in the morning. i dislike school, i dislike work, and i would rather be in my bed reading a good book or relaxing with my family instead of going out. WHO IS THIS PERSON?! Before the Africa Reunion this was me, and to tell you the truth, not being with those people who reminded me WHY i loved my summer so much, is really putting a downer on my life.

Before this last weekend i was living life day by day. Two weeks after i got back from Africa i was fired up, excited for life, but then slowly started losing the pictures of those kids, that place, that i love so dearly. I was discouraged by the way that we live in America. We are selfish, cranky, rude, spoiled rotten, and it was like no one even noticed. I could not stop thinking of all the things that I have that that I take for granted everyday. I hated school.

Then, this weekend came along. I got to go to Kansas City to see my Africa family. I couldn't wait. I seriously counted the days down in my planner at school and had to keep looking at the "four more days" or "2 more days" to keep myself from completely losing it. The three hour drive for two days seeing those people is exactly what i needed. Not only being able to spend time with those amazing amazing people i get to call my family, but just connecting back to why Africa meant so so much to me. What REALLY got me was when we watched the video footage that Wes put together for us. There was footage of us when we were there, the kids singing, us just doing God's work and it completely broke my heart again. Then the words that Shawn said made my life the way i was living it change completely again. "How about Africa 2012? This group right here. I believe we can change the world guys."

And that's it. I cant live everyday sad because i live three or more hours away from my best friends. I cant be angry at the society that we live in and completely shut down. I cant be emotionally unsound that no one else sees the need and the hurt that i saw in Africa. I need to be the person that stays strong and lives every single day trying to make a difference in the world around me.

So that's just it. I need to live everyday as if one day closer to Africa 2012. And that's what im going to try to do. I say try only because waking up this morning knowing that im not going to be seeing my africa family like that for awhile makes me sick to my stomach. haha i know.. pathetic, but i love each and every one of those people soo much. AHHH. AFRICA 2012 BABY. i can NOT wait!

::my senior year::

I wrote a post today (later deleted) about how senior year is not anything like I had imagined, which is 100% true so far, but I kept going on and on about stuff like the dress code, rules rules rules, parking, and budging in the lunch line. I was so fired up about all of those new things. I was mad because we had to hold our ground in the mash pit when we were in the front of the lunch line as underclassmen and we can't budge as seniors this year. I was mad because we have to walk from the junior lot if we don't get up and going to school before the sun rises to get a good parking spot in the 'senior lot'. I was mad because we don't have the enjoyment of running around 'vetoing' underclassmen in the halls and run off giggling as we scream "seniors rule!" I was mad because even though I do understand the dress code (cause let's just face it, I reallllly don't want to see anyone's donk hanging out thank you very much) but what I don't get is that it seems like you can't wear any shorts to school without them being questioned. I had every teacher ask me to do the 'test' to see if my shorts were long enough today, and they were, but it just bothered me so much I just went home and put on some jeans. I was mad because I feel like there are people that wear some weird clothes that really distract me, but they don't get in trouble for it. And the main reason I was mad was because it seems like our high school is now a daycare, and it was really bothering me. As I read that post over, I realized how completely immature I was acting.
So what if we can't budge in the lunch line like previous seniors did? There are children all around the world that don't get a thing to eat all day, possibly for days. If they do get something to eat it's something as small as a little cup of soup.
So what if we have to walk a couple more minutes from the parking lot that is farther away. There are children all around the world that walk miles upon miles to school each day, not because they have to, but because they want an education.
So what if we have to wear clothes to school and be modest? There are children all around the world that don't even have clothes. Some have one set of clothes, and a uniform for school. THAT'S IT.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is even though senior year, it's safe to say, isn't exactly what we thought it would be like, what are the things that we're complaining about? What is so important about the things that were 'so bad' that I was so upset about. It's kind of stupidity if you ask me, and I'll be the first one to admit that I was being really immature about it, but it got me thinking back to Africa and those cute thin faces that looked up at me everyday. I absolutely miss it with all of my heart, and I need to keep reminding myself of their faces when I start complaining about stuff that is SO small. I have to remember that I have a family that cares for me, let along alive, I have food in front of me for every meal of the day, I have a huge house, I have friends that are always there for me, a job....the list could go on and on. So from here on out, I'm going to try to make this year, this last year of high school, one to remember.

'cause i just want somethin beautiful

In your ocean, I'm ankle deep

I feel the waves crashin' on my feet

It's like I know where I need to be

But I can't figure out, yeah I can't figure out

Just how much air I will need to breathe

When your tide rushes over me

There's only one way to figure out

Will ya let me drown, will ya let me drown

Hey now, this is my desire

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful

Oh, something beautiful

And the water is risin' quick

And for years I was scared of it

We can't be sure when it will subside

So I won't leave your side, no I can't leave your side

Hey now, this is my desire

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful

Oh, something beautiful

In a daydream, I couldn't live like this

I wouldn't stop until I found something beautiful

When I wake up, I know I will have

No, I still won't have what I need

Hey now, this is my desire

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful

Oh, something beautiful

I am in love with needtobreathe.

This weekend I got to go on our annual "family vaca" to South Dakota for LIFELIGHT. Lifelight is a HUGE event that is free. There are literally fifty Christian bands that play all Labor Day weekend long. It is such an absolute blast and I love going every year. It's outside, literally in a corn field, and there are four different stages. There were sooo many awesome bands this year which excited me greatly. We got really close to all the bands we wanted to see, and even got FRONT ROW for david crowder band (how does that happen?!) It was UHmazing. This weekend definitely lifted my spirits along with just being such a blast. :D wooooo!

future :: a time yet to come

As senior year is starting, one can't help but think of the future. Although most classmates are pulling their hair out, just counting the days until they walk past our principle, shake his hand, and then take their diploma and get the heck out of this little boring town we call home, the fact that we have to have a plan, and we kind of have to figure it out soon... is kind of a scary thought.
I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm stoked for the future and how it's going to turn out for me, but the real fact of the matter is... i dont' really have a plan.
I really admire the people that know exactly what they are doing after high school. Some are going to serve our country, while others have known what college there going to for a year. Me on the other hand, I have not a CLUE where I'm going to college. There are so many options. I want to be an elementary school teacher, but heck, that may change. I don't want to be bitter about the fact that I don't really have a plan, so I'm not going to be. (just give it to the Big Guy katie.. just give it to the Big Guy...) so that's what I'm doing for now.. sorry for this boring post, that's just what has been on my mind...

Where art thou smmer?

Summer 2010 has come and gone in a matter of time that I truly saw flash before my eyes. It was a time of my life that feels like it was just yesterday, with also a sense of being years ago. My summer had a variety of events that literally made it the best one yet. Let's start with the usual... SOFTBALL.

With Iowa being the one of few states (not sure how many others there are... google it if your really interested) that plays high school softball during the summer, it makes summertime very busy, and it's kind of hard to have a social life. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE the sport, but there are times where I wish that we could be like other states and play high school softball in the Spring. Our coach is awesome, but being the teenage girls that we are, some of the rules kill us, especially since it's SUMMERTIME. Example One: we have a 10 o'clock curfew on game nights. Okay, YES this is smart, but it means no bonfires, late movies, or even sleepovers with friends. Example Two: No being out in the sun on a game day. Well crap...this means that those weeks where we have games literally every day, we have to stay inside... allll dayy! Well that's enough complaining about the rules. I understand them, but jeez, i sure do like to bake in the sun on a wonderful summer day ;] no worries, we found time! (see picture to the right)

Okay, so ever since I went on my missions trip to Galveston, TX, missionary work has always been on my mind. After that trip I decided that I was done planning out my life and I was just going to go with the flow..ya know.. let the Big Guy be in control. ;] Well since I have softball literally all summer, thoughts of going on a missions trip were not even in my thought process until I started talking to Lauren Meyer about the trip that she was thinking about going on later in the summer. South Africa. She told me that she was leaving the 24th of July. Knowing that last years State Tournament ended the 24th last year, I thought there was absolutely no way that I would be able to go, but to my surprise the State Tournament was ending one day earlier this year. (now if that isn't God's work, I don't know what is...) so of course... this experience was the BEST thing that has EVER happened to me. Changed me in ways that I can't even begin to describe. I'm thinking about my future a lot more now. There are so many different options that I want to do with my life, but that's a whole different story ;] Oh, how I miss Africa and all the people I got soooo close to.... I can NOT wait for more opportunities in my life to start flashing before my eyes. Bring.It.On. :D