Valentine's Day, Ice Skating, and Mufflers

So here's a run down of what I've been up to this past week. Last Wednesday, we had church rotation in Roanoke. After church, we went to Lauren Schroeder's house. It was a great evening/night! They get pretty late:) Thursday, I didn't have school or work, so naturally I slept in until 10. I had good intentions of waking up early and taking Sophie to Monkey Joe's for a few hours. My bed was feeling pretty comfy though, so I decided to stay there for a while:) When I finally woke up, I went upstairs to find some flowers with my name on them. There was no name from who it was, so I am assuming it was my secret sister. For the majority of the day I played with Sophie. I love her so so so much:) Maybe my next post will be about all the cute stuff she does and is learning. Later in the afternoon, I went shopping with Amber for a few hours, then went home for our family's Valentine's dinner. Mom went all out this year. We had delicious cheeseburger shop, heart-shaped biscuits, heart-shaped meat and cheese, fresh veggies, and heart-shaped raspberry jell-o. For breakfast, Mom had made heart-shaped pancakes. She is so creative:) Mom got us each a different kind of candy, and Dad bought all of us girls a bouquet of candy:) So we had to split it up. He always gets us stuff for Valentine's Day. I also had bought my sister's candy. As you can imagine, Tessa and Sophie were on a sugar overload. Friday, we had Elderly Singing at Roseann Stahl's. We sang at Courtyard Estates in Bradford and then went back to Roseann's for a snack. Rhea and I left earlier so we could go surprise Ben and Katie's kids. We didn't stay long though. We have been doing that lately, because we remember not long ago when our uncles would come over after a Single Group function and surprise us. We remember loving that, so we decided that we should do that too:) It's funny how it doesn't seem that long ago that my uncles were doing that, and now it's us who it doing it. It amazes me how fast time flies. Of course they were quite a bit older than we are now:) We are glad they are finally married, although it seems that all my teasing my uncles to get married is coming back at me. Adam especially gets a kick out of it. Saturday I worked from 7:15-12:00. When I got home, I did some cleaning, and then Dad, Claire, Cassie, Tessa, and I headed over to Pekin to go ice skating. Lucas and Diana Gudeman rented out the whole ice skating rink for a couple of hours, so there was a massive group of AC's from Princeville, Bradford, and Tremont ice skating. Dad had never been ice skating before, so it was hilarious seeing how wobbly he was at first. By the end, he was skating faster than me, and doing spins and such. I obviously did not get his athletic abilities. We left at around 5:50 so I could make it to testimonies in Washington. Then on Sunday, I went to Princeville for the morning service, and Washington for the afternoon service. Brice Knapp got baptized, so that is why I was there. He goes to ICC, so that is how I know him. After baptisms, Amber and I went to Adam and Brittany's for supper with Olivia Steffen. Olivia left almost immediately after supper. I basically read books to Kylie the whole night. I also let her play with my phone resulting in her deleting all my pictures:) It's not that big of a deal considering I really only use my phone to text and call. Tim Ringger also came over, so we spent some time looking for baby names for Adam and Brittany. It was pretty funny listening to Tim try to pronounce some of the names in the book. There are some pretty crazy names out there. We left at around 10. Monday was a pretty normal day, although I didn't have to work, which was so nice. I stayed at school for a few minutes after I was done with class, just to use the internet and talk to Seth. Here is how a lot of conversations go.
Seth: Do you want to see something?
Me: Sure.
(get's out his smart phone and shows me a picture of his car)
Seth: I put a new muffler on it this weekend. It's smaller than before.
Me: That's cool, does it make it not so loud?
Seth: No, it make's it louder.
Me: Well, my Dad's truck has a huge muffler and it is really loud.
Seth: Your Dad doesn't have a muffler.
Who knew there is a difference between the muffler and pipe? I obviously don't have brothers. He probably really wonders about me sometimes. I got home at 1:30 on Monday, and did some cleaning. Then Rhea and I went to the singing at the nursing home. We are regulars there. We have a friend Ida who turned 100 this year and she thinks Rhea and I are the greatest thing since sliced bread. She always tells us that we will get snatched up early. We probably aren't as great and she thinks we are:) Tuesday was pretty normal, and my day off work! Wednesday(yesterday) we had church rotation in Washington. We went to Jared Folkerts after church for a snack and just to sit around and talk. It was a good night, except it got really late resulting in  oversleeping this morning, resulting in me skipping my first class. Tomorrow is the first of the showers for Ryan and Ashley. We have their singing shower at the Fellowship Hall. Saturday, my cousin Tanya Wagenbach is getting married to Shawn Puckett. My dad has only one sister, Marybeth, who is married to Curt Wagenbach, and that is their daughter. They also have an older daughter, Jill who is married to Luke Hoerr and they live in Taylor, MO. They have to adorable foster children. Courtney is the one after Tanya and she is my age, and then there are the twin boys who are 7. Shawn and Tanya are getting married in Peoria. Sunday is Cassie's birthday, so we will probably be celebrating that. Monday should be pretty normal, and Tuesday is Ashley's all-church shower. I have been keeping just busy enough to not be overwhelmed for which I am very thankful. Tonight we are suppose to get a big snow, but we will see if that actually happens. I hope not!

My Space

(NOTE: I wrote this yesterday, but didn't actually post it until today) It all started one day this week when Mom and Dad decided that Cassie needed to move out of her room with Tessa and Sophie, so naturally they asked us who would be willing to let Cassie move into their room. Well, none of us wanted to share a room. My argument was I have the smallest room in the house, which I do, but my sisters will not agree to that. Also, I have acquired quite a bit of stuff in the last year, and by stuff I don't mean clothes. Rather photography props or decorations that do not match my room. Anyways, they decided to turn our school room which was going to be a future kitchen into a bedroom for Cassie. Pretty much she has a stove and refrigerator and all the plumbing holes in her new bedroom. Oh, and it doesn't have a door, so anyone can pretty much go in there whenever they want. Her dresser is an old and I mean old changing table. Ok it's probably not that old, but I bet it's at least as old as me! Problem number one: She had no bed. Problem number two: they took half of my bunk bed away from me. Actually I think it is called more of a loft bed. It has a regular top bunk, but then the bottom sticks out vertically with a desk and shelves on either side of the bottom bed. I love it. I sleep on the top actually, because then I have to climb down in the morning to shut off my alarm clock, which motivates me not to hit the snooze button. So far it's been working pretty good:) So they took my bottom bunk which leaves a huge empty gap. I thought it looked so bare and ugly so yesterday while I was cleaning I came up with a genius plan. I could make a curtain to go over the hole! I knew we had some sheer curtains that were very old and ugly that my parents had in their room at our old house, so I went on a hunt for them. I quickly found them and measured them up to the whole and decided they would work. So, next I sewed the top over a bit so a rod could fit through it. I did not even care what color the thread was or if it was straight. No one was going to see that part anyways. The hardest part was finding a rod. I searched high and low. And when I mean I and low that means I looked all over the basement, upstairs, and even up in the attic. I looked in the shed and anywhere I thought I might find a rod, but could not find any that would even remotely fit. I finally found one in the attic. I have no idea what kind of rod it is, but it has two holes on each end. I actually think it was for an old baby swing. Notice the "was". It is now a curtain rod. Next I had to find some screws and an electric screwdriver. Those weren't too hard to find. It was easier finding them than using them. Too put it nicely, I am not much of a carpenter. Believe me, it was difficult using that screwdriver. I had to go to the top bunk and pick up my mattress and then pick up the board underneath that and get them to stay in one position. Then I tried screwing the rod down, but it was very difficult, because I had never really used one and my arm was in an awkward position due to the tight space. It all worked out and now I have a cute little space under my bed that I can read and do homework and stuff like that. The lovely burgundy curtains don't quite match my lime green walls, but I have given up on anything matching in my room anymore. My bed spread is light blue and yellow, so that matches great too;) I was pretty proud of myself, so when Grandpa and Grandma and Adam and Brittany came over after testimonies last night, I just HAD to show them. Adam said I will make a good wife. I always have to remind them that there is a difference between a wife and a homemaker:) I thought I would include some pictures of the finished project and also notice my color schemes. Lovely, right?

 It's finished!

 So cozy:)

 The bar I used

Oops! Guess I'm not cut out to be a carpenter:) Good thing it doesn't show.

As of lately...

I was just looking at some of my last posts, and realized I haven't update you all about my life, so here goes. This semester is going pretty well. I enjoy my half hour breaks with Seth immensly:) I like the breaks by myself a lot too. That's where my introvertism comes out:) If you go to the basement of ICC right underneath the Cafe, there are chairs facing these HUGE windows. There is also no one else down there. I love it! I can just look out the window as much as I want, although the most exciting thing I probably see out that window is a branch moving in the wind. Two weekends ago was Andy and Michelle Martin's wedding, so I headed over to Tremont with Tonya Martin for the afternoon service. It was a really nice wedding/reception. After hanging out at the reception for a while, we went to my Uncle Dale and Aunt Lavonne's for a while before going to ACYF in Eureka. On the way to ACYF, Tonya's dad called us and asked if we could come over to the Pizza Ranch in Morton, because the Princeville bus broke down. Well I decided that we should just head to the church, because I have a permanent carseat in the back, so we wouldn't fit many people in the car. Some men from Eureka took big 15 passenger vans to pick all the kids up. It didn't help that Princeville/Bradford was suppose to sing first:) It all worked out, and it was a great evening. It always reminds me how I don't miss being in Bible Class. It sure was hard work trying to be cool:) Amber left for Florida that Sunday also, so we were apart from each other for a week. It was kind of tragic. Although, I think it effected her more than it did me:) I keep busy I guess. We made it up this week by being together everyday this week. Last weekend was my cousin Brooke's baptism. It was such a blessing! I think I have an allergic reaction to being in the front of church. I break out in tears. I seriously hate being so emotional. My sisters can pretty much tell me when I am going to cry. I told myself I wasn't going to, but then Seth went through the line and I bawled. Then I regained my cool, but immediatly it started up again when I went through the line. And then again when my sisters said that they knew I would cry when Seth went through the line. What is wrong with me? I seriously cry at everyone's baptism. I could probably go to someone's baptism who I didn't even know and bawl my eyes out. My mom told me that when I was younger that they could never get me to cry and now they can't get me to stop! It's funny how things change over the years. This week, I went shopping on Tuesday after school with Amber. Actually I was suppose to be returning things, but you know how that goes with me. Turns out I actually do more shopping than returning. There are so many good sales right now though, because all the stores are getting their spring stuff in! I remembered that my mom's birthday it tomorrow, so I bought her 2 things from Loft. She is doing this thing where she isn't buying any clothes for herself for a year, so she tells us to buy clothes for her for Christmas or her birthday.(Is that even following the rules?) Oh, and when we get rid of clothes, she makes a mad dash for it, to see if she likes any of it. It's weird that my mom is wearing hand-me-downs from me. Guess that happens when you are the same size. I really hope she likes the stuff I got her, because they are final sale items, so they can't be returned. I like them if she doesn't, and may borrow them once in a while:) Yesterday, Mom texted when I was on my break. She sent me this picture of Sophie's potty seat with something in it and asked "What is this?". Well, I responded "I have no idea, but it looks disgusting." And then she told me Sophie went poop on the potty. I was so proud of her. I was grinning like a fool, and I'm glad no one asked me why I was smiling, because I would have to respond, "My sister just went poop on the potty." Only, big sisters would understand my pride:) Mom and Dad are going out to eat tonight with Mark and Paula Feucht and Mark and Judy Hartman in Bloomington, so I am taking the 3 youngest girls to Family World Relief Night after work, which is where I am right now. It's nice when it's not busy, because I can do such things as this. This weekend we have baptisms in Princeville and next weekend I am planning on being in Washington for baptisms. I will be glad when I can be in Princeville for a normal Sunday. As much as I like traveling, I enjoy being home more. I have been very thankful for this weather. I absoutely hate snow. I would love to live somewhere where it is cold, but there is no snow. Maybe it's also because I am constantly driving, and so far snow has not really been friendly to my driving. I hope everyone is doing great also!

Stewardship

Last week, my best friend Amber changed her major. She was studying Social Work, but felt that God was leading her to something else, so she is now studying Child Development (same as me). It had me thinking whether or not I was studying the right thing. When I was praying what I should major in, God really didn’t give me any clear signs. I knew I didn’t want to go four years, and I knew I wanted to work with younger children. Child Development seemed like the most logical option to me, so that’s what I decided to major in. I felt pretty peaceful about it, and God never showed me anything else. Last night, I was really doubting, because I wanted to do what God called me to do, so I just prayed that He would show me if I was doing His will. I immediately opened up to Hebrews 13:20-21. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. It was the perfect verse for me, and it really encouraged me that I was doing the right thing. Then tonight at church, Jim spoke briefly on stewardship. I have always thought of stewardship as taking care of and managing what God has given to us, which is true. I was thought of it in a more physical sense though. Then the Spirit really spoke to me, that I am a steward of doing God’s will. I need to be trying me best in school, because it is something he has given me. There are a lot of kids who I am sure do not have the money or ability to go to school. It was a pretty big revelation, and I pray I can keep that in perspective as I go to school.  There is so much opportunity at school as well. One thing that I think God really opened doors to was having break with my cousin Seth. It may seem really small and silly, but I hope and pray I am being a good light and example to him. At the beginning of last semester and this semester, I really prayed that God would let Seth and I have break together. It was obviously His will that we would, because both semesters so far we have had break together. I really struggle with not feeling like I am doing much for God with my relationship with Seth. I feel like I can’t get deep with him. Also, he is pretty stubborn, which I have heard that I am pretty stubborn myself. I laugh, because as we both are getting older, I feel like we are more a like. Lately, a lot of people have been telling me that we look a like. My biggest struggle is not knowing what to talk about. Maybe I also don’t really know how to talk to boys his age. I guess I am learning though. Pretty much we sit on our laptops the whole break, except for today he forgot his, so we had a really good talk. He is a great listener I must say. I could probably talk to him for hours and hours and he wouldn’t say a word. Sometimes, I think just being with him and he seeing my imperfections is part of the opportunity. I remember before I started repenting and even at the beginning, I thought that Christians were so perfect and I could never be like that, but I quickly learned it was not even close to that. We have so much to work on.