Final

Success! See, I just knew today was a good day. I just finished my 80 question final in 40 minutes and came out with a score of 93.75% meaning I answered 75/80 correct! Praise the Lord!
Now I only have one more final (an EASY final) and I am home free! or should I say, California free!

The Day We Leave

I am delighted to announce that I am hardly as frazzled as I was yesterday. I must apologize to my family, for, throughout the entire day, I was a bear of the worst kind. But, I say hallelujah to the fact that God's mercies are new every morning!

Well, today is the big day! Everyone in this house is just bursting with such energy, it can almost be named inspiring to watch. Even dad, as he woke up to face a huge day of grueling work, had a certain spring in his step. If he can finish this job he is working on now, he can leave with us tonight. The other option would be for him to fly to Las Vegas and meet us there. I assure you, no one is voting for the latter. 

Mom has a very large list of things to accomplish today including, obtain a new drivers license (hers was shredded in the wash), run errands for dad, and pack the final little things that must go into the motor home. A list of this size would normally put her in the foulest of sorts (as it would for most people), but, one can almost see her mind say, "but we're leaving tonight". So, there is yet another testimony to how great this vacation will be for the entire family.

I will have to post the intended itinerary later on today. Of course, it is all subject to change, but I must post it because I know how important it is to my aunts to be involved in some way in a trip of this magnitude.

Well, before I allow my mind to wander too far off, I must focus, for I have a very large and important final to study for and I would hate to get a bad grade, thus dampening my spirit for the entire trip. Prayer would be appreciated! Thanks!

Things to do today:

• Pack for a two and a half week vacation
• Run stuff up to dad in Canton
• Ride horses at one
• Clean Diane's office
• Study for Finals
• Clean the Motorhome
• Leave my room spotless
• Obtain a hay bale for the goat and deer
• Get bird cage ready
• Make an attempt to take deep breaths and not freak out over my lost camcorder charger.
• among other things.....

I hate to say it, but I am so stressed. And the worst part is, these are not even that huge of things to stress over, but there just seems to be so many things to do before we leave!

Steve and Sandra

Hi, my name is Sandra! I am the newest addition to the Davidovics Zoo. I am a weanling Nigerian Dwarf Pygmy Goat!

I have a brand new friend, and his name is Steve! Steve is a white tailed deer! We were best friends from the instant we met. I have a human friend named Rebekah, but I'm too scared to come very close to her. Rebekah says that she adopted me because she needed someone to keep Steve company while she is away.

Steve can be very funny sometimes when he shakes his head and runs toward Rebekah. Rebekah says he is very difficult to photograph because all he wants to do is lick her leg.

Sometimes Steve is a little mean to me. He loves Rebekah so much, he is jealous when I come close to her and he kicks me.

I forgive him, though, because he always makes sure I'm still following. It's hard for me to keep up with him because he has such long legs and mine are short.

Steve and I like each other, and we like Rebekah! We have a very nice new pen with lots of great grass and weeds to eat and shade to sleep in. We like to play chase in the evening and climb in the morning. We are very happy.

Practical

This wheelchair has to do with physical therapy so I stuck it in.

I am feeling stuperpendulous (I made that up) right now! Came to the practical with alot of confidence, did my best, and feel really great about it. It was actually surprisingly easy. The transfer assigned to me was the two man lift which is used when the patient, for some reason, cannot bend or use both legs. It involves one person on the ground to hold and move the legs and another behind the wheelchair to transfer the upper half. I took the upper half and had Melissa Heinold help with the lower end. What's nice about this transfer is the PTA does all the work and does not have to spend time or effort in explaining everything to the patient. Anyway, you know what is kindof cool about this job? For school, nearly the whole time we are role playing, which is great for me because I absolutely adore acting. That makes things a little easier.
Well, I'm at home now, but will have to return to school in about an hour for medical terminology. I have to give  a dumb presentation using at least five medical terms. yuck.

Why I walk

So, here is how the next few weeks are going to work: while at California, every one in my family are going to write journal entries about the day. Whenever I get Internet I will try to publish them here. They will probably be quite long and boring with snippets of interesting, but they will be great for us to look back on and that was the whole point of this blog. I will also be taking pictures and videos, but I'm not sure if I will mess with them until we return home.
Today is my second to last day of school for this summer! YAY! Unfortunately it is also the day of practicals. Here's the unfortunate part: I was sick all weekend and did not get one chance to practice!!! AHHH!!! Even as I write this, the morning of the practical, I'm not feeling 100%, and they expect me to do alot of heavy lifting! On top of that, I got one of the worst time slots and the harder teacher. At least my partner is good. I am just going to need alot of prayer for today and hopefully, with God's help, I'll make it through.
I didn't go on the walk today because I thought I would be completely swamped with things to do to prepare for today, but they surprisingly went by really fast and now I am missing the morning walk with the ladies. Recently, I was speaking with some girls and they wondered why on earth would I want to join in on these walks. I did not  have an answer for them at the time, but now I've thought of one. It is because of the conversation. You see, these ladies have been through a whole lot more of life than I have, and, frankly, they are much wiser. I learn so much hearing about their mistakes, fortunes, and spiritual walks. I feel so fortunate that I have a group of women that I can look up too and learn from that I know have come from a great background and all love Christ very much. Plus, by going on the walks I can be up-to-date on all the recent news in the family and church.

The Young Group and Vacation Prep

I can't say that I really have much interesting to write about besides the usual day to day life at the Davidovics house. Last Wednesday was my last full day of school. I'll be finishing that up this week with a practical, presentation, and then finals on Wednesday. The end of this summer semester is a little bitter sweet as I know that from this point on, things will only get harder. It encourages me to know that I have two wonderful girls to study with.

On another note, Tim and Debbie Funk, our church's elders, and the ministers have been going around and having a dinner with every member in order to give everyone a chance to speak personally with them their concerns and thoughts about our church. Last night was the young group girl's turn. I must say, I did not go into the evening with the most excited and willing attitude as my understanding was that the discussion would be on admonishing the young girls to wear headcoverings higher, wear our hair longer, dress more modest, etc. Not that these are not terrible things to discuss, but it is a very familiar story for us, and, frankly, nothing new. But, that is not what it was about at all. We had some great fellowship over some pizza, fruit salad, and delicious brownies, and then began the discussion part of the evening with a fun icebreaker. Driving illegally, eyes, ears, and other wierd atonomical facts is all I'm going to say about that little activity. Moving on to the more serious section, we broke into two groups (because the turnout was so good.) and first talked about the strengths and positives of our current young group. I will tell you this, my heart was warmed to think of how blessed we are to have a peer group such as this. Some of the positives brought up were that it is "good, clean, fun", there is an amazing amount of accountability, that our young group right now is spiritually focused, that, for the most part, it is not just a cliquey, social group, but something deeper caused by the love that is within it, there is a "lack of judgement" (as in no one feels they are being judged based off of background etc., and, from an outsider's point of view, their is so much joy at just being with eachother while learning and serving God.

Here are some photos of young group girls: Just the usual scenes, like sitting on a beach to watch the sun go down,

Putting on very large, goofy glasses to take a group photo,

And holding eachother down to dump a trashcan full of water on a hot day.

As with everything, there are, of course, the weaknesses within this group, and we would be ignorant to ignore them. Some of the weaknesses, or "opportunities to improve", as Craig put it, were, that there is some amount of cliqueyness and a lack of support of eachother among the girls, that attendance to anything that is not a Bible study is very poor, that the topics of the Bible studies do seem to be a bit more geared toward those that have just started repenting or haven't converted yet, and that there is not alot of age difference. Fortunatly, out of these problems came some wonderful solutions. To break down barriers among the girls an idea from Princeville came up. We would like to set up a "secret siter" system in which one girl will have someone to write to, talk to, and basically get to know better and they switch out every month. Also, we thought of maybe doing a themed supper for the girls every three months or so. I was really excited about this opportunity because I see how the guys seem to have this special fellowship that, in my opinion, just isn't there with the girls. A mentor system for the entire church was brought up, which would also be great. We certainly discussed the fact that we do need to improve attendance to certain events and to do so the idea of having people be accountable for eachother and make phonecalls and arrange for rides so that everyone feels welcome to come despite the fact that their best friend or clique will not be there.

So all in all, I think some really great things came out of the evening. It was a great time of laughter, chatting, and getting to know the ministers and thier wives better.

So, on to another subject, big thing in our house lately has been preparing for our 2 and 1/2 week trip to California and back. Its hard to believe we are leaving in only about five days, Lord willing! So much still needs to be done before hand, though the list has certainly diminished significantly. Thursday we did a very thourough cleaning of the house. It won't stay that clean till we leave, but at least now it is only the surface stuff that will need to be done. We have figured out what we are going to do for entertainment during the long hours driving for the most part. I went to the Sauder's to "steal stolen movies" and set up the motorhome so we will be able to hear the laptop. The Poisonwood Bible (a verywell written fiction story of some missionaries in Africa) was bought to read out loud (a tradition we have had for almost every vacation). Mom bought a bunch of markers and notebooks from the cheap, back to school section of walmart. As far as packing goes, I don't believe anything has actually been put into the motorhome as of yet, but will in no time. A new Road Atlas was bought upon Grandma's suggestion and I worked on marking out our intended course and points of interest and camping spots. Food still needs to be planned and bought and I believe everyone else has alot of laundry to do before we leave. It is amazing how much goes into a venture such as this one. Though it is work, it is well worth it, because, in my opinion, the anticipation is just as great as the trip itself.

No worries, everything will be documented and recorded on this vacation!

Current River Vacation

Allow me to begin this note with the sad news: Jenis's filly died. My heart goes out to Judy and I just pray that she will have better times in the future. It was scary to find that Else's filly almost went the same way! Unbelievable!
As for the good news: our Current river trip was a success! We arrived to the campground and began looking for a spot right away. Montauk State Park is very competitve and, though we had great luck last year, we were not expecting much this time around. As if to just tickle our minds, what camping spot should be available but the exact same one we stayed at last year! Directly on the river, plenty of sun and shade, and clean! Then, to boggle our minds even more, our neighbor informed us that he would be pulling out the next day! This was exactly what happened last year! So, as far as camping spots went we were very lucky to have our whole group together and be on the creek.
On Thursday we took it easy and spent our time crawdad hunting, fishing, reading, and enjoying the slow paced life of camping. Friday, Jeff, Karin, Heath, Jordan (Jeff's daughter), Anni, Ryan, Steven and I went on a canoe trip. This one was intense as everyone aside from Heath had a water gun! If it was a hot day, none of us could tell as we were contantly being drenched in the cool refreshing spring water from the Current River. Saturday was more tame as all the oldies came with. We took the pace slow and enjoyed the scenary and jovial mood of the people around us. For lunch on Saturday, we stopped at the perfect cliff diving spot which was alot of fun to watch as people launched themselves off the cliff in every funny way possible. Sunday was a big day as we packed up and left for home. The plan was to stop at Six Flags on the way and spend the day there. Alas, however, a huge storm rolled in, with all it's thunderous and rainy glory, just as we came to the gate at the entrance to the theme park. Saddened by the gloom we decided to continue as planned anyway. It took quite a while to get into the parking lot for Six Flags as the employees apparently had no idea how to open the gate. We laughed as we watched them try multiple keys, run to retrieve multiple people, shake, kick, and yell at the gate, and finally open it. Around 11:30 the rain cleared up and it turned out to be one of the best days at Six Flags one could ever imagine! Crowds were tiny and lines were minimal. We hit nearly all the rollercoasters in the morning with time to spare!
Well, needless to say we were all pretty exausted by the end of the day. Throughout the ride home everyone relaxed totally. It was a great way to finish a great trip!

Jenis's filly

At this moment I should be frantically trying to get to sleep to be fresh and ready for our yearly canoeing trip, but I just couldn't let all my loyal readers down. Haha, do you get it? loyal readers? like they actually exsist! lol. Anyway, yes, tomorrow we are embarking on a trip to Missouri for camping, canoeing, and six flags on the way home, all jam packed into one four day weekend! I am super excited because my super cool aunt Karin is coming! Also joining us will be Tina and Jozsef, Bob and Michelle, their son, Heath, and Jeff and his daughter Jordan. It will be a great group and great weekend I am sure of it.

This is Tina and Jozsef at the same place last year. You can't quite see it in this photo, but the water is crystal clear and deep and beautiful!

Unfortunatly there is a cloud of sadness that looms over the weekend. Today during vaulting, one of the moms discovered Jenis's foal lying on the ground gasping for air. She had had a heat stroke. They hosed her off while waiting for Judy to come get her to take her to the vet. The vet took her temperature and it read to be 107 even after being hosed off and spending a car ride in air conditioned. For horses 108 is like death. The poor baby is now in Judy's unfinished, air conditioned apartment and we a praying and praying that she makes it through the night. Judy just can't lose this foal.

Productivity

Nearly every morning I pray that it will be a productive day. God certainly fulfilled this prayer today. We, as in Sarah S. Bethany, Anni, and I, stayed the night at the Sauders (my cousins) house. It was fun and all, but around 10:00, I began to pity myself. I have gotten myself on such a strict schedule of going to be at around 9 and waking at 6 that to deviate from said schedule was almost agonizing. Here's the thing: how rude would it be if I came over for good times and left the party to go sleep? In my cousin's eyes, very rude. And, I wanted to have fun, really, and I did try, but boy was I tired. It was inevitable that I would fall asleep as soon as they started the movie. I can't say a single complimentary word for last night's sleep either. After tossing and turning and moving from their recliner to their couch to the floor, I finally woke myself up and six and headed home. My initial intentions were to feed Steve and go back to bed, but the day had started and there was coffee in the pot.

The morning turned out to be great, actually. My parents and I had a casual breakfast together and at 7:30 went to walk with the ladies. Surprisingly, my dad came too! He said he couldn't get a word in edgewise, and Mike (my uncle) joined in for the last loop, I think, out of sympathy for my Dad. We came home and got right into schedule by starting our day at eight o clock with a family Bible Study. Having the Bible study in the mornings has been such a great thing for our family and a wonderful way to start the work day with a good attitude.

We did our normal housework. After the cleaning was done mom and I decided to buckle down and trim Cindy's feet. Cindy had foundered very badly this year, rendering her unusable for the summer and perhaps forever. It's been difficult to see her in this sort of pain as she was born and raised at our place and has become a definite part of the family. Trimming her feet was not a simple task and I thank Dad from the bottom of my heart for helping out. It was good to get that done.

Well, next on the schedule was a doctors appointment for me. Because I am in the PTA program I have to have all these different immunizations up to date. This spring I got them all over with and was about to turn them in when I received a letter in the mail announcing that they are requiring chicken pox vaccination! I, along with all my siblings, had had it when I was young, but of course, they would not accept my, nor my mother's word on this. Which leaves me, once again, in the doctors office. They decided, since I've had it already they would just draw some blood and give the proof that I am immune. I would rather have just gotten the shot and be done with it. Here's the thing about shots: My mind doesn't mind them at all! I actually think they are pretty cool, but apparently my body doesn't agree. I have had a terrible history of nearly passing out every time I have blood drawn or have more than one shots in a day! So, The student nurse goes to draw the blood, she inserts the needle, digs around for awhile, pauses, calls her superior over who also digs around in my arm for awhile, and finally pulls the needle out. My vision darkening, I ask if they got it, "No, we'll try in the other arm" was the reply. By that point I was fading fast. I could barely hear my own voice when I asked if I could lie down. Of course, I didn't want to look like a baby or make it seem worse than it was so I started cracking lame jokes while on the floor. Eventually I stood up and was taken to a bed to lie down in while the second lady very quickly and easily took the blood sample.

I was glad to be out of there, but still pretty faint while mom ran some errands.

Next on today's agenda was to go to Ken Hoerr's house, the house where my dad was working to help move some lift thing. We arrived and found out we weren't need for awhile and we should swim in their indoor pool. As if to just try my patience, it took three hours to get ready to move the dumb thing. The wait was so long and excruciating that, in my exhaustion from the restless night, I ended up falling asleep in a puddle on the floor next to the pool. I woke up thirty minutes later freezing and with funny indentations all over my face and body. When we finally got around to moving the lift it ended up that it was going downhill and, well, it all happened so fast that I wasn't able to get a good handhold before it was in place and ready to be hitched up to the van. What a waste of time.

This is my dad giving his get back to work look!

Speaking of wasting time, I believe I am late to clean the office. I guess an apology is also in order for this ridiculously long and detailed report on my day.

Thank God For Mornings!

I know that I've mentioned before that I adore mornings, but I feel that I must say it again. There's just no other feeling that can quite match that of coming off of a lovely night sleep to view one of the most spectacular scenes known to this earth. The crisp air is always the perfect cure for hot stuffiness and the symphony of birds is like a choir all saying, "This is the day that the Lord hath made! I will REJOICE and be glad in it!" And, the spectacular sensation that comes from a cup of hot coffee wafting its delicious smell up to your nose from your chilly hands that hold it adds to the experience. Oh, if God could provide for me something better than a morning such as this, I feel I would burst for the excitement of it! Thank you God, for this morning, and every other morning that follows it, be it happy or sad, let me always remember the beauty that you paint for me.

Rachel's Wedding

Rejoice. That was the beautiful message that was given at church this morning. And, how could I not with today being such a special day! It was Rachel Strietmatter's wedding today. I just love weddings. I don't care what anyone else has to say about them, I love them. I love the elegance and beauty, the joy in two lives becoming one, and just about everything else that goes along with weddings. I just love them! and this one was especially beautiful. Perhaps because Rachel has been such a light to me and the young group that we all just know that she has chosen the right man and she will be happy. As I write this I can't help but sigh happily. Life is so good and I have so much to be joyful for.

Sore and hurt Janitor

Yesterday’s big events: vaulting and cleaning Diane’s house. At vaulting I felt as though I was going through a full hour work out. Either the tricks were tough or I’m out of shape. A glance toward the other weary vaulters at the end confirmed that it was the former. The routine we are practicing is not an easy one. There is only one spot in the whole thing where there isn’t at least one person standing. To make things more difficult, during August we have two shows with two completely separate groups of vaulters, and most of us will be leaving on vacation for several weeks right before. The stress of this situation can be seen very clearly on Karin’s face. Nevertheless, we enjoy our time together doing what we love to do. It’s hard, but we plow through.

Now, for Diane’s house: I have been bestowed the job of janitorial services for both my Aunt Diane’s house and office. Yesterday, I planned on cleaning it after vaulting, but I just couldn’t resist the cool blue waters of her lake. Well, before going into the house, I had to dry of course, for at least an hour. It was so relaxing on that beach that I just couldn’t pull myself away. Well, I did at one thirty and got going on my duties. I won’t lie, it was pretty difficult to look outside and see a whole bunch of my relatives soaking up the sun and swimming to their heart’s contentment. I purposed not to think of it and not to feel sorry for myself. Continuing on I got to washing windows. She has a porch that overlooks the lake and most of the time I clean the sliding door windows and kitchen windows on the outside there too. I’m washing as fast (and as thorough) as I can to avoid being seen and scorching my feet when I feel an awful burning sting on my right inner thigh. A wasp. I ran into the house to grab a cool wet rag on the wound. Ok, so I’m not usually a baby about these things. With bee stings I just pull out the stinger and go on my merry way. This was a lot different. It hurt like the dickens and the weirdest thing is the muscles around it went sort of went into a tetanus state, where the muscles contract and don’t de-contract. Anyway, if I was feeling sorry for myself before, I was certainly feeling bad now.

On a happier note: all the girl cousins came over and we had a slumber party in our newly renovated, empty apartment. The evening began with an hour and a half of cooking (always a great bonding experience) which was well worth it when we finally sat down to eat. Chicken baked in a creamy sweet sauce, twice baked potatoes filled with cheddar cheese and bacon bits, steamed vegetables with TONS of cheese (an instant hit), a delightful salad, and, of course, IBC root beer. After cleaning up the supper mess we jumped right into the other activities planned, which included silly jump rope routines and, due to the huge mirror covering almost one whole side of the living room, dancing. Dancing is not something that we ever do as we do not attend high school dances or parties or anything of the sort (who would want to with such great church activities to go to instead? Seriously.) It was a lot of fun because none of us know how to dance, but we were all comfortable enough with each other that we plain out didn’t care. All in all, it was a great slumber party.

Ok, so you know how I’m riding a purebred Friesian mare in the N. IL. Horse fest? Wynne? Well, it’s been decided that I’m going to wear my Halloween costume from a few years ago. Want to know what the costume was? A fifty dollar old fashioned wedding dress!!!! I’m so excited the dress is so beautiful and on the horse it will look so good. I can’t wait. Hopefully Wynne doesn’t get too scared of having bunches of white material flowing all over on her back and down her rump. We will see.

This is the dress on Sarah Reinhard. It will be to die for when on that horse.

Friesians

There are a couple of things that I really, really love about Steve: he is punctual and consistent. Every morning, no matter what the circumstances, he kindly licks my neck to wake me up at precisely 6:00. I love it because I am most definitely a total morning person, but there are many times when, if I have no reason to rise-and-shine, I won't until ridiculously late hours of the day such as 9:00! I know, I know, its terrible, 9 is so late. Oh, and it goes without saying that I love going to bed early: 9:00 PM is ideal.

Anyway, we had some great news when we went walking yesterday (a bunch of my aunts and grandma have a walk every morning around The Lake at 7:25 sharp). We arrive to hear that my aunt Judy's horse, Jennis, a purebred, BEAUTIFUL friesian mare, had had her baby last night out of Raven, her friesian stallion. Now, many would shrug at this and think big deal. Well, for poor Judy, things go wrong almost every time, especially with this mare. Jennis aborted one baby, abandoned the other. Thank goodness last year they were able to get a little stallion out of her and keep it alive, but, nevertheless, when the due date comes around for any horse, Judy becomes nervous. And, she has the right to. The other thing with Jennis was that she just didn't look pregnant. We thought the baby must be very small, a quality not desired in a friesian. Well, no need to be concerned about this filly. They put Jennis in the stall, just in case the night before, and arrived to find a HUGE and beautiful baby. Judy was glowing with happiness. After so many disasters this year, it was great to see her so happy.

Speaking of Friesians, it just so happens that I will be riding one in the Northern Illinois Horsefest. Wynne is three years old and the newest edition to Judy's farm. I've ridden her before on trails and couldn't help but fall in love with her great attitude! In a three year old this is rare. This is a picture of Wynne (the black one) and Sangria.

This is also the show that our vaulters will be performing in. The Norther Il. Horsefest is one of our favorites as it is at the end of summer, very relaxed, and alot of fun (with the exception of last year). And, I know I've said this a million time before, but I think this year, we are at our best. This picture is of us last year at the same show.

In other news, we've been planning our great big three week road trip to California and I can't wait. Its going to be great!

I'll have videos of Norris up soon.

Vaulting on Horseback

A lone horse and single handler enter the arena as the announcer demands silence from the crowd. A strange and unknown sport called vaulting is introduced as a group of gymnasts arrive on the scene in a perfectly formed and unified line. They take their position on the side and the horse begins it's circular journey around it's handler at a beautifully balanced canter. The line of athletes is broken as one steps forward to enter the horses spherical path and stand at the center. Then the audience waits anxiously as they give the performers their attention. The vaulter raises his hand and all at once the room is filled with sweet melodic music. He approaches the horse in perfect unison with its gait. They glide in a half circle and finally meet. In an instant the vaulter and horse become one as the athlete is lifted by sheer momentum to land atop the creature without straining a single muscle. The show has begun and the crowd now holds their breath and sits at the edge of their seats as the excitement builds. In a perfectly fluid dance the gymnast contorts his body in ways that are both amazing and beautiful all while on top of his equestrian partner. All of the sudden, without any warning another vaulter appears on the horse. The music fluctuates to a dramatic series of notes and the second athlete is lifted high above the first. She is now flying and dancing all at once, always with precision, always with unison. Again, another gymnast appears and the music again becomes loud and exciting. Now, the three of them move in separate dances. Now, they join in movements. Now, they climb to impossible heights only to fly and roll and find the ground again. One vaulter leaves horse and another mounts to take his spot and join directly into the motions of the horse. By now the music courses through everyone in the arena and pulls them into a mesmerized state as they watch in horror to see the vaulters continually defy all laws of gravity and motion. The performance is terrifically beautiful, yet fearfully dangerous. Finally, in a grand and desperate last cry from the music the last three vaulters take flight in a series of flips, twists, and jumps and land in a dense fog of silence. Their feet find the ground firmly and they proudly and triumphantly raise their arms to conclude their victorious performance and a roar, more deafening than any music could be erupts and grows. This is what the sport called equestrian vaulting is all about.

Blessings to be Joyful About

I know I should be a tad bit upset at this point. It would be normal for me to feel cranky because I’ve been thrown back into reality with nothing but memories of time well spent and a lot of sore muscles. I must be strange because I honestly feel very happy today, despite the poor weather and circumstances.

If you did not know, we, as in my family, Steve, the deer, and a very large sum of my relatives, spent Fourth of July weekend at my aunt and uncle’s lake. Norris Lake is amazing. It is perched high up on a plateau of its own about thirty or so feet high. There are hardly any trees to block the glorious view of sky and miles of corn and bean fields that are so characteristic of this great state of Illinois. When up there, you really feel isolated in the best way in that it feels as if nothing in the world exists except for you, the sky, and the lake. We left late Thursday morning and stayed till Sunday evening. It may seem like a long time to spend on a single camping trip, but we had plenty to do! Norris Lake has a water slide, rope swing, volleyball court, beautiful beach, fishing docks, and a lovely pavilion among other things. It was just a great weekend of fun and family! And, no worries, I documented most of it and will have a video up shortlyJ.

The picture below is of Norris. This was taken awhile ago during a big storm and is the only photo I have of it. I have plenty of videos, just one picture.

Besides the fact that I have just come off of a superb weekend, I have other reasons to be joyful. Last night, late after the fireworks, I came home to an unbelievable surprise. A large envelope to me sat on the table. On the front it had an ICC stamp on it, so I assumed it was just some announcement about an educational workshop that I would never bother to go to, but I opened it anyway. The first word on the letter within was “Congratulations”! I think my heart actually stopped for a second when I read on to find that I had been awarded with a scholarship of a substantial amount of $1000! All day I’ve felt completely dumbfounded at why God would chose to bless me with this. I already am completely financially stable due to a dog bite when I was three. The dog’s owner’s insurance company is sending me a check every year for four years which does more than cover my cheap ICC tuition, and now this! Right next to the joy that I feel right now is a burdensome feeling to match it. I know that God has a reason for these blessings and I just pray that I will follow His will no matter what. I won’t say I am not a bit afraid of the responsibility this brings and that I’m not asking God “why me”. We will see what time brings and what His plan is. I am so glad that I can trust that He is all powerful, all wise, and all good. I have wanted very badly to go on a mission trip next summer, so perhaps that is what I am to do. I will be praying.

I guess I should mention one other reason why I’m not bummed that the weekend is over: no school. Today is our only holiday for the summer and I love the fact that I only have one day of school this week. Is that sad, or what! I really do enjoy school and I am glad for the structure it brings to my summer, but I can’t say I don’t love being home more.

Perhaps I am not strange for feeling joyful today.

Learning to be Patient

I woke up yesterday in the foulest of sorts. That night I hadn't fallen to sleep until well after midnight so I was counting on sleeping in till at least seven but mom and Steve had other ideas. I grudgingly crawled out of bed after being hit with a barrage of licks only to be met with a list of jobs as soon as I reached the kitchen from mom. All I wanted was a cup of coffee before my crazy hectic day would begin. Is that too much to ask? Apparently it was. I was kept plenty busy from the time that I woke up, to when I walked out the door for school: late. At school I practically dozed off to sleep through the whole lecture. Not a good idea. By the time Medical Terminology came around at one o'clock I was a bear of the worst kind. I've always considered myself to be a patient person. I guess God disagrees with my view of my own temperance because by stepping into that classroom every Monday and Wednesday I am stepping directly into a zone of testing. The class stretches on for two long hours. By the time the first hour is behind us and we have yet to learn about the next chapter, I can feel my entire mind and body reacting in a most disagreeable way. My eyes are pulled to the clock by an invisible tug at random moments, the intervals between which become shorter and shorter. Upon seeing the most frustrating sight of a clock that seems stuck and hearing the teachers voice go on and on in a horrid monotone volume saying things that I've known since high school, my stomach turns into a knot that is almost unbearable to live with. Even my throat seems to close at the stress that I felt from that class. I'm not exaggerating either. I leave that class so stressed that I can hardly breath. The worst part is that no one can understand my pain because the reason I'm stressed in that class is because it is too easy. We spend two hours on things I already know!
Anyway, I had a short bit of time home before I had to rush off to vaulting. As we walked into the barn, my aunt, Karin hits us dead in the face with news that we only have a couple of practices with the Reinhards. So Karin is stressed, which is never good. I can't say much for the practice.
I had another very short time at home only to be whisked away to church. I am ashamed to say that I had no pleasure in going and no intention of listening. I was a dragon of fury at this point. Well, it was one of those sermons. The kind that you just know God had prepared just for you. Bill Schick gave it and at one point he looks at us in the front and said that us young kids can't understand this concept yet, but "learn to be thankful for the hard times". That struck a chord with me that would ring loudly for a long time afterward. I know that yesterday was a day to learn patience and gratitude. After the sermon and after realizing I had so much to be thankful for, my attitude changed. If you know Jessica and Janelle, you can ask them how goofy I was after church. What can I say, finding out that I was being tested for a whole day and then having God explain to me afterwards what it was all about leaves me in a state of utmost and highest joy!