I Went Downstairs for Food, I Came Back with Chocolate and a Baby Name

There are things in our lives that come along when we least expect. For instance, your pajama pants getting snagged under your feet while running, causing you to do a somersault across the lawn and ending with your hands and legs bloody, was definitely something you were not expecting this morning when you quietly shuffled out of bed.

Or submitting three photos to a magazine--expecting to wait three to four weeks for a reply--and getting a personal email from the editor three days later complementing your work and letting you know that all the photos you submitted have been accepted.

Or dying to go out and get some new photos and then getting a call from some old photography friends who want to drive out somewhere cool for a photoshoot.

Those are the kind of things that come in without warning, some little, some big, some annoying, some pleasant. Either way they come swarming in throughout your day whether you notice or not, and granted some days are slower than others--but I can gladly say that today has been filled so far by these unexpected moments. One of the most monumental being the possible name choice for our new baby brother.

As you have all been hearing, for the past several months, my family is in the process of adopting another child from China--and we recently underwent the terrible tragedy of a failed adoption.

Katie, the young seven year old girl my family was planning to adopt, had a sudden downturn in her health. Her mental state was deteriorating, and that therefore made her adoption a special case--one in a special classification. My family fought hard, but we were unable to adopt dear Katie. We still pray for her, and it has been a very hard time--especially for my mom. We prayed, and we waited--not easy for us. The odds seemed to be against us and NOTHING was lining up. It was very bleak.

But then, things started to change. In what Joyce Meyer likes to call a "Suddenly" things started to move again. Weeks after the failed adoption--nearly two months actually--my family received news about a new child, a little boy.

We accepted and today we received our letter of acceptance (meaning the orphanage has agreed to continue the adoption.) And therefore, after accepting the referral, we have been busy with preparations.

Picking a name was one really big thing that needed to be accomplished. Today, we believe we have come to a decision.

Levi.

It's a toss up between that and Jonathan, which I personally love, but so far Levi is the number one choice.

Please pray as we continue down this road, and wait to see where the Lord wants us to go next.


And that I don't do anymore acrobatics on the lawn.

Thank Heavens, I Got my Hair Cut! :D

Before and after--that is my surprised face. 

Yes, finally I got my hair chopped off. I got about three inches chopped off, and I am very happy! Having thick hair is a real problem when it gets long because it actually physically pains you! Seriously, try pulling thick hair into a pony tail--it's basically the same as having a weight tied to the back of your skull. Unpleasant and headache inspiring. 

But now it's lopped off and I am so happy! Now maybe I can speed up my morning routine! 

However, I didn't just come to talk about my new haircut. We've also had some other interesting news. There was a possum on our back porch this evening! Yes, a little marsupial decided to drop in for a visit while we had company over. No pictures--sorry, I'm falling down on my job. This little guy has been raiding our cat food for several days now, and unlike other possums he was actually rather cute. Though, I'm sure my mother and her friend Mrs. Tamera would disagree heartily. :) He's run off now, and hopefully he won't be back any time soon, because while I may think the possum is cute--I'm pretty sure the cats won't feel the same way. 

P.S: I know possums are disgusting little things, trust me--I'm just not really that terrified of one. I mean, I've seen them all my life, so....not really a big deal. 

So...any other news? A lot, but it's bits and pieces. Christmas is coming at a pace so my family has been really busy. I'm still trying to find someone to go to Stone Mountain with me--my parents prefer I go with an adult. It looks now like we may go as a family which would be loads of fun! :) 

And, now I've got to go make ginger bread houses. So until next time! 

Winter Fun with Friends!

We all piled our feet on Hannah--she did not appreciate it. ;) But she was a good sport and didn't kill us for putting our wet, dirty shoes on her. That's what you get when you have long legs---you are used as a footrest! 

Well, from the title I'm pretty sure you can guess that I had friends over and we had an amazing time!

This was the first time our little group had been together in weeks--since everyone had been out of town for the holidays...and then were stricken with illness. But yesterday we got back together and had a series of adventures!


Mainly we just talked, that's usually what we do. We laugh and talk (very loudly) and basically just have a good time. We fangirl over our favorite shows (Hannah and I completely freaked out over Doctor Who) and listen to our favorite bands. We talk about life events and all sorts of crazy stuff. We're weird, crazy, random and very, VERY chatty!

First on the list was a golf cart ride--as always. 

It was a lot of fun, despite the rain. All day long there was a thick mist coming down and by the time we got back inside we were all pretty much soppy wet. I hate it when it rains like that, the mist soaks you and then you can't get dry or warm no matter what. But we had fun.  

I don't trust Jessie

See that look, that's the look I give Jessie when I know something crazy is about to happen--and it did. Right after this pic we took a turn too sharply and I was slammed into her. There was much screaming and laughing.

See, this picture is very poor quality and the colors are all messed up, but here we are. Yes, lovely aren't we?

Jessie, Hannah, and Clara. We were unable to get really good pictures due to the low lighting.

Jessie and me together after coming in from the rain. 

Jessie and I before we actually went out riding. It wasn't raining then--tricking us into thinking it was safe--but once we got out over the hill (the very back end of our property, here came the rain! Very sneaky, rain...sneaky. 

The back end of our property. 

After we got back inside we were all exhausted, and we retired to the sofa. We ate pizza, and watched Disney's Robin Hood. Yep, Disney night with the girls! Nothing better! Next time we want to watch Pocahontas so we can sing along. Love these girls!

This was, I believe, the best picture of the night. Haha, this is truly us! From left to right: Joanna (my sister), Jessie, Clara, Hannah, David (Hannah's brother) and, of course, that's me sitting on them. :) I love David's expression! Haha!


What else has happened since I talked to you last? Well, I finished all of my finals! Yes, I survived and (though I don't have my grades back yet) I believe I passed! I'm so happy! Today's final was history, and it marked the end of this semester.


It's been a real learning experience, and I'm glad I can say that I'm better off because of it--but I will miss it. I'm excited/nervous for the new Spring semester--and also the new year!

Each year I'm nervous about starting over--but I remind myself that God is with me and he has continued to bless me in unimaginable ways! I pray and trust that he will guide me through whatever challenges the new year brings and that he will bless me beyond my wildest dreams!


That's about all I can say right now--because I've got to take my sister to piano--so until next time!

Thanksgiving's Today, but They Put my Childhood Netflix

No, I don't normally wear red lipstick--it was just for fun. And look! My Batman shirt! :) I love this shirt SO freaking much! 

Well today is, of course, my family's Thanksgiving--and yesterday was cooking and today we have to clean up after cooking before serving dinner for a thundering hoard tonight. 

You could say that today is going to be another busy day--but during my lunch break I discovered something most peculiar. They put my childhood on Netflix. Two of the Disney movies I watched religiously as a child have recently been added to Netflix. Robin Hood and The Sword in the Stone. Some people may say these weren't their best movies, but as a kid I loved them. They were adventure movies--and I loved them. So when I saw them on the Watch Instantly Que I was over joyed, and I started with The Sword in the Stone (which I am currently watching). How am I supposed to get anything done? And don't say 'Just turn off Netflix', because that's just not going to happen. Is it normal to check Netflix more often than Facebook? Hmm?

I was a strange little child I suppose, the Disney Princesses I most admired and wanted to be like were Pocahontas and Mulan. I loved Belle as well, but I watched Pocahontas and Mulan a lot more. As for my idea of a Disney Prince--Robin Hood was ideal. 

I read the stories of Robin Hood and would watch nearly any Robin Hood movies that I could find. More of an adventurous kid you might say. 

I was never very dainty--I was more of a Tom-Boy. Instead of my mother fussing because I was trying to wear makeup too early, she was fussing because I would sit down at the dinner table with leaves in my hair and mud on my face. She'd worry over the blood all over my legs from when I ran through a briar patch in shorts. I did love dolls, but usually I'd make my Polly-Pockets wage war on my brother's Lego towns, or I'd steal his G.I. Joe's and have them go on top secret missions. I was a complete boy really--and that might have been why all of the other girls my age thought I was a freak. As James can attest, we spent hours playing Star Wars and just plain War in the woods, or playing football on our front lawns. 

I'd go out and hike, ride my bike, play with my brother, roll around in the yard with the dog, climb a tree, or just take off running somewhere. 

I never wore 'fashion' clothes, I wore what was practical and comfortable. A nice T-shirt, jeans, and boots or sneakers. I have never really worn jewelry until recently, and when I did it was always pretty sturdy because I could destroy frilly stuff pretty quickly. Still don't wear rings though--too easy to get caught on something and I'm not that keen on getting my finger ripped off. Hey--it's a farm in the South--it happens. 0_0

I didn't watch Hannah Montana, I didn't want to dress like her or want to be blonde--I wanted to be me. Though, to be fair I was more interested in being a Jedi or Wizard (not that I advertised that fact, because Hogwarts said that Muggles needed to be kept in the dark about the school.). I was happy, I got to meet amazing people and enjoy the beautiful childhood God gave me. I wasn't concerned with if a boy liked me when I was 12. In fact I thought boys were great playmates and didn't really see them as 'boyfriends'. I knew I was too young for that, and I just wanted to hang out with them as a friend. 

Also, unlike girls, guys only cared if I could throw a baseball or if I could run fast--whether I was pretty or popular didn't matter to them. I have actually known more guys than girls who genuinely liked me for me. 

I always acted like a lady around them--understand--I didn't belch in front of them or anything like that. I just liked being around them and I liked a lot of things guys liked anyway. My friend Jessie laughed and told me a few weeks ago that when I have to go to a movie with my boyfriend there would be no arguing over what movie to watch--I'd always pick the dude movie. It's true--I've had more arguments with my friends who are girls over what to watch than with any guy I've ever been to a movie with. Save when there is a Disney movie....then us girls are all in agreement and we sing and dance around the living room like mental patients. Beautiful friendships! 

This may also be why my brother and I are so close. We are in perfect agreement (usually) about the stuff we like. Growing up he was my main playmate, and we were thick as thieves. He was always the good kid, though, and if he got in trouble you could usually bet that I was involved. Now it's about 50/50. :) But yea, we like all of the same stuff, save for Fandom things--he's still learning about that. 

Now I can be girly--I have that side of me--but I still have a lot of the Tom-Boy in me, and I just want to find a healthy balance between the two. Because, while being girly has a lot of benefits--being a Tom-Boy is more useful for me as a farm girl. :)

I believe firmly in acting like a lady and presenting well, but I also believe that I can't be afraid to get a little dirty. I'm more of an adventurous personality, and I think that, someday, I'd like a boyfriend who would be a little adventurous too. Seriously, guys who are 'outdoorsy' are very attractive to me. 

Haha, he'll also have to be used to my frequent fangirling! Could you find it endearing? That'd be great, boyfriend. :) Of course, if you can freak out with me over something like The Walking Dead or Supernatural or a movie--something--you'd be, hands down, the best boyfriend ever!  Oh and possibly calm me down after the death of a fictional character. Heheheh! 

What did I originally start off talking about again?  Oh yea, Netflix and my family Thanksgiving. Okay, maybe this post turned into a ramble--oh well, I do that. Yes, it's actually this bad in real life too--just as any of my friends or family members. They'll tell you. 

But there, again, is my little ramble that probably should have ended several paragraphs ago. Oh well, it's a blog where I record my thoughts--I suppose this is the correct way to use it. Dunno. 

Now I'm off to compulsively overeat, yep--didn't do that on the actual Thanksgiving given the fact that I was still about half human half Walker--but now HAHAHAHA! I'm back to my usual talkative/hungry self and I want pie! 

Pie? 

PIE!

PIE IS ALL THAT MATTERS! 

Zombie Apocolypse Survival Game

Okay, so this is a game that my friends and I love to play, and is actually an adaptation of another game. However, since my friends and I are completely insane and do not like to follow rules we had to make it fit our own crazy needs.


So here's how it goes.


You pick you team, location, weapons, and vehicle. But there are specifications.

Okay, Team:

Pick three people:

Two from your top favorite fandoms--come on, it's me and my friends here, you should have KNOWN fandoms were going to weave their way into this somehow.

And one person from your real life. (Haha, zombie bait)


Location:

The last place you visited, either the woods, suberbs, city, whatever. Just the last place you were recently.

Weapons:

One weapon from a fandom--but this CANNOT be a lightsaber. Sorry, no cheating on this one. :(

One weapon one of your fandom people uses,

One close range weapon of your choice,


Vehicle:

SUV,

Truck,

Or Tank,

Your choice, choose wisely. :)


Okay, so that's that. I am curious about your responses. :D


And just for laughs, I'll post mine.


Okay, team:

Dean Winchester from Supernatural! :) 

He's a good zombie fighter, if you saw that episode. :)

Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead,

Because, who wouldn't want him on their team? I mean, really? 

Maybe my brother. Yea, probably my brother Jackson. He'd be a good zombie killer.

Location: 

The woods,

Not so limited supplies (if you know where to look) and limited zombies.

Weapons: 

Sonic Screwdriver, would be good for getting through doors. Weird choice, but fun. 

Daryl's crossbow, of course.

A machete, pretty good for chopping up zombies at close range. :)

Vechicle:

Truck, of course gas mileage depends on the truck, but truck yes. Sorry Dean, we had to leave the Empala.

Okay, now there are my choices! Now let the games begin and may the odds be ever in your favor. 

Seriously, my history teacher started class out with that line one time...not sure whether or not to think that is awesome or really REALLY weird. :) 

Post your results in the comments and share the game if you want! Let's go kill some zombies! 

Yesterday/Today

As I told you, I was going to post at you everyday during NaNoWriMo, you were warned. But this will be a short post, don't worry! 

Writing is going well. 10,000 words and counting! I was shocked at how much I got done in just two days! 0_0 Of course I have a LOT of homework tomorrow--so I'll have to take off from writing just for Sunday. 

The book is going well, the beginning was a little rough to write because it's such an important part and there's so much to set up! However, I managed to get through it and now I'm off to bigger things! :)

My social life has been unusually busy lately, especially considering the fact that it's NaNoWriMo. Jessie came over and spent the night Friday.

We were both really excited about it! We went shopping, watched our favorite shows, and of course ate lots of junk food. The shopping part was the most fun though! We went to a local antique store and I found a vintage Brownie camera there in really good condition. It was only ten dollars...so naturally I bought it. :)

We had a lot of fun playing with it. It proved to be a very nice photography prop! :)

I also got some angel wing earrings also. They remind me a little bit of Castiel...or is that just me?

Castiel wings! :)

I also got a cameo necklace. :D It's one of my favorite things I got today! I will be wearing this a lot! ;D

I also got Mockingjay! It was on sale and I really needed it to complete the Hunger Games Trilogy! 

We had a lot of fun with a brief photo shoot! :)

I love this one! 

October's last spectacle. 

Jessie's smile! 

I also worked today for twelve hours. Woof, I'm exhausted! Now it's onto school work and--of course--sleep! :D 

Well, until next time! :D 

Happy First Day of National Novel Writing Month!

Hello, lovely bloggers! Today as you know is the first day of National Novel Writing Month! Yes, finally the blessed month has returned! Now it's time to buckle down and force those stories onto the page! 

Just so you know, I will be posting everyday (or every other day on my school days) for this month. I will do mostly writing posts, just updates on progress. I know, boring but I will try to make it funny. :) If I have a life update I may throw it in there, but to be honest--when I'm on this binge my social life is non-existent. 

I completed NaNoWriMo last year, writing the third installment in my book series. This year I will be revising the first one--and by revising I mean completely rewriting it. Some of you may say that this isn't really completing a novel for NaNoWriMo, so I will explain.

I have decided to completely overhaul the book, nothing will be kept from the original. I've revised the characters, story line, and even the world they live in. Everything has to be re-written from scratch. So that brings me here on the very first day of NaNoWriMo! 

My mood today is excited and hopeful! The excited part comes not only from the anticipation of writing a new book, but also from the large Mocha I am currently consuming! 

Yea, good thing the mug is hiding my face--it's seven in the morning and I stayed up late last night for Halloween. Also I have a goodly supply of sweets---beware! 

So whether or not you are in NaNoWriMo, or whatever your goals are--Happy National Novel Writing Month to all of you! I hope that (to all the writers out there) that you accomplish more than you ever thought possible! 

You know....fun thought to think that somewhere, out there, a masterpiece may be about to be written! :D 

So good luck! And may the odds be ever in your favor! 

Working Life

My sister, Jo Jo  came as an Egyptian princess. This isn't the costume she's actually wearing for Halloween though. She's going as an angel this year. Yes...I'm still fighting the urge to dress up like Castiel and follow her around. 

As I've previously stated in a few of my posts, I've started working at a local field trip destination here in Georgia. Since I'm not into revealing the real life names of people and places--for now I shall refer to it as the 

Anyway, this past Saturday they had a Halloween event for the kids. With a day full of pumpkin carving/painting, costume contests, hay rides, and plenty of trick or treating--the day was going to be busy for us workers and fun for the visitors. 

I myself, for the first time yet, was scheduled for two shifts. Usually I work one really long one and then get off and go home. This time, however, I actually had a three hour break. 0_0 I wasn't really sure what to do with this, seeing how it takes me twenty minutes to get home and twenty to get back. Also, once I got home I would be unable to change out of my work clothes, or even enjoy an episode of The Walking Dead before I'd have to scurry back to work. It was hardly worth the gas money...actually, to be fair, very few things are worth the gas money now-a-days. I digress, but on with the story.

My first shift involved working a company picnic, which is my usual line of work. I help to prepare the area, keep things neat and clean, and assist anyone who needs help. It's a very pleasant line of work really, you get to meet a lot of interesting people and I've only had to deal with one rude family out of the lot. It's also very demanding, just picture managing a giant meal with people flying in by the dozens. As soon as you put something out it's gone and you need to replace it. However, I'm working with real professionals who know exactly how everything needs to be done, so I pay attention to them and do exactly what they tell me. ;) It could also be compared to managing a giant party, and at times it can be a lot of fun. 

But after the picnic was over and cleaned up, I was left with a staggering three hour break. I didn't really want to drive home, and there was no other work to be done, so I was at a loss of what to do (I'd already grabbed myself a quick lunch). However, it just so happened that my aunt, cousin, mother, and sister were coming to the Halloween event and they asked if I wanted to walk around with them. It was perfect. I had three hours to kill and they were unfamiliar with the territory. :)

First thing we did was go through the corn maze...which turned out to be less than satisfactory because we got lost. My aunt eventually high tailed it back through the entrance. :)

On a tour with Doctor Allan Grant--this can't end well. 

Yea, watch out for those velociraptors! 

After the corn maze I took the kids by the petting zoo. Their favorite animal was the donkey! Goats and cows were old news, but a donkey? That was special. :)

Someone I know has a miniature donkey--he says it's sweet unless you stop petting it. :)

The kids and I not long before I went back to work. Michael is distracted. :)

Michael came as Doctor Allan Grant from Jurassic Park. He was very proud of his costume. 

Me, my sister, and my cousin getting ready to go up. 

We also went zip-lining. I'd never been before--unless you count the one that was in a friend's backyard. Fond memories there--it took me ten minutes to be coaxed up the 20 foot ladder just so I could fall off mid zip. Needless to say, it took a few years for my fear of high strung ropes to subside. This time the zip-line was 60 foot--and I was harnessed in this time. 

Yep, I took my little sister up there too. She was really excited about it too. 

That's my aunt, she was the one who convinced me to try the zip-line in the first place. 

Well, as much fun as it was hanging out with my family, it was time for me to go back to work. In my next shift I was going to be handing out candy for the trick-or-treat event. This was, I believe, the most fun I've ever had on the job. There were so many precious little kids coming through! There was even a two year old dressed up in a fuzzy monkey costume! He was my absolute favorite! :D

Yes, I had to wear a costume all day, I didn't put much thought into it. I was a cowgirl and that was that. Note: This is the costume I used for TUAC last year; it was made by the ever lovely and talented Mrs. Rita!



The trick-or-treating went smoothly, and I really enjoyed myself. At the end of the day though, when I got home, I collapsed into bed and fell asleep and didn't get up until ten the next morning! 0_0 Oh well, it was a great day and I'm very grateful that I have a job I love so much!


But for now it's time for me to go. Excuse any errors in my spelling/grammar and so on...I'm really busy today. I'm just glad I'm posting at all! Also, before I leave, I have to drop a little hint again about the exciting thing that's been going on lately. Yes, I know, you're probably tired of me dropping hints about it--and some of you may have already figured it out--but here comes another piece of the puzzle.

Last week was amazing for more than one reason. I came back from school with something I never expected, and something very wonderful. Any guesses on what it might be? I'll probably announce it officially this week or next--you know--when I've got time. Yes, it is something that requires an official announcement. I've discussed it with the other party involved, and now all that's left is to wait for the right moment to spring it on y'all. :) I'm really excited about telling you all, but just understand that I don't have a lot of time now--so the post will come when it comes. :)

And I kinda like keeping y'all in suspense! :) Just rest assured it's nothing really serious, just something really nice and fun.

So until next time!


Rebecca