A Lot of Gifs and Song Lyrics

It's that time of year again people. Where I become completely self centered and think the world revolves around me.

My mom-mommy and Daddy-kin got me a printer/copier which is literally the best thing since sliced cheese. My sister's got me two gifts, one of which hasn't come yet, but the other is this thing

I love it. And Jarod got me new hunting boots, so I am ready for deer season, baby! Not to mention he's taking me to either red lobster or olive garden for supper tonight, as soon as I decide where. 

I'm currently eating a Snicker's ice cream bar for breakfast. Because I have no shame. 

Basking in all the birthday wishes. The only one not loving on me today is my EdwardmJones account, which refuses to let me in. 

If it's Too Loud,You're Too Old

So, Saturday was the first time I've ever been to a music festival. This one was called Livin' out Loud (LOL), and showcased six Christian bands.

My sister's wanted to go, but they didn't want my mom to go, because 85% of the reason they wanted to go revolved around a boy who was gonna be working there. Since I've always wanted to see it, I volunteered as tribute.

It was amazing. We basically stood right in front of the stage the entire time. Got great pictures, and Minion 2 made eye contact with a bass guitarist. Minion 1 was able to mingle with the character henceforth known as Robert.

Now, before we left for this concert o had a friend remind me just how mean and annoying I could have been to the happy couple, on the basis of how terrible both minions were to Jarod when we started dating. And I totally would have ran with it, except this guy is just so darn good. There's nothing to tease him about. Look up polite I'm the dictionary and it'll say Robert.

But enough about that fluff.

The lineup was The Lasting Hope

Sarah Reeves

Elias Dummer from The City Harmonic

Danny Gokey

Sidewalk Prophets

And Tenth Avenue North

The Lasting Hope was my favorite for sure. They did not sound like an opening act, at all. I love their song I'm Forgiven.

Sarah Reeves had an interesting voice that I liked, especially considering I don't like many girl singers.

I'm not usually a big City Harmonic fan but when one guy climbed up there and rocked their songs with nothing but himself and a keyboard, I was definitely impressed.

Danny Gokey was super fun. I enjoyed him way more than I thought I would.

Sidewalk Prophets was amazing

 and Tenth Avenue North stole the show. They were fantastic. Such good stage presence.

The lead singer climbed up on one of the pillars of the stage, and I think we all expected him to backflip off or something, but he just looked around and climbed back down. It was hilarious.

Also, they sold a hat that said TAN, because their initials, but I just about bought for the sole fact that I'm so ghastly pale and that's the only TAN I'm likely to get. Still regretting the decision not to purchase one.

This concert was supposed to be over at ten, but due to some technical difficulties, it didn't get over until eleven, and then we had to bid Robert farewell, followed by a two hour drive to my sisters' house, then to my house, so I got to sleep at three in the morning. 

Church was hard. 

Pictures for your pleasure:

Relapse to Childhood

Hello all!

 I'll be 22 in just a few days and since I'm married with a child, I typically try to act like a grown-up. 

It hurts me to even type that really. I'm actually not a grown up I'm still very much a member of Kids Next Door. I'm just a secret agent in the grown up world. That's the best I can do considering Peter Pan never came and got me.

 But despite trying to act like an adult for the most part, sometimes I just have a full-blown relapse; just completely lose track of myself, lose sight of where I'm going in life and what I'm supposed to be doing, and I just go Hog Wild.

Today was one of those times.

 It's been raining since yesterday- we've got five inches so far which is an awful lot but we needed it, so I'm not complaining. This morning was dry but then this afternoon I heard the pitter patter on the window again. Sure enough, it had started raining again.

 I took Henry to the front door to watch. He seemed to like it. It was the strangest thing though, because as I was standing there watching it rain- not thunder and blow just nice quiet rain- I suddenly remembered a time when I was a little girl- I'm guessing 5 but I could be wrong- when we were in a drought and it hadn't rained in so long. It started raining and I immediately just ran outside and I was running and jumping and dancing through the yard like a complete maniac and singing (also known as screaming) the chorus to To God be the Glory. Mom and dad came out to watch and never even stopped me. By the time I was through, I was completely soaking wet and it was pretty much the funnest time of my entire life. 

So while I was standing in the door with Henry thinking these thoughts I got the overwhelming urge to go out and run around in the rain. I stood there for quite a while mulling it over and telling myself that there was a four month old baby in my hands and that if I went out and got in the rain I'd have to come in and change clothes and somebody might drive by and see an adult woman dancing in her yard getting soaking wet. All those things you try to tell yourself when you're an adult who wants to be a child.

 So you know what I did?

 I pulled Henry's bouncy chair up to the front door, strapped him in it, left the door propped open so he could keep watching, and I went outside.

 

 It was every bit as fun as I thought it would be.

I even got the dog to join me though he was a bit apprehensive at first. Once he saw how much fun I was having though he joined right in. 

My son thought it was the funniest thing when I came in soaking wet. 

Now I've got this song stuck in my head that we used to sing at camp. It's got a bunch of goofy actions to it but the words are nice.

 I'm Singing in the rain of God's love

 I'm a Child of God you see

 Jesus took my sins on Calvary

 I'm saved

 I'm blessed

 I'm free

One Year Later

I'm a little bit late, but on July 9th one year ago, our pastor pronounced us husband and wife. 

I can't believe it's been a year already. In some ways it feels like it's only been a couple months, and in others it seems like ten years.

So much has happened and changed. I think the obvious one being that we now have Henry. I'm just in awe when I look at him, and I find myself wondering why we were ever scared to begin with. He's one of God's biggest blessings on my life and I wouldn't change anything. 

Jarod amazes me every day with his drive to work hard, sometimes later than I'd like, but it's for us. He does it so we can grow and build in the future. As much as I loved him before, I love him so much more now. I literally don't know what I'd do without him. He completes me in every way. 

I know I'm not even half the wife he deserves, but I pray God would mold me into a Proverbs 31 kind of gal. 

Right now we rent a little house that's sufficient for the three of us. There's a possibility of moving in the next year or so, but we'll just have to pray on it. I'm so thankful that Jarod made it possible for me to stay home with Henry and manage the household portion of our lives. It's a simple start, but we both have dreams. Very different from each other, but capable of folding together like two separate hands. Nothing thrills me like sitting out on our deck together with Henry curled up in my lap, talking about all the things we want to do someday. Jarod listens to me and I listen to him and it all just seems so possible on those cool summer nights. Who knows if they'll come true or not, but we can dream. Maybe God will see fit to allow it. 

To celebrate the day we went to church in the morning, and age at the potluck (because you do not cook on your anniversary). My parents took Henry for the day and Jarod took about a three hour nap when we got home-romantic, right? Then we went and got ice cream and went for a drive. Like they do in books, and country music, just driving with no destination. Talking and playing old country on the ipod. It was wonderful. I got him some stuff for his peterbilt that he'd been wanting, and he got me a gun. I must say, the poor guy got the short end of the stick, in my opinion.

In the evening we went to Sportsman's, a little food and bait joint by the lake that serves AMAZING chicken. 

We did get out our wedding cake, but it was disgusting so I just nibbled on the frosting. Because frosting is eternal. 

Now we're a month in to our second year and we can laugh about the times I made a complete idiot of myself trying to get his attention, and how he shamelessly ignored me anyway. Now we're ready to press on into this new set of days and see where the road takes us.

Beautiful People- August

 

 

Its that time again people! And since I've actually been writing a story, I will answer the questions for my character.

It's gonna be Zaig, from Red as Blood.

What are they addicted to/Can't live without?

Zaig is a very conservative person. He doesn't allow himself to get too wrapped up in anything. That being said, he does have a rather unhealthy fixation on weapons, and he absolutely cannot live without one with him at all times.

 

Name 3 positive and 3 negative qualities about your character.

He's got a kind heart, if you can get past his thick skin.

He's loyal to his friends.

He's got a sense off humor, I think.

 

He's a petty thief on occasion.

He's bitter.

Does being an assassin count as a negative quality?

 

Are they holding onto something they should get rid of?

Yeah. The past.

 

If 10 is completely organized and 1 is completely messy, where to they fall on the scale?

Oh, I'd say he's about a nine. He's pretty darn meticulous. Everything has to be in its place. He doesn't like a mess, otherwise the Widow will be picking around his room tidying up, and we can't have that. She might find *things*

 

What most frustrates them about the world they live in?

That victims get overlooked, and the guilty go free.

 

How would they dress for a night out? How would they dress for  night in?

 

Big difference there, I know. Zaig's just kinda pain like that.

 

How many shoes do they own and what kind?

 

Uh...One?

 

 

Do they have any pets? What pet do they WISH they had?

No, he does not. But I think he'd like to have a horse of his own.

 

Is there something or someone that they resent? Why and what happened?

His stepdad. Because he was a nasty, abusive drunk.'

 

What's usually in their fridge or pantry?

He doesn't have a fridge, and he doesn't own the panty, but the widow keeps him well stocked in baked goods and delicious treats.

 

 

 

Nothing Gold Can Stay

I do believe I've fallen in love. 

I do believe I've fallen in love. Not with Jarod.

 I mean I do love Jarod, but I've been in love with him, so there's no need to announce I've fallen in love with him. 

No, I'm meaning in a fictional sort of way. 

Have any of you ever read The Outsiders? 

I hadn't. Seriously. 

Then one day I got a wild hair to watch it, because I've owned the movie the better part of my life and never once watched it. 

But Jarod said I can't watch it till I read the book. 

Which is the best thing he's ever done in the last 48 hours. 

So, because I wanted to watch the movie I scurried to the library and tracked it down. 

For some reason I was surprised by how little it was. 

So, I finished it in less than eight hours. Starting at eight in the morning, whenever Henry ate or napped, I read. Finished it at four. 

And I didn't cry. But I wanted to.

That is a glorious book. I've never been a fan of younger narrators, but Ponyboy was perfect. Perfect! 

I was one chapter into the book when I told Jarod that I felt like it was one of those where you love everyone and there's a nice atomic bomb in the last chapter that kills everyone. 

And he AGREED with me. 

I scolded him thoroughly and told him to never agree in a situation like that. Leave me alone to hope I'm wrong. Postpone the agony. 

In a sense, I was wrong. No bombs went off and not everyone died.

I fell in love with all the characters. But mostly Dallas (Dally) Winston. 

It certainly helped when I was able to see his face in the movie, but the movie fell flat for me. 
(Only problem being the knowledge that these guys are like my dad's age now...)
The characters lacked the soul they had on the page. Timing was too rushed, they just recited their lines, sort of thing. 

But in the book....perfection. Pure gold. They were so real. 

And of course I had to fall for the baddest boy of the bunch. 

It's not at all unusual. 

I've come to expect it by now, as well as the results of loving the most dangerous one. Tragic.

(If you knew what happens to all the characters I loved you would understand why I keep such a close watch on Jarod. Joking, joking) 

Then I read up a little on S.E. Hinton. I don't know why, but whenever I see initials like that I automatically assume man. So I was surprised to find out she is in fact a woman. 

But you know what blew my brain?

She was SIXTEEN when she wrote the book. What?!?!

I was absolutely floored that a sixteen year old could create something so deep, and meaningful, and lasting. That book was published ages ago! 

When I look at the crap I wrote when I was sixteen I want to ceremoniously burn it. I don't, because I keep telling myself a rewrite and some editing can work magic, but....

I have been inspired though. To get out my Out of Darkness story. The one about Cannon. It's similar to The Outsiders just in the fact that it deals with boys on the streets. And Jarod fueled the fire by suggesting I uproot the setting from Detroit and move it to Tucson. He spent a good chunk of his life there, and he knows quite a bit about the gangs, police, location, etc. He's very kindly volunteered myself as my research partner. 

Have you read the book? If not, get thee hence and acquire a copy immediately. 

If yes, read it again, for old time sake. 

And stay gold

Footnotes- A Link-up

I just love these sorts of things. I used to do lots and it seems like most of the old ones have kind of gone by the wayside. But here's a new one and I'm super stoked to join. 

The topic for the month: 

A quote from an author.

And they had to start off hard. 

How is someone who reads like it's an addiction supposed to choose one quote to chat about? 

How do you look at the entire universe and choose one star?

Several quotes popped into my mind when I read the prompt. 

I like his quotes, OK? No, I've never read any of his books. 

But fantastic as those are, those aren't my favorite. 

I've never met a C.S. Lewis quote I didn't like, but his are so long and theological I couldn't even begin to remember which is my favorite. 

Louis L'amour has a whole treasure trove of quotable gems but that's not what I wanted either.

And let's not forget

Quite frankly, I came very near to using this as my quote and calling it good. I relate to it on a spiritual level. 

Then I decided. 

THIS is my favorite quote. 

Because it is absolutely true. (And doesn't he look like he would so just that?) It does no good to sit around and wait for the urge to do anything. Read, write, create, clean the house....because it won't just spontaneously appear. Especially not the house cleaning bit. You've got to make it happen. Forxe yourself to sit down and write those next few words, even if they're complete rubbish. You can change them later. Just write. 

I'll never have time to read my Bible unless I make it. 

I'll never decide how I want to refurbish the dresser until I get out a paintbrush and start. 

If I spent half as much doing things as I do looking at Pinterest for ideas I'd have built a new house entirely by now. 

And I'll certainly never wash my dishes until I lock both feet into place and plunge my hands into the water. 

Go on.

Grab a club.