tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40583105894235381322024-03-05T14:26:03.454-06:00katie's thoughtsKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-24635580512725306092014-05-09T16:08:00.001-05:002014-05-09T16:08:43.823-05:00i will rise, because the weak are made strong.There's so much I need to say. So many people I need to thank. ...<br />
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This week was finals week for me. It was laid out kinda like this... Wednesday: Medical Surgical, Thursday: Behavioral Health, Friday: Pharmacology. I'm surprised I didn't just go insane. Seriously...the stress! But, as completely terrified as I was, I jumped in and prepared to conquer and kept my nose in a nursing book for a week straight.<br />
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But let me take a step back...</div>
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This semester. Gosh. It's been the hardest semester of my college career. By far. There were many tears shed. Many desperate prayers made. Many times I really didn't think I was going to make it through with passing grades. It was really rough.</div>
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Some of the roughness, I will admit, was my own fault. I didn't put in enough effort in the beginning of the semester and kind of dug myself into a hole. Some of the roughness came from my teachers. Some of the roughness came from life in general...sickness, family situations, etc. </div>
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But MY GOD! My God is pretty amazing.</div>
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But I'm getting ahead of myself...</div>
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My hardest class this semester was Med Surg. I am not proud to admit, but I failed many a test in that class. I was back and forth from failing to passing to failing again. Honestly, mostly failing. (By the way, in nursing school you have to make a 78% to pass. Anything below is failing. A 77.9999 is failing.) I went into my 75 point final with a 78%. No wiggle room there. And I was so so nervous. Like, I think I might have to puke kind of nervous.</div>
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I passed that test with an 86%.</div>
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I came out of the testing room and was just so happy! I hugged the first person I saw. (Thank you Tamara for that hug.) And I raced across the parking lot so I could call my mom and dad (my biggest cheerleaders). I passed!</div>
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Thursday I had Behavioral Health and then Friday (today) Pharmacology. I passed them both. And I am a free lady! And in the fall I will be a third semester nursing student! Who knew!</div>
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I'll tell ya who... God knew. He knew all along.</div>
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He knew that this semester I needed to learn a few lessons...possibly the hard way. He knew that I was where I was supposed to be, even if I didn't know it. He knew that I could do it, even if I didn't think I could.</div>
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I came home from my last final today and ate lunch with my mom and just started crying. I remembered where I came from months ago with my grades to where I ended up and it's just overwhelming and it blows me away.</div>
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So...thank you's. I've got quite a few. You know, you really cannot do nursing school alone. You can't. It's impossible. These amazing people have surrounded me and supported me and I love them.</div>
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Thank you to my parents first of all. They have hugged me when I cried. They've lectured me when I needed it. They've prayed for me constantly. Loved me unconditionally. Thank you.</div>
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To my sister and best friend, Annie. I love that beautiful girl! She gave me pep talks. She quizzed me numerous nights, even though she was so tired and ready to go to bed. She bought me flowers on a rough day.</div>
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To my best friends, Bethany and Emily. Thank you for all the encouraging texts. Thank you for the prayers. Thank you for the hugs (even the ones given from miles away). I love you both dearly.</div>
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To my coworkers who cheered me on, Cyndi, Kayla, and Irina. My weekend buddies.</div>
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To my amazing, hardworking, smart, and funny classmates. Cordie, Robin, Haley, and so many many more. You all are going to make awesome nurses.</div>
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To my YouTube tutor, Michael Linares. You don't even know me, but your videos helped me incredibly! (If you are a nursing student you must look this guy up! So helpful!)</div>
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To Kathy, who took over my responsibilities at church with our small group for several weeks so I could stay home and study.</div>
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To my freshman girls who I have in small group. Thank you for praying for me and hugging me. You all are amazing girls and I love you.</div>
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To Tim and Miranda, my boss and supervisor at work. Thank you for giving me a month's leave of absence so I could focus completely on school.</div>
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Before and after all three of my finals I played Hillsong in my car. And I just worshipped. Because no matter what happened, God is good.</div>
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<i>No power can stand against You. No curse assault Your throne. No one can steal Your glory. For it is Yours alone. I stand to sing Your praises. I stand to testify. For I was dead in my sin. But now I rise. I will rise, as Christ was raised to life. Now in Him, now in Him, I live.</i></div>
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-I Will Rise</div>
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<i>Christ alone, Cornerstone. Weak made strong, in the Savior's love. Through the storm, He is Lord. Lord of all.</i></div>
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-Cornerstone</div>
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So...one year of nursing school down, one to go! I'm ready.</div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-33528699487493686542014-04-16T17:00:00.000-05:002014-05-28T16:06:05.696-05:00ecstatic jabbering and random thoughtsso, hello guys.<br />
warning...i have been awake since 4am (early clinicals) and i have just downed a grande cinnamon dolce latte from starbucks. so...kinda sleep deprived and kinda hyper! yay! ;)<br />
<br />
i have come to a new mindset today. that is what this semester of school has been...new mindsets. like everyday. haha!<br />
but anyway, new mindset. i was talking with a classmate and my clinical instructor today about the anxieties and stresses of school and how completely overwhelming it is just thinking about it. like, if i fail out this semester of nursing school or have to withdraw a few things would happen...<br />
#1. if i fail it would lower my GPA quite a lot. to the point where if i wanted to reapply i possibly couldn't get back into the nursing program because i wouldn't have a high enough GPA.<br />
#2. if i withdraw or fail it would affect my financial aid. i probably wouldn't be eligible for aid anymore.<br />
#3. if i withdraw or fail i would need to reapply. and they only take so many people back per semester (like two or three-ish). no guarantee on getting back in.<br />
#4. if i withdraw of fail i would graduate late.<br />
<br />
and that is my list of woes.<br />
so today my clinical instructor said that if you go into a test with all of that^ anxiety on your shoulders and that much stress to pass then you will mess up...it's kind of inevitable.<br />
yay...<br />
so my new perspective on nursing school:<br />
if i fail/withdraw the world will still be turning. my life will not be over. i can always reapply to my school's program. but there are also many more schools out there who have great nursing programs. many many options.<br />
so from now on i will be going into tests with this new mindset. no more freaking myself out and having test anxiety about passing. no more thinking about having to graduate late. it will happen and in God's timing. and it's okay to have a plan b.<br />
(p.s. this is not why i'm ecstatic...though i'm pretty peaceful about this decision.)<br />
<br />
and then today! today i was prepared for a super super long day. like i said, i've been up since 4 this morning for clinicals, which ended at 12:30ish. then i had tutoring for pharmacology (test tomorrow!) from 2-3:15. and then studying tonight. hence the coffee...must stay awake!<br />
my pharm class has been online this semester. which, in so many words, has been kinda stinky. but today started a new tutoring session with our teacher and it went so awesome! like, i came out of there just so happy and hopeful that i could pass the test tomorrow.<br />
(this is why i'm ecstatic, by the way)<br />
granted, the hard parts of this semester are not over (finals week = 3 finals Wed. - Fri. ....dreading!) but i have a bit of hope now.<br />
so. that is all of my jabbering gibberish.<br />
thanks. :)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-88445996340913076452014-04-07T17:52:00.001-05:002014-04-07T17:55:30.299-05:00i'm ready to DO<span style="font-size: x-small;">{okay so third consecutive blog post in one day... actually gonna use today's date this time. haha!}</span><br />
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Nursing school is hard.<br />
Really hard.<br />
And I wasn't prepared maybe...<br />
1st semester was great.<br />
I kinda loved it, in fact.<br />
2nd semester.<br />
Well... It's hard.<br />
<br />
So here are my thoughts on life after the difficulties of failing tests and scraping by with C's and still working part-time and trying to maintain some type of life...<br />
<br />
4/3/14<br />
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Hello God,<br />
I feel like I've just awakened. Just now opened my eyes. Not my physical eyes; my soul eyes. And I'm ashamed it's taken me this long to really SEE. But it's time to move on from all things in the past. All bad habits and laziness and procrastination and selfishness. Because <u>laziness</u> <u>is</u> <u>a</u> <u>sin</u>! And if I don't <u>DO</u> something I am selfishly throwing away the best opportunity for success you've ever given me. I'm ready to <u>DO</u>. I'm ready to be a <u>DOER</u>! Help me when I fail though. Which is, unfortunately, often. Give me wisdom and strength. Help me stay awake when I need to pull an all-nighter to study, because I like sleep a little too much. Help me stay focused and undistracted, because I like books a little too much, and netflix is a pit of darkness that is hard to crawl out of.<br />
You know my weaknesses (all too well, I'm sure). And now I recognize them fully...or, rather, more than I did a few weeks ago. So I'm ready to take your all powerful, steady arm and move forward without looking back.<br />
Sure, I'll make mistakes again. Probably several before the day is over. But I am going to FIGHT. I'm going to fight the sin inside my flesh. Because things <u>have</u> to be <u>different</u>. Starting <u>now</u>.<br />
<br />
Love you,<br />
Katie<br />
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My beautiful friend, Bethany, sent me this devotion the same day I wrote that^ in my prayer journal.<br />
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"Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." Luke 8:25, NIV<br />
Is there something you are facing - whether in your outer circumstances or in your inner character that seems impossible to command? Something that has baffled you and outwitted you a thousand times, and appears that it will win over you in the end?<br />
Don't despair. Don't shrug and give up.<br />
Our Lord - your Lord and mine - can command even the most difficult, unruly thing that seems as if it will never be commanded.<br />
Let His word "even" be comfort to you. He who commands even the winds and water (and they must obey Him) - He can say to that "even" of yours, "Peace, be still."<br />
And there will come for you "a great calm" (Mark 4:39).<br />
Remember that there is nothing you are asked to do in your own strength. Not the least thing, nor the greatest.<br />
Isn't that amazing?<br />
How utterly foolish it is to plead weakness when we - even you and I - may move into the stream of that power. If only we will.<br />
--Even This... by Amy Carmichael<br />
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So, onward I go. Onward I fight. This hard thing called nursing school...I can do it, with God at my side!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-23481004472810148642014-04-01T16:19:00.000-05:002014-04-07T17:56:34.696-05:00random update with lots of not very good mobile photos.{i love how you can get on blogger after not being on for months and months and set the date back to make it look like you've been posting more regularly than you actually have. yeah...that's what i'm doing. (the date is actually 4/7/14...and this is my second blog post today...haha!)}<br />
<br />
is anyone else totally in love with this movie? don't be ashamed...i'm twenty years old and have watched it a million times and love it more every time. child at heart? i think so.<br />
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and nursing school continues on! this is me a few weeks ago practicing my IV tubing while everyone else watched the super bowl. way more exciting than football, let me tell you. now we are on to NG tubes. oooo fun!<br />
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taking selfies in the mall...'cause we're cool like that.</div>
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my sister is the best. love love love her.</div>
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current playlist includes:<br />
-high hopes by kodaline<br />
-100 years by five for fighting<br />
-let her go by passenger<br />
-landslide by fleetwood mac<br />
-more time by needtobreathe (and basically the entire "the heat" album)<br />
-called me higher by all sons and daughters<br />
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current reading list includes:<br />
-passion by louie giglio<br />
-the fault in our stars by john green (oh my goodness. no words. can't wait until the movie releases!)<br />
-this star won't go out by esther earl<br />
-and of course books like medical surgical nursing vol. 1, mental health nursing, and pharmacology.<br />
<br />
current movie/tv show list includes:<br />
-thor: the dark world (i found it greatly improved from #1...really loved it.)<br />
-frozen (as mentioned above, may be a little obsessed. i have every song memorized.)<br />
-castle<br />
-once upon a time (little bit embarrassed about this one...no judging, haha!)<br />
-grey's anatomy, friends, and the ellen show reruns<br />
-youtube videos on easy ways to understand ABGs and acid base (nerd?)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-51427870168620798112014-03-14T15:57:00.000-05:002014-04-07T16:07:20.247-05:00so today...[or rather three days ago...]<br />
<br />
so today i start this new thing called<br />
"not being a teenager anymore."<br />
sure is a strange feeling.<br />
does this mean i need to start acting like an adult?<br />
<br />
i heard this song sunday morning<br />
and i really want it to be my anthem<br />
in this new year - and throughout my twenties.<br />
(agh! not used to saying that!)<br />
<br />
"i could hold on, i could hold on to who i am<br />
and never let you change me from the inside.<br />
and i could be safe, i could be safe<br />
here in your arms and never leave home,<br />
never let these walls down.<br />
but you have called me higher,<br />
you have called me deeper,<br />
and i'll go where you will lead me, LORD.<br />
where you lead me."<br />
--all sons and daughters<br />
<br />
so hello twenties.<br />
i welcome you.<br />
<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-80919737115832856712013-11-06T15:56:00.000-06:002013-11-06T15:56:06.755-06:00worn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2PxN1f0V_EiqXV9H6pOLv_uN87Kb0yGYPFKD0gZAT-VkbuWmvXKlcd1E3N3VD6hCojcUpHMkzH-tp_lEpnmrj0HAFKCvp1ETFDg-2dVBdbIjYWDcg1UltusVeibqTIxfYeHc5v_Kp9w/s1600/2d2f5af43e1601539f6e940c0684ff11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2PxN1f0V_EiqXV9H6pOLv_uN87Kb0yGYPFKD0gZAT-VkbuWmvXKlcd1E3N3VD6hCojcUpHMkzH-tp_lEpnmrj0HAFKCvp1ETFDg-2dVBdbIjYWDcg1UltusVeibqTIxfYeHc5v_Kp9w/s640/2d2f5af43e1601539f6e940c0684ff11.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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hello God,</div>
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stress.</div>
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help me conquer it.</div>
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because i feel like it's in every part of my life right now.</div>
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every time i turn around.</div>
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help me trust in my amazing, awesome, more than capable God </div>
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instead of letting stress overwhelm me.</div>
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you give peace that passes all understanding,</div>
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and i want some.</div>
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<br /></div>
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~~~</div>
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<i>i'm tired</i></div>
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<i>i'm worn</i></div>
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<i>my heart is heavy</i></div>
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<i>from the work it takes</i></div>
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<i>to keep on breathing</i></div>
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<i>i've made mistakes</i></div>
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<i>i've let my hope fail</i></div>
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<i>my soul feels crushed</i></div>
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<i>by the weight of this world</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>and i know that you can give me rest</i></div>
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<i>so i cry out with all that i have left</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>let me see redemption win</i></div>
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<i>let me know the struggle ends</i></div>
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<i>that you can mend a heart that's frail and torn</i></div>
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<i>i wanna know a song can rise</i></div>
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<i>from the ashes of a broken life</i></div>
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<i>and all that's dead inside</i></div>
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<i>can be reborn</i></div>
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<i>because i'm worn</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>--tenth avenue north</i></div>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-22392624204247374252013-11-01T11:19:00.002-05:002013-11-01T11:23:24.770-05:00"single and not waiting"I found this <a href="http://convergemagazine.com/single-waiting-9283/">article</a> floating around facebook a few days ago. It's really, really fantastic. I'm tempted to print it and frame it and hang it in my room. I feel like this woman can relate to so so many Christian girls and guys out there, single or not. So I encourage you to read it...it's posted below.<br />
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SINGLE AND NOT WAITING</h1>
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Posted by <a href="http://convergemagazine.com/author/rachelselinger/" rel="author" style="color: #0099cc; text-decoration: none;" title="Posts by Rachel Selinger">Rachel Selinger</a> on Thursday, October 24, 2013 </div>
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<a href="http://cdn6.convergemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/singlegirl.jpg" style="color: #0099cc; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Flickr photo by Acy Varlan" class="size-medium wp-image-9287" height="220" src="http://cdn5.convergemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/singlegirl-330x220.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="330" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: white; font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px; padding: 5px;">
Flickr photo by Acy Varlan</div>
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I’m 23, I just graduated from university, and I’m <a href="http://convergemagazine.com/26-unmarried-and-childless-8736/" style="color: #0099cc; text-decoration: none;" title="26, unmarried, and childless">single</a>.</div>
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Many of my friends are married, and a few are starting to have children. And I feel as if I just graduated from high school again. You could say my life is in transition. And it’s true; I am in the middle of shifting myself from university to the career world. But I’ve started to wonder about whether it’s right to refer to my singleness as an in-between stage.</div>
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What exactly am I in-between again?</div>
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“It’s the first day of the rest of my life.” I recently I heard someone on TV say this about her wedding day, and it really bothered me. While I don’t want to discount the gift of marriage, I must say I’m a bit confused and frustrated with this sentiment. I’ve heard the cliché before, but I suddenly felt the weight of it. As if it equates marriage as the start of life, or at least the good part.</div>
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Don’t misunderstand my frustration; I think there is a beautiful element of starting a new family with your spouse. I’m all for godly marriage. But what I’m afraid of is viewing life through the lens of marriage as the goal. For waiting to get married before life starts.</div>
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I’m afraid, because I’m afraid it has happened to me. I’ve been living like I’m waiting for someone to get here. And it isn’t Jesus.</div>
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I’ve wasted my time, my energy, and my emotions on this concept that singleness is just a waiting room for a relationship. I’m tired of this view that my life begins when I wake up next to my husband, because I’m pretty sure my life began 23 years ago when my mom gave birth. And this mentality has robbed my joy.</div>
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As much as I’d like to place all the blame on Christian culture, the perpetual “Have you met anyone yet?” question the world asks me, and the reality that my Facebook feed looks more like a Pinterest wedding board these days, I am convicted of my own failures.</div>
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I’ve been living like God owes me something. Like he hasn’t held up his end of the deal. He has given me the desire for relationship and marriage, and he just hasn’t followed through.</div>
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I’ve been living under the impression that I deserve a relationship.</div>
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I’d be lying if I said Christian culture does much to inhibit this mentality. There seems to be a deep understanding and appreciation for the gift of marriage, but not so much for the gift of singleness (if it’s treated like a gift at all). Rather, singleness is something to be cured. Like I’ve got a disease, and introducing me to your single friend might perhaps cure us both. Singleness is the lump of coal, the gift that is never on your Christmas list.</div>
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There are at least a handful of us standing around, wondering what happened. (After all, I have been pretty nice this year.)</div>
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But it’s never been about being entitled, or even about being nice. I have to stop thinking that I’m doing something wrong here.</div>
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Well actually I am, but it isn’t about fixing something that will magically make a boyfriend appear. It is about changing the direction of my heart.</div>
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<em> “I’d rather have the right God than the wrong man.”</em> –- Christen Rapske</div>
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People talk all the time about pursuing people or things for the wrong reasons, but maybe we pursue God for the wrong reasons. Maybe subconsciously I’ve been treating God like he’s a vending machine. And my pursuit of him has really been a pursuit of someone else.</div>
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When did Christ cease to be enough?</div>
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And when did I stop finding my identity, self-worth, and fulfillment in Him, only to place my life on hold for someone I’ve never even met?</div>
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Each day is a gift, and I’m not waiting for it to get here. It is present in every moment, and it begins anew daily. Man-less or not, I want to wake up every morning and be excited because I get to spend my day with the God who created the universe.</div>
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And I want to do that for the rest of my life.</div>
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</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-82902967122854658672013-10-15T13:31:00.000-05:002013-10-15T13:31:44.212-05:00purple moon - blog tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tessa and I met over Blogger several years ago. I was so inspired by her story and her passion for writing. I think it is amazing that she has published her first book and I am completely honored to have been a very small part of the process. If you haven't gotten a hold of <i>Purple Moon</i> now is the time to check it out! There are links below.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLx0eR3BBtpInOdygB_xSszHZ3jvyxr7D1QAXEg-G7z7AlcENWVIEjYKnnOEinapo6peH2Q0VaIUghTY3m43VB7Bco_u9qFcfUvgm0S4EFFsCSdmA9JdxGX_IpM09ETwLbnuNVSkjXa_0/s1600/Author+Headshot_Tessa+Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLx0eR3BBtpInOdygB_xSszHZ3jvyxr7D1QAXEg-G7z7AlcENWVIEjYKnnOEinapo6peH2Q0VaIUghTY3m43VB7Bco_u9qFcfUvgm0S4EFFsCSdmA9JdxGX_IpM09ETwLbnuNVSkjXa_0/s400/Author+Headshot_Tessa+Hall.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tessa Emily Hall is a 19-year-old author of <i>Purple Moon</i>, her YA Christian fiction novel to be published September 2013 by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She is also the editor over the faith department for Temperance Magazine, a column writer for Whole Magazine, a contributing writer for More To Be, as well as the PR for God of Moses Entertainment. Other than writing, Tessa enjoys acting, music, Starbucks, and her Teacup Shih Tzu—who is named Brewer after a character in her book, as well as her love for coffee.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Website:</b> <a href="http://www.tessaemilyhall.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">www.tessaemilyhall.com</span></a> <br />
<b>Blog:</b> <a href="http://www.christiswrite.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">www.christiswrite.blogspot.com</span></a> <br />
<b>Twitter: </b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/tessaemily"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">www.twitter.com/tessaemily</span></a> <br />
<b>Facebook:</b> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">www.facebook.com/tessa.h16</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_nDDuoS7kv5R8EMSaz_TXtrG0mVbVTIbl4Pdf6piQjA8k0DPvvkJF3WGxc-iSMQJOgkiwoqvrOZlG2zKVZfvA2h9ZSQMrA56kKPf3SrZwOG8PjAEFnmJIcwRwW7FTEaJ3HPLl1N1oS8/s1600/Purple+Moon_Official+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_nDDuoS7kv5R8EMSaz_TXtrG0mVbVTIbl4Pdf6piQjA8k0DPvvkJF3WGxc-iSMQJOgkiwoqvrOZlG2zKVZfvA2h9ZSQMrA56kKPf3SrZwOG8PjAEFnmJIcwRwW7FTEaJ3HPLl1N1oS8/s400/Purple+Moon_Official+cover.jpg" width="262" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Selena's life isn't turning out to be the fairy tale she imagined as a kid. That hope seemed to vanish long ago when her dad kicked her and her mom out of the house. This summer might finally hold the chance of a new beginning for Selena ... but having to live with her snobby cousin in Lake Lure, NC while waiting for her mom to get out of rehab wasn't how Selena was planning on spending her summer. She soon begins to wonder why she committed to give up her "bad habits" for this.<br />
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Things don't seem too bad, though. Especially when Selena gains the attention of the cute neighbor next door. But when her best friend back home in Brooklyn desperately needs her, a secret that's been hidden from Selena for years is revealed, and when she becomes a target for one of her cousin's nasty pranks, she finds herself having to face the scars from her past and the memories that come along with them. Will she follow her mom's example in running away, or trust that God still has a fairy tale life written just for her?</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Moon-Tessa-Emily-Hall/dp/1938499875/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378757260&sr=1-1">Find “Purple Moon” on Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17982956-purple-moon" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Find “Purple Moon” on Goodreads</a></div>
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<a href="http://fiction.lighthousepublishingofthecarolinas.com/purple-moon/">Find “Purple Moon” at Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/purplemoonseries">Like “Purple Moon” on Facebook</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Middle & High School Experience</span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guest Post by Tessa</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not sure how or why I came up with Selena’s backstory. Because when I think about it, it is almost completely nothing like my middle and high school experience.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve always been a bit different from others my age. I’ve never been one to follow to the crowd (hence the reason I decided to pursue writing early). I didn’t realize exactly how different I was until I reached sixth grade. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of my friends started separating into cliques, wearing makeup, and getting boyfriends. I was still just a kid who thought the drama that all of my old friends created was silly. I didn’t want to be part of that. And because of that, sixth grade was not easy for me. I felt very alone during this time, and <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.wholemagazine.org/2013/08/being-different-from-rest-of-them.html">it wasn’t worth it to me to fit in with the crowd just so I could have friends.</a></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbELyy8_4oaWYx-nfN2Q69KjgYnFS1dlnjdPtqUhDcyoqs0srq3n3RqSYpqbBtQFjkcLivfhZHrokkSd-b4DCE-jTNMURWHWRYaBo1x8vnI8ZorKI_kuXVrgh6VQD2j7uU5Jh7jH90-KA/s1600/Sixth+grade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbELyy8_4oaWYx-nfN2Q69KjgYnFS1dlnjdPtqUhDcyoqs0srq3n3RqSYpqbBtQFjkcLivfhZHrokkSd-b4DCE-jTNMURWHWRYaBo1x8vnI8ZorKI_kuXVrgh6VQD2j7uU5Jh7jH90-KA/s400/Sixth+grade.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caption: Sixth grade, getting ready for my first—and only—school dance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After months of begging, my mom decided to pull me out of school and homeschool me in March of that year. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I switched schools in seventh grade and attended the Christian school, which is where my mom was the art teacher. Since I already knew some of the kids who would be in my grade—not to mention, the fact that the school was much smaller than the public school I’d attended—I thought it was going to be a perfect fit for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, I loved this school far better than the public school. And the beginning of the year was amazing. But after a couple of months, things started to change. The class separated into cliques, which left me feeling very out of place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eighth grade was by far my favorite year of middle school. My sister’s ex-boyfriend’s little sister, Mickey—whom I’d been friends with in a Christian Youth Theater—joined our class. She and I became closer than we ever were and hit it off immediately. We also started hanging out with two other guys in our class—one of the guys I’d known for a long time from church, and another one who eventually became my first boyfriend later that school year.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDWYa1lMwfgG4XbTB6s9EUuvOwsB_VVdHAkOvRvtrpFeQ_NUIRH-S-XWrifPPd6lyGfl9TIdPZPFzk9v5um3gyiboXwaFJc_S0LtiWWV2peYBkOhlG-W8N4VZTHbfkHIWrrahh5vmXiI/s1600/Eighth+grade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDWYa1lMwfgG4XbTB6s9EUuvOwsB_VVdHAkOvRvtrpFeQ_NUIRH-S-XWrifPPd6lyGfl9TIdPZPFzk9v5um3gyiboXwaFJc_S0LtiWWV2peYBkOhlG-W8N4VZTHbfkHIWrrahh5vmXiI/s400/Eighth+grade.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Caption: With my best friends in 8</span><span style="font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> grade.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only thing that I didn’t like about eighth grade was the competitive cheerleading squad I was on. Although I did love the cheering and competing part, I barely had any friends on the squad. And that was hard, especially since there were so many practices. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t be like the rest of them, why I had to be so quiet and not into the things that they were into. However, I really believe that experience stretched me, and I am very thankful that my mom didn’t pull me out of the squad like I’d wanted her too. I learned a lot about striving toward a goal and sticking with it, no matter what.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had been planning on going back to the Christian school for high school. However, that summer I found out that Mickey’s mom was going to homeschool her the next year. Coincidentally, it was also during that time when someone told my mom about a new online school. Although I had been looking forward to going back to school, I suddenly had a huge desire to do the online school. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to pursue my acting and writing dreams.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ninth grade flew by—and that summer is when I decided to take my writing more seriously. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Once I started 10</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> grade, I enrolled in a Christian Writers Guild course, took a creative writing class on my online school, began reading several YA Christian fiction books, and studied the craft of writing via several industry blogs. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I began writing the first version of “Purple Moon” when I was fifteen, but changed it and finished the first draft when I was sixteen. The reason I wanted to be published so young wasn’t so that I could have fame, success, and attention, but simply because I wanted to put my differences to good use. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Caption: With my mom at my first writer’s conference in 10</span><span style="font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> grade, which is where I met my soon-to-be publisher. =)</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During my high school years, I continued to hang out with Mickey, participate in Christian Youth Theater, hang out with my cousins, and went to youth group. By the time my senior year rolled around, I decided to go back to the Christian school so I could graduate with a class.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Memories of middle school immediately came back. Not just because I was in classes with some of the same people as before, but because—once again—I felt entirely different from them. But I didn’t let it bother me. Instead, I accepted it. And by that time, I already had a publishing contract, as well as a boyfriend that I started dating the summer before. So naturally, I didn’t feel as lonely as I did in middle school. School was only three and a half hours a day for seniors anyway. I could handle it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caption: My senior picture.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, when they played a slideshow of the year at our graduation ceremony, I realized that I was hardly in any of the pictures. Several people in my grade were crying watching the slideshow because they were having to say goodbye—but for me, I wanted to cry because I hadn’t made any memories or friends worth saying goodbye to. I hadn’t even gone on the senior trip, only because I didn’t feel like I was close enough to anyone for it to be worth the amount of money. (I also wanted to save money for my writing conference.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In middle school, my mom told me that God said I was going to use what I’d been experiencing to relate to others through the books that I’d write. I held onto that hope for years. And rather than getting frustrated at God for making me different, I trusted that He was going to put it to good use one day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The point of sharing this with all of you? So that you can have that same hope, so you can also trust that God is going to also use your differences for good use. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that high school is over, I have a feeling that I will be doing this for the rest of my life: writing books for teens and pre-teens, for people who might be going through the same things I’ve experienced. <a href="http://www.wholemagazine.org/2012/10/when-lonely-is-your-only-best-friend.html"><span style="color: #0433ff; letter-spacing: 0px;">If all of those lonely seasons were for that purpose only</span></a>—so I could relate to other teens, minister God’s love, and show them that they are not alone—then it was worth it. Definitely worth it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Purple Moon” Blog Tour Stops:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t forget to stop by the blog tour’s next stop to increase your chances of winning the PURPLE MOON Prize Pack!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Wednesday, September 18</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>:</b> Purple Moon Blog Tour Launch: The Story Behind the Story: <a href="http://www.christiswrite.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Christ is Write</span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Thursday, September 19</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>5 Facts about Purple Moon: <a href="http://www.kimvandel.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Kim Vandel</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Friday, September 20</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Character Sketches + Character Cast Contest: <a href="http://christianteenbooksandreviews.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Who YA Reading?</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Monday, September 23</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>rd</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Behind the Scenes:<b> </b>Why I Chose Lake Lure: <a href="http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Words to Dreams</span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Tuesday, September 24</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Release Day! Selena’s Diary Entry + Creative Photo Contest: <a href="http://laurakurk.com/blog/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Writing for Young Adults</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Wednesday, September 25</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Austin’s Diary Entry: <a href="http://www.amysbookblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Amy’s Book Blog</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Thursday, September 26</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Q & A: <a href="http://www.notebooksisters.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Notebook Sisters</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b> Friday, September 27</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Purple Moon Playlist: <a href="http://awritespirit.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Ashley Carr </span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Monday, September 30</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Purple Moon Excerpt: Wooden Swings: <a href="http://jesuschick13.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Heather Brice </span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Tuesday, October 1</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>st</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Dealing With Anxiety—The Spiritual IV: <a href="http://destinyofone.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Destiny of One </span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Wednesday, October 2</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>nd</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Q & A: <a href="http://savedbygrace7.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Saved by Grace</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Thursday, October 3</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>rd</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Behind the Scenes:<b> </b>Name Meanings: <a href="http://labornotinvain.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Labor Not In Vain</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Friday, October 4</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Is It Okay To Be An Introvert?: <a href="http://alexinksit.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Alex Inks It </span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Monday, October 7</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Story Behind the Cover Art: <a href="http://candyapple-reviews.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Candy Apple Books </span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Tuesday, October 8</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Purple Moon Excerpt: Cherishing the Sunrise: <a href="http://caseybond.tateauthor.com/blog/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Author Casey Bond</span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Wednesday, October 9</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Q & A: <a href="http://writingwhilethericeboils.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Writing While the Rice Boils</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Thursday, October 10</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Behind the Scenes: Christian Human Videos: <a href="http://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Writing in Wonderland </span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Friday, October 11</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Teenage Substance Abuse: <a href="http://www.emilyrachellewrites.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Emily Rachelle </span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Monday, October 14</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Behind the Scenes: Lake Lure Academy of the Arts: <a href="http://worthy2read.wordpress.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Worthy 2 Read</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Tuesday, October 15</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>My Middle & High School Experience: <a href="http://hellohighlights.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Hello Highlights </span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Wednesday, October 16</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Purple Moon Excerpt: Meatless Turkey Sandwich: <a href="http://dianeestrella.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Diane Estrella </span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Thursday, October 17</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Body Image <a href="http://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Laurel’s Leaves</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Friday, October 18</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Behind the Scenes: Brewer’s Coffee: <a href="http://www.splash-of-ink.blogspot.ca/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">A Splash of Ink</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Monday, October 21</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>st</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Purple Moon Excerpt: Farkle at the Park: <a href="http://sierrasbooklist.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">A Slightly Nerdy Bookworm</span></a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Tuesday, October 22</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>nd</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Teenage Dating: <a href="http://thegreaterpurpose.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Tell The World</span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Wednesday, October 23</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>rd</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>Q & A: <a href="http://theyabookstack.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The YA Book Stack</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b> Thursday, October 24</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>: </b>How Much of My Personal Life Did I Put Into “Purple Moon”?: <a href="http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Read For Your Future</span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Friday, October 25</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>: </b>Fairy tales & Happy Endings + Contest Winners!: <a href="http://www.rachellerea.com/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Inspiring Daring</span></a></span></span></div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-87027121764887645032013-10-14T20:10:00.000-05:002013-10-14T20:12:40.024-05:00full of blessingsSo an update.<br />
<br />
In February I applied for a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) job at an assisted living. In order to keep my certification I had to work eight paid hours. I had zero and my deadline was a month away. Procrastination. I. Am. The. Worst.<br />
Talk about a huge blessing when I got offered a job. Originally I was just thinking temporary. I had a job that I loved at the public library. But, after much thought and prayer, I took a big leap of faith and quit my job…before my first day at the new job. For a day or so I had a few, "Oh my gosh, what did I do!" moments. Haha!<br />
But I <i>love</i> my new job. I'm helping people. Everyday. I'm doing what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. And, icing on the cake, I am able to get more hours and I get paid more for what I do.<br />
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In March I turned nineteen. I can't believe that in less than a year I will no longer be a teenager.<br />
For my birthday I did something I've thought about doing for, gosh, probably about a year. I cut all of my hair off. Well, I say all…<i>most</i> of my hair.<br />
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It was a huge change. But I love it. It is <i>so</i> easy. So <i>so</i> easy. And it's me.<br />
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In May I went to see The Lion King Musical. Oh. My. Goodness. No words. It completely exceeded my expectations. I would put it up on my "top ten best experiences of my life" list.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3htMGoLEIgHEZKwa_yWw9zdt8WbobdCATj4WLScWXAcCkQdE1aqKbq0-sDWk98m_b2GAJhRKH9NVb2FjIt8WfcQrTU0lFqQqHHT9sQLGFlHjvg9-B6_Mn26xahdh0lJyu5ynM4JoyqQ/s1600/1148959_10201741046238910_1904285950_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3htMGoLEIgHEZKwa_yWw9zdt8WbobdCATj4WLScWXAcCkQdE1aqKbq0-sDWk98m_b2GAJhRKH9NVb2FjIt8WfcQrTU0lFqQqHHT9sQLGFlHjvg9-B6_Mn26xahdh0lJyu5ynM4JoyqQ/s400/1148959_10201741046238910_1904285950_n.jpg" width="297" /></a><br />
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In May I was accepted into my college's nursing program. Part of me was so excited. I was finally getting a real, tangible start on my career. Then, part of me was freaking out about starting school in August. Don't get me wrong, I really want to be a nurse. It has become my passion. But nursing school is tough! And as much as I desire my degree, it was still way out of my comfort zone. Could I really do this nursing thing?<br />
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I am half way through my first semester of nursing school. Yes, it is tough. But I'm doing it. And I'm loving it.<br />
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<br />
Twenty-thirteen is nearly over. We're already half way through October. So much has changed. I've learned so much.<br />
Life can be hard.<br />
Unemployment.<br />
Divorce.<br />
Tension.<br />
Finances.<br />
Death.<br />
Losing friends.<br />
Tears.<br />
<br />
Sure. Life is hard.<br />
But life is also so full of blessings. You just have to stop and look.<br />
Hugs.<br />
Family.<br />
My sweet, sweet residents at work.<br />
Encouraging words.<br />
A beautiful sunset.<br />
Friends at school.<br />
The Word. (Have you ever read the book of Amos? New favorite.)<br />
Answers to prayer.<br />
Understanding.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
Tell me. What's been up with you?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-77699905795920455102013-10-04T19:04:00.001-05:002013-10-14T18:50:21.886-05:00a pioneer in the oceans of life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHOV6iQjal4irNfsAFqao1NU4sgde9rl42UuRdwVuvhz0swFxTahUaCgsB9BY6UsXRh_gpLmB3fH7atKIwhf8HDgXR8HDaCwaQyuA4an8HhwiCX3IAVvjxkoz9VjgoBD8z62ZhXpb7x8/s1600/02e80bdc5c9c5a48dc55047ae8cdff81.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHOV6iQjal4irNfsAFqao1NU4sgde9rl42UuRdwVuvhz0swFxTahUaCgsB9BY6UsXRh_gpLmB3fH7atKIwhf8HDgXR8HDaCwaQyuA4an8HhwiCX3IAVvjxkoz9VjgoBD8z62ZhXpb7x8/s1600/02e80bdc5c9c5a48dc55047ae8cdff81.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>your grace abounds in deepest waters</i></div>
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<i>your sovereign hand </i></div>
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<i>will be my guide</i></div>
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<i>where feet may fail and fear surrounds me</i></div>
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<i>you've never failed, and you won't start now</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>so i will call upon your name</i></div>
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<i>and keep my eyes above the waves</i></div>
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<i>when oceans rise</i></div>
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<i>my soul will rest in your embrace</i></div>
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<i>i am yours</i></div>
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<i>and you are mine</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>spirit lead me where my trust is without borders</i></div>
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<i>let me walk upon the waters</i></div>
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<i>wherever you may call me</i></div>
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<i>take me deeper than my feet could ever wander </i></div>
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<i>and my faith will be made stronger</i></div>
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<i>in the presence of my savior</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>--oceans </i>by hillsong</div>
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<i>let your heart not be troubled</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>i won't run when bullets chase me</i></div>
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<i>i won't rest where arms embrace me</i></div>
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<i>i will love when people hate me</i></div>
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<i>i won't hush, no you can't make me</i></div>
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<i>send the dark but it won't break me</i></div>
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<i>you can try but you can't change me</i></div>
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<i>take my life, they will replace me</i></div>
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<i>i won't hush, no you can't make me</i></div>
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<i>i won't hush, no we will sing</i></div>
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<i>--pioneer</i> by the band perry</div>
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~~~</div>
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it's been a long time. and i'm still kinda rethinking this whole blogging thing…whether i still wanna do it or not. not that i didn't miss you guys…i did.</div>
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twenty-thirteen…</div>
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it's brought along some major challenges.</div>
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major changes.</div>
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pushed me and challenged me in whole new and different ways.</div>
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which means me may be kind of a different me than some of you remember.</div>
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which is okay, i think.</div>
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and which is why an update is coming soon.</div>
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but for right now. these songs have become like my anthem.</div>
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and my God is so good.</div>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-39392660949063115502013-01-01T17:25:00.001-06:002013-01-01T19:40:02.854-06:00looking back at 2012<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>{january}</b></div>
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--joined pinterest</div>
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--saw <i>beauty and the beast</i> in 3-D...twice</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFabYTXVTu4Lk8kFaCyq-P45Nld8IL1K9nbHvPExydDxaeQoyTokR0brMiC89hP9YG20dgYp1PVo8ZK_TMQgVZ8F7TQmGWwlNN9frqDPBD3u_7EHBy61BCE501ganRm8uX2YlkXTAVr7s/s1600/537061_10150899631224097_1288893923_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFabYTXVTu4Lk8kFaCyq-P45Nld8IL1K9nbHvPExydDxaeQoyTokR0brMiC89hP9YG20dgYp1PVo8ZK_TMQgVZ8F7TQmGWwlNN9frqDPBD3u_7EHBy61BCE501ganRm8uX2YlkXTAVr7s/s640/537061_10150899631224097_1288893923_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>{february}</b></div>
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--bought my new mac computer...Minnie</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VpfFYpyy2Xj3Gw6Qt9PP5dkywniDbAGOXl9wH29-7oHVhpCturCQLJyaHcv4qzRGF6hB4IR6-HayeTfO2X0oIzHiHJIV67wQCEsdWerOyvX5Vm2si0pDLTT4Q1LPwV5EiQMhZrmmfvI/s1600/IMG_0951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VpfFYpyy2Xj3Gw6Qt9PP5dkywniDbAGOXl9wH29-7oHVhpCturCQLJyaHcv4qzRGF6hB4IR6-HayeTfO2X0oIzHiHJIV67wQCEsdWerOyvX5Vm2si0pDLTT4Q1LPwV5EiQMhZrmmfvI/s640/IMG_0951.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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--my brother Logan turned twelve</div>
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--started writing in a journal again</div>
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--my brother Zachary turned sixteen</div>
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<b>{march}</b></div>
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--started straightening my hair</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQ8kD7LPav29wTaVIdAMpyxb3pD-JJKLMcD4dKN5wZlbY7eFm1gS_90q31UJoYwJrPVrLktkSr4u3-8WCvjviKFDNOXKEwmBGnttbNZUOiM4NyRlCcg8P7-iqfE_3DvL_j-PRiRLgKm0/s1600/IMG_0974a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQ8kD7LPav29wTaVIdAMpyxb3pD-JJKLMcD4dKN5wZlbY7eFm1gS_90q31UJoYwJrPVrLktkSr4u3-8WCvjviKFDNOXKEwmBGnttbNZUOiM4NyRlCcg8P7-iqfE_3DvL_j-PRiRLgKm0/s640/IMG_0974a.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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--turned eighteen...official adult! O_o</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94e9B8CiO5Gpg1XC_P014MuWTxAHaFIg1tkmfu-nXuVSxbTy4AAV6ZGTwld06BIKrc4nN6tiiIWiL4JgNu6RLw1k0DQcQhN_vIyWqV0NLD3q3gF5UD8gqymcY2tOWPk1BftyC2KogLWk/s1600/422483_3176190636332_1703615962_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94e9B8CiO5Gpg1XC_P014MuWTxAHaFIg1tkmfu-nXuVSxbTy4AAV6ZGTwld06BIKrc4nN6tiiIWiL4JgNu6RLw1k0DQcQhN_vIyWqV0NLD3q3gF5UD8gqymcY2tOWPk1BftyC2KogLWk/s640/422483_3176190636332_1703615962_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>{april}</b></div>
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--my beautiful sister, Annie, turned fifteen</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfacIlKVeZV-dyI86iQ3856JikCYMHQmqDcVwlontDFDJsJzUJ4eHRF4YeocqH-4k_zLQoBuqY0vzxcKZsphHDHs_nvg1s0WYFtFU6hpzS1um7_shBRlEV9iNDmYSxEpwmgKlWOTH4MQ/s1600/521277_2157505753117_1751184976_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfacIlKVeZV-dyI86iQ3856JikCYMHQmqDcVwlontDFDJsJzUJ4eHRF4YeocqH-4k_zLQoBuqY0vzxcKZsphHDHs_nvg1s0WYFtFU6hpzS1um7_shBRlEV9iNDmYSxEpwmgKlWOTH4MQ/s640/521277_2157505753117_1751184976_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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--read <i>the hunger games</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBUtMsI37vfn2uiZGjsYvk7qT6Z98YGX4CxyflUsVodVoYdNkOd_ldHjcYE6ABUGHfsqmWuHYxJCJf9UIKWCCK8LzolPwveU1yNY3htAac9fidBjtGylXC3HQbZQKN3PD3S2CBfKYaqE/s1600/HG_WALLPAPER_1_1280X960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBUtMsI37vfn2uiZGjsYvk7qT6Z98YGX4CxyflUsVodVoYdNkOd_ldHjcYE6ABUGHfsqmWuHYxJCJf9UIKWCCK8LzolPwveU1yNY3htAac9fidBjtGylXC3HQbZQKN3PD3S2CBfKYaqE/s640/HG_WALLPAPER_1_1280X960.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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--my car, Waldo, was given to me</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAaRyouTHCpOoYPJBGCkDli4Yq-iY-uL4Rko4UUhFIm0WQCe0tZvfFgtQqChD-L2x-QiIHHzjQjNNSjHN5I3EAV6n4IyYJKscZdeYMBVSvP0Gc9Xu7kk9tnlLikYeWV6GjCWNtelQKbw/s1600/IMG_1181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAaRyouTHCpOoYPJBGCkDli4Yq-iY-uL4Rko4UUhFIm0WQCe0tZvfFgtQqChD-L2x-QiIHHzjQjNNSjHN5I3EAV6n4IyYJKscZdeYMBVSvP0Gc9Xu7kk9tnlLikYeWV6GjCWNtelQKbw/s640/IMG_1181.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>{may}</b></div>
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--graduated high school...!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKr7rs5PLE5cCy93YeqHF5fNk88YfQ1B_KO-23M8pfBg1pUdqbaLtfAQ0mPTTP-PxZSHwqZFigij7Hc6QLt5JF3QRTPiZVnN2KIk4XgbvUAUYaSzojpnHiIgV-B_0sFn74O9v0LygAww/s1600/540353_3594887583494_1835147278_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKr7rs5PLE5cCy93YeqHF5fNk88YfQ1B_KO-23M8pfBg1pUdqbaLtfAQ0mPTTP-PxZSHwqZFigij7Hc6QLt5JF3QRTPiZVnN2KIk4XgbvUAUYaSzojpnHiIgV-B_0sFn74O9v0LygAww/s640/540353_3594887583494_1835147278_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8VcLoSUB4pKuWFcriDsSXV-62xzg8w0bewccWrqZqRycFzEMxrWM5z4LFpGrWOTEUPnIukCucdcoWpgBTg8La4hTIhIRzGsOfZsYrRh8SbwsgmpgN-TYVIEC6EngTnVqqhAKvrYC_eY/s1600/150715_3594951185084_271238264_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8VcLoSUB4pKuWFcriDsSXV-62xzg8w0bewccWrqZqRycFzEMxrWM5z4LFpGrWOTEUPnIukCucdcoWpgBTg8La4hTIhIRzGsOfZsYrRh8SbwsgmpgN-TYVIEC6EngTnVqqhAKvrYC_eY/s640/150715_3594951185084_271238264_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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--watched a sunrise</div>
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<b>{june}</b></div>
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--played mini golf for the first time...let's just say it's not my thing</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg0FM_vNoOqxstaJwpwTse7NHqrc4LriR2TRVe25CxK1p_pCeIQMgTaTFDSI6va7JXWHjWdFphiYXwOiXEKL0FR8d2VGQvoRgpIZFw35Mf2cKIeKQ80z2Bt2BfrwJ560wGshz9E3MAEs/s1600/golf-ball-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg0FM_vNoOqxstaJwpwTse7NHqrc4LriR2TRVe25CxK1p_pCeIQMgTaTFDSI6va7JXWHjWdFphiYXwOiXEKL0FR8d2VGQvoRgpIZFw35Mf2cKIeKQ80z2Bt2BfrwJ560wGshz9E3MAEs/s400/golf-ball-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>{july}</b></div>
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--helped lead a middle school church trip and got to go zip lining and white water rafting</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHGru0oemLGCRX0fxiddG20p-o2M-Ebxqw_Muisfe19lDZAUbnFAe6FOP6BXfakz52PywfImpKFr5PKyV2MPFy7T8eNgax4ulC5TFQcfz0bAofWdAfMRMt3_jqdK6sU4Ii0G0ktknyQs/s1600/424984_3875803246210_1587424964_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHGru0oemLGCRX0fxiddG20p-o2M-Ebxqw_Muisfe19lDZAUbnFAe6FOP6BXfakz52PywfImpKFr5PKyV2MPFy7T8eNgax4ulC5TFQcfz0bAofWdAfMRMt3_jqdK6sU4Ii0G0ktknyQs/s640/424984_3875803246210_1587424964_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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--colored my hair for the first time</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcK7x05B7mmU5ccOwSE6mYlTh3URqn9R-6Xou6P4kVVJY9lghuQ6qJgaHkapvA2MmX02xQZccpReb6R5wh3rzClAl_U3nbaExfnoXlw9adDFVGIQoxw43bCP3WjHzZqU03OS_WPUaoEs/s1600/487826_3878226466789_1797330968_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcK7x05B7mmU5ccOwSE6mYlTh3URqn9R-6Xou6P4kVVJY9lghuQ6qJgaHkapvA2MmX02xQZccpReb6R5wh3rzClAl_U3nbaExfnoXlw9adDFVGIQoxw43bCP3WjHzZqU03OS_WPUaoEs/s640/487826_3878226466789_1797330968_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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--watched Annie play softball...she is one awesome catcher</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeHHPnEPshQMxWhMjaohvWQ8E-wNntUWmcHD9PKsIVCo-iKTe7TE0gI9e9h9fh89_c1lBNE0hD4st5Q7RF4qX-15_0mwrJfwvlNYZ2jMLOLvv6E95ADfAJWJPZN9fN8dmHR2iEx-tQKg/s1600/376237_3875764205234_806589179_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeHHPnEPshQMxWhMjaohvWQ8E-wNntUWmcHD9PKsIVCo-iKTe7TE0gI9e9h9fh89_c1lBNE0hD4st5Q7RF4qX-15_0mwrJfwvlNYZ2jMLOLvv6E95ADfAJWJPZN9fN8dmHR2iEx-tQKg/s640/376237_3875764205234_806589179_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>{august}</b></div>
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--fell in love with the doctor </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWdz1dSBBJMCnBTlNGROAun1IvjSCJLQG3uaH5TxJuM_Og6K40Od4OLA42oibrch8EvLXgCknmBkU3D-sre0A8bNj5CC1RJWiZKja6Qrz1yahqwil6BgfNszwzoW2Z8XsLM7eo5TLNt8/s1600/doctor-who-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWdz1dSBBJMCnBTlNGROAun1IvjSCJLQG3uaH5TxJuM_Og6K40Od4OLA42oibrch8EvLXgCknmBkU3D-sre0A8bNj5CC1RJWiZKja6Qrz1yahqwil6BgfNszwzoW2Z8XsLM7eo5TLNt8/s640/doctor-who-logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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--rode my first roller coaster</div>
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--started my first full-time college semester</div>
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<b>{september}</b></div>
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--my sister and i painted our bathroom...doctor who themed</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzKi1-VbnqzUznnnQGH3mmbpw5uupkFDndFbez0aKPty39gc3ZK42P4yxiR-129-PEK8CDERIT1T-FvzdrWQYLoLyB-SmlONq-ckwX-t9MV0Gp_RKCr-VP29iYKtfYIQBmPK8iggPdS4/s1600/253469_2384573469668_1373930224_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzKi1-VbnqzUznnnQGH3mmbpw5uupkFDndFbez0aKPty39gc3ZK42P4yxiR-129-PEK8CDERIT1T-FvzdrWQYLoLyB-SmlONq-ckwX-t9MV0Gp_RKCr-VP29iYKtfYIQBmPK8iggPdS4/s640/253469_2384573469668_1373930224_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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--went to my first drive-in theater</div>
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<b>{october}</b></div>
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--took a huge family vacation to Florida</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopntNKxuA8lQtvH_3RPTVeLtTvfEeIFnbRNks2QxcZhQrBKfzndBDWYXJiF1rNf5EGnQ4ZsTW4DtW7Iwzlg4xhpJe8DXtiSEGzOp01edwmlJDJN8jsvqB53nWQ905rhiMQoiMrtNP4eg/s1600/281559_4274920063881_1373355833_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopntNKxuA8lQtvH_3RPTVeLtTvfEeIFnbRNks2QxcZhQrBKfzndBDWYXJiF1rNf5EGnQ4ZsTW4DtW7Iwzlg4xhpJe8DXtiSEGzOp01edwmlJDJN8jsvqB53nWQ905rhiMQoiMrtNP4eg/s640/281559_4274920063881_1373355833_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4fcvIdjzgwcELXgwXCTvibr01vRaBLKH4xAdk8JCm9p5jZrXKtH6lFhE-_AbUAU7eth8RYqc6WNJBZCSslocMfdjgiPFsWkt7uYCxp-8xGTB7arW6_F696jAtVfP3vb-LfLDDoLW628/s1600/247662_4274932864201_1879005747_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4fcvIdjzgwcELXgwXCTvibr01vRaBLKH4xAdk8JCm9p5jZrXKtH6lFhE-_AbUAU7eth8RYqc6WNJBZCSslocMfdjgiPFsWkt7uYCxp-8xGTB7arW6_F696jAtVfP3vb-LfLDDoLW628/s640/247662_4274932864201_1879005747_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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--met my amazing dear friend, Emily</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMJo3WZ0oixrg30Wj7NJfFF8rs_NROKpV5l-xT31HW-FowqXTmzPwDBRhuPwqrwAWsI8nRidCtN02OfYDyOqKilbRDnY_b7o5SLeT2vsYA6bh9Q3dnEVIoYbAx5vm-j7ygTbj1WnqevM/s1600/526019_4210402770989_1538057615_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMJo3WZ0oixrg30Wj7NJfFF8rs_NROKpV5l-xT31HW-FowqXTmzPwDBRhuPwqrwAWsI8nRidCtN02OfYDyOqKilbRDnY_b7o5SLeT2vsYA6bh9Q3dnEVIoYbAx5vm-j7ygTbj1WnqevM/s640/526019_4210402770989_1538057615_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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--was a pink lady for Halloween</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ES-2QjAR-dmiIEVI6XUsp29KY4hL5OT3SisoBQjaep330MwftyqFOjLGlMrfC4saYsV8aGCTpSvZI7BRE_igoG6vpKe8-gfR7M__cjXLiMB_4m6kTgWMRZaNmFIepH8QWwpZ81O7888/s1600/9313_4298953024690_1040173513_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ES-2QjAR-dmiIEVI6XUsp29KY4hL5OT3SisoBQjaep330MwftyqFOjLGlMrfC4saYsV8aGCTpSvZI7BRE_igoG6vpKe8-gfR7M__cjXLiMB_4m6kTgWMRZaNmFIepH8QWwpZ81O7888/s640/9313_4298953024690_1040173513_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>{november}</b></div>
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--helped host a great Thanksgiving</div>
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--made my muscle head model for anatomy class. i call him Herman and he seriously boosted my grade in that class. i owe him.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZb6mKxRMHgLWGPzc9qBxk7dUZNYc_K3SW2TIy96U7UpHE9ZoKFmNguNyUM0d7l9lAJCkIyJsviL1sP0kRowO3hSBjbHc3Y4nFBSpoX9vLRMAvE6006sGQk4kL2KLWiQok1yqlBSZdY4/s1600/59028_4414283187872_586098104_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZb6mKxRMHgLWGPzc9qBxk7dUZNYc_K3SW2TIy96U7UpHE9ZoKFmNguNyUM0d7l9lAJCkIyJsviL1sP0kRowO3hSBjbHc3Y4nFBSpoX9vLRMAvE6006sGQk4kL2KLWiQok1yqlBSZdY4/s640/59028_4414283187872_586098104_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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--put up our Christmas tree</div>
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<b>{december}</b></div>
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--my grandma went to be with Jesus</div>
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--survived school</div>
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--went to see <i>the hobbit</i></div>
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--had a very blessed Christmas</div>
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There were a lot of firsts this year. And a lot of lasts. I will admit, 2012 was a tough year. But that doesn't mean there were not good memories made. It's the first day of 2013 and I want to pray for a peaceful new year. But most of all, I pray that God's will be done in 2013. </div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-52127762992968060322012-12-27T21:51:00.002-06:002012-12-27T21:52:44.432-06:00It's ChristmasChristmas has come and gone. The new year is approaching fast. My holiday was different this year. But still blessed as ever.<br />
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One of my most favorite parts of the holiday is our Christmas Eve service at church. It was beautiful.<br />
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We spent Christmas Eve dinner with my grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins. Christmas Eve night always means lots of family jokes, presents, food, games, and getting home late. It's a blast!<br />
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On Christmas morning we all woke up around 7:00 (which is early for me folks) and headed downstairs to see what Santa had left us. And boy was it a sight. People, over my two days of Christmas, I've never seen so much <i>Doctor Who</i> merchandise...and it's now all found its home in my very own bedroom. *happy dance*<br />
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After all our presents were unwrapped and we'd all made a thorough mess, we got ready for our day. This year we hosted a big Christmas day brunch and invited multiple families from our church and home school group. Our house was packed! This was my absolute favorite part of Christmas this year. Serving these people, my friends, on Christmas Day...what a huge blessing!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{Photo credit goes to my dad.}</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-61361726714751639942012-12-22T13:32:00.000-06:002013-01-01T15:16:52.264-06:00it's about timeGah. I've become such a terrible blogger. I believe an update is in order.<br />
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School is out. Thank you Lord! I don't think I've ever wanted a break so badly in my life. The past week in a half I've pretty much been a slug. Other than work, I've done nothing productive. Absolutely nothing. (Well...unless you count reading and watching tons of Netflix.) It's amazing.<br />
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I watched <i>The Hobbit</i>. It was absolutely fantastic. I haven't read the book. Actually, I haven't read anything relating to <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>. But I'm a die hard fan of the movies. And <i>The Hobbit </i>definitely lived up to <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> awesomeness.<br />
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With there being a lovely break from school, I made myself a list of things to do.<br />
1) Start guitar lessons. My sister who is amazing agreed to teach me. So far I know the A chord and the Em chord. We aren't real far along in our lessons, but we're getting there. Exciting!<br />
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2) Read <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Les Misérables</i>. I probably won't finish it during winter break. It's 1,463 pages. O_o But my goal is to finish before the new movie leaves theaters. I've been watching the trailer over and over. Gosh, it looks fabulous.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> 3) Spend lots of time with this dear girl.</span></span></div>
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So far, Bethany and I have had a sleep over, watched lots of <i>Doctor Who</i>, and got our hair cut together. On Sunday we're eating out at Pizza Hut and exchanging Christmas gifts. Can't wait!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Christmas is in three days. THREE. And I don't even have all my shopping done. I'm such a slacker. I plan on finishing up this afternoon though. Hopefully. And wrapping everything. Hopefully.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Downton Abbey season three comes out on DVD on January 29th. And I'm #4 in the hold list at the library. Eek! Excited!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Well...that's all from me. How about you? How is your winter break going?</span></span></div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-53507969760326618402012-11-29T16:05:00.002-06:002012-11-29T16:06:48.166-06:00just writing...It's been a while.<br />
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Today I had kinda a stinky day. So I thought I'd log in and just write...just write.<br />
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School's almost over for the semester and I'm about to jump for joy. Next week I have finals. The only one I'm really worried about is my anatomy final. It's the only one that's cumulative. Cumulative-ness scares me a bit. Will my brain be able to retain that much information? Part of me thinks it's entirely impossible. But this girl's gonna try!...and study herself crazy.<br />
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It is officially decided. I have some ah-mazing friends. Like mentioned above, I had kinda a stinky day. Well, maybe a couple stinky days...in a row. And my superly fantastical, God given friends were there for me. I love them.<br />
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Work has been swell. Pretty consistent really. Except that I am losing my best working buddy. She's up and decided to move! Shame on her. Naw, joking, joking. It's a good opportunity. Best wishes to you, dearie.<br />
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So I'm reading back over this post and it's feeling pretty random and unorganized. Aw well...<br />
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Hope you dearies have a splendid weekend. *smiles*Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-10172444318000499222012-10-30T12:11:00.000-05:002012-10-30T12:11:20.157-05:00odd stuff<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeQBmhiG5DwRA_PswsP61BwHu4NRWcwBXDHT2e1xd4ZaaC3hevJyx5LFyqH0jhl_aN-AFLzHS9u6fL1P46MhFaZVx7xjgDtPkt06cOlZdftY3UuFURRE3kYZT3TEOGQz9cUuBgzMb4do/s1600/240942648784451830_jqzaxcZH_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeQBmhiG5DwRA_PswsP61BwHu4NRWcwBXDHT2e1xd4ZaaC3hevJyx5LFyqH0jhl_aN-AFLzHS9u6fL1P46MhFaZVx7xjgDtPkt06cOlZdftY3UuFURRE3kYZT3TEOGQz9cUuBgzMb4do/s400/240942648784451830_jqzaxcZH_c.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
As many of you may know, I work at a public library. And I love it, don't get me wrong. But, what many of you may not know is that there are some weird happenings in libraries. I can testify first hand. And because I have this knowledge, I feel it my civil duty to share it with you. ;) What goes on behind the scenes in public libraries....<br />
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One day over the summer I was walking through fiction to pull a book for a young lady, one of my friends actually. Along the back wall we have a bunch of window bays that people use for reading and studying and such. As I walk by one of the window bays I witness a man exercising. And I'm talking like major exercising. He was doing stretches and push ups. In the library? It was one of those things that you see and have to do a double take to make sure you actually saw it.<br />
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Sometimes I feel that people think the library is a living google search. I get odd phone calls and questions sometimes. Such as, what is the answer to this crossword puzzle? Or, do you know how to put minutes on a go-phone? What district is such and such high school in? Who is Scarlett's best friend in the movie <em>Gone With the Wind</em>? Where can I rent a projector? How do you restart your iPhone after locking yourself out?<br />
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Not long ago I was working the night shift and my coworker, Kim, and I had stepped away from the information desk for a moment. When we return she says, "Oh look. We have flowers." Sure enough, we each had a single, pink rose bud at our work stations. Weird.<br />
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So these are just a few of my strange library excursions. Funny stuff!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-10937823955964286452012-10-22T21:19:00.000-05:002012-10-23T22:18:12.830-05:00Currently...I <strike>stole</strike> borrowed this post idea from Miss Tessa Hall over at <a href="http://christiswrite.blogspot.com/">Christ is Write</a>. Check out her blog; it's wonderful. She's been doing this post for the last few months and I always thought it was a really neat idea. So I thought, why not try it out.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Currently Reading...</span><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/klaaron/books-worth-reading/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">{source}</span></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><i>Voice in the Wind </i>by Francine Rivers</li>
<li>Jenny B. Jones books...she is fantastic.</li>
<li>Rob Bell books...he's also pretty super.</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Currently Watching...</span></div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/godstomboy2/doctor-who/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">{source}</span></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><i>Doctor Who</i>. Lots and lots and lots of <i>Doctor Who</i>.</li>
<li><i>Castle</i>. Season five has started. Excited!</li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Currently Listening To...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S4fboiauan6ntSllpWBJaR5gCVCtPj74BATbZ0z9tmbc7tbH90OqbthTTJh-gF-BApscTrWee4MDu5PCZ8L3aOmXGvwLuSmdvhjPo1zf7AvAhElzPnOHwfEZO-xRKakwy02wo1rAswU/s1600/ntb_recogningcd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S4fboiauan6ntSllpWBJaR5gCVCtPj74BATbZ0z9tmbc7tbH90OqbthTTJh-gF-BApscTrWee4MDu5PCZ8L3aOmXGvwLuSmdvhjPo1zf7AvAhElzPnOHwfEZO-xRKakwy02wo1rAswU/s1600/ntb_recogningcd.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.needtobreathestore.com/">{source}</a></span></div>
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<ul>
<li>Needtobreathe <i>The Reckoning</i></li>
<li>Tenth Avenue North <i>The Struggle</i></li>
<li>Way-FM Radio. The Wally Show is the best.</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Currently Working On...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/katiedlake/bookshelf/">{source}</a></span></div>
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<ul>
<li>Anatomy and Physiology homework. Tests and papers are coming up!</li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Currently Sipping On...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/katiedlake/love/">{source}</a></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>White Chocolate Mochas...but I'm going to try out Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte soon as well.</li>
<li>Fiji water.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Currently Looking Forward To...</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/katiedlake/love/">{source}</a></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Wednesday morning coffee and Bible study with my dear friend Bethany.</li>
</ul>
<div>
What are you doing here lately?</div>
</div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-11958522461112580252012-10-19T12:34:00.003-05:002012-10-19T12:35:51.251-05:00So I have this friend. And she's pretty much amazing.<a href="http://walkingonsonshine12.blogspot.com/">Emily</a> and I met through our blogs close to two years ago. We started e-mailing and chatting on facebook...all the time. You know, tell-tale signs of total best buds. ;) But there was a bit of a downside to our friendship...12 hours of drive time separated us. We didn't let that stop us though. A couple different times we started planning trips to get together and meet in person. They never worked out though.<br />
<br />
But! Last week...a week ago today in fact, we were able to meet, for the first time, face-to-face.<br />
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Talk about a neat experience! This one definitely makes it to the top of the list.<br />
<br />
We met at Cracker Barrel first and had breakfast together. The first time we saw each other my family and I were on one side of the Cracker Barrel porch and Emily and her family came around the corner on the other side. We kind of fast-walked to each other and hugged and smiled. Epic, movie worthy stuff there, I'm telling you.<br />
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After Cracker Barrel, we went to the mall. They had a Barnes and Noble, a Starbucks, a movie/music store and a Bath & Body Works...which equals a pretty fantastic time.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{We found these in Barnes and Noble and thought it great photo opportunity.}</span></div>
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<br />
So, to Emily...<br />
Thanks for meeting me.<br />
Thanks for putting up with my Doctor Who obsession.<br />
Thanks for praying for me.<br />
Thanks for being the macaroni to my cheese and the peanut butter to my jelly. (Hehe!)<br />
Thanks for being my bestie.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{Photo credit to my dad and <a href="http://walkingonsonshine12.blogspot.com/">Emily</a>.}</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-35974051155423737932012-10-08T10:10:00.000-05:002012-10-08T10:10:42.840-05:00Dear Florida,Dear Florida,<br />
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We're back!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{Photo credit goes to my dad.}</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-46871939452366804582012-09-30T20:56:00.005-05:002012-09-30T20:57:40.442-05:00Summer Bucket List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/97742254383082169/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">{source}</span></a></div>
Summer is over. It was sad to watch it go. Technically, summer as in 'no school' was gone quite a while ago. But summer as in the 'weather' has just recently left. Which means one great thing... Autumn has arrived!<br />
<br />
Over the summer I made myself a bucket list. It was my last summer as a high schooler and I wanted to <i>do</i> stuff. I am happy to say that most of the items on my list I completed. Some things I'm still working on (like reading all of Jane Austen's novels) and some things I didn't do quite so well (like take lots of pictures...hence the lack of photos in this post). But I wanted to share the things I completed.<br />
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<b>1. Read at least ten books.</b><br />
I passed this with flying colors. From the beginning of June through the month of August I read twelve books.<br />
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<ul>
<li><i>Mockingjay</i> by Suzanne Collins</li>
<li><i>Eragon</i> by Christopher Paolini</li>
<li><i>Short-Straw Bride</i> by Karen Witemeyer</li>
<li><i>Persuasion</i> by Jane Austen</li>
<li><i>The Maze Runner</i> by James Dashner</li>
<li><i>The Lost Choice</i> by Andy Andrews</li>
<li><i>Crash</i> by Jerry Spinelli</li>
<li><i>Hamlet</i> by William Shakespeare</li>
<li><i>Save the Date</i> by Jenny B. Jones</li>
<li><i>Lies Young Women Believe</i> by Nancy Leigh Demoss and Danna Gresh</li>
<li><i>Christy Miller Collection Vol. 1</i> by Robin Jones Gunn</li>
<li><i>Today I Will</i> by Jerry and Eileen Spinelli</li>
</ul>
<div>
A good variety of fiction, non-fiction, teen, and adult, I think. You can look at my ratings for each of these on my Goodreads account if you fancy. You'll find the link on my sidebar.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>2. Watch the sunrise.</b></div>
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I did this one morning. I wish I had done it more often than that, though. It was a really neat experience. You can read about it <a href="http://hellohighlights.blogspot.com/2012/05/sunrise.html">here</a>.</div>
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<div>
<b>3. Be crafty.</b></div>
<div>
I realize this item bay be a bit vague. But I didn't want to give up on my crafts over the summer. I knew I would have all this time on my hands being out of school and I didn't want to waste it all on facebook and pinterest. So I did several different craft projects over the summer. One major one being my bed. You can see that <a href="http://hellohighlights.blogspot.com/2012/08/headboard.html">here</a>. With the help of my dad and brother, I made my own headboard out of barn wood. It turned out fantastic!</div>
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<div>
I also worked on my scrappy-journal quite a bit. It doesn't take a lot of time and it's fun. More about that <a href="http://hellohighlights.blogspot.com/2012/07/scrappy-journal.html">here</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I decorated a mug with a Jane Austen quote. That was really neat! And it's so easy. I think I'm definitely going to use it as a Christmas gift idea. Check it out <a href="http://hellohighlights.blogspot.com/2012/06/jane-austen-mug.html">here</a>.</div>
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<div>
<b>4. Ride a roller coaster.</b></div>
<div>
This was a biggy for me. I really wanted to cross this off my list. I knew I'd have the opportunity in August...we went to an amusement park for a Christian concert. It was a blast! And, YES, I did ride my very first roller coaster...and my second. My good friend Bethany went with me. I told her that because I went swimming with her in her very first lake, she'd have to take me on my first roller coaster. We are now even. I've gotta confess...I was pretty much terrified the entire time on the ride, and I probably won't be going on too many roller coasters in the future, but I can definitely say that I've done it!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>5. Color my hair.</b></div>
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This was another first for me. Over the summer I got highlights put in my hair for the first time. They've mostly faded now... But in <a href="http://hellohighlights.blogspot.com/2012/07/coloring.html">these photos</a> you can see them really well. I love how it turned out! And I might just do it again sometime.</div>
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<b>6. Go to a drive-in theater.</b></div>
<div>
So, my daddy said that I went to a drive-in when I was really little. But last week I went to my very first memorable one. I also did this Bethany. We watched ParaNorman and Ice Age 4. Wasn't a super big fan of ParaNorman...Ice Age was cute. But we had a blast! I think that we probably could have watched any movie and still had fun.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>7. Buy a pair of skinny jeans.</b></div>
<div>
Two pairs actually. One pair being a peachy, coral color. I love them! I also had at the end of this bucket list item 'and be able to pull off the style'. Eh, I think I do. Haha! I hope so anyway...'cause I really love wearing them. I hope to post photos soon, so you'll have to tell me what you think.</div>
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That's all for me. What did you do over the summer? Was it fabulous?</div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-73613439735865659382012-09-11T16:10:00.001-05:002012-10-15T11:38:46.372-05:00ketchup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqW8B01RcgoqRbUQxPYfTdNYhoFjhrhU9s3lGv8gBLJSpHb8EMPunx1jpFnhz_ERldvJr8Bz32iADhMqfizD9lQLMBEHZhozBCfJ3AqSLv-_3jFTMRMP3TsAk4PK6lf7c_P5aLWaIVyI/s1600/IMG_1151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqW8B01RcgoqRbUQxPYfTdNYhoFjhrhU9s3lGv8gBLJSpHb8EMPunx1jpFnhz_ERldvJr8Bz32iADhMqfizD9lQLMBEHZhozBCfJ3AqSLv-_3jFTMRMP3TsAk4PK6lf7c_P5aLWaIVyI/s640/IMG_1151.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Hello all!<br />
<br />
Ag! It's been a while. I'm feeling a catch up post coming on...<br />
<br />
I am a college student. Anybody else out there experiencing full time college for the first time? Mind blowing! Some days I'll get home and not have hardly any homework and get to read all day long. "College life is amazing!" Then other days I'll have tons of things to do in a day and a half on top of my job. "Panic attack!" But overall, I'm really enjoying my college career. Anatomy and Physiology is tough. I'm in love with my English class. And I get lots of exercise walking from class to class and then to my car. Today I got a really good parking spot and I felt like doing a happy dance.<br />
<br />
I just finished reading an amazing book. It's called <i>Velvet Elvis</i> by Rob Bell. Wow. It is incredibly thought provoking. It's a Christian Non-Fiction and talks about repainting the Christian faith. I definitely recommend it....but to those who are really grounded in your faith. It touches on some major topics.<br />
<br />
Still crazy about Doctor Who. My sister and I actually redecorated our bathroom into a Doctor Who theme. *grins* I'm in the middle of season three now. And, I'll try not to ruin it for anyone watching it currently, but the end of season two was probably one of the saddest things I have ever watched. I cried. And it took me a good while to move onto season three. But, I'm okay now! I'm getting used to Martha...she's nice. Different. But nice.<br />
<br />
If you would, take a moment and click on this link here. <a href="http://walkingonsonshine12.blogspot.com/">Walking on Sonshine</a> is my best friend's newly established blog. I'll love you forever if you'll go check it out. It's pretty great!<br />
<br />
<i>October Baby</i> comes out on dvd today. I saw it in theaters and thought it was just splendid. I'm very tempted to go out and buy it. I might, just might, go do it...then I can have a movie night tonight.<br />
<br />
Before I close this post and hit the 'publish' button, I wanted to take moment to say something about today, 9/11. It's been eleven years. I pray that we all remember that tragic day and the lessons it taught us as a country. I also pray for the grieving families out there that lost loved ones in the attacks. You're in my thoughts and prayers.<br />
<br />
Blessings to you all! Have a super fantastic day.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-66740748365620546462012-08-29T15:49:00.001-05:002012-08-29T15:49:33.096-05:00headboardDoes anybody else have an incessantly squeaky bed?<br />
<br />
Me! Me! *waves hand frantically*<br />
<br />
That is until I found a way around it. Yes, you don't have to ask, I found this idea on pinterest. Haha!<br />
<br />
It was mainly my headboard that gave me the most trouble. My bed frame was old and passed down. Some of the screws were missing from different places and it'd rattle. I found <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/97742254383048682/">this picture</a> on pinterest a couple months ago and was inspired. A headboard made out of barn wood? How cool!<br />
<br />
I was going to do a step-by-step process on how to make this, but after seeing how difficult it was... Well, I take that back, it's not so much as difficult as it requires a lot of man power. My daddy and brother, Zach, are super guys, let me tell you.<br />
<br />
But I will give you a brief description of how we went about creating my new headboard... First I had to find some barn wood. My grandparents happened to have some laying around their farm, so I was able to get mine for free. Which was outstanding! After we cut it the right length, we went out and bought a big piece of plywood. I went ahead and painted my plywood black, just in case some of it happened to show through the cracks. After that, we nailed each piece of barn wood onto the plywood individually, in order to make one big board. It worked out really nicely, but also ended up weighing a ton. Hence, the man power. My dad then nailed two two-by-fours onto the plywood to make legs for support. He nailed these into my wall, pushed my bed up against it (after my old headboard was removed), and twa-da, I have a new headboard!<br />
<br />
Here's the finished product:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Q0aKSHUKqVu5lV5a7CQoRfdqSjK69eu8-zS5GGG2or-DZ_BZ38NMpdMoqigOfxH8kVjXPJ3sDTrqX9Dj2tobERYdsIy_2jUzGGzSFBzWI4RMFRRKpYP_sulCq9W_DqJmakYau0HsMfY/s1600/IMG_1396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Q0aKSHUKqVu5lV5a7CQoRfdqSjK69eu8-zS5GGG2or-DZ_BZ38NMpdMoqigOfxH8kVjXPJ3sDTrqX9Dj2tobERYdsIy_2jUzGGzSFBzWI4RMFRRKpYP_sulCq9W_DqJmakYau0HsMfY/s640/IMG_1396.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPQdVBbap-lQFbdXNbre9h4K9Fbfy8gEB5RRD6vfglP_SRe_PS3PUAOL4j6_b5dYFVVbZNbKi4wsMTyuwFX4jJMuXEQVtB7RDcuO0XHyr1XsuvvTO-aVisvFXpCmYNhRQ5EWr50uU8MY/s1600/IMG_1398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPQdVBbap-lQFbdXNbre9h4K9Fbfy8gEB5RRD6vfglP_SRe_PS3PUAOL4j6_b5dYFVVbZNbKi4wsMTyuwFX4jJMuXEQVtB7RDcuO0XHyr1XsuvvTO-aVisvFXpCmYNhRQ5EWr50uU8MY/s640/IMG_1398.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdIILHsDqsfz5ZzDzj2HFyBQNMauFLmtmi2HUy8M6T7zAbwH13MrjzsBFW0tIUO8bwTEDyf1cBD5zXZedwkIMWIl_4qxpaNarnBdRtCAA4qkR0ZlLRlMvfeqKM93LB95NMC9Gk1y19s4/s1600/IMG_1399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdIILHsDqsfz5ZzDzj2HFyBQNMauFLmtmi2HUy8M6T7zAbwH13MrjzsBFW0tIUO8bwTEDyf1cBD5zXZedwkIMWIl_4qxpaNarnBdRtCAA4qkR0ZlLRlMvfeqKM93LB95NMC9Gk1y19s4/s640/IMG_1399.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
I have to admit, the first night it was done, I didn't sleep so well. I was so afraid it would some how come out of the wall and squish me. Zachary made the joke that I'd then be "Flat Katie"...like "Flat Stanley". Lovely brothers... ;)<br />
<br />
But, the nails have done their duty and held fast. I'm now sleeping peacefully without a rickety headboard.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-75681236097046798322012-08-21T10:10:00.002-05:002012-08-21T10:10:51.019-05:00all the difference<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IphhZ_SlGv3dZoBEywVHXe855aNi3hfMyGyZuuWlwxHWWYOUt09ej223DaeIX83odbtsS5uniCyCAJ82-uCCHn5uEi-8ijMEl0VvQly12NL2crGJjYhsDUEnIi58z8fZKOUpYfRPsd0/s1600/44965696249431228_IMAvJAim_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IphhZ_SlGv3dZoBEywVHXe855aNi3hfMyGyZuuWlwxHWWYOUt09ej223DaeIX83odbtsS5uniCyCAJ82-uCCHn5uEi-8ijMEl0VvQly12NL2crGJjYhsDUEnIi58z8fZKOUpYfRPsd0/s1600/44965696249431228_IMAvJAim_c.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ismikendra.org/2012/02/faces.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">{source}</span></a></div>
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Sometimes I feel like a fish out of water</div>
<div align="center">
Because of the way I believe</div>
<div align="center">
Like...I believe I was made for a purpose</div>
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That I'm here for a reason</div>
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All I am is because of HIM</div>
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And that's made all the difference</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm not one who likes to stand out</div>
<div align="center">
When I do I get nervous</div>
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But then I learned something</div>
<div align="center">
I was <em>made</em> to stand out</div>
<div align="center">
It's one of my purposes</div>
<div align="center">
And that's made all the difference</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center">
I<em> am</em> a fish out of water</div>
<div align="center">
I wasn't made for this place called Earth</div>
<div align="center">
It's who I am, and how I live</div>
<div align="center">
But more than that</div>
<div align="center">
It's Who I'm living for</div>
<div align="center">
He's made all the difference</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-12232777641507117472012-08-08T20:06:00.000-05:002012-08-08T20:07:25.801-05:00Doctor Who<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkzA1QK4jjFb_HSvbApPCMCiHEKkwbnqfxIqOqsdLZKDESb2FgOHOPhn-qJ2UHQR5ERCWQ_ozT4HsWsldughkFqyNevL0WerkmR97NdvBI08hrTNzDtdOuMNHgBfdIY-rvI1CMv-1Xmk/s1600/doctor-who-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkzA1QK4jjFb_HSvbApPCMCiHEKkwbnqfxIqOqsdLZKDESb2FgOHOPhn-qJ2UHQR5ERCWQ_ozT4HsWsldughkFqyNevL0WerkmR97NdvBI08hrTNzDtdOuMNHgBfdIY-rvI1CMv-1Xmk/s640/doctor-who-logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=doctor+who&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1236&bih=821&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=VWsvEfK1TOzFIM:&imgrefurl=http://www.doctorwhochronology.com/doctorwho/drwhotoc.html&docid=465P16F_jBeAEM&imgurl=http://www.doctorwhochronology.com/doctorwho/images/doctor-who-logo.jpg&w=1181&h=376&ei=JwgjUPe5IeWT6QG2koG4DA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=359&sig=106387976536522946981&page=2&tbnh=70&tbnw=219&start=25&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:25,i:231&tx=87&ty=44">{source}</a></span></div>
This is completely my sister's fault...for getting me hooked on this television show. Well, that, and seeing it on pinterest all the time.<br />
<br />
Here's how it started. Annie found this new-to-her TV show on Netflix and just started going crazy about it. Whenever she tried to explain it to me, though, it'd go something like this...<br />
<br />
"There's a bunch of different doctors because they can regenerate themselves. They're the same, but they look and act different. And they're called Time Lords and travel in a time traveler called the TARDIS which is disguised as a telephone box and nobody knows his name, the doctor, and it's a crime to abbreviate doctor...it must be spelled out. And such-and-such was born in his future and time travels back to meet him in his past... And it's just amazing!"<br />
<br />
"Say what?"<br />
<br />
Finally I had to just try this whole Doctor Who thing for myself. And three episodes later I couldn't get enough.<br />
<br />
Anybody else a Doctor Who fanatic out there? I'm only on season two, so please, no spoilers. <br />
<br />
Who's your favorite Doctor? I quite enjoyed Doctor #9. I thought he was...well...fantastic. ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8wENeRHnug-tBbq9oj0w7jI6xqm1zd4fRzSkYyBovXOnKCdb5jlawBmb_bMa9oaU4vYTyFRjwsvIVpUwIAioNjtyzw1HCtm9Ll6E_dH06FiPeZbv2INwpoIddTxVwI59rGSTD9_iMzs/s1600/ChristopherEccleston-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8wENeRHnug-tBbq9oj0w7jI6xqm1zd4fRzSkYyBovXOnKCdb5jlawBmb_bMa9oaU4vYTyFRjwsvIVpUwIAioNjtyzw1HCtm9Ll6E_dH06FiPeZbv2INwpoIddTxVwI59rGSTD9_iMzs/s640/ChristopherEccleston-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=doctor+who&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1236&bih=821&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=8iB2g6q74GXPfM:&imgrefurl=http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2012/01/the-anatomy-of-doctor-who-a-look-at-the-doctors-of-doctor-who/&docid=KYGOqlGPnhJptM&imgurl=http://www.threeifbyspace.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ChristopherEccleston-1.jpg&w=1024&h=768&ei=JggjUIKBGsXU6gGiuYCIDQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=310&sig=106387976536522946981&page=1&tbnh=132&tbnw=177&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:21,s:0,i:207&tx=120&ty=63">{source}</a></span></div>
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But Doctor #10 is definitely starting to grow on me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAAt1uXOOnHAzkTOGjBlUWPk-TmJ_WxB1-EK3GooXAm2omwYKqXDUftL0HYAw3QTGLtVn9oALHM90oS2HCArhAxTGIP63hlhejciy2pS7bsvHXJ-KjFdH8S8UAGFxb-u0SAvDDuBq0kc/s1600/doctor_who___david_tennant_by_jennicat5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAAt1uXOOnHAzkTOGjBlUWPk-TmJ_WxB1-EK3GooXAm2omwYKqXDUftL0HYAw3QTGLtVn9oALHM90oS2HCArhAxTGIP63hlhejciy2pS7bsvHXJ-KjFdH8S8UAGFxb-u0SAvDDuBq0kc/s1600/doctor_who___david_tennant_by_jennicat5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=doctor+who&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1236&bih=821&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=URYhiGKuEfMCwM:&imgrefurl=http://whyiadore.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/doctor-who-by-lee-zachariah/&docid=UyCZF2S-lIA7CM&imgurl=http://whyiadore.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/doctor_who___david_tennant_by_jennicat5.jpg&w=300&h=468&ei=JggjUIKBGsXU6gGiuYCIDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1017&vpy=60&dur=2044&hovh=281&hovw=180&tx=119&ty=147&sig=106387976536522946981&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=106&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:156">{source}</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As is Rose. I wasn't such a fan of her at first. She frustrated me. But I've gotten used to her and I think she goes well with The Doctor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzkpfKYomnxkPSGMV9AAnc4M-DIrhxsaX5k8OQKrL-BrKkJNBvLeAWUMf9t5d2V2l4PAgZc0c3xyAj05SU2R8np73y9mTsjdBZmToNceX4tVzFx5VWn-GJO7cIAMJyNMBmcC3yBuehaA/s1600/Rose-doctor-who-256815_1024_768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzkpfKYomnxkPSGMV9AAnc4M-DIrhxsaX5k8OQKrL-BrKkJNBvLeAWUMf9t5d2V2l4PAgZc0c3xyAj05SU2R8np73y9mTsjdBZmToNceX4tVzFx5VWn-GJO7cIAMJyNMBmcC3yBuehaA/s640/Rose-doctor-who-256815_1024_768.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=doctor+who&start=54&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1236&bih=821&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=m71KslKThpwEAM:&imgrefurl=http://www.fanpop.com/spots/doctor-who/images/256815/title&docid=2RyFFf7ek08wmM&imgurl=http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Rose-doctor-who-256815_1024_768.jpg&w=1024&h=768&ei=JwgjUPe5IeWT6QG2koG4DA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=938&vpy=257&dur=1031&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=153&ty=85&sig=106387976536522946981&page=3&tbnh=137&tbnw=210&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:39,s:54,i:127">{source}</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, yes, I'm now a Doctor Who fan. I'm looking at T-shirts on ebay and weighing the pros and cons of asking my parents if I can paint my door TARDIS blue. We shall see.</div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-72392301523750597412012-07-30T13:58:00.000-05:002012-08-13T19:58:33.911-05:00while at work...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xHuVG8TOfD2KUQjFnxIOtKGcZuDw2akbHHMKK36JnPdA_bH-xwU9j81fVWrPZZ3N0VKrKcblft-JpV9Z1LKafAlgQHOfZqk1sZrtuyQB5kuRr7Da5c8hWrIUQpO9aBAgqHim7V1LIP8/s1600/IMG_1391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xHuVG8TOfD2KUQjFnxIOtKGcZuDw2akbHHMKK36JnPdA_bH-xwU9j81fVWrPZZ3N0VKrKcblft-JpV9Z1LKafAlgQHOfZqk1sZrtuyQB5kuRr7Da5c8hWrIUQpO9aBAgqHim7V1LIP8/s640/IMG_1391.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Last week, Tuesday evening to be exact, one of my coworkers, Sharon, came up to me before she got off and asked me to do her a favor. Her summer reading program was the next day and the kids were going to be learning how to draw. But they were also going to be making creations with their fingerprints using stamps. So, Sharon asked me to test each stamp to make sure it was good and inky for the children. I must have looked a tad bit dumbfounded because she confirmed that yes she really did want me to stick my fingers in the stamps and test them. When I finished I left her note telling her which ones worked best. And just out of impulse, I signed my name and then put my thumbprint beside it. Mmhm...my job is awesome.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">***</span></div>
<br />
When I'm around my family, specifically my sister, I've learned to answer not only to Katie, but to Annie as well. The same thing has occurred at work. Only I'm called Rachael instead. I've never met Rachael. She left before I got there. But apparently I'm a lot like her, both in build and mannerism. And, I confess, after hearing about how much I was like her several times I finally looked her up on facebook. There's definitely a resemblance. I'd love to meet her someday and go up to her and say, "Hi, I'm Katie, but I'm often mistaken for you."<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">***</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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Many of my coworkers have commented on my hair in the last week after having it colored. Most people say I look even more like my mom. *grins* But this one fellow, Ryan, worked the night shift with me one day last week. It was probably two and a half, maybe three hours into our shift when he looks over at me and suddenly says, "Do you have a red streak in her hair?" </div>
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I laugh and answer, "Yeah." </div>
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"I guess it was intentional...?" </div>
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I laugh again, "Yep." </div>
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"I've been sitting here with you all night and I just now noticed!" </div>
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Then one of our shelvers walks by and Ryan says to her while gesturing to me, "Is her hair different?" </div>
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Right off the bat she answers, "Yeah she got highlights." </div>
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It was really quite funny. Good times...good times. </div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058310589423538132.post-28563566271376047382012-07-26T16:02:00.002-05:002012-08-13T19:59:00.217-05:00through my window<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If I wait too long to live my dream, I may find that it's too heavy. But if I start now, day by day, every day, someday people may marvel at how much I can carry.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
--Jerry Spinelli, "Today I Will"</div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631442462865541827noreply@blogger.com2