I am ready for fall.

Yesterday I saw that Panera is now serving Pumpkin Spice Lattes and so is Starbucks. And I want one... but then I step out into the blazing heat that Charlotte is STILL experiencing (note the slight bitterness) and I suddenly am craving a Strawberry Lemonade instead.

Come on fall weather, grace us with your long awaited presence! This is not cool (literally)!

Here's a picture I attempted to picnik. It even has fall colors. And mustaches (which don't really have anything to do with fall).

 - Abigail

So.. uh.

i sorta started my own blog.... not in a mean spiteful way. I'm not going to share the url just yet. and hopefully i'll still be blogging on here. pardon me for my lack of posting this summer. i'm aware i haven't posted hardly at all. oh well.

today is my first key club meeting as president. man am i nervous. happy thoughts. if you could say a little prayer (or a big prayer) that'd be great.


happy friday!

Wes Anderson-esque

Yesterday we went to visit our friend who had knee surgery, and on the way we listened to Noah and the Whale. Ever since I heard about them, I have loved their music, but I forgot just how awesome they really are. Check out their music video, it reminds me of Wes Anderson's style of directing movies, I sort of like them a whole lot. P.S. I'm filling in for Em's usual Musical Monday.

- Abigail

What Cannot Be Found, by Copeland.

Isn't this so beautiful? I've been listening to it all week, but I wish it was just a wee bit longer. I love this: "I found your life in grey and white, and never thought I'd color it." I wish Copeland wasn't breaking up.  :(

-Abigail

"Enjoy Life. Think of all the women who passed up dessert on the Titanic." - Unknown

I have enjoyed life this weekend. I am now exhausted. And I'm pretty sure I gained about two tons of weight from the desserts I most definitely did not pass up ( Ok, two tons is exaggerating).

Favorite points include: Hunting around for a strawberry farm with Dad while blasting James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, Jimmy Eat World, Brandi Carlile, Ben Taylor and more, watching movies with Em (and loving The Blindside), sushi, and a 1940s themed murder mystery party. Pictures will probably come... but I'm not feeling like uploading any right now.


 - Abigail

Ah subconscious, sometimes you creep me out

To begin this strange tale my subconscious concocted, let me make it known that I hardly ever remember any of my dreams. ANY.

I had a favorite muskrat that lived beside our creek. He was the third child of the muskrat family, approximately fifteen pounds, liked to be carried like a baby, was named something like D.B. or Deedee, and was owned by a very famous singer named Peter. But, his mother ate our dog. So, my family was bitter and didn't want me to keep baby muskrat, so I started emailing Peter talking about how awesome sauce his rodent-like creatures were. About this time, my dad has a fit about how he doesn't understand why Peter would ever want to email me and this and that. End part one of dream.

Soon after this, (while still talking to Peter via email), we went to camp, which instead of being on the lake, was on a stone boat. Sort of awesome, right? Katie and I were staying below deck, and our counselor was super excited that we were there, but wouldn't tell us who was staying in our cabin, which we found super annoying. Then I saw some of my friends, but my one friend looked like he had a few years ago and it creeped me out. Then I got an email from Peter and the dream sort of ended. Then I awoke, wondering why I dreamed of muskrats eating my dog.

Anyway, Emily and I have only one week of co-op left! Yay! We are both super ecstatic. Here's a picture that make me laugh. We look super fly in our hats. Hah!

 - Abigail

Lately my days have been filled with Driver's Ed, finding out I have homework up to my ears, cooking delicious eggs in basil olive oil,  drinking copious amounts of hot tea, and hoping that I don't fail my current French test.

On the bright side, I got contacts, my Driver's Ed teacher reminds me of Jack Black and is pretty funny, and I almost have my piano piece for recital memorized. Huzzah!

Now back to a horrendous amount of school.


 - Abigail

Today Emily and I harmonized while whistling. All that work on harmonizing seems to have started paying off. Awesome sauce.

Hopefully I'll start blogging a little more regularly.





 - Abigail

The new hair

First of all I must apologize for my lack of posts. I realize both my sisters post much more than I do.

Secondly, I decided I was going to cut all my hair off (even after several people telling me not to). Personally I really like it. Here are some pictures of what my hair has looked like this year... I obviously like to change my hair a lot, seeing as this was in the span of less than a year.

 my hair really isn't curly, this is what would happen if i wore it up

 

à la Dora the Explorer 

the cat looks super happy

what my hair looked like (when i fixed it) up until thursday. 

one thing i love about my hair now is that if i put anything in it, it spikes SUPER easy. so, sometimes i look like wolverine. which i love. 

 - abigail

Today we're going to the gym. I fully enjoy the thought of working out. And the post workout high. Just not working out with other people there. Which is not good when you have a YMCA membership. I realize I need to work off my pudge... I just wish I could still eat cupcakes that my sister keeps tempting me with, and not see anyone when I workout. Is that so much to ask for? Well, maybe it is. Sigh.

On a better note, today I finished memorizing O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman. I feel a little accomplished. Not much though. I'm feeling pretty lethargic. Hopefully we'll finally get around to painting my room... but i don't think thats going to happen.

I just found this picture of Katie, our little cousin Rachel and myself. It makes me happy. Ah... sometimes I wish I still had my long hair.

 

I hope everyone had a happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Awesome Day

Today was amazing. I got a whole lot of school done, and then went Christmas shopping. And knocked out about half of my shopping, which feels really nice. Emily and I were listening to music in the car and Paparazzi by Lady Gaga came on about fifty times. I mean its a cool song, but a little creepy. You'll follow him until he's yours? I don't think thats the best way to catch a man. Maybe someone should tell her that. . . also Katie just made reindeer cookies. Which are awesome. I think they alone would make my day good even if it hadn't been good. And I have done a bunch of extra credit for a class, which makes me feel productive. :) And when my dad sang falsetto tonight it made me snort I was laughing so hard. He also is on a garlic kick and announced he had eaten six cloves and is now researching it. Its pretty hilariously awesome.  He is currently whistling very fast and loud, with headphones in and he can't hear us when we talk. I love my family.

 - Abigail

Great Books

This week I have been sick. At first it was just a sore throat and headache, then it progressed to congestion and now has turned into pink eye. Let me tell you, it is not fun. But on a better note, I have been surrounded by wonderful books, due to my family's excessive book buying habits. Here is one of my  favorites from this week:

A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle

In this book I discovered some poems by other authors, such as this one by Sir Thomas Browne

If thou could'st empty all thyself of self, 
Like to a shell dishabited,
Then might He find thee on the ocean shelf, 
And say, "This is not dead,"
And fill thee with Himself instead.

But thou are all replete with very thou
And hast such shrewd activity,
That when He comes He says, "This is enow
Unto itself - 'twere better let it be,
It is so small and full, there is no room for me."

And this by Henry Vaughn

 I saw Eternity the other night


Like a great Ring of pure and endless light,


          All calm as it was bright ;


And round beneath it, Time, in hours, days, years . . .  

  

Madeline L'Engle is one of my favorite authors and I asked for several of her books for Christmas... which is coming up WAY too soon. I still need to buy presents for pretty much everyone on my list... yay. 

 

Also, I really really want to watch the movie Amelie. 

 

Have a great weekend!

 

 - Abigail

Things.

This week has been hard for me. I feel ridiculous and stupid. After spending time in prayer, I have come to the conclusion that I need to let go of the situation and let God have complete control. For me this is easier said than done. I love my Heavenly Father and trust Him, but it is easier for me to be sad and moody than to be happy and hopeful. I'm trying though.

On a better note, Thanksgiving is coming soon, and our family from Delaware is coming in! I'm so excited, because we usually see my mom's side of the family more and we'll be getting to spend at least one holiday with some of my dad's. Don't get me wrong, I will miss my mom's family a lot, but I'm happy we'll get to see some of my extended family. Whoohoo!

 - Abigail

.

This week I have been unusually chilly. I am ready for a fire in the fireplace (hint: dad). I love the cold, especially when I can take a mug of coffee, a book, and a blanket and curl up with my cat in front of the fire. It feels so cliche, but I don't really care. :)

Speaking of my cat, today I was told by my parents to bathe her. If you have never bathed a fifteen pound cat with flea shampoo that says on the bottle "lather and let sit on pet for five minutes," you are a very lucky person. My darling cat, Ivy thought it would be good to jump out of the bath and run around the bathroom while soaking wet.  Of course I yelled for her to come back. Which did not help, all it did was make my sister and dad run into the bathroom, because they thought some emergency was happening. I ended up soaked. Then, my dad thought it would be good to blow-dry her. Let me tell you, cats do not like the sound of a blow-dryer. In fact, they tend to claw whoever is holding them. Which in this case was me.

But, on a better note, my dad bought us chocolate last night! And hopefully this weekend half of my family (including myself) will be going out of town! Until then, I will be slaving over my school work, because I didn't get any done over the weekend.

 - Abigail

Happiness is back!

Remember how down I was last post? Well, I'm not down anymore! Wednesday night we had such a great youth service, worship practice and prayer time. After that, I felt so happy and I want to give everyone some of the happiness, because I don't think it will ever stop! It makes me so excited when something like this happens! Can you tell from all the exclamations!?

Also, at our youth revival some of our friends (and Emily and I) are dancing. We haven't practiced the dance in six months . . . and only two of the girls have any professional dance training. Needless to say, we're a little rough. Hopefully we'll get better.

After dance, our friends Jackie and Dana came over. We went to Target AND Walmart. And found footed PJs. That have dinosaurs on them and get this.... they're camouflage! I'm pretty sure I'm going back to get a pair. No, I am not joking. Here it is! Isn't it amazing! Anyway, following that escapade we got little baby pumpkins and painted them. Being the smart person I am when I spray painted mine, I succeeded in getting silver paint all over myself. I even got some on my face. It's pretty attractive.

Are you as excited for Christmas and the holidays as I am? I've already started listening to Christmas music, including Sufjan Stevens and Ten out of Tenn Christmas CD. Check them both out, they are amazing! I've decided my favorite Christmas song is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. AND... I already bought a couple birthday/Christmas presents. I'm feeling pretty good about my progress.

I just noticed that I sort of skipped Halloween. Probably because we never officially celebrate it, since my parents don't like it. This year we're going to a fall festival, though. They have fried oreos, so I'm excited!

Have a great weekend!

- Abigail

Almost...

I am in stress mode. Since we took a week away from school to go to the beach, I have been in frantic catch up mode. Which is not fun. Yesterday was not good. I was so tired and overloaded that I snapped at everyone. But, on a good note I did get a bottle of my favorite perfume for half price. That's good, right? Here's to November almost being here and another trip to Tennessee coming up (hopefully).

Here's my favorite perfume: G (Harajuku Lovers) by Gwen Stefani

this lovely picture was taken by my talented friend Rebekah.

photo credit: fashionesedaily.com

- Abigail

Happy Birthday, Emily!!

Happy Birthday, Emily!! You are now 18 and can order stuff off TV! Aren't you excited? We love you!

- Katie and Abigail

Lately I've been really bummed out. I can be really emotional sometimes, and for the past month, I haven't been very happy. Of course there are times when I am happy, but something or other always brings me down. But, while I was at the COGOP youth conference, I realized that I have been depending on other people to make me happy and I should be depending on God to make me happy. I'm still having a hard time realizing this, but I'm working on it.

Luckily, our friends are taking us away for a week of beach time! I get so excited and happy when I think about it. I'll be able to get away from everything and be with one of my best friends. Hopefully the water will still be warm, because we have every intention of swimming. :) And I got a camera for my birthday, so I will be taking LOTS of pictures!

This is from Bald Head Island a couple years ago... I miss it.

- Abigail

Happy Birthday Abby!

Happy 15th Birthday Abigail!

We hope your day is amazing!

Love you so very very much!

~katie & emily~

Oh school...

School has started to get a lot harder. Our friends are taking my sister Emily and me to the beach for our birthdays, and my parents have told us to get a week ahead in school. It is not fun. Also, we will be away for the weekend in Tennessee for a youth conference. Hopefully it will be fun. On another note, the weekend was great! I just realized I was not sounding too positive. :) oh well, maybe tomorrow will be better!

- Abigail