Don't forget the Spazz.

What was I thinking??? I just got my ears pierced. I've got holes in my ears! Straight through em! And something stuck inside them! Aaaaah!!!

Yeah, I'm a little freaked out. No wonder I let my holes close up before. Rebecca was a little worried beforehand, and I was not. But Becca went first, nice and brave because I had conveniently forgotten that getting your ears pierced really does hurt at first. But she was nice and didn't mention my absentmindedness until after I got mine done. And after it was over and we left the store, I freaked out.

But it was a good experience aaaaand ohmygoodness I have to fiddle with these brand new holes three times a day!! What have I done to myself?

PS: Aunt Wendy - hurry up and post something on your blog so we can leave you comments. :D

Snazz, Jazz & Razzamatazz

Tomorrow I'm doing something. Something I haven't done since I was like, 9. *ahem* Rebecca and I are going to the mall, and walking to Claires, and getting our ears pierced. *.* I'm not scared, per se, but I'm a little nervous because I can't be so carefree with my ears once they've got holes in 'em. I mean, I sleep best when I've got my pillow all squashed up under my ear. I let my holes close up before 'cause they got infected (some 9-year-olds just aren't the best at cleaning their ears). So we'll see if I can be a big girl and make it all the way to wearing cute earrings this time.

Good Gravy (and Lists)

So what have y'all been stressing about lately? If you're like me, sometimes you'll be in bed trying to go to sleep when you remember something you have to do. There's that inward groan and the mental zap that jump-starts your heart and won't let you get to sleep just yet.

I mention this because our message in church yesterday was entitled "...So Don't be Anxious." And... wow. God really spoke to me. Especially with the holidays here, and finals around the corner, and everything else we go through every day, I know we worry. And this message was such an encouragement, I'd encourage you to listen to it next time you've got an extra 40 minutes or so. They haven't posted it online yet but I'll post a link here when they do. :) 40 minutes can seem like a lot, especially around this time of year, but come on: could you stand to miss one tv show?

Here are a few of my notes, which I'm going to need to keep nearby over the next couple of weeks:

• When faith is dying out, anxious greed comes to life
• Worriers act as if they had the ability to control the uncontrollable (worrying won't prevent cancer, or produce perfect kids)
• A worrier stores treasure in the wrong place. If your treasure is something that can be taken away, you're setting yourself up for worry.
• The best thing you can ever want, you can never lose, and you can always give it away.

Seven Reasons Not to Worry (Luke 12:13-34)

1. Your life is so much more than what you do/don't have.
2. (v24) "Consider the ravens..." God provides for the birds. And we are more valuable than them.
3. Worrying does No GOOD and accomplishes nothing.
4. (v27-28) He clothes the lilies - how much more will we outshine the lilies? He will clothe us in His glory.
5. (v29-30) Anxiety makes you like the world, those who do not know God. God knows what you need. He will give you what you need to live if you need Him.
6. (v32) It is His pleasure to give us His kingdom. Our Father is God! He chooses gladly to love us.
7. We become anxious because we want to get, not lose what we've got. So give.

Thanksgiving break to-do list:
Register for spring semester
Reply to all blog comments (er, some?)
Catch up on all blogs
Complete media scrapbook
Get halfway caught up on e-mails
Find time for a few episodes of Gilmore Girls
Survive the mall on Saturday
Catch up on reading from Govt, Hist and Soci.
Finish online QUIA homework and chapter of Puntos
Begin work on oral presentation in Spanish

Eh, not too bad I guess. We'll see if I can get the rest done this week. :)

Lovers of the Strange

I concocted a rather scrumptious new dinner. Or breakfast or whatever. But it's my dinner. Ready? Kay, make oatmeal. Add dried cranberries. Add cinnamon. Add whipped cream. Mix and eat. Not too fast.

Well, I survived the mall today! Mrs. G (lady from my church) and I went to practice speaking Spanish, and I was really surprised because we didn't get trampled. Very pleasant mall experience. ¡Me divertí mucho!

More interesting stuff:

• Monday I was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the honors society of two year colleges (not for free - haha).
• November 18th was the two-year mark of my first day of work at the bagel shop. So I remembered getting up at 4am and getting stuck in front of the register at 5 with pretty much no idea what to do, only one manager, and impending doom as the breakfast crowd arrived. Aaaah! (I learned a lot that day.)
• Does it get any better than being able to browse YouTube for school? I found a couple of movies that are great for my media scrapbook, and a bunch of other stuff that's just great. Lazy bums unite.
• Yesterday I ran to Sonic to get a drink (apple limeade - coupon!) and turned on the radio to hear Bing Crosby going on about chestnuts and snow. No matter that it felt like 80 degrees outside. Meh.

A Guest and a Dance

Another daily entry! Aren't you special?

Speaking of special, we have a very special guest with us for Thanksgiving: Señor Pancho Don Quixote Hidalgo. (We call him Pancho.) I've never had a bulldog before... but I'm beginning to think they might be related to pigs. Dear Aunt W comes to pick him up again tomorrow and I think I shall miss his oinking. I was going to post some pictures and stuff but I needta get my hands on a USB cable first. In the meantime, you can enjoy the following video. Answer me this: is it more disturbing that this was a children's show? Or that I still remember this song?

The Defiance of a Stricken Mirror

Guess what? I finally got one of those little antenna balls for my car. :D My mommy brought me one from her trip last weekend. It's a little reindeer head from Jack in the Box and it looks so cute on my car antenna. And I'm scared someone's going to steal it. :(

Thanksgiving break to-do list:
Register for spring semester (halfway done picking classes... mind boggling process)
Reply to all blog comments
Catch up on all blogs
Complete media scrapbook
Get halfway caught up on e-mails (my poor, bloated inbox)
Find time for a few episodes of Gilmore Girls
Survive the mall on Saturday (Spanish-speaking practice with una señora from my church)
Catch up on reading from Govt, Hist and Soci.
Finish online QUIA homework and chapter of Puntos
Begin work on oral presentation in Spanish

I pray your Thanksgiving is blessed and that your heart finds great reason to rejoice in the grace of our Lord. -J

They've obviously never played one.

My spanish class meets in a compter lab, which can be kind of annoying but hey, at least we don't have to meet out in the marsh, right? Anyway, today somebody left a document minimized on the taskbar of "my" computer. So I opened and read a one-paragraph report on violence in video games. Hm. And then I left a message about how video games should be appreciated because they pretty much were my source of mad driving skills. MarioKart, people! I didn't get to mention how much fun it is to beat up Pikachu in Super Smash Bros because class started (and we were not talking about video games).

For Country and (the) King

Yesterday, I voted for the very first time! Woohoo! It was whoppin' easier than I thought it was gonna be. But they didn't give me an "I Voted" sticker, which put a damper on things. Oh well. And as I stood in line behind my mom, one of the ladies helping out cynically reminds me that I don't look old enough to vote. So I just waved my voter registration card at her. Take that.

And just as exciting: Leslie graduated today and is officially a Marine!! We've been able to keep in touch over the past few months via letters, and I'm sure she's über-relieved that boot camp is over. She should be coming home tomorrow, and she promised we'd go to Jason's Deli sometime so I can get a panini. Yessss. Oh, and we might talk in-between bites. If you think of it, keep praying for her: I was able to share the gospel with her before she left, and I think she understands most of it, but I'm still hoping to see her commit her life to the Lord. :)