Shay, she's a bit goofy
My Amber and Shay
Amber
Andy and Isaiah pointing.
Josh and Brandon, a bit odd.
Me playing volleyball.
The boys getting their shirts ready for the game.
Shay and Amber; they are weird.
Shay, me and Amber.
Some of the younger kids.
Volleyball.
Playing volleyball.
Shay and me playing volleyball; we look a bit silly.
More volleyball.
Chris.
Billy blowing up a balloon.Okay, well even though I would like to I'm not gonna tell you about every single minute of the camp out because that would just take way too long, but I will tell you about some of the highlights of my weekend and some of the not so highlights also.
(Trying to decide where to start.lol)
For the first like hour or two we just kinda hung out and since my family was like one of the first ones there there wasn't a whole lot to do yet or people to hang out with. While we were setting up out camp, Tyrel was supposed to be getting some boys to help him move a table. Well he must not have been doing what he was told, because a few minutes later he came walking out of the mountains with Ruben and Ryan. My dad started yelling at him about why not helping (he didn't hardly help at all setting up camp and kept running off), then he was like, "Open your eyes", because his eyes were closed like he was rolling his eyes at dad or something, then they got closer and we realized that his eye was bleeding. My dad then went running over there yelling
"What did you do to yourself?!?!". Apparently they were throwing sticks and one got him in the eye.
The guys played football and they even let the girls who wanted to play play (like me) and I even got to run the ball once. It was a lot of fun.
Later all the young kids were around the camp fire and some adults and were all sang. We had a lot of singings around the camp fire, it seemed like anytime there were people at the fire someone was singing. I really liked this because even the young kids who don't usually sing like in church really seem to get into it and we get really loud and everything. What was really surprising to me was how these too guys, who came up with Colton and Zakk got so into the singings, I was like, "WOW!!!" lol.
The only problem with singing around the fire is that the smoke goes in your mouth and makes it hard to sing. So, that night when my throat started hurting I had noticed that Josh was sitting at one of the tables reading his bible, so I went and got mine to join. Well I came back he was gone, so Amber, Shay and I went to find him. It didn't take very long, he was in at a table in the kicten. So, we set down our things and went to get a quick drink, then when we came to set down some of the boys had came and then he left with them. I was thinking, "Well so much for that", but he left his bible so we knew that he would be back. Finally we got tired of waiting so we went to find him. He was at the Swezeys big tent making hot dogs (heard 'food' and went running lol). So, we ate some hot dogs too. Then after a minute we looked around and he was gone again, but he came back sooner this time. We were like, "Are you trying to avoid us or something?". He said that he wasn't and to just follow him next time, so we did and pretty soon we were back at the table in the kicten. Then Chris, Billy and Bro. Bill came. At sometime Amber and Shay left, I don't know when or where they went and I didn't go looking for them because I knew that if I wanted to be involved in those kind of spiritual moments, I had to put myself in them. So, I sat and listened to the guys talk and followed them in my bible and although I never really said anything I did get a lot out of it. It was really nice and even when Cayla came and said that they were playing capture the flag none of us left. We did leave before they were done playing capture the flag and then Josh and I were walking around and Laura came and tagged us and took us to the jail. She kept on telling us how we couldn't leave and never would believe that we hadn't been playing.
I don't really remember a lot of what we did during the day on Saturday, we mostly just hung out. I do remember that sometime between lunch and dinner I had just started playing catch with Kansada and Jesse and my mom yelled my name like I had just done something wrong. I went running (thinking that I was in trouble) and it turned out that she just wanted me to get my brothers and sisters so we could find out what size of shirts we wanted. Then I went back and played catch with Kansada and Shy shy. after a while Shy shy left and it was just Kansada and me ( just to let everyone know it was a football that we were playing catch with), and we played til I had to stop and take some food over to the kicten for my mom.
The guys formed a volleyball team and played against the older men and then the girls. They used the camp out shirts and called themselves the Cupcakes (last year they were the Pansies). So, we watched them play and rooted for them. During their first game Mackenzie came and said that mom was done making the tacos and that any of my friends who wanted could come and eat too. So, I got Jilleeanna, Malea and Tiffany (and maybe more), Amber and Shay said that they would come when that game was over. So when they finished playing the men I went with Amber and Shay to get their tacos and my mom asked me if Josh had ate. I knew that he hadn't (and that tacos are his favorite), so I went and asked him if he wanted me to make one and save it for him. He said, yes please and only wanted meat and cheese on it. When I got back in the kicten the were only the small taco shells and the very big ones left and the hamburger was gone. So, he got a very big taco with lots of chicken and cheese (which is good cause he said that it was the first thing he had ate all day, stupid boy). I had to hold it for him til they were done (that taco wasn't very warm when he finally got to eat it). It was kinda weird, I told Chantea that I felt like I was taking care of him more now that I did when we were dating. When he was eating it I said, "I'm sorry it's not spaghetti", because apparently he had been talking in his sleep the night before and had said, "Elise make me some spaghetti".
Later on a bunch of us were hanging out at the fire and Josh (who is the other Josh, one of Colton and Zakks friends) started looking for the hot dogs (cause there usually are some around the fire). When we didn't find any I saw my mom and I asked her if we had anymore. She was like "We just ate", and I said "But Josh is hungry". Seemed like the word that someone was hungry spread pretty fast cause me and my mom ran and got our hot dogs, buns and chips and Tammy got their sausage. I was thinking that this was a pretty weird day cause I kept on feeding boys (or Joshes anyhow lol).
Church was really really good on Sunday. There were lots of testimony's and it lasted about 5 hours. Even though the boys who were sitting by me (Zakk, Josh, Josh, Derek, and Brandon, man that's a lot of boys) weren't always paying attention I was pretty impressed with them (I've seen Zakk sleep in church before). They all put an effort to sing, when there was a song being sang, which wasn't often.
Later that afternoon we played freeze kick ball (it was called freeze because it was freezing cause it was raining pretty hard). Yes it rained off and on all weekend up there, so my pants were all fairly muddy. Then after that we played some card games.
That evening a bunch of us young kids were singing around the fire. We were having a lot of fun, the guys were all grouped together singing the guy part even and we were singing really loudly trying to get more people to come join us. Then in the middle of one of the songs Josh started coughing and choking and it was really scary. Chris was trying to stop his choking and then he prayed for him, I thought and felt like we should have all prayed for him, but I didn't say anything and then everyone went on singing and Josh went to go lay down. I had seen Amber when I happened, but then I looked around and I didn't see her anywhere, so I went to find her and Shay. I finally found Shay, it turned out that she had never left the fire and then we found Amber. We went in the cabin and were talking, well not really Amber was crying and Shay and I were trying to figure out what to do. Then Amber said something about how she couldn't bare to lose anyone else right now ( her uncle died in a car wreck last month and Josh is her cousin). Suddenly I lost it, it took everything I had inside of me not to start crying then. I don't let the thought that someone my age could die like that even enter my mind, so I hadn't thought of the fact that he could have died. I know that I couldn't bare to lose Josh, he means so much to me. Shay and me went to go pray for him, but he was in the church where they had had the elders and where having confessing of faults, so we didn't get to pray for him, but I was praying and praying for him the whole rest of the night. We all hugged a lot after that. Josh was doing a lot better, but I'm sure that I wasn't the only one who got scared every time he would cough. The funny thing was how after that he acted like he had never been better.
So, the camp out was pretty great, made saying good-bye so much harder and sadder.
I'll post the pictures when we get them loaded on to the computer.
Okay, well this isn't really something that I would usually be sharing with everyone, but since my last post seemed like I was whining so much about the young kids, I thought I would go ahead.
So, last night Kansada spent the night and crazy enough we ended up staying up til like 4 a.m. (and didn't get up til 10:30). This may seem bad of me and I really don't like admitting this, but a lot of the time really talk to a whole lot her since we such different feelings on things. But strangely enough we talked most of the night about many of the things that I have been thinking on and that have been bothering me. I really hope that and pray that I was able to help her to understand things better. I know that she helped me to see how the rest of them seem to feel about thing.
It also helped me to understand kind of why it is that I have such different feelings about all of the things I have been talking about. I guess it could be because I have never really been all that wrapped up in the things of the world like some; I've never been involved in sports, I don't really try to make real friends with people from school (even when I was younger) and so I don't really seem to have the same kinds of distractions or temptations and there for I don't have the same opinions as other people. Some times I think that maybe other people feel like I think that I'm better than them, but that's not it at all and I would never think anything like that.
CHURCH
It's really been bothering me how every week I sit in church trying so hard to pay attention and praying that God will use me in meeting, when I have the girls on the right side of me talking, giggling and (worst of all) texting and then on the other side of me I have the boys with their heads bowed down really low (so not to be seen) whispering to each other. This all really bugs me. Like a lot. To me I don't see why they are even coming really if there not even going to be paying attention to the work of God going on (don't get me wrong I'm really glad that they come to church, but I just don't get it), half the time the girls aren't even singing (kinda odd that the boys sing more than the girls). I've spent a lot of time thinking about this and I feel that the reason we sit away from our parents is because we are old enough to behave ourselves without having to be told, which it seems that the young kids everywhere have proven this to be wrong because a lot of the young kids act worse than they did when they were younger and sat with there parents, because their parents aren't sitting there getting on to them about it anymore. I think that now that we are old enough to sit away from our parents then we are also old enough to pay attention and be seeking the Lord. Church is not a place to play, visit or be TEXTING (sometimes I really wish there wasn't a such thing as cell phones). I debate one whether or not I should sit somewhere else so that I'm not so distracted, I have done this before, back in the fall I sat on the bench in front of them for about a month.
MUSIC
On church dinner day, the boys were in the church listen in to music on Tyrels mp3 player. I said that I didn't really think that they should be listening to it in there (since their music isn't the greatest). They said well there's not anyone in here. I just pointed up as to said that God is. Then I got to thinking about it, I remembered that God is everywhere and hears everything too. A lot of the teenagers these days seem to be listening to music that isn't really the greatest to be listening to. So, I decided that while I can't make them all change there ways, but I can change mine, I'm gonna stop listening to music that may have the wrong kind of meaning to it (which won't be too hard since I usually don't listen to very much of it anyhow because I just don't like it).
VISITING
It seems to me that when the young kids are together they never really talk on the word or spiritual thing. I think that it would be good if we did talk with the people our age about these things because it could help us to have a better understanding of the word and it would be good for us spiritually. I have never had a conversation on the word with anyone my age and it seem that it would be helpful. So, I have been praying that the young kids cold have more spiritual visits.
(It would seem that I'm a very opinionated person.)
My cousin Chris Mcmanus is gonna be getting married on July 26 (which we have known since last July) to Cayla James. They have been dating off and on for the last 3 or 4 years. Chris has became like my big brother (I have even told him before that he is my big brother) and Cayla is real nice.
Mom told me yesterday that they're going to fly to Portland and then ride up to the Brewster camp out with uncle Marchall and aunt Connie. Which makes me very happy. I had been kinda sad cause I thought that Chris wouldn't be able to come and it just wouldn't be a camp out without Chris.
This is the stamp that was on the envelope that their invitation was in. I thought it was pretty awesome and had to take a picture of it.
Today our regular P.E. teacher was gone, so Mrs. Cox (the Spanish teaches) came and subed for him since that was her prep period. She had seemed pretty excited about getting a good work out with us by teaching us some ballet (sounded pretty fun to me). Yeah, the guys pretty much laughed at her and went on playing basketball, which seemed to upset her that no one was even gonna take her serious in the gym (I haven't had her as a teacher yet, but she seemed pretty nice). So, first she made us run (which she did with us) and then she let the boys play basketball for a bit longer. She was pretty disappointed and so she finally cracked down and made us all do some ballet stretches and some other ballet thing (I don't remember what they were called cause they were french words). She told us that she used to teach that stuff to the football players when she was in high school.
So, yeah now my legs kinda hurt, but it was fun and I think that I may start doing it on my own because it is nice to get a good work out.
After school today me and the girls had our tryouts for the talent show. And besides when Myla messed up on her verse and had to start over I think we did pretty well. I was kinda worried about how we would do the other day when Melissa was crying and wouldn't sing cause she was scared about singing in front of people. I have to admit that I did get pretty nervous, which seemed kind of silly to me because for 1 I have been in a lot of concerts and never that I can remember have I got nervous before, and 2 it was only the ELEMENTARY talent show for crying out loud, but I think that it may have been because the song we sang means a lot to me, and it wasn't like I was singing with the whole choir (only me and my sisters) and I had thought that it was just gonna be elementary teachers and kids and then I saw a middle school teacher who I know pretty well (which I was very glad when he left after his son went, which happened to be before us)(total run on sentence). But it was an ELEMENTARY talent show and so after seeing some of the other kids who tried out I think we might have a pretty good chance. On Monday we will find out how we did and the top 10 will preform in the Elementary spring concert on Tuesday night (I hope I don't get too nervous).
On Sunday night I had a pretty hard time getting to sleep. Twice I was almost asleep and then I would hear my dad laugh (like really loud, cause he must have been watching something on the computer). And then I think I was finally falling back to sleep after those, and I was kinda close to Mackenzie to be warm (cause we don't have heat in our room) and (in her sleep) she elbowed me in the eye.
So, on Friday night we had Dale and Chantel over for dinner. Then when they were getting ready to leave Andy and Tyrel we're asking if Tyrel could go spend the night at Andy's. Then Chantel asked Myla if she wanted to go and before long she had all of the little girls getting their clothes to spend the night (she said I could go too, but I didn't really feel like it). She then realized that they couldn't take all of those kids with them in their 5 passenger car, so they decided that they would take our van and then in the morning when mom went to town she would drop off their car and get the van. So after they left it was pretty quiet, with me and Dale being the only kids home (and Dale already in bed).
Then the next morning (Saturday) at about 8 mom came in to tell me that her and Dale were going to town and what all I needed to get done. So, I went back to sleep until about 8:45 and then got up. I then got on the computer and checked my e-mail and whatnot until about 9. Then I went and changed the sheets on my bed (because Edwin and Liz were coming) and cleaned my room (it really needed it). Then I took a shower. After I got out of the shower mom called and told me to switch her laundry.
A little after 11 mom and Liz came. But I only saw Liz pull in, so I was all thinking "Oh, she got here before mom" (which wouldn't have been a problem since things like that have happened before and the house was clean). Then I saw that she seemed to be talking to someone, now I'm like,"I wonder who she could be talking to." So, I looked and there was mom getting groceries out of the van.
So, after we got everything in and put away we gave Liz the tour of our house (the best part of remodeling, besides having an awesome house). Then we ate some sandwiches for lunch (yummy) and then at 1 when Chantel and the girls came home they ate.
The guys were having a work day at the church and a little bit after Chantel got here (I don't really know what time it was) dad came to get some stuff. He had a bad head ache, so he laid down for a while and when he got up he asked me if I would drive him over to the church and back (I wasn't really sure about it, cause I didn't want to be over there all day). So, we got in the truck and Dale was hiding in the backseat cause he wanted to go. When we got to the church dad said that he was gonna show someone how to do something and then we would go. So, at 3 we were still at the church because he did it himself and did many other things (remember me saying that I didn't want to stay ALL DAY!!!!!!).
Well a little bit after 3 we did end up finally going home. I got to drive, Dale and Tucker sat in the back seat, Tyrel and Andy sat in the back of the truck (which made me very nervous), and dad decided that he would let Edwin sit in the front and he would sit in the back with the little boys (not a good thing for me at all) since he had never sat back there. Well dad kept on crying and nagging about my driving the whole way home like he thought he was gonna die or something (which can REALLY make a 15 year old girl nervous about driving), which I was driving just fine thank you very much dad.
Danny had invited Edwin and Liz over for dinner, so we didn't really have dinner (or at least not that I remember). I read the bible in my room for a while and then at about a quarter til 9 I got the girls so that we could practice our song for the talent show. We are singing 'As I Go Down In The River To Pray' in the talent show on Thursday. Because the song has so many verses I decided that the only one we will sing together is the 'Sisters' one and we all picked which other one we would be singing alone.
When Edwin and Liz got back mom made pop-bisect (I know that's not how you spell it but the speel check won't give me the right word) donuts.
On Sunday morning we ate breakfast, got ready for church and made food for church dinner.
Church was pretty good. We then had church dinner and almost everyone stayed until about 6 ish (which never happens). Then when we were all getting ready to go we decided to all go over to Dale and Chantel's and have Homemade Ice Cream (which it had been ages since we last had). I guess I was so excited about the ice cream that I got to much and then couldn't finish it cause I was too full (I really felt like I was gonna be sick and I didn't even get to try some brownies :(). And at 9:30 we left to go home (since it was 9:30 and us kids have to get on the bus at 6:30 in the morning).
On Thursday our choir and band went to a music festival at McKenzie High School (I'm in the choir). It's a music festival for small schools (like ours).
My mom drove our van with kids in it because with all of the ball games and the 6th graders being at out door school the only bus we could take was the little pup bus (which wouldn't fit us all in it), so we took the pup bus, and my mom and another mom drove their vans. So we had to leave our house at like 5 cause we had to be at the school by 6:15. We picked up the kids who live on the ranch and drove them. I really don't know why we had to be there at 6 cause we didn't even leave the school until almost 7.
We then drove to Redmond and stopped at Rays for people to get stuff to eat for breakfast and lunch (also to go to the bathroom). Then after we got through Sisters we lost the other car, so after we drove for a while we stopped and waited for them for probably about 10 minutes (we found out that one of the girls had gotten car sick).
So we ended up getting to the festival a little bit late, but it was okay cause some of the other schools hadn't got there yet either. The kids who were in our car and had been there before said that the school pops out of the trees and I had thought that they were just saying that, but it really does, it's like you're driving over the mountain and there's this little road that you turn on and then there's the school behind some trees.
After we got there we went to this other room to warm up and practice our song (cause it was already our turn to sing). Then we sang our song for a judge/ director guy (by the way the song we sang was Love In Any Language). And after we sang the director guy sang with us and told us things that we could do better. My mom thought that he just told us about how bad we are, but really he told us that we were amazing compared to the lady at the Western Festival who pretty but told us that we were a bunch of screw offs (we call her the evil witch lady, no one likes her). So, yeah, in my opinion he was pretty nice and I thought that the judging part went pretty good.
We then listened to a few other choirs. The choir from Triangle Lake only had girls in it, so one of the girls actually did tenor and they were pretty good. (We have 5 boys in our choir, but only 2 of them were able to go.) After all of the choirs had sang we went over to the other gym and listened to the last band.
Then we had lunch, but not until after 1, which at our school we usually eat at 11:30, so we were all pretty hungry.
After lunch we went back in the gym to work on our 4 mass songs. We practiced until about 5 (that means we were singing for 3 hour!!). It was really a lot of fun. The songs we sang were Sakura (which is a Japanese song), Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel (my favorite), Gloria in Excelsis, and Johnson Boys. The Johnson Boys song has this stomp, pat, clap thing in the middle of it (that was really confusing, the girl next to me and I kept messing up).
At 5 we got to go eat dinner and hang out/get ready for the concert for an hour. Then we rehearsed for the concert til 7. And then we started the concert. The band also had 4 songs that they played in it. The concert went really well and then when the director was shaking my had he commented on how I always smile when I'm singing (it's true I really do love to smile and to sing).
We then left to head home (after we had to jump the other car). And got home at about 10:30.
And now I really wish that we could still have choir next year (their cutting choir and band in the high school next year).
Hello Everyone who may be reading this,
I was never before planning on creating my own blog, sometimes I would get on my moms and read, to you know see what's going on in every ones life's. But Sabrina sent me an invite to her Blog and I was trying to just make a Google account, but the stupid thing wouldn't let me so (after trying like what seemed like a million times) I decided that I would just create my own blog (cause I was getting really rather frustrated).
So here I am!!!!!!!(and we'll jsut have to see how often I actually post lol)
