What the fair means to me

A couple of weeks ago my family and I were able to make it to our annual county fair.  I absolutely love the fair for several reasons: 

 I love the large variety of different food to chose between.

I love the foot long corn dogs!

The corn on the cob is absolutely divine!

 I love spending time with my sissy!

Have I mentioned all the delectable frozen treats...for example: chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate covered bananas!

Yes, I truly love the fair for many reasons...the FOOD being the main reason.  However, this year while walking around the fair my mind began to race back to the many fairs of years past.  My mind traveled farther and farther back until I finally remembered- my very first memory of the fair:

 I recall my older sister tugging on my father's arm.  

"Hey daddy can Brooke and I go in there..please daddy"

* Note: no one asked Brooke if she would like to go, it was just assumed that Brooke was going to accompany Nicole.

" Daddy, can Brooke and I please go in the House of Mirrors all by ourselves!"

* Note: Notice once again, no one asked Brooke if she wanted mommy or daddy to come along with her for her safety and well being.

Well, daddy being the good man that he is agreed of course that his two little girls could go on...alone.

We entered into the swirling tube. 

Nicole began to race ahead..."Hey Brooke look at this , it's a whole trail of mirrors.  Let's race to the end Brooke.  Come on!"

* Note: notice that Brooke is not asked if she would like to race, Brooke is practically forced to race through a house with images of herself reflecting all over, confusing her poor little mind.

 I stood there watching my sister and her reflection racing through the house of mirrors to the end.  I had to go on... I couldn't stay in this ridiculous house forever.  I took the first step, only to run smack dab into my own reflection.  I looked around only to see thousands of little mes!  I was absolutely horrified   Where was my sister?  Where was my family?  Why did I see my image all over.  I began to run about..every time colliding with my own image.  I became frantic calling and screaming for someone to help me.  Eventually, one of the creepy fair workers came to the screaming little girl and help her safely though the house of mirrors.  When my feet were safely out of the creepy little house, I quickly ran to my parents crying. Asking them why they had made me go through such a terrible house.  

* Note: I have never ever again gone through a house of mirrors
* Note: I will never again go through a house of mirrors
* Note: I will never force my child to go through a house of mirrors.

At this point and time of my life, I absolutely love the fair- that is the food.  However, there is still something in me that repulses when I walk by the House of Mirrors.  There is still something in me that stays completely clear of that the creepy little house.

Teach me Lord to Wait

I remember my elementary days in which every year I participated in a cross country race.  I will never forget that rush of adrenalin as my friends and I lined up on the white line.  My shoe laces had been tied extra tight by my father.  My friends and I were all talking smack about who would win the prized trophy.  Then, the gun was raised into the air...

On your mark, get Set, go!!! 

Then the gun would fire into the air.

Every year it would happen..one of my friends or I would start before the gun fired.  Filled with excitement the rest of us would follow behind, until we were all called to the starting line, and we were told to wait!

I then remember my high school days on the track team.  Time after time sprinters were disqualified for false starts.  Although they may have come in first place...they were disqualified all because they did not wait!

This entire week God has been emphasizing the point of Patience to me.  It seems like every day in my quiet time with God..He gave me a verse showing me the importance of waiting...waiting on the Lord.

Just this morning I came  across this poem:

God's time is never wrong,

Never too fast nor too slow;

The planets move to its steady pace

As the centuries come and go.

Stars rise and set by the time,

The punctual comets come back

With never a second's variance,

From the round of their viewless track.

Men space their years by the sun,

And reckon their months by the moon,

Which never arrive too late

And never depart too soon.

Let us set our clocks by God's

And order our lives by His ways,

And nothing can come and nothing can go

Too soon or too late in our day.

- Annie Johnson Flint

At times I jump the gun, I get excited and try to make decision on my own.  Yet, every time I do, I fail. This past week, God has truly shown me time and time again through His Word to simply wait.  

There are no dates in His fine leisure.

My Mom

 Yesterday, my family and I celebrated the birthday of a wonderful and amazing woman.  A woman that I have the privilege of calling my mom.  This woman means the world to me.  She is my first memory and inspiration.  When I look at my mother I see all that I long to be one day as a wife and mother. Every day I see how selfless she truly is.  Never thinking of her own desires and her own wishes.  She gives of her time, money and her self to others.  Not only is she selfless but also she is genuine and sincere.  Today, so many people are fake, they say one thing but do the opposite.  On the other hand, every day I see my mom live out the life she strives to teach me to live out.  She teaches me to stay close to the Lord, to pray, read my Bible, and put God first in my life.  I then can sit back and watch as she lives out each of those areas in her own life. 

If I had one word to describe my mom, I guess it would be my role model.  You see, I have big plans for my future life.  I want to be a pretty amazing woman someday  I want to touch people lives all around me, I want to be an incredible wife and mother.  When I look at mom- she is all I long to be!

Happy Birthday to the Woman who is all I want to be!

From: the little girl who is still following in your footsteps.  

Independence Day

Independence Day was celebrated this year by traveling to Shipshewana where my family and I enjoyed shopping, eating, and simply being together.  After walking around to the many different vendors we traveled to a friends house where we had a BBQ.  Although I have no pictures to prove from it, we had such an enjoyable time together.  We spent many hours sitting around the living room simply laughing and rehearsing old memories together.

  

You don't choose your family.  They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.  ~Desmond Tutu

A moment lasts all of a second, but the memory lives on forever.

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.  ~Joyce Brothers

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.  ~Barbara Bush

Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.  ~Anthony Brandt

Summer Happenings

Can you believe it is July already! The month of June seems to have flown right by me.  However, I have enjoyed every moment of my busy summer.  This is the most busy summer that I can recall.  But in the mean time I try to find a little bit of time to hang out with some of my favorite people: 

I also celebrated my 21st birthday! Yes, I truly feel old now! 

 And now that I am "old" I get the awesome priviledge of being able to work with the youth in my church.  My focus is more on the 7-8th grade girls.  I have had so much fun working along side of these young people.  This last week we had our first activity of the summer.  We went Frisbee golfing! Even though we were being eaten alive by the mosquitoes, we had such a great time.  I really enjoy working with these girls.  I hope to truly impact even just one of these girl's lives.

Not only do I get to work with these young people in the youth group, but also this next semester I am going to be student teaching these junior high kids.  I am going to be teaching 7-8th American Republic as well as 12th grade Speech.  I am so excited to actually put my education to use and stand before a classroom!  This big responsibility has greatly added to my business this summer.  Every spare moment I have I have been making visuals, games, and anything else to add to my teaching.  I know teaching will be a lot of work for me, however, I simply can not wait!

Good Reads

I would briefly like to share with you a few good reads that I came across on my vacation:

This first book came highly recommended by a friend of mine. This fairly large book kept me captured the entire way through.  It begins with a young rebellious boy who seems to always be getting in trouble at school and with the town police.  However, as the boy grows up he eventually ends up going to the Olympics and breaking several mile records.  However, in the middle of the Olympic he was called into WWII.  This is where the story gets amazing.  I could go on and on explaining each and every detail to you.  But don't worry I won't.  All I will say it that is a book that I think every American should read.  It will make you to appreciate all that are soldiers do for us, and it will also will renew your pride in America.  We truly have the greatest country in the world.  

This second book also came highly recommended.  This book was a great inspiration!  Encouraging Christians to trust God even when God doesn't work as we think He should.  Angie writes so personally and she is completely transparent, letting her readers see what was going through her mind when the doctors told here that her unborn baby was incompatible with life.  She shares the many lessons she has leaned through the trial she has gone through.  In the end she confidently tells her readers that God meant it for good. God has a plan for all He does.  

Now, I would like to recommend these two amazing and inspirational books to you!

Wild West

If I could sum up my life right now in one word it would be... Busy!

But that's okay, that's the way I like it.

Right after my little sister's graduation from high school,my family and I headed out West!

We started our trip by taking a nature walk, the view was absolutely amazing!  It was something we Hoosiers were not used to at all.

We then headed back to our beautiful cabin to catch up on our scrap booking

We also played several games of pool.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming was one of my favorite places.

However, no matter how hard we tried, we just could not fit in with the cowgirls around us.  Let me tell you we kinda stuck out!  Every person around me had on flannel, cowboy boots, and a hat...and there we stood... The answer to your question is YES, people did stare at us and ask us where in the world we were from.

During this trip I finally learned how to bead. :) And believe it or not I actually really really enjoyed it! It was so much fun to create my own bracelets.  I already have many people in mind in which I can give these small gifts to. 

Proudly showing off my creations

Despite the cold weather Yellowstone National Park was beautiful!  

Patiently waiting for Old Faithful to shoot up!

There she goes!

 We saw hundreds of buffalo!

Teton National Park was absolutely breathtaking!

Then..we spotted him... the creature we had been longing to see the entire trip... a MOOSE!

 On this trip we saw buffalo, moose, deer, elk, and several other strange creatures that I could not identify   However, this little marmot was my favorite.

Bar J Ranch was quite entertaining.  It is definitely the place to go if you long to hear a grown man yodel!

My trip out West was definitely a trip I will never forget!