Chesapeake Sailor Girl

Oct. 29, 2008 - Something to give you a little laugh...

So I thought I would write about my little adventure tonight and give all of you a little laugh.

On Wednesday night I have my speech class, which by the way my group speech was awesome tonight!! WOOT, go me, Logan, Karen, Jessica, and Brittany!! Anyway, it is dress-up week at school for Halloween, and a lot of the people in my speech class wanted to see one of the renaissance dresses I have made and get some pictures.

So I get home about 45 minutes ago, walk to the door, and try to open it. But it wouldn't open for me (rotten door). Apparently my adorable, sweet, ahem naughty 10 year old brother decided to lock the doors, and then fell asleep on the couch. I went to tell my mother, and she said "wait, I'll get the key from the car" and then I hear "uh oh", apparently the key was locked inside with my wonderful, dead-to-the-world little brother. So I begin to bang on the door, lightly at first and finally throwing my whole body against it, trying to wake my brother up. He better start to pray that he is never home alone and sleeping when a fire starts, because NOTHING wakes him up.

So after giving up on banging on the door and yelling Joshua's name, I turned to trying to show my two cats how to unlock the door with their paws. And I know they know how to, because my cats are scarily smart and can open the door. But they decided to just sit at the window, looking at me like I was insane and I swear the were smiling at me (rotten cats). By this time, I am started to get really annoyed and hot with my stupid heavy velvet renaissance dress and cape on, and by then my hair was everywhere and my tiara was askew. So I turn to pleading with our dog to "speak" and wake my brother up. I was very happy with myself for teaching her to "speak", because right now it seemed quite happy. Except she wasn't loud enough to wake my brother up. I even tried asking her if she wanted a treat, which makes her break into the famous beagle howling. And I just realized why Abby is sitting here staring at me with her big, warm chocolate brown puppy dog eyes, I said the word treat and she is still expecting one. Anyways, Abby's howling STILL didn't wake Joshie up.

By this time I had made enough noise to make my neighbor come out and see what all the commotion was about. And she ended up being a sweetheart and brought out her ladder. And I was voted by my mother (rotten mother) to climb up the ladder and through the window.

So I finally make it up the ladder, without fainting from my fear of heights, and made it halfway through the window. If you were driving by my home at this point of time, you would have seen two legs sticking out a window all tangled up in a renaissance costume, kicking around trying to get untangled so I could get through the window (rotten costume and window!). I finally made it through and landed with a loud "oomph" on top of my brother and the couch surrounded by a renaissance dress and cloak that I am really starting to hate right now! And then, if you can believe it, Joshie woke up when I landed on him, and then rolled over and fell back asleep!! I think there is something seriously wrong with that little boy. Anyways, note to self, ALWAYS make sure I have the house key before I leave, ALWAYS!!

I hope I gave you a little laugh from my crazy ordeal tonight. Have a great day tomorrow!!

Love you all,
Sara Belle

Oct. 21, 2008 - My Decision

I was sitting in my geography class today and we got on the subject of the Mayans and their predictions of the future. They predicted that the world was going to end on December 23^rd, 2012. The Mayans have only been of by 42 seconds on any of their predictions. Then my professor said that he personally thinks that everyone should forget school for a little bit and travel. You get the best education from just traveling. So I have decided that after this year of college, instead of transferring somewhere for next year, I am taking a school year off to earn enough money so I can travel. And then when I am done I will go back to school.

Now you’re probably going to say that I am crazy, that the world is not going to end in 2012, and I should just stick to my plan of going to college first and then traveling. But I am not deciding this on a whim and it is not because of the Mayans predictions of the end of the world. It is because I have been contemplating this for a while. I have to do it now. What if I died tomorrow, or what if let’s say in three months I meet a guy, we become engaged in a year, then we get married and start a family. I won’t have the freedom to travel after that. I have to take the chance now and go.

If my parents didn’t decide to sell the house after the hurricane, buy an RV, and travel the USA, I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today. Now the where part doesn’t really matter to me, because I would much rather still be in MD, haha. But the experience I had from that decision was amazing. And that one decision has changed my whole life.

My mother grew up traveling, she traveled when she was around my age with my MorMor, and I am extremely jealous of the experiences she had. And my 16 year old brother spend 7 months bicycling across New Zealand and Australia. My grandparents, Aunt, Uncle, and cousins have traveled all over the world. I know jealousy is wrong, but I can’t help but be jealous of them when they are doing what I have always dreamed of. I only have one life and I feel like it is wasting away. I look at people who were born within 50 miles of here and they have never left. I am terrified of turning into them. They grow up here, go to school, meet their spouses, have kids, and then are stuck here. They are too scared to take a chance and go.

Traveling is in my blood. From when I was five years old to when I was thirteen I have journals of all my dreams and everything I wanted to do. I wanted to live on a sailboat and travel the waters, I wanted to study the renaissance and art it Italy, I wanted to learn about all the different culture, and find a field in some far off country and spend the night. Over the years, those dreams have been pushed to the back burner, and life, responsibilities, and so many other things have taken over. I am not going to let that happen anymore.

I love this country, but after traveling all over it and living here my entire life, I am bored of it. I want to see distant lands that I read about and dream of. I have to get out of here before I go insane. I am not waiting another minute. Now I know I am going to get a lot of lectures and criticism from family and friends about my decision, but I just don’t care anymore. If I spend the rest of my life caring about what others think and living my life how they want me to, I will not be living my life. I have seen a lot of death in the past few years, and I have learned how fragile and precious life is. If I went to the doctor and they said I have some rare disease and I only have 2 weeks to live, I have lost my chance to live my dreams.

I cry myself to sleep at night because I feel trapped and I feel like I will never be able to do what I want, and it is so horrible. Every moment in life is a blessing, and mine are wasting away. I have given up a lot for my family, and I love them dearly, but I just can’t do it anymore. I was supposed to go to this Christian home for girls to get help with some problems I have, but my mom had just left my dad and she needed me to help her and be a babysitter for my little brother so she could work and go back to school to support us. I had an offer to go to Italy to be a nanny this coming summer, something I have always wanted to do, but my family has been going through some really rough times and they need me. So I e-mailed the lady that offered me the job and told her I can’t do it. I am always feeling guilty for what I want to do, and I am not going to anymore.

At the end of May I am going on an art trip to Maine and it costs $900, I know that it is a lot of money, but the trip is so worth it. When I told my mom about the trip, she started going on and on about how that the trip is the same time that she is moving to Arkansas and how she thinks that is to much money, and I felt so guilty that I was depressed and crying all the time for about a week. I was so upset that I almost decided not to go. My grandparents came to visit last week, I was so excited to tell my grandmother about the art trip and I thought she would be excited too. But when I told here about the trip, she asked if I was getting any credits for it, and when I told her no, she sounded like she was disappointed that I would spend so much money to go on some stupid art trip. And I was sitting there stuttering and thinking up lies to make it sound so much more impressive so she wouldn’t be disappointed in me. So my mother and grandmother would think it is a great trip and opportunity, and it really is.

So all of you may say that I am crazy and will probably be extremely disappointed in me, but I just don’t care anymore. This is my life and I am not going to let it waste away. Life is for living, and I am going to live it!

Here are the places I want to go to:

Europe:

Greece

Italy

Austria

France

Spain-Barcelona (I have a step-aunt who lives there)

Africa:

Uganda

Kenya

Ethiopia

Asia:

Thailand

Malaysia

Central American Caribbean:

Jamaica

North America:

Prince Edward Island

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Sep. 27, 2008 - Please Read!!

Hey everyone!!

I'm just asking everyone to take two minutes of your time and vote for Sikeston Area Humane Society in the America's Favorite Animal Shelter contest. If Sikeston Area Humane Society wins the contest, they will win a much needed $10,000 donation. I adopted my kitten Bella from this shelter and volunteered there a couple of times with my friend Sharla. They desperately need this money to expand, so they can save more animals. Most of you know that my dream is to become a veterinarian and open my own animal shelter, and by just taking two minutes to vote, you will be helping me achieve my dream by helping this shelter and all homeless animals out there. I know your all busy, but it literally takes only two minutes to vote, so please vote if you can. And pray Sikeston Area Humane Society gets the miracle they need.
Love you all so much!!!

Love, Sara Moorhouse

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Sep. 9, 2008 - Colorado Mountains, Cornell, and Renn Fest!!!

So I was like so totally working on a long post for my blog about everything that has been going on in my life, and then both the desktop computer and the laptop crashed, within two days of each other. So like using the computers at school is not fun, and I will try and post updated info on my blog when we get the computers fixed.

So like right now, I don't want to go to my US History class tonight, I know it all, it's boring, and I'm tired. I want to run away to the mountains of Colorado, like right now, not later, now! I was looking at photos of when I was last there, and then I dreamt about the mountains last night. So like, anyone want to come with me??? JK, I really wish I could though. Just found out there is a Renaissance Fest just like the one back home, that's only two hours away, I'm so stoked!!! Working on my costume right now, it's so going to be gorgeous. Seriously thinking about Cornell for my vet school, totally gorgeous, plus it's in NY with the gorgeous seasons. Surprised my WONDERFUL, AMAZING Carthage theatre friends last night, missed them so much, almost cried when I saw them. And now I seriously need to find another theatre, like soon. Anyway, check my blog in a couple of days, and I should have my updated post about Maryland trip, college, and everything else going on in my life posted.

Sep. 2, 2008 - So alone

So I am sitting here at Crowder College, and I just want to run away and cry somewhere. I have never felt so alone. I haven't made a single friend, not one. I know people are going to say you have to try, you're just to shy. But I am trying to be more outgoing, and everyone justs ignores me. It's a small school in a small town where everyone went to elementary, middle, and/or high school together. They have known eachother forever. And I'm just lost. I see people talking to friends, making plans to hang out after classes. I miss my friends, I need someone to talk to. I need to see their smiling faces. My classes are okay, but it is just so hard watching everyone else talk with eachother and laugh with eachother. I had my speech class the other night and we had to stand in front of the class and let out classmates ask us questions about ourselves. I talked about my major, my traveling, where I am from, things that i though people would want to talk about with me more. At first i thought maybe, they just want to talk to the people they know, but then I saw them talking to complete strangers about their answers in their intro speech. They're were two other persons in my speech class with the same major as me, they didn't know eachother, yet they still talked to eachother. And I had more in common with one of them, we are both planning on going to the same vet school, to be the same type of vets, and he has done volunteer work in Cuba and I am planning on doing that in Africa, yet he still talks to the other girl because she is pretty. My mom says to stop sitting in the back of the class (what I usually do), so I did, I sat next to people that looked nice and tried to talk to them, but they just turned and talked to the stranger next to them. I eventually came to the conclusion that I am just not pretty. I see guys come into work, I work at the bookstore in the college, all the time and they talk to the two really pretty girls in the store, and when I try to talk to them they just look at me and turn back to the other girls. I miss my friends, I need them to cheer me up. I had so many plans for my first year of college, I was going to be in a dorm, make lots of friends, join clubs, have study groups, and this is not at all what I planned. I don't understand why they don't like me here. Everyone's so cold and distant, and I just want one person to befriend me. I didn't even want to get up this morning, I wanted to stay in bed and cry. I know I'm not pretty, but why can't people just stop judging the book by the cover, why can't they stop and take the time to know the me, the person inside. I just want to go home to my real home, my Chesapeake and sit on the pier. I always went there when i was upset, I would cry to the water, and it would calm me. Anyways I just looked at the clock and saw that I have to go to work in 10 minutes, oh joy. Ciao, Sara

Jun. 30, 2008 - Elegant Eighteen

As of 3:34 a.m. this morning, I am eighteen years old!!! I can't believe that today is my eighteenth birthday, I remember my fifth birthday like it was yesterday. So I have a lot to blog about, but I am about to go to one of my bestest, bestest friends Elise's house for my birthday party, and to eat falafel, an egyptian dfish Elise is making, and a surprise dessert that Chelsea is making!! Then after the party, I am going down to Chesapeake Beach with one of my other bestest, bestest friends Katherine and we are going to spend the night and tomorrow down there. I can't wait!!! I am so blessed to have such amazing friends!!!! I don't know what I would do without them. Okay, I better go now because I have to give Ben (the little boy I am a nanny for) a bath before we go. Ciao, Sara Belle

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Jun. 25, 2008 - CREATION 08!!!

Everyone has to check this out, it is AMAZING!!! It is called Creation and it is tons of christians and christian bands all together in beautiful Pennsylvania!!! Some of the bands that are going to be there are: Newsboys, Toby Mac, Kutless, Switchfoot, LEELAND!!!, Barlow Girl, Superchick, Skillet, Flyleaf, Stellar Kart, Fireflight, Worth Dying For, and the list goes on and on!!! I am soooooo excited. I get to go camping with my friends, meet tons of amazing christians, and see some amazing christian bands. Anyway, here is the website so you can check it out: http://www.creationfest.com/ne/

Jun. 17, 2008 - Yippee!!!!!

I am home in Maryland!!!!!! Okay, I just had to say that, I am soooooo happy!!! Life is good again. I cried when I flew over Baltimore and saw the gorgeous city lights. And last night I just sat and watched the sun dancing on the waves of the bay, I don't think there is a prettier sight. Home is... ah just home. The feeling of joy and happiness is indescribable, I love being home with all of my wonderful friends and glorious city. Driving over the Severn River on Sunday and watching all of the boats and jetskis was just wonderful. How I have missed the water and saiing. I have missed busy sidewalks, traffic, and tall buildings. Ah, I just love being home. And I love being a nanny to the most adorable 3 year old little boy on earth. Ben is just to cute!!! He always gives me a hug and says "I love you Sara", which just melts my heart. He is at pre-school right now and Chris and John (his parents) are at work, so I am by mysef today and it is strangely quiet. Anyway,this two sentence note just turned into two paragraphs. I am just so happy to be home, even though I really,really miss my wonderful friends in Carthage, and Sharla and Abby and Amber in Sikeston and Illinois. Okay, I think it's time for a nap, because it has just been nonstop since I got home and I am exhausted. I will type a longer post later about how crazy it was just getting here and everything else that has happened. I was going to do it now, but sleep just sounds so good right now. Ciao, Sara

May. 20, 2008 - Class of '08...

WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Graduation was amazing, excited, wonderful, surreal, indescribable, basically just WOW!!! I am going to miss all of you so much!!!!!!!!!! We were BRILLIANT!!!!! And the amazing thing is that I didn't trip or faint, I was shaking pretty bad though, haha. College here we come!!!!!!!!!! Ciao, Sara M.

Oh yea, they even said my name right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May. 18, 2008 - In loving memory of a wonderful, friend, classmate, and animal lover

Saturday May 10th, the day before Mothers Day, we had severe storms and many tornados, it was on the front page of USA Today, so I am sure you guys have heard about it. On Saturday night on of my dear friends, Casey Coggin died from the storm. Casey was... well just Casey; there are no words to describe her. I was at a birthday party when I found out she died, but since I am not good with names, I didn't realize that it was my friend Casey that died until I went to school and Mrs. Rainkin the librarian showed me a picture. I was in shock most of Monday. Then Tuesday morning I walked into the school office to work, and I guess I looked upset, because my wonderful principal Mrs. Frazier asked if I was alright and as soon as she said that I burst into tears. She helped me over to the counselor's office so I could talk to the wonderful Ms. Bailey. Then in homeroom, Mrs. Lanyon just held me while I cried. I never realized how much Casey meant to me until she was gone. I only knew her for a short time, but in that short time, she changed my life. I went to Casey's visitation Tuesday night and I did alright until I got to the car, I start sobbing and I cried so much I made myself sick. The shock of seeing Casey in the casket was just too much; it all seemed like a horrible nightmare until I saw her laying there. Casey was always smiling and I loved that smile so, so, so much. When I was staring at Casey in the casket, in my head I was just begging her to wake up and smile, and when I got into the car I kept repeating it and couldn't stop. It made the horrible nightmare a reality, and I just wasn’t ready for that. I cried most of Wednesday at school. In wonderful Mrs. Lanyon’s AP Lit class, she had us write our final journal, the subject was a reflection on the past year. Usually our journals are only a page long, but I filled up 5 pages, I would have written more if the bell didn’t ring, anyways I started writing about Casey and I just started crying. Sweet, wonderful Mrs. Lanyon let me go to the restroom without a pass or any questions. Then at the end of class, she gave a really long nice hug and just held me. It was 1:30 and Casey’s funeral was at 2:00pm. I had decided after her visitation that I just couldn’t handle going to her funeral, but as I was writing in Mrs. Lanyon’s class I realized I had to go and really say my final goodbye. So I ran down to the office to call my mom so she could take me to Casey’s funeral, my mom had just gotten home from the doctor and couldn’t drive, and when she told me that I just started crying and couldn’t stop. The secretaries kept asking me what was wrong, so I told them and they started trying to find a ride for me to the funeral. Then Mr. Wick (my vice principal) started calling around for a ride for me and Mr. Huntley (the other vice principal) said he would take me with Mrs. Lanyon and Ms. Bailey. I couldn’t believe they were doing this to me, I think I annoyed them by saying thank you so many times. Casey’s funeral wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. The pastor described Casey perfectly; he talked about her smile, her eyes, her kind heart, her joy, and her love for animals and rescuing them. She would never leave an animal or person behind. They had beautiful picture collages of Casey and a school desk filled with signatures. After the funeral service, I was Ms. Swindle my old math teacher and she came up and gave me a long hug and we talked about Casey. When the hearse passed by we all clapped for Casey and her wonderful life. A girl told me the other day that at the burial the pastor said that Casey is still alive, in each and every one of us, and he is so right. Thursday morning we had our talent show at school at is great. Katie Kivett sang “Concrete Angel” by Martina McBride and dedicated it to Casey. I made through half of the song before I had to run out sobbing. Mrs. Frazier and Ms. Bailey found me and Mrs. Frazier had Ms. Bailey help me up to Ms. Bailey’s office. I had promised Casey at her funeral that I wouldn’t cry anymore because she would want me to stop crying, she wouldn’t want me to be so upset. I felt that I had failed her. Ms. Bailey said that it was alright and then I need to cry and grieve. When I got back to the talent show, Mrs. Pettey and the other librarian both gave me hugs and asked if I was alright. I have named all of the kittens except for the white one with the black and orange ears, and when I got home from Casey’s funeral, the perfect name came to me, Casey. It fits the kitten so perfectly. So we have DC, Milo, Oliver, Anne, Mary Alice, and Casey. I am so sorry that I have been ignoring everyone; I know many persons have tried to contact me. I just have been so upset; I haven’t felt like talking to anyone, I haven’t felt like doing anything. I promise I will eventually answer everyone’s calls, messages, and comments. Here is a story from the local paper about Casey:

With only two days gone by since the death of their friend, Casey Marie Coggin, 17, a group of young people gathered at the shattered remains of the Coggin home to remember, reminisce and shed some tears.

"She was on the graduation list for December," said Chad Marsh, the man whom Coggin intended to marry next year. "She worked so hard to get her grades up."

"She had plans to go to college," said Tedie Balster, another friend of Casey.

"She's probably the nicest person you would ever meet," said friend Chase Gregg. "If you were having a bad day, she would brighten it up."

"She touched so many lives," said Mary Marsh, Chad Marsh's mother.

"She's treated me more like a sister," said Deonna Platko, another friend.

"I just want to be there for her," said friend Brian Berg.

Those were a few of the comments made by a group of about 10 friends who gathered at the home on County Road 80, about six miles east of Carthage and south of Missouri Highway 96.

They were there to help clean up if they could, and they were there to remember the Carthage High School junior who was killed by a falling tree immediately after warning her father that a tornado was coming.

Her parents, Jeff and Debbie Coggin, were able to stagger from the mobile home immediately after it was struck by two huge trees blown down in the EF-1 tornado that hit the area.

A friend to animals

The friends recalled a vivacious girl who loved animals and nature. They walked around the destroyed trailer, looking at the caged rabbits that Casey cared for. The cages, only 20 feet from the trailer, seemed to have survived the storm almost unscathed.

Chad Marsh said he managed to save their two dogs, which were like children to Casey, but they were still missing a black and white cat.

"She was wanting to work in a zoo, she loved animals," Chad Marsh said. "That was Casey. Those are her rabbits over there, our dog is basically like her daughter. I got the dog out of the house, she was trapped between the couch and the roof."
Chad Marsh said he loved to fish, but because of Casey, he almost never got to eat anything he caught.

"I could go fishing, and catch the biggest fish in the world, but by the time I got home, I would have to take it back down to the pond and let him go because she had named him," Chad Marsh said. "She made me stop and pull to the side of the road so a turtle could get across the road.

"Her love for animals was amazing, she fed a stray raccoon that had goop around its eyes. We found it in Joplin and she literally fed it dog biscuits out of the palm of her hand."

Marsh said Casey was a member of the FFA and showed goats, rabbits and other animals at the Jasper County Youth Fair over the years.

"She was always involved in FFA with her brother and she's got enough ribbons to make four blankets, which is what she was planning to do with all the ribbons," Chad Marsh said. "She used to show goats and was the grand champion one year. She also showed her rabbits. In one of the old Carthage Presses, you've got a picture of her kissing a duck at the fair."

Other friends said Casey was a cheery person who spread her cheer among her friends.

"I've been friends with her for about two years now, but she invited me over to have supper with her parents a week after we met," Gregg said. "She's just the nicest person you'd ever meet. For someone to do that, invite you into their home when you just got to know them, that's just Casey."

So little warning

Chad Marsh recalled that scary Saturday evening when he was at work at the Arrowhead Bar and Grill near Kellogg Lake.

The National Weather Service determined that a tornado with wind-speeds of between 86 and 110 mph touched down near County Road 90 just north of Ivy Road. The twister traveled three and a half miles east and slightly south to around the intersection of Ivy Road and County Road 60.

"We could see what looked like funnel rotation, when it was coming up the other side of Kellogg Lake, but we couldn't tell for sure," Chad Marsh said. "It looked like a funnel and I called her to tell her about it and she said she was looking at radar and she thought it was going to miss them. Then I called her back and told her to get out of there. I called my mom to let her know and then I went to call Casey back and it was busy."

Chad Marsh said Casey's father told him that Casey told her parents about the storm, then went to her room to get her shoes."

If she would have just gone outside barefoot ... but that's not Casey," Chad Marsh said. "She always had shoes on her feet, she's got soft feet. But she would have made it."
Marsh and a neighbor, Todd Johnson, both said Casey Coggin's parents would probably not be alive if Casey had not sounded the warning.

Jeff Coggin suffered some cuts and bruises that required stitches. Debbie Coggin escaped with fewer physical injuries.

"If I wouldn't have told her to wake her dad up, and stuff, her parents probably wouldn't have made it," Chad Marsh said. "It was probably two seconds after I called that the trees fell. The last words I heard from her were 'I love you.'"

Casey, you will always be in my heart. I am so blessed to have known such an amazing person. Anyways, I graduate Tuesday and then I leave Wednesday with my dad and brother. I will try and blog again before I leave. Ciao, Sara Belle

May. 5, 2008 - URGENT...Please pray for my baby brother

My mom just got a call that my baby brother is in the hospital because some kid hit him in the head with a baseball bat multiple times. Please pray for him, if anything ever happened to William I honestly don't know what I would do. It is even harder that he is living 300 miles away and I can't even be with him. Thank you so much, Sara M.

May. 2, 2008 - Kitten Photo

I finally found the charger for my camera, so I finally took pictures of the kittens. But sadly only one came out ok. So here it is:
Aren't they just the cutest kittens you have ever seen!!! I will try and take some better ones soon. Ciao, Sara Belle

Apr. 29, 2008 - Yet another kitten update

So we have six precious kittens and they are all doing well. Thank god there were no complications and that they are all healthy. Poor Bella is exhausted after 48 hours of labor, but she is doing great. I ended up delivering the first one and the last two, she was so exhausted at the end. We have a black & white kitten, an orange & white kitten, a tabby bobtail kitten, two kittens that look just like Bella and one has a bobtail, and then the last one is white with an orange ear, a black ear, and a bobtail. They are all so adorable!!! I will try and post photos later. Ciao, Sara Belle

Apr. 29, 2008 - Kitten update

Bella just had another kitten about 3 minutes ago, a little calico. We now have 5 kittens and I feel at least one more still in her womb. The tabby and the first calico both have bobtails, which is really cool. I will keep you all updated. Ciao, Sara

Apr. 29, 2008 - The BEST after school surprise...

I just got home from school and saw that Bella had three more kittens. She had her first Sunday night at 9:55 pm which was a black & white male and the runt of the litter. Now we have an orange & white kitten (identical twin of 1st kitten, except for color), a calico kitten (looks just like Bella), and a tabby kitten. They are all so precious!!!!! I am SO in love!!! I can't wait to see the personality of the B&W kitten, because he was born 36 hours ahead of his siblings which means he is impatient and he is very vocal. I am so proud of Bella and so, so happy. Okay, I have to go and just stare at them now because they are just to darn cute, and take tons of photos!!! Ciao, Sara Belle

Apr. 27, 2008 - God's Greatest Gift!!!!!

WE HAVE A NEW KITTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just delivered Bella's first kitten at 9:55 pm CST with my own two hands and it was amazing. Bella did such a good job, she purred through the whole thing and was just so amazing. The new kitten looks like it is a little boy and it is black and white and just teeny tiny. I had to help by pulling it out and tearing the sac, but after that Bella took over. I started crying when it gave its first tiny mew. Please pray that all the other kittens are healthy and that we don't have any complications. I will keep everyone updated as each kitten comes. New life is God's greatest gift ever. Ciao, Sara

Mar. 29, 2008 - A very special delivery coming soon...

So as I am typing this, my kitten Bella is in labor and I am freaking out. Yep, I said it; my 11-month-old kitten is having kittens. I wanted to get her spayed before we moved, but she wasn't old enough and we have been so busy after moving out here we completely forgot to get her spayed. I am such a horrible pet owner!!! I seriously hate myself right now. We just realized she was pregnant the other day, which makes me feel even worse. We thought the reason she was bigger was because of winter fat. If I wasn't so busy, I would have noticed a while ago that she is pregnant. As I was checking her over last night, I thought we had at least a week, two at the most, until her due date. I am so not ready, I haven't set up a birthing box, I don't have newspapers, I don’t have any supplies at all, and the RV is a mess. If I was a better pet owner, I would have noticed when she went into heat and I would have kept her inside so she couldn’t get pregnant. I feel like a complete hypocrite, here I am telling people to spay and neuter the pets and I have a pregnant kitten. Who is going to listen to a hypocrite??? Anyways, even though I hate myself for letting this happen, I am still a little excited. Who isn’t excited when you have any kind of baby on the way? My mom completely surprised me by saying we were going to keep one; I didn’t even have to ask her. I really wanted to take Bella to the vet before she went into labor to find out how many kittens she is having. If I knew, I wouldn’t be as nervous. I knew with Lilly’s last litter because we had to rush her to the Emergency Animal Hospital in Annapolis at 2:00 in the morning because of complications, and they did some x-rays. It was the first time I saw an x-ray of any baby animal, and it was amazing. Luckily, Lilly didn’t have any more problems after we took her to the EAH, and she delivered two adorable little kittens named Mosi and Odie. Anyways, I am really worried about Bella because she is so young and this is her first litter. Earlier today, she was doing okay and acting very loving, which is weird for Bella, but now as her labor progresses, she is very agitated. She will go from pacing, to meowing nonstop, to just laying there looking very uncomfortable and glaring at me. I wish I could do something to make this easier on her. When Lilly was in labor I used to rub her stomach, it always relaxed her and she absolutely loved it. But right now Bella won’t even let me touch her. Mom says her timing is brilliant, because we are moving the RV on Tuesday and Bella will not be happy with us doing that right after she has kittens. Anyways, that is all right now, I will post pictures of Bella and the kittens after they are here. Ciao, Sara Belle

http://www.aimint.org/usa

Mar. 14, 2008 - GED, Spring Break, College, and Africa

So I am currently sitting in school with nothing to do. I took my GED yesterday and it was so easy, I am so happy that it is finally over with. I don’t have to step foot in the GED class anymore. Technically since I took the GED I am done with high school, but I want to stay and have a graduation. So I am auditing classes, and they let me choose anything I wanted. I decided on Spanish (to help with my Italian), Government, AP English, Foods and Nutrition (cooking), Theatre Arts (performing), Theatre Appreciation (reading different plays and discussing them), Child Care Provider (playing with little kids), and for my last hour I am working in the library in the school. I was going to take French, because I love the language and it will help me when I go to Africa, but I decided on Spanish so I can learn Italian first. Anyways, I just finished learning how to do everything in the library and I have free time until 3:07 when school gets out. So I am currently bored. Spring break starts tomorrow and I am leaving for Arlington, Texas to go on a mission trip with the church next door, tomorrow morning. I am so excited!!! Today has been a really boring day; I shouldn’t have even come to school. In my first class all the kids were goofing off because they are excited about spring break and it was just really boring. Then my program for my second class wasn’t working, so I had an hour and a half of free time, which dragged on forever. After that was lunch, and it was actually good, we had fish, French fries, and a corn muffin. Then I walked a mile to my GED class because I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to go back. I got there and they told me to go back to the high school and see my counselor, because I didn’t have to be in the class anymore. So I turned around and walked a mile back to the high school. I was not happy. But when I got there Mrs. Frasier (the principal) saw me and asked how my GED went and when I told her, she gave me a big hug and was really, really excited. Everyone was excited for me, I couldn’t believe it. So I saw my counselor (the sweetest lady ever) and we got my new schedule. And then I headed to the school library. Anyway, I am still sitting here really bored. I have an hour until school gets out, and it is dragging by. When I had a free hour and a half during my second class, I went looking at missions in Africa. The whole purpose of my life is helping other people, animals, and the environment. I want to go to Africa more than anything and help the people there. The guy I am going to Texas with has a friend at college that is from Africa, is writing a book with stories from people affected by the genocide, and does mission trips over there. Sometimes I get so frustrated with people over here in America, I juts want to buy a plane ticket, leave right now and forget the people here. I want to help the people in Africa so, so much, and I get so frustrated being stuck here in the US not being able to do everything I want to help them. I was going to go to community college for 2 years to major in Vet Tech and then transfer to College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina and major in business so I can run my own animal shelter. Then I was thinking of becoming a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM). I remember when my mom was pregnant with Joshua and she had a midwife, and I remember thinking how that is what I want to do. I forgot about it for awhile, and then all of a sudden I realized I really wanted to do that. So for awhile now I have been jumping between vet tech and CNM, and then I though that if I became a CNM I would be able to do more in Africa instead of if I was a vet tech. So it looks like I am leaning more towards becoming a CNM. After I became a CNM and got back from Africa (if I come back), I could still open up my own animal shelter. So I guess that is all that is going on right now, now I have 53 minutes until the bell rings. Grr, I type to fast, I though more time had gone by. Oh yea, here are some of the missions I am looking at:

http://africamissions.org/

http://www.amanibabycottage.org/

http://www.mercyships.org/site/c.ehKHI0PJIqE/b.2733647/

I guess that is all for now, I will try and blog when I get back from Texas. Ciao, Sara Belle

Mar. 12, 2008 - Panic attacks and GED test

Okay, so right now I really wish I wasn’t homeschooled through high school, I mean really, really wish. I am taking my GED tomorrow and I am scared to death, like seriously. I want to stop time right now so tomorrow never comes. I have taken two practice tests and I have been studying every spare minute I have. Maybe I will mysteriously come down with a relapse of the flu tonight, which could happen couldn’t it? Everyone says I shouldn't be nervous because my scores were so high on my practice tests. I am not worried about not passing; I am positive that I will pass. I am worried about not getting the score that my mom wants me to get, I’m worried about forgetting something important and I won’t be able to take the test, I’m worried about getting lost, and I am worried about not getting there on time and not being able to take the test. I wish it was already done and over with. Plus I found out that the school secretary forgot to mail the check for us to take our tests to the GED place, and they say I am the only trustworthy person, so I had to pick it up at school today and I have to give it to the GED person tomorrow morning. I have been carrying a $120 check around today, and if I forget it Jordan, Blake, and I cannot take our GED tests. I have this pit in my stomach and I am about ready to cry, I can’t do this. I seriously cannot do this tomorrow. I am a nervous wreck, a serious nervous wreck. I have decided that I will not homeschool my kids through high school; I will not put them through this. I am leaving here at 6:30 am tomorrow and the test starts at 7:30. I should be done sometime between 1:00 and 3:00 pm. I would honestly rather jump off a bridge into freezing cold water right now, instead of having to take my GED tomorrow. Anyways, I just looked at the time and it is 8:17 pm, so I have to go study and go to bed, even though I know the studying won’t help and I will definitely not be able to sleep tonight. I have the words “I can’t do this” running through my head right now, I think I am having a panic attack, or I am going to have one. And I am definitly going to be sick. Ciao, Sara Belle