. Ok, so I had a post all typed up and my laptop went totally wacky on me and I lost the whole thing. I'm not too happy. Anyway, this is now going to be shorter than it was originally going to be.
Day 2
Day 3
Hmm, this is kind of weird, but I think this is the first time I have worn a skirt three days in a row! It's actually really fun though. Thanks again Brooke for doing this challenge!
Tomorrow, or some other day this week I will try and rewrite what I originally had in this post, but right now since it's getting late, I better head of to bed.
Also, thanks for your comments everyone! I'll try to comment back as soon as I have some free time tomorrow!
Hope you all are having a great week!
Jenna
. Well, lets just say that was an unexpected blogging break and leave it at that.
Moving right along now...most of you know about my little foster brother, Hayden, that we have been trying to adopt. Well, today was a very exciting day in his case! This morning, Hayden became officially free for adoption. His birth parents rights were severed which that means that we are one step closer to adopting him! WooHoo! I just thank God for giving us our precious little Hayden. He has truly been a blessing. As for our other two little foster kids, their cases are slowly moving along. Both of their case plans look like they are headed to adoption, but you just never know. I'm not going to lie, having this six year old little girl has not been easy. I absolutely love her and do not regret in any way taking her, but she has totally pushed me to my limits. As do most children in foster care, she came to us with many behavioral problems. I realize that this is not her fault and is a result of the neglect she has suffered her entire life, but none the less, it's still very difficult. I often have to remember that she is just a diamond in the rough and over time, with enough love and training, she will become a beautiful young girl on the inside (she already is on the outside).
Looking on the bright side now, her and Hannah are now little ballerinas. They started classical ballet classes a couple months ago and are really enjoying it! They look so adorable in their pink tights and little leotards with their hair pulled up in buns. I wish I had a picture to show! Both of them are always prancing around the house flaunting the new moves they learned in ballet...it's too cute! They were both born with natural talent. Also, I would like all you girls to go check out the challenge that Brooke posted on her blog! In a nut shell, the challenge is to wear a modest, yet fashionable, skirt or dress every day for a week. I am not at all against pants, but think that this will be fun! I have well over twenty-five beautiful skirts hanging in my closet, but I am always apprehensive to wear them on a normal week day because I usually feel like I am dressing up to much. Well, not this week. I think I'm going to have fun with this! Hehe! So, go over to Brooke's blog and check out what she has to say. She makes some good points about how you can be modest and feminine, yet fashionable at the same time.
So, part of the challenge is to post a picture of your outfit for the day, I decided on this outfit. I absolutely love the skirt and kind of forgot about it until this morning when I was looking through my closet. I really enjoyed wearing it today.
I'd also like to thank the ones who have waited patiently for a blog update...this post is for you! Hehe!
Jenna
Oh, and btw, I realize that it is not Christmas anymore and will have my brother put up my regular template when he gets the chance...but at the moment I have no idea where the code is saved...haha.
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Wow, can you believe it's already December?! I'm so excited; this is my absolute favorite time of the year. I always enjoy bringing out the Christmas decorations, hanging the Christmas lights, and decorating the tree. Infact, that's what I have pretty much spent this whole week doing! Every year it's our family tradition to go up north and cut down our Christmas tree. Last Saturday, the 24th, we went with a few of our good friends and cut down our Christmas tree. Oh, our tree is beautimus! It has got to be the best we've ever had! It's a huge 12ft tree, so as you can imagine, it takes quite a while to decorate. I must say though, the hardest part of decorating a 12ft tree is trying to get the angel on the top! I wanted to be the one to do it and at first I was convinced it would be a cake walk...hahaha, well, I almost fell into the tree trying to get it on! It was pretty scary. Finally, after 20+ minutes and with my sister's help, I got the angel on the top, yeah! BUT, now my sister is saying that it looks crooked, soooo, that may mean another trip up the ladder...woohoo. 
Well, since I don't have a lot of time to write much more, I will just post a bunch of pictures. Hey, pictures are worth a thousand words, right?!
Oh, I almost forgot! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving dinner was at our house with my grandma and then we went over to my aunt and uncle's house for dessert. Ohhhh, it was delicious! Here's some pictures from my aunt and uncle's house...
Here's Hannah...I think she was watching Cars.
Cameron just about to blink...hahaha.
Me, my aunt, and Delaine...I insisted on taking the picture in my aunt's beautifully remodeled kitchen, even though you can't really see much of it in this picture! Haha.
Then here's pictures from Saturday when we went up north to cut down our tree...
I love this picture of Hannah!
Oh, and this one of Stephen is really cute too!
Here's me and Delaine...I think we look like elves! Hehe.
Random picture of me...
Ok, now here's me trying to put the angel on the tree. I finally got it on about 20 minutes after that picture.
Stephen with one of his ornaments...hahaha, he makes the funniest faces for the camera!
Then....the finished product! It all paid off in the end. 
Then, ofcourse, we needed to get some pictures of the little ones by the tree!
That last one turned out kind of fuzzy, but still cute.
Ok, well, that's all for now folks! Hope you all have a great week!
Jenna
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Wow, there have been some crazy things happening in my life lately. Since everyone is in bed, I figured that it was a good time to sit down and write up a post. Ahhhh, so where in the world do I begin? Ok, I know the last time I told you all about Hayden's case it wasn't looking like we were going to be able to adopt him. His mom was messing around with the case and basically making a big mess out of things. Well, we kept praying for a miracle, and by God's grace things changed drastically in the course of one court hearing. Now, without a doubt, we will be adopting Hayden! I honestly couldn't have imagined it being any other way. I believe Hayden was truly was meant to be with our family and he has been such a blessing to us. We all just love him to death.
Doesn't he have the most awesome hair!? Awww, he's just so adorable...I wish you could see more than just the back of his head.
Now, here is the crazy thing...last week our family grew by two! Yep, two new foster/adoptive placements! Last Friday my new little sister, who is six, came to live with us. We have had visits with her for the past month and we were so excited to finally have her with us! She is just an absolutely gorgeous girl. She has silky, blonde hair and beautiful, big, brown eyes. She's just plain beautiful, I wish I could show everyone a picture.
Then, that same day we also recieved our second little girl. She is a beautiful, month old little preemie! We have also been visiting her in the hospital for the past month and she is just precious! I honestly don't know how it happens, but we just keep getting the most gorgeous kids. The exciting thing is, we will most likely be adopting both of these little girls. Both their cases look more than promising for adoption. This means that our family has now grown to 10!!! Yes, we are nuts...but in a good way!
Ok, so there is just a little update on what's going on right now in my family. I know I haven't been posting at all, but once things slow down a bit, I fully intend on posting more regularly. I also haven't commented in the past month or so, but hopefull I'll get around to commenting some of you soon.
Well, I better go to bed, it's getting late! Hope you all are having a great week and if i'm not able to post before next week, I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!
Sparkles
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Happy Birthday Amanda!!!
Amanda I am so grateful to have such a sweet friend like you! I hope you have a SUPER 18th birthday and that this year will bring you many blessings! I'm sure God has some wonderful plans for you! I love you and am so glad to call you my friend!
Ok, so now let's get this party started!!!
First of all, I will be arriving to your party in this gorgeous black dress...
carrying this beautifully wrapped present...
Ah-ah-ah, you can't open it yet...and no peeking! That will come later!
Oh my! Doesn't the food just look plain delicious!
Yummmy! But we can't forget the cake! You can't have a party without a cake! Well, actually I couldn't decide between the cake or the cupcakes...so I got...I mean made...both.
Ok, and now the moment you've been waiting for...your present! Mind you that it took me FOREVER to figure out what to get you, but knowing that you are a huge superman fan, I decided to get you this...
Isn't it beautiful?!
Oh Amanda, I really wish I could have made it to your real Birthday Bash...that would have been so incredibly awesome! Since I couldn't, I figured this was the least I could do. I hope you enjoyed it!
Luv ya!
Jenna
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I kind of got tired of looking at the same post for almost a month now, so thought I should write up a post. Initially, I was going to do a post to update you all on my little foster brother (who by the way, is the cutest little thing EVER) but I will save that for my next post and instead I will tell you all about my exciting day!!! Well, my dad was planning on buying a computer for all of us kids. We have been using our parent's laptops or the practically dead computer in our schoolroom to do all of our school work, blogging, etc. We were at Best Buy for at least an hour and a half looking at computers, but when the toddlers started acting up, my parents decided to drop us kids off at home and then go back and continue the search for a computer. Well, to make a long story short...my parents were out practically all day then came home with one really nice computer and TWO laptops!!! I couldn't believe it! Me and my sister had been asking for a laptop, but we didn't think we would get one before Christmas, so we were absolutely shocked when my dad walked in and set a box in front of each of us. Then my brother got the desktop, which is really neat looking. I think the monitor is a 22" screen, so it's nice and big!
Well, that's my exciting day but, now it's kind of late and I still have to straighten up the house before I go to bed, so I better go! Next post will be an update on Hayden!
Hope you all have a great week!
Sparkles
P.S. I would also like to thank my wonderful brother for the very pretty template he created for me! Thanks Cam!!
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Hello Everyone! Wow! Ok, so things have been really busy over here since we've been back from CA. I just got some free time and thought I'd take advantage of it and write up a post. I know, it's about time!
Ok, so we went to northern California this past week and had a great time! The first day we took a gorgeous train ride through the Redwood Forest to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This was probably my most favorite day because we spent a good deal of it on the beach and boardwalk. My cousin and aunt had met us there, so after we had our lunch us older kids went on some rides while the adults took the younger ones on a few little kid rides. We rode a few roller coasters and after everyone talked me into it, we went through the "Fright Walk"!!! Yeah, well, the name describes it quite well. It may just because I am a complete and total wimp, but it totaly scared the living daylight out of me! I'm mean it's actually pretty funny now that I think of it. Seriously, you should have seen us! Cameron was walking in the front, my cousin Elaine was behind him with a tight grip on his shirt, then me and Delaine behind them holding each other close screaming like a bunch of lunatics! Yeah, it was a sight to behold...unfortunately I didn't get any pictures, I was to busy worrying about whether i'd get out of there alive or if I'd die of a heart attack! LOL! Yeah, a bit of an over-reaction, I know. Anyway, after we recovered from that, we met up with the rest of the family and headed down to the beach. It was the absolute perfect beach day, the sun was shining bright and there was not a cloud in the sky! We had a wonderful time and Hannah and Stephen absolutely loved it too! The water was a bit cold, but after awhile I got used to it. So after we spent a few hours at the beach, we packed it all up and headed back to the train which then took us back through the redwoods to the place we parked. That night we had a lovely dinner with all my aunts and uncles and my grandma at my Uncle Stuart and Aunt Rosemary's house in San Jose. It was a really nice way to wrap up the day.
So, the next day we went to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, which was really awesome! I never knew how many species of jelly fish there were! Oh, and the sea otters were so adorable!!! There was so much to look at it was amazing! There was also this fish called a "Sun Fish", and let me tell you, it was the biggest fish I have ever seen! It was so ugly too! So, yeah, we had a really nice time there and my grandma, cousin, aunt, and uncle went with us too, which made it extra special. Then after that we ate at a shrimp place on the beach called "Bubba Gumps," which was pretty good. I am learning to step out of my box a little and be more adventurous with the foods I eat, so therefore I am slowly starting to enjoy eating seafood.
Then on our last day we went down to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. It was really fun! I have been there once before, but forgot how neat it was. So, we did some shopping, walking around, went on a bay cruise that took us under the Golden Gate Bridge. Once again, we ate at a seafood restaurant that overlooked they bay. I was even more adventurous here and ordered crab cakes, and to my surprise they were out of this world DELICiOUS!!! After, we were done at Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, we went over The Golden Gate Bridge and drove through this little town called Saucilito right on the other side. Well, to say I fell in love with it would probably be an understatement! It was so quaint and had a absolutely gorgeous view of the bay! The only problem is that you have to be beyond filthy rich to live there. Yeah, so I can kiss that dream goodbye.
After that we headed down to Southern California to spend a few days at Disneyland which was fun, but nothing really new since we go there a lot. So, overall, we had a wonderful vacation to California and I was so sad to leave.
Ok, so here are the pics!
Me, Hannah, and Stephen at our RV park. Stephen is shooting his Spiderman web in every other picture!
The train ride through the redwoods to the boardwalk. Note: No identifying features were reaveled on my little foster brother!
Stephen loved it!
The Redwoods...the picture doesn't do them justice, they were breath-taking!
The Boardwalk! Awww, it was so fun! I absolutely loved it! Note: Once again, no identifying features were revealed of my little foster brother in the lower left-hand corner of the picture!
I can't believe that I actually got a picture without a billion people in the background!
Hanny on the beach.
Stephen playing with his beach toys.
Me, Cameron, and Delaine with our cousin Elaine.
This is after the beach at my aunt and uncles house with a lot of our family.
The Aquarium
Stephen with my Aunt Sherry.
The sea otters...they were so adorable!
This room was so cool! Practically the whole ceiling was an aquarium with anchovies swimming round in circles in it!
What was so neat about this aquarium is they had so many activities for the little ones! Hannah and Stephen had so much fun there!
Elaine (my cousin), me and Delaine on one of the observation decks at the aquarium.
Pretty self-explainitory!
Hannah enjoying her churro and Stephen, again, shooting his web at something!
Me and Delaine found it quite entertaining watching the guy crack the crabs!
Delaine got this picture while on the bay cruise that went under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Wow, ok, I think I put up toooo many pictures, so I'll stop, but there is one more picture I just have to put up! For privacy reasons, I am not allowed to reveal my little foster brothers full picture identity, sooooo...here's Hayden undercover!!!
Yes, a star is born! LOL!
Hope you all have a great week!
Sparkles
. Hey Everyone! Just a quick note to let you all know that I'm back from vacation. We all had a great time and I'm going to do an entry about it, but just haven't the time yet! We got alot of pics, but I have to resize them before I post them, which could take awhile! So, hopefully I will be able to get a post typed up in the next day or so.
Sparkles
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Ok, this is going to be incredibly short...especially since it's two in the morning and I'm really tired.
First off, I want to apologize for being so behind on my commenting. This past week has been really busy and I haven't had much time for blogging, but I fully intend on getting caught up, I promise!!!
Also, we decided to do a kind of last minute trip to California! We have alot of family there that we are going to visit which is really exciting since we haven't visited them for quite awhile. So, first we are going up to San Francisco to visit our family for about four or five days and then after that we are coming back down to the Aneheim area to go to Disneyland for a couple days. So it's going to be about a week long trip. And, since we are leaving in probably less than an hour I better go and finish up a few things. When I get back I'm sure I'll have a bunch of pics to share!
Hope you all have a great week!
Sparkles
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Well, I have been tagged by practically a billion people, so I decided to do a couple tags. I think that I have been tagged by the "Eight Random Things About Me" tag the most, so I'll do that one and a story tag that Eric tagged me with.
Eight Random Things About Me
- I am absolutely terrified of insects, reptiles, and pretty much anything that is not cute, fluffy, and cuddly.
- I am VERY squeamish and get sick to my stomach when I see even the slightest bit of blood.
- I just figured out that I totally stink at bowling. A couple weeks ago I went bowling with my family (for the first time in the past two years) and to make the story short...pretty much every time I got up for my turn my whole family would start laughing hysterically and even the guys in the lane next to us couldn't help from chuckling. Yeah, it was humiliating....but I want to do it again!!!
- I love to decorate!
- I love to accessorize!
- Until this past year, I didn't know which pedal was the gas pedal and which pedal was the brake pedal.
- I thought I was a night owl until I met Jocelyn!
- Hmmmm, I've sat here for over five minutes thinking of the most random fact I would give you and all I can think of is...I absolutely hate it when boys let their boxers hang out! Yep, I just can't stand it! I even wrote a whole essay on it!
Ok, so there you have it, eight random (or not so random) facts about me! Now on to the next tag...
Rules
Every time you are tagged you must type the story on your post and add 2 lines and tag 7 others. If you choose to end a story it must be more then 20 lines and you must start another one with 2 lines and tag 7 people. Story must not exceed 50 lines. Post rules on blog and/or comment of those you tag.
Tag
Once in a land of magic there dwelt an old sorcerer who desired a dragon to keep him company. But dragons were expensive in those days so the old sorcerer (by the name of Wynn) decided to go on a quest to capture a dragon and bring it to his home in the mountains.
He packed his belongings and a case of Pepsi and set off, humming the hit song I Was Made to Loaf. He hadn’t gone far, when he came to a deep, deep, trench, stretching as far as he could see to the left and right.
So Wynn opened his limited edition copy of “Simple Spells for the Stupefied Sorcerer” to page 142 and read the directions that were written there. He heeded them and after gulping down three cans of Pepsi (sugar was the one thing that calmed his nerves), belching twice and chanting a few magic words Wynn felt himself flying over the trench, well half way over he fell! He sat there for a minute, dazed and trying to figure out how he was going to get out. Wynn stood up and decided he should walk around the trench to look for a way out, so he began to walk and hum “Meant to Eat.” So on he walked till he felt something tug at his pant leg and looking down he saw a huge dwarf. He was so surprised he screamed. He kicked the dwarf and ran down trench as fast as he could go. Suddenly the dwarf or one that looked like him popped up right in front of him, causing the Sorcerer to fall over into a puddle of water, that wasn’t really a puddle of water…it was actually a liquified dwarf! What Wynn didn't realize is he said the wrong magic words! He chanted the ones to liquify a dwarf instead of the ones to soar over a deep, deep, trench! Now the very angry father of the liquified dwarf was standing right over Wynn and staring him straight in the eyes! Yikes! He was in a real pickle now...
Ok, sorry, that was pretty stupid, but I think it was supposed to be. Anyway, I tag christianmusician1, Ebell1993, Antelope, 01charger. I just kind of randomly picked people off of my friends list, so you don't have to do it if you don't want to.
Anyway, I was going to give an update on my little foster brother's situation, but my mom needs me off of the computer, so that will have to wait until my next post. Too-tle-doo!
Sparkles
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Ok, so I am kind of sad right now. To be quite honest, I have noticed that the 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge is coming under some criticism. I had noticed that many people have not been able to keep up with it and only a few have actually been checking in. I'm not writing this post to make everyone feel bad for not keeping up with it, but more because I believe that there is a big misunderstanding about the purpose of the challenge.
This week, Emma let me know that she would no longer be participating in the challenge. She wrote a post explaining why she felt it was not what the Lord wanted her to be doing at this time, and I completely understand. When the Lord is not leading you to do something...then you don't do it! So Emma, I understand why you decided to stop with the challenge. The only problem I have is with some of the comments left on that post. I feel like some people are misunderstanding the whole purpose for this challenge.
Let me just start off with the reasons I decided to do the challenge:
First of all, I don't feel like I have really challenged myself much lately, so I thought that reading the Bible in 90 days would be a great challenge to encourage me to consistantly be in the Word of God and walk in a closer relationship with Him.
Secondly, I have never read the Bible through and really thought reading it in 90 days would help me keep what I read daily fresh in my mind and get a good overall picture of Biblical events, how the Lord worked through each of these events and how they all relate to each other. In the past, when I tried reading the Bible in one year, I had a hard time seeing this big picture. First of all, I had not personally challenged myself in this area, and because I had not made a commitment to read daily it was easy to slack off. Therefore, it was difficult to keep everything fresh in my mind. The 90 Day Challenge has really helped me remain committed to my daily Bible reading and I've been able to see how everything I am reading comes together to accomplish God's perfect plan.
Please, don't get me wrong, I think it is VERY important to read the Bible through slowly and study it verse by verse and possibly spend days on just one chapter. In fact, after this challenge I intend on reading the Bible through again, reading it slower and really digging deeper into it. But I still believe there is a HUGE benefit and blessing in reading quickly and on a schedule. By the way, MandyGrace had a good post with great suggestions for personal Bible study.
Also, I had read on The Rebelution blog that Brett and Alex Harris had read the Bible through in 50 days. They said it was an amazing experience. I wanted to be able to have that amazing experience as well. So far, I feel I have!
I'm afraid some people believe that those of us who are participating in this challenge are just doing it to be able to say "I've read the Bible in 90 days! I've read the Bible in 90 days! Yeah me!!!" This is not the case. I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure that all of us who are still participating would agree that this is not our motivation. I'm not doing the challenge to check it off my to-do list or to just get it out of the way. I truly want this to be a learning experience for me...an experience that will help me grow closer to the Lord, and...a challenge.
I hope you all will read this and reflect on the reason why you initially said you would participate in the challenge. If the Lord led you to participate in the challenge, why did you stop? Are you using the excuse that you don't want it to be a chore or some other excuse as a reason to quit? If so, sometimes the Lord requires us to do things that are difficult to accomplish or cumbersome, but that is no reason to quit doing what He may have called us to do. I understand that sometimes things happen in our lives that may cause us to get off track with our Bible reading (however we choose to read through the Bible) but we get through those times and get right back on track.
The bottom line is, what has the Lord led you to do? Did He lead you to participate? Or did He lead you not to participate? Obey what the Lord has led you to do.
Sparkles
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Ok, so I have been given a few awards this past week. First off, Nathan and Dylan both awarded me the Blogger Reflections Award! Thank you guys so much, even though I have been given this award before I still really appreciate it! It's always nice to know that people enjoy your blog!
Then I got awarded the Rockin Girl Blogger Award by Jocelyn, Deb, 01charger, and 10jellybeans. Thank you girls so much! All of you are so very sweet and definitely deserved the award yourselves!
Ok, so now I am supposed to award other people with the awards. Well, a couple posts ago I awarded six bloggers with the Blogger Reflections Award, so now I will just do the Rockin Girl Blogger Award.
Ok, I'm sorry, but I'm going to break the rules. Since it seems like every girl already has this award, I'm only going to award one person (yeah, I know, my brother and sister did this too)! Ok, so here's my pick:
Delaine(aka Lifesong)- Yep, my own little sister! I have to award her, I don't think she has been awarded with this yet, but I think she deserves it and if you've visited her blog, you'd probably agree with me! She definitely has a rockin' awesome blog! And I can honestly say, she is such an awesome girl too! She is my absolute best friend and is always there for me when I need her! Love you Lainey-Bri!
Oh yeah, this week (or maybe it was last week) I got my hair cut. Not that that is really big news, but it's a whole lot shorter than I expected it to be! I mean, my hair stylist did everything I asked her to, but I am just not used to my hair being this short! I think she cut off eight inches! I seriously almost had a panic attack! Even my sister's hair is longer than mine! That's a first! I was thinking of posting a picture, but I don't know...maybe in my next post. Also, I feel like it makes me look a more younger than before, which is kind of scary, especially since I've had people,*cough* Josh *cough*, tell me that I look like fourteen or younger! So, I don't know...maybe, just maybe I'll post a picture in my next entry.
Also, I would recommend everyone to go read Brooke's post, "Don't Wait Until Your Are Married to Love and Honor Your Future Husband." It's an amazing and very encouraging post that I think all of us girls would benefit from reading!
Well, hope you all are having a great week!
Sparkles
. Wow...I'm kinda embarrased. It's been like two weeks since I last posted.
It's not that I don't have anything to blog about (because I actually do) it's just that things have been a little busy...but I guess that's not really a good excuse, because there were several times I had the chance to blog and decided not to. Well, anyway, moving on...This week I have been helping with our church VBS. Lets just say, everyday I have come home with a headache (weird cause I never get headaches). But I guess it's because I am working with 4 & 5 year olds! Wow, they can sure be a handful! I feel especially bad for the two elderly ladies that are the leaders of the class! I don't think they knew what they were getting themselves into! These kiddos can be as sweet as pie one second, giving you hugs and telling you that they "really like you," then the next second they're bouncing of the walls and won't even listen to a word you're telling them! Also, one thing that is just crazy is these little boys have to constantly go to the bathroom! I'm serious! I get back from walking one to the bathroom, then another one has to go, then I get back from taking that one to the bathroom, then the one that I just took two minutes ago has to go AGAIN!!! It's really weird. Maybe it's just a manipulation tactic...I don't know. Yeah, so I'm having an interesting time with VBS, but it's sort of entertaining in a different way.
Also, I started reading the book I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. We bought it a couple months ago, but I just now began reading it. I have a strong conviction to guard my heart and purity for my future spouse and I believe dating is incompatible with that conviction. I want to read this book to broaden my understanding of what true purity encompasses. I want to share a powerful story that Joshua Harris shares in the introduction of this book. I think it's a good picture of the baggage we can carry into our future marriage if we don't guard our purity now. Here is what he says in his book...
"It was finally here-Anna's wedding day, the day she had dreamed about and planned for months. The small, picturesque church was crowded with friends and family.
Sunlight poured through the stained-glass windows, and the gentle music of a string quartet filled the air. Anna walked down the aisle toward David. Joy surged within her. This was the moment for which she had waited so long. He gently took her hand and they turned toward the altar.
But as the minister began to lead Anna and David through their vows , the unthinkable happened. A girl stood up in the middle of the congregation, walked quietly to the altar, and took David's other hand. Another girl approached and stood next to the first, followed by another. Soon, a chain of six girls stood by him as he repeated his vows to Anna.
Anna felt her lip begin to quiver as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Is this some kind of Joke?" she whispered to David.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Anna," he said, staring at the floor.
"Who are these girls, David? What is going on?" she gasped.
"They're girls from my past," he answered sadly. "Anna, they don't mean anything to me now...but I've given part of my heart to each of them."
"I thought your heart was mine," she said.
"It is, it is," he pleaded. "Everything that's left is yours."
A tear rolled down Anna's cheek. Then she woke up.
I don't know about you, but I want my wedding day to be a celebration of my purity. I want to give my whole heart to my husband. I don't want to offer the remnants of a heart that has been given away to several others before him. I want to no regrets that day.
Well, I hope you all have a great day, and I promise I will try to start posting on more of a regular basis! Oh, and if you haven't got a comment from me in a while, I'm not ignoring you! I've just been a little bit busier that usual lately, but I'm going to try to do some commenting right now!
Sparkles
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Ok, I have been tagged several times, but can't remeber who all tagged me and what the tags were. So, I have decided to just do one. Jocelyn just tagged me with this one:
You:
Time: 9:22 pm
Full name: Jenna K. K.
Nicknames: Jen, Sparkles
Parents' names: Mommy & Daddy
Number of candles on last birthday: I think it was three, but I turned 17.
Date you regularly blow candles out: March 14th
Pets: One prissy kitty
Height: Ummmm...let me check...ok, 5' 6 1/2"
Eye colour: Blue
Hair colour: Brown
Piercings: My ears
Have you ever...:
been in love: Not yet.
loved anyone so much it made you cry: Actually, yes I have.
Future:
Where do you want to live?: Oh, so many places! Either on the beach or where there are green rolling hills! Hopefully someday soon!
What kind of job do you want?: Well, most importantly, I want the job of being a mother, but I'd also like to be an interior decorator, the owner of a vintage boutique store, and maybe be a music teacher of some sort. Oh, I'd also love to work at a Starbucks! Yummy!!!
Who makes you laugh the most?: My little sister & brother...they're hilarious!
Who do you go to for advice?: God & my parents.
Who do you hate?: Don't hate anyone, but definitely dislike some.
Who knows the most about you?: My family
Who is your best friend?: Does my sister count?
2 doors on car or 4: 4 doors
coffee or ice cream?: A Starbucks Carmel Frappuchino! But I like ice cream too.
shampoo or conditioner?: Both
1 or 2 pillows?: 2
First words that come to mind:
rock: fish (have you ever tasted rock fish?)
green: grass
wet: dog
cry: Baby "D" (my little foster sister...can't say her name, but she cry a whole lot...actually she growls!)
peanutt butter: jelly
Favorite...:
color of sock: white
memory: When my little brother was born and when we adopted my lilttle sissy!
song at the moment: "Twenty-four" by Switchfoot
subject in school: reading
flower: pink or red roses
color: pink & brown (those are the colors in my room)
Random....:
How many times did you fail and permit your drivers test?: Haven't taken my drivers test yet.
How do you see yourself in 10 yrs: Married to my prince charming with absolutely gorgeous children!
Ever been convicted for a crime: Absolutely not! Gee, who made this tag?
What do you do when you are bored: That's a good question...what do I do when I'm bored?
Is it okay to be in love with more than one person at a time?: Ewww! Gross! Gee, that's a no-brainer! A Big Fat "NO!" Ok, that may have been a bit of an over reaction.
Did you enjoy this: I guess, but I'd rather be sleeping.
Now what time is it: 10:06 pm
People you will tag: Ummm, whoever wants to do it.
Also, I decided to post a video of my piano recital that was last Feburary. It was actually my piano and voice recital, but I am only going to post my piano piece. It definitely wasn't perfect, considering the fact that I had just memorized it a couple days before and I absolutely hated the piano that I had to play on, but anyway here it is...
I know, I know...the hair in the face drove me nuts too! The stupid bobby pin just wouldn't stay in! Gee, that was so annoying!
Anyway, hope everyone has a wonderful day!
Sparkles
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I know, I know, I know...it's time for a new entry! I guess I have put it off for too long, but I am back! Recently I was given The Blogger Reflections Award by Amanda and now I have chosen a few people to also give the award to. I know most, if not all, have already been given the award, but I am still going to award them because I believe they deserve it! Also, check out this post for the rules of awarding others with the Blogger Reflections Award.
Here is who I have chosen to give the awards to:
Mandygrace- Mandy is a wonderful example of a young lady who loves the Lord and does a wonderful job of encouraging others to do the same. She has a lot of wisdom to share with her HSB blogging friends and I'm personally glad to be one of them! It's always fun to go to Mandy's blog and see what she's going to discuss next. Thanks for such a great blog Mandy!
IloveyouGod- Brooke always have very meaningful post regarding issues young ladies face today. She is also very focused on Scripture and freely shares how the Word speaks to her. She also shares about her family life and you can tell she really loves and honors her parents! I've enjoyed reading her posts and am personally very encouraged by her blog.
JocelynDixon- Jocelyn is so sweet! Her blog is full of purpose and meaning. She is wise beyond her years and truly desires to be a godly young woman. She is serious about keeping her focus on the Lord and what He desires for her life. Jocelyn is not ashamed to speak up for what she believes in or what her convictions are. Be sure to check out her blog if you haven't already!
Free2bme- When I first started blogging and was trying to make some friends, I was told by Emma (Southernbelle) that Debs was one of the sweetest girls she knew, and that I should go and check out her blog. Well, Emma was right. Debs always has a sweet comment to leave and always a great sense of humor that I seriously envy! She will either have a very random, yet hilarious post, or one where she will share what God has been teaching her through her life experiences. I'm glad to have met a such a sweet girl like her and hope to get to know her more. Oh, not to mention the fact that our birthdays are a day apart which is really neat!
SuperAngel- I hope it's ok that I'm awarding Amanda, even though she is the one who awarded me! I've only known her for a short period of time, but long enough to realize that she is a girl that truly loves the Lord and wants His best for her. She has been a great example for me through her blogging and also a big encouragement! I was able to talk to her in person this past week, which was really nice. I am so glad to have found a friend like her and can't wait to someday meet her in person!
TeamBettendorf- Besides the fact that Mrs. Bettendorf is one really cool mom, has 11 wonderful children and is a personal friend of ours, she is definitely very purposeful in her blogging. Mrs. Bettendorf has always had an awesome blog that has reflected on her home life as being a mom to 11 children. Recently, her blog has had a new focus. Her daughter Jillian was diagnosed with cancer this past February. Mrs. Bettendorf would not have chosen to be the mom who blogged about a child with cancer, but she has done so with grace and has been an awesome testimony throughout the whole experience. Be sure to check out her blog.
So, there you have it! I know I was only supposed to do five, but there was no way that I could overlook any of these bloggers.
Oh, and I would like to apologize to everyone who has tagged me...I have been so busy and haven't been able to keep up with them. In my next entry, hopefully, I will finish most of them! Hope everyone has a great week!
Also, If you are doing The Challenge, be sure to check in on TheChallenge blog to let us know how you are doing!
Sparkles
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Hello everyone!
Well, this week I was reading a blog, Ebell1993, that I just added to my friends list. In her latest entry she was talking about how she did a challenge to read the Bible in ninety days. She finished the Bible in eighty-eight days! When I was reaing her post, I was amazed. She is only thirteen, and has already read the Bible through...TWICE!
Well, to be quite honest, I have been slacking on my Bible reading and have not been reading it on a regular basis like I should. When I saw that this girl had done this challenge I wanted to do it too! Then my mom and I came up with this brilliant idea! I should post the challenge on my blog and see if anyone was willing to do it with me! The point being so that we could encourage one another and help keep each other accountable. I recall reading on The Rebelution website that the Harris brothers took a challenge to read the Bible through in 50 days and they said it was an incredible experience.
Here are the links for the website. Check it out and let me know if you are interested in taking the challenge with me. I would be so thrilled if even a few of you would join with me in this challenge! I would like to start on Monday, June18th. Let me know if you are up for the challenge!
The Bible in 90 days and here is the actual schedule.
Also, I like to thank Amanda so much for awarding me the Blogger Reflections Award. I will be posting my picks for the Blogger Reflection Award on my next post!
UPDATE: Okay, check out The Challenge Blog I created for those who are participating. I think this will be a good way to encourage one another and keep each other accountable. We can check in daily to let everyone know that we've done our reading for the day and encourage those who haven't. I want to thank Jocelyn for making a cool icon for the participants to put on their blogs that will direct link to The Challenge Blog. Hopefully, this will encourage others to participate! Here's the code:
< a href ="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheChallenge/" title="Photo Sharing">< img src="http://farm _fcksavedurl=""http://farm " _fcksavedurl=""http://farm " 2.static.flickr.com/1242/542010325_ d72bfc182c_o.jpg" _fcksavedurl=""http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1242/542010325_d72bfc182c_o.jpg "" width="130" height="82" alt="90days icon" />
There should not be any spaces on the codes except the 'a' and the 'h'... in order to make the image work.
Thanks again, Jocelyn!
Sparkles
. Hello Everyone! So I think it is time for another entry! I know I told you all about my little foster brother Hayden (that is what we are calling him) and that his case looks very promising for adoption, well...there is a little something that came up. The good news is that he will be adopted, the bad news...we don't know who is going to adopt him. Apparently, his mother started a private adoption before the state was able to get dependancy on him, so there is another family that is possibly going to adopt him. They wanted to review his medical records before making their final decision (we don't care about the medical records, we want him no matter what)! So, my family would really appreciate everyone's prayers on this subject. I should say, we just love this little guy to pieces and are really hoping and praying the Lord will keep him right where he is.
Ok, I decided to do a contest that I saw on Super Angel's blog. Go check out her blog for more details.
- Your name: Jenna
- Famous singer/band: Jaci Velasquez
- 4 letter word: Jump
- Animal: Jaguar
- Color: Jade
- Gifts/Present: Jewelry
- Vehicle: Jet
- Things in a souvenir shop: Jewels
- Boy name: Jack
- Girl name: Jennifer
- Movie: Jungle Book
- Drink: Juice
- An occupation: Janitor
- Flower: Joseph's Coat (yes, it is a flower, I had to do a search on that one)
- Celebrity: Julia Roberts
- Magazine: Jewelry Crafts
- US City: Jerome, AZ
- Pro sports team: Jets
- Fruit: Juicy Red Apple (sorry, I don't think that there is a fruit that starts with "J")
- Reason for being late to work: Just lazy!
- Something you throw away: Junk
- Thing you shout: JUST KIDDING!!
- Cartoon character: Jerry (from Tom and Jerry)
Hope everyone has a great week!
Sparkles
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
-Hebrews 11:1
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Well, my vacation was much more exciting than I expected! You’ll never guess what was going on the first day we arrived at Disneyland…it was the Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End world premiere! We didn’t actually get to go to the premiere because the tickets were $1500 per person and sold out, my dad wouldn’t pay that much anyway! But we did see the red carpet event and that was incredible! We saw a ton of celebrities and characters from the movie, not to mention we were about two feet away from Johnny Depp! I got some really awesome video of him, but I don’t know how to post it, but I will post a freeze frame of it. We also saw Orlando Bloom! OH…MY…GOODNESS…*faints*…he is absolutely gorgeous! I would say he is just as cute, if not cuter, in real-life than in the movies! We tried to get a good picture of him, but the one we got is kind of blurry and just doesn’t do him justice. Well, I said I would post pictures, so here they are!
Yes, that is Orlando Bloom in the blue shirt, this picture doesn't do him near justice!
The one and only Johnny Depp! AKA Jack Sparrow!
This is Captain Barbossa and Jack (the monkey), who seemed less than enthused!
This is me, Cameron, and Delaine in front of California Adventure. Yes, I am the oldest...I promise!
This is me, Delaine, and Hannah on the teacups, one of Hannah's favorite rides!
This is Stephen with his birthday "volcano" at the Rainforest Cafe in the Downtown Disney district.
We also made a quick visit to the beach! This was Hannah and Stephen's first time at the beach, and they loved it!
So, there they are! I would have posted more, but I think that is plenty of pictures for now! If you want see more though, go to my brother's or sister's blog.
Oh, and I almost forgot! When we got home we went to see the very first showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which was at eight o'clock on the evening of the 24th! It was very good, but incredibly sad too! I will not say anymore so I don't ruin it for everyone who hasn't already seen it! But if you haven't seen it....go see it!
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Sparkles ; )
. Hello everyone! I have to make this short (real short) because my family is leaving for California.... tonight! And I still have a TON of packing to do! Ahhhhhh! Well, anyway, we are going to Disneyland for Stephen's (my little brother) birthday, he is turning 3! I think we are going to be gone until Wednesday, but when I get back, I, along with my brother and sister, will post some pictures of the tripon my blog. Well, I better go! I still have to help my mom wrap Stephen's gifts (which will take quite a while), load my parents clothes in the trailer, take a shower and get ready, and a ton more! Oh, and all this in a couple hours, ahhhhhhhhh! Ok, talk to ya'll when I get back!
Sparkles
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Hello everyone! Wow, I am trying to figure out how some of you guys are able to post almost everyday, I barely have enough time to post once or twice a week! Anyway, now that I do have time...well...I don't know what to say! Ok, Jenna...think...think...what is there to talk about? Ummm...while I am thinking, you guys can go check out my sister's blog for some really cute pictures of my little brother and sister that we just had done.
Oh my goodness! *gags* My mom just called me into the kitchen and told me, without asking any questions, to drink a tablespoon of this oily, liquid stuff. So, me, being the perfect little angel I am, guzzle down this stuff (without asking questions)! Well, lets just say, I now understand why she told me to not ask any questions! It was room temperature coconut oil! In desparation I ran and grabbed the nearest cup to fill up with ice water. Then, somehow, I ended up dumping my ice all over my kitchen floor, prolonging my much needed glup of water! Then, after cleaning up my mess, I finally was able to fill up my cup up with water. What I didn't realize was that my cup had a nice big crack in it! So most of the water that was in my cup was now on the floor! Ugh! Yes, it was one mess leading to the other. Well, I should probably go and finish cleaning the mess in the kitchen! Too-tle-doo!
Sparkles
Oh, I almost forgot! Take the quiz on my side bar to figure out what frappuccino flavor you are, as for me I always knew mine was a carmel frappuccino!
