Hola Friendly Beasts!

And you must exuse that vile talk and name-calling....I just had to get my bottled-up feelings of too much absence from the blogging world away......not that it has hurt me. =)

So where shall I begin? This may be a long entry...BEWARE!!!

First of all, three weeks ago this past Saturday, my grandpa passed away. =( It was a sad time....we all knew he was going down hill, but all the same it was sudden and devestating. It will never be the same without him. The funeral was on Saturday, and my sister Olivia and I sang the song, "I Can only Imagine" for it. It was a beastly hot day, and a little warm up there. My grandpa always loved it when his grandkids sang/performed or anything, so it was a nice thing that we got to do! Here is a picture...I'm hidden behind the piani, so you can barely see me:

....and here's a picture of Olivia, my brother Mark, and I before the funeral, taken at our grandma's house:

....So after that BUSY week, we just were watering ALOT (it has been hot....111 degrees today!!), swimming, and all that fun summer stuff. Then this past week, we have been at the beach...Cannon Beach. I was HOPING I would meet up with Emily (godslilcountrygirl) there; she said earlier that she and her family would be there in July. Unfortunatley, we didn't.....oh well. So, we were there for a week. It was actually very COOL there......63-65 degrees each day!! The hottest was yesterday, at 72. that was  a BIT disappointing, as we had been looking forward to hot days by the sea shore. =) It was only a dream....alas. But it was sunny alot, with only a little fog. Hurray for the sun! We went "Boogie Boarding" a couple times, and swimming and jumping in the waves...and alot of walks, runs, etc. It was a fun time! I will upload pictures to this post as soon as I download them to the computer...and here they are, actually!

..Me and my sis Olivia, at the beach (it is dark, as ye can tell)!

Annie, me littlest sis

...And a S'More; I know....the lighting makes it look kind of gross =P

..One of the breakfast's we had made at the cabin; again, it looks a little weird...

..And lastly, a sunset!

Again, I am terribly sorry that I haven't replied to everyone's comments; I don't know why I can't keep up! This is horrible!!! I am definitly keeping up with this post....please don't shy away from commenting!!! I looove your coments, and PROMISE to do my best to repond!! Love ya'll!!

Okay, a few more things. I would LOVE to make a blog button for you, if you would like. I recently...sort of--re-discovered how to make them...and now I LOVE to do it!! They aren't animated, or anything fancy. But if you would like one, please let me know by comments or PMs! =) Some samples are in the last entry.....they are choices I made for Christine (ChristineDaae).

Well, I am off now...again. I hope to recieve some comments, and thank you, everyone! I love having you all as my friends....please forgive me if I don't always respond to your comments and/or look at your blogs! I will try better in the future. Well, au'revoir....and have a delicious, scrumptiously wonderful rest-of-summer!

P.S. (I also want to say, "HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY!!" To Grace (Gottaluvbooks). Lawf ya, Grace!!)

P.P.S. (Oh--one more thing: Katy (aliveagain13) requested a blog button from me, and I have completed it! Here it is, Katy! Thanks so much for asking me to doit! If you want it any different, just leave a comment...and I'll re-do it and send you the code!)

or....

Hi Everyone!

First of all, I apologize for being gone so long. And thanks for all the loverly comments which were cascaded upon me. I may catch up with all of thee yet! =)

Second of all, before I explain WHERE in the world I was, an award from Taylor (Thanks! My FIRST award!!)

Here it is. Isn't it a beauty!?? If ya'll can't see it, do tell. I copied-and=pasted...and sometimes those things don't work. Anywyas, I award:

Pip

Anna93

hbfroggy

Emily94

dreamwalker

Bluejane

..And so sorry I didn't add links for Emily, I couldn't remember her blog link-name! I'll add that latah...I feel lazy.

Anyways, this past week the family and I went on our slightly belated spring-break vaycayshun. Twas vera fun. We went to central Oregon, to a place called "Black Butte Ranch." Some friends of ours have a cabin there, and let us stay there every year! There's tennis, swimming, bike riding, horseback in the Summer, and lots o' cool stuff. But the things I mentioned were the only things we did (besides the horses, which are ONLY in the Summer...wha.). I will be posting some pictures of me playing tennis (which I actually did purty good on), and Lil' Sis playing tennis (which was her first time), and the countryside and all. Enjoy!

Love,

 ...Now THAT'S some movement!!!!

Hiya, Peoples!!!!!

Weel, fer starters....YAY! I am at long-last ovah the horribah coldah! ...With the exception of a few sniffles now an' then. But, other than that, I AM WELL!!!

It's hard to believe that Easter is upon us so suddenly! Tomorrow at 10:00, we're 'aving our little annual Candy-Hunt that has been going on at our grand-parents' house (who live almost next door, if you don't count a field in between) for AGES!! In fact, 20 years!! WAHOO!! It's so super fun...CANDY, CANDY, CANDY!! Not that I really pig-out or anything...I just go a leetle crazy. Ya know? And plus, we get to see friends that we haven't seen for...DAYS! HOURS! WEEKS! Hehehe...=) I sometimes think that time has passed MORE than it actually has. Er...*coughs*...a leetle fault o'mine. Ya know? I knew some of you would understand. AND I am happy to note that it was 77 DEGREES two days ago! WHAOOSERZ! Pardon me, I just have an absolute WEAKNESS for Summer. But alas, today it rained. And poures. But now, it's SUNNY AGAIN!!! Hopefully, it will be tomorrow, too.

Well, I hope everyone has a FRABUJOUS, WONDERFUL Easter....and remember, HE IS RISEN!!! HALLELUJA!

God Bless,

Ariel~*~*