Snow camp! I had a complete blast when I went with a group from Kingsway Baptist Church in Louisiana to Chicago and then to Wisconsin for camp. I made a lot of great friends--Lydia, Jay, Dill, Isaac, and David, along with our great sponsers Pastor and Mrs. Saxton and Mr. Marshall (the teen Sunday School teacher)--and I had a blast! Saw new places, met new people, and learned more about God.  I also got to see Chicago for the first time when we went to the Shedd Aquarium. Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here's a few thousand words to tell y'all about my trip.

Mrs. Karen

Lydia

Jay, Isaac, Lydia, Me, Dill, and David

Umm, don't ask

Ah yes, this is how all the little fishies learn how to read. An ABC fish!

I found Nemo!

Hmm, skydiving or scubadiving?

King of the mountain--Northland style

Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Apparently he was not.

A pancake eating contest. All I'll say about this is that it was one of the most disgusting things I had ever seen and Jay won.

Katie

Corrina and Lydia. Brrr! It was very cold and wet after we went tubing.

Lydia, Heather, Desare--(our counselor) Bonnie, and Me

This is Julia. Her family--along with our church group--stayed with the same people in Chicago. This is Mr. Peter's dog, but I forgot her name.

Frosted window panes in the van--if you look close enough, it almost resembles Spiderman.

I'm here!

Where's here?

Why, in Ohio of course!

Why are you there?

I'm on vacation. Why else would I be 1200 miles away from home?

Did you fly or drive?

We flew and I was so nervous that my mom had to drug me.

Ha ha!

Don't laugh, it wasn't funny.

What was the most exciting thing that happened after you got here?

I saw SNOW!!! And for the first time in my life, might I add. We went to the Imax to see the Polar Express in 3-D and to meet up with two of my old friends, Sarah and Steven Slawinski. They're twins. I got to see my dad for the first time in three of four months-(I've lost count because its been so long.) 

What are you doing today?

I'm going SHOPPING!!!   Not for me, but for other peoples Christmas presents.

Are you going to have a fun vacation?

Of course!

Random Thawts...

If people keep procrastinating on and on, some irritated person who is not doing so might just invent a flying pig robot.

Those people who think themselves to be so much smarter than others are usually the ones with the least common sense.

You know how old styles are coming back "in"? How come old thinking, morals, and human decency can't come back "in"?

Why is it that people think you to be so smart when you exibit your vast, selection of vocabulary words?

Why can't people just admit that they are wrong instead of explaning their actions and thinking that is enough to justify their reason?

Why can't unexplainable questions be explained?

Oh goodness! It's been over a month since I have posted on xanga! Maybe I'm sick or something. Or not. 

My brother is back at Southland now-- yes we managed to get him there without getting lost-- and now we're back.

Last Wednesday- August 22- was my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!!!

My dad is home now for a week, then he will be headed back to Ohio. Actually, it's kinda a bummer because this is his last weekend to come home for awhile. Next month he starts a shutdown and only my mom will go and visit him up there. She's really freaked out though, because she doesn't like flying by herself.  I don't blame her.

The Price kids are coming over our house tonight and my parents are taking their parents out to dinner. I hope the house doesn't burn down or anything drastic like that while they're over here.

I hope everything goes okay.

Ah ha!  I made a new discovery. If you look closely (or not so closely) at my site you'll see what it is: I dicovered Xanga themes. Pretty cool.

Okay, I had a great time at Southland this past week. Bro. Tom Ferrel is a tremendous preacher and I don't know how he knows so much! Two messages especially stood out to me and they seemed to go together so perfectly. One was about how horrible Hell was and the other was about Judgement Day. He told everyone, "Breath in. Now breath out. Ten people just went to Hell." I guess it never really hit me how many people are out there searching for truth that they look in all the wrong places for. He challenged everyone to be a better soulwinner, even if you're too nervous to actually talk to someone about Jesus, the least you can do is give them a tract. When you have the chance to share the Gospel with someone and don't, thier blood will be on your hands. I sure don't want something like that on my mind. I'd like to challenge everyone of us to be better soulwinners for Jesus. He's worth it.

One other message that spoke to me was preached by Bro. Bryan Samms. Sometimes hurt will come in our life and sometimes people will wrong us without any cause. What we have to remember is that when we are as low as we can possibly get, when everyone has left us, and we are all alone, we find that the only one that will help us through it all is our Heavenly Father. And when it's all over and done with, if we use it to show forth His glory and not hurt us, it will come forth more precious than gold.

I'll be sure to post pictures soon!