September Highlights

I love all the Texas Strong stuff, so when I saw this banner I had to get my picture with it.

Hello everyone! Can you belive its October already? It seem ridiculous to me that September is over already, but here we are!

I don't know if you noticed, but there is a new design up on my blog! I was preparing to change some things about my header and I discovered that one of the font's I've been using is copyrighted. So I'm in the process of taking that font completely off of my blog. While I was at it, I made myself a new, cleaner header and I cleaned up the pages. The Extraordinary Blogs is what has changed the most. I updated a lot of information on there. What do you think? 

I got super, super frustrated with my work in progress, Flight From Kelar. Now, I am honest enough with myself to admit I would never give up on a project completely, but I really did feel like throwing it against a wall. Thankfully I didn't have it printed out yet. Editing has just been a pain with this project. But I'm happy to say after many frustrations, I'm finally making progress in my editing.

I also edited my July camp project; Healing Rain. This one didn't really need much work, so it was a nice break to be able to just whip through it. 

Me and my siblings had a day to ourselves, so we took advantage of it. We played freebie, ate pizza pockets, and drank lots of soda. We also played 2 ½ hours of Bring Your Own Book, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite games. If you don't know about this game, its basically Apples to Apples with books instead of cards. Its amazing. 

Made stuffed peppers. Why is this on my list of highlights? Well, I don't try out very much in the kitchen, but I decided I wanted to try stuffed peppers. I forgot to read the instructions until after I was done making them, and I left out a couple steps, but they ended up really good!

My sister Sarah and I cleaned the house really well while watching Star Treks. There is no a much better way to get through couch cleaning, scrubbing of floors, and endless dusting like Star Trek Next Generation. ;)

My sister Grace and I watched Leap in theaters for the second time. We may be in our late teens a early twenty's, but kids movies are still our thing. 

Our family and some friends went to Dunkin Donuts together. I'm more of a Krispi Kream girl myself, but donuts are pretty much good wherever you get them. Plus it was awesome hanging out with my friends

I spilled water on my brothers computer and it survived. That was a big praise God!

  

This is my little buddy who kindly posed for me outside of a shopping center. 

My graduation announcement! (It looks a little better with my last name in there. ;)

Lindsey from Grace Blossoms Photography and BFCG took my senior photos! That's those photos that are now on all my profiles and on the blog! If you want to see her post on the shoot, you can look at it here. I'll be posting some soon. Lindsey is such an awesome photographer and a really sweet girl. I'm telling you, I don't like being in front of the camera, but she made it easy! I was so excited to get these done!!

I officially graduated! As some of you may know, I haven't been doing school for a bit now. I've been working on my life skills and career options. Well, I finally officially graduated high school! *throws confetti* 

My favorite book from this month was The Red Signal by Grace Livingston Hill. It was so lovely and had so many tidbits about WWI. It gave me a really good feel for the time. 

My least favorite was Choosing Real. I didn't even finish it. The style just wasn't me. I don't normally mention two, but let's just say that Over Maya Dead Body did not live up to my expectations at all.

 There were so many good posts this month, I couldn't include half that I wanted to. 

Stay Totally Graced 

Enough Summer of 1999

Hey Dreamer Adventure Awaits

Summer Wrap Up Audrey Caylin

How Many Times A Purpose and a Promise

Walking the Streets of Settle Elizabeth Anne

The Q&A is Here Adventures Beyond the Horizon

3 Tips To Battle Perfectionism Scattered Scribblings.

End of the Year Goals and September Highlights A Writers Faith

I'm Not Like Them

My mistake! This was supposed to go up Friday, but I'm just going to leave it up anyway.

Sometimes I look

And I see what they’re doing

I cringe inside

Because I’m not like them

I’m not very popular

I’m not getting a lot done

I’m not running myself ragged

I’m not even relaxing the same way

Everything they do

I wish I could do

Because they have what I want

And as I watch them

I cringe inside

Because I’m not like them

I’m not deep like them

I can’t quote God’s word as well

I haven’t traveled very much

I got my first job late

I can’t keep up with them

I cringe inside

Knowing I can’t be like them

But as I grow older

I have to begin to wonder

If maybe they cringe inside to

Because they can’t be like me

It hurts to compare yourself to someone else. 

It hurts when someone compares themselves to you. 

Friends, Midnight Talks, and a Q&A

Faraget!

The sunset behind our Q&A

And here I am. Only one month since part one of my Washington trip. *Coughs* Sorry about that.

Day Four

Friday, August 18

We went to Faraget. Guys, this place is SO pretty!! Clear water lakes surrounded by evergreens are such a treat to this Texan! So, we got there and Micaiah and I filmed our Q&A. That was actually pretty painless. Then we went down to the actual lake and hiked for awhile. Then we got to walk in the water, and Micaiah and her siblings thought me how to skip rocks. Micaiah's siblings found a wild apple tree, and after both tasting it and proclaiming it terrible, they said we needed to taste it. Of coarse, I tried it. It really wasn't to bad. We went to a late lunch, and then back to their home. That's where we discovered the Q&A had wind noise all through it, and it was cut off! So, we determinedly hiked up to a nice bench (It was up a steep hill) and re-filmed the video while having to turn the camera back on every fifteen minutes as it stopped. 

So after that exhausting and awesome day, we both crashed. 

Amazing ice cream

Day Five 

Saturday, August 19

Micaiah joined me for a jog that morning. She learned that I am not a very good jogger, and I learned she is extremely good company during runs. Then, after a leisurely morning, we did a bit of shopping. We mostly parked at the Hallmark store and Micaiah and I sighed over Signed, Sealed Delived. Then we went to the card section and drooled over those. We had ice cream at this place that actually folds whatever toppings you want into the ice cream! Is that to cool or what? I can't have to much ice cream because of my dairy problem, but I was able to have some mint ice cream with chocolate chips and sprinkles. That stuff was good! 

When we got back to their home we had homemade pizza. And Micaiah, her brother and I, being the mature adults-of-sorts we were, engaged in a forty five minute sword fight with  each other using styrofoam swords. I finally got to use all those sword fighting tips I had picked up. I don't know if anyone was proclaimed a winner, but we sure did have fun! 

We all watched a Hallmark movie together because it had my much loved stars Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner. Well, I don't love the stars so much as I love the characters they play in Bionic Woman.

Me, Ivy, Micaiah, and Abi.

Day Six 

Sunday, August 20

Micaiah and I got ready to meet the authors Ivy Rose and Abigayle Claire for coffee (or tea, in my case)! The coffee shop we had agreed to meet at was... well... lets just say it didn't have the best atmosphere. So, Ivy and Abi arrived, and we walked down to Starbucks. I had Starbucks for the first time in my life. I got a very odd look from the lady as I ordered just plain sweet tea. We had a lovely time talking, and we walked around a bookshop! Abi and Ivy were seriously a delight to be with. Though I thought it would have been a good joke that Abi and I, who live only an hour apart and have met up before, flew all the way to Washington to meet up. And then Ivy and Micaiah, who live only an hour apart, had never met until the Texan's planned a meet up. ;D 

Then Micaiah and I went back to their home and watched Prince Caspian, our favorite Narnia movie. 

At the football practice!

Micaiah's a natural at photography. 

Day Seven 

Monday, August 21 

We watched the eclipse! They had an extra pair of glasses, which I got to use. It was pretty awesome to see it, even at only 90%. The temperature dropped a lot!

We went back to their home, and I packed up my stuff. We talked, and took her brother to football practice. They introduced me to Bring Your Own Book, which has very quickly become one of my favorite games (Its like Apples to Apples with books instead of cards).

Then came one of my favorite parts of the trip. Micaiah and I sat out on their patio. We were shivering out there, but this country girl needed some time to watch the stars every night. We stargazed and talked. Then when we got to cold for that, we moved inside onto the couch and talked. We had to get up super early the next day, but it didn't matter. Words cannot describe how much talks like that mean to me.

Day Eight 

Tuesday, August 22

We got up at 4:00 after having stayed up until 12:30. They took me to the airport and we had to say goodbye. I was so sad to say goodbye to my time with Micaiah and her amazing family, but I was happy to be going back to my own. After going through security I had a bit of time before my flight so I stopped and got myself a snack. I would like to say it was something good for me, but at that time of the morning Lays and Coke was the best I could do. And after searching all week long for one souvenir to take home, I found an awesome shirt in the airport and bought it. I slept through most of my first flight. Then I had a nice, thirty minute layover, so I got to leisurely make my way to my next plane. I slept more, and wrote. The Austen airport looked so good to my homesick heart. I met up with my family, and got some much needed hugs. Then they took me to my favorite restaurant, Whataburger (Texan burgers).

This trip was so amazing-I enjoyed the whole time. I cannot wait until Micaiah and I are able to meet up again!!

Below is the Q&A we filmed together! Part two is coming soon!

Have an awesome day! 

Please Stay

I love you

Please stay

Please don’t leave me

I need you today

People say you don’t care

Until its to late

But they lied

I care

I love you

I need you

Please shut them out for a moment

Stop listening to the lies

Listen to God

Cause He loves you

I love you

I need you

Please stay 

Because the very thought of you leaving

Is enough for my heart to tremble

I need you today

I love you

Please stay

Please

Editing || Revamp

Well everyone, I wish I had a lovely excuse why I am still not showing y'all the second part to my Washington trip. Or why I'm not posting the Q&A. But I don't. 

I have just begun today a huge edit of Flight From Kelar my NaNo novel from 2016. I've already done two previous edits, but this one is to fix a problem with my message, not my grammar (Though that could use some help as well). To be perfectly honest, this edit has been discouraging. I've been working on this project for almost a year, and it is my longest book at just over 53k. And after two rounds of editing, I was completely dissatisfied with how I had done the message in it. It was forced, and came to a way to perfect ending. So now I am trying to fix that. Its not easy, but it is worth it.

Also I am getting ready to revamp the blog a bit. Nothing drastic, just a little bit of tweaking.

So, what's been going on with y'all?