Some Stuff

So, as you may know...

I'm 13 NOW!!! I really can't believe it. But it was seriously really THE BEST birthday I've ever had. My aunt and uncle were very very nice and generous and let me have the party at their house and shoot my bow in their yard. There was tubing and boat rides and pizza and awesome.

Among some of the many awesome things I was given, I recieved an archery target (which is also nerf-gun-dart-compatible!), some chocolate, some awesome stuff, and some very very VERY nice cards, notably the one from Bree which was so sweet it made me cry. All of them were very nice. and all of EVERYTHING and all of the awesome that happened.

There were loads of pictures (many of them very good) taken which I will try to get somehow on here soon.

*****

Other than that there's one thing I would like to share. Actually probably more because I keep on thinking! I don't know why it's like somebody put a brain IN MY HEAD!

Okay so I just finished this book awhile ago. The Fault in Our Stars. Omigosh it was the best book that I've read in awhile. (NO SPOILERS, I promise.) It might probably not interest you since the majority of people who read my blog are like, not my age. And a fair warning: there is some profanity. Anyway, it's about Hazel, a girl who has cancer and she meets Augustus Waters, with whom she promptly falls in love and she worries that she is a grenade. Augustus uses his 'Wish' he got from when he had cancer to take Hazel on a trip to Amsterdam. The ending of the book is perfect. The middle is perfect. The beginning is perfect. It's funny. It's a good book.

Whatever you do if you want to read it, DO NOT read the Wikipedia article. It WILL SPOIL THE WHOLE THING. Trust me, I know, because I DID read the Wikipedia article and I wish I hadn't.

Anyway: good book, don't read the wikipedia article; awesome birthday; and my penpal Isabel from England would like for me to mention her on my blog. Hey, Isabel!

Heaven is For Real

It's a book I just finished (read it in like less than 2 days), and it was REALLY good.  I gobbled it up.

It's about a family-the Burpos, who have to go through a lot.  The dad is a pastor and he shatters his ankle, then survives breast cancer (the dad!).  Todd and Sonja's son, Colton, his appendix literally explodes.

The first doctor dismisses the subject as just the flu.  When Colton doesn't stop throwing up--for like a week, Todd and Sonja take Colton to several different places.  Finally,  one doctor decides to order a CT scan, revealing the need for an emergency appendectomy.

Several months after the surgeries, Colton reveals some amazing stuff.  Apparently, he 'went up out of' his body' during the surgery and saw his dad praying in a tiny room and his mom was praying and talking on the phone, things his parents had never told him.  Then, angels sang to him while he sat in Jesus' lap.

There are lots of other AMAZING things in there, but I won't give away the whole story.  You should really read it for yourself.  Read.  It. 

One more thing. 

After his experience, everybody kinda makes up a game where whenever somebody sees  a picture of Jesus, they say, "Hey, Colton, it this one right?"  "What's wrong with this one?"

So one day, Todd reads an article about a little girl named Akiane Kramarik who has also 'been to heaven.'  She paints amazing pictures.

"Hey, Colton, what's wrong with this one?"

"Daddy, it's right!"

Ten on Tuesday: Things to be Thankful for

Well, things I am thankful for.

1) A warm or cold (depending) house with electricity and running water.

2) A good school with good teachers and good friends where you can go every day and know that you are in a safe environment where you don't have to work on the same thing everybody else is and it is okay if you are smart.

3) Food that will nourish your body and fill you up so that you can be productive in your work and not be all grouchy or tired.

4) Water and milk (and other things to drink) so that you can stay hydrated and so your body may properly function.

5) Clothes to wear so that even though Eve ate the apple and became ashamed, we may not have to suffer in such humility.

6) A warm, comfortable bed to sleep in so that in the morning you may be well-rested and able to carry our God's will.

7) Books to read that are entertaining and keep us busy, and sometimes teach us a lesson.

8) Friends and family who will always be there for us and provide for us, help us, teach us, care for us.

9) A Holy Book to study and learn so we can know what He requires of us and prepare us for His coming.

10) A savior who saves whoever believes and a God who forgives if we forgive and is faithful if we are.

Three on Thursday (totally stole that title idea from Mrs. W... sorry!)

1)  I have an awesome pun.  Well, it's knot as awesome as it wood have been yesterday, but still.  May fourth be with you.   You have to say it aloud.I'm reading this book, The Phantom Tollbooth, which is chock-full of puns. The watchdog (he keeps track of time), the mountains of ignorance, the island of conclusions (you get there by jumping)... love it!

2)  We have a field trip tomorrow.  There is a naturalization ceremony at the courthouse downtown tomorrow, and my class gets to sing God Bless America and The Star Spangled Banner!  We get to dress up fancy!

3)  Girl Scout camping this weekend!  Getting better at packing, didn't bring ANYTHING extra except for extra socks.  All in one backpack. 
The brownies and daisies are coming though, all energetic, bouncy, talkitive people.  Yay.

66

Genesis
Exodus
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Job
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1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation

S is for School... Still

Again.  It was a nice, long weekend.  I also like school (as you probably know). 

This week was the last week for Junior Achievement!  (It turns out they were nurses!)

It also turns out that I am starting to enjoy homework.  I'm getting better at journaling (5 pages, no lines skipped) and I always love to read, except when it's a book I didn't choose (like for an assignment).  I guess you could say our teachers don't give very much homework.  Can't wait until High School (love my sarcasm?).

So, I'm reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  It's so good!  Even though it's about a bijillion pages long and I've been reading it since winter break, it's good.  I think my favorite character is Meg or Marmee because they are such good moms (and wives).  I'm almost done (about 75 more pages!!!).  AND my mom just gave me FOUR chocolates!  How much better could this get?!?  Well, I could think of a few things.  A trip to Whangdoodleland would be pretty cool...