Today, the movers came back again with the furniture and china stuff from the storage unit we had down in Florida. It wouldn't fit on the truck with all of our other stuff because they didn't plan the space well, so it's been sitting in a warehouse for the past few weeks waiting for a truck heading out to the Midwest. I got up at 8:15 to vacuum the dining room, which now has gone from an empty room to a room for holding all of the antique stuff again. :) As the day wore on, I helped mom bake bar cookies, vacuumed more of the house, and checked out a few things on the Westminster website. I watched 27 Dresses for lack of anything better to do this afternoon, and just because it's summer and I can spend time doing things like that. :) It helped keep my mind off of moving and not being in Florida and things for a little while, and you can never go wrong with that movie. :) Mom tried a new chicken recipe tonight since we didn't have the ingredients for how she normally fixes it, and it turned out really good.
Today is mom and dad's 27th wedding anniversary!!! It's really neat how they have been married for that many years, and have been through life with each other that long. I can only hope that one day I'm blessed to find a man like my dad and experience an adventurous and never-boring marriage like theirs. :) For their anniversary, mom got dad a polynesian gardenia reed diffuser from Pier 1. He loves the smell of gardenias and jasmine, even though they aren't "manly scents", as he says. When dad and I went to Pier 1 the other day, he had picked up the sample diffuser and kept smelling it and remarking how much he liked the smell, so when mom and I were in there yesterday I mentioned it to her. Dad had said that he needed to get something that smelled good for his office, but when I suggested he get the diffuser in the store, he had said he needed a "manly scent", so I guess if he doesn't want to take it to work he can always enjoy it on his desk at home. :)
I'm still struggling a lot with the emotional side of this move, and sometimes it's hard not to feel like I'm the only one in the family who isn't okay with things. Everyone else seems, at least outwardly, to be doing a lot better than I am emotionally, which is frustrating, because it certainly isn't fun to keep feeling this way. Although family truly is the most important thing, I do value the social life I had in Florida, both through the school I was familiar with and comfortable at, and with the irreplaceable "gang" I got to be a part of and pretty much grow up with. Emily was right when she said that she felt that we were different from typical high school friend groups- that we were truly going to all stick together and support each other throughout the rest of our lives because we had a Christian bond and had grown together through so much. We all genuinely care about each other and have loved being a part of each other's lives. If you can't tell already, I'm really missing my friends!! :(
They are my sisters and brothers in Christ as well, which surpasses the level of high school friends that think they'll be close forever and then drift away as life goes on. They're more than just typical high school friends, and sadly, the last few months I had in Jacksonville and at Providence were the months that I grew the closest with some of the friends in the group. I was just starting to feel like I had a rock solid group of friends that I could be a part of and truly fit into and feel comfortable and share things with, not only during senior year, but for a lifetime as well. I feel safe in saying that some of the friends I have back home are some that will be with me through every important step in my life, and I will be with them in theirs, even if that means being 900 miles away for senior year and then maybe even further for college.
And although moving doesn't mean they completely disappear from my lives or I do out of theirs, it is still really challenging and deeply saddening to me to know that I will not be able to be a part of the senior year we all had dreamt of spending together. It's okay that it's not all about me, but it's hard to know that the experiences and the bonding will still go on without me there, and I will miss everything, and never be able to go back and be a part of anything like those experiences, events, and bonding social moments again.
There's a reason that the high school experience is still so valued and almost revered, and a reason why upcoming seniors have looked forward to senior year and all that it holds for so long, and why many adults still talk about their experiences fondly. :) There seems- at least to me, still on the not-yet-experienced side of it all- to be value in the whole process of the final year, and especially in going through it with the same people, both friends and teachers, that you went through the other parts of the process (other years of school and life) with. The growing isn't meant to be done completely alone, and your friends and others in your life seem to be a big part of that growing up and closing the chapter of your life in addition to your family.
Looking at things from this side, it's hard for me to believe that I will really have a true senior experience at an unfamiliar place where I'm trying to get adjusted and make new friends, when I feel like all I should be doing senior year is making memories and doing some final bonding and maturing with the people I've already done most of the growing with. I think about someone I know who, when faced with making friends at college, struggled with it because she already had friends back home, so why would she need new ones? I have never felt more sympathetic to that statement. I can't help but feel that way, especially since we were just getting to the "good part" as high schoolers. I also know that senior year in high school will not be the peak of my life, but that doesn't diminish my desire to experience it all for myself in the setting I had always imagined it would be in.
Although I can't see how senior year at Westmister will be anything like what I had hoped for and imagined and planned for it to be at Providence, I'm hoping I prove myself wrong, because it would be really nice not to be miserable this year. :) And although I sound completely insecure and upset and still very unsure in all of this, which is partly true, I think it was a little cathartic to type out and put into writing some of the feelings I've been going through and the thoughts I've been wrestling with about the whole thing.
So, enough emotions now. I think this post did the two exact things I said I was going to try and avoid in the last post. Eventually I'll find a good balance between keeping it positive and being truthful about the emotions I'm working through. :) Haha. :)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Dollar Hamburgers, College Planning, and Lots of Errands- the Last 3 Days Combined
Monday, we had more repairmen come out for the fridge and for the tile in the bathroom floor. By the time I got up at 11, the first one had already arrived, and while I was eating breakfast mom told me Lindsay and Scott were coming over in 5 minutes. I was still in my pjs when they arrived. :/
Mrs. St. John and Courtney were going to be gone for most of the day, so they came over to hang out with us so they didn't have to be alone the whole time. Lindsay and I played Scrabble and Mastermind, and then made sandwiches for lunch. The boys came downstairs and set up our Wii and then connected the St. Johns' Wii up so we could all play together. We challenged each other in games like archery and rowing- boys against girls, and were all up out of our seats and yelling by the end of it. We had a fun afternoon. :)
Dinner was burgers at Clancy's Irish Pub. On Mondays and Thursdays they have dollar hamburger nights, and dad had been waiting to go there until we moved up here, so we decided to try it out. They were actually really good burgers, and we all had a nice time. :)
Tuesday continued in the mostly uneventful pattern of our days, starting with a dog walk and then not much else until the evening. At 7:30 mom, dad, and I sat down and had a Skype session with Robin Groelle, who will be helping me narrow down a college list and get applications and essays together and everything. It went really well, and I'm starting to feel a little bit better about the whole process. I'll feel much better when I have an official list narrowed down so I don't feel like there are so many options to choose from. :)
Wednesday, I was asleep until 1, so nothing productive really happened at all for me. :) When dad got home, we headed to Triple A for insurance things, and then I stopped at Michael's for some things I had seen on sale for my room. We ate dinner at Outback together, and then Mom and I stopped in to Pier 1 for a few things, and I helped her pick out dad's anniversary present. On our way to Game Stop for Ben, the boys wanted to stop at Hobby Lobby for rockets, so while we were there I found a few more creative things for my room. After Ben looked at some new games at Game Stop, we headed to Dierberg's for some milk and a few other groceries and then headed home.
Since the St. Johns were leaving for their trip today, Ben and I went over to say goodbye and to get instructions for watering their plants for the week.
Since me recounting each of my not-so-extraordinary days in detail is probably not making for the most interesting posts, I'm going to try and get away from that a little more. I'm also trying to make sure the blog doesn't turn into my spot for spilling all emotions about the move, since that would probably be boring too, and positive things are usually more enjoyable to read, and it is also the Internet...
Anyways, I'll be trying not to make it such a day-by-day from now on, especially since I'm caught up-to-date and also because I don't want blogging to become a chore or anything, since I started it as a fun way to keep in touch with FL friends. :)
Mrs. St. John and Courtney were going to be gone for most of the day, so they came over to hang out with us so they didn't have to be alone the whole time. Lindsay and I played Scrabble and Mastermind, and then made sandwiches for lunch. The boys came downstairs and set up our Wii and then connected the St. Johns' Wii up so we could all play together. We challenged each other in games like archery and rowing- boys against girls, and were all up out of our seats and yelling by the end of it. We had a fun afternoon. :)
Dinner was burgers at Clancy's Irish Pub. On Mondays and Thursdays they have dollar hamburger nights, and dad had been waiting to go there until we moved up here, so we decided to try it out. They were actually really good burgers, and we all had a nice time. :)
Tuesday continued in the mostly uneventful pattern of our days, starting with a dog walk and then not much else until the evening. At 7:30 mom, dad, and I sat down and had a Skype session with Robin Groelle, who will be helping me narrow down a college list and get applications and essays together and everything. It went really well, and I'm starting to feel a little bit better about the whole process. I'll feel much better when I have an official list narrowed down so I don't feel like there are so many options to choose from. :)
Wednesday, I was asleep until 1, so nothing productive really happened at all for me. :) When dad got home, we headed to Triple A for insurance things, and then I stopped at Michael's for some things I had seen on sale for my room. We ate dinner at Outback together, and then Mom and I stopped in to Pier 1 for a few things, and I helped her pick out dad's anniversary present. On our way to Game Stop for Ben, the boys wanted to stop at Hobby Lobby for rockets, so while we were there I found a few more creative things for my room. After Ben looked at some new games at Game Stop, we headed to Dierberg's for some milk and a few other groceries and then headed home.
Since the St. Johns were leaving for their trip today, Ben and I went over to say goodbye and to get instructions for watering their plants for the week.
Since me recounting each of my not-so-extraordinary days in detail is probably not making for the most interesting posts, I'm going to try and get away from that a little more. I'm also trying to make sure the blog doesn't turn into my spot for spilling all emotions about the move, since that would probably be boring too, and positive things are usually more enjoyable to read, and it is also the Internet...
Anyways, I'll be trying not to make it such a day-by-day from now on, especially since I'm caught up-to-date and also because I don't want blogging to become a chore or anything, since I started it as a fun way to keep in touch with FL friends. :)
Wasps and Foggy Windows
Sunday, we went to Ellisville First Baptist again with the St. Johns. Dad was on call, but mom went to the adult class and Ben and I went to the youth group with Lindsay and Scott. During the service, Lindsay was working in the children's ministry. I went along to join her, but they had enough workers there, and I figured it would be best if I wasn't in there since the kids didn't know me, and I didn't know how their class was structured or anything. I headed back to the service with the rest of the group. Dad was able to make it to church, but ended up getting there just as the service was ending. The 4 of us went out to lunch at Applebee's afterwards, and the St. Johns headed home to start packing and preparing for their vacation that they left for today (July 14).
That afternoon, we all ended up falling asleep for about 3 hours. :) When we got up, mom started making dinner, and Ben and dad headed out to the deck to shuck the corn. We have a ton of wasps' nests all over outside, and out of nowhere, a wasp came up and stung Ben on the arm. He had a really swollen, red arm for a few days. Dad decided to take care of all the wasps out there with some spray, so mom sent me down to keep an eye on him from the basement sliding glass door in case something happened. It was so humid outside that all the windows were fogged up (we think they don't have very good seals). I took a few pictures of dad in action from the basement, but when I stepped outside to try and take them without the glass in front of me, the camera lens fogged up in about 2 seconds, so that didn't happen.
After he had adequately attacked all the nests, we headed inside for a dinner of tuna noodle casserole and fresh corn from local farmers in Illinois (the produce signs in the grocery store give the names of the local farmers who grew it). The evening was quiet and uneventful, with Ben, dad and I watching a few episodes of Auction Hunters on tv. Dad wants to start buying abandoned storage units and selling the junk inside like the guys on the show do. :)
And that was the extent of our Sunday. :)
That afternoon, we all ended up falling asleep for about 3 hours. :) When we got up, mom started making dinner, and Ben and dad headed out to the deck to shuck the corn. We have a ton of wasps' nests all over outside, and out of nowhere, a wasp came up and stung Ben on the arm. He had a really swollen, red arm for a few days. Dad decided to take care of all the wasps out there with some spray, so mom sent me down to keep an eye on him from the basement sliding glass door in case something happened. It was so humid outside that all the windows were fogged up (we think they don't have very good seals). I took a few pictures of dad in action from the basement, but when I stepped outside to try and take them without the glass in front of me, the camera lens fogged up in about 2 seconds, so that didn't happen.
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| Attacking the wasps |
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| Some more spraying |
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| "Hmm..." |
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| Grr!!! |
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| This looks very epic... |
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| Contemplating the meaning of life :) |
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| Fogged up lens! |
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| Foggy again... Dad deciding whether or not to try and reach the nests at the 2nd story roof |
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| Ben's wasp sting |
And that was the extent of our Sunday. :)
Six Flags and Toby Mac
Saturday, July 9th, began with walking the dogs, and then mom, Ben, and I headed to the YMCA for about an hour.
Later that afternoon, the St. Johns invited us to join them at Six Flags. They were going to go a few hours before the Toby Mac concert so they could ride a few things. Ben and dad had just left to go to the shooting range when they called, and mom had a few things she wanted to get done around the house, so I was the only one who ended up going.
When we got to the park, Lindsay and I split up and did a few things on our own. She loves roller coasters, but I'm not much of a fan. :) I told her I didn't mind watching her ride some of the ones she wanted to go on, but she was really sweet about it and found some things for both of us to do. The first thing we did was River King Mine Train, a milder roller coaster. I said yes before I could argue against myself when she asked if I wanted to go on it. It's always frustrating when you don't like roller coasters because you never want to be the one who disappoints the group. So, despite my nervous feelings standing in line, I got on and survived. :) It wasn't too bad. I'm not afraid of roller coasters or anything, it's just that it's not a pleasurable experience for me to ride them.
On our way to another ride on the other side of the park, I suggested we ride the Ferris wheel. I felt kind of bad because the wait in line ended up being longer than it looked, and we only went around twice before the next group of people was herded on behind us. The breeze at the top was a nice break from the sticky heat though.
Our next ride was Shazam! Scrambled. It's basically 16 cabs, 4 to a beam, that rotate around while launching you through the middle of the circular arena, creating a sort of star pattern over and over again. The only problem is, you look like you're going to be smacked into 3 other cabs and the main support beam for the ride each time you go across, and then you're suddenly jolted to a stop at the other side of the area. To some people, this is incredibly exhilarating and fun, but to me, it was neither of those things. :) I just closed my eyes and remembered to breathe, and tried not to think about the lurching back and forth. :) I felt bad that I didn't enjoy it though, because Lindsay had thought i would like it. I'm pretty much a whimp when it comes to the thrill kinds of rides. By the time we finished the ride, it was time to meet the rest of the group back at the front of the park for dinner.
We packed sandwiches and fruit to eat out at the car, and then mom, dad, and Ben arrived and joined up with us right before the concert started. Toby Mac was a great concert, and we all enjoyed it despite the heat. We drank limeade to try and cool down a little bit, since we were packed in with lots of other sweating, sticky people (eew). :)
After the concert, we went around to a few of the major coasters, because Scott, Courtney, and Mr. and Mrs. St. John weren't able to ride anything before dinner because of the wait times. The good thing was that they got "fast passes" for 4 of the rides because of Scott's cast, so they had no problem getting on after the concert. Ben got to join them, and now the Superman tower (a straight drop) is his favorite ride at the park.
On our way home, mom and dad treated the whole gang to Silky's (it's quickly becoming a popular spot). :) My vanilla custard with cookie dough bits was the perfect cool treat to the hot day. :)
**There are no pictures for this post (sorry!)- it was way too hot to lug around a camera, and it would have been a problem anyways since I went on a few rides. :)
Later that afternoon, the St. Johns invited us to join them at Six Flags. They were going to go a few hours before the Toby Mac concert so they could ride a few things. Ben and dad had just left to go to the shooting range when they called, and mom had a few things she wanted to get done around the house, so I was the only one who ended up going.
When we got to the park, Lindsay and I split up and did a few things on our own. She loves roller coasters, but I'm not much of a fan. :) I told her I didn't mind watching her ride some of the ones she wanted to go on, but she was really sweet about it and found some things for both of us to do. The first thing we did was River King Mine Train, a milder roller coaster. I said yes before I could argue against myself when she asked if I wanted to go on it. It's always frustrating when you don't like roller coasters because you never want to be the one who disappoints the group. So, despite my nervous feelings standing in line, I got on and survived. :) It wasn't too bad. I'm not afraid of roller coasters or anything, it's just that it's not a pleasurable experience for me to ride them.
On our way to another ride on the other side of the park, I suggested we ride the Ferris wheel. I felt kind of bad because the wait in line ended up being longer than it looked, and we only went around twice before the next group of people was herded on behind us. The breeze at the top was a nice break from the sticky heat though.
Our next ride was Shazam! Scrambled. It's basically 16 cabs, 4 to a beam, that rotate around while launching you through the middle of the circular arena, creating a sort of star pattern over and over again. The only problem is, you look like you're going to be smacked into 3 other cabs and the main support beam for the ride each time you go across, and then you're suddenly jolted to a stop at the other side of the area. To some people, this is incredibly exhilarating and fun, but to me, it was neither of those things. :) I just closed my eyes and remembered to breathe, and tried not to think about the lurching back and forth. :) I felt bad that I didn't enjoy it though, because Lindsay had thought i would like it. I'm pretty much a whimp when it comes to the thrill kinds of rides. By the time we finished the ride, it was time to meet the rest of the group back at the front of the park for dinner.
We packed sandwiches and fruit to eat out at the car, and then mom, dad, and Ben arrived and joined up with us right before the concert started. Toby Mac was a great concert, and we all enjoyed it despite the heat. We drank limeade to try and cool down a little bit, since we were packed in with lots of other sweating, sticky people (eew). :)
After the concert, we went around to a few of the major coasters, because Scott, Courtney, and Mr. and Mrs. St. John weren't able to ride anything before dinner because of the wait times. The good thing was that they got "fast passes" for 4 of the rides because of Scott's cast, so they had no problem getting on after the concert. Ben got to join them, and now the Superman tower (a straight drop) is his favorite ride at the park.
On our way home, mom and dad treated the whole gang to Silky's (it's quickly becoming a popular spot). :) My vanilla custard with cookie dough bits was the perfect cool treat to the hot day. :)
**There are no pictures for this post (sorry!)- it was way too hot to lug around a camera, and it would have been a problem anyways since I went on a few rides. :)
First Package!
Friday, July 8th, was filled with errands. Mom, Ben, and I stopped for lunch at Jimmy John's and then headed to Bed Bath and Beyond, Dierberg's, Petco, and a few other stores. Right as we were pulling out of the driveway, the mailman had delivered a package addressed to me, but I couldn't open it because I was driving, so Ben grabbed it and put it in the back seat.
When we got home, I grabbed the package, which turned out to be from Ashley Marsh!!! It was a beautiful banana paper journal, handpainted bookmark, and tiny wooden box from Costa Rica, and a sweet, heartfelt note that made me cry. :) She just got back from her first missions trip there with the Spanish group from Providence. I had gone last summer and the summer before with the group and love it there, and she was so thoughtful and brought me back some of my favorite things from there. :)
Ashley, if you're reading this, I hope you don't mind that you're now in the blog. :) Thank you for the gift! A thank you note is coming your way in the mail soon. :) Love you!!
That was, by far, the highlight of my day. It doesn't seem like much, but even a small package is really encouraging, because I'm still really struggling with feeling lonely and the whole moving thing. Nothing will ever replace the Florida gang.
Mom and Dad had planned to go on a date Friday night, and Ben and I were going to stay home and have frozen pizza. Dad was tense when he got home, and I was speaking really loudly in the kitchen, unaware that he was on an important call in the living room. He yelled at me, and I got ticked off, and what started as both of us being annoyed turned into an argument and me spilling some pent up emotions from the move and the past week. I wasn't in the mood to discuss things and how to get more acquainted here though, so the argument didn't end well. Dad cancelled their dinner reservations, and I felt horrible. I hadn't intended to ruin their evening, nor had I intended to even get all emotional and upset about moving and senior year and everything. I took some time alone in my room, and dad did the same. Mom popped a frozen pizza in the oven. Even though I messed up their original plans, Mom still took dad out after things had calmed back down, so I was relieved that they still got to go out. Ben and I had some frozen pizza and started to watch Marley and Me. Mom and Dad called just as we were starting the movie and asked if we wanted shakes from Silky's, the custard spot near the house. They brought us both small chocolate shakes. They ended up having a good time at dinner, and I ended up having a good time with Ben at home, so I was thankful I didn't totally destroy the evening. All Dad said when they got home was, "You're a stinker sometimes." To which I said, "I know. I'm sorry." and then he gave me a raspberry. :)
Amy Grant said it perfectly when she sung:
"Sometimes we make it harder than it is
We'll take a perfect night
And fill it up with words we don't mean
Dark sides best unseen
And we wonder why we're feeling this way
Sometimes I wonder if we really feel the same
Why we can be unkind
Questioning the strongest of hearts
That's when we must start
Believing in the one thing that has gotten us this far
That's what love is for
To help us through it
That's what love is for
Nothing else can do it
Melt our defenses
Bring us back to our senses
Give us strength to try once more
That's what love is for."
-That's What Love Is For
Even though all my friends who helped me through moving and saying goodbye are now 900 miles away, I have to remember that my family isn't 900 miles away and is still here, and we're all here to help each other through the emotions of moving and starting a new life here, and the fact that we'll love each other no matter what is important in this move.
So although I was struggling with all those emotions and still am, the night turned out alright after all.
When we got home, I grabbed the package, which turned out to be from Ashley Marsh!!! It was a beautiful banana paper journal, handpainted bookmark, and tiny wooden box from Costa Rica, and a sweet, heartfelt note that made me cry. :) She just got back from her first missions trip there with the Spanish group from Providence. I had gone last summer and the summer before with the group and love it there, and she was so thoughtful and brought me back some of my favorite things from there. :)
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| First Package! |
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| What could be inside? |
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| Gifts from Costa Rica! |
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| Banana paper journal |
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| Wooden box- blue morpho butterfly :) |
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| Handpainted bookmark |
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| Thank you Ashley! You made my day! :) |
That was, by far, the highlight of my day. It doesn't seem like much, but even a small package is really encouraging, because I'm still really struggling with feeling lonely and the whole moving thing. Nothing will ever replace the Florida gang.
Mom and Dad had planned to go on a date Friday night, and Ben and I were going to stay home and have frozen pizza. Dad was tense when he got home, and I was speaking really loudly in the kitchen, unaware that he was on an important call in the living room. He yelled at me, and I got ticked off, and what started as both of us being annoyed turned into an argument and me spilling some pent up emotions from the move and the past week. I wasn't in the mood to discuss things and how to get more acquainted here though, so the argument didn't end well. Dad cancelled their dinner reservations, and I felt horrible. I hadn't intended to ruin their evening, nor had I intended to even get all emotional and upset about moving and senior year and everything. I took some time alone in my room, and dad did the same. Mom popped a frozen pizza in the oven. Even though I messed up their original plans, Mom still took dad out after things had calmed back down, so I was relieved that they still got to go out. Ben and I had some frozen pizza and started to watch Marley and Me. Mom and Dad called just as we were starting the movie and asked if we wanted shakes from Silky's, the custard spot near the house. They brought us both small chocolate shakes. They ended up having a good time at dinner, and I ended up having a good time with Ben at home, so I was thankful I didn't totally destroy the evening. All Dad said when they got home was, "You're a stinker sometimes." To which I said, "I know. I'm sorry." and then he gave me a raspberry. :)
Amy Grant said it perfectly when she sung:
"Sometimes we make it harder than it is
We'll take a perfect night
And fill it up with words we don't mean
Dark sides best unseen
And we wonder why we're feeling this way
Sometimes I wonder if we really feel the same
Why we can be unkind
Questioning the strongest of hearts
That's when we must start
Believing in the one thing that has gotten us this far
That's what love is for
To help us through it
That's what love is for
Nothing else can do it
Melt our defenses
Bring us back to our senses
Give us strength to try once more
That's what love is for."
-That's What Love Is For
Even though all my friends who helped me through moving and saying goodbye are now 900 miles away, I have to remember that my family isn't 900 miles away and is still here, and we're all here to help each other through the emotions of moving and starting a new life here, and the fact that we'll love each other no matter what is important in this move.
So although I was struggling with all those emotions and still am, the night turned out alright after all.
Rain...Again
Thursday morning, July 7, began with walking the dogs to the front of the neighborhood and back. This sounds like no big deal, but our house happens to be the second-to-last house at the end of the neighborhood, and also happens to be at the bottom of a very steep hill. So walking in this current heat up that hill with all the neighborhood dogs running out to defend their lawns is not always the most pleasant way to start the morning.
We (or at least I) assumed that moving up here would allow us to conveniently miss the hottest part of the Florida summer (I was really desperate for some positive things about moving, and still partly am...). How wrong I was. Most days have been in the high 80's and low 90's, with some days reaching 95 or 98. On a few occasions, the temperature here has actually been higher than in Jacksonville. IA sense of humor would probably lessen the scorching heat at least a little bit, but alas, I acquired my dad's negative, the-glass-is-not-only-cracked-but-is-shattered-on-the-floor-and-can-never-be-used-again genes.
:)
The heat continued into the afternoon, with the refrigerator repair guy canceling at the last minute and the tile repair guy coming to look at the master bathroom floor just as the rain started.
Side story about the fridge: One would wonder, after reading "refrigerator repair guy", "Why would they need a repair guy if they just got a brand new fridge a few days ago?" We also wondered the same thing. :) The whole story of the fridge has been one that fits perfectly into the mold of the stories that are just typical stories in the Moores' lives. After mom and dad went through the painstaking process of driving onto the front lawn, yanking the fridge out of the back of the van, loading it onto the appliance dolly, lugging it up the front door steps, making sure not to scratch the walls or knock the stair bannisters out, unloading it onto the kitchen floor, and scooting it in front of the hole for the fridge..... dad went to hook up the water line and found a very old, kinked copper pipe with a worn out connector. After many attempts to screw it into the fridge, he gave up and determined that he needed a new pipe, so he pulled it out of the hole leading down into the basement and threw it away. Then he and I headed to Lowe's for new piping, which he brought home and installed. Just when we thought we had solved everything and the fridge was finally working, the front LED panel for the water dispenser wouldn't turn on. Mom then had to make a 20-minute phone call to try and troubleshoot the problem, was directed to page 22 of the manual, and finally got the panel to turn on. When trying to test the water spout on the front door of the fridge, water ended up all over the kitchen floor, because it turned out that the water didn't come out of the middle of the cup area like it appeared that it would. It actually came out of the very front- to get water, the cup doesn't even go underneath the panel at all. After all this difficulty and trouble, mom decided to schedule for a repair guy to check everything out to make sure that no further problems would arise, because of how difficult it was to get everything started. Although this long story filled with many run-on sentences about a truly mundane topic seems like it could only end with more trouble, it did, in fact, end happily ever after, with a brand new, properly working fridge and a happy family who didn't end up starving after all. :)
Continuing with the events of the day... dad got home, and the 4 of us headed to the Verizon store to solve a problem with Ben's phone (another typical Moores story which I will not even take the time to explain) :)
After all of that, we headed home in the drizzling rain to eat a dinner of baked potatoes. The St. Johns invited us over for game night, but dad had some studies to read, so mom, Ban, and I headed over and had a great time playing Apples to Apples.
And that was our Thursday. :)
We (or at least I) assumed that moving up here would allow us to conveniently miss the hottest part of the Florida summer (I was really desperate for some positive things about moving, and still partly am...). How wrong I was. Most days have been in the high 80's and low 90's, with some days reaching 95 or 98. On a few occasions, the temperature here has actually been higher than in Jacksonville. IA sense of humor would probably lessen the scorching heat at least a little bit, but alas, I acquired my dad's negative, the-glass-is-not-only-cracked-but-is-shattered-on-the-floor-and-can-never-be-used-again genes.
:)
The heat continued into the afternoon, with the refrigerator repair guy canceling at the last minute and the tile repair guy coming to look at the master bathroom floor just as the rain started.
Side story about the fridge: One would wonder, after reading "refrigerator repair guy", "Why would they need a repair guy if they just got a brand new fridge a few days ago?" We also wondered the same thing. :) The whole story of the fridge has been one that fits perfectly into the mold of the stories that are just typical stories in the Moores' lives. After mom and dad went through the painstaking process of driving onto the front lawn, yanking the fridge out of the back of the van, loading it onto the appliance dolly, lugging it up the front door steps, making sure not to scratch the walls or knock the stair bannisters out, unloading it onto the kitchen floor, and scooting it in front of the hole for the fridge..... dad went to hook up the water line and found a very old, kinked copper pipe with a worn out connector. After many attempts to screw it into the fridge, he gave up and determined that he needed a new pipe, so he pulled it out of the hole leading down into the basement and threw it away. Then he and I headed to Lowe's for new piping, which he brought home and installed. Just when we thought we had solved everything and the fridge was finally working, the front LED panel for the water dispenser wouldn't turn on. Mom then had to make a 20-minute phone call to try and troubleshoot the problem, was directed to page 22 of the manual, and finally got the panel to turn on. When trying to test the water spout on the front door of the fridge, water ended up all over the kitchen floor, because it turned out that the water didn't come out of the middle of the cup area like it appeared that it would. It actually came out of the very front- to get water, the cup doesn't even go underneath the panel at all. After all this difficulty and trouble, mom decided to schedule for a repair guy to check everything out to make sure that no further problems would arise, because of how difficult it was to get everything started. Although this long story filled with many run-on sentences about a truly mundane topic seems like it could only end with more trouble, it did, in fact, end happily ever after, with a brand new, properly working fridge and a happy family who didn't end up starving after all. :)
Continuing with the events of the day... dad got home, and the 4 of us headed to the Verizon store to solve a problem with Ben's phone (another typical Moores story which I will not even take the time to explain) :)
After all of that, we headed home in the drizzling rain to eat a dinner of baked potatoes. The St. Johns invited us over for game night, but dad had some studies to read, so mom, Ban, and I headed over and had a great time playing Apples to Apples.
And that was our Thursday. :)
Indigo Joe's and Groceries
Wednesday, we had planned to go to the Science Center with the St. Johns since their church was having a family day there, but that morning, Scott woke up with pink eye, so we all decided to wait to go until we could all be there. The afternoon was pretty uneventful.
Dad came home in the mood for a good burger, so we headed to Indigo Joe's for dinner- the same place we had our first official meal. After dinner, mom and I did grocery shopping at Dierberg's and Schnuck's. The one down-side to the grocery stores up here is that we can't find everything we want at just one, so we head to Dierberg's for most of the groceries and then to Schnuck's for things like lunchmeat and veggies, since the brands we like are only there.
We're still continuing in our organic shopping, but mom, Ben, and I have all decided one thing we can't switch to is organic yogurt. We tried Stonyfield Farms, and I didn't think it was too horrible (I had blueberry), but mom and Ben both didn't like the thicker texture. We have always gotten Yoplait in the past. The next time we went to the store, I got another Stonyfield, this time chocolate, to decide if I liked it or not. Mom and Ben got Wallaby yogurt. Word to the wise: don't ever get Stonyfield chocolate yogurt. I couldn't even finish the container. Something about yogurt and chocolate just is not meant to go together. Mom and Ben didn't like their brand either, so mom had given up at this point and decided to go back to Yoplait. I, on the other hand, was stupid enough to give the organic one last try, and went for the Stonyfield blueberry again. It's really not that bad (it must be just certain flavors that are), but if no one else in the family is going to be eating organic yogurt, I'm not going to bother sticking with the kind-of-bland, kind-of-chunky organic Stonyfield yogurt.
Now that you've finished reading about the Moore family yogurt saga, you probably think we're all crazy, but I honestly just typed all that out because A: I have nothing better to do at 12:50 am, and B: the post seemed too short before I added it all in there. :)
Who knew yogurt was so important? :)
Dad came home in the mood for a good burger, so we headed to Indigo Joe's for dinner- the same place we had our first official meal. After dinner, mom and I did grocery shopping at Dierberg's and Schnuck's. The one down-side to the grocery stores up here is that we can't find everything we want at just one, so we head to Dierberg's for most of the groceries and then to Schnuck's for things like lunchmeat and veggies, since the brands we like are only there.
We're still continuing in our organic shopping, but mom, Ben, and I have all decided one thing we can't switch to is organic yogurt. We tried Stonyfield Farms, and I didn't think it was too horrible (I had blueberry), but mom and Ben both didn't like the thicker texture. We have always gotten Yoplait in the past. The next time we went to the store, I got another Stonyfield, this time chocolate, to decide if I liked it or not. Mom and Ben got Wallaby yogurt. Word to the wise: don't ever get Stonyfield chocolate yogurt. I couldn't even finish the container. Something about yogurt and chocolate just is not meant to go together. Mom and Ben didn't like their brand either, so mom had given up at this point and decided to go back to Yoplait. I, on the other hand, was stupid enough to give the organic one last try, and went for the Stonyfield blueberry again. It's really not that bad (it must be just certain flavors that are), but if no one else in the family is going to be eating organic yogurt, I'm not going to bother sticking with the kind-of-bland, kind-of-chunky organic Stonyfield yogurt.
Now that you've finished reading about the Moore family yogurt saga, you probably think we're all crazy, but I honestly just typed all that out because A: I have nothing better to do at 12:50 am, and B: the post seemed too short before I added it all in there. :)
Who knew yogurt was so important? :)
Ultimate Frisbee
Tuesday, July 5th, Lindsay invited me to play ultimate frisbee with her. 5 area churches gather from 9-10:30 and play with glow sticks around their wrists as team markers. I'm not a naturally athletic person, but I decided to go to meet some new people and to get to know Lindsay a little better.
It ended up being a lot of fun. Early on in the first game, despite my efforts to not be thrown the frisbee, it came at me suddenly, and I miraculously caught it (a lucky catch). :) One of the guys quickly came up beside me, so thankfully I didn't have to toss the frisbee too far, which was a relief, because being left-handed seems too add to my already horrible throwing skills when it comes to frisbees. The guy probably knew that and wanted to save himself from having to go out into the woods to find the frisbee. :)
We took a break for pizza about halfway through, and I got to meet a few more of Lindsay's friends.
We were in the middle of a second game when it was time to go. Besides the bugs crawling all over our legs, it was a really fun night, and in spite of myself, I had a pretty good time. :)
It ended up being a lot of fun. Early on in the first game, despite my efforts to not be thrown the frisbee, it came at me suddenly, and I miraculously caught it (a lucky catch). :) One of the guys quickly came up beside me, so thankfully I didn't have to toss the frisbee too far, which was a relief, because being left-handed seems too add to my already horrible throwing skills when it comes to frisbees. The guy probably knew that and wanted to save himself from having to go out into the woods to find the frisbee. :)
We took a break for pizza about halfway through, and I got to meet a few more of Lindsay's friends.
We were in the middle of a second game when it was time to go. Besides the bugs crawling all over our legs, it was a really fun night, and in spite of myself, I had a pretty good time. :)
Fireworks!
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| Some artsy-looking messups before I figured out how to take pictures of fireworks :) |
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| First firework of the show! |
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| One of my favorites |
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| Another one of my favorites :) |
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| Finale! |
4th of July!
Happy 4th of July! (over a week late) :)
Our 4th was filled with good times with new neighbors and lots and lots of fireworks.
The St. Johns invited us to dinner at their house. We had a really nice meal, got to meet their grandmother, and got to spend more time getting to know them better. I got to meet Lindsay, and since then we've hung out a few times. She's really sweet and nice to talk to, and we have a lot of the same interests. :) I'm glad I finally got to meet her and that I met someone around my age here.
After dinner, we were planning on heading over to a grocery store parking lot to watch the fireworks at Bluebird Park. When we got there though, the parking lot was completely full, so we headed back to an open field that we had passed along the way to park and watch the fireworks.
Our 4th was filled with good times with new neighbors and lots and lots of fireworks.
The St. Johns invited us to dinner at their house. We had a really nice meal, got to meet their grandmother, and got to spend more time getting to know them better. I got to meet Lindsay, and since then we've hung out a few times. She's really sweet and nice to talk to, and we have a lot of the same interests. :) I'm glad I finally got to meet her and that I met someone around my age here.
After dinner, we were planning on heading over to a grocery store parking lot to watch the fireworks at Bluebird Park. When we got there though, the parking lot was completely full, so we headed back to an open field that we had passed along the way to park and watch the fireworks.
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| Sunset in the field |
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| A toad I caught before the fireworks- they're everywhere up here! |
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| The field where we camped out |
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| Fireworks in the field before the big show |
We set up our lawn chairs, covered ourselves in bug spray, enjoyed some angel food cake for dessert, and the boys played a little football before the show started. It was a lot of fun to spend time with the St. Johns. They've become more than just acquaintances and friendly neighbors that you occasionally say hi to for us, and it's really nice to have a family that we're already spending a lot of time with and sharing everyday life with. :)
After the fireworks show, we headed back to our house to set off all the fireworks that dad had gotten the day before on his way home from work. Ben and Scott, the junior pyrotechnics, had a blast setting off all the rockets, smoke bombs, and roman candles. So did Dad, who is also a little bit of a pyrotechnic when it comes to fun things like fireworks. :) Mom, Mrs. St. John, Lindsay, and I stood back, watched the boys have their fun, and enjoyed all the fireworks. The house across the street from us, the Jankersons, were outside shooting off their own fireworks, so we got into a good-natured, friendly "fireworks war" with them- each group would try to top the other's last firework. :)
The big finale to our fireworks show was a huge firework box that dad had seen in the store and wanted to try out. "Thunder Guns" was a box with 9 individual rockets that, when lit, all went off at the same time. I think it was big enough that it satisfied all the fire fanatics in the group. :)
We had a really great 4th of July with our family and with our neighbors. :)
See the next post for all the pictures of the fireworks from the Bluebird Park show- they wouldn't all fit in this post! :)
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| Candid shot of half the gang |
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| and the other half :) |
After the fireworks show, we headed back to our house to set off all the fireworks that dad had gotten the day before on his way home from work. Ben and Scott, the junior pyrotechnics, had a blast setting off all the rockets, smoke bombs, and roman candles. So did Dad, who is also a little bit of a pyrotechnic when it comes to fun things like fireworks. :) Mom, Mrs. St. John, Lindsay, and I stood back, watched the boys have their fun, and enjoyed all the fireworks. The house across the street from us, the Jankersons, were outside shooting off their own fireworks, so we got into a good-natured, friendly "fireworks war" with them- each group would try to top the other's last firework. :)
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| Ben setting up the rockets |
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| Some of the rockets we set off |
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| Roman candle |
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| Scott's cast matched the green smoke bomb :) (it looks yellow because of the camera's flash- I'm not colorblind, I promise) :) |
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| Flower spin-things |
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| Mom and Mrs. St. John |
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| Scott drumming with the burnt rocket sticks |
The big finale to our fireworks show was a huge firework box that dad had seen in the store and wanted to try out. "Thunder Guns" was a box with 9 individual rockets that, when lit, all went off at the same time. I think it was big enough that it satisfied all the fire fanatics in the group. :)
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| "Thunder Guns" after explosion |
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| The fireworks from the Thunder Guns box |
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| Burnt hole in the grass where all the rockets took off :) |
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| All the burnt fireworks trash |
We had a really great 4th of July with our family and with our neighbors. :)
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| The Moore family |
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| The St. Johns family |
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| The whole group :) |
See the next post for all the pictures of the fireworks from the Bluebird Park show- they wouldn't all fit in this post! :)
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