Going to my Grandparents house!

Going to my grandparents house for a week! I'm excited, my brother Jacob is coming too. It's been a long time since I've spent time with my cousins and Tios and Tias. So this should be fun. I have this weird feeling that it'll be one of those weeks that you'll look back on for the rest of your life and smile. Maybe going there I'll learn some of those life-lessons that come your way only when you slow down, close your eyes, and just breathe . . . I've been having alot of those moments lately. They're such beautiful moments. Peaceful and beautiful and genuine :) 
I'll write you all when I get back . . . keeping all of my readers in my prayers :) love you guys. Peace. 

cold hands, warm heart

(was gonna put a different picture that would make you go "awwww" . . . but this one made me lol)

Love is when the other person's hands are cold, seeing to it that they are warm becomes your one and only problem for the moment. 
Love ya Jacey ^_^

Becoming Ourselves

How do we become ourselves? Well, I guess we're already ourselves, I mean who else could we be? But I'm not talking about our personalities and everything, I'm talking about the deep stuff. Like the life-changing, eye opening, inspiring, what will we accomplish by living on this earth stuff. 
What does 'becoming ourselves' even mean? 
When I was little, I used to think that once I owned my own horse and rode off into the sunset with my black stallion, then my life would be complete. Fast forward a couple years to when I was a little older and a bit of a bookworm, and I thought it meant becoming an author and having people read my words so that I might be able to reach others and bring some beauty into their lives with writing. And then, I was going through those awkward early teen stages, and I thought it might mean becoming famous so that I would feel like I've accomplished something great. But, other than these dumb ideas I've chased around, there are, of course, countless other things that we place in our minds for a sort of blue print example to succeed in 'become ourselves'. Maybe some of us think that it's meeting our other half and finding love in this big lonely world. Or perhaps, there are others of us who visualize that once we achieve the goal of attaining our dream careers and finished having set our lives up for success that we will have then come to be who we always wanted to be.
But wait . . . who exactly is that anyways? Maybe you have this clear prospect of yourself with which you have full confidence in. Or maybe you're like me, and don't really have a clue of who you are, or where you're going, or who you're going to become. 
I'm not trying to say that all that stuff you'd like to accomplish is bad. Whether it be finding true love, getting this great career, or (like my 7 year old self would always dream) buying my own horse. (Yeah I was a horse nerd.) That's all great and amazing stuff! But it's not going to essentially create YOU. Only God can do that, if you let him. I think maybe deep down inside we all kinda want the same thing - to make a mark in this world, to be someone significant, and to be a light to help and guide others. And you know what the great news is? You can be that . . . and you ARE that. God already saw all that in you, and He died for you because you are so amazing to Him. Everything about you, everything you are . . . and everything you will be. But it all starts with the you NOW, not the you tomorrow, not the you in 50 years, not the you when you're old and sitting in your rocking chair reminiscing all the mishaps and adventures of your life. If you let God work in you, He'll do some pretty amazing stuff. And you'll find who you are - in Him. And trust me . . . that's all you wanna be. Because by ourselves we're nothing. We're weak, we're scared, and we're lost. But God gives you the strength and the courage to do things you never thought you could do. He leads you to places you never thought you could go. So just trust in Him guys . . . because even if you don't know who you are, He does. And He'll take you on this life-long journey to find out exactly who that great person He made you to be is. 


Psalm 139:14-16
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. You saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. 

Cats!

Lol, a paper I wrote about cats for my writing class. I was really excited about it. So here it is. 

Cats. What more is there to say? People love them, people hate them, people make 

movies out of them. Cats are cuddly, lovable creatures, which sometimes have a mean 

and grumpy streak to them. Despite where you go around the world, no matter how 

different you are, or where you live, if you prefer blue, or if you like red better, there is 

sure to be one thing that you have in common with anyone who walks by you in the 

street : you all know about this furry, domesticated mammal. What’s so special about 

them anyways? Impressively, there are approximately 73 million owners of cats in the 

United Sates alone. While some people have a strong dislike for the little clawed feline, 

there are others whom share a strong bond with them and have a special place in their 

hearts for these pawed friends. Having grown up with both parents with a strong dislike 

of cats, I am not so partial to them. But let’s lightly investigate and explore why people 

feel the way they do about these animals, and maybe by the end of reading this you will 

have had a change of mind. 

First off, let’s try to understand why some people hate cats. Why would anyone hate 

these cute and seemingly innocent creatures, you ask? Well, let it be known to you that 

studies have shown that 10% of the U.S. population have pet allergies - and cats are 

among the most common culprits. Allergies . . . no big deal, right? Wrong. People with 

over-active immune systems are easy victims to the annoying and disagreeable 

symptoms of cat allergies which ensue after even their slightest interference with the 

species. Among the common symptoms such as coughing and having itchy, red eyes, 

cats can also cause hives or rashes on the chest and face. You might think that 

grooming and sprucing up your cat so that less stray hairs get into the air may fix these 

problems, but I have to inform you that this is not the case being that the allergies are 

not cause by cats’ hairs, but instead are caused by the proteins in cats’ saliva, urine, 

and dander (things which we obviously have no control over in an attempt to reduce). 

Where there are cats, there will be allergies. Interesting yes, but what about people who 

are not allergic to cats and still hate them? Sadly, there is a majority of people who 

would say that the cat is a very snobby and spoiled creature. There are those that think 

it is very annoying and lazy, expecting everything from the owner and giving nothing but 

unfriendliness in return. And last but not least, a lot of people think they are just stinky 

and foul. Maybe with all this said you will now have a better understanding of why some 

people hate cats, although some of you might still love them. 

Now having heard why some people harbor a strong dislike of the cats, let us now 

discuss and deliberate why some people love these little animals. Universally, they are 

valued by many people for their companionship, which is a wonderful trait. People love 

cats because, generally, they are gentle animals and have a nurturing spirit about them. 

I think people who have pet cats will agree with me that they often seem to know what 

you are feeling and are there to comfort you when you are feeling a little blue. Besides 

their affable tendencies, cats have an impressively skillful ability to hunt vermin and 

household pests. Since they are crepuscular predators, they have a keen sense of 

hearing and possess the ability to see in darkness in order to locate their prey. While 

reading an article from yahoo entitled ‘What if all the cats in the world suddenly died?’ 

by a writer named Natalie Wolchover, I learned that a 1997 study in Great Britain 

revealed that 9 million cats of Britain were collectively killing close to 200 million wild 

specimens per year. I find this very impressive. Beside all these wonderful tributes, cats 

are undeniably cute. Purring with their unique throats, they are soft and cuddly. Clearly, 

these are definitely good reasons of why lots of people love cats, although some of you 

may still hate them. 

With both a love and hate of cats that our society hold, as a loud nation that likes to 

voice our opinion, we have resorted to placing the cats in the media and portraying 

them as various things we feel will give entertainment to viewers. We have portrayed 

them as spies, talking animals with hidden agendas, humorous and silly cartoon 

characters, as well as fighting icons in popular video games. What exactly have we 

accomplished by putting the cats in our wide broadcasting? Well, thanks to cartoons 

such as ‘Garfield’, we have now portrayed the cat as a lazy character which likes to eat 

lasagna. Thanks to the beloved classic ‘Alice and Wonderland’, we have portrayed the 

cat as a devious and sneaky thing with a creepy, crescent moon smile. Dramatically, we 

have also depicted the cat as a super-agent spy that is out to take over the world, as in 

the popular movie ‘Cats and Dogs’. Is there more to the seemingly shallow and 

humorous portrayals we have created in our cat frenzy? Yes, there is more. Amid the 

many organizations dedicated to stopping animal cruelty, thanks to ASPCA (which has 

helped this cause by repeatedly putting out commercials featuring clips of animal 

cruelty) millions of animals have now been saved. Appreciating the cats and their safety 

is all it took. Since showing the cat in it’s helpless state in the media, we have created a 

compassion which has moved people to work to stop animal cruelty in our society, and 

further prevent all animals from cruel treatment because no animal deserves that. 

Now having gone through the cons and pros of cats, I hope I have helped you develop a 

better comprehension and knowledge of the little creatures. As a previous cat hater, I 

must say I have developed a deep appreciation and respect for the little animals. 

Whether you love them or still hate them, or whether you kind of like them, or kind of 

hate them, you have to admit . . . without cats, our world would be a much less 

interesting place which would be full of mice. Cats are the creatures of diverse purpose, 

comforting some and constantly annoying others. Devotedly, they are there by your feet 

asking for a massage, and if they are not there, they are in your garbage groveling for a 

scrap of food. Near your pantries killing the mice, or in your backyard terrorizing your 

dogs. Being companions and friends always. These animals are pretty awesome. 

Cats . . . what more is there to say? 

Awesome Face

Go out today and be awesome like this face guys! :) 

And thanks to you for reading my blog ... I love all my readers:)

Dear Mom

Dear Mom, 
thanks for carrying me around in your belly for nine whole months. I know it really must have killed your back, and then I probably gave you stretch marks and swollen feet. Thanks for waking up in the middle of the night to nurse me and shush me back to sleep, I know you must have been as tired as a zombie. Thanks for going through that long and frustrating age we call "potty training" with me to assure I would grow up to be ... well ... potty trained, Lord knows I probably was a difficult one to train. Thanks for teaching me about God, and making me pancakes in the mornings. Thanks for taking care of me all those times I was sick, and making a big deal out of it ... because that made me feel extra special. Thanks for talking with me about growing up, and helping me along as I did. Thanks for always teaching me beauty first came from the inside, and being a testimony of that to me. Thanks for saying I was cool, even if I did wear those pants that went up past my bellybutton when I was 14. Thanks for teaching me how to clean, because now my brothers are walking hurricanes. Thanks for always being there for me, even when I was grumpy or being unreasonable. Thanks for how when you would talk to me about boys, you always told me that God had the perfect one who would love me for me. Thanks for listening to me every morning while I account to you all the random dreams I had during the night that don't really make sense. Thanks for standing up for me and protecting me, even when I don't deserve it. Thanks:) 

The Notebook

:') This movie always makes me cry. It's pretty awesomee. Reading this, you're either like "Ugh, why does EVERYONE like that movie? -_-" or you're like "Dang this girl has good movie taste!" ... or you're saying "this is stupid."
idk:)
But for real! You know the first time I watched this I literally sobbed ... it was pretty ridiculous. Now I think I've seen it too many times, so the sobbing kind of leveled down to a teary eyed sniffle.
My favorite part is when they're at the beach and Noah says "If you're a bird, I'm a bird." awww :) 

Holding On

I'm still holding fast to that distant sunlight. I have to keep thinking, "after rain there's always a rainbow, right?" Maybe there's clouds that are blocking it's colors, swallowing it's beauty in it's foggy terrain. Those clouds are ringing themselves out, and sending a descending deluge of rain that splatters the streets and car windows. I look out . . . just gray skies and mud puddles. The small ounce of hope I have resigned myself to shrinks, and altogether turns invisible. My strength is dwindling. I'm at the end of my rope, and it feels like I'm hanging on with the very veins in my body about to collapse and run me dry.
I gotta keep going though. There's so much to keep going for! I take a deep breath, and focus on that silver lining. Keep telling myself "there are better things to come." 

We're gonna buy a house :)

Took these pictures at the house we're gonna buy soon:) So exciteddd! It's a beautiful home, with rosebushes in the front and a fireplace in the living room. This is gonna be our first house ever because we've always rented, ya know with my Dad being in the military for 20 years and whatnot :) It's no mansion, but to me it's completely perfect! It's like a little miracle home. I know it was all in God's timing, we had been praying for him to put us where he wants us and to provide just the right house at the right time if it was His will. We were about to give up and I was crying the day before because I felt really discouraged . . . then BAM! God was like "Heyy wait a second . . . you didn't think I forgot did you? /:)" It happened the Day after Valentines day too, so it was almost like He was reminding us that He loves us. I mean, ofcourse we know that . . . but sometimes it's easy to forget in all the hectic-ness of life. Even if you feel like you're at the end of your rope . . . even when it seems impossibe, God always keeps His promises. Thanks God :) 

I am sick!

bleh -_- well I've been kinda under the weather lately. It's been pretty lame. But hey, it made me feel real special when I got a bunch of get well wishes from my friends and family :) Isn't that the best? Totally lost my voice for about two days . . . I still talked though. Thinking that PROBABLY wasn't good for the vocal chords. But hey I had stuff I needed to say!
Andd my mom got me these night guard things because I'm forever grinding and clenching my teeth. Dang it hurts my jaws and gives me headaches! But these night guard thingies are helping pretty well :) I wear em all day!
If any of my readers out there are sick then I hope you feel better soon <3 and from my blog to your screen, Happy Valentines day! 

How to be instantly cool

Trust Me

So here's what I'm thinking . . . the day the sun stops shining, is the day that I'll give up. I've spent too much time regretting who I am. I've shut too many people out. And I've wasted too much time staring at the world and feeling like I'm nothing because I wanted so desperately to be a part of the really extraordinary magical things out there that you only seemingly see from a distance. But really, it was right in front of me all the time. I'm so stupid sometimes:)
It's in the tree outside my window, and the laughter of my friends. It's in the eyes of the people I love, and it's in the warm embrace of my best friend and sweetheart:) It's in those wittingly sarcastic comments my dad makes, and in that look in my mom's eyes she gets when she knows something good is gonna happen. It's in those groggy good-morning mumblings my brothers offer me with their half-asleep smiles. It's in everything . . . but you have to stop and be quiet for a few seconds, and I mean REALLY be quiet, to realize. Looking is one thing, but then really seeing them is another. Trust me . . .

Haha

keep going

I believe that, although it is impossible to forget your past, and it may hurt to leave it behind . . . whatever your heartache, whatever your state-of-mind, whatever your loss, there are still better things ahead than any we leave behind, IF we choose the right path. And with every step, with every inch forward, the distance between you and what was . . . becomes your very reason to keep going. 

To all you writers

I think I like the world of books because I love the way the writers can create a story that lures you in so much. I love the relationships you form with people whom you have never even met and never will, but still you care for them as if they are your dearest friends. I love how you grow so fond of places which you have never even set foot in. I love how the words ring in your head, although in reality you never really heard them. 
But I think the thing that captivates me the most, is how one person can speak to so many people through a maze of printed letters. One person can change everything by jotting down their words and ideas, their beliefs, fears, happiness, and even their entire beings . . . onto sheets of paper. They're artists, really. They paint the world beautiful colors with only black and white. They can reach you, speak to you, without ever even knowing your name. 
They speak volumes, their voices reach out through generations and across seas . . . without having ever even opened their mouths, but instead, their hearts. 

I Try

I try to stay happy and to keep on smiling. I try, and try, and try! But some scars never fade ... and seeing them still there makes me sad. Sometimes that feeling that I hoped I'd never feel again comes back. I try to push it away, and that's when I start to feel numb. I hate feeling numb ...