Thankful

I'm currently listening to the Little Women soundtrack, which makes me feel all happy and nostalgic inside. I'm sitting at the computer. (Obviously.) I've been typing up a couple of papers, and trying to catch up from last week's absences. Last week, I flew to Oklahoma, saw old friends, met new friends, learned a lot, and had an all-around wonderful time. (Which I hope to post about soon...ish, but it will require more thought and effort, since I'd like to include pictures and whatnot.)
Life. It moves at an incredible rate. I still can't believe February is just around the corner.

Fast forward. One day later.

I've been thinking about my own ingratitude. I had to stop and make a list.
Thankful:
-I wrote a paper on God's love this week. (This is why I love my classical, Christian education.)
-I took my one Latin student to GiGi's for class today. It was very educational. Trust me.
-I have a car. (Granted, she's not in mint condition at the moment. But I'm working on that.)
-I'm taught from the Word and blessed with the fellowship of godly believers at Christ Church.
-I've had the privilege of attending the filming of the Behold Your God talks given by my pastor for about a week and a half.
-I have the best family in the whole wide world. (No, really.)
-I serve a faithful, kind, almighty, loving, holy God. I am His, and He is mine!

Sometimes I forget these things. Sometimes I focus on all the little things that don't go according to my plan. But He knows far better than I do. He is faithful. Give me a grateful heart that takes nothing for granted, O Lord.
 

TeenPact MS

I've putting this off and putting this off. Really, I've been waiting for some pictures - 'cause I know I'm not exciting enough to get you to stick through the whole post without some media (and even then, probably not).

Anyway. I didn't take pictures, but Anna did and Lindsay did. So, all of these photos are courtesy of ALC Photography and Lindsay T. And instead of just pictures, I went all out and made a slideshow of pictures. Now I'm no pro-video-maker (?), so go easy on me.

This year, I got the privilege of staffing TeenPact MS. Where do I begin? It was a crazy, lovely, wonderful, eventful week filled with the joy of seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

I had always been curious what really went on behind the scenes, you know, when we students weren't watching/when the staffers left/what they did at night, etc. And now. . .well, I can't tell you.

Just kidding. We just grade homework. But, without sounding like a complete nerd, that was really one of my favorite times. At that point we were tired, and delirious, and a tad bit crazy. So, fun things went down.

Highlights also include playing ultimate frisbee, eating in the Belhaven cafeteria and playing the hand game, evening sessions with Mr. Cal, Do You Love Your Neighbor, Disney songs with Anna and Hannah/getting to staff with those lovely girls, the whole staff team, the awesome parents, and most importantly, the great students, TP Elections, leading Rendezvous in an awesome cabin with awesome ladies, learning the Tasmanian toetap, um - SNOW! - Bacon Day, having the opportunity to give a devotion on Romans 11 & 12, and getting to lead the FIHI Committee with Micah. Let me tell you about my committee...to sum things up, best group of kids ever. And ironically, I had a lot of people I already knew. Ha.

So that doesn't even begin to describe my week. But a picture's worth a thousand words, and here's like 50:

Weekend and Valentine's Day.

As much as I love doing things chronologically and as much as it bothers me when things are not so, well, I'm just throwing all that out the window right now.
Valentine's Day weekend and day first, then Teenpact and then the blankets of snow we got in early January. I've gotten a little behind. . .in lots of things (thanks, TeenPact), but one by one I'm catching up. Bear with me. Yes, I know this throws out all order. Oh well.

This weekend after unpacking from Teenpact. Woah, freeze. I actually unpacked my bags the day after I got home. After a trip, my suitcase and things will usually sit out for a week. . .or much longer. I feel so accomplished. Play. Moving on. Valentine's weekend was spent with two lovely ladies in Tupelo. Because guess who came to Tupelo? Celtic Woman. That's right.

Feast your ears on this and this. Maybe you're thinking, 'This just isn't my type of music.'  Well, it hadn't been mine either until very recently when I gave them an unbiased listen. They've really changed my taste in music. Their traditional Irish elements, beautiful voices, simple harmony, and sheer talent blend to make incredible music in a culture full of auto-tuned, wacked-out Lady Gagas and Justin Beibers. Please say you love them.

So, off we went to hear them live. It was incredible, to say the very least.

Oh, and on the way, we met Matthew, the bagpipe-player. Why, yes, he did have a most attractive Irish accent. And yes, we did take a creeperish picture. Matthew did not judge us.

And then the day of flowers, pink hearts, sweet candies, chocolate, and simple love happened - Valentine's Day. No date or flowers delivered to my door. . .oh yeah, and no man for me. But today's been wonderful, in spite of that. I had my little valentine.

And I went on a date with some of my favorite girls. Did I mention it was classy? A classy date to Sonic, AKA, the drive-in house of class. Mhm.

Saturday.

Teenpact homework.
She & Him.
Looking like a grandma.

Oh, yes.

It's just that kind of day.

And life goes by.

Hi, I'm Courtney. Remember the days when I actually wrote decent posts? Or maybe I'm just imagining this?

Life has been a little crazy over here. Tests, papers, midterms, babysitting jobs, applications, TeenPact staff prep, Bible study, etc.

But right now, I'm putting all that aside and writing. This time with thought.

I've just noticed that this blogging thing has all of the sudden become a trend with Tupelo girls. I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing, I think it's great. I just wonder what started it all? I don't know. There's something for you to ponder.

Here's another. Jamie's back home and Joseph will be here Thursday. It's been too long since we've all been together at home. This is yet another reason why I love Christmastime.

Tonight's sunset was absolutely beautiful. I actually had my camera this time. But a camera can't even really capture the vividness of the colors I saw in the sky. That pinkish color was actually a burning red. (By the way, photographers anywhere near the vicinity of a  certain pick-up soccer game will be hit. Holy guacamole! It's like they were aiming for me.)

The lights on the tree and the stockings above the fireplace make studying cozy and bit more happy. (If that's even possible. Well, I guess it is. You can always get more happy - happier - when in a state of complete misery.)

On first glance: Oh, what a cute little nativity scene.

Now look again.

I just found out our Christmas break is about two weeks. I was counting on getting a lot done over this break. Why can't we have a whole month, please?

I've also been thinking about the best movie soundtracks of all time. (You know, really using my time wisely. Taking advantage of every moment.) Here's what I've got:

1. To Kill a Mockinbird Theme

2. Gone With the Wind - Tara's Theme

3. The Fellowship of the Ring - Concerning Hobbits

4. Pride and Prejudice - The Secret Life of Daydreams

5. Sense and Sensibility - Throw the Coins

6. Master and Commander - Bach's Prelude

I hate to leave it at six. What a random number. I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot. I want to hear your favorites. Name three. Or one. Or six. Whatever floats your boat, suits your fancy, creams your twinkie, toasts your bagel. . .yeah, I think you catch my drift.

Oh, that was me putting thought into a post (not only thought, but actually time, too). This is sad. Maybe I left my thoughts back with those tests. Now I'm not even making sense. Do I ever?

NC 2010

(I think I win Lamest-Title-of-the-Year Award.)

Where do I begin?
School finished and I hit the ground running. But that sounds too harsh. See, after school it was more like a voluntary, happy busyness that I would gladly take any day. I did indeed welcome Summer with open arms. And full luggage. I packed my bags and headed to Dayton, Tennessee for a full week at Fort Bluff for TeenPact National Convention 2010! The fact that I woke up bright and early at 5:00 that morning and traveled for 7 and a half hours was no comparison to the wonderful time I had last week. First of all, it seems like it was much longer than a week ago. So much has happened since then. But then again, it seems like it were only yesterday that I was meeting my cabin mates, trying to get what they like to call "food" down my throat without gagging it up first,  playing lots of ultimate frisbee, getting to know my amazing small group, meeting new friends and spending time with old ones.

 {Charity and I - she's pretty much amazing, I'll tell you that.}

This was the voting line, and only for those with last names beginning with A-M, mind you. There were over 500 people, so the line was not exactly short nor was it quick. It was open for over 2 hours. At the voting booth (which was several mac books lined up in a row), I selected 6 representatives, 4 senators, and 1 president & vice president. But I did get a chance to vote, and the "I voted" sticker (which will stay stuck on the backside of my cellular device until it loses all of its stickiness and falls right off) made it all worthwhile in the end.

Watching the sunrise at the Bluff was definitely one of the highlights of my week. Me and 3 other girls from my cabin (and a supervisor, of course) walked down at 6:00 in the morning in sweatpants, jackets, and slippers, while I wore my blanket over my clothes (it was pretty cozy, let me tell you). It was simply breathtaking and such a glorious display of God's creation, His power, His sovereignty, and also His goodness and infinite kindness to give us such a display.

Me, Abi, and Lindsay - I love these girls!

Frisbee, of course! (Another highlight of my week. :)
Election night was intense to say the least. We were rooting for Reggie & Mary Beth and they had the lead until Clayton & Molly got two big states, which put them in the lead. Needless to say, Clayton & Molly became our 2010 President and Vice President. And don't get me wrong, they're pretty darn awesome as well.
It was the Red Hot Chili Peppers (my team) v. Bee's Knees in the championship game. That night was pretty cool. The fog was as thick as any I've ever seen. If you were standing at one end of the field, you could only faintly see the outline of the players at the other end. It was an exciting game, but in the end we won 6:2... I think.

On the way home, Katie (who I hadn't seen in 6 months!) picked me up half-way!! It was so great to see her!

TeenPact MS 2010

You knew it was coming...
Yep, it's about time for this post.

{Representative Candidates. Hugh was one of them, but sadly, did not make the picture.}

Where do I begin? This year. Was. Awesome. Last year, not so much. I just was shy, didn't know what was going on, didn't really try to get involved in all the fun stuff in committees and running for office or even just asking the speaker to yield to a question (which is correct Parliamentary Procedure according to Robert's Rules, you know), or much of anything, really. And host housing was not so great last year. But this year I stayed at Camp Garraywa, where we played tons of ULTIMATE, I met new friends, saw old ones again, got to walk back and forth from the Capitol to the church many times, played Do You Love Your Neighbor (best game ever, in case you don't know), was a member of the awesome JUD committee, got elected clerk of said committee (which basically means that, while everyone else got to eat, I had to read the bills which we voted on as a comittee. Not that cool.), got to drive down in a 15-passenger van with our New Albany/Tupelo group.

 {The 3 gubernatorial candidates: Jamie, Josiah, and Audrey}

Wait, let me rephrase that. I got to ride down. Jamie drove. Poor thing. Oh, and Jamie was nominated by our party, the Agrarian party, to run for governor. He didn't win but it was funny to see him campaign. (He didn't want to win, either. You see, if you're elected you have to give a 5 minute speech on Graduation Day. Which isn't fun.) I stayed in cabin #5. There were six of us girls plus Mrs. Carol, who was amazing. I loved getting to know those girls.

{Cabin #5: Mrs. Carol, Lydia, ?, Lindsay, Amber, Sarah, and Hannah.}

I drank Dr. Chino! (Katie and Sydney and Hannah invented this, so all credits go to them.* It's pictured below.) It's Dr. Pepper + Vanilla Frappacino.* Yeah, we had a Frappacino* dispenser in the cafeteria. It was great. Oh, and the food was surprisingly good. Once again, way better than last year. Mr. Callen was our camp director this year and he spoke at the evening sessions. He had a lot of great things to say. We got to hear speakers (various Senators and Representatives). Most of the speakers (for the most part) were pretty good, excepting one. No name.

 

{Campaign song. Don't ask.}

  

All in all, I had a wonderful time. Excepting the one day I got lost, wandered around the church for 25 minutes looking for my committee and beginning to feel hungry, then finally finding them and dropping my plate. 

Quoteables: "This neighborhood must be nice, they have silver fire hydrants!"

"The ice cream's melted!" (Inside joke, and I won't tell who said this for the sake of his...*ahem* I mean, or her reputation.)

"Chinese handcuffs" Ha, the Communist Party

"What's texting?" The Agrarian Party

"Pull out your pens, pencils, feathers, or inkwells, whichever you prefer." Funny the first time, it did, however, get old after the 7th time. 

"Vote for Hugh, he's for you - and the children too!"

Amendment I: For the purpose of this post, "Frappacino" shall mean Cappuccino. (Thanks Katie, for the correction.)  

Amendment II: I stand corrected... again. The said Dr. Chino was invented by none other than Hannah, popularized by Katie, and scorned at by Sydney.

So, I just realized just how "politically immersed" I am. In our little corner of this lovely neighborhood there lives (from left to right): two lawyers, one senator, and a judge, all in a line.  Apparently, we're one little powerful street corner.

On top of all that, I'm soon to be on my way to Teen Pact (a class on politics and governmental...stuff). Can you say, political overdose?

Wait, what? Cold weather proves global warming. Warm weather proves global warming. Say what?

I'm currently writing a research paper on whether or not the U.S. government should work to reduce global warming (thanks a lot, Teen Pact). When you actually research it, it's pretty hilarious. It's all based on what "experts" say. Who are the experts? How do they know what they're talking about? A few extra funny letters at the end of your name does not necessarily make one an expert.

"Pleading ignorance and refusing to take action because there is snow in Houston is no argument against years of research by the world's top scientists." Gee, that makes sense.

Just recently, there was snow in every single state, excepting Hawaii. Which naturally means the earth's atmospheric temperatures are vastly increasing. Right?

WRONG.