Day 334: Unexpected Joys

Merry Christmas from 9ers Grill! This is the new decoration that I made for December that hangs below the menu. What is 9ers going to do when I am gone? Their little elementary teacher at heart won’t always be behind the counter to make all of their creative projects!! Today I did a whole lot of working- from school work, to student teaching work, to 9ers work, to stupid Macbeth homework... I don't really want to do blog work. Even though my days are ridiculously busy... they are usually pretty eventful! Jason got an incredible job offer today! It was his number one choice and although it will move him out of Texas... I couldn't be more proud of my CB!!! Tomorrow will mark the start of the last month of my Project 365. I have a feeling December will be extremely bittersweet for me. I know I have thirty one great days ahead of me- filled with happiness and plenty of unforgettable memories.

"May your life be crowded with unexpected joys."

Day 333: Grace

There is no guilt here

There is no shame

No pointing fingers

There is no blame

What happened yesterday…has disappeared

The dirt has washed away

And now it's clear

There's only grace

There's only love

There's only mercy and believe me it's enough.

Day 332: Extra Credit

Today I made a Renaissance Festival scrapbook for my English group. We were assigned to make a single scrapbook page for extra credit. However, if you know me... I always go above and beyond no matter what the assignment is. Most people wouldn't be able to fill eight pages with pictures from ONE event... but that's exactly what I did. I had so much fun at the Renaissance Festival with my friends and I enjoyed reflecting back on all of our priceless memories. One of the pages was for our people watching endeavors. It has pictures of all kinds of creatures/people that we came across. Great entertainment really is found in people watching. Another page was of our experiences at the Free Fortune Teller. I wrote a part of everyone’s specific fortune and that brought back a ton of emotions. I made a page dedicated to the Clan Tynker Show, the Jousting Show, the Drench-a-Wench and many more adventures. However, my favorite page is the friendship page. It says, "Friends find the sweetest sense of happiness comes from simply being together." I will always cherish the day we spent together at the Renaissance Festival and I am thankful I have a book that captured all of our memories!

Day 331: The Engle's

Today we took our traditional family Christmas picture. Each year all of the girls go shopping and find color coordinating outfits- in preparation for this picture. This tradition has been taking place for many years now, and quite frankly... we're running out of color choices. This year we decided to do earth tones (browns, beiges, etc.). All of the Engle's and our handy-dandy tripod headed out to old Richmond for some rustic pictures. I love my family and even though it is stressful at times- I love taking family Christmas pictures! Then again, I am a picture freak! After our tripod photo shoot, we all went to dinner together. Lauren was scrolling through the pictures on my camera and hollered, "Man, our family is good looking!" My Dad replied, "....except for one!" And Shannon chimed in, "Sorry..." It was absolutely priceless. That girl is too stinkin' cute & funny. The Engle’s are exceptionally loud, they laugh almost as much as they speak, and they have a lot of fun with each other... and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there."

Day 330: Tangled

 If you plan on going Black Friday shopping at midnight, most people would just stay awake... not the Engle’s. We plan to nap in order to wake up for the 12 am sales at Wal-Mart. I went into my food coma around 8 pm yesterday and woke up just in time to join the rest of the gang! We went for $3 appliances and $2 movies... both of which we did not need. Wal-Mart was swamped with people everywhere- it was an absolute zoo! I lost a lot of respect for the American public this morning. Just because it is Black Friday doesn't give you the right to shove your cart into people, cut in line and be disrespectful. I couldn't believe how rude some people were! This is a picture I snapped of Lauren, holding her $6 Tupperware, in the midst of the craziness! I returned home in the freezing cold and was shopped out for the day! I went to lunch with Brittany Muller, since I haven't hung out with her in forever. I loved catching up on her life and filling her in on mine! This afternoon, I worked at 9ers for two hours. They let me leave early, but it was by far the slowest two hours of my life. Instead of working, I went to the see Tangled with Katy and Dylan. It is the new animated movie based on the story of Rapunzel! I wish “Happily Ever After” endings weren’t just in fairytales!

Day 329: Thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday Schedule:

9:00 AM--Wake up to the smell of Thanksgiving goodness

10:00 AM--The famous Engle Family egg casserole

11:00 AM--A&M vs. Boston College Men's Basketball

12:00 PM--Start grazing on food that is already finished

1:00 PM--Engle family competition

3:00 PM--THANKSGIVING MEAL!

3:02 PM--Mom cries listening to what everyone is thankful for

3:15 PM--Lauren polishes off the last roll

4:00 PM--We watch TV and feel bloated

6:45 PM--We wake up from our food coma to eat pie and watch the Ags BTHO T.U.

 

Jason made this Thanksgiving Day schedule for the Engle family, and although we didn't follow it exactly... it was pretty darn accurate! Everyone woke up this morning to find out that mom had already finished ALL of the cooking/preparing before 7 AM- so much for helping her out in the kitchen! We all chowed down on the famous egg casserole and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Aggies basketball team lost in their game against Boston College. Our Engle family competition was the longest game of Apples to Apples ever. The first one to ten green cards would win and be exempt from cleaning up after our Thanksgiving meal. Jason, Mom, Dad & I each had NINE cards and the game continued on forever! We easily played over 50 rounds and if you're familiar with Apples to Apples, that's a whole lot of red cards! It was finally time for our Thanksgiving meal and mom made all of our favorites. Shannon drank three glasses of the sparkling grape juice, Jason ate his turkey leg during the prayer and Lauren finished off the last roll. We went around the table and said what we are thankful for. Mom cried, of course. I am so thankful for my incredible family and the times that we get to spend together. Our countless hours spent laughing make up for the few moments spent bickering. We're not perfect by any means, but we are blessed. We also played "Remember When..." at dinner, which is always a hit. We reminisced on some hilarious, disgusting, sentimental and unforgettable memories. Before dinner, we had a House Divided photo shoot- in spirit of the A&M vs. UT football game. After dinner, we were definitely in a food coma... but somehow we managed to squeeze in some pecan pie. At 7 PM we watched the fightin' Texas Aggies BTHO Texas! What a great Thanksgiving with the family!

Day 328: Never Fails.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

 Love never fails.

Today is Mark Agatep's 18th birthday! He is one of my sweetest guy friends and I am so thankful for him. He reads the blog daily and I hope he had an incredible birthday!! :)

Day 327: Finally!

Today was the last day of school before Thanksgiving break! This is a picture of the countdown that has been hanging above the stove for the past couple weeks. Everyday after school it was so exciting to subtract another number! It is incredible the difference between my life last year and this year. My junior year, I was unbearably stressed and worn out from school. I never made time to socialize- I always headed straight to the books. This year is completely different, and I love every second of it. I took my senior pictures with Maggie this afternoon and I spent my night hanging out with Taylor, visiting former PALs and catching up with Lauren. I am so thankful it is FINALLY Thanksgiving Break! 

Day 326: Champ!

Tonight at FCA we planned on playing dodgeball, but there was a sudden change of events! And I forgot to bring my camera.... so depressing.  We only played one round of dodgeball and if you know me, I am the girl that stands in the background and picks up the dodgeballs for all of the athletic boys. I am pretty much a useless teammate when it comes to this game. I always seem to make it to the very end of the game, since no one is intimidated by me! Tonight was no exception; however, when there were only three people left on the other team (two girls and Taylor Cobb)- I knocked ALL of them out!! I finally felt like the people at FCA thought of me as a real athlete! After our one round of dodgeball was complete and Taylor claimed he ‘let me win’… we went to support the lady bulldogs at their basketball game! When I arrived home, I received my official Texas A&M acceptance letter in the mail. Such a great feeling to be welcomed into the Aggie family! :)

Day 325: Reese & Brooke!

This afternoon I babysat the Billedo girls! I haven't seen them since the summer and when I drove up to their house, they came running into my arms! I dressed them up as princesses and did their hair, make-up and nails. These little girls are always the sweetest!! We ate a princess snack, colored lots of pictures and make a turkey out of construction paper! On the turkey's feathers, I wrote all of the things the girls said they were thankful for! Some of their answers were super sweet and others were quite amusing. I just love babysitting- I could work for hour after hour and never get bored with the kids. There is nothing in the world that beats doing what you love. God gave me a gift with children and I can't wait to use that gift as a teacher and a mom one day! :)

Day 323 & 324: The Wampus Cats

This weekend was the Annual Softball Tournament Fundraiser & Taylor Joseph Cobb's 18th birthday! On Friday, I made a scrapbook all day/night. It was Taylor’s birthday gift and it was the story of our friendship through pictures. It started with the first time we ever hung out at the beach leading up to last weekend at the Renaissance Festival! It has quite a few blank pages towards the end, because I know there will be more pictures to fill it with in the future! I made the entire book in one day, which was tedious and stressful- but I put a lot of heart into it! I know he is a boy and boys don't appreciate scrapbooks like girls do, but I hope it is something he cherishes for the rest of his life! Today, I was the coach of the Wampus Cats (which was Taylor's softball team). I was not much of a coach... I was more of the photographer/cheerleader! We had three games in pool play at 9, 11 and 12. We won two out of the three and we lost to Cody Brown's team. We didn't advance to the playoffs, however, Taylor & I joined the Rockafellas. This team consisted of a lot more of my friends, such as Taylor Woods, Kaitlyn Brooks, Tyler Morvant, Matt Gutierrez, etc. Being a part of their team was the highlight of the tournament! They were so encouraging to their teammates and they made me laugh a lot. Some of the Wampus Cats were a little too competitive and cocky for me! The tournament was a huge success- they had almost thirty teams participate!! I wish we could have advanced further, but I had a great time ‘coaching’ all my teams today! Tonight, Katy, Taylor and I went to dinner at BJ's to celebrate his 18th birthday! We enjoyed our Buffalo Chicken Pizza and our mini pizookies! Afterwards, Taylor and I watched the fightin’ Texas Aggies BTHO Nebraska with my parents! It was an incredible victory!! Taylor Joseph Cobb, I hope you had an amazing 18th birthday!!!

Day 322: WHOOP!

Today was perfect! I woke up to an acceptance letter from Texas A&M University. It wasn't a surprise to me, considering I am automatically admitted to their university. However, on the way to school I was in tears (happy and humble ones, of course)! Don't ask me why, because I cannot explain why I cried. This year I have become a lot more emotional for some reason! The reality of going away to college in less than a year is so exciting; however time is passing way too quickly! So far I have been admitted to UT and A&M- that matches the Engle rivalry perfectly. I know my brother, Jason, is wound up! We are so much alike and I know he wants me to follow in his footsteps in College Station. I swear, the parents of almost every single family that I babysit attended A&M... so I have plenty of sweet Aggie alumni cheering me on. I don't know for sure if I will be a future Aggie, but I am so excited about my acceptance to Texas A&M and that kept me smiling all day long! Gig 'em! :)

Day 321: Journal

Since our house is currently under construction, I spent the majority of the afternoon relaxing in my silent, dust free bedroom. I found this little green journal that I wrote in at least once a week my entire sophomore and junior year of high school. This definitely isn't the typical girl drama diary. This notebook was sort of the beginnings of the blog, before the blog existed! I wrote all kinds of different things- from song lyrics to what I learned at bible study. I saved sweet letters people wrote me and I also wrote many letters to myself for the future. It was so interesting to read how the littlest things frustrated me and how I was unbelievably stressed out about a simple Chemistry test. I have quite a few desperate prayers for strength and encouragement, some silly memories, and inspiring bible verses. I poured my entire life into this green notebook for two years, but I slowly stopped writing in it when I started my Project 365. My favorite journal entry was from April 26, 2009. It starts out..."You know, I've finally realized something... I am not normal." It talks about how God never called us to fit in; we were always meant to stand out. This journal isn't normal, this blog isn't normal; my life isn't the normal high school experience. But I don't want to be like everyone else, I'd rather stand out.

Day 320: Cali Baby!

I finally submitted my application to all of my west coast schools- UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, & UCLA! They are all my dream schools, but it was worth a shot! I remember visiting them this past spring break with my Dad. That was probably the best week of my life! Even though I have grown up in Texas, I was born in California and I think there is still a little bit of California dreamin' in me! After I hit the final submit button, I took Shannon to Chick-fil-a for dinner (since our kitchen is currently non-existent). Apparently it was Scooby-Doo Night or something, because all of the characters were there along with every child in Sugar Land! I was wearing my UCLA sweatshirt (of course) and this obnoxious 9 year old boy was screaming, "UCLA IS BAD!" Then he came up to me and asked me if I went to school there. I replied, "No, but I just sent in my application."  He gave me a puzzled look and said, "Oh... well it looks like you would go there." I am not exactly sure if that was a compliment or an insult coming from him. I don't quite have the sun-kissed skin, but I think I could be a California girl!

Day 319: EMPTY!

Our entire downstairs is completely empty. Almost everything is in the POD that you can see through the window. We moved into this house in 1993 and this is the first time I have ever seen the downstairs cleared out! It is so empty that you can hear echoes when we speak... LOUD ECHOS! My Dad &I were running up and down the main hallway making crow sounds. That sounds uncomfortably strange, but it was freaking hilarious! Some of you may be wondering, "Why on earth are they getting new hardwood flooring?" Well, we had some plumbing issues and gallons of water were discharged into the laundry room and kitchen every time I flushed my toilet upstairs. There was mold everywhere, so the insurance company is helping us install new hardwood flooring! We are also getting hardwood put in my parents’ bedroom and the study, but we have to pay full price for those rooms. My dad & I decided since our house feels so big and empty... it's either time to party or time to move out!!  

P.S. Today is ERIN CASSANI'S 18th Birthday! She is one of the sweetest and most devoted followers of the blog… sometimes I think she knows it better than me! I hope she had a fantastic day and I hope this blog shout out made her day! :)

Day 318: Renovation

Maggie and I tried to take my senior pictures this afternoon. Due to the dreary weather,  it was a failed first attempt. Before I left, my dad helped me choose outfits for the photo shoot (since my mom wasn't home). He is one of the funniest people that I know and he doesn't hesitate to tell you his honest opinion. Men just don't understand what goes on inside a woman's head and ALL of the tiny details that we have to pay attention to! I appreciated his help and I love him so much! This entire week we are getting new hardwood floor installed in the downstairs portion of our house. Everything was cleared out and we are now living upstairs. Tomorrow will start day one of the renovation and dust will consume our house. This week shall be fun.

Day 317: Renaissance Festival!

Today I went to the Renaissance Festival with Katy, Bailey, Taylor and Anthony! We went to get extra credit for our English class and to have a good time. I had never been before, so it was definitely a new experience for me! I felt like I was put inside a time machine and transported to the actual Renaissance Era. This place was incredible! The theme was Scotland for this weekend, so tons of men wore kilts, overweight women wore corsets and everyone else wore freaky costumes. If thou love to people watch... this is the place to come. However, the Renaissance Festival is SO expensive. The tickets were $20 to get in and then once you were in EVERYTHING else cost money! When we were walking around, an old man offered to tell us our futures for free. His predictions were obviously not true, but they certainly got me thinking and freaked me out! We devoured some turkey legs, chocolate covered cheesecake on a stick, ice cream in a cone and fruit salad. The highlight of my day was watching the shows! We watched the Clan Tynker show in the Globe Theatre and part of the Jousting show in the Coliseum. The Clan Tynker show had various magic/juggling fire acts and it was SO entertaining! We went to the Drench-A-Wench booth and those women were so rude and nasty. I know that's their job as the wenches... but it was ridiculous! The weather was perfect and today has been one of the most memorable days to date! I enjoyed hanging out with my friends at a place that was WAY out of our element. Hooray for the Renaissance Festival!

Day 316: NUTCRACKER!

Today was a mother-daughter day! I usually get out of school shortly before one and today my mom took a half day off work, so we could go to the Nutcracker Market together! Once we got there and parked, it felt like we were literally in China. We had to walk almost two miles to get to the entrance! The Reliant Center was filled with thousands of high class stay-at-home moms- in their fancy designer jeans with glass of wine in hand.This place was PACKED with women! They had plenty of cute little clothing boutiques, samples of yummy treats on every corner and endless aisles of Christmas decorations! My mom and I were in shopping heaven. We bought lots of little things that we didn't need and I loved every second of it! Everywhere we looked people had these enormous Christmas yard poles, personalized with their family’s name. They were completely obnoxious. We couldn't stop laughing at the fact that EVERYONE had one!! I enjoyed sampling all of the toffee, pies, fudge, tortilla soup, salsas and other specialty food items they offered. We stopped counting calories after we walked through the door. It seemed like we formed a pattern... we would go from a clothing boutique to another food booth (repeat). I had so much fun spending the day with my best friend/role model/sister/amazing mother! Boys will never understand the fascination with the Nutcracker Market, but that's because it's a girl thing.

Day 315: Collin's 6!

 Today was Collin's 6th Birthday!! I went with Taylor, Collin and Mama Cobb to Chuck-E-Cheese. I loved watching these crazy boys play ALL of the arcade games and I enjoyed talking with Mrs. Cobb! All I wanted to do was take pictures in the photo sketch booth- that has always been my favorite part about that place! Collin and I only took one picture together. The birthday boy wanted to play some fun games, not sit in a silly photo booth!! However, Taylor and I took a bunch of pictures together. They turned out really cute, but we weren't ready in at least three of them! Needless to say, we have quite a few interesting shots. With all of the tickets we collectively earned, Collin walked out with a fistful of air heads as his prize. Oh, the little things that make kids happy! We headed over to Ruthies for dinner with the rest of the gang! After we ate dinner, the servers sang Collin ‘Happy Birthday’ while wearing a sombrero; we ate cake and opened gifts. I painted him a blue birthday shirt and created a picture jar filled with chocolate for him. His mom will definitely get more use out of the jar then he will! Collin is such a sweet boy and I am so thankful that he is a part of my life. I had so much fun celebrating his 6th birthday and I hope he had an unforgettable day!

Day 314: FALL

I wish leaves looked like this in Texas. My Dad is currently out East on a business trip and he sent me these pictures from his iPhone. I was in awe... these trees are beautiful! I just love the fall and I think I would love it more elsewhere! Tonight while I was working, Katy Lowery came and visited me at 9ers. Work was unbelievably slow, so I got to sit and talk with my best friend for almost two hours. She is beautiful, so all of the cooks were going crazy. She just has that affect on people! I love her so much and I had so much fun with her tonight!

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

— Marilyn Monroe

Day 313: Doorway

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life."

- Psalm 139: 23-24

It is very intimidating to ask God to search you and know your heart. He knows all of our thoughts, so do they really matter? What a person thinks is essentially who the person really is. There are so many things, in addition to our thoughts, that offend God or make him sad.

- Blaming Him.

- Not trusting Him.

-Not honoring Him with your relationships.

- Lying to Him.

- Trying to be like other people, instead of more like Him.

Jesus Christ died on the cross to wake you up from death and bring you to life, so that you could make the Father famous. Every time you walk through a doorway, ask yourself... "How can I make God bigger and myself smaller?" This will completely change your attitude and make your days brighter!