Summit 1

I'm back from my summer filled with long car rides, Wonka candy, pillow fights and Journey music. I think it's safe to say that it was the best two weeks EVER.

I'll probably be doing a few posts on this, or else you'll be sitting at your computer screen until your eyeballs roll back in your skull and you start foaming at the mouth (and nobody wants to see that!) So I'll start at the beginning and work my way through.

We all hopped into the van at 5 am and prepared ourselves for the 14 hour drive ahead. It sounded daunting and exciting to me at the same time. I'm one of the weirdos who actually like long car rides. :P

As you can see from the blurry picture above, it was barely light out. I could've slept for another hour or so in the car, but I was way too excited.

We had a lot to look at, anyway. The windmills reminded me of giant, retarded pinwheels that just sort of hung out in the heat of the day.

Like the entire trip, the car ride somehow felt really long and really short at the same time. We took a few breaks to stretch our legs, and we played frisbee at a gas station for a while. Just, you know, 'cause we're amazing. :P

There came a point where I definitely felt like I wasn't in Oregon anymore. I think it was when we started driving past the gynormous mountains, canyons, and Mormon churches (we counted about 40 when we drove through Utah!) It seemed like a weird feeling to feel the same but in a totally different backdrop... if that makes any sense. :P

We stopped in Utah and stayed the night with a friend's relatives, and, like the crazy people we are, we went to the park and played "Lava Monster". Then we danced on the lawn.

Then my head hit the pillow and I fell asleep instantly.
It's weird how exhausting it can be to just sit all day... 

Finding my marbles...

While I'm still in my loopy, slightly marble-less stupor, I figured I'd endeavor to inform you all about my amazing adventure to WINCO!

Please, please contain your excitement. ;)

Today was a whirlwind of weirdness, but it started out relatively normal. I woke up, went to the stable, goofed off with Anna, groomed some horses...

Then later the sadness hit. I don't know where it came from, really... I'm retiring from the stable in a few weeks, and I guess in a way it's just sort of hard for me. Not really because I find sweeping hallways and brushing horses all that captivating, but because I've been doing it for nearly 4 years. I can almost melodramatically see the ghosts of our younger, more naive selves in the hallways.

That brought me to the realization of "so the next phase of my life is starting up. Crap. WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?!?!?" Then I was filled with extreme dread and disorientation.

That's how I was when I got home. And from there I sat at the computer while inhaling and exhaling the fumes of my self-pity. Then my sisters decided to throw some battery acid on the open wound by EATING MY CHINESE LEFTOVERS. Then my mom asked me if I wanted to come along with them to Winco. I sort of kind of more or less hate Winco. It's normally always crowded, and the people there are really unfriendly. I said yes anyway, though, because I needed to go to Kinko's to get some copies, anyway.

So along we drove, my self-pity fogging the windows.

Pretty soon, somewhere along the line... something happened. Something inside my brain just sort of snapped. I think it was sometime after I starting giggling uncontrollably after I realized that "We Bought A Zoo" sounds like you're just saying "Weebattazu" in some random unknown language. (Seriously. Try it.)

From there I found myself in hysterics over just about everything.

The people in the Subway window who my sisters and I named "Alfredo" and "Papa Jehoshaphat."

Joking that if they made another Hunger Games, they should make the arena look like a giant Winco (the perfect form of torture, aside from Whole Foods; but that's another story).

The lady who had shoes that looked like pumps and flip-flops ("Flumps," respectively).

Joking that you can probably buy anything at Winco in bulk (need toothpaste? Need pants? Need flip flops? BUY THEM IN BULK! Ok, not really...)

The snail statue that looked like it had a horse face (A "Snorse," respectively).

We found a dragon fruit.

Doesn't it look like a cross between a beet and an artichoke? (A "Beetichoke," as I deemed it).

The "Ask the Unicorn" button. (Infinity times better than a magic 8 ball!)

I think everyone in the store thought I was insane. I think I thought I was insane. But at least I had fun. Right? Right?

Oh... serial killers have fun too and it doesn't mean they're sane? You have a point.

Buuuut, I think falling over in hysterics is an infinitely better form of crazy, if you ask me. ;D

I then decided to go all OCD on the people of Winco and straighten out all the cereal boxes for the heck of it. Hopefully they'll appreciate it. :P

It finally began to fade away once we got to the parking lot. I still feel the smallest wisp of crazy in my veins; but I think it's mostly been unleashed on the poor, unsuspecting shoppers who were just passing through for some onions.

It was nice, though... just goofing off aimlessly, letting go of all the things that have been stressing me out. :)

We never did go to Kinko's, though.

All pictures found on Pinterest.

Katie's Birthday!!!

Today isn't just April 4th to our family. Because on April 4th we celebrate another birthday!

Today Katie turns 4.

Ugh, it's pure madness. I remember the day I walked into that hospital room with my sisters to see my dad holding a potato.

But it wasn't just a potato.

It was a potato with arms, legs, a face... a heartbeat...

She was tiny, only 4 pounds when she was born. (I thought I'd clear that up, in case you were wondering whether my sister is some sort of genetically mutated potato head hybrid.)

Because she was so tiny in utero, the doctors thought there was something wrong with her. They even suggested "terminating the pregnancy," as they put it. My mom didn't listen to them, and it's a good thing she didn't. It turned out that Katie somehow managed to tie a double knot in the cord. O_o So the fact that she was perfectly normal and didn't have more difficulties from the knot makes it a total miracle. :)

^(This picture kind of shows how tiny she was, but the face she's doing kind of makes her look like an alien.) haha XD

Katie is our "Free spirit." ;P In a household of shy little girls, she's the social butterfly. She loves to talk to just about anybody. She's very honest, too... which will be a good thing when she's old enough to manage her honesty better (as opposed to going up to someone and saying, "Why are you so BIG?!") :P

She's also very busy. She's crafty with a pair of scissors (say her bangs), can work wonders with crayons and markers (says the wall), and I just heard my mom tell her, "No, honey... that's a glue stick, not lipgloss!"

That's Katie, and our house would be very boring without her. ;D

Happy Birthday, Katiebug! :)

So... airplane food.

...What's up with that? Amiright?

This week, I've suffered from a total writer's block (hence the fewer posts and penguin randomness). I figured I may as well just try and push through it by writing something. So... here I am. What do you want me to say? Oh yeah... that's my decision. Crud.

Ok... I'm thinking. What about... purses? No.

Purple Pillows? No.

Paper cranes? Nah.

I'm just naming off things I see in my room. :P

It seems like this week my mind has taken an indefinite vacation. I really don't know where it's wandered off to. It doesn't write, it doesn't call...

My chores and my homework are like, "Kaylee... we need you. Please don't neglect us like this!"

But then the computer's like, "Hey, I'm way more interesting. You can learn from me, too -- Here's a tutorial on making paper cranes!"

My empty head is more attracted to the shininess of the laptop, so it's a losing battle.

My brain is in a total haze lately. I really can't think straight on anything. I think it's just all the things going on in my life right now. You know... we ran out of snacks, and nobody will learn morse code with me... life is tough.

Hehe, ok, it's not that trivial (although I think it would be really cool to learn morse code with someone so we could talk to each other without people knowing; or I could just be normal and get a cellphone...) I do know that my little pity party has lasted way too long. I need to do something like this:

She doesn't look like she has writer's block.

It's also funny how we can sometimes get so distracted with our problems that we sort of shy away from God a little. That's when we need Him the most! I need to suck it up, read my Bible, remember that God has everything under control, and be happy, darn it! ;)

In other news... I want cookies.

Happy!

I did a post last week about some things that annoy me. Here's the slightly-more-optimistic follow-up. :)

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY! ...In no particular order. :)

(This may be harder to write than last week's post, because I was fueled by frustration... plus... there are soooo many things that make me happy!)

The sun. It's like all the happiness condensed into a big ball of firey BLISS! When the sun's not out, it just makes my life that much less happy.

Babies. Come on. I dare you to look at a baby and not smile.

Hippos. And please. Don't tell me how ferocious hippos really are... they're cute, and I actually get giddy when we see them at the zoo. XD

Playgrounds that are big enough for me to play on. We went to a playground a couple summers ago like this, and I think I was more excited than my little sisters. I was practically squealing with excitement until we had to leave. I've been dying to go back ever since.

Ukeleles. Music in general makes me happy... but have you ever heard a sad song with a ukelele?

Making people laugh. Making you happy makes me happy. :D

Those times where you're in the car, you look out the window, and just thank God for how *beautiful* everything is. Yeah, this one's pretty specific, but it actually happens to me fairly often. Especially when the sun is out. :)

Jesus. "...And if the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack." :P

The satisfaction of actually getting something accomplished. Lately, I wish I could feel this one more often. :P haha

Dancing. Yes, I've confessed to not being able to dance. :P I suck at most dancing, but I'm good at Regency/Civil War era dancing (where you're mostly skipping around and twirling). It's really, really fun. :) Plus... if something makes me really happy, I do indulge in the occasional "happy dance."

Friends and family. You guys are awesome! I don't know where I'd be without you. You've all made me smile and laugh more than anyone else.

Getting emails/IMs from friends. They definitely brighten my day. :)

Finding out that you got a good grade on a test you thought you'd fail. Phew!

Anything remotely cutesy and romantic (especially if it's what I talk about here). I'm a sucker for romance. It's sweet, and it makes me melt in a puddle of sighs and pathetic girly musings. <3

Going to the mall. We rarely go to the mall. When we do... I sort of look like I've been raised in a barn and have just been taken to the mall as an introduction to modern society. I get all giddy and excited. And the pretzels. Oh, the pretzels!

Going to the beach. If you thought I was bad at the mall... you haven't seen me at the beach.

Finding something that's been lost for a long time. If it's lost long enough, it's like it's brand-new. And who doesn't like finding brand-new items in random places?

Roller Skating. I love roller skating. Nothing more to it. :)

The smell of fresh-cut grass. Pure bliss.

Pringles. Thank you, mustache-wearing Pringles guy, for delivering to us your crispy, MSG-plaited deliciousness.

Doing the things I love doing. Learning Sign Language makes me happy, because I'm finally learning something that I've always been interested in. Playing the piano makes me happy, because it's epically FUN! Writing in this blog makes me happy, because I've finally found an outlet for my impulsive urge to write something.

So thanks for reading this! I'm hoping that at this point your joy is busting at the seams, and you're ready to explode into a swarm of butterflies or tapdance with a chimpanzee.

But if not, here's some inspiration. (Keep in mind the ukelele!)