Wow!!!!!

thebro-hardz has actually updated!!! Everyone should go check it out! There's even pictures and stuff!

*is very amazed*

The Engagement Ring

I don’t know if all of you know this, but I have been engaged before. It was shortly before I started going to our church. If you want the full story of what happened, you’ll have to ask me sometime, or maybe I’ll blog about it later, but right now I just want to share something very important that God has shown me through the ring I used to wear. It was a lovely ring, with three diamonds in it, one larger one in the middle, and two smaller ones on either side, and then very small ones along the band. On the sides there was a little pattern. It had little loops going from one side if the big stone to the far side of the opposite stone. Now, strangely enough, that ring has more meaning to me now then it ever did when I was engaged, even though I don’t think I will ever see it again. The stones and the loops represent things to me. The small stones are symbols of a man and a woman. The large stone is God. The loops symbolize how God is connected to each person, and only by God can you be bound together. The big stone being in the middle says that God is always to be most important, in the center of the marriage. I didn’t have that attitude when I was engaged. I trusted the man more then God, put the man before God, and God showed me (quite painfully) that that just will not work. God is the only one worthy of being the center of our lives, the only one. I pray that I never forget that again.

wow.... my head hurts....

After about two hours, I have finally gotten through actually readings everyone's blogs! I hadn't been reading them much for the past couple weeks.... now I think I have a slight headache and want to go lay down...

On a side-note, The queue blog isn't working, and I couldn't get into Jones'n. I'm not sure what's going on there...

I also went and added all the new bloggers that I've found into my links list. Welcome to you all!

That's all I wanted to say...

~H

a full week, a big surprise, and a big decision

Well, surprisingly, my car is now fixed. I guess the guy at the shop got tired of it just sitting there or something. My mom and step-dad paid for it, and I'll be paying them back as soon as possible. Even though the car is home now, I'm not going to be dirving it again for a while. It currently doesn't have insurance, and I really want to wait and save up some money before having to start that up again (not to mention paying for gas... eek). It's been really good for me to be riding bike so far, and I plan to ride until there's snow on the ground (which might be until next spring, if it's anything like last year...). My pasrents are happy with that decision as well, and really don't want me to be driving until at least I pay them back for it (and get insurance again, of course). So, this means I still can't leave town on my own, but I don't mind (I like this town just fine myself). Again a big thank-you for everyone who's given me rides in the past few weeks and all.

In other news, I just finished a full week of work. My lead was on vacation, so I had to step up and take over for the week. It was really an experience. It was actaully rather pleasant to be able to guide myself through everything that needed doing throughout the week, and I realized that there are a few things that I need to start doing better (things that I'd been leaving for the other workers to do instead of handling myself). Also, this week, the other associate turned in her two-week notice, so soon I will be getting more hours again. It will be different with only the two of us, but it will mean more work time for me, which is really really nice.

I decided after thinking and praying about it, to wait to start school until January. It would just have been to rushed and difficult to get everything don't to get in this fall, and with the bills and everything, I really don't think it would have been prudent. Now I have a fair amount of time to get ready, file for student aid, and brush up on my math skills. I will still be going to the academic services this fall, and trying to absorb as much as they can teach me.

Well, I thin that's about it for now.

~H

busy schedule...

So yesterday we had our meeting for shoo poo, and I suddenly realized how soon all that is going to be. I guess I've kinda been zoning this summer or something...

Today while I was at the Tech, I asked about getting into the accounting program, and they said that there is still room for the fall semester, though I'll have to really rush to get all the stuff in and everything. I'm not sure if I'll be able to yet, though, because I really am tight on the whole money thing (car's cost a lot...) and even if I apply today for finincial aid, it won't be ready before the start of the semester. I guess it's all in God's hands whether He wants me to start school now or in January (I think that's when the next term starts, right?). This is like a major big step for me, but I'm actually fairly excited to be going back to school (as well as rather scared, but I guess that's natural). My mind is yearning to be filled.

So, with this school thing, and getting ready for Shoo Poo, and everything else that were doing at church this fall, and then working, I really don't think I'm going to be having a ton of extra time for relaxing. I think that's a good thing though.

No update yet as to the whole car situation. I'm getting more used to riding my bike around town, and a big thank you to those of one who have given me rides!

....it's been a month?

Wow.... So... it's been about a month now.... I guess I should update....

In the end of June I helped my brother move into his new house, and it is a really nice place. It's in a great neighborhood with a lot of families in it, so his dogs are getting a lot of attention from all the neighboring kids.

For the 4 of July weekend, I went to my uncle's farm, where a bunch of the family got together and lit off fireworks and had a big pot-luck and such and so on. It was fun to see some of the family again (I don't see them much in the summer months). Then on the Fourth itself I went to the concert at the bandshell (as usual) and then watched the town fireworks with my friend Rae.

Earlier this month I went to the tech school's acedemic services department and took some tests to see where my skill level is at. Now I am working on re-learning certain skills (math) and also learning some computer skills. Most of the computer stuff I've gone through so far has been simply review of what I've taught myself, but a few things are new to me, and kinda interesting. I also took a survey thing that helps you figure out what your interests are and such. After thinking over my results, and comparing them to certain hobbies and habits, and such, I think I might want to go into accounting or something like it. I realized that I really like numbers and figuring and such, and will even do such things when I am bored. I have a pretty good head for math (though after being out of school for four years, I'm a bit rusty in some areas). When I go back in again I'll talk to them about how to enroll for some actual classes.

This past week we released our dear friend Harley back into the woods. He has grown quite a bit since we first caught him, and I'm certain that he should be able to make it quite well on his own from here on out. My mom still wants food left out for him, and the food does seem to be eaten, though I'm not sure if it's him or something else (like one of the neighborhood cats) eating it. I shall miss having him around. I still have to get some pictures posted of him.

Work is going fairly well. We have been getting in a good number of our fall shoes, and have been busy clearancing our summer stock and reorganizing everything into the fall layout. It really seems strange speaking of fall in July... Anyway, it has been going well. In a couple weeks I am going to be getting a lot of hours, as the lead associate will be going on vacation. Also sometime very soon the other associate will be quiting, and I will be getting her hours. That will be very nice. Also, as it gets closer to the holidays I'll be gaining even more hours. This all makes me very happy, mostly because...

...my car decided to stop working. The other day I tried to start it, and all it would do was turn over. My step-dad checked it out and said it was probably some cap or gasket or some such that was malfunctioning. So we loaded the car onto a trailer and took it to the garage. As far as I know, it'll cost somewhere between 200 and 400 to get it fixed. This means that I'll most likely be riding bike for a while, which isn't really a bad thing.

Well, I think that's about it for the major events in my life for the past month.

...and they named him Harley

so, on saturday I was relaxing in my room, when suddenly my step-dad runs into the house calling for us to come see something. My mom and I go out, and we find a baby raccoon in our woodpile. So my mom gives him some bread and such, and we sit and wait for him to come out (because we have nothing better to do or something). Finally he comes out, eats the bread, and starts waddling on down the driveway. It is then that we notice that he isn't walking very steadily (he kept tipping over and having to steady himself). So my mom decided that we have to catch him. She goes over and tries to pick him up (he can't walk all that fast), but he almost bites her. Then she tells me that I should pick him up. yeah... right. Then she goes to get a towel to grab him with, telling me to keep him from running away. He hisses at me, and backs himself into the brush pile at the bottom of the driveway. Mom comes back out, and is mad at me for letting him get into the pile (what was I supposed to do?) and so we put out more bread and see if he'll come out again. After a while my step-dad comes up with him leather work gloves on, and we start dismantling the brush pile (very very carefully of course). Finally he (my step-dad) was able to grab him. We put him into a large old dog cage that we had from way back when we actually had a dog. We gave him a nice little box to hide in, and some water, and food and all that. My mom says that were just going to keep him until he gets bigger (I'm not sure exactly what she means by that) and then let him go. He is sooo adorably cute. I'll have to see if I can post a pic of him.....