If I were...

If I were a gemstone, I'd be an emerald.
If I were a scent, I'd be the earth after a rain.
If I were a pair of shoes, I'd be my green converse.
If I were the weather, I'd be rain falling while the sun is still shining.
If I were a facial expression, I'd be a wink.
If I were a car, I'd have my windows rolled down so I could breathe in the air.
If I were a time of day, I'd be sunrise.
If I were a month, I'd be April.
If I were a place, I'd be a forest.
If I were a liquid, I'd be a Raspberry Italian Creme Soda.
If I were a taste, I'd be fruity.
If I were an animal, I'd be a lightning bug.
If I were an a sea animal, I'd be a sea turtle.
If I were a food, I'd be a pear jelly bean.
If I were a color, I'd be teal.
If I were a dessert, I'd be creme brulee.
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be the piano. (Sorry Kaley. I copied :P)
If I were a flower, I'd be a lily.
If I were a song, I'd be "Free to be Me" by Francesca Battistelli.
If I were a planet, I'd be Neptune.
If I were an object, I'd be a crayon.
If I were a fruit, I'd be a mango.
If I were a sound, I'd be the sound of waves.
If I were a day of the week, I'd be Thursday.

Inspiration was found at this lovely young lady's blog :) Now go make your own!

To run or not. That's my quandary.

Eeehhh...maybe later. Humidity and 88 degree weather are not on my side.

It's a lovely lazy Saturday morning with lots of sunshine and a pinch of depression mixed in. Bryan flew off to NYC for his internship at unspeakable hours this morning. I stumbled downstairs so I could give him one last hug and fell asleep halfway up the stairs after he left. I then woke up 10 minutes after his flight left and a big wave of maaaanimmamissthatguy swept over me.

So I got up, got a sticky bun, and then realized I should write a blog post. And then I realized I had nothing to really blog about, besides the fact that I was eating a sticky bun and NOT running. I truthfully think that sticky buns are one of the most wonderful substances ever invented by man. And I also truthfully think that running in Houston proves one's inner insanity.

I'd post pictures, but I'm writing on Andy's laptop and I dun have no pictures on here. Bah.

Maybe later.

Owari.

I have decided something.

I am going to post at least once a week every week this summer, as long as I'm home.

Now this is where YOU come in.

If I do not post once every week this summer, you have every single right to yell at me, scream at me, shout at me, etc. In fact, I'm begging you to.

So let's start with the past seven days to catch up.

Last Tuesday, I realized that June had begun and I really needed to hustle to get whatever school I have left done if I ever wanted to have a real moment of summertime. I promptly began despairing about this because I really do have a loooot more of World History left than I really want to have left and I saw absolutely no possibility of ever finishing that enormous behemoth of a book. But I set up a schedule for myself, which I uh...haven't really gotten to yet, but there IS a reason.

My lovely grandmother arrived from Wyoming on Wednesday, and so I was busy helping my mom try to get our guestroom ready (which wasn't an easy task since Bryan's suitcase had pretty much erupted all over and even though he tried stuffing it back in there, he wasn't extremely successful), AND I had to practice piano since I had a lesson with the guru that day, and I really had to work on a Kabalevsky Toccata which I couldn't wait to be done with (and he did end up letting me off of it that day! woot woot for practicing). So with all that, no, I didn't get around to my World History. But I DID read a chapter of chemistry on the way to Sugarland and back without falling asleep, so I don't feel too bad about the whole thing.

Thuuursday, I got up at 5:30, showered, ate a muffin, then went on the road to the Sapps' beautiful home, where we picked up the amazing Grace, Joey, and Mrs. Sapp to go to Andrew Pudewa's conference for brillant writing and all that jazz. But it was actually a lot better than I expected! Except for the fact that my first timed essay was really horrible, and my second one was pretty much all made up (which is actually ACCEPTABLE by the SAT people. So don't judge me). Especially the part where I said Handel was inspired by a performance by Scarlatti--even though I don't think they ever even met. But it was still fun. Pudewa's name is fun to say, and he's a very funny person when he's not talking about Dress Up's and Sentence Openers. And the Sapps are just awesomely fun to hang out with, so it was automatically fun. Ending the day with a phone call from Kaley and then remembering I had church music practice 30 minutes after the practice had started, it was a lovely day.

Friday, I left to babysit my wonderful charges at 8:00 in the morning. It all went smashingly, besides the fact that the 3 year old almost ate his older sister's medicine, the 9 year old almost fainted, and that I had to clean up nigh unmentionable substances from the 3 year old's underwear. But I survived it all, and lived to tell the tale. And then I got to go to my FIRST REAL BASEBALL GAME EVER, when I saw the Astros play the Cubs, and I HAD FUN. I never thought I'd have fun at a baseball game where I didn't know anybody. But I did. And I got cotton candy, and the Astros won, so it was a good deal all around.

Saturday, Andy graduated from high school, leaving me the last kid still not in college. I'm gonna miss having him around...a lot. But he'll only be 45 minutes away, so it's not terrible. Just bad.

Sunday was lazy and thunderstormy. And just perfect in general. God is so wonderful :)

And today! Did I do any World History, you ask? No. But I did practice piano a lot. And that's a bad excuse. I need you guys to keep me accountable for that too. Send me an email. No, even better, CALL ME! Just tell me to get it done or I can't go to camp. (I'd go to camp anyway, but I really need incentive.)

Tomorrow is the last day with my grandma while she's here, so my mom and I are taking her to Rice Village to see all there is to see. Should be fun, I say!

And now, I's tired and I's going night-night. Sweet dreams, loves!

Hello blog.

Yes, I know. I'm horrible. Forgive me?

Awww, thanks.

So yes. I suppose I should update you all who need updating...life is, as always, uneventful. School is going smashingly as I'm cramming in every single last minute to get things done before the end of May (which is coming up WAY too soon.). You may ask, "Why on earth is Haley writing a blog post when she SHOULD be doing World History?" And you have every right to ask that. And you have every right to scold me because I really don't have a legit answer for you besides the fact that I haven't blogged for an unseemly long amount of time. Which, if I really did write profound blog posts, wouldn't be such a bad thing. But I don't write profound blog posts. But you guys still read this stuff, so I'll humor ye.

Piano/orchestra/band is going good. I'm trying to up my practice time...which hasn't been terribly hard so far. God's been gracious and has added hours in the day when I can just be musical. I'm trying out for the Houston Virtuosi on May 15...it's a pretty prestigious youth orchestra, and I'm way excited...it'll be nice to actually have a conductor with a music degree. Heh. And I've been given hope today, because a violinist in my orchestra who's in it told me all the flutes are graduating, which meeeaaaannnsss there are SPACES for me! Now just to audition...please pray I don't completely flub it :S

Aaaand this is old news. I got my permit. But I drove on a FEEDER road next to the INTERSTATE. It was scary. And a guy flipped me off (even though HE crossed a double white line and cut me off. I honked at him. He wasn't happy. Hence the flipping.) But it was fun to go 50 >:D

I'm now on the Worship Team at church, which has been AMAZING. Worshipping God is one of my favorite things to do. Period. I never get tired of it, and I wish I could do it all the time. God has blessed me with an opportunity to share the gift He's given me with those around me and to spread His glory and fame.

This is...interesting. Because when I first moved here, I thought my life was going to end. I saw absolutely no light at the end of my horrible self-pity tunnel. My only hope was to just let go of all of my selfish sorrow, and let God show me why He put me here. He didn't show me at first, which drove me crazy, pointing out a (but most definitely not the only) flaw in me that I seriously needed to see: Impatience and reluctance to completely let go and give God control. What I thought was silence from God wasn't silence at all. He was working, but I just couldn't see it until months later. I know that He wants to use me, and I'm willing to listen to what He tells me to do, and I can praise Him all the more for His faithfulness and love.

Isn't God AWESOME?!

Ok. I'm done. Go on with your lives. Night blogland.

[edit: all my spaces between paragraphs ran away to join the circus. That's why my whole post looks like one big glob of mess.]

Dear oh dear...I've quite neglected my blog. This is bad.

In unrelated news, I started knitting socks!

All thanks to my deariest Graciella :)

So. Life!

Summed up. :O

I've now entered "old" teenagerhood, which most of you know. I can now legally drive(but only if I complete 14 hours of driving practice, after obtaining my permit, which I can't get until I finish Drivers' Ed, which doesn't exist online anymore and that means I have to go take it with *gasp* REAL PEOPLE and NOT my dear sweet mother, who I know would do a better job anyway), get a job, and of course, start feeling incredibly old whenever I tell people my age(only after a sputter of fou-fift-no, sixteen!) (yes, this does mean that I recently almost told someone I was 14, not too long ago.) (parentheses ftw!!)

My uneventful life keeps me pretty busy, trying to catch up on World History, and fingering through the PSAT study guide hesitantly. Any free time I have, I'm most likely at my computer, furiously clicking away, trying to make pictures look how I want them to. May I add here that Adobe Lightroom is the best? Thanks.

I painted my toenails bright blue today. But you didn't need to know that.

Ooh, and I started a Mozart piano Sonata too. It's lovely. You've probably heard it.

I leave you with 1 Peter 5:7.

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Isn't God just wonderful?

Have happy days!

Owari.

Random thought of the Day

I really really love doing chemistry at night.

Well, I really love doing chemistry anytime...so it's not like that's a surprise...

But yes. I just thought that should be declared to the world.

Aren't reactions just lovely?

Oohhhh, TALK about a rhetorical question!

Owari.

Random Thought of the Day:

I realized today that I really love beginnings. (Stargirl moment! Ah!)

If only I can just view every Monday that way...

*sigh*

Owari.

Er...hi Blogger. Long time no post.

*awkward silence*

So I pretty much fail at keeping a blog.

BUT. I will be better. Er...try.

So. Life...life is fairly uneventful at the moment. I got back from a COMPLETELY ROCK AWESOME WEEKEND IN PONCA where there was much dancing, pizza, underground church-ness, tea by the Christmas tree with one of my faaavorite lovelybeautifulawesomeincredible friends in the whole wide world, cold weather, no snow, and all my amazing friends who I love to death.

Christmas break continues without a hitch, as I attempt to catch up on school I kinda...didn't do..heh. heh. Bryan's home, Andy got a job working at the movie theater which means that our whole family gets free tickets. Every day. Heeee :) My lovely piano student, Helen, is doing absolutely wonderfully and gives me a nice laugh and usually a picture of some sort every week. My amazing parents are getting ready to celebrate their 26th(!) anniversary tomorrow. Bryan's girlfriend Amanda is coming down to meet everyone and spend the rest of break with us...

...

And I am running out of interesting things to say. So. PICTURES!

All taken with Osborn, the amazing Canon Rebel XS. I. Love. My. Camera.

Today (fo realz this time!) I am thankful for...

Small, hardly noticed moments

Because they can bring you the biggest smile of your day.

Because they can make you laugh. Like almost putting butter in your tea instead of sugar...*cough*

Because they can bring to mind significantly important thoughts that you desperately needed a reminder of.

Because God places them throughout the day, and even though we often miss them, it's a real treat when we do see them.

Today I am thankful for...

Patience

Because without it, all human beings would probably explode.

Because not everything can be done in a second. Even snapping a single picture requires time and patience.

Because I WILL learn this song, I WILL....

Because even though December 18 is still a month away, it's gonna get here!(!!!!!!!!!!!)

Just be patient. However hard it is.

Today, I am thankful for...

Movement

Because it doesn't matter if it's fast or slow. Any form of movement has a sort of wonderful design working behind it, and even to see the smallest measure of how something moves always facinates me.

Because even though movement can be away from something, it can also be toward something. And that can bring complete happiness.

For example, imagine yourself in a car headed to Houston. Happiness, no? (At least on this side anyway..)

So...I'm kinda 4 days behind...and...yeah.

Call me a bad blogger. Go ahead. Do it.

Today, I am thankful for...

Hands.

Which may sound odd...but I really am.

Because, honestly, these funny appendages do so much more than we give them credit for.

Because even when they drive your piano teacher nuts because your stupid pinky won't stay on the keys during those horrid alternative octaves, they can still overcome any obstacle if they genuinely try.

Because even just holding a friend's hand can be even more joyous than a hug.

Because without them, we'd pretty much be hopeless.

Ever since I moved (*cringe*) here, I've had good weeks and bad weeks as far as homesickness goes. Erm, well...the homesickness is always bad, but sometimes it really does stick out more prominently.

This week has been a somewhat bad week...mostly because I haven't been doing a lot and really have no other thing to think about than the life I'm missing. Mostly, I've been able to drown my homesickness in keeping busy, and thus keeping my mind on other things for a brief amount of time. This works some times...but not all the time.

My enemy right now is wishful thinking...thoughts come into my mind about a life that I don't have. Friends that I can't touch, or talk to, or hold. And even though those thoughts seem lovely...they destroy me.

These wishes and thoughts give me temporary contentment, but then I hit reality. I am in Katy, Texas. I am 600 miles away from dear, dear friends. I am not where I want to be.

The more I think about it, homesickness really is a chronic illness. It won't go away easily, and there's no possible way that we can cure it ourselves.

Thankfully, God cures it.

This morning I stayed home from church because I was sick. I felt so alone and I felt as if everyone who could comfort me was out of reach. I immediately thought of one of my favorite verses...

Fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

This verse has helped me countless times...and it really helped me today. Because even though my friends are out of reach, my God is not. My God is with me. My God helps me.

So today, I am thankful for God's hands.

Because even though I'm in Katy, I'm still where He wants me and is holding me.

Because even though I'm 600 miles away from everyone, God is with me and has me in His constant embrace.

Because even in long sleepless, dry-eyedless, shoulder-to-cry-on-less nights of missing people, God still gives me the reassurance that He won't let me go.

Today, something struck me that I really should be more thankful for...We went to our good friend Bev's house today to help her put up her Christmas decorations.

(Wait. Huh? Rewind. Christmas decorations, you say? In NOVEMBER? 2 weeks before Thanksgiving?! That's. Nuts.)

Actually, how I wish it were just nuts. But it's more complicated than that. Bev was diagnosed with the same kind of cancer my mom had about a month ago, and she's scheduled for surgery...the DAY before Thanksgiving.

So as you can probably guess, she wouldn't be all too thrilled to put up Christmas decorations while she's recovering, and she's working 12 hour days all week next week, so she'd have no time to do it then...so my mom and I went over and helped.

And it. Was. Fun.

I'm serious.

Miss Bev is seriously the coolest person ever. She's got more energy than a hyperactive gerbil, and I'm always amazed at all the work she gets done! She's one of those peck-on-the-cheek-whenever-I-see-you kinda people. She's just really really cool and so much fun to be around!

But decorating gave me a serious case of deja vu...exactly a year ago, my mom and I were down there for a weekend helping Bev put up those same decorations...except back then, my mom was the one having treatments.

It's been almost a year since my mom finished all her cancer stuff...and I sometimes go for days not even thinking that my mom had cancer a year ago, much less being thankful for it...

Those 9 months and 23 days were the scariest of my life...watching someone I loved go through so much suffering and having absolutely no power to take that pain away was the hardest thing I've ever ever had to do...all I could do was pray. But God showed me so much through that time...He gave me comfort that He would give my mom comfort. And He never ceased to amaze! Anything we prayed for, He gave us ten times over what we expected...isn't God amazing?

So today, I am thankful...

That my mom doesn't have to wear hats anymore.

That every other week isn't chemo week.

That she can play guitar again.

That my Livestrong bracelet doesn't make me cry every time I look at it.

That my mom is cancer free.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, God...

Ok, so I totally started two days early without knowing it...but you can never be too thankful can you? Right?

Today I'm thankful for...

Music.

Because it has so many different facets.

Because it's not just a song. It's beautiful sounds dancing with one another.

Because it's magical.

Because it's a direct gift from God given to us to enjoy and glorify Him with.

I. Love. Music.

I thought I'd join Kaley in her challenge...thing.

So.

Today I am thankful for...

ALL these awesome people.

And I miss them. Like..a lot. A big lot.

Random Fact of the Day:

Andy just started serenading me with "You Belong with Me" and dancing...

I'm NEVER thinking of that song the same way again.

Oh, and I finally updated my weekly word!

(more like semiannual word...)

Gaze upon the glory.

And keep gazing.

Owari.

Subsequent to the reading of a certain Blog O' Doom, I thought I would delve deep into Haleyness and seek out 5 things none of you know about me. Which is really really hard since most of you know me really well...but I'm gonna really try :P

1.

When I was 4, I wished I was made out of chocolate. No, I'm not kidding.

2.

I've been on the Oklahoma City news before. I was on a field trip in the art museum in OKC with my mom and brothers when suddenly out of nowhere comes this news crew. I was actually really freaked out(I was like...7). They stuck a microphone in my face and asked me what my favorite painting was. I have NO idea why I remember this, but I said it was this painting of a lady with a teacup...it only lasted about 10 seconds, but I remember watching the news that night with my family and thinking it was the coolest thing in the world that I was on TV. Except one thing put a damper on it all. They spelled my name "Hayley Bartle". There goes my fame.

3.

Most of you know I'm a helpless Final Fantasy fanatic. I have VII, VIII, IX, and the piano music to VII and IX because I drool over the soundtrack. But what you probably don't know is that my account on the ninth game was over 80 hours long. Yes. I spent over three days playing Japanese games. Of course I beat it over the course of about 5-6 months, so it's not like I was playing it nonstop for three days straight. Still...

4.

Some of you might know this...but I'm running out of ideas, so I'll just say it anyway because it's not very common knowledge :)

When I was really little, I absolutely adored this book called "Busy Timmy" and I would make my dad read it to me over and over and over again and again and again. Because of this, he started calling me Timmy, and he still does. In fact, he rarely ever calls me Haley.

5.

Oooooh, we're down to numba 5! What to put down...hmmm...

Gosh...this is hard...and I'm getting really tired...

Oh! Got one!

Andy and I used to watch Jackie Chan Adventures religiously every Saturday morning and every weekday after school. I even remember what time it came on. Sad, I know...

Well, I'm tuckered out and tomorrow's gonna be awesome, so Ima go to bed, k? K.

Night world!

Owari.

Random fact of the day:

Curses.

I slept through the start of National Mole Day.

But I think that's legal.

Because I went to bed at 3...

Dang paper.

Owari.

Dear Tea,

I am eternally grateful for your late school night support, and can never quite express how much your dark, soothing tones have given me strength and straightened out my train of thought.

I could never write this paper...excuse me. PaperS without you.

If you don't mind me drinking you by the gallon until I finally finish, then I'll just pour myself another cup.

I would honestly be dead right now if it weren't for you.

I drink in your comfort and caffine and

I eagerly await our next meeting.

*gulp and satisfied sigh*

I love you.

Haley

Owari.