Just Thinking...

Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it. ~Jacques Prévert
It's pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness. Poverty and wealth have both failed. ~Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard

This summer I feel like is a good time to reflect and then move on. I've been thinking about should make me happiest and I just haven't quite figured it out yet. So I'm actually quite excited to make this a summer about me, about finding things out about myself that I did not know up to this point. And I know that I will find a higher happiness than what I currently have.

Time Does Tick By

Well, it's been over a year since I've updated my own blog. But I did have to do a blog for school and I have updated the family blog more frequently as well, so I'm doing okay. :D I don't know if anyone is even still reading this, so I guess I'll blog to myself.

Isn't amazing how fast time goes by? There's only 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in a hour, and only 24 hours in a day; it seems like so much but it all goes by so fast. The clock never stops moving,unless the batteries die.

It's an extremely hot summer in Georgia this year, and lots of humidity. It's crazy bad. It almost feels worse than the first year we moved here when we didn't have fans. But only almost.

I had a great time out in Idaho and Utah when I went to visit this month. I loved seeing everyone I saw and couldn't believe how much some of my family has grown. It's amazing what even a year can do. I hope I'll all of you again soon( someone could always come see me too). :D

I'm having a tranquil summer, sleeping in and finally getting better from having mono through out the school year. I'm scrap booking, doing Seminary makeup, and personal progress.

I got a hair cut, cut off my split ends and am hoping I can fix all the damage I've done to my hair by wearing it up all the time.

I hope everyone is doing well and I love you so much.
Love from,
Natalee

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.~ Isiah 41:10

My Puppy Lucy Rose

I got a new puppy named Lucy Rose. I wanted to name her Rosie but instead she was named Lucy and her middle name is Rose. She is a white tri collie puppy and pretty cute, don't you think? She LOVES to bother me and eat my shoe laces( they have huge tears in them now because of this). She also loves to eat my feet, which tends to be painful.

For those of you who know me really well, I'm the person in my family who is always talking about getting a dog. Well this time it had absolutely NOTHING to do with me. It was all my dad, the man who's said no to my want of dogs for years bought the puppy that is now at my house. It's very interesting how the world works isn't?

Lucy is pretty cute and I think I like her, I'm not so sure though. She's a little too insane for me too decide at the moment. But hopefully she'll turn out to be a good dog. I guess I'll have to bring out my dog training skills and teach her some manners if I can get her to hold still long enough...

~Nat

School Is Back In Session

The moment we've all been dreading, the beginning of school. Every year when a certain time of summer comes every student, no matter what grade, is given a supply list, assigned teachers, and given the horror of going back to school. This happened this past week. Now being in eighth grade so far hasn't truly been that bad, once you get over the mass amount of homework already given, don't like about half of your teachers, your bottom locker( that you can barely even get to) being on the complete opposite side of the hallway from all your classes except homeroom, not having classes with all your friends, and having a younger brother at the same school that's driving you crazy. Mind you this is the first week of school. Imagine all the other weeks coming up. It's going to be very interesting.
Well some good things about the first week was the Olympics have been going on and that has been a lot of fun to watch. I think my favorite sports to watch are swimming, rowing, volleyball, and handball. They all are really cool to watch. Another good thing was my dad got me a computer to use. I say this way because it is his, i just get to use more then he does. I seriously think it's the coolest laptop i have ever seen. Next on the cool list, I found out that my Grandpa and Grandma Jones are visiting my family in October this week and I'm so excited. And finally, I finally have Little Natalie back with me in one class and lunch. I didn't have any classes with her last year so I'm excited about that.
With the first week down the drain who knows what's going to happen next?

Book Report

I finally am on the right computer with the right pictures. So, for my book report, I read the book "The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale. I claim that the entire series are better than Harry Potter. You must read them! My project was a diorama of the journey, Ani(a.k.a. Isi) takes through out the book. This project took FOREVER to finish, but when it was done I was so happy with the way it turned out. The diorama itself is made out of salt dough, which was then painted over, and finally I put diorama kit stuff over it. The diorama is held inside a spray painted diaper box, which as most of you know, is no longer needed in my house. When all of it was done, i think it turned out pretty good. If one thing, the only thing I'm grateful for Ms. Castle taught me this past year, it was improving my painting skills on this project.

Summer!

Yay! Summer has been amazing so far. I have gone camping, been sleeping, playing with my bros(who can be very annoying),swimming, I cut half of my hair off(and if you don't notice it thats because I can pull off the look), gone to Stone Mountain(but didn't climb beacause I had flip-flops on), bike every night, cleaned out our entire basement so that we can get new carpet, media room, and game room(it's going to be amazing), and have done a lot of other boring things you don't probably want to hear about.

I also finally have pictures of my amazing book report that I have been talking about finally downloaded onto the computer. But they're on the other computer so you will have to wait to see the magnificent project. I know it's a little late to put stuff up from school(because it ended four weeks ago), but I think it's an amazing project so I will anyway.

Guess what my older brother did? He went to EFY(which is a summer program for church, that you go to for a week,I could have gone but didn't) and yesterday night he and some other guys decide to jump from a mini trampoline onto matresses and try to touch the ceiling. Well it all was fine until one of the boys(the whole camp director's son) hit a fire sprinkler and set the entire buildings fire alarm. So now the first two floors dorm(it's at a college in Gainsville, Ga), are flooded. Now that's what I call some serious trouble! Anyway, so Gene has to come home because he jumped too and my dad has to go pick him up. I am so happy I don't have to be in that car with the two of them! It's not going to be pretty tonight.

Well I hope every thing is great for every one during this amazing(and hot) summer. I got to go help my mom hang up pictures in my brother's room so, Adios Amigos!

Some of My Favorite Quotes

I just wanted to share some of my favorite quotes( I have a lot more).

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet. ~James Openheim

Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family. Most of us would give our own life for the survival of a family member, yet we lead our daily life too often as if we take our family for granted. ~Paul Pearshall

We are what we believe we are. ~C. S. Lewis

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. ~Alfred Lord Tennyson

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you do not try. ~Beverly Sills

The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed. ~Lloyd Jones

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

You cannot always have happiness, but you can always give happiness. ~Author Unknown