Savannah DAY 3

Yesterday was Awesome!!!! We went to Tybee Island, off the coast of Georgia.

In the morning we stopped at Old Fort Jackson, which is strategically placed to where every boat that passes through the river (which I forgot the name of) has to float by Fort Jackson.

The guides were dressed like Confederate Corporals from the Civil War era. They marched us off the bus, and into the fortress, which is almost the exact way it looked during Lincoln's Presidency. We were taught some simple commands, like how to turn left and right, and salute, and speak to your senior officers. Everyone 'passed' and the fun began.

Our guides put us into three groups, my group went to the old barracks to be quizzed by our guide about Girl Scouts and Civil War history.

Then we went to the cannon station! We were taught how to prep and fire a cannon in thirty seconds, and how to yell loudly the correct commands for preparing and firing a cannon.

the last station was signal and communication, where we learned how to make words and letters with flags. Apparently the Confederate military was not well prepared, in the area of communication. According to our guide, there was not one Confederate communications solider who didn't receive training from a Girl Scout in flag signals and Morse code.

Who forgot the mention that in history books?!?! HUH?

Last but not least our guides go together and fired one of the cannons!!! It was really loud, and it smoked a lot, but it was amazing to see. Then we went to the gift shop, blah blah, nothing interesting there.

After lunch we headed out to the Marine Science Center on Tybee island. Our new guide, I forgot her name, took us on a walk along the beach after we had piddled around the gift shop and turtle tanks for a while. Our walk along the beach resulted in seeing two dead cannon ball jelly fish, and two live ones, which we returned to the ocean.

Then we swam in the ocean, and I successfully got sand every where, including my basketball camp shirt. It still has sand in it, and I washed it for heaven's sake! Also I didn't get sunburned!!!! Haha I finally trumped the sun and didn't get burned. Yah!

That night we went to the pirate's house. It's a supposedly haunted restaurant, but I saw no ghosts. I even said "I don't believe in Ghosts" and of course nothing happened. You apparently not supposed to tell the spirits that you don't believe in them, because they get mad and do something. The place mat said that they drop picture frames, steal food, and appear where you least expect them. Whatever.

They gave us punch out dress up stuff. How could I resist? I've always wanted to be a pirate. :)

Our day was really fun, and We had even more fun today! I'll tell y'all about it later :)

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Savannah DAY 2

Sorry! I didn't post how yesterday went, so here it goes.

We went to the birthplace of Girl Scouts, dressed in our spiffy Girl Scout uniforms (White polos, khaki pants, and our sash or vest), which is the house Juliette Gordon Low created the Girl Scouts in.

Our morning session was craft time. I expected this to be all little girl stuff, but I was pleasantly surprised that all of the four that we made were something I wanted to keep and were challenging enough to keep me busy! Yah! :)

Then we ate lunch, courtesy  of the Soda Pop Shoppe, in one of Savannah's many squares. After our sandwiches we hiked back to the birthplace for and orientation of Juliette's life and how she grew up. I found it very insightful, as I learned multiple new facts about our founder. Did you know that before a boy was potty trained he could not get his first hair cut, and he had to wear a dress????? True story.

Moving on.

Then we toured the house. While Juliette did create Girl Scouts in the Birthplace house, she did not live there but for six months with her new husband, William Low. The house is beautiful. It's almost completely restored, wonderfully decorated, and our tour guide literally new what brand of paint was used to paint every room! She was a Girl Scout herself, and works for the Birthplace doing tours and whatnot.

Unfortunately, I forgot to put my SD card back into my camera, so I couldn't take any pictures. Also pictures aren't allowed inside the birthplace, so I wouldn't have been able to take them anyway.

When we were done at the Birthplace we followed Ms. Dawn (Our fearless leader, who walks faster than a Freakin NASCAR driver) to the Andrew Low house. Andrew Low was the father of Juliette's husband, and she lived in his house most of her life. The carriage house behind the Original is where the Girl Scouts held their first meeting, and also First Headquarters.

The Andrew Low house was even prettier and more lavishly decorated than any house I have ever seen! It was sooooooo BEAUTIFUL! Crystal chandlers, priceless silver ware, ancient antiques, and lavish decorations.

Needless to say it was Beautiful. That night we went on the Gospel Choir Dinner Tour, which we awesome, except that the air-conditioner was definitely NOT working and it was hotter than Hades. Everything else was great, including the DJ up stairs which explains the picture below...

I walked out onto the floor just as the conga line started, so someone threw a sombrero on my head. I told my mom no pictures, but she did anyway, and I think I need to learn to laugh at myself. So go ahead. Laugh away... Ok you can stop now :P

That was it. We stopped at a Candy store on the way home, where I got fudge and dark chocolate bark. I ate all the fudge and am eating the bark while typing this.

I'll post stuff about today tomorrow night hopefully! We're going on a Ghost Tour tonight!

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Savannah DAY 1

I have officially made it to Savannah Georgia... ALIVE and in one piece. Yah! :)

Last night (actually this morning :/ ) at about 2am we got to our hotel, and I was asleep fifteen minutes later. My mother and I were supposed to attend church today where Juliette Gordon Low (founder of Girl Scouts) went to and was married in. But we slept until ten instead. I'm such a bad christian! Haha.

Then we went to Paula Dean's place. We piddled around the gift shop for a while, and I called my Padre to wish him a happy Father's day. Our lunch consisted of fried chicken, that I can get at KFC, cold crunchy mac and cheese, like the nasty stuff Kraft makes, and way too salty potatoes! Yuck. I was NOT impressed with Paula Dean's restaurant, maybe it was just because today was a buffet, but I won't be going back.

After lunch we boarded a Trolley for a four hour tour of Historic Savannah, or what the locals call "downtown." Our first stop was at the Laurel Grove Cemetery, which was originally owned by a wealthy plantation owner, who decided to sell plots for people to bury their dead in. When no one would buy his plots, because their previously deceased loved ones were in another cemetery, he said that if they bought his plots he would move their loved ones to his site. The funny part is that he didn't actually move the bodies, just the tomb stones to Laurel Grove. So there are a lot of unmarked graves in the other cemetery, and a lot of unused tomb stones at Laurel Grove.

This is also where Juliette was placed to rest.

At we grave we took pics, and hosted a small ceremony for the girls who received their bronze/silver awards this year. We traded a few SWAPS (Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Placed Somewhere).

The rest of the tour was extremely insightful. We looked at old churches, the squares (small parks in the city), old houses, cemetery's, and places of historical interest. After stopped by a rather large and super modern cafe for ice cream, which was really good.

Below are some pics I took while we were out. Some of them aren't very good as I have a small digital camera, and I am not a skilled photo taker.

 This is Juliette Gordon Low's Head stone. She designed it herself, but actually it wasn't put up until ten years after she died, because it was very expensive and she left all her money to the Girl Scouts.

 Her picture doesn't do her justice. She was very very beautiful in real life, but this pic makes her look like the wicked witch of the west or something.

 The moss growing on these trees is on every tree within miles of Savannah. It's not parasitic, it just hangs on the trres and occasionally falls into the streets. At night this stuff can be pretty creep! Booh! :)

 Me and My Momma at Juliette's headstone. We were very excited to see the grave of the founder of Girl Scouts. Back in the day they were called Girl Guides... interesting tidbit.

 It's Paula Dean! Nope, just a cut out. I didn't realize she was so short. I'm only like five five, so she can't be much taller than five even, if this is realistically sized that is.

Me in between the graves of Ellie and Franklin Low, who died at the age one. They were Juliette's niece and nephew from her brother and his wife.

During the trolley tour we passed an old beat up building that had this interesting message written on it. When we got off to take pictures at some old building I snapped one of this. It's not only biased and funny, as it was surrounded by trash (you can't see it in the photo), but also whoever wrote it for the 'u' on the end of you! Jesus wants YO to recycle dog!

I'll have more to post tomorrow, as we are going to the Birthplace of Girl Scouts.

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P.S. My last day of basketball camp was AWESOME, although I lost at the Knock-out championship :( oh well I'm training for next year. But I did make sixty-five of about eighty or ninety! That's a pretty good percentage, at least it's better than Shaq!

This is Coach Ford with a Chocolate Mustache! Becca made it for her on the last day of camp. I've been so busy I forgot to post this.

Basketball $hoe$

There is a reason for replacing the 's' with dollar signs. Basketball shoes are expensive, because I'm picky. I hate those 'lightweight' shoes, because the designers take out important (at least to me) support in the heel and sometimes the toe cap.

I had an infected ingrown toenail for the entire basketball season last year, I didn't tell anyone as I was embarrassed since it was gross. My poor toe got stepped on sooooo much I seriously thought I might have to have surgery to get the flaming nail out of my toe. I didn't need surgery, but I did have to have the nail removed. Our last basketball game was a Tuesday in Feb. and I went and had the nail pulled that Thursday. It's just now almost done growing back. Probably won't be all the way done until school starts.

I've also landed on my ankle very hard a few times, and I'm surprised I haven't broken it... yet. I'm a post player,  and rebounding, twisting, and flopping (faking a foul to get to the free throw line) requires a lot of support for your upper ankles.

So, I don't but just any basketball shoe, I research, read reviews, look at multiple sites, check ebay, compare prices, sizes, durability, support, materials, blah blah blah... I take pride in my shoes, and I only want the best.

Another thing is that I really don't like my parents to but my shoes. Buying them myself makes me responsible for them. I wash my shoes, polish off the scuffs, bleach (or wash) the lases, and I pick dirt out of the bottom of them. I know I'm weird. But they're mine, because I bought them, and I'm gonna take care of them. Plus if I buy them, I own them.

Heck I don't even put my shoes in the closet, I have a special spot for them on my book shelf, yeah you could say I show them off. But they're mine and I'm proud of them.

The shoes I want to get, well actually I have a toss up between two completely different pairs. Both are Nike's but that's about all they have in common. I'll post pictures at the bottom. I'm leaning towards the most expensive ones (Duh!) but only because I can customize them (Like get my number on them) and I can get them in my school colors! Yah! :)

They cost 145 moolas. Yeah I know more than twice the cost of the ones I'm wearing now, which I had from seventh grade. I'm going into high school, shouldn't I be allowed to BUY my OWN pair of basketball shoes. I'll work and I'll scrap and I'll save my money, and I'll get my super cool Basketball shoes.

Enough ranting. Now you can look at the pics.

 First is the red pair. They're made for post players, and short sudden bursts of speed, which is what I need. However they have a little bit cut out from the back where my ankle would be. It's not that much, but It still bothers me. Just to save a few extra ounces, I don't think I'd risk breaking my ankle.

Also I asked Coach May about these and she asked, "You're gonna get them in green right?" Apparently she doesn't like the red. And everyone else thinks I"ll look like a Christmas tree with our green uniforms. Whatever.

 Next is the Customizable ones. As you can see they're already customized, with my signature (SC#20) and everything. Plus they're my school colors, I think Coach would like them. And I wouldn't look like a Christmas tree...

I can even have my number stitched into the side of these. Talk about personalization! Plus the green laces are cool.

Comment and tell me which ones you like better! :)

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Third Day of Basketball Camp.

Plyometrics are my new arch nemesis!!!!

Coach Ford has us doing all kinds of weird things today, and boy do I hurt! The coolest one was called the air born Heisman. First you take two steps really fast and tap your heels together while your doing it. Then after the last step you jump onto one leg with the other bent and in the air. Your supposed to touch your hand to your foot, but after about the first time I quit doing it.

I didn't get chick-fil-a, but I did get sonic.

That's about it. Tomorrow is the last day of Basketball camp. I will win at knock-out! Then I have to start packing for my trip to Savannah... fun :/

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P.S. I am now officially VP, and since LeBron James didn't win in the Finals I'm sure everyone would like to vote him out of office, so I am now President! Yah!

Second day of Basketball Camp

Well, I'm still alive!!!! That's a good thing. I was really sore this morning, and almost had to have my mother tie my shoes on, but I did it! Tomorrow, she will definitely have to help me with them... :( I'm sore now, imagine what I'll like in the morning!

But I did get my chick-fil-a for lunch today!!!! :) I just kept telling myself when we were running nonstop, 'you're getting chick-fil-a after this, keep going, you're getting chick-fil-a' And I did it. Plus I got a chocolate milkshake. YUM.

Tomorrow will probably be bad as well. We start off with Legacy Links, which is where we run around the court and when coach blows the whistle, the last person in line sprints to the front. The more girls, the more you run. During the season we ran one lap to get started, then one lap for every person after that, and another lap for good measure. In total we ran something like eleven laps nonstop, and one of them you had to sprint! Thankfully we did half laps, so only about six or seven times around.

Then we shoot free throws, and not to toot my own horn, but I've been practicing those a lot, like for an hour a day, and I think I'm pretty good at them. We'll see what I can do in a pressured situation...

After that we usually work a little bit on whatever concepts we're learning that day. For example yesterday was shooting technique, and today was ball handling and passing. Then comes the hard part, conditioning with Coach Ford. Keep in mind Coach Ford trained for like 26 weeks with a group of elite trainers to run the the freaking Houston Marathon!!!!! She had us doing all kinds of lunges, squats, stop and start running, and worst of all wall sits! I HATE those things. Plus we lost at a shooting game, we had to make 50% of our shots, and we made like 40% so we had to run two suicides. (figure out the meaning, the name gives it away.)

Then we go and work on different mini concepts that help with whatever we're suppose to be learning that day.

TODAY I WON AT KNOCK OUT!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA. Like I said I never lose, and I didn't today. Yipee. Coach May said at the end of the week were going make all the winners play each other, I better start practicing.

All in all today was really fun, nobody puked, and I got Chick-fil-a. :)

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First day of Basketball Camp...

Yeah today was the first day of basketball camp. We had a lot of fun, as the conditioning part was only about thirty minutes, but tomorrow Coach said we have to run suicides. I lost at Knock-out, which I never lose at... there is a first time for everything, but I will prevail!!!!!

Other than that not much else to say. Hopefully I don't die tomorrow, I'll let you know if I do.

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AWW POOH!!!!!!!

DALLAS WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

115 TO 105. Shoot I wanted LeBron to win! Darnit!

Jheez none of my sports teams ever win anymore. Oh well... maybe my luck will change.

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Family Camp-out

This weekend my family and I, plus a few others, braved the heat (and the incredibly long car drive) to haul our butts down to the Frio River in Garner State park. My dad pulled the trail with all the gear, so it took us five hours instead of four to get there. I know, only five hours right? Haha, WRONG!!!!! It's only five hours on endless highways, with your bossy five year old sister, your farting brother, too much crap in the car, nothing to listen to on your ipod, and I'm really really bad at Angry Birds, car trip! :/ NOT FUN.

But the actual camping was ok.

Here's a brief synopsis: (synopsis, good word, what does it mean? Comment and tell me!)

We arrived friday night, set up camp and cooked dinner. My mom made little mini burgers, and some of the younger kids had hotdogs. Nothing interesting.

The next morning, I get up had a few cups of coffee, eat breakfast, and put on sunscreen and my bathing suit. Then we left for the water. The Frio is down about three feet, and had no current so we couldn't tube like we had hoped, but we did get to splash around the entire day. I was smart enough to wear my sunglasses, thinking that I could protect my eyeballs from the sun. I protected my eyes alright, but now my forehead and tip of my nose are sunbruned, and nothing else.

My poor face looks like an over ripe irratated tomato! Oh well, it'll be gone in a few weeks. Hopefully.

My Aunt Trina and her friend, that we call Aunt April, came at about one or two that afternoon, and spent the rest of the day flouncing around in the water with us. Did I mention it was VERY VERY cold water. Hence the name Frio River...

Our lunch was sandwiches and leftover sliders and hotdogs. I had my fill and went back in the water.

When we got back to camp, we were informed that it was Mexcian night, and we were all eating tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas! YUM! Except that the patrol making the tacos ate them, before they brought them over to the adult area. So no tacos, but with knowing some of the boys in that Patrol I am kind of glad I didn't get one of their Tacos...

My brother made the enchiladas, just about all by himself, and they were DELICIOUS! But the other guy who helped him put way too much Tony's spice in them, and I nearly had a coughing fit after the first bite. I told My brother to make them again, and hide the Tony's from Matt. :)

While we were serving the food, my sister had this bright idea to go and take a walk around the campsite. I'm just saying one word, STUPID. She stepped on some stick that had like four inch thorns over by some tree on the other side of the campsite. It went right through her cutesy pink croc, which still bears the mark, and into her little foot.

She comes back over to the campsite screaming and hobbling on one leg, and nearly gives my mom a heart attack, becasue by the time her shoe was off blood was all over her shoe and the bottom of her foot! So my dad plopped her on a cooler, cleaned her foot, pulled the thorn out, disinfected it (by now it had stopped bleeding), put a very big bandaid on it, then cuddled her until she stopped crying. After the fact she got a very stern talk about not wandering off, and watching where you step.

Everyone kept their shoes on after that...

This morning we ate breakfast, packed up, sang a few church hyms, let my brother shower, and then we were off.

My dad's car hit 100,000 miles today on the beltway coming home. Yah, I guess. I'm not sure what it means, but it was cool to just watch the numbers change. I watched it for like an hour, because my sis didn't let me watch her movie, my ipod has nothing of value, and my mom was sleeping.

Oh, I forgot. My super smart, always packed, and prepared Boy Scout of a brother forgot his compression mat, which is what he sleeps on. The first night he slept on rocks, and was grumpy the next morning. So last night I let me use my cot. I know I'm such a humanitarian, but where am I gonna sleep?

I slept in the truck if you were wondering. Not comfy. My side kept falling asleep before I did, and the back of my legs kept sticking to the leather of my dad's seats. I seriously think no hair will be on the back of my legs for a while, becasue of the ripping sound I heard, and the pain I was feeling. Plus my dad woke me up at like four in the morning, and asked me if I wanted to sleep on his air mattress for a few hours. I said yes and opened the car door. The night before he had told me that he disabled the alarm, either he didn't or that truck doesn't like me, becasue it went off. At four in the freakin morning. Oh yeah, all the other campers really liked me after that :(.

My dad fumbled with his keys, and finally got the stupid thing to go off. Then I went and laid in his tent becasue I couldn't go back to sleep. Fun Fun. I'm kinda grumpy now after loading and unloading the trailer in the heat, and working with about oh maybe four, five hours of sleep. Did I mention I have basketball camp tomorrow????????

Yeah that's about it. We got t-shirts today, and water, and sweat tea, and we ate at Dairy Queen for lunch. Super fun. Super tiring. Super not ready for basketball camp.

Wish me luck, hope I don't die.

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The Weekend, Dun Dun Da....

Today I babysat my sister, her friend, and her friend's older brother. They are great kids, except Grace, who had potty mouth and refused to listen to me. I wish she were an infant again. She didn't walk or talk or sass me back when I told her something. Sigh. The good old days.

Moving on.

This weekend is going to be fun, we're going on the family camp out, with my brother's boy scout troop. Hopefully if the river isn't dried up, we'll get to tube down the river a few miles. Hopefully.

Other than that, not much else to say. I'll post pictures from this weekends adventures after we get back.

Oh! My aunt and her friend are coming to the camp out!!!!! I love my aunt Trina, and her friend is like an aunt to me, even though I haven't seen her in a few years... whatever, I like her.

So yeah. That's about it.

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Prayer Request

Today Caroline Shook (it'sawriter'sthing.blogspot.com) posted the prayer request below...

Please pray for my aunt Susan. She is at the hospital about to have her first baby, Sophia, but things don't look good. She has what the doctor calls Helpp Syndrome. It makes the platelets in her blood practically fall apart. If shy has a C-section, she could bleed to death, but she's been in labor for twenty four hours now and the baby won't come. Their afraid that the umbilical cord is around her neck. The doctor ordered blood for a blood transfusion for Susan but it has to come all the way from down town. The baby's condition is still getting worse. The doctors have decided to do a C-section. Susan and Sophi could die. Please, please pray for them.


Please Please pray for them, and be sure to comment and tell Caroline that you are praying. 


"Dear God, 


I pray that Sophia and Susan can go home safely, and that we can welcome a healthy new child into this world you have given us. Give Caroline and her family strength and hope, for YOU are GOD almighty, and YOU have the power to save this baby and her mother. 


Help the doctors to know what the right thing to do is. I pray for guidance and wisdom, plus peace on their hearts during the difficult hours ahead. 


And thank you LORD for everything that you have blessed us with, and I pray that we can have two more things to be thankful for at the end of this day. A mother and healthy new baby!"


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Have YOU ever been this Tired????

I received and email from my little brother today that had some pretty funny pics on it. Usually he send me pretty funny stuff, but I decided to post this, because it does have a relevant message. To me any way.

Enjoy...

And the best for last... Before I show you, it's story time.

Being the cute adorable child that I was, I also had some seriously blonde moments. One of the them in particular was very blonde, and very much on the topic of being very tired.

Let me explain. I was eating a bowl of spaghetti when I was around 12 to 18 months old. Apparently it was late at night and my mother turned around to do something, when she looked back. Guess what?

I had fallen asleep in my spaghetti, face down and was snoring to high heavens! And I still had the fork in my hand.

True story. On to the picture:

It seemed like during the school year, that I never could get enough sleep. I even stayed home a couple of days for lack of sleep, not because I was sick. Not that I wanted perfect attendance anyways.... That's why I'm so glad summer is finally here. I get to do nothing, and sleep all I want. Boring is the new Interesting!


Hope you guys found this interesting, I mean Boring!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!!!!!!!!! I LOOOOVVVVEEEEE YOU! :D

So yeah, today is my dad's birthday. He's turning 45, not too old, but old enough that I can tease him about it!

We're going out to dinner tonight for his b day, and we bought a tent today, but other than that we are happy to enjoy the weekend to ourselves.

I don't know if any of you know this, but I have a thing for Darth Vader. He is the coolest, best dressed, and unscarest (I know it isn't a word, but whatever) villain there ever was, or ever will ever be. Although, I was plagued with dreams for about a year. I was certain that Darth Vader lived in my closets, so I refused to change in my room, and I slept with a night light... this coming from the girl who thought air conditioner was old retired men with weed hackers in the ceiling.

Let me repeat that again, Old retired men with weed hackers in the ceiling. True story.

Moving on...

This is one of my favorite pics of Darth, it almost makes him look cute, almost!

Quite evil looking if you ask me.

Two weeks until I go to Savannah Georgia! :)

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LEBRON WON?!?!?! WHAT?!?!?!

HOW COULD THREE PEOPLE VOTE FOR LeBRON JAMES TO BE PRESIDENT OVER ME?!?!?!?!?!

You have to understand this is a major blow to my ego. My self confidence is at stake here people!

Hey I bet half of you don't even know who Arnold Palmer is... Yeah I owned you, kinda.

What is wrong with you people, how will LeBron James be a better president than me? I mean come one. I have great people skills, I have good negotiating powers, I am an imposing figure, and I know how to get things done. What is LeBron going to do? Dunk over the Chinese Emperor's head, and all of our problems will be solved. NO! You have to have a plan.

Besides who would be his vice President? I already have a vice President picked out...

Darby, would you mind being my VP. I promise you can have all the cookies in the world if you say yes. Thanks.

Any who. I have a plan, a good skills set, and I have a VP.

What Does LeBron Have. You tell me.

I can't believe I want the guy to win the Finals... That's what I get.

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I WILL BE PRESIDENT SOMEDAY!!!!!!!!!!! :) IN THE MEANTIME, GO HEAT!!!!!!!!!