Jumping Fish and other Things-The random thoughts of Sarah Shirey

God's Hand

2011-09-11T21:52:00.005+02:00

It began as a normal day in a normal week,

Till the TV turned on to something bleak.

Back then I was just a child, and did not understand,

Though they kept telling me it's all in God's hand.

At first, with that unfamiliar sight, it was hard to care,

But you notice your parents faces filled with terror.

Back then I was just a child, and did not understand,

Though they kept telling me it's all in God's hand.

The towers, the smoke, the screams of the people,

The dusty sky where once stood its tall steeple.

Back then I was just a child, and I did not understand,

Though they kept telling me it's all in God's hand.

They said the specks were people falling,

The TV announcers' voices began stalling.

Back then I was just a child, and did not understand,

Though they kept telling me it's all in God's hand.

Those strangers were running, wild with fear,

There was no face without at least one tear.

Back then I was just a child, and did not understand,

Though they kept telling me it's all in God's hand.

Perhaps it is true, that I have no great emotional story,

But it is also true, I was there to see God's glory.

No matter how much of a child I was then,

I can remember it, even at ten.

I might never understand exactly why,

Some people live while some had to die,

But they were true when they said it was all in God's hand,

And He will make the tragedy into something grand.

We will cry for the lost, and rejoice with those who still live,

And through this, we will learn to forgive,

I am no longer a child, but still do not understand,

Except that God is good, and it is still all in His hand.

When the Work Really Begins....

2011-06-12T00:08:00.004+02:00

I am no longer a "Southern Gal," but rather a Northern girl again. School is out, and I no longer have all the homework, but rather I spend my summer vacation with real work. For the summer months, I am spending my time in Pennsylvania, working on a college campus on the cleaning crew. The picture above is our fun group of summer cleaners, here to make this campus sparkle!!! It is a fun job, even when we are on hands and knees on bathroom floors, we still manage to find the humor in the situation. It has also been a learning experience, such as air freshener doesn't automatically solve every bad smelling problem, it can make it worse. And that even though we may have closed signs outside the bathroom while we clean, people will still walk in past the sign and use the facilities. Life is grand when you've got a broom in your hand :D I think I'll be needing school to start soon again so I can recover from the summer!

We only work from seven in the morning till four in the afternoon, which gives us some free time. Some times we like to use it to work out, or sleep. But we also like to get out and about. The mall is a great escape (try on all the creams and perfumes of bath and body, and get free food samples from the food court). We've also attempted mini golf, gone to friend's houses, and made late night runs to the amazing Sheetz to get a coffee so we can stay up watching a movie so we are walking zombies the next morning at work! Oh the life of a college student on a summer job!!!

All in all, this little room we call home for the summer is great! My three roommates are the best anyone could ask for. Except for one, her name is Heather Shirey and she sometimes can be creepy *wink* but we all get along superb! If I am to be away from both my home, and my college friends and college home, I am glad it is here!!!

Then Came the Exams!

2011-04-30T17:15:00.004+02:00

Every student watches in great anticipation as the end of the week approaches. Yet this time it is with mixed feelings that this Saturday arrived. It is a joyous occasion, because this Saturday officially tells every student that the school year of 2010-2011 is over! I will never again be called a freshman in college, I have sat through my last class, taken my last notes, drew my last doodles on my papers, colored in the last d,a, and o's on my quizzes. But this does not mean that all is over...not by far! There is yet to be one last sprint before the classes can be fully drawn to a close and that is called FINALS! Starting today and continuing through Wednesday will be a half week of no classes, no extra activities, but filled with long tests, and late nights! For me, over half my tests will be over by Monday evening, with only two more left for both Tuesday and Wednesday. Though others have a longer trek to the end.

On a brighter side of this week filled with studying, and commencement ceremonies, there will be busy students packing up everything they own into tiny barrels and squishy suitcases to leave the room they called home for a year. I will then say goodbye to this dorm, and campus, and leave with my sister for a summer spent in Pennsylvania with extended family working on the cleaning crew at Lancaster Bible College.

But all this planning is saying that I will survive my exams...by Wednesday we'll know if I lived through them or not. And by Saturday you will be welcoming the new sophmore class of BJU :D

The Lord and his Ring

2011-04-17T02:06:00.006+02:00

Once upon a time there was a great Lord in the far off land of Villa de Green. He met a beautiful princess and they fell in love. After months of his courting her, the Lord asked the beautiful princess to accompany him on a pleasant afternoon amongst the trees of the forest. And so the Lord and the princess along with the Lord's Knight and the Princesses younger sister went out into the deep dark enchanted forest. All but the princess knew what magical happening was about to take place in those woods. The afternoon began as any pleasant royal outing would. They had a feast, and entertained themselves with ancient sports such as the art of Frisbee throwing. After a while, when the happy train of people began to weary of such trifles, the Lord suggested they explore amongst the trees of the forest and over the rivers of the valley, to see the lovely sights. The Knight and the younger princess knew that this was the moment the Lord had been planning for months, and hurriedly dashed on ahead of the Lord and princess. As they waited eagerly for the two to catch up again, they kept realizing, the magical transformation hadn't occurred, so they would dash off again. When they finally reached the end of the long and tedious trail, they waited breathlessly, knowing now was the last moment it could happen. The minutes ticked by into two minutes, then three. The Lord and Princess did not appear. The longer the two waited, the more they smiled for they knew it must be happening. Finally, they saw them. Emerging from out of the trees came the Lord, and the lovely princess by his side. But they were not looking at their faces, instead they were watching a bright light shinning from the Princesses finger!!! She smiled her sweet smile and held up the diamond ring, signifying the magical promise of marriage to the charming Lord!

And so it was...the great Lord Jonathan and Princess Heather will live happily ever after!!!

The End!!!

Forever and Always Valentine

2011-02-14T20:16:00.002+01:00

Roses, chocolate, Valentines Day!
Pink and red replace February's gray,
Blushing cheeks, smiling faces,
Candlelight dinners in romantic places.
Don't feel like you're the only one-
That doesn't have a special someone,
Many others don't have a date-
But your Valentines can still be great!
Get with your friends to have some fun,
Buy tons of chocolate for everyone,
Get a piñata, or play a game,
Make none of your Valentines day's be the same!
Enjoy the day, eat lots of ice cream,
Watch the couples, let yourself dream.
Keep smiling as you pray,
That God will bring you someone someday.
Be patient as you wait,
For God's perfect mate.
Not just a one day "Be Mine"
But a forever and always Valentine!

Don't sneeze, touch, or breathe!

2011-01-29T18:56:00.004+01:00

This morning I was off at football (soccer) practice, and in just a few minutes I will need to change out of my shorts and t-shirt for a skirt and suit, then off to work. Policies didn't change, so my suit isn't for cleaning the science building, instead, it is for my new job! While I spend the evenings singing and dancing with mops and dust rags around the top floor of the science building, I spend my Saturday and Sundays in the Museum and Gallery guarding paintings.

The job is quite simple, I have my rooms to guard...and I guard them! I make sure people don't touch the ancient, expensive paintings and objects, or take pictures, or steal them. So far I had to tackle five robbers who were running off with paintings, one was a really big guy and it took quite a bit of effort before I managed to hit him over the head with an ancient Grecian Urn and recover the Rembrandt. Actually, the job isn't that exciting. The most exciting happenings is telling people to take a step back from the painting or to leave their deadly large bags in the closet at the entrance.

Don't misunderstand me, the job is very fun! You get the exciting challenge of stalking people's every move without them feeling like they are being stalked. Then you casually stand around, eaves dropping on peoples conversations. When there aren't people around, you can either study or chat with the neighboring guards.

Just to give a glimpse into some of the interesting things, here is one conversation I overheard of a little boy and his dad as they were going around the museum. The dad was telling about the paintings and the little boy would ask questions. They came to a picture of a Colosseum scene. The little boy points and exclaims, "Look! It's the gladiator place!" The dad looks and responds, "Yes, but as you can see in the picture, it is also where they put Christians in with wild animals." The little boy examines the picture and notices some gazelles in the picture being eaten by a lion. He then says, "But there are nice animals in there too." "They are probably in their to give the lions something else to eat as well." The little boy contemplates that thought before very seriously responding, "Maybe they are christian animals." The other guards told me similar conversations the boy and father had all through the museum. It is things like that which makes the job like none other!

Speaking of the Museum, I need to be off! Paintings await to be guarded!!!

We've Actually Come Back!!!

2011-01-23T00:39:00.006+01:00

School is up and running again, no permanent damage caused by the snow. Classes have started up, and the professors are gladly piling up the homework to their reluctant students. But at least it wont be to bad, the students actually keep coming back semester after semester, so i'm sure we'll all survive.

(Me and my amazing roomies!!)

This semester has nothing greatly different from last semester, except for a few little details. I have sixteen credits, beginning with classes every morning at nine, then lunch break from twelve till mid afternoon. Classes then begin again, and three days a week I'm stuck in class till five. Perhaps I should reword that, I get the opportunity to learn new things all the way till five in the evening (ugh!)!!!! But in general, I like the class, either that or I have others in the class that help make it interesting, so this semester will be lots of fun!

(Studying in the library: "Hmmm, what does this mean?")

When I'm not sitting through classes, I have plenty of other things to occupy myself. For one afternoon, I attend an extension, which will soon in the coming up weeks receive a post to explain what this incredible opportunity is all about. Also, I will be playing soccer for my society! So, practices and matches will take up quite a bit of time, but will be well worth it in the end. This semester, I have been elected as the "spirit leader" in my society. That is an officer position, so I attend officer meetings where we plan what we want to do in society to keep it exciting and fun. And my specific job as spirit leader is simply to keep up society spirit! I am the one that leads us in cheers during games, I write new cheers, I just keep us all pumped up and excited about everything! It is a great officer position to have :D Then other then that, I have my custodial "dust buster" job, and a new job as a guard at the Museum and Gallery on campus (also to be explained in the coming up weeks).

(Hanging out at the mall)

So as you can see, I am keeping very busy this semester, which is how I like it :) There will be plenty to write about on my blog, so I have no excuse for not keeping it up. I am making no promises, but I will try harder then last semester to be more often in updating. See, I already did almost weekly updates recently! If you have any suggestions of something you want explained more fully, just say so in the comments, and you will have a post dedicated to you about what you suggest :) As long as it does not fall under one of the following categories: boys, Heather's personal life, or how to get around rules at BJU.

(Trying on dresses we wish we could have for artist series)

A Container of Quarters

2011-01-12T16:14:00.004+01:00

It was five o'clock Monday morning that it all began...

My sister and I woke up and got ready to leave our beloved home in Switzerland. We arrived in Zürich and began all the security checks. As my carry-on went through the x-ray machine, it got stopped and they put it through again. Sure I packed up random things like slippers, scarves, three kings bread, and a container of quarters, but none of that was suspicious. They asked if I had any coins in there. So, I had to unpack my entire carry-on to get the quarters out while the security guard and me were trying to not laugh too much at the amusing situation. "Never again will I bring quarters in my carry-on." I exclaimed to Heather afterwards.

The ten hour flight to Atlanta went pretty smoothly, though there was a long delay in taking off. And we were quite disappointed in not having our own individual TV screens. as we neared America, the pilot announced, "Due to weather conditions we may be landing in New York, or Michigan instead." Well, as long as I get to Greenville, South Carolina by Tuesday night when I have to check in for school, that's fine.

We did land in Atlanta, one of the very few planes which were able too. Then we went through security again to get to the baggage claim. I just automatically took my quarters out of my bag, but they still stopped and looked at me strange as they picked up the container, "What's this?" "Quarters, I thought I would take them out a while since I would have to anyway." "Hmmm." We then got our luggage, but our flight to Greenville was cancelled. Thankfully our school changed the check in day to Friday because of the weather. We got our rebooked flight for Greenville, which left five in the evening the next day. Which means we spent the night sleeping in the Atlanta airport.

While failing to sleep at three in the morning, a Fox News reporter approached us and asked to interview us. This was really exciting, I hope I can put this on my resume if I ever get my dream job with Fox News! After them, NBC eleven o'clock news interviewed us. And lastly we got our picture taken, though I'm not sure if that was for a news paper or not. CNN was walking around too, but they didn't interview us (I always knew I liked Fox News better!).

After the long night and even longer day of watching movies and trying to sleep, as well as eating airport food, we finally were able to begin the check in process again. We checked in our bags and went through security again. I was so tired and couldn't find my quarters in my carry-on, having been buried under my scarves I had unpacked for blankets during the night So I decided to just keep them in the bag. But Atlanta is a lot more strict then Zürich, and they took my bag aside to be unpacked by a security guard. I stood nearby as she pulled out scarf, after scarf, after scarf. Then she pulled out very squished three kings bread, and gave me a strange look. Finally she pulled out the quarters and dumped them mostly out. Again I exclaimed to my sister, "Never pack up quarters in a carry-on!"

We waited for our flight, it was on time for a very long while. But then we had a gate change. We moved to the new location and waited longer, it was delayed. "Our co-pilot has not arrived, we will board as soon as we get another co-pilot." The announcer kept saying. This went on for a while till it was a little after eight. We were finally boarded and ready to take off, when the stewardess made the most horrible announcement, "It is too icy for the pilots to make the return flight after going to Greenville so this flight has now been cancelled." We were deboarded, and with the prospect of spending another night in the airport, Heather and I decided to go to the baggage claim, get our luggage and our friend would pick us up in the car.

At baggage claim, we realized our bags were checked through to Greenville and would not be returned to us. So we decided to avoid losing baggage we would travel with it, and stood in the long line to rebook our flight. The next flight left in a little less then an hour. In panic, we hurried through security...again. I dug hastily for my quarters, but just couldn't find them anywhere, "NEVER PACK QUARTERS IN A CARRY-ON!!" I kept saying to myself as the clock ticked down the time. I did finally find them at the bottom of the bag, we got through security, and made it to our gate in plenty of time. That flight was on time, we got on, we left the gate, we flew to Greenville, and arrived at eleven o'cock at night on Tuesday!

We made our way down to baggage claim and as we waited for our bags to arrive, our friends came with hugs and well wishes! ...but our bags did not. Apparently our bags did not come on that flight and will be shipped to our friend's house as soon as they arrive, hopefully today. But at least I would be sleeping in a warm bed that night, at least I have the few things in my carry-on, and at least I have my container of quarters (which I will never pack in a carry-on again!).

Delta, AirTran to Cancel More Flights: MyFoxATLANTA.com

The Author Returns to her Blog

2011-01-04T16:41:00.011+01:00

Two months is definitely not a weekly update, I'm very sorry my faithful blog readers! So what has been happening the past two months to keep me from writing? Only Thanksgiving break, final exams at the end of the semester, and flying half way around the world to go home for Christmas, other then that...not much!

I wont need to spend any time expounding on the details of the strain and worry involved in final exams. But I will just quickly say that I did pass all my classes, though a few were not without constant worry till the very last test was finished and the last paper handed in. But, no matter, it is done now. This means that when I go back to school next semester I will have all new classes, all new teachers, and all new classmates.

As I mentioned earlier, I am home for Christmas! Home is referring to Switzerland, of course :) I arrived the 18th of December, and brought along my older sister (or did she bring me along?). We have been enjoying our Christmas break, which will last till we fly back on the 10th January. We've gotten lots done, from Christmas shopping, Christmas baking, to Christmas itself! We've also covered New Years celebrations, visiting friends all over Switzerland, a doctor appointment, skiing, and hair cuts!

I think I will let the pictures tell the story of my Christmas vacation instead of me :) and I will now leave, but hopefully return sooner next time for another update! There have been enough remarks about my neglected blog to encourage me to update more often :D

The Midnight Dust Destroyers!

2010-11-05T03:19:00.006+01:00

At eleven o'clock at night, all students cuddle up in their beds with a book to study, and perhaps even a hot chocolate in their hand. But outside in the dark, many quiet figures emerge from the dorms and run all over, disappearing into shadowy doorways across the campus. I am among these mysterious people that most people don't realize their existence, we are called the custodial crew!!! I work every night from eleven to twelve, cleaning! I have gone from a girl who doesn't even make her bed in the morning, to someone who walks past a random shelf in a public building, sees dust, and wishes I had a cloth with me to clean it!

I am assigned to cleaning the science building, which is very exciting! I just found out that upstairs in the building is even a fish aquarium! This discovery gave me great joy since before then I saw no other living animal except the over population of cockroaches! I say living animals because there are plenty of stuffed animals in glass cases along the wall. Other then animals, both living and dead, I see apparatuses of all shapes and sizes sat throughout the rooms! It is always fun guessing what they are for, or making up my own ideas of their various uses. My fellow custodials on my cleaning crew are a great bunch, we sing and laugh the night away.

The pictures are of my custodial crew, on a very special night called "Show and Wear" night, which happens every Saturday, and we have a themed dress up, in which we clean. Yes, public safety who walks through the building at night sure seems some interesting sights sometimes!!!

(Above) Crazy Day!!! Crazy hair, crazy make up, and anything else you want to make crazy!!!!

(Below) Toga day :D Aren't we awesome Romans?!?!!!! Now try mopping wearing one of those!

Hoot Baby Hoot!

2010-10-23T20:55:00.010+02:00

For this week's post, yes that is right, from now on I will try and do weekly posts due to the results of my blog poll, I will be telling you all about what a Society is!!!! When you've got a couple thousand students on campus, it gets overwhelming. So the ingenious people's in the suits and ties who sit in big offices decided to break down the college into smaller groups called societies. These societies have Greek names and a mascot such as: Theta Alpha Chi, the Owls. Of course that is my society :D the best society on campus...and I am not biased whatsoever ;P During the first weeks, you get to visit the different societies and find out about them then choose the one you want to join for the next four years of college.

When you join a society...now what? I am glad you asked!!! There are so many cool society opportunities possible!!! Multiple times a year we have special society outings, such as Stag outings, CSC, or dating outings. Stags have nothing to do with horses, though I tried and tried already to find the connection. Stag outings simply mean it is not a dating outing, since the societies are all one gender, we have our "brother" society whom is our opposite gender society we do dating outings or other activities with. For stag outings or dating outings, we go to things like the zoo, pumpkin carvings, or even white water rafting! The moon is the limit when it comes to outings, literally! Though I don't think us poor college students could afford to pay for a trip to the moon though that would be a cool idea one year. CSC is just when we as a society go out into the community and help somewhere such as a children's home, manning booths at festivals, or handing out tracks.

Besides going on fun activities together what else do we do as a society? Weeeeeeell, we participate in sports! Our society decides which sports we want to create a team for then we compete against the other societies to see who wins the championship!

As a society we meet weekly on Friday to have fun and games as well as keep up society spirit through cheers and society songs. "Hoot baby hoot" is pretty much our society chant or cheer that we yell out to rouse society spirit and is integrated in a lot of our cheers. We have society t-shirts, buttons, and sweatshirts. That is the reason for my society's apparent obsession with Owl clothing. We also meet on Sunday before church for society Sunday School.

These crazy guys here are part of my brother society: Phi Beta, the Bulldogs!!!

I have joined, as said before, the society called the Owls. We are a smaller society of about forty girls. We are such a close group of friends, they are more then just a society, they are a large family of sisters in Christ! We are continually encouraging each other and getting together outside of "official society stuff" for dinner or just hanging out! I am so glad those fancy guys in suits came up with the idea of societies!!! Through societies I am developing friendships that will continue beyond the years of college!

Was It Only Two Weeks?

2010-09-15T04:26:00.004+02:00

Surprise, surprise, it has been two weeks since being dropped off at University. Where did the time go? Somewhere between figuring out classes, and meeting new people, time has just flown right on by.
First of all I would like to say I am doing great and have adjusted incredibly fast! I even got some comments on how some people thought I was a Sophomore, nope just a Freshman who hasn't had the reality of the situation sink in fully. I suppose in a way it just feels like an extended vacation with friends. I do work on campus though, and I am not just referring to homework working, but a job. That is right, I have graced the working world with my presence among the custodial crew who clean our lovely science building here on campus. This creates a very interesting environment filled with all sorts of gadgets and gizmos that need dusted off.

The staff here on campus have been nice enough to keep my days pleasantly employed in various homework. I have really enjoyed the chance to see a real library, since I can't think of when I was ever in one before, so it has suddenly become my favorite spot of study despite the freezing cold in the library. I did after a while try other places on campus for spending my time such as in my dorm room, but that distracts me to easily, so I tried the study lounge... half an hour later as I was waking up I realized that wasn't such a good idea either, so back to the library! Now that classes are in full swing, other events and extra activities have begun which you, my loyal readers, will hear about as they occur hopefully. To give a full idea of what all is happening here on campus I will try every now and then write a post about a single part of life here, whether the food, social activities, or a class, to give you a glimpse into my life.

Introducing....the Class of 2014!!!

2010-08-31T03:45:00.004+02:00

In my last post, which seems like a very long while ago, I traveled almost ten hours up north to Maine. Well, now I have traveled ten hours the opposite direction... all the way to South Carolina. But this time I am not to return to Pennsylvania, but instead stay down south in the invigorating heat (I am trying to stay optimistic about it). I am now an official University student of Bob Jones University. Some of you will be cringing in terror at this moment in the thought of me being released on my own, others not :) That is alright, there are many friendly professors here to keep me from taking over the world or doing any other such drastic act too soon. I am afraid there are no pictures yet of me here, unless I take one right now of me in my custodial T-shirt and sweat pants sat cross-legged on the desk chair with my hair all a mess. Having had to dress up all day, it is nice sometimes to just not dress up for a time! Now let me fill you in on what has been happening, before my classes start and steal away all my time.

I have spent the last few days since checking in on Friday with many meetings and "getting to know you" gatherings, and there are plenty more to come. I have actually been able to unpack fully and be moved in to my room with my three other roommates, all of whom are fantastic! We are all enough different to not irritate each other and similar enough to agree with each other generally, this will be a great year! Plus my older sister is just one room away, which means my extended closet is just one room away :D Anyway, I have also finished registering for my classes and ordering way to many books, will I have to know ALL of those books by the semester end, oh dear? I have met so many great people that I can't even remember all their names, but I can walk down the overly large dinning hall and call out greetings like all the upper class students do. Except I don't blend in with those same students when it comes to finding my way around. Though asking directions is a great way to meet many new people!

This night was the official inauguration of the class of 2014, not saying we are all becoming the next president, just the next freshman class at BJU. What does the next year hold? Lots of work, fun, friends,, homework, dressing up for formal occasions, cafeteria food, getting lost on campus, and just having a great time! I miss all of you back home very much, and I am excited to be getting to know you all here much better!

What Happens with Seven Girls in One House?

2010-08-17T21:40:00.011+02:00

A lot can happen with seven young girls in one house, most of which is best left untold, but here is a glimpse of what went on...

Over the weekend my family went up to Maine where we stayed with a really fun family with four daughters. And so let the fun begin!

We got an exciting Safari ride on a jeep to exotic places such as...their back yard! These trips on the jeep led to another happening...

Water Wars!!! The original idea was to have water balloons to throw back at those who followed our jeep, but the balloons never made it to the jeep. It was very hard to fill up water balloons without "accidentally" spraying all in sight with the hose. Of course, like the loving people we were, we instantly went for revenge by grabbing water guns or even buckets. This began an all out water fight ending in us all soaking wet...and having to leave for an evening church service in a few minutes!

Our last evening was spent around a camp fire, the word fire in general is a dangerous word, now let us add a few more additions to the fire, such as sparklers, and glow sticks! What happens if you light five sparklers at the same time? Now what happens if you throw the sparklers in the fire?

Glow sticks on the other hand seem harmless enough. At least they were when we were content to squish them around and make cool glow blurrs. But after a while that was not enough. What happens when you cut off the end of a glow stick? The yard soon became a speckled star-filled sky, as well as the trees, and our feet, and our cloths, and much more. Then you throw the glow sticks on the fire and they suddenly become a bright green!!!! Children, do not try this at home!

That was just a glimpse of our weekend spent up in Maine, some things are just better not written on a blog for all to read... but then there always is that sort of thing when there are seven girls in one house!

An Adult...Somewhat

2010-08-11T20:16:00.006+02:00

I don't know who decided that eighteen marks a person as an adult, I am eighteen and I will have to honestly admit, you are far from an adult! On Saturday it happened, I woke up and somehow, almost magically, at the stroke of midnight, I had turned eighteen. In just one night I went from being a child, having to have adult supervision when attending some places, or having a parent's signature for important documents, to being an independent. What happened in those early hours of the morning to make such a change? And the bigger question is... when will I actually FEEL the change, for as far as I can see, I feel just the same as before, despite what all the fancy papers say I should be responsible for. I still feel like a young child who, when I see a swing set, I want to swing; when I see an up escalator, I want to go down it; when I see a big puddle, I want to stomp through it; and I am supposedly on paper an adult. Perhaps by the end of the year, my mind's age will finally catch up to my passport age...

Here is a glimpse of how I celebrated the oncoming of eighteen. I spent most of my birthday lying at a lovely lake (like the alliteration?). My family enjoyed having a nice swim, followed by a nap or read on the beach while being warmed by the sun. We grilled hot dogs and ate a bountiful picnic, followed by more reading, napping, and swimming. As well as the lake side outing, I had a delicious cake, decorated by my mom with help from myself. The design on the cake began as a challenge to my mom, that I devised knowing all her cake decorating tools were in Switzerland. But she was able to overcome the challenge and came up with the most creative substitutes to make a very fun and memorable cake. In all, my birthday was GREAT!!!!!

I haven't yet told all my blogging friends, I now officially am the wearer of glasses. I know, 'tis a sad thing indeed :)

Photowalkin' Around

2010-08-02T23:29:00.002+02:00

It is easy to see large objects such as a towering building or a silhouetted mountain against a sunset, yet small things are often overlooked. One way to notice every detail is to go on a photowalk, and suddenly the camera picks out details you never thought of before! Led by Bob Lawrence, a group of nine people began by the old court house in York, Pennsylvania and began a planned out route around downtown York. All along the way we all took pictures of almost anything that moved and didn't. We peeked down alleys, laid down on the ground, and climbed up on top of benches just to get the perfect shot. The end was a quaint little pizza shop. The pictures are then judged and the winner of our group will then have a chance to enter the world wide competition involving all the winners of all the groups of photowalkers around the world! Perhaps next photowalk near you, you will want to take part in. Just visit here to find out more about these fun photowalks.

You may see some of the best of my pictures by clicking below, I say "some" because I originally had over a hundred :)

Photowalkin' Around

Butterfinger Fondue

2010-07-18T03:16:00.005+02:00

Here is a new recipe, never before tried, that I know of!!! During a discussion with a friend we came up with a thought, is it possible to melt Butterfingers into a fondue, just like you do for chocolate fondue. And so, I tried it and here is the resulting recipe:

1. Buy Butterfingers, as many as you need for the amount of fondue you want (the more the better, yuuuummmmm).

2. Crush up the Butterfingers as small as possible to make the melting easier, and to make snitching pieces less easy.

3. Melt the smashed up Butterfingers in a pan, not to hot or else it'll go strange. Also adding milk is helpful to avoid it becoming a caramel blob.

4. Eat the fondue by dumping apples or other fruits into it.

5. Repeat step four

6. Repeat step five

etc etc etc...
This delicious snack is possible for everyone to make. The result is a tasty treat tasting similar to chocolate fondue with a caramel twist! Enjoy!!!

It's Raining, It's Flooding..

2010-07-15T16:09:00.005+02:00

It's raining, it's flooding, the old man is... wait, that doesn't work! I think I better change that. It's raining, it's flooding, the dirt is all mudding, I went to bed while the plants are fed, and now they are all budding!
To use a quote I saw on a friend's blog by Frederick Buechner "If it seems a childish thing to do, do it in remembrance that you are a child." This I took to heart when I ran outside, calling for Rebecca to join me, right into the pouring rain and the growing pond-like puddle!

Now the rain has stopped and the water is leaving again, but due to staying where we are, the rain will come back...someday!

GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAL!!!

2010-07-15T15:53:00.003+02:00

On the 11 of July, a very important day, something very wonderful occurred. I am not talking about my going to an all you can eat pizza buffet, though that is wonderful, I am referring to the World Cup finals! Just because our TV isn't connected up and working at the moment is no good reason to not watch it, and so we did as we did for all the other matches we watched in America... we went online to live streaming and were able to see the entire match. Of course we all were for Spain , and to our joy, Spain won the world cup! For a bit of an explanation of the above picture, yes I know I am wearing a Portugal shirt, yes I know Portugal wasn't playing, but since I only had a Swiss or Portugal shirt to choose from, I decided Portugal was closer. This is Spain's very first time for winning the World Cup, so I am very glad for them! Besides, this means, indirectly Switzerland is just as much of a winner since they are the only ones able to beat Spain this World Cup! Hurray for Spain, hurray for Switzerland!!!

Shall We Dance!!!

2010-07-12T15:59:00.009+02:00

I have shown my great sophistication by attending a live musical at a dinner theater (yes, I am sophisticated whether I show it or not). It was a production of The King and I by the Dutch Apple Dinner theater. I enjoyed the evening very much, and not just the all you can eat buffet (including ice cream) but the actual play was fun. I was able to restrain myself from bursting into song with the actors, though when my favorite "Shall we dance?" scene came, it was very hard to keep silent. But I made up for that later on! For all those who have never even heard of The King and I, I would highly recommend you look it up, it is such a nice story filled with fun songs!

A Whole New World

2010-07-01T17:52:00.003+02:00

Yesterday early, very early, I had to say goodbye to Switzerland and hello to America. Now here I am two plane flights later, sitting in a cafe so as to access the internet. We actually were able to fly all the way to London then to Philadelphia without any mishaps! No luggage lost, no canceled flights, no sleeping in airports! The worst that happened was having terrible food on the flight (who chose to serve smoked salmon sandwiches anyway?). It was a relief to finally arrive at our house and I almost immediately went to sleep. Thanks to jet leg I was able to wake up at six even though I spent past midnight catching up on everything with, of course, Heather :) Now here I am sitting here with a milkshake next to me as I am setting up my new lap top for University. I am looking forward to the next few days of visiting with family and shopping! I hope everyone keeps in touch with me :)

Sardines...Uh... and Pork and Beans

2010-06-12T09:27:00.004+02:00

After reading the title of this post, some of you will be thinking "What on earth is she talking about?!" While others, I can think of a few right now, will suddenly begin singing, whether they like it or not! That is the mysterious wonder of camp songs. With the memory of the song, comes the memory of the entire camp. And so it goes with Sardines and Sunday School camp last weekend.

The theme for this year was focusing on guarding our hearts against Satan's attacks. Using this theme, we paralleled it to guarding a castle against the enemy's attack. Of course, castles relate to the medieval times naturally, which is why we are all dressed up in the above picture in such a... unique way.

We had plenty of fun and games all weekend long, as well as a medieval feast (though perhaps ice cream and sprinkles isn't quite as medieval as the rest of the feast).

Each morning and evening we had our bible time, learning about how and why to guard our hearts.

At the end of the weekend, we were joined at our metaphorical "castle" in the alps by our church. We had wonderful medieval foods such as... hot dogs and chocolate cake (who knows, they might of had that back then). We wrapped up the entire weekend with a hard worked on allegory play, and of course "Sardines...uh... and pork and beans"!

The Quest for Food

2010-05-26T14:54:00.004+02:00

(Click here to see pictures)

If you find yourself in a picture, to your chagrin, and wish it to be removed, just tell me :)

Perhaps food wasn't quite the reason for the quest, but that does make an interesting blog title. What it really was, was a canceled Ascension hike changed to a Whitmonday hike. We, the Shirey family plus one other, set off on our almost four hour hike lead by our faithfully brave guide, Stephan, who led us through perilous flower-covered meadows and life threatening sun-filled woods. We battled rolling green hills, and fought our way through sun shine and cooling breezes. Till we finally successfully arrived at our destination: a restaurant. There we met up with our second half of brave hikers who I am sure suffered equal difficulties as us, but through a different route. All eleven of us then had the opportunity of enjoying a refreshing cup of cool drink before embarking on our next adventure... ordering our food! As we yet again tried sorting out our correct order with the waitress, those steep hills and other terrors seemed like a simple trial. But you may all rest assured, we did receive food of some sort in the end and were able to contentedly go home and sleep, at least that is what I did. What an enjoyable day that was!

Going Green

2010-05-10T23:26:00.003+02:00

Introducing...

... the proud owner of a brand new green belt :) Yes, that is right! Tonight at judo I took my test for the green belt and passed. Perhaps I did not pass with "flying colors," but then I didn't need to pass with flying colors, only green, which I accomplished. I shall remain content for the next few years with my green belt, it matches very nicely with both my outfits (the above picture not being either official outfit). Plus, green is my favorite color, who needs a black belt anyway!

Happy Shakespearean Easter

2010-04-04T16:49:00.005+02:00

I wish you all a very happy Easter!!! Hope you are enjoying your chocolate and whatever else nice things you got, I know I am. Actually I enjoyed my chocolate too much where now I am suffering from a minor belly ache, and the worst part about it is I still want more chocolate anyway :) Oh the joys of Easter!

In honor of the occasion, here is an attempt at a sonnet, not quite like Shakespeare's, but never the less a sonnet of sorts:

Easter Sunday Sonnet

Today is no ordinary Sunday–

It is Easter which comes just once a year.

I will tell you why, if you gather near,

This day is so special in ev'ry way.

On Friday, God sent His Son to obey,

To die for us, because we are so dear,

To pay our price, Christ shed many a tear,

And for three days in the tomb He did stay.

But on the third day, the vic'try was won,

And Christ was raised up from His resting place,

Our sins were forgiv'n through God's only Son,

So that one day we might see His bright face.

Let us not forget through the eggs and fun–

Today we were bought from death by God's grace.

Would You Believe...

2010-04-01T11:14:00.003+02:00

Did you know that Burger King is selling a left handed Whopper made especially that the contents fall out the right side instead of the left? This happened the same day, but a different year then when Taco Bell bought the Liberty Bell to help get America out of debt, renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. When asking Mike McCurry, the White House Press secretary, about it, he just responded that they also sold the Lincoln Memorial and it is now called the Lincoln Mercury Memorial. Maybe you didn't hear that, but you must of heard about the Big Ben going digital? Or at least the finding of a mummified fairy? Why not check out the advertisement for the new diet tap water that was aired on GMTV. Also, while you are at it, you should check out the very first Apple Computer. All these events have one thing in common, they took place on April first, yes that is right, they were all April Fools Jokes!!! Though the origin of this day is unknown for sure, the tradition has been carried out faithfully for many years. One such April Fools day prank was aired in 2008 with a special announcement from BBC about a "new" discovery...

The... Operation!!!

2010-03-23T17:07:00.009+01:00

I nervously enter the dentist room and sit comfortly on the chair. Then the moment arrives as the dentist himself walks into the room, panic stricken I watch his approach knowing what was to come. How can he remain so calm and smiling as he prepares me for the... procedure!!! It began with not one, not two, not three, but FOUR shots in my mouth! The feeling in my mouth was fading fading fading. Then began the worst part of all... I immediately shut my eyes as the knives were brought out and all the other instruments of torture. He removed an American quarter sized piece of flesh from the roof of my mouth and inserted that in my ultra thin gums on the bottom of my mouth. This is to prevent me from the constant worry of knowing if my mouth was hit too hard I would have dentures before I even graduate from college. As the transplantation was completed he began sewing up my mouth– not my whole mouth, I can still speak muahaha, just the wounds. And with a smile he said it was all done. Done? I can't even feel the bottom half of my face! Is it still there? In about a quarter of an hour I was reassured that my entire mouth was definitely still there– ouch! –even if it wasn't all at the original placement. And now I wait patiently for it to heal and hope for no infections. Now not having the doom of the operation looming over me I will admit my dentist was very nice and I look forward to another more pleasant visit with him in two weeks when he will be so kind as to remove the stitches.

Are You Wearing Green?

2010-03-17T14:45:00.009+01:00

Well, you should be!!! It is St. Patrick's Day, the day of green things, leprechauns, shamrocks, and pots of gold. Even if you aren't Irish, you can have fun and be somewhat Irish for the day like my family and I with our St. Patrick decorations and potato meal. For some Irish fun, here are special jokes for the occasion:

Q: How did the Irish Jig get started?

A: Too much to drink and not enough restrooms!

*****

'How far is it to the next village?' asked the American tourist. 'It's about seven miles.' guessed the farmer. 'But it's only five if you run!'

*****

I included this one in honor of a recent post on my blog:

An Englishman, a Frenchman and an Irishman were talking about their children.

'My son was born on St. George's Day,' remarked the Englishman, 'So we obviously decided to call him George.'

'That's a real coincidence,' observed the Frenchman, 'My daughter was born on Valentine's Day, so we decided to call her Valentine.'

'That's really incredible,' exclaimed the Irishman, 'Exactly the same thing happened with my son Pancake!'

*****

While an American farmer was on holiday in Ireland, he fell into easy conversation with an Irish farmer.

'How big is your spread?' asked the American.

'Well look you, it's about 20 acres' he said.

'Only 20 acres!' the American responded, 'Back in Texas I can get up at sunrise, saddle my horse and ride all day, when I return at supper time, I'll be lucky to cover half my farm.'

'Begora,' said the Irishman, 'I once had a horse like that.'

*****

Having had two jokes with Americans, I thought I would include one involving a Swiss:

A Swiss man, on holiday in Dublin, needed directions. He was standing by the road when he saw two youths walking by so he stops them and asks,

'Entschuldigung, können Sie Deutsch sprechen?' The two lads look at each other blankly and stare back at him.

'Excusez-moi, parlez vous Français?' He tries. The two continue to stare.

'Parlare Italiano?' Still absolutely no response from the two lads.

'Hablan ustedes Español?' The Dublin lads remain totally silent.

The Swiss man walks off extremely disappointed and downhearted that he had not been understood. One of the boys turns to the second and says, 'Y'know, maybe we should learn a foreign language?'

'Why?' says the youth, 'That guy knew four languages, and it didn't do him any good!'

Closer, Closer, and STRIKE!!!

2010-02-20T15:34:00.007+01:00

Just because I haven't been bowling for years is no reason not to go now! And so I tried, attempting to perfect my technique and maybe getting a strike.

I went bowling with my dad and sister, my mom being away for the week. We all had such great fun!!!

As well as us three, there were ten other friends from Kilchzimmer who were there. We had rented two lanes, and yes when we threw our balls they did stay on our lanes :) Ok, our lanes and the gutter but hey no one is perfect!

My first game was not so good, I call it a practice run. The second time I did really well for me!

I even got a strike!!!! YAY!!!

I am sure I'll get back there some time soon and have more practice with bowling till I become the unbeatable champion!!!

Not Just Any Tuesday!

2010-02-16T15:01:00.005+01:00

Did you know today was Pancake Tuesday? Pancake Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of lent. The reason for eating pancakes is because pancakes contain sugar, eggs, milk, and many other ingredients that are given up during lent; therefore, they must be used up. It is considered a sort of last feast before lent. So get out your whipped cream, powder sugar, chocolate sprinkles, bananas, lemon juice, and whatever else you can think of and enjoy your pancakes :) And thank you to the friend who reminded me of this day!

Skiing, Falling, Laughing, and Having Fun!

2010-02-08T13:27:00.006+01:00

(click here to view an album of fun filled pictures)

Snow, wonderful snow, perfect for building snowmen, skating down the street, throwing at your sister, and of course, skiing! And what better way to ski but with a group from church, all going on our annual church retreat in Lungern! To get in an extra day of skiing, my family and two others arrived Thursday evening at the hotel Domino, different from that game with the dots on little blocks :P We all spent Friday skiing, and for me, learning to ski correctly. The weather was not all that perfect, a fog higher up but that did not keep us from having lots of fun.

Friday evening the rest of the group arrived and a very merry group left for skiing again on Saturday which had gorgeous crystal clear blue skies. More learning with skiing for me, but I have to admit I did improve quite a bit and am thankful for everyone who was patient with me and gave me all those helpful tips. I could minimize my falls and increase my speed. Though I did have one impressive whip out when I decided to go straight down part of a hill to catch up my speed for going up the hill at the end but one of my skis caught on something which threw me out of control and diving head first into the snow, my legs flew in every direction and my skis went in another, yay for skis that come off on their own! Amazingly I managed to walk away with only a few bruises. The day ended and my legs felt like they were made of gummi, which is a sure sign that I did something right in skiing. The rest of the day was spent in fun conversation and VERY energetic games of dutch blitz.

Sunday was spent in packing, a church service, more packing, eating, eating dessert(yes, we all love to eat!), and then leaving. Time seemed to have flown past, where did the weekend go? It was very sad to leave as I watched that familiar place fade into the distance knowing it was the very last time I would ever go there... but it is a pleasant memory to keep with me!

What Did You Say?

2010-01-30T17:53:00.006+01:00

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?" Does someone know which novel that quote is from? There are books considered classics, then there is Jane Austen! She ranks as one of the best Authors for me and many others. Her stories are captivating, and her quotes are legendary. I have to admit I haven't read to many of her books, but am aware of most of the stories she has written. At the moment I am reading Emma. That is my favorite of Jane Austen's works. Sense and Sensibility would be a close second and of course the ever famous Pride and Prejudice is third. How well do you know Jane Austen? Here is a quiz of some of my favorite quotes and you must guess the book. They will either be from Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, or Persuasion. Post your guess in the comments, and add your own favorite quotes as well :) I will then write the correct answers. Here we go:

1."It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

2."The one claim I shall make for my own sex is that we love longest, when all hope is gone."

3."... but if you observe, people always live for ever when there is any annuity to be paid them..."

4.“Silly things cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.”

5."If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."

6."You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it."

Here We Go Again...

2010-01-18T13:52:00.003+01:00

My first Judo tournament of the year took place over an hour away in Morges, the longest running judo rankingturnier in Switzerland. I remember my first few tournaments when I had watched the older people greeting almost everyone they past and I wondered how they can know so many people. Well, this time I was one of those people who could greet the other competitors :) o.k. perhaps there was only one other girl from my weight category I talk with, but hey it looks impressive :) So anyway, after the longest wait I ever had in a tournament I finally came on but lost after twenty-one seconds. At first I was extremely disappointed, I did not even get a chance in a "hoffnungsrunde" or hope round, where if my opponent won her next fight I get a chance to fight the loser. But then, as I chatted with my friends from my club I soon found out just about every person that came lost on their first fight and so we had conversations such as this: "I lost after 21 seconds." "Really? I lost after a minute." "Wow, congratulations!" And in the end, since everyone was feeling disappointed, no one felt disappointed, a strange sort of irony. Though I did not win, I will keep smiling and say as I always say, "I'll just keep practicing and do better next time!"

I Have Returned Muahaha!

2010-01-13T12:36:00.002+01:00

Happy New Year my faithful blog readers! I hope you all had a wonderful fun-filled Christmas :) I have spent my two week Christmas holiday at home with my family and friends. Heather was home for Christmas, YAY!!! That was the best of my Christmas presents. Then came New Years as we all welcomed in 2010 with shouts of joy and "We can go to bed now!" But holiday cannot last forever and too soon school began again, a week later Heather left. But she did not leave before we managed to squeeze in a picture taking session. Here are the results of that:

Now, let us begin the adventure that the year 2010 has to bring!!!!

Cookies, Cookies, and More Cookies!

2009-12-23T10:14:00.007+01:00

Sugar cookies, Spitzbuebe, Läbkueche, chocolate no-bake cookies, and much more! Christmas is approaching fast and we are all busy baking the oh-so-wonderful smelling Christmas cookies. Though not all of them will survive till Christmas ;P

"What? Me eat these cookies before Christmas is even here? Do I look like I would do that?"

Oops, caught in the act!

This is how you make sugar cookies:

Put on a very sickeningly thick layer of icing...

Sprinkle half of the container of colored sugar on it...

Then lick off the icing knives... and do it again :D

Have a Merry Christmas, tomorrow is Christmas Eve already! And I can't wait!!!!!!

Race to the End!

2009-11-30T23:39:00.007+01:00

The Baslerstadtlauf 2009: Weeks of preparation, minutes to stand in line waiting, just waiting for the gun to signal the start, 5,5 Kilometers of running, one goal... to finish! My mom and I participated in this "famous" race this past Saturday, me for the first time, while Dad and Rebecca cheered us on. How can one describe it? Here are just a few words that come to my mind...

Competitively determined

Beautifully decorated

Painfully exhausting

momentously fun

And everyone who finishes is a winner! My time... 36.23,4 perhaps not the best of times, but at least I finished, and the free massage helped me feel better about it :D

I Will Survive Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T00:00:00.000+01:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, even the winged ones, may we all be thankful we are not among them :P I would like to ask each person reading this post to write in the comments one thing they are thankful for. Have a wonderful day...

Gloomy Day Blues

2009-11-12T14:15:00.003+01:00

Winter is coming on and the light, sunny days are replaced with foggy, rainy days. People, I in particular, tend to get the "Gloomy Day Blues." The symptoms have shown up in how I have been feeling constantly tired, I suppose all the extra school work and filled up weekends helped with that. But now my school work has lessened up and I have decided to try to conquer these Gloomy Day Blues. One way, is that I have began jogging again which I have had to stop due to school work. Exercise does help give you more energy and brighten up a day and ward off the Gloomy Day Blues. Here is a poem in honor of all those who brave the cold, winter air to get outside and exercise, though I have to admit it isn't real poetry. For those who don't plan to, you can enjoy the poem for its own sake to brighten up your day. It is by an unknown author. I would recommend you read the original poem first: "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. Here is instead, "Stopping by the Bakery on a Hungry Evening" with apologies to Robert Frost:

Whose cakes these are, I think I know,

His Condos in the city though,

He will not see me stop to stare,

At every croissant and eclair.

My running shoes must think it queer,

To pause with all these pastries here,

My diets barely started, but still,

I feel a weakening of my will.

The cashier says, "What would you like?"

Forgive me exercising bike!

Cream puffs I think, just a box of twenty,

Wait! One doughnut hole is plenty.

Oh, whipped creams lushes white and deep,

But I have diet vows to keep,

And miles to jog before I sleep!

What are your ways to keep from the Gloomy Day Blues?

What Mess?

2009-11-01T18:29:00.008+01:00

No, not mess, messE. You know, the Herbst Messe? Translated, "the Fall Fair" which comes every year to Basel. Today I spent the afternoon with church friends walking all over the messe. We ate and walked and ate more and walked more and rode some rides and ate more and walked more. It was lots of fun! What kinds of rides did I go on? Well, perhaps knowing me you will think bumper cars and merry-go-rounds. Not this time! I faced my fears and went on a crazy ride. It went up, down, spun in circles and even went upside down! Yes, I was terrified. Yes, I would go on it again. And yes, I did scream myself almost hoarse :D And yes, I loved every second of it!!! Here are the pictures of the fun day:

Here we are, all smily!

The Transformer, which is the second ride I went one. This was only the start with the smoke effect and rising up, before the spinning started.

Ok, here starts the spinning... I would recommend not to eat beforehand.

Scenes from the herbst messe.

The messe will still be on for another week, so I would recommend everyone to come into Basel and experience the fun themselves!

Practice Makes Perfect!

2009-10-21T10:05:00.008+02:00

Fall holiday is over and it is back to school. I decided to continue school through the fall holiday, but I did take the last few days off. More specifically I had the 14-17 off, where I went with Rebecca and my JugendMusik (Youth Band) to our annual JUMU Lager (Jugend Musik camp) in Shelten (near Délemont).

What did we do for those few days? Here is just an overview:

We played music, of course, that was the entire point of the camp. We separated up into our different instrument groups to practice then we joined together and realized we should have practiced more on our own. But not to worry, the next day we were able to practice in our little groups again, day in and day out, till we all could barely make a note by the end.

Here is our band director, she was nice enough to let her dad join us :P

Another important thing we did was eat!!!! Actually in this picture we are playing games in the evening, but since there is food involved as well I suppose it could represent us eating :D

Due to our theme being animals, we had a circus one evening. Those who got marked through out the year for forgetting their notes etc had to each perform an act. This was the elephant trainer, yes those are mattress covers that the elephants are wearing :)

We loved to stay up late and talk, that is what camp is all about :P But in this picture, the leader didn't quite appreciate us staying up, since he couldn't get us to stop talking instead he thought he would create a way for us to use our energy elsewhere. So in our pajamas (and some in their barefeet) we were marched outside at about midnight in the freezing cold and we ran laps and did jumping jacks and more. We loved it!

That was all lots of fun and the end came to soon. The Lager Abschlusskonzert (camp ending concert) arrived where we were able to play those songs we had been practicing like crazy all week. The concert went really well and everyone enjoyed it (I think :P ) Then we all said our sad goodbyes and went home... to sleep!

Another Chance...

2009-09-29T13:41:00.004+02:00

Another chance to win, I approach my Judo tournament in Murten with much anticipation. Will this be the one that I will finally win at least one fight? Just two weeks before I was at a competition in Weinfelden which turned into somewhat of a disaster. After being stuck in traffic, I missed the weigh in; therefore, I was not signed up for my group. Disappointed in having driven over two hours and not being able to compete at all, my teacher allowed me to join the elite group. I lost after seven seconds. Now I was in Murten, ready to do my best.

"OJIME!" called the referee and I began. The time ticked by on the digital clock, counting down from four minutes. Now it was at three minutes and I was still in, though I had fallen a few times I still kept going. Then it happened, she pinned me down and I struggled for freedom. I could barely breathe. The timer began. Could I free myself before the twenty-five seconds were over? What would happen first, would I escape or suffocate? I gasp for breath and continue fighting. Then I heard it, the loud buzz. It was over and I had lost. Yet, how long did I fight for? 1:33!!! I was so pleased with myself! That was my best record.

Then came my second fight. Not much to say about that. I approached my opponent, we fought, a few seconds later I was laying flat on my back. But nothing could squelch my elation over my defeat of my personal record. Goodbye Judo tournaments, I will not be competing again this year. I will have time to work hard and practice till January, then I shall return stronger, faster, and better. Perhaps that will be my first win?

Enjoy the movie of my tournament :) I'm the one in the orange belt :P

Return to Routine

2009-09-15T14:28:00.004+02:00

Life has become quite busy over the past few weeks, with school and my hobbies all starting up. But I am pleased to announce that a routine has begun again and I am no longer suffering from Summer Holiday Boredom. The biggest happening since I last wrote was Heather leaving for University again. Though she has already been gone for a year, the goodbyes after her visits never get any easier. After having her around the house for three months and now her gone, I can't help but almost cry when I see the places she used to be, lie empty. But I must learn that life has to go on...

Saying goodbye breaks my heart,

If only we never had to part.

I'm very close to my sister,

I love to talk and laugh with her.

I understand that change must be,

And that she is now very happy,

But still I don't like to let go,

Yet she has to move on in life, also

I need to move on as well I know.

She'll go her way, I'll go mine. Though-

We shouldn't cry and feel so sad,

Instead treasure the time that we had.

Though for a time we may grieve,

The memories will never leave,

But I can't help shedding at least a tear,

For the sister I'm parted from who is so dear.

La Vita Italiana

2009-08-21T17:04:00.009+02:00

Guess where my family went? A hint: olive vineyards, Florence, pizza, gelato. Of course, it was Italy!!! A five day vacation to what I consider one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Casa Cares, that was what our guest house was called. Located in an olive vineyard. The top left picture is of my favorite window seat which I spent my evenings sitting on and writing in my journal while I looked out upon the breathtaking view.

Here is another trivia, can you guess where this place is on the pictures? I had mentioned it at the beginning. The famous Florence, or Firenze as the Italians call it. I could hardly believe I was actually there in person!

What would a trip to Italy be, without a visit to the beach! I even saw my very first real live jelly fish. Perhaps you are wondering what those stairs down the side of the cliff are. Well, that is how we got down to this quaint cove. It was hard enough climbing it in flip flops, why not throw in a few bags full of beach towels and food.

Italian food is delicious! I had pizza, pasta, and of course the all famous gelato.

What was my favorite part? I cannot narrow it down to one thing. But as to my favorite part of Florence, that I do know. I loved the street markets and bargaining for the best price. As well as all the different varieties of people I saw there. I liked to watched the street artists who were all selling the exact same paintings and there were about two or three on every street. How many pictures of cupids can a person buy? Apparently they thought never enough.

If you look around enough you may catch some humorous shots. Air conditioning, hmmmm, I suppose that would draw people into the shop on a hot day, I just found it a funny sign :) There were people all around taking pictures of each other, I liked getting the picture from a different angle of the various poses, some less normal then others.

I actually had enough courage to ask a police man to pose for a picture with me. Those are really cool hats they had!

Italy is such a fun country, I recommend it as a vacation for everyone!!! With that I shall not end by saying goodbye but rather arrivederci (just don't ask me to pronounce that :P )!!!

Seventeen... Already?!

2009-08-08T16:40:00.006+02:00

How time flies, one moment I am a little girl playing with barbies and dressing up, now I am seventeen. When did that happen? It is not time to get sentimental, it is time to CELEBRATE!

Ok, instead of my usual telling of events, instead I will say all the specialness of Seventeen:

Firstly, seventeen is the last year as a "child" before turning eighteen when all the responsibility of voting, University, etc is put upon you. Seventeen sounds much older then sixteen. I'm getting old, oh my!!!!

Secondly, Seventeen is the age in the song "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, not really that significant, but I really like that song so it is to me :)

Seventeen: Seven is the number of perfection, though I don't know how "perfect" of a year it will be, I hope it will be though. It is my last year at home, my last year of being too old to be called a child yet too young to be called an adult, that is why there is the "teen" on the end of my age, meaning "between." Don't quote me on that one, I got it from observation not from research.

(Those are two giant chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream between. It was delicious!)

Lastly, Seventeen is yet another year of my life: to learn new things, to make a difference, to live!

I am very excited for the coming up year with all the adventures it may hold.

...And Then Everything Lit up

2009-08-04T18:14:00.006+02:00

All was dark as we made our way to the top of a hill in Holderbank with our friends. We had just finished a nice grill and dessert, now evening drew near. The silent August first night was broken occasionally by a sudden BANG! We reached the top of the hill and stopped, and then...

... everything suddenly was lit up!!!! Fireworks exploded everywhere spraying the sky with color.

The August first celebrations increased as the night grew darker.

Now comes a quick side note: for those who may not know the significance of August first, it is like the American July Fourth. Now, moving on...

After a while, the kids got out some sparklers.

Not everyone completely trusted those sparklers, it had taken me years to finally trust them myself.

It was past eleven when we made our way back home and to bed but were all kept awake late by the continuous fireworks.

I wish you all a late happy August First even if you aren't in Switzerland!

My Birthday Party :D

2009-08-01T10:45:00.009+02:00

A weekend full of fun and glee,

A birthday party just for ME!

Two weeks early it may be,

But we still celebrated happily.

My mom was nice enough to bake,

A pink and green frog birthday cake,

The Vanilla and chocolate cake was so good,

That I ate more then I should!

Karina, Linda, and Acacia came,

To have fun with all the game(s).

Us blindfolded, the mörakopf was fed,

watch out! I think I got some on her head!

Lunch at a castle, how fun to grill,

We ate and ate and ate until...

We began a game of sardines, what a thrill!

A lot of fun, I wont forget,

The games, the laughter, not one little bit.

There is so much more I would want to say,

But I wont, you'll just have to come to next years birthday :P

Around the World in One Day!

2009-07-20T13:54:00.006+02:00

Ferdinand Magellan traveled around the world in three years, Jules Verne traveled around the world in eighty days, well, I out did them both! I went around the world in one day! With my sister Heather and my friend Karina, we set out to the city of Zürich, which was the beginning point for our journey.

Our first stop was China, we went to the Chinagarten (China Garden) in Zürich. Isn't it such a cute little garden ;P

Lunch time came and we spent it in Turkey by having our Dürüms. Even though we sat next to a river in Zürich I want to keep with the world tour theme, so I will call it a Turkish river, which is where we ate our lunch while being watched by Turkish Swans :)

Next was a visit to the Stonehenge, more accurately it is modern art in the middle of Zürich that, in my imaginative mind, resembled the Stonehenge. We continued on to a church that was "cool," it felt nice after the hot weather! I am not sure what country that will represent but I suppose I will call it the Vatican since it was, after all, a Catholic church.

We finished our round the world journey by arriving back in Switzerland and enjoying the last few hours in Zürich by the Zürichsee. If you want more information about this historic trip or get our autographs for being the first people to go around the world in one day, just contact either me, Karina, or Heather :D

We Survived!

2009-07-14T16:24:00.004+02:00

(Continued from the last post) We survived the night of facing all the dangers of Holderbank, it was difficult at times, such as when a "ferocious" cat was on the porch and scared us half to death, yet we persevered.

Heather is setting up the tent on our porch. I think we have given our neighbors entertainment, as they wondered what in the world we were doing :D

Lots of pillows makes any bed seem very cozy.

We were watching a movie. We ended up staying up till 3:45, our all nighter idea didn't quite work out. When we finally woke up this morning we ended our "authentic" camping trip with pancakes, I want to do this again before summer is out and recommend a camping trip in your yard to any one who wants something fun to do in their summer.

Porch Camping

2009-07-14T00:03:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone, I bet you can't guess where I am right now! I am "sleeping" in a tent on my porch! Haha and having a great time. My sister Heather and I are having a sleepover :P already we watched a movie with the ambience of cars in the back ground, very mood setting for a Jane Austin film :/ Now we are chatting and randomly updating my bl0g at midnight, very exciting :P I will post pictures tomorrow morning, sleep well!

The Mysterious Path and other adventures

2009-07-13T18:33:00.011+02:00

Another warm day, and another day for a nice walk in the surrounding country with my sister. I call this walk, "The Mysterious Path and other adventures."

We (Heather and I) began our walk, very content, enjoying the fresh air, and ready to find adventure...

Adventure found us. Hmmmm, a small deserted path. Perhaps it is a short cut? Whatever it is, we will find out! And so we embarked on our journey up the over grown path through the woods.

We were so near the end of the path when we found it covered in stinging needles, oh no what will we do now *gasp* but I faced the foreboding plants to see what was on the other end while Heather wisely watched. The path came out in the middle of a strange farm. Our journey was over and we slipped (literally) back down the path to the main road. My only wound from the adventure was one sting from the needles. Later we discovered that the "strange farm" was actually a familiar farm that I just happened to see from a different side.

(on a clear day you can see the alps through that fog in a long stretch as far as the eye can see)

We continued up a hill with no trees. The sun beat down on our "glistening" forms toiling up the hill. We suddenly got the desperate desire to drink some water... searching... searching, no water!!! We didn't bring any and couldn't find a fountain any where! Our thirst only grew as the sun beat more fiercely and we cooked in the sun like two little helpless sausages frying in a pan, perhaps not the best metaphor. Yet we persevered onward!

(that is the "cross." I was there when I took the pictures for my last post.)

We saw our town in the distance, we are getting closer to the cool house and... WATER!!!

This is our town, walking down our main road there is our house in the distance, we are coming closer!!!

Home sweet home, the wonderful holder of all cool liquids, we have reached your door step and are ready to enter and partake of the refreshment of water...

At last our quest is complete, we have reached water and a cool house. No more sausage sizzling and dehydrating, as pleasant as the walk was, we were very glad for the comfort of home. No one can tell me now that water has no taste, it is delicious! Now that I have ended that exciting adventure, where else can I go?

My Home!

2009-07-10T17:43:00.008+02:00

I have been blogging for over a year, I've written about my life, shown pictures of my family and friends, and even wrote an entry about my pet, but never included a picture of my home sweet home! I had to remedy that!!! Recently, I took a short walk up a mountain over looking my town and snapped a few pictures of the place I call home. Now even those readers who have never visited me can know what my little town of Holderbank looks like.

For a bonus with this entry I will have trivia about Holderbank. There are about six hundred people in Holderbank.

It is a Catholic town, right on the border of the next Canton (kind of like an American State) which is not Catholic, so we get all the extra Catholic holidays from school, Yay!

There is only one store in our entire town, a small Denner. But we do have plenty of restaurants!!!

Here is my house. Can you find it on the other picture above? If you want a real big challenge, find it on the very first picture, it is visible... barely... If you find it you receive the prize of the satisfaction of having very good observation skills :P

Making Memories!!

2009-07-06T17:37:00.009+02:00

With school being over, and the sun shinning brightly through the window, we had to get outside for a few hours. We, three sisters, journeyed a few minutes to a nearby creek amongst a few trees where we spent our times taking pictures and making unforgettable memories.

We will not always be together, time will take us our separate ways, such as University and beyond. That is why it is so very important to enjoy every small moment we have together.

Are You Wise?

2009-06-27T08:55:00.003+02:00

I am now officially without wisdom. Yesterday morning at seven I was dragged off to the Dentist to have my wisdom teeth taken out. It was quite an ordeal, first I was given a sedative pill, I began laughing at my heat beat on the monitor, but as soon as the dentist began preparing for the IV needle, the sedative wore completely off and was replaced by my fear of needles. But the operation must go one, so the IV was put in and the Narcotic was pumped into my arm. Last I remembered was crying on my mom's shoulder waiting for the Narcotic to start.

About two hours and four wisdom teeth later, I woke up from my pleasant dreams into a doctor's chair! At first I was confused as to where I was and the world about me seemed to be constantly moving. The first few moments of being awake I don't remember clearly, just the vague recollection of the doctor and my mom asking me how I was and if I felt dizzy. I just wanted to get home and sleep. I was helped into our car and home where I slept, watched about four movies, and relaxed with cold packs on my chipmunk cheeks (sorry, definitely no picture provided of my chipmunk cheeks :P)

It is now the next day after my operation, seems that I will have to be spending the day lying on the sofa though I don't feel sick. My face just feels like it will explode, that's all. I will get my stitches out on Thursday, then it will be all over.

Aloha, It Is Time for a Luau!!!

2009-06-15T14:18:00.014+02:00

Aloha, I have turned Hawaiian after a weekend full of Hawaii themed activities. My church again had it's Sunday School camp. It is hard to believe that at last year's Sunday School camp I began this blog, now a full year later I am still keeping it going and actually have readers!!! This year's theme at camp was getting wisdom from the Bible, focusing on different "Jewels" from the book of proverbs for our treasure chest. With the idea of treasure, we had all our activites relating to treasure, island, and Hawaii. Even though I was a staff, I enjoyed the camp just as much as the children did.

My favorite part of the entire weekend was Saturday evening, our Luau (Luau, as I was told, is a Hawaiian Party).

Everyone made grass skirts and were adorned with flowers necklaces. We enjoyed the evening of food and games.

Here is me in my Hawaii outfit with my friend, Karina.

I mentioned that we had games at the Luau, this is not a game of wresting. It was previously a parrot piñata that was demolished then attacked by the children for the many treasures contained within. Amazing how something that takes a process of several days to make can be destroyed in a matter of minutes!

Me, yet again, with Karina.

I was able to share a room with Karina and Heather. Two of the campers joined us afterwards for one night of staying up late so that we would be able to wish Karina a happy 19th birthday at midnight.

I have just told about my favorite parts of camp, there are many more activities we did. I would like to hear from all of you who were at camp. Tell, in the comments, about your favorite part of camp, even if you just came on Sunday for the grill, you can still give your opinion.

From Six till Twelve

2009-06-04T14:12:00.004+02:00

Weekends usually bring thoughts of sleeping in late, casually meandering around the house all day and crawling into bed at the end. That was not the case for me last Saturday! Life began at six in the morning, too early for my brain to function completely but I managed to survive somewhat. By seven I was in the car with four of my Judo friends, headed towards Sierre, in the southern French speaking part of Switzerland. What was so important down there that I would actually wake up that early on a Saturday for? Another Judo competition!!!

I went up against the same opponent as in Bellinzona, but this time did not go down that easily. I managed to stay in for forty-one seconds! I still lost but I was a proud loser. To boost my pride even more, I was able to have another fight with a different opponent, this time I lasted an entire minute and twenty-eight seconds! Such an improvement from my competition in Bellinzona!!! I headed back home feeling like a winner.

Arriving home, I had not a moment to spare, there was a concert in Holderbank and I needed to be there, especially since I was participating in it! Hurrying down town, I arrived to play, literally, two notes of warm up with my band before we entered onto the stage and began. Still giddy from the excitement of my "successful" turnier, my mind barely stayed on the notes. The concert just flew past and before I knew it, it was over.

Yet again, not a moment to relax, for that night was the final of the show "Britain's Got Talent." My dad picked Rebecca and I up and we headed to some friends house to watched the suspenseful, exciting end. We were elated to discover our favorite competitor, Diversity, won!

Happily satisfied, I finally crawled into bed at about twelve. What a day!!!

A Full House

2009-05-31T17:07:00.002+02:00

With the approaching summer winds, arrive two enthusiastic guests all the way from South Carolina. The long summer holiday in America gave time for Heather to come home from Bob Jones University for a few months, in hope of getting a summer job, and spend summer with her family. We were enjoying our returned sister very much when we received another "sister" for a while!

Lisa Popwell, who also attends Bob Jones University, came all the way from South Carolina and stayed a week and a half with us. Four teenage girls in one house made it a very fun time!

We made sure Lisa saw all the important places in Switzerland that we could take her to in the one short week and a half. From the alps to a castle, even stopping in at the new apple store opening in Zürich! They saw it all. I did not accompany them on all their outings due to the ever present school work. But I did experience some.

Of course, what would a visit to Switzerland be without Fondue, Raclette and chocolate! Switzerland has some of the best food, in my opinion, and we made sure Lisa was quite aware of that :D

We had some adventures, such as being caught in a castle ruins during a rain storm, and moments we will laugh at for years to come which makes the entire time very memorable.
We will miss Lisa very much, but we will see her again soon!

But at least Heather is still here ... she is stuck with me for the summer muahahaha :P

All's that's left to say is ... to those who haven't been to Switzerland, come visit us!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T21:31:00.001+02:00

Because My Mom Loves Me

She washed my cloths, she made my bed,

She taught me all I did and said.

She cooked my food and did the dishes,

She tried to grant me all my wishes.

... Because my mom loves me!

She gave me smiles, she wiped my tears,

And with her hugs she calmed my fears.

She showed me all I need to know,

That I can continue to grow.

... Because my mom loves me!

Through all the years of growing older,

There's one thing that I should have told her:

How more precious she's every day,

I value each thing she does and say.

... Because I love my mom!

...Then He Shouted "Ippon"

2009-05-03T18:00:00.008+02:00

The first test of my newly learned orange belt techniques in Judo presented itself....a Judo ranking tournament! Down in the town of Bellinzona located in the italian part of Switzerland, hundreds of Judokas (people who do Judo), trainers and supporting friends gathered in an overcrowded gymnasium to find out who would come out first place. We were all separated into categories according to our weights and the fights began. I was the first person in my category and went up against a very friendly yet intimidating opponent. We approached each other and six seconds later I was on my back, the referee shouted "Ippon" (the Judo term for landing on your back) and the fight was over. My opponent won her second fight; therefore, I was back in against a second girl. She was less intimidating and we began. A small fight ensued still, ten seconds later, I was again on my back and for the second time my fight was over but this time for good.

Though I lost both fights, I did not mind. I am just a beginner and will have much practice and hard work before I begin winning against those more experienced people. At the end of the day, after the other girl from my Judo club had her fights, we all gathered together in the sunny warm outside air and ate real italian gelato, one of the best consolation prizes :) I will have more chances coming up in the near future to hopefully do better in a tournament. But until then, I will keep practicing.

The Beauty of Spring

2009-04-24T14:15:00.008+02:00

Another blossom in the garden, another bud on the tree. The sun shows its smiling face earlier and stays out later. The brown dreary world changes into fresh green garments. All this is a sign of Spring!
I found many newly bloomed Forget-Me-Notes in our yard. They are my favorite flower!

I managed to catch a busy bee collecting nectar. After our long winter, I don't even mind the bugs emerging from hibernation. They have their own unique beauty as much as the first spring flowers.
Spring is my favorite season of the year. The whole earth seems to come alive again each year in a new way. Every spring seems greener then the year before, every flower seems brighter then the year before, and everything seems newer then the year before. Makes me wish it were Spring all year round.
Tell about your favorite season, and why, in the comments :) And don't forget to get outside sometime this week to enjoy Spring!

Schönes Östern!

2009-04-15T13:25:00.006+02:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! Here are a few things we did for Easter, and in preparation for Easter...

We started our Easter Sunday with going to church. The youth group at church made a small presentation with Easter images and corresponding bible verses that we read.

We painted Easter eggs! Though we don't have an Easter egg hunt any more, we do enjoy decorating them, then setting them out in a basket as an Easter table ornament.

Rebecca is enjoying chocolate from her Easter basket. We always have an Easter basket hunt around our house. Even Mom and Dad have an Easter basket.

Two of the occupants from our Easter baskets :)

To remind us of the real reason for Easter we have our tomb we make. Usually it is made from rice crispies treats but this year we tried it using corn flakes. All the other objects are from a moldable white chocolate with food coloring added for interest. My mom had much icing left over from an abundance of cakes she has been decorating recently; therefore, we added small details using icing. It turned out to be the most colorful tomb scene we have ever made.

With all the preparations for Easter, it is important not to forget what Easter is all about...

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matthew 28:5,6

Felsen Putzer

2009-04-10T14:49:00.008+02:00

The Swiss truly have a great sense of humor! Watch and enjoy...

Judo Time!

2009-04-10T13:57:00.012+02:00

Recently I spent a fun-filled weekend amid the beautiful alps in a ferien town in Fiesch with my Judo Club, Judo Kwai Oensingen (judokwaioensingen.ch).

In all, there were twenty people who came! The more the merrier :) And that was definitely true. Even the morning jogs at 6:30 seem almost fun because of the friends who are around, though I put an emphasis on ALMOST. We all would much rather have preferred sleeping in till breakfast which was at 7:30.

We did much judo throughout the weekend. Once the Judo club who usually met there joined in with our training. It was cozy to say the least, us all being squished in their not-so-large dojo (judo training room).
We were taught moves from the black belt, which is the highest level of judo. I admit most of us did not look as professional as that picture.

We were all exhausted by the end!!!

Of course we did manage to make time for games. The one guy plays Unihockey and taught us how to play.

When the weekend was over everyone slept in the small bus all the way back to Oensingen where we were picked up by family members. The very next day after the weekend, was a normal Judo training again for everyone except me. I did not take part in the training, instead I did my test for the next level belt, the orange belt, and passed! It may not seem like that high of a level to those who know Judo, but for me, it feels good to not be the lowest level anymore :) Besides, my orange belt coordinates very well with my white outfit.

Guess What!?!

2009-04-01T16:37:00.004+02:00

Guess who I met!!! Tuesday evening my family went into Basel and as we were heading home my mom exclaimed, "Isn't that Roger Federer?" And sure enough it was! We couldn't believe it! Approaching him, we chatted for a few minutes and I was able to get my picture taken with him :) ....

... April Fools :D

It is amazing what Photoshop® can do, just remember, you can't believe every picture you see :) April Fools is always a fun day for pranks and jokes. Tell about some April Fools jokes you have done. Perhaps I will use it for next year :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T13:59:00.003+01:00

I wish you all a very happy St. Patrick's Day! I know I am not Irish but I still enjoy celebrating this holiday in various small ways. Today most of my family wore something green, which wasn't hard for me to do since my favorite color is green; therefore, I have quite a selection of green things to choose from. For lunch we colored our food green with food coloring, green calzone looks a little strange but tastes just as good.

I would like to hear about what other people do special for this holiday, for those who celebrate it. Please leave a comment with your St. Patrick's Day traditions, or just what you have done this year. and may you all enjoy the rest of this fun holiday!

King Lear

2009-03-07T22:10:00.006+01:00

As many of you may remember, my family has had pet guinea pigs for the last few years. Two years ago our last guinea pig, Katrina, died. We have not had any pets since though my sisters and I had asked often but my parents did not like the idea of having to take care of a Methuselah guinea pig while we leave for University and beyond. Recently, they suggested we get pet fish which do not have long lives. Just today Rebecca and I went to Qualipet and now I have my very own pet Beta fish, or Kämpfisch, whom I have named King Lear. I am very proud of him and am looking forward to showing him off to any unsuspecting visitor that may drop by :)

My Funny Valentine

2009-02-15T19:28:00.003+01:00

Happy Valentines to everyone! What a perfect excuse to have a party :) We invited a few friends from Kilchzimmer (where my dad works) and we spent and evening in Valentine celebrations. Our cupid for the night had to pin as many people as possible with cloths pins while we all wrote a funny valentine story, advertised a piece of chocolate, and ate heart shaped pizza. What better way to end a party then with dessert and a movie.

Lungern, I'm Back!

2009-02-15T18:08:00.013+01:00

My church's annual retreat to the ferienhaus (holiday house) domino, situated in the small town of Lungern, is one of the highlights of my entire year. This year my family arrived a day early to get in an extra day of skiing. It was perfect weather though not as good quality snow as I would have liked but the view down the valley was breathtaking! My entire family, except Mom, spent the day skiing and I tried new slopes but ended up spending more time falling then skiing, or at least it seemed that way. When we arrived back at the ferienhaus, we were soon joined by all the other church members who came. I shared a room with my friend Karina and of course we didn't get much sleep the whole weekend :) Karina, it was lots of fun :)

We all went skiing again on Saturday. The good news was that it had snowed, that bad news was that it was so foggy, skiers couldn't even see the new snow. But still, a little fog wont stop determined skiers, ok perhaps it was more then a little fog. So we set out, up the gondola, and onto the fog filled slopes. After a few runs down a smaller hill I joined a group of church members to go down a longer slope. Part way down the slope my ankle hurt where I wasn't able to ski properly, though I still don't know why, and I had to have a ride down on the back of a snow mobile :) It was even more fun then skiing down! My ankle was alright in the end but still I had to return back to the ferienhaus for the rest of the day. Though I didn't ski again, I still spent a fun day full of games and other activities.

All good things must come to an end and so must the retreat. There was a sermon Sunday morning, then our last meal before everyone packed up and left. Until next year!

Ready, Steady, GO!!!!

2009-02-04T21:49:00.009+01:00

The event was a scavenger hunt, the mission was to find and take a picture of as many things on the list possible in the time frame and having a team member included in each picture, the time frame was one and a half hours. And so our youth group, divided into two teams, were off running throughout the streets of Basel searching for such object as pyramids, non-swiss license plates, and people walking dogs. That was only a few of the things we had to take pictures of, also on the list were some things to be filmed. On a bridge we did leap frog, in front of the rathaus we did ring-around-the-rosies, and we even had to get a stranger to yell. The other team had enough time to sing publicly and actually received some money for their lovely rendition of itzy bitzy spider. At three o'clock both teams had a race down the street to our meeting point, a truce was called and we casually walked the rest of the way. We ended the day with snacks as we viewed all our pictures and counted up points, my team lost by two points, but we both had an equal amount of fun.

... And a Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-10T14:54:00.006+01:00

Happy 2009 to everyone! Thank you very much for following my blog and I wish you all the best for this coming year!

I celebrated the arrival of the new year with my family at home, and I could not have been happier :) We snuggled up on our sofas to watch a movie until twelve o'clock was upon us. We hurried around preparing everything for the arrival of 2009. Kabooooom! we set off a tischbombe, then a second, then a third! Toys and cheap plastic instruments that don't work went flying everywhere! We all got a stock of streamers to blow on each other till we ran out. Then we filled our glasses up with Remuss (bubbly, fancy grape juice) and cheered in the new year with laughter and happiness. While still wound up with all the excitement we continued with celebrations of dressing up in streamers and other silly things that people are bound to do when they are sleep deprived. We finally decided we had better head off to bed and so we did.

On New Years day we had a nice lunch of roclette (I apologize if I spelled that wrong) while sitting on the living room floor on pillows which made it a unique, and I found, very fun meal.

May all of your new years be as happy as mine! And may you all keep reading and commenting on my blog often throughout this coming year. Happy New Year!

We wish you a merry Christmas!

2008-12-31T15:06:00.004+01:00

Time sure does fly when you are busy! We just came from America and already preparation started for Christmas which came speeding upon us before we even were able to become fully settled back home. Cookies went into the oven and the tree came up. Just before Christmas holiday we got the best present anyone could give us, Heather was coming home for Christmas! She arrived the 20th and soon was pulled into the Christmas chaos. We had two guests, Mei Mei and Maria, come for a visit over Christmas. They were very nice and even helped with the stringing of popcorn for the tree. After all our rushing about we did calm down and have a very relaxing christmas day with a full asian dinner lasting seven hours! There was wonderful tasty food and we all had a go at eating with chop sticks. I was sad to see Mei Mei and Maria leave the next day. It has been a different Christmas then usual this year but that is what makes it more special and it will stand out in my memory: the fun, friends, and laughter. Merry Christmas to you all! And a happy New Year!

Mis Schwiiz!!!!

2008-12-13T21:30:00.005+01:00

A tear shed, a hug given, the bags marked and on their way, and so are we. This happened after our first panic when, while unloading our luggage, we discovered to my dad's dismay and my amusement, that we had packed Heather's allotment of luggage. Eight, nine, ten, we count again and sure enough there are ten bags sitting their on the ground in front of the airport. We are only allowed eight pieces (two per person). Dad nervously picks two unlucky victims (suitcases) to be sent back with grandma to go into boxes and into the mail. Hopefully he chose the bags with things we can do without for a few weeks.

Now we are sitting in the Harrisburg airport, gate B2, on the fourth December. We wait .... and wait ... and wait a bit more ... a long time later we are still waiting. The good-looking ticket man announces into the speaker that our flight has been "delayed" due to "mechanical difficulties." The time for our connecting flight to Zürich was drawing closer, would we still make it? Tick tock tick tock, forty minutes till that flight! It seems to tight. Finally the ticket man called us forward, he talked with Dad and sorted out different possibilities. Dad returned with tickets for a new flight plan starting from gate B3.

Finally on the plane and on our way to Washington-Dulles! It was a very small plane and took only about half an hour till we landed safely in Washington. As we walked wearied out of the plane we saw, to our joy, that we didn't need to go through any customs! Relieved, we waited for our flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

The minutes turned into hours as the large plane slowly inched across the atlantic. A movie was playing on my screen and my journal was in my hand. Food was on my table, and turbulence was shaking the plane. Six hours, Seven hours, "Please take your seats, we are now landing in Frankfurt" said the pleasant stewardess. How can she be so happy? I haven't gotten a wink of sleep on this flight and I do not feel very happy.

Exhaustedly I stumbled off the plane, what did I pack in my carry-on! things are a lot lighter when I feel it in my comfortable living room. To my chagrin I saw in front of me .... the dreaded customs! They were strict! I was passed through but mom was scanned with the hand held metal detector. We sat down to await the incoming flight that would finally take us home. I slept on mom's lap. I don't know why I can sleep in airport chairs but not in planes. I woke up enough to drag myself onto the airplane and as soon as I sat down I began to drift off. We went higher and higher. I opened my eyes to watch the scenery slowly drift by below. Maybe I would recognize something, look a forest, is that a town?, the back of my eyelids. I was asleep again till a sudden jerk made me sit bolt upright. I heard afterwards that was one of the bumpiest landings my parents had experienced.

Finally in Zürich! A language I recognize! An airport I recognize! Now the part we have been worried about, did our luggage make it as well? One, two, .... seven, eight, yep all eight pieces. As we exit the doors we are met cheerily by cowbells and Mr. Brent with Amy (our neighbors/dad's coworker). My sleepiness left me somewhat with the excited chatter of Amy and the excitement of being home sweet home.

I know this town, it is Oensingen, I turn down that road for my judo. Balsthal! It hasn't changed much! I see it up ahead! I recognize that landmark! There is the castle ruins on the hill, it must be around the next bend! And there it is! Mis clynes Holderbank! What a relief to be home! The car comes to a slow stop in front of a white house with brown shudders, I know it well. That is the small place I call home.

Stuffing Ourselves with Stuffing!

2008-12-03T22:48:00.002+01:00

Mashed potatoes, stuffing, a reduction in the turkey population, and increase in your own weight, hmm, that sounds familiar. Happy Thanksgiving! A time to be thankful and be with family and friends as well as have an excuse to eat as much as you want!

My first thanksgiving was on thanksgiving day with my Shirey family. Twenty-four, soon to be twenty-five, of us gathered together at hershey farms for a family style thanksgiving meal. Anne Manduka became a Shirey for the day and joined us :) From a bowl full of stuffing to mouth watering turkey, we ate our fill, then ate our fill again when the pumpkin pie came around followed closely by the apple pie and a container of ice cream! We all were as stuffed as that turkey used to be. That is all part of the fun of thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving wasn't over yet! My Bollinger family came over on Saturday for a homemade thanksgiving meal. I made a very large bowl of stuffing with grandma, making a slight mess with an egg in the process. Did you know that if you squeeze an egg just right it will squirt towards you instead of into the bowl? Thanksgiving was ended with games and laughter.

A "Real" Teenager

2008-12-03T22:35:00.003+01:00

Amidst the excitement of Heather's return and the stress of the nearness of our return to Switzerland as well as the approach of Thanksgiving there was Rebecca's birthday. She turned fourteen which some people call the real beginning of being a teenager. She chose a special breakfast and lunch as well as an ice cream cake from dairy queen for supper. Her birthday was spread out over a few days making it possible to involve both grandparents and prolonging all the celebrations. There can never be to many parties :) It was days full of celebration and many presents, including her sister's return for a week. Happy Fourteenth Birthday, Rebecca! And many more.

Guess Who Was Back!?!

2008-12-03T22:17:00.002+01:00

Tuesday, last week, was a very exciting day. Besides being the last day of visiting, another event was marked for the end of that day. More accurately, it would occur the next day, early morning. After cleaning the whole house, we waited in anticipation. My parents left. I sat next to my bed counting down the minutes, 1:30...1:31...1:32...zzzzz. Upon waking up there she was! Heather was sleeping soundly in her bed as if she had never left. The next few days flew by so fast full of shopping and chatting constantly about everything possible to talk about. For Wednesday and Thursday I had a third sister join in the fun, Anne Manduka. Heather returned to university this Monday a little past six in the morning amid much weeping and hugs. I will have to somehow manage to survive one and a half years without seeing her but then will come two years of being on the same campus.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-10-25T18:12:00.003+02:00

On the twenty first of October was a very special day, my dad's birthday. For the whole day Rebecca and I took a holiday from school so that as a family we could go out and celebrate. We began our day with a tour of Wolfgang Chocolate factory. The tour guide didn't allow us to snitch any chocolate from the conveyer belts :( but at least at the end of the tour we all received a small bag of chocolate samples. Of course we couldn't of gone through the entire tour without ending by buying chocolate for ourselves :) We still haven't finished it all off!

After the tour we drove over to the Millennium theater in Lancaster. At the theater, Sight & Sound preformed an amazing production called "In the Beginning," about creation and the fall of man. It was a very dramatic, overwhelming production that filled the entire theater with stars in the heavens and angles flying up the aisles as well as real animals running across the stage. I have never seen a production that large in my life!

To end the day we headed over to Park City, a mall, and visited the newly opened Apple store. After playing on some ipods and computers, Rebecca and I looked around the rest of the mall as my dad continued looking in the Apple store. After finishing our shopping we went home and unwrapped presents, by then it was late and we went to bed very tired but happy.

Me, One Day, and the City of Washington D.C

2008-10-11T22:26:00.003+02:00

From the Washington Monument to the actual White house! I got to see the capitol building and the Lincoln memorial. A small look at parts of the Smithsonian was enough to impress me greatly. I was able to go to Washington D.C. for a day with my family along with a few other missionaries and that was one of my dreams come true, to see my nation's capitol.

The reason for the trip was that it was a missionary conference at my sending church and as a special treat for the missionaries, we all went to Washington D.C.. The conference was a week long but the highlight of the whole week was this trip and I had been looking forward to it the whole week. The day arrived and I woke up at six in the morning and was fully equipped for the trip with my camera and energy to last the whole day, though the energy didn't quite show up till after my nap in the car on the way. After a long drive we all got on a fast underground train that took us into the center of the city. On the train my family kept expecting to hear cow bells like the similar train in the Zürich airport, but none came. We began with seeing each of the grand monuments and buildings throughout the city starting with the Washington monument. What I was looking forward to the most was seeing the White House though the security people didn't allow any people to get close to the White house yet still it was really exciting. We were hoping the president would invite us to dinner :) maybe if we called first we might of been able to. There were many different war memorials such as the long wall of names of the soldiers who died in vietnam and there was the large circle for the world war two memorial. I thought the capitol building was really beautiful, especially with the lake out front and the perfectly blue sky with occasional wisps of cloud making it picturesque. The Lincoln memorial was definitely bigger then any of the pictures had portrayed it, I thought. I was able to get a picture with the statue of Lincoln and me and I label that picture "Abraham and Sarah" :)

The afternoon we spent in the Smithsonian. It is such a large place it would take a few days to get through it but still I was able to see parts. We started in the animal museum (I don't remember its official name). The museum looked as if it came out of the movie "Night in the Museum," (except in the Smithsonian the animal on the center stand was an elephant not a T-rex) it was full of life sized stuffed animals that literally were jumping right at you. After quickly going through the animal section my dad and I went on to the art and were able to see Rembrandt and other great artists.

It was such a fun day, maybe one day I will be able to return to Washington D.C. and see all that I wasn't able to, even if I don't I will have the memory, a hundred pictures, and a singing snow globe from a patriotic shop, now I will for sure not forget the trip. Still, if anyone is planning on going to Washington and need the company I will be willing to go :)

Mainly about Maine

2008-09-25T01:47:00.003+02:00

The windy harbor was filled with every type of boat imaginable, I raised my camera for another picturesque shot. West Rockport Maine was beautiful and I will not forget the beautiful scenery of the breakwater lighthouse sitting on the end of a half mile long rock levy. My family left for Maine early on Friday morning, and after a long tiring ten hour drive we arrived at some friends's house. The family had four daughters that we had known from our last deputation when we visited Maine. After an evening of reacquainting ourselves, we all went to bed.

We began Saturday with a hike including us, the family we were staying with, and a few other people from their church. It was a short walk up to a rustic stone house where we played games and picked blueberries, and of course we ate the blueberries :) Lunch came and we all sat around and ate our packed lunches while we talked. After the hike was over and everyone left for their separate ways; my family went touring to the breakwater lighthouse. It was a beautiful day, at least I believe so, but it is hard to see clearly with the wind constantly blowing my hair in my face.

Evening arrived and my family went to a church meal, the church is the reason for the visit to Maine. I got to do my first speaking in sixteen years as part of my dad's presentation, even if it was only about three sentences. The food was great and the people were friendly, the evening as a whole was really enjoyable and a nice end to a very fun filled day.

Sunday arrived so then we made our way once again to the church where my dad preached for sunday school and got to just sit and enjoy the sermon. For lunch my parents ate with missions people while Rebecca and I got to go to pizza hut with the family we were staying with. I really wish there was a pizza hut back in Switzerland! In the evening Dad had to speak again and present our work along with a short message. Afterwards I left earlier then my parents to spend one last evening with the four girls, we got along very well and I will miss them all!

Six forty-five on Monday morning I woke up to say goodbye to the girls before they left for school then I got packed up and ready to leave on the long trip "home." We stopped by LLBean for a few hours before continuing our journey to York. By the time we finally arrived back in York it was 4:45 on Tuesday morning! I was a bit tired to say the least. I slept in Tuesday morning, what was left of it, and then completed a whole day of school. Now I am back into the routine with only a slight cold to hinder me.

Weekend at a Church

2008-09-18T01:00:00.003+02:00

This passed weekend my family stayed at a church's missionary house where we could easily visit the church throughout the weekend. Though the church is located in Pennsylvania, we still stayed over night because it was over an hour drive across some mountains. We arrived on Saturday and had an ice cream evening with some of the church people as they talked about a recent missions trip they had. On Sunday we went to the church and afterwards joined them for a fellowship dinner with good food and a long table of desserts! I got to try a shoe fly pie for the first time and I decided that I really like it despite it's not so appetizing name. On Monday Rebecca and I had to do school, which wasn't to bad since I got to be on a sofa chair next to a large window, of course I also did some school between the twirling and rocking on the chair as well as staring out of the window. For lunch we visited friends who had been to Switzerland before, I became homesick seeing all the pictures they had. On Tuesday morning we left for our home in York.

Fair Time!

2008-09-17T01:42:00.002+02:00

In York county Pennsylvania, every year the York fair comes to town for two weeks about. I was able to go two times last week, once with my aunt and uncle and once with my family, which gave me the opportunity to see just about the entire fair. I got to go on different rides and end the day with the fares wheel at night and see the fair filled with different colored lights, it was beautiful! I got to eat American food such as blooming onions, funnel cake, and cotton candy! I am allowed to eat all that junk food because I only do it every three years :) yum, it sure was nice though! Other things I got to see was the amazing pig races! I know it sounds very exciting, the pigs even had creative names such as Lindsay Loham and Britany Squeals :) Also there was a singing group called vocal trash that sang using trash. They had trash cans for drums and strummed on washboards as well as many other creative methods as they sang popular songs. In the very late evening there was a laser light show where the colorful laser lights pierced the night sky forming creative patterns in beat with back ground music. The whole time was very tiring yet very fun, I love fairs!

Five Minus One Equals Four

2008-09-13T01:08:00.005+02:00

School has started up for me and Rebecca this past Monday, the reason for the late start is the leaving of my sister, Heather. She is not leaving the family, at least not yet, she just left for college down in South Carolina at Bob Jones University. At the end of August, beginning of September my family of five left all excited and happy down to Bob Jones, we arrived and stayed at the house of very nice people. We dropped off Heather at school on Saturday, after having a tour of the campus, and cried a lot. We recovered, left South Carolina as a family of four and visited friends in North Carolina (the Jarretts, for those who know them). We spent a day with them then continued on our way. We are starting to see the good in leaving Heather behind, such as the fact that most things in this world come in even numbers, whether seats at a restaurant or food packaged at the store, now we don't have to fight over the last schoki gipfli anymore. We really do miss Heather. (check out Heathers blog for more information about her life as a "wise" college student) Now me and Rebecca are starting school, nothing as interesting as Heather is going through. We are kept busy with learning, now at least I have seen the campus of Bob Jones and know what I am learning for ... a campus full of other teenagers for four years! Don't panic Mom and Dad, that was a joke. Heather, if you read this, we all miss you and love you and say hi!

Sweet Sixteen!!!

2008-09-04T17:57:00.004+02:00

I am Sweet Sixteen finally, and loving it! I turned sixteen over our missionary refresher that went from 5-14 August. We left on Sunday the 3rd and drove two days out to missouri with an overnight at a hotel (with a very nice heated indoor pool :) and arrived Monday evening at CEF headquarters in Warrenton, Missouri. I shared a hotel room in Warrenton with both my sisters, in the room was a TV and phone and many other nice things, i didn't mind staying there for two weeks :) While my parents took classes on missionary things, my sisters and I spent our time with such activities as swimming, watching TV, playing in the rec room, doing our email (free internet connection :), and exploring the grounds which were big enough to take some time to explore (only if it wasn't to hot out). One evening my sisters and I were taken to an out door theater to see the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." A few evenings we visited friends and had fun talking and playing games.

On the seventh of August, a very important date, I turned sixteen! I had a spread out party that started on the sixth of August when the International Ministried people threw a surprise party at lunch with a very tasty cake. The party continued on my actual birthday with my sisters and I doing a full make over, then in the evening my family went out to Dairy Queen for a blizzard. In the even more evening I got all my presents and my parents came into my sisters and my room and we watched a movie together, they even surprised me with balloons everywhere, I really like balloons :)

After we arrived back from Missouri, again a two day drive, my party continued. My parents surprised me again by inviting a Mary Kay lady to come and do a make up demonstration. The reason for all the make up is I am finally allowed to wear make up now that I am sixteen. By the end of the day all the Shirey girls were fully makeuped. Then in the evening, another surprise (I am thinking it is not very hard to hide things from me, I get surprised very easily) my family on my mom's side came and we had birthday cake and games that went till late. I think I had a very nice sixteenth birthday and I am so glad I was able to celebrate it with my extended family.

The first picture is a view out of the window of my room in Warrenton, the light is not a Missouri sunset, it is a Nikon sunset (otherwise known as my flash). The second picture is of our "home" while we are here in Pennsylvania, the two windows on the second floor are the bedroom widows of the room that me and my sisters share.

From Camper to Counselor

2008-07-08T18:52:00.003+02:00

A few days after teen camp, with only enough time to unpack, do laundry, and repack, I went to a kids camp but this time not as a camper but as a day camp counselor. Me and eight other day camp counselors were in charge of about twenty-four day campers. It is hard to say who had the most fun, the campers or the counselors, for both enjoyed the activities just as much. I really liked the chance to meet even more people and make many more friends even though most of them are under seven years old. The movie above shows about everything we did from crafts to swimming, we even once had a movie night! By the end of the week I was really tired, my bed never felt so comfortable!

Fun at Camp!

2008-07-07T20:00:00.004+02:00

From the 23 of June till the 28 of June, both my sisters and I went to a teen camp at Alpine Bible camp in West Virginia. The theme of the week was Medieval so we had fun games such as knight sword fights or knight challenges all focusing on working together. We had a great speaker who taught us about true courage and faith. I went to two extra activities which were white water rafting and high ropes course. On high ropes course I fell once but the rope tied to me held me yet still it was very scary despite the short distance I fell before it stopped me. I learned from high ropes that I am afraid of heights but I still enjoyed all the challenges and I had a very nice partner. I like white water rafter better, it was an all day outing along a long and rapidyish river (rapidyish: adj meaning full of rapids). I never fell out of the raft but I did fall of my seat and into the raft a few times. We got to swim in some parts of the river and a few times we got to swim down some rapids which is very fun though not recommended without adult supervision. Part way through the rafting trip it started to rain then thunder and lightening but it didn't last the whole time so we did not get to wet :) Another thing at camp I really liked was the very last night, it was raining outside so the leaders made an inside camp fire and all the campers sat around and shared their testimonies and songs, by the end of the evening almost every girl was in tears and yes even some of the boys moistened up a bit. I left with many friends, many stories to share, and many lessons learned.

America! America!

2008-06-17T20:39:00.002+02:00

I have spent my first week in America with a big adventure in coming here. On last Tuesday, the 10 of June, we left Switzerland, first on an eight and a half hour flight from Zürich airport to Washington-Dulles. At Dulles we switched to a flight to Harrisburg but because of thunderstorms we had to get off the plane then it cleared for a moment so we got back on but again the storms started and we had to get off and the flight was canceled. We got all of our luggage and spent the night in the airport. We got to eat at Wendy's for breakfast then took an eight thirty flight to Harrisburg with an entire day ahead of us. And so my time in America has began full of shopping trips to Walmart to stock up our temporary "home" and planning our time. It is very hot outside where I feel as if I will melt and it is freezing inside because of the air conditioning, hopefully I will adjust and soon! The first Sunday in America I got to be at two different services, one in the morning and one in the evening, though BCF is still my favorite church :) Coming up events is two week long camps beginning next Monday with only a few days in between. It is not very busy now for me but I know things will start to pick up a bit over the next few weeks.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen!

2008-06-07T17:20:00.019+02:00

This past weekend was my church's Sunday School camp, from the 30th May to the 1 June, with the theme of the Romans. I was a helper in the camp and got to do various tasks such as teach a memory verse or song to just supervise to make sure the children behave.
The reason why everyone in the pictures is wearing bed sheets and other not very normal outfits is because on Saturday night everyone dressed up as Romans and ate a Roman meal by sitting on the floor and eating with our fingers which was especially challenging for the dessert... chocolate fondue! On Sunday for lunch the rest of church joined for a grill, and the children preformed a short play they had learned over the weekend. Everyone had fun and I am excited for next years camp!

Welcome!

2008-05-30T16:54:00.002+02:00

Welcome to my blog! My main reason for starting this blog is because I am going to America on deputation for six months and my blog will help keep you all informed of what I am doing but when I return from America, yes that is right I am returning, I am planning on still keeping up my blog. I will be leaving next week on the 10 June and will not be back till 4 December. I really hope you come back to my blog often and post many comments every time!