We're Officially Back!!

Hey! This is a post I wrote about two weeks ago. It's our welcome-back post. : )

I know I haven't posted in a LONG time, but I've thought about it for just as long. I have a second of down-time in by hectic schedule, so I'm taking a break from the business to update anyone who might have read my blog (which is probably very few people, because, as of now, I can't even see it!!). I don't know when the last time I posted was- probably closer to a year than a few months- so if I say something I've said before, pardon me. We've gotten a new computer and are still working on getting all of the files over to the new Kids Computer from the old Family Computer, which is now Mom's Computer. All of my blog posts are confined to the user on the old computer. Dad put a password on our user, so I couldn't see my old posts if I wanted to.

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon and we have gotten done with the outside activities of the morning and are now busy doing random things. Arwen is upstairs doing 'Therapeutic Sewing.' You see, this morning, she had a Masterclass at a local University and was extremely nervous. She claims that sewing something will help her get over the embarrassment that came out of her foot shaking while she pressed the piano pedal down. (Yikes!) I had a violin lesson this morning- imagine getting up early on a Saturday morning after you were out very late at a Father/Daughter Valentine's Day Banquet at church, then coming home and being sucked into a book until past midnight! I slept in late and paid dearly for it. Oh, well. I did some 'Therapeutic Writing.' (I'd tell you all about what I'm working on at the moment, but I don't know if it's going to work out, so I won't.)

These past few months have been very busy for us! I won't go into all the details, but with my birthday (Happy Sweet Sixteen, self!), Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, and New Year's, we have hardly been home two weeks together! Yes, it's February now, and things have started to slow down, but if only they could be like... I can't think of a month that wasn't filled with activities! August it was school and scheduling for Arwen's graduation in May. September was more schooling, Arwen's 17^th birthday, and an awesome Fall break at the beach. October- more schooling and a week-long camping trip back in North Carolina. November was- you guessed it!- more school, Thanksgiving, and prep for the Birthday/Christmas rush. In December, we took some time off for my birthday (when I got a Canon Rebel T1i!!), had some friends from NC show up on our porch as a birthday surprise, finished up school and did a lot for Christmas. January was packed with school and an unexpected trip to Mississippi after the passing of a great-great aunt of mine. This month, we're still doing school. Extra stuff for this month include a ski trip in NC and TeenPact for me- a four-day camp (of sorts) at the Georgia capitol building. Next month, we're going to NC for the wedding of a dear friend, then coming back to do more school and go to a one-day conference at the church we've been visiting since moving here. My brother is turning 11, too! April should be remotely slow, then May comes tumbling in with the 2^nd birthday of my littlest brother and the 13^th birthday of my younger sister, then graduation stuff for Arwen, then school is done! I'm probably going to set up a tent in the backyard in June with a cable running to the house to do more 'Therapeutic Writing.' I'll only come in for meals and to occasionally talk to my siblings and parents! (There's a slight problem with being totally away from civilization, though... we only have an acre. Oh, well. It's something, right?) Oh, and by the way, we've just sent in paperwork to adopt again! Ah, the life of a dreamer, daughter, student, and writer! : ) I want to post some pictures of the things we've done, but that will have to wait until the next post.

In this hectic world I live in, I've still found some time to read! Here are a few books I've read in the past few months that I'd recommend without hesitating...

• Sword in the Stars by Wayne Thomas Batson

• The Penderwicks and The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

• Ishmael and The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth (Ishmael was what kept me up late last night!! A truly great classic!)

• The Saturdays, The Four-Story Mistake, Then There Were Five, and Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze by Elizabeth Enright

Yes, these books were mostly written for people younger than me (with the exception of Ishmael, The Hidden Hand, and Sword in the Stars), but I can hardly find a good book written for Young Adults these days! They're all about vampires and love! (Yuck!) I'm alright, though. I got quite a few good books for Christmas that I still haven't read and are on my list.

Speaking of reading, I've seen quite a few good movies lately. (Nice transition, right?) Here are a few noteworthy ones...

• Pirates of the Caribbean- Curse of the Black Pearl

• Boys Town and it's sequel, Men of Boys Town (These star Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney and were made in 1938 and 1941, respectively- really, really good ones! Also very funny.)

• The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

• Singin' in the Rain

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

All of these, with the exception of Pirates, were made a long time before the turn of the century. There really aren't any good movies out lately. They're too filled with romance and violence! Whoops, I forgot a big one!

• Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Can't forget that one! I saw it with 14 other people- it was really, really good! I think that one of the big reasons why it was so good was because the director bowed out, so a new one had to be found. This is probably a good thing to do intentionally! (However, I think Peter Jackson did a good job with the Lord of the Rings movies. I'm counting down until March 21^st! For all of you people that don't know what that monumental date means, it's when filming on the two Hobbit movies starts! Yahoo! Spoiler pictures!)

Well, I think I need to close. My little brother has been sitting in my lap while I've been writing this and has been very good and quiet, but I think he wants to play now. Until next time...

~Eowyn~