*BC honestly who knew whether or not I'd make it out of Christmas / New Year's alive?
Ya see, I went to Oklahoma. Two days after a very mundane and very dreary Christmas* that could've done with a lot more twinkle-lights and a lot more snow.** But, our Christmas Adam (Christmas Eve Eve 😉) celebration (ft. me + my parents + me lowkey painting my mom's gift five minutes before wrapping and giving it to her) was lovely! 😀
*JK, Christmas wasn't that bad! Just empty with so many family members in Arizona.
**You can never have too many twinkle-lights and let's face it SAN DIEGO DOESN'T HAVE ANY SNOW. #rude
Le Christmas haul:
 |
| The Color Project by Sierra Abrams, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, The Princess & I by Rebekah Eddy, and FOX PAJAMAS. 🦊 😍 |
Anywhozens, back to Oklahoma -- IT. WAS. AWESOME.
But Charlie, why'd ya go?
An epic gospel meeting. And guys, ALMOST ALL MY BESTIES WERE THERE. AND I GOT TO MEET NEW FRIENDS, TOO. 💗
Amazing things that happened:
- I SAW FALLING SNOW FOR THE FIRST TIME. And guyyssss IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL 😍😍😍
- Besties and I ate ice cream OUTSIDE in 15℉ WEATHER. #soworthit
- Went to a restaurant called "the Garage", and we joked that their food probably had a lot of oil (YOU'RE WELCOME 😉), but LOL, IT ACTUALLY WAS THE GREASIEST FOOD I'VE EVER EATEN
- I not only went ice skating but also successfully third-wheeled with a bestie + her new "friend" and my old roommate + her husband 😜
- I found out that the best way to fall asleep when your brain is a disobedient little child is to listen to sad music, curl up in a ball, and ignore life until your alarm goes off (in other words, I TOOK SSOOO MANY NAPS IN OKLAHOMA)
- Casually ran from the car into the church building because LOL we forgot our coats and IT WAS A WHOPPIN' 4℉ OUTSIDE
- Eating three cookies because "they're Oreos and they're vegan, right?" and then discovering that "oops THOSE WERE NOT OREOS AND THEY WERE NOT VEGAN"
- I pulled my first "not for school" all-nighter and I SURVIVED (JK I actually died)
- THE MIDNIGHT SINGING ON NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH OVER 900 PEOPLE. NO SONGBOOKS. NO INSTRUMENTS. ONLY VOICES. ENTIRELY FROM MEMORY. HARDLY ANYONE WITH PROFESSIONAL TRAINING. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL, PEEPS. (I only recorded a couple of the songs, but you can listen to them below. 😊)
Our God He Is Alive (first verse + chorus):
Who Shall Stand Before the King? (last part of the chorus):
BASICALLY, THE WHOLE THING WAS EPIC AND AMAZING AND psfogo ;fg b I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!! 💜💙💜💙
JANUARY
// wrap-up post
- The Magic Flute rehearsals began
- I became A-Series-of-Unfortunate-Events-on-Netflix-supernerd (totally noteworthy, BTW)
- I was voted a finalist in SpecFaith's winter writing challenge
FEBRUARY
// wrap-up post
- I won SpecFaith's winter writing challenge (!!!!)
MARCH
// wrap-up post
- The Magic Flute performances happened
- I turned sixteen
- I visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in LA for the first time
APRIL
// wrap-up post
- I started blogging here
- I was a part of the MEA Theatre Company's "mini" production of Matilda: When I Grow Up
- I worked as a math tutor (for a whole hour!)
MAY
// wrap-up post
- Our congregation's gospel meeting with Michael Fox
- I visited Hollywood
- The Magic Flute DVDs arrived
- I finished my sophomore year
JUNE
// wrap-up post
- Summer began 🌞
- I spent a bajillion years at the library
- I met Sierra Abrams
JULY
// wrap-up post
- REALM MAKERS 😍😍😍
AUGUST
// wrap-up post
- Our congregation's annual Youth Meeting
- I started (and completed!) my first beta-reading project
- My mom started blogging
- I started my junior year
SEPTEMBER
// wrap-up post
- I was quoted in Conqueror by Mandy Fender
- I hosted my first giveaway
- I met Ashley Townsend
OCTOBER
// wrap-up post
- Our congregation's gospel meeting with Wayne Fussell
- I became president of the MEA Theatre Company
- I switched WIPs to start The Scent of the Stars
NOVEMBER
// wrap-up post
- I got my first editing job
DECEMBER
// wrap-up post (oooh, look! You're reading it! 😜)
- 2017 OKC NYM
WRITING GOALS
The Scent of the Stars:
- Finish draft one
- Draft one edits
- Find beta-readers
SPIRITUAL GOALS
- Read the Bible at least once a day
- Be a light to others
- Deepen my relationship with God 💓
BLOGGING GOALS
- Keep-- to-- the schedule!
- Enjoy it (more) 🌟
- Take time off for adventure
How was your Christmas, Dragons? Did you experience snow?
❤,
AAHHH YOU'RE BACK!!!!
ReplyDeleteYES, I SAW SNOW!! But not for Christmas. It was earlier in December when Texas got snow. XD
This wrap up is EPIC!! I'm glad you're back!!
I plan to buy Mandy Fender's books soon!!!! I love the covers of them so much!!!!
I will stop yelling now!!! <3
Ahh you saw snow!!! I got The Color Project for Christmas too; I've seen so many good things about and I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had an EPIC christmas, and I'm looking forward to reading your blog next year!
Those clips of the singing are amazing - there's such power in people coming together and raising their voices in praise of the Lord <3 <3 (Now I have to go look up "Who Shall Stand Before the King", because it sounded so cool ;)
ReplyDeleteI love the format of your year's wrap-up! I've never seen snow fall - then again, I can't bear the cold, so maybe that's for the best xD Christmas was great and involved a lot of family; I'm sorry your Christmas was a bit empty, but I hope the special time with your parents was great!
- Jem Jones
Glad you had such a good time in Oklahoma. :) Wow, that singing is so beautiful, and what a wonderful idea to go into the new year singing praises to God like that! <3 Makes me want to cry happy tears... *sniffle* :)
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas and New Years were spent at home as usual. For some unknown reason I was feeling a teensy bit dull and bland on Chrismas Eve, but then Christmas Day was pleasant and happy and I felt better physically and emotionally and had a generally good day. We had snow earlier in December, no snow for Christmas, and then snow again at the beginning of this month, the very last spots of which are only just now (literally today) going away because only in the last couple days have the temperatures gotten above freezing. (It was -10F when I got up at 7am on Sunday. 0.0) This is actually unusual for here in central Virginia. We get cold every winter, but not quite THIS cold and have been setting records for daily low and high temperatures. I'm just hoping it helps lower the insect count for the spring and summer. :p
That singing is just... *sighs happily* It makes me so happy. <333
ReplyDeleteCongrats on winning the SpecFaith challenge!! So awesome!!
AGH I'M STILL SO JEALOUS ABOUT ALL MY BLOGGING BUDDIES GOING TO REALM MAKERS. XD
I hope you're having a great 2018!! ^_^