It's been a good day.

Figured out how to make friendship bracelets, had a good ride on Ech and a great ride on Yank.

Finally cleaned the Hermés saddle. Awesome Bible study with Pastor Chris.

Actually did math. Had some chocolate strawberries and a bagel with peanut butter.

Found three or four ADORABLE hairstyles to try on Cici and Kenzi.

Milestone: choreographed an entire song today! (loosely based on a video...i.e. I choreographed it but tried to get the same feel. I'm not Broadway so I can't do those dances anyway...)

And for once, actually talked my sibs into doing it ;) They're awesome.

I did maybe eat a whole handful of chocolate chips...but it's summer. Sometimes I think that's my excuse for everything.

I have the biggest horse show I've ever been to on Sunday. Wish me luck. Apparently it's recognized and everything, and is a dress show, and USHJA, and the whole caboodle. Downside: I'm supposed to be at Lakeside by 6:00am. 6:00 AM!!! So I'll have to go to church on Saturday.

So...really random but...thank you God.

Oh no, it's quite normal...

...for my siblings to be screaming bloody murder and swinging stuffed animals over their heads in the middle of the kitchen.

(i rest my case.)

...for me to pack up at nine thirty in the morning on a schoolday and hightail it to the barn for a few Phys. Ed. credit hours...plus some serious fun.

(this is Puzzle. she is awesome. i do not understand her one bit.)

...for my room to be entirely clean except for the eight or nine open textbooks and notebooks carpeting the floor.

...for various people to find booby trapped doors, missing shoelaces, lumpy pillows and ketchup filled sandwiches on April Fool's day.

...for me to spend my Easter afternoon with four guys I hadn't really met before, though they were seriously cute, and I even kissed one once or twice...

(I'm pretty sure this is my hot date's mother and grandmother. this picture is, of course, from 2005 or thereabouts. my mom's phone ran out of batteries and I was too lazy to find an actual picture of that hors...and he has three pasture mates who look exactly like him so I have no clue who he is anyway :)

...for my suitcase to be heavier than anyone else's come vacation...of course I need my Ancient History book, Mister!

...for several members of my family to wear their pajamas until noon bedtime.

...to see fistfights in the backseat of our twelve-passenger van.

...for one or more siblings to be grabbed by the collar for a photo shoot at any moment.

...for one or more members of the family to be reading, etc. in the unfinished basement storage room or the unenclosed hay shed for lack of some peace and quiet.

erhhm.

...for pumpkin muffins to be eaten for breakfast, lunch, second breakfast, elevensies, dinner, bedtime snack...etc.

...to see someone cooking their siblings for breakfast...OK, no.

...for one to hear random Broadway songs, Barney songs, VeggieTales songs, Star Wars spoof songs, TobyMac songs, made-up songs, and shouts of "For Narnia!" every several seconds.

...for one to hear, in the intervals between the above, Best Christmas Pageant Ever quotes, Ranger's Apprentice quotes, Narnia quotes, Hobbit quotes, Barbie, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars quotes. At top volume. And completely in character.

...for one to see siblings supporting each other at ball games, birthday parties and performances.

...hugging  in public (even brother to sister!) :)

...praying and Bible verses for every occasion.

I love BJU

I love college. I love almost all of it. I admit I'm not crazy about coffee or 2-o'clockers. But you really can't beat Catchphrase at 10:00p or Stagecraft at 2:00. And what, pray tell, has inspired these reveries? Why, my recent trip to BJU in South Carolina. And yes, I had a blast.

First of all, the weather was gorgeous! If you're sick of cold, visit SC. Nothing can possible top 70º in February.

Second of all, the campus was wonderful. Lots of trees. You're not allowed to walk on the grass (not that I would) so that's pretty too. The buildings are all pale brick with lots of shiny glass (always a plus) and there is a separate Fine Arts building and no less than four auditoriums, one DDP size and two as big as or bigger than the Whitney (sorry, dear Bomhard, but I'm in love)

This is Rodeheaver. It's the Whitney sized one. It has balcony seating, three separate lifts (or at least that's how many I counted) and a green room as big as my kitchen and dining room. Plus an enormstrous prop room, wig room, costume shop, and makeup room with which I became intimately acquainted. I have never seen so many broadswords and rapiers in one place. Or as lifelike a moose head (that one was a set piece).

Speaking of set pieces, did I mention there's a film company? Yes, on campus. I stood in the middle of  a room set of a movie I've seen that was set in the 30s. It has a greenscreen, soundstage, sound room, editing lab, and animation department. I kid you not.

via google images

This brings me to my favorite part- the people. Nearly everyone at BJU looked happy. Students and faculty would greet me the visitor on the sidewalk, hold the door open automatically, and apologize for gently bringing their backpack in contact with my shoulder in a crowded hallway. The teachers shared the Valentine's candy they brought for their class, insisted I sit up front with the other students, and even gave me handouts and taught me their theatre games.

Will I be attending BJU in three years? I'm not sure. Some things I wasn't as comfortable with, but on the whole the good outweighed the bad. (PS: Their Creative Writing program was highly recommended to me by a girl named Erin. You know who you are:)

So, don't be surprised if you spot me sporting a Bruins shirt in the near future. :)