Three Fictional Characters

Okay, so I decided to participate in the social media trend where I pick three fictional characters I feel like depict me in one way, shape or form.

Let me start by saying this was really hard for me, because I don't feel like there have been a lot of books I have read or tv shows/movies I have seen that have characters that are like me, so I don't know.  Whatever.

As I was trying to decide who my fictional characters were, I realized some interesting things.  1) The first character is most like me in elementary school.  2) The second character is most like me in middle school.  3) The third character is most like me in high school.  I didn't plan them that way; it just happened.  Also, ALL three of them have crazy curly brunette hair (like me!)

Anywho, without further ado, here are my three picks:

Ruthie Camden from "7th Heaven"

Ruthie was the youngest of the Camden kids (until her mom got pregnant in Season 3 or something). She was always up in everybody's business and could be kind of a know-it-all.  She also liked for things to be her way.  Basically, she could be an entitled brat, BUT she was positively adorable.  Which was absolutely who I was growing up - the cute little youngest child brat.  Just ask my sisters.  haha

Dorothy Anne Torkelson from the TV show "The Torkelsons"

Dorothy was a shy introvert who ended the days of her crazy adolescent adventures by sitting next to her window and talking to "The Man in the Moon".  Well, I never talked to the man in the moon (because he doesn't exist), but I did journal a lot when I was a teenager, so I felt like I could relate to her pretty well.  Plus, her mom was a single mom trying to do her best to raise her kids, and that was totally my mom too!

Jessie Spano from "Saved by the Bell"

Jessie Spano was super skinny and could dance and sing.  She was like the social coordinator among her friends, and challenged them all to be better at life.  She could also be neurotic and easily stressed out, and it was really important for her to do well in school and get straight A's - high school Christina in a nutshell.  Minus the skinny part.  And the good dancer part. #fatkidsunite #twoleftfeetoverhere #alsoIwearsize11shoes #notconducivefordancing

Well, those are my three choices.  What do you think?  Totally me?  Not me at all?  Is there anyone else you can think of who is similar to me?  Let me know in the comments!

An Exercise in Letting Go

I was sitting at my desk at work on Wednesday afternoon, and I was thinking, "How do people with kids live life?  Like, I'm married and have no kids, but I still feel overwhelmed with all of the demands I face JUST FROM work, church, bills, house, and marriage - how do people survive once kids are thrown in the mix?"

It seriously baffled me.

Since Tyler and I have been married, we left Faith Baptist (the church I pretty much grew up in) and started attending Life Church.  Right away, we got involved in their music ministry - Tyler, playing the bass guitar, and me, singing in the choir and on the mic.

We've been attending & serving regularly for a year and a half (I was even promoted to choir director), but during that time, I've only led two songs on the mic, and both of them were on Wednesday nights.  This has been a struggle for me, because ever since we started attending Life Church, I've wanted to lead songs on Sunday Mornings.  The longer we've been going to that church, and the more I've felt like I've had to fight to prove myself vocally, etc., the more stressed I became.

Long story short, about a month and a half ago, a part of me woke up.  "What is the big deal with leading songs at Life Church?" a voice in my head asked me.  (Not like the Schizophrenic kind of voice, but you know what I mean.)

Let me just say - Vanity, vanity, all is vanity.  It's true.  And I decided to find avenues to use my voice that aren't a constant fight or struggle and that don't have me second-guessing my ability/gift at every turn.  So I joined Lakeland Choral Society.  And I committed to singing in the Christmas cantata at Faith Baptist this December.  And my mom and I are singing in a choral performance at the end of September.

So just when one door was closed to singing Christian contemporary music in the way I wanted, another door has swung WIDE OPEN to get back into singing classical choral music - which is something I've sorely missed!  And I know I'll be so busy with these things, I won't even have a CHANCE to miss leading music at Life Church.  And why was I so bent on doing that anyway?  For external validation of my voice?  Man, what foolishness.

Anyway, God is good.  He provides for our needs and blesses us with things that we didn't even know we wanted until it's in our lives!

So back to my initial statement - my life is busy.  My life is full.  With:

1. All of the aforementioned musical endeavors (Lkld Choral Society, FBC Christmas Cantata, and the September Choral event)
2. Writing a sequel to the novel I wrote last November (I'm almost halfway done!)
3. Being a wife & caretaker of my amazing husband (this involves cleaning, laundry, cooking, budgeting, grocery shopping - all things I've never really had to do before being married)
4. My job - of course.  Full time.  It's a lot.
5. Being the choir director at Life Church

This list is not all-inclusive, but it highlights the main things.  How would kids fit in there anywhere?  I have no idea.  I'm not saying I never want kids.  I'm just saying, they would be a huge adjustment.  But I'm ready and willing to do what God's will is - if that's to have a child in the next year, I will do it with joy.  If it's to wait a few more years, I'll do that with joy as well.  And if it's not to have any children biologically - He is Sovereign God, and I will abide by His Will.

What about you?  What is God doing in your life?  What has He blessed you with that you didn't even know you wanted until you had it?

Demon Dentist

Okay, I know that dentists are supposed to fine, upstanding members of society who help make sure you have great oral health, but after my last visit, can I just say they seem no better to me than a mechanic in an auto shop right now?

First of all, I haven't gone to the dentist in five years, because 1) I don't have dental insurance and 2) I've had ten cavities filled in my life, and I don't relish the thought of having to PAY to have them tell me I have more.  Ugh.

But I recently went to the dentist for a check-up and guess what?  I have three cavities and am on my way to having Periodontal disease which means my teeth will either start falling out or they'll have to be extracted.  HOW?!

Jeez, there's nothing more stressful than news like that.  Oh, and on top of that, the total bill for having all of this pain inflicted on me is supposedly around $2,000 since I'm a cash patient.

All in all, a productive day.  Yeah, right.

So needless to say, my prayers are going into over-drive right now, and they're weirder requests than I can ever remember making.  "God, please grow the bone back in my gums.  God, please make my plaque buildup disappear on its own."

I mean, I figure if He can heal cancer and make tumors disappear as if by magic, He can certainly heal my mouth.  Because at this point, that's what it's going to take.

Floss and Listerine are about to become my best friends, yo.

Life is Hard Sometimes

Seriously, guys.  It really is.

I don't do well with stress, and I feel even the slightest bit of stress in my life so intensely.  But anyway, enough about me.  Let's do a list, okay?  Lists make everything better, #amiright?  Just look at my friend Hannah's recent list and you'll see.

Okay, so the list I would like to do is...Top Ten Comfort Foods and Why.  Just why.  It kind of goes along with Hannah's top ten good cry-sesh movies.

1.  Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream - My addiction began in college, but has since grown to epic-level proportions.  Every time I watch a Rom-Com, it's like some kind of case study in classical conditioning, because I start craving that B&J hardcore.  Mmmm....  I have 3 flavors of choice (in the order below):

The Tonight Dough...it's like heaven in a pint.  Seriously.  You have to try it.
Half Baked - my first love, and still a regular go-to flavor.  Just don't get the Fro-yo kind.  It's a travesty.
Cookie Dough...a classic.  And Ben & Jerry's does it well :)

2. Papa John's Pizza - For the sake of mixing up the desserts with other foods, can I just say I LOVE Papa John's pizza.  They just know how to make pizza.  And I think of it more as a treat, because it definitely costs more than a Little Caesar's Hot n' Ready.  Can I get a witness?  Oh, and my favorite flavor to order - bacon & pineapple.  DI. VINE.

I know, I know, this isn't bacon and pineapple, but doesn't it look good?

3. Peanut Butter M&M's - Okay, I know a lot of people are into the classic milk-chocolate M&M's, but it's just been so hard for me to go back after trying PB M&M's.  They are melt-in-your-mouth-not-in-your-hand amazing.  Although, let's just get real - if you hold them in your hand long enough, they will melt.  But who actually holds them in their hand that long?  #noone

4. Cape Cod Kettle-Cooked Salt & Vinegar Chips - To me, any other kind of chips just doesn't measure up, and any other brand of salt & vinegar chips just isn't the same.  I know there are probably a lot of haters out there, but there's just something about sitting down with a whole bag of these babies...mmm mmm good, y'all.  Oh, and 40% less fat, yo!  (Whatever that means.)

5.  Donuts - A staple.  Classic...yummy...it's like, I see a box, and I just want that sticky sweet goodness in my mouth ASAP, you know what I'm saying?  Not to mention the church I go to has them FOR FREE every Sunday morning.  It's truly a lesson in discipline and by the grace of God that I'm not a 400-pound diabetic yet.

6.  Boiled Peanuts - An interesting choice, I'm sure you might say.  But I was born and raised in the South, and I love sitting down with a bag of freshly boiled peanuts that you buy on the side of the road and just going to town.  Mmmm.

7.  Cheesecake - I mean, I don't discriminate on cake - I love all kinds.  But cheesecake is like...if you took the hopes & dreams & wishes of children and mixed them with a harp-playing angel (but not in a cannibalistic way), you'd get cheesecake.  It's phenom.  Oh, and my favorite cheesecake topping is the cherry pie filling - sooooooo good.

8.  Sushi - I know, probably 90% of you are gagging right now, and you may even be hesitant to read on at this point. HOWEVER, it's my list, and I love sushi, okay?  Kthxbye moving on.  #Sorrynotsorry

9.  Chocolate Chip Cookies - Just MMMMM.  That's all I know to say about that.

And last but not least....

10.  Pancakes/Waffles - I know there's a lot of controversy between the two - like which one is better?  But I'm here to say THEY'RE BOTH AMAZING so let's just eat them both - all the time.  Well, until we've reached our carb limit for the day, which is like, what, 2,000 g?  lol  #Panwaf4Life

So there you have it.  My top 10.  And this is just individual foods - it doesn't cover go-to fast food restaurants like Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, or Chick-fila, because that's another post for another day.

What about you?  What's your go-to comfort food?  Which ones do you agree with or disagree with from my list (and try not to hate on my sushi too much)?

Grilling, DC & The Beach

Hello, faithful readers - AKA - Hannah.  Seriously, if you're name isn't Hannah and you read this blog, let me know by commenting, because I feel like I'm writing to an audience of one here ;)

ANYWAY, last week I had a beyond crazy week.  Obviously, Monday was Memorial Day, so my family and Tyler's family had a cookout at my mom's house.  I'm ashamed to say I didn't take any pictures, because my adorable niece, Lauren Priya, was there, and so were my other niece and nephew, Bella and Liam, and it was an awesomely crazy time!  Also, the food was phenomenal and I think I gained 5 lbs eating it all.  You think I'm kidding...but I'm not.  #fattiesunite

Tuesday was the only day last week I actually went to work, because Wednesday-Friday, my boss and I attended a financial conference in Washington DC.  So Tuesday was crazy busy with work, and then Wednesday-Friday was even crazier with the conference.  I went on a tour of DC Thursday afternoon, so I'd say that was the highlight.  (Favorite monuments from the tour - the White House, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial - pictured below.)  Oh, and eating Maryland crabcakes.  Soooo good.  #seriouslyfatties,letsgetthisgoing

I'm so glad I got to see this.  Lincoln is my favorite president.

Cheryl and me in front of the White House! (or in back...all depending on how you look at it)

The Washington Monument (soooo good.)

Friday night I flew home, and Saturday morning, Tyler and I drove to Englewood beach with his family.  We stayed the night and drove home on Sunday afternoon.  Due to the crazy weather, I spent maybe 2 hours on the actual beach. lol

Me & my wonderful hubby at the beach!

So, as you can see, I had a crazy week.  Told ya!  In the midst of all the busyness, working, traveling, and packing and unpacking, I had a chance to meet 5 pretty incredible individuals.

The first individual is Cheryl.  I met her while I was waiting for the shuttle to come pick me up for my tour of DC.  I noticed she was standing by herself, so I quickly befriended her, and we hung out for the whole 4 hour tour.  Luckily, she had her phone and was able to take pictures, because I definitely forgot mine!  She's from the UK (my first friend from there!) and she was the sweetest!

Me & Cheryl after our tour of DC!

The other 4 people I met were 2 couples - the first couple I talked to while we were in the DC airport waiting for the plane to take us home.  The guy was covered in tattoos, and his girlfriend had the more moderate smattering of smaller tattoos (sounds like me and Tyler - though, hopefully, he won't end up COVERED in tattoos).  The next couple I met was on the plane.  It was definitely a God-thing.  I was listening to music on my phone and, sitting in the seat next to the aisle, I was able to see this couple to my right and one row back.  They looked about my age, and they were each reading a book.  The guy was reading a book on worship and the girl was reading one on personalities.  Needless to say, I was intrigued.  So I struck up a conversation.  Turns out they were newly married (less than one year!), and he was a former worship leader in NY who had moved to DC, where his wife was from, in order to serve in ministry there and hopefully find a job in the world of finances.  After a few minutes of getting to know each other, he leaned over and asked me point blank, "Christina, how can we pray for you?"  I was astounded.  That's not really a question I get asked a lot, unless I'm in a Bible study or Sunday School.  I was seriously touched by their kindness and apparent love for the Lord.

All that to say, I had a great week :)  And, on Monday, I got new glasses!  #selfiephotoshoot

This is the first time I've had sunglasses to wear since I got glasses in 11th grade!  Yay!!!!

So, what about you?  Ever been to Washington DC?  What was your favorite landmark?  Who is your favorite president?  Have you ever been asked by a virtual stranger how they can pray for you?

What I've Been Reading Lately...

So I go on random tangents a lot of the time.  Like, some months, I'll be REALLY into Netflix - so much so that I dedicate every free moment to some sort of show or series that I want to watch all the way through.  My most recent addiction?  I watched all eight seasons of Charmed and all six seasons of Drop Dead Diva.

And in case you're wondering - why Drop Dead Diva, just look at this:

Look on the very right.  Holy Dermot Mulroney, amiright?  Okay, I realize it's not really him, but seriously, they could be very hot brothers separated at birth.  And in case you're like, who the heck is Dermot Mulroney - just look at THIS:

Or you can go rent "The Wedding Date" or "My Best Friend's Wedding" and watch it RIGHT NOW.  Seriously, I'll wait...

Anyway, back to what I was saying.  After my most recent binge, I decided to take a break from Netflix, and my addiction turned into this APP called "Episodes."  Basically, it's like if the game SIMS married a Choose Your Own Adventure Book and had a little girl who was a lot like "Cher" from Clueless.  Does that paint a mental picture?  So I was spending all this time with this APP, and then, all of a sudden, I just lost interest.  Boom, onto the next thing!

I tried going back to writing - currently I'm working on "Harkness" (the sequel to "Ravensboro") and a Choose Your Own Adventure story called "Senior Year."  Well, both of those have come to a shrieking halt, because this past Saturday, I went to Books-a-Million with my mom and found FOUR BOOKS in a series that were on sale for less than $8 - SCORE!  So I bought them.  And read the first two books in a day.  Don't judge me.

The series is called The Lux Novels by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  At the risk of turning this post into an episode of Reading Rainbow, I will go ahead and give you a brief rundown.

There's this guy named Daemon (gee, I wonder where she got that name from - Vampire Diaries, anyone?) who has a twin sister, Dee.  They live in some minuscule town in West Virginia, and this girl named Katy moves in next door.  Well, to be fair, the books are all from Katy's perspective, not Daemon's, so I probably should have mentioned her first ... ANYWAY - so Katy meets Dee and they become fast friends, but her and Daemon don't get along from the get-go.  Oh, and she finds out Dee and Daemon are ACTUALLY triplets, and their other brother, Dawson, had gone missing (assumed to be dead) a year earlier.  Plus, most of the town stays away from Daemon, Dee, and this other set of triplets, Ash, Adam and Andrew (who all came to town at the same time and hang out together all the time - coincidence?  I think not).  Then Katy finds out who - or should I say what - they really are, and all hail breaks loose from there.  I'm kind of addicted.

So I read the first two books in the series, and then realized I didn't have the 3rd and 4th books, so I ordered them off Amazon.  As I was ordering them, I ran across ANOTHER series (by the same author) about descendants of Greek gods and goddesses.  Well, anyone who knows me knows that is RIGHT up my fantasy-reading alley, so I'm currently also reading that series on my Kindle.  lol

Needless to say, I am face-deep in Sci-Fi book mode.  What about you?  What's your current tangent or addiction?

5 Things That...

Make me Happy
1. When I see my niece and nephew and they're like "AUNT CHRISSY!"  Then I am full :D
2. Christmas.  Always and forever.
3. Spontaneous road trips.  It could be to another state, or just a late night run to Taco Bell.  But I love them.
4. Laying in bed ALL DAY Netflixin'.  It's the best.
5. Ben & Jerry's with my bestie :)

Make me Sad
1. Those SPCA commercials with that Sarah McLaughlin song playing. You know the one.
2. Widows and widowers who are all alone :'(
3. Orphans who wonder if they will ever be able to be part of a family.
4. War.
5. Disease and unnecessary death/murder.

Make me Angry
1. Prideful people.
2. People who mistreat or take advantage of those who are weaker or smaller than they are.
3. When I can't open a jar or bottle.  Soooo frustrating.
4. Bills.  They make me angry.  I know they're a part of life, but I just HATE THEM.
5. Sin.

Make me Hungry
1. When I'm thirsty.  Weirdly enough.
2. When you walk into a room or a house and that yummy food smell hits you.
3. Hanging out with friends and looking for something to do. lol
4. When I'm stressed.
5. When I'm bored. #confessiontime #iamafatty

Make me Sleepy
1. Staring at a computer screen for too long. #storyofmylife
2. Watching a movie and getting into that PERFECTLY comfy spot on the couch. Zzzzz....
3. Rainy days.  But I love them.  Only if I'm inside though.
4. Watching my cats.  Because they're ALWAYS on the verge of falling asleep. lol
5. Stress.  When I get stressed I either eat or sleep.  Those are my two automatic reactions.

Make me Wistful
1. Choral music.
2. Camp movies/books/tv shows.
3. Driving down 98 by my old high school.
4. Facebook.
5. The diaries/journals I kept growing up.

Make me Wonder
1. The beautiful sounds of nature
2. Walking down a trail by myself
3. Worship music + devotions + nature = magical
4. The wee hours of the morning when God wakes me up to talk to me
5. Babies. How tiny and perfect they are!

Make me Laugh
1. My husband, but usually when he's not trying to be funny.
2. Tim Hawkins. He is hilarious, y'all.
3. Cat videos.  Don't hate.
4. Jon Krasinski's face.
5. Jimmy Fallon's show.  It's the best.

What are your five things?

I'm an Aunt...Again!

Yes, that's right, ladies and gents!  My brother-in-law and sister, Paul & Sara, are proud parents of a beautiful baby girl born today.  Her name is Lauren Priya, and she arrived at 4:03 this morning weighing 6 lbs 15 oz and 19 1/2 inches long.  She's a beauty :)  I want to hold her all the time.  Below are some pictures of the proud aunt, uncle, grandma and father!

When Songs Bring Tears

Guys,

I don't know if you know this, but I was a big choral nerd in high school.  I kinda still am, I just don't really have an outlet for it any more.  Ever since high school, I've been a huge fan of acapella music, especially when Eric Whitacre is the composer.

Favorite Eric Whitacre song here:

This song is taken from 2 Samuel 18 when David learns of his son Absalom's death.

32 And the king said unto him, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" And he answered, "The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is."
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

This song makes me WEEP.  It is so good.  And, of course, I selected the version with sheet music showing because I told you - I'M A NERD LIKE THAT!

Anyway, so Eric Whitacre - I'm a huge fan of his.  And I've never really been able to find another choral composer that can touch his awesomeness.  Until today.

Dan Forrest, y'all.  Just listen to this song.  #Goosebumps

This song is from Ruth 1, when Naomi tells Ruth & Orpah to return to their families after the deaths of Naomi's sons & the women's husbands.  Ruth says:

16 But Ruth said:
“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

I love it so much, I've always loved this story, but this song just brings the emotion in these verses TO LIFE.  I just bought it on Amazon - but this version in the video is waaaaay better than the version on Amazon.

I hope you enjoy these songs as much as I do.  What music moves you?  Please share!

International Holiday Mistake

Okay, there are 365 days in a year - PLENTY of days to choose from when selecting a national OR international holiday.  And this year, there's going to be an incredibly dichotomous day on May 5, when part of the world will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo like wild, crazy animals - YAY, PARTY!  And the other part of the world will be "celebrating" Holocaust Remembrance Day.  #Awkward

I can't even imagine what that's going to be like.  Guess we'll find out on Thursday.

A to Z Survey

Hello all!  I like surveys and quizzes...what can I say; they're my Kryptonite.  So I found the following survey and thought I'd share.  Feel free to participate in the comments section!

A to Z Survey

A – Age: 28.

B – Biggest Fear: Having to have surgery and be able to feel EVERYTHING during it.

C – Current Time: Early. Or Late. All depends on how you look at it.

D – Drink You Had Last: Arnold Palmer. So good :)

E – Easiest Person To Talk To: Toss up between Hannah & Tyler. They're both easy to talk to about different things.

F – Favorite Song: That's such a hard question to answer as a singer.  Right now, I really like the song "No" by Megan Trainer.  Even though I HATE the music video.

G – Grossest Memory: Umm, I don't know? I got licked in the mouth by a dog once. It was pretty disgusting.

H – Hometown: Winter Haven, Florida.  Born and raised.

I – In Love With: My handsome hubby, Tyler. And my Savior, Jesus. And my cats, Jojo & Jeeves.  But not in that order.

J – Jealous Of: Rich people. I know they have their problems too, but sometimes I just wish I had more money.

K – Kindest Person You Know: That's a hard one, but my mom is probably the kindest, most caring woman ever.

L – Longest Relationship: My current relationship - 3 1/2 years and going strong!

M – Middle Name: Janae (It's a combination of my mom's name, Janese, and her best friend who helped raise me, Lynae.)

N – Number of Siblings: Five - two by birth (Jessica & Sara); three by marriage (Katelynn, Matt & Paul)

O – One Wish: To live a God-centered and God-honoring life.

P – Person You Spoke To On The Phone Last: My husband.

Q – Question You’re Always Asked: "Are you pregnant?"  I choose to believe it's because I'm newly married; not because of the weight I've gained.

R – Reason To Smile: I have Jesus in my heart! :)

S – Song You Last Sang: "Crown Him (Majesty)" by Chris Tomlin

T – Time You Woke Up: Later than I should have.

U – Underwear Color: Like I'm gonna tell you. (They're real cute though!)

V – Vacation Destination: Road trip in the US or I would love to go back to Germany again. Or visit Australia for the first time!

W – Worst Habit: Eating when I'm bored. Eating when I'm happy.  Eating when I'm sad.  Eating when I'm stressed.  I eat too much.

X – X-Rays You’ve Had: Teeth, foot, neck, shoulders, back.

Y – Your Favorite Food: Sushi.  I know, I'm weird.  So sue me.

Z – Zodiac Sign: Libra.


Now it's your turn!  Copy and past the below survey in the comments and fill it out.  If you don't want to do the whole thing, just pick and choose what you wanna do :)

A – Age:
B – Biggest Fear:
C – Current Time:
D – Drink You Had Last:
E – Easiest Person To Talk To:
F – Favorite Song:
G – Grossest Memory:
H – Hometown:
I – In Love With:
J – Jealous Of:
K – Kindest Person You Know:
L – Longest Relationship:
M – Middle Name:
N – Number of Siblings:
O – One Wish:
P – Person You Spoke To On The Phone Last:
Q – Question You’re Always Asked:
R – Reason To Smile:
S – Song You Last Sang:
T – Time You Woke Up:
U – Underwear Color:
V – Vacation Destination:
W – Worst Habit:
X – X-Rays You’ve Had:
Y – Your Favorite Food:
Z – Zodiac Sign:

Ouchie

Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up and you're like, "I'm gonna get stuff done today!"  But then you actually just sit around, watch Netflix, and stuff your face with junk food?

Yeah, usually that's me every Friday.

But today, I woke up saying, "I'm gonna do nothing all day!" and walked into the kitchen. Where the dishes were piled up in the sink, the counters were full of crumbs and junk mail, the cats were meowing for food, and there was an icky conglomerate of stenches emanating from the cats' litter box and the kitchen trash can.  Needless to say, I spent the next two hours cleaning.  With a bum foot.  I think I deserve an award.

Oh, by the way, I didn't tell you about my recent injury!  Last Saturday, I stopped by Moe's with two friends, Lyndsey and Dakota.  When we were leaving, I walked out the back door first and the alarm went off.  So I turned around to see if a Moe's employee was going to possibly come running after me with handcuffs (an extremely rational fear, I know), and a curb just came up out of nowhere...connecting with my left ankle.  I went down, hard.  And it hurt...just a little bit.  Okay, a lot a bit.

And...I guess that's all I got for today.  If you feel like sending me an award for my above accomplishments, I'll be at home all day. ;)  This is Christina...over and out!

PS: After I published this post, I realized it's my 100th!  Yay me :)

New Book Idea

So a lot of my book ideas I get from dreams, and last night's dream was no exception.  Here's my idea:

Society for Wandering Adventurers (and Anyone Else Who Happens to be with Them)
Basically, this book will be about Hannah and I (yes, I'm using our real identities - I know, crazy, right?!) on the run from the law because our male friend (still haven't decided what his name will be yet) made some poor life choices.  Anyway, as we're speeding down the highway from the cops (which I would never do in real life by the way, because my brother-in-law is a law enforcement officer - hello) we start to see signs on the side of the road like "In trouble with the law?  Exit right in 6 miles" and "Running for your life and not sure where to go?  Come on in to the S.W.A. and leave your problems behind!"  So we figure, "What the heck, why not?" and we turn into this seedy looking rest stop and....long story short, we end up going on an adventure.  I'm not going to give it all away here, but let's just say it may or may not involve time travel, temporary amnesia, and foreign countries.

I'm still trying to decide if I want this to be a novel or a Choose Your Own Adventure story...which I've never tried to write before.  Hmm.... Dunno.  What do you think?

Erikson & Graham

So the title of this post isn't in reference to a law firm - don't worry, I'm not going to court or anything.  Whew.

Although (side note) I am currently addicted to this show on Netflix called "Drop Dead Diva."  Ever heard of it?  Ever watched it?  It's about this model who dies in a car accident and her spirit gets recycled into an overweight lawyer's body who just so happens to WORK WITH THE MODEL'S EX-FIANCE!!!!  Say what?!!  I know, it's crazy.

ANYWAY...

Back to what this post is for real supposed to be about.  Have you heard that song "7 Years" by Lukas Graham?  Read the lyrics here.  Or just watch the below video.  Whatevs.

Okay, so anyway, I was listening to this song the other day, and it kinda reminded me of when we used to study Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development in my college Psych classes.  For those of you who didn't take Intro to Psych in college, the stages of development can be broken up into the following:

1. Stage 1 - Trust vs. Mistrust.  Occurs between ages of birth to one year old.  The child develops trust based on care of primary caregivers, and without the formation of this trust, the child can grow up to be insecure and distrustful for life.
2. Stage 2 - Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt.  Occurs during early childhood.  The child becomes more independent and starts making choices about personal preferences and clothing selection.  If this stage isn't navigated successfully, the child may experience feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.
3. Stage 3 - Initiative vs. Guilt.  Occurs during the preschool years.  The child begins to develop leadership and social interaction skills through play.  Successful completion of this stage will give a child confidence and leadership skills; without it, they will have self-doubt and lack of initiative.
4. Stage 4 - Industry vs. Inferiority.  Occurs between ages 5-11.  Through social interactions and encouragement from parents and teachers, the child develops confidence and pride in their skills and abilities.  If this stage isn't successfully completed, the child will have doubts about their ability to succeed in life.
5. Stage 5 - Identity vs. Confusion.  During Adolescence.  Which is kind of a hard word to spell, amiright?  Anyway, basically this stage is like, "Who am I, really?" and can usually last well into adulthood.  Sad.
6. Stage 6 - Intimacy vs. Isolation.  Early Adulthood.  When the adult looks around and realizes, "Hey, I'm single, and I'm not okay with that," and they try to find someone to marry them.  According to recent statistics, it only works out about 50% of the time, so a lot of people are failing at this.  (NOT IT! hahahahahhaha)
7. Stage 7 - Generativity vs. Stagnation.  Adulthood.  AKA finding a career beyond working at Mickie D's during high school and excelling at said job.  This is hard, y'all.  I should know.  I'm still trying to surmount this.  #adultingsux
8. Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair.  During old age.  When you're sitting in your recliner (hopefully by choice and not because you no longer have use of your limbs) and you look back on your life and think, "Was it a good life?"  We all pray the answer will be yes...and also, we hope that we can remember that far back.  #alsheimersawareness

So those are the stages.  If you've made it this far into the post, congratulations, you're a reader!  For all the rest of the people, I don't have a message, because they won't see it anyway.

So back to the "7 Years" song.  Here are the ages he mentions and what happened to him during those ages.  Let's see if he failed or succeeded:

• 7 years old - Trying to make some friends and learn stuff.  Social interaction - check.  Learning (which probably involves parents and teachers) - check.
• 11 years old - Smoking, drinking, and told to find a wife by his dad.  I'm sorry, what?  Things just went waaaaay off track.  He's still supposed to be gaining confidence in his skills and abilities, not hindering them by being drunk or high all the time!  Also, his dad doesn't sound like a great, encouraging role model.  Just sayin'.
• 20 years old - Sometime between age 11 and now, he started writing songs/stories like his dad did.  I guess that's a good way to find identity, so we'll say he completed this stage...ish.
• 30 years old - He hopes to travel, continue learning about life, spend time with friends and his woman and children.  By the way...what exactly does it mean when someone refers to someone else as his "woman"?  Shouldn't that be offensive?  Because I would be offended if Tyler called me his "woman."  I'd be like, "Call me that one more time..."
• 60 years old - He's hoping his kids will come visit every once in awhile and warm the cold years.  A worthy goal, I'd say.

Overall, I'd say this song does a good job of following Erickson's stages.  Except for age 11.  Don't know what happened there.  #tweenlifecrisis

Well, that's just my little random thought of the day.  What do you thing of Erickson's stages?  Which one are you in now?  Are you having trouble, or acing it like a boss?  Do you like the song "7 Years"?  Are all of these questions annoying?  Lesbi-honest.  Haha.  Pitch Perfect reference.  Sorry.

And with that, I'll leave you with these two recent Pentatonix songs I just discovered, so I'm fangirling a little bit over here.  Watch them and you're welcome in advance for enriching your life.  Have a good day!

Hello Again!

Well hello everyone - it's been awhile!  Since I last posted, Tyler and I moved into a new house that we're renting for the next year and...yeah, that's all I got.

Exciting stuff, amiright?

Anyway, I just wanted to take some time to talk about my most recent obsession - writing.
This past November, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where authors are challenged to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days - and I did it :)

The book I wrote is called Ravensboro, and it's a Young Adult Fantasy book.  If you're interested in YA books, Fantasy books, or just my writing in general, let me know if you'd like access to my super-secret book blog :)  Sequel is pending.

There are two other books I've been working on for quite some time now, and these are open to be perused by the public:

• Camp Tandy - this is a fictionalized account of the summer I worked as a counselor at Camp Gilead in 2007.  Names and circumstances have been changed to protect certain identities ;)
• The ITDS - this was a super-ambitious Sci-Fi story that I started awhile back.  I didn't plan out the plot or anything before I started writing it, and I'm afraid I wrote myself into a corner, so I don't plan on adding anything to it anytime soon.

And here are three books I have an idea for that I haven't started writing yet:

• Kissing the Waves - basically, this is a Christian Fiction book about five women who are friends and how their Faiths are tested by miscarriage, marriage problems, and men problems.
• Untitled - I haven't named this book yet, but I got an idea from hanging out with my niece, Bella, and discussing which Disney princesses are best.  This story has to do with a young girl who is sucked into a world where fairytale villains are imprisoning princesses.  The young girl has to rescue the princesses, and in doing so, restore her faith in all things fairytale.
• Nearly Dead Naomi - Honestly, I just got the idea for this book JUST THIS MORNING.  It's about a girl named Naomi who escapes death and lives her life as half-human, half-ghost, trying to stay off Death's radar and have a normal social life at the same time.

So, do any of these stories strike your fancy?  Or are you more of a non-fiction type reader?  Because lemme tell you, I'm not much of a non-fiction type writer, so my stuff might not be for your eyes.  The more encouragement I get for one particular story, the more apt I am to focus on writing that story, so FEEDBACK people!  :)