Katja's visit part 1

Katja was a German exchange student who stayed with us for six weeks for those of you who haven't heard about her yet. Well, in this first picture we're in Knoxville with Katja and Kristy.

From left to right:  Abby, Katja, Kristy, Tessa.  We're walking downtown Knoxville.

Katja's first volleyball game with the Lady Warriors!  Go Lady Warriors!!!!!

Making Spätzle (a German noodle.)  It was extremely cool!

We went to Washington, DC for the rally.  It was really cool hearing Glen Beck and Sarah Palin!

This was as close as we could get to the Lincoln Memorial.  It was a dum idea to try and get that close.  Trust me!

Isn't Katja pretty?

I love this picture of Katja and the Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool!

Okay now this is a VERY interesting story!  My brother had an army friend who was in the hospital in DC and we were going to visit him.  So, we got on a bus and asked a bunch of poeple if they knew which stop we had to get off at.  Let's just say they weren't very helpful.  One said this and the other said that and so on ans so forth.  Finally the hospital's name came over the speakers and we thought "Yes!" and we got off.  You want to know what?  WE GOT OFF AT THE GATE THAT WAS CLOSED ON WEEKENDS!  So we start lugging our chairs up the hill to find another gate.  Well, this guy in a 1980 something Mercedes and asks if we were at the rally.  We say yes and tell him we're trying to find the open gate.  So, he said that we'd never make it and to climb in.  And, of course, we all pile in.  My dad jumped in the front and the rest of us climbed in the back.  Okay, imagine playing twister with four people in the back of a car with a bunch of chairs.  That's what it looked like.  I'm on my mom's lap, legs everywhere.  Katja's squeezed against us and Mike, my brother climbs in.  HE CAN'T CLOSE THE DOOR!  Then this guy decides he's going to give us a tour too!  Finally we get to the gate and the guard asks for the parents IDs and mom tries to reach her backback which was under me, two chairs, and who knows how many legs!  The guard looks in, looks at the ID, looks back in and says: "What you trying to do?  Play Twister in the back seat?"  Needless to say, I'm still laughing about it!

Then after we visited we walked out and walked up to two police men and this black guy.  We told them all about getting picked up by this random guy and they laughed thinking it was a joke and we asked them where the metro station was.  After talking for a bit he offered to take us to the metro in his new white van that he transported the veterans in.  He informed us that we could only use it if this was "Official Government Business."  We told him it was official government business (with our fingers crossed) and we drove on.  He was SO funny!  We got two rides in one day.  One in the lapse of luxury and the other--not so much!  LOL  This would only happen to MY family!  :)

For this trip we stayed at my Uncle Mike and Aunt Mary's house (right) and hung out with my Aunt Pat (left.)

I love this picture of the Washington Monument.  So pretty reflecting in the reflecting pool!

I'm so sad!!!!

Katja left to go back to Germany today!  I am so sad!  Yesterday we took a ton of pictures with her and her friends!

From right to left: Kristy, Katja, Danielle, Candace, and Haley.

(sorry if any names are misspelled!  :P )

I love this one!  

Katja and Luke.  :)  I think it's funny cause she's laughing and he's SO much taller than her!  LOL  Miss You Katja!

Mrs. Castle and Katja. :)

Ach! I've been gone a long time!!!

Yes, yes, i've been gone for the LONGEST time!  Well, here's why...my computer CRASHED!  Quite aggravating to say the least! LOL  Well, now it's all fixed thanks to some people at school and my mom.  I'll post something interesting later because I haven't uploaded the pictures from D.C. (yes, I got to go to the rally!)  and school and camping!  So here's two random pictures...

It reminds me a lot of Camelot...

1st Week of School and more...

That's right!  I just finished my first week of school and I'm starting the second week tomorrow! :(  Well I think I already told you that we have a German Exchange Student staying at my house named Katja.  Katja is in 11th grade in Germany but since we don't have an 11th grade she is in 10th grade at Cornerstone.  So here we are on the "meet the teachers day."

My BFF Courtlyn and me hiding behind a notebook!  We are what you would call weird...

Later that day I played a game of basketball with the family!  My team one a game and lost a game!  :)

The next day we took a walk around the block.  Here's Katja and Kenzie posing for a picture!

This is just some random sign I thought looked cool. LOL

Here's my cutey pie Kenzie!  I love her expression!  

And this is just a really cool looking spiderweb.

And then I went out and took pictures of random stuff in the yard...

Isn't this cute?

My sister's kids are the only people I know who can smile like this!  LOL

Don't miss this!

Guess what?  Carlotta over at Pastor's Girl's Ponderings is hosting a giveaway!  Hurry up and enter before it ends tomorrow!

Did I Ever Tell You...

I love the Lord?

I love swimming?

I love taking pictures of my friends?

I love sun flare?

I'm a sucker for love stories?

I've listened to If I Die Young by The Band Perry about 200 times in four days?

I've never had a soda before?

{website found at}

I think pictures should tell a story?

{don't ask me what this picture has to do with that}

 I love photographing plants?

I want to be a professional photographer when I get older?

I think graffiti is cool?

I'm weirder than you think?

I love playing football?

I like writing on my hands?

 I'm a crazy tuber?

 That I'm a ninja?

My friends and I love funny pictures?

That I take way to many?

My friends and I still play dress up?
That we like shooting each other with plastic guns?

Here's just a few things you might not have known about me!  Hope you enjoyed it! :) <3

God's Handiwork...

 ^{Genesis 1:11-13}

¹¹ Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. ¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. 

God's handiwork is everywhere.  From the tallest tree to the littlest seed you can see His handiwork reflected in it.  How else could a tiny seed produce a huge tree?  God even made plants to help us.  They need carbon-dioxide and we need oxygen.  So we give them Carbon-dioxide and they give us oxygen.  How can people believe that it happens by random chance?  How can they believe that human beings were just an accident?  Can't they see how wonderfully we were made?  We were made special.  We have souls unlike animals or plants.  And if one human was made by random chance then wouldn't that mean that all of the humans are just a bunch of accidents?  It's not very likely that the same accident can happens millions of times.  it just doesn't make sense.  Sorry, I'm very good at following bunny-trails but I'm glad I went down this one but now I'll show you the pictures! :)
I love how only a few droplets are in focus.  Can't you see God's amazing handiwork in this plant?

This is my absolute favorite picture in this post!  I'm really into the whole half in focus and half not kind of thing.  :)

I love this picture.  The crispness, the bright colors, and of course the half focus half not! LOL

I really love this one too!  I think this was Mom's favorite out of the bunch.  Maybe I'll frame it in my room...

Just another version of the last one.  I like this one too!

I think you can guess by now why I love this one! LOL

I love this spiderweb splattered with droplets.  Again I don't get how people think amazing creatures like the spider can be created by chance.

Thank you for all the comments on my last post.  It comforts me that you care.  Thank you blogger buddies, you're the best!

Please Pray For Me and My Family...

From Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

I just got the news that my grandmother has passed away.  I know though my mom mourns her mother and I mourn my grandmother that God will comfort us.  Though I didn't know my grandmother very well I did get to see her a few weeks ago and I am glad I got to.  I got to know her a little bit better before she died. 
Soon there will be no more death, no more mourning, only rejoicing with the Lord Jesus Christ but until that day I will praise Him because I know he has a plan.  He had a plan for my Grandmother and He has a plan for me, my mom, my dad, my siblings, my friends, and everyone else on on this earth and even the people who haven't arrived yet.  I will trust in him because he is my God, my Savior, my Shelter, My Light, and my Comforter.  May God be praised for his unending love.

From Revelation 21:4

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.