the hobbit, birthdays, christmas and other things

Hi! I pinky promise that I haven't forgotten about this here blog of mine. In fact, it has been very much on my mind lately. I've been thinking about writing and why I write and what I want to write about and when to write and all those fine details lately. I've come to a couple of conclusions that I'll share with you some time soon.

on to the past two weeks in review:

Tuesday, December 11th: we performed our annual Christmas program. I wrote a song about Mary and my siblings performed everything from James Taylor's Jingle Bells to The Jackson 5's Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.

That night we also celebrated mine and Michael's birthdays! Michael was born December 16th, and mine is the 15th. So we always celebrate together. It's special to me that our birthdays are close together.
I was given all my birthday presents that night. I. was. shocked. They gave me a 3 day trip to Savannah, GA with Mom!! We left on a Sunday (December 16th) after church, drove the hour to get there and stayed til Tuesday. Those three days involved: a photo shoot with a dear friend, Starbucks date with Becca, Barnes and Noble, Catholic church tour, more Starbucks, watching all of Gone With the Wind, lunch with Heather and baby Zeke, attending Catholic Mass, and then going to surprise Becca at the coffee shop she works at. It was so much fun. And I took minimum pictures. ;) sorry.

Friday, December 14th: Dad, Michael, Heather, Jamie and I went to see The Hobbit. Okay. Let's just say I was blown away. I'm a Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit fanatic. I have read the books several times, written a ballad based on the LOTR books, written music to one of J.R.R. Tolkien's poems...yeah, it runs deep. I was so nervous when the movie was starting, and, let's just be honest here, I cried. Yes I did. It was an amazing movie.

Saturday, December 15th: I turned 18. Enough said.

Sunday through Tuesday: (16th-18th) in Savannah

and then Saturday, December 22nd: saw the Hobbit again with three friends. It was so much fun. Then went Goodwill shopping with one of the friends. We had a blast. :) (Em, we definitely have to do it again!)

And then Christmas. And now here I am. Ready to get back to normal life. Ready to start writing again!

Have a great weekend, friends, and I'll see you soon!! :)

 

happy birthday

to one of the best boys in the world.

He makes me laugh.

He makes me cry (basically because I miss him all the time)

He is so talented.

He loves Jesus. He loves Becca. He loves his family.

And he loves me.

So a very happy birthday to my boy, Thomas. I love you more than you could possibly imagine. Thanks for making my life happy. 

I hope that this next year brings you many opportunites to make
your dreams come true. 

a post for Thomas

(I originally wrote this post a few weeks before Thomas' wedding. I shared some of it at the rehearsal dinner when I spoke, but now I think it's time for it to get published.)

 Dear Thomas,

Wow. You're 21 years old, and getting married. You've got a good job, a good girl, and a great God. He's doing crazy wonderful things in your life. I'm so proud of you and happy for you. But....

 you're getting married. How is that possible? You were just a little boy, teaching me how to walk Indian-style, and letting me go squirrel hunting with you and we were exploring the jungles of Africa together.

 Just yesterday (or so it seems) we were at Edisto Beach, and I accidentally almost drowned you. You were trying so hard to save my life, and I fell in the water, and pulled you in with me. Sorry about that, by the way. 
And that same day was the day that you went far out in the water, even though it was freezing cold (in February or March) and you were wearing a sweater, just so that you could save my favorite headband. You were my hero.

 Do you remember the picnic we had outside that windy winter day? We have pictures of it somewhere, but I couldn't find them. Remember the old cooler that we used as a table? That's one of my favorite memories.

Do you remember that time I shot at a squirrel? To this day, I claim I killed it. At the time, you said, "Nah, you didn't kill it. Even if you did, it doesn't count if you can't find it." Funny, it always counted when you couldn't find yours. :) 

Remember that time I was wearing your camouflage pants, and you left me sitting in Dad's driveway? You said, "I've gotta run in the woods, so you stay right here and don't leave, cause when I get back we're going to go have an adventure." I waited, but had to go to the bathroom so so bad! And you must remember how you came back and I had wet my pants. I mean, your pants. 

Remember the above picture? We had a sprinkler, and we held hands and ran 'round and 'round it.

 Do you remember those times you drove me home from Crossroads Choir, and how we would listen to Switchfoot, and you would be so silly? I loved every minute of those rides.

 Do you remember when you went to Washington that summer long ago, when we were little kids and I missed you so so much? And you sent me a postcard, which I still have. And then remember the summer not too long ago when you went to Washington again and I called you to tell you how much I missed you? I think I cried while on the phone with you.

 Remember when you went to South Africa? I was so proud of you for going to tell people about Jesus. When you came back, it was like Christmas morning. I just remember seeing you walking up the terminal and you were smiling so big, and I was crying, and finally meeting your eye and knowing that you were okay.

 Do you remember the day you and Becca got engaged? Of course you do. Such a great day, and yet, kind of sad, too.

 Remember when you went to FLOW in 2011? I sat in your bedroom almost every night, and looked at your Beatles' posters and your dirty socks on the floor and the guitar picks scattered here and there. I think I cried almost every night you were gone.

Remember last July when you moved out? You were really tricky and did so that we wouldn't really have to say goodbye. But I remember the first few days being so hard. I would walk into your room, and it wouldn't be your room anymore. And I remember having no one to stay up late with at night and listen to music and laugh so hard and maybe record some music and hearing cell phones ringing in the background because Becca would call. 

Do you remember the above picture? Mimi took it last Thursday night when you and Becca were at our house planning your rehearsal dinner. I wasn't home and missed seeing you. When I just found it in Picasa, my first thought was: "my boy is a grown-up man now." 

Thomas, we've known each other for a long time.  17 years, 8 months, and 18 days. So many memories, so many songs, so many times you've made me so angry I could spit and made me laugh in the next second. So many times I've cried because you weren't home. So many times you've said, "Jennifer, you've gotta here this song." So many times you've said, "Love you." So many hugs. So many late nights in your room. So many fights. 

You know what? I wouldn't change one minute of our friendship. Cause that's what we've got going on here, Thomas. It's a friendship that is going to last me a lifetime. It's a friendship that is real and true. I know that no matter what mistakes I make, you're still going to love me and encourage me and give me good advice. I know that no matter what stupid things you may do, you're still going to be my hero and my best friend. 

So thanks, Thomas. It's been a wild, crazy, fun-filled ride. I can't wait to see what the next 17 years hold. 

I love you.

-Jennifer

A Wedding

     On Saturday, September 15th, this happened.

My best friend, Thomas got married to my other best friend, Becca.

It was one of  the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to. It really captured Thomas and Becca and their love for each other.

                    There was a little bit of this:

A little bit of this:

And maybe a little bit of this:

I'm going to tell you about the whole thing, don't worry, but for now I'm trying to get back to reality (as I told Thomas) and do school and chores and all that life entails. So I'm taking the next few days off. 

I'll be back next week with the wedding recap! :) Until then, 
"as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted, and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude." (Colossians 2:6-7)

Older Siblings: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Once upon a time there was this girl named Jennifer, and one day Jennifer was riding her bike in the front yard, enjoying the weather and wondering what the family would be having for supper.

Her two older brothers were throwing the football back and forth in the side yard, and Jennifer rode by them several times, making sure not to get in the way. She knew if she got in the way, she would probably get pegged with the football, and trust me, she knew that footballs could cause serious damage.

So she just rode along, minding her own business. She is still not sure how it happened, but at one point while riding past her brothers, the football suddenly came flying towards her bicycle, slammed into the front tire and sent her flying over the handlebars.

 Well, Jennifer was a little stunned at first, but then being the normal girl that she was, she burst into angry tears, and ran inside to tell her mother. The brother was called inside, and Jennifer, after wiping away her tears, went back to her bike riding.

 The other brother was still outside, but without a football buddy. Said brother was sitting on the ground fooling around with a nice sized stick. When Jennifer passed, this brother took aim, threw the stick and it lodged in between the spokes of her front tire.

 Once again, Jennifer was brought to a quick halt and ended up on the ground, again. Again, there were tears involved and again, brother was called inside. But once the brothers were inside, Jennifer realized that it wasn't any fun being outside all alone, so she went inside as well.

The above is a true story.

 I can't remember which brother (Michael or Thomas) threw the football and which one threw the stick, but both were thrown and I flew in the air both times. I did cry and they were both punished.

 It's funny. I am 17 years old now, and my older brothers are 24 and 21, and yet, I remember our childhood so clearly. I remember playing in the woods with Thomas and killing wolves and Indians, and I remember Michael asking me one time: "Jennifer, do you know what the Civil War was really all about?" (Yes, that's the kinds of questions you get asked when you're the sister of a history freak!)

 I remember when Michael graduated from high school and I remember when Thomas first brought his girlfriend to our house; I remember the night that Michael called to tell us that he knew who he was going to marry, and I remember the day Thomas got engaged.

So many memories…some good, some bad and some downright ugly. Yes, we've had our lighter moments. We had good times when we were younger and our times are even more fun now. I miss them every single day, because we are super close (thank goodness for cell phones and email, right?) and our relationship is not normal, from what I hear.

 So I wanted to write a post about having a good relationship with our older siblings; because yes, it takes hard work. Blood, sweat and tears are involved. I can vouch for that. :) 

  We weren't always as close as we are now. As a matter of fact, Michael and I weren't close at all until Michael was about 17, 18 years old.  So I was 10, 11 years old before we actually started liking each other. Today, Michael is my man. (Well, technically, he's Heather's…but you know what I mean…) I can tell him anything and count on getting expert advice.

Seriously y'all, when y'all are telling your girlfriends about the guys you are interested in, I'm telling Michael. It sounds crazy, but it's true. I have cried more tears in front of Michael than in front of any other person I know besides my parents. He has seen me at my absolute worst and can always make me feel better.

 But like I said, we weren't always tight like we are now. I didn't always look at him as worshippingly (spell correct says that worshippingly isn't a word. for another option they gave me horsewhipping. hahaha!) as I am in the above picture. In fact we used to hate each other…okay, not hate each other, but we didn't get along…at all.

You see, Michael and I are a lot alike. Basically because he is the firstborn, and I have a lot of firstborn qualities because I’m the first girl and also because there was four years in between Thomas and I. I love it that I'm like Michael in some ways, but it didn't help our relationship when we were younger. As a matter of fact, I don't remember really spending time with Michael or just talking to him until he started driving. Which was around 17 years old.

So yeah, basically his whole growing life, we didn't really get along. It wasn't Michael's fault either. I was stubborn and annoying and I'm sure I made his life pretty miserable. To be totally honest, I'm not the one who got our relationship headed in the right direction either. It was all Michael. He just decided one day that he was going to be nice to me. (Best day of my life! :) I am so very glad that he made that decision, because honestly I don't know what my life would be like without Michael being involved. Plus, I'd be out of a job. :) (If you didn't know, I'm Michael's personal assistant, which basically means I get paid now when he tells me what to do. Pretty good job!)

All that to say…if you have an older sibling that you just don't get along with, make the decision to just be nice to them. Serve them. Make them laugh. Tell them randomly that you love them. Give them a big glass of iced sweet tea. (trust me, it works every time!) You can't wait around forever for your older sibling to decide to be nice, because they might not ever make that decision. So you pick up the reigns. It's totally worth it, I promise.

Now about Thomas, well we've always been friends.

 Well, almost always.

We were super close as kids. I mean, we did everything together.

But then, Thomas grew up. And around the time he turned 14 (I don’t know what happens to guys when they turn 14) he discovered that I wasn't cool enough for him. Talk about a let-down. The funny thing is: just when Michael had decided to be nice to me, Thomas totally dumped me.

Now I'm not downing Thomas here. He just went through this time period where I was just annoying. The good thing was that he started dating this really awesome girl who started praying for him to be nicer to me. (I love Becca for this!) Her prayers worked! I remember one night when I told Thomas good night and said "I love you," like I always did. Typical Thomas response was just a cold goodnight and no I love you, too. I had grown accustomed to it.

 But this specific night when I said it, Thomas looked at me and said, "Goodnight, I love you, too."

I just about fell over.

 And then I was like, 'well, heck, if he said he loves me, he must want to hug me, too.' So I gave him a big hug, and he didn't resist. Yes, it was the most amazing night ever.

 From then on, Thomas and I were really close again. That's not to say that we haven't had our ugly moments, trust me, we've had 'em, plenty of them. But our relationship is stronger because of them. We share a love of music, and rarely does Thomas come home that he doesn’t have a new song to show me. Our relationship is super important to me, and he is my absolute best friend.

Now that I've made you all jealous about my amazing older brothers…let me tell you that you have the opportunity to build a relationship like that with your older siblings.

 It takes work. It's not easy. I shed a lot of tears over those years, and there were lots of arguments. I am so thankful that my brothers worked hard on maintaining a relationship with me. They didn't just forget about me when they grew up. Michael calls or emails me frequently and we talk about deep stuff.

Before Thomas moved out, I used to go in his room at night and we would just sit and listen to music and hang out. Now that he has moved out, we talk when he comes home and we still listen to music, lots of it.

 Trust me, you will not have a good relationship with your older sibling simply by not arguing with them. You can have arguments all day long and have a better relationship with your sibling than the person who never argues.

The big deal is communication. Find out what your sibling's love language is, and then work on showing them love in that way. Hang out with them. Involve them in your life. Call them and just ask how they're doing. If you can't have an hour long conversation with your sibling without awkward pauses, you're missing out. And you can fix that by just making one simple decision: I'm going to be nice to my older brother/sister; and I'm going to work hard to build a good relationship with him/her. It'll be the best decision you ever make!

Happy Birthday

Today is a very special girl's birthday. She's turning 21. And I'm super happy and excited for her.

On Michael's and Heather's wedding day (May 2011)

I've known Becca since my childhood. We've literally known each other all our lives.

But then she and Thomas started hanging out and being buddies and then eventually fell in love and

now they're getting hitched.

Christmas Day 2011

So now, a girl that I've known for forever and a day is one of my best friends ever. She's

the bomb.

Over the past two years, I've shared so many secrets with Becca and just laughed and talked and

prayed with her.

Once tomorrow comes, it'll only be 36 days til the biggest day of Becca's 21st year. Her wedding day.

The day she marries her best friend and lifetime crush.

The day she marries my big brother.

September 15...the day that two of my best friends get married. To each other.

November 2011 (shortly before Thomas' 21st birthday)

When I say that Becca is my best friend, it's totally true. 

She's funny. She can make me laugh really hard. And we always have a good time together.  Even when I'm spilling all my secrets, we end up laughing and just acting like girls.

She loves Jesus so much. She makes me want to love Him as much as she does. She's so good at bringing Him up no matter what we're discussing. She always has some encouraging words no matter what the situation. And I love that about her.

Long time ago...

I can totally trust her. She knows all my secrets. That's what big sisters are for, right?

Becca is everything a big sister should be. She's funny. She knows when to just let me talk and when to give me advice.

She loves Jesus more than anyone or anything and it's totally obvious.

She loves Thomas so much. She's creative and crafty and artsy and all that good stuff.

She is everything she should be and so much more.

So here's to Becca's 21st birthday.

And here's to many more long talks, much laughter, maybe some tears here and there, lots of water,

some running, hundreds of songs, many birthday cakes and secrets.

Here's to you, Becca. :)

Love, Jen

p.s. I love you :)