2012

2012. 

I can't believe it's here already. 

Two thousand-twelve sounds so...big. I wish we could keep two thousand-eleven. 

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I hate time. Time makes people grow up. It makes them leave to go to college or get married. It makes them older. It means more people die.

One of my favorite quotes is about time. 

Do fish complain of the sea for being wet? Or if they did, would that fact itself not strongly suggest that they had not always, or wd. not always be, purely aquatic creatures? Notice how we are perpetually surprised at Time. (`How time flies! Fancy John being grown-up and married! I can hardly believe it!') In heaven's name, why? Unless, indeed, there is something about us that is not temporal. - C.S. Lewis

I love that quote. And it is just another reminder that I don't need to worry about time. It's okay if I don't like time, but I need to remember that everything is in God's hands. It's okay if people leave, because that means that God has pointed them in a new direction. Time also brings new friends, and new experiences, and new life.

One of the first photos I took with my camera

I didn't really make any New Year's resolutions, but I do have a few little "goals" for the New Year.

-get a tripod
-get another lens for my camera
-do a photo shoot
-take a photography class
-reach 50 followers
-be more considerate of others
-be a better friend
-exercise more
-read at least one book every month
-take at least one picture every day
-write in my journal at least twice a week
-go to a NeedtoBreathe concert
-think less of myself and more of other people
-get Lightroom 3
-get my license

That is my short little list that I have compiled. There aren't many important things on it, but they are some things that I would like to "accomplish", if you will. I may add more to the list as I think of things.
But really, even more than getting a new lens or a tripod, I want to be more like Jesus. I want to forget about myself in daily life, and constantly be looking to bless other people. I want to spend more time with Jesus, and less time thinking about when God is going to send me a fiancé. (Yes, I do think about that) I want to spend more time with my siblings while I still have them here. And yes, I do want to take more pictures and learn manual mode better, and buy camera equipment, and get good editing software, and buy a backup drive for my photos, and all that.

My first edited picture

For me, this was a pretty exciting year. I began working as a preschool assistant in the middle of January, and ended up finishing with that in June.
On February 2nd I started this blog and the day after my eighteenth birthday I went to visit my aunt in New York with my sister Meghan.
In March I bought my Canon EOS Rebel T1i.
In April I got up every weekday morning at 5:30am to go to work, and we attended the homeschool convention in Massachusetts.
In May I took lots of pictures and took the SATs (yikes!).
In June I graduated and finished my job at the school (and got confused about whether or not to go back in the fall).
In July I got the published copy of my book, I got a new iPod, I took a trip to Pennsylvania with some of my siblings to visit our aunt, uncle, and cousins, I "played" big sister for a week, and I went on a mission trip to West Virginia for a week.
In August I went to Maine with my aunt, cousin, mom, and sisters, went to a wedding, and went to Maine again, but with the rest of my family this time.
In September I began entering photo challenges on Blogger, went on a youth group retreat as an adult to Cape Cod,  and I bought my 13" Macbook Pro.
In October I hosted my first giveaway, entered more photo challenges, tried to donate blood, and lost power for ten days.
In November I wrote a novel. Enough said. I also felt extremely loved by God, and we had our first Thanksgiving without my grandfather .
In December I took pictures of a frosty morning, I knit a pair of socks for the first time, I drove for the *almost* first time, I made presents and wrapped presents, I stood outside on Christmas Eve night looking at the stars and singing "Silent Night", and I ended the month at our friends house with my family and their family, having a wonderful time playing games and laughing and making skits for our annual "show".

God gave me a wonderful year, and even though it was filled with lots of hard things, and wondering where He wanted me to go in life, he has me in the palm of his hand and will continue to lead me in His path.

I'm sorry for such a long post, and thank you if you read this whole thing! I want to thank everyone who comments on my little old blog. You guys brighten my day with every comment that you post. :)

So, I hope you have a Happy New Year in 2012, and that you leave all the path-planning up to God. ;)

Happy New Year!

Okay, I feel a little like an average teenager since I'm so excited about the Hunger Games movie that is coming out in March, but really, I am pretty excited. I wasn't even super wowed about the books. I think one thing that got me more excited about the movie was this song:

I know, I know, it's Taylor Swift. And Taylor Swift is every teenage girl's heroine at the moment, but I really really like this song. It's for the soundtrack of "The Hunger Games" and it is so haunting and pretty that I can't help but loving it. I love the simpleness of the guitar, and then Taylor's voice blended with the singer (from The Civil Wars, I presume?) sounds so melodic and sweet.

Anyway, this wasn't my only reason to post. I will be leaving for a few days to go see our friends for New Years, so I won't be posting for the weekend. I had wanted to do something special for the New Year on here, but I guess it's not going to happen. Maybe next year I can! :)
I hope you all have a Happy New Year!

Love and hugs,
Madeline <><

Post Christmas

How is everyone dealing with the post-Christmas blues? I think I am doing extremely well so far. :)
  My two older sisters and I met with one of my friends and her older sister (who is friends with my sisters) at Starbucks today, and we ended up talking for two hours before we had to go. It was really fun, even thought we didn't end up talking about much besides movies and books. Oh, and being at Starbucks meant that I got to try the Peppermint Mocha for the first time. It was yummy! :) I'm glad I got to try it, I just wish it wasn't so dreadfully expensive. :P
  Another thing that makes it not too bad that Christmas is over is that we are going on Friday to our friends' house for New Years. Every year we go to their house for the New Year, and we stay up late watching movies and talking, and we kids make a couple short films for the grownups. :) It's really fun.

  Speaking of the New Year (yikes! I'm not ready for 2012!) I have decided to do the 365 project. What is it, you ask? The 365 project is where you take one picture every day for, you guessed it, a year. :) I told myself last year that when I got a nice camera I had to do it, and I got my camera last March, so I guess it's time I did the project. :) I'll be creating another blog specifically for posting my pictures from everyday, so that I don't clog up this blog, so I let you know what the address is once I have everything up and running, and a first post on there. :) Also, I was wondering if anyone would like to design that blog for me? I have no clue about HTML designs or anything, and I honestly don't think I'd be that picky about my 365 blog. :) Anyway, if you are interested, please leave me a comment letting me know along with your email address (I won't publish it) and I can email you about it. :)
  I'm not sure if I'll be posting Christmas pictures...I took over 200 pictures (yeah, it's not really that much) but I'm a bit overwhelmed with editing. I had a hard time figuring out a good camera setting, so a lot of the pictures were pretty bad.  *sigh*

How was our Christmas? Did you get anything amazing? Do you have New Years resolutions? Are you doing the 365 project?