Reflections..

Last two days of break...check.

My spring break was a success. I spent the last few days hanging out with my family and friends. Perfect, absolutely perfect. Wonderful, fabulous.

I just got back from community group at St. Andrews. I just can't get over how amazingly blessed I have been this year with church and friends. I've got such awesome people around me. They make me want to be a better person, growing closer to Christ. Each and every one of my them. Literally. I was telling Chloe that today... you know how something incredible will happen in your life, and you'll say it was a God-thing? Well, my entire sophomore year has been a God-thing. I'm surrounded by some of the best friends I've ever had, some new and some old. I can't even get over it. I think about how great and defining this year has been almost every day.

I could write a whole book about all the ways God has shown Himself this year. He's been there in little things, and in really big things. I see Him in those little moments that would appear to be insignificant. I can see Him in a beautiful day, a great conversation, a new buddy, a silly moment... He's blessing me with the gift of joy. And then when you look back at your life, He appears in massive ways... like how I've looked back on this year and saw how the puzzle pieces all fit together. It's unreal, and very reassuring that we can rest in the fact that He sees more than we are capable of seeing. I didn't know why I was suddenly open to homeschooling last year; why my heart changed. It was God. I can see how that one decision to homeschool snowballed into a life-changing experience.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. Also known as the anthem to this year.

-caylielane

Another Fabulous Day...

Well, yesterday was a wonderful day, just like the past few days of spring break. Dad and I went to Hot Springs to hang out and have some fun. So, we had quite a blast. Oh boy, do I love him.

After Dad and I got home, I quickly got ready and cleaned up a little bit. My friend Kaitlyn picked me up around 6:30. Our plan was to go to this cute little coffee shop, then to this adorable dress shop, and then head to see Bounty Hunter at the nearby theater. Well, everything went totally differently. When we got there, we discovered that both the coffee shop and the dress shop were closed. Like, closed. Permanently closed. How wierd is that?! Who would have guessed? Especially since I had been to that coffee shop less than a week ago. So, we changed plans and ate at Mt. Fuji, this amazing japanese place with the best sushi you have ever experienced in your entire life. Sushi and teriyaki salmon...it doesn't get much better than that. THEN, we headed to the movie. Bounty Hunter. Three words for you. Don't see it. It's awful in every way you can imagine. I can't believe I wasted two hours of my life on it.

So, that was my day yesterday. Now, this morning, I've got some serious cleaning to do. Then, I'm going out with Elizabeth to have random girl time. And after that, Elizabeth and I are coming home to get ready for our yardsale tomorrow! I like yardsales; they're just fun.

Sorry to bore you with my life. I just like having it all recorded somewhere, you know? Haha.

Day four of spring break...check.

Love,
caylielane the spring-breaker.

girls' day out!

Today, Mom and I had a girls' day out! It was great. First, we ate brunch at an adorable little restaurant. I got a turkey sandwich, and mom got a grilled cheese. I know, it sounds boring, but it was oh-so-good. And special, too. Hahaha. After that, we went shopping! It was a blast. And I found some great deals! We went to Target, TJ Maxx, Accessory City, and the mall. Also, we went to BeeJays, a local beauty school. I got my brows waxed, my hair blown out, and a polish change for my fingernails and toenails! And then, we ended the day with a great service at church about healing.

Mom and I don't get a chance to do that kind of stuff very often. My schedule is so non-stop all the time that it's hard to squeeze in anything out of the ordinary, so this was just fabulous!

So, first three days of spring break...check.

-caylielane the spring-breaker.

Mid Break.

First two days of spring break...check. And they were fabulous! I went to Gracie's adorable lakehouse with Gracie, Tim, and Gracie's parents for the past couple of days. We didn't actually go out on the water because of the cool weather, but we had a ton of fun!

We had a great time hanging out and doing random things...we are quite random and crazy when we're together. Hahaha. We did a lot. Such as... well, we saw Alice In Wonderland in a little theater in Heber Springs, watched movies, ate lots of goodness, watched a ton of LOST (addicting, I tell you.), played pictionary, went to the Humane Society to frolic with adorable little puppies, played Clue, went to a giant park, went to the dollar store, drank lots of Cran-Grape juice, and had some fun with water balloons. Hahaha. We seriously had a blast.

Today, I had rehearsal for 2 and a half hours. I was feeling pretty tired by the time I got home, so I took a nice 2 hour nap on the couch, which I never do. I had every intention of going running... but my body just wouldn't allow it today. I do need to run soon, though. I'm pretty sure I'm going to with Elizabeth tomorrow.

The rest of my week is just going to be hanging out with friends and family, enjoying a break from the oh-so-crazy routine of my life. Although, my life will still be very busy this week. Only, with different things. Friends and family.

Aaahh. Life is good. Psalm 18:49. Look it up.

Love,
caylielane the spring-breaker.

T.G.I.F!

Hey there!

Well...it's Friday. One more day and then it's spring break! Oh, the joy. Turns out we aren't going to Branson after all- I think Dad will be taking the boys camping, and mom and I will have some shoppiing time! This will be after I go to lakehouse, which, by the way, I'm super excited about!

Today all I have to do is some busy work, and then I have rehearsal from 1 to 4:30. Whewwwww..... and THEN, I leave to go to WinterJam with my friends! Elizabeth might start coming to St. Andrews, and she'll be coming tonight and meeting lots of people. I can't wait!! Oh boy, do I love that girl. So very, very, very, much. She's just fabulous.

I'm in a really good mood. Don't ask why, because I don't know. But I'm just feeling very happy. So happy that I'm going to start on schoolwork now.

Goodbye, all.
-caylielane

Just Checking In

It's me again!

Well, I just finished the last day of co-op before spring break! It was a pretty good day- very normal. I'm glad I'm free now! Well, with the exception of some intense studying for biology that still needs to be done.

Today is my crazy day. You know what that means. C0-op, dance, church. One after another. Crazy but fun! Dance starts in 30 minutes and I'm totally not ready yet, so I guess I should go take care of that. I suppose.

I don't really have much to say other than I'm happy, and busy, and very thankful. (:

-caylielane

Anticipation

One...more...week. And then... spring break!

Oh, how I love spring break. It's so wonderfully refreshing. I can't believe its already that time of year. Sophomore year is a quick blur in my memory. It's been an awesome year though. Time just goes by faster and faster as I get older. And it's really wierd. Wierd, I tell you.

Spring break is going to be amazing! I'm starting off the week by going to Gracie's lakehouse with her for a couple of days. We've already decided that we're going to have a 'Lost' marathon. I'm officially going to watch it- SO excited! Gracie said something about some other co-op/St. Andrews friends coming for a while, but I'm not sure what the details about that are. That should be fun, though! After the lakehouse, I leave with my family to go to Branson! I think. That's not official. I sure hope it happens though- I LOVE Branson. Definitely more than the average person does.

Oh, and this Friday I'm going to WinterJam with the youth group- oh wow, I can't wait. It's "Christian music's largest annual tour." I haven't even heard of all of the bands that will be there, but I bet it will still be great. Especially if I'm with my friends.

Well, I'm about to head to co-op. I got to sleep in a little bit today because Spanish was cancelled. Quite nice. Yes, indeed.

love,
-caylielane the spring breaker.

Oh, My Weekends...

Hello, there.
So. My weekend has only begun, yet is immensely crazy. Today, I woke up at 7:30, took a shower, and headed to the convention center to play in a volleyball tournament with my JO team. We played decently, but didn't manage to pull out any wins. It was fun, though! We finished up around 1:30, and my family headed home. Now, I'm about to go running... my first run since the half-marathon last week! I've missed it. I'll probably run 3 or 4 miles.

Sounds like pretty full day,right?

Yeah, well, that's only half. After my run, I'm going to get ready and head to Tim's house to hang out with my friends. We'll probably eat and talk and goof off, which is quite fun. And THEN, I'm going home with Gracie and spending the night at her house!

Yeah. My life. Is crazy. But so, so good.

And THEN. Then. Tomorrow, I'll head to church with Gracie at 10:00ish, and probably leave with my family around 1:00, only to rush downtown, to the convention center, to start playing volleyball at 2:00. Who knows when that ends. If we finish playing in time, I'll try to make it to community group at the church tomorrow night at 6:30.

Whew. Good times. Don't feel sorry for the craziness of my life, though. I mean look. My life consists of school, church, volleyball, family, theatre, and friends. All great stuff.

So, yeah. There's my weekend for anyone who cares. Hahaha...
-caylielane

We Are The World 25 For Haiti

Oh man, I love this song. And this video. It gives me chills every time I listen to it! (Sorry, it cut out the right side of the screen for some reason.)

-caylielane

Blessed

Hey! So, here's an update on what I've been up to.
Yesterday was my crazy day. I had co-op first. It was really fun! My classes weren't too stressful, thank goodness. During study hall, Lauren and I played around on the Rip-stick, hahaha. (It's just like a skateboard that you swivel on. Its actually really fun...but pretty hard!) I epicly failed. But now that I've started, I have to keep trying until I get it. Hahaha. After co-op, I rushed home and got ready super fast for dance. I had less time than usual because mom and Gracie's mom got to talking in the parking lot. It was all good, though. I just hung out with my friends. Anyways. Wow, I have a severe babbling disorder. It's ridiculous.

SO. Dance was OK. I've been gone the past couple of weeks, so I'm a little behind on learning our recital pieces. Oh well, I'm just going to record it and learn it at home. During the last 30 minutes of dance, the tornado sirens started going off. Yipee. We spent that time crammed into a tiny bathroom, mostly reading MLIA. It was fun. haha...

And THEN, after dance, I went to Orbit (youth at St. Andrews), despite the tornadoes. What can I say, I love Orbit. That was great. We spent an entire hour just worshipping, praying, and being with eachother. It was great.

You know, it's crazy how much God has moved in my life lately. I've really been loving my new church, homeschooling, and my new friends. Really. I have a bunch of awesome, solid friends right now that are a constant encouragement to me. I feel like the rest of my family feels the same way. It's just the greatest.

Speaking of which. I'm officially homeschooling next year! I just randomly decided at the retreat last weekend. My thought process was just, Gosh, I love my homeschool friends. I'm at the point where I know I'd be perfectly happy to homeschool, because I'd get to stay with them. It would be hard to leave, actually. That's it. I'm homeschooling my junior year.

I can't believe I'll be a junior next year. There's about 2 years until I graduate. Insane, I tell you. Time goes by so quickly.

Ok, well, I guess that's enough babbling for one entry.
Love.
-caylielane

happy days...

WOwwww. What a weekend. First, the retreat. It was absolutely amazing. Seriously. We had lots of fun being goofballs. We swam in freezing cold water, had delicious hot chocolate, went on an intense hike, and lots more. Also, the worship was awesome. We spent lots of time singing, praying, and connecting with people. People which are great, by the way. I love my St. Andrews friends like a crazy person. So, I had to leave the retreat early. Why, you may ask? I ran the half marathon today!!!! Oh my, it was fun. I'm insanely sore right now, but it was worth it. More on that in a moment.
So, after worship last night, I rode back to Little Rock with Mr. Brymer and got home at around 2:30 a.m. That's right, I said a.m. . Like, in the morning. Therefore I got approximately 3 hours of sleep, went downtown at 7, and started the race at 8. My life. Is crazy.
And, back to the race. It was actually easier than I was expecting! I managed to stay motivated the entire time, which was great. There were a ton of people on the side of the road all along the way that were cheering the runners on. I was running with Rachel, Elizabeth's super sweet sister. We talked for a lot of the time, and listened to music after about mile 7 or 8. I think it was good that we were together because we really pushed eachother to go faster. My goal was to run the whole time, and I did! I'm satisfied. My time was 2 hours, 36 minutes. Not quite what I had hoped, but I feel like I did my best. I had never run more than 7 or 8 miles at at time, much less 13.1. And, oh boy, am I sore. Like, I feel like I have aged 80+ years in one day! But I'm still glad I did it. Now I can say that I've done a half marathon!
As soon as I got home, I slept for about four hours. I was exhausted. Beyond belief. I still am, actually. And I still have to do homework. Fun. Fab. What a weekend.
-caylielane

(Above) Me with Elizabeth and Rachel before the race.

(Above) Me and rachel as the line started moving towards the starting line! My excitement was building....

(Above) My parents were waiting for Rachel and I around mile 6. As you can see, we were feeling pretty good!

(Above) Elizabeth made a sign for me and Rachel! (The other side of the sign said "Go Rachel!!!") This is Elizabeth with her mom and Carson on the side of the road where we were running.

This is me right before crossing the finish line- I was still feeling good! Lots of adrenaline was pumping.


And this is me with Mimi after the race. At this point my legs were in pain and I was really tired, but I was so happy I had done it!

Right now.

Now this is getting funny.
This is my third time in four weeks to visit Shepherd of the Ozarks for a weekend retreat! How crazy is that? First, winter chill. Then, the middle school retreat. And now, the Sr. High retreat. Pretty funny, huh?
I leave today for the Sr. High retreat! Oh, man. I can't wait! I just know it will be awesome. The middleschool retreat was awesome, and that was without all of my friends, so I'm majorly looking forward to having all my friends there. It will be a hoot. Hahaha...

Dear summer,
Please come soon! I miss you and want to hear from you. I miss your sunshine, your lazy days, your freedom. I beg of you. Hurry up!
K, thanks.

-caylielane

People of Love, Rise...

Slow down, be still
Let go, we will
Be here, be now
Slow down, be still
Let go, refill
Be here, be now

If you choose to love
To know that the call
Is to give all you are,
To give love away, away
Rise, rise, People of love rise
People of love rise
Give yourself away
Rise, rise, people of love rise
People of love rise
Give yourself away
Give yourself away, give yourself
away

We're not safe, we're not safe
But we will rise, rise
People of love rise
People of love rise
Give yourself away
(Rise, by Robbie Seay Band)

This song is amazing. The way its worded is great, and it is so clear and convicting. First of all, I love how it says "slow down, be still". I know, you hear that all the time. Yes, its true in a physical sense- life can get too crazy at times. I'm one to talk. But I also see this as speaking in a spiritual sense.
Stop overthinking things. Live every moment for Christ, taking it one day at a time. You know?

I also love the phrase "People of Love". It's crazy how many places, people, things, or ideas we find our identity in these days. How we look. Where we live. Who we hang around with. What we do. It's sad that these things are what we use to form our own view of ourselves. If you are a Christ follower, Christ wants to become your identity. He doesn't want to take a backseat to worldly things. Christ is love. We should strive to be people of Love.

Give yourself away. Trade your old self in for Christ's grace and unending, unimaginable love. Share this love with anyone and everyone around you, past the point of what's expected. After all, we are Christ's.

love..
-caylielane

Hey there! Soo, Kelly's Korner blog is linking up with a bunch of high school and college-aged girls blogs today. Go see if you're interested...

www.kellyskornerblog.com