Oh no. I've slacked off again.

It's official. I'm a slacker when it comes to blogging. Some months I'm on a roll and write faithfully throughout the month. Other months I don't write at all. Like the past three months.

Oops.

I've been trying to figure out how to update my blog without boring you all with a rundown of my life for the past three months. And instead of writing, I've been avoiding writing at all cost, which has led to more time passing and a longer update on the horizon.

But, no need to worry. Though I haven't written in three months, I will not attempt to write down a play by play of my life throughout that time. In all honesty, nothing much has happened. Instead I'll write down a brief (hopefully) update and then get back into the rhythm of blogging more frequently.

I think the most significant event to take place is that Damarise and I moved into our 17th home. Being a missionary kid has led to having many homes. And each home has been filled to the brim with wonderful memories. This home has already begun to have its fair share of good memories.

It's a little one bedroom apartment in the heart of our city and we absolutely love it. It's the perfect size for us and placed in a cute and cozy neighbourhood. God blessed us with it in the nick of time too. We are thankful! We got to house Janessa for a few months in it too while she was job and house searching. It was fun to have her stay with us, though I'm sure she is thankful to not sleep on a couch anymore.

Us on the day we signed the lease (sorry for the poor quality... it's an Instagram picture).

I have begun subbing, though not as often as I'd like. However, it has been so fun and such a blessing of a job. I have gotten to sub in Middle School math and English as well as at one of my Student Teaching placements. It has been a joy to put my education to use and realize that I did actually learn something throughout my four years at school (I knew I had, but it's nice to put it to use).

Sarah has started at Covenant College and it has been so fun having her in town. She's loving being at Covenant and I'm so thankful she gets to have the same wonderful education Damarise and I had.

Damarise got officially accepted into the Police Academy and I couldn't be more proud. She has put in so much work into applying and has persevered like no one else I know. I can't wait to see all that God has in store for her through that.

Well, I think that's the main points. Hopefully this will get me back on track for updating more... hopefully being the key word.

Until next time.

My 17th Birthday Party

Friday, the 12th, I got to have my birthday party :) It was loads of fun and I am so thankful to Mom for everything she did to make it a blast! :D

Avery was over in the morning while her parents were out with ours. She helped Damarise and I bake cupcakes :) Thanks Avery!!

Then at 4pm the youth group girls came over to our house :) We decorated pizzas...

Annie and Damarise made a snowman one :)

Then we started the party. The theme was a make-over party. So the first thing was a massage... or kinda. We would draw something on the each others backs and the last person would have to draw it out on a piece of paper. So it was like telephone only on each other's backs :) 

My pizza :)

Sarah and Gracie's foot pizza! SO cute!

Bethy and Esther's flower pizza :)

Dinner :) Mmmm...

It was good!

Next we decorated cupcakes...

Mmmmm

Sarah tried to get as many sprinkles on her cupcake as possible. Haha! She had a sugar high!

Bethy's was cute!

Gracie's too :)

Annie!

"Happy Birthday to youuu...."

Next in the "Make-over" process was the makeup. We had to put makeup on balloons without popping it :) No one popped theirs and we got some really cute faces :)

Smile!

Then comes the hair. It was a relay race to see which team could put all the bows and clips in their team mates hair the fastest. 

Annie looks thrilled. 

Hehe... Annie's team won! :D

And their hair styles are totally the new fad!  Haha!

Then the lipstick. Two people were blindfolded and had to put lipstick on the other person... Ha!

Damarise and I :P

Gracie and Bethy

:P

Esther and Annie

Haha! Esther smothered it on Esther's face!

Damarise and Sarah

Haha!

With our lips closed. Wow! Some lipstick job! Haha!

Smile!

Kiss kiss! :)

Next comes the toe nail polish :) That was a relay as well.

Go Bethy!

Esther's cute green toe nails!

Gracie's adorable pink toe nails!

And last but not least, a dress! :P Haha!

Damarise and I got the joy of being dressed up! 

Me with my dress designers :P 

Damarise with hers :)

Thennnn SNOW BALL FIGHT!!!

It was so much fun! Even in the 100ºF weather!

Ah! Big one!

I got some cute presents and sweet cards! Thank you everyone! :)

The next day everyone left except for Esther so we played Payday :) It was fun! 

I had a wonderful day thanks to everyone who made it special! Thank you! All the birthday comments and whatnot made my day really special :) Now to start a new year being seventeen! :D

My 17th Birthday!

I'm seventeen! Boy, that seems strange to say. But yes, today I entered into another double digit number, seventeen. It was a wonderful day, thanks to my amazing family who did everything they could to make it a special day. Thank you family! Well, I promised I'd tell everyone about my day, so here it is...

I came out for breakfast and there was a crown at my seat :) Awww! Mom had gotten it for me to wear during the day :) 

On our birthdays we get to pick out our birthday breakfast, dinner, and dessert. I asked for bagels, but they take a long time to make, so Mom made them for lunch instead. Mmm, they were delicious! 

Thank you Mom! They were amazing!! They tasted just like bagels! Mmm.

In the afternoon the Roger kids and Ms. Charity came by to say Happy Birthday :) 

Then dinner time! Mmm. 

Chicken Cheese Quesadillas with guacamole, cheese, sour cream and salsa. :) Yum!

By the end of dinner we were all stuffed to the brim! So we opened presents before we had dessert. :P

Sarah had to read me her card because I wasn't reading it right :P hehe...

Awww! She got me this adorable cup!

Reading Ian's card. 

He got me a hat! I love it!!!

Mom does too :) hehe.

Andrew's present was hard to open. Way to pile on the tape Andrew :P But his card was really sweet so it made up for it :) 

Yah, still trying to get it open :) Thank you Ian for your pocket knife :D

Are those cute or what?? Andrew has good taste :D 

Opening up Mom and Dad's gifts :)

Thank you Dad!!

Thank you Mom!!

Thanks Damarise!!

Thanks Sarah!!

Thank you Ian!!

And last but not least, Thanks Andrew!!

Time for cake :) (that's actually not the cake we ate... we just needed something to stick the candles into ;) ) 

"And she huffed, and she puffed, and she blew them all out :D"

Ta dum! :D

Ian waiting for cake :P

Sarah... wondering if she wants cake ;)

Andrew trying on my hair thing... hmmm...

Damarise made me this amazing cake!!! The bottom layer was brownie (Which we never could get out of the pan... ) Then she mixed peanut butter, chocolate, and rice krispies. Let that harden then mixed it in with vanilla ice cream! YUM!!! Thank you Damarise!!!

The first scoop she got out flung up and hit Dad :P hehe...

Yummmm!

All in all, I had a lovely birthday! Thank you all for everything you did for it as well! All the sweet birthday notes and emails :) It was a very special day! :D