My Bucket List

     First of all, thank you Little Bits of Lovely for letting me use your idea :)
    
     Here goes: 

1. Get my splits. Seriously, I've been stretching for what seems like so long, and I'm so close!

2. See a Broadway show. Hopefully this will happen soon, because my aunt and I plan to go to New York for my birthday next year.

3. Eat an entire chocolate bunny in one sitting. Did you know that a bottle of Mug root beer has more grams of sugar than a medium chocolate bunny?

4. Go sky diving.

5. And bungee jumping. I feel like bungee jumping might be scarier than sky diving, since you free fall and spring back up into the air repeatedly. 

6. Fly in an airplane. I've been to Disney World and Texas, but both times my family drove. 

7. Grow to be taller than my Grandpa. He's the last person I want to beat in height. Last time we measured, the yard stick on our heads was almost flat. 

Now some things I've already done are:

1. Be in a movie. I was an extra for a movie that was shooting locally :)

2. Learn how to play the DUUUUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUN from the Phantom of the Opera on the piano. 

3. Dance somewhere other than my yearly recital. We were in a showcase and a competition this year.

4. Be in a musical. The first one I did was really fun. My brother played the character that I married, but we got divorced because I was an eccentric environmentalist. The other one was Charlotte's Web.


That's about it. I'm sure the list will increase and decrease as time goes on.


-Dakota

Popcorn

     Popcorn is a great snack however you prepare it. Kettle corn, microwaved, stove top, or with seasoning. When I was 11, I ate popcorn every night before bed and developed a reputation with loving popcorn. My best friend likes to write, so when I was in her stories, she would give me popcorn. Popcorn is just so easy to make that it's perfect for when you have guests or for when you're home alone. I've heard that microwave popcorn is linked to cancer, but it's probably okay if you don't eat too much of it.
     Anyhoozles, popcorn is delicious and I will eat it all. 



-Dakota

Nerdy Things

     Almost everyone has some random tv show, book, or movie that they are obsessed with. Some people even have a hobby that they fangirl over, but I wouldn't necessarily put that in my "nerdy" category. Doctor Who and Sherlock are two shows that I love enough to buy merchandise (sonic screwdrivers, t-shirts, Funko Pop! figures, etc.). I am also really into a lot of books. Some that I've really liked are like Ted Dekker's The Lost Books series, Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy, and James Dashner's Maze Runner series. I have discovered that James Dashner's other books are really good too. 
     What books or tv shows are you into? 

Kings Dominion

     Last weekend, I went to Kings Dominion with my designated chaperon and her sister/my friends. The purpose of the trip was for a dance competition that my dance team was participating in, but we had plenty of time to do other things. We listened to music the whole ride there and back home, singing and talking about random things. When we got there, my friends started freaking out because they hadn't been to a big amusement park for a long time. It was chilly and windy that day, so it wasn't really the ideal amusement park weather. The first ride we rode was the Berserker, which is a Viking ship swing that goes the whole way around (so we discovered after we were already on the ride, which was met with much screaming and freaking out done by my friends). There were a couple rides that were closed, so we didn't get to go on all the roller coasters. One time we decided to be "those" people and scream as loud as we could on every turn on the Ricochet. The ride I was most scared of was The Crypt. It really isn't that bad, it just looks scary. The Intimidator 305 gave us tunnel vision, but it was a lot of fun. My favorite rides were the Volcano and the Backlot Stunt Coaster. Both of them shot you off into the dark at unexpected times. The lines for all the rides were nearly nonexistent since it was one of the first days of the season. Of course, we couldn't leave without getting funnel cake and Dippin Dots :)
     Halfway through the day, I had to get ready for the dance performance, so we put our riding on hold. There were quite a few interesting dances and good dancers who performed. When it was our turn, we went backstage and ran our dance, then we stood behind the curtain and waited for the DJ to start our music. The dance went exceptionally well. There were a couple small mistakes, but it all looked really good in the end. After we danced, we went outside and had our pictures taken. Later on they had awards, and my team won first overall in lyrical. I got to get the award onstage, which was really awkward cause I was all the way in the back and had to run up there to get it. 
     The whole trip was a lot of fun, and hopefully we will do some more competitions in the future. 



-Dakota

Journaling

     Journaling is not a word, but I like to verb things, so I am using it. 
     I am obsessed with notebooks, so it's only appropriate that I'm also obsessed with journaling. Do not call it a diary because I will passionately correct you. A diary is for 3rd graders who write, "Dear diary, Jake smiled at me today. Best day ever!" A journal is an organized keeping of your life and thoughts. It's a good idea to keep a journal, because you can establish your opinions and keep memories. In 5 years, I'm not going to remember that my friend frantically yelled, "JO WILLIE COME BACK!" as we chased a car that had the license plate "Jo willie" and two attractive men in it down the interstate. There's no way I can laugh at that sometime in the future if I don't remember it. I always write the date and sign my name at the end, just in case my hometown happens to be destroyed and people from the future want to know about life in 2016. Or maybe my great grandchildren will find it and read it. Who knows. Anyhoozles, keeping track of memories and how you felt or thought about certain things can show how much you change over the years. In my first diary (it was a diary then, not anymore) I had when I was 9, there are a couple stab marks from when I was mad at my brother because he wanted to go to Grandma's instead of letting me stay home to watch Disney channel. Now I'm the one who always goes to Grandma's while he hangs with his friends. That wasn't a very good example. 
     Something that I usually do is use different color pens so when I look back through it I can tell when the day changes instead of constantly searching for a date. It's very effective, but I just spent $12 on a box of really good black pens, so I use those in my new journal. 
     I have a friend who has always written in her journal religiously. I always liked the idea of keeping a journal, though I didn't really start until 2014. The reason I started keeping a journal is because I had a lot of frustration and I didn't want to keep it all pent up. Now I know that if I ever forget something I can just look back in my journals and find it. If it's not in my journal, it probably doesn't matter that much to me. Writing things down can bring out the good things that happen and get the negative things out of your system, so it's a win-win situation :)



-Dakota

India

     When I get older, I want to go to India on a missions trip. My aunt did it when I was little, and since then I have wanted to follow in her footsteps and do the same. There is a lot of false religion in India, and I want to reach out to the people there. I'm not sure what city I will go to or what program I'll go through, but I still have a couple years to figure that out. 
     The Indian culture has always fascinated me. They wear colorful saris, and in most states there are laws and regulations about killing livestock. When my aunt was there she even got her nose pierced, which I would also like to do (a small stud on the side, not a bull ring).
     Going to India is one of the more important things on my bucket list, and I'm hoping I can cross it off in a few years. There are lots of ways I need to prepare (like stop being a picky eater...), but I'm sure I'll be ready when the time comes.



-Dakota

Miscellaneous Mondays

I have decided to move this random collection of random facts to being posted on Mondays.

Word of the day: Eloquent- clearly showing feeling or meaning

Random thing about me: I discovered that I don't like pumpkin pie. I'm sorry.

Random statement: Some people are allergic to Christmas trees. I feel so sorry for them. 

Random song: Forever by Kari Jobe. This  is one of my favorite worship songs.

Random movie: Home. I watched it for the first time the other day. It was cute.

Random recipe: Ginger cookies. There are a lot of different recipes for these, but all of the ones I've eaten taste the same.

-Dakota

Weekly Weekend Random

Word of the week: Neoteric- recent in origin, modern

 

Random thing about me: I am a grammar nazi. If you have bad grammar, I will correct you. 

 

Random statement: Sudoku isn't as hard as it looks.

 

Random song: Toy Packaging by Sara Groves. It's a Christmas song, and I find it pretty funny :)

 

Random recipe: Buckeye brownies. I've never tried them, but they look really good.

 

Random movie: The Emporers New Groove. It's an older one, but it's still hilarious. 

-Dakota

Thanksgiving Plans

     Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Yay! So, I thought I'd blog about my plans for the week.
     Today, my immediate family will be getting together at my grandma and grandpa's house for supper. It's really special, considering that my one uncle lives in the South and my other uncle and his family live nearly 3 hours away.
     Every year, we go to my great aunts house (as mentioned before). The whole family on my grandma's side comes, and we have a blast. We usually show up around 11:00 and wait for everyone else to arrive. When everyone is there, we pray, get our food buffet style, and sit wherever our nametag is. We usually have about six tables spreading from the kitchen into the living room. Then we eat the usual turkey, stuffing, corn, bread rolls, and mashed potatoes, plus whatever other food people decide to bring that year. My mom is going to take bean dip and pumpkin pie. (Here's a secret. I've never eaten pumpkin pie)
     Then we do whatever. The dessert sits out for the rest of the day, encouraging unhealthy snacking. Usually the guys go outside to play football, the girls talk while looking at sale fliers, and the kids run around and play together. In the evening, we play games. I usually end up playing with the kids for most of the time.
     When the day is over, I will head out with my aunt to go Black Friday shopping. This year, she will be hosting a mother-daughter pair of foreign exchange students. It should be interesting, especially since the daughter is my age :)

-Dakota

Weekly Weekend Random

Word of the week: Effervescent- to show liveliness or exhilaration

Random thing about me: I am obsessed with notebooks. It doesn't matter what kind. Just notebooks. Spiral, composition, journal, notepad, etc. I love them, but I don't really know what to do with them.

Random statement: Organizing makes you feel productive, even if you only do it for a few minutes. Organize something: your room, your closet, your little brother's toy box, your pencil case, the kitchen cabinets, etc. It works.

Random song: Run Wild by For KING & COUNTRY. (I love their music)

Random recipe: Cracked-out chicken bubble up. Look it up on Pinterest. It has biscuits, bacon, chicken, and ranch. It's amazing.

Random TV show: Doctor Who. I am a Whovian. #Unashamed

-Dakota

What I Am Thankful For

     Since Thanksgiving is only a week away, we start to think about what we are thankful for. Here are some of the things for which I am thankful:
     1. I am thankful for my family. I would be a completely different person without them.
     2. I am thankful for my friends. I have so many friends that I love very much. Sometimes when I feel upset and want to talk to someone, I can't decide who to talk to, because they all are here for me.
     3. I am thankful for God's creation. The complexity of the world we live in is awesome, and animals make great companions :)
     4. I am thankful for the necessities: food, clean water, and shelter. My family may not be rich, but we are not deprived of anything we need.
     5. I am thankful for dance. I love to dance, even when it's hard. I may not be flexible, but I'm more flexible than I've ever been before. It also lets us to express how we feel.
     6. I am thankful for books. They allow us to learn about the past and the present. When we read, we can shut out reality and go on an adventure as someone else. Books can teach us things that we wouldn't learn any other way.
     I am thankful for many things, but these are some of my favorites :)

-Dakota

Hello World

    Since this is my first post, I will say a little about myself and my family. I will be going by Dakota, and my siblings will be referred to as Jeff, Chloe, and Carl. I was born a few years after Jeff, and the other two are recently adopted/fostered/who knows what. In any case, they live with us.
    My family and I moved this past year, and we are enjoying the new house. We don't live far away from where we did before, but living in town makes life a lot easier.
    I am a Christian, and I enjoy performing onstage - singing, dancing, and acting. I'm not very flexible and don't have the most fabulous singing voice, but practice makes perfect, right? In my free time I like to journal, crochet, read, and imagine a whole bunch of random situations that will never happen. I would consider myself a bit nerdy, because I like Doctor Who, Sherlock, and math. *gasp*
    I also enjoy lots of other random things too, like playing some sports, video games, drawing, and pointlessly researching things (such as famous actor's lives, or cat breeds, or the symptoms of food poisoning).

-Dakota