Live, Love, Laugh

Hello Again!

2010-10-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

I'm back!! You probably were confused about why I was even gone in the first place. You know how I tend to be somewhat granny? Well, that applies to virtually every part of my life, including my relationship with technology. That is, in the sense that I don't like it all that much. Well, I take that back. I do like technology. Texting is handy. Calling is essential. Blogging is nice. But, sometimes I need a break, you know? Gracie knows. She likes to call these breaks "anti-technology binges." Hmmmph. I guess that's about right huh?

On September 14th, I decided not to get on the computer or watch TV for a month. It was a last minute decision that I immediately took action on, so I didn't exactly have a farewell post or anything, like I did before I gave up facebook or blogging. Yeah. So, that's where I've been. Everywhere but here. On the computer.

It was a nice break, but it feels great to be back. My fingers are bouncing happily on the keyboard, as if they are dancing for joy at the thought of blogging again. I love to blog, and to the few of you who read this, thanks.

Guess what yesterday was? Eli's seventeenth birthday! Eli, that girl who I love so much, who is like a sister to me, who is my best friend, who is stunning, and who was on homecoming court last Friday (she was amazing). Yes. She's seventeen now! Can you believe it? And the wierd thing is, in a month and a half, I will be, too! Seventeen, that is. Me? Seventeen? That sounds old...before long I'll be eighteen...and then I'm going to graduate...and go to that one place...called...college...sorry mom. I'll stop now.

Today, I went to the fair. The Arkansas State Fair that comes once a year. It's crazy, because so many things never stop changing (weather, style, people), but the fair just always stays the same. It's bright and colorful, filled with every kind of person. Short, tall, fat, small, you name it. You can find them. There's a ride for anyone, the sweet aroma of sweaty farm animals in the petting zoo, and all the deep-fried food you can fathom. Sounds bitter sweet, huh? You know, I guess technically, it is. I wouldn't even say I'm the perfect fair-visiting candidate. But for some reason, I don't mind going back every year. Maybe it's because I'm granny and I love traditions, or maybe there's something in the back of my mind that enjoys sweaty farm animals. The fair, my friend, is worth going to, if only to see what there is to see. It's an experience.

You know, it's only 8:35 and I'm already sleepy. This is odd. I feel like Eli. She's an early...faller. (As opposed to riser?) She's upstairs doing homework, as a matter of fact. I'm going to join her. I'll be asleep before nine, I'm sure. How odd.

Well, it feels good to blog again. Sorry if you gave up on me. But I vow to stop stopping things, including blogging.

I think I'm sounding like a crazy person. Stop stopping?

-caylielane.

2010-04-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

So...I'm just gonna go ahead and straight-up apologize. Lately, I've been a failure of a blogger. An epic failure. What can I say? Life got crazy. Crazy, I tell you. BUT, I know this is something I want to keep doing in the midst of my crazy life, so I am without excuse. Haha.

Well, life is good. Volleyball is over, and the Hello Dolly performances are next weekend! ...And I quit dance. Yeah. It was just too much. So after the show, I'll be freed up a little bit! Which will be oh so nice. I've been doing lots of school, lots of church (LOVE.), and hanging out with friends. My intense excitement about summer is getting out of hand. I have so much to look forward to, I tell you! Such as...

1. The BEACH! I'm pretty sure my family is going to Gulf Shores at some point, which will be absolutely fabulous. I have an irrational love for the beach.

2. SMTI! SMTI (Summer Musical Theatre Intensive) is the awesome theatre program that I'll be part of for the third year in a row this summer. It's a two week summer-stock-like experience. I love the people, and the shows are always so much fun!

3. CAMP. This summer, I'll be a counselor at an awesome camp that I attended as a camper for the past seven years. I am absolutely pumped about it.

4. JAMAICA. Yes! I'm going to Jamaica with the St. Andrews youth group! This will be the highlight. I can't wait to see what God has planned for us there. I'll be with my awesome friends, in an amazing place, sharing the word of God! Perfection.

5. FREEDOM. No more school! I am sad co-op is ending, because I love seeing my friends there, but it will be so great not to have to worry about homework (especially math and biology.). Instead, I'll be spending lots of time with family and friends. And having picnics with Eli. And going to the zoo with Eli. I love that girl. Have I mentioned that?

So, yeah. Life is pretty good right now. I'm ready to move on to the next phase of my life. OH! And, I'm starting guitar lessons soon. So pumped.

And one last thing. I've taken on the challenge of completing P90x. What is p90x, you may ask? It's a set of 12 DVD workouts that you mix up according to their calendar over 90 days. It's supposed to really challenge you. So far, it's succeeded. I've finished the first week, and was definitely sore from most of the workouts. I'll keep you updated on that. One week down, 11 to go! Haha.

Ok, well, I must leave you now. Sorry it took me so long to get back on here. I'll try to be better, pinkie promise. :)

-caylielane

Summer... so Far.

2009-07-01T09:15:00.001-07:00

Hello, there! Well, I've been quite a failure of a blogger so far this summer. I'm going to try to be better, I promise. Anyways. Summer has been great so far! I've done lots of fun things, such as going to Branson with my family, going on an AMAZINGLY fun float trip with my youth group, lots of hanging out with friends, going to Brookhill Ranch Camp for my very last year (as a camper. I can be a counselor next year!), spending lots of time at the athletic club, swimming with friends, and going to two different volleyball camps. Wow. That sounds like I've been really busy. It really hasn't felt that way. I still have lots more fun coming! I'm REALLY looking forward to the two-week summer musical theatre intensive I'm doing. It will be my second year participating in it, and I cannot WAIT! It starts in late July. I'm also looking forward to a possible trip to St. Louis and Chicago with the fam! I'm ALL about the big cities. Traveling, shopping, culture... I love it all. SO, I'm obviously CRAZY excited about that. OK, here are some pictures from the summer so far. Hopefully I will load more later.

My friends and I being happy at camp. :)

Me on the float trip. Can you tell I was enjoying myself?

The water was a little chilly, but it felt great!

I got some intense sunburn...it hurt.

My friends and I before the float trip!

Elizabeth and I on our purple canoe that we loved!

Me and Bliss at camp!

Yeah, sorry about the extreme out-of-orderness of the pictures. Me and this system don't get along.

That's all for now, folks! See ya!

Caylie

Summertime!

2009-05-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Aaaaagh, finally. If you know me, you know I love summer. More than the average person, most definitely. I love to just sit in the sun and soak it all up. And that time is HERE! FINALLY! Time to relax, go swimming, hang out with friends, and sleep in!
I can't believe that I'm homeschooling next year. It's wierd to me. While I AM looking forward to having more time for LIFE, being with my family, and making new friends, I can't believe that I won't be with my friends at my old school. Lots of the people in my grade have been with me since kindergarten. Because I love my friends SO VERY much, I'll make SURE that we're getting together all the time this summer and next year.
Well, I guess I need to start on homework...
OH, wait!!
It's summer!!! I don't HAVE homework!!! Hallelujah! Well, I'm gonna go relax. :D
Caylie

My KRIS ALLEN Day

2009-05-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I SKIPPED SCHOOL TO SEE KRIS ALLEN!! He's in the top 3 on America's most watched TV SHOW (American Idol!!). He came back to his hometown in Arkansas for ONE DAY- I HAD to go!! It was so much fun! I got to see him up close at his appearance at an AT&T store and get a picture in front of his limo! I was also there when he got a text from the judges finding out what song he was going to sing on Tuesday- Apoligize by OneRepublic! I went with one of my friends, Lauren. She's awesome. After the at&t store, we went straight to the River Market to see him perform, which was also awesome! There was a HUGE CROWD. He sang three songs! On my phone, I recorded him singing Ain't No Sunshine- it's now my ringtone!! The footage from all of his appearances yesterday will be on American Idol this week... I can't wait to watch it! Here are the pictures...
Caylie

Kris's LIMO!!

Kris signing autographs.

Me, Lauren, Lauren's sister Lindsey, and the Fox 16 news lady!

My FAVORITE picture of Kris! Might I add that I took this photo without zoom? I was, like, 2 feet away from him!

this is my life. :)

2009-04-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

OK, so this entry is pretty much random things about my life right now.
If you're looking for something deep and meaningful, this isn't for you. :)
Well, I take that back. I believe that even the little things have meaning. So, here goes nothing!

I have amazing friends. Like, really, they are the best. I don't even know how many inside jokes I have with them. Hundreds.

I love to sing, dance and act. Musical theatre a great way for me to do all of that!
...of course, a television role would be OK, too. :D I'm hoping to gain lots of performing experience in the next year or so.

Which leads me to my next random fact:
I'm homeschooling next year! My sophomore year. I'm doing it for lots of different reasons:
1. Pursue performing
2. More family time
3. A new experience
I thought I'd never want to homeschool, because I thought that I would never get to be social. But, the more I learned about homeschooling, the more I realized that, really, a homeschooler can be as social as they want to be! Me? I'll be highly social. I love my friends WAAAAYYYY too much not to be.

I love fashion. Really, I LOVE IT. My style is hard to describe. I like to be comfy, but my love for style is STRONGER. haha. I love skirts and dresses. My style is kind of a mixture of- comfy, colorful, vintage, bohemian, classy, feminine, and...well, random. I LOVE: Forever 21. Urban Outfitters. Franchesca's. Random little shops with unique things. Target. Belk. Delias. Toms shoes (though I'm yet to get a pair...). Sandals. Rings. Skinny jeans. Crazy sunglasses. My neon pink nylon shorts. Teen Vogue.

I'm a part of the BEST small group EVER EVER EVER. We have so many great Bible studies and discussions together, and we've really grown closer to the Lord together. Our group has been together since seventh grade, and we HOPE to stay together all the way through GRADUATION! The leaders, Corrie and Lissa, are amazingly sweet and godly. I love and respect both of them SO VERY MUCH!

I love to laugh. At random things, all the time. My friends tend to pull lots of laughter out of me, often in class, which I suppose isn't necessarily a good thing. Well, never mind. Laughter is always good.

My family is great. I love them sooooooo, soooo very much. My mommy is so sweet and considerate, and I love just hanging out with her. I love whenever I sleep in her room with her and we watch tv and put on her amazing smelling lotion (Vanilla Bean Noel from Bath and Body Works...only the best thing EVER.) My dad is great... he loves the whole family so much, and he's so fun to be around! We have fun whenever we hang out. He's so awesome, really, he REALLY is. Christian, my 11 year old brother, is so hilarious and fun. He's a rather intense neighborhood player. I love him LOTS! And Carson. My adorable 2 year old brother. He's so great! He sure is growing up. I can't believe it. I feel like a mother or something when I think about him. He's slowly becoming less and less of a sweet-boy, and more of a....boy-boy. But no worries, he'll ALWAYS be sweet.

Pretty much anyone who has any kind of relationship with Carson calls him Dashie. That's what he's called himself for the majority of his life. Don't know why, I guess it sounded like "Carson" to him.

I didn't exactly pass my driving test.... haha. OOOOOPS. Now I can't be the kind of mom that brags to her kids all the time and says that they MUST pass the first time, because I did. Nope. (In my defense, I really THOUGHT that the speed limit was 40!)

The bread at O'Charleys, Corky's, Dixie Cafe, and Outback Steakhouse will always have a special place in my heart.

I'm really obsessed with photography and photo editing. Some of my work-

I'm a new runner! I've really been loving running in my neighborhood lately, and I even ran my first 5-K last weekend! My time was 29:55. I was really just in it for the experience :).

The first picture was taken about halfway through the race, and the other was right after!

Well, that's all for now, folks! And sorry this was so super LONG.... OK, Well, toodles!

Caylie

DRIVING TEST

2009-04-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

I've taken the written test... it wasn't easy, but I passed! So, I've had my permit since last summer, and I've been driving pretty often. But today's the day! I'm taking my actual behind-the-wheel test! I hope everything goes well, and I pass! I won't speed. I won't go too slow. I'll use my blinkers. I'll drive smoothly. All that good stuff.
At least, that's the plan.

Wish me luck!
Caylie

Spring Break

2009-03-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hey!
I know, I know, I haven't blogged in forever. That's what happens when you are as busy as me! My life is pretty crazy, but no worries, I love it that way. Sooo... an update on the audition for the theatre program.... I MADE IT! HOORAY! I'm so excited about it. I love singing, dancing, and acting... which is PART of the reason that I have decided to HOMESCHOOL next year! I know, crazy. I would have never thought I'd be homeschooling EVER. I decided that I wanted to take a year where I had more time for LIFE- more family and travel time, as well as more time for acting! I think next year will be a fun adventure!
Ok, so it's Spring Break, which I always love. This year, we went camping for about a day and a half- we borrowed my grandparents' little camper and drove to Petit Jean Mountain (LOVE that place). We had so much fun there! We went in a cave, climbed rocks, did lots of hiking, saw a gorgeous waterfall, got our feet wet, made s'mores, and lots more. It was so fun! Unfortunately, we had to leave a little bit early after a little flooding issue we had inside the little camper... ha, um...yeah, not cool. We were running water from the outside hose, and, little did we know, we were ALSO running water from the inside SINK! So, the trip ended more quickly than we expected, but we still had a great time!
So, since then, we've just been hanging out around the house. I've been jogging in the neighborhood pretty often, which I really enjoy, and we went to my grandparents' house last night. We returned their mostly-recovered camper and spent the night with them. I always love being at their house- its one of my very favorite places to go!
Ok, well, so long for now!
Caylie

AUDITIONS!

2009-02-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

Hey! Tomorrow I'm auditioning for an awesome theatre program- I participated in it last year and I'm hoping to make it again this year! It was so much fun! For auditions, we're supposed to sing part of a song, and do a 1-2 minute monologue.
I've been sitting here in this computer room preparing for auditions ever since I got home from school...you see.... I kind of procrastinated learning my monologue until the last minute...so now I'm paying for it. Haha. Hopefully it will all be worth it, though! AND, I just changed my mind about what song I'm singing! The night before auditions! I had to adjust because my voice is leaving me, unfortunately. This same thing happened last year for auditions. So frustrating! Well, I better keep reviewing my monologue! Wish me luck!
Caylie

Me, Myself, And I

2009-01-12T16:08:00.000-08:00

Enjoy! I certainly had fun with this!

1. Do you like bleu cheese salad dressing? ummm, well, i don't think i've ever had it, but i'm sure it would be safe to say NO.

2. Do you own a gun? nope, not personally.

3. What's your favorite drink at Starbucks? oooh. if you even sorta-kinda know me, you KNOW i LOVE Starbucks. I'd have to say the Strawberries and Creme Frappuchino wins the prize!!! It's amazing, hands down.

4. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? cold skim milk. for sure.

5. Do you do pushups? sometimes!

6. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? THAT is a hard one. I'd have to say rings in general are my favorite. :) I love funky stuff!

7. Favorite hobby? Um...does shopping count?

8. Do you have A.D.D.? Don't think so.... but sometimes I do wonder!

9. What's one trait that you hate about yourself? I tend to procrastinate, which really stinks for me, considering i'm in school and all.

10. Name three thoughts at this exact moment: School would be great without the work. This was a good day! I love my new ebay ring!

11. Name 4 drinks you regularly drink. Water. Milk. Really, that's all. I know, sad.

12. Current worry right now? My mom's foot- she hurt it last night, and it's causing her lots of pain.

13. Current hate right now? disorder.

14. Favorite place to be? paris. I've never been there, but i just KNOW it.

15. Do you like to travel? DEFINITELY! ooooh, i dream of paris, monaco, new york, hawaii....and more <3>

It's Here!

2008-12-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

Yes!! Woohoo, yippee, hooray, etc...!!! I made it through finals, whew, and it's Christmas BREAK!!! Christmas is in 4 days, can you believe that?!? In other words, today is Christmas eve-eve-eve! I'm really starting to get into the Christmas spirit now that I don't have to worry about studying (hallelujah!) and I can just enjoy spending time with my amazing family and friends!! We went to church this morning, and I loved it, because we sang Christmas carols, and I was reminded of what Christmas (emphasis on the CHRIST) is all about...the birth of JESUS! This is such a special time that I look forward to all year long, and it's here!
Right now, I'm babysitting my two brothers. The youngest, Carson, is sleeping already, and the oldest, Christian, is super low maintenance, so I don't have to worry about him! He's a big help with Carson. Tomorrow we are taking Carson to the mall to see Santa Clause! That should be so much fun! We've already attempted to do this, but the line was SO long because we came at a busy time of day. However, Carson still got to look at Santa....haha, I know, nothing compared to actually sitting in the man's LAP! So we're going to try to beat the crowd this time- we want Carson to have the full experience! I know he will love it- we'll be taking lots of pictures! Well, gotta go.... I'm in Christmas mode!!
Caylie

I See The Light....

2008-12-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

Two finals down, two to go! I see the light- Christmas break, that is! I'm taking a quick break from studying English and Science. Fun stuff. Tomorrow, after our last final, I get out of school at noon...so exciting! Our small group Christmas party was changed from Saturday to tomorrow, so after I get home from school, I'll make a cake for the party, and be on my way! Well, I really should go now... I'm hoping to finish out the semester STRONG!
Bye Bye! ~Caylie~

I found this picture to be hilariously relevant!

The Agony of Finals

2008-12-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

I had the greatest of intentions from the very beginning.... I had planned on knowing all of the material DAYS in advance. Yet, here I am, the day before finals, studying and stressing. No fun. Don't get me wrong, I DID start studying early, but the material wasn't quite as...learnable... as I had hoped. Tomorrow I have my geography and my math finals, and on Friday I have my english and science finals. After that, I'm free for Christmas BREAK! I'm mostly dreading Friday- english and science will probably be the hardest ones. Tonight my youth group is having a Christmas party, and I'm so excited! Of course, I'll have to leave a little bit early so that I can continue my studying (ugh...) but it will be so much fun! At least finals are during the Christmas season, because if they weren't, I just don't know what would cheer me up!
I'm so excited about Christmas break! On Saturday, I'm going to a wedding with my Mimi- the bride stayed with her for a few weeks, so I guess you could say that that's how they became friends. That will be really fun! And then I'm going straight to my small group leader's house for a small group CHRISTMAS PARTY!! So fun. We always have delicious snacks and play pictionary telephone, which is an absolute blast- it always has us laughing. I have the greatest small group in the world! Then, on the morning of Christmas Eve, my family is going to my friend's iceskating party! That will be so much fun- I can't wait!! We went last year, and I definitely enjoyed myself! We are probably going to spend that night in Arkadelphia with my Nana and Papaw, and spend Christmas Day with them! Aaagh, I just can't wait!! All the stress of school will be gone, and I'll just get to have fun spending time with friends and family.
Wow, writing all of this makes me so ready for the break! I just have to get through finals first.... it will all be worth the hard work if I get a good grade, I just KNOW it! Well, I've gotta go study, study, study!!

PARTY TIME!

2008-12-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

Friday night I had some friends over to help celebrate my 15th birthday party! We had a total blast!! We ate pizza and cake, opened presents, made gingerbread houses, watched a movie, told stories, and more, laughing almost the whole way through!! I have such amazing friends, and this special time with them made me remember how blessed I am! Ok, gotta go study for finals! AAAAAGH! haha, byebye, Caylie