Yo, homies.

That was really Rachel-esque, was it not? Yeah, as you all know, I go around saying that all the time.

Well, guess what?? I'M HAPPY!! I told you all I'd write when I was happy! So THERE.

Hmm... now that I'm writing, what should I write about? Let's see....

We died Easter eggs tonight. It was fun! I love doing it, it's a tradition around our house. I think I made some of the best I've ever done before. My favorites were one that was sapphire blue, one that was a rainbow (I dipped different colors on different layers), and especially one that I made to look like a sunset. I also made a burgundy/mauve-ishy one, and I also attempted to make one the color of my eyes. Ha. Like that would work... I have really weird eyes. I ended up using like blue, purple, turquoise, orange and green for my egg, and that was the closest it got.

I'm so excited. Jackie, Jordan and I are making up a dance to (hopefully! if the audition goes well!) dance at our graduation ceremony! We're doing it to a song called "Seasons" by our friends' Dad (all you church people, remember Eric? The tall guy? It's his Dad). It's going to be so pretty. The cool thing is, it took us only a few weeks of meeting once a week to choreograph the whole thing! Well, I guess I shouldn't say "us," because it was so totally God. It was amazing. We made sure to pray each time. Hehe... sometimes we'd start trying to choreograph and 15 minutes into it we'd reach a dead end before we realized we forgot to pray! Wow, it was all God. I love that.

Speaking of which, you all should come to our graduation. It's on May 19th, I think. Just to let ya know.

This is crazy, I still can't believe I'm graduating. It's so strange. It doesn't seem that long ago when I started highschool. And now I'm about to turn 18.... You know, I used to get really depressed about that, ever since I was really little to right before I started my senior year. I didn't want to grow up. I still don't. I love being a child, being so carefree. A child's heart is such a beautiful thing. It's so full of imagination and discovery. I don't want to lose that, ever. I've always had an insanely huge imagination, and that is so important to me. I used to be so afraid of growing up and losing that that I'd have to have these practically annual tearful hour-long talks with Mom. But you know what? That doesn't bother me anymore. God created me the way He did, and I know I'm never going to lose the personality He gave me. And what gives me the most hope is the thought of Heaven: that however Heaven will be, it will be much better than anything I can imagine, and that anything good and true that I can imagine—anything that God has given me a longing for—will be there in Heaven, in a much better form. I know that in Heaven, I'll be a child again. I think I'll be many different ages all at once, and everything good about each age will be there.

That's so fun to think about! I love thinking about Heaven... it always blows my mind.

OH!! Guys, I don't know if you all know this, but okay, I just spoke earlier about Eric and his dad. Well, their whole family is coming down from St. Louis for Easter!!!! They're coming Saturday afternoon, and leaving Monday morning. It's going to be a blast!! Everyone be sure to welcome them at church! They're all so cool, and I have to say they're probably the people that act themselves more than anyone else I know. They are on the inside what they are on the outside! I think that is so cool, and that's why I think you all will like them. I'll warn you though: they're TALL!!!! Eric's 18 and he's six foot six or so. Christian, 17, is about six foot 4 or 5. Lisa, 15 I think, is around or over six feet, and Mary, who's 13 I think, is up around there now. Pretty crazy. Just thought I'd warn you. Oh, and last time I saw Eric, he'd grown his hair out to his chin. So don't freak. :D They rock!

We're doing something a little strange: we're celebrating Passover on Easter!! That's something we've never done before, but we really wanted to get our friends from MO down to celebrate it with us and it's the only time we can do it. Actually, once I get used to the idea, it will probably be really cool. Maybe I'll be able to see Passover (or Easter) in a different light.

I love Passover! It's definitely a family tradition that I will keep doing with my kids and grandkids and so on. Our Haggadah (it's pretty much the handbook for the seder) is from a Messianic Jewish congregation, so it includes all this stuff about Jesus that is SO cool. It's amazing to see how this tradition that the Jews practiced for hundreds of years before Christ is so symbolic, so prophetic (is that a word?) of Jesus' death. It has such a beauty to it. I think it would be awesome if everyone celebrated Passover (from a Christian perspective) at least once! It makes you view Christ in a whole new way. YAY!! I can't wait!

Hehe... one of the benefits of having a Passover seder every year is the food. I LOVE having matzah around the house (I hope I spelled it right!). It's the unleavened bread that is used. It's so good! I can't wait until Mom makes the kharoset. It's this DELICIOUS dip for the matzah that's used in the seder. It has cut up apples and all sorts of spices in it... mmmm. Yum! Oh, and for the Passover dinner, we always have matzah ball soup... wow. If you guys haven't tried that, you're missing out. It's like REALLY good dumplings... sort of... well, it's GOOD.

Okay, it's getting really late, and I'm thinking entirely too much about food right now. ;) Time for bed! Oh, one more thing: I've started reading Mere Christianity. Just thought I'd prepare you, because I'll most likely be sharing a bunch of cool stuff I find! Hey, where'd you all go? I guess that was enough to strike fear into any heart. Well, if any of you are still around, go you. You rock.

NOW it is time for me to go off into the wide blue yonder... sleep... is good....

Rache