"Monday, April 27, 1998
TodaY it raind. MommY
think's that"

Well, I guess I once again got sidetracked in the middle of writing. I don't remember what Mom thought, but it's really not important now, is it?
I've spent most of yesterday and today working on my crochet project. It's coming very well. I'll get pictures of it when it's finished up here within the next month. Speaking of crocheting, I crocheted a purce for Bekah for her birthday last week. She's thirteen now.
My piano teacher wants me to play organ for Peace the first Sunday in May.

"April 25 9198 SaturDaY
TodaY it was Windee"

I don't know why I wanted to remember, forever and always, that it was windy that day nine years ago. I think I just wanted to write, but couldn't think of anything more important to write about.
I meant to write, last time, that Mom signed me up to take driver ed the week after Easter, but I forgot. The class was really really boring. There was this one guy siting next to me who would not shut up! He was really driving me crazy. I did see a girl there that I knew from StageStruck. That was unexpected, but fun.
I started driving the cheese car this week. I have the same driving instructor that Rachel had, Mr. Rogers. I was really scared at first, and I still am gripping the wheel too tightly, but I'm getting better. I got to use cruise control today on highway 70. Mom was really impressed when I told her.
Back on the thirteenth, my last day of Drivers Ed class, Bekah fell rollerblading, and fractured her wrist. She had to get a cast. She's the first one in our family to break a bone. Her cast will come off right before we leave on vacation.
We leave for vacation two weeks from tomorrow. Mom is really worried. I know it will all be better once we leave. Until then, however, things are kinda hectic around here. I have to finish my current crochet project before we leave. I'll probably do that tomorrow afternoon.

Okay, I've been meaning to post here all week, but I haven't been on the computer since Monday! I know, I shouldn't make you all grieve with me.
I really haven't been doing much of anything these past three weeks. We all got a cold that makes our limbs ache, which is so very fun. Holy Week starts tomorrow, which means we better stop being sick pretty quick here.
My current crocheting project isn't coming as fast as I had hoped it would. I started it back on Holy Saturday last year, and had hoped it would be done by the end of next week, but it's looking like it may take me a while yet.
I'm really missing all the great people I met a StageStruck. I know I'll see most of them in June, but it seems like so long! I think what I liked best about doing this play was that I wasn't 'Rachel's little sister' or 'pastor's daughter'. I was just me! I wasn't in anyone's shadow, and it felt pretty good.

Mom took Rachel, Bekah and I shopping today to get dresses for Auntie Faith's wedding. We spent eight hours shopping! It was a lot of fun, though it was sort of rough before lunch, all of us getting on each other's nerves. We did end up getting all of us dresses. Though they don't match like we wanted, I really think they are all great.
I'm kinda depressed that Bye Bye Birdie is over. I had hoped it would last longer. I guess I'll just have to audition for Lil Abner in June. If anybody knows anything about Lil Abner, please fill me in, because I really have no idea what it's all about.
Also, please watch The Early Show on CBS this Tuesday. My friend, Madeline Edwards, won this contest, Living Room Live, and she gets to be on TV!

We had our first Bye Bye Birdie performance last night, which I thought went well. We had the school performance this morning, which my family went to. I thought that one went pretty well, too. Afterwards, I went to the cast party, at the StageStruck building. I got lots of people to sign my poster, and signed a few myself. It was really fun. They gave all the cast members cups of candy, which probably means I'll be on a sugar high for tonight's performance.

"February 19' 1998
YesterdaY I Got A Letr
it was from rachele!
this is"

I suppose I'll have to explain this. When I lost my first tooth, I wrote Rachel E a letter to tell her all about it. She wrote me back and sent me a sticker! I remember being so excited about it. I was going to copy the letter down in my journal. I don't know why I stopped writing in the middle like that.
Auntie Faith, my dad's youngest sister, is getting married three months from today. I've been counting the days since last May. It's only eighty-nine days away! It's really exciting. She wants Rachel, Rebekah and I to sing at her wedding with our cousins. We all want to have matching dresses, though we don't know if things will work out that way.
The choreographer was back yesterday. I had to be at the college from one 'till eight-thirty, with only five to six for dinner! It's a lot harder than I thought it would be, but it really is a lot of fun. They're having a play this summer, Li'l Abner, and I think I'll audition for it.
Mom wants me to get off and go to bed. So, I guess I will.

Lots of stuff going on. The Superbowl party was lots of fun. There was food, which makes everything better.
I had piano lessons yesterday, which I predictably had not practiced for once. I need to really do that every day.
Today was heart day, which is always fun. Mom made a big heart shaped cake with frosting! She also gave us all bags of candy, which I intend to save, but will no doubt eat by the end of the week.
We started rehearsing Bye Bye Birdie at the college on Sunday. We have a dress rehearsal tomorrow night, though they said that it's going to be a long, boring night.

Snow!! We had snow on Thursday morning! We had no snow last winter. So, this was great, even if it did melt by that evening. I never did like snow, but this is the kind I like, the kind that only is there for a day. Bekah and Joe tried to make a snowman, but they couldn't lift the body without it breaking. Because of the snow, we had no rehearsal on Thursday night.
We had rehearsal this morning. I had to be there at nine thirty to be fitted for character shoes. They're gonna be $33. I feel really guilty about that, though Mom tells me not to.
We have to clean the house today. Dad invited three families to come over tomorrow, for a superbowl party thing. It's gonna be great, but the house is a real mess.

"1998 JANUARy 29
I had a great chrisMis.
LAST Niet Aftre Dinner MOM
Sent Me into Mi ROOM
And She TOld Me I Cant
Cam Out Until the
Barbee's Wr cleend UP
And I Finnisht This
Morning."

I remember this. Mom had grounded me because my floor was covered in barbie dolls. It actually happened twice. The barbie I'm holding in the pic is a Rapunzel doll that I got for Christmas. Mom is saying "GOOD JOB", if you can't read that.
I had rehearsal this evening. We got our tee shirts! They're bright green. I have rehearsal again tomorrow night, Wed night, and Thu night! We don't have the schedule for after that.
I have piano lessons tomorrow. I'm really good at forgetting to practice. It's my special talent!
My current crochet project is coming extremely well. I'm almost done!

I'm having a very busy week. I have to rehearse at Stage Struck(the place where we have all our rehearsals)every night this week, except Tuesday. I have to be there today from five 'till nine. I'm gonna be tired tonight.
Aside from rehearsing, not much has been going on.
Did I forget to mention that we got highspeed? I'm always forgetting to mention things like that. It's great.

I had rehearsal for Bye Bye Birdie on Monday and Thursday. We're practicing the songs so we know them before the choreographer comes next week. I have rehearsal all tomorrow afternoon. It's really lots of fun. I think I forgot to write when the play will be. There will be six performances, March first through fourth. It will be busy, but that's not for almost two months.
Joe is yelling at me to play with him. We have a play-time every Friday and Saturday at three-thirty. I don't know why. It gets annoying. I'm not saying that I don't like to play with my brother. It's just that he's ten, and he knows how to drive me crazy, and does so. He also sleeps on the extra bed in my room every Sunday night. Again, don't ask me why.

Happy Epiphany!
I had meant to post on here last night, but Rachel and Bekah were on, and they wouldn't get off. I waited for two hours!
I had my first Bye Bye Birdie rehearsal on Wednesday night, and then another on Thursday night. It was great. I thought it all went well. I have rehearsals all next week. I'm looking forward to it.
James learned a new word. Seeing as how we got Mom so much candy for Christmas, it's only normal for him to learn the word 'candy'. He thinks it's funny to learn a word, and never say that word. He said it to me once, when I had some candy, and he hasn't said it since. That's James for you. He really does have quite the sense of humor. Like, he knows that Mom is 'mama', but he always calls her 'dada', and when you ask him to say 'mama', he smiles and mouths the word 'dada'.

"I lost a tooth it was
My first tooth : )"

I forgot to write a date on that one. Mom wrote "Dec. 1997" over it. So, I'm guessing that's when I wrote it. I like the picture I drew to go with it. I had originally tried to draw it on the opposite page, but it didn't look like I wanted it to. So, I erased it and wrote MESUP at the top of the page.
I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long. Don't worry, I'm still alive. All sorts of fun stuffs have been going on since I last posted.
I auditioned to be in Bye Bye Birdie, and I got in! I'm gonna be someone named Helen. The first rehearsal is one week from today. I am looking forward to it.
Of course, Christmas began. It's only the fourth day! In our family, we celebrate all twelve days. It's great! We open gifts from all the people we know on the first day. We also get a gift each day from Mom and Dad.
Rachel E's family got me a scarf-knitting kit for Christmas. Now, I didn't know how to knit. So, I taught myself! I finished the scarf right before I got on the compy. It's fuzzy and red. Matt said I should sell it.:D That's Matt for you. He really says the funniest things.
Also, Uncle Dave is coming over tomorrow! The boys are extremely excited! It's really cute. He's also bringing his girlfriend, Tammy, whom my siblings and I have never met. I know Mom and Dad met her a really long time ago. Mom said she likes to crochet, which is great, 'cause I love to crochet! Mom will, no doubt, want me to show her my latest project.
I need to get to bed if I ever want to get up in the morning, which I never do.

"Saturday NOVember 22 1997
tOdaY WE PLADE With
PLAYDO.
I MADE A LittL GirL
AND I MADE Hr STAF
I MAD A BED AND A
BLANKit AND AN ALArM CLOCK"

I remember that! I was so proud of the play-dough girl I had made with all of her things. It was all orange.
Last Saturday, the 18th, we had friends over who brought their guitars and drums and such, and we sang. It was great fun!
I had piano lessons yesterday. My teacher,who is also organist at our church, wants me to play the organ at the end of the Thanksgiving service tomorrow morning. I am kinda nervous. I know it will go fine, but I still worry.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It's a day to eat a big turkey and pie! What could be better?

"TueSday NOVember 11 1997
todAy My WINDOE GOt
FiXt"

Nice story behind this one. I had broken my window by pressing my feet on it. Don't ask me why I had my feet there, because I don't rightly know. I remember being so scared that Dad would be so mad at me. He really wasn't so mad as I had thought he would be.
I went with Mom to her LWML meeting this evening. It was boring.

"Munday November
10 1997
today I Got A LooS
tOOth
and On
the 4 Of November
the baby CaME
And HiS NAME
iS MATThEW"

The hymnal thing was great! Rachel, Dad and I all got free new hymnals! It was fun to hear the man tell us all about it. We got to sing from it, too!
Not much has happened this week. I did lots of schoolwork.

ps. I'm very sorry that I still don't ave those pics up. I'll get them soon.

Monday, November 3, 1997
today It is
SNOWiNG.
I GOT To See it SNOW.

Myrtle Beach was lots of fun! We brought home lots of nice shells.
Matt turns nine tomorrow. It seems like it was only yesterday that I turned nine. He's really excited.
Rachel, Dad, and I are going to a New hymnal(LSB) presentation thingy tomorrow morning. It looks like it'll be fun. I really have to go to bed now.

"Monday, October 13, 1997
We are GoinG
TO STarT To
Poot the

Wednesday OCtober 22
1997
H WeeK
toMARo
ANNE is
CuMiNG
yuSter

Wday 01-29-97
TodAy the
LADyBuGs WERE
ATTACKiNG
the hows. I LOVED it.
I GOT TO KECH
SUM
LADYBUGS
AND thEN
I LET thEM
GO."

I know I haven't posted in a while. I have been meaning to. I suppose I should explain what I was talking about nine years ago.
10/13, I was saying that we were going to start to put pictures that we had colored from The Big Picture Bible Time Line book compiled by Carol Eide on the kitchen walls. I remember being very excited about it.
10/22, I remember that Anne was our baby sitter, and she would always read us the Barnyard Dance book by Sandra Boynton. We loved it! I was going to write about what happened the day before, but I can't remember what that was.
10/29, Something I remember vividly. The ladybugs seemed to have swarmed over our whole house! The same thing happened the next year in the last week of October. I also remember that I wrote that sitting in the back of the van.

I was in a Missoula Children's Theatre play, The Little Mermaid, the week of the 15th. It was lots of fun. My mom always said that I would love to do that sort of thing, and I do!
We leave for Myrtle Beach tomorrow morning! I cant wait! Did I mention that my dad's parents are meeting us there? It's going to be great!
My brother, Matt, is turning nine on Saturday. That means that, when I wrote all those things in my journal, he wasn't born yet. That doesn't even seem possible. It's amazing how fast he's grown.

I have to get to bed now.

ps. I know the pics aren't there yet. The scanner is not working. I'll get them soon.

"Thursday, October 9, 1997
TO DAY We MiTe
GO TO The
cUZinS
And if We DO."


I can't remember what I would have said there. I do know that we might have gone to visit my cousin, Ben, that day. We used to live seven minutes away from them. It was great. We could see them all the time. Now, we sometimes see them twice a year.
The picnic went well. It looked like it was going to rain, but it didn't. We had a great time. I remember, last years picnic, James was only three days old. My sisters and I would fight over who would get to hold him. This year, though, I got him all to myself.
I played organ in church yesterday. I have to do that sometimes. Whenever the organist can't come, I end up having to do it. I really don't mind it that much. It really makes me nervous, though. It's not really as hard as it used to be.

"Monday, October 6, 1997
GRAMA and GRAPA
WENt To A
DiNNER
AND We did Too."

Little James turned one last week. It's been a whole year since he was born. He's so big now. He's smart, too. He helped me pick up the mess he made today.
We have a church picnic tomorrow afternoon. It will be nice.
My family is going to Myrtle Beach at the end of the month for three days. We are all looking forward to it. We did that two years back, and it was wonderful. I'm very excited.
I really ought to go to bed now.