Nashville!

Well, we are in music city!

Yesterday we arrived and unpacked at the hotel. We didn't really have that much trouble finding it because a friend of ours loaned us their GPS...all I can say is...WOW! It really works! We also were able to find an Apple Bee's and Wal-Mart. Here comes the exciting part...All without having to stop and ask directions! In downtown Nashville, TN!! Needless to say I am in love with the GPS.

Right now I'm down in the lobby of our hotel waiting for the rest of my family to get ready to go. Our plans for today are as follows: Eat lunch, visit Belmont University where I'm interested in going to Pharmacy school in a couple of years, drive around and see some of Nashville (yay GPS!), go shopping at the HUGE mall, eat supper, and whatever else we want and have time to do.

Tomorrow we plan on visiting the Hermitage, the former home of President Andrew Jackson. Maybe we will do some more shopping...well the probability of that is more than maybe. And I'm not sure what else we will do. It will depend on how much time we have.

Business: Yeah, you could say I was there

What a busy week!

Monday: A Beka was in town so we went over to order some books for my brother's freshman year in high school. (He's in high school?! Boy am I getting old...lol.) And even though I'm finished with homeschool we ordered a grammar handbook to help me in college.

After that we went to the college I will be attending and bought my books. They sure are expensive! But thankfully I was able to buy all of them used except for one that had to be bought new. When we arrived, there was a huge pile of boxes outside of the bookstore and inside they were still stocking the shelves. So I got there at just the right time and was able to get the used books that were still in great shape. I didn't exactly like the idea of getting a book that was going to just fall apart on me later.

Then we went to Target and bought some other supplies I needed for school.

Tuesday: I have been having trouble reading road signs and other things that are farther away so Tuesday we went to the eye doctor. We went to the one at our local Wal-Mart. We received great service. We arrived early and they took us back almost immediately. (Plus it was at a reasonable price.) Well the doctor said I have a little astigmatism and nearsightedness. So I have to get glasses. Thankfully I don't have to wear them all the time though.

After the appointment we looked around at Wal-Mart's eyeglass frames then went to a few other places in town to see what kind they had. So many choices...head spinning...lol!

Wednesday: We had an appointment with our new dentist. And it was truly an enjoyable visit. And no, I'm not crazy. They really went out of their way to make it enjoyable. They were so friendly. Plus they had a small refrigerator out in the waiting room with soft drinks, Capri Sun, etc. that you could have. Also while you were laid back in the chair there was a TV hanging above you so you could watch it while they were working on your teeth. When I was waiting for the dentist, the dental hygienist gave me headphones and the remote so I could turn to whatever channel I wanted to. Very cool if you ask me...lol!

Thursday: Nothing!!! Yay! Well at least nothing scheduled.

Introducing....

Darcy!

(He holds his food with his foot! It's very neat.)

He/she is a green cheeked conure. Unless you do DNA testing, you can't tell for sure whether it is a boy or girl. But I'm guessing it is a boy so I'll call Darcy a him.

I got him a few months ago. He was hand raised but hadn't been worked with that much so he was not quite as tame as I would have liked. He was cage aggressive and would bite a lot but I have work with him and now he is a lot better.

He loves to sit on your shoulder and cuddle up to you. He will sit and chatter and nibble on your ear. Sometimes he nibbles a bit too hard though.

He hates it when I wrap a towel around my head after I wash my hair. If I try and pick him up he fluffs up and bites at me...oh well...maybe I'll be able to break him of that sometime.

Oh and the name Darcy came from Jane Austen's character Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

2008: Firsts

As I was thinking about 2008, I began to realize how many "firsts" I would be accomplishing this year: graduating high school, turning 18 and be able to buy all those TV offers...(LOL I'm kidding about the last part), beginning college, getting to vote in the up coming elections, etc.

But wait a minute! It seems just a short while ago my "firsts" were riding a bike without training wheels, loosing my first baby teeth or five and starting kindergarten.

I know that in the years ahead there will be many more "firsts" and I'll be wondering what happened to the "firsts" I am facing this year. Today is here and gone before you know it.

There is no way to stop time. That's why it is so important to live in today...not yesterday or tomorrow. I am guilty of that. Wishing I could go back or go forward in time. But that's not how we should live. We should live in today. We can't go back to yesterday so no point in wasting time wishing we could. Also there is no way to go forward to tomorrow, we aren't even promised that we will have a tomorrow.

What can we accomplish today?

Wherever He Leads. Will you go?

I've played the piano for years...and year...I was 5 years old when I began learning and have fallen in love with it. I have fun with piano and get a lot of personal enjoyment from it. Also if I am stressed or upset, I can just sit down and start playing and I start to relax.

But God had more in mind for the piano and me than that. I have to admit I have not always like the thought of what He now has me doing. Even still the only reason I'm doing it is because of Him. What am I talking about? Playing the piano in the worship team at our church. Sure I've played in church before, for offering and prayer...but never in the worship team. I dislike being on stage in front of everybody. I like blending in with the crowd.

When I was asked to do this I agreed to pray about it. And I began to seriously consider it. I told God that I would not get up on stage and play the piano unless He went with me. I wanted to make sure this was His will. And I came to realize that it was.

When I played for the first time, I was surprised to find that I wasn't as nervous as I figured I would be. He went with me.

And I know that He will continue to go with me...as long as I go with Him.

Is God asking you to do something that pushes you outside of your comfort zone? Trust Him, obey Him and go because you will not go alone. He will be there every step of the way. I'm finding that out...!

(I would appreciate it if you would pray for me as I begin this new adventure with my Lord. It is not easy for me and I need His help and I need your prayers! Thank you!)

Cockatiel Pics!

Here are some pics (finally!) of the baby Cockatiels.

(Charming is the oldest, Lizzy is the next oldest, and Missy (I think it's a girl) is the baby)

Introducing. . . Charming!

Charming in the brooder

Introducing Lizzy!

And here's the baby. . .Missy!

Feeding time!

Awwwww! Siblings showing affection! (Charming is on the left and Lizzy is on the right)

l-r: Charming, Lizzy, and Missy. *Sigh* Brother picking on sister. . .it happens in the animal world too!

Random Thoughts

Posting Trouble Update:

Well, the posting problem seems to be cleared up now! I can post, hyperlink, and upload pics once again.(YAY!) Thanks for your patience! I know my patience was wearing thin…*smile*

Happy Birthday!!!!:

Who’s the birthday boy/girl you might ask? Well it’s not actually a person’s birthday I’m referring to….It’s was All For Him’s 1st birthday on Sunday! (I started the blog last year on October 8).

Switzerland:

This morning my parents left for a retreat that is being held in Switzerland for missionaries. My brother and I stayed here (Belgium) and someone from our church is staying with us. Please be praying for a safe trip for my parents.

School:

I'm taking physic (Dr. Jay Wile's course) this year. So far I’ve gotten through 2 of the 16 modules/lessons and right now I’m studying to take the test for the 3rd. So after I take this test I’ll have 3 out of 16 modules/lessons done! I know, I’ve still got a long (long) way to go….Just trying to raise my hopes a little *wink*.

Update on the Cockatiels:

They are all flying now! Charming (the oldest) is the best flyer. Lizzy (the next oldest) flies too fast but has really improved on her landing. And the littlest baby (don’t know if it’s a girl or boy so I’m stuck on what to name it) is not good at this flying thing yet but hopefully it’ll get the hang of it soon. And the really good thing now is that they only have to be fed once a day (just before their bedtime) because they are eating seed now.

BTW:

I’ve been playing around with Adobe Photoshop (as you can see by the pic above and the one in the post below). It’s really neat!

Been A While. . .

Good grief, Charlie Brown! It's been a while since I've blogged. . .I have some really good excuses. . .though. . .if you care. . .to hear them. . .

Excuse #1: You remember how our cockatiels had babies before we went to the US this summer? Well, while we were gone they laid more eggs (5 to be exact although only 3 of them hatched) and when we got back two of them were hatched and another one hatched that night after we arrived. And with these babies I really wanted to try handfeeding 1 or 2 of them since I'd be here to do it. (They are extremely tame when handfed!) So I ended up taking in one of them (the oldest) and then about a week later I decided to bring the other 2 in. . .so now I'm handfeeding all 3 of them!

As you can imagine it is quite a responsibility! Right now the oldest 2 have to be fed 3 times a day and the youngest is still being fed 4 times a day.

Here are their names:

• 1st: Prince Charming (from Shrek 2) nick-named Charming
• 2nd: Mr. Darcy (from the book Pride and Prejudice) nick-named Darcy
• 3rd: Missy (She is albino. She has such beautiful white feathers!)

I'll have to post some pics later.

Excuse #2: My dad has been working on the computers and I've not been able to access Blogger. Also I've not been able to access GMail so I apologize if I've not responded to your email quickly or it's possible I didn't receive your email at all. So please resend any email you've may have sent me just incase.

Excuse #3: I started school. Physic, algebra 2. . .need I say more?! LOL!

Well, that concludes my excuses. . .hope you'll forgive me. . .*down on knees pleading*

Trip to the US

This is another interview. . .hope you don't mind! So here is me being interviewed by myself (again)!.

Reporter:

So Hannah, I've heard that you have been lazy about posting for the last, oh, I'd say 2 months. Is this true?

Hannah-Liz:

*looks very sheepish and weakly says:* Yes.

Reporter:

Why? Why would you do this to those who have been so very very faithful to read your blog and comment? Why! *pounds fist on table* Why! *ditto* Why *you get the idea* *tries to compose self*

Hannah-Liz:

Well, I've been busy.

Reporter:

Busy? Too busy to blog?!

Hannah-Liz:

Yes.

Reporter:

Okay. . .now lets begin.

Hannah-Liz:

You mean this isn't part of the interview and all of those questions were just a waste of time!

Reporter:

No. . .well yes. . .*getting embarrassed* lets just say that those questions were for my benefit. Now! Lets just move on!

Hannah-Liz:

*sighs and thinks to self, "This is going to be a long interview."*

Reporter:

Where did you go?

Hannah-Liz:

What? I'm right here! *looking confused*

Reporter:

I mean where did you go on your trip. That is what we're here to talk about!

Hannah-Liz:

Oh! We went to the US.

Reporter:

What did you do while you were there?

Hannah-Liz:

We visited a lot of family. Got to see my new 2nd cousin for the first time! She was born last December. And ate at some of those good restaurants. . .well actually quite a few! Got to visit Wal-Mart. Gotta love Wal-Mart! Did clothes shop

Reporter:

*interupts* You actually like Wal-Mart? *unbelief in voice*

Hannah-Liz:

Yes I do.

Reporter:

Why?

Hannah-Liz:

Well, there is a lot to see there, and they have great prices!

Reporter:

Uh huh. . .Well, did you do anything extrodinarily exciting while you were there?

Hannah-Liz:

In Wal-Mart?

Reporter:

No! *getting annoyed* Did you do anything else while you were in the US!

Hannah-Liz:

Oh! I got my driver's liscense! Yep, I can drive by myself legally in the US except between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am. That is because in TN they have the following rules: At 15 you can get your permit. After you get 50 hour of driving in (10 of them at night), are 16, and pass the road test you can get your intermediate restricted liscense (the one I have). At 17 you can move up to an intermediate unrestricted liscense and then at 18 you get your driver's liscense (you just still have under 21 printed on it).

Reporter:

*Yawning, yawning, and. . .yawning* That was long and boring.

Hannah-Liz:

*getting frustrated* Why do you have to be so rude?

Reporter:

Well, I'm trying to make this interview as interesting as possible!

Hannah-Liz:

Yeah, but can't you be a little nicer and still make it interesting?

Reporter:

Okay, I'll try. I'll try. But I'm not makin' any promises! So will you be diving in Belgium?

Hannah-Liz:

Ahem, DRIVING. You're not even listening! I said d-R-i-v-i-n-g
not d-i-v

Reporter:

*interrupts yet again* Okay, okay I get it.Then will you be DRIVING in Belgium?

Hannah-Liz:

I most likely won't get to 'cause you have to be 18 to drive here.

Reporter:

Hmmm. . .Sooo you had a good trip?

Hannah-Liz:

Yeah but a very tiring one.

Reporter:

And you are tiring me too! Everytime I interview you it's always about you. Why can't we ever discuss. . .me?!!!

Hannah-Liz:

Talking about me is what we're supposed to do because you are interviewing me not yourself!

Reporter:

Well, why don't you interview me sometime?! *pouting*

Hannah-Liz:

Well technically you are being interviewed because I am you and you are me. *smiling*

Reporter:

Then why are you arguing with yourself and infact talking to yourself. Isn't that a little wierd?

Hannah-Liz:

Uh huh. *nodding head*

Reporter:

Then why in the world do it?

Hannah-Liz:

'Cause it's fun! 'Cause it's neat! 'Cause it's different!

Reporter:

Okay okay. *rolls eyes* But can we stop now? You're tiring me out.

Hannah-Liz:

You said that already.

Reporter:

Can we just stop?!?!?!

Hannah-Liz:

Of course. We can do this later! Now wasn't that fun!

Reporter:

If you say so. . .*rolls eyes again*

Back

We're back! My family and I arrived (safely) in Belgium this morning. Thank you all for your prayers!

I'm Alive!!!

Just a note to let you all know that I'm alive! Sorry it's been sooooo quiet here lately. I've just not had much time to sit down and write a post. And right now where we are staying I don't have internet access. (I'm using my cousins' computer right now.) So hopefully sometime in the near future. . . .I'll be able to post. . . .something. . . .whenever I'm able to use the internet. :-)

I hope everyone is having a great summer!

For now. . .so long, farwell (Sorry getting off track here. . .as you can tell, I've watched the Sound of Music. . .LOL! What a great movie!).

Poetry

My poem is being featured on Real Teen Faith! Click here to read it.

USA

So as you can tell from the ticker above, my family and I are getting ready to make a trip back to the US.

Yep, we're goin' home for a few weeks!

We'll be visiting family and going to the General Assembly for the Church of God. And there will be quite a bit of traveling involved! The plane flight from Brussels to Atlanta Georgia is about 8-9 hours long. And then we take another flight up to Kentucky. It makes for a loooooong day! Believe me!

Then when we get there we'll spend the night there and then we have to make a 6 hour trip down to Tennessee the next day. We'll stay there that night and the next then we drive back to Kentucky (yep, another 6 hours.) Needless to say, by that weekend, we'll be very, very tired!

We will also be taking other trips while were there too.

So we would really appreciate your prayers for: a safe trip to the US, safe travels while we're there, and a safe trip back to Belgium!

I hope to have some other posts up before I leave. But while I'm gone, there will probably not be very many (if any) posts. I'll have access to internet but it will be the dial-up version. So I won't be able to spend much time on the internet. Maybe from time to time I'll write something on Microsoft Word and quickly copy and paste it to blogger. . . . .we'll see!

Oh! And I finished Chemistry!!!!! YAY! Got it done!

Pics

Okay. A while back, I said something about showing you a picture of the definition of a German "pepperoni" pizza. (Actually it happened because we can't speak the German language. If we were able to speak German, it most likely wouldn't have happened so it was really our fault.) Well. . . .here 'tis:

LOL! We had a good laugh over this!!!

And here are some pictures of the birds! That is the mother with the babies (the dad takes turns sitting on the nest with her). Her name is Jolie (it is French for pretty).

And here is a pic of my birthday cake. . . .(those are chocolate "shoes" on the cake)

And I know some time ago, I posted a picture of myself. But I blurred my face. Well, here is a picture of me not blurred with my birthday cake. . . .(that's my dad's arm in the picture too!)

Well, hope I didn't bore you too bad!!!

Baby Cockatiels

Our cockatiels had babies! I didn't tell you about them setting on the eggs earlier becase we weren't sure if they would hatch. But they did! One hatched I suppose it was yesterday and I think another one hatched I guess it would have been yesterday or today. Not sure. They are outside in an aviary, so we can't keep that good of an eye on them. There is one more egg that should hatch later today or tomorrow.

I don't have any pictures of them yet.

I'm bAAaack!!!!

It's soooooo good to be back.........Long car trip.....Yep......Very long!

Well, someone did guess where I went! (Lol, Lindsey! I didn't visit Kaitlin! *smile and wink*:)The correct answer is...........Germany! Un huh. Germany. Kristin, you guessed right!

And no, this was not a vacation for me. I took my school with me........because in a few weeks we are off on another trip. And I don't want to have to take my school with me on this one.

I hope to be able to get back to regular posting again. And hopefully I will be able to post a picture showing the German definition of "pepperoni pizza!" (When my parents ordered the pizza, they had trouble communicating with the person. So there was a little.......ummmmm..........misunderstanding........lol!.) We had a good laugh over this one!

(And Kaitlin, thanks for posting on Drs. Fun 'n' Bones for me! Really appreciate it!)

Where In The World. . .Is Hannah-Liz?

I'll be goin' out of town for a few days. And you know what? I'm not going to tell you where I'm going! I'll give you a few hints. . .and see if you can figure it out.

Hints:

#1: It has Europe's largest economy.

#2: It is Europe's 2nd most populous country.

#3: The Bavarian Alps run through part of this country.

#4: Is home to the Black Forest.

#5: Has a flag very similar to Belgium's flag.

Can you guess? (Kaitlin, don't tell!)

I'm not Dating......I'm Waiting

When I was little, there was one subject that would make me mad. . . .boyfriends. One time, when I was younger, someone asked me if there were any boys that I liked (or something like that) and my dad told them that they better not talk about that with me because I’d get angry.


To give a few more examples:

When I was around 5 years old, there was little boy in my Sunday School class who like me. Well, I remember one Sunday, I sat down at the table and he came and sat down across from me. I didn’t like that so I scooted over to the empty seat that was beside me. And he couldn’t do the same thing because someone was already sitting in the seat beside him. Then when I was about 6 years old, there was this little boy (I’d say he was around 7) who asked me to be his girlfriend. Well. . . .after he said it he probably wished he hadn’t. I got really mad at him and he began to apologize. (He was most likely afraid I would tell on him and get him in trouble.)

Now I don’t get angry with you. . . .I take the opportunity to tell you my view of dating. (As I get older and am asked questions like this more and more. . . .there will most likely be times I'll choose to not go into the details though. It would just depend on the circumstances and the person asking the question.)

What is my view you may ask?

Here was my view when I was younger:

I always said I wanted to be older to date. And at the time 18 sounded old. So I said I didn’t want to date until I was 18.

Then as I got older:

I started tossing the idea around in my head. . . .what if I dated around 15-16?

But then:

I got Joshua Harris’s book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. And out went the idea about dating and in came the idea of. . . .waiting. Yes. . . .I have “Kissed Dating Goodbye!” And I’m not sorry for the choice at all. I’m so glad that God helped me to find a better way.

Kissing dating goodbye has really given me a lot of freedom most girls don’t have.
I don’t have to worry about finding a boyfriend and then trying to hang on to him. I don’t have to worry about a boyfriend pressuring me to sin.

Also, kissing dating goodbye has helped (or maybe I should say has protected) my relationship with God. Instead of running to a boyfriend to find acceptance and companionship, I run to God. I find my worth and value in Him. . . .not in guys.

Does this mean I will never ever date/court? No. . . .it just means I’m waiting for God’s perfect timing and God’s perfect choice for me. Dating/courting to me is not a game. If God ever leads me into this kind of relationship, it will be with the purpose of marriage in mind. I can’t marry right now, I’m way too young. And I won’t be ready for many, many more years. So right now it is not the right time for me to even be considering it. Like Joshua Harris says, “The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.” Marriage is a good thing, but at the wrong time, it is the wrong thing.

And I’m waiting for “the one” God has for me (if God has marriage for me someday). Why am I letting God choose for me? God made me, He knows me completely. He can make a much better choice than I ever could. ‘Cause I don’t know myself as well as He does!


Now I don’t want you to get the idea that I’m saying you have to follow exactly what I’m doing. This is what I’ve chosen to do. Nobody forced me, my parents didn’t and neither did God. I made this descision myself. So I’m not trying to force anyone else, you have to make this choice for yourself.

If you would like more info on this subject here are some good resources:

I Kissed Dating Goodbye
By Joshua Harris (website)

Boy Meets Girl
By Joshua Harris

Passion and Purity
By Elisabeth Elliot (website)

When God Writes Your Love Story
By Eric and Leslie Ludy (website)

Buster

Here is the promised post about my dog (a.k.a. Buster). Sorry it took so long. I had a little difficulty finding the pictures, but they are finally found!

Buster is a friendly little dog. Well little compared to a German Shepherd! But compared to another Yorkie (Yorkshire Terrier) he is a giant! Most of them weigh about 6-8 lbs. Buster weighs 13 lbs! And no he's not too heavy for his size either! The pictures prove that!

When we first got him he didn't speak English. Oh didn't I tell you? He is from Narnia so he is a talking dog! Okay, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!!! What I mean is he couldn't understand English. The people we bought him from spoke French and had taught him....French! So we had to speak to him in French at first. Now he doesn't understand it but understands English very well. Especially the words: treat, go for a walk, and leash.

Buster has flown before! You don't believe me? Well, it's true. He has flown. No he doesn't have wings! But the airplane he flew in did! And let me tell you.....he really doesn't like airplanes!

What else can I tell you about him.....well, he loves to bark. Whenever a dog goes by our house he goes crazy! Crazy as in barking a lot. Oh and see his bandana? After I bought that for him my brother said that he looked like a badly dressed tourist. (It has a Hawaiian type pattern on it.)

He also doesn't listen very well. He is stubborn. But he will roll over if I give him something special to eat.

And here is the best picture for last. See his teeth? They have to be brushed. And guess who has to do it.....

Don't forget to leave a comment on the post below to tell me which template you like best!

Run-Away Budgie!

Does anyone know what an aviary is? Well, incase you don’t I’ll give you the definition of it courtesy of the Encarta Dictionary: [An aviary] is an enclosure or large cage where birds are kept. We have one outside and we keep cockatiels and budgies in it (we used to also have a pair of Love Bird but had to get rid of them because the female was biting the other bird’s feet). Well, yesterday…..one of the budgies flew the coop. We have been trying to lure her back to the cage but so far it hasn’t worked. So if anyone sees a blue budgie flying free, it might be ours!! (Actually it is my brother's.)

I gave our dog a bath today. He sure doesn’t like that! He especially doesn’t like it when I have to rinse the soap of his head! I took some pictures of him awhile ago and so hopefully someday I’ll be able to sit down and write a post all about Buster (that’s our dog’s name).