Stories from my Faribault Trip...

We left town very early in the morning and headed out for Faribault. The trip was fun, I got to drive Jen’s van -yippee!- it was filled with jokes, laughter, great tunes, dancing (that was Jen!), and even some signing.

We reached Faribault and decided to check into our hotel before we went to the School for the Deaf for our tour. Jen had been a dear and found a hotel online and made reservations. Well, we pulled into the parking lot and thought perhaps we had the wrong place…nope, no such luck! The place was pretty much a dive! We tried getting out of our reservations once we viewed one of our three rooms and found it to kind of dirty, but we were not able to. So we decided to make the best of it! (I took pictures with Nikki’s camera of some of the “detail work” in the rooms and the exterior…but I don’t have copies of them yet to post the pictures.) So we had them clean one of our rooms again while we went to our tour of the campus.

Oh, and what a beautiful campus! The buildings were absolutely wonderful. We had a short session where we asked a group of juniors and seniors attending the school some questions. We had a quick tour of a few of the school buildings and the classes and the girl’s dorm. The tour was short because on Friday’s the school closes at, I think they said 2pm. So the children/students can go home for the weekend.

After our tour we all went to the mall in the neighboring town. We had to blow a couple of hours (4 to be exact!) before the play started back at the school. The mall was very boring I must say…a good choice, for there were many different things everyone could do…but for me shopping is not something I favor. So Lyssa, Naomi, and I just sat in the food court and chatted for a few hours!

The play, The Emperor’s New Clothes, performed by students at the school, was very good. They all did a great job. Unfortunately we were unable to take any pictures during the performance because of the flashes on cameras…otherwise I would have posted a few pictures! So you will just have to take my word on it that it was good!

After the play, we went back to our “scary” hotel. (I think by this time it had changed from “hotel” to “motel”!) Lyssa and I were scared of what be in the beds or in the rooms and we thought about sleeping out in the van. We also thought about driving an hour and staying at Brandon’s house even id we had to sleep on “grandma’s bed”! (yep, only Brandon will get that joke!) But we decided we could probably handle it after we all stopped at Walgreen’s and bought Lysol and Fabreeze and a couple of new blankets! Good Gracious!

Nikki and Jen were sweet and went throughout the three rooms and sprayed everything with Lysol and Fabreeze! We felt a little better and safer and it didn’t smell anymore! Poor Jen was feeling really bad about the whole motel thing…since she booked the reservations…but it wasn’t her fault…we called it false advertisement!

We certainly had fun in the rooms though…many jokes…at the expense of the motel…funny stories were shared, Julie tried teaching some of us yoga or pilates moves…I didn’t fare too well with those…we just had a good time!

Saturday morning we all got up early and were on the road by 9am. First stop…3 blocks down to McDonald’s! Breakfast. Both Lyssa and I don’t like McDonald food so we brought our own bagels, cream cheese, and orange juice into McDonalds’s. Everyone else ordered from the restaurant so we didn’t feel quite so bad about bringing in our own food…at least we didn’t have to suffer through stomach aches!

On to the Mall of America…I now know the meaning of the saying “shop ‘till you drop”. We were in the Mall for 7 hours! The first few hours were fun…Julie was looking for a new dress to wear on a date…so she was trying some on at Maurices. I was not looking for anything in particular…so I told Jen to choose a dress for me to try-on for the fun of it…turns out I fell in love with it! We also tried on prom dresses at Nordstrom’s Rack…we were having fun! But soon…after we shopped, ate, shopped, hit the bathrooms, shopped, hit the bathrooms again…we finally left and headed for Saint Paul.

I was still driving…I got to drive the entire weekend!! Luckily everyone trusted me to drive in Saint Paul! We were early to the play so we just drove around for a little while. Absolutely beautiful homes! Then Nikki needed some advil and we all wanted some chocolate treats…so I drove until I saw a place that said something about groceries. I pulled in and Jen, Meghan, and I walked in…looked around…came back out. It was an organic grocery store! Only herbals there to take away a head-ache!

We even had enough time to go through the Cathedral! Again, absolutely amazing! Beautiful…if I were to attend mass there, I would find myself not paying attention to the homily, but gazing up at the artwork! Finally we made our way to the college for the play. A wonderful play done by a group of Deaf Russians, the play was all in mime. OF course a little sign was incorporated into it, but a person knowing no sign would have understood it. We all loved it!

Then the long drive home. I was not tired…more like bouncing off the walls…I think the espresso drink from Caribou helped though!...so I drove home and let the others sleep. Pretty much an uneventful drive home…long, but good…plenty of good tunes to keep me company!

We all had a great weekend…one we will remember forever!

My trip to Faribault

The Girl's Dorm Building at the School for the Deaf

Some of the beeutiful artwork inside one of the buildings on the campus. A great form of Deaf Art

Another painting that was hanging high on the wall inside the building. The two painting go together...this is part one and the picture above is part two.

We rode in the Coach bus on the way to the mall before the play started. Here we are heading back to the campus...this is also the only picture i had that included Tanya and Jonna! So i had to add it to my blog!

Ana and Jen

I don't know if we should have been trusted to be the driver and navigator (both being blonde) during this trip...everyone was pretty trusting! But we made it there and back in one piece!

Miss Nikki...getting ready for the day...looks like the little girl from the Campbell's Soup Label

At the Mall of America there is a waterfall inside glass...everyone was amazed by it! So we had to be like real tourists and have our picture taken by it!

After eating at the Rainforest Cafe...we had to have our picture taken with the big alligator!

Jen was so excited to have a pickle on a stick...silly girl! (i wonder if it tasted better??)

Easter Pictures

Our family picture...although mom is not in it...she is

always our photographer! Shasta, Laura, Dad, Lisa,

Emma, Ceara, Marissa, Jessica, Colter, and Ana

Laura, Lisa, and Ceara

Jessica, Ana, and Shasta

Pictures from Irish Dancing...

Pictures from "End of the Spear"

This is the movie cover of the show...

i couldn't find too many other pictures from

the show...so this will probably be the

only one put on here!

The End of the Spear

A couple of days ago, Lori called me and invited me to go with her and Elizabeth to "The End of the Spear". We were going to meet some of the other guys there too, since it was going to be part of GS. After the show we were going to go out to eat and discuss the show.

So i met Lori and Elizabeth at their house and we drove up to the theatre. The theatre was not the normal theatre we usually go to...this one is farther north and newer (which means nicer and cleaner!). i had been to this theatre with some friends last Sunday , but we had taken back roads. i didn't really know how to get there by myself. But i thought it would be an adventure...and see how well Ana's memory would be (which is usually not very good!). i couldn't remember the name of one turn so i texted Jason (who knew the way last time) to see what it was. He didn't know the name of the road either! He said it was really hard to explain, but,"You go around a corner and when you look straight, it looks like the road goes straight, but it turns. You'll want to turn onto that road that goes right!" So with these wonderful directions and my poor memory...poor Lori just trusted me and turned when i thought a road looked familiar. Lori said that," she has faith in me!" which is a darn good thing because i wasn't too sure where i was leading her!

Lori and Elizabeth and their family moved here to this area from the Cities awhile ago, and Lori is used to road signs, names, and exits...up here, we use landmarks! She kept laughing when i would announce that i thought we were on the right road since, "that sign looks familiar" or "that house is familiar" or " i remember this corner because of a story that was told!".

But never-the-less we made it to the theatre in good time without getting lost- not even taking a wrong turn!!

We met up with the rest of the crew...Deacon Phil, Nick, Johnny, Jason, and Matthew...and heading to the movie! And the show was great! The End of the Spear...abut Elizabeth Elliot's husband who dies trying to tell a native tribe in Ecuador about Christ.

i copied this from focus on the families...plugged in about the movie...it was the best description about the show i could find...and i had a hard time keeping mine in a nut shell!!


"Deep in the heart of the jungles of Ecuador, along the Amazon River basin, the Waodani Indians are murdering each other to the point of near-extinction. Tribal conflicts (internal and external) have led to a staggering 60 percent mortality rate, and the average Waodani male lives to be just over 30 years old. In response, the Ecuadorian government plans to send in troops to stop the killings and "reclaim" the land, essentially wiping out the Waodani.

It's the early 1950s and Nate Saint, along with four other young American Christian missionaries, sense the urgency of this crisis and set out to befriend the Waodani people. Nate establishes contact with the remote tribe using a revolutionary aeronautical technique that he invents. Flying his small yellow craft in a tight circular pattern, he dangles a bucket on a rope (which centers itself due to centrifugal force), using it to lower gifts. Then, on Jan. 3, 1956, after weeks of what seems to be a progressing relationship (the Waodani have begun to place gifts of their own in the bucket), Nate and his friends, Jim Elliot, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming and Ed McCully, land the plane on a sandbar and make face-to-face contact with the Waodani.
Five days later, their speared and hacked bodies lay in the Curaray River.

The story doesn't end there, though. Narrated by Nate's son, Steve, End of the Spear dramatically shows how that tragic day forever changes the lives of both the missionary families and the Waodani in a remarkable testimony of God's redemptive power."

There is a lot more to the movie though...you must go see this one!

In the end even though the men died in trying, the women kept trying and they succeeded. The one part about the show i liked the most was the little boy, Steve. He went through so much with loosing his father and having to live with the natives that killed his father. He, at such a young age, was able to look past that and accept them as his friends. And him being friends with the one Waodani man, who he later found out was the man that speared his father, was so incredible. The show conveyed hope, fear, beauty, horror, sadness, and joy. Wonderful film!

So after the movie, we went to Applebees for supper and to discuss the show. We ordered, prayed the Angelus, and then Deacon Phil asked some questions. His questions are always so interesting. They really make you think about the show and why something happened and how they were able to achieve it. Like one of his questions, "what did they 'do'?". After many guesses, we came to the conclusion they 1) learned their language 2) exchanged gifts 3) met on their (the natives) own turf or land. So in trying to reach out to someone and tell them, if you want to be more radical, evangelize to someone, or something more simple, ask someone to come to GS, these are 3 important things we can learn from and use.

Another great night!

Pictures from the show...

Here is the movie cover...looks

like a horror show...but you can't

judge a "movie" by its cover!

This is the mask "V" wore throughout the entire

show...jason was disappointed he never took it

off to show his face! i think it made him look

way to happy for some of the more

serious parts!

Almost looks like Zorro!

From his appearance, you would think "V" to be

a cruel guy, but he was actually very nice and

kind of witty. Here they are watching a

classic movie together!

"V"

Some friends and i went to a new movie theatre up north and seen "V for Vendetta". An "interesting" show. i had seen part of the movie trailer, but didn't really know what it was about. i didn't even know that was the show we going to see until i met up with everyone!

i had been painting the downstairs closet when Jason texted and asked if i wanted to go to a movie with some friends. We all left within 20 minutes...it was a last minute idea to go! So the five of us...Mclain, Reece, Nick, Jason, and i squished into Clain's VW Jetta...yep, it was a tight squeeze!

Going up the windy road was fun, those of us in the back, Nick, Jason, and i, didn't really feel too much of the effects from the corners with being squished together! We made it to the theatre just a couple of minutes late. But, one must always make an entrance! For the show being classified as an action/adventure and science/fiction, it was pretty good! Not scary, not too much blood, not believable of course...but the story line was pretty good. And... we were able to share and correspond something from the movie to GS and the book Giussani wrote.

i had a good time Sunday. i am glad they asked me to go and i said yes.

training my sister...

Last night Emma wanted me to read a magazine to her...so after reading a couple articles from Martha Stewart (her choice!) she decided that she wanted to read it. She looks up at me and says,"how do i read?" So i told her just to say what i say and it will be just like reading. So, one word at a time, we read a little article from "Decorating Ideas" (her choice again!). One advertisement she wanted to read was for Dutch Boy paint. We read a little bit and when it came to saying,"Duthc Boy" i said," oh, we don't like Dutch Boy paint, we only like Hirshfield's paint." So we turned the page and started reading again (one-word-at-a-time!). This time it was about wallpaper and low and behold soon the article said to go to Sherwin Williams! Again after she said,"Sherwin Williams" i said that store is not a good place either. So we turned the page again and this time there was an article for Benjamin Moore paint on the page. So i started reading it with Emma. After she repeated,"Benjamin Moore" i said,"Now we're talking!" (since Benny Moore paint is sold at Hirshfield's) and Emma thought those were the words printed in the article...because she repeated them just as animated as i had said them..."Now we're talking!"

So sweet!

First Day of Spring!

Today is the first day of Spring!! Jump for joy...summer will be coming soon and everything will be green and we can swim in the pool and mow the lawn and go for walks and drive with the windows down and let the warm breeze blow our hair and have bonfires and get-togethers!!

And i can tell it is now spring...for i have started this new season with cleaning my car! i usually don't clean my car in the winter unless it is a quick job...it is too cold outside in the winter and my hands freeze!

So now that it was already 40 degrees outside today...i had to take the opportunity and vacuum out my *very* dirty car. i think i had sand on the floor mats from last fall! But now she is looking spit-shiny-clean!! Thanks to dad's shop-vac and plenty of Armor-All wipes!!

(i think i need to bring her through the car wash tomorrow though!!)

my name"s"

It is truly amazing how people can come up with new ways to pronouce my name. Sometimes it if fairly close...othertimes...i don't know where on earth they even got it!

My name: Ana

Also known as:

"Ana-Banana"

"Annabelle"

"Annie" (mom)

"Banana-butt" (ceara)

"Anna"

(when meeting new people they think

my name *must* be pronounced this way!

Even friends at GS still think this is my name!!)

"Hannah"

(yes, i have gotten this one a time or two!)

"Donna"

(when i worked at the paint store and answered phones

people would always think this was my name!!)

And the newest name:

"Anya"

(at the Irish dance, Sarah thought this was

my name for a little while!)

So when people ask what my name is...of course i tell them "ana", but if they get one of the above correct...i will usually go with it! When and if i correct them on my name and how it is pronounced, they usually comment on it being a Spanish name. Well, here we go again...actually mom and dad gave me the name because it is a Scandinavian name! Spelled "anna", but pronounced as my name "ana".

i wonder how my name will be pronounced next!!

Irish Dancing

For St. Patrick's Day we had an Irish dance at the Church! It was so much fun! Sarah showed us how to dance three Irish dances...something i have wanted to know for a long time! So we had irish dancing, irish snacks, green decorations and plenty of shamrocks!

i went to the Church early to help set everything up. Lori, Elizabeth, Marci, Sarah and Irma were already there getting things set up. So i helped prepare some of the food with Bee...and then Sarah taught us how to dance three irish dances. She wanted some of us to know how to do the dances before the guests came and she taught them how to do it too. i think we danced for about an hour.

Then it was time for the fun to began! There were actually quite a few people who came...many homeschool families and friends from the Church. We started off with just chatting with everyone...then the festivities began. The first dance The Waves of Torah, had so many people in it that we had to break up into two groups! a few times of practice and then with the music!

Then the next two dances! i can't remember the name of the second dance...i only know it as the Irish Swinging Dance...because the lass from the top and the gent from the bottom would meet in the middle and have to swing around six times! And then the lass from the bottom and the gent from the top would meet in the middle and do the same! Very fun...a little hard to get the hang of at first...and after spinning in a circle...a little dizzy...but i would do it again anytime! Elizabeth and i were partners on this dance and we started at the top so we could lead everyone. Luckly we had practiced the swinging before we started the dance for when we had to swing all the way down the line!

The third dance, the Bonfire Dance, was very interesting. Everyone would stand in a circle and hold hands and go toward the middle and then back and then to the right then to the left...that part was easy. Then the lass' would go to the middle and spin, then the gent's to the middle. Then the hard part...switching partners! Jason and i were partners on this dance and when it came to switching to another partner...we were a little confused and couldn't quite figure it out! So we didn't switch, because the dance started up again, so we just stayed together again!

The entire night was a blast! Mom and Dad came with all the kids...mom and dad didn't dance, but Ceara, Laura, and Lisa did! They were having fun too...with all of their friend's dancing too! i got to dance with them on the swinging dance! Colter, Missa, and Emma didn't want to dance either...but they had fun watching.

Now two days later...i can tell that i was dancing!! i am a little sore from three hours of being up and having fun!!

But it was worth every minute of it!

"Right on, Dad!"

i was listening to a home-video that was playing in the living room while i was typing up my last posting...and i when i heard this from dad i thought..."that is so true dad!"

A long time ago dad had his little red pickup...part of it was an S-10 and the other part was an S-15...a friend of dad's called it an S-12 1/2! Dad was showing off in his pickup stormin' out of our driveway making the dust fly and creating a loud sound...when he came back down the driveway,

Mom told Dad, "I thought you were going to blow up your truck!"

Dad said proudly, "It's a Chevy!"

Absolutely Dad!! a Chevy can do anything! "Like a Rock"

visiting with a friend...

Today...i got to visit my friend Jacy! i have not seen her for...it seems ever so long...around Christmas. She is on spring break and came into town and called me up to say she was coming and if i wanted to meet her. So after our Spanish lesson today...i went to a coffee shoppe and we caught up on all the new happenings with our lives. She brought her boyfriend, Orion...and i was finally able to meet him! She has talked about him a lot and now i have met him...i thought they were so sweet together! i am very happy that she has found someone to be with!

We had a great time chatting about school, the jobs we are going into, movies, family, the Church, upcoming events, next time we will meet...

And we chatted over coffee...and i actually had a coffee today! The first time in four months! a single...tall...soy...chocolate...raspberry...blended...thingy...with whipped cream drizzled with chocolate! it was actually very tasty...although i became very hyper tonight...any amount of caffeine affects me...just ask mom...i had great fun annoying her tonight!

Coming up...

Oh, Dear...coming up at the Church...and Irish Dance and gathering. On Friday, for St. Patrick's Day, the GS and CL crew is going to be putting this event on. We are going early to help set up for the meal and to learn an Irish dance! That is the part that is starting to scare me...i don't know how well i am going to be with the dance! But i'll give it a try and see what how it goes!
i'll let ya'll know!

scrapbooking...

My scrapbooking adventures have actually been many lately!

At work, we got a new line in...Bookworks from EK...so i was asked to create a book using all the new products. i brought a bunch of stuff home and went through my pictures until i found a theme that was going to work. i hadn't done anything with my graduation party pictures, so i decided to create a spiral bound book using my graduation party as the focus. i worked on that book throughout the week that i was a nanny. A black book that i covered with patterned paper with red, gold, blue, and brown tones. The book definitely has a cluttered shabby chic look...lots of words rub-ons.... i felt like i was being conceited, since i had pictures of me in it. But i guess it was my grad party!

i am still working on the scrapbook for the college's ASL club. i have a few more pages to complete for the 2003 Deaf Awareness Days and a few pages for this past year. But i now have all the completed pages in the album i bought for it. A vey nice black, cloth, Pioneer 12x12 post bound album, with a window on the front cover where i am going to write in K & Company ASL letters "PAH" club and "ASL" club...and i think i am including the years.

but i think that is about all for scrapbooking adventures for me.

Spring Break...

My spring break was spent being a nanny! Sure i have babysat many times and stayed at a families home for a night or two, but this was like...really...being a nanny! Sunday to Sunday...quite literally, 9am on the start of the week and left at 10am on the last day.

The two kids, a girl and a boy, were great! They were really easy to take care of and very nice and sweet. The whole week was really easy...because i would drop the kids off at school at 8:15 and pick them up at 3:15. So i would be able to go and do whatever i wanted. i felt bad for the kids though, having to go to school all day.

After i picked the kids up from school we would go back to their house and have snacks, unwind from the day at school, do homework, play mancala and uno, watch movies, eat supper, and talk to their mom on the phone.

On Saturday, David had a basketball game in a town rather far away...so after getting him up at 5:30 in the morning (but going back to bed once i got home!) and over to a friend's house to catch a ride up there...Michelle and i came over to my house so she could play with my sisters. They had a lot of fun playing outside, playing barbie dolls, paper dolls, and making a fort outside. As for me...i scrapbooked!

But overall the week went good. An interesting way to spend my spring break!

And the Race is On...

On the way home from Deaf Bowling...Jen and i had a race! She lives in the same direction as me so we have to follow each other until i turn off. When we hit our first turn we called each other and said the race is on! She, in her minivan (a 3.0 engine) and me and my cavalier (a 2.4 engine)...she took off a little faster!! My poor little car's RPM's reved up to 5000 and almost hit the red! But i caught up fairly fast and stuck *very* close Jen's bumper! She would speed up...i would speed up. Very soon we were going close to...70-75mph. i couldn't pass because of another car coming or a corner. So on the corners when no cars were coming...i would swerve from one side to another and flash the lights at her...just having a good time! Then the perfect opportunity came! After the big corner came the straight stretch and no cars were coming! i floored my poor little car and watched the RPM's go up as i swerved out and around Jen. i evened off right as i came to the side of her and waved ever so nicely! Then finished going around her! Soon Jen called me and said that she was trying very hard to keep me behind her! Alas...how good winning feels!
i have such a competative streak in me that it's not funny! (but being able to drive as fast as you want and win the race...it just feels so darn good!)

thanks for racing Jen...maybe next month when we both leave at the same time...we can have another race!

Almost Finished..

I am almost finished with my drawing of the motorbike! Only a little more shading in and it will be complete! Suzuki GSXR1

What a beauty!