So a while ago, me and my mom went hiking (which is more like a trail with a steady incline) with some friends of ours….and we loved it! I’m not much of an outdoors person, but this really made your heart pump (or maybe because I’m out of shape ).  Yesterday, we were finally able to drag my sister along for a trip to the mountain…..and guess what….she loved it too! I really feel amazing, like it is hard to describe, but I feel good after exercising. I don’t like just walking on the treadmill, because it seems like work. However, doing something like hiking, biking, or swimming with people is a whole different story. Anyway took some pics with my phone and thought I’d share them.

Me and Ash sitting on a huge rock on the trail

Ash has conquered the rock! Lol

So it has been a crazy week so I haven’t had much time to update. I started school on Wednesday (will be posting about my first day and classes later) and then haven been hanging out with friends and playing crazy games! So Wednesday after school me and my family went to a friends house and watched Tuesdays with Morrie, which by the way made me cry. After that we had the Givens and the McGraths over for dinner and to play some games. We played both Amish Yahtzee and Spoons, both games are fast paced and kinda aggressive. We played until probably around 10 to 11 p.m. when everybody went home. Fast forward to Friday, this time we went to the McGrath’s for dinner and games. Again we played Amish Yahtzee, Spoons (although we used forks), and we also played Pictionary. But one of the times that we played Amish Yahtzee we wrote 100 to 1 instead of 1 to 100. It was definitely more difficult writing backwards then forwards! Again we stayed up playing until about 10 to 11 p.m. So that was my crazy week so far plus school, but I had an enormous amount of fun staying up and screaming “SIX!!!!!” ;D

So for the last two years I have been trying to knit or crochet something for my grandparents, but never finished. At first it was supposed to be a scarf and I would knit one and my mom would do the other. So we went out and bought green and red yarn (my grandparents favorite colors) and we started to knit a scarf. Well not long into it, I decided that I wanted to try and crochet a scarf, so I started over. Well that didn’t go so well because it was my first time crocheting and the scarf was very uneven, so I started over and went back to knitting. Long story short, two years later only a fourth of a scarf done. I realized that I don’t have a lot of patience for just sitting and working on the project, so I decided to find something that would not take so long and that way I could have the satisfaction of completing a project.  I found several patterns for “coffee cozies,” basically a sweater for your coffee mug. Well my grandparents drink a lot of coffee so I thought it was perfect and it shouldn’t take too long. But I couldn’t really find a pattern that was for beginners or one that I wouldn’t get too frustrated with, so I made my own version. I decided that I wanted to crochet them just because I like to crochet better than knitting. Anyone can do this as long as you know the basics of crocheting (chain stitch, single crochet stitch, and finishing off), I probably finished in two hours.

Materials:

• Two different colors of worsted yarn (I used green and white). One is the main color, the other is used for the border
• A I-9/5.50 MM crochet needle
• A yarn needle (used to make the border and weave in the ends)
• Scissors

Steps:
1.  Chain 35 stitches with whichever of the two colors you want to be the main one (green in my case)

2.  Next you want to use a single crochet stitch to make as many rows as needed (depends on how tall or short the mug is)

3.  Once you have the desired height, finish off and weave in the ends.

4.  Next you want to take a good length of the second color of yarn and use a whip stitch around the border of the “sweater”. This step is not necessary but I thought it made it look nicer.

5.  The last step is to attached three sets of string (the same as the border color) to both ends of the “sweater.” This is what holds the sweater to the coffee mug.

6.  That’s it!! You’re Done!

Hey so most of you know that I have dyed my hair in the past (blonde, dark red/purple w/ pink highlights). Well I decided that I was done with the red and wanted to go back to brown (my natural color) so I got a brown hair dye as close as I could to my natural color, but the red was sooo strong that it only lighter or less noticeable. I have lately loved my darker brown hair (a mixture of the brown and red) and thought what I would look like with….black hair! So since black is very permanent and if I didn’t like it well, tough luck trying to get rid of it! So I got a semi-permanent (which will wash out completely after 8-10 shampoos) in black. And again the red was really strong so it is not black but a really dark brown with a little black. I will post a picture on my flicker account (there is a link to it on my site) later.

*Update-I will not be posting a pic of my hair because I forgot to take the picture and now the color is fading/faded.

Hey all! Just thought I’d tell you that I finally wrote Chapter 10 Part B to my Adventures of Captain Bronze story. I hope you are enjoying it! Please let me know what you think of it or if you have an suggestions. I will be writing more very soon.

Well I am back from Pa. I had a lot of fun hanging with the Wallers (I can’t thank you enough guys for letting me stay with you!). But the Wallers are a very outdoor family and like to do outdoor stuff a “city girl” like me isn’t used too. It seems everytime we get together they take me out mountain hiking (really long too!), kayaking, or something like it. Well this time around it was rock climbing/repelling and wakeboarding. I didn’t actually climb the rock but the repelling part was really fun! And the wakeboarding was very hard to get up and stay up! And now my arms are killing me! So anyway that was my adventure! I wonder what the Waller’s have in store for me next time!

On May 19, Sarah took place in a battle of the bands. But I can’t forget the rest of the band; Sarah would be nothing without them; Arin Warren, KelLee Warren, Myles (Brenton Klinger), and Dudely (Chris Klinger). Their band was called Aftershock.

• Sarah was Vocals
• Arin was Bass
• KelLee was Guitar
• Myles was Guitar
• Dudely was Drums

They were amazing! They sang the songs “Paperthin Hymn” by Anberlin and “Tonight” by Benjamin Gates. Then Myles and Dudely played an instrumental song that they wrote themselves! COOL!!!!!! Aftershock tied for 2nd with another band. It was a great experience and can’t wait for the next Battle of the Bands!!!!

Check out the website here and see pictures of the bands and videos will be posted shortly too: www.christainbattleofthebands.com

If you live in the Harrisburg/York area and have a christian band (or want to be part of this great ministry) check the website for the next Battle of the Bands with details on how to be part of it or how to battle!

A couple of days ago it snowed and was well packed in with a layer of ice on top. We decided we wanted to go sleding but here is the problem….we don’t have a sled. So we went through the house looking for anything that can be used as a sled. We found that the laundry baskets and plastic bins work really good. But boogie boards were good at first but then you would be going down the hill and the board would stop and you would keep sliding down the hill! Other things that worked was the lids to the plastic bins. We had a large long one that could fit two people, that was the fun one!!! In fact me and my dad almost hit a tree because we were flying and couldn’t control the lid! But we are still alive!! So next time you want to go sleding and don’t have a sled just look around your house, I am sure you can find something to use as a sled!

Yes, it is true I have been pulled into watching football! Well sorta. I watched my first full length (full way through) football game on Sunday! It was the playoffs between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. The Patriots will go on to play against the San Diego Chargers this Sunday. Part of me still doesn’t get the whole concept for football but again I just watched my first game. Although I am not going to get obsessed with it like many Americans. Although I am wearing a San Diego Chargers sweatshirt! Go Chargers!!! I know, I know, I live in New England but are cheering for the Chargers. Go figure that one out!

Chargers, Chargers!!!! GO, GO, GO!!!!!!

Hey everyone! I hope you all are having a good Christmas so far! Well I still can’t wait it is as though the days are moving slower than molasses on a winter morning! (ok that was a mom saying ) Anyway toback to what I wanted to say. I have started to put a story of my friends and I as pirates. Right now it is just chapter one but I will be adding to it. It will take a while because I am making this up as I go or trying to remember the story line I had couple years ago. If anyone who is a piratey friend and would like to add to it or have any ideas please let me know! And if you want to be part of it (I don’t have anything for Matt and Arin) let me know what names you want and stuff. Also if you want to be a pirate or Birtish officer/soldier or something let me know Well I hope you enjoy!

Merry Christmas!!! Love you all!