Summer Plans

Two weeks and two days until summer! :D
Now if you think I'm crazy for counting down the days, blame the teachers. They're the ones telling us "three weeks, start studying for finals" and what not. =) I'm totally excited for the summer, for a lot of reasons. I don't have a lot of plans so far though...
For obvious reasons, it'll be nice for school to end so I can sleep in. In Middle school, classes began around 8:00 A.M., but this year they decided to start at 7:30. Not much of a difference really, but it still means me waking up earlier. It's harder and harder for me to get up these days, what with me not wanting to go in the first place, nor do I want to leave the comfort and warmth of my bed. My cat Rootbeer had a hard time waking up today along with me. When he decided to get up out of his bed, he immediately sank back to the ground and stretched out, as if sun-bathing, until I stood up. Usually he blinks up at me tiredly, and then gets up before me. But today we both agreed: it was just too early.
The main reason for me anticipating this break so much, though, is really just because it's a break. I won't have to go to school for three months and be a witness; I mean, sure, I'm still Christ's witness, but I won't be surrounded by other kids my age all day who constantly trample my faith into the dust. Rather, during the summer, I'm guaranteed more time with myself, my family, and my church. Basically, I'll be around those three groups the most, meaning I'll be around good examples to help prepare me for the second, daunting year of High School. I won't be around anti-Christians, liberals, cussers....you get the drift.
Oh, I totally forgot marching band. Alright, scratch part of the last paragraph, haha; I'll still be around cussers and anti-Christians...but it'll only be once a week instead of five times a week. Right after school ends, marching band season will start! I don't know what to think of this, really- I'm excited for the new year with the new freshmen coming in, and for a new season where we'll hopefully do better...but I'm not looking forward to the days out in the sun, sweating, haha. I don't think any of us are, to be honest.
This year will have a totally different feel to it than last year's season. For example, we got our new band teacher at the beginning of last year, which really weighed us down. Now that we know our band teacher better and understand where he's coming from in some circumstances, we have a much better chance of preforming to our best abilities. For me personally, it's sure to be a better season, considering I actually play loud enough to be heard now, haha. =)

During the summer, one of the plans I actually have, begins sometime in June. My family and I are heading up to Yellowstone National Park to be with my cousins! I'm totally excited, because I'll be able to be with my cousin, Marian. Marian's been my best friend since I can remember, and we've always been there for each other. She's a year older than me, and she offers me a completely different side of life-she's more of the optimistic, popular girl who loves the old dresses in the-I think it was the Victorian time period. And then there's me; quiet (in school only, mind you), observant, pessimist, nerd-stereotype... But with all our differences, we have a bunch of similarities. For example, we both play the same instrument, we're both the loud ones in the family, the extremists, the adventurers, the writers...the list can go on and on. It'll be nice to get back together with her and talk about random girl things... =D
 Other than Yellowstone and marching band, I don't really have any summer plans. I could've gone to summer camp with my youth group, but I decided against it, for multiple reasons. Most of it has to do with the camp being the exact camp my parents worked at for fifteen years. They met there, to be exact. I was born into this camp and we didn't leave until I was around seven years old.
Last year I went with my youth group, but I could hardly stand seeing my childhood as a teenager...I mean, I couldn't even walk into the camp's gym without getting emotional, because it still smells exactly as it did when I was a kid. I didn't feel particularly close to my youth group back then (still don't, sadly), and so when I'd talk about how I was feeling, they just didn't understand. And so I don't want to spend around $245 just to go back into emotions. If I were to get closer to God, that would be a different story. But last year was all about memories for me, not about God, and so I don't want to go unless it is about Him. My youth group totally doesn't understand this-maybe I should just have them read this and then see what they think, ha. I'm thankful, though, that my parents, brother, and Christian mentor do understand. They all understand, and my parents led me to my decision in the end.
Also for the summer, my parents are big fans of work. I've had summers where I do math homework, and one time I did a whole course of math so that I'd be a year ahead come the following year at school. This year is sure to be no different work-wise, especially since we have a Government textbook right now anyway (long story how we got it-bad government teacher+bad teaching=studying at home). I'm sure my brother and Dad will find some kind of math work for me to do along with the government, just to make sure I don't forget anything over the summer-I'm very good at that, heh. Can't blame them for any of this, really. Good for them; but don't tell them that. Can't have them encouraged ;) . Oh, and then I have a "summer job" where I mow my neighbor's lawn at least once a week. Not too bad, actually, unless it's right after marching band practice.
And then, I'm looking foward to the normal, drowsy days, too. The days when I'll get up, stretch, and head to the computer for a few hours, before making breakfast or lunch. After that I'd go outside to our creek and just sit in nature, for one or two hours, taking pictures of Rootbeer chasing that darn squirrel, watching our apple trees form apples, watching the cray-dad whatch-ma-call-its swim around in the deep ends of the water...*sigh*
And the counting goes on. =D Two weeks, two days. I can totally do this...
~Kathy