Quick Update

So I don't think I ever fully said what exactly is going on with my plans for next year... Now might be a good time to do that.

Last I posted on Bunch O' Wilsons, I wasn't excepted to Newlife because I was several months younger than they were allowed to accept. It basically sounds like I can apply next year and get in, so that is my current plan.

Now I've ended up with an unexpected gap year. A few years ago, Mom and I listened to a session at the homeschool conference where they were talking about gap years, and I thought, "That's cool, but I've got my life too planned for that to happen!" Yah, right.

To make a long story short, in the last week of June, I'm flying out to Manila, Philippines to volunteer as a missionary midwife at Shiphrah Birthing Center, which is a lot like Newlife just without the extra schooling (yay, no school!). Lord willing, I'll be staying at Shiphrah until November 14, 2012, a week before Thanksgiving. Then I'll come home, not have to miss the holidays, apply to Newlife again, and raise support for that.

Right now, I'm focusing on graduating (graduation's in six weeks!) and raising support to go. In total, I'll need at least $6600 (which seems like a lot to a girl who's never had more than $1000 at one time...) about $1400 a month. But hey, God owns all the money in the universe, and He also wants me to go to Shiphrah, so it will be nothing for Him to give me what I need. Next week, I hope to send out a support letter and get people at least praying for me.

Also, I'm creating a new blog (I know, you thought I had enough already!) for my time in the Philippines since I won't exactly be here to give updates on the Wilson family. So this blog will be going to Nathan during my absence (scary thought!) and I'll be updating my midwifery blog. Go check it out: http://midwife4hisglory.blogspot.com/ I'm still playing around with how it looks, so it might change suddenly, but that's where I'll be posting my midwifery updates. Don't worry, I'll also be updating this blog about the Wilson fam until I leave.

Guess what?!!

Look at the pictures and you'll know why I'm so excited!!!!!!! *very, extremely happy dance* I did it!!!!! Even though it was two very torturous years, I survived!!!!! Yippee!

3/19/12 at 8:30am

3/19/12 at 1:00pm!!!

Ok, and just for fun:

Zip Line Fun!

We got a zip line for Christmas! It's 200 ft long and holds up to 250 lb. Dad set it up today. However, it's too loose for us older people to do yet (our legs drag along the ground) so so far only the kids can do it. Dad hopes to fix the zip line for us older ones soon.

Anyway, here's a video I made of Isaac, Grace, and Promise doing the zip line. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody! I can't believe it's 2012!

Last night, Nathan and I decided to stay up and watch the ball drop in Times Square. To pass the time, we watched a few movies. Around 11:15pm, the movies ended and we decided to see if we could find a TV station showing the festivities in Times Square. After searching through several channels, we found one but it was focusing on Lady Gaga, so we switched the channel. The next channel was reporters talking about what was going on in the square and interviewing people. We decided to stay on that channel since it was rather interesting. We figured that all channels would show the ball drop. We were wrong.

At midnight, instead of showing the ball drop, the station showed an obnoxious female reporter kissing a random police officer. Nathan and I were so furious! Needless to say, we turned the TV off. We were both very disappointed.

I thought it would be appropriate to give a quick overview of the notable stuff that happened in 2011 to our family:

• I turned 16 in January and got my license
• Joy Anna was born at home into Dad and my arms in early March
• Promise, Isaac, and Grace decided that chapter books are cool and interesting
• I got into a car accident...
• Nathan and I almost experienced a tornado, we could see where it was and it was close 
• I got to help photograph a wedding
• We went to the beach
• Nathan, Dad, and I went and watched Captain America in the middle of Hurricane Irene and the movie theater lost power just at the climax...
• Nathan and I finished our first year of Gileskirk (a very intensive history curriculum)
• Grandma Wight and Aunt Tara and Barbara came and visited
• Dad had the brilliant idea to pick Grace up and playfully shake her back and forth while she was shaking the milk. Do I need to detail how messy the kitchen was after that? We were cleaning spilt milk for a while and everyone had to pitch in...
• Nathan took Driver's Ed and got his permit
• Joshua became Dad's little buddy
• Nathan, Dad, and Isaac played a bunch of hockey!
• Our family made a bunch of movies (I think this year held the record for the most movies good enough to put on youtube.)
• I became a doula and have attended a grand total of 12 births!
• Rising Dawn Services was started
• This blog was started ;-D
• Nathan, Dad, and I read the Hunger Games series :-D
• Joy Anna learned to crawl
• I missed Promise's birthday because I was at a birth
• I applied to Newlife International School of Midwifery *scary*
• Nathan started animating a Lego movie of The Peleg Chronicles 
• The whole family went to a hockey game and all got Carolina Hurricanes' jerseys
• I got the DSLR I've been wanting!
• We beat our usual record of how often we've gone out to eat. We've eaten out quite a bit this year.

There's lots more, but it would take a while to detail it all. I'm really excited that it's 2012 since I, at least, will probably have a big year. In May (May 12, to be exact), I'll graduate high school. After that, I'll probably go to the Philippines and become a midwife (I just need to get accepted first). I'm so excited! I guess when I leave this summer, I'll have to give this blog to Nathan, since he'll be around to know what's going on in Wilson-dom, and I'll have to get another blog about my time in the Philippines. 

Anyway, I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

Nathan's now an Officer!

At CAP, Nathan was promoted to an officer. :-D Way to go, Nathan!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

The night before Christmas, God sent a beautiful sunset, in honor of His Son. I was able to take some pics. Like I said, it was beautiful.

On Christmas, we didn't wake up until 8am... Ha! Gone are the days were everyone was up by 6am! Part of it is because Nathan and I are older and appreciate sleep, and part of it is because the kids stay up until midnight (due to excitement), then crash...

This year, everyone got a big present, except Joy Anna. She got books. (Mom's comment was "Joy Anna needs to start her own library!")

Joshua got a plasma car. It's small and holds up to 250lb. The rider's supposed to sit on it and put their feet in stirrup-type things. Everyone absolutely loves it and rides it as much as Joshua (yes, I've probably ridden it more than he has...) Anyway, his car is cool. The other present he really liked was his harmonica. (Brilliant idea, Mom. Do you hear the sarcasm?)

Joshua on his plasma car

Promise got lots of doll accessories. She got a doll highchair (it's so cute!), a canopy bed (over 2ft tall! It's gorgeous!), and a doll armoire. She was very happy and I believe all her accessories are "occupied" at the moment.

Isaac got the drum set he's been pining over. Ever since it's been set-up, he's stayed in his bedroom, experimenting and playing. He's in drummer heaven!

Grace got the American Girl doll she's been saving up for. She was excited to find it wrapped and under the tree and still get to keep her money! It's the new Marie Grace, the doll from Louisiana's French Quarter. It's a pretty doll. She loves it.

Nathan got an upgrade to our slow video-editing software. He's very happy. (Sorry, I don't have a pic for that!)

And I got *drum roll* the DSLR I've been wanting for ever!!!!!!!! I'm not good at showing emotion, so when I opened it, I said very composedly, "Oh, wow! Thank you!" Inside, I was dancing, jumping up and down, and screaming for joy. The camera's a Canon EOS Rebel T3 and it came with an 18-55mm lens. I am so happy and absolutely love it! I've already taken over 200 pics with it... *sheepish grin*. Needless to say, I'm in photographer heaven! Most of the pics I'm posting on Picasa (link coming) and this post have been taken with my camera. It's a big upgrade to my Canon Powershot SX20 IS. ;-D I've figured out Manual Focus and absolutely love it. Alright, I should probably stop talking about my camera and move on...

Pardon the mustache. It was a gift from Nathan. :-D

Mom got the brewing bottles she's been wanting. No, she doesn't brew beer, she makes kombucha and water kefir, both of which are very healthy drinks that have to ferment and fizz. She's very happy. I'm happy too since they're a beautiful crystal blue.

Dad got a bunch of chocolate from Mom. I think there were some ulterior motives going on... She bought him two boxes of truffles in case he were to take one to work. Yah, definitely some ulterior motives... :-D

Anyway, that's a quick recap of Christmas morning here! If you want to see more pics, I've put them on a Picasa album: https://picasaweb.google.com/113112312516189518414/Christmas2011?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOf3pci5wOmC6gE&feat=directlink Let me know what you think! :-D

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!