I do love presents...

Last week I completed all my book-work necessary for me to be done with school, aka, I pretty much graduated. :)

No, I'm not claiming that in public circles, so hush. But, being home-schooled and studying at my own pace can be quite pleasant at times, especially when it means that I'm done about a month and a half earlier than most other kids in my area...doesn't seem fair, does it? Hmm, well, it's probably not, but not being fair doesn't make it less legit. ;) I made it through all of my materials, so what else is there to do?

I'll tell ya what else there is to do: Celebrate!!! And do projects that have been waiting all year for me to finally have time to turn attention to them, and practice music a lot more, and plan my graduation party, and actually pick out my college...

Yup. I've been plenty busy. Oh, and lets not forget that I still have dance classes four nights a week, which I'm loving pretty much every minute of!!!

But that's not what this post is supposed to be about. I apologize if I have digressed too far...

We all know that I love to sew. It probably annoys some people how much I talk about it at times, but there it is. My favorite part is planning the project, of course, like most things in my life, but I do actually enjoy the construction process as well.

I just always had to use my Mom's machine, which is...less than ideal, lets just say for fun. There's this whole battle of who-gets-to-use-the-machine-today issue, and sometimes-a project-would-have-to-wait because the other person was doing theirs, and somebody-would-have-to-leave-the-sewing-room, and then there would be tears of sadness and agony from the heartbreak-of-being-cast-out and then there was the wailing and grinding of teeth...

Okay, not really. We just had to take turns - it honestly was not nearly that dramatic...except maybe in my mind :)

Anyway....to get back to point, my Mom recently decided to remedy this concerning situation, and got me my own sewing machine!!! I'm SO thrilled - it sews beautifully (even though I still make many mistakes, that is not entirely the machine's fault, you know) and I love it much!!! I took it's picture...

Isn't she pretty???

Look! She's named after me!!!

Haha no, it's not really named after me - it's just a coincidence!!! Not saying it didn't help along the decision of which machine to get, though...it was just too funny!!!

So I've been happily sewing away on my little pretty one, perfectly contented, when yesterday my sister, Trudi, comes home from work and announces that I should open my graduation present from her - she just can't wait, she says. Well, who am I to deny anyone the pleasure of watching me open a present??? So I did, and just LOOK at what she got me!!!

Yay!!! Now I can read about Gilbert or Ken (and everyone else ;) ) anytime I want!!!

Yes, indeed!!! I now possess my very own set of the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery!!!

You can imagine my excitement.

I immediately opened up the 8th book, "Rilla of Ingleside", and flipped to the last page where Rilla opens the door and Kenneth is standing there, and then there's the meaningful question "Is it Rilla-my-Rilla???"...

That's all I needed to burst out into hysterical laughter, urged on my Mom and Trudi laughing at me, because this is a habit I have with beautifully romantic books - I giggle. A lot. You should have seen me when I was about eight years old, reading "These Happy Golden Years" by Laura Ingalls Wilder...lets just say I couldn't put it down and I added many years to my life I giggled so much. You wanna know what's sad? I still giggle when I read that book..... it's just so hysterically, beautifully sweet!!! I think it's brought on by that innocent, pure romance that just makes one so happy inside, it has to be let out in blissful giggling..

But enough about that. You can forget I ever told you :) ;) :)

I'm superbly happy with my two new treasures, and wanted to write a post to let my Mom and Trudi know how much I appreciate their lovingness (umm..sure, that's a word!!!) and how it's very much a mutual feeling.

That's all. :) :) :)

“Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them-- that's the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting." ~L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

“The only thing I envy about a cat is its purr," remarked Dr. Blythe once, listening to Doc's resonant melody. "It is the most contented sound in the world.” ~L.M. Montgomery, Rilla of Ingleside

“There was something in her movements that made you think she never walked but always danced.” ~L.M. Montgomery, Rilla of Ingleside 

“Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it.” ~L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables 

“It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” ~L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables