Shawn & Derek's Journey {DWTS:All Stars}

I don't know if any of you are Dancing with the Stars fans. The only reason I'm one is because of Shawn Johnson (with  Mark Ballas on Season 8) and with Derek Hough for this past AMAZING All Stars season!! I watched every dance they performed this season and every single dance blew me away. Derek's coregraphing is fabulous and the two of them together is just crazy AWESOMENESS! I'm sooo sad the season is over, and even though #TeamShawnough came in 2nd place, in my mind they were the real winners.

So, enjoy this video made by a fan that Shawn retweeted! It shows all the highlights and greatness that were Shawnough.

Now excuse me as I go teach myself the Bangra...

Love,

Manda

*p.s. i would just like you all to know that I do not condone with some of the dance moves played out on the floor, and I don't condone with most of Shawn's outfits for DWTS.*

1st Post of the Month {December}

Can you believe its here already? December? Soon to be Christmas in like three weeks?!?!? I can't.

This past Thursday was my high school choir's Christmas concert. Instead of having it in the high school gym like we usually do, our choir director decided to have it in the church auditorium, which everyone loved wayyy more!! It felt more like a concert. :) Here are some pictures, and one video my mom took of my favorite song.

//Me and Andrew//

Can I just say that everyone (the girls) hate the dresses we have to wear? They are like from the '80's and absolutley horrendous. I always say I feel like an old lady going to a funeral! :/

//Emily, me & Sarah//

//Emily, Natalie, me, and Sarah//

//what i wore today to ring the salvation army bell at the mall. #servicehours.//

 

And I was going to post a video of my favorite song 'Sure on this Shining Night' that Mom took, but its not working. So sorry!! :/

Love,

Manda

Unexpected Findings

Wal-Mart has treasures, you just have to take the time to look.

I know a lot of people who think Wal-Mart is gross and for only poor, low-down people or whatever, and that's NOT true!! I also know many people who shop at Wal-Mart for practically everything, and its almost like their second home (my family is like that!). :) You can find REALLY good deals there.

So this afternoon my mom and I went shopping, to return a sweater my grandma had gotten me for Christmas but it didn't fit. (We did Christmas with my dad's parents after Thanksgiving this year because we won't see them for Christmas.) So we went to return it, and in exchange found two pairs of colored jeans my first ever pairs!!! and a gray and black leapord beret. JUST LIKE GEORGIE HENLEY'S.

Yeah you betcha I was flippin happy!!

//my deep apple-red jeans//

Oh, and I already have my Christmas Day outfit planned based off these ^^ jeans!

//my eggplant colored jeans//

//my amazingly awesome Georgie hat look-alike!!!//

So that's my most recent haul, I guess. :) I usually don't have a pocket full of money, but today I did!

What are some recent purchases you've bought and loved??

Love,

Manda

Summed Up

We serve a great God, do we not? I'm sooo thankful that the Lord led my family to Ohio. I'm blessed to attend the greatest church and youth group, and to have found some of the greatest friends here, too! *you know who you are* I tend to be negative and to look for the bad things in life, but really, I should be rejoicing and praising Jesus for all He's blessed me with!!! I need to remind myself to look for the little blessings in life, because they are out there, you just gotta be lookin for 'em! :)

Also, a huge thanks to all the kind comments and love I got on my last post!! I just needed to get that subject off my chest. :)

In other news, Thanksgiving is almost here!! Ohmygoodness. I'm so excited to get to see my family who live so far away from us!! And of course I'm excited for all the amazing food, too.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? And anything I could be praying about for you??

Much love,
Manda

Prepare Yourself - Beause I'm About to Vent

I would like to know why I rarely get any comments. Would someone like to please explain??? I just posted two nice picture-filled posts (and my last post was one filled with high-quality, edited pictures, too!!) I have 62 followers but out of that 62 followers, about only five to ten of you atually leave comments! Why are you following my blog if you aren't going to leave a comment now and then?? Are you following me just to be a creepy stalker or something?? Like seriously, its really getting on my nerves.

When I follow people, my intention is to read about their daily lives and to leave nice li'l notes at the bottom of their posts. I don't leave comments for every, single post they write, but for the most part, I leave comments on most of their posts.

And as I've said before, my blog is not a photography blog. I don't have an expensive, super high-tech camera, and I don't plan on ever buying something like that. My point and shoot camera works just fine for me. If some of you are expecting posts filled with pictures most of the time, that's prolly not gonna happen, just because I'm not a photographer. But when I go to events (like last night's youth event) I do take my camera and take some pictures, just for memory's sake.

Please people, I want feedback!! Do you know (to those of you who regularly post) how depressing it is to have been blogging for years, and when you post a nice long post with pictures I might add, and to not get any comments whatsoever??? It makes you seriously think about quitting blogging!

When I post on here, I want people to leave me opinons, suggestions, etc. on what they thought of my post, what they liked or didn't like. I want to know if there's anything you guys would like to see me post about! And please people, seriously, BE HONEST. I don't want you guys to be faking what you think of my posts (not that you are!) but I want you to be honest. That's all I ask. Is to be honest, and to give me feedback. Please. I do thank my faithful comments and followers like Kendra, Marie, Hans, Allie, Mack, and Jo who faithfully comment on here and make me feel like I'm something in this blogging world.

And I apologize if I offended anyone. Yes I'll be sad if I lose some followers after this post, but I was being honest and telling y'all what I think and feel.

Thanks for listening.

Love,
Manda

The Price Is Right {Added from FB}

*creds to the wonderful katie for all these great pictures!!*

//my amazing youth pastor andrew, & his wife katie! love them both soo much! they are such blessings in my life//

//left to right: erin, hans, allie, heather, & me//

Okay story time!! So, right before this ^^ picture was taken, Katie and I were walking down the steps, and suddenly I just tripped. I practically knocked both of us over, and I was holding on to Katie so hard I thot we were both gonna go down, but she held me up and said, "I gotcha." So we didn't fall, and had a good laugh about it afterwards. It was pretty embarrassing tho!! The reason I tripped was cuz of these babies:

Hahaha Katie and her love of shoes....

Anyways!! Soo, I hope you weren't totally bored looking thru all these crazy amounts of pictures, but I had to share them with ya, cuz it was such an AMAZING night spent with my friends and my awesome youth group!! :) 

Oh, and one more thing - right after I prayed that my ticket would be called to get some money, what do I hear but my ticket number! I jumped up, leaving my camera and my ticket on my seat, and rushed forward (as fast as I could in my wedges) and was about to grab the money from Adam's hand, and he's like, 'Where's your ticket'? I left it on my seat! So I rushed back and Lauren handed me my ticket and then I went back up front and received $5!! I was so happy. So now I'm not flat broke anymore. lol

Love,

Manda

The Price is Right {Youth Event}

Tonight from 7 - 10 was a youth event at the chapel. I got soo many awesome pictures, so I had to share them with you! And also, when Katie *hopefully* puts the pictures from her awesome expensive camera, onto FB, I will then add those, too. :)

*WARNING: PICTURE OVERLOAD!*

//hans and me//

//me and mercy//

//me, lauren, & hans//

//miss m., me, & hans//

//miss m., kels, me, & hans//

//allie & me//

//me and twinnie andrew//

//me and my peace-lovin friends//

//me and allyson//

//me and rach//

//katie and i. katie's the best youth pastor's wife ever!!//

//mr. s., katie, & me//

//katie, kels, me, & courtney. & p.j. photobombing...//

//me and courtney... and p.j. again...//

//sami and i//

So there ya have it folks!!! My 70s themed crazy night!! :)

Hopefully Katie's FB pictures to come soon!

Love,

Manda