Abbiee's Early Writings Tag | Horrendous Books I Wrote as a Child (and what I learned from them)

I am working on getting back into the swing of blogging, and I thought a tag would be a great way to help with that! As it happened, Hailey Hudson at Now All I Know is Grace tagged me in Abbiee's Early Writings Tag!

OK, first of all, Abbiee is a genius for coming up with this tag, and it is a hilarious post to read! (It also makes me feel a lot better about the terrible stories I wrote when I was younger, and I needed that. :p) In this tag, I will expose my terrible stories to the world and talk about what I learned from them. I hope you are excited, because I am about to publicly embarrass myself.

I started writing when I was quite young...probably around seven or eight years old. In my mind, my stories were the BEST BOOKS EVER, and I had the dream of being a famous author. (still hasn't happened, but we'll get there.. :p) My books were very short...mainly because 1.) I wrote all of them by hand in a notebook, and 2.) I didn't have the patience to let the story develop because I was so excited about the ending.

1. The Adventures of Robert Anderson
This book was actually the first in a series of four, and I was extremely proud of them. I changed a few details, but definitely copied a different book series that I was obsessed with at the time. However, I got very upset if any of my well-meaning siblings told me that I was copying. :p
The book is about a boy named Robert Anderson. *surprise, surprise* He was an only child, so his parents decided (very randomly) to adopt a sister for him. As a little kid, I thought the adoption process consisted of walking into an orphanage, picking a kid, signing papers, and leaving with them. (very concerning, I know) The girl they adopted was named Jessica. Later on, they end up adopting another boy, who I decided was Jessica's long-lost brother, and I wrote a very emotional and tear-jerking *cough cough* chapter about it.
The rest of the books consisted of the mother having twins, the kids finding a secret tunnel in their basement, Jessica getting lost at the zoo (based off of when that happened to me), and their cousins becoming their neighbors. It was bad. Really bad. But through the cheesy cliches of my "famous writings," I learned a few things.

- Never copy another writer's work

- Make your characters have flaws. Mine were sickeningly perfect

- The adoption process is more complicated than I thought

-Secret tunnels are not in everyone's basements

2. The Life of Jessica Marie Stewart

This story was similar to the Robert Anderson book I wrote, but from the perspective of the orphan. Jessica was adopted by an older, rich couple with no other kids at home. This was a classic example of when I made the middle of the book boring and rushed the ending, because I thought it was amazing. There is a surprise ending with the couple's son-in-law finding out that Jessica is actually his biological sister. Again, another one of my weird "emotional surprises" that I loved to put into books. :p

What I learned:

- Never rush the ending of a book

- Not everyone has a long-lost relative

-Not all rich people have maids doing everything for them

- Some books are better left in the imagination

3. Called By God

This book. This was the one that I was SURE would be published someday. I got SO mad at my sister when she told me that I misspelled a bunch of words and had bad grammar. Looking back at it, I can only laugh. It is terribly written.

The story is about a guy who grew up and decided (very last minute) that he wanted to be a missionary. He told his parents and left the next day for college. He and one other student were the only ones to make it, and (surprise surprise) they got married.
The rest of the book is basically about them going to the jungle and becoming missionaries to the people of a village there. By the end of the book, the entire village was converted. However, I didn't want it to be too cheesy, so I had the witch doctor run away and never come back. I wanted to make sure it didn't have a 100% happy ending, you know?

What I learned:

- You can't just walk into a Bible school on a whim and get a degree

- Generally, more than 2 people graduate from college

- Heartwarming stories are great, but there is a certain level of unrealistic that should be avoided

After writing those books, I started, but never finished another one. I didn't really do any writing for years after that, and in the past few years I have just gotten back into it. Hopefully my current novel will turn out better? :p

OK, so now it's time for me to tag 5 other people! I tag...

Abigail @ Ups and Downs
Grace Anne @ Totally Graced
Ellie @ A Bounce in Your Step
Hannah @ Grace in Everything
Hannah @ Ink Blots and Coffee Stains

This was a really fun (and embarrassing!) tag to do! Thank you so much for tagging me, Hailey! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)

Have a lovely day! ♥

6 Reasons Why I Love Traditions (and why you should too)

I love traditions. In fact, I don't think I have ever met somebody who doesn't! They are the little (or in some cases, quite big!) things that each family/individual/group does regularly that makes life that much more fun. Some traditions are passed down through many generations, and some are particular for one person, but since I was little, traditions have always been a big thing in my family. From getting together with the same people for Thanksgiving every year to fruitcake baking, we have always had some sort of tradition. Holidays are generally the time when many people have certain traditions that they love, so I put together a list of six reasons why I love them. (And why you should too, because they really are the best.) 

1.) They are something to look forward to

Whenever you have a set tradition, it is something that you can look forward to. Anticipation for something is half the fun of doing it, and there is so much excitement when the real thing finally comes.

2.) They are something to look back on

Even if the tradition only lasts for a little while, it is still a memory, and something that you can look back on fondly. And who knows...if/when you have your own family, you can begin your own traditions and carry them on!

3.) They are fun and whimsical

The idea of traditions is carrying something out that started a long time ago. There is something so whimsical about it, and you can hear and tell the memories about the years past while you make new ones.

4.) You always look forward to starting new ones

After having traditions to look forward to for years and years, of course you want to start your own someday! (If you haven't already!)

5.) They bring people together

When you are a part of a family/group tradition, you are enjoying the same thing together at the same time, and it really brings people together. You can look forward to it together, plan it together, and when the time comes, you enjoy it together. People are the most united when they have something in common, and traditions are a great way to achieve that!

6.) It is creative and original to you/your family

Most of the time, when you have a tradition, it is a completely original thing. And even if other people do it, it is never exactly the same as yours. You have your own unique way of doing things, and that is super fun.

If you have some ideas that you just haven't gotten around to starting yet, do that thing. Enjoy your traditions, and always be making new ones! You'll love it...I promise. :)

Speaking of traditions, Secret Santa is a big Christmas tradition! Vanessa over at Simply Me is hosting a fabulous blogger Secret Santa gift exchange!! If you are a blogger, you should sign up by the 11th if you want to participate!! 

                                                 What do you love about traditions?

 Do you have any that are completely unique to you?

~Megan ♥

 

12 Things Every Large Family Kid Knows To Be True

There's nothing quite like the large family life. Between the staring strangers, messes, laughing and chaos, there is always fun. And there is never a dull moment. If you have many siblings (or kids), I'm sure you can relate to what I'm about to say, but if you don't...well...here's a little peek into what it's like to live in a large family. Enjoy! :)

 1.) It's noisy. All. The. Time.
Perhaps the dog is barking, somebody is either crying or laughing, or someone else is banging a spoon and a pot lid "making music." And finding a quiet place to study or read? Yeah...not happening.  
 
2.) You don't really know how to cook in small quantities
After becoming so used to doubling (and sometimes even tripling) recipes, it really takes some serious calculating to make a small batch of anything. Just the thought of having to shop and cook for less than five people sounds like a challenge! 

3.) When you play board games, you almost always have teams
Very few games have enough pieces for everyone to have their own, so it's either Apples to Apples, Monopoly, or everyone doubles up. There also may be a few games on the shelf with homemade pieces, because it really doesn't make a difference if you can just change up the rules a bit!

4.) The mountains of laundry
 The laundry never ends. It's a constant cascade of dirty clothes coming from who-knows-where that somehow ends up clean at the end of the day. I really respect the people who had to wash all of their clothes in a river before washers and dryers came around! Those appliances are large family life-savers!

5.) The looks from strangers everywhere you go
You become used to the gaping mouths when the kids climbing out of that van just keep coming...and coming...and coming. And you are always prepared to answer when you are asked, "Are you all really siblings?" for the billionth time. 

6.) Calling "dibs" on everything
Whether it's the front seat in the car, the next round of Mario Kart, or the last piece of cake, you better call dibs, or it may not be there in five minutes!

7.) Family photos are close to impossible
With a "let's all get in closer!" here and there, everyone will at least all be in the picture. Several pictures must be taken, however, because somebody isn't smiling, or somebody else blinked. You can only hope that there is at least one good one, but there are no guaranties.   

8.) You constantly get mistaken for your younger siblings' parent
You pretty much have a default reaction of smiling nicely and nodding when people make comments to you and your younger siblings such as, "You have such cute kids!" and "Are you being good for Mommy?" All the while, you are trying your hardest not to laugh at how crazy it would be if you were actually their parent!
 
9.) You can focus in almost any environment 
I think this should be considered a superpower. Sure, the vacuum is running and the kids are playing a noisy game of hide and seek, but you really have to study and focus, so somehow you have just learned to tune things like that out. Occasionally, quiet does become necessary, and the closet ends up being the only place to re-gain your sanity. 

10.) Being on time (or even better, early!) is a huge accomplishment
"Don't worry! We won't be late." "Wait, where are my shoes?" "Oh, I forgot my coat." "We're missing someone!" 
Sometimes, the best thing to do it plan to leave a long time before you actually have to, and you may end up leaving on time! Who knew coordinating so many people to go somewhere could be so difficult? :p 

11.) Nothing "family sized" is truly family sized
Almost everything advertised as "family size" is usually bought in double or triple quantities. Buying in bulk is the only way to ensure that you will only need one of something, so the majority of the groceries are bought at Sam's Club! 

12.) You wouldn't trade it for anything
No matter how many disagreements and squabbles you have, you all still love each other to death. You share years packed full of inside jokes, memories, and difficult times that were walked through together. Each of you have learned not only how to get along with a wide range of personalities, but also how to work on a team and accomplish things together. There is an incredible bond between you all that will be there for the rest of your lives. No matter what life throws at you, you can always find a huge web of support in your very own family.


I really love living in a large family. Yes, more often than not, it does seem like a tribe of monkeys, but the laughter and love that fills our home adds quite a bit of adventure and fun to life! I love each and every one of my crazy, noisy, but oh-so-awesome siblings! You guys rock! :) ♥

 

   ~Megan ♥

*picture via Google

Awk & Awe Tuesday | pushing on a pull door, losing desk keys, and midnight inspiration.

This is the first time ever that I have done one of these posts! It is a ton of fun, so I will most likely be doing more of these in the future!
I have seen one or two of these posts before, but I mainly got my inspiration from a Blogger friend of mine: Michaela over at Quaintrelle!If you haven't seen her blog yet, go check it out for sure. Her writing style is beautiful, and she has a really cool blog! She recently did this Awkward and Awesome post, which I found really fun to read, and it inspired me to go ahead and put together one of my own. It's not easy admitting some of the really dumb things that I do, but if it makes you laugh at least a little, it has accomplished its purpose. :)

*me and my crazy awesome family. This picture gives you a glimpse into what our house is like every day! :)

*Awkward*

~ Bear-hugging a huge bush while walking down the sidewalk. In my defense, I was distracted by a gorgeous dog in someone's yard. I will say that it was quite embarrassing though... :P

~ Walking into a door. Well, that happened for about the 435,293 time. Not only that, but in my haste to smoothly cover it up, pushed on the door, only to come face-to-face with a sign that says "Pull to open." Yeah, ok, so maybe I'm kind of a klutz....

~ Losing the key to my writing desk...after putting it in a special place "where I could find it easily." Admit it, though, this has happened to everyone at some point. Thankfully, I found it shortly afterwards, but I was really worried for a day or two!

~ A camera with no memory card. Sadly, the memory card for my camera was misplaced, and I didn't realize it until I took the camera somewhere to take pictures and could only take about ten of them. I know now that I need to check for a memory card before I take the camera!

~ Mistaking strangers for friends. Oh, the embarrassment...at least they ignored me completely, and I was the only one that felt the awkwardness from calling them someone they definitely were not. Oops.. :P

~ Literal "Hot Potato"...complete with dancing across the kitchen and burned fingers. Note to self: do NOT take a freshly cooked sweet potato out of the microwave with your bare hands next time. It isn't very comfortable.... :P

~Awesome~

~ Cemeteries. Ok, maybe it sounds a little weird, but I really enjoy cemeteries. Reading the different headstones is extremely interesting, and it can be a very thought-provoking experience. In my experience, cemeteries have gone from creepy to really cool.

~ Watching the moon. There is something so peaceful and breathtaking about curling up in my giant round chair on a cloudless night and watching the moon out my window. It is my #1 solution for when I can't sleep, because it works amazingly, and I'm asleep within minutes. ♥

~ Ghiradelli chocolate chips! We found a bunch of semi-sweet chocolate chips that are lactose/dairy free! So far, I've only been able to find them at Sam's Club, and they are only $3 there. Yep, I'm outrageously happy. :)

~ Playing piano every day. This was one of the things on my monthly To-Do list, and I love it. It's very rejuvenating and relaxing. I'm hopefully starting up piano lessons again soon, so I'm really excited about getting back into the habit of daily practice.

~ Finishing a big project. Basement closet = done! Now I've just got the task of finishing up my own, and I'll be doing good. There is an awesome feeling that goes with finishing a huge organizing or cleaning project. That may be why I love it so much!

~ Hitting the "Publish" button on a blog post. I hope you enjoyed reading this, and you weren't bored out of your mind! I really enjoy blogging, and I really want the people who read my blog to enjoy it too. Leave a comment if there's something new that you want me to do, or what your favorite things to see are. I will absolutely welcome suggestions.

_________________________________________________________________________

Now it's your turn! 

Comment below with your "Awkward and Awesome" stories, or write a post of your own and link it below! 

Much, much love,

                                                      ~Megan ♥

P.S. I am still doing the Photo-a-Day challenge this month, and I will do a giant post of all of my pictures at the end of the month! :)