To me, it is still a narrow brick building with a mysterious welding shop beside it. It has a wooden flower box in the front window that Mom always tried to keep stocked with bright red geraniums. In the front room, employees have come and gone but there was always Freda Miller, at a desk somewhere in there. Then in the back of the front room was the most mysterious (and my favorite) place in the whole office. In the old days of paper tickets there was a mysterious machine that would print tickets and invoices without anyone even touching it. It was enchantment at first ticking. And on top of that, it was filled with office supplies. Oh, office supplies! So wonderful, and interesting. I would literally walk around the room, just listening to the ticking and watching the papers magically come out of the printer and looking at all the office supplies. I would imagine all the things one could do with them. And wonder what in the world those brown clampy things with fangs were.

And then there were the agents desks. Some of them had many mysterious and exciting things on them as well. On others, the only interesting things were the phones and headsets. (computers were quite boring, for some reason.) But the exciting ones had things like real live Post-It sticky notes on them. Mom never bought real, live, Post-It sticky notes. They were too expensive. We bought Office Max sticky notes. And then others had these mysterious little pink/yellow slips of semi-clear paper that was sticky on one half of the bottom part, and came out of this little dispenser that magically pulled the next on to the top. Sometimes if we would come there after hours I would sneak back to the agents desk and pull them out just because it was so fascinating. And then I would bury it deep in the trash can and creep guiltily back to Dad’s desk in the back and look at the file cabinets.

Behind the front room and ticketing room, there was a hallway. There was a bathroom first in the hallway, then there was a very small kitchen with the all important fridge. The fridge was all important because it usually contained pop, although a lot of the time it was diet. And then it was the back room where Dad worked. There was also a door leading from the back room to a side alley outside. That’s where we usually parked and then came in through that door. We got the VIP entrance ’cause we were Dad’s kids. In the back room there were very tall filing cabinets that had lots of important papers. I liked to pull out the bottom drawers (cause I could reach those) and look at all the papers and wonder what they meant.

That was the VA office to me as a little kid. Part II will be about the KS office and my experience working there.

Ciao Pues!

-Kristi

So we left Wal-mart several bandanas and a green thing richer. Then we proceeded to go garage saling, and shopping and eating until around 4 that afternoon. It was probably the longest, most awesome day I have ever had in Wichita.

So now I breeze around the house in my awesome green thing and run and hide whenever the Fed Ex guy comes because I look so preposterous in it. But I love it and so I am glad that I spent fifteen whole dollars on it instead of putting in my college fund.

Summertime rocks!

-Kristi

I am going to South Africa this summer. I am going to see a giraffe. In the wild.

I have finished my first dress ever in the world. My freshmen year is over (waah!) (yay!) (I kinda have mixed feelings about it). I miss Benji and Mia. I am fifteen, have one year to the youth group, two years to my junior year (eek!), and three years to eighteen. Three short years. Seriously, who told time to speed up as life gets older?

Justin. Maybe he was a little kooky. Maybe he was inspired and just praying out loud. Maybe he was just a regular guy ruining his lungs. He was sitting outside of Metro and I was sitting in the car like five feet away from him. I felt as though I should go talk to him. So I sat and cowered for a while then finally worked up the courage to go up to him. I decided I would start brilliantly with, “Hello, how are you doing?” he answered with a lil grin and we introduced ourselves and commented on the nice evening. Then he said, “I just wanna say, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” And I thought maybe I could minister to him (silly, proud little me).  I agreed quite heartily and he continued to say he prayed a lot and after running on the spiritual vein for a while, I asked if he lived in Hutch and he hesitantly said he lived in Buhler and was taking the train back there when it came at like three a.m.

We conversed a little while longer then with an “enjoy your coffee” I went back in the car. As I turned away I noticed that, judging by the rather large pile of cigarette stubs beside him, was on the last of his pack. As soon as I got back into the car, I thought of a million different things I should have said to him, the foremost of which was asking if there was anything that I might be able to do for him. But of course I was kinda scared about it becoming awkward so I kinda hurried away.

Just before we drove away, he came up to the window and kept a nice distance and told us several times that if we were uncomfortable with this then we should tell him right away, and he wondered if we would drive him to the train station because he didn’t have a car of his own (God used him to help himself even though I was too scared to help him). Thankfully, Hans was just about ready to leave and so while he went across the road to “get something” (aka buy some more cigarettes), Heidi went in and told Hans about the situation. He readily agreed and Justin got the ride I assume he was praying for and I got an incredible blessing.

You know what it made me think of? There are probably millions, literally millions, of opportunities for immense blessings like these but we miss them all the time because we are too scared, not sensitive to God, or sit around waiting for the “right” time (I did that once, and you know what? that contact might have made the difference for someone’s soul if I had obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I simply pray that God will somehow use my fear for good in that man’s life and that he will find God), but you know what? Now is the time. You are  never going to get any less scared, and (Warning: totally true cliche) courage is not the absence of fear, but it is doing something even though you are terrified. And I need to stop stalling cause “I don’t know what to say”, because God says He’ll give you the words to speak. I have about three billion miles to go in learning all this so this is just some of my thoughts. But I am responsible for every single person that doesn’t know about Jesus Christ. And I feel guilty for missing that one opportunity. Imagine the burden from millions of missed opportunities accumulated over a lifetime. Thankfully, God forgives those acts of disobedience, but that’s no reason to be static.

Who is your hero? I have a list of spiritual heroes, activist heroes (people who changed their world for the better), just plain cool heroes, and artistic heroes. Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever listed them quite like that. Does it embarrass you to tell your heroes (the living ones, that is) that they are your hero? To me, for some reason, it seems childish or like flattery. What do you think? Or is it just me being proud because I don’t want to tell them that they are so far ahead of me in whatever their area of heroism is? Anyhoo….

I am going to Africa, so I kinda have to finish getting ready (yay, yay, yay!).

Cheerio!

-Kristi

I still go out with Dietch and have huge complicated imaginary battles/adventures/rescues/sabotages/everything in between. Is this a sign of immaturity?  Should I be moving on to something more “grown up” for my outdoor recreation? Should I let Dietch have adventures by himself while I go on a walk? Or is it good for me to playact?

There was a point when I didn’t do go play with Dietch for a while and I found that it was hard to go back and come up with something to do. I was afraid I had lost some of my imagination and grown up a little too much. So after that I played with Dietch often.

However, also during that time I was drawing a lot and perhaps my imagination was being expressed more “maturely.” But now I am doing both a lot of drawing and playing with Dietch. I don’t know what that means, but yennyway.

Recently I have been thinking about what I am really doing with my life right now when I am 14 and 11 months old. I know I’m preparing myself for the life ahead and all that rot, but does that mean that I can or should just sit and eat, sleep, and go to school? I want to do something here in Reno County (or anywhere) to help someone or I don’t know just do something. I really don’t care much what it is, just something that will do a little bit to help someone and show them God’s love.

The big question is what? I can’t drive myself to town to help at the soup kitchen (or anywhere else for that matter). I’m not exactly a talented seamstress or anything like that. I can’t really even make money to give away.

But then I think, well, maybe I am just being discontent and I should just focus on getting better scores, becoming an accomplished pianist, and reading books to help me in the future. But then, just tonight I was reading a book about God’s will for us and it said to just do something. Stop waiting around and putting it off. The book was probably aimed at an older person, but why shouldn’t it apply to me too?

Anyway, I guess for now I’m just gonna have to do whatever I can to help me in the future.

Ciao,

-Kristi

Now, all I’m wondering is why the guys got long names and the girls only got short little names?

-Kristi

P.S. If I ever have an Amelia, I am definitely spelling her name Aemilia.

Yo world. Yo Sophomore Year. Yo Miss-15-years-old-almost-in-the-youth-group-already-has-your-permit-Kristi. Yo ’11 drama. Yo all the terrible things that will happen in 2011. Yo all the awesome music of 2011. Yo 2011.

Well, 2011 should be the best year yet. At least in the my little world.   I am looking forward to this summer like no summer before. Mostly because Heidi will FINALLY be home for good and she will not be traipsing off half way around the world or going to Bible School or engaging in  any other such occupations, Benji will be home for the summer, Hans will be home (unless he finds some deal to go to Antartica for 5 weeks that he just can’t resist), Dietch will be home because he can’t drive and Mom and Dad wouldn’t let him go gallivanting off to Narnia or anything, I will be home because I can’t drive (though I do hope Mom and Dad will let me go prancing off to North Carolina to visit my 3/4 sister for a couple of weeks), and Mom and Dad will be home unless of course they decide to go trotting off to New Zealand for their 25th anniversary (which Mom has been dreaming about for 15 years). And that, my friends, is the reason that this summer should be exceptionally good. And so here are a few things I would like to do in 2011:

Visit Mia-my-dear, for two weeks or more =)

Get good scores in Math

Read a bunch of old books like The Inferno by Dante

Eat escargo

Tell the most wonderful people in the world that I love them

Get a better handle on politics

Lose weight (haha)

Discover an awesome book (already accomplished that [thanks Benj])

Develop a greater appreciation for poetry

Learn more about world history

Develop a closer relationship with God

Read the Bible more frequently

Learn how to witness better

Go somewhere new

Meet lots of new people

So Cheers to the new year and the changes that will come.

Yo.

-Kristi

Typing Class

As soon as the bell rings for the end of Bible reading the Freshmen make a general stampede for the Typing room where they proceed to turn on their computers and get into Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, all the while making conversation. Soon it settles down to mostly a constant stream of chit-chat and giggles from the corner where Kristyne and Carol abide. Jonny perks up suddenly and tells us a interesting little story to which MJ says “Duh Jonny” and Marsha just giggles. Shawn adds his two cents and Nathan pronounces us all insane while Mrs. I looks on with amusement and Carolyn just keep on typing and Andrew tells us to shut up cause he can’t think when we’re all yelling. I add a comment or two, which Shawn and Nathan both protest and Carolyn agrees very strongly with. MJ stops typing to very pointedly roll his eyes at me and Mrs. I tells him to keep the eyes on the screen.

There is a lull (except for the constant chattering from the corner), when Marsha reminds me to keep my eyes off the keyboard and on the screen, and Jonny suddenly jubilantly shouts that he got 25 WPM on that lesson. We all say Congratulations very unenthusiastically, and MJ goes off on a rant about how much he hates Mavis Beacon and how she teaches us evolution and how good little Mennonites like us shouldn’t have anything to do with her and that we should just all get someone else to type for us. All of a sudden Nathan lets out a whoop and tells us in very excited tones that he just beat the shark game, without cheating (looking pointedly at me), and I inform him that it isn’t cheating that much to look at the keyboard when your playing a game. Sadly Mrs. I informs me otherwise so my blissful ignorance is shattered. Andrew says that he’s beat the shark game several times but the computer always locks up as soon as he gets to the treasure. MJ thinks it’s because the computer is so astonished. Carolyn starts to read about the murderous penguins in the paragraph she is typing when she is interrupted with a despairing sigh from Marsha who says she got the Constitution one for the 4^th time that day. Shawn says she should be thankful that at least she isn’t way behind because her stupid computer didn’t work at first.

At break Lilly comes in and we all laugh at the very altered picture of Mavis Beacon on Andrew’s screen while we put our screen savers to Marquee with various renditions of Work Hard Party Harder scrolling across our screens. Marsha very unpatriotically writes GO WILDCATS!!!!! instead. Then some of us very sneakily get into paint and draw various things while Mrs. I reads us a news item explaining all the terms we might not understand. Some of us (those who are better multi-taskers than others or those who are actually paying attention), answer her thought-provoking questions while others look a tad clueless, all however try to keep her engaged so we go overtime on the break. Soon however we all get back to work and a similar scene to that was earlier described once more takes place. So that is a small and unexciting glimpse into typing class because if we would reveal all the awesome and hilarious things that go on in there you would all come running to get in on some of it (some of that and some of the candy that benefactors send). But seriously how could awesomeness not pervade a room in which the super amazing freshmen grace with their presence?

-Kristi

P.S. As you can see my dearest Isabella, you truly inspire me. I even have Kristoph as my typing name.

10 Things I’ve Done This Week

1. Laughed at Eugene, Connie, and all the other people in Adventures in Odyssey

2. Did corn.

3. Had Brandy, Jessamy, Kenya, and Marian over for a swimming party.

4. Acquired a Yorkie puppy named Toto.

5. Gave Toto baths.

6. Heard some wonderful things from Raymond Burkholder.

7. Saw Carol again at long last.

8. Had tomato sandwiches.

9. Had my interview with the ministers. :0

10. Went swimming multiple times resulting in a rather painful sunburn.

Now….

10 Things That Make Me Happy

1. Doing donuts with the mower.

2. Making pie with Grandma.

3. Sitting down and eating with my whole family.

4. Playing volleyball in the rain.

5. When someone opens the door for me.

6. Music.

7. Ice-cream.

8. Meeting new people or people that I have heard about but never met before.

9. A wedding invitation and/or going to a wedding.

10. A newly mowed lawn.

And last but not least I am going to put in a sales pitch for Michelle Beachy and Christy Smucker’s new book “Marital Bliss With a Kiss of Reality.” If you are a new bride or a soon-to-be new bride I would suggest reading this (or if you are a girl that randomly picks up your Mom’s books and reads them because your new book hasn’t arrived from Amazon yet). Well, I hope you enjoy this short and (hopefully) sweet post.

Cheerio!     -Kristi (otherwise known as a big green giant)

At this wedding I pretty much stuck with Mom and Dad (something that I don’t do terribly often in this community of wonderful friends my age), which made for a very interesting, and, indeed, enlightening time. I met lots more people (always interesting), heard lots of more varied conversations, re-met people who knew me “oh-so-well” but that I, unfortunately, did not know, and observed many fine specimens of the human race as they talked, looked lonely/bored, or dissembled the reception. Altogether it was a very uplifting and illuminating time. I should do it more often but, then there is the occasional conversation that is so altogether boring that you are really very glad when your dear friend comes and gives you a good reason to slip away.

While we were waiting to be ushered out of the sanctuary and into the receiving line Harry Shenk came up to me and said “There was a poem on the wall of my classroom and it reminded me of you so I thought I would copy it and share it with you.” It was so thoughtful of him and I really appreciated the poem so I thought I would share it with you so you could appreciate it too.It follows:

The gum-chewing girl and the cud-chewing cow

Are strangely alike and yet different somehow.

But what is the difference? I think I know now:

It’s the clear, thoughtful look on the face of the cow.

Doesn’t that just warm your heart? Yes, I was chewing gum. But I didn’t know it was that obvious . Abner Schmucker was also chewing gum in front of me so we decided that if I was the girl then he must be the cow .

Well the day has ended and it is now the next day so it is past time for me to go to sleep. Sleep! Ah! My beautiful sleep! So for now,

Adieu,

-Sir Kristoph (otherwise known as Kristi), the ever faithful and humble servant of Lady Isabella.

P.S. Feel free to get married and invite me to your wedding.

Life is sorta sad and lonesomish. Heidi is gone to Mexico and I am missing her terribly. And one of the  sweetest elderly ladies ever just took her journey to the everlasting land (she also is one of my best friends grandma).

But, life isn’t  bad and there are really good times . Like sleepovers and surprise birthday parties. And hello! it’s summer and unless things are seriously wrong summer is a good time.

The Chronicles of Narnia are the coolest books ever! I just got done re-reading most of the series and fell head-over-heels in love with them once again. C. S. Lewis is a genius, I do believe.

Speaking of books, here is an awesome quote from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: “Everything here is eatable. I’m eatable. But that, my children, is called cannibalism. And it is frowned upon in most societies.” -Willie Wonka. Another cool quote, “I love drama it’s so dramatic!” I’m afraid I don’t remember the name of the excitable person who said the aforementioned quote. Oh, and one more, from Wives & Daughters, “I’m not saying she was silly, but one us was silly and it wasn’t me.” -Squire Hamely.

If you haven’t ever read or watched Bridge to Terebithia you really, really should. It is awesome! And if you like that then you should also read Gone-Away Lake and Return to Gone-Away, because they are seriously awesome. Those books just about epitomize what I wanted to happen to me when I was younger (and right now). Oh, and btw if any of ya’ll know of any other books like that I would love to read them. Kinda along the same lines, I have some money that I want to spend on books so I’m looking for good suggestions. I enjoy the story kind andsometimes the more interesting (entertaining is maybe a better word) “grown-up” or philosophical, non-story books.  Now I sound like a classified ad .

Well, cheerio! Have a good life!

-Kristi aka Kik