I feel like...

... Like no one reads my blog. 

Do you? Do you read my blog? 

Sometimes I feel like I'm writing to only myself.

Like if I post a blog I picture it floating

out onto the internet, but no one's really seeing it.

Well... 

Except for me of course. 

So I would love more feedback from you, my dear readers...

Is there something I'm writing about that DOESN'T 

really fill your interests?

Or is there something your heart desires for 

me to blog about that I'm NOT writing?

Whatever it may be, I'd love to hear from you! 

Because after all, I'm writing things for YOU to read...

So it's very important that YOU enjoy it! :)

OOOH also, I think I'm going to have

a weekly poll... Does that sound good to all of you?

Check out this week's poll at the top of 

my sidebar... It's about cookies and worth the 

two seconds it takes to vote! :)

I've made a board where I've pinned some

of my favorite recipes I've posted...

 If you're on Pinterest, be sure to check it out! 

Also, comment below if you're on there...

I'd love to take a peek at your boards! 

-Sophie 

I am BACK!

, 

{Isn't this cute?! PINTEREST!!!}

Hey everyone!!!!

I'm happy to say that I'm pretty sure I'm back into the swing of things...  

After a month of lots of moving around and crazy flights! :) 

We got to our house here about a week ago and 

we started school on Tuesday. 

I've been having a lot of fun getting my room put together and 

seeing all the new stores, restaurants, etc. 

The other day a friend and 

I went "shopping" around town and went 

in a few fabric stores. I got two 

pieces of fabric, a zipper {I made my own wallet :)}, a bag of 

buttons, and some ribbon all for N$29! 

If you're wondering, the ratio here is N$7.50 to $1! 

So I got all of that for about 3 bucks! :)

I've also done some baking! I made banana bread the other day

and made some tortillas yesterday that are currently in the

fridge waiting to be fried! :) I'll post the recipe later! 

And while we were in Kenya I got introduced to Pinterest... 

3 words- IT. IS. AWESOME. 

I didn't really get around to 

using it while we were there, but 

since we got internet in our house yesterday

I've spent some time on it :) 

You can use it for anything!

 Recipes, house decorating ideas, crafts, makeup, hair, and nails, 

or even planning your wedding! 

{Not that I'm doing that anytime soon. hahah ;)}

I've found some super adorable hair styles and some

yummy looking recipes I'm hoping to try soon... :)

WELLLLLL I just wanted to let you

guys know YES, I'M STILL ALIVE! ha ha ha ;) 

I'll be blogging again soon. Don't worry! 

:)

We're home... Almost!

Well I haven't blogged in awhile! 

We left the seminary college on Tuesday morning and went back to the guest house we were staying at in Nairobi. Tuesday was the last night we had with our friends so went out to pizza which was fun :) The goodbyes however were not so fun... I'm missing all my friends already, but we're already making new ones! 

Wednesday afternoon we went to South Africa and spent the night at another missionary's guest house. Then yesterday morning we left South Africa and came to Namibia! We're currently in Windhoek, the capital, until Tuesday. Then on Tuesday we'll get to Otjiwarongo which is where we'll be living. It might be a couple days though before we get into our house.

We went to the "mall" today where we were pricing out some appliances, furniture, and that sort of thing for our house. I found some familiar brands {Maybelline, L'Oreal, Billabong, Element, Nike, and MUCH MORE} in the stores there which was awesome! For my birthday we're planning on going to the mall {which will be 2.5 hours away from where we'll be living} so I can spend my birthday money and go shopping! :) 

Just thought I should fill you guys in a little on what's goin' on! 

I'll blog more when I have some more time... 

Kenya Pics: Part 2

Hey guys! Well I'm sad to say that our time here in Kenya is almost over... :(  

For the past 3 weeks we've been staying at a dorm in Machakos where the parents {and us kids as well} have been getting trained for the years that lay ahead of us. 

It's amazing how close all of us have become... like one big family! :)

We've been with most of the people for almost a month, since we all left our home states. 

I'm very much dreading MORE goodbyes 

{though I thought it was impossible there could even be more.} 

We're leaving the college on Tuesday morning and then we'll stay in Nairobi 

{again... Where we were staying before} 

until Wednesday morning when we will be leaving for Namibia. 

I'm kind of excited, but mostly not, considering how long we've been with 

the same people in the same place and how close to the people 

and used to our surroundings we've become. But on the other hand, it's

exciting to know we will finally be able to settle down and stop moving around constantly!

I've had some pretty amazing experiences though... Like in Nairobi, I had a horrible toothache and when I went to the dentist, I was told I had to get a root canal! Not fun. But I lived! :) We also got to go to many markets, try some different foods, go on a safari, and meet some really cool people!

 I'm gonna miss this place.

My family half way up a mountain we climbed... It was really fun and had a B-E-A-U-TIFUL view! :) 

Me and my mommy rocking' the long skirts. Oh yes! ;)

Me, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Shyanne

Shyanne and I at the top of the mountain!

It got SUPER hot that day and since we were almost 

done and had some leftover water... WATER FIGHT! 

The fabrics they have here are AMAZING!!! I got 2 pieces for 300 shillings or about $3.50! Then I got both of them made into skirts for 600 shillings each or $7... So I got two skirts for about $11! :)

Well I guess that's all I shall post for now! I have more pics, because we went on a safari a couple days ago and I got some really cool ones! I'll try to post them soon! :) 

Cyber hugs from Kenya!

Kenya Pics: Part 1

YAY! I'm so happy you are all going to be able to see my pictures from Kenya! I have A LOT so first, I'm going to share my more photography type ones and then I'll eventually get around to posting the rest... Enjoy! :)

{Papaya Tree}

{This is the view from where we stayed in Nairobi}

{A fence at the top of a mountain we climbed}

{Mandasi... My new favorite food!}

{Samosas}

{The view from the college we're currently at in Machokos}

{A broken brick wall from the top of the mountain}

We're here!

Sorry I haven't been able to blog for awhile! We've been so busy here in Kenya and when I was finally able to get around to it the internet decided to stop working! haha ;)

We got here on Friday night at about 11:00/11:30 pm. We're staying at a guest house where many of the other missionaries are staying as well. The weather has been around the 80's... Not super hot, but when you're come from Minnesota,  it's a shock, although we're getting used to it now(:

On Saturday we walked to Nakumats which is there version of a Wal*Mart... I found some Herbal Essence conditioner which for some reason made my day that I was able to find it there! It's the little things in life... :) I noticed that the culture here is very different! In so many ways I can't even list....

Every afternoon at 3:00 we have tea time! In the dining room, they set out coffee, chai, and treats for us to snack on... My favorite was the mandasi... It's kind of like a donut in the shape of a triangle... I would love to have one right now! :)

Yesterday, we went to the church that was right next door to where we're staying... Most of it was a worship service, and some of the songs they sang in their language, Swahili. And I don't know any Swahili except for "Jambo" which means hello. haha(: They had a cool market going on as well but I didn't go... My dad did and he got me an awesome bracelet(:

I'm having way more fun than I thought here... We've been playing soccer with some of the kids that live around here with a deflated basketball, but when my dad went to the market he got us a soccer ball to leave at the house of the kids to use. We've also been playing at a park outside and also TONS of card games with the other missionary kids... :) Although I love it here SO much, I'm happy this isn't the place where we will be living... because Namibia is going to be more "westernized"... I can't wait to get there and set up our house and put all my decorations in my new room!

I'm I was finally able to blog about it(: And don't worry- pictures shall be arriving soon!

What's up!

Hey guys!

So we've been in Georgia since yesterday!
It's been a tiring last couple of days though...
This morning I woke up with a sore throat
and stuffy nose. I felt super miserable today,
but I'm hoping it's going to pass over soon.

BECAUSE... tomorrow we're leaving for Kenya {Finally!!!!}
 Our flight is leaving at 5 I think and we're going to be in the
plane for 16 hours! Sounds not very fun, especially with a cold!
I'm really hoping I'm not going to get all plugged up! :P

Anyhoo... Today we were at the AIM {Africa Inland Mission}
headquarters getting all the last minute details squared away...
Us kids were doing some games and getting to know the other
MK's that we're going to be in Kenya with. I'm kind of excited
to leave though {despite the sickness} because we've been
waiting for this day for SO long! We have to have all of our
suitcases packed and into the lobby by 8:30 tomorrow morning!

I've been sitting in bed since about 5 layin' low, watching TV
in my jammies. :) My plan for the rest of the night is to watch
American Idol {which I haven't been able to watch at all yet
because I'm usually busy on Wednesday/Thursday nights!
EXCITED!!!} and then get some good sleep for all these
CA-RAZYYYYYYY days coming up!

SOO! Please pray for a safe flight tomorrow and for this horrible cold to pass!

Thanks and hopefully I'll be blogging from Kenya soon!

UPDATE!!!

Hey guys! So I thought I would let y'all know what's going on! ...

This last week or so has been very full of goodbyes
{or as we call them now- "see ya later"s} to all of our closest friends and family.
It's been really hard but in a way, it's been relieving because
 of all the build-up of anticipation for this adventure!

We've packed up our whole house and repainted it to tons
of dull colors we're not used to since someone
is going to be renting it. Today after church, we had to go
back home and say goodbye to our dogs which was probably
one of the hardest parts of this whole thing.
I know their new family will love them, but honestly,
probably not as much as our family did...

Tonight, we are at a hotel out by the Mall of America.
A few of our closest friends came and swam
with us and had dinner.... It was super fun(:

Tomorrow, we're planning on going
to the mall and our family is coming to the hotel tomorrow night.
Then on Tuesday morning, we leave
the comforts of good 'ol Minnesota!
Our flight is at 9 a.m. so we need to leave
 the hotel at about 6:50 a.m... Not too bad I guess! ;)

First, we're going to be in Georgia for about a day and a half.
The mission agency who is sending us has their
headquarters there so they are going to have a
"send-off" thing...
Then on Thursday, we are leaving the U.S.!
Our first flight is
from Georgia to Amsterdam {8 hours} then
Amsterdam to Nairobi, Kenya {another 8 hours!}
We're going to be spending about 3 weeks in Kenya for some training
and stuff like that...
After those 3 weeks in Kenya, we'll leave for Namibia!
I think we're going to be in the capital of Namibia- Windhoek for a couple days.
THEN FINALLY... Our final destination- Otjiwrango Namibia!

And that's that! Sounds busy and hectic, huh? It is!
I'm filled with so many emotions right now it's crazy!

Off to a good night of sleep in a fluffy hotel bed! ...

Something I've been keeping to myself...

Ok, I'm just gonna go right into it. Some of you may 

know this already. Some may not.

There's something I've chosen to keep to myself... 

My family and I are moving to Namibia, Africa to be 

missionaries for two years and we're leaving on January 31st. 

I'm {obviously} not out-of-my-mind-excited for this and 

didn't really feel like sharing that area of my life. 

Since I started blogging, we already knew we 

were leaving, and my blog turned into a new group of friends that 

didn't know that part about me. I honestly enjoyed talking

with other people and not having Africa coming up in 

every single conversation.

Now I'm beginning to feel guilty I've never shared this with most of you. 

Sometimes I feel sad, mad, worried, or anxious at the 

idea of leaving and was never able to blog about it!

NOW I CAN! 

I can't wait to share with everyone all of the pictures I'm going to be taking 

there and all of the cool things I'm going to experience...

Since the 31st is drawing so close, I probably

 won't be blogging very much...

At least not into the regular flow of things until 

about mid February to March. 

Here's the rundown:

On the 31st we are leaving Minnesota and 

going to Peach Tree, Georgia. 

We'll be staying at the mission agency {A.I.M.} 

headquarters for a couple days...

Then from there we are going to Kenya for some training with 

other missionaries before everyone goes their own ways. 

We'll be there for about 3 weeks.

Then after the 3 weeks in Kenya, we'll be headed to 

the capital of Namibia, Windhoek for a few days.

Then FINALLY to our home in Otjiwrongo, Namibia.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them! 

tot siens bokkie {Goodbye in Afrikaans, the Namibian language}

ACNE-BE-GONE!

For the past LONG TIME, I have struggled with oily , zitty skin... I know the feeling when your skin looks horrible and hurts so bad you don't wanna leave the house. Did you know 89% of teens, boys and girls, suffer from the same thing?! 

I am always on the lookout for good tips to get rid of acne and these are some of the best that work for me...

#1. KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF YOUR FACE!!!!

{I STRUGGLE WITH THIS ONE... :P}

Your hands and hair are home to lots of icky dirt and germs. 

I know it's tempting, but do your best to keep them away from your face

for minimal oil and dirt being transferred.

#2. DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!!

Water helps flush all those yucko dirt and toxins from your skin. Try to drink 8 8oz. cups of water each and every day to keep your skin looking and feeling fresh!

#3. SWEAT AND THEN WASH YOUR FACE!!!!

Be active! Dance, run, jump, shoot some hoops, do jumping jacks, attempt to fly- whatever gets your heart rate pumpin' and increases your blood flow. That increase the oxygen to your skin cells, making your skin look boooooo-tiful! Just make sure that after you sweat, WASH IT OFF!

#4. GET RID OF THAT THING A.S.A.P.!!!!

You know the feeling when you feel like Mount Kilaminjaro is about to pop out of your cheek... 

Make sure that you zap that zip as soon as you feel it comin'! What I use is rubbing alcohol {it dries out that oozy zit} or toothpaste works great as well!

#5. KEEP IT CLEAN!!!!

Be sure to wash your face {with good 'ol soap and hot water} in the morning and before bed, taking off all your face makeup. Also, changing pillowcases is always a good idea so that dirt and dust that accumulates over time doesn't travel  to your face. 

#6. CHOOSE WISELY!!!!

Be sure that whatever makeup you choose to put on your face is oil-free, causing minimal breakouts. I know I have made that mistake many times! When I've tried using concealer to cover it up in just ends up making the blemish a zillion times worse!!!

#7. EAT HEALTHY!!!!

BAD STUFF: fatty and sugary foods, and caffeine.

GOOD STUFF: fresh fruits {smoothies}, veggies {salads}, nuts, and seeds.

#8. FRESH AIR AND SUNSHINE!!!!

Sunshine increases the amount of Vitamin D in the body- an absolute essential for healthy skin. A little bit of fresh air and sunshine each day will also reduce stress and increase oxygen to the skin. 

#9. HOME REMEDIES!!!!

Last night I used lemon juice and sugar as a face scrub. Just squirt some lemon juice on a cotton ball, put some sugar on it, and scrub away all the dead skin and dirt.

I've also heard egg whites work great as well but I haven't tried it yet...!

I hope these tips help you guys! 

If you have anymore, I would love to hear them...

My opinion on... MAKEUP!!!

Hey girls! 

I thought I should share with you my view on makeup... 

As a thirteen year old girl I don't wear truck-loads of makeup like some people do and I definitely don't love the look... However, I still do wear some makeup. It changes up pretty much every day, but I try to stay to the neutral side of town... 

I  pretty much always wear mascara, occasionally some eyeliner, and if I feel like getting real crazy, maybe a little bit of eyeshadow. 

As far as face makeup goes, I sometimes wear pressed powder and when my skin is in an extra-sucky mood, a little but of concealer. I'm not a huge fan of bright orange skin and looking like a carrot so I try not to wear too much. (; If I don't have perfect skin, I sure don't want it to look like I do! 

That way if I don't feel like wearing any, people who see me won't be like

 "HOLY MOLY! WHAT HAPPENED TO HER PERFECT FACE?!"...

ha ha ha(=

... God gave me my face for a reason and even if I don't have perfect skin, I don't want to cover up what He gave me! 

I hate-  STRONGLY DISLIKE when people use loads of makeup. I'm not a huge fan of when people wear so much face makeup that it looks like if they were to start crying or sweating that it would all just drip off like a mask... Or when there's an inch of eyeliner under a person's eye. 

{I hope I'm not being to harsh!}

But I'm not saying there's anything wrong with wearing makeup! 

Every single girl is beautiful in their very own way. In fact, I SOOOO admire when I see a girl not wearing any makeup and showing off the beautiful face that she was given!

In my opinion, no one should use makeup as a coverup for what they have, but for a highlighter to show off what they already have. 

Just remember that you don't need makeup, nice hair, or shmancy clothes to be beautiful 

{even those are great things to have},

but that your true beauty comes from the heart, your actions, 

and the words that come out of your mouth.

"The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him

for he is your lord." 

Psalm 45:11

SOOOOO! That's all I have for today!(: 

Cute Quotes {my new "obsession"}

Geeze-la-weeze! I can't stop looking up those cute quotes with adorable pictures behind them!  I hope you guys enjoy them...! 

They just make me happy(:

{AWWWWWWWWW...}