Singin' In the Rain!

It began to rain here (surprise!) , and within SECONDS my sisters, Molly and Allie, and I were completely drenched, and a deep river was running down the gutters and alleyway. We danced in the rain and had a dandy ol' time! So lovely! C=
Puddles!
Waltzing in the rain!
This is me, approximately five seconds after I left the shelter of my house.
Spring Street.

Club Lucy Liu!

A couple of girls from my ward, Cecilia and Gaby, invited me to go with them to the mall. Our favorite store was Club Lucy Liu, where we sat in the princess chair, had our fortunes told, sand along to the store's overhead music, and had uber lots of fun!Cecilia and me in the princess chair!
Gaby and me in the princess chair!
Sparkly sand. This was amazing!
The fortune-telling table. "Does he like me?" "Am I popular?" lol!
We spent at least an hour here!

Gene Stratton-Porter, Shipshewana, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio

A few weeks ago, my family drove up to Shipshewana, IN. This little rural town, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, has a flea market of a minimum of 1,000 stalls. We definitely have to go back up there on one of those days. Shipshewana has a large Amish population, and it was fascinating to see dozens of buggies pass by us on the road. (Rather, we passed them, because they are horse-drawn, and slower.) We saw several garages housing buggies, and several Pioneer-era style clothed women gardening in their front yards. We stopped into an outdoor store, where they had porch swings, life-size cabins that you could buy, swing sets, gazebos, and pretty much anything else you could imagine, even puppies for adoption. Puppies are so fletching adorable, especially the ones that don't get big, lol. My favorite was a black Pomeranian puppy the size of my hands together. It wouldn't stop nibbling on my fingers.

We got Amish-made ice cream for lunch. Mine was Amaretto Cherry: marcino cherries and chocolate chunks. Gotta have chocolate. It was delicious. Then we went shopping in an Amish-run grocery store. There were a lot of teenaged cashiers, and I wondered what sort of life theirs must be. Certainly not half as crazy as mine, the urban-er.

Then we went to the cheese and meat store, and tasted cheese and jerky and marshmallow-cream peanut butter. Cheese is next to chocolate in deliciousness, I swear. Especially homemade cheese. (I was convinced that the fudge/cheese bar would be heaven, but they didn't have samples of that.)

Then, since we were ten miles away, we drove over the Michigan border, and got our pictures taken by the "Welcome To..." sign. Then we drove over the Ohio border, getting our pictures by the sign. I have now been in 19 states! Next weekend, I think we might go Lake Michigan and play on the beach. Before it gets too cold.

This country really is beautiful. It's so lush and green and...vast. When the trees aren't canopying you, you can see for miles over the rolling hills. It's incredible. And it has the cutest houses. I mean, seriously. Colonial, beach-like, Victorian, you name it. When we buy a house, I want a white Georgetown Colonial with blue accents (door, windowsills) and hanging and window baskets with red flowers, a quaint walkway, smooth green grass and gigantic, leafy trees.

This outdoor dinner table rocked back and forth!A Buggie!




Then we went to the Gene Stratton-Porter home. She wrote "Girl of the Limberlost" in the 1800s. I am now reading it. The Stratton-Porter home is right on the lake and has a gorgeous flower garden with an ivy-covered arched pathway, all 1800-ish, and as I walked through it alone, I thought about how perfect a time it was for me to run inadvertently into a tall, strapping young suitor in breeches, with a thick British accent, who would take my arm and escort me through the garden, and we'd talk about horse-back riding and other such things that they would talk about in the 1800s. I felt like a Jane Austen heroine. If only I'd had an empire-waisted gown, instead of jeans.
After I read "Girl of the Limberlost" we'll return to the house to tour it. That should be fun.
The Ivy covered archway. If I wasn't LDS, I'd get married in an archway like this.
The garden.

My dad and his find: a puffball mushroom!
Gene's grave.

CHS Homecoming Game

A few kids from the ward invited me to the Carroll High School homecoming game.Me, Gaby, Jason, and Jessica!
Nathan---he says he can never smile normal in front of a camera!
Jessica---she let me hang out at her house before the game. She's so sweet!
The CHS band.

Saloman Farm Days

Saloman Farms, here in Fort Wayne, held a farm day with wagon rides, petting zoo, and other such things!We're definitely in Indiana!
With a pony!
With a calf!
Holding a piglet for the first time in my life! I'm in love!
A chick! This reminded me of when I was little, as we raised chickens.
My family and me in the hay wagon ride!

Cooking Indians!

I love to cook, and here's me making dinner. This was the first time my brother, who just returned from his mission, ever tasted the uber deliciousness of Indian food!
This is called, translated into English, "Shredded Turkey with Peas"

Me wearing my lovely red and white apron! (It's even more lovely with all the cooking stains on it!)

Day at the Park

My sisters and I went to the park, which is about two blocks down the street, just to hang out.
This is me, dizzy after the spinny thing. Can't remember what it's called...
My sister, Allie, and I recovering from a long spin.
Sight-seeing.
We are CRAZY!
So cute! I love them.

Catching Up - The Move

Here are a few pictures of my three-day/two night drive to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

My house!


Welcome to Indiana! (in the rain)
Welcome to Iowa!
At the gas station. Or, nowhere.
Welcome to Nebraska!

The Mid-West!
We stopped at the Winter Quarters temple to sight see. It was so pretty!Welcome to Wyoming!
In Stansbury, the morning of the move. From left: Stephanie, Kirsten, me, Molly, Allison

G'day!

I have created this blog as an easier way to describe my adventures in Indiana. Here, I can write about them, and also post PICTURES of them! I hope this proves more convenient for some.

Anyhoo, thanks!

Love Always,
Jillian