I really wonder why young people like to stay up late with friends for several nights in a row, and then be miserable afterwards. Of course, I should know the answer to that question, because I'm one of those "dumb young people"....but it's just worth it, that's all I can say.

Thursday night some of my friends from IA came. We stayed up past midnight that night. Went shopping the next day, and then we went over to a program that the school children had in my church (about an hour away).

I stayed overnight at my friend, Lydia's house. Once again, I stayed up past midnight. I did get to sleep in until after 8, though. We eventually drug ourselves out of bed and got dressed and went down for breakfast. After breakfast we went out to her parents greenhouse (which is how they make their living). I've never been in it before. It was absolutely gorgeous in there. There were tons of different flowers and it was just like a rain forest--only it wasn't hot. We had to take the flowers off the geraniums, otherwise all the petals will fall off. It seemed awful to take off all those pretty blooms, but I guess if it makes the next ones stronger, it's worth it. I normally don't like geraniums, but those were really pretty--though, they still stank.

Then that afternoon was the church council meeting, which lasted for a little over 2 1/2 hours. My rear end was killing me after sitting on those hard wooden benches for that long.

I went back with another of my friends, Laura, to her place. She was having another girl there, so we went out and played with her ponies for a while.

After that we hurried in and got cleaned up and ready for volleyball! I do not play volleyball well when I'm tired. At all. I had really boring teams, too. I mean, I won some of them, but they were just ho-hum. And I always get stuck on a team with a dating couple. See, the dating girl of course gets to stand on the right side of her boyfriend so that she can set to him. I always get stuck on his left side, and for some reason (even though I'm sure it doesn't happen very often to anybody else) there's more girls than guys, and a girl gets put on my other side. Once in a while the guy will set to me, but not very often, and girls just aren't very much fun to play beside. There's not much satisfaction in setting to them, because it's very satisfying to see your set get used. I guess it's my cross to bear.

After volleyball and supper the fun really started. We had this all planned out beforehand. Laura and Charlesta (the other girl that was staying there) and I sneakedd out to the barn put the bridles on the ponies and went for a ride in the dark. For most of the ride we out in the field (kind of in a path thingy, but I couldn't really tell exactly what it was, because it was pitch black out there).

I was riding one of her younger ponies, Chipp (Chippewa). She doesn't get ridden much, so she was a little crazy at first. This was actually her first long ride. Pretty soon she settled right down, though. She reminded me SO much of Breez. She just had her ears forward and was charging right along like she was having FUN. That's just like Breez when Mom and I ride together. She loves going for rides with Banner.

It was so much fun. I've always wanted to ride in the dark like that. We didn't meet up with a single car on the road. Even if one was coming, we could have seen it from a long ways off and there's plenty of space to get off the road.

The next day was church and carry-in. And like always we stayed and stayed and stayed afterwards. I was SO tired and cranky and hot and thirsty, I felt like crying. Everybody else was ready to go home but Dad..... But eventually we left.

Today I made this card for the previously mentioned friend, Laura, who likes mustaches on guys. It's one definite thing we disagree on. I haven't given it to her, but I can't wait to see what she says.



Ariel