Johanna Speaks

On Monday, Nov 9th, I took my first behind-the-wheel driving test. I took it in Redding, but everyone I've talked to said they took theirs in Red Bluff because it was easier and you don't have to deal with busy downtown Redding. 

I took my written test and did all my driving lessons in Redding, so I thought I'd do my driving test there too. But I do hate the downtown Redding lights because they are so confusing. That's what really stresses me out. 

In the days leading up to the driving test, I was totally calm and collected, not worrying about a thing. Jk, I was freaking out and thinking that I was definitely going to fail. 🙂 I prayed every day that God would get me through it and help me pass. And if I failed, that I wouldn't be too disappointed but would keep learning how to drive better. Well, He definitely answered my prayer!  

I was sitting in the car, waiting for my driving instructor to come; with every passing second, I got more nervous. Well, she came, and we did the pre-drive checklist (to make sure the brake lights, windshield wipers, turn signals, etc., all worked and that I knew where everything was). Then she got in the car, and we started driving. She told me where to go and turn. She held the score sheet, and every time I did something, she scribbled it down. I can't see what she's writing, but I can see she's definitely writing something. Might be good or bad. That made me a bit nervous, so I tried to remember to do everything right. 

As we drove, I know I definitely didn't come to a full stop at a stop sign. I knew she would write that down. So the next time we stopped at a stop sign, I made sure to come to a full stop. 

We only drove around the neighborhood and never went to downtown Redding. I was so happy! 

The instructor had me pull over, then back up a bit in a straight line. Only for like ten feet or so. Then we got back on the road and drove a bit more. The whole drive was super short, probably five minutes max. 

We drove back into the DMV parking lot, and she had me park. Then she started to tell me what my mistakes were and how many errors I had. She then said I passed and told me to follow her into the DMV office to get my license! I was so happy and thankful! 

I had 6 errors. You need no more than 15 to fail.  

For now, I have my paper license until my actual card arrives in the mail, which they said would take two to four weeks. 

God definitely answered my prayer, all thanks to Him! 

They had their wedding about three weeks ago at the Benbow Inn in Garberville, CA. 

My mom, dad, Sophie, and I drove together in one car on Thursday morning, and the wedding is on Saturday. It took about five hours to get there. We had a great time driving there, stopping several times for food/bathroom breaks. 😊

We stayed at a campground with cabins, so we got to stay in one. We were very close to Benbow Inn (where Jonathan and Julia were getting married), which was very nice! 

Here is a pic of Benbow Inn:

We had the rehearsal dinner just across from the Inn in a park, which was great since they already had super long tables there. We set everything up and bought super good pizzas from a local restaurant called "The Lost Frenchman." They had all types of pizzas with different cheeses, meats, etc. There was enough for all the people who came, which was about thirty people. 

After we ate, we took family photos and then explored the park. We had a great time!

The next day was the wedding day!! 

I got to the Inn early in the morning to do my sister's hair for the wedding. After I did hers, I did Sophie's. Here's what it looked like:

After spending some time at the Benbow Inn, I went back to our cabin, rested, and ate. Then got ready for the wedding. My hair took like two hours to do! I was crimping it, and that takes a lot longer than curling it. Anyway, when we were all ready, we headed out! 

Everything was so beautiful!! And I loved Julia's wedding dress. It was the best wedding dress I've ever seen. She had, like, a cape with it. And some jewelry in her hair. It was giving elvish vibes! I loved it so much. It was so beautiful. Here's a pic of it:

I told myself I wouldn't cry... but there was no way of holding it in. Jonathan and Julia started to cry too as they said their vows. I don't think I've really seen Jonathan cry before. So that made me even more emotional. It was so sweet. 💕

We had the reception on the top of the Inn, outside. Again, it was so gorgeous!! They had a drink bar and served delicious food like steak, potatoes, vegetables, and much more. 

After dinner, there was cake and then dancing! I had a blast. I danced mainly with Noelle and also led a line dance. 

Then the bride and groom said goodbye! Everybody had sparklers as they ran through the line. The whole day was a success!😁

I've been watching Abolitionist Rising on YouTube for a while now. What's an abolitionist, you might ask? It means someone who wants to end slavery and abolish it. In this case, they are abolitionists of abortion. They want to end and abolish the murder of babies all over the world. They say slavery and abortion are very similar. When people who had slaves said, "They are my property; I can do whatever I want." Now, in our day, it's abortion. People say, "My body, my choice." When in fact, it's not their body. It's another body inside their body. A whole new human being. And that human deserves rights. We can't take away their rights just because they are small. Just because it's going to be hard taking care of the child doesn't justify murdering it.  

A lot of pro-choicers' arguments are "what if a twelve-year-old girl was raped? You want her to suffer and possibly die from having that baby?" First of all, do you think murdering the child will unrape her? Do you think, instead of punishing the rapist, you punish the baby? Don't repay evil for evil. Yes, it was a terrible and evil thing that happened, but something good came out of it. And we can try and do everything in our power to help the girl going through it all. 

Genesis 50:20. "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." 

Anyway, I love watching all their videos and how calm and collected they are. Especially when people are screaming and spitting in their faces. They go to different busy places with signs and have good conversations with people. They've changed a lot of people's lives. Helping them to think differently about abortion. To love the child, and not murder it.

I love how my brother Simeon has gone out there as well, spreading the gospel and telling people the truth about abortion. Abortion is not healthcare. 

Two days ago, July 12th, Ezra moved down to Roseville to live with my brother Simeon. He started packing Sunday morning and left around noon. He put as much as he could in his car. He did leave a few things here, but I know he will be coming back up probably often since we have his sailboats. 

A lot of people have been asking if Sophie or I will get our own separate rooms when Ezra moves out. The answer is no. My parents want to keep it as a guest/office room. Which I agree since we don't really have a guest room yet, and an office would be really nice.  And for one, I actually love sharing rooms because I feel like when I am in there by myself, it would get lonely and I would have nobody to talk to lol. I'm also not in there very much, and when I am, It's usually when I go to bed. 

I haven't really felt a difference with him gone yet. I keep thinking he's at the coffee shop working on his computer. When he lived here, he would leave early in the morning and get back from work in the evening. So now I just keep thinking he is at a coffee shop somewhere. 

Now it's just Sophie and I left in the house. And now I'm the oldest in the house and the next to leave. Which is kinda crazy if you think about it. 

Ezra's birthday is also today, and he's turning 18. But he wanted to say he graduated at 17, so we had his graduation a day before his birthday. 

We got to celebrate yesterday and had smoked ribs, Spanish rice, cucumbers, and some other vegetables. It was so delicious. Some friends and family were over, and we watched Ezra open up presents, and my brother Nicholas made a toast. After lunch, we hung out watching old shows, and then my brother-in-law came over and brought ice cream. We then went to the pool and swam. After the pool, we all headed back to the house, had ice cream, and ended the night with a game of Uno. 

Ezra went to bed, and some of us still played Uno. Eventually, we stopped, and our friend went home (literally lives across the street from us) except Cameron. He was already super tired, and it wouldn't be a good idea to drive all the way back home. So he stayed the night and even went to wish Ezra a happy birthday in his bed at midnight. 

To be fair, I was the first to wish him a happy birthday. I stayed up for another two hours just cleaning the house since I had nothing else to do, and I needed to stay awake until midnight. I waited at his door at 11:59 until it was time. I even recorded myself saying "happy birthday," so I had evidence that I was first. I think Ezra was pretty confused because I woke him up, and he kept saying "okay?" and "what?" after I told him happy birthday. But at least I was first! Also, in the video, I wished I had gotten his face, but if I did show his face, I would be blinding him with my iPhone's flashlight. I don't think he would enjoy that very much. Anyway, here's the video: