AN UNFORGETTABLE FAMILY VACATION

By Connor Goodson

        “FINALLY, we're finished packing!” my excited mother exclaimed.”Last call for using the restroom!”
       I ran around my room, searching for anything else to bring on my one week trip to North Carolina. “OK, I think I have everything. Toothbrush and toothpaste, check.  Clothes, check. Books, check. Movies for the road, check. And finally, my appetite, CHECKAROO!”
       I will never forget the time my family and I went to North Carolina. We did so many fun things there! It took eight hours to get there, but it was SO worth it. The car ride itself created a memory! We were going to leave my house and get to North Carolina in the same day, but it took longer to pack than we thought. Long story short, we left at 6:00 P.M. Despite the fact we left at 6:00, we were going to drive straight through! Just Saying, if you do the math, we would get there at 2:00 A.M. That’s not including the bathroom breaks, gas breaks, and food breaks. You've probably already guessed we didn't get there that night. If you did, you are correct. We stopped at a hotel at around  12:00 A.M and went to bed half an hour later. The next morning, we got up, ate a DELICIOUS breakfast of chocolate milk, Pop Tarts, and waffles that you make yourself, and then started our two hour trip up a mountain.

       It was so beautiful up there! From our cabin you got a perfect view of several mountains, LOTS of trees (DUH), and other cabins so we could stalk people! (Just kidding!:D) It was SO nice to hear the birds rise to another chilly morning while drinking nice, warm (NOT TOO HOT!) hot chocolate.
       “‘Up, up, up! It’s going to be a big, big, big day!’ I try to imagine for a moment, what
it must be like inside that woman’s head.” This is a quote from The Hunger Games when Effie Trinket wakes up Katniss on the train. This is exactly what was happening. My mom had the idea that we would all get up and run around, but everyone else just wanted to sleep in. While we were there, the time flew by! We went on hikes, we observed waterfalls, and my personal favorite, WHITE WATER RAFTING!!! Depending on the service you take, your trip can be as short as three hours, or as long as eight hours!                                    
       The one we took was six hours. We also took the medium route which contained mostly easy waters where you didn’t have to paddle at all, but there were some times when we had to paddle as fast as we could! For example, when we were about five hours through the trip, the guide to our raft started talking about this eight-foot waterfall which we were  going to be the first in all the rafts on our trip to go down. Of course, we couldn’t turn down this offer! So we went. Once we got to the waterfall, she told us to paddle hard, so we did, then out of nowhere, she told us to kneel down to the bottom of the raft. We did, of course, and I will never forget the feeling of going down the huge waterfall. By the way, our raft flipped. People on the shore threw ropes to us and thankfully, we then got pulled on shore. Yup, I will never forget the time my family and me went to North Carolina. 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What is your most unforgettable family vacation memory? Please give the details!

IT BEGINS WITH YOUR NAME

It Begins With Your Name  

by Chrissy Larson


A name is not just a name. It has significant meaning. If you don't believe me, look up both your first and middle names to find out the meaning and I bet you'll be surprised at what you learn. 

Often times, a name hints at the era people were born in. For example, Constance, Edwina, and Hortense were popular at the turn of the century, while Peace, Spirit, and Willow might tell us the person is a flower child from the 1970's. 

I was born in the late 50's and it was quite common to name your children after relatives, especially parents or grandparents. In my case, Christine, which means Christ-bearer, is not an inherited name. In fact, I am the first Christine in my family line. My parents picked this name purely for religious reasons and I'm grateful they did. 

My middle name is Rose, which means flower. Rose is my mother's middle name, as well as, my Grandmother's first name.

Although my first and middle names have separate meanings, my parents wanted to use both my names together, to make a statement of their own. They wanted my name to be a reminder of the cross... Christ Rose from the dead. I humbly pray my life reflects the powerful meanings behind my name.

Whether your parents were Christians and prayed about your name before you were thoughtfully labeled, or they merely thought your name was cool, trending at the time you were born, I believe God's hand was divinely upon them as they considered each name. 

The truth is, your name is what breaks the chain on the gate. You have a destiny to fulfill, the call of God is on your life, and it begins with your name!

Question of the week: I dare you to look up the meanings of your first and middle names in either a book of names or on the Internet. Are you surprised? 

Please explain the significance.

For name meanings, try www.meaning-of-names.com

THE BENEFITS OF NEW TECHNOLOGY

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The Benefits of New Technology 
by Connor Goodson

New technology is everywhere! From toys, to cars, to new ways of communication! Today I will share with you some new inventions, and tell you how they benefit us.

One invention is the driverless car. This is something that has been in mind for a while. For example, in The Incredibles, one of the first few scenes shows Mr. Incredible in a driverless car.

This will benefit us in safety because most car accidents are caused by human error.  The driverless car could save lives.  Also, people could multi-task while traveling to work.  The driverless car is expected to be available to purchase before 2020.

Another invention is the Oculus Rift.  This is a head-mounted device that changes the experience of playing video games.  There is a screen inside the device that gives you a close up experience and makes you feel like you are inside the game.

This technology has many benefits.  I believe it will be used in the future not only for video games but for other purposes such as training people to operate machinery or teaching them a new skill.

Question of the week:  Make up a new invention, explain what it will do, and tell why people would buy it.