When Life Gives You Mushy Bananas...

Make banana bread! Banana bread is the perfect way to get rid of brown, mushy, speckled skinned bananas. I didn't use the full amount of sugar or enough chocolate chips so I took the liberty of drizzling chocolate on top. ;)
I've always made my Aunt Monica's recipe. When I make it it NEVER turns out as good as hers.

My cookies don't turn out as well, my zucchini bread doesn't turn out as well, and my banana bread doesn't either. I don't know what my issue is!:P :D LOL

Here's the recipe:

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. nuts

Cream butter-gradually add sugar-beating well at medium speed. Add eggs one at a time-beating after each addition. Stir in bananas. Combine flour and next three ingredients. Gradually add to creamed mixture-blend. Stir in chocolate and nuts.

Pour into greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes. I like the red flowers in the background. It adds a summery feel.

I L.O.V.E summertime. Staying up late and reading in bed is the best part!

Make-up Tutorial and Some More Photos

Before I was in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe the Ballet my teacher gave a tutorial on stage make-up. I loved learning what to do, and what not to do. :) Use a foundation, some think liquid is best, then use a little blush across your cheekbones, then powder to "set" it. For the eyes I used a pale blue shade, since my eyes are brown, and then LOTS of mascara! Or fake eyelashes, whichever you prefer. ;) Take eyeliner and outline the upper lid and then a little on the bottom. You want to put some "wings" on there too. Take the liner and draw it out from the lid, different people do this step different ways, I put two or three lines on my eyes. For the mouth use red lipstick, mine unfortunately was pink. Don't put gloss on because it will make your mouth look like its glowing under the stage lights. That's not what's desired!

I look scared in this picture!;P

This was the costume for Rhythm of the Deep. This was really light and comfortable. They looked good with the the sea backdrop.

You know you have too much lipstick when your drink looks like this!

Several of the other girls from my school. They were really nice and I liked getting to know them better.

Pa, Lydia, and me. We took pictures with Grandma, Bette, and Levi but something happened and they were blurry. This one turned out good though. Thank you for coming!

Mama and me. Thank-you for letting me take classes and encouraging me to work hard. I love you

The hallway leading to the stairs that led up to backstage.

A great song and something to think and about...

Everybody falls sometimes,
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes
And make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache
You think its more than you can take
But your stronger
Stronger than you know

Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You've gotta face the cloud
To find the silver lining

I've seen faith that moves the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
Just a reason
For someone not to try

Everybody's scared to death
When the decide to take that step
Out on the water
But it will be alright

Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling down
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It will tell you that you can!

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling down
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise...

That's What Faith Can Do by Kutless
This is a really encouraging song, I really like it. I want to see if its on playlist!:)

I just heard this quote today. I thought it was really true, so many of the great people in the world were considered absurd by there friends. The Founding Fathers, Martin Luther, Thomas Edison, Columbus. The people who were thought the craziest often were the most successful. Interesting.

Backstage

This wasn't the first picture I wanted on this post but the computer isn't cooperating so I don't have a lot of choice in the matter. :P This the dressing room backstage where everyone gets ready. Those lights are so bright and you can see everything about yourself!

Recital was so much fun! I had a great time! It was a really busy weekend but it was a blast.:) Recital is such a great time of the year. I love being in a show, I love the theater, the costumes, the music, and being backstage. It's just so exciting and special!

I really have always wanted to be a dancer. Besides wanting to be an astronaut (haha) when I was younger this has always been what I wanted to do. I started ballet when I was six, I remember my first class very clearly, I remember my first leotard, I remember wearing a leotard and tights for the first time.

This was my favorite picture from the show. I like the shadows. It was fun getting pictures from the wings, I put it on museum setting so it didn't make noise and it didn't flash. That's the reason some of them turned out blurry.

The different wings and the white backdrop known as the "fly"

Dancers dancing and dancers waiting to dance.

It's so boring to wait in the dressing rooms between dances so some dancers come up and watch between the wings. If you stay out of the way they don't mind. ;) I have other pictures to post but that's all for tonight.

This was the first recital EVER that I haven't been nervous waiting to go on. I have always had to breathe very deeply before the dance. Like a mother does in labor, that's what it reminds me of. Breathe into your nose and out through your mouth.

You get on the stage, dance, and SMILE!!!

Can You Guess What Time of Year It Is?

Yep! It's recital time! This is my first recital at my new studio and I'm really excited. :) This is also my first time wearing a "pancake" tutu. I was so thrilled about this!

Lydia took these pictures of me in one of my costumes the other day. I think this picture of the tiara was my favorite.;) She is really good at thinking creatively and has a lot of ideas about neat shots. I wasn't thrilled about having a crown but it looks really good for the part my class has. For this dance (pointe) we are people of the royal court, I LOVE the royal blue of this costume.

I changed ballet schools in January and since we had already bought two costumes that weren't going to be worn I wasn't going to do recital. I was okay with this and I still got to learn the dance because my teacher put me in as the understudy in case anyone was sick or injured. I learned the part of whatever girl in the class was absent and I really loved the dances. I felt a tad bit sad when recital got closer and I wasn't going to be in it though. I prayed and asked that if there was anyway I could be in the dance I would really like to be able to. That night my teacher said that one girl had dropped out of the class because she had something on recital weekend that she would rather do. So....I got the part! This was just for my ballet class, I still wasn't going to be in the pointe dance. That was until I got put in that dance too! I was really surprised.:) And very, very happy. To think that just a few hours after I prayed I got the part. My mom has always said that God is intimately involved in our lives. Even with the things that seem insignificant. He likes to give us good things because He delights in us. I am delighted! ;)

Haha! I think I need to work on the "dying swan" look. I'm a little awkward.=)

So pray for me today! We had the Saturday matinee yesterday and rehearsal after that. I have a show at 2:30 today and one at 7:00. Pray that everything goes well and my feet will pointe, my battements will be high, my arms will be straight and that that everyone dances together! I'm excited!!!

The tutu puffs out when you bend over, its funny isn't it?

Better Than A Hallelujah

"The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad. Let the distant shores rejoice, clouds and thick darkness surrounds Him, righteousness and justice are the foundations of His throne. A fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side, His lightening lights up the world. The earth sees and trembles, the mountains melt like wax before the Lord. Before the Lord of all the earth the heavens declare His righteousness and all peoples will see His glory!"



There's a song that I've been listening to a lot this week. A song Amy Grant sings called "Better Than a Hallelujah". I love the tune and the words are very neat. It talks about different people going through different struggles and how they're cry for Christ's help is just an meaningful as a choir singing praises. It's a really great song. "God loves a lullabye,
And a mother's tears in the dead of night
Are better than a halleljuah somethimes..."
"God loves a drunkard's cry,

A soldier's plea not to let him die,

Better than a hallelujah...sometimes"

" We pour out our miseries,
God just hears the melodies,
Beautiful the mess we are the honest cries of a breaking heart
Are better than a hallelujah...sometimes.""The woman holding on to life,
A dying man giving up the fight
Are better than a hallelujah...sometimes"

Tears of shame for what's been done,
The silence when the words won't come

Are better than a hallelujah...sometimes.



Better than church bell ringing,
Better than a choir singing out...singing out!



We pour out our miseries
God just hears the melodies
Beautiful the mess we are
The honest cries of a breaking heart
Are better than a hallelujah."

Our Weekend Away...Part One

We went to our state's homeschool conference this weekend, we had a ball! We had planned this trip for a year, and had looked forward to it so much! These are just a few of the many pictures that I took from the last few days, I'm going to have to do several posts to fit them all in.:)
My aunt and uncle and cousins, Carrington and Clayton, stayed in the hotel room next to us and we got to do everything together. It was so much fun! I miss you!
These are pics from the hotel that we stayed in. Thursday night Aunt Monica and all of us walked around the hotel and took pictures. We road up to the top floor and looked out the windows at all the lights and buildings and planes coming in. It was really cool looking but of course all the pictures that I took showed our reflection in the glass.:)
I like when a hotel is busy and there are lots of people coming and going, it's interesting to people watch.
The beds at this place were so comfortable, I slept so well. We were really exhausted from all the walking we did around the conference center, our feet hurt!:)
I have so many more pictures to post so they will be up in the next couple of days. Stay tuned!:)