Amazed by Grace

New Blog

2011-07-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have officially moved to Learning2Surrender, you're welcome to follow me there if you'd like.

God as taught me so much since I started this blog three years ago. My life is so different. :)
I hope you've enjoyed this blog and I wanted you to know that I've "met" some really great people through this.
Thank-you!
Abigail

Happy Graduation McKenzie!

2011-05-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! Tomorrow is McKenzie's graduation! My dear cousin, friend, and kindred spirit is finished with school. She's a homeschool graduate. yay!

She is a very special person, very caring, very fun, and very willing to serve. We might all be apart on this day, but we're present in spirit. :)

Jump for Joy!

Happy Graduation!!!

It Was A Royal Wedding!

2011-04-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

I got these off of Yahoo, I hope they won't mind. I obviously did not take these photos, nor do I own them. I'm so glad my blog now is letting me upload photos! I guess it wasn't full after all.

For a die hard Anglefile like myself this was a dream day. Her dress was a dream, Pippa's was too. Happy Day! Congratulations.They are a lovely couple.

I think they are absolutely darling. The pageboys are so cute in their uniforms. Check out the shoes!:D

Her Majesty, the Queen in her cheerful yellow attire.

I have to say that these hats look like royal terrors. Nice shoes though. Are those antlers?

Pippa looked lovely. This isn't the greatest picture of the dress but it really was beautiful.

I've been up since 3:45 am. I took at two hour nap this afternoon so I'm feeling good. I've had scones and I wore my "Does This Shirt Make Me Look British?" shirt. I'm off to watch the festivities and have a cup of tea. Cheerio!

I Believe in Jesus Christ and Him Crusified

2011-04-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
HE washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete
Jesus died my soul to save
My lips shall still repeat.

I hear the Saviour say,
"Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness watch and pray
Find in me thine all and all."

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.

"So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!" Martin Luther

"I have come to see clearly that life is more than self. It is more than doing what I want, striving for what will benefit me, dreaming of all I can be. Life is all about my relationship with God. There is no higher calling, no loftier dream, and no greater goal than to live, breathe, and be poured out for Jesus Christ."
--Jamie in Brother Andrew's "The Calling"

"I am a fool for Christ...whose fool are you?"
~Brother Andrew

"What happened at the cross was not primarily about nails being thrust into Jesus' hands and feet but about the wrath due your sin and my sin being thrust upon His soul. In that holy moment, all the righteous wrath and justice of God due us came rushing down like a torrent on Christ Himself. God turned away because He could not bear to see your sin and my sin on His Son."
~from "Radical" by David Platt

It's to soon, to soon to say goodbye...

2011-04-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

I learned yesterday that I have exceeded my photo limit and I'm going to have to leave dear old Amazed By Grace and start a new blog. Breaking up is hard to do...

I've had my blog since July of 2008, since I was 14 years old. I've really enjoyed it and I've met some incredible people through it. It holds a lot of memories but its time to start a new one.

So will you meet me at my new home? Please!?

I'm looking for a new name. Something clever, original, witty. I'm open to all suggestions so please drop a note and share an idea. I'd like to to reflect my personality so if you could think of anything I'd be happy to hear!

one more dawn, one more day

2011-04-07T18:08:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite quotations from Les Miserable…

To love another person is to see the face of God.

Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men, It is the anthem of a people who will not be slaves again…

Tomorrow we’ll discover what our God in heaven has in store.

One more dawn…

One more day…

One day more!

Georgia On My Mind...Part One

2011-04-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

We took over 370 pictures this past week on our trip to GA. We had a great time. I thought I’d blog about our first day as a start. There are so many pictures to go through so it takes some time.

We got up and headed out on Sunday morning. I believe it took us 10 hours. Everything went really well but we were glad to pull in the driveway! J

We headed for my mom’s parents house where we got to visit with them and our cousins who we hadn’t seen in eight months. That’s the longest stretch with no visit in my life. They were sick during Christmas so we didn’t get to see them. Needless to say we had a great time. I introduced them to “Les Miserable,” we watch the videos on YouTube and we learned, “On My Own,” which was really fun. I tried uploading it to YouTube but it wouldn’t work. Oh well… Our favorite character is Eponine. I love every scene that she’s in. Out of all the musicals I’ve ever seen Eponine would be the character I would most love to play. We listened to “A Little Fall of Rain”, “One Day More”, “I Dreamed a Dream,” “In My Life”…all the good ones!

We expected GA to be warm but it wasn’t. The weather was pretty cool and dreary for the majority of the week. We packed spring clothes and we wore jeans all week.

We stopped by the house where my mom's grandparents used to live.

We watched “Emma” the one with Ramola Garari (s?), it’s my favorite version. I had watched it on YT and PBS but its more fun watching movies together.

We didn’t go to bed until 3:15, and we were up again by 8:30 or 9. I don’t think this week has hit me yet. If the lack of sleep is going to hit me it usually happens a couple days later. I’m glad this week is spring break and we don’t have any ballet. We need to recuperate!

Madeline knitted us really pretty potholders; they’re so pretty that I don’t want to take the chance of messing them up! Thank-you Madeline!

Mariah painted a ceramic ballet shoe for me; I collect dance things so I like adding something new to my collection! Thank-you! XOXO

She wrote me a really sweet letter, according to her my name is “Addygil”

It was such a blast! I’m looking forward to seeing all my family again in June. It’s a long trip but it’s definitely worth it!

Titus and Malchi

McKenzie and Lydia

"Everyone do the 'nose face'."

Group shot

It was chilly

"Catch me!"

That's all for now!

I Love Les Miserable

2011-03-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

I have a new obsession.

Les Miserable

The story is so wonderful. Jean Valjean is one of my new favorite literary heroes. Cosette, Inspector Javert, Marius, Fontine, Thenardier, Enjolras, Eponine…

The music, the costumes, the cast, the set, the whole production is exquisite!

I’ve seen some videos on YouTube of other productions but this one is my favorite.

Its funny, sometimes the main hero or heroine isn’t my favorite. I really like Eponine because I love the songs she sings.

Have you seen Les Miz? Which song is your favorite? Which character is your favorite? Or least favorite? Who would make up your ideal cast?

Here are two of my favorite songs.

One Day More

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S0P6tXOw11s

On My Own
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ug4-fLYKwzs

"Is it clear to others that you love them?"

2011-03-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

I’ve been seeing some stuff that needs to change.

Some areas that need to be cleaned up and straightened out.

One of those areas is my relationship with my siblings.

“Is it clear to others that you love them?”

Wow, that’s convicting.

I love my siblings, they bring so much joy to my life but quite frankly that can be annoy me slap out. They give me sensory overload. :)

But to be honest I expect too much out of them. I need to work on being more understanding.

Selfishness is the root of so many sins. Actually I can’t think of a sin that doesn’t have its root in selfishness. Dying to self is so difficult. But I’ll do hard things or die trying. ;)

Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it..yet. Tomorrow is an opportunity to do better, to be more kind, considerate, and selfless.

"Selfishness is not living like one wishes to live, its asking others to live as one wishes to live." ~Oscar Wilde

Caledonia

2011-03-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday is Saint Patrick’s Day! I love St Patrick’s Day!!

I’m planning on wearing green on the days leading up to it. I like to get really into it.

I’m going to listen to Celtic music, watch the Today show and Good Morning America for Irish dancing and the amazing group Celtic Woman. My family loves Celtic music. Its one of my favorite styles.

I might even put on a thick Irish accent….maybe..

Our favorite Irish group is Celtic Thunder. Did you know that their new CD “Heritage” is number one on the charts right now! It just goes to show that people still appreciate good music. We got the CD last week and its really GREAT!

Our favorite song by far is “A Place in the Choir” you should just see Lily Kate, it makes her dance.

But we also love “Galway Girl”, “Home from the Sea”, and “Gold and Silver Days.”

This is from their very first show, its one of my favorite songs of theirs.

Our Cousins are Coming!!!

2011-03-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

Today's the day we've been waiting for! There first visit with us in our new home! We're so excited!!

Wow, I look pale in this picture. We need some sunshine. :)
We have so much fun when we visit each other. Late nights nights talking, singing, and reading blogs. Good Times. :) You should just here our harmony, its quite...interesting.:) Me, I stick with the melody but Lydia is learning to harmonize with Aunt Monica. She's getting better, I'm glad because its a lot more fun.

the great classics that we've never read

2011-03-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

A lovely stack of vintage books, thanks Google images.

“A classic is a book everyone talks about and nobody read.” ~ Mark Twain

Yeah its true, how many times have you heard about “War and Peace”, “A Christmas Carol”, and “Ben Hur” and how great they are but you’ve never taken the time to read it for yourself.

I’ve never read any of these books either. I’d like to. Sometimes we think that they will be a massive, daunting book that will go on forever, and ever, and ever…

They will lull us to sleep

Yeah, I’ve read some books that do seem to never end. Ever read “The Pickwick Papers?” If you have you’ll know what I’m talking about. This book was written by Dickens when he was beginning his literary career at the age of twenty-four. He was paid per word and he thus made the story large, and with as many words as he could cram in. It is a very long, detailed, story. And I most likely wouldn’t have finished it if it hadn’t been for school. It was good but I don’t plan on reading it again anytime soon. ;)

But on the other hand there are some books that are just as good as as I had heard they would be, in some cases better.

Here are a few that I have really enjoyed:

“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens. There is a huge difference in “The Pickwick Papers” and “A Tale of Two Cities.” A completely different style. This book was wonderful. I love it. And just for the record I like Sidney Carton the best.

“Emma” by Jane Austen. This is my favorite Austen book. For three days it was glued to my hands. No movie adaption has come close to “Pride and Prejudice” but I like this book better than “P&P.”

“Gone With the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell. Besides the fact that there is a lot of stuff that I skipped it was on the whole a good story. Wouldn’t recommend it to young teens but if you know which parts to skip (and since the movie is one of my favorites I know where those are) it is a very good story. Loyalty to your home and gumption to keep going play major roles in this book.

“The Scarlet Pimpernel” By Baroness E. Orczy. I’ve been listening to this on librivox.org and it is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. It takes place during the French Revolution as does “ATOTC” and is so good. I love it, I love it, adore it.

So that concludes my little ramble, thank you and good night. J

Confessions of A Guinea Pig

2011-02-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

Being the first born is interesting. It has its pros and its cons, its up and its downs, its benefits and its drawbacks.

Sure, you get to do everything first but then again you have to do everything first. You sort of are the one to break your parents in as they break you in, you’re their first child and they want to be the best parents that they can be. As a children you’re expected to be the model of obedience. You want to be perfect. But you can’t because there’s one thing in your way…your human nature. Oh boy.

I was corrected for things that my brothers would easily get away with. Haha. J

But I did grow up being disciplined and I’m a pretty disciplined person now so I guess it was good for me. J

Here’s some things that I have dealt with as the firstborn, if you are too, can you relate?

My mom felt like I needed to be reading when I was five, she started teaching me when I was four, I didn’t read well until I was seven.

I had chores and jobs to do early on; I didn’t have a bunch of older siblings to do them for me.

I had my parent’s undivided attention. My dad would play with me on the floor, and my mom would read books to me.

I was the first one to reach adolescence and become a teenager. That was a big deal.

My parents and particularly my mom had the excruciating job of teaching me how to drive. Or maybe I had the excruciating job of my mom teaching me how to drive but I have a feeling is the former. Haha

A babysitter is never needed because I’m a live in. J

I had the huge blessing of seeing Titus, Levi, and Lily Kate come into the world. I wouldn’t trade that experience for ANYTHING.

Because I’m the oldest I’m a pretty good caregiver. I know how to change a diaper, burp and bathe a baby, and buckle a baby’s car seat. I know how to take care of children. I’ve had lots of practice!

I’m an excellent children’s book reader!

I once asked Gabe if he wished he was the oldest. He promptly replied, “No, because I’ll live longer.” Which can be translated, “I won’t die first.”

I want to be healthy at 100! Haha

God has placed you in the family that He wants you in. He has put you in the perfect place in your family. He knows that it is the ideal place for you.

I read that the many of presidents were firstborns, and that middle children are good peacemakers. Comediennes often are the youngest in the family. Only children make good entrepreneurs. Every role has its blessings!

what strange creature's brother's are. ~ jane austin

2011-02-17T17:19:00.000-08:00

I’ll be honest. My brothers are wonderful gifts. They’re not bad at all, they’re just balls of energy that keep going, and going, and going like the Energizer Bunny. They challenge my ability to hold my tongue and use a kind tone, it provides ample oppurtunity to do hard things! Meal time is SO loud sometimes. Does this happen to other people? Please tell me it does. J

But I was thinking about it and I came up with a few thoughts on the subject of brothers. I would love to hear your's as well. J

If I didn’t have brothers I wouldn’t have picked up a children’s book after I outgrew them.

I would always have perfectly calm, peaceful days.

I would have a pretty boring Christmas, there’s nothing like seeing them open the gifts you give them.

I wouldn’t have a Levi to shower over the top affectionate compliments.

I wouldn’t have a Titus to jump onto my lap and leave me black and blue after he hugs me. That boy is HARD!

I wouldn’t have a Gabe to watch “I Love Lucy” with.

I would be really selfish. Not that I’m selfless by any stretch. Sometimes I’m ashamed at how selfish I can be towards them. It’s a thing I’m always working on; it’s a small hard thing that takes daily diligence to conquer. Sometimes I win, and other times I loose.

I wouldn’t know how much boys can eat!

I wouldn’t know how a little boy’s brain works.

If I didn’t have brothers I wouldn’t know that a dog is vital to a boy’s existence.

I wouldn’t know how great they think gross things are.

I would have a perfectly clean bathroom.

I wouldn’t know every Veggie Tales song by heart.

I wouldn’t have a puppy that I really like more than I ever thought I would.

I wouldn’t have a little brother to sing to at night when he won’t go to bed.

I wouldn’t be able to listen to Levi sing at the top of his lungs.

I wouldn’t have any brothers to tease.

I wouldn’t have any brothers tease me.

I wouldn’t have any need for inner dignity…because my outward is nonexistent at times.

I wouldn’t feel like I needed to pull my hair out.

I wouldn’t have them to laugh with.

We would have peaceful meal times and quiet Bible studies.

I wouldn’t be able to tell you all about Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone.

I wouldn’t be interrupted in the middle of a conversation.

My brothers are weird, energetic, fun, kind, funny, and interesting.

Without them my life would be peaceful, normal, and boring….very boring.

Rosco

2011-02-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

The boys got a dog two weeks ago. He’s a mutt, a mixture of English Setter and another breed that I can’t recall.

His name is Rosco.

He is dark brown with white spots.

He is around nine weeks old.

He is very small.

He is very cute.

He is very playful.

He has deep blue eyes.

He has floppy ears.

He likes to nip at our ankles.

He is very playful at night.

He has personality. He thinks he’s very tough bad boy.

He has discovered that I am the only girl who likes him. Lily Kate tries to kick him whenever he messes with her. She panics. Fortunately he doesn’t get around her very often. My mom and Lydia tolerate him; they’re not huge animal people. He likes me because I play and cuddle with him.

I drag a blanket around on the floor and he runs after it. Then he jumps on, but most of the time he has one foot on the floor that he uses to “push” himself with. He looks like he’s surfing.

He is the runt of the litter but what he lacks in size he makes up in weight.

He’s sleeping through the night now which is nice.

He’s not quite potty trained yet. About 80% of the time he goes on the paper or outside but he still has a few accidents.

Cleaning up is quite pleasant. L

It was a surprise for the boys, Titus was absolutely ecstatic! His face just lit up. He has taken such good care of him. He’s been very responsible, he makes a great parent. haha

One Year

2011-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the thing you want to do most is the one thing that seems so out of reach or hard or scary.

At least that’s how it is for me. I remember thinking of the one thing that I wanted so very badly was the thing that seemed so difficult, nearly impossible to get.

If you know me you know that dancing is a big part of my life. I love it, I do it all the time.

I had the goal of being a ballerina when I was little; along with the desire to be an astronaut, a singer, an actress, and a figure skater. None of which ever evolved into anything. As a singer I can carry a tune but that’s about it, as an actress I feel intimidated, as an astronaut I found that it required math and science smarts that I just didn’t possess, and as a figure skater, well I’ve never even stepped on ice.

But when I dance I’m comfortable.

Ballet is tough. I came to that realization during the first few weeks of pointe. It felt awkward, and it hurt. They don’t call pointe shoes “torture booties” for nothing! J

When you begin pointe you have to make a decision. Is this really worth all the time, money, and energy? Is this something that I want to stick with?

I don’t remember ever wanting to quit. I loved my studio and all my teachers and friends and pointe didn’t take up that much time.

After being at my studio for seven years we moved. The Studio was one of the things I missed most.

In our new town I started at a small studio that had been around for years. The training wasn’t that great so I decided to switch to another. That school was really good. That was my first look at the high levels of ballet. It wet my appetite. It intimidated me but it filled me with longing, and that longing as never been quenched.

I saw dancers who were better than me, I got to take classes with some incredible teachers, and I heard about girls going for auditions for summer intensives. They had done so many things that I hadn’t. It made me push myself more. It made me realize what the advanced ballet world was like. It made me a little panicky, like is this something I really want to do, but I loved it.

At this studio the classes were taught by very good teachers and the girls were trained to be professional quality dancers. The classes also were very expensive. I was able to take a ballet and pointe class there and just the one day a week greatly improved my ability and stamina.

With other siblings involved in activities it wouldn’t have been at all fair for my ballet to take up such a large percentage of time and money.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I was going to take charge of my own ballet education. If I was going to succeed as a dancer it was going to be through my own hard work. I wasn’t going to be able to spend every night of the week in the studio or go away for a month to “ballet boot camp.” I was going to do my very best to be the very, very best dancer that I could be. If I wanted this I was going to have to get it.

I vowed to myself that I was going to be my own teacher. I would take what I learned in class and build on it. I was going to strengthen myself, and stretch myself to new levels. I was seriously going to look at ballet for the first time as a career, not a pastime or a hobby.

The next day Lydia went for a run around our yard. Around and around. When she came in she said that she ran thirty laps. I had never been a runner, and I didn’t enjoy it, but I said, “I bet I can run thirty-two.” My favorite book is "Do Hard Things" its had tremendous impact in my life and I am now motivated to push myself to do things that I don't exactly enjoy. Running wasn't something that I enjoyed.

I went around and around and around. When I was at thirty I was like, “I’ve just got to go two more!” But when I did I felt like I should go more. Push, push, push. Call me a weenie if you want but I felt like I couldn’t do it. But I made the last lap my fastest. I had never felt that sort of satisfaction before. It felt awesome!

As I was sitting on the back porch steps taking off my shoes I remember thinking, “I’m going to do this, this is going to be one of my ways to strengthen myself.” Honestly, one of the reasons I was doing this was because I wanted to get a good part in my studio’s production of “The Nutcraker”, I thought that it would help. Little did I know that I wouldn’t even be in Georgia by Christmas! I believe that it was one of the ways God helped me stay in shape while I was out of ballet during the months of transition. I've done it ever since, and honestly I didn't think that I would keep doing it. But after several months I started to see changes. My ankles and calf muscles became a lot stronger.

That night I decided to put on my pointe shoes. I rarely wore them outside of class but I thought that it would be good for me.

I have put them on every day since then for an entire year (except for one day when I fell asleep after a long trip and forgot. I could have kicked myself for spoiling my record!:)

365 days. That makes me feel awesome. Not because I’m this “oh so diligent person” or anything but because it has helped me grow in character as well. There are some days when I feel like, “What is the purpose of this? Why am I putting myself through this?” But I really believe ballet is something that I will always love. I don’t know God’s plans for me but I do know that He gave me this love for ballet. I want to use it for His glory.

My ultimate goal is to start my own professional Christian ballet company. I love choreography and I love music. Creating ballets is what I would love to do.

When I was twelve or thirteen I heard the story of Margaret Wilson, a Scottish martyr who lived during the 16^th century. Her story really touched me. She was only sixteen or so when she had to flee her home and escape to the mountains because the government was out to arrest her because she stood up for her beliefs. She was eventually arrested and put on trial. She was convicted because she would not swear the oath that proclaimed that the English King was the head of the church instead of Jesus Christ. She was sentenced to be drowned in the sea at the young age of eighteen.

As the tide came into the shore she was tied to a stake driven into the sand. As the waters rose she said,

“We are killed all day long, we are accounted sheep for the slaughter. But I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I remember thinking, “I want other people to know about her.”

So anyway, pardon my being longwinded but I just wanted to share. J This is my one year mark! So I want to encourage you if there is something that you wish to accomplish, do it!

“And with God all things are possible!”

"Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something to do which must be done, whether you like it or not. Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you temperance, self-control, diligence, strength of will, content, and a hundred other virtues which the idle never know."
— Charles Kingsley

"Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance."
— Samuel Johnson

"I never could have done what I have done, without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one object at a time."
— Charles Dickens

"Give us, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give us an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give us an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow upon us also, O Lord our God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you; through Jesus Christ our Lord."
— St. Thomas Aquinas

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."
— Winston S. Churchill

"Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air."
— John Quincy Adams

"When your will is God's will, you will have your will."
— Charles H. Spurgeon

-“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.” Proverbs 22:29

I don't want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance. ~Balanchine

2011-02-05T16:49:00.000-08:00

Just FYI I did not take nor do I own these pictures. I found them on Google Images. Aren't they lovely?

"To dance ballet is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful." ~Agnes De Mille

Now that's what I call perfection!

"You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive."

~Merce Cunningham

(My favorite picture)

"Talent is cheaper than salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." ~Can't remember who

Attitude Derriere

"Every artist was first an amateur." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ah, poor feet.

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." ~Winston Churchill

Ballet Magnificat

"Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost."~ Helen Keller

Pointe, what a tiresome, torturous, painful, lovely, beautiful thing.

Raw?

2011-01-26T16:51:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at the table reading a health magazine the other day. It was mostly about people switching to a raw, vegan diet. I'm one of those people who can't read anything without sharing it with someone so I was telling my mom about what I had read. My mom sort of jokingly challenged me to eat raw for two days. Two days isn't long so I decided to do it.

I’ve been eating nothing but fruits and vegetables, raw milk cheese (I didn’t go vegan btw), and nuts.

I haven’t minded it much. I’m just a lot hungrier. I’ve been eating so many bananas and oranges. Fruit is filling it just doesn't keep me going long!

I had a banana when I got up this morning

And an orange for breakfast with a few walnuts.

A little bit of a not so great tasting beet, apple, celery, and carrot juice that my mom made with the juicer she got for Christmas.

A salad for lunch with another small orange.

A few nuts as a snack

And a small apple and (can you guess?) another orange for supper. I’m sure my vitamin C level is good!

I’ve heard that people who go raw have re
ally good skin and they feel really energized. Raw food is much easier on the digestive system.

I like fruits…and I like salads too but I don’t really think I’m ready to take the raw food plunge. I don’t think that being a raw foodie would be very good all the time. I don’t really care for meat but I do like bread and chocolate. J

Being a vegan isn’t for me. I hate milk but I like cheese and that’s my main source of calcium. I know vegans have other ways of getting calcium and protein but the cheese we get is SO good for you. I’ve been eating it since I was three. It’s raw so all the enzymes haven’t been removed and besides…its good.

So I’m going to have a piece of toast for breakfast tomorrow and be happy that I can have a bit of chocolate too...not for breakfast btw.

After all the only thing you really need to be satisfied is chocolate! Choc-o-late. It’s a wonderful thing.

Now Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate? That’s even better.

A Bit About Ballet

2011-01-24T17:23:00.000-08:00

I rarely do a post devoted to ballet but decided I’d do one now.

Here are a few ballet myths clarified. This is going to be fun....:)
Myth 1: “Dancers tie their pointe shoe ribbons up around their knees.”

It may work for the Barbie Doll Ballerina but I’m not sure how it would work for a human. Ribbons go around the ankles.

Myth 2: All that dancers do is float around on a stage.

Think about it, you’re making (or in my case trying to make) something difficult look easy. It ain’t easy.

Myth 3: Pointe shoes are made out of wood.

I always thought that they were, but actually its a very long process where layers of materials are molded together with shellac to form a hard supportive shoe.

Myth 4: Dancers have eating disorders

No, this is not true about all dancers. Yes, there are some dancers who struggle with this, and some dancer might be pressured to be really thin but not all dancers are anorexic. Dancer have to eat, otherwise their energy wouldn’t be up. Some people think that if you eat your going to gain weight. Dancers are athletes; they burn a lot of calories! Besides baking is too much fun!

Myth 5: "How can you make your body do that? I couldn't!"

Really a lot about ballet is just plain work. I’m a very unflexible person by nature. God didn’t give me muscles that stretch like taffy. It took me forever to do a split. Most people can dance, try it if feels really good. 

Myth 6: Rosin is for baseball players and gymnasts.

Pointe dancers put rosin on their shoes to keep the satin from slipping while dancing. I have a big bruise on my knee from falling the other day form lack of rosin. Rosin is wonderful stuff, I should have used more!

Myth 7: Ballet is for little girls.

No Way! Maybe the reason people think that is because girls drop out when they get to be thirteen or so. Classes get smaller and smaller the older you get. Fortunately I like small classes better. 

"Are You Sure Ballet Honors God?"

When the founder of Ballet Magnificat! became a Christian she was told that she had to give up ballet. But instead she and her husband began the first Christian ballet company in the US and have since taken the Gospel around the world.

After all God said to, “Praise His name with dancing.”

I was blessed with a Christian studio when I was growing up where the music was uplifting, the costumes weren’t a problem, and the atmosphere was really encouraging. The focus was where it needed to be. Since then I’ve been in other studios where this isn’t the case. It comes down to focus. Its about Jesus, and the praise you are giving Him, He's the reason to dance.

I’m sixteen with almost eleven years of ballet under my belt. I still have years of work ahead of me. An insurmountable amount of work it seems. Sometimes I’ll leave a class and think how bad I've done. I’m a perfectionist can you tell?

Then I think, if I’m supposed to be a professional dancer I will be. If I work hard enough maybe… If not than I’ve got a host of other interests, passions, and pursuits.

I’ll be what God’s made me to be.

And boy, I’m excited about finding out what that is.

some (random) thoughts and feelings on this snowy Thursday

2011-01-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

Some days the words for blogs come easier than others. Some days I can’t think of anything to write and others and can’t decide what to write because I have so many ideas in my head.

There’s more snow on the ground. When it started coming down my mom and I were like, “If this was Georgia, we’d be flipping out!”

I love snow. I like winter but I have to say that it would be wonderful to have a sunny day. I want to see the SUN! I need some vitamin D, some nice rays of sunshine.

I’ve been a little homesick. Not that bad but just a little twinge now and then. Listening to Michael Buble sing “Georgia On My Mind” gives me a bit of nostalgia.

“There’ll always be Georgia…..”

Enough of that. J

I’m off to watch House Hunters! I hope it’s an interesting location, Europe is the best!

I Love this little face!

A few of my thoughts on this gray Monday

2011-01-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

Today is so very gray. But at least its not freezing!

My iPod is not even a month old. This morning the pause/wake button got jammed. I fiddled and fiddled with it and it wouldn’t work. I got a hold of Apple and I’m sending it for repair. I was sweating there for a minute.

Mondays are busy. My mom drives me over an hour away for ballet on Mondays. They say that a gift is only a gift if it costs you something. I know this is a gift because time is not something my mom has in abundance! I’m very blessed to have her, she is wonderful.

I’ve decided that algebra and chemistry simply aren’t compatible with my brain type.

I’m reading a really good book right now. It’s called “Radical, Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream” by David Platt. I highly recommend it!

For an ending note, I’m including an excerpt from my favorite book, “Do Hard Things”

“If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music…sweep streets like Shakespeare composed wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.” ~M.L.K

“Take up your Viking challenge to do small hard things. The fact that you face the unwanted tasks is not a mistake; it’s an opportunity. That’s why we encourage you to put your full weight into every stroke of the oar.

And because God is good, by doing what He has put before you with all your heart, regardless of whether it appears significant or not, you will find yourself benefited and strengthened, ready for the next big thing.”

snow boys and girls

2011-01-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

I built a snowman with the boys on Friday. Baby, it was cold outside!:) They had made a little man that afternoon so Levi wanted this to be a snow girl. My scarf was supposed to make it look more girly. Did it work?

Here's the boy

I love this picture

He's going to crack up when he sees these.....
Or he's going to get mad.
Probably the later....

Does This Shirt Make Me Look British?

2011-01-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

One of my Christmas presents was this t-shirt shown below, except mine is in black. Lydia gave it to me. Honestly it was the best present she ever gave me. It completely and totally screams my name.

Yes, I’m fascinated by Britain. As if you haven't already noticed. :P :)

Well, by Europe in general, and Australia.

The only show that I really like on HGTV is House Hunters International.

I think it’s so cool to see the different places and the different ways of life.

So tell me where would you like do go?

London? Melbourne? Belfast? Rome? Paris?

time to begin again

2011-01-02T18:20:00.000-08:00

Every year people make promises to themselves to be better in the New Year. I am no exception. Ha

Last year I made a list of all the things that I would like to accomplish in the New Year. Spend more time outside…eat more veggies…find a new hobby...go to bed earlier…learn how to cook better.

Some of them I’ve stuck with and others, well let’s just say that they barely lasted to February.

I thought that my new hobby was going to be gardening. Yeah right. Gardening is something that I simply have never enjoyed. Maybe I need to give it more time but it’s really isn’t something that interests me a whole lot. That’s more my mom and Lydia’s department.

I tried growing herbs in little pots a couple times and I over watered them and they stopped growing. So I stopped trying.

I am determined to have a flower garden this year though. It would be so fun to be able to arrange my own flowers! Hydrangeas are my favorite. I wonder how hard those are too keep alive?

I may not have taken up gardening as a hobby but I did take up running. And I feel a lot better about that than if I had bushels of flowers.

Anyway, back to the topic of resolutions. I have a few. Not quite as many as last year (I had twenty something) but enough to keep me busy.

In 2011 I want to…

Hold my tongue

Speak kindly even when I don’t feel like it

Eat a healthier diet…more protein

Not be forgetful

Learn to be more selfless

Not worry what people might think of me.

Stand strong against temptations even when it’s really, really hard

Find a way to make money (would anyone care for ballet lessons?)

And in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt “Do something every day that scares you”

Show the love of Jesus in my words and actions. Pray that God will use me to bring someone to Him.

Find new friends and opportunities in my new town.

Be a better sister and daughter. Be more caring.

Be willing to stand up when it’s tough.

Be better in chemistry and algebra. Ha

Be a better dancer.

Make a point to smile.

And finally, as always, DO HARD THINGS!

Look to the New Year with hope. And like my mom say’s, with excitement at what it holds.

Be willing to share. Be willing to work. Be willing to change. Be willing to love. Be willing to care. Be willing to smile.

God bless you all!

It’s now 2011 A.D. wow.

Here's a song I really love from Sanctus Reel,

So get out there and head into the first week of the New Year with a smile on your face knowing that Jesus will carry you through it…and the other 51 weeks to come!

It’s time for healing, time to move on,
it’s time to fix what’s been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong;
it’s time to find my way to where I belong

Chorus:
There’s a wave that’s crashing over me, and all I can do is surrender
Whatever You’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but somehow there’s peace
And it’s hard to surrender to what I can’t see, but I’m giving in to something heavenly

Time for a milestone, time to begin again, re-evaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will or just climbing aimlessly over these hills?
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything – I surrender

Chorus:

Time to face up, clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out that I’ve wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but I believe …
You’re up to something bigger than me
Larger than life, something heavenly

Whatever You’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but now I can see
This is something bigger than me
Larger than life
Something heavenly, something heavenly

Time to face up, clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out

He's Graduated!!

2010-12-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

My dad is officially a college graduate! He has been so dedicated and has worked for so long to finish his degree. He received his diploma today! We are so proud of him. He really deserves it.
It represents many, many years of hard work.

His degree now complete!

Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.
Abigail Adams

He has really done hard things!
We're proud of you!

have yourself a merry christmas

2010-12-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I baked lots of cookies for us and our neighbors. Chocolate Chip Oatmeal, Fudge, and M&M Pretzel Candy. The boys helped a little but they really just liked stealing m&m's.

To me this seems like the only time of year where you can absolutely bake way, way to much sweet stuff and its okay! Fudge, oh the fudge is a.w.e.s.o.m.e.

A few weeks ago we had snow. It was really beautiful but baby, its cold outside!

It wasn't very deep when I took this picture. We got more during the night. I love how fresh and crisp, and perfectly white it is.

I really adore the weather up here. After living in the deep south for almost a year and a half this weather is awesome!

I finished Christmas shopping last night. I'm completely finished!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, wonderful Christmas! Don't expect to hear much from me until next year since we will be busy, busy, busy!

The snow is all melted now but we're expecting more on Christmas day. It will be the first time we've ever had a white Christmas!

I finally got my iPod a couple of days ago! I've been saving up for a while so I could get what I wanted but I like to save my money. But I finally got it! I LoVe it! Its going to be so great for running.

Silent night, holy night, all is calm all is bright......

mErRy, MeRrY ChRiStMaS!!!!!!!!

the boys

2010-12-19T13:55:00.001-08:00

We're Elves!

2010-12-18T06:59:00.001-08:00

its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-12-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

All of us girls went Christmas shopping last Saturday. We had a really great time. The weather, although rainy, was only in the 40's. We went all over the mall and several other stores. William-Sonoma was awesome. I love that store.

We got Starbuck's and I burned my tongue on my white chocolate mocha espresso.

At J. Crew they were giving away candy canes. Its a really great store but the prices seem steep.

I got this great pair of shoes at another store, I was really excited about them! I really like pretty shoes.

Eh....

Ahhh..........

So to get to the point of my post.

After the mall we headed for another store. Its my favorite grocery store, Whole Foods. I was taking more pictures to go along with this post when one of the employees came up to me.

"Could I ask what your taking pictures for?"

Oh. no. please don't say..

"oh, I was just taking pictures for my blog."

"Oh really? I'm sorry but you can't really do that. You see, everything here is trademarked. I'm sorry about that..."

oh swell. I really want to crawl under my bed right now.

"Oh, I understand. I'm sorry. :)"

I don't recall what else I said but I do remember letting her know I was profusely sorry. I'm a rule follower so I felt really out of line.

Lydia was standing beside me wiping her forehead thinking how great it was that I happened to be taking the pictures for once and not her.

huff..

The lady was nice though. She later came back over to me and asked me what kind of blog I had.

"Do you write a food blog?"

"Well not really, its really just whatever is going on."

"Do you write about food? I could talk to my marketing manager and we could set up some shots."

"Oh thanks but that's really okay. :)" *smile*

I thought is was really nice of her to ask. If she only knew I was just a sixteen year old who had this little blog among the millions of others in cyber space. I'm not exactly Pioneer Woman you know!:)

maybe I ought to have said,

I write a column in Gourmet magazine. I was just taking a few shots to go along with the article I'm writing about your amazing store.

or..

yeah, I'm from Food Network and we were wanting to feature the store in a special about organic and all natural food.

But then again she might not have believed me. :P

You might remember me saying that one of my favorite quotes is "A person with inner dignity is never embarrassed."

oh yeah. whatever.

I just need to get some more inner dignity I guess.

humbug

2010-12-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas I look forward to shopping for gifts. I love to find something for my family that I know that they will love. This year I've discovered the wonderful world of Etsy. I could spend so much time on there. :)

I'm just having a really difficult time deciding! I don't like to settle, my philosophy in shopping is that if it doesn't knock me over its not right. I always "know" when its the right gift.

Bah, humbug.

“The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves he has no brains of his own.”

2010-12-01T13:11:00.001-08:00

Here’s something that I’ve always wanted.

I’ve always thought that it would be so neat to be quoted.

I’ve always wanted to write or say something that people would think about, that would inspire or encourage them. A quote that would be put on a T-shirt or put on a wall plaque. Something very witty, something very Benjamin Franklin-esque.

I've always thought that it would be neat. You may think its odd but I think that would be really something. Not that I’ve ever said anything so noteworthy that it would live on for generations its just something I’ve always wanted.

I found out that I have been quoted once. McKenzie took a video of me several years ago and when she asked if I liked ballet I said, “I love it, love it, adore it.”

My aunt got a kick out of it and so started saying it too.

So even though no words of mine have made it onto a wall plaque I guess I can be satisfied. HAHA.

how the header?

2010-11-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

I changed out my header this afternoon. How do you like it? I went for more of the blue winter theme than the green and red but I’ll probably do a Christmas one in the weeks to come.

How was Thanksgiving? Our grandparents came up for a visit and we had a really good time with them. Thanks for coming! J

I’m reading The Voyage on the Dawn Treader for book club on Thursday. I haven’t read it since I was eight so I’ve enjoyed it. I can’t believe how much I’d forgotten! Can’t wait for the movie to come out!

happy turkey day

2010-11-24T16:28:00.000-08:00

I’ve been so busy all day. I decorated a pumpkin cake. I baked cranberry nut bread. I washed dishes, I mopped the floor, I decorated, and I’ve planned. I’m really tired. But I’ve had fun. J

This is the first time my family has made most of the dishes for Thanksgiving for ourselves. We’ve never brined a turkey before, we’ve never made dressing, we’ve never used every one of our casserole dishes at one time.

This is the time of year that Food Network is put to really good use!

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I adore it.

All the people and the floats, but most importantly the music and dancing!

I also like the Thanksgiving Charlie Brown special. haha. That’s also a great part of the day. :)

Thanksgiving is a serious business. There are certain things that we have every year that are very important.

Such as sweet potato casserole. Sweet potato casserole is one of the best things on the table..along with the dressing.

But I have to say that dessert is my favorite part. We’re having pumpkin cake, pecan pie, cranberry nut bread, and (if it doesn’t rain!) s’mores. We’ll roast them over our fire pit, it will be the first time we’ve used it. The boys have been dying to.

So I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope your turkey is juicy and your pie isn’t gone before you get a piece!

oh well

2010-11-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

I didn’t win the Narnia essay contest. Boohoohoo.

I have checked the site at least twenty times in the last two days waiting for Focus in the Family to post the winner. At around four o'clock I checked it again. Not expecting them to have posted them. But they had, and to my great disappointment I didn't make the list. :)

I know its a very small chance to be the winner. But its so much fun dreaming about it.

I have never won any contest in my life. I was one (1!) number off on a drawing once. I always say that one day I'm going to win and its going to make up for all the other times that I've lost. I never get discouraged. I just keep waiting for my turn! :)

I’m going to find another contest to enter. I hope I’m not the only one who loves these things! J

I remember the first sweepstakes I entered was for American Girl. I was like eight or nine. The Samantha movie was coming out and they were giving away a trip to American Girl Place in NYC along with a load of other gifts. I was absolutely positive I was going to win. I just knew it. I prayed and prayed that I would win. I thought and thought about it. I was in for a big disappointment. I remember my stomach sinking when I saw that I didn’t win. To this day I still remember the name of the person who did, Amy W.

I like to enter contests because I like the excitement of waiting for the drawing. I like the nervous feeling I get every time. I like to dream about winning the prize. It’s fun, even if I don’t win.

Do you remember the part in Anne of Green Gables when Marilla tells Anne that she sets herself up for a let down? But Anne says that the feeling of giddy excitement of hopeful dreaming almost makes up for the let down.

I guess I kind of agree with her!

So…do you know of any contests, drawings, or sweepstakes that I could enter?? Particularly any that includes a trip to London? Haha J

On Pins and Needles

2010-11-22T11:03:00.000-08:00

I'm on pins and needles.
I'm really wanting to find out!

Do you know what today is? Its the day they announce the winner for Focus in the Family's Narnia essay contest. November 22 is here! The deadline to enter was Saturday night. My mom entered Saturday afternoon. I'm anxiously awaiting to find out who are the four winners for this week. Oh, oh, oh.........

I was reading the FAQ's last week, they said that it is okay if your child writes the essay and you enter it. So that's what we did.

For the essay you had to write who your favorite character is and why you would like to go to the premiere in London.
I couldn't decide who my favorite character was. I wrote two essays, one on Edmund and one on Mrs. Beaver. Then I had to pick which one. I decided on Mrs. Beaver. I played her in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" A Ballet and I really just love that character. So here's my essay below. I understand that Mrs. Beaver has no part in The Voyage on the Dawn Treader but it did not say it had to be from it. It just said, "The Chronicles of Narnia". Anyway, here's my essay below. It had to be 200 words or under so I didn't get to include all I wanted.

I was eight when my dad read the entire “Chronicles of Narnia” to me. I wanted to go there and often pretended that I would. My fascination for it grew when I “became” one of them.

I was twelve when I played Mrs. Beaver on stage. “Being” Mrs. Beaver was a wonderful experience, one of the best of my life. Delving into the book and analyzing her character and the part she plays gave me a deeper appreciation for her. To me, Mrs. Beaver represents the people who are put into our lives to draw us closer to God, who lead and direct us to Christ. She is one very special beaver.

I am especially fond of Mrs. Beaver because I “know” her the best. She is gentle but strong, and the Pevensie children may not have made it to Aslan without the help of her and her husband.

Going to see “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” would be one of my ultimate dreams coming true. I have wanted to visit London for a very long time and seeing Narnia in all its magic at the premiere would be phenomenal- just about as wonderful as going to Narnia itself!

i love friday

2010-11-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

I am so very glad that its Friday. School is over for the week. chemistry and algebra can be shoved back on the shelf and don't have to be glanced at until Monday.

I can stay up late tonight. Maybe finish watching Pride and Prejudice. The one with Colin Firth, yeah, the one that takes several afternoons to get through! :) I have started watching it once a year. Every November. For some reason I like to do things like that. I'm a creature of habit I guess.

I love going to bed on Fridays and knowing that I don't have to drag myself out of bed in the morning. I don't have to get up and run in the cold dreary morning and I don't have to get up and do my hour and fifteen minutes of ballet. These are things I choose to do because I want to work hard and get better and stronger in ballet but it is nice to have a free morning here and there. I enjoy dancing, and I like the feeling of accomplishment that I feel when I get done with my run but I am glad that its the weekend. :)
So anyway, I'm happy that its Friday and I get to sleep in tomorrow morning. What's making you happy?

for he's a jolly good fellow

2010-11-16T19:02:00.000-08:00

Levi turned 4 today. He opened presents, he drank hot chocolate, he watch Tom and Jerry, he ate frosting, and cake, and ice cream. He hit Titus, he "flew" with his new superman cape, he played in the wind, he ate a Cinnamon roll, and he sang. All in all he had a very good day. sigh

I made him a superman cape. He usually tucks a towel inside his shirt but he finds that the cape does the job much better. Today was incredibly windy so it was the perfect time to break in his new cape. He asked us if it would really make him fly.

He wore it to a coffee shop this morning. He told the women at the counter that his sister made it for him.
A man saw him and said, "Look who flew in!"

I was 11 when Levi Walker was born. Of the three deliveries I've seen his was the worst. I remember thinking, "I'm never going to be able to see a baby delivered again! I'm just not going to have any children of my own....I'll just have to adopt. I couldn't ever go through something like that."

"Brrr..the wind's cold!"

I love this boy so much. He is very witty. He tells my mom, Lydia, and me whenever we're going anywhere, "Your gorgeous, and pretty, and beautiful. Your my one star, your my one princess, your my one heart. I sooo adore you!"

A little Romeo? yes.

Levi you are one wonderful little boy...happy 4th.

just a bit of my thoughts...

2010-11-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

Here's the rest of the birthday pics my mom shot.

Thanksgiving is only twelve days away; we need to finalize the menu! I was thinking about tackling the dressing, or stuffing, or whatever you want to call the stuff. I haven't made it before but I love to tackle something new! I just watched Dear Food Network and learned all about the different things you need to know about preparing the Thanksgiving feast!

Mainly, I take care of the bread and the dessert. Its pretty safe to put me in charge of those. ;) I remember the very first time I cracked an egg for a cake on Thanksgiving. I cracked it...and it fell on the floor.

I'm really hooked on Pomegranates right now. They're my new favorite fruit, after strawberries and maybe grapes.

You know the dress I'm wearing in the pictures? Guess how much I got it for. $2! Off the sale rack at my favorite consignment store in our old town that I miss so, so much.

There are two men from a church that we recently visited that are on a mission trip to Sudan right now. The country of Sudan is in need of help and a prayer. Pray that the gospel will spread throughout it and win people for Christ.

I'm super excited about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader coming out! I can't wait! Did you know about the Focus on the Family essay contest? Submit an essay about Narnia and you might be one of the four chosen weekly to go in for a chance at the grand prize.

A trip for two to LONDON to the PREMIER!!! Oh how I want to win, oh how I would love to win.

The only thing is...you must be 18 or older. Shoot.

I Can't Stand It

2010-11-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

I'm an indecisive person.

So....picking out paint colors is hard for me.
I've spent so much time mulling over paint samples at Lowe's.
I'm just really afraid of picking a color and it turning out to be ugly.
Our bathroom paint has been the hardest to pick out yet.

I've seen a lot of pictures lately of really neat, retro rooms painted blue. Turquoise, robins egg, and pale blue. I thought it might be cool to paint the hall bathroom of our new house blue. But of course I then had to decide on what shade of blue. I pulled a ton of paint samples and searched for the right one.

But my problem was I wasn't really sure what I wanted. I didn't want it to end up baby blue so we picked one with a gray undertone.

I painted a bit on the bathroom wall and waited for it to dry.

I've come to the conclusion that all pale colors turn out lighter and all dark colors turn out darker. Does it seem that way to you? But anyway, the paint was white with only a slight hint of blue. Pooh, that wasn't what I had in mind at all. So I debate on whether we should have it tinted with just the tiniest, tiniest bit of gray.

Bad idea, BAD IDEA!

The guy at the paint counter dropped a little black into it. He said, "I really can't promise you what the color will turn out to be." Oh, great.

It actually looked beautiful in the can. It was a nice, light, cool blue with a hint of gray. Fine, that looks like it will be really nice.

Boy, was I ever in for a surprise!

We painted a bit on the wall and again waited for it to dry. I have never seen any paint color change the way that one did.

It went from being soft and "Pottery Barnish" to being an ugly dark blue-gray. Its awful, I can't stand it. Nobody likes it except for my little brothers (but I don't really trust their tastes for interior design :) sooooo my dad was nice enough to tell us that we could go get something different.

Whew...(too bad I spent my entire afternoon Monday painting :D

So yesterday I was again looking at the paint colors, trying to decide on the right one and having a terrible fear of choosing the wrong one.

But its now settled, I'm going with.....

Valspar's "Sea Air" its a lovely light robins egg blue that will look great with our black cabinets and white towels.

I enjoy painting when I have music or a book on CD to listen too. So I guess that's what I'll be doing next week! :)

Anthropologie, How I Love Thee

2010-11-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

I just love how Anthropologie has such creative names for every item. Here are some of my favorite pieces right now. :) But the prices, oh the prices!:(

Craft & Creation Top

$29.95

(This is actually not a bad price at all! You can find some real deals in the sale section)

Chilled Ripples Shell

$118.00

(See what I mean?!)

Frill Force Jacket

$188.00

Slanted Plaid Blouse

$49.95

$98.00

Mary Shirtdress

$128.00

These are so adorable. I never thought I was really a shoe person before seeing Anthropologies'!

Picture Perfect Clogs

$79.95

Rensselaer T-Straps

$79.95

sushi

2010-11-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

Sushi is one thing that makes me happy.

I always thought sushi would be disgusting. I'm mean its raw! gross.

The first time I had it was with Lydia and my dad at a Japanese hibachi grill and sushi bar. I was very apprehensive. I popped a piece in my mouth.

Wow, it was great! Completely different from what I had expected.

It has a very fresh flavor, like nothing else I've ever tasted.

It is my favorite food, it even surpasses Eggplant Parmigiana! I'd rather have shushi than pizza any day. :)

It makes me happy :)

Lily Kate and a Project....

2010-11-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

Isn't this just precious??? Oh, I love that girl.

"How astonishing!"

The bathroom cabinets in our bathrooms were outdated and ugly. We decided to update them. I spent an afternoon sitting on the bathroom floor meticulously painting this. It took a while.

First I had to prime it.

Here's the finished product!

I really love it!

My mom did my sixteenth birthday pictures a few weekends ago. I'll post the rest of them soon but this is all for now. ;)

Unpacking...

2010-11-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

There are boxes everywhere....
There are mounds of paper.....
There is so much to do.......

And to think we just did this less than 18 months ago! Moving is one of the hardest things. I've loaded, unpacked, loaded, unpacked, loaded, unpacked. Everything gets in a mess.

But its fun to live in a new house, especially one that I love so much! Its fun to decorate and plan a new room. Fun to pick out the paint colors....(that really took some doing)....and putting new lights in. When you move you get rid of a lot of clutter, and that's nice.

My mom having her arm in a sling has been a little hard but we're managing! One thing about this ordeal is that I have to drive her everywhere. Which I really don't mind, I've gotten a lot of practice! I need to get a move on now so ta-ta!

Craziness

2010-10-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

Crazy........

You may be wondering why I haven't posted the link for Our Cumberland Cottage. I've been slightly busy you see......

On Monday my mom broke her arm and injured her foot. I drove her to the E.R. and we were there until ten that night.

She had surgery on her wrist yesterday and is doing a lot better. but really...its been crazy! We'd appreciate your prayers right now.

Oh! Guess what!!! The entire cast of The Sound of Music will be on Oprah tomorrow! This is my favorite movie and I adore the songs. And also, one of the best parts, the real Von Trapp children will be singing. Its going to be great!

Our Cumberland Cottage

2010-10-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

I can finally say it, we have a house! We closed on it yesterday and we'll move in next week.

We looked at a lot of houses that just wouldn't have been a good fit. This house is perfect! I'm going to start a new blog called Our Cumberland Cottage today that will have pictures of our house and will document the renovations and stuff that we do to it. Its not set up yet but I plan on creating it this evening hopefully!

Titus is Seven Today!

2010-10-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today TyTy turned 7!

I remember what I was doing this time seven years ago. I had just stepped out to see my grandparents who were in the waiting room at the hospital. Daddy, Aunt Monica and Aunt Marcy, and I were there in the hospital room when Titus made his first appearance....in the bathtub! His birth was so fast and furious, just like him!

He LOVES life, he is big, bold, and wild. He's handsome, he's sweet, and he's happy.

(I think he was in mid blink!)

He's a Casanova, a Romeo. :D haha

He's very energetic, he has a very free spirit, and he loves to do adventurous things.

He has a new hobby, baking. He and I baked his cake yesterday and we made his favorite cookies today. He thought it was so much fun. I'm going to start letting him help me more. He thought the elecric mixer was the greatest thing!:)

2010-10-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my Dad's birthday. How old do you think he's going to be? Leave me a comment with your guess! haha!

Here are 25 things about my dad.

He is a planner, Lydia, He, and I make lists and plans for vacations months in advance.

He likes to be ten minutes early to everything.

He has worked to get his degree for years and he's going to be graduating in December! He did hard things. :)

He is a really great cook!

He likes to hike.

He loves sarcasm, he passed that on to me. ;)

He's not going to pretend to be someone he's not.

He is a great gift giver. He picks out the best presents!!

He's creative.

He's a good provider for our family.

He grew a goatee but them decided to shave it off and then decided to grow it back.

He likes football and baseball.

He doesn't like to go to the dentist but his teeth are perfectly straight and he has never had a cavity!

He's hard working.

He enjoys spending time with me and Lydia in the evening and we talk about our day while Lydia gives him a manicure.

He likes spicy food

He watches Food Network and 19 Kids and Counting with us.

He is really good at building things.

He has a lot of common sense, (sometimes I'm not sure if I do!:D) haha

He trust Christ and seeks His direction.

So, tell me how old you think he is. I think this is going to be very interesting!!! Haha!

The restraunt had bluish lights so the picture turned out funny. Lily Kate's all blurry.

Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are

2010-10-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

I received Start Here, Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are by Alex and Brett Harris for my birthday. Do Hard Things is the most encouraging and inspirational book I have ever read. I was really excited about reading Start Here and it's good. It shows you how to go about doing hard things and how to handle the hurdles that may come your way. My favorite part about this is the testimonies and stories from other young people.

Here's an excerpt,

"Somewhere in the middle of doing hard things, almost everyone asks, Is This worth it?
At those points, we often need to examine our hearts for the sin of impatience. It sounds silly when you think about it, but our tendency can be to get impatient with God--as if he doesn't know best, is too slow, or isn't paying attention.
When our motivation for doing hard things is to grow, to obey God, and to glorify Him, we can persevere when faced with obstacles, delay, and even failure. When our response is to get impatient, that's a sign that our expectations rather than God's have crept in.
Impatience shows that although we want the benefits of doing hard this, we are not willing to pay the price--"

Doing hard things is difficult, I mean after all they're hard, but even when we feel we are too weak Christ is strong and will the give us the strength we need.
This is one of my favorite songs by Tenth Avenue North called By Your Side

Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching?
As if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child,
Tell me where will you run?
To where will you run?

Chorus:
Cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands, at my side
They swallowed the grave, on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life

Chorus:

Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
And I, I love you
And I want you to know
That I, I'll love you

Glorious Fall Days

2010-10-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

I taught Levi and Titus how to play hopscotch yesterday afternoon. It was so beautiful Levi said, "This is a glorious day!" Levi didn't really get the hang of the game. He hopped on one foot to each square. He thought he was great!:)

Alright so this is not flattering at all, it looked so much better on the camera screen!

Yeah Levi, dig in! Little boys are so funny...and gross. lol

Everyone needs one of these shots!

A little about my birthday

2010-10-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

My favorite effect on Picnic is Cross Process. But in this picture it made my hair look blue!!!

I had a wonderful birthday, it was really fun. I'm going to post pictures of my gifts but I though I'd just post these first, I haven't uploaded my others yet. I got a lot of things for my new room, everything was very much my style, very shabby chic!

We went out for sushi last night, it was our first time at the restaurant in our new town. It was great!

I remember the first time I had sushi. My dad took Lydia and me out and I wasn't exactly excited about trying it. I did though and it was really surprising! It's now one of my favorite foods.

Lydia and the boys decorated the dining room with balloons and streamers and these mums were on the table. I really love flowers, and these were gorgeous!

One of my gifts was a trip to the spa! Lydia and I are going in less than two weeks and its going to be so much fun! I've never had a facial or anything like that before so I'm looking forward to it!

There's more pictures on the way..............

I'm 16 Today!!!

2010-10-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Today is my 16th Birthday! Yippee!!!

Happy Birthday to me,

Happy Birthday to me!!!

Did you know that "Happy Birthday" is the most sung song in America?

Happy Birthday Lahni

2010-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Lahni and I were born a day apart. Her birthday is September 30th and mine is October 1st. We follow each others blog and thought that it would be really fun to do posts in honor if each other.

I've never known anyone who was born so close to me! Sixteen years ago your mom had you and my mom was waiting on me to arrive. I was six days late so she was getting really impatient!:)

Lahni's blog is Dance...Even When it Rains go wish her a happy birthday!

We asked each other questions about our birthdays and we're going to post them on each others blogs. I hope that you have a wonderful birthday Lahni! Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen!

1) The best birthday gift I ever got was-an early birthday gift, a couple of weeks ago actually, A CAR!!!

2)The weirdest gift I ever got was- a pack of cake candles from my friend
3)My favorite birthday memory was- last year and my Friends and I just had a bunch of fun being wild and crazy,haha.
4)I was born at exactly-was I am not sure about that one

5)A special birthday tradition I have- Is really just having a birthday party with all of my friends and family...nothing too interesting,lol

6)I feel GREAT about turning sixteen, I feel like sixteen is like the next step in being an adult...your not a young teenager, you are a kinda old teenager...i don't know if this makes sense, but I just Can't wait!

7) 5 years from now-i would like to be pursuing my career at Asbury University of being majoring in either christian youth ministry or christian counseling and minoring as a missionary.

8)goals while sixteen-pass my permit and driving test.haha.,grow in my relationship with God,friends,and family.

9)favorite thing to do on my birthday-hmmmm...i would say spend time with my friends...this weekend i am having a campout with all of my friends,super excited!

Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous

2010-09-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

We have a fabulous cheesecake recipe. Its from William Sonoma's cookbook "Desserts". I was going to have that as my birthday cake and so was Lydia. But unfortunately I forgot to bring the cookbook when we packed and no where on the Internet could I find the recipe. So we had to come up with a plan B.

There are recipes all over the Internet. Some looked great and some did not. I found one on Bigoven.com that sounded fab. But...the ingredients. They can make your draw drop.

Crust:
1/4 cup butter
1 pk Oreos

Cheesecake:
2 1/2 c sugar
43 oz. cream cheese (oh my word)
5 lg eggs
32 oz. Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate (almost three bags)
20 oz. sour cream
1 tb. vanilla
2 tb. ground chocolate

Our pan wasn't big enough. We had to bake some in a separate dish. It kind of rose, the sides didn't burn but when I edited the picture it looked like it was black.

It was delightfully fluffy

Pour in the chocolate

Viloa! Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake

Would anyone like some? We'd be happy to give it to you because we're sick of it. A few bites are enough.

My birthday is this Friday. I'm having plain chocolate sheet cake with ice cream. No more cheesecake for a while. haha

A really fun night...

2010-09-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I went to my second cousin Emily's wedding. It was beautiful and so much fun! Her dress was gorgeous, and I loved her flowers. This was a picture we took before the wedding. me, Carrington, Aunt Monica, Aunt Emily's the bride's mom (she looked SO pretty, I liked her dress a lot), my grandma, Emily (don't you like her pearls?:) my mom, and Lydia.

Here's my mom and aunt. They both looked so stylish that night.

We had a lot of fun that night

Here's the bride and groom during the reception. Lydia, Carrington, Clayton, Aunt Monica, and I danced. My grandpa danced with me too. I'll post some more pictures but I have to go now.

My birthday is 6 days away! I always have a countdown going leading up to October 1st. Notice my new playlist on the sidebar. :D

Happy Birthday, You're Thirteen!

2010-09-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Lydia's birthday, she is now a teenager! I hope that you have a wonderful day! You are really special! I wrote this little poem but the rhythm is a little off in some places but just pretend that it's great! haha

I remember the day I first saw you,

And the moment my eyes saw your face

You were wrapped up all sung as a bug in a rug

And in my heart you filled a great place.

I was Ab and you were Lou

And we were friends from then on, me and you

We dressed up and played,

Fought, argued, and made,

The perfect match, you and I, me and you

We played maids and mothers,

But we both had our druthers

And each of us wanted the best part,

So I would whine and you would beg

And all of this led

To arguing between me and you,

The perfect match, you and I, Ab and Lou

We shared a bed,

We shared a room,

We shared everything but our spoon

But I’m glad it got to be that way

Because now I’m about to say,

That because of this and because of that

We became great friends just like that

We do lots of things together, me and you

I create, dance, and sing, with my Liddy Lou

“Take Me Home” and “Dream”

And songs such as that

Though sometimes we both act like a rat,

But we’re the perfect match, you and I, me and you

Today is your birthday, today you’re thirteen!

And you’ve grown into quite the teenage dream

You’re loving and giving, fun and kind

And in your teen years I hope that you find

That your dreams are big, and your peace is in

Christ Jesus your Lord from beginning to end

Happy Birthday Sweet Thirteen

I hope this year is really a dream!!! J

"Beautiful, Beautiful" The Dance

2010-09-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

This summer our friends down the street came over to practice ballet. We thought it would be fun to choreograph a dance together and we decided that Francesca Battistelli's "Beautiful, Beautiful" would be a fun song to use. I thought it would be fun if Lydia choreographed it because our styles of choreography are vastly different and I think she's really good! So after many weeks of practicing here's the finished dance! Oh, and by the way if you would like to leave a comment on YouTube we wouldn't mind *hint, hint* haha. But I hope that you like the dance. I tried uploading the video to Blogger but after several hours it still hadn't finished so my only other option was uploading it to YouTube.

The ending is kind of weird because I don't think we were all in the same position but I thought Lydia was funny. I don't know what Gabe did but I don't think she like it. :D

We had issues with the bright light coming from the window. We shut the blind but it didn't help much. Who ever stood in front of it looked like they were glowing!

So Ansley and Ashlyn, if you read this I want to thank you for coming over this summer and dancing with us. It was really fun! I'm so glad that we got to do it together.

~Abigail

2010-09-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

Check out Hutch5 to enter a giveaway she's hosting! She's giving away some really cool stuff like gift certificates to Etsy, Borders, and iTunes. Also lotion, a book, DVD, and some other things. Go check it out. :)
I hope I win one of the prizes. I always say one day I'm going to win something really big because I have never, ever won any sweepstakes or giveaways. But I'll keep on trying!

Our Wonderful Week

2010-09-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

I'm finally sitting down to post pictures from this past week. On the way to our new home we spent a week at a gorgeous state park. We had a blast!

This beautiful water fall is also home to the only moon bow in the western hemisphere! It was breathtaking!

Daddy and Lily Kate hiking a trail through the mountain. She enjoyed herself.

Here we are with our ice cream cones on Saturday.

I'm going to do a nice long post soon but I'm heading out the door at the moment so this will have to do for now!

Goodbye For This Week

2010-08-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

The packers are here. Wow, today has been so busy and tomorrow and the next weeks will be even busier!

We've only lived here for a year and a half but some memorable things have have happened. Lily Kate was born here and this was also the place that I learned to drive. Its a very pretty town and we're going to miss the great library, picking blueberries, and all the pretty houses.

So goodbye, little town, you've been a good home for us. On to new things in a completley new area.

I'm so ready to get out of this humidity and heat. And I won't miss the misquitoes or gnats either!

I Just Finished the Longest Book I Ever Read

2010-08-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

I finished this book a few months ago and this post has been sitting in my draft section for finishing touches. ;)

I finished one of the best books a little over an hour ago, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Scarlett O'Hara, Rhett Butler, Melanie Hamilton, Ashley Wilkes, Ellen and Gerald O'Hara, Mamie, Aunt Pittypat and all the other characters that are depicted in the classic American story set in the time of the Civil War. Although these characters had had many faults the story is timeless and the characters are very real. This was the longest book I ever read, 1,448 pages, I started in September and finished this evening.

I kind of have a love-hate relationship with Scarlett, she was dreadfully wrong but the one admirable quality was gumption. She had such a love for her land, Georgia, and her home, Tara.

The thing I like most about Gone With the Wind: I loved learning about the Civil War, the Reconstruction that terrorized the people, and the love for the South. I loved learning about the etiquette and the way of the times. For instance, a relatives would come for a Christmas visit and stay until July!

The thing that I most disliked about it: I disliked the relationship between Scarlett and Ashley.

My favorite character: Melanie. In the movie she was seemed a bit of a "Miss Goody-two-shoes" but I loved her in the book. She was such a gentle, Christian lady. "A very great lady" as Rhett called her. He also observed, "She never had any strength, she was all heart." She loved her family and her home, never saw a fault in anyone even if it was under her nose. She devotedly loved Scarlett, she loved and cared for anyone in her pathway.

My least favorite character: Ashley Wilkes. He was weak, and he never stood up to Scarlett

Scarlett O'Hara: Head-strong, selfish, beautiful, and full of iron will. She wouldn't let anything keep her down.

Rhett Butler: Charming, cynical, and full of common sense.

Ashley Wilkes: A gentleman of the old class, full of honor and always wishing for the old days before the war. He didn't know how to live after the war, he was weak.

Melanie Hamilton Wilkes: Kind, gentle, always thinking the best of everybody. She was a much loved lady in Atlanta. Weak of body but strong of spirit.

Mammy: The great main-stay of Scarlett and the household of Tara. A devoted and much treasured friend. She had taken care of Ellen and had taken care of Scarlett since the day of her birth.

Gerald O'Hara: Fiery and lovable and with an Irish temper, he loved horses and he loved Ellen.

Ellen O'Hara: The mother of Scarlett and her sisters Suellen and Careen. A true southern lady.

I love the movie, it's one of my favorites, but the book is better. The book has inappropriate parts but because I know the story so well I was able to skip over those sections so if you read it that's what I would recommend. Otherwise, it's a great, great story.

My Black Puffy Jacket, Paul Bunyan Shirt, and Other Fashionables

2010-08-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

Fashionables....is that a word? Maybe not but I'll use it anyway.

We went to one of our favorite stores a couple weeks ago. It's a very chic consignment shop with clothes, shoes, jewelry, home decor and a lot more. I found a lot of great things and thought I would share them with you!

If the clothes look wrinkled it's because they had been laying in bags for a few days!

I found a great pair of skinny jeans. They're so cute! The knee area looks so worn in this pic but it really isn't. I don't know what the deal was. ;)

Here are the gray dress pants a bought. They have nice flowy pant legs.

Before you shudder at my taste in clothes I want you to know that this is actually cute! When I first put on this top I felt like a cross between Paul Bunyan and a clown! But this is a nice homey shirt. I have a belt that I will wear with it and it has an eclectic look. It minimizes the fact that it's too big and too long. But it was $2! And btw in this photo it's wrinkled. I didn't feel like ironing it. ;P

This sweater looks cuter on than off. It looks a little square here but it isn't

This is just one of those shirts that you always need to have in your closet. Basic and simple for an everyday outfit.

I was quite happy with this jacket. It's just so cute! My favorite part are the big buttons.

This was my favorite piece beside the jeans. It's delightfully puffy in the middle and fitting in the sleeves, just the way it should be. It's stylish and it's also in my favorite color!

This looks a little droopy on the hanger but I was getting a slew of mosquitoes bites so if the picture looked decent I went with it. ;) I don't have any tops this color so it will be something new.

So I would like to know what are your favorite stores? Are there any trend that you really like right now? Have you been shopping for fall clothes yet? I would love to hear from you!

Swimming, Visiting, Cooking, Walking, Singing

2010-08-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that we are moving? Yep, we are. We're a little overwhelmed but excited. :D

These are from the trip to our grandparents last week. My grandpa's older sister was there. I hadn't seen her in two years or so and it was so much fun visiting with her! She was so sweet and is in incredible shape!

Lily Kate really loved the pool. I don't get it, she hollers so loudly when she gets a bath but she laughed and giggled in the pool!:)

This is my great Aunt Emily. She is going to celebrate her 93ed birthday this November. She has travelled all over the world. She's been all over Europe and also went to South Africa. Ireland was her favorite. She said the people were really nice and the food was great.

Lily Kate loved her.

Here's Levi with his whistle

Titus right after he lost one his top teeth. He lost another one this morning! That's 3 in six days. He looks so cute.

Lily Kate, Titus, and the back of Clayton's head. ;)

Aunt Monica, Pa, Aunt Emily, and my mom

I had to get a picture of each of the boys on top of my shoulders. I took like I'm really in pain!

Titus and His Teeth

2010-08-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

I have a long post coming with tons of pictures from this week but first I have to do a post about Titus.

Titus lost one of his front teeth yesterday. Today he lost the second one.

I pulled it for him. It was the first tooth other than my own that I have ever pulled!

Titus wanted me to pull it. It took a litte tug but he hardly flinched. I told him he was very brave! *wink*

His biggest concern was how he looked without it.

He was really afraid he looked funny.

We assured him that he looked cute...and he does too!

I'll have to take a close up picture of him but I liked this one from the pool.

And another thing, I'm really glad that I've lost all my teeth. I don't miss the process of pulling them!:D

Ring Me Up

2010-08-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

I got a really interesting book from the library yesterday. It's entitled "The Travelers' Guide to European Customs and Manners: How to converse, dine, tip, drive, bargain, make Friends and Conduct Business while in Europe" by Nancy Braganti and Elizabeth Devine

Here are some things I learned, they are either actual quotations from the book or they may be expressed in my own words. :)

In England:

Good topics of conversations are: the city your visiting; history; architecture; gardening; and the positive aspects of the British role in world affairs, both past and present.

Also note that instead of saying that they're going to "call someone" they say that they're going to "ring up".

In Ireland:

The people love to talk and will make you feel welcome within minutes-seconds if they find out your of Irish decent.

Irish drivers tend to ignore the lines separating lanes, and in the country they often drive down the center of the road.

Keep in mind that the Irish are not very time conscious and may not be punctual for an appointment. Someone who offers to meet you in five minutes will be more likely turn up in half an hour.

It's rarely warm enough to wear shorts in Ireland.

Don't worry about offending anyone in Ireland by using the wrong fork or forgetting to shake hands. The Irish have survived blows more severe than than a lapse in protocol.

In the Netherlands:

Don't chew gum or have your hands in your pockets when you speak to someone.

Also, in a store a clerk waits on one customer at a time and even escorts them to the door. Never interrupt a store clerk even if your in a big hurry.

Coffee is a really popular drink in the Netherlands. Every year one restaurant is awarded with having the best in the country.

In France:

If you are shopping in a French market never handle the produce. The vendor will fill your order and will not appreciate you squeezing his produce.

The French are generally modest and may not take a compliment in the way that you would expect.

The French are well informed in the history of other European countries.

They love table conversation and may spend hours talking together at dinner.

In Germany:

There are no speed limits on highways!

Be punctual, they consider this very important.

There are many countries covered in this book but I've only read these sections so far. I would love to visit these countries and I like learning how an American ought to act in them.

One other thing, you need to avoid the American greeting "Hi"- "Hello" is more appropriate!

If you live or have visited a country other than the US I would love to learn about it. What were your favorite things about it? What were the things that you didn't like? What was the food like? The people? The cars? What things did you find interesting?

If you are like those of us who have never set foot out of the United States where would you like to visit and why? So "ring me up" and share your stories!:D

I was a wallflower...

2010-07-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to be able to to take this photo off so just just ignore the fact that you can see right up my nose. :)

When I was little I was very quiet. I rarely spoke in Sunday School unless it was with one of my friends. When I did speak to someone (other than my friends) I went over and over in my head what I wanted to say before I said it. Sunday School teachers loved me because I didn't run around and I didn't make noise. I sat in my spot and listened. I was quiet, well behaved, and polite.

But I think I hated being quiet, I just never really realized it.

I usually didn't have more than one or two friends. I always wanted to have a big circle of friends but it just never happened. I wasn't shy, but I just wasn't a huge talker.

I heard Priscilla Ahn's Wallflower and thought how it applied to me....especially when I was younger.

"Wishing I was more outgoing..."

I've gotten a lot more comfortable since I've gotten older. If I'm not talking its because I can't think of a single thing to say. I love to talk now. If we have something in common I will enjoy a conversation with you. I can be outgoing and sometimes you might just want to tell me to shut up. ;) Talking is fun, informative, and interesting.

But I still have a quiet side. I'm not really extroverted. I enjoy quietness, I love quietness.

Do Hard Things says to do things that are hard for you.

Talking on the phone was hard for me. The only people I would call was family. But I've pushed myself, I've made myself do some things that were uncomfortable.

And I'm pleased with the outcome.

I can now call a business without my heart beating...that's nice. ;)

So...do you have something that you want to overcome? Do you want to conquer an issue? Do you want to stop being a wallflower too? Tell me about it....I understand

In The Great Green Field

2010-07-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

We went on a field trip with our cousins last week and then spent the night at their house. There was a lot of us!

Mckenzie, me, Matthew, Lydia, Madeline, Gabriel, Mariah, Titus, Malachi, Levi, Lily Kate, and Myles

6 + 6 = 12

Things come cheaper by the dozen you know!

Every summertime visit we have together we take a walk in the cotton field across from their house. It was hot, hot, HOT! But we do it every time and its sort of our tradition so we sweat, grin (sort of), and bare it. We went back and swam in their pool!

We went to a historical agriculture museum and got to visit a town set up like it was older times. It was so cool! It felt like we were in Walnut Grove. We all agreed that the school house was one of the best parts. All along the way there were great places to stop and take pictures. My camera's battery died so these picture was taken on my mom's camera. Lydia took the one above and below.

I milked a goat for the first time! Check out my hairdo!

Thanks for having us! We had a great time!

Chris Rice's song Lemonade seemed to fit the shots just right!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And life gave me lemonade and I can't imagine why

Stirring on a summer's day beneath a tangerine sky

Live life without pretending

I'm a sucker for happy endings

Thanks for the lemonade!

An Added Touch of Style

2010-07-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

I just love the flowers that are so style right now. Made of cloth, they come in all sorts of fabrics and prints. They're stylish, chic, summery, and sweet. I just love them.

I didn't have one until Tuesday, I made one myself!

I was reading Simply VintageGirl and she has a tutorial on making cloth flowers. It was really easy! They are so much fun to make and so beautiful! The pale purple one in the top photo was the first I made.

Put them in your hair, pin them to your shirt, blouse, or sweater, or pin them on your bag. They're very versatile!

This multi print and the black one are my favorite. The black was is made from a scrap of fabric I had from several years ago when I made Gabe a Batman cape.

This shimmery one was made from a small piece of scrap material I had had for a long time.

I made a tiny one for Lily Kate. She wore it in her birthday pictures. These flowers had a new flair to an outfit, an added bit of style.

"The flower appears on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come..." Song of Solomon 2:12

Three Crazy Monkeys that Live At My House

2010-07-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

This post is for my three younger brothers, Gabriel, Titus, and Levi. They range in age from ten to four and half and they are boys to the very soul. They love anything crazy, wild, disgusting, and silly.

Sometimes they make me crazy, but I love them very, very much!:) If I didn't have brothers I wouldn't have had many experiences.

I would never know how it felt to be tackled around the legs while they try to prove that their stronger than me.

I wouldn't know that sometimes it just impossible for a boy to sit still.

I wouldn't know so much about Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett.

I would never have the chance to watch them play baseball.

And I would never have known how little boys love grossness.

Gabe is ten. He's laid back, he loves baseball, Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, he loves to create things, he loves to figure out how things work, he likes blood, guts, and violence, and he likes Fess Parker and John Wayne. He is tender hearted and gentle. He has a great imagination. He's good at math, and he likes science. I like to spend time with him. We get along well. He likes when I read out loud and when we watch I Love Lucy and Oliver! together.

Titus is wild. Wild, crazy, charming, and lovable. He has a big personality, he has a big mouth (and I mean that in the best sense!), he is funny, quirky, and loud. He's a cool kid. He likes to sit by me when I work on a project at the sewing machine and make things with scraps and string. He is very sweet, he enjoys being a pest, but he is never mean. He adores Lily Kate, absolutely adores her. He has a tender side. And he loves chocolate like I do.

Levi, my little buddy. He loves to sing and listen to music. He as crystal blue eyes and when he talks he kind of speaks with a lisp sometimes. He is so funny and quirky, he has a bad temper but when he's in a good mood he is SO much FUN to be around. He likes to climb on the counter while I bake and he asks lots of questions. I read to him before he goes to bed sometimes and he always wants me to sing My Jesus Loves Me, God is So Great, and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. His love language is words of affirmation. He will tell you, "Your gorgeous and pretty and beautiful!" He loves to give compliments.

My brothers are a pack, they wrestle, play, and invent things together. They love Tom and Jerry, sweets, and battles and fights in movies. Boys are so different from girls, they live very loudly and they do some of the darnedest things. They love to be loud and they love to make a mess. They are crazy and lovable. I'm very blessed to have them.

Books for the Cooks

2010-07-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

I have become an avid cookbook fan. It's because I love coffee table books anyway but if they have glossy, vivid pictures and stories about the dishes featured it's a very enjoyable way to spend time. The first place I visit in the library is the shelf with cookbooks. If I hit it at the right time I might find a new one by Ina Garten. I found this one at couple of days ago. I had seen it at Target and was interested. I was excited when I found it at the library...for free too!

Ina Garten is one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Giada de Laurentis is my favorite. Ina's show, Barefoot Contessa, is on everyday at 1:30 and 5:00. Sometimes I watch it during lunch. I'm usually busy at 5 so I would like for them to switch it to 6 if possible!:P

Nigella Lawson is British, that alone might be the reason why I like her!:) But another reason is that she writes a lot about each recipe. I tend not to give a book a second glance if all it has is recipe after recipe and nothing about the place where it came from, the people who prepare it, or the stories linked to it. Nigella Lawson is very detailed. Her cookbooks are lovely.

I saw this book at my local bookstore but I didn't get a chance to look at it. Anyway, I found this on Amazon and I want to reserve it at the library.

Isn't this name cute? I liked to cover.

This book is coming out this fall. It is written by the author of one of my favorite blogs. Bakerella!

Lily Kate is Really Great!

2010-07-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday Lily Kate turned one. She is our little princess and our treasure! She is sweet, gentle, lovable, happy, laid back, and rather sensitive. She is a doll.

She and I are fourteen years apart in age. She is usually mistaken for my baby which is annoying but I love that I get to have so much fun with her and that I will remember her babyhood well because we are so far apart in age. I am going to be her first ballet teacher. I've thought about starting now but it will probably be better if I wait a few years! Haha!

I was there when she was born, I was one of the first people to ever lay eyes on her. I remember the first time I held her and I remember how tiny her feet were. She has my toes, long and skinny. Mama says they look exactly like mine did at her age. She has deep blue eyes and very long eyelashes. She has white teeth and a sweet little mouth. She only had peach fuzz on her head when she was born but she now has light brown hair. She can stand up now and has taken a step or two but she prefers to stay in her comfort zone. My aunt says she looks like I did-except for the wild black hair!

She likes to listen to books and she LOVES music and dancing. She can dance really, really well for a one year old! Anytime she hears music she might break out and start shaking her shoulders and waving her hands. She usually has a bow in her hair but loves to take it out. She loves for us to ride her around on a Caterpillar toy that Cousin Bette gave us. The buttons are her favorite part. She loves the beeps and the tune that it plays.

And sometimes she has to undergo one of Lydia's outrageous makeovers. Here she is with her lacy socks pulled up to her knees and white sandals on. Her ensemble also includes the purse that Mariah gave her.

I love you Lily Kate, I hope you have many, many, many, many more birthdays that are as wonderful as your first!!!

Love,

Abigail

America: They Made It!

2010-06-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

People thought they'd never make it,
This country wouldn't last
"They'll be wishing for a monarchy
Before a year has passed."
But little did they know of this people and the dreams,
That molded us together like an ocean from many streams.

This country was a strong one,

The people in it stronger,

And if it rocks with pain today,
It will rise up strong tomorrow.

They worked to build a nation,

A nation like no other,

Build it up as great as Rome,
But not see it go asunder.
They worked with minds and bodies,
With diligence and love,
They prayed for guidance and for strength,
To the Lord God up above.

They fought for the life they loved,
And for all posterity,
Through the times that followed those,
A homeland like no other rose.
In the eyes of the world America was,
The land where freedom rings!
And across the border and on all sides,
People wished to bring,
Their lives and fortune
To this land of many dreams,
Where liberty was the stitching that was woven between the seams.

We never will forget
The pioneers of old,
Who crossed the wide expansive prairie
To see what the West would hold.
From the rugged mountain men who travelled far with Boone,
To the Donner Party who ended up in misery and doom.

Betsy from Pike and her husband Ike
Travelled though he Alkali,
And many went through sorrow and sweat,
To reach the land that lies,
To the west, farther west,
Where their greatest joy supplies.

From the Ingalls in their wagon that rattled over land,
To the Indians in their wigwams where the Smokey Mountains stand,
From the minors digging gold in the California sands,
We're a people who build ideals
That are strong, large, and grand.
Then Liberty took wing and flew across the land.

They endured hardship, sweat, death, and pain,
And spent their lifetime building again.
They pushed hard and then pushed harder,
They bore it all and then went farther,
Than any people hither too,
Then they watched the country as it grew.

From the blood of a Georgian who laid in the clay,
Shot during one long horrible day,
To the blood of a sailor captured in the war,
In the year 1812 that was filled with bloody gore,
They're a people who will fight and until they finally win,
Or die for the love of their country, kith, or kin.

What a heritage they gave us,
What sacrifice and love,
Do you take it all for granted?
Do you thank the One above?
Does the story fill you with great pride?
Of how our people fought and died?
Giving us this land we own?
This America they built,
One stone by stone?

Never forget their story,

Never forget their pain,

Never forget our wonderful, glorious, great gain,

They did it for you,

They did it for me,

They did for all their posterity!

Sunshine Days

2010-06-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

Lately we've had incredibly hot weather and thick humidity. I always make a point to start running before 8:30 because once the humidity and heat sets in it unbearable. Besides the heat I love summer. I laid out yesterday and today and got a little pink. I get pink before I get brown. :)

During our photo shoot she got a little cranky.

Baseball is over for the boys but I thought that this photo had a summery feel

Titus's charming grin. He's a little Romeo

Gabe, Clayton, and Titus cooling off in the "pool". They emptied the sand out of the sandbox and filled it up with water. Necessity is the mother of invention after all!

Lovely Lily Kate.

Isn't she the coolest beach bunny?:D

Anniversary Cake

2010-06-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

This past Friday was my parents 17th wedding anniversary. This was my gift for them.

This was the first three layered cake I've attempted. It was so hard to keep them from finding out! I baked two layers of chocolate cake on Friday night when they were out. I was rushing around like a mad woman trying to get them in the oven and also get the frosting made before they got back. I found some very interesting hiding places to store pans of cake!

I mixed up the batter for the yellow cake in our school room off the kitchen. I smuggled things in and out of there without either of them realizing it. I was really surprised! ;)

I was so upset because when I started frosting it crumbs were going everywhere. That's the reason why the middle layer looks the way it does. I pipped icing up the sides with a flat tip to cover the ugliness up. ;)

This cake has been reduced to crumbled pieces. It's kind of funny to think that you spend so much time and energy on something to make it look good and then cut into it!:)

Small Town USA

2010-06-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

The other day we went to go pick up our produce at our coop in a another town. I thought it was quaint small town with a pretty town square. And apparently there's an unwritten rule that says that bloggers can't leave the house without their camera so we had ours! This was my favorite picture. It was a beautiful day so the lighting was great.

With the crossprocess on picnik the fire hydrant turned into a blinding shade of red!

This building was a lot cooler in person than in this picture. I had to snap a quick shot before we passed it.

You need to click on the picture to view it larger. We were really laughing after I took this. I didn't exactly mean to get the gentleman in the picture but I did and he's there to stay! He just looks like he's from a southern small town, he fits right in. :P

Nice black and white picture

The top of the town hall. The clock is my favorite. :)

HaPpY SuMmEr!!!