Emily's Ponderings

Happy New Year!

2012-01-14T08:17:00.001-08:00

Wow! It's already 2012! The year 2011 all sped by so quickly! If you go over to our girls' blog, Living at Home, you can see some of our highlights for the year. What a blessing!
I have made several goals, but I think one of my goals should be to post here at least once a week. :) I'll try my best.

Blessings to you all, and Happy New Year!

Seeking God

2012-01-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I came across a passage in Genesis during my daily reading. The verses I would like to share are from Genesis 16: 11, 13.

"And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD has heard thy affliction." (You know the story) Then in verse 13, "And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?"

When the angel of the LORD told her that the LORD has heard her affliction, she then examined her own life by asking the question, "Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?"

Are we seeking the God that sees us and watches over us? How can we not seek to know the God that sees us?

Recipe

2011-10-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

Jamie's Minestrone (with some revisions from Emily)
(give Jamie all the credit for this recipe!)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped*

2 onions, chopped

2 cups chopped celery

5 carrots, sliced

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

4 cups tomato sauce**

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can peas

1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 can corn, drained
1 crookneck squash

1 teaspoon oregano

Dash basil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.

*Tip: Be careful when sauteing garlic cloves. Mine turned black. :( So, I need to be more careful next time. Maybe adding it later would be better.

** I used 2 cans of tomato soup instead.

I've taken out some ingredients, and added some, so it's my revision of the recipe. :D

We didn't have any seashell pasta :), so I just ignored this part. But it seems like it would make a nice addition.

1/2 cup seashell pasta

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions when using pasta:
Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender. Drain water and set aside.
Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through, place 2 tablespoons cooked pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Spray with olive oil and serve.

I was awarded!!

2011-09-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

If you are chosen and was awarded the One Lovely Blog Award, there's a rule 'needed' to be followed. First, write 7 things about yourself. After that, pass the award to other 15 bloggers.

Here are 7 things about myself:

1.) I have 7 siblings - 5 sisters and 2 brothers (that wasn't really about myself, but it was about my family! :) )
2.) I share a room with 2 of my sisters
3.) I canned peaches this year
4.) We hold a monthly class for girls ages 7 - 12 or so... :)
5.) I take piano and voice lessons
6.) I play piano and violin
7.) I have been to Hawaii

Since I don't visit too many blogs, here are 6 people that I award! (15 is A LOT!!)
Lucia at Umbrella Girl
Lady Irie at Daughters of Liberty
Lizzy at Young Authors Blog
Hannah Grace at Hannah Grace's Blog
Christianna at My Life for Christ
Victoria at Victoria's Girly girl Corner

Blessings to you!

Song!

2011-06-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

This is a song I found awhile ago. I have included the words, and the website that you can listen to it on. Please tell me what you think!

Blessings!

Link:

http://www.hymnpod.com/2008/12/29/may-the-lord-find-us-faithful/

May the Lord Find Us Faithful

God has not given us the spirit of fear,
But has given us the strength to obey.
With power and sound mind, with love, the unfailing kind,
O be not ashamed of His way.

May the Lord find us faithful,
May His Word be our banner held high.
May the Lord find us faithful
Every day, thought we live, though we die.

No man that seeketh after things of this life,
Is a soldier who passes the test.
Be faithful, bw working, be running, be serving,
Be searching His Word for His best.

May the Lord find us faithful,
May His Word be our banner held high.
May the Lord find us faithful
Every day, thought we live, though we die.

Living or dying, may honor be Thine,
From this wretched life, You loved and forgave.
A life that is on fire, be only our heart’s desire.
Be faithful from now till the grave.

May the Lord find us faithful,
May His Word be our banner held high.
May the Lord find us faithful
Every day, thought we live, though we die.

~

2011-06-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

You can sing these words to the song "Happy the Home Where God is There".

Oh Lord, I lift my soul to thee,

Oh know my heart and mind.

For I have a hung’r and thirst

For your great righteousness.

I pray to You, O Lord, our God,

That I would follow You,

And keep you first in all I do.

That is my prayer, O God.

Your face, O Lord, is what I seek,

My soul pants after You.

I will be very satisfied

When I reflect Your Face.

I thank you Lord that you forgive,

And that your grace is great

And when we do confess our sins,

We’ve fellowship with You.

Evaluation

2011-06-07T16:09:00.000-07:00

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.

What is your personal standard in the area of reading? Shouldn’t it be by the standards of Philippians 4:8? But what do each of those words truly mean – the words: True, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtue and praise? The first thing I did was to look up each of these words and find out what they truly mean.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

True: Loving the truth, speaking the truth

Honest: August, venerable, reverend, honorable

-August: inspiring reverence or admiration; of supreme dignity or grandeur; majestic

-Venerable: commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity; worthy of veneration or reverence

Just: Righteous, Observing Divine laws

-Upright, virtuous, keeping the commands of God, innocent, guiltless, faultless, used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no rectification in the heart or life, approved or acceptable by God

Pure: Exciting reverence, venerable, sacred

-Pure from carnality, chaste, modest, pure from every fault, immaculate, clean

-Immaculate: Free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean, free from moral blemish or impurity, free from fault or flaw; free from errors

Lovely: Acceptable, pleasing

Good Report: Sounding well, uttering words of good omen, speaking auspiciously

Virtue: A virtuous course of thought, feeling and action; moral goodness, moral excellence, such as modesty or purity

Praise: Approbation, commendation

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Are these words things that you think about when you evaluate a book? Are the books you read pleasing in the sight of the Lord? If the Lord visited you today, would you be afraid to have Him look at your bookshelf?

It is very important to compare our reading materials to Philippians 4:8, and determine whether or not we should be reading the books we read. If you always read adventure books, mysteries and novels, you will desire less and less to read God’s Word and other educational books, such as biographies, or a study on a certain subject. The more you read pleasure books, the more you will hunger for them. And if you have a hard time reading the Word of God, or never enjoyed reading educational books and/or biographies in the first place, you will desire them less and less.

As Christians, we need to develop an appetite for the right kind of books, and very importantly, evaluate the books we do read/have.

Here are some questions you could ask yourself to help evaluate your books:

-Do I feel guilty in any way while reading?

-Is there anything in the book that makes me feel uncomfortable?

-Is this book portraying evil as evil and right as right?

-Even if the book is “Christian”, does it seem Christian?

-Am I being encouraged to do right?

-Am I developing wrong thoughts or acting in a wrong way since reading this book?

-Are there authors that I know I shouldn’t be reading books by?

-Do I have a deeper reverence for God, or do I doubt God?

-Are the characters acting pure and in a way that’s pleasing to God?

-Would I be hesitant to show my parents anything that I’m reading?

I am not saying that reading adventure books, mysteries or novels is a bad thing, but we need to have a balance, and be careful in what fictional books we indulge ourselves in. But the good news is that we can teach ourselves to love reading educational books and other books that may seem boring to us now. We can develop a hunger for the right kinds of books, just like we developed the appetite for reading fictional books – by reading them more often.

Lastly, we are told in Philippians 4:8 to “think on these things” - the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report. Since God’s word is the only book that will fully meet the standards of Philippians 4:8, we need to always be meditating on it, determining to keep God’s commandments, purposing to keep His Word in our hearts and deciding to live by it.

I'm not gone! :)

2010-11-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

Well, hello everyone! I'm SO sorry it has been SUCH a long time! :) The last time I posted was August 11th! And it wasn't even a new post! :) Oh dear! :) But, I haven't stopped blogging at all! I just simply haven't had the time to pour into it! :) But, I would like to share a verse with ya'll!

~Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
~Philemon 21

Wouldn't it be nice for that to be said of us? That whoever is asking us to do something will be confident and sure that you would go over and above what you've been asked to do?

Mistake! :)

2010-08-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm bringing this post back to the front here because I realized that I said something "wrong" in bold down at the bottom!!! :) Sorry!

Hello All!
During the hot days, sometimes you might wonder how to put your hair up. I've done many styles, but this one has worked the best for me! :) I added some pictures below... I hope maybe you can get some ideas of what to do for your hair too! :)
Love,
~Emily

First, brush your hair... your bun will look better when it's finished if it has been brushed.

Next, put it in a hair band, slightly thick.

Then wrap your hair around and around and around...

Fasten it in place with another hair band!

And... voila! It usually turns out a little nicer, and the hair band doesn't show ([I have to tell you that I never was sure if the hairband DID show or not, because I've never looked at it in the mirror. So... sorry!!!])... :) Hmmm... I wonder what happened there... :) Oh well! But you get the idea.

Rebekah (my little 4-year-old sister) took these pictures for me!!! Thank you little Becky! I hope you might get an idea of how to do your hair on a hot, summer day! God Bless!

Giveaway!

2010-08-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

Leah is having a really NEAT giveaway!!! :) Enter HERE!!!! :)

Giveaways!!!

2010-07-20T14:31:00.001-07:00

Hello!

Johanna, at An Old Fashioned Girl, is having a giveaway HERE!!!! PLEASE enter!!! Below are the sponsors of her giveaway!!!

Roses and Teacups

Marie-Madeline Studio

The Joy of Jewelry

First, Nancy at Roses and Teacups (My favorite online sight for tea things) donated this beautiful little night light, a pretty little decoration for any young ladies room~

Next, Mrs. Chancy from Sensibility patterns donated an e-pattern of your choice! Thank you so much Mrs. Chancy, I know we have some seamestress' out there that would LOVE to win an e-pattern from Sensibility.com!

Next, Marie Madeline Studios kindly said they would love to donate as well! So, they are giving away this summer shade jumper pattern~

Along with the fabric to make it with!

And then to conclude this wonderful giveaway, The Joy of Jewelry donated these beautiful 'Pure for Life' earrings~

Please Enter!! It will be so much fun!

Anne of Green Gables Fashion Week Day 6 (6!!!!!!)

2010-07-16T13:50:00.001-07:00

Yay!!! :) I am FINALLY caught up!!! :) Unfortunately, I only got one pose... :) I did both yesterday's and today's photos today, so I was VERY tired and HOT!!! It's 83 degrees here!!! Ugh! And this dress below is HOT!!! You can kinda see my red face... :P Oh well!I like the petticoat underneath!! :) Fun! It looks like something Anne would have worn in her "earlier years"!!! ;)

Anne of Green Gables Fashion Week Day 5 (6)

2010-07-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hello! :) Here is Day 5! :) I know today's looks a lot like my first day, but it IS different! :) Leah and I went out and took pictures! :) I look REALLY icky and young here, but my bangs would NOT stay still!
The outfit... :)
And Leah and I!! :) She was in lots of dresses, but it was cute anyway! :)

Blessings,

Anne of Green Gables Fashion Week Day 4 (5)

2010-07-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! :) Only more more day to catch up on! :) This one wasn't "SO" Anne-ish, but oh well, it might classify in what Anne might wear today... :)
I was having trouble with my tri-pod, so it was kinda tipsy! :) And I was rushed, because we had voice and piano lessons today... :)
Do you like my green shoes?? :P I didn't bother to get any others... :)

Blessings,

Anne of Green Gables Fashion Week Day 3 (5)

2010-07-15T21:39:00.001-07:00

I'm ALMOST caught up with my Anne outfits! By the time I am, it will be over!!! :) Amanda took these pictures!!! :) SO sweet of her! :) I have been doing all my others with my tri-pod and the camera timer, which was made it difficult!!! :) But, Amanda did these for me! Thanks, Manda! :)I wish you could see the details of the skirt!! It has floral patterns, and it is SO pretty! :) This one wasn't *AS* Anne-ish as others, but I still liked it! :)

Anne of Green Gables Fashion Week Day 2 (4)

2010-07-14T15:31:00.001-07:00

Hello Ladies!

Here is day two's (for me!) outfit! :) I had SO much fun putting this on and taking pictures, although it was SOOO hot!!! These outfits are pretty serious!!! :)

The outfit! This outfit was from the same friend that gave us the last outfit I wore! I wish ya'll could see the pretty roses that were behind me, but I didn't have the best angle... :(
Oooooh! I LOVE the color of the skirt! :) All the outfits that she gave us were a bit big, so I've done some improvising on how they are worn! :)
Look at the small trail of the skirt! :) Fun!
My beautiful black shoes!!! :) Sorry about the camera strap... :P
Some close-ups of the lace on the bottom of the blouse...
Some more details on the collar...
One of the pretty buttons... :)

What do you all think of them??

Blessings,

Anne of Green Gables Fashion Week Day 1

2010-07-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hehe! Day 1 for me, anyway! :) It is actually day 3, but I will take 2 more pictures to make up! :) Here is my outfit! :) Very Anne-looking, isn't it? What do ya'll think of it?
The outfit! :) Actually a present from our music teacher! :) Very fun, and nice clothing too! :)

Unedited show... :)

A close-up of the necklace! I got it for my birthday a few years ago!

And my shoes! :) Sorry it wasn't a very good picture! I don't know where mom got them... ;)

Hope you liked my outfit!

Blessings,

LOVELY giveaway HERE!!

2010-07-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies!

Please visit THIS link!!! :) It has a LOVELY giveaway!!! :)

103rd post!!

2010-07-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! I'm finally past 100 posts! :) It has taken me awhile to get this going, but I've always loved blogging! :) Maybe I'll have something new to post real soon!

Blessings to you all!

A quick thought

2010-07-07T16:46:00.001-07:00

Hello Ladies! :)

I just thought I would share something that came to my mind this afternoon! :) I was busy de-pitting and sorting cherries (we have been busy putting up cherries!!), and this thought just popped into my head! I thought: We as people are like cherries! :) When we aren't connected to the True Vine (I know cherries grow on trees... but still!), we mold and rot in our sin, just as cherries do when they aren't connected to the tree. But if we are connected with the LORD, then we will be able to be saved, and then be beautiful inside, and bear good fruit! I hope you enjoyed my brief thought!

Blessings,

Happy Birthday Manda!

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

My DEAR sister, Amanda just turned "sweet 16" ( :) :) :) ) on the 4th! :) We had to travel back from Grandview in the morning, but she was such a good sport about it being on her birthday! :) We had a little party with part of the family, and here are a few pictures, just taken around cake time... :)
Leah, smiling... fakely!! :)
Special birthday smile with Becky! :)
The VERY beautiful cupcakes our cousin-in-law, Jamie made for the occasion! :)
Lighting 16 cupcakes!!! :)

Hope you enjoyed the few photos! :)

Fun New Hairstyle!

2010-07-05T20:17:00.001-07:00

Hello Ladies! :)

Well, I just figured out kind of a fun, new hairstyle this morning. I was TIRED of putting my hair half up, or in a ponytail, but I just couldn't think of anything else! So this morning, I decided to try something, and it worked quite well! :) I took pictures for ya'll to see! :)

Here are the steps!!! :) The HAIRSTYLE!!! :) Sorry it was a little messy... :(
#1... Comb your hair!!! :) Isn't that a charming face?? ;) I did it in the bathroom mirror, so it was hard... :)#2... Pull a small section of hair from your ear on both sides... enough to braid with, and make it thick enough.#3... put one of them in a loose pigtail ( :) :) ), just to keep it out of the way.

#4... Braid both sides. Hehe! :) I got a little silly! :)

#5... Pull them both back and hold them with a bow (or a ponytail holder).
#6... Enjoy the new look! :)

Blessings!

Oooh! Neat Giveaway!!

2010-07-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies!!!

Jenna at Where the Heart Remains... is having a DELIGHTFUL giveaway!!! :) Please enter here!

Blessings!

Leah's 3rd Birthday!

2010-06-26T21:56:00.001-07:00

Awwwww... Leah is now 3 years old! She is such a CUTIE!!! :)Our party was small, but fun! Here Leah is having a BIG bite of her yummy chocolate cake! :)

Special birthday smile!!! AWWW!

Happy face! :) She was REALLY excited about her cake! :) Isn't that such a cute face?
Leah, playing with her kitchen set as one of her fun gifts!!! :)
Leah and Daddy! :) Isn't her dress so pretty?

Blessings,

VBA Week!

2010-06-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!

Well, I just finished one of the most fun weeks of the summer! :) VBA!!! It is the same as VBS, but the "A" stands for Adventure! So it is Vacation Bible Adventure!!! :) I had the privilege of helping Miss Ashlyn and Miss Jessica in the craft room this year! I have never helped before, so it was SO much fun to do it this year!

This is a picture of the 7-10 year old boy group

This is "large group" that they have at the beginning and the end! :) It is so much fun to do large group!

This is Miss Virginia, the bible story teller! :)

And here are Miss Ashlyn and Miss Jessica... we were taking pictures together... it was pretty fun! :)

And here are just the two of them! :)

Rebekah, intently working on her covered wagon with her teacher, Miss Kathryn
Samuel, also working so WELL on his covered wagon with HIS teacher, Mr. Bobby.
This kids class was called the Beavers! :) So, here are the Beavers!!! :)

This was the VERY last day, when everyone got on the stage and sang all the songs, and said all the verses they had learned that week for their parents! :)
SMILE!!! :)

Here's Hannah, working on her covered wagon! :)
I was rather disappointed, because we had about 22 girls the first few days, and then in this picture there were only a few.... :( But they had fun! :)

I hope you have enjoyed seeing all these pictures!!! :) So much fun... did any of you do VBS or help this year?

Blessings,

Alfalfa sprouts

2010-06-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! :) Here is a post that the girls and I did a long time ago, but never posted! I thought I would post it on my blog, because we are sprouting them today!! :)

How to grow alfalfa sprouts:

Step 1: Place 1 tablespoon of seed in jar or glass.

Step 2: Cover seeds with 1 cup water. Cover the jar with a piece of muslin or paper towel and secure with a rubber band.

Step 3: Soak seed overnight. The seed will swell considerably.

Step 4: Drain water through muslin cloth or paper towel, and then rinse seeds in fresh water. Repeat the process, drain well, and place jar on side, or place seeds in sprouter.

Step 5: Rinse seeds at least twice daily, draining well each time until sprouts are ready to eat. This is essential to avoid fermenting/moldy seedlings.

Step 6:When sprouts are ready to eat, rinse and drain thoroughly. Store sprouts in plastic bag in refrigerator. Use small seeded sprouts within 7 days, large seeded sprouts within 3-4 days.

LAST day of Lucia M's Modest Fashion Show Week!

2010-06-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

This is the LAST day!! :( It was SO much fun! Thank you, Luci, for hosting the fashion show! So much fun! :) My last outfit is kinda fun! :) The shirt was actually a hand-me-down, and the skirt... I don't even remember where we got it... and we got it at the thrift store.... :)
Blessings,

Day Five of Lucia M's Modest Fashion Week!

2010-06-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

YAY!!! I actually posted a CLOSE-UP PICTURE for all of you who have said it was TOO far away!!! So, you'll be pleased with me today... :-) I DO NOT like these pictures, but I just eventually gave up.... I DO NOT like smiling at the camera... I really don't like my smile when I "try"!!!!I'm wearing:
- Cream shirt that I wore in my other one...
- Corduroy skirt

BOTH FOUND AT THE THRIFT STORE!!! :)
Hope you enjoy today's outfit!
Blessings,

Day Four of Lucia M's Modest Fashion Week!

2010-06-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! :)

Here are the photos for day 4 of the Modest Fashion Week!!! I don't want it to be over... :(
Hope you like them! :) I tend to do my photos a little far away... SORRY!!!! But the green blouse is one of my absolute favorites! :)
It was actually a hand-me-down from a cousin... and the WHITE SKIRT!!!! It was at Ross, which is SORT of a thrift store... kind of?? ;)
Have a blessed week!

My Outfit for Day 3 for Lucia M's Modest Fashion Week!

2010-06-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Here is my outfit for Day 3 of Lucia M's Modest Fashion Week! Let me know what you think! :)Don't you love the kitty in the pictures??? ;)

What I'm wearing:
Purple button up shirt
Purple tanktop underneath (again - a cheat... :) )
Green skirt with purple flowers

ALL from the thrift store! I guess this really shows what good stuff the thrift store sells!

My Second Day of Lucia M's Modest Fashion Week!

2010-06-21T13:30:00.001-07:00

Hello!

I had SO much fun today! :) It was rainy, so I decided to brave it and take my umbrella outside and take the picture!!! :) So, here's today's outfit...

Hehe! :) Don't you love the COLOR umbrella? I have SO much fun editing these pictures!!! :) There's a color one after this one!!! ;)Well, I NEEDED a sweater, and I don't have any from thrift stores, so I'm sorry! :) But the pretty skirt is my FAVORITE skirt EVER!!! It is SO nice!!! :) I got it for a REALLY good deal at a thrift store... and the shirt underneath my pink sweater is also a thrift store purchase, even though you can't see it! :) I will be wearing it with something else though, so you'll get to see it then! :)
Here's a SLIGHTLY better view of the shirt actually.... :) Excuse the name tag on my sweater... I was helping out at VBA (Vacation Bible Adventure - just like VBS, but without the "school" on the end!!! :) ), so I was actually a teacher!!! YAY!!!

Thrifty Modest Fashion Week with Lucia M!

2010-06-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

I'm SO excited for these next 5 days! :) I am participating in Lucia M's Thrifty Modest Fashion Week! This is going to be so much fun! :) I am going to post MY outfit for today! :)This photo was taken by accident, but actually turned out good! :) How do you like my mis-matching shoes??? ;)
I DO NOT like this picture of me, but it gives you an idea of what I'm wearing!!! :)

The shirt was a hand me down actually...
And this skirt was a "Classy Rack" purchase for REALLY cheap!
And I DID cheat, because the tank-top underneath was from Target, but for REALLY cheap!!! :)

What do you think?

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways..."

2010-06-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

I felt led to write a post about the above verse and some experiences I've had lately! :)

It started on Friday... :) I had so many wonderful plans to finish an organizing project I had started... and I really wanted to finish it! :) I had my morning chores, (including milking the goats!) which took a good portion of my time. After finishing that, I was ready to do my project! But Dad needed me to go with him, Dani and Hannah to go help de-bud some of our goats horns! So, I went, and it actually took all afternoon! We got home at 1:00 or so.
Pretty soon after I got home, we had to get ready to leave for the evening to go play some music in Tekoa, at the theater! So, we had to get everyone's hair done, children dressed, etc, and of course I didn't have time to do any organizing! ;)
The music went on for a long time, because we had another family come and play with us, and each of our "shows" were 45 minutes long! :) and we didn't get home until 10:30-11:00... So, of course, I was off to bed... :)
And yesterday, we had to leave early in the morning to play music for a garden show in Spokane! :) We played for two hours, and went to a graduation party, and came home to company that stayed until 11:30 p.m.!!!! So I had no time to organize yesterday either!!!! :) But, I found that even if MY desires aren't necessarily selfish, it is more important to practice these things that I have done in the last two days:

-Serving my family
-Singing/playing music WITH my family
-Being a light for the LORD by playing music
-Being hospitable

The LORD always knows what we need, and what is best for us, and we should always be ready to be willing to do whatever he wants us to do!

Blessings,

Awwww! :)

2010-06-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Irie, at Daughters of Liberty awarded me the Sunshine Award back! :) Thank you, dear!!!! :)

Giveaway - Evenings with Mrs. Victoria Botkin

2010-06-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I just thought I would announce this giveaway! We tried to listen to Mrs. Victoria Botkin's sessions, but it didn't work - so I am entering for them here! :) They are mostly for married women, but daughters are "invited"! :)

So visit HERE to enter!

Haha!

2010-06-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

I feel in the "change" mode! :) I just saw this background and thought, "Hey! Wouldn't it be funny if I tried this on my blog?" :) And I laughed when I saw it, because it doesn't look like my style AT all! :) What was your first thought when you got onto my blog?? :)

Just comment below! :)

Love you all!

Gardening Galore!

2010-06-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

I just thought I would share something with you! :) Today went really well for me! :) We had music lessons up in Spokane, and had a lot of fun! :) And then we came home - and did a TON of gardening! :) It has been SO SO SO rainy all this past week, and SO annoying! We haven't gotten a chance to plant anything! Well, today it was a BEAUTIFUL day! We girls planted: pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes, cilantro, sunflowers, onions, green onions, basil, lettuce, pickling cucumbers, and a few other things that I cannot think of at this moment!!! :) But it felt SO good to get it all in - FINALLY!!! :) We planted corn and peas a couple weeks ago, and tomatoes just recently.... so we're feeling really good to get that all done! What are you all doing in your gardens? :) Just curious to hear!

Happy Day to you All! :)

REALLY NEAT GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-06-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hello dear followers!

I thought you might be interested in this DELIGHTFUL giveaway! I don't know how many of you have heard of Homestead Blessings, but they are giving away 10 of their DVD's! Visit HERE to enter! But hurry! It ends tomorrow!

Giveaway at Virtuous Girlhood!

2010-05-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Luci, at Virtuous Girlhood is having a Pro-life Giveaway! Be sure to enter HERE!!

"Tag"... :)

2010-05-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

The rule is to list 8 books or series that you would love to live in/during the era it was written. And I haven't read all these books, for example, Anne of Green Gables, but I have watched the movie! :)

1. Anne of Green Gables!
2. Millie Keith
3. Elsie Dinsmore
4. The Eight Cousins
5. A Peep Behind the Scenes
6. The Queen's Smuggler
7. The Bible!
8. When London Burned

Whew! that was hard! :) I tag all my readers who want to do it! :)

The way life is!

2010-05-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! :)

I'm in the blogging mode... :) But, I had another thing that the LORD showed me tonight! Being a servant! It was getting pretty hot around the house... it was stuffy, and I needed some fresh air... :) So, right as I was heading out the door, someone asked me to get something... I had been thinking about something mom had told me - treat your siblings like they are guests... do what you would do to a guest - so I started saying, "she's my guest... she's my guest"!! :) And it helped me to have a better attitude... and then I was heading out the door again... :) And mom asked me to watch Leah... thankfully outside! I was picturing a nice little bit of fresh air, by myself, but I know that sometimes God has us be more concerned about what needs to be done, rather than taking time to ourselves. I just encourage you to look out for the needs of the family, rather than taking time to ourselves. :) I know I need to work on that more, and you all can keep me accountable! :)

Creating a Clean Closet (with clothes!!!)

2010-05-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Alrighty! :) I have been wanting to post this for awhile, but I KEEP forgetting! :) I thought I might just sit down and write it right now! :) But I wanted to share with you a tip that has kept my own closet clean - with my clothes and all... :)

I am an "all-skirts/dresses" girl, so I have a few dresses, but mostly skirts! I hang them up on hangers, with multiple skirts on each one. But before I discovered a handy tip, I would have lots of skirts on one hanger, and then only a few on another one. It looked messy, and it just gave me a disorderly feeling! But what I found out made my closet look SO much better! :) I have a minimal amount of space in my closet (since I share with my other two sisters!), but what I do is I take all the same colored skirts (for example: blue skirts in one pile, green skirts in one pile, etc), and put the same colored skirts on one hanger! Wallah! :) It keeps you nice and orderly color-wise! And then another handy thing is that if you are wondering what skirt you want to wear (which I struggle with every morning!), just go to your dresser, and see what kind of shirts you have, and match with the skirts! Now it's so easy to find the color skirt you want if you have the same colors on the same hangers! :) Do the same thing for all your shirts! Put all the red ones in a pile, and all the blue ones in a pile... :) It works - and it keeps orderly dressers and closets! :)

Just thought I might share that with you... :)

Baking Mode! (continued)

2010-05-13T08:30:00.001-07:00

Hello there! :) Here are some more pictures! :) Well, this stuff is stuff that we made for Greg's birthday... :) So, the girls helped with these things... ;) But, thought I'd post them anyway! :)

The yummy quiche... :)
The muffins! :) YUM!!!

Baking Mode!

2010-05-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! :)

Well, I have been in a TREMENDOUS baking mode! I made a cheesecake - from scratch! I was SO excited that it turned out! :) So, I have decided to put some pictures of what I've been baking lately! :)

A piece of cheesecake... :)

Some cinnamon bread that I made... that's self-explanitory!!! :)

And a whole one!!! :)

And... the whole cheesecake... :) Yummy!! :)
More to come! :)

Giveaway Winner!!

2010-05-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Sorry - I wasn't around to draw the giveaway... but I did tonight... and the winner is... Miss Tess B.!!!!! Congratulations, Tess! I'll send it out to you VERY soon! :)

Last day to enter!!!

2010-05-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! :)

This is the last time to enter my giveaway!!! :) So, enter while there is time! You only have until 12:00 tonight to enter! :) Hurry! :)

Yay!

2010-05-04T21:44:00.001-07:00

16 Followers... I'm on a roll! :) Thanks all you ladies who have followed! I'm so excited that this has increased so much from this afternoon! I was wondering... Well, well! I wonder if ANYONE else will enter! and I've gotten so many more! I'm so excited!!! :)

Love you all, and can't WAIT for the drawing!!

For Heidi!

2010-05-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Heidi!

I know this is strange to post this on my blog - to just one person! ;) But I just wanted to let you (Heidi) that I don't see you on my blog-following list! I don't see you as one of my followers! Is it just my computer acting up? Because you said that you follow - and I believe you! - but I don't see you as one of my followers... I'm just wondering if it's my computer or not!

Have a wonderful day! ;) I

I'll update all you other ladies later... ;) ;)

Giveaway!!!

2010-05-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

Hello!!

Well, I saw that some of my dear followers entered the giveaway, but I don't know if all of you saw it... if you didn't, refer back to this post, and go ahead and PLEASE enter! The more the merrier, as I always say!!!... ;) I'd LOVE new followers, and MORE entries!!!! So, please enter!!!

REMEMBER!!! It ends on May 10th!!!

Love you all!

Additional enteries... details!

2010-04-27T18:57:00.001-07:00

I think I forgot to mention that I would like you to please leave a comment for each additional entry, so that I know that you want more entries!! ;)

Today!

2010-04-25T17:46:00.001-07:00

Oh! Today was so very refreshing! Have you ever had a Sunday that just made you feel so happy, and full and content? Well, today was a wonderful day! This morning, we didn't go to our regular church, because we just got home from the Christian Heritage conference REALLY late last night - at midnight! So, we slept in, and went to a friends house for church!

We went through Romans 6 - verse by verse, and it was VERY encouraging to hear what all of those verses meant! I have never had a better understand of Romans 6!!!

Well, I'll post pictures of the conference later - I haven't quite downloaded my camera yet!!!!

Love you all!

Additional Entries!

2010-04-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I just realized that I forgot to put the deadline in, and additional entries... if you want!

DEADLINE is May 10th!!! Invite your friends - I want this to be BIGGER then it is! I only have 6 entries, I do believe! I want more people to see this and enter!!! So, invite your friends!

So, for 2 additional entries:

1) Like I said, invite your friends, and get back to me!
2) Blog about it! Tell the world! :)

ENJOY!!! I'm excited to see how this turns out! :)

Love you all!!!

So full and excited!!

2010-04-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Ladies - my dear friends,

Oh, I am just so overwhelmed! I have been enjoying this weekend like never before! :) You see, for those of you who didn't know, my dad, brother, and Dani, Amanda and I all are up in Redmond (we're leaving tomorrow), for a Christian Heritage conference! Today was the first day of the conference, and I enjoyed it thoroughly! We got to see Ken Ham talk - in person! He's amazing! And then we enjoyed listening to Mrs. Craig (a good friend of ours) speak, and more of Ken Ham and Kevin Swanson!

And guess what? We're singing in their homeschool chorale! Such neat songs! They are SO pretty! I got to sit by a very nice young lady (she's actually a little younger then me), and we were enjoying ourselves a lot. I enjoyed talking to her - the little that I did!

And we went out to dinner with the S. family! We are having so much fun with their little girls, and with Mr. and Mrs. too! They are such a neat, sweet family! We are enjoying getting to know them more as we interact/talk with them!

I am just overwhelmed with all the speaking that I've heard! I'm ready to go home and change! :) So far, it has been very encouraging. I'll have to give you a little of what I've learned later on, right now it is time for bed!

I am typing on a new little laptop dad got today! Our other one's internet isn't working, and it's getting rather old, so now we have our new little laptop! So, anyway, I'm off to bed! oh, and by the way, I'm VERY pleased with how this giveaway thing is working out! I thought maybe only a couple of you would enter! Oh boy! I'm SO excited! And by the way Sarah, yes, I'll enter you in the contest, even though you can't be a follower! That's okay! :)

Well, hope you all have a restful evening, and I'll get back to you ASAP!!! :)

Love you all!!!

MY VERY OWN GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-04-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! :)

Guess what? I'm having my VERY own giveaway! Here's what I'm giving away:
2 photobooks
and
1 set of lavender drawer liners

I don't have the room for these things (But don't think I'm giving away junk! I like these things, but I don't have room!), and I can't really give them to goodwill or anything, so I decided to have my own giveaway!!!

Here's what you have to do to enter!

Just become a follower! And if you already ARE a follower, just comment and tell me that you want to enter! So...

Become a follower AND tell me that you have become one and want to enter
OR
if you are already a follower, just comment and let me know you want to enter!

BUT you can't just comment and be able to enter, you have to become a follower too! :) Does that all make sense?? Have fun! :)

Such Excitment!!

2010-04-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

I hope you are all doing well! I should have taken advantage of the sunny days and greeted you on a beautiful day! But today is rather dreary, and not much fun to be in. Well, there is much excitement for me around here, because TODAY, Daddy, Greg, Dani, Amanda and myself are leaving to go to Redmond for a Christian Heritage conference! It is going to be SO good! And guess what? Dani, Amanda and I are going to sing in their Chorale! We are going to be singing:

The Heavens are Telling
Fairest Lord Jesus
Ain't that Good News
and God so Loved the World

God So Loved the World doesn't have a listening link, but the others do! Just click them to load the audio!

I hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful day! May God bless you in every way!

My latest pondering...

2010-04-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I have actually quite a few latest ponderings! ;) Well, the first one on my mind right now is my grandma!

I would appreciate continued prayers for her. Just add her to your prayer list - she has been having problems over the past couple months, loosing weight quite quickly, etc, etc... She has lost over 14% of her body weight since November. And that is A LOT... So, if you could just say a quick prayer for her, that would be so appreciated!

Also, is VOV, a magazine that is done by Miss Raquel at God's Daughter. I just recently wrote an article for her magazine, about Mary of Bethany... a woman of great devotion. I thought I would add it to my post, for those of you who don't get VOV! And, a note to those of you who don't get VOV, I highly encourage you to contact Raquel, and visit the magazine's website HERE.

One thing I LOVE about blogging, is helps you get stuff off of your mind... :) I thought I might do that to you! :)

And news around here - not much, today Amanda is babysitting, and the rest of us MIGHT stay home... who knows! :) Anyway, just thought I would unload my mind on you! :) Have a wonderful day!

Sitting at the Master’s Feet

By: Miss Emily H.

The Woman of Virtue: Mary of Bethany

I see Mary as a wonderful example of a young woman of great devotion to her Saviour. Before Jesus came to Mary and Martha’s house, I can picture what it might have been like! When we have company, we always try to make the house look neat, homey and acceptable for guests! Mary and Martha must have been hurrying about, straightening things, making things neater, etc. They were probably under a great deal of stress, trying to make things perfect for when the Master came. But when the Master arrived, Mary realized that it was more important to be sitting at Jesus’ feet, then to be cooking, or making things perfect in the house. She might have been afraid of what Martha would say or do, but the urge to sit and listen to Jesus speak was more important to her than her sisters anger. She felt comfort just sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him speak the words of life. She was more aware of Jesus then to the happenings in the house! But when Martha came to complain to Jesus that Mary was slacking, and being lazy, He told her, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” We should be more dedicated to our Saviour than to the world, or other distractions we face in our life! We serve an everlasting God that “is the same yesterday, today and forever”, but the things of this world are evil and pass away quickly! Can we be content just listening to his voice, reading his word, and praying? Let us be content, just sitting at our Master’s feet!

More giveaways!

2010-04-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry all that I've been posting has been giveaways lately... :( I'll get back to REAL blogging soon! I have just been finding so many good ones, thanks to Raquel! :)

Here's a good one!! Visit here to enter!

GIVEAWAY!!

2010-04-08T14:08:00.001-07:00

There's another giveaway I'd like to announce from AT THE WELL! Visit HERE to enter! They have a LARGE variety of things to enter for... pick your favorite! :) Have fun!

Giveaway!

2010-04-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hello All! I thought I would post about this giveaway! It's a mother/daughter photo album! Click HERE to enter!

Video

2010-03-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

As a special request of Luci and Olivia M., I decided to upload another video! :) It's of Leah, being cute, singing the ABC's, her version (SMILES!!), and just being silly! I LOVE comments! :)

Second Giveaway at God's Daughter!

2010-03-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

http://god-sdaughter.blogspot.com/2010/03/second-gods-daughter-giveaway-enter-now.html?showComment=1269404338307_AIe9_BECETQ6eFEuwMZNeWkeTgPMYyHwx-qv5dzU-Mq3gtSq7j3HLp2FK67onJNJxJJ_VoPK4Q46_tE_GNy1ZkMcIG2u_BlnsOxTGuc2naly65HesUyjeqoAT7owqIyVPGzoq8suCawoFTI7_gCB1bsOVvGYdUyNBofh0BR-Hqpj_BmEtVgvdRqvgqTg37hNPXs3qXmy_yU9BF9mGqRM4ce5pXFEqffSxRoJRgUw2fVzYTYbVpHXDKaBRVOrX9we5FEbeSetuEIv#c5199642565676028079

Raquel, at God's Daughter is holding a giveaway! Visit the link to enter!

Jessica Mae Photography!

2010-03-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

Check out my friend, Jessica's photography blog... she's very professional (don't argue with me, Jessica! :) )! Check it out here! She's doing a giveaway on her blog, but she wants a certain amount of followers to draw... So check her site out here.

Dani's birthday song

2010-03-13T20:25:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

This was at Dani's birthday, but I thought it was cute anyway! The kids sang a "special" birthday song... :) Tell me what you think! :)

Bragging on my brother! :)

2010-03-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

As much as I would love to claim these as mine... I sure can't... I'm not half as professional as my pro brother Greg!!! Enjoy these pictures!

Well...

2010-03-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

Okay... :( I only got 2 responses... from Sarah and Luci... so I'll just keep blogging for them! :) Well, if any of you others get on here, I just want you all to pray for Dani... she's been having terrible stomach pain... possibly appendicitis. Right now, she's feeling okay, but she's up in town with dad. They'll be up there for a couple hours to see how she does... just pray that she'll be okay! :)

Thank you all!

Has anyone visited??

2010-03-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to wonder if I should blog anymore! I'm feeling pretty discouraged about it. No one has followed my photography blog, and I don't know how many have even visited! And no one really comments on my posts. :( This is kinda hard for me, because then I don't KNOW if people ever visit, or what they think.... It's very sad. Who can tell me... should I keep blogging, or does nobody read it??

Gone to bed...

2010-03-04T19:07:00.001-08:00

Hello! :)

Well, this blog has sorta "gone to bed" for awhile... I've been VERY busy, and I have been working on another blog... ;) It's a PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG!!! I'm VERY excited! Please visit, comment, and PLEASE become a follower!!! :) Visit here! :)

Thank you!!! :)

Private Blog Now!

2010-02-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I'm excited to see that so many people already have accepted my invitation to view my blog! :) I'm pretty happy about that! :)

I now have a private blog... just for safety usages. If you want to be invited to my sisters and my other blog: www.living-athome.blogspot.com, just comment if you haven't been invited and you would like to be! :)

Home... at last

2010-02-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

Home
by Lisa Embry

Home is the place your heart resides
Home is the place that you decide
Home is the womb that holds the soul
Home is the place where one is whole

Home is the glow you hold in your eye
Home is the emotion that makes you cry
Home is safe and a place of peace
Home is where all strivings cease

Home is protective against the others
Home is full of sisters and brothers
Home is where you find your rest
Home is where you feel your best

Home is a memory that follows your being
Home is a dream for those agreeing
Home is the place where reserves fall
Home is the place you yearn to call

Home is where the family meets
Home is a place of restful retreats
Home is the place you know you’ll be heard
Home is the pace where nothing blurs

Home is all these wonderful things
Home is the place you develop wings
Home is the place that you’ll find one day
Home is the place where your heart will stay

Okay, I don't agree TOTALLY with ALL this poem has to say, but most parts of it I enjoyed! :) They are so true! But yes, we are home, safe and sound, PRAISE THE LORD! We headed back on the 15th and made it in 3 short days back home from Arizona! I pray that we blessed all the people we played for, and made a difference in their lives! But, we are so happy to have home again! :) We didn't realize that plates and real silverware, big bathrooms, our own bedrooms, waterbeds (for mom and dad! ;-) ), etc etc etc, could be so WONDERFUL!!! :) After living in a 34 foot space for 6 weeks, we are so glad that we actually have home again... okay... enough rambling. Just thought I would let you all know that we are home safe and sound! :)
Oh, also another praise! Today was SO beautiful, and so springy-like, I feel inspired to change my blog look... :) I know... again! :)

Teens for Orphans! Can you help?

2010-02-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged in this post by Lucia, at One Beloved. The post is about a wonderful new ministry called Teen's For Orphans. In the post we're asked to post about the new ministry, and tag 6 of our blogging friends in it. Here's some info on TFO. (copied from her site)

There is an estimated 143 million orphans in the world, with 70,000 in Myanmar alone.

Teen's For Orphans goal is to build an Orphanage in Myanmar. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." -Eph. 2:10.

Try stopping by the Teen's For Orphans website and read all about the great things they're doing, and see how you could help them.

To get the word out as far as we can about Teens for Orphans, here's something quick and easy you can do.

1) Do a blog post about Teens For Orphans.

2) Tag at least 6 other blogs to do the same thing!

3) Post about it on social websites too! Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.

Your help at spreading the news will help many orphans' lives.

I tag:

Shannon, at Below the Plateau
and
Jessica at Life in the Shoes of a Country Girl

I don't have many bloggy friends... :( so I could only think of two to tag! :)

Another Giveaway!

2010-02-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

I am pleased to announce another giveaway from the same girl, only on a different blog! :) I am going to be entered if I blog about it! :) So please go ahead and check it out here! :)

Blog Giveaway - NOT on my blog... yet! :)

2010-02-09T10:06:00.001-08:00

Hello all,

I have a friend that is doing a blog giveaway at her blog, Jessica Mae Photography. I have now blogged about this giveaway - now I can enter a second time!!! :) Check out her blog, it's really neat! Also check out her other blogs:

Faith for Girls
and
Life in the Shoes of a Country Girl

2010-01-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

~This is the day the LORD has made........ let us rejoice and be glad in it~
We were all thankful for the beautiful weather God provided for us!
We were expecting rain and showers, but it was a perfect sunny day for the zoo!
We all enjoyed our time there...
Thank you daddy for getting us there - he was the one that worked for all of it, and then paid for it all!
I just felt like sharing a picture with you all, because I thought it was kind of cute!

Not added for awhile...

2010-01-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

Hello Ladies!

I'm very sorry I haven't added in awhile. It has been a very busy, hectic few days. We have been in San Diego - the busy city - to go visit SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo! It has been really a nice experience. Dad has generously gone out of his way to make it happen. We have really enjoyed the parks, and I will upload pictures as soon as I can. I'm hoping to REALLY soon, but I can't, because this laptop is to filled with pictures, so I'll try and upload my pictures to the other laptop, and maybe sometime I will get the chance to upload some pictures for you all.

I hope you are all staying healthy and warm! I hope the weather isn't treating you all to badly! I hope you have a wonderful week!!

God Bless,

Finally an Update

2010-01-16T13:47:00.000-08:00

Hello from Arizona, Ladies!!!

~How are you all? We have been kept busy with the ups and downs of living in a trailer! We have learned that we can all squish together in a 35 foot space quite comfortably. We are enjoying the sunny weather, and are getting very slight butterflies, because our first performance will be on the 18th. Please pray for us! We appreciate all prayers! We are going to be practicing this afternoon in the Rec. Hall. We are praying for a good performance on Monday! Thank you all for praying for us. We really appreciate it! I hope you all have a wonderful evening!!!

Love you all,

Blog Change

2010-01-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I am sorry, but I really needed to change my blog look... I was having some troubles with everything, and it wasn't quite working right. Thank you SO much Libby, for taking time to do that... I really hope it didn't take to long. I will still be keeping the blinky and things, and definitely the blog look in my memory! I was really having problems though. I will hopefully be doing more posting in the near future!!!

In Arizona!

2010-01-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

Hello Ladies!

We are finally in Arizona. Some of you may not have known that we were leaving - but we are in Arizona now!! We travled through 7 states - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, California, and Arizona!! We are enjoying the weather - although it is a tad bit windy, it is much nicer than Spokane/Rosalia weather!! I hope all of you are staying warm! I will try to upload pictures as soon as I can - I'm actually on Grandpa's computer, so I don't have any pictures on here! :) I will try and post more soon!!! :) Love you all!!!!

Happy 2010!!

2010-01-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

Hello dear friends,

I was just thinking, and of course, pondering, what this new year might hold for all of us. Who knows what might happen? I'm excited for the new year! So many things could happen, good, bad, exciting, sad... Like I said, I'm very eager to see what this new year holds! :)

God bless you all as you enter the New Year!! What did you all do for the New Year?? :) I'm excited to hear your comments! :)

Love you all!

A New Pondering...

2009-12-26T15:23:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends!

I'm SO sorry I haven't updated in SO long! Wow! Well, I was just pondering something this morning ( :) ), and that was manner of dress!

I think the way we dress is SO important! If we would like some way to shine for Jesus, and stand out from the world... I think one thing we can do is "improve" the way we dress! I got these tips about shirts from Miss Jessica, at Faith For Girls.

{Tip #1} Tight shirts are not modest. Trying on a shirt before you buy it and checking to see if it is tight or not is a good thing to do.

But, you ask, how do you tell if it is too tight? And how tight is too tight? Well, here are some ideas for how to tell:

-When you try the shirt on, can you see your undergarment straps because it is so tight?

-Stand sideways to the mirror and look at your profile, etc. Does the shirt suck in really close to your body and follow along your body?

-Does the shirt stick to your chest and tuck under?

If you would be able to answer yes to these questions, then the shirt is too tight and and shouldn't be worn.

{Tip #2} Do not wear low, revealing shirts. Very immodest.

How do you tell if a shirt is too low? Follow these steps:

-Bend over. Does the neck come down and open up to expose?

-Where does the neckline rest? Along your chest?

-Can you see any exposed chest--bending over or not?

If you are able to answer yes to these questions, your shirt is too low.

I agree with these. These things should be checked before you wear a shirt anywhere.

Also, if you wear tight jeans or pants, how is THAT going to stand out? I think wearing a skirt anywhere is appropriate! So, think about what you wear before you just put it on. Ask yourself another question: "By wearing this, am I sticking out, or blending in?"

Just some things to think about! And other ways you can be lights... for those of you who have younger siblings! I highly stress that - everywhere! In town, speak nicely to your little siblings, don't yell, or give them bad looks! Also, smiling... it's so simple, and everyone knows that, but if you're looking grumpy - that sure doesn't look great! So, those are some things I have noticed that can help! Lets not blend, girls! Let's shine!

Love you all,

Thanks to All my Followers!

2009-12-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

I just wanted to write and ask you to visit my sisters and my blog... www.living-athome.blogspot.com. We've added some pictures, and I just wanted you to see them! :) I will try and add some more stuff... sorry I haven't added a lot lately... we have just been VERY busy! I will try to explain a little of what we've been up to... :)

We are going to violin lessons on Thursdays. We have Mom, Greg, Dani, Amanda, Hannah and myself go to every lesson. We are very excited to go to Arizona, and we want to be fully prepared. Just in case you didn't know, Mom is playing back-up piano for us, which is really nice! She is having to learn in 3 months how to play back-up piano. Mom knows how to play the piano just a little bit, and this has been a very big step for her to learn! She is doing SO good for only 3 months... she makes everything sound so much better! Thank you mum! :) Greg plays the guitar... a very good guitar, in fact! :) Oh, just to brag about him... he was the 2009 Northwest Regionals Flatpicking Champion! We are still all so proud of him. He is SO creative, and I love how he can pick up on songs so fast... he's an amazing young man! Dani plays a great violin! She is, as is Amanda, so good at picking up songs, and playing them! They're so much fun to play with... especially when we get a 3-part-harmony in there! ;-) Fun! :) And Amanda, she's so much fun... she's so funny (she and I can get into the giggles when we play!), and makes everything so much fun... And Hannah. She just started violin... but she's doing so well! She's doing so well for just starting about 3 months ago. She even said, "Dad? Do you know what the 4 things would be that I would bring out of the house if we had a fire?" ( :D She's quite funny! :) ) and she goes on to say, "My doll, my camera, my Bible, and my violin!" You can listen to a couple of our songs on our blog... www.hahnerfamilyband.blogspot.com. :) Enjoy! We also just uploaded a video to YouTube... :) You can go ahead and look it up if you want... just look up Will There Be Any Stars by the Hahner family! :)

Well, I must think about going now! :) Hope you have enjoyed reading this post! Please commment! :) <3

Love ya'll