Walk

Hi, I'm a bunny!

2012-01-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

My lovlies!

I'm afraid you will only understand the title of my blogpost if you're a member of my [mentally insane!] family, or have seen This Video, which Noah simply adores and watches for ridiculous amounts of time.

El Padre [also known as dad] informed me today that he thinks the way I write on here is...what did you say, Padre? Cute? Funny? Yup. >.< I was also informed that I need to update. Are you happy now?

I suppose it wasn't all that nice of me to leave y'all hanging with Noah, but things have been changing almost daily with him. A few weeks ago he got MRSA in his bladder, then it looked like we cleared it up, but within a couple days of getting him off the antibiotics...the MRSA was back. And now, two weeks later, not only does he still have the MRSA but another infection as well. :-P And this is with antibiotics on board - antibiotics that "should" kill the infections.

Dang.

He's having some other issues too, just...really hard stuff.

On the happier side of things, Mary Faith is turning FOUR on Sunday! *wild sobbing and dramatic blowing of nose with lace hankie* She's having a Minnie Mouse party tomorrow, and is soooo excited about it. Her best friends Caroline and Edda are coming, as well as several other little kids from church. Mary keeps pretending to call her friends on a toy phone and "tells" them stuff like "My party, with cake, presents, and buloons!!! And my friends!" then she'll start giggling. Today was the climax, she spent most of the morning running around and yelling "One, two, free, FOUR! Tomorrow! WhoohoohooHOO!" She thinks, since we're doing all the celebrating tomorrow, that she is actually turning four on that day. No one has the heart to correct her. ;-)

In other news...Matthew, Will, and I have recently started watching Psych. o.O Oh my goodness, it's epic! We've only seen a couple episodes but, I swear, Shawn and Gus are one of the funniest duos I have ever seen. :-D And the theme song is pretty funny too, we love to sing along to it. Because, you know, we're awesome like that.

I just finished reading "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." Yes, folks, I read a zombie novel. ;-) It was actually really good, very funny! The same author also wrote "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters", and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter". I promise, I'm not into zombies and vampires, but these look good! I mean, Abraham Lincoln vs. Edward Cullen? Lizzy Bennet the Ninja vs. a herd of zombies? Oh yeah!

I hope everyone is having a wunderbar new year! Until next time, dear peoples. *bows*

Walking in Truth,
~Hannah Grace

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T11:34:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! We were richly blessed by several of Noah's blog readers, and had SO many presents to open, with more to come!! :-) Plus, Noah is still with us, which is the best Christmas present I've ever gotten. <3

Have a blessed day!

Walking in Truth,

Noah

2011-12-23T18:06:00.000-08:00

for those of you who haven't read my facebook updates, or want details, here's your post.

yesterday, Noah went to Greenville to see one of his doctors because he's been bleeding around his g-tube. while he was there, my parents noticed he had petechaie on his chest and arms. usually, this would mean Noah would go straight to the emergency room. however...well, i'll copy-paste from my mom's blog, since i'd rather not try and explain it right now.

"Jeff and I and Dr. B and our hospice teams have had some very difficult discussions about how to handle future illnesses with Noah. Noah has repeatedly expressed the desire to be at home when he goes to Heaven, and has repeatedly expressed a desire to go to Heaven (not in a sad or depressed way, but in a very calm and peaceful way). The last thing we want to do is to get to a hospital and start a cascade of interventions that can't be stopped and end up with Noah passing away in an ICU away from home. Our current plan (and we CAN change this any time we want) is to treat any infections/fevers at home. We'll give Noah the chance to beat the infections with antibiotics, extra fluids, and anything that can be done here. If he cannot beat the infection, this means that taking him to the hospital would have resulted in that cascade of interventions that we are just no longer willing to put him through. It is such a mixed blessing having these choices in his hospice program - on one hand, it is great that we can choose to treat at home, but on the other hand it forces us to make so many heart-wrenching decisions.
We're making every decision prayerfully and on a case-by-case basis, and our biggest litmus test is whether we are doing something to Noah or for Noah. Last week he was in Greenville twice - once for a transfusion, and once for a new supra-pubic catheter. The catheter change was literally agonizingly painful and very scary for Noah, but we did it because changing that catheter every 4-6 weeks will greatly reduce the chance of another bladder infection and possible sepsis. He was incredibly, heartrendingly brave and we were very proud of him. We were also VERY glad that the urology office is in the process of setting up a sedation room so that in the future he can have some light sedation for catheter changes. It may not be ready for his next change, but should be after that. Even though this was invasive and hard, it was fast and safe and could prevent a life-ending infection.
I say all that to say that those of you who have read this blog for any length of time, or who have children like Noah, are probably wondering why on earth he didn't go to the ER and get admitted. 6 months or a year ago, he would have, but right now we are past that point. He lost SO much ground and suffered so much with this last infection and we need to honor his wishes and keep him where he is happiest and feels the safest - HOME. We are all very concerned, and if there is even the tiniest hint of something "off" in his labs, he will be started on antibiotics here at home."

Shortly after this, I went to sit beside Noah and realized his breathing was odd...like he was having hiccups in his sleep or something. To make a long story short, Mom came and checked his temp, called Hospice, called Dr. B., then she drew labs. Dr. B. and Leslie, Noah's hospice nurse, came out and checked him out, got him started on some antibiotics. Noah was rapidly getting worse, his fever eventually rose from 101 to over 103, he got all swollen, his hands went from cold and clammy to burning, he began retching, he got some fluid in one of his lungs...it was a long night. Dr. B. left about 10, but Leslie stayed until I think it was past midnight. Matthew and mom stayed up with Noah, getting sleep when they could.

This morning, Noah was worse. By this afternoon, both his lungs had filled with fluid, and his throat and vocal chords were swollen. We tried some medication, but it didn't help. Carol, the Hospice nurse who's been with us all afternoon [Leslie came for the morning], said that we could try to give him the medication one more time, but if it didn't work that meant his kidneys had failed and Noah would have anywhere from 1-3 days left to live. Currently, Noah is still not out of danger, but he is doing slightly better, praise the LORD.

I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to update again, but here is my mom's facebook page and mine. Feel free to friend either of us [if I don't know you very well, I probably won't friend you, so be sure to tell me that you're a blog reader so I'll know who you are]

http://www.facebook.com/kate.estes

http://www.facebook.com/hannah.grace.estes

http://www.prayingfornoah.com/

Walking in Truth,
~Hannah Grace

Noah, hamster, and friends

2011-12-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

I need to get used to blogging again. :-)

But I've been busy. C'est la vie, oui? Oui.

Here are some pictures with details from the past couple days. :-)

Add caption

For those of you who need catching up on Noah: we went to North Carolina a few weeks ago. Day after we got there, Noah got seriously ill and almost died. The paramedics were afraid he would die on the way to the hospital, it was that bad. He ended up being in Brenners Children Hospital [a hospital in winston-salem NC] for about a week then transported to his regular hospital in Greenville once he was stabilized. He got a new broviac in W-S, a double-lumen broviac, [which means it has two ports instead of one]. We though he would keep getting better once he was back in Greenville but instead he got worse. After spending a little over a week in Greenville, the doctors sent him home on hospice. Our focus now for Noah is not really "what can we do to fix this" but "what can we do to keep him comfortable". Please keep in mind: although Noah is in hospice, he is still at home, and if my parents chose to, we can send him to the hospital if he gets sick.

So, the above picture. Noah's double-lumen broviac recently started looking icky and the cuff [part of the broviac that is inside his chest to help keep the broviac in place and hopefully prevent bacteria from sneaking in] came out. If mom barely touched his chest, Noah would scream because it was hurting so badly. So, the Greenville surgeons didn't want to touch his double-lumen because it was "Winston-Salem's broviac". :-P Doctors. If they had tried to replace the double-lumen in Greenville Noah would have ended up getting two separate [single port] broviacs instead of one two-port broviac. Clear as mud, I know. It also greatly increases his risk of infection, which can lead to sepsis, which, at this point, can lead to death. So yeah, getting that wasn't really an option for us. So, thanks to Angel Flight [love you people!], we were able to get Noah flown back up to Winston-Salem on Thursday. He had his surgery yesterday and as far as we know everything went well, but Mom updated facebook last night saying that Noah was just really sad and unusually weepy over everything. :-( This is probably just because of the medications, they tend to make him either really hyper, really cranky, or really weepy, but it breaks my heart anyway. Noah and Mom will probably come home Monday or Tuesday.

Some light-hearted news...Sarah Elisabeth got a hamster! And she wants y'all to help name it. She likes the name Rapunzel, but also the name Violet, and yesterday she was looking at it and said "I really, really like the name Kit, too!" So now we have one hamster, three names.

Yesss....we stuck it in Sarah's dollhouse. :-D

So. What should we name this wee doodad? It's a Chinese Dwarf Hamster, so she's only about 1 1/2 - 2 inches long and quite adorable. :-)

Kit

Rapunzel

Violet

Sarah appreciates feedback. ;-)

Before we went to Myrtle Beach in October, some blog readers were there as well and on the way home they stopped by the hospital and visited a bit with Mom and Noah, who were there for a few days before our trip. They told Mom about the hotel they had stayed in; it had a lazy river in it so that Noah could swim! So they told Mum that they had paid for one night in the hotel so we could go swimming there. We didn't sleep at the hotel, we just went in the afternoon to swim and used the room to change [and for Dad to sleep with Noah, hehe.] and then went back to our hotel at night. In the morning we went again and Noah got to "swim" [read: float around on a tube with his alligator hat and sunglasses, looking totally epic]

Sooo, we really wanted to meet these awesome people, the C. Family. And then we found out they were going to be driving through our town on the way to Florida, so there was joyous celebrating. ;-) They have three boys and three girls, but only one of the boys and all the girls would be stopping by with the parents. Sadly, Mom and Noah had to leave before they came, but the rest of us got to meet up with the C. family at a resurant and then afterward I went back to their hotel room to spend some time with the three girls, Jessie-Anna, Elli, and Haddi. We had a blast; turns out I have at least one thing in common with each of them! So we had such a lovely time. Plus, they know the Seven Sisters, so if nothing else we had common ground there. ;-)

Dad picked me up round 10:30, and then the next morning we all [except Sarah, who wasn't feeling well] went swimming with the C. Family before they had to leave. :-) Pictures taken by me and Mrs. C.

the boys had some sort of epic water battle...over a ball.

Matthew's creepy hair after we went swimming. o.O

from left to right: Haddi, Elli, me with Mary Faith, Jessie-Anna. Taken by Dad.

It was sad to see them go, BUT! Next week they're coming back our way on their way home, so they get to stay a little longer. :-D Very happy.

Well, I should scoot. Elena is coming over today to make cake pops with Sarah and I, then I'm going to a Christmas party with some friends...

Have a lovely weekend!

Walking in Truth,

I can live this life.

2011-11-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Edit: the video is now live! Go here to watch a video explaining Katy's latest song and how she wants to use it to help Noah.

Let me tell you about a dear friend of mine.

Her name is Katy, and she has this band called Fade To White, which I believe has the potential to become the female version of Owl City. :-) She's done a few songs so far, two of which are available for purchase on her website. Recently, on her blog, Katy asked for help and a chance to be in one of her yet-to-be-released songs. All you have to do is send her a recording of you, your siblings, your friends, anyone, saying

"I can live this life."

Why?

I can't tell you yet. :-) But I promise that as soon as I can tell, I will post about it on here. Meanwhile, go help my friend out.

Walking in Truth,

Mes chers amis!

2011-11-19T12:52:00.000-08:00

While on facebook this afternoon I discovered that my friend Phil {Felicity} was over at my other friend Elena's house. A three-way phone call was arranged which soon turned into me getting in the car and heading over there for a little while.

I love my friends. :-D

We didn't get to spend too long together, because soon Phil had to leave and her dad also took me home, but we had a blast. It's been awhile since I've gotten to spend time with Elena and Phil, so I was grateful...even though my jaw really hurts from talking and laughing so much. We took some pictures with a webcam, and I thought I'd share some with y'all!

Llamas! From left to right:
Me, Phil, Elena

Sweet Phil and me. :-)

being sneaky ;-)

me with doodad Cole, Elena's younger brother

Cole wouldn't stop staring at Phil! :-D

We also messed around with the special effects...muwahaha.

All in all, a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon. We should do it again soon, girlies. <3

Walking in Truth,

I'm an Authentic Person.

2011-11-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

I thought it rather fitting to join Abigail's party, especially since I just came back and might have some new readers, or just old readers who forgot what I'm like. ;-) This blog party is meant so you can get to know me better, and maybe learn a new fact or two about moi.

{taken by Elena W.}

First off, I need to introduce myself.

I'll start with the basics...I'm a Christian, eighteen year old young woman. I am the oldest of ten kids [eight on earth and two in Heaven]. I have five brothers and two sisters, who I am often caught referring to as The Natives. I'm not British but I call my mom Mum. Dad is just....Dad.

I'm both a romantic dreamer and yet I find romance cliche. I don't have a boyfriend, and don't plan on getting one anytime soon. However, I am head over heels in love with many fictional men and men from the past. Frank Sinatra is my one true love. ;-)

{taken by mum}

When I was saved by the LORD's grace when I was about 14, God opened up a door I didn't even know existed and I began to fall in love with writing. Before this, my Mum used to say I had an allergy to writing and pencils in general; I HATED it. Now, I've written countless short stories, songs, and random descriptions, not to mention two finished rough drafts and several half-finished rough drafts. This is my third year participating in NaNoWriMo, and I'd like to think it's my second time winning, but I don't think that will happen this year.

Other things I love: I take pictures. I have two herbal plants, Lemon Balm and Sweet Mint, plus Lavender grows wild in my front yard. I knit...and crochet. I have a guitar and love to sing. I adore my friends and spending time with them. I've been known to insert random German, French, and occasionally Italian words into my blogposts and emails. I'm an absolute history nut. Coffee, tea, and chocolate are all one food group and their group is the most important one. And there can never be too many books to read.

Want more? Keep reading.

Let the questions begin:

1} What's the nerdiest/geekiest/weirdest thing about you?

If my Dad was filling this out for me, he'd say my glasses. He likes to [nicely] tease me about them. The good thing is that he has glasses too, so I call him geek right back. XD But anyway, I love to research, like my Mum. One of the best ways to spend a rainy afternoon is sitting with Mum on her bed, looking up random things on google and Wikipedia.

And if it's about history? That makes it even better. I also developed my love for history from Mum. Now, if only I developed an appreciation for math from her as well...

2} If you could live in a fictional universe from any book, movie, or television show, what would it be?

Okay, I promise I wanted to be original on this one and not say "Narnia! The Shire!" or something like that, but I couldn't think of anything. So I guess it depends on my mood, sometimes I really need to find Narnia in my closet and other times I need to engage in battle in Middle Earth.

3} Little or big, practical or frivolous, what is one of your favorite items in your house?
The window seat in our family room. :-) I have this "thing" for window seats and this one overlooks our backyard. I love it so much, I could sit there all day. <3

4} Do you like animated movies? If so, what is your favorite?
Yes! Disney/Pixar movies especially. And asking me to chose a favourite isn't fair, I love too many. But here are my top five at the moment:
-How To Train Your Dragon. The music is wonderful and I want my own dragon.

-Tangled. Because Rapunzel is awesome, it's very quotable, and the music is almost as good as HTTYD.

-Bolt. Adorable characters and great quotes, not to mention *dundun* Rhino: the Hamster.

-Toy Story 3 [okay, all of the Toy Stories are great, but I love 3 the most]. I mean, come on. What's not to like about Toy Story 3?

-Rio. Mary loves to samba with the music in this great film. And I love it, but I should mention that after seeing it three times in a row while in the car on the way to Myrtle Beach it does get a little old. Still, a fun movie.

5} What is your favorite household chore?
Well, I guess the one I have now, which is planning the breakfast and lunch menu then making sure that's what we have each day. It's pretty nice and I like planning things out like that.

6} What's your favorite thing to get at Starbucks (or your favorite coffee shop)?
Oh, one of my weaknesses is a Starbucks Frappuccino. What kind I get depends on my mood, but more often than not it's either peppermint or java chip. And during the fall, I go crazy over their pumpkin spice lattes. Ahhhh bliss.

7} What is your favorite pizza topping?

Drool.

Ooh...I like a few different kinds, but I think the best pizza would be one with olives, a sprinkle of onions, mushrooms, and beef. Yes, that sounds quite nice indeed. <3

8} Waffles or pancakes?
Without a doubt: Pancakes. Especially blueberry pancakes. Oh yeah.

9} Do you like to play games? If so, what is your favorite?
I'm not too much into games, but I do enjoy them occasionally. My siblings only like playing Uno, which is only fun for so long, but sometimes we do Apples To Apples which I enjoy a lot! So I guess Apples to Apples is my favourite game.

10} Have you ever let anyone win a game?
Why would I do that?

11} Have you ever dyed your hair?
Um, no. But actually, I've been considering getting a perm.

12} Do you make your bed every morning?
I try to, really I do. But sometimes it doesn't seem worth it, because then some of the younger Natives come along and mess it all up.

13} Picasso or Norman Rockwell?
Norman Rockwell. Picasso gives me a headache. Rockell's paintings are so real and, for me personally, tell a story...but only part of a story. Mum used to have a big book with Norman Rockwell paintings in it [I think it's packed up now] and I used to sit and look through it, making up stories for each picture.

14} Do you like carpet, tile, or hardwood floors?
All three? Carpet for family rooms, hardwood for dining rooms, bedrooms, and hallways, and then tile for kitchen and bathroom. :-)

15} If you could put one thing in a safe under your bed, what would it be?
My heart. It has a bad habit of escaping without my permission and it gets me into all sorts of trouble. It's much better locked up and hidden away.

16} What's your favorite condiment?
Mustard and cheese :-D

17} Have you ever thrown up on someone (excluding when you were a child)?
Um...I've probably thrown up on myself a couple times. And I threw up on Dad once, but I was a child, so... :-P

18} What was the last thing that made you laugh?
I don't know. The last thing that made me smile was my dear grandma, Fifi, bringing me a Peppermint Starbucks Frappuccino. I tell you, that woman is an angel and I'm so lucky to have her as my grandma. <3

19} Think fast...what's the first song that pops into your head?

This one. But that's because I'm listening to it.
----------------------
So what about you? Did you learn something new about me today? Is there something I said that you can relate to? Let me know if you participate in the Authentic Person party...and by the way, did I mention that Abigail has all sorts of goodies for a handful of lucky Authentic People? So go enter now!

Walking in Truth,

What I've been up to.

2011-11-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

I suppose an explanation is in order for this blog suddenly disappearing? Believe me, it was aggravating for me as well, and I feel awful about it. Dad and I kept having problems renewing my domain name, and so I've finally given up on that for the time being and have switched back to just a blogspot blog. I apologize for any inconvenience this causes you or anyone else!

So, a brief overview of what I've been up to.

I'm going to finish posting the pictures from my Massachusetts trip on my photography blog, which also has a new name: Hannah Grace Photography. The template is currently a bit messy, but soon my sweet friend Lu from Once Upon a Time Designs is making me a new one. Thankee, dear!

While I was on my trip, my parents and Noah's medical team made the choice to put Noah on Hospice. This does NOT mean Noah is about to die, although he is becoming very sick. You can read Mum's post about that right here.

About a month ago, I was richly blessed by a friend to have the life-long dream of getting singing and voice lessons...and she's doing them for free! I've had three lessons so far and I love it. I had been told a few times over the course of my life that I couldn't sing very well, but my teacher has been saying otherwise! She's a precious Christian woman and I'm blessed to not only get lessons from her but have the chance to spend time with her.

Because of Noah joining Hospice, we were blessed with the opportunity to take him to Myrtle Beach for a week back in the end of October. God is SO good! We went to Riply's Aquarium, Pirate Adventure [a dinner show similar to Medieval Times and the Dixie Stampede], Noah got to go swimming, we had a lovely hotel right beside the beach, and so many more wonderful treats. Mum has done a few posts on that, and I'll probably do a post or two as well soon! Here are Mum's posts: part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

The day after we got back from Myrtle Beach, a dear blog reader and precious friend to the family came out to visit us. Some of you may remember me mentioning her...Auntie Donna, or The Lady From California, who got me my guitar! She and her husband, Uncle Ron [they aren't related to us obviously, but they wanted us to call them that] came to visit us for a couple days. We had so much fun! The first day, Monday, we went to watch Dolphin Tale [great movie!] and then went out for dinner since it was Halloween [which we don't celebrate]. Then on Tuesday Uncle Ron took the four boys out, and Auntie Donna took Sarah and I shopping for our winter clothes. I got some smashing new outfits, they're so adorable! Aunt Donna took pictures and I'll post them once she sends them to me. On Wednesday we mostly hung out around the house; Mum, Dad, and Matthew took Noah to Greenville for an appointment so the rest of us just spent time with Uncle Ron and Auntie Donna. They had to leave early Thursday morning so we said our goodbyes that night.

The Sunday after they left our family went to Camp New Hope again. We had gone earlier this year, and after seeing how fragile Noah was, the people there said he could come again in November instead of having to wait until next year [usually, the families are only allowed to go once a year].

However, [and this is where the post gets serious, folks] the day after we got there Noah became very, very sick. Timothy and David had woken up with sniffles and small fevers, but since we were in the mountains during November Mum and Dad didn't think it was too serious. Mum and I were suffering from allergies anyway, so we didn't think too much of it. But that afternoon Noah got a fever which rose rapidly and over the course of about an hour became extremely ill. It's a bit of a long story, but Mum's friend Mrs. Michelle has been updating the blog for us since Mum wasn't able to take a laptop. I won't link to every update, but here's the first post.

If you read all the posts you will see that he is back in Greenville now, but Dad just got off the phone with Mum and Noah is still very sick. We were hoping he could come home today, tomorrow at the latest, but he will be in there for awhile now. I actually had my wisdom teeth [all four of them] removed on Tuesday, so since I'm feeling rather light-headed from the medications I won't update on here because I don't want to inaccurately state something. So, if you haven't already, I suggest going over to Noah's blog and either signing up for email updates or following it so you can get updates in your blogger dashboard.

Last but not least, like I mentioned above I did get my wisdom teeth removed on Tuesday. A lot of you already know this, but for those of you who I don't really keep in in touch with, now you know. Because of my small jaw, the dentist had to break my teeth and pull them out in pieces. Ouch. I'm very thankful they put me to sleep before hand! And, praise the LORD, for the first time ever they were able to get an I.V in my arm on the first try! Haha. I have horrible veins, they're hard to see [thanks to Mum, she's the same way] so usually it takes several tries and lots of painful digging around to get an I.V in. But not this time! I know I had lots of friends praying for me, God really gave me peace about it. I'm still in pretty much constant pain but as long as I stay on top of my medications it's bearable.

So! That has been my life these past couple months. It's so nice to be back and hopefully we won't have any more problems like this for awhile, oui? :-)

Walking in Truth,

Back, at last!

2011-11-16T12:26:00.001-08:00

http://walkinthytruth.blogspot.com/
To get to my blog, for the time being, you'll need to use the above link.

I'll update soon! And I am SO sorry for my blog vanishing, I had problems renewing the domain.

Walking in Truth,

days 1-2 [picture post #1]

2011-09-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

{warning: LONG picture post ahead. i haven't had time to edit/watermark a lot of these. so if you steal, i will hunt you down and kill you. understood? *wink* also, you'll notice that sometimes plymouth spelled plimoth. plimoth is the old english spelling, plymouth is the modern spelling.}

Edit: I forgot to mention! Today was my first blogaversary for Walk! :-D Hurrah! Giveaway, anyone? Maybe, maybe...

Day 1: Traveling & Plymouth

Grandma and I had to leave insanely early. We flew with the sun!

Oh yes. I love to fly. <3

At the Baltimore/Washington Airport. my first time in Maryland!

The flight from Maryland to Providence, Rhode Island, was short and rather miserable. my ears kept aching. :-(

Haha, Julie misspelled my name. :-P

Zachary showing off...

...and Ben showing off. ;-)

*shakes head* Boys.

Ben: the flying monkey

That night, we drove around Plymouth. <3

the house that Grandpa and Auntie Phyl grew up in. Those trees were planted around the time they were born.

Uncle John and Ben. No, John isn't short....Ben is tall. Very tall.

Grandma and Zack-Man. ;-)

The local candy store...AKA, one of Zack's favourite places. Basically, any place with candy and/or ice cream is Zack's favourite place. hehe.

Ben playing some music

Day 2: Cape Cod, the ocean, & lobstahs!

Going over the bridge to Cape Cod

We went to a beach at Cape Cod where the water came inland and made a little river that wove through a couple acres of ...basically, marshland.

Some crabs that a little boy caught and let me take a picture of...

Zack and I went clamming....sadly, we weren't allowed to take the clams home. And the smudge on my camera? A drop of water made its way to my lens. :-P

The OCEAN!

I took so many pictures of the ocean. This is one of my favourites; I love how the wave has been captured.

It was low tide, so there were a lot of little shells and creatures...I found this dead crab and made it pose. ;-)

Sadie, their dog. Such a good girl!

John brought some some lobsters...ahem, lobstahs, for dinner.

Yes....it was alive!

Yup, lobsters are only red AFTER they're boiled!

Did Zack get the lobster...or did the lobster get him?!?!?!

Part 2 coming soon!

Walking in Truth,

I'm back!

2011-09-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

Hello, dear friends and readers,

Yes, I am back! I've been back since Monday night, but haven't had a chance to update...as it is, I only have a moment. For those who were wondering, yes, I felt the earthquake, and survived Hurricane Irene. Thank the Lord, though, we were in the part of the hurricane that was not very bad at all. More on that little adventure later!

I shall give you a peek of the ginormous picture post to come....

Walking in Truth,

The Importance of Remembrance {guest post by Taylor}

2011-08-29T04:26:00.000-07:00

Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by history. Ancient Rome, the Dark Ages, Renaissance, Westward Expansion, and especially World War Two. And for the longest time, history was merely a collection of interesting stories to me. It wasn't until a few years ago that I discovered the true importance of history, even my own personal history, and why it is vital for us to remember the past.

So, why is it important for us to remember?

#1 - IT IS COMMANDED OF US IN THE BIBLE.
This is a pretty good reason, would you not agree? ;) There are numerous Bible verses where God has commanded one person or many people to remember something. God judged those who did not remember Him. He punished the wicked by erasing their memory from the face of the earth. Jesus told his disciples to take communion in remembrance of Him. The Bible clearly shows remembrance to be a blessed thing.

#2 - THE PAST IS A PROLOGUE.
In order to fully understand the present, we need to know how it came to be the way it is. To take an example from literature: in Lord of the Rings, if the Fellowship did not know the history of the Ring, how would they know that it needed to be destroyed? If they had not looked to the past, and seen the evil the Ring brought before, they would have no reason to care about what happened to that little piece of jewelry.

If we did not know what our country has been through: the war, bloodshed, suffering, all to protect our freedom and security, how could we treasure it now that we have it?

Our past defines us more than the present and the future. It is important to remember it.

#3 - HISTORY IS THE BEST TEACHER.
Romans 15:4 says, "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Throughout all of history, we see a lot of mistakes that were made, and many disasters that came from them. The Fall, Feudalism, Communism, Titanic, the Great Depression, Nazism, the Challenger, Terrorism, the list goes on and on. All these events are tragic, but they also give us something to learn from. History is an enormous manual, showing us what ideas and actions work or don't work. From history, we can learn how and why mistakes were made, and from that, we can know how to avoid them now.

This is also applicable in your personal life as well. Often, the things we learn are through things we experience. The experience we gain through life can help us to make good decisions and avoid bad ones, since we already have learned the consequences of certain actions.

"History repeats itself" is a very common saying, and so true. History has repeated itself over and over. And in observing the repetition, we can know what to expect in the future, and how to handle it now.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Taylor is a sixteen year old Christian girl who is striving daily to be more like God. She has a God-given passion for music, and plays the piano, cello, and melodeon. She is an avid movie-watcher, and especially loves movies made before the 1960's.

You can visit Taylor's blog at Examine All Things.

A proverbial kick in the pants

2011-08-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Sitting in church this morning, listening to a powerful sermon about how Jesus understands our pain and how even death cannot rip us from His hands, I decided to do something different for this post than I had been planning. No sneaking in the back door and spraying Laura's blog with silly string...sorry. :-D Although that was one thing on my agenda! And as much as I would love to post something lighthearted, I feel compelled to give a shout-out to strong people like Laura (you'll be pleased to know that I am keeping "Embarrass Laura" in the gameplan), and people like you, who face a dilemma.
The dilemma is this, dear reader. Are we going to let the beast of pain, grief, fear, physical or emotional weakness, the chains of this world, drag us down? Are we going to gather at the church doors, a bunch of people in a tiny slice of our world, and think about the funeral going on at another church down the road...or are we going to celebrate the entrance of another believer into God's warm hug and throw our arms out and shout for joy, shout for the fact that we are alive and we can keep plodding on? We, who are whole and blessed richly beyond measure, have no idea the kind of impact we can have if we reach out with both hands and greedily fill ourselves with the complexities and intimacy of God.
Reaching to God doesn't mean getting up at 3 am, diligently reading your Bible for two hours and translating it into the Greek before a strident breakfast of Special K, and then evangelizing to every aggravated person you meet in a given day. It doesn't mean plastering on a smile when company comes, or shrugging and saying we're fine whenever someone asks. Let's face it, man, we're broken. We're messed up people. We simply don't have it all together. But you know what? We don't have to measure up like that, gauged by our own or by the world's standards. We can enjoy the presence of God right here, in our brokenness and imperfections, and know that someday He is going to restore us all beyond our craziest dreams.
Maybe it's been a tough week for you, reader. Maybe you've been struggling to find a way through that valley; maybe you need spiritual trail mix, an injection of something to give you the energy to climb out of that ravine and brave the wilderness.
I want you to do something. I want you to actively search for God in the most mundane things that crop up daily, things you wouldn't necessarily notice. I don't know about you, but He likes playing peekaboo with me. However, I know that if I look for Him, I will find Him.
I want Laura to feel God when she smells that ocean spray up in Yankee territory (hope you don't come back with an accent, sis!). I want you to sit back from your computer and thank God for giving you the eyes to read this silly little blogpost. I want to get up in the morning and smell the fresh air, and praise God that our power didn't go out, and thank Him for that smoothie I carry around in my big blue thermos, and sit on campus listening to the chatter of people and praying that something I might do or say would reach even one of them for His glory. I want us all to stop complaining about how life isn't fair, how life has no joy for us, and start looking for ways not only to survive, but to thrive, no matter our circumstance.

Praise God for what you have; pray earnestly for what you don't have. Go outside when it's raining and dance like a maniac! Watch a Marx Brothers movie and laugh until your sides hurt. Brew some tea, play some soft music, and curl up in bed for a few precious hours tonight with a good book, maybe a childhood favorite. Give your little sibling a piggyback ride. Throw your arms around your mother's neck and thank her for being immovably dedicated to your well-being. Scheme of ways to brighten the days of someone you know, someone who is going through a rough time. Live without ceasing and don't worry! God is enough to provide our daily bread.

Lindsey Narmour (Pip to those of you unfortunate enough to know her well) is a homeschool grad, freshman and Honors Student at Virginia Western Community College, internationally published author, unapologetic caffeine addict, and literature geek. Herself, her happy family, and a increasingly fat feline named Loomis make their abode in in the foothills of the Appalachians. Ink-veined and curly-haired, Lindsey stubbornly pursues a career in print investigative journalism and English, reads as if books are going out of fashion, and freelances (the latter of which may be pared as homework increases). Do drop by and pay your regards.

A few photography tips [guest post by Anna]

2011-08-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm Anna for How's YOUR Focus?. I shall do my very best to write a post that actually makes sense. Just a quick note, I shoot with a DSLR, and I haven't used a point and shoot camera in quite a while. So if I talk about confusing things you've never heard of [which I will try not to] that's why =)

#1 : Watch the weather : If you're planning on doing an outside photo shoot, you might want to watch the weather. If its overcast, simply keep the sky out of your photo as much as possible. [Unless you are wanting an overcast sky as a background] When its overcast, black and white photos can turn out really well, and the color is more pleasing.

#2 Camera Flash : Most of the time you'll be using your camera flash when taking portraits. When you do use your flash, its best to try and keep your subject away from walls, especially light colored ones, if at all possible.

#3 : Direction of lighting : The direction of light falling on your subject is very important. You should look closely and see how the shadows fall. I've found its best to shoot in the early morning or late afternoon. Taking pictures of people when the sun is high in the sky, usually tends to shadow your subjects eyes. and/or you and your subject will be squinting in the strong light.

#4 : Eye Contact : Direct eye contact in a portrait shows intensity of a personality, while having your subject look away from the camera toward a certain object or distant spot usually portrays contemplation. It can also draw your viewers attention to other spots in the picture.

#5 : Turning the camera on its side : This always feels incredibly awkward to me, but sometimes you want your entire subject in the picture. You can waste so much picture space if you shoot in landscape. [unless you actually want the landscape in the background]

Thanks for reading =]

In Christ

-Anna

About Me : My name is Anna. I'm a Christian living out in the country, Oklahoma to be exact- where it gets to be 115+ degrees. I enjoy photography immensely [someday I'll have a website up..] Some of my other interests include - writing, music [I play the piano and violin] reading and German. You can learn more about me over at my blog : How's YOUR Focus? or go to my Flickr page to view my photos.

10 Things I Love, And That Make Me Happy {guest post by Bekah}

2011-08-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! This is Bekah & I am delighted to be guest-posting on a dear friend's blog, but I should warn you~ this is my first time guest-posting, so things may not be quite right. *grins* Hannah & I decided I should do a completely random post, so random it is! I'm simply going to share with you 10 things I love & that never fail to make me smile.One note: All the photos except the mouse one are taken by yours truly. Ready?

1. Gorgeous Flowers. Don't these make you suck in your breath with awe?

2. An Adorable Photo. This mouse is too sweet.... Hannah Grace shared it with me, but sadly, neither of us can take the credit for taking it.

3. Journals. I love to journal... I love starting a new journal... I love buying & collecting journals... in short, I simply LOVE journals!

4. I love fortune cookies! I eat one nearly every day & it is perfect dipped in jasmine green tea. Mmmm!

5. I love the Psalms. They become more dear to me each passing year...so full of hope and comfort, as well as instruction and wise counsel.

6. I love dolphins. They truly are amazing creatures! This one is made out of simple plastic, but the light shines through him creating a neat effect on my dresser.

7. I love the sun... the sun setting... the sun rising... or just the sun shining cheerfully in a blue sky!

8. I not only love books, I am OBSESSED with books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9. I love jewelry, especially of the Vintage variety.

10. I love teacups & pots. This teacup belonged to my Grandma. She passed away 2 years ago, so it's extra special!

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

Above: Yep, that's me! I am a not-so-average, passionate, bold, spunky, old-fashioned, Christian young woman. I dream about being a famous author & hope to make a difference in this ol' world.You may have heard of me before~ I get around. *winks* Feel free to come find me over at For Such A Time As This Press (my personal blog is on there) & Modest Fashion (my fashion blog). Or feel free to stop by my Youtube Channel!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza Recipe {guest post by Nela}

2011-08-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! :) I'm Nela from "Beloved Star" , and today I'm going to share with you a recipe that I made for a local event recently. This recipe wasn't hard to make and was fairly quick too. If your looking for something to serve for dessert after dinner, or you just have a craving for something 'chocolaty', then this is the recipe for you. ;) Enjoy!

25Yield: 14-16 slices. Prep: 25 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling
25 Ingredients:
1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese (softened or cubed)
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups cold half-and-half cream
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts *see bottom for recommendations*

Directions:

Press cookie dough onto an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes; gently run a flexible metal spatula under crust to loosen. Cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until blended.

Spread over crust.

In a large bowl, whisk cream and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.

Spread over cream cheese mixture;

sprinkle with nuts. (If you happen to don't like, or are allergic to nuts, you can use other toppings like: chocolate sprinkles, chopped Oreos, chocolate chips, or a white or chocolate glaze, whatever as long if its yummy. ;) ) Refrigerate until serving. Bon Appétit!

Here's the printable recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza

About me:

I'm a 17 year-old country girl who loves to cook, clean, take photos, ride horses, organize, work, blog, read, write, bake, and worship the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Jesus Christ. :)

You can find my blog here at "Beloved Star".

DIY Country Cottage Pillow {Guest Post by Ebee}

2011-08-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

Country cottage seems to be a pretty popular style right now. At least, that's what I look for when I look for interior design inspiration! The great thing about this style is that it consists of vintage, or vintage-looking things that you can often make yourself! The web is full of great tutorials that are just waiting to be made.

Here's an idea that I came up with a week or two ago that will add a touch of country cottage flair to any corner of your home. Let's get started!

First, gather your materials together. I chose to use a pillow that I already have, and a few pieces of discarded clothing. The blue is a pair of pajama pants that had seen better days, but had a lovely softness to it that I couldn't throw away. The red floral is a blouse that I decided I wouldn't wear anymore. The absolutely wonderful thing about this style is that you can use whatever is handy that would look good together! The country cottage image is not a picky one.

1. Measure your original pillow across it's width and length. You'll want to keep those measurements in mind as you create you pieces.

2. Cut the legs off of the pants and cut a long rectangular shape out of one of the legs, using both layers. This will be the side panels of your front. Try not to cut it any shorter than you have to; any extra length with look great when it's all gathered together!

3. Cut a piece out of your floral fabric that will be long enough to cover one side of your pillow and then some. It's always better to cut it too long than too short. Lay your pieces over your pillow to help you visualize what you need to do next.

4. Gather both long edges of your side panels until it measures the width of your pillow, and secure the thread so that the pieces don't flatten out again. Sew the side panels to the center panel, making sure that your gathers are fairly spaced.

5. There are two options when you get to this step. Either make one, large, square piece to cover the back, or cut two pieces and sew them together to make a sham. I chose to make a sham. Simply measure how long you want your two pieces to be, and sew them to the back of your finished front!

6. When all four sides have been sewn together, turn the sham inside-out, and tug it over your old pillow.

There you have it! Toss it onto a bed, couch, or even into a corner and enjoy it's charm.

Are you a TRUE friend? {guest post by Lucia}

2011-08-20T03:03:00.000-07:00

A True Friend...

...Gives instead of takes. Instead of always thinking of yourself and your feelings/preferences, ask your friend what they would like in the questionable matter.

...Looks past faults. Don't focus on your friend's flaws--more than likely YOU have just as many! =) Instead, focus on her talents and good traits, always striving to compliment her and uplift her.

...Doesn't love when fame strikes. Don't be a fickle friend! Many people ignore others until the one in question is suddenly featured/popular, and THEN shows favoritism. Bad idea!

...Refuses to assume. Many friendships are broken because of misunderstandings and "assumed" faults that were never there. Don't constantly say, "Did I offend you somehow? What have I done? Why were you so quiet yesterday?"...Chances are it's all in your imagination! =D

...Is ready to forgive and forget. If there is a quarrel, don't let the sun go down on your anger. Be there for her and assure her of your forgiveness, even if it doens't go vice-versa.

...Stands up for what's right. Don't back off if your friend is being made fun of. That's not true friendship!

...Is always a friend. Turning a stiff shoulder to your friend one day and talking warmly to her the next is confusing, and draws you apart.

...Always inludes. If you have many friends, one or two might feel left out at a gathering, or if one of your other friends is especially controlling. Make an effort to include ALL, and give hugs and invitations to next fun times all around!

...Controls her tongue. Bite back stinging remarks and put-downs, even if they are deserved. You both will regret it in the end, and it stirs up hornets' nests! =9

...Prays for her friends. Ask the LORD what you can do to strengthen your friendships, and heal broken bonds, while at the same time honoring Him in all you do and say to your friend.

"A friend loves at all times..."

{Proverbs 17:17}

------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucia Marie: fifteen-going-on-sixteen, Jesus-lover, piano player, photographer-in-training and aspiring home maker/princess. Blonde hair, blue-grey eyes, and the goal never to let a day pass without a good laugh...
Lucia blogs at Umbrella Girl
and designs blogs at La Lemonada

Introducing Robin Hood {guest post by Sky}

2011-08-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I'm privileged to be here to officially kick off Hannah Grace's week or two of guest posters! :) To start, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Kylie, affectionately nicknamed Sky, and I blog over at Further Up and Further In. I blog about anything from my novels to my music, and overall my Savior who gives me reason to breathe.

I also just put on a pair of nerd glasses in order to help me write this post. Why, you may ask? Because I'm a nerd of many things. Simply put, I have a lot of fandoms. From Narnia to Owl City to Lord of the Rings, my fandoms are numerous.

One such fandom is what I'm here to talk to you about today. It all started last summer when my friend Georgie Penn told me about this show called Robin Hood that she was watching. Well, she more than just told me about it - she raved about it. She showed me pictures, told me all the characters' names, and talked about it. A lot. So it was that before I even watched the show, I knew who every character was and knew quite a bit about the plot. (I was a bit spoiled, what can I say?) As much as I thought it would be a good show, I wasn't completely sold on it yet, though. I had it accessible on Netflix, but I never really took the time to watch it. I decided I'd watch it eventually when I had the time.

A couple months passed, and Georgie Penn and her family came to my house to spend a couple days with us. (She lived out of state but was conveniently driving through my state at the time.) As it so happened, we decided to watch the first episode of Robin Hood. Sadly, Georgie's sister Ebee's computer shut down and so we didn't get to watch all of it.

Then an entire year went by. Suddenly, I was bored and randomly got the urge to watch Robin Hood. So, I turned on my TV. I sat down. And I watched. I was hooked from then on, and even dragged my brother into the fandom as well. We spent the entire summer watching an episode each night. I loved it.

"I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob." ~ Veggie Tales

And then, it happened. The series ended. Cut tragically too short because a lot of the actors wanted out and the show's popularity plummeted, BBC Robin Hood had about three seasons before dying a miserable death. It was scheduled to have a fourth season but was sadly cancelled due to lowered popularity. After the second season, things went downhill. Several of the characters left - my favorite characters; ones I dearly loved. I continued on to the third season, and ended up liking it, but things were never the same again.

In spite of all this, I still remain a devoted Hoodie. Why? Because it's a good show. Not every TV show is perfect, and Robin Hood is no different. Yet I'd still recommend it, because even though there were a few bad episodes (and one bad season), the good greatly outweighs the bad. The characters are endearing, the storyline is unique, and it's unlike any other show I've seen.

L-R: Much, Little John, Robin, Allan, Djaq, and Will

[Picture found on the site RobinHood2006, which no longer exists.]

Robin, in all his outlaw glory, manages to charm you in spite of his ruggish looks and unusual ways. His bow rarely misses, if ever. He has unusual superhuman skills in that he rarely ever gets caught, and if he does, he always knows how to escape. After all, he always seems to have a plan... or at least half a plan.

Marian is staunchly determined. At times she disagrees with Robin, and at others she completely supports him. She's torn between loyalty to her father and the love she has for Robin, as well as being caught in an intense war of politics and loyalties. Her heart longs to help the outlaws, but she can't do so openly. Instead, she is forced to play the part of a lady by day and a completely different role at night.

Will Scarlett is a man of few words. Then again, if the old adage is true, his actions speak more than words ever could. He joins Robin's gang after Robin saves his life, and stands strong till the end. He's armed with a menacing-looking axe and his carpentry skills - not to mention his fearless loyalty and compassionate heart.

Ah, Allan A Dale. Where do I start? Allan was accidentally inducted into the gang after a narrow scrape. Now he fully supports Robin's cause. Mostly. He's got a quick mind and an even quicker tongue, and has quite a past. Let's just say he lives up to his outlaw name. Nevertheless, there's something strangely endearing about him, and he's personally my favorite member of the gang (besides Will).

Much is Robin's faithful manservant who served by his side in the Holy Land. In return, Robin gave Much his freedom. They still remain good companions to this day and have an unbreakable bond due to the terrible things they saw in the Holy Land. Much is the gang's cook and hopes that what he makes turns out at least somewhat edible. He also can be a bit slow and is the brunt of the gang's many jokes. Still, he'd die for Robin - and any of his other friends - and this makes him a good companion in my book.

Djaq. She's a Saracen, which makes her different from anyone else. She's also the only girl in the gang, and rightly so. She earned her place there after an incident at Guy of Gisbourne's mine... but that's another story for another time. She's strong, determined, and talented with a sword. What more could you want in an outlaw?

Little John used to be the head guy until Robin came along and stole his thunder. Now they work together and make a really great team. He's very strong, both physically and mentally, and is of the opinion that everyday is "a good day to die."

The Sheriff of Nottingham & Guy of Gisbourne are a very dynamic duo. Literally. They terrorize poor Nottingham like crazy and enjoy every minute of it. Can you say "evul"? A clue: no.

This motley group constitutes Robin Hood, and they will steal your heart. The plot will take you away to England, where outlaws are trying to bring justice back to the land. And the show just might become one of your favorites. It did for me.

After all, who doesn't love Robin Hood?

P.S. - I'm still wearing my nerd glasses. ;)

All Robin Hood avatars were found here, made by two of my good friends. Please visit their site and read their terms of use before you use the graphics.

About Me: I have been redeemed in the most beautiful public display of affection that the world has ever known. I'm a writer, and I won't ever be able to stop melding words into my creations. I love my mp3 player, music, and strumming my acoustic guitar. I'm a fan of Robin Hood, Narnia, Owl City, LotR, Tangled, and olive green vans. Oh, and I'm a hobbit in disguise. Just so you know.

You can find me blogging @ Further Up and Further In, and also connect with me on Twitter. I'd love to hear from you!

my epic news

2011-08-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

Come fly with me, let's take off in the blue/Once I get you up there/Where the air is rarefied/We'll just glide/Starry-eyed/Once I get you up there/I'll be holding you so near/You may hear/Angels cheer, 'cause we're together...

-Frank Sinatra {come fly with me}

I am extremely excited. Over the top, going to explode, dying of bliss kind of excited.

Want to know why?

I AM GOING TO MASSACHUSETTS ON THE 19TH AND I'LL BE GONE FOR TEN DAYS YES YES YESSSSS!!!!

If you know me well enough, you know that I love to fly. SO, not only am I over the top excited about going to MA, but Grandma and I will be FLYING THERE. Dude. I think I died from hyper bliss.

Okay, okay. Gotta start at the beginning here. Hopefully it won't bore you. ;-)

Back in April, when Grandpa was sick and we thought he was going to die, Aunt Julie came down [with her husband and my two cousins, Buddy and Zack-Man] from MA to visit Grandma, Grandpa, and us. Julie mentioned that when Grandma came to visit her later this year, she wanted me to come with her because originally Grandma was going to drive to MA [like she and Grandpa usually did] and it's a two day drive and Julie didn't want Grandma driving by herself for so long. Then she went back to MA and Grandpa got slightly better, went home, and such.

Moving forward to when Grandpa passed away in June. Grandma, Julie, and I went to take a walk around our town. This was during the Festival Of Flowers, so Uptown was all decorated and there were different plants shaped like various animals and other things. While walking around, Julie again mentioned having me come visit. I was thrilled with the idea, naturally, but didn't think my parents would let me.

Well, to shorten the story, Grandma talked to Dad about it while Mum and Noah were in Charleston a couple weeks ago. He said he'd talk to Mum about it when she gets home. The next day the phone rings; I answered. This is basically how the conversation went:

Grandma: Hi Hannah, I'm about to buy the tickets for our flight, are you sure you want to come?

Me:....tickets? Flight??? Come???

Grandma: Yes, don't you want to come with me to visit Julie in a couple weeks?

Me: *tries not to fall over dead* Me? You? Visit Julie? YES!

Grandma: well, I'm going to buy your tickets, how long do you want to stay?

Me:....Tickets??? We're FLYING?

Grandma: Yes...

[however, at this point, I'm sure Grandma was reconsidering traveling with her apparently very dumb granddaughter. I get stupid when I'm excited.]

So Grandma talked to Dad about it again, who talked to Mum, who said no-way-no-how was I going to MA for three weeks at the beginning of our school year [note: we school year-round, but during the summer we don't do as much], but Grandma didn't want to go for only a week.

So we compromised. On July 19th, Grandma and I will fly up to MA. I'll stay until the 29th, and fly home by myself [yes, you read that right! Eeek!] and a week or so later Grandma will fly home.

So. Epic. Yes.

Have any of you ever been to Massachusetts? I'll be staying in Plymouth, but Julie and I are planning to go to Boston, plus we'll all be going to the historical sites and such.

By the way, I have been to Massachusetts before [people, I was born there.] but the last time I went I was...five? Six? Too young. So, this will be the real memory-making trip. :D I could fall over and die from excitement. Did I already say that? Ah well.

I'll be leaving this Thursday evening to go to Grandma's house, then get up at the ungodly hour of 4:30 or so. *cue sarcastic version of Ode To Joy* But "once I get you up there, where the air is rarefied, we'll just fly..." sorry. Sinatra's happy I'm going too. Heheh.

So now you know why I am abandoning you all for almost two weeks. Except, I'm not. Okay, I am, but several friends have stepped up to the plate for me and are going to be posting for me whilst I am away. Nela from "Beloved Star", Taylor from "Examine All Things", Sky from "Further Up and Further In"....ah yes, my lovelies, you will be fine without me.

This is probably the last time you'll hear from me until I get back. Maybe I'll post real quick before I leave? We shall see. Behave yourselves. ;-)

Walking in Truth,

Adventures with the Natives: crazy sistahs, we are.

2011-08-12T04:32:00.000-07:00

What happens when I snag a hyper-Native [in this case, Sarah], get a webcam, and tell that Native to make a face?

This, apparently.

My friends, I have nothing more to say.

Actually I do. In a previous AWTN post I talked about KiKi John, the lost kitten we found. Well, after a couple days KiKi went to my grandma's house, but then Grandpa passed away a couple days later and Grandma gave KiKi to a local family. So all is well....except I miss my widdle bebe. Alas.

Walking in Truth,

Noah

2011-08-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today was Noah's 5th birthday. I can hardly believe my precious brother is five, but in true Noah style he is being very casual about the whole thing. I went to Mum's room this morning to wish him happy birthday, and he chuckled and patted me on the shoulder, saying with a fake 'deep voice' "Heh. Gank yoo."

I love you, Boodle-Boy.

"I hope your tears are few and fast
I hope your dreams come true at last
I hope you find love that goes on and on and on and on and on
I hope you wish on every star
I hope you never fall too far
I hope this world can see how wonderful you are."

-Amazing {janelle}

"I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you."

-Taylor Swift

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."

-Genesis 6:8

"Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance."

-I Hope You Dance {lee ann womack}

"We would be so happy you and me
No one there to tell us what to do
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden with you!"

-Octopus' Garden {the beatles}

"And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
What could stand against?"

-Our God {christ tomlin}

"Oh, what love, oh, what love
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You're the same
Oh, You never let go"

-Never Let Go {david crowder band. this is noah's favourite song, he loves singing along to it in church}

"There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and we see it through
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me"

-You've Got a Friend In Me {toy story}

Happy Birthday, Noah. I am so proud of you for fighting this long and making it so far!

Walking in Truth,

happiness {giveaway winners}

2011-08-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I thought that giveaway was fun. I was very eager to find out who the winners are and honestly am tickled pink for these lovely ladies.

I'd like to take a moment to thank Miss Bekah, Miss Ebee, Miss Anna, and Farmgirl Treasures for donating the wonderful items that made this giveaway possible! You girls are wonderful. <3

And now....the winners! :-D

The winner of the For Such a Time as This {back issue} is...........

Miss Monica!

Monica, please email me right away so I can get you in touch with Bekah!

The winner of the Friendship bracelets by Anna is.........

Miss ALK!

ALK, please email me right away so I can get you in touch with Anna.

The winner of gnome #1 [the sewn one] by Ebee...........

Raechel!
{i found this amusing, since she had actually said that her favourite item was the gnomes! go figure}

Rae, please email me so I can get you in touch with Ebee.

The winner of gone #2 [the crochet one] also by Ebee..........

Kendra Lynn!

Kendra, please email me so I can also get you in touch with Ebee.

And, last but not least, the winner of the three flowers by Farmgirl Treasures........

Anna!

Anna, you already know you won....I'll get you in touch with FT. <3

Winners, you have 48 hours to respond! If I haven't heard from you by then, I'll draw a new winner for your prize.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered!!!

Please let me know....would you like to see more giveaways in the future? My blogaversary is coming up, so there'll probably be another one for that. ;-)

Walking in Truth,

randomness

2011-07-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

Several random things for you all today, my lovelies.

My giveaway ends TONIGHT at midnight, EST. Comments will be closed on the giveaway post at 12:01. So go now and enter before it's too late! {celebrate good times}

<--- Speaking of giveaways, I was very delighted to find I actually won a giveaway! See those gorgeous earrings? They're mine now, thanks to Miss Rachel of Dramatic Elegance. <3 And actually, she's hosting another {monthly} giveaway, so you should go enter that now. Right now. Click this. Enter. Please. Thank you.

Please be praying for someone I know at church. I grew up with this young woman, but over the course of time we both took separate paths in life. Several months ago she got into very big trouble, felt really bad about it, and turned around for the better. She was doing great but within the past couple weeks went back off the deep end and is now living at a very worldly friends house, most likely getting herself into deeper trouble. This is very painful for me, I want to help her and it is disappointing to see her get herself back in trouble. Her older brother just returned from the Middle East and she had told me that she was struggling with him being gone. So please, pray for this dear girl.

I have some big, happy news coming up....but not yet. Many of my friends already know about it and if you look around on my blog you just might get a hint of what is coming up!

A new blog you should check out....this was started by my good friend, Miss Bekah from For Such a Time As This {Press}. It's a Modest Fashion blog...and unlike other 'modesty' blogs, this is truly modest! I know everyone has different modesty standards, but this is finally one that matches up the closest with my standards. She's only posted one or two outfits so far but I've seen other outfits of hers that are very cute. I look forward to seeing more!
Simple Modest Fashion

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Walking in Truth,

Beautiful People - February Byrdd

2011-07-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

{If you haven't already, please vote on the polls on my sidebar! Thank you!}

Yay, time for Beautiful People! That monthly writers meme, created by the fantastic Georgie and Sky. You can click the button above to learn more and join in on the insanity. :-D

This month, I am introducing February Byrdd, the young heroine of my yet-to-be-written NaNo Novel.

What is her biggest secret?
She longs for freedom and love in a place where such things are not allowed.

Has she ever been in love?
Not yet....

What is her comfort food?
Tea. Hot, unsweetened tea. <3

Does she play a musical instrument? If so, what?
In the beginning, she doesn't know how to play a musical instrument, she doesn't even know what music is, But she eventually learns to play the violin.

What colour are her eyes? Hair?
Eyes: blue
Hair: dark blonde/light brown.

Does she have any pets?
Nope.

What is her favorite place to be?
Hmm. Not quite sure yet. Well, basically wherever Taylor and Isaac are. XD

What are some of her dreams or goals?
To be free...once that happens, she wants to make music, [hence the violin answer above], and learn to live.

Does she enjoy sports?
Sword-fighting is a sport, right? If so, yes.

What is her favorite flower or plant?
She likes ferns, because they are so delicate and lacy. Also, pansies.

So, what did you think of February "Ru" Byrdd? Personally I love her and cannot wait to work with her come November. I was also giddy with joy to realize that my last Beautiful Person, Taylor Black, is in her story. She's changed a bit since I did that post on her.

Walking in Truth,