Geeky Sisters

My computer glasses came! Hope you enjoyed this super geeky picture of Anna and I posing for the camera. ;)

Chap & Chum Explain Fireworks

Last night, we went to fireworks with Perry and Tyler and several other families from church. Chap and Chum were outfitted with ear protection, snacks, and numerous aunties/friends to hold them if they got scared. They definitely stole the show with their adorable opinions (and shooter's earmuffs that squeezed their cheeks). ; )

Chap: They're like an earplane [airplane] that goes POP!

Chum: It's loud.

Chap: They go up in the sky like a cloud then BOOM!

Chum: Wow.

Chap: The fireworks come out of a hole in the ground.

Chum: Duck! (We were near a lake, just in case you wondered if a firework had come close.) ; )

It was so special to be able to celebrate with them! How are you celebrating?

Bookmark Buddies

Today my younger sisters and I made bookmarks. I had found the instructions on my Pinterest, and Mom and I both agreed that it was a really adorable craft. We want to make them with little girls at church sometime, but I thought it'd be fun to try it out today with my own sisters. ; ) 

We had a ton of fun!

Since they are bookmarks, we wanted to pose them with a book and chose this one because it is already about paper dolls. (Em said this makes them look like they are dancing.) ; ) It's a really cute story and one of our favorites!

These bookmarks are so adorable (and very small so it was hard to get good pictures)! The one on the left was made by Em, and Pearly made the 

other one.

Blue earns the "prize" for the most original dress. We all accidentally chose some shade of blue for our dresses. ; ) The stripey one on the right is mine.

Here's what mine looks like in the book I'm currently reading. Pretty cute, eh? (And yes, that's the corner of Triple Creek Ranch: Set Free.) ; )

We might add some glitter to them after school, but other than that 

our summer reading buddies are finished! ; )

Moments

That awkward moment when you and your friends pull out a random sci-fi date and freak out because 2020 is only four years from now. (And the freaking out just happens to be while everyone else is trying to concentrate!)

That interesting moment when you are having a heart to heart with your dad, and he uses characters from a Marvel movie as examples of emotional immaturity. (Someone from another movie got used as an example of double predestination.) ; )

That adorable moment when you are playing outside with your nephew, and you realize he's not holding on safely to something like he usually does. You remind him, and he responds with "It's hot. It's hot!" Poor southwestern baby.

That hilariously weird moment when you are teasing your sister by running in slow motion pumping both arms (on your way out of the grocery store, no less), and you bang one fist into the other. I will never be one of those people who look cool walking away from an explosion. ; )

That amusing moment when you are all walking out of the grocery store (same one--it was Walmart so no regrets here), and you are vaguely aware of your family being counted. Two ladies who are walking directly behind you accidentally get included in the count. My dad had to explain to the 'counter' that they weren't with us. ; )

That unbelievable moment when the dog comes to lick your hand while you're reading on the Kindle and the page turns. I'll never know if it was her tongue or my hand.

That cute moment when your youngest sister informs you that "this is not the Long Winter, it's the Long Summer." Poor southwestern baby again. ; )

That twin moment when you're playing charades with your brother, and he draws a stick figure man in the air then shrinks it with his fingers for the word "boy". There are some things only family members understand.

Soap Factory

I pulled out my glycerin soap making supplies, and soon Em and Blue got in on the fun. They are having a ton of fun melting and mixing and experimenting with colors. ; ) Fun buddies.

Like Em's turtle?

These are some of the better things I made. I recently got white glycerin soap for the first time, so some of my projects this time were experiments with it. I LOVE the way the shells turned out.

Mom encouraged me to make some sparkly green bars to represent ocean water. I think they make a nice backdrop, and once I replace the paper plate with something a little prettier it will be just perfect. ; )

Next, I hope to make some peanut butter cookies, and after that we are going to a get-together this evening (which might have something to do with why I'm crafting for the first time in forever). ; )

Read-to-Win 2016 (or Dying and Going to Heaven)

Starting today, Homeschooled Authors is hosting their third Read-to-Win! Basically it's a chance for readers to buy these ebooks for 0.99 cents each at some point during the summer, write Goodreads reviews, and get entered in a giveaway for an $100 Amazon giftcard according to how many times you review. That's what I call awesome. ; ) There's something here for everyone--children's books, historical fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery...

I'm really excited about this for three reasons...

That's number one. ; ) My book is on sale all summer as an ebook thanks to a dear friend who formatted it for me! I'm really looking forward to more people getting to read it and hopefully some more reviews. It's not an action adventure novel; but it's definitely fun, kid-safe and a great read-aloud!

Number two? Some of my favorite books are part of the sale. If you look closely, you'll see Gift from the Storm by Rebekah Morris in the sea of books. I wrote a rave review of it last year, so I'm really excited that now you'll be able to read it too! It's a really amazing mystery, and I love the story to pieces. Another book you'll see is Red Rain by Aubrey Hansen. One of the first books to introduce me to work by homeschooled authors and the sci-fi genre. It was so brilliant but super clean! Definitely a favorite. You can see in this exceedingly short review I wrote of it just exactly what I thought. ; ) And a third book featured this summer is one I read recently--Implant by J. Grace Pennington. It was really brilliant, time-wimey, and a super interesting read (for older readers). You can also read my review of this one on Amazon.

And number three... I'm looking forward to trying out a few books myself. ; )

So hop on over to Homeschooled Authors and stay tuned for great posts and great sales!

Long Time, No See (Literally)

What have I been doing? And what am I grateful for? I'm glad you asked!

I'm grateful for...

1. Bible studies. Our Evangelism training and Reclaiming Beauty studies ended earlier this month. It was sad to say goodbye to acquaintances who have become good friends, but we all agree that we should do something together again soon. ; )

2. House cleaning! Top to bottom deep cleaning. And yardwork. ; ) I got to organize our history bookshelves chronologically which was helpful to organize my own brain. (Believe it or not, I had the Alamo in the totally wrong mental place!)

3. Out of town guests. It was so much fun to catch up with friends we haven't seen in over a year! Balderdash, Chik-fil-a, thrifting, Studio C, a water fight, and just plain hanging out... Good times. ; )

4. Family. ; )

(The crazy sisters on the slide. We're screaming because we're falling of the end as Anna is taking the picture. And yes, that's all of us, Blue is just hiding next to Aimee's head.) ; )

5. Homeschooled Authors work. I'm now officially part of the team helping out with emails and keeping the booklist updated. It's been a ton of fun to work with the amazing Sarah Holman and all the other authors I come into contact with. ; )

6. Short story inspiration. A couple weeks ago Em and I spent a couple of days at Perry and Tyler's. During our nighttime talking time together, we told each other stories. I recently expanded my idea into a full short story which I hope to have up on Noble Novels soon. I had her and Blue read the finished version to give me their opinions. They enjoyed it and found a few continuity errors/missing words which was really special. ; )

7. More book related stuff believe it or not. ; ) I'm part of a summer reading program on Homeschooled Authors (more details Wednesday!). It was quite a bit of fun work to get my entries put together, and Anna helped me a ton by taking the pictures for me. ; ) We had a hilarious time together trying to pick poses. I'm a bit of a photographer's nightmare since I like to photobomb myself; but she did a good job, and we got it figured out. ; ) Here's one of my favorite pictures we took...

The necklace is one of my birthday gifts from Dad and Mom this year. I put it together from components from Hobby Lobby, and it's now one of my favorites. (Chum loves it too. He'd open and shut the locket for hours on end.) Since it's a bit whimsical, what book could be better to pose it with?

8. Library books. We are so funny when we go to the library. We usually hit the limit of books that can be checked out, which means both book bags are full and still everyone has to carry something. ; ) I'm enjoying reading all the juvenile fiction that is too adult for it's age group but is just perfect for mine. It's a lot safer and more fun than the adult section! 

9. A store. Em, Blue, and Pearly put together a little store of things they had made and invited us all to come browse through it. There was some pretty neat stuff; and, when all the shopping was done and the store was closing, they generously gave us all gifts. ; )

10. Nephews!!! Like I said, Em and I were over at their house a few weeks ago; and there's been visiting between our families a few more times as well. We also get the blessing of seeing them at church (and chasing them all around the play area--in medium-high heels!). I'll post some newer pictures of the little friends sometime.

11. Grace. We are weak, but He is strong.

So that's what I've been doing in a nutshell! (Not that I've personally been in a nutshell, but what I have been doing has... Oh, forget it. Grammar.) ; P

Keep Your Rebekah’s Straight

Last summer, this test reading maniac was supremely blessed. One of my author friends, Rebekah Jones contacted me again and asked me to test read her newest project “24 Days Before Christmas”. It was a huge book, but since there was a generous deadline I accepted heartily.

A few weeks later, my other Rebekah—Rebekah Morris—contacted me with a test reading emergency. One of her test readers had to drop out at the last minute. Could I read her manuscript in two weeks? If I did, my review along with my name and my book’s name could be on the back of her fifth Triple Creek Ranch book. I was screaming over here with delight!! Of course I would do it!!!

You can imagine what it was like after that. Two novel-sized (at least) books to read in a month. Add to that the fact that both authors have the same first name and their email addresses start with the same letter. ; ) (I never mixed them up, though!) My family probably missed me; but, aided by my trusty tiny laptop, I finished the jobs. Rebekah Morris published her book on schedule (review will be here after the new year), and Rebekah Jones began the long editing process to get her book ready for Christmas time.

Rebekah Morris asked for my help again this autumn with a request for hand-drawn snowflakes for her newest project “Through the Tunnel”. My siblings and I experimented with several different ideas and finally got them to her. It was so fun to be able to help with yet another book! ; )

Now, to make the Tale of Two Rebekah’s even more confusing, their books both came out this last weekend in time for Christmas! I'd encourage you to check out Rebekah Jones’ mystery and Christmas story 24 Days Before Christmas. I plan on reviewing it here this December, so stay tuned! ; ) Also be sure to look at Rebekah Morris’ book Through the Tunnel and let me know what you think of it. I’m very anxious to read it myself. ; ) But remember, keep your Rebekah’s straight! ; )

And yes, this test reading maniac is currently working on another project. It's pretty fun. ; ) Have you ever been a test reader? 

Hilarious and Lively

Aren't they darling?? They had a great time at their little table. ;) I am so grateful for my little sisters and my nephews! They certainly keep life hilarious and lively! 

Good Days

Summer is leaving, and I'm not very sorry at all. Next comes good weather, our church's family camp, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. What's not to like? Still, these days have been good, and there is plenty to be grateful for...

I'm grateful for...

• The weather. I already mentioned it, but it's worth saying again. This Northwestern girl isn't quite done acclimatizing, so the cool(er) weather is a welcome relief. ; )
• Birds. I peeked out the window the other day and saw pigeons and some little brown birds (yeah, I don't know their name...) gathered together in our front yard. I had never realized before that there are beautiful birds even here! I'm just used to seeing gray mourning doves and nothing else. ; )
• Old pictures. The other day I was working on the huge project of putting eight years' worth of pictures on a USB drive. It was so wonderful to remember the times we've been blessed with. I found I had even forgotten some of the things we had done earlier this year, and it was very nice to be reminded. It also amazing to see how much my wonderful nephews have grown!
• Books to read... I've been reading so much lately it's been a ton of fun! Reviews coming when I can. ;P
• I've also been doing a lot of reading for our history studies. We are learning about Egypt right now, and I'm so excited to see how the Exodus fits into everything. 
• Christian movies. It seems like there have been a ton more good ones coming out lately than ever before. I got to see "War Room" earlier this month and absolutely loved it!!! It was very encouraging and inspiring, and I can't wait for the rest of my family to see it so we can discuss it. ; ) My dad bought "Polycarp", and the older ones in our family watched it together. It was a slower movie than I am used to, but it was very good!
• Nephews! Since their little family moved out, we haven't gotten to see them as much; but Perry sends enough pictures and hilarious stories to keep us alive until their next visit. ; )
• How much faster chores are lately. That sounds really weird, but now that I'm a "big girl" chores that were painfully slow to do in that past get done in a snap. So much more free time... ;P
• Shortbread--three flavors--plain, spiced, chocolate. 'Nuff said.
• Music playing all over the house. Sometimes three different songs at once because everyone has their own mp3 player. ; ) Walk into the kitchen--encouraging Christian music that we all love. Walk into the girls' room--very lighthearted and slightly romantic. ; ) Walk into the boy's room--inspiring, majestic, heroic movie music. Yeah, it's pretty fun. ; ) My favorite song right now is "After the Last Tear Falls" by Andrew Peterson. (The version from 2014 is awesome, but so is the older one too. Pick your favorite.) ; )
• Ants. Yeah, really, I'm grateful for our ant invasion! It gave Buddies a project to do when she ran out of schoolwork, and she was so cute and "adult" doing it. She had me help her handle the vacuum a bit, but she mostly did it all by herself. She found where they were coming in and was full of ideas to block the hole, get ED (she meant DE for diatomaceous earth) or poison for them, etc. After a while, she decided she needed a break, and we had popsicles together. ; )
• Inspiration. The little people in my family (soon I'll have to call them "medium people" because they are only getting bigger) are so hilarious and inspiring. Together we discussed what it would be like to have a world completely made of chocolate, or bagels, or noodles. ; ) I made them a pretend newspaper the other day using some of their ideas, and it was so much fun.
• Direct access to my Maker. Anytime I need to talk, He's there!

Today, what are you grateful for?

The Deacon with the Toffee

When I was little, at least younger than six, my family went to a Southern Baptist Church. I remember very few things from that church—random Sunday school memories, the way my classroom looked, and names and faces here and there. (One of my classmates works at a local Chick-fil-a. It surprised me a lot when I first recognized him! That’s off topic though…) One of the things my brain chose to remember though is a dear, old Southern Baptist deacon who kept toffees in his pockets to give to little children. He may have only given me one once, but I still remember it and still love that candy. I’ve never seen him again—he’s probably with the Lord—but in his own small way he blessed a very shy little girl.

In my post "In the 'Out'" I mentioned that everywhere you are there are always people to minister to who are in the out with you. I often find it hard to figure out who to talk to at social events. I don’t always exactly fit into one of the “categories”. I’ve discovered that the categories I work best with (not to say I shouldn’t try with all of them) are those of the little children and the lonely strangers.

Sometimes the little children are running around so fast there’s no time to have a conversation with them, and sometimes the strangers are so shy (or move on after a while) that it’s hard to find ways to be good friends with them.

Then I remember my Toffee Deacon. I remember the lady who smiled at me as we passed each other on the way to the refreshment table at a wedding reception (mostly stranger there—I was a fish out of water). I remember the young man who asked me out of the blue how my stories were going. I remember the young lady who introduced herself at a conference of 3,000 people and was my heaven-sent friend for the next two days. I remember the girls I’ve randomly met and been pen-pals with for a few years. All small instances that made those days better, influenced my life for the better, and gave me friendships if only for a few moments.

So, I’ve decided to smile. To listen. To be their friend as much as they will let me. It hurts a little when one of the ones I was closer to moves on. It hurts a little to think that the little children may not remember me as well as I remember my Toffee Deacon. But I am blessed to know that this is doing the work of love by being the best friend I can.

MercyMe’s song “The Generous Mr. Lovewell” (one of Daddy’s favorites) pretty much sums it up for me. (I suggest looking it up, but please remember that YouTube is a secular website so be careful to guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.)

Have a beautiful day!

The Twin Arrows: Chapter one

Chapter one: Father and the Sisters
“I am giving you this with the prayer that you will never need to use it.” The knight took a long parcel out of his saddlebag and gravely handed it to his daughter. They had paused a moment before the walls of the convent to talk a little before it was time to go in, and the sound of peaceful singing rose up from the white-walled commune.
The girl took the slender leather case from him and asked softly, “What is it?”

Her look of uncertainty smote him to the heart, and he wished his errand were an easier one. “Open it.”

She fumbled to untie the thong that held it shut and unrolled the something bright and shining. A sparkle came into her eyes; and she gasped with delight at the silver arrow. The shaft was not much thinner than her smallest finger, but the head was tiny and very, very sharp.

“In the other half of the case you will find a bow, equally as delicate but very powerful,” he added, watching her carefully.

She unrolled it again and fingered the light bow that was at that moment folded with the string lying ready by its side. Vines and flowers had been carved into its soft wood making it beautiful enough to match the silver arrow. “They are beautiful!” she exclaimed, looking up at her father with blue eyes that sparkled even more than the gifts.

Her father smiled a little at her words, then placed his large hand under her pointed chin and gently lifted it so that their eyes were on the same level. “These are neither playthings nor mere decorations, but instead they are something very rare and special. Ryla, my daughter, for your protection you have been given one of the twin arrows.”

“Twin arrows?” She echoed. Something in his tone told her his next words would be very important.

 

Click here to read more. Thanks so much, Holly, for making me such an awesome blog post header!!

Book Review: The Green Ember!!!

"Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world.

Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.

Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?" (Amazon synopsis)

Rabbits? That has to be something cute like Beatrix Potter’s stories, right? That’s what I thought when I heard about this book by S.D. Smith. I picked it up anyway since it looked all right and might be something my little sisters would enjoy. Rabbits, seriously? No, these rabbits are different—they have swords, and a war, and a lost king. They have a well-written, compelling story (good enough to have quotes out of it!) that surprised me with its depth of plot. The cover shows that it was probably intended for middle graders. Sorry, eight-to-twelve-year-olds, I claim it. It’s mine.

The Setting: Set in the fantasy world of Natalia—a world very much like our own—this book had a nice heroic and medieval feel. Since it’s told from the perspective of rabbits, that made the action quite different from your usual book; and it also made the regular dangers of the forest even scarier. Seriously, imagine being able to jump around like crazy while you are sword fighting or to give a wolf a hard kick with your hind legs.

The Story: The story was very good, better than some things I’ve read that are for older audiences! At first glance, it seems quite similar to all the other oh-wow-we’re-the-lost-heirs-of-wherever books. Not so in the least! Very surprising and satisfying.  There were also great lessons on forgiveness and heart-warming (even funny!) moments along the way.

The Characters: I loved Heather and Picket—they were so real. (I even forgot they were rabbits at some points.) Emma, Gort, Uncle Wilfred, and Smalls were also great favorites of mine. I found Kyle and Helmer intriguing and couldn’t wait to find out who they really were.

The Concerns: Parents should have caution in choosing this book for younger readers because of some intense, un-graphic action and some bad attitude that is later resolved. Also, SPOILER ALERT!!!! Heather and Picket’s home is burnt by some pretty scary wolves, and they don’t know what happened to their parents and baby brother. And because they are rabbits (that’s not important though, right?) when they are underground there is mention of creepy creatures chasing them and the wolves do threaten to eat them sometimes. And, SPOILER ALERT AGAIN!!! massive battle at the end does mention rabbits being dead or wounded.

So—read this book!!!!! I found it to be an awesome, well-written story! It is actually the second book, but it can pretty much stand-alone.

This review is getting dangerously long. You can drop off now, or you can stick around for some really awesome quotes. ; )

“Like the blazing branch they had only just escaped, the rain came down suddenly, with no pitter-patter of polite introduction.”

Smith, S. D. (2014-12-12). The Green Ember (Kindle Locations 137-138). Story Warren Books. Kindle Edition.

“What do I always tell you? ‘Not enough salt is an in-salt,’ and ‘Too much salt is an as-salt!’”

Smith, S. D. (2014-12-12). The Green Ember (Kindle Location 1432). Story Warren Books. Kindle Edition.

“This is from wisdom, child,” Mrs. Weaver said. “Growing up is terribly wonderful. But often it’s also wonderfully terrible. Ha, a riddle of words amounting to nothing. A stuttering cleverism that falls as short as my feeble steps. But this is true. A teacher could become rich if he ever perfected the art of helping mature students unlearn many awful things. Enjoy your innocence, my dear. Even if it only lasts the day.”

Smith, S. D. (2014-12-12). The Green Ember (Kindle Locations 2386-2389). Story Warren Books. Kindle Edition.

“He turned to look at Picket, and there were tears in his eyes. “Picket,” he said quietly, “stay angry. It’s okay if it’s at me, for now. If you aren’t angry about the wicked things happening in the world all around, then you don’t have a soul.”

Smith, S. D. (2014-12-12). The Green Ember (Kindle Locations 1017-1019). Story Warren Books. Kindle Edition.

And I, Lady Kate, leave you with this—the poetic Green Ember pledge. We nerds love it over here. ; )

“Picket smiled. “My place beside you. My blood for yours. Till the Green Ember rises, or the end of the world.”

Smith, S. D. (2014-12-12). The Green Ember (Kindle Locations 3366-3367). Story Warren Books. Kindle Edition.

Spray Bottles, Dragons, and a Makeshift Choir

I could start this out with an apology for not keeping up with the loose posting schedule I had been doing. Or I could just tell you what I've been up to and let you decide if blogging has been the most important thing on my plate right now. Hmm... I think I like that second option better.

Forget I even said any of that. It was awkward and self-conscious. Starting the blog post over...


Summer days in this baking desert have been very full of work, play, family, and community. So many things to be grateful for!!
I'm grateful for...

• My nephews--Bobbers, Lum, and Beef Stew (or Stewy). Each one of them has touched my life so much in their own little ways. We were so happy to have them live with us, but we're also very glad for them that they have their own little house. ; )
• Being able to help Perry and Tyler move. It was great to be able to see their house and help unpack some things. What a cute little house for a cute little family!
• The old Jimmy Stewart movie "You Can't Take It With You". Wow! It is so awesomely funny! If you ever want a glimpse of what our life is like--watch that movie! We had a family movie night with that and some yummy microwave popcorn.
• Bible Bee hive meetings. My memorization partner is such a joy! Hi, Hannah!
• The Green Ember by S.D. Smith. Don't let the Beatrix Potter style cover fool you! It's a full-blown, amazingly written adventure! Very good!
• The Restoration Hardware store! *Alice steps into Wonderland* *Angels sing* *Kate goes crazy*
• Singing in a makeshift choir after church. Thank you, Paul and Matthew for setting it up!! It was so much fun. We had a great time singing to the Lord, and it was surprisingly good sounding for a bunch of people who hadn't practiced together before. ; ) One of the newcomers to church actually thought we were a choir which flattered us all immensely. Very good times. ; )
• The sweet texts we're getting from Perry telling us all the cute things that the babies are doing. We taught Lum part of the cup game while they live here, and he just decided to do part of it today! ; )
• Little friends at church! So many of them came up to greet me and give me hugs or hang on my arm as I was talking to someone older.
• Matching my two littlest sisters at church. We wore red skirts and white shirts. ; ) It was so fun! (Every time Daddy would say, "Where's so and so?" I'd just say, "She's in a red skirt.") ; ) 
• Hilarious family discussions of whether or not the word "both" could mean more than two. Google may have settled the issue. For now... ; )
• Music. I'm loving Josh Groban's instrumental "The Wandering Kind (Prelude)", almost everything by the PianoGuys, and "The Cup Song". Here's the original version of it from the movie. (Please note that these links are on YouTube, so be careful to guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Also, "The Cup Song" does unfortunately have a reference to drinking, but what I enjoy about that song is its sound.) Great background music for working in the kitchen or any time the mood needs a little lightening! ; )
• A fresh notebook and about four story ideas! County fair story here I come! Children's picture book second draft here I come! Dragons and chimney sweeps story here I come! Robin Hood, Peter Pan, Queen Susan, and King Arthur all in one story here I come! (I know, the last two story ideas are crazy. I love them.)
• Crazy family spray bottle fights. Wow, enough said there. O.o.
• Our sweet dog Ella. (Lum calls her "Lella".) Love. ; )
• Danny Kaye. We were laughing over our favorite parts in his old movies ridiculously late last night. ; )
• The love of God, so rich and pure, all measureless and strong.

Today what are you grateful for?

Memories of His Mercy

"Let us remember the loving-kindness of the Lord and rehearse His deeds of grace. Let us open the volume of recollection, which is so richly illuminated with memories of His mercy, and we will soon be happy."

~Alistair Begg

New Experiences Every Day

One of my new experiences lately (besides having pop rocks--they crackle all the way in the back of your brain or at least that's what it feels like!) has been to make my own blog button for this corner of the cyber world. You may have seen on the sidebar the one I made for Noble Novels. Well, I didn't quite like the size it came out so I did a little more experimenting on this one. (I also had to do some experimenting over because I forgot how the program I was using works.) ; ) It was a ton of fun, and I'm very happy with how it came out.

So there it is. If you'd like to add it to your own sidebar first save the picture to your computer. Then go to your blog's layout page and add the gadget for images. They'll give you an option to make it a link, and you can just copy the url for my blog over there. Then, if I'm not making any sense at all, cry and Google (that is a verb) better instructions. ; )

Another new experience has been to do the Bible Bee for the first time ever! It's been so much fun and a bit of good work too! The host family is from our church and only lives half a mile away, so we've gotten to help out a little bit. ; ) It's been really great to make new friends and to become better friends with the old ones. But the best part is that it makes me open the Word every day and actually use my brain to discern what God is saying. I unfortunately don't have any pictures for y'all, but I'll try to get some sometime. ; )

Oh, and pop rocks. Um, they are truly very cool; but BE WARNED, it's a really weird sensation... ; )

Summertime

Summertime is full upon us, and it seems like every day holds a new adventure. Whether it is visiting the adorable county fair, playing the new game my brother invented, or just chatting with visiting relatives, I'm enjoying it quite a bit and I thought I would share with you some of the best things about it.

I'm thankful for...

• Letters to read and write!
• Free ebooks!!! I recently enjoyed The Sparrow Found a House.
• www.noblenovels.weebly.com They've taught me lessons in writing and deadlines. : ) (My latest story "This Is Home" should be posted today.)
• "Resurrecting" an old character I had invented around eight years ago. Enter Gabriel Smith the pony express rider!
• The fact that my latest food experiments have actually turned out! I was never able to do that when I was younger.
• The Pioneer Woman and The Joy of Cooking cookbooks that tell me exactly how to hardboil an egg or make lemon zest.
• That cool lemon smell on my fingers that I got to smell all the rest of that day and some of the next. : )
• The way those lemon bars tasted. Heavenly. It was so amazing that, even though it was time to go grocery shopping, we had exactly the right amount of lemon for them. : )
• The chance to do two sets of neighbors chores. Betsy Bea thinks of it as a petting zoo and talks to all the animals. "Hey, duck! Watcha' doing with all these chickens? Are you friends or something?" "Canon, Canon." (Said in a cooing voice while she feeds the baby goat little bits of hay. In the next moment, she was giggling because he was lipping her fingers.) : )
• All the surplus organic eggs and raw milk people have been giving us.
• A baby sister who taught me to play her own version of hopscotch on the kitchen tile.
• People having relatives visiting them which means BABIES AT CHURCH!
• Haying opportunities for my gigantic-ly tall little brother. (And Aimee did some too, I might add.) ; )
• Lunch and wi-fi at an adorable local café on the way to the county fair. What could be better than a bagel sandwich?
• The cool decorative lamp posts at the café. We took lots of pictures near them and there were many references to Lucy in Narnia. : )
• My gigantic-ly tall little brother who took most of the pictures. He did an awesome job taking them and since he is taller than us there was none of that dwarf effect.
• Those nice purple smiley faces that show we got to go to the fair even two days afterwards! : )
• My dad who promised my baby sister a Ferris wheel ride and helped her stay calm as the wheel went 'round and 'round.
• My baby sister who bravely rode the Ferris wheel, laughing nervously and excitedly and waving to us each time she came around. : )
• The animal barn. I had never been to one at a fair before, so this was a new experience.
• Getting to stroll around with my family, my friend, and her pygmy goat Fatso. : )
• All the cute baby animals.
• The beef judging (where my friend's brother showed a steer). It was so interesting! The judge was very knowledgeable, so if anyone asks—yes, I did science that day. : )
• That deathly yummy carnival food. 'Nuff said.
• Grocery shopping when Costco was about to close. : )
• Dad asking what we wanted to eat in the drive-through and my sister saying, "I'll take a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake with ketchup." We laughed over that new ice cream flavor for a little while. : )
• Doing chores at midnight with flashlights. I'm not one of the main chore-doers so I was in the van while this all happened. : )
• Two window air-conditioners and several fans!
• A clean house the next day, even though we had to clean it to get it that way.
• A set-up foosball table! Through the efforts of Mom, my gigantic-ly tall little brother, Yours Truly, and some random little sisters it is now standing in the school/game room. : ) Dad even brought home balls from town for it!
• "Babysitting" my younger sisters and building a blanket tent for us to play games, color pictures, and hang out in before bedtime.
• My middle-sized sister who was my right hand in tent building. Fortunately, all the blankets were still accessible since we had used them at camp.
• Sorting through pennies with my gigantic-ly tall little brother. He's super into coin collecting right now, and I'm actually finding it quite fascinating. : ) (Now I can explain what it means when there is no mint mark. Cool, huh?)
• Relatives visiting! Those nephews are too cute to be true!
• My brother-in-law, my sister, and my gigantic-ly tall little brother (time to invent an acronym!) playing foosball really, really hard!
• The older nephew splashing with my little sisters in the baby pool. : )

So we've been having lots of joyful times together, and I can't wait to see what God has in store next! : )

 

 

P.S.- I'm also super grateful for Mom who edits all of my writing and makes sure I don't sound too goofy. : )

My Camp Adventure!!!

We started off for camp just after lunch time (or what should have been but we were busy packing) with a van full to the top and loads of excitement to boot!

The crazy trio! Do you see those mattresses and couch cushions behind us? Paul got to share a seat with them!

Isn't she gorgeous? And I just love the other people in the picture too.

Looks like New England or something else cute!

That famous bridge! I wonder how many pictures of it have been taken. : )

Guess who? We kept ourselves entertained.

Best friends reunited!

We had the nicest neighbors!

This is what I did the most at camp and enjoyed the most too! I loved all the little kids that were hanging around, especially one little girl who decided to fall asleep on me during campfire time! : ) That tent and pavilion were loaned to us by some awesome friends--without them we wouldn't have been able to do this!

Paul and Tyler had so much fun together during the weekend!

Doesn't he look dangerous? (Besides the fact that his helmet isn't exactly authentic.)

The ladies were watching the tournament with great glee. : )

Soccer and the lake behind it were the highlights of camp. Unfortunately, some people did get hurt playing, but my brother-in-law Tyler knows first aid and was able to help them. : )

My favorite player. : ) He was so amazing at kicking balls even if he didn't get to officially play in the game. : )

Cleaning up after the weekend.

I'm so grateful that we got to hang out with this beautiful community of believers! The games were fun and hilarious, the teaching was insightful and sometimes hilarious, and the fellowship was marvelous and hilarious! Thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible--especially my parents! : )

Do Cows Eat Dandelions?

You gotta' love it when you're writing a book, and you assert that cows
like to eat dandelions. Your editor mother says that you had better
research that. She calls the neighbor's cow expert of a son, and he
decides that we should switch it out for clover. Editing sure is fun... : )

Fun Late Summer Memory

This was such the fun and educational experience! And the kittens were
absolutely adorable. : )