A New Blog!

Lately, I've been thinking about how there should be a website that young Christian people can go to and look up a review on a book (or movie, for that matter). So:

I just MADE ONE! :)

Visit my new blog at: www.guidetogoodbooks.blogspot.com

I don't even have a review up yet, but will try to get some up soon. Let me know if you'd like to become a contributor to it!

Blessings!

What did we do today? Answer: CLEAN!

I said in my last post that I would try to get on later today to update you all. Well, the only word that can sum up everything that we did today is: CLEAN. Some of the meanings of this word:

to crawl up onto a ladder and clean the tops of the cupboards where you usually use to stack "things" on. Then you wipe it all down with a wet washcloth, but of course, that only makess the dust into little...balls?, so then you clean that by lugging a vaccuum all the way up to the counter below you and try as hard as you can to suck up all the dust.

• dust off things that you had up on top of those cupboards.
  
• empty out cupboards, clean them and then reorganize everything that was in there...and, since there is more room, put the "things" that were on top of the cupboards in there too.

Not to mention that we're going to be dusting and vaccuuming tomorrow. We also did some touchup on the paint in the dining room and kitchen. Everything looks much better now (at least, the dining room and kitchen do!) :) Well, after doing all that, Mother said we can take a break. We're going to finish cleaning house tomorrow.

So for now...so long! Farewell! I need to say good-bye! :)

I'll be busy...

I just wanted all of you to know that this weekend we'll be REALLY busy! Today and tomorrow we're going to be cleaning house because on Saturday, one of my aunts and Grandmother is coming over; Sunday, a family of 6; and Monday, a family of 9 are coming over! :) I'm really excited, because I love hosting dinners and getting to know families better. So, that obviously means that I won't be online all that much. But I'll try to update you soon. Oh, actually, "soon" wouldn't work, because I'm leaving for the State Fair next Tuesday and, I think, I'm staying till the following Monday. If I can, I'll try getting on later today.

Blessings to you all!

Encouraging Post

I read a very encouraging post by Livvy, over at: "A Daughter's Heart". Please sachet over there and read "Making a House a Home: Introduction". It should be the first post on the page. I am planning on "joining her". Let me know if you do too!

Blessed Weekend

I've had a very blessed past weekend.

Friday, August 21st, we went (for a day) to our church's camp, held near Long Beach, Washington. We had so much fun...canoeing, playing "Nerts", eating together, and just fellowshiping. I really got to know everyone from church a lot better and, as always, that was really nice. :) Unfortunately, Dad was working, so he wasn't able to come...and thus, we had to leave a little earlier than planned because we had to get home in time for dinner. But it was an enjoyable day, and I had a blessed time!

Saturday, August 22nd, we lazily slept in - having been tired from the previous day's events. :)

Sunday, August 23rd (yesterday), we went to church, as usual, except since the Mullins were still at camp (they got home Sunday evening sometime), a Pastor Ralph Wood presented us with a message. But...back up a little, to Sunday morning...Dad had recently "met" a man online who was a believer and lives about 1 1/2 hours away from us. They had e-mailed back and forth a few times, and we were invited to their (the parents') birthday party Saturday evening, but weren't able to make it because Dad got home late from work. So, Dad e-mailed him back and told him so, but the kind man e-mailed back and invited us for lunch after church! So, directly after church, we went to, and met, the wonderful Martin family! What a wonderful time of fellowship our family had with theirs! Unfortunately, we weren't able to stay as long as we'd have liked - they had church in the evening, and Noah had to attend a teacher's meeting for the art school he's teaching at. But, before leaving, we invited them to spend next Sunday, August 30th, with us! I am excited for their visit! :)

Well, that's the latest with me. :) Oh, and I was mistaken...we won't be leaving for the fair till next Monday (a week from today). I thought it was sooner, for some reason. Sorry about that. :) Please comment to this post. I'd love to hear any of your thoughts. Especially on my new look! :) How do ya'll like it? Let me know your opinion!

Blessings,

Fairs, camps...and more fairs!

Well, this past weekend, as you all know, my brother and I went to the Clark County Fair to help with our Uncle Duane's Shires. It was a lot of fun - although we only got to stay two days and one night. But by the time we got home, it was refreshing to take a shower and get all cleaned up! :) I'm not a sissy-girl who can't stand getting dirty, but I love getting dirty when I'm around horses. :) Anyway, then this week we're planning on going to our church's annual camp. I think Noah and I are staying a couple days, while the rest of the family goes home. I'm not sure on that, though. Then next weekend (not this coming one) we're going to State (Oregon) Fair with Uncle Duane to help with his horses again. State is always a lot of fun! :) And it's...a little over a week, and I think we're staying the whole time. So, you won't be hearing from me for a while, because of two reasons.

1. I won't be here :)
2. as you have probably noticed, I'm trying to re-make my blog. It will take some doing, especially since I can't seem to find any backgrounds that I like!! (ugh!) If any of you make blog backgrounds or know of someone who does, PLEASE let me know!! Thank you so much!

Hope everyone's doing well. Praying for ya'll as this new school year gets under way.
Blessings,

This Weekend...

Hello all!

I just wanted to let everyone know that tomorrow and Saturday, I'll be at the Clark County Fairgrounds, helping my Uncle Duane VanDyke show his Shires. I'm not exactly sure what time any of our shows are, but if any of you would like to stop by, it'd be GREAT to see you! :) We'll be in the horse section (of course!:). If my brother or I are not there, just ask anyone else there, where we are. (Okay, that sentence was sorta weird.)

Anyway, just thought I'd let you all know that.

Hope everyone is doing well...getting ready for the big school year '10!!

Blessings,

I feel happy! :)

The last few days have been very...nice! :)

Saturday was my brother's and my CAT (California Achievements Test - basically "state" test). I was a little nervous about it (especially math!) but it actually went really well and I have a feeling that I didn't do too bad. After testing, we all went to our grandparents' house, which wasn't far from where we were taking our test, and spent most of the day there. Until about 5 or so...then we headed to a getogether of a church that we went to about 10 years ago. We see everyone from it every once in a while, at like weddings and stuff, but it was nice to catch up AGAIN! :) After eating a potluck, we had an English Country Dance!!! Oh it was SO much fun!! I've done Civil War era dancing, but not English. We did a few dances from "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma", and the Virginia Reel (which is always fun - and easy to learn, for first-timers). I have a few pictures of it, and will have to put them up here. I don't have too much time to write right now, otherwise, I'd put them up with this posting.

Then, yesterday, after coming home from church, we all took a little nap. Then, Mother took Noah, Lydia and I to Target and got Lydia and I new swimming suits. The ones that we had, had started to fray at the seams - bad news! :) So today, when I taught swimming, I had a new suit on - and I like it a LOT more than the other one. It's hard to find modest swimwear (need I say that?) so we usually just get a tank-top and skorts that women use to running. It's really nice! Actually, the swimsuit before the one that I got yesterday, was just a regular black swimsuit and I bought a green skort to wear over it. But the green skort was really heavy (it wasn't made to swim in), and that was sort of a pain. So today, I swam with my NEW swimming suit and it is so much lighter and just plain nicer than the other one. :) Also, while we were at Target, I bought a new purse!! It's one of those backpack kind, you know? It's just black, but big enough (and small enough) for me and I just really like it. And THEN!! :) *drums* I got the Fireproof soundtrack!! :) Yay!! I LOVE it! I've only had it for one day, but have heard all 17 songs on it! :) And yes, if you've seen the movie, there are only 6 songs that are actually sung, so the other 11 (on the CD) are scores that were made specifically for the movie. Anyway, yes, you might think I'm a little crazy about Fireproof (my family thinks I am :)...a little, anyway :), but when a movie has impacted your life so much, you can't help but be crazy about it. And actually, I don't really like that word (crazy), so I prefer to use "love". :)

Well, I need to go help with little Grace. She's a little fussy today.

Blessings,