1 Chronicles 16:8-9

O give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders.

the exactness of the order got lost somewhere....

Dad's instruction: "Get all the boots and find the matches for them."
8yro brother: went and found the matches (like, the ones you light fires with) and put the match box on top of the full boot bucket.

Can you say Amelia Bedelia?

Happy 19th Birthday Joshy!

To my bestest big brother:

You've always been pretty cool.

And so sweet to my when I was a baby! (and still, btw)

Always dressed for the occasion

Such a geek

Always up for a song or two.

And a nap wherever you end up.

You still think you can fly...

Band Leader

Willing to give a lift..

 

Or to help out in whatever way necessary...

 

To call the shots...

Or just hang out.

And goof off...

There were so many more pictures I wanted to post, but I'll stop with one from your graduation last May.

Love you big brother and all the best!!!

PS. If yall haven't said happy birthday to him yet, you can comment on his blog: http://www.passiondefined.blogspot.com/

Hello, 2010!

I can’t believe 2009 is already gone. It seems like just a few months ago my big brother turned 18. I vividly remember the nervousness as I took my first CLEP test…the excitedness when I knew I had passed with a good score…my little brother's birthdays...the torture of wearing a wrist brace for 3 months (wow..was it really that long?) after spraining it during a heated game of soccer….good times with friends….funny experiences…fun family times…my birthday and my sister’s, a party and a camping trip…many nights of sewing costumes for a play…my new camera, now officially named Captain Nemo….my mom and dad’s birthdays…Thanksgiving….then the December busyness and Christmas. Now it is January 1, 2010. I’m a year older, so much different and wondering what 2010 will bring. There are so many things I never would have thought of happening. Like having 30 hours of college credit, for instance.

I’m realizing more and more that time FLIES. I don’t know how it happens, it’s mind-boggling. I know I can never understand eternity with earthly time making me feel so confused. Thankfully, God understands exactly what He’s doing. :)

I got out my unfinished journal from last year. This is a portion of the entry on January 1, 2009:

A new year has dawned, and with it, a new era in my life. An era of understanding, of living, of growing. One in which my faith rests in God alone. 2008 was a year in which I had many doubts, many struggles. Lord, you sustained me, and brought me through safely. Thank you.
Thank you for my sister, thank you for friends…..Show me who are true friends, whom I can trust to encourage me in Your ways…
We watched Pilgrim’s Progress tonight. I had read the book, but forgotten much. Pilgrim had many struggles….After all this, the prize- the words, “Well done, good, and faithful servant.” Lord, help me to be faithful in 2009 to you alone.

As I enter 2010, my prayer is much the same. To be faithful in the little things as well as the big things, because often that is so much harder. I’ve changed, grown, and learned much in the last year; God willing, I will learn and grow more in 2010.

So much happened last year in my life. I’m sure that just as much has occurred in everyone else’s lives. I have nothing profound to say, no sage words of advice. Just the prayer, that at the end of this year, we may all be able to say this:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Tim 4:7.

Hello, 2010!

How to make chocolate pies

Process: assumed preparation time total: 30minutes. Actual preparating time: start time: 10:54am. end time: 1:30
                                                   HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE PIES
PART 1: the pre-preparation.
1. Put on a cd, decide the cd I put in isn't actully what I want to listen to and make 2 trips up and down the stairs trying to find the one I want. Decide on Keith and Kristen Getty.
2. Clean up from breakfast.
                                                                    (dirty kitchen)

(clean kitchen)

4. Trip over my littlest brother's abandoned play-dough and decide to clean up after him to avoid further injury.

5. Find my awesome gingerbread apron. Oops, wrong side.

Here we go.

6. Try to remember what I'm going to make...oh yeah, that's right! chocolate pies!

PART 2: preparation

7. Pie crust recipie.

-flour, shortening, done.

-spend 10 minutes looking for the pastry cutter then realize it was already out.

-remember to take my rings off....after I had already started hand-stirring.

-wonder if I should add the salt I had forgotten? decide in the negative.

8. Mix the sugar and cocoa.

9. Roll the dough, ho, ho, ho...oh, wait, that song is for Christmas cookies.  And the shadow at the base of the picture below is from my head. :)

10. Put some of the sugar/cocoa mix in the middle of a circular piece of dogh, put some butter on top, then fold over and close the edges.

Ahhhh...the somewhat finshed product.

11.Bake at 350 for....well...a litte while.

The finished product!

Things I learned:

-be sure the oven is ON before setting the timer, leaving, then coming back 30 minutes later worrying they're burnt and finding that whatever is cooking wasn't actually cooking.

-forgetting salt really doesn't affect the taste of the dough.

-cooking goes much better and more efficiently when I'm not trying to talk to someone and cook.

~On a more serious note, this is a family recipe from my Hungarian great-grandmother.

What a Promise

The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful-for he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:11-13

Global Cooling...a.k.a. It's SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!

For those who don't believe it can happen in Damon, TX, it's snowing! lots! This has definitely made my day! :) Below are some pictures for you to enjoy... there will be more on my photoblog soon.

And, of course, some self-photography. :)

That's all for now! More later!