"The fires of luuhhhve"

{Just so you know, the following was written last Sunday...and then I forgot to post it.}


We've had a pretty full couple of weeks, the highlights being the weekends, so I thought I'd post a little update.

Three Saturdays ago: We got a new dog.

Meet Chewbacca. Or Chupacabra. "Chewy" for short.

That's not the best picture of him, but he'll be getting his own post soon (in theory).

Two Saturdays ago: We had this big party at our house with some of our friends and friends' friends. For those of you who don't know, it was meant to be a bonfire/outdoorsy gig, but it ended up raining all day. It was still a lot of fun though. To those who couldn't make it, you were missed! But look on the bright side. Because it was an indoor party, and our house being more on the cozy side than the comfortable side, you probably wouldn't have fit. Our house is perfect for just the eight of us (did I say "just" "eight"? I've been homeschooled too long...) but when you cram 40 other people inside...well, let's just say people get to know each other really fast. But we praise God that it was a big success and everyone had a lot of fun--it ended up going from 4:00 until 11:30. Oh, and Chewy was a huge hit. ;)

This is the only picture we got. About...1/2 of the group I think. Everyone else was in the kitchen. :)

This past Saturday: Mari had her birthday on Friday (she's so old!), but she also had to go to Mexico to get some cavities filled and wisdom teeth looked at. So we did most of the celebrating on Saturday. We went to see a movie at the cheap seats, gave her gifts, had a bonfire (the one we were supposed to have last Saturday), and received "hobbit gifts" from her.
She is such a generous person. Selfish is a word that simply could not describe her. She loves and welcomes anyone, no matter what. Anytime someone is mean to her, or something bad happens, she is the first to blame herself, even when the blame doesn't belong to her. She's such a great older sister.

Okay, enough sentimentality. Here are some pictures from the bonfire.

It's Elsa! Haha, couldn't help myself.

"It's not a graduation." "It's a cermony!" "It's psychotic!"

 

Graduation pictures! We took them. Or, actually, a good friend of ours with a real camera took them. Thanks, C!

As most of you know Mari graduated earlier this year and I recently graduated (a couple months ago). It's very nice to be out of high school and starting to explore our new options. Mari is enrolled in a CNA (certified nursing assistant) and licensed Caregiver....school....thing, with the same friend who took these pictures. They've really been enjoying the learning, and will be having a grad party in another week. So you can look forward to a post about that.

And now, the pictures. Enjoy!

 

 

A personal favorite

Isn't she beautiful? The great scenery we have out here is a bonus too. 

Another personal favorite...such a pretty dog I've got

 

All three of us - a rare picture

All three of us AND Dad - even rarer. Ignore the squints.



So that's all for now folks. I know we haven't been posting much lately, and I'm not gonna promise that it's gonna change. Our camera sort of went AWOL so until we find it again (hopefully soon) updates will probably be few. Sorry.

We will try to find it in time for our next blog-worthy happening, which would be attending the Liberty Festival over the weekend, which celebrates the Revolutionary War, and in which several of our friends will be reenacting. Cool.

Until next time,
Sam

"Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!"

Happy Independence Day!

My siblings and I put on a play this afternoon, called The Vote. It was a lot of fun to do and interactive play, and I must say, Goldilocks played John Witherspoon and she memorized all of her lines perfectly!

Fun Fact about the Fourth: Did you know that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both of whom had not only signed the Declaration of Independence but went on to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on July 4th, 1826. Another Founding Father who became President, James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831 becoming the third President in a row to die on Independence Day.

I hope you all have a blessed and joyous Fourth of July! In honour of this day, guess what I've got for you! A game! Who thinks they know some history? If you're up to it you can play, and earn a point for our giveaway. (To check out the prizes read this post.) This will be everyone's last chance to earn some more points and then we will announce our three winners! I'm very excited!
The giveaway will close July 10th! The winners will be announced Thurs, the 11th!

Okay, rules:
Pick any ONE question you'd like to that hasn't been answered and comment with your best guess! For example, if you like question 6 and no one in the comments has answered it yet, then you can comment with both the question number (6) and the answer letter (a, b, c, or d,).

1.Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?
a) Benjamin Franklin
b) George Washington
c) Thomas Jefferson
d) John Adams

2.Which of the following was not one of the thirteen original colonies?
a) Georgia
b) Virginia
c) Vermont
d) Massachusetts

3.Which of the following did not sign the Declaration of Independence?
a) Samuel Adams
b) Benjamin Franklin
c) John Hancock
d) George Washington

4.Who wrote The Star-Spangled Banner?
a) John Philip Sousa
b) Francis Scott Key
c) Katharine Lee Bates
d) Samuel Francis Smith

5.The Second Continental Congress met in which city to draft The Declaration of Independence?
a) Boston, MA
b) New York, NY
c) Baltimore, MD
d) Philadelphia, PA

6. Which of the following European powers did not fight on the side of the colonists in the Revolutionary War?
a) Spain
b) France
c) The Netherlands
d) Germany

The title is a quote from the last verse of our national anthem.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

From all of us to you: 

"Independence now, Independence for ever!" (John Adams)

"Ding, ding, ding! Give the boy a prize." or "Move on a Sunday Morning"

Camp NaNoWriMo is over *sigh of relief*, and we all won with a total of 45,052 words! Okay, not that impressive. But it was hard work and good fun. 

Also, remember the contest over on this post? Well, thanks to everyone who guessed! You all did good, though no one got all of them correct. The closest guesser was....Lady L! Who got everything right, except she flipped Mari and SquiRe's quotes. Ah well, good for you! Lady L shall receive 2 points to our future give away (yes, that really will be happening, we just...are being slow...) and every other guesser gets 1 point. Here's the answers:

I love that picture of Risa

And lastly...lately in the blogging world there's been this playlist quiz thing floating around. What you do is, you put your music playlist on "random". Use the title of the first song to answer the question, then hit "next" and continue. Some friends of ours did it, and Mari and I did it too. Since posting two full questionnaire's would be altogether too long and boring, I'll post Mari's, with a few of my answers in there as well. Mari's answers are in purple, and mine in blue.


If someone says "Are you okay?" you say… 
Coffee (Arabian Dance) - Tchaikovsky

Am I okay?  I guess I just need some coffee, or (more likely) I need to dance!

 

What would best describe your personality?
Thankful (Caedmon's Call)

Yes, I am very thankful at the moment.

 

How would you describe yourself?
Drifting to Far From the Shore by Aaron Weil Band (Basically an unknown singer who does Christian Bluegrass.)

. . . Um. Drifting? That's bad.

What do you like in a guy/girl?
All the Fun by Paul OverstreetI guess I like all the fun!
 

How do you feel today?
Crucified by Salvador
I feel that everyday. (Gal. 2:20)

What is your life's purpose?
There You Go by Caedmon's Call
To get going!

What's Your Motto? 
Somewhere North

Yes! Must...go...to colder...climates!

What do your friends think of you?
Don't You Want to Thank Somebody by Andrew Peterson

I guess they think I oughta be more thankful.

What do your parents think of you?
Prodigal Son 

Ooh. Sorry, mom.
  

What do you think about very often? For I Know the Plans by Word of God Speak
I'm always planning.

 

What is 2 + 2?
Beauty and the Beast from the soundtrack

Haha, the one song from that soundtrack I have on my ipod! Well, it is four words right? 

What do you think of your best friend?
Sinking by Michael Peacock

They're sinking?

What do you think of the person you like?
Shifting Sand

I guess they're shifty...which explains the wedding answers! Read on.

What is your life story?
Circles by Alison Brook
Spinnin' in circles!

What do you want to be when you grow up?
(I've Got A Gal In) Kalamazoo by Glen Miller
I want to be a gal in Kalamazoo! (Not really.)

 

What do you think when you see the person you like?
Come Back Soon

Aw, isn't that nice? Till the wedding day. Keep readin'.
 

What will you do at your wedding?
Daring Daylight Escape

Poor guy. But hey, I couldn't stand a lifetime with those shifty eyes.

What will they play at your funeral?
You'll Find Your Way

Hey, I'm not Catholic or in ancient Egypt, so this won't apply.

What is your hobby/interest?
He Will Come by Mandisa
I just keep " Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" Titus 2:13

What is your biggest fear?
As You Therefore by Nathan Clark George

Um, speaking gibberish is a big fear of mine, since I do it quite often. "What is your biggest fear? As You Therefore!" Does that make any sense? Well, that's about how I speak somedays. =)

Big Fish
Hey, they ate Noah! Reasonable fear here, people!

What is your biggest secret?
Esengo by Selah
From what I could tell by searching the internet it means "glory". Which doesn't make much sense. . . again.

What do you want right now?
Fofar Sodger/ Trip to the Skye/ The Birdie by 25 Years of Celtic Music

I want the birdie, I want a trip to the skye, and I want fofar sodger? Translation please?

What do you think of your friends? 

God Help Me

Um...that sounds worse than it is. I have great friends...really.

What's the worst thing that could happen?
The Time That Is Left

Uh-oh. I guess it's only downhill from here.

What is the one thing you regret?
The Jug of Punch by Celtic Wonder 

Uh. . . yeah, hmmm. 0_o

What makes you laugh?
Michael's Ride

Yes, it does! (That's the soundtrack for a very funny scene from a very funny movie)

What makes you cry?
Carol Ann by Michael W. Smith

Carol Ann, you make me cry.

Will you ever get married?
Can't Take Me

Mwahaha!! Yes. B]

What scares you the most? 
Climb On (A Back That's Strong)

Well, it doesn't scare me, but I do hate being picked up/carried.

 

 Does anyone like you?
Here For You by Branded
My daddy! (It's a daddy, daughter song.)

If you could go back in time, what would you change?
There You Go
Hm. Apparently I would send you back.

What hurts right now?
The Chasing Song by Andrew Peterson

My legs are a little sore from running around.

What would you want to say to the person who tagged you (if you were tagged)?
Love Enough by Andrew Peterson
"In stubborn spite of our stubborn spite we are loved nonetheless, we are loved all the more and I believe there is love enough for the taking." 
  

What will you name this post?
Move on a Sunday Morning

Hey, Buddy, wanna pick some snowberries?

After a very cold first half of Jan, but with only slight sprinklings of snow that didn't stick, we got a very warm last half. It nearly got up to 80* one day, so yes, I mean warm. But this morning?

SNOW! Woo-hoo!

Last time we had snow, Jack wasn't a big fan, but this year he really enjoyed it.

The moon was still out at 9:00am

Momo taking a picture of the mountains

Snow ice cream! Yum!

The kids loved it

Sam
P.S. We're going to try and only put movie quotes as our post titles from now on. Anyone know what this one is from? =]

Our oldest sister was born this day many years ago.
Risa is extremely loyal, devoted, and compassionate toward others and their feelings. She is conscientious and responsible, and very much a needed part of our family. Risa is quiet and unassuming, and filled with a large number of facts. She often surprises me by knowing so much, she's like a living Wikipedia sometimes. =) It may have to do with the fact that she is an avid reader, and is often found with a book.
She has a great work ethic and is very responsible. Since working with our Dad (he is a construction worker) he has said that she has worked as hard or harder than any young man he has had work for him. She is ready to accept responsibility for the many things that need to be done, but she is also very patient with her sisters who *ahem* are often leaving, her recently cleaned areas, a mess. Risa constantly lends me stability through her excellent commonsense-and-wisdom-filled perspective.

Risa is a supportive sister,

a sympathetic friend,

a gentle daughter,

a modest and hardworking young woman,

and a shining example.

She lives the meaning of her name as a clear bright light for all to see, glorifying God through her quiet acts of service.

Happy Birthday, Risa, we love you!

Homeschool Vintage Ball

The long-awaited ... *cough* circumstances beyond my control ... *mumble*...

ANYWAY!
Below are some pictures from the Vintage Ball we attended this summer if any of our friends still have an interest.

Say "red eye!"

 

The term "vintage" was given a broad definition. As such attendees were arrayed in all manner of dress, from the 1700s to 1860, from western duds to (my personal favorite) 1940s dress. And of course, formal modern attire.

 

 

We met old friends and new that evening. A ball is intended to be a very social event and this one was wonderful.

 

Notice the historical dress and adorable little dancer in a a suit. Also note the basketball hoop: the ball was held in a church gymnasium which proved a perfect venue.




 

SquiRe (in his too-cute bow tie) was completely captivated by the dancing and participated in almost every set. There was a fantastic diversity of age and dancing skill at the ball. All of the dances were briefly explained then "called" which was very helpful.



 

Our dear Jack was a little overwhelmed by it all at times, bless his heart.

 

You may notice the Invisible Woman (who much prefers to stay invisible) is prominently displayed in several of these photos. She hopes you're happy.

SquiRe and Sam are the first couple in this dance.

 

We had dances in sets of four, six, eight and even a few line dances. Some traditional dances were familiar to us, like The King's March, Jefferson's Reel and Come Let Us Be Merry. Others were new, like the Pineapple Dance which was performed to Viva la Noche. That was fun!

Daddy and I.

It was so nice to attend an event like this that we could all enjoy together, from Goldilocks to Mom and Dad. I think our parents danced more often than I did!


The night ended with a series of wild dances, one of which was called "Chasing the Squirrel" (pictured above). It is as silly and rambunctious as it sounds. We went home thoroughly delighted, invigorated, and exhausted.

 

 

 

Risa

Happy Birthday, Sam!

Counting the years you've been alive, and thankful for every one of them!

Counting all the blessings you have brought to our family, and just to me personally, would be impossible.

Sam is serious, responsible, and sensible. She is trustworthy and reliable. Her practical and realistic approach brings a much needed balance to the un-orderliness that comes from some of our family. =)

Though expressed in a calm facade, she has very strong beliefs that are steadfast when others might doubt.

She gives constantly but is often unnoticed because of her quiet personality. She is a young woman of beauty, but it is her hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, that is most admirable.

I'm so blessed to have such a sister!

I love you, Sam! Happy birthday!

Sam, wanted me to share a list of some famous poeple who share her August 19th birthday.

If you don't recognize the name that's okay, I wrote who they are in (brackets).

Lil' Romeo (a hip hop rapper)

Bill Clinton (42nd US President)

Tipper Gore (author, Al Gore's wife)

Johnny Nash (Singer, best known for "I Can See Clearly Now")

Fred Thompson (American politician and actor)

Kyra Sedgwick (American actress who stars in The Closer)

John Stamos (American actor who starred as Jesse Katsopolis Full House)

William T Riker (Character on Star Trek Next Generation)

Gene Roddenbury (creator of Star Trek)

Dad

Just a week ago our family celebrated Dad's birthday. A cause for much celebration to be sure!

Our dad is half a hundred (plus)! And certainly filled with more wisdom than I know of! Though I have discovered much understanding from him, and he continues to share his insight so that we may (eventually) learn.

We bought him a new pair of boots. I don't know when the last time he had cowboy boots was, but he has been wanting a pair of boots, so we are very glad to have been able to find a pair that he likes.

Our dad reads to us from God's precious Word daily. And instructs us and reminds us of the commands in the Word at every opportunity.

Dad is gentle and loving to all of us. He is (though imperfect) a beautiful picture of who our Father in heaven is- caring, forgiving, love.

Dad takes the time to do what we like. He tries to be interested in what we are interested in, and ignores his hobbies so that he can give us his time.

He is such a joy and always seeks to give of himself before anyone else. I know he had a good father's day, and birthday. I pray that the next are even better.

This is a CUTE picture, isn't it?

Jack likes to stir Dad's cup of coffee each morning. Dad willingly cleans up his splashed coffee from the table and allows Jack to merrily stir, stir, stir.

I have yet to meet a Dad like him, and doubt anyone could be a better father.

We love you so much Dad!