Kate DiCamillo

Hi Everyone!

I hope everyone of you has enjoyed the feeling you get when you read the first sentence of a book and you know will turn out great - or has gotten to feel the great suspense in the middle of the book when you hope nothing will make you put it down - or that mixed feeling of wanting to re-read the last sentence over and over again so the story doesn't have to end - and what about the satisfaction of that happy ending? Reading is such a wonderful thing!

Now you are probably thinking either "Momo must love to read" or "Since when did she like reading so much?" Anyone who knows me well knows how little I read. I have never really wanted to read and I have always had many other things I could be doing instead. I am not even a good reader and very few books can grasp my attention.

Basically, I like poems and Nancy Drew. (I have read all the Nancy Drew books we own.) And even when Risa tells me about a book I should check out, I hardly ever find or make the time to read it. Save one author whose books I would recommend and read as soon as I could: Kate DiCamillo. Kate DiCamillo is a fabulous writer. I have read every one of her books (that I know of - Risa would be able to tell me for sure, she knows nearly everything about everything). Miss DiCamillo has written four great books that we own: Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tiger Rising, The Tale of Despereaux, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Because of Winn-Dixie was made into a movie and I would recommend the movie to anyone who hasn't seen it. It was a life-like fiction that told of hardships, healing and love. It is seen through the eyes of Opal, a ten-year-old who gets to know the other people in the new town, each with their own story to tell.

Tiger Rising is a bittersweet story of a young boy full of sorrow. He keeps his thoughts and hopes locked tight inside. When he finds a tiger locked in a cage his life begins change. Someone he thought was his enemy becomes his friend, he grows closer to his father and much more. It is so good that you won't be able to put it down.

The Tale of Despereaux is about a mouse that is very small and is not like other mice. It is an enchanting fairytale that has great lessons to learn of forgiveness and being yourself. I found this an extremely satisfying book full of adventure, excitement, and wisdom. Throughout the book the narrator tells us how every action, no matter how small has its own consequence.

And Lastly The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, will take you on quite a journey! Edward is a spoiled and self-absorbed porcelain rabbit. The story will take you from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the fireside of a hobo's camp to the top of a garbage heap, from the bedside of an ailing child to the streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.
(Plus the drawings are fantastic!)

♥Momo

P.S. She has written two great picture books for children: Louise- The Adventures of A Chicken and Great Joy.

No frills airline

I'm having trouble setting my mind to composing anything long at the moment, so I decided to post something silly until I finish a more serious post.

This video is from the Carol Burnett show and it's a little skit about a man- Tim Conway- traveling in the "No Frills" section of an airplane. I really like Tim Conway, but if you don't like slapstick humor then you probably won't like this.

Hope you enjoy!

Risa

The Weekend

How did everyone's weekend go?

We had a great Saturday and Sunday! It was a whole lot of fun! Unfortunately, the nobody ghost has seen fit to take our camera again, so I have no pictures to share with you =(. But hey, if you're interested in it, read on! If not, well, don't.

On Saturday our Aunt took Momo and I, the cousins, her brother and his daughter, and some other friends to Skate Country for a couple of hours and we had a blast! I brought my roller blades since I skate best in those. It was so fun--I just love skating...and there were a few games like "Four Corners" and the "Funky Salsa" or something like that.

Then on Sunday we (meaning us three girls, Squire R and dad) rode "up da mountain to a place where snow grew"...erm, had fallen. We were only there for five hours, just long enough to begin quenching my thirst for snow which, as some of you know, is a very large thirst ;-). It was amazing!! And, for the very first time in my entire life, I sled! sledded. however you say it. Which was really fun! It wasn't technically a sled. If you want to be technical about it, it was a giant caution cone bent to slightly resemble a sled. But it sure was fun anyway.

While there we also ate the cheesiest pizza I've ever had and a delicious giant chocolate chip cookie. Not to mention snow fights, a really fun (though not according to *cough* anyone else) climb up a steep hill, and we made a T-I-double Gah-Errr (that spells Tigger) snowman. Which looked really great actually until I knocked off the head!

Here are some pictures of the place we went to that I got off the internet. They just weren't taken by us or when we were there.















Very beautiful, no? Anyway, then on the way home it snowed. I was snowed on for only the second time in my life! I LOVE SNOW!

Better go before I use up all my excitement.

Catchyalater

ESam

Music

Aha! Finally Momo posts. I believe I find it hardest of all to find something to post about. Even if I find something to post about, I never can post it right. It sounds weird and takes a long time until I've written it in a way that sounds alright.

I thought of something to post about but I didn't know what to write. "There was good music" and "We had fun" was about all I could think of until I asked Mom for advice. When in doubt ask Mom. Moms have larger, busier brains than anyone else's in the world. (My theory anyway!) She told me to write a compare and contrast essay.

What?!? This is a blog? Not a place to do homework! But you have a Mom and you have a teacher; combine the two (if not already combined) and bah-da-bing this is the type of answer you get from her! Moms (especially homeschooling moms) are women who don't just say "Charismatic means someone has charm and influence" they say "You want to know what it means? Well you should look it up in the dictionary." Or if you say "Mom, what else did John Bunyan do?" moms don't say "He wrote a couple other books and was a preacher." No, moms say "Here this is a book that is about him and I can also show you a website that talks about him." But that's another blog post, right?

I am not going to write a compare and contrast essay but I am going to write a blog post in similar form.

Recently we went to a News Boys concert and a Maxwell Family concert. Some things about them were the same and some things were different.



DIFFERENT:

The Newsboys called it a concert, the Maxwell family said it was not a concert but called it a time for encouragement.

Newsboys play contemporary Christian music, Maxwell family plays bluegrass.

Newsboys concert was outside, Maxwell family's music was played inside.

Newsboys had other bands play first, the Maxwell family were the only ones who played.

Newsboys asked those who had just accepted Christ to come forward, Maxwell Family didn't.

Newsboys are not related to one another, Maxwell Family. . . . Do I have to finish that sentence?

Newsboys ended very late, Maxwell Family ended only a little late.

Only one of the Newsboys gave a testimony, 7 of the Maxwell's gave their testimonies.

Newsboys played familiar songs, Maxwell family played some songs I'd never heard.


SAME:

I sang along to both of them.

I was uplifted by both of them.

They were both in the evening.

Only half of the family went to them.

I clapped to the music during both of the concerts.

The music played was Christian.

They were both on a Saturday.



I personally preferred the hymns that were played by the Maxwell Family but I was glad that the Lord allowed me to go to both of them.

~Momo

The sinful bean bag chair

Below is the link to a video about sin by Joshua Harris (author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye and brother of Alex and Brett Harris). Using a black bean bag, he illustrates the danger of sin and the importance of trusting and obeying God's command to turn away, even to flee, from evil.

http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2010/01/joshua-harris-sin-and-the-bean-bag.html

Risa

The Christmas Story

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
And Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
.To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

.

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,”* which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’”*
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”*


Taken from the Gospel of Luke, chapters 1 and 2, and the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 1 and 2

*Malachi 4:5,6; Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Hosea 11:1; Jeremiah 31:15