Monday, November 30, 2009
Good Christian Men (and Women, too) Rejoice
We had choir practice after church yesterday. Actually, we call ourselves "The Ladies' Choral" because no men have joined this year. We are singing a mini-musical called "What Child is This." Part of the finale is the song "Good Christian Men, Rejoice".
I. Can't. Get. It. Out. Of. My. Head!!!!!
All day long, I've been cleaning house and singing (in a singing voice) "Good Christ-ian Men, Rejoi-oi-oice!"
Maybe now it will leave peacefully.
Lyrics:
Good Christian Men, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice!
Give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born today.
Man and beast before Him bow,
and He is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!
Good Christian Men, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice!
Now ye hear of endless bliss.
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath opened Heaven's door,
and man is blessed forevermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!
FYI: We sound NOTHING like this! Wish we did.
Stringing Up the Lights
My dear husband, Doug, braved the wind and put the lights on the house. The girls and I were the cheering section with an occasional job of handing more lights up the ladder. Have I mentioned how much I love this man?
My mom and dad dropped by and I was in a picture taking mood. My dad is 6'2" and my mom comes in at 4'10". They are perfect for each other.
The girls "took a break" to jump on the trampoline. My little own does a good job of beating up her big sister.
This was taken during the scooter riding exhibition. Who knew riding a scooter could be so dangerous that softball helmets need to be worn? They were having a blast.
Thanks for looking! Have you put up your lights yet?
Giveaway Reminder
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sunday Evening Glance at the Week Ahead 11/29/09
Monday:
Clean-Kitchen, Dining Room, Sewing Room, Family Room
Mop- Kitchen, Dining Room, Familiy Room
Laundry
Help Kaylee make a doll quilt.
Work on Scrubs
Correspondance
Tuesday:
Clean- Kaylee's Room, Laken's Room, Hall Bathroom
Laundry- Sheets
Book Giveaway at 12pm
Santa's Workshop- Help Set up 3pm
Write Christmas Cards
Wednesday:
Clean- Our Bedroom, Our Bathroom
Work on Scrubs
PTO Meeting at 6pm
Thursday:
Laundry
Laken's Grammy/Pappy Day
Work on Aprons
Friday:
Straighten up
Work on Aprons
Get movie for Movie Night
Movie Night
Saturday:
Decorate the Church 12pm
Church Bulletin
Bake
Kaylee Basketball Practice 1-3pm
Sunday:
1st Place- 8am
Sunday School- 9am
Church- 10am
Choir Practice- 11:30am
Church Christmas Dinner- 12pm
Coffee Break- 6pm
Dora's Christmas on Disney (check on time and set up DVR)
Evenings:
Work on hand-quilting Blue and Yellow Quilt
TATW IS DONE!!!
I haven't gotten a picture of the finished project yet because I want to take it to my aunt's house. She had a nice big, bright bedroom that will do the quilt justice. My bedroom is just too small to get a good angle of the quilt.
My next project is a small throw quilt for my mom made from blue and yellow sampler blocks. They are from a block exchange I headed up on www.quiltingboard.com.
We just finished up a Fall Block Exchange and the new exchange is Chocolate/Raspberry. yummm.. The blocks have to be sent to me by 1/31/10.
If you are interested, please check out the forum. Here is a link directly to the Choco/Rasp swap. Internationals can participate!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
And the winner is....
SPECIAL THANKSGIVING DAY BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!!
In order to wish you all a "Happy Thanksgiving", I will be having a very special giveaway that will only last for today. Yes, only today. And the book is:
Bon Appetit by Sandra Byrd
This book is all about food and baking and lots of yummy goodies. It is set in France but it is about an American who is studying abroad and has to deal with being away from home. She realizes what she is truly thankful for and what is important. Things we should be thinking about on this special holiday.
I've loved the first two books in the French Twist series and can't wait to read Piece de Resistance. I featured this book on my Teaser Tuesday post.
I also will include a recipe postcard that Sandra sent me. The recipe is for "Easy Caramel Latte Cake". mmmm...
Here are some ways you can have your name entered:
1. Leave a comment telling me what your favorite Thanksgiving food is. 1 entry
2. Be a follower or become a follower of my blog. 3 entries
3. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and let me know that you did. 5 entries
4. If we hit 26 (because its Nov. 26th) or more participants by the deadline, everyone who blogged about this giveaway will get 3 more enteries.
That's a possible 12 enteries. Let's have some fun with this giveaway!
This giveaway ends Thanksgiving Day at 9pm (EST) so hurry up and enter!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
My Book Haul From Ollies
What's a girl to do? Buy more books, of course. Then give hubby the "puppy dog" face to show that I know I shouldn't, but I really just can't help myself.
I came out of there with 9 books this time. 9 books for approximately $35. How could I resist? Especially when I was able to find Camy Tang's complete Sushi Series and most of these books "were" on my Wish List.
So, here they are:
1. At the Scent of Water by Linda Nichols
2. The Centurion's Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke
3. Sushi for One by Camy Tang
4. Only Uni by Camy Tang
5. Single Sashimi by Camy Tang
6. You Had Me at Good-bye by Tracey Bateman
7. Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lover's Soul by Canfield, Hansen and Lorenz
8. Favorite Recipes from Quilters by Louise Stoltzfus
9. A cute Teacup Journal
What do you think?
Oh, and I also got Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh in the mail today. Yay!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
14 Simple Tests to Prepare You for Parenthood
Test 1 - Preparation
Women: To prepare for pregnancy:-
1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.
2. Leave it there.
3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.
Men: To prepare for children:-
1. Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself
2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.
Test 2 - Knowledge
Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behaviour.
Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers..
Test 3 - Nights
To discover how the nights will feel:
1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.
4.. Set the alarm for 3am.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.
6. Go to bed at 2.45am.
7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.
9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.
10. Make breakfast.
Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.
Test 4 - Dressing Small Children
1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hang out.
Time Allowed: 5 minutes.
Test 5 - Cars
1. Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.
2. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
3. Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.
4. Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.
5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.
Test 6 - Going For a Walk
Wait.
Go out the front door.
Come back in again.
Go out.
Come back in again.
Go out again.
Walk down the front path.
Walk back up it.
Walk down it again.
Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.
Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.
Retrace your steps.
Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.
Give up and go back into the house.
You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.
Test 7 - Communication
Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.
Test 8 - Grocery Shopping
1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.
2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.
3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.
Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.
Test 9 - Feeding a 1 year-old
1. Hollow out a melon
2. Make a small hole in the side
3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side
4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.
5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.
6. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor.
Test 10 - TV
1. Learn the names of every character from Peppa Pig, Thomas the Tank Engine,Dora the Explorerand Disney.
2. Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.
Test 11 - Mess
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out:
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains
2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look?
4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor & leave it there.
Test 12 - Long Trips with Toddlers
1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly.. Important
Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.
2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.
You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.
Test 13 - Conversations
1. Start talking to an adult of your choice.
2.. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.
You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.
Test 14 - Getting ready for work
1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.
2. Put on your finest work attire.
3. Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it
4.. Stir
5. Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt
6.. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture
7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel
8. Do not change (you have no time).
9. Go directly to work
You are now ready to have children. ENJOY!!
Teaser Tuesday
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Book Is:
"Pastry should be light," I said. "Not heavy, sitting in your stomach afterward. They should be whipped and formed to be as airy as possible, silky as possible. A puncutation to the meal."
Philippe smiled at me. "Exactement! You get it now."
Christmas Book Giveaway #3
Forever Christmas by Christine Lynxwiler
To enter:
1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas cookie (1 entry)
2. Be a follower and mention it in your comment (1 entry)
3. Blog about this giveway and let me know that you did (2 entries)
That makes a total of 4 entries possible for these drawings.
And the Winner Is...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Trip Around the World Is SOOOOO Close
Well, except for the pillow cases and throw pillows. But after they are done, off to Iowa it will go.
Here are the fabrics that went into making the quilt. I'll post picture when its done.
Books Received From Giveaways 11/23/09
Cathy Brant, who you can find here, sent me White Picket Fences by Susan Weissner. I know how much Cathy enjoyed reading this book, so I hope to read it very soon.
Trish Perry, who you can find here, sent me a signed copy of her book, Too Good to Be True. I can't wait to read it. And it is my very first signed book!
Thank you both sooo much! It was a lot of fun actually winning something. I never win!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday Evening Glance at the Week Ahead 11/22/09
Menu Planning for next 2 weeks
Parent/Teacher Conference (not sure what time yet)
Prayer Meeting/Bible Study @ 7pm
Dinner at Mom & Dad's @ 1pm
Girls Sleepover at Gram & Pap's
Scripture Sunday 11/22/09
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
15 so that you will prove Yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights In the world,
16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.
18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
2010 100+ Reading Challenge
Here are the rules:
--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. To learn how to sign up without having a blog, click here.
2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.
3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.
5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Geta's November Quilt Giveaway
Grace Like Rain...
But, I love walking in the rain. The ideal would be to have a little warmer temperature than it is now though. It reminds me of a picture I came across this summer when it was hot and humid. As I looked at the picture, I could almost feel the rain drizzling on my face. I could feel the relief that it brought from the hot day.
Then I thought how the words are so appropriate. Because of grace, I can also feel relief. Relief from guilt and fear. In a word: forgiveness.
So, my questions is: Do you like to walk in the rain? Or what gives you the quiet, peaceful feeling that we all strive for?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Movie Review: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
I had seen the trailer for this when I took my husband to the theater this summer for his birthday to see the second Transformers movie. I thought at that time that it looked like a good action flick, and I was right.
There was a good bit of violence (mostly shoot-outs) but come on, its GI Joe.
Product Description (from Amazon)
Based on Hasbro’s immensely popular action figures, G.I. Joe is the ultimate elite fighting force, engaged in an extraordinary action-adventure matchup of good versus evil! In G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, the G.I. Joe team, armed with the coolest hi-tech gadgets and weapons, travels the world from the Egyptian desert to the polar ice caps in a high stakes pursuit of Cobra, an evil international organization threatening to use a technology that could bring the world to its knees.
I can't honestly give my opinion of this movie without telling you my absolute favorite part. It was: Channing Tatum.
If you get a chance, check it out.
1st Place Journal: Sing Praise
Listen to the words and feel them in your soul.
Do you have Blessed Assurance?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Honest Scrap Blog Award
I would like to thank Lori at Some of My Favorite Books
for presenting me with this awesome award...I am honored!!
Since I've received this award, I have to now tell you 10 honest
things about myself, as well as, pass the award along to
10 more bloggers of my choice.
Here are 10 honest things about me:
1. I sometimes sleep in way too late.
2. I hate cleaning bathrooms.
3. I like to crumble chips up in mac-n-cheese. mmm..
4. I've always thought it would be fun to be a librarian.
5. I have way too much fabric.
6. I can't resist Reese Cups.
7. I went to Disney World for my honeymoon.
8. I don't like scary movies.
9. I had postpartum depression/anxiety.
10. I burn scented candles constantly.
Now for the 10 bloggers I'm passing this award on to:
1. Amanda at http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/
2. Laurel at http://themacdougallfamily.blogspot.com/
3. Kerri at http://lovelylittlehandmades.blogspot.com/
4. Marsha at http://marsha-kitchen.blogspot.com/
5. Rel at http://relzreviewz.blogspot.com/
6. Steph at http://somewhatsimple.blogspot.com/
7. Liv at http://teatimewithliv.blogspot.com/
8. Shelly at http://atticgirl.blogspot.com/
9. Tina at http://thehomesteadheart.blogspot.com/
10. Melissa at http://polkadotchair.blogspot.com/
Booksigning in Hagerstown, MD
Christmas Book Giveaway #2
What would you give up for love?
For Carol, it was her most precious dream: her passion to sing.
But was her sacrifice worth it now that her marriage is losing its spark? In this heartwarming novella, two people discover the true essence of Christmas and its power to rekindle the flames of love.
I will be drawing the winner next Tuesday, November 24th at 12pm. Thanks for entering!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Christmas Aprons
Fabulous Fall Fun!
In case you're wondering, yes, my littlest is in her nightgown. She's a PJ girl. If I'm lucky I can at least get her to put clean PJ's on in the morning. Getting her dressed to go out of the house is nothing short of a battle. Guess I'll have to get her some "dress PJ's".