Oh little town of Bethlehem, looks like another silent night

Above your deep and dreamless sleep, a giant star lights up the sky

And while your lying in the dark, there shines an everlasting light

For the King has left His throne, and is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight

Oh, Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping

For God became a man, and stepped into your world today

Oh, Bethlehem, you will go down in history

As a city with no room for its King

While you were sleeping

While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem, looks like another silent night

The Father gave His only Son, the way, the truth, the life had come

But there was no room for Him, in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping

The Savior of the world, is dying on your cross today

Jerusalem, you will go down in history

As a city with no room for its King

While you were sleeping

While you were sleeping

United States of America, looks like another silent night

As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies that save the trees and kill the children

And while we’re lying in the dark, there’s a shout across the eastern sky

For the Bridegroom has returned and has carried his bride away in the night, in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping

Will Jesus come again, and leave us slumbering where we lay

America, will we go down in history

As a nation with no room for its King

Will we be sleeping?

Will we be sleeping?

United States of America, looks like another silent night

(“While You Were Sleeping” by Casting Crowns, from the album “Lifesong”, Copyright 2005)

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Stressed Spelled Backwards

by Marilyn Nutter

My daughter Katie recently accepted a teaching job and moved out of state.  As I helped decorate her apartment and she settled in, our “To Do” list for Tuesday included shopping for classroom items, including a picket fence to be placed at the base of the bulletin board. It seemed like a reasonable project given it was August. Reasonable that is, until we began to shop.

“I’m sorry,” a store clerk answered when we asked where the garden supplies and fences were located. “We put them away last week to make room for Christmas.” We tried three other stores only to find the same answer. Katie and I looked at each other and checked our calendars. Yes, it was August, but summer had vanished and Christmas appeared.  ‘Back to school’ supplies were intermingled with harvest, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. What a picture--- rushing the season and Christmas intermingled with everything else!  It’s also a winning backdrop for stress.

Rushing Christmas

Christmas seems to appear earlier each year. We rush the season, rush to get things done and fall short of expectations to make the season the perfect Hallmark commercial for ourselves and our family. But with planning and determination, we can reduce stress, slow down instead of rush, and keep Christmas as a focal point rather than have it get lost with competing demands, unrealistic expectations and an overload of events.

D:  Determine, decide, and decline.  Take out your calendar the first week of November or December and plan what you must do and when you can do it during the holiday season.  Do the same with what you can’t do. We can’t do everything.  Know your limits and those of your family and respond to them.

Schedule and learn to say “no”.  Avoid planning a week with too many activities, late hours, or projects to complete. Decide what can be postponed or eliminated. Determine what is non-negotiable. Give yourself permission to decline activities and invitations.

E: Every day take a few moments for you.  Maybe you want to read for a few minutes, exercise, or sit quietly and have a cup of tea.  Whatever suits your needs, personality, and schedule, take time everyday for you.  You can best take care of others when you have taken care of yourself. You, your family and co-workers will appreciate it.

S:  Simplify. Think of the things that must be done, those than can be done and those that can be eliminated.  I once worked for a company that told us to work smarter rather than harder. That turned out to be great advice for the workplace and my home. 

In our family, we bake several different kinds of Christmas cookies.  We deliver them to friends and neighbors and of course, we also eat them! But last year, with our children grown, I cut back on the variety and made double recipes of some.  I still made my deliveries and kept my tradition, but I didn’t spend the same amount of time baking.

A gift wrapping station is another area where we can simplify.  By creating a station, you can inventory your gift wrap essentials early and know what you need to purchase. Keep the materials out on a card table in your basement and wrap when you find a spare moment. You won’t have to take out all of the materials each time and you won’t run out of supplies because you’ve already assessed your needs.

Perhaps purchasing on-line instead of heading to a crowded mall is another way to alleviate stress and simplify shopping. E-mail Christmas letters may be a solution to addressing and mailing letters to some on your list. Think of what contributed to your stress last year.  How can you be proactive and simplify that area so that it is not repeated?

S: Savor the moments.  What special moments do you want to capture during the holiday season?  Is it a special family meal, reading a Christmas book with your children, visiting an elderly couple who can’t get out, hosting an open house, driving to see elaborate Christmas displays, attending a concert or special church program, or making a gingerbread house? 

Pause and take stock of what is important to you and your family during the Christmas season.  What is it that you value and appreciate?  Discuss priorities with your family. Make time for them and plan ahead. You may discover that activities done for years are not as significant now as your family enters a new life season. 

E: Enjoy people and extend hospitality.  Today we are busier than ever and seem to have less time for people. We procrastinate and think that we can’t invite anyone to our home unless we have a fancy meal, a picture perfect home and entertain. We can extend hospitality rather than entertain. Invite people over for cookies and hot chocolate instead of a meal. Or, ask your guests to share in the meal, each bringing a particular course. You might ask them to bring something that is a family favorite or has a special significance to them -- an ethnic dish or one that is traditional.  Sharing stories about their choice will allow for sharing of lives and getting to know people. It’s not about entertainment, but hospitality and enjoying people.

R  Refresh. Take time to refresh.  Read the Christmas story with new eyes.  Pause quietly and imagine the events. Read a Christmas classic, like the Gift of the Magi or A Christmas Carol.  Set aside some time for prayer.  Play refreshing and uplifting music during the day.  Eat nutritiously.  For years, I got sick around January 2nd.  I finally came to realize that sugar and too much activity had taken its toll on my body.  I was stressed and failed to refresh.

T: Take one day at a time. If you’ve planned, then you know when you look at your calendar, that you will eventually get to making cutout cookies, wrapping gifts, writing Christmas cards, and finishing handmade gifts.  Separate the urgent from the important. Do today’s tasks today; don’t waste energy thinking about tomorrow’s list. What’s important will get done because you have planned.

S: Sit back.  With planning, simplifying, and scheduling refreshment, you can sit back and experience joy. 

Stressed spelled backwards?  Why it’s desserts of course! Sweet and satisfying.  Sit back and savor the season. You will have captured joy as a focal point instead of a stressful backdrop.

 Marilyn Nutter and her husband are the parents of three daughters and three grandchildren who live in various parts of the US.  They continue to learn how important it is to "de-stress" holidays. The author of Dressed up Moms' Devotions to Go and Tea Lovers' Devotions to Go, Marilyn enjoys speaking to groups about finding extraordinary treasures in every day. Visit her website at www.marilynnutter.com .

From www.christianwomentoday.com .

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His Star: A Biblical look at the Shekinah Glory and its relationship to the Bethlehem Star

By Evangelist S. Lee Homoki

Matthew 2:2, “…Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship Him.”

Since the beginning of time, the starry heavens have held the fascination of men. Some of the earliest writings of men have been on the subject of stars. It is extremely interesting to note that the Bible book of Job, which is believed to e the oldest book in the Bible, contains an abundance of references to the starry heavens. We are not surprised, therefore, to find that the Star of Bethlehem…“His Star”…attracts a great deal of attention and interest.

BIBLICAL STARS

            In the Old Testament, a literal star of the heavens was called a “kokawb” (Genesis 1:16, Isaiah 13:10, Joel 3:15) and means a “rolling or round blaze in the heavens”; hence, a star. In the New Testament, the general term “aster” is used to identify all heavenly bodies or astral phenomena, except for the sun and moon (1 Cor. 15:41, Rev. 6:13).

            However, the name star, is symbolically attached to other objects, for example: angels (both fallen and elect) are called “star” (Job 38:7, Rev. 8:10-11, 9:1,11); messengers are called “stars” (Rev. 1:20); and Jesus Christ is called a “star” at His glorious revelation (2 Peter 1:19, Rev. 22:16)

            Since the term “star” is used so loosely and generally, it will simplify our task of properly identifying “His Star”…the Star of Bethlehem.

THE PURPOSE OF BIBLICAL STARS

            God created the stars first of all in order that there might be a distinction between “days and years” and “seasons” (Gen. 1:14), but secondly in order to “show knowledge” (Psalm 19:2). God wanted the stars to be for signs. This is, no doubt, the reason that God gave the stars names (Isa. 40:26, Ps. 147:4). Many of these names are recorded in the Bible, such as: Arcturus (“The Bear”, Job 9:9), Orion (Amos 5:8), Pleiades (“Seven Stars”, Job 9:9), the Mazzaroth (“The Zodiac” or “12 Signs”, Job 38:31-32, 2 Kings 23:5), Castor and Pollux (“Gemini, the Twins”, Acts 28:11), and the Crooked Serpent (“Draco the Dragon”, Job 26:13).

            I believe that God uses the stars to show knowledge or to be a sign in at least five areas: (1) As a sign to the Jews concerning their indestructibility and the faithfulness of God to His covenants (Jer. 31:35-37). (2) As a sign of the great glory and power of their creator (Ps. 19:1 with Rom. 1:19-20). (3) As a sign of Christ’s Second Advent (Book of Revelation, Luke 21:25, Matt. 24:29, Rev. 6:12-14). (4) As a sign or testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Ps. 19:2-4 with Rom. 10:18). (5) As a sign of Immanuel’s birth (Numbers 24:17, Isa. 59:20-60:3, Matt.2:2).

“STAR”SUPERSTITION AND CONJECTURE

            Inasmuch as a star was clearly to be a sign of the Savior’s birth, just about everybody (the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, agnostic, newsman, preacher and pope) has a theory and just about everything that has ever flashed across the sky has been called the Star of Bethlehem. For example: (1) Origen of Alexandria said in 200 A.D., “I am of the opinion that the star which appeared to the wisemen in the east was a new star which had nothing in common with those stars which appear either in the firmament or in the lower levels of the atmosphere. It belonged to the category of those celestial fires which appear from time to time and to which the Greeks have given names according to their shapes; such as comets, fiery beams, starry hosts, starry tails or vessels or some such name.” (2) In 1910, Halley’s Comet was thought to be the reappearance of the Star of Bethlehem, and that its reappearance meant the end of the world. (3) A traditional Eastern prophecy said that “a new star would appear in the Constellation of Coma (The Desired One), when He whom is foretold should be born.” (4) Kepler, a 17^th century astronomer, presented the theory that the Star of Bethlehem was a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn. (5) As recently as 1973, the Comet Kohoutek caused speculation to run high that this was indeed the Star of Bethlehem which would also mark the Second Coming of Christ.

            Such conjecture obscures the true of “His Star”, the Star of Bethlehem, and reveals a gross amount of ignorance of Scripture and a total lack of logic in putting together the recorded facts about the star as found in the book of Matthew.

A STAR WITH A SPECIFIC PURPOSE

            According to Matthew chapter 2, we learn that this is a star with an identity. It is “His Star”! When the wisemen saw it, they immediately knew that it belonged to Jesus Christ. It was a star that could not be misinterpreted as belonging to another. Also we learn that is was a star with a purpose. The wisemen came looking for the promised King, asking “Where is He?”

            Which star, comet, shooting star, conjunction of planets or any other astral phenomena could, by any stretch of the imagination, unmistakenly have either this identification or purpose?

AN ON AGAIN, OFF AGAIN STAR

            The Star of Bethlehem first appeared in Matthew 2:2 (compare Luke 2:9) and then apparently disappeared only to reappear approximately two years later (see Matt. 2:7, 16). Again, which star, comet, shooting star, conjunction of planets of any other astral phenomena could appear, disappear, and reappear in such a manner as this amazing star?

A GUIDING STAR

            “His Star”, the Star of Bethlehem “went before them, ‘til it came and stood over where the young child was.” The Greek word for “went” is “proago” which means “to lead the way” or “to move along before”, and the Greek word for “stood” is “histeme” which means “to stop”.

            Now, it would be impossible for a star (as we would normally think of it) to both “go before (being on the horizon) and to “stop over” a house at one and the same time! Besides, a star standing over Bethlehem would also be standing over Jerusalem.

            A shooting star might be able to point the direction but it could never “stop over”. Neither could a star “stop over” a specific house close enough to point out that house without consuming it in flames. Nor could a conjunction of planets in outer space move down the winding, twisting, dusty roads to Bethlehem and hover over a single house! I submit that none of these theories of ancient or modern times, concerning the Star of Bethlehem, stand the Bible test.

THE STAR IDENTIFIED

            There is only one thing in all the Bible which fits the description of the Star of Bethlehem. This on thing is a star both in the literal sense (a round or rolling blaze in the heavens) and in the symbolic sense (a sign identifying the Messiah’s presence). This one thing is the Shekinah Glory (a theological term taken from the Hebrew words “shaken” and “mishkam” meaning “to dwell” or ”tabernacle”). The Shekinah Glory was a literal, visible manifestation of God’s presence in a cloudy pillar of fire!

            The earliest account of the Shekinah glory was a sword like flame between the Cherubims at the gate of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24). The Shekinah Glory was, no doubt, the altar at which Adam worshipped and the “presence of the Lord” from which Cain departed (Gen. 4:16).

            The Shekinah Glory later burst forth as a glorious fiery light by night and a pillar of cloud by day from between the cherubims and over the Mercy Seat of the Ark. (Ex. 16:7-10, 13:21-22, 40:34-38).

            It is of special interest to note that this Shekinah Star did not consume the goat hair and linen covering of the Tabernacle or the burning bush. This Shekinah Star has always identified God’s presence with man.

            The Shekinah Star departed from Israel in the time of Eli (1 Sam. 4:21, Ezek. 8:4, 9:3, 10:19, 11:22-23), “Icabod…the glory is departed from Israel”. The Jews longed for its return.

            The Shekinah Star did return at the time of the Savior’s birth, “The glory of the Lord shown round about them” (Luke 2:9). The “glory of the Lord” in the New Testament corresponded to the cloudy pillar of fire in the Old Testament. In my opinion, there is no doubt that this is the appearance of the Star that the wisemen saw two years before they came to Jerusalem.

            I believe that the Shekinah Star will yet return again as the “sign of the Son of man” (Matt. 24:30) to announce Jesus Christ’s second advent (Matt. 25:31, 26:64, Luke 21:27).

CONCLUSION

1.      The Shekinah Glory is the only star that has ever been peculiarly identified with God…hence “His Star”.

2.      The Shekinah Glory is the only star ever used to announce God’s presence with men…hence, the Shekinah Star announced Immanuel’s (God with us) birth.

3.      The Shekinah Glory is the only star to consistently appear, disappear, and reappear repeatedly and still be unmistakably identified.

4.      The Shekinah Glory has, on a number of occasions, led the weary travelers thro the deserts (Ex. 13:21-22)…and also the wisemen.

5.      The Shekinah Glory did not burn to a crisp the combustible goat hair and wooden Tabernacle or the bush in the Midian Desert. Hence, the Shekinah Star is the only Star that could have stopped over the house close enough to identify it as a specific dwelling place and not consume it.

The Prophet Isaiah has said: “Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call His Name Immanuel, which being interpreted is GOD WITH US” (Matt. 1:23). That’s what Christmas is!

                        Jesus Christ has come to earth to save people from their sins and God has taken care to call attention to His presence. What a shame that so very few modern day “wise men” ever take notice and come to the Savior. Will you come?

            “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28

            “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Rom. 10:13

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I don’t want to get out of bed

You don’t want to go out in the snow

We don’t have to do the things Eskimos do

Let’s have a hibernation day

Me and you

(Hibernation Day, Jars of Clay)

Snow-flakes by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Out of the bosom of the Air,

Out of the cloud folds of her garments shaken,

Over the woodlands brown and bare

Over the harvest-fields forsaken,

Silent, and soft, and slow

Descends the snow.

Even as our cloudy fancies take

Suddenly shape in some divine expression,

Even as the troubled heart doth make

In the white countenance confession,

The troubled sky reveals

The grief it feels.

This is the poem of the air,

Slowly in silent syllables recorded;

This is the secret of despair,

Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,

Now whispered and revealed 

To wood and field.

(Picture taken by me, Hannah)

:)

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I would like to invite you all to join me here for “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, a Christmas blogging celebration. I’ve been working on this for a little while now, and am planning on presenting a special little something each day for the twelve days of Christmas, beginning on Saturday, December 13. You may wonder why I am presenting this as the twelve days before Christmas, instead of the traditional twelve days after. Well, that explanation will be in the first day’s blog post!

I hope you will come and celebrate with me!

God bless and Merry Christmas!!

Love,

Hannah

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...here are the rest of the Fall Photo Session pictures! Sorry it took me so long! I wrote like a crazy girl all November, so now all the stuff that piled up on me all month long has fallen straight on top of my head.

But the good news is...I WON!!! I got to 50,000 words Sunday afternoon. And I was so exhausted afterwards! I slept really good that night. But what do you think I was doing the next day?? Writing!!!

So here's the pictures. There wasn't as many left as I thought...Hmm...

Gracie and I dancing:

Me:

Gracie:

The next three pictures are about the silliest that we took during out photo shoot. I think the point was to reenact a cowboy type fist fight scene. And no, they did not really hit each other. :) (Notice the cute little damsel in distress on the left!)

 And here is a picture of my favorite spot in the woods. It reminds me of the Shire from "The Lord of the Rings":

Well, that's it! Thanks for being so patient with me! It seems silly now to have made you all wait just for seven pictures. I'll do better next time!

Love, Hannah

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...before you all thought my blog had just been taken over by some mysterious template hacker! ;) As you can see, I have been redoing my template. All graphics have been created by me, with the help of Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 (LOVE that program!).

I have been very busy lately, if that wasn't noticable by my lack of posts. Besides life-in-general, I have been writing a novel. It's National Novel Writing Month. You can find out more about what I have been up to with that at this link: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/241605

So a lot of my time as been immersed in writing.

I have also been doing some research on the English Regency period, and am planning on doing some sewing once NaNoWriMo is over. I found the pattern I want to use,so I just need to buy it and the material...and the patience to do it right and not stop halfway!

Aaaannddd...it's hunting season here! My brothers and Dad have been going out as often as possible. They haven't gotten anything yet, save about a half dozen squirrels, but they aren't giving up!

OH! And THANK YOU to everyone who left me happy birthday notes!!! You all made me feel sooo blessed! I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends!

That is about it for now. I will finish posting the fall photo session pictures soon.

Love, Hannah

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I didn't get them all uploaded, but I figured I better post what I had before you all died of old age. So here are about half of the pictures we got from our photo shoot in the woods in October.

It was a perfect day:

Grace:

Danny:

Charlie, doing his Riley Poole impression:

Gordie:

And I didn't like the one of me on the swing, so I'll post different ones of me.

The Boys:

The Girls (Mom saw this one and said "Sisters with Attitude") :        :)

Me:

Gordie (I liked the way this one turned out):

Self-portrait, to which Charlie said "Stop taking pictures of yourself!"...

...So I took a picture of him:

Trapper Dan, in his natural habitat:

Da raccoon in da tree:

Our "band photo":

The "set the camera on stool, line everyone up at a distance, press the timer and run into place before it takes the picture" picture:

"Sssshhhhh.....":

The Boys #2 (photoshopped by Me, only I don't think I did very good):

Danny:

Charlie:

Gordie strikes an adventurous pose:

And Charlie and Gordie...well...I'm not exactly sure, but his wanna be fight pose is continued in the pictures I have yet to upload...:

That's all the pictures for now. I will try to have the others up as soon as possible!!!

Thanks for your patience!

~Hannah

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October 24, 1989

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I would like to announce that my brother Charlie has gotten a blog! Here's his address: www.homeschoolblogger.com/ccriderblog Leave him a note!

Funny, I guess I'm one of those people that associates the getting of a blog or joining of a forum as a sign of maturity. Gordie just joined HomeschoolAlumni.org. Now Charlie has a blog. It seems like we're all growing up a whole lot faster than I ever thought we would.

Anyways...enough complicated brain things for now.

I'm going to have a bunch of pictures to post here soon. We did a photo shoot in the woods on Monday, and the pictures turned out great. Plus I have an idea for a post I want to do...so bear with me. :D

Gotta run for now.

Love, Hannah

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Before leaving my room this morning, I tore yesterday's date sheet off my puppy calendar, which resides on my crowded desk. I studied the new day's dog for a moment, and read the description. Walking out, I half noticed the actual date. Friday the 10th. I went dowstairs, ate breakfast, and did some normal morning duties. A short while later, I found a list of things to do that Mom had compiled for Friday the 10th, noticed that all the tasks were crossed off.

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...or if you have nothing else to do, here are some things that I have enjoyed reading. These articles have been especially encouraging to me as of late.

Most of them are from Young Ladies Christian Fellowship, you'll notice. That is my all time favorite blog/website!!! It always seems that no matter what my heart may be going through, they are always posting something that speaks to me exactly what I need to hear and voices exactly what I want to say!

This one was really good, and was especially meaningful: http://blog.ylcf.org/2008/09/altars.html

And so was this one, but then this kind always are: http://blog.ylcf.org/2008/09/season-of-waiting.html

And then I found this one very interesting...sort of a never-thought-about-it-that-way: http://blog.ylcf.org/2008/10/giving-your-heart-away.html  

This one was cute and thought provoking and very convicting: http://hoperoadblog.com/2008/09/14/the-princess-syndrome/

 Happy reading!

Love, Hannah

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NOTE: Check out the new guestbook thing in my sidebar!!!!!!

This is something I found on Anna93's blog! It looked fun, so I thought I'd give it a try.

FOR TODAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2008

Outside My Window... It is dark, but a few stars are shining.

I am thinking... of friends and family; of NaNoWriMo; of tons of different things!

I am thankful for...God's joy, which flows even though the toughest of circumstances.

From the kitchen... It is quiet now, but we had cream chicken and biscuits for dinner today!

I am wearing... polyester jammie-type pants and a gray t-shirt with a flag on it.

I am creating...stories in my head!

I am going...crazy?? Well, maybe, but hopefully to the HSA reunion at some point. And a dozen other places...

I am reading... "Dream of Freedom" by Michael Phillips

I am hoping...for my dreams to come true (within God's plans). But then, God has something planned for me beyond my wildest dreams. So I guess it should be I am hoping for God's dreams for me to come true!

I am hearing...cars on the road, Khan barking at something, and someone down in the kitchen.

Around the house... most everybody is sleeping.

One of my favorite things... driving when I know where I am going. :-P

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: finish a letter to Vanessa, probably do school with Gracie tomorrow, and spend time with my family on Saturday.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

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...tick, tick, tick...

Do you hear that?

That is the sound of my brain. It is like a bomb. Waiting to go off. It will go off. But until then, I am at a loss as to what to write.

So I will just try to think of some interesting things. Let's see...

Had a wonderful and way too short visit with the H family on Sunday!!!

I found my dream house!!!!!! Click here: www.simondale.net/house It is amazing!!!

I am prepping for NaNoWriMo again. I have an idea, and it is a good one. I am going to try to finish it this year.

Aaaaanndd...I am going to make sourdough bread and shoot my bow tomorrow.

So that is about all the interesting things I can think of right now. Despite the fact that life is crazy here. 

But I am tired now, so goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let anything bite.

Love, Hannah

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This, my friends, is my 100th post!!  I've been watching my number of posts go up and knew that I had to announce this one when I got to it. Aren't you proud?

I think I'd do a dance...

(Note: this picture is from Christmas 1998, and those are my brothers.)

So there you have it. I made it to one hundred posts. Or rather you all made it. Tell me...how has it been so far, my bloggingness?

Love, Hannah

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A few prayer requests:

Please pray for our dear friend, Mrs. Janet P and her family. Her husband is having some heart trouble...badly clogged arteries that were close to a heart attack...so they all are going to need strength as he recovers from surgery.

Also for little Colton W. He is about 2 years old, I believe. He and his big brother, Garrett, were sliding down a big blow up ride at the fair and somehow, Colton's leg got caught under Garrett, and his tibia was fractured. Especially pray for his mother... :)

And please still keep my family in your prayers. It is so very much appreciated. :)

Love, Hannah

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And it is stuck in my throat.

Earlier this evening, while my family was making a meal (after we had spent the afternoon helping the D's and had a visit with Matt H. :) ), I was chopping onions, and I sneezed, muffling it on my shoulder. Well, I almost always sneeze twice, so I inhaled sharply before the second sneeze came. That's when I felt something go into my throat. I sneezed the second sneeze, but that didn't help any. Suddenly, I stood there coughing and choaking and trying not to get onion juice in my eyes, I realized I had swallowed a bug. I guess it was on my shoulder.

Yucksh.

Do you know how awfully terribly a bug tastes? Ugh. It gives me shivers thinking about it.

So right now, I am sitting here with a rather sore throat,  still gulping and swallowing and coughing, trying to get this bug to go one way or the other. (and trying to remember how to spell throat...throught, throuat, troat...oy.)

I don't know what it's stuck on, I thought my throat was smooth.

So, anyways.

Like y'all wanted to know something that disgusting and ungraceful.

I really oughta find something more interesting to blog about. Oyksh.

Guess what? A little bug just landed on my computer screen. Know what my first thought was? Don't. breath. in.

Love, Hannah

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Truth is, I have nothing to blog. I just feel like wasting space here.. But there is something supremely gratifying about typing out a blog post. Even if it filled with unworthy ramblings.

Well, let's see. I should be able to find something interesting to talk about. Okay, here I go.

I've been redoing Gordie's blog (arrowsoflightning on my friends list). Looks pretty cool now. I'm almost liking it better than mine.

And...umm...Mom and Gracie and I went garage saling last weekend. And had a blast! I got a bunch of shirts, a denim overall jumper, a couple pairs of jeans, a bunch of books, and whole lot of other goodies.

Today, Mom, Dad, Gracie, and I went to Walmart for food and oil for Dad's truck. Well, the oil is for Dad's truck...the food is for us. Then us kids (funny how I still refer to us as kids, seeing how 3 outa 5 of us a teenagers) spent the evening watching the Olympics, Johnny Quest and Dick VanDyke. And playing the Jedi somethingerother game on the computer. Actually I just watch. The boys play.

Anywho.

I think that is about it.

Oh, and we are not moving. I mentioned before that I thought we were, but that didn't work out, so here we are and here we shall remain for now.

And on that note, would y'all keep us in your prayers? God is so good, but sometimes life tries to take a few punches. We've yet to be knocked out, but a little extra thought and prayer on our behalf never hurt. Thanks so much!

Well, I better go for now.

Love, Hannah 

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Sorry this is so late...I wanted to get these up last week, but late nights and s-l-o-w dial up speed were in the way a bit. You wouldn't believe how long it takes me to upload pictures!! Oy.

Anywho. Here are the brother and sister pictures from a couple weeks ago. After their game of injun, Gracie decided to play something a bit more feminine.

So she had a tea party.

Gordie as her guest of honor. Excuse me, Duncan. 

And make it Cora's tea party.

You see, Gracie loves the movie "The Last of the Mohicans" (with Daniel Day-Lewis...we fast forward through all the gorey and mushy parts.). So her tea party was based off the one that Cora and Duncan have in the beginning of the movie.

With my help, dressed up in her frilliest dress, got her hair put up really pretty, and (if I remember right) put on a pair of red sparkly Wizard of Oz tyoe shoes, hand me downs from Katie H. I helped her make herbal rasberry tea, cut up a pancake and a piece of bread for cookies, and let her use my special itty bitty tea set. We set up the little picnic table as you see in the pictures, and Gordie came out decked in part of the reenacting costume he made, complete with a period tri-corner hat (made out of a bent up brown cowboy hat.)

And they had tea.

Despite the two monkeys (coughCharliecoughDanny) who were sitting up in the tree snickering. I'm positive they were simply jealous of the tasty feast they had not been invited to.

All in all, the day was perfect for a tea party, and Gordie was an awesome sport.

All I can do is smile.

Love, Hannah

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