So today was deemed as our bi-weekly Sam's Club/ Wal-Mart shopping trip day.  The bittersweet day that brings large quantities of food into our house...but not without a price.  That price is usually Mom's sanity and the kids' totally flipping out and going crazy halfway though. But today we only went to Sam's.  Thank God for Aaron's basketball practice. 

After finishing a miserable round through Sam's, we went over to Wal-Mart to ttry and find a parking space...well, not to our surprise, there wasn't one.  It was raining, and the kids wanted to get out of the car really bad.  We just barely had convinced Mom to settle for the one about fifty spaces from the door, when I remembered that Aaron had basketball practice in an hour.  There was no way we could get in and out of Wal-Mart in a half hour, so we decided to head home and go back another time later in the week. 

Not too interesting, eh?  Well, I'm getting there.  About two miles North of Wal-Mart, on the way home there was a huge accident that caused traffic backup for at least a mile.  Luckily we realized what was happening and joined in with the others who made a U-turn at the next break in the lane divider.  We enjoyed a lovely senic tour through the country and got home in time for A-Man's practice.

When the 11 o'clock news came on tonight, the first thing they announced was breaking news.  The back up on Route 19 was from an awful car accident.  A truck's trailer unhitched, came across the lanes and fatally hit a woman's car head on.  When the news caster said that I got chills thinking that if we hadn't "wasted" time looking for a parking spot at Wal-Mart, it could have been us. 

It's a freak thing when crashes like that happen near the holidays, but it makes people think about things other than themselves and what really cool thing they want fot Christmas.  It makes their heart wrench for the victim and her family.  Yet amidst the horrible thing that happened tonight, I am so glad that God revealed his divinity and almighty power to me and my family in this way. 

Please pray for the woman and her family in their time of hurt... that God would make known His power to them as He has for us.

~Danielle 

Tonight was the most fun I've had in a while.  :-)

It has been snowing nonstop for the last twentyfour hours, so tonight after dinner and running some errands, my brother Dill and I decided to go sledding in the dark!  It might shound crazy, but it was SO fun!  I suggest it to anyone who has never done it before.  Of course, it might be more fun for us because we like to sled in our neighbor's yard.  The thrill of maybe getting caught never wears off!  So we started off sanely, but by the end of our little excursion, Dill and I were sliding from the top of the hill, down through the trees then crashing straight into a bush.  (Sounds painful, but surprisingly, with many layers on, it wasn't!) 

After that we went to the front yard and decided to do stuff we woould NEVER be caught dead doing in the daytime.  Like belly and butt sliding uphill and spinning around in circles on the ground to make mod sonw angels.  It all ended with me getting in the sled and him pulling me by the thin rope to the front door.  It was so much fun!

We came in, got warm and started watching our family's favorite movie... Talledega Knights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.  OMG. We laugh so hard we cry every time we watch it.  Well anyway.  About half way through the movie we saw a comercial for Sonic. Because of our rarely meager dinner consisting of popcorn and ice cream, we were all really hungry by nine o'clock.  Our mouths were drooling for the delicious Sonic burgers and Rings. As soon as the commercial was over, my mom decided we should go to Sonic.  So it was ten o'clock, and Dillon and I went to Sonic.  It was a very rarely amazing night.  I can't say that I desire to eat a burger half the size of my head every night right before bed, but tonight was a special exception. :-)

Yet again, you get to hear of the crazy funness (I know it's not a word, but I like it.) we have at our house!

~Danielle

Oh my.  I can't believe it!  Christmas is almost here!  It's my favorite holiday because of the warm yummy smells that fill the house, family, friends, the break from school, shopping... and of course the celebration of my savior's birth.  (Though it is said that he was actually born in June or July but that's ok.)

My family is kind of unique in that we get to open some presents on Christmas Eve.  WE ususally go over to my Gram's house around 2ish on Christmas Eve to open our presents from her.  When I was little I didn't ask why... I just went along and opened gifts.  As I got older I asked why we did things that way, and was told that it makes things easier on Christmas Day.  I can tell you that I didn't disagree!  I can remember riding home looking up at the sky and tricking myself into thinking that every passing jet liner was Santa and his reindeer delivering presents to thousands of good little boys and girls. 

But then two things happened.  I was really bad one year and didn't get coal for Christmas... and I saw mom and dad wrapping my presents another year.  By then I caught on and figured that Santa wasn't actually real.  It was a big disappointment at the time, but in the end it didn't change things.  I still set out cookies and milk, but knowing that my daddy would eat them was so much more fufilling just because I knew exactly the kind he would like.  :-) 

Now Dilly and I have three younger siblings that we like to make believe in Santa.  Hey!  It's good harmless fun!  A couple of years ago though, I think we took it a little too far.  It was Christmas Eve and the littles (what my family calls the three youngest children) had just gone to bed.  My dad went out front to bring the presents in from the car and slammed the door.  The bells on our wreath holder jingled and jolly old jingle and gave my brother an idea.  Dillon and I put on our coats and shoes and grabbed the jingley wreath holder.  We ran around to the back of the house and jingled the bells right outside of the windows and ran back in, jumpping on the sofa like nothing ever happened.  And wouldn't you know it! Here came Aaron, the middle little, saying "Oh my goodness!  Mom! Dad!  Did you hear that?? Santa's bells!"  We all fought back laughter so hard and said "Yeah Aaron!  He's coming!  You'd better get to sleep before he catches you up!"  And sure enough he went back to bed and was out like a light in a matter of two minutes!  they still believe in Santa.  But I say more power to them!  They hear from their friends all the time that he isn't real, but bless their innocence and let them stay little for as long as they can.  They will have plenty of time to grow up later.

So that's the kind of fun we like to have around here.  What do your families like to do around the holiday season?  Comment to share!

~Danielle 

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful..."

This song has been stuck in my head all day... and it's exactly how I feel!  It wasn't snowing this morning when I left for Border's, but when I had to go to the grocery store this afternoon, it was coming down pretty heavily.  I was so greatful that my mom had started a fire before I got home because I was freezing!  :-)  Days like today are so wonderful because you can just stay at home and curl up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate. 

I'm thankful that today is Saturday, because that means I still have a whole nother day to enjoy my weekend!  Have fun with yours! :-)

~Danielle

I'm so bad at introducing myself... but I'll take a stab at it. 

I'm Danielle, a homeschooling junior in high school, who loves photography, science, and God.  Some of my other hobbies include sewing, knitting, hanging with friends, texting, shopping, and listening to music.  My favorite food is macaroni and cheese and pasta fajoli.  Dessert wise it's cookies 'n' cream ice cream. 

I also have an odd tendency to obsess on different things.  My family and friends call me a germaphobe... a title I really didn't like at first, but I finally realized that I just need to accept it.  I hate touching handles on doors; I have 3 different flavors of Purell in my purse at all times, and when I don't, I go into a state of panic.  lol. 

Some other recent crazes that have been overwhelming me are... organizing my music in iTunes, getting ready for Christmas (I've been shopping since October), and the Fibonacci Sequence.  The Fibonacci Sequence could possibly be one of the most amazing things I've ever come across!  Here's a link if you want to learn more about it... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number

School has picked up the pace.  Chem is really hard this year! Who need stoichiometry anyway??  What is the point in needing to know about moles and joules?  I just don't get it! lol.  English is really fun.  My brother and I are taking it as a co-op class this year.  It makes it a lot more interesting. :-) We are reading Romeo and Juliet right now.  It's so romantic and passionate!  I love it.  Math is a combo of Algebra 2 and Geometry.  Another subject I really don't care for.  Economics and American Government are pretty cool though.  I really enjoyed following the Presidential election this fall.  Though after a while it did get old.  I'm anxious to see how things go.  My electives are Spanish (Powerglide is awesome!) and photography (I took a course at CCAC in the fall).

Well that's it for now.  I'll post again soon!

~Danielle