Happy New Year!

I'm grateful for 2008 the lessons I've learned, the people I've met, the places I've gone, the grace God has given and so much more. I'm blessed beyond!



"Orange welcomes 2009"

"This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”- Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 NIV

Play the music, not the instrument. ~Author Unknown

As the world reflects in there own way this holiday we call Christmas may true Christians everywhere keep Christ in the center of all they say and do.

The embedded video is "The Birthday of A King" I sang last night with the community choir.



"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host
appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Luke 2:13-14NIV

Have a beautiful, joyful, and Christ centered day!

I'm suppose to be sleeping. Yep. But my siblings are great. And, they are smiling pretty big considering it's 14 degrees. :D



If you're in a snowy place tonight, enjoy it! If not look at our photos and wish you were here freezing to death with us. :D lol

A good reason to cancel a concert!

As you might know already, the northeast was slammed with ice and several hundreds of thousands of people are without power. In my last post you saw our stove which we used while the power was out. The power is still on and off...mostly on though. Vincent took me on a motorcycle ride with Bonnie and we went out looking for ice.











We visited Bears Den on the way out to the overlook...







The ice was like styrofoam!

I am really enjoying the d90.



Could it be classified as an obsession when you take pictures while on the phone?

Wow. Two comments. I guess that's good for two new posts. :D ;)

We had a great big ice storm last night, which totally took out the power early this morning. Thankfully it's back on now, and we're not still cooking on the wood stove...



It was cute though and the food tasted great. :)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Bonnie and I are back safe and sound from Germany with wonderful memories and pictures.

We haven't been home longer than a week, but I do feel I should have written a proper update by now. I could blame it on somewhat time consuming job of uploading and sorting 500+ pictures. :) Most of them aren't works of art but it will give you an idea of what we saw and what we did.

We started off as I mentioned at the train station in Massachusetts and made our way to the airport via the subway and buses. We had a safe transfer to the airplane. Security was a breeze compared to the nightmare I was prepared for

We had a short layover in Amsterdam but we were soon flying high over Germany bound for the sleepy airport in Nuremberg. From there we went to Erlangen and stayed with the Busekros family for a few days. You can read their dramatic homeschooling story here. http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/101346.aspx We were privileged to visit them and enjoyed our visit!

From there we headed to the city of Bonn. It was close to a 9 hour train ride. But, Klaus, our tour guide and friend, was with us and we had some good conversations. While we were with our hosts in Bonn we visited Petersberg, on which the famous Petersberg Hotel is. The view is amazing.

We went to Cologne and visited the cathedral. That was incredible.

They have lot of open air markets in Germany...and we visited three in one day, a record.

Check the pictures out:

Germany 1

Germany 2

Germany 3

Germany 4

Germany 5

Germany 6

AND

If you're dying for more check out these too.

More here.

I should blog more often....leave a comment to encourage me! :D

Hello everyone! We arrived home yesterday and are excited to be back! We made some wonderful friends in Germany, who we will be missing, and saw some wonderful places which we wouldn't mind seeing again, but for now I'm enjoying catching up with my family and working on getting pictures up for you all to see. I have 216 pictures uploading as I write this. And, that's just one set. :)

Good morning from Germany!

I don't know how many of you will be pleased to noticed I'm only posting a few pictures this time around. The computer situation is such that it takes a while to do anything. But, I do have a few.

In any case, we're having a wonderful time! We have been staying with families and enjoying it. The little kids are adorable, but of course none speak enough English for a conversation. We are learning GERMAN. lol

The frustration for me is not knowing German. It's like everyone is speaking code and laughing at an inside jokes. Of course, there are lot and lots of people who speak English which has been a huge blessing. : D Bonnie is picking up grammar, vocabulary and phrases like crazy...which is good. My brain isn't as fast as hers.....I think it might take me a couple years to learn at my turtle pace. : )



Mom and us before the train ride in the US.



Over the ocean and through the towns of Germany we flew.


A church steeple.



The cutest little girl.....

On a walk in Bonn. It started snowing shortly after this picture.



Well, that's all for now....

Hello everyone!! I pretty much have been neglecting this poor blog. Funny, once I get it all fixed up the way I like it, -poof- no more blogging. : P Anyway, I hope to revive it for my trip to Germany! Bonnie and I have an opportunity to visit Germany this month and next, for 16 days. I’m really excited. : )

Another bit of exciting news is my new camera! I’m thrilled to have a DSLR. For anyone who keeps up with cameras, it’s a Nikon d90. It’s going to wonderful to take it to Germany. I blogged a few pictures at the family blog. Here’s one of me and the camera. Should I name it?



Anyway, leave a comment or two to encourage me to post again before I leave on Tuesday for the east over the ocean. :) My computer is in the shop, which doesn’t help with getting posts started and finished, but I can try. :)

I need to blog.

HOME!! Now for the unpacking and cleaning. :)

Greetings from cool North Carolina! The wifi on my laptop has broken which is why we've had this silence between post. Sorry about that! Hopefully I'll be able to borrow one and get some photos up from our time in Texas and Alabama.

The reason I'm borrowing Matthew's laptop this morning is to tell you all we visited Joy FM this morning! Our interview with Daniel, Melody, Candi, on Morning JoyRide, will start to air tomorrow morning around 7:00am through 8:30am. We did two live songs for them which will also be aired. Check out their website and listen to the live stream or tune, in if you live in the central eastern United States, which would include, Virgina, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

My fingers are cold and I'm in a WalMart parking lot some place in Mississippi along route 20 (I'm assuming). Yay! We crossed the mighty Mississippi River this evening at sun set. Beeautiful. : )

We’re staying at a exotic animal ranch out here near Paris, Texas this week…one of our jobs was to clean down the nurses station with the pressure washer. We got tired eventually and got to sit and relax with the barn kitties.



Shoelace chew.
Picture courtesy of Bonnie. : )

The weather has been really nice these last few days, getting into the 80’s during the day. And, no rain for the last few days either so we’ve been able to get out and get work done. I’m really t…-slaps herself awake- tired now. :D Singing is a much easier profession and ranching in some respects!

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Romans 11:33-36 NIV

I should reprimanded for not blogging sooner. I'm very very, very, (one more) VERY sorry I've been such a poor blogger.

-sigh-

I've been updating the family blog, a little more, since that is taking priority right now. We're on the road...enjoying meeting and seeing so many people.

I got to meet my on-line buddy, Hannah, in real life last week.



<3

I'm sorry so much time has slipped in between posts. :( I have a big long photo post about our Maine trip coming up soon on our family blog. Since I'm still resizing photos, and having even started on the text I would like to direct you over to this fine print site. Pretty neat, huh? :-)

Something had to die....



....for this flower to be there.

Bonnie Jean, my lovely talented sister.

We're on a road trip and we visited the Darts. I thought my quilting friends might enjoy seeing these. Thanks, Rebecca for showing us your workmanship!


(handquilted)



(Rebecca seated on left)



It's reversable!



We have a concert in about 50 minutes so I'd better get working on posting our family blog and then off to get ready for the concert. God bless you all!

Please take a moment to pray for BonnieJean Wiebe, Homeschooling mom of 6, today, who is fighting bone cancer. I've posted her prayer group at facebook on the left.

I’m so excited about the new look for my blog. Thanks to Hannah who told me about this cool site. The only downside is my photos can’t be as big as they use to be. Does that bother anyone?

Since I’m all inspired to blog again….(it’s amazing what a little cosmetic work will do to inspire)…here’s a pic from Maine of clover in the sunset light.



And, can it be August already? I’m feeling the slight undertones of fall. It seems the mild weather doesn’t last long enough in New England!



….. I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:1-3 NIV

This is my 333rd post. Not like that is very important but I thought I'd mention it. :)

Here's a picture from New Hampshire. I'm pretty excited about getting a picture with a bee in it. Those things are fast and my camera is so slow so....enjoy!

Sorry everyone for my poor blogging record this month!! Wow. The month is almost over, too. Here is a link to something you all should watch: Chuck Baldwin

In other news the guys are doing the roof over this week. Yippie! It's so cool to have strong brothers. Maybe they will let me help them sometime.

We're are back from our two very busy weekends in a row. I'm looking forward to some down time to finish the graphics and cd work and then blueberry picking and other summer activities. The weather is kinda hot but georgous!

In closing here is a picture of my cousins, who we saw this week, all the way from Florida and my sisters.



Have a great last two days of July, y'all!

So his "...constitutional rights were infringed".....

I think not.

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-8 NIV

Happy 4th of July everyone!

I was relaxing this fine evening reading a magazine mom brought home from the recycle bin at the dump. Yes. We're pickers. : ) And so I'm sitting here relaxing...and I come across an article with this link sporting "You can really rent everything on-line" So, who wants to rent a husband for the weekend? : P I haven't even gotten to the article I wanted to read yet since I thought it was too good to pass up blogging about.

Oh....I don't know exactly what to say, but I do know that God is good! It's so nice how God looks out for us and saves us from stupid mistakes. Sometimes of course I think God lets me make mistakes to learn..... : ) Anyway...

Here's a pic of us three ladies. Hannah got out of being in this picture because we wanted to see how our outfits matched. : P



And last week we got to hold cute little chicken chicks. Adorable! Sooo we want to go back to the farm and get a chick of our own again. :D



That's all for now folks. :D

One more rose pic for you this morning. It had just rained so the water is totally natural! I still haven't caught them in early moring sunlight, which I would still like to do...



Oh and what are roses without thorns?

June roses....






I'm so so dead tired right now (outdoor work will do that to you) so I'm not coming up with anything creative to say tonight. Except, I'm hoping to get some better shots of the roses tomorrow morning when the light is better. : )

Have a beautiful weekend, y'all!

We’re heading out in a few minutes to set up to sing, but I wanted to leave a post before I left. Too much silence from a blogger and people stop checking to see if there is an update. ; )

The Lord blessed us with a few wonderful answers to prayer this week. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to blog about that on the family blog soon. But, even the smaller prayers the Lord hears! Like mine and Hannah's new pet rabbit…which we’ve been waiting for!

Meet Timothy, our mixed lop rabbit. :D







Vincent’s little bunnies are too cute with their ears, tails and noses turning grey. : )



I hope you all are having a wonderful blessed weekend!

It twas a beautiful afternoon for a hike.







He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV

Spring!





Bunny rabbits and flowers. All we need now are some warm days. ; )

51 years ago today my dad was born!







Happy Birthday, Dad. I love you.

My friend Hannah, who plays harmonica, showed me this cool harmonica video.



Neat, eh? Thanks for the tip Hannah. :)

OK. Now that I’ve done the family blog….hehe. Sunday night we had a lovely surprise of the Plourds showing up!!! I was so excited to see Sarah again. :D Thank you soooo much for coming!



Sisters in the Lord. <3