Esther is Cute!

She said, "Oh, am I cute?"  Then I took a picture and she said, "Oh, can I see it?  Oh, so cute!  I'm riding a bike!"

I just can't get enough.

Easter (continued from yesterday's post)

I just love grandma's house.  In the middle of nowhere, though not far from the nearest town with a gas station.  Perfect.

It actually gets dark.  Quiet.

And it's beautiful.  I just love giong outside.  You think you're alone.  Then you take a listen.  You're not.  I hear the sound of a white-throated sparrow call resound through the timber.  I will never tire of that sound.

The trees all look like they're dead.  But they're not.  One morning you'll wake up, and it's like God just nudged them and whispered, "Okay, it's time to wake up guys."  So pretty.

It doesn't really fit into the whole nature tree-hugger theme here.  I wish it was a horse, but I just love to ride the four-wheelers.  It's so fun.  My uncle cut paths all around in the tall grass in his yard.  I just love to zip through and listen to the dog panting behind me.

Easter

On Good (why do they call it 'good?'  It's horrible!  It should be called Horrible Friday.  Although what was accomplished was very 'good.'  Anyhoot.) Friday we went to Church.

On Saturday we just mingled around and did chores etc.

On Sunday morning we got up and stumbled over ourselves down the 16 stairs to see what the Easter bunny brought.  I got chocolate (!), a puzzle, more candy, and my mom is going to take me to get a new cross necklace (my old one broke :0( ).  After that there was no time to hunt eggs.  We hurried to dress and ready and grab all our stuff (this is all happening at like 7 o'clock).  We scurry out to the car and drive drive drive (vroom vroom) to Illinois.

Once we get there, we get to Church (on time!).  We sing, then the kids go downstairs to Sunday school.  I love that Church.  It's so awesome; small (SMALL, really.), and your buisness is everybody's buisness.  I especially like how we testify and we could really go on all day.  And Tommy is always saying, "Can I get an Amen on that?"  "Sing Halleliua!"  I love it.

So after Church, we run down to grandma Judy's, then up to grandma Linny's for lunch.  And the Easter bunny apparently made a stop there too.  Stuffed, we go back down to grandma Judy's for (sigh) dinner.  At her house (this time) there isn't as much food, but still awesome food.  Ham sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs  (of course).  Farm fresh!  From Lula, who has, wait for it, chickens!

For desert-PINK STUFF!  My favorite.  I could eat that stuff all day.  Really.  And there was cherry chocolate chunk cake too!  Could it get any better?

After that we went down to uncle Joe's to play and (almost) watch Ponyo.  Of course, more junk food.  And since Lent is over, we played VIDEO GAMES!  (I gave up video games for Lent.) 

Then it's back up to grandma Judy's for bed.   Slept like a rock, and I had Bubbles the dog to keep my feet warm.

More tomorrow, it's time for me to get off now.  I had so much fun!

Such a Wierd Tradition

Not Easter itself.  The eggs.

We broke out the fingernail polish this year. 

But don't even get me started on the bunny.

Last night my momma was making jokes about the bunny.  She was telling The Story, and, just joking around, she said, "...  and on the third day...  a giant rabbit came and rolled the stone away!"  We all started laughing.  "What?  It couldn't have been a little garden bunny!"

Oh, mom.

So tomorrow, it's kinda jam-packed.  We'll get up at like 6:30 and come downstairs and do the egg thing and baskets.  Get dressed, take all our stuff out to the car.  We're going to take breakfast with us. 

So when we get to our destination, a 700-person town smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, we're going to church.  Then, we go to grandma Linny's for lunch with my dad's family.  After everybody leaves and stuff, we go to grandma Judy's for dinner with my mom's family.

She's making mustard ham (don't tell Abigail that's what she puts on it)  and pink stuff!  My family has a weird idea of 'salad.'  They think salad is marshmallows and Jell-O with a few maraschino cherries with cool-whip on top.  Really.  I don't even know what's in the pink stuff.  But it's so yummy.

Then in the morning we get up and drive back and get to school, but late.  Oh well, it's not like I have perfect attendance anyway. 

And right now I am loving all the white-throated sparrow calls I can hear right outside my window.  It is making me happy.  It's really spring!

Knots!

Because frankly, I can't get enough of them.  At school I tied a hangman's knot (useful for a hitch) and Mr.  Matt said, "What's with all of these kids tying nuaces?"  My dad taught me.  Well, he tied one and showed me and then I figured out how to tie it.  Anyhoot.

This is a half-hitch.  Heh.  You use it to begin ALMOST EVERY SINGLE KNOT.

Sorry, it's kinda blurry.

This is a clove hitch.  It's made of two opposing half-hitches.

I didn't take my own picture of that one only because I didn't really have anything good to tie it to.

This is a bowline knot.  It doesn't slip, so it is known as a 'life saving knot' because of that.

This is a climbing knot (I really don't know what it's real name is), which also doesn't slip, thus is used for rock climbing.

This is a climbing knot hitched to a handle (not that you would use a handle to go rock climbing).

Note that the knot is kinda doubled over, that's because you have to thread it through it's self (does that make sense?) for it to be complete (not slip).

This is a hangman's (really the name according to my dad; I don't know if that is the real name.  I assume so because Mr.  Matt called it a nuace and that's basically the same thing.).

It has a large loop that slips so I have found it is useful to hitch onto things.
It is VERY annoying to take apart....................................................................................

This is the hangman's hitched to a handle.

And, the all important square knot.

The granny knot is like the cousin of a square knot, but whenever I try and tie it I get confused and mess up or just end up tying  a square knot.  So here is a picture I found on the Internet.

I think it looks exactly the same.

There is also this one called the bowline on a bight, but I just don't get that one....

I Hear...

I hear

It almost storming outside and

It being very windy and

The artificial wind... air conditioner and

The blaring television, would you mind turning that down, Abigail?  Goodness you'll wake Esther up and

I also hear this song going over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over in my head and I only know one verse, and

 I also keep dreaming music, not like my own music that I made/dreamed up (although that would be AWESOME), but songs like the one in my head right now, thankfully usually more than one line long and

Speaking of dreams I had a weird one.  So for the Science Fair we have these sequence numbers.  In the dream I was reading the bible out loud to my dad and I read something like, "I'm down on my knees," but in the dream I saw the number.  Hmm.

Sure, there's another way you can do it.

I'm setting the twist on the YARN I MADE.  I can't believe I know how to do that.  But really.  Hung from the pot rack weighted down by a tin pitcher. 

If you really wanna know howta make yarn, you can look here.  (I hope Mrs.  W doesn't mind me linking!)

Bento

Now long past my tummy.

Well.

Well.  I don't know what to blog about.  I really don't.  But.  I don't know.  I think I will change the look.  We'll see.  Yes.  I think I will.  Maybe.  If it will load in less than like 15 minutes.  Well.  I've been meaning to.  But it wouldn't load.  Well.

Park

Well.... Esther would say, "parkswhinsliiiiiide," (parkswingslidealltogetherreallyfastlikeit'soneword).

Anyhoot, we went to the park (swingslide).

This is the bike rack, but really?  Two suns?

They have a lilac too!

(that red thing is a pole on a trellace ;^) )

And the tulips were so pretty!!!

I think I am going to make one of the tulips my new screensaver or something.  So pretty!

You Can Tell it's Spring When.....

You get April Showers-ed

You go on walks

We get the walking sticks out

Our neighbor puts her moth balls out to 'keep the squirrels away.'

Things turn pink

Our lilac blooms!

Abe

So I randomly was facting about Abraham Lincoln (yes, I DO know 'facting' isn't a word).  The dude who sculped him at the Lincoln Memorial is the same guy who did a sculpture at the first school for the deaf or something.  So, Abe is inconspicuously signing his name in sign language.

A:

L:

See it?  I think it's awesome.

Trip

Yes, driving for like 3 1/2 to 4 hours with two babies and an 8-year-old who constantly has to pee and just drank a thing of soda.

Oh, the view!

Oh, the stress!

Poor baby.

More Lincoln Logs?!

Ah, yes.  I think I am in love with them.

And this means I get to write in a country accent again!!!

A veew fr'm th' front

Polly saes hi

Th' privy    

Polly on th' pot

An' fr'm th' top (no, Polly didn' jump off th' top, she perf'ctly fine).

I like to build things.  With Lincoln logs.

Oh, on the subject of Lincoln logs, even though this has absolutely nothing to do with that, I heard a white-throated sparrow several times today.  In the summer, they go to Canada because it is too hot here.  The mnemonic to remember how they sound is "Oh, sweet Canada Canada Canada."  They sing just before they are about to take off to oh sweet Canada, home.  I heard one when I woke up, one at recess, and one when I got home.  It was so exciting.  Now the next step, to see one.  Hmm...  a bit more difficult.  On the bright side, this means it really is spring and not still winter!

Writing

Don't ya love it when you get a letter?!  I do.  It is so nice.  It makes ya feel all warm on the inside and then you write back with a shaking hand because you are so excited.

On the writing topic, I also love to journal.  While I listen to the radio on my alarm clock and sing along... because that's what everyone doees, right???

But not diaries.  Diaries are only for emergencies when, instead of writing in it, you feel like tearing it up.  Hee.

Then blogging, that's almost like cheating.  Wait a second!

Lincoln Logs

Entrance to the privy hallwae th'engy (I mayked a hallwae th'engy so et woul'ent be so col' en th' Wintur)

From above (red ruffed es th' privy)

Dang it, tha' woul' be th' finest durn privy you all'd evah lay yer eyes upo'.  Them woul' be some high an' lucky 'hind quarters.  Shoo doggie!

An' th' door.  Nuthun too fancy schmancy, but yer know.  Migh' be a li'l' bit drafty in th' Wintur munths, but, hey!

Actu'lly, I furget to take a picshur of th' door, but heres et frem beheind.

Et even has cartput!  Liyk m' ayxent?

Shaw Nature Reserve

I went to stay in a lodge there with Girl Scouts.  It was very fun.

On the first night we went on a night hike.  We did the Halloween thing where you reach in the bag and try to figure out what it is.  There was an antler, a TURKEY FOOT, a freshwater mussel shell, and a turtle shell.  It kinda creeped me out.  Then we did the thing where you chew the Winto-Green Life Saver with your mouth open and make the funny noise.  Well, you don't really need to make the funny noise, but still.  It makes sparks inside your mouth!  but doesn't hurt (duh).

When we got back we played Bananagrams in the Gathering Hall and stuff.  I think we played to late, though because I didn't get as much sleep as I was hoping....

In the morning we had french toast for breakfast with the home made butter that we shookandshookandshookandshookandshook the night before.  It was so good!!!  Then we did a GPS finding your way course and that was very fun.  We got lost, but it was fun.  Not too lost.  But lost.  You know.  The GPS doesn't talk to you like it does in the car.  That would be funny.  "Turn   right   at   the   next   tree.   "   Hah.

Then it snowed.  Wassup wif dat?  I am so mad.  C'mon, it's officially spring, right?  Seriously?

What I find myself doing everyday to be the organized weirdo that I am

Okay, if you know me really well, like really well, you know I go CRAZY if things are messy...

1.  Label things so you know where they go.

2.  Put things back when you are not using them.

3.  Throw things away when you don't need them, they don't work, they don't make you happy or when you don't use them.

4.  Make a schedule (roughly or very prescise, but probably roughly) for yourself so that you can get everything done (mostly chores and homework in my case).

5.  MAKE THE BED.  My sister doesen't and it drives me NUTS.  It just makes you feel cleaner and you feel more ogranized every time you walk by.

6.  You don't have to do everything people ask you to do.  Not everything.

7.  Put things in their own containers so things don't run together and make a mess or get lost.

8.  Clear things off (nightstand, desk, table...) and put it away, don't just throw it in the junk drawer (junk drawer is okay somethime though, I guess it is called the  junk drawer).

9.  Use one of something first, then the next.  Like, if I use all 4 of my erasers at one time, then, well I guess maybe I am just weird.  I dunno.  Bah.

10.  Follow my 9 weird rules  (I'm sure I have more, just don't realize it...).

Ahhhh

Well.  That was spring break.  I remember it like it was two days ago.

But, it is nice to be back at school again.  Tomorrow I have an orthodontist appointment and then school.  Back to life.

But really, it was a fun spring break. 

66

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation