Saturday, February 16, 2008

New Camera!!! (and some much needed "ketchup" )

It is high time for a new blog post. :-) I do have a tendency to delay posting until I end up with so much to post that it covers pages and pages. :-)

"Wellllll....." you ask, "what's new????"


*ahem*


-I got a new camera for my b-day!!!

-Dad and Connor and I went skiing (a first for Connor and me).

-I am teaching pre-ballet to adorable little girls

-I turned 17!

-We documented "Fat Tuesday" (not that Tuesday, in and of itself, is particularly "new":-))

-Connor participated in FPU's strings day

-Max and Jenny had their "groomsmen's dinner"

-I am writing a research paper on Lady Jane Grey


Well, there's everything in one breath and not in any particular order or anything.

Now I'll explain a little more with some pictures.....







These are some of the first experimental pictures that I took with my new camera.








I still have lots to learn about all the different settings that my camera has, but I am having a blast experimenting.





We all had a great time skiing. Even though it was a first for Connor and me, we enjoyed the day in the mountains thoroughly.

from the lift





the lesson ( "pizza! pizza! pizza!" )




Shaver Lake at sunrise









We basically lived off of string cheese that day.







and........well.....just make a wild guess and you'll probably be right








And now for my adorable pre-ballet students. I have loved teaching these girls. It's so much fun to hear them repeating all the French words and combinations.

"plie! echappe saute! plie! and stretch!"













It was such fun to celebrate my 17th birthday with a celeidh. (hmmm...did I spell that right? With those kinds of words there is always that possibility of needing "l-m-n-o-p" somewhere in there along with some random "z"s and "w"s. :-) I was still just learning how to use my camera that evening, so some of the pics didn't turn out that great.





Mrs. Clark had to eventually come to the stage and clap out the beat so that we didn't get off.





The sweethearts



what dancing does to Timmy



Words just aren't needed



playing with Mr. Potato head






Dancing the "Lizzy/Darcy dance" with Dad and Mr. Davis











We forgot to bake a cake.....so they sang "happy birthday" to me and gave me a quarter of a Costco muffin with a candle in it. :-)





















And then there's FAT TUESDAY.....( beginning at 8am and ending at 8pm.)

Writing class



My writing instructor



Girls ensemble


Connor's attempt at waltzing with three girls at one time. This was in the evening after community choir.




Max and Simon played a little bit after community choir


Some much needed "sister" time








Connor, Simon, and Nichole at the FPU strings day evening concert









On Friday, Max and Jenny had Max's groomsmen over (minus Jeremy because he was sick) to dinner to thank them. Sally and Kendra and I helped with some cooking, baking, and other preparations and got to join in on the delicious meal, too. We enjoyed some singing afterwards with Max at the piano, Garrett and Aaron on guitar, and Simon on his Cello.



Kisses from Auntie Sally



Jaelyn's perspective



Olivia could win a "great facial expressions" award if there was one
















And of course there's school, too. Right now I am doing a research paper on Lady Jane Grey.







"Black Monday"

February 12, 1554
Lady Jane Grey (Dudley) - Queen of England for nine days, executed for "treason", and a moving example of faith even unto death






Friday, February 8, 2008

Gratitude....

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid

But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways

And if that's the case ...
We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time

Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways

And if that's the case ...
We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view
If no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread
Oh, the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight

Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away

And if that's the case ...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need

And if You never grant us peace ...

But, Jesus, would You please ...

"Gratitude"
sung by Nichole Nordeman on her recording (Sparrow music) "Woven and Spun"



Cassie
(Kaylee's friend, Cassie,introduced us to this song at the CHEFA Fine Arts Faire. Tim helped to set up for the event early last Friday and had the privilege of hearing Cassie's rendition of the song as he set up the sound system for that night. He was so moved by it that he came home and looked up the words to share with the rest of us -- and included it in his sermon that week, too.)


We're reminded that even in the midst of our recent great, great joy there's much need - and we, along with dear friends, come hungering and thirsting after God, needing to learn those lessons of trusting Him - with gratitude.


A friend from New Zealand, Genevieve Smith (http://www.issacharian.com/), recently made us aware of one of those great needs: a family whose father / husband just suddenly died, leaving behind his wife and several children, two of them recently adopted. Please remember this family in prayer (you can visit their blog to learn more about their situation and to be encouraged by the faith of this family: http://lazydranch8.blogspot.com/)

...and the Goehring family (an earlier post... Lou Goehrig's disease)
... and the Copeland family (ranch accident, brain trauma)
... and the Udall family (Karagin's bone marrow transplant / leukemia)

"Maybe You'll provide in other ways..... But, Jesus, would you please?..."