Remembering Our Veterans....

Today is Veteran's Day, a day that is set

aside to remember America's military heroes.

A day for us to remember that freedom is not free,

and for us to honor our country's brave veterans.

May we never forget the cost of freedom and

the countless men who have given their

lives to protect us and our freedoms.

Happy Veteran's Day!!

~ picture taken from Google images ~

I've Been Awarded!

Yes, Maggie has awarded me with the Favorite Blog Award! Thank you so much, Maggie!! :) Here are the rules:

1. Do a post about the person who awarded you, and their blog.

2. Give the award to 5 of your favorite blogs, give a reason, and leave a comment telling them they have been awarded.

3. Answer the 10 random questions.

4. Have Fun!


For the first part: Maggie has a great blog, where she writes about her life, and she also does some really neat interviews with other bloggers. :)

Here's who I'm going to give this award to:

1. Antoinette @ Practical Simplicity. I first came across Antoinette's blog when I did the Feelin' Feminine Challenge about a month ago, and I have really enjoyed visiting her since then!

2. Taylor @ Proverbs 31... in Training! Taylor, who is my penpal and good friend, has a very encouraging blog, and her posts always bring God so much glory!

3. Nicole @ Psalm 27:14. Nicole is also one of my very good friends. Her blog has been a great encouragement to me!

4. Melinda @ Daughter of the King. I really enjoy Melinda's blog. She posts about some great movies! :)

5. Haley @ Haley's Happenings. Haley uses her blog to write about everyday life, and I always enjoy her posts. I also award her, because she's my sister! lol! :D

6. Hannah @ Farmgirl in Flipflops Photography. Hannah has some gorgeous pictures on her blog, and I always enjoy looking at her photography!

7. Sarah @ Sarah Elizabeth Photography. Sarah (who is Hannah's sister :) also has some amazing photos on her blog!

8. Hannah Paige @ Trusting In His Love. Hannah Paige has a delightful blog where she shares about her life, and she has some fun giveaways. She is also my newest penpal. :)

I know I awarded more than 5 people, but there are so many great blogs I enjoy! If you weren't awarded, I'm sure you will be soon, because this award seems to be spreading quickly. :)

Now... for the second part of this award/tag:

1. Have you ever ridden an elephant? Nope, but I think it would be fun!


2. Have you ever eaten squid? Yes, I tried it once, and it was very.... well, interesting. It had a funny texture and taste, and let's just say that I probably won't be trying it again! ;)


3. What is something crazy you have done with your best friend? Ummm.... I don't know. I would have to think about that one!


4. Have you ever held an alligator? No, and I don't really care to either!


5. Have you ever let a snake slither through your fingers? No, and I wouldn't want to do this either.


6. What is your first and foremost dream in life? To get married, have a family, and bring God honor and glory.


7. What is your dream vacation? Hmmmm... good question. I would love to take a trip to Europe someday!


8. What is the funniest movie you have ever seen? Oh, I've seen so many funny movies, but Monsters Inc. would have to be one of the funniest. It's the only one that I can think of at the moment, at least.


9. What is your favorite song? What a hard question! "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller is one of my favorites, and I also like "Revelation Song" by Phillips, Craig, and Dean. But then I also love big band music, such as the Andrews Sisters, Glen Miller, and Desi Arnaz. Okay, that question is just way too hard!! :)


10. If you could change the world in one way, what would you do? So many things - bringing everyone to Christ, putting an end to poverty, and allowing religious freedom in other countries would be some of the top ways.


Phew.... that took a long time, but it was a lot of fun!! Thanks again for awarding me, Maggie. :)

~ God Bless,

Drawing Near to Jesus...

"... there will be three effects of nearness
to Jesus - humility, happiness, and holiness."
- Charles Spurgeon

Isn't this so true? If we are near to Jesus, our
actions and attitudes will surely show it. We will be
joyful, content, and different from people who
don't have that closeness to the Lord.

"But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
that I may declare all Your works."
- Psalm 73:28

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
- James 4:8

Have a very blessed Sunday, everyone!!

P.S. - Thank you all for praying for my dad

during his trip this past week! He arrived home

safely yesterday afternoon. Praise the Lord!! :)

~ painting by Ernest Walbourn ~

A Few of my Favorite Things...

I've seen a few other bloggers post about some of their

favorite things, and I thought that it was a neat idea!
So.... here are a few of my favorite things. :)

Reading and studying God's Word.
I especially love the Psalms!

Sewing! There is nothing like sitting at my
sewing machine and creating things! ;)

Photography... something that I also enjoy a lot.
It's so fun to take pictures of God's beautiful creation!

Blogging! I have met so many kindred spirits by
starting a blog, and it has been a real blessing to me.

Pride and Prejudice.... my favorite Jane Austen movie.

"I Love Lucy." I love this show! :)

Cookies and anything else that's sweet. ;)

And... all kinds of flowers!!

So there you have it - just a few of my favorite things. I would love to hear what some of yours are. Just comment and let me know, or do a post of your own! :)

~ Many Blessings,

~ pictures taken from Google images

More Sensational Giveaways! :)

My goodness, this really seems to be the time of year for blog giveaways! :) There are so many great ones going on right now that I thought I should let you all know about. If some of you have already seen these, I'm sorry for another post about them, but I just couldn't help posting this for anyone who hasn't!

Okay, so Rachel and Jessica are hosting this first one in honor of their one year blogiversary. They are giving away the Return of the Daughters DVD! If you haven't seen this before, I would definitely recommend it to you! It is a great DVD that all young ladies should watch! This giveaway ends on November 6th, so be sure to go and enter right away!!

Now, Miss Jen is also hosting a giveaway in honor of her one year blogiversary. She is giving away the beautiful apron and potholders pictured above! Aren't they gorgeous? If you love being in the kitchen, then go and enter Jen's giveaway by clicking here. :)



Hannah is having a neat giveaway at her blog, Trusting in His Love. She is giving away a wonderful variety of things, including an apron and a lovely vintage chalkboard. Go here or click on the button above to enter!

And now, while I'm posting this, I must tell you that the Long ladies at Marie-Madeline Studio are hosting another fun giveaway. They are giving away this gorgeous apron. Just go here to find out how to enter. :)

So.... I think that's everyone. lol! :D I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Please Pray

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to ask if you would keep my dad in your prayers over the next few days. He is going on a trip related to his new job, and he will be traveling on a plane. He leaves in the morning and should be home sometime on Saturday. Please just pray that he will have safe travels, and also that the rest of our family will be protected while he's gone. Thank you so much, dear readers!! :)

~ God Bless,

Gigi - A Lovely Musical

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of watching the

wonderful and fun musical..... Gigi.

Set in turn-of-the-20th century Paris,
this movie follows the life of Gigi, as she is
raised by two veteran Parisian courtesans to be
the mistress of wealthy young Gaston.

The delightful Leslie Caron plays Gigi...

...and this film also features Maurice Chevalier singing his

famous "Thank Heaven for Little Girls", along with

many other fun and enjoyable songs. ;)

Filled with humor and wit, this award-winning movie makes
for a wonderful musical that everyone will enjoy.

Oh, there is nothing like an old, classic movie... :)
I hope you're all having a blessed Monday, dear friends!!

~ pictures taken from Google images ~

A Fun Photography Contest

Hello everyone,

Keilah at Looking Through the Lens is hosting a really neat photography contest right now. Here's a little bit about it:

Theme: Seasons
Categories: Spring, Summer, Fall and/or Winter.

The picture can be of anything you like (portrait, landscape, still life). But it simply must say it's season.

You may enter up to one (1) picture for each category.
Pictures may be edited.
There will be one (1) winner for each category.
Winners will have their pictures posted on Looking Through
The Lens blog, and have their blog linked to.
Deadline: November 10th 2009

I'm posting my entries below:

~ Spring ~

~ Summer ~

~ Fall ~

~ Winter ~

Wait! Before you leave, there is a catch that I must tell you

about! This contest will only have winners if more than

20 people enter. So.... why are you still here? Go

find some of your favorite photos to enter! ;)

Walking in a Winter Wonderland....

.... in October!! :D Yes, this morning after I got up, my dad told me to look outside. And guess what I saw?! Yep, SNOW! We were all very surprised. Coming from a place where we rarely got snow (especially in October!) this was really exciting for us! :) So..... here are just a few pictures of our cold and snowy day:

Pretty, snow-covered trees.

Snow, snow, snow...

It's impossible to have snow and not get into a few snowball fights! :)

Our snow-covered rosebush...

A very cold seat....

.... and a very cold me!! ;)

I really like the way the snow looked on this fence!

Building some snowmen....

... they're all finished. Aren't they adorable?! :)

A very snowy sign.

I don't know about you, but this picture just reminds me of Christmas!

A beautiful snowy road...

"He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'" - Job 37:6

And that's the end of a very fun (and cold!) day. I hope you all enjoyed the pictures! :)

~ God Bless,

Livvy's 100th Post Giveaway!!

Okay, so I know you're probably all thinking,
"Two posts about giveaways in a row?" But I just had to
let you know that Livvy is having a wonderful giveaway at
her blog for her 100th post! She's giving away this pretty
bag that she made. Isn't it beautiful?! Click here to
go and enter for a chance to win it! ;)

Many blessings to all of you,

A Giveaway at Marie-Madeline Studio!

Good morning everyone,

I wanted to let you all know that the Long ladies at
marie-madeline studio are having a really fun giveaway right

now. They are giving away this gracie ruffle skirt pattern,
plus the fabric to make one! Just click here to enter.
I hope you all have a wonderful day! :)

P.S. - Be sure to check their site often, because they will

be having more giveaways and sales until the end of the year!

"He Leadeth Me"

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!

O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!

Whate’er I do, where’er I be

Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,

Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,

By waters still, over troubled sea,

Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

(Refrain)

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,

Nor ever murmur nor repine;

Content, whatever lot I see,

Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

(Refrain)

And when my task on earth is done,

When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,

E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,

Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

(Refrain)

"He leadeth me beside still waters,
He restoreth my soul."
- Psalm 23:1-3

This hymn has recently become one of my favorites. Isn't it comforting to know that the Lord will always be with us, guiding us through each step of our lives? No matter what we're going through or facing, He will always be there. What a wonderful thought!

Have a very blessed Sunday, dear readers!! :)

~ hymn by Joseph H. Gilmore
~ painting by Robert Duncan

The Next Sherwood Movie

If you're like me, you are probably very curious

about what the next Sherwood movie is going to be about.

Well, on November 15, 2009 we will find out the movie’s

title and its story line. Until then...... there are a few

clues about it! Watch the video above for the first

clue and go here for more information. :)

P.S. - Be sure to go to the bottom of my blog and turn

the playlist off before you start the video! ;)

Time for a New Look

Hello everyone,

Yes, I decided that it was time to get a new look for my blog. It's not all finished yet, but this is a good start. How do you like it so far? I'm still trying to get used to it, because I had my other background for quite awhile (at least awhile for me). :) I think I'm going to like this one a lot though, once everything is finished. I can't take credit for any of the design elements, because Laney is doing it all for me. :) Anyway, everything should be done soon. I hope you're all having a great week, dear friends!!

*Edit: Okay, it's all finished now, and I am very happy with the way everything turned out.*

One Cute Cat

The other day, I saw Sam laying on our couch, looking very sweet and agreeable. He isn't always in the best mood (lol!), but he was looking particularly cute this one morning. I simply couldn't resist grabbing my camera and doing a little photo shoot of him. How fun!! :) So I pulled out my trusty Polariod i836, and I took hundreds of pictures. lol! :D Well, after a little bit of editing, here's the finished result of my efforts:

Yes, I had to get him interested in his very
favorite toy, so he wouldn't fall asleep! :)

He was quite alert and sweet....

... and he even looked at the camera a few times. lol! :D

Getting tired of the shutterbug interrupting his day...

Playing with his toy and eyeing the annoying camera.

And then he fell asleep, tired of posing for me. :)

I'd say this photo shoot was worth it. What do you think? Do any of you have a favorite picture? ;)

Blessings,