Favorite Genre of Music Poll

You've probably all seen who the obvious winner is on the "Favorite Genre of Music Poll".

*drum roll*

Romantic!!!!!! :D (Okay, so I did vote first to get the ball rolling. :P)
We had a whopping 10 votes for Romantic. ;)


There was only 1 vote for Baroque, :( (sorry Bach...)
2 for Classical, (I understand that...sorta)
and 2 for 20th Century. (Come on you guys...ever heard the Cat and the Mouse?! Okay, so it's more fun to play than to listen to. :P)

So, while we're on the subject of Classical music, here's a super cute video. :D 

This kid is totally destined to be a conductor some day. ;)

(You have to watch to the end too! That's kind of how I get when I listen to certain classical songs. :P)

Thank you to everyone who participated! It was fun to see the results! :D 

Peniel Ranch

Last week my family went to Peniel Ranch with a few families from our church. What I love most about Peniel Ranch (besides that it's out in the middle of nowhere) is that there's not constant activity ... thus ... lots of time to spend with God. :D (I also love playing Apples to Apples for 1 1/2 hours every night. :D)

Here are a few pics from the trip...

 

They graciously gave pony rides to the children that wanted them.

     

                  Having our Bible study. :D

Lots of ping pong was played.

Watching a game of pool

Not another picture! :P

The elders practicing meowing like cats. :P (They did a very nice job!)

The VBS kids doing their ten commandments complete with motions.

Hatchet throwing

 

Playing the piano

Taking a walk...

Group pic! (I'm the one in the green shirt. :P)

We stopped at Lake Chelan for lunch at our favorite drive-in...we just had to put our feet in the water. ;)

The hill I ski on in the winter. :D (okay, so I've never actually been on that one...but I ride up the chair right next to it. :P)

I don't believe I've ever gone on this side of the mountain, but it was easier to see the chair lift in this picture. :)

It was very restful (minus Sami throwing up the first morning, a thunder storm that made us lose power and have to flush our toilets manually, and several bee stings...) and I'm sure we are all excited to go back next year!! :D

Powerful Truths in Familiar Stories

This week was Vacation Bible School at our church. The theme was a mix of western buckaroos with the
ten commandments. :)
We learned about Moses in our Bible stories and the focus was on how God uses us even when we don't see what His plans are at the moment or we don't feel adequate to do them. We studied how Moses was saved at birth by the Egyptian princess, how he killed an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew, how he was found out and then ran away, how he defended the shepherdesses at the well and ended up getting a wife, how he was told by God through the burning bush to go lead his people out of Egypt, how he argued with God that he wasn't good enough, how God showed him that he could do it with God's help, how God showed His power through the ten plagues, how Moses eventually led the people out of Egypt, how the people complained and where given manna (what is it?) and quail and water, etc....

What a life! I've been reminded of so much through this oh-so-familiar story. At a time in my life when there are so many big decisions and so many unknowns, it's comforting to be reminded that God has a plan for me and can even work through my mistakes! We were reminded of the Proverb that says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5,6 NIV) 

I was also reminded of the following passages:

 Matthew 11: 28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Philippians 4:6,7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Sometimes it's good to hear these familiar stories afresh so we can be reminded of the wonderful points God wants us to get out of them.

Angel's Rest

So my brother and I were given the opportunity to go on a hike with some of his college friends. It was a beautiful day for it! We got to see, once again, God's glorious handiwork and an amazing view of the world.
I didn't take very many pics, but here are a few...

Sami in the driveway before we left the house. ;)

I just thought this looked cool :P

On the road!! (I was "just" direction lady ;)

Here's a rock piling that we stopped at to rest a bit. (A very little bit.) Some of those rocks were kinda loose too!

Looking down (the last pic was looking up the hill of rocks).

The view of the Columbia and WA from almost the top. (This hike was just barely into OR.)

Another view pic...

The crew that we went with.

Being crazy...I mean...normal. ;) (It's true! :P)

No, that kid's foot is not balancing on the rock behind him...it just looks that way.

Me, Blake, and Caleb...

On the drive home (some of you may recognize what's across the water ;) there was a beautiful sunset! The picture doesn't even come close to capturing the beauty of it! I love it when Jesus sends me gorgeous views like that!! :D

Graduation Day

 Announcing the Graduation of...

Saturday was my graduation day! Here are a few pictures taken of the day. Sorry they're not very good quality. Hopefully they are sufficient to give you a little taste of the day. :D

 Each graduate had a portion of a table to decorate with their favorite things and their favorite snacks. 

I had pretzels and hershey kisses. :) I had my first stuffed animal (affectionately called "lamby"), my shirt that says "I got my first hug at St. Joseph's Hospital, and my binky (which I'm not sure I ever used). A yellow hummer (which is also significant because my brother and I used to play with hotwheel cars a lot), a penguin, my Bible, a pic, books, a piano (with a girl on top with long brown hair, a purple dress, and a beret...and she's Playmobil which, as some of you know, has a LOT of significance. ;)  On the other side of the table I had some heavily marked up music books cause I thought they looked cool. ;P Underneath all that was my baby blanket that I was brought home from the hospital in and a few sheets of the craziest looking pages of music I could find by Prokofiev. ;)

A view of the table and two of the graduates. (The two closest to the camera)

 Making odd faces before hand...

 My lovely sister...I believe she took most of these pics. 

 Mom and Dad discussing something before the ceremony. No idea what Sam's doing. :P

 The handsome sound man (a.k.a. my brother. :D)

 My littlest sister. She was so excited to say something up front. She kept it a secret all week! 

btw...it was "I love you!" and she did a fantastic job of speaking into the mic confidently. ;)

 My adorable cousin, Reed came to see me graduate. :)

 Another graduate getting ready to play the prelude. 

 Three grads playing prelude. I played the piano for them but as usual no one thought to get a picture of the piano player. :P It's okay. I'm getting used to it. ;)

Stephen Williams getting his diploma

 Elena Forman getting her diploma 

 (UGH! These pics are so blurry...sorry about that...) 

I don't know if you can tell her expression, but this young lady didn't seem to agree with everything being said. She has quite the expression. ;)

 Jill Hoffsommer getting spoken to by her family

 Grayson Krause getting addressed

Graduates getting addressed by Mr. Campbell. He did a great job!!

 Group pic afterwards...I'm the short one. :P lol
From left to right: Stephen, Grayson, Jill, Me, Elena, Margaret

 I said, "We better look like we like each other." and Jill threw her arms around us, so we all joined in. Well...almost all. ;)

 Grace serving punch in the kitchen afterward. (and of course...talking)

This is the next morning. The church presents every graduate with a Bible during the morning service. 

 I have no idea why I'm making such a dorky face. :P I was probably talking inside my mouth or something random. :P

 I got a tassel! :)

A few verses that were shared with me in my cards were:

Psalm 16:8-11
I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is god;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Psalm 62:5-8
My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shll run and not be waery,
They shall walk and not faint.

Colossians 1:9-12
For this reason we also, since the day we heard about it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
that you may walk worthy of the Lord fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

 Some of the gifts I got!! :)

 Lavender soap

 An old-fashioned metronome!!!!!!! :D

I got a photo book for peoples to sign. :)

Lots of signatures. :D