Read All About It!

In this post you will find a conglomeration of random topics including:

• My feelings on the first of November.
• A hospital update.
• Mustard.
• Femininity.
• Laughter. 
• And Scripture.

...All rolled into one...

...tee hee!

#1

It's officially November.

Yay!

#2

Update on Dad.
When I talked to my mom this evening she said my dad was feeling pretty good, which is a praise!  He is scheduled to have his last plasma exchange on Thursday, so we're hoping he'll get to come home sometime this weekend. :)

Also, everything is finally approved for Dad to begin his MS treatments. Once he's out of the hospital he will be able to start monthly infusions for a drug called Tysabri. We're praying that it helps to relieve him of all his exacerbations, but most of all that the Lord be glorified through it!


#3
Did You Know?
Mustard works nicely as a quick pain reliever for most burns.

Emphasis on the word "most" in that last sentence.  In a bit more severe case (such as the one pictured below) I've learned it really is quite pointless. lol!
.

(The above incident happened a few months ago. 

As I lifted a lid off a pan of boiling soup, the steam shot right out and burned my wrist!)

#4

Feelin' Feminine?

Eden is hosting this month's Feelin' Feminine Challenge, starting November 4th!



{Just click the button to find out more!}



I've loved getting to see past participant's outfits each day during the challenge, but I've never participated myself.  SoOo, I've decided I'm going to join in this Thursday!  Since I already wear skirts and dresses most of the time, this should be an easy challenge... But it will be a fun excuse to show a glimpse inside my wardrobe! ;-)

#5

Laughing Out Loud.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter..."  Psalm 126:2

Since Mom and Dad have been in the hospital, my sisters and I have slept in their bedroom together for the last few nights.  Well, before we went to sleep yesterday we all took turns praying, and then turned out the lights and lay down.  After a few minutes of complete darkness and silence... Shelly busted out laughing!  I looked over at her and said, "What are you laughing about?!"  She responded by mimicking a funny noise I had made earlier that day.  You see, Eliza and Samantha were watching a movie while Shelly and I tried to take a nap that afternoon.  As the two of us were lying in the bed, I had noticed something on my blanket that looked like a spider.  I sat up quickly and realized it was only some black string.  The room was completely quiet as I dropped back down on my pillow with an accidentally strange, high-pitched sigh of relief. 

Needless to say, that's what got her rolling with laughter at 10:00 last night.  And once she started laughing, I started laughing.  We ended up sharing the story with Eliza and Samantha.  Then all four of us were laughing and mimicking the same "funny noise" over and over. 

Okay, I guess you had to be there. ;-)

 
#6
Random Bible Verse to Close

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, LORD,
like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.
Psalm 126


...........................................
Praise the Lord all the earth!
...........................................

Time for Another Miscellany Monday!

{Click to join the fun!}

 

#1

Clouds.

Shelly took pictures of some beautiful clouds that were in the sky last night, but there's just no way these photos could do them justice!

 Isn't God's handiwork amazing?!

 

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the works of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge."

Psalm 19:1-2

#2

I Love Doodling.

Yes, it's true.

 I love doodling on sheets of paper. That being said, it's not unusual for someone to find something lying around the house with "Taylor" written all over it! 

#3

Dad's New Toy.

*wink* My dad now has his very own scooter! (Really a motorized wheelchair.) It belonged to my mom's aunt, but since she doesn't use it she gave it to our family. We need to buy a new battery before it will work, but it was so funny to see dad sitting in the seat moving the joystick around and making "vrooooom" noises! Haha! He can't wait to get that thing working. :D

#4

"Punch it Margaret!"

Ever since I was a little girl my parents have often used this phrase when driving.  Of course, my sisters and I never really understood what it meant. We just knew it was supposedly from a really old commercial.

Well...
Mom and Dad,
I found the commercial!

↓

...Tooo funny! :D

#5

En el principio creo deos los cielos y la tierra.

TRANSLATION:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1

I learned to say this yeeears ago. (And it's still pretty much the only sentence I can successfully speak in Spanish!)

#6

Skirts + Too Much Wind = Prepare for Lift Off!

Today has been TERRIBLY windy. 

On days like this I've learned through trial and error that you want to wear longer, heavier skirts when you go out.  ...Preferably something denim. ;)  Otherwise, you just might fly away!

#7

Random Bible Verse

Alrighty, time for a random Bible verse to finish...

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Ephesians 5:19-20

I pray you all have a very blessed week as you give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! ;-)

Top 5 Reasons Why I Love This Time of Year

First off, I have to say that the ultimate reason I'm in love with Fall is because of the beautiful weather!  Without the cool, crisp air that actually makes a Texan appreciate the feeling of warm sunshine... this season just wouldn't be the same. :)

Now that we've got that covered... *wink*

#1

The colors... 

I love earth tones.  From the chocolate browns, to the dark greens, to the golden yellows and deep reds -- I love 'em all! 

#2

  The books...

For some reason, this weather puts me in the mood to sit and read a good book outside... and our back porch is the perfect place to do it! ;) 

#3

The jackets...

I'm cold-natured and love a good excuse to wear cute jackets, sweaters, blazers, etc. 

Denim, suade, courdoroy, fleece -- you name it, I'll probably be wearing it. :)

#4

The coke floats?

Okay, our family doesn't typically get the chance to indulge in drinking a good coke float (or in my particular case, a Dr. Pepper float. ;)  But when we were talking the other day and realized Eliza and Samantha had NEVER drank one before, we just *had* to splurge a little bit. :) 

Hey, that was the first time we had gotten sodas in at least 4 months! 

And let me tell you... it was reeaallly gooood.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Okay,

by now you're probably wondering about my "reason number five". 

SoOo, here it is...

-------------------------------------------------------------------

#5

This month (October 23, to be exact!) marks 10 years since the day I was baptized! 

(It's really weird to think that I'm old enough to say that now. lol!  10 years ago???  

I can remember the night like it was yesterday... :)

*Praise the Lord all the earth!*

 

My First Miscellany Monday

I decided today I would join in on some "Miscellany Monday" fun... 

So, here goes!

-----------ll-----------ll-------------ll-------------ll-----------ll----------

# 1.

"Therefore love joy and peace."

Confused?  Well, I was at first. 

Quite a few weeks ago, I came across this Bible verse in Romans and could not make sense of it!  For some reason the wires in my brain must have short-circuited because this sentence just wasn't clicking.  I thought, "Where is the verb here?  This is an incomplete sentence!" 

After re-reading it a couple several times and applying some second grade grammar, I finally found it. :)

      Okay, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration... but it sure was fun! ;)       

        

# 2.

100+ lb. Mama's boy. 

...Enough said. :)

# 3.

Picture of an Orange Car. 

A friend of ours owns this really neat Porsche:

I took a picture of it awhile back, and figured now would be a good time to share! ;)

# 4.

Coke vs. Dr. Pepper

While my family doesn't drink sodas anymore, I still find myself missing the days when I 'd have a yummy Dr. Pepper (along with a king size package of Reeses)... Mmm.  The rest of my family typically preferred drinking a good ole' Coca-Cola. 

Do you drink sodas?  If so,

which do you prefer?

# 5.

I love roller coasters.

From the twisty-twirlies to the loop-the-loops,

the calm, relaxing to the giant thrillers... I love them all!

Okay, maybe there are a few exceptions. :)

(Personal footage below *wink*) 

# 6.

I dislike snakes with a passion.

But they're tolerable when they look like this. :)

# 7.

Random Bible verse...

I just prayed for a verse to share with you all and randomly opened my Bible to Isaiah chapter 12.  Since it's fairly short, I'll just type the entire passage!

In that day you will say: 

"I will praise you, O LORD.

Although you were angry with me,

your anger has turned away

and you have comforted me.

Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.

The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation."

In that day you will say:

"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;

make known among the nations what he has done,

and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;

let this be known to all the world.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,

for great is the Holy One of Israel among you." 

----------ll-----------ll----------ll----------ll------------ll----------

Well, that's a wrap!

I pray you all have a very blessed week. :)

New Blog Look... & Giveaways!

Yes, I finally did it.  After going so long with the same blog design I decided it was time for some change around here!  I'm still in the midst of tweaking a few things, but I think I've got the basic overall look.  Feel free to let me know what you think! ;)

(I think I'm going to miss her! lol)

As for the giveaways . . .

Lindsay is hosting a very special giveaway including some great fall lovelies! 

Eden is also having her own giveaway in celebration of her 1-year blogging anniversary!

Be sure to head on over and check both of these out!  You won't want to miss all the fun. ;)  Have a blessed evening!!

These Days ...

• I'm spending lots of time with my Daddy. 

I didn't realize just how much of each day I spend sitting around with my Dad, until he and my mom left for appointments all day Tuesday.  It was then that I realized after finishing my daily "tasks" that I had nothing to do.  I was so bored and couldn't figure out why it seemed like the day was dragging on.  Typically, it's the other way around and I feel like I'm trying to sqeeze in all my responsibilities and ideas for the day before its over.  So thanks for always keeping me occupied, Daddy! --Or maybe it's the other way around. ;)

• When I'm not with Dad, I'm spending time with Mom. :D

I've always enjoyed talking to my mom about everything.  We spend a lot of time together discussing our struggles, things that need to get done and how to do them, things that God has been showing us lately, or even what we're going to make for dinner that night, etc.  We really do talk about everything!  I'm so thankful for the closeness of our relationship.  It's so nice to really have a best friend you can tell everything to.  And that's exactly what she is to me! 

• I'm getting ready to start my homeschool Senior year.

                                                         ...And I can't wait to say this ↓  :D

I've been planning out my schedule and workload for the next school year, and I'm getting really excited about the prospect of graduating from "highschool".  I plan to start this year's curriculum the first week in September... That's only two weeks away! 

• I'm Driving

^ And here's the proof. :D

I've been doing quite a bit of driving around the area lately.  Whenever we need to make a grocery run or go on a few errands, I take the opportunity to add some hours to my time "behind the wheel".  I still only have my permit so one of my parents has to be sitting in the passenger seat, but I'm working on finally getting my license.  It's just a matter of time...... :)

• I'm about to complete my plan for reading through the Bible in a year...

For the second time!  I first took the challenge of reading my entire Bible through the course of a year in January of 2008.  I learned a lot through that year and was able to stick with the reading plan and finish in January of 2009.  ...A huge accomplishment for me!  For the next few months I enjoyed reading at my own pace.  Not until September did I feel the need to start following the plan again for three reasons: 

1. 
   
   Honestly, there were days when I failed to read my Bible at all because it simply didn't cross my mind.  With following the reading plan I was motivated to dig into Scripture every single day.  
2. 
   
   I remembered reading about a man who was in his 10th year of reading through the entire Bible.  Once he would finish, he would start all over again!  I decided there really wasn't a reason why I shouldn't continue reading through the whole Bible either.  Doing so would only be beneficial! :)
3. 
   
   Like I said in the beginning, I felt led to do it!

I'm excited about finishing, but of course that won't really be the end. ;)  I have so much more to gain in knowledge and depth of insight... I will continue reading until the day I die!  Or until Jesus comes back to get me.  Either one. :)

So there you have it!  That's an overall look at what I've been up to lately.  :)  I hope you enjoyed reading.  Have a blessed day everyone!

Mmm... Mmm... Good

I just love drinking hot tea!

I really prefer the regular stuff, but all that's allowed

on this therapy we've started is organic chamomile and

organic peppermint. I've gotten pretty used to it now,

though, and I think I like chamomile the best! :)

(I have to admit that my absolute FAVORITE way to

enjoy my hot tea is by adding a bit of sugar and some milk. ;)

~~~

~~~

"Praise the
LORD. I will extol the LORD
with all my heart in
the council of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the
works of the LORD; they
are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic
are his deeds, and his righteousness
endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious
and compassionate.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant
forever.
He has shown his people the power of
his works, giving them the lands of other
nations.
The works of his hands are faithful
and just; all his precepts are
trustworthy.
They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done in faithfulness and
uprightness.
He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his
name.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his
precepts have good understanding. To him
belongs eternal praise."

PSALM 111

I hope you had a blessed Monday!

Pictures taken by ~ Me

Homemade Laundry Soap

Our family has been making our own laundry soap for quite awhile now, and we really like it a lot. Supposedly, it only costs you 3 cents a load and it lasts for a long time! We usually double the recipe so that it lasts even longer. So anyway, we took pictures of the process a few times ago and I thought I'd share them with you, along with the recipe. :)

1 Bar Fels Naptha or Zote Soap

1 1/2 Cups Super Washing Soda

1 1/2 Cups Borax
12 Cups Water

These are all of the items you will need:

5 Gallon Bucket

Large pot

Grater

Measuring Cup

Grate the entire bar of soap. Pour grated soap into large pot.

Then add the water.

Add the Borax and Washing Soda. Heat on medium heat and stir until all of the soap is melted. (It takes awhile.) Remove from heat. Pour 8 cups of hot water into 5 gallon bucket. Now add soap mixture and stir. Now add 2 gallons plus 12 cups water and stir. Let the soap set for 24 hours.

And this is the finished product!

This is what we use to keep our soap in now. It's much bigger and holds a lot more! (We use the coffee cup to scoop it out! LOL!)

So there you have it! Your very own homemade laundry detergent.

I hope you have a nice weekend! God bless!

A Quick Little Notice! : )

Hi everyone!

I just realized that I forgot to post my Young Maiden's Daybook for last Monday! I was already considering changing it to once a month because it's too hard for me to get it accomplished every week. So. . . I guess this is my "official" notice saying that from now on I will plan to do them the first Monday of each month. Will that work?!?! :) Hope no one minds the change! I'd like to try posting things more often again, but I can't make any promises! Our family has just been extremely busy the past few months!

So anyway, I hope you all have a blessed evening and Fourth of July weekend! God bless!