Still Here!

My goodness.  I can't believe it's already been three weeks since my last post!  I'm so sorry for leaving you all without notice like that. As you probably guessed, blogging just hasn't been on my list of priorities these past couple of months... :-)

  First off, I thought I would let you all know that my dad is doing much better this year than he was this time last year. Praise the Lord! He's now had a total of four Tysabri treatments (once every four weeks) and each time he seems to do a little better. He hasn't had an exacerbation since the beginning of last November, which is a HUGE blessing from the Lord. His main trouble right now would probably be with his memory/his ability to remember things when he needs to. As far as motor skills go, he is doing extremely well. Sometimes I forget just how far he's come in the last few months. To think about how differently things were last summer-fall honestly gives me the chills. I could never thank God enough for faithfully sustaining my Daddy and my family during that time. :)

Psalm 145

"I will exalt you, my God the King;

I will praise your name for ever and ever.

Every day I will praise you

and extol your name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;

his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation commends your works to another;

they tell of your mighty acts.

They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

They tell of the power of your awesome works—

and I will proclaim your great deeds.

They celebrate your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

The LORD is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

All your works praise you, LORD;

your faithful people extol you.

They tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might, so that all

people may know of your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures through

all generations.

The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises

and faithful in all he does.

The LORD upholds all who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways

and faithful in all he does.

The LORD is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.

Let every creature praise his holy name

for ever and ever."



Laughing w/ Dad and being silly on my 18th birthday. :)

Oh-so-very-thankful.

This Christmas Eve...

My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

 His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.

Luke 1:46:55

I find myself feeling the same way I imagine Mary felt when she first spoke these words.  In many ways this passage says exactly what I'd like to say as the year comes to an end and we celebrate the birth of our Savior!  God has been so good to my family, and I'm so thankful for his constant protection and provision.  Only He knows exactly what each year will bring, and this one has had its fill of surprises for sure. ;-)  Needless to say, He is faithful and has sustained us through it all. 

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Blessed be the Lord, God of heaven and earth, who has done great things for me!

Holy is his name.

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What's in a Name? ;-)

For the purpose of remaining (somewhat) anonymous on my blog, I've always been careful to share little personal information about my family--including the real names of my three sisters.  In the past I've referred to each of them by number (Sis #1, Sis #2, Sis #3... you get the idea!)  Needless to say, I figured it was time I come up with something a little better than that.  So, while the new Blogger names I'm giving them are not their true identities, they will have to do. ;) 

***********************

Introducing

Without further ado

Shelly

currently 16 years old

{previously known as Sister #1}

Eliza

currently 13 years old

{previously known as Sister #2}

&

Samantha

currently 11 years old

{previously known as Sister #3}

********************************

Photo Credits

Yours truly - taken by Eliza

Shelly - taken by Mom

Eliza - taken by Yours Truly

Samantha - taken by Yours Truly

*********************************

There.

It's officially official. ;-)

Have a wonderful Friday, everyone!

♥

*Jumping for Joy* -- Aspire Photo Challenge

When I saw that this week's theme for  

Hannah's photo challenge was

*Joy*

I couldn't resist entering this picture!

To me, this photo describes Sister #1 perfectly.

Fun,

Energetic,

Outgoing . . .

And always

jumping

for

joy!

Be joyful always...

1 Thessalonians 5:16

and have a blessed weekend, everyone! :)

Meet Our Newest Additions:

We recently got three goats, and of course I have plenty of photos to share. :)

This is Sis #1's goat.

Her name is Lilly...

And as you can see, she enjoys eating trees. =)


This is Sis #3's goat.
Her name is Rosey...





As you can see, she likes eating trees too. =)

This is Sis #2's goat.
Her name is Baley...

And as you can see, she likes eating weeds. =D

These goats are so precious!

...And they're friendly too.

Sooo... we now have a total of 5 "pet" farm animals: Molly (one of our cows), Darcy (my cow), Lilly, Rosey, & Baley! And yes, their names intentionally all rhyme with each other. And yes, they intentionally all consist of 5 letters each. You know how girls are... ;) I hope you enjoyed the pictures. Have a blessed week!

"...There the wild goats will leap about..."

Isaiah 13:21

Time For Some Catching Up!

Oh, wow...

Has it really been OVER a week since my last post?!? I guess it has! Sorry about that. :) I thought I would spend this post catching up on everything that's been going on.

.............................................

Last week... a friend of mine {her name is Emma} came to visit. She lives over an hour away (where we used to live) so she stayed with us the entire week. Every summer we make plans to see each other, and since she already has her license (*chuckle* --still working on mine!) this year it was her turn to come see me! ;) There are at least 4 things we typically do every summer.

#1 - Play cards. California Speed & Nertz are our all-time favorites. ;)

#2 - Go swimming. (In some form or fashion.) In the past we've gone to water parks and even jumped off docks into the lake, but this year we had to settle for something a little less extravagant: the pool in my backyard. :D

#3 - Go to the movie theater. In 2007 we saw Fantastic Four 2. I don't remember what we saw in 2008, but last year we saw Race to Witch Mountain and this year we saw the new movie Inception. (It was pretty good. Except for some unnecessary profanity. Argh!)

And last but not least...

#4 - Make cupcakes!! :D

Emma loved wearing my *fabulous* cupcake apron...

which fit in just perfectly for the occasion! ;)

These are our colorful creations... :)

Anyway, we had a really nice time together. Maybe next summer *I* can drive up to her house for a visit. ;D

..................................................

Now onto this week...

Monday I went with my parents to several different appointments for my Dad. In between appts. we made a stop at a nearby Bass Pro Shops store. Mom agreed to take Dad there as long as he would comply to using his wheelchair once inside. Of course, he did. ;) I ended up buying him a new Bass Pro cap, and I even got one for myself. :D

Tuesday there were no appts. scheduled, so Mom decided to use that opportunity to take Sisters #2 and #3 to see a movie with Dad.

They saw Despicable Me.

And of course, my sisters loved it! :)

Wednesday I had to go with my parents to Dad's speech and physical therapy at the rehab center, because I had an appointment with my orthodontist afterwards... Ah, the dreaded dentist.

(Not my picture)

I haven't mentioned this on my blog before, but I finally got braces put on last May. I missed my June and July appointments, but Mom was finally able to call and reschedule. ...I forgot how much I appreciate being able to eat and chew food without any pain! lol Now my mouth is very sore, but it should be feeling better in a couple of days. :)

................................................

Today I stayed home with my little sisters while Sis #1 went with Mom and Dad for more speech and physical therapy at the rehab. Dad is still doing well. His trouble with being able to find the right words when speaking is still a bit of an issue, but he doesn't seem to have a problem with being confused anymore. Praise God! Please keep praying for us as we are about to make a decision on what method of treatment we need to use. We only want to be obedient to the Lord's will and whatever He has planned for Dad--whether that be a certain diet, MS drug, etc. Either way, we know that ultimately his healing will be from the Lord. :)
Alrighty! I think that about sums up these past two weeks for me. I thought I would end this post with a Bible verse of praise to the Lord...

"The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory... Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD."
Psalm 102:15, 18

Praise the Lord! :)

I hope you all have been enjoying a lovely week. God bless!

Birthday Blessings . . .

...

Today is Sister #2's thirteenth birthday! My goodness... I cannot believe how quickly the years have gone by. I remember the days of climbing trees, playing in the water hose, dressing up, "spying" on Dad while he would mow the lawn, taking trips to the park, jumping on the trampoline, doing flips all over the couch... along with all the other fun things we did when we were girls--as if it were only yesterday! Where has the time gone?

...

............................................

I'm so thankful for all the memories we've made together,

and I'm even more thankful that you are my sister.

I love you very much, Sis! And I hope you have a

wonderful 13th birthday. You truly do deserve it. :)

"The blessing of the Lord be upon you."

.................. Psalm 129:8 .................

A Very Happy Fourth of July...

...

Last night my grandparents took my sisters and I to

see the fireworks show in town. It was really neat!

...

...

I decided ahead of time to take my camera along and give its

"fireworks" setting a try. ;) I was so surprised at how well the

pictures turned out! I took a whole bunch of photos, but the

two above are my most favorites. :)

...

Anyway, the best news is that I got to visit my Mom & Dad at the hospital today, and I had such a nice time! (It definitely made for a very happy fourth of July. ;) I was really glad to see Dad happy and talking better, and I noticed a big difference in his ability to understand things and speak with words that made sense. We're hoping he can come home soon, but he may need to have a plasmapheresis treatment (which will help take the swelling in his brain back down) before he can leave the hospital. If so, it will be at least another 10 days before they can leave. Either way, we know He's in the Lord's care and God is in control of just how long he's stays. :)

Well, I hope you all have been enjoying a very blessed Fourth of July.... I know I have! =)

Remember to be thankful for the freedom we share in our country, and to pray for those who continue fighting for that freedom. But more importantly, let's praise God for the freedom we share in Jesus Christ!

"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."

Romans 8:20, 21

Praise the Lord all the earth!

Happy Birthday, to My Best Friend :)

I couldn't let the day pass without wishing my dear Mommy a happy, happy birthday! She is such a special person to me and she truly is my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without her! :)

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Thank you, Mommy, for all that you do.

You do such a wonderful job at taking care of us girls,

and Daddy too.

I am so grateful to have a loving, godly mother like you.

I love you so very much.

Happy Birthday!

~Love you, Taylor

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My Mom at a birthday party when she was a little girl.

(Pictured front right, with the black socks!)

"This is the day that the Lord has made;

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Psalm 118:24

Yummy *Looking* Apple Pie

Doesn't that look DELICIOUS?!

Well, it really wasn't that great. Lol!

(Hence the "Yummy *Looking*" title! :D)

The other day we found this recipe for apple pie in our therapy handbook of approved foods we can eat, and decided to give it a try. Well... let's just say we were a little disappointed. I made the crust (it didn't really turn out quite like it should've!) and Sister #1 made the filling. The crust ended up being hard as a rock once the pie was finished (we forgot to cover it in foil) and it just wasn't the same as the good ole' apple pie we were hoping for. I thought I would go ahead and share the recipe anyway, though, in case you happen to be interested. ;) (Of course, we used all of our organic ingredients. :)

Apple Streusel Pie

aka: Yummy-Looking Apple Pie ;D

1- 9" Pie Crust (See below)

12 med. Green Apples, sliced thin

1/3 cup crude Brown Sugar or 1/4 cup honey

2 tsp. Cornstarch or Oat Flour

2-3 tsp. Lemon or Orange Juice

1/2 cup Dried Currants or chopped Dates

pinch Coriander, Mace, Allspice

Combine dry ingredients. Coat apples. Drizzle on honey (if used) and juice. Fill pie crust. Sprinkle on topping. Bake at 300-325 F for 1 hr 15 min or until apples are tender.

Crumb topping:

2/3 cup Oat Flour

3 tsp. Crude Brown Sugar

pinch Allspice

1/3 cup Honey or Maple Syrup

Raised Crust:

1 Cup Oat Flour

1/2 Cup Potato Flour

(or use more oat flour)

1 Cup Triticale or Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. Honey or Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Warm Water

1 tsp. Baker's Yeast

Sprinkle yeast into warm water mixed with honey. When frothy add flour and mix well. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Knead on floured board for 5 min. Let rest for 10 min., roll out on floured board. Place in pie plate that has been thoroughly coated on the bottom with rolled oat flakes. Flute edge. Let rise for 15 min. Bake at 375 F for 20-25 min.

Now, dare I say...

Enjoy!?

Just kidding! :) It really wasn't too bad... considering it was the first time my sister and I ever made a pie. ;D

I'm sure it would've received an A+ for presentation. =) Ha Ha!

~ Have a blessed evening, everybody!

"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough."

Galatians 5:9

Picture taken by: Me :)

Some Fun with Family...

Hi everyone! I hope you all have been enjoying your week. I know I have. :)

Last Friday my mom's brother and some of his family came down to visit and we had a really great time while they were here! This morning we all got up bright and early (6:30am) and said our "good-byes" and "I-love-you's" and then watched as they drove away. :( It's always sad when it's time to say goodbye, but we were so glad that we got to visit with them! (The last time we saw them was in 2007.) The only regret, though, is that two of my cousins weren't able to be here this time because they are both working and one of them is a sophomore in college now... My, how time flies!

Anyway, I thought I might share a few pictures that I took while they were visiting... :)

Here's an interesting shot I got of my Mom while she

was preparing dinner for all the family last night. :)

.

(I was really doing a test shot with my camera sitting on

its stand on the table, because we wanted to get a group picture

with everyone later on. It ended up turning out really great! ;)

Now here's Sis #1 and our cousin again.

(Yes... they're using a broken desk chair as their "table"! lol)

The three of us stayed up until about 2:00 each night

playing card games and watching movies. We had

a whole lot of fun together!

Here's my uncle fishing in our pond. :)



(Yes, they're playing ping-pong on our dining room table! :D)


And here they are jumping into our swimming pool
with Sisters #2 and #3...

Can you believe that they actually went swimming in April?!

The water was FREEZING cold and the pool wasn't as

clean as it should've been, but that sure didn't stop them!

They had a blast anyway. :)

(I love how the trees are all turning green again! It looks

so much nicer that way. :)

And here is Ty. :)

He was SO happy to have a boy that would play with

him while they were here. He just loves running around

outside and none of us will ever do it with him!

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Well... I hope you enjoyed the pictures! I wanted to give y'all a quick "sneak-peak" from our lovely week and weekend. :) We really did have a wonderful time with our family and I'm so glad they came. We have LOTS of fun memories of when all of us cousins were younger, and now that we're all getting older I'm cherishing the times we have together more and more. Hopefully it won't be too long before we see each other again, though! ;)

Have a blessed rest-of-the-week, everyone!

This is Sis #1 and our cousin playing "War"!

Ah, Spring is in the Air!

And I have pictures to prove it. ;D

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~~~~~

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I'm so thankful for this lovely spring weather. It helps to make my days so much more enjoyable! :) Don't you just love it? ...I hope you're all enjoying it as well!! ~ Have a blessed Friday, everyone!


All photos taken by: Me. :)

All Ready for Spring! :)

We've been having such lovely weather these past couple of days... Sunny, cool, and not a cloud in the sky! I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to spring! It's one of my most favorite seasons. I love having all the windows open in the house and feeling the nice, gentle breeze come through. It makes me want to curl up on the couch with a good book! And that's exactly what I've been doing this week. :) Wednesday we took a trip to the library--one of my favorite places. We hadn't been in a really long time so I was looking forward to finding a good read. I didn't actually have any particulars in mind, so I just headed over to the Christian section and started searching. I found three books that looked interesting and checked them out. I've only read one of them so far, and I really like it. The book is a sweet story set in the late 1800's. (It reminds me a lot of the "Love Comes Softly" series.)

Yesterday was a lovely day as well. I got to spend the afternoon out with my mom and we had a really nice time together. :) I even did a little bit of shopping! It's always hard for me to spend my money because everything is just so expensive these days. But I found a few items I liked at some really reasonable prices... and, well, I bought them! :D

Here's what I got...

A long, colorful dress with a cute pair of brown shoes to match. ;)

When I got home I found a nice top to fit underneath the dress... it matched perfectly!

(The book pictured is what I'm reading right now. :)

I also got a couple more pairs of shoes...

If you haven't noticed yet, these are my favorite kind of

shoes to buy--they're cute, comfy, and affordable... at only $15 each. :)

Anyway... Yesterday and today we've been doing some serious cleaning in preparation for starting the full diet/therapy we're on next Monday. We had to get a water distiller for our sinks and the only place for it to go was in the utility room. Therefore, we had to move our coats and boots out of there and into our newly cleaned-out pantry! Since we can't eat any pre-packaged or processed foods we had to get rid of a lot of stuff, which actually worked out nicely. Now, we are only using three shelves on the left side of the pantry for food and the right side is where all of our coats and jackets are now hanging--with the boots sitting underneath! ...I guess you could say we've been doing some "spring cleaning"! ;D

I just thought I'd share a bit of what's been going on this week.

...It looks like spring is just around the corner...

and when it gets here, I'll be ready! :)

(This is the gorgeous sunset we had last night.)

~ Have a blessed Friday, everyone!