More Photography Fun

Here are some more pictures I took using that string of Christmas lights. I think these turned out pretty cool. Comments?

Photography Fun 1

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in my room! I set-up and decorated my small Christmas tree the other day and I set up my snowman collection. In my box of Christmas stuff I found a string of colored lights and I had some fun taking some pictures using those. I was trying to be creative, but I'm not sure if I succeeded. Any feedback? Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments?My little tree is decorated with small blue and white balls, and an ever-growing collection of snowman ornaments.

This is the whole collection of ornaments. The heart ornament is hanging somewhere else.

Now for some creative pictures:

Name That Food Item!

During the dinner preparations for Thanksgiving I was having fun taking pictures using the macro setting on my camera. I thought it would be fun to post some of the pictures and see if anyone can guess what the different things are. It's probably not too hard, so try it! :-)

#1: What is it?

#2: Can you tell what it is?

#3: Any ideas?

#4: Not a vegetable, but what is it?

#5: Probably easy, I put this one on here just for Martha. :-)

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving dinner was a success once again this year. While I was terribly sad that my grandparents were unable to join us from California, it was still an enjoyable day with delicious food, conversation and fun. This year our family was joined by my dad's cousin David and his wife Martha, who live in the southern part of the state. I, of course, decided to document the entire day with pictures. So. . .I present to you: Thanksgiving at our house, 2008:

We didn't try to wake up particularly early, but we decided to get started around 7:00am. The first item on the agenda was the pumpkin pie. We have had this pumpkin pie recipe for as long as I can remember, and it is soooo good! My job was to make the filling while my mom made the crust.

Next on the agenda was the pumpkin roll cake. I assembled the cake (with the help of our KitchenAid mixer, as you can see in the picture!) while my mom beat the egg whites, then we folded it all together to make a fluffy pumpkin cake. This was baked and as soon as it came out of the oven we rolled it up in a big towel and it stayed this way in the refrigerator for over an hour. Later we unrolled it and stuffed it with a delicious whipped cream/rum extract/heath bar pieces mixture. Yummy!

The green beans and canned yams sat on the counter for most of the day, waiting to be used, and begging to have their picture taken. The green beans were used in the green bean casserole, which is a new tradition since we moved to Idaho (we used to have brussels sprouts when we lived in California) and I think it's pretty tasty! The yams were for the sweet potato casserole, which is something my mom, being raised in the south, enjoys.

Pretty soon the pumpkin cake was done in the oven and it was time to de-pan it and put it on the towel to roll up. We coated it with powdered sugar before rolling it to help it not stick to the towel. Yum!

We don't like to eat a big lunch on Thanksgiving because there is so much food to be enjoyed for dinner, so we enjoyed some appetizers provided by David and Martha. They brought mini quiches (one had a spinach mixture and the other was ham and eggs) and a fancy cheese which we spread on crackers. My dad had also purchased some herring which everyone else seemed to enjoy, but which I decided to pass on. :-)

My next task was to set the table. This is something that I love doing every year -- I think it is fun to make the table look pretty and to set out the dishes. It is especially fun when we use my mom's good china, but this year we decided to simplify things a little bit. I decided that, in order to properly document the day, it was important to take a picture of the table before and after I set it in order to show the transformation. While I was setting the table I discovered that the Purina Dog Show was on TV, so I enjoyed watching some interesting dogs parade around as I set the table. I was also on the phone at the same time, so setting the table turned into a fun little break from the kitchen -- a dog show, a pretty table, and a phone call. :-)

The one thing I realized after I took the picture of the finished table is that I forgot to put out the cornucopias! My grandmother has a set of cornucopias that we used every Thanksgiving at her house. When my grandparents were coming to visit us for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago I asked her to please bring the cornucopias, because they are something that I have a lot of memories of -- so she did, and since she left them here, we used them this year. Normally we fill them with candy corn, but this year we put nuts and chocolate-covered raisins in them. We used our moose and bear plates, so I alternated between which plate was at which place.

My mom and Martha busily made the dressing. We've used the same recipe for as long as I can remember, and I can't imagine Thanksgiving without it. It's got lots of veggies (celery, onion, watercress, parsley, and yes, even mushrooms), bread, bacon, sausage, and spices. Yum.

Before long it was time for David to carve the turkey (while Reba supervised, of course!). . .

. . .and then we all gathered in the dining room to enjoy the feast!

Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of the cranberry relish or the cranberry sauce, or the creamed corn or the mashed potatoes, or even the Idaho Potato and Cranberry Orange rolls, courtesy of my work. But. . .they were there, and they were all enjoyed.

Thanskgiving was a success, once again!

27 Days of Thanksgiving #27

I now wrap up my 27-day challenge. While I didn't post on-time each and every day, I did manage to end up with 27 posts listing things I am thankful for. Today it is time for my final post in this challenge. Yes, there are so many other things that I am thankful for. . .and I hope that the past 27 days have helped you to see what you are thankful for, as well!

27: I am thankful for everyone who has helped to shape me into who I am. I am thankful for my parents who have spent the past 21 years teaching me and raising me. I (like to think that I) have become more independent as the years have gone by, but they are always there for me, always helping me out if I need it. I'm thankful for my Awana leaders (especially Mrs. Gemellaro, my favorite Awana leader) and Sunday School teachers (especially Mrs. Harmeling, my favorite Sunday School teacher, back in 3rd & 4th grade) throughout the years who spent so much time sharing their time with me and helping me to better understand God's Word. I am thankful for the girls in my Awana group when I was a leader -- yes, even they have helped me become who I am today. I am thankful for my teachers -- some more than others, but all of them at least a little! Some of them have taught me patience, some of them have taught me that a teacher can be a great friend, and some of them were just plain awesome and have impacted me in some small way that I may not even be aware of yet! I am thankful for Laura Brandt, Sarah Mount, Sara Wilson, Raina Witt, Jenna Martin and all the other girls who led and were a part of small group discussions for the Saturday Night Bible Study that I attended when I lived in California. Each of those girls impacted me more than they will probably ever know. I am thankful for Mr. & Mrs. Stueckle, Mr. & Mrs. Helgeson and now John & Charity Cook, who have faithfully led the college group at my church. It's challenging at times, I'm sure, but it's been good for me. I'm thankful for Michelle, Sarah, Val and Kristy for being part of our weekly Girl's Group where we share what's going on in our lives and have a time of Bible Study and prayer. And I'm thankful for Andrea S. for starting the Girl's Group. Our group time has really helped me to learn and grow and I sure hope it continues for a loooong time! I'm thankful for my friends, especially Michelle, Val, Sarah, Kristy, Sherre, Mary, Katie H. and Devin. . .you guys ('scuse me. . .girls and guy) mean more to me than you will ever know, and I am oh-so-thankful for each of you, and you have all impacted my life in some way and through your friendship you have helped me to become who I am today. I'm thankful for my grandparents. They have all encouraged me as I've grown up and helped to guide me as I made decisions in life. I'm thankful for my brother. We don't always get along, but it's getting better all the time and I am thankful that we are siblings. And yes, I am thankful that we moved to Idaho. I shouldn't say this (because my parents read my blog and I am not supposed to ever admit this to them, lol). . .but anyway. . .the people I have met and the experiences that I have had are pretty great. Yes, I am thankful for the 16-years I spent growing up in California with some pretty awesome experiences, and I wish we hadn't moved at the time that we did, but I am thankful for the people and the experiences that living in Idaho has given to me. And there is so much more that has impacted my life, but to list each person and incident could take hours.

But I thought I should end this list and 27-day challenge with the most important thing of all: I am thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has changed my life more than anyone or anything else ever could.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Movie Reviews: Fireproof

Fireproof

There are some movies that fall into the "okay" category, some that fall into the "worth watching again" category, still others that fall into the "worth owning" category, and some movies are movies that "should be seen by everyone at least once." I think that Fireproof falls into the last category. All I could say, as I wiped away tears, at the end of the movie was "wow, that was a good movie." I am willing to put it pretty near the top of my list of favorite movies, and I just might buy it once it comes out on DVD.

If you saw Facing the Giants a year or so ago you might recognize some of the actors because Fireproof was, indeed, put out by the same church in Georgia that put on Facing the Giants. This time, though, instead of just using church members, they also brought in Kirk Cameron, of Left Behind fame, to play Caleb Holt, a firefighter whose marriage is failing. Caleb believes it is his wife, Catherine (played by Erin Bethea)'s fault, and she believes it is Caleb's fault.

While Catherine is working on divorce papers, Caleb's father sends him a handwritten journal of sorts entitled The Love Dare which encourages him to spend the next 40-days trying to win back his wife. Each day has a different task, which Caleb tries to do, but Catherine does not seem to care or be responding. Caleb is discouraged, but with encouragement from his dad he continues to try the love dare. How does it end? You'll have to watch the movie to find out, but let's just say that it had four girls sitting in the theater crying.

For a lower-budget production, Fireproof is excellent. The movie is almost as good of quality as most Hollywood movies nowadays, and if the small church in Georgia keeps it up, they will soon be having movies right up there with the top movies from Hollywood.

I would highly recommend Fireproof to everyone. Go see it. If you are married, see if it changes your life and marriage at all, and for the rest of us, those who want to get married someday, see if it gives you something to think about that might help your marriage someday.

Now. . .go see Fireproof -- Now!!

For a review from PluggedIn Online, click here.

Movie Reviews: Bolt

I didn't watch a whole lot of movies when I was growing up (I'm realizing this more and more every time my friends or co-workers ask if I've seen certain movies, and my answer is almost always "no." *grin*). . .but I have seen several over the past few years since we moved to Idaho. Just this past weekend I saw two movies, and I would recommend both, but one of them in particular.

Bolt
The first movie I saw this weekend was Bolt, which is a new Disney animated movie. It was done without Pixar, and it was very entertaining. I saw it with a friend and we were laughing all throughout the entire movie. John Travolta is the voice of Bolt, a dog who believes he is a super-dog, and my friend conveniently "forgot" to mention until we were seated in the theater that Miley Cyrus is the voice of Penny, Bolt's owner -- but she did a great job as that character. Bolt is the super-dog on a TV show, rescuing Penny from all sorts of danger. However, there is a catch: he doesn't realize it is a TV show, and he thinks Penny really is in grave danger. He gets out of his trailer one night and ends up in New York. The movie is basically about Bolt's journey to get back to Penny, and it is full of funny moments and some great lines. It's a great family movie, but adults would love it too. :-)

Read a review from PluggedIn Online here.

My next review deserves a post of its own, so this post is TBC (To Be Continued). . .

27 Days of Thanksgiving #26

26: I am thankful for food. Tomorrow we should be eating a big meal and thinking about it is causing me to realize that I should be so thankful for food. Some people, in lands far-far-away, don't have lots of food. They don't celebrate Thanksgiving, or have a big feast. And so, therefore, I am thankful for the food that we will enjoy tomorrow, and every day.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #25

25: I am thankful for snow. I haven't yet seen it snow this year (although my family has seen it -- it has apparently snowed-and-not-stuck whenever I am not home), but I am anticipating the first snow. I went sledding for the first time last year, and I am excited to go again this year. :-) Plus it's pretty. . .

(and yes, You-Know-Who-You-Are, I am admitting that I want it to snow! **grin**) (Now, if we have another winter like last winter, I reserve the right to retract this statement sometime in January or February!)

27 Days of Thanksgiving #24

24: I am thankful that my friend Val was able to come home for Thanksgiving and I am thankful for time spent with her. She came home on Saturday, and I have gotten to see her a couple of times already. I love my friends, and when they are away at school I miss them. . .so I am so glad Val was able to come home for the week!

27 Days of Thanksgiving #23

Continuing on, as I catch up with my list of 27 things I am thankful for. . .

23: I am thankful for memories. I have many fond memories of my childhood, and I am thankful for that. I am thankful that I was able to spend time outside creating adventures, and I was creative enough to turn my walk-in closet into a fort, and my desk into a doll house. :-) A lot of kids nowadays (and I'm sure back when I was quite young, too) spend time in front of the television and in front of the computer. . .and I'm glad that a lot of my time was not spent in either of those two places. I hope that, if I am blessed with children someday, they experience a childhood of fun, adventures and imagination, as I did.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #22

Goodness. I got dreadfully behind in this challenge. I guess I failed it. However, I am going to make up the last few days with posts. Life has gotten busy (work has been crazy!) and we have company in town, so posting on my blog hasn't really been my top priority. . .but here is #22 in my 27 Days of Thanksgiving challenge. :-)

22: I am thankful for the other seniors in the Comm program at LCSC. We are all going crazy this semester/year and we are growing very close, so I am thankful that we all get along and that we can all have some bit of fun in our classes and with our projects. :-) So. . .I'm thankful for Dorian, Desiree, Kristen, Ashley and Jason. :-)

27 Days of Thanksgiving #21

This one is going to be a quick entry because I am off to bed (I work the early shift tomorrow, which is good because I love going in and baking the sweets and having the whole bakery to myself on Saturday mornings, but it's bad because it means I have to wake up early! Anyway. . .

21: I am thankful for good books and the ability to read. I found a stack of delightful books by Janette Oke at the library the other day and I am reading through them over Thanksgiving break. . .ahh, delightful.

Grab a sappy book (or any type of book. . .Jane Austen, Ted Dekker, Janette Oke, or even J. R. R. Tolkien, if that is more your style!), and you'll see that reading is delightful. :-)

27 Days of Thanksgiving #20

20: I am thankful for music. . .be it Christian, Country or Classical. . .or a selected few songs and artists from other genres (for instance, David Archuleta, who doesn't fit under any of those categories!).

If I am driving, there is a 99% chance that there is music playing in my car. The station or CD varies, but there is almost always music in my car, and I'm usually singing along. :-) I also often listen to music while I am doing homework. Sometimes this doesn't work because it distracts me, but sometimes it does. And hey, that's what soundtracks are good for -- music without words (in most cases!).

Yes, I think it is safe to say that I am quite thankful for music. :-)

And if, after reading this, you are curious just what I might be listening to while driving, scroll down to the bottom of this page -- and the music player should start. :-)

27 Days of Thanksgiving #19

19: I am thankful for Thanksgiving break. At my school I get a week off for Thanksgiving, but I don't have classes after Wednesdays, so I am now officially on Thanksgiving break. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about the next 11 days. I have lots planned: I am going to see a movie on Friday night with a friend ("Bolt" -- it's a new Disney movie about a dog, that's about all I know), I have something really fun that I'm looking forward to on Saturday night, and, of course, I am anticipating Thanksgiving week. . .Thursday is the big feast, which my dad's cousin and his wife will be joining our family for, Friday is Black Friday, which of course means lots of shopping, and I think one of the things I am most looking forward to is the day-after-Thanksgiving parade and Holiday Lights Show where downtown Coeur d'Alene becomes a winter wonderland with thousands of Christmas lights, the entire town of Coeur d'Alene joining their voices in song while singing Silent Night by candlelight, followed by a huge fireworks show (set to music by Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra -- yes, it's bigger and better than July 4!) and just lots of fun! And then I can start listening to Christmas music full-time. . .

Of course, there is homework to be done, but it pales in comparison to the excitement I am anticipating. . .

So, long story short, I am thankful, oh so thankful, for Thanksgiving break!

27 Days of Thanksgiving #18

Oops. . .I knew I was bound to forget to post some day. I realized after I had gone to bed last night that I forgot to do my daily post!

So, without further adieu, here is the post for yesterday!

18: I am thankful for good books. I have been reading books by Janette Oke (who wrote the Love Comes Softly books -- excellent books! Read 'em!) and I am really enjoying the chance to relax and find myself part of another world through these books. I went to the library the other day (two different libraries, actually) and checked out about 4 or 5 books by Janette Oke. I have read 1 1/2 of them so far, and I am sure I will quickly read all of them over the next 11 days!!!

27 Days of Thanksgiving #17

17: After a much-dreaded trip to the dentist this morning to get several cavities filled, I decided that I definitely have something to be thankful for: anesthetics. While I absolutely hate the process of being numbed up (I hate the feeling, I hate the shots, I hate not being able to feel my tongue!), I am sure grateful that I don't have to feel the procedure taking place in my mouth. The bottom of my mouth is apparently harder to numb than the top, and at first I could feel a little bit of what was taking place (until I had about 4 shots of anesthetic!!!). . .which made me all the more thankful that they have novocaine (or whatever it is they use nowadays) and I don't have to feel much of anything when getting dental procedures done.

But I still hate going to the dentist (even though he is extremely nice)!

27 Days of Thanksgiving #16

Goodness. . .I almost forgot to post!

16: I am thankful that I only have to get through three more days of school before I am on Thanksgiving break. I am at the point in the semester when I am mentally done, so a short break will be nice and will refresh me just enough to be able to finish out the semester!

I'll Walk (Bucky Covington)

There are some songs that are awesome songs, and there are some awesome songs that are so sad. This is a song that I heard on a country radio station not long ago when I was at work. When I started actually paying attention to the song, I stopped what I was doing and just stood there, listening, and thinking that it was an awesome, sad song. Unfortunately there is no good music video for the song (yet!), but I did find the song on YouTube so you can listen, if you want to.

I'll Walk
(Bucky Covington)

We were 18, it was prom night.
We had our first big fight.
She said "Pull this car over".
I did and then I told her, "I don't know what you are crying for".
I grabbed her hand, as she reached for the door.

She said, I'll walk.
Let go of my hand.
Right now I'm hurt, and you don't understand.
So just be quiet.
And later we will talk.
Just leave, don't worry.
I'll walk.

It was a dark night, a black dress.
Driver never saw her, around the bend.
I never will forget the call, or driving to the hospital
when they told me her legs still wouldn't move.
I cried, when I walked into her room.

She said, I'll walk.
Please come and hold my hand.
Right now I'm hurt, and I don't understand.
Lets just be quiet, and later we can talk.
Please stay, don't worry.
I'll walk.

I held her hand through everything.
The weeks and months of therapy.
And I held her hand and asked her, to be my bride.
She's dreamed from a little girl, to have her daddy bring her down the isle.
So from her wheelchair, she looks up to him and smiles.

And says, I'll walk.
Please hold my hand.
I know that this will hurt, I know you understand.
Please daddy don't cry.
This is already hard.
Let's go, don't worry.
I'll walk.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #15

You know, I wondered if I would feel this way part-way through the month. . .wondering if I should have committed to posting something every day. It's sometimes hard to come up with something unique that I am thankful for, but it's been fun and I've enjoyed the challenge, not only of coming up with something, but of remembering to post every day!

15: I am thankful for my co-workers. We have a little family at the bakery -- yes, we are all *very* good friends. I am thankful for the girls (the sisters I didn't grow up with!) who keep me laughing and who can understand when I'm having a bad day, and I'm thankful for the guys, who have practically become my "brothers," who look out for us girls and help us out when we need it (somehow the dishes seem to "magically" get done in the afternoons, bags of flour, sugar, etc. show up downstairs *just* when we need it, and the "dumpster dance" (to compact the trash into the dumpster) gets done when necessary). I am so very thankful for Sherre, Jae, Kelsey, Ellie, John, Chris and Devin (gosh, I hope I didn't forget anyone's name!!).

Scott's Solo, Part 2

Here's Part 2. It's much easier to see the plane in this video -- this is where Scott is parking the plane.

Scott's Solo in Spokane

I have been intending to post the following video for awhile, and just keep forgetting whenever I am updating my blog. . .

As many of you know, my brother, Scott, is going to school to become a pilot. He recently did his first solo flight, and my parents surprised him by showing up and taking a video of his flight. . .here is the first installment. If you look very closely, you will see a small speck moving around -- that is Scott's plane.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #14

14: I am thankful for my dogs. . .they are always there when I need them and they are always so excited to see me when I come home (you'd think I'd been gone for a month rather than 8 hours, the way they carry on). And they are both so soft and sweet and downright good friends!

27 Days of Thanksgiving #13

13: I am thankful for my car. This may sound silly, but I am so thankful that I found the *perfect* car, right when I needed one. . .and I'm thankful that the heater works really well (necessary on cold November nights in North Idaho!) and it gets me where I need to go.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #12

12: I am thankful for the opportunity to get together with some of my friends this evening for our weekly Bible study. It's a chance for all of us to take a break from the stresses of life and talk, go through our study and have a bit of fun.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #11

11: I am thankful for good friends and the opportunity to spend time with several last night at a girl's night, where we baked cookies and watched a movie.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #10

#10: I am thankful that I don't have an overwhelming amount of homework this week, and I can breathe a bit and take it easier.

I am also thankful that last week went really well at work. I was a tad worried that it was going to be extremely stressful with our baker out of town ('scuse me. . .out of the *country* [lucky!]) and various co-workers being sick or unable to work for whatever reason, but it ended up going really well and being a whole lot of fun!!!!!!

Thankful (Josh Groban)

I haven't posted anything other than my continuing list of things I'm thankful for in a little while. . .I'll break it up a little bit with this song by one of my favorite artists, Josh Groban. This is from his Noel CD -- which I just got from a friend recently, and it is amazing. It's a Christmas album, but I thought this song was fitting with Thanksgiving approaching, and a great addition to my 27 Days of Thanksgiving posts. If you have never listened to Josh Groban, well, you're missing out!

Thankful
Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves
There's so much sorrow
It's way too late to say
I'll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It's so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences
There is a place we're all connected
Each of us can find each other's light

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more

There's so much to be thankful for

27 Days of Thanksgiving #9

I'm 1/3 of the way through this challenge. It's been fun so far! :-)

#9: I am thankful that my parents chose to homeschool me and my brother all the way through high school. Hearing experiences of people who have been in public high school has made me all the more grateful that my parents chose to keep us at home.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #8

#8: I am thankful that I got to have such a fun childhood, where a lot of time was spent playing -- outside and in -- and creating adventures, and not a lot of time was spent in front of the TV or computer.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #7

#7: I am thankful for all four of my grandparents and I am thankful that I got to grow up close to three of them, therefore creating some special relationships.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #6

#6: I am thankful that I have a roof over my head and a warm bed to sleep in at night, and I am thankful that I wake up to a warm toasty house each morning. *ahhhh*

27 Days of Thanksgiving #5

#5: I am thankful that I have a fun job where several of my co-workers share my ideals and worldview and where I have bosses who treat all of their employees with respect.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #4

Okay. . .now I'm caught up, hopefully I will be able to post something every day. :-)

#4: No matter how frustrated I may get, I am thankful for the opportunity to go to college and earn my degree.

I think it is also fitting to add that I am thankful for the right to vote in this Presidential election. While the candidate I voted for may not end up winning, at least I had the opportunity to cast my vote (although I hope the candidate I voted for wins!!).

27 Days of Thanksgiving #3

#3: I am thankful for the freedom to worship God whenever and wherever I want to.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #2

All right. . .let's see. . .time for the 2nd thing I am thankful for. . .

#2: I am thankful that I have been blessed with the most amazing friends in the world.

27 Days of Thanksgiving #1

I saw on another website that I visit a link to a blog that was promoting "27 Days of Thanksgiving." The basic idea is to realize what we have to be thankful for (and to post about it on blogs) all month long, and not just on Thanksgiving day!

So. . .I know I am behind a bit in getting started, so I will go ahead and post 3 things today. . .and then hopefully stay on track from there! :-)

If you have a blog, I invite you to take the challenge, also. . .just think of all the things that we have to be thankful for!

So. . .to start things off:

#1: I am thankful that I have a family who loves me very much.