How Great Thou Art (Carrie Underwood)

This is absolutely amazing.....'nuff said.

Project 365: Day 114

Day 114: We hit 70 degrees for the first time since, oh, probably September. It was a welcome sight! As the thermometer crept closer and closer towards 70, we stationed ourselves around it watching and waiting. I snapped this picture RIGHT as it turned to 70. We actually got up near 73.

Happy Easter!

Book Review: When The Soul Mends (Cindy Woodsmall)

When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall is a delightful glimpse into the life of Hannah Lapp. Upon receiving and beginning this book I was excited to remember that I had read the first book in the series a few months ago and now got to continue to see how Hannah’s story would unfold (I would recommend you read the books that precede this one first so Hannah’s story makes more sense).

Cindy Woodsmall does a great job really drawing her reader into the storyline. I had a hard time putting the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen. Would Hannah choose to go back to her life as an Amish girl? Would she choose to remain “English” and living with Martin and his niece and nephew? Would Martin wait for her as she ran back and forth between her family and his when the need arose for her to go back “home” to her family?

Cindy weaves a common theme of “forgiveness” into the story. Hannah’s family needs to forgive her for running off and making mistakes in the past. Hannah needs to forgive her family, especially her father, for mistakes they made in her life, too, such as blaming her for something that they knew was not her fault. And most of the other characters, in some way or another, show forgiveness.

I highly recommend this book. I wish there was another one in the series so we could continue to have a peak into Hannah’s life now that she has made her decisions. Pick up a copy of When the Soul Mends or any other book by Cindy Woodsmall – you won’t be disappointed!

**I received this book for free courtesy of Waterbrook Multnomah’s Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.**

Epic Hiking Adventure

WARNING: Picture Heavy post. :)  Here's pictures from my hiking adventure yesterday!

Project 365: Day 113

Day 113: Today was glorious. Remember that snow a couple days ago? It's gone now! We hit over 60 degrees today, so some friends and I went on a hike. I will try to share more of the pictures in their own post in a few days, but I particularly liked the pictures from this viewpoint. I am thinking that I live in Paradise.

Project 365: Day 112

Day 112: Just one day after our freak snowstorm, the sun was shining and the weather seemed warmer, even if it hadn't warmed up much more. I took my camera when my mom and I took the dogs for a walk. The sun was reflecting in the pond and I was excited to capture it. :)

Project 365: Days 110 & 111

Day 110 & 111: I thought for certain I took a picture on Day 110, but apparently I didn't, so I'm combining with Day 111. :) Yes, this is a snowman you see in this picture. No, I did not take this in January. In all actuality, I took this picture on April 21, 2011 as snow was falling heavily in our yard. My snowman was much cuter, but his buttons fell out as did his eyes. While I was putting his eyes back in his head kind of fell apart, but my hands were so cold I didn't want to spend much time re-shaping a ball. :)

Project 365: Day 109

Day 109: This was our last week of Awana, before awards night, leader dinner, etc. It was bittersweet. After Awana I took my friends K & S out for frozen yogurt at one of the new shops in town. K & S are my friend Val's younger sisters, and are like the younger sisters that I never had, so it was fun enjoying yogurt with them. :)

Project 365: Day 108

Day 108: We had chocolate bowls with huckleberry and vanilla ice cream after college group tonight. Yummy!

A Note....

For those of you who don't know already, I recently got a new job! It is a wonderful job and I'm loving it, but that also means I have less time for blogging....I'm not going to stop the Project 365, but as you've probably noticed, I'm also not posting new pictures every day. My goal is going to be to update the pictures once or twice a week.....so if you see a lull in posting, just know that I'll be updating in a few days. :)

Thanks for visiting my blog....I love my readers! :)

Project 365: Day 107

Day 107: I missed my "view from my backyard this month" post in March, but here is a picture of my backyard this evening, April 17, 2011. The snow has melted (although we had some flurries this morning....ugh!), and things are starting to grow. We even have some daffodils out front that are just starting to open. I LOVE SPRING!

Project 365: Day 106

Day 106: I went to a wedding! I love weddings....they are all so different and you see a piece of each person's personality in how their wedding is decorated, run, etc. This one was fun - full of swing dancing, eating tasty appetizers and cupcakes, and helping decorate the getaway car. :) Each table had a bottle of sparkling cider for the toasts. Aren't the little tags cute?!

Project 365: Day 105

Day 105: Our town finally has a cupcakery! :) It opened (soft opening) on Friday....and one of my managers brought in a dozen for those of us who were working on Friday. There were three flavors and I tried all of them. They were mini cupcakes, so it really wasn't that much. This one was my favorite - it was a strawberry cupcake. SO YUMMY!!!!!! I can't wait to go in and see the shop. I won a free cupcake next week so I guess I'll see the store then. :)

Project 365: Day 104

Day 104: As some of you might know, I recently got a new job! This week I got the opportunity to be our organization's representative at a volunteer fair. Basically we were looking for people who might want to volunteer with us. It was lots of fun!

Project 365: Day 103

Day 103: I went out for appetizers with my friends. We have been getting together once a week for a small group Bible Study/hangout time for several years, and this week we went for appetizers after going to see a play at the local college. This picture didn't quite turn out how I hoped it would, but I thought the change on the table would be fun to photograph, as I haven't really done that before. :)

Project 365: Day 102

Day 102: Back on Day 100 I told you there would be a picture of the falls themselves coming up soon. So, here it is (taken on Day 100, saved for Day 102). :)

Project 365: Day 101

Day 101: One of my friends brought soda in cool bottles to the young adult Bible study I go to, and we got to take home the leftovers. :)

This picture was not actually taken on Day 101, but I had the idea to use the bottles as my subject on that day. :)

Project 365: Day 100

Day 100: I went to the falls/dam with some friends. This bridge is one of my favorite things to take pictures of. Stay tuned....there's a picture of the actual falls coming up. :)

Oh, and this is Day 100!

Today in History: April 13

Today in History:
On April 13, 1970, Apollo 13, four-fifths of the way to the moon, was crippled when a tank containing liquid oxygen burst. (The astronauts managed to return safely.). (Taken from here) 
This was documented in the movie Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks.

Project 365: Days 98 & 99

Day 98: I admit I took this on Day 99....but since I didn't have a picture from Day 98, here is this one..... :)

Day 99: I went to an Awana tea. I actually have an edited version of this picture, but couldn't get it to upload....silly Blogger...... :)

April 12, 1861

April 12, 1861.

A day that changed the course of history.

A day that began a war that pitted brother against brother. Father against son. North against south.

A war that, ultimately, ended slavery in our nation. And changed the course of history - forever.

"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.


Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.


But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate -- we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. 


The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here - but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaning before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth."


- Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, 1863

One Day Apart...

Wednesday....vs.....Thursday

What a difference a day makes.

Scotty McCreery: That's All Right

The latest Scotty McCreery performance on American Idol. This was "Rock & Roll Hall of Famers" week, so he chose an Elvis Presley song, "That's All Right."

AND.....he made it through to next week! Stay tuned to hear what he sings next.

In other news, female favorite Pia Toscano was voted off tonight. I am very surprised. I was hoping for and expecting a Pia-Scotty finale.

Project 365: Day 97

Day 97: Remember those spring flowers from yesterday??? Well, look what I woke up to this morning. Ugh. I'm ready for spring.

Project 365: Day 96

Day 96: Spring is definitely in the air!

Project 365: Day 95

Day 95: This is a picture from a few days before that I saved to share. These violins were on the wall where my friend was housesitting.

Project 365: Day 94

Day 94: I got some mangoes at the store the other day, and they have just now ripened up. This one was absolutely delicious. I can't wait to dig into the second one. :)

Project 365: Days 78 & 81

Guess what? I put in my memory card to get pictures off of it and found pictures of two of the days I was missing! So here are pictures for Day 78 and Day 81.

Day 78: My friend Sarah was perched perfectly on the piano bench. I thought it made a cute picture. :) I hope she agrees with me. *wink*

Day 81: I don't know how I forgot I had this picture! This is documenting my first-ever flat tire. Luckily it happened in our driveway. Apparently I drove over a screw somewhere along the way, but the tire didn't deflate until I got home.

Scotty McCreery: Country Comfort

I'm sure you're all wondering what my favorite American Idol contestant, Scotty McCreery, sang this week.....this was "Elton John Week" on Idol, which I have to admit is not my favorite as I'm not a big fan of Elton John. BUT.....apparently Elton John has written and sang at least one country song, and Scotty found it. Here he is singing Country Comfort. And yes, he made it through to this week's competition. Stay tuned.....

Project 365: Day 93

Day 93: This is a picture from last week, but again, it was one of those that needed to be shared. Isn't this tire horse cute?

Project 365: Day 92

Day 92: I went to another dance, and I took lots of pictures, but I think this candle picture is one of my favorites so that is the one I chose to share. I thought it turned out really neat. :)

Project 365: Day 91

Day 91: This is actually a picture from earlier in the week, but I just had to share it! I walked out of work the other day to practically walk into this patch of crocuses. To me, crocuses are the first sign that spring is truly here....all the other flowers will be blooming before we know it!

Project 365: Days 82 - 90

Okay, I'm playing catch-up. I admit, I missed quite awhile of Project 365. The good news is, I do have pictures for most of those days. However, I will say that most of them were taken on my cell phone camera, which is not that great. So I apologize for poor quality. :) I had stuck my little camera in a coat pocket, and didn't need to wear that coat (thanks to a bit more mild of weather), so couldn't remember where it was, and my cell phone was all I had on me at the time.

Also, I did not have any pictures from March 19-22, and rather than dig through pictures looking for old ones, I have decided to just skip those days. Hope that's okay....I'll do my best to stay more on top of it from now on. :)

So here's what I've been leading up to:

Day 82:

I went to one of our new local self-serve frozen yogurt shops with friends, and then we went to a friend's house to watch American Idol. Fun times! :)


Day 83:

I wanted to show you how my bridesmaid flowers from Aley's wedding were holding up. They were beginning to look pitiful...but I couldn't part with them yet. :)


Day 84:

The local college does really neat 3-D art every spring. The graphic design students put it together. I liked this giant Green Eggs & Ham artwork. I will try to get pictures of some of the other projects soon....they are impressive every year. :)


Day 85:

Here's a much better picture of those bridesmaid flowers. As you can see, they were beginning to wilt. I wanted to see if I could keep them until April 5, which would be 1 month after the wedding. But unfortunately I had to get rid of them a few days prior. They were just too pitiful. :(

Day 86:

My friend Michelle was housesitting for spring break, which included taking care of a cat, and I thought this picture was particularly special considering she does not like cats. But I was pleased to see her taking time to pet the overly-friendly-overly-talkative kitty anyway. :)

Day 87:

I admit that I had to stop briefly while driving along the dike road after work so I could get this picture of the Resort. I love this view and even though it is slightly out of my way when leaving work, I often drive over the dike road because I love the view so much. :)

Day 88:

I have taken up ballroom dancing! I don't claim to be good at it (I'm not!), but I am learning. I tried to get a picture using my cell phone camera, but it is not the greatest. Oh well....you get the idea. :)

Day 89:

Early spring means construction season, and this year is no exception. I was stopped at a stoplight the other day on a road that is going to soon be widened, and while I was stopped I happened to look up through my sunroof and this is what I was. I thought it looked kind of cool. It doesn't look as cool in the picture, but it is still an interesting picture of a new power pole being installed.

Day 90:

I went to Fred Meyer to get limes and came away with limes, mangoes, and pears. I thought the citrus looked particularly colorful and fun.