a trip to lake Michigan...

*Torri's Bridal Shower*

colors: turquoise + yellow, with a tiny bit of green

 {Torri + Aunt Becky}

My absolute favorite decoration!

Decorating the mantle added a lot! =) {doncha love the mirrors?}  

Mom and Aunt Bek get the credit for the very creative decorations...

{I did write on the chalkboards!}

Now this sweet lady, oh may I brag on her for a few minutes? or an hour? {JK} 

This is the lady who opened her home for the shower, and let me tell you; She has the most wonderful servants heart. She rearranged her living room for us, went out of her way to procure some very nice dishes, as well as did a lot of the clean up. And that is my few second version of an hour long speech! This is one very special lady!

Someone showed me a secret little window that gave me an AWESOME vantage point! I had so much fun getting some wonderful pictures from above!

   

Someone in their church offered to do the cake, and these two gorgeous girls volunteered to help her!

And that cake! It was so beautiful and delicious! I couldnt help taking tons of pictures of it!

 I was behind the camera all day so this is seriously the only one I got in! =/ I had so much fun! {I took 481 pictures! I guess it was good practice for the reception!}

 

Congrats Tor! I love you girlie! =)

the courage to do what is right...

A few months ago, one of my very good friends did something that I really appreciate and admire. He chose to do what was right even though it wasn’t always supported and appreciated. What he did took a lot of courage!

He did the right thing{even though maybe not always the right way}, even though most people don’t agree with it. In fact, some people have even chosen to voice their disgust and opposition of what he did. But he has chosen to stick with his decision and follow through with it!

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good,

 and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James 4:17

This verse is very clear. There is nothing to question. It plainly says that if someone doesn’t do what God is telling them to do, then they are sinning.

My friend did what the Lord led him to do.

Even through much opposition.

Most people were too cowardly to do what he did. Or they were deliberately blind.

He that answereth a matter before he heareth it,

 it is folly and shame unto him.

Proverbs 18:13

The funny thing is, that every single person who has voiced their disagreement doesn’t know all the details like he does. In fact, most of them have refused to accept the facts that were presented to them. Shame on people who try to meddle in other people’s situations, especially when they don’t know everything!

My friend chose to do something that others refused to do.

Are you standing up for what is right? Are you standing even in the face of opposition? Are you doing right when you know you should? Or are you staying back, being a coward?

My friend made a difference in someone’s life. Are you doing things to make a difference? Are you willing to stand up when you see something wrong?

Life...

These past few months have been literally a whirlwind. Time has flown, in both good ways and bad. Facing each day head on has been difficult, but as a dear lady keeps reminding us- God gives the strength to face each day as it comes.

I have been seriously unmotivated for a long time (too long), and this week was a killer. But I finally got some inspiration {probably from all my friends “pep talks” ;-P} to do something…  I have a lot to get accomplished in a very little time, but I am slowly but surely crossing things off my lists.

Through everything that has gone on we somehow got 2 weeks behind. Our goal was to finish our 1^st semester before we took our Christmas break. The normal schedule for our curriculum has us doing our Semester Finals 2 weeks after break, which makes no sense. So we are pushing to get them done by the end of this next week! Its going to be a long haul though.

We finally started working on our bathroom… Or mom repainted it rather! We have the flooring all ready to go, when we get the time. Mom has been doing some painting again, and I'm trying to talk her into doing some for me! ;-D I'm proud of my super creative Mama… she seriously has some talent that she’s been hiding for way too long! <3

My super cute little brother finally started saying my name!!!! J He is so funny sometimes, laughing randomly and giving his mischievous little grin. He learned to climb up on the table, and is obsessed with bread, anything electronic, “cookies” (animal crackers), vacuums, spoons, and his little friend Dee… J

/////

~listening to my favorite song a million times a day…

“Wow… after hitting back everytime my favorite song ended… I just found the repeat button on my ipod! Yay!” {My facebook status a couple days ago…}

~shopping for + wrapping Christmas presents- I tried to have fun this year, and not wait until the week before to buy them, and Christmas Eve to wrap them all! :-P I am, thankfully, almost done! J

~Drinking lots of water and taking my antibiodic + cold medicine + vitamins in an attempt to ward off another cold, or get rid of my first one … After being sick for 3 months, it gets old!

~looking forward to Suzy’s Christmas break… {we are gonna squeeze in a ton of time together!}

~trying to decide what cookies to make for the Cookie Exchange! {I got a cookie book from the library, but cant decide what kind to make…}                    

~laughing with friends always lifts my spirits! J

~reading my devotional book and Bible Study has been something that I have neglected, but this week I started doing it again. Both have really challenged me to have a different attitude when it comes to living life! <3

~enjoying… Christmas music, hot chocolate, red and green, the snow, warm boots, comfy sweaters, watching movies, texting one of my best friends, my Government class {I was never much into politics or anything like that, but its very interesting!}, egg nog shakes,

this week.

Nathanael and I went to take some pictures on the trail.

I saw a snake when we went to the trail, and I screamed. {of course}

I wrote a couple more posts, which I will hopefully schedule for the next couple weeks…

I started practicing a violin arrangement. My goal is to be able to play it in church in a couple weeks.

I started working on some last minute projects for the mother daughter banquet my mom is planning.

I’ve been brainstorming ideas for VBS.

I cleaned my room, and organized my closet.

Nathanael and I did some landscaping in front of the house.

I finished sewing 2 skirts{3 actually, but one came out too small}, and I started cutting out a couple more.

I forced myself to sew a zipper and it actually turned out. I have a habit of avoiding zippers as though my 

life depends on it because I always mess them up. I decided that since skirts with zippers fit me a lot better I am going to put zippers in all of them.

I pulled out my photo book and organized a bunch of pictures. Instead of scrapbooking them all, I got a scrapbook that I can put regular photo pages in- that way everything is in one book. Since a lot of the pictures weren’t dated, they are kind of all just in there…

my responsibilities...

-as a person: to be a person who loves Jesus, and shows it all the time…

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,

and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 Matthew 5:16

-as a Christian: to love and serve Jesus with my whole heart…

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God

with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Matthew 22:37  

-as a daughter: to be obedient and respectful{even when its hard and I don’t agree!}…

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Honour thy father and mother;

(which is the first commandment with promise;)

That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

 Ephesians 6:1-3 

{Summer 2010}

-as a sister: to be loving, kind, patient and forgiving…

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,

 even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32 

{Summer 2011} 

-as a friend: to be an encouragement, to just be there…

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:

and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

{Fall 2011} 

-as a young lady: to prepare to the best of my ability for the future that God has planned for me… {Proverbs 31:10-31}

*what are your responsibilities?

Things Accomplished...

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way;

and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. Exodus 13:21-22

The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:14

Gabby got braces today// Today is Valentines Day// I was able to get a lot accomplished//

This morning when I woke up, I was all prepared to do a ton of schoolwork. I was pleasantly surprised when mom told us we only had to do one class today. I’ve needed a break for a while. Saturdays don’t count around here- they are pretty always spent on the road. Sundays don’t count either since we are at church most of the day.

I already had a mental list that I had been accumulating in my head for a couple weeks, so I wrote it down and got to work crossing things off…

Other than my normal morning things –reading my Bible/Praying, exercising, and cleaning my room I was able to get some other things accomplished.

I finally sat down and made a plan to memorize verses. I decided to start with the book of James. Actually, long story short- I’ve been working on the book of James since I was about 8. So the first few weeks will be review. Lordwilling, I will be re-memorizing 5 verses of James every week along with another verse{or 2, or 3}.

This week I chose Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report;

if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 I also got out a notebook so that I can start writing out the whole book of Proverbs. Lordwilling I will write about 4 verses everyday, and get it finished by the end of the year.

Thanksgiving Pictures...

I had so much fun taking pictures on Thursday... I didnt get into anything fancy, just used the auto setting, but it still takes awesome pictures! I used 2 lenses, but I'm not sure which ones are which... =P

On the drive over I was experimenting with my camera...

Isn't my moms hair gorgeous? I wish mine were that curly...

That... is my sister.

{my little-big brother}

{Aunt Carol, Dad, Mom}

my dad made the... uh... gravy. ahem. 

shall i comment? No, i guess i wont comment.

Ill just say he had never made it before.

{Nathanael, Aaron, and Sammy}

Everyone wanted to hold Samuel, of course. =D

{Aunt W---, (oh, yeah, this is the internet maybe I shouldn't share that...? =D

Aunt Laura, Sam, Nathanael, and a little bit of Gabby}

{A lot of people.}

The guys hijacked grandma's tv, and brought it over to the church so they could watch football.

its important, believe me. they have been planning to watch this game for over a month...

I was experimenting... 

 {Shannon and Mason}

yeah, Shannon, I HAD to post that one...

 {Bill(I still wanna call you billy...) Mason, and Shannon}

{Nathanael and Addyson}

 Mason, Gabby, Addyson

 Aunt Helen and Gabby

 {Dad and Aunt Helen}

Dad, Sam, Bill

{Is that one better, billy?}