Happy Birthday! :)

Happy Birthday Mom and Grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer-it's a wrap!

Labor Day weekend is the official end of summer, I suppose. Oh, and what a summer it's been! It began with a wedding that led to a courtship that has led to a certain member of our family moving into a different Time Zone. (Not nationally recognized, but philosophically termed "Lovers' Time") This makes coordinating the simplest events rather difficult because this certain member doesn't need food or drink when he has the conversation of his "belovedid," to quote Ernest T. Bass. I am half-jesting. It has been such a blessing to see Daniel and Abigail's courtship flourishing. :)

The summer continued with a visit to the harbor to see a fleet of tall-ships and an unexpected departure to Georgia which took up five weeks! I turned 20 while down in Georgia and came back just in time to see baby saying his first words and celebrating his first birthday, and Sarah and Leah to turn 18 and 15, respectively. Life waltzed along in a at a comparatively slow pace to that I'd learned to cope with during the campaign.
Levi took his first official steps, and the girls were introduced to Smash-booking. We attended a surprise party for a dear friend, and we lived through many a day of rain for--contrary to the rest of the nation--it's been an exceptionally wet summer.

We planted berry  bushes and played volleyball. I worked on my books and lived the Cossack Uprising vicariously through With Fire and Sword. We made matches and discussed hopes and dreams. There's been laughter and joy and heartache all mingled together into the goblet of this summertime. Old ways we were fond of have gradually been effaced by a new regime of blessings that will prove to be sweeter than we'd ever have dreamed. At present they may rub now and again like a new pair of boots, but we'd never trade them back.
We've sent letters and received letters, we've sung songs and watched movies. We've danced to Ella Fitzgerald and memorized songs from Wicked and Les Miserables. We've even gained a taste for country music!

We've fallen in love with Sherlock and reminded ourselves that our tastes have grown much more refined since the days of Spy Kids and Inspector Gadget. We've made birthday cakes and eaten them, we've walked in the historic towns nearby and had a picnic or two to boot.

It's been a long, full, summer, and one I can truly say I'll never forget. So many memories, so many lessons learned...so much life. I can only look forward with breathless, eager anticipation to see what the fall will bring.
Autumn! Fire of my heart and love of my being...I come alive when the trees kindle and the breeze carries that gypsy-chill on its breath. When the blood rushes with spices and the very leaves are blushing with pure exhilaration...

I can see some of the adventures that might be lurking around the corner, and I know there will be some that take me by surprise. Graduations, dances, birthdays, camp, visiting missionaries and plots for Romania. Campaigns and bonfires and more!

 I don't know which things will come to pass and which will be replaced by something better. But I can say with full assurance that it will not be a dull autumn by any stretch of the imagination!

They say lightening doesn't strike twice in the same place....

But here's proof that it does--it's struck our family thrice! ;) We are having a wonderful day celebrating my 18th, Leah's 15th and Levi's very first birthday! :) I am sooo blessed to have gotten a sister *and* a brother as birthday gifts! :D

August 6th, 1994....

August 6th, 1997...

August 6th, 2011

Happy Birthday Leah and Levi!!!

not in neverland///a growing up post

my "rapunzel" year.

it was crazy.

it was challenging.

it had deep grooves, and high mountains.

at times it made me wonder why?

but in others, it fit like a boot.

it flew by so fast my head's still spinning,

and yet at points it seemed to crawl by like a southern drawl.

As insignificant as a simple number change is, I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that in a few days I will be eighteen years old.

Nope, not at all.

18.

The year I've been waiting for since I was a little girl.

The point in my life where I'd refer to as "grown up." (yeah right!)

And the end of my minor-ness.

My minority.

Argh. The beginning of my Majorly years.

(you get the point)

It's the age that I looked to as if it were somewhere over the rainbow, but in actuality, has crept up on me.

And according to the majority of people out there, it's the curtains closing on childhood.

I don't know about anyone else, but that sort of intimidates me.

Not in a scared, worrisome way really, but more in that sort of "entering the unknown" kind.

I'm definitely a creature of habit, so big changes aren't a very easy topic, even though I know they're necessary. And, because of all these diverse and interesting feelings bubbling under the crust, I decided to chronicle some of the sizeable happenings since I turned 17. :)

-Received the awesome birthday present of a baby brother!

-said goodbye to my sweet black lab
- entered my senior year and all that jazz that comes with it
-finally got my learner's permit
-celebrated all of his "firsts" with Levi
-picked up my 15 year wish of a puppy
-joined in the excitement of a dear friend's wedding
-smiled big and watched the steady and sweet budding of Daniel and Abigail's courtship
-and am in the last days of successfully enduring a month without my 2 bestest chums ever. ;)

It's been a great year. A fantastic one, even. :) And now I'll begin technical "adult-hood".
(Just to clarify, this is not me throwing out all manner of childishness by any means! I'll be the same light-hearted, fun-loving Sarah I've always been. And truth be told, on the 6th I know I won't feel a ton different. ;) Anyways...

Here's to new seasons!

Here's to living life to the brim!

Here's to Birthdays!

"That's the funny thing about birthdays, they're kind of an annual thing."

(all pictures credit of Matthew Walker)

♫Here's a story, of a goat named Daisy...♪ ;)

It all started on the 13th of April when our matriarch of the goat heard, Daisy, had these two cuties:

Meet Harriet, everyone!

and here's me holding newborn Emma! :D

Then, the last Saturday, Daisy's daughter, Dove, had her first kid, a skinny little boy:

Anna named this chap Flynn. :)

And two days later, when going out to feed the goats, Dove's sister, Lizzie, (and my only goat) had given birth to her first kid ever, a beautiful little girl! I was really excited that it was a girl, and that her coloring and markings were so much different than all the other kids'!

Lizzie is a much better mama than I thought she'd be

After much consideration (and 3 whole days) I decided to dub her Nessa!

Suffice it to say, we now have our hands full with a goat herd of 9, including our soon-to-be 3 goats to milk twice a day! :D  It was actually pretty cool, because every time one of our goats has kidded, they've done it early in the morning, so we don't get to watch. But Dove started kidding when Anna was feeding them, so we were able to hurry out there and witness the miracle of a new birth!! :)

(By the way, all these pictures were taken on Daniel's phone, so pardon the low quality)

I'm glad I finally am able to get some pictures up here, despite my camera-less state. :)

I hope this was an enjoyable post, and I'm off to NC! 

Little Flynn enjoying a nap. :)

The Day of Leaplings! :)

I woke up this morning and I knew something was strange about today...Today must be something special, I thought. Quite logically, I rolled over to check my calender, and so it is! You see, today only comes once every four years. *Runs to hug February 29th* In honor of this very special day, I thought I'd write a Leap-Day-ish sort of post for your amusement.

Nope--it's not about these cute little guys, despite what you might think.

It is, essentially, a catch-all day for the random, tail-ends of the last three years. A glorious little miss-fit day, if you will. Leap-Year-Day sets me thinking in random directions, such as "If you are born on Feb. 29, when should you celebrate your birthday on the 'years'? The 28th? The 1st?" I thought this was a cute little poem:

The First 4 Leap Years
By Raenell Dawn, 2002

I'm a little Leapling, smart and fun.
When I turn four, I'll really be one.
I'm a little Leapy, with lots to do.
When I turn eight, I'll really be two.
I'm a little Leaper, with lots to see.
When I turn twelve, I'll really be three.
I'm a Leap Day Baby, and so much more.
When I turn sixteen, I'll really be four.

I don't know about you, but I love all these little incidental holidays--whoever thought up Leap-Year was quite brilliant in an English-Language sort of way.

"English Language? What on earth are you talking about?"

Oh. I'm sorry. Only the fact that English makes no sense at all and neither does Leap-Year...that is, till you turn it upside down and look at it and see it is rather helpful after all. :) But it is rather sad, for when I looked up Leap Year online, there is very little said about it. Really, we must remedy this. We must make it a happy day for all the birthday-people who are overlooked 3 years out of 4.

Happy Birthday to you! We love you even though the calender slights you so often! :)

I had a good laugh over the difficulties that could potentially assail a "leapling." See this bit of Wikipedia's page:

A person born on February 29 may be called a "leapling" or a "leaper".^[14] In common years they usually celebrate their birthdays on February 28 or March 1. In some situations, March 1 is used as the birthday in a non-leap year since it is the day following February 28.
Technically, a leapling will have fewer birthday anniversaries than their age in years. This phenomenon is exploited when a person claims to be only a quarter of their actual age, by counting their leap-year birthday anniversaries only. In Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance, Frederic the pirate apprentice discovers that he is bound to serve the pirates until his 21st birthday rather than until his 21st year.

Oh oh oh! And this is the best bit. Single Girls of my Acquaintance? This is your year to shine...ahem...

Haha! Apparently by old tradition, women can propose to their men during the Leap Year. [And more specifically, on Leap Day] See this excerpt from the Wikipedia page:

Supposedly, a 1288 law by Queen Margaret of Scotland (then age five and living in Norway), required that fines be levied if a marriage proposal was refused by the man; compensation ranged from a kiss to £1 to a silk gown, in order to soften the blow

 This post-card made me laugh too:

 What a to-do! What a mad, merry day! :) I hope you enjoyed this rambling, crazy little post and that you might have learned to appreciate this quirky day all the more! Happy Leap-Year-Day everyone!

-Rachel

In Which He Has A Birthday....

Today is the 200th Birthday of one of my all time favorite authors........

That's right! Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7th, 1812.

you've gotta love google's honorary doodle for the day ;)

He wrote so many wonderful books with incredibly creative plots and very colorful characters!

Oliver Twist

"Although a skillful flatterer is a most delightful companion if you have him all to yourself, his taste becomes very doubtful when he takes to complimenting other people."

Great Expectations

"Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true."

Bleak House

"It is a pleasant thing to reflect upon, and furnishes a complete answer to those who contend for the gradual degeneration of the human species, that every baby born into the world is a finer one than the last."

A Christmas Carol

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."

Nicholas Nickelby

"Papa, potatoes, poultry, prunes and prism, are all very good words for the lips."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Dorrit

"The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again."

Our Mutual Friend

"The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists."

*happy sigh* As you can see, he was a very quotable man, too. :) (I'm making myself want to go read one of these book right now!) Anyways, all of this to say....

Happy Birthday, Mr. Dickens!!!

A Birthday-ish Sort of Post. :)

Hey!
So, in case any of you followers didn't know, these 2 months of the summer (July and August) host more than 1/2 of our family's birthdays! Which means, a lot of celebrating, a lot of wrapping-of-presents, and a lot of cake! :D
Today I'd thought I'd show you how a normal birthday in our house works. :)
In the days previous to the birthday, Mom goes to the future birthday girl or boy and gets their preferences for the meals on their big day. Then there's the question: What kind of cake will it be? Mom is very kind and lenient in that area and allows us kids to pick whatever we want! :)

So "the" day has come. You wake up, realize it's already 8:30, and slightly panic that you slept in too late!---But then a delicious realization comes upon you that it actually is your birthday!! :) You cautiously proceed by going downstairs (making sure that the way is clear from all secrets) and look at a beautiful array on the table! Alot of times it's something like cinnamon rolls, fruit, sausage and one of our favorite drinks: Orange Julius!

(One of Leah's "birthday breakfasts" :)

Ahh....after a delightfully full tummy, you are told that you are totally off of chores and the day is your own to do anything your pretty little mind thinks of! We all enjoy this special treat of being completely free for an entire day. :) It's usually spent reading that book you've only had a few bits of time to spend on it, playing your instrument, catching up on writing to your dear friends, drawing, writing, etc. Meanwhile, the rest of your family has been covering for you in the daily schedule and preparing your birthday cake and dinner! :)
Now---before I go any further I need to tell you something:
Mom is a fabulous cake-maker.
She really is.
You know, icing and flowers are all pretty and nice most of the time....
But I absolutely adore the way my Mom makes ours.
Every birthday cake feels, unique, different, and even more special and creative than the last. :)
Let me show you:


(One of my personal favorites: A Candy Land cake! =)

(Benjamin's birthday is Dec. 21st, thus a Christmas Tree Cake!)

(Isn't this so cool?! The Bag of Skittles cake! (and see how the "corner" of the bag is ripped open with Skittles pouring out?!)

(Wow! I forgot how great this cake looked! It was my "Black Forest Cake" from a couple years back. :)(This is what Daniel chose for his cake a while back! :D)

(Mom also does great "Teddy Graham Beach Party" cakes!!)

(A Cat Cake....actually this was a hint to what Rachel's main present would turn out to be! :D)

(Haha! An interesting picture of Gracie, but it's the best one of the cake I could find. :) A birthday princesses' dream cake! =)

(An icecream cake Mom made for me last year! :) I don't really know what's up with all the different number candles! :P)


(And yet again, I have forgotten how fantasticly she did this one!:)

Okay! Well, anyhow, later that evening, all the local extended family comes over and you have a PARTY!!! =) Which includes opening presents, playing games, and eating your cake!
I hope you all enjoyed this post :)
~Sarah
p.s. there is another reason I thought to do this particular post......I'm really looking forward to my birthday in 3 days!!! :D

Happy Birthday, Rach! :)

Happy 19th Birthday Rach!!! :)

You're a great sister and godly example to all of your siblings. I know that the Lord has great plans in store for you, and I love you lots!

Your sister,

Sarah

Miny 'appy Reterns! ;)

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY, DANIEL!!!!!
We love you and look forward to seeing the Lord working in you this year. :) Here are 20 things we love about you:

1. Your sense of humor
2. Your loyalty
3. Your character
4. The fact that you like to take us places. :)
5. Your passion for the Lord
6. Your passion for culture-changing
7. Our escapades with you. :)
8. Your accents
9. Your thoughtfulness
10. The fact that you're a gentleman
11. Your "witch" laugh (...long story, it's not what you think.;)
12. Your pride in your little car. ;)
13. Your stinkin' new jeans!
14. Your love of reading
15. The way you steal tastes of everything we cook
16. Your patriotism
17. The carnivore in you
18. The retriever in you ;)
19. Your musical talents

20. Your songs you write and share with us!

Love,
Rachel and Sarah

Yet Another Double-Birthday! :)

Happy Birthday Mama and Gracie!!!!!!!!!!! :D

(By the way, this is a picture from a couple years ago, but I couldn't take the time to find another, but it's still cute! :)

We love you both soooo much! Mama, thanks for being the best Mama a family could ever have! You are always ready to have fun, and think up fun things for us to do!
Gracie, you keep us laughing at your ridiculous Eighth child antics! :) You are a sweet little girl with a personality big enough for any grown-up! We love you!!!! <3
-Rachel and Sarah

p.s I get to vote for the very first time today! :) *Yay!* :) ~Rach

Some Pictures!:)

So.....I thought I'd do an update:
Saturday was Leah's 13th Birthday Ceremony!:) We were preparing for it all week. Cleaning, making cakes, doing presents, decorating cakes, going to florists, making several grocery outings, etc. Rachel and I (with instruction by Aunt Christy) decorated the cakes! We got to do basket-weaving with the icing and use flowers whatever way we wanted! Here's a picture of the finished product:

Aren't they pretty! We're very proud of the way they turned out.:) "As is tradition" (in our family;) Dad made Leah a hopechest! It looks beautiful!

Here are some random-ish pictures: (the reason I'm posting all these pictures is because I got a new camera for my birthday!!:)

My Icecream cake!:) The magnet for the film-tour van!;) ^

Here's cute little Gracie doing a "curtsey" :)

Alright! I'd better go! Hope you enjoyed the pictures. :)

-Sarah