Count Your Blessings

About a week has passed since Thanksgiving, but we should not be thankful only one day out of the year but all! 

Monday was a get back into the saddle type of day. Added a new doodle/ quote to my History notebook, "HIStory is HERstory too!"

Tuesday- My grandma gave us some cinnamon raisin bagels, and since I don't like raisins I made myself a banana  shake for breakfast.

Wednesday- I love my Instagram friends! Hannah (hannahsandersfeld) posted about this movie she enjoyed. I started watching it and liked it too! The movie couldn't have come at a better time, since I'm learning about the industrial revolution in Europe.

Visited my grandma, and afterwards had some ice-cream.

Decembers almost here! Last Saturday, my immediate family+ my grandma+ my aunt and her family decided to do a gift exchange this Christmas! We all picked a name out of the empty tissue box and are excited come Christmas to reveal the secrets!

Yesterday I made a card for my dads coworker. She is retiring after 25 years of working in that job! What a beautiful example of a hardworking person! I think this is the best card I've ever made:)

2 out of 15

Number 5 was scratched off when I made a pumpkin pie from scratch minus the crust:) 

Number 14 (Draw something... beautiful) of my 15 before 16 list gets scratched off as well! So I have 2 out of 15 things completed.

My Day In Pictures

I have been wanting to do this for awhile now, and finally gotten the chance to do so. My life in pictures post was suggested to me by my mom.

Waking Up

Morning Chores

Breakfast

Homeschooling

English

Praise the Lord for whiteout

Lunch and AIO

I am "doing" math

Trying to finish math:(

Bible Reading

Sister time read aloud

Finishing dinner and homeschool read aloud

Blogging

Drawing

I went to bed shortly before 10:30. 

That was basically how my day went by. Do we share any similarities?

Count Your Blessings

Since we all know Thanksgiving was yesterday (the day of thankfulness), I decided to do my "count your blessings" post a little bit different.

Anniversaries. September marked my parents 10th year anniversary since they became Christians. This December will mark their 10th anniversary of marriage.

Bible Reading Time. The early mornings cuddling in the couch with my Bible are superb. I am thankful to own a Bible and to freely read it whenever. 

Cookies. Finally making a good batch of cookies.

Dinner. Hearty home cooked meals.

Exercise. Enjoying my time in the gym sweating and working out.

Freebies. Finding the radio theatre drama of Oliver Twist for free online. Limited time only AIRING: Oct. 13, 2012 - Jan. 12, 2013

Giggles, smiles, and Lol moments.

Hair. Doing new hairstyles.

Instagram. Connecting with others through pictures, especially with our family-in-Christ in D.R.

Jesus Christ. My savior. My healer. My Everything.

Kneeling. The free access we have to kneel whenever.

Learning. This year has been, at least to me, a year of learning and growing. I'm learning new intellectual things and spiritual. I'm thankful for all the learning experiences I've encountered so far.

Math. Though its not my favorite, so far I am at an easy part.

New things. Learning new things, and getting new things!

Oatmeal. Eating it 3 times a week, and still loving it.

Photography. Reading and learning all I can about the subject. 

Quiet. Moments of silence are always the most refreshing times of the day.

Rambling. Whether in writing, drawing, or talking I enjoy it.

Scratching things off. Writing a list and measuring your success via the amount of scratched off things you have.

Tis' the season. Upcoming Christmas and New Year's celebrations.

Upstairs. Visiting my grandma means climbing one flight of steps.

Vacations. Going to Virginia was a blast. Hopefully we'll vacation somewhere new ever year.

Whit. Mr. Whitaker is filled with such a wise godly man. I've learned some valuable lessons from "him." Sometimes I wish there was a real Odyssey I could go to visit. I'm a true homeschooler:)

XOXO. Hugs and kisses from parents are the best.

Youtube. It has helped me in math, science. I have tried new recipes, and hairstyles through it. It is such a blessing to my life!

Zzz's. A good nights rest after a hardworking day.

C.C.C.

About a year ago, I wrote here that I wanted to make a good batch of chocolate chip cookies. Sunday right before Hurricane Sandy came, I baked a batch of cookies that came out really good, much to my surprise!

Here is the recipe I used: Makes 12 servings (it makes more, but the recipe says that number)

-1/2 cup butter, softened
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-1 eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon hot water
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
-2/3 cup and 1 tablespoonchopped walnuts

PREP:20 mins

COOK:10 mins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. 

 Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

I froze the rest of the cookie dough to be used for a later date. When I made the second batch of cookies they come out even better!

oh hello, November.

oh hello, cold weather

oh hello, boots and jackets

oh hello, crunchy leaves

oh hello, fall scents

oh hello, cuddling

oh hello, getting things checked off my 15 before 16 list

oh hello, Thanksgiving 

oh hello, going to grandma's

oh hello, family time 

oh hello Black Friday shopping

oh hello, second to last month until 2013

Linking up here!

So Sandy!

I begun this blog Sept. 01 not long before hurricane Irene came. Then I was thankful to the Lord for keeping my family and friends safe. Now about a year later, hurricane Sandy was announced to hit NYC. Though I thought it was going to be a strong storm, I did not think it was going to cause so much damage. The storm really started on Monday for us, with strong wind gusts and rain. My family was all gathered in the living room, doing different things, and unexpectedly we'd hear the strong winds beating and shaking the windows. We would just look at each other with wide eyes. As I write this, the storm no longer rages, but its effects are keenly felt.

Though we live in NYC our area was unaffected, besides this tree that fell in our courtyard. Many of our congregation, including our church is located in Far Rockaway, which was flooded, more than 50 houses burned down, and the electricity went down. Many of our brothers and sisters are without light, but are safe. One sister mentioned that her house was two steps from getting flooded. What you don't understand, is that she has at least 10 to 15 steps before you enter her house! Through all the devistation God is still faithful! 

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3

The storm is over and the damage is great around the city. The death toll has reached 41 in NYC, subways were flooded, and the city is without gas. I pray that the Lord may continue to glorify himself throughout this time of need.

Fall: Fashion

Fall is here! Though it seems that the leaves have not really gotten the memo, the weather sure did. With fall comes the bringing out the long sleeve shirts, sweaters, leggings, and boots. Just because we have to bundle and layer up does not mean we have to dress frumpyish. We can layer in style, while still being warm. Here are some must have fall items.

1. Boots It is a must getting some good quality boots. So get some really cute boots, that are practical and to your style. I suggest getting a pair of black ones and brown as those are the colors most people wear.

2. Long jean skirts There is something about wearing a long skirt that makes you feel so feminine and girly. Jean skirts and especially long ones are great for fashion and keeping your legs warm, without having to wear leggings (yet). If you know how to mix and match really well, the amount of jean skirts that are necessary are few. It's all about the accessories on top that take the focus off the skirt your wearing.

3. Sweaters/ Cardigans Keeping you warm and stylish.

4. Fall Jacket anyone? This looks so cozy and warm. Best colors to buy are the brightest. One of my fall jackets is red! My mother has one that's bright green, they look cuter in bolder colors, trust me!

5. Scarves help prevent coughs and sniffles:) 

6. Hats and Head wraps...

7. Leggings, leg-warmers, and tights

This became my fashion blog post/ pin board. Well you get the point, dress modestly, according to the weather, and stylish...

*All pictures from Pinterest*

Count Your Blessings

Another wonderful fall week has come and gone! The Lord is good.

Monday was a fun day indeed. It was my mother's birthday. My family and a couple of other homeschool families went to a small farm. We had so much fun!

  

You know when you have one of those awkward moments, and you wonder what's wrong with me. Someday in this week I sat down on my chair so hard I almost fell backwards, but caught my grip on the desk. That was funny/ scary moment. My mom, sister and I burst out laughing. 

A brother that went earlier this year to D.R. for missions work, came on Wednesday.

Thursday the girls in my family went to a Vera Bradley store. Afterwards we went to this little park in the mall. I was once 5 years old again:)

Vera Bradely printed cookies!

And water bottles

Yum...

Up I go...

Don't forget to stop and count your blessings!

Fall: Fun!

The crisp weather, colorful sweaters, and yummy spice filled treats (cinnamon especially), are the exact thoughts of Fall. Fall is a beautiful season where the world begins to change, the leaves change color and the weather transitions from hot to cold. Fall is a season to enjoy before the winter comes and keeps us inside.

To make the most of the last semi warm days, plan fun outdoor activities with your family. Some very good things to do in Fall are: Pumpkin picking and apple picking. After you've picked your "harvest" you can choose a yummy recipe to make it with! My family and I went to a farm and enjoyed our time looking at the animals, a hayride, and pumpkin picking in the end. I even got to sharpen my photography practice.

Pumpkin Picking:

Pumpkin party!

Baby pumpkin for baby hands

Um... So I got a pumpkin... and its orange...

Embrace the weather, and pick pumpkins!