Escapades of Josh and Sarah ~Ep. 1

Josh and I are siblings, yes.. but we like to call each other P.I.C (Partners In Crime). Ever since we were little, we got into a lot of scrapes together. Or, as we both say to one another, "... and most of it was your fault..." lol.

Well, I figured it would be kind of fun to share a few of those as they happen. I have my other 'series' called "Just Your Typical Day on the Ranch" but this won't always have to do with ranch stuff.

So, today I got to do something super scary and super exciting. I had my first 'solo' drive in Albuquerque. If you know the area, it's a pretty busy town. Not like L.A. or Denver or anything, but still busy for a New Mexico girl. Especially when you've only driven through it once (staying on the freeway the entire time). This time I actually had to get *into* town... Driving with a bunch of other crazy drivers.. yeah. Josh and I needed to go to voice lessons. Usually Becca drives us (as she's taking too) but this week she was gone. Anyway, point is, I had to drive into town without any other experienced driver in the car...


Josh is, however, really good at remembering streets. In fact, he's often times guided my sis around town (one a few, rare occasions when she needed it). He's got awesome memory. Well, I knew where we needed to go. Had the directions. Really simple. We needed to go to voice lessons, then go get lunch at Panda Express, then head home. Simple, right?

Wrong. We got to voice lessons, da da da da, finished up, and began to head back. First thing to go wrong? I turned left when I should have turned right. So we ended up going the wrong way on a main road. No prob. Just turn around. We turned around and got to the next street we needed to go to. I turned left again and Josh began saying, "Oh wait, we're going the wrong way. We need to turn around again." We laughed about it, and I turned around. Then, we got confused which way I would turn next so we called mom and found out that we were actually going the wrong way. The first way I had turned was correct. Of course, I teased Josh about that (and said, "That was your fault, I'll have you know!"), turned around, and headed back South again... We were laughing about it and all that, finally got to our destination, got lunch, and began to head home.

When we got back on the road again, this car decided to merge into my lane... unfortunately, the nose of my car was past it's bumper... another car on my other side was right next to me, so I was sandwiched in the middle.. Thankfully, nothing happened (Praise the Lord), but it was *very* scary. However, as we passed, we noticed it was two teenaged girls just chatting away... *sigh*.... People! Pay attention on the road! =P

So we made it back on the freeway to head back home. As we were driving along, I glanced back in my rear view and noticed the trunk was sort of... flapping or something. So I was able to pull off the highway and, as soon as I stopped, it popped open all the way. Josh hopped out and shut it.

As soon as he hopped back into the car he just looked at me. Then, with a very serious face he said, "By the way, that was your fault.." lol! Ah, gotta love brothers with a sense of humor. So we laughed about it again. I mean, it was quite a hilarious day. What else could have happened? Thankfully those were not 'famous last words' and we got back safely.

But, we both decided that, even though we were older, our escapades are far from over. :-)

Finding Out My Calling in Life

Yesterday afternoon we were at a birthday party for a friend. We played volleyball in the rain, chatted, had cake and ice cream, etc, etc. The normal birthday party setting. I didn't think it would be the time or place for me to find out my calling in life, though. That sort of thing seems more appropriate in a garden setting, or early morning sunrise, or up in the mountains looking down upon creation. However, I've learned in the past that my "romantic" notions are usually chilled in the refrigerator of reality. ;-)
    So, my 'inspirational moment' happened whilst I was washing my hands in the bathroom after playing some muddy volleyball. I happened to look up in the mirror and saw a reflection of a girl with a few dots of mud on her face, hair wet from the rain, and an otherwise normal appearance on her face. There was only one thing that wasn't so normal in that reflection. When I saw this, I knew what I was meant to be. I knew that I had the potential for a particular job that so many also enjoy. The type of calling that requires diligence, patience, loving kindness, and patience (yes, I mention that twice on purpose). What is this wonderful, glorious job, you ask? What was it that inspired me to realize that this was my calling? Well, the job is called Motherhood. More particularly, mother of more than 2 children. How did I figure this out? Well, in the flurry of getting out the door on time, I quickly grabbed up a pair of earrings and put them in as I ran out the door. It wasn't until I was washing my hands in that inspiring bathroom that I realized I had put in two different earrings. One was a pink flower, the other a red and black.......... *pause for laughter*

I believe it will be mostly mothers who can laugh and understand exactly what this is like. I almost died laughing when I saw that reflection. In any case, I now know that I am quite prepared for that side of motherhood. ;-)  White hairs, forgetful memory, and unmatched articles of clothing (yes, all of those apply to me).

On other newsworthy notes, I am happy to say that costumes are coming along and I am hoping to share some pictures in the near future. Drama is also going well. We are into our 4th week this Wednesday. We've begun memorizing lines and are doing rigorous practices each week. The director and assitant director have done a wonderful job of splitting up scenes so that only a few thespians need to be present at practices each week. This means that we go over 3-4 scenes several times and really work on them, as opposed to just going over as many scenes as we can during practice. It also helps with distraction because since not everyone is there, only those who need to be up on 'stage' are there to work (so no worries about whispered conversations on the side getting a little too loud.. ;-) ) It works quite well and means that everyone has more time to focus and really work on their parts. That probably made no sense, but oh well. I did a get a few pictures of two practices ago, and I hope to get more a little later, then share them on the ABC Drama Blog.

Otherwise, life has been the normal, hectic, crazy life that we live. ;-) How have y'all been? Anything new and exciting going on? I'd love to hear about! So, drop a comment! =D

Daylight Savings Time

Ah! Don't we all just love Daylight Savings time? I wouldn't have minded it so much if I had remembered to get to bed an hour earlier... whoops! I got my dates mixed up and thought it was tonight that we 'sprang forward'. In any case, this little picture was too funny not to share..... (course, you have to be Princess Bride fans, or least have seen the movie, to really get it! =D)

If You Want to Know Me a Little Better...

...then you might scroll through these pictures here. They pretty much describe me. Courtesy of my sister's Pinterest! ;-)

 (If anyone has seen me get into a 'giggle fit'- as my family calls it, then you can definitely believe this one...)

These were just cute/funny.... 

 

 (His face!!! He's all over Pinterest with different captions. My favorite: You mean to tell me your name is not mother?)

Hope that gave you a few chuckles! Have a blessed weekend!!!

Newest Member to the Ranch

Just wanted to share a few pictures of the newest member to the ranch! He is an adorable little German Shepherd cross pup. We think the other mix might be Husky, but not sure.

He is just the cutest little thing. Bandit doesn't quite know what to think of him yet, but Licorice (the cat) has already established the fact that he does NOT like this new monster thing. ;-)

 

Haven't come up with a name yet, but the ones floating around are Marshall and Smoky... though those might not make it to the 'final' name choosing. His little tail curls up, kind of like a pug. I'll try to get a better picture of him sometime, but for right now he's too busy exploring and playing to keep still (thus the slightly blurry pictures). :-)

With the Coming of Fall....

... I get very excited about a whole bunch of things... Here's a list of a few of my favorite things to do/about the season of Fall!!!

1. Taking Walks and enjoying the beautiful weather

2. Making the house smell wonderful by putting stews and soups in the crockpot (LOVE crockpots!!)

3. Sitting by a warm fire with a good book and a cup of tea

4. Wearing lovely Fall clothes and coming up with modest and feminine outfits

(I think these would look SO classy with a dark color denim skirt...)

5. Whipping up some yummy 'Fall' recipes like this delicious Pumpkin Cake Roll

6. Shopping at Summer Clearances

7. Getting some beautiful pictures of the season

(Not my photo)

8. Crocheting or Knitting up fun things like wrist and leg warmers, or fun hats

9. Decorating with 'Fallish' Things

10. Singing Christmas songs at the top of my lungs with my sister (yes, believe it or not, we've already started doing that... Seriously, though, the meaning of Christmas should be remembered every day of the year...)

What are some of your favorite things about Fall?

I'm dreaming/wishing I had one of these to sit on....

Fall Fashion ~ Guest Post by Samantha

The chilly days of fall will soon be upon us, and while I love autumn, I find it hard to still
dress stylishly ( me, stylish? Yeah, working on that!) and still be warm, modest and comfortable. If your idea of warm and comfy is over-sized sweat pants and a sweat shirt, then read on. You can be stylish, comfy and warm this fall and winter!


Below I've complied a list of my "Top 5 Autumn Essentials" which will hopefully get you through the upcoming cold months in comfort and style!

 Item #1: Cardigan Sweater


The transition time between summer and fall can be difficult. It's too early to wear chunky
sweaters, yet too cool for short sleeves. That's when a cardigan becomes
your best friend!

Pick a few cardigans in neutral colors (black, white, brown) and maybe one or two in a cute color or design (think bright yellow or floral), then pair it with your
favorite sundress or a sleeveless top to wear with jeans or a
skirt. 

Item #2: Jean Jackets

Jean jackets are great! You can wear them with a skirt, sundress or khaki pants/capris for a little extra warmth without too much excess bulk. Try looking for a fitted jean jacket so that it still looks nice with a skirt or fuller dress. Try to get a traditional looking jacket (no excessive decorations like rhinestone flowers, embellishments or intentional rips and tears, fraying,etc.) so that you can pair it with both casual and dressier outfits. The
key is to get pieces that aren't to trendy so that you can pair them with a lot of different looks.

Item #3: Puffy Vest

I love "puffy" vests! They are so cute and warm, perfect for crisp fall days, yet not as warm or bulky as a coat. They can be paired with a sweater if it is colder out, or a plain long-sleeved t-shirt if it isn't too nippy yet. These looks great with skirt or pants, just try to get one that is a little more "streamline" and not as marshmallow-y as some can get.

Item #4: T-Shirt Dress

T-Shirt dresses are perfect because you want wear them with flats or sandals in the summer and boots in the fall and winter. They are pretty versatile if you get a neutral color (denim, black or brown) and can be paired with scarves for added warmth on your neck. I love the look above because it is very stylish, yet modest, cute and comfy!

Item #5: Scarves

I love my scarves! I try to get at least one new one each fall and try to vary the thickness,
weave, color and design so I have a lot of options. Lighter scarves (like the one shown) are great for summer/fall transition time, while chunkier scarves are better for winter. Try to start with about 3 or 4 scarves in a variety of textures and colors. They look great with cardigans, t-shirts, dresses and sweaters and can be dressed up or down.




There you have go! Those are my "Top 5" items for fall, though I haven't even touched on the many cute accessories that help turn a summer outfit into a fall outfit! My favorite accessories picks would be hats, earrings or necklace (NEED to get my ears pierced!!) that include leaves, fall colors, etc., ballet flats, boots (both a sleek, "riding" boot and soft and comfy boots) and, of course, a cute bag!

Of course these all cost money, but if you start looking now you can probably find some great deals at local thrift shops or in end-of-summer sales. You really can dress stylishly this coming fall without breaking the bank. It take a little more effort, but the less you spend on each item means the more you have to spend on accessories! *smile*.



Just remember- the best accessory you can have is a bright, cheerful smile and a joyful heart. No matter what you wear this fall, though two things will be the most important accessory you wear. 

All images via my Fashion
Pinterest board

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hi there! My name is Samantha and I am a nineteen year old homeschool graduate and born-again believer in Jesus Christ.

My interests are many and varied and include cooking and baking, spending time outdoors (especially during autumn!), music, historical fashion, Civil War dancing and putting together cute outfits.

You can learn more about me through my blog, Simple Delights or
by browsing through my Pinterest boards.

Please stop by! I love to meet new friends.

You're Invited to....

.... An exciting, upcoming event!!  My wonderful friend, Samantha, from Simple Delights, and I are proud to present that we will be hosting a Modest Fashion Show! We are extremely excited and hope that you will participate.

When: September 23rd- October 6th
Where: Here at 'Through the Lilac Bushes' and over at 'Simple Delights'.
Why: We want to demonstrate how young ladies can dress modestly and stylishly!
What: Come prepared to have lots of fun! There will be several different themes for each day and prizes will be given!
How: All you need to do is post your outfit on your blog or send in pictures to my email. More details will follow in a later post when the time gets closer.  For now, we just wanted to give y'all a heads up. :-)

Please help us spread the word by grabbing the blog button above and adding it to your sidebar. 

We really hope that you will participate in this fun event! We will have prizes, fun posts, quizzes, tutorials, and more! Be sure to stop by and visit and participate if you're able.

There are more details over at Samantha's Blog Here.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah & Samantha

Autumn's Arrival ~Guest Post by Alicia

    September is upon us – the month where I naturally begin to think about all things autumn. Fall is my favorite season – everything about it simply breathes creativity and coziness! I thought I would share a few of the things that make it my season of choice!

    If you didn’t know this about me….you do now! I love coffee. Period. And, what better time for enjoying coffee than in the fall?! Below, my friends, is autumn in a mug – the delectable Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte.

    Moving on (before I rush madly to Starbucks), here are the fashion aspects I love so much about the fall! Boots, scarves, and turtlenecks…my fashion paradise!

    And, of course, who could forget all of the delectable treats that seem to pop out of the kitchen around this time of year? Apple crisps, cherry cobblers, and pumpkin pie…another taste of autumn!

    The landscapes are simply gorgeous – from scarlet trees to bountiful fields! God’s awesome handiwork is apparent everywhere. (Yes, ahem, I took this photo myself!) 

One of the BEST things about fall is the new artistic energy I always get! The overcast skies, perfect temperatures, and cozy atmosphere stir up my creativity to no small end! Writing, music, card-making, crocheting – I always end up with an extra boost of inspired enthusiasm in the autumn. (Sorry, I simply couldn’t resist the book photo!)

And, lastly, I love Thanksgiving Day. (I know, it’s early to talk about, but it is another aspect of fall!) There is something so special about stopping to thank God for all He has done for you – and all that He will continue to do for you. And, of course, the warm scents and flavors of turkey, mashed potatoes, pecan pie, buttery rolls, and apple cider make this fall holiday a delight!

    So, what is that you enjoy about autumn? The cool weather? Apple pie? The crunch of leaves beneath your feet? Look around you and find out what it is that makes autumn special to you. :-)

****************************************************************************************

Alicia Willis is a home-school graduate, avid historian, and published author. When not busy writing, she also enjoys volleyball, being a church pianist, baking, and playing with her two dogs. To find out more about her trilogy, The Comrades of Honor Series, visit her at her Website.

 

Thoughts, Rambles, and Just a Basic Update

I think my posts have gotten rather boring as of late, haven't they? I'm planning some super fun ones, though, so keep your eyes open.

As basic update of what I've been doing.

Teaching fiddle. My students are amazing! They are just wonderful to work with. I've seriously been blessed with my students so far. The very first there I had totally spoiled me... and the three I have now are spoiling me even more!! Seriously, they are almost perfect. Ok, sorry. I couldn't help bragging. But, just let me say that they do exactly as I tell them, don't complain, and PRACTICE!!! HUGE thing for me. :-)

Having fun planning/scouting sessions with a good friend. This has something to do with that big 'secret' I was talking about in an earlier post. I can't say anything yet, but I will as soon as I can! (which will hopefully be soon.) This Wednesday will mark our second planning/scouting session. I'm looking forward to it a LOT. :-)

This past week, I missed seeing my home, my room, my kittens, my fiddle, etc. It was an awesome week, just a long one. :-) But, one that I won't regret!! :-) From Monday to Friday, I was gone from home. Monday and Tuesday were spent doing my awesome fiddle lessons and watching the kids while Mr. and Mrs. went on a date (hey, when you get to play with wonderful kids and hold sleepy babies, who wants to complain? ;-) I spend the night, since they live in town, and my mom picked me up on Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday we had our first drama practice since rehearsals. It went well and was really nice to see everyone after such a long time away from one another (the WHOLE summer!!). After Drama we headed home and we kids packed up clothes, and sewing/crafts and headed over to my grandparents. We spent the rest of the week there and came home Friday evening. It was SUCH fun to get to spend time with them! We don't go over as often as I'd like, so anytime we get to go is always a blessing. I worked on tons of sewing (another part of the surprise!), which was nice. :-)

Today we got up super early to go and sell corn again. It went well and was lots of fun. :-) Kind of boring, but we have fun as a family and make our own jokes and whatnot. We came home and napped.... ah, so wonderful to be home!

This upcoming week will start my temporary job at the... STATE FAIR!!!! I'm really looking forward to this job. My Grandma (the same one we spend part of the week with) is the new Superintendent. I'm her assistant. Yeah. *nods head*. It's going to be tons of work, but I'm glad to be able to work for my money. It will be for about 3 weeks. Getting up every morning at 5, working all day long, and getting home around 10 (maybe later). Oh boy! Fun times ahead! ;-) Seriously, though, I am looking forward to this. I'm planning on saving up my money for something super big....

What's this, you ask? Well, THIS surprise I CAN share with you... in fact, I've been looking forward to sharing it for a while now. So, the big news is.... I'm getting my books published!!!!!!!!! *squeals*. Yes, this is extremely exciting for me! I've been working on a series of Children's books for some time now and finally have enough done to start publishing. Well, I should say that they are almost done. I've got one or two more to do, then they must be edited, and illustrated. My amazing illustrator will be none other than my wonderful and beautiful Mother! :-) It's going to be really neat to get to work with her! Anyway, I will have my books published by April of next year (hopefully sooner, but that's the latest) so that I can sell with a friend at the Homeschool convention. It's an extremely excited and nerve-racking time for me! Lots of prayer, time, and thought have gone into all these books, so it's almost a surreal feeling to know that I'll be publishing them soon. As soon as they are done, I'll definitely be letting y'all know. The other really neat thing about my books is that they will be dramatized. Yup, that's right! My mom bought a program for me many years ago to do movie editing on... well, amazingly, you can also do voice recordings and whatnot. So, I'll be able to dramatize all my children's books and make an audio CD. I think it will be lots of fun (and yes, dramatized in the sense that they will have sound effects, different voices, etc).  The biggest thing about the publisher I will be using was that they also do CDs/DVDs. So, not only will they sound cool, but they'll look cool as well! It is just an amazingly and super-ly exciting time! I could write about for forever, but I will refrain. ;-) Perhaps, though, I'll be able to share a sample with y'all once it's done. (By the way, auditions for voice talent will be coming soon! ;-) hehe!)

So besides my crazy life right now, it's been normal, easy going, etc.  I do have one questions for my readers, though, before I close. Who would like to see a vlog or a video tutorial of something? I've put up a couple of polls on my sidebar, so be sure to check those out and vote! :-)

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend so far and that y'all will have a blessed Sabbath tomorrow.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Too funny to not share...

I found this picture and I couldn't help sharing it. I don't know who did it, so unfortunately I can't credit where it's due.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday. We didn't have church this morning, but watched an extremely convicting video. I'm hoping to post the video later if I can find it. It was just too good not to share, and I know I can't fully do it justice by telling it to y'all. So, you'll have to wait until I find the video. :-)
  Other activities for today include finishing up some drama things (auditions are this Tuesday! So excited about it!), and basically just relaxing and resting. Resting from yesterday, that is. :-) We were up and out the door by 5:45 Saturday morning. Why? Because we are selling corn for a local farmer at a farmer's market in town. It was extremely HOT because we had to sit out on the asphalt in our parking space next to the trailer. I think we will be doing something else for shade next week! We'll be selling corn until around the middle/ed of September. Basically just for as long as the corn lasts. The nice thing is that we are doing this as a family, so at least we get to be together! Also, we are, thankfully, in the middle of a more 'easy going' cattle season at the moment. Just gotta make sure there is water in the tanks, and fences are still holding up.
 
So, what did your weekend activities include?

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Recipe Contest!!!!

Hello Friends and Readers alike!

I'm here to announce something really fun, neat, and exciting!!! My dear friend, Samantha, is hosting a Recipe Contest over at her blog, Simple Delights.  The theme is DESSERTS!!! Who doesn't love desserts???

Entering is super easy, and did I forget to mention that there are prizes for the winners?? So, head over to Samantha's Blog to read all about it and get the entering info!  I'm really looking forward to seeing all the entrants for this super fun contest!

Hurry fast! Entering ends on the 11th!

http://simpledelights-samantha.blogspot.com/2012/08/baking-contest-details.html

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Happy Independence Day!

Hello! I just wanted to drop in to wish everyone a very happy 4th of July!! (even though we should technically be celebrating on the 3rd!)

Today's plans include going over to my Great-Aunt and Uncles to have hamburgers and play some games. It is tradition, actually. :-)  Unfortunately we won't be able to have any fireworks because of the drought that we are in, but that's alright. It isn't about the fireworks anyway, right? ;-)

Another tradition that we seemed to have started was getting together with another family on the 3rd. We were laughing that we always get together on the 3rd (since both the dads are off from work so they can stay super late!), so we decided that we should just make it tradition. ;-)  My friend and I had a photo shoot (I might share some pictures with y'all.... ;-), then we learned some new dances for a dance that's coming up (my sister and I are calling it, so we were trying to learn some new ones!), and then did our own "America's Got Talent" show! It was lots of fun.  After that, we got our cardio workout by sneaking around in the dark trying to find the other team before they find you. (yes, our hearts were pounding through the entire thing!) Whew, it gets kind of creepy out there! especially when the coyotes start howling (and they were very close last night!). In any case, we had lots of laughs and good fellowship. :-)

Any way, We had a blast, enjoyed sleeping in after our late night, and are looking forward to the evening with family!

Do you any of you have any fun traditions for the holiday?

Also, thanks so much to those who voted on the poll I had up. The results were kind of surprising, but I am looking forward to putting up some of those posts for y'all. :-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

A Little Humor for Mother's Day....

I found these and just couldn't help sharing them.  After hearing stories from mom's childhood, and knowing some from my own, I couldn't resist posting these for y'all.

What I learned From My Mother:

1. My Mother Taught Me to Appreciate a Job Well Done: "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just cleaned this room."

2. My Mother Taught Me Logic:  "Because I said so, that's why..."

3. My Mother Taught Me MORE Logic: "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me..."

4. My Mother Taught Me Foresight: "Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you're in an accident."

5. My Mother Taught Me Irony: "Keeping crying and I'll give you something to cry about..."

6. My Mother Taught Me About Osmosis: "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

7. My Mother Taught Me About Persistence: "You'll sit there until all your spinach is gone."

8. My Mother Taught Me about Weather: "Your room looks like a Tornado just went through here."

9. My Mother Taught Me about Anticipation: "Just wait until we get home..."

10. My Mother Taught Me about Receiving: "You're gonna get it when we get home!" 

11. My Mother Taught Me Medical Science: "If you keep crossing your eyes like that, they'll stay that way."

12. My Mother Taught Me Humor: "If the mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

13. My Mother Taught Me How to Become an Adult: "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

14. My Mother Taught Me Genetics: "You're just like your father."

15. My Mother Taught Me about Roots: "Shut that door behind you. Were you born in a barn?"

16. My Mother Taught Me Wisdom: "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

17. My Mother Taught Me about Justice: "One day you'll have kids.... and I hope they turn out just like you!"

Happy Mother's day!
In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Did You Know?....#1

Howdy folks!  As I am finishing up my school, I've suddenly found that I'm learning lots of very interesting things. Surely it isn't me going into some 'I'm gonna miss you' drama with my school??? Ha, that's preposterous!
  In any case, some of these little facts are rather fun, so I thought I'd start up a series of "Did You Know...". Actually, I might be stealing this from someone else... I'm thinking I saw it on a blog somewhere, but now I can't remember.....

Alright, so here is your DYK little fact.  Ever wonder where the 'word' "OK" ever came from?  Believe it or not, it actually came into being way back in the 1800s. It was the Presidential election again. Jackson had been in for two terms already, and the Democratic party was hoping to get Martin Van Buren in the seat. Well, people back then seemed to think it was a good idea to give everybody nicknames.  Van Buren's nickname was "Old Kinderhook". (starting to pick anything up yet?) Well, because the Democrats supported him, they set up "OK" parties to show their approval of Van Buren for president.  Now, we commonly use OK to give approval to something (or, to just say it... ;-)

So, there is your little fact for today. :-) Let me know if you like the idea of me doing this or not. Should I post weekly?

In Christ's Service,
Prof. Sarah ;-) hehe!

I've been tagged!

My good friend, Carolyn, has tagged me.  Thanks Carolyn!!

Ok, so the rules:

1. Post the Rules
2. Post a picture of yourself and 11 things about yourself
3. Answer the questions in the original post (the ones given you by the tagger)
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag
5. Go and tell them that you've tagged them

Here goes!

11 things about me:

(Sorry that is such a bad picture.. it was the only one I had...)

1. I always eat my apple slices from the bottom up. Never the other way around. ;-)
2. I love music. I love to listen to it, play it, sing it.
3. Hanging out with friends is one of the things I love to do. Let's party, people! ;-)
4. I have never broken a single bone.  Well, we kind of wonder if I broke my toe when I was little, but we're not sure.
5. I LOVE creamed cabbage. It's. The. Best! 'Nuff said.
6. Finding things that I remember from my early childhood makes me smile.
7. I have been to 5 different states.
8. Whenever I go shopping for myself, I always have to get something for the members of my family... don't know why, but I just can't go home without bringing them all a lil' something.
9. I always wanted to learn how to play the harp.
10. Even though I'm the 'queen of random' (some folks would call me that!), I'm having a hard time coming up with things to put on this list! haha!
11. I've always liked to climb trees.  Even now I sometimes get the urge to 'go climb a tree'.

Alright! I finished the list! ;-)  Now I get to answer the questions that Carolyn has made up for me to answer.

11 Questions to Answer:

1. How is your dream kitchen decorated? Ooh.. I don't know for sure.  Probably slightly vintage...but with modern appliances. I like really pretty wood cabinets, and wood floors.. Then maybe a pretty granite coutertop. I'd probably paint it a nice yellow, or some other cheery color. I'd want it to be an inviting place, lots of counter space. :-) And I might go with a theme.. like roosters, or something like that. :-)

2. If you had to be born in a different decade/time, when would you be born and why?  Hmm... Let's see. I always thought it would be fun to be born in the Regency era, attend balls, and wear fun dresses... and Gentlemen were just that. Gentlemen! But then, I'd be a maid (realistically), or someone in a lower station. And, I wouldn't be alive... or I'd have brain damage, which, back then, would be like not being alive. So, I really like how advanced we are in medicine today!  Another era would be medieval, but only the kind that is what we paint it out to be. It really wasn't glamorous, not like the books make it sound... haha!

3. What is your most cherished possession? Probably my notebooks.  I've got everything in there from letter drafts, to book ideas, to my random little thoughts about life. I rarely go anywhere without them!

4. If you could go back in time and meet one famous person, who would you meet and why? Ooh, another hard question.  Let's see. To be able to live when Jesus was here would be pretty neat.  But, I'm afraid I might have been one of the unbelievers...  I always thought it would be cool to meet Roy Rogers, or Carey Grant. I'm not totally up to par on famous people... ;-)

5. Least favorite household chore? Cleaning out the fridge. It's not bad when we've kept up with it on a regular basis, but if, for some reason, it gets left for a long period of time, then it's miserable.

6. Favorite Vacation you have been on: When, where, and why was it your favorite? Well, our family hasn't ever gone on huge vacations. I don't mind that at all. :-) I like to stay home. In any case, I do remember the one when we went down to Corpus Christi, TX. That was fun because we stayed in a little house that was just a few feet away from the sea. We walked down there every day.  Then, we went to a drive through animal park, where you can feed the different animals these cake cubes (just like we feed our cows).  The Zebras were the best, I think. :-) They'd stick their head right in the window and pop open their mouth and just wait for you to put a cube in. It was fun. And that is also when we went to Six Flags. That was fun, even though I'm not keen for the big roller coaster rides. I rode the kiddie one with Caleb over and over again. ;-)

7. How do you eat a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup? Um... I unwrap it, pop it in my mouth (or sometimes I'll take several bites out of it), then I fold up the paper cup, smooth out the foil part and fold that up as well. :-)

8. Favorite band/singer when you were 16 years old? I think that would be Steven Curtis Chapman. I've loved him since I was little, little.

9. If you were given $500,000 how would you spend it? Hmm.. I'd probably buy a new ranch truck for dad, pay off all the bills, then buy myself a truck, and then go visit out of state friends with the family, and put the rest into savings.

10. Weirdest name for a pet you/your family has ever had? Guess. No, I'm not telling you to guess. That was a cats name. It was fun to get our friends with that one!  So, that name or else a cat that I named "Pookie". Don't ask why. ;-)

11. What are 5 things you like about yourself? That I can typically make people laugh. That my quick wit is finally developing......... Um, can't think of much else. ;-)

I tag:

Samantha
Grace
Johanna
Rachel
Frannie
SammyJo
Shelley
Lily Marie
Bethany

If you don't want to participate, that is perfectly fine. :-)

Ok, my 11 questions for those that I've tagged (even if I didn't tag you, feel free to do it any how!)

1. What is the story behind your name (if there is one.. you know, like you were named after a distant relative, or whatever)
2. What is your favorite food to fix or eat?
3. What is your favorite family activity?
4. A favorite pastime?
5. Your favorite book and why?
6. Your least favorite thing to do?
7. Why did you start blogging?
8. What is a song that has lots of meaning to you?
9. Your favorite Bible verse and why?
10. What is a place you'd most love to go to?
11. What sorts of posts do you most enjoying reading on blogs you follow?

Happy blogging, friends!

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

P.S. We rounded up cows today and had to sort them... it doesn't sound too bad, but throw in 50mph winds, and fine sandy dirt blowing so that you can barely see (not to mention that its getting in your eyes).  Not so fun any more. ;-)

I know, I know.. shame on me

I know a lot of bloggers out there frown on me for changing my background all the time.  Quite frankly, though, I don't mind.  I figure that there are so many cute backgrounds out there, I might as well use them... especially since the ones I use are free!

Lately, with the changing of the spring weather, I needed a different background that felt more 'spring-y'.  So, voila. Enter new background.  It comes from thecutestblogontheblock.com.  Although I don't like ALL of their templates, they do have several cute ones. :-)

And, since I happened to be in this new blog background spree, my mom and sis let me redo theirs as well!! *evil laugh* I'm taking over!!! Mwahahaha!  It's so nice that they allowed me to do that... now that I know their passwords, I can wreak havoc!!!!  Since they trusted me with their information, I'll use it very carefully..

Ok, just kidding.  However, I did redesign their blog backgrounds. Which basically means I just copied and pasted a new background onto it. But, I like to give myself credit. ;-)  I did edit the HTML a little bit, which was SUPER scary.. I was just hoping the whole time that I wouldn't totally ruin their blogs! haha!

Anyway, I thought their blogs turned out really cute.  You can visit them here and here.

As for a quick update, bull sale #1 is just around the corner.. literally!  I always enjoy bull sale season.. but I also don't mind when it's over!  Our life is pretty busy during this season. However, all the bull sales are like little mini vacations with the family, so it is nice in that sense.  This first sale is my favorite... Here's why: 1) there's a swimming pool in the hotel! 2) the day before the sale, while the guys are talking bull with the other ranchers, we ladies head over to a local antique store. 3) It's the longest one, so it means more family time away from home! It's nice. :-)

Ok, maybe I shouldn't say my 'favorite' because the second one is in my grandparent's town, so we get to stay with them... and they serve free donuts over there!! YUM! :-) and free lunch... so, yeah. ;-)  Good times. :-)

But, before I close.... how does everyone like this background??

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Just Because it's too Cute!

My dear friend, Samantha, over at Simple Delights, has the most adorable Etsy shop ever-all the way from her cute and welcoming header, all the way down to her little veggie miniatures. And, just because I like her things so much, I had to do another post about it.  She's added some new things that you have got to check out!  It makes me feel 'spring-y'.  Because Springs around here are pretty miserable (the wind blows ALL the time), I have to get my 'spring' feeling on by looking at pretty stuff in stores or on the internet. :-)  Samantha's shop, Emariecreations, is one of the places I go (but not just for Spring!) Plus, I love the way the pictures look in her shop.  The pretty jewelry against delicate china plates. Totally sets the scene! Or, the book, which makes it feel charmingly rustic.

These earrings complete the look if you wore them with the necklace above. The purple color is SO pretty! I have just the shirt that I could wear with these.... ;-) 

Again, an adorable set!  Mum ring, necklace, and bobby pins! She even has earrings.  This would definitely set you up for your spring ensemble that you could wear to parties, get-togethers, and church. 

 Adorable ring. I love the rings SO much! They are so pretty and feminine.

..and they come in so many delicious colors. :-) 

Be sure to stop by her shop. It is way too cute. I wish I could order everything off of there, especially her flower rings and necklaces!

Hope everyone is having a lovely day!  I've got a fun post coming up soon. :-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah