~January Birthdays Part 2: A Trip to the Children's Museum!~

When we arrived at the Children's Museum a lady informed us that they were giving segway rides upstairs, so we all went up to check it out!

When you first step on, the segway would wobble back and forth a little. To go forward you would lean forward so the weight of your body would be on the front of the platform, then to go backwards you would put more weight on your heels. (Much like the Nintendo Wii board works.) To turn you simply push the handle bar to the right or left.

The man overseeing the rides let us each go around the room a couple of times. We greatly enjoyed the experience! ;)

In another area of the museum, there were some things you could sit on to show you how pulley's work! Here's the birthday boy trying one out!

Several of us had to give it a try! :)

Here my brothers and cousins enjoyed making swirls in sand! (There were spinning disc's with sand on top of them and if you held a tool in the sand as the disc was spinning, it would create lovely designs!) :)

This interactive display was part of a traveling museum and was great for many to play with together!

Here's the bubble station! If you look closely you can see that both my brothers and cousins are inside bubbles! :)

As we continued on to another room my brothers and cousins stopped to play in a big sand box! If you look in the sand carefully you can even find some dinosaur bones!

Here's my younger brothers and and cousins having fun in the Model T.......

...and the airplane! :)

The news station was another fun place to stop by! Here my brother acted as the camera man! :)

And my other brother and cousins pretended to be the news anchors!

After exploring much of the museum, we decided to take a break for some delicious birthday cake and presents... :)

...shortly followed by more delightful interactive play! Here we were in the courtroom! :)

Many blessings to you all! :)

~Chloe~ :)

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

~Phil. 4:4~

~January Birthdays!!!~

This month we had two birthdays at our house...my mom's and younger brother's! :D

In celebration of my mom's birthday I prepared a delicious angel food cake (topped with butter cream frosting)-Mom's favorite! ;)

Here Mom and Dad paused for a picture just before opening presents!

One of the gifts Mom received this year were some pretty pink fluffy towels! :)

My dear mother and me. :)



My mom and brother were blessed with many lovely birthday cards as well, which were displayed on our buffet for continued enjoyment!



And for my brother, we prepared a fudge marble cake with chocolate icing and sprinkles! :) It was really yummy! :)

Our grandparents were able to come over that afternoon and my brother enjoyed opening presents during their visit!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..."

~James 1:17~

Later that week we enjoyed a trip to the Children's Museum! Hopefully I can do a post on that in the near future soooo.....stay tuned!! :)

Many blessings!

~Chloe~ :)

~Scripture Memory Challenge!~

Hello all! :D

With the new year at hand, my dear friend, Melinda, (blog author of Abounding in Hope) has initiated a scripture memory challenge! The challenge is to memorize 365 verses in 365 days! That's just one verse a day...and if you miss a day it shouldn't be that hard to catch up. What better way to bring in the new year than spending time, meditating on the Word of God! Soooo...pick out some chapters or a book of the Bible that is meaningful to you and let's get started! ;) Remember, as we hide God's Word in our hearts, the Lord is SO good to bring it back to mind just when we need it! If your not sure where to begin...I'm going to try to start with Psalm 119. I know its a lot of verses and as life gets busy, it can sometimes seem a bit overwhelming, but we all need this SO much...

"Now as they were traveling along, He (Jesus) entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.
She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.
But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me."
But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;
but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

~Luke 10:38-42~

Even if you are unable to participate in this challenge, I would like to encourage you to consider memorizing at least one chapter...(Phil. 4 is really good!) or at least, (if you haven't already) try to make it a habit to read your Bible and pray every day (I'm reminding myself of this as well), because that is how we can "go from strength to strength..." ~Psalm 84:7~

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

~Is. 26:23~

"So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God."

~Rom. 10:17~

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

~Psalm 119:11~

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

~Psalm 119:105~

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers."

~Psalm 1:1-3~

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

~Joshua 1:8~

So...if you are interested, feel free to leave a comment to let me know and we can try to help keep each other accountable and updated on our progress! ;)

The verse I'm working on today is...

"How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the LORD."

~Psalm 119:1~

Many blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

P.S.

To check out other scripture challenges visit here. http://heismyhope.blogspot.com/2009/12/bible-memory-challenge_29.html :)

~November/December Update~

Greetings to you all!

I hope everyone has been having a very blessed December!

We have been pretty busy this month and I haven't had much time for posting, but I thought I would start with a Thanksgiving update and catch you up from there. ;)

This year we found some lovely pilgrim figures at Hancock Fabric's. They have some really pretty seasonal decorations there and we've been excited to find some new one's to add to our collection. :)

We were blessed to gather with relatives and enjoy

sweet fellowship and delicious food. My Grandma made these fun "turkey" sugar cookies!

My younger brothers and cousins had fun dressing up in costumes to act out the first Thanksgiving! :)

"...in everything give

thanks; for this

is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

~1 Thessalonians 5:18~

Early in December, I had the privilege of performing the "Messiah" with a local College/Community Choir! It a was a thrilling experience! :) We sang nine songs and there were some solos as well. A very talented lady played the organ in accompaniment.

Here we are during a dress rehearsal. :)

We performed two nights in a row. :) After the first concert, we posed for a picture in front of a beautifully adorned Christmas tree that was in the foyer of the building.

The following week we attended another Christmas performance that some of our friends were participating in. We enjoyed hearing hand bells, a children's choir and an adults choir accompanied by an orchestra! :)

This month we also had a delightful time at the historic dance Christmas Social. There, we played parlor games and engaged in a few dances, one of which is called the"Twelve Days of Christmas"! It was a lovely evening! :)

In other news, I have been doing some baking! I made a loaf of cinnamon bread a while back which was...ohhhhh so delicious!

I also made up some fudge and peanut butter cookies topped with chocolate kisses! So yummy! ;) (For the cinnamon bread or fudge recipe click here. ) :)

We recently had Christmas dinner at my grandparents house! :)

Here's some of the yummy deserts we thoroughly enjoyed! ;)

After the wonderful meal and fellowship, we all gathered in the living room to hear the Christmas story read aloud while my younger brothers and cousins gave us a visual aid by using a shadow box to reenact the story.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

~Luke 2:11~

Next, we sang some Christmas songs as my younger cousins played them on the piano. :) We then, opened presents and enjoyed more fellowship, food and games. :)

Hope you all have a very blessed New Year!

In Christ,

~Chloe~ :)

~Marie-Madeline Studio Quilt Giveaway!~

The lovely Long ladies from Marie-Madeline Studio's are hosting a quilt giveaway from November 28-December 13! :)

They will be giving away two quilts this time... the beautiful Garden Party quilt.....

.....along with the beautiful Darla quilt! If you get a chance, stop by and enter to receive one of these lovely quilts! You can click here for details. :) Also, f you learned of the giveaway through my blog and you decide to enter, please let me know...as I get more entries if you do. Thanks!

~Chloe~ :)

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers..."

~Psalm 2:3~

~Happy Thanksgiving~

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens his will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
Amen

--Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn
(A translation by Theodore Baker: 1851-1934)

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year...with beautiful autumn colors, special gatherings to spend time with family and to enjoy delicious foods! :) Praying you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving as you reflect upon the Lord's goodness in your life, this year and always!

With a grateful heart,

~Chloe~ :)

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

~Psalm 107:1~

~Blog Awards~

My dear friend Bethany has graciously bestowed me with two lovely blog awards! Thanks so much Bethany!

Here are the rules:

1. Do a post about the person who awarded you, and their blog.

2. Give the award to 5 of your favorite blogs, give a reason, (i.e, why you awarded them) and leave them a comment letting them know they've been awarded.

3. Answer the 10 random questions.

4. Have Fun!

About Bethany ...Bethany is a sweet young lady who loves the Lord and her family. On her blog "Polished Cornerstone ", she shares about the many fun and exciting things that happen in her everyday life! (Bethany, congratulations on the wonderful news of another sister on the way!!! :D)

Now, I am awarding...

Jacqueline , a dear friend, and very sweet, christian, young lady. On Jacqueline's blog "By Grace Alone" she post's about fun activities she does with her family such as birthday's, trips and many other fun things. Jacqueline has also started the blog "Modest Finds", where she and a few others (including myself) post links to where you can find modest and fashionable clothing.

Miss Jen, is the very lovely blog author of "Blessed Femina". Miss Jen shares many recipes, sewing projects, crafts, ideas, giveaways, beautiful pictures and thought provoking quotes, scriptures, etc. After visiting her blog you are bound to come away encouraged and inspired! :)

Melinda, another special friend of mine. :) On her lovely blog titled "Abounding in Hope", Melinda shares adventures about her and her family on their farm, as well as inspirational quotes and articles. She also recently hosted a giveaway from Marie Madeline Studios.

Mrs. Smith and Jessica are a mother and daughter who are authors of the fun blog "Sew Chic". They post pictures of the many beautiful garments, crafts, purses, etc. that they have so beautifully constructed.

And if I could do one more.... :)

Daughters of Vision is such a pretty blog where three sisters post about how the Lord is working in their lives. They too, post articles that are inspiring and encouraging in ones walk with the Lord. They share sewing projects that they have made, as well as delicious cooking creations.

And the list could certainly go on..... :D but as to not make the post really, really long.... :) I suppose I'll stop there, however, feel free to check out some of the other really neat blogs by clicking on the links on my sidebar. ;)

And now for the questions I am to answer.... :)

1. Have you ever ridden an elephant? No... I haven't....(but my mom has!) :) Once my mom and I rode on a camel when I was really little though! :) )

2. Have you ever eaten squid? No...and I don't really plan to ever eat it either....

3. What is something crazy you have done with your best friend? Well, I wouldn't really call it crazy...it's pretty fun actually .... :)...when my older brother was younger he came up with the idea to move the chairs into the living room and then to drape sheets across the them and the furniture. Then we got out the socks...(they were clean, mind you :)) and we would roll them into balls, then our family would divide into teams, hide behind our "forts" made out of sheets and the sock war would begin.

4. Have you ever held an alligator? I recently had the opportunity to touch a small alligator at a wild life event we went to...but, I didn't touch it or hold it either. :)

5. Have you ever let a snake slither through your fingers? Definitely not! (I don't particularly care for snakes...) :P

6. What is your first and foremost dream in life? I desire to glorify the Lord in all I do, to put Him first place in my life, to walk uprightly before Him, and to please Him. I want to be sanctified and purified useful for the Master, to continually grow closer to Him. I want to be conformed to the image of Christ. I desire to be a vessel the Lord can work through. I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart soul, mind and strength. I desire to be a woman after God's own heart, to be a Proverbs 31 kind of woman, a woman of excellence.
I also, hope to some day marry a godly man, whom the Lord has prepared for me, (if it is God's will) and to teach and raise up godly children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, useful for His kingdom.

7. What is your dream vacation? I would probably enjoy going to Washington D.C. to see all the historical sites, the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore would probably be pretty neat to see too! :)

8. What is the funniest movie you have ever seen?
Hmmm....well, the Apple Dumpling Gang, and Finding Nemo are kind of funny. (I've not watched them in a while though, so if you watch them please use discretion.)

9. What is your favorite song? Well, some of my favorite hymns would probably be "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", Be Thou My Vision, and "Take My Life and Let it Be". I really do like many songs...too many to mention here. However, a few others are "As the Deer", "He is Exalted", "You are My All in All" ,"Lord I Lift Your Name on High" etc. :D

10. If you could change the world in one way, what would that be? If I could change anything in the world? Well, I think it would be wonderful if sin would have never entered the world. But since it has I am forever grateful that my Lord is so loving and merciful as to send His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for all our sins, that we might have eternal life and that we may turn from our sins and live for Him. What a wonderful Lord we serve!

Bethany also gave me another award! :)

I'll present this award to the same people mentioned above... :)

To accept this award, recipients should do the following things:
1) Save the image and upload it to display in your sidebar
2) Present the award to five people
3) Publish a post presenting the award which names your 5 recipients and tells what you like about each of their blogs/websites.

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful Autumn season! :)

Many blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

~Autumn Sewing~ :)

I am pleased to announce the recent completion of a new jumper! :D I used the Simplicity pattern number 3747 view C (minus the pockets). And the denim floral material was from Hancock Fabrics. :)










The jumper has a centered zipper in the back along with a pleat, which I had never done before, but with careful reading of the instructions, along with my dear mother's guidance, both went together very smoothly! :)

She looks for wool and flax

And works with her hands in delight.

Proverbs 31:13

May we all continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior every day!

Blessings!
~Chloe~ :)

P.S.
As I was having my Bible time this morning this verse jumped out at me and I wanted to share it with you all. :)

"O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me..."

Psalm 43:3a

~Furry Friend Adventures~

Hello everyone!

Hope you are all having a good October so far!




We have been busy finding new homes for our latest litter of kittens! When we were down to two kittens a sweet older couple called and said that they were interested in getting a couple of them. They were hoping to get two so the kitten's would keep each other company. :)
We were going to be out and about that day so Mom asked if the couple would like to come the next day and they said they would. Well, the next day we were only able to find one of the kittens, but the couple decided they would go ahead and take one of the kittens and if the other one showed up we could call them and they would come get it too.
Later that day, Mom, my younger brothers and I all went out to see Dad, who had just gotten home from work. When I stepped out the door, I was pleasantly surprised to see dad sitting on our bench just outside the back door with a cute little brown puppy in his arms!

He told us that there was a man giving away puppies at Wal*Mart and that the puppy is half Lab, half Australian Shepherd and is about nine weeks old. Dad has always liked Labs! :)

Now back to the kitty story! :) Sometimes our kitty's have been known to hitch a ride under our vehicles without our knowledge: sometimes they return, sometimes they decide to move out of town! Or of course, there are natural predators that unfortunately think the kittens would make a nice meal...owls, coyotes etc. :( Anyway, we weren't sure whether the kitten would come back or not. Later that evening however, we learned from Dad that the kitten had apparently ridden in his pick-up down the drive way as he was leaving for work, then hopped out, and ran across the road. So, after getting to know the puppy a little and then finding a place for it to stay, my younger brother and I decided to walk down the lane to see if the kitten would come to us if we called for it and if it hadn't wondered off too far. We called for the kitten but it didn't come so we headed back for the house to see the puppy. While we were on the porch with the puppy we saw a black fur ball making a dash for the back yard! And so we called the elderly couple once again and they happily returned the next day to adopt the second kitten!

So, that is part of the many things we have been up to lately!
That's all for now...until next time!

~Chloe~ :)

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

Eph. 6:10, 11

~My 19th Birthday~ :)

Earlier this month we celebrated my 19th birthday!
:D

After considering what kind of cake to have this year, :) we decided to go with a wonderful strawberry soda pop cake (minus the soda pop), which mom so graciously prepared. :) It was soooo yummy! ;)

Here are my dear parents, me...:)

....and my younger brothers! :)

That morning my younger brothers thoughtfully, scurried around the dining room, decorating the table and blowing up balloons, getting everything set up just so, to celebrate my birthday. :)

My youngest brother drew up some very complex mazes for me do where you were trying to get to the "cake" or the "Happy Birthday" sign at the end of the maze. :) (He really likes mazes.) :)

My brothers also gave me some beautiful cards that they had made. :)

Here's my youngest brother enjoying his piece of birthday cake... :)

....and this is my other brother thoroughly enjoying his ice cream! :)

An early birthday present that I received from my parents this year, was a lovely wicker chair for my room! It is so pretty and I have really enjoyed having it! :)

I had a very pleasant day, and I am so very thankful for the Lord's many blessings in my life! I desire to continue to grow closer to my heavenly Father each day and I greatly look forward to another year to serve and follow my Lord and Savior!

Blessings to you all!

~Chloe~ :)

"O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

1 Chronicles 16:34