A Tag

I Saw a Yellow Dog
by Abby


I saw a yellow Dog
one day Floating
on a raft and another dog on it.
becuse they did see me
the cat did see me. so i
just left. A tree spred its
leaves becuse its leaves
were dry and i lookd at the
yellow dog the dog lookd
at me We loved each
other. becuse we liked
the look of each other.


Here is a poem I wrote when I was about six. I don't really remember why I wrote it, or what I was trying to say. :)

Anyway, I made this into a tag a couple months ago, and I've decided to re-post it. Here are the rules:

Post something that you made or a story you wrote from when you were young.
Then tag 6 people.

I tag:

Ashley Jean @ Life as Teen Photographer
Lauren Anne @ Beside Quiet Waters
Marelle @ Marelle's Blog
Lulu @ My Polka Dotted Life
Kendra @ Ismekendra
Bethany @ Joyfull Girl Creations


And anyone else who wants to do it!

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Random Revelations: My Most Favorite Time of the Day

A White Christmas!

Yesterday it started to snow, and by the end of the day, almost one inch had floated down from the sky! Needless to say, we were very excited. :) Our first white Christmas in a long, long time!

Our snow speckled dog. She was excited too. :)

We made some automobile snowmen-- they are ready to go!

This one is the one I made.

Our played-with snow

We had a good day of play, but I think one snow day is about all we Georgians can take. God blessed us with lots of beautiful snow-white snow. :D


Speaking of which, today is my sister Leah's birthday. She is turning 16! Click on the link to wish her a happy birthday. :)



I hope y'all had a good Christmas! May the true meaning of Christmas never be lost in our consumer culture.


Grace be with you,

Abby :D


PS Don't forget about my story contest!

Hannah's Photo Challenge

This is my dee-licious entry for Hannah's photo challenge.  My grandma has been baking a lot for Christmas, which is good for us. :)



Sorry the button is so big.


Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Lulu's Photo Contest!

This photo is for Lulu's photo contest. It is an old one, but I love it!


Grace be with you,

Abby :D

My Stress Level is Getting Higher...

Wrapping gifts, people peeking
In the house, children shrieking,
A worrisome sight, we're stressed out tonight
Walking in a wrapping paper land.


Christmas is closer than ever. I'm not ready! I've still got presents to wrap, carols to sing, cookies to bake... How many of you are ready for Christmas?

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

♪♫ But most of all, Winnie the Pooh...♫♪

{Oh, stuff and fluff!} - Winnie the Pooh


I've always loved Winnie the Pooh... he is so cute! I've watched all the Winnie the Pooh movies that came out, but none of them are the same as the good old first ones. Now there's a new movie coming out (click here to watch the trailer). Are you excited or disappointed? I really hope it will be good.

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

♪♫ It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ♪♫

I'm entering this photo for Hannah at Aspire's photo challenge! I really like the lights in this photo.


And thanks so much for all your encouraging comments about my recital! It went very well. :D

Piano Recital!

Tomorrow we are having a piano recital! Our piano teacher assigned me to play: "Frosty the Snowman", "Joy to the World", "Toyland", (the last two are duets) "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and "Ukrainian Carol of the Bells". I'm playing the duets with my sisters. :D Please pray for us tomorrow! Thanks so much!


Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Wet

{Rain, rain, go away, come again another day}


"Is it raining in there? It's raining out here too." -
                                                         Winnie the Pooh 


Today is very rainy. It's been a while since we've had a rain as good as this one. Big puddles... little raindrops... grumpy faces. :) Chicken soup for dinner.

Grace be with you, 

Abby :D 

Hannah's Giveaway!

Hannah at My Nutty Life is having a giveaway! Click here for details.

Happy Thanksgiving...

I hope everyone's having a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here are some things I'm thankful for:

• Turkey
• Family 
• Bright, colorful leaves
• Sunny days
• A fully functioning body

Today we will visit our mother's side of the family. I have five cousins on this side. :D 
I hope everyone has a wonderful day!


Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Oh, yes, today is my grandma's birthday! Happy birthday, Grandma!

Busy...

*After re-reading this post, and all the comments (thanks by the way, they're very sweet) I just wanted to tell all of you that after the holidays, I'll probably be returning to my old posting schedule. Just in case there was any confusion. :D Thanks again!*


I know I've not been posting as much as usual, and for this I'm sorry. But I haven't really been inspired, and this is one of the busiest seasons of the year. So I'm going to be posting shorter posts and commenting less.

I hope you understand!

Grace be with you,


Abby :D

Leaves

Lovely, crunchy
Clumpy, bunchy
Happy, snappy
Yellow leaves
Windy, blustery
Blowing, flustery
Pretty, flitty
Scarlet leaves
Lots of leaves of browns and tans
Spreading off of trees like fans
Bushy, pushy
Fly-y, sky-y
Nicey, spicy
Leaves

wordless -- pretty branches

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

A Very Grey Day

These wet, grey days do not agree with me. They leave me moody, gloomy, and feeling blue. Ugh... So, I thought I would post some bible verses about joy to cheer up anyone who's feeling the same way.

Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 9:2 - "I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."

Psalm 16:11 - "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

This is a poem I wrote about someone who calls on herself after a long absence.

The Disappointing Self by Abby
Hello dear Self,
I have finally come to call,
Is it my imagination
Or have you grown tall?
Why, your face is sticky
And your boots are wet,
And your floor is muddy.
Is the tea on yet?
Do you mean to say,
You've not been to the store?
And there's big mouse tracks on the pantry floor.
I am quite chagrined
You are not very clean.
This is the dirtiest brain
That I have ever seen.


Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Giveaway at A Farm Girl Ramblings!

Anne is giving away these wonderful prizes! Click here to enter!

You asked, I answered...

 Here's the answers to the questions you asked. :D I had fun answering them.


Whats your favorite pastime? Hmm... that's hard... I do like to write a lot. But I also like to read and draw.

What's your favorite food? I love pasta. :D Just thinking about it makes me hungry.

What country would you like to visit most? America! Just a different part than where I live. Maybe Arizona.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I would probably change it to... either Corinne or Ruth.

When did you become a Christian and what made you want to become one? Well, I am growing up in a Christian family, so God has always been in my life. I haven't exactly become a Christian but rather grew into a relationship with Him.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? I wouldn't. I'd just stay home. :D But if I had to go somewhere, I might go visit the Grand Canyon.

If you could meet a celebrity or actor who would it be? I would like to meet the Duggars! That would be great. :D

What is your favorite thing to do with your brothers? I love to play outside with them. :D

Which do you prefer, to laugh or make people laugh? I like to laugh but I love making other people laugh too.



Thanks for all your questions! I never expected to have this many. :D (And sorry for the un-original title. I couldn't think of anything else)


Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Questions wanted

I just love the idea of a Q&A post! I know lots of you have done this, so I've decided to do one as well. So ask me anything you want, as long as it's not too personal. I'll answer them in a few days. :D Have fun!

Since this is a short post, I though you might be interested in this photo. Here I was about nine. I had a pixie cut for a while when I was little.


Abby :D

A Baby's Feet

A Baby's Feet 
by Algernon Charles Swinburne

A baby's feet, like sea-shells pink,
Might tempt, should heaven see meet
An angel's lips to kiss, we think,
A baby's feet

Like rose-hued sea-flowers toward the heat
They stretch and spread and wink
Their ten soft buds that part and meet.


No flower-bells that expand and shrink
Gleam half so heavenly sweet,
As shine on life's untrodden brink
A baby's feet.






 This is one of those sweet little poems that I wish I had written. It's been in my mind a lot this week. :D


Abby :D
  

wordless

Abby :D

Rainy Day Blues

I've been feeling wrong today
I'm singing a grumpy song today
I don't know why
But I'm feeling bad

This song isn't cheering me
Raindrops and storms aren't hearing me
PLEASE GO AWAY!
I'm singing a bluesy song.

I don't know why, but I'm feeling down. Maybe it's got something to do with that I've been sick lately. Or that it's stormy. Clouds, wind, and tornado warnings. :P Here's some pictures of what it looks like outside.

A windblown tree

Some pretty, but rather scary, clouds

I guess it's just rainy day blues.

Oh yeah! A couple days ago, we found out the baby's a girl! Exciting news. :D

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Discipline

Discipline. It's the thing I struggle most with. But if we don't have discipline, there's no order or obedience. If I didn't use discipline regarding, say, dessert, then I would be a very unhappy, sick, and probably rather fat girl. If your parents hadn't used discipline when they trained you, you'd be a spoiled, disobedient person. Take a look at these Bible verses that show how important it is.

My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
Proverbs 3:11-12


He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
Proverbs 10:17


Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.
Proverbs 12:1


He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.
Proverbs 13:24


He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.
Proverbs 15:32 


'He who ignores discipline despises himself'! 'He who spares the rod hates his son'! The Bible shows that discipline is important. Discipline is also a part of my household. My parents discipline our little brothers, myself and my sisters, and themselves. It's also a big part of learning something. You have to have a lot of discipline to learn something well, such as a musical instrument, or even learning math or reading. I hope I've made a point in this post, I'm sorry if it wasn't very clear. I'm still not as good at sharing my thoughts as some people.
Have a great week!

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

A Tag from Cori

Cori tagged me! Thanks! Now here's the rules:

1. Answer the questions that I give you down there. ↓
2. Tag 8 people.
3. Make up 8 questions of your own.



1. If you could only use 1 color to paint your whole house with, which would you pick? I would pick.... white! It would get a bit boring, though.

2. If you were a plant of any kind which would you be, and why? I'd be a pansy, because I like them. :D

3. If you could have as many siblings as you wanted, how many would you have? 6 brothers and 6 sisters.

4. If you woke up with one super ability what would it be, and what would y wou do with it? Ummm... I'd like to turn invisible. Then I'd be a whiz at hide and go seek. :D

5. If your closet was one big clothing store, which one would you chose? Either Kohl's, Belk, or Old Navy. :D

6. If you could control the weather and its climate to make where you live any season you wanted forever, which season would you pick? Fall. Slightly cold, but not too cold and not too hot.

7. If you could have been born in any time period which time period for which specific reason? I think... in Jesus' time. It would be awesome (and I don't use that word lightly) to meet Him.

8. If everyone had one theme song for their life which would yours be? This is a very hard question! I...think...it...would...be...umm... some sort of classical piece?

That was fun! Now, I tag:

Hannah @ My Nutty Life
Miss Raquel @ God's Daughter
Lauren @ Spinning Barefoot
Kendra @ Ismikendra
Rachel @ Peculiar Treasures
Shelley @ Being Shelley
Amanda @ Farmgirl Writes
Carlotta @ Pastor Girl's Ponderings

If you've already done this, or you just don't do tags, then don't worry about it. I won't be offended.:D Plus, if you haven't done it, or you just want to do it again, feel free to take it! So, anyway, here are my questions.

1. Would you rather share a bedroom with an elk, or with someone who is constantly screaming in their sleep?
2. What is your ideal job (mother, doctor, teacher, missionary, etc)?
3. Would you rather watch nothing but a show called "The Purple Ponies to the Rescue" for the rest of your life, or nothing but horror shows?
4. What's your favorite school subject?
5. Would you rather live in a normal house, but with bricks for a bed, or live on a really neat playground with a normal bed?
6. Describe an embarrassing experience.
7. Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings?
8. What is your favorite music?

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Happy Monday - Autumn

This is a beautiful autumn sunset. Doesn't it look like the sky's on fire?
 

A tag from Lauren

 Lauren tagged me!

1. If you had one day to do anything in the world, what would you do? I don't know. If it could be an extra long day, I think I would travel all around the world. But if it was just one day, I would... work on a farm for one day. That sounds amazingly fun.

2. If you got kidnapped by an evil scientist who wanted to test his newest formula on you, and you got to choose the color of the formula, which would change your color to the color of the formula, what color would you choose? Hmm... I think I would choose blue or green. It'd be fun to be green. :D

3.  If you had to choose one word to say in every sentence you say for the rest of your life, what word would you choose? I would choose the word "uh". That's a word, right?

4. If there was one song you wish you would have written, which one is it and why? I wish I could have written "Our God is an Awesome God" because it's so nice. Although the word awesome is much overused in today's culture.

5. Which would you choose, never be able to use capital letters again or never use punctuation marks again? AHHHHH! I could never do that!

6. You are going to the moon, and you can only bring one thing and one person. Who and what? Well, it would have to be someone you got along well with... I would bring one of my sisters. And for the what, I would bring a gigantic box of books. But that's only if food was already included.

7.  If there was one animal on the earth you could own. what would it be and what would you name it? A dog. I think I would want either a basset hound or a dachshund. Or maybe a Scottish terrier or an Irish setter or a Golden retriever or a... anyway, I'm not sure what I'd name it.

8. There is a secret box in your closet. What's in it? A very secret thing. :D Just kidding. I don't know, I don't have many secrets.

That was fun! I like these kinds of tags. Anyway, here are the rules.

1. Answer the question that I made up. (down there) ↓

2. Make up eight of your own.

3. Tag eight people.

Here are my questions.

1. One night, you go down to get a glass of water, and there's a gorilla in your kitchen. What do you do?
2. Would you rather be purple or green for the rest of your life (includes clothing)?
3. What wild animal would you like for a pet?
4. Would you rather listen to nothing but opera or heavy metal for the rest of your life?
5. Would you rather be an only child or have 40 brothers and sisters that were younger than you?
6. Would you rather always have smoke in your eyes or small pebbles in your shoes?
7. Would you rather be a man with Minnie Mouse's voice, or a woman with a voice like Dwayne Johnson?
8. Describe your ideal vacation.

I will tag:

Annie 
Erin
Victoria
Kenna-Page 
Bethany
Ashley Jean
Skylar 
Rachel

And I tag anyone else who might like to do this. If you do this tag, please leave me the link! I love reading tags. :D

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Guess what we made?

We made some applesauce! Yum... I think there was 60 pounds of apples, but it didn't make that much applesauce. But it is REALLY good. :D It was a lot of chopping, peeling, slicing, and standing. I was sore all day yesterday. :( I think it's worth it, though.

What have you been making recently?

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Happy Monday - Blur

Here is my entry for Happy Monday. It's been so hot here lately, the dandelions have decided to rear their ugly heads. Ugh... I WANT FALL!

On a different note, I'm growing some acorns! I just love oaks. :D

Hooray!

I haven't told you this officially, so I wanted to tell you now. My mother is pregnant! It'll be our seventh sibling. :D We'll find out the gender in a couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted. :D


Grace be with you,

Abby :D

A Short Post (otherwise entitled, Two Pictures)

These are some pictures of the sun through the trees. I was experimenting a bit with the lens focus. I think they turned out pretty well, don't you?

Grace be with you,
Abby :D

Lauren's Blog Party!

1. If you were a Crayon, what color would you be? I think I would be...orange. Sort of sunny, but with a bad temper. :D
2. How old are you? I'm 14.
3. If you could make your very own rainbow, what colors would you use? I would use the same colors that are in a real rainbow.
4. What name do you go by on Blogger? Just plain Abby.
5. What is your least favorite subject in school? Math.
6. It's Saturday afternoon and you have nothing to do, so you.....Read and read and read. That is, as long as I have gone to the library on Friday. Sometimes I work on a project.
7. Have you ever had a giveaway/blog party on your blog? I've had 2 giveaways, but no blog parties.
8. What is your favorite song/artist? I like... Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas CD.
9. How many siblings do you have? I have five siblings (soon to be six! :D)
10. Homeschool, Private, Public or no school? Homeschool
11. What's your biggest pet peeve? Dropping something when I'm in a hurry.
12. What's your favorite word? I don't know. I like a lot of words.
13. What's one of your favorite blogs or website? I like a lot of blogs... I don't have a favorite.
14. What is your favorite font? Hmm... I think... the font that I'm using now, which is a default font.
15. Reading or Writing? Both.
16. Pens or Pencils? Pencils
17. Tea or Coffee? Neither :P
18. Cookies or Cookie dough? Cookies
19. Do you have Blonde, Red, Brown or Black hair? Brownish-reddish
20. What's your favorite thing to wear? Skirt and a t-shirt
21. Sweatshirt or Sweatpants? Uhh... I don't know.
22. Have you ever been out of your home country? Nope. :(
23. Adventure, Mystery, or Comedy? Adventure Comedy.
24. Hearts or Stars? Hearts
25. Would you want to camp or stay in a hotel? I don't know, either way you could get some sort of bugs. What about... RVing?
26. Indians or Pioneers? It depends on my mood.
27. Journal or Diary? Journal
28. Cursive or Print? Depends.
29. Did you have fun answering these questions? Yes.

I can't wait to see who wins! I hope I do. :D




Abby :D

Happy Monday - The Golden Hour

Here's my entry for Happy Monday. How do you love it? :D

P.S. How do you like my new blog design? Amanda did it for me.

If you would like to see who the winnner of my photo contest is, click here!

 Wow! I was really surprised at how delicious your cookies looked. :D Thanks for entering, everyone! Now, for the winner!

1.

 

2

3

4

5

And the winner is... #1! Congratulations, Bethany! Please comment your address (which will not be posted) and I will send it to you ASAP.



And thank you to everyone who participated! They all made my mouth water.... :D

Abby :D

Here's that cookie recipe I promised you!

These are the cookies I was talking about in this post. They are super mega ultra delicious. :D Anyway, they used to be called just plain "Chocolate Chip Cookies" (*snort* How boring.), but my brothers dubbed them "Fireman Cookies" :D.

Fireman Cookies


Makes 1-1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies
Time: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours for chilling

• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8-1/2 ounces) cake flour
• 1-2/3 cups (8-1/2 ounces) bread flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2-1/2 sticks (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter
• 1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
• Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.
3. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
5. Scoop 6 3-1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.


Well, it's rather a lot of work, but really worth it! They are MMMMMM! 


Grace be with you,

Abby :D

(Not quite) Wordless Monday

This was a big turtle we found on Sunday. He was just in the middle of the street. :D Isn't he cute? Look at his giant mouth. If that thing gets ahold of you, you just might have one less finger than you used to.

By the way, the man in the picture (who's holding Mr. Turtle) was actually brave enough to hold him for a picture.

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Happy Monday- Water Droplets

Here's my entry for Happy Monday. Can you tell me what business a green tomato has in fall? *shakes head*

♫♪ I'm already dreaming of a white Christmas...♫♪

Who else is already longing for Christmas? *raises hand*  I really want fall, but Christmas is calling me. Just like my piano teacher said, "I just can't resist Christmas any longer!" So she gave me a couple of Christmas songs. One called "Toyland" and I think "Joy to the World".

Here is a funny (long) joke I found on our pastor's blog

What happens at these Fahrenheit temperatures:

+65 - Hawaiians declare a two-blanket night.

+60 - Californians put on sweaters (if they can find one).

+50 - Miami residents turn on the heat.

+45 - Vermont residents go to outdoor concerts.

+40 - You can see your breath. Californians shiver uncontrollably. Minnesotans go swimming.

+35 - Italian cars don't start.

+32 - Water freezes.

+30 - You plan your vacation to Australia.

+25 - Ohio water freezes. Californians weep. Minnesotans eat ice cream. Canadians go swimming.

+20 - Politicians begin to talk about the homeless. New York City water freezes. Miami residents plan vacation farther South.

+15 - French cars don't start. Cat insists on sleeping in your bed with you.

+10 - You need jumper cables to get the car going.

+ 5 - American cars don't start.

0 - Alaskans put on T-shirts.

-10 - German cars don't start. Eyes freeze shut when you blink.

-15 - You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo. Arkansans stick tongue on metal objects. Miami residents cease to exist.

-20 - Cat insists on sleeping in pajamas with you. Politicians actually do something about the homeless. Minnesotans shovel snow off roof. Japanese cars don't start.

-25 - Too cold to think. You need jumper cables to get the driver going.

-30 - You plan a two-week hot bath. Swedish cars don't start.

-40 - Californians disappear. Minnesotans button top button. Canadians put on sweaters. Your car helps you plan your trip south.

-50 - Congressional hot air freezes. Alaskans close the bathroom window.

-80 - Hell freezes over. Polar bears move south. Green Bay Packer fans order hot cocoa at the game.

-90 - Lawyers put their hands in their own pockets.

 

 

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Photo Contest Update

Just letting everyone know, I'm adding these beautiful earrings to the contest prize.

Can't wait to see the winner!

Abby :D

You know it's almost fall when...

... You start to see acorns.

I love these cute little acorns!

...Leaves are turning yellow.

This is a cute little wind chime we got a couple years ago.

...Things are dying or going to seed.

I can't believe it is almost fall! Summer is almost over... :( God's creation is so wonderful in all seasons, though. :D

I hope you had a great summer!

Grace be with you,

Abby :D