Our newest family member: Tina!

Giveaway!

The Brass Hussy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Friends

Recently Dad, Amber, Angela, Abbie, Derek and I were able to go to a Reformation Celebration. It took a while for Dad to decide that we could go but he did and I'm really glad he did! Anyway, after supper and little devotional of sorts, the floor was cleared for contra dancing! It was wonderful getting to see friends again... some of whom we hadn't seen since August!

All of us girls FINALLY got a picture together!

Rebekah and me :)

Recent sewing project

So, I decided that I wanted a short-sleeved Civil War dress. The only problem was that the only short-sleeved CW dress pattern we had was too low at the neckline and rather difficult to raise, and I didn't want to do one with my slopers this time. So I got together 2 patterns for the bodice and, with a skirt made without a pattern, now have an outfit that I actually like. :)
For the actual bodice I used Simplicity 4078, but somehow I can't find it anywhere on the internet :-/ while the sleeves came from Butterick 6693

"Bros"

I've been following the production of a new movie, made by some friends of mine. Well, after 5 or 6 months (since beginning filming, not since the script was written) "Bros" is done, and comes out tomorrow. I would definitely recommend watching it! And, since I don't really know what else to say, here's more about it. :)

Bros Release Info from Block One Studios on Vimeo.

us4HIM Productions and Block One Studios have teamed up to produce a new Christian short film called Bros. The film tells the story of a young man named Trey, who has an adopted brother named Johnson. Rather than accept Johnson as his brother, Trey shuns him. But when his father challenges him to get to know Johnson, Trey goes on a journey of discovery and redemption in this moving tale which is inspired, in many ways, by true experiences.

The film, which is 43 minutes in length, goes on sale Friday, October 9th. However, on that same day, it will be made available online for FREE viewing for 3 days. The movie will be uploaded, in 3 sections, to Vimeo, the popular video sharing site. It will be available for viewing on this channel: www.vimeo.com/blockone

There is no obligation to buy the film – this online viewing is completely free, and mainly designed to garner interest in the film and get feedback from viewers.

After watching, should you desire to purchase the movie, there will be two purchase options: DVD and Download. For $10 (plus shipping), you will be able to purchase the DVD, which features well over an hour of special features, short films, and trailers in addition to the 43-minute film. The download will consist of solely the film itself, and will cost only $5.

Please help in spreading the word about the Bros online release. You can do so in many ways.
1. Copy this post into your own blog. That’s right! You don’t have to write up your own blog post about the film (please feel free to do so, though!) – you can just copy this post and paste it into your own blog. That simple!
2. Link to or embed the video in which Writer/Director Geno DiMaria explains the 3-day free online viewing and talks a bit about the film itself. You can also post the link to this video (or a link to your blog post about the film) on your Facebook or Twitter account to help us spread the word about it. The direct link to that video is: www.vimeo.com/6944260
3. Do both!
4. Spread the word about the film in any other way you can think of!

And for families’ consideration, Bros contains no objectionable or unclean content, and is completely acceptable for all ages. It sets forth a biblical worldview, and all involved sought to honor the Lord with every aspect of the production.

Thank you so much for helping us4HIM Productions and Block One Studios in getting the word out about Bros, it is SO appreciated!

Links:

Movie Website: www.us4him.com/bros

Release Information Video: www.vimeo.com/6944260

Movie Trailer: www.vimeo.com/5958658

Vimeo Channel (where the film will be playing online for 3 days): www.vimeo.com/blockone

A wonderful weekend

Remember these friends we met last October? Well, this past weekend they came back! My family has been truly blessed by our friendship with the MacDonald family since meeting them, and we all looked forward eagerly for the time they would spend here.
Their big bus pulled up in front of our house Friday evening for Pizza Night (though they arrived a bit late) and the evening was spent with music and games and good fellowship with, not only the MacDonalds, but about 7 other guests as well.
Did any of you know that Saturday was "International Talk Like A Pirate Day"? I did, and I REALLY hoped the boys would forget it. I don't think they did, but they didn't do anything for it, thankfully. :)
Saturday was spent doing an assortment of things, including going on a walk/bike ride (some people rode bikes, some walked and some didn't go at all!), various card games, a trip to Wal-Mart (though the only people who went there were Carol, A&A, Vincent and I), which ended up including a mini-tour of parts of our city. :) And then OF COURSE we had to go to the falls and the "cliff." Last year we went to both of these places but the "younger kids" as A&A called them, didn't want to go so only those of us from me on up went. This year we all went and got a group picture of all of us kids (since there was no boxcar on the trail to take a picture like we did last year). After we got home people divided up a little for some more talking and games (Matthew, at one point, went out to the bus and he and I talked for a few minutes online until I got off to be sociable and he came inside :P ). The last game we played was a game we played last year, that we finally decided to call "100 with 1 pencil", not knowing what the real name is.

Playing Blokus

And Chess

Peter on the trail

Nathan, Peter and Abbie were already wearing red so Daniel felt left out... this is what they all looked like when we got back from our walk :)

Group picture! :)
Carol... and Nathan... at the falls :)


It was getting dark so we didn't get many good pictures at Wild Cat Glades :(


"100 with 1 pencil"


SIX!

Sunday morning we didn't really see the MacDonalds until we got to the church where they would be singing. They all did a great job and the people who heard them were truly blessed, I am sure.
After their "stuff" was packed back in the bus after church we headed for home, but this time our van carried only 3 passengers: Mom, Dad and Mrs. MacD. while the rest of us piled in the bus. That was fun, I had never ridden in the bus before and it was neat... the bus was SO much bigger than the rest of the vehicles on the road around us! I guess it's probably not so cool to the MacDonalds since they're used to it, but I thought it was neat!
They had another concert at another church Sunday evening but until then they spent the afternoon at our house. After a lunch of nachos, we talked, and played games. Carol taught Amber, Angela, Ben, and I the game called "Kips" (which we had never heard of before), and we taught them "Super Uno" which is a favorite around here. While we were playing Super Uno our friend Korey showed up and spent the rest of the afternoon here (along with Abe, who came a little while before, and Korey's sister and 2 friends who walked from one of the friends' house).
After a little while we decided to teach Korey and Abe the game "I Saw A Bear" and then some of us ended up playing frisbee... sort of. :P We actually just threw it around, but it was fun anyway! :)

Playing "Spoons" after most of us had been eliminated... Matthew won

Carol :)

Hannah

At 4:30 we all (except Mom and Dad who stayed home, Korey who went in his van, and Abe) piled into the bus to go to the next concert. We got there, but the church building was locked and there was no one there to let us in. So we waited, after everything was unloaded from the bus until a lady showed up at 5:00 (we really didn't have long to wait) with a key.
While the MacDonalds set up inside we mostly sat in the pews, out of the way. :) That concert went really well too. :)

Setting up for the evening concert

I LOVED listening to them play together! :) (Mrs. MacDonald was also playing, on the keyboard)



This was probably one of my favorite songs. Please excuse Luke's and Ben's heads in it, and the wobbliness... just listen to the song :D

After the evening concert we stayed for a meal, even sitting close to the same place we sat last year! (Yes, we remembered where we sat then: this year we sat one table over from our place last year) That was one of the most fun meals I've had with them... though all meals with the MacDonalds are fun. :)

Comparing hands... I think it is interesting: their left hands were just slightly longer than their right hands... and my RIGHT hand is longer than my left. I wonder if it has to do with which hand we use the most (I'm a lefty)

LOL!

Hmm... I think they were seeing whose hands were longer...

Daniel

Us girls in the bus

The first MacDonald showed up at our door the next day at about 7:30: Daniel :) and it wasn't long before Hannah came. Around 8:00 Nathan came and then people stopped coming for a little while. The younger kids settled down to play my brothers' new favorite game "Bandits" while Nathan watched them.
At last Carol, Mrs. MacDonald, their Grandpa, and Peter made their way out of the bus... none of them at the same time, by any means! We had some good conversation and fellowship before we were all told that they had to get on the road. :'(

It took about half an hour to say "good bye" but at last, after group pictures, a little game of frisbee, and wrestling, the big bus rolled out of the neighborhood.

Frisbee!!!!

Daniel, Ben, Daniel

Good bye!

We had a wonderful time with you, MacDonald family, and can't wait till you come back! :)
(Photos by Carol, Angela, Vincent, Hannah... and... maybe some others: the camera's passed hands numerous times during the weekend :)

For the last few years my Dad's step-mom, Fran, has had cancer. Somewhere around 1/2 - 1 year before her 70th birthday (which was last year) Grandma Fran was told she wouldn't live much longer. She decided she wanted to live until at least her 70th birthday. The date came and went, and the new goal was 9/9/09 (simply because it is all 9s). Last week she stopped eating and drinking, her eyes closed and the only response a person got was perhaps raised eyebrows, or moving feet. They were told that she probably wouldn't make it TO the weekend, much less through it. Dad and I went up to spend the weekend, no one really knowing what would happen. The weekend passed and still Grandma Fran lived on. We came home Monday when the nurse said she did not know how long it might be. She had not expected her to last that long. Granddaddy said he would call if anything happened. The call came today: at about 8:00 this morning my Grandma Fran went to be with the Lord. She now has her perfect body and is no longer in pain.
I love you, Grandma Fran.