Goodbye 2015!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

In preparation for playing at some nursing homes this afternoon, Becca and I, along with our friends  Jon and Emma, have been busy practicing this week.

We filmed some of our favorites, so here they are! There are a few mistakes here and there, but we had a lot of fun with it!  :)
 We hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

Leaves of three...wait, what if there are no leaves?

While on a lovely hike during Thanksgiving break, we came across different kinds of bright colored berries. We started collecting them into a fun, wintery bouquet, and the more we looked the more different kinds we found.

First, there was Bittersweet. 

It's bright scarlet berries meandered along the ground and up trees.

Then, we found these.

We didn't know what they were, but they added a nice contrast.

It then grew to include some red sumac, and evergreen sprigs, and all in all, we thought it was quite pretty.

We split the larger bouquet into two smaller ones; one for Mom, and the other to take back for our dorm room.

Our post title may have given you a hint as to what the mystery berries were soon identified as...

dun, dun, dun!

Poison Ivy!

Please pray for our mom who is still suffering the results of this terrible discovery.

Thankfully, even though Becca was the first one to find them, she's free of any rash, but I have a couple patches.

So, our lesson has been learned. Don't pick unidentified berries in the woods, please don't.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 100

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing.

Know that the LORD, He is God;

It is He who made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gate with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, 

And His truth endures to all generations.

Nothing but the Truth

Oh dear, what delinquent bloggers we've been. And we have such good intentions too. But our time is overtaken by schoolwork and people; very important things, yes, but we haven't forgotten you all. :)

This is one of my presentations for Contemporary Issues class, addressing the subject of truth vs relativism. I just got my grade on it tonight (a 98!), and am excited to share it with you.

note: I'm not very fond of the title, I just had to come up with something quick before turning it in, so if something better comes to your mind while reading it, please share!

One Lovely Blog Tag

Well, we've been tagged, twice in fact, and it's about time we did another post. Sorry we're so sporadic about this. But to make it up to you, we're going to do facts about these past couple weeks we've been AWOL. 

So, thank you, Keturah and Clara, and away we go!

Unwanted

This is a short story I wrote as a presentation paper for Contemporary Issues class, on the issue of abortion, and the sanctity of life.

I haven't gotten a grade back on it yet, but our Teacher, Mr. Hornick, said he really liked it!

So I'm sharing it with you, hope you enjoy.

Unwanted

By Rebecca Canaan

Lithop Update

Well, it looks like even with our edited schedule, it's still been hard to find time to post!

I shouldn't make any promises about posting more, but I do want to let you know we haven't deserted you all. :)

But enough of that. Today I'd like to update you on my dear babies.

Yes, my rock collection is growing. :)

I also added a layer of sand over the soil, as the soil has been packing down and the growing lithops needed more support around the base. 

I found a sand pile by my car in the gravel parking lot behind the dorm. As I was scooping the sand with my makeshift trowel (aka plastic spoon), I realized this nice pile of sand was actually a very large anthill! Thankfully, their front door was opposite from me, and we left each other alone. 

They all seemed to be doing well in the dorm. They would get plenty of light by the window (most of the time), when I remembered to leave the blinds open, and they were all growing bigger and taller...except for one.

Sometime this past week Becca came back into our room to the announcement- "There's been a fatality."

While looking over my lithops, I had found the smallest brown one leaning to the side, and when I tried to right it, I found section of the base was eaten away, nearly disconnecting it from it's root system. It wasn't firm and healthy looking like the others, and I could see it had stopped growing.

So what did I do?

"Since Monkees are notoriously curious..."

I decided to dissect it! 

Here, for your viewing enjoyment, is the inside of a lithop.

Cool, huh?

And very juicy. 

I'm not exactly sure what caused it, maybe an insect wanted a taste.

But the others are doing just fine, thankfully!

So, I know a few of you bought some lithops of your own after my post.

How are they doing?

Have you had any calamities? 

Any signs of blooms? (None for me yet)

When God edits your schedule...

With some free time Becca and I have recently acquired (more on that below), we thought it would be fun to do a fall outfit photoshoot, as the weather has been getting chillier. 

I'm So Happy! (Here's the Reason Why)

Becca and I are pretty happy to be back at school, but that title refers to the song we're going to share with you guys at the end.

Sorry we've been lapse in posting. Hopefully as we settle into our school schedule, we will get better at posting more regularly.

So, how have we been?

We've been good! One of the things we were most excited about coming back to school, was that we get to share a room this semester! Yippee!

Would you like a tour?

E.O.A

By Becca

This is the last post I'll write at home, at least for a while now. This weekend Beth and I will be heading back to school. I still can't quite believe it, even though my suitcase is packed and the plans have been made... the summer seemed to whirl by faster than any before. 

Is this what growing up feels like? 

Before we leave home and get swept back into the world of structured education, we thought we ought to share a post with you; it might be a little while before we have time again.

So, here is another acronym.

Knowing You

Becca and I really miss when we don't have someone to do a third harmony, and in the past we've made plenty of recordings with multible voice tracks. But on the blog we've tried to do songs that we could sing with just the two of us, just like we do if we were singing live.

But sometimes, (like with this song), we really wanted that extra harmony, so you'll hear two of each of us, our own little choir.

While trying to figure out what to do in the intrumental verse, I thought of reading the verse the song is based on. Just like in For King and Country's music video of Proof of Your Love. So we borrowed their idea, and I think it turned out pretty cool. :)

Mission: Channel Back Side Chair

Hold your horses!

Before you groan and say, "No, not another channel back chair!", just keep reading.

But you wouldn't do that, would you? 

Of course not. You're too curious and want to see what this cute little chair looked like once I finished with it. 

B.A.F.N

By Becca

I actually had a different acronym I was going to post about, on encouragement, but that's not what has been heavy on my heart today. 

So I am going to share B.A.F.N with you guys instead. 

My new pets || Lithops

by Bethany

Last weekend while flipping through the newest issue of AIG's Answers magazine, this little article caught my eye.

What we've been up to...

That girls dorm has been our home for the past three weeks. As you can sort of see, it has a lovely view of a cornfield.

Why were we there, you ask?

Spiffy New Threads

It's not often that I get to make doll clothes.  It used to one of my favorite things to make new outfits for my American Girl doll, or for a pair of teddy bears Becca and I had.

But nowadays, opportunities to make miniature clothing are few and far between.

(Though, there have been a few projects I've shared on the blog- for the doll house family, and my armor/sweatshirt prototype)

However, in the midst of some larger projects last month, I was able to squeeze in making an outfit for this little fellow.

Happy Fourth of July!

L.L.A

Our world is getting darker everyday. Lines between right and wrong are blurring to shades of grey, and the Biblical truths we hold on to as Christians look stranger and stranger to society. 

But this world is not our home, our citizenship is in heaven.

Liebster Award

We have been double tagged!

Thank you very much Keturah and Clara Ruth!

Rules: Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog. 
Give your readers 11 random facts about yourself. 
Answer the 11 questions from the blog who nominated you. 
Nominate 11 bloggers to receive this award. Come up with 11 questions for your nominees! 

Sometimes it's better to watch the movie first... || Part 2

Not too long after watching the Horatio Hornblower movies, I found the three books, in the center of the picture above, at an antique store. Finding a set like that in such good condition was really exciting! That started off my collection, but I didn't want to start reading the series in the middle. I found the rest of them at Thrift Books for only a few dollars each, and then I was ready to begin!

Sometimes it's better to watch the movie first... || Part 1

 Aka,

Bethany's review of the Horatio Hornblower series by C. S. Forester, and the made for TV movies based by them.

Till Sunbeams Find You

By Becca

Like all briliant ideas, I first came up with mine after seeing this on Pinterest.  :)

Sleepy Little Fox

By Becca

Mom found this wooden shelf on one of our "junkin" adventures.  It looks like one of those old "tract racks" you'd see in a church entryway. At the time when she asked what we thought of it, I'm afraid that both Beth and I said "ehh...".  Do you know the story of the little red hen? It reminded me slightly of that. Since we didn't want it, she took it home and was going to do it all by herself.

When she started explaining what she wanted to do with it; turn it into a bookshelf for oversized children's books, I began to see how it could be changed, and offered to help.

Change the Channel

Last Spring, some friends who were moving gave me this little channel back chair. 

Sisterhood Blogger Award

Thank you, Keturah, for passing on this fun tag!

Jewelry Box

 By Becca

Once upon a time there was an ugly little jewelry box.

R.A., P.W.C., & I.E.G.T.

Today you get three acronyms for the price of one.

Rainy Day Song Medley

Do certain things ever make you think of songs?

They sure do for Beth and me.

The idea for this rainy day medley began while we were back at school. It had been raining on and off for weeks and one particular Sunday morning it was pouring. 

After the morning church service, we scampered through the puddles and failed to dodge raindrops while heading to the dinning hall, where our Sunday school class was held. The Everly Brothers' song "Crying in the Rain." had been stuck in my head ever since the rain had began. I even doodled a raincloud on my bulitin and wrote the song lyrics in with the raindrops. :)  

While we waited for Sunday school to start, we began to talk. There are so many oldies songs about the rain, wouldn't it be fun to do a medley? Right there we started humming, and we tried to see if the Cascades' "Rhythm of the Rain." would fit with "Crying in the Rain." We didn't get too far before the Sunday school teacher came, but we saved the idea for when we had the time.

Turns out, the next time we came to it, was a rainy day back at home. Beth found the guitar chords to both songs, and they were in the same key. We slowed the tempo of "Crying in the Rain" so the two songs would flow together. Beth arranged the lyrics so each song would take a turn, and started the medley with the guitar riff from "Rhythm of the Rain." We sang it a few times, seeing how best to blend the two songs, and then I really wanted to try if we could sing a verse from each song at the same time. It took some trial and error, but then it worked! 

"There were never such devoted sisters!"

For those of you intrigued by this gif we had at the end of one of our posts... :)

During the first few weeks of school, we found out that there would be a talent show in April, and some friends, who were also sisters, told us they had been thinking of doing the song "Sisters" from the classic movie "White Christmas". One of them wasn't so sure she wanted to do it, but if another pair of sisters were to join them...

We had sporadic practice sessions with their busy schedules, and since large feather fans aren't the easiest to find, we made some improvisations, but here is the finished result, kindly filmed by our father on his phone. :)

Last Week of School...

When we started this semester, we thought when we reached this week, our feelings would be expressed quite accurately by this song line:

Random Question Tag

Thank you, Ashley, for tagging us!

Let the randomness begin!

~ Paste the button onto your blog post.

~ Leave a new list of questions (or just pass on the question list you answered) and tag a few people of your random choice (and say why you tagged them, if you have time!) (Be original and nonsensical in your question-creativity - make the blogging world a cheerful place :-) And be disastrously random.)

B.I.

Are you ready for our next acronym? 

Okay, here we go.

This principle comes from a few different verses, and though it's only two simple words; be intentional, it's a great reminder to be purposeful about everything you do.

 The other verses are:

Colossians 3:23 
        And whatever you do, do it heartily, as working for the Lord and not for men.

Hebrews 12:1-2
        Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which easily ensnares us, and let us run the race with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

You are probably still wondering what circumspectly even means. The definition says: thinking carefully about possible risks before doing or saying something.
Do we think carefully before doing or saying something? Everything we do effects the people around us.  If we coast along in our Christian walk, not doing anything particularly "bad" but not making a point to live for God, we are wasting the time and opportunities God has given us.

In conclusion:

Redeem the time
+
Work, as for the Lord
+
Run the race with endurance

= Be Intentional

T.E.T.C

By Becca 

What is T.E.T.C?

(You're probably wondering)

And why is it written on that hand?

Happy Easter!

Photo-a-day || March 22-28

Yep, we crawled in there. :)

Sunday: After going to church, our uncle, aunt, and cousins took us hiking. While on our expedition, we explored a small abandoned gold mine, and Becca spotted these gorgeous pasque flowers. They are one of the first flowers to bloom in the Spring, and are usually pretty hard to find.

Spring Break 2015

Don't worry, we haven't fallen off the planet, we've only been on Spring Break!

Classes have been going swimmingly, but after midterms and special lectures, Becca and I were very thankful for a week to go home.

Besides seeing Mum and Dad, we also got to see lots of church family and friends, and do some other fun things.

Monday, amongst visiting people, we also visited...

 

Into Thornwood || Chapter Twelve

By Becca

This is the last chapter!

Thank you everyone for your kind and encouraging reception. 

I might do a post with little tidbits and behind the scene things about the story, what do you guys think?

I'm so glad you've enjoyed Into Thornwood and I'd love to share more stories on the blog sometime.

But, enough of that now :)  On to the final chapter!

(Sorry, the indentation is not behaving for me...so, please ignore the strangeness)

Chapter 12

                  Now she will never come back.

                  Lucian opened the gate, intent on chasing them down. In his haste, the automaton missed a step and came crashing onto the stones, breaking apart and clanging all the way down.  Furious, Lucian took his mother’s bible and hurled it through the window. He ran to the opening and saw the wagon drive away, a glint of copper hair. The broken glass cut into the palm of his hand. He couldn’t feel it. 

                  She was your only hope, and you probably killed her. 

                  His lungs filled and a wild scream echoed through all of Thornwood. Far below the automaton lay scattered over the stairs. The fall would break his neck…. and death would be instant. That would be nice. Blood smeared as he ran a hand over his face and then the tears came.

                  He fell to his knees, staring over the forest, weeping. 

                  You loved her, didn’t you?

Into Thornwood || Chapter Eleven

By Becca

Chapter 11

                  “Through the third archway and the second door on the right.” Lucian’s voice came through distorted by the automaton. 

  Cecile reached out and turned the knob. At a squeaky meow she spun around, the cat trotted down the main stairs. 

                  “Well, hello you.” She smiled as it came and rubbed its head against her skirt. Reaching a hand under its chubby body, Cecile gathered the softness into her arms and at once it began to purr.                      

              “What is its name?” 

The cat didn’t flinch as the automaton stretched out and rubbed a metal finger between it’s ears.

 “Her name is Gypsum…she was mother’s.” 

Cecile laid her cheek against Gypsum’s fur and pushed the door open with her foot. She stepped into the imposing room, the automaton right behind her.