AtE: Episode 4

Sorry for the delay in getting this up!

This episode is the "What would Luke look for in a girl" episode...enjoy!

We'll get to the rest of your questions in the next installment. 

:)

Giveaway! ...and an into to "Ask the Experts"

Before we get to the lil ol' vlog down there, it's giveaway time! It's a blog header\blog design giveaway. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I enjoy doing it (as you can see by my constantly changing blog). 

 So you have a choice whether you'd like me to make you a blog header alone, or redo the look of your whole blog! 

If you choose for me to redo the look of your whole blog, be forewarned that I'll need to be able to get into your blogger dashboard to make the needed changes.  So if you're not comfortable with that, stick with just a header. I'll do my best to get a look that you like! :)

To enter:(Giveaway ends Feb. 8)

-Become a follower of my blog and leave a comment telling me which option you'd like (mandatory)

-Share this giveaway on your blog, facebook or twitter (+1 entry for each)

Luke and I will be starting a weekly-sish series called "Ask the Experts", so like we said in the above video - leave comments or send an email with your questions or subject ideas! If you don't really have any ideas, don't worry - it can be something completely silly and fun...just use your imagination.

(I'm awful at vlogs. I had no idea what I was going to say...haha, how do y'all do it - I felt so on the spot!!! :D)

Eleven...

I was tagged by the awesome Melissa, so here we go!

Rules:

1.You must post these rules. 

2. Each person must post 11 things 

about themselves on their blog. 

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for 

you in their post and create 11 new questions 

for the people you tag to answer. 

~

1.  I think that there are enough serious things in life that we don't have to make more of them if we don't have to.  There are times to be serious, but in general - enjoy life to the best of your ability! Make sense?

2.  My new, Every Year Resolution is to read the Bible through completely in 6 months\a year.  I started this in 2011 and plan to do it from now on.

3.  I almost got a pet snake, but found Panya instead.

4.  Crocheting is one of my new favorite hobbies.

5.  I want to learn how to knit as well.

6.  I love to listen to music while I clean the house - it's always nice to whistle while you work!

7.  I've always thought it would be fun to have a tiny coffee shop or cafe. 

8.  One of my dreams is to visit the Mediterranean.

9.  When I stretch I can do the splits.  

10.  I'm afraid of heights.  Not the roller-coaster kind, but when I'm climbing on or standing on the edge of something high.

11.  When we, Lord willing, move back to the States, I look forward to little things like being able to text or call family and friends when I want to tell them something.

Questions for me:

1.  What was the silliest moment for you of the past year?

I don't know about the silliest, but Julia and I talking and taking awful pictures together while we were in TN.  It was a balm to my soul.

2. What Bible verse automatically comes to mind when you're having a bad day?

One of my favorites is Galatians 6:9 -"Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up".  It's so encouraging, and reminds me that what I'm doing isn't worthless..that it will do some good.

3. What's your favorite book?

Lame as it is, I don't think I have a favorite book!

(if anyone has some suggestions of ones you like, I'd love for you to share!)

4. What is one moment in your life that you knew Providence had a hand in the way it turned out?

When I was watching my sister walk down the aisle in her wedding dress,I knew that with the way everything unfolded it couldn't have happened on it's own.  

5. Who was a pen-pal you had before email became the main method of communication?

Wow, let's see...my cousin Rachel and I used to write letters.  But as for non-family, I used to write a girl named Libby Goins who went to Roundhouse years ago.

6. What's your favorite pair of shoes?

My cowgirl boots :)

7. What does your dream home look like and where is it located?

Something not too big..light and airy; lots of white with pops of bright color.  It would be located somewhere in the South.

8. Why do you blog?

I sharing random bits of info, and things about my everyday life. I'd like to give encouragement and humor to others.

9. What color are the sheets on your bed?

I have a white topsheet, and a colorful striped fitted sheet.

10. Where did you meet your spouse? If not married, where did you meet your best friend?

I met my best friends at PTP and Roundhouse

11. What's your favorite part of nature?

I love seeing how God designed every tiny thing, it never ceases to amaze me! Flowers have always been one of my favorite things.

Questions for you:

1. If you were going to learn a foreign language, which would you choose?

2. Would you generally rather read a book, listen to music, or watch a movie?

3. If you could learn any skill what would it be?

4. When you go to a restaurant, do you usually try something new or get the same thing each time?

5. What's your favorite book in the Bible?

6. What's something you never leave the house without?

7. You have a prepaid airline ticket to anywhere in the world. Where do you go?

8.Rice, potatoes, or bread?

9. How tall are you?

10. What is one of your dreams for the future?

11. What is your favorite song? What does it make you think of?

~

i tag...

Bringing Up Benjamin

I press on: Living For the Goal

A Glad Heart

All Things Manly

Journey with Joy

(...and I'd tag Marli and Memory, if they hadn't already done it!)

A climbin' the hill

A few days ago, Luke, Carey, Jake and I decided to climb a different hill that's near our house.  I think it was only about 3 miles round trip, but this hill was steeper, and the brush was thicker!

We came to this ravine here - isn't it pretty?

"So I don't see any way out of here...where should we go? ...Yeah, I guess you're right, we'll go up!"

 Once we got out of the ravine we found the road again

 It started to get steep right here

 We're soaking up all the green we can before things turn completely brown

Me and....half of Luke's face.  It's hard to get both of our faces in it since he's so tall!

 There was no path at all, or even any areas that weren't a complete jungle of thorns, so we just went through it!  I still have part of one in my leg that I need to dig out......

 We finally reached the top! Here's Jake in his awesomeness.

 Luke and Carey admiring the view

 I wish you could see exactly how enormous this rock is!

 Luke in his awesomeness

Yeah, I'm the oddball in this group!

Luke, me, Jake.  (Just to clarify, Carey is just a friend and coworker, no relation)

I zoomed all the way in onto the "little" hill that we climbed before

 Here it is again...our house is at the base of it.  Annnd, the sun was really bright.  I felt like laying on top of the rock and soaking up some sun like a lizard.

Didn't take many pictures coming down because we were too intent on not falling and dying\being careful not to get our eyes poked out by branches and thorns.

 

We got back sweaty (and stinky. You're welcome you guys) and a bit tired, but it was so much fun!  As an added bit of entertainment I got to sit on the couch that evening and pick ticks off myself, heh heh.  "Begone bloodsuckers!"  Okay that was gross, and I kindof made it up.  I only found one on my leg as we were hiking, muahaha.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's up the hill we go!

A couple days ago Dad, Carey, Luke, Jake and I went climbing up the big rocky hill that's near our house.  In a 1\2 mile, we ascended 500 feet!  Here are a few pictures (All climbing pictures courtesy of Dad!):

 The view - how gorgeous is it!  The house with the blue roof towards the bottom right is our house.

 The rocks are huge!

 Luke, Carey, Jake and I.  I'm such the odd one out, hehe!  Those guys have so much fun together, what a hoot!  Thanks for making me laugh so hard my stomach hurts while I'm trying to haul myself over these rocks...

 Bonnie, Mom and I went into town the other day to have a bite of lunch, and so Bonnie could have a checkup.  She's so brave!

Bonnie lookin' cute while she gets blood drawn

 Er...the toilet.  After one has been used alot, it's a toss up as to which is more preferable - tile or dirt.  I'd have to go with dirt though, because you could slip on the tile, hit your head and get knocked unconscious . Great!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Running Route

I've been wanting to take some pictures of the scenery, and of where we go running, but when we're actually doing a more serious run, I never want to tote along my camera, so Luke and I took a bike ride, and I was able to finally get a few to show you!

 A nice downhill towards the beginning of our route...and it turns into a nice uphill when we're almost home on the way back.

 I actually love this uphill!  It's not super long, so I like to try and power up it.

 A while after the hill, there's a nice straightaway.

 A nice downhill

 The seemingly huge uphill that used to seem to take forever to run up!  It's not so bad now though, thankfully!

 

  Then I didn't take any more pictures until we were headed back to the house.  Isn't the scenery pretty?  It's the rainy season right now, so things and green and lovely!

As a side note, make sure to check out Cookie Monster, since it's just been updated!  And as a "not so side" side note, you really should go look at Luke's blog, because he has some really great posts!

Welcome, 2011!

Happy New Year everyone!

This year, like last year, we counted down until exactly 12am, and this is what happened:

Luke: Was playing Auld Lang Syne on my bass plugged into an amp.

Jacob:  Was honking the air horn on our Land Cruiser, and blowing on his giant sea shell (He does that last one every year, haha).

Dad:  Was standing on our picnic table playing his trumpet. 

I:  Was screaming, yelling and "woohoo!!"-ing at the top of my lungs, and doubling over with laughter at the boys.  This last one happens ever year, too.

Mom:  Was standing on our porch wearing shooting ear muffs.  

Every year some of the young people in our neighborhood go up on the big hill by our house, light a bonfire, and make a huge ruckus.  They absolutely love it when we go out and make our ruckus, too.  We all share a New Year's yelling at each other bond.

After we did all the honking the horns, bass playing, and yelling, we sang the National Anthem.  I'm pretty sure it was the loudest it's ever been wailed sung in the history of America.  

To wrap it all up, we stood outside Dad and Mom's door, and serenaded them with "Auld Lang Syne".  It's a new tradition we made up last year.  

Christmas

We opened the presents we got for each other on Christmas Eve.  I made hot chocolate.  We skyped with Julia and Lee, and took turns opening our presents.  It was really fun to open them "together".  

- Luke made Dad a tool pouch.

- Dad made Mom a beautiful wooden spoon and spatula.

- Mom made Luke a computer case.

- Jake gave me a wonderful beeswax candle called "Queen of the Night", and it smells so, so good.

- I made Jake a book.  It was called...."The Adventures of Jacob".  I can't post any pictures because I don't think he would be pleased with me putting it online for you all to see, because let's just say that the illustrations are a bit - dramatized.  Heh heh!

Christmas morning, the Samfords came over for breakfast, then we had stockings and presents for the kids.  They were so precious opening them all up, and getting so excited.  

Aubrie loved her jumper and bracelet, Ayden's favorite was the little toy truck, and Ryan's favorites were definitely the crackers and candy.  He would go around the room, wanting each person to open up another candy for him!  I have some pictures that I can hopefully put up a little later.

Hope all of you have had a wonderful holiday!

Game night

When we were little, we had a tradition at our house of Friday nights being a game night.  We'd make popcorn or some such, and play a board\card game together.  Over the years, this tradition has fell by the wayside somewhat.   

We're bringin' it back. 

Game night before last we decided to play dominoes (and why no, I didn't just type in "dominose" at first!).  I don't think us kids have ever played dominoes in our lives.  In fact, I don't think the domino box has even been touched since it fell off the shelf and onto Julia's head when she was a small child {it really happened}.  But we played it!  Mainly by us kids sticking random tiles onto the end of the train until we figured out that it was supposed to match the tile it was connecting to.  What?  The rules weren't explained beforehand!

Some members of the family think of game night as a fun way to bond while playing a game that you don't know the rules to and having to consult the instructions paper every two minutes, others think of it as a great excuse to spend the whole evening snacking, and some look at it as a combination of the two.  

The boys: "Hey Linz, are you going to make hot chocolate?"
Me: *Noncommittal grunt*
Boys: "What's the use of playing a game if we don't get some hot chocolate out of it? *snick snick snick*"
Me: "Okay!! I'll make some!"
Mom: "Wee'rrree staaaartiiing!"

We settle down around the table with our hot chocolate mugs and try to figure out how in the world you play this game.

Dad: "I know how to play this, we used to play this at Grandma Langston's all the time"
Me: "I don't know...isn't that sort of a big pile of dominoes....?"
Mom: "They have to all be used up by the end of the game!"
Me: *Falls onto the floor*
Boys: *slurp slurp*
Luke: "Whew! That hot chocolate sure makes you warm.  I just got a hot-chocolate flash."
Me&Mom: *laughs until our sides ache*..."Hot-chocolate flash!...Ow, oh, my stomach!"

{Please note that these are actual events and quotes. Thank you}

Jake: *wearing the domino box on his head like a hat* "Do you think wearing this box on my head shows a lack of maturity on my part?"

Dad: "AAHAHAhaha, I don't think so!!!"  

What kills me is how funny the boys are.  Have you ever laughed so long that you're truly concerned that you might die from a lack of oxygen?  I have.  It wasn't pleasant.  The worst thing was that I couldn't even talk to tell someone to help me, or call an ambulance.  Mom and I often just sit back and laugh at the banter that goes on between them.  What can ya do?

Hooray for game night!

Lonesome Pine, I hear ya calling

We were able to go to a bluegrass festival on the September 2nd, and it was so much fun!  We got to see Donna Hughes, Blue Highway, the Josh Williams Band, and (drum roll, please!) the Tony Rice Unit.  If you haven't heard Tony Rice, look him up on Youtube or some such.  My favorite thing of his is Shenandoah.

The great thing about Bluegrass is that the bands usually sound their best when they're performing live.  You can't say that about really any other genre.  

We got there early in the afternoon in time to hear Donna Hughes, and after that we listened to Josh Williams for an hour, then Blue Highway.  Blue Highway's banjo picker smiled at me about 5 times.  Through the sea of the wild, screaming fans!  Ok, so that's not true.  Out of the handful of people that were scattered here and there at that time, he happened to look our way and smile.  I won't even mention when their bass player grinned at me, either.

    Anyway, we went back to the van and had a bite to eat (mine consisted mainly of peanut butter), then looked around at the vendors until it was time for Tony Rice to have a signing session of his biography.  The boys went to look at knives, and I went to look at purses and bags.  {Who would've guessed that?}  I got a really cute purse - the perfect size that doesn't look huge, but is bottomless, sort of like the Mary Poppins bag!  It's a good thing I'd already decided to buy it anyway, because the lady started telling me what a pretty bag it was, and how great it would look on my arm.  *snort* Sorry, but that's not the way to make me buy something.  Way to be sly...

We headed to the place where Tony Rice would be doing the book signing, and waited.  Dad and the boys got in line (they were third), and Mom and I sat on a bench right outside the open window.  After a while of waiting, and people passing by and saying over and over to each other "Is he here yet?", a big blue truck pulled up.  A guy who was talking away on his cell phone suddenly said, "He's here!" and snapped it shut.

    Meanwhile, my head was whipping around in every direction just in case he came from a side I wasn't expecting.  Then...I saw him.  {And his wife that looked like Cruela DeVill} I heard the gravely voice, and he started slowly walking towards us.  He walked so close in front of me, I could've squeaked out a toe and tripped him.  Then he looked right at me (grinning like an idiot, no doubt), and his mustache twitched.  I was starstruck.  He kept walking, and I saw his nasty little ponytail that looked like it got caught in the garbage disposal, and then it lessened just a bit.  He went inside and sat at a little table, and started signing books.  When it was Luke's turn, he handed Tony his guitar and asked if he would mind signing it.  I hear from a very reliable source that Tony rasped "myeah, if you want me to deface it".  Luke was starstruck too.  

    After the guitar and book were signed, we went back to the car so Luke could put it away.  We all oohed and aahed at it for a while, then headed back to our seats and listened to more Blue Highway, Josh Williams, and Donna Hughes.

It was 10pm when it was finally time for the Tony Rice Unit.  It was amazing!  They didn't play that many songs, but the songs they did play were long.  For example, they did Nine Pound Hammer, and the instrumental break was so long that when they finally wrapped it up with the last verse, people had pretty much forgot that was the song they were doing.  

We finally got back to the hotel after 12, and all had to look at the signature on the guitar for a while before we could go to bed. :)

Jake and Luke having fun listening

Tony Rice

"*stutter stutter* Would you mind signing my guitar?"

 

Blue Highway

Josh Williams Band

The Tony Rice Unit!