Mallard Fillmore...and Homeschooling

Tour of a TV Station

Last Wednesday my family had the privilege of taking a tour of a TV station with some other home school families in our area. We had a great time! We enjoyed learning about how commercials are made, how long it takes for a report to get up on the news (from thinking up the report, to watching it on TV - about six hours), how show scheduling is organized, how companies purchase "spots" for their commercials to be aired, what the control room looks like, how it's worked and much, much more. We even got to see ourselves on "TV" sitting at the desk where the reporters sit. All in all, the field trip was very interesting, and I think we all learned a lot.

Standing at the desk where the reporters sit while being aired on the news...


There was almost a whole wall of TV's in the control room - plus lots more!


While we were in the equipment room, one of the reporters came in to get a video camera before she went to tape a story on Samaritan's Purse.


Here's one of the ladies who thinks up ideas for reports, telling us what goes on in her part of the operation.


That's all for now!

Love,

A Real Eye-Opener

I just read this moving, although fictional, story about a girl who's biological mother was an aborted fetus. The sad thing is, this kind of thing actually happens in real life. Go on over to Striving to Glorify the LORD, and read Hannah's post labeled My Mother Was Never Born.

Ahhh...Baby Names!

Anyone interested in sharing ten of their favorite names with the bloggy world? Today I was inspired by Jasmine's post about up-and-coming popular names, to start up a little meme for all of us who could easily count off fifty names we love, which we hope our future (or for some of you, current) husbands might agree too. :) Here's mine, although not necessarily in order:

My Top Ten Favorite Baby Names

1. Evangeline Jubilee (my absolute favorite!!)
2. Abigail
3. Macie
4. Elishava (one of my sister's middle names :)
5. Mae Amelia
6. Eliana
7. Judah Benjamin
8. Will (I can just imagine a cute, skinny little boy named that :)
9. David
10. Asher

I (and many other people, I'm sure) would love to see your Top Ten Favorite Baby Names! Won't you blog about them, then add yourself to Mister Linky over here? Also, as you can see, I've created an image to go with this post, so if you'd like you can add it to your post or sidebar. Now, I'm absolutely clueless as on how to write HTML code, so if you could just copy the picture, and make it link back to this post, I'd greatly appreciate it. :)

*A little post update:* Just for fun, if you'd like to see the top ten names for 2007, the Social Security Administration has a list up for both boys and girls. The number one names? For boys, Jacob, and for girls, Emily.

More on "Being Jewish" - Eating Kosher

If you've been reading my blog for a while now, or seen pictures of the boys in my family, you've probably guessed that we're Messianic Jews. Well, on top of celebrating the Feasts, believing that the Sabbath is on Saturday and keeping the boy's side locks (peyot), we also eat kosher. My mom wrote a great post all about the reasons why we eat that way, and how it's Biblical, on her blog, Fresh Thoughts From the Laundry Room. Go check it out! She did a great job explaining most of the questions people have about eating kosher, and even the deal with kosher salt. :)

Every year at our house, right around the holidays, our family fills up shoe boxes with school supplies, toiletries, stickers, toys and candy to send to kids in need, all over the world.

Operation Christmas Child is an "operation", organized by Samaritan's Purse, that makes a way for people here in the US to give gifts to kids in countries like the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Russia and Liberia. In addition to the gift filled shoe boxes, each child learns about Jesus Christ and gets an opportunity to enroll in the discipleship program put together by Samaritan's Purse, following the gift giving.

It's easy to fill a shoe box! First, decide who you want to pack for. You can choose a boy or girl, ages 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14. Once you've decided, go here to print off a label to tape to your shoe box.

If you want to wrap your box (you don't have to), now is a good time to do so, before you start filling it. If you don't have any wrapping paper at hand, you can wrap it with paper, and color it with markers or crayons if you like. Go ahead and wrap the box and lid separately

Well, you've decided who you're gift-giving to, and you have your box wrapped. Now's the fun part - filling it! For a complete list of gift ideas, go to Operation Christmas Child's list of Gift Suggestions (they're at the bottom of the page).

Once you're finished packing your box, you can write a letter to go to "your" child (you never know whom the box will get to, but it's fun to imagine him or her getting it and enjoying the things you've specially packed for them.) I always start off with "Dear Friend," then go on to say how I will be praying for them, and that I hope they enjoy their little presents. Under my name, I put down my address, just in case the letter was somehow translated (or they know English!) and they'd like to write back. Put your letter in an envelope, and enclose a picture of yourself or your family, if you like.

Well, you're done! Now it's time to drop your box off. Samaritan's Purse has set up a page on their site where you can type in your ZIP code to see the nearest drop-off location, and when they're open. Go here to find out now.

Make sure to drop off your boxes soon! National Collection Week is November 17 - 24 this year. That means only three days from now!

Enjoy your gift giving!

A Breakthrough

Lately I've been struggling with looking favorably upon worldly things. You know, the things that girls seem to easily get caught up in; wishing I could be with friends more often (as opposed to being with my family), wishing I could dress in the latest fashion and feeling like I should be "doing something" with my life, instead of "just" sitting here at home doing school, cooking, cleaning and going through the usual routine of my day.

I don't know, maybe you're pretty strong in your beliefs about staying at home and being an "MIT" (Mother In Training), but as for me, sometimes it's so easy to be swayed by the world at such the smallest things.

I recently read a fiction book about a fourteen year old girl who was studying ballet, getting to dance for her first time with a ballet company, thus starting her career. It made me start thinking about what I had done and accomplished in my life at fifteen years old. Had I really done anything? Is staying at home and learning how to keep a house something to be proud of? Couldn't you still learn to do those things and start thinking and preparing for a future career? Is a career all that people have made it out to be?

A these thoughts were whirling in my mind, I recently stumbled on Psalm 37:1.

"Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like the green plants they will soon die
away."

After reading this verse, I felt a complete sense of relief and peace. I realized that I was going after the things of this world, not being content with what God has given me, and that He has supplied my every need and has provided me with loving and caring parents who know what is in my best interest.

Although I do enjoy being with friends, my family are the ones who I should be spending the majority of my time with, especially since I am ultimately called to minister right here in the home.

While I like to wear cute clothes, today's fashions for ladies are not modest and feminine, let alone do they help portray a godly countenance.

Being in the home and being the cornerstone for my father's house (who is my roof) is the greatest thing I can do right now to fulfill my purpose as a daughter, as well as prepare to be a helpmeet for my future husband and a good mother to my future children. Does the Bible say anything about a woman leaving her babies in daycare, sending her children off to school and being an "equal", if not sole, provider for the family? No, it does not. It speaks of a woman helping her husband in his business affairs (not her own), being his helpmeet, being a keeper at home and much, much more. Why on earth would I ever want to do anything different than live out my wonderful purpose as a daughter, and prepare for wife and motherhood?

Praise God that He has brought these things back into my mind, fresh and ready to be eagerly pursued! It is a joy to be happy and content with what the Lord has prepared for me, knowing it is the very best thing for my life.

Now, by bringing up Proverbs 37:1, I am not saying that ladies who go to work, dress fashionably or who hang out with friends often, are in the wrong. What I am saying is that these things are not what God has designed ladies to do. These things are worldly ideas, advertised by worldly people, who do wrong. Since we are not of this world, we should not be following these ideas. Like the Botkin sisters say in their documentary, The Return of the Daughters, what if there was nothing to go by on how to live your life, no worldly magazines, TV shows, books or movies, except the Bible? How different society would be today! Most women would not be in the situations they are in now, and would essentially be living a completely different life than the ones they are living in the present. I'm so thankful that my parents have searched and studied the Bible for what it says us ladies should be doing. Even though I can be easily swayed, they are always there to keep me grounded in what is is right, as well as remind me of what the Lord says about each and every predicament I get into. :)

So, if you are having some rough times as I was, look to the Lord and give your worries to Him, knowing He is in control and knows best. Pray and study your Bible, looking for verses that have to do with the issues you're having. And of course, go to your parents to get encouragement and help where you need it. The experience and knowledge of mine is always helpful when I need it, and even when I don't!

So, without much further adieu, I am signing off, praying for all the girls out there who are struggling with what to go with: God's calling to them as women, or the world's deceiving pulls telling them to "make something of themselves".

With love,

Another Giveaway

Here's another great one for ya! Over at A Pondering Heart, you can enter to win a $25 Christa-Taylor gift card. Great deal, huh? Christa-Taylor.com is a clothing site for ladies, providing modest, cute clothes. Be sure to enter to win today! The giveaway ends November 24th.

Oh, and please say you heard about the giveaway from me! Each time someone mentions my name when they enter, I get entered in the drawing another time.

Thanks!

Great Giveaway

Marie Madeline Studio is having a bag giveaway, hosted by Jasmine at Joyfully Home! Their bags are so cute, I can't wait to see who wins. Make sure to drop by and enter - who knows, the winner just might be you!



If you've never seen products from Marie Madeline Studio , make sure to drop by their site. These four ladies and their mom make the cutest things! From flouncy skirts to patterns for aprons, it's all "...where practicality becomes beautiful."

Herbed Batter Rolls

I got a chance to make my first homemade rolls yesterday. They turned out great! I was so happy. They were light, flaky and had just the right amount of a herby-ness taste to them. :) I got the recipe off of allrecipes.com, but tweaked it a bit to make the rolls taste a bit more flavorful.


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 heaping teaspoon sage
1 heaping teaspoon dried tarragon
2 teaspoons rosemary
1/4 heaping teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
4-1/2 cups flour, divided

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sage, tarragon, nutmeg, rosemary, sugar, salt, egg, butter and 2 cups of the flour. Using a wire whisk, beat until smooth. Stir in remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour with a wooden spoon and beat until smooth. Scrape batter from sides of the bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in volume (for a warm place to let the dough rise that's out of the way, try filling a casserole pan with hot water, put it on the bottom rack of the oven, then put your covered bowl of dough on the top rack, closing the door and turning the oven light on.)

2. Deflate batter by stirring with a wooden spoon. Lightly grease two 12 cup muffin pans. With clean, oiled hands, scoop little blobs of dough with your hands into the prepared muffin cups. Fill each cup about 1/2 way full; set aside in a warm place and let rise for about 15 to 20 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Optional: About 10 minutes into baking, brush melted butter over the tops of the rolls to give them a shiny and buttery look. Resume baking.


Enjoy your delicious, quick and easy rolls! They are perfect paired with soups on a chilly day, which are in abundance at this time of year - so get baking!

I Love My Family

During hard times...

During work times...


During play times...


During confusing times...


During relaxing times....

I love my family!

ABC's All About Me!

I'm taking a part in this fun blog activity, hosted by Miss Jocelyn. You're supposed to put a word down that describes you for every letter of the alphabet. I found it pretty tricky!

Aerobiciser

Big Sissy

Corner stone

Dimpled

Elissa, my middle name

Fashionista

Gymnast (somewhat!)

Homemaker

Imaginative

Just plain girly!

Knitter

Language lover

MIT (Mother In Training)

Naive

Optimistic

Pen-pal

Question asker

Readaholic

Skirt wearing

Trusted

Useful

Virtuous girl - in training!

Washintonian

Xenodocy (hospitable - I love having people over!)

Young

Zippy