The End of July // Time to Catch Up

The past couple of months have been busy ones for my family. I turned 18 in May (yay!), we were sick for all of June (a nasty, nasty bug from which I am still recovering), Connor and I did 30 hrs. of virtual classroom time for driver's ed, then we got our permits . . . 

(we've practiced driving for approx. two hours now, and I continue to feel quite terrified behind the wheel of a car. but I have found that listening to music greatly increases my focus while on the road.)

. . . Mom and I enjoyed a short vacation in Lancaster, PA, where we spent hours perusing the antique and book stores, saw DAVID at Sight & Sound Theater, and just enjoyed some down time in good ol' Amish/Mennonite country.

. . . my parents celebrated 22 years of marriage (*happy dance*), and I surprised them with a batch of homemade pineapple upside down cupcakes that ended up turning out really, really good (*more happy dancing*). I made the cupcakes again later on in the month for the fellowship period at our church.

to begin, I layered melted butter, dollops of brown sugar, and sliced pineapple pieces in a cupcake tin . . .

next, I stirred up the batter, poured it into the tin, and stuck the tin in the oven, then munched pretzels and exchanged a thumbs-up with my little kitchen buddy, Ruby. 😍

finally, after pulling the cupcakes out of the oven and letting them sit in the tin for an additional five minutes, I flipped the pan over and plop! plop! plop! out they all fell, looking golden, moist, and delicious. bon appetit! 
(okay, moment of honesty . . . it was more like one missed the parchment and hit the floor, pineapple-and-buttery-sugar side down, and many of the rest that did land on the parchment landed upright, which meant I had to flip them over and press back on the pineapple pieces that had fallen off. still, the end result was the same . . . melt-in-your-mouth yumminess.)

. . . I am also working 11 hours a week now and I LOVE my job SO MUCH. I praise God often for bringing me to this point of my life. College classes start up again on August 22nd, so I will have to begin balancing school and work, but I am ready for the challenge. Trusting God to see me through 💗

Fern is continuing to grow. She weighs 11 pounds now and has learned a few commands (sit, lay, jump up, stay . . . we're still working on that last one). It feels as if now that we have a dog, we are suddenly connecting with almost everyone in the neighborhood where we've lived for fourteen years!

My friend, Emma, and I spent a morning out. It was a lot of fun. We browsed a local flea market, ate lunch, splurged on a purchase of macaroons (for my siblings) and a couple of the random, pretty, little knickknacks that made us smile.

My family and I visited the Museum of the Bible again (we went for the first time four years ago and enjoyed it then, but because the kids are older, it was even more enjoyable this time around).

And . . . I think that's it! Comment below and tell me what your favorite part/photo from this post was, and/or what you've been up to in my absence! I would love to hear.

Not just surviving,

Ellen S.

Welcome, New Year! + December Wrap-Up (a little late)

Hey guys! How are you all? So, yes, I know I'm a bit late. I spent the month of December snapping pics and planning my wrap-up post and then . . . I got sick. Yep, for the first time in over three years I caught the flu. And believe me, when you live in a big family like I do, influenza is one of the worst things you can possibly get. I spent almost a full week in bed, alternating between Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, and Little House on the Prairie episodes and listening to music. I discovered some new Casting Crowns and Jeremy Camp songs, read and reread many stories, etc. Important thing was: stay put and don't spread the germ. Thankfully, I'm feeling much, much better now, and no one else in my family appears to have caught the nasty bug (yay!). With Mom mere weeks away from delivering (Lord willing, at this time next month, Ruby Jane will have made her appearance!), this is very important. Please pray for us!!

Okay, now that I've explained all that . . . how about a December wrap-up post? No pictures this time (maybe I'll deliver them at the end of January instead), but a few highlights:

~Book exchange

I received a good amount of participants for the exchange, and the number came out odd so I could join in, too! 

~New Casting Crowns merchandise

A Black Friday sale on the Casting Crowns site meant new shirts, a book, and an ornament for my parents and me. Hurrah!

~Christmas dinner made by yours truly

Truth be told . . . I had never made a meal for someone before in my life, and then there I was! It wasn't possible to mess up on ham, potatoes, and carrots, right? Maybe. It still turned out edible and (if I do say so myself) kind of tasty. ;-)

~Making our own loaves of sourdough bread

We bought a starter and stirred up a batch of our very own sourdough bread! Yummmmmmm. (Anyone else out there love sourdough?)

~Christmas tea parties w/ friends

~Mom had to go in for another ultrasound, and I was able to tag along and see my sister! <3

~New books

~Writing

~Trying to tell my dad that I have photographic memory and then forgetting how to pronounce the word "photographic" 

So, yep, just a few highlights. And now . . . 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I can hardly believe we've left 2019 behind and have officially entered 2020. I'm still drained from my flu, so I'm gonna link back to the post I put up last year - the first day of 2019.

Happy New Year

I have to say I'm really excited for the new year. I just know God has big plans in store! Ruby Jane is coming soon, I'm waiting for answers to certain things in my life, etc. 

I'm continuing to make writing in a journal a daily goal, and I encourage you to join me. A word to meditate on and act upon for the year is a fabulous idea, too. My word for this year is endurance. :-) Finally, to wrap this up, my top two favorite books from 2019 (both of which you simply have to read):

I can't wait to see what God does in 2020!!

A sweet New Year's reminder from Abby Hickey @ Little Birdie Blessings

What about you? Are you excited for 2020? Have you made sourdough bread? Do you ever want to? What're some of your favorite books from 2019?

Let's talk in the comments below!

Wrap-Up Post: Nuggets of November

Whew, November was a busy month. Between NaNo projects, school, Thanksgiving, new books, finding a fifteen-passenger van to fit our big family, and a fun NaNoWriMo workshop, my days were full. I was sure, however, to get plenty of pictures to share with you all. :-) So (in no particular order), here we go . . .

You've gotta have the pumpkin pie! ;-)

Several fun trips to Roy Roger's with Mom. Beef sandwich and fries for her; salad for me.

<3

Late nights working at NaNo. Please tell me I'm not the only one who sits up past ten (in pink, fuzzy-pant pajamas, no less) in an effort to reach the word count for the day. 

15,000 words! A new record. ;-)

At the workshop I attended, each participant was required to write a story (in as few words as possible) about a leaf. :-)

Ah, this girl. *all the heart eyes* She so takes after me. (And yes, that's my bed she's lying on, and my notebook and pen she's using.)

See, what'd I tell you? A bookworm and writer all the way, just like her big sister. ;-)

Here she is with the two new books I recently received from Kregel Publications. Reviews coming soon!

Sisters = Best Friends Forever. <3

Gorgeous!

God's creation is simply amazing.

A 2nd Thanksgiving dinner at my grandma's. :-)

 ~ NEW BOOKS! ~ 

Need I say I was very excited about this time? ;-)

Mom, Ruby Jane, and me. <3

(Photo taken October 13th.)

And, to finish it off, a few songs I love that I heard for the first time in November:

He Is Lord by Elevation Worship
The Very Next Thing by Casting Crowns
Father by Jeremy Camp

How was your November? Did you do Camp NaNoWriMo? Do you have a favorite photo from this post?

Let's talk in the comments below!