Turning A Page–200th Blog Post

Well, I can’t believe that I’ve actually posted a whopping 200 times in just over a year’s time!

When I started my blog, I invited all of you on a journey –a peek inside my life through this little blog. You have commented, followed, and supported my blog in more ways than I can mention here. I’ve been inspired by connecting with other girls who blog, and I’ve been encouraged to continue growing in Christ.

The past year and a half has been an interesting time for me. I’ve improved my homemaking skills and shared a few tips here along the way. I’ve learned more about how God would like for me to dress, to serve my family, and obey His will for my life. I’ve watched as He has worked in my life helping me to grow into the young lady He would like me to be.

But my journey is far from over. I have much room for improvement. I still have more maturing to do. And I’m still working on my relationship with Christ. And next month, I will begin a new chapter as I start classes at the local community college working towards a nursing degree. I’ve prayed about this decision quite a bit and feel that God is leading me in this direction.

So I invite you again, dear readers, to continue with me on this journey and join me as I turn a new page and begin education outside of my home for the first time. And although I may not have the time to post as frequently as I’d like to, I realize know that many of you are eager to hear what college life will be like for a homeschool teen. And I’ll make an effort to keep you informed on what’s happening in my life as a college student.

I pray that as you read about my life, whether it be a new recipe I’ve made or an A that I’ve gotten in class, you will be encouraged and strengthened in your faith. I pray that you will be inspired to also continue your journey and grow in Christ.

Blessings,

Miscellany Monday

I nearly forgot to post today’s Miscellany Monday post. Well, it’s late so I’m going to keep this one brief.

{1} I’m on Facebook! Yep, I got permission yesterday to join Facebook…with a few guidelines of course. ;) If you’d like to keep in touch with on FB, please leave me a comment with the link to your profile so I can send you a friend request. I’ll be using FB a bit more often as I start college, as I won’t have the time to check blog comments as often as I’d like.

{2} We’re having some stormy weather. Even though it doesn’t snow in Bermuda, we get plenty of “winter gales”. With these gales, come chilly temperatures (around 50-55 degrees), high winds, and sometimes small hail. Thunderstorms aren’t uncommon either. It can be annoying if you get winter gales back to back…and sometimes we lose electricity too.

{3} The next time I hit “Publish to blog” I would’ve posted 200 times! I can’t wait to celebrate! Haha!

Well, there you have it…short and sweet. Be on the lookout for my 200th blog post later this week!

Blessings!

Life Without Limits

I’d like to introduce y’all to Nick Vujicic. He is a happy, young man who travels the world spreading the Good News to any who is willing listen. God has worked through his ministry to bless many lives and encourage others.

Nick was also born without arms or legs. However, he’s living a happy life. He has realized that God can use us no matter what physical condition or disability.  Nick doesn’t allow his lack of limbs to limit his commitment and desire to serve Christ. Instead, he has used his disability to get the attention of the unsaved and point them to the Savior.

I know I posted a video about Nick a couple of weeks ago, but I really wanted to share this one with you. I hope you’re inspired –I know that I was! 

“Often people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms, and no legs. The quick answer is that I have a choice. I can be angry about not having limbs, or I can be thankful that I have a purpose. I choose gratitude. You can too.”
–Nick Vujicic

You can learn about Nick and his ministry at Life Without Limbs.

So much to do…

…so little time. With just three and a half weeks to go before the first day of college, I’ve been more busy than ever. I realize that this blog has been a bit neglected, and I’m sorry for the lack of real posts here. I can’t even remember the last time I posted a real photo, taken by me.

These past few weeks, I’ve been busy getting textbooks, sorting out overlapping classes, and making sure all my college supplies are ready. I’ve been making pretty good progress though. I have 4 out of the 6 textbooks that I need for the first semester, and I’ll be getting 2 more from a friend later today.

I’ve sorted out my classes –all five of them. For the first semester, I will be taking Math, freshman English, Biology, College Skills {whatever that is!}, and a computer course. I’ll be enrolled full-time and take classes 5 days a week. 

Of course, I’ve also been getting the basic supplies you need for college like pencils, pens, plenty of highlighters, a hardcover 5-subject notebook, oh and a cool box of sticky-notes that works similar to a box of tissue…just pull one when you need it. :p

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this before, but in my 2nd year of college I’ll be visiting Southern Vermont University a few times to get a wider exposure and more hands-on training. So if any of you live in that area, maybe we’ll get to meet!

And how could my “update post” but complete without mentioning that I just got an iPod touch!! Yep, that’s right…I sold a few things I didn’t really need and was able to get enough money buy a brand new iPod! It is really cool and has so many features…I’ll have to write more about it in a later post. {By the way, that photo of my textbooks above was taken by my iPod. Not bad, eh?}

So what has everyone else been up to lately? Update me in a comment below!

Blessings,

Miscellany Monday

 Well another Monday, another miscellany post filled with a bit of randomness for you. :)

{1} I’m feeling much better this week. Everyone’s getting over their colds and we’re getting back into our usual routine. Peppermint tea worked wonders and we finished the whole box!

{2} I can’t believe just how expensive textbooks are! I went to  the campus bookstore to get prices for the textbooks that I need and the total was in the hundreds. Gratefully, a friend of mine recently graduated from nursing school and is letting burrow her textbooks. I still need to buy a few additional textbooks, but that was a big help.

{3}  I was well enough to take the GED test last week Tuesday and Wednesday, praise God! The test wasn’t too difficult and I pray that I passed. Hopefully, I’ll get the results sometime this week.

 

{4} My 200th blog post is coming up soon. This post is number 196. I’m doing a bit of brainstorming for ideas on what I’ll be doing to celebrate.

Well, what have you been up to? Tell me about your latest projects in a comment below!

Blessings,

Miscellany Monday

I nearly forgot to post today. But here’s what I’ve been up to lately:

{1} I managed to catch a cold this weekend and I’m still fighting it today. It’s not that bad but I have a sore throat, runny nose, and feel very tired. Leah and Jude also caught the cold around the same time as I did so we’ve all been just relaxing trying to get over it.

{2} I’m getting addicted to peppermint tea. The box had been sitting around for quite awhile so when I got sick I decided to give it a try. Honestly, it’s the most delicious tea ever! I also added a bit of lemon juice to help fight my cold and I’ve been drinking cups of tea regularly throughout the day.

{3} I’ve been torn between studying for the GED and trying to get over my cold. You see, the GED test is tomorrow and Wednesday –about 4 hours of testing on each day. I’m praying that this cold doesn’t get any worse and hopefully I’ll wake up tomorrow feeling better.

{4} We’ve had a lot of cloudy days lately. {Random, I know!} But it seems that as soon as December arrived, so did the winter weather. It looks overcast a lot and it’s chilly outside. {This weather doesn’t help colds!}

Sorry for a short post but my head is hurting right now…probably due to my cold.  Please pray that I get better ASAP and that I do well on the GED test.  Thanks in advance, friends!

I hope you all have a lovely day.

Blessings,

So what do you think?

I’ve been working away at my blog design this past week and love the way it’s turned out. Instead of getting a pre-designed template from a great website like www.thecutestblogontheblock.com or www.shabbyblogs.com, I used Blogger’s fabulous Template Designer. They’ve just recently rolled out some new features that include fancy fonts for the header and post titles.

It was a lot of fun tweaking all the settings in my Designer trying to find a design that really suits me. I got the background photo from an awesome website offers gorgeous stock photos for free. After finding this gorgeous photo of dandelions, I tweaked it a bit in Picnik {another favorite website of mine} and then added it to my unique design. The only thing left to do was adjust all the colors so everything matches the “yellow theme”.

I’m also trying out an interesting gadget called Wibya –it’s that yellow “toolbar” you see at the  bottom of your screen right now. You can use that handy little thing to quickly access recent posts and share my blog with all your friends. I think y’all will love it!

Okay, let’s put it this way: I’m not sure if this is the final design or not. I’m waiting to hear YOUR opinion, dear reader! Do you like it? Do you hate it? Too much yellow? Too much like spring? Is the little toolbar annoying? Or just perfect? Let me know your thoughts in a comment below!

Be on the look out for my almost-weekly Miscellany Monday post tomorrow morning so you can read about what I’ve been up to –besides blog designing, that is.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Blessings,

Under Construction

Yep, it’s that time again. I’m redesigning my blog. My dear friend Emily at Practically Pink designed my blog a couple of months ago and did a fabulous job. Blogger is now offering some fancy fonts to people who use their templates so I’m going to give it a go myself.

So over the next few days, if things look a little odd then just remember that a new design is in the works. ;)

I’d appreciate your input and ideas as I work to redesign this little blog of mine. And maybe, just maybe there will be a giveaway when I’m done. ;)

Hope y’all are having a wonderful week!

Blessings,

A Few of My Favorite YouTube Videos

Well, I haven’t been blogging a lot lately. Partly because I have writer’s block. And then there’s nothing really blog-worthy happening in my life right now. Sad, I know. But the past few weeks have been busy, monotonous, and actually a bit boring.

So since I can’t think of anything to write about, I decided to share a handful of my favorite YouTube videos. Please be sure to turn on your speakers as all the videos have audio. When you’re finished watching, let me know which one is your favorite!

1} Our first video is actually a song sung by Lenny LeBlanc –one of my favorite artists. “All for Love” is a beautiful worship song just expressing how much we appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross for us.

You can read the lyrics to this song here

2} This next video is truly amazing. Just have a look and then tell me what you think about Nick.

3} Video number 3 is one of my family’s top favorites. “Creation Calls” was written by Christian songwriter Brian Doerksen and simply celebrates the power of God in Creation.

So there are my three favorite YouTube videos. Which one is your favorite? And what are your 3 favorite YouTube videos? Tell me all about it in a comment below!

Thanks for reading {and watching!}, friends! I hope this weekend is a blessed one for you!

Miscellany Monday

Well, I figured since I can’t decide what I want to post about then I should do a Miscellany Monday thing. Haha!

As you all know, these past few weeks have been super busy for me. Here’s why:

{1} I’m still trying to finish college registration, get textbooks, and sort out everything else related to college.

{2} I’m studying for the GED test that I’ll be taking in just 3 short weeks!

{3} I’m also keeping busy with home stuff like chores, studying Algebra, and just helping Mom around the house.

{4} Winter is coming! December is just around the corner and the temperatures are dropping slowly but steadily. If you’re a regular reader here, you’ll know that I just LOVE crispy mornings and we’ve been having lots of those lately!

{5} I’m continuing to work on my blog domain mess. My new domain name is: www.edenrichardson.net So, make sure you tell all your friends so no one loses out my good posts. ;)

I hope everyone has a lovely week!

Blessings,

Busy, Busy, Busy…oh, and Internet Problems!

I must sincerely apologize for leaving my blog for so long. It’s been nearly a week since I published my last blog post!

The past few days have been super busy for me. I’ve been quite preoccupied with getting ready for college. On Friday, I officially registered at Bermuda College. Then I returned to the college yesterday to just walk around campus and get a feel for  where all my classes are located while running a few errands there.

In addition to college registration, I’ve been busy studying for the GED test that is coming up in just 3 weeks. Math is my weakest subject so I’ve been working through an Algebra book to brush up on my Math skills. It’s not fun but I’m trying to enjoy it as these are also the last few weeks of homeschool for me. Yes, I’m graduating next month too!

And to make it even more difficult to blog here, I’ve been having some problems with my internet lately. I’m hoping to get it all fixed later today but for now I’m writing this post from the hotel’s lounge where they have a WiFi service.

Oh, and blogging isn’t the only thing that has taken a “back seat'”. Emails, craft projects, and a ton of other stuff have been getting neglected. :( Well, I guess I shouldn’t ramble on about how busy I am…I’m sure you all can relate at some time or another.

I hope that everyone is doing well and enjoying this autumn! Since I don’t have comment moderation turned on, your comments will be published automatically –regardless of if I have internet or not. So go ahead and say hello! Tell me what you’ve been up to and what’s been keeping you busy. I can’t wait to hear from y’all.

Blessings!

Miscellany Monday

So I decided to participate in my 3rd Miscellany Monday in a row. It’s been so much fun and I just love the randomness.

{1} It’s a rainy day. Okay, I know that’s totally random but we haven’t had a real rainy day in a while. I love sunny days too, but there’s something cozy about rainy days. It’s cool outside, a slight breeze, and I’m curled up inside with my laptop. :) Oh, how I love autumn!

{2} I’m loving my new blue iPod shuffle. It has VoiceOver which tells you name of the song you’re listening to and also offers playlists so I can separate my worship songs from quiet, studying songs. :D

 

{3}  Tomorrow, I’ll be going to the college to finish registering and I’m so excited! Someone left a comment about online classes, and my parents and I have talked about that possibility. However, I’ll be attending the local college which is about 45 minutes away from where I live so I’ll be able to come home everyday. I did look for nursing degrees that are offered online but wasn’t able to find any. Oh, well. :)

{4} I’m thinking about hosting a vegan challenge. Anyone interested? ;)

Well, I hope everyone has a lovely Monday! Look out for my Feelin’ Feminine post a little later.

Blessings!

Miscellany Monday

Since last week’s Miscellany Monday post was so much fun, I decided to participate again!

I’M THINKING…about switching from Blogger to WordPress. Just thinking about it. WordPress seems to have quite a few features that I really love that Blogger doesn’t. We’ll see though…it seems like the transfer process might involve a lot of work so I might not do it after all.

I’M LOOKING…for new ideas for the Skype homeschool get-together. So far, we’ve had two get-togethers and they were lots of fun. But I feel like I need to do more –make each one unique. If you have an idea for the get-togethers, please, please share it in a comment!

I’M WONDERING…why I got only 4 comments on my last blog post. Yeah, I know that 4 comments is a lot for many bloggers out there, but I’m accustomed to getting 9 or 10. But then again, I haven’t been leaving comments on my followers’ blogs lately so that might be the reason. {Note to self: Comments are both give and take.}  :)

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO…getting on with my braces. I’ve had my braces on for 3 years now and I’m actually getting tired of them. When I first got them, I really loved them and thought that they were cute. But now I’m 16, and I really just want them to be gone. Haha! They are difficult to clean; and I’d really prefer to have a braces-free smile. My braces “treatment” {if that’s what it’s called} has been on hold for the past 3 months or so because I had to get my wisdom teeth pulled and then wait for my mouth to heal afterwards. My next appointment with the orthodontist is in 3 weeks so hopefully she’ll get my teeth moving again and we can continue moving towards my goal of a pretty smile. :)

I’M NERVOUS ABOUT…college. Oh, yeah, I am. ;) I’ve been homeschooled since the beginning and have never been in a “school setting” so this will be quite different for me. I’ll miss all those fun homeschool field trips and just the flexibility that I’ve enjoyed with homeschooling. I’m going to a public college so I’m sure I’ll meet people that don’t share my beliefs, morals, etc. But even though I’m slightly nervous, I’m also excited too. I’m looking forward to learning, and gaining valuable knowledge that I’ll use after college to help people feel better…and even better, maybe I’ll become a missionary nurse and be able to share the Gospel at the same time.

I’M EXCITED ABOUT…the Feelin’ Feminine challenge that I’ll be hosting this week. The challenge begins this Thursday {Nov. 4th} and I’d love for y’all to join! Please click here to find out how you can participate.

So, what are you thinking, wondering, looking forward to, or nervous about? I’d love to hear what’s on your mind in a comment below!

Blessings!

God Will Make A Way

Thursday evening, I had the opportunity to play “God Will Make A Way” on piano for Back To The Bible’s annual talent night. You might be familiar with Dr. Woodrow Kroll’s radio program and ministry. Each year, Dr. Kroll brings a group to Willowbank Hotel for a week of both relaxation and spiritual refreshing. We first met him last year and we were pleased to be able to meet with many of the same people who visited last year.

Sara filmed me playing so I can share it with all of you. Thanks, Sara! And Mom {in the green blouse} came up with me to turn the sheet music. Thanks, Mom!

I hope that all of you are enjoying this wonderful day that God has made!

Blessings!

Time Flies!

Yep, it’s official…time literally flies. Oh, where, WHERE has this week gone? I can’t believe my last post was on Monday! I apologize for nearly going a whole week without posting, but time quickly slips away, ya know? ;)

**Make sure you read to the end of this post as I have a few announcements/reminders at the end ;)**

So what have I been up to? Well, this week has definitely been a busy one for me. I’m getting ready for college registration which is next week so I’ve been “getting all my ducks in a row”. There are so many things that must be done before my first day of college but I’m trying to take it all “one day at a time”. So if you’ve sent me an email, left a question here on my blog, or even written me a real letter and haven’t heard back from me, please don’t take it personally. I’ve probably already read your message but just need to sit down and write out an answer.

Aside from getting ready for college, I’ve been busy with the usual “not-so-blog-worthy” stuff like chores, piano practice, and test preparation. You know…stuff that we all do, but never blog about? Haha!

The weather has been noticeably cooler this week. The temperature is hovering around 75 degrees –ten degrees cooler than the summer time’s average temperature. The humidity has also been lower which has been helping to lend that “crispy autumn” feeling that I just love. Ironically. the trees are starting grow their leaves again after they were stripped of nearly all their foliage during the hurricane. So now it looks like spring, even though it’s getting cooler and cooler each week that goes by. One obvious sign that autumn is here and winter is approaching is we have been getting more rainy days. While we do get rain the summer time, rainy days are far and few between. Now there’s at least one day out of the week that is rainy –which is great because we need as much rain as we can get!

So how has the weather been changing in your corner of the world? I’m assuming that most of you are in the Northern Hemisphere, but for my Southern friends: Has summer began yet? I’d love to know what weather changes you’ve been noticing in your neighborhood!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

**Announcements & Reminders**

If you participated in the project to make hats for Romania, please be sure that you have filled out this form. Thanks!

If you are participating in the friendship afghan project, please leave a comment letting me know how many squares you’ve made. I’ve finished seven squares so far –not as much progress as I’d like. But we all need to finish up as the deadline has ended.

I’m hosting the Feelin’ Feminine challenge next month beginning on November 4th. You can read more about it here. If you’d like to participate, please let me know!

___________________________

Thanks for reading through these announcements. I know… they were boring, weren’t they? Anyway, have a blessed day!

All images in this post are from Google Images.

Miscellany Monday

I’ve always wanted to participate in Miscellany Monday but never seem to remember to do it! So this is my very first Miscellany Monday post! :) Now for some randomness…

1. I don’t like polka dots. Really, I just don’t! Maybe they look “kid-ish” or silly to me…but I don’t have anything {clothing, bag, fabric} that’s polka dotted! :)'

2. I don’t listen to “Christian Rock”. I believe that the music we listen to should be uplifting and encouraging –and “Christian Rock” doesn’t really do that for me. Instead, I listen to hymns, some contemporary worship songs {without a heavy beat} and plenty of classical music!

3. Okay, this is really random but…my dear kitty, Onyx just turned 7 years old earlier this month. Happy birthday, Onyx! Almost seven years ago, Daddy brought home two little kitties for my sister Sara and I. {Of course, we begged and pleaded for kittens for a very long time!} Opal and Onyx were just 6 and 4 weeks old…trust me, they were the cutest creatures on the block. ;) But they were a lot of work too! As they’ve gotten older, they’ve only endeared themselves to our hearts more and more…we really do consider them part of the family now!

4. I’ve never made buttonholes or added a zipper to anything. I guess I think it’s really hard, but everyone tells me that it’s relatively easy to do. So hopefully, I’ll be able to make a skirt and add a zipper to it!

5. I’m graduating from home school in December! Okay, have I said that already? …yeah, sorry! I’m just really excited that my home school education is almost over…but I think graduation day will be bittersweet too. After all, I will no longer be able to say, “I’m homeschooled!”. But Mom reminded me that I’ll always be a “homeschool graduate”!

6. I really dislike brussel sprouts. I don’t know about you, but there’s something about the taste of those little sprout heads…

Okay, so that’s about all the randomness I can think about right now! Why don’t you share a little randomness in a comment below? Or even better yet, click on the photo at the top of this post to join Miscellany Monday yourself!

I pray that everyone has a blessed week!

Be Still

I’ve been wanting to get a video recording of me playing the grand piano in the hotel’s lounge for a while. So I was delighted when Sara agreed to film me this afternoon.

I’ve been working on this song for quite awhile, and I still don’t have it perfect but I thought you might all enjoy it. :)

Here are the lyrics:

Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am God

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.

Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am God

Therefore, we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed
and all the mountains be carried into
the midst of the sea.

~Written & Composed by Nancy Gordon

Hats for Romania --And They're Mailed!!

To the 24 friends who decided to join me in making hats for the Christian orphanage in Romania, I’d like to say thank you, thank you, thank you! When I first wrote about this project in August, I didn’t expect that so many ladies would join and use their love of crafting to help others. I’ve been pleasantly surprised, amazed and encouraged to see so many of you eager to help. I also heard from some of you who weren’t able to participate this year {for various reasons} but who would’ve liked to. Well, I’d like to say thanks for your interest as well. Maybe I’ll host something similar sometime in the future!
Today, we were able to mail the hats we knitted and crocheted for Romania. Even though the past few months have been busy ones here, my sisters Sara, Leah, and I were able to make 17 hats! It’s been such a blessing to be able to make warm hats for the poor children in Botosani, Romania! I’m glad that we were able to use our talents to help others.
The goal for this project was to knit, crochet, or sew 100 hats for the orphanage in Romania –one for each child. Many of you have left comments saying how many you mailed, but it’s difficult to keep track of numbers left in comments. So I’ve decided to set up a form for all the participants to fill in so we can find out just how close we were to meeting our goal!

If you participated in the Hats for Romania project, please click here to fill out the progress form!

Here are photos we took of the hats before they were mailed:

Did you write a blog post about the project? Please leave the link up below!
Hope everyone’s having a blessed week!

A few of my favorite things…

~New Fabric~

~Playing Piano~

~Blogging~

~Knitting~

~Good Books~

~Studying~

~Strawberries~

~A warm glass of almond milk~

~Good Friends~

~Letters from Pen Pals~

Oh, and of course…

…lovely blog comments like this one ^. :)

What are a few of your favorite things? Please leave a comment and share what’s on your favorites list!

P.S. All photos in this post were found on Google Images. None of them are mine {sadly!}. ;)