Christmas Snow!

     Finally we have some snow! Hopefully it will stay for,at least, Christmas. It's terribly windy as well.

Christmas Program at the Nearest Old-Age Home :)

     Yesterday,we performed a shortened version of the Christmas Program at an old age home. It went surprisingly well, and I think that the listeners enjoyed it. I am glad for that. They sang along to the carols that they sang too. We were a little surprised at that. :)  Away In a Manger,Hark the Herald Angels Sing,and Silent Night were some of the traditional carols that we sang and\or played. We also sang\played songs such as To Us a Child of Hope Is Born, and The Birthday of a King. It was enjoyable for me,too,because I love to sing and play. Even if I do get a little nervous. :)

Skating!!!!!!!!!

     On Monday, we went skating. Though there was no snow, it was great fun. Some of us had a few falls. My younger brother used falling to stop!
     Though it's cold, -1 to -10 most of the time, there has not been very much snow,unfortunately.

The Wedding!

      Yesterday,the wedding of my brother and my new sister took place. There was a lot of excitement and elation about,first of all, having a wedding in our church-there hasn't been one in for quite awhile- and,second of all, the excitement that weddings cause. It wasn't a very big bridal party,but... Though it was a rainy and wet day, the dreariness didn't dampen things a bit. After the meal(it wasn't really supposed to be a meal-more like refreshments) we sang hymns with piano and sometimes violin accompaniment. It was a very happy day for all of us, but at the end we were pretty tired. Were we ever glad to get home! It's nice to have another sister in our family! :) I don't think that we have many pictures, but if I can, I will try and post some sometime.
 

Rain :( And Weddings

     Unfortunately, Saturday night it rained and now all the snow melted. :(  Everything's back to being green.
     My brother is getting married on Friday. I wish him well and God's blessing. It will be different in this house without his presence.

December and Advent

     It's December! 24 more days until Christmas! :) And tomorrow is the First Advent!
     We baked spritz cookies today and arranged Christmas flower bouquets! Everything is so Christmassy now and gets us into the spirit of Christmas. Yesterday,it snowed alot and we were quite excited. In approximately 5 minutes,there must have been about 2-3 inches of snow! The roads,though,were fairly bad and there were a number of accidents.

Happy Birthday Daniel!!

     My younger brother turned a decade old today!

We thank the Lord who kept you

All through the passing year

He put His arms around you

And gave you health and cheer.

Now we will pray together

That he will keep you still

And make the next year happy

And help you do His will.



Christmas Program and Snow Fun

    My mother just finished the church Christmas Program(picking out the songs and putting them in the order she wanted) so I guess that we will be practicing for it soon. I can't wait! It is one of my favourite times of the season.
     Today,my creative younger brothers took an old canoe and "canoed" down the hill with it. It has leaks and stuff so it wouldn't be much use for anything else. It slides down the hill surprisingly well!

Snow! Again... and Cookies(Decorating!)

     Yesterday night it snowed and so the next morning there was a blanket of snow on the ground. I think it will stay now. We had a fun time playing in it today-making snow angels, tobagganing, sledding, and skiing and snowboarding. With the snow,though,sometimes comes strong winds and then our house gets freezing,particularly the side the wind blows against. And it also brings slippery roads.
     Today,we baked lebkuchen(gingerbread) and chocolate cookies. We also decorated the sugar cookies we baked last week. My little brother couldn't resist to take a few cookies or eat a few sprinkles. :)

Young Children

     Children are good therapy. They fill up bare and lonely hearts, bring joy and laughter in times of sorrow, and are so pure, innocent, and sweet that you can't help but love them.

Children at Work :)

     Children are always the highlight of my day at work. Alot of cute,young children tend to come in when I am there...and I am glad for that. They brighten everything up.

Yay! Christmas Cookies!

     On Saturday, we started baking our first 2 batches of Christmas cookies;schwarz-weiß gebäck(black-white cookies[I don't actually know the actual translation for "Gebäck"-something to do with baking]), and sugar cookies(those are the ones that we get to decorate!:). We will start the decorating next Saturday. I can't wait! We made six recipes of each,but it doesn't really go very far,if you think about it. So many people,plus it's still a month till Christmas. They are good,though. :)

Remembrance Day

     Yesterday was Remembrance Day and since I didn't go on the internet yesterday,I will write about it today. Remebrance Day was the day in which the armistice was signed to end World War I-at the eleventh hour,on the eleventh day,of the eleventh month. Now,it is used as a day to remember all the other Canadian soldiers who died or fought in all other wars and in peacekeeping.

In Flander's fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses,row on row

That mark our place.And in the sky,

The larks still bravely singing fly,

Scarce heard, amid the guns below.

We are the dead;short days ago,

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved,but now we lie

In Flander's fields.

Take up the quarrel with the foe.

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch;be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die,

We shall not sleep,though poppies blow

In Flander's fields.

Harvest Is Done

     Well,we got the potatoes out(just before it got dark,too) and now we can rest and not worry about them freezing anymore. No more frozen fingers and toes,either...that is,until the snow flies. I can't wait for that.  It was a beautiful day today and warm(1 degree celsius) and,so, our fingers and toes didn't freeze nearly as fast. :)

Below Zero

     It's been a steady -5 lately. I think that it might be a cold winter here this year. The ground is starting to freeze and we still haven't gotten all the potatoes out of our garden. Hopefully,by tomorrow they will be all out. We had a good harvest this year. :)

You Always Learn Something New Each Time You Read The Bible

     I just read,that certain Israelites were given the knowledge by God,in which they had had no knowledge before,to cut stones and melt metals for the tabernacle. It is very interesting to read the Bible and understand things that you never understood before.

Reformation Day!

     On this day in 1517,Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the castle church door in Wittenburg to state what he believed to be wrong in the Catholic church.
     This is the first verse of the German, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"(In this case,I know the German better than the English-usually it's the opposite):

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott,

Ein gute Wehr und Waffen,

Er hilft uns frei aus aller Not,

Die uns jetzt hat betroffen;

Der alte, böse Feind, 

Mit Ernst ers jetzt meint,

Groß Macht und viel List 

Sein grausam Rüstung ist,

Auf Erd ist nich seinsgleichen.  



     On the Sunday before or after Reformation Day,we prepare short biographies of our church fathers and all the confirmed children take part in the reading of them. That is my favourite part. I am always interested in history and especially like to hear how the church was established and built.

     Just a week ago,we had a surprise visitor(that is,noone knew except for our parents and some others). Our former guest from Germany! I was quite surprised,I must say,but I am happy that he is here. :) Thankfully,he is staying for a while. :)

The Weather

     The weather is going back and forth between sunny and rainy. Yesterday was like a hazy,summer day(perfect for doing laundry). Warmish with a light breeze,but,during the night,the weather changed to(what else) rain.
      We have been busy cleaning alot today and I will be glad when it's done(Yaaay!Work).

Almost Done One of my Piano Pieces!

     Well,I haven't been on for quite a while again. My piano pieces are coming along. I almost have one piece done(Chopin is quite short).   I am happy about that. It is very satisfying to learn a piece fast and well.
     I have got some Grade 12 schoolwork.  It's coming along,too.
     Yesterday,the sun came out since a long time,but this morning it was grey again. It was nice to see the sun again as most of the weather has been grey,windy(very!),and rainy. About half of the trees are pretty much or fully bare now. And the colours are diminishing. :( Unfortunately.

Snow!!!!!

     There were lots of baby pictures at work yesterday to print. I can now do film all the way from beginning to end and I am able to do alot of things on my own now. Without getting my boss for help. It has been busy again. I was running all over the place yesterday. I still had time to work on some schoolwork,though,which I am glad about...
     It snowed! Just a little bit yesterday,but it was something to get excited about. :) The temperature is getting lower and lower.

Under a Tree,With the Birds

     One Sunday,I sat under a tree and watched the birds. I didn't realize how small they are! They can fit under a regular maple leaf! It was nice to hear their songs and one little bird,whenever I whistled,looked around,"What on earth can that be!" He was really cute. :)

General Subjects. :)

     My mother told me to make supper. I must have annoyed her with how many times I came to ask her how to do things. :)  This year,everyone helped with the Thanksgiving supper,..that is except me. I had to clean the window sills,scrub the kitchen chairs,...the only time I sat down was when I practiced. Oh well,it was a good supper. And all the better because I worked hard beforehand.
     Well,I guess I can officially take passport pictures now. Yesterday,I took several. They went wrong a few times,but they were fixed soon after. One girl was very excited to have her passport picture taken. :)
    

Thanksgiving/Erntedankfest

     A standard thanksgiving hymn for us and with a joyful melody:

Für den goldnen Sonnenschein,

Für die Luft,so klar und rein,

Für den Regen auf der Au',

Für den milden Morgentau

(For the golden sunshine,for the air,so clear and pure, for the rain on the meadows,for the mild morning dew...) 



Für das Wasser und das Brot,

Für die Freunde in der Not,

Für die Arbeit und das Spiel,

Für das Lebens Zweck und Ziel

(For the water and the bread,for the friends in the not,for the work and the play,for the life's purpose and aim...)

Für die Ruhe in der Nacht,

Für die holde Sternenpracht,

Für das teure Gotteswort,

Für die bess're Heimat dort

(For the rest in the night,for the lovely star splendor,for the costly Word of God,for the better home there...)

Für die lieben Eltern mein,

Die sich meinen Glücke weih'n,

Für den Heiland Jesus Christ,

Der von Himmel kommen is,

(For the loving parents mine,that my happiness ordain,for my Saviour Jesus Christ,that from heaven came...)

Für den lieben Ruhetag,

Den so gern ich feiern mag,

Wo wir gehn zum Haus des Herrn,

Immer wieder,ach,so gern,

(For the lovely Sunday,that I gladly celebrate,where we go to the House of the Lord,always again and ever so gladly...)

chorus

Danken wir dem Herrn.

Danken wir dem Herrn.

Vater,wir danken dir

Vater,wir danken dir;

Vater im Himmel,wir danken dir!

(Thank we the Lord,thank we the Lord. Father,we thank thee,Father,we thank thee.Father in heaven,we thank thee.)

     (Some of the translations might be a little off or wrong.)

     Last year I was so happy to have made Thanksgiving supper all by myself! I cooked red beets (picked by my younger sister, MM), cooked beans (picked by me), cooked rice, made a sauce for salmon and cooked it, and made tomato salad (tomatoes picked by S, and onions picked by my oldest sister, M).  I did burn the beets, but it wasn't too bad. :)

Just About Fall.Pretty Much

     On Thursday,I watched the sun set. It was beautiful to see the sun go down,down,down and colour the sky with rainbow hues;blue,green,yellow,red...
     0 degrees outside and 16 degrees inside. It makes your fingers so cold that it's hard to play and practice. We have our fireplace going,but it only heats some things.
     Thanksgiving is on Monday. The time is going so fast,that it's hard to believe!

Music

     Good music is God-given and something to be loved and cherished.











     Yes,that comment has a good point,but for me,I mean classical and baroque music and the old hymns that were written so long ago by our church fathers.

Tag der Deutschen Einheit

     The day of German Unity is today. I guess it is like our Canada Day. The day when Germany officially united and almost a year after the Berlin Wall came down. My father says that he still remembers that day it came down.
     Yesterday,I did my first passport photo. A very nice lady whose neutral expression was also a smile. :)

Answers Again :)

     Reformation Day is October 31. I will explain more when that day comes around. It is one of the holidays that I enjoy the most,because of the history and the stories of church fathers involved in it.
     Yes,fall colours are always beautiful,...I wish I could post some pictures on here.

October Already!

     Soon Thanksgiving and then Reformation Day. It's hard to believe. The leaves are so beautiful now and soon the trees will be bare.

Work

     Driving home from work,I saw a shooting star. It was sooo cool and beautiful. And very close. At first I thought it was an airplane,but then it was practically going straight down so I knew that it wasn't. And it wouldn't have been an airplane crashing either because then it wouldn't have just disappeared in mid air.
     Fortunately, I know some sign language so I could communicate with a deaf guy that came into work today. Normally,he just communicates with a pen(or pencil)and paper.
     Work is becoming more routine for me now and it can be boring,even though I still can't do everything.
     My boss wants to learn Russian just because he sees me learning it. It is funny.

Answers about Ottawa

     I was too small to remember how it looked when we went there last,or I didn't store anything in my mind from that,because I practically didn't recognize anything. The hotel that we stayed in was the same one that we stayed in last time,but I didn't really remember anything from there at all.
    

What We Did in Ottawa

     On the first day of staying in Ottawa,we went to the Royal Canadian Mint,the Canadian War Museum and we just walked around on Sussex Drive.
     The Royal Canadian Mint makes only 0 to 500 circulation coins(that is,coins that are used for money) a day,because the bigger mint in Winnepeg now does all those coins(12,000 to 500,00 coins/day).The mint still makes collectors and investors coins,though and,also,coins for different countries. The gold is obtained from Canada and the silver to make the coins is mostly from the United States of America. This year they also made the olympic and the paralymic medals because the olympics were held in British Columbia. I learned alot from the tour,but it would be boring,I think,for those who read this blog.
     The war musuem was quite interesting,but also very,very sad. It told of all the wars fought on Canadian soil from the Iroquois to the modern day peacekeeping(even if it's not on Canadian soil,Canadians are still fighting). Although, the world wars,and especially the Holocaust,interest me,it still makes me solemn to think of all those people who died.The boys enjoyed it,of course. They don't think about war of killing people,but rather only think of the guns and tanks associated with it. I hope that once they grow older,they will realize what war actually is.
     We walked around the city alot. Some high points made the Rideau River a beautiful view.There were alot of statues of important people. We didn't get that close to some of them,though, unfortunately.
     We also crossed into Hull for a short drive. It was very interesting to see all the French signs and trying to pronounce them.
     At night,when it was dark,we visited the Parliament and the Eternal Flame. It never extinguishes and it has all the shields of the different provinces and territories around it.
     The second and last day of staying in Ottawa(we did not stay till Saturday) we visited the Parliament Buildings(Parliament comes from the French word "parle" which means "to talk") and that was pretty much it. We first climbed the peace tower and looked over Ottawa. It was a nice view except that it was raining and cloudy. We went to the house of commons and there was a parliament in session! It was interesting to hear it,although we had to leave early for the tour. Unfortunately,we were not allowed to take any pictures. In the tour we went to the Library-we had to be very quiet in there,because the librarians were working-,the senate, and I can't remember so much anymore. But we were allowed to take pictures on the tour,except the Library. It was the only part of the building saved from a big fire that occured there,because someone thought to close the big iron doors that led to that part. Now,the buildings are made of mostly fireproof materials,as stone,metals,etc.
     The only problem with Ottawa is that it has a lot of one-way streets and so makes it harder to drive and to find your way around.But it is not as busy or has as many people as Toronto and that makes it also more beautiful. I am glad that it is our capital city.
     We were glad to get home.
    

Night Outside/Ottawa!

     Walking in the streets at night after work is so nice. Practically noone is out and it's just getting dark. Sometimes I am lucky enough to see the sun setting. I will be going to work tomorrow-it's nice to get out of the house sometimes.
     At home it's nice to look at the stars and hear the crickets chirping.Unfortunately though,the nights are getting too cold to be outside.
     We are going to Ottawa from Thursday to Saturday. I can't wait to go. :) All the homeschooling and young kids(or rather,children)are going. I haven't been there for a loooooong time and I don't remember much at all. I was so young.

School and Cold

     Lesson 4 of Russian. :) Unfortunately,though,I don't have the advantage that some people have of hearing Russian spoken.  I will start some new Grade 12 subjects soon,I hope.
     At night it's now so cold that I huddle under my featherbed to be warm. :)

Anything :)

     We are finally having piano lessons again. I am glad for that.
     I have just figured out how I can print pictures from my phone at work. I would like to try it one time. And then maybe I will post some pictures.
     Work and school are occupying alot of my time,so I don't have much time to do anything else. It has been a time since I posted something. ...
     N loves to go outside and it is almost a trial to keep him occupied inside.Just yesterday,he took one of our fireplace shovels and was playing "rototiller" in the sand outside! He started music lessons today. He won't be a good student,probably,because he has too much energy.
     Some trees are already fully devoid of leaves. The time flies by so fast! I wouldn't be surprised at all if tomorrow is winter.And it's not even fall yet! Well,actually next week is the start of fall.

September 11,2001

     This is 9/11 or the same day of 2001 in which some planes,hijacked by terrorists,crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. I don't remember very much from so long ago,but I have read lots about it.

Another Pretty Verse.

     This one is German and tells about a bird that sings so sweet and makes people listen,but that is so small that you can barely see it.It is a cheery,uplifting,hymn particularily for children:

Vöglein im hohen Baum,

Klein ists,ihr seht es kaum

Singt doch so schön,

Daß wohl von nah und fern

Alle die Leute gern

Horchen und stehn

Horchen und stehn.

Unfortunately,though,I know very few German songs.   



Fall and "Almost-School" Days

     Today is another beautiful day. Sunny and warm and nice to do schoolwork outside. And it's so peaceful out there,too. :) There is a nice gentle breeze. I noticed,though,that the suns rays are not as warm as they used to be,unfortunately.
     Soon I will be starting on the 3rd lesson of my Russian workbook. I have lots of vocabulary to learn...I hope that I will be able to learn it well and to be able to use it.
     I am almost certain that a teacher will be a good career choice for me,although,I don't know what Bachelor degree I would like to get before being able to apply at teacher's college. I am still in school,though,it is not too important right now. A little important,but not very much. 
     I am working on my Grade 10 piano pieces and I think it's going fairly well,except for the fact that it might be going a little slowly. But I will get the hang of it soon. :) I really like doing 4-note chords in technique. :) Only if I know them,that is. :) 

First Day of Work and the Changing Weather.

     Well,I survived my first day and I only made a few mistakes. It wasn't very busy,so that was good. I didn't have to worry too much. I haven't learned everything yet,but hopefully I will soon.
     Yesterday morning,it was pouring rain,but it cleared up in the evening and everything was so fresh and clean after that. Today is a beautiful,sunny day,but it is definitely September-the wind is stronger and cooler and the tree's leaves are changing colour. It is school time again. Just this morning I was surprised to see the school bus coming down our road again. We will be starting new schoolwork next week. I can hardly wait! Grade 12! It seems so old to be in Grade 12,yet I feel the same that I always have. It is a funny feeling.

Work and School

     Well, school is starting now. L and M have already started and R will start soon. I hope to start soon, too, although I have never really stopped.
     Today is my first day of work with no training and I am a little nervous...I hope that it will go well.

Some Pretty Verses,Particularily for Children

  God make my life a little light

Within the world to glow,

A little flame that burneth bright

Wherever I may go.

God make my life a little flower

That giveth joy to all,

Content to bloom in native bower,

Although the place be small.

God make my life a little song

That comforteth the sad,

That helpeth others to be strong,

And maketh others glad.

God make my life a little staff

Whereon the weak may rest;

That so what health or strength I have

May serve my neighbour best.

Wherever I may go.

Wherever I may go,

God make my life a little light

Wherever I may go.



Joseph Schneider Haus,Work,Russian :)

     Yesterday,our mother took the four medium girls,the five little kids,and R to Joseph Schneider Haus. It was quite interesting;we spun flax,twisted rope(it's strong!),and R and I did some weaving. We also watered the garden by hand-pumping the water into pails and lugging it there.It wasn't very hard(I suppose,though,that if you do it for a long time,then it might be),except that it was hot. A guy explained what some of the plants were and what they were used for. There were sooooooo many things. I was glad for the guy that explained everything to us(except his pronunciation of "schnitzelbank" was kind of disconcerting.) and demonstrated the many tools for us.
     Today,at work, I learned how to print pictures from film,make black and white pictures from coloured prints,and to scan old pictures.It is still fairly simple,though.
     "Russian" is going along okay.It's fairly easy so far(I am only on lesson 2,though),especially since there are no articles before a noun. :) I take it to work with me. The letters are very interesting to write. :)

A New Experience,School Time Again

     Yesterday,S(one of my younger sisters) and I went to L's(one of my older sisters) work to be "trained." That is,to learn how to greet customers(that's hard!),to know how to work the photo operating machines and computers,and to take passport photos,before Laura starts school next week. It is fairly simple,but I do like it when it's busier.

     It is certainly school time again. M(my oldest sister)just started school yesterday,L will be starting school next week,as well as R(one of my older sisters),and we will all probably start sometime soon,I think. I will be glad to get on to Grade 12 stuff. The weather definitely acts like fall weather,and people are starting to wear sweaters and cozier clothing.

A More Recent Picture/Taking off Laundry under the Stars

This is the most recent picture of me(unless,of course,someone has taken another one in the time from when this was taken). It was taken on the 18 of August this year:

Yesterday,I took off the laundry when the stars were out and when it was dark. It was very peaceful and nice except for the occasional airplane. :)

An Old Picture :)

 

     This is an old picture,as you can see. I am the one whose braid is swinging out. :) 

Another Hymn

     This hymn has nice words and a nice melody,and it is so easy to play,that I think this is my favourite:

When the trials of the day

Come to burden and dismay,

And the waves of disappointment seem to roll,

I retreat unto my Friend

For I always can depend

That He understands my needs of heart and soul.

When the burdens that I bear

I entrust to You in prayer,

And some answers are withheld, I yielded stay;

May my faith and peace in Thee

 Ever sure and anchored be

Till the dawning of that great eternal day.

Chorus:

Jesus, let me walk with Thee

Though the path I may not see;

Let me place my hand in Thine so trustingly;

In Thy strength and not in mine,

While I lay my will in Thine,

Your protecting arms surround and comfort me.

     The weather is getting warmer again. Hopefully,it will stay like that for a time.Yesterday was a beautiful day and I was going to do my schoolwork outside,but it never happened.  

N with His "Hay Bales"/Russian

     Today,my 3 and a half year old brother,N,took a bag of marshmallows out of the pantry. I was wondering what he would do with them,so I followed him... He dumped the bag on the floor and stacked them in groups of three to make "hay bales. I took them away,and he would have made a fuss had I not given him other "hay bales" to play with(Canned,storebought soup). He is now happily playing with cars.
     I have bought a Russian lesson book and am now learning Russian. There are 20 lessons and,if I do one a week,I will be done at the end of the year.So,I am starting it as part of my school curriculum. Hopefully,I will know a little bit more than when I started. Probably not much more,but a bit more. Well,we'll see...and then I will have to make sure that I don't forget it. That will be a trial as there are not many people with whom I will be able to converse or many Russian books to read. Well,I will see how it goes anyhow.

Our Last Guest Left

     Yesterday,we drove our last guest to the airport. It will be different now that we were used to guests,but we will adjust back to normal. He also took his saxophone with him so we will not hear it anymore,either.

Music,Eden House,Blue Eyes,Books to Read

     On Saturday we had visitors for S's birthday celebration. After that,we sang. There were lots of instruments,and I think that they drowned out the singing. :) 4 violins,1 piano,1 trumpet,1 saxophone,1 recorder, and 1 harp. It was a nice and special time,because we don't do it very often.
     Yesterday,we went to a nursing and retirement home to conduct a service there. After,as we were leaving a lady beckoned me over,so I went. When I had come she said that she just wanted to touch my braid. :')
     It is funny to notice that all of our guests that stayed at our house had nice blue eyes.
     In our library we have 2 bookshelves,one on each side of the library. One has Christian or related books and the other has secular books. As I was cleaning up the Christian books,I realized how little of them I had read(most of them are German and that is one of the reasons why).So I have decided to go through all of those that I haven't read yet. It will take a while,but I think it will be worth it. Each time I read my Bible in the evenings I will read one chapter of one book. I am currently reading a German book entitled "Die Nachfolge Christi" by Thomas of Kempen.

     Samstag hatten wir besuch für S's Geburtstag. Später,haben wir gesungen. Da waren viele instrumente und ich denke daß du koenntest keiner singen hoeren. Es war eine schoene zeit,weil wir es nicht oft machen.
     Gestern sind wir zu ein alten Heim gegangen ein Gottesdienst zu haben. Nach dem Gottesdienst wollte eine frau daß ich neben ihr kam. Als ich da kam sagte sie daß sie wollte nur mein zopf anfassen. :')
     Es ist lustig zu denken daß alle unsere Gäste die hier geblieben hatten schoene blaue Augen.
 

A Typical Fall Day.

     Yesterday seemed like a typical fall day,windy and cool. It is halfway through August and school will be starting soon-I in my last year probably(I might take an extra year).I can hardly believe that. Wow! Everything goes by so fast!

     Gestern war ein typisch Herbst tag,starker wind und kühl. Es ist halben weg durch August und schule wird bald wieder anfangen-ich in mein letztes jahr(vielleicht werde ich ein extra jahr nehmen). Ich kann das kaum glauben. Alles geht viel zu schnell vorbei!

A Beautiful Hymn

     I,at one time, thought that this was an ordinary hymn with a nice melody. Once,though,as I was reading through the words,I realized how beautiful it actually is.

God, that madest earth and heaven,

Darkness and light;

Who the day for toil hast given,

For rest the night;

May thy constant power defend us,

Slumber sweet thy mercy send us;

Holy dreams and hopes attend us,

This livelong night.

When the constant sun returning

Unseals our eyes,

May we, born anew like morning,

To labour rise;

Gird us for the task that calls us,

Let not ease and self enthrall us,

Strong through thee whatever befall us,

O God most wise!

Weeds,Weeds,and More Weeds and Rain

Rain,rain do not stay,

Come again when we're away.

We all wish to work and play,

In the sunshine all the day.

 

     If the rain keeps up,we will have weed beds and gardens instead of flower beds and vegetable gardens. Sure,the nonweeds grow,too,but not as fast. This morning when I went to the garden to pick beans(it was sunny then)I saw a carpet of small weeds. It was,though,soon covered with pulled weeds from the bean row. Plenty. The sun was still pretty hot when it was not covered with clouds.
    
     Da ist viel zu viel Unkraut.Ich muß jeden tag sie raus ziehen jetzt...wenn es nicht regnet. Ich habe schon ein reihe bohnen und eine halbe reihe Kartoffel gezieht. Ich habe fast keine Kartoffel Käfer gesehen.

Sister's Birthday,What I Read in Bible Verses

     My sister,S,just turned 16 yesterday.Wow!I can't believe that she is so old. When you are that age it doesn't seem old,but when you think about other people being it,then it seems old. Very strange,but true.Well,at least S had a little warmer and sunnier day(although not warm enough for swimming) on her birthday unlike today-it is dreary and cold again. Probably will be for the rest of the week.

     These are some Bible verses that I read-very nice:

     Am Anfang schuf GOtt Himmel und Erde.

Und Gott sprach:Es werde Licht! Und es ward Licht. Und Gott sah,daß das Licht gut war.

1.Mose 1:1,3,4

Und Gott der Herr machte den Menschen aus einem Erdenkloß,und er blies ihm einden lebendigen Odem in seine Nase. Und also ward der Mensch eine lebendige Seele.

1. Mose 2:7

Da Gott den Menschen schuf, machte er ihn nach dem Gleichnis GOttes.

1.Mose 5:1

Saturday/Starting to Read the German Bible/Stars and the Milky Way

     On Saturday it was a dreary day,inside and out. Outside it was rainy and wet,inside one of our guests had to leave that day. For some,especially the younger children, it was quite disappointing. :(
     I have finished reading the Bible in English and have started it now in German.  :)
     Yesterday,there were enough clear spots to see the Milky Way Galaxy and many,many stars. I tried hard to look for shooting stars,but I couldn't find any,... unfortunately. Anyway, it was still nice and quiet outside with all the beautiful,twinkling stars.

Swimming for the Last Time in a While

     We did go swimming yesterday,but that is where it ends. When I woke up this morning,it was grey and raining,unfortunately,and it is predicted that the rest of the week will be cold,grey,yucky,and rainy. No more swimming for some time. :( But we did have a fun time so that was good.

Visitors and Swimming

     We just picked up another visitor from the airport yesterday. Three guys are visiting at the same time! We went swimming yesterday for the last time for a while,it seems,because all the days are getting cooler now,unfortunately.
   

Disappointing Piano Exam Mark

     Well, I got my piano exam mark and it is a little disappointing-a 61. Anyway, my piano teacher,Renee, made me understand that it is not the marks that count,but the reason why I play music...because I like to play and listen to it. I can play older,nice pieces(or snatches of pieces) that I have played before whenever I feel like it. Anyway,at least I passed my exam and can go on to my Grade 10...more nicer pieces!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Raspberry Jam

Raspberry jam!!!!!!!!!!!! Freshly made this morning. I put too much sugar in,though,so it would have been taffy if I had not put some frozen strawberries in.

Close to the End of Summer

It's already the beginning of August! And soon it will be school again...Wow! The summer has gone by soooooooo fast.

A Beautiful Verse

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Hebrews 2:9

Den aber, der eine kleine Zeit niedriger gewesen ist denn die Engel, Jesum, sehen wir durchs Leiden des Todes gekrönt mit Preis und Ehre, auf daß er von Gottes Gnaden für alle den Tod schmeckete.

Hebräer 2:9

Parent's Wedding Anniversary

Mami (mother) and Papi (father): 24 years in marriage!  

   What therefore God has joined together,let not man put asunder.

Mark 10:9

Was denn Gott zusammengefüget hat, soll der Mensch nicht scheiden.

Markus 10:9

     Well, and I finally figured out what the problem with the internet was...and it wasn't about the storm-It was about me! I put the internet cord/network cable in the wrong plug!

Internet Wasn't Working

     Well,it has been a while again.One night after a storm the internet somehow stopped working on the main computer so I didn't have access to the internet from that computer.
     It was a nice day yesterday, but now today it is cloudy and will probably rain sometime soon,unfortunately.
     My schoolwork is coming along...

A Day at the Zoo

     Yesterday was a nice day to go to the zoo. Not too hot and so the creatures were a little more active than last time. The baby African penguins were extremely cute as were the polar bears. The polar bear cub was very active...I think he might have been showing off. It was a fun day,though, unfortunately,L-my sister- got two wasp stings from a nest somewhere. Oh well, it turned out okay.
 

About Me

     Hi, I am Jessica and I am the 5th oldest(of the children) in a family of 15 people. I am homeschooled in Grade 11 and soon Grade 12. I especially like working at home(like cooking, cleaning, etc.,) and in the garden.