Rolls!

From dough....



to risen dough....



to rising rolls....



to the finished product!


For many, many years, Dad and I have been making these triple-rise rolls. They are the best! If you want to read a funny story about one of my experiences making these rolls, click here.

Back to 1st Grade....

Yesterday, I was able to go back to my old school and spend the day with 16 first graders! It was so much fun! The day started out with lots of stares from the students at Paideia Academy since I was wearing my uniform for Berean (where I am now). I also felt so old! My brother's class, seventh grade, is the oldest there, and since I'm in highschool... Well, you get the idea. Through the day, I sorted papers, graded papers, copied papers, cleaned bleeding mosquito bites, dried off a locker, cleaned up popcorn and pretzels, helped build pyramids, helped with spelling, read, and washed desks. It was fun, but a lot of work. One little boy, during lunch, popped his popcorn bag, and it opened from the bottom! I also had to walk all sixteeen kids to a potty break, which was actually really exhausting. It was hard to keep them all in a straight line, and quiet. Actually, it was impossible! But it was good. Hopefully I can do it again sometime. :)

Vote!

Yet again, I am going to ask for your help for Heartland Golden Retriever Rescue. The voting challenge has started up again, and HGRR is in 1st place for the state. To win overall, they need lots of votes. Please help! http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com Click the "it's free to give" button and then the "vote now" button. Also, I completely understand if you're not allowed to. Please don't feel pressured. If you want to see what HGRR really does, the link to their site is over in my list of favorites websites. Thanks!!!

No school!

Due to H1N1 (and others), Berean Christian School has closed for the week! While I am sorry for those that are sick, I am so glad to have 4 days of freedom. :) I do have some work and a project due on Sudan that I will have to work on by myself as my partner has swine flu. Oh well. It's going to be a good week......

Camp BaYoCa Retreat!

Hello! I just got back from a wonderful high school retreat today! All of Berean Christian high school and faculty went to Camp BaYoCa for two and a half days, and it was wonderful.

Wednesday was a full day of school except for 7th period, when we left. After a one and a half hour bus ride, we got to Camp. That night was just settling in, but we managed to pack quite a bit into it. Dinner was barbecue sandwiches, and then we had Session 1 with our speaker, Richie Beeler. The worship was so powerful; I haven't experienced anything like it in quite a while. Everyone was totally focused on God. It was so beautiful! Mr. Beeler gave a talk on "Being An Authentic Christian in 2009." I have been totally inspired! After that, my friends and I walked up to the Mess Hall (there was a TON of walking up and down very steep and slippery paths). Our theme for Camp was Survivor, so that night the teachers hid our team flags (there were 10 teams), and then we had to find them. But it wasn't quite that easy. We had to be in groups of three and link our arms! My team never did find our flag, and in fact, the teachers hid it so well they couldn't find it! After games, my friends and I went to sleep.

Thursday started early for me, 6:30 am. Wake up wasn't until 8:00, so I just read my book by flashlight. When everyone finally did get up, controlled mayhem ensued, and then with much hiking and groaning, everyone made it to a breakfast of tater-tot casserole! We then had Time Alone With God and Session 2. The worship really blessed me at all the Sessions, and since I was having a pretty rough week, I appreciated it so much! After another thought-provoking session with Mr. Beeler, all the teams went off to play games. Let me just say the game was stress-filled, involved tons of running, and I did not think I was going to make it to the end. Thankfully, all the participants (save one who passed out) made it to the end, and my team, The Ligers, came in 3rd. I staggered up the hill yet again with some friends for lunch and then performed clean-up duty. That afternoon, everybody rested, and later on in the afternoon, all the teams were given different scenarios to act out. Ours was pretty lame, but we managed to do it without making very big fools of ourselves. For dinner, we had a banquet and the teachers served us! Then we had Session 3, which was really "Weeping Night." Most people were bawling and/or praying. It was amazing to watch God move in our student body!

Friday was Race-the-Clock-Day. The bus schedule got messed up, but we managed to have a good 4th Session. After that, we all raced around packing up, cleaning, and eating lunch. It was a wonderful retreat!

I'm now home and thankful to be here! I am also so grateful to God for touching my heart and really showing Himself to me in this somewhat difficult time. May the praise continue!

My Music Corner....

I am definitely in a posting mood; four in two days! Anyway, since I just told you what books I've been reading, I thought I'd tell you what music I have been listening to recently!

• "My Deliverer" by Rich Mullins
• "Freedom" (CD/#6-12) by Michael W. Smith
• Adventures in Odyssey by Focus on the Family. I really enjoy listening to audiobooks, and AIO is humorous with good messages.
• Father Gilbert Series by Focus on the Family. Good mysteries about a cop who became a priest. *Some episodes are not acceptable for kids under 15.*

My Reading Corner....

One of my favorite past times is reading. Being a writer as well, I'm always on the lookout for good books! Here are some books that I've read within the past month or two that I would recommend:

• Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. This story is wonderful! There's just enough reality to the book that you don't question the fantastical parts. :)
• Ranger's Apprentice: Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan. Again, a fictitious book. The Ranger's Apprentice series are among some of the most well-written books I've ever read. Definitely a worthwhile read.
• Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan. Set in India, Homeless Bird is the story of a young girl who is married off at a very young age. I'm in the process of rereading this book, and I'm enjoying it tremendously.
• Ryan White: My Own Story by Ryan White. I've already written about this book, but it's worth posting again! This was my favorite summer reading book, and an inspiring story of a teenage boy with hemophilia and AIDS. *Please be warned that there is a little bit of rude language in it: bad names, etc.*
• Fair Weather by Richard Peck. Absolutely one of the most hilarious books ever written!! If you want a laugh, read this story! Other Richard Peck books that are good for laughter are A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder.

That's what has been on my shelf recently! I'll try to post the books I'm reading every month for all to see!

September 11, 2009

Many of you may remember watching the Twin Towers fall exactly eight years ago today, September 11, 2001. I encourage you to be in prayer for the families that were tragically affected in that horrible act of terrorism. If you think about it, please join me in prayer!

In Christ,
~Livvy

Update!

Hello everyone! I apologize for having neglected my blog recently. School can do that to a person! Life has been so busy that I don't feel like sitting down at the end of a long day and typing a post. However, weekends are a time for relaxation, so I thought I would jot some notes.
School is going absolutely great! I really have the best teachers (except for art, but that's a different story). My classmates are good, some are bordering on weird, but I think that has more to do with being in high school than anything else. I've finished my first round of tests/quizzes, and all went surprisingly well, even in subjects that aren't my forte. Today I typed my English paper, had an algebra pop quiz (!), took Bible, geography, and science quizzes, and spent 40 minutes dreadfully bored in Art I. We also had Chapel today, which is a nice break from the weekly routine. We had a very inspiring message that I will tell you more about in a later post.
This weekend, Ev has his first soccer game! As his team is missing three good players, it will be interesting to see how the game pans out. Hopefully his team will not get massacred. Oh, guess what their team name is? You never will, so here it is: The Blue Pugilistic Inchworms. I'm not kidding, and you did read it correctly! Let's just say I'll only be cheering, "Go Team!"
Have a good weekend!

In Him,
~Livvy

Vote!

As you have no doubt seen, I have created a new poll to ask you which creative dog names you like better. We've made them to fit Bono and Tallie's personalities, and they really do represent my pups! After you vote, and if you would like too, please give me your idea of a pair of names that would go well with dogs! Be creative, and I can't wait to see what you will come up with. :)

*You might want to say the poll names out loud; they may make more sense that way.