More from Arizona

Here are some more pictures from Arizona when Mom and Emily flew out there last week. Zoe sleeping.

I think this picture is so funny. Emily passed out and Zoe peeking at the camera.

With Grandma.

With Daddy.

Zoe, Emily, Ted, and Mom.

Michelle, Mom, and Em.

Daddy, Mommy, Aunt, Grandma, and Zoe. They're coming next month for a visit, I can't wait!

“The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.”

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The weather outside is frightful...

...but hot chocolate is so delightful.

One Month

Mom and Emily just got back from visiting Ted, Michelle, and Zoe. Zoe is one month old now!!! Here are some pics they brought back with them.

Amaryllis

Ok, one last poll to see what this blog will be called.

Cut Short

You will never know me
My life has been cut short
I will never feel the wind
Or build a tree-house fort
I could have been a gymnast
But my legs will never walk
I could have been an artist
But I'll never draw with chalk
I could have been a doctor
But I'd need both my hands
I could have been surfer
But I'll never feel the sand
I could have been a teacher
But I'll never hold a book
I could have studied the stars
But my eyes will never look
I could have been a singer
But I'd need my voice for that
I could have been a vet
But I'll never stroke a cat
I could have been a chef
But food I'll never eat
I could have been a runner
But I'd need the use of feet
I'll never know what it was
That I was supposed to give
You will never know me
For this life I'll never live.

The Ashley's Visit

It was so much fun having the Ashley family over for nine days! Here is Jo helping me make granola.

Jo, Anna, and Gabe building something...a house I think.

This is what they did when I told them to smile for the picture. HA!

And this is their mad faces.

One night we went and had some fun on the snowmobile, pulling people around on sleds. It was absolutely FREEZING!!! Those Georgians sure picked the week to experience a New York winter again (they used to live here).

Gabe was so bundled up, I'm sure he couldn't move, but he didn't want to go inside.

And the whole Ashley family: Gina, David, Jo, and Gabe.

The poll is open on the blog I'm starting, so go over and vote on a name!

My new jacket

Last time I was at Greek Peak, the zipper broke on my jacket. It also happened to be an incredibly cold day. Today Mom was going to take my jacket to the tailor to get it fixed, but decided to call and found out that it would cost $30-$50 dollors to fix the zipper! So instead she took me to TJ Max. I tried on a couple of coats that were okay, and we were going to head over to Dicks when Mom suggested we look at the women's sizes.
There I found the most amazing coat. It was above and beyond what I was expecting or looking for. It has those wrist/thumb things (I don't know what they're called), two layers, and vents and pockets everywhere. We got it for a really good deal too.
And inside there is a place for my ipod, my goggles, and my CHAPSTICK!!! It was truly made for me!

And to top things off, it is my favorite color, lime green. I think God put it there just for me. :)

Divine Prevention

I'm sure most of you heard, but a U.S. Airways plane crashed into the Hudson river today. Such an amazing story, and all 155 people survived. For story click here. Something that could have been so horrific turned into a miraculous story. Thank You God!!!

Picture Tag

I just got tagged by Morgan to do this:

1. Choose the 4th folder where you store photos on your computer.

2. Select the 4th photo in that folder (no cheating - cropping, editing, etc.).

3. Explain the photo.

4. Tag 4 other people to do the same

Anna in a tree, September 2005. We used to climb trees every single day, and then we would take pictures, make strange movies, and once we carved our names in this tree. Ah, so many memories...

I tag:
Nikki
Mia
Olivia
Emma

Do Hard Things

Today I finished this book. It was seriously one of the best books I've ever read. It definitely changed my perspective on my life and challenged me to (ironically) do hard things. :) I really recommend it!

On another note: some friends of ours from Georgia flew in yesterday and are going to be staying with us for a little over a week. They have two little boys who are 4 and 2 and are way too cute for their own good. :)

Sentimental Days

Distant memories
Passing, fleeting
Fading into
Gray and blue,
Buried feelings
Rise again
There is nothing
I can do.
Helpless now
They surround me
Captivating
Heart and soul,
I close my eyes
And drift away
I am losing
All control.
Then reality
Harsh and cold
Pulls me back
To now,
Past makes room
For the present
It takes
A final bow.
As much as I try
A cannot hold on
Those days
Are one of a kind,
I cannot go back
I can only relive
Those memories
In my mind.

Click here to see the blog I'm starting.

SU game

Last night we went to Syracuse and Teresa and Sarah sang at their first men's basketball game!!! Waiting for the game to begin.

They sang really good. :D

We were playing De Paul and won, leading most of the game. Then we went out for ice cream, but I forgot to bring the camera with me.

Plans...

Thanks for all the responses! So I guess that's a green light. Whoever wants to contribute to the blog, leave me a comment and the e-mail address you sign in with. Or you can e-mail them to me at thebigrhino@gmail.com. Also if anyone wants to look up a good background/template for it that would be awesome. It doesn't have to be "Christian" per say, just cool. I was looking for one that had footprints in the sand but couldn't find one, so if you do tell me. And after we get the template we can pick a name and then actually do it!

An Idea

Ok, so I have an idea that I need your feedback on. I read two books last year (that's weird to say) that really inspired me to get real with God. Those books were Rachel's Tears and Do Hard Things, although I'm still reading DHT. I know a lot of you really want to follow hard after God, but I think we all can use a little encouragement. This is just an idea, but what if we started a blog to do just that? There could be a bunch of contributors who would post things that God is teaching them in their life, or inspiring things they read, or whatever. I think it would be really cool to see what other people are getting from the Word. I'm not sure how it would work, so tell me your ideas if you have any, and if you think it's a bad idea tell me. You can pray about it if you want, and then tell me what you think.

Cross-Country Skiing

New Years

New Year's Eve Teresa and Emily had to work, but the rest of us ate yummy food and played games until they came back.

When they got home we played Cranium. Our team won, YES! Dad, Mom, Emily, Anna, and I all stayed up until 4am for some reason watching a movie.

And then on New Year's Day we took down our tree...in a very strange way. We did this last year too, it's actually quite funny. We clip off all the branches and throw them out the window, followed by the trunk.

And the mutilated tree on the ground. So sad. :(

The Best

Good books I've read in 2008:

Good movies that came out in 2008:

Good things that happened in 2008: