Alive and Well

Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive and breathing. Thankfully, William killed the dragon that attacked me, and Caleb killed the evil wizard, so I am not harmed. Though my two little brothers are a little roughed up. But they're doing well. And so am I, for that matter.
What I mean to say is I'm sorry that this has taken so long, but Summer, as some of you might know, is a very busy time for us and I don't get to the computer as much.

ANYWAY, last night Dad, Tiff, Melissa, Caleb, Abby, Grace and I made our way to a retirment home with a few families from our church- The Price, Evans, Candler, Sanford, Peiffer, and Creath families. We sang a bunch of hymns and psalms and had a few special music presentations-

The Sanfords sang an upbeat version of "Amazing Grace"
The Evans's recited scripture
Some of us girls from church sang an arrangment of "Holy, Holy, Holy"
Tiff, Anna Price and I did a Piano/Viola/Violin ensemble of "Psalm 22c" and "Praise to the Lord the Almighty"
Sierra and Anna Pittenger sang a duet of "Lamb of God" by Twila Paris
John and Whitney Creath did a Violin/Harp duet of "And Can It Be"

Everyone did wonderful and everything went smoothly. I pray we were able to show God's love to the people at Pekin Retirement home!
Afterwards, the Price's treated everyone to Ice Cream cones at McDonalds...which was fun and gave us a little bit more time, to laugh, fellowship and plan for next time! :)

As you probably know, we returned safely back from our trip to Canada. We were able to visit Dundurn castle and Battle Museum (the war of 1812... one of my favorite eras!) while we were there which was spectacular!! Tiff got some photos so I'll post those soon.

We've been gardening and landscaping the past few days, which has been fun. The yard is really improving and we're very pleased with the outcome. Though, the little gnat-type bugs are really getting on my nerves, so we all stink of bug repellant...if you cared to know. :D btw, it doesn't work, either. So we put on that disgusting repellent for nothing. go figure. :) So, here I am now. Now I'll go attach all those photos.

jessica nicole

William Alexander (taken by Myself)

Us girls singing "Holy, Holy,Holy" (the following photos were taken by Dad.)

The Evans's reciting scripture.

John and Whitney playing "And Can It Be"

The Sanfords singing "Amazing Grace"

Caleb dressed up at the Battle Museum in Canada.

Doesn't he look so awesome? (taken by Tiff)

Doesn't Caleb's hat look like Hornblower's (below)? We kind of wished the museum had blue coats...but....

he ended up looking like him (below) instead.oh well. he's kind of cool too. :)

(and you wonder what my favorite movie is!)

Emma with her speaker ribbon in Canada. :D (take by Tiff)

Emma and William got a bit exhausted walking from the hotel to the convention center. So they rode. :) (taken by Tiff.)

William admiring his John Deere. :) (photo by me, again.:D)

Inside Dundurn Castle...the parlor (or sitting room.)(the dundurn castle photos were all taken by Tiff.)

If you've seen Anne of Avonlea (#2) then you might recognize this room as Captain Harris' study when Anne comes to ask if his daughter can be in the Mary Queen of Scots play. We were excited to find out that that part of the movie was in the above room...at Dundurn castle!

The beautiful entryway!

Our new dining room table...lol...we wish. Isn't the dining room lovely?

The front of Dundurn Castle.

~Spring Is Upon Us! ~

That wonderful time of year is upon us again! Flowers blooming, people laughing, birds chirping and the world coming alive again after a long winter.
Something about it just makes me want to sing for joy. Everything is stunning. Everything is blooming with life.
What joy!
What bliss!
What Ecstacy!
Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?

I love spring!

Plans for the month:

Enjoy the weather.

Enjoy the fresh flowers.

Go to Canada.

Buy the patterns for our Jamestown Garb.

Buy the fabric for our Jamestown Garb.

Jump up and down with joy....

WE'RE GOING TO JAMESTOWN!

Now I'm really happy!

And I took a Narnia quiz (I know, i've been way to into quiz's lately! lol.)
And I hate the person that I turned out as. But hey, I answered honestly. oh well. lol.

Tagged :)

<-H.M.S Suprise

Joe tagged me. So here goes! :)

1) What goes on a fried egg sandwich other then egg and toast? Nothing. ew gross. I hate egg sandwiches!!
2) Favorite book in the Bible? Psalms. It's so poetic.
3) Who’s your mentor? My Mom.
4) How many computers do you have in your house? Um...(let me count them!) 6.
5) Tag the last 5 people who commented you. Elizabeth, Brooke, Delaney, Elissa and Darby.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, and I took a "Which Princess Bride Character Are You?" Test. You'll never guess who I was....



Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti




Yikes. Yikes. Yikes. Count Rugen???!!! I'm freaking myself out. I think I'm gonna die.
Okay, so maybe not...but I'll faint anyway. I never considered myself...*ahem*, quite like him before. But then again...you never know! :D

~jessica~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fingerprints of God by Steven Curtis Chapman

I can see the tears filling Your eyes

And I know where they're coming from

They're coming from a heart that's broken in two

By what you don't see

The person in the mirror

Doesn't look like the magazine

Oh, but when I look at you it's clear to me that...

I can see the fingerprints of God

When I look at you

I can see the fingerprints of God

And I know it's true

You're a masterpiece

That all creation quietly applauds

And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

Never has there been and never again

Will there be another you

Fashioned by God's hand

And perfectly planned

To be just who you are

And what He's been creating

Since the first beat of your heart

Is a living breathing priceless work of art and...
Just look at you You're a wonder in the making Oh, and God's not through, no In fact, He's just getting started and…

life

Grrr. I'm so frustrated. Blogger just deleted my whole entire post (it was nice, long and poetic too...okay, so maybe not, but it was long!). I don't really feel like typing all that up again, so this will be short...sorry. :)

well, tommorow is william's birthday, but I've already posted on that.
And the 16th was my blog's 2nd birthday!!!
Happy Birthday to insertfootinopenmouth.blogspot.com
Happy Birthday to insertfootinopenmouth.blogspot.com
Happy Birthday to insertfootinopenmouth.blogspot.com
Happy Birthday to insertfootinopenmouth.blogspot.com
All sung to the tune of the "Happy Birthday" song, of course.

Hmm...what's been happening? William and I danced around the kitchen to crazy music today. I think he'll be any excellent dancer when he gets...taller. :) it's so good to have him back home! :D
AND, Father and Mother went out today and bought a JOHN DEERE! We're all really excited and have decided that we're now officially "Countrifyed". :D

well, I said this wouldn't be long, so I'll go ahead and close now. :)

~jessica~

Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound!

What a lovely evening we had last night! Dad, Melissa, Caleb, Abby, Myself and a bunch of friends from church went to go see "Amazing Grace" last night. It was beautiful! Ioan Gruffud did an excellent job as William Wilberforce and Ciaran Hinds made an excellent bad guy (I've seen him in a lot of movies and he's always a better bad guy!) and I really liked William Pitt as well (played by Benedict Cumberbatch.). The story of his fight against slavery was portrayed powerfully and it was very, very moving.
My favorite scene was a part where he was lying in the grass one morning, looking at the flowers
and the spiderwebs. His butler finds him out there and starts to wonder if his master is crazy. I don't remember exactly what was said, but it went something like this:

"Oh, so you've found God, Sir?" Sayeth the Butler.

"No,"William Wilberforce says with a short pause. "I think he found me," and then jokingly adds, "and I must say I find it quite inconvenient!"

Let me tell you, it was a beautiful film. If you haven't seen it, you must. I cried at the end. Though, there were some humerous parts, and Sierra, Lenna and I had a good time laughing at several wigs and hair-dos. :D We walked away from the theatre very pleased indeed.

jessica

HAPPY EASTER!!!

O, love, how deep, how broad, how high,
How passing thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals' sake!

For us baptized, for us he bore
His holy fast, and hungered sore,
For us temptations sharp he knew,
For us the tempter overthrew.

For us to wicked men betrayed,
Scourged, mocked, in crown of thorns arrayed;
For us he bore the cross's death,
For us at length gave up his breath.

For us he rose from death again,
For us he went on high to reign,
For us he sent his Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen and to cheer.

All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesus, virgin-born, to thee;
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore.

_____________

I know, I know, I've been dreadful about posting lately. I most apologize, but I haven't really had anything interesting enough to post about for some time. Of course, I could have posted anyway, and bored you all to death with reports of the weather and everybody's health, but I didn't wish to make y'all suffer. :)
Anyway, I finally have something to post about now! :) One, is Easter! The time to remember Christ's Resurrection...a time of love, hope and joy. I must admit, Easter and Christmas are my two favorite times of the year! :D
Secondly, there are two very important birthdays this month! :) William Alexander McDonald, my darling baby brother is turning 2 years old on the 19th. We're so sad that he's growing up so quickly, and we miss when he was small enough for us to hold in our arms, but, now he's a little boy, running around, making gun noises, blowing up the girls doll houses and blowing kisses (lol. I know, shocking. He blew a kiss to a girl at church today...of course we all thought he was the cutest thing ever! :D). He is certainly a joy to be around and we love our "little man" more and more every day!
The other birthday is that of my dear friend, Abigail Allison, who turned 14 years old yesterday! I'm so blessed to have such wonderful friends...I've known Abigail for 2 years now, and she has proved to be loyal, sweet and encouraging. You're so special to me, Abigail!
Happy Birthday William and Abigail!!!

Now shall I bore you with weather reports? :D Well, I can explain the weather in one simple word....FREEZING!!! Gracious me, it's Easter! It's not supposed to be cold on Easter! lol. Oh well. It was a lovely day anyway. :) We got our Easter dresses done in time (for once! :D)...we all came in white. It was a lot of fun! And David Price was getting family photos so we got ours done. I'll try to see if I can post it sometime.

Well, I'm kind of in a "Pride and Prejudice" mood right now. Tiff, Melissa, James and I were watching it the other night, and let me repeat...I love that movie! If you haven't seen it, you must! It's excellent. If you've seen it, who's your favorite character?? Sorry, but I love knowing who people like best in that movie, because, unlike most movies (where everyone likes the main character and that's about it.) people have a variety of favorite characters. :) I think I like Fritzwilliam, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Lizzie, Mrs. Bennet and *drumroll* (y'all are going to kill me) Mary! :D I know, she's such a bore, but she's so hilarious. :)

Well, we're watching "The Winslow Boy" tonight as a family, and I'm being summoned (it's starting). So TTFN (Ta Ta For Now). :)

Happy Easter,

jessica nicole mcdonald

Happy Birthday Virginia Grace!!

This is a little belated , but I want to wish my little sister, Virginia Grace McDonald, a happy 6th birthday.

I remember the day she was born, we weren't allowed to see her because the doctors told us that she was having breathing problems. We all cried and cried. We were finally allowed to take her home from the hospital a week later and I was able to hold my beloved baby sister for the first time. I'll never forget her beautiful little face looking up at me, her curious eyes darting from one sibling to the other. We knew she was special from the moment we saw her.

She's bigger now. She can dress herself, make her own bed, and read all on her own. She wears an intelligent pair of glasses and she can ride her own bike...she's growing up so fast! But we'll always remember the wonderful day that she came into the world. A blessing from Heaven. We love you, Virginia Grace!

Happy 6th Birthday!!



p.s. Her birth date is March 12th.

Jane Austen Heroine Quiz

I took a Jane Austen Heroine Quiz! And guess who I was??

Take the Quiz here!

I guess that would make sense, though. :)

-jessica nicole

p.s Here's a Guy version. Jane Austen "heroes" :)

SOOOOOO

if I'm Marianne does that mean I'm related to them?

And does that mean I marry HIM?!

Well, I do LOVE her wedding gown....:D

Little Brothers :)

A conversation with my two year old brother, William:


Me: William do you like Daddy?
Him: No
Me: Mommy?
Him: No
Me: Bubba (James)?
Him: No
Me: Christa?
Him: No
Me: Tissy (Tiff)?
Him: No
Me: Lala (Melissa)?
Him: No
Me: Me?
Him: No
Me: Bubby (Caleb)?
Him: No
Me: Abby?
Him: No
Me: Grace?
Him: No
Me: Emma?
Him: No
Me: Do you like frogs?
Him: No
Me: Do you like bugs?
Him: No
Me: Do you like John Deere?
Him: Yes! John Deere!

LOL. That's a little brother for you. :)

Tagged! :D

Friends,

You might know how much I absolutely love tags. Well, this time my dear friend Brooke tagged me. So here goes! :)


Tag rules: List two things people do that you like, and two things they do that you don't like. You may tag no more than five others:

1. I love it when people actually overcome their embarrassment and give dancing a try!!
2. I like it when people admit that the game Taboo really is a lot of fun.
3. I don't like it when someone decides to ruin everyone's good mood by displaying their bad mood.
4. I don't like it when someone has no sense of humor and gets mad at practical jokes. :)

I tag (I know, y'all are all getting fed up with me tagging y'all all the time. hehe.)

1. Megan Carlson
2. Ashton Bandy
3. Jessica Erber
4. Jonathan Erber
5. Sierra Candler


Happy Wednesday,

jessica nicole mcdonald

p.s. I made a test to figure out how well you know me. :) Enjoy!!

A funny moment last week.


Emma walks into the kitchen. "Mom said to get me some milk please." She announced walking up to me.
"Alright." I replied on my way to the cupboard. I pulled out a cup. But Emma was not pleased.
"I want a purple cup..."
"Orange lid...."
"this amount of milk..."
I let out a long sigh. "Emma," I finally crossed my arms and said looking down at my little sister. "You are a very spoiled young lady." I smiled.
She put her hands on her hips looked up at me. "Jessica," She said levelly. "You are a codfish!"

LOL. Okay, so she's watched Peter Pan one too many times. lol.

Oh, and try to guess what famous author said this.... (I found it and I laughed so hard...it's so her...the author, I mean.)

jessica mcdonald

Emma's Surgery...Over!

Thank the Lord! Emma is safely out of surgery and the "bump" is removed. Apparently it was several blood vessels tangled together. As we watched my father get her out of the car she was fast asleep. We were told that her head hurts terribly and so does her throat (due to the tube being stuck down it during the surgery). We're all eager to see our little Emma up and about again, but we're waiting patiently (or trying!) for her to awake on her own. My parents said that she was very brave, of which we are glad. She's always been a very courageous little girl! :)

Thank you everyone so very much for you prayers and encouragement, they mean so much to all of us and especially to Emma.

jessica nicole

Liberty Day

Dear Friends (y'all),

I am excited to say that we were able to attend the 9th annual Liberty Day Celebration this year! And what a superb time we had! :)
Mr Phillips and Mr. Potter lectured on the history of Jamestown and of our Country, and they did an excellent job! With much enthusiasm they reminded us of our nations history, those who helped found it and the strong christian roots which formed it. It was wonderfully done *bravo*
Afterwards the celebration began! Everyone joined in singing our National Anthem, we heard several stunning piano (and violin) performances, singing (done by the Erberauntey singers), a hilarious performance of "Revolutionary Tea" (done by the same), as well as the reading of a winning Essay (read by Jessica Erber) that was beautifully written, and, of course, the reenactment of the 2nd Virginia Convention ( By the way, all the reenactors did an amazing job....for a second I thought I was really there...).
Afterwards we watched our brothers run off and join the military (militia or something...I can't remember exactly)...including Caleb. They left following the beat of a drum. I was almost tempted to start singing "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"...but managed to restrain myself. :) While most of the boys were off fighting for our Liberty (or marching somewhere) we had a lovely time dancing the Virginia Reel.

Unfortunately, the weather got pretty bad (a heavy amount of snow and ice) and we had to leave earlier than we had intended. But we were exceedingly happy that we were able to attend! After a long, long drive home we finally crashed into bed, happy and eager for Liberty Day 2008! Thank you Erbers (and all else involved!) for making this event possible!!!

BTW, We didn't get as many photos as we would have liked (do to the fact that we were having such a good time!) but here are some of the ones that we did get. Tiff already posted them on her blog but I'll go ahead and put them on here as well. Oh, and you can find more photos on Ashtons blog.


















Our family, except, of course, Caleb, who was away fighting for the cause of Liberty.

The Erberauntey singers performing "Revolutionary Tea" which was absolutely hysterical! :D






























Grace Bandy and I right before the dancing began (excited! We had been looking forward to that part! :D). Notice Grace's lovely dress was the one we were working on when she stayed with us a couple weeks ago!

Tiffany finishing sewing her dress (we always seem to be doing that at the last minute! *laugh*), which looked beautiful, by the way!

My lovely mother looking exquisite!






















Melissa and William enjoying Liberty Day!

William, our little Prince Charming and Patriot. He's a bit young to follow Caleb into battle though. I think we'll make him wait a few years. :)

















My brave brother showing me how strong he is (I thought the gun was heavy, but in the photo he's informing me otherwise.)!





















"Hurrah! Hurrah!" Marching courageously into battle!

William decided he wanted to play the flute. :)

__________

Quotes from the some of the men who attended the 2nd Virginia Convention:



"Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!" - Patrick Henry


"I will raise at once a force of 1000 men, subsist them at my own expence, and march myself at their head, to the relief of Boston!" - George Washington


"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson