Last post of the year!

ok this is crazy short. I'm off to sledding now, so I have no time to write longer. This year has been an amazing one. Praise the Lord for His bounty and mercy! Hope your new years eve is fun and your new year is full of blessing!
Love,
Maddie  OH NO..no picture, I realize that. You know how I hate that. Oh well. Pretend there is one up here anyway.

Happy Christmas to You!!!

   Well due to lack of hours in the day, I haven't posted for a long while.  The days this month were placed in a tornado...then I was tossed in it.  Now it is Christmas EVE! Where has the time gone? I'm sure I don't know.

  ALRIGHT. Now it is Christmas day. Merry Christmas! The reason I didn't finish this yesterday was because a dark blustery snow storm hit.  So I grabbed my notebook, iPod, and A Christmas Carol.  I announced to however was listening in the house that I was "off to go adventuring and I may come back, but in case not Sophie knows what of my belongings are willed to who". I tramped out into the wind and happily set our for my thinking place that I shall not tell you about...it is my own.  I got in the very first set of footprints in the new snow...even though it was still falling. I was freezing(especially my HANDS!!Ah!;)) and full of Christmas cheer.  My book and I got very wet. Then I decided that we were getting a little too wet so I walked around our neighborhood circle. Then Sophie called to tell me that we were off to the Dingman's. I had forgotten about this..so I ran the rest of the way in my giant heavy boots, books stuffed in my jacket.  So I hopped into the car and we were off. We had a lovely evening. Many thanks to Mrs. Dingman who let me have some of her Christmas beans that I adore. ;) We got home and watched the Nativity Story..which is a must. My favorite tradition. Alright, that is my account of Christmas Eve. Except I also made baklava earlier yesterday.  It turned out better than I thought, though it wasn't perfect and it was time consuming. I brought some down to the Shute home..and that is when the snow/hail/whatever that white stuff was that hurt my face started to fall. I got to drive up the hill back to our house for the first time in snow! It was terrible! I slid everywhere and I had no idea how to drive on extremely slippery roads...the car did not want to move up the hill...so I sang my "Lord, help me to make it home without having to call my dad" prayer merrily to the tune of whatever was on the radio. I made it home. Ok now I am really done with talking about Christmas Eve.  This is my cheater picture...I didn't take it, but it is pretty accurate of the woods here in the snow.

Today is Christmas. I am wishing you a Merry Christmas, not "Happy Holidays".  I hope we all remember Jesus' birthday.  He was born into this world. God made into flesh. "Eternity kissed time", as Dad said in his Sermon on Sunday. Jesus was born to die and then rise again. I am so thankful for this...what better reason to celebrate???!!!!  There is no better or important occasion to honor than this one. Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!!!!!! 

Have a glorious and happy day filled with fun, family, and remembrance. I will write about my day today later on this week...pictures included. For real.  Here is one of my new favorite Christmas songs...I have too many favorites, but hey I now have NEW favorites..so I'm branching out, right? It is Silent Night/Lord of my Life by Lady Antebellum. Enjoy!

Love,
Madeleine  

Twelve

Well. I guess I am going to hop on the bandwagon and make a "12-12-12" post to join yours.  Today to celebrate I am holding a 12 party here after Bible study...which means this is a LATE party, but I will take what I can get considering this is the last triple date thingy for a while...a long while. I had an Eleven party last year too for triple date day:)  I have nothing unique to say about this occasion...no twelve poem or anything.    

Here are some friends from Oakhurst. There are 13 of them..is that not fitting...oh well. Actually to make y'all(or me) feel better...I only know 12 of them.  Pitiful little 12 post, how I loath thee.

Massive Buildings of Terror and Awe and Wonder and Beauty

 I am totally not obsessed..not at all. Nope.  Cathedrals are just amazing and they have been on my mind. I have been singing in this frightening Catholic church..it is haunting and magnificent...but not as much as these in the pictures must be.  It is nice to sit in the big pews and feel awed and small and shivery. I am not catholic, just a reminder. I just like beautiful buildings with history built into the walls. Yeahhhhh..so anyway. I will try to do some Christmas posts soon. After I am finished with my obnoxious cathedrals in Europe phase.  Sorry had to share. Ok fine and while I'm on here I might as well mention that the Hobbit is coming out  on Friday and I am not freakishly obsessed with that but I am looking forward to it very much....maybe we should set up a projector in the cathedrals once it is out and watch it...and listen to it echo. With me anyone? Anyone at all? Oh...ok I understand ;)

Happy Christmas!

    Hello All! So I cringe when I think of how I am due for a blog post writing...and how I am putting it off.  Well guess what!!! I still a, putting the post off because I am busy writing our family's Christmas letter. Having a new "post" makes me feel better about myself, though. So this post is for me, not you so much.  Hmm...well I guess I should say SOMETHING.  Ok so lately I have been very happy. Also incredibly busy.  I should be really stressed about about school and other things that I need to get done, but I'm not. Such a nice feeling...knowing you aren't carefree but feeling like you are. My days have been filled with school, a ton of choir, writing, singing(this is separate from choir...it doesn't seem big enough to note yet it is), Christmas cheering, reading, and  a bunch of other things. So anyway...who even reads this blog? Please comment and say "present" or "me" or something...even if I don't know you, you can comment and let me know who you are. I like to know my audience:)   Ok so now it is the 10th! Happy birthday to Grandpa and Jared!!! So guess what! I was writing the Christmas letter for our family(I volunteered to write a bout all the Gindy kids) and it was going well. A lot easier than I thought it would be. Then this morning a certain member of our family was clicking around and deleted the WHOLE darn thing. Then this certain member of our family * saved * it...oh joy. So yes, Mum and I have to re-write the whole entire thing.  It is really funny how I find myself more amused than disappointed...I'm not even mad in the slightest. It just seemed that something should go wrong today to ruin my good mood...but it didn't so HA! I feel like sing "I've Got Rhythm" as done by Ella Fitzgerald. (Y'all should look that up...I love that song. It is so fun to sing like a black lady..and I'm an alto so it's like..perfect(NOT):) I have a lot of homework to do, letters to write, and a 5 hour rehearsal at the dramatic Catholic church to go to...so I had better go.

P.S

 
This is such a lovely picture...I realize that. SO nice. This is me and the guy who deleted our letter...I love him anyway. <3  I really promise that someday I will post a decent picture. Happy Christmas to y'all!

P.P.S  Here is that song...I couldn't get one without the video..so just disregard the video...it's a fun song. Ok, so maybe I just like it because it brings back really good memories:)  I will totally be singing this all day long...that and Vanilla Twilight. Interesting mix of songs, I know...that's just what is in my head right now. <3;)

-Madeleine