Way Back When-sday

This lovely dress is from 1837. I really like the fan pleating on the bodice. I wish there was a pattern for this dress somewhere, I'd like to try it! Although I'm not sure about the 'V' waistline... I've tried to replicate the pleating on the bodice as best I could on a couple dresses, and it gives a very pretty look:

Due to the dark fabric it's a little hard to see the pleating..but it's there!

~Alyssa

Our Christmas

Christmas Eve we watched It's a Wonderful Life. It was fun to see it again, especially after having gone to the play earlier this month. Mom said that seeing the play helped her to understand the movie better. :)
Christmas day it snowed and snowed!
After lunch we opened gifts....

Mom and Dad had gone to a Love and Respect conference this fall and got these books for us. They had the authors sign them for us too! Aren't they thoughtful parents?!!

Me and one of my gifts from Dad and Mom - an antique Scotti dog card holder! So cute!
(I really like Scotti dogs...) :)


A cute ornament from Dad and Mom.

Later in the day we listed to/watched a sermon n DVD by James MacDonald about living the Christian life. A good way to end the day!

~Alyssa

Merry Christmas!

Long ago, one silent night,
God revealed His glory bright;
His own image came to man
For salvation's matchless plan.

Jesus, Savior, Shepherd, King -
Lord of all to you we bring
Praises, wonder, thanks, and love
For this gift from God above.

~Alyssa

Tyranny Eve....

Go HERE to read more.



~Alyssa

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"

I found this audio clip of an a Capella rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen on YouTube. They have such good harmony!! I love good quartet singing!
~Alyssa

One Generation Away....

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in the United States where men were free."
~Ronald Reagan

Friends and Music...

Sunday evening we had friends over for supper and games.
We had such a fun time!

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Tuesday afternoon Mom, Ana, and I went to the nursing home in Parkers to listen to our friend play the accordion. She was accompanied by a man on the fiddle. (Apparently he used to be a well known fiddle player.) They played from memory and by ear. :)

~Alyssa

Way Back When-sday

This is an old picture of my mom (on the right) and a couple of her siblings, decorating the Christmas tree with their mom.

~Alyssa

It's a Wonderful Life!

Saturday afternoon Mom and we girls went to a performance of It's a Wonderful Life put on by a group of homeschoolers in a town about an hour from us. It was in a 1044 seat historic auditorium that was built as a WPA project in 1936.

Before the production...the auditorium was very pretty. :)

One of the actresses getting ready.



And the play begins!!

The town's people.

The costuming was very good - I especially loved the ladies outfits, and their hair! I wish I had gotten more pictures of them. (If you'd like, you can click on the pictures to see them bigger.)

Young George with Violet...

...and Mary. (She blends into the background a little.)

An older George with the suitcase salesman.
The young man that played George Bailey was very well cast for the part. He did a wonderful job!

A short clip from the show.

Board meeting of the Building and Loan Association. Mr. Potter was quite funny! That's Uncle Billy above on the right.

George and his mother - "Why don't you go visit Mary?"

They are married!

"I love You Truly"

A new home for the Martini family.


Mr. Potter offers George a job.

Zuzu's petals


George on the bridge.

George experiences what the world would have been like if he had never been born. The guy in the checked suit is his guardian angel.

This was one of my favorite characters! He was so funny!

George with his family and friends.

It was a real treat to be able to go to this play and we enjoyed it a lot!! They all did an amazing job - it was over two hours long! I can't imagine all the time and effort it must have taken to prepare!

Christmas lights on the way home.

~Alyssa :)

"Truth is Marching On"

~Alyssa

Quilt Club Meeting!

This morning we ladies made the trek into town to go to the 'Block of the Month Club' at the quilt store. I always enjoy the show-and-tell time, and below are a few pictures I took:

A variation of the Log Cabin pattern.

This lady used up a lot of scraps!

An old-fashioned butterfly quilt. (The butterflies are made using handkerchiefs.)

A doll quilt. Isn't it cute?!

One of the ladies made these adorable doll dresses for her granddaughter!

~Alyssa

Brighten Your Corner!

Brighten the Corner Where You Are
By Ina D. Ogden 1913

Matthew 5:14-16

Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,
Do not wait to shed your light afar;
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Refrain:
Brighten the corner where you are!
Brighten the corner where you are!
Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar;
Brighten the corner where you are!

Just above are clouded skies that you may help to clear,
Let not narrow self your way debar;
Though into one heart alone may fall your song of cheer,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Here for all your talent you may surly find a need,
Here reflect the bright and Morning Star;
Even from you humble hand the Bread of Life may feed,
Brighten the corner where you are.

This is such a cheerful encouraging song!~Alyssa

Way Back When-sday

Lady's wide brim black straw hat from the 1920s.

I like the flowers!

~Alyssa

The Mysterious Islands

We recently watched this film and thought it was excellent!  It is a documentary/adventure all in one and I would highly recommend it!

Here is part of the description of it from the Vision Forum website:
"Now, for the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th of his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, Doug Phillips leads a team of Christian scientists and investigators to this “ground zero” in the war of the worldviews. Seen through the eyes of 16-year-old Joshua Phillips, who joins his father and noted researchers like Dr.John Morris of the Institute for Creation Research, The Mysterious Islands is the story of one boy’s search for answers to the great controversy of the modern world. It is a refreshing father-and-son adventure that combines cinematically breathtaking footage with high adventure. The quest: to determine whether the Galápagos Islands are a laboratory of evolution, or a testimony to creation."

   Go HERE to read more!!

~Alyssa

My Birthday!

Yesterday was my birthday!

The girls made 'Cashew Turkey' with rice for my meal...

...and Blueberry Pie for dessert! Yum!

The rose Dad gave me.

We took a bunch of pictures before lunch, we were trying to get a good family picture but they didn't turn out quite right. However, we did get a lot of 'sister pictures' and some individual ones too. It was fun!

~Alyssa