Rollerskating!

Life in the Middle of Nowhere | Part II

-Using a hay wagon as scaffolding to paint the side of your house,
-Sledding down your dirt road 'cause there are never any cars,
-Hauling hay home in the back of a Cadillac,
-Laying down in the back of a pickup truck to avoid the cops as you drive through downtown Keene, (okay, not the middle of nowhere, but it's still country-ish)
-Stringing lights through the trees so you can go sledding and ice skating at night with your friends,
-Your neighbor plows your driveway when you're on vacation... with his John Deere,
-Walking through town gathering sap with your neighbors,
-Shooting off fireworks for Thanksgiving, knowing the cops won't mind and the neighbors keep asking when we'll do it again.
-Being able to play the alphabet game by using your neighbor's last names. (Andrzejczyk, Chenausky, Elwood...)
-Taking a "quick run" to Hannafords and stopping at three different sugar houses on the way back.

-Autumn Story Mott

Meet the Family | We're weird...

Mom: "She had a brain tumor, in her head!"

Nana: "I got a two-foot yardstick for 50 cents!"

Dad: "I introduced my sister-in-law and my brother-in-law to Mrs. Johnson. 'But their not married.' I said. Mrs. J was like 'Ohh thats nice.' Then I said, 'Oh no no, there's another sister involved!!' "

(Daddy was running errands with Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Andrew; Uncle A is married to Aunt C's sister, Lisa; Aunt Cheryl and Aunt Lisa are my mother's sisters. Get it?)

Mom: "Where's my phone?"

*Hannah and I notice she's on it talking to Dad*

Us: "You're--"

Mom: "Girls, did one of you take it?!"

Us: "No, Mom, you're on--"

Mom: "Lijah, did you take it?!"

Us: "MOM, YOU'RE ON YOUR PHONE!"

Mom: >_<

*Dad upset about us playing games on his smartphone*: "You want to play Tetris? You can pack the car next time we go on vacation!"

Little Josiah wanted some M&Ms, but Aunt Lisa was saying no. So Daddy decided to teach him how to negotiate to his best advantage.

Daddy: "If you want 20, ask for 47; she'll settle in the middle."
Josiah: "Mummy can I have 47 M&Ms?"
Aunt Lisa: "No, no..."
Mom: "Lisa your brother-in-law is trying to teach your kid how to scam you!"
Daddy: "Try asking for ice cream."
Josiah: "Mummy can I have 47 scoops of ice cream?"
Mom: "Ron!!"
Daddy: "I'm trying to teach him how to negotiate; he'll use it later in life."

-Autumn Story Mott

Something I read today... | Enjoy!

GREAT TRUTHS THAT CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:

~  No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
~  When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
~  If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
~  Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
~  You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
~  Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
~  Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
~  You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
~  Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
~  The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

~  Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.
~  Wrinkles don't hurt.
~  Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
~  Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
~  Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
~  Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD

~  Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
~  Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
~  When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
~  You get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
~  It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
~  Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
~  Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

 :: Mikey's Funnies ::

"I Go Back" | Music and Memories

"And I go back to watchin' summer fade to fall,

Growin' up too fast and I do recall,

Wishin' time would stop right in its tracks,

Every time I hear that song, I go back, I go back,

We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives,

Takes us to another place and time..."

     Music is powerful.  Every time I turn the radio on, hit play on my iPod, or open Pandora, I'm reminded of different times and places.  "Blink" by Revive brings me back to NNEC Campmeeting 2010; "Got It Good" by Rodney Atkins reminds me of my mission trip to India; "Live Out Loud" by Steven Curtis Chapman recalls memories of being 10 and Daddy blaring it on Sabbath morning to get us up out of bed.
     But it also impacts my emotions.  When I listen to a bunch of sad songs, I find myself slightly depressed for a while.  But when I listen to upbeat, energetic music I feel like I'm on top of the world!  But we need to be careful about the music that we listen to.  While I'm in no way saying secular music is bad, or evil, I am saying that we need to choose what we listen to.  If I spend hours listening to Taylor Swift (yes, I'm a fan) I end up wishing and daydreaming about my future Knight in Shining Armor.  But if I listen to Jamie-Grace or Britt Nicole instead, I end up feeling closer to my Heavenly Father.
     I'm a huge fan of Country Music (as you might have guessed by now), but whenever I go through tough times I always end up listening to my Christian albums.  I just need the reassurance of knowing God's right there; always with me.

-Autumn Story Mott