Our Bright Lights Girls

This fall, my dear friend Alida and I have led a small Bible study for 9 young ladies in the Rolla area. We've used the "Bright Lights" curriculum, developed by a homeschool girl named Sarah Malley. The girls in the group are all home-schooled, and range in age from 8 -13 (although the 13 year old is more of an assistant leader!). I know that both Alida and I have been so blessed by these girls. Having to dig in and prepare the lessons each week challenged both of us, and we really enjoy watching the girls grow and learn. We were able to do several service projects, and visited a local nursing home twice - the first time, Alida and I played piano and the girls sang. But the second time, about 5 of the girls also played piano! What a joy, to be able to bless these older people in such a simple way. Alida and I were both so very proud of the girls, for being brave enough to play, and for being so friendly, kind, and gentle in talking with the adults after we sang.

Alida, the fearless leader and the fun one

Becky, the one who Schedules

A rowdy game of "Switch If," a group favorite

This is all the girls and Alida with their "Action Packs." We did a service project with them - each girl brought several items, and we filled these large plastics bags, which are then shipped overseas to families or individuals who are in need.
The shipping cost $7 for each bag, so we asked the girls to raise some money and bring it in to cover the cost. Imagine our surprise when the girls brought in a total of $63 dollars! Wow! We were able to put the money towards buying some things from World Vision, a Christian relief organization. I believe the girls picked out A month of therapy for a disabled child, and a pair of goats for a family in Africa. We were so very proud of them!





This Tuesday, we had a Tea Party to wrap up the semester, before we take a break for summer. It was so fun - we ate a LOT of food (chocolate. . . ), played some fun games, and enjoyed each others' company.

The girls brought most of these snacks - they were delicious!

Except the chocolate. . . it smelled. :p

Andy even joined us - just for the food!

These girls got the giggles when they were taking pictures of each other.

We played "Oranges and Lemons" - pretty fun,

although it didn't quite work the second time around!

So the reason this one is blurry is because I was laughing

so hard when Alida jumped into the picture.
I told them to pose - this is what I got.

The Whole Group

What a fantastic experience! Thanks so much Alida, for all your hard work! And thanks to you girls, for sticking with us and coming to the meetings, and letting us be crazy with you.

A Regency Tea

Abby and several other young ladies have had a book club this Spring Semester. They read Pride and Prejudice, and sewed Regency Period Dresses. On Friday last week, they gathered to celebrate the completion of their dresses and the book. They made butter and English Muffins, had an outdoor tea party, and went tramping in down the road and in the woods. Quite an adventure, and these dear girls were gracious enough to allow me to attend, as official "flip-flops bearer," "photographer," and "servant."

What lovely girls, and what blessed friendships they have formed! Thanks for including me in your fun, darlings!

Kidnapped!

Several weekends ago, Alida and I violently kidnapped Ashley, in honor of her 18th birthday and graduation! We've been planning it for few months, and had to reschedule several times -but at last, success! I had an incredible time hanging out with my girl friends - thanks so much for going along with it, and making it such a great time, you guys! Love you both!

First, we nabbed Ashley at work - then, after lunch at Panera, we drove up to Jefferson City for an afternoon of shopping.

Then, after a stop at Cold Stone Creamery (I had NO IDEA that there was one in Jeff City! I'm now thrilled beyond belief), we headed home, stopping at the BSU in Rolla on our way in. They had a get-together/photography contest that several of our friends had entered in. After that, we took a quick bathroom stop at the house, then drove out to the shed - shopping bags, sleepover equipment, and manicure/pedicure/facial supplies in tow.

Aida - this reminds me of the time you

tickled my feet through my shoes in

the back of the Yukon that one time.

Remember? Good thing you didn't actually

touch my feet for this one -

you would have gotten a swift kick in the face. :D

After getting a surprisingly long night's sleep, we leisurely woke up and had a large breakfast of. .. oh, all sorts of things. Then we partook of the shed's movie theatre set-up and watchd A Walk to Remember while curling/straightening hair. "I might kiss you. I might be bad at it. That's not possible." Sigh. Chick flicks rock my socks.

Once finished with all that, we discovered that we had several hours left together, and no official plans. . . and we were in Rolla. So we called up some friends, drove around town a bit, and wound up doing some rollerblading together! I managed to come up with enough skates for everyone, and Acorn Trail got to experience the wheels of 5 brave individuals.

Me

Ashley

Renee

Alida

Mark

Dancing on the Blades

The Whole Group

Awww. I love these kids.

The Packing List

*Update - I've decided to call this my "Packing List" . . . it's all the things I want to pack into my life before moving. :)

Okay, show of hands: who has heard of a "bucket list?" You know - all those things you want to do before you "kick the bucket." It's a lovely idea (eww, no it isn't! Who likes thinking about death?), but since I have no intention of kicking the bucket anytime soon, I thought I would modify it to fit where I am in life. This is my "What I want to/need to/really ought to do Before I Move Out in August" list. (Yup, still working on the name. . . suggestions are welcome)

I started thinking about this last week, when it came to mind that I have never gone on a backpacking trip with Dad. When we went camping as a family (back in the "pre-6 kids" days), Dad would always talk about how, when we were old enough, he would take us backpacking. Generally, he addressed himself to Andy, but I always envisioned myself tagging along as well. After all, with both Dad and Andy along, I'd hardly have to carry anything! ;) So, now that I am "old enough," it's something I'd really like to do. But I know it won't happen if I don't do it before I leave! So this is at the top of my list. Well actually, second on the list.

But yes, this got me thinking and wondering whether there were any other things I need to try or do before moving! I don't want to have regrets, and always wish I'd done this or that while I was still under my parents' roof. I also imagine there are things every kid should do or learn before they move out . . .

So your job is to give me suggestions!
they can be general, "every kid should do this", kind of things. . .
they can be things that you've always wanted to do with me, that might be hard to manage after I move away . . .
they can be goofy, "oh, I've always wanted to see Becky try to do this! " type of things . . .
they can be fun things that are unique to Rolla, Missouri, or my friends here in Rolla. . .
they can be specific to me (Becky, I really think this is an area of life you need to work on, or a skill you need to learn as a young lady, from your parents, before you move out on your own.).

If it's something terribly personal (such as, "Becky - you need to learn to learn to brush your teeth before you move out, because you have terrible breath!"), or something that should stay a secret (such as, "You definitely need to smash a pie in Colin's face before you move!), then you can e-mail me - beckyboo27@embarqmail.com Otherwise, go ahead and comment on this list, anytime you think of something new!

Here is what I have so far. . .

2. Backpacking trip with Dad (and Andy if he's available)
3. Take on the Shed as a project - make it a great hang out spot for teens, that Abby and Zeke can use for entertaining through out their high school years. Decorate, and fix it up. . . still working on brainstorming exact ideas.
4. Take an day hike/picnic to Bray's Lake, in the woods behind our house, with a group of teens and/or kids - spend some time exploring and getting lost
5. Visit Elephant Rocks and Johnson's Shut-Ins, possibly with several other home school families (can't you just see the caravan of 15 passenger vans?)
6. Make it to North Dakota (we'll see. . .)
7. Figure out Finances for the coming years, with Mum's help
8. Learn how to do a cartwheel
9. Complete the Growing Kids God's Way parenting video series with Mum and Dad
10. Write a devotion book - Alida
11. Figure out lesson plans for Libeth's schooling next year
12. (These two aren't "musts" - just trips I'd like to take this summer!) Visit Colorado with Andy, to see our good friend Hannah - Go with Andy, Abby, Zeke, and a van-full of teens to St. Paul for a week (road trip!!)
13. Make memorizing Scripture a habit
14. Have a Girls' Shopping Day with Abby
15. Have many, many Gym Nights, Bonfires, Movie Nights (co-ed in the shed!), Volleyball at the Park Nights, etc.
16. Go on a Float trip with family and/or friends
17. Go to the Zoo in St. Louis with friends
18. Finish an Ecuador Scrapbook
19. Go to a concert with Andy, Zephan, Colin, or any other of my musical inspirations
20. Fly a kite successfully (yeah, I've never done this) - Alida and Sonja
21. Read "So Much More" - Candi
22. Complete a game of Monopoly with Zeke - Zeke (go figure)
23. Make and freeze tubs of cookie dough, for my family to use, and to bless others with (Zeke said, "We'll have to ration them. . .")
24. Learn how to drive a stick-shift
25. Shoot a gun (maybe - I haven't decided if I'll actually go through with this one or not)
26. Dissect the fetal pig that I still have left from senior year Anatomy
27. Scientifically determine whether cookie dough ice cream has chunks of plain, or chocolate chip cookie dough in it, preferably with friends
28. Touch a cow - the ante has been upped. I now have to kiss a cow!
29. Have my picture taken with Alida
30. Collect eggs on my own
31. Take a tour of the MS&T campus
32. Watch Napolean Dynamite with Ashley and "the guys"
33. Run out of Gas
34. Get a flat tire

I'll look forward to your ideas, and keep you posted when I accomplish any of this things! (Or maybe I should say if I accomplish any of these things. . . )


Becky Boo

Photo, compliments of Mark

Thanksgiving Open House

Dad and I have always loved Thanksgiving. It is most certainly our favorite Holiday, for it stands alone as one that has not been marred by the commercialism of this world we live in. And yet, no one else seems to share this great care for such a special day. No, Christmas decor and songs begin surfacing mid-November at many homes, and much, much earlier at stores throughout America. Thanksgiving is seen as either the beginning of an on-going month of over-eating, or the day before the real shopping begins.

So this year, we decided to '"spread the love" and do the un-thought of -- celebrate Thanksgiving even after the holiday had already passed! Shock of all shocks! Sunday afternoon, several families came over and enjoyed a potluck, and time spent with friends. While it wasn't overtly "Thanksgiving-ish," it was still nice to have a chance to get-together without the commercialism of a "Christmas Party." Here are some pictures of us. . . I failed at photo taking that evening, so most of them are out of focus, crooked, to bright, etc. Please forgive me.

The fun began with a rousing game of Spoons. After one genius piled all the spoons directly on top of each other for one round, we all came out of it with scratched hands. You can't really tell at all with this photo, but Ashley's hand was quite beat up. That aside, I think she should be a hand-model. Agreed? ;)

The "Girls' Side." Note the obligatory space between Mark and Kelsey.

The "Guys' Side." I am not certain what is going on here, although I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that some of them were cheating throughout the game. And enjoying it immensely.

Then we braved the outdoors to head over to the shed for some more games. Snow had accumulated on the trampoline, and Abby and I got each other sufficiently wet. Here she is, barefoot in the snow.

Ping-pong in the Shed. That was short-lived, as the heater was not working and it was snowing outside, making it quite cold!

The lovely Kelsey Q2.

After eating, we went back downstairs and played Apples-to-Apples. Around the circle, we had: Sydni Kaden, Sarah Hickle, Rachel Hickle, Sonja Hazell . . .

. . . Kelsey Q2, Abby, Alida Hazell, Corey Q2 . . .

. . . Zeke . . .

. . . Jordan Kaden, Nathan Hickle, Sarah Hazell . . .

. . . Mark Hickle. . .
. . . .Dylan Applegate . . .

. . . Me, and Rebekah Applegate. We were on a team and this was our hand. :)

Decision Making. . .

Which to play?

Skyler Kaden and Isaac, dressing up!

After Apples-to-Apples, we played several games of Murder in the Dark. I believe we were about 2 out of 6 when it came to successful games. :) "Does this look like the face of a murderer?"

And here are some faces of friends. . . Corey.

Sydni

Brett Stickler