Snow in November-Updated with Pictures

They said we would have an unusually warm December, whoever "they" are. Well, it is snowing big snow flakes and covering the ground. So far the roads are fine.

**Update**

This picture was taken 11/29/11 before I took G to the sitter's for school before I went to work. To say the child was excited about this snow is an understatement and all she could talk about on the way was snow and how the yards and houses had snow everywhere. It was that very wet type of snow that is just stick to you wet.

Funny conversation

I think to blog on the fire, I have to be in html not compose.

Last night I had the funniest conversation with G. We were at choir practice when the director said "calling" but it sounded like "cawling". G said, "Why did she say it like that?" I told G that the choir director was from Philadelphia not our southern state. Then G said, "Well why doesn't she learn to speak English right then?" Hee hee, that coming from a very southern Chinese-American.

I am growing to like the fire if I can master the keyboard that is. G loves it and all the free games I have loaded. The more I practice the better I will get I am sure.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

We did absolutely nothing and it was wonderful. Both G and I spent Wed night with my parents so (for me) the best part of Thanksgiving was Dad making breakfast. Then we had pizza for lunch. Dad had a ham sandwich, not pizza. Don't feel sorry for us though, Mom has vertigo so she wasn't actually that hungry and neither G nor I like turkey. (I know, I know, I have heard it all my life, unAmerican). I would have cooked one for my mom and dad but since I don't like it and have never cooked one it probably wouldn't have turned out anyway. I did make some pumpkin cinnamon rolls from scratch and burned some spiced pecans (boo hoo) over the holiday weekend.

Anyway, I downloaded some games to the fire and G spent all most of the holiday weekend with her face in the fire like this:

So we agreed to keep it. I can go at lunch to a *bucks or McDs for the wi-fi which works fine for what I need anyway.

Today, G, mom and I headed off to the big city next door to buy seaweed because we have been out for a bit. Then we stopped at mcds for lunch and downloaded a few more FREE games. I will only put the free on the fire.

G and I did decorate Mom's tree for her for two reasons, 1) she feels badly and 2) 'twill be the only tree G and I decorate until the cats die for Christmas this year.

Friday night we watched the news where people were killed over a $2 waffle maker. The prices looked really tempting on some of that stuff but honestly my life is so much more valuable. Two women in big city next door left their babies in the car to shop and ended up arrested. Yup, brilliant I tell you! Black Friday is turning away from bringing the stores into the black from the red and becoming more of a "black" as in death and dismemberment day.

posting from the fire

Seems to be a bit difficult. I am still not sold on it. I have a few more days to decide yet. Can't figure out how to tab on this yet. Any help would be appreciated. Also, I wish to give G a chance to see it in action. So I started the new assignment yesterday. So far so good. Please pray my car will hold out. Thanks.

My Free Christmas Cards

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

I just ordered my free Christmas cards. I hope my three winners have been able to order theirs too.

My Personal Opinion on the Kindle Fire

I received an early Christmas gift from my parents. I got the Kindle Fire. I will tell you that I bought for my birthday a Kindle with 3g and wi-fi. The only thing I don't like about that one is it isn't touch screen or it needs a small mouse attachment. The lack color isn't a big deal.

The Kindle Fire is really pretty but twice as heavy as the one other Kindle with its cover even. The screen is nice but you can't see if light hits it. It is wi-fi only. I can't download books if I am not hooked to wi-fi. I also haven't gotten used to the touch screen. Sometimes it is uber sentitive and other times I can't find the correct spot to touch.

And it is ONLY wi-fi. That actually is a big problem because it can only be used in hot spots. I personally do not have any internet service at my home. I have no computer because my laptop died several years ago and being unemployed/underemployed I just couldn't justify buying a new computer and spending the monthly fee to have internet access. There are no hotspots within a reasonable area to my home. It is pointless to drive (waste of gas) to get within reach of a hotspot that would also require a purchase of something for the right of usage. *bucks is no longer in our town which would at least be helpful.

I also tried to download some of the favorite games we have loaded on other Kindle like sramble (G's word for scrabble) and Every Word but even over wi-fi it wouldn't download for me. I was able to add the books I haven't yet read to the device but new books go directly to the other Kindle which G and I will still have to share. But we now will share both.

Maybe I will soon have a permanent job that will allow wi-fi at home but maybe I will just save money and buy G and me an i-Pad 2. Maybe they won't be so expensive in a few years.

I wouldn't recommend the Kindle Fire if you can afford an i-Pad. I couldn't so I thought the Kindle Fire would be a great alternative, but without the 3g in the least it becomes just a very expensive e-reader. I may try to see if I can use the other Kindle's USB cord and see if I can download through that. It came with no instructions and the user guide is accessible through the internet only.

I purchased this Kindle Fire (parents paying me back for Christmas) thinking I would be able to use it at home. The first day I got it I was contemplating sending it back. I have a little bit of time to decide still. I begin a new temp assignment on Monday as the last one that was supposed to go to the end of the year didn't. I will take it with me and see if I can at least use the Fire at lunch or on break or something. If I can't I may send it back or offer it here for what I paid plus shipping because I can't afford to ship it anywhere like Amazon can.

Princess Cake

G attended a birthday party recently and this was the activity, cake decorating. All the girls were very serious and worked really hard at making sure their dolls were decorated. G ate every bit of the cake too. She really had a great time and the dolls were picks not real bar*bies. G wouldn't let me through it away either because she might decorate another cake sometime of course.

Book Review

Enemies of the Heart: Breaking Free from the Four Emotions that Control You by Andy Stanley


I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Andy Stanley gets to the heart of the matter with this book. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9 tells us. How do we fix it? Of course the ultimate fix is trusting Christ as Savior and Lord. However, there will still be sin in our hearts because we are still human. We will still have times we will lash out and then wonder from where that came. Andy Stanley gives us the answer in this very helpful book.

Andy Stanley helps us understand what the Bible tells us all about human nature and the source of sin. He expertly guides us to the problem, ie the sin problem like guilt, anger, greed, jealousy, etc. Then he shows us through scripture the answer to these sins. Forgiveness is the answer to anger as generosity is the answer to greed, and so on.

It is not a difficult read; however, it is very difficult to look closely in my own heart to recognize the depths of sin that without a Savior would bind me for all eternity. It is a very helpful book that has taken time to read because in all honesty I don't wish to believe that I can be so bad when the reality is I can be my own episode in a J*SprinTer (name changed intentionally) show.

God knew when He created the universe that His special creation: humans would need reconciliation to Himself. He not only knew the problem, He provided the solution. In this book, Andy Stanley uses God's word to show us a better way to handle the deceitful heart.

Kay Bratt's New Book Out Now

Chasing China: A Daughter's Quest for Truth Kay Bratt's newest book is out. For Kindle lovers it is $1.99 on Amazon. She also has another little novella titled The Bridge.

So far The Bridge is a really good book that lends the reader a view of life in China from an elderly mother's perspective. Can't wait to read the other., but will have to wait until the tears are gone from this one. Ugh! heart wrenching.

G started asking lots of questions last night. We had a very long conversation about how she in particular ended up here. Some how she decided she was found in a box. I thought it was her imagination, she said it was what she thought I had told her. I think from several books and songs we have heard she formulated that idea on her own. Problem is what I know which is very little doesn't include information about a box.

She was still processing this all this morning. I let her know it was okay to be sad, be curious, be glad, be confused all at once. She had a question that she said I can't answer and that is what is her mother's name. She is right I can't answer that. I told her that we together can give her a name (as is suggested in one of the adoption workbooks for children from China) that we have.

Vetran's Day 2011

If you see a Vet, thank a Vet! Some gave all and all gave some for the continued freedoms we have today. And the nice thing is the Vet's that I have personally thanked appreciate the acknowledgment and are so humble (must be in their blood). They are what the Bible describes as meek (strength undercontrol with true humility). They deserve the honor; we should give it!

So thank you to all who have served and all who are serving and that includes the families!

For Family Documentation Purposes Only

I witnessed God working in G's heart last night. This story begins on Wednesday when a speaker gave a lecture about ministry in the women's jail. G did not mention to me anything about it until last night. I did know there was a speaker who came to speak after the fact.

So last night she started asking me about the jail. I have experience with jails from a professional standpoint only so I was able to answer a lot of questions. As the questions though began repeating themselves I ended the conversation. Sometimes G likes to make statements in order to get a response from me. So I prayed that God would work in G's heart to keep her following His direction and not end up in jail at some point in the future.

Now almost 10pm and I was almost asleep she said, "Mama, what happens to people who stole something?" I said, "They go to jail, why G?" And G fell apart and admitted that she had stolen something from a friend not once but on two occassions. No, it wasn't money and not to brag but only to bring a bit of humor to this she is actually a very clever theif, but I digress.

I asked her why she did it and she has no idea why. I told her that she would have to tell them and return the items, she cried harder. I told her that I was so glad she told me and I was proud of her for finally doing the right thing. She so didn't want to tell anyone. She is so afraid that this friend will not want to be friends with her (understandable). She is so afraid that this friend will tell other people and they won't want to be friends with her (possible not probable). She is so afraid of what others will say or think about her. I am praying she will learn to care more about what God thinks rather than peers or for that matter any human.

I did come up with a way to give it back and tell the person without a big confrontation. She wrote a note this morning to the girl apologizing and asking forgiveness, returning the items in an envelope. I went with her to the child's class and returned it through the teacher this morning.

No child is perfect, no human is perfect and my deep prayer is that God will allow her to get caught each and everytime she does something wrong. Is that mean? I would rather God break her heart now and keep it soft for Him than for it to get continually harder landing her in jail in the future. She needs to learn lessons now when she has family to support her, help her make corrections and stand behind her rather than as an adult who is facing a life behind bars.