Merry Christmas!!

So. I think this is turning into a monthly blog! Anyway, several great fun things have happened this month...just haven't had time to post them, mainly due to my involvement in a certain computer game...AKA "Flight Simulator"! :P

To start off the month, on the 5th we had snow! Snow! SNOW! SNOOOOOOOOW! ;D It was great fun. Since it was on a Sabbath, we decided to go to 2nd service and play in the snow. (We usually go to 1st). I got many nice photos--but I have decided to share just one with time and stuff now.

On the 12--the next week Sabbath, after sundown I went to my Sabbath School's semi-monthly social. This month we decorated our Sabbath School room. So for the month of December we have had a very nice Christmas tree, garlands, etc. On social night we also enjoyed snacks and the privilege of the Foosball & Ping Pong tables.

During the next week my grandparents, en route to Sunny Florida, stopped at our place for a couple of days. It was great fun. Grandma had gotten some books for Grandpa and her to write in about their life experiences. The books are very well done. My grandparents didn't quite have enough time to finish writing the books, but (shhhh!!) don't tell anyone but I am hoping to sneak them in my suitcase on Spring Break when we will be going down and seeing them.

December 19, the next Sabbath, I enjoyed filming our church service. It was a very special church service, as our marvelous bell choir performed Christmas carols.

December 22 @ 5:00 PM Mom released me from the rigid bonds of homeschool, and into the wonderfulness of Christmas Break!! (I'm sorry, but I think EVERY student enjoys breaks!! ;D )

On Christmas Eve we enjoyed attending a local church's Candlelight Christmas Eve Service. It was very pretty--a full hour of wonderful Christmas songs. (I recorded the entire thing on my MP3!)

Christmas itself was very fun. I got a lot of clothes, books, & DVDs. Grandma & Grandpa White gave me a game called "Torres" or something like that. It looks very good, and I can't wait to play it. Alison (my 5-year-old sister) gave me some really nice ties, and both sets of grandparents and my aunt and uncle in Florida gave me some really nice cards and checks! :)

Mom and Dad gave me some really nice presents as well. I got a SUPER nice new winter coat (yes, it DOES get cold in Tennessee! :P), some really great spiritual books, and some school DVDs...some DVDs more happily received than others! ;D

Though my favorite gift would have to be...my own cell phone! Since I started my part-time job in June, I've had to borrow Dad's cell....and it's a bit troublesome. I am really enjoying having my own--it even has a camera!! (If you know me any at all, you know I LOVE photography!!!) I've enjoyed the portability of this camera phone. Mom has enjoyed me teaching her new things, since she has the same model of phone, such as setting the alarm, using the calender, and the calculator.

So. I guess that's it for now. That's been my month. I will try to post again soon.....when I get news, photos, AND I can drag myself away from Flight Simulator! :P

~Photobug

NOTE: Some of the pictures in this post have come from my mother's camera.

Some Neat Websites

Here's a small list of some really cool websites I've run across!! Enjoy!

Photobug

http://www.crosswords.mysite.com/

This is my very own website I created not too long ago. I knew, like, nothing about HTML until Mom got me a book entitled, "Look Mom! I built my own website". It was a very good starter book. My website is composed primarily of neat Bible trivia and some easy, interactive Bible crosswords. Check it out! I hope you enjoy it. :D

http://www.super-nate.blogspot.com/

This is a blog just started by one of my college-aged friends, Nathan. His is a very interesting blog.

http://www.adonesky.blogspot.com/

This is a blog run by a missionary teen in Peru. It is also very fascinating.

http://www.bibleinfo.com/
A website with many many questions, but with many nice Bible answers. :)

~Tennessee Photobug

Photos!! (Please check post below this post for more great news!)

Hi All!! Well here are the pictures I promised! Enjoy, and don't forget to page down a bit and read my next-newest article on what's happening round here. :D These pictures were taken on our leaf pile and on our walk on the Promenade.

~Photobug

A (Janitors) 12 Days of Christmas & Other Such November Episodes

^^cockpit of Learjet 45 from outside in Atlanta (KATL) airport on my

Flight Simulator. Weather: snowing.

Well, Hi All!! (once again! :P) Believe it or not, I am still alive!!! I know I am due a post, since I'm really really trying to post on here every two weeks, but now is now and I figured later was better than never.

So.

I don't know how many of you knew this, but every Thursday & Friday I help clean our church. (In other words, I am a Janitor's Assistant. Mainly I sweep, mop, vacuum, and clean windows). Our church complex is so big, so I only help clean the lobby, children's wing, and the gym. Believe, even that is big! ;) Anyway, with the holidays approaching, I figured it would be fun to make a janitor's "12 Days of Christmas". Or something like that! So here goes, with some real stats! ;D

"On the (blank) day of cleaning, I really did clean..."

Verse 1: 380 tiles!

Verse 2: Used 278 paper towels!

Verse 3: Straightened 101 chairs!

Verse 4: 60 Windows!

Verse 5: emptied 38 trash cans!

Verse 6: flushed 21 toilets!

Verse 7: 11 rugs!

Verse 8: used 8 trash bags!

Verse 9: stocked 6 bathrooms!

Verse 10: 2 sidewalks!

Verse 11: Filled 2 mop buckets!

Verse 12: One Church! :D

* * *

Another thing I have been doing lately is playing my new computer game, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. It is really quite fun; and I am quickly getting into the habit of playing almost every day! :P

^^A red-and-yellow Douglas DC-3 at Phoenix Sky Harbor in Phoenix, Arizona

You can fly literally all over the world, and has very realistic graphics. Besides all that, you can fly in 2 dozen planes; from the Wright Bros. unstable airplane, to the might Boeing 747 Jet, there are many options.

Some of my favorites to fly in would be the Cessna Skylane (because it's easy) and the LearJet 45 (because it's cool and still semi-easy). Some of my (many!) favorite flights are landing in a Cessna Skylane in Collegedale, Tennessee, and flying a LearJet into Atlanta, GA.

^^LearJet, anniversity editon, in Atlanta GA (KATL); Weather: Winter Wonderland (snow, clouds); probably afternoon, evening...

^^Cessna Skylane, on Collegedale Mun. (TN) runway, snowing.

Another favorite flight would be flying the Ford Tri-Motor around San Francisco, and (trying! :P) to land it on the aircraft carrier there....though out of the 3 times I've tried, I've only sucessfully landed on the aircraft carrier once! ;)

Besides just flying anywhere on the globe and in 24 aircraft, you can also choose about a dozen different types of weather, from sight-seeing nice pretty clouds, to fun snow, to major thunderstorms and even worse weather you just plain (plane? ;) ) wouldn't want to go flying in!! ;D

You can also choose what day of what year you want to fly, and even if you want to fly at dawn, day, dusk or night!! I suppose I shall stop here, as you see I could go on....and on....and on! ;) :P

 * * *

Currently now my grandparents from Michigan are here for Thanksgiving, since last week Tuesday. My sister Alison and I have been enjoying Grandpa getting us Goldfish Crackers and Silk Soymilk. ;) Besides that, I have showed Grandpa my Flight Simulator (you just knew I was going to talk about that again, didn't you??)

Grandpa and I have been working on an interview with him, like, I have recorded him on video while I asked him questions on his life. It has been quite fun, interesting, and eye-opening. Hey, who knew that my grandfather was working as an aeronautical engineer before?? (I thought he had always worked as an automotive engineer, which he did for 35+ years.)

Today I had my very first introduction to Day-After-Thanksgiving-Madness-Sales. First we went to Sears, where Grandpa was looking for a drill and some lights. (We got there about 9 AM). We found the light, but had to order the drill. Then, as we made our way into the actual mall, my ears were asailed by some singer guy blaring out some version of "Jingle Bell Rock". Lots of people were there, I was just thankful I didn't get lost! Anyway, we added our numbers to the predicted 77 million people who are going to shop this weekend this year! ;)

After Sears we made our way to JCPenny and Grandpa surprised me and bought me a suit!!!!!!! It was SOOO nice of him and I am really looking forward to wearing it tomorrow!! :D Hopefully in the next few days I will post some pictures of me in the suit on here. ;D

Well I better go cause my grandmother wants to check her Gmail! ;D

~Tennessee Photobug

P.S.--Many more photos are coming in the next article! :D

Wuppy-Puppy Fall Foto Fun

Well....last night my mother had given me the chore of taking out the compost; (which means I have to go through our backyard, fumble with the gate, & into the woods), and before I got done my mother let my service dog Lauren out and said, "your dog needs a run!" So I figured, well, OK, I'll just go get my camera and some treats and take some pictures of Lauren against the absolutely spectacular fall leaves.....so I did. Hope you enjoy these "canine portraits"! :D

~Photobug

P.S.--don't forget to rate this post on my blog, right below this post. If you are reading this on Facebook, Facebook Lite, or your e-mail inbox, click here to go to my blog and rate this post! :)

^^By any chance, would he have some TREATS??

^^Wrrr...UFF!!

^^"I'm a dog, I'm a dog,...

^^"...I'm a happy dog!...."

^^Faster than fast, it's BULLET DOG on the run!! Look out! ;)

^^Now that's what I call DOG POWER!!

^^BAM!! (I was lucky me and my camera survived...HEHEHEHE)

Learning about Space is a BLAST!!

Hi to all!!! Well yes, after several weeks I am now back with more photos! :D (what else do I post on here? :P) Well, anyway, this time I want to share with you photos of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. We are now enjoying Fall Break, and to kick it off Mom and Dad very kindly took me and my sister to Huntsville. Going to the Space Center was really an amazing experience--several priceless treasures there. Among my favorites were the restored Saturn V rocket (suspended sideways), a mock-up Saturn V standing guard outside of the entrance--this one's standing up TALLL---363 feet tall!! It was unbelievable to see. (it goes without saying that it was hard to get a shot of the whole rocket in one shot!) They also had the Apollo 16 Command Module Casper and several nice rockets inside and outside. Inside the main museum there was an exhibit on the Space Shuttle--even a cool game where you could build the Space Shuttle!! I'm sure you can see I had a great time. Below are photos--taken by my mother, father, and me. :)

~Photobug

P.S.--I added 5 new (un)shiny pennies to my squished penny collection! :)

^^One of the 5 giant F-5 (I think!) Saturn V.

^^Just a second before it lifted off...I got out of here! HEHEHEHEHE

^^"Casper" of the Apollo 16 mission.

^^A Saturn I rocket.

^^A moon rock brought back by Apollo 12.

^^Me in the Apollo trainer.

^^Moon rover and Lunar Module.

^^Saturn V Intramental Ring.

^^Alison in the Apollo Simulater/Trainer.

^^The largest fragment recovered of Skylab, the very first space station.

^^Happy travelers! :) (helps to get dog attention, when one says "treats"! ;D)

^^"Off we go, in to the Wild Blue Yonder, off we go...."