MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope you all had a wonderful day of celebrating our Saviour's birth! Let us join with Mary in saying...

"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:

for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath done to me

great things; and holy is his name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him

from generation to generation."

Luke 1:46-50

Blessed With A Safe Trip Home!!

We are home safely after 48+ hours on the road. Not always moving mind you, but on the road.

A blizzard came through Virginia shortly ahead of us resulting in many accidents (yes, we lost count) which kept traffic moving slowly, and for hours at a time, not at all. Cars and transport trucks abandoned on the side of the road were a common sight. We spent from 4:00 PM Saturday to about 6:00 AM Sunday in this kind of slow moving situation. We did keep the van running...more for heat than for moving though. In one place the interstate was a parking lot for at least twenty miles. Mom was congratulated when she was able to drive a whole five miles in three hours!!

During one of our long delays, Josh decided to walk up ahead and see if he could find out what was holding up the traffic. When he got to the beginning of the line he discovered that some truckers had fallen asleep waiting and had not noticed that the line was moving again. He knocked on the windows of about twenty trucks and cars to wake people up and get things moving once more. That lasted for a few miles before we were in another line up.

Most resturaunts in that area of Virginia were closed because people couldn't get to work, so we didn't eat supper until 7-8 the next morning. In spite of it all, it was a wonderful trip. We were blessed with safety and lots of good fellowship with a family friend who "hitch-hiked" back with us from GA. Many memories were made. We even enjoyed some good snowball fights with our friend who hadn't seen snow like that in years. Certainly a trip I will not soon forget!

Thank you all so much for praying for us, we certainly felt God's hand keeping us safe.

Heading For A Wedding

Well, this morning we got up really early to go and visit some friends about 40 minutes from the hotel. We had a great time with them. I especially was glad to see my life-long friend, Ruth.

The early afternoon was spent at my Aunt Debbie's with the rest of the extended family. The later part of this afternoon was been spent getting ready for the wedding tonight. I am all ready to go. We are leaving in about 15 minutes. It's going to be an exciting night! :)

We are leaving tomorrow morning to head back home. Please pray for safety as we may run into a big snow storm near Pennsylvania. If all goes well, we will be home sometime late Sunday/early Monday.

I'd better go...it's off to a wedding! :)

Family Togetherness

Well, in case you were wondering, we did arrive in Georgia safely at around two o`clock Wednesday morning. My grandparents and Auntie Tandy arrived at the hotel a few minutes before us. It was so great to see them!

I have had a wonderful two days here visiting with family. Uncle Larry & Aunt Karen arrived a few minutes ago, so all of my Dad`s siblings are now together for the first time in about twenty years. Right now we are all getting ready to attend the rehearsal dinner for Daniel`s wedding tomorrow (my Auntie Tandy did my hair for me) and then we are heading to Aunt Debbie`s for some family time. Somehow, I think it is going to be a late night again tonight!

Well, I am glad I found time for this short update, but I`d better go! Until next time...

Thanking the Lord for Safety...

Well, we got a late start on our trip yesterday, but we are now at our cousin's house in Pennsylvania.

We had planned to leave our home early in the morning yesterday, but some things came up the night before that delayed us. Also, Dad was concerned about the icyness of the roads, so we decided to get some sleep and leave mid-morning. Shortly after we left home, we heard on the news that there had been a multiple car pile-up on the highway we were supposed to travel on. Thanking the Lord this morning for safety.

We're getting ready to leave Pennsylvania. We should be in Georgia tonight.

Georgia, Here We Come!!

Well, my suitcase is packed and in only a few hours I will be on my way to Georgia! I am pretty excited. Tomorrow we are planning to have lunch with my Grandmother in Vermont. Then supper and a visit (possibly staying the night) with my cousin, Ruthanne, in Pennsylvania. Then it's onto Georgia on Tuesday!!

I am really looking forward to see my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles & Cousins. This is the first time that all the siblings in my Dad's family have been together at the same time in twenty-one years. We'll be enjoying time with them Wednesday-Friday, then it's back on the long road home on Saturday.

Well, I wish I had time to write more. Please pray for safe traveling and that my cousin's wedding would go smoothly! Bye for now...

Busyness...

These last few weeks have been busy ones for us as we continue working on the home renovations as well as getting ready for the Christmas season. We also had to make a big decision about whether or not to attend my cousin's wedding in Georgia on the 18th. We have decided to go!! I am really looking forward to see my Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, and my cousins. We will probably be leaving around the 14th or 15th and returning around the 20th. This makes these last few weeks before Christmas very busy for us.

In other news, I would appreciate prayer. For over a month I have been having stomach-related problems. Pain in my upper stomach which is sometimes accompanied by back pain or nausea. I had an upper GI and an ultrasound done on Wednesday and we should know the results sometime this coming week.

Tonight we are getting ready for what could be a big winter storm. I love the snow, and I am enjoying watching it fall, but I also know that our porch roof isn't finished yet! So I am hoping that will be done soon so that I can truly say, let it snow!

Well, I guess that's all for now. I may not be able to post much in the coming days, we'll just have to see how things go.

Who Is He In Yonder Stall?

Well, it is that time of year again. The time we set aside to remember our Savior's birth, and why he came. A Christmas song that has been one of my favorites for the last couple of years is, "Who Is He In Yonder Stall?"

WHO IS HE IN YONDER STALL?

Who is He in yonder stall,

At Whose feet the shepherds fall?

Who is He in deep distress,

Fasting in the wilderness?

'Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!

'Tis the Lord! The King of glory!

At His feet we humbly fall,

Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all!

Who is He the people bless

For His words of gentleness?

Who is He to whom they bring

All the sick and suffering?

'Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!

'Tis the Lord! The King of glory!

At His feet we humbly fall,

Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all!

Who is He that stands and weeps

At the grave where Lazarus sleeps?

Who is He the gathering throng

Greet with loud triumphant song?

'Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!

'Tis the Lord! The King of glory!

At His feet we humbly fall,

Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all!

Lo! At midnight, who is He

Prays in dark Gethsemane?

Who is He on yonder tree

Dies in grief and agony?

'Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!

'Tis the Lord! The King of glory!

At His feet we humbly fall,

Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all!

Who is He that from the grave

Comes to heal and help and save?

Who is He who from His throne

Rules through all the worlds alone?

'Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!

'Tis the Lord! The King of glory!

At His feet we humbly fall,

Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all!

I hope you all enjoy your Christmas season as you celebrate the Lord, the King of Glory!

Lady of the House and Other News

Well, if you are wondering why I have not posted in awhile, it is because I have been the lady of the house for a whole week.

Mom and Rosanna went to Wisconsin for a week to visit the bible school she is considering attending next fall. While they were gone I remained quite busy with cooking, dishes, laundry, house cleaning, and leaf raking. I really enjoyed doing all the cooking for a week.

As for other news...our family is considering the possibility of traveling to Georgia in December to attend my cousin Daniel's wedding. It would be a very fast trip, being so close to Christmas.

Bible Clubs have started up again. My siblings and I help the Deans with one in Milltown on Wednesday afternoons ("Club" Know Your Bible), and my brother, Nathanael, and I do a club in our living room on Friday afternoons (Adventure Bible Club).

Home renovations continue. Painting on the side of the house is coming along, and last week Dad did a bunch of work on the wiring inside. Hoping to have most of the drywall up by American Thanksgiving in two weeks.

That's a quick update. I hope to post more later on! Very happy to have Mom & Rosanna home! :)

Prayer Requests

It is hard to believe that it is almost the end of October! This month has flown by so quickly, with home renovations, school work, gardening, and other chores. I am looking forward to November & Thanksgiving.

For some families, however, this has been a very hard month. I am refering to the families of soldiers fighting overseas. October's death toll in Afghanistan is the highest it has been since the beginning of the war - 24 this week and around 55 this month - so far. This hits close to home for me because my cousin, Stephen, is currently serving over there. I can hardly imagine what it must be like for his wife and young boys. As October ends, lets keep our brave Americans and their families in our prayers.

Also, please pray for safe traveling for my Mom and sister, Rosanna, as they fly to Wisconsin on Wednesday. They will be there a week, visiting the bible school Rosanna is considering attending.

Caramel Corn....Yummy!!

This afternoon I tried out a recipe for homemade caramel corn. It was my first attempt to make it and it was delicious! I thought I would share the recipe here.

Caramel Corn:

8 cups popped popcorn
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Put popcorn into baking pan. Remove any unpopped kernels.

Measure brown suagr, butter, corn syrup and salt into 11/2 quart saucepan. Put pan on burner. Turn burner to medium heat. Cook and stir with wooden spoon tell butter melts and everything is mixed. Continue cooking until mixture starts to boil. When mixture boils, stop stirring. Cook for 5 minutes. Move pan off burner and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.

Pour mixture over popcorn using a rubber scraper to scrap pan. With spatula, gently stir the popcorn and hot mixture so all the popcorn is coated. Put pan into oven heated to 300 degrees and bake 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and stir mixture with spatula. Put back into oven and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Pour it out onto a clean counter and separate it before it cools then put it into a Tupperware container with a good seal and it will last a long time. Makes about 8 cups.


ELISABETH'S TIPS:

Before beginning, put 10 ice cubes in a bowl and cover with cold water so that you are all ready if you should burn your finger! (Yes, I burnt my finger quite badly the first time I made this!)

You can double this recipe with no problem. I like to cook it in a medium sized roasting pan.

If you have brothers, do not expect to have leftovers to put away!!

Rain, Algebra, Christmas Presents and Scented Candles...

WARNING: For those of you who enjoy exciting news, this post may not be your thing. However if you like the updates about every day stuff, than this is right up your alley.

Okay, so maybe I have grabbed your attention (or at least your curiosity) with my post title! Actually the title fits perfectly as that is what I have been doing/thinking about today.

If you live anywhere near me, you already know why I am thinking about raindrops today! As my Aunt Syl put it on facebook..."Sylvia -- has decided to focus on organizing whatever it is that we need to load onto the ark. I suspect that we will be boarding before the day is over." Well, that about sums up the weather today.

As for the algebra, we have a new Math course for our home school this year. Math has never been my favorite subject to say the least, after all isn't that why they invented calculators? :) But I must say I really am enjoying this new math course! At least so far.

Christmas presents. A few months before Christmas 2007, our family decided to try a new way of giving gifts. Instead of everyone giving everyone something, we decided for that we siblings should draw names for that year. Well, we all enjoyed that so much that it has become a tradition. Oh, and by the way, we still do something small for everyone (for instance, last year Rosanna made picture frames for each of us with a picture of Niagara falls and a bible verse), but this just allows us to put some extra thought into that particular persons gift for that year. Another fun thing about doing it this way is you don't know which sibling drew your name! And if they can keep secrets well, you won't know until Christmas Eve! :)

So anyway, we drew names a few weeks ago and I drew ---------------'s name! It is going to be fun working on a gift for this sibling! And the best part is I am pretty sure that ----------------- does not know I picked their name! :)

And that brings me to the scented candles...I love them! Don't you? My brothers aren't usually as thrilled with them, simply because on more than one occasion they have come into the house and thought we were baking them something to eat only to find out it was a candle! So anyway, when my sister went to Wal-mart I asked her to bring me back an apple pie candle that I could have on my desk. And as I write this post, I am enjoying the aroma!

Well, that's all for now....

Home Projects

Well, if you are wondering what our family is currently up to, the answer is...home construction projects. Last week we tore down the old walls in what used was Dad's old office and is going to be the girls new room (we are currently staying in what will be Dad's new office). We are also working on the room next to the old office/new girls room (that would be the girls old room). Now that all the old walls are torn down Dad is working on framing our new closets and then they have to insulate that section of the house (our house was built in the mid-1800's and there is no insulation on the front side!). Then of course the fun of sheetrock, carpeting, painting, wallpapering, curtain making etc...and hopefully moving in before Christmas.

Besides those projects, we are also working on scraping and painting one side of the house that has not been painted for a very long time!

I wish I had pictures to post to help you understand a little better what we are doing, but currently I don't have a working camera so pictures will be rare. I am working on using our digital video camera to document the progress we make, so maybe I can post a video later on. Rosanna has posted a couple of pictures on her blog if you want to check them out there.

Well, that's all for now. Until next time...

Ponderings of a Handmaiden: Mary's Example

I have decided to begin posting some things the Lord is showing me in my personal walk with him. I have entitled these posts Ponderings of a Handmaiden.

MARY'S EXAMPLE:

When I choose the title for this blog, I was studying the life of a young women in scripture who choose to trust God's plan for her, even though at the time she could not fully understand it, and was ridiculed and scorned by the people around her. As you may have already surmised, the young woman I am referring to is Mary, the mother of our Saviour.

In Luke 1, we learn a little about what kind of a young woman Mary was.

1. She trusted God.

"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." Luke 1:38

Her trust led to obedience. Because she believed God's plan was best for her, she willing accepted his plan - without waiting until she fully understood - and was obedient to his will for her. As the hymn writer, John Sammis, has put it; ..."Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

2. She magnified God

"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." Luke 1:46-47 (Mary's praise of the Lord continues through verse 55)

What does it mean to magnify God? This quote from John Piper's book, Don't Waste Your Life, really helped me to understand what it means to magnify God.

"Magnify has two distinct meanings. In relation to God, one is worship and one is wickedness. You can magnify like a telescope or like a microscope. When you magnify like a microscope, you make something tiny look bigger than it is. A dust mite can look like a monster. Pretending to magnify God like that is wickedness. But when you magnify like a telescope, you make something unimaginably great look like what it really is. With the Hubble Space Telescope, pinprick galaxies in the sky are revealed for the billion-star giants that they are. Magnifying God like that is worship. We waste our lives when we do not pray and think and dream and plan and work toward magnifying God in all spheres of life. God created us for this: to live our lives in a way that makes him look more like the greatness and beauty and infinite worth that he really is."

3. She pondered

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

What does it mean to ponder? The Webster's dicitionary definies the word ponder this way; to think or consider quietly, soberly, and deeply. While the shepherds told of all that they had seen and heard from the angels, Mary pondered it. May we also take the time to ponder what the Lord is doing around and through us.

Conclusion:
Oh, how much we can learn from the life of Mary! May you and I learn from her example how to trust God, magnify God, and ponder all that he is teaching us.

My busy summer...

Well, as you probably have guessed because of my lack of post for the last several months, I have had an extremely busy summer/early fall. Here is a brief recap.

In early June we had a wonderful time with the Jost family from Alberta, who were in the midst of a musical tour. With twenty-two people in our house (including us) we had a busy and fun thirty-six hours. I think I had all the names straight by the time they left!

Also in June we had our annual homeschool conference, and a few weeks later a quick visit with my Grandparents from Louisianna. It was wonderful to see them again. We also enjoyed tying on 50th anniversary signs to the back of their fifth wheel so that they wouldn't see them until they were down the road aways. :)

The first week on July I went to Windcrest bible camp for a week. It was a wonderful and very challenging year of camp. The Lord really moved in the lives of many young people, myself included.

In August we did a week of VBS. We did one in the morning and another in the afternoon at a different church. It was a very challenging week for us and we were very tired by the end of it.
The Saturday after VBS, I became sick and was sick for over three weeks with some kind of viral infection/bronchitis. Eventually I went on antibiotics for a weeks and that cleared it up. During the time I was sick, I had and enjoyed my 17th birthday! It is hard to believe how fast time flies!

In early September we went and visited my Grandmother R. in Vermont. That Saturday we had a family picnic with many other relatives there as well. Including my cousin and his family from California! It was so great to see so many relatives again.

And that brings me to October. This month I started back into another school year! Also our family has been doing some renovations on our house, which I will post about very soon. It feels good to be blogging once again! Until next time...

Update...sort of...

Hey everyone, sorry that I haven't posted in almost two months! We are having a very busy summer so my posts have been awhile. I will slowly start updating you on all that has happened over the past several weeks, having a family of fourteen stay with us for 2 days, our homeschool convention, my grandparents visit from Louisianna, my week at camp, etc...

So if you want some old news check back often during these next few days! Maybe by September I can tell you what happened this week! Just kidding! :)

Finally it worked!

After a lot of work and several different ideas, we finally have Danny Spy and the Four-Thirty Kid on the Amateur Productions blog (there is a link on the right side of the page that will take you there). We hope you enjoy it!

We are in the writing stage of our next drama. If you would like to be kept informed of new dramas, send and e-mail to radioshorts@gmail.com and ask to be added to our mailing list.

Thanks for your patience!

I'm Back!

Well, I'm back! These last few weeks have been very busy and it would be impossible to tell you all that has gone on! Here is a little update though.

Last month our family went to the cemetary to clean and put new flowers on my sister and brother's grave site.

Although I never had the chance to meet them here, I look forward to seeing Charity and Daniel someday in heaven.

"As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. " Psalm 18:30

On Wednesday, June 29, I traveled to NBBI for their Spring Bible Conference. I went with the Deans to help them with the children's program during the evening services. The rest of the family came up Thursday and stayed for the day. After the morning services we went and visited the Everett's. They were good friends with Mom and Dad when they were attending Bible School at NBBI and have been like grandparents to me and my siblings. We used to stay with them whenever we visited NBBI.

The Everett's Home

The Everett's

Visiting with Nana Everett

After visiting with the Everett's we visited one other friend in the area and then took a drive to do see some familiar places like...

...the Church where Mom and Dad attended the first year they were married...

...and the longest covered bridge in the world!

One thousand, two hundred and eighty-two feet, if you were wondering! :)

Andrew entering the bridge

Inside the bridge

After visiting the bridge we returned to NBBI, had supper and then got ready for the first children's program that evening. Dad, Mom, Josh and Tim left after the evening service and returned home leaving Rosanna, Nathanael, Andrew and I at NBBI until Sunday afternoon. Here are just a few photos of the rest of that weekend.

Mrs. Dean with one of her puppets

Teaching songs

Rosanna and Nathanel doing a quiz

I had a great time visiting with people during breaks as well. It all went by so fast.

Last Friday we planned a Ladies Tea for some of the older ladies in our church. Most of them are unable to be out and about much anymore.

They enjoyed being able to see each other again and had a wonderful tea/lunch.

It was wonderful to see the smiles on their faces.

The younger ladies who helped put the tea together.

As for other things that I have been up to...

Rosanna and I have recently moved out of the room we were staying in and into the camper so that Dad can work on some rooms in our house.

I have been very busy gardening for a couple of hours in the afternoon about 3-4 days a week. The older couple that I am helping have a lot of gardens so I think I will be working there for most of the summer.

Well, I'd better wind this post up. It feels so good to be blogging again! Thanks for your patience!

Sorry!

Hi,

Sorry that I have not posted in a while. These last few weeks have been very busy for our family. I will post some pictures and updates soon, but I just wanted to let you know that I still exist!

Living in Truth...

On Saturday, Mom, Rosanna and I, as well as three ladies from our church went to a Ladies Seminar at a nearby church.

Rosanna with Aggie & Agnes from our church.

During the breaks between sessions, I was able to talk with some other young ladies who came.

Mariah & Maggie (the youngest little lady at the seminar).

After a delicious lunch we were served a common desert in an uncommon way, canned cakes.

Yes, I did say CANNED cakes! They are made with a normal cake batter and then baked in canning jars and sealed up as soon as they came out of the oven. They tasted really great and they stay fresh longer because they are sealed up. In fact the lady that made them had them done a week before the seminar and they tasted as though they were made that day! We are going to try them again at home sometime, so that the boys can try them.

Enjoying the cakes, Yummy!

(Yes, mine is already gone and I am watching Mom enjoy hers!)

Everyone was given an apron when we left. Mom, Rosanna and I found three that matched, what fun!

The sessions were very encouraging and challenging at the same time. The theme this year was, "Living in Truth." Mrs. Kinney who taught the session read from parts of Lies Women Believe, a book by Nancy Leigh Demoss. Ever since the garden of Eden, Satan has been trying to decieve women with lies about God, sin, priorities, marriage and family, emotions, ect... Knowing the truth found in God's word is the only way to be set free from the bondage these lies have put us in.

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:32

Happy Easter...Belated

Sorry that I haven't posted anything this last week, I have been very busy finishing up my Easter dress. Here are some pictures of Rosanna, Jensen & I with our Easter dresses.

ELISABETH

ROSANNA

JENSEN

FRIENDS

SISTERS

I made a sunflower cake to take to our churches Easter breakfast. It has been awhile since I made a cake so I enjoyed doing it.

Peeps Sunflower Cake:

Ingredients:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
2 cans (16 ounces each) chocolate frosting
19 yellow chick Peeps candies
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely; carefully remove waxed paper.

Level tops of cakes. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Without separating Peeps and curving slightly to fit, arrange chicks around edge of cake for sunflower petals. For sunflower seeds, arrange chocolate chips in center of cake.

Me playing the piano before the services

Hallelujah, What A Saviour!

Man of Sorrows! what a name

For the Son of God who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

“Full atonement!” can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;

“It is finished!” was His cry;

Now in Heav’n exalted high.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew His song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

HE IS RISEN!

Sew much fun

On Friday and Saturday, Rosanna and I had a sewing sleepover with a younger friend from our church to make Easter dresses for next Sunday. This is my first big sewing project, although I have helped my Mom and sister do a few other things.

Here are some pictures from our sleepover. Some of them did not come out that well, because of the lights and my camera's flash acting up...oh, well!

Jensen's material...

my material in my favorite colour....

\

and Rosanna's material (blue of course!).

Cutting out Jensen's dress.

This is Jensen's first time making a dress and she was watching Rosanna's every move hoping that she didn't make a mistake.

Oh, the fun of learning to sew....

...and of scraps!

Nathanael fixed Jensen's sewing machine for her,

and then he and Andrew presented her with this outrageous bill...

NATHANAEL R. BROWN

APPLIANCE REPAIR LTD...

Statement of services rendered

-----------------------------

Service charge: $20.00

Time at $50/hr: $52.34

Overtime Compensation: $15.75

Liability Insurance Fee: $47.25

Static Electricity Exposure Fee: $ 32.17

Parts Charge: $0.99

Tool Charge: $8.00

Billing Fees: $20.42

Compensations & Royalties: $106.21

SUB TOTAL: $303.13

TAX: 15% = $45.46

TOTAL: $348.59

Round it off to an even $350.00?


....to which Jensen replied, "Well guys, it was very nice of you
to fix my machine for me, how about I use this extra material

and make each of you a pillow case!"

(the guys left rather quickly by the way :)

Around 11:30 set up our camp in the living room,
and had some much needed sleep!

Mom was up early, and woke us up by taking pictures of us,
She was a little too chipper for 7:00 in the morning!

Time to get back to work!

Jensen getting the hang of the sewing machine.

Jensen and Mom took a break from the dress and made a hat to go with it.

Cutting out my dress.

Well, we did not get everything done, but we had a great time. I have been working on my dress, and Jensen will be back on Thursday and Friday to finish up hers. Will post more pictures when everything is completed.