My Beautiful Girlhood

Its been a looong time.....

2011-02-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

I know, It's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog. I have been busy with lots of things lately. It would take a long time to write about all of that right now and I don't have that time so I will share some things to you in pictures. Enjoy! :D

My dad had a birthday in Spring.

Abraham, Me, Nathan, Joshua, and my "Papi".

Mom serving a Tres Leches cake ( witch means "three milks" in Spanish) which she made.
Can you see the milk in the pan?
It was about 6 cups! All of it had to soak in the cake...it took a loooong time to soak it all up.

I have been baking a lot! Here are SOME of the things that I've made:

Vanilla Wafers that I filled with jelly...mmmmm! Sooo good! ;)

A cheesecake.

This is chicken wrapped in Canadian bacon with cream cheese, green onions, and spices inside.

I have also been making all kinds of breads but I didn't take photos of them.

(My mom also had a birthday this Spring, but I'll to do a special post on that later.)

Mothers Day!
Mother with her four blessings.

The Lovers...

You ARE awesome,Mom!!!

Lots more coming up as soon as I get a spare moment.

Its been nice posting!

God Bless you all.
Merisa

Two Boys & A Volcano

2010-11-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

This scrapbook made with Smilebox

Apple Pie

2010-11-19T15:13:00.000-08:00

Fresh out of the oven!

Tea pot with steam coming out. Adorable!

Another close up of the pie. It tasted as good as it looked!

I made this delicious apple pie for my brothers two weeks ago. My little brothers helped me peel and cut the apples. I cut out pieces of dough shaped as teapots and cups. It turned out very cute. I used a recipe from the Farm Chicks Cookbook. My mom checked it out from the library. It is a very interesting cookbook with interesting stories, pictures and good recipes. We liked it so much we want to buy the book someday.

Allisons Photography Contest

2010-07-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Allison at Strength And Dignity Are Her Clothing is having a photography contest.

Here are my two entries:

ENJOY!

#1. Handsome Baby brother Joshua (almost 3)

#2. January snow.

Hello Again

2010-07-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry for not writing in weeks! My week has been very busy! We have had visitors and have been very busy with school.
I have to go now I need to help my mom organize our song books.
Check back soon for some special pictures.

Nathans 5'th Birthday Party!

2010-06-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

Eating dinner with friends.

Nathan playing with friends.

Happy Birthday Boy!

Prayer & Happy Birthday song.

Nathan with his delicious cake that my mom made.

This week my little brother Nathan had his 5'th birthday party! We had so much fun! I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Fun With My Grandparents

2010-06-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

My grandparents came to visit us in May! We had a lot of fun!
Here are some pictures of us when they were here.

My grandparents with all of us.

A horse outside of a museum that gave carriage rides.

My Dad and brothers going on a paddle boat ride.
There was not a life jacket big enough for my tall Dad.

My mom and my grandma.

Joshua.

My grandpa and my brother on a canoe ride.

Getting Joshua on the paddle boat. He loved it!

This is going to be an adventure!

Bye-Bye!

To My Australian Friend

2010-05-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Sophie,

You commented on my blog several months ago and gave me your email address. I accidentally erased your comment because I didn't know how to edit it so it wouldn't show your email address. Sorry it's taken me so long to write this but I hope you read this and can send me your email address again.

Thank you.
Merisa

Johsua's Hair Cut

2010-05-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

A few days ago my little brother Joshua went to the bathroom and closed the door. We thought he just needed use the potty, but then my mom heard the hair shaver! She tried to open the door but it was locked. My mom couldnt' find the door opener and she told me to find something sharp to unlock the door! I ran and found something and unlocked the door. Joshua was holding the hair shaver and was shaving big chunks of hair off of his forehead! His hair is growing back now. I think it's cute that he wanted to be his own barber.

Alfredo Sauce

2010-04-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

A friend gave this really easy recipe to my mom. We enjoyed it very much when I made it! I hope you enjoy it too.

one stick of butter
1 bar of cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

serve very hot over pasta

Yummy Tortillas!

2010-04-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

I am making my own whole wheat tortillas now! They are delicious and easy! My family loves them! When it is time for lunch my brothers always ask me to make them some. They like to dip them in my homemade salsa that my mom taught me to make. I will give you the recipe for my salsa too. I like to make bean and cheese buritos with the tortillas that I make . Now here is the recipe:

Whole Wheat Tortillas

6 cups of whole wheat flour
2 cups of water minus 6 tablespoons, plus 6 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar (or you can just put 2 cups of water if you don't have any raw apple cider vinegar)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cups extra virgin oil

In a bowl mix all the ingredients. Then take the dough out of the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about 2-4 minutes. Divide dough in 32 parts for little tortillas or 24 parts for large tortillas. Roll each part into a ball and put it on a cutting board or any flat surface. Use a rolling pin to flatten out (this takes practice) Place on a griddle ( put the gridle on medium heat ) and let each side cook for 30 seconds or until ready.

Soaking: We soak all of our whole grains. This means that we prepare the dough a day ahead and let it soak overnight in the wet ingredients. I will write more about this later since I don't know too much about it, but my mom does. I'll ask her to explain it more clearly to me. Right now, it's just something she has taught me to do. She does say that the tortillas will be more nutritious and easy for your body to digest if the grains are soaked overnight.

Homemade Salsa

1/2 of a onion
2 cloves of garlic
6 whole red dried chili peppers or more if you like it hot or less if you want very mild hot salsa
4 cups of tomatoes sauce ( if it is to hot then add a little more)
salt and a little pepper to taste

You can add more water if you like a more watery salsa or if you like it thick leave it as is. We like our salsa thick.

Boil the onions ,garlic and chili peppers with 1/2 a cup of water until the onions are soft. Put it all in the blender and add the tomato sauce. Then blend till smooth.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2010-04-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL DAD!

GOD gave my dad another year to live. We celebrated his birthday this week! My dad shared the story of his birth with us. I found out that he is a miracle baby. My dad was born at home. When he was born the umbilicacord was wrapped around his neck! My dad said that his face was allready purple! The midwife unwrapped it and his parents prayed for him. It is a miracle that that baby boy born 30+ (I won't tell you how young my dad is!) years ago is now my dad. I LOVE YOU DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi!

2010-03-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! We will be getting our computer fixed this week...my mom is trying to find someone to fix our computer. Just wanted to let you all know. I am excited to start blogging again. I miss you! Please check back soon!

Sorry!!!!

2010-03-02T14:31:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry for not writing in a long time. Our computer crashed so I am writing this in the library. I probably won't be able to write for a while. SORRY again.

Encouraging Blog Award!

2010-02-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

My First Blog Award!

Eden & Sara from Heirs of Promise

I was awarded my first blog award! It is the Encouraging Blog Award. It was awarded to me by Eden and Sara at Heirsofpromise.net. Thank you Eden and Sara! Eden and Sara are two sisters. They are Christian homeschooled girls who love the Lord and live in Bermuda! I never thought I would meet other homeschooled godly girls in Bermuda! God has girls who love him all over the world!

Snow Fun!

2010-01-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

Our chickens trying to keep warm in a cage that is in their coop.

Joshua all bundled up. So cute!

Abraham taking a snow bath.

Joshua and Nathan sliding down the driveway with their "sleds."

Me!

A few days ago I woke up to a BIG surprise...it was snowing! I think the snow was 5 inches deep! I had so much fun! Here are some pictures of us having fun in the snow!
I hope you enjoy them!

Our Flock of Chickens

2010-01-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

One of the chickens laying an egg. They like to lay in the feed box.

Cute little lady.

The Ladies free ranging.

Our chicken, Copper.

Obie, our rooster. We just found out he was a rooster two weeks ago when he started crowing.

My Little Cutie Pie

2010-01-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of my little brother, Joshua. He is two years old and is the baby of the family. His favorite food is boiled eggs. He loves to play with balls and toy cars. He calls me "Meisa". Sometimes he spends the night with me and likes it when I tell him stories. I love him very much and am very glad that God gave him to us.

Happy Birthday Grandpa

2010-01-21T14:28:00.000-08:00

It was my grandpa's birthday this week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPO! LOVE YA!

My Baby

2010-01-18T07:26:00.001-08:00

My little baby brother or sister is with the Lord now. My Mom and Dad went to my mom's doctors appointment last week. The ultrasound showed our baby's little heart was not beating anymore. My mom had an ultrasound a week before the second one and we were happy because the baby was moving alot and the doctor told my parents that the baby looked very healthy. I am sad and my family is sad too. My Dad told us that we should never be angry with God but we have to praise Him at all times.

Feelin' Femenine

2010-01-12T05:38:00.000-08:00

My Mom and I were chosen to be the Featured Femenina on the Feelin' Femenine website. My mom and I were very excited when Amanda from Super Angels blog asked to interview us. You can read the interview by clicking our picture.

Chickadee

2010-01-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

We left the door to our sun room open and later found this cute little chickadee flying around. It got scared when he saw us and tried to fly out but was very confused. We caught it and let it go.

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?

Matthew 5:26

God cares for these tiny birds! Wow! He loves us so much more!

A Surprise From Our Dear Maple

2010-01-01T10:26:00.001-08:00

Our chicken, Maple, who laid her first egg, now our first egg!

This weak one of our chickens, Maple, laid her first egg! It was on a rainy day when my brother went to feed the chickens and found it. I was making lunch when Abraham ran in the house and shouted, "An egg! An egg! Merisa I found an egg in the chicken coop!" You must know that we have been waiting for this egg for a looooooong time. Only two of our chickens our laying. For the past five days our chickens have laid six eggs.

We our thankful that we have these wonderful chickens.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, Dear Friends!

I have not written for almost one month. Sorry. There were lots of things that went on last month. We went to Ohio for the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference. It was great meeting a lot of people and hearing the messages. We also got to go to the Creation Museum in Kentucky. It was very interesting. There was a lot to see. It was very cold. I think it was in the 20's! The outside of the museum is beautiful, but I didn't get a chance to see it all because it was too cold.

At the conference, my mom and I met different people from blogs that we visit. That was neat.

Since we came back from the conference my mom has been sick. She is 9.5 weeks pregnant and I am happy. I have been helping to take care of her, my brothers and the house. I have been having fun cooking different foods. I will post pictures of what I have cooked later when I have more time. Please pray for my mom so she can feel better soon.

Our chickens also laid their first eggs last month! It was exciting to find the eggs in their coop!

Pictures From The Mysterious Islands Movie Premiere

2009-12-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

In front of the theater. We arrived very early!

Waiting for the movie to start.

In line to get our posters signed.

Mr. Doug Philips daughters, Jubilee and Virginia.

My Dad and his friend from church. I was happy that my Dad was able to make it on time to see the movie. His co-worker wanted to go home as soon as their business meeting ended so my Dad rode with him and helped him drive 7 hours back home! My Dad drove fast and made it back on time!

Last month we went went to see the new movie The Mysterious Islands. It was very exciting and we learned alot about Darwin and the evil theory of evolution. The movie showed us how wrong Darwin is. The movie showed alot of different animals from the Galapagos Islands. The animals were amazing and interesting to learn about. God is the creator of EVERYTHING!

My Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

Children eating.

Baby Jenna. She's so cute!

My friends from church who just moved here.

My little brother. I think he's very handsome. Don't you?

My brothers with some friends watching one of the boys pop johnny poppers.

My handsome brothers.

A little pilgrim.

Isn't he cute!

There was so much delicious food. It was a feast!

My little brother eating.

He loved the Cranberry Jello. It was good!

Me and my brothers eating on the back porch.

Thanksgiving songs.

Ladies chatting.

Fernandez family singing.

In line for the feast.

I love Thanksgiving!

I have been wanting to write about my Thanksgiving but I haven't had a chance until right now. We were guests of a family from our church. We spend almost the whole day in their home. There were a lot of other families there too. It was very fun. I enjoyed spending time with my friends. At night some of us girls played tag in the dark. That was exciting!

I have a lot to thank God for. He has blessed me with many blessings. I am especially thankful that my mom is going to have a baby. I can't wait until our baby is born!

My First Sewing Project

2009-12-02T16:10:00.001-08:00

The Project Challenge:
Create a set of matching pillowcases for our front porch chairs.

Here we have two mismatched useless pillows.

Material on hand: an old full size bed skirt that once belonged to my brother.

Learning sewing machine basics.
To begin with, my mom taught me how to thread our sewing machine.

She also showed me how to thread and use the bobbin.

My mom went over the basics of setting tension levels and stitch length.

Cutting off the elastic of the bed skirt.

More trimming.

Practice sewing on scraps.

Pinning two pieces of the bed skirt together to make a wider piece.

All nicely stitched together and ready to sew into a pillow case.

The first pillowcase is ready. The pillow fit well after a few adjustments and the bottom opening was sewed together. Beautiful!

The next day: Repeating the same steps to complete the second pillowcase.

Sewing up the pinned sides.

The completed pillows on our front porch. My mom thinks they look wonderful and so do I!

My mom is now giving me sewing lessons and sewing projects to work on. Last week my Mom showed me how to use her sewing machine and I started my first project. My first project was to make pillowcases for two mismatched pillows. My mom wanted the pillows for two of our front porch chairs. I had a lot of fun working on this project and I can't wait to learn more. My next project will be to make doll clothes for my Samantha doll that my grandma bought me. I am excited!

A Special Letter

2009-11-25T17:58:00.000-08:00

I am so excited. Yesterday, my dad called all of us to the living room and told us he had a letter that he wanted to read us. He wouldn't tell us who the letter was from.

This is what it said:

"Dear Daddy,
I can't wait to meet you on August 1, 2010! I love you already.
Love, Your Baby
P.S. My Mommy is so happy!

My Mom is pregnant! My Dad shared that my Mom had just given him that letter. I was so happy that I jumped all around the living room, yelling, "Thank You, God!" I pray that God will allow us to have this little baby. I already love my baby sister or brother and I can't wait until she or he is born!

The Mysterious Islands

2009-11-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

This is where we will be tonight! I am very excited. Yesterday, my Dad had to go to a business meeting in another state. He is going to try to be back to see the film with us. I hope he can because I miss him already. I am going to take pictures of the cast and filmmakers and post them on my blog this week.

You can learn more about the "Mysterious Islands" movie by clicking here.

Mini Pizzas

2009-11-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

This is a fun and easy treat to make. It is good for birthdays (little children love them) or a quick snack. I hope you will enjoy making them.

You will need:

English muffins,or bagels

2Tbs of pizza sauce for each pizza (1 jar of pizza sauce will go a very long way)

shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)

and sliced pepperoni.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrease Fahrenheit. Spread pizza sauce on the English muffin. Sprinkle cheese on the English muffins. Put four slices of pepperoni on top. Place them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven.
Take them out after five to 8 minutes. Serve warm with a salad or by themselves.

You can be as creative as you want with these pizzas by adding different toppings such as: onions, olives, peppers, ham, or sausage. Yum!

A Couple of Pictures

2009-10-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

I was looking at our old pictures on our computer and I liked these. I think my brother looks so cute in this picture. He is looking at a leaf.

My brother Joshua when he was one year old.

Me, last year in California.

An Interview with My Beautiful Girlhood

2009-10-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Pull up your chair, fill up a pretty teacup with your favorite tea and enjoy the following interview in celebration of My Beautiful Girlhood’s first birthday!

Enjoy!

Merisa, please share with your readers, how you began your blog?:

My mom enjoys reading her favorite Christian blogs and I would comb her hair and read them together with her. This is how I learned what blogs were. When my brother Abraham was baptized last year my parents encouraged him to start a blog. When I saw his blog, I decided I wanted to have a blog too. I was very excited to have a blog because I love to write.

Why did you choose the name My Beautiful Girlhood for you blog?

My mom and I were thinking about names for my blog and I chose“Beautiful Girlhood” because at that time my mom and I were reading and studying the book, Beautiful Girlhood. We looked up that blog name, but it was already taken, so we added “My” to Beautiful Girlhood, so it’s now, My Beautiful Girlhood.

What is the purpose of your blog?

The purpose of my blog is to encourage other girls to live a beautiful life before God. I think I can do this by sharing my own life. I want to please God and I think it is encouraging when girls see how other girls are living for God.

How can a girl live a beautiful life before God?

By obeying God. One way I obey God is by obeying my parents, because it is one of His commandments. Also, by loving to be a girl because this is who God created me to be. It is important to love being a girl and to be feminine. I love pretty things and I try to be a lady. It is also beautiful for me to be happy at home and do all my work with a happy heart.

Do you have any special plans for your blog?

Yes, I want to post more recipes and videos of me cooking. I also am writing a series about getting along with brothers. I have three brothers so I know a lot about brothers.

What do you like most about blogging?

Comments. I love to get comments and it’s exciting to read what people think about my blog. It is also exciting to know that my life can encourage others. I put Clustrmaps on my blog and it tells you the countries where people are reading your blog. I was so excited to see that people from far countries like India and Germany were reading my blog. It’s amazing.

Happy First Birthday to my Blog!

2009-10-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Last year my mom took many pictures of me for my blog. The picture that is on my banner is the one we chose for my blog.

Me, one year later. This picture was taken just a few days ago.

My blog, My beautiful Girlhood, turned one today! One year ago my Mom helped me start my blog. I love writing in my blog. It is exciting to know that other girls and my family are reading what I write. I want God to be pleased with my blog. Thank you for visiting my blog. Remember to leave a comment. I love getting comments.

On Friday, October 30, I will be having an online "Tea Party" to celebrate My Beautiful Girlhood blog's first birthday. My mom will be interviewing me and I will post the final interview. Send me any questions if you have any. I would love to hear from you. Join me for a cup of tea on Friday. It will be great to have you as my special guest.

Tea Party

2009-10-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

My tea table. Isn't it pretty?

Ready for friends.

Delicious treats.

Raquel and her mother, Mrs. R.

Me and my Mom.

Today I had a tea party in my home for my friend, Raquel. I wanted to have a high tea and I did! I made mini chicken pot pies and my mom made chicken curry sandwiches and vegetable crackers with a tuna & vegetable salad on top. For dessert, I made brownies and scones. I also served mini powdered donuts for dessert. There was strawberry jam and butter for the scones. We had different teas and sugar and cream for the tea.

I had a very nice time with my friend and my mom had a nice time with her friend too.

I had Cherry Vanilla tea and my mom had English Breakfast tea that she liked very much.

This was my first tea party that I put together. It was alot of fun and now I want to make another tea party soon. I have more recipes that I want to bake next time. One recipe that I want to try is Salami and Cheese Puffs. It sounds very good and looks easy to make. I also want to make fruit tarts.

My friend gave me a pretty tea pot frame for a gift. I will put it in my room.

My Grandparents Visit

2009-10-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Being silly with our pumpkin slices.

Celebrating my grandma's birthday.

My grandpa and grandma visited us again this month. We had a lot of fun playing games and cooking together. I was excited to show them our chickens and the coop my brother and Dad built. My grandma brought us paints and paper for paining. She also bought us some puzzles. It was fun painting together. My grandpa took my brother and me out to breakfast one day early in the morning.

Jaylene

2009-10-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

This is my newest little cousin, Jaylene Adriana. She is three months old and so cute! I haven't met her in person yet, but maybe next year I will be able to see and hold her.

Pumpkin Pie

2009-10-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

16. Here is how the pumpkin pie looks when it is ready. Yummy!

15. Pie crust, crimped and ready to go.

14. Rolling out the pie crust.

13. Mixing the pumpkin with spices, honey, eggs and milk.

12. Adding spices.

11. Measuring the honey.

10. Adding brown sugar.

9. This is how it looks after blending the chunks of pumpkin.

8. Pumpkin seeds.

7. The inside of the pumpkin.

6. My Grandma Rena removing the rind off the cooked pumpkin.

5. Roasted pumpkin chunks fresh out of the oven!

4. Slicing the top off.

3. Abraham cut the top off of our pumpkin.

2. Here we are with my Grandma removing the stringy matter from the large chunks.

1. Removing the seeds and the stringy matter from the pumpkin.

My grandparents bought us a pumpkin to make baked pumpkin seeds and a pumpkin pie. It was hard work, but we had lots of fun!

Best Friends

2009-10-01T16:30:00.001-07:00

Me and my friends from church.

I am blessed to have wonderful friends who love God and are an encouragement to me. My friends are very talented and some have shown me how to knit and others how to dance.

Backyard Fun

2009-10-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Here is part of our backyard.

Nathan on the tree swing.

Abraham on the swing trying to go as fast as he can.

Video of my brother Nathan.

Happy Anniversary Dad & Mom

2009-09-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

My parents celebrated their 13th anniversary this month! I am happy that I have a godly father and a godly mother for my parents. My Dad works hard for us and teaches us from the Bible . He calls me, "Belleza". That means beautiful in Spanish. My mom teaches me many things like sewing, cooking, organizing and taking care of our home. She also is my teacher in our homeschool. I love when she teaches us history and geography. I love you Dad and Mom. Thank you God, for my Dad and Mom. May they be blessed with alot of years together and lots and lots of children.

Our Chicken Coop

2009-09-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our chicken coop and my of brother Nathan having fun inside. Chicken make great pets. We love them!

Chicken Coop

2009-09-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

My brother just finished building a chicken coop. I helped him with the door. It was very hard work, but it is now finished.
I will post some pictures soon. Bye!

Happy Birthday Abraham

2009-08-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

My brother, Abraham, turned 12 last week.

Abraham, I thank God for you because you are fun to be with. You make me laugh and smile. You are a handsome guy and I'm proud that you are my brother. I love you!

Our Baby

2009-08-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

Our baby inside my Mom is no longer with us. We found out the baby died a few days ago. I feel very sad, but I know our baby is with the Lord.

Flan Recipe

2009-08-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

The ladies from are church put together a recipe book. Here is a recipe that I really like. I hope you will enjoy making it.

1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
1 12 oz can of condensed milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of white sugar

1. Mix eggs in blender; add evaporated; condensed milk and vanilla. Set apart.

2. In a range's medium heat, melt sugar in a pan stirring till you obtain a light caramel color.

3. Pour caramel in a round 8'' backing pan.

4. Add contains of the blender on top of caramel and place covered pan in a larger pot with boiling water half way of smaller pan.

5. Steam for approximately 45 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Remove flan from water and refrigerate until chilled. Flip upside down on serving plate.

English Scones & Devonshire Cream

2009-08-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

I love to bake and I made scones last week. They were very good and my family enjoyed eating them. I hope you will enjoy them too. I didn't take pictures of the scones after I made them. I forgot, but next time I will take pictures of my next baking project.

Scones:
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sultanas ( white raisins) or currants
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 egg(for glaze)

Devonshire Cream:

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup whipping cream (or dream whip)
4 teaspoons confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoons vanilla

Scones: Sift together flour, baking powder and sugar.Rub in butter until mixture is fine. Beat egg with milk; stir in raisins. Add to flour mixture, mix to make a dough. Roll out dough 3/4-inch thick; cut rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Brush rounds with beaten eggs; place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then 350 degrees for 5 more minutes. When ready to serve, cut in half and serve with Devonshire cream and your favorite jam or jelly.

Devonshire Cream:
Beat cream cheese in a small mixer bowl unti light and fluffy. Beat in whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour before serving with scones.

Delicious!

We have a new baby on the way!

2009-07-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have exciting news. My mom is pregnant! We have been praying for a new baby for a long time. God has now answered our prayers. My mom is two months pregnant. I told her I want to help her all I can so she can rest if she does not feel well. I'm glad I know how to do alot of things around the house. In two months we can find out if the baby is a girl or a boy. I really want a baby sister. I am the only girl in my family and I have three brothers.

Aunt Kristina's Visit

2009-07-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

Playing a game that my Aunt bought us. It was fun!

At the museum.

Playing outside with another game my Aunt gave us.

My aunt Kristina came to visit. It was so fun!

We went to the Museum of Natural Science. Then we went to Sweet Tomatoes (a restaurant). On Sunday we went to church. After we went to church we went back to the house and aunt Kristina gave us some presents.

I taught my Aunt how to knit. We spent a lot of time knitting. She took me to the store and bought me two roles of yarn and a pair of needles for herself, but she ended up giving them to me. We had a very nice time time. I felt like my aunt was my sister. I will miss her. We love you Aunt Kristina!

our new pets

2009-07-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not writing, I have been very sick.
Guess what? My mom just ordered are first chicks last month! We ordered 25 but they gave us an extra one(they are all girls). They came in a small box that my dad had to go pick up at the post office . They were so cute! They are actually all my brother Abrahams chicks but he said I could have one, my chicks name is Sun Shine. All of them are RED STAR chickens. Most chickens do not lay eggs in the winter but these chickens lay eggs all year.I will post some pictures of the chicks soon.

Father & Daughter Retreat

2009-06-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Last week my Dad and I went to a Father and Daughter retreat. I will write more about it later. Here are pictures that my Mom took before we left on the first day of the retreat. I will add more pictures tomorrow.

Birthday Boy

2009-06-15T13:34:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

My Brother and Friend

2009-06-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

We took these pictures in September last year. My Mom was taking pictures of my brother for his baptism invitation. My brother was baptized in the ocean. My dad baptized him and everyone from my grandpa's church came to the baptism. We had a picnic afterward and we all ate cake that my Dad bought to celebrate. It was cold but my brother was very happy.

Little Prayer Warrior

2009-06-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

My mom recorded this video of my baby brother. He is so cute. My mom is telling him to pray in Spanish. The spanish word for pray is "orar." Joshua is saying, "Jesus." Joshua makes cute funny faces when he prays and squishes his eyes. Joshua understands English and Spanish.

2009-06-01T17:27:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Papo & Grandma Rena

2009-06-01T16:39:00.001-07:00

Last month my grandparents came to visit me from California. We had a fun time with them. My grandpa bought us a season pass at a miniature golf park. We would go almost every day to play golf with my grandpa. My brother Abraham would always win even when my grandpa and I tried hard to beat him. My mom made a lot of good food for us everyday. I was happy to see my grandma. I would ask her everyday to comb my hair. I love to have my hair combed. We ate a lot of snow cones together. My favorite flavor is pina colada with cream on top.

We watched Pendragon, The Sword of His Father, together for the first time one night. I liked the movie, it was full of action. My grandpa loved it, too!

One day we went to a museum here and had fun together. We had lunch outside the museum and talked and laughed.

I'm glad they came to visit us and I was so happy to see them. I hope I can visit them soon too. We like to write letters back and forth to each other. I love you Papo and Grandma Rena.

I will post more pictures later. Bye.

Lizard Time!

2009-03-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

Today my brother and I caughtt lizards! We caught three of them. When my brother caught the third one he grabbed it by the tail and tail ripped off but it was still moving! Lizards do that when their prey comes. The prey bites the tale off. The tail will still move, but the lizard stays still. The prey gets tricked and the lizard gets away. Isn't that amazing! God is so creative to create such amazing creatures.

I have no pictures to post because our camera broke a few days ago.

Hello. I'm Back!!!

2009-03-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I have not written for a long time. I am happy to be back. My family and I moved far away from my old home. We have been packing and unpacking. Now we are cleaning and painting. The home we live in has a huge back yard. I like to call it my new home, "my little cottage house." We are planning to plant a garden, and my mom will plant lots of flowers in the front house. My big brother has been very busy raking leaves and taking care of the back yard. "Leaves, leaves, leaves!!! My brother says. We will be getting a dog too when the yard is finished. God bless.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T13:38:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Basket Cupcakes

2009-01-06T13:14:00.001-08:00

My mom and I made these cute cupcakes. They are easy to make. You bake them in silver liners. When they are cool, you frost and decorate them. We used pipe cleaners to stick in the cupcake to make it look like a handle. We put beads through the pipe cleaner to make them look more pretty. You can change the colors for different celebrations. Aren't they cute?

Christmas Celebrations

2009-01-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

My family.

I gave my grandma this present.

My mom and my dad.

My grandpa reading us a story.

My baby brother with "Buddy."

My Dad.

My Uncle Jonathan. He always makes us laugh and be happy.

Me and two of my brothers.

My Nana and my little brother.

My grandpa and grandma.

On December 24 my Dad's sister, my Aunt Adriana and Uncle Chucky, invited us to their house for dinner. We ate a lot of delicious food and we played with my cousins, Isaac and Evan. My cousin Isaac is almost as old as I am. He is very smart and we have fun playing together. We are going to have another cousin because my aunt is going to have a baby. My aunt gave us each a present. Thank you, Tio & Tia! My mom forgot her camera so I don't have pictures of this day.

On December 25, we went to my Grandpa "Papo" and Grandma Rena's house. We gathered together to celebrate Jesus and have fun together. My Grandma made menudo and my Nana made tamales. I love my grandma's menduo and my Nana's cheese tamales. We also ate different pies for dessert.

Here are some pictures we took. Enjoy!

God Healed my Baby Brother

2009-01-06T12:33:00.001-08:00

Two weeks before Christmas my baby brother got very sick one night. My parents took him to the hospital and at the hospital they put him in an ambulance and took him to another hospital especially for children.

My baby brother had to take many tests. All his tests came out fine. The doctors do not know why he got so sick. We prayed for him and we still pray for him every day. We thank God for healing him. He is OK now and hasn't gotten sick again. I take extra good care of him now because I am thankful that God healed him.

My First Enchiladas

2009-01-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

My mom was very busy one day in November getting ready for Thanksgiving and I asked her if I could make dinner. She said that I could. We had tortillas, chicken, cheese and enchilada sauce, so I made enchiladas. Everyone liked them! I like to cook and I like it when everyone enjoys my food.

Tea Party with My Grandma and my Mom

2009-01-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

My pretty little tea cup.

The garden area of the tea house.

Me, my mom and my grandma.

My mom and I at our table. We all had our own tea pot!

Thank you, Grandma Rena, for taking me to tea.

Our pretty table. Look at our hats.

My Grandma Rena invited me and my Mom to a special tea house, Truffles and Lace. It was a present for us and we loved our present. My Grandma picked us up and she drove an hour to take us there.

My Grandma, my Mom and I had a very wonderful time. The food was very delicious. We had a salad and tomato soup. We also had fruit, cheese toasts and lots of little sandwiches. On the last plate of our tray there were tiny desserts. At the very end our server brought us heart shaped cones with cream and jam. I wish I could have tea here every day!

I had my own pot of tea named, "Sinful." It was soooo good. I shared my pot with with my mom because she liked my tea more than hers. My Grandma ordered a spicy tea that she liked very much. We put sugar cubes and milk in our tea.

In the back of the tea house there is a room with hats. We tried on many hats and took pictures with them on. We all picked a hat to wear at our table.

Afterward, we went shopping at some stores.

Thank you, Grandma Rena, for taking us to tea. I loved it and I love you!

Hannukah 2008

2009-01-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

Our Hanukkah decorations:
Judah Maccabee, hero of the Hanukkah story.

Lighting the candles and saying a blessing.

My little brother's turn to light a candle.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that my family celebrates. We have celebrated Hanukkah every year since my brother Abraham was very little. Jesus was a Jew and celebrated Hanukkah and you can read about it in the Bible in John 10:22:39. The feast of Dedication is the Festival of Lights which is Hanukkah.

John 10:22:39

Then came the feast of the Dedication in Jerusalem.It was winter,and Jesus was walking in the temple area in Solomon’s Portico.The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus replied, “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father’s name testify about me. But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatchthem from my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

Hannukah is celebrated for 8 days. I like to celebrate Hanukkah. We get books from the library and read stories about Hanukkah. We light our menorah and say special blessings. We get small presents every day. We also play games with a dreidal. My Mom bought a Hanukkah music cd that we love, especially my little brothers. We like to dance with the music and sing the songs. It makes me happy to celebrate a festival that Jesus celebrated too!

Maybe you can celebrate Hannukah next year. You can learn about it here: http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/354748/jewish/Chanukah.htm. There are fun cartoons and stories and games on this website.

2008

2009-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody! Before I start writing about 2009, my mom is going to help me post a lot of pictures from last year that I didn't get a chance to write about. I will start writing about 2009 later this week. Thank you for reading my blog.

My Thanksgiving

2008-12-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

Me as an Indian Princess.

My Aunt Becky and my Nana.

Thanksgiving Dinner...yummy.

Abraham, as Mr. William Bradford, playing, "Thank You, Lord."

More Thanksgiving Photos

2008-12-09T18:13:00.001-08:00

Indian Princess.

My brother listening to our speaches.

Playing Bible Apples to Apples. It was so funny.

My grandpa and grandma and Mr. William Bradford.

Thanksgiving Photos 2008

2008-12-09T17:49:00.001-08:00

My uncle Jonathan and my three brothers.

My Mom, my uncle and me.

My Dad, Aunt Becky, and me.
My Uncle went home with Jesus this year and this was my Aunts first Thanksgiving without him.

My Thanksgiving

2008-12-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

Hello. So how was your Thanksgiving? Mine was great. My mom made costumes for me and my brothers. I was Pocahontas. Pocahontas was not around on the first Thanksgiving. I just wanted to be an indian princess. After studying her life, my family thinks that she may have helped start good relationships with the Indians and new settlers even before the pilgrims came to America. Maybe...

My brother Abraham, was William Bradford, the first governor of Plymouth Plantation. My little brother was an indian. He didn't want to wear his costume because he woke up sick. I was sick too and didn't get to eat that much food, but I had fun anyway.

We had dinner at my grandpa and grandma's house. We made a Thanksgiving program for them. My dad read a Psalm and sang, my mom read about Thanksgiving history, my brother played, "Thank You, Lord" on his guitar. He also read about William Bradford's life. I read about Pocahontas life and how she helped the Jamestown settlers. My three year old brother said a bible verse. My baby brother, Joshua, just ran around. When we sang songs, he was dancing. Joshua loves to dance.

The food was great too. My mom made the turkey and stuffing and my dad made his famous mashed potatoes. My dad said our turkey was the biggest turkey we ever had. It was really big. My grandma had pumpkin, cherry and apple pie. My mom also made her famous lime jello with pineapple and nuts that she said she has been making every Thanksgiving since my brother and I were babies.

This is the second year we dressed up and it is now our new tradition. We like it very much.

Last year I was a pilgrim girl and I pretended that I was a real pilgrim and told everyone my sad story of my family that died of sickness. I carried a baby who was my little sister who survived.

I am thankful for: my daddy and mommy, my brothers, my home, my grandpa and grandma, my nana, my abuelitos, my aunts and uncles and cousins, my clothes, our car, food to eat, my hands that help me cook and do good things and my feet that let me jump and play.

I will post pictures of our Thanksgiving tonight. Bye.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

We have been very busy at our home this week. We went grocery shopping today and bought our turkey. My mom is making our costumes for Thanksgiving. I am going to be Pocohontas and I will tell her story. My brother, Abraham will be Governor Bradford and my little brothers will be indians. I am very excited. I am going to make a pumpkin custard. We will be finishing our crafts tomorrow and cleaning alot too.

The Call 2008

2008-11-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

We were near the front of the stage.

My Dad, me and my brothers.

Praying for mercy.

Taking a nap.

My Mom, me and my Dad.

On Saturday, November 2, we attended The Call together with my family and with thousands of other Christians to pray for the state of California. I experienced the presence of God as we prayed for mercy for California and our nation. We prayed, cried, sang and danced before the Lord.

We were in a huge baseball stadium. It was hot, but it didn't bother us because we were in God's presence. Even my little brother prayed and then he laid down and rested on the floor mats.

I liked hearing the stories of people whose lives were changed because their family was praying for them.

The Call's website is TheCall.com

CFS (Christian Family Schools) Family Camp

2008-11-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

Me, enjoying some camp "junk food."

My big brother in his very own tent.

My Dad and my brother set up our two room tent.

Hi , I just went to a family camp two weeks ago! It was very fun. There were many Christian home school families who went. My Dad's friend named Jake Simpson was the leader of the camp. There was a ventriloquist show, rock climbing, and even a lady who showed people how to square dance.

A man named Little Bear Wheeler was the speaker. He taught about the pilgrims and how they came to America. He told stories about their sacrifices for their children. He talked about Squanto, his life and how he was a big blessing to the pilgrims. I knew some of the stories because we studied them last year in school. I liked listening to all of Little Bear's stories. They were very interesting and some were sad. He knew so many things about how the Indians lived in America before the pilgrims came.

This was my second time going to this camp. My brother and I prayed we would be able to go this year and God answered our prayers. Here are some pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

More CFS Family Camp Pictures

2008-11-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Smile!

My cute three year old brother.

My brother getting ready to eat a leaf.

My family with Little Bear Wheeler.

As Unto the Lord

2008-10-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

One day my mom was busy washing clothes and I had to help take care of my little brother. I didn't feel like taking care of him because I wanted to sew. I remembered that when I obey my Mom that I obey God. I wanted to please God so I picked a happy heart and told my Mom that I would help her with the baby. The Bible says to work "As unto the Lord..." When I do my work it is like I am working for God. When I think about this verse it helps me to obey even when I don't feel like it.

My Brothers

2008-10-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have 3 brothers. My big brother's name is Abraham. He is fun to play with. He loves to read and is always sharing what he reads with me. He knows a little about everything and always wants to know more! My brother also has a blog.

My little brother is three years old. He is very cute and is loving to me. My little brother likes me to read to him. I like to teach him things.

I have a baby brother too. He is one years old and he is so cute. He calls me Mamma and likes me to hold him.

My Beautiful Girlhood

2008-10-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Merisa. I am nine years old. I am a home schooled Christian girl. I have three brothers and I am the only girl. I have wonderful parents that I love. I love God with all my heart and thank Him for everything he gives me.

I am starting this blog because I would like to encourage other girls to be beautiful Godly girls in their homes. I am encouraged when I see other girls living for the Lord and I hope that my life may also be a blessing to others.

I love to write and this will be my special place to share my thoughts. My mom and I are reading Beautiful Girlhood and we chose "My Beautiful Girlhood" to be the name of my blog. I am in my "girlhood" and I want it to be beautiful to the Lord.