SNOW! In Texas! This is great!

We have had so much fun the last two days because it has been snowing (in North East Texas, mind you) so hard!! We love it! We stuck a ruler in the yard and jumped for joy when we saw 3 inches yesterday morning at 9:30. An hour or two later we were blown away to see 4 1/2 inches. Skip ahead a few more hours and we were in disbelief to see the snow come halfway up that ruler."6 inches!?" We thought to ourselves. "Impossible." But the snow kept a'falling despite our objections to the truth before us. We went to bed shaking our heads at the ruler's reading: 7 inches! But little did we know that as we arose that next morning a record would be set and we would be bumfuzzled again...the ruler showed the unthinkable: 8 inches!! We got 8 inches of snow!! I still cannot believe it so I thought I would post these pictures for y'all to see. I mean, come on, this is Texas...do you believe it?? ;D

This is a slideshow of the sad "fate" of the poor bunny slipper my dogs play with...

Sir Snow Bear ;)

Snow Ice-Cream! Yum!

Just in case you were wondering...I did manipulate this a little bit but I didn't stretch her mouth or anything. That is all natural. :D

Photograms

I took a neat day-class (for high school students) at our local junior college today and learned how to make photograms. (Another name for that type of photography is digital dark room.) It was really fun and I wanted to share the pictures that I made with you! P.S. These don't have my initials on them but they are still copyrighted, please ask my permission before you use them if you intend to. Thanks and I hope you enjoy! :D

~Allix

I made this for my sister, Holly :)

I made this one for my Daddy for his 37th birthday...which was today! yay! :D

I made this one for my cousin Tyler (he's a big Longhorn fan) :D

And this for his twin sister, Kelsey

And one more just for me :D

Help Haiti

Hustle, bustle, movement, people

All the signs and sounds of life

In a moment, horror, sorrow

All that speaks of death and strife

Houses, buildings, churches crumble

Mass destruction, Massive loss

In one instance families shattered

In an instance lives are lost

So many lives swept up in rubble

Nothing but confusion is left to claim

These were living, breathing persons

And now we don't even know their name

Children left without father or mother

Sister or brother, no family at all

Their screams echo through the air around them

With no one near to hear their call

No food, no water, no care to heal them

Streets flow; it seems, with blood and tears

Reporters with their cameras tell us

It was the first quake that big in 200 years

But to the suffering people striving to live

Those facts mean nothing, they are empty and bare

All they want is their families, decent shelter

Food, water, and medical care

Hands are raised up to Heaven

Hearts and prayers turn there too

"God help us." They cry out

It is all they can do

Days pass by, the devastation is clear

Thousands upon thousands, simply gone

The few survivors start new lives in tents

Here they stay from dusk to dawn

Parents fall on their knees in pain

They find their baby, they've searched for days

But it is too late to save their infant

Her life was lost without a trace

The dust settles slowly, small fires remain

People cling to each other with all that they have

It puts into perspective everything at once

The small trifles we deal with aren't really that bad

Let us cling to our loved ones, don't take them for granted

God gave us time to savor, not to waste

Your whole world can be lost in a minute

Everything you ever knew swept away in haste

Don't think it can't happen to you, it happened to them:

The thousands of Haitians in need today

So while we are able, let's do all we can

To help those who are hurting somehow, someway…

©Allix Brunson 1/28/10

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/photo/2010-haiti/index.html (I based parts of this poem on these pictures. Viewer discretion is advised.)

http://ibgracia.org/haitifunddonate.php (this is a great place to donate money...fast, easy and very helpful!)

We Are Family - i ♥ faces theme

Four generations :)

God’s Acceptable Sacrifice

This Sunday Bro. Joe Ortega from San Antonio came and ministered to our congregation. He preached about Christ who fulfilled all the types and shadows of the Old Testament. All the sacrifices and burnt offerings were done away with when Christ died. These things were done year after year after year; over and over and over again but Christ…He offered up ONE sacrifice that did away with all the others and that sacrifice was Himself. I encourage you to listen to Bro. Ortega's message by clicking here.

In the beginning there was Paradise

And Our God that is All Wise

Was at this time approachable

This state, though beautiful and void of wrong

Could sadly not last for very long

For man became reproachable

Through sin a bridge was formed between

God Almighty and Human beings

It seemed a hopeless case

But God with mercy had a plan

So He could be approached by man

And so there was a Holy Place

Where year by year all the priests

Would offer up unblemished beasts

So the people could be cleansed

This however was not God's utmost desire

He wished for Someone much higher

To take away His people's sin

This Someone was his Holy Son

The Only Perfect Unblemished One

The Great High Priest to Come

For centuries calves' blood was spilt

Offerings upon altars were built

But none could pay the sum

The stain of sin on man still shone

And not a host of sacrifices could e'er atone

Until the Savior came

He came to die, His blood spilt once

This had God's acceptance

And redemption was proclaimed

Ne're could blood of bull and dove

Fulfill this act of grace and love

And set sin's prisoners free

Gone were the shadows, all the types

When Christ the Lord laid down His life

And sat down at the Right Hand for me

©Allix Brunson 1-13-10

"Best Face" i ♥ faces contest (my entry)

The stipulation for this week's "i ♥ faces" contest was to pick the "best face" taken either in December '09 or January '10. I took this of my little cousin, Anna, during the holiday season and just love her expression. She is such a cutie. :D

An "I Heart Faces" Theme Photo Challenge! (my enteries)

I am submitting these photos into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.”
Seeing as though "i {heart} faces" is turning one, I thought this particular pic would be perfect for the celebration! :D