R is for Rain.

BOMB-DIGGITY-BOMB

Is it already the middle of July? O.o How is this a thing?? I am just like.....

screeeeeeeam

It's been a really, really wet summer so far. We've had rain practically every night since the end of June, maybe even before that. And it's not warm rain. We get this nice autumn breeze that blows in and big sloppy rain drops and it's COLD. Fuzzy socks cold! You shouldn't need fuzzy socks in July. You shouldn't need blankets in July either, but you know how that goes. God has been very good to us with the rain, because we sorely need it, I'm just a little irritated with all the cold we've been getting. I don't like cold. But hey, we're nuts so we even SWAM in the rain.

Oh, I mean, not like in the puddles or anything, in the beach. we're not quite that crazy.

Last week however, there was this one rainstorm. It was huge. I have never actually witness sheets of rain until this rainstorm. We were driving around town a bit and we had to do this clever car-trade-off with a sister, and in the time we got out of one car and into the other, Treskie and I were soaked to the skin. Which was so fun! That wasn't even the best part though! We had hail, giant hail, the size of those big marbles you can get. It was incredible. I thought they were going to break the windshield. But we said a prayer and Our Lady was very good. We weren't killed.

After said rain pounded our town we had this massive puddle outside our lawn. I was feeling especially wild that evening - (It had been a long day.) and I decided I need to run throw the puddle multiple times, as hard as I could. So I got out my MP3 player, put in my earphones, turned up Fight Song and did just that.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

PUDDLES!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

Then yesterday it as finally warm and sunny. I felt this needed a celebration, so Annie and I teamed up and made a few dozen cookies to devour. Annie is a good pal that way. I love her.

le me and the horrid double chin.

Le me cannot take selfies.

le Annie, 

BECAUSE SUGAR

This selfie should be burned. 

HA! le fabulous dough.

Le me is  very proud of said dough. 

Le me looks almost normal! AND COOKIES!

RANDOM FESTIVE SELFIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Le me approves. Le me shall probably frame. 

All in all it was a good day. As a bonus, I got a trip to the beach with my big sisters. Big sisters are deh best. that's all I'm saying.


Oh and hey, remember that musical I told you all about??? Yeah! me too! It is a work in progress and I even wrote a few songs. SONGS! *throws confetti.* I will share my plot the next time I pop in, since I think it deserves a post of it's own, but I will tell you a little something to help with the curiosity. READY???

DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!!

It's a WWII musical.

Captain America approves

Alrighty, that's all for now. Y'all have a great weekend and eat lots of good food, and remember that life can still be good even if the world isn't. This is your fight song! PLAY IT LOUD!

Peace out y'all!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage.*

Bella

Its the little things

Because it's Lent we try not to watch too many movies and TV shows. In fact we kind of go off them cold turkey. So during this Lent we though that it might be fun to listen to Musicals during the week instead of having our evening movie. It seemed like a grand plan. Now, lately I have had a fierce craving for muffins. Hot, moist Poppy-seed Muffins. They were all I could think about. So I got all 'in the mood' and decided that the night we listened to "Secret Garden" I would make those muffins and we would feast! Of course that would mean skipping Lunch, but it would be worth it. I NEEDED Muffins. I proposed my plan to the family. My sisters (wonderful people that they are) were very good sports and went hungry for the muffins I'd be making that night. They all did it. For me. This meant my muffins had be the stuff of LEGEND!

Now. If you remember I have a past with baking. I don't. Its not that I don't like to - I do! baking, cooking, anything to do with food is good!! but my baking expeditions never work out. Which meant I was super nervous about these muffins. They needed to just right. They couldn't burn. they couldn't fall flat. they couldn't taste like biscuits. They couldn't turn out like those poor abused cookies I had once tried to serve. They needed to be proper muffins that melted in your mouth. Nothing else would satisfy my craving. The whole time I was stirring and sifting I anxiously wondered if skipping lunch would be worth it. I would hate to have given up my lunch for nothing. I stirred. I sifted. I dropped little spoonfuls into the muffin pans. I slipped them into the oven.

 They were perfect. I was so, so happy! They were all a muffin should be: Firm but not crumbly, moist but not too doughy or soft. Perfect. It was doubly amazing because I had a very narrow escape with them. I stuck them in for an hour. That is what the recipe said to do. I was feeling all efficient and hopeful when a sister's voice from the kitchen called out, "BELLA!!!! GET OUT HERE AND CHECK YOU'RE MUFFINS!!" Out I rushed, fully expecting to find charcoal in a cup and thinking to myself in a panic, "its only been thirty minutes!!" But see, I had made a recipe for bread. Muffins only need half an hour to cook. I was informed this by a helpful older sister as I slid into the kitchen. Funny how she didn't mention it sooner seeing as she was the one who had given me the recipe!! How was I suppose to know it was bread? I whipped the oven door open and.....

Look at them!!! They look like the type of muffins that you would see displayed in a cook book!! They were amazing!!!

Happiness!!!

Quickly I piled two plates high with golden, poppy-seed goodness and, feeling quite happy with the world, carried my prize into the living room. They were warmly welcomed. We brought out the CD player. We stuck in "Secret Garden." We let the feasting began.

I am pleased to say, the muffins tasted as luscious as they looked. That has never happened for me before! Nothing I make tastes that lovely! I was so happy! They only thing needed to complete the evening was tea. Since I have given up tea I contented myself with boiling water. It wasn't quite fulfilling, but the muffins made up for the lack of British flair in my evening.

Oh hot water, how I love you!

It ended by a really fun night, even though there were a couple moments when conversation interrupted our long-awaited musical. But I suppose that's to be expected when one is having a feast. We did lots of singing, especially when the music crescendo-ed and many characters began singing at once. Don't you love those moments?

There. I just really wanted to share that all with you. It was so much fun and I want to do it again before Lent is over. I know I'm gonna try those muffins again at least. Maybe for breakfast this time. Ooooh! How yummy would that be! I would have to get up pretty early though. Hmmmmm. Is it worth it?

ONE MORE THING!!! 

I make freakin' awesome music videos. 

Even with crummy video makers. Subscribe to me!!

(many thanks to my sister Tiny who helped make this video the awesomness it is)

God Bless!
~Bella

The Night before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse....

I can't stay long.....

 

Hello all! I'm sorry the post is so late but I've been very busy having a wonderful Christmas Eve and a blessed Fourth Week of Advent. I love Christmas at my home, our Christmas's are just brilliant, and this year we had an unexpected Early-Christmas celebration; We have these amazing friends up the street who are kind of like an extension to our family and a few nights ago we went and spent the evening with them. While we were there we exchanged Christmas gifts because we wouldn't be seeing each other on the big day. It was so much fun!! I got the nicest little gift from my best-y. Its a Once-Upon-A-Time bracelet with a quote by Rumpelstiltskin on it.  I was overjoyed.

OUAT bracelt

Rumple

 That started the week off rather well I thought. 

And then we got Christmas Eve, my favorite Day besides Christmas itself. First we decorate everything, and then turn on the Christmas music and clean and scrub and congress into the kitchen where we start the real fun. We start baking. As you all know, my family takes baking very seriously. On feast days, during vacation, when we want to organize an event, our first thought is to the food. That's my favorite thing about Christmas Eve, all the baking that goes on. The only down-side is that you can't really taste anything because its Advent. So you are stirring chocolate and smelling brownies and mixing cookie batter, and unable to try any of it. Still, its fun.

I was quite overwhelmed *smirk* I should be holding a rainbow. You know. La!!!!!

 Unfortunately there aren't many pictures of me because I'm the designated Family Photographer. But I got lots and lots of pictures of the festivity so you can all get a peak at what happens when Christmas Eve comes to our home.

 

After the baking was done we adjourned to the living room and, being the church choir, we practiced some hymns for Christmas Mass and sounded beautiful, If I do say so myself.  Then we got into our comfy pajama's, whipped up a batch of hot cider and roasted chestnuts while listening to old-time radio shows. Right at this moment I am listening to The Great Gildersleeve Christmas. He is so funny! I remember being really little and listening to The Great Gildersleeve and I wonder why radio-shows ever went out of style. There is nothing quite like them.

Now I will bid you all farewell and join my family for the remainder of the evening. If I don't get the chance to blog tomorrow, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

God Bless!
~Bella