Pictures!!! :)

I got internet today - so here's the best of the last few days. :)

Trafalgar Square

 

The column of Nelson's Monument in Trafalgar Square is 183 feet tall.  The statue on top is 18 feet... that's pretty tall. (btw, isn't the sky amazing?!)

The Supreme Court.

The famous Westminster Abbey. Just as beautiful and magnificent as everybody says.

Big Ben from the perspective of Parliament Square, where we sat under a tree and ate chocolate while said bell chimed four in the afternoon. :)

 The Banqueting Hall

 

We went on a little tour with my aunt's students and tour-guide around Westminster and Parliament Square and such... But he also showed us inside the Banqueting Hall, built in 1619 by James I.  Masques, balls, feasts - all sorts of things were held in here - and it's still used.  I forget whether a fire in London (1629) destroyed portions of it or not... I seem to forget that part. :P  But anyways, Charles I was beheaded in this place as well.

The throne type thing for the sovereign.

The ceiling of the banquet house.

Splish splash splosh in red polka-dot rain-boots.

Down By The Thames

The London Eye, London Bridges, River Thames. 

Another London Bridge.

This is the place where knights used to joust. At least, that's what I'm told.... :)

Lord Nelson, again. I liked this one because of the gray sky.

 

 

These are Aunt Paula's students. Let's see if I can get this right... from L to R, Scott, Bryan, Mary, Lindsay, Mary, Jen, Griffin, Jen, Collin, Tinea, Jack, and the tour guide Patrick.

 

A hotel... Yeah.  

Shopping and Miscellaneous

 

 

Chloe and me.

This is sort of what the place where we're staying looks like. Only this square is one block down from street. 

This was a mirror shop. 

The Tower Of London

 

Chloe seems to have found a knight in shining armor... :D

Spiral staircases were quite common in the Tower. But that's obvious... it was the fashion then. :P

I just thought this picture was cool.  I loved the three huge cranes against the stormy sky.

This was funny... A prisoner, named Henry, etched his name into the stone in one of the rooms. There was glass over it, and Chloe was staring while I was taking a picture. Didn't realize that the image would come out with Chloe's reflection over the name...

This, we thought, was funny....

Whitehall... I'm not sure what the significance of this building was but it's currently a museum for all of King Henry VIII's armor.  Quite an amazing place, really.

"Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'"

Chloe and I sitting on a... thing... by Tower Hill Monument.

Shopping on Portebello....

On Sunday we went to Portebello Street where traffic is blocked off every weekend, and it is lined with stalls for hats, scarves, jewelery, antiques, food, produce, toys - ANYTHING you can imagine - yes, even chandeliers. :P So we went and shopped around a bit.

This necklace was a Christian D'ior necklace that Chloe tried on... those are emeralds and rhinestones. It was priced at £450.... which is... really... really... expensive... :P But it looked great on her all the same! :P

All the weather vanes had these little ships on top... they were so cool!

(Below) This is what most of the houses on Portebello Street looked like... They were so cute - all different colors and everything. :)

Little Boys And Warriors For Christ

Luther, on his sixth birthday, was sitting in the car with his mother and suddenly started rambling on about what he's going to do when he's a Daddy....

"I' gonna teach my children to be sober minded and chew with their mouths closed, and to love the bible. I'm gonna read the bible to my kids every night and every day and tell them to bring their bibles to church and take them upstairs. I'm gonna teach my children never to turn their backs on Daddy and God."

Mother: "What do you mean by turning their backs on God and Daddy, Luther?"

Luther: "When daddy tells us something to do, and we don't do it... we just turn around and walk away. That's wrong. I'm going to teach them not to do that to Daddy or God."

O! This little warrior for Christ! He's already fighting his Lord's battles.

Where Lies The Difference? Is There One?

What is one of the ancient practices of the world that makes us cringe and fall back in horror? Child-sacrifice: that ancient tradition that many countries in B.C. as well as A.D. practiced. Why is it so horrific? Perhaps it’s the idea of an innocent child, who has no say in whether he/she can live or die, who cannot even fight for his/her life. They are cruelly killed – sacrificed to heathen gods; they go through innumerable pains and sufferings – things that we cannot even imagine. These children, ranging from the ages of new-born to – well, even to adult age were sacrificed to “please the gods.” The horrific ways in which these new-born children were killed is too gruesome for me to describe, but it was bloody and morbid. I cannot even imagine how they went through it. But this is my point:

Many sacrificed infants and babies to the gods…. We think that is horrific. Really, who would want to kill a baby? But it is happening everywhere all the time – all the time! This dreadful thing is, yes, abortion. Many babies are aborted because the mothers “do not want them” or because they “can’t afford them” or because it is a humiliation – a result of a circumstance they shouldn’t have gotten into anyways. But what is the ultimate point of why babies are aborted? To satisfy and please the agenda of the mother. This is no different, if you really think about it, than those people way back then sacrificing babies to please the gods. In a way, the mother is pleasing a god – Self. Martin Luther once said, “I have a great pope within me: Self.” When we do things to please ourselves, even when it is wrong, we are satisfying and pleasing our own selfish desires. This is wrong – really, truly wrong.

Abortion is no different than child-sacrifice. Why would it be? Because life does not begin until the baby leaves the womb? What grows that is not alive? How can a baby grow for nine months and not be alive? A brick, which is not alive, does not grow, but if you leave out in the wind and rain, it will become beaten down – this is a result of the weather – the brick itself does not grow or shrink by itself. If life begins at conception, then abortion is murder. If abortion is murder, then why does our country allow it to go on? Why does not the government do something to stop this wicked crime? These little infants, just like the ones sacrificed, do not have the strength, or even the sense to fight for their life. They have no say in the matter. The matter of life or death is decided for them by other human beings. This is injustice, this is cruelty and murder! If life does not begin at conception, then what about those little ones who sometimes survive abortion, and are left to die on the hospital floor? When the baby screams and cries, kicks its legs and arms, then they ought to know that it is alive. They cannot kill it – they have no right. But since we do know that life begins at conception, then they have absolutely no right to interfere with that baby’s life – unless it is to save it. (Note: I am not saying that all babies that survive abortion are left to die, but I am referring to the ones that do.)

I wonder, what are the doctors consciences like? Do they even have one? Does the sound of little children’s feet haunt them – and the mother alike? Whenever they hear a baby’s cry, are they filled with regret, with remorse? Or not? Do they just go on as if nothing happened? I wonder…

How wrong, how utterly wrong it all is! Is there a worse evil than this? O! the cries of the innocent must ring and shake the earth! What a sordid, filthy, and twisted culture we have! How can we mend this great evil? Or have we gone so far that it cannot be mended?

Who will speak up for the little ones?
Helpless and half-abandoned.
They've got the right to choose life
They don't want to lose,
I've got to speak up, won't you?

Equal rights, equal time, for the unborn children.
Their precious lives are on the line,
How can we be rid of them?
Passing laws, passing out
Bills and new amendments.
Pay the cost and turn about,
And face the young defendants.

Many come and many go,
Conceived but not delivered.
The toll is astronomical,
How can we be indifferent.

Little hands, little feet,
Tears for Him who made you.
Should all on earth forsake you now,
But He'll never forsake you.

Forming hearts, forming minds,
Quenched before awakened,
For so many deliberate crimes
The earth will soon be shaken.

[Lyrics to a song, “Little Ones By Phil Keaggy.] I’ve never heard this song, but the lyrics are wonderful.

O, please pray!

Saint Patrick's Day

Many of you know that Saint Patrick's Day is my favorite day of the year. It has been ever since I can remember. It's not because of the corned beef... it's not because I'm a "go green!" kind of person. (Except when it comes to Spring.) I love it because Spring is just around the corner, because it represent Truth and Light coming into the pagan Ireland. I'd love to write my own little summary of Patrick's life, but I don't think that I... can... write... a good thorough narrative... But I do know someone who has written a very good and (I am almost certain) reliable one, and that is Pastor Serven. The link to the article is here. I especially love the poem at the end. :)

Romeo And Juliet Paper Written At Age Nine....

And yes, complete with original spelling and grammar....

Romeo And Juliet (Narration)

There was once a place in Italy. a city in Italy and in this city there lived two Ruel (Note: this is supposed to be royal... :P) familys the Capulets and the montages who lived across from eachother. Thay always had wars small wars in the market place. Romeo, a hansome man, was a Montagu. he loved a girl named Roslind but she did not care for Poor Romeo. As he was camplaining to his freinds, a servent from the Capulets came to them with a list of peapel to go to Lord Capulets huose and feast but as the poor man could not reed Romeo helpd him and who shell he find but Roselinds name at the top of the list. Romeo decided to go to the feast and find Roselind. But when he got there with a mask on he cought sight of a bautifull girl named Juliet. he said something and his vaise was remeberd by a capulet. But as he was to be killed by that capulet Lord Capulet orderd that he did no harm. but the capulet did not listen and draw his sword was banished from the feast. Bothe Romeo and Juliet fell in love.

Romeo, that night climd the capulets wall and he hid in the dark. He heard Juliet winning (whining) for him, Romeo. Then Romeo went from his hiding place and Juliet saw him and was very happy. There was nothing better that Juliet liked than a wedding. So Romeo and Juliet decided to wed. So that after noon thay were mairred secretly in a kind friyers sell. after thay were mareid, Romeo wasmarcet place when A capulet killd Romeos freind and Romeos friend died in Romeos arms with in two mitents Romeo struck the capulet. this capulet was Juliets cusein! Then Romeo was banished from the city of vrenen. Juliet was winning that her cusen was dead but most of all she longd for Romeo. then Juliets Mother and father orderd Juliet to merry a capulet. Juliet did NOT want to merry this capulet. So she went to the friyer and told him her trubles. the kind man gave her some magic potshon. Juliet drank this and fell into a deep sleep. When Juliets maid came into Juliets room and saw her on her bed dead She was horefiyd. Now the monk was sending news to Romeo that he had gave Juliet some magic potshon and Juliet would not die. But bad news travles faster than good news does. And so Romeo decided to go to the city of Vrenen and die with he bautifull wife Juliet. Romeo took along with him poison strong enough to kill twontey men.

When he was there he went to the tomb where Juliet was to be bured. When he got to the tomb he knelt becide the girl and said, I drink to you Juliet. and then he kissed his wife one last time drank the poison and then he, Romeo, died in Juliets tomb. Then when Juliet awoke and yeld in a soft sweet vose, Romeo sweet Romeo I'm here Juliet. but then she saw him dead at her side she said oh Romeo did the fryer not send word to you? but he was dead and cuold not answer. When she saw the poison bottle and she relized he was dead. Then she took it hopeing there was still some poison in it but of course Romeo was not a sloppy drinker so of course there was none left. So she kissed Romeo's lips hopeing he had spilld a little but of course Romeo was not a sloppy drinker so of course there was none left. And so Juliet started to cry as she cryd she grabd Romeos dagger because she could not live without Romeo so she grabd his dagger amed it at her heart stabd herself and gasped. oh Romeo. and died.

THE END.

Luther Whitfield and Olivia Rose

I Was Trying To Find A New Style.....

....And this is what I came up with!

The "coughing fit"....

Look at the girl from the '80s!!!!

Somehow we found it quite funny...

So, does everyone like my style?? ;-)