The Least of my Worries

In getting ready for my trip, I was told to remove all jewelry and leave it home so it won't get stolen. On Friday, we pried off my jade bracelet (which has been a part of my arm since I was 10), and tomorrow I'll leave behind my rings. However, I am going to take my watch since, though it looks nice, it was only about $10 at Walmart.

Isaac thought I should take the watch off.

"But what if it gets stolen?" he asked, eyes round as saucers.

"Well," I replied, "I'll hopefully be able to rip it off and throw it in one direction and race away the other direction."

Isaac's eyes got wider, "but that's littering!"

I love my family. :-D

You Know You're a Wilson When...

You Know You're a Wilson when...you can make a loaf of bread without consulting directions, yet have absolutely no idea how to make a pot of coffee.

You Know You're a Wilson when...a kissing scene plays across the TV and everyone looks away and says, "Ew!"

You Know You're a Wilson when...the wheat grinder breaks and all the kids under the age of 10 get excited since that means we get highly processed store bought bread.

You Know You're a Wilson when...you take up a whole row of seats at Church.

You Know You're a Wilson when...your pregnant mom's late in deciding to leave for the hospital and call the midwife.

You Know You're a Wilson when...you buy an ice cream cone and receive a lecture about how with the money you spent on that one dessert, you could have bought an entire quart of ice cream.

You Know You're a Wilson when...your whole family walks almost single-file down a side walk and look like they're a parade.

You Know You're a Wilson when...a lazy Saturday afternoon means working on left over school work instead of mulching or weeding.

You Know You're a Wilson when...you invent new verbs which make people look at you strange (ripsticking, saucing, cheesing, etc).

You Know You're a Wilson when...bats live in your attic.

You Know You're a Wilson when...it's nearly impossible to find a summer dress that will meet all the requirements.

You Know You're a Wilson when...you listen to your parents talk about what a guy must do in order to get Mom and Dad's permission to court you and you start to feel sorry for him...

You Know You're a Wilson when...all the animals in the house are either stupid or neurotic.

Zip Line Fun!

We got a zip line for Christmas! It's 200 ft long and holds up to 250 lb. Dad set it up today. However, it's too loose for us older people to do yet (our legs drag along the ground) so so far only the kids can do it. Dad hopes to fix the zip line for us older ones soon.

Anyway, here's a video I made of Isaac, Grace, and Promise doing the zip line. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody! I can't believe it's 2012!

Last night, Nathan and I decided to stay up and watch the ball drop in Times Square. To pass the time, we watched a few movies. Around 11:15pm, the movies ended and we decided to see if we could find a TV station showing the festivities in Times Square. After searching through several channels, we found one but it was focusing on Lady Gaga, so we switched the channel. The next channel was reporters talking about what was going on in the square and interviewing people. We decided to stay on that channel since it was rather interesting. We figured that all channels would show the ball drop. We were wrong.

At midnight, instead of showing the ball drop, the station showed an obnoxious female reporter kissing a random police officer. Nathan and I were so furious! Needless to say, we turned the TV off. We were both very disappointed.

I thought it would be appropriate to give a quick overview of the notable stuff that happened in 2011 to our family:

• I turned 16 in January and got my license
• Joy Anna was born at home into Dad and my arms in early March
• Promise, Isaac, and Grace decided that chapter books are cool and interesting
• I got into a car accident...
• Nathan and I almost experienced a tornado, we could see where it was and it was close 
• I got to help photograph a wedding
• We went to the beach
• Nathan, Dad, and I went and watched Captain America in the middle of Hurricane Irene and the movie theater lost power just at the climax...
• Nathan and I finished our first year of Gileskirk (a very intensive history curriculum)
• Grandma Wight and Aunt Tara and Barbara came and visited
• Dad had the brilliant idea to pick Grace up and playfully shake her back and forth while she was shaking the milk. Do I need to detail how messy the kitchen was after that? We were cleaning spilt milk for a while and everyone had to pitch in...
• Nathan took Driver's Ed and got his permit
• Joshua became Dad's little buddy
• Nathan, Dad, and Isaac played a bunch of hockey!
• Our family made a bunch of movies (I think this year held the record for the most movies good enough to put on youtube.)
• I became a doula and have attended a grand total of 12 births!
• Rising Dawn Services was started
• This blog was started ;-D
• Nathan, Dad, and I read the Hunger Games series :-D
• Joy Anna learned to crawl
• I missed Promise's birthday because I was at a birth
• I applied to Newlife International School of Midwifery *scary*
• Nathan started animating a Lego movie of The Peleg Chronicles 
• The whole family went to a hockey game and all got Carolina Hurricanes' jerseys
• I got the DSLR I've been wanting!
• We beat our usual record of how often we've gone out to eat. We've eaten out quite a bit this year.

There's lots more, but it would take a while to detail it all. I'm really excited that it's 2012 since I, at least, will probably have a big year. In May (May 12, to be exact), I'll graduate high school. After that, I'll probably go to the Philippines and become a midwife (I just need to get accepted first). I'm so excited! I guess when I leave this summer, I'll have to give this blog to Nathan, since he'll be around to know what's going on in Wilson-dom, and I'll have to get another blog about my time in the Philippines. 

Anyway, I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

Wilson Productions

Wilson Productions has been busy, lately. Over Thanksgiving, we made a movie called "Wilson's Got Talent" after "America's Got Talent." I'm the master of ceremonies and introduce everyone and their acts. It's absolutely hilarious (at least in my opinion!)

Then, we made a movie for my aunt to wish her a happy birthday. She loves hockey (the Sharks, to be exact) so we kinda made fun of that. Anyway, I just wanted to share them with anyone reading this blog! Enjoy!

If you want to see them bigger, here's the links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9l7kKgwkcI (Wilson's Got Talent) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i20vHZLm8E&feature=related (Happy Birthday, Aunt Tara)

Mommy and Daddy's 20th Engagement Anniversary

On December 7, 2011, Pearl Harbor Day, Mom and Dad celebrated their 20th Engagement Anniversary. On that day, 20 years before, he never asked and she never said yes, and yet they were engaged. Curious as to what happened? Well, here's the story from my perspective:

Heather and Andy were Coast Guard Academy seniors who had been dating for a little while (I'm not sure exactly how long). One night, Andy took Heather out to dinner and to a movie. It was a wonderful evening. Then, on their way home, he told her he wanted to go see his football buddies (Andy was a CGA football player). Heather did not like that idea. She got mad. He persisted. She got even madder.

Finally, she snapped, "I'll drop you off and drive myself home!"

They stopped at wherever Andy's buddies were and she told him to get out of the car.

"Ok, but open the glove compartment first."

"You have your wallet, now get out so I can go home!" Heather was not in a good mood. Her boyfriend had just ruined the romantic evening for her.

"No, seriously, open the glove compartment."

Finally, Heather opened the glove compartment. Inside, there was a box. Somehow uncomprehending, she stared at it. Pulling it out, she discovered a little gold ring with a single diamond sparkling in the center.

"Well?" Andy demanded.

Suddenly, it dawned on her. This was an engagement ring. Sliding the ring on her finger, Heather glanced at him, "Does that mean we don't have to go see your football buddies?"

"No, way! They're all expecting us to come on in and celebrate!"

Andy and Heather were married six months later.

So there you have it. He never asked, she never answered. To make up for it, for their 20th engagement anniversary, he sent her an obnoxious Hoops and Yoyo (my favorite!) e-card where they whisper, giggle, then shout, "Will you Marry me?"

I just love my parents. :-D

And they lived happily ever after! *sigh*

An Odd Ceremony

This is to confirm all your suspicions and beliefs that we're weird. After Joy Anna was born, we put her placenta in the freezer and the midwife told us we needed to keep it for a month, in case Joy Anna had any problems (doctors can diagnose all sorts of diseases/complications just from examining a placenta). Then we could do whatever we wanted to with it.

Today, we had over 100lb of beef delivered and Mom needed room in the freezer so we decided to do something about the placenta to make extra room. We decided to bury it. So tonight, Grace, Promise, Joshua and I thawed the placenta. Then I put on my disposable gloves which I use during births, and examined it (boy, that was cool - I totally grossed them out!). I rinsed it and showed them the two sides - the tree of life with the umbilical cord for Joy Anna, and the bumpy, odd looking side for Mommy. I also rinsed the end of the umbilical cord to show the kids the three vessels. Promise thought it was fascinating, but Grace just held her nose and said, "Ew! It stinks." Finally, we took it outside, and buried it in Mom's garden where she told us. It was a rather odd ceremony. :-D

When the Truth Comes Out

Thursday night, I was baby-sitting Isaac, Grace, Promise, and Joshua. While we were doing kitchen clean-ups, the kids were asking me for "naughty, funny stories." No kidding. So I racked my brain for funny, naughty stories. The ones I remembered had them laughing so hard, Promise, who was still eating, almost choked on her soup.

First, I remembered when Nathan and I were really little. Nathan had just read the passage in the Bible where Jesus is talking about what you do if someone who has sinned doesn't repent. If someone doesn't repent (I'm assuming this would be for a "big" sin), you're supposed to talk to them privately. If that doesn't work, then you involve a couple friends. If that still doesn't work, the pastors are supposed to meet with him. Finally, if the sinner still doesn't repent, he's to be publicly kicked out of the church.

Well, like I said, Nathan had just read that. And I did something to him that made him mad. I don't remember what it was. All I remember was making Nathan hysterical. We were outside and he was following me around because I wouldn't apologize. Then it started. "You need to apologize."

Danielle: "No, I don't!"

Nathan: "You know, if you don't apologize, I'll have to tell Mommy and Daddy."

Danielle: "Then you'd be a tattletale."

Nathan: "But the Bible says I have to."

Danielle: "Yah, right!"

Nathan: "No, really! I read it this morning! And if you still don't apologize with Mommy and Daddy there, then we have to take you to see Pastor Davey. And if you still don't apologize, then he'll have you kicked out of church!"

He was so worked up, he was in tears. He was dead serious.

I don't remember what I said next, but I know I didn't apologize. I also know that Mommy, Daddy, Pastor Davey, and Colonial Baptist Church never knew anything about it! :-D

Another story I told was about when Grace was still being potty-trained. Once, she was sitting on the potty, calling for Mommy to come "wipe her up." I was the only one available. She didn't like that idea. So she yelled and screamed at me and said she wanted Mommy.

So I left her. Yup, I left her stranded on the toilet. I don't remember how long she was there before her little legs got too tired. And. She. Fell. In.

Then I was the one who got in trouble.

End of story.

And of course, the kids thought that one was absolutely hilarious.

Then, it was the kids' turn for stories... They told me different funny, naughty stories I never knew about. Like the time they were all reading Calvin and Hobbes and found the comic where Calvin "takes a bath" in the toilet. You know, when he lifts the lid, climbs in, and flushes. Then he climbs out all sparkly clean. Well, the three little PIGs (Promise, Isaac, and Grace - that's their official nickname) thought that was hilarious - and brilliant. So that night, Grace decided to try it. However, only her feet could fit. So she put her feet in the toilet and flushed... Oh, Grace, you are so...you!

Coke Commercial

Two months ago for school, Nathan and I had to make an advertisement for some product made in the 1800s. After some consideration, we decided on Coke. We went to the store and bought 18 bottles of Coke (we've still got at least 12 bottles in the fridge...) and made this advertisement. I thought everyone would enjoy watching it!  (Sorry, I couldn't make it any bigger on Blogger. If you want to see it bigger, the youtube link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2NpSKIBxLw)

Needless to say, we got an A+ on the project. :-D

Promise, the Butter Eater

The other night at dinner, Mom made pumpkin muffins. They were so moist we didn't need butter. However, Promise, of course, added a smidgeon of butter to hers. Dad noticed and teased her, "Of course, Promise is getting butter. And I bet she loves to eat plain butter out of the jar."

Promise giggled and gave Dad a look that said, "don't you know anything?" and answered, "Daddy! I don't eat plain butter *pause* out of a jar!" 


Oh, precious Peanut, I love you!