They are Taking Down the Texas Giant!

After dishing out 19 years of memories and spinal trauma, the Texas Giant finally got what's coming to it this morning.

​Nearly every day for 12 years, Dannie Lancaster has climbed the Texas Giant to help keep Six Flags' wooden flagship roller coaster running as safely, if not as smoothly, as possible. On days when the heat was most intense, Lancaster says, he and the inspection crew might replace 50 heavy track bolts that had broken under the strain.

​This morning he was part of a small crew that pulled three support legs down from high up on the 143-foot ride. "It's something we're gonna miss," Lancaster says, though after a dozen years of sweltering climbs weighed down by a heavy homemade leather tool belt, he's thankful the replacement ride -- a wood and metal hybrid -- should need less work.



​ When the Texas Giant opened in March of 1990, Six Flags says the ride was the tallest and fastest in the world (62 miles per hour, at its fastest). Its demolition should take about six months, with construction on the replacement ride running through next season, before its opening kicks off the park's 2011 season.

Crews have also removed much of the track already, one section at a time. According to numbers from Six Flags press office, the old ride was built from one million feet of Southern Yellow Pine, held together by 10 tons of nails, more than 80 tons of bolts and 1,220 concrete piers.



After dishing out 19 years of memories and spinal trauma, The Texas Giant finaly got what was coming. But I have to say that I'll sure miss her. Good luck at the lumber yard.

Someone Please Protect Me... A Letter to Christian Young Men

I did not write this. I read it on this blog (followingdaybyday.wordpress.com). I have thought the very same things, and am glad that someone could articulate it as well as this letter does.


Dear Brothers in Christ,

Though we may not always show it, there are those of us who do want to remain in our Biblical roles, despite the criticism of our culture. We want to ignore the messages pushed upon us by the world, and seek God’s Word on how to behave and live. We know you, too, are under attack and are told to become less than God would have you be. We pray for you; that you would:

“Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the devils schemes.”



We want to encourage you with the words of the Apostle Paul:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”-1Timothy 4:12



Please protect us as your sisters. Though some may not like it at first you will win the hearts of those around you when you choose to do what is right.



Protect us in speech by not voicing things that do not follow the guidelines of Philippians 4:8,

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Protect us by not cursing or being crude. Protect us by keeping your speech on the issues of real life and not filling our heads with the foolishness of horror movies or artificial violence.



Protect our lives as if they were your own. Please, on one extreme, do not take us lightly and consider us another discard able play thing. Or, on the other extreme, treat us as another one of “the guys”. Please remember that we are God’s princess, the “weaker vessel”, mothers of future generations, and most importantly- our lives are precious to Jesus and they are being lived for His glory.



Protect us in love. Remember it is just as loving to correct me in wrong as to encourage me. Do not believe the lies that tell you that the only way to be happy is to give us everything we want. God did not intend for you to be a slave to our every whim. Love us in a 1 Corinthians type of love.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

Protect us in faith. God has called men to be Spiritual leaders, but with the feminist movement women have taken the seats in the gates and now hold the places of headship in the workforce, the military, the government, the home, and even the church. In Isaiah 3:12, it says that the sign of a curse of a nation is women ruling over men. In our sin we tend to want to lead and we understand it can be hard for men to step up, but let us encourage you in your God ordained roles to lead in the Christian faith. 1 Timothy 2:4 says,

“And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression.”

Protect us from false doctrines and search the Scriptures in order to proclaim truth.



Finally, please protect us in purity. Don’t call us beautiful or tell us something that might lead our thoughts astray. Don’t look at us like we are meat or a prize to be won; look at us as the wife of another. Protect us from the world’s darts as sisters in Christ. Please keep our conversations pure of immoral speech and free from illusions of sexual things. Treat us in such a way that it is natural for us to see you as a brother and comfortable for us to hold a conversation with you.



It is not our job (or our place) to instruct you, nor is it our prerogative to blame you for all our faults- for they are many. Our goal in writing to you is to communicate the desire and prayer of our hearts: that you would become mighty warriors for Christ. As women God created us with an inbuilt desire to be protected. According to personality, family, and amount of cultural influence, this desire is stronger, in some, than others. But the tendency remains. When a woman doesn’t feel protected, it is very easy for her heart to become bitter and full of mistrust. Nearly all the leading feminists in the 1800’s and early 1900’s were wives of abusive husbands.



One thing we can promise is this: we do not expect perfect men. We are by no stretch of the imagination perfect women, but by God’s grace we are in the processes of constant sanctification. And by God’s grace, we will be the able to encourage and advance real men as they rise up to serve the Lord.

~ Flutter By Garden ~

Our bushes are blooming, and it turns out that Butterflies love Petunias.

A Mid Summer Night's Dream

Dress Rehearsal...



From left to right: Lysander (Jordan), Hermia (Ema), Helena (Me!), Demetrius (Adam)




King Oberon and Queen Titania




Lord Egeus and Lord Duke




It's Prince John! Mommy!!! (from the Disney Robin Hood movie)




Puck and his master Oberon




He plays the Lion




He plays "Little boy" XD




Spring and Butterfly fairies




Winter Fairy




The whole gang! Thank you Adams for letting us use your house, and thank you Gillian for Directing the play! Yahoo!!!

More Paintings :D

I am just now figuring out that I LOVE to paint. It is so fun! I painted the one with the flip flops in Art class. It took me about 4 hours. I had no clue what I was doing for the first two hours, then I started initiating my own decisions, instead of asking my teacher what to do every 10 minutes. After that I bought my own oil paint and some brushes.

I painted the Yellow Rose yesterday. It took about 6 hours. I stayed up really late and got up early today to finish it. It's for Mom's Mothers-Day gift. The only problem at the start was that I hadn't bought any yellow paint yet. Kinda important. :) And my Art teacher gave me his! Wasn't that nice? And it's not cheep stuff. My art teachers name is B.J. Normile. He is a superb instructor. I think he is about to turn 70. I always have such a good time in his classes. And the best thing is he will let you do what you really enjoy.

This one is in my room. (I have blue walls)

Bugs and Plants

Strawberries




Sweet Peas


A leaf miner




Chocolate Mint






Water on a strawberry leaf :) This is now my favoraite picture