The Family Meeting (A Photostory)

Soo . . . I know these pictures seem to look the same. That’s because I did this in my backyard, which was NOT a super great place to take pictures because it’s super cluttered and has too much out-of-proportion junk in the background, so I zoomed in a lot. Plus, for this photostory, the dolls don’t move much, which resulted in not-so-great shots . . . which is why I haven’t posted this yet. I took the pictures a month or so ago, and I wasn’t really happy with it. But the script is pretty funny, so maybe you’ll like it anyway.

Also, you guys were so sweet in the comments in my last post! I’m glad to be back from my never-announced hiatus. In case you missed my announcements, I am now a part-time public schooler, meaning I am not as home as much as I used to be. Plus, skiing just started today, so I don’t get a whole lot of free time this year. I will try to post as much as possible, though!

And now . . . onto the photostory!

“Hello, everybody, and thanks for coming to the family meeting!” I greet my sisters.

“You’re welcome,” McKenna replies. “Can we hurry this up? I have gymnastics practice in an hour.”

“Um, sure,” I say. “Who has anything they would like to share with the family?”

My sisters stare at me blankly.

Le sigh. “Molly, how about you?”

“Oh, I got an A++ on my calculus quiz!” Molly shares exuberantly.

“What a shock,” Crystal yawns, leaning back on AGs in Alaska’s pallet fort.

“Okay,” I intervene. “Lindsey? Did you hear back from that police officer?”

“Chill, Morgan,” Lindsey sighs. “I’ve got it covered. He said he deals with rowdy teenagers all the time.”

“Great,” I say. “How are you doing, Tessa? Anything to share?”

“Excellent!” Tessa replies. “Dance classes are great, and I even decided that I might want to take music lessons as well. Maybe Emily could teach me?”

“Ooh, speaking of music,” Crystal interrupts, before Emily can reply to this. “I got a guitar. Want to see?”

“Um, Crystal, how about we-”

Too late. Crystal runs into the house at the speed of lightning, returning with a turquoise guitar haphazardly strung around her neck.

And then promptly hits the ground.

“You okay there, Crys?” I ask, concerned. The poor dear will prombably start complaining about her smudged makeup any second now . . .

“I’m fine!” Crystal answers, popping back up. “Ready to hear my song?” She begins to sing rather off-key. I grimace.

The rest of my sisters are having the same reaction.

“Will you knock it off already?” Molly groans. “You sound worse than my Intro to Musical Arts professor.”

“Please, Crystal!” Luciana begs. “My ears can’t take any more!”

“Maybe some voice lessons or something . . .” I mutter.

Crystal ponders this for a moment. “Yeah, you’re probably right, guys. Emily?”

“Yeah, sure, Crystal.”

-End of Photostory-

Belive it or not, I’ve had Tenney’s guitar since April, when I visited the AG Place Dallas. Since then, I’ve collected a few more musical instruments, which may appear in upcoming posts . . .

I’ll check back with you guys later. Have a great Sunday!

 

How Mischief Got His Name (A Photostory)

Hey guys! Sorry for no post last week – all the posts for the weeks before that were scheduled (and tbh that’s probably the only reason posts from me actually appeared in your dratted Reader).

I have a fun photostory for you today, featuring Tessa and Morgan (and Emily!), who you guys said you wanted to see more of on my poll. Now, without further ado . . . onto the photostory!

“Mmm, delicious,” I say aloud and I pick a ripe pea from a branch in our garden. The early September sun beats down on my back, reminding me of the great weather we’re having. My sisters swear that snow is just around the corner, though.

The leaves rustle and I turn my head to see Morgan and Emily approaching. They’re both sporting big smiles – which is unusual for Emily, the quietest of all the girls.

“Hey Tessa! What’s up?” Morgan asks with a wave.

“Nothin’ much,” I reply. “You?”

“Actually, Emily and I have something we’d like to show you. Come on, follow us!”

I stand up, curious to see what Morgan is so excited about.

We follow Emily out of the gate and turn the corner.

Morgan stops and stands beside a blue cage. “And . . . here we are.”

“Surprise!” Emily cries. “Open it, Tessa.”

Knowing these two sisters’ personalities, there’s probably not something like a snake or tarantula inside the cage, so I grab the handle and pull it open.

“Oh. My. Goodness!”

Inside the cage is the sweetest, most adorable bunny I’ve ever seen. He’s fluffy and white with big brown eyes and a twitchy pink nose.

“Aww!” I cry. “He’s precious!”

“And he’s all yours,” Morgan informs me. “You know, since you’re not really a dog person.  Well, yet, anyway.”

“Go on, pick him up,” Emily urges.

I ben down and try to scoop the bunny out of his cage. That’s not exactly what happens.

The bunny hops out of his cage and sniffs the air eagerly.

“Noooooo!” Emily shrieks, which is the loudest sound I’ve ever heard her make.

“GET THAT BUNNY!”

The fluffy white creature jumps over the ledge bordering our garden. He’s faster than I thought!

“You get back here, mister!” Emily commands. The bunny, not having a full command of the English language (or even partial command), makes no move to listen to her.

“Don’t scare him!” Morgan says. “Or we’ll never get him back!”

The little bunny continues his journey across our front yard. He hops off the sidewalk and into the street. I gasp. There’s a car coming from a block away!

“We can’t let him get into the street!” I cry. “Come on guys, help me!”

All of a sudden, Emily jumps in front of the bunny.

“That’s enough of that, young man,” Emily says softly, scooping up the rabbit. “Now, back to your cage.”

Emily carries the litle lagomorph to his hutch and sets him inside carefully.

“Phew!” I breathe. “That was a close one.”

“No kidding,” Morgan agrees, plopping down onto the grass. She’s panting hard and her hair is a mess.

“So what’s his name?” I ask. “A cute little guy like this needs a good name.”

“Whatever you want,” Emily tells me. “He’s all yours, anyway.”

Suddenly, the perfect name pops into my head. “I have it!”

“Guys, this is . . .”

“Mischief.”

-End of photostory-

Ta-da! There you are. Tessa now has a pet. Fun fact – I actually picked Mischief out in Dallas at the AG store, but I haven’t gotten the chance to actually put him in a phostory since then.

Catch you guys next week!

What do you think of Mischief? What’s your favorite AG pet? Do you like bunnies?

 

Travels With Grace #5: Texas

Hiiii, fellow travelers! It’s Grace again, with our last post from Texas! A big thank-you goes out to AGs in Alaska’s Texan friend, who helped her take some of these pics. Now, onto the photostory!

I am Grace, the fearless adventurer

Today I am on a search

A search to find a dangerous beast of Texas

The beasts are hiding today

I must remain silent and still

And creep stealthily

They hide amongst the shadows

And stalk their prey

I remain unnoticed

Waiting and watching

Every snap of a twig

Is an animal’s footfall

Every breath of the wind

Is the pant of a beast

I am Grace, the fearless wanderer

Out on a search

A search for a wild animal

Where are they today?

Still hiding

I am unable to find a wild beast of Texas

And so I will return

Aha! What is that I spy?

A wild beast of Texas!

Grace, the fearless adventurer, has succeeded in her mission

And so another journey ends, my friends. We have returned to Alaska. I hope you have all enjoyed “traveling” with me, Grace – the fearless adventurer.

He Is Risen (A Photostory)

“Good morning, church family,” Grace says. “Happy Easter! We are gathered here today, instead of going to an actual brick-and-mortar building, due to an inconvenient cold that has afflicted two of our sisters.”

“That would be us,” Linsey says.

“We’re going to start off by signing “Amazing Grace.” Will you please all stand and join us?”

We all stand and clear our throats.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind but now I see.”

“And now we would like to welcome Morgan to the stage. She is going to be our “pastor” for the day,” Grace announces at the end of the song.

“Thank you, Grace,” Morgan says, standing up. “Thank you all for joining me today. As Grace mentioned before, we are gathered here instead of at our usual church. It is allergy season, after all.”

“Thanks, Morgan,” Lindsey says.

“I have a very special message for all of you today,” Morgan tells us. “Did you know that on this day, long ago, Jesus rose from the dead?”

“Yep, that’s right. He defeated the grave! Death couldn’t hold God’s only son down.”

“On Good Friday, Jesus died. His followers were heartbroken. But, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus rose three days later.”

“That’s why we celebrate Easter every year! While the bunnies and Easter egg hunts are fun, the real reason for our happiness is Jesus’ resurrection.”

“The most amazing this is that, if you are a Christian, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of YOU. Will you pray with me?”

“Dear Lord, we want to thank You for Your grace and compassion, that you sent your only son to die in our places. While we deserved punishment, You took mercy on us and sent Jesus as a sacrifice. We are so thankful for what you did. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”

“He is risen!”

“He is risen indeed!”

“Happy Easter from the AGIA family!!!”

-End of photostory-

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you enjoyed that photostory. Do you believe that Jesus is alive today, and will forever be alive? I do, and I hope you do too!

Here is a bonus picture to make you smile:

Trying to carry all my dolls downstairs . . .

The Trials of Tessa, Part 2

Ahh! Finally! Part 2! I am so sorry it took me this long to get the photostory together – especially because it took like 15 minutes to take the photos and I was kinda putting it off because I wasn’t sure what to do. I got a lot of requests for specific dolls you wanted Tessa to “shadow.” I decided Tessa would shadow Morgan for Part 2, but since Morgan is only into dogs I wasn’t sure how to make this work . . . please tell me what you think about Part 2 in the comments!

“Hey, Morgan,” I say, walking up to what looks like an obstacle course. Morgan and her Labrador retriever, Chocolate Chip, have been down here all afternoon. “What are y’all up to?”

“Chocolate Chip and I are doing agility training,” Morgan explains. “Would you like to help?”

“Uh . . . sure,” I say. I’m not a huge dog person – not that I would ever tell Morgan that – but it’s not like I have anything better to do.

“Great!” Morgan cheers. “Watch me.”

“Weave,” Morgan commands Chocolate Chip. He begins to weave in and out of the plastic cones.

“Good boy,” Morgan praises him.

“Balance,” she says next, as CC hops up on a beam.

“Jump,” Morgan instructs.

Chocolate Chip jumps up and over the beam.

“Good boy!” Morgan cheers. “Who’s a good doggie? Yes, you are! Yes, you are!” She pats CC on the head. “Do you want to have a turn leading him, Tessa?”

“I guess so,” I say, leading CC over to the cones. “Weave,” I tell him.

The dog just stands there, looking confused.

“You have to be more direct,” Morgan explains. “Try a firmer tone.”

“Weave,” I say a bit louder.

Chocolate Chip weaves through one cone and comes to a complete halt.

“You have to lead him. He won’t do it by himself yet,” Morgan informs me.

“Right,” I say. I lead Chocolate to the other side of the line of cones.

I stand behind the beam, trying to remember what the command was. “Uh . . . beam?”

“Balance,” Morgan corrects me gently.

Chocolate Chip, hearing the voice of his usual handler, hops up onto the beam and walks across.

I stand behind the jump, confindent I can do this the right way. “Jump,” I say in a strong voice.

“Um, Tessa, you might want to-”

“Move.”

The Trials of Tessa, Part 1

“I wonder when I’ll adjust to this new family, Cooper,” I say to McKenna’s Labradoodle. We’re sitting on the heart, bored. Cooper, because he hasn’t gone for a walk today. Me, because I have no idea what to do to entertain myself in this new house with my new family.

“Hey, Tessa!” McKenna calls, materializing next to me in that creepy way she does. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing much,” I tell her. “Just hanging out with Cooper.”

“Ohhhhhh,” McKenna sighs. “I see. You’re bored, you have no idea how to fit in with your new family, and you think we have nothing in common.”

“How did you know?” I ask, shocked. Can McKenna read minds in addition to appearing out of nowhere?

“Trust me, I’ve been through this with four other sisters. You would think I would understand the signs by now,” she explains.

“Oh,” I say. “So . . . they went through this too?”

“Absolutely. And the best way to cure it is to do something fun together. Hey, I’m about to head to the gymnastics center for open gym time. Wanna tag along? I have a gazillion extra leotards that would probably fit you,” McKenna offers.

I ponder this for a few minutes before nodding my head. “Sure. It’s worth a shot.”

It’s not like there’s anything else I can do.

“Watch and learn, sis,” McKenna says forty-five minutes later. We’re at Shooting Star gymnastics, and my sports-obsessed sister is about to show me a few moves on the bar that I’ll (hopefully) be able to do.

McKenna flips herself upside down, her legs reaching the bar.

In one swift motion, she’s on top of the bar. “That was pullover,” she explains. “The most basic bar move. Wanna try?”

That was basic? I think, as I step up to the bar. I replay what McKenna did in my head, hoping I can do the same thing.

A few seconds later, I’m on the ground.

“Um, maybe bars isn’t your thing so much,” McKenna says. “Why don’t we move on?”

We step over to the beam, where McKenna hops up and positions herself. “Watch this. It should be simpler for you.”

McKenna flicks her arm out and I step back. With just the right amount of sass, she begins to walk down the length of the beam.

A few minutes later, McKenna hops off. “Why don’t you try now,” she says. “Gymnastics have to look confident, and walking on the beam is the best way to practice that.”

I hop up, McKenna watching from behind. “Go for it, Tess.”

It doesn’t go quite as McKenna’s did. My legs begin to wobble instantly.

I fall off the beam, crashing into McKenna. “Owwwww,” we moan in unison.

“Ya know, Kenna? Maybe gymnastics isn’t my thing at all.” I say.

From behind me, McKenna says, “Yeah. Maybe not.”

-End of Photostory-

Did you guys enjoy the beginning of an informal little photoseries? I think it’ll be around three or four parts, once each week. Kind of illustrating Tessa’s journey in becoming a part of her new family. Sound good? Is there a specific sister you think Tessa should follow around in the next few parts? Just leave me a comment down below!

Travels With Grace: Washington, Day #6

Grace here! IT’S THE LAST DAY OF MY TRAVEL BLOG!!!!!! WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! I have this sweet post for you in which I say goodbye to my cousins.

“Bye, guys,” I say sadly to my cousins. They are leaving to go home today (they live in a different area of Washington, and we came to my aunt’s house to meet up this week). I will also be leaving tomorrow to go back to Alaska.

“We’re really going to miss you,” Cara tells me.

“I’m going to miss you too, Care-Bear,” I say, giving her a hug.

“Bye, Grace,” I tell my next cousin. “I hope we can visit again soon.”

She nods, her eyes watering.

“I’m really sorry you broke your leg, Lea,” I say to the oldest of all my cousins. “Get well soon!”

“Thanks!” she replies.

My three almost-sisters walk over to the gate dejectedly. “Bye, Grace!” they call. “See you soon!”

“Bye!” I shout, as they march down the steps (Lea hopping, of course). “Love y’all!”

And . . .

Cut!

Okie-dokie, that’s all for Travels With Grace for now! I have had so much fun traveling and hanging out with my cousins, and I hope you enjoyed meeting them!

Love,

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day #12: Surprise! (A Photostory) + Giveaway Winner

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!!

It’s Christmas! Finally! December 25th, 2017.

I hope you all are having a very merry Christmas. Please, chat away in the comments. Tell me what you got, what you’re having for dinner, how your family celebrated, traditions, etc.

And now, onto the epic Christmas photostory I promised you! (Apologies in advance for any blurry/dark pictures!)

“Can we open presents now?” Lindsey begs.

 

“Why not?” Crystal replies. “It is Christmas, after all.”

“I think this one is for you, Lindsey,” Molly says, handing Lindsey a bright red bag.

Lindsey unwraps the present.

“The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict!” she squeals. “Thank you thank you thank you!!!”

“This one is yours, Grace,” Morgan says sweetly, holding up a brown box tied with a bright red bow.

Grace opens the box. “Earrings!”

“This one is for you, Morgan,” Emily tells her sister softly.

“Aw, a chew toy for Chocolate Chip! He’ll love it – thank you!” Morgan exclaims.

“Now, here’s your present, Em,” Morgan says, handing Emily a Santa Claus bag.

Emily pulls out the wrapping paper.

“Oh, a music book!”

“Thank you, everybody.”

“Hey, Crystal, here’s yours,” Molly tells Crystal, holding up her present.

“Oh, for me?” Crystal asks. “Thank you.”

“Eek! A fairy costume! Hold on, let me go put it on!” Crystal shrieks.

She returns a few minutes later wearing the glitzy costume.

“McKenna, this one is yours,” Lindsey says.

McKenna opens the box excitedly. “A FITBIT!!!!”

“It fits perfectly!” McKenna exclaims. “You guys are da best!”

“Here, Molly,” Grace says, holding up an owl bag. “I think this one is yours.”

Molly pulls out the tissue paper, practically smothering herself.

“SAT Secrets! It’s just what I wanted!” Molly exclaims. “Thank you so much!”

Lindsey snorts ungracefully.

Emily elbows her. “Lindsey.”

All of a sudden, the doorbell rings.

“Hey, who’s going to get that?” McKenna asks. “We’re all in our pajamas.”

“I’ll get it,” Crystal answers. “I’m the only one not in my PJs.”

“Um, Crystal, maybe you shouldn’t-”

Crystal ingores her and jets up the stairs in her fairy costume.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Oh, my apologies,” Crystal says, sliding her fairy mask on top of her head.

“Is this the American Girls in Alaska family?” the girl asks in a Southern accent.

Crystal nods. “Yes, it is. I’m Crystal.”

“Hey, who’s this?” Grace asks, bounding up the stairs.

“I have no idea,” Crystal replies.

“I’m Tessa,” the girl says in a Southern accent.

“Hey, I’m Grace,” Grace introduces herself.

Molly suddenly appears out of nowhere. “Hello. I’m Molly. Sorry we’re all in our pajamas.”

“It’s fine,” Tessa says. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Hey, who’re you?” Lindsey asks rudely.

“Lindsey, be nice,” Morgan chides, appearing behind Lindsey. “Hi, I’m Morgan, and this is Lindsey.”

“Are you our new sister?” McKenna asks. “Hi, I’m McKenna.”

“And this is Emily,” Morgan says, prodding Emily forward.

“Why don’t you come downstairs?” Crystal asks Tessa.

“Alright,” Tessa agrees.

Back downstairs, Morgan says, “We’re so sorry, Tessa. We don’t have a present for you.”

“Yes, you do,” Tessa tells her. “You’re my new family. And that’s the best thing I could ask for.”

WELCOME TESSA!

-End of Photostory-

SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I GOT A NEW DOLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tessa Elizabeth is a customized Truly Me #24 doll who I bought off of Ebay. I purchased a wig from Beautifully Custom, the Cocoa Caramel Swirl wig. Isn’t it gorgeous????

Anyway, I love Tessa sooooo much, and I hope you’ll all welcome her into the American Girls in Alaska family.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for . . .

The giveaway winner!

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Kaylyn!

Congratulations, Kaylyn!

I will be contacting you shortly to get your shipping address.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered!

If you would like to enter another giveaway of mine, never fear, because I will be doing one shortly. I am thinking about doing one for my 100th post, which is very soon.

A big thank you to AG Doll Dreams for her amazing Fitbit tutorial and to Micah @ Mixiepixie7 on YouTube for her mini book tutorial. Go check out AG Doll Dreams blog here and, if you’re allowed to, check out Micah’s channel on YouTube.

Okay, everyone! That is all for now! I will be back later today with The Christmas Tag, which I was nominated for. But until then . . .

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day #11: Christmas is . . . Caroling

Okay, everybody! This is it! The last TDOC post before Day #12 – Christmas!!!!! Can you believe it’s just one day away???

ONE. DAY.

I can’t believe it, either. In the meantime, here’s a very, very short photostory!

There’s a knock on the door. I rush over to answer it.

It’s carolers! (Sorry this picture is so dark.)

“Hi,” I squeak nervously. I’ve never been very good around people.

(Also, now you can see how amazing Em’s hair looks!)

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Fa la la la la, la la la la!” they sing merrily.

“Troll the ancient yuletide carol, fa la la la la, la la la la.”

“Thank you so much!” I cry. “Merry Christmas!”

Okay, that was it. This post is super short because I HAVE to get to work on my Christmas photostory. It’s going to take a long time to do, so I’ve gotta go!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Countdown to Christmas: One day!

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day #8: Christmas is . . . Charity

Okay, everyone! It’s time for Day #8 of TDOC! I can’t wait for this one!

“Hey, everyone, it’s Emily. I’m breaking out of my shell today to lead TDOC Day #8. Why? This post is about a topic that is very important to me!”

“Some of you may know about Operation Christmas Child (I’ll call it OCC for short). OCC is a great organization led by Samaritan’s Purse that gets shoeboxes full of little presents to children in foreign countries. Some of these children are very poor, and the shoebox you pack and send to them may be the only present they get on Christmas. Today, I will be showing you how to pack your shoebox.”

“You can pick up your OCC shoebox at places like your church. At this time of year, it is too late to do an OCC shoebox, but this may be helpful for next Christmas.”

“When you pack your shoebox, make sure to include a “wow” item. My “wow” item is this cute flower purse. Then, you can pack the rest of the box with personal care items, or smaller toys. I am including a box, a pencil, some hair accessories, and a comfy pillow.”

“However, do not pack candy; toothpaste; gum; used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; seeds; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks; drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans. This information has been taken from the Samaritan’s Purse website.”

“Now, pack your shoebox!”

“My box is all packed!”

“Once your box is packed, take it to an official drop-off location. You can find the locations here.”

“Remember, this shoebox may be the only present a child in a foreign country gets for Christmas. Do you part and help make a child’s Christmas special!”

“Alright, that’s all for now. My sister will be back tomorrow with a super-cute photoshoot!”

Hey, everyone, it’s AGs in Alaska. I just wanted to let everyone know that I did not mean to offend anyone with my giveaway rules post. I hope no one thought I sounded too harsh, I promise I was just trying to make sure everyone who wanted to enter could get the chance to. I am super excited for the giveaway, and I want as many people as possible to enter! So I’m very sorry if I offended you. 😦

See you all tomorrow!

Countdown to Christmas: Four days!