Photography Contest // Week 1

hey guys...I'm gonna make this a simple intro because really I've already wrote most of this post, but my blogger is working and the drafts will not load so I can't work on them. thanks blogger! Has anybody else been having problems with the new update. ugh.

Anywho, I'm posting the results to my photography contest.

Everyone who entered, THANK YOU.

And if you didn't...it's not to late. Next week you can just jump right in.

The link to the form you need to take to enter is righttt here.

So here are the entries.

This first topic was leaves.

Anya's Entries

Paige's Entry

Mikayla's Entry

Simi's Entry

Maddy's Entry

Aren't all these pictures beautiful?!

Firstly, I want to say good job to every girl who entered!

So, the winner that I chose for this week is......

ANYA

I really like this picture because it shows the leaves color changing.

Congrats Anya!!

Thanks for entering guys!!

Next week (the 4th of December) is Thanksgiving.

If you don't have a picture of your Thanksgiving, you can always just post like a pumpkin or something fally.

Also, I'm going to make a new rule that you can't edit you picture.

thanks for reading!

bouncing in to say bye,

                                 bernie

Thankfulness Thursday

Welcome to my last post of the series Thankfulness Thursday.

Oh, AND HAPPY THANKSIGIVING YA'LL.

I'm thankful for....

God.

He's so good to me. He gives me so much I do not deserve. 

My family.

I love laughing with them. They're the best. 

My siblings.

I'm so glad I can have a good relationship with my siblings. Even when I'm mad at them, it only lasts for about 5 minutes because I'm so sad without them. 

My friendzies.

I'm so thankful for friends to play games with. To do school with. Seriously, every Thursday after church history all my friends bolt outside, get the football out, and start playing. It's so fun to have friends to play with and tell funny stories with. 

My internet friends.

It's so awesome to have friends all over the world who love Jesus. It's so awesome to get encouragement from friends all around the world. Everyone needs a blog guys. 

My ability to be active.

Just a couple days ago I was watching a movie about someone who loved football (and was famous for it) but soon later he got cancer in his leg and had to amputate it. After watching that movie I just thanked God for my body. For the ability to run. For the ability to be breathing without even thinking about it. Some people don't have two legs like I do. I can't even imagine what that'd be like. So, I'm so thankful for my healthy body. 

My camera.

It's really made me realize how awesome my God is. 

My clothes.

I'm also thankful for clothes. I realize that whenever I'm cold, I simply get a sweater on. Whenever I need a nicer outfit for church, I walk in my room and find plenty of nice clothes. Not a lot of people have that. Some people are cold because they have nothing but a dirty shirt.

My church. 

I've realized that in the past year we've been at my church, we've done so much with them. We see about three times a week. I've went to a summer camp with them. A mission trip with them. I've done a Sunday service with them. It's awesome to have these godly people in my life. And especially my pastors. They've taught be so much. 

Good books.

Not only am I thankful for the Bible, but also other books too. After summer, I suddenly just had a lose of interest for fiction. I'm sure I read it again, but right now I'm just reading Christian books. It's awesome to get book recommendations from my pastor and get to read them. And then of course I'm thankful for the Bible because it encourages me every day!!   

Of course there's so much more. 

THANK YOU

For reading. 

For commenting. 

For being friend with me. 

bouncing in to say bye,

                                 bernie

Photography Contest Changes // Currently

HIIIII GUYS

First, before I say anything I want to say that my first week of photography contest did not go very well. I'm going to extend my first week to one more week which means your entry of leaves will be due on the 27th. Also, I've heard a lot of you guys say you just don't have time. Well if you don't...that's okay!! You can enter a photo you took a long time ago. That's fine!! :) It'd mean so much if you entered, even if you don't have much experience!!

Also, I have a little prize for the winners too. If you win, you can guest post on my blog!! And stay tuned, I also might think of another exciting, but easy prize for you winners. If you have any suggestions drop me one in the comment box.

So now, I'm going to do a currently post.

CURRENTLY

Dreaming... of the day after Thanksgiving where we'll all put up our Christmas tree, listen to Christmas music, put up the Christmas lights, and start the Christmas season!!

Thinking...of Christmas presents. They just keep coming guys. It's a bigggg list.

Ordering... a free 8x11 calendar from Shutterfly. I'm so happy guys, I got a free calendar. I got to make my own photos for every month. It was defiantly a great project to do!!

Reading... God is the Gospel by John Piper. So far, it's a REALLY good book.

Loving... how it's so cold. I can finally wear warm boot, warm jackets, warm sweaters, everything FALLY. I'm in love with the cold guys!!

Listening... to football sport commentators. I'm a big football fan. Seahawks all the way!! Anywho, me and Danny had a big fight last night about who's the football goo roo in the family. I think I proved myself to be the one. BUT STILL. I'm listening and learning. Being a sports commentator is my dream :P

Getting... excited about Thanksgiving. This year we're making all the food and bringing it over to our great Grandma's house. I'm so excited. Every one is making two special dishes. I'm making pumpkin pie and rolls :)

So that's my currently post for you.

Wow I haven't done of those in a while.

bouncing in to say bye,

                               Bernie

Can you relate to any of these?

What's one of your dream jobs?

Thankfulnes Thursday

Hey guys!! One more week until Thanksgiving!! I'm extremely excited for Thanksgiving. :)

Today I'm doing Thankfulness Thursday!! :)

I'm thankful for...

My dad's job

The beautiful sunset coming down while I do gymnastics outside

My last week of biology class until next year

The woods

Waking up early, but not dreading it

Getting done with Genesis and finally getting to read John

An oven to make delicious desserts with :)

Friends to make movies with

All the Christmas activities I'm going to participate in

And before I leave, I wanted to show you this verse I read a couple days ago.

¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ²¹ So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

I love this verse because it shows how faithful God is.

How we should be thankful in the most hardest times of our life.

That we should trust in God.

Because even though Joseph was sold by his brothers and sent to prison, he trusted God.

And soon later God gave him a high job in Egypt.

So never be unthankful for your situation.

Know that it's all God's plan.

It's all part of God's good plan.

:) thanks for reading!!

bouncing in to say bye,

                                 bernie

Photography Contest 2016

😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄

OH MY GOODNESS GUYS. I'M SO EXCITED BECAUSE BLOGGER HAS EMIJI'S NOW!!

AHHHHHH HAPPINESS

But that's not why I'm here.

Today I'm going to talk about a contest I'm going to have....

A Photography Contest!!!

So here are the details:

You can only enter 2 pictures.

First Week Entry: Due the 20th. The topic is leaves.

Second Week Entry: Due the 27th. The topic is Thanksgiving.

Third Week Entry: Due the 4th of December. The topic is the weather you're having.

And the final Week Four Entry: Due the 11th. The topic is Christmas.

Every week I'll have a winner/winners maybe.

If you have any questions please comment below!!

Please....tell all of your friends!!

Even if you don't have much experience, enter anyway!! It'll be fun!!  

To enter, you just have to fill out this form here.

Have fun!!

bouncing in to say bye,

                                Bernie

Thankfulness Thursday

Hey guys!! So, I wanted to do Grace Ann's Thankfulness Thursday challenge. I know I'm posting this at like 10. I'm horrible. Anywho, I thought this challenge sounded so fun so I'm going to do it!!

I'm thankful for.....

a three day weekend

friends that make me die of laughter

a notebook to write school notes in

my awesome coaches and teachers

walking around beautiful leaves

just chilling at the library with my brother

having beautiful Christian songs stuck in my head

boots

Remember to always be thankful, even if life isn't going as you want it to be.

bouncing in to say bye,

                                 bernie

October Highlights and November Goals

My October Highlights

1) Well, the right in the beginning of October was my sissy's birthday. I really enjoyed giving her my present which was a shirt that said "just keep swimming," and it had Dory on it. :P Also for her birthday party we had our friends over. We first hang out Friday night and did Bernie's Fitness Club (I'm getting them in shape). Then Saturday morning we met with donuts and coffee and went to the library. Then we played football and went hiking. It was very funn!

2) This month our youth group went to a town by us and did a service for teens. Our youth led the songs and our Pastor preached. It was very fun! Which leads me to another thing our youth group has been doing this month. Every Sunday night the youth lead worship which I just got into this year. It's been super fun to learn. I sing. Also, we've been learning on harmonizing which is really fun for me!! I'm starting to get good at it and it's so fun to do!! Sarah is learning to play the piano for the band and Danny has been learning the box (pretty much a bongo which is a drum).

3) Our fall photoshoot with our friends. This was super fun to do!! Like literally we planned EVERYTHING out from where we'll meet to what outfits we were wearing. It was so fun to do that. That morning I texted them and after all this work I go, "guys pray for me, I'm feeling non photogenic today." But right when we got there I couldn't stop smiling. I guess it's what best friends do to you. ;) Anywho, it was awesome. The only thing was....it was like 80 degrees and we were all dressed in fally sweaters and boots. it was hot. btw, why isn't fally a word. Fall-y? c'mon dictionary. I wish I could show you all of our MANY photos, but I can't. I have some handstand pictures though...and that picture my best friend took of me taking a picture of the leaves. :P Oh and Sarah's beautiful crown. hehe and Ellie's converse because I was obsessing over them. I literally took like five pictures of them...;P.

4) Pizza and the Arcade with my family. Every year all of  my mom's family goes out for pizza and then goes to the arcade. Who doesn't love spending time with your cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles?! Then....we played laser tag!! I've never done that before. At first, I was scared. literally. But then...I just started hitting people. That was totally fun. Our team won!! Oh and my name in the game was Jack something. All I remember is Jack. figures. Anybody been just dying to see season 4 of When Calls the Heart because you see so many posts about it on Instagram? Am I the only one? Seriously dudes...follow Erin Krakow on Instragram!!

5) Getting to play outside. This month when Sarah had to do her mid-term me, mom, and Danny went to the park. We had a obstacle course. First he won, then I won. Then she had to go there again, and went to the park again, and I won both games!! Next step is training for American Ninja Warrior. hehe no. Also after our history class on Thursday night we always go outside and play football. It's super fun. My abs really got stronger after that too. :P And also getting to do my gymnastics outside on my mat is always the best. It's so awesome to have so much space.

Which leads me too...........

6) Gymnastics. This is always my highlight, but this month was really awesome!! This month I did a backhandspring by myself like a bajillion times!! I landed a front flip also!! I also did an ariel (aka cartwheel with no hands). AND...I did a roundoff backhandspring ALL BY MYSELF this week!! I was so happy!! Now with some of these skills equipment helped me accomplish the skill, but I'm so happy about what I did. A lot of skills you can probably do by yourself, but the nervousness of your doing it by yourself messes you up. Don't be afraid though. So that was awesome!! I'm also getting to know my teammates and coaches well. So that's also good. :)

7) The zoo! This month we went to the zoo! We got to see the elephants (my favorite animal). At first we were walking and there were no elephants out, but then we walked more and there they were!! I was so happy!! We also went to Chickfila because that's the only time we can go there. That was the best... Who loves that place? Hey and guess what?! Our town just got a Panda Express. I was so happy!!

Of course I could say about another billion highlights, but I'll save you!!

My November Goals:

Wear boots

Get good grades

 Do a backhandspring in my backyard

Get better at harmonizing

Have a sleepover with my friends

Eat a lot for thanksgiving

What are your October highlights?

What was your favorite highlight of mine?

What your November goals?

Thanks for reading!!

bouncing in to say bye,

                                    Bernie

P.S. I have this survey here. If you could please give me some advice! thanks! :)

UNWRITTEN MELODY BLOG TOUR (+Giveaway)

Hey peeps!


It's Sarah, Ellie's awesome big sis. Today, A Bounce in your Step is hosting YA author, Tessa Emily Hall's blog tour for her newest book, Unwritten Melody. I am so excited to Tessa out. She's been a great inspiration to me and my writing since I found her a few years ago. I've been tracking her book-writing process through her Instagram and am thrilled this book is ready for print. Tessa's debut novel, Purple Moon, was a touching, wonderful novel.

Here's what I had to say about Purple Moon, back in the day:  "Selena’s story is a wonderful reminder of God’s love for us and how he can truly change a life. If you’re not a Christian, do not hesitate to read it. It’s not preachy and very relatable to everyone."

With that said, here we go!

à Unwritten Melody: About the Book

                         Does breaking free require breaking the rules?

Cassie Gilbert lives every day in the shadows of her deceased mom’s rebellion. But now that she’s seventeen, she finds herself longing to break away from her grandmother’s suffocating rules, experience what it’s like to be a regular teenager, and fulfill her songwriting dreams.

James Russo, former American Spotlight contestant, escapes to small town Willow Creek, SC hoping to flee from his tarnished past. When a school project pairs him with the shy principal’s granddaughter, he’s determined to get to know this Emily-Dickinson-obsessed and typewriter-using girl. His plan? Convince Cassie to co-write songs for his demo album.

As Cassie gets to know James over “project meetings” (more like opportunities to match her lyrics with his melodies), she becomes intrigued by his sense of adventure and contagious passion for music. But soon, his past becomes exposed. Cassie’s left to wonder—did she make the same mistake Mom did by falling for the bad boy?

 Then, Grandma’s control pushes her over the edge. Cassie must choose between remaining in the chains of yesterday, or delving into her own freedom by completing the melody her mom left behind.

Book Links:

·        Mark “Unwritten Melody” on Goodreads

·        View “Unwritten Melody” on Amazon

·        View “Unwritten Melody” on Barnes & Noble

Character Sketches for “Unwritten Melody”

CASSIE GILBERT:

17-years-old; blond hair; silver-blue eyes; fair complexion. To her peers, Cassie is known as the shy and intelligent principal’s granddaughter. And, thanks to being raised by her grandparents, she’s never considered herself to be the “average” teen—but she longs to break free from her small town and pursue her dreams. She could spend hours writing lyrics on her typewriter, reading poetry and biographies of Emily Dickinson, or roaming the aisles of books at the Willow Creek Library.

JAMES RUSSO: 18-years-old; spikey black hair; ocean-blue eyes; olive skin. James is the risk-taking musician that teen girls fell in love with during his “five minutes of fame” on American Spotlight. But to be honest? He doesn’t think he deserves the attention he’s received. He could stay up all night composing melodies on his keyboard, with nothing but black coffee and a passion for the power of music to keep him awake.

DAKOTA GILBERT: 18-years-old; dirty blond, ruffled hair; never to be seen without his fishing cap (except at school). Dakota is Cassie’s protective older cousin. It doesn’t take much to make him satisfied. A drive in his rundown baby blue truck through the back roads and listening to country music is a good time for him. Or better yet, give him an evening out by the pond with nothing but the tugging of his fishing pole to fill in the silence, and he’s good to go.

GIVEAWAY!

Be sure to enter this awesome giveaway by clicking on the link below. The packet includes coffee. Coffee, people, coffee.

This prize pack includes…

·         E-copy of Unwritten Melody

·         Signed paperback copy of Purple Moon

·         Unwritten Melody mug, filled with goodies

·         Unwritten Melody swag, including a bookmark, pen, and poster

·         Starbucks mocha flavored instant coffee

·         Free Unwritten Melody: Page-By-Page Secrets PDF

·         Handmade journal

·         Typewritten thank you note

*This giveaway is open to the US only 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And here's more about the author, who got published when she was 19. #dreams

à About Tessa

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show others they’re not alone—and because she remembers the teen life like it was yesterday (or a few years ago). The debut novel she wrote at 16-years-old, PURPLE MOON (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas) was a Selah 2014 Finalist. Her second novel, UNWRITTEN MELODY, releases with Clean Reads November 2016. She’s the Founder of PursueMagazine.net, a magazine that inspires teens to embrace their calling. Tessa also enjoys helping writers achieve their dreams through her internship at Hartline Literary Agency.

When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, Tessa can be found making healthy homemade lattes, speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. She writes in a small town nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Southeastern coast. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website.

à Connect With Tessa

·         Website: www.tessaemilyhall.com

·         Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2ef5bu1

·         Blog: www.ChristisWrite.blogspot.com

·         Twitter: www.twitter.com/tessaemilyhall

·         Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tessaemilyhall

·         Instagram: www.instagram.com/tessaemilyhall

·         Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/tessaemilyhall

à Blog Tour Schedule

Don’t miss the next blog tour stop! Be sure to visit the following blogs on its designated tour date. You can also email tessaemilyhall (at) gmail (dot) com and request to receive the Blog Tour Packet. At the end of the tour, Tessa will send you the downloadable PDF that will contain all of the content from each blog tour stop.

Tues., November 1 – Christ is Write

Wed., November 2 - Adriana Gabrielle Writes

Thurs., November 3 – The Depth of My Faith

Fri., November 4 - Sarah Ruut

Mon., November 7 – God is Love

Tues., November 8 – The Bibliophile Angel

Wed., November 9 - Emily Rachelle Writes

Thurs, November 10 – Word Changers For His Glory

Fri., November 11 – Christian Teen Book Reviews

Mon., November 14 – Phyllis Still

Tues., November 15 – In The Bookcase

Wed., November 16 – Girl Meets Publishing World

Thurs., November 17 - Anna Schaeffer

Fri., November 18 – Ramblings of a Writer

Mon., November 21 - Naomi and Books

Tues., November 22 – Reading is My Superpower

Wed., November 23 – Zerina Blossom’s Books

Thurs., November 24 - Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud

Fri., November 25 – Labor Not in Vain

Mon., November 28 - Barbara Bruitt

Tues., November 29 - Katy Kauffman

Wed., November 30 – Jen Pheobus

Thurs., December 1 – Northern Belle Meg

Fri., December 2 – 2Me From Him

Mon., December 5 - Nicole Quigley

Tues., December 6 – The Destiny of One

Wed., December 7 - Catherine Castle

Thurs., December 8 - Rachelle Rea Cobb

Fri., December 9 – Leslie L. McKee

Be sure to enter the giveaway and tell all your friends. And if you're a fellow writer (or just like reading), I'll think you'll like Tessa's blog, Christ is Write. Make sure you pick up the Kindle Edition of Unwritten Melody.