Happy Birthday, Avery!

This time last year, (yesterday, to be exact) a sweet friend said both hello and goodbye to her baby girl.  It was completely unexpected.  She was set to deliver, but before she went into labor, she felt Avery not moving like she normally did.  After realizing something was wrong when she hadn't felt her move in a little while, they went to the hospital where it was realized that their baby girl would not be coming home with them. 

How do you say both hello and goodbye to a part of you?  I'm not sure, to be honest.  Many of my friends have lost a child or a baby and I don't even know if they know how you can say goodbye.  We had a miscarriage early on with our first pregnancy and I still think about what that baby would have been like.  They are such a part of you that I think (or at least I've heard from many who have gone through this) that a part of you is gone as well.  Part of you longs to be with them.

If you'll remember, she went through this 3 days before I went into labor.  Then after I had Baby M, I felt guilty and sad.  When I first looked at her, all I could do was cry because this is what Fireman B and Mrs. A should be experiencing with their firstborn child.  It wasn't supposed to end like that for them. 

Over this past year, not a day goes by when I don't look at Baby M and think of them.  I pray for them constantly for God to bless them with more babies.  (You can pray for that, too!)  I pray for comfort and peace and for God's grace to rain down on them.  They are such an encouragment to us and I'm so thankful God has brought them into our lives.  I doubt that there will ever be a day when I don't look at Baby M and think of Avery and her sweet family.

Happy 1st birthday, Avery. You are such a beautiful little girl.  I know your family loves and misses you so very much, but you are being held in the presence of Jesus.  We miss you and will see you one day very soon.

Potty Training Boot Camp

We are working through a new milestone in our household.  B is going through potty training boot camp.  He's been peeing in the toilet when we tell him to go, but I felt like he needed to start initiating it on his own.  He was always too scared to poop on the toilet, so thus the reason for potty training boot camp.  After reading and researching a bit, we've been using the half-naked approach.  The theory behind it is that he will not like the feel of it coming out on his legs so he'll use the toilet.  So far, so good.  Not one accident since yesterday and he's going when he feels the need to go.  We are quite proud of him, if you can imagine.  We're actually more excited about getting to stop changing diapers/pull-ups/undies less often.  We've gotten lots of prizes and at the end of the week he will get a pool if he manages to go all week without an accident.  He'll do anything for a good swim!

Fireman B

A friend of ours is a fireman for the city and offered for us to come to his station and tour the fire truck and drive it out into the parking lot.  We took Mr. Fireman up on his offer and headed over there one morning.  B was scared!  I think it was because it was so big and tall and honestly, it was much bigger than I remembered.  He wouldn't let me go, which is odd for him, because he is so independent.  At one point, Mr. Fireman asked B if he'd like to drive it.  I knew B would regret not doing it so I told Mr. Fireman to just take him and he'd be fine.  He cried the whole time but when we got in the car, he kept talking about how he drove the fire truck.  (Just like he "sat" on Santa's lap, if you remember that whole picture!)

Mr. Fireman gave B a sticker badge and a hat, which he still plays with.  Every time he sees a fire truck, he asks if we can go see Mr. Fireman and ride in his truck again.  Next time, we're taking Mr. Fireman's wife because B just loves Mrs. Amb!  He won't be so scared if she's there, I'm sure.

Fireman B is "riding the range" with firehorse princess.

Book Review: Chasing Sunsets by Eva Marie Everson

I have a new beach read to recommend, girls!  I really enjoyed this book from start to finish.  It kept me turning pages and not wanting to put it down to go to sleep!

Kimberly Tucker and her ex-husband, Charlie, are in the middle of a divorce because of Charlie's less-than-appropriate behaviors.  This is not what Kimberly envisioned her life to be when she said her vows years earlier.  Now stuck in the middle of this are their 2 boys who don't enjoy spending time with their dad because they say that he has girl after girl over and they get stuck at their grandparents house while their dad is partying.  After the judge ruled that they must spend 5 consecutive weeks out of their summer at their dad's house, Kimberly isn't for sure what she should do with herself.

She decides that she'll head to Cedar Key, the place of some of her fondest childhood memories.  It's here that she runs into her first love.  And as the back of the book says, and I think it sums it up best, "Sometimes you get a second chance at your first love."

Available June 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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Both Revell Books and Baker Publishing Group have provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond

I really enjoy fiction books set in a different time period or in a setting that seems less rushed and more intentional.  When I saw that this book was set in the Dakota prairie, I was excited.  However, once I started to read it, I found it hard to continue.  It was a slower type of book and the book moves around the theme of Susannah trying to learn to actually love someone after spending her entire life with no one really loving her.  She spends her days thinking that one day Jesse will wake up and decide that she's not good enough for him and that he'll leave her. 

This wasn't a badly written book.  It was just a book that either I didn't grasp or that needed just a bit more added to it in order to make it a book that you just can't put down. 
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About the book: Spring for Susannah

Booklist says, "Inspired by [folk] lyrics, Richmond arrives on the inspirational fiction scene with a moving debut novel. Readers will be filled with hope that Susannah will learn the true meaning of love. Highly recommended where inspiring, romantic historical fiction is in demand."

Hundreds of miles from home, Susannah faces an uncertain future as a mail-order bride on the untamed Dakota prairie.

When her parents die suddenly, and no suitors call, Susannah resigns herself to the only option available: becoming a mail-order bride. Agreeing to marry her pastor's brother, Jesse, Susannah leaves the only home she's ever known for the untamed frontier of the Dakota Territory .

Her new husband is more loving and patient with her than she believes she deserves. Still, there is also a wildness to him that mirrors the wilderness surrounding them. And Susannah finds herself constantly on edge. But Jesse's confidence in her-and his faith in God's perfect plan-slowly begin to chip away at the wall she hides behind.

When she miscarries in the brutal Dakota winter, Susannah's fledgling faith in herself and in God begins to crumble. Still, Jesse's love is unwavering. Just when it seems like winter will never end, Susannah finally sees the first tentative evidence of spring. And with it, the realization that more than the landscape has changed.

She looks to the future with a renewed heart. Yet in her wildest dreams, she couldn't predict all that awaits her.

About Catherine: Catherine Richmond was focused on her career as an occupational therapist till a special song planted a story idea in her mind. That idea would ultimately become Spring for Susannah, her first novel. She is also a founder and moderator of Nebraska Novelist critique group and lives in Nebraska with her husband.

For more about Catherine, please visit www.catherinerichmond.com.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Spring-Susannah-Catherine-Richmond/dp/1595549242?ie=UTF8&tag=sprightly-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969

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To celebrate her debut novel, Catherine and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have teamed up to give away a Spring For Susannah Prize Package worth over $150!

One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen

* Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond (for KINDLE)

To enter just click one of the icons below and then tell your friends! But hurry, giveaway ends on June 27th. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, June 28th at 5 PM (6PM MST, 7PM CST, & 8PM EST) during Catherine's Spring for Susannah Book Club Party on Facebook! Catherine is rustling up some fun for the party - she'll be chatting about the story behind her novel, hosting a book club chat, testing your mail-order bride trivia skills, and giving away some GREAT prizes! Don't miss the fun and tell your friends!

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I received this book free from litfuse publishing program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Book Review: A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

I was very surprised by this book...in a good way.  I was expecting this book, which is a love story of Esther, to really follow the same story as the Bible.  Many of the characters are the same, except King Ahasuerus, who is a much more admirable character than the real king in the Bible.  However, she did use the storyline but added a human viewpoint, as well as some conversations, settings, etc. that probably did not occur (and if they did, they weren't recorded).  This book was fun to read, but you do have to remember that this is NOT the SAME story as found in the Bible.  It would be a great book to pair up after reading Esther in-depth because then you will begin to see the similarities and differences very clearly.  I definitely recommend reading this book, but do caution you to read Esther in the Bible first!

In this book, Esther is raised by Mordecai.  Mordecai has a dream and feels like he is to send Esther as a choice to marry the King, who has just gotten rid of his Queen.  Mordecai is hoping that Esther is chosen so that she will be able to step in and save the Jewish people from Haman, a Palestine man that the Jews fear, and rightfully so.  The king chooses Esther and makes her Queen and she searches for why she was placed in this role and how to keep it a secret that she is part Jew.  As Haman's jealousy grows, she is given the chance to save her people.

You can buy this book here, if you'd like.

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About the book: A Reluctant Queen

An inspiring re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love.

See the story of Esther in an entirely new way-with all the political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a passionate and tender love story between a young man and woman. Misunderstood by many, King Xerxes was a powerful but lonely man. Esther's beauty caught the eye of the young king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart.

Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith's great heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of Christianity. More here.

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About Joan:

Joan Wolf was born in New York City but has lived most of her adult life with her husband in Connecticut , where she raised two children and countless numbers of assorted animals. Joan is the author of numerous historical novels including The Road to Avalon which Publishers Weekly lauded as “historical fiction at its finest.”

For more about Joan and her other books, please visitwww.joanwolf.com.

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Facebook Party!

To celebrate Joan Wolf’s debut Christian Fiction title, A Reluctant Queen, Joan and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have teamed up to give away A Reluctant Queen prize package worth over $150!

One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen

* A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf (for KINDLE)

To enter, just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the contest ends on June 20th. Winner will be announced on June 21st during Joan’s A Reluctant Queen Book Club Party on Facebook (details below)! Hope to see you there – bring your friends!

Join the fun on June 21st! 

Joan will be wrapping up the blog tour and Kindle giveaway promotion during her A Reluctant Queen FACEBOOK party on her FB author page. During the party she'll announce the winner of the Kindle, host a book chat discussion, test your trivia skills (Is Esther's story in A Reluctant Queen fact or fiction?), and more. Don't miss this chance to meet the author and make some new friends!
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I was given this book free in exchange for my review of this book.



Book Review: Too Rich for a Bride by Mona Hodgson

It's okay to want to be a business woman more than a wife, right?  For Ida, that's all she wants.  Her sister's want so much more for her, like for her to find a husband.  They decide to take it upon themselves to find her a man.

Ida finds a mentor to help her in the male-dominated business world of the stock market.  Mollie O'Bryan teaches her all she needs to know.  However, what she doesn't teach her is what to do when not just 1, but 2, men start to show her attention.  Will she fall for one of them or will she decide that she is indeed too rich to be a bride and that her joy is found in being a business woman and not as a wife.

This book is the second in the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series.  Having not read the first book, I still found this book to be a good read and now want to read the first book.  It was a light-hearted book that makes for a fun summer book.
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I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my review.

Book Review: Freedom's Stand by Jeanette Windle

What an intriguing book that was a page-turner!  This is a book I would definitely recommend to others.  It was also apparently nominated for the Golden Scroll Award.  Freedom' Stand is a sequel to Veiled Freedom.  It was fine to read without having read the first book, but I feel like I need to read the first one to gain a bit more understanding into this book.

Amy Mallory, an American relief worker, and Steve Wilson, a former U.S. soldier who is a private contractor are both working in Afghanistan.  While there, they see and experience the horrid circumstances that many who chose to live for Christ in these Islamic areas often face.

This book included much about Afghanistan and the author made it feel like you were truly experiencing the same experiences that she was writing about, as well as seeing the same places as her.  It is a romance book, but it is a thriller more than that.  It's heart-breaking as you see the way the women are treated and the abuse that goes on for those who live for Christ.

I find this to be one of those books that is hard to sum up in such few words.  Definitely a book that you should check out!

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I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my review.

We love animals!

I know Easter was a couple months ago, but I kept meaning to post these pictures and I forgot!  Our church has an annual Easter egg hunt for the preschool and children's departments.  This year, to allow everyone to get to the church before all of the eggs were hunted, they decided to have a petting zoo to keep the interest of all the kids.  It was definitely a great idea and all the kids loved it.

The softest hair!



Baby M kept smiling and petting this little lamb.  It was so cute!

 

This was right after he tried to take the pig for a ride in the wagon...I got to him before he got rolling!

Finding those eggs.  He knew more of what to do this year but wanted to open up EVERY egg and eat the candy BEFORE finding another one.

Memory Verse for Corduroy

I put a memory verse with each book that we study so that not only do we read the book daily, but we also say our memory verse many times throughout the day.  I firmly believe that I should saturate my kids with Bible verses, as well as I should be doing in my own personal life.  I'm not saying that just because he knows these verses that he will choose to submit to Christ at an early age, but my job as a mother is to present and live the gospel in my own life.  My home is my mission field at this point in my life.  That's why I always say that I never take my job lightly.  It's not easy, but I know one day it will pay off.

Our memory verse for Corduroy was Proverbs 17:17.  I choose to use the Cubbies worksheets from Awana for our Bible time.

Corduroy Lesson #9

On this particular morning, we dug out some teddy grahams and counted them by putting them on a graph that I had made.  We counted bears up to 8 and then the favorite part of all that hard work was getting to eat them.  Yum!  Of course, he may have been missing a few before he got to 8....I just might have been tempted to eat some while putting them on the table for him.  I saw him take a few sneak chews, too!

Book Review: Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann

I don't normally read these type of books because I hate suspense!  Needless to say, by the time I got done with this book, I had no nails.  I have no clue if it's really as suspenseful to most people as it is to me, but guess you'll have to read it for yourself to find out.  Then you'll have to let me know what you thought!

After Trevor McDaniel rescues a toddler from a mountain lion, he meets the toddler's aunt, Natalie.  Natalie is a sculpture who sculpts images out of clay that tend to stick in her mind constantly.  She always sees these pictures in her mind and they are very vivid.  However, Trevor can't put aside his past.  As his life becomes in danger, will he be able to save Natalie when he can't even save so many others?

This is apparently a sequel to Indivisible, which I have not read.  If you like suspense, then this book is for you.  If you don't, then skip this book!

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I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers.  I was given this book in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Book Review: Money Secrets of the Amish by Lorilee Craker

The Amish community is known for being frugal and for being simple and sharing what they have witabsolutely anyone, whether they need it or not.  They work together to provide health insurance and to pay medical bills for anyone in their community.  They are perfectly content with what they have and don't need a lot of materialistic things to make them happy.  In fact, they constantly fight against it in all areas of their life, which is something I need to be more careful about doing.

This book talks about despoiling children, buying in bulk, making more things for yourself, and many other topics.  It's a great guide to a start of a more frugal and rewarding lifestyle that is more simple.  I'm looking forward to applying some of the principles mentioned in this book into our own family.

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I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <[...]> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 <[...]> : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

Book Review: When You Can't Find God by Linda Evans Shepherd

It's easy to ask the question "Where is God when...?"  When a mom is diagnosed with cancer and only has 2 months or less to live and has to leave behind her 2 young children, where is God?  Where is God when a mother looses her firstborn child before she is even able to hold her in her arms?  I think all of us are full of these questions.  However, we forget that God is still there.  He's still with us, drawing us closer to Him, if we will only choose to let Him come closer to us.

This book is an encouraging book that reminds us to pray through those tough times and to find the peace and hope that only God alone can give, which also produces the joy that we find when we are resting in Him.  Linda Shepherd knows this first-hand as she has walked this path in her own personal life.  Her now adult daughter was in a car wreck 20 years ago and suffered severe brain damage.  Linda learned that the only way to find that peace she so desperately needed was not to put aside the hard questions, but to ask them and have faith and cling to what God has said and know that He alone is in control even when we don't understand.  How encouraging! 

If you've ever asked the questions "Where's God when...?" then this book's for you!

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This book is available in May 2011 at your favorite bookseller, from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Book Review: A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad

If you're looking for a fun summer read, I definitely recommend this book.  I found myself laughing in some spot and just thoroughly enjoying this book.  This is the second book in the Lake Manawa Summers Series.  I haven't read Making Waves but I had no difficulty following along and am now looking forward to reading the first book in this series.

Emily Graham is a 22-year-old woman who is independent and in some ways, headstrong.  While at a resort, her aunts and grandmother decide that she it's time for her to settle down and find a man to marry.  Each person brought before her was turned down.  She just couldn't find a need for a man in her life, not to mention that she had no time at all for one in her life.  When she goes roller skating, she accidentally runs into a man, Carter Stockton, who is a pitcher for the Manawa Owls.   While Carter is trying to prove that he's meant to play baseball instead of working in a family business, will Emily decide that perhaps it's time for her to allow a man into her life?  Perhaps Carter will decide that Emily is a great catch for him in his life.

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This book is available in May 2011 at your favorite bookseller, from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Corduroy Lesson #8

Corduroy is now completed!  We had a lot of fun with this book.  We did many things besides what I posted here, such as collecting money in our piggy bank for small tasks that could be completed around the house.  We also went to the mall to ride the escalator (which those of you who know me know just how much I hated that!  For those who don't know me as well, I love escalators for some odd reason...perhaps because the country doesn't have escalators).

On this particular day, we sorted buttons.  Poor Corduroy was missing a button, so we did one day of sorting buttons by colors and by sizes.  He stayed focused on the task at hand and really enjoyed doing it.  We repeated this activity later when Daddy T got home because he was so proud of what he could do.

 And the completed task looked like this...

Can you tell he's one proud boy?!