Book Review: Love At Last Sight

Love at Last Sight by Kerry & Chris Shook is a 30-day program that is designed to help you grow and deepen your closest relationships, including those that are friends, married couples, siplings, and parents.  Week 1 was probably the most challenging for me personally because it was about "The Art of Being All There."  Many times, I find myself distracted and not always "there" for those that need me the most.  I try to be and I want and desire to be, but I'm not.  It really made me think about some things in my life personally.

The layout of the weeks are as follows:
Week 1-The Art of Being All There; Week 2-The Art of Acting Intentionally; Week 3-The Art of Risking Awkwardness; Week 4-The Art of Letting Go.

At the end of each day, there are challenges for you to complete.  They are mostly reflective questions, but the questions help lead you to the change that you need/want in relationships.  It was an interesting read for me.

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I received this book free from Waterbrook Press and from Blogging for Books.  I was under no requirements to write a positive review; I was only required to write my honest opinion of the book that I read.

The Easiest Dip

I forgot where I got this recipe, but it's so good that we sometimes eat it for a meal.  It's simply 8oz. cream cheese, 8 oz. sour cream, a pack of taco seasoning, and a jar of salsa.  Yummy!  We then eat lettuce and tomatoes on top of it.  Have I mentioned how good it is?  Let me know what you think when you make it.

Pictures

These kiddos love to read together.  Well, Baby M likes to actually chew the paper and B has quite the challenge of keeping it out of her mouth.  He loves his sister most of the time.

B and his Pop lying in the hay after a full day of feeding cows, checking fences, throwing rocks in the pond, and who knows what else.  Pop was probably really ready for his nap.  B was just posing, I'm sure.  Apparently he got in once and Dad told him that the cows would eat him if he was with the hay.  That made it more difficult to get him to go back in again to lay on it!

This picture was when I was pregnant with Baby M.  B loves motorcycles and after one of our Sunday School dinners, one of the couples who had driven their motorcycle let B sit on theirs.  He thought it was fun and was disappointed when it wouldn't start.

Santa 2010....enough said.  He did go through the rest of the mall saying "I sit Santa's lap."  I responded with "well, you didn't really....you more like dropped off his lap."  He was proud of himself, though.  He had no problem with Santa as long as he wasn't sitting on his lap.  Good thing I expected this to happen so I chose the picture that had Baby M smiling instead.

After Kindermusik, there was a gymnastics facility that had open gym time.  This proved great for B to be able to go in and jump and get some energy out before lunch and nap.  Plus, I didn't have to worry about him jumping in anything he shouldn't for fear he'd get hurt.

Boot Camp-Orientation Week

This was my first week at Boot Camp for the orientation week.  I was extremely nervous about it because just the name in itself sounds very intimidating.  I like being active, but I don't really view myself as an athletic person.  I've played sports and like exercising, but I've never been the best at either of those.  I've been good, just not the best.  However, I do give my best, which I'm learning is all that matters. That's a huge thing for me to discover.  I've mentioned my fear of failure and disappointment a lot, so I'm proud that I'm doing something that I wasn't so sure I could be successful at. 

So, what do I think about boot camp?  It's awesome!  It works EVERY single muscle and despite it being very, very early in the morning, I have more energy and it's a great way for me to start my day.  I was sore after the first day or orientation, and that was just basically him showing us how to use the ropes!  We run on the bosu balls, since it's so cold out. 

We do our fitness test on Monday, which will consist of the push ups, sit ups and running a mile.  I personally hate push ups, so I'm not so sure I'll do good on that.

Where does my running fit in?  On the off days.  This is a 4-day program, so on the days that I'm not doing that I will be running.  There's a race in April I plan to run and there's one in February that I'm contemplating.  If anyone in my area knows of some races that are fun for beginners, please let me know!  I'm don't even mind going to the big city in the middle of my state to do that.

I'll try to post updates to my Boot Camp experience simply because I've been asked to.  I would highly encourage anyone to do it.  It's incredible....at least where I go.

Book Review: Love on Assignment

Love on Assignment by Cara Lynn James was a fun book to read.  It is based in the 1900s in Newport, Rhode Island.  At that time, it was a fancy place that those who were rich and beautiful would go.  So naturally, if a woman who is an aspiring reporter is asked to go there undercover, she would go.

Charlotte was asked to go undercover by her boss to check out Daniel.  Daniel was a young man who had lost his wife and had become a professor of religion.  He was well-known in the area for his very controversial topics that he chose to write about in the paper.  His articles made for great reads.  There was only one problem....he was writing for a different paper and not theirs. 

Charlotte decided to be his governess so that she could investigate a scandal that involved Daniel.  However, once there, he helps her to find her faith once again and to realize just how much God wants to be in our lives.  She has difficulty bringing this family down because of all they have helped her gain.  Will she protect the family or will she give him up?  You'll have to read it to find out!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.”

Please pass the croup. Please.

Apparently the croup comes in pairs at my house.  B started to get sick when he came back from the country.  We thought it was just allergies, but apparently it's not.  He's been wheezing really bad, so we're back on breathing treatments and steroids (so much fun) for him.  Being the sweet big brother he is, he shared it with Baby M and now she has it, too.  At the same time.  So she's on steroids and refuses to sleep.  I'm just a tad bit frazzled and tired of fighting them to sleep or to sit down to take the breathing treatments.  I'm thankful that's all it is, but I will be glad when they both feel better and they get back on their routine.  I've accomplished absolutely nothing this week!

I'm sure that people think I must be crazy in the winter because I try to keep B away from a lot of people.  It's not that I just don't want him sick.  It's that when he gets sick, his asthma kicks in high gear.  I hate the breathing treatments because they make him shaky and wired and agitated.  I can never get him to take the full dose because he ends up shaking so bad that I have to stop.  It's either that or him stop breathing, so I chose the shaking.  Daddy T had asthma but outgrew it, so I'm hoping B does, too.  The bad news is that croup usually comes with asthma. Not always, but usually.  Not good news for this household!  Please pray that Baby M doesn't have it.  I'd hate to have 2 sick all of the time.

So, that's my excuse for my lack of updates.  I've simply been in demand and on duty 24/7 this week.  I'm tired!

New Year's Resolutions

I'm not really a New Year's Resolution type of girl, but I figured with all of the big plans we have planned for this year, why not?  So after thinking about it for a short time, here's a rough draft of my resolutions...

1.)Lose the baby weight.  (This will hopefully be a by-product of the rest of my resolutions.)

2.)Finish at least 3 months of boot camp.  Yipee!

3.)Run at least 3 5ks

4.)Run a 10k

4.)Keep my schedule simple and my focus on my family.

5.)Commit to not only reading through the Bible again, but also praying specifically for every country in the world by using the Operation World book as my guide.  I don't want to only pray for them, but I'm asking God to really lay a country heavily on my heart so that I will desire to know more about it and to pray for it all of the time.

6.)Limit the Starbucks drinks:)  I'm doing lots better, but I still have a ways to go to kick the addiction!

So, friends....what is your resolution?  Dare you share with me?  I might like to borrow some of yours too!

Book Review: Hatteras Girl

Hatteras Girl by Alice Wisler was a fun read.  The beginning offered a lot of details in some parts, which tended to make my mind wander.  However, I was hooked from the beginning.  It was funny, sweet, and had romance but not the sappy kind. 

Jackie Donovan has always wanted to be the owner of the Bailey House, which was a bed and breakfast.  It held so many wonderful memories of her childhood and she wanted to restore it and reopen it to its former glory.  She finally meets the grandson of the Baily House who has some secrets about the house that he doesn't want anyone to find out about.  When Jackie does find out, it changes that relationship entirely.  If it wasn't for her best friend, things would have been disastrous.  Thanks to the Bailey House, it brings two people together who might never have viewed themselves as a "couple."

Alice Wisler is a great storyteller and writer.  This was the first book I have read by her, but I already have gotten her other two!





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This book was received free from Bethany House Publishers for me to review.  I was not required to write a positive review for this book...only my opinion!

Merry Christmas!

It is now safe for me to show these pictures since they have been distributed. Here are some of the top pictures that we had taken.

It is now safe for me to show these pictures since they have been distributed.  Here are some of the top pictures that we had taken.

Photo

Since Daddy T wasn't able to make it to our race on time due to the cold and construction, Aunt Mo and I weren't able to have our picture taken.  However, there are some on the race page.  You will have to follow the links to view the picture, though.

http://BrentwoodCameraClub.zenfolio.com/p751891588/e10bab477