Actual Birthday

We spent Baby M's actual birthday as a family.  Daddy T had to go to K-ville the night before (just like when I went into labor and he had to come home early that morning after me waking him up saying I was in labor) so when he got home he slept a little before going in to work.  We had a birthday dinner at a local Japanese restaurant that is one of our favorites and they brought her some ice cream with a candle.  My mom came to stay the night and visit so we decided to take the kids to the children's museum.  They had so much fun!  I think I was still in denial that my baby was 1.  I knew if I stopped to really think about it, then I'd cry. 

Baby M, I can't imagine our family without you.  You balance out B with the COMPLETE opposite personality.  You listen and obey even at this early age.  You love for me to cuddle you and I love it too because I know that one day too soon you'll be independent and want me away.  We love you precious girl!  You make us laugh so much with all of those "girly" things you do.  Who knew that girls are ingrained to do certain things, just like boys.  Girls come out knowing what to do with babies and phones and kitchens.  Boys know how to make car noises and pee outside!

Oh....in case you haven't figured out, we love Bob the Builder!  Happy 1st Birthday Baby M!

Book Review: A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley

Set in Rocky Creek Texas in 1882, lives a girl in a town where everyone are neighbors and know what you do and when you do it.  However, there's a guy that's entered their town that is full of secrets and makes everyone feel a little uncomfortable.  Lucy helps stop a wagon from being robbed and that is when David, the man with secrets, falls in love with her.  However, he doesn't realize that it's love at first and is kind of annoyed with her.  You'll have to read the book to see how the twists and turns guide them to find and admit their love for each other.

Margaret does a great job writing an enjoyable book that is fun to read.  She is full of humor and this book is one that keeps you turning the pages, even if you know how it might end.  I will definitely be reading more of her books!
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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."

Baby M turns 1!

Can it possibly have been a year?  I mean, wasn't I just having Baby M and bringing her home to meet her brother?  So much happens in the first year!  Baby M started crawling and moving and was walking at 10 months, just like her big brother.  I always say she learned to walk for her safety so she could get out of the way of B!  She'll be running soon, I just know it.  She's already walking faster and faster.

Baby M has the sweetest temperament unless she doesn't get what she's wanting.  She smiles a lot and very rarely gets in a bad mood.  She loves to cuddle and be held.  She doesn't like to be left alone and only goes to certain people without screaming.  She is totally girl....loves purses (which she never puts hers down), dresses, shoes, and phones.  She talks ALL of the time.  It doesn't matter if anyone is listening or not, she still wants to talk.  She loves music and actually has really good rhythm, just like her brother.  She likes to play the piano and anytime she hears music she stops what she's doing and dances.  She likes to play all of my musical instruments and sing.

At her checkup yesterday, she was 17 pounds and 30 inches long.  Her head was still in the 90th percentile!  All those brains....

Because of so many pictures, I'll post her actual birthday pictures later.  We had her party on Saturday and her birthday was on Wednesday.  We had just a small family party and it turned out so nice.  My mom even embroidered her birthday shirt for her.  It turned out so cute!

Book Review: Martha by Diana Wallis Taylor

Set in the times of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, Martha finds herself fulfilling the role of her mother after her mother passed away.  She has so much to do and sometimes has to rely on Mary, which isn't necessarily a help since Mary liked to daydream in the middle of tasks.

Martha has high hopes of getting married, but no man seems to want her for some reason.  Phineas chose another girl and Martha realizes that if she were to get married and leave then her family would have no one to take care of them.

Martha also likes to think of the Messiah being born to one of them and walking around with them.  Many in her village are looking for the Messiah to come like He promised He would.

To see Lazarus being raised from the dead from Martha's point of view was interesting, as well as all of her encounters with Jesus.

If you like historical Biblical fiction, I definitely recommend this book.  It's not a long book, but it is a well-written book.  Do keep in mind that it is fiction and not a replacement to the true account in the Bible, though, although she did do a good job recounting the events in the Bible and staying true to those.

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I received this book from Revell Publishing Group, which is a division of Baker Publishing Group.  In exchange for receiving the book for free, I was asked to write my review of this book, whether good or bad.

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.