Advent is almost upon us...

I've never celebrated Advent before - at least not that I can remember. We didn't celebrate it in church when I was growing up, and it wasn't something that our family celebrated either.

But I'm about to change all that. At least for this year. I'm going to start a new tradition at our house. We're going to celebrate Advent - well, sort of. We're going to focus on Christmas at least once a day for the next 25 days, starting tomorrow. I'm going to get Jenny's nativity set (Fisher Price Little Peopl - complete with shepherds and wisemen) out. We're going to read a Christmas story book (some Biblical, some not) and talk about what Christmas is really about, as well as learning the Christmas story.  We're going to do Christmas-y activities (cookies, decorating, crafts, etc) during the weeks to come, as well. 

I'm getting excited.  And I wasn't excited last night.  Christmas is coming way too fast, but nevertheless, my mission field is my home - specifically my children - and I need to be proactive in teaching them what Christmas is all about and sharing the wonderful news that Jesus came to earth to save us! 

No matter how many gifts we give or get this Christmas season, the only one that matters is the gift that God gave us that first Christmas night - the gift of Jesus!

Q4U: How do you prepare for Christmas?  Is Christmas just a day at your house or is it a month-long celebration? Do you celebrate Advent?  What special activities will you be doing in the weeks to come to get ready for Christmas?

Merry Christmas from Revell!!

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, has graciously given us a special gift this Christmas season.  They have allowed me to review two of their newest Christmas books and have given me access to excerpts from these books and another to share with you.

The Christmas Dog (see my review here):  Read an excerpt from this book here. (You will need the free Adobe reader.)

The Unfinished Gift (see my review here): Click here to read an excerpt from this page-turning novel set in WII Philadelphia. (You will need the free Adobe reader.)

Finding Christmas: Click here to read an excerpt from this book. (You will need the free Adobe reader.)












I hope you will enjoy this books as much as I have!

"The Christmas Dog" by Melody Carlson

Melody Carlson is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.  She writes in such an easy conversational style, and her books are light and fun to read.  The Christmas Dog is no exception.  This is such a fun story (though filled with struggles, conflicts, and all of the key elements of a good story) and an easy read.

Normally, I'm not one to pick up a book about an animal, but I made an exception for this book, since it was a Christmas story, and I love Christmas.  I'm glad I made the exception.  I really enjoyed this story and the message contained within it.

From the back cover: Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. Maybe it's because her husband is gone. Maybe it's because she's missing her children. Or maybe it has something to do with her obnoxious new neighbor, who seems to be tearing his house apart and rearranging it on the lawn.  But when a mangy dog appears on her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn what Christmas is really all about.

The story really isn't about the dog, but rather how the dog is used to bring people together and to remind Betty what Christmas is all about.  The story brings out the good in situations that otherwise look grim, and remind us to look beyond the surface to the real person inside.

Click here to read an excerpt from this book. (You will need the free Adobe reader.)

Thanks to Revell for providing a copy of this book for me to read and review.  Be sure to grab a copy of this fun Christmas read for yourself at your local bookseller!

"The Unfinished Gift" by Dan Walsh

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, provided me with a copy of this book to read and review.

Click here to read an excerpt from this page-turning novel set in WII Philadelphia. (You will need the free Adobe reader.)

This book was an enjoyable and easy read.  The story of a grumpy old man, full of bitterness, and a young boy who has lost his mother in a car accident and whose father is a bomber stationed in England.  Through circumstances outside their control, the two are thrown together and forced to work through the issues of the past 10+ years.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing more books from Dan Walsh hit the shelves in the years to come.  He writes in an easy-to-read style, yet brings the language and settings of time-period to life.  This story has twists that are unexpected and will keep you turning the pages.

"The Silent Gift" by Landon & Kelley

A joint effort by Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley, The Silent Gift is a beautifully written historical fiction book.  The story of a single mother and her deaf-mute son, The Silent Gift is a tale of their struggles through life and the faithfulness of God throughout it all.

From the back cover: The decade of the thirties was a time of enormous uncertainty - for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of unyielding love and incredible sacrifices in the face of circumstances beyond belief... But then The Gift appears... where has it come from, and why? How can a young boy who cannot communicate provide comfort and direction to seekers who learn of his special ability? Whatever the source, its presence brings a single shaft of light and hope to Mary and her beloved son, Jack... Will it be enough?

An easy and enjoyable read, The Silent Gift is a book that will have you captivated.  I enjoyed the twists of the story, the tension of the characters, and the reminder at the end of how the story came to be.  Read this book with an open mind, remembering that it is a work of fiction, and you will enjoy this story as much as I did.

Thanks to Bethany House for providing a copy of this book for me to read and review.  Pick up your copy at your local bookseller this fall.

Happy Hunting...

So, our offer on the house expired Friday night at 6pm.  We hadn't heard anything from our Realtor since the Sunday we signed our purchase agreement four weeks prior.  So, naturally, we assumed the deal was dead and we started to make other plans - did a 180 in our thinking/planning.

We sent an email to our Realtor on Saturday morning asking him to return our earnest funds to us ASAP and to let him know we were no longer interested in looking for a home in the area.  

We had decided when we made the offer that if it didn't go through in the time allotted by the contract that it wasn't supposed to happen (and that we weren't supposed to "settle" in IN) and that we would start looking to relocate sooner rather than later.

So, we started calling around to try to find a new apartment, using the classifieds in the local paper.  We found a couple of places to look at and started our "hunt".

We looked at a place on Saturday afternoon. It only had one parking spot, and it was literally inches off the road.  Since we have three vehicles (two personal and one work), that was a no-go.

We made an appointment to look at another place on Monday afternoon, since J had the day off (his "Thanksgiving" holiday).

We still hadn't heard anything from him when we got up Sunday morning to head to church.  At church, people were waiting to hear if we'd heard anything on the house.  We told them what we had heard - NOTHING.

When we got home from church, we had an email from our Realtor.  He was surprised to hear from us, especially saying that we were "done".  He stated that he had talked with the seller's agent last week (would have been nice if he had told us this at the time!!) and that the seller and bank had both approved the offer and were just waiting on the bank's underwriters to approve it (since it would be a loss on the loan they had approved).

So, we had a decision to make.  Did we still want the house?

After much prayer and consideration (including driving out to look at it again), we decided that we had completely changed our focus, and the house no longer fit into our foreseeable future.

Monday, we spent a chunk of the day driving around town looking at apartments and trying to decide if we wanted to "downsize" in order to save up a sizeable downpayment for a house in our "near" (probably a year or so from now - wherever/whenever we are able to relocate) future.  We were able to narrow down our options to one apartment that we liked, had more than enough room for us, and would be a significant savings.

So, hopefully by the end of this week (or early next week), we'll have decided what we want to do in the short-term - stay put or move to this other apt.

And that's the story of our weekend... the best part of which is that I have no voice (or at best, a very limited voice), so communicating was fun!

Q4U: What have you been hunting for lately?

"Though Waters Roar" by Lynn Austin

This book was a slow read.  It was a good book and well written, but it took me four days to finish it, and I normally finish a book of this length in 4-6 hours.  The story covers the "flashbacks" of three generations of women in a family - the grandmother, mother, and daughter - all acting courageously in the face of danger, trusting in God's direction and guidance.

Harriett Sherwood was arrested for possession of alcohol during prohibition.  As she sits in her jail cell, she can't help but wonder what her purpose in life is.  As she ponders, she finds herself reliving the past and remembering the stories her grandmother and mother have told her of their pasts and their fights for temperance and suffrage.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing this book for me to read and review.

A Lo-Tech, Slow-Paced Week

I'm still alive... it's just been a VERY lo-tech week.  I've been doing a lot of "pleasure" reading this week - I went to the library and got some books from some of the authors I've been reviewing books for.  I'm REALLY enjoying reading books by Lauraine Snelling (started the "Red River of the North" series) and the duo of Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller (I finished"The Broadmoor Legacy" series).

We've also been fighting colds this week, so it was a pretty slow-paced week, due to that.

(The rest of this post was originally posted on our "Family Blog" earlier today.)

Today is "D Day" on our house offer.  If we don't hear back from the sellers today, we're retracting our offer and will probably be making plans to downsize til we're able to relocate (probably to MI).  We'll see what happens - it's all in God's hands!

We're looking forward to the upcoming holiday weekend - Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday of the year!  We're planning to head to [BC] when [J] gets out of work on Wednesday (he's getting out early, trying to use up some vacation time) and we'll be in BC in time for dinner and then PPP at CBC!  Thursday, we'll join the [C] Family at GC's house for dinner and hanging out.  Friday, we'll probably hit a few Black Friday sales (especially if we're not buying a house, since we'll have more money to spend on Christmas) and hang with the [E]s on [P] clan.  Saturday, we'll probably head up to GR to spend the rest of the weekend with [H] and [D] ([J]'s sister and brother-in-law) and hopefully Mom and Dad [P], too!

I can't believe there's only 34 days til Christmas! It's sneaking up on me SOOO quickly this year.  I really need to figure out what we're giving people, and I need to get to work on making some of the gifts we're giving!  (If you're on my Christmas list (or [J]'s) - you know who you are - PLEASE let me know ASAP what you'd like so I can get to work!!)

Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the start of the Holiday Season!

"A Measure of Mercy" by Lauraine Snelling

This book is set in North Dakota in the early 1900s.  The first in the "Home to Blessing" series, this book picks up where previous series by Lauraine Snelling have left off. 

(Not having read her previous books, I definitely want to read them having read this one.)

Though I struggled a bit at first to figure out all the characters (thankfully there was a family tree in the front of the book that helped immensely!) and the Norwegian idioms, I found the book to be a fairly easy read that kept my attention from beginning to end.

The only "criticism" I have with the book is that the back of the book sets the stage for a certain 'scene' that really never takes place (at least not how I would have imagined it from reading the back cover).  I feel like the publisher jumped ahead of themselves with the summary on the back cover.

This book will definitely leave you looking for more in this series.  I think this may have been one of the first books I've read in a series (and I've read a lot) that I finished the book wondering where the rest of the book was... and I mean that in a good way.  The story is not resolved by the end of the book, though some resolution does take place, which leaves the reader on edge, wanting more.  This is truly the way to write a series!

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing this book for me to read and review! Be sure to pick up your copy at your local bookseller.

Slacking...

Earlier this week, I blogged about "Stacks".  This post's all about my "slack"ing.  One letter different, but similar stories!

I'm not really sure why I haven't been blogging all week.  It's not been due to a lack of oozing brain clutter.  In fact, I haven't hardly slept all week due to all the brain clutter stuck in my brain.  I just haven't had the energy to get up and let it all ooze out.  I think my sinuses have been overly clogged all week, right on the edge of a sinus infection/head cold, thus causing me to spend less time on the computer and having less time to blog.  It's been a rather lo-tech week - though completely unplanned.

I can't really complain, though.  The lo-tech lifestyle is really much more relaxing and fulfilling.  I mean, I turn off the computer when the task I got on to complete is done, and I have a ton of time to spend with the kids, read books, watch TV with J, and I'm much less stressed about the little things in life!  Maybe I should adopt this lo-tech lifestyle more often!

I generally try to hold to a lo-tech lifestyle on Sundays - a more relaxed, everybody (including Mommy) rests in the afternoons day.  The most tech I generally 'allow' on Sundays is watching a movie while the kids nap or play.

Monday through Wednesdays usually tend to be high-tech days.  From the time school is done in the mornings (or sometimes before) the computer is on and I'm 'lucky' to turn it off before dinnertime!  And, honestly, I'm not accomplishing all that much - I just feel more productive if I'm sitting at the computer all day than if I'm down on the floor with the kids. (Something I'm trying to work on!)

Thursday through Saturdays vary in their tech-iness.  Some weeks/days are high-tech and some are lo-tech.  It really varies from week to week (and sometimes day to day).  J definitely prefers me to have lo-tech days when he's home, so I try to have lo-tech or at least less-tech days during the 'weekend', but some weekends 'require' more tech than others.

Anyways... this was kind of a random ranting post.  If you're still reading, kudos to you.

Q4U: Which day(s) is your "high-tech" day? Which is your "lo-tech" day?

Mooo...

(Picture a sad cow here - I had to remove the picture - it had a copyright on it.)

Having grown up next door to a dairy farm, I think cows are pretty cool.  I have FIVE (the maximum allowed) dairy barns on my Farmville (on Facebook), and when I get the awesome error message with this guy's picture, I have to smile.

Q4U: What makes you smile?

"The Swiss Courier" by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey

This is a GREAT action/spy novel set in WWII Switzerland and Germany that will keep you riveted!  With a few small exceptions, this book was well-written, well-researched, and an entertaining read.  There were one or two "scenes" that I felt played out a little too "quickly" (seemed rushed), but the book as a whole kept me guessing until the end (which is VERY hard to do)!

It's hard to give an accurate summary of the story without giving away any twists or details, so I'll leave you with the publisher's summary from the back of the book (which barely touches the surfaces of the depth of the story):

It is August 1944 and the Gestapo is mercilessly rounding up suspected enemies of the Third Reich after an attempt on Hitler's life. Gabi Mueller is a young woman working for the newly formed American Office of Strategic Services (forerunner to the CIA) in Switzerland. When she is asked to put herself in harm's way to safely "courier" a German scientist who is working on the atomic bomb out of enemy territory, the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

This is one book I'd love to see made into a movie!  As Bob Welch states on the back cover, this book "sizzles like a 24 episode with a World War II twist."  Definitely a must read!

Thanks to Revell publishers for providing this copy for me to read and review.  Pick up your copy from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, at your favorite local bookseller!

Stacks...

I watched "The Prince & Me" (and DVRed the other two) on ABC Family yesterday afternoon, and I thought "Stacks" was an appropriate title for this post (although for reasons other than the use of the word in the movie!).

I have a stack of cook books and recipes sitting on one corner of my countertop.  I put it there on Friday (I think), in hopes that J would decide to pick out some food he'd like for me to make.  He keeps commenting on my lack of interest in cooking, but it's really more that I don't want to decide what to make for dinner - I'd rather just be told what's for dinner and then make it (or at least what ingredients I have to work with - narrowed down from my pantry).  Unfortunately, he's not wanting to look through the books.  And I haven't had time (or haven't made time) to deal with it.  So we have a "boring" meal plan for this month (although I did finally make a monthly meal plan again!!!) unless I get inspired to start cooking from a book.

I also have a stack (though they're standing up and not stacked horizontally) of books from the library that are due tomorrow.  The problem is, I haven't touched them since I brought them home three weeks ago (other than to move them out of the way).  They're workbooks that I want to scan pages from to create a worksheet database on my computer for Jenny.  The only problem is that my scanner is finicky and is in the other room.  I think I might just renew them online.

I have another stack of books - books to read and review.  I have one I need to get done before Wednesday.  It looks really good, I just haven't had time to sit down and read it.  But I'm hoping to get into it today!  And I'm starting to grow a nice stack of Christmas-y books to read and review, too.

I have a stack (actually, a bowl) of candy sitting at the desk next to me.  It's Jenny & David's Halloween candy.  I love Halloween!  There's nothing like a bowl full of candy in a house where the kids are allowed very little candy most of the time - Mommy and Daddy will have to help eat it in order for it to be eaten up before it goes bad!

I'm sure I could think of other stacks I have laying around my house, but I should probably redirect my attention to taking care of some of the stacks rather than just writing about them!

Q4U: What stacks do you have sitting around your house?

Catching up on "life"...

I'm still alive.  Don't worry.  I was just gone for 6 days out of the last 8, and I'm still trying to get caught up, without neglecting my family too much - especially J, since we got back as he ended his work week.

It's amazing what six days away can do to mess up your sense of "normalcy".  We (the kids and I) headed to my mom and dad's in MI last Friday afternoon, and we got back about 4:15pm on Wednesday afternoon.  We enjoyed our time away - seeing family and friends and just relaxing at "Grandma's" - but we were glad to see J again!

I'm thinking about taking up Freezer Cooking.  I already do it to some extent - make more than we need of dishes and then freezing the leftovers in meal-sized portions - but I'd like to extend the number and variety of meals I have available in my freezer at any given time.  I'll probably wait til after the first of the year to do any major Freezer Cooking, but I want to start building a list of recipes that will work, and planning my shopping/cooking day(s) so I'm ready when I'm ready!

I'm excited about some Christmas-y books I got in the mail this week!  I can't wait to read and review them. I'm a big fan of the Christmas season!

I think I've finally found a "happy" way to coupon.  I just file each week's coupons all together and input them into my database with the date of the inserts.  It saves space and time.  Then I can easily locate the ones I need when planning my lists or while at the store, and I can just clip the ones I need.  It's become MUCH less time consuming.  I just keep my list and coupons (in pocket folders) in my "life binder".  My loose coupons (from samples, blinkies, etc) are just kept in a envelope by month in my binder.

This post has been pretty random, but so has my life lately.  I'll try to get back to "normalcy" starting tomorrow... we'll see how well that works!

Q4U: What's one thing you "can't" survive a week without?

Fall Fun Blog Tour from Waterbrook/Multnomah

This month I had a chance to read three fun books from Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishers.  I really enjoyed each of these three light and easy reads.

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

Leaving Carolina was a book that drew me from the start.  Little by little, you find yourself falling deeper and deeper into the story.  I didn't want to put it down!  Piper Wick makes an enjoyable main character, and her eccentric family and 'friends' only add to the chaos and turmoil she finds herself in (and which she's trying to get out of for good)!

Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She’s considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable–and Maya’s ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything.

To complicate matters even more, Maya’s mother will be released from prison soon, and she’ll want Maya to live with her again. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad’s old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a “normal” life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most.

What Matters Most is a cute, up-to-date book written in the style of a teenager's diary/journal.  I found myself thinking over and over as I read this book that I would have LOVED this series as a high-schooler.  Even now, I enjoyed the style and story that Melody Carlson has woven together in this book.  I also enjoyed "Maya's Green Tip of the Day" that was at the end of each chapter - a very current trend for teens today!

Claudette Fioré used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone.

Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it’s too late to change.

Limelight struck me as "different" from the start.  The characters are very "west coast" and "Hollywood", and they may be semi-offensive to more conservative readers.  However, Melody Carlson brings a modern-day story full of life and turmoil in the midst of life to the pages of this book.  I struggled to remember that the main character is an 82-year-old woman, as some of the activities and situations she finds herself in seem a bit of a stretch for a woman who is that "old", but in all reality, she could have been 50-years-old and the main ideas of the story could have been the same.  All-in-all, it was a fun and easy read.  

Thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah for providing me with a copy of these books to read and review!