a rainy day book review

I am a Lynn Austin fan, so I was ecstatic to receive this book for free from Bethany House Publishers to review. I am also a Biblical Fiction fan - I'm overly intrigued with the culture and lifestyle of those times. I secretly wish I could experience is for one day. That's why I couldn't wait to read this book: Return to Me.

Unfortunately, I was not impressed with this book. It was not what I expected from Austin. Her characters always grab me and pull me into their stories - I usually finish Austin's books wishing I could read more about her characters. This book, however, left me struggling to connect to any of the characters. As another reviewer stated, I was frustrated with the characters. I felt they lacked dimension - I had a difficult time connecting with them.
I understand that this is Biblical Fiction based upon historical facts, but fiction should provide the liberty to add more dimension to the story while maintaining historical facts. I was bored. I trudged through this book in hopes of a spark in the plot, but the book trudged along a one-dimensional plot line for 200+ pages. When there would seem to be a spark in the storyline, it was resolved on the very next page, so there was no suspense at all in this book.
I would recommend it for insight into Biblical history, as it beautifully describes the rebuilding of the temple and the events surrounding it. But, as for entertainment, I would not recommend it. There was not enough drama/action/romance/activity, character development, or relationships to keep my interest. I simply trudged through the book so that I could give a honest review.

A Book Review

This summer, I received a special from Bethany House Publishers: 2 free books in one month!! I couldn't have been more excited. The first book I read, Rebellious Heart, was SO good, the second...not so good. I HATE writing negative reviews just as much as I HATE giving students negative feedback on their writing...but sometimes it MUST be done...

photo from Amazon.com (linked)

I have read Tracie Peterson books in the past. This book is not unlike the others I have read. It has an enlightening historical setting, which seems more interesting than the love story between the two main characters.
I felt this book was too predictable, like her other books. It was a sweet story and a nice lesson on loving others as Christ loves us, but the rest of the story was lacking. The characters did not seem developed enough for me to feel attached to them. I found myself wanting to skip ahead so that I could finish reading it and start reading something else. However, I made myself read every page, in hopes that I would like this book a little more, but in the end, I did not.
I hoped for a twist in the story, but found only the same storyline as her other books: two unlikely characters who were not supposed to fall in love, fall in love; one or both find themselves in perilous danger only to rescued, resulting in a complete change in emotion toward one another.
It has a happy ending, which keeps the book entertaining, but I can't say that the book was entertaining enough to warrent a referral to friends.

Ramblings...

My baby will be 2 in less than 3 months!! I am dying. I cannot handle this. He's grown inches taller overnight, he's talking nonstop, playing with cars and pirates on his own....I love the growing up but I miss my little baby!!

21 months old!

I fear I have fallen into the "mom fashion pit." Nothing trendy appeals to me. Pumps are not practical, nor do I want to show my midriff...but let's be honest, midriffs should only be acceptable in a few places, restaurants not being one of them! (rant over...)

A certain little boy is in the habit of asking for chocolate every morning. I give him a Kiss or a Peanut Butter cup. I always said I'd never let my kids have so much candy or chocolate, but I can't resist that sweet voice. Some need coffee, he needs chocolate ;)

I've started my Christmas shopping. Who am I kidding?? I started it in August...in hopes of sticking to a budget, but I always get caught up in the season and shop some more. ;)

My heart was completely overwhelmed with the thought of Mary praising God that His promised One had arrived - can you imagine her, looking at her sleeping baby boy and knowing God's promise? Only a few believed it while he was still new. She knew. :)  I was thanking God that my baby is here, and God overwhelmed me with that thought. (Perhaps I'm in the mood for Christmas...ha!)

We have a new puppy. Her face is too cute for us to be frustrated with her for too long about anything...let's hope she keeps that cuteness because, I fear, we've brought home Marley... ;)

Maggie - 8 weeks old

Blueberry Casserole

I'm not a cobbler fan. Probably because I've only ever tried Peach Cobbler, and I don't care for baked peaches...I feel like they taste like bad breath (am I the only one??).

My mama (pronounced, "MawMaw" in WV ;) ) made this blueberry cobbler a few weekends ago. I couldn't get enough of it! I made some for my little family and ate most of it. I even contemplated having some for breakfast (it's fruit, right?? and with ice cream on top, it's the same as having milk...).

I would LOVE to keep this as a top-secret family recipe, but it's not our own - it came from a church cookbook (love those!) that my mama picked up at a yard sale, of all places. I'm now a believer in cobbler. Once you taste this, you will be a believer in cobbler for every meal and every snack in between. ;)

Blueberry Casserole

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained
2-3 c blueberries
1/2 c sugar
yellow cake mix
2 sticks butter, melted
1/4 c brown sugar
chopped pecans

1.) Spray 8x10 pan and preheat oven for 350.
2.) Spread pineapple in bottom of pan.
3.) Mix blueberries ad sugar. Spread on top of pineapple.
4.) Sprinkle cake mix on top of blueberries.
5.) Pour melted butter over cake mix.
6.) Sprinkle brown sugar and pecans on top of butter.
7.) Bake for 25 minutes.

Top with vanilla ice cream, and enjoy! Leftovers are great, too!

A Book Review.

I have so much fun reading books for Bethany House Publishers. I love getting them for free!
The most recent book I read was a Christian Fiction Romance/Mystery. I usually do not go for mysteries, but I know with Bethany House I do not have to worry about bad language or disturbing plots (let's face it, I'm disturbed by most movies with the exception of Disney films - ha!)

After reading this book, I am a new Jody Hedlund fan!
I was captivated from page one!
Hedlund paints a beautiful portrait of two characters in a vividly detailed historical background.
I was on the edge on my seat waiting for the story to unfold. I even caught myself trying to skip ahead to find out what happened next, but refused because each part of the story was so entertaining.

I highly recommend it. I stayed up WAY too late reading it, trying to finish it in one evening. But sleep won, and I was eager for naptime the next morning so I could finish it. I couldn't put it down! This is a new favorite.

How to maintain SANITY and a BUDGET while entertaining an 18 month old

     My child is now 20 months old. Is it okay to still calculate his age in months?? It makes me feel like he's still a baby, so I think I'll continue to refer to his age in months (how will he like that when he's 168 months?? I don't care ) :)

     This age between 18 months and 2 years has proven the most difficult for me by way of entertaining him. He's too old for baby toys, but not yet old enough to pretend on his own. If left to his own devices, he'd watch Charlie and Lola or old Sesame Street episodes (we'll discuss why I despise newer Sesame Street episodes at a later date...) all day, while working shape sorters, playing memory match games and Monkey Preschool Lunchbox on his my iPad. He's a smart cookie, so I've struggled to find new ways to pique his interest.

     After scouring Pinterest, blogs, and toy shelves, I found some success - mostly without new toys!
     Here are some ways I've discovered to keep him entertained and out of my cupboards (and the dog bowl)  ;) :

No dog food was eaten during this picture ;)

1.) Melissa and Doug toys. I mean, where have these been all my life?? They make the classic wooden toys without the annoying flashy lights and crazy music (mostly). His favorites? The sound puzzles, shape sorters, ice cream cone set, and a magnetic "fishing" puzzle.

    All of these work on hand-eye coordination! We work on shape and color recognition and problem solving with them, as well. We also use them for pretend play :)

2.) Rice. Rice, bowls, cups, and spoons. My little man LOVES "wice," so he jumps at the chance to play with it. I sit him in his high chair with it while I'm prepping dinner, and he plays quietly, sneaking mouthfuls of uncooked rice while I'm not looking ;) ha. But best of all, it can be easily vacuumed and put away.

3.) Water. Just like rice, he'll play with water and two coffee cups for a long time. Of course, this always necessitates towels and, in the beginning, a change of clothing, but I've learned to only give small amounts of water and refill it only when he spills or drinks it all. The more often he's practiced, the better he's become at keeping the water in the cups, stirring and pouring, so there's little clean up now.

4.) Flour and a colored plate. We work on drawing our letters in the little scoop of flour spread on a colored plate. My man doesn't like anything on his hands, so I gave him a plastic baby knife - he loved it. He drew letters for quite awhile. This, though, is messier to clean up, but it bought me 5 minutes to unload and load the dishwasher without my "helper" touching every dirty dish and grabbing every sharp utensil I loaded :)

5.) Crayola Color Wonder products. This is something to buy, but my guy loves them. Since he doesn't like anything on his hands we've put away the finger paints and pulled out the paintbrush. We focus mainly on the color and his coordination now. We have such fun! He's a fan of purple, so I have lots of "abstract" purple pictures for my walls :) These can be messy, but only sticky, not stains. He uses LOTS of the paint, so I may need to invest in plenty of refills :) His favorite right now is the Paint Palette:

6.) Stickers. My child has discovered a love of stickers. I can stick one on his arm and he spends a few minutes playing with it - taking it off, putting it on, losing it between the couch cushions... :) He also likes to decorate cards and pictures with them (as long as he can stack like stickers on top of one another... ;) ).

7.) Color Wonder markers and a cup. Literally, he played, on and off, all morning with these. I say Color Wonder so that your furniture, carpet, and clothing are saved from stains. He takes the lids on a off, fills the cup, and spills the cup over and over. Cheap and easy!

8.) Food containers. I washed out an empty plastic coffee creamer container and a gummy vitamin container. Hehas  played with those two containers more than any plastic pretend food I have purchased at a store. It's unreal, but he loves them. Aforementioned markers, rice, stickers, and water, all join these containers in play. So, instead of throwing away those big plastic containers, wash them out and replace some toys with them!

9.) A key to entertaining my child has been to rotate his toys. I'll post pictures of his toy storage later (I strive for my house to still look like a home and not a daycare...), but he has a basket full of toys on the bottom shelf of the entertainment center. He pulls out that basket, empties it and sits in it, and plays. :) The toys in this basket, and all other baskets, rotate every few weeks (sometimes sooner if he's bored). This keeps him interested and his toys seeming like new! I'll rotate his toys from room to room, so the toys upstairs, which aren't seen as often, become new when brought downstairs. I rotate his books on his shelf in the family room. This keeps him interested in the books and keeps me from buying WAY too many books (my downfall).

I have plans for crafting a few more projects for him - my "FunMommy" pinterest board is stuffed with ideas. I'll update when those are complete. 

In the meantime, check out suggestions from my friend, Liz, at All Kinds of Things. She's a teacher with great ideas for entertaining a toddler while caring for a newborn (whew!)...ideas that work on a budget!

Jo's Spaghetti Pie

I love cookbooks. I love comfort food. So, I LOVE church cookbooks - the cookbooks that are always sold around Christmas time, and are overflowing with recipes from wise, home-making cooks. I love them! If anyone ever needs a gift idea for me, there you go! ;)

This recipe is a favorite in our house. It is from one of my church cookbooks. It came from a sweet lady named, Jo, who recently walked through Heaven's gates to meet the Savior she loved. I had the privilege of talking with Jo in the women's Bible study I led. She attended the church I attended for most of my life. She was a retired teacher. She shared her teacher-wisdom with me. She was so encouraging as she shared in our study - to hear her speak of joy and peace while she was fighting cancer. I won't forget it.

Last night as I made this Spaghetti Pie, my thoughts were on Jo. I miss seeing her on Sunday mornings as my family scooted into the pew behind her. I miss hearing her joke about fighting for her pew in church - the pew beside the window. :) These memories make this recipe a little sweeter for me.

Enjoy!

Jo's Spaghetti Pie

1 (6 oz) package spaghetti
2 T butter
1/3 c grated Parm cheese
2 eggs, well beaten
1 (8 oz) carton cottage cheese
1 lb ground beef or sausage
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1 (8 oz) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 t sugar
1 t dried oregano
1/4 t garlic salt
1/3 c shredded mozz cheese

-Cook spaghetti according to package. Drain. Stir butter into spaghetti. Add Parm cheese and eggs to spaghetti. Form the spaghetti mixture into a "crust" into a buttered 10-inch pie plate.
-Spread cottage cheese over crust.
-Brown meat, onion, and green pepper until tender. Drain. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and garlic salt. Pour mixture onto crust.
-Bake, uncovered, in 350 oven for 20 minutes.
-Sprinkle with mozz cheese and bake for 5 more minutes

(If you're thinking, "cottage cheese?? gross!" Don't. It makes this dish creamy and delish. It's the only way I can get my hubs to eat cottage cheese. ha! :)

Weaning....by the signs!

You know those people who can always forecast the weather by the signs in nature? My grandparents are those people. I aspire to be one of those people. I would love to know that we will have a wet winter just by the signs! I think it'd make me seem wise.... ;)

I had my first successful experience with "the signs" a few months ago: WEANING!!

Now I, in now way, believe in astrology. But, I believe in the wisdom of those older and more experienced than I. So, I took my family's recommendation to wean my baby boy toddler "by the signs."

Samuel was becoming attached to his bottle. He only took a bottle before his nap and bedtime, but he had become attached to it in order to fall asleep. He's a "sleep training" baby, so he can fall asleep on his own, but the bottle had become his signal for sleep. He was also approaching his 18 month check-up, and I knew his dr would ask about the bottle - so, the week before his appointment, we stopped! ;)

I was told that the last week of June 2013 would be the best week to take away the bottle, cold-turkey, because of "the signs." I had NO IDEA what sign this was, but I figured it was worth a try since my family had previous success with it.

Turns out, the Farmer's Almanac had all the info on these signs. The link to a weaning and potty training schedule is here. (Evidently, these signs can also be used for weaning your livestock, as well. ha.)

It worked! We gave our baby little boy oatmeal (instead of a bottle) before bed and read his usual book. He cried his normal amount before settling down and sleeping through the night, but he never seemed to miss the bottle. (and we haven't missed paying the bill for Nutramigen!) He did cry for his "bah" when he saw one, but once they were out of sight, they were out of mind. We stopped cold-turkey that week, and we've not looked back!

I think I know where I'll turn when it's time for potty training! (eek).

A Lazy Girl's Peach Cobbler

I must confess, I have a sweet tooth. Not for candy, but for desserts. My Pinterest dessert board is overloaded with recipes I intend to make....I usually never get around to baking them, but today, I made one!

This recipe is SO easy - I tweeked it a lot and it turned out great!

Peach Cobbler

7-8 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 box of yellow cake mix
1 stick of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
handful of dark brown sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Grease a 9x13 dish. Place peaches in prepared dish.
3. Sprinkle with dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Top with cake mix.
4. Place the butter on top of the cake mix.
5. Bake 35-45 minutes or until cake mix is browned.

(if the cake mix seems dry, sprinkle with water and/or stir the cobbler just enough to moistened the dry spots)

(my oven took FOREVER to bake - it was close to an hour - I even put it under the broiler on low for a few minutes to brown the top).

Top with vanilla ice cream and ENJOY!!

Book Review

I love reviewing books for Bethany House Publishers! I love getting books for free to read and blog about them! This was my first book, (I didn't get my requested title for June... :( ). I really enjoyed this book!


While I admit that this book starts out slow with numerous introductions to various characters, it does get better!
I was overwhelmed with the number of characters that were introduced in the first few chapters - I found myself re-reading sections to make sure I knew "who was who". After finished the book, I realized that this is #2 in a series.(I received the Kindle version, so I didn't see the large print on the cover that reads, 'Book Two'. lol)
 Had I read #1, I would have known the characters, BUT, not having read #1, I did not miss anything while reading this book. I completely understand the story and the characters without reading #1.

Like most Christian romance fiction, this story involves a fire. Apart from that cliche, but the author did a good job with keeping the twists in the plot unique. I found myself trying to guess what would happen next, based upon other Christian romance fiction books I had read by other authors, but I was, thankfully, wrong each time. This book is entertaining and intriguing!!

The author kept my attention with her characters - I found myself swooning over Eoghan, and cheering for the two main characters. The are beautifully written and come to life on the page.

I did find that the Irish "slang" was difficult to understand. I could hear the characters speaking with an Irish accent while reading, but I admit, the few slang words confused me, at first.

I would highly recommend this book. It is not a cliche Christian romance story. The characters are beautifully created and the history of the times brought to life with the author's words. There are many twists and turns that keep your attention. You won't be disappointed with this book.

Father's Day Gift for less than $10

We are on a budget these days, so I try to come up with creative gifts for holidays throughout the year. Father's Day always seems to be the holiday that is the most difficult to shop for - my life is full of men who, "don't need anything." I'm sure you can relate!
The most difficult person to shop for is my Grandpa, Papa (pronounced "PawPaw" around here ;) ). His gifts range from gas gift cards to socks...sometimes, cologne....he always respnds to gifts with a "I don't need anything" comment as he shakes his head and carefully removes bows and paper...love him! :)

I adore my Papa, so I wanted to give him something creative. Samuel ADORES Papa - he calls him "Gramps." Samuel visits Gramps at least once a week - they love each other. Gramps teases, Samuel sasses, all the while, they both smile and Gramps belly laughs at Samuel's orneriness. :) It warms my heart.

So this year, I created this: all for less than $10. A 5x7 mounted photo.

I couldn't be happier with how this turned out! I am ordering one for myself since this brings tears to my eyes! 

While visiting with Gramps and Granny, I had Samuel hold their hands. (What you cannot see is my mom's hands holding Samuel's arms in place - he's a child who likes his freedom ;) ha.) These are Gramps' hands holding onto Samuel's hands.

I edited it in Lightroom and added the text in Photoshop. I uploaded it to Walmart.com and ordered the mounted 5x7 photo. It was ready in a few hours (supposed to be 1 hour, but they were busy with other last-minute Father's Day orders - oops!)

This picture is now the background for my computer. I adore Papa/Gramps. He is such a good man, and I love his love for his great-grandbabies. 

Enjoy the weekend with the great men in your lives! :)

Monday Ramblings....

*Vacuum Seal Storage is an activity I look forward to. If I have extra bags, I will look for things to store. How can stuff shrink to be so small??

*Vinegar and Baking Soda are to me as Windex is to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It can fix anything...we buy in bulk. 

*I feel I've failed as a mother: my child will eat Spaghettios at least once a day. There are few things he'll eat. This is one of them. I have yet to make any at home via Pinterest.

*I pin crafty sewing projects on Pinterest, but never do them. If it involves sewing, I may as well not pin it. I have multiple sewing projects laying around my house unfinished (unstarted).... (My Christmas tree skirt from last year, for example)

*I've made 3 apple pies in the last week....for other people....but I still ate some of each....I'm making another tomorrow...for my grandma....I'll probably eat some of it too...(Jillian Michaels will be calling my name, soon) 

*I colored my hair last weekend for the FIRST TIME EVER.....I was a nervous wreck, but at least the masses of white hair are now gone :) (why can't women with salt and pepper hair look as distinguished as men with it???)

Mercy. Grace.

"Help me trust in You at all times; 

help me to pour out my heart to You, God, 

for You are my refuge." 

Psalm 62:8

I'm taking a leap, here, with this post. This isn't a crafty/cooking/photo/fun post. This post is coming from my heart. I want to be real. Real in my faith.  (It's also really long.....)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
My little family has recently suffered a loss. A loss that may seem so small to some, but to those who believe as we believe, a loss so great that it's changed our family.

On Easter, I surprised Josh with a card that read, "For Easter, I made you a bunny. You must be special because I don't do that for just anyone." I signed it, "Due: December 2013." The video I have of Josh's reaction to the card is priceless - he didn't know what to think, but once he realized that he was going to be a Daddy for the 2nd time, he was elated. It was still early, but the 4 tests I had taken were all positive.

On May 13th, we lost the baby. I had been pregnant for almost 12 weeks, but it was an emotional 12 weeks. I was told from the beginning that my levels were low and I was put on medication. I was monitored and tested every week to track the baby's progress. One week we were told there was no baby. The next week, we saw a fetal pole. The next week, nothing. The next week, a heartbeat and a baby. The next week, no heartbeat. Then, my levels began to drop dramatically, and I was told to expect a miscarriage.

I feel like I was floating through the months of April and May - not knowing what to feel from one moment to the next. I have grieved, been angry, questioned God, had faith, rejoiced, and stood numb and speechless.

In times like these, I can understand how people lose faith in God. I can understand why they question how God can love us if He allows certain things to happen and doesn't stop other things. Why would good, loving women who want babies be unable to have them while unfit women who don't want/won't care for them are able to have multiple babies?? I will admit, I question God on this, and I still am questioning Him. I trust Him, but I don't understand it.

But, you know what? As much as a question, I'll never understand. His ways aren't my ways. His ways are better than my ways - even if they don't seem like it at the time. He won't spare anything to save me - not even His own Son, so I know He has my greater good in mind.

In the midst of all of this, I prayed for many things - miracles, a heartbeat, a baby...mercy, grace... I did receive 2 of these things. Mercy. Grace.

Mercy
My miscarriage happened quickly and completely. I prayed for mercy through it. I decided to miscarry naturally because I didn't want to take this baby from my body and always wonder "what if." In the end, I'm glad I did. It was healing for me to experience it. It provided closure to the past 2 months of upheaval.
God gave me mercy in that it happened quickly and completely. It happened when I was out of town and surrounded by family. He knew where I needed to be.

Grace
I am so overwhelmed with thanks that He allowed me to experience being a mommy for a 2nd time, even if just for a little while. I loved the experience again. Everyday, I realize the grace He showered on me by choosing me to be Samuel's mommy. I will forever be thankful for him.
He showed me grace by answering my prayers for mercy even when I was angry with Him and questioning His ways. I am deserving of nothing, but God showers me everyday with his presence, His promises, and the love of my family. He tells us that He is near to the brokenhearted. I claimed that promise, and in His grace, He allowed me to feel Him near. He's healing me. He's replacing my anger with His joy.

--------------------------------------------------------
Everyday is new. I'm still mourning my baby. Each day gets easier, but I'm finding my mind focusing on Heaven - wondering if my other loved ones are enjoying my baby there...asking God to give my baby extra hugs...and wondering when I meet that baby, if he or she will still be a baby...
A lot of questions flood my mind at quiet times. Luckily these faces keep me busy and remind me of all the AMAZING things I DO have in my life. They make me get up every morning and relish in little boy snuggles and his new-found attachment to "Momma":

I opened my devotions the other day for the first time since all of this happened. I had a horrible day, crying out to God and asking why He hadn't heard me through it all, and why He wasn't listening to me. Afterward, I felt horrible for being upset with Him. My devotions were from Psalm 62:8.

"You will never be offended when I pour out the earnest despair and bitterness that wells in my heart. You desire for me to cry out in my agony, and You can take my feelings of anger, dismay, and confusion. In pouring out my heart to You, I rid myself of soul-cancerous bitterness. I also make room for You to pour in Your healing." (Beth Moore, Praying God's Word Day by Day, June 1)

God is alive and active. His Word is alive and active and meeting our needs.

I was floored when I read this. He knew. He knew long before these events that I would need this on June 1, 2013. Amazing. Praise You, Father.

Seashells and Photographs

Now, I'm not super-crafty. I don't claim to be. I do, however, have my moments. When I have these moments, I need to blog about them. Tada.

My husband LOVES to look for shells at the beach. If he's wandered off while at the beach, I know he'll return with a handful of only the best shells and perhaps a shark tooth or two (he's still a little boy at heart).

He's converted Samuel into a shell-searcher too... (this photo is completely candid...except maybe I did tell Josh to "freeze" so I could get this shot....ha)

So, I have multiple bags of shells from different beaches just setting in my house. I needed a way to display them, so I came up with this:

I found the idea on Pinterest to use sand from the beach in a shadow box. I didn't want that mess, so I used our shells. I used a picture I took from that beach, and voila! I'm in love. Now I have my little man's face, my big man's seashells, and a completed project (rare!).