Thoughts of a Wannabe

In This Home

2010-04-22T15:07:00.002-04:00

When I first saw this painting at Su's house I got tears in my eyes. Seriously. It touches my heart and warms my soul. My family is my everything and this describes us pretty well. Su is giving one away at Just A Girl, and I'm so hoping to win! You should stop by her blog, it's changed my life!

Times by Tenth Avenue North

2009-09-03T14:17:00.004-04:00

I've had this CD for a while, but haven't listened to it in a month or two. Guess I never "heard" the words to this song - it brought tears to my eyes, and I listened over and over.
It reads like a conversation between me and God, and oh, isn't it so wonderful that He doesn't care where I've fallen, doesn't care where I've been, He'll NEVER forsake me, His love for me NEVER ends. How blessed I am to know HIM. HE is ALL I need, HE is sufficient.

I know i need you
I need to love you
I love to see you, and its been so long
i long to feel you
i feel this need for you
and i need to hear you
is that so wrong?
oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh
now you pulled me near you
when we're close i fear yous
till im afraid to tell you
all that i've done
are you done forgiving?
or can you look pass my pretending?
Lord i'm so tired of defending
what i've become
what have i become?
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh. (repeat 4)
i hear you say "my love is over,its underneath, its inside, its in between
the times you doubt me, when you can't feel the times that you've questioned 'is this for real?
the times you've broken, the times that you mend
the times you hate me and the times that you bend
well my love is over, its underneath
its inside, its in between,these times you're healing
and when your heart breaks
the times that you feel like you've fallen from grace
the times you're hurting
the times that you heal
the times you go hungry and *are tempted* to steal
in times of confusion and chaos and pain
im there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame
im there through your heartache
im there in the storm
my love i will keep you by my power alone
i dont care where you've fallen, where you have been
i'll never forsake you
my love never ends, it never ends
mmm, mmmoh oh, oh oh, oh oh

Goodbye For Now

2009-08-10T14:28:00.002-04:00

**tears**

I am just too busy with work, home, kids, church - I just don't have time to dedicate to this blog anymore. It's been a good outlet for me - I will miss you all. I may be back someday . . . .

Do you iphone?

2009-07-08T14:50:00.001-04:00

My phone is falling apart! Really, it is no longer a flip phone, it's a flop phone - rarely can I get it to stay closed!

I know a few people who have and love the iphone. I don't have the money for it right now - but if I can hold out on getting a new phone - tell me, is the iphone worth it? If not, why? If so - what is the best thing about it?

Free Books!

2009-07-07T14:14:00.001-04:00

Enter the WaterBrook Multnomah Summer Reading Beach Bag Sweepstakes! Click here to enter! Good Luck to you - but also wishing I win!

Go here to be a part of TLR Summer Book Splash - and win free books!

Tears . . . .

2009-07-06T00:07:00.003-04:00

Tears, I shead them easily. My grandmother has always said that my tear ducts are close to the surface. I cry when I'm sad, when I'm happy, when I'm mad, really, when I feel any emotion strongly. I wish I could control it better than I can. I simply can't stop them if they decide to come. Believe me, I've tried. All. My. Life.
My Dad always hated my tears. He'd get so MAD when he saw them. He'd tell me to quit, or else! I'd try . . . . .
Luckily, HWH isn't bothered by them. After 17 years, he's quite used to them. My 14 yr. old son doesn't get them, and can be embarrased by them.
Hey, my dental hygenist says I make a lot of spit. Perhaps, all those water making functions are just very active in my body!?

Preparing for St. Vincent

2009-07-04T14:44:00.000-04:00

Well, only about 11 days till we leave for St. Vincent! While there our Teen Group will host two Youth Rallies where they'll play games with area kids and then the gospel will be spread. We'll spend a week teaching VBS to the area kids as well. It's going to be lots of fun! I'm told it will be very hot, full of mosquitoes, no air-conditioning, and tiring - but we are all excited about going and meeting new people and sharing our love of Jesus!
Now, the challenge is packing all that we need in one suitcase that weighs 50 pounds or less! Any suggestions???

One of My Favorite New Websites . . . .

2009-07-03T14:28:00.000-04:00

The Intentional Home is one of my favorite new websites. If you live in the triangle area of NC - go take one of her classes as soon as you can. I now save at least 50% on my grocery shopping each month! Su has a heart for women, their households and God. Her heart has been a blessing in my life!

Summer Reading List

2009-07-02T14:01:00.003-04:00

I have been out of the blogging world for a couple months. Life just gets so busy sometimes. I won't make any empty promises about posting - we're getting ready for our mission trip to St. Vincent with the teens of our church. I am still reading though! And Teen Lit Review is having a Summer Reading Splash - go here for details!

Following is my Summer Reading List:

When I was Older - Weyr

Found - Haddix

Book of a Thousand Days - Hale

Trouble - Schmidt

Big Fat Manifesto - Vaught

My Name is Chloe - Carlson

Notes From A Spinning Planet - Ireland - Carlson

Facing Terror: The True Story of How An American Couple Paid the Ultimate Price Because of Their Love of Muslim People - McDonnall

We'd love to have you join the fun - even if you only list a couple books, or they are books you read together with your kids, whatever - splash right in!

Does Their Life "Count"?

2009-05-12T23:24:00.002-04:00

This past weekend on a cable channel I was watching a show that told about the lives of many genius, extremely gifted children. One parent was saying that it was his responsibility to help cultivate his child's gift so that the kid makes his full contribution to this world, and his life is not "wasted". It came out in the story that the parent was gifted such as his son, but no one guided him and his "gift". So, I guess what this Dad is saying is that his own life was "wasted"? And really, is his child's life "wasted" if he doesn't push him (several times you saw the dad prodding the child to answer a question by pushing his son's elbow, saying "go on, answer")?
I mean, yeah - I would of liked to have a child who is a piano genius or national spelling champ, etc. - and perhaps they could have been - if we had gone at life with the single-mindedness of say, Tiger's dad - but, first off, our life is not all about our children. We encourage them to do what they enjoy - but we aren't going to spend every free moment doing it with them. We want them to be happy, relaxed, well-rounded kids.
However, just because my child is very smart, or is an excellent pianist, or superb soccer player - I don't feel their life would be "wasted" or not "count" just because he/she didn't live their life doing only that.
So, what are your thoughts?

Don't Cry Over Spilled Candy!

2009-04-22T10:47:00.002-04:00

Yesterday youngest had a bowl of M&M's in the car that he was snacking on. He set them on the armrest and when I went around a corner they spilled into the seat next to him. He struggled within the confides of his seatbelt to pick them up. After about a minute of gathering his M&M's he asks me:

"Mom - was that the 5 second rule?" I replied "Yes"
He confirmed "So I got them in time?"
I assured "Yeah, you got 'em in time!"

He was SO serious, really concerned and believing that the 5 second rule had a magical way of fending off germs, dirt and ick! Oh, to be so clueless - how freeing that would be!

Wannabe Missionary?

2009-04-11T01:03:00.000-04:00

Well, one thing I've always wanted to do is be a missionary. Yeah, I know that I can be one everyday, everywhere I go. And well, to be honest, I'm probably not as good at that as I should be. Even so, I am going as a sponsor/chaprone with 12 teens from our church to the island of St. Vincent. There the teens and chaprones will run a VBS for the community and have a couple youth rallies. My son is one of the teens going, and my HWH is another one of the chaprones. One thing I know about myself is that I learn best by doing. In all aspects of work, schooling, and such. When I am teaching Sunday School or leading a Bible Study I suspect I learn way more than I am able to communicate to those in my classes. I don't expect this adventure will be any different.

My heart has always had a burden for teaching others about Christ and his love and life lived and forfeited (ahh, to rise again!) for them. I feel certain that without Christ as my Savior I wouldn't be alive today, and I pray that I can help spread the hope that is in Jesus, just as someone spread to me. Please pray for us as we begin preparing for this July trip!

Wannabe?

2009-04-10T00:53:00.002-04:00

A reader recently asked me what do I "wannabe"? I've been thinking about it.
I'm really happy with me at this point in my life. Yeah, I wannabe about 25 pounds lighter. Yeah, I wannabe more likable, more charasmatic, more outgoing. But, I am what I am. I'm working on the 25 pounds, but who knows . . . . I know I want to be all that God has planned for me. I pray that I don't let my busyness or laziness get in the way of being that. I actually pretty much know that I'm not living up to my potential in many areas, and I have excuses like time, energy, prioities, etc. So I guess my real "wanna be" is that I want to be surrendered to God's will for me. That is actually a minute by minute decision for me. In the way that I speak to someone, in what I am choosing to do at that time, at the words I say, the thoughts I think, the smiles I give and the tears I shed. I don't surrender 100% of the time. Probably not even 50% of the time. But I'm working on it, and learning, and through it all I have faith, that God will get me through - through to the places where he wants me to be.

Winner!

2009-04-10T00:51:00.001-04:00

I know I'm late, late, late - but the winner of the UBP giveaway - the book "Shadow Baby" - is Composing Hallelujahs! Check back soon for the next drawing!

Ultimate Blog Party 2009! Book Giveaway!

2009-03-24T10:10:00.005-04:00

Welcome party goers! I am enjoying the party - but mostly visiting other's parties! I've been so busy I haven't taken time to host my own. Lately, I haven't had time to blog very much - I keep hoping that will change. But, as my kids get older it seems my life gets busier!
I hope you'll look around my blog a bit, and maybe come by and visit after the party winds down and we can get to know each other better. Please also stop by my other blog - Teen Lit Review - and enter to win a couple of teen books!

Some of my favorite past posts:
From An Overprotective Mom
Lost My Child - The Most Terrifying 20 Minutes of My Life
You Never Think

LEAVE A COMMENT HERE - if you'd like to win a copy of Shadow Baby by Alison McGhee. Drawing will be Monday, March 30th, around noon EST. Enjoy the party!
Description: Eleven-year-old Clara is struggling to find the truth about her missing father and grandfather and her dead twin sister, but her mother refuses to talk. When Clara begins interviewing Georg Kominsky--her elderly neighbor--she finds that he is equally reticent about his own concealed history. Precocious and imaginative, Clara invents versions of Mr. Kominsky’s past, just as she invents lives for the people missing from her own shadowy history. Her journey of discovery is at the heart of this beautiful story about unlikely friendship and communion, about discovering what matters most in life, and about the search to find the missing pieces of ourselves.

A few of the wonderful prizes offered I'd like to win from the party:
15 — Two winners will Win a pair of ChicBud Earphones with Swarovski Crystals
Provided by: The IE Mommy
19 — $50 gift certificate to Target Stores
Provided by: Shoot-Me-Now
21 — $50 gift certificate to Target Stores
Provided by: Agoosa - Funny Name, Sound Advice
22 — $50 gift certificate to Target Stores
Provided by: Beginner Baby Blog
42 — 5 kajeet phones with $5 of airtime
Provided by: kajeet
58 – Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer
Provided by: Moms Who Think
121 — $10 Gift Card to CVS
Provided by: Tia Saving Cents
INTL 1 — Available to English speaking bloggers. Custom Basic Blog Design
Provided by: Sweet ‘n Simple Design
INTL 3 — $15 gift certificate to Amazon.com
Provided by: Angela at mommy bytes
INTL 19 — $130 Sponsor spot on Tip Junkie
Provided by: Tip Junkie (For the Teen Lit Review website!)
INTL 23 – Blog Makeover BLOGGER platform only
Provided by: Busy Mama Blog Design

Winner!

2009-03-11T13:15:00.002-04:00

Paula H is the winner of the drawing for the book Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie. Congrats and enjoy!

Amazing Place(s)

2009-03-02T17:52:00.007-05:00

I am currently at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, TN for a business conference. It is a HUGE hotel!

I am missing the snow we received back in NC - HWH says we received about 3 or 4 inches. Hope the kids enjoyed their snow day!

I have some exciting news - I'll post about it when I get back in town. I'll give you a hint - it involves this island:

Book Giveaway! Pass It On!

2009-02-18T16:03:00.006-05:00

I was going through my bookshelves, trying to de-clutter and found this fabulous book that I haven't "passed-on". Because books are too precious to only be read once - PASS IT ON! If you haven't read Snow Angel: A Novel (my review here) or Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie - you are missing out. They are both awesome books! I have my slightly used copy of Wind Dancer to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment with a way to contact you if your name is drawn. I'd also love to hear what you're reading now! I will draw a winner on March 6th. Good Luck! Oh, if you'd like to earn extra entries you can mention this and the drawing for Zoe Lucky: and the Green Gables' Mystery over at Teen Lit Review - I'll give you 5 extra entries for each of the links you post on your blog.

PS - I (wink, wink) could be persuaded to trade my copy of Wind Dancer for your copy of The Duchess and the Dragon - the one Jamie Carie book I haven't read! Leave me a comment-we'll talk! :)

Snow Days, Snow Days . . . and Make Up Days!

2009-02-17T15:52:00.006-05:00

Well, my kids had to go to school on President's Day - what a shame! jk! Actually, I think school is a great place to be on President's Day - a great place to learn . . . about Presidents! The reason they were in school - was to make up a snow day we had in January. It was really the first snow that my 7 year old has seen that was deep enough to play in. Below are some photos of the family having fun on our snow day!

It grew, and grew, and grew and . . .

2009-02-13T10:47:00.001-05:00

The Stimuls Bill - which in my last post was about 650 pages - is now around 1,100 pages. You can read the current version here.

I am afraid this may be the end of America as we know it. . . .

Thank You!

2009-01-29T12:52:00.003-05:00

I would like to thank the following Democrats who voted against the Huge "Stimulus" Package!
Allan Boyd (D-FL)
Bobby Bright (D-AL)
Jim Cooper (D-TN)
Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
Parker Griffith (D-AL)
Paul Kanjorski (D-PA)
Frank Kratovil (D-MD)
Walt Minnick(D-ID)
Collin Peterson(D-MN)
Heath Shuler (D-NC)
Gene Taylor (D-MS)

Whatever your reason - I don't really care - I am just happy you voted "NO". It was the right thing to do.

If you'd like to read over the almost 650 page stimulus bill - you can read it here.

Illegal immigrants WILL be getting money back from the government in this bill. Illegal folks. Breaking the law people. They are taking our money and giving it to people who are breaking the law to live here.

From looking over the bill - it appears that this bill will provide many, many jobs in the government. Problem with that - is that to pay those employed by the government - the government must take our money to give it to those working for them. (Unlike a private sector job - where you are paid by people partaking of your product/service.)

However, if you are in the construction industry - there will be A LOT of jobs for you - because the bill has a lot of money set aside to build new buildings. Oh and computer companies should do well - there is a lot of money to update technology and get new computer systems.

OK, when the money from this "Stimulus" bill runs out - what happens to all the new programs started with that money? Do we then have to "cut" programs - that people have become dependent on - or do we just keep taking our money, more and more of it - to keep the programs going?

Inkheart

2009-01-27T02:28:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I took my 13 year old son to see the movie Inkheart. We both read the book Inkheart and enjoyed it. I reviewed the book here - at Teen Lit Review.
Eldest and I enjoyed the movie, it stayed pretty close to the story. It wasn't a great movie, or one I'd buy - but it made for a fun outing for us. You can see a good review here.

Awesome Article!

2009-01-26T13:43:00.003-05:00

Thaks to BooMama for the link to this article - awesome! **tears**

Hope you all have a great week! I will be getting my coupons in order in anticipation of another Harris Teeter Triple Coupon weekend!

Church

2009-01-22T12:22:00.002-05:00

About a month ago I made the comment here that I wish churches were full of Jesus instead of people.
I said that because there were some things going on at our church that involved a bit of conflict. I hate conflict! BUT, I know it is a part of life, and is not always bad.
Often, I believe people get too caught up in the petty details, and forget to take their disappointments, concerns, and problems to Christ FIRST.
However, please know - I LOVE my church! I believe one of the ways God cares for us is that He gives us a spiritual family to do life with, to support us, challenge us, and help us when times get tough. That spiritual family is a church - one that believes that Jesus Christ is the answer to the biggest problems in life and that God revealed Himself to us through Him and through the Bible.
Finding a good church is a job my husband took very seriously. It is important to him that what the church believes in and teaches has Jesus Christ at its center, and the Bible as its foundation.
My church is full of wonderful people (not perfect people) who are loving, caring, giving, forgiving, and full of joy and hope. I am very blessed that God cared enough about my family to lead us there!

Why I Hope Obama is Not Successful . . .

2009-01-21T13:31:00.003-05:00

I AM glad our country has elected it's first African American president.
However, for me - it has never been about color. It's about principles, values, and integrity.
I value human life, even that still inside a mother. I don't view that baby as a choice. I view the baby as person with the right to LIFE. Obama does not share this view.
I value the free market and capitalism. Obama wants to expand the government.
I believe in protecting our borders. Protecting our borders keeps people out who have not gone through the proper channels/laws to live here - as well as keeps illegal drugs out. Obama has no plans that I have heard to tighten our borders.
I believe in strong national defense. Our ancestors fought hard for this country - they took chances and believed in this country. We fought against those who wanted to rule over us. Obama is looking to close Gitmo - let terrorists go.
I do not want socialized health care -- provided to me by the government.
The government controls education - they tell me what schools my kids MUST attend, even if there are three schools closer to me. They tell me what they are going to teach, even if I don't agree with it. Yes, I have the choice to send them elsewhere - but that is not an option for me. Perhaps it would be with vouchers . . .

Here is an excellent article that puts my feelings into words!
from the article: "Of course I will support Obama on things in which we agree with him on and I don't think anyone should oppose him gratuitously for purely partisan reasons. Indeed, I would rejoice if Obama were to morph into a free-market enthusiast, national security stalwart, champion of the unborn and protector of our borders.
But such talk is academic, as the chances of Obama being substantively Reaganesque are less than his becoming obese, which means that during the next few years, the articulation of principled conservatism could never be more important. They must resist pressures for bipartisanship from those who will continue to use it as a weapon to intimidate principled opposition."

The CHANGE that is coming worries me. But, I will keep the faith, pray, and HOPE for America to prosper.

Survivor - Tocantins - Premiers Feb. 12!

2009-01-20T20:15:00.003-05:00

OK, so I really enjoy the show Survivor! HWH would be awesome on that show - but he won't even entertain the notion - he does not like reality shows at all.

My FAVORITE thing about Survivor is not really the actual show - it's playing along on Lance's Survivor Pick'em Game! There, I get assigned to a random tribe and each week, we make our picks, participate in "challenges" and go to tribal council - all for the chance to "win" one million dollars (not real money). I have "won" the million one time - and it's so much fun to play and outwit, outplay, outlast!

This year, there is a girl on the show from the city I live in - so it should be fun rooting for her!

Kids Exchange

2009-01-16T16:35:00.002-05:00

This weekend I'll be preparing my sister and my kids clothes for the Kids Exchange consignment sale. Kids Exchange is a HUGE sale - where hundreds of people take their used clothes/toys/baby equipment to a HUGE building down near our Fairgrounds. The clothes are all hung on hangers, priced and organized by sex/size for sale during a four day period. I don't really shop there too much anymore - I got most of my baby - size 4 clothes there. But when you get to buying size 8 and up - people seem to just think too much of their used clothes and price them too high. And when I can get a new set of pants at Target or Kohl's for $6 I'm not going to pay $4 for a used pair. That's just me. Anywho - my sister and I combine the clothes that I've given her (her's are all younger than mine) and her kids have outgrown - and we sell them at this consignment event. Last July we made about $500 (we had a LOT of clothes!) The Kids Exchange keeps 1/3 of the selling price.
So, if you have a Kids Exchange event near you - I urge you to participate - another way to make a little extra spending (or as in my case - bill paying) money! Just google Kids Exchange and your city name (or a close by big city). Have fun!

Bits and Pieces . . . .

2009-01-15T14:05:00.003-05:00

I was just trying to figure out what to do with all the chicken that's taking up so much room in my freezer (thanks to HT buy one get 2 free)! So, I went to my FAVORITE recipe blog 365 days of Crockpot Cooking! I LOVE coming home to a dinner already cooked! So, we'll be having Brown Sugar Chicken tomorrow!

I just finished The Shack. If you read the reviews on AMAZON - there are people whose life has been changed by this book. I don't understand how. I find the theology very flawed. To say as The Shack does that reading the Bible or praying is unimportant is very contrary to what I have experienced in my own life and to what God has told us in His Word - the Bible. I would advise you to skip this book - it wasn't anything special and there are much better fiction books out there that would be a better way to spend your time reading.

I also read Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1). I wasn't going to - but someone in our book club picked it, so I gave it a try. Most of the ladies in book club LOVED it - and went on to read the whole series before we met. One lady said it was like reading 540 pages of Foreplay! I would have to agree with her. Especially the scene in the clearing in the woods - where Bella was caressing Edward's arm. Personally, my opinion, I found the book easy to read and interesting. Have I read the second oe? Not yet. Will I? probably eventually. Would I let my 13 year old daughter read it. NO! (I don't have a 13 year old daughter - my daughter is 11 - but she won't be allowed at 13.) How old would she have to be? Not sure. Hopefully by the time she's 13 the "fad" will have blown over and she will be interested in something else. Plus, she prefers fiction with animals in it!
Twilight has BY FAR been the most controversial and commented on review on Teen Lit Review. You can check out the comments and review HERE.

I'm now reading Beyond the Reflection's Edge (Echoes from the Edge)by Bryan Davis. It is a YA fiction book. I wish that before I had bought it I would have remembered that for some reason I have a hard time getting into his books. My son has the Raising Dragon series and neither he nor I was able to get very far in the first book. Hopefully, it will get better and I can give it a good review!

My husband is urging me to read newer YA fiction - that those reviews would be more relevant. I agree, however I don't want to have to buy them all - and they can be difficult to get from the library. I usually just read YA books off my 14 year old son's bookshelf. He reads about 2 books a week - and receives more books at birthdays/Christmas than I can read in a year! Amazon has a list of YA 2009 books - but they look to be a lot of girly books. I like to review the ones that my son may want to read.

Finally Free!

2009-01-08T13:32:00.006-05:00

Over the summer the kids and I participated in this swap. Well, I say participated, but we never did get our half of the swap out to our partner. We took the pictures and such, but I never got to the "scraping" of our summer and the sending it off. My failure to live up to my end of the bargin has weighed on my heart every day. I am the type of person that if I say I'm going to do something, I fully intend and expect myself to do it. So, finally, way too late - I got my act together and printed out the pictures, arranged them and sent them off to our swap partner! I feel SO much better now that I have done that - it is a huge weight off my heart!

Alas, I did not take picutes of what I sent off - but Misty has blogged beautifully about it - please go here to see the arrival of Tessa the tiger at her new house!

Misty sent us Brennan - you can go here to meet him. He and Tessa are now best friends and my daughter loves him dearly!

If you ever have the opportunity to participate in swaps such as this - I urge you to. My kids really, really love doing them!

Here are Brennan and Tessa together right before we sent Tessa off to her new home.

Ya know, I just thought about how nice it was that Misty didn't comment on the silly clothes my daughter INSISTED they both wear!

I Wish . . . .

2008-12-29T09:17:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I wish churches were full of Jesus, instead of people . . . . .

Great Prizes!

2008-12-17T13:26:00.007-05:00

Aren't these Chic Buds just the cutest thing?! If you would like to win a pair, go to Helping Mommys Win and enter! If you have a daughter that is wanting excessive jewelry on their head (ie nose rings, tongue rings, many, many ear piercings - then buy them these instead! All the bling, no pain, and no holes!)

If you'd like to win "It's Not About Me" by Michelle Sutton you can go to Teen Lit Review to enter and read a review.

Good Luck!

AWESOME!

2008-12-16T11:58:00.002-05:00

WOW! I'm speechless! Thanks to my partner Shawna, for getting us listed on 5 Minutes for Mom blog - which is like, the best blog on the internet, well besides Teen Lit Review! Please, go by and read the interview, and stop by Teen Lit Review and check out our latest book reviews!

Photo Contest From 5 Minutes For Mom and Prego!

2008-11-13T15:15:00.007-05:00

Fun and Food always go hand in hand with my youngest son. He is the only one of my 3 kids who would smush food all over him, and get all messy! This picture shows him after eating some of his birthday cake - chocolate naturally!

Go here if you'd like to enter the contest - hurry - ends 11/14 at 3pm est! Visit 5 Minutes For Mom fast!

Thanks Prego!

Book Giveaway

2008-11-08T23:46:00.005-05:00

We are giving this book away on the Teen Lit Review blog - go here to enter!
Title: Outcasts of Skagaray
Author: Andrew Clarke
Primary Audience/age group: 13+
Genre: Fantasy
Recommend? Yes!

Description: The world of Skagaray is dark and bleak but there is the possibility of beauty and goodness too. The people of Skagaray respect strength, and hardness, and make gods in their own image to please themselves. They reject those they consider weak, or unworthy, and make outcasts of them. But one among them rejects their cruelty, and will not take part in the brutality they call their Proving. This is Australian Andrew Clarke’s first novel.

You can read the full review at Teen Lit Review!

Harris Teeter Triple Coupons!

2008-11-06T13:12:00.004-05:00

Today through Saturday is Triple Coupons at Harris Teeter. Triple Coupons are essential events for couponers! That is when you stock up/build your stock pile. Here is a good article about the importance of Triple Coupons.

I have only been couponing for about 5 weeks - already I have saved over $250!

On my first trip to Harris Teeter today (you can only use 20 coupons per visit) I bought $58 worth of groceries for $24! A 50% savings! All the stuff are items I need (paper towels, toliet paper, kleenex, pickles, Shout, bread, spagetti sauce, peanut butter, evaporated milk, brownies, gravy mix, frozen green beans.) I'll be going at least 1 more time today, one time tomorrow, and probably 2 times Saturday!

Earlier this week, I made $2.00 buying 2 tubes of toothpaste at CVS!

If you have any coupon hints, please share them!

History: I recently took a class that costs $15 from a lady at church who taught me how to coupon. In my first month of couponing I more than paid for that class, the notebook I keep my coupons in, and the 2 Sunday newspapers I get every weekend. I never used to coupon before. I had all sorts of excuses - mainly that couponing took too much time and I am not a very organized person. Well, it does take about 1 - 2 hours a week, which I do while I'm watching TV (clip and file coupons, look on internet coupon websites for that week's deals). Are my 1 - 2 hours a week worth approx. $60 a week? YOU BETCHA!

What Number Were You?

2008-11-04T08:42:00.005-05:00

What number voter were you today?

I was number 35.

Yes, I got up early and was in line to vote at 6:20. Our polls opened at 6:30. I was home by 6:55. One of the ladies working the polls said she didn't expect it to be real busy because so many from our precinct voted early.

Tell me what number voter you were (if where you vote the machine doesn't tell you that - just tell me how long you waited in line). I will pick one winner (randomly) and send them a FREE book! (Book will be - A Hero for Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad)

Drawing will be Thursday, November 6th at noon!

Don't Forget to Vote!

2008-11-03T15:17:00.003-05:00

You may have heard that Obama is going to win.
You may feel like there is no reason to vote.
BUT,
Your vote does count. Don't listen to the polls.
Don't listen to the news.
Vote!

Not sure how to vote? Get a voter guide HERE!

One Vote . . . .

2008-10-23T13:57:00.003-04:00

You have ONE VOTE. And it counts.
Don't stay home thinking it doesn't matter.

Don't stay home thinking it won't make a difference.

Don't stay home thinking your canidate will win without it.

Don't stay home.

VOTE!

Not convinced? Watch This!

Hello Out There!! Anybody Still Reading?

2008-10-09T09:22:00.002-04:00

Well, I haven't been around much lately, have I! Work has been busy. Home has been busy. Sometimes life just really moves fast. I can't believe it's only 75 days until Chirstmas! Between now and then our family has 2 birthdays - mine at the end of October and youngest on Dec. 4.
We are signing the contract today to do a big addition to our house - I'm very excited about that. I'll take some pictures this weekend - so that in March when we're done I can show you a "before" and "after"!
I also have another job - this one is "part time" - but it pays well - about $30 an hour! Know what - you can do it too! I have really gotten into couponing. I have to pay for the higher mortgage payment - and reducing my grocery/drug store bill by half is a start! I'll do another post about couponing next week - don't have time right now - Lowe's Foods is having TRIPLE COUPONS until Friday - and that is THE time to stock up on some stuff! Last night I got $51 of groceries for $6! (You can only use 20 coupons per visit.) I'm going back tonight to get some more stuff! I'm lovin' it!
Be sure to check out my Fall Reading Challenge List at Teen Lit Review!

Fall Into Reading 2008

2008-09-25T15:10:00.003-04:00

Katrina at Callipider Days is hosting a Fall Into Reading 2008 challenge.

Over at Teen Lit Review we have a very ambitious list of books we'll be reading and reviewing between now and December 20th - and lots of book giveaways coming up as well!

Be sure to visit me there! I may not be here much - because in every spare minute I have I will be reading!!!!

Our Last Summer Vacation

2008-09-09T12:41:00.005-04:00

These are some pictures of our last "vacation" of the summer (Went with my Mom and sister and her 3 kids). We visited the mountains of North Carolina. Even though I've lived in NC all my life - I had never been to Linville Caverns or Grandfather Mountain. I enjoyed both places a lot and glad we got to visit.

Linville Caverns in Linville, NC

On top of Grandfather Mountain in NC

Playing in the creek at the camp ground.

In Jail at Tweetsie Railroad.

Now that summer is "over" we are getting back into the swing of things. I really miss seeing my kids everyday. There was a time in my life when I would not of said that. It may of been due to their ages, my lack of patience, my wish for "freedom", or many other things. But, I've been praying for God to change my heart and make the truth that "Children are a gift from the Lord" - true in my heart. God answers prayer.

New Energy For America!

2008-08-29T13:39:00.004-04:00

This is the CHANGE that American needs.

The anger that built in me from Thursday night's lie/bash fest was relieved today.

I actually cheered when I heard the news.

I actually clapped and cheered when I heard her speech.

She LIVES the words she speaks. She's the real deal.

She is the CHANGE to give our country ENERGY.

I am finally excited about this election!

MIA . . . .

2008-08-25T14:06:00.007-04:00

Well, my kids all started school today - 1st grade, 5th grade, and 8th grade. They seemed equal parts of excited and disappointed that summer is over. I am the same. I dislike having to make lunches every night, trying to make it healthy and still something they will eat. I dislike having to stay on top of my 5th grader to get her homework done (she takes 2 hours to do what most can do in 20 minutes!) But, I'm glad they are learning, getting to see their friends a bit, and away from TV, computer and Wii (we have a "no electronics" rule during the school week - no electronics until Friday after school - through Sunday evening. This takes away temptation to rush through homework, devotions, and dinner.)

I haven't been around the blogosphere much this summer. I've been working hard since my Dad isn't on vacation - trying to take care of some of his duties while he takes the summer off. I've also been traveling a bit to meetings within the associations we belong to - which happen to take place at various beaches. So, we've been very busy.

Youngest wanted to play football this year. Well, I never allowed my eldest to play football - but I guess with the third, I've relaxed a bit - and given into his pleas. I did insist he'd have to play flag football this first year (he's only 6) - to learn rules, strategies, etc. - so that next year during tackle - perhaps he can avoid getting tackled too much and enjoy the game.

After the 2nd practice I asked him how he likes football. His reply, with a very serious face was: "Well, it's not exactly what I thought it would be. I thought the flags would be at each end of the field and we would be trying to get to that flag. I didn't know the flags would be moving (attached to people)! But yeah, I like it - it's just a lot of work." Too funny!

Here are some of my favorite beach photos from this summer:

My favorite moments from the summer were times when the whole family was together. It's rare HWH has time at the beach meetings to hang out with us - I make him go to all the meetings and golf while I play with the kids. But, when he does - the kids (and I) love it.

What was the highlight of your summer?

Book Giveaway!

2008-08-09T16:49:00.003-04:00

There are a few days left until the drawing at Teen Lit Review for the book Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. Go here to enter!

Middle Child's Bedtime Ritual

2008-08-09T08:38:00.000-04:00

Middle child sleeps in a loft bed, so I can't lay with her at all when I tuck her into bed. But I do climb the steps each night, cover her with her blankets, kiss her and remind her to say her prayers.
She loves to go to sleep to music or stories. Her favorite, since Christmas - is the Adventures in Odyssey Series on CD. She got a box set for Christmas and has listened through the whole set at least 3 times. She loves them - I'll be getting her more for her birthday.
If you're not familiar with the Adventures In Odyssey series - it is from a group called Focus on the Family. They have DVDs - which my children love as well. On the CD's there are audio drama episodes with emphasis on integrity and morals. The episodes have a Bible basis and each story of faith comes to life in a new way, helping kids to understand the Bible better than ever. You can go here to click and hear a sample.

Now, you may ask - does this keep her awake? I don't know for sure - but I do know she asks me to start at different points on the CD each night - so I do think she is falling asleep during the stories. My kids tend to crash at bedtime - and are very sleepy - even though I still put them all to bed (even the 13 yr. old) around 8pm on weeknights (usually 7pm on Sunday nights - because they are so worn out from the busy weekend!)

What is your kid's betime ritual?

Check This Out!

2008-07-25T10:12:00.001-04:00

Teresa is giving away a cupcake scented gift set by Embrace Bath & Body, over at her personal blog. The contest is for USA and Canada only.

New Addition to the Family! Meet Aztec . . .

2008-07-23T10:45:00.006-04:00

When I picked up middle child from her horseback riding lesson, she was holding a little kitten, about 4 weeks old. My daughter LOVES animals and looked at me with pleading eyes saying "Mommy, can we keep it? Please? Please?" And what can I say, I'm a softie. I replied "We'll have to ask your Dad." Yeah, put it on him - that way (in my world anyway) - it won't be "my" cat - just like the dogs are "his" dogs - and I don't have to take care of them. Well, Daddy said OK, just keep the kitten away from the dogs - it would make a great "snack" to them. The dogs stay outside during the day - and come inside only to sleep - in the laundry room. So, it shouldn't be too difficult.
However, I am allergic to cats and dogs. The dogs aren't really an issue since they stay outside. However - cats tend to roam around your house - claiming it as their own. Plopping down on your bed and pillow - meowing outside closed doors - yeah, that's why I am not a cat person. So, right now - we are crating the kitten at night and when we aren't home. When we are home - it stays in the kitchen/dining room area. I figure this is better than it staying a stray at the horse barn - and he seems fine with the arrangement - for now. We'll see as he gets older - I'm already leaning towards not crating him when we're gone during the day - I'm just hesitant. Mainly because I know the damage cats can do to furniture - he already tries to climb up the legs of my wood table.
Anyways - my daughter is happy to have a kitten and is learning responsibility by cleaning the litter box, cage and keeping it fed/watered. And the kitten is just SO cute!

Movie Review Monday - Journey to the Center of the Earth

2008-07-18T14:57:00.008-04:00

Movie Review #15
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem
Rated: Rated PG for intense adventure action and some scary moments
Type of Movie: 3-D, Science Fictioin, Action, Adventure
Theater or DVD: Theater
Description: Professor Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) teaches earth sciences at the university and heads the Center of Volcanic Activity. Max Anderson, Trevor's brother, built the monitoring system and placed the units around the world 10 years earlier. For some unknown reason, Max did not return, leaving behind a wife and son, Sean (Josh Hutcherson). Sean's mother leaves the teenager at Trevor's house to get some quality time with his uncle. They look at Max's copy of Journey to the Center of the Earth (Enriched Classic) by Jules Verne and find a secret code. Back at the monitoring center Trevor compares the volcanic activity numbers and finds that they are exactly the same as the ones in the book. Trevor and Sean fly to Iceland to check one of the units and to see if they can find some information about where Max went. Trevor hires a beautiful mountain guide, Hannah (Anita Briem), to take them up the volcano. During an electrical storm on the volcano, they get trapped in an abandoned mine. They search for a way out of the mine and discover a wall filled with large diamonds. Unfortunately, the floor they are standing on can't hold their weight, and they fall down a volcano tube for miles and miles until they reach the center of the earth. Once there, they encounter prehistoric glow birds, flying piranha, man-eating plants, and T-Rex dinosaurs that have been extinct for millions of years. They find that they are seeing the same things that were printed in the Jules Verne book. This gave them hope that someone was able to escape from the center of the earth and return to the surface.
OK for Kids? YES! Great Family Movie
Opinion: First off - given the choice to view this movie in 3-D or no 3-D - definetly go see it in 3-D! It was probably the best 3D movie I've seen. The 3-D effects weren't just thrown in there in a few parts as they do at the IMAX for some movies - the whole movie appears to have been made to show and enjoy in 3-D. My eldest son saw it both ways and said he enjoyed the 3-D much more!
That being said - also know the movie is very different than the Journey to the Center of the Earth book! The movie follows the son and brother of Max (aka Harry/Alex in the book) who in the book, went into the center of the earth with Professor Lindenbrock. In the movie - Max never made it out of the center of the earth. His son, Sean, and brother, Trevor find his copy of the book with lots of notes and clues in it. They follow the clues and end up taking a journey similar to the one in the book.

Differences aside - the movie was very enjoyable. No bad language, no sex, lots of action and adventure - 3-D fun - you can't ask for more out of a movie fun for the whole family!

I've seen reviews where people knock the "science" of the film (and the book for that matter) - but you must keep in mind - the book was written in the early 1900's when science didn't know a lot of what it does now. Verne was "guessing" and "making up" theories and science fiction that was as far-out to the people of that era as some of the science fiction from movies like Minority Report. Don't analyze it too much - just enjoy a night out with the kids!

(Four out of Five!)
You can go here and here for more reviews of the movie.

Visit here for a review of the book!

Winner!

2008-07-18T14:50:00.002-04:00

Jennifer won the drawing for the The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling (The Yada Yada Prayer Group, Book 6) book! It was a fun book - I highly suggest the whole series - Yada Yada Prayer Group Set Vols 1-6 (Prayer Group/Gets Down/Gets Real/Gets Tough/Gets Caught/Gets Rolling)! Congrats Jennifer - please email me your address so I can mail you the book!

BOOK GIVEAWAY! - Scroll Down for New Posts!

2008-07-14T14:30:00.001-04:00

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling (The Yada Yada Prayer Group, Book 6) is a great summer read! I really relate to the narrator of the story, her thoughts and feelings so resemble my own! I love the diverse group of women and how they come together and worship Jesus. This is the 6th book in a series of 7 and I highly suggest the whole series. If you don't win - you can buy The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling (The Yada Yada Prayer Group, Book 6) here for $4.99.

To enter - leave a comment here with a book you have read this summer and suggest that I check out. Good Luck!

Drawing will be on July 14th.

Can or Bottle?

2008-07-07T16:46:00.000-04:00

OK - time to move on from the posts about the fire - I think I'm done with that - well, except for an occassional update on the rebuilding of her house.

Every morning I go to the drink machine and put in my 35 cents (our soda's are cheap - subsidized by the company), and get my Diet Coke (I'm not a coffee drinker). Luckily, they come out in a can. I DO NOT LIKE sodas out of bottle. The small bottles or 2 liters - don't like them. In a can, they get nice and COLD. And they fizz - but in a good way - not like in the small plastic bottles.

My favorite soda is DIET COKE PLUS. Hey, if you're going to drink soda - may as well get it as healthy as you can! DIET COKE PLUS has essential nutrients - 15% RDI of Niacin and Vitamins B6 & B12, plus 10% RDI of Zinc and Magnesium. It's also flavored with Green Tea - and though I don't like Green Tea by itself - I like the little zing it gives DIET COKE PLUS. Try it!

So, what about you - are you a can or bottle soda drinker?

What Is Your Teen Reading This Summer?

2008-06-25T14:42:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you - but I keep a close eye on what my kids watch on TV/Movies.
To preview Movies my kids want to watch I go to one of the following review websites:
Plugged In
Christian Spotlight on Entertainment

But, besides either trusting the back cover of a book or reading a book before my kids - I have no way to really tell if the book is appropriate/acceptable for my child to read. My kids tend to read more hours a day than they watch TV or movies and with two reading tween/teen books I just can not pre-read every book they want to read. So, another blogger lady and I started a website where parents can go and read reviews of books from the perspective of a Christian parent.

The last few reviews I posted are for:
Inkheart
Trion Rising
The A-List
The Clique

The favorite teen book I've read so far and one I highly recommend is:
Dragonspell

I encourage you to take a look and cruise around Teen Lit Review - and find some great summer reading for your teens!

Heroes . . .

2008-06-18T16:36:00.004-04:00

Here are the heroes that saved my Mom's life . . . .

I have a new found respect for firemen. We have visited them several times since the fire. The two men on each side of my Mom (John and Dan) are the ones who carried her out. They found her on the floor at the bottom of her bed, face down, unconscious. They carried her out and "bagged her" to improve her breathing. Within 2 minutes of carrying her out - the ceiling in her room fell down. The firemen have photos and a video of the fire they gave us a copy of. John told me when they respond to these calls usually they find the people are able to walk out on their own, or dead. To find and "rescue" someone was rewarding and makes his career worthwhile - even if he never saves another person. The guys are all so nice and concerned about others. I try to remember to pray for them and firemen (and ladies) everyday - for their safety. Their service to others is awesome, I pray they are serving the ultimate hero - Jesus Christ as well. Thank you Station 16!

After The Fire . . . .

2008-06-10T13:51:00.004-04:00

Here are photo's of how Mom's house looks after the fire. Demolition begins this week - rebuild should take about 5 months. Mom actually will get to rent a unit across from this one - so she'll be able to keep an eye on the building process - she's excited about that!

Fire Photos

2008-06-06T14:26:00.003-04:00

Click photo to make larger:

Here are some photo's a neighbor took of my Mom's House while it was on fire.
I will post some photos later this weekend of what it looks like now.
Thanks to all my blogging buddies who have emailed or left comments - ya'll are so sweet! Thanks for your prayers too!

You Never Think . . . .

2008-06-02T20:56:00.004-04:00

You never think those bad things you see on the news will happen to you. They always happen to someone else. I'll watch the news and view the sadness, sad for the victums - but glad it wasn't me or my family. . .

5AM on Saturday morning, bad news entered my world. HWH received a call on his cell phone, while he was listening on his cell our land line rang. My Mom's next door neighbor was on the other line. "Angi, your Mom's house has burned down. They've taken your Mom to the hospital". Paul was receiving the same news from my uncle (my cousin was staying with my Mom and had just gotten home to the chaos at about 4:45am).

I call my sister to deliver the news. She and I are in panic mode. HWH tells me to calm down - calm down so I can drive. I dress, grab some breakfast and a book and head to the hospital. Sister and I arrive at the same time. We go in and are taken back to see her. She's sedated, with a tube down her throat, soot all over her. We talk to the doctors and nurses. Find out she was recesitated at the scene. They tell us there is significant carbon monoxide poisioning and probable lung damage. The first step is to transfer her to Duke for several treatments in the hyperbaric chamber. Those treatments will remove the carbon monoxide from her body so there won't be any brain or body damage. After that they will evaluate her lungs. Mericasouly, there is not one single burn on her body!

She is transfered to Duke at about 7am and in the camber by 9am. We wait. Then she's taken to ICU, we wait. Doctors check her out and evaluate her condition. The news is very optomistic. She is progressing nicely - indicating no bad damage to the lungs or airways. Two more hyperbaric camber treatments, the removal of the tubes, and she was sent to a regular room Sunday afternoon. Monday afternoon she was discharged at about 3pm. (She was on the same hall on Senator Kennedy!)

Her first request was to go by her house. Once there, the tears came. It was a total loss. We were able to salvage her mother's china and some other items that were stored away in closets (old pictures and photo albums). Other than that it is all gone. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to upset by the loss of the stuff. She seems to just be happy to be alive. To have survived such a bad fire, with as little injury as she had.

The 911 call was made by the neighbors. Their dog woke them up barking. (My mom will never curse that yapping dog again!) It appears my Mom never woke (she has insomnia and takes sleeping pills at night). When the firemen got there they looked at the fire and were not expecting anyone to be alive inside. They went in, and within two minutes of getting her out of her bedroom, the ceiling collapsed.

In my mind - I see her guardian angels holding that ceiling up until she was drug out. I see them holding the flames to the front part of the house until she was safe. I imagine them waking the dog and her neighbors. I see them keeping the roads clear, the hero firemen availble and fast. I see those angels doing the work of God.

Thank you God, for my mother's safety. I pray you use this experience to draw us all closer to you.

Check back later this week for pictures . . . . .

Recent Reads . . . .

2008-05-22T22:47:00.003-04:00

Catch a Rising Star (Drama Queens Series #1)
by Tracey Bateman

When thirty-something Tabby Brockman has the opportunity to reclaim her role as a killed-off character on the nation's #1 daytime soap opera, she figures this must be God's reward. But back on the set, she's faced with the same hateful head writer who killed off her character in the first place, kids who drive her crazy, a stage dad who rubs her completely wrong, and and an unwanted boyfriend who can?t seem to get the message. Faced with this dizzying rollercoaster of challenges, Tabby has to wonder: is she finally a star on the rise or just on the brink of another spectacular fall?

This was a lighthearted, fun read. Great for summer reading! This was the first book I've read by Tracey Bateman and I'll definetly be reading more!

Breach of Promise

James Scott Bell

From the Back Cover: How far will a father go to get back his only daughter? And how will he survive in a legal system that crushes those who can't afford to fight back? Mark Gillen has the storybook life other men dream of, complete with a beautiful wife and an adoring five-year-old daughter. Then his wife announces shes leaving him. And taking their daughter with her. The other man is a famous film director with unlimited funds and the keys to stardom and wealth for Paula. How can Mark begin to compete? But the most bitter blow comes when he is kept from seeing his daughter because of false charges . . . and a legal system ill-suited for finding the truth. Forged in the darkest valley Mark has ever walked through, his faith in God may ultimately cost him everything in the eyes of the family law system. But it is the one thing that can keep him sane and give him the strength to fight against all odds for what matters most.

Another first for me, I'd never read James Scott Bell before, but had heard/read great things about him. I did like his writing style and the book was good, realistic, and hard hitting. It reminded me of the story of Job. One.bad.thing.after.another kept happening to Mark, it got to the point where I was like, alright already! But I liked the message of the story.The ending is more "real" than "storybook" and I guess I've grown so accustomed to "fairytale" endings that I was a bit disappointed.

Go here for a review I posted of a new tween book - Trion Rising

And here and here for some warnings/reviews of books to keep your teens/tweens away from!

When Is My Day?

2008-05-14T15:50:00.003-04:00

This past Mother's Day - we were on our way home from lunch, and youngest asked:

"When is MY Day?"

HWH explained that everyday is his day.

How very true!

Best, Worst, Maybe Tomorrow . . . . .

2008-04-22T13:27:00.003-04:00

Every night when I tuck my 6 year old into bed, I lay with him and we talk about his day. We each do something we call Best, Worst, Maybe Tomorrow.

We each tell the best thing about our day.

Then the worst thing about our day.

Lastly, what we wish for Tomorrow.

Example: last night youngest said:

My best part of the day was getting to watch brother and his friend play volleyball when Dad and I went to pick them up.

My worst was when we had to drop off brother's friend, I wanted to play with him more.

Maybe Tomorrow it will be warmer outside.

This is a special time for youngest and me, a lot of times I am very surprised at what the best part of his day was! I encourage you to try this! I know some people do it at the dinner table - and involve the whole family. We've done that before, but with our busy schedule - bedtime works best.

Finally! April 26th!

2008-04-17T09:39:00.003-04:00

I have waited a long time for this! Finally, on Saturday, April 26th the Season Premier of Robin Hood will come on! Robin Hood is a BBC America show that I really enjoy. There is no bad language, but things can get a bit steamy with Robin and Marian, so I'd say to watch it before you decide to let your teens view. And if you didn't watch Season 1 - I'm sure Netflix or Blockbuster online have it. Enjoy!

Monday Movie Review - August Rush

2008-04-15T21:56:00.002-04:00

Movie Review #15 - August Rush
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard, Robin Williams
Rated: PG for mild violence and language
Type of Movie: Drama
Theater or DVD: DVD
Description: There’s music in the wind and sky. Can you hear it? And there’s hope. Can you feel it? The boy called August Rush can. The music mysteriously draws him, penniless and alone, to New York City in a quest to find – somehow, someway – the parents separated from him years earlier. And along the way he may also find the musical genius hidden within him. Experience the magic of this rhapsodic epic of the heart starring Freddie Highmore (as August), Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard and Robin Williams. "I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales," August says. Open your heart and listen. You’ll believe, too.
OK for Kids? 16 and older perhaps
Opinion: I liked this movie, but it is a modern day fairy tale. My problem with fairy tales is that I watched so many of them as a child/teen that when I got to be an "adult" I kind of thought that was how life is really supposed to be - and I was disappointed to find out otherwise. There are a few curse words - He**, pi**, dam*, and the Lord's name in vain. All very unnecessary - and one of the adult figures gets a bit angry towards a child. The movie starts out with premarital sex - implied - not shown. It was a light, fun tale - not realistic at all - but heart-warming just the same. The music is very enjoyable and you'll be clapping at the end. Overall, I'd say OK for you and your hubby to watch - but definetly no kids under 16.
3 stars out of 5

Blog So Much You Die????

2008-04-10T15:22:00.003-04:00

This week there was a NY Times article about several bloggers who have recently "blogged till they dropped".
Guess Blogger needs a warning "Blogging may be dangerous for your health"!
OK, blogging friends - take it easy - I haven't even met any of you yet - you can't go dying now!
Now, maybe I have an excuse for not blogging as often as I wish I did - I stayed away for my health!

Great Contest!

2008-04-06T15:24:00.001-04:00

Over at The Pumpkin Patch there is a contest for a blog makeover. I so need that! I desperately want a makeover, but choose to use my spare money to buy books to read, review and giveaway here and at Teen Lit Review. So, I'm hoping I win this makeover!

Our Little Getaway . . . . .

2008-04-06T14:31:00.008-04:00

After getting home from Great Wolf Lodge, I was tired. HWH could not go with us - so it was just the kids and me. While the two oldest would go off and play on the water slides, I would play with the 6yr. old who wanted to play in the wave pool, the lazy river, kiddie pool land, and the small slides. We drove 4 hours there - played about 5 hours, had dinner, showers and bed.

Our luck, we were on a hall with about 2 bus loads of people who knew each other. Apparently they thought it was a good idea to meet in the hallway and talk and laugh and run and pound and . . . .

About 10pm I complained to the front desk and it got better, for about 10 minutes. I finally fell asleep around 11:30 - was woke up around 3am by the same group - still out in the hall.

I just don't get it!!!! They had no concern or thought for others!? I mean, I would NEVER sit out in a hall talking and laughing. I am always very paranoid to keep my kids quiet when we are in hotel hallways - no matter what time of day. I remember the days of me trying to get babies to nap/sleep in hotel rooms - and try to think of that as we pass through the halls.

Anyways - besides that we had a fabulous time! The kids were good (mostly) and the place was amazing. The perfect cold weather getaway. After we woke up, we played another 5 hours, changed and headed home.

After being together all this time - the drive home was not as peaceful as I had hoped it was. I guess they didn't enjoy the movie they were watching very much because they kept poking and touching each other. Yeah, I took the car, not the SUV - so they were all sitting right next to each other. Learned my lesson!

I was so ready to get home!

But when I got home there were bags to unpack, laundry to do. Kids to bathe. Housework waiting for me. I was just plain old GRUMPY!

As a result I was not nice to HWH.

As I went to sleep that night I was crying. Crying because I did not want to be grumpy. Crying because I felt like a terrible mom and wife for being grumpy. Guilty for feeling grumpy, for not being nice.

I try hard to be nice, positive, up and "on" all the time. Sometimes though I fall apart and what I term "the real me" pops through. I don't know - it's confusing. I don't think I'm nearly as nice as I act - but then again, I am. Being nice doesn't come as naturally to me as I wish it did. If it was easier I'd be way nicer. Though, I think - if you asked most people they would say that I am a nice person.

Anyways - enough rambling. About noon the day after we got back, I was back to normal me. In the groove and doing my thing.

Why You Haven't Seen Any Book Reviews/Giveaways Lately!

2008-04-03T22:25:00.007-04:00

I've been reading Teen Lit lately - so I haven't had time to read any of the grown-up books I have to review/give-away!
To tide you over - you can check out some of my recent reviews - and check here and there over the next week for some upcoming give-aways! Happy Reading!

In The Hall of The Dragon King by Stephen R. Lawhead

Bad Connection by Melody Carlson

Spring Break Getaway!

2008-04-01T23:10:00.005-04:00

I have been so busy lately, and the kids have done so well in school so far, I have decided to treat them to a surprise!

Wednesday morning I am going to put them in the car, and drive - not telling them where we are going!We will arrive here, at the Great Wolf Lodge - a giant indoor water park! I think they will have tons of fun! Check back soon and I'll give you a review of the place. They have locations all over the country - you may want to give it a try!

ANSWERS - Movie Quotes

2008-03-24T23:24:00.001-04:00

I saw this movie meme the other day at Baseballs and Bows. It looked like fun, so I thought I would try it.Here are the rules:
1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess (if you know them all, please don't guess every one).
4. I will strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie. (question for you all - how do I "strike something" - I don't know how to make a line go through words on blogger - help!)
5. No Googling or IMDb-ing. That's cheating, and that's no fun!

Here are my quotes: (It was hard to think of my favorite movies - these are simply 10 I liked that I remember there were good lines in them.)

1. You don't always have to be who they want you to be, you know? 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU
2. I'm not crazy, I've just been a very bad mood for the last 40 years! STEEL MAGNOLIAS (Bronie got right)
3. A: You have done nothing for which you should be ashamed.
B: I have done nothing. And for that I am ashamed. THE PATRIOT (Rachel got right)
4. The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end. GLADIATOR
5. I have another scenario for you - I'm in love with you. I apologize for the blunt delivery, but as problematic as this fact may be, I'm in love... with YOU. I'm not feeling this because you're leaving, and not because it feels good to feel this way... which, by the way, it does, or did before you went off like that. I can't figure out the mathematics of this, I just know I love you. I can't believe how many times I'm saying it! And I never thought I'd feel this way again, so that's pretty phenomenal. And I realize that I come as a package deal: 3 for the price of 1. I know my package, perhaps in the light of day, isn't all that wonderful, but I finally know what I want and that, in itself, is a miracle. And what I want is YOU - THE HOLIDAY (Shawna got right)
6. I bet you've had a hard time walking into a room full of people on your own, right? Yeah. I know that. I know what it is not to feel like your in the room until he looks at you or touches your hand or even makes a joke at your expense, just to let everyone know... you're with him. You're his. - P.S. I LOVE YOU
7. A: You love the original Star Wars trilogy because it's all about storytelling and myth, before CGI ruined everything. You show me a guy who loves Empire and I'll show you a guy who's not afraid of his imagination. Like when Luke gets to the cave and he asks Yoda what's in there and Yoda says...
B:[imitating Yoda's voice with Star Wars music playing in the background] ... Only what you take with you.
A: But he goes in anyway because he's not afraid of his own mind.
B: He's walking the path of the Jedi, that's why.
A: That's you! You're Luke! FAILURE TO LAUNCH
8. I respect your right to disagree with me, but I can only afford one rebel on this ship. MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
9. So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day. Will you do something for me, please? Just picture your life for me? 30 years from now, 40 years from now? What's it look like? If it's with him, go. Go! I lost you once, I think I can do it again. If I thought that's what you really wanted. But don't you take the easy way out. THE NOTEBOOK (Shawna got right)
10. I know it's not always easy being my friend, but I'll be there when you need me. (I CAN'T REMEMBER THIS ONE RIGHT NOW!)

Make your guesses in the comment section. Oh, and TAG - you're it. Leave me a note if you've done this on your blog - I want to come make a guess!

Movie Review Monday - Vantage Point

2008-03-16T21:15:00.005-04:00

Movie Review #14

Vantage Point

Starring: William Hurt, Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker

Rated: PG-13

Type of Movie: Thriller, Drama, Crime

Theater or DVD: Theater

Description: President Ashton (William Hurt) is attending a global war on terror summit in Spain. Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox) are two of the Secret Service agents assigned to protect him. This is the first action that Agent Barnes has been in since he took a bullet for President Ashton six-month earlier. We really don't know if Agent Barnes is up to the challenge of protecting the President. Shortly after President Ashton is escorted to the stage in the plaza by the Secret Service, he is immediately shot twice by a rifle from a window and falls to the floor. The crowd is in shock and chaos breaks out all over, especially, when bombs begin to explode. Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker) is an American video-taping the event to show to his children that he was actually there at this historic event. He believes that he has the picture of the man who shot the President. Agent Barnes sees the tape and has a clue to that person. Several different people witness the event, and only through their eyes do we see the truth behind the assassination attempt.

OK for Kids? No

Opinion: Keep in mind that Groundhog Day is one of my least favorite movies of all time. I really, really dislike the repetitive nature of that movie. Well, Vantage Point did not annoy me as much, but I can't say that I especially enjoyed it. There were some surprises that kept me guessing most of the movie. I wish I'd seen more of Matthew Fox (hum, I wonder why???), I just really prefer a movie that goes beginning to end, not beginning to beginning to beginning, well you get the picture. I would suggest that if you want to see this movie, wait until it comes out on DVD. Then, rent it at Red Box for $1.00!

The movie has quite a bit of violence, action, and some bad language (Lord's name in vain and the "f" word). I so wish they would not allow that in movies, unless they are rated "R" - it's getting harder and harder to avoid bad language.

2 out of 5 stars

Go here for another review of Vantage Point

Check out my review of Horton Hears a Who here! And another review of Horton Hears a Who here!

Truffles By The Sea Winner!

2008-03-16T16:41:00.004-04:00

I used Random Number Generator and the winner is comment # 38! Natalie at Normal to Natalie won the book "Truffles By The Sea" by Julie Carobini. Thanks everyone for stopping by my blog party! Please stop by and chat often - I love visitors! And, I hold giveaways about 2x a month. Also, be sure to stop by Teen Lit Review - we give away a book each month there - and have reviews of teen/tween books!

Those Number Thingys

2008-03-14T22:24:00.004-04:00

Well, I really enjoyed the blog party hosted by 5 minutes for Mom! I have met lots of neat people and read many very interesting blogs - many I bookmarked for future visits! I negleted many things to attend the party - TV, Books, HWH, housework - pretty much everything - after I got the kids in bed - I was partying!!!!!
BUT - I got soooooo tired of typing in those little letters to make my typing post. Many, many, many times I did not/could not get the letters right. Especially when it was cursive. Especially when it included the letter d, q, or w!
I know my site requires readers to type those words to put in their post. Do you? I am considering removing them. If you don't have them as a requirement for your blogger blog - do bad things happen ???? Let me know!

THE ULTIMATE BLOG PARTY!

2008-03-14T13:08:00.007-04:00

5 Minutes For Mom is having the "Ultimate Blog Party" March 7 - 14! It is a lot of fun, and it is addicting! Don't visit unless you have lots of time to enter tons of FABULOUS prizes! And time to read lots of great Blogs!

Be sure to visit Teen Lit Review and enter to win the drawing for two teen books.

I am giving away an AWESOME book - Truffles by the Sea - by Julie Carobini.
This is Julie's second book and it is even better than the first one! This is a PASS IT ON book - meaning it has been previously read - by the sea! Determined to turn her life around, Gaby Flores moves to a beachfront loft, takes on a new motto, "Be gullible no more, " and begins to rebuild her flower store while searching for Mr. So Right. But when a lawsuit, an eviction notice, a near-empty bank account, and quirky neighbors invade her beachy world, not even chocolate can solve her worries as her fledgling faith is put to the test.
All the characters were very likable, I loved the relationships, I just did not want to put it down until I was done. Then, when I was done, I wanted another book by Julie to read immediately! So, leave a comment and email address to win! Good luck, and when you're done reading, because books are too precious to only be read once, PASS IT ON!

My Name is Angi. I came out of anomyous blogging in January. The reason I "came out" was so I could tell my friends about a new blog endeavor - Teen Lit Review. I am a mother of 3 beautiful children who works outside the house (sigh!). I am best friend to my best friend - my Hard Working Husband (HWH). My children go to public school (another sigh!). But through all the sighs - I feel like we honor God, give all glory to Jesus, and love each other abundantly!
(last week my sighs were gasps - did I mention that I'm emotional and moody?)

I hope you have time to look around my blog, check out Teen Lit Review, and enter my giveaway! Thanks for stopping by!

PS - I would love to win a Free T-Shirt from Georgie Tees!
I really want to win the free bag from Hip Mama's Place! Check it out! Gorgeous!
This sign is adorable - Lolly Jane Boutique personalizes it! Check it out!

Movie Review Monday - Horton Hears a Who

2008-03-09T21:30:00.004-04:00

Movie Review #13

Horton Hears a Who

Staring: Jim Carey, Steve Carell

Rated: G

Type of Movie: Animation, Kids, Adventure

Theater or Rent: Theater

Description: “One day, Horton the elephant hears a cry from help coming from a speck of dust. Even though he can't see anyone on the speck, he decides to help it. As it turns out, the speck of dust is home to the Whos, who live in their city of Whoville. Horton agrees to help protect the Whos and their home, but this gives him nothing but torment from his neighbors, who refuse to believe that anything could survive on the speck. Still, Horton stands by the motto that, ‘After all, a person is a person, no matter how small."

OK For Kids? Yes

Opinion: Of all the Dr. Seuss adaptations, Horton Hears a Who is by far my favorite. It had my kids and me laughing frequently! The theme seemed to be that a person is a person, no matter how small. (Now, if only left liberal Hollywood really felt that way! A baby is made at conception, not 9 to 12 weeks later!) Horton was a loyal friend, and gave his all to the goal he set - protecting the people living on the speck. There was a bit of potty mouth, but I don't recall it being too much for me. However, I did not care for the several uses of the word 'boob' - it was used referring to how a character was behaving (behaving like a boob). My kids I know, had never heard that word used in that way, so we had to have a discussion making it clear they could not use that word. Unfortunately, daily - at school, my kids hear many words they know they aren't allowed to use (butt, omg, freakin', etc. . . .) - so use of that word would not prohibit me from letting them see it. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and would suggest it for the whole family.

(4.5 stars out of 5)

Wallpaper Rant

2008-03-09T00:44:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I finally restarted my endeavor to take down the wallpaper in our kitchen.
I started about a year ago.
The people who owned this house before us loved wallpaper.
We don't.

Ugly wallpaper isn't like a horrendous paint color.
If you don't like the color of your walls, easy-paint them! Quick, easy, virtually painless.
If you tire of a color on your walls, or want to redecorate - easy enough!

But, if at 26 when you buy a house, you don't consider what ugly wallpaper in the house you're buying means to you - then you're in for it!
Now, 10 years later - we are finally redecorating our kitchen/dining room combo.
I am the wallpaper remover.
Husband is the sander, painter, designer - everything EXCEPT - the wallpaper remover.

The wallpaper in our house doesn't come off easily either.
First, I have to score.
Then, I have to spray Wallpaper remover stuff.
Then, I have to steam the wallpaper.
Lastly, I peal it off, many pieces having to be scraped.

So, before you hang that wallpaper. Know that if you are going to move one day - chances are very good that many people who look at your house won't like your wallpaper. And I won't be buying it unless you take it down first!

Wii!

2008-03-07T13:42:00.005-05:00

For his 13th birthday, Eldest received a Wii. (Nevermind that it's in the family room and all the kids have their own remote - it belongs to eldest!)

Eldest really wanted one of these. It was the only thing he asked for.

I could not find one in a store anywhere. I looked, and looked, and looked and found out that you pretty much have to go back to the store(s) everyday around 8am, if there is any chance you want to find one that just happens to have arrived that day and is still in stock.

I'm sure the store associates buy these up. Or call their friends/family to buy them up.

I ended up buying one on ebay from someone who I am sure worked at one of the stores that sell them (Target, Walmart, Best Buy, etc. . . . .).

I ended up paying $30 more than it cost in the store, plus $30 shipping.

But, it was worth it. Eldest loves it. He did not want to go to bed last night and stop playing it. He got up early ALL BY HIMSELF, without me having to drag him out of bed - just to play it before school.

In case you are not familiar with the Wii - it is a video system in which you play the games standing up. You don't simply sit there and press buttons. In tennis - you must swing and hit the ball. In boxing, you punch and jab. In bowling you swing and release the ball to knock down the pins. In golf, well, I haven't fully figured out what you do in golf to get that ball going, but I'm sure you swing at it somehow.

So, it's a very interactive game.

Now, my son wants to take tennis lessons. Guess since he's so good on the Wii he thinks he'd be awesome in real life. (Kinda how I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express last night and I'm getting ready to go perform open heart surgery.) I tried to explain how in real tennis you have to move your feet, fast, in all sorts of directions.

So, next time you're in Target, if you see a Wii - buy it. You'll make money on ebay!

Crazy 8's

2008-03-04T13:46:00.006-05:00

I was tagged by Shawna at Scamp's Place - so here is my list (answers are in no particular order):

8 Things I'm Passoniate About
1. My relationship with Christ
2. My children
3. My HWH
4. Reading
5. My friends
6. Teen Lit Review
7. My blog
8. Brownies

8 Things I Want to do Before I Die
1. Travel around the world
2. Be a great-grandmother
3. Own an ocean vacation boat
4. Successfully handle the family business
5. Write a book
6. Make a very close Christian best friend
7. Stay married to HWH till I do die!
8. Write a book

8 Things I Often Say
1. Come on, come on, let's go!
2. What did I say?
3. I love you.
4. You are my sunshine.
5. Say your prayers.
6. How was your day?
7. Did you brush your teeth?
8. No

8 Books I've Read Recently
1. The Choice
2. The Hidden
3. Truffles by the Sea
4. The Other Mother
5. 7th Heaven
6. The Door Within
7. Kingdom's Dawn
8. DragonSpell

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over
1. Holy Is the Lord
2. Round Here
3. It's All Coming Back To Me Now
4. Beautiful Disaster
5. Redeemer
6. Offering
7. Amazing Grace
8. Undiscovered

8 Things That Attract Me to my Best Friend
1. Funny
2. Loyal
3. We Like the Same Foods
4. We Like the Same Movies
5. She likes me
6. She knows me
7. She's honest
8. She's nice

8 People I Think Should do Crazy 8's

Tag - you're it! If you're reading this you are tagged. If you haven't done this -then do it now! Leave me a message on where to find your list! Looking forward to learning more about you!

Winner!

2008-03-04T13:42:00.002-05:00

Mitzi is the winner of the PASS IT ON drawing for The Hidden! Congrats Mitzi! The next PASS IT ON drawing will be next week - check back to enter. I will be giving away the fabulous chick-lit book - Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini.

PASS IT ON BOOK DRAWING!

2008-03-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

Because books are too precious to only be read once . . . . .
This is a Stickey Post! Scroll down for new posts.

This month, the drawing is for The Hidden by Kathryn Mackel. Book Description: When out riding, Dr. Susan Rose is thrown by her horse and tumbles into a crevasse---where she discovers a young man chained in the darkness. But he has no memory of how he got there! As Susan tries to discover the cause of his amnesia, dark possibilities emerge. Could he be a fallen demon? 320 pages, softcover from WestBow.Shawna at Scamp's Place passed this book on to me. She loved it! Leave a comment and you'll be entered! My hope is that after you read the book, you will PASS IT ON! The winner will be drawn on March 3rd.

A couple pictures . . . .

2008-02-28T14:09:00.003-05:00

A couple of you have asked for pictures from my recent vacation. I haven't yet loaded the pictures from my camera onto the computer - but here are a couple of the "posed" photos from the cruise.

1st picture is of HWH and me. 2nd photo is my sis and her hubby along with me and HWH.

I'm Baaaaack!

2008-02-26T13:05:00.005-05:00

I am back, and totally rested, relaxed, and tanned! On Valentine's Day I left, along with HWH, my sister and her hubby, my Dad and his girlfriend, on a 10 day Caribbean cruise.
We cruised on the Emerald Princess. The ship was nice - but overall, I enjoyed cruising on Royal Caribbean much more. I have sailed twice on RC and thought the layout of the ships were better, and the food was much better on RC.
Our first stop was Antigua where we took a taxi to the beach and enjoyed the clear blue water.
Then, we stopped by St. Lucia - HWH and I went 4-wheeling on ATVs and had a blast.
Next was Barbados where we found another beautiful beach on which to sunbathe.
In St. Thomas we went out on a sailboat (the type they sail in America's Cup)and learned to sail, then raced 2 other sailboats. After that we shopped, shopped, shopped.
We were unable to make the stop scheduled for St. Kitts (I have been to St. Kitts for a 1 week vacation before, so I was not too upset).
Lastly, we stopped at Princess Cays in the Bahamas and enjoyed the beach and shopping.
I love cruising. I am not a real adventurous type and I don't have the desire to traipse around foreign countries sightseeing. I am more of an introvert - I love to relax by laying out in the warm sun, reading, socializing with my little circle of friends or family. I enjoy the short, planned visits into the countries we stop in, but mostly I just follow my HWH or sister around there.
I read 4 books while I was gone:
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks - LOVED IT! Probably my 2nd favorite Sparks book - behind The Notebook of course!

Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini - A great read. Enjoyed it even more than her first book, Chocolate Beach, which was fabulous.

The Other Mother by Gwendolen Gross - Interesting. I had read about this book on several blogs when it was released. I liked the book and could really identify with the feelings of both mothers in the book. I will warn you there are some scenes in the story that were a bit steamy and a few curse words.
7th Heaven by James Patterson - I like his books, quick reads, short chapters, interesting characters. Some curse words and gory scenes. I did feel like this was one of the best in the Women's Murder Club series.

I plan on giving away Truffles by the Sea in March - so check back soon for that Pass It On giveaway! Hopefully I'll post cruise pictures soon too!

Have a great week!

Taking a short break!

2008-02-15T12:55:00.000-05:00

This has been a hectic week for me! Two of my three kids have been home with strep throat, getting me way behind in many things. I need to get caught up and relax. So, I will be doing just that. I'll be back 2/25 with a relaxed, happy, and hopefully tan self!

Ten Things I Love About You . . . . .

2008-02-14T08:28:00.001-05:00

1 more day and it's Valentine's Day! I'm going to use each of the 10 days leading up to the lovey-dovey day to post something I Love about my Hard Working Husband (HWH). After being together 19 years, married 15 1/2 of those - I am more in love with him now than ever before!

10. I love riding in the car with you. Just riding. When we have no where to be and we're just exploring. I still remember the drive down to Myrtle Beach several years ago, with the windows down, music blaring, like we were 18 again. I love just hanging out with you!

Pictured: HWH and youngest in 2003

9. I love how every morning at 6:15 (on weekdays) you roll over and put your arm around me. I look forward to it everyday. In your arms I feel safe, warm, relaxed, and loved. Those few minutes are the key to me having a good day!

Pictured: HWH and me on our last cruise in 2006

8. I love the messages you write in the cards you give to me. They always make me cry, they are so sweet. Better than flowers or candy anyday!
Pictured: HWH and a feathered friend he met in Grand Cayman

7. I love watching you with the kids. You are such a good father. They adore you and covet your attention.

Pictured: HWH with eldest and youngest 11/06

6. I love how you can do anything you set out to do, well. You have a fierce determination. You are unafraid to try new things. It makes me feel so secure and safe to know that whatever needs to be done, you'll be able to do it.

5. I love how smart you are. I guess this goes along with #6 and your great memory. But I am glad I have you to turn to if I need to find out the answer to a question. Especially a religious one.

4. I love how you put up with me. I know I am not always the easiest person to put up with. But you do. Thank you.

3. I love the little things you do for me. You know what they are, and they mean a lot to me.

2. I love your bum! Yeah, you read right - your bum, your hiney, your backside, your bottom! I'm not trying to get dirty here on my blog, but you know I do! It's perfect! It takes all the self control I have (which is very little) not to grab it every time I pass you. I'm so jealous!

1. I love my life with you. 20 years ago, I never thought I could have the life I have now. I never thought I could be this happy, I never thought I'd be as good a Mom and Wife as I think I am, I did not think all this was possible for someone like me. Then you came into my life, and with a little badgering, we dated, fell in love, married, had kids, and here we are. There have been many bumps and twists in our journey, but through it all you have LOVED me. I couldn't ask for anything better than that. I love you honey, always and forever, your babie.

Doodlebug Designs Giveaway

2008-02-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

Doodlebug Designs is celebrating their grand opening by hosting a great giveaway!
They do great work! (They designed Teen Lit Review.)
1st prize - FREE completely customized blog design for a blooger blog!
2nd prize - FREE completely customized header for a blogger blog!
3rd prize - 10% off any service!

Visit Doodlebug Designs for complete list of rules and to enter!

Book Giveaway at Teen Lit Review

2008-02-11T13:43:00.001-05:00

Lisa Samson writes powerful books. Books that make you think. and think. and then think some more.

Hollywood Nobody is a book for teen girls - go to Teen Lit Review to enter to win a copy!

Award!

2008-02-04T11:46:00.000-05:00

Smoochiefrog at The Mind of A Thirtysomething Mom gave me an award! Thanks Smoochiefrog - I Love your blog! What an honor that someone thinks my blog is excellent!

I am now to pass the award on to 3 deserving bloggers.

1. Now, I know this may be tacky, but I'm passing it on to . . . . . myself! Well, myself and a few other ladies who blog at Teen Lit Review. It's a great blog that reviews teen and tween books from a Christian perspective. Since I've began reading my son's books, I am more selective and cautious about what I allow him to read, and we talk more about the books he does read. Plus, I've read some really good books!

2. Miss Paula at A Gathering of Friends - she is sort of like my blogging mom! I love her blog, we think alike, and she stops by and visits my blog often. Thanks Miss Paula!

3. Shawna at Scamp's Place - if I had a BBF (best blogging friend) - Shawna would be it! Her blog is beautiful, she is wise beyond her years, and she's the hard work behind Teen Lit Review.

Now, I'm going shopping for my gown to wear down the "red carpet" as I officially accept my award! (Yeah, I know - no "red carpet" - but I need an excuse for a new dress! I'll take any opportunity I get!)

Win a Scholarship to She Speaks 2008

2008-02-01T18:03:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 31 Ministries is giving away a Scholarship to She Speaks 2008. This is a conference for speakers, writers and women's ministry leaders.
The part for writers, which I am most interested in, includes bloggers - hey that's me! Ever since I began reading at about 6 years old, I've had a passion for writing. I wrote to get through my parent's divorce when I was 7. I wrote to get through constant moving around from age 8 to 13. I wrote to deal with my adolescent feelings, depression, crying for help in my notebook and a bottle of Boone's Farm. I wrote as a young bride, trying to do the marriage thing right, not like my parents modeled for me. I wrote as I failed at those attempts and struggled through the mistakes I made and sought forgiveness from those I hurt. I wrote as a young mother, not having a clue what I was doing and convinced that everything I was doing was wrong. I wrote as a working mom, struggling with the guilt of leaving my children on a daily basis. I wrote as I learned to turn to God to teach me, love me, and forgive me. I started this blog anonymously (and later "came out"), writing out of hurt and pain from a situation at the church I was attending. The first church I'd ever been a part of. A church that said I (and others who left) never really belonged there anyways.
I am a writer.
I've felt God's gentle hand guiding me in my passion to take it to the next level the past few years (thus, my blogging as a wannabe). But to write a book or attempt getting published in any way is a daunting task. Where do I start? Can I be original? Are my ideas any good? The opportunity to meet Christian publishers and other aspiring writers would be a huge blessing. I would love the encouragement and guidance they could provide both in my writing and my blogging. To meet Blog Stars Boo Mama, Big Mama and Rocks in My Dryer - WOW! I would love for them to help me learn how to make this blog better and to improve another blog I am very passionate about, one I began with several other friends Teen Lit Review.

Thanks for the contest Provers 31! I really wanna be a winner of this scholarship! I wanna take my passion to the next level!

If you're interested in entering, hurry over, the contest ends today!

Book Drawing

2008-01-31T22:47:00.000-05:00

THIS IS A STICKY POST, SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW POSTS!

This month I am having my Book Drawing over at Teen Lit Review, a new blog I started with a couple other lady bloggers. Please visit there and leave a comment. All who comment before 2/1/08 will be entered to win Kingdom's Dawn by Chuck Black.

Drugs are not the answer . . . . . . . . .

2008-01-23T11:28:00.000-05:00

Last night, HWH and I had an oh-so-deep (*smirk*) conversation about Heath Ledger's death. HWH commented that even the sports talk show he listened to on the way home from work was talking about it. That show talked about how prevalent drugs are among the "Hollywood crowd". I made the comment "Why?" I then went on to lament "Drugs are for losers who have nothing going for them." But, I know that is not the reality of this world. Drugs/alcohol are used by all sorts of people. I just don't get it though. I don't get the appeal.
But, then I thought about it some more. And I do get it. I'm not going into a lot of detail. But, in my teenage years I will say that there were times I made the wrong choices and tried substances I shouldn't have. Some more than others. It got me into trouble. And into counseling. And into God's arms. I had many issues to deal with that counseling guided me through recognizing, and God ultimately healed. For me, it took the problems and trouble to find out that it is only Christ who can heal my insides, my soul, and give me peace. With drugs/alcohol abuse, there is no peace. NO PEACE. There is no happy ending with drug/alcohol abuse. Only regret. and possibly death.
Drugs and alcohol are logical choices to those without hope. An easy choice when your focus is on yourself and not God and your family.
And I know it may sound corny or just not possible, but if you are one of those struggling with alcohol/drug abuse - trust me - I know - turn to Jesus - he really can heal you. By turning to Him, you will eventually feel better. Don't wait - you just don't know if that next hit or bottle will be your last. I almost didn't have the life I have now, and it is by God's grace I now have an awesome husband, wonderful children, peace, and hope.

Book Reviews

2008-01-16T10:06:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been reading t'ween and teen books. The books I've read/reviewed over the past few months are:

Kingdom's Dawn by Chuck Black

The Capture by Kathryn Lasky

DragonSpell by Donita K. Paul

The Mistmantle Chronicles: The Urchin of the Riding Stars by M.I. McAllister

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black

The Spiderwick Chronicles has a movie based on the book series that will be coming out soon. I enjoyed all the books except The Spiderwick Chronicles. My 12 yr. old son enjoyed the series though, so he will probably go see the movie. I found the books to be too mean, and I would not suggest a parent let their kids read them until they have read one or two of the series first, and judge if they are somthing your child would enjoy/handle.

All the other books, I really enjoyed and would suggest without hesitation to parents. If I had to pick a favorite it would be DragonSpell.

I have a pile of adult books I am anxious to read - hopefully I can slip a few in and post a few adult reviews here next month!

Happy Reading!

I'm For Fred Too!

2008-01-16T09:49:00.000-05:00

Becky over at Becky's Carolina Journal has a great post about why she supports Fred Thompson for President in 2008. It echo's my sentiments word for word! I encourage you to check out her post and Fred Thompson's web site.

Crock Pot Update and Other Rants

2008-01-15T10:53:00.001-05:00

I didn't let it beat me! After three failed attempts at cooking a crock pot meal (1st fail - forgot to plug in, 2nd fail - forgot to turn on, 3rd fail - plug only halfway in socket), I finally made a meal! Last Friday I got it right and my boys got to enjoy a pot roast!

Darling Daughter and I went on a Girl Scout retreat, so I left the roast for the guys to eat when they got home Friday night. The retreat was fun. The girls were great, though what they most wanted to do was play/hike outside. That's good, but it was just so COLD outside! I am not a cold weather person. Plus, I didn't take any Diet Coke (wanted to be a good example), and boy - did I regret that! I was dragging!

As for my other rant - OK, here it is. You know I love books. I love to read. But, books are expensive. I try to check them out at the library, but some just aren't available there. What irritates me - are some of the series books. Now, I like series books to a point. I read some of Beverly Lewis's Amish series books, but eventually I tired of them and quit. I read some of a series that took place on the wild frontier - but more and more books just kept coming and I tired of it. But, those series don't "bother me". What "bothers me" are series like the Left Behind series and the Kingdom Series - they seem to me to not have enough "content" in them, to be too short, not have enough significant events, etc. To be blunt, it seems to me that they write them to pull you in and make you buy more. For them to make more money, and sell more books.

I think 3 books in a series is a good amount. And authors should write each book as a stand alone - with content, events, and substance that warrant the consumer spending their money on it. Don't string me along! Don't make me HAVE to buy the next book to find out what happened. OK to buy the next book to continue a journey - but don't leave a cliffhanger!

That's my 2 cents worth on the subject. Do you have any thoughts? Agree or Disagree? What's your favorite series? Any you disliked?

One of my favorites is the Spa Girls Series by Kristen Billerbeck. It is 3 books, each written from the POV of a different girl. Loved it!

What is He tryting to teach me?

2008-01-08T09:53:00.000-05:00

About a month ago in this post I told you how I have messed up the last two "Crock Pot Stew" (as my kids call it). Well, the third time's a charm right?
Well, with most people - yes.
But, as with most nights that daughter and I have girl scouts - I started a "crock pot stew" before going to work. This time, I triple checked to make sure I had plugged it in and turned it on. When I left, the pot was warm - all was good. BUT, I must have pulled on the pot during one of my checks, because when HWH arrived home that night, expecting to smell the glorious aroma of my $20 pot roast and veggies, again, he was disappointed. The plug was halfway out of the socket, and so the two boys ate frozen waffles for dinner, and HWH and I ate spaghetti at about 9:45, after I got home and whipped it up.
This morning when eldest child was eating breakfast he made the comment "Mom, I think God's sending you a message not to make crock pot stew anymore."
My reply "Well He certainly is trying to teach me something. Not sure that it's to not make it anymore, I'll have to think about that".
So, what is it? What is the "lesson"? I thought on my drive to work.
To slow down? To get up earlier? To quit being a girl scout leader? To let HWH make their dinner? To not make crock-pot stew ever again?
I'm so confused . . . . . .

2008-01-05T16:48:00.000-05:00

Teen Lit Review
Real Reviews for the Christian Parent

When it comes to what is acceptable entertainment for our children, there are many places to turn for information. With movies, you have a rating to guide you and reviews you can read with detailed information about the movies and their content. With video games, there are also ratings and places online to get reviews and content details. There are even Christian websites that give these reviews and details from a family-friendly perspective.
However, with books, it is difficult to find a review from a Christian perspective. There are no "ratings" on a book. Book jackets don’t go into much detail. Reading is something all parents encourage, and many of us have children who read A LOT! But, just what are they reading?
We are pleased to announce a new blog - Teen Lit Review, a place where you can find detailed Christian-centered book reviews for all genres of 'tween and teen books. Our goal is to be a helpmate to parents in finding suitable books for their teens. All recommendations are solely the opinions of our reviewers. When in doubt of a book's appropriateness, we encourage you to read the book yourself.
We welcome your comments, feedback on our reviews, and suggestions of books for review.
Please visit Teen Lit Review and let us know what you think! We have a drawing you can enter to win a great read for your teenager!

If I was voting in a Caucus . . . .

2008-01-02T10:42:00.000-05:00

I am not a super political person - but the more I learn about this canidate, the more I like him. If he doesn't get the nomination (which is looking doubtful right now), he will be my choice. Outside of these two - I really can't get excited about any of the other Republicans.

14 GOOD REASONS TO SUPPORT DUNCAN HUNTER

1) He is the most conservative candidate in the race. He has a 92% lifetime rating, American Conservative Union.

2) He is the "National Security" candidate. He served with the 173rd Airborne and the 75th Army Rangers in Vietnam, and was, most recently, the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the House of Representatives. Duncan Hunter knows defense.

3) He is a strong supporter of missile defense.

4) He's a strong supporter of Israel.

5) He was responsible for building the fence along the Mexico-U.S. border in San Diego. That double fence cut smuggling (people and drugs) over 90%.

6) He opposes the McCain-Kennedy Amnesty bill in the Senate.

7) He is a co-sponsor of the Fair Tax.

8) He was the co-sponsor of a bill that would require a 2/3 majority in Congress to raise taxes.

9) He is a strong proponent of fair trade and will fix some of the bad trade deals that have been made by previous administrations in order to keep high paying jobs in America.

10) He pledges to appoint originalist judges like Antonin Scalia.

11) He has a 100% Pro-Life rating from National Right to Life.

12) He believes that marriage is between a man and a woman. He supports a Constitutional Amendment to protect marriage.

13) He is a strong defender of the 2nd Amendment who has an A+ National Rifle Association rating.

14) He supports school choice.

To be honest, I will be glad when it's all over. I just pray for the Lord's will to be done in the situation. To do that, and vote, is all I can do. I know many of you support Huckabee - who may be a fine man and a great Christian, but is not a conservative.

Christmas Tour of Homes

2007-12-24T10:16:00.000-05:00

BooMama is hostess to a lot of people sharing their beautifully decorated homes. Here is a short tour of mine:

HWH decorates the outside of the house.We have a tradition of going out together to find our tree. I have stuck to my convictions of having a real tree every year, though I must admit - I am getting closer and closer to giving in to my HWH and getting the fake pre-lit tree. But, I'm still at least a few years away from caving! HWH puts the lights on, then the kids decorate, after they go to bed, I rearrange.

The kids have their own tree - we alternate whose bedroom it goes in each year. This one is a fake tree (they charge about $30 for a real one this size!)

I decorate the mantle and put out all the other decorations.
Knick-knacks people have given me over the years.
My Nativity Scene - I got this about 14 years ago when I worked at Lillian Vernon catalog. We got a very nice discount - everything is much better from LV with a discount! I keep hoping for the Willow Tree nativity - there is even a photo of it on the refridgerator - maybe one year!

Every year I struggle with "do I put the kings here or not"? I know the kings didn't visit the stable - but rather Jesus' house - but - every year I go ahead and put them there. Now, when I get the Willow Tree set - I won't even buy the kings - temptation gone! :)

Another Lillian Vernon discount purchase.

Our count-down tree.

Our Christmas Card holder. After the holiday I like to pull them out, read them again and pray for each family.

And finally, my HWH's dear "children" - Connie and Hans.

These are his beloved Deutsch Drahthaar hunting dogs. I don't mind them, except when they bark (which is often). (All I outright asked for for Christmas was bark collars for the dogs!)

There are a couple people in my life right now who have sick family members in the hospital - my thoughts and prayers go out to them.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Winner of December PASS IT ON . . . .

2007-12-23T21:00:00.000-05:00

Is Karen at Mommy of Three! Karen won Snow Angel by Jamie Carrie - an awesome book! If you haven't read it, I suggest you use one of your Christmas gift certificates to get it!

I hope you all have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I'll be posting as I get time over the next week. I am off work for the 3 work days after Christmas - WOO HOO!

Check back in January for another PASS IT ON book giveaway - perhaps it will be affiliated with the new TEEN LITERATURE REVIEW blog that a few other ladies and myself will be going live with in January!

Off to wrap those last few gifts . . . . . . . .

Wash that mouth out girl!

2007-12-12T21:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, while at the YMCA a girl told my son to go to f*****g h**l. Why? Because he didn't want to listen to her gush on about her life and when she told him something he said "whatever". I'll tell you - if someone ever hears any of my children swear, I pray they tell me. It will not be a good day (or month) for my child if I ever hear about it.
I bet the mother of this girl has no clue her 12 year old daughter is talking that way.
I so wanted to call the Y director and complain (the counselor who my son told did nothing). But, I can't "come to his rescue" all the time. He's got to learn to handle difficult people and situations. We discussed how perhaps he could have been more polite to the girl from the beginning, and how you should be courteous even to annoying people . . . .
Man, parenting older kids is less physically draining (I'm not running around playing with him all the time, he cleans up his own toys and can change his own clothes) - but it's tough in a whole 'nother way!

The Third King

2007-12-09T20:31:00.000-05:00

Eldest (when he was 4 yr. old): Mom, what's the name of the 3rd king?
Me: The 3rd king?
Eldest: Yeah, you know, the 3rd king?
Me: Hum, well, what is the name of the first two kings?
Eldest: You know, the kings of oil and tar.
Me: (Driving, and about to die trying not to laugh!) Oh, "We 3 kings of orient are . . . ."
Eldest: Yeah, the 3 kings - one oil the other tar, what's the 3rd?
Me: Honey it's saying "We 3 kings of or-e-ent - kings of orient means, well, it means, well, it means they are from far away. It never really says where any of them are from, just from far away." (Um, yeah - that made a lot of sense, I'm sure he understands now!)
Eldest: Oh, I thought it was oil and tar. . . . .

Hi! Nice To Meet You Winner . . . .

2007-12-08T02:57:00.000-05:00

I used the Random Number Generator to pick a winner among the ladies who introduced themselves to me in my Hi! Nice To Meet You! post. The winner is Lauren at Baseballs and Bows. Be sure to stop by her blog and meet her - she is a lot of fun!
Lauren - please email me your address so I can send your special gift out to ya! connievail at hotmail dot com.

I won!

2007-12-08T00:28:00.000-05:00

Woo Hoo! Love it when I win free books! Thanks to Lace at Keeping My Fingers Crossed, I won "The Honk and Holler Opening Soon". Looking forward to adding it to my pile of books to be read! Thanks Lace!

Warning on The Golden Compass Movie

2007-12-07T10:57:00.000-05:00

Warning! I highly suggest you read this before taking your child to see the movie opening up today, December 7th - The Golden Compass.
I struggle, because my eldest did read the book, and the movie looks awesome, but I really don't want to support the author or his end game - so I will use self control and avoid it.
Have a great weekend!