We Love Our Wii

Apparently, the key to happy family bonding has been discovered. It is the Wii. We all love how it is a much more family friendly game system than our old Xbox. The four of us bowl together quite a bit and have a great, family friendly night. The past two nights we've been working on becoming the next Partridge Family with the help of this -

The four of us have had an absolute blast with this! Listening to Ashley & Tristen belt out Spirit in the Sky is so fun! I am thrilled to have something to do that holds the interest of all of us. I think this is going to be great entertainment for family and friends!

SAVING is good.

CFBA Book Tour ~ Gatekeepers

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Gatekeepers
(Dreamhouse Kings #3)
Thomas Nelson (January 6, 2009)

by
Robert Liparulo


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert is an award-winning author of over a thousand published articles and short stories. He is currently a contributing editor for New Man magazine. His work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Travel & Leisure, Modern Bride, Consumers Digest, Chief Executive, and The Arizona Daily Star, among other publications. In addition, he previously worked as a celebrity journalist, interviewing Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Charlton Heston, and others for magazines such as Rocky Road, Preview, and L.A. Weekly.

Robert is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

Robert's first novel painted a scenario so frighteningly real that six Hollywood producers were bidding on movie rights before the novel was completed. His acclaimed debut novel, Comes A Horseman, is being made into a major motion picture by producer Mace Neufeld and his short story "Kill Zone" was featured in the anthology Thriller, edited by James Patterson.

Bob has sold the film rights to his second book, GERM. And he is writing the screenplay for a yet-to-be-written political thriller, which sold to Phoenix Pictures, for Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, The Guardian) to direct!

And his third book Deadfall. debuted to rave reviews!


ABOUT THE BOOK

Bob Liparulo wants to give away a signed 3 book set of the DreamHouse Kings books! Send an email to Bob [at] Liparulo [dot] com and put "CFBA" in the subject line. He will pick a winner next week!!!!

In the third novel of this young adult series, the mystery deepens in a house that is more than meets the eye.

The Kings have been in the creepy old place, their new home, for only a few days, but they've experienced enough terror to last a lifetime. And the mystery is growing even more baffling. Shadowy and shifting, the big house conceals doors into other worlds that blur the line between memories and dreams-and the slightest misstep can change history forever.

At least, that's if they believe the trembling old man who shows up claiming to know them. "There's a reason you're in the house," he tells them. "As gatekeepers, we must make sure only those events that are supposed to happen get through to the future."

The problem is that horrors beyond description wait on the other side of those gates. As if that weren't enough, the Kings are also menaced by sinister forces on this side-like the dark, ancient stranger Taksidian, who wants them out now.

It's hard to believe that things could have gotten worse for the King family-but they have. Dad's in handcuffs, the school bully has just found the secret portal that leads from the high school to the house, and Xander is sure he's found Mom, but they can't get back to her. Then Jesse arrives, and he seems to be a virtual Obi Wan of knowledge about the place. But is he the key they need to unlock the secrets, or just a crazy old man?

Dangers are increasing from within and without when Xander makes a startling discovery that explains why they haven't found any rooms that lead to the future. Alongside the threats, though, they're also starting to find some surprising allies.
All they have to do is get organized, get psyched, and get Mom. But that isn't nearly as easy as it sounds.

Xander, David, and Toria must venture beyond the gates to save their missing mother-and discover how truly high the stakes have become.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Gatekeepers
(Dreamhouse Kings #3), go HERE

What they're saying:

Review
"If you like creepy and mysterious, this is the house for you! Every room opens a door to magic, true horror, and amazing surprises. I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?" --R.L. Stine (Goosebumps)

Review
"A powerhouse storyteller delivers his most fantastic ride yet!"
-Ted Dekker, bestselling author of Kiss, Chosen and Infidel

SAVING is good.

Random Ramblings ~ Ice, Chores, & Wii

Well, this week has been interesting. The cold snap really messed up my schedule by sending the kids home from school early one day, then keeping them and DH home late the next.

My washing machine was frozen up for two days, so I haven't made much progress on Mt. Washmore. A few minutes ago I got it going and it immediately filled up with brown, yuck water. I am going to let a cycle run without laundry in it and hopefully flush out that yucky stuff. I swear laundry is all I do! I feel like the man on the donuts commercials, but in my case it's "time to do the laundry"!

The past few days haven't felt that cold in the house, yet my dish soap froze in the kitchen again, so I guess it was a bit fresh. Today actually seems colder, as my fingers are freezing as I type. We really need a heater in our room! Our gas jet in here is clogged or froze up or something. All I know is it needs to be fixed! I've opened all the curtains trying to bring in some sunshine and warmth. I really hope it warms up soon. Part of me wants to pull the electric blanket off the bed and wear it as a wrap the rest of the day!

I used some of my hard earned Ebay money and ordered my Wii Fit last night. I cannot wait for it to get here! The fact that I payed for it myself makes me so happy! It's nice to have my own money sometimes. I hope this thing motivates me to move my tush more than I do now!

I am hoping to get caught up on the housework that I'm behind on before the weekend. Weekends always mess everything up and it seems Monday is always a big re-straighten and regroup sort of day. Hopefully we'll get to do something fun this weekend, if the weather is nice. I get so tired of being stuck in the house all the time.


SAVING is good.

Bookworm Meme, Better Late Than Never

A month and a half later, I finally get around to doing this really cute Bookworm Meme that Christine tagged me with. I've seen this on lots of blogs and think it's fun!

Now this meme involves opening the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the closest book to you at the moment, turn to page 56. Write the fifth sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that. Then pass it on to five bloggers.

So, here it goes!

"I know," sighed Norma, handing tot a bobby pi. "I'm completely baffled, I thought everybody liked us."

"Me too, I just don't get it. How could anybody hate us, when we're so nice? Anytime there was a problem anywhere in the world, haven't we always sent money and help?"

I'm reading Can't Wait To Get To Heaven by Fannie Flagg. I love her books so much! All her funny southern characters seem so familiar. I swear the main character in this one could be my great aunt Darnella!

So, now I get to pass this on to 5 more bloggers. Let's see what these guys are reading!

Lenore ~ She's always reading something.
Annie ~ Surely a writer has a few books handy.
Denea ~ I know she's got some books!
Tara ~ I know she's a reader. Hopefully she can take a break from packing to play along.
Bekah ~ Her blog Country Mouse is one of my favorites!


SAVING is good.

Bag Tag!

L2L has tagged me with this really fun bag tag! You really should check out her blog. I'd never been there before, but it's going on my must read list.

Here are the tag rules:

1) Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out that cute little purse you used back before you had kids. I want to know what you carried today.

2) I want to know how much it cost:) And this is not to judge, because I’m honestly telling you I was ready to put down some cash; I just got lucky. This is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I’d love to hear it.

3) Tag some chicks. And link back to this post so people know why the heck you’re showing everyone your diaper bag/non-diaper bag.

So, here is my bag, actually I carry two. The huge one is for mega grocery shopping trips, as my Couponizer will not fit in my other bag. I paid $9.99 for this bag at least 5 years ago at Walmart. The small bag is the one I use for all quick trips and is honestly my preferred bag. I've only had it a few months, I snatched it up for $1 at a yard sale.

Now it's time to tag some chicks! Lenore, Gina, Christine, and Wep...show us your bags!

SAVING is good.

Hey Guys, We Like Flowers!

It's almost Valentine's Day! One of those special occasions when Dan gets a lovely gift, then looks at me all panic stricken because he has forgotten to get me something. I shouldn't say that, he normally remembers a card at least. But this year I'm going to help him, and all the men like him out a little.

Guys, us ladies really like flowers! I personally love yellow roses, because they make me think of our great state. I also really enjoy daises because they just make me happy. Flowers make wonderful Valentine's Day gifts. As a full time homemaker, receiving a delivery of beautiful flowers would just make my day! I'm sure it would brighten the day of any special lady, whether a full time mom or a career woman. You pretty much cannot go wrong with flowers.

These florists offer a great selection of beautiful flowers. You can easily browse their site to find just the perfect gift. They have gorgeous flowers for all occasions, so keep them in mind at birthday and anniversary time as well. You can even have same day delivery, just in case that important say slipped your mind. So, if you want to score big brownie points with that special someone in your life, don't forget the flowers!


SAVING is good.

Texas Winter Weather

Well, it's a nice, icy, sleety, all around COLD day! The schools were released at 12:30, so the kids are thrilled! They say the schools were telling them they will probably stay home tomorrow. Time will tell I guess. For now we are about to have hot cocoa, chocolate chip cookies, and have a Wizards of Waverly Place marathon. I enjoy the extra time with my kids, but it sure has messed up my plans for the rest of the day. Oh well.

I'm hoping Dan will be able to get home okay. The roads are getting bad and the temp is falling with more moisture coming down. Hard to believe it was in the 90s just last week. Texas weather is so weird!

SAVING is good.

Prayer Request - Home Depot Closings

I am asking that y'all keep Dan and his employment situation in your prayers, as well as all those folks affected by this news. This is going to seriously hurt 7,000 families. Times are so hard economical right now, I know being unemployed must be really hard. Dan tells me not to worry, that his store is going to be okay, but the truth is nobody knows that for sure yet. Please keep us and everyone else this will hurt in your thoughts and prayers. I'll keep y'all updated on Dan's store and his situation.

SAVING is good.

Little Miss Quirky

Sometimes I cannot believe the things that happen around here. I never knew that kids could be such a hoot!

For example, Miss Ashley will not where jeans, and has refused to for months. Why you may ask? They touch her crotch. She will only wear knit pants, leggings, and sweats. Do0 you know how hard it is to make a girl look cute with such restrictions? What makes this even more amusing is that for years before this phase, Ashley was a total cowgirl...boots, jeans, western shirts, the whole deal. Talk about a complete turn around! Plus, my nine year old daughter is just plain strange about panties as well! She insists she needs to wear a size 14! If they actually fit her the way they should she freaks because, well they touch her crotch, which is apparently a really bad thing! Because she wears super huge granny panties, I am constantly either pulling up her pants or pulling down her shirts because you can see three inches of way too big panties peaking above her waistline! It's aggravating and quite comical at the same time! Even with all her quirks, I love this baby more than words can say! She is the sweetest little thing and I'm so blessed to have her in my life!

Speaking of Little Miss, she wants her hair cut and restyled. I'm all for this, as her hair is a constant source of aggravation for us both. She has no problem with her hair being in her face, which drives me crazy! She does not like brushing it or letting me do it, so she needs a low maintenance, cuter cut. Do any of y'all have any suggestions?

So, this was how our morning went. No jeans, grey knit pants instead, a quick brush of the hair, and off we go! I love Mondays as they give Mom some peace and quiet after the weekend, but I sure don't enjoy the Monday morning rush!



SAVING is good.

CFBA Book Tour - The Red Siren

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Red Siren
Barbour Publishing, Inc (January 2009)
by
M.L. Tyndall


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

M. L. (MARYLU) TYNDALL grew up on the beaches of South Florida loving the sea and the warm tropics. But despite the beauty around her, she always felt an ache in her soul--a longing for something more.

After college, she married and moved to California where she had two children and settled into a job at a local computer company. Although she had done everything the world expected, she was still miserable. She hated her job and her marriage was falling apart.

Still searching for purpose, adventure and true love, she spent her late twenties and early thirties doing all the things the world told her would make her happy, and after years, her children suffered, her second marriage suffered, and she was still miserable.

One day, she picked up her old Bible, dusted it off, and began to read. Somewhere in the middle, God opened her hardened heart to see that He was real, that He still loved her, and that He had a purpose for her life, if she'd only give her heart to Him completely.

Her current releases in the Legacy of The Kings Pirates series include:The Restitution, The Reliance, and The Redemption and The Falcon And The Sparrow

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lady Faith Westcott has turned her back on God and on man. Having witnessed the hypocrisy in the Church of England, her older sister's abuse at the hand of her husband, and her own mother's untimely
death in childbirth, Faith has determined never to marry and to gain enough wealth so she and her two sisters will never have to depend on man or God again.

To that end, though a lady by day, she becomes a pirate by night and begins her sordid career off Portsmouth when she attacks and plunders a merchant ship commanded by the young Dajon Waite. Humiliated at being defeated by a pirate and a woman no less, Dajon returns home without cargo and ship, and his father expels him from the family merchant business.

After a brief sojourn into debased society, Dajon rejoins the Royal Navy, where he finds comfort in the strict rules and redemption through his service to others. Three years later, he is sent to the frontier outpost of Charles Town, South Carolina to deal with the pirate problem. There, he connects with his mentor and old friend, Admiral Westcott, who has just arrived with his three daughters.

Much to Dajon's utter dismay, Admiral Westcott, who is being called away to Spain, asks Dajon to be temporary guardian of his three lovely daughters. One of the ladies seems familiar to him, a striking redhead who immediately sends his heart thumping.

Faith recognizes Captain Waite as the buffoon whose ship she plundered off Portsmouth. Yet, he appears no longer the fool, but instead a tall, handsome and commanding naval officer. Despite her immediate attraction to him, she labels him the enemy, but sparks are guaranteed to fly during the next few months when independent, headstrong and rebellious Faith falls in love with God-fearing honorable, rule-following Dajon-especially when Faith continues her pirating off the Carolina coast while her father is away.

Will Dajon catch her? And what will this man of honor and duty do when he does?


If you would like to read the first chapter of The Red Siren, go HERE

SAVING is good.

Time to File the Taxes

Yesterday my neighbor Lenore was nice enough to drive me to Brownwood so I could go with Dan to file or taxes. We've used the same tax preparation service for years, so we naturally went there. None of the nice, familiar faces were there. The woman working with us began filling out our information, but was interrupted by the man sitting behind her who said he need to use the program. So,, she closes out the program, tells us it will be just a few minutes, then turns around in her chair and faces the wall rather than us for a good ten minutes. Then she gets up and goes over to the man sitting behind her and stares over his shoulder for quite awhile. We waited over half an hour, in which time we were totally ignored. Finally we decided to leave. Why pay for poor customer service? WE will not be going back there. The funny thing is that not only did they lose their tax preparation fee, but we were applying for a refund anticipation loan so we can put the van in the shop asap, so they lost a good chunk of cash when we walked out. We came home and did everything ourselves online. It was so easy, I feel like that is how we will prepare and file our taxes from now on.


SAVING is good.

CFBA Book Tour - The Centurion's Wife

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Centurion's Wife
Bethany House Publishers (January 1, 2009)
by
Davis Bunn and Janette Oke

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Davis Bunn is an internationally acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in fifteen languages. His audiences span reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings.

Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include My Soul To Keep, and Full Circle. A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was named Novelist in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write.


Her first novel, a prairie love story titled Love Comes Softly, was published by Bethany House in 1979. This book was followed by more than 75 others.

After Love Comes Softly was published, Oke found her readers asking for more. That book led to a series of eight others in her Love Comes Softly series. She has written multiple fiction series, including The Canadian West, Seasons of the Heart and Women of the West. Her most recent releases include a beautiful children's picture book, I Wonder...Did Jesus Have a Pet Lamb and The Song of Acadia series, co-written with T. Davis Bunn.

Janette Oke's warm writing style has won the hearts of millions of readers. She has received numerous awards, including the Gold Medallion Award, The Christy Award of Excellence, the 1992 President's Award for her significant contribution to the category of Christian fiction from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and in 1999 the Life Impact Award from the Christian Booksellers Association International. Beloved worldwide, her books have been translated into fourteen languages.

She and her husband live nearby in Alberta, Canada.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Janette Oke has dreamed for years of retelling a story in a biblical time frame from a female protagonist's perspective, and Davis Bunn is elated to be working with her again on this sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity...and the very personal story of Leah, a young Jewess of mixed heritage trapped in a vortex of competing political agendas and private trauma.

Caught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of first-century Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoil--facing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban, who seems to care for nothing but his own ambitions.

Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine's governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah's mistress, the governor's wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose death--and missing body--is causing such furor.

This epic drama is threaded with the tale of an unlikely romance and framed with dangers and betrayals from unexpected sources. At its core, the story unfolds the testing of loyalties--between two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Centurion's Wife, go HERE

SAVING is good.

Unwelcome Night Visitors

For over a month now, Tristen has refused to go out in the back yard after dark. Our laundry room is not attached to the house, so you have to go out the back door and across the back patio to get to it. Tristen will not go out there; not for laundry, not to take the dogs out, nothing will get him to do it. Why you may ask? He says there are hundreds of rats living in our back lot, climbing our trees, and taking over one of the abandoned out buildings. He is terrified of them. We've all explained that if there were hundreds of rats out there that we'd surely know it, rats don't climb trees of sit on fencing wire, and there is nothing to be afraid of. It has done no good. Our adopted grandma Marge has even tried to talk to him about it, but he won't listen to her. He's a smart kid.

You see, our house sits on over an acre of property, we are our own city block. There are numerous out buildings on the lot, not to mention the three car garage, storage area, laundry room, green house combo building that sits closest to the actual house. The house was unoccupied for over 8 years before we moved in. I say unoccupied, it had tenants alright, all sorts of vermin lived here. I honestly never thought we'd get it clean enough to live her comfortably. But, we did and it's coming along quite nicely. And since moving here, we've only had a few mouse problems here and there, but Annabelle and Cookie keep that pretty much under control. I don't know why I'd never given any thought to wear all the rodents who'd lived in the house had relocated to. I guess I just thought they'd left. Wrong.

The following pics show our English Pointer, Shelby and our lab mix Dixie. Dan let them out to romp for awhile and was so startled by what he saw that he called me outside.

This pointing thing was not a good sign. You see, Dan had caught a glimpse of what we now believe to be roof rats, lots of them, sitting in the grape vines that surround our back fence. As you can see, Shelby saw them too. I promise this dog is normally white and there are normally not scraps of trash all around the yard. The wind was really bad the past few days and the yard's a mess. Anyway, here is the building that seems to be one of the rodent apartment complexes.
Shelby & Dixie found the building very interesting. In fact they found a lot of interesting stuff in and around the back yard tonight.
This really made me feel good about EVER going down into the cellar.
So, yes rats do climb trees and yes you can have a bunch of them out in your field and not have a clue. I have a load of laundry in the dryer that will just have to stay there until daylight. And we already apologized to Tristen and told him parents are sometimes wrong...very rarely, but sometimes.

Dan is amused that I'm blogging about roof rats, but hey it's not like we invited them here. And honestly, the whole thing was sort of funny. Apparently they love all this grown up foliage and underbrush and vacant buildings and all the other fun rat friendly stuff this lovely lot features. I wonder how much it's going to cost to clear out all this overgrown brush and stuff? I don't know what to do until we can afford a bull dozer, or bob cat, or whatever does that sort of thing. Do we poison them? Bring in more cats? I don't know what the answer is. But, I'm sure I am not going outside in the dark alone anytime soon.

SAVING is good.

Cleaning to the Oldies

You know, my friend Lenore says there is always time to dance. I guess she's right because I've spent the morning dusting, sweeping, and mopping - while dancing nonstop - to some of the best music ever recorded. We need more Temptations, Percy Sledges, Four Tops, and Otis Reddings...they just don't make singers like that anymore. These tunes make cleaning seem to be fun and not work at all. Dancing makes everything better!




SAVING is good.

Eating Healthier, I've Been Inspired

Do you know what phytonutrients are? If you said no, don't feel bad because I didn't know either. So, I looked it up in the dictionary and discovered this, phytonutrient - Any substance, of plant origin, that provides nutrition; a phytochemical. That's easy enough, basically just fruits and veggies. I got it. Now I can proudly say that I love phytonutrients.

There is a wonderful new website dedicated to these natural wonders. If you are looking for the benefits of phytonutrients, nutritional information, recipes, or just general information on eating a healthy diet, you'll find it at http://www.phytolife.com. This is a great resource for those wanting to know more about living a healthy lifestyle. The articles are interesting, the information helpful, and the recipes look out of this world!

I was pleasantly surprised to find out what a nutritional punch some of my favorite fruits and veggies pack. Phytolife.com has inspired me to start trying to incorporate more phytonutrients into our daily diet. We can all eat a little healthier, right? So, I'm off to further browse their recipes; I've already found several I want to try really soon. Go on over and check out http://www.phytolife.com, I know you'll love it!


SAVING is good.

The Country Needs Our Prayers

Today is a historic day. The 44th president of the United States of America has taken the oath of office. On this day, I am reminded that we need to pray for our country and our leaders. It doesn't matter if you voted for him or not, we still need to pray for him. After all he will be leading our country and that's a big job. So, I urge you to pray for Barack Obama and our country. In these very uncertain times, the country needs our prayers.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. --I Timothy 2:1-2

SAVING is good.

CFBA Book Tour - Stand-In Groom

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Stand-In Groom
Barbour Publishing, Inc (January 2009)

by
Kaye Dacus


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kaye Dacus is an author and editor who has been writing fiction for more than twenty years. A former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, Kaye enjoys being an active ACFW member and the fellowship and community of hundreds of other writers from across the country and around the world that she finds there.

She currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, which she co-founded in 2003 with three other writers. Each month, she teaches a two-hour workshop on an aspect of the craft of writing at the MTCW monthly meeting. But her greatest joy comes from mentoring new writers through her website and seeing them experience those “aha” moments when a tricky concept becomes clear.




ABOUT THE BOOK

When wedding planner Anne Hawthorne meets George Laurence, she thinks she's found the man of her dreams. But when he turns out to be a client, her "dream" quickly turns into a nightmare. Will Anne risk her heart and career on this engaging Englishman?

George came to Louisiana to plan his employer's wedding and pose as the groom. But how can he feign affection for a supposed fiancee when he's so achingly attracted to the wedding planner? And what will happen when Anne discovers his role has been Stand-In Groom only? Will she ever trust George again? Can God help these two believers find a happy ending?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Stand-In Groom, go HERE

What they're saying about it:

“Dacus pulls off a delightful story that places readers in the heart of the South with the debut of the Brides of Bonneterre series. Readers will enjoy this look at how lives are transformed through devastating events and how forgiveness is the key to a promising future. Nothing is as it seems in this heartwarming story.”
–Romantic Times, 4-Star Review

“Absolutely delightful! I enjoyed Stand-In Groom from cover to cover! Ms. Dacus’s clever story and wonderful prose will draw you away to a place deep in the heart of Louisiana, surrounding you with the scents, sounds, and sights of the deep south. A story filled with romance and intrigue, betrayal and forgiveness, I found myself laughing, crying and rejoicing right along with the characters.”
–M.L. Tyndall, author of The Falcon and the Sparrow and the award-winning Legacy of the King’s Pirates series

“Stand-In Groom is as sweet, beautiful, and chaotic as a perfectly planned wedding. Anne is a bright and wounded heroine you’re going to care about for a long time. George is a hero to capture your heart. Kaye Dacus will take you along for a fun, poignent ride in Stand-In Groom.”
–Mary Connealy, author of the Lassoed in Texas series and Of Mice...and Murder

My Review - I was not at all sure about this book, it is really not my usual fare, but I was pleasantly surprised. The characters are very well written, instantly likable, and seem like old friends. The story draws you in very quickly, and I flew through this book. It is a wonderful story and I highly recommend it!

SAVING is good.

Monday, Again

It's another Monday morning. Here is what's gone on so far.

DH was running late again. I wake him up the same time I always do, he just chooses to go back to sleep. He even slept through his morning breakfast in bed being delivered. Granted it was only cinnamon toast and Carnation Instant Breakfast, but it meets his morning breakfast requirement. So, he shot out of bed, hurriedly ate, got dressed , and dashed out the door. At some point during this madness we discussed whether or not we could file our income taxes ourselves or if we should go to a prep and filing service. We disagree on this one. He also left here with a wad of ECBs and detailed CVS instructions. He's going to do the Pepsi and Lays deal, it will be great for his lunches, and it's so simple he should be fine...I hope. He also gets to brave Walmart customer service as he has to return a late arriving Christmas gift. Walmart is not my favorite place, so I'm so glad he's doing this for me.

I woke up with crazy sinus/allergy stuff going on. My head is killing me and I can only breathe out of one side of my nose. I do not enjoy feeling all stuffy.

The children have school today, which just strikes me as odd. They were off last Monday for the stock show, but have to to school on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? It just seems wrong to me. Must be a small town thing?

Speaking of kiddos, I need to get mine up and going. Hope y'all have a wonderful Monday!


SAVING is good.

I Did It

I did something so out of character this weekend. I said things I never thought I could.

Like, "Do not treat me like an idiot, I am a smart person.", "You will not swear at me, I deserve more respect than that.", and "I am a person! I have value! You will not treat me like I am less than human! Your words hurt me, do you realize that?".

I cannot believe I stopped being a doormat and stood up for myself. It was a huge step for me and I'm so proud of myself! I have no idea if it will do any good in the long run, but it felt good.


SAVING is good.

My Stubborn Mother

My mother never comes to visit. She has told us several times during the fall that she was going to come spend the weekend so she could be with her grand kids, but she always calls it off. First it was Halloween weekend, then Tristen's birthday. I don't even invite her anymore. It is not worth getting the kids hopes up just to have them be disappointed again. It makes me really sad.

Over the years, Mom has used various excuses as to why she cannot come spend some time with us. Her latest one is that she has sleep apnea. I know that there are lots of people with this problem, yet they still manage to travel. Those little machines they wear at night can be transported. Yet, my mom refuses to do it. Her reason? We do not have an outlet close enough to our hide-a-bed to plug the machine into. I'm serious, that is her reason. It drives me crazy!

Anyway, being a concerned daughter, I read up on sleep apnea, to understand what exactly it is. Boy was I shocked to find out that it isn't this debilitating illness she'd made it out to be. I found lots of information and tried to share it with her. I've suggested trying to lose weight, sleeping on her side, seeing a different doctor for alternative treatments, and many more things. I think it all goes in one ear and out the other. I've decided that if she chooses to treat a completely treatable disorder as a fatal illness, that's her choice not mine. It's her own life she is limiting by behaving this way. I just think it's sad that she carries on so about something that can be helped instead of living life to the fullest. Sleep apnea is completely treatable!

But, my mom has always been one of those types of people who thinks they know everything. She just knows this is going to kill her. Guess she will never be overnighting with us again. Oh well.


SAVING is good.

Don't Worry 'Bout A Thing

Last night I dropped all our leftover dinner in the kitchen floor. It would've fed us at least 3 more times. I laughed...I cried...it was awful. It was one of those moments when you just want to go crawl into bed. Instead, I made us all chocolate chip cookies and all was right with the world again.

This morning while I was reading my morning devotion, Shelby ate a huge hole into our comforter. Even if I knew how to sew I don't think it can be fixed. I guess this means we can buy a new one. It only took us 18 months to find one we agreed on last time, lol.

Life is funny, life's a mess. At least it's Friday! Hoping for a great weekend!





SAVING is good.

CFBA Book Tour - Sweetwater Gap

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Sweetwater Gap
Thomas Nelson (December 16, 2008)
by
Denise Hunter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!



ABOUT THE BOOK

A story of new beginnings from best-selling Romance for Good™ author Denise Hunter.
When Josephine's family insists she come home to help with the harvest, the timing works. But her return isn't simple benevolence-she plans to persuade the family to sell the failing orchard.

The new manager's presence is making it difficult. Grady MacKenzie takes an immediate disliking to Josephine and becomes outright cantankerous when she tries talking her family into selling. As she and Grady work side by side in the orchard, she begins to appreciate his devotion and quiet faith. She senses a vulnerability in him that makes her want to delve deeper, but there's no point letting her heart have its way-he's tied to the orchard, and she could never stay there.

A brush with death tears down Josephine's defenses and for the first time in her life, she feels freedom-freedom from the heavy burden of guilt, freedom to live her life the way it was intended, with a heart full of love.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Sweetwater Gap, go HERE

SAVING is good.