An Uncommon Courtship

This was a fun and easy book to read.  The characters were a bit unusual compared to other books that I've read that are similar in style.  But then again, I can't imagine what I would be like if I was thrown into a marriage with a virtual stranger.  Which is exactly the case for Trent and Adelaide.  This story is all about the two of them, and how they'll have to learn to get to know and hopefully come to love each other and somehow make their marriage work.

Ms Hunter did a great job writing this book. She made it so easy to visualize the characters, the setting and the mood.  After reading this book, I'm hoping she's planning one more in this series, as there is one character that I would love to read more about.

If you like a cute love story set back in the 1800's with Earls, Ladies, and such, I think you'd enjoy this book.

* I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. 

I'm always on the hunt for a good book.  Tell me what you're reading right now.

XO,

Happy Friday

Nothing makes me happier on a Friday, than knowing that it's FRIDAY!

I shared on Wednesday that I'm reading this book.

If you love a fun and easy book that you can't wait to sit back down to read... this is it.  I'm only halfway through, but so far so good. 

If we had a vacation planned soon, I'd be ordering this.  Isn't it cute? 

I may end up splurging and picking this up for Summer.  Maybe this could be another incentive for me to keep eating healthy and exercising?!  ;)

Our Bible study just got started up again yesterday, and I'm so excited to be back at it.  This time we're studying David.  This is my 5th study by Beth, and I love them.

Yesterday morning, we were getting ready for school, when I walked out of my room and saw this.

I guess my little Ninja was waiting for her sister to come out of the bathroom, so she could scare her.  Haha!  This is what siblings are made for, right!  Never a dull moment.


My friend saw this, and said, "It was screaming Jenny."  So she sent it my way.

Tired of salads...✓
Loves Mexican Food...✓
Would love a margarita or 2 right now...✓✓

So basically, this was made for me.  ;)

Today I linked up with Andrea, Erika & Narci.

And Christina, April & Natasha with Five On Friday.

Enjoy your weekend!

What's Up Wednesday

Can anyone else believe that January is almost over.  How???

That being said, and with it being the last Wednesday of the month, I'm recapping what's been happening this month.

What we're eating this week 

Chili
BBQ Chicken Tacos
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Concession Stand Food (Basketball Games)

What I'm reminiscing about

I'm reminiscing about when my kids were younger.  It seems like it was just yesterday and all of a sudden I blinked and my babies aren't babies anymore.

What I'm loving

I'm loving a couple of these memes.  They are so true which makes them so funny!

What we've been up to

Lots of basketball and some wrestling.  My life revolves around my kids schedules.  Outside of them I have no life at the moment!  ;)

Also, my nephew just turned 17.  I had to document this, because I was 17 when he was born.  Which means I'm really not as young as I still feel sometimes.  He hates when people take his picture, so he was giving me the look to knock it off.  Nobody tell him that I posted this one.  ;)

What I'm dreading

Nothing, right now.

What I'm working on

I'm working on trying to eat better and I'm tracking my calories in, verses calories out.  It definitely gives me the incentive to exercise more when I know I'll get a few extra calories.

What I'm excited about

Is it bad that I have nothing that I'm really excited about?  We don't have any big plans in the near future.  Just everyday things, which I'm good with... I just can't think of anything that I'd consider exciting.

What I'm watching/reading

We've been watching

Caribbean Life
(Or sometimes House Hunters International)

 Reba

 and the Bachelor.
(I know... I shouldn't watch this!  It's just a stupid kind of funny.)

Right now I'm reading, To Suit a Suitor, by Paula Kremser.

So far it's a fun and easy read.

What I'm listening to

One of my favorite songs right now is, Chain Breaker by Zach Williams.  If you haven't listened to it, it's so good.  Here's the chorus.

"If you’ve got pain
He’s a pain taker
If you feel lost
He’s a way maker
If you need freedom or saving
He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you’ve got chains
He’s a chain breaker"
 

 Wasn't it Peter, who was in prison, and a great earth quake shook the jail, opening the door and breaking his chains off?!  We still serve the same God, and he's still a chain breaker!

And then I love, Magnify, by We Are Messengers.  This is my favorite part of the lyrics.

"Oh God be greater, than the worries in my life
Be stronger, than the weakness in my mind
Be louder, let your Glory come alive
Be magnified"

That, my friends, doesn't have to be just lyrics.  That is an awesome prayer.  If you pass me in the car with either of these songs playing, you can bet that I'm belting them out, and looking like a full on dork... but I love them.

What I'm wearing

I really need to try and take a few pictures of some of my favorite outfits to share with you all... but honestly I'll pretty much be wearing the same things until this weather warms up in late Spring.  Layers & layers, with a scarf or a vest.

What I'm doing this weekend

We have games on Saturday, then Sunday will be busy with Church, bowling and a birthday party. Our weekends seem to be just as busy as our weekdays.

What I'm looking forward to next month

As much as I love watching Gracie play basketball, I'm looking forward to basketball wrapping up for the season.   We only have 2 1/2 weeks left.  It's been a long season, and I think we are all ready to have a little bit of a life again.  I said that after volleyball ended didn't I, and then we jumped right back into something else... who knows.  I'm sure we'll always have something to do.  That's just life, right!

What else is new

Not a whole lot.



So that's my What's Up Wednesday for ya.  Once again I'm linking up with Shay, Mel & Sheaffer.

Has January went as fast for you as it has for me?

XO,

Our Winter Wonderland

 We've had a snowy winter this year.

We've had some really cold temperatures too... like -15 degrees f. for instance.

And the fog likes to settle into our little valley every once in a while as well. 

Even though I love Summer, and the warm temperatures that it brings, there is something so cozy about this time of year.  What other time of year do you feel so compelled to pull out a puzzle or a good book.  Winter may not always be the most popular season, but I believe a little quiet and some relaxing is good for the soul.

Have a great day my friends!

Be blessed,

Happy Friday

Happy Friday Friends!

This has been such a weird week.  We didn't have school on Monday and then Wednesday & yesterday the schools had 2 hour delayed starts, due to freezing rain.  Emma was home on Tuesday and Wednesday with an eye infection.  Gracie's basketball trip yesterday got postponed and Jesse's ski trip for today is canceled.  I'm telling ya, I don't know whether I'm coming or going.  I could have just tossed my planner in the trash for all the good it did me this week. 

I want to say I am looking forward to the weekend, but I'm also kind of going into it not really sure what it will look like, but praying it's a good one.  :)

Today, I just have a couple of favorites that I wanted to share with you today.


An Uncommon Courtship

I just finished reading this book and really enjoyed it!  My review will be up next week, but if you want a fun book set back in time with Earls, Ladies, and Dukes... you'll like this one.  It's actually a series, and I think this is number 3.  I think you could read this separately though.   (This is one that I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, but that's not why I'm sharing it now.  I just liked it enough to tell you about it early.)

I know there are a lot of link ups out there, but I just wanted to share this new one with you.  Erin, who's blog I've recently been following has started up her own link up party and I think you'll love it.  The next link up is February 10th - 10 favorite items in your closet.

Okay, so that was it.  Two favorites... but to balance it out, here's a non favorite.

Last week I shared about how I had ordered a Fitbit and I was also tracking my calories and my exercises on an app.  Well, I'm still doing it, but it's not fun anymore.  I want chips, cookies, french fries, and donuts.  I don't want to give up my coffee creamer, or my glass of wine in the evening.  But I also don't want that tire that seems to go around my waist, so I'm not giving up, but I'm tired and not very motivated.  I feel like this meme understands me.  ;)

  If you are watching what you are eating, and you're actually enjoying it, send some food tips my way.  I refuse to eat food that doesn't taste good, so I'm trying to be creative.  If you tell me to just eat plain celery, I'm afraid we can't be friends.  ;)

Today I linked up with Andrea, Erika & Narci.

And Christina, April & Natasha with Five On Friday.

I hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll see you back here next week.

XO,

A Day In The Life

One of my favorite kinds of posts to read is, a day in the life.  I haven't done one of these for a while, so if you want a little glimpse into a random day at our house... here you go.

I had it scheduled in my calendar to document Monday the 2nd.  It was the kids last day of Christmas break, and we didn't have any big things planned.  I like having a day in the life post where the kids are actually around.  Not that every day gets to look like that, but I think it's a bit more fun.  One of these times, I'll try and do a weekend post.

Anyway, here's our Monday.

5:30 is when my alarm goes off, but I didn't get myself out of bed as early as I meant to, and then I forgot to take any pictures until after I'd already grabbed my coffee and sat down at the computer.  On this day, I read up on my favorite blogs, and had a little quiet time before the day started.

I got laundry going...

...and dinner started.

My favorite thing to do is fill the crock-pot up with frozen chicken breasts, add in either water or chicken broth and let it sit on low for 8 hours.  By late afternoon, it's done and all you have to do is shred it on a cutting board with 2 forks, and you've got enough chicken for 2 or 3 meals.  That's exactly what I did here.  We were having chicken pesto pasta this night, and then bbq chicken taco's another, and chicken enchiladas that I had meant to make last week.  All the meat cooked for the week and only one mess.

Gracie and I picked up my Niece, and then headed into the high school.  The girls had basketball practice and had to be to the gym by 7:45.  Notice that the temperature outside was 0.  #funstuff

I came back home, got a few things done around the house.  I guess I forgot to take pictures, but I promise it wasn't interesting.  Tidying up and making beds.  That kind of fun.

Back in to the school to pick the girls up by 10:00.

When we got home, I taught Emma how to iron.  Eeek!  It makes me a bit nervous, but she was careful and she did great.  She's learning to sew and I guess you have to make sure you're seams are ironed.  I'm learning right along side her.  Gracie will be learning as well, as soon as her schedule slows down a bit.

While she ironed, I pulled everything out of a couple of my cupboards, and got them cleaned out.

Then Emma helped me, and we got them reorganized.  I'm trying to pick just a couple of areas each day that I can work on.

This puzzle has been one of the hardest ones we've done. (It's finished now... finally)

At 3:30 Emma and her cousin both had piano lessons that I ran them in for.  I ran to the grocery store while I waited for them, and then we stopped and got them ice cream cones.

After dinner, Dan and I sat in the living room watching one of those house hunting shows in the Caribbean.  He loves learning more about where he'd like to go on future trips, and the shows make me want to pick up and move to the Bahamas.  Did I mention it was 0 degrees outside?!


And then after getting the kids tucked in bed, I made Dan watch The Bachelor with me.  Oh this show makes me laugh like no other.  All sorts of crazy! I go back and forth on Nick.  Some days, I think he's changed and I like him, and then he goes and does something that takes me all the way back to not being very impressed.  What do you all think?  Are you a Nick fan?

Well, that's our day in the life for ya.  I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into it.

XO,

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday Friends!

We are headed out of town this afternoon to go watch Gracie play another basketball game.  It's been fun watching her and her team play.  They've grown and improved so much in a year.

Then this weekend, I'm hoping to have a bit of quiet time to sit down and do some reading.  I'm all for the motto, "Work hard, play harder."  I know there is always a million other things I could be doing, but after a long week, I'm okay with taking some time for myself to sit and relax.

Okay, so here are a few of my favorites from this week.

~ONE~

I ordered a new cookbook and just got it this week.  I haven't had a lot of time to sit and look at it yet, but I'm excited to find some fun new recipes.

~TWO~

I ordered this coffee cup for a friend of mine for her birthday.  I'm thinking I need one as well... because isn't it true!

~THREE~

I'm always years behind on shows.  We've just started watching the show Reba, and it's funny.  We are just DVRing them as they come on, but so far I'm loving them.  Have you watched this before?  Nothing better than ending your day with some humor.

~FOUR~

I had ordered myself one of these chargers towards the end of last year, and love it.  I love it so much, that I ordered each of my kids their own.  I don't know what your houses are like, but we have fought on a constant basis for chargers and the cords.  I also like that I can charge more than one thing at a time..

~FIVE~

I downloaded an app called My Fitness Pal.  I've started tracking what I eat and how many calories, I'm actually taking in.  I ordered a Fitbit, so I'm excited to pair it to my phone and start tracking my movements as well.  I'm determined to get myself in shape this year.

Well, that's all I've got for you this week...

Today I linked up with Andrea, Erika & Narci.

And Christina, April & Natasha with Five On Friday.

Have a great weekend!

XO,