Hello again

I have a moment so I thought I’d write a recap of the past few months.

We went to Spokane over the kids spring break – it was a nice time with family. We went to Lake Couer D’Alene for a little bit. We went to parks. And basically hung out with family. My mom was in the hospital for a couple of the days we were there so we saw her there as well. Things are o.k. now.

In June, Benjamin and Ella turned 6. We had a combined birthday party with another set of boy/girl twins that were born 2 days after Benjamin and Ella at the Mountlake Terrace Swimming pool – that party was with our Parkwood Elementary friends. That was a lot of fun! We also had one at our house for our non-Parkwood friends. That was a lot of fun as well.

The twins finished up kindergarten. I took a picture of them on the last day and compared it to their first day and they certainly have grown!

Over the summer, Benjamin will be starting baseball through the YMCA and also taking a soccer class through Shoreline Parks & Rec. Ella is taking swimming lessons at the Y and taking the same soccer class as Benjamin. Nicholas wanted a mom and child swim class but it was already full. Not sure if we’re going to sign him up for anything until he develops more of an interest in things.

At this time of this writing, I have an annoying cold that I hope will go away soon as I’ll be heading over to Spokane next Friday for a cousin’s wedding. I can’t wait to see my family! I’ll just be going on my own as they requested that no children come. It’s o.k. – we’ll all be going over to Spokane in August for a family reunion (but on the other side of the family) so they’ll see everyone then!

And that’s about it for the time being.

And now, I’ll do a recap on all of the books I’ve read since my last post on that. That will probably take a while…

Read Full Post »

Time Flies By

Looks like it has been a while since I last posted. Things were very, very busy at work this month and it just now calming down a bit – still have plenty to do – it just isn’t as pressing. And there’s all the ickiness at home too -with plumbing issues and Nicholas (my 3 year old) breaking his two front teeth at the root so they had to be removed. Here’s to December being a lot calmer (yeah, right, what with Christmas right around the corner). Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Since it has been a while since I’ve posted any reviews of the books I’ve read – I’m just going to do some quick reviews here without as much detail to the books as I normally do. I’ll provide links to the books on Goodreads  so you can learn more about the book if you would like.

Book # 84 of 2012 –

The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potsch – I enjoyed this book. It was a very interesting and suspenseful read. It looks like there is a sequel so I will definitely be reading it sometime. 4 STARS.  Book bought on Amazon and read for book club.

Book #85 of 2012 –

Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni – It was alright, but it felt lacking in something. Maybe I just wanted more from it – it felt very shallow and not deep enough maybe. I also felt like I needed more about what it was like after 9/11. 3 STARS. Book received from library and read for book club.

 

Book #86 of 2012 –

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed – I really liked this book. I felt like I got to know her and could understand her in most ways – though in others not so much. I would recommend this book to anyone look for a book about an adventure and trying to find oneself after losing a loved one. One part of the book really got to me – she was talking to a woman who had lost a child and she said that she is ….. but a big part of her was lost the day she lost her child and it isn’t ever coming back. You do change after losing someone you love. 4 STARS. Book received from publisher through Read it Forward program.

 

Book #87 of 2012 –

Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi – This book just was not enjoyable and not at all realistic. Sure it was a book about zombies, but that wasn’t the unrealistic part to me. Just that the character was made into this super woman by her dad and well, the ending which I won’t get into here. I just didn’t enjoy it. 2 STARS. Book received from author for review.

Book #88 of 2012 –

Peyton Place by Grace Metalious – I enjoyed this book and could see why it was a banned book of its time. It isn’t so racy now though. It had everything a banned book could want – sex before marriage, abortion, adultery, etc. I definitely want to read the sequel to this book. 4 STARS Book received from library and read for book club.

 

Book #89 of 2012 –

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper – This book was alright. It was funny but also a bit over the top. I do want to give this author another try because he does seem to write in a style I enjoy. 3 STARS. Book received from library and read for book club.

 

Book #90 of 2012 –

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost – I love Jeaniene Frost books. If you haven’t read her stuff , you should go out now and start with book #1 of the Cat & Bones series (though I believe it is called something else). 4 STARS Book received from library.

 

Book #91 of 2012 –

Witness in Death by J.D. Robb – This series is an enjoyable series. It has romance and it has mystery – a great combination, isn’t it? 3 STARS   Book borrowed from friend.

 

Read Full Post »

Precious Moments: My Easter Bible Storybook

Title: Precious Moments: My Easter Bible Storybook

Author:  Thomas Nelson

Genre: Christian; Childrens

Format: E-book

Pages: 34 pages

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

Release Date: February 7, 2012

Source: Netgalley

To purchase your copy: Amazon

For more info: Website

Goodreads Summary:

Adorable Precious Moments® art tells the story of Easter.

This case-bound padded board book from the Precious Moments brand makes it easy to share the story of Jesus with little children while teaching them about God’s love for them. Little ones will love the soft inviting illustrations of Precious Moments. Scriptures are from the International Children’s Bible,® the first translation created especially for children. Large, readable type encourages children to read along with their parents the story of Easter and the true meaning of this important holiday.

Precious Moments is an evergreen brand with more than 14.5 million books and Bibles sold. Precious Moments products are available in books, stationery, bedding, collectibles, figurines, and more.

This is just an adorable little book that has passages from the Bible as well as song lyrics and little notes to celebrate God, Jesus and Easter. My kids seemed to enjoy the pictures! Happy Easter!

Read Full Post »