tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91760599282581758162024-03-21T16:49:41.121-05:00All this...& Heaven, too!The Writing Westbrookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11980212111321466876noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-65774312137830968192021-12-29T23:57:00.001-06:002021-12-29T23:57:32.456-06:002021 Reading Recap and Favorites<span style="font-family: helvetica;">It’s time for an end of the year update on my reading challenge. Hang on, this is a long post with lots of links. </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My goal for 2021 was to read 104 books (2 per week), and I HAVE met that goal! Yay! There are technically a few pages left to finish because my final two are a year-long devotional and a through-the-Bible-in-a-year reading schedule we’re doing with friends from church - but I went ahead and marked them as finished on my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/91246241-abigail-westbrook" target="_blank">Goodreads page</a> since I’m definitely going to be done in time and I wanted the page counts to be accurate for this post. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOSKWt8ocFcD4bJlxmTcGQyaMNFcfF55N3cCjJE040RCP6x-BvEt5M9g4PkkT8CoOP8M_XIQR9MxIzwzUOlDfrl7pl4zjhjq12xmUIlPsOMKQBDutP6nAo-BOxoXITmShMKHtpQToun6Gs-hwxxcyvqy9NNjbROKaizKFDH1rn36IHeWW-AJq51GQlFg=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="726" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOSKWt8ocFcD4bJlxmTcGQyaMNFcfF55N3cCjJE040RCP6x-BvEt5M9g4PkkT8CoOP8M_XIQR9MxIzwzUOlDfrl7pl4zjhjq12xmUIlPsOMKQBDutP6nAo-BOxoXITmShMKHtpQToun6Gs-hwxxcyvqy9NNjbROKaizKFDH1rn36IHeWW-AJq51GQlFg=s320" width="242" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
I’m super grateful for the way these books have stretched my brain, taught me more about God and myself and others, and just brought a lot of joy into my life. It’s challenging to choose favorites, but I narrowed it down to the top ten and came up with this list (arranged in the order in which I read them). All these Amazon links are affiliate, meaning I’ll get a tiny kickback if you click through and order. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>1. <a href="https://amzn.to/3eCm7sY " target="_blank"><i>Lost! A harrowing true story of disaster at sea,</i> Thomas Thompson</a> </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This was actually the very first book I finished in 2021, and it was definitely memorable. I have read many true life adventure stories, including a number of tales of people who were capsized at sea. But this is the first featuring a devout Seventh Day Adventist and an agnostic. The story gives much to ponder on the role of God’s will vs. human effort. How can a believer take care that their “faith" does not become a liability in desperate situations? Absolutely fascinating, superbly written, and a story that will stay with me for a long time. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>2. <a href="https://amzn.to/3z7vQ49 " target="_blank"><i>This Too Shall Last,</i> K.J. Ramsey</a></b> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I got SO much encouragement from this book. K.J. deals with chronic illness issues also, and her perspective of God’s tender love towards those who are suffering was tremendously helpful. I underlined all the way through, and probably annoyed my FB friends with all the quotes I posted, petty much every day for a couple weeks. I’d recommend this book to anyone struggling to trust God through suffering. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>3. <a href="https://amzn.to/32Olj1q" target="_blank"><i>Becoming Elisabeth Elliot,</i> Ellen Vaughn</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I have read stacks of books by and about EE over the years, and listened to many of her radio programs and other presentations. I’m quite familiar with her story, yet this biography filled in many gaps and gave me a much better sense of who Betty really was “behind the scenes.” The author has thoughtfully and fairly portrayed EE as a very real human, with relatable weakness and strengths, dreams and questions. Her example of trusting God even through seasons of grief and “strange ashes” is something I will always look up to. So thankful for this book! I’m already looking forward to volume 2. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>4. <a href="https://amzn.to/3JlHdKm" target="_blank"><i>Sick and Tired: Empathy, encouragement, and practical help for those suffering from chronic health problems,</i> Kimberly Rae</a> </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I’d recommend this book to any person facing chronic illness. It is like a lovely chat with a friend further down the path, one who has a great sense of humor and a solid faith in God’s goodness. This is a book I need to reread often. The others in this series that I’ve read are also good, and they are all quite inexpensive on Kindle. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>5. <a href="https://amzn.to/3mKjj1E" target="_blank"><i>Gentle and Lowly,</i> Dane Ortlund</a> </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There are a few minor theological points I’m not sure I agree with, but otherwise this is such an encouraging book and I understand why it has been so popular in many circles. Worth reading slowly, a chapter a day, for fuller savoring and application. Looks like they have a study guide and video series out now, for group studies. I read this one from the library but want to get my own copy of the book so I can mark my favorite quotes for easier reference. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>6. <a href="https://amzn.to/32tiXFO" target="_blank"><i>Forgotten God,</i> Francis Chan</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I read this book alongside a Bible study the kids and I did this summer on the first chapters of Acts. Our pastor was also preaching through Acts at the time, so I was learning about the Holy Spirit on all sides. Growing up in conservative circles, I heard very little about Him - so this was a much needed study for me, and one that changed the way I think about God. This is an easy-to-read book, not intimidating even for those who are a little wary of the topic, as I was. Very Scripturally solid and balanced. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>7. <a href="https://amzn.to/3pDvEq3" target="_blank"><i>Boundaries for Your Soul, </i>by Alison Cook & Kimberly Miller</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I actually read this book in 2020, but pulled it out again this year and went through it more slowly as I talked through the concepts with my counsellor. I can truly say it was deeply life-changing for me, and helped me work through some old baggage. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>8. <a href="https://amzn.to/3pCiDwR" target="_blank"><i>The Tanglewoods’ Secret,</i> Patricia St. John</a> </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I don’t cry over books easily, but this one had me so choked up at several points that I had to stop reading it to the kids for a bit. My mom read it to us many years ago, but the beautiful portrayal of Jesus as a Good Shepherd touched me in far deeper ways this time. Such a sweet, memorable story, and one I was delighted to be able to share with my kids. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>9. <a href="https://amzn.to/3pBrsr0" target="_blank"><i>Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life,</i> Emily P. Freeman</a></b> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This one had been on my shelf for quite a while, and I wish I hadn’t waited so long to pick it up. It’s one of those rare books where it felt like the author was in my head, and I underlined a ton because everything was so spot-on. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who has been raised with a solid knowledge of the Bible and wonders why it often feels so hard, so fake. This helped me understand God’s grace and love for ME in needful ways, and I know I’ll have it on my re-read stack. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>10. <a href="https://amzn.to/3mHwmkl" target="_blank"><i>Untwisting Scriptures that were used to tie you up, gag you, and tangle your mind</i> (Book 2, Patriarchy and Authority), Rebecca Davis</a> </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I’d seen many recommendations for this series for several years, but was wary of them because the title seemed angry and deconstructionist, and I was pretty sure I’d find the viewpoints frustratingly unBiblical. But then I grabbed an ebook copy of this one for free and eventually decided to give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised by the author’s respectful approach to Scripture and her clear calling out of many Christian teachings I have also seen as deeply problematic. I can’t vouch for the rest of her series since I haven’t read those yet, but I’m glad I read this one and I wish I’d had input like this 20+ years ago. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDx0ro7yszJX_NHzJB7hJHAB6SReGTOT5i4pVrfJj9_-2uR66B3i4ejCilhCk5Bc9AsG7YwB-i5mJI54MKJLsjv2nqytT8xFJdsc7SV4bWn0yb_eBGYBm8Uy6nbk32tDXQzCtLQKahEUwxOkvyRynP2hjFAf4SpsGA8D4Jy6b_wnQi3rnwuFY4daYkWA=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDx0ro7yszJX_NHzJB7hJHAB6SReGTOT5i4pVrfJj9_-2uR66B3i4ejCilhCk5Bc9AsG7YwB-i5mJI54MKJLsjv2nqytT8xFJdsc7SV4bWn0yb_eBGYBm8Uy6nbk32tDXQzCtLQKahEUwxOkvyRynP2hjFAf4SpsGA8D4Jy6b_wnQi3rnwuFY4daYkWA=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRN9Tsiks3VhE7ZKaWBlLiZjivZQ4A78wcMHEHRrMUlAyBvxB23raajCHgdh1rD1eyjX26164NzKMMFOgN3i2Mem7_wcqUU1zCtFvH78N7McULP4vWTVXirbG7cRn0h_BjQsOM7_mCnCBgARPf4euNgsLFG-GcsDK4uoigLY1AbsHHb5UKS6s8wSNYRw=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRN9Tsiks3VhE7ZKaWBlLiZjivZQ4A78wcMHEHRrMUlAyBvxB23raajCHgdh1rD1eyjX26164NzKMMFOgN3i2Mem7_wcqUU1zCtFvH78N7McULP4vWTVXirbG7cRn0h_BjQsOM7_mCnCBgARPf4euNgsLFG-GcsDK4uoigLY1AbsHHb5UKS6s8wSNYRw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">All the books I read in 2021. The color key is:<br /></span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-style: italic;">Dark blue = Christian non-fiction<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-style: italic;">Light blue = secular non-fiction<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-style: italic;">Red = Christian fiction<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-style: italic;">Pink = secular fiction</span></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Looking ahead to next year... </i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I’ve done the Tim Challies reading challenge for several years now and really enjoyed it (<a href="https://www.challies.com/.../2022-christian-reading.../" target="_blank">find his for 2022 here</a>), but I think I’ll change it up a bit for 2022 and try <a href="https://austinedecker.com/beat-the-backlist/" target="_blank">this one.</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">That list only has 52 prompts, but I’m hoping to hit more around 100 books again since that seems to be a pretty good pace. So I’ll plan on using <a href="https://everyday-reading.com/the-2022-book-tracking-log/" target="_blank">this beautiful page</a> as a master log of ALL the books I finish. I'll also log them on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/91246241-abigail-westbrook" target="_blank">Goodreads,</a> since that’s so handy - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/91246241-abigail-westbrook" target="_blank">follow me there</a> if you aren't already! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I also have really enjoyed listening to The Literary Life podcast the past couple years, and loosely following their reading challenges. They do a GREAT job explaining more difficult books that I probably wouldn’t tackle on my own, and it’s basically a homework-free literature course. Super educational! So I’ll be doing that again as I have time, but won’t stress if I don’t fully fill out <a href="https://www.theliterary.life/reading-challenges/" target="_blank">this chart</a>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Did you set a reading goal for 2021? How did you do with it? What were your favorite titles? If you've read any of these on my list, let me know what you thought of them!
If you’re still looking for a challenge to follow in the coming year, <a href="https://www.girlxoxo.com/the-2022-master-list-of-reading.../" target="_blank">there are a TON of options here</a>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Here’s to another great year of reading!</i> I’m looking forward to all the books I’ll discover in 2022. </span></div></div>ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-19132627458907591902021-08-25T18:52:00.002-05:002021-08-25T18:53:05.201-05:00Book review: Daughters of the King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3guLM8k" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_XsuZ9noNO6fNNL79HX2L3ULB2kO2cVspSi6x3szbiFhClMS2QAsv7EmQkRCcVlvOW38TJTIIWE8odWQwdLRRmAXQVMxzqdvVKI3QvXdQGg3hC5oy2CATJ4hGM1Kha7kXa1_QvZJgFPnV/s320/DotK.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>This lovely book, <i>Daughters of the King,</i> is a true treasure! I was admittedly a bit hesitant initially, having read my share of cheesy moralizing tales over the years. But with her honest, humble grasp of real life struggles, <a href="http://natashametzler.com" target="_blank">Natasha Metzler</a> quickly laid my cynicism to rest. <div><br /></div><div>The topics addressed in these beautiful stories are keenly relatable and very relevant to any young woman (or older - I kept wanting to highlight passages!). The allegories are easy to spot, but are not heavy-handed or forced.
I especially loved that not all the chapters end with a “Prince Charming”, yet all point to the joy found in serving wherever the King chooses. I was challenged and uplifted by the reminders of the high calling I have as a daughter of the King. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3guLM8k" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsypHtcI0vNhiErlWJjDskpF5C1SGEnQ33ZrGBSwkwMZidrHGPqHogkyzKavp6uoE38K41gaUsFPppYI5MjSS11jbZrcOyANh3mJSdLFf4NMxVVwEBPEevnRwPiOYDaXnVYJArTmtPDavh/s320/DotK2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div> I can’t wait to introduce my six-year-old daughter to <i>Daughters of the King</i> when she is just a little older. ❤ This would be a beautiful volume to give to any pre-teen or teen, or to use as a discussion starter in a book club or Bible study. I wish I'd had it when I was growing up. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pre-order the Kindle version <a href="https://amzn.to/3gy3RT6" target="_blank">here</a> (#ad), or order the print version at the same link when it releases on September 14!</div>ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-91731068596731081352021-01-24T22:13:00.008-06:002021-01-24T22:21:14.684-06:00Book Review: Love, Paris<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Y9immT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEA-KgUWvH1FYV8yoiXxDZo5NWAW3bsNQOVIilHchFUTwX5kEh6_CPl4bmFUxvcSBT6Vayv1DQFN5f-nrON_t8xx_SazccZtutr0vHaqN_5_-mM7SP_e3YtMKNc4LQjdgUF7wK8ryIvwWG/s320/LoveParis.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I rarely make time to read fiction, even Christian fiction - but if more books were like <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2Y9immT">Love, Paris</a></i> I would read them all! <div><br /></div><div>This book is SO much more than just an engaging story, though I did find it very hard to put down. It beautifully captures an inspiring walk of faith and the shows restoration that God can bring to a heart that is surrendered to Him. God really can work through each of our stories and bring something beautiful from the mistakes and pain and loss! </div><div><br /></div><div>Each of the characters is well-developed and believable, and I loved the humorous exchanges they shared. The romance storyline is sweet and made me chuckle because all the second-guessing is so realistic. I also loved the way several of the characters had such vibrant prayer lives, quick to pray about everything that came into their days and to be there for others in the same way. </div><div><br /></div><div>As one who grew up in a conservative Christian home, I found those facets of the storyline familiar and well-portrayed. I appreciated that the author did not feel compelled to wrap it all up with a perfectly happy (and fake-feeling) ending, but instead showed how God can bring freedom and peace and joy even when difficult circumstances remain. </div><div><br /></div><div>So many encouraging Biblical truths are woven through the pages of this story, yet it somehow never feels “preachy” or that the storyline has been forced to fit in spiritual references. I found myself highlighting a number of passages that spoke to what I need right now. </div><div><br /></div><div>I would recommend this book to any Christian woman, and I look forward to sharing it with my daughter when she is a teenager. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to the author for letting me read an advance copy as part of the launch team! The official launch date is February 16, 2021, but you can <a href="https://amzn.to/2Y9immT" target="_blank">pre-order your copy on Amazon NOW,</a> available in Kindle or print. #ad </div>ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-76343344473812993512019-09-16T16:54:00.000-05:002021-08-25T18:53:12.500-05:00Book review: Love Changes Everything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNs0-ZkdVy5iQ4g5K5E1E6DgQ_hTSymSQQ5mPdq4jbZrioZ8Mgm9BBEJkIUai4KXriiSoX23Z6WGhQ1NPAFSvH_exOUrOladI0DAXqLTL2oLggs8gsX6YufmYYmzkb7BTTg5Ua6H65Ec8/s1600/LoveChangesEverything-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNs0-ZkdVy5iQ4g5K5E1E6DgQ_hTSymSQQ5mPdq4jbZrioZ8Mgm9BBEJkIUai4KXriiSoX23Z6WGhQ1NPAFSvH_exOUrOladI0DAXqLTL2oLggs8gsX6YufmYYmzkb7BTTg5Ua6H65Ec8/s320/LoveChangesEverything-cover.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://amzn.to/32Kzkbm" target="_blank">Love Changes Everything</a> (#affiliate)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;">By Micah Berteau, 2019</span><br />
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With the subtitle "Finding What's Real in a World Full of Fake", this is a book that many need to read. The focus is on God's amazing, unconditional love for each of us, and how realizing and internalizing that truth will truly "change everything". The author takes a closer look at the story of Hosea and Gomer, finding truths that will apply to any of us in our relationship with our heavenly Bridegroom. He also lays out what true love is, as defined in Scripture, and how we can display it to others.<br />
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I think this book is most appropriate for a millenial reader, perhaps especially those who have not been believers very long or those unaccustomed to reading much theology. It is full of references to pop culture, and is written in a simple, easy to read style.<br />
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As I do not personally fit this target audience, this book was not as meaningful to me personally as I had hoped. I found it to be rather hard to follow and lacking a logical progression from chapter to chapter...it is more like a collection of motivational essays than a well-planned volume. But nonetheless it holds much truth that I trust will encourage all readers to examine their own view of God.<br />
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<i>Thanks to the folks at Handlebar for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!</i></div>
ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-87798175703863062482018-12-27T18:18:00.001-06:002021-08-25T18:53:21.908-05:00Books I Read in 2018Since my earliest memories, I have been a bookworm. Throughout my girlhood and teenage years I devoured pretty much any book I could get my hands on, and after high school I delved even deeper into topics that interested me. It was a wonderful form of self-education! But for several years after I became a wife and then a mother, I mostly laid aside my books. My time was now being claimed by others and it felt selfish to prioritize reading when there were so many other important things to attend to.<br />
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This mindset changed when I read an article (somewhere; unfortunately I can't remember the author) stating that reading is actually very unselfish because it equips us to be a more engaging conversationalist. Only when we continually feed our mind well will we have a rich feast to serve to others. For me,"others" includes friends, extended family, my husband, and my children - for whom I want to set an example of loving books and learning.<br />
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With this shift in perspective, I was so excited make reading a high priority in 2018 and to not just meet, but to <i>more than double</i><b> </b>my original goal of 24 books this year: I hit 60 total. YAY!<br />
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I've had quite a few people ask me lately how I make time to read this many books as a homeschooling, WAHM with 3 kids under age 6. Honestly, it all comes down to choosing how to spend my spare minutes. If I'm waiting in the car for a few minutes or send all the children out to run around the yard, I can opt to scroll FB, or I can grab a book (I keep several in progress titles handy around the house) and read a few pages. I've dealt with a lot of insomnia this year, so those late night hours sometimes let me get through quite a few chapters. I also try to get in at least a chapter or two a night after the family is in bed, sequestered in the bathroom where no one will bother me even if they do get up for something. ;) It's amazing how even a chapter a day has gotten me through a lot of books this year! Audio books don't work well for me, especially now with chronic illness that has made me extra sensitive to noises and such, but I know they have been a game-changer for many moms. Basically, if you want to read you can find a way to fit it in somewhere. I am so glad I have!<br />
<br />
Without further rabbit trailing, here are the books that filled my reading list, along with Amazon affiliate links. I'll only take time to review the most notable titles here, but please do ask questions if you're wondering what I thought of any of these.<br />
<h3>
<br />Biographies/Autobiographies/Memoirs</h3>
If I could only read a dozen books a year, I'd probably choose that 3/4 of them would be memoirs. I love the way they give an inside peek at another person's experiences - and, when well-written, they are harder for me to put down than fiction. I found some really excellent titles this year and am grateful for the ways they helped me think in new ways. <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Unbroken</i> is unquestionably the best of this genre that I read - just an incredible, nearly unbelievable story that is life-changing! We watched the original movie about it this fall, and I'm looking forward to the new one whenever it's our turn to get it from the library. This is a story of courage and faith that everyone should read.<br />
<br />
I very rarely read any WW2 books because they are emotionally heart-wrenching, but <i>In Our Hearts We Were Giants</i> caught my eye at the library and it was such a interesting read. I'd never really considered before how physical challenges would have made the concentration camps even more dangerous. This is an amazing story of a very brave family.<br /><br /><i>The Indifferent Stars Above </i>is a memorable and detailed look at the Donner Party story. I found it very hard to put down, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart.<br /><br /><i>Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me</i> is one of those rare books that had me literally laughing and crying in the same paragraph. I really appreciated the author's perspective and enjoyed his clever way with words.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Depths-We-Rise-Journey-Beauty-ebook/dp/B01DQ93D0K/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545689375&sr=8-1&keywords=from+depths+we+rise+by+sarah+rodriguez&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=b26e74d6c87a27f28ed096adaf0ce0c6&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01DQ93D0K&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B01DQ93D0K" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Our-Hearts-Were-Giants-Troupe-ebook/dp/B00A8SHPE8/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545689561&sr=8-1&keywords=in+our+hearts+we+were+giants&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=ff633ee199dc79d71fa4f760f50bec35&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00A8SHPE8&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B00A8SHPE8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Called-Life-Loving-Neighbor-Epidemic/dp/1601428235/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545689681&sr=8-1&keywords=called+for+life&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=0f50a2f5ee2681c24ea276c4369aca16&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1601428235&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1601428235" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/As-Nature-Made-Him-Raised/dp/0061120561/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545689724&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=27dd9c424f94cd0a06ace440a6a5f1f2&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061120561&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0061120561" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Heals-Story-Overwhelming-Overcoming/dp/0310344549/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545689777&sr=8-1&keywords=hope+heals&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=a20bad570773e9753787715523b466f4&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0310344549&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0310344549" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Driving-Dead-People-Monica-Holloway/dp/1416955127/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545689854&sr=8-1&keywords=driving+with+dead+people&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=64b2f501e371f1c3a53e628b78f3961b&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1416955127&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1416955127" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Captive-Iran-Remarkable-Triumph-Tehrans/dp/1414371217/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545689892&sr=8-1&keywords=captive+in+iran&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=6536e30448526e14319a5bad19732039&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1414371217&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1414371217" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption-ebook/dp/B003WUYPPG/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545689938&sr=8-5&keywords=unbroken&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=518752fa2e4cfed3282aa382317bc6e6&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003WUYPPG&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B003WUYPPG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Dragon-Struggle-Against-Darkness/dp/0800797035/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545689987&sr=8-2&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=cc92a6f9d44ed8785f2e054c6716613a&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0800797035&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0800797035" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Family-Other-Animals-Gerald-Durrell/dp/0142004413/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545690027&sr=8-1&keywords=my+family+and+other+animals+by+gerald+durrell&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=5e72a62f13b7e665d2b33c55eb06a14e&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0142004413&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0142004413" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Even-Our-Darkness-Beauty-Broken/dp/0310538149/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545690069&sr=8-1&keywords=even+in+our+darkness+by+jack+deere&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=33b7471b9f1b4d1bff59e496874572ed&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0310538149&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0310538149" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Indifferent-Stars-Above-Harrowing-Donner/dp/0061348112/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545690131&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=443ff881f5091a5ac459faa0526349cd&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061348112&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0061348112" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-My-Father-CIA-Me/dp/0849946107/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545690190&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=a8fcfb286da84587dd02b12d7a9a98b2&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0849946107&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0849946107" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Christian non-fiction</h3>
I spent a lot of time in this genre again this year, and found some really amazing books. Obviously I don't agree with all the ideas in all of these books, but each was worth the read.<br />
<br />
<i>Just Open The Door</i> wins my Favorite Book Of The Year award for being very practical and convicting in the area of hospitality. She makes it seem doable for anyone, and does a great job addressing all the "excuses" that come up. It is a book I know I will pick up again and again, and I'd love to do it as a group read sometime for the accountability of application.<br />
<br />
I also enjoyed reading three books by Angie Smith this year, and was especially encouraged by <i>What Women Fear: it was</i> just what I needed. <i>I Will Carry You</i> is also excellent, and one I would recommend to anyone going through a hard time.<br />
<br />
<i>Parenting</i> and <i>Give Them Grace</i> are both amazing books and though I might not agree on every tiny point they have done a lot to re-shape my view of motherhood. Highly recommended!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Will-Carry-You-Angie-Smith-ebook/dp/B003A1K2I6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545691826&sr=8-1&keywords=i+will+carry+you&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=8ecec2e77118e8e816ca4dea306b9e84&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003A1K2I6&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B003A1K2I6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Passionate-Jesus-Followers-Intentional-ebook/dp/B072TLP285/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545691864&sr=8-1&keywords=raising+passionate+jesus+followers&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=bbc9e0e7ed5532507a980011f991ce45&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B072TLP285&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B072TLP285" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Give-Them-Grace-Dazzling-Jesus-ebook/dp/B0050C86CW/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545691897&sr=8-1&keywords=give+them+grace&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=bf2254291a52ab28e963eb71f583dd5b&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0050C86CW&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B0050C86CW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Better-Mom-Growing-between-Perfection-ebook/dp/B072TPL1F1/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545691935&sr=8-2&keywords=the+better+mom&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=34ce5ea8ef9f79b8f4ac44983ac3893b&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B072TPL1F1&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B072TPL1F1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Irony-Grace-Journey-Forgiveness-ebook/dp/B01GKAYC9S/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545691970&sr=8-1&keywords=the+irony+of+grace&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=3db7ebb4c0ee23bcd896aa24a2c4cbcf&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01GKAYC9S&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B01GKAYC9S" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Just-Open-Door-Invitation-Generation/dp/1433643073/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545691998&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=c23e3c3c9b7b22fcdca09c2579e0282f&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1433643073&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1433643073" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Little-Years-Rachel-Jankovic-ebook/dp/B004DNWEYK/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545692040&sr=8-1&keywords=loving+the+little+years&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=99594479d8c441a7d6fc4fefbf301e1b&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004DNWEYK&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B004DNWEYK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fit-Burst-Abundance-Mayhem-Motherhood/dp/1591281288/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545692093&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=52e67941e093c9523409712d4d33b3eb&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1591281288&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1591281288" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Women-Fear-Walking-Transforms/dp/0805464298/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545692192&sr=8-1&keywords=what+women+fear&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=acdc62b33817ecc95c006c355ebdff51&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0805464298&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0805464298" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-MomStrong-Fight-Thats-Family/dp/1496412664/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545692229&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=7f3a75c583508dd23d36660ee9c83f93&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1496412664&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1496412664" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Forgiveness-Your-Journey-Freedom/dp/0802432530/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545692282&sr=8-1&keywords=choosing+forgiveness+by+nancy+leigh+demoss&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=d5226dd2031d21df7ab115fd29bb30ed&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0802432530&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0802432530" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Emotionally-Healthy-Spirituality-Impossible-Spiritually/dp/0310348498/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545692320&sr=8-1&keywords=emotionally+healthy+spirituality+by+peter+scazzero&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=121d0b6740bfec655f1f77ba2480187a&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0310348498&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0310348498" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mended-Pieces-Life-Made-Whole/dp/1433676605/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545692351&sr=8-1&keywords=mended+angie+smith&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=c2415c599d1d90353a802f39d9ba39bd&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1433676605&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1433676605" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Christianity-Lifes-Short-Thing-ebook/dp/B003NUSBTQ/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545692412&sr=8-1&keywords=classic+christianity+by+bob+george&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=eb5641c9382324dedd5904312258d3a1&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003NUSBTQ&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B003NUSBTQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Gospel-Principles-Radically-Change-ebook/dp/B01FR3UWXE/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545692442&sr=8-1&keywords=parenting+paul+david+tripp&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=959935f74f480f8c0bcac9f3faf1f3d2&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01FR3UWXE&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B01FR3UWXE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fringe-Hours-Making-Time-You/dp/0800723481/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545692488&sr=8-1&keywords=the+fringe+hours+by+jessica+turner&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=c96772e686eee45164b29ce33a52c927&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0800723481&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0800723481" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lifegiving-Home-Creating-Belonging-Becoming/dp/1496403371/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545692520&sr=8-1&keywords=life-giving+home&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=f378168f58b372c35bc9dde921fa8bfe&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1496403371&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1496403371" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Fiction</h3>
I am pretty picky about fiction and generally choose to spend my reading time elsewhere. But this year, almost by accident, I discovered a new favorite fiction author, Michele Phoenix. <i>Of Stillness and Storm</i> and <i>The Space Between Words </i>are all that Christian fiction should be: thought-provoking, spiritually rich without being preachy, hard to set down, and memorable.<br />
<br />
Also notable in this category is the <i>Noah</i> trilogy written by an old friend of Joe's, which reminded me why I read so much Biblical historical fiction years ago - really good!<br />
<br />
<i>By Ways Unseen </i>is a LOTR-ish fantasy story I was privileged to design the cover for, and one I really enjoyed reading. Looking forward to book two when it comes out!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Noah-Destiny-Remnant-Trilogy-Book/dp/0890519722/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545692880&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=84e59aa16b0731782d79ad724b721072&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0890519722&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0890519722" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Across-Ocean-Christian-Fairytale-Book-ebook/dp/B0714NRLVS/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693012&sr=1-2&keywords=across+the+ocean&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=1dfddc13cb5f54bb9dbfe5e8ac7f2da2&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0714NRLVS&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B0714NRLVS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stillness-Storm-Michele-Phoenix-ebook/dp/B01CXE9VAU/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693042&sr=1-1&keywords=of+stillness+and+storm&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=ded47fbf55f1c6ca965a1ecb6718ab49&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01CXE9VAU&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B01CXE9VAU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Journey-Dreams-Book-One-ebook/dp/B00BFN9JC6/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693113&sr=1-1&keywords=prairie+havig&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=7203a17190080d161873400f517bc552&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00BFN9JC6&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B00BFN9JC6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Unseen-Daniel-Dydek-ebook/dp/B07FCR1L15/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693141&sr=1-1&keywords=by+ways+unseen&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=f516f61209405303131a463c42b93c6e&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07FCR1L15&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B07FCR1L15" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Emma-Reasons-Women-Promise-Book-ebook/dp/B07FBCLMLX/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693481&sr=1-1&keywords=emma+and+the+reasons&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=1562216565ebe3ab12c07ba46f333b44&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07FBCLMLX&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B07FBCLMLX" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Space-Between-Words-Michele-Phoenix-ebook/dp/B01N3RKDEY/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693519&sr=1-1&keywords=the+space+between+words&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=8ffc1172d1b0c3744fb11fd37f0616fe&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01N3RKDEY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B01N3RKDEY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/HearthLand-1-Collection-Chautona-Havig-ebook/dp/B00L62WVXK/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693566&sr=1-1&keywords=hearthland+havig&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=2a13527b1b197cbb904ebc5f0f086589&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00L62WVXK&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B00L62WVXK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Body-Library-Marple-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B000FC10WU/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693594&sr=1-1&keywords=the+body+in+the+library&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=31e23555ff9b01d20544200c4182a6b5&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000FC10WU&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B000FC10WU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Till-We-Have-Faces-Retold-ebook/dp/B01EFM8NMK/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693623&sr=1-1&keywords=till+we+have+faces+by+c.s.+lewis&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=2731967b814573e1801f75e277c368f3&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01EFM8NMK&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B01EFM8NMK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
Miscellaneous non-fiction</h3>
Some of these almost could have fit in the memoir/biography/autobiography category, but didn't seem to exactly belong there. Others are written by Christian authors and could possibly fit under the Christian non-fiction category, but I put them here since the content was not overtly religious.<br />
<br />
<i>The Read-Aloud Family</i> was a bit of a disappointment to me, as I'd heard others review it so highly. I was left feeling like it made family reading times complicated and a "duty" rather than just a normal part of life as I'd always seen them. But I did glean a few helpful ideas.<br />
<br />
I really enjoy keeping a clean house already (when I feel well enough to keep up with it!), but the two Dana K. White books on cleaning and decluttering were surprisingly helpful and insightful. I'd recommend them to anyone, and especially to those who find housework and clutter overwhelming. They're practical but also super fun and quick to read.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/35-Miles-Shore-Ditching-Rescue-ebook/dp/B0019NU37M/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545693897&sr=1-1&keywords=35+miles+from+shore&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=7ccfa2ad16ce30760676bfff07e61c50&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0019NU37M&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B0019NU37M" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Why-Stayed-Choices-Made-Darkest/dp/1414335857/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545694053&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=d5991516a70a13c489c790dcb92f3769&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1414335857&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1414335857" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Data-Love-Story-Cracked-Online-ebook/dp/B008BM0NLA/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694097&sr=1-2&keywords=data+a+love+story&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=866eb3de5d6886ec4fe05d8081114cf0&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B008BM0NLA&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B008BM0NLA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Read-Aloud-Family-Meaningful-Lasting-Connections-ebook/dp/B0774ZQZ75/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694126&sr=1-3&keywords=read-aloud+family&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=376155315cd280f15a09cdcb2729d8e6&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0774ZQZ75&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B0774ZQZ75" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Adam-Home-Abduction-Changed-ebook/dp/B004GB1TPO/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694157&sr=1-1&keywords=bringing+adam+home&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=679127e91d2129e856da54fac8ab0abf&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004GB1TPO&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B004GB1TPO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Manage-Your-Home-Without-Losing-ebook/dp/B01CXE9M5E/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694189&sr=1-3&keywords=dana+k+white&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=9979557d92f8d69ffe1df109955137c2&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01CXE9M5E&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B01CXE9M5E" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Decluttering-Speed-Life-Winning-Never-Ending-ebook/dp/B072TMNCBH/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B072TMNCBH&pd_rd_r=d229cfbb-07d3-11e9-9ef4-cd8437a4562f&pd_rd_w=9VbD8&pd_rd_wg=Docz6&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=PAH36Y2F2423HM1BXB3T&psc=1&refRID=PAH36Y2F2423HM1BXB3T&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=62c999b52fc63ab50c3ea5156617c17d&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B072TMNCBH&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B072TMNCBH" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Shock-Loving-Every-Minute/dp/1580050824/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1545694248&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=6195242ae3dd89cb73e672842b9502ff&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1580050824&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1580050824" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-Making-Beginners-Guide-Toxic-ebook/dp/B01FGMDCZ6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1545954442&sr=8-1&keywords=is+your+house+making+you+sick&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=1a396f9e85fd7812fc65497e310a88c9&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01FGMDCZ6&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B01FGMDCZ6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Long Chapter Books Read Aloud to the Children</h3>
I decided these should count towards my yearly total since I did read them, every word. :) It's been fun to read aloud to the children more this year since they are old enough to understand and appreciate full length stories! My illness kept this number lower than I wished, but hopefully we'll be able to do a lot more in the year ahead.<br />
<br />
The most notable title here is <i>Little Pilgrim's Progress. </i>It is a full-length retelling of the classic Pilgrim's Progress, in easy to read English, and with the main characters making the journey as children. Lukas hung on to every word and it opened the door for lots of great conversations about spiritual topics. He still keeps the book on the shelf by his bed because he likes it so much. :)<br />
<i><br /></i>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bobbsey-Twins-Own-Little-Railroad/dp/B0007EPT4G/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694562&sr=1-1&keywords=bobbsey+twins+railroad&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=36e138b7f22bbf7427e2fc1c1488bc16&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0007EPT4G&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B0007EPT4G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bobbsey-Twins-01-Lakeport-ebook/dp/B002CSKVZW/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694623&sr=1-1&keywords=bobbsey+twins+1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=112726082a129266497df3d92f6a71db&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B002CSKVZW&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B002CSKVZW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bobbsey-Twins-Country-Laura-Hope-ebook/dp/B00CBDC764/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694653&sr=1-2&keywords=bobbsey+twins+country&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=723e7c118bd2364a67dd0f698f6d9be5&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00CBDC764&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B00CBDC764" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bobbsey-Twins-at-Seashore-ebook/dp/B00CIQRHJ6/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694677&sr=1-2&keywords=bobbsey+twins+seashore&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=f6313f7625f2175efaeda491dcd01b75&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00CIQRHJ6&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B00CIQRHJ6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bobbsey-Twins-School-Original/dp/1617203068/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694703&sr=1-3&keywords=bobbsey+twins+school&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=dba09c2f591fe84b39c1450a61edb03e&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1617203068&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1617203068" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Little-Pilgrims-Progress-Bunyans-Classic-ebook/dp/B00AFVEECY/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545694731&sr=1-2&keywords=little+pilgrims+progress+helen+taylor&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=1dc300407b576d0cd405b2fb592a4449&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00AFVEECY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B00AFVEECY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<i><br /></i>
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<br />
Have YOU read any of these books? I'd love to hear your thoughts!<br />
<br />
Looking ahead to 2019, I am hoping to tackle <a href="https://www.challies.com/resources/the-2019-christian-reading-challenge/?fbclid=IwAR2SAttbmYWhZlJksx238OVIKMfdfgjRkyWlI9dFWkUlRaR26dcp-CKkY2I" target="_blank">this list</a> - at least the committed level with 52 books, but hopefully beyond. Joe is planning to join me, and I'd love to have a bunch of you along for the ride as well! What are your reading goals for the new year?ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-78051289290835260512018-05-08T15:28:00.001-05:002021-08-25T18:53:32.475-05:00Book review: The Better Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcz1zMsDR4uiDxCQhwJSzk6kOy6yNVoYgBgezGE5GgGCIYHVL2pdtmz5By8wyywr0R2MKuLGPXmB3KJbxxxrmzwIjngRxNZVbGG_aTR6mT-IJUjOuyOD6-gJZWHXxmZFTEFegp9_9pcgqg/s1600/TheBetterMom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="332" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcz1zMsDR4uiDxCQhwJSzk6kOy6yNVoYgBgezGE5GgGCIYHVL2pdtmz5By8wyywr0R2MKuLGPXmB3KJbxxxrmzwIjngRxNZVbGG_aTR6mT-IJUjOuyOD6-gJZWHXxmZFTEFegp9_9pcgqg/s320/TheBetterMom.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2rvTLsn" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;">The Better Mom: Growing in Grace between</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;">Perfection and the Mess</span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;"> (#affiliate)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;">By </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;">Ruth Schwenk</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; text-size-adjust: auto;">, 2018</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;">
<br />
This book is a collection of encouragement for moms, appropriate for pretty much any stage of the journey. Mrs. Schwenk maintains a casual "I'm in this too" approach, and does a good job hitting on a wide variety of areas that many moms struggle in. I appreciated her Biblically-sound way of addressing each issue, and the emphasis placed on God's grace.<br />
<br />
For some reason, though, this book did not resonate with me nearly as much as other motherhood books I have read. This could be at least in part because Mrs. Schwenk's personaility is clearly very different from mine. I also had to fight back irritation at her constant use of the word "momming": I much prefer the more dignified "motherhood."<br />
<br />
But those small things aside, I am sure this book will be a huge encouragement to many. One of my favorite quotes is from chapter 15, dealing with the need to keep a long-term vision during the difficult seasons of motherhood. She writes:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"The real reason momming is hard is because motherhood is meaningful.</b> There is a real purpose and mission for it. That mission, like every mission, comes with opposition. Ultimately, the source of the opposition we face in the world is from our spiritual adversary -- the devil. [...] We are engaged in a fight. We are waging war not only for our own spiritual maturity, but for the hearts and minds of our children. Momming is hard because it is a spiritual battle."</blockquote>
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<div style="font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;">
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<i>Thanks to the folks at Handlebar for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!</i></div>
ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-50706630947576641102018-04-06T22:45:00.001-05:002021-08-25T18:53:42.885-05:00Book Review: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Passionate-Jesus-Followers-Intentional/dp/0310347777/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1523070916&sr=8-1&linkCode=li3&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=6e9ce0e5770c1db990f79fcf911eee64" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0310347777&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li3&o=1&a=0310347777" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2qdqFfV" target="_blank"><i>Raising Passionate Jesus Followers: </i>The Power of Intentional Parenting</a> (#affiliate)<br />
Phil and Diane Comer, 2018<br />
<br />
Prior to reading this book, I had not heard of the authors. Apparently Mr. and Mrs. Comer founded a church out in Oregon, they started a parenting ministry with conferences ("Intentional"), and they have four adult children who are all walking with the Lord. Pretty good credentials for addressing the topic of parenting.<br />
<br />
I have been reading through a stack of grace-based parenting books in the last few years, and was expecting this book to take a similar approach. So I was disappointed to find it much more performance-oriented, with a lot of focus on formulating plans to manage outward behavior. The early chapters included what I would call "scare tactics" about how many kids walk away from the faith these days - facts that I am already far too well aware of, personally. <br />
<br />
And maybe I'm jaded from years of homeschool rhetoric, but the concept of conquering the world through sheer numbers of Christian generations (chapter 3), and the "Lamp and Light" teaching (chapter 5) made me sigh and roll my eyes a bit...I have heard these things so often and don't feel they have that much of a Scriptural foundation.<br />
<br />
<i>However </i>- there were parts of the book that I really appreciated. They share five different tools for disciplining children, with many practical application examples and a carefully balanced approach. I was wary of "The Box" concept initially because of the name (who wants to put their kids in a box, ha!) - but I ended up really liking the way they use it as a word picture to help parents remember all the aspects that need to go into training. It can't be ALL fun and affirmation, or ALL lecturing about Bible topics, or ALL strict disciplining. I also really appreciated their approach to the "letting go" years of parenting, as that is something so important to do well, too.<br />
<br />
Overall, I am glad I read the book. Coming from a conservative Christian, homeschooled upbringing, it did not hit the areas where *I* need to learn and grow as much as the more grace-centric books I have been reading. I think it would be more challenging and life-changing for parents who did not grow up in Christian homes - though for them, too, I would highly recommend that this be read alongside other titles, for balance.<br />
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<i>Thanks to the folks at Handlebar for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!</i>ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-6714295007007215642018-01-01T11:47:00.002-06:002018-01-01T11:48:26.035-06:002017 Reading List<i>I was able to make reading a higher priority again through 2017, even if it consisted of only reading a few pages or chapters late at night after everyone else was in bed. It has been SO fun to have it as part of my life again, and I'm pretty tickled to have made it through a grand total of 26 books this year. Yay! </i><br />
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<i>Here's my list, including affiliate links to Amazon. I won't take time to write summaries of each title here, but am glad to share my thoughts on specific titles if anyone has questions. Not pictured are the dozens of children's books that I read (and reread, and reread) through the year. ;) </i><br />
<h3>
<br />Biographies/Autobiographies/Memoirs</h3>
This is my favorite genre, so I spent most of my time here and found some real gems. Not all are written from a Christian perspective, but I found each to be very thought-provoking and I learned a lot. Some include crude language or some more graphic details so I wouldn't recommend them for younger readers.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Boy-Miraculous-Misdiagnosed-Trapped/dp/1400205832/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514826428&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=6d2dea948dffa684693ad0724a99a5c8" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1400205832&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1400205832" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Insanity-God-Story-Faith-Resurrected/dp/1433673088/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514826790&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=0e290c601407e23c8c3f71d19757a67e" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1433673088&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1433673088" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Gravel-Memoir-Ruth-Wariner/dp/1250077702/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827110&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=af230a64d829b63c753cdb59fbc86214" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1250077702&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1250077702" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-God-Doesnt-Fix-Lessons/dp/0718036972/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827229&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=51a350ab4d89bc6e2f820d36250a7266" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0718036972&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0718036972" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Am-Hutterite-Fascinating-Journey-Heritage/dp/0849946433/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827308&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=2cfdc50261f62bd7da50a5420fc441cd" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0849946433&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0849946433" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Way-Lord-Has-Led/dp/1540377121/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514827382&sr=1-4-fkmr0&keywords=all+the+way+the+lord+has+led+usb&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=4a15b718cc0088c6b9975c32ea9eb462" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1540377121&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1540377121" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-KALANITHI-PAUL/dp/1784701998/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827421&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=ed8538c1a8c5b03b08c6681dae13d609" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1784701998&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1784701998" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Sherlock-Holmes-Detective-Captivated/dp/1250160839/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827454&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=1f8b30415708bf8de415a1d0a309ecb3" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1250160839&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1250160839" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/33-Untold-Stories-Chilean-Miracle/dp/1250088941/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827485&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=d34aab1a8a6a536c3c8de36372a84c54" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1250088941&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1250088941" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Greetings-Utopia-Park-Surviving-Transcendent/dp/0062338854/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827544&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=906f24e98f316fa8600e3f485e42b950" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0062338854&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0062338854" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Castle-Memoir-Jeannette-Walls/dp/074324754X/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827574&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=23be8082ea171940f5d36b5a480b464c" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=074324754X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=074324754X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/0385494785/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827669&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=8826a2e471d3c70e210f499cd5176507" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0385494785&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0385494785" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Long-Awakening-Lindsey-OConnor-2013-11-30/dp/B01HC0VVEE/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827697&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=2075f3a9bc962d53889e761fb7a787a2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01HC0VVEE&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B01HC0VVEE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Christian non-fiction</h3>
This is another favorite genre of mine. As always, I didn't agree with everything in each of these books - in some cases I had strong disagreements. But I also found some true encouragement and inspiration in this stack of books. <i>Surprised By Motherhood</i> is probably my top favorite book this year, if I had to choose just one - it's super good.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Every-Bitter-Thing-Sweet-Goodness/dp/0310345189/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827898&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=3f3f6573a2a72b74ba6d695cd07ed2ec" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0310345189&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0310345189" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shepherding-Childs-Heart-Tedd-Tripp/dp/0966378601/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827933&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=e3da5cf0ad584ad74b0f1a3898dbea8e" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0966378601&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0966378601" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Treasuring-Christ-When-Your-Hands/dp/1433538881/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514827979&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=b55a77faab36b6cc0d9f0c4584979dc4" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1433538881&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1433538881" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Released-Shame-Moving-Beyond-Pain/dp/0830823344/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514828003&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=bfd60d40f4e6bf72974c4e843f357679" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0830823344&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0830823344" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Frazzled-Factor-Relief-Working-Moms/dp/0849945356/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514828031&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=35018e258275d2a83995c1b23d0d220b" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0849945356&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0849945356" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Motherhood-Everything-Never-Expected/dp/1414387857/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514828055&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=f4d6ad827af9555204cc7d1adbf8b6c9" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1414387857&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1414387857" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Holy-Grace-Healing-Memory-ebook/dp/B06XF6KK4X/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514828085&sr=1-1&keywords=a+crazy+holy+grace&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=c375148475b100dd196a3ebc2c001033" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B06XF6KK4X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B06XF6KK4X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Remarkable-Ordinary-Stop-Look-Listen/dp/0310351901/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514828108&sr=1-1&keywords=remarkable+ordinary&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=49054bf08083a9146329a34d430c1778" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0310351901&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0310351901" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Fiction</h3>
I just don't have much time for fiction these days, and generally prefer non-fiction anyway. But I did finish up two fiction titles this year, both books that I started several years ago and wanted to get off my half-read stack. :)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062387243/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514828242&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=a227404a54ddb85f6262c17ae147e67e" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0062387243&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0062387243" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Submerged-Alaskan-Courage-Dani-Pettrey/dp/0764209825/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514828275&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=05378cbb47b0484976cac9806e576cfc" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0764209825&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0764209825" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Miscellaneous non-fiction</h3>
Not too many in this category this year, either, but these were all interesting titles.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Foreign-Familiar-Understanding-Climate-Cultures/dp/1581580223/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514828371&sr=1-1&keywords=foreign+to+familiar&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=34d9af2dd4ac078b38228a68f228e675" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1581580223&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1581580223" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514828398&sr=1-1&keywords=life+changing+magic+of+tidying&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=1235428a27902d1f8bda9ec536b14060" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1607747308&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1607747308" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Couldnt-Stop-Thought/dp/1250083184/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514828422&sr=1-1&keywords=man+who+couldn%27t+stop&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=920f884aab7cfccbad58a9ffa35600da" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1250083184&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1250083184" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<br />
Have YOU read any of these titles? I'd love to hear your thoughts!<br />
<br />
Here's to a new year full of books! I'm looking forward to seeing where my reading adventures take me in 2018. My goal is to get through at least 24 books - hopefully more. :)ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-11728172018029223382017-11-30T12:24:00.000-06:002021-08-25T18:53:50.616-05:00I'm Reading Again!One of the best things about 2017 is that I've been prioritizing <i>reading</i> - and it has been amazing to feel a little more like "myself" that way, after several years of not really reading much at all. Ah, I have so missed it! I'm learning that even if I make through one chapter a day - or less, like even just a page or two, as often is the case in this crazy season of motherhood! - it is much better than NOTHING. And it all adds up a lot more quickly than I expect. :)<br />
<br />
So I was excited to say "Yes" when Handlebar Publishing asked if I would be interested in reviewing a couple books for them this fall. Here are my thoughts on these titles, both by Frederick Buechner:<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Remarkable-Ordinary-Stop-Look-Listen-ebook/dp/B06XFM3YBP/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1512065745&sr=8-1&keywords=the+remarkable+ordinary&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=70e3bb51f8e91e867b75c3efe9fc6066" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B06XFM3YBP&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a> . <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B06XFM3YBP" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Holy-Grace-Healing-Memory-ebook/dp/B06XF6KK4X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1512065745&sr=8-2&keywords=the+remarkable+ordinary&linkCode=li2&tag=althanheto-20&linkId=f591725059ffdb2b2b1c4a9716cac3e3" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B06XF6KK4X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=althanheto-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=althanheto-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B06XF6KK4X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2Af7mtj" target="_blank">The Remarkable Ordinary</a></i><br />
"How to Stop, Look, and Listen to Life"<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2jxIl2D" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2jxIl2D" target="_blank">A Crazy, Holy Grace</a></i><br />
"The Healing Power of Pain and Memory"<br />
<br />
Both books are very similar in style and content, so I'm just reviewing them together. On the positive side, Mr. Buechner has a very beautiful and poetic way of writing at times, and there were sections that I wanted to highlight or copy down as quotes. The books are a collection of essays and unpublished lectures, so they remind me of the type of stories you might hear if you sat down with a grandparent and asked them to share about their life. He writes about different experiences and memories, and what he learned from them.<br />
<br />
The essay and lecture format has its downside, though, in that there is a good bit of overlap in the stories - not only between the two books, as might be somewhat expected, but also between chapters of the same book. So it held my attention pretty well for the first few chapters, but then I found myself skimming as the same stories came up again. The writing often came off as disjointed and unfocused - something that would be much benefitted by editing. I found some sections quite confusing, especially the chapters where Mr. Buechner holds imaginary conversations with his deceased Grandmother. And I was disappointed to see some mentions of unorthodox theological viewpoints, including a great deal of ambiguity regarding the gospel and an apparent endorsement of evolution.<br />
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For these reasons, I cannot endorse these books - though that is a shame because there really are some beautiful little literary gems tucked throughout the chapters.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>**Affiliate links are provided for your convenience. Buying through an affiliate link does not cost you any extra, but gives a small kickback to us to help keep this site running. Thank you!</i></span>ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-45384403494720624302017-01-21T15:39:00.000-06:002021-08-25T18:53:58.800-05:00There, in the Aching, I Can Know God<div class="p1 tr_bq">
When I signed up to help launch <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2iPTmtw" target="_blank">Counting Grains of Sand,</a></i> I had no idea just how timely its message would be in my life. I've been blessed by Natasha's previous book, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2iPNccU" target="_blank">Pain Redeemed,</a></i> as well as <a href="http://natashametzler.com/blog/" target="_blank">her blog,</a> so I knew <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2iPTmtw" target="_blank">Counting Grains of Sand</a></i> would be good and I looked forward to reading it -- but I was in the final weeks of my third pregnancy, and the book dealt with Natasha's journey with infertility and adoption. Probably only snippets here and there would be applicable, right?</div>
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I opened the book file on my phone during yet another weary night of pregnancy-induced insomnia. Natasha's humble honesty drew me in from the first page, and even as sleepiness finally began to set in I found it hard to set down. Page after page held relatable accounts of Natasha's journey to fuller faith in God's goodness: so many precious stories of how He had showed Himself faithful, even in miraculous ways. These were reminders that I needed as I actively sought to focus on Truth instead of giving space to the "what-ifs" that crowded my tired brain.</div>
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As the weeks passed, I had to face a few complications with the pregnancy as well as with labor and recovery. This involved two visits to the hospital (one via ambulance ride, my first), and then finding out that our son has a few birth defects: minor compared to what they could be, yet involving multiple appointments with various specialists and the likelihood of several surgeries. </div>
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Medical situations are probably the hardest for me to handle well. I found myself carrying a heavy load of fear, the worries only made worse by the extreme exhaustion of those newborn days. I snatched moments here and there to read more from <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2iPTmtw" target="_blank">Counting Grains of Sand,</a></i> again finding myself in tears as I related to Natasha's struggle to truly let the unknowns rest in God's faithfulness. </div>
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"God didn’t expect me to have perfect faith at every moment. He just expected me to remember, like I expected my daughter to remember. She needed to remember that she was kept, day after day after day, and I needed to remember that God never left my side—not once."</blockquote>
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Like Natasha's story, my current situation doesn't have a neat and tidy ending. I'm still in the middle of it, to be honest. But seeing God's amazing faithfulness to Natasha and her family as they walked the long and bumpy road of infertility and adoption has given me hope and helped me refocus. </div>
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We really <i>do</i> have a faithful Father -- a Father who puts families together across the years and across the oceans, a Father who can multiply bags of concrete and planks of wood flooring until there is just enough, and a Father who meets us right where we are, even in the midst of our doubts.</div>
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"God is so kind. </blockquote>
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He is so, <span class="s1"><i>so </i></span>kind to me. </blockquote>
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Even when I doubt Him. Even when I have wavering, faltering faith. Even when I try to stiffen my back and just trudge on through life. Even when I am trapped in survival-mode and not being the best mother or friend or wife. </blockquote>
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God’s kindness and the gentle way He leads me toward faith astound me."</blockquote>
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<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2iPTmtw" target="_blank">Counting Grains of Sand</a></i> is a book I know I will read and re-read, and one that I will share and recommend freely. I wish I could buy copies for all my friends, because it's just that good! If you have appreciated Elisabeth Elliot's writings, this book will also speak to your heart: it comes from the same place of hard-won surrender to and acceptance of what God has allowed. </div>
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No matter what you are going through in life, you will find encouragement and hope in Natasha's story. You likely will never fully understand the "why" of your aching heart, but you will come away from this book with a clearer picture of who Jesus is...you will <i>know Him</i> more fully. </div>
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And in the end, that is what matters most.</div>
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"I still ache for the babies who will never be. I’m learning it is okay that I do. Because there, in the aching, I can know God. </blockquote>
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And knowing God is a glorious thing. </blockquote>
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It’s easy to want to demand answers. To ask God if I will forever just be counting grains of sand, searching for some taste of fulfillment to my dreams. But I don’t really need answers. </blockquote>
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I need to cling to Jesus."</blockquote>
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Find Counting Grains of Sand on <a href="http://amzn.to/2jBZqru" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and on <a href="http://natashametzler.com/counting/" target="_blank">Natasha's webpage</a>. #CountingGrainsOfSand<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Affiliate links provided for your convenience. </span></i>ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-71760199804996027362015-03-05T13:24:00.000-06:002015-03-05T13:24:27.812-06:00Exciting times!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It has been far, far too long since I've posted an update here. Life has been very full and blessed in recent months, and blogging hasn't been my top priority. But I do want to share two bits of exciting news with anyone who may still be following this blog.</div>
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First of all, we bought a home in October! The whole process, from starting the search to moving in, took only about 7 weeks. After living in apartments for the first 4 years of marriage, it is amazing to have a home all our own, with a garage and yard! We have felt at home from the very first day here, and are so grateful for the way God led us to this place: His fingerprints were unmistakable every step of the way. Oh, and we now have a dedicated guest room, with plenty of room for visitors - so please let us know if you are ever in the area!</div>
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About a month after moving in, we got the happy surprise of seeing two lines on a pregnancy test! We are absolutely thrilled, and so grateful for this precious wee one. So far this pregnancy has been easy and uneventful, and we're going with a new midwifery clinic that seems to be a great fit for us. The due date is the end of July, and it's hard to believe we're already nearly at the halfway point. :) We'll find out next week, Lord willing, if this baby is a boy or a girl!<br />
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Lukas is 27 months old now, and so much fun! He has been saying lots of words the last few months, and likes to copy everything we say or do. His personality continues to be quite a bit like both of ours: fairly easy-going, with a wacky sense of humor and a usually-hidden stubborn streak a mile-wide. :) His favorite things right now are trucks, cars, and tractors, as well as buttons, knobs, switches, and electronics of any kind. Typical boy? ;) We are thankful for all the joy he brings to our home, and we can't wait to see him as a big brother!</div>
<br />ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-74082587069156936852014-06-05T12:59:00.001-05:002014-06-05T12:59:14.989-05:00Culinary adventures - and Potato Beef Bake recipe<div class="p1 tr_bq">
June has been an adventurous month for our family so far - in the culinary department, that is. After one of Joe's co-workers had great success with the <a href="http://whole30.com/" target="_blank">Whole30 diet,</a> he borrowed the book and got all excited about trying it ourselves. I thought it sounded like a good idea, too, as we both would like to lose some weight and just have better health in general. In a nutshell, the plan involves a complete avoidance of dairy, sugar, grains/gluten, alcohol, legumes, and a few vegetables like white potatoes and corn. What's left? Meat, vegetables, fruit, and some nuts are pretty much it.</div>
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Our few days on the diet have gone quite well. I've had almost no cravings for off-plan foods, and aside from a light headache the first couple days (probably because I wasn't eating enough), I'm feeling great. And the food has been surprisingly tasty! Joe has been a huge help in picking out recipes (the part that overwhelms me the most), going grocery shopping (the part that depresses me the most, since it's so much more expensive than our usual shopping), and with the cooking itself (the part that takes the most time, with primarily all-new recipes).</div>
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For anyone interested, Joe is blogging daily about our Whole30 adventure over on his health/fitness blog, <a href="http://joe-onemansjourney.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">One Man's Journey.</a> Many of the posts include pictures of our meals as well as links to recipes.</div>
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On a semi-related note: I recently had a friend request a potato casserole recipe from me. It's one of the things I made this last weekend, in an effort to use up some of the potatoes and dairy I knew we wouldn't be using this month. My mom has made this casserole for years, and it's a family favorite: easy to put together (aside from all the peeling and chopping of potatoes), and a very frugal way to fill up a large crowd. My apologies for not having a photo to go along with this: maybe I'll snap one next time I make this recipe. After we're done with Whole30. ;)</div>
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<b>Potato Beef Bake</b> </blockquote>
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<ul>
<li>6 Tb. butter or oil</li>
<li>6 Tb. all-pupose flour</li>
<li>2 tsp. salt</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. pepper (I usually leave this out)</li>
<li>3 c. milk</li>
<li>1 1/2 c. mayonaise (Miracle Whip also works)</li>
<li>12 medium potatoes, cubed (or however many it takes to fill a 4-qt casserole to about 3/4 inch from the top)</li>
<li>3 c. hamburger, cooked and seasoned as you like (other meats also work; I used chopped ham this time)</li>
<li>2 onions, chopped (I use more like 1/2 an onion)</li>
<li>buttered bread crumbs </li>
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Melt butter/oil in a saucepan and blend in flour, salt, mustard, and pepper. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly until smooth. Boil 1 minute, still stirring. </blockquote>
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Remove from heat and stir in mayo. Pour over beef, potatoes, and onion in a 4-qt casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. </blockquote>
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Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, likely longer - potatoes should be fully cooked and soft. </blockquote>
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<i>Serves 6-8.</i></blockquote>
ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-37193964852696743542014-06-03T09:40:00.003-05:002014-06-03T09:40:44.011-05:0018 Months With Our Favorite Little Guy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPi_jVT19Ni6ErPOnsFt8PIQc07CzyC2h8w72I4CymEjgqXteKSfFTzfpL7FaXWnUz3en9vXVA6b2GM3hhqea3U4LrN5tXlKiLxfMPHu5jCrtVpGFje5F8eoE5ThVxQxVcJDqsWCkmCQA/s1600/use-IMG_5110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPi_jVT19Ni6ErPOnsFt8PIQc07CzyC2h8w72I4CymEjgqXteKSfFTzfpL7FaXWnUz3en9vXVA6b2GM3hhqea3U4LrN5tXlKiLxfMPHu5jCrtVpGFje5F8eoE5ThVxQxVcJDqsWCkmCQA/s1600/use-IMG_5110.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>See the mischievousness in that grin? :)</i></td></tr>
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Our little man is now 18 months old, and we definitely have a full-fledged toddler on our hands! Many times over the past six months I've intended to post an update here, but daily life with this little guy is so full and so fun that I haven't gotten around to it. </div>
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Here are some of the new things Lukas has been doing:</div>
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<b>~ Communicating! </b>Not so much verbally, though he babbles a fair bit and will usually repeat after us if we ask him to say "Ma-ma," "Da-da," "Truck," or "Hot." But he thoroughly enjoys "talking" to us with sign language. We've taught him a few basic signs - airplane, more, food, night-night, help, and milk - and it is pretty special to watch his eyes light up when he realizes we understand what he's telling us. :) We've found the signs to be really useful in church (since they're silent), and they were so handy on our recent road trip. Instead of just fussing and screaming, he was usually able to tell us what he wanted. Made the trip a lot more fun for all of us! We're planning on gradually teaching him more signs, while also continuing to work on practicing talking.</div>
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<b>~ Exploring!</b> In typical toddler fashion, Lukas is Mr. Independent these days. He has no fears of running away from us, or climbing up/down stairs, or poking his fingers into things. It's so fun to watch him discovering new things, but it sure keeps us on our toes! I have resorted to using a backpack leash in busy public settings a couple times - one of those things I always said I'd never do to my child, but hey, safety comes first. :) We are still working on learning how to "come" when Mama or Daddy calls, and on always holding hands when we're walking in public areas. Overall, though, he does pretty good and it is a delight to see our ordinary world through his unjaded eyes.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPqO-87y8D-wHnJwxrb8R27_gflZn4AYV7QZmIZUGmMFbOhHWvwomLjb9GkwtLk0rSDPOqgh5ehPpjXlBCNj8FuhQctH1QvPMXgQvxN2oObbgRV0odY868zR79Vjegj7T4kgThU6FxowK/s1600/use-IMG_4848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPqO-87y8D-wHnJwxrb8R27_gflZn4AYV7QZmIZUGmMFbOhHWvwomLjb9GkwtLk0rSDPOqgh5ehPpjXlBCNj8FuhQctH1QvPMXgQvxN2oObbgRV0odY868zR79Vjegj7T4kgThU6FxowK/s1600/use-IMG_4848.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Happy little man!</i></td></tr>
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<b>~ Experimenting and playing!</b> Buttons, levers, doors, switches - anything that moves is fascinating, especially if it produces some sort of reaction like noise or lights. He tries to figure out buckles and straps, tape measures and flashlights, door knobs and drawers. And of course any kind of technology is the absolute most amazing thing! :) We have to be sure to keep our cameras and phones out of his reach, and he's learned pretty well that the computer keyboards are off limits. He's been able to unlock my iPod for months now - scary! We did get a couple simple toy telephones for him to play with, and they see near-constant use. He's always wandering around with one in his hand, frequently holding it up to his ear and engaging in very serious "conversation," complete with fake laughter and lots of emotional grunting. ;) </div>
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He also thoroughly enjoys any kind of repetitive activity, like bouncing balls across the room, popping bubble wrap, pushing pom-poms through a paper towel tube, taking lids on and off containers, playing peek-a-boo games, and so on. He's getting pretty good at imitating, whether it be laying on the floor to do exercises with mama, helping daddy put his shoes on, or waving his arms like the song director at church. It's so much fun to see his goofy sense of humor developing (wonder where he got that from?!), and he sure brings a lot of laughter to our home!</div>
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<b>~ New experiences!</b> We've taken a couple trips in recent months, and Lukas has gotten to meet lots of new people, including many relatives at Joe's Grandma's funeral. He tends to be shy for the first little bit, but warms up to people pretty quickly - especially if they get down on his level and play with him. He doesn't sleep the best away from home, which isn't surprising, but overall has been surprisingly well-behaved and adaptable. We're thankful he's such an easy-going guy most of the time! </div>
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Other new experiences recently have been playing in a hotel swimming pool (a huge hit!), going to the zoo (running around was more interesting than the animals), interacting with a puppy (not as intimidated as I expected), checking out a real playground (the slide is his favorite), and playing with bubbles (he mostly wanted to sit and admire them as I kept blowing, continually signing "more!"). Fun times. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mother's Day 2014</i></td></tr>
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<b>~ Eating and sleeping!</b> He's been going through picky phases in recent months, and it's hard to guess from one day to the next what foods he will choose to deem acceptable. I'm really hoping he gets through this stage soon, as finding something he'll eat can be difficult. Breads and sweets are always a favorite, but we don't want him eating <i>only</i> those. :) Thankfully he does like avocado most of the time, along with eggs, bananas, and pears. Some days running around is just a lot more fun than sitting still to eat, and then he tries to fill up on milk at naptime and through the night. Oh, well - we'll keep working on keeping that tummy full. :) He has plenty of toothies now: all the incisors and canines, plus the first set of molars. It's been nice to have a break from teething the last several months.<br />
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As far as sleeping, he's adapted really well to our new day-shift schedule. We were on evenings until mid-March, and he'd almost never gone to bed earlier than 11-12:00 in his whole life. But now we generally get him in bed by 9-9:30, and - with one or two brief wakings for a bottle - he will sleep until 8-9:00 a.m., sometimes until closer to 10. With the longer night and his 2+ hour nap most days, I am feeling much more rested. It's been great to squeeze in more design work and other projects again, while still being able to focus on Lukas when he is awake.</div>
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We're so thankful Lukas has been such a healthy little guy! After enjoying perfect health for his first 15 months, he had his first minor cold in February and we watched a lot of the Olympics while snuggling. He caught another case of the sniffles in April, followed by a week dealing with thrush and then a one-day stomach bug. I enjoyed the extra snuggle time, but it was no fun to see him feeling poorly. After all that we're sure grateful he's back to normal and feeling great again. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Those eyes!</i></td></tr>
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<i><b>We love you so much, little man, and can still hardly believe God has chosen to entrust us with the privilege of caring for and raising you. Each day with you is a fun new adventure, and we wouldn't trade this journey for anything. <3</b></i></div>
ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-28088704576823987652014-04-15T10:40:00.002-05:002014-04-15T10:44:08.330-05:00Product review: Annie's HomegrownFrom time to time I get a chance to test a product for free, in exchange for filling out surveys or posting on social media. This past month I had such an opportunity, thanks to the <a href="http://www.influenster.com/" target="_blank">Influenster site.</a> If you enjoy surveys and free stuff, this is a great site to sign up with! They don't send a ton of emails, and I was easily accepted for the free sample program.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3YhBw52BEvppi7pmtPyCZypXLh7iEsfgburUDOikA-d5EJRBLhFkVJSk1j4hqOLu8y9iP6X0z7Zq0mPMWT5SBtpnPBNIHTCqbj9TFpaIi0QJIucmWljFVlfQ54x59sBMQTvbrzEXvwfo/s1600/anniesfrozen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3YhBw52BEvppi7pmtPyCZypXLh7iEsfgburUDOikA-d5EJRBLhFkVJSk1j4hqOLu8y9iP6X0z7Zq0mPMWT5SBtpnPBNIHTCqbj9TFpaIi0QJIucmWljFVlfQ54x59sBMQTvbrzEXvwfo/s1600/anniesfrozen.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
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The product they gave me to try was an Annie's Homegrown Frozen Entree. I've heard of the Annie's brand for a while now, but hadn't tried it yet myself. We easily found the entrees in Target's frozen section, and the hard part was choosing which variety to go with - they all looked delicious! We ended up with the Lasagna with Meat Sauce, as pictured above.<br />
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A few days after our shopping trip we had an extra busy day with work and appointments. It was great to come home and just pop the lasagna in the oven. By the time I'd put together a salad and a vegetable to eat with it, the lasagna was baked and ready to eat.<br />
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At first I thought the dish looked quite small and I doubted it would be enough to fill up my husband and I, as well as our remarkably ravenous toddler. However, it was very filling and my serving actually ended up being a little more than I needed.<br />
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We were impressed with the delicious flavor and texture of the lasagna. It tasted very fresh and homemade, not at all cheap or kinda icky like other freezer meals I've had (not that I've had many, as we usually cook from scratch). There is absolutely nothing we could think of to complain about the dish, and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal. It was great to not feel guilty about eating it, and to know that it was made with organic pasta and tomatoes.<br />
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Though I don't think we will be buying Annie's Frozen Entrees any time soon - largely because the price is more than our budget can handle - it is good to know that there are healthy-ish options like this out there. If and when we are in a pinch and really need a hearty, home-style meal quick, Annie's is a great option. You can <a href="https://www.facebook.com/annieshomegrown?v=app_192229990808929&app_data=gaReferrerOverride%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.annies.com%252Few-annies-homegrown.html" target="_blank">get a $2/1 coupon here</a>, and I also saw some Annie's products on the <a href="https://ibotta.com/" target="_blank">Ibotta app</a> recently - deals like that help make it more affordable!<br />
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We recommend the brand, and are grateful to Influenster for the chance to give it a try.ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-28574133800291998112014-01-10T15:08:00.002-06:002014-01-10T15:08:20.250-06:00Favorite recipes: Chicken Pilaf Saute and Mediterranean QuinoaI've had some requests from friends for a few of my favorite recipes lately, and am finally getting around to typing them out. Figured I'd post them here for easy sharing later on, too. Maybe I'll get around to taking pictures next time I make these recipes. :)<br />
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This first one is my most common way to fix chicken and rice: it's easy, healthy, frugal, and gluten free to boot. I've made it often for company because it's easy to get it going and then turn my attention to preparing the rest of the meal. It feeds a large group very economically, and most people seem to like it.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Chicken Pilaf Saute</span></i></b><br />
8 c. cubed, cooked chicken (I always use half or less)<br />
4 c. uncooked rice (I always use brown rice)<br />
1/2 c. chopped onion<br />
3/4 c. butter or oil of some kind<br />
10 c. broth (can also use water in a pinch)<br />
2 tsp. salt<br />
2 tsp. thyme<br />
2 c. slivered, toasted almonds (optional)<br />
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In a large soup-sized pan, saute chicken, rice, onion, and butter 10 minutes. Add broth, salt, and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 'til rice is done.<br />
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Mixing in the almonds. Can add a little cheese on the top, or save the almonds to sprinkle on top. If serving for company, it looks nicer to transfer to a casserole dish before adding the almonds/cheese.<br />
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Makes 8-10 servings.<br />
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And this is my favorite quinoa recipe. Again, super fast and easy, like all my most-used recipes. :) It comes out soft and creamy, almost with melt-in-your-mouth smoothness. It's great as a vegetarian main dish, or you can easily toss in a cup of ground beef or sausage (pre-cooked) if you like. I think I initially found this on recipes.com, but have made a number of tweaks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Mediterranean Quinoa</b></i></span><br />
1/4 c. butter or oil of your choice<br />
1/4 c. chopped onion (or more, if you like onions)<br />
1 bell pepper, chopped (can use more, and it's pretty if you have both red and green peppers)<br />
1 1/2 c. uncooked quinoa (half regular quinoa and half red is my favorite)<br />
5 c. broth (can use water)<br />
1 tsp. Italian seasoning<br />
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)<br />
3/4 c. pizza or pasta sauce<br />
Salt to taste<br />
Sharp cheddar cheese<br />
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Saute onions and peppers in a large skillet for 7 minutes or so. Add quinoa, broth, and Italian seasoning; bring to a boil. Cover and turn down heat, simmering for 20 minutes or until quinoa is soft and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in tomatoes, pasta sauce, and salt.<br />
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Smooth mixture out in the pan and sprinkle a little cheese (or a lot, hehe) over the top. Replace lid and let cheese melt just a bit before serving. (Obviously you could also transfer it to a casserole dish before adding the cheese in, then let it warm in the oven until serving; I just usually don't bother.)<br /><br />Makes 6 servings.ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-71060033644745875242013-12-11T20:19:00.001-06:002013-12-11T20:20:08.405-06:00Our little monkey's first birthday party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, we made through our first year as a family of three! What an incredible year it has been - so many sleepless nights, frustrating moments, learning experiences, hilarious memories...and so much joy. Definitely something worth celebrating. :D<br />
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Because Lukas' birthday, November 27, was the day before Thanksgiving this year, we decided to postpone his birthday celebration until that weekend, fitting in a small "party" between other family activities. We kept it low-key, with just my parents and immediate family there, not knowing how Lukas would respond to having too much attention. He did pretty good though - smashed the cupcake in his own cautious, methodical way, then asked to be washed off. Hmmm...we may have something of a neat nick on our hands. ;)<br />
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Lukas has had some sugar before, but only in small quantities. Call me an overly paranoid first-time mom, but I didn't want him to get too much sugar at once. I found a relatively healthy cupcake recipe <a href="http://www.ourhavenhill.com/2012/06/05/recipe-healthy-smash-cake-for-babys-1st-birthday/" target="_blank">on this blog</a>, and made some adaptations. Then I tweaked an old family favorite for the frosting recipe. The cupcakes turned out surprisingly good, and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Here's what I ended up doing:<br />
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<b><span style="color: orange;">Healthified First Birthday Cupcakes</span></b> </blockquote>
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5 ripe bananas (mine were frozen)<br />
3/4 c. applesauce (I didn't have any sugar-free or plain on hand, so used some with cinnamon added)<br />
3 tsp. vanilla<br />
1 tsp. baking soda<br />
1 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp. nutmeg<br />
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour<br />
3/4 c. butterscotch baking chips (could use chocolate, carob, or raisins) </blockquote>
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Mash bananas in mixer, then add remaining ingredients in the order listed, mixing each one in well. Pour into cupcake liners placed in a muffin pan, dividing into 12. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.<br />
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<b><span style="color: orange;">Healthified Banana Frosting</span></b> </blockquote>
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1 stick butter, softened<br />
8 oz. cream cheese, softened<br />
1 ripe banana (don't use a frozen one for this!)<br />
Powdered sugar to taste (normally I'd use honey, but that's not supposed to be good for little ones either, so... :P The banana adds quite a bit of sweetening so less is needed than normal frostings.)<br />
Carob powder (optional - I mostly used it because I wanted brown-colored frosting) </blockquote>
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Beat first 3 ingredients together well, then add sugar to taste, followed by carob powder. Don't over-mix it like I did! It won't fluff up, so just mix until ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture is smooth and creamy. </blockquote>
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<i>Note: </i>This makes a LOT of frosting, so if you are only doing the dozen cupcakes you may want to halve the frosting recipe. We ended up making a banana sheet cake, too, and putting the extra frosting on that.</blockquote>
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I found some decorating ideas on Pinterest and had a lot of fun turning the cupcakes into little monkeys. :D A cheap cookie decorating kit from Big Lots supplied the eyeball candies and the red frosting, and generic vanilla wafers from Aldi made the muzzles and ears. It all tied in perfectly with some matching birthday hats, blow-thingys, and banner I found at Dollar Tree last summer. Just perfect for our little monkey. :D<br />
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More snapshots from the party:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Enjoying the singing!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Am I really allowed to touch this, Mama?"</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Isn't his shirt perfect? I was tickled to find it at the thrift store this summer, for half off $0.60. Couldn't pass that up. ;)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>So solemn, almost guilty-looking...</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>There's a smile! Must taste yummy. :)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ready to be cleaned up - no fun being this sticky!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of Lukas' gifts was a little bubble wand. He had a lot of fun watching and "catching" the bubbles.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A chair his own size! Happy birthday, little man!</i></td></tr>
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<br />ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-68280825283166001192013-12-09T01:31:00.000-06:002013-12-09T01:31:52.415-06:00Lukas Paul Valour: one year old!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A cute but fake little smile for the camera. ;)</i></td></tr>
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Twelve whole months! I can't believe our little man is already a year old. Our easy-going baby has morphed into a wiggly, emotional toddler with a stubborn streak clearly inherited from his parent (which parent that is depends on who you ask, lol).</div>
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This past month has been so exciting in terms of locomotion. Around the first week of November he (finally!) learned how to crawl properly, and he was a real pro right off the bat. This means we must be sure to go through the baby gate quickly, keep the bathroom door closed, and grab things out of the fridge in a matter of seconds - otherwise a little shadow is suddenly beside us, not wanting to miss out on any of the fun. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is what most of our photo shoot looked like...no sitting still here!</i></td></tr>
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Even more exciting than crawling has been the progress made towards walking. Though not quite to the point of walking by himself, Lukas cruises around furniture at amazing speeds, has a grand time pushing his little push-cart around the living room, and is delighted whenever anyone holds both his hands and lets him run wherever he pleases. He can almost walk with just one hand being held, but after a few steps he gets nervous. I'm just glad he hasn't yet figured out how to climb up on the furniture, haha! Soon enough...</div>
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All this activity obviously wears Lukas out every day, and he has been napping longer than ever in his life - sometimes as much as 2-3 hours a day. I know that's not much compared to some children, but after him napping only 20-30 minutes most days for months, I'm finding it amazing to have a little longer margin of quiet time for getting computer work done. It's a good thing, too, since he needs a lot more attention when he is awake. He has an unending fascination for my computer keyboard (I can't blame him, really, since he sees me giving it so much attention while I'm working), and we're still learning the meaning of "No." Ah, toddlerhood....so many lessons in patience! :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mr. Solemn. He wasn't in a very smiley mood the day we took these pictures.</i></td></tr>
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Speaking of sleeping, Lukas has been in his own room for almost a month now. The transition has been surprisingly easy, and he went from waking 3-5 times most nights to only once, sometimes not at all. Generally he sleeps from around midnight to 8, has a bottle and diaper change, then sleeps another hour or two. Joe and I usually manage to snag 7-8 hours in there somewhere, which has been lovely. Joe has been the one to most often get up and help Lukas if he wakes up in the night - after wrestling a 20-pound boy all day in addition to all the usual housework, cooking, and my design jobs, I sleep pretty hard. ;)</div>
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Our little man has quite the voracious appetite these days, usually eating two large meals of solid food plus snacks and bottles of milk and diluted juice through the day. Oatmeal, cheerios, pears, and avocado (no, not mixed together, ha) are his favorite foods, but he usually eats pretty much anything we give him. He's a pro at feeding himself now and can really gobble food up by the handful. He's usually pretty good about not throwing food on the floor, which we're very thankful for - our dining area is carpeted and our linoleum-floored kitchen is too tiny to hold his chair.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>With Daddy's help we got some genuine grins and giggles. And look at that wild hair!</i></td></tr>
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With all the focus on movement this month communication hasn't been a top priority. But he has definitely become more emotional and vocally expressive, and it's usually pretty easy to tell if his cry is caused by hunger, fear, pain, tiredness, or frustration. He has a shockingly loud scream that makes an appearance too often on grumpy days, especially if he's teething at the time. Often he'll make soft little whimpering sounds, like he's trying to tell a sad story or make us feel sorry for him - it's adorable! The most fun thing, though, is that he sometimes imitates various sounds we make. If we use a growly voice or a sing-song tone or a whisper, he'll often try to copy us. And if we repeat back the sounds he is making, we can have a little "conversation", usually ending in giggles. Apparently he knows what we're "talking" about, at least. ;)</div>
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Lukas' birthday was the day before Thanksgiving, so we had a small celebration with my family while we were together for the weekend. I'll write a separate post with details and photos of our little party. It was really special to have our first Thanksgiving with him, and to introduce him to all the out-of-state relatives who gathered for the holiday. We have so, so much to be thankful for, and right up at the top of the list is this precious little person that God has entrusted to us. What a treasure and privilege!</div>
ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-49096279249981846032013-12-02T11:05:00.000-06:002013-12-02T11:05:04.026-06:00A contest!Hello friends!<br />
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If you're connected to me on Facebook, you might be sick of seeing this by now, but there is a giveaway in progress through December 14th. The main prize is a complete set of <i>The Truth Chronicles</i>, all autographed by Tim and me. Follow the link to my Facebook Author Page and click on the "Giveaway" tab to get sta<span style="font-family: inherit;">rted. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ongwalm" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/ongwalm</a> Be sure to share with your friends, too.</span><br />
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Also, just so you're aware, my main website/blog, <a href="http://www.jwexperience.com/">www.jwexperience.com</a>, now has an active store where you can purchase the books individually or in sets (the set option will be active this week) directly from me. They make great gifts for children ages 8-12 in particular, though many younger and older children as well as adults have enjoyed them, too. Read what one mother had to say:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.38;">My 9-year-old was sent to bed at 7pm and instead stayed awake reading by flashlight until midnight, finishing the first two books of The Truth Chronicles series in one night! He came to me saying they are some of the best books he's ever read. I made him get some sleep before starting on the 3rd book in the series. We'll be sure to leave book reviews soon! Thank you soooo much for the books!!" ~ Tammy from Washington</span></span><br />
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If you get a chance to read these books, be sure to let me know what you think.<br />
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God bless, and have a wonderful day!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07699752437896142637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-77860403972013146782013-10-28T20:48:00.000-05:002013-10-29T00:15:15.333-05:00Lukas: the 11th month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's hard to believe that our little man has already been with us almost a year! His ready smile and giggle, his sweet snuggles and silly games - all have brought so much joy to our formerly quiet home, and we are unspeakably blessed and grateful. Even in the middle of teething, when it seems he only communicates by ear-splitting screaming. And yes, even when it comes to explosive, nasty diapers. ;)<br />
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October has been a full month for us. We took a road trip out to the Cincinnati area for a week, spending time with friends and doing some sight-seeing. We tried to limit most days to no more than 5-6 hours on the road, and Lukas did really well for the most part. I will say that we definitely learned the value of a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B59PVOA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B59PVOA&linkCode=as2&tag=althanheto-20" target="_blank">snack-catcher</a> full of cheerios! ;) He was a trooper the days we carried him around the Creation Museum and other sites, and he especially had fun meeting a new little friend, Drew, there at the Museum.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Four teeth are easily seen now, and the other two on top will be showing soon!</i></td></tr>
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Coming back home was a bit of an adjustment for all of us. Lukas had a week or so of fussiness, likely brought on in part by teething. He had his 5th tooth pop through the last day of our trip, and his 6th one made its appearance last week (both on top, beside his front two). They're sharp little toofies, and he sure likes to use them to chomp down on anything he can stick in his mouth (watch your fingers!).<br />
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The latest and greatest thing around here is that Lukas is now pulling himself up to standing on pretty much anything that holds still long enough (and he's fast now!). It's a scary thing for this mama to watch, seeing his shaky legs and knowing how easily he could tumble - and often does. But he's finally learning that he needs to keep hanging on to things instead of trying to jump around in his excitement...and he's also getting a lot better at catching himself when he loses his balance. Cruising around the furniture has started happening just in the past week, and he's one excited little man!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Most of our photo session consisted of him "talking and/or moving towards me, LOL. <br />The ball provided a bit of distraction to keep him in one place.</i></td></tr>
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Scooting around the floor still happens, especially in the kitchen where there's nothing he can really hang on to for standing up. Sometimes he sits down and hitches himself along with his arms, other times he does a funny sort of three-legged crawl, like a lame puppy. :) I know he'll learn to crawl for real at some point, and I'm curious to see if it happens before or after he takes off walking. So much fun to see him learning new things!<br />
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Oh, and his absolute favorite game right now is "peek-a-boo". He's started grabbing at any kind of cloth - clothing, a blanket, a diaper, my skirt - and holding it over his face, just quietly waiting for us to notice and say, "Where's Lukas?" Then he pops out with a grin and a giggle, only to repeat it a dozen times. So fun! :D<br />
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Emptying cupboards and shelves is another favorite activity. Most of the lower cupboards in the kitchen are fine for him to play in, and he has a grand time pulling out all the pans and banging them around while I'm cooking. Makes for a little bit of work cleaning up after him, but it won't be too much longer before he can start learning how to put them back, too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our sweet little man. <3</i></td></tr>
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Several of our friends, including a couple at church, have little boys around Lukas' age. We've seen them several times in the past month, and it's amusing to see how excited Lukas gets when he sees someone close to his size. He starts up a happy, friendly babble, wants to feel their clothes and faces and fingers, and has no qualms about sharing toys or even his beloved Cheerio container. Definitely no shyness here! We're thankful for these little "friends" God has provided already, and it'll be fun to see how he continues to interact as they get older. ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-40841602461518013642013-09-28T21:05:00.000-05:002013-09-28T21:05:44.835-05:00Lukas: Our little man at 10 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Little man" does seem to be the perfect name for Lukas these days, as he has grown up so much in the past month. Not only has he had a physical growth spurt, gaining 1 lb. 4 oz. and growing an inch taller, but he's acting a lot more grown up in other ways, too. Suddenly our cuddly baby has been replaced by a wiggly almost-toddler who must look and feel and taste everything in sight, until he drops from exhaustion. :) <br /><br />
Lukas is very gradually making strides (almost literally) in mobility. He's not very fast at it yet, but he's figured out how to scoot around on his bottom. Once in a while he'll try scooting on his tummy, usually backwards, but generally he prefers the sitting position. This has allowed him to check out all the kitchen cupboards, explore under the dining table and under Mommy's desk, and find all kinds of fun things to play with. :) It's exciting to see him checking out our home in new ways, and we are gradually baby-proofing so he can explore more freely. We feel spoiled to have gone 10 months without doing any baby-proofing at all!<br /><br />
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Standing up is the latest and greatest when it comes to excitement. Oh-so-thrilling! He still needs a lot of support, but enjoys walking around the house while we hold his hands. Lately he's been pulling himself up to his knees on any available objects (Mommy's legs, a footstool, the toilet...), so it likely won't be that much longer before he makes it all the way to his feet and starts cruising in earnest. The days of pretty stuff on the coffee table are numbered! :)<br /><br />
All this increased activity has made naptimes more essential. The last couple weeks I've been making a point to lay him in his bed with a bottle around the same time each afternoon. Though that never satisfied him before, now he will usually go to sleep very quickly and easily, often sleeping 60-90 minutes at a time. Since he has never napped regularly before, and rarely napped more than 30 minutes at a stretch even when little, this is amazing! I've been really grateful for the chance to get a few more things done around the house in that window of time. He's still waking 2-3+ times a night for food, but as long as it's not every hour or more as it has been a few nights we can live with that. For now. :)<br />
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Communication has been an exciting area of development again. In last month's update I wrote about Lukas' fascination with the neighborhood dogs and imitating their barking. We can now ask him, "What does the puppy say?" and 90% of the time he promptly answers with his soft little "Woof-woof". So adorable! He still hasn't made the visual-audio connection yet, but we recently got several board books with lots of puppy illustrations and I'm sure he'll be enjoying them.<br /><br />
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Toys continue to be a lot of fun. His favorites are a tractor and a truck - spinning the wheels occupies a lot of time! He also enjoys flipping through board books, and rolling/throwing avocado pits (clean, large ones) across the kitchen floor. :) Pretty much anything new is interesting and must be examined closely. Sure would be fascinating to know what's going on in his little mind! Oh, and he now clearly recognizes himself and both Joe and I in photos or video, which is a lot of fun. I suspect the photo books I put together for him on Shutterfly are going to be very popular reading material. :)<br />
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Lukas is enjoying his solid food a lot more these days. Oatmeal is a new favorite, along with peaches, pears, and avocado. He's especially been enjoying the miniature peaches and pears from Grandpa and Grandma's farm! We try to give him two meals most days, and he's getting more consistent about eating a fair amount each time. He's very clear when he's done, though: the lips are locked shut and he shakes his head in a definite "no". ;) Nursing is gradually tapering off as my supply continues to dwindle...an emotional thing for me, but I'm thankful we had as many months as we did.<br />
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This month's challenge was a couple weeks or so when Lukas was apparently testing out his lungs, subjecting us to large amounts of ear-splitting SCREAMING at the tiniest frustration or for no reason at all. This wore Mama out pretty quickly! To our relief, this past week has been much better in this regard, the turning point being...<br />
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...two new teeth popped through! He now has 2 on top and 2 on bottom, so much chomping is in order. ;) We hadn't realized they were so close to coming through, but it does definitely provide an explanation for those extra difficult two weeks! Since then he has been practically angelic, the sweet little easy-going fellow we've come to love so much. We're hoping this continues for our upcoming road trip early next month!ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-40058587126322682432013-09-18T07:00:00.000-05:002013-09-18T07:00:00.192-05:00Book reviewWe may have mentioned these programs on this blog before, but Abi and I both have participated in the BookSneeze and Blogging for Books programs off and on over the last few years. These have been great ways to come across new books that we might not otherwise have seen, and the best part is that we receive the books for free in exchange for a blog and retail review.<br />
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As a writer myself, I have become increasingly aware of the need to also be reading. Some old favorites serve as inspiration, but new titles add new perspectives.<br />
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I just finished my latest review book, <em>Greater</em>, and you can read my review here: <a href="http://www.jwexperience.com/2013/09/17/greater/">http://www.jwexperience.com/2013/09/17/greater/</a><br />
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In other news, Tim Chaffey and I are working on finishing the rough draft for the sixth installment of <em>The Truth Chronicles</em>. Even better, Abi, Lukas, and I will be traveling to Kentucky to spend a few days with Tim and his family in early October. One of our goals for this trip is to do some final tweaking/editing before sending the draft off to our regular editor. We are still hopeful for a release by the end of this year.<br />
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To commemorate this latest publishing, I will be putting together at least one giveaway in a couple of months, where one of the prizes will be a set of all six volumes of <em>The Truth Chronicles</em>, in addition to some other titles to be determined. Look forward to that, and be sure to spread the word once the raffle hits the web!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07699752437896142637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-11044578750106092932013-08-28T00:27:00.000-05:002013-08-28T00:27:00.766-05:00Lukas at 9 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Nine months?!</i> It's hard to believe that three-quarters of a year has already passed since this special little guy came into our home. We love him more every day, and can't imagine life without him. The other day he happened to be taking a longer-than-usual nap over suppertime, and it seemed so quiet and lonely to have only Joe and I at the table. So thankful for this priceless treasure God has entrusted to us!<br />
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This month Lukas' new achievements have centered around <i>communication.</i> He is so interactive now - both with body language (like lifting his arms when he wants to be picked up), and verbally (he likes to greet us with a loud, cheery "HA" - his version of "Hi"). I wish we were more consistent with teaching him sign language as I think he'd be catching on to it by now. "Airplane" is the only one he seems to recognize at this point, and no wonder since we have so many planes going overhead every day.<br />
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Another sound Lukas listens for is the neighborhood dogs barking. He always perks up and looks around to see where the noise is coming from, then starts making soft "Woof, woof" sounds himself. If we respond in kind, we can have a little puppy-convo. ;) He has only seen a dog a few times in person, and though I have showed him pictures and video clips I don't think he's quite made the connection yet between the audio and the visual. Probably won't be long, though!<br /><br />Lukas enjoys copying and exchanging other sounds, too - especially sniffing and fake coughing. It's pretty hilarious sometimes, and a lot of fun to feel like we are having a "conversation" of sorts. Makes him seem so much more like his own little person.<br />
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Lukas also enjoys games of repetition, like peek-a-boo, or having a
lightweight blanket tossed over his head, or being fanned with a pillow,
or bonked on the head with a fabric block. And he is extremely ticklish in certain spots. His little giggle is so
infectious!<br />
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Another major achievement this month is that his first two teeth <i>finally</i> popped through, after being in progress since early April. :whew: Those little shiny things are sharp, too! We've had a few rough weeks of nursing as he had to learn not to bite mama, but I'm hopeful that things will improve soon. <br /><br />He's having fun using those new teeth to eat all kinds of things. Peaches continue to be the top, all-time favorite, but he's also enjoyed banana (in very limited quantities, as it still tends to make him constipated), applesauce, pears, cucumber spears, quinoa, and avocado. Oh, and of course he <i>really</i> likes the little puffed grain treats we purchased in desperation to keep him happy on our road trip in early August. They are sweet and fun to pick up, and he'd eat them all day if we let him. Somebody has a sweet tooth just like Daddy! ;) So they are saved as treats for staying quiet in church, or for long car rides, and always eagerly welcomed.<br />
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Sleeping through the night seems to be a thing of the past, as he now wakes at least twice (and usually countless times) every night. We are both able to get right back to sleep, thankfully, but I'm hoping to see improvements in this area soon. :yawn:<br />
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Crawling still hasn't happened - kinda hard for him to learn, when he refuses to spend any time on his back or tummy these days! But he is ever so slowly figuring out how to maneuver himself around while sitting and has fabulous balance that way, so it wouldn't surprise me if one of these days he just takes off scooting that way. I know I'll have my hands full keeping up with him, then, but it's good to see him finally growing increasingly frustrated with being "stuck" in one spot. It'll be fun to see what the next month holds!<br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slightly blurry...he doesn't sit still that well these days! :)</td></tr>
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ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-38018693566716897032013-08-01T20:14:00.000-05:002013-08-01T20:14:26.212-05:00Lukas Paul Valour: 8 months old<br />
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Lukas' 7th month was a little bumpy in some ways. After going to visit my family for a long Independence Day weekend, he spent a week on a nursing strike as well as dealing with extra teething pain and some constipation. Not a fun time for our poor little Bubby - or for Mama or Daddy! We were all super thankful when he finally started feeling better and wanted to nurse normally again. We missed our normally-smiley, easy-going little guy!<br />
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Lukas is now a full-fledged "sitter", to the point where he does <i>not</i> like to lay down. Don't you know that's for <i>babies</i>? :) He's doing really good about reaching for toys and then pushing himself back up into a sitting position, so we're able to let him sit pretty much anywhere on the floor - no need of pillows to catch him in case he tips over.<br />
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Toys have become a very important part of life in the past couple months. Amongst his favorites are a large tractor and dump truck that used to belong to Daddy and Uncle Kyle, a toy accordion that actually plays music (this was scary at first, but he likes it now), and a screen-mesh strainer from Mommy's kitchen. He also likes playing with Mommy's water bottle and her necklaces - special privileges that are usually reserved for church. With such distractions he does pretty good, and more often than not will stay quiet enough to sit through the entire service. We'll see how long that continues... ;)<br />
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Other new experiences this month include getting to sit in a high chair at a restaurant, and sitting in the seat of a grocery store cart. So thrilling to our big boy! Several warm days have found us out on the deck with a cake pan and some water - a great way to get soaked and cool off a bit! He also has great fun jumping wildly in his jump-a-roo, eagerly showing off to anyone who will cheer him on and applaud. And yes, his legs are <i>quite</i> muscular from all that activity. :D<br />
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Solid foods are on the menu pretty much every day now, and most of the time it's a lot of fun for all of us. Bananas, green beans, and peaches are his top favorites so far, with yellow squash, apple, and sweet potato at the bottom of the list. Peas, carrots, and cucumbers are so-so. It's interesting to see his likes and dislikes already taking shape, though we hope he'll grow up wanting to eat pretty much everything, like Daddy. :) <br />
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We live just a couple miles from an airport so many planes go overhead each day. Lukas has taken to looking around each time, trying to discover the source of the noise. We're teaching him the sign language for "airplane" and don't think it'll be too long before he makes the connection. :) He's also all boy in his interest in car and trucks that go by outside, and one of his favorite things to do each day is sit at the window and watch Daddy get in the car and drive away to work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqjq_pseZq7fwaMWN5sDpjvZY-mDfQ8etE3CahCH1Gmsq0ZTWflZBp7Lq9xg60FUOYrIbWpBbkicyFQtaSjMmADuxT60tiVyVJX6GpDa5NBrpRTwqvGsHhQhqsjwU7azDppTiCaQZarTp/s1600/07+28+13_0313b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqjq_pseZq7fwaMWN5sDpjvZY-mDfQ8etE3CahCH1Gmsq0ZTWflZBp7Lq9xg60FUOYrIbWpBbkicyFQtaSjMmADuxT60tiVyVJX6GpDa5NBrpRTwqvGsHhQhqsjwU7azDppTiCaQZarTp/s320/07+28+13_0313b.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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At his 8-month checkup July 29, our little man weighed 17 lb. 11 oz. and measured 28" - slightly above 50th percentile for height, and a bit below 25th percentile for weight. Mommy is glad he isn't growing any faster, since he's heavy enough as it is. Why don't childbirth classes include a weight-lifting regime? Seems like it'd be even more useful than Kegels and squats in the long run...anyone agree? ;)ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-80757804260417357022013-08-01T18:28:00.000-05:002013-08-01T19:21:44.049-05:00Grocery shopping and menus, July 21-27This week was a little different since we ended up going to more stores than usual AND though most of these items were on sale we didn't use a single coupon. Ha! I was extra busy with graphic design work deadlines and other things going on, so didn't have a lot of time to put towards menu planning based on items already in the pantry/freezer. And we needed to make several items for a church get-together. It's been ages since we've spent this much in one week! But...in the spirit of keeping it real around here - this is what a "bad" shopping week looks like for us. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What we bought</span></b> <br />
<b>Aldi shopping trip</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Sour cream (16 oz) - 1.29</li>
<li>Seedless grapes (2 lb) - two boxes at 1.98</li>
<li>Raspberry preserves - 2.29</li>
<li>Roma tomatoes, 20 oz. - 1.29</li>
<li>Bing cherries, 1 lb - 1.99</li>
<li>Flour tortillas, 10 count - 2 packages at 0.99 <b><br /></b></li>
<li><b>TOTAL - $12.40<i><br /></i></b></li>
</ul>
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<b>Fareway shopping trip</b><br />
<i>Peanut butter was on sale yet again this week, so we stocked up on a few more jars. Haven't seen it lower than $1.99 for over a year, and we do go through quite a bit of it. Hard to know how much to stretch the budget for stock-up items like this, but it does keep really well and we have enough now to last us quite a while.</i><b> </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Fresh spinach, 9 oz. - 4 bags at 0.99 (sale)</li>
<li>Peanut butter, 16 oz. - 5 jars at 1.48 (sale)</li>
<li>Orange juice, 64 oz. - 0.99 (sale)</li>
<li>Fresh peaches, 5.34 lb at 0.78/lb - 4.17</li>
<li>Multi-grain sandwich bread - two loaves, marked down to 0.79/loaf <b><br /></b></li>
<li><b>TOTAL - $22.54 <i><br /></i></b></li>
</ul>
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<b>Hy-vee shopping trip</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Vanilla ice cream, 1 quart - 1.77 <i>- we used to get this only when it was on sale for 0.99, but I haven't seen it that low since sometime last winter. Finally went ahead and got some with this sale to make root beer floats as a spontaneous treat. :)</i></li>
<li><b>TOTAL - $1.77</b></li>
</ul>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Dollar General shopping trip</b><br />
<ul>
<li>A&W Root beer, 1 liter plus deposit - 1.45 <i>- Not the cheapest price out there, I'm sure, but it was a rare treat. Summertime isn't complete without root beer floats. :)</i></li>
<li><b>TOTAL - $1.45</b></li>
</ul>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>Aldi shopping trip #2 (later in the week, with new sales)</b><br />
<i>These vegetable prices were way too good to pass up! We're grateful for the way Aldi allows us to eat a lot more produce than we could afford otherwise, and most of it is great quality, too.</i><br />
<ul>
<li>Sweet corn, 4 ears - 2 packages at 0.99</li>
<li>Green peppers, pack of 3 - 2 packages at 0.99</li>
<li>Snow Peas - 1.49</li>
<li>Zucchini, pack of 3 - 0.99</li>
<li>Onions, 3 lb - 0.99</li>
<li>Penne pasta - 0.99 - <i>We had other pasta on hand but needed to make a specific Penne recipe for a church meal and Joe's a stickler for following recipes exactly. ;)</i></li>
<li>Yogurt, 32 oz - 1.99</li>
<li>Milk, 1 gallon - 3.09 - <i>Joe wanted to start making smoothies again, and my family doesn't have a ton of extra goat milk right now.</i></li>
<li>Powdered sugar, 2 lb - 1.29 - <i>To make a dessert to take to church.</i></li>
<li><b>TOTAL - $16.28</b></li>
</ul>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Fareway shopping trip #2 (later in the week, with new sales)</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Cottage cheese, 32 oz - 3 at 1.69 - <i>this is pretty much the cheapest it ever goes on sale for any more. I miss the days of the 0.99 sales!</i></li>
<li>Coffee-flavored chocolate spread - <i>2 jars, marked down to 0.99 - a treat for Joe :)</i></li>
<li>Romaine lettuce - 1 head at 1.29</li>
<li>Bartlett pears - 0.99 lb at 0.99/lb (two) - 0.98 - <i>these are for Lukas to try...</i></li>
<li>Grape tomatoes, 1 pint - 1.49 - <i>I kicked myself for getting these, as I found them slightly cheaper at Fareway. Oh, well.</i></li>
<li>Lemonade, half gallon - 0.99 (sale)</li>
<li>White sugar, 4 lb - 3 bags at 1.68 (sale)</li>
<li><b>TOTAL - $16.85</b><b><i> </i></b></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: orange;"><b>WEEKLY TOTAL - $71.29 - <i>saved $0 with coupons (saved quite a bit with sales, though!)</i></b></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJOrn3L78guYLRxiO4PKQi97UH5JePvkg8H90qvdHvZ1vI06UAs7rU1Rex0ekk38W8XaYqlWZTkNFlnZ5y9QDDJQxrpu3wak5udkDE6QYJ9HifVzfPNQ3FGX9gy2JFdD3bbwPtR9hheRq/s1600/July2013+171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJOrn3L78guYLRxiO4PKQi97UH5JePvkg8H90qvdHvZ1vI06UAs7rU1Rex0ekk38W8XaYqlWZTkNFlnZ5y9QDDJQxrpu3wak5udkDE6QYJ9HifVzfPNQ3FGX9gy2JFdD3bbwPtR9hheRq/s320/July2013+171.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Some patriotic-looking strawberry shortcake from a few weeks ago. :)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What We Ate</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><i>Sunday: </i>Buffalo chicken mac & cheese (one of Joe's specialties), and veggies. For supper, we went to a church potluck/picnic and took a second pan of the mac & cheese. Later that evening, root beer floats. :)</li>
<li><i>Monday:</i> Sandwiches (cheese, tomato, sandwich meat from the freezer), fruit</li>
<li><i>Tuesday: </i>Spaghetti pie, garlic toast, green salad</li>
<li><i>Wednesday:</i> Beans (cooked from scratch and frozen) with BBQ sauce, cornbread, fruit salad</li>
<li><i>Thursday:</i> Pizza Hut (with a coupon and birthday-freebie breadsticks), leftover fruit salad<i><br /></i></li>
<li><i>Friday:</i> Tammy's <a href="http://www.tammysrecipes.com/oriental_chicken_salad" target="_blank">Oriental Chicken Salad</a></li>
<li><i>Saturday:</i> Grilled veggies and brats, with homemade whole wheat and rye buns</li>
<li><i>Breakfasts:</i> Peaches, homemade yogurt, banana bread</li>
</ul>
ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9176059928258175816.post-83708914559022225992013-07-26T10:30:00.000-05:002013-07-26T10:30:02.409-05:00Grocery shopping and menus, July 14-20It's been an extra busy month here for my design work, so I'm quite
late in getting this post together. I'll keep it simple, but hopefully
it'll still be of interest to at least some of you. :) Joe did most of
the shopping for us this week, which was a big help to me. The total
ended up being more than I shoot to spend in a week, but since we were
under budget last week it'll even out. Nice to stock up a bit on the
cheese and peanut butter when we get a chance, and produce at these
fabulous summertime prices is hard to pass up!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What we bought</span></b> <br />
<b>Target shopping trip</b><br />
<i>This was my first time stacking manufacturer coupons, store coupons (including mobile coupons) AND the new "Cartwheel" program deals. When these are also combined with sales, it makes for some pretty amazing deals. Fun stuff! I'm tickled that the free wifi in Target stores allows me to use my ipod to take advantage of these mobile coupons - no smart phone needed! Sorry there's no picture here...I was going to take one, but we were out most of the afternoon and I had to take care of a tired baby as soon as we got home.</i><b> </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Earthbound Farms organic carrots, 1 lb - 1.09 - <i>used $1/1 mobile coupon</i></li>
<li>Sandwich bread, 1 loaf - 1.41 - <i>used $1/1 mobile coupon and 5% off cartwheel</i> </li>
<li>Canola oil - 3.29 - <i>used $1/1 mobile coupon</i></li>
<li>Gala apples, 1.08 lb (3 apples) at 1.39/lb - <i>used $1/1 mobile coupon and 5% off cartwheel</i></li>
<li>Van's gluten-free frozen waffles - on sale for 2.50 - <i>used 3.00 man. coupon (0.50 moneymaker!)</i></li>
<li>Frozen raspberries, 1 lb - 2.79 - <i>used $1/1 mobile coupon and 20% off cartwheel</i></li>
<li>Hand soap - 0.89 - <i>used 0.50 Target coupon and 5% off cartwheel</i></li>
<li>Paper towels, 1 roll - 0.99 - <i>used 0.50 Target coupon (and apparently something mobile applied, too, since the receipt says they worked out to be free. Yay!)</i></li>
<li>Kashi cold cereal - 3 boxes on sale for 2.66 each - <i>used two $2/1 and one $1/1 man. coupons, $1/2 Target coupon, and 10% off cartwheel</i></li>
<li>Fresh strawberries, 1 lb - 1.79 - <i>free with purchase of 3 boxes of Kashi (store promo deal), so if I'm figuring this right, we paid $1.68 for three boxes of supposedly-healthier cold cereal AND a pound of strawberries. Can't beat that! :D</i><b> </b></li>
<li><b>TOTAL - $5.85 -<i> saved 19.79 with coupons and the 5% off for using our Target debit card, more if you count sales!</i></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Hy-vee shopping trip</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Frozen veggies, 1 lb bags - 8 bags at 0.77 each (sale)</li>
<li>Cheese blocks, 8 oz. - 3 at 3/$5 (store coupon)</li>
<li>Cranberry honey nut trail mix, half a pound - 3.05 - <i>a birthday splurge for me :)</i></li>
<li>Gourmet olives, a little over half a pound - 6.23 - <i>a treat for Joe :)</i></li>
<li><b>TOTAL - $20.44 - <i>saved some with the sales.</i></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><i> </i></b><b> </b><span style="color: orange;"><b>WEEKLY TOTAL - $26.29 - <i>saved $19.79 with coupons (more with sales)</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What We Ate</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><i>Sunday: </i>Fried chicken salad (a quickie to throw together, since Joe had to work that evening)</li>
<li><i>Monday:</i> Potato and bacon soup (with the bacon Joe just finished smoking!), garlic breadsticks and cinnamon breadsticks, veggies</li>
<li><i>Tuesday: </i>Tuna sandwiches, veggies</li>
<li><i>Wednesday:</i> Baked chicken, wild rice, lima beans (seasons with barbeque sauce - turned out great!), veggies</li>
<li><i>Thursday:</i> Tried a new recipe for a country fritata. Turned out okay, but not a keeper. Also had a green salad.<i><br /></i></li>
<li><i>Friday:</i> Joe went out and fetched Subway so I wouldn't have to cook on my birthday - awww! <3</li>
<li><i>Saturday:</i> We enjoyed a tasty meal at a local place, Cozy Cafe - another birthday treat. Yay for Groupon deals! :) We were still full at suppertime so just had popcorn. </li>
<li><i>Breakfasts:</i> Peaches, homemade banana bread (from the freezer), homemade yogurt (yum!), cold cereal with goat milk</li>
</ul>
ASourceOfJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08409771265113026882noreply@blogger.com0