Kindergarten Field Trip

Today was the Kindergarten Field Trip to Casa Manana Theater but that was not the most exciting thing that happened to my son today. He got to ride a big yellow school bus. Riding the bus was better in his eyes, than seeing the show or going to the park. Isn't it funny how when we had to ride the bus to school we hated it and couldn't wait for your licence so you could drive to school but just a few short years earlier you were eager to ride on the yellow chariot!

What is that smell?

Today I was reminded about how fast things can go really wrong. This morning I fixed breakfast (toast and instant oatmeal) for my kids, got them dressed, and signed folders. The normal morning activities before sending them off to school. My youngest son, Jonah split his cup of water on the kitchen floor so I asked him to grab a towel to clean it up. He cleaned it, gave me a kiss and rushed out the door with his brother to go to school. Nothing out of the ordinary right. Oh so wrong. As I sat on couch with my daughter reading a book, I began to smell something. Never in all my wildest dreams did I think something was burning in the kitchen until the smoke alarms began to go off. I hadn't really cooked anything this morning so history couldn't be repeating itself but that is another story altogether. I glanced over my shoulder to see flames shooting up from the island. Leaping like a gazelle (okay not quite that gracefully) over the back of the couch I grabbed the towel that was on fire and threw it in the sink. What caused the fire you ask? Well, I had lit a candle this morning to make the house smell fresh and not quite like the dogs that cohabitate with us. Well, my house no longer smells like dog, but I am not sure it is truly an improvement. The destruction was minimal just a melted telephone and chaired dishtowel and of course the counter top now has a strange brownish gold mark that resembles the phone. Has anything like this happened to you? Has the unexpected taken you in surprise and forced to to realize how blessed you are in all of your daily trials and joys.

Book Review of Trish Perry's Too Good To Be True

Taken from trishperrybooks.com

Your classic romantic heroine swoons after meeting Prince Charming in, say, an enchanted forest. But Rennie Young would never have met the gallant Truman Sayers if she hadn’t fainted immediately beforehand—in the boys’ sportswear department of her local Wal-Mart.
Ren, a 20-something elementary schoolteacher, has reluctantly accepted that her husband—who divorced her over a year ago—is not coming back. Tru Sayers, a handsome young labor-and-delivery nurse, seems like a gift from God. Ren’s friends and Tru’s siblings are supportive and excited about the match. But there are . . . complications.

Ren’s control-freak mother is desperate to match her daughter up with “more suitable” men. Tru’s mother wants Tru to remain a bachelor—and at her beck and call—forever. Is it possible to honor your parents while on the verge of killing them? Despite conflicts, embarrassments, and a pity binge or two, Ren learns how to lean on the Lord and His loving will for her. Just when Ren thinks her happiness is slipping away, God shows her that no miracle is too good to be true.

Trish Perry has created another great Chicklit. She writes with a humor that draws the reader in and keeps them wanting more. I stayed up until 2:30 am to finish because I didn't want to put it down. I could relate to Ren and Tru struggles with balancing family and a new romance. Perry's message that God's will for our lives will lead to our true happiness is one that we all need to be reminded of. I am a big fan of Trish Perry's novel and she did not disappoint this time either. I can not wait to read the next book in this series. If you are looking for a fast paced book Too Good To Be True will not dissappoint.

Contest

Win a bag of Jelly Belly beans by leaving a comment after my review of Splitting Harriet. I will be selecting a winner on March 1st. Good Luck. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you.

Review of Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh

Harriet Bissett is the prodigal daughter with the weight of being a preachers kid. Harri struggles daily to accept the grace and forgiveness for her rebellious youth after returning to the fold of her father's church. Harri is determined to avoid temptaion if it is the last thing she does. She soon discovers just how tempting life can be when she meets the new big shot church consultant named Maddox McCray. Harri just wants to know who he thinks he is with his tattoos, long hair and loud motorcycle. Harri is a new woman and she is determined to stay that way.

I fell in love with Harri with her badgirl past and imperfect present who loves God and jelly bellies while living in a senior citizens trailer park. Leigh has created a character that any woman can relate too. Leigh is an amazing writer who adds humor to a serious message that we are forgiven by grace. I strongly recommend this book. This is one of those books that you wont want to put down until the last page is turned. This is delightful chicklit and I give it an A+.

Tea Party

My daughter recently turned the grand age of four and we wanted to celebrate her birthday in style. My daughter, Paige loves the book Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor which is the story of a little girl named Nancy who desires to be everything fancy. She would never leave without her tiara and ice cream can only be eaten with sprinkles of course. Nancy desires to make her family fancy and teachers a course of how to be fancy. It is very difficult being the only fancy person in a family. Nancy learns that the love of her family is all that is needed without any embleshiments. My daughter loves this book because she can identify with little Nancy and her love of dressing up.

Of course to have a party invitations must be given. We made our own invitaitons with stickers of high heels, flowers and purses.The inside of the invitation read: You are cordially invited to attend a posh tea party! Please come celebrar(that's French for celebrate) Paige's fourth birthday on Nov. 25th at 1:00 p.m. Be sure to wear something fancy. Send regrets to Queen Donna

We took the book and created our own fancy world for my daughter and her friends. For decorations we hung large bows left over from a wedding and used tooling in pink and purple for table cloths. Every chair was graced with a boa and a fuzzy purse from the local dollar store. I served punch made with sherbet and sprite out of a punch bowl with punch glasses and we all practiced drinkink with our pinkies out. I also served crimped PB&J sandwiches (I bought the frozen ones), along with a cake with lipstick, high heels and a purse decoration.

You cannot have a party without entertainment .First, I read the story and we played the game pin the purse on the diva and made necklaces along with coloring a picture of Fancy Nancy and we can't forget the tiaras.

This is a party that my daughter will never forget. We had a wonderful time playing and all the moms came dressed to the nines too. How many opprotunites do you get to get fancy?

.

Lessons learned

Our family lost a wonderful boy to leukemia. Ethan Jay Mithchell lived a short eight years on this earth before returning to his Father. Ethan is my cousin's son and in his time on this earth he taught many lessons to those who were blessed enough to learn. Ethan taught all of us to live life to it's fullest. He lived life with a desire to meet as many people as he could and to simply enjoy people. Ethan always worried about others first placing his own needs last. At his eigth birthday party he wanted everyone to swim in the pool even though he could not because of his port. It was important to him for everyone to find joy in life. Ethan always thought of others. When we came to the realization that his time on earth was short he worried about his mom and dad. How would they handle his death? He did not want his mom to be sad. I can not imagine the pain of saying a final good bye to my child and I am not sure that I would have done so with the dignity that my cousin and his wife did. Ben and Joy are heros inmy eyes they did not loose hope that Ethan would be get better and they faught for him up until the end. Joy, Ethan's mother told me that you can't give up on the hope. It is with that hope that Ethan's legacy will continue.

This year I will be walking in the Relay for Life in April at Kerr Middle school in Burleson, Texas to help raise money for the fight agianst cancer. Cancer has touched our family with the death of three of my grandparents and with little Ethan. It is a disease that can strip a family of hope and send them spiraling into dispair but it can also make a family more united. If you would like to give to my walk please click on the link. labeled Relay for Life.