Odd Thing of the Day

Sitting at the computer. Look out my window and this little guy comes over. And just lays there like this. With his eyes open. For 20 minutes. If I hadn't seen him move, I would have thought he was a piece of taxidermy. Gutters = redneck squirrel swimming pools. Apparently the 100 degree temperatures have taken their toll on everyone...

Don't be jealous, but...

...look what woke me up this morning:

Natural Food Coloring

Here's another catch up post! Over the holidays we made sugar cookies and decorated them with frosting. I thought it would be a good opportunity to experiment with making my own food coloring!

We peeled a beet.

Then we juiced it.

Then we added a little bit to some powdered sugar. We didn't have to use much milk because the beet was juicy enough. We just played around until the consistency and color was what we wanted! I was so impressed -- it was easy -- and I can never get that bright of a color with the normal food coloring dyes anyway! What a fantastic color!

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo was on my list of fun summer reads this year! There is nothing like summer vacation to read for fun. It's a tradition that I've had since I learned how to read... and I can't wait to begin this tradition with my kids.

The main character in this novel is Charlotte Beck. Her character reminds me a bit of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables -- she is a spitfire -- determined to get her way and heaven help anyone who stands in her way. Amid social pressures and the encouragement of her father to be placed in an arranged marriage, Charlotte rebels and makes her wish to go to college be known. After observing her interactions with the English atronomer, Alex Hambly, her father makes an offer to both of them: Get married and 1) He'll give Charlotte the chance to go to college and 2) He will provide financial security for Alex's struggling family. And it's an offer that they cannot refuse.

The character development in this novel was excellent! I loved each of the characters and how the author created their interactions with one another. Charlotte's escapades are a riot and so is the demeanor in which her father and Alex handle the escapades. I also enjoyed the way the author wove together prim and proper English culture and the barely settled Colorado frontier.

If you are looking for a book to finish up your summer reading list -- grab this one! It did not disappoint! And... because I just can't help but judge a book by it's cover -- what a fabulous cover! I had just as much fun looking at the book on my coffee table as I did reading it! Special thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for giving me this book for free for this review.

Independence Day 2011

We spent half of our holiday at Dan Nicholas Park and had a great time. It was hot, hot, hot! But the kids did great. We began by taking a paddle boat out for a ride. Even Kadence had to wear a life jacket. She liked it for about 8 minutes. Just about long enough for her to suck on it and for me to realize she was sucking on mildew. Put that to a stop and she screamed the rest of the way. She and I got dropped off at the dock and Tony and the kids finished out their boating.

After the paddle boats we made our way to the Wilderness section. For 50 cents per person, we got to see bald eagles, turtles, black bears, wolves, foxes, snakes, etc.

Took a train ride next and then headed home.

After naps, the thunderstorms started. We did sparklers on the porch and lined everyone up for the obligatory "kid" picture. My friend Stephanie put this tutorial for firework t-shirts on her blog and over the weekend we made them with the kids.
I love Kadence's expression in this photo. She is like... get me away from these crazies. Or maybe: "please don't hurt me. please don't hurt me."

Kaleb's 3rd Birthday!

What a fun birthday celebration we had for Kaleb's 3rd birthday. He was obsessed with IronMan at the time and so we had an IronMan theme. We do fruit sculptures for the kids until their 5th birthday when they can have their choice of birthday dessert. Kaleb's birthday has proved tricky because it's the dead of winter and hard to find in season fruit. Fortunately for me... IronMan is yellow and red! Bananas are always easy to find. And he loves them.

We also let the kids choose their birthday meal. Kaleb knew just what he wanted. Macaroni & Cheese and Dinner Rolls made from scratch. Do you see the yellow theme we have? It's his favorite color!! :)

Snack Bags

It's been awhile since we have done this and I'm anxious to do it again because it made life much simpler when we were on the go. With the summer weather here and playdates at the pool, park and Carowinds, it is handy to have something quick and healthy to grab on our way out the door. I went to Trader Joe's and purchased a bunch of our favorite snack foods. This time I bought: Cheerios, Banana Chips, Snap Crisps, Pretzels, Raisins, Almonds, Dried Apples, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, etc. Then I allowed Kaiya to take small baggies and make up snack bags with whatever she wanted in them. We made morning snacks (w/ cheerios, almonds and raisins) and then snacks for later in the day w/ the veggie chips, crisps, etc. Here she is filling up her bags! When finished I just stored them all in the pantry and we could grab and go as needed.

Halloween 2010

For Halloween this year, we had a little monkey and a go-go dancer. Actually, I'm not entirely sure what the actual definition of a go-go dancer is. Hmmm... hope it's not inappropriate! :) But suffice it to say... she had on a sparkly, tutu-ish get-up on. They each requested their pumpkin pictures... Kaleb is a big fan of Mickey right now and Kaiya had fun drawing her own face on the pumpkin. It was a fun night of trick-or-treating... the kids got tons of candy which I pre-negotiated a deal for. They could have their choice of a DVD or toy for trading in all their candy. We let them eat 2 pieces before the trade, Kaleb for a Wiggles DVD and Kaiya for a Barbie. And I may or may not have eaten most of the chocolate that evening.

Kaiya won me a grill!!

Finally... my kids are starting to pull their weight around this joint. :) Earth Fare had a contest to show who is the grill master at your house. You had to turn in a picture of your grill master in action. I pretty much forced Kaiya to draw a picture to submit. :) She had fun though -- and it was fun to see her process what she was going to put in her picture and to visualize what life looks like when we grill.

She put me grilling and she and Kaleb jumping on the trampoline. And she won us a new grill and tool set!!

She's a biker!

I've got some catching up to do... so I think I am going to make Fridays "catch up day" on the blog. Every Friday I will post something from the past year that I neglected to blog about in a timely fashion. That should get me caught up.

One of Kaiya's big accomplishments from 2010 was learning how to ride her bike without training wheels. We're biased, of course, but not sure many 4 1/2 year olds can ride without training wheels. She's pretty awesome!

Tony started her on the side of the house in the grass...



















































Phew! She made it all the way around without falling -- on her first try!

Steak Kabobs = YUM

I wanted to post this recipe for marinating steak kabobs - it was so good. And it just took me about 2.39 hours to find the stinkin' recipe again on the Food Network website. I made this a few weeks ago and they were so great. Probably one of the best steak marinades I've tried. And the huge plus is that it is Healing Diet approved!

Dijon-Rosemary Steak:

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, stemmed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

Whisk together all of the Dijon-rosemary steak ingredients (except the steak) in a bowl. Toss the steak in the mixture until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. (I marinated for 4+ hours.)

Here's where I promise to be a better blogger...

Seems we've been down this road before. I really want to get back to blogging. I promise to be a better blogger. My new year's resolution -- stop neglecting the blog. I admit -- there's been no follow through. Except for the book reviews. But what can I say -- I love to read and that's a way to read for free... well... besides the library. Let's be honest though -- that's never free because I always return late and rack up late fees. That might be the reason I haven't taken the kids to the library in awhile. 20 kids books + one week late = I don't even want to think about it. I can't take the librarian guilt.

You see... I've figured this all out. Now that I'm a stay at home mom I will have TONS of time to blog. ha ha! Cause stay at home moms just sit around and browse the internet while their kids are happily entertaining themselves, right? No? Oh well... then I guess I better not make any promises about being a better blogger. :)

For the sake of the third child, who probably won't have a scrapbook finished until she is 18 1/2 yrs old. Who may or may not have any pictures taken of her at all. For Kadence Quinn... I will be a better blogger.

Plus... Kaleb is pulling out some good stuff lately. Yesterday, for example, he told me to stop accusing him. All I told the kid was that we don't go outside in socks. These Kalebisms must be documented.

Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann

I was first introduced to Kristen Heitzmann's fiction 7 years ago when I began working in our church library. I am a huge fan of her writing style! I was so excited to be able to receive her latest book, Indivisble, for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for writing this review!

This book, set in present day, is a mystery - psychological thriller - love story - all wrapped up in one. The story begins with mutilated raccoons found in a small Colorado town. Determined that this is more than just innocent fun, Jonah Westfall, chief of police, begins an investigation hoping to prevent something more serious from happening to his community. Along the way, we meet Tia, who has a past very connected to the police chief. As the animal mutilation begins to increase, Tia and Jonah's paths intersect once again and the story unfolds.

One of my favorite things about this book is the author's ability to develop the main characters as well as the supporting cast of characters. She was able to weave several stories within the main plot. Heitzmann creates real characters, with real life struggles and as the reader, I appreciate the tangibility of her writing. Another thing I love about this book is that it grabbed my attention right away. With all of the things in life vying for my attention - when I sit down and read a book, I want it to be enjoyable and entertaining. Indivisible was just that! It's a story with many layers and I promise you will love it!

Logo

Working on getting this image back on my signature line in Gmail. Hopefully this will make it work!

New Favorite Things

Used my Christmas money to buy two of my new favorite things. Red Toms:

And a Flip camcorder. Here's the first video to be shot on the Flip. Quality is so awesome. Gonna be great to have this for videos of Baby K. And these two crazy characters.

A Billion Reasons Why - Kristin Billerbeck

Kristin Billerbeck has been a favorite author of mine for the past five years. I was introduced to her by a friend in St. Louis. I was excited to have the chance to review her most recent book, A Billion Reasons Why. BookSneeze® provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. This book is about Katie McKenna, a spunky special education teacher who receives a blast into her past when a former boyfriend asks her to sing at his brother's wedding. Although engaged, she agrees to sing and finds herself back at home, confronted with a life and a relationship she ran away from.

Overall, this book was an excellent read. It was apparent that the author researched the history and culture of New Orleans - which I loved to learn more about. The only area that this book fell short for me was in the writing style. And it was really only because of my past experiences with the author. Nearly all of her books have left me laughing out loud with the honest humor of her characters. I was anticipating that same type of writing style for this novel. I didn't laugh quite as much with this book. Regardless, it was a great story with great characters. There is no question, Kristen Billerbeck knows how to tell a story!

Sun Stand Still - Pastor Steven Furtick

Without question, it was an honor to be able to write a review of my Pastor's book, Sun Stand Still. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. At a basic level, this is a book about audacious faith. But digging in, making personal application, and praying your own Sun Stand Still prayer, gives the reader the opportunity to experience and live out the faith of the Bible's greatest characters - Joshua, Moses, and the disciples to name a few.

One of the things I love about this book is the way it is written. The style it is written in, makes me feel as if I am having a conversation with Pastor Steven. My vote for favorite chapter title? Pray like a Juggernaut. Simple, yet challenging. He speaks truth in a way that is easy for anyone to understand. This is a book for everyone - for the jr. higher who is just beginning to walk with Jesus to the seasoned pastor. My children are preschool age, and even we have had discussions about what it means to believe God for the impossible.

As I think about the impact this book had on me, there is one chapter that sticks out like a sore thumb. Hear. Speak. Do. This chapter contains twelve audacious faith confessions to speak over my life. Growing up in a conservative Grace Brethren church, I didn't learn how to speak biblical truth over my life. That was something they did at the pentecostal church down the road. Now, when I feel worry creeping in I speak #3: "I have no fear or anxiety; I trust in the the Lord with all my heart." When I question whether or not I have what it takes I preach #5 to myself: "I am fully resourced to do everything God has called me to do." And the best part... Each audacious faith confession comes with at least 3 verses of scripture to back it up.

If you read this book, I promise it will change the way you think about faith. It helped me tap into the power of God -- available to me as a believer in Jesus Christ. This book isn't just about the major life events that require believing God for the impossible. There is application for the stay-at-home mom pouring into her children on a daily basis. It is for the high school student who's Sun Stand Still prayer might be staying pure. It is for the couple who is about to call it quits after years of marriage. It is a book for people who want to change the world.

One more thing I love about this book: The vast amount of FREE resources available to individuals, small groups and churches. Check it out at: www.sunstandstill.org.

One Hand, Two Hands by Max Lucado, Illustrated by Gaby Hansen

I am thrilled to review this children's book, One Hand, Two Hands by Max Lucado. It is beautifully, detailed illustrations and rhymes that make it so fun to read with children. When it came in the mail, the kids and I tore open the package and plopped right on the kitchen floor to read it. It teaches toddler and preschool children all of the special ways they can use their hands.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it was relevant to both my 2 year old and 4 year old. Sometimes we find books that are good for one or the other -- but this one spanned both the toddler and preschool age levels. We made up motions as we read through it. Kaiya and Kaleb absolutely LOVE this book. And what was so precious to me was, several days after reading through it, Kaiya asked after helping me with something, "Those were helping hands, right mama?" Yep -- so thankful for teaching truths that come from books that are fun to read! Definitely put this one on your Christmas list! It's a keeper.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews

The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews is a great book to give over the holidays. It would be a perfect host/hostess gift for the holidays! The main message of the book is that everything we do matters. The Butterfly Effect tells the stories of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Norman Borlaug.

I enjoyed reading this book -- it was a relaxing read. The format of the text makes it enjoyable to read, with different sized font and colorful graphics and images. I read it in one sitting, which was perfect! The author does a great job at inspiring his readers to examine how they are making a difference. I found myself reflecting about the people I come into contact in my life and what type of impact I am making.

I have to admit that I find myself fairly skeptical of "gift books." I don't know what it is exactly -- many I have read are fluffy and "feel good." I was impressed with the historical content of this book and the challenge that it leaves with the reader. I would recommend it! Put your preconceived notions of gift books aside and give it a try.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Shoes & Answered Prayers

We went on a shoe hunt adventure last week. Kaleb needed a pair of tennis shoes since we are starting to move into fall weather (umm... I think anyway...). We decided to check first at Once Upon A Child. On the way there I told the kids that we should pray that we find the perfect shoes at the perfect price. So we did. Then we went to the store and started digging through the bins. Found these Transformers shoes that light up. Just his size, and just the right price ($2.50). I examined them and saw that the velcro was starting to peel off -- not a dealbreaker for me, but thought I would check to see if they could be reduced further. Sure enough -- these sweet little shoes were $1.35. Just like God to care about the little things! :) And I was so thankful that I could teach my kids a valuable lesson. To sweeten things a bit -- my mom was able to tack that peeling velcro right back where it belonged w/ her super duper sewing skills!

And this picture is just cause Kaiya felt left out while I was taking pictures of Kaleb's feet. These sandals were a great deal at Target too though -- $3.74. So I guess she was onto something bloggable afterall!