You've Got This (because God's got you), a book review

You've Got This! (because God's got you) is a 52-day devotional written by KariAnne Wood. This tiny book is filled with sweet and often-hilarious anecdotes about how no one is ever truly perfect... except Jesus.  The author constantly reminds the reader to remember grace, love and joy instead of wallowing in doubt, imperfection and mishaps.  Sprinkled with scripture references, most of the stories come from Ms. Wood's own learning moments, that just about any mom or wife could relate to.  This book would make a nice gift for any mom feeling a little less-than-perfect (which, is all of us, right?).



Tyndale House Publishing provided me with a free copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Prayers for the Battlefield, a book review

Prayers for the Battlefield: Staying MomStrong in the fight for your family and faith, written by Heidi St. John, is a wonderful complement to her book Becoming MomStrong, which I previously reviewed here, It also works beautifully as a stand-alone devotional or prayer guide.  This little purple book would make a perfect gift for anyone going through ANYTHING as a mom, the highs and the lows are covered here.

As I previously learned by reading her other book, Heidi St. John knows her stuff.  She has raised 7 children and is now a grandmother as well.  She has been through much over the years and learned from it, and continues to point the reader to Jesus as the main source of comfort, credit, and wisdom.  In this little book, she offers quick, but powerful anecdotes along with scripture verses and specific prayers to pray about a wide range of topics a mother might face.  Anywhere from unplanned pregnancy to a prayer over your child's teacher to overcoming worry or self-control trouble.  I appreciate the brevity of this title, as it can be gleaned from as needed thanks to a topical index, or read cover-to-cover, even used as a daily devotional.  I cannot think of a mother that this wouldn't benefit!  Motherhood is definitely a battlefield, and it's important to be armed with God's Word.

Tyndale House Publishing provided me with a free copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Making A House a Home...

Every so often I get bitten by the #DECLUTTERALLTHETHINGS bug and I'll get on a roll making my house not only livable but pleasing to the eye.  It usually dies off pretty quickly, but I am left feeling somewhat accomplished.  Until it all builds up again.  Endless cycle of getting rid of stuff, bringing in stuff, moving stuff around, etc.

The other day I was lamenting how our tiny bread box was just silly at this point, because it couldn't hold the amount of bread items we regularly have, and it spilled over looking cluttery.  A friend of mine posted a cute wire basket she had just purchased to use for her bread and I was like DANGIT, I want something like that.  I hit up Pinterest for ideas, searched some shopping sites, but just didn't really see what I was looking for.  In the midst of all that, I decided I needed a shelving system to use as a pantry in my kitchen, too.  My cabinets have built in shelves that are incredibly short, so things like cereal boxes, syrup, tall bottles only fit in the ONE cabinet that IS tall enough... over the stove.  This leads to my kids climbing up on the cabinet and over the stove to get their cereal.  Not cool.  Also, the other day I may have expressed envy of my friend's pantry and my husband decided he would "get me a pantry!" Whatever that means.  So, I measured and researched and figured out that for $15 I could get the perfect sized shelf system for our little nook behind the backdoor.  Off to IKEA!

We got our shelves and a plain wooden crate to serve as a bread box, plus had dinner and coffee, too.  I love my new-to-me kitchen and am working to declutter it to have some actual counter space. I also plan to paint the ceiling and walls in the very near future.  Cannot wait to have that project over with!  All this time with the yellow, we are overdue a change!

Anyway, I ended up decluttering the hall cabinet that houses things like medicines, extra towels and random stuff of all kinds, too.  Now I feel the closet in the Littles' room calling me.  Oh, dear.  That's a big job that I've undertaken many times and it finds it's way into a mess so very quickly!  Michael also got inspired to work a little more organization into his tool closet.  So, we'll see where that goes.

We have lived in this house for 4.5 years, and sometimes I wonder why we haven't done certain things sooner.  Time, effort, money, or simply just not even thinking of it!

Starting School, 2018-2019...

All done with 3rd Grade, age 8

Finished 7th Grade, age 12

Preston and Callen successfully wrapped up their 7th and 3rd grade years in the middle of May.  After just a couple of weeks off, on June 1st, we were right back at it, starting up their 8th and 4th grade years.  Hard to believe, but yep... my big guys are growing quickly!  Since Preston started First Grade, we have used My Father's World as our core curriculum.  It worked well for both boys, we all liked it a lot.  But... this year, because my hands are full chasing two littles, I need the boys to be able to do their work more independently.  We are trying out the free online Christian-based curriculum called Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool.  We are about 10 days in, and so far, so good.  The boys seem to like it, and while there has been a small learning curve (them figuring out how to follow instructions I'm not reading to them, lol), they seem to be doing well.  Did I mention it was free?  Yeah, that's awesome!  Here are a few pix from our first day...

Ready to start a new chapter

Of course, Josie wants in on the action.

Brennan's Half Birthday

My sweet #4 is six months old already! He is such a good, easy-going fella and I am trying to soak up every minute of his baby-ness because it's fading quickly.  He is rolling, scooting, sitting up and even starting to pull up already.  He has two bottom teeth.  Babbles and raspberries with the best of them.  He's still exclusively breastfed, but has had some mashed banana here and there - he's a fan.  His siblings still adore him to pieces.  And he loves them right back.  He gets majorly excited when Daddy enters the room, or he'll be sound asleep and hear Daddy's voice and bolt right up!  My little chunker is less and less a baby every day, and it's bittersweet.

Edited to add: At his 6-month check up on June 19th, he weighed 19lbs and was 27 3/4" tall!

Book Review: The Lifegiving Parent, by Clay and Sally Clarkson

The Lifegiving Parent: Giving Your Child a Life Worth Living in Christ, written by the dynamic couple, Clay and Sally Clarkson, is just what I needed!  I have read many of Sally's other books including the other two in this "trilogy," The Lifegiving Home and The Lifegiving Table.  Their personal experience, insight into Biblical knowledge and real life, and way with words brings this beautiful message of parenting done right directly into your soul.  It isn't a how-to book on parenting, no step-by-step new-fangled method... thank goodness!  This book is about having YOUR life in Christ so that you can help guide your children on their personal path! It's focus is to have God a living part of your daily life, home and relationships so that He is seen in all ways and in all things!  This is the basis for good parenting!

The Clarksons take key passages from the Bible and help to shape them into points, or "heartbeats of lifegiving parenting," as they call them.  Each chapter delves into the Word of God, as well as offering personal testimony and anecdotes,a brief page or two of Sally's own, unique takes on life experience or "Momoirs," three "ParenTips" on how to realistically put this information into action and a quick recap of the "heartbeat." 

I love that this book is rooted in Biblical priciples, inspiring and practical.  Clay and Sally have been blessed with the gift and we, as readers, benefit from their wisdom and hopefully some of it rubs off on us!

I was given a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest blog review.

Introducing Brennan Michael...

Thanksgiving bump.

Today our fourth child is one-month-old!  Hard to believe, but true.  I suppose that means I should introduce him on here and post a birth recap, for posterity's sake at least!  Poor #4, barely mentioned on the blog. 

I had a feeling that baby would come early, and not a week or more late like his previous two siblings, but I really had no idea what to expect from this one.  After all, his very existence was a surprise, and then I was pretty sure he was going to be a girl, so his gender was a surprise, too.  Why wouldn't his entrance into the world be a surprise as well?  It was.

Thursday, December 7th... I noticed that getting in and out of the car and moving around in general was more trouble than usual, but I just shrugged it off as "getting close."  I had a midwife appointment that day, but didn't see my usual midwife (Lisa) because she had been sick with stomach flu.  I went to the ECCHO monthly board meeting and got back home around 945pm.  We got everyone ready for bed, and I chatted online with Amazon customer service because they had sent me the wrong Alexa cord replacement.  I stood at Michael's computer and got really frustrated with them because they weren't understanding what I needed and tried to send me the wrong cord again.  Once it was finally worked out, I laid down in bed next to Michael and felt something... odd.  My water never broke on it's own with my first two babies, and with Josie it broke RIGHT before she was born, after I had been pushing for a long time... so my water breaking was new to me.  But that's what it was I discovered - it happened at 1125pm.  I was excited and nervous as I texted my birth team (midwife and two students) to let them know that my water broke but I wasn't even having contractions or any other sign of labor.  I texted my mom so she would know what was going on, and Michael called his boss so he could be off work.  When I didn't hear back from Lisa very quickly, I called her to see if she was still sick or what the plan would be regarding who would come for the birth.  She said she was well and would be coming.  She said it sounded like it would still be a while before delivery because I wasn't having contractions yet.  She wanted everyone to try to get some rest before things heated up, so we all laid down and tried.

I could not get comfortable because almost instantly the contractions started up, and they were strong and intensified every few minutes.  She had said to call her back when contractions were about 12 minutes apart, but they STARTED at 4 minutes apart.  Michael fell asleep but I just laid there feeling the waves getting closer and stronger until I just wanted to get things ready.  I called Lisa again around 1am and told her I would like her to come now because the contractions were strong and close.  Also texted my mom and dad to head this way.  Michael and I tried to start prepping labor stuff... gathering trashcans, towels, etc.  I had most things gathered in the corner of my room.  But pretty soon I couldn't take it and laid back down and tried not to cry.  The contractions were so intense and close, I was already telling Michael that I couldn't do it, and that I was stupid for not wanting to pain medication because it HURT.  I was so scared that it would be like Josie's birth and I would have to endure this pain for hours. 

My contractions were right on top of each other when the senior student, Rachel, showed up at our house a little after 2am.  She was like "oh!" when she saw me go right into another contractions after breathing through one.  I said I would get up so they could prep the bed for delivery, and I made my way to the bathroom because I felt like I needed to go.  I sat on the toilet and immediately felt like baby was coming, and I started screaming "HELP!"  Rachel and Michael came running down the hall and I was like "I feel pushy!"  Rachel started getting ready to deliver him right there... she called Lisa on speaker phone and we found out she was just minutes away, her GPS had gotten her turned around a bit!  About then the other student, Emily, came running in and threw on some gloves.  They asked if I wanted to deliver him there in the bathroom or try to make it to the bed.  I decided to head for the bed between contractions.  I made it into my bedroom and beside the bed and I was like "No, he's coming now!"  Rachel said if I felt like pushing on the next contraction to go ahead, so I did - standing there beside my bed!  As I started pushing, Lisa ran in the door and his head was born.  I pushed again and he was out - Rachel caught him with a little assistance from Lisa who had just enough time to slip on some gloves!  It all happened so fast, it was insane. After he was out, I turned around and laid on the bed and they tried to bring him up to my chest, but the umbilical cord was so short they just got him kind of on my lap.  His head was really coned the first glimpse I got of him, but it returned to shape really quickly and he was just beautiful and perfect.  From the moment my water broke (no contractions!) to him being born was a total of 3 hours!  It was the absolute perfect birth I had been praying about (except the part where the midwife almost wasn't there!). 

My mom and dad called as they were coming into town to see how I was, and that was when I was on the bed and Rachel had just got there.  They asked if they had time to go to the store to get snacks in case we were all there a long time (because that's how the last one was, who knew!), and we had no idea at that point...so they went ahead and ran into Walmart for a few minutes.  Because of that, they arrived at our house just a few minutes after he was born!  When my mom walked in I said "I'm sorry, I couldn't wait!"  Lol.

Hello World!

Brennan Michael arrived at 229am on Friday, December 8th, 2017.  He was 9 pounds, 1 ounce and roughly 22 inches (the team measured him at 23 inches, and then a few days later at the doctor's office, they measured him at 21... so I'm going with 22, haha!). His due date was December 11th, so just a few days early.  He is a great baby... sleeps pretty well, nurses well (still a bit sore, but working on latch adjustment), and now that he is a month old, he's starting to be more awake and alert for parts of the day.  His siblings adore him, especially Josie.  She is constantly hugging and kissing on him.  On occasion, she gets jealous and tells me to put him down so I can hold her, but for the most part, she's been a great big sister so far.

Here are a few pictures we took for Christmas cards and such...

My 4 kids!!!

This was MY Christmas outfit, 1980

Family of SIX on Christmas!

A comparison of my babies...

The Lifegiving Table, a book review...

The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith Through Feasting, One Meal at a Time is chock full of wisdom, inspiration, scripture and yummy recipes, all stemming from Sally Clarkson's 30+ years of experience as a wife, mother and ministry leader.  A beautiful follow up to her book, The Lifegiving Home, you'll want to add this to your ever-growing Clarkson collection.  Sally weaves personal stories, scripture and practical tips - from how to set the mood to detailed recipes for specific tasty treats -  to slow down that hurried dinner and make something quality out of it, finding those moments to celebrate life around the table, create memories and draw nearer to one another and the LORD.  I appreciate that while she makes it seem so effortless, she acknowledges that it's not... it takes work and lots of prayer to make the dinner table more than a quick pit stop in our day.  She touches on how to make simple meals to elaborate feasts mean something, how to celebrate milestones, find the joy in the holiday rush, and getting your week started right around your table!  I think we could all use these reminders of taking the time to enjoy our meals together, rather than seeing them as an obligation or a rushed, chaotic pause in our day.  Once again, Sally knocks it out of the ballpark - and brings home her message of love, faith and family in this inspiring book!

Tyndale Blog Network provided me with this complimentary title in exchange for my honest review.

Becoming MomStrong, a book review...

Becoming MomStrong: How to Fight With All That's In You For Your Family & Your Faith was exactly the type of book I needed to read at the moment.  While Heidi St. John is a popular conference speaker, author and blogger at The Busy Mom, honestly, I had never heard of her... but you can bet I'll be following  her work from now on!  As soon as I started reading, I felt a great connection with her, as a homeschool mom myself, often feeling that I am failing in being the mom I should be.  Heidi seems to hit every doubt, question, concern or feeling squarely on the head, and, beautifully, points the way back to Jesus as the answer.  Sometimes we just need that reminder instead of a new idea or training protocol.  I appreciate her use of current events, Bible teaching and her own unique story of raising 7 kids in bringing home message after message, and showing that she truly does know what we're going through and we are not alone out there.  It is possible for us to become MomStrong!  I highly recommend this book to any mom that doubts herself, which... c'mon, is most of us, right?  While she does touch on the fact she is a homeschool mom often (and for me, that's a plus), this book is going to help encourage moms from all walks of life who strive to do what's best for their children, so definitely check it out!

Tyndale House Publishers provided me a complimentary copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Our 2017-2018 Homeschool Year Has Officially Begun...

I have not blogged about our homeschool adventures in a long, long time.  So, how about some catching up?

We started this year on July 10th, with Preston doing 7th grade and Callen doing 3rd.

What the boys do together:  We are still using My Father's World - this time going through 1850 to Modern Times as our core. That includes our Bible devotions, verse memorization, hymn study, history, science and read alouds. I recently discovered Easy Peasy All-In-One Homeschool, so we are using that for Art, Music and PE/Health.  We are continuing Etiquette Factory Intermediate and Spelling Power.

Math on computer

Preston only: This year we are trying out Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra. He is also continuing IEW U.S. History, Fix-It Grammar Robin Hood and Spanish for Children. Twice a year he will also do a Progeny Press Book Study (he already finished the first one during summer!).

Callen only: Callen is doing Mammoth Math Grade 3 and Easy Peasy Language Arts for Grade 3.

Josie is still not quite two years old, so the main goal with her is keeping her from being a distraction to the boys.  Good luck!

Josie is in pre-pre-pre school.

We are still a part of ECCHO, and enjoy doing field trips and Enrichment Classes will start back up in September.  Also, I am looking into getting Preston enrolled in 4H Arts (Callen isn't quite old enough for this group yet).

Waxahachie Courthouse 

Summer 2017 Recap with an Announcement...

Our official summer vacation was pretty short.  The boys finished school mid-May and started back up on July 10th.  In that little window we managed to squeeze in quite a few fun summer activities...

The boys participated in two different Vacation Bible Schools, they went to MRBC's Sports Camp again this year, and had Swim Lessons.  We took part in free Slurpee Day and Cow Appreciation Day.  They played tons of video games and watched way too much Netflix.

Who can say no to a free slurpee?

Entirely FREE meals for looking silly, we're in!

We also were able to sell our Saturn Vue, which lacked A/C, and buy a new-to-us Dodge Grand Caravan!  Which is good, because... turns out, we also need the extra room.  Read on...

Our first ride to church in our van!

It's so pretty!!!

Yep...we are expecting Baby Clark #4 due early December!  Back in April I had been feeling crummy from a cold, but on Easter I realized that I was feeling strange and all of my clothes fit a little funny.  I took a test, and WOW - can you say shocked?!  It took quite a while to get over that feeling (and honestly, we're still a little blown away by it!).  We told our parents that evening.  And announced to the "world" when I was about 9 weeks along - we kept letting it slip, so figured we might as well just tell everyone.  We're not good at secrets.  The exciting thing is several friends are due around the same time as us!  And most of those are complete surprises, too!  Haha.  I had morning (all-day) sickness up until about 16 weeks, and will find out if we're having a boy/girl in just a few days!  So exciting!

Silly Easter Bunny left us a surprise!

Facebook announcement photo.

Her shirt says Little Sis, haha!

Under the Cover of Light, a book review

Under the Cover of Light: The Extraordinary Story of USAF COL Thomas "Jerry" Curtis's 7 1/2-Year Captivity in North Vietnam by Carole Engle Avriett is a riveting true story of courage, determination and faith.  When his helicopter was shot down over North Vietnam, Curtis endured it all - torture, both physical and psychological, extreme temperatures, solitary confinement, and things the average person could not even imagine.  And yet, he wasn't broken thanks for his, and fellow soldiers', continuing faith and hope. The men found ingenious ways to communicate with one another despite being separated and they were able to encourage each other with memorized scriptures, stories and jokes.

While I don't normally read war stories, as it's just not my true interest... I was so intrigued by this man's story.  It is amazing what a human can endure when their hope lies beyond this earth. Curtis shares so many amazing stories of how these men clung to life and faith and overcame the wretched conditions and treatment.  I am truly amazed at their system of communicating through walls, and that they were able to continue teaching this approach to new inmates as they arrived. They encouraged each other, warned each other and were able to keep their wits simply knowing they were not truly alone.  Brave, strong, faithful men survived this horrible situation year after year ( 7 1/2 for Curtis!) and were able to come home eventually.  It is truly remarkable!

I was given a free copy of this book from the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.

Bible Sleuth: New Testament, a book review

Bible Sleuth: New Testament, illustrated by Jose Perez Montero, is a seek and find book (a la Where's Waldo?) filled with interesting stories from Bible-times, including the birth of Jesus, the Wedding at Cana, The Beatitudes, meeting Zacchaeus and so many more. Each two-page spread is filled with wonderful hand-drawn characters either involved in the story or going about their business in the scene.  You also meet "Mike," a little boy in yellow overalls, who takes you through the stories.  Believe it or not, for us, he was the most difficult to find despite his clothing being completely different than everyone else's.

I have 7-year-old avid fan of seek and find books, and he quickly sat down and got to work.  Some of the pages were more difficult than others, but he always enjoys a challenge.  Even my 35-year-old brother-in-law sat with it for a while and spent some brain power on finding that "Mike kid."  While the drawings are seemingly sketched a bit rough, I believe this helps to make it more interesting, and there is a lot of detail involved in each scene.  You obviously don't want the characters to be too easy to find!  This book is great for kids 5-12, who enjoy a good hunt along with some Bible knowledge.



I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.

Lord, Have Mercy, a book review

Lord, Have Mercy: Help and hope for moms on their last nerve, written by Ellen Miller is a 90-Day devotional broken into 5 topical sections: Renew My Spirit, On My Soul, Get Me Out of this Mess, Help Me Be Good and As I Raise These Kids.  Each of these sections offers daily readings spanning just two or three-pages (perfect for moms of littles and/or working moms), plus Scripture Readings and a thoughtful prayer from the author over the reader.  The pages of this book offer insight and encouragement from Ellen's own experiences as a busy, working mom of two now-grown children. 

What I enjoyed about the book is that it was designed in such a way that I truly could read it quickly, get the "meat" of her topic, attach it to a scripture focus (not just a nice sentiment) and continue with my day feeling better about my job as mom.  She doesn't overly story-tell, if you know what I mean... she gets to the point, and I'm all for that in a daily reader! Her experiences and anecdotes are relatable to most moms, be it stay-at-home, working, single, divorced, remarried, having littles or grandchildren - she covers it all. I would recommend this to pretty much any mom who is able to scrape just a few minutes out of her day to spend being encouraged and reassured that she can make it through this season of motherhood, one day at a time.

Read the first chapter of this book here.
I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.

Waking Up Slowly, a book review

Waking Up Slowly: Spiritual lessons from my dog, my kids, critters, and other unexpected places, written by Dave Burchett, is a down-to-earth, extremely relatable look at the amazing things surrounding us that point us to God.  The trouble is, for most of us, we are took busy, too distracted and too self-involved to even notice these things exist, let alone are trying to tell us something.  Dave challenges us (and himself) to disconnect from our ever-constant digital devices and look around, spend some time soaking in, and waking up to, those glimpses of God's pure love and grace. In his delightful story-telling, Dave offers us anecdotes from his own experiences and challenges, ranging from working in a mostly secular career field to the trials and joys of being a grandpa. By the way, fellow Texans and baseball enthusiasts... Dave Burchett is the television coverage director for the Texas Rangers!

What I really enjoyed about this book was the way Dave feels like a friend, not someone lecturing or pointing the finger.  He cheerfully admits that unplugging is hard for him, too (and that technology is necessary, so you can't just give it up completely).  He offers scripture, biblical advice, real-life application and encouragement in each chapter, revolving around a variety of topics.

This book helped motivate me to log off of Facebook, put down the phone and step away from my computer more often in order to be more present with my kids.  They are always vying for my attention, not just against each other, but also against my devices.  They deserve my full and undivided attention, and not to have to compete with a piece technology.  I see them growing before my eyes, developing and maturing into amazing people... I'd hate to miss that because of a glowing screen.  Thanks for the gentle reminder, Dave!



I received a free copy of this title from the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.

The Beautiful Garden of Eden, a book review

The Beautiful Garden of Eden was written by Gary Bower and illustrated by Barbara Chotliner.  Part of the Faith that God Built series, this lovely hardback book was crafted in the rhyming style of the popular poem "The House That Jack Built."  It tells the story of a tree and it's forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve, a serpent and the curse that occurred as a result of disobedience.  As it is made for children (targeted to 4-7 year olds), it is simple and not preachy, however the language is not dumbed down.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  I found myself having to define the words "upheaval" and "calamitous" to my 6-year-old. I appreciate that in a children's book!  

The illustrations are bright, bold and truly draw in the children... my 17-month-old couldn't keep her hands off of it!  While dealing with a difficult concept (the original sin), the rhyming scheme brings it across in a whimsical approach that kids will enjoy.  

This is a great book for those kiddos who are well past the easy-reading versions of Bible Stories and ready for a little bit more of a challenge or simply something different on their bookshelf.  Mr. Bower has just released another in this series, with two more expected in May 2017!  See you more on those here.

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for my honest opinion.  This review is written in my own words.

Different, a book review

Different: The Story of an Outside-the-Box Kid and the Mom Who Loved Him
By Nathan Clarkson and Sally Clarkson

I will be honest and admit that about up until 6 months ago, I had only heard the name Sally Clarkson before.  I had no idea who she was or what she was about.  I recently joined a group of homeschool moms that meet together to discuss books, and found out that it was mostly books written or inspired by Sally Clarkson.  Now, I am hooked and want to devour all of her work.  What a delightful, insightful, inspiring woman!  And so, when I heard she wrote a book with her son Nathan about growing up "outside-the-box," I knew this would be a great read for me.  While my children are still young and not officially diagnosed with any of the labels heaped upon Nathan's sweet head, I relate so much to Sally's story of trying to figure out her son's ways as a youngster.  Is it simply because he is energetic and opinionated?  Is it something more?  Is he being defiant or is he truly unable to control his impulses?  I was bawling just a few pages into this book, hearing from both Nathan and Sally as they told their perspectives on always feeling different from their peers.

Nathan offers a wonderful insight that we often don't hear, the "troubled" child's side of the story.  He paints a picture of what it's like to HAVE to wash your hands a specific amount of times before being able to sit down to dinner and not being able to sit through a church sermon while it seems everything inside you is going ninety-miles-an-hour in different directions.  And Nathan's message is followed up by Sally's motherly tone, as she offers her experience in finding what works and what didn't work, what it was like dealing with these issues before they even had a common name and allowing grace in admitting that worked for them, may not work for all.  As she says, it's not a how-to book, but merely a story that Nathan wanted to tell to help others who feel different.  And that works on so many levels, from clinically diagnosed to those that just have an interesting 'quirk' or two.  This book is a wonderful resource for parents or loved ones of those who are considered "outside-the-box."

I received a free digital copy of this book for review purposes through the Tyndale Blog Network.  All opinions are my own.

All Is Bright, book review

I don't know about you, but as the holiday season approaches, I tend to start getting reflective.  About life, tradition, and yes... the reason for the season. I love doing special projects or readings with my kids to remind us all that it's NOT about the hustle and bustle, the gadgets or even the food, Christmastime is a holiday celebrated because of the birth of our Saviour, who came to save us all. It is often difficult, in these days of preparation, to be still, to be quiet, to reflect on what is true.  So anything I find that will help us do just that, I'm willing to try!  Enter All Is Bright: A devotional journey to color your way through Christmas. Yes, a coloring book AND devotional in one!

All is Bright combines the beauty of the season, the story of the birth of Christ and gorgeously detailed coloring pages.  Adult coloring is huge right now, and this book is perfect for those enthusiasts who relieve stress and tension through their fine-tipped markers and want to continue that through out the holiday season.  It contains 31 devotional passages (December 1-31), each laid out beside a beautiful illustration beckoning to be filled in: nativity scenes, candles, welcoming front doors, musical instruments, angels and so much more.  What I really appreciate about this book is that it also contains some coloring pages in the back that are less detailed for younger children.  My kids always want to color with me and sometimes my books are too difficult for them to justice to... but All Is Bright solves that problem!  It also includes some pages of Conversation Starters to take the devotions even further with your family.

This book will make a great gift for the coloring fanatic in your life, or a wonderful way to lead up to Christmas and the New Year with your family as a unit to truly focus on the reason for the season.

All Is Bright is written by Nancy Guthrie, illustrated by Lizzie Preston.  I was provided a complimentary copy of this book for review by Tyndale House Publishers.

My Babies...

Preston James, 2005

Callen Levi, 2010

Josephine Lilly, 2015

Introducing Josephine Lilly Clark...

I have done a poor job of blogging about anything in a long, long time, but especially about the new kid on the block!  I'd hate to look back at this blog with her years down the road and there be such little about my pregnancy.  Especially since I was such a detailed blogger for Preston and Callen's pregnancies and early years.  :( 

So, a super quick catch up...
We found out she was a girl, and could barely believe it!  Over the months leading up to her birth, we stocked up on all things purple (ok, and some pink), kicked Uncle Daniel out of her room and turned it into the sweetest little nursery for her, and eagerly awaited her arrival.  I had severe morning sickness until about half way into the second trimester.  Lost at least 20 pounds and had many days were I could barely function.  I had what seemed like a gallbladder attack a couple of times, and my iron count was very low - causing the midwives to ramp up my iron intake in hopes that it would allow me to have my planned home birth.  I took all kinds of supplements by the handful, drank chlorophyll and black strap molasses by the buckets.  Ugh.  Finally, right towards the end my level reached "fine, good enough!"  Woo hoo!  Now, if we could just settle on a name!  We went through every list possible, and just could not pick one together.  I came up with Josephine and instantly felt like that was it... Michael, not so much.  He still isn't completely thrilled with it, lol, but Josie it is!

Josie's ultra-abbreviated birth story...
She was due August 25th, but that date came and went with no hint of her arrival.  Finally, on Sunday, August 30th, I started having contractions that were about 30 minutes apart.  We decided to go to church anyway, because maybe staying active would get things going.  They stayed at 30  minutes apart until that evening, then moved closer and closer.  My parents came over and stayed for a while, then my dad took the boys home with him.  Things progressed slowly, and around 1am, I finally asked the midwives to come.  They showed up at our house around 2am, and by then contractions were 3-5 minutes and strong, getting stronger.  Apparently, her head was a little crooked and wasn't descending as it should, and that's what caused the hold up at the end.  It felt like she was ready to come, but she just wouldn't.  I know that if I was at a hospital I would have caved in easily to whatever they offered me, I was so tired and in so much pain.  But the midwives, Michael and my mom kept encouraging me and cheering for me, and after what seemed like forever of pushing and laboring, Josephine Lilly Clark arrived with a burst (lol, my water didn't break until right as she was coming out) at 7:17am on Monday, August 31st, 2015.  The cord was wrapped tightly around her neck, though I wouldn't know that till later, but she was great.  She was placed on me, let out a tiny cry, and was perfect.  I couldn't believe how beautiful and tiny she was, but turns out she was nearly 8 pounds (just as Amy, the midwife, had estimated she would be the week before).  7 lbs, 14 oz, 21.5 inches long. 

She is now 5 days old and doing wonderfully.  She wakes up a lot at night and sleeps most of the day, as most babies do.  She is nursing like a champ, which is good!  My tail bone is badly bruised from labor and changing positions is still excruciating at times.  The boys are adjusting to life with a baby in the house... trying to be quiet and calm (though I'm sure you know well that works).  They both enjoy gazing at her.  Unfortunately, they both came down with colds or something the day after she was born, including fever, cough, snot and all that fun stuff.  Michael was able to take Monday-Thursday off of his daytime job, but had to work Monday and Wednesday evening at his teaching job (yes, the night she was born!).  My mom and dad have been over several times, and Aunt Leah came to visit yesterday.  Jill will be coming on Wednesday and spending a week in town to see her grandkids.  We are settling into our new life as a family of FIVE!