Remembering to Thank those who have served or who have dedicated their life to serve. Thank you troops for protecting and fighting for our freedom!

You know your child is listening when....

Yesterday at lunchtime, Caleb asked Great Grandma a question. She was eating, and so she proceeded to answer his question. After she answered him, Caleb said, "Grandma, I can't hear you with food in your mouth!"

Opps...

Caleb's 3rd Birthday party~

Saturday was a fun day for Caleb. We went to the city parade at noon, and he got to see the BIG FIRETRUCKS, the BIG TRACTORS, and the BIG SEMI TRUCKS! He thought the parade was super! He gets so excited to see the big vehicles! He really liked the motorcycles and trikes, too! Him and Madelyn got so much candy! They also got a Mr. Freeze and a Beer hat (to which we gave away). Oh, and they each got a Rice Krispie bar, too! Madelyn didn't even freak out from all the sirens and loud honks. I was impressed by that. We ate some hot dogs and chips at the parade since the parade started at noon.

After the parade we came home and had about 20 minutes before the party was going to start. So, Caleb didn't get a nap, but surprisingly he did great. He got some really nice presents (a lot of clothes)~thank you! Great Grandma made him the requested Batter Batter Baseball cake. He had told her he wanted the colors green, blue, orange and red. AND Sprinkles. That is what she did! The cake turned out great, even though she complained about it...Caleb loved it! We went out on a pontoon ride, and the little boys with Madelyn loved walking/crawling around looking out. They had so much fun. We even got to help out a boat that was not running, so we pulled it into shore. In the evening, my parents stayed for supper and it was great to visit with them longer, too. We had baked chicken, corn on the cob, potatoes and salad. It was delicious! Cheryl had brought a pie, so that was the dessert~thanks, Cheryl!

So, Today is Caleb's official Birthday! I remembered throughout the day where I was and what I was going through 3 years ago today. His birth wasn't the easiest out of the three, but he was so worth the pain! I had 3 epidurals with him, since the first two were put in wrong. I was also induced (and my body was NOT ready for labor). But, he did need to come out because the amniotic fluid was so low. I delivered him about 7:30 in the evening. So, the labor (after the Petocin was put in) lasted about 12 hours. Not too bad.

He was happy most of the day, but he is running a bit of a temp, has a cough and is complaining of his ears again. I hope he will just get healthy soon. Maddie has a cough today, too. It is hard to know if some of it is allergies or not. We went to church today, then had lunch at home. This afternoon, I got to lay down with Caleb for his nap. I didn't get much of a nap, but something is better than nothing. Then, this evening (after a tornado warning swept the area) we went to Menards to check out flooring for our dining/kitchen area, carpet for the store, and ceiling ideas for our hobby store. Then, we decided to grab McDonald's head home, and enjoy a picnic on the pontoon. It was such a nice night. Caleb had fun having a picnic on the boat.

Girls 'n Grace: Book Reviews and Giveaways

Have you heard of the American Girl Dolls? I thought the American Girl series were great, because girls have a doll that can look like them and be a mini version of themselves. The girls can dress them and play with the dolls.

While working as the coordinator of an American Girl style show in Fort Worth, Texas, Pam Davis was stunned when news broke that the popular book and doll series had aligned itself with organizations that supported a pro-left agenda that included homosexuality and abortion. As a Christian and mother of a young daughter, this information caused her to consider the lasting imprint that “playtime” can really leave on an impressionable little girl. In that moment, she began to envision an exciting new possibility. With the right character as a role model, God could use those sweet afternoon tea parties, hours of make-believe, and sleepovers to sow seeds of faith in tender hearts. This concept became the foundation for the Girls ’n Grace products, a line of dolls and books designed to fulfill Davis’ dream of demonstrating to today’s young girls what it means to be girls of grace.

I was really excited when I heard of the new line that came out called Girls 'n Grace! I like what this company stands for: to let girls see they can live in the embrace of God's grace. I like how the books show girls how other girls turn to God and experience his grace and reap the benefits of following Him! The stories teach that through struggles, difficulties, hardships (etc.) the girls can draw on God's grace and experience Christ's strength, wisdom and courage. I would love to get one of these dolls one day for Madelyn.

The toys we give our children has such a great impact on them. I think these dolls and the books give such a great model to girls about God's grace and their self worth and image. The website also offers fun games and quiz's about the books for girls to participate in.

I was given the chance to review the first two books of the Girls 'n Grace series. The series follows the lives of several fictional young female characters as all facets of their lives, from their friendships to their goals, are affected by their walks with Jesus. Spanning contemporary history as well as the globe, the characters—and the readers along with them—will learn to depend on God’s grace, especially when their decisions to honor or trust Him are difficult ones. Of particular note are Davis’ frank depictions of the protests and prejudices of the civil rights movement, an era that has traditionally been left relatively unexplored in Christian children’s fiction. These books will thoroughly engage young readers and provide the perfect opportunity for moms and daughters to engage in meaningful conversation.

Sydney Clair’s Season of Change tells the story of a tenacious and curious ten-year-old trying to keep up with all of the changes around her. Sydney Clair Wilcox finds herself right in the middle of the historic events of 1965 surrounding the civil rights, women’s rights, and environmental movements. As her beloved sister leaves for college, Sydney realizes her world is changing. Along with Sydney, readers will learn how God wants us to show His grace to all people and how He gives us everything we need to face each new season in our lives.
In Mesi: A Girl ’n Grace in Africa, young Mesi is growingup in a country where the people’s beliefs are as diverse as the landscape. Her family’s well being is threatened by drought, disease, and war. Yet, despite her hardships, Mesi (pronounced Maycee) finds that God is so very near to her that He cares about every detail of her life. Along her journey
Mesi finds out about an inexhaustible treasure called grace.

Each doll from the Girls ’n Grace line comes with a mini Bible and a secret address code that acts as a key to a special online virtual world on the interactive website (http://www.girlsngrace.com/). The site includes links for moms, mother/daughter Bible studies, games, a book club, and information about the line of dolls.

Would you like to win the first two books?: Sydney Clair’s Season of Change and Mesi: A Girl ’n Grace in Africa

This contest is open to all readers (bloggers or non) that live in the United States. Just go to the Girls 'n Grace website and look around. Let me know in the comments what you liked about it.

If you would like extra credit, you can (a) blog this contest, (b) add my button to your blog, and/or (c) subscribe to my feed. Comment for each extra thing you do. Contest will be open until June 6th, at 7:00 PM CST.

Garage Sale Day!

This weekend my Mother-in-Law and Terry's grandma came down for a visit and to celebrate Caleb's 3rd birthday. We had decided to spend the day on Friday going to garage sales. I was on a mission to find summer clothes for Nathaniel, maybe some swim trunks for him, and some PJ's. I wanted to find some summer clothes for Caleb, too. I walked away from a whole day of sales with a TV and a tube for behind the boat. However, my Mother-in-Law is a bargain shopper and really blessed us with clothes! She found Caleb PJs, shorts, pants, and shirts. She found some maternity jeans, slacks, sweats, and tops for me. She is so kind and generous! Thank you, Cheryl! It was a fun day. We went to McDonald's for lunch. It was comical watching this dad take care of his rambuncious boys. One of his sons kept bringing his drink up in the playset. His dad was so frustrated, and kept putting it back on the table. When the dad thought he had it all under control again, he looked over and noticed the cup was MIA AGAIN! The look on his face was priceless! It was really funny.

Friday night, Terry and I brought Nathaniel to go to his Dad's for the weekend. His Dad told me he was diagnosed with Melanoma Type A. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, and that is scary! I am not sure what Type A is, and I can't find anything online about type A. He is not sure what all is going to happen, but he will find out more on the 16th of June. He wanted us to know about it before he told Nathaniel about it. I asked him to be careful with how and what he says to Nathaniel because Nathaniel is so sensitive to bad news...and he is a worrier like his mom. His Dad said he would be careful. I will be praying for his Dad...and that everything is ok with minimal spreading.
After we dropped off Nathaniel we stopped at a Hobby store so Terry could check out some products and pricing. Then we went to Karaoke at our church. It was a lot of fun! It is fun to get together with friends and sing some tunes, too. Terry was happy that Lisa's hubby was there. He sang, too! It was hilarious when he sang The Streak~ I have never heard that before! What a funny song!

Skid: Book review and Giveaway!

Blissfully unaware that Atlantica Flight 1945 from Atlanta to Amsterdam is about to make aviation history, First Officer Danny McSweeney focuses his energies on navigating the turbulent personalities of an eccentric female captain, a co-pilot with a talent for tactless comments and conspiracy theories, and a lead flight attendant with an outsized attitude that definitely exceeds the limits for carry-on baggage.On the other side of the cockpit door, the unscheduled in-flight entertainment includes a potbellied pig, a jittery diamond courier, and the recently jilted Lucy Meredith, whose personal mantra of “What Would Oprah Do?” will be challenged by the sudden appearance of her ex and his new traveling partner. On her left sits Hank Hazard, whose unusually polite but constant requests–prompted by his covert role as a spy for the airline–test the limits of the crew’s customer service. But as Lucy and the rest of the crew discover, Hank’s odd behavior is linked to a quiet faith that may play a key role in the fate of everyone on board. Especially when an unexpected traveler sets this already bumpy flight on a course toward the unfriendly skies.
I think this is a great read! Rene Gutteridge is a talented author! It is fun and entertaining to read this novel.

Rene Gutteridge is the author of twelve novel, including the Boo series, the Storm series, and the novelization for The Ultimate Gift, as well as Scoop and Snitch, the first two Occupational Hazard novels. She lives with her husband, Sean, and their two children in Oklahoma City.

You can purchase this book on Amazon, or

You can enter here to win a copy:

I am giving away a copy to a blogger or non-blogger of the United States! Just leave a comment. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address or blog address so I can contact you.

This contest is open until June 5th at 7:00 PM CST. For extra entries you can blog this contest, subscribe to my feed, and/or add my button to your blog! Please leave a separate comment if you do the extra work.

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Caleb

Baby Caleb is almost 3 years old....where does time go??

Thank you MotherTalk!

I won a great sounding book because of a "Dirty Little Secret" that I shared online. MotherTalk had a fun contest going on where mom's could share their secrets of what makes us a less-than-perfect mom. You can check out all the entrants here and read mine here.

Thank you MotherTalk for having a great contest and picking me as a runners up! I think this book will be fun to read!