Tons and Bunches: Sewing Camp

Wow has July been busy! I spent the first week building my author blog Once Upon an Ordinary, the second being a mother's helper at Perry and Tyler's (along with Em--so much fun!), and this last week was full with a sewing camp. ;) I've been quite enjoying the summer adventures and opportunities my family and I have had. I can't wait to see how this week pans out! ;)


Here's a post my sister Anna did about the sewing camp. Enjoy!

Tons and Bunches: Sewing Camp: Sewing Camp Monday through Friday was a blast! The youngest sisters (minus BB) enjoyed sewing four hours each day with some of their frie...

MC (Mother of Ceremonies)

Hello again! Sorry for the hiatus (I had to Google that)--I have a ton on my plate right now. See?

This week I've launched my author blog (so exciting!!), emailed with ten authors who want me to beta read for them, and submitted my next answers for Read-to-Win. It's been pretty crazy. ;) Good crazy.

I want to take a moment to thank God for my mom. She is everyone's editor (and the voice in my head telling me, "Brevity, Kate. Brevity."); teacher (explaining math, facilitating job training, and reading aloud a book on public speaking); chauffeur (shuttling us to the library for a workshop on writing or vegetables of the world); chef; counselor; MC (mother of ceremonies); and everything else imaginable. Thanks, Mom!

Bookmark Buddies

Today my younger sisters and I made bookmarks. I had found the instructions on my Pinterest, and Mom and I both agreed that it was a really adorable craft. We want to make them with little girls at church sometime, but I thought it'd be fun to try it out today with my own sisters. ; ) 

We had a ton of fun!

Since they are bookmarks, we wanted to pose them with a book and chose this one because it is already about paper dolls. (Em said this makes them look like they are dancing.) ; ) It's a really cute story and one of our favorites!

These bookmarks are so adorable (and very small so it was hard to get good pictures)! The one on the left was made by Em, and Pearly made the 

other one.

Blue earns the "prize" for the most original dress. We all accidentally chose some shade of blue for our dresses. ; ) The stripey one on the right is mine.

Here's what mine looks like in the book I'm currently reading. Pretty cute, eh? (And yes, that's the corner of Triple Creek Ranch: Set Free.) ; )

We might add some glitter to them after school, but other than that 

our summer reading buddies are finished! ; )

Book Review: Water Princess, Fire Prince

"When the Lady Dragon does come,

Hold fast, do not fear, do not run. 

Your Water Princess will fight

Fire Prince will set all to right 

Each shall come from a fall 

Their Union will save you all. 

 Despite the fact that she's on track for competing in the Olympics, and he's practically raised his younger brothers since they lost their mom in a car accident, Clara Mandras and Andrew Stevenson are pretty much normal teens. They have normal hopes, normal dreams, and they live in a normal world. All this is torn away from them when they are thrust into another world and declared Water Princess and Fire Prince. With no experience ruling a country, meeting each other for the first time, and being expected to fight the Lady Dragon - an evil sorceress plaguing the world of Rizkaland - Clara and Andrew are underprepared and inexperienced. Unless they learn to work together despite their standing opposition, Rizkaland's hope will be lost. 

What is to come will change their lives forever." 

I read this book by Kendra Ardnek in a matter of hours; and, believe me, traveling to other worlds does really mess with your timeline! ; ) Here’s what I thought of my adventure…

The Setting:
Rizkaland (once I figured out how to pronounce it) was a very intriguing world. Just familiar enough to keep it from being confusing, but very original and fascinating! I loved the different colors of water, and the journey through the mountain.

The Characters:
My favorite character was definitely Andrew, with Clara as a close second (once she came around). They both had so much to learn, and I loved watching them grow. Jill Anna, Jasmine, and one surprise character (whom I can’t name) were also big favorites. I found Laura amusing and mysterious, and I look forward to finding out more about her.

The Story:
The whole story was a book nerd’s dream—tons of literary references from the start that added so much! (Who else begins their book with a hilarious take-off on Jane Austen’s famous beginning of Pride & Prejudice or throws Alice in Wonderland references in with the dialogue?!!) Quite the clever plot with lessons in trust, hilarious moments (like teaching medieval friends to play Monopoly!), great action, and even some mystery. (That was definitely my favorite!! Some big surprises.)

The Concerns:
Parent’s may want to have caution in considering this book for younger readers because of some feministic attitudes (that do come around some later in the book), SPOILER ALERT! strong romance between older teenagers (including awkward thoughts of physical affection and the actual thing mostly after an arranged marriage). There is also a scary dragon, intense action, teenage attitude (not including disrespect of authority), and a fantasy portrayal of God.

Altogether I found it to be a great non-magical (nearly) fantasy for older readers! Please excuse me while I go use the great seal of England to crack nuts. ; )

Don't forget to visit Homeschooled Authors to find out how you can be a part of Read-to-Win! Also, keep up on the posts since we authors will be answering some really great questions. ; )

Moments

That awkward moment when you and your friends pull out a random sci-fi date and freak out because 2020 is only four years from now. (And the freaking out just happens to be while everyone else is trying to concentrate!)

That interesting moment when you are having a heart to heart with your dad, and he uses characters from a Marvel movie as examples of emotional immaturity. (Someone from another movie got used as an example of double predestination.) ; )

That adorable moment when you are playing outside with your nephew, and you realize he's not holding on safely to something like he usually does. You remind him, and he responds with "It's hot. It's hot!" Poor southwestern baby.

That hilariously weird moment when you are teasing your sister by running in slow motion pumping both arms (on your way out of the grocery store, no less), and you bang one fist into the other. I will never be one of those people who look cool walking away from an explosion. ; )

That amusing moment when you are all walking out of the grocery store (same one--it was Walmart so no regrets here), and you are vaguely aware of your family being counted. Two ladies who are walking directly behind you accidentally get included in the count. My dad had to explain to the 'counter' that they weren't with us. ; )

That unbelievable moment when the dog comes to lick your hand while you're reading on the Kindle and the page turns. I'll never know if it was her tongue or my hand.

That cute moment when your youngest sister informs you that "this is not the Long Winter, it's the Long Summer." Poor southwestern baby again. ; )

That twin moment when you're playing charades with your brother, and he draws a stick figure man in the air then shrinks it with his fingers for the word "boy". There are some things only family members understand.

Read-to-Win 2016 (or Dying and Going to Heaven)

Starting today, Homeschooled Authors is hosting their third Read-to-Win! Basically it's a chance for readers to buy these ebooks for 0.99 cents each at some point during the summer, write Goodreads reviews, and get entered in a giveaway for an $100 Amazon giftcard according to how many times you review. That's what I call awesome. ; ) There's something here for everyone--children's books, historical fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery...

I'm really excited about this for three reasons...

That's number one. ; ) My book is on sale all summer as an ebook thanks to a dear friend who formatted it for me! I'm really looking forward to more people getting to read it and hopefully some more reviews. It's not an action adventure novel; but it's definitely fun, kid-safe and a great read-aloud!

Number two? Some of my favorite books are part of the sale. If you look closely, you'll see Gift from the Storm by Rebekah Morris in the sea of books. I wrote a rave review of it last year, so I'm really excited that now you'll be able to read it too! It's a really amazing mystery, and I love the story to pieces. Another book you'll see is Red Rain by Aubrey Hansen. One of the first books to introduce me to work by homeschooled authors and the sci-fi genre. It was so brilliant but super clean! Definitely a favorite. You can see in this exceedingly short review I wrote of it just exactly what I thought. ; ) And a third book featured this summer is one I read recently--Implant by J. Grace Pennington. It was really brilliant, time-wimey, and a super interesting read (for older readers). You can also read my review of this one on Amazon.

And number three... I'm looking forward to trying out a few books myself. ; )

So hop on over to Homeschooled Authors and stay tuned for great posts and great sales!

Long Time, No See (Literally)

What have I been doing? And what am I grateful for? I'm glad you asked!

I'm grateful for...

1. Bible studies. Our Evangelism training and Reclaiming Beauty studies ended earlier this month. It was sad to say goodbye to acquaintances who have become good friends, but we all agree that we should do something together again soon. ; )

2. House cleaning! Top to bottom deep cleaning. And yardwork. ; ) I got to organize our history bookshelves chronologically which was helpful to organize my own brain. (Believe it or not, I had the Alamo in the totally wrong mental place!)

3. Out of town guests. It was so much fun to catch up with friends we haven't seen in over a year! Balderdash, Chik-fil-a, thrifting, Studio C, a water fight, and just plain hanging out... Good times. ; )

4. Family. ; )

(The crazy sisters on the slide. We're screaming because we're falling of the end as Anna is taking the picture. And yes, that's all of us, Blue is just hiding next to Aimee's head.) ; )

5. Homeschooled Authors work. I'm now officially part of the team helping out with emails and keeping the booklist updated. It's been a ton of fun to work with the amazing Sarah Holman and all the other authors I come into contact with. ; )

6. Short story inspiration. A couple weeks ago Em and I spent a couple of days at Perry and Tyler's. During our nighttime talking time together, we told each other stories. I recently expanded my idea into a full short story which I hope to have up on Noble Novels soon. I had her and Blue read the finished version to give me their opinions. They enjoyed it and found a few continuity errors/missing words which was really special. ; )

7. More book related stuff believe it or not. ; ) I'm part of a summer reading program on Homeschooled Authors (more details Wednesday!). It was quite a bit of fun work to get my entries put together, and Anna helped me a ton by taking the pictures for me. ; ) We had a hilarious time together trying to pick poses. I'm a bit of a photographer's nightmare since I like to photobomb myself; but she did a good job, and we got it figured out. ; ) Here's one of my favorite pictures we took...

The necklace is one of my birthday gifts from Dad and Mom this year. I put it together from components from Hobby Lobby, and it's now one of my favorites. (Chum loves it too. He'd open and shut the locket for hours on end.) Since it's a bit whimsical, what book could be better to pose it with?

8. Library books. We are so funny when we go to the library. We usually hit the limit of books that can be checked out, which means both book bags are full and still everyone has to carry something. ; ) I'm enjoying reading all the juvenile fiction that is too adult for it's age group but is just perfect for mine. It's a lot safer and more fun than the adult section! 

9. A store. Em, Blue, and Pearly put together a little store of things they had made and invited us all to come browse through it. There was some pretty neat stuff; and, when all the shopping was done and the store was closing, they generously gave us all gifts. ; )

10. Nephews!!! Like I said, Em and I were over at their house a few weeks ago; and there's been visiting between our families a few more times as well. We also get the blessing of seeing them at church (and chasing them all around the play area--in medium-high heels!). I'll post some newer pictures of the little friends sometime.

11. Grace. We are weak, but He is strong.

So that's what I've been doing in a nutshell! (Not that I've personally been in a nutshell, but what I have been doing has... Oh, forget it. Grammar.) ; P

Questions, Questions

The last survey I did was so much fun, I thought it was high time for another. This is borrowed and tweaked from Aimee's Google+, so you can thank her later. ; )

1. Name: Kate Marie
2. Age: Young enough and old enough. ; )
3. Role model: Jesus Christ, Mommy...
4. Hobbies: The three r's (minus the 'rithmatic), cooking/baking, nephew chasing, singing with my family, writing letters, test reading, amateur sewing, talking.
5. Favorite actor: Jimmy Stewart, and Gregory Peck. (And if you're asking about ones currently living I'll add Kirk Cameron, and David Tennant. And James from Studio C!!!)
6. Favorite actress: June Allyson, Julie Andrews, Donna Reed, and Amy Adams 
7. Best friend: I live in an artist colony (yeah, creative people who wear weird clothes--we qualify when we're still in pjs), so I'm pretty much best friends with everyone here. Outside of my family, I'd say Esther, Rebekah (both of them), Anya, and Susie.
8. Favorite band: Andrew Peterson and all his folks!!! (Though I'm beginning to branch out into some of the other Rabbit Room-ers...)
9. Favorite song: Kung Fu Piano by The PianoGuys and Rejoice by Andrew Peterson.
10. Favorite movie: Fireproof, A Man Called Peter, and Toy Story 3.
11. Favorite animal: Big dogs and small cows.
12. Favorite subject: English. (That covers about all of the wordy stuff.) ; )
13. Pens or pencils? Pencils, because I'm a fallible human. 
14. Summer or winter? Winter. It's so moody and good for inspiration and a really good excuse for reading.
15. Tea or coffee? Chai tea! It's like coffee without the dirt flavor.
16. Good day or bad day? So far, so good. I've made breakfast, read my Bible, and done my chores while talking waaay too much with my crazy siblings. 
17. Birthday: In the springtime. Lovely, lovely springtime.
18. Something that makes you happy: God's love, babies, books, breaking 13k words in my story, my family, our sweet dog Ella... I'm sorry, there are too many. ; )
19. Something you're looking forward to: In the future future, having a family of my own and Christ's return. In the present future? Eating lunch, publishing, writing more, and seeing the nephews again.
20. Tell a story in one sentence: Once upon a time, there was a problem that was solved so everyone could live happily ever after.
21. Nominate any number of people: I think it would be fun if Rebekah, Holly, and Lauren answered these questions! ; )

Now it's your turn! Answer the questions if you like or ask me an extra one. ; )

I'm Back!

Yes, I'm here again. There's a lull in the storm of things to do, so I thought I'd pop in and tell you what I'm grateful for...

The auntastic adventures I had while Aimee and I stayed at Perry and Tyler's house for a few days helping out. Chap and Chum were so hilarious and adorable with their clip-on ties, cowboy boots, and sunglasses (that don't quite stay on their heads or their noses). Their two favorite things definitely are playing outside (except one time when the sprinklers were on--then Chum was happy to just sit on the porch with me) and eating. (Eating a lot. Especially if it is "callilip", known to everyone besides toddlers as cantaloupe. The score was 8 for Chap and 5 for Chum.) ; ) We also had a great time with Perry and Tyler when they were available. Perry took us grocery shopping and treated us to Starbucks. (I got to try out their Chai tea for the first time!!)

My birthday celebration. On my actual birthday, I had a nice quiet day hanging out with my family. My two littlest sisters treated me to a treasure hunt (with very hard clues! They had recently got a kid spy book from the library, so there were a lot of really creative ones.) with a package of cards they had bought together as a prize at the end. Then all of us sibs (and Mom for awhile) played a crazy game of Ultimate Monopoly. Near the end it was just Paul and I switching back and forth, back and forth. We called it a draw, especially since it was time to eat Chik-fil-a and ice cream since Dad was home. Soooo yummy!!!! After that they showered me with presents and appreciations (that were so sweet I almost cried). It was truly a great day!

My other birthday celebration. ; ) Because my birthday landed on a Monday, the Perry and the Tyler and their very silly babies weren't able to come so they had us over that Saturday for more celebration. Ice cream, politics, silly babies, my local aunt and uncle, and leftover wedding cake from my cousin's wedding combined to make it another great celebration. (And the gifts too! More on one of them later...) ; )

Evangelism training. We are going through the Way of the Master training videos with two different groups (north and south since we are so spread out!) from church. It has been great to be able to get to know these church friends better and to grow in our ability to share the Good News. (And this lucky pastor's family gets all the info twice!) ; ) Please pray for me that I would get over my shyness and actually reach out to people.

Reclaiming Beauty webinar by the Botkin sisters. My mom and a friend of hers are leading this study together for their own daughters (that includes me!!) and some other mother/daughters from a homeschool group. It has been so amazing!! I've been learning exactly what God thinks of the whole topic, that I must dress as His ambassador and an example to my younger Christian sisters, and that it really is okay to enjoy it as long as I keep it in its right place just like any other art. ; ) (If you want to find out more about it, you can download the first episode for free here.) It's also been a ton of fun too. ; )

Anna and I spent a several sister-ly hours decorating our study guide notebooks together. (Yes, that's us! Looking weird and horribly lit.) ; )

My book on the left, hers on the right. I love how our different styles came out in the process. ; )

Over the past several weeks, we've also gotten to know some girls that we had never met before, collected a ton of info for our style files, figured out face shapes and colors (vaguely, anyway) ; ), and I had the insanely irritating and wonderful privilege of doing an entire closet inventory. ; ) Which actually turned out very helpful when we went on our field trip to our local modest (unfortunately Mormon) thrift store together. We all found some amazing things and had a great time. ; )

Our Ladies' Bible study. It only happens once a month, but it has been amazing so far. We are studying through "Living the Gospel in Relationships" by Tara Barthel. We like it so much that we've actually been watching it as a family and gleaning a lot.

Stories. What would a blog post by Kate be without her stories? (Don't answer that question. It was purely rhetorical.) In my "Year of Editing Six Large Works", I have four down and two to go! I just finished editing "Fiddler's Bargain" last night, and I can't wait to move on to its companion story. (When I say these are edited that doesn't mean they won't get more later on, but it is a step forward.) ;) "The Book of Dreams" project has progressed in one exciting way--Perry and Tyler have offered to give me a free cover!!! (That's my birthday gift from them. Aren't they just the best?!!!) I have a story spinning in my mind, but I'm not sure it will ever make it out of the idea stage. (The fact that I have 7k+ words does help to encourage me a bit. I'll share an excerpt of the beginning some time here...)

My crazy family. Right now my mom and I have ganged up on my littlest sister and are tickling her mercilessly. Other fun times include another treasure hunt Em made for Blue and I yesterday, watching the second National Treasure movie together yesterday on VidAngel (Anna and I love quoting Riley Poole to each other), coming up with eighty business/book/movie/ministry ideas a day, and listening to Mom read a book about Marco Polo aloud. Pretty great. ; )

That's just a bit of the awesome things that have been keeping me busy. ; ) What have you been doing?

Story Project: The Twin Arrows

One of my numerous projects last year was writing the first draft of a novelette called "The Twin Arrows". (Last year should probably be named "Year of Three Novelettes and Three Short Stories", and this one is definitely "Year of Editing Six Large Works". Sorry, I'll get back to the what I was saying...) It was a medieval adventure. A journey of danger, hope, and most importantly trust. Each protagonist had to deal with their own doubts and fears in various ways along the journey. Disguises. Horseback chases through the rain. Dungeons. Silver arrows. A father who gave them the very gifts he knew they would need and the companions that would guide them best. That's the story. (And I probably made it sound cooler than it actually is...) ; P

I couldn't tell if the story was good or not (a mother is always blind to her children's faults); so I decided to put the first six chapters (out of nine or ten) on Noble Novels and ask the other authors their opinions. I've gotten some really good feedback so far that has helped me to craft the story better, and I look forward to seeing what they say about chapter six when it posts next month. ; )

Would you like to read them? Please be aware that you won't be getting the whole story, and it is an early draft. You are also quite welcome to comment on them and give your own feedback--everything helps! ; )

Chapter One: Father and the Sisters
Chapter Two: Boy
Chapter Three: A Place of Protection
Chapter Four: Anger
Chapter Five: Not a Sound

Next month I plan to have the next chapter up, and that will be the last one there is on the internet. I hope to publish it as a book someday, so in this "Year of Editing Six Works" I'll need to do some editing of the last few chapters. (I'm kinda' glad I won't be sharing them soon, because those parts need a bit more work.) ; )

I hope you enjoy reading these!!

If you were curious what last year's two other novelettes were, they are two companion stories set during the time of the American Civil War. What makes them different than all other books about the time period? War is wrong. Neither North or South will solve their problems by fighting. Only the Gospel is the answer. ; )

It's been fun. ; )

Book Review: Stephen

"Norman Mavrich has no need for another hired hand, but when a young boy shows up asking for work, he can't turn him away. But where did the boy come from and what really brought him to the Triple Creek Ranch? The search for answers sends Bruce on an investigation and brings an unexpected conflict to the ranch family. Join the Mavriches, Mrs. O'Connor and the ranch hands for an eventful summer of hard work, fun and excitement."

If someone asked me which of the Triple Creek Ranch books by Rebekah Morris is my favorite, I would probably just give them a blank stare and say, “Ask me a question about the end times—even that would be easier to answer.” To tell the truth, Stephen comes the closest to being my favorite. I actually read it soon after we moved down here last year but never had time to write a review. I hadn’t realized how much I liked it until I just reread it. ; )

The Setting:

The story is, of course, set on the fabulous Triple Creek Ranch during summer. Awesome descriptions of the season and ranch life (including how to fix a fence, though I still don’t think I’ll ever be able to do it since I’m not strong enough). ; ) Probably my favorite part of the whole setting is the horses especially since there are a few new ones added in this book.

The Storyline:

The storyline was really amazing! Although the book is mainly about Stephen, the author didn’t drop the continued story of Orlena’s growing in Christ. I loved the lessons on reaching out to other and loving them especially the part where Norman says, “God made love to grow, if we share it. We can’t use it up.” Once again, the love of Christ really shone through the characters, and I loved the story of how they cared for Stephen.

The Characters:

The characters were delightful (and I almost have the ranch hands’ names down!) as always. The Mavrichs are just the cutest ever, and I love watching their family grow. Lloyd, Ky, Stephen, and Orlena rank next in my favorites; but I enjoy just about every character there is. (Nice detective work, Bruce! Thumbs up!)

The Concerns:

Parents should have caution in considering this book for younger readers because of some schoolgirl spats including calling another girl a liar. (Resolved, of course.) Also, the marriage relationship in this is very sweet and godly, but some parents may not want younger children to read this because there is a lot of married kissing throughout the book. : ) My main concern however would be SPOILER ALERT!!! an evil, distant relative that has mistreated the boy and is coming to take him back.

I was very excited to read this book and bought it ASAP with the Amazon money I was gifted with for that Christmas. (My relatives know me!!!) It arrived at our new house as we were barely just moving in, and I hurried to read it up. (Like snap it up. Yeah, forget I said that.) Now, I’ve started this year almost the same way (but not with the moving part, thankfully) by skimming Stephen again so I could finally review it. I’m sorry if this review is a little sketchy since I usually like to write them directly after I read the book the first time.

Altogether, I really loved this book! The only disappointment—after reading Rustlers, I had been completely drawn into Ky’s storyline and hoped to hear more about him. And then Rebekah Morris asked me to test read the fifth book—Ky’s book. But that’s a story for another time. ; )

A Few of My Favorite Things (Blog Tag)

The wild southwest has its pros. It also has its cons—one of which is definitely that winter always seems to end with Christmas. Now, of course, we still do have some good weather, but it doesn’t quite feel winter-y probably because of the lack of snow. When I found out that Elanee (from Elanee’s Endeavors) had tagged me for this survey, I was super delighted. And then I began to wonder, “How in the world does a desert gal like me write a post about her favorite Christmas/winter things when it really isn’t either right now?” I’ve decided to give it a try, and we’ll see what I come up with. ; )

The rules for this challenge happen to be… (1) Use the same title and adorable picture. (2) Answer the questions. (I promise to do that in a sec.) And (3) Tag five fellow fanciful fantabulous bloggers.

Okay, let’s get down to business…

1. What are some of your favorite “Snuggle Weather” books?

Good question that I’m really not sure how to answer since I love so many different kinds of books. I would have to say my Bible and anything that stirs me poetically and fits the moody weather. ; ) Those would probably be The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis (amazing essays), Sir Knight of the Splendid Way by W.E. Cule (medieval Pilgrim’s Progress-like journey), Dreamlander by K.M. Weiland (amazing fantasy), Gift from the Storm by Rebekah Morris (heartwarming family story), and on and on. Another really great winter story I discovered last month is At the Christmas Lodge by Rebekah Morris. It is so cute! I also think that if I had the Aggie’s Inheritance series, I would definitely be reading through them right now. ; )

2. What is you favorite wintry snack?

Oh, snacks. Yummy. Definitely apple pie!!! I love making it, I love eating it, and I love the joy it brings to the people I serve it to. I can also convince myself that it is pretty healthy since the crust is so thin. ; ) Peppermint bark and some ginger cookies I just discovered (that I simply MUST get the recipe for) are also high on the list. Because we are trying to switch to gluten-free, however, my answer should probably be different next winter. ; )

3. What are some of your favorite hot drinks?

Chai tea!!!! I am totally crazy about it right now!!! It’s spicy, it’s milky, it’s sweet, it’s like coffee without the dirt taste and (the way I make it) without the caffeine! What could be better? The people in my family who usually don’t drink tea love it too! ; ) (And, just so you know, if you eat some chocolate on the side the flavors are even more perfect.) I also really like hot chocolate and hot apple cider, but Chai definitely ranks first. ; )

4. What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?

I can answer that one really easily!! For as long as I can remember, we’ve watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Nativity Story” every Christmas. They definitely spell Christmas for me! (Although I was all right when I didn’t get to watch the first one this year. ; P) They are both so amazing, but I especially love “The Nativity Story” as it reminds me of how beautiful God’s Gift to man really is. I also really enjoy “A Joan Walsh Anglund Christmas” (great childhood memories with this one) and “The Fourth Wiseman”. ; )

5. What are some of your favorite holiday songs?

Andrew Peterson’s outrageously awesome cd “Behold the Lamb of God”, Nat King Cole’s cd of Christmas favorites ; ), Josh Wilson’s recent song “Once A Year” (if that’s the right name…), and, of course, “The Carol of the Bells” in all three versions. ; ) I also love the hymns we sing in church to celebrate this special season especially “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”. “Adam’s likeness now efface…Stamp Thine image in its place…Second Adam from above…Reinstate us in Thy love…” We really should sing Christmas carols all year!

6. Favorite snow [rainy, cloudy, rainy-ish, cloudy-ish] day crafts?

Well, definitely writing. Cozy, gloomy weather helps me to get in the creative mood sometimes. ; ) I also discovered this year that I kinda’ like making Christmas cards whether or not I’m good at it. Baking, some sewing, and a bit of knitting are always fabulous too. ; )

7. Do you want to build a snowman?

No, actually. *sheepish smile as I prepare to make a horrible confession* I-don’t-really-like-snow. Phew. There, I said it. ; ) Don’t get me wrong—I love the decorative aspect of snow, the crunchy pretty aspect of snow, and even occasionally a vicious snowball fight—but I don’t love being in the snow. I’d rather stay indoors. ; ) (Though I have to say toddlers that look twice their regular chubby size because of their snow clothes are definitely special.) ; )

So, there you are! Those are just a few of my favorite things, but since I don’t get bit by dogs or stung by bees very often I’m very grateful for the reminder to look for the marvelous things in every day. ; ) What do you love most about Christmastime/winter?

Since that was so much fun, I’ll pass it on to Perry, Holly, the Tons and Bunches people ; ), Mrs. Bowes, and Rebekah.

Have a great day, everyone! ; )

Book Review: The Blackstar of Kingston!!!

"A century before Heather and Picket's adventures in The Green Ember, a displaced community fights for hope on the ragged edge of survival.

My place beside you
My blood for yours
Till the Green Ember rises
Or the end of the world.
Whitson Mariner and Fleck Blackstar face old fears and new enemies, forging a legend that will echo through the ages. 
Old wars haunt. New enemies threaten. An oath is born. 
A hero rises." (Amazon synopsis)

So after I read The Green Ember and loved it to pieces, I began to try to stretch my Amazon money to buy a paperback copy of its prequel. The author, S.D. Smith, had done such an amazing job with his other story that I wanted more, more, more. ; ) And why not buy paperback while I was at it? While I was still in the stretching process, The Blackstar of Kingston became free on Kindle. Oh the temptation to pick it up! Then I found out Mom had picked it up. Oh the temptation to read it! Don’t ever look at the cover, table of contents, prologue, and first chapter of a book if you intend to wait on reading it. Confession: I read it in a day and a half.

The Setting: Again set in the fantasy world of Natalia, this book has a lot of the same feel as its sequel but a whole new dimension of its own. Instead of a broken kingdom with a lost king, this time it is the beginning of a kingdom being carved out in a new land. And again, it’s so awesome that the characters are rabbits because it makes action and danger so different. This time it’s not just rabbits with swords—some of them have bows too which is good because they are being attacked from above! (And the rabbits look really cute with them in the pictures, but that’s beside the point.)

The Story: This book was a lot shorter than The Green Ember which naturally made it more fast-paced. While it lacked the fabulous mystery of its sequel, it made up for that in brilliant action and inspiring moments. (I underlined so much in some places because I seriously couldn’t read a page without finding some gem!) ; ) The main lessons in the story were being loyal and hoping for the future. I loved reading about Heather and Picket’s heroes of old, finding out the significance of the green ember, and having something more to read about Natalia. ; )

The Characters: I loved Fleck Blackstar. He was loyal, passionate, cautious, and heroic. Definitely one of the best rabbits ever. (He invented that really cool pledge!) Humble King Whitson Mariner, Massie, Burnley, and Gavin were also huge favorites of mine. And little Prince Lander is pretty cute. ; )

The Concerns: Parents should have caution in considering this book for younger readers because of some intense un-graphic action. (Seriously, birds of prey with blades strapped to their feet and torches to set your ships on fire is really scary when you are a rabbit!) Other concerns include a young child/rabbit in danger, a destroyed town, and a rabbit who is so scared it's making him go crazy.

So, that’s the prequel I was longing to read. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to decide which book is better because this one is an action-packed story of their inspiring history and the sequel is a complicated, surprising mystery full of hope for the future. To make this decision even worse, the author is coming out with another book this spring. (I seriously cannot wait to see what happens to my most favorite rabbits ever!) Sigh.

I really liked this part of the book because it was so unlike others I have read...

“’They are well, thank you,’ the king said. ‘Last night I broke the news to Prince Lander that he was not to accompany us on our return trip, and he was—how shall I say it—Most displeased.’ Fleck smiled. ‘His Royal Highness has spirit. It will serve him well when he is king.’ ‘But he must learn obedience,’ the king said. ‘That will serve him better.’”

And I have to share just this one quote in closing so you can see how awesome Blackstar is. ; ) 

“It was the little prince who spoke, arresting Fleck’s waking dream. ‘You don’t seem afraid, Captain Blackstar,’ he said. ‘You’re smiling.’ Fleck realized that he was and that now the prince was smiling too. ‘I am afraid,’ Fleck said, tenderly touching the prince’s head. ‘But I keep on loving what’s on the other side of this fight. And that will have to make me brave.’”

Spring is just too far away...

King Tut, Chicken Feed, and Editing

A lot of cool things have happened this year. (This year as in the last week, because that’s all there has been.) I mean, there’s been cheesecake, funny moments, new schedules, etc. What’s not awesome about that? ; )

I’m grateful for…

Cheesecake. I made my very first cheesecake ever, and it was so much fun! I got to smash graham crackers, get my hands all yummy messy pressing them into the world’s coolest pan, snitch a little occasionally, taste my cream cheese mixture to see if it was just right, and peak at the gorgeous creation (well, it didn’t turn out perfect looking, but I could see deeper) sitting in our refrigerator. And then we ate it. So yummy. So yummy. So yu---you get the point. But you still need a picture...

And also I thought it was really cool how the graham crackers in the pan looked like a bucket of chicken feed. Don’t you think so?

Our new Bible reading plan. It’s a chronological approach to reading the Bible through in a year; and it’s only five days a week, so if we get behind there are a couple days to catch up. It’s been really great how our family has been all on the same page, so to speak, so we can discuss our reading together. I haven’t read the book of Mark very well since I tend to prefer Matthew and John, but our schedule has opened my eyes to some of the treasures in there. For example, when the demon possessed man whom Jesus had healed wanted to come with Him, Jesus wouldn’t let him and said this instead, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” (Mark 5:19b) Words to me too!

School. I finished up all my textbooks last year, but I have a bit of science and history to do now that our school year has started again. It’s been really fun to study alongside my siblings especially when my brother says “scientific attitude” in the Lobster Bisque voice during our discussion group or we research extra information on King Tut (because our books are over twenty years old, and we wanted to know the current research) or the Foucault pendulum. There are some pretty fascinating things to know out there! I also love how God-honoring our science textbook is. No evolutionary fairy tales to deal with there!

Editing. Since I don’t have that much school to do and since I counted and I have five to seven works I want to publish and since I’m a flake about editing and jump to the creative writing first, I’ve been editing. I don’t really set New Year’s goals or resolutions, but if I did that would probably be one—discipline yourself, Katie, and edit. I’ve started a sort of rewards system for myself. If I edit for half an hour, I am entitled to up to one free hour of creative writing. ; ) I’ve only done this four times this week, but I’ve seen the results and love it! The creative writing doesn’t always go for very long (depends a lot on when dinner happens), but I’m happy to get some editing done. ; )

Our littlest student. She can read almost perfectly, and she’s not even the age I started learning at! When we read the Bible aloud during family devotions, she amazes us all. ; ) She’s still learning the spelling side of things, but I thought I’d share this picture of her adorable school sheet.

A short story. I was on Amazon (I do that often) looking through Rebekah Morris’ sale on her books when I saw her short story “At the Christmas Lodge”. Oh, nice, something new to read. Only a buck. Kindle. It’ll be here in two minutes. I’ll buy it. It was awesome! Very cute and Christmas-y. I highly suggest you go check it out if you’re looking for a nice, quick read. ; )

FroYo and FroCo. Yeah, I’m a nerd. Those stand for frozen yogurt and frozen coconut in case you were wondering. (I think I made the second one up, so you were most definitely wondering.) We’ve been trying to go low-carb, gluten-free, almost Paleo just because it’s better for my sister’s T1D and everyone else in the family’s possibility of getting it. We haven’t been doing the best at eating this way, but when we do her glucose numbers are awesomely regular. I’m the breakfast cook in the family, and it’s been interesting to try to switch my brain over from the sugar-y wheat bombs to something actually nutritious that still tastes pleasing. There are only so many options for breakfast food, so we’ve been trying to think creatively. (Sweet potatoes for breakfast, anyone?) Hence my frozen stuff. We have smoothies planned for this week and since we’re trying to stay away from milk and bananas (my usual staples in the smoothie world) I’ve decided to experiment with yogurt cubes and coconut milk cubes. They are just the coolest frozen! I’ll let you all know how they taste in blueberry smoothies and chocolate peanut butter smoothies. ; )

Nephews. Even though we haven’t gotten to see them in a little while, it’s been awesome to hear stories about them. The other day, for instance, Chap walks up to his mom and says, “Kungun needs chlokit.” (Kungun is how he says his name.) Isn’t that so funny?!! We love our “happy boys” as Aimee calls them. ; )

So that’s what my week has been like. How about you?

And I can’t get over that “chicken feed bucket”. ; )

Grateful for 2015

Wow, I can hardly believe that 2015 is already over! Every other blog post you’ll read this week will probably start with those same words, but isequelh it’s the truth—time flies. There has been so much to be grateful for this past year, even the fact that this year happened. The world was supposed to end in 2012, so don’t forget that we are all miracles, folks.

It would never do to try to exhaust everything awesome that happened in the last 365 days. My brain would steam and yours would fall out your ear. So I’ll just cover the categories and please forgive me if I leave something out. ; )

I’m so grateful for…

• My family. The more I live the more I learn that my family is awesome. They are my built in friends, Romans, countrymen, critics, laugh track, comedy show, iron sharpeners (‘cause I have a pastor-dad!), and friends. Nobody else in the world would giggle at 11 o’clock at night about dropping flashlights or understand the joke “the eggs rolled off the ceiling”. (We don’t even understand that one.) Nobody else in the world would properly appreciate the term Calminian or be able to go on all day about the Trinity and constitutional rights at the same time. And definitely no one else would die laughing over our brother’s ability to mimic the voice of everyone in our family and beyond.
• More of my family. Yeah, I’m talking about the cute chubby ones and their chauffeurs. The Chap and the Chum and their tiny brother who is trying to learn to crawl so he can join them in throwing all their toys out the bedroom window and hosing each other down when Dad and Mom aren’t looking. They lived with us for five months this year in which we got to witness Chum getting un-chubby enough to be able to walk, Chap learning to do fist-bumps and say all sorts of intelligent things, and their fabulous brother being born. Then we got to help move them into their own little house, and altogether it’s been altogether amazing. ; )  The chauffeurs are pretty amazing too, by the way. Perry is great for calling and telling all about the three mile thick novel you are never going to write or getting all the advice you could ever need whether you want it or not. ; P (Hi, Perry! I know you are reading this! This part is for you!) And Tyler is awesome to bake for and shoot with Nerf darts.
• Church family. Since we started out on that infamously crazy road trip to move down here a year ago, they have been so welcoming and helpful. It’s been great to learn and grow and laugh and love with them all. Probably my two favorite things I’ve done with them all this year were our church picnic in April and caroling this past Christmas Eve.
• Friends. Most of my friends are at my current church, but if I didn’t talk about this category I’d be leaving out the special people back in the Northwest and my pen-pals far and near. All of these people have enriched my life so much.
• Media. I don’t mean the tv/social networking/newspaper kind. If you’ve been reading my blog long enough, you’ve probably noticed that this year has been a book explosion for me. There are definitely too many books for me to mention; but my favorites this year have been Dreamlander, Gift from the Storm, The Green Ember, its prequel The Blackstar of Kingston, The Warden and the Wolf King, and the Aggie’s Inheritance series. It’s not just books that I’ve been enjoying this year either. Andrew Peterson’s albums “After All These Years” and “The Burning Edge of Dawn” have been used by God to draw me so much closer to Him, and Handel’s “Messiah” is going to be a forever favorite now that I’ve heard it live. Two of my favorite movies this year are probably “Inside Out” and “The Stratton Story” (Jimmy Stewart—yup, yup!); but “Cinderella” isn’t on there just because I still haven’t seen it yet. (Goals for this year…) ; )
• Projects. Very sorry to bore you with more of “Kate’s Nerd Stuff”, but this year has been awesome for writing and test reading. I’ve written three short stories, two 10k words stories that I like tolerably well, and I’m halfway through another. I’ve also gotten to test read three manuscripts this year, which is always fun because it’s been rare for me to get to read something by someone who’s living and breathing right now and is asking my opinion. ; ) I love working out my worldview and imagination in story form and the sharpening from fellow authors is pretty awesome. The two Rebekah’s and the lovely people at Noble Novels have been a big part of that process this last year. (And those funny phone calls with Perry!) ; )
• Little things. A mini muffin tin; family celebrations; our sweet dog Ella (Nana if there ever was one!); sunny, breezy days; boots (I just got some for Christmas!!!); driving two hours just for the world’s best Mexican food; teaching a little friend from church how to say my name; old pictures; swings… There’s so much more, but you get the idea. Aren’t you proud that I didn’t accidentally sneak more books into this category? ; )
• Lessons and love. I have big problems with fear. I have big problems with change. I have big problems with adoring people but not wanting to talk to them because they are just too scary. I have big problems with controlling my imagination. I have problems with trust. I still have problems with crying when I smash a dish and then getting all defensive. I have problems with managing to get everything done. But when God said, “Let there be a Katie”, He knew there would be a lot of problems with her. Her teeth would be crooked; she would be afraid of the dark; she would love Him one moment and forget Him the next. God knew all of that. He loved her unconditionally. He sent His Son to atone for all of her sins. He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in her heart to conform her to His image, and He gave her lessons this year to teach her. And someday, when all things are made new so will Katie. Right now she’ll listen to Andrew Peterson’s songs “The Rain Keeps Falling” and “Rejoice”. She’ll talk about herself in the third person so she can tell her blog readers about herself while pretending that that problematic person is someone else. ; ) And she’ll strive to love people and listen to the Holy Spirit. 

All of that is why I am grateful. What about you? 

Keep Your Rebekah’s Straight

Last summer, this test reading maniac was supremely blessed. One of my author friends, Rebekah Jones contacted me again and asked me to test read her newest project “24 Days Before Christmas”. It was a huge book, but since there was a generous deadline I accepted heartily.

A few weeks later, my other Rebekah—Rebekah Morris—contacted me with a test reading emergency. One of her test readers had to drop out at the last minute. Could I read her manuscript in two weeks? If I did, my review along with my name and my book’s name could be on the back of her fifth Triple Creek Ranch book. I was screaming over here with delight!! Of course I would do it!!!

You can imagine what it was like after that. Two novel-sized (at least) books to read in a month. Add to that the fact that both authors have the same first name and their email addresses start with the same letter. ; ) (I never mixed them up, though!) My family probably missed me; but, aided by my trusty tiny laptop, I finished the jobs. Rebekah Morris published her book on schedule (review will be here after the new year), and Rebekah Jones began the long editing process to get her book ready for Christmas time.

Rebekah Morris asked for my help again this autumn with a request for hand-drawn snowflakes for her newest project “Through the Tunnel”. My siblings and I experimented with several different ideas and finally got them to her. It was so fun to be able to help with yet another book! ; )

Now, to make the Tale of Two Rebekah’s even more confusing, their books both came out this last weekend in time for Christmas! I'd encourage you to check out Rebekah Jones’ mystery and Christmas story 24 Days Before Christmas. I plan on reviewing it here this December, so stay tuned! ; ) Also be sure to look at Rebekah Morris’ book Through the Tunnel and let me know what you think of it. I’m very anxious to read it myself. ; ) But remember, keep your Rebekah’s straight! ; )

And yes, this test reading maniac is currently working on another project. It's pretty fun. ; ) Have you ever been a test reader? 

My Ebookshelf (Small Though It Be)

Wow, what a nerdy title! Only the 21^st century could present us with such an awkward, amazing thing. Paper books are definitely my preference, but giveaways and sales have given me a few of my own ebooks to talk about. Sorry--I had so much fun with my paper-bookshelf tour, that I couldn't stop there. ; )

Brothers and Betrayal by Sarah Holman

Sequel to Adventures and Adversities (Love the alphabetical!), I got this book through a giveaway. I really enjoyed reading it since I’m a medieval and Robin Hood junkie. The best thing about it, though, is that it’s those things redeemed. ; ) Robin Hood without the thievery. It does bring up some interesting moral dilemma discussions, but you’ll hear more about that when I post the full review sometime.

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

I picked this book up because it was cute-looking, famous, and free. I really enjoyed the letter format and the endearing, down-to-earth character of Judy. ; ) It is a product of its times, however, so there are some things I don’t agree with. (And I found the romance disappointing but I’m picky, so...) ; )

The Graham Quartet and the Mysterious Strangers by Rebekah Morris

I picked this up because it was free online, and I knew it would be good since I’ve read a lot by the author. ; ) My siblings and I all really enjoyed it since it’s an adventuresome mystery where the kids have their parents in on it and they actually call the police when they need to. We are so excited for the next book to come out! ; )

The Green Ember by S.D. Smith

My mom picked this up for free through a Famomook friend’s recommendation and asked me to preview it. Cute cover, probably Beatrix Potter-like, right? I decided to try it out to see if maybe the younger kids could read it. And I love it so much!!! It’s definitely a very favorite ever, as you can probably tell from the extended review I have on here. And I just read the prequel The Blackstar of Kingston. And I just found out there’s another book in the series coming next spring. Eeek!!

It Took a War by Emily Ann Putzke

This book looked really interesting, and since it was discounted for a summer reading program on Homeschooled Authors I thought I would give it a try. Very neat story concept, but I found the story to be a bit like a textbook sometimes and somewhat abbreviated with not much character development in some cases. Still an interesting read, but not exactly my taste.

Never by J. Grace Pennington

I won this book in a giveaway and was interested to see what it had to offer since I’d only read the author’s sci-fi works. It was a very well written complicated story, but I had trouble enjoying it because of the grunginess and the violence. I also wished the Christian theme had been stronger. Once again, a good book but not my taste. ; )

Waltz into the Waves by Sarah Holman

You know how when you have an Amazon giftcard and you squeeze as many real books onto it as possible there’s still those delightful little bits of money left over? Yeah, I found myself in that troubling situation. Coming across this short story, I decided to give it a try since it sounded really cute. ; ) It was a really cute. And a really clever Cinderella retelling. One problem though—too cute. The romance was more of the kind that gets into the characters' thought lives (i.e. Oh, wow, I want to kiss him.), and I try not to read much of that because it can affect my brain. ; ) So, I did enjoy it for its good writing, but it’s not something I’ll read again for a while. ; )

So, that’s my ebookshelf. As you can see it’s been collected mostly through giveaways, discounts, and the like which is exactly what Kindle is for, right? I want to publicly thank my brother for figuring out how to link my account with the family’s so we can have our books on the same Kindle. Pretty awesome, bro.

What does your ebookshelf contain? Do you like the adventure of trying out books or do you find it discouraging and maddening? Which do you prefer—paper books or digital ones? ; )

My Bookshelf of Oddities and Amazingities (Part Two)

Hello again, it's me. I'm crazy. Book crazy. (That's the good kind.) ; ) Anyone else excited to see the rest of my book collection? ; )

The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I’m collecting these, because I think every bookshelf should have ‘em. They are timeless. ; ) I don’t quite have the full series yet, but they’re everywhere so it’s coming. There are also a few “extra books” written by other authors in the spirit of the originals that I’d like to add to my collection too.

Dance at Grandpa’s

This is a picture book version of one of my favorite parts in Little House in the Big Woods. The paintings are so cute! ; )

Summer Days with the Moodys by Sarah Maxwell

Another book I picked up because I was out of things to read and this one would be safe. ; ) Dad and Mom got it primarily for me at the one of the Maxwells’ conferences, but it was for me to share with my siblings. ; ) We all enjoy them, but there not our very favorites.

The Heavens Declare by Perry Willis

Yeah, I know. She’s Perry Kirkpatrick now. I have one of the old versions. Sister privileges. ; ) (It’s signed too.) It’s a really fun book!! You learn science without knowing you are which is always a good thing. ; )

Light of the World by Perry Willis

Sorry, old version too. ; P This one is similar to the first one in writing style, but this time there’s something of a mystery and an amazing Gospel presentation. ; ) I love it.

Pearl’s Practice by Perry Kirkpatrick

There we have it—now she’s married. Phew. This book is so cute!! It’s the only pro-life, pro-baby, pro-Christ one I’ve seen of its kind. I love it.

The Treasure Hunt by Kate Willis

Oh, my, that’s me! I’m so happy to have my own little book on the shelf (can you see it in the picture?), and I couldn’t be more grateful for the awesome people who’ve made this dream come true. ; )

Hank the Cowdog by John Erickson

I have two of these fabulously weirdly funnily interesting books. I have the first one, because it’s the first one. And I have Lost in the Blinded Blizzard because it is the best ever. (Except maybe the fishhook one and the tornado one.) You’ll never look at a dog the same after reading these. ; )

Along Came a Dog by Meindert Dejong

This book is really slow, as is usual of the author’s style, but I like it a lot for that reason. Charming story, especially since I remember Mom reading it aloud when I was really little. ; )

Man O’ War by Walter Farley

My favorite horse book is King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. That one and any other about an awesome horse always refers to their relative—Man O’ War. I was beginning to be frustrated that I had no idea what they were all talking about when I found this book at the thrift store. (Thrift stores are a bookaholic’s BFF.) It was really neat to finally know something about this famous horse, but I still think I prefer books about the Godolphin Arabian and Seabiscuit. ; )

The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes

Our ancient church library was not always complete in their series I bought this book myself to see what happened next. We like this series a lot, but there can often be ghost “sightings” and slight attitude throughout. ; )

Adventures and Adversities by Sarah Holman

Oh, the wonders of the Homeschooled Authors booth! I found this there too. ; ) I’ve already reviewed it on here before, but it’s worth saying again—it’s awesome!! ; )

Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally

This book—wow. Very helpful for the topic of boy/girl interactions and keeping a solid brain in Christ. My older sister gave me her copy when she got married. ; )

It’s (Not That) Complicated by Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin

I got this book last year with book money (from the year before’s birthday). My relatives are so nice to me. *sighs happily* This book most definitely goes on the list of “very favorites ever”. If the book I mentioned before goes far in being helpful, this one goes even farther! You might see me quote it on her sometimes as it deals with everything from sibling relationships to interactions with young men, from social media guidelines to contentment in Christ. It covers all the bases. Wowzers. (I would recommend this book for older teenagers, and the other one for the thirteen to sixteen age group.) ; )

Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, M.D.

Ha, ha! You can tell that this is definitely one of the books I’m not using right now, but I’m sure it will be good for the future. It’s what Mom used with me! ; )

To Train Up a Child by Michael and Debi Pearl

And this one too...no children to “train up” currently. ; )

Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen L. Taylor (not pictured because it’s on loan)

I love the story of Christian! Unfortunately, I’m not fluent in Middle English, so I really appreciate that this version is in regular English. ; ) It’s also awesome how in this version Christian is a child. Makes things a bit more relatable. ; ) I bought this book at a homeschool convention after enjoying my sister’s copy.

Evangelists in Chains by Elizabeth Wagler (also on loan)

Remember that Christmas I mentioned when I got the knock-knock joke book? This was my gift in the mail around New Years’. I love it so much!!! The whole theme of the story is “Our God, whom we serve, is able”. It will truly wow you and strengthen your faith! (And start some good discussions on non-conformity and non-resistance.) ; )

The Family Treasures Coloring Book by Breezy Brookshire

I love this!!! We all love it! Just enough detail and charm to be one of the good coloring books (that can keep even old people like me interested) without making it tedious to work on a picture. We especially love the family-centeredness of the scenes! ; )

Audrey Bunny by Angie Smith

I’ve screamed about this on here before, and I’m not hoarse yet so I’ll scream about it again. Take a tear-jerking story with Gospel overtones and hidden references to a true life tear-jerking story then have Breezy Brookshire illustrate it in full color. Yep.

Our Flag Was Still There by Tracy Michele Leininger (now Craven)

I love this story. And I love the pictures. One of the best patriotically-_geared books I’ve read.

Rosemary for Remembrance by Tasha Tudor

Mommy got me this gorgeous calendar treasury book for my birthday. I haven’t used it yet, but I love just looking and looking at the pictures. ; )

Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

This book is awesome for now and awesome for later. I loved reading it for ideas, and I look forward to implementing it in my own household someday. One really excellent thing it did for me was to help me see motherhood as the exciting art, science, and ministry it really is. ; )

I’ve mentioned a few of the more notable books in my stack of sideways ones, but as you can see there are many more. If you were to browse through that part you’d find a knitting book, a Bible Bee workbook, picture books from my past and waiting for the future (though my little friends pull them out to enjoy once in a while), an old Highlights magazine (1975), full journals and empty ones, a book one of my little sisters made me, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, and cds full of old family photos. I have my two ultimate favorite audio dramas on there too—“Sir Knight of the Splendid Way” and “The Last Battle”. It’s time to listen to those again. ; )

Over on my desk are a couple more books. They’re mostly there because they are the pretty ones, but also you can probably see that I’m running out of space. *grins sheepishly* *adds another book to that Amazon wishlist* I like my desk to be pretty (and cluttered with projects, but that’s beside the point), so these ones got to go on top.

Prayer Devotional Bible by God (and whoever wrote the devotions)

My Dad bought me this NIV Bible a while back because I’ve always had an interest in prayer warriors and intercession (and because it is really pretty). Unfortunately, I don’t use it much because our church uses NKJV for services. Maybe it’s time to switch back to it though, because my regular Bible is super beat up. ; )

Sir Knight of the Splendid Way by W.E. Cule

Eeeeeek!!!!! I LOVE this one!!! It’s like a medieval (and you know I love medieval) version of Pilgrim’s Progress. Soooooo awesome!!! Life-changing. My Dad references “The Vision of the Face” when he’s encouraging us to keep our eyes on Christ. I can’t decide if it’s better in book or audio drama format—it’s probably better in both. ; ) A very favorite ever? Definitely. Very good birthday present.

The Lost Clue by O.F. Walton

Really great story! I don’t usually like the “our-main-character-is-the-long-lost-noble-something-of-wherever-and-that’s-the-reason-they-have-good-character” books. This book is half that and half not. (One of the only reasons it passed muster. The other reasons include a great mystery and a sweet Godly romance.) That “half not” part really made me love it. Marjorie is such an amazing character! She is really inspiring and encouraging. I love it. ; ) Another birthday present. Now I know why I was born—birthdays.

Comfortable Troubles by Elizabeth Prentiss

When you’ve enjoyed Stepping Heavenward and Aunt Jane’s Hero you naturally want more. I was so excited to see that Lamplighter Publishers had reclaimed another one of her books and even more excited to see it on the scratch and dent table at a homeschool convention. It came home with me, and I loved it as I did the others. In a way, it’s actually very different from them; but good all the same. I don’t tend to recommend it for younger readers, just in case they pick up on the wrong worldview the main character moves from.

So, that’s my bookshelf! Thanks for stopping by and bearing with my wanderings! ; ) If I know you in person, I’d love to loan you something; and, if I don’t, I’d love to meet you! ; )

What are your favorites? I’m not sure what mine are but you can judge that for yourselves from my descriptions. ; )