Finger Painting

I have such beautiful girls. Some days I am in awe that I am their mother and wonder how I will help them develop their unique gifts. We are in one of those odd seasons where nothing is really getting done. I want to decorate for fall but feel overwhelmed by the house. Today the girls woke up too early, were not impressed by my Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (that I loved, by the way), and developed a huge headache today due to forgetting to make coffee. 

So when Nugget asked to paint, I decided to whip up a batch of home made finger paints. She's been asking for days on end. It's been too overwhelming for me given the state of the house. Today I decided, what's a little more mess? I want to encourage their creativity so let's go for it. 

They sure had fun!

Turns out that was the motivation I needed to start chipping away at part of the mess. I've made some headway and feel good about that. I was even able to make a decision regarding dinner tonight in time to make something. Woohoo! Still hoping to squeeze in a walk yet tonight. We'll see! Maybe I can get started on my fall decorating.

Knuckles!!!

Tonight I just had to laugh out lout! The girls were sitting on my lap watching one of their favorite YouTube songs. All of a sudden, Zita started to hit me with her fist. I just looked at her at first. I was so confused. Then she says "Knuckles!" in a loud growl! She repeated with each fist bump. It was hilarious. I just laughed out loud. I couldn't help it. This picture was taken earlier this summer. I couldn't find a more current picture of her funny scrunchy silly face. I'll hopefully capture it soon to share!

Heiress

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group and Summerside Press for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have to admit I prone to like any book I pick up that has Susan May Warren as the author. I just love her books! That being said, this is a completely different than any of the others that I've read. And I still loves it! This book is huge in it's scope. It covers many years and some hard topics. What does it mean to be blessed by God? What is happiness? How is it obtained? 

This book takes place in a fascinating era: The Gilded Age of America, the 1870's and 1880's. It was fun to get a peak into Mrs. Astor's 400. I have always been a bit fascinated and curious by this time period. I appreciated her lavish descriptions of those who moved in the circles, but also portraying the other side. The not so beautiful side of a life that is obsessed with money, fame and power. 

There were times this was hard to read. I felt conflicted. I knew or thought I knew what was the "right" thing for the character to do but at the same time felt divided. I feel this is a tribute to the author's skill at drawing me into the story. I must admit, some of it felt a bit far fetched. I won't go into details because I don't want to spoil it for you. At the same time, those might have been my favorite parts. I read for fun, relaxation. I want there to be a bit of "fairy tale" in there. If I want non-fiction, I read non-fiction. This is fiction and I loved every minute of it. I highly recommend this book and am eagerly anticipating the next book in this series.

About the book: Heiress

They can buy anything they want—fame, power, beauty, even loyalty.

But they can’t buy love.

The beautiful and wealthy heiress daughters of August Price can buy everything their hearts desire. But what if their desire is to be loved, without an enormous price tag attached? When one sister betrays another for the sake of love, will she find happiness? And what happens when the other sets out across the still untamed frontier to find it—will she discover she’s left it behind in the glamorous world of the New York gilded society? What price will each woman pay for being an heiress?

Set in the opulent world of the Gilded Age, two women discover that being an heiress just might cost them everything they love.

Read an excerpt here.

 About Susan:  Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder ofwww.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at:www.susanmaywarren.com.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1609362187/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=sprightly-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1609362187&adid=1JF1JHWKFXYX80AEG4NY

About the giveaway and party: 

Win an opulent Gilded Age Prize Pack fit for an Heiress from Susan May Warren!
Susan May Warren is thrilled to announce the release of her latest historical book, Heiress!

Find out what the reviewers are saying here!

Heiress, a richly complex historical romance, is the first in Susan's three book Daughters of Fortune series. In honor of Heiress’ debut, Susan is hosting a FABULOUS Gilded Age Giveaway and giving away an opulent prize pack fit for an heiress!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $100 gift certificate to ModCloth.com
• A sleek silver iPod™ Shuffle
• A beautiful strand of Pearls
• Titanic DVD
• Speakeasy Compilation Music CD from Starbucks™
• Heiress by Susan May Warren

Click one of the icons below to enter. But do so soon - this giveaway ends 10/5/11. The winner will be announced Thursday, October 6 on Susan’s blog.

Blog tour schedule

Potato and Corn Chowder

For our LifeGroup tonight I made a Potato and Corn Chowder. I am always a little hesitant about serving a meatless dish to a crowd. One just never knows how said crowd will respond as we have no vegetarians in our group that I know of. It got rave reviews and I'm confident it will be making multiple appearances in our fall/winter menu. I didn't think to get pictures and there was only about a serving left in the pot when I thought of it. So sorry. Here is the recipe:


Potato and Corn Chowder
adapted from Paula Dean's Chef Jack's Corn Chowder
Ingredients

9 cups chicken stock (ours was home made of course, yum!)

4 cups half-and-half 

6 cups white corn kernels, fresh or frozen, we used corn fresh off the cob plus frozen, save the cobs 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

2-3   cloves garlic, minced 

2   small celery stalks, chopped 

2-3   small carrots, chopped

1   small onion, diced 

1/2 red pepper, chopped

3 red potatoes, chopped

2 cup (4 sticks) butter 

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 

Salt and pepper

cayenne pepper

Directions

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot, celery, red pepper, potatoes, and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes.  Add the flour and stir to make a roux.  Cook until the roux is lightly browned; set aside to cool to room temperature.  Meanwhile, combine the corn (off the cob), corn cobs (broken in half) and chicken stock in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the vegetables and roux to the pot with the corn and broth, stir well to prevent clumping.  Bring to a boil.  The mixture should become very thick.  In a small saucepan, gently heat the half-and-half; stir it into the thick corn mixture.  Add the nutmeg, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste.  Just before serving, remove the corn cobs and cut the remaining sticks of butter into large chunks.  Add it to enrich the soup, stirring until the butter melts. 

I thought about garnishing with cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions (not my thing, but some people like them) but just didn't get that part done. I may try that next time. The flavor was fantastic. This served 7 adults and 7 kids (ages 10 or 11 to 1, mostly boys) as the main dish. 

Petite Lasagnas

Ralph and I have been making a ton of fun food recently but I have been bad. I have not been posting all this yummy food. I thought I should share this recipe for Petite Lasagnas. These were fantastic and so easy! Of course, I don't find regular lasagna to really be all that hard either. This is small scale lasagna and cooks much faster as a result. For a family with small children and parents who don't plan ahead well, this is a huge bonus. *wink, wink*

The girls both seemed to like them. Ralph and I loved them. We rarely repeat meals as there are too many fun recipes in the world to try. That being said, this will be added in to our repertoire on a regular basis.

Ready for the first layer of filling

Both layers complete and ready for the oven.

Ready to eat. 

P.S. Couldn't find the camera so I used Ralph's phone. Doesn't it take great pics for a phone? I'm always amazed.

Family Dance Party

Waiting for cinnamon roll pancakes. Why not dance while we wait?
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Fairer Than the Morning

Thanks to LitFuse Publishing and Thomas Nelson for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

I originally signed up for this book tour because the book takes place near where my husband grew up in Ohio, albeit a century or so before he came into the picture. I thought it would be fun to read some fiction inspired by some of the people who once lived there.

I truly enjoyed this book. It had a great story line and all the pieces were woven together very well. I always enjoy a story that can make you think without being preachy. As much as I enjoy George MacDonald, an actual well written story line is always appreciated. This book makes you think about who you are and who is your faith in? Who are you when push comes to shove and your life is on the line? Do you preserve your life at any cost or do you do what's right? Is what's right for one also the same right for someone else? 

I love that the story can involve these thoughts and points but not get bogged down by them. It is also a very sweet love story. Then there are several beautiful families contrasted by those who choose evil. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. 

About the book:

Ann dreams of a marriage proposal from her poetic suitor, Eli-until Will Hanby shows her that nobility is more than fine words. 

On a small farm in 19th-century Ohio, young Ann Miller is pursued by the gallant Eli Bowen, son of a prominent family. Eli is the suitor of Ann's dreams. Like her, he enjoys poetry and beautiful things and soon, he will move to the city to become a doctor.

Ann travels to Pittsburgh, accompanying her father on business. There she meets Will Hanby, a saddle-maker's apprentice. Will has spent years eking out an existence under a cruel master and his spirit is nearly broken. But Ann's compassion lights a long-dark part of his soul. Through his encounters with Ann's father, a master saddler, Will discovers new hope and courage in the midst of tremendous adversity.

When the Millers must return to Ohio and their ministry there, Will resolves to find them, at any cost. If Will can make it back to Ann, will she be waiting?

Read an excerpt here: http://www.rosslynelliott.com/books.php

About Rosslyn:

Rosslyn Elliott grew up in a military family and relocated so often that she attended nine schools before her high school graduation. With the help of excellent teachers, she qualified to attend Yale University, where she earned a BA in English and Theater. She worked in business and as a schoolteacher before returning to study at Emory University, where she earned a Ph.D. in English in 2006. Her study of American literature and history inspired her to pursue her lifelong dream of writing fiction. She lives in the Southwest, where she homeschools her daughter and teaches in children's ministry.

For more about Rosslyn, visit her website: http://rosslynelliott.com

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Fairer-Morning-Saddlers-Legacy-Novel/dp/1595547851/ref=sprightly-20

Blog tour schedule


About the giveaway and party: 

To celebrate the release of her debut novel, Fairer Than Morning, Rosslyn Elliott is giving away two fabulous prize packages. The first is brand new KINDLE in her Fairer Than Morning Kindle Giveaway. Then on September 20th she's giving away a $200 gift certificate toward a Custom-Made Historical Reproduction Dress (from Recollections) during the Fairer Than Morning Book Club Chat Party on Facebook! Sigh...romantic.

Fairer Than Morning is receiving wonderful reviews - Library Journal said, "A well-written historical series debut…". Read more reviews here.

Be sure to join the fun and enter the Kindle contest - 

One winner will receive:

* Kindle with Wi-Fi

* Fairer Than Morning (for Kindle)

To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, giveaway ends on 9/19. Winner will be announced on 9/20 at Rosslyn's Book Club Facebook Party. Details and official rules can be found when entering the contest.

Then be sure to RSVP for Rosslyn's Facebook Party! During the party Rosslyn will be chatting with guests, hosting a book chat about Fairer Than Morning (don't worry if you haven't read the book yet - you could win a copy!) & historical Fiction, testing your trivia skills. She'll also be giving away that $200 gift certificate toward a FABULOUS custom-made period dress from Recollections!

Our Sweeties

The girls are at such fun ages! Lately we have noticed them actually playing together, Zita has started to interact with Nugget rather than just playing beside her. They run around the house pretending to be dogs together. We picked up some fun fairy/butterfly wings off of Freecycle. They love to run around the house together wearing them. They are just so precious.

 

 I am so excited for this new little one to join us. I am looking forward to meeting this new personality and seeing how they fit in the mix. I am dreaming up fun new ways to decorate the girls' room and how to make room for Bug-a-Boo. I am also hoping to keep this blog better updated on the things we've been up to.

 Recently, Nugget has begun to say "Zita you are so cute. You are a sweetie. Come here, Sweetie. I love you, Sweetie." She then refers to her exclusively as "Sweetie" for the next little bit. It is so cute. Especially when she does it when we are in another room. There is just something so special about knowing your kids love each other even when you're not around. *wink, wink*

Labor Day 2011

Well, we took the opportunity on Labor Day to have a nice relaxing day. I had worked the weekend and Ralph took care of the girls on his own all weekend. We had a lazy morning. Played with the girls. Went for a walk. Put Zita down for a nap. Ate lunch. Then we decided, let's go for a drive!

We took the Mountain Loop Highway for the first time. We have traversed part of it in the past to get to the Ice Caves. This time we took the whole thing! It was awesome! My sisters need to check out the pick near the middle of the collage. That is the view we were missing the day we hiked up there! This was the first time we saw it without cloud cover either! It was breathtaking the whole drive. We found tons of places we would love to go back and camp at.

We ended the day having a late dinner at Dairy Queen. Dairy Queen seems to be our "out-late-driving-late-need-food-to-eat" place to go. Hope you all enjoyed some family time this weekend as well!