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Thank You, Lord, For Everything — a book review

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_240_360_Book.1669.coverIt’s Thanksgiving season. That means that for me, I like to spend a little extra time refocusing on gratitude and being intentional about telling God “Thank you” for all the little things in my life.

One of the things I’m really thankful for is how much Charlotte loves books. And now that she is a little older and more aware of seasons, I have been adding a few appropriate books each season into our collection.

Thank You, Lord, for Everything was a big hit here with Charlotte and I. Charlotte really loved the pictures and the different things she could relate to. She liked saying “Thank you, God!” at the end of each page. I always look for books that have soft and gentle illustrations that aren’t too cartoony. I thought these were fun and lively while still being sweet. And I especially liked the chance to cultivate gratefulness in her heart for all of the every day things that we are blessed with: food, family, friends and beauty in this world.

We read this book several times a day right now. If you are looking for something to read to your littles leading up to Thanksgiving, I think this one is a good one to add to your collection.

I received a copy of this book for review purposes from booklook bloggers. The opinions expressed are mine. 

Great, Small Things from my Week

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I’ve been enjoying GreaThings this year in a group on Facebook and with instagram this year. The vast majority of our collective “great things” are actually not that big or dramatic. It’s hugs, quiet days, fall colors and cups of tea that add color and joy into ordinary days.

GreaThings2015

It’s a wonderful way to remember that Great Things don’t have to actually be “big” things. Those little things are just as great as any massive moment.

For me? My week was filled with quick meals, splashing in puddles, a little DIY and a quiet moment remembering that four years ago this week I made a pretty big (scary) decision about pursuing my dreams.

Here’s to another week of celebrating the many wonderful, small moments.

What GreaThings are you celebrating right now?

Four years ago this past week, I decided that I wouldn’t go back to my “real job” after Christmas Break. I was going to give working from home one last, once and for all chance. I was not sad to turn in my letter of resignation, but I was really scared. What if I failed? Almost everyone said I should just forget it and go back to the “real working world”. I’m really glad that I didn’t listen and didn’t give up. Today? I’m not “there” yet, but I am living my dream, working for myself. Right now, we’re making more big, big decisions about our future. This time? I’m more excited, more hopeful than ever before. I’m incredibly thankful for what God has done for me, and how He is helping make this life long dream come true. Blood, sweat, tears and a lot of prayer. :)

I’ve been blogging for over ten years now. TEN YEARS, people! Talk about feeling old. But that’s not the point of this day’s Great Thing. Today is all about the fact that finally, my sister in law (who I’m lucky enough to have called my BFF for more than half of my life now.) has fallen in love with cooking and blogging. It’s so much fun to share a love with both of these things with her. And she’s kinda smashing it with some of her new recipes too. (Instagram: kaylacooksblog. website: KaylaCooks.com)

I love color. This little DIY project was colorful and a resourceful way to repurpose all the little bits of crayon that keep collecting in wake of the budding family artist. And it actually worked out. It felt like an all around win. 

Sometimes after some of the days I’ve had lately, food that takes 20 minutes or less to throw into the oven is a huge win. This was one of those days. Great things indeed for working, full time mamas!

One of the greatest things in our daily routine is book time. I absolutely love how much she loves her books. Peter Rabbit is her latest fascination. 

The best thing about rainy days is the puddles, of course!

The Legend of the Christmas Cookie

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The first Christmas that Scott and I were married, we bundled up warm and drove up into the mountains in search of our very own Christmas tree.  We found the perfect one and carried it back to the car, wading in deep snow and having the time of our lives. Along the way, we found a tiny tree that had been broken down by the weight of the snow. It came home with us too.

Scott and I didn’t have a lot to spare when we got married. We didn’t have a single decoration to our name. So we did what any resourceful couple would do: we headed to the tiny local thrift store. It turns out, you can get a lot of ornaments for ten bucks if you are willing to dig a little.  We came home with an armload of assorted bulbs and lights and a 50 cent garland. Our first tree was perfect.

But a few days before Christmas, a car lost control on the icy road and smashed into Scott as he was driving to work early one morning. It totaled our car and Scott was lucky to walk away with only minor injuries. But that was just the beginning of a crazy season for Scott and I. That Christmas, we didn’t have money for gifts. So we stuffed stockings with trinkets and treats and handmade tokens…and I baked us cookies.

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We’ve seen a lot more crazy seasons in the past half dozen years. Not every Christmas has felt full of holiday cheer. But those little traditions we started at the beginning have made all of our Christmases special in their own way. And one of my favorite traditions of all is always taking the afternoon to bake up a plate of what I call our Christmas Eve Cookies.

This year, I’m looking forward to introducing Charlotte to our little tradition. And I’m looking forward to reading her our new book, The Legend of The Christmas Cookie.

christmascookie

Jack and his mother knew hard times and lean years too. But his mother also knew that the true blessing of Christmas comes when you share not just food, but the real meaning of the season–the Salvation Story– with others.

She bakes Christmas Cookies for the homeless in the shapes of the story of the nativity, and tells Jack the story of the first Christmas Cookies. Jack later has a chance to practice the sometimes difficult lesson of true sacrifice, and experience the real joy of giving to others.

I have always enjoyed Dandi Daley Mackell’s books. Not just for their simple, meaningful words but for the warm and realistic art that fill the pages. I wasn’t disappointed when I read The Legend of the Christmas Cookie!

The story was simple, but I appreciated the emphasis on giving that was present through out.

Even though Christmas is still a few months away, I let Charlotte have a sneak peek. She was completely absorbed by the pictures and my simple version of the story. I loved the pictures too, and was especially thrilled that there was a recipe for traditional Christmas cutout cookies in the back. What a perfect way to celebrate the season with your little ones!

I’ll probably still make our favorite Christmas Eve cookies this winter. But maybe, just maybe, Charlotte and I will try out the cutouts too.

I love Russian Tea Cakes because they aren’t too sweet, and they are indeed the perfect thing with a cup of tea. I sometimes dip them in chocolate ganache if I’m feeling fancy, or sometimes use different kinds of nuts in them. But usually we enjoy them just as they are in the recipe below.

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Russian Tea Cakes
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of Butter
  • ½ cup Confection Sugar
  • 1 cup chopped Walnuts
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • A pinch of salt
  • more confectioner's sugar for tossing the cookies in
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350*
  2. Cream butter and vanilla. Add confectioner's sugar and flour. Mix until just blended.
  3. Stir in chopped walnuts.
  4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.
  5. Place about 2 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  7. Let cool, and then roll in confectioner's sugar.

If you have a Christmas Cookie Tradition, I’d love to hear about it!

This book was provided by BookLook in exchange for my honest review.

When You Meet a Kindred Spirit

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I’ve always had this silent camaraderie for Anne Shirley.  My life and hers couldn’t be different in a million ways and more. But sea of shining waters, and white way of delight were like lines out of my own imagination. She and I? We both see the world through some sort of poetic lens of imagination.  She broke a slate when provoked and chased bullies across the pasture. And I…well, let’s just say that it wasn’t a slate and it wasn’t a pasture, but later those boys said there was fire and smoke and they didn’t think they’d better let me catch them. That was probably not my proudest moment.

But one of my favorite Anne Shirley moments is the moment when she meets Diana. It was bosom friends at first sight. That once in two life time when two people are just meant to be friends bump into each other. I use to hope I could be that lucky someday. And I was!

My Anne Shirley-esque moment of finding a bosom friend happen when I was 14. I’ve never been quite sure who was more Anne and who was more Diana between the two of us, but no matter how many miles keep us apart, there’s something comfortable between us that I am always grateful for. We’ve grown up together, and our wildest childish dream came true: We married brothers. I’m pretty sure a girl doesn’t get luckier than to marry her soul mate and get to have her best friend as her sister in law.

But turns out, in the words of Anne Shire herself: “Kindred spirits aren’t as rare as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”

kindred

And this is my little shout out to the beautiful women who have touched my heart and life in a million ways. This is to Katie, my “bosom friend” who knows pretty much all my secrets and puts up with me anyway. To the women who pray with me and for me, who cheer me on and who challenge me to keep pushing myself.  You’ve all changed my life in wonderful ways. And I am the “lucky” one I use to wish I could be.

Yup. It’s true. When you meet a bosom friend, your life is never quite the same again. It’s infinitely better when you have a kindred spirit or two at your side.

 

I’ve Never Been To Vegas { a book review}

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Over a year ago, I was planning a last minute, mad-dash of a trip to the other side of the country. We were flying out to surprise my only living grandmother on her 80th birthday. As a bonus, we were going to just show up on Scott’s parents’ doorstep, too.  It was the epic series of surprises packed into one little trip. We came home completely exhausted, but it was totally worth it!
When I was booking the tickets, I saw that we had a stop over in Las Vegas.  Ah, Las Vegas. Flying in was incredibly interesting.  You could see the fountains and the iconic places that make it famous. And the flash and glitter of so many empty promises literally hits you in the face the second you walk off the plane. It’s not a place I’ll be putting on my bucket list of cities to explore. But it is fun to say I’ve been there…kind of.  We never left the grounds of the airport.

_225_350_Book.1137.coverAbout the same time as I was booking us flights across the country, I saw this bright pink book that declared, “I’ve never been to Vegas, but my Luggage Has
“.  I was intrigued. Well, it turns out that Mandy Hall does have lots of stories to tell.

She talks about her first love. Her first heartbreak. All the twists and turns, and how she ended up 34 and single.  Basically, life didn’t go according to her ideas of how it was going to happen. And yet the thing I loved was that it was exactly that on which began her life work to be to other girls the “big sister” who has been there, and gets it. Who can point forward and whisper, “It feels like it right now, but this actually isn’t the end of the world.”

I probably should note that there are a couple small things that I personally didn’t agree with about her beliefs or choices. They are a part of her story, and I don’t have a problem with that. Obviously, you don’t have to agree with every single point of theology in order to take something good away from a book. And this is what I got from Mandy’s stories.

Life doesn’t have to turn out like you planned it in order for it to be exactly how it was mean to be all along.  Every thing doesn’t have to be perfect in order to be good.  God is a Master at working things out for the best.

If we could just realize that and not kick and scream through the days when life just isn’t looking like what we wanted it to look like, I think we’d all be a lot farther ahead.

Mandy has taken her single life, and let God use it, use her stories, to bless others. And I think that is something really beautiful.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinions. All thoughts are my own. 

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