Screech!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I almost had a serious heart attack the other morning when my 2 year old son woke up from his night's sleep screaming at the top of his lungs!

This had fallen from the wall down against his pillow....





Not the first thing I would want to see when I opened my eyes....

Book Review: How To Be God's Little Princess

Book Review: How To Be God's Little Princess

I recently received from Booksneeze.com, a complimentary issue of: How To Be God's Little Princess in exchange for a review

Book Summary:

For God's Perfectly Polite Little Princess. When it comes to princesses, and (of course) everything pink, there's always fun ahead! How to Be God's Little Princess is a delightful how-to guide to help girls polish their royal flair in manners and etiquette and to discover their true beauty. I'll be her go-to resource for princess secrets on...how to wear a tiara, royal table manners, the importance of dressing for the occasion, internet do's and don'ts, hosting the perfect party, regal posture and poise, and how to pen the perfect thank-you note. Also included are fun crafts, quizzes, and other activities to help young princesses blossom into beautiful women of God.

My Review: This book came in a hardback form in a gorgeous pink color! Silver wording and tiara adorned the front of the book. My daughter just loved me reading this book to her. There were little quizzes throughout the book and tons of crafts that you can make yourself. She made her own hair accessories, learned the correct way to paint her nails, and more!! Dining correctly, dressing appropriately...she even learned how to tie-dye!! Being polite lessons and planning a party go hand-in-hand in this book...all the while being the way that God would wish a little girl to be. Every time she needs something fun to do or learn, she can crack open this great book. This is one we will read over and over again!!

I absolutely L-O-V-E to read, however....

I am a reader. There has never been a question about that. My den has shelves filled to the max with yet-to-read books. I also get books from 2 different blogs in exchange for reviews. I just love the thought that there are so many interesting stories out there to take you away from the everyday routine of day-to-day life.

Normal right? So, where does the "however" come in?

At this point, I have begun to overload on books.


I have no idea when I will get through them all! Anytime I see a book that is a continuation of another book I currently have, I buy it whether I know I have the time to read it or not! You can't pass up a great deal!! At the present time, I have 5 books stacked to read. All of different genres too! How crazy is this? While I am reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, I am also reading a Fresh Home magazine, AllYou magazine, potty training for the tough kid guide, A Daily Devotional and an up-to-date home design book. Whew!!! I will get through them all too...just takes a little longer since I go back and forth. What mood am I in? That is how I choose my reading material for the day.

Feels like a "my goodness, I have finally got to get my stubborn 6th child potty trained" day. Excuse me...reading to do :)

Car Conversations

On our way to Walmart last night with 3 of my 6 kids, I caught a glimpse of their conversations in between songs...


Reiner: There was a snake in our driveway today.
Kaplyn: No there wasn't.
Reiner: Yes, there was! I'm not making it up!
Kaplyn: What color?
Reiner: I don't know because I'm lying.











Kaplyn: Eew...Something is stuck to my shoe!









Brandis: My cup leaked. Now our car will smell like milk...I love milk!














Kaplyn: Don't draw on your window Reiner, it will make the window all smeary....












Reiner: Brandis, if the car gets hot it will smell like spoiled milk!!











Brandis: Yay for Walmart...can we get string cheese?!











Kaplyn: I can't wait until summer, I love pool smell!









Reiner: If Walmart still has jelly beans, does that mean it is still Easter?








Brandis: How come we have to buy diapers for Matlyn?
Kaplyn: Because she isn't big enough to use the potty yet.
Brandis: Why?
Kaplyn: Because she is so little that if she falls in, she will get flushed down.










Reiner: Mommy, don't forget to buy Genin some beef turkey...
Kaplyn: You mean beef jerkey Reiner!











Brandis: Can I order a cake for my birthday?
Kaplyn: Your birthday is not until June.
Brandis: Yes, lets order a cake.











Reiner: Lets buy a fishing pole at Walmart so we can catch our own food every night!!











Such lively conversation...never a dull moment!!

Book Review: Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes!

Book Review: Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes! by Robin Jones Gunn

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

Book Review: Welcome to the land of tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes! A multitasking mama, Summer Finley has found ways to handle whatever life throws at her with grace and a grin. Until now. An "abnormal" medical test result sends Summer into an emotional tailspin and prompts her to fulfill a life-long dream of meeting her best friend and pen pal since fourth grade, Noelle Van Zandt, face-to-face.

Their blissful week together in the Netherlands finds Summer and Noelle floating down a canal in Amsterdam, visiting Corrie ten Boom's Hiding Place, sipping decadent Duth cocoa in Delft, and bobbing merrily along through a sea of brilliant, spring-fresh tulips. Each day takes them further from midlife anxiety and closer to trusting God in deeper ways.

As their week of adventure comes to an end, the two friends find they needed to be together more than either of them realized.


My Review: I was so tickled to receive this book for review. The book talks of 2 women who met through a pen pal program while in elementary school and continued their relationship via mail and email all of their lives. When Summer gets bad word back about a recent biopsy, she decides to make a trip to the Netherlands to finally meet her pen pal in person. Keeping her problem a secret, she stays with her friend and has the time of her life. Finally revealing what is going on with her, they both come to realize how much they both needed each other during this time in their lives. With a bright book cover in tulips, windmills and wooden shoes, you are immediately drawn into the weeklong lives of these women. Such an interesting book from the descriptions of museums, cafes, boats and such to the thought out meals at dinnertime, to the devotional book in Summer's guest room that served as a comfort for her every night. I flew through this book and cannot wait to find another one!

So, which is it?!

Having six kids, I know I just cannot get behind on laundry or I will never catch up! I'm confused....is this my 13 year old son's entire drawer or have I just totally overbought socks on a week that I was behind?!!!

Book Review: The Band That Played On, The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic

Book Review: The Band That Played On, The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic

I recently received from Booksneeze.com, a complimentary issue of: The Band That Played On, The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic in exchange for a review

Book Summary:

"They kept it up to the very end. Only the engulfing ocean had power to drown them into silence. The band was playing 'Nearer, My God, to Thee.' I could hear it distinctly. The end was very close." -Charlotte Collyer, Titanic Survivor

The movies, the documentaries, the museum exhibits. They often tell the same story about the "unsinkable" Titanic, her wealthy passenger, the families torn apart, and the unthinkable end. But never before has "that glorious band"--the group of eight musicians who played on as the Titanic slipped deeper and deeper into the Atlantic Ocean--bean explored in such depth. Steve Turner's extensive research reveals a fascinating story including dishonest agents, a clairvoyant, social climbers, and a fraudulent violin maker. Read what brought the band members together and how their music served as the haunting soundtrack for one of modern history's most tragic maritime disasters.

My Review: This book came in hardback form with a gorgeous sleeve cover that already had you engrossed before you even opened the book! This story tells the tale of 8 men who worked very hard in their lives all the way to the end. From the beginnings of their lives, through various jobs, etc...we found out how these men came about meeting up for the job of their lives, or the job that would lose their lives as it came to be. A band who gave their lives through music. Trying to keep the passengers calm on that horrific night so long ago, the band was remembered by survivors as playing beautiful music clear up until Titanic took its final breath. Read about what was found on the band members when they were discovered after the sinking and what has become of their families since. Includes many great photos. I highly recommend this book for anyone especially those who are into anything having to do with the Titanic.