Bucket List!! "Love"

 

 

Bucket List Time!!

 

 

My husband Greg and I absolutely love watching movies together. We both are comedy lovers, but I am a sucker for a great love story (especially anything that is written by Nicholas Sparks ;)  While reading one of my blogging books "Everything Romance," I came across a great list..."Love on the Silver Screen." These are what the American Film Institute revealed as its Greatest Love Stories as ...chosen by actors, directors, producers, film critics and others in the movie industry.

 

Greg and I have decided to watch all 100 films in order from 100 to 1. Now mind you, we have 6 kids, going on #7 so we are definitely unsure how long this is going to take, but are determined to watch each one of them (some are classics that we have never seen) 

 

I think this little project will be a lot of fun in subjecting ourselves to the dreamy movie world of love. You never know what we will stumble across along the way...wouldn't it just be awesome to live as some of these movie characters? We may even find ourselves getting even closer than we already are along the way! 

 

I will be posting each movie as they come and are hoping that Netflix has all of them!

 

Our first movie...#100 Jerry Maguire.

 

 

Flip one open and sneak away...

 

 

Today is National Paperback Book Day! Curl up on the couch and drift into another world.

Feel like going out? How about hitting a local book store/coffee shop for a new addition to your library shelf and a cup of joe!

Either way, take some time for yourself :)

I lost some weight...but don't worry, I found some of it...

Well, here I am trying to catch everyone up on my hidden life this year. Do I hide on purpose? No, just trying to keep up with a hubby and 6 kids :)

My biggest news in the last year? I joined Weight Watchers and lost 50 lbs!! I looked great and felt even better.

Bigger news? I am now preggo with my 7th child (27 weeks today) Guess I was a little irresistible with all that weight gone ;) Nah, my hubby always thought I was. Nothing more attractive than a woman carrying your child. Crazy how you gain weight back so much quicker when you veer from your Weight Watchers healthy eating pattern. No lie! I almost thought there may have been multiple children in there as fast as I was gaining! Don't get me wrong, I look too cute with my little belly, but will definitely have to get on the ball once this little girl makes her way out. The scale was my closest friend during that time period and will have to be once again.

Alright weight...be easy on the momma this time around, pretty please ;)

Book Review: 99 Blessings..An Invitation To Life by Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Book Review: Source of All Blessings, you bless us with memory--that sacred in gathering of the past into the present that allows us to recognize faces, learn poems by heart, find our way back when we are lost, and bring forth old and new from its nearly inexhaustible store. May I know what to forgive and forget and what to retain and treasure, keeping in mind the smallest kindness shown to me and spreading its ripples for a long time.

My Review: 99 Blessings....Wow, they are!! I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I received this book. I was so pleasantly surprised to see the candid way that Brother David speaks of the many blessings in the world. No biblical speaking...just everyday wording for everyone to understand and feel...There are so many things in life that we take for granted. There are literally and amazingly millions upon millions of blessings in this world. Thank you Brother David for bringing these blessing to light for everyone to reflect on and thank God for!!

Book Review: The Wishing Tree

Book Review: The Wishing Tree by Marybeth Whalen

"I received this book for free from BookSneeze for this review”.

Book Review: It's Not the Life She Planned...Hopefully it's much better...

 

Savvy, determined Ivy Marshall discovers that her husband has cheated on her on the very same day her sister's perfect boyfriend proposes on national television. When Ivy's mother asks her to return to her family's beach home to plan her sister's upcoming wedding, she decides to use the excuse to escape from the pain of her broken heart.

 

When her return to Sunset Beach, North Caroline, brings Ivy face to face with her former fiance', old feelings are rekindled and she wonders if there is a future for them. However, when Ivy refuses to talk to her husband, he resorts to tweeting to her, expressing his remorse and making it clear that he doesn't want to give up on their marriage. As she helps prepare the wishing tree for her sister's wedding, she must examine her dreams for her own future and what true love should be.
  

 My Review: I fell in love with this book from the second I saw the cover! The beach out of focus in the background along with the wishing tree just in focus in the front, heaven!!! I felt so bad for Ivy in this story who, from the beginning, believed that her husband was cheating on her and then somewhat caught him. I give her thumbs up for her standing her ground and choosing not have any contact with him while she sorted out her feelings.

 

When Ivy went to home to Sunset Beach, you felt just like you were there along with her. Picturing the bakery her aunt ran, the wishing tree, the beach...what a view just in one's own mind! It was also very interesting to see how different the southern life was from her city life. How time stands still, yet moves on. The chance for Ivy to go back and revisit what she had abruptly left behind; the memories, the family....it really gave her the opportunity to take a glance back and see that her perfect sister even had some imperfection, the anger that she carried for her parents divorce would soften over time as would her parents feelings, her husband realizing that he absolutely could not lose her, the ability to form a friendship with her former fiance' after having no reason to lose it.

 

A refreshing story of second chances in all aspects of her life....all with a very surprising outcome! A must read!!!

Book Review: Grieving God's Way...The Path to Lasting Hope and Healing by Margaret Brownley

 

Book Review: Grieving God's Way...The Path to Lasting Hope and Healing by Margaret Brownley

"I received this book for free from BookSneeze for this review”.

Book Review: The loss of a loved one is devastating, and the grief that follows is often crippling. while modern Western culture has adopted an aren't-you-over-it-yet? attitude toward death and the grief it brings, the grieving process can take years.

 

Weeks and months go by with no visible improvement. We might even wonder if God has forsaken us. Then one day it happens: We laugh. We feel connected, restless, maybe even hopeful. We're no longer consumed by our loss, and our thoughts turn outward. These are the first signs of healing.

 

Though the tendency in our fast-paced society is to suppress our grief or ignore it all together, Grieving God's Way inspires a different course of action. In this 90-day devotional Margaret Brownley provides the framework for a methodical grieving process that follows God's plan.

 

Grieving god's way requires us to trust that He will lead us through the darkness, heal our pain, take away our weariness, and fill our hearts with hope, peace, and new purpose. From defining what grief is to validating its importance, Brownley gives us the components necessary to find God within our sorrow and grieve with Him.

 

Divided into four sections, Grieving God's Way offers insight into hearing our grieving body, soul, heart, and spirit. Infused with scriptures and inspirational haiku by Diantha Ain, this book motivates us to shift our grieving from man's way to God's way...slow and often invisible but with truly amazing results.

 

So how long does it take grieve? As long as it takes God to heal.

 

 My Review: I was really in need of a book like this one. Having lost my older brother in a car accident 8 years ago, I have been having a very hard time with my grief. I did start to feel worthless considering that so much time had passed and I was still having such a hard time. This book assured me that there is no time limit on the grieving process. Each day in this 90 day devotional provides a nice passage that gives you positivity for your day. A verse follows each day in case you need further assistance in this. The first few days were not very interesting and I almost gave up on it. But then I decided that it was probably part of my grief taking over and that I need to learn to be more patient in this process. I am glad I decided to listen to myself. I made my way through the book and have a whole different outlook. Will it still take time? Yes, but anything that pulls me forward even one step is success!

Book Review: Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert

Book Review: Wishing on Willows...A Novel by Katie Ganshert

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

Book Review: Does a second chance at life and love always involve surrender?

A three-year-old son, a struggling cafe', and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Cafe in small town Peaks, Iowa, she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides.

 

So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her cafe' and a vital town ministry are located, she isn't about to let go without a fight.

 

As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won't give up easily. His family's business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin's gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own.

 

With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal, and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of second chances.

My Review: Wishing on Willows....Wishing for More!!! Although this book got off on a very slow start with me, after I really got into a few chapters, I could not put it down! Not only did this book make me angry at Ian and feel for Robin, it also made me absolutely love Ian and feel for his situation which he was also hiding. Being forced into a family business, Ian does what he can to make the best of his occupation. However, in the process, he learns that what is best for his family, may not, or may never have been what is best for him. Simply meeting Robin has taught him what he wants and what he is willing to do to go after it. An awesome story...romance in hidden form from cover to cover. This book will make you melt with anticipation and excitement. A must have!!!