North of Hope - Book Review

Shannon Polson wrote an amazing account of her parents death, her own grieving and her wild adventure to the remote Alaskan arctic to reenact her parents last trip.
Polson's parents were killed by a grizzly bear as they rafted the Hulahula river and camped in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2005.
Polson, her brother and another traveler take on the journey to find healing and closure. Throughout the trip they encounter all sorts of feelings, adventures and trials. And Polson recounts memories of her father - both good and indifferent. She gives a very honest rendering of her greif and takes the reader on an exciting trip to the arctic.
I recommend this book. It's a very well done memoir of the author's dealing with loss.

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Invisible, By Ginny Yttrup - book review

What an amazing book. Honestly - I didn't expect Invisible, by Ginny Yttrup, to have much of an effect on me. I knew the premise of the book and the main characters were three women - one overweight, one depressed, one anorexic. I thought it would be a nice, fiction book and that I would be able to learn about the struggles of other women when I read it. However - I really learned a lot about myself when I read it. I'm not anorexic, overweight or depressed, but I do really struggle with my body image in general. For the longest time, I've brushed it off and tried to focus on what's inside - I've tried to work on being a good person and not superficial - pretty much ignoring my outer self. But while reading this book, I realized that I was avoiding something important - the Image of God in which I was created. God sees me as beautiful - even though US Weekly would never classify my looks as anything but pathetic.

But Yttrup's book really gave me insight as to what God does see in me - and what I need to see in myself. I realized, in reading Invisible, that God truly made me in His image, which means He delights in me and loves and adores me - even the me that I've tried not to look at in the mirror.

I really appreciate the way Ytrupp wrote the book. Though it was fiction, it was also a therapeutic guide to healing and inner peace rather than just an entertaining story.

I look forward to reading more from Ginny Ytrupp. She's obviously a very gifted Christian author and teacher.

Fierce Beauty - Book Review

Kim Meeder wrote an amazing book that really touched my heart. She wrote about the struggles we all face as we are bombarded with images of "beauty" all around us. Meeder encourages the reader to stand for what matters - and embrace the beauty within.
She shared vulnerable moments in her life - times of great loss and pain. She shared beautiful stories of young people finding wholeness in their lives. She challenged the reader to look within and make decisions as to who and what to strive for.
It was a great book - full of encouragement and truth.
I recommend it and give it five stars!

The Tree - With a Christmas Dove Tutorial

So as a family, we've never had a Christmas tree. Honesty, it always seemed like a hassle and an extra expense. I loved looking at other people's trees and my kids weren't old enough to care - so I didn't either.
But this year, I found myself wanting a tree of our own. However, without a tree budget, I didn't see a way we could afford it. But I reserved $20 and found a used, artificial tree on Craigslist.org. The seller gave me a deal on a 6 foot, fairly low quality, pre-lit tree. I was pleased as punch to get it too.
Anyway, once I got it set up - I realized it would need some ornaments.
I made popcorn garland by sewing hundreds of pieces of plain popped popcorn together - a rather tedious job that I won't soon sign up for again.
Then I found a tutorial online that gave instructions for making little doves out of pages from an old book. That seemed free enough for me.
The tutorial was great - but the birds required a bit more of a time investment than I had and some supplies I didn't want to buy. So I simplified the project and have included my instructions here.

First, I cut a basic bird profile shape out of card stock. I made it about 6 inches long, from beak to tail. I made a separate wing cut out - a teardrop shape. I then traced my bird & wing onto a stack of 3 book pages. (In the photo, there are two birds and two wings traced onto the stack of pages).

Next, I cut out the bird & wing shapes and laid the wing shapes onto the bird. I stapled all the pieces - except one of the wing shapes together. Then, I glued the remaining wing onto the others, to conceal the staple. 

Then I used a pencil and rolled the edges of the wing and tail around it - to make it look like ruffled feathers. I sewed a string into the top of the bird's body so I could hang it and glued a very small twig to the bottom of the bird that resembled bird feet.

Here's my finished tree. I added some construction paper flowers for a little pop of color. Check out this  tutorial from Under the Table and Dreaming. Her bird tutorial is very nice and is what inspired mine. If you decide to make a Christmas dove too, post a link or photos into my comments section. I'd really love to see what you made. :)  Merry Christmas!

The Little Monster Project

So this month, I have a slew of kids' birthdays to celebrate. Also, Christmas is coming up - and I loathe the idea of spending the money my husband works so hard for on worthless, plastic toys that my kids will adore for a day and a half - before they're added to an overflowing bin of forgotten toys.

I decided to try and make some little gifts for the kids having birthdays this month. So I googled some homemade toy ideas online. I found some great ideas - but none that really stood out. Then I came across a site selling little homemade monsters. They looked easy to make - so it inspired me to create a monster of my own to give this year.

This turned out to be one of the cutest and easiest homemade gifts I've ever made. Start to finish - my first one took about an hour. I hand sewed all of it. I used my machine for the bulk of the work on the second one and it took much less time.

Here's a little photo tutorial of how I did it - and instructions for making your own.

First - look around the house for fabric. Of course you can buy new, but that sorta defeats the purpose of frugal, homemade gifts...  I used a T-shirt I had bought for myself from a thrift store. It was a thick, good quality shirt that just never seemed to look right on me. I also found some left over fabric from some pillows I had made a couple years ago. Those, and some other fabric scraps I had were enough for the entire project.

1. Cut out a monster. I made mine slightly smaller than a standard bed pillow. I gave him very easy little arms, legs and ears - keeping in mind I wanted a project I could finish quickly.
Then I made his eyes, mouth and tooth out of one of my kids outgrown shirts and some other scraps. I sewed everything in place by hand.

2. Next, I traced the monster face onto the other piece of fabric I had and cut it out. The boy I was making the gift for is turning one, so I also cut out a circle and a #1 to sew to the back. For the number, I used another piece of my kids old shirt. Pretty simple.

3. Finally, I hand sewed the pieces together, inside out - and left a few inches open for stuffing. Turned that monster inside out and stuffed him - then stitched the opening together to finish.

They're great little gifts for babies and young children. I'll be making them all month for the rest of the kids' birthdays on my calendar. My own kids have also put in their monster requests for Christmas.

Here's a link to the lady who makes (much nicer) monsters for sale: http://blog.revoluzzza.com/2009/06/05/get-your-revoluzzzionary-creature/ 

Do you have any cool homemade gift ideas this year? Leave a comment and share some inspiration.

Tangled Ashes - Book Review

THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED (BY ME) IN THE ANSWER NEWSPAPER

Well Written Historical Fiction

By Amanda Wynant

The Answer Staff Writer

Book: Tangled Ashes

By: Michele Phoenix

Price: $12.99

Available: Amazon.com

Lamorlaye, France - 1940: Meunier Manor, an elegant castle, is taken over by Nazi officials as they occupy the city. The Nazis make the castle their headquarters and the place where they'll institute their Labensborn program - a project Heinrich Himmler set up to promote the growth of the Aryan race by encouraging Nordic women and German Soldiers to conceive a child dedicated to Hitler and the Third Reich.

French teenage girls, Marie and Elise are forced into work for the Nazis at the castle, to help supplement their families' income. The girls have no knowledge of the Labensborn program at first, but soon discover the horrible plans of the Nazis as they turn the winsome castle into a maternity home. The young Frenchwomen must make brave decisions of loyalty and courage as they try to do what's right.

Fast forward 70 years. The Meunier castle is still standing, but in need of drastic renovations to restore it to it's original beauty. The castle is purchased by a wealthy businessman who has hopes of making it a fine hotel. Marshall Becker, an expert in historical renovations, flies from his home in the U.S. to Lamorlaye to begin the intricate and specialized task of rebuilding the castle and transforming it into what his client has requested. 

He opts to stay on the property while he renovates. During his time at the manor, Becker finds that many of the people associated with the grand building are hiding dark secrets of their own. Strange things happen in the midnight hours to lead Becker into further search for the mysteries of Meunier Manor - and attempt to face the demons in his own life.

Michele Phoenix is an amazing writer. She has a fantastic ability to take a story from the 1940's and one from today and seamlessly marry them into a narrative that's both extremely engaging and quite easy to read. Her storytelling is stellar and the reader is captivated by the end of the book's first paragraph.

With 384 pages, Tangled Ashes is a work of historical fiction that weaves the love of Christ into the story, without an overt, preachy tone. Phoenix writes in an educated and easily understood way that's sure to peak the interest of any mystery loving reader. Once the book is opened, it's hard to put down. 

Tangled Ashes is recommended for any adult reader looking for a novel this fall. The characters are lovely - easy to relate with and well created. The story itself is part historical record (Meunier Manor actually exists in Lamorlaye, France), and part fiction. Pick up a copy at your local bookstore or through www.amazon.com.

The Beginner's Bible App - Review

Love this App.

It's The Beginner's Bible app from Zondervan. My 2 year old and 4 year old have asked for it every night since we got it. They like to take turns "turning" the pages. 

The pictures are fantastic and very clear. The narrator is very easy to listen to - with a calm voice. The stories are well written and suitable for all ages of children. 

The games are fun and interactive. It's a great way to review stories with your little ones after reading them with this app. We enjoyed everything about this app and would love to see more apps like this one.

We Choose Virtues

Have you heard of this program? It's a really cool curriculum designed just to teach virtues to students.

I just heard about it from a friend of mine and thought it was a really neat idea.
Here's their website for more info: http://www.wechoosevirtues.com/shop/home-school-kit-community

Things to Remember

So lately - I've been overcome with the desire to document some things that my kids are doing - or were doing so I never forget them. I'm not very sentimental. I don't do scrapbooks and didn't make baby books. I don't have a wedding album and there is only one framed photograph displayed in my home. I hope to get better at all this - but for now, I'm just going to jot some things down here that I never want to forget.

When Lily Ann was just beginning to talk, she said some of the sweetest things. She called flowers "fallers". When she wanted help with something, she'd say "help you" (with a big question mark at the end). Her pacifier was her "fwop-fwop." She loved drinking smoothies - and she would call them "moonies." When I was pregnant with Miles, Lily loved talking about the baby in my belly. She also claimed to have a baby in her belly - and asked all sorts of women if they had a baby in their belly. When we first brought Miles home from the hospital, she rubbed his little baby head and said, "toft."
More recently, we were driving past a car dealership with a big line of balloons bordering the lot. Lily asked, from the backseat, if those cars were having a birthday party. She also refers to California as Caleeyafornia.

Miles has just turned two - and has been saying some super cute things lately. One of his very first words was "La La" (that's what he called Lily, before he could say her name). When he started learning animal sounds, he couldn't quite say "moo" - instead, he said "mmmmmmm." And when I asked him what a piggy said, he would say, "Onk Onk." One word he learned quickly was please or "fweeze." That seemed to get him whatever he wanted. If he wanted to nurse in the middle of the night, he would say "mo fweeze." that soon progressed to "nursey fweeze." If he kicks his covers off in the night, he says "Cov Me!" When he wants water, he asks for "wawee." He loves "Tommy Twain" (Thomas the Train). When he wants a little time alone, he tells Lily that he needs some "face" or some "frivacy." He loves to pretend to be a monster and chase Lily around the house.

There are so many other sweet things they say - I'll be coming back to this post and adding them when I remember them - so I'll never forget. :)

Summer Projects You'll Love

I just wrote this article for Blissfully Domestic. It's a bunch of cool summer home project ideas from around the web. Some of these ideas are really amazing. One guy wrote about wallpapering a room with pages from vintage books. Another article outlines the creative things you can do with old wood pallets. Anyway - these little projects might help you stay out of trouble this summer!
Check them out.

Not a Hairstylist . . .

Words to the wise: a Youtube tutorial is NOT a suitable way to learn how to cut your own hair.

Youtube tutorials are awesome. Last year on Youtube, I learned how to quickly peel kiwi fruit. Earlier this month, I watched a Youtube tutorial that taught me how to make Lily Ann a barbie princess cake for her birthday. So naturally, I thought I could save a few bucks and let Youtube teach me how to cut my long, thick, horse-mainy, layered hair.

Let's just say I was wrong - and I'm thankful that I didn't cut it so short that I couldn't still tie it back. Because It's going to be tied back for a while - until I can get the damage undone.  :)

Miles' First Haircut

Miles has had these lovely white curls on the back of his head for a while now. Recently, they started growing longer - in so much as you might mistake him for a little blonde girl instead of the little boy that he is. I've been putting off the first haircut - because the curls are just so precious to me. But today - I finally snipped them off - and saved them for the keepsake box. 

He looks so much older now. More like a little boy than a baby. . . . 

You can see Miles' long curls in this photo.

Here he is after his first haircut.

Family Photos

A friend of mine took these photos recently and just sent them to us.

Back to Blogging

I think I'd like to get this old blog up and running again. I'll start with a little family update. . . .
So far, this summer, Lily Ann turned four and Miles turned two. Even though it's exhausting to chase them around all day, I enjoy raising them SO MUCH. They love each other and play together pretty well now. Miles has turned a corner and is becoming much less fussy. Lily Ann is a sweetheart - such a little helper.
Adam is enjoying his work and doing a great job. He's always being recognized at work for being awesome. At home, he's also fabulous. He's so sweet to our kids and incredibly helpful around the house. I'm still not sure how to operate the vacuum cleaner - he always beats me to it. Did I mention how very handsome he is?! He just keeps     getting better looking with age.

I'm writing a bit - freelance. I'm taking some online courses to learn how to do a better job writing - and marketing my work. I write for a couple of websites, an online magazine and a local paper right now - but just here and there. I've got a full time job taking care of these kids and my fantastic husband.

Here are some pictures of our life lately.

I hope to update more often. And refine my blogging skills as I go.

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happily ever after - book review

In 1992, Dr. Gary Chapman wrote the landmark book, The Five Love Languages. He sold over six million copies. As a relationship counselor for more than 30 years, Chapman has worked in the trenches with thousands of couples, while maintaining a successful marriage himself and raising two children.

In his most recent book, Happily Ever After: Six secrets to a Successful Marriage, Dr. Chapman outlines the six most common problems marriages face and gives practical insights on how to successfully navigate through the issues.

The book is an A to Z marriage primer, boasting 370 pages of relevant information for any married person. This would be a great book to give a newlywed couple; but it’s equally as valuable for couples who’ve been together for decades.

Dr. Chapman tackles the most delicate topics in marriage from sexual intimacy to problems with the in-laws. If it causes conflict in marriage, it’s in this book!

At the end of the book, there are several bonus tool sections. One is titled, How to Get Your Spouse to Change without Manipulation. Another section has two parts: one is a collection of what husbands have said when asked the question, “What would you like to see your wife change?” And the other: a collection of what wives say when asked, “What would you like to see your husband change?” It’s like a candid list of the things that might drive your spouse up the wall – but things he or she would probably never dream of actually saying.

Dr. Chapman also gives a list of suggested resources for couples from how to handle money to how to enhance sexual fulfillment in a marriage.

This is a must-read for people who want to keep their nuptials fresh and alive. In this season of romantic love, give your marriage a tune-up!

Out of a Far Country - Another Book Review

I'm reviewing a book for WaterBrook Multnomah - a publisher providing me a complementary copy through a program called Blogging For Books. The book is called Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son's Journey to God. A Broken Mother's Search for Hope, by Christopher & Angela Yuan.

I read this book - and I'm not typically one to pick up and autobiographical book - but this was really good. It was a very easy book to read in a short time and kept my attention all the way through. 
The subject matter is touchy. It's a story told from the perspectives of a mother and her son who is struggling with homosexuality. Each chapter alternates perspective.

Both parties begin their journeys with disdain toward Christianity, however Christ reaches them in surprising ways throughout the years of struggle and uncertainty.

The Yuans tell an amazing story of redemption and love. It's an inspiring story of how God can use the most unlikely circumstances to lead us to Him. There's also a lot of examples of how prayer can truly change a seemingly lost situation. My views were challenged and my walk was encouraged while I read this book. I recommend it for anyone and give it five stars.

The Baker's Wife - A Book Review

Main character, Audrey has a supernatural sense of other peoples’ pain. God gives her an ability to feel the distress of others and uses her to help heal them. As she helps her husband pick up the pieces, after unjustly losing his job as pastor of a small town church, she finds herself the suspect of a crime.

Early one morning, while driving in the fog, she hits an object. When she gets out of the car, she finds that she’s struck a motor scooter. Massive amounts of blood cover everything - but there’s no sign of a body.

Upon investigation, the blood and the scooter are found to be those of Julie Mansfield, the missing wife of Detective Jack Mansfield – the church board member who fired Audrey’s husband Goeff.

Mansfield is confident that Audrey and Goeff are lying and they know where to find his wife. His obsession in proving their guilt drives him out of control – to a point where he becomes dangerous.

As the mystery unfolds, the reader is held in a fantastic suspense, clinging to each word on the pages. Healy writes with amazing precision and takes the reader on a thrilling ride that makes it difficult to put the book down. 354 pages can be read pretty quickly when the plot is this riveting.

Though The Baker’s Wife is an entertaining and fascinating book, there’s a remarkable Christian message in the story. Forgiveness, obedience, reconciliation and God’s provision are themes repeated from beginning to end. 

I received a free copy of this book for review from the publisher. However, I am not required to give a positive review.

Bible Stories for Preshchoolers - A Book Review

Let me just begin by saying that I've been looking for a good book for my three year old with Bible stories. We've found a few, here and there, but they seem to be either too difficult for her to understand or too simple to explain the full message.
When I was given the opportunity to review this book of Bible Stories for Preschoolers, from Tyndale publishers, I was eager to do it.
The book is about the size of a regular Bible - pretty thick and hard covered.  This, of course, delighted my daughter. She immediately said, "This is my Bible."
Upon reading the first few stories, I was just as "in love" as she was. The stories are written just for a preschooler. Language is easy to understand - there are built-in questions, like "do you see the boat Noah is building?" And the stories are accurate - not silly, rhyming words that don't mean much - but real stories, written for the average preschooler.
Obviously not all the stories of the Bible are included - just those that a preschooler can grasp.
The artwork is good and helpful too.
The other benefits are the end of the chapter discussion questions. They give parents good ideas on questions to ask or things to talk about right after the story.  There is also an optional craft or project idea to go along with each story - which would be great for a Sunday School class or homeschooling or a family craft.
I was blown away by the quality and readability of this book.
I recommend it for all parents and their preschoolers!
I was given a copy of this for review, from Tyndale Publishers - but I am not required to submit a positive review.

When God Created My Toes - Book Review

My three year old daughter and I really love this book. First of all, the artwork - including cover art - is absolutely amazing. Then the simple, rhyming story is lovely. The vocabulary is perfect for a toddler. It was good to introduce the word 'created' instead of just 'made' for my daughter.
The story, itself, is precious and there seems to be a lot of love represented in the pages. The parents in the story seem to love their child and there are lots of warm images of such.
I would recommend this book to any parent for a toddler - boy or girl.
The main character of the story is a girl - but the book could really go either way.
Five stars!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, for review. However, I am not required to submit a positive review.

WOF conference review, a guest post by Kimber M.

This is a review for the Women of Faith Conference - in Anaheim. Kimber M. attended in my stead and wrote a review for this blog for me. . . . here it is:

 

On Friday, the first session was kind of an intro of all the speakers and a little sharing from them all. The main speaker that interested me was Andy Andrews. He was something else. He really touched my heart when he shared his story about becoming an adult orphan at age 18 or 19, can't remember which. He reminded me of how lost and ingnorant we can all be of our own circumstances and calling and why following a path that God has designed for us just makes sense. It was real.

 

Of course the other main speaker, Patsy was extremely funny and a breath of fresh air from seeing all these real together, perfect bodies floating around. She helped me see the not so perfect me that God can use anyway.

 

Then there was lunch... well let me put it to you this way, with the good comes the bad. Not that the lunch was bad, but getting to the lunch was what I would call scary. Just imagine, thousands of hungry, hormonal, middle aged+ women who skipped the restroom to beat the rush; swarming through a very tight hallway then spilling out to the parking lot to very unskillfully form into several single file lines to grab a box lunch then run back to their seat, deposit the lunch, and run to stand in the mile long line at the bathroom. Which, oops happens to be one of the men's restrooms that they changed to women's JUST FOR THIS CONFRENCE and it only has THREE STALLS!!! LOL...now that I'm sitting here thinking about it, it was actually funny.

 

On Friday at the last session, me and my hopefully someday inlaw were just blown away at the speakers and the concert! IT WAS FABULOUS! Just what we both needed. I can't remember the main speaker's first name, but the last name was Warner. Her husband is in the NFL. She was adorable, a dynamic speaker and seeing someone who IS so perfect looking speak about things that brought her down to the rest of our level was just amazing. I can't remember the singer's name at the end of the night either (I'm bad with names) but she not only sang but gave a tremendous testamony that I'm sure many there could relate to. Needless to say, my guest and I both felt the tension and stress just melt off about a quarter way through the night and by the end we were dancing, singing, smiling and praising the Lord! Together! No not quite a miracle but definately a blessing.

 

On Saturday, my guest and I enjoyed every moment we were there. Oh and by the way, the seats were awesome. They were on the floor about five rows back. So we didn't miss a thing. There were more of the same speakers on Saturday, which were still phenominal...and we are women so we figured out how to beat the rush for the bathroom and lunches by the second day...LOL. We learned more about Patsy through her testamony and enjoyed more of Lisa from the 80's tv show The Facts of Life. I think the real treat of Saturday was Sandi Patty though. Her voice and the way she uses it is just amazing. 

unPlanned - a book & DVD review

Abby Johnson was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas. She underwent two abortions herself and had counseled hundreds of women through the process.

There were always protesters outside her clinic. It wasn’t unusual for Abby to read hateful signs from the protesters, or be the target of verbal attacks or threats. But one group, from the Coalition for Life, A peaceful and truly Christian group began praying for Abby.

The peace with which the Coalition for Life members operated surprised Abby. One of the protesters and Abby even formed a friendship. Abby’s heart began to change, and one day – as she was assisting in an abortion, she realized that she couldn’t go on as the director of the clinic.

Abby’s decision, that day, changed everything. Her next steps, into the Coalition for Life office, made national news, as she went from her role at Planned Parenthood to being a leader in the right-to-life movement.

In unPlanned, Abby tells her story of courage and reformation. The book and DVD are both excellent and they give a view of abortion from both sides of the fence.

The Blessing

I am writing this review for Thomas Nelson publishers - they sent me a copy of The Blessing, by John Trent, Ph.D. and Gary Smalley.
This book was written, originally, in 1986 and has been revised and updated a few times.  They just released it again and they've done an amazing job of updating it for the age of the internet. 
The message of the book is the same - basically an instructional guide on how to bless the people you love.  The book outlines the five ways to give a blessing: 

Appropriate meaningful touch
Spoken words
Attaching high value
Picturing a Special future
Genuine Commitment

The updated version also features a website where people can go to share with others about the concepts, read about ways to bless their children and learn more.  The authors have also partnered with Focus on the Family to initiate a challenge to individuals and churches to change the lives of one million children using The Blessing as a guide. 

Five stars for this one.

I love this book!