The countdown is on now. 11 more days. That’s how many days we have left until Macey starts Kindergarten. Big kid school. No more preschool that begins at 9:30am and ends at 12:30pm. She will have longer school days - beginning at 7:55am and ending at 2pm. She will be able to ride the bus. She will carry a backpack and some days a lunch box. This is a big deal to our big girl, of course. For Mickey and me, it’s just surreal. Seriously, how can it be that our firstborn is this age already? How can she be ready to go into the world of elementary school? Wasn’t she JUST born? Didn’t she just take her first steps? These days her steps are usually running, skipping or even “tumbling” as she has taken a shine to turning flips all over the house. These days she rarely takes a nap and is eager to do chores on her own. This is the girl that never wanted to be apart from mama and daddy as a baby and is now going to swim parties and is talking about sleep-overs (though she has yet to participate in one). The girl that simply thought Baby Einstein was the coolest thing ever now watches Hannah Montana and loves High School Musical. And, in eleven days she will officially be a Kindergartener. Where has the time gone?!
She’s the last of six Lowcountry sisters to tie the knot, so when Elle Garvey’s quarterback-turned-minister boyfriend Jeremiah pops the question, the family resolves to give them the send off of the century.
But as Jeremiah leaves Elle to plan the wedding and moves ahead to Houston for a large pastorate there, Elle listens for her own call to the ministry-but none seems forthcoming. And with the influx of new residents in coastal Beaufort, South Carolina, Elle’s art gallery business has never been more fruitful. She’s even begun to successfully show her own paintings-paintings she created after Jeremiah left town.
Soon Elle’s widowed tenant, Heath, arrives, throwing a real wrench in the works, and offering a new kind of love that soon takes hold.and blossoms.
******************** Kelly’s Review
This is the second book in Rachel Hauck’s Low Country Series. The first was Sweet Caroline which I just LOVED, so I have eagerly been anticipating this second installment. The anticipation was more than worth it. Love Starts with Elledid not disappoint. What a terrific read!!
Elle Garvey is an art gallery owner in Beaufort, South Carolina. When the novel opens, we discover that she is dating a local minister by the name of Jeremiah and they soon become engaged to be married. The hitch is that he has taken a new church in Dallas, TX. Elle begins to transition out of her life in Beaufort, faithfully although reluctantly, to begin a new life with Jeremiah in Texas. It is clear that her heart is torn in many different directions and that Elle finds herself struggling to make the right decisions for herself and her faith.
Enter Heath McCord, a widower from New York City who has come to Beaufort with his four year old daughter, Tracey-Love, in hopes of healing his heart and learning to move on with his life after his wife’s tragic death. Heath has rented Elle’s home and the two find themselves meeting in an unexpected way, but a friendship and bond soon form. The two discover they have more in common at heart and soul than they ever would have anticipated.
Elle is a beautifully written novel. Rachel Hauck has a way of touching on subjects of faith that is truly heart-opening. She doesn’t throw any issues out in an “in your face” way, but I know that I came through several times realizing that the words she had written spoke to my own heart. In addition to reading an excellent novel, I also felt moved by the way issues were presented and handled throughout Elle’s story.
I just adore this Low Country series. I have become a fan of Rachel Hauck and now I find that I am once again anticipating the next installment.
Editing to add this cute clip. It’s not long, so give it a view.
Stefanie Noble feels like “happily ever after” has passed her by—until three needy kids show up in town. Movie star Lincoln Cash has one last chance to start a new career—in Phillips, Montanta. When Lincoln accuses one of Stefanie’s charges of arson, neither of them realizes that somebody is out to get them!
****************** Kelly’s Review:
Finding Stefanie is the third novel in Susan May Warren’s Noble Legacy Series and I hope it’s not the last we’ll read of the Noble family. I have thoroughly enjoyed each book in this series and Stefanie is no exception.
Throughout the course of this novel, we learn more about the personality and inner-workings of Stefanie Noble. Stefanie returned home from college after one semester and has been working the family ranch ever since. She feels that there should be more to her life besides the ranch, but she doesn’t know what or where. Throughout the course of the novel, three children come into Stefanie’s life unexpectedly and bring redemption, purpose and hope with them. Also, Stefanie finds intrigue and romance in a very unlikely (to her) candidate - that being Lincoln Cash, a movie star who has moved to the adjoining ranch.
This novel contains elements of suspense, mystery, romance and family. It kept me glued from start to finish. I stayed up late on our last evening at the beach so that I could finish it because I was not at a point that I wanted to put it down. I actually didn’t want it to end and I sincerely hope another installment to this excellent series will be in the works!
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Dubbed the billion-dollar babies, Kara and Lizzie have known only squalor, neglect, and lies. Robbed of their birthright by a legal technicality, the twins are “raised” by greedy relatives. But when their stepmother finally tracks them down, she discovers two deceived and angry 18-year-olds. Can she prove her love—and will they believe in grace?
***************** Kelly’s Review
I began reading this book the day before we left for the beach. I picked it up thinking I’d start on it at home and have the rest left for beach reading. And, I’ll be honest - the first few pages in I thought that maybe I should put it down and set myself up with some “lighter” reading for the beach trip. I’m glad I didn’t put it down. I would have missed an amazing story!! I actually wound up reading most of this book in the van on the way down to the beach and I hated that it got dark when I had about 1/3 of the book left to read. I couldn’t wait until the next day when I could pick it up and read the conclusion. This book was excellent and, again, I am so thankful that I didn’t put it down. What a treasure!
Sure, keeping the home fires burning while constantlyputting out fires is no easy task. But never fear…Date Night in a Minivan offers you real-world advice for creating teamwork in your marriage. Crammed front seat to back with humor, stories, and road-tested tips, Craker’s guide zeroes in on the hot-button issues that crop up in a marriage when kids climb on board. Paperback.
************* Kelly’s Review:
I first discovered this book in an email from MOPS and I was intrigued by the title and description. I would venture a guess that most of us who have had children, especially more than one, find ourselves in ruts as far as marriage and family, so this book was one I wanted to read. I’m happy to report that this book did not disappoint. I found it to be very helpful with great tips, advice and stories that we can all relate to in our married lives. Lorilee Craker provided personal stories of her own, plus those from other couples and that gave some poignant insight into issues such as finances, romance, child-planning and more. The range of topics covered was just right and the book flowed nicely from subject to subject.
One thing I really appreciated about this book was Lorilee Craker’s honesty. She didn’t write this book as a “do as I say” piece of work at all. This book contains her admissions and she is forthright in saying many times throughout that she and her husband have their “issues” to work on too. We all do. It was refreshing to me to read her words and know that she was just honest and real.
I also appreciated that this book addressed each parent’s need for personal time. I have read other books that basically state that a Christian stay-at-home mom shouldn’t NEED time away from her children. And, frankly, I disagree with that. As much as we love our children, I do think we all need breaks from time to time. This book gave great ideas and insights for each parent to have their own individualized time as well as family time and couple time.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book for Christian mothers. I enjoyed it and I plan to pass it along to friends. A great read from start to finish!!
I’m sorry I have let my blog get stale of late. July has just been BUSY. And, I do mean B-U-S-Y!! First we had Macey’s 5th birthday and celebrations for that, then traveling over the 4th, then Mickey went away to camp for a week while Macey had dance camp in the afternoons here at home. Then we had a beach vacation with two other families that are close friends of ours. So, it’s been GO GO GO!! But, I’m back now and I plan to dust off this blog and get it back on track again.
We had Macey’s 5th birthday party at BounceU and it was a huge success. BounceU is what we call a “bouncy place” and offers a climate-controlled indoor play place just FULL of fun activities for the kids. For Macey’s party, we got to go to two rooms full of amazing giant inflatables. There were slides, climbing structures, obstacle courses and MORE. The kids had a ball and so did those of us adults that participated. It was just SO much fun!
I wanted to take a few minutes to share my appreciation for the BounceU staff as well. Everyone was super friendly and I felt they went above and beyond in making Macey’s party a success. From my first call to book the party until we walked out the door at the end, we were met with courtesy, genuine kindness, enthusiasm and smiles. Costumer service is clearly the name of the game at BounceU and they have it down pat!! We had one party “captain” with us the whole time and he facilitated getting the kids going on the activities, kept things moving along and played with the kids the whole time. He also set up the party room for us. He helped serve cake and drinks as well. When it was time for Macey to open her gifts, he gave each one to her and wrote down who gave her what gift. He also loaded our van at the conclusion of the party. Mickey and I were free to enjoy Macey’s party without having to do much of anything except have fun. How great is that?!
If you are looking for a great birthday party spot and you have a BounceU location near you, I highly recommend checking them out. The prices are really reasonable and the costumer service is second to none. Kudos to BounceU!!!
Last night, the girls and I had a little bit of Christmas in July in our home. When it was time to start winding down for the evening, they wanted to watch a dvd. Mariana (our 2 year old) requested Boz. Macey requested Boz’s Christmas DVD. So, that’s what we watched. It’s such a sweet DVD. We always love Boz and the Christmas feature was such a treat last night. What a great way to remind ourselves throughout the whole year of what Christmas is really all about and how we can keep it in our hearts year ’round. Honestly, it did my heart as much good as it did the girls, I believe.
If you and your family already love Boz, but don’t have the Christmas dvd yet, please let me recommend it now.
If you haven’t heard of Boz, please click the link to find more products about Boz the Bear. These dvds, books and cds are delightful for children and families. I love that they always have Christian themes and great moral lessons!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JULY from our family to yours!
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Christmas is coming and everyone in the neighborhood is filled with excitement! Join them as your whole family enjoys all kinds of Christmas fun, like sing-along carols, snowy adventures, and a special retelling of the Christmas story. You’ll find 15 song including “Snow, Snow”; “Away in a Manger”; “Deck the Halls/O Christmas Tree Medley”; “Gifts Every Day”; “It’s Great to Skate”; and more on this full-length feature. BOZ and the whole Baxter family help preschoolers everywhere discover that the very best presents are the ones that come from the heart, especially God’s most wonderful gift ever–Jesus! Running time: Approximately 45 minutes (plus special features).Boz, The Green Bear Next Door, is a whimsical, musical bear who joyfully explores God’s world with his friends and neighbors. This faith-based, early preschool DVD series from Exclaim Entertainment has been developed by founders Jon Green and Dennis DeShazer, co-creator of Barney . the Dinosaur. Closed Captioned. Recommended for ages 2 to 6.
DVD Bonus Features:
BOZ’s “Christmas Around the World”
Let’s Go Caroling with BOZ
BOZ’s Build Your Own Snowman Family Game (DVD-ROM)
When wealthy Edward Wilcott dies, his children have to “earn” their inheritance. Attorney Elizabeth must work pro bono for a year; plastic surgeon Jeffrey must find a less superficial practice; Mary Catherine has to stay in one place and teach; and Will is to build homes for the poor. Will they defy Wilcott’s wishes—or end up rich? 320 pages, softcover from Nelson.
*************** Kelly’s Review:
This book was recommended to me at my favorite local Christian bookstore and I picked it up based on that recommendation. I am so glad I did. There is no way I can review it properly enough to do it justice, but I’ll try.
In a word: WOW!!! The Will of Wisteria was an incredible read. This was a book that captivated me and I didn’t want to put it down nor was I ready for it to end. One of the best novels I’ve read!!
The basic storylines for this novel revolve around the children of a deceased billionaire in Charleston, South Carolina. Their father’s will left them with strict instructions to work for one year’s time without pay in order to earn their inheritance. The book entails each sibling’s decision and direction along the course of that year. The storylines are magnificently unfolded and the character development is outstanding. Hildreth didn’t lean at all towards any cliches and perfectly played out each character’s journey artfully and true to character along the way.
This was a novel that left an imprint on my heart. So many lessons are contained within these pages. I found myself drawn in and not wanting to let go. I wanted to read more, learn more and know more. I am now a huge fan of Denise Hildreth and will be reading more of her novels in the very near future. I recommend this book wholeheartedly and enthusastically to each and everyone!
She’s a wedding coordinator. He’s a divorce attorney. She begins marriages. He ends them. How could these two possibly find common ground?Wendy Hartline is finally starting to settle into the single life. After a difficult season of grief following her husband’s death, she’s taken over the family business of coordinating memorable weddings. Life has become . . . comfortable.Then the charming and incredibly frustrating Marco Amorini opens a legal practice–specializing in divorces–right next to her wedding chapel and stirs up everything.
************** Kelly’s Review:
Simply stated, this novel is a great read. It has so many wonderful elements that combine to make it an excellent read from start to finish. This novel contains humor, drama, romance and also life lessons. I enjoyed it tremendously!
For Better or For Worse is a novel in which the main character, Wendy, is a widowed wedding coordinator whose life and family are in the midst of turmoil and chaos. Adding to this is the introduction of Marco Amorini, a divorce attorney, into Wendy’s life. Things are never quite what they seem and this novel reveals that many times over through the use of humor and family situations.
I loved Diann Hunt’s writing style in this novel. I immediately felt a connection to Wendy and felt that I could relate to her right from the start of the novel. The way Hunt skillfully blended together all the elements of this novel kept the storylines flowing seemlessly from page to page. There was never a time when I felt the storylines were mundane or dragging at all - I was engaged in the novel from beginning to end. And, honestly, I was left wanting more. That is one sign of a great novel for me.
I have become a fan of Diann Hunt and look forward to reading more from her soon. I recommend this novel without reservation. A+!!
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