A Surprise in The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn

Lately I have been reading Christian fiction that is heavy on the mystery side with just a little bit romance so when I first picked up The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, I was a bit leery.  That feeling lasted less than a chapter because new author Lori Benton is amazing!  This book had beauty, romance, and adventure!  It even had a mystery that I never saw coming.

Benton does a wonderful job painting beautiful word pictures that make you feel like you know the setting and understand the feelings of the characters.  The book is very fast paced and I enjoyed the historical part.  The Overmountain settlers and The State of Franklin were unfamiliar to me before this reading.

If you'd like to read the blurb, you can find it here.  I absolutely recommend this book!  I also recommend you read it when you have a little time - I read it through in one setting because I couldn't put it down!

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

What I Learned In May

1.  I really can run in to a cousin just about anywhere!  

My sis-in-law jokes around with me about being related to so many people where we live and not really knowing them.  Last Friday night Hubby and I went to a dinner/auction for the University where he works.  The dinner music was a wonderful western group and as we were listening I kept saying to Hubby, that's Bob.  We went back and forth: it is/no it's not and when the song ended Hubby said, "Are you Bob?".  The singer responded, "Hey, we went to the same family reunion" and then yelled across a couple of tables, "Hey, Vicki - your cousin is over here!"  After the auction the band played by the pool and Vicki and I visited.  It was a lovely evening and enjoyable people all at an amazing historical ranch.  Of course I texted all this to sis-in-law (PGG) who responded LOL.

You can see the "ranch house" in the background and the amazing trees in the circle drive.

2.  All those snow days I loved so much this winter didn't seem all that wonderful when I had to go to school after Memorial Day.  

Honestly, we had to give so many tests that once they were all over, I've been coasting.  Well, not coasting so much, but letting 1st grade be focused more on fun than standards.  It's officially end of school - I made our traditional enchiladas that commemorate the occasion. (L found a recipe in a Hank Zipzer book in 4th or 5th grade).

3.  I learned that we weren't the only ones to move home to help with ill/aging family.

Our new principal that was just perfect for our school and we all liked so much is moving.  Both she and her husband have family members that need help.  We all understand, but are apprehensive about what the next year holds.  I've learned so much this year about data and it's been so nice to have such a positive cheerleader.

4.  I should really take care of myself when I know I'm sick.

One Wednesday in mid-may when I went to work I didn't feel well and by noon I was home sleeping the rest of the day.  I went to school Thursday in pain and to the doctor right after school.  Thankfully, I was able to find a sub for Friday (they aren't easy to find on Fridays near the end of school) and thanks to antibiotics was feeling much better by Saturday.  I should have gone to the doctor a whole day and half earlier instead of pretending I wasn't sick.

5.  Teaching someone to drive isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Maybe it's because I didn't do a whole lot of teaching.  I let M. drive in our neighborhood to home.  I wasn't nervous or frantic or anything like that.

I linked this post up at Chatting At The Sky.  Check it out if you'd like!

Summer Bucket List 2014

Last year, I made a summer bucket list and wanted to do the same this year.  Last year was one of the best summers in a long time (not necessarily because of the list).  We had much cooler than normal temperatures (a welcome relief!) and I felt like I had a lot of time at home just "being".

This summer we have lots of away time scheduled and I have some work scheduled, but I'm looking forward to another great time of break from our normal routine.  M. is going to be going on a within the States mission trip and L. will start football conditioning and has already been finding mowing jobs.  Hubby will transition to a new position at work (one he is really looking forward to).  I'm so proud of his success and how much his current position has grown in the almost five years he's been at it.

So here's the list - it's a bit shorter than last.  I didn't include vacation things on it, but I'm looking forward to our plans for that!

1.  Read Captivating and use the journal
2.  Complete some extra work
3.  Take a tour of the new apartments in town (just because M wants to see them)
4.  Visit our town's museum
5.  Run again
6.  Pick blueberries
7.  Go to the Parade of Homes
8.  Clean out the game closet
9.  Read 10 books
10.  Make carpet squares for the Magic Triad (school)
11.  Eat at the cafe in the church down the road
12.  Drive more with M.
13.  Go back to WW
14.  Make contacts for fall college Homecoming
15.  Give J. the dog more attention

Mother's Day

School Projects

L recently had to take eggs with the yolk blown out for a project in Spanish class.  It's a miracle these things ever got done!  I kept getting emails about them and the whole time, I kept thinking it was an extra credit project.  Finally, the Friday before they were due, I got an email reminder with a clarification: this isn't extra credit.....

L and Hubby were camping for the weekend so Sunday afternoon (best time to complete school projects isn't it?) the three of us worked on the eggs.  He turned them in plus a few extras and then on Wednesday, I realize that Friday (Good Friday - a day L was planning on missing at school so he could go to his brother's Good Friday service at school and spend time with visiting family) is when L's class was painting and completing their cascarones.  I emailed L's Spanish teacher and she's such a superstar!  She arranged for him to come to her class from another one on Thursday so he could complete the project.

And he left them at school!  I thought his baby cousin would have enjoyed seeing them crack and the confetti come out.  Silly me, I just now realized you're supposed to crack them "over" and not "on" someone's head!  Anyway, the cascarones finally made it home and I think he did an excellent job.

Yesterday, L. served with a group from National Junior Honor Society at a soup kitchen in the city.

The project today was actually just a paper - and it finally made it to school too.  L. did what he was supposed to and emailed me his essay so I could print it.  I kinda forgot.  So....I emailed it to his teacher this morning. Then I got a call from Hubby who said I needed to print it, the teacher wouldn't take it via email (I'm so thankful M's school takes electronic submission.  I'm thankful for his school for testing reasons too, but that's a rant and I won't go there.)

Hubby then got a frantic call from me because the printer wouldn't work!  I absolutely had to leave so he came home to take care of it. (It gets crazier.)  I forgot something so he met me where I dropped off M. for tennis, but when I grabbed the bag he had brought me, I also grabbed L's paper that Hubby was on the way to school to take!

I realized it and honked and honked.  Hubby stopped and got the paper and headed off to L's school to save the day.  He's our hero!

Did I mention that M. has three weeks of school left and L. and I have four?  We. Are. Ready.

After a Long Winter

I absolutely love to blog.  It's my outlet. My family record.  I have been absent too long and as near as I can tell the reason is two-fold: winter blahs and feeling that teenagers don't want their information shared for the world.  Actually, now that M. and L. are in the Instagram world, they are more okay with me sharing pictures and things about them.

All April birthdays are behind us.  The first weekend of the month we celebrated M. with several friends at our house.  The following weekend was me with Aunt and M. and then the whole family at Genghis Grill (Hubby and L. were away repelling and getting poison ivy.).  Finally, last weekend our Texas family came for L's birthday (party with friends at our house) and Easter.

Easter Egg Drop at the park next to our house

It was so fun to have a little one in the house again for a holiday!

Two peas in a pod

Thankful to have Aunt so close

Family picture after church

Fun in San Antonio

My family traveled infrequently when I was a little girl.  Perhaps that is why I enjoy it so much now.  Hubby and the boys had been to Sea World twice, but this year we decided that would be our Christmas destination and Aunt's Christmas present.

I must say, even getting to and into Sea World is much less stressful with teens than when they are three and five.  However, it's also not quite as magical. (Don't get me wrong, I still like traveling to the same spot - we've been to the Outer Banks three times now.)  The boys weren't as cooperative to pose for pictures and there wasn't anything they were seeing for the first time.  Mom to the rescue!

We had rushed to the aquarium part so we could see the sharks before that part of the park closed.  The manna rays were near the beginning and I made a silly face and told M. that it was my impersonation of the ray.  He snapped a picture with his phone.  Ah ha!  A connection point.  As we went through he got me on camera doing a piranha, fish, and shark.  I'm not sure where L. was when we were doing all this.  He was probably hiding, hoping no one would notice that I was his Mom.

Later M. begged to post a picture.  I don't think so!!! After much pleading, I finally agreed to the piranha. What do you think?

This Could Really Be Three Different Posts

If you have come to my blog looking for our Christmas letter, please click on the picture in the sidebar just to the left!

We have had a crazy three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas...

L got sick within an hour of returning from Albuquerque (think 10 hour car trip).  I am so thankful it wasn't in the car this time! M was only sick once in the wee hours of Monday morning and managed to drag him himself to school for 3rd-7th hours. The rest of the week was somewhat normal.

On Tuesday of the next week, Hubby decided he would have his wisdom teeth taken out the next day (the next opportunity would be while family was visiting and it really needed to be done since they were starting to cause some problems.)  Tomorrow?  Well, we're normally not that spontaneous, but ok.  Thursday, M had a doctor's appt. and Aunt came to the rescue because Hubby was still quite dizzy from anesthesia so she drove.  Before the three of them returned it started icing so what would have normally taken them 20 minutes to get home turned into two hours.  And we were out of school Friday. And Monday. And Tuesday.

Hubby's parents arrived Wednesday (did I mention Hubby went on a business trip Tuesday - Thursday of this week?) and his brother and fam arrived Thursday.  Brother graduated Saturday morning and we had Christmas Saturday night.

From Hubby's Trip

Brother with mortarboard, Hubby in other regalia - he sat with faculty

Everybody was gone by Monday and Tuesday Hubby started saying he didn't feel so well. (Thank goodness I had already planned to have a sub for Wednesday morning for M's other dr's appt.).  Back up just a sec - in the midst of these three weeks I had my second official observation at school and evaluation.  I also had terrible shipping woes (a friend said I should blog it) - I ordered my grandmother's present and right when I hit "submit" I realized that I hadn't put her address in.  I called right away (and waited a long time to actually talk to someone) and got that fixed.  Phew!! While all our family was visiting I got a box delivered.  I guess I didn't make that same discovery when ordering my sister-in-law's present!!  And I had been so excited to get free shipping!!!  Too bad it was free shipping to me and we still had to get it to Colorado!!!!!!!

The nice people who have our last name and live around the corner with the same house number and street number (I kid you not - everything is the same except we live on "Place" and they live on "Avenue".  Well, our first names are different, but I guess Fed Ex doesn't take that into account) called us to let us know they had our box from Omaha Steaks.  I'm sure they were returning the favor for me delivering their box of fruit to them two years ago.

Hubby's brother (not the one who was just here, but the one CO) called to say his box from his Mom had arrived and all our presents were in it.  "Our" box with his family's presents in it is scheduled to arrive today.  See I'm not the only one in the family who does this kind of thing.

Back to Hubby not feeling well.  Wednesday afternoon, he tested positive for flu.  He did not go out of the house from then until this morning for church.  Even then, we quickly made our way to the balcony so not to expose people to any lurking flu germs.  M was in the Christmas choir so I'm glad he felt like being there.

The whole reason I actually started a new blog post was this picture.

I took it before I talked to the good friend who suggested I write about the shipping hilarity.  We had a bit of an ice storm this weekend.  Just bit - no power outages (for us) and no slick roads - just beautiful crystals on elevated surfaces.  I was amazed when I saw that the ice formed on these leaves blown to the side instead of dripping down.

Amazing.  We got a Christmas letter from a friend who said their year had been one of contentment.  My heart was so warmed to hear that because this friend has been through some difficult years.  The craziness of my three weeks pales in comparison to her (and many of your) difficulties.  My heart was also "checked" - this craziness was definitely only ordinary life.  Am I content in the craziness of ordinary life?

Amazing? Content?  I think I'm on to something for a Word for 2013.  And this verse....normally I see people quote it during difficult times, but I think it is applicable always. Even in the ordinary.  I think our Amazing God does this and as it is happening, we can have great contentment.

Zephaniah 3:17

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”