Book Review: Love Letters from God

I received this book free for my honest opinion.

Love Letters from God is a fantastic book.  There are almost 20 beautifully illustrated bible stories- each on a two page spread.  With each story has a letter from God to your child.  It is really sweet.  I love the way you lift the flap to the letter.  The artwork is also great!   
The titles she chooses and the way the stories/letters are worded is very appealing to kids of every age.  The stories start include Genesis, David's trust in God, the birth of Jesus, the lost sheep, and The Tiny Tax Collector.  I absolutely love this book and will enjoy reading it to my children.

Book Review: Best Party Book Ever!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review...

With young kids ages 4 and 6, I am always looking for new creative ideas.  While pinterest is great, you can't beat having an actual book with all of the information you need at your fingertips.  The book is great as it is broken up into different sections (birthday parties, holiday parties, etc.).  There are a lot of beautiful pictures and great recipes and craft ideas.  It's a one stop shop!  It has everything you need to know about throwing a kids party and has a lot of fun and creative ideas.  I really enjoyed flipping through this book and found a lot of new ideas that I'm excited to try!  Overall, I would highly recommend this to a mom with a girl(s). 


6 Years

This week, we celebrated Mia's 6th birthday and remembered our first baby boy, Parker.  As always, it's a bittersweet day.  We had dinner and enjoyed some ice cream at Sweet Frog (her party is tomorrow) and then we visited Parker and brought balloons and flowers. 
Just a little about Mia at age 6. 
Mia is amazing.  While she is shy at first, she is the sweetest, loving, most compassionate little girl I've ever known.  I'm so proud of her.  When we go to a store, she always asks to buy a toy for "the kids at the hospital".  When her friend (or any child she sees) gets hurt, she asks me if we can pray for them.  She stopped in the middle of her soccer game while her teammates were chasing the ball, to help another teammate up who had fallen.  These are just a few examples of her sweet heart. 
She made the transition to kindergarten and now loves it!  She loves art the most I think, though she also really loves music.  I'm really looking forward to her reading so she can share in my love for books. 
So...Happy 6th Birthday to my amazing beautiful Princess Mia!

 

Dad

So, it's been just over 3 months since my Dad passed away and I'm anxiously waiting for the day when I don't think of him every time I boot up my work computer and every time I get in the car alone (which is when I called him). 

This was a few years ago after vacation.  My Dad was not only handsome, but kind, generous, and brave.

book review: The Giver

Amazon's description:

In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.

So, the movie, The Giver, is coming out (or maybe it's already out).  I always try to read the book before I see the movie so I knew I had to move fast.  I'd heard a lot about this book and it had been on my "to read" list for a  while.  I have to admit though, it wasn't what I expected.  I liked it though.  There is a young boy named Jonas who has lived in a very sheltered world.  At the age of 12, he receives his "job" and his chosen to be the Receiver of Memories.  He works closely with a man he calls the Giver who gives him all of the memories and he learns the truth about life, love, and pain.  He learns there is good and bad in the world as well as color and beauty.  He makes a decision that will impact his life as well as the lives of his community. 

I was a little disappointed when I discovered that there is no sequel.  I don't like writing my own endings, but I understand why the author left the story this way.  It is assumed he found love from another community, but I can't help but wonder how his family survived and what happened to the Giver.  Overall, it was an interesting read.  I'd definitely recommend it and I can see why it is a book that many schools assign to their students. 


Short Ocean City trip

Before school started, we took a few quick day trips (Washington DC and Ocean City).  The kids really loved Ocean City, but I have to say...for me...it was a lot different then it was when I was a kid.  Are the birds there more vicious now?  I really felt like they were flying at my head while walking on the boardwalk.  It was crazy!  It was a lot dirtier than I remember too.  Next year, I think we will try Fenwick Island.  Still, overall, it was a great day.

We spent a little bit of time playing in the sand. It was hot.

The rides opened at 1pm so we were really looking forward to that.  Unfortunately, Pax did not like this one.  He's not into rides that go fast or high. Mia is definitely more of a dare devil.

Posing with the Pirate.

The best part of the day was skee ball.  We all loved it.

 

Of course, what's a trip without a Target stop on the way home :).  I think they looked a little bored.