Weekend Recap

We spent this past weekend visiting family in Long Island and it was such a great trip!  We visited with Chris's cousins and his 100 (she'll be 101 in April) year old Grandmother. 

Saturday afternoon, we went to Chris's cousin Charlette's house.  We love them.  This is his cousin Cailin.  She's so sweet and absolutely beautiful.  She helped Mia make shrinky dinks.  Mia loved her!

This was us with Charlette and her twin sister Toni.  They are so awesome.  Notice Paxton's pose.  He doesn't lack personality at all.  Of course, my eyes are almost closed as I cannot take a good picture---ever. 

Some of the NY kid/cousins.  Nick, Cailin, Joey, Mia and Pax.  Once again, Paxton was acting a little crazy. 

 

Sunday we had a great visit with Grandma.  I love her. She is so cute and so sweet.  She is an amazing woman who has done so much.  She came to America from Italy at age 5 (or about that age).  She opened a store and raised her family on her  own (her husband passed away at an early age).  I admire her strength. 

Mia gave Grandma a kiss before we left.  She is still walking around...and doing well! 

Paxton loved her too. 

This is one of my favorites.  Such a sweet picture of the kids with their Great Grandma. 

 

Book Review: The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers

 

I have started reviewing books through booklook bloggers and this was my first choice.  I promise that although I received this book for free, all of the opinions are my own. 

 

I LOVED this book!  It is perfect for toddlers.  It highlights several great bible stories from the bible including Noah's Ark, Baby Moses, and Jonah and the Whale.  It has fun rhymes and great colorful illustrations.  The thing I really liked about this book, as opposed to some of the others, is that it is easy for toddlers to understand.  The stories are short enough to keep their attention and the rhymes are catchy enough that they will remember them.  It's definitely a great first bible for toddlers. 

Book Review: Starters

Amazons Description:  “Readers who have been waiting for a worthy successor to Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games will find it here. Dystopian sci-fi at its best, Starters is a terrific series kickoff with a didn't-see-that-coming conclusion that will leave readers on the edges of their seats . . .” raves the Los Angeles Times. In the future, teens rent their bodies to seniors who want to be young again. One girl discovers her renter plans to do more than party--her body will commit murder, if her mind can't stop it. Sixteen-year-old Callie lost her parents when the genocide spore wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first--the very young and very old. With no grandparents to claim Callie and her little brother, they go on the run, living as squatters, and fighting off unclaimed renegades who would kill for a cookie. Hope comes via Prime Destinations, run by a mysterious figure known only as The Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to seniors, known as enders, who get to be young again. Callie's neurochip malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her rich renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, even dating Blake, the grandson of a senator. It's a fairy-tale new life . . . until she uncovers the Body Bank's horrible plan. . . .


I've been into Dystopian Sci-Fi lately and Starters did not disappoint.  I would not say I enjoyed it as much as The Hunger Games or Divergent, but it was definitely an interesting concept and storyline.  It has a lot of unexpected twists and you are not sure what is true and what isn't.  The characters are likeable and relatable.   I really enjoyed the first book....and I'm almost finished book 2. 

5 year olds...

5 year olds....  This is Mia and Pax reading together on my bed.  Sometimes she is easy and so good...and other times....


Well...other times....she hides under the bed because Paxton won't smile and have his picture taken with her.

Book Review; Labor Day

Amazon's Description:  Joyce Maynard, acclaimed author of At Home in the World, is back with Labor Day. The  unforgettable story of a mother and son forever changed during a long summer weekend when a mysterious man comes into their lives. Labor Day is “a sexy, page turning, poignant story” (Jane Hamilton, author of A Map of the World) that “affirms Maynard’s reputation as a master storyteller and shows her to be a passionate humanist with a gifted ear and heart” (People)


I'm sure you've all seen the movie trailer for Labor Day staring Kate Winslet.  I must say...it looked good and the book description sounded interesting.  I was excited to read it, but....  it was slow.  It was not the page turner that I had hoped it would be; however, it was a sweet love story.  The characters were complex and had depth.  I enjoyed getting to know their story.  Even the secondary characters were interesting.  I also liked the conclusion and how I wasn't left with any questions.  Overall, I thought it was well written with well developed characters.  If you can get past the first half of the book...it ends up being a great story.

Paxton and Mommy

My 3 year old drew a picture of us at school.  I love that kid. 

Close to Home: Book Review

Amazons Description:
It’s been two years since Jesse and Sarah Malone found each other again, said "I do,” and began their happily ever after. They each have a successful business, two beautiful little girls, and a future better than they could have ever imagined. But all that changes when a stranger walks into Jesse’s office, presenting him with a proposal that will turn his family’s lives upside down and lead him deep into a world of darkness.

Nina Lamont, a partner in Jesse’s architectural design firm, has the dream job, along with a beautiful apartment in downtown Chicago. She has everything a woman her age could want, except for love. After spending the past few years focusing on her career, she’s ready to embark on that quest with Nolan, security specialist by day and musician by night. His good looks, musical voice, and obvious passion for her have Nina head over heels. But the more she falls in love, the more she discovers that she knows little about him, forcing her to make an impossible decision: Either trust in her heart or walk away from the only man she’s ever loved. What she doesn’t realize is that the only thing more dangerous than a broken heart could be Nolan’s secrets.

Close to Home is the third book in the Jesse & Sarah series. This story touches on the safety and comfort of an old love and delivers the excitement and hope of a new love. As Jesse and Nina search for the answers to their questions, their worlds suddenly collide in a way they never expected, reminding them that pain and love are felt the greatest when they’re Close to Home.

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I was a little disappointed.  I feel like it was a little far fetched.  I mean, how many tragedies can happen to one couple?  I still liked the characters and I was happy to get to know Nina better, but I just felt the story was just a little too much.  I also wanted to see what happened to Rachel.  I would have liked to see something develop more with her storyline.  Overall, I liked the series, but found book 1 and 2 to be much better.  Still worth reading to find out how their love story ends.