Thursday, September 29, 2011

Booking Through Thursday

Thought I would answer the Booking Through Thursday question(s) this week.  It's been awhile since I've participated and I'm looking forward to seeing some of your answers as well.  To play along just click on the link. 

1. What do you think of reading aloud/being read to? Does it bring back memories of your childhood? Your children’s childhood?
It does bring back memories...I loved being read to and my parents were great at that.  I also read aloud to my son...even now.  He's 11 1/2 (can't forget the 1/2) and he would prefer that over reading himself.  I think that reading out loud to your children is one of the best things that you can do for them.  It increases their love of reading and it will show them how much you love it as well.  It's really a win win situation.

2. Does this affect the way you feel about audio books?
I love listening to audio books and I do think it affected the way that I feel about them.  I love hearing how they change their voices or inflections in certain passages.  But I do have to say that as far as listening to audio books I much prefer listening to fiction over non-fiction.  

3. Do you now have times when you read aloud or are read to?
I think that reading aloud sometimes will make me understand a passage that I'm having a hard time with. When I read with my son I often have him read aloud to me.  It gives me and my voice a break and I love listening to him read.  He's learned to change his voice as well as he goes along and it just makes my heart melt.

I'd love to know your answers....link up by clicking on the link above and sharing with everyone or just leave me your answers here.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Bench and Flowers

 I'm greeted every morning to these flowers growing up the side of our bench.  I love how they seem to bring out the flowers in the metal.  They soon will be gone so I'm taking the time to enjoy them now.

To see more Wordless photos head on over to:

Live and Love...Out Loud 5 Minutes for Momparenting BY dummiesNapTime MomTog




Please take a moment to link up and don't forget to leave a comment.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Cheesy Salsa-Mini Meat Loaves



It's Tuesday and time to share some recipes over at Tasty Tuesday!  Just click on the button above and enjoy all the amazing recipes!

The recipe that I am sharing today is SUPER easy and if, and I do mean if, you have any leftovers they are so easy to either freeze or pack up in your next days lunch.  They are even good cold.



Cheesy Salsa-Mini Meat Loaves

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
  • 1 egg
  • 12 premium saltine crackers, finely crushed (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 1/2 cups kraft mexican style finely shredded four cheese, divided
  • 1 cup taco bell home originals thick n chunky salsa, divided 
Instructions:
  • Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Mix first 4 ingredients with 1 cup cheese and 1/2 cup salsa.
  • Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Use back of spoon to make indentation in center of each. Place muffin pan on foil-covered baking sheet.
  • Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until meat loves are done (160 degrees F). Top with remaining salsa and cheese; bake 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Monday, September 26, 2011

I Heart Faces ~ Best Face Photo from Summer 2011



I have been thinking that I want to concentrate more on my photography again.  Don't know how much I can put into it as life is always changing.  One way to concentrate on it more is by participating in photo challenges that I find.  I love doing them as it makes me grab my camera and head on out there and take a photo that I otherwise would not have done.

I've been asked by many (and I'm very proud to say "many") if I'd be willing to sell prints of some of my photography.  I'm going to look into doing so this week.  Going to try to find out what all it would entail. So if you have any hints or tips my ears are open!

In the meantime I'm going to jump back into doing the weekly challenges over at I Heart Faces.  This week is a great week for me to jump back in because it's "Best Face Photo from Summer 2011" week.

The photo that I'm submitting is one of my son enjoying his favorite summertime treat....Berries and Cream Popsicles. I had originally wanted to take a photo of him eating one with his eyes open and ended up taking many.  But as luck would have it those photos didn't turn out nearly as well as this one did.  This one shows the pure enjoyment of taking a lick of the popsicle. 

The Muppet Movie

What is it about The Muppets that can make anyone feel so good inside?  I remember growing up watching The Muppet Show every week.  Would love to have the released seasons on DVD at some point.  Believe it or not but the other day Sam and I were watching the Disney channel when some Muppets and other personalities were singing The Muppet Theme Song and I started to sing along.  Sam then asked me, "Do you know this song?"  I responded..."Of course I do!".  Then Sam asked me if it was an old song.  My response was just a long and loud sigh.  He's seen some of the shows but not many of them.  So some day I'll get them and sit him down to watch them all.  For now...enjoy the trailer for their new movie which is due out on Thanksgiving this year.


Friday, September 23, 2011

Happy First Day of Fall

I "borrowed/stole" this from someone a few weeks back to share on the first day of Fall and now I can't remember who to give credit to (sorry). Either way...I love this list and hopefully we can do some of them this year. :)  What things would you put on your Fall Bucket List???  Inquiring minds would love to know.

Fall Into Reading 2011 ~ My Reading List



I can't believe it's the first day of Fall!  It's my favorite time of year and I look forward to it each year.  Especially after such a record setting summer of high temps.  Seventy days of this summer were at 100 degrees F or higher.  So, yes, I'm definitely ready for fall this year.  And I'm ready to start some serious reading again.  To join in head on over to Callapidder Days and read over the Basics.  Then put your list together and link up to share with everyone else.  You might even find some good books while you're looking around.

My List:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling (Book 2)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling (Book 3)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J K Rowling (Book 4)
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J K Rowling (Book 5)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J K Rowling (Book 6)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling (Book 7)
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

I started re-reading the Harry Potter books after the last movie this summer but only finished Book 1.  Now it's time to finish the series again.  I waited until I watched the last movie before starting them again. I also have had Brisingr on my list the past few times now and really want to finish it.  Keeping my fingers cross that I finally do so.

What are you reading this fall?  We'd all love to know.

It's time...What are you waiting for?  Get reading! The challenge goes from today, September 23rd, through December 21st.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ 30 Day Project


I have decided to do a 30 Day Photo Project. Hence the name "30 Day Project". I'm going to take a picture of the same view for the next 30 days...hopefully...and share them here with you. I won't post the pictures every day but I will keep you up to date. I thought it would be neat to see how the scenery changes over a course of 30 days. We don't see it when we look at something every day but if we record it and then look back over it we will see the beautiful changes that are set out there for us all to see and sometimes don't see or refuse to see.

To see more Wordless photos head on over to:

Live and Love...Out Loud 5 Minutes for Momparenting BY dummiesNapTime MomTog





Monday, September 19, 2011

Tasty Tuesday ~ Corn Casserole



It's Tuesday and time to share some recipes over at Tasty Tuesday!  Just click on the button above and enjoy all the amazing photos!

Mine this week is soooooo good and so inexpensive to make!  My kind of recipe.  Tomorrow is Wordless Wednesday...so make sure you come back!  On Thursday I'm posting my list for the Fall Into Reading Challenge.



Corn Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Keeping It Real People

Yes, it's 2:45 in the morning as I start to write this.  I can't sleep tonight and writing tends to help me.  Every time I try to go to sleep tonight my mind starts to run and I start to cry.  Some of you know what's going on and now I'm sharing it with the rest of you.  Don't know how many of you will actually read this post anyway so I feel comfortable putting it out there.  My husband has been without a job since about June.  Yes, we had savings but it can go pretty quickly especially when we also had to move.  He did start a new job this past Monday but it's not the job he really wants, he isn't that happy about it and it doesn't pay that much. But it's a job for now.  I'm not only working as a Crossing Guard (I don't get paid for this job over the summer) and working as an Independent Consultant with Lindt RSVP (which is just now starting to take off) but as of this coming Monday I have a third job with Bible Story Murals.  And to top it off I'm looking for a fourth job.  The part that is keeping me up at night is the fact that I don't know if we'll have a place to live come October.  Not to mention that our electric bill and water bill are due.  We've been to our church's mission center but they too are so stretched that they could only pledge $70 towards our electric bill.  We're calling the electric company to get an extension but they only will give a 5 day extension.  So we have to find the money from somewhere by the end of this next week.  What I haven't told you is that we are broke.  Dead broke.  We have roughly $100 to our name and that is cash.  Bank account is empty...not even a penny is in there.

Weird thing is that a couple of nights ago I had a dream that I wish I could make come true.  In my dream everyone that I knew on Facebook all gave us $10 because giving a friend $10 really isn't that much.  I have over 400 friends and family.  You can now see how I wish this dream would come true.

I'm the strong one in the family and am the one that has always held it together no matter what we've gone through. And trust me...we've been through A LOT!  But the past few days have been pretty rough on me.  I'm crying at the drop of a hat.  I'm strung out.  I'm a Mom, housekeeper, cook, friend, holding 3 jobs, taking Sam to Scouts, Flag Football Practice, Route 56 at church (program for 5th and 6th graders), and I'm still singing in the choir and playing in the bells for now.  I may have to give those last two up to find that fourth job.  Not to mention that Sam attends Connections Academy which is an online public school so he attends school at home.  It's the best thing for him so I'm working around that schedule as well because I don't want to take that away from him.  It's his education after all.

Well it's out there now...for all the world to see.  We're dead broke, looking for help and praying for a miracle that we won't have to move yet again...and it may be moving to...well I actually don't know.

It's now after 3:00 in the morning and I'm going to try to go to bed again.  Tomorrow is Sunday and we have Sunday School and Church in the morning so I need to try to get at least a little bit of sleep.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Flag Football


Sam is playing Flag Football with Upwards again this year.  This year will be his last year to play with this organization and I'll be sad to see this season to come to an end.  We were blessed to have the coaches from last year (which were the BEST) as his coaches this year.  Last Saturday was their first game...and they won!  Sam is wearing number 88 (in the white jersey) and he is sooooo much better this year!  Last year started off really rough because he would drop the ball a lot and his throws wouldn't hit their target and he was really discouraged.  This year?  He is catching and throwing like last year never happened.  Here in this picture Sam was passed the ball, he caught it ans was running for a first down.  Sorry the photo is a little blurry but I was so excited I was cheering at the same time I was taking the picture.

To see more Wordless photos head on over to:

Live and Love...Out Loud 5 Minutes for Mom


parenting BY dummies

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Wordless and Wordful Wednesday ~ Back End


Sam and I found our kitten Spanky under my desk the other morning asleep.  Only his hind legs and tail were showing.  Made me smile.

To see more Wordless photos head on over to Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, Project Alicia and J. Leigh Designz. Now if you're like me and sometimes you can't stay wordless head on over to see some Wordful Wednesday photos at Parenting by Dummies.  Don't forget to sign the Linky below.

Friday, September 2, 2011

An Army Of Ordinary People~ Book Review




BOOK DESCRIPTION:

An Army of Ordinary People contains the key to explosive, transformational, 21st century evangelism. Renowned church planter Felicity Dale shares stories of how God has always used—and is still using—ordinary believers to carry out his work in simple ways throughout the world. Some of these stories are dramatic—people being led to the Lord by the friends who counseled them through drug addictions and criminal pasts. Some are everyday—a dad spending his Sunday teaching Bible lessons to his kids, or a couple inviting their neighbors over to dinner and a spiritual discussion. But in each of them, there is a light bulb moment, when someone just like you thinks I can do that! And as a result, the gospel is spreading . . . and lives are being changed.

MY REVIEW:

I honestly don't know how to review this book and I have struggle on how to rate this one.  The book, An Army of Ordinary People, by Felicity Dale, simply tells stories of different house churches and describes different struggles and victories faced by those who join, lead, or start them.  The main problem that I had with this book was that it seemed, and remember this is just my honest opinion, that the Church as you know it was not good enough.  That in her opinion it was just when two or more in a group were gathered together.  She never stated that there had to be prayer, communion, or Bible studies.  However, her writing was good, the stories were moving and she did an excellent job of offering a look into the basics of the house church movement.

Finally, I must say that I don't know if I would recommend this book or not.

I received a FREE copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my fair and honest review of this book. 



I Review For The Tyndale Blog Network

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails