2011 Favorites

It's that time of year again. The time to give a virtual high five to my favorites of 2011. Granted, not all of the following books came out in 2011, but it's the year I had the pleasure of experiencing the talents of these amazing writers, so it's the year I shall share :) To keep things simple, I won't include story summaries, just the why and what that made these reads so irresistible.

Books:

Fiction

Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann. Anybody who knows me knows I'm a total scardy cat. I jump at YouTube previews and scream when a shadow crosses the front window (later to discover it's just the UPS man) But I digress. Indivisible was just the right blend of chilling, on the edge-of-my-seat romance. Kristen's gift at storytelling sold me at page one. I became an instant fan.

Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge. I must admit, I'm not a big reader of Amish fiction but Hillary's debut novel was impossible to put down. Her characters were so likable and real and Hillary's voice is hilarious. It's one of the few books I've ever read that made me guffaw and snort all in the same paragraph.

Fresh Start Summer by Beverly Nault. I'm a huge fan of Beverly's style of writing. Casual, funny and always inspirational. She writes the kind of characters you want to be friends with. If you like cozy fiction and a writer with a sense of humor, snatch this one up!

Katia by Bruce Judisch. A dramatic and witty recount straight from Berlin during the time of the wall. Bruce's novel drew me in from the start and didn't let go until I read The End. This is the type of book that challenges. It made me want to be a better person.


Non-Fiction

A Love That Multiplies by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. Whether you have one child or a bus load, this peek into the Duggars lives is truly inspiring. Any couple that encourages parents to strive for greatness and Godliness when it comes to raising children are heroes in my book.

We Are Not Alone by Kristen Lamb. Easy to read, stuffed with important how-to's, and the ever helpful what-not-to-do's, this book is a gem of information on social media. And Kristen is a total riot. Not to mention, her way of using her own blunders to help others is pretty darn cool.


Movies:

I guess I should say movie, because I haven't gotten out much this year =)

But I can't think of a movie more worth mentioning than Courageous. My husband and I had a date night for our anniversary and this was the perfect movie. Encouraging, uplifting and even life changing, this is a film that all families should see. Plus, I cried within the first two minutes. This movie had me at hello.

So there's the nutshell. I'm curious. What great reads and films did you discover this year?

The Moment I Forgot About Christmas

It's been more than forty-eight hours now since my husband came home from work early in excruciating pain. More than forty-eight hours since I called his mom to see if she could rush him to the ER. I watched in near tears as our neighbor, who is a nurse, brought him a face mask to put on because if her fears were correct, he could have been so contagious that our whole family would be at risk.

I didn't know anything. I simply knew that he was so weak he could hardly stand. And watching him leave with no color in his face and tears in his eyes for fear the baby or the kids would get whatever it was that he had, simply broke my heart.

Watching them drive away was almost too much to bear. I wanted so desperately to go with them. But we all knew that taking a four week old into the ER was not a good idea. So I stayed home and waited.

There were a few things I knew. I knew he was having headaches so severe they were making him throw up, an alarming amount of pain in his neck and back, and after speaking to the nurse, I knew it could be spinal meningitis and that after signing a waver because of the possibility of paralysis, he would be getting a spinal tap to reach a diagnosis.

I could not hold his hand. I could not tell him how much I loved him. He was over an hour away in a tiny quarantined room.

That's when I vaguely remember hearing that there were only five days until Christmas. And suddenly it was like I was waking up from a coma. Like all I could see were bright lights. Everything else washed away.

All except my husband. And my children. And my King.

There was no more tinsel and no more lights. I didn't care whether the cookies needed slivered almonds or chopped pecans. Or that the last row of lights on the tree had burnt out. All I cared about was whether or not my phone was going to ring and what was going to be on the other end.

All I wanted was for my husband to be OK. And I had no idea if he was actually going to be OK.

As the hours and days have worn on, with presents still unwrapped and many left to buy, it was natural to wonder if Christmas was going to be normal. But maybe--just maybe its not supposed to be.

Because Christmas was never about us. It was about the Savior who came to this earth as a baby to be born in a cold stable among donkey and sheep. And just like the drummer boy--we have no gifts fit for a King.

Except to get down on our knees and thank him for our family.

And thank him for the night he came into this world beneath a midnight sky. Although there was no room in the inn, and although the world He came to save would betray him, He still came.

To bring us tidings of comfort and joy.

* * *

I have since learned that our prayers have been answered and Noah was not contagious. Test results have begun coming in and the worst illnesses are slowly being ruled out. Which meant that I was able to visit him! Holding his hand and seeing the color in his cheeks and the smile on his face was all the Christmas present I needed.

We are so thankful for all the prayers and all the love that has poured in from friends and family. It's going to be a very merry Christmas this year, despite the fact that the thanksgiving decorations are still up and we don't have a stocking for Caleb :)

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a joyous time celebrating the birth of our Lord!
From my family to yours.

A Homemade Christmas

With the economy not what it used to be and many families looking to save money this Christmas season, it's no wonder more and more people are choosing to make homemade presents for their loved ones.

Despite the sparkle and glitz of flashy holiday commercials, some folks are still choosing to slow things down a bit. Embrace the beautiful simplicity of a handmade gift. From aunty's chocolate dipped pretzels to grandpa's rustic bird feeder, to the handcrafted shopping bag angel on top of the tree with old manuscript pages for wings (oh, wait that's just us.) Homemade gifts are special. They say "I took the time to make this for you."

So in embracing the pioneer spirit this year, I've conjured up homemade gifts, including the infamous apple pie soap, crochet scarves and a crochet rag rug ( oh yeah, took it up a notch on this one.) And lastly, I bought one of my favorite teas, creamy pumpkin pie, and I'm planning on putting together little glass jars packaged with a ribbon and tea ball.

Homemade projects are all about heart. Some projects are easy and fun while others challenge us making one want to set fire to the green sweater we've knitted that we thought was "hunter" but in the sunlight, just so happened to be "chartreuse." (I'm not venting, I'm not, I'm not)

Despite the glitches and imperfections, I hope these homemade gifts will bring a little cheer.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Are you making any presents this year for your Christmas gift giving? What special homemade gifts have you received?

An Advent of Giving: Our Family's Twist

What is advent?

It's a beginning.
An arrival.
An anticipation.

All for the celebration of Christ's birth.

And we celebrate it by pulling tootsie rolls and sticks of gum out of numbered felt squares.

Really? That's the best we can do?

Imagine anticipating the homecoming of a loved one from the war overseas and celebrating that anticipation by shoe shopping on day 1, getting a pedicure on day 2, and so on. All to express your love and unbridled joy at greeting your dear one.

Well when you put it that way... My point exactly!

So it was as my husband and I were discussing ways we could increase Christ and decrease Santa ( sorry chubbo) that we came up with the idea of doing an advent calendar in reverse.

Yep. Instead of getting shiny chocolate kisses for each day we draw closer to our Savior's birth, we as a family, come up with one way of blessing someone else that day.

Now granted our lives are a little hectic right now with three small kids including a 2-week old, so while we hope to do more in the years to come, we're keeping the ideas extra simple and surprisingly enough...it doesn't take all that much to make a persons day.

Here are some of the things we have marked on our homemade advent calendar:

Day 1: Levi drew a picture for our elderly neighbor who has just lost her husband to cancer, he carried it over and took a few moments to chat with her.

Day 2: Mabry helped me bake banana bread--she's is the worlds greatest masher--for another neighbor.

Day 3: On Sunday, Noah handed the baby to a lovely woman in our church. With everyone itching to hold a newborn and mommy and daddy wanting to keep him close, it was a real treat for her. Her ear to ear grin the entire time nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Days 4 & 5: Lastly, while out with his grandma at a taco joint, Levi asked an older gentleman if he could throw his trash away for him. Imagine finishing your meal only to have a five-year-old offer to whisk away your trash. (I love that he had this idea all on his own!) And the following day, he filled the wood box next to the stove, then swept the dirt he had tracked in and even offered to mop! All to bless his mommy. My heart melted when Noah came home and secretly told me that I was the recipient of the advent blessing that day.

I love that our children are learning at a young age to serve others, and they're doing it so joyfully. I'm excited to see what ideas we continue to come up with this advent season. And even more excited when I hear him say "Jesus is the reason for the season," each time he finds a way to bless someone.

So tell me, what are some of your favorite holiday traditions?


Photo credit: The Nativity Story, 2006

Welcome Baby Caleb!

As promised, here's the update on our new little addition!
My November 18th due date came and went and it was quite clear our third baby had no interest in coming on time. In fact, I think he may have gotten hold of some super glue because the kid was snug as could be. The midwife had been monitoring his size due to the fact that my belly was big enough for twins. In fact I got asked ALL THE TIME if I was having twins. In one night two people asked me if I was having twins and a third lady said my belly looked just like hers. I thought, finally, someone who had a belly as big as mine. Then she said, "I was carrying twins."

Fabulous. Time to go home to hubby and consider picking a back up name!

Needless to say we were concerned about this baby coming late and getting ANY bigger. So aside from all the old-fashioned remedies for encouraging labor to begin, I decided to google it and see if I had missed an idea. A youtube video of a mego prego lady rocking out to music in her living room immediately caught my attention. I mean the lady was really getting down with her bad self. So on Saturday I decided to give it a try. Of course my husband whipped out his I Phone and lets just say if the footage was not properly deleted his life may be in jeopardy.


Although I did decide there were 4 good things about being overdue:
1. No one will try and kidnap you. It's just too much work. Plus you have the whole bladder control thing playing to your advantage.
2. You can walk through Costco devouring an almond ice cream bar and no one will bat an eyelash. Except for the man who gave you the odd look when you took off the wrapper as you rather (indiscreetly) sang hallelujah to your about-to-be-consumed-dessert.
3. It's most likely the only time that someone will tell you your belly is hard as a rock.
4. Even though you have kankles...you can't see them *grin*


Anywho, back to the action.

On Saturday night, to my surprise it kept the momentum of my contractions going. Since we live an hour+ from the hospital, I woke up my husband, Noah, and he got to work throwing on clothes, loading bags and warming up the car.

When we got to the hospital it was 2:00 AM and the labor and delivery floor was under construction. We walked the halls for an hour watching the commotion to keep my mind off things. When faced with the uphill climb of labor and pain, a gal can get overwhelmed. When anxiety and doubt crept in, I asked Noah to read to me. He pulled out his phone and Bible app then read all of first Timothy. Later on, after officially checking in, things really intensified and he rounded the corner into 2nd Timothy because still, it was keeping me semi-calm. This is a good time to point out that we had chosen the name Caleb Scott for our little man. The day before I went into labor, Noah suggested the middle name Timothy. We decided to wait and see when he was born and we could decide. More on that in a minute...

To our delight, Caleb was born at 12:02, a surprising 9Lb 15 oz, and the whole labor experience worked out really well. I was so thankful for my husband, especially when it came down to the idea of changing our original birth plan and veering in a different direction. The whole time Noah was my hero and I was so thankful to have him by my side. We named our new son Caleb Scott then shortly after, I asked Noah if we could change it to Caleb Timothy due to the fact that we had nearly consumed both books only hours before. Since his idea the day before, he was pretty thrilled and it suddenly became clear that was the perfect middle name.

Our ten pound baby was quite a hit on the labor and delivery floor that night, as nurses came and went, amazed at his heft each time they picked him up. He's just a warm, snuggly, teddybear and I have to admit it's not always easy to share him :).

We were so excited to have the kids come see him the day after he was born and even more excited to finally bring him home. He likes his snug little house in the mountains and loves even more having his diapers changed near the wood burning stove and two doting siblings singing to him, reading to him, and just loving him endlessly. Our family feels so much more complete now and my husband and I are excited to watch Caleb, Levi and Mabry continue to grow into the lovely people God has planned for them to be.

Taking a break from blogging this week but I'm so thankful to have the most precious newborn in my arms and I promise to tell all about him in my next post! Here's a fun post on editing from one of my fabulous critique parters, Beverly Nault.

Tighten, cut and burn those problem areas, Writer. Like a good exercise routine, editing can target specific weaknesses. Here’s an acronym for three common loose and flabby areas.

Here’s our practice paragraph.

A noise woke up Lavinina with a startle and she looked at the alarm clock. It read five thirty. Her husband’s side of the bed felt cold and lonely. She rolled over to try and get some more sleep despite the noise. She remembered now, he’d called to say he was taking another shift, it would give him some overtime pay. She heard a noise and sat bolt upright, her heart beating a staccato. She looked outside the window and saw it was still dark outside and she wondered who could be in the house with her?

Can this be trimmed and tightened? Yes, SIR!

S-sensory terms. Remove all the “feelings” that are obvious by the action: looked, felt, heard, etc.

I-“it” is weak and nondescript. While impossible to totally eliminate, you can often recast the sentence and use more active, interesting phrasing. Seek and replace all its.

R-repeated words. Highlight verbs, nouns and objects occurring more than once and think of new ones, or rephrase them. Some writers read their manuscript backward or out loud to catch these.

Here’s our paragraph, trimmed and toned, with SIR in mind.

A noise Lavinina woke up with a startle and she looked at the alarm clock . It read five thirty. She rolled over to try and get some more sleep despite the noise. Her husband’s side of the bed felt cold and lonely. She remembered now, He’d called to say he was taking another shift, it would give him some for overtime pay. She heard A noise, and she sat bolt upright, her heart beating a staccato. She looked Outside the window, and saw it was still darkness outside and she wondered Who could be in the house?

One more for flow, and I’ll let you know who’s making all those noises...ahem, mysterious clatters.

Lavinina startled awake. The bedside clock read five thirty. An arm across Bobby’s cold, lonely side of the bed reminded her of his midnight call, “Taking another shift for some overtime pay.” A clatter made her sit bolt upright, covers pulled to her chin, heart hammering. The window curtains blew apart in the slight breeze, the streetlight glowing outside. Who could be in the house? Footsteps pounded in the
hallway and her door flung open. Tiny Abigail, face sticky, toothless grin wide, bolted toward the bed. “Daddy came home early and we made you can-pakes! Happy Birthday, Mommy!”

To tighten your prose, use the acronym SIR to remind you where to attack these loose and flabby areas. Sir, yes, SIR!

Beverly Nault is the author of Fresh Start Summer and her latest short story is now available!

2 Book Giveaway & Name Guessing Contest!!!

I can't tell you how many times people have tried guessing the name of our mystery boy. So I thought it would be fun to hold a contest. Of course every contest needs a prize, so I looked around at my bookshelves the other day and realized I had several books for giving away. Hooray! Sadly, these are books that were never claimed *sigh*

So remember: Thou must returneth to claim thine prize (or would it be prizeth?) I dunno. But haste ye back to this post on Nov 21st to see the winner! Oh, and the fabulous books up for the taking...

The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews And
Winning Him Without Words by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller





So here's how it works: You get one entry for leaving a comment below and additional entries by doing any of the following:

Follow me on Facebook 

Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter

Try and guess the name of the baby. Seriously. Give it a shot! (Hint: it's a boy bible name.) If you get it right, I'll throw in a box of red hots.

That's four ways to enter :]

Please let me know what you did so I can tally your entries!
All entries will go into a hat and be pulled out by a really cute two-year old. It will probably have a elk on it. Not the kid, the hat.

Happy entering!!!

Guidelines:
The winner will be chosen and announced below on November 21, 2011 so please check back or follow me on Facebook to be automatically notified! Of course, If I'm having to-be-named-baby, I will post the winner as soon as I can ;)