Teaching Me Lessons...

Ever get the feeling God is testing you or rather teaching you, but you just can’t figure out what the lesson is? I’ve always been pretty good about reading things. I’m smart, quick-witted, have common sense, perceptive, great sense of humor – not to toot my own horn… ok, I’m totally tooting my own horn. My point is, at life I can think inside the box and I can think outside of the box, but when it comes to “hearing” God direct me… let’s just say I struggle a bit. I need HUGE neon signs!

Every morning when I say my prayers, I mostly pray the same thing… keep me & the family safe, help us make good choices and forgive us because we will slip up, be with those who need healing, and please lean a little more on Jase about making good choices. In retrospect, that last request is probably where I’m going wrong.

Sidenote: I remember my dad telling me one time that I should be careful when praying for patience, because I might not like how God answers me. Meaning He won’t just give me patience, He will “teach” me patience – yeah, it was then that I made a mental note to NEVER pray for patience. I’m soooo not a patience kinda person; in fact, you would be just in saying I’m extremely impatient, so I couldn’t see myself doing well at that particular lesson.

Jase is a great kid and I have to admit there haven’t been any Jase-catastrophes in a while (knock on wood). This is good, because I have had more than plenty of those in the past 7 years. Like when he poured the lawn chemical that had the skull & crossbones and the word “danger” in all caps on it into the dog kennels (with the dogs in the kennels), or when he was two and managed to open a red juice bottle and pour it on his me-maw’s white carpet, or when he locked himself in the upstairs bonus room, turned the wet bar sink on, and flooded the room (after that we had the wet bar removed), or when he climbed out his second story bedroom window onto the metal roof and was coaxing his little sister out as well, or even when he was in kindergarten and pulled his pants down in the lunch room and mooned everyone. You get the picture, right? I remember getting so mad at him when he would do things like that, but after the dust would settle I would always shake my head and chuckle. I think of how boring my life would be without my Jase. The kid keeps me on my toes and teaches me daily how to be a good parent.

Bryce and Sophie are just as great as Jase, and though they aren’t as extreme as Jase can be, they have their “make-momma-pull-out-her-hair” moments, too. Bryce is very sweet and kindhearted, but she has a tendency to have a smart mouth, talk back, and be extremely demanding and dramatic. Man, that’s one big lesson I’ve learned as a parent… up until this past year, I thought those were traits that came with being a teenage girl. Obviously, little girls start channeling their inner-teen around the age of four (or at least Bryce did).  Sophie is loving, funny and so darn cute, BUT she IS a two year old…need I say more? I’ve learned that when the dog goes missing to check the pantry, because that’s Sophie’s favorite place to “hide” him. I can already tell that once she masters the art of masking her “guilty” look, I’m going to have to really keep my eye on her… sneaky, that one is.

Being a parent is a “learn as you go” process and I have to remind myself that just as my kids are learning how to survive & grow in this world, as a parent, so am I. I have to let go of the notion of needing my kids to “make good choices” in order to continue to grow into a good person, and if I'm being honest... to make my life easier. It’s not supposed to be easy, you don’t grow & learn from easy, it’s the challenges that make us smarter, quicker, and to put it frankly… just better. I’m not sure what this lesson is that God is teaching me, maybe it’s patience, because even though I refuse to pray for it – He knows that’s just what I need.

So tonight when I pray, it will be one simple sentence… “Thank you for the lessons that came from these three amazing kids today”.

You Gotta Read This - Trust Me You'll Love It!... Trylle Trilogy

A great book, to me, is one where I actually care for the main character or characters, I feel connected to them in some way. I experience the story and not just read it. Some books are just a good story or a good suspense that keeps you reading to find out how it ends, I call those “good” books. But a “great” book is where I find myself loving the story, anxious to know what happens next, and absolutely loving the characters to the point of wishing they were real and I could hang with them. A “good” book I will read and put it away, but a “great” book I will read over and over again. Which brings me to my next book review, The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking!

I stumbled upon Amanda Hocking through a book recommended to me by amazon.com. The Trylle Trilogy sounded like something different from what I had read before, and since my motto is – Give It A Chance, I decided to do just that and I read it. That is when I became a HUGE Amanda Hocking fan. I have read all of her books and her blog - I love them all. I hope I can sway you into the world of Amanda Hocking, too – trust me, you’ll love it!

The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking – Switched, Torn, and Ascend

This series is an ebook, but I believe paperback versions are available if not through Amazon.com then go to www.amandahocking.blogspot.com to order. (click on the link to her blog found on the right hand side of my blog page)

Storyline:

I will give you the book description of the first book, Switched, as written by Amanda Hocking in the ebook:

When Wendy Everly was six-years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn’t until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed – a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy’s not sure she wants to be a part of it.

My take on it: (The Entire Series)

I think it’s best to let you read the series and find out exactly what unfolds, but trust me you will be hooked and won’t be able to put it down. I will say that Wendy is no monster. I loved this story and it had me from “Hello”. I fell in love with Wendy and the story itself and couldn’t wait to find out how it all turned out for her. The secondary characters are just as great and you find yourself pulling for them, as well.

With each book you become more and more engrossed in the story and falling in love with the characters even more. Wendy comes into this new world lost, confused and wilted. As the story goes along she questions, rebels, and fights back and in doing so she matures, accepts, demands, and prevails. While doing all of this, she is falling in love with Finn which proves to be a battle within itself. That’s all I’m saying… you’ll just have to read it and experience it for yourself.

I loved this series. I read it three times and will most likely read it again. Also, rumor has it that this series in currently being considered for a movie. Apparently, a screenwriter read it and love it, too!

Please add this to your summer reading list – you won’t regret it. Click on the book link below to buy this Trilogy.

You Gotta Read This - Trust Me You'll Love It!... Fallen

My first book review is going to be a series by Lauren Kate called the Fallen series. This series features 4 books: Fallen, Torment, Passion, and Rapture (not yet released).

Books are available in actual book and e-book. Click on book links below to purchase from Amazon.com.

The Fallen series is a Young Adult love story that is a little “out there” because it tells a story of a normal girl, fallen angels, and reincarnation. It sounds a little crazy, but as someone once told me… give it a chance!

First Book in Series: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Storyline:

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce—and goes out of his way to make that very clear – she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret… even if it kills her. From the hardcover edition.

My take on it:

Fallen is a slow-building supernatural romance. It’s a love story between Luce & Daniel that you don’t really get to experience until the end of the book, but along the way you share the confusion with Luce and are anxious for the answers just as she is. The story is slow, as I mentioned before, but I think the story keeps moving you along as it goes, and you find yourself unable to put it down because you have to know what happens next. The secondary characters are great and very likable. I love sarcastic humor and this book has plenty of it. The book ends in a cliffhanger and leaves you immediately reaching for the second book.

I really liked this book and the story over the span of all four books is what keeps you hanging on!

Second Book in Series: Torment by Lauren Kate

Storyline:

This book picks up a couple of days later as Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school in northern California, for unusually gifted students. Luce learns what the mysterious shadows are and how to glimpse inside them to learn more about her previous lives. While Daniel is off hunting down those who are out to destroy Luce, she is left at Shoreline feeling out of the loop and all alone. While Luce makes some great new friends at this school she is still desperate for answers about her and Daniels past, and future.

My take on it:

I really liked this book and the storyline. It moves a bit faster and opens up a whole new realm of questions that you find yourself needing to know the answers to. The backdrop of the school is awesome and the secondary characters are super awesome. I found myself really liking Luce’s new sidekick, Shelby. Lot’s of my favorite, sarcastic humor is in here, as well, I found myself laughing a lot. This book pulls you in deeper to the story and leaves you anxiously wanting to read the next one. At the end of the story, you are left with another cliffhanger, only this cliffhanger I tend to refer to as a “Who Shot JR” cliffhanger! A major cliffhanger that leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions, and makes reading the third book in the series A MUST!!!

I was so into this book that I started reading around 7:00 p.m. and couldn’t put it down. I tried to stop a couple of times as it became later and later into the night, but I just couldn’t get it off of mind and ended up reading the whole thing that night. It was 5 o’clock in the morning when I finished!

Third Book in Series: Passion by Lauren Kate

Storyline:

Luce would die for Daniel. And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way…. Luce is certain that something – or someone – in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime… going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel… and finally unlock the key to making their love last. Daniel is frantic as he chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history. Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames… forever. From the Hardcover edition.

My take on it:

Many questions are answered in this book as you are taken through many of their different romances. This book is a little slower and there aren’t that many secondary characters to keep it super exciting, but you do learn, along with Luce, how much they really do love each other. This book alternates between Luce’s point of view and Daniels, so you get to experience the story through both of their eyes. It’s pretty cool to finally get to know more of Daniel’s feelings and his personality. As I said before, you do get most of your questions answered in this book and the ending is great. A perfect set up for the final book in the series, with a cliffhanger you can live with.

I thought this book took a while to get me the answers I have been longing for in this story, but I still really enjoyed it and can’t wait for the final book to come out.

My new adventure...

My most favorite thing to do is to read. Raising my kids makes it hard for me to find the time to read, but I manage. I usually read 1 to 2 books a week, depending on the size of the book, of course.

Because I love reading and I’m constantly pushing the books I read on to others. I have decided to add a new chapter to my blog, its title will be: You Gotta Read This – Trust Me You’ll Love It! Here, I will be writing a review about my latest, greatest read and recommending it to you.

First of all you should know what I typically read. Fiction books are what I read and my most favorite kind of story is a LOVE STORY!!! Every book I read must have a love story and be able to take my imagination to a whole new world. I like to escape my crazy life and live vicariously through the characters of the stories I read. That’s the hook or the addiction to reading! Because the farther the imagination has to travel the more fun the adventure, I tend to read books more on the paranormal or “out there” side. For a long time I wouldn’t go near anything weird like paranormal, always snarling up my nose and telling people “that’s not my thing”. Then one day while confined to the bed, to recover from surgery, my roommate (an aspiring reading teacher) brought me the first four books of the Harry Potter series and told me to just give them a chance. I did and I was hooked! My reading of the Twilight series is what opened me up to a world of having my two favorite types of stories, total imagination and a good love story all in the same book! Since then I have searched Amazon.com from top to bottom seeking out all paranormal love stories. Don’t get me wrong, I have every single Nicholas Sparks, good ol’ fashioned love story, in my library, too.

Over the next day or so I will blog a book review over 10 of my most favorite books. Some of these will be ebooks and can only be downloaded to an e-reader like a Kindle. If you don’t have an e-reader, most of them have free apps for your phone. Also, if you like to read, like me, I totally recommend getting an e-reader (you could put it on your Christmas wish list!).

You can look at the books I recommend at the bottom of my blog page. If you want to purchase one through amazon.com, just click on the book link.

So be sure to check back for the latest book additions to: You Gotta Read This – Trust Me You’ll Love It!

I just wanted to blog...

Hellooo, I’mmm baaack!

Spring is the busiest time of the year for me, and I haven’t had a chance to blog in FOREVER!!! No worries though, my blogging may have been on hiatus, but the craziness of my life has most definitely been rolling right along. Between the husband, kids, dogs, and t-ball, I have plenty of stories to share with you.

I was gonna tell the story of how when it comes to our dogs, we just can’t win, but just as I got started on it, the following events unfolded and I just couldn’t pass up sharing them with you.

As proof of this crazy zoo I call my life, I offer up this blog: 

Earlier this evening, I heated up leftover pizza for the kids dinner, tuned the kitchen t.v. to Disney’s, Good Luck, Charlie (the one t.v. show they ALL like to watch, and lucky for me, it’s on about 20 times a day), and escaped to my office/bedroom to catch up on my blog. Two minutes in, I hear Sophie crying her “I’m hurt” cry, and Jase running through the house yelling, “Call 9-1-1, Call 9-1-1, Call 9-1-1”.

Instantly images of Sophie on top of the kitchen table, falling, tile floor, gashes, cuts, blood and gore, bleeding to death, flashed before my eyes. My heart was racing and I thought to myself, “Oh My Gosh, I left my kids with the 't.v. sitter' and tragedy struck. Bad Mom, I’m a horrible, horrible mom”.  (For the record, I was just down the hall) As I ran from my office/bedroom preparing myself for the worst, I encountered Jase running in circles in the living room frantically looking for the phone… to call 911, of course. I yelled to him, “What happened?” He stopped circling the room and told me that Sophie had fallen out of her chair and hit her head on the floor.

Since the chair is much closer to the floor than the top of the table, I knew it wasn’t going to be as big of a fall as I had pictured in my head, and I was pretty sure I could rule out blood and gore. Also, doubtful, was the need for 911. As I went to assess the damage to Sophie’s head, I was thrilled to find it was nothing more than a red spot on the side of her head. No worries. I then spent the next 10 minutes reminding Jase of what warrants a call to 911. Hmm, I can’t image where he gets his impulse to overreact.

Speaking of calling 911… when Jase was learning “Emergencies” in Kindergarten, he brought me the phone one afternoon and said, “Here momma, the nice lady on the phone wants to tell you what a good job I did calling 911". I took the phone, said “hello” and the nice lady on the phone told me what a good job Jase did calling 911. Yep, he called 911 just to see if it really worked. It did.

So back to my story, once Sophie’s “near death” accident was all taken care of, I dove back into my blog. I got a good 4 to 5 minutes in before… this time it was Bryce yelling and Jase crying. Apparently, the dog reached up and snatched Jase’s slice of pizza right out of his hand and gobbled it up. Sidenote: some of you reading this probably remember my dog’s love for pizza and how he snagged many a’ slices at last summer’s Back to School Bash that we hosted at our house.

(Hang on... Sophie just came in with her pull-up pulled half way down telling me, “Mommy, here check, I poooooped”. Ugh yuck, I gotta go change her. Be right back….) (Ok, where was I, oh yeah, dog pizza Jase.)

After heating up another slice of pizza for Jase, I had decided to wait until things were more settled down to work on my blog. So I abandoned my computer and went about getting the kitchen cleaned and everyone bathed and in pajamas. As I’m sure most mom’s can attest to, pajamas before 7:00 p.m. usually means it’s been one heck of a day and it just needs to end, and end soon.

Once things became peaceful around here, I was able to get back to my blog. I had resorted to sitting in the living room and using the laptop instead. As I typed away, the kids were in there with me watching Planet 51, and with all the fighting and yelling over who got to use what pillow pet, Bryce asking me a gazillion questions, Sophie’s diaper change, and Jase stating over and over that he had butt sweat (don’t ask, something he heard on Good Luck, Charlie earlier… boys are gross) I was finally able to get this thing done. Amazing!

Hey, with three kids, as long as no one is bleeding and nothing is getting broken… it’s peaceful.

Be sure to keep checking back for some more entertaining stories of my life in this CRAZY ZOO!