Tales from our Homestead...: August 2011

Friday, August 26, 2011

My First Book Review: One Call Away by Brenda Warner

It would be hard to read Brenda Warner's memoir and not find at least one challenge in her life that you do not identify with. I am amazed at how candidly she writes of her emotions through each event. So often, people who don't understand what you're dealing with look at you like you have two heads when you're honest about how you're feeling. I genuinely appreciate the sheer honesty in this book. While reading, it was as if an old friend was just sharing stories from her life.

Excerpt from Chapter 39:
"I am a former marine. I have a nursing degree. I've lived on food stamps, and I've lived on millions of dollars. I have been divorced, and I've been married to the man of my dreams. I've watched my seven children grow and succeed beyond my wildest dreams, I've watched one baby suffer permanent brain damage and blindness and two babies dies before they ever lived."

I finished this book in just over a day. It is beautifully written, and a page turner. It's a gentle reminder that even the most honest plans we lay out for ourselves rarely go that way. God takes us places we never dreamed of and shows us that His plan may not be the easiest but is always best for us. We are all on a journey to redemption.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishers. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Today was our Third Day...

Today, Carly practiced writing her name, we colored several "Letter A" coloring pages and did our reading lesson.

After dinner, Carly and I made some (semi-homemade) Apple Dumplings. She did most of the work other than cutting the apples. She is going to be quite the little cook!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Our Second Day of School

First of all, if you haven't picked up a copy of "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" for your preschooler, just do it. Carly Beth is 3 years and 2 months and she is really doing awesome. She begs to read every day.

Anyway, today was "A is for Apple" day. Carly's favorite part was eating her apple after class. But anyway, she practiced writing her letter A's and she described and colored some apples for our Alphabet Scrapbook.