SURPRISE!

Apparently last Friday's post about allergies being unexpected was just a few hours premature...

We went in for the mid-pregnancy ultrasound Friday morning and were hoping to find out the gender.  Sadly, Brian had to stay out in the waiting room with our rowdy boys for the first 20 minutes so the tech could get measurements without distraction.  She was chatting away, measuring the baby's head and I was finally feeling a little more connection to the reality of this baby.  I've been so busy that other than the nausea and tiredness it's still a little futuristic that we're having another one!

 

Then she started moving down the body and suddenly she moves sideways and goes, "Wait, did you midwife tell you you were having twins?"  I was like, WHAT?

She moved the wand back and forth to show me both babies and a few tears started leaking out.  For sure, there are two babies in there!  We found out that the the first baby was a girl and then the boys were coming in as the time for "measuring" should have been about done.

She said that I could tell him and I said to Brian, "We have a surprise... there are two babies in there".  Needless to say, he was a bit shocked (as am I) and then very very happy for about the next two hours!  For those of you who might not know, he is a twin himself.

 

After the second baby was measured up we found out that it was a girl as well.  So... we wanted a girl and we got two!

Then of course our cell phone had stopped working the night before so we couldn't call anyone.  On the most important day of our life so far!  (How's that for some 11/11/11 news???)

After stopping at the Verizon store and a very simple fix (take out the battery while the phone is still on to really reset it) we started calling everyone on our phone list!  Good thing we had a 3 hour drive to Seattle to give us time to call (minus the dead spots).

We needed to stop at the outlet mall to get the boys a few more winter clothes anyway so instead of picking out one new baby outfit I got to pick out two!

This would also explain why I've been feeling kicks way up high as well as down low!  I figured the high ones just had to be muscle twitches (which I also get a lot of) and the low ones were the baby.  Now I know better!

Honestly, we had NO clue that there were twins.  They're measuring at 17 weeks so not really that small, but I'm not that much bigger than I was with Noah (18 weeks) at this point nor have I gained much weight. (These babies at 18 weeks)

It's probably a good thing we were heading to visit my cousin in Seattle for the weekend so I could have some distraction rather than focusing on all the ways this is going to change things!  I also think there's definitely something to those psychosomatic symptoms... since Friday I have felt absolutely huge when before I thought I was about normal!

I have no idea what this means for my birthing center plans or even if the midwives will still see me, which makes me a little sad.  But hopefully I will get a chance to talk to someone about this tomorrow!

Let the adventure begin!!!

Unexpected... Allergies

This isn't entirely unexpected now, but a month ago I never would have thought we'd be living in the land of food allergies.   Yesterday the test came back for my oldest son.  Thankfully he does NOT have celiac disease, but he does have a significant gluten* sensitivity.

The doctor said perhaps he'll grow out of it, especially if we can keep him entirely away from gluten for awhile (like 6 months or longer).  Which doesn't look promising for a 4 year old who dumped soy sauce on his lunch today and then licked the frosting off some cookies I left on the counter!  Yes, you'd be amazed just how many things have gluten in them, sadly.

But there are plenty of things that he CAN eat and thankfully it's not an immediate life-threatening type of allergy like nuts or shellfish.  The main symptom is a nasty rash that makes his fingers crack and bleed as well as stomach aches.

I will do whatever it takes to keep my son feeling good, but wow, this takes meal planning to a whole new level!  It also makes travel and potentially living overseas that much more complicated.  For me now, as his mother, but for him in the future, should he not grow out of it, I feel bad.

Right now I'm incredibly thankful for the resources we have to cook new foods and get ideas.  My sister-in-law lives gluten free as well as some amazing blogs by gluten free people like glutenfreegirl, who happens to live near Seattle and pointed me to the PCC Market where their shelf labels are color coded for allergens!  Love that!

This is the new normal.  Time to get used to it!

*Gluten is a component of wheat so anything with wheat in it has gluten, but gluten can also be in foods that don't have wheat in them.

This is a post prompt from The Gypsy Mama. Join in?

Wordless Wednesday: Ducky Boys

 

Noah found my ducky slippers the other night and it was too cute not to take a picture!

Then Cory wanted to wear them the next day and actually asked me to take his picture!

And just remember Grandpa, they're stepping on the ducks so it's okay!

A Lasting Impression News

You can read my review of A Lasting Impression and enter to win your own copy (from me so your chances are good!)

While Tamera and her book, A Lasting Impression, are traveling across the country virtually (with a few international stops as well!), she will be hosting a Kindle Fire Giveaway (11/4 - 11/15) and preparing for a lavish Southern-Style Facebook Party (11/15) (dripping with hospitality, of course). She will be giving away Southern Food Baskets, books, and an array of other fabulous freebies! Don't miss a minute of the fun. Swoon!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Brand New Kindle Fire (shipped as soon as it releases)
• A copy of A Lasting Impression and 3 other special books Tamera wants you to have (for Kindle)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on November 15th. Winner will be announced at A Lasting Impression Facebook Party on the 15th. Tamera will be wrapping up theA Lasting Impressioncelebration with an author chat and giving away Southern Food Baskets (Loveless Cafe Food Baskets, books, Amazon and Starbucks gift certificates, and copies of Christy Jordan's Southern Plate cookbook), six gift certificates to Starbucks and Amazon.com, and copies of A Lasting Impression! So grab your copy of A Lasting Impression (it's okay if you don't have one yet- you might win one!) and join Tamera on the evening of November 15th for an author chat, a trivia contest (How much do you know about the 1860's?) and lots of Southern-inspired giveaways (complete listing here).

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER Hope to see you on the 15th!

18 Weeks

Apparently I'm as bad with this baby as I was with Cory in taking pictures!  Here I am at 18 weeks already and this is the first belly shot.  I dug out my maternity clothes a long time ago and I think they make you show more, but still, this one is sticking out sooner than the others.  Darn stretched out stomach!

Also, a very large apology to my sister in law who is 8 weeks ahead of me and still claims no one can tell!

At least I'm not nauseous anymore and for about a week I had some energy so my house got a thorough cleaning.  I think it wore me out though because I'm back to being tired again.  Now you add in Daylight Saving Time and my boys thinking it's still summer hours and I'm in trouble!

Friday we have the ultrasound to measure and hopefully this one will cooperate so we can figure out what we're having!  And yes, for the millionth time, we would like a girl!

One other cool fact. Although we didn't get to meet this summer I have the exact same due date as my friend Stephanie!  (and it doesn't look like it by the baby tickers because my midwives moved my due date up as far as they could in case this one also comes early we would like to avoid going to the hospital if at all possible!  They can't deliver before 37 weeks and Noah was born at 37 1/2.  But I calculate my due date to be on Easter!)

Remember...

Uncle Dick passed away this week.  Technically he wasn't my uncle, but my mom's, but that's what I knew him as.

He made it to my cousin's wedding this summer which was awesome.

Uncle Dick and my cousin Brooke (we're one day apart!)
January 2010

He's the last of my grandfather's brother's.  Lilly passed away almost 2 years ago, Grandma this year, and now Richard.

No more first person memories of life after WWII in Spokane and Seattle.  A different era than the one we live in now.

I love to read about history, but it seems often there's not enough time to actually spend with the people in our lives who are our living history.  Perhaps it's because of distance or perhaps it's simply because when we get together there are the now things to talk about, but it happens too infrequently.

I wonder how much we lose by not hearing these stories?  I wonder what will be remembered of me and this time and our generation in the future?

We are so much better at cataloging our lives now (hello blog!) in words and pictures... sometimes it's information overload.

I think we all want to be remembered, but some of us put down our memories for other reasons.  I want to be able to remember myself, mostly the good times of course!  I also like stability and the past is one thing that doesn't change.  Not that I really want to live in the past, but sometimes it's nice to visit.  You know what to expect!

Here's a question: What do you remember most about someone who's passed away in your family?

This is a post prompt from The Gypsy Mama. Join in?

Book: A Lasting Impression (with giveaway!)

A Lasting Impression

To create something that will last is Claire Laurent's most fervent desire as an artist. It's also her greatest weakness. When her fraud of a father deals her an unexpected hand, Claire is forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville, only a year after the War Between the States has ended. Claire's path collides with that of Sutton Monroe, and she considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But when they meet again and he refuses to come to her aid, she realizes she's sorely misjudged the man. Trading an unwanted destiny for an unknown future, Claire finds herself in the middle of Nashville's elite society and believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art may finally be within reach.

All that Sutton Monroe holds dear lies in ruin. He's determined to reclaim his heritage and to make the men who murdered his father pay. But what he discovers on his quest for vengeance reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined.

Set at Nashville's historical Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America in the 1860s, A Lasting Impression showcases the deep, poignant, unforgettable characters that set Tamera's stories apart and provides an inspiring love story that will capture readers' hearts and leave them eager for more.

***

Can I just say, I despise book descriptions that leave you anticipating one thing and then the book turns out completely differently?  I kept waiting for Sutton to do something really horrid and leave Claire out in the cold, but if it happens at all it's very minor and in the first few chapters after they meet.  I was expecting something a bit more dramatic between them at the end.  Not that the end isn't dramatic enough, but it wasn't that.  It's a little misleading in the whole "vengeance" thing too.

Anyway, book blurb aside, I really liked this one.  I don't think I've ever read a book by Tamera Alexander before although I have another one on my shelf.  I love how she weaves so much history into the story and that the mansion exists and the supporting main character (Mrs. Adelicia Acklen) was a real person.

The story moves slower than some I've read, but at almost 400 pages you can do that and really develop your characters.  At no point did I feel like I was bored and didn't want to finish it.

Claire and Sutton both have to come to terms with their pasts before they can fully live the lives they have in the present.

Also, the cover is perfect for one scene in the story!

***

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Lasting Impression, go HERE.

If you would like to win a copy of this book please leave me a comment telling me why you think you would like to read this!
Contest will be open until I post about the fun giveaway that Tamera is also hosting!

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered, the critically acclaimed Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Her second historical series, Timber Ridge Reflections (From a Distance, Beyond This Moment, and Within My Heart) continue her signature style of deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose which has earned her devoted readers—and multiple industry awards.

These awards include the 2009 and 2008 Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the 2010 and 2007 RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the 2010 and 2007 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2010 HOLT Medallion, the 2007 Bookseller’s Best Award, the 2007 National Reader's Choice Award, and Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction for 2006, among others.

Tamera's newest novel A Lasting Impression is the first of a brand new three-book Southern historical series, and the first two chapters are available for review. She's at work on her ninth novel which will release in fall 2012.

After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, along with Tamera's father, Doug, and with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.

Things My Toddler Has Done: Episode 3

Knocked the wood framed mirror off the wall making a HUGE dent in the top of my lovely cedar chest.

Fell asleep under his crib during nap time...

Climbed up on the table to ring the wind chimes hanging from the light fixture

Swinging from the edges of the table... because he can

Moved a chair to climb up on so he could reach his balloon (with a slightly too short string) - I can hardly believe he figured that one out!

Climbed all the way up on top of the bookcase in their room and was trying to reach one of the glass floats we have hanging from the ceiling.  Then was crying because he couldn't get down...

Left me a mondo poopy diaper and while I was cleaning up (and letting him run loose) he peed on my computer chair.  Which is cloth covered.

Relevant...

I've heard a statistic (and I don't know how true it is) that some 80% of household budgets are controlled by moms.  Advertisers must know this because look how many of them want to work with the women/mom bloggers.  We influence where the money is spent and we tell our friends who influence where the money is spent from their house.  We are relevant.

On the other hand... how many of us know in our heads that what we are doing is relevant yet in our hearts feel that we have little to no influence in the world at large.  If anyone even cares that we spend our days wiping noses and butts it feels like the only time something is said it's in a snide manner.  Like we could have anything important or interesting to say after spending years of our lives attending to little people and their needs while almost forgetting about ourselves.

Where is the balance in all of this?  How do you stay sane in a world where it feels like you are derided for the choice you have made?  How do you stay sane when you're not sure it was the best choice for you?

What makes one relevant anyway?

This is a post prompt from The Gypsy Mama. Join in?

Gettin' Ready for Halloween

So, apparently the pumpkin patch near us ran out of pumpkins.  But I have never been impressed with their quality or the owner anyway so we saved quite a bit of money and visited our brand new (grand opening today) SuperWalmart.  I know, shoot me now.

Anyway, the selection was still pretty decent and Cory helped me pick out one for each of us.  After dinner we lined the table and began...

Noah was ecstatic about the pumpkins, he's been pointing them out for weeks, and jumped right in.  Cory on the other hand, still can't handle the guts and almost refused to do it, even with a spoon!

I have the cutest picture of Noah, but I got a new lens today and while playing with it... the picture came out blurry. Sad face.

Anyway, after his pumpkin was carved (by Daddy) he was so curious about looking inside!

This is Daddy making the face he wants to put on his pumpkin...

And finally, all of them lit up.  See if you know our family well enough... Can you guess whose is whose?

guessing?


guessing?


guessing?


From left to right...


Noah, Baby, Mommy, Daddy, Cory.  And yes, Cory told us just how he wanted his face and that's what he got!

Wordless Wednesday: Rainbow

From our trip over the mountains this weekend.  It was raining off and on and while I didn't get any good shots of the fall foliage on the pass there was a lovely rainbow for a few miles!

Things My Toddler Has Done: Episode 2

Put old coins inside a cowrie shell... you know, the kind that has a tiny opening curved inwards?

Ran around the house with a bra that he stole out of my room...

Said his first 2 syllable word distinctively... "apple".  Yes, we eat a lot of fruit!

Be afraid, be very afraid...

Tried to talk to a picture of Grandpa I was editing on the computer.  He's used to actually talking to Grandpa on facetime and didn't understand this!

Climbed out of the shower, pooped on the rug, then came to the door to tell me about it.  For the record I think he was actually trying to make it to the potty, but still... ew!

Learned how to say "yeah" in the cutest little sing-song voice whenever we ask him a question.

Seattle while Sick

Not the best way to travel, but sadly we didn't really want to put off Noah's doctor check-up. So for all our driving we had about a 10 minute appointment and the results of his surgery were deemed excellent and no need to ever come back unless we had some concern.

We did get to hang with my college roommie Wendy for about 20 minutes (whoops on the timing!) and then I took Cory to see Harold and the Purple Crayon.  We got mixed up in the construction around 520 and I thought we weren't even going to make it, but we did, even with time for Mama to hit the bathroom! 

Unfortunately Daddy had decided to take Noah to the mall for some run around time while we were gone and Cory thought that sounded more fun (after being in the car half the day) so he was "disappointed" that he couldn't go to the mall too.  And I realized about 20 minutes in that Noah actually probably would have enjoyed it more than Cory.  The music was super fun and there was a lot of movement to watch, but Cory didn't understand the story very well.  He was a bit too young for that while Noah would have just been enthralled by everything.

Personally I thought they did a fabulous job and it was a really fun show although this grandma in the row in front of us kept giving me dirty looks when Cory forgot to whisper his questions about the show.  Seriously?  Half the audience was under 8 and there were plenty of other kids talking too!  It's not like we were at some adult show and I'd inappropriately brought my child!

Anyway, it was all good and we got back to Frank and Sandy's condo in good time for a late dinner and bed.  Then the adults watched episodes from all the current TV shows so I now have an inkling of the regular culture of the other 75% of the US!  (We don't watch TV at all)

Sadly, this morning we were all still sick so we skipped church, visited Whole Foods and PCC Market for some gluten free items (there's a whole post on this coming) and then headed back over the mountains.  Probably just as well because my parents went west later and said the eastbound traffic was stopped for 10 miles and we just sailed right through.  Glad we missed that!

Some days I miss living in the big city, but then I visit... and realize I like my side of the mountains!

Book: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Hope finds the hopeless when a storm hits.

It's Christmas weekend 1949, and despite the threat of a storm, the townspeople of Frost are determined to continue their holiday traditions, if only as a means to forget the war that they had all just suffered through. But the suffering hasn't ended for Dottie Morgan who lost her only son in the war. She's preparing to wallow in her isolation for the weekend, when Violet, nearly a spinster at age 29, dares to make a request that will force Dottie to publicly revive the memory of her dead son.

When a storm traps the two women at home with a strange young man who has an unbelievable confession and a neighbor with more to do with Violet's past than she would like, no one can predict how this Christmas will give them all a second chance.

Read an excerpt here and find out the story behind the novel.

***

My Review: I read this book in the last couple days.  It got off to a bit of a slow start, but then started going pretty good.  This is one of those stories that just kind of drops a character in your lap and you find out the story from where they are with some comments and memories that help flesh out the story.  I'm not always a fan of this device in storytelling, but with this story it works well.  It adds to the mystery of the story and the storm.

***

Contest: Warm up to Christmas early this year with Susan May Warren's Baby, It's Cold Outside! To celebrate the release of her new Christmas book with Summerside Press, she and the publisher are giving away a Kindle Fire and hosting an early Christmas Party on Facebook!

Read what all the reviewers are saying here.

One festive winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• Baby, It's Cold Outside by Susan May Warren

Enter today by clicking this link. Giveaway ends on 10/26!

But, wait there’s more! Join Susan May Warren on 10/27 for merriment and a few early Christmas presents at her Baby, It's Cold Outside Christmas party! Grab your Christmas sweaters, socks and pj’s and join Susan and a few friends for a fireside chat about her recent books (Heiress & Baby, It’s Cold Outside), holiday traditions, favorite Christmas recipes, a trivia contest and more! Invite your friends and don’t miss the fun!

RSVP here and we'll see you on October 27th at 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST!

Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at:www.susanmaywarren.com.

Wordless Wednesday: Little Fireman

There have been lots of cool field trips lately!  This one to the fire station open house on Saturday.  Cory didn't care as much about climbing in the fire trucks this time, but Noah... Noah cried when we lost our place in line because one truck was the first responder.  I think he would have sat there quite awhile if there weren't other kids waiting!

Book: Love on the Line

Love on the Line

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world ... which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do. But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.

***

Alright, so I haven't read this one yet either, but I have read 3 or 4 other books by Deanne, including her previous one, Maid to Match.  They are all fun reads set in historical context.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love on the Line, go HERE.

After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.

Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.

After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.

Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, three RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.

Her latest releases, Beguiled, Maid To Match, and Love on the Line are now available.

Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-eight years and their border collie. They have four grown children. Click here to find out the most up-to-the-minute news about Dee.

Things My Toddler Has Done: Episode 1

Doesn't he just look so sweet and innocent?  Like you could snuggle him all day long?

Carriage sitting with Nana at the Cider Press last weekend

Well, he did all of the following... just in the past week:

Put pins in the air vent of my sewing machine so that it made a horrid noise when I tried to sew - thankfully I have a friend who is a sewing repair man

Scaled my plant stand and knocked a plant off the 3rd shelf - dirt everywhere

Pulled the just-filled-with-pears dehydrator off the table - Brian was not pleased since he'd done the work

Got into my sharpie collection - thankfully he only colored on his clothes and a random piece of paper

Fell off a chair and sliced his upper gum by bashing it on the edge of a table at school

Figured out how to climb in and out of his crib simply because I pushed the rocking chair too close - this one is going to be the death of me... especially at nap time...

Seattle Children's Theater presents: Harold and the Purple Crayon

You may not know this about me, but I love drama.  No, not between people, but drama on a stage.  I have participated as much as I could, but I usually end up on the music side, hiding behind, below, or above the stage with my flute.  I love to be part of the show though!

When I was in high school I took a drama class although the biggest role I ever had was as a "villager" in the Princess Bride.  I don't think I even said anything!

One thing we did do though was attend the Seattle Children's Theater workshops and a play.  We did some cool improv things as a class and then after the play they talked to us about all the things that went on behind the scenes and answered our questions.  The true drama geeks in our class were over the moon!

I believe I've been to one other show at the Seattle Children's Theater, but I can tell you, they always do a wonderfully professional job even if it's called a "children's theater".

This weekend I'm taking my older son to see Harold and the Purple Crayon.  We have a copy of a video (and I need to watch it this week as I don't know the storyline!) so he's familiar with it.

 

I'm pretty sure he's going to love it and I can't wait to tell him we're going to a show in the "big city"!  I'll be sure to let you know how it was!

The show runs through the end of October so if you're in the area check it out!

And, I noticed that next spring they'll be performing A Single Shard.  I would LOVE to see this one!  It's not actually a Newberry Award book, but I think it should be.  It's a 2002 Newberry Award winner and I read it because my mom's class was reading it and it's a fabulous story.  I'd love to see how they bring it to the stage!  (this one would be better for upper elementary/middle school though)

I am being provided with free tickets to this show, but my love for theater is all my own!

Catch...

When you're a mom of boys "catch" has a lot of meanings.

"Mom, catch me"

"Here mom, catch"

Catch up with the laundry (see: boys), catch up with your friends (when?), catch.

Sometimes I feel like a juggler with one too many balls in the air.  One of them is always flying off somewhere it shouldn't (not even nicely dropping at my feet).

I wonder how long this will last?  As long as the boys are home with me all the time?  Until they move out?  Forever?

Don't get me wrong, I love them to pieces, but some days... I think I'd like to catch a break!

This is a post prompt from The Gypsy Mama. Join in?

Book: Reclaiming Lily

Reclaiming Lily

A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Dallas hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily.

Gloria's relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman's apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer...or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined?

***

I read An Irish Washerwoman's Tale a few years back and it's one that's stuck with me so when I saw Patti Lacy had a new novel out I wanted to read it.  It did not disappoint.

As I was telling my husband, I would probably qualify this as "women's fiction" because while there is some small element of romance it's incidental to the story for the most part.  I really LOVE books like this.  In fact, I read this one all in one day, I couldn't put it down!

One thing that's misleading about the synopsis... this story is really more about Kai than either Gloria or Lily.  It's an amazing story (with flashbacks) of how she came from revolutionary China to become a doctor in the US and her dealing with cultural differences as well as this family disease.

The story is told in altering points of view between Gloria and Kai, but for the most part Kai is the main character.

I really know so little about China and it's history so this added something to the book for me as I felt like I was learning as well as enjoying the story.  Although it's not exactly a pleasant story it's so well written that you are just pulled in.  Think of it as a drama movie rather than a chick flick.

I highly recommend it!

***

If you would like to read the first chapter of reclaiming Lily, go HERE.

Patti Lacy, Baylor graduate, taught community college humanities until God called her to span seas and secrets in her novels, An Irishwoman's Tale and What the Bayou Saw.

The secrets women keep and why they keep them continue to enliven Patti's gray matter. A third book, The Rhythm of Secrets, released in January of 2011. Patti's, Reclaiming Lily, documents a tug-of-war between a Harvard-educated doctor and an American pastor and his wife for a precious child and explores adoption issues, China's "One Child" policy, and both Christian and secular views of sacrifice.

Patti also facilitates writing seminars in schools, libraries, and at conferences and has been called to present her testimony, "All the Broken Pieces," at women's retreats. She also leads a Beth Moore Bible study at her beloved Grace Church and has had a blast planning the September 2009 wedding of her firstborn, Sarah.

Patti and her husband Alan, an Illinois State faculty member, live in Normal with their handsome son Thomas, who attends Heartland Community College. On sunny evenings, you can catch the three strolling the streets of Normal with their dog Laura, whom they've dubbed a "Worcestershire Terrier" for her "little dab of this breed, a little dab of that breed."

Wordless Wednesday: Little Boy Heaven

The first of October is always a festival at our local airport.  This year the FedEx plane actually let kids climb all over it...

R.W. Knudsen Review

I have to admit... this pregnancy is kind of kicking me in the you-know-where.  Some days it feels like I barely survive on juice and toast.  So when the R.W. Knudsen people contacted me to see if I'd like to try some of their juice I said, "yes, please!"

I received a selection of their juices as well as some new flavors of Sparkling Essence waters.  The juices were definitely my favorite. 

Actually, this Morning Blend was my absolute favorite and I can get it at my local Safeway.

The thing about R.W. Knudsen that I like so much is that all their products are made with natural (and many of them organic) ingredients.  And they taste so good.  It's like you can tell there aren't any added chemicals.

There are so many different flavors of their juices, there's bound to be one for every member of your family.  Even my son, who normally doesn't like juice, liked some of these.

A couple other things to note:
I wasn't actually a fan of the Light juices as they take out some of the juice and then add rebiana (a derivative of stevia) to make it just as sweet with less calories.  I really can't handle the flavor of that sweetener.  I just like my juice with all the natural calories I guess!

The Sparkling Essence beverages caught me by surprise.  Perhaps if I'd realized they were like flavored sparkling water it would have been okay, but I was expecting something sweet!  I'm not a huge fan of carbonated water so this wasn't my boat.  But if you like mineral waters then I'd recommend these.  The new flavors are coconut and lime and they taste natural with plenty of flavor.  They are also a zero calorie alternative to sodas... just saying!

Overall, I really love the R.W. Knudsen company's commitment to quality natural products.  Even if some of their products aren't for me, many of them are!

R.W. Knudsen provided me with free samples to try however I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own (obviously :).

Wordless Wednesday: Toddler Style

It's too bad you can't see that that hat is a bear and has little bear ears sticking out the top too!

Birthday Time!

Friday was my dad's birthday.  We went up to have dinner and celebrate.  I had made my inaugural run to Costco and got home way late so poor Noah had to be woken up from his nap at 5:30 to go and we were of course late.  But I did manage to get the cake in the oven while we were eating dinner! 

Pineapple Upside Down cake of course! 

(and yes, that is a dog bone in my son's hand and yes, he did try to eat it at one point)

I believe this was his reaction to Papa telling him NOT to eat the dog bone.

And the saga of the cake... because it had just been in the oven while we were eating it was still warm.  I put the candles in, but then realized that Annika wasn't there yet so we were waiting before we sang.  Some time later when I did go to light them they were all leaning over funny... I pulled one out to fix it and realized that the entire bottom half was missing... melted into the cake!  So we managed to get them to stand up long enough to sing, but then we had to eat around the wax in the cake... good thing I didn't put in as many as his age or there would have been no good cake left to eat!  And what a waste of cake that would have been!

Happy Birthday Daddy, here's to many more with equally goofy things happening!

On Friends...

I realize it's not Friday anymore, but I missed this one and then couldn't resist the topic!

I have been so blessed in my life to have found wonderful friends.  Not a few of them I would say weren't found, but serendipitously "placed" there by Someone.

Take the fact that I went off to college... stayed for 3 weeks... then dropped out because I was too homesick and freaked out about not being able to get a work-study job.  But out of that I gained one of my best friends that the college had given me as a roommate.  We lived together later for another year of college and a year post college.  (Hi Wendy!)

Take my friend Holly.  When grad school didn't find me a teaching placement I went with one of the summer profs to her school so I would at least have the "pre-school" teacher meetings to observe.  She was a history teacher so she handed me off to the science teachers.  Holly.  Who after hanging out with for two weeks (thanks grad school for making me find my own placement) then allowed me to be her student teacher for the year.  And once I started dating Brian we discovered they had gone to middle school together.  And she even had an awesome video of him as the Velveteen Rabbit from 8th grade!

Then there's my local best friend.  I'm not sure when exactly we met, somewhere around 8th or 9th grade, but we spent the rest of high school sitting next to each other in band class and spending our summers chasing grade school kids around at camp.  (Hi Becca!)

I have so many other friends spread all over the world that I am so blessed to know.  Girls who follow after God and encourage me.  Girls who care about their families and other people.  I just hope they're as blessed to know me as I them.

This is a post prompt from The Gypsy Mama. Join in?