Friday's Fave Five: March 18

It's been a while since I have been able to participate in the weekly Friday's Fave Five as hosted by Living to Tell the Story. Once you're done reading here be sure to head over to post your own favorite five from the last week or see what other bloggers are listing.

This week my Friday fave five are:

1. A decade of memories. I rarely post personal information on this blog, I try to keep focused on the purpose -- books, but I wanted to mention that today marks the 10th anniversary of when my husband and I first got "together". It's been an amazing ten years and I look forward to the next decade.

2. New reads. I love that moment when I first learn a book I've been waiting on will soon be available to read! I had that moment this morning when I discovered that The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall will be available in bookstores (and libraries) across the country this coming May!

I first met the Penderwick family when I read The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy in the fall of 2008. I loved the story (as you can tell by my review) and was excited to discover Ms. Birdsall had written a sequel, The Penderwicks of Gardham Street, which I read in 2009. Now I am waiting with great anticipation for the third installment of this trilogy (or series?). If you haven't had a chance to check out these books be sure too. They are intended for readers ages 9 to 12, but they make delightful reads for adults too.

3. St. Patrick's Day. Until this year I never really thought much about St. Patrick's Day. It usually only meant that I would wear something green and we would have corned beef and cabbage for dinner, but having a child can change more than you think. For me it has made me think twice about holidays. I want to know the real reason we celebrate and I want to have fun.

So for this year's St. Patrick's Day I planned some special activities and surprises for my family. For starters, in the weeks leading up to St. Patrick's Day my husband and I read a few children's books about St. Patrick's Day (or Ireland). Unfortunately the selection of books to read for preschoolers is not very good and in the end our favorite book had nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day, but instead with the Irish festival of Puck. My daughter just loved the book King Puck by Michael Garland. It was an entertaining and charming story with cute illustrations.

Next, I took the time to familiarize myself with the real history of St. Patrick, which led to my post yesterday.

Then I planned a few art and craft activities with my daughter. And last I planned a fun dinner. We had the usually corned beef and cabbage (with potatoes and carrots), but I included a few child-happy treats like Leprechaun Gold jello (made with white grape juice and mandarin orange slices) and green dyed lemon-lime sparkling water. Then for dessert we had chocolate cupcakes with frosting shamrock's on top. It was a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to celebrating Easter next month.

4. Reading a classic. For the last few weeks I have been working my way through Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. I have wanted to read this classic for the last few years and finally worked it out so my reading would coincide with an upcoming book club meeting. We are set to discuss A Tale of Two Cities at our meeting next week. I have less than 100 pages left to read and the story has definitely reached the climax. It has been a fascinating read and I can't wait to enrich my understanding by discussing the content and history with my friends. Stay tuned as I plan to review this book after our meeting.


5. Village Lanterne by Blackmore's Night. I stumbled upon this video a few weeks back. It's a little cheesy at parts, but I love the "sound" of the song. It reminds me of the soundtrack to the 1987 movie, The Princess Bride. Enjoy.

Happy Friday! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Friday's Fave Five - What I'm Thankful For

This is the perfect week to list my favorite five moments or things because it coincides with Thanksgiving. As such I am going to list five things I am thankful for or that exhibit a way that I am thankful. Enjoy!

1. Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day is still a very popular holiday in the USA. Families still travel far and wide to gather around the table and feast. And yet, it seems more and more that the actual holiday is an after thought for most of society. We go from summer to back to school; back to school to Halloween; and Halloween to Christmas. There's hardly a pause for this holiday. Personally I am thankful for Thanksgiving. I am waiting to put up Christmas decorations or begin any of that festivity until after Thanksgiving is past. I want to take the time to enjoy this day of thanks and rejoicing. I am grateful to God for a day to remember all the good in our lives.

2. My husband and my daughter. I am always thankful for these two special people, but especially this week as my job has been more demanding and their love for me is limitless.

3. Some time off work. I get a few days off work. I'm trying to clear my brain of all things job-related and just focus on family and rest. I hope to get some down time to read, but for the most part I am just thankful for time away from the computer!

4. Extended family. We don't see our extended family very much. Our extended family is spread far and wide. I am thankful for holidays when I am given the opportunity to see them and spend a little quality time together.

5. Video of the week: God of Wonders featuring Third Day. Enjoy!

What are your five favorite moments or things from the last week? Leave a comment letting me know, or linking to your own five fave post. Or better yet, head over to Living To Tell the Story and link up your Five Faves.

Have a great weekend!

Friday's Fave Five - Maud Hart Lovelace Style

As we are drawing to the end of this year's Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge I want to do things a little different for this week's Friday's Fave Five. Instead of just listing five favorite things from the previous week I am going to list five favorite things either about Maud Hart Lovelace as an author or about her books.

1. Maud Hart Lovelace. I have very few selective "favorites" in life. When it comes to authors I have many I like, but few that could be called "favorites". But if I had to name just one author out of all that I enjoy it would have to be Maud Hart Lovelace. I love her writing style, I love her sense of humor and I find her stories fascinating. I just love her books.

I also love that the Betsy-Tacy series is based on Maud's real life experiences, her friends and family, and the thoughts and feelings she had as a young girl and a young woman. When I read them they are not only a delightfully entertaining, but they feel real as if I am reading the adventures of a friend. Maud was born with some amazing gifts. Writing was one and the other was the ability to capture her life and put it down on paper for others to enjoy and relive through their imagination.

But writing aside, I also have a lot of respect for Maud as a person. When I read The Betsy-Tacy Companion (the only thorough biography of Maud Hart Lovelace) last year I grew to appreciate her even more. Maud had a happy and fulfilling life. She was loving and kind and was loved by her friends and family. She brought joy through her books as well as her day to day life. She had true faith and I can only imagine she must have been a wonderful person to know and call "friend."

2. Joe/Delos. Some may argue that Joe isn't really based on Maud's husband because Betsy meets Joe as a young teenager and Maud didn't meet Delos until well into her 20s. And yet, it appears a great deal of Joe is based off Delos. With this in mind I have always favored Betsy's Wedding because it is the first opportunity the reader gets to really know Joe/Delos. Within this book it is also clear how great a match Joe and Betsy are. They are truly happy together, the best of friends and lovers. From what I've read this was also how it was for Delos and Maud and that makes me happy; happy to know that while the fictional couple appear to live "happily-ever-after" the fact remains the real-life couple did too and that's what really counts in the end.

"Delos and I are mutually agreed that marrying each other
was giving the perfect answer to life." ~ MHL, 11/28/1931

3. The importance of reading. I love reading and writing and almost anything book related. So it fits well that one of the aspects of Maud Hart Lovelace's books that I love is how important reading is to the characters within. Betsy loved to read and write, as does Joe. And Emily and Carney have their share of reading in the Deep Valley books. Betsy's early visits to Deep Valley's public library are a big deal in Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown and although the library takes a lesser role as Betsy becomes distracted with boys during high school Maud still manages to include the library and reading in general as an important and beloved aspect of life for Betsy and her friends.

In recent years I've found it especially fun to note the books mentioned within a book I am reading. Sometimes I find new titles to read and other times I can't help but laugh in agreement when a character expresses an opinion about a book I've also read. One of my top favorite reads of all times is Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Shuttle. I was thrilled last year when I discovered this was a book that Betsy also read with her friends (see Betsy Was a Junior, Chapter 7). I think in a way it is almost an inside joke between authors and readers when a book is mentioned within a book. I love it.

4. The timelessness of her books. Maud's stories are set 50-100+ years ago (depending on which one you pick up and read) and there are definitely aspects of the books that date them, yet they all give a feeling of timelessness. Times may have changed, but overall people don't change. They still have the same basic hopes and dreams fears and desires it's just how they are manifested that has changed. I love how rich the characters are. Family matters; character and ethics matter; faith matters; the American dream matters. I love the fact that the lessons learned within each story are just as applicable today as they were when they were written (or in some cases, when they occurred).

5. The music. There are LOTS of songs woven into Maud Hart Lovelace's books. I am so glad she chose to include so much of the popular arts -- music, theater, books, etc. I think it is fascinating for readers of the 21st century to see what was popular for young people 100 years ago.

One of my many favorite scenes in the Betsy books is the one when Joe FINALLY asks Betsy for a dance and she scratches a name for him. It is the point in the series where the reader finally gets a glimpse of what is to come:

"In five minutes the news had spread around the hall. Joe Willard had asked Betsy Ray for a dance. She had scratched off a name to give him one... The tenth dance ended and there followed the brief intermission during which boys took leave of their old partners and sough new ones. Betsy waited for joe. He did not come. Mamie Dodd started to play the piano. It was a new song Betsy liked, "The girl I'll call my sweetheart, Must look like you..."

Couples moved out to the floor, circled. Still Joe didn't come.

Betsy stood alone. She would stand there only a moment She knew the proper thing to do if you were stranded without a partner, although she had seldom found herself in that undesirable predicament. She started to move toward the cloak room but first her eyes circled the hall and she saw Joe almost running up the stairs...

Betsy smiled. Joe put his arm around her and they moved out onto the dance floor. He danced well, not smoothly like Dave, nor with Tony's rhythmic skill but with zest and in perfect time. He whirled her as she had never been whirled before." (Betsy Was A Junior, Chapter 22)

I really wanted to find the music or lyrics from the song that Betsy and Joe dance to, but it seems to be lost in the passage of time. I did however find a similarly titled song, Let Me Call You Sweetheart written by Leo Friedman that the Betsy Tacy Society has included in their CD Maud's Music of Deep Valley. (I should mention here I really WANT a copy of this CD!) It was written the same year, 1910, and although the lyrics are different I think it is close enough to count. I chose a piano solo as it reminded me of Mamie Dodd. I can almost see in my mind's eye Joe whirling Betsy across the floor as she thinks, "I wonder what about next year..." Enjoy!

Happy friday and happy reading!

Friday Fave Fives

It's been a busy week, though not quite as hectic as last week. The following are five things for which I enjoyed most from my week:

1. Autumn. I love the cool crisp days of autumn. I love when the leaves begin to change colors, but have not yet dropped. I took this picture yesterday at a farm where we went pumpkin picking.2. Three year-olds and Pumpkin Excitement. As I mentioned, we went to a farm yesterday to pick out pumpkins. There was lots to do besides pumpkin picking and my daughter had a blast. She picked out a pumpkin that she said was "just my size." We saw lots of farm animals. I love watching life through her eyes, it's always so exciting.

3. Book of the week. I took a break from everything on my nightstand to read a book that while not exactly connected to the Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge is closely related. I read That Dodger Horse by Delos W. Lovelace, Maud's husband. It was a lot of fun to read and I'm hoping to post a review early to mid next week. I particularly enjoyed the book because Delos has his own writing style, yet I can still see parallels between his writing and that of his fictional counterpart, Joe.

4. Surprise of the week. Along the topic of the MHLRC... Since I own all the books in the Betsy-Tacy and Deep Valley series I am now on the hunt for the rest of Maud's books. This has proven a little difficult as 90% of the other titles are out of print and those that can be found tend to be expensive. So you can imagine my surprise and excited when I discovered an affordable copy What Cabrillo Found. I ordered it and was doubly surprised when it arrived within only a couple days. I probably won't have time to read it this year, but I'm fine with saving it for next fall when we return for the 3rd annual Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge.

5. Song of the week. Walking On the Stars as performed by Group 1 Crew. It's not the greatest video (fan made), but it was the best I could find. Enjoy!

Have five favorite things from your week you'd like to share? Head over to Living To Tell The Story and link up your post.

Friday Five Favs

Each week Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a recap post highlighting five favorite things from the previous week. I've never met Susanne, but learned of this weekly even via Carrie at Reading to Know. I don't always get a chance to participate, but I think it is a great way to remember to count my blessings, especially during those weeks where it feels they are few and far between, so thank you Susanne for this idea!

This week, although very busy seems to have a fair amount of things to make me happy. They are...

1. Indian Summer. Some people have been calling the weather we've been having as "Indian Summer," but I don't think that's technically correct considering the term usually applies after the leaves have changed and there's been a frost. We haven't had a frost yet and not all of the leaves have changed, so to me the beautiful weather we've had has just been the final weeks or days of our summer weather. Either way, whatever you call it, I love this time of the year. Being outside is so pleasant. I've been trying to take advantage of it and get my daughter to the park or to play in the back yard as much as possible. It's also that small window of time when I can leave the windows open, post AC, but pre heating. (P.S. That's actually a picture I took, isn't it pretty how the sunlight hits the water?)

2. The Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge. For some of you this may seem to be all I'm talking about these days... and maybe it is. We're two weeks into the month long reading challenge with another two weeks to go before this blog returns to its regularly scheduled programming. Thus far I have had a lot of fun. It's been really interesting to meet other fans of Maud Hart Lovelace and to read their excitement as they discuss their favorite (or in many cases their first) read. I am both thrilled and honored to get the chance to help readers rediscover (or discover) such a beloved author.

3. A mini-vacation of sorts. This week we had the unexpected opportunity to house-sit for some friends. It's not really a vacation because my husband and I still had to work, but it did mean getting away from our house and hour chores to get to stay somewhere else and experience the blessings contained in that house. You know, like having a dog for a few days without the responsibility of a long-term commitment. Having a crackling fire to read by. Etc. etc. It's always good to return home, but it helps to appreciate home more by getting away every now and then.

4. Recent reads. I've nearly completed the stack of books I listed in my September What's On My Nightstand post. I am a little amazed at how quickly I flew through the stack. Within it I found some very enjoyable reads. What I didn't know I would be adding is this month's book club read: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Classic detective fiction... In fact, it's the first detective novel to be written in the English language. I'm only a few chapters in, but the word that comes to mind is: Riveting. Stand by for my review.

5. If I Die Young by The Band Perry. I have heard this song here and there of late and while the lyrics make its meaning fairly clear I was still curious what the band's interpretation was. (I've noticed how often a music writer can have a totally different visual picture than the audience.) That's when I stumbled upon the music video. I love the "nod" to Anne of Green Gables (click link to view movie scene) and I had to post If I Die Young here for that reason alone. Enjoy.


Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Five Favs

It's the end of a short week, thanks to the Labor Day holiday on Monday. I am very much looking forward to the weekend. Here are five things that I am happy about today:

1. Fresh home made blueberry muffins. I woke up to a crisp cool morning and it just as if the day was made for fresh muffins. My daughter helped some. They turned out fabulous and I ate two.




2. Our church has a weekly Awana program for children 3-14. This is the first year my daughter will be old enough to join in, a fact I wasn't aware of until the lady organizing mentioned it to my husband and I. She suggested we consider signing our daughter up not only because it'd be fun for her, but also because it would give my husband and I a 2-hour date night every week. This week will be her first meeting and I'm very excited. I think she's going to have a great time and I can't wait for my date.

3. It's September, which means it's the 2nd annual Agatha Christie Blog Tour. As part of the tour I decided to read Agatha Christie's autobiography. From page one it proved to be a delicious read, perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea (or coffee) during a quiet hour early in the morning. I will have lots to say on this read, so stay tuned for my review.




4. The weather has shifted towards autumn. Happy am I that the 100 degree days are a thing of the past. While we still have some summer like weather it is much more bearable and temperatures ate night drop into the 50s. I am very happy to have a spell of time when I can turn off the AC, but don't have to turn on the heat. The windows are WIDE open and the soft breeze tickles the curtains. I love it!

5. This song has been running through my mind for the last couple of weeks. Don't Look At Me by Stacie Orrico is an older song released in 2000 (a decade ago!), but it still has truth in it: "Don't look at me, look at Him."

Have a great weekend!

Friday Five Faves

It's been some weeks since I posted a Friday's Five Fave post. It's the middle of August and summer is winding to a heated and dry end. Here are five things that have blessed me in the previous weeks:

1. This summer my husband and I decided to purchase an annual pass to a local national park. We weren't really interested in the tourist aspects of the park, but instead liked the fact that with the pass we could visit anytime we wanted. Lately we've made Sunday evenings our family time when we go to the park and relax. Sometimes my husband spends the time capturing the rustic beauty of the natural surroundings with our camera while our daughter plays in the sand or tosses rocks into the river. Other times we explore the trails or just enjoy watching the sun set over the mountains. I love this time together as a family and look forward to each week.

2. Last week I posted a review of So Long Insecurity: You've Been A Bad Friend to Us by Beth Moore. This book was so much more than I initially expected it to be. It was one of the best books I read this summer and has really changed how I view myself and those around me. This book is on my top five list of books I regularly recommend to other readers and one I'd recommend to every woman I know. If you haven't read my review go do so right now!


3. I didn't take ballet as a child, but I appear to have a daughter who will. Right now everything is "princess" this or "ballerina" that. However I am especially thankful for the invention of little girl leotards, tutus, and ballet slippers as they seem to be the motivator behind my daughter's potty-training. Because of these items my daughter decided all of a sudden one day she was done with diapers. My baby girl is growing up, she's a little girl now and there's no going back! But I don't mind, so bring on the ballet!


4. It's summer, which means lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. For the last couple of summers I have gone berry picking and made my own jam. This year I took a pass as I still had several jars from last year. Instead I froze some fruit and made a few pies. The latest was an absolutely delicious golden peach pie. I've also been growing fresh herbs this summer. Our favorite has been the ever-abundant basil plant. A simple tomato, basil, mozzarella appetizer is excellent when served alongside grilled chicken or steak. I shall be sorry when this aspect of summer comes to an end.

5. This week I've had Come To Jesus, a song by Chris Rice running through my head. There were several variations of the song on YouTube, but I liked this one best:

Have a wonderful week's end.

Friday Five Favs

It's been a good week and this coming Monday being Memorial Day means we get an extra long weekend. It is so nice to have a few extra days to spend with my family.

1. Memorial Day. In light of the holiday weekend I am reminded of all the soldiers who have served the people of the United States both in the past and now in the present -- who have lived and died fighting for our safety and for peace. I am grateful and thankful for each one of them. I pray for their safety and success. God bless America!







2. LOST. Last Sunday I watched the very emotionally charged series finale of LOST. At first I was rather upset with how the writers wrapped up the story... Yes, I cried several times throughout the finale. I know, I admit it. It's silly, but I often find myself emotionally attached to characters in stories I read (or watch) and then have to remind myself "this is fiction!" This was the case with LOST, but after a few days of pondering everything that happened I decided I was satisfied with the finale of LOST. I can say it was one of the greatest TV shows of all time.

3. Finishing a Job. For the last several years my husband and I have been remodeling our house. We bought it with the hope of finishing everything in less than two years, but like a lot of things in life it took a little longer... like more than twice that time. This weekend we are tackling our last major project, the upstairs bathroom. Once this is finished it's just a few odd jobs here and there and then we're done. It's a very exciting moment and I will be very happy when it is finished.

4. Fresh Strawberries. I took my daughter strawberry picking for the firs time. We had a great time and I was able to pick enough to store away for later use and still have enough to eat by themselves and make a strawberry shortcake. If I have time next week I plan to return and pick enough to make up a large batch of jam. I love this time of year.

5. City On Our Knees by TobyMac. There isn't really a great video out there to capture the power of this song, but it has been on my playlist for several weeks now and I wanted to share it. Such a powerful message.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Five Favs

It's been a very busy week, but I have much to be thankful for. My top five favorite moments from this past week include:

1. Finally getting some time to read. I'm working my way through Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now, which I need to finish before the next book club meeting (June 2). It's 802 pages and I had planned to read a certain number of pages a day, which just hasn't happened. So now I'm in a rush. I have two weeks left and half the book to read. My reading time has been snippets here and there, mostly before the hour of 7am and after the hour of 10pm, still it's a great story and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

2. A little time away. I wasn't able to post last Friday as I took the day off to go sight-seeing with a friend and her daughter who were in from out of town. It was her first time to the area and there was much to see. But you can't really rush when you are walking with a two-year-old. Still, we had a great time. After a quick lunch my friend and her daughter headed to their next appointed tour and I took my daughter off for a spontaneous visit to my husband's office. It was really fun to watch L "see where Daddy goes every day." And then best of all, after he got off work (his boss let him out early) we went out for dinner to Pei Wei, a fast, but delicious Asian restaurant. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing Friday.


3. Which leads me to my next thought. On Friday evening I received some sad news. One of my brother-in-laws is seriously ill and has been waiting for a while to find out if he will be approved for major surgery that could radically change (improve) his life. The answer came Friday and it was "No." The surgery was too high risk and the doctors just will not or can not perform it. This was a big blow to my sister and her husband, especially because just a week prior they had run into two success stories, which for this type of surgery is rare. It was almost as if the carrot (a life without pain and restrictions) was dangled in front of their noses only to be yanked away a week later. I immediately thought of Natalie Grant's song I Will Not Be Moved, which is currently on my playlist. The video's a bit weird, but I love this song.

4. On a lighter note, my daughter's curiosity and vocabulary continue to expand. She often says things that make my husband and I struggle not to laugh out loud, especially when she's being very serious. The other day we were driving somewhere and the sun was just peaking out behind the cloudy sky. The following conversation reminded me of a scene from Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (Act 4, Scene 5):
L: "Mommy, see the moon?"
Me: "No, that's the sun hiding behind a cloud."
L: "No, it's the sun."
Me: "I'm pretty sure it's the sun."
L: "NO. It's the moon." ...

5. And silly as it might sound, another favorite moment from this week has been yesterday and today. For most of the week it's been cloudy and raining, but finally yesterday, the sun came out! I love sunshine and it's so nice to be able to open the windows or take a walk to the park. If only the nice weather will hold out for the weekend.

Happy Friday to you all!

Friday Five Favs

Unbelievable! I can't believe it's Friday again, it feels as though it was just Monday and I was lamenting how I had a whole week to get through until it was the weekend. But here we are, which brings me to my first favorite of this week...

1. Friday night. I love Friday evenings. In fact I love Fridays second only to Saturdays. Generally things are more laid back on Fridays, they are usually the day I get my household chores finished (cleaning, laundry, etc.) so that weekends are free for other activities. My goal being that I reach my Friday evening with a clean house and can then kick back and relax with my family. Fridays mark the start of a weekend when we get to spend time together. I love it.

2. My book club. This past Wednesday was the quarterly meeting of my book club. We met to discuss Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd and to enjoy some delicious foods. I love the group of ladies I meet with. They are diverse in personalities and interests, but are all book lovers and always have something special to add to our discussions. Our club is different than many modern book clubs in that we stick to reading mostly classics, with a few exceptions. If you're looking for a club to discuss the latest fad read you won't find it in our club. Up next for our June meeting: Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now.

3. Book Discovery of the Week. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tullane by Kate Dicamillo. I remember seeing this book on the shelf a few years back and after enjoying The Tale of Desperaux I marked it as a book I'd like to read one day. That day came this week when I realized I had finished all the TBR on my nightstand and I had some time before my ILL book requests came in. It's a short read and my review is forthcoming, but suffice it to say I thoroughly enjoyed this children's story and look forward to reading it to my daughter in a couple years.

4. Song of the Week. Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle.

5. The smell of Lilacs blooming. Yesterday I was watching a friend's children for her while she got some projects finished. I took the kids to the park and on the way we passed several lilac bushes. There's nothing quite like the smell of fresh flowers in bloom. I love spring.

That's my five favorites for this week. What about you? What did you read this week that you loved? What blessed you this week? Leave a comment or a link to your own post, I'd love to hear about your week. Have a great weekend!

Friday Five Favs

It's Friday! And what a week it's been. Still here my five favorites from this past week.

1. Reading Wild Strawberries by Angela Thirkell. I am loving this book. Thirkell has such a way with words... and with characters. It only took a couple pages for me to realize this was going to be a favorite read of mine. Stay tuned, I am looking forward to sharing more about this book and my thoughts in a formal review once I've finished reading it.

2. Children's Book of the week: The Flower Man by Mark Ludy. Oddly enough I learned of this book first during an illustration my pastor gave during one of his recent sermons. Intrigued by the description (a "beautiful, wordless story told visually from beginning to end features a small, meek man who transforms a small town through simple moral principles.") I decided to see if my library had a copy that I could share with my daughter during our story reading time. Although published in 2005 it proved rather elusive until I finally found a copy through ILL. It is a very clever picture book and she and I have really enjoyed it. Check it out!

3. A toe and finger nail painting party with my 2 1/2 year old daughter. This was the first time I've painted her fingers and thanks to Maybelline's 50 second drying nail polish it was a success. It was a fun little diversion and she's been talking about her pretty toes and fingers every day since.

4. Time at the gym. Despite my very hectic schedule I try to get to the gym at least three times a week and on a good week I can make it four times. I've always hated running, but suddenly things have changed. A few weeks back I decided to start working towards being able to run a 5k. I set myself up on the treadmill for "random mode" (i.e. hills/valleys/straights) and started running. Initially my time was something like 44 minutes, but over the last month I've shaved it down to 35:05 and I won't slow down until I can run a ten minute mile! It's thrilling to have such a goal and to feel I will achieve it!

5. Song of the week. I Run To You by Lady Antebellum. I don't have many favorite singers/groups. Generally I like a song or some songs by a singer or group, but not necessarily all their music. It's very true that my musical tastes are rather eclectic. Still, Lady Antebellum is an exception. Although this is an older song it's still one of my favorites. I couldn't get the actual music video embedded here, so if you're curious check it out here.


Well, those are my favorites for this week. What about you? Leave me a comment and let me know what were yours.

Friday Five Favs

I have so much to be thankful for this week. For starters Sunday is Easter also called Resurrection Sunday -- and for me that fact alone is the very best reason to be happy this week:

"When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, 'Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?'

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid." (Mark 16:1-8, NIV)

To add to that here are five more favorites from my week:

1. My Daughter. This week I had the pleasure of watching my daughter experience some new and exciting firsts. Her first pony ride, her first face painting, and her first egg dying. To top that off it appears she's going to potty train herself! It's been a good week.

2. Reading Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd. I started this book last weekend, and while a couple days is normally enough time to finish a book this size I haven't had much time to read. Still, I'm thankful for the time I have found. As for the book -- it's a great story, Hardy is a wonderful writer and I am thoroughly enjoying the book.

3. The Spring-like Weather. For a couple days now we've had sunshine and temperatures in the 70-80s and this is supposed to continue through next week. I love spring. For the first time in years I am actually getting to enjoy the outdoors every day and I'm planting flowers!

4. Good Friday. So many good things about today. For starters I have the day off from work. It's a gorgeous day. My daughter and I spent the morning with friends dying eggs, eating homemade pizza, and just visiting. I had a quiet afternoon while my daughter took a good nap. My husband got off work early. We're going to grill out (steak and baked potatoes for dinner) and then off to our church's Good Friday service. The perfect start to a long weekend. I love it!

5. Song of the week: Via Dolorosa. This is one of my all-time favorite songs. I can remember listening to this song over and over as a child. It's just such a beautiful song it gives me shivers.


Happy Easter! May you find your week has been full of blessings and may you have great hope for He is not dead, but has risen!

Friday Five Favs

Despite the fact that this week was extremely difficult I have much to be thankful for. My top five favorite things from the past week include:

1. My friends. Work has been very stressful of late as I've had to push to get some projects done by certain deadlines. This has meant some days I've had to work 6-8 hours and all around taking care of my 2 1/2 year old daughter. At the point when I thought I was going to lose my mind a friend offered to take my daughter for a day so I could have some solid alone time to concentrate and plow through the paperwork that was threatening to bury me alive. Wow did it made such a difference! I got so much done and I had such a happier outlook on life in general. Meanwhile my daughter had a fun time playing with other children. True friends are truly a blessing.

2. Listening to the rain. Generally I prefer sunshine to rain, but every so often I do enjoy waking up or going to sleep to the sound of rain falling. It's rather relaxing. We had several days of sunshine followed by a couple days of rain. One night I had the luxury to lay in bed and listen to the pitter patter of the rain.

3. Babysitters. It's been a while since my husband and I were able to have a date night. We try for once a month, but that doesn't always happen. Thanks to one of our fantastic babysitters we got a last minute date night out. And let me tell you -- a night out together without taming a toddler does wonders for my morale and for my marriage. Bless my babysitter!

4. A new dress. I love when you find that perfect item. It fits like a dream, it makes you look fantastic AND it's on clearance!

5. Song of the Week: Lead Me To the Cross (Chris and Conrad). Enjoy!


What about you? What were your five favorite things from the last week? What blessed you? Leave me a comment and let me know or a link to your own Friday Five Fav post and have a fantastic weekend!