Book Review

I recently read Beth Harbison's most recent book "Hope in a Jar". Harbison is the author of the "Shoe Addicts Anonymous" and "Secrets of a Shoe Addict" which I have not read but will be reading really soon. This was a great "chick lit" book, and I was was hooked after reading what I believe was the first line in the book:

"The only thing worse than finding out your boyfriend is cheating on you with a beautiful woman is finding out he’s cheating with an ugly woman." (What an awesome observation!)

When a book starts out with a statement like that, you know it is going to be good. It is basically about two best friends who rekindle what was once a thriving relationship at their 20th high school reunion. One of the characters used to be the beauty in high school and the other was the brain...over the years they seem to switch roles. For me, this was one of those you just can't put down...I even took it with me on the boat last weekend which means I really liked this book if I was able to read a few chapters during the excitement of a day on the lake! I am so glad I have discovered another great author, and I look forward to reading the other two "shoe" books as soon as I finish the book I am reading now which is "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah...another new-to-me author that I plan to read more from in the future. So many good books to read, so little time!! No worries, the cold, wintry season is right around the corner...prime book reading time for me.

We have cooties!

We have had a rough several days...starting with Andrew on Thursday night. He quickly recovered for the most part as children normally do. Monday, David was sent home with a fever and a cold...I followed shortly thereafter the same day with a feeling of impending doom. The stomach virus hit me hard and fast about mid morning on Monday. We went to our family doctor (David was forced to take over as caretaker) to get some assistance, but by this point I was dehydrated and sent to the emergency room for IV fluids. We are all back at school and work today, and I am 100% more thankful for good health and looking forward to having it again very soon!

Ahoy Matey!

As a part of my "Let's Get Organized" syndrome I had this weekend, I also ordered Andrew's Halloween costume from Costume Express. You see, they sent me a five dollar off coupon and all, so I just had to go ahead an order so that I could save money. What is wrong with being 2+ months ahead of schedule? This photo above is a model from their web site, not Andrew! After I finally convinced Andrew that we were not ordering another firefighter costume (his costume from last year), we went with being a pirate. He likes pirates, treasure, and saying "Arrrr"...probably from watching Spongebob. So, we will have our costume by the end of this month! Of course, the dang sword and eye patch were sold seperately, but my coupon took care of those!

Bubble Blower on a Sunny Sunday Afternoon!

Andrew had his friend Ayden over this past Sunday afternoon while I tried to fold, wash, and organize laundry/closets. We got Ayden this bubble blower that you hook up to the water hose for his birthday recently, and he wanted to bring it over to our house to try it out with Andrew.
As soon as they were both wet, they decided it was time to play in the sand box...what a mess! After about 20 minutes outside, it was time for them to come back in. While they played, I got a fair amount of work done! Andrew and I even went and got school supplies and groceries after taking Ayden home. Most weekemds are not this productive, so I was very pleased with my accomplishments on Saturday and Sunday!

Saturday Visiting and Shopping

On Saturday, I took Andrew to see where his daddy works. We got to eat lunch with him, and Andrew loved riding the elevator to all of the different floors. After our visit with daddy, we went to the mall just to look around. Whoa. It was as busy as the day before Christmas. I got a new book at the bookstore, and I got Andrew an insect set with 12 life-like insects. We have enjoyed playing with it...both book and set were on sale. I was just going to just browse for clothes for Andrew, but the prices/sales at Old Navy were too good to pass up! I got pretty much everything he will need for fall/winter for less than $100...and that is including a pair of shoes. We still need a good winter coat and a few sweaters, but seeing that it is only August, I think we will be alright for now. After all of this excitement, Andrew passed out while I was getting gas for the ride home. By the time we got home, I was ready for a nap and he was ready to play, play, play. Needless to say, I did not get a nap.

Andrew's First Sleepover

Andrew goes to spend the night with his grandparents for 2 to 3 weeks at a time, so I had no reservations when his buddy Ayden asked him to spend the night after his birthday party on Saturday. Isn't the first picture the cutest thing you have ever seen? They fell asleep a little after 11:00 p.m., and it looks like they were just pooped! He was not ready to come home the next day...he told me to come back later, but it was 4:00 p.m., and we were not wearing out our welcome!

Smokey Valley Saddle Club Rodeo

We took Andrew to the rodeo last night in Marquette...here are a few shots I took of him in the stick horse race. He was a very dedicated rider. Each child earned a 50 cent piece for their participation!!