Making Beds and Changing the World

This one minute clip about "How to change the world" is really cute, and we need to show it to our kids!
http://www.wor710.com/onair/mark-simone-52176/head-of-the-navy-seals-explains-13471955/

Lori Benton - New Author on my Reading List!

I just finished reading my first Lori Benton novel, The Wood's Edge - It was very good and I'll be adding Benton to my list of authors that I enjoy.

The storyline was very creative, both in plot and in setting. I enjoyed learning more about some historical pieces, and thinking about the relationship between Indians and soldiers and their families. I enjoyed learning about different cultural traditions of the time. The themes of love and forgiveness run throughout the story line, and most readers will find that very easy to relate to.  I found that it was hard to put the book down!


From the publisher:
At the wood’s edge cultures collide. Can two families survive the impact? 
 
The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths. 
 
On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples. 
 
When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?


I would recommend this book to any reader at age 14 plus. this book was a gift from the publisher, given in exchange for my honest review/

Easy Dessert or Indulgant Snack - Chocolate Chip Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened (reduced fat or regular)

½  c butter, softened

¼ t vanilla extract

¾ c confectioner’s sugar

2 T brown sugar

¾ c miniature semisweet chocolate chips

chocolate graham crackers

Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl ‘til fluffy.  Gradually add sugars; beat just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, then serve as a dip with chocolate graham crackers.

Next time, I want to try adding crème de menthe to make mint chocolate chip dip like we found at an Amish Market near our house.  It was so delightfully yummy!

Kool-Aid Slurpees!

Doesn't this Kool-aid slurpee look yummy?  I can't wait to make it with the kids this summer!  Find the recipe at Thirty Handmade Days.

Daytime Baby Schedules

Routine is good for mamas and babies.  Baby #4 is one month old and on a 4-hour feeding schedule  (give or take according to the needs of baby and family).  Here's a peek into our daytime routine.

7am wake up & nurse & snuggle, change diaper
7:30  playtime sitting in the boppy by the window to soak up some sunshine
7:45  playtime in the playmat
8am  tummy time on the playmat or on my knees
8:15  swing time
8:30 snuggle and go down for nap  (rest or work for mom!)
11am  wake up and repeat

Once the kids come home from school they want to hold the baby & play with him, so the afternoon activities change a bit.  I'll post more about siblings & baby and babies on the run later...

What works well for your baby schedule?

Another Good Read from Terri Blackstock

Breaker's ReefCape Refuge Series

By Terri Blackstock 

From the publisher:
"A famous mystery writer has just moved to Cape Refuge when a teenage girl is found murdered. Sheila Caruso–ex-con, mother to Sadie and Caleb, and resident of Hanover House–is working for the writer when she discovers that a scene in one of his novels matches the crime scene. When Police Chief Cade and Blair Owens discover a second dead teenager–mirroring a murder in another of the eccentric writer’s books–Cade is drawn into a web of trickery and deceit. Evidence turns up in Cade’s own truck, and suddenly he becomes the number-one suspect. Cade tries to clear his name, but when eighteen-year-old Sadie Caruso disappears, tensions mount to a fever pitch. Can Cade find the real killer before Sadie winds up dead? Is the novelist a demented killer, or a hapless victim? And what does Sadie’s own mother have to do with the crimes? Secrets are uncovered, while lessons are learned about the sins of the father being visited upon his children. Will the consequences of Sheila’s life be fatal, or is there redemption and mercy for her and her children?"

If you're looking for a good clean suspense novel, Blackstock delivers with this novel.  You'll find yourself playing detective and searching for clues to the small town mystery.  You'll find yourself pulling for the characters as they pursue love and relationships.  And you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next!

I would recommend this book to any reader age 14+, though readers age 18+ might find the book more appealing.

I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.