Mother's Day 2009

I had a very nice Mother's Day this year. To begin with, my husband brought me a dozen roses on Saturday. They're a very pretty yellow-orange color. He had also bought me a rechargeable battery pack and charger for my camera last week, because I told him that's what I wanted for Mother's day. Ray, Molly and I went to church on Sunday morning, where Molly and I took our turn watching the toddlers in the nursery. There were no kids in there to begin with though, so I was able to participate in most of the worship part of the service...which is my favorite part. There were also two baby dedications on Sunday. One of them was a little guy we watch in the nursery on Wednesday nights, "Little C." He's the Youth Pastor's youngest son, and is a sweetie!

(Little C, being pushed by Middle C last Wed)

After church, Jessica and CJ met us at "Shooters", which is a local bar and grill, but on this Mother's day morning, they had a special brunch set up. It was very good food, and the price wasn't bad. The cost for kids 12 and under was only $6.95, and I was afraid we'd have a hard time convincing them that my 5' 9 1/2" Molly was actually only 12 years old...but thankfully, they took my word for it.

(my 5' 9 1/2" 12 year old)

When we got home, I got a Happy Mother's Day phone message from Ruth. She was the first of the kids who don't live with us to call me. I felt bad that I missed her call and I wasn't exactly sure what number she had called from, since it had come up on my phone as "no number." Molly bought me a package of cantaloupe seeds...she's always loved cantaloupe!



My daughter, Jessica got me a gift from ebay. She hasn't received it yet, but she sent me an email of what it is. A couple of years ago, she had gotten me a blue Starbuck's travel mug that I just loved...but I lost it. She found one on ebay for me, to replace it. Everyone seems to think I collect travel coffee mugs, I really don't...I'm just always in search of the "perfect" one. The most important thing to me, is that if you happen to knock the thing over, it would be really nice if it wouldn't spill...or even slowly leak, like most of them do...even the one I got from Tupperware, but this one didn't. I can't wait to get it! After a bit, it was time to make my pasta salad and then head out to Mom and Dad's to celebrate with the rest of my family.



Jessica, Molly and CJ had driven out slightly ahead of us to my parents' house . This is what CJ was up to when we arrived. He was having a blast driving around in my nephew's battery operated "Gator." Here he is in the passenger seat with Tiegen doing the driving.



My siblings and I had all chipped in on a couple of things for my mom. We got her a large coffeemaker for when she has get-togethers, and a gift card to the nursery/greenhouse where she likes to buy her plants. Here she is opening the coffeemaker:

My mother watches my sister's two little boys, Tiegen and Grayson quite a bit, and Mom and I took a walk out to the "fort" they had made to look for something. I thought the fort was so cute, that I had to take a picture of it. The boys are 3 and 5 years of age. It looks pretty comfy, don't ya think?



While we were there, I got a call from my oldest son, Jeremy. He lives in Phoenix, AZ with his 6 year old son, Alex. He said they were doing fine, and that Alex is learning how to read and even doing some math! I was very happy to hear that. My grandson was once diagnosed as mildly autistic...so it was great news! Jeremy said that they and his cousin, Tonia (who lives near him), are thinking about coming to visit us in September this year. I can hardly wait! I haven't seen Jeremy or Alex since August of 2006! It sure would be nice to get to know my grandson again.


On our way home, at approximately 10:30 PM, my son Joel gave me a call, to say Happy Mother's Day. I told him he got in "just under the wire." Joel said he'd been having car trouble, and therefore didn't come out to his grandparents' house to join the party. However, he lives in a town that is on the way out there...so we could have picked him up if he'd called earlier. Oh well, I did get to see him a few weeks ago, and it was thoughtful of him to pick up the phone and call...even though the day was almost over.

Mother's Day Blog Tour Book Review & Giveaway!!

This book is written from the viewpoint of a teenage girl, it even includes a section in the front telling us moms why we shouldn't read it. I thought it was very well written, and did bring back some memories of how I felt at that age...which was quite a few years ago. Since my youngest daughter is not quite technically a teenager, some of it didn't quite fit. However, since she is over 5'9" tall and has started experimenting with make-up, and is going through that lovely "It's Wonderful Being a Girl" phase, a lot of it did fit her...to a T. I haven't actually read the entire thing yet, but I am going to keep it handy for a quick reference when she does things I don't quite understand.

Here's the summary:
Every mom knows how communicating with a teenage girl can be difficult, even impossible at times. One-word answers. Defensive conversations. Daily arguments. How typical for teens to put up such barriers. All the while, moms truly long to know what their daughters really think.
Best-selling author Melody Carlson, whose books for women, teens, and children have sold more than three million copies, bridges this chasm with trusted insight. She speaks frankly in the voice of the teen daughters she’s written for and she tells it like it is: struggles with identity, guys, friendship, and even parents—it’s all here. The straight-talk to moms covers such things as “I need you, but you can’t make me admit it,” “I’m not as confident as I appear,” and “I have friends. I need a mother.”
Instead of focusing on outward behaviors, Dear Mom looks at a young woman’s heart and reveals to moms:
· how to talk to teens so they hear,
· how to connect despite the differences of perspective or years and experiences,
· and how strengthen the bond every mom and daughter ultimately wants.
The lively chapters in Dear Mom can be dipped into topically or used as a read-through tool by moms and daughters alike to understand what motivates or deflates, troubles or inspires—and just in time for Mother’s Day and all the Mother’s Days ahead.

Author Bio:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than three million copies. Beloved for her Diary of a Teenage Girl and Notes from a Spinning Planet series, she’s also the author of the women’s novels Finding Alice (in production now for a Lifetime-TV movie), Crystal Lies, On This Day, These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking, and A Mile in My Flip-Flops. A mother of two grown sons, Melody lives in central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. She’s a full-time writer and an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.

To purchase a copy of this book or for more information about it, go to: RandomHouse.com

I also have an extra copy of "DEAR MOM" to give away to one of my lucky readers. To enter, please leave a comment after this post, about how you celebrated Mother's Day this year, and I will randomly draw the winner's name out of a hat on May 31st. This contest is open to all residents of the continental US! Good Luck!

Book: Mama’s Got A Fake I.D.

Author: Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira

Summary:
Formula for identity loss:
1. Take one multifaceted, intriguing human being.
2. Bless her with a child.
3. Mix with today’s cultural assumptions.
4. Add the demands of motherhood.
5. Presto! All identity except Mom disappears.
For every woman wondering what happened to the unique combination of gifts and abilities she was known for before kids came along, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has good news: in Mama’s Got a Fake I.D., Rivedeneira helps moms reclaim their full identity as creative beings, gifted professionals and volunteers, loving friends, children of God—and mothers.

This inspiring and practical guide shows women how to break free from false guilt, learn a new language to express who they really are, and follow God’s lead in sharing their true self with others. After all, motherhood doesn’t have to mean losing one’s identity. Instead, being a mom makes it possible for a woman to discover a more complete identity as the person God made her to be.

Author Bio:
The former managing editor of Marriage Partnership and Christian Parenting Today, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has been a trusted voice writing and speaking to women for more than a decade. Today she is the managing editor of GiftedForLeadership.com, an online community for Christian women in leadership. Rivadeneira works from home in the Chicago suburbs, where she lives with her husband and their three children.
To purchase this book, or to learn more about it, go to RandomHouse.com and place your order.

Book: Enduring Justice I like to actually read these books before I review them, and I was looking forward to reading a novel for a change. I was not disappointed! This was a very good book from beginning to end, and was a real page turner. I did have a little trouble getting into it at first, because there are numerous characters, and the author lets you see not only through the heroine's eyes, but also writes from the perspective of her FBI agent boyfriend, and even takes you into the twisted minds of the racist terrorists that they are trying to stop. I found it to be a very entertaining read!
Here's the summary:
In Enduring Justice, Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her thoughts.

Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. And when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.

A racist’s well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. When the attack turns personal, is healing still possible?

This thought-provoking novel deals with healing from sexual abuse, the balance of justice and mercy, and maintaining mixed-race friendships in the midst of racial tension. Readers who enjoy investigative thrillers by Dee Henderson, Colleen Coble, and Catherine Coulter, and who watch crime dramas like Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace will love this book—and the entire series.

Author Bio:
Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises, a homeschool mom, and self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.

To get more info about "Enduring Justice" go to RandomHouse.Com.

For more chances to win these three great books, visit my good friends who have joined me on this book tour: Daisy Crazy and SassyFrazz. I believe Daisy is giving away one copy of each of the above books, and Sassy is giving away a copy of the two that I'm not...so check out their reviews and sign up for their giveaways too!

Mother's Day Weekend

Well, here it is...weigh-in day again... After a weekend of Friday night "Ladies Night Out" , (where we all stuff our faces), and the "Ladies Spring Brunch" on Saturday, both at church, and then of course, Mother's Day on Sunday. I think I was down a couple of more pounds than I am now, about Wed or Thursday of last week...but I will go weigh in tonight anyway, and hopefully show a bigger loss than last week.

I really wanted to share what I got for Mother's day this year: From my grandson, "CJ" I got a beautiful bracelet, (like the one here except the inscription on the heart was "Love, Christian"): Thank you CJ, (and Mama Jessica)!

From my 11yo daughter Molly, I got this lovely photo mat that she made for me in an after-school craft class. I framed it, and hung it on the wall and will cherish it forever. Here it is:

It's a little hard to read here, but the top square says, "Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do. -unknown". The middle one says, "Live-Love-Laugh", and the bottom was says, "You Make My Life a Beautiful Thing". She also created and printed a nice card, a bookmark, and a coupon that is good for one breakfast in bed. Thanks Mo, You are so creative!

My daughter, Jessica, (CJ's mom), got me a few things to finish off my "Fun Frogs" bathroom, a wastebasket, a decorative hand towel and a toilet brush holder that is shaped like a frog...too cute! Thanks Jess! You always know exactly what I want.

From my DH, (darling husband, for those of you not familiar with blogese), brought me a dozen roses on Friday night. They are beautiful-yellow, with red tipped petals. That's not all, he got me a 50 pc. cake decorating tool caddy, which is something I've wanted for a very long time. I know that my friend, Lisa will appreciate this the most. She and I get together to decorate cakes for church on occasion, so now I can have all of my "tools" in one place, and can grab it all and go. Here's what it looks like:

He also took me out to the Chinese buffet...but of course, we do that EVERY Sunday! Thank you Honey! I Love you.

We then went out to my parents' house for supper, where we grilled, and each brought something to share. I got to meet my great-great niece, Maya. What a cutie! I can't believe that my oldest niece is now a grandmother... Happy Mother's Day, Everyone!