I am moving

the blog!

thinking this is for real this time! ha!

please see me on Typepad from now on.

i need to be able to customize, and since i do not know html, this way will be much better for me!

here is the new site name for my blog!

http://www.looktothesky.typepad.com

i still need to finalize things, like adding widgets, etc. it may take me a few days, so bear with me!

have a happy day!

A Spoonful Of Charm

here here! i am so sorry to be ignoring my blog as of late! i wanted to let (whatever readers are left reading my lonely blog!) know of my sister in law and i's joint effort- a new Etsy shop called A Spoonful Of Charm. we have lots of goodies- a mix of old and new, handmade, supplies..things we think are inspiring and things that inspire us as well! i hope you enjoy and find something you like sometime! blessings! and happy thanksgiving if i don't return to post before thursday!

Do you like Twilight?

Here are a couple of books related to the phenomenon of the last couple of years! With a background of faith, this first book gave me interesting thoughts to process. What biblical truths parallel with the Bella/Edward heartfelt passion that so many indulge themselves emotionally in. What biblical truths DON'T parallel with the love story? For an individual study time, and group- this book gives us well-developed thoughts for discussion. Check it out here!

The second book- I must admit- I haven't been able to read yet. I have a feeling it's a good one, though. I am only through the first chapter or so...check it out here!



Touched by a Vampire

by Beth Felker Jones

EXAMINING TWILIGHT THROUGH A BIBLICAL LENS

People around the world are asking the same question, enraptured with Edward and Bella’s forbidden romance in the Twilight Saga, a four-book serial phenomenon written by Stephenie Meyer. The bestsellers tell the story of a regular girl’s relationship with a vampire who has chosen to follow his “good” side. But the Saga isn’t just another fantasy–it’s teaching girls about love, sex, and purpose. With 48 million copies in print and a succession of upcoming blockbuster films, now is the time to ask the important question: Can vampires teach us about God’s plan for love?

Touched by a Vampire is the first book to investigate the themes of the Twilight Saga from a Biblical perspective. Some Christian readers have praised moral principles illustrated in the story, such as premarital sexual abstinence, which align with Meyer’s Mormon beliefs. But ultimately, Beth Felker Jones examines whether the story’s redemptive qualities outshine its darkness.

Cautionary, thoughtful, and challenging, Touched by a Vampire is written for Twilight fans, parents, teachers, and pop culture enthusiasts. It includes an overview of the series for those unfamiliar with the storyline and a discussion guide for small groups.
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Thirsty

by Tracey Bateman



There's no place like home, they say.
"Hello, I'm Nina Parker…and I'm an alcoholic."
For Nina, it's not the weighty admission but the first steps toward recovery that prove most difficult. She must face her ex-husband, Hunt, with little hope of making amends, and try to rebuild a relationship with her angry teenage daughter, Meagan. Hardest of all, she is forced to return to Abbey Hills, Missouri, the hometown she abruptly abandoned nearly two decades earlier–and her unexpected arrival in the sleepy Ozark town catches the attention of someone–or something–igniting a two-hundred-fifty-year-old desire that rages like a wildfire.

Unaware of the darkness stalking her, Nina is confronted with a series of events that threaten to unhinge her sobriety. Her daughter wants to spend time with the parents Nina left behind. A terrifying event that has haunted Nina for almost twenty years begins to surface. And an alluring neighbor initiates an unusual friendship with Nina, but is Markus truly a kindred spirit or a man guarding dangerous secrets?

As everything she loves hangs in the balance, will Nina's feeble grasp on her demons be broken, leaving her powerless against the thirst? The battle between redemption and obsession unfold to its startling, unforgettable end.
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Do you crave great books? Go to the WaterBrook Multnomah website to browse!

Forgetful me! Blog Tour Post Catch UP!!

**I do have a copy of the following book to giveaway! Please comment for a chance to win. I will pick a name Sunday!!!

If you want to buy the book, you may visit here!****

White Picket Fences
by Susan Meissner
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Amanda Janvier’s idyllic home seems the perfect place for her niece Tally to stay while her vagabond brother is in Europe, but the white picket fence life Amanda wants to provide is a mere illusion. Amanda’s husband Neil refuses to admit their teenage son Chase, is haunted by the horrific fire he survived when he was four, and their marriage is crumbling while each looks the other way.

Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.

Readers of emotional dramas that are willing to explore the lies that families tell each other for protection and comfort will love White Picket Fences. The novel is ideal for those who appreciate exploring questions like: what type of honesty do children need from their parents, or how can one move beyond a past that isn’t acknowledged or understood? Is there hope and forgiveness for the tragedies of our past and a way to abundant grace?


About the author....
Susan Meissner cannot remember a time when she wasn’t driven to put her thoughts down on paper. Her novel The Shape of Mercy was a Publishers Weekly pick for best religious fiction of 2008 and a Christian Book Award finalist. Susan and her husband live in Southern California , where he is a pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves. They are the parents of four grown children.

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***I have no copies to give away of the following books but you may view them here and here to purchase!****

Shadow Government
by Grant Jeffrey

Security cameras, surveillance of private financial transactions, radio frequency spy chips hidden in consumer products, eavesdropping on e-mail correspondence and phone calls, and Internet tracking. No one is protected, and privacy is a thing of the past.
An ultra-secret global elite, functioning as a very real shadow government, controls technology, finance, international law, world trade, political power, and vast military capabilities. These unnamed, unrivaled leaders answer to no earthly authority, and they won’t stop until they control the world.
In Shadow Government, prophecy expert Grant Jeffrey removes the screen that, up to now, has hidden the work of these diabolical agents. Jeffrey reveals the biblical description of Satan’s global conquest and identifies the tools of technology that the Antichrist will use to rule the world.
Readers will have their eyes opened to the real power that is working behind the scenes to destroy America and merge it into the coming global government. Armed with this knowledge, readers will be equipped to face spiritual darkness with the light of prophetic truth.

About the author:

Grant R. Jeffrey is the internationally known prophecy researcher, Mideast expert, and author of Countdown to the Apocalypse, The New Temple and the Second Coming, The Next World War, and twenty other best-selling books. He is also the editor of the Prophecy Study Bible. His popular television program, Bible Prophecy Revealed, airs weekly on TBN. Jeffrey earned his master’s and PhD degrees from Louisiana Baptist University . He and his wife, Kaye, live in Toronto .
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Wisdom Hunter
by Randall Arthur

Pastor Jason Faircloth knows what he believes. His clear faith, in fact, is why he is one of the most prominent pastors in Atlanta . He relies on it to discipline his daughter, his wife, his church. He prays daily that others would come to see God’s ways as he does.
And it is about to cost him everything.
Groping for answers in the face of tragedy, Jason begins a search for the only family he has left: the granddaughter kept hidden from him. Soon he finds himself on an international adventure that will take him straight into the depths of his soul. He is determined not to fail again.
A fast-paced suspense novel rich in spiritual depth, Wisdom Hunter explores what it means to break free of Christian legalism—and discover why grace can mean the difference between life and death.

About the author....

Randall Arthur is the bestselling author of Jordan’s Crossing and Brotherhood of Betrayal. He and his wife have served as missionaries to Europe for over thirty years. From 1976 till 1998, he lived in Norway and Germany as a church planter. Since 2000, he has taken numerous missions teams from the United States on trips all over Europe . Arthur is also the founder of the AOK (Acts of Kindness) Bikers’ Fellowship, a group of men who enjoy the sport of motorcycling. He and his family live in Atlanta , Georgia .

Dear Will David, my sweet sweet boy

we are getting ready for your party tomorrow at grandpa and grandma with bear and cheyenne's house!

mommy made funfetti cupcakes. i wrapped your gifts....and i bet you anything your brother and sister will play with them as much OR MORE as you!

you are getting ready to go down for a little nap..so i can print out a special project showcasing your wee little life so far.

i love you. sweet, sweet, boy.

mommy.

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and some other news from this household-

my sister in law, Lisa,

and i have opened an Etsy shop!

It is called A Spoonful of Charm. We have some goodies in there now, and hoping to get more this week. Expect sewing projects, paper crafted items, photography, and more!

You can visit us here!

Will David is ONE today!!! (part 1 of 2 posts)

Happy Birthday wonderful sweet baby boy of mine!

Buddy-isms

This morning, as we got up after 9:30 ( I had a case of extreme insomnia so that is why the late morning hour..)....Philip got under the covers with me and the babe , and a second later asked me, "Mommy, did daddy lose a leg?" The kid thought the leg he was touching was daddy's, and since he was a work...well...I suppose he just left one here? Bwahaha! I guess he didn't think I HAD legs?!?!

Then, when we were out in the living room a little later- "Mommy, you and Ella forgot to get up. I was up before you and got myself all dressed." Funny....

And just a few days ago...while we were watching a show, a commercial came on advertising mascara...and then came a Buddy-ism that beats all.."Mommy, are those girl light-sabers?"

Yep. That's my boy!

And guess who we ended up being today for his preschool halloween party..he was giving me some grief over a couple costumes and a desperate momma went to WalMart and he went to school as Annakin Skywalker. He went from being a shepherd, to a scientist, sigh...and then that. Really was frustrating this year. I didn't want to buy a costume and then I did just that! Oh well, he was realllyyyy excited about using his light saber. At least it wasn't mascara! HA!

He had such a great time at the party this afternoon. It was great to see him interacting with his friends. And, my grandma did a marvelous job watching Ella and the baby while I went to see Philip's preschool costume parade and party. Thanks, Gram!

WaRnInG! Picture Heavy!

well, here's me today...on the front porch of my parents' houses...we were there to celebrate my dad's birthday today! more of that to share later..on to another pic of today...

in my mom's kitchen...my sweetie and my other sweetie!

my will david baby wearing his boys-will-be-boys outfit, mommy's favoritest!

this is later this evening....i am not sure what he was doing...maybe thinking hard about the pumpkins he was staring at (you can't see them, here, but they were!)

my beautiful gal the other day while we were attempting a fall photoshoot

hehe....love his expression..my will david

yep...attempting...

hmmm......

ahhh..well...kinda! LOL!

gorgeous girl. gorgeous pumpkin!!

the cut wood sure made a great prop or two!

and last but not least, two of my three wonderful children...will david was not cooperating ... well, he was just being a little baby wanting to be everywhere outside that day!

looking at these photos again, my heart dwells on these thoughts...

they are God-given, these children

they bring so much joy

no matter the kind of day we've had, we love each other

the make us laugh...we make each other laugh

they grow up too fast

my heart is breaking that will david is turning one november 10...ONE YEARS OLD...i cannot believe it...

my ella is a grand big sister to philip and wd, philip a great big brother to wd and slightly-ornery little brother to ella, and finally....wd is just the cutest beautifulest smilest happiest baby to ever grace this planet. ;0

and the final truth....i love my honey..and he loves me....

the end...of my little post tonight..hoping for greater thoughts another day, more photos of the same kind that i did not get to tonight and also more blog posts...whew....those are so hard to come by these days..i get so behind on other things and try to do what i am supposed to do...oh well.....once a week isn't bad, eh?

oh- and this is one photo that breaks your heart, sigh...he wasn't into mommy's photoshoot..can you tell? poor thing...well, i did get a very sweet crying photo that i will most certainly will always cherish...the raw truth of babyhood- tears are as sweet to mommy as a genuine smile is..

Here's another "let's be honest" blog post!

We have sweet neighbors..in the above pics is one of said neighbors, Brittany, whom my children absolutely positively adore! I don't blame them...she is one sweet gal, just like the rest of her family! God has blessed us truly with their friendship!

This was a tough week. I didn't feel "in the game" with homeschooling. Not one bit. It was tough for some reason. We had some interruptions, a lot of them good, but wow, was it difficult to accomplish homeschooling this week! I am thankful that the city schools had the day off today, because that sort of helped us out this week for the hours we put in. We had a couple of half-days, and then 3 whole days (meaning, 5 hours for a whole day).

Mondays are Ella's piano lesson...and then I had an appointment to go to late afternoon. My sweetie had a music practice for his Civil War group...they played last night for the Cardio-Pulmonary Rehab reunion dinner and got great reviews! I sneaked away Wednesday night for a few hours..I NEEDED that badly. Backing up to Tuesday, that was Rich's day off and he snuck out too..haha....Yesterday, Ella had her friend from church over that is also a first grade homeschooler. They had three hours or so to play- they were over the moon! Her friend is so sweet, and I am very thanful that they can share friendship. Last night, Buddy was in bed with a cough and fever. So, needless to say, all day, off and on, we've dealt with his sickness. Not too high of a fever..hoping and praying this rides out quickly. I expect a weekend of staying low, and that is fine with me...I have been a creative mood lately, so just more time (maybe) to do that kind of stuff.

Tonight is night two of laying baby down to sleep awake. Took 10 minutes last night and five tonight. Okay, so that's not a problem but the problem lies in the fact that he wakes up 2 times a night to eat. Ugh. It's getting tougher. Tonight I am going to try to get rid of one of those feedings. Each of our children have been different as far as their nighttime routines. This one loves to nurse soooooooo much. He is very demanding during the day with it. I don't mind at all (or I would've cut out the evening feedings a long time ago, obviously), but he does need to back off a bit. I think with the introduction of whole milk it'll be a bit easier. When that time comes, at least!

I love the magazines from Stampington and Company. They have several I am absolutely in love with....

Somerset Life

Sew Somerset

Life Images (no longer in publication, sad to say, but I love it nonetheless)

Artful Blogging

and various special issues, including their Celebrations one that is currently on the stands

Well, in the most recent Somerset Life, there are so many cute projects that intrigue me. One uses something called punch needlework. I looked last night for the tools to use for this technique and come home with something to try today. So, I tried today and it works, however, I totally need different fabric- canvas fabric to be exact. What I have makes everything unravel in this very frustrating manner. So, I have a half pumpkin right now! LOL! That's what I am working on right now. Philip and Ella were intently observing my um, progress, tonight with it and of course wish to do their own "punch needling." They will have to wait until I have perfected my stitchery. Ha!

Other projects are calling to me...I have several dozen vintage spools to use for whatever my heart desires. I think that I will be making something that is sweetly baby. I also have my scrapbooking material dispersed not-so-neatly upon our dining room table. My poor little mess of creativity sits there pleading with me to cease this blogging nonesense and make something beautiful out of them. ;0

I don't know if you can tell, but my mind spins daily with a gazillion of little thoughts, a million and a half of bigger ones, and a hundred billion of just plain old nonesense. Sigh. I am thankful for the blessings of this life I have. I guess that is one of my bigger thoughts, no?

Book Review- The Sound of Sleigh Bells

I do not have a book to giveaway, but I do have lots of joy to give away about this book. Very pleasing as far as a love story. I encourage you to pick it up, perhaps here, and settle down this wintry season for a wonderful read!

Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry. Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

About the author....

Cindy Woodsmall is the author of When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and The New York Times Best-Seller When the Soul Mends. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. A mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty-one years.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

To me, it's an honor

to be asked to photograph special things to special people. Here is a grand example.....a tea room located in Columbiana that is the heart's desire of proprietor, Diana Winters. Breathtaking would be the best word I can use to describe what I saw as I entered White Birch Lane Tea Room. There were so many stories there, in so many nooks and crannies, or rather, showcases and vignettes around the spacious room. Personally, I am thinking of an excuse to plan a tea party there! Here are a collection of (almost all) the pictures from the photoshoot.

and here are a couple of my favorites..and then another "collection" I edited in here...