Update

Oh yes, an update on sickness.

It turned out that our little girl did have ear aches after all....one in each ear. After the "up-all-night" night, I took her in and got her some medicine. She immediately did much better.

Lucky girl also gets to use a Nebulizer twice a day to try and clear up a nastly little rasp she has developed. Hopefully it will go away soon.

And so, she is doing much better, and so are Mama and Papa :)

Initiation

   

I feel like I've been initiated into the true rank of parents. I have, officially, "walked the floor" with a crying child late into the night. Poor kid. (Poor mom and dad too)

  I'm hoping it was just an earache....just because I want a reason why she cried all night. Not that I want her to be sick, but this "guessing game" is not particularly my cup of tea.

   Of course, if you read about the symptoms, it could be anything from teething, to allergies, to growing pains. Honestly. How is a new parent supposed to know! ha

    And that's why I'm so glad I believe in God. I'm so thankful that even when I don't have answers, I know there is Someone all knowing, and all powerful, who is caring and watching over Sunita no matter what happens. And I can do my best and leave the rest up to Him.

  And so, let the adventure continue!

Yes I dare...

Do I dare tell you, truly, what we've been up to around here? I dare :)

• Relishing ~ Summer and green backyards
• Savoring ~ Grilled food and fresh green beans
• Picking ~ two to three green beans from my ONE plant, every day. (Saving up for meals :)
• Wiping ~ Endlessly wiping a little girl's nose
• Watching ~ a spider spin a web on my book shelf....hmmm, maybe I'd better dust
• Preparing ~ School supplies for incoming students
• Bemoning ~ the fact that I left a load of laundry too long and now it's musty and I have to wash it again
• Attempting ~ to go out on roller blades with a jogging stroller
• Puzzling ~ over what to feed a little girl next
• Struggling ~ with why a little one gets so many rashes
• Schemeing ~ ways to be more organizied
• Reading ~ The Trapp Family Singers
• Enjoying ~ some new neighbors
• Spending ~ too much time online
• Dreaming ~ of get-together ideas, picnics, and camping
• Forgetting~ to water my plants
• Delighting~ in a little girl who loves to clap

Lovely

Today, I have decided to take serious mesures to knock down a bad dry cough I've caught. I'm tired of being sick while trying to get rest and some things done.Thankfully, Little Girl and M. haven't got it yet....and I'm praying they don't.

So anyway, today I look lovely. I won't take a picture, but I'm sure you can use your imagination :) I've taken a head scarf (yes the kind older ladies wear) and wrapped it around my head and ears. It's holding some cotton pads over my ears to keep them warm and moist. Oh, have I mentioned, it's about 80 degrees out this morning? Anyway, my olive green scarf goes beautifully with my pink over-sized t shirt and blue jean skirt.....just to give you the picture there ;)
   I heated two oranges in the microwave and ate them, followed by guzzling two mugs of hot honey-lemon water.
  I've also heard that putting vicks on your feet and wearing sock helps....but I haven't gone that far yet.

So there you have it.....I'm hoping to rid myself of the cough today. We'll see. Meanwhile, since I look so lovely, I'll use some of my time this morning to see if I can get some blog posts rolling.

Wishing you a warm-filled, cheerful morning too!

Book Review: PrayerWalk

Yes, another book review. I haven't read all these books at once, just am a bit tardy on posting the reviews.

Anyway, of the books I've read recently, this book by Janet Holm McHenry is my favorite. At first, I was skeptical of the book, title and all. Prayerwalking....who goes prayerwalking. How over-the-top! Yet, as I read it, I was interested and found many neat ideas and thoughts stimulated by the author.
   I like the straight-forwardness, simple talk, and practicality of this author's writing. She is a high school teacher out west, and has many down-to-earth stories and points to make in the book.
    Her main points are:

• Prayer is important
• We should make time to Pray
• Exercise is important
• We should take time to exercise
• Combining both CAN be an act of faith

The book does not force you to feel you have to Go walking and Pray, but she offers her experiences, reasons, and practical tips throughout the book.

I like one of the things she says about habits:

It should be 3 D's. It should be a daily, disciplined descision.

And I agree with the quip even on the back of the book: It's time to exercies your prayer life.

You can find a copy of this book on Amazon.com or CBD.com

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Press as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: The Blessing

The Blessing, by John Trent and Gary Smalley, was a bit dissapointing to me.
 I received this book from BookSneeze, and was looking forward to reading it for some time. Yet, I had a hard time reading much at a time, and had to force myself to finish.
   The book follows the premise (for me) of the Five Love Languages. It does have lots of stories in it, which is helpful and maybe the most interesting part to myself.
   The overall premise feels a bit stretched to me....of emphasizing Big lessons from Small verses in the Bible. I struggled with that aspect, feeling like it was an okay opinion, but a bit shaky to persist in it's importance.
   The book deals with "blessing" or loving/accepting your children by words, action, touch, and tone. The vaild point of the book is, as children, we want our parents to love us unconditionally and accept us. That I agree with. Yet as far as needing to "Bless" our kids, I got a bit lost in the authors jargon.
   I suppose, overall, I am showing my "Minnesotaness" and would rate this book as a bit too "feely" or "froofroo" for my taste. I learned valuable input from the book, but am not likely to pass this on to any other parent.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: The Sweetest Thing

The Sweetest Thing, by Elizabeth Musser, was the first fiction book I've read in a long time. (Well, reading through books has been kind of put on a back burner for a while). Still, I was pleasantly captivated....at least when I got past the first few chapters.
  The story line is set in the American Depression era, but focuses on the life of the rich more than the struggles of the poor during that time. I found this interesting, yet puzzling too. I have never (I think) read any books or information from that time period from this perspective. Therefore, while I found the story entertaining, I also found it hard to believe. It made me curious to dig up more information and biographies of the rich during that time. (Which I haven't done yet, so my review is still baised toward the unbelieveable...sorry).
   The writing is smooth, though I found it a bit wordy. This author was new to me, and I laughed when I read her acknowledgments where she mentioned "Thanks for helping me cut this book down to a readable length." Because, even though she cut it I guess, I would say there was still that feel of a lot of extra detailing and descriptions that I could've done without. Therefore, to actually get into the story plot took me about 3 chapters.
    So, in all, it was interesting, spurred my interest in studying some history, and was entertaining. But, it is not a book I will keep on my bookshelf long. There are others that I find more enduring and classic.

You can find a copy for yourself from Amazon.com if you'd like.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*