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This week one of the books I read to the girls before bed was God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren.  Several of Lisa’s books have become family favorites over the past couple of years.  The girls love the illustrations as well as the story and I like that Lisa’s stories stimulate conversations about God, creation, love, and more.

The story starts as Mama Bear is tucking Little Cub into bed when Little Cub asked “Mama, where did I come from?”  Mama Bear goes through a simple version of how Little Cub was created, including pregnancy and the excitement of preparing for the new baby.  I love that the book mentions how the parents prayed for Little Cub even before she was born.  Lisa did a great job answering a common question little kids ask parents in this short and sweet book.

Overall I think Lisa Tawn Bergren provides a good story with beautiful illustrations by Laura J. Bryant.  The story gives nuggets of valuable information about pregnancy and babies.  The only thing that I didn’t “like” in this book (which was minor) was the author used the word “borned” during the conversation between Mama Bear and Little Cub.  Even though I know Little Cub was asking the question it distracted from the overall rhythm of the book a little bit.  This would be a great book for those who are having a second child or a young child that is asking a lot of questions about where they came from.

Rate my review & be entered into a giveaway: I reviewed this book for “Blogging for Books.”   By rating my review, it allows me to choose another book and enters you in a GIVEAWAY!   The rating is a two step process.

Step 1:  Rate my review below (select the number of stars, enter your email, and hit submit).

Step 2:  Check your email account for a message from Blogging for Books and click their link to verify your email.

Once you rated my review AND confirmed your email, you will automatically entered in a giveaway for this book by WaterBrook Multnomah!!!  They will pick one person to receive a copy of the book for themselves!  WaterBrook Multnomah will contact the winner directly.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  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.”

Last year I started the “Be My Valentine” series to help celebrate the upcoming Valentine’s Day Holiday.  Here are some fun ideas from last year that our family enjoyed:

Be My Valentine: “I Love You” Memory Jar

 

A unique Valentine’s gift this year packed full of love and memories!  I have created jars (or containers) full of memories for various occasions in the past and they have always been a huge hit with both kids and adults.

Be My Valentine: Cookie Surprise!

Surprise Valentine's Cookie - this one had three different flavors!

A fun cookie to make with your kids.  It is a sugar cookie with crushed hard candies to make window panes.  Fun activity and delicious!

Be My Valentine: Scrapbook Highlights

how your spouse and family you love them on Valentine’s Day by doing a Scrapbook highlighting the big events over the past year.  (Photo by shimelle)

Be My Valentine: Romantic Dinner for Two!

You can go out on Valentine’s Days (or any other Date Night) for less when you pack a picnic for two.

Gift Giving: 12 Days of Appreciation

I did this 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation for Jake at Christmas time but it would be a great one to do for Valentine’s Day, your Anniversary, or birthday! 

A picture of one of the 12 Days of Appreciation for my husband to help get you started on ideas!

I would love to hear some of your ideas of how you are planning to make Valentine’s Day special with the one(s) you love!  Feel free to share you link below in the comments! :)

 

Flash frozen strawberries we picked this summer with fresh pears, blueberries and banana

I know it is still Winter but every once in awhile I look forward to a good smoothie for breakfast or snack.   This smoothie is rich in antioxidants and vitamins to give you that extra boost for the day!

Mix Fruit Smoothie:

  • 3 Frozen Strawberries
  • 1 small Pear
  • 1/4 cup Blueberries
  • 1/2 Banana
  • 1/2 cup Milk

Put all the ingredients together and blend until smooth.  Drink and enjoy!

Mix Fruit Smoothie

Heart to Heart Cookies

We made these cookies by using cookie cutters.  The girls had fun taking these cookies to school for their lunches.
 ”Heart to Heart” Cookies:
  • 3/4 cup Butter
  • 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1 package instant White Chocolate Pudding
  • 3/4 cup Cake Mix (any flavor)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 2 1/4 cups Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Sprinkles
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a baking sheet and cookie cutters.  Mix flour, salt and baking soda together and set aside.  Cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar together.  Stir in the pudding and cake mix until well blended.  Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and mix until smooth.  Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until mixed well.  Stir in the sprinkles.  Use an ice cream scoop to place the dough inside the cookie cutters.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cookie dough inside the cookie cutter

I LOVE everything you dew!

A few weeks ago I discovered these cute “pop” love notes from Darling Doodles and have been enjoying adding these love notes to my stash of ones to give to Jake!  :)   He enjoys drinking Mountain Dew so when it goes on sale I try to get a little for him.  This particular love note was a great one to give to my man!

When Jake is coming home after being away with work for several days or if he has had a tough day I try to do something special to cheer him up.  I will put the surprises in various visible places throughout the house (his side of the garage, kitchen, his desk, our dresser, on his plate at the table, etc…) where I know he will be.  Although, he never knows when I am doing it or where I will put it he always finds it.  On this particular day he was stressed with a lot on his plate with work, travel arrangements, family and everything else.  I decided it was a good day to put out a special surprise for him to say “I love you”!   The Mountain Dew and sweet note sitting on the dresser downstairs in our family room was the first thing he saw walking into the house and it did bring a smile which made it worth it for me!

Sometimes taking just a few minutes out of your day to show your spouse you are thinking about them and that you care can make all the difference.  It doesn’t have to take a lot of time, money or effect but the benefits will go a long way.  Doing something special for them could mean packing their lunch for work the next day, laying out their clothes the night before, or even leaving a love note on their pillow.  Investing time and energy into your marriage is always good for the entire family.  How do you cheer your spouse up or make them feel appreciated?

Birds Nest Safely hidden away

One day as our family was spending time outside cleaning up the yard and gardens something caught my eye.  In one of our small holly trees was a little birds nest.  It was nestled snugly into the trees branches with a road only a couple feet away, across the street from a cat, and on our side of the yard where a dog and kids were running around.   The nest was so low to the ground that the girls were able to look into it.  For weeks they kept checking to see if the bird was coming back.

It must have been a quiet day on our street for a bird to think that the location she had chosen was a good one especially with it being next to a road, cat, dog, kids, and close to the ground.  The bird must have felt safe in the shelter of the tree despite all the danger around her.  As I thought more about the little bird who lived in that nest it made me think about my life.  How often do I go through life thinking my heart, life, and soul is safe?

I believe the bird felt protection and safety from the tiny leaves surrounding the nest, however, danger was all around it.  As we go through life we will encounter hills and valleys.  Sometimes we have a false sense of security in things (money in the bank, our health, family unity, etc…) much like the false sense of security the leaves provided the bird.

Yes, bad things happen to good people, but there are ways to help protect us from falling and that teach us how to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, and Friend.

  • Personal Relationship with Him – a heart focused above
  • Reading the Scriptures – not only does this bring you knowledge but it gives you hope, wisdom, and encouragement.
  • Prayer – an on-going dialogue

Someone recently asked the question in our church Community Group – how much time did you spend reading God’s word this week?  Honestly, my answer some weeks is pretty embarrassing.  I often fill my days with good activities but somehow neglect the most important activity.  Taking time to read God’s word, pray, and having a personal relationship with Him is the best way to not only find contentment but to truly be safe and protected.

The birds nest is easily seen from up above much like God sees me.  He sees my heart, accepts me for who I am, and challenges me to grow.    Where is your safety found?

A beautifully crafted bird nest exposed to the world. 

Love seeing the handiwork of God’s creatures, simply amazing!

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