Family car

Wow – It’s been two months and I haven’t posted about this yet.  I’ve been saying for a year that by summer 2014 I will have my first SUV. I’ve had trucks and cars, and fortunately, I didn’t buy a single one. They were given to my by my parents.  I’m 30 now, time to get my own car! The truck I’m driving is small. Doesn’t fit the kids in it, is now 15 years old, with almost 350 thousand miles on it. SHEESH! One day, it will break down and I won’t be able to afford to fix it.  Me and Bo have been looking for a few weekends. I’ve compiled a spreadsheet of the possible vehicles I want, then researched them, crossing off the ones with the worst reviews and least gas mpg.  We test drove several, and kept coming back for the same make/model. We went up to Houston looking around on a Saturday, found one that drove great, but was brand new and we did NOT want a brand new vehicle.  He said they didn’t have any others ,but would ‘run some numbers’ on the new one. While he stepped away, Bo got on his computer and pulled up a list of vehicles they had on the lot, and saw a 2011 that fits what we wanted. We asked him about it when he came back, and ended up leaving in it that very night. It’s a 2011  Chevy Traverse, and it’s wonderful! It seats 8 people. I haven’t gotten it 100% full yet, but the kids love the room and space and it drives so great and wonderful.  I’m so super excited!!  Here’s me with the new car the morning after I got it. 

Beyond Tuesday Morning

I am definitely becoming a new fan of Karen Kingsbury. I didn’t know her books had such religious affiliates to it, but it is definitely a great read and helped me with some of my own issues with God and myself. 

Beyond Tuesday Morning is the second book in the 9/11 series, coming after “One Tuesday Morning” when the Twin Towers were attacked on September 11, 2001.  

Jamie and Laura have learned to live with their final news they learned about, 3 months after the terrorist attacks.  Laura’s husband was alive, and had finally remembered who he is and wanted to return home.  Jamie’s husband died doing what he loved best, savings others. 

 Three years later, Laura is still loving every moment with her new-found husband Erik, who learned a lot from Jake, the man that once loved Jamie and looks just like him.  Jamie and Sierra have re-adjusted to life without Jake.  Jamie volunteers at a memorial for 9/11.  One day on her way to work, she was held at gun-point by several punks.  Little did she know, but earlier on her ferry ride she caught the attention if an off-duty officer who was from California.  He noticed the men and confronted them, saving her life.  They spent every day together for the next three weeks while Clay enjoyed his vacation/training in the Big Apple.  When they discover who they both really are, can Jamie overcome her sadness from her husband’s death and be happy? Can Clay accept the role that Jamie once played in Clay’s family’s life 3 years earlier?  This is a great story of love and God’s love for all of us. 

Adventure Time

Today has been an adventure. I woke up at 6 with Brynnlei.  We took a Nap by 10:30. We took her to the mall where we pissed off the cleaning lady. Who closes off the bathroom to a busy mall during the day?! B is potty-training so when she says she has to go, we went in even though it was blocked off. Lady kept trying to kick us out. Then we set off the emergency alarm at Academy for a good 2 minutes. Then she got herself dizzy and ran into a metal pole. Lol

One Tuesday Morning

One Tuesday Morning is nothing like I expected to read; like nothing I has read. Karen Kingsbury is not an author I am familiar with. Her writing is wonderful in this great book.

Jamie and Jake have a beautiful 4 year old daughter, Sierra.  Jake is a firefighter for FDNY.  On Sundays, Jake and Sierra go to church together and pray together. Jake reads his bible daily and updates his journal as he reads the bible.  Jamie, who was once a believer, lost both her parents in a car crash, and since then, lost her faith in God. 

Laura and Eric have 8 year old son, Josh.  They live in a California.  Eric is an over-achiever at work and never has a moment to spend with his family.  Laura is a doting wife he is tired of trying to make her relationship with her husband, who is like a stranger living in her house, work. 

On a day in Eric had an important business meeting in New York City.  September 11, 2001, Eric is working on the 61st floor of the South Tower, when he sees a plane flying too low, and then crashing into the North World Trade Center.  Shortly after, he is alerted that their building is on fire on a higher floor and they need to evacuate the building. 

Jake's unit is called, along with all other New York units to run to the World Trade Centers and control the erratic plane and fires. Jake's unit is assigned to run up and clear all floors up to the 64th floor.  On Jake's trek up the floors, he runs into a stranger, Eric, and helps him up.  Eric and Jake stared at each other, and it was as if they are looking in the mirror; they could have been twins! Eric saw Jake's helmet with a picture and name, Sierra written on it.  Jake continued up and Eric continued to the ground.  Shortly after, we all know what happens: the towers collapse. 

Laura and Jamie see this on the news and immediately start calling everyone they can to get in contact with their husbands.  As the women live through the moments of this day and the following days, we read through their struggles and turmoil of dealing with their tragedies.

I rate this a 5 of 5.  wow this is an intense book. It definitely opened my eyes to some of the moments that happened on this terrible day that we don't think about.  The family. 

Bed of Roses

 Reading the 2nd out of the 4 books in the Bride Quartet series by Nora Roberts, it is nothing short of what I expected. 

4 best friends own their own business.  Emma has always loved romance.  To her, romance made every woman beautiful, and every man a prince.  She dates a lot, but hasn't found her mr. right. When long-time friend Jake Cooke shows interest in Emma, she does what she always does when things get serious, she runs.  Can she figure out what she wants and be able to really love a man who loves her? 

This is a good, quick read.  It is predictable all the way through, but still a good read. 

New Year's Resolutions - 2014!!!!

Well, it's 2014. Another new year, and another time for resolutions and goals.

I have decided not to make resolutions, because making them is setting myself up to failure. I have however, decided to change some things in my life and improve in many ways. That’s not the same thing as a resolution, even if it did make this decision on Jan 1… right?  Some things I am improving in my life:

Read 18 books
 Learn to say NO
Use less electronics
No facebooking in the evenings (more time with family)
No stalking (checking out useless sluts on social media sites just to get myself worked up)
Volunteer with C.A.S.A.
Stay POSITIVE
Leave work at work
Learn Spanish

I've heard setting resolutions is a way to set yourself up for failure... Probably right.  but we'll see.

CIAO!

Vision in White

Have I mentioned before that I absolutely LOVE love Nora Roberts’ sweet love stories?  Vision in White is nothing short of what I expected.  

4 best friends own their own wedding venue. They handle everything from the location, coordination, flowers, cake, and photography.  Macenzie Elliot, the photographer of Vows, Has never known what love is from anyone other than her three best friends.  Absentee father, self-centered selfish mother, she learned to lean on and depend on her friends to show her the meaning of love.  When Carter accidently stumbles into her workspace, she is in for a whirlwind.  She learns how to be loved, how to accept being loved, and maybe she can one day learn to love back.   

This has a great happy ending, as does the other books I have read from Nora.  And I have already started on the second book in the Bride Quartet series, “Bed of Roses”.