Leaf Blowing Blessing

I have a dog. A dog that barks his head off if someone so much as thinks about going by our house.

Yesterday he was kinda barking. More like light ruffing. He was staring out the window at something. Of course I figured it was someone trying to break into the house.

I look outside and there’s my girl friend’s husband and their son with the trunk of their van open. What in the world? Why were they here?

Next I see his leaf blower. Are you serious? Have you LOOKED at my yard? There are like 3 bazillion leaves on the ground. The other half are still on the trees.

I opened the doors, still in my jammies, at 1:30pm (I didn’t expect company), and asked him what he was up to. I tried to convince him that he didn’t need to do it, but there was no deterring him.

And he chose today. Today of all days to come over. It’s 80+ degrees in MN when it was snowing last year! The poor guy was sweating by the time he was done, an hour and a half later.

I don’t know if he realizes that it takes me a couple days to rake the entire yard. No, I don’t do it all at once. Why would I complete a project on the same day? That would be the responsible thing to do.

When I had to go run an errand I thanked him and his son for coming over to blow my leaves. He said he was going to come back another time and do a better job.

WHAT?

First of all, the guy probably left 4 leaves on my yard. Second of all, come back? Oh, I don’t think so! He has already blessed me by doing this huge project. As I was getting into the car he said, “Well what if we want to come back?” Sigh…what if they want to come back?

I want to give a huge shout out to the body of Christ for taking care of another family member. I dig ya K.B. & H.B.!

Dear Boys,

Could you help a mama out?

You know I hate to do laundry. Yes, we live out of laundry baskets and piles most of the time.

What might be helpful to your mama with this process? How about those socks of yours.

Pull those babies off and you use them as balls to make it into your laundry basket. Then I get to spend my laundry time undoing those balls.Do me a favor, please undo your sock balls. This would help your lazy mama out so much.

Much love,

Mama

A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman & Facebook Party

A Hope Undaunted

by Julie Lessman
ISBN-13: 978-0800734152
Publisher: Revell (September 1, 2010)

About the Book:

The 1920s are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman--smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jack fits all of her criteria for a husband--good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and head-over-heels in love with her. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Cluny McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jack? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever? A Hope Undaunted is the engrossing first book in the WINDS OF CHANGE series from popular author Julie Lessman. Readers will thrill at the highly charged romance in this passionate story.

Facebook Party:

You’re invited to A Hope Undaunted Facebook Party! "Are you ready for PRIZES GALORE??? Then come to the Facebook Party! How does a gift certificate and a signed book given away EVERY 10 minutes during an hour-long Facebook party sound? (Yeah, we think it sounds pretty great too!) On October 7th at 5pm PST (6:00 MST, 7:00 CST & 8:00 EST) Julie is inviting you to attend... the A Hope Undaunted Facebook Party! She'll announce the winner of the KINDLE and in addition to the prizes every 10 minutes, she'll also be giving away great prize baskets filled with even more Romance and Technology (Netflix, Starbucks, http://www.facebook.com/l/7170a;Amazon.com, Champagne body Lotion, Pearls, & more!)!".

My Review:

Julie, Julie, Julie…As always be still my fluttering heart. Julie Lessman knows how to write a romance novel, a faith novel, and a family novel.

We pick up where Julie’s last book, A Passion Denied, somewhat left off, with us looking at Katie O’Connor’s life. The little spitfire who gives her family a run for their money.

Then there’s Cluny. The young boy who drove Katie insane when they were little. Her family embraced him, but she wanted to clobber him. Oh, you know there’s going to be some friction between these two! It starts off right away, but Katie doesn’t recognized grown up Cluny!

As always life isn’t easy in the O’Connor extended family. Katie gives her boyfriend, Jack, and her parents a run for their money. Cluny, aka Luke, has some ideas about Katie, but things don’t go the way he plans. They don’t go the way anyone plans.

If you are looking to start a new series, GET THIS ONE! Julie Lessman gets the reader completely engrossed in the lives of her characters and you can’t help but fall in love.

I’d like to thank Winsome Media for my copy of A Hope Undaunted.

Wordless Wednesday: The Cat’s Paw

I thought I was taking the right pictures my son was asking, but not until I took this one did I do it “right”. He wanted a picture of him with Sammy’s paw in his ear.

Check out these awesome Wordless Wednesday participants: Two of a Kind, J. Leigh Designz, and A Beautiful Mess

Choosing Between Kids As A Single Parent

It doesn’t happen often, but as a single mom sometimes I have to choose where I’ll be. Which kid I will watch do whatever.

Today was ALMOST one of those days.

My 2nd daughter, Smooch, plays tennis. She’s a senior and today was her last regular game that I could attend. It was also the first one I’d be able to make. The last time I tried she got rained out!

Turned out my youngest son also had soccer at the same time I needed to be heading to Smooch’s game, which was an hour away.

I had NO option. I had to stay for my son. There was no way to get him home. We don’t have family around to ask to pick him up. I have friends, but can only ask so much of them.

During work today I checked my messages and soccer had been cancelled because of a homecoming activity! How amazing is that? I consider it a God “thing”.

Without this cancellation, I would’ve missed the tennis match. I’m so thankful I didn’t miss it. She played amazingly!

She WON so easily and it was a beautiful thing to watch. I was so sad to have missed so many of her games this year. There was nothing I could do about it though.

So, today worked out ok, but it hasn’t been so pretty before. Another time I’ll share about having to be in 3 different places at once and my magnificent meltdown.