North Dakota

Hubby and I got to fly to North Dakota in June. Neither of us had ever been there before so it was exciting!! We also left the kids at home- a first for us! :-)

 We flew into Minot on June 10th and even from the air we could see evidence of the FIRST flood to hit the area this summer. (I wish now I would have gotten some flood pictures!!)
 We spent the day driving through country side- we were both amazed at the wide open spaces!!! So different from Columbus, Ohio!

After many, many miles and hours and tons of information it was almost time to call it a day.... but not before we had dinner.

 We chose a local restaurant that does their cooking over an open fire using wood brought in from Alaska. (The smell of the wood smoke was delicious enough... but the food, even more so!) They have 2 teepees in the yard. You can sit in them and have your dinner.
I had the Bison burger on a soft pretzel bun with buffalo chips- they were spicy, but so good. (And yeah, they give you a few more chips, but they kind of disappeared. LOL)

Hubby had the barbque chicken  and the side dishes are served family style out of crocks, the "no recipe beans" were very tasty.
 We got up the next morning an decided a road trip would be fun after a quick look around town.

We met two of the sweetest little, elderly ladies at the Scandinavian Heritage center. This is the church museum. (We were told once AGAIN that we had an accent. Funny, we sound the same as most other Ohioans!! LOL)

We hit the rode and less than 2 hours (and a soft serve ice cream cone) later.....

Now I know why it is call "Big Sky" oh my, I loved it!! We drove to the first driveway in MT (an Indian Casino)  turned around and headed back towards the hotel. We stopped at a historic fort and a visitor's center where the Yellowstone and Missouri come together. The rivers were out of the banks and the friendly lady working there told us that Yellowstone had not begun to melt yet- and the had 3 foot of snow pack- in June. (Since we have been there there has been serious problems with flooding.)

This is traffic North Dakota style. LOL (Just look at the scenery!! )We flew back home the next day, back to 3 and 4 lanes of real traffic. :-)
Since arriving back home we have been keeping up with the news in the Minot area, the end of June the middle of town was filled with up to 15 feet of water. The 2011 flood has been the worst one EVER for that area. Even today (almost a month later) parts of town have 3-4 feet of water. I can not imagine how much more damage has been done to such a beautiful community.
 Currently 11,000 people are homeless in Minot, because of a housing shortage the past couple of years these evacuees have no where to go. I would like to ask you to please keep the people in Minot in your prayers.
Until later~

Treasuring Emma- Booksneeze book review

I am currently working on a crafty project and hope to share that with you soon. In the mean time here is another Booksneeze book review.

Treasuring Emma A Middlefield Family Novel by Kathleen Fuller
Emma struggles with her faith as she is dealing with a strained relationship with her overbearing sister and must face with the man who broke her heart after leaving the Amish faith. She is also faced with the challenge of caring for her frail grandmother with no means to support either of them and to further complicate matters a new man in town has taken interest in Emma for less than honorable reasons. As you read Treasuring Emma you get a look into the lives of those closest to Emma and the circumstances that causes each one to seek God's will.
I feel the author did a very good job portraying the Amish culture and bringing the characters to life. While Treasuring Emma is a romance there are several unexpected twists and turns along the way to keep the interest of the reader. It would have been nice if Fuller would have given more information on Adam's mother, I felt as if I was left hanging. Over all, I would definitely recommend Treasuring Emma to anyone who likes reading Amish fiction/romance novels.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the 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

Book Review- God's Love Letters to You

God’s Love Letters to You

By- Larry Crabb

The greatest love letters of all time did not come from the pen of a playwright or the mouth of a poet. They weren’t formed on warped sheets of music or with the quills of romantics. These letters come from the Word of the Almighty God.

Each of Crabb’s 40 day devotionals are based on a different book of the Bible. Each day also offers relevant scripture, a “letter” from God, thought provoking questions and a prayer. 

Once I started reading God’s Love Letters to You I had a hard time putting it down, so much so that I finished the book in just a couple of days.  (I plan to go back now and use the book as a 40 day devotional. I want to take my time meditating on each days reading and scripture.)

I would highly recommend God’s Love Letters to You to those who are seeking a closer relationship with God and not just the comforts that God can provide.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the 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

You too can review books for free at BookSneeze!

Water fun

We took the kiddos to one of the city parks for some water fun.

Just out of the shot are several buckets that fill with water, and once filled dump to the pavement below. Hunter was proud of himself for being so brave and getting dumped on.

Having some serious fun!! (And no, we were not the only ones there. LOL The place was pretty well filled with kids, I was lucky enough to get some pictures of just our two.)

A fun way to spend a warm summer evening!

A wet Haileybug.

 Not a pot of gold under at the end of the rainbow, but something much better..... Hunter and......

Hailey

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until later~

Book Review- The Blessing

The Blessing [Revised and Updated] by John Trent and Gary Smalley

The Blessing powerfully communicates biblical truths on how to instill self-worth and emotional well-being into others based on these five essential elements:

• Meaningful touch
• A spoken message
• Attaching high value
• Picturing a special future
• An active commitment

In The Blessing John Trent and Gary Smalley shares countless true life stories of men and women and their personal examples of “the blessing.” While some have received a blessing, there are also some disheartening stories of those who are still seeking the blessing. The Scripture references are effective in illustrating the use of each of the five elements for extending the blessing. Also found throughout the book are the many practical suggestions serving as examples for blessing others.

Being a mother of small children, I found The Blessing to be both enlightening and informative. I can now apply what I have learned to make a difference in not only in the lives of my children, but also my husband and my friends and family. I highly recommend The Blessing to parents, teachers, spouses or anyone seeking encourage those around them.  (You will be encouraged to learn it is never too late to give or even to receive the blessing, and there is no age limit!!)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the 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

You too can review book for Book Sneeze, click HERE to find out how.

Pool time

I am finally getting around to using the pool pictures from last year. Hunter's Sponge Bob swim trunks always make me smile. My kids love to play, and for them adding water makes it that much better!! I feel all  warm and fuzzy  watching the two of them have so much fun.
 I used the Fancy Pants Beach Bum 6x6 paper pad.  I used a coordinating Copic marker on the designer paper pieced swim trunks on the penguin. His Popsicle was colored with Copics and then covered with Glossy Accents to make it shiny. The pennant was cut from a piece of the designer paper. Pool time was cut using the Cricut (and the Gypsy to bump the "time"together.)
 Thanks for stopping by!!
Until later~

Darling little girl cards

I am working on my shading with the Copic markers. I wanted to add some pleats to this little girl's dress.

I added the pleats to her little skirt by using various shades of color.  I also worked on hair color, giving each one a different color. (I did not keep track of which designer papers I used, I used several 6x6 pads. My new addiction. LOL)

The hair on this one was the most difficult to get right. I had never done black hair before. I tried not get too much gray because she is a little girl after all and not an old lady. LOL I have mentioned before that I am not crazy about fussy cutting- but some times you just have to do it. :-) (It really helps to have a pair of very sharp precision scissors.)

This card is a Z fold. (The card front is folded in half, and from the top the card looks like the letter "Z".  This one got a little bling to dress it up a little.

And the last one is a 5x5 square card. I like the extra space on larger cards. I finished this one off with layered flowers and a crystal brad.
So, which one is your favorite?
Thanks for stopping by!!
Until later~