Catch Up

So much has been happening, that I have not had a chance to do any blogging or reading of blogs lately. Sorry for the long silence. Since our last post here are a few things that have been going on:

• We sold our house to our neighbor the weekend before we had planned on putting it on the market.
• We got a contract on 20 acres of land that is what we have always dreamed of, but never thought we would be able to afford. We are supposed to close on Aug 24th.
• We moved in with Don and Nancy until our house is built.
  
• Austin got his helmet...and has finished it. I will try to post more about that experience another time. You can see pictures of it here.
• Austin started...and finished physical therapy. He was not able to turn his head to the left or bend it to the left very well. He is now ahead of what he should be doing at this age.
• Austin is able to roll, transition to hands and knees, transition to sitting, sit unsupported, transition from sitting to hands and knees, and scoot around (backwards) just about anywhere he wants to go.
• Austin is eating baby vegetables and has tried real peaches. He loves everything, except oatmeal so far.

Well, I need to get to bed, but I thought that if I did not at least give a little update, I would be another month before I had the chance to sit back down and post again. Bear with me! I am trying to get back at it! Thanks for hanging in there with me. :)

Pictures from Sears 7-25-09

Here are the most recent pictures we have of Austin. We got his first professional pictures about a week ago. They were too cute to pass up, so of course, we spent way to much money! I know I have been promising, but I will post more of an update when I catch up on my sleep a little more. :)

Click here to view these pictures larger

News is Coming!

I promise! We have so much going on that I have not had any time to post. We are in the process of moving. We close on our house sale next week and then I will have a little more time to post. There is much to share!

A Bride in the Bargain

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Bride In The Bargain
Bethany House (June 1, 2009)
by
Deeanne Gist

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Wedding Is All Planned...
Someone Just Needs to Tell the Bride
In 1860s Seattle, redwoods were plentiful but women scarce. Yet a man with a wife could secure 640 acres of timberland for free.

Joe Denton doesn't have a wife, though. His died before she could follow him to Seattle and now the local judge is threatening to take away his claim. In desperation, he buys himself a Mercer bride--one of the eastern widows and orphans brought to the Territory by entrepreneur Asa Mercer.

Anna Ivey's journey west with Mercer is an escape from the aftermath of the Civil War. She signed on to become a cook--not a bride. When she's handed over to Denton, her stubborn refusal to wed jeopardizes his land. With only a few months before he loses all he holds dear, can he convince this provoking, but beguiling, easterner to become his lawfully wedded wife?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Bride In The Bargain, go HERE

Rose House

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Rose House
WaterBrook Press (May 5, 2009)
by
Tina Ann Forkner
ABOUT THE BOOK

A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope

Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.

She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.

What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.

A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.

If you would like to read an excerpt from Rose House, go HERE

Jillian Dare: A Novel

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Jillian Dare: A Novel
Revell (May 1, 2009)
by
Melanie M. Jeschke
ABOUT THE BOOK

Jillian Dare leaves her Shenandoah Valley foster home behind and strikes out on her own as a nanny at a large country estate in northern Virginia. She is delighted with the beauty of her new home, the affection of her young charge Cadence Remington, and the opportunity for frequent travel to the Remington castle in England.

She is less certain about her feelings for her handsome but moody employer, Ethan. In spite of herself, Jillian realizes she is falling for her boss. But how can a humble girl ever hope to win a wealthy man of the world? And what dark secrets from the past is he hiding? This contemporary story, inspired by the well-loved classic Jane Eyre, will capture readers' hearts.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Jillian Dare: A Novel, go HERE

Deceptive Promises

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Deceptive Promises
Barbour Publishing, Inc (2008)
by
Amber Miller


ABOUT THE BOOK

MARGRET WANTS TO BELIEVE SAMUEL'S PROMISES.

Is deception fair in wartime Margret Scott must deal with this question as she finds herself attracte to the enigmatic Samuel Lowe. As the tensions grow between the colonists and the British soldiers and loyalists, Margret cannot always tell where Samuel's loyalties lie.

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"If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity." -Job 31:5-6

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Samuel's duties have him working for both sides of this war, and he often finds himself torn between what is right and what is wrong. He promises Margret she can trust him, and Margret promises him she does. But can promises born in deception be trusted? Can a relationship built in uncertainty survive?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Deceptive Promises, go HERE.