Casual Fridays

Y'all. Casual Fridays have just died over here. Forget about it. So much time has passed. Where do we even start? I'll tell you where:

07/04/18

Because freedom and true love and the freaking 'stache. We spent our 4th of July eating way too much food and admiring Cody's magnificent facial hair. RIP The Mustache of 2018. Also, we played Euchre. Because I finally gave in and learned to play and now I'm addicted and can't stop. If you know this game, come play with me. 

Now for a proper bookish start to this post:

Here are some of the gems I've picked up at The Book Shelter lately. I think I've had pretty good self-control (considering the first time we went, I ended up with 14 books), but Cody's still a little fearful whenever I announce I'm heading for The Book Shelter. I've been back twice since that fateful anniversary trip, and along with all these fantastic books (including that Beth Moore Esther workbook which had nary a mark in it) I also scored the entire series of Parks & Rec on DVD. Because not only do they sell books, they sell board games and movies and video games—oh my! Have you read any of these? If I had to choose between Their Eyes Were Watching God, Rebecca, The Language of Flowers, or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for my 2019 book list, which one should make the cut? ("All of them" is an entirely acceptable answer.)

I'd probably be going to The Book Shelter a lot more frequently if I wasn't running off to the beach every spare day I get. Most of my trips have been solo, but I did manage to drag my BFF with me one day, and we ended up witnessing a totally casual wedding. (#memories) When we noticed they didn't have anyone to take a picture of the whole group, I sashayed my little bikini-clad body over to offer up my services as an impromptu photographer, much to the chagrin delight of my best friend. The family was very appreciative even though Christina wanted to melt into the sand. As you can see, my toenails haven't been entirely neglected this summer. That purple home pedi was flawless, but the beachy coral pedi was smudge city which has brought me to a new conclusion about smudgy pedicures: the nail polish brand matters. Anyone else find this to be true? 

I alluded to this in my God Is Able recap, but I didn't mention that my husband totally surprised me with these fun summery porch furniture cushions and they are making me so happy. Our porch chairs have been cushion-less since Irma, and I've been loving being able to (comfortably) spend more time outside this summer. 

06/04/18

I set a new world record Yahtzee score. (Ignore all of our confused faces, I was trying to figure out how to do a screenshot. #technicaldifficulties) But really though. 620??? That has to be a world record, right? Right?!

07/15/18

And speaking of my fellow Yahtzee Nazis (I just came up with that. Can I trademark it? Or is it offensive?), I squeezed in the quickest weekend roadtrip to see some of my favorite people recently. They're just extremely lucky I didn't smuggle my nephew home with me. Serious tears when I had to drive away from that baby. They're moving to Germany and even though they're really psyched about it, I'm still hitting my knees every morning asking God to make the Army change its mind. #sorrynotsorry Check Little Miss Thing eyeing her daddy like, "Gosh, you're so embarrassing, Dad!"

07/26/18

I got a few sweet hours with my other favorites yesterday. Thing 1 and Thing 2 are getting real good at faces-on-command. I treasure every second with these precious girls, and I hope they always love coming to Auntie Hannah's house. 

The puppies are doing good. Although between the two of them, I've cleaned up more puke this week than I would have preferred. Colonel likes to eat baby wipes so all trash cans have long been placed out of reach of either mangy mutt, but this week he managed to snitch two wipes that were literally sitting right next to me while I was changing a diaper and naturally they came back up a couple days later because baby wipes are not digestible, y'all. Don't eat them. Major regurgitated his breakfast Wednesday for no apparent reason. Perhaps he felt left out? The world may never know, and I am so over it.

Last summer around this time, I started a segment on the blog entitled "Adventures in Coloring" because my husband got me this insane grown-up coloring book. In the entire year since then, I have managed to complete two more pages. Two. And recently started a third. I'm obviously slaying. My hubby thinks the fish lips page doesn't even look finished because of how much I left white, but look at those teeny tiny scales, y'all! Haven't I done enough?!

I let some random stranger at a Fantastic Sam's hack up my hair a couple weeks ago because I was so bored with it, but, as is usually the case, I was immediately remorseful. It's hair. It grows. Whatever.

And if you've actually made it to the end of this post, I have a serious question for you. I have Mere Christianity and Othello lined up for my August reading, but I can't decide on which novel I'd like to tackle next. Should August include The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard, or Song of Deborah by Bette M. Ross? Help!

Did you make it this far? How's your summer been? To sum up: nail polish brand recommendations, 2019 book list choices, Yahtzee props, coloring encouragement, August novel vote. Annnnnd GO.

Casual Fridays

We haven't done a Currently I'm... post in a while and frankly, the Casual Fridays muse has not been with me lately so today we're taking it easy and just having a chatty, catch-up with each other kind of day. Sound good? Good. Let's begin.

Reading...

... Deuteronomy.

... John Adams by David McCullough and really enjoying it. I was hoping to finish it up in February, but that is definitely not going to happen.

Watching... 

... Bones Season 12. Word on the street is that this is for real the final season. I can't believe it, and I seriously don't know how they're going to tie it up in the next 4 episodes because that's all that's left.

... Parks and Rec. It seems to me that the last time I did a Currently I'm... post I was talking about Parks and Rec. We did finish it and thought it was hilarious and recently decided to re-watch it since I missed Season 1 and half of Season 2 the first time around. I think it's even funnier watching it after you've already seen it and have a feel for the characters. #TeamDonna She's my fav.

... One Tree Hill. Y'all. It pains me to admit this, but I got sucked into One Tree Hill land. I had never seen a single episode in my life, but I was feeling sick or something one day last year sometime and decided to watch an episode just to see what it was all about and lo and behold, I'm now on the final season. Speaking of which, I feel like the show should have ended 3 times, but they just won't quit. Seriously. The series finale on the River Court at the end of high school--should have been the end. The series finale after P. Sawyer has her baby--should have been the end. The series finale with Jamie dribbling the basketball across the bridge--definitely should have been the end. But they just have to wring every last penny out of a show until you hate it, I guess. Don't writers and producers and whoever else has any say in the matter have any sense of pride or integrity in creating a show that tells a story and ends well?? Is it that hard to pull the plug?? End rant. And P.S. this is not an endorsement or a recommendation to watch OTH. That show has more drama than a high school theater club. 

Listening...

... to Switchfoot's Where the Light Shines Through album. It's their latest, and it's on point per usual.

... to Train's a girl a bottle a boat album. It just came out a couple weeks ago, and it is a feel good record in every way. Train and Switchfoot are my two favorite bands, I always keep up with them, and they have yet to disappoint me.

... my James 5:13 playlist. Part of James 5:13 says, "Is anyone happy? Let him sing praise." This playlist has 100 of my happiest praise songs to Jesus, and I love cranking it up and belting it out.

Jonesing...

... for a beach day. This Florida girl starts to get a little restless for some sand and saltwater come February, but the weather hasn't been quite there yet. Soon.

... for cupcakes. I'm not usually a big desserts girl, but lately I have been craving cupcakes. Maybe I should just make a batch and get it over with, but I'm trying to have some self-control here.

Recovering...

... from the flu. It seems like Cody and I have been fighting illness since the beginning of the year and last week, it won. We both went down hard, but this week, I have finally been feeling really good for the first time in weeks. Yay health!

... from Hacksaw Ridge. Cody and I watched this movie Wednesday night, and I'm still feeling sad. War movies always depress me. But if you can handle some pretty gory war violence (I had to cover my eyes a few times), I would recommend this one. It's a true story and one worth telling.

Memorizing...

... Psalm 34:4. We're on Verse 4 of SSMT so since February 15th, I've been working on adding "I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears" to verses 1-3 of Psalm 34 which I've got pretty well memorized at this point. (Also, I just typed that from memory and besides missing two commas: #nailedit)

Trying...

... to keep my house clean. With two energetic puppies and a backyard that is turning into a giant pit of sand because dogs, the struggle is real.

... to decide if i should read The Taming of the Shrew this weekend so that I can complete two books from my list within the month of February. I only have 12 books on my list this year, but I'd like to keep the pace up because March-May always seems to be a difficult time of year for my reading life. Thoughts?

... to work the word "Zamzummims" into my regular vocabulary. I discovered this word yesterday in Deuteronomy 2:20, and I kindof love it. They were giants in the land of Canaan, and doesn't that sound like something Dr. Seuss would call them? Maybe I could use it as a Christian cuss word. Before you come looking to burn me at the stake, watch this video. Imagine stubbing your toe and shouting out "Zamzummims!" I think it could work.

Loving...

... my thoughtful husband who gave me this beautiful ring for Valentines Day that says "Our Love is Forever" on the inside. He is the sweetest.

... my most recent home pedicure. You guys, I achieved smudge-free status! I waddled around my house like a penguin most of the day Wednesday to accomplish this long sought after dream, but it was worth it! My toenails look so pro. Oh you want to see a picture? Wish granted.

... these sweet dogs because even though they're a total mess, they make up for it by being the most loyal, loving, cuddly little buddies, and I would hate not having them around.

What's currently going on with you?

Casual Fridays

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and I have discovered the PhotoGrid app. Aren't you lucky?

I have been a busy little worker elf this week decking all our halls and turning our little home sweet home into a Christmas Wonderland. Don't you just love this time of year?

Here are a few of my favorite ornaments. Cody and I like to assemble and decorate our Christmas tree while watching White Christmas, my favorite Christmas movie. We started this tradition our first year of marriage, and it makes getting all the decorations down and dusting them off something to look forward to. Despite all the rockin' around the Christmas tree, I have managed to make a little bit of progress in TR this week. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

And since this is a blog about books, I decided to share a few of my all-time favorite Christmas books with you. Which I also like to decorate with. You can not go wrong with any of these. Starting from the top left:

The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

The Gift of the Magi adapted by Penelope J. Stokes

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss

The Candymaker's Gift by David & Helen Haidle

The Candle in the Window by Grace Johnson

Alabaster's Song by Max Lucado

Anyway, the cards have been mailed, the halls have been decked, the weather is even cooling off a little, and I'm almost done with the shopping already. Time to slow down and remember why we we're celebrating.

"And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 

And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

Luke 2:7-14 (KJV)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

What are some of your Christmas traditions? Do you have a favorite Christmas book or song or ornament?

Feeling Seussy

Hello and a happy Wednesday to you! We haven't talked Dr. Seuss in a while, and since I'm in a major trend of avoidance until my new Christy book arrives, today seemed like a good day to discuss one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books of all time: The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.

If you remember way back to our first Seussy post, I mentioned how much I love this book. It may be my very favorite book by Dr. Seuss (with Oh, the Places You'll Go! being a strong contender). In The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, we meet a little boy who was having just another ordinary day....until the king comes into town. The king stops his entire royal procession when he notices that Bartholomew has failed to remove his hat. Or has he? In front of the king and the entire town, Bartholomew removes the hat sitting on his head only to have another hat appear in its place.

In a rage, King Derwin orders that Bartholomew be brought to the palace to have his hat removed. No matter how many hats Bartholomew yanks off his head, more still appear and by the time he reaches the palace, he has taken off more than 100 hats. The king then calls in Sir Snipps (the palace hat expert), three generations of Nadds (the wisest men in all the land), the Yeoman of the Bowmen (to remove the hat with his archery skills), magicians (because this must be Black Magic), and even attempts to have Bartholomew beheaded (fortunately, there's a rule against chopping someone's head off whilst said person is wearing a hat). Try as they might, no one is able to successfully remove Bartholomew Cubbins hat. 

This book is pretty much hilarious and many might say that it has no clear moral message. It's just a fun book for kids. However, there is one subtle theme in this book I'd like to discuss. One character we meet among the pages of The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins is the Grand Duke Wilfred, King Derwin's spoiled brat of a nephew. Throughout the story, the Grand Duke bosses the king around, throws royal temper tantrums, and is generally a disrespectful little twerp. In contrast, Bartholomew, despite his frustrating and frightening situation, remains polite, humble, and obedient to all of the king's commands, even going so far as to march himself down to the executioner to have his head chopped off. Eventually, King Derwin puts a stop to Wilfred's awful behavior with a well-deserved spanking. 

Even though the Grand Duke Wilfred is barely a central character and his part in the story is not the main point of the book, I love the fact that he gets his comeuppance and that Bartholomew Cubbin's good behavior is rewarded in the end. That's a message worth reading to your children.

Proverbs 16:5 says, "Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not be unpunished."

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins is hardly a "Christian" book, but it demonstrates this scriptural truth in a fun and entertaining way. 

And I think that makes it worth reading. 

Feeling Seussy

Today I want to talk a little about And to Think That I saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss. This book was published in 1937 and was the first children's book Dr. Seuss ever had published. 

And I love it.

It's a story of a little boy named Marco who is in possession of an outrageous imagination. The story starts out with the lines:

"When I leave home to walk to school, Dad always says to me, 'Marco, keep your eyelids up and see what you can see.'"

But when all Marco sees on his way to school is a plain horse and an old wagon, he quickly dreams up an entire parade complete with police escort and an airplane showering down confetti over the whole spectacle. 

Did you know that Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss's real name) was rejected by at least 20 different publishers before Vanguard Press agreed to publish And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street? Apparently, one of the biggest criticisms of the book by potential publishers was that it lacked a clear moral message. Geisel has been quoted as saying to his wife in response to this criticism, "What's wrong with kids having fun reading without being preached at?"

And that's what I love about this book. It's just fun for the sake of being fun, and it encourages kids to use their imaginations which I happen to believe is very important.

Are you a daydreamer?  What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Feeling Seussy

We're pretty big into Dr. Seuss around here, so don't be surprised if every now and then, you stumble onto a Seussy post. 

One of our more recent acquisitions is Bartholomew and the Oobleck. This was one of my Christmas presents from Cody. (How many times do I gotta say it? The man gets me.) One of my all time favorite Dr. Seuss books is The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. Bartholomew and the Oobleck is about the same little boy in the same Kingdom of Didd with the same crazy King Derwin.

In this adventure, King Derwin nearly ruins his kingdom because he gets bored with the same four things that always come down from the sky (rain, sunshine, fog, and snow), and he orders his royal magicians to make something new come down (against the better judgment and advice of Bartholomew Cubbins). 

This is a fantastic story about contentment and the magic of saying the simple words "I'm sorry." I would highly recommend it.

My favorite line from the book is, "'You may be a mighty king,' he said. 'But you're sitting in oobleck up to your chin. And so is everyone else in your land. And if you won't even say you're sorry, you're no sort of a king at all!'" 

We all have times when something is all our fault and we need to apologize. Instead of trying to think up some elaborate, elegant excuse or exquisitely worded explanation, sometimes a simple "I'm sorry" is the best thing we can say. Besides, if you won't even say you're sorry, you're no sort of a person at all.

Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book?