Wordless Wednesday

Today I was reminded about the happiness you can gain by helping in the kids classroom.  I volunteer once a week at my children's school.  Today's lesson I was working with first graders as they learned how to count by 2's, 3's, & 5's.  A task that most of we fellow parents take for granted.  I'm very fortunate that my Super A is one who is able to grasp this concept quickly, however there are many of her fellow classmates who were struggling.  While working with this one child he reminded me that parents who help in the classrooms do make a difference.  I was helping him learn tricks as to how to remember his 3's.  We were using the 100 number chart & he just wasn't able to grasp being able to count the numbers out. 


Just when he was ready to give up I remembered that I always learned well by music.  So thanks to my handy dandy smart phone I came across this counting by 3 song.  Skip Counting by 3 Song.  After listening & giggling to the penguin a few times all of a sudden he just started singing it. This boy was smiling ear to ear by the end of our session & even shared the song with the teacher.  I was shocked when he came up to me later in the day to give me a hug and tell me that I'm his favorite teacher helper.  Its moments like this that reminds me about how important volunteering can be & how big of an impact we parents have in other kids lives. 

A NEW Beginning

Welcome back to my blog.  I seriously can not believe that I have been silent since APRIL!   Where did the time go?  I honestly haven't been under a rock.  But as you can tell since this is my new beginning I have changed the name & view point of my blog.  I never really cared for my old name...Nosy Neighbor Next Door.  It really didn't fit who I was, nor what I believe.  Its crazy what getting older does to a person.  I truly hope that I am able to get back in contact with my fellow mamavation moms.  Thank goodness for Facebook, otherwise I wouldn't have any clue as to what is going on.  If you personally know me, then you know I have a ton going on in my life & a lot of great ideas I would love to share with all of you.  Please be sure to share my blog with your fellow friends.  Perhaps if I reach more readers, I will be sure to stay on top of the things I want to write about.  There are also a ton of giveaways I can not wait to enter, so be sure to stay tuned so that you too can have a chance to win some of the great prizes other bloggers are giving away. 

#Mamavation Monday : Stop the Negativity

I don't know about you, but throughout this journey to lose weight & get healthy I have experienced negativity.  Negativity caused by me.  There have been multiple times throughout this journey that I have told myself I couldn't do or achieve something.  Only to fall back into old habits.  Its crazy how were our own worse enemy when it comes to over comings something.  I used to tell myself that I couldn't run, or that its too hard to eat healthy, and of course the infamous phrase, its too expensive to eat organic & healthier items.  Thanks to the guidance & learning all the tricks to the trade that I was able to learn from all my Mamavation Sistas (to learn more about our community go to Sistahood)  I was able to overcome those obstacles. 

That's why I am so excited about tonight's guest.  Pete Cohen, the Weight Loss Guru.  I have heard about Pete from other Sistas in their blogs, but this will be my first chance to hear his advice myself.  So be sure to join us tonight on google+ to learn what Pete has to teach us. 

As far as my own weight loss journey, I am more focused on what I am putting into my body.  I need to be more aware of what I am choosing to nourish my body.  I am unable to workout, other than moderate walking, at the moment & I am extremely worried about gaining all the weight back.  Here's to hoping that my weigh in next week goes well.

“ This post is sponsored by Pete Cohen and Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway ”

THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE #MAMAVATION

I first want to apologize to the Mamavation community, for my lack of support to them over the past couple of weeks.  I work on Monday's now, and by the time I get home from work, and get all the normal everyday household chores done I am too exhausted to even think about my blog.  So for that I apologize. 

This week's topic of conversation - Raising Kids with a good work ethic- is a great one, but I am going to go in another direction for the week. 

Today, I want to talk about God & second chances. The bible often talks about second chances.  I am not going to preach and act like I am an expert on the bible, in fact until recently, I never read it.  However in my search regarding second chances, I stumbled upon this line....
 1 Timothy 2:4 - Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 


The truth.  What is the the truth.  For each & everyone of us we hold our own meaning to that simple little word "Truth"  When I think about the above phrase, I imagine all those who want solid proof that God exist.  With so much evil in the World its no wonder that there are more & more non believers in the world around us.  As for myself, I always knew that there was a God, but I didn't know what my purpose was to him. I have a few people in my life however, who don't believe.  Who have tried to cast doubt into my belief.  I feel it is because of those people that I am still here, after the car accident I experienced last Thursday.  I don't mean I am hear to preach or read them the bible, but to show the photo I am about to share with you & say to them, "here is your proof that God exist" 

If your friends of mine on Facebook you already have seen the photo & know the story.  But for the rest of you here it is.  I was on my way to the Chiropractor (funny enough to deal with an injury from the accident at the beginning of the year) when someone ran a red light & only stopped because my van got in his way.  Take a closer look at that photo, The main impact was only inches from my head.  Praise the Lord that my kids were just dropped off at school, so they weren't in the van.
I can't explain, why or how I am still here let alone able to write this blog post, but I am. Why?  Because of the truth.  God.  God wants me here.  He wants me to raise my kids, & maybe even have more if I am so lucky.  God protected me from that accident. 
Some of you may be wondering what kind of injuries do you have?  Honestly, I was able to be released the same day from the hospital with only a few cuts, and lots of bruises as well as severe whiplash.  And yes, I am in pain.  Each waking minute of the day I have pain, but I try to tell myself that the pain is to remind me that I am alive.  I can live with that. 
I am so thankful to all the witnesses, firefighters, police officers, and EMTs who also helped to save my life that day.  I may never fully understand how they got me safely out of that van, but I am glad they did. 

#Mamavation~ What's your inspiration?

Do you ever feel like your on a constant roller coaster & that life is passing you by...quickly?  That is how I've been feeling lately.  As well as one of the many reasons why I haven't been as active as I would have liked with the other Mamavation moms.  I really feel like the last two weeks went by as quick as one day normally does. I often wonder how do we, as moms, do it all.  The cooking, cleaning, supporting our spouse, all the kids after school activities, and if were lucky take a little time, besides grocery shopping, for ourselves.

Which brings be up to the topic of the week.....whats your inspiration.

I don't feel like any one thing or any one person is my "inspiration"  but, rather the entire net-work of people I have met thanks to Mamavaion as well as AdvoCare.  Its all the wonderful people who I have met & saw with the same struggles that I have had who inspire me on a daily bases.  Some of those individuals had more struggles & while others had less, but no matter who you were or what your goal to accomplish for the week was, none of us gave up.  We all work every day to pick each other up on the bad days & to cheer each other on during the good ones.  I've been one who has given up one too many times in my past. At the beginning of the year one of my resolutions was to never ever again be the one who sees a road block & to use that as an excuse.  Instead, I told myself,  I would be the person who finds a way around, that road block, & get to the finish line.  So far, with that thinking & by admitting the faults that I have, I am now closer than ever to the final stretch.  I owe that all to you.  Each and everyone of my readers & online friends work together, with out ever knowing it inspiring me to be the best person possible. 

As some of you know over the past 3 months (72 days) I took part in Advocare 24 Transformation challenge. and also given an amazing opportunity to join AdvoCare. By joining the company, I was able to see, and learn for myself what the company was all about.   I don't want to use this as a sales pitch, (don't worry, that will come soon) but rather I want to tell you that my results are great! During the challenge I was given support from a dear friend, Jamie, as well as from a local gym TNT fitness, now I want to point out that I did not workout at this gym.  Simply Derek Toshner, the owner, is a true believer in the products, and he uses them himself. With both Jamie & Derek's guidance I learned the value in food.  I began eating a cleaner diet, which most of you know that already, but I also realized that I was not getting nearly enough protein in my system. I did take a few supplements, such as meal replacement shakes, which I now LOVE.  These shakes were my lifesaver on the days when time was running short & I normally would have skipped the meal.   They also reminded me about the good fats vs. bad fats and how to sneak veggies into almost any dish.  In fact, Jamie gave me a cookbook where every recipe from your main dish to your desserts have a vegetable incorporated into the recipe.  Derek also shared with me his 8 rules for healthy living (which a lot are like the ones from Mamavaion .... Such as NO alcohol...ya that was a hard one.
1) 1/2 body weight in water or tea daily
2) 2 fruits a day
3) 4 cups vegetables a day
4) 1 gram fiber for every 50 calories
5) increase the omega 3
6) increase protein to 1/3-1/2 body weight in grams daily
7) Keep a journal for habits
8) 8 hours of sleep

I'll be completely honest when I say that it took me until around month 2 to finally get the hang of everything.  Taking the vitamins and the Dietary supplements was the easy part.  Working out and keeping the journal was the hard part.  Once I became accountable for the food I was ingesting, I started to see all the results that were promised.  Sure, I cheated once in a while, such as on St. Patrick's day I enjoyed a few drinks.  But I was more aware of it, and was sure to compensate the following day.  I'm not going to sit here & tell you that it was only these products though that helped me get the results you are about to see.

I also had an fantastic option of joining some of my fellow mamavation moms to do a 2 week workout challenge that was created by Mr. Bookieboo himself.  This challenge definitely helped kick up the workouts for the last two weeks of the Advocare Challenge.  By eating healthy, doing all the workouts I was able to drop 5#s alone in the two weeks of the Mamavation 2 week challenge. (please note that the "before" pic is not the original one taken for the AdvoCare challenge, try as I may I couldn't locate it so these are "before pics taken about 3 weeks in)

So....drum roll please.....

So...if you are keeping tabs this means I have lost a total of....

24 pounds!!! and 23 inches!!!

I am still speechless.  It takes a lot to get me that way & these result are amazing.  As you know, I already faced several hurdles along the way.  My brother suffered a brain injury, I was sick, in a car accident and just dealing with life in general.  If I can get these results with all those obstacles nothing will stop me.  Starting the Monday after Easter I am jumping in again, with the hope of dropping another 24 pounds. 

A Matter of Trust: A Mia Quinn Mystery

A Mia Quinn Mystery

By Lis Wiehl, with April Henry
Published by Thomas Nelson

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When life is murder, who can you trust?
One minute Mia Quinn is in her basement, chatting on the phone with a colleague at the prosecutor’s office. The next minute there’s a gunshot over the line, and Mia listens in horror as her colleague and friend Colleen bleeds to death.
Mia’s a natural for heading up the murder investigation, but these days she has all she can do to hold her life together. As a new widow with a pile of debts, a troubled teenaged son, and a four-year-old who wakes up screaming at night, she needs more time with her family, not less—and working Colleen’s case will be especially demanding. But Colleen was her friend, and she needs to keep her job. So she reluctantly teams up with detective Charlie Carlson to investigate Colleen’s death. But the deeper they dig, the more complications unfold—even the unsettling possibility that someone may be coming after her.
Lis Wiehl’s signature plot twists and relatable characters shine in this absorbing series debut . . . with an intriguing cameo from her best-selling Triple Threat series.

IN MY OPINION:

As a recent widow Mia now has to play both mom & dad to her teenage son as well as her 4 yr old daughter.  Now raising her kids on her own Mia discovers that her husband was not the man she thought he was.  She was left to discover that he was not as well off in the finance department as he lead her to believe ranking up high credit card bills.   Leasing a vehicle way out of their budget and she is now is faced with the fact that she may never get out of debt.

On top of this she is also a full time prosecutes in the DAs office.  While on the phone with her co worker & best friend she listens as her friend is shot dead.  Mia is used to working with murder investigation but she soon discovers that its not as easy to investigate her friends murder.  She is also paired with a homicide detective whom she feels is untrustworthy.  Charlie isn't always the first to follow procedures by the book.  But he proves himself over & over again to Mia as they face hurdles with every lead they have. She also asks him to help her with another case that she wants to take on.  Its a case that involves a boy who committed suicide in response to cyber bullying. 


I am so impressed with Lis Wiehl for this amazing book.  I could not put it down as it kept me pulled to the pages each and every turn.   I personally love a good crime scene show & as I read it felt like I was watching a great movie.  Also,this book had modern day issues such as Face Book, and cyber bullying.  I recommend this book to anyone who likes to solve a crime.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tuesday's Book Nook

From the Author:

Ethan and Sophie long to share a future together. But the secrets they’re not sharing could tear them apart.
Sophie Caldwell has returned to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee after years away. Despite the heartaches of her childhood, Sophie is determined to make a home, and a name, for herself in the growing town. A gifted writer, she plans to resurrect the local newspaper that so enchanted her as a girl.
Ethan Heyward’s idyllic childhood was shattered by a tragedy he has spent years trying to forget. An accomplished businessman and architect, he has built a majestic resort in the mountains above Hickory Ridge, drawing wealthy tourists from all over the country.
When Sophie interviews Ethan for the paper, he is impressed with her intelligence and astounded by her beauty. She's equally intrigued with him but fears he will reject her if he learns about her shadowed past. Just as she summons the courage to tell him, Ethan’s own past unexpectedly and violently catches up with him, threatening not only his life but their budding romance.

My Review:

This has been the first book that I have been able to review written by Dorothy Love.  Let me tell you, it was well worth the wait!  Upon starting the first chapter I became aware that this was in fact book 3 (the final) of Hickory Ridge Series.  However, Dorothy did such a fantastic job with her descriptions of all the characters that I immediately felt drawn into the town of Hickory Ridge and the people who lived there.
I fell in love with Sophie immediately.  She came back to a town that she felt judged her while she was a child growing up in an orphanage to restore the towns newspaper.  She faces many challenges while trying to get her life & career back in order, none of which slows her down.  It was during one of her first journalistic interviews that she meets Ethan.
I liked the fact that each character makes assumptions about different situations around them & each assumption is proven wrong.  It even had me, the reader, starting assume situations to not be what they were.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good simple romance.

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

#MamavationMonday~Here's to Finally Seeing Results

Up until today I have never heard of Roni Noone but thanks to today's subject on Mamavation I was able to see how wonderful & insightful Roni is.  Like Roni I like to come up with lite recipes, but its hard to do with the picky eaters that I have in my home.  I was so excited when told that she has two picky eaters (and a picky husband) like I do, that I couldn't click over to her web site fast enough Greenbites Roni has come up with so many fun & exciting recipes that I can not wait to try.  The first on my list is her Mexican Pizza!  It looks just as yummy as it sounds & I think it will please all the picky eaters in my home.  My husband loves all things Mexican & both my daughters love pizza & the fact that its thin crust it definitely has my interest.

I really truly hope that I make it home in time to tune into the Mamavation T.V show today.  I am sure that Roni has a few tricks up her sleeve as to how she was able to lose the 70#s and change her families food lifestyle.

ON TO HOW MY PAST WEEK WENT....

If you follow the Mamavation on Facebook  than you will recall that last Tuesday I was involved in a vehicle accident.  As a result my vehicle was totaled & my back was strained/sprain.  My children didn't get hurt and as all moms know that was the most important factor.  

Needless to say I couldn't workout or get any exercise at all for the rest of the week.  Or so I thought.... I reached out to my fellow Mamavation Sistas (you can find out more information about the sistahood here) who all gave me the pick up that I needed with positive words of encouragement and prayers for quick healing.  However I would like to personally thank Kia Ru.  Kia was kind enough to email me some instructions on a few different Yoga stretches that I could try to help stretch out my back.  I can not thank Kia enough for taking time out of her day to help me out.  (You can follow Kia at Bodhi Bear ; or via face book at Bodhi-Bear) This is just one of the many reasons why I LOVE this group of ladies.  Even though we have never met in person we are all always there to help each other out & lift each other up virtually. 

I also had received guidance from my other friends that I have made with AdvoCare.  They reminded me that if I wasn't moving as much I needed to focus on my water intake and that more vegetables should be eaten.  I think that with all this guidance that I received I was able to achieve a milestone this week.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....

 

That's right, your seeing that right.  I lost 5 pounds this week & I am ready to jump out of my skin with excitement.  I listened to all the advice.  Drank 10+ glasses of water a day (believe I felt like I was floating & living in the bathroom most days) and made sure that if I wanted a snack that I chose a vegetable like green beans when I had the chance.  I really wasn't able to do more than the Yoga moves that Kia suggested.  I also got the 8 hours of sleep that is recommended. It helped that my husband stepped up last week & took care of more things around the house so that I could heal.


Start weight 208#
Current weight 198.3#

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

THIS WEEKS GOAL

1) not gain weight

2) continue with the yoga & strengthen my back

3) continue with the water intake

  

“This post is sponsored by Roni Noone and Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway”

MAMAVATION MONDAY~GARDENING

Growing up on a farm I can honestly say that I have gardened all my life.  I was happy to see this this Momavation Monday Topic was all about Home Gardening.  Even though I have gardened for so long I feel like I have a lot to learn.  This weeks special guest  Angela England is full of insight as to how to garden with little space to do so.
With spring in the air this week I started looking through the mountain of seed catalogs to decided exactly what vegetables I want to plant.  I know for sure that I want my tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers.  But I also want to try my hand this year to some more fruits.  I am fortunate enough that I do have a large yard.  So I have been thinking of making a raised strawberry patch and maybe even plant a few raspberry bushes this year.  My one issue with gardening & if you know me personally, you know this is true...I do great right in Spring.  All my plants will be in, I'll water & turn the soil.  But as soon as the weeds start to take over I slack....a lot on the gardens.  But by Fall I am again out in full force harvesting all my produce.  I than will make all my jams & can all the produce I can into the sauces that I will use throughout the year.  What I can not can, I freeze.  I just wish I could find more Jam or Jelly recipes that are canned that do not call for as much sugar. Which is my goal before next Fall.

As far as health goes, I am doing really well.  I am so proud that I can now officially again run a full mile non stop.  My current time for that is 11 min 10 seconds.  I am also incorporating weights back into my routine.  The extra workouts as well as eating more of a clean diet has really helped as well. 
 I have a goal this week to workout at LEAST 4 times.  It is so much easier said than done as all of us moms know, but I have the best cheerleaders in the world next to me.  My kids remind me that its time to get up & get moving and that I need to work out again.  So with their encouragement as well as yours I know that I will be seeing better numbers on the scale. 
  “This post is sponsored Dole and Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway”

#Mamvation~Spice Up Your Love Life

Every once in awhile, Leah hits a topic out of the ball park by making all of us Mamavation Sistas talk about somewhat uncomfortable subjects. 

This week is no different as we will be discussing our love lives.  We have a special guest who will be talking about ways to spice things up in the bedroom.  

I am looking forward to this.  I like sex, don't get me wrong, but there are other ways to show your partner that you love them & the physical act just seals the deal.  And, honestly since the kids, the stress of my brother, and the fact that my hormones are all out of whack thanks to the cysts that I have on my ovaries; as well as the birth control that I have been on, my sex drive has been null.  Maybe she'll even share a few "50 Shades of Grey" ideas.  Don't judge me, kinky things can be fun :)

Please be sure to join me & my fellow sistas as we watch Coach Nicole tonight on  Mingle Media 10 PM ET/ 7 PM PST. 

As far as my health, I will be blogging my weight loss tomorrow morning, but I feel GREAT.  I have a lot more energy, my kids & husband are on board with the changes and I can only see positive results in my future.

 This post is sponsored by Touch Within Coaching and Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway”

The Waiting Game

As some of you know one of the reasons this blog has been silent for a few days is because of my brother.  My brother is currently in the hospital with a Subdural hematoma as well as a fractured skull.  We may never know what exactly caused his injuries, and that is one of the hardest things for us to live with.   My brother & I were always close growing up.  He was & is the typical older brother who loves to tease me to no end.  

 According to the neurologist there has not been any improvement in the amount of fluid
or however after two days the hemorrhage has stopped.   He is very restless & the nurses, doctors and rest of the family are just trying to keep him calm.   They had to induce a medically induced comma to help keep him calm.    The other issue happening is that he is having a very irregular heart rhythm. Keep in mind that this could be occurring do to the paid medicine he is on as well as because the heart is not sure if it should be pumping more blood to the brain or less.  Also, when they intubated him, my brother suffered a collapsed lung, that than needed to be re inflated. From what the nurses and doctors have said this is normal, but still needs to be monitored closely. 

It's been 1 week since my brother was put into the hospital. On Saturday the medical staff introduced my brother to a "sedation vacation"  He was able to last for 30 minutes with that on Saturday before his heart rate & blood pressure began to spike.  Then on Sunday he lasted for 60 minutes & was able to open his eyes on command but it only was for a brief second. Every day were told that he is taking baby steps in the right direction.  Its so hard watching him lay on a bed with the machines to help him breath.  I am starting to feel like I am being sucked down into this deep dark hole & there is nothing I can do to help my brother. 

It also doesn't help with the knowledge that this is a frontal lobe injury.  We won't know what type of a person my brother will be when he wakes up.  He may become a risk taker, he may have permanent memory loss, he may be more aggressive.  Only time will tell. 

Its because of this, that I have not been able to write my Mamavation Monday Post or keep up with the Facebook feed.   I feel so out of the loop that I can hardly focus.  But, here is how I have been doing.  I am still trying to make healthier food choices.  I try to take the steps at the hospital vs the elevator.  I also weighed myself today & found that I haven't loss anymore weight.   I'm trying to look at it like the 'glass is half full'  telling myself that I didn't gain weight either & no matter how I look at it I am still down 3#s from the start of the year.  Let me tell you that its not easy.

This week I am asking everyone who stops by to read this post that they pray for my brother.  

Thank you for reading.

Whispers in the Wind

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (August 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764204165
• ISBN-13: 978-0764204166
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches 

From the Author:

After fleeing North Dakota and the now defunt Wild West Show, Cassie Lockwood and her companions have finally found the hidden valley in South Dakota where her father had dreamed of putting down roots.  But to dismay, she discovers a ranch already built on her land.

Cassie's arrival surprises Mavis Engstorm and forces her to reveal secrets she's kept hidden for years.  Her son Rasnsom is suspicious of Cassie and   questions the validity of her claim to the valley. But younger son Lucas decides from the start that he is in love with her and wants to marry her.

Will Casie be able to build a home on the Bar E Ranch and fulfill her father's dream of raising horses, or will she be forced to return to the itinerant life of her past?

My Thoughts:

I loved the first book in the Wild West Wind Series and was thrilled to be able to review the second book from Bethany House.  The tale starts out with Casie finding out that her father co-owned the ranch with Mavis Engstorms late husband.  I was surprised to find out that not only did Mavis welcome Cassie into her home with open arms she took Casie under her wing & showed her how to keep a home.  Cassie however knows a lot about ranching and wants to be able to do her fair share.  She knows how to shoot and she has learned how to hunt so, she goes on a quest to join shooting contest so that she may earn money to help provide for her & her "family"  However, tragedy strikes just as she is about to compete in a big match.  I won't ruin the outcome for you, so you need to read the book!

Suspense, Faith & Love with "Submerged"

Product Detailshttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7198939323480366782#editor/target=post;postID=7594969521963798936

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Original edition (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764209825
• ISBN-13: 978-0764209826

From the Author:
Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey, Alaska, again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a town that doesn't forget. She's returned only to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash, but then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.

Cole McKenna can face dangerous rescue dives. He can face the fear a murderer may be threatening his town. But facing the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart...but doesn't seem to be the same girl who left Yancey ten years ago. And he's not the same guy she left behind.

Racing against the clock and a rising body count, Bailey and Cole must move beyond the hurts of their pasts to work together until the truth of what is hidden in the depths finally surfaces.

My Thoughts:
This was an absolute page turner from the first to the last paragraph.  This was Dani Pettrey's first novel for the Alaskan Courage series.  I was sucked into the life of Cole and Bailey as they fought to over come the emotions of the past as they found clues as to what really caused the plane crash that killed her aunt. I loved that their faith in God helped them to move on from the past and to heal the old wounds they each held in their hearts for one another.  

I also liked that we were introduced to the entire McKenna family and the struggles that they face. My only complaint is that the author leaves us with a cliff hanger that we can't read until her next book comes out!


I received this complementary copy from Bethany House Publishers exchange for my honest opinion*
  

Threads of Grace

I had the pleasure of receiving this e-book thanks to BookSneeze.com in exchange for my fair & honest review.

FROM THE AUTHOR:
 
Grace's autistic son needs a life that is safe and consistent. Seth wants to leave his flirting days behind him and settle down.
Deep in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, the beautiful and weary Amish widow, Grace Beiler, is not looking for a husband—especially one so much younger than her. But handsome and smitten Seth Wyse stumbles upon a way to help her and they marry to keep Grace’s autistic son safe from his ill-intentioned uncle.
Grace soon discovers that she is far from immune to her young husband’s experienced charm and realizes that her first marriage has not destroyed her capacity for love.
Seth Wyse seeks counsel from his older brother, Jacob, when playing the game of pursuing his wife becomes more dangerous to both his heart and life than he ever imagined.
Yet God can give Grace and Seth a passion for family and each other that teaches them the ways of the Master Quilter through the tangled and tender threads of their lives.

 MY OPINION:

I have always enjoyed books by Kelly Long.  She is able to paint such a vivid portrait of what the characters see & feel so that your transported into the Amish culture.  The story focuses on Grace, who was forced into an early marriage. At first glace you think that Kelly is going to write about the hardships Grace faced being forced to marry a man whom she didn't love, but instead your whisked ahead in time to a point in which Grace's life long dream finally does come true, without her even looking for it.  Were also introduced to Seth, who himself has a secret.  A secret in which he fears that if the town elders found out he may have to give up one of his passions.  But with the strong faith in God that both Grace & Seth share as well as the love that they both have for Graces son you find that dreams really do come true...even for the Amish faith.

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

#Mamavation Monday

Do you hear that?  Its all the buzz on Twitter and on the Facebook Mamavation page.  Who will be the Next Mamavation Moms?  I personally can not wait for tonight's twitter party when the next Mamavation Moms will be announced.  So good luck to each and everyone of the finalist who have literately been busting their buts trying to earn those coveted spots. 

This past week has been full of changes for my family & I.  If you have been following along since the start of the year than I am sure you saw all the personal goals that I had set out for my family & I.  You can see these goals here.  I am proud to say that we have succeeded at putting only healthy options into our grocery carts. The kids were very eager to help pick out vegetables & fruits that they wanted to try.  I'll be honest and tell you the change hasn't been easy.  Everyone is still missing some of our favorite comfort foods, but the whining and complaining is decreasing each day.

Another victory for me is that I had attended a birthday party this weekend.  I set my kids up to be my "police" and to bust me if they saw me eat any cake or other junk food.  As you can imagine they were both more than excited to have a chance to scold their momma.  All I had was water.  Seriously, that's all.  Usually when a person goes to a party you would expect some type of vegetable or fruit.  Not this party.  There were 4 large bowls of different types of chips (including Cheetos which have always been my favorites) cake and soda.  I was so happy & proud of myself for filling my water bottle before going to the party.  My kids, unknowingly, made the mom of the birthday child feel bad by saying more than once.  That there was only junk food, and icky food to choose from.  At that moment as you can guess I was proud & slightly mortified by their brutle honestly to that mom.

I also started a 24 day challenge with a friend I know from the Martial Art center that I go to.  I'll be posting how that is going tomorrow so be sure to tune in.   I will mention that my energy has increased as well as my workouts.

#Mamavation Mondays ~ Welcome to Boot Camp

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that this week the new Mamavation Moms are going to be announced today.  I am so excited for each and everyone of them as they embark on this humungous challenge.  So good luck to each & everyone of you.  I plan on cheering on these tough girls by joining them in their boot camp workouts.

Last week I made some resolutions to not just get myself & family healthier, but to make my life better.  click here to see those resolutions   I've already started some of these!  The easiest one for me so far is setting aside the money saved on grocery bills.  Last week with coupons I was able to put $10 into a savings account.  My hubby thinks I'm silly for doing this, but I think by the end of a few months he'll be on board & see the benefits.  I did try to buy more organic options at the store, but I have a question for all of you who follow a strict organic diet.  How on Earth can you afford it?  I was blown away by how expensive it is to shop in this section.  So I did have to make the executive decision & not buy the organic produce.  Instead I bought organic butter, yogurt, and juice as well as some organic veggie chips for my kids "junk" food.  As soon as I got home from the store, I cleared out all the left over chips, candy & other holiday related merchandise & tossed it into the garbage.  I even had the kids helping & they now know that those items, even thou they taste yummy, they can make us sick & not feel good if we eat them.  It was nice that all week long when they asked for something to eat there was no worries attached to them opening the cabinets or the fridge.  I'm not going to sit here & tell you I'm 100% perfect, but I'm on the right path & that's what matters the most.   

Also, this week I am starting the Couch to 5k Program  I am really stoked that in 8 short weeks I should ideally be able to run an entire 5k!  I am really trying to stick to this goal, so I hope all you ladies help keep me on task! 

Tonight is a big night for me as well.  As most of you know my family & I joined a local Martial Arts class.  Tonight I am testing in hopes to achieve my next belt :)  If I pass next week I will be presented with my prize of a new golden belt. (At least I think its golden)

This week I lost no weight, but I didn't gain weight either!  

#Mamavation Monday~ New Year New Me

As many of you may remember I had a goal to be out of the 200s before the start of 2013.  Unfortunately, I didn't make that goal.  But I tried & I am not giving up.  With the new year come many resolutions.  What are my resolutions?  Well, I have a few in no particular order....


~ Continue with this FANTASTIC online community MAMAVATION
~ Get to know more of the Mamavation Sistas (want more info on the pledge go to How to Pledge)
~ Try to get more traffic to this Blog
~ Continue with my Martial Art program hoping to get my black belt in 3 yrs
~ Be able to complete a 5k with continuous running or jogging
~ Lose 5 #s a month for a total of 60#s loss at the end of the year
~ Limit the amount of GMOs that my family consumes
~ Eat more whole and organic foods
~  Have a me day once a month even if its for only an hour
~ More time playing less time watching T.V. not just for me but all of us
~ Save more money.  I plan on doing this by looking at my grocery receipts.  Since I am a coupon clipper I generally have  at least $20 in savings a trip I am going to try to match (when I can afford it) to transfer what I saved into my savings account.  I hope to have at least $600 in there at the end of the year.
~Home cooking more eat out less

Since I am a big believer that one should get rewarded when goals are met.  I have one goal.  Go on a few trips.  If I can make half of my goals soon I want to go to Fit-cation with my fellow sistas from Mamavaion.  I think this would be a fantastic opportunity to achieve more of my personal fitness goals.  If I save the extra cash & drop the weight I desire than I hope to take my kids to Walt Disney World.  We have never been their as a family & I know my kids would freak out if they found out that we could go.


As I said I have a few resolutions.  I hope I can stick with them & succeed.  I am looking forward to the slumber party tonight so be sure to join us at MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV
Good luck to each and everyone of you with your goals & resolutions for the year.

STARTING WEIGHT FOR 2013... 207.6#S Goal weight 150#s

 “This post is sponsored by Schick Intuition and hosted by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway” at the bottom of your post.