The end of the day at the Alaska State Fair

We've had a long day at the State Fair in Palmer.  We had the camper with us so we spent the night and left for home the next day.  We did a lot of walking and as you can see the boys bought these soft-sided, but still packs a wallop, swords.  They're not really swords but they boys are having a ball with them.  We all had a wonderful time and it didn't rain!

The caribou are here!

These caribou have been grazing here for some time now.  They've been very happy to pose for everyone's photographs.  They've been munching and filling their bellies with yummy grass.

I really enjoy this radio show!

Midday Connection is a really enjoyable radio show.  It is produced by Moody Broadcasting.  You can go to moodyradio.org and find a radio station nearest you.  Tune in and you'll find something that will interest you.  They offer a varied line-up of shows from titles such as Shaping the Journey of Emerging Adults, My Own Worst Enemy, Part 2 (yes there is a part one), Living the Dash, and each Friday they broadcast Millrose Club (each Friday offers different topics).  They offer a book club to join and have just finished Christy by Katherine Marshall.  The book we are just starting is East of Eden by John Steinbeck.  It will be discussed in December so everyone has plenty of time to get a copy and get busy reading.  I have no affiliation with Moody radio or to Midday Connection.  It's just a radio show that I really do enjoy.  Tune in sometime.  I think you'll like it.

My oven broke!

 These are two photos of the back of my oven.  Fortunately Chris, our fabulously talented repair guy (he's like a miracle worker) came out and checked everything.  He decided that a sensor is no longer sensing.  Chris even called Elmira Stove Works, the manufacturer of our stove, and talked to their tech people.  They determined that I needed a new sensor.  In the mail it came and Chris came out this week and installed it.  That seemed to fix the problem and I'm quite pleased.  I had no oven for the past couple of weeks and I now realize how spoiled I am in having a stove and oven.  I feel it does the soul some good to go without for a while to realize how blessed we are.

Autumn is here or is almost gone?

Here's some photos of my neck of the woods.  I took these photos today, Thursday Sept. 27, 2012.

The woods begin just
past the edge of the lawn

Another road home.

The road to our home

The golden leaves are falling to the ground.  The temperature this morning was 42 F.  Grasses in the fields have browned and the loons and swans have left the ponds and lakes.  It truly feels like winter but without the snow.  NOOOOOO!!!  I'm not ready for snow!  I still want to enjoy the autumn weather.  I already miss the loons...watching the chicks dunk their heads, listening to their call that always draws me to the lake. 

Holy Guacamole, I can't believe it's been months since I posted on this blog.  I better commit myself to post at least once a week.  It has been a busy time of year...of course I feel we can all say that every season is busy.

School start for our kiddos about a month ago.  Here's the girls' first day of school photo.

Evie-left; Margy-right
 

The girls started high school.  Ninth grade is so very different then eight grade.  The work load is tremendous.  There are days that our think our girls will topple backwards and they struggle to carry they over burdened backpacks filled with heavy textbooks.

Here's the boys' first day of school photo.  They are in fifth grade and for the first time they are in the same class.

Hammie-left; Martin-right

I Love You to God and Back A Mother and Child Can Find Faith and Love Through Bedtime Prayers

By Amanda Lamb

Children are precious and this author has put to print a collection of her six year old daughter’s prayers.  Ms. Lamb also follows up with her own thoughts.  Through this book the reader is able to follow this little six year old as she grows; as also do her thoughts and ideas about God. 

As a teacher I am often touched and admittedly amused by what young children write.  They write from their heart with forthright honesty.  These prayers do just that.  There were times I grinned and times a wiped away a tear. 

The Prayer Primer at the back of the book shows steps to begin praying with your children and it also includes some prayer starters.  I feel this section is good for parents of young children back lacking for a parent with older children.  There are women who are parenting older foster children or older grandchildren that are just being introduced to bedtime prayers and this portion of the book could have used a section dealing with the older child.

I must honestly say that there were times that I began to gloss over the prayers because it became a bit ho-hum for me…something similar to looking at too many of someone’s family movies or family pictures at one sitting.  Then I realized that I needed to pay closer attention since I was reading this to write this review and needed to go back and pay better attention.

While I enjoyed this book I did not find it to be wonderful.  Perhaps if I was related to the author I would be more enchanted with it.  Basically it’s a nice book that shows the love a mother has for her daughter and how that mother has so lovingly taught her daughter the importance and power of faith and prayer. 

** Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given this book free from the publisher through BookSneeze®.com. It is a 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 255vf: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." **