Review - The Beauty Book by Nancy Rue

I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review. This is a book for young girls who are feeling self-conscious as they enter into the beginning stages of womanhood (puberty). The author talks about many of the issues that may come up and how she feels Jesus would want them to look at things. The goal of the book is to help the girls realize they are made by God and are beautiful. It is a very cute and lighthearted book that takes a look at many of the issues plaguing young girls - not only today but in the past as well. The author uses a conversational tone, so the reader feels as if she is conversing with a friend rather than reading an advice book. At no point did I find the author to be condescending (which I think is a frequent downfall of this type of book). I think she does a wonderful job of using scripture and other examples to show girls that they are beautiful no matter how they feel about themselves or how others treat them. My eldest daughter just turned 8. I plan on sharing this book with her soon. She is beginning to experience some of the things talked about the book. She is noticing fashion, make-up and boys more and more. The book will be one of the guides I use to help her navigate this bewildering time in her life.

This was a sweet devotional book with some good advice.

I am a parent of three kids.  At times you feel like you are alone even though common sense would tell you that is crazy.  This book lets you know that is not the case.  You feel like you are talking to a friend.

Link to Book:

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Dollywood Visit With Mia

The kid's grandmother (J's mom) came to visit. The kids call her Mia. We decided to go to Dollywood while she was here. When we bought our season passes,(yes there will be more Dollywood blog post to come)we also received some 'bring a guest free' passes (HINT: If you are getting season passes to Dollywood - which cost less than 2 visits - buy them when they are giving free guest passes with each one. This usually happens in March/April and at Food City locations.) The day started out very cloudy. By the time we got there it was looking like it was going to rain. S was hungry so we went ahead and ate at Red's Diner (a 50s style diner in the Jukebox Junction area of the park). We ordered hamburgers and fries, which are pretty good. Normal prices are high - but since I have a gold pass we get 20% off which saves $. (Gold passes also get you free parking - an $8 value - and 20% on pretty much everything you have to pay for in the park (food/gifts/etc) It rained really hard while we were eating, and we ended up staying in the diner for about an hour. (We had fun chatting with some tourists who were there.) Next we went and saw the production "Dreamland Drive In". I cannot say enough good things about that show. It was INCREDIBLE. (All shows are free with admission). It is a very sweet little story that features music from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. We all loved it! Little C was dancing in the aisles! She was so happy! She tried to sing along :)! By the end of the show the weather had cleared up. It was now sunny and 72 degrees! Since it had been such a rainy day and it was a weekday, not many people were there. Last time we had hour plus waits in line...but this time the only ride that had a line was the Thunderhead (wooden coaster) and it was only a 10-15 minute wait. The kids were able to ride a lot of things. S even got to ride her first upside down roller-coaster and her first wooden coaster. S and IE got to ride their first indoor coaster. It was the first time for all 3 on a Ferris wheel! Everyone had a blast! Here are some pictures of our day.  

Waiting just inside Dollywood  
Waiting out the rain in Red's Pictures of us at Dreamland Drive In (live show) Ian Driving the 50s style cars Caroline acting goofy while waiting on her brother and sister to finish riding Blazing Fury with Mia Carousel Ride Ferris Wheel Bee Ride

An Interview with Savannah

I linked to a blog post via Pinterest. The blog is Called Raising Godly Children . It was a post about 23 Questions to Ask Your Kids. I asked S (will be 8 next month) the questions. Here are her answers.  


1. What do you think heaven looks like?

 Everything is gold and silver. God and Jesus are there. My Nana is there too. Everything is shiny with jewels. There are lots and lots of people. They are happy. There is a shiny sun, it is so beautiful.

2. What does Dad do at work?

 He answers the phone and does stuff on the computer.  


3. Who is a person you know that seems the most Christ-like?

My mom. She loves us no matter what we do.  

4. What do you think your wife (husband) will be like?

He will be smart and have red hair.  

5. If you were going to spend one year on a desert island and could only take three things with you, what would they be?

Water, food, a car so I could get home  


6. Who is your favorite aunt or uncle and why do you like him or her so much?

 I like both my uncles and my aunt. They play with me. It would hurt someone's feelings if I picked just one. That would be mean.  


7. What sounds and smells do you think Joseph and Mary experienced in the stable on Christmas night?

 Animal poop, animal food, pee pee, animal throw up 8. What is the nicest thing I ever did for you? Took me to Dollywood


  9. When is a time that I hurt your feelings?

Today. You made me turn off the TV  


10. When is a time that you were really mad at me?

When you made me turn off the TV  


11. If people followed the Golden Rule, think of all the things we wouldn’t need. Can you make a list?

War, juvenile hall, jails, hell  


12. If you could be in a movie that you’ve already seen, which one would it be? Would you be a character that is already in the movie, or would you be one that you would add?

Suite Life on Deck…I would want be to London Tipton  


13. How is love different for a Christian couple than it is in the movies?

It is real  


14. What is the difference between being smart and being wise?

 When you are smart you know a lot of stuff in books…when you are wise you know a lot of stuff about people


  15. What is your favorite outfit?

 Hello kitty shirt  


16. What is the hardest part about being 8?

if you are the oldest you have to help more than your brother and sister  


17. What has been your favorite childhood memory?

Going to Dollywood  


18. When you pray, how do you picture God?

He is old because He has been alive forever but he looks young. He is probably handsome


  19. What is your favorite Bible verse? Why do you like it?

Jeremiah 29:11 – Because I know He will take care of me and my brain tumor  


20. If you could be an animal for a day, which one would you be?

Unicorn – they are magic  


21. If you could go in a time machine, what era in history would you like to visit?

Revolutionary War – I want to be a Liberty Kid  


22. What person in history would you like to visit? George Washington – he is the father of our country. I do not know what I would ask him.  

23. What is the most important decision you will ever make?

If and who I will marry.

More reading Festival...it left out one book

She was also able to meet Jennifer and Matthew Holm..the authors of BabyMouse and have a book signed

Reading Festival 2012

Every year the local library chain kicks off the summer season with a big party called Children's Festival of Reading. We went this year, it was our first time. The kids had a blast! They dangled their feet in the pool. They made bookmarks.. They played in the splash park Ian and Caroline were too tired and not interested...but Savannah was able to meet some authors and get her books signed! She met Gail Carson Levine and got a copy of Ella Enchanted signed. She met Alyssa Capucilli. She signed a copy of Biscut Goes to School for Ian and Caroline. She met Jennifer and Matthew Holm, authors of the BabyMouse books. She got a copy of BabyMouse is Our Hero signed. He even drew a cute little Baby Mouse for her. It was a very fun day!!!

Reading Festival

Every year the local library chain kicks off the summer season with a big party called Children's Festival of Reading. We went this year, it was our first time. The kids had a blast! They dangled their feet in the pool. They made bookmarks.. They played in the splash park Ian and Caroline were too tired and not interested...but Savannah was able to meet some authors and get her books signed! She met Gail Carson Levine and got a copy of Ella Enchanted signed. She met Alyssa Capucilli. She signed a copy of Biscut Goes to School for Ian and Caroline. She met Jennifer and Matthew Holm, authors of the BabyMouse books. She got a copy of BabyMouse is Our Hero signed. He even drew a cute little Baby Mouse for her. It was a very fun day!!!

Freezer Meal #1 - Tacos!

Today for supper we ate the first meal out of the freezer. It was a hit! J said he would never have known it had been frozen. IE usually refuses to eat leftovers, but he ate it up..I do not think he realized it WAS leftovers!

It is actually a really simple recipe. I am not sure where it came from, I have just made them this way as long as I can remember. This recipe will make enough for 2x for a family of 4-6 (depending on how much your family eats at a ti,e).

Yummy Freezer Tacos

2 pounds lean ground beef
4 TBSP of taco seasoning (I mix Ortega and Old El Paso..or sometimes make my own via this recipe
1 to 1 1/2 cups of water depending on how wet you like your taco meat


Brown and drain the meat
Add the seasoning and stir well
Add the water and bring to a slow boil
Decrease heat and simmer for 5 minutes

I serve it taco salad style with salsa, spinach, pinto beans, Tostitos baked scoops, and shredded cheddar cheese

What you freeze - Let cool to room temperature. Put in a freezer safe Ziploc bag and lie flat to freeze. It should keep for 3 weeks. (I am not sure how long it would hold flavor past that..but I read somewhere that 3 weeks was good for tacos.


*Note, whenever it is my recipe I will share it. If it is a friend's or out of a book, I will not. I will refer you to the book though. If it comes from a website, I will do what I did above and reference you to it.

C's Nashville Adventure...

The day started at 3AM. We got up, got dressed, and got in the car by 4AM. We had to stop for gas (because I forgot to fill up the tank the day before). By 430AM wew were on the interstate. I have never driven in such little traffic, it was just us and a couple of truckers for a very long time. Funny thing is, there seemed to be more east bound traffic than west bound..but of course it could have just seemed that way since I was meeting that traffic rather than being in it.

We had breakfast via the drive thru at the CFA in Mount Juliet. C loves CFA!

We got to the hospital about 30 minutes before the appointment, but the doctor took us back a little early. She asked me questions and had C do some things and determined right away she is not autistic nor ADHD (which I knew already). She gave her a diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech We have expected this for quite a while, but it is nice to get the diagnosis. Now we can start working on making the insurance pay for the therapy she needs in order to be able to talk. She really wants to talk, she is just not able to get the words out. We are hoping therapy will help with this.

We then got back in the van to come home. We ate lunch at Zaxby's in Lebanon. It was okay..I usually expect better food from a Zaxby's, but I guess everywhere has off days. One more pit stop in Crossville for a potty/stretch break..and then we were home!

C enjoyed her alone day with Mommy..she was not ready to have to share Mommy with bro and sis when we got home!

J survived his day alone with IE (S was at school)!

Day at the Park

Last week all 3 kids were in a really good mood, so we went to a park in our city. It is a new park and it is very nice. It even has a concrete circle around the play area so the kids can ride scooters and bikes. There is a water splash pad too, but of course since it is March, it is not open. I think it opens Memorial Day weekend. For my green friends, it is also a green park. The padding under the play area is recycled tires. The pavilions are powered by solar energy. I am not sure how the water is done, but I know it does stop every little bit to conserve some water. (But hey, it is fun for the kids)

After we ate, we went to a pizza place and had pizza.


Here IE and C are on the little crawl ladder thing. C was using her arms mostly to pull her up it. We were close by and it is not as high as it looks. If they had fallen, they would not have gotten hurt.

S at the top of the walk climbing wall...I am guessing it is about 6-7 feet high.

OK, so maybe this should have been before the last one. S climbing up the wall.

Side view of S climbing the wall.

C climbing some stairs. This is VERY big for us. Until just a couple of months ago she was unable to climb stairs at all. She is still not good at it, and she scares me at times, but I have to let her.

Sisters...S was hugging C. C was not so sure about this. I think she was remembering that S likes to take the iPad away from her. I think she was still a little mad about that.

C by herself on the circle ladder. As you can see her leg can touch the ground and she is very little, so it is not high. She was having some trouble with this, but like I said, I have to let her try. She is still falling some, but I have to let her try and move around more. I do not want to hold her back.

IE on his "bike". He loves nothing more than going around in circles, so this is ideal for him. He usually HATES getting his picture made, but he was in a good mood and humored me that day. I love days like that. They give me insight into him that he normally does not let people see.

IE at the top of the slide.

IE at the top of the bridge.

S on the swings.

IE close up on his bike. You can see on his forehead where he fell and got into a fight with a chair. The chair won. It looked so much better that day then it did a couple of days before.

C trying the bike. She can't do it and gets frustrated. Eventually she just started kind of scooting it along.

J on the swings with IE and C. I was surprised C could stay in the swing, but then OT and PT have been working with her on things like that so it proves there is value in therapy!

S on slide..I love this picture!

What J does when we eat out - gets on his phone...

S being silly

Monkey see..Monkey Do...