Our House in the Middle of Our Street

comfy 'nests' by the fire; perfect reading spots! I had an excellent reading month, for two reasons: I read a lot of short books (under 300 pages), and finished up two that were nearly completed from December. Eight books in one month is a stretch for me. Although I might have one more 'excellent' reading month in February, March, and on until early June, is where things start to get busy and my reading time will fall significantly. My best reading time is right before bed, from about 8-10PM. The kids are in bed and I get a second wind. If I try reading during the middle of the day break-quiet time-I will fall asleep immediately! I re-read two books this month, too, which is unusual as I'm not normally a re-reader but one was for book club (my choice!) and the other was with a smaller book club (also sort of my choice) because I thought they were excellent and I wanted to share them. You'll see below which those were. Here's what I read: Watch for the...

one of Ani's goals: learning to bake! This year was a great one--we did SO much as a family and I really think by setting up some 'Things to Do' with the kids in my goal list for 2017, we made them happen rather than thinking we could do them 'someday'. We traveled a lot in 2017; we hit every state on the West Coast including Alaska! We started our 6th year of homeschooling and went a bit rogue in a few subjects like Math. I started and finished a beloved book series with the kids. There were a few things that didn't happen because of circumstances, but almost everything else DID happen, and I'm proud of that! Intentions + action for the win!  What Happened * Learn to make pakora and butter chicken (crock pot): This might be cheating but a friend of mine sells Epicure spice blends and they just came out this past year with a pakora packet. It's healthy, fast, gluten-free, and delicious and I'm counting it! I also made the most delicious...

early sunset in Ft Langley  I love reading all these "Top 10" lists of favorite books read throughout the year, so I'm adding my two cents.  I'm involved in a Book Club that I love with women from our church, a small group that meets every week and goes through a book every few months, my own list, books I'm reading aloud to the kids and  books I'm reading for educational purposes (think professional development). I took a look at all of those combined and this is what I got, in no particular order:  *  The Problem of God  by Mark Clark - I loved going through this academic apologetic book with my friends from church. It led us to great discussion, and good food for thought. I listen to Clark's sermons every week and so knew I'd probably love his writing style, too. If you have objections to Christianity, or are feeling confused about what to believe, this is a great primer.  * You're Smarter Than You Think  by Dr. Thomas Armstro...