~ Saturday Morning Pancakes ~

COUSIN SLEEPOVER

Friday night sleepover at Nanny and Pops house means one thing . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Saturday Morning Pancakes!!

The kids love having Pops make their pancakes look like Mickey Mouse : )

Click below for my favourite pancake recipe

Martha Stewart easy basic pancake recipe

~ Big Girl Bed ~

Hannah finally promoted to a big girl bed!

I know you probably thinking that is a BIG bed for a two and a half year old, and I agree. :)

I had no intention of buying a bunk bed, but I fell in love with it!

I did manage to hold of buying it until I spoke to Aaron, and together we decided this was the bed for Hannah. 

Hannah loves it too! 

Especially the ladder. . . 

I do keep the ladder in the guest room so she can't climb on the top bunk.

At night, Hannah snuggles with her Daddy Doll : )

Aaron does the bed time routine when he is home. I know he is going to LOVE laying on the bed with Hannah, reading books. 

I will point out that Hannah did pick out the bedding.

It wasn't my favourite but she loves it.

click here for the link to the bunk bed

click her for the link to the bedding 

~ Book Review : Blood Promise ~

Book Thirty Five : Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

(Vampire Academy Book Four)

click here to read my review on book one

click here to read my review on book two

click here to read my review on book three

There was a Strigoi there, tall and imposing, having sneaked up while I was distracted. 

"No. . . ." 

I wasn't sure if I said the word or thought it. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered just then was what my eyes saw before me. Or, rather, what my eyes thought they saw. Because surely, surely, I had to be imagining this. It couldn't be real. Not after all this time.

Dimitri.

My stake was ready. All I had to do was keep swinging to make the kill. I had momentum on my side. . .

But I couldn't. I just needed a few more seconds, a few seconds to drink him in before I killed him. And that's when he spoke.

"Roza." His voice had that same wonderful lowness, the same accent. . . . it was just colder. "You forgot my first lesson; Don't hesitate."

The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them . . . including Dimitri. He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa--the one she has sworn to protect no matter what--and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most? 

My Thoughts : WOW!! Richelle Mead is a brilliant writer. Every time I finish one of these books, I immediately need to start the next one. Richelle Mead is the queen of cliffhangers!

I'm not sure why this book took me so long to read. I think I started it in the middle of April. But anyways, I finally finished reading it, and I loved it! There were so many twists and turns in this book. I had no idea where the story was going or how it was going to end. 

I loved the scenes between Rose and Dimitri. They were so full of emotion and suspense. The scene on the bridge had me in tears! Then the big twist at the end! My emotions were, and still are, everywhere.

I am seriously beginning to think that Rose is my favourite female character. She is incredibly strong and brave. I love that she follows her heart. 

This book is about vampires; however, I don't feel like I'm reading a book about vampires. It is simply a love story and I love that about it.

I would definitely recommend this series to everyone. It is so beautifully written. 

Now, on to the next book : )

image from goodreads

~ 7 Month Update and Frequently Asked Questions ~

Yay!! We are getting so close to the end of this deploymnet! 

Aaron : Aaron is doing well. His fingers are healing nicely, and he is back doing whatever it is he does. He has been working some long days but it keeps him busy.  

Jaimie and Hannah : We are doing great! I recently hit this stupid wall, and I could not get my head around it. I felt like we were so close to the end but still so far away. I am so happy that I finally got over that hurdle. I am now just so excited!! Hannah and I are keeping busy with Mummy and Me Swim. She loves it! Hannah is quite independent and was yelling at me to let her go. . . .  yeah not gonna happen.

I get asked a lot of questions that I thought would be nice to answer here :

1. When does Aaron get back?

I have no idea. 

I think the closer to homecoming the more details we get. I have heard rumors but until he is stepping of the bus, at Pendleton, I don't believe them.

2. Are you invited family and friends to homecoming?

Aaron and I have talked a lot about this and we have decided that no we are not. It will just be Hannah and I picking up Aaron. 

We will be having a homecoming celebration soon after.

3. Do you have plans for when Aaron gets home?

Kinda Sorta but nothing definite.

4. Have you heard things are heating up in Afghanistan?

NO! and I don't want to know.

I don't watch the news in general because it freaks me out, so I really don't want to know what is going on in Afghanistan. . . . where my husband is. . . . . so please don't tell me.

I am not naive to the fact that Aaron is in a war zone; however, he knows I worry and doesn't want to add to that. Which is why, when people ask me questions about what is he doing over there, I have no idea. We just don't talk about it.

5. How are you and Hannah doing?

We are doing great!

6. Do you need anything?

Nope. 

We are just enjoying the Summer and getting ready for Aaron to get back.

7. Has it gone by fast?

NO!! 

Honestly, I have felt everyday he has been gone, but have tried to stay upbeat and positive. I really can't believe seven months have gone by!

8. What do you do all day?

This is one of my most frequently asked questions and I'm not sure why? 

I eat, I read, I play with Hannah. I clean and cook. I shower and run errands. I write blog posts . . . .

I hope that answers some of your questions if you had any.

Thank you for your love and prayers it means so much to us!

: )

~ Series Review : The Sweet Trilogy ~

Book thirty one, thirty three, and thirty four : Sweet Evil, Sweet Peril, and Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

“You told some human kid?"

I coughed, buying time. "He's Neph, too."

Jonathan LaGrey went rigid and his ruddy cheeks paled. I squirmed as his eyes bored into mine.

"Which one's his father?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Richard Rowe. I guess you'd know him as Pharzuph." Oh, boy. He wasn't pale anymore.

"You came across the country-"

"Shhh!" I warned him as people looked over. He lowered his voice to a shouted whisper.

"-with the son of the Duke of Lust?!"

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

My Thoughts : I had not heard much about this trilogy when I saw Sweet Evil on book outlet. I thought the cover looked pretty interesting. After reading about the book, I decided to add it to my cart. At that time I don't think I had read a book about angels and demons. It arrived and was placed on my bookshelf. . . . . where it stayed . . . . .for months. When I finally decided to start reading it, I ordered the other two books. I was going to have a sweet trilogy binge read!!

Book one was ok. I liked it but I was not blown away. There were moments that just dragged. I also hated the drawn out almost sex scenes. It was so frustrating! Either have sex or stop putting yourself in that situation. I was also not impressed with the ending. I was not excited to pick up book two. 

Book two started off pretty much the same as book one. It was good but had these moments where I was completely bored. It took me days just to get through the first one hundred and fifty pages. Finally, I hit page 175. This is where Anna and Kaiden are reunited and HOLY CRAP from that moment all the way to the end of book three, I COULD NOT put it down! 

My emotions were all over the place. It was intense, suspenseful, funny, heartbreaking, and so so steamy. 

I loved every page!

Anna, is our "good girl". She is half angel and half demon. The thing I loved about Anna is that she fought everyday to stay good. She struggled with temptations everyday, but she choose to fight them instead of giving in. I love that she was extremely easy to relate with.

Kaiden is our "bad boy". He is half demon. His whole life has been to lead humans astray. Leaving them to feel emotions of regret, guilt, shame, and heartbreak. This was all he knew. He believed his destiny to be set in stone, until Anna came along. 

The scenes between Anna and Kaiden were so steamy! I had to stop a couple times to cool down. It was so beautifully and tastefully written by Wendy Higgins. Book two seriously had some crazy hot scenes in the kitchen, and the laundry room, and the bedroom just to name a few. I think what made them so intense was the fact that they could not cross that line, yet you could feel had badly they both wanted to. 

In book one, I hated this almost sex scenes; however, in book two Anna and Kaiden had such character growth. It was different reading these scenes in book two. 

The other wonderful thing about this trilogy was the supporting characters. The way Wendy Higgins allowed each of these characters to grow and develop was beautiful. It showed you the power of family, friendship, and love. It also was amazing to see that each character had to power to change their destiny. 

I loved them all.

Despite the slow start, this has become one of my favourite trilogies. The ending was phenomenal!!

I admit that book three had me in tears a lot! It was heartbreaking yet so perfect.

I would recommend this trilogy to those who love a good romance. 

My advice would be just stick with it because I promise you will love it!

"I need you to know this is different for me. I've never felt like this with someone. I don't just love you, Anna. I adore you."

images from goodreads 

~ Motivational Monday #6 ~

hahaha I love this quote!

I'm gonna try harder to love the crap out of everything!!

~ Book Review : Dare You To ~

Book Twenty Five : Dare You To by Katie McGarry

“I hold the bottle out into the rain and watch as the steady flow slowly fills it. When there is enough, enough that Beth can clearly see, I close the bottle and hand it to her.

She raises a skeptical eyebrow, but accepts the bottle.

"It's our rain Beth."

Her head barely shakes to show her confusion while I rub the back of my neck and search for my courage. "I told you I loved you in this rain and when you doubt my words, I want you to look at this bottle.” 

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

My Thoughts : I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive about this book. Beth was not my favourite character from Pushing the Limits; however, the kindle version was on sale so why not give it a go?

I really loved the beginning of this book. I loved the interactions between Beth and Ryan. The scene in the fast food restaurant was hilarious. I love that Beth says exactly what she is thinking. The middle was where it did fall a little flat for me, but, thankfully, the story really picked up again towards the end. Dare You To took me on a very emotional roller coaster. There were times where I got so frustrated at Beth and Ryan. There were also times I just melted away.

Beth, has such depth as a character. Her life is something, thankfully, I have never experienced. I wasn't surprised by her need to take care of her Mother, but it was crippling Beth.. It was so sad to see her push others away because she felt this strong need to care for her drug addicted Mother.
 I was so happy to see her trust in others grow. I ended up really liking Beth. I think she is so brave.

Then there is Ryan. The typical high school jock. He was easy to like from the beginning. I think we can all relate to the pressure we feel to meet others expectations. It was nice to read a book about a bad girl and a good guy. I love the relationship between Ryan and his friends, especially Logan.
Please Katie McGarry give Logan a book!!

I was really happy that Katie McGarry intertwined Echo and Noah into the story. It was nice to see how they were doing. I am really enjoying companion novels more and more.

I know others were upset this book wasn't about Beth and Isaiah. I probably would have been as well, but I knew the next book was all about my favourite bad boy.

Overall, this book was really good. If you are a fan of Pushing the Limits then I am sure you will like this one too. Katie McGarry is a great writer. She uses such detail that you get lost in the stories.  Even though these are young adult books, they do deal with very deep and serious issues. These are not light, fluffy reads, and it does contain quite strong language.
I gave this book four out of five stars


click here to read my review on Pushing the Limts by Katie McGarry


image from goodreads

~ Strawberry Picking ~

Kiel and Carla came to visit Hannah and I, so we took them strawberry picking!

I wasn't too sure how it was going to be; however, Hannah, Carla, and I had a blast.

Not only did we pick some pretty incredible strawberries, we also ate a ton!

These strawberries were so juicy and delicious!

I had been wanted to make some jam for a long time.

Now I had plenty of strawberries : )

click here for my freezer strawberry jam recipe

~ Freezer Strawberry Jam ~

After picking some delicious strawberries, it was time to make some freezer strawberry jam!

I used the recipe that comes in the pectin box

Pulse your strawberries until you get the consistency you like. 

I like a mixture of big and small chucks.

Then measure out two cups of strawberries.

In a large bowl add four cups of granulated sugar and two tablespoons of lemon juice.

(or one fresh lemon)

Pour in your strawberries and stir, stir, stir.

You want to stir until the sugar is dissolved.

My cute assistant and I stirred our mixture for about ten minutes.

I purchased liquid pectin. 

The recipe calls for one packet to be added.

After everything was mix together, I let it sit for three minutes.

Label your jars.

Don't forget the date!

Fill your freezer safe jars with your jam mixture.

 Making sure you leave a quarter to half an inch at the top for the jam to expand.

(I boiled the tops of my jar to ensure they were free from germs.)

Let stand for twenty four hours to set then put in the freezer.

These will last a month in the fridge and a year in the freezer : )

~ Series Review : The Syrena Legacy ~

Book Twenty nine, thirty, and thirty two : Of Poseidon, Of Triton, and Of Neptune by Anna Banks

The Syrena Legacy 

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...

First, these are some of the most beautiful book covers.

Ok, moving on, I had seen Of Poseidon at my local bookstore but was not intrigued enough to spend twenty dollars for it. When I saw it on book outlet for around six dollars, I immediately ordered it. I found the story to be really easy to read. I enjoyed the "mermaid" aspect of it (I know they aren't really mermaids.) There was some dramatic plot twists but nothing too crazy. Of Poseidon did end with an intense cliff hanger. I was glad when Of Triton picked up right where Of Poseidon ended. These two books did flow really nicely. 

The Syrena Legacy is one of those unnecessary trilogies. I thought Of Triton ended so perfectly that I didn't need a third book. Of Neptune just did not flow like the first two books. I could not understand what the point of the book was. We all knew it how it was going to end. 

Despite that, I am glad that I read these books. I enjoyed the characters, especially the supporting characters like Toraf and Rayna. I only got frustrated with Emma in book three. I hated what the author was trying to do with introducing a love triangle. . . . . I'm so done with love triangles. 

 Overall I would highly recommend book one and two. I think all you need to read is book one, two and Emma's epilogue at the end of book three. 

images from goodreads 

~ Book Review : What I Thought Was True ~

Book Twenty : What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

"Is there a problem, dear boy? You look overheated."

Cass shoves his hair back again - leaving a bigger smudge of dirt, sighs, "It's nothing." Pause. "Ma'am."

Mrs E. studies us, the faintest of smiles on her face. But in the end, all she says is, "I would love some ice tea, Gwen. Why don't you get some for - " she pauses.

"Jose," I say, just as Cass reminds her of his actual name.

"Maybe Jose should carry around his own water bottle," I add, "like the rest of the maintenance crew. Then he wouldn't need waiting on."

"Jose dumped his water bottle on his head about two hous ago - it's ninety - five today, no sea breeze, in case you hadn't noticed, Maria."

Gwen Castle's Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

My Thoughts : YES! YES! YES!
This is exactly what I expect from a young adult contemporary romance. It was phenomenal!

I am surprised that it hasn't got higher ratings on goodreads, but for me this is my favourite genre to read. I can read them so quickly. I think this book took me just over a day to finish. I expect to be swept up in the high school drama of teenage love. And swept away I was. I think what I loved most about this book was all the different story lines that intertwined so beautifully and effortlessly. I enjoyed learning more about the supporting characters, and reading their struggles and growth. This wasn't a "fluffy" contemporary read. It did deal with some real issues. Some of which were really quite surprising.

I do not have a lot to say about this book, simply because there is so much going on. I really don't want to spoil it for the reader. I will say that Gwen is so easy to fall in love with. She really could be your best friend. And Cass is that boy next door - and who could deny dimples!! : ) They had really beautiful, funny, and touching moments in this book.

I would recommend this book to all young adult contemporary fans.
This book is so much more than your average summer read, and I loved it!




image from goodreads  

~ Book Review : How to Love ~

Book Twenty One - How to Love by Katie Cotugno

"I can't," I shoot back, but even as the words come out I can hear my voice to start to break. I don't want to cry-crying now is going to make me look crazy, is going to undermine everything I'm trying to say - but I can't help it. I'm so hugely tired of carrying all of this inside of me, all my guilt and anger and loneliness. I can't do it anymore. It's too much. 

Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he's never seemed to notice that Reena even exists until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated-and pregnant-Reena behind. 

After: Almost three years have passed, and there's a new love in Reena's life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena's gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she's finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn't want anything to do with him, though she'd be lying if she said Sawyer's being back wasn't stirring something in her. After everything that's happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

My Thoughts : When I read the story line, I was so intrigued. I loved that Reena (the main character) had two stories happening at the same time. It was interesting to read about Reena's life leading up to finding out she was pregnant, while at the same time, reading about how she is dealing with life almost three years later.

There were a couple twists and turns with this book, but overall, I found them more frustrating then anything. Twice in this book Reena stood up for herself then BAM! It was followed by something bad. I felt like telling the author to give this girl a break or she will never stand up for herself again. 

Reena is such an amazing and well written character. All her dreams were put on hold when she found out she was pregnant, yet, I think she dealt with it really well. This was a girl that was so in love with a guy who disappeared the day she found out (he didn't know she was pregnant.) I could see her maturity while reading this book, yet at the same time, I could see her innocence as well. I was so happy when she finally found her voice. I was, however, super frustrated with one decisions she made regarding a certain boy.

The problem, I had, with this book was Sawyer. You either love him or you hate him. Unfortunately, I did not like him. He was such a jerk. He was selfish and extremely annoying. I fully believe Sawyer will make or break this book for you.

Overall, this book does deal with a very real issue that I haven't read about in other books - teen pregnancy. I did enjoy the book but wasn't wowed by it.
I think if you enjoy a contemporary with a bit more depth and drama, then this is a good book for you.

image from goodreads