weekend with kayley

yesterday was my brother brent's birthday. 

so of course i want to do a birthday picture post for him. 

but i'm not home right now and thus,

don't have access to scrapbooks.

so in the meantime,

a small look at my weekend!

 the new velata!

chocolate fondue is pretty much my favorite dessert.

 lounge time with my sister-in-law.

we call it "daisy hour".

basically we lay around doing nothing and drink iced tea.

like daisy from the great gatsby.

it's fun! :)

 i babysat my niece kayley.

she was a very cute roommate.

 and here's kayley at church for her dedication.

she was VERY distracting for me.

i mean who can listen during church when this cutie is next to you?!?

 baby k and me.

love.

 

busy busy busy.

you know for my first week of no job and no school 

it was a lot busier than i expected! 

i'm exhausted.

but

in a matter of hours my family will be desending upon the house.

2 brothers.

2 sister-in-laws.

2 nephews.

and this beautiful little niece of mine

who is 7 weeks old today.

gosh i can't wait to snuggle that little girl!

you can expect lots of pictures coming soon from my weekend with the fam.

i'm excited.

interviews and unknowns

i had an interview today.

possibly the first of many.

and i hated it.

it didn't go badly.

it actually went really well i think.

but i just hate interviews.

that feeling like you have to prove yourself by your words.

it's terrible.

 

(i think my hormones are a mess today because i kind of want to cry while i'm writing this 

and there is NO good reason for that!)

 

the thing is, i know i'm a good teacher.

i am so grateful that i've finally found a career that comes so naturally to me.

my work speaks for itself.

so i'd much rather prove myself by my actions.

words are fickle.

and throw in pressure and nerves and it's just not fun!

i have some big decisions ahead of me.

the job market is not good for teachers right now.

but i do have possibilities.

 and each possibility has it's own set of positives and negatives.

none of them are "perfect".

so the reality is something is probably gonna have to give...

i'm just not sure what that will be yet. 

 

and i have a feeling the decision will have to be made before i have all the facts.

sigh.

God please help me trust in Your plan and seek Your will first.

 

book review: redeeming love by francine rivers

reviewing books actually makes me nervous. 

i know what i enjoy and don't enjoy. 

i just don't exactly know how to verbalize it yet. 

because reading to me is an "experience" more than an explanation.

 so please bear with me as i figure this reviewing business out.

on that note, 

i figured i'd start with a book so good it basically sells itself!

"California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep."

The Plot

angel was sold into prostitution as a child.

she's bitter and gorgeous and surviving by clinging to her hate of men.

michael is the opposite of all the men angel has ever known.

he's good and honest and kind. 

michael follows God's calling and decides to marry and love angel, unconditionally.

angel has other ideas.

what follows is basically the most beautiful love story ever.

What I Think

honestly, this is my favorite book i've ever read.

and i've read it more times than i can count and just keep coming back to it. 

it's honest and brutal and so frustrating at times you just want to shake some sense into angel! 

but the love micheal shows her, 

unconditionally, 

goes beyond all of that.

i don't think you can read this book without crying at some point, 

from sadness or from happiness.

but what makes this book so great, and why i keep rereading it, 

is how it parallels what i believe is God's relationship with mankind. 

more specifically what i have personally experienced in my own relationship with God. 

i think everyone can connect to this story in one way or another.

it's a love story.

it's a story of sin. and redemption. and forgiveness.

it will break your heart.

and it will leave you completely satisfied.

the writing is simple and beautiful. 

the story gets inside your skin in the best way possible. 

and i don't think i've ever recommended this book to someone who didn't love it!

it's a must read.

 

coming soon: book reviews

so i've been thinking about what sort of "weekly feature" i want to do on my blog.

i've had tons of ideas.

all of which i've ruled out for a variety of reasons.

but what i do know is books.

i read a lot of books.

so... i think i'm gonna shoot for a weekly book review.

(see that fancy schmancy link on the top right where you will find them all, once there is an "all" to find!) 

the goal will be a new review every wednesday.

as a disclaimer, i read for entertainment.

i generally don't read super intellectual or serious books.

i like fiction: historical. fantasy. dystopian. young adult. adult. christian. chic lit. whatever!

give me fiction.

so that's mostly what i'll review.

take it or leave it. ;)

(via) 

happy reading!