Book Review - Everything Romance

Everything Romance!

This book is not a book that you sit down and read. It's full of short stories, recipes, poems and golden nuggets of information. They have scriptures sprinkled in among the rest of this book.. which is simply delightful.  It's everything love... almost as if it's a book written specifically to celebrate love. It's a book that you can open again, and again, and again for inspiration and ideas every day for months and never get bored or receive the same information more than once. I can say that it will definitely put some spice into any marriage. 

I for one love this book, and will be giving one away to my husbands niece who will be getting married in a month. I know it will be used!

You can read a bit of the stories along with a recipe and some other goodies from the book HERE. ENJOY!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review which is my own honest opinion in its entirety. 

Cleaning Schedules!!!

Hi everyone!

It's been a little while since I last posted anything. Things have been a little bit crazy. This past weekend I threw a bridal shower... this coming weekend I will throw a lingerie party... the next weekend I will attend a rehearsal dinner.... and the next weekend I will be standing as the Matron of Honor in my best friends wedding!

I have hardly had time to THINK much less post anything on my blog and I am so sorry for that. I hope to have pictures up and posted very soon of the shower, everything turned out wonderful!

Which brings me to my question for today... if you read any of posts from years ago, you will all know that I struggle, very hard, to keep my home clean. That is something that has never came easy to me. I grew up with my father and two younger brothers, I never had my mother around to teach me how to clean or show me those things... I was on my own at a very young age and I still have a hard time figuring out when to do everything.

So.... for all you ladies who are able to keep your home somewhat presentable... to the point when you have unexpected guests come over you do not simply die of humiliation and embarrassment... what's your secret? Or your schedule... your cleaning schedule.

Do you have a routine that you do daily, weekly, monthly?  How in the world do you keep up with your home?

Please... for the sake of all other mommies, stay at home OR working... tell us what you do.

Thank you so very much, in advance, for your advice! If you have any tips on getting the kids to pitch in, let us know that as well!

Book Review - Fierce Beauty

The author shares her real, raw, life stories with us readers... The tragedy she experienced as a child... So sad.

The fact that she was able to come from that a beautiful woman of God is nothing short of the true Grace of God shinning through.

This book will have you in tears at points. Her stories are full of meaty insights that are very thought provoking. This is the first book I have read written by her, and I love her way of writting her stories... She has such a way with getting her point across.. she paints beautiful imagries in your mind.

Beauty is truley on the inside... Not the outside... A very humbling book and I highly reccommend it!

I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for a review. I was not asked to write a positive review in exchange for a copy, but choose to write a review that is constructive, honest and helpful to other consumers.

Our Vow Renewal!!!

Well, we had such a WONDERFUL time at the beach house!  Thank you, every single one of you, who helped me pray for pretty weather. It only rained about 15 minutes for one night, after dark. Thank you Jesus it was so beautiful out there.  If you could imagine listening to the sound of waves crashing against the sand on the beach to fall asleep at night... no words can describe it!

My husbands niece, and my best friend, Bethanie was with us for the first night... she became so ill that her fiancée had to rush her to the nearest emergency room over an hour away from us! She was severely dehydrated and had to be given fluids before they sent her home. She was going to take our pictures for us...

So... we had to improvise. After we found out she was o.k., we dressed up and headed the few short feet to the beach with camera in hand. I placed the camera on a sand mound and recorded us renewing our vows... you couldn't hear anything we said for the loud waves of the Gulf... but I was able to transfer some of the video clips into low quality still pictures.  Afterwards we used the timer feature with a 10 second delay to take some better quality still shots... it was so funny watching me focus the camera on my hubby, click the button, RUN as fast as I could towards him and pose before the click! lol.  We only did this a few times since it was so awkward. 

I can't wait to go back again... next time with the kids! We walked the beach and picked sea shells and brought some sand back home for the kids. They asked us too :)

SO... here are a lot of the pictures... in no certain order... for you to view! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

No Words.... :)

10th Anniversary Giveaway Winner!

The winner of my Anniversary Giveaway IS......

DeeMama who said...

What a sweet and romantic story! You have a captivating way with words! How blessed you are to have found your soulmate! I thank God every day to know that I have mine as well! :)

Heres to countless more Anniversaries for you and your hubby!

In His Name,
Dee

Please send me a convo with your mailing address (within this week) to angel.m.buck@gmail.com and I'll send it out to you! If I have not heard from you by then I will need to choose another winner.

Thank you

&

Congratulations!


I'm guessing everyone already has this book if no one wants to claim it :p

My Anniversary! & starting to work out!

I am SO excited!

Today is officially my husband and I’s 10^th Wedding Anniversary!

This weekend we will go away to a beach house and renew our vows! I have been looking forward to this for a long time now.

I bought us a beautiful set of rings.. nontraditional… they are made from aluminum and wood. The inside of the rings are engraved with the following:

Mine – I am my beloveds

His – and my beloved is mine

They are beautiful, and really represent my husband. 10th anniversary is the aluminum anniversary, that's why I was originally looking for aluminum rings. When I came across this set I fell in love with them, we are such an "outdoors" family that the wood insets were perfect!

Here is a picture of the set.

I have so much to do to get ready for Friday before we head out. I have started a check list to make sure I don’t forget anything.

I was able to find a really nice dress that I will wear, and hopefully I can get him to dress up a bit also ;).

For every one of you prayer warriors out there… please pray for the weather! I checked yesterday and where we are going is supposed to be thunderstorms all weekend :( .  I normally don’t really mind thunderstorms much as long as I don’t have to drive in them, but I would like to at least have a break in the day or afternoon where the sky is beautiful enough for us to renew our vows and take some beautiful pictures!

Also, on a little side note… I started running/jogging 3-4 times a week.  I found a beginners jogging plan and am trying the best I can to follow it. I really have to push myself to complete each jog until the end of the allotted time, and I’m only on the second week… so you KNOW I am out of shape!

You can find the plan HERE: http://www.superskinnyme.com/beginner_running_program.html

I find what also helps me stay going is music. My wonderful husband bought me a MP3 player and I found a website where you can download music mixes created especially for runners/working out www.rockmyrun.com  Check them out!

Also I found a great circuit beeper from www.gymboss.com and I bought one in hot pink!  I don't have to track the time or the laps... I just program it in and run till it beeps, walk till it beeps, repeat until it beeps like crazy and I know I'm finished!

I have to admit, the first day of the first week; even one minute of jogging had me dying! But by the end of the week, it wasn’t really too bad. I am hoping that at the end of each week I am able to complete the running with minimal effort.  Another MAJOR thing I have done is … I have replaced all of my soft drinks with WATER.  I say Major thing because I really really really dislike(d) water. I have never drunk it, not as a child, not growing up… not ever. I will drink Kool-Aid, but that’s the closest to water I get.  So for me to forgo all other beverages (except my morning coffee) and drink ONLY water is a super huge feat for me.

I have to say though, and I never ever thought these words would come out of my mouth, or finger tips… I am starting to acquire a taste for it. (gasp!)

It has been about two weeks since I made that change and I have noticed a HUGE improvement in my skin. I know it sounds crazy, but my skin is softer, isn’t flakey at all and actually feels … dare I say… hydrated?!

I also calculated if I am replacing, say, 3 cokes, or sprites a day with only water… that equates to about a pound a week in calories!!  I can lose about a pound a week with only this change… not including what I burn running! 

I am so excited! I hope I do not lose interest and keep pushing myself. Thank you Pinterest for all the fitness motivational pins… they are probably the main reason why I began my endeavor.

I can already tell a difference in my waist and am kicking myself for not taking measurements before hand.  ACTUALLY!!! I just remembered that I was measured last month to be fitted for my matron of honor gown! I can use those as a beginning measurement.

If I remember, when I get home I will measure myself … legs, arms, etc. so I can mark my progress!

I can't wait until I can post pictures of my vow renewals here!!!!

All my love,