March 2014 Sharing Time - Week 2

Welcome to March's Sharing Time Linky!

First, the week in review:

It's great to be back to blogging! :)
I started the week by sharing what I was up to during my blog break.


(Lots of niece snuggles!)

On Tuesday I shared a tutorial on how to make this rainbow polka dot cake  (that I made for Talia's birthday party)



I shared 2 book reviews this week: A novel called Hope Springs and a collection of Essays on beauty called Why I Don't Hide My Freckles Anymore.



I also shared newborn photos that I took of my new niece in Utah and her sisters. :)



Now, on to the link party! I can't wait to see what you share! :)

Please join the Raising Memories Sharing Time & add a link to your latest and greatest blog posts
about activities to do with your children or fun projects that you have done!

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If you're participating, please share the button on your blog & "hop over" to at least one other blog post that's been linked up- let's support each other!

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Why I Don't Hide My Freckles Anymore: Perspectives On True Beauty

I've been reading a compilation of essays on beauty. When I heard about the book, Why I Don't Hide My Freckles Anymore, published by Deseret Book, I had a feeling I would like it. When I started reading it, I was sure I would like it.

As I laid in bed, reading the first few chapters, I could totally relate to the authors and I felt like I was learning from their experiences and perspectives. As I sat in the foyer of our church while Talia attended an activity, I had to close the book to stop the tears from flowing. There is so much in this world that teaches women to focus on outward appearances when it comes to their own beauty. I am very aware of that fact (especially with young girls to raise) and I thought that because I was aware of it, I was fairly beyond being affected by it. As I read though, I started to realize how much of a hold these incorrect perspectives still have on me.

Reading essay after essay, it was like sitting in a room full of women, discussing the experiences in each of their lives that shaped their perspectives on beauty and their opinions of themselves. And then hearing how each of them came to a point where they realized those perspectives were wrong, and managed to break through walls that they didn't even know were in their way. It was an emotional experience for me; witnessing these walls crashing down. I long to break through some of the walls of my own that remain.

Even more than that though, I want so badly to raise my girls with good perspectives on beauty. I felt like each of these stories helped me to see ways that I can do that. I enjoyed this book very much!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes from Deseret Book. All opinions expressed here are my very own.

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Baby Alexis (Newborn Photography)

Just 4 days before I flew to Utah (on Valentine's Day), my sister had her baby! While I was visiting we took some time to do some newborn photos. Here are some of my favourites from our session :)

My sister made this bunting for Valentines Day - it was the perfect prop for a baby born on Valentine's Day!
(and we found that doll bed in her big sister's bedroom ;)

Hope Springs

I read Sarah Eden's Longing for Home a year ago and have been looking forward to the sequel ever since!

I was excited when I heard that Longing for Home; Hope Springs (published by Shadow Mountain) was ready to be released! It came in the mail at a perfect time for me - right before I flew to Utah to visit my sister. It was the perfect novel to bring along for something to do during my flights.



I loved Katie's character in Longing for Home, and reading as the town feud unfolded. After reading a little preview of Hope Springs that was included at the end of Longing For Home, I was dying to find out what would happen next, hoping for as much of a page-turner as the first book was. Hope Springs did not disappoint! There are tragedies and hard times for the whole town as Winter hits and the feud between the Irish and the Red Road escalates. Katie does so much to try to improve things between her neighbours but with violence and discrimination building, it all comes to an unfortunate head before anything can really start to improve. There are surprises along the way as we learn more about some of the townspeople and of course the big question, for those who read the first book, will be what happens with the love triangle that developed in the first book. When I finished reading Longing For Home, I couldn't decide which man I hoped Katie would end up with, but the second book makes the answer more clear.

It was another great read from Sarah Eden and I was happy and content with the ending (my favourite way to end a story). If you read the first book, you need to get out and get yourself a copy of the conclusion to this story, and if you didn't - what are you waiting for? :) This would be a great book club book as well, and even has discussion questions included at the back of the book.

I have been following Sarah Eden on facebook ever since I reviewed the first book and have learned about her challenge of being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (this is close to home for me because of my own joint problems that my Doctor thinks may lead to the same diagnosis in the future). I've been impressed not only by Sarah Eden the author, but Sarah Eden the person. Here is a video of her, telling us a bit about Hope Springs:



Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes from Deseret Book. All opinions expressed here are my very own.

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Catching Up :)

Well, I had my blog break and it's time to return.  By the time the month of February got going, it didn't even feel like a break because of all of the things I was doing!  My February was jam-packed and if I hadn't taken an official blog break, I probably wouldn't have been able to post much more than I did during the break!

This is the first week that has started out "normally" for me, although the rest of it won't be too normal, and next week is Spring Break for my kids, so that won't be normal either! :)

Before I took the blog break, I got a few posts ready though, so I will have some posts going up during their Spring Break even though I'll probably try to stay away from blogging while the girls are both home every day.

Here's our February summed up in Instagrams:

During February, we had Talia's baptism.  A couple of posts about that are coming, but here's a photo of our family on that day:



My sister, Hilary, had a baby on Valentines' Day!  (I was sick for a week before that & totally missed Valentines' Day while I tried to recover in bed)  Then I flew to Utah to see my new niece (and my other 2 nieces).

While I was there I visited with Ken's sister Tami and her kids- it was sooo nice to see them again!  Here I am enjoying whatever time Daxon would let me hold him:



and with the whole group:



2 days after I got home, my other sister had her baby!  Below I am with the 3 Utah nieces (I'm wearing a pink shirt) and my new Canadian niece a few days later (I'm wearing a purple shirt).I am loving all of this baby time! :)



I got a chance to do newborn photos with Alexis (Utah niece) while I was there and will be doing photos for Tori (Canadian niece) on Wednesday- I can't wait!  And I'm looking forward to sharing those with you on the blog :)

I couldn't visit Utah without seeing my roommate of 2 years from our days at BYU Idaho.  It was so nice to meet up with Bethany and spend a day in SLC together :)



...and now I'm back at home with my own little munchkins & looking forward to Spring Break in just 4 days!  We have NO plans- it totally snuck up on me!  Guess I better get thinking about that!

About to brush her teeth- for some reason this girl loves getting her teeth brushed by me
(I sit her on my lap while I sit on the toilet seat lid, and tip her back on one arm
while I brush with the other... she gets disappointed if Daddy is brushing her teeth!)  

Anyone else feeling like we are nowhere near Spring??

This is a photo of what our snow piles looked like before I left for Utah, and not much has changed!
We woke up to more yesterday morning!

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March 2014 Sharing Time - Week 1

Please join the Raising Memories Sharing Time & add a link to your latest and greatest blog posts
about activities to do with your children or fun projects that you have done!

 ---------------------------------------

If you're participating, please share the button on your blog & "hop over" to at least one other blog post that's been linked up- let's support each other!

<a href="http://http://www.RaisingMemories.com/" target="_blank"&_blank"><img src="http://oi43.tinypic.com/10gbrwy.jpg"/></a>

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Please subscribe or follow to keep in touch.