April Tidbits

I can't believe it has been so long since I blogged last. The days have been so busy, and I've been walk/running!! At least a number of days. I got started and then got the milk fever so was down a few days. Got started again and doing better. Hopefully I can keep it up this week.

Our big news lately was that Drum & Dime graduated from EPS with CAP. They had a very intense weekend of getting yelled at, doing PT outside before 6:00am., learning to iron their beds to pass inspections, taking classes, and tons more PT. :-) The officer that Drum is shaking hands with was so nice and cheerful! She greeted the parents, and when the cadets were cleaning the building before they could leave, she gave an impromtu parents meeting with lots of helpful information. What a blessing. Our boys had a challenging learning experience and came back changed. This last week, I woke up one morning to find Drum, Dime, & Duke out jogging!! I have had trouble getting Dime out of bed, and his brother getting up and getting out motivated him to get going. They were out in their PT gear singing marching songs. I've seen improved attitudes in other areas and it has been such a blessing.


Dot had an orthodontist appointment this past week. She now has rubber connecting her jaws. Her poor sore cheeks and teeth! She been trying to wear them nonstop so she can get them off asap. She had wires coming out both side, and being the great mom that I am, I thought it would be a great blackmail picture. But despite my sneakiness in getting out the camera, she noticed and put up her hands! :-)


Little Darling got to try a chocolate candy bar for the first time. It was a good day!!
This week Dunk got a job!! He heads out-of-state for a few days each week for a few weeks. It's so nice to have in-laws live next door and family close. We are so thankful for his job. Please pray for the kids as they make the adjustment to Dad being gone. PTL for cell phones. The rest of us at home will be busy wrapping up the last few weeks of school. Dot got a job in town, and I can't believe my oldest is a wage earner. It is starting slow, but the change is happening.

This book is an EXCELLENT book!!!

These past couple of weeks I have been trying to read a book by 18 year olds, Alex & Brett Harris, called “Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion against Low Expectations.” I say “trying to read” because I have had trouble finding the book! Dot, Dunk, and Dime were reading it at the same time I was. At one time there were 3 bookmarks in the same book!

This book was written by teens, for teens. Alex and Brett say, “Most people don’t expect you to understand what we’re going to tell you in this book. And even if you understand, they don’t expect you to care. And even if you care, they don’t expect you to do anything about it. And even if you do something about it, they don’t expect it to last – WE DO.”

To say it simply: This book is an EXCELLENT book!!! It is a must-read for parents, grand-parents, singles, and of course any age teen!!! Alex & Brett have done a dynamic job getting their simple but profound word out – Do Hard Things!! They make it clear in the beginning of the book that it is not stupid things they encourage doing, but rather "to grab hold of a more exciting option for your teen years." This book challenged my husband and I, as well as our children who have read it.

Read page 30 to find out when the word "teenager" was first introduced.
Read page 38 to find out how low our expectations of teenagers has gone. Ouch!
Read page 42 to find out where the Bible talks about teens.
Read more to find out how to take YOUR first steps toward doing "hard things."

I would strongly encourage and highly recommend everyone read this book, especially if you were a teen, have a teen, or know a teen. Alex & Brett Harris coined the term "rebelution" to define what they are aiming to do - Rebel at the low expectations set for teens.
Visit http://www.therebelution.com/ to read more about the rebelution that is sweeping the country. You can also find out when they are visiting your area!
To purchase the book at Amazon.com, go to: Do Hard Things
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601421125
Author Bio:
Alex and Brett Harris founded TheRebelution.com in August 2005 and today at age 19 are the most popular Christian teen writers on the Web. The twins are frequent contributors to Focus on the Family’s Boundless webzine, serve as the main speakers for the Rebelution Tour conferences, and have been featured in WORLD magazine, Breakaway, The Old Schoolhouse, and the New York Daily News. Sons of homeschool pioneer Gregg Harris and younger brothers of best-selling author Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye), Alex and Brett live near Portland, Oregon.

Gotta read your own copy of this book? Comment below by April 22 for your chance to win a copy of “Do Hard Things.”

"My Soul to Keep" Book Review

This past week I read the book, "My Soul to Keep" by Melanie Wells. It is a gripping suspense novel. I was a bit lost in the beginning and found out why closer to the end of the book. It is the second in a series!

Dylan Foster's friend's child is abducted at a birthday party in the park. The police are baffled, and psychology professor Dylan has a number of wierd clues turn up. Freaky stranger, Peter Terry, keeps trying to bother Dylan with a number of wierd events. Turns out Peter Terry is a demon! He also is a connecting piece between Dylan and the child abductors of this story.

Melanie is kind enough (for those with children) to give enough information to not feel totally afraid for the abducted child. The birthday girl has a connection with her abducted friend. Dylan's relationship with the birthday girl is very moving. I was in this book from start to finish. I enjoyed the way the story stuck with Dylan Foster and what she was going through. She was a believable character who had a ton of courage. I'm looking forward to reading the first book- "When the Day of Evil comes" - as soon as I can get it!

"My Soul to Keep" by Melanie Wells can be purchased at your local Christian bookstore. It is published by Multnomah. Be sure to buy both books at the same time!!

Dime Has Wings

Monday, Dime got his wings!!

Per tradition, I pinned on his wings at promtions.

This weekend, Dunk, Drum, and Dime are at a CAP conference. They made it through the snow, and are having a fantastic time.

Deer had a great time at her friend's overnight birthday party. They got to go swimming!! She learned how to play a new dance pad game, and got to be the first in the family to try out a Wii. :-)

The younger crew got to go to G & G W's, while Dot & I had a grand time learning from KB how to play the snare drum (so FUN!), watch a interesting movie, and have great food & fellowship!

Can you believe these pictures are chronologically correct!
These pictures are less than a week apart!!

Spring Flowers :-)

Dirt Bikes are out!

Our two dogs, Lady & Rosie.

Winter snuggle weather! In April?!!!!

Dot got buried in snow!!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Drum!!

Drum had a great time celebrating his birthday with his good friend K. He has grown in height so much this past year. Dunk & I have also noticed a growth in his character. He's getting older. :-) It is hard to believe he is in the middle of the change from being a young boy to being a young adult.

We love you, Drum.

Speech Party!!

Last night we had an awesome end-of-the-year speech party!!! Dunk & I, Dot, Drum, Dime, and Deer went to the party. Duke, Dessert, and Darling were at Gma & Gpa's. We had pizza and snacks, listened to speeches, and played games. Dot got the "Still Water Runs Deep" Award for her intellectual thinking, Drum got the "Defender of Life" Award for his piece on Horton and "A person's a person no matter how small", Dime got the "Barnabas Award" for his encouraging smile and positive demeanor at speech club, and Deer got the "Awesome Timer" Award for her reliability with timing. We sure had a great year, and already look forward to next year!! The grown-ups were as reluctant to leave as the children. :-)
It is going to be fun to have a quieter weekend. At least be home more of the weekend. Dunk's got a guy's event on Sat. for a couple hours. It's an open house with motorcycles!! The boys are all looking forward to it. :-) I think the girls and I are going to stay home. :-) Yeah! I think I'm going to make another batch of tapioca pudding. I love it warm and cold. I also got a ton of raking to do, to put my rocks back in the driveway and off the grass. Papa likes to plow way back. It is so nice to have the sunshine to rake in. Maybe I should get out my shorts and start on my tan while I'm raking. :-) Well, maybe a little early.
I'm looking forward to next weekend already. Dunk and the older boys are going to be gone at a CAP event, Deer has a birthday party to go to, and so Dot has invited a couple friends over, and I invited their Mom over!! We are going to walk, watch a movie, and have a grand time. I may have to check with Gma & Gpa for the younger boys. :-) My good friend also has her birthday that weekend and I can't wait to celebrate it with her. Lot's of girl time ahead!! :-)
I was talking to Dime about his fun weekends ahead. He said yeah, but I've got so many days inbetween that are so awful!! He means school days! Good grief!! He's not that overworked at all! He needs an attitude adjustment about school. He's got too many days ahead, to think so negative about it already. He just is overwhelmed right now, because he puts things off, and now he has a heap of work to do to catch up. He's learning to do today's work today and get about the process. Then it won't seem so much. He's my kid who can spend an hour eating breakfast, 30 min getting his schoolbooks out, 20 minutes finding the right pencil, and 10 minutes telling his brother to be quiet. Then after 10 minutes of school, complain about how long school takes! I've got too much to do to always be right on his tail. Plus, he's got to learn to want to get his stuff done. We've come up with some motivators and he's learning! :-) (I hope.)
Well, better get my kiddos moving. On time Deer is already up and at 'em, but gotta get the rest moving. They are slow from our late party!!

Happy Resurrection Day, 2008!!

We had a fantastic Resurrection weekend. Cousins stayed with my folks for a few days before Easter, so we had the fun stretch out longer. :-) The boys chased a rabbit with the dogs, made a song video, and had a ton of fun laughing. The girls dressed alike,
had fun with the camera in Dot's room,
and giggled.
Resurrection morning we met at church for a nummy breakfast,
followed by a wonderful service.
Whenever K sat in Gma K's lap, Emily had to join the fun.



This guy knows how to get the ladies. See the kitty in his arms? lol :-)

I made matching socks for the girls. So fun.

I wanted to remember that occasionally my crew got really gussied up.

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!!

Howdy!

This is a hello to a Sister and Great-Aunt in Texas!!

Sister D. spends a LOT of time with her little grandbaby. When we say Gma is coming, Darling looks out the window and up the hill, all excited. Gma is pretty protective of Darling. Once Darling tripped over Papa's big boot. He then felt a bop from Gma on the leg. "What's that for!" he asked. "Darling tripped over your foot!!" she replied.

When are you going to come visit?! Hint, Hint!

Happy Birthday Dessert!!

Dessert celebrated his birthday this week.

He wanted meatballs, mashed potatoes, and cooked carrots for his birthday meal. He's been such a good sport with not being the little one anymore, it was fun to spoil him a little on his birthday.

He loved his presents and has enjoyed playing with them. He got money as well, so he feels rich! :-)

DH & I feel rich with all these precious sweeties! :-) We love you, Dessert!!

Experiencing the Resurrection: A Book Review & Giveaway!!

What does the resurrection of Christ really mean for us? What does it reveal about the heart and mind of God? And what real differences can the miracle of the resurrection make in your life today?
Discover answers to those and other questions as you examine God’s Word with this companion study guide to the book Experiencing the Resurrection by Henry Blackaby and Melvin Blackaby.
Packed with practical notes, advice, and questions for reflection, this highly interactive guide—ideal for small group or individual use—shows you how to witness Christ’s resurrection in and through your life. Each chapter of the book is explored in a flexible one-week format with “life change objectives” that arise from applying the truth for each day to your life.

"If there were only the cross, sin would win." We would lose out on heaven. Satan would win. The central power to our beliefs as Christians is based in the fact that we serve a RESURRECTED Saviour.

This book is a good reminder about the truths about Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. It points out the fact that Jesus did not resurrect Himself. God resurrected Him from the dead. God resurrects us from spiritual death, not physical death. We can live a resurrected life by enjoying our eternal destiny - heaven.

The primary reason for our life is to help others know about Jesus, and the opportunity that they have to serve a risen Lord. How deep we experience the resurrection depends on how deep we experience His death. The death to self and our will. Are we born again spiritually?
"Physically...we progress toward physical death. Spiritually...we progress toward eternal life."

One of my favorite parts in this book is a story about a Muslim in Africa. He became a Christian and his friends questioned his beliefs. "He answered, Well, it's like this. Suppose you were going down the road, and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn't know which way to go. There at the fork were two men, one dead and one alive - who would you ask which way to go?" (p.97-98)

The author asks three questions: (abreviated quotes)

"1. Do you want resurrection life? The secret to resurrection power is that you have to die before you can be resurrected. It's a decision of the will to be crucified with Christ, that the Father might raise you to new life.

2. Are you pursuing resurrection life? Would others conclude that you want to know the Lord more than anything in the world? Are you willing to risk seeking after the Lord, knowing that it might change your life?

3. What is your decision? If you're asking God to let you experience the resurrection, you're asking Him to take you into a place you've never been. So don't complain when He does."

The book covers a number of people in the Bible who experienced God's working in their lives. In each one they were brought to an uncomfortable place, and there met God meeting their needs and showing them His power.

To cover the different aspects of the Resurrection, the book is divided into three parts. The third section, my favorite, covered resurrection peace, joy, power, authority, confidence, and hope. Each one was thought provoking, and had great comments.

This book would be an excellent book for a brand new Christian or a Christian who wants a reminder on the power of serving a Risen Lord.

The resurrection of Jesus can become

"An every day encounter that changes your life."

You may purchase the book at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590527577 It is on sale for $11.55.

Author Bio:
Dr. Henry Blackaby, president emeritus of Blackaby Ministries, is the author of more than a dozen books, including the best-selling classic Experiencing God. He has spent his life in ministry, serving as a music director and as a senior pastor for churches in California and Canada. Today he provides consultative leadership on prayer for revival and spiritual awakening on a global level. He and his wife make their home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Melvin Blackaby coauthored with his father, Henry Blackaby, the Gold Medallion winner Experiencing God Together. He travels extensively as a conference speaker. He and his wife and their three children live in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, where he serves as senior pastor of Bow Valley Baptist Church.

Do you want to win your own copy of this book? (This is my first give away. :-) ) Please leave a comment. This opportunity is open to anyone in the US. This will end on March 24, at 8:00pm.

A March Weekend

Saturday, Duke participated in his Spark's Float-A-Boat. He did a great job on his boat. It took a bit to get the hang of how to move it most efficiently, and then he was a speedy boat racer! The words on the boat say, Shine For Jesus. He really wanted a light on his boat, and he and Dad finally figured out how to put one on!

I spent most of the day at a Republican Convention. I enjoyed it. Dot and her friend watched Darling, while the rest of the crew cheered Duke on at the Float-A-Boat.

Sunday, Dunk and I did Mighty Church. In the afternoon Darling went to her first birthday party.

After we got back, I took the kids sledding in town. They had a great hill!! I went down a few times and then walked with PH. I forgot my camera for pictures, but PH got some! :-) The kids sledded an hour and a half! After the events of the weekend, I was so looking forward to bedtime.

Monday, Dunk spoke at a singles group almost 2 hours (with the traffic) from here. He did a great job and was well received. He spoke on personality styles, and their most common marriage/best friend combinations. It was at a Northwestern book store coffee shop. I liked the atmostphere. PTL for Christian book stores. Dot came with us, and she and I drooled over the books for a few minutes before the rest of the group arrived.

It is so nice to have a quieter week and weekend coming up. I've got to pay bills, bake bread, and wash out my refridgerator while it is low on groceries. :-)

We had homemade spaghetti sauce on our spaghetti tonight. Mmmmm... is that good! I think it was actually a year and a half ago that I cooked and froze the sauce. We were so busy that winter with remodeling, that I didn't take the time to get it out and cook much of it. Then after Darling arrived, I couldn't eat it with nursing. This winter it has been perfect! :-) I don't put up alot. Just corn every so often, and spaghetti sauce. Mostly we just eat out of the garden. I'm looking forward to sinking my toes in that warm dirt. Today was so warm, I was feeling spring fever. I wanted to call a 'spring day' so bad, but we need to get caught up a bit, and I will really not want to do school when we hit May!

Darling Goes to a Birthday Party

Sunday, Darling went to her first girlfriend birthday party! She had a great time.

The Birthday Girl!

Looking up at a birthday balloon.

Watching the birthday girl open her presents.

How much can I help?

A posterior view of the birthday girl's ruffly tutu! :-)

This weekend Dot had a friend over and she gave Dot a curly doo!

Doesn't she look Gorgeous!

Thanks, Friend!

Outside!!

Darling doesn't get to be outside too often, so she was thrilled to go out in the snow with big brother Drum.

She slipped and Drum comforted her head.

Later all the boys joined her.

A little rose among the camo leaves. :-)

A Busy Week!

What a crazy week! The kids loved it. Last Sunday Dunk and the five older kids went skiing with the B's. The weather was fantastic, and they had a blast. They came home late and slept in.
The next couple of days we did school, and Drum worked on his ES test on-line. His second time he passed it!! Were thrilled. Now he is ground-team certified and can go on missions with CAP. He also passed a test on Monday which means he gets promoted tonight. He's so excited.
Thursday, Dunk & the 4 boys went ice-fishing with a work friend. They caught a few fish, and had a ton of boy fun. They met early and ate breakfast at McD's. Even Dessert was up and so excited to go!! That evening ballet and speech were cancelled, so we had a fantastic evening watching a movie, National Treasure, and being together. We get so busy, it is fun when something cancels.
Friday, everyone caught up on school, and I got out of the house for the first time that week!! Dunk, Darling, and I went to get my folks from the airport. Then we went to Don Poblo's. Food was so good. The lady at the tortilla station made little cutout tortillas for Darling. So cute!! She loved them. She did so well at the restaurant. PTL. After 3 hours in the car, I thought she'd blow her top. We had a 45 min wait, where she walked around and watched the tortilla lady. I think that helped for when she had to sit again. All the people in the restaurant were facinating to her! :-) (why didn't I take a picture? It was sitting in my purse!) We had a nice time visiting.
Saturday, Dime, Deer, and Duke had basketball. Then Dunk took Drum & Dime to their volleyball CAP event. Then later I brought Dot and her friend to join them for a CAP Lock-In. Then Darling, Dessert, Deer, and I went to my folks for a few hours. We had a great time and I SKUNKED MY DAD at cribbage. (sorry, Dad :-) We came home and I made Dot's 2 pies for Sunday. (we both forgot, or she could have made them earlier)
Early that morning the troups rolled in to bed. They had a fantastic time at the Lock-In. Even Duke and Dunk got to try out the simulator. Deer got up and headed to church with her grandparents, I made chili for Dot's mission event, then rolled her out of bed to get ready. She helped serve at a chili feed for a fundraiser for the house they will work on during her missions trip this summer. It went well, and then she & I and Darling came straight home to hit the hay again!! It felt so good to nap!!
It was a busy, but fun week! Whew! Now on to the next......

Social Security

This is going around via e-mail. Very Interesting Facts.

Remember this when it comes time for you to retire! Your Social Security

Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones) didn't know this. It's easy to check out, if you don't believe it. Be sure and show it to your kids. They need a little history lesson on what's what .and it doesn't matter whether you are Democrat of Republican. Facts are Facts!!!Our Social Security

1) Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program.
2) He promised: That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary,
3) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the program,
4) That the money the participants elected to put into the program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year.
5) That the money the participants put into the Independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the general operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other Government program.
6) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.

Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are Now receiving a Social Security check every month -- And then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of The money we paid to the Federal government to "put Away" -- you may be interested in the following:

Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the Independent "Trust Fund" and put it into the General fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically Controlled House and Senate.


Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax Deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Democratic Party.

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities?
A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the "tie-breaking" deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the US

Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving Annuity payments to immigrants? AND MY FAVORITE:
A: That's right-- Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive Social Security payments! The Democratic Party gave these payments to them, Even though they never paid a dime into it!

Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away! And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it!

Organized Office

Here's the promised 'after' pictures of my dh's office:

His finished product.


My side of the office.


Working together. We are not that often both in there at the same time, but we can now! Dunk still has some work to do on the bulletin boards. Great Job, Honey!! :-)

A Bed for Darling

Darling has a BIG BED!!
Well, a toddler big bed. :-) Isn't she sweet! Here she is taking her first nap in it.

A Baby!!, A Rash, & a little this and that

She had her baby!! I was so excited Saturday to be called to go the the birth. I was helping a fantastic midwife in the area with a local birth. Everything went so well. She had a sweet little boy. It was so fun to be involved in the arrival of a new little person. He just looked and looked at his family. I just love homebirths! The other children were downstairs with friends of the family's. They came upstairs and it was so exciting for them. I really, really wanted a homebirth with Darling. I am so grateful that hospitals are available when we need them, but it is really an special experience to have a baby at home.

Deer got her new flute! We enjoyed getting to play flute together, vs. sharing my flute. :-) She is progressing beautifully with her lessons. She has a fantastic teacher, which I think makes such a huge difference.

Darling had quite a rash on her torso, and it was starting to go down her limbs. I thought it was just dry skin patches, but despite baby oil, lotion, antibiotic ointment, it wasn't getting better just steadily worse and worse. When I took off her clothes, she looked awful!! As a last ditch effort before taking her in, I tried hydrocortizone cream. I think it burned a bit, as there was so much rash. We played with ice packs in her jammies until she felt better. She slept better that night, and her rash was so much better in the morning. It is almost 100% gone now! I was giving her a rubdown with it 2x per day. Now I'm down to 1x per day and will probably start skipping days. I can't believe how dramatic a recovery it was!!

Little news:
Dot applied for her passport for her mission's trip this summer,
Drum passed his CAP test last night,
Deer started a new project (a latch-hook rug kit we had around),
Duke is reading better,
I'm getting tired of school (How long til summer break!!),
Cousin E (9) showed Dot who showed the rest of us how to do Google Earth (that is the coolest!!),
a friend of Dot's is loaning some books to the girls (I've enjoyed them as well!) so Deer has been doing a ton of reading,
Dessert has been trying to learn how to play cribbage (he wants to play, but I told him he needs to know more math, so he just keeps watching to try and figure it out) ,
Dime joined CAP so now I have 2 uniforms to iron and sew patches on (my thumb is finally healing after the 1/2 inch poke I gave it sewing patches),
I started doing some exercise on the rebounder (which means I have less time for the computer since I try getting up and doing that vs. getting up and checking the computer - which I'm doing right now - which will mean I might not do my exercise)
Oh well..... :-) Spring's COMING!!! (Do you hear me, Spring!)

Happy Birthday Darling!!

Our little Darling turned 1!! We had her open presents on the table so that everyone could see. :-) I think the duckies were her favorite presents. She would hardly let anyone touch them. It feels so unbelievable that she was just being born a year ago. She has been such a little joy and blessing in our family. We love you, Darling!!

Bread Baking

On Wed nights Darling & I clean up from the hustle of getting everyone supper and out the door and then we BAKE BREAD! :-) Nummy. I usually end up finishing late because it takes awhile to clean up, but it is worth baking in a clean kitchen. This is Darling 'helping'. This night I let her taste the flour, etc. She had a blast and it was well worth the clean up. :-) I really should have taken pictures of the finished product, but I didn't think of it at 10:30. :-)

I Know

I know, I know I haven't blogged in forever. Do you know how busy one can be just with daily life!! Plus my dh is working on his side of the office and it is a mine field to try and get through the hallways much less to the computer. I really should take a picture of the before and after, if there is an after. :-) Don't worry, he has another week before I start putting it all in a tub and putting it out in the pole barn.
I should mention my kids survived and thoroughly enjoyed their first speech meet of the season. It is such a great opportunity. The second is only a few weeks away.
Gotta run. Baby waking up. Life continuing at full speed...

"Sentinel" - A Book Review

"Sentinel - City of Destiny" by Landel Bilbrey was written by a Dad who wanted to impress upon his sons what the journey will be like to be a man of Godly character. He wanted to encourage them in their journey to manhood to make the best choices along the way. He also drew all the detailed pen and ink illustrations in the book.
Two Terrenean brothers, Jerol and Jadan, take their vow of submission (Gehorsam - like baptism), and prepare themselves for their crossing. Each must choose a traveling buddy. Jerol chooses Prayer, a mighty eagle-like creature. Jadan chooses Sin, an enourmous pig-like creature. They also bring their own Logos scroll (Bible) from which they receive encouragement and some direction.
They now must travel from their home town Gelandesprung across Callow (Land of Childhood) and over the mountains into Brava (Land of Adulthood). Their final destination is the grand city: Sentinel (City of Destiny).
Along the way they are to find 4 keys which they will need to unlock the mighty doors of Sentinel. The four keys of Mettle are Vision, Courage, Integrity, and Service. I really enjoyed the process by which they found the keys. They found them after a struggle that they successfully passed. Actually, Jerol was the only one to find keys. Jadan consistently found himself in trouble with choices that he made.
They both visit unique places and people in their jouney that cleverly mirror a real-life struggle. One incident I particularly enjoyed was the meeting with a Huckster who owned a beautiful fetter. On demand, this fetter produces eggs made of pure silver. The trick is that the fetter must be fed the same weight of food as the eggs she lays, shortly after she lays the eggs. If he fails to feed her, she will grow and grow. Huckster needs someone to watch this fetter for him. Jerol wisely determines to bypass this unique opportunity, but Jadan meets with a Huckster later and eagerly agrees to keep his fetter. He thinks the bird won't be more trouble than his pig and likes the idea of having money for things he needs. Soon Jadan is demanding more and more eggs. The bird requires more and more silver feed. Jadan gets busy with his new purchases and forgets to feed his fetter. Pretty soon the fetter is bigger than he is. Only by joining others in the outskirts of Coveton in a community called Dire Straights, and by following a strict working schedule is Jadan able to get his fetter, named Debt, back to bird size. Now he eagerly searches for Huckster so that he may return the wretched but beautiful fetter to her owner.
At the end of the journey, in the city of Sentinel, Jadan receives the Mark of the Blade and a place at the King's table.
This book would get its most long-lasting benefit as a read-aloud, but it still would be a great boy's book. I like that it has a map of the countryside, a list of the terms and their meanings, and very helpful questions - called Reflections of the Blade - at the end of the book.
After reading this book, I would recommend starting with Chapter 2. Chapter 1 is a glimpse into the future of Jerol during his last battle into the city of Sentinel. My boys had trouble understanding what was going on. I needed to fill in what the story was about - I had read a chapter ahead. I decided to finish the book first on my own. Having done so I decided they would enjoy the book better with that chapter in its chronological position in the book.
It is great to have an adventurous book for boys that also gives unique visuals into the results of decisions they make. This book is written for boys, but the adventures they face are appropriate for boys, girls, and the adults doing a read-aloud. :-)
This book is available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Walmart, etc. Read more about the journey God has had for Landel Bilbrey at his blog: Faith Runners - Warriors of Worship. For an awesome idea for parents visit his Bridge Maker website.

Hear Me Roar!!!

I am a woman, hear me Roar!!! Well, I feel great because I got the door problem on the van figured out. I called the car fix-it place. They said the guy left early who could reset the automatic van doors. I told them I knew it was only something with a reset button or something. They said the guy just pulls out the fuse and then puts it back in to reset it.
Good grief!
I knew where the fuse box was because I watched where he did it last time. I told him, "Well, I'm going to go out there and pull every fuse out and push it back in!" The guy said, "Ok."
So I did. It killed my fingers 'til I figured out to go and get a pliers. It was the 14th one I took out - the one just before the light blue one. (In case I forget. Sometimes I do have beauty before brains. Or else I'm getting old.) I feel like calling that man back! But he probably wouldn't appreciate my sense of independence. :-)