It's the little things: a cozy book nook, kiddie art (and the kiddie artist), a wooden whale and some bling blang

While the cats away...the mice...

will run home to Mommy and Daddy and stay with them for the week.

(After all...they do have central air...)

My husband has been away all week fishing the beautiful Lake Champlain with a couple of his buddies. I'm usually not afraid to stay home without him but this week, I opted to take the kiddos approx 3 miles down the road to stay with Grandma and Pop Pop. We're having the best time...I have really enjoyed being home on my old turf. Mostly, I've just reclaimed "my spot" on the couch, whipped out a huge stack of books I've been neglecting and have gone to town. As much as I love reading, I don't get much opportunity to read these days. This week, I am trying to make up for lost time.

What's on my list of current reads you ask?

Fiction (on my Kindle Fire):

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (the 2nd book in the Shiver triology) - If it's of the YA genre and includes vampires and or werewolves, it's usually up my alley. This series is all about the werewolves but I'm usually more of a vampire girl - little faq action for ya)

Non-Fiction:

My Bible

The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer (the female version of the Resolution for Men based off of the Courageous movie) - this book, I HIGHLY recommend. It is REAL and it is CHALLENGING. If I could be in love with a book, I'd be in love with this one. It's amazing. Go get it.

Reshaping it All by Candace Cameron Bure - I just love her, don't you? She is as talented of a writer as she is pretty. And that is pretty talented. What you'll find between these pages is an excellent Christian viewpoint on getting healthy in the eyes of God.

Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst - Actually haven't really started reading this one yet. I believe it follows a long the same mindset as Reshaping It All though in that it's primary intent is to teach (from the Bible) how to put your relationship with God over a relationship with food.

Spiritual Housekeeping by Kimberly Daniels - FANTASTIC book on protecting yourself (and your family) from Satan and the demonic influence in this world

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Today, I went to a few yard sales and as much as I don't normally like to waste my "yard sale money" on books, today's yard sale jaunt was ALL ABOUT THE BOOKS.

Some of the titles were just too good to pass up (and in certain instances, I felt God's leading in the reading) ;)

Here are the books I picked up today:

The Esther Effect by Dianna Booher (Esther is my all time favorite woman in the Bible - Abigail running a close second)

Overcoming the Sins of the Family by Beverly Hubble Tauke (on becoming the redemptive generation)

The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

Help Me Trust You, Lord by Emilie Barnes

Esther by Charles R. Swindoll (part of the Great Lives from God's Word series)

3 books from the Core Knowledge series:

• What Your First Grader Needs to Know
• What Your Second Grader Needs to Know
• What Your Third Grader Needs to Know

Parables for Kids by Danae and Dr. James Dobson

Helpful Hal's Treasury of Christian Values by Michael Waite

And finally, The Kingfisher Book of Great Boy Stories 

So yeah...LOTS of books to read now...phew! :) I'm acting like I'm gonna have a whole bunch of time to read coming up...probably not the case. Oh well, I'll get to them sometime this decade...I hope!

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I'm really lucky to have a couple art lovers for kiddos (Nic really couldn't care less, he's much more into sports and the like). The other day, Noah came to me with this ingeniousness...

What he thought was just scribble (though he DID intend it to be water and sunshine), I see as art. Can you see the "waves, dolphin jumping out of the water and sunset"? I so can and maybe it's totally just me but his "accidental art" is crazy awesome to me. It's currently posted to my bulletin board but I fully intend on framing this. Call me coo-coo but I'm a mom. :)

 

Here's my little arteest, Noah. This is his "cheese" face. I am wild about that kid.

As I said before, I went out to a few yard sales with my mom and kidlets this morning...my mom came across this carved wooden whale and somewhat jokingly (I think) suggested I buy it for my kids room (for those of you who don't know, we are in the middle of a total room re-do for our kids and it's all about the nautical). Well, I fell in love with the darn thing. Who knows why we fall in love with the stuff we do, we just do. For $1, I was pleased as punch to take her home with me. Mom keeps asking what I'm gonna do with her and honestly, right now, I don't know...I may paint her or I may leave her as is but either way, she's ours. 

She'll serve as a good reminder that we certainly cannot out run God...if he has to use a great big fish to get our attention, he will. (Jonah and the Whale). I love things that tell a story. I also love that the more I look at her, the more I love her. :)

And my final purchase of the day...a pretty (but delicate) blingy bracelet that cost me 75 cents at a local antique store. You can so not tell from this picture but it is so sparkly and feminine...it makes me smile when I catch a glimpse of it on my wrist. :)

So...that's it. Those are the little things that have brightened up my week. Pleasant little distractions that keep me from missing my hubby too too much (though I REALLY still do!).

I'm linking up again this week with Lindsay at Hello Hue!

Come join the party. Lindsay is completely adorable (,talented and very preggo - can't wait to "meet" baby Si soon!) and I've found some really great bloggy reads through this link up. So fun. :)

(sigh) I'm soooo gonna miss "my spot" on my parents couch. I've really missed it these last 8 1/2 years, I've been out of the house. Guess I better get going and soak up as much time as I have left!

Thanks for reading!

What are the little things that you've been pleasantly distracted with this week? Do you yard sale too?

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed. "
Khalil Gibran