A Chapter Closes; A New One Opens

Life is lived in chapters.  There is the chapter of being young parents wanting the best for our children.  This includes the best education we can afford for them, the best activities that will give them the best advantage in life, as well as, teaching them values that will not leave them when they are older.

The next chapter is when the children grow into teenagers, achieve the milestone of driving and leaving us to sit up nights worrying about their safety while they are in the "wide world" behind the wheel.

Then hopefully, the chapter opens when they have their own families and visit "Mom and Dad" on birthdays and other special days that will make good memories for their own kids.

Well, if you have read my blog at all, you know I am not only hosting the grandkids for visits but have custody of the 4 precious ones.  Now, a brand new chapter has opened up for me--I now have a new 16 year old with a (I shudder when I say it) HER PERMIT.  Now this should not be so scary but at my age, my nerves are not as good as they used to be anyway.  SO--her I go again, teaching a new driver.

I just pray and ask for your prayers too that all of us will make it through this new chapter and come out on the other side with body and sanity intact.

Until next time, this is life on the edge.  The edge is getting more and more slippery every day.

Permission to Speak Freely by Anne Jackson

Anne Jackson posed this question on her blog:  What is the one thing yu feel you cannot say in church?" brought in an avalanche of responses that birthed this book.  In 194 pages, Ms Jackson uses art, anecdotes, and poetry to inspire the reader to tell their story.

I loved the layout and texture of this book.  It reminded me of an art book but was inviting and inspiring to me.  The beautiful artwork and poetry whet my appetite to digest the meat in the book.

Ms. Jackson writes in an open and honest manner and invites the reader to enter her life and learn from her past.

One truth that resonated with me (because it is a major issue I am faced with frequently) was found on page 4:  fear wants to stop our stories."  I realized I can't let fear stop me from telling my story if it helps one person to gain freedom from whatever bondage they find themself in.

Reading this book reinforced the fact that it is not only important to tell our stories--it is critical that we do,

I recommend this book to anyone who feels that church is too closed to the daily messes of life.  The church should be a safe haven where open and honest communication should be able to take place.  After all didn't Jesus communicate to the sinners and outcasts of society?

The One Year Choose Your Own Ending Devotional

I recently received this book from Tyndale in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interactive and engaging devotional geared toward elementary aged children.  My kids really enjoyed using this devotional.  Each devotional starts with a situation, bible verses, and choices for the ending of the story.  My kids have had some very interesting discussions.  Through these discussions, each child was able to take something away that will help them in day-to-day life.
This devotional should be helpful for children to learn the right and wrong to behave and know what to do when faced with one of many temptations and pressures kids today face.

I intend to use and reuse this book and recommend it to families with children in this age group.

Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright

This book covers the Middle East conflict.  However, it is more than a historical account, although this history is explained.  Wright approaches the conflict from a biblical standpoint.  It is well-known this is a religious conflict but how did it originate as a religious conflict.

This book begins with the well-known story of Abraham and God's promise to him that a son would be born to Him.  This promised son would be the father of a great nation of God's chosen people.  I'm sure you are familiar with Sarah's, Abraham's wife, disbelief and offered him Hagar, her maidservant.  Abraham had a son with Hagar which he named Ishmael.  Fast forward fifteen years.  Sarah and Abraham had their promised son and named him Isaac.  After Isaac's birth, Sarah had Abraham run Hagar and Ishmael from their home.  God intervened and assured Hagar that Ishmael would live but would be a wandering tribe.  From the beginning of this turmoil Wright explains how the trials of Ishmael and Issac endured through the years and how it effect the Middle East conflict today.

Wright examines the situation from Jewish, Muslim and Christian points of view.  He presents all views fairly and without bias. 

I enjoyed reading this book.  Although I knew about the births of Isaac and Ishmael and the roles they played, I enjoyed learning about the many splits brought about by their turmoil.

I believe the Bible is clear about Israel and they are the chosen people of God.  He gave them the land and it is theirs today.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Booksneeze blogger program.

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

Will the world be a better place because you lived? 

I have read several books by Max Lucado and enjpoyed each and every one of them.  This one is no exception.  It is an easy read written Lucado's familiar style of bringing biblical principles to fit out lives today.  Lucado uses the book of Acts as the basis for this book.  I enjoyed the entire book but Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 really hit home with me.

Chapter 9 challenges us to "Do Good Quietly."  When I was in high school (that is too many years ago to remember anything clearly).  I do, however, remember one incident clearly.  I was valedictorian of my graduating class.  Coming from a family of six children did not leave much money for many new clothes.  One day while we kids were in school and my parents were at work, someone left a new dress hanging on our door.  There was no name of who had left it but it did have a note with my name on it.  I still remember what the dress looked like.  I never found out who my "angel" was but I do remember her act of kindness.  It made a difference in a young girl's life.  Because of her kindness I try to pay it forward.

Chapter 10 challenges us to "Stand up for the Have Nots".  Sometimes when we see a dirty homeless person we tend to walk the other way.  I know I have been guilty of this.  We need to step out of comfort zones and do what we can to help someone who does not have as much as we do.  Although one person cannot save the world we can help to save one person.

Some of Lucado's other challenges include:
Get out of your shell.  We cannot isolate ourselves from the suffering in the world.
Work with others.  Individually, we can't do much but as a group of believers working for the same goal we can accomplish much.
Recognize Jesus in needy people.  As Jesus said "feed, visit, clothe, and doctor those in need and you do unto me."
Don't give up on people.  Don't give up on people.  Keep doing good for people even when they seem to be unloveable.

I found this book to be inspirational and motivating.  I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make their life count for the good of humanity.  I enjoyed the book so much I purchased the participant's guide to the book.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review  of this book from Booksneeze, Thomas Nelson's blogger review program.

The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan

"I was born in a bolt of lightning on Bittersweet Creek."  This begins the fascinating journey of Mercy Land.  The daughter of a preacher in rural Alabama, Mercy decides she wants more out of life.  Her Aunt Ida lovingly encouraged her to spread her wings and move to Bay City, a picturesque little coastal town.  Here she finds work as a waitress.  She then goes to work for Doc, the editor-in-chief of the town's newspaper, the Banner.  She soon masters her job and is known locally as Doc's girl.  Her life is fairly routine until one early morning call from Doc.

A mystical and somewhat magical book has appeared on Doc's desk sometime during the night. This book displayed the details of the lives of the residents of Bay City.  It showed the choices each individual made and how it had affected the lives of those around them.  This book sends Mercy and Doc on different quests to find the purpose the book was left with them.  Mercy is searching for  the purpose of the book while Doc is trying to rectify a long ago error.

I have never read any of River Jordan's books before but I can tell you this will not be my last.  This book was spell-binding and at the same time thought-provoking.  What if we were given a chance to see how our choices and decisions have affected our current situations and the situations of the people around us.  Perhaps a more interesting question would be:  What if we were given a second chance to change our past?

This book reinforces the fact that whatever path we take in life has a lasting impact on the world.  That, my friend, is a sobering thought.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book to others.  My only advice would be:  clear your calendar before you open this book because once you open it you will not want to do anything else until the book is finished.

I received this book from Waterbrook Press in exchange for an honest review of this book.  I received no other compensation.

My Life is a Sitcom

Well, today started off with a BANG!.  Tori, my teenager, overslept and missed the bus.  This, in itself is not new for her.  I woke up the other three and finally got then settled in the car.  So far so good.  I got her to school on time--nothing unusual yet.  When I got her to school, however, the fiasco started.  The high school was being evacuated because of a bomb threat.  After sitting in traffic for over ten minutes, letting the high school students cross the street to go to the middle school for safety.  Finally I got a chance to leave there and rushed home to get the other three ready for school.  Of course, this put me behind my regular schedule.  They would have made their bus BUT, my eight year old decided he did like the clothes he was going to wear to school.  You can imagine how frazzled I was at this point.  After he finally found some clothes to wear (unhappy, of course, because this was still not what he wanted to wear)
I heard their bus whizzing by the house.  Great, now I have to take them to school.  Finally, getting them into the car and stopping the usual morning arguments, I got them to school.  Here the line is extremely long, and I wait another ten minutes to let them out.  All the time they are shooting little barbs at each other--you know how kids are not happy unless their siblings are crying.  Finally, I got them out of the car and fought my way through another round of traffic.

I am home now and have a to-do list a mile long.  But I am already exhausted, so I just might put the list away and go back to bed.  What a dream that is!  Unfortunately, my list is filled with items that I have already put off as long as I can.

I hope you all have a better day than I have had so far.  Oh well, God is in control and is definitely holding my hand today.

Until next time, this is life on the edge.  May God open heaven's door and fill your life with blessings today.

When It"s Time to Push the Pause Button

Often I find myself racing through life trying to get from Point A to Point B in the shortest amount of time. I frantically rush from job to job so I can mark them off my ever-growing “to do list.” The sad thing is for every task I mark off I always add two more to the list.

My family life suffers because of the “hurry-scurry syndrome”. My house never gets completely cleaned, laundry never gets caught up and we’ve eaten take-out so often the workers at McDonald’s know us by name and have our food ready when they see my minivan turn into the parking lot.

With two kids in elementary school, one in half day preschool, and one in high school, I can see no chance of slowing down in the near future. I am a volunteer in the kindergarten class, have two kids in t-ball and one in flag football, and one on the high school softball team. There are numerous practices and games I chauffeur kids to and from. This does not include the many social activities of the teenager. Add to this mix a husband who was injured on the job and has to go to his doctor three hours from home. Although he only has to go once or twice a month, this does add stress to the already hectic life of our family.

Recently, I was reading my morning devotional when I read Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” I became aware that God was using this devotional reading to tell me to slow down and “smell the roses”. I paused at that point and looked out my window. It was then that I saw the most beautiful awe-inspiring sunrise I had ever seen. I knew than that god was speaking to me.

Since that time I have made a conscious effort to really notice God’s presence and slow down to see that He is still God. I now see the beauty in God’s world. Although I still have as many responsibilities as have always had I now take time to breathe the awesome gifts God presents to me every day.

Time4Learning

I received a month's free subscription to Time4Learning in exchange for a  canbdid review of the site.  I found this site to be very educational for my grandkids.  They enjoyed using the site to reinforce their learning at school.  I found the parents' section very helpful in helping with homework and reinforcement lessons. 

I recommend this site to parents' wanting to give their children additional resources in their education.

The website is http://www.time4learning.com/.  I think you will be impressed with this website.

A Day In the Life

The morning started out as chaotic as any other morning at my house. After three attempts to wake Tori for school, she finally stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom. I then went to find clothes for the other kids. Glancing at my watch I found I had a few minutes to spare. I decided to check my email. I discovered an email from an old friend and decided to answer it right away. Before I knew it, Tori’s bus was coming up the road. I ran to her room to tell her good-bye before she left. Imagine my dismay when I found her in front of her mirror and her bus already gone.

By this time the other kids were up and already fighting. I managed to stop the fighting long enough to herd them all to the car to take Tori to school. Another fight then erupted over who was going to sit in what seat. I assigned the seats and got everyone buckled in and ready to go. By this time I was so stressed and frazzled I must admit I lost my temper and began yelling at the kids. After this totally messy scene I apologized but the damage was already done. Everyone was in a bad mood and the ride to school was punctuated with crying and sighs.

After I dropped Tori off I knew I had to rush to get the others dressed and on their bus. Finally with showers done and the kids dressed, I began to relax a little until the cries of “I’m hungry” began. There was no time for a “real” breakfast but I did have some toaster pastries in the cupboard. I ran and grabbed these and gave one to each of the kids. Now it was time for their bus so we hurriedly ran out the door just in time to see the bus coming up the road. Frantically, I got the kids on the bus and went into the house totally exhausted already. When I collapsed in my chair and leaned my head back to relax for jus t a minute my dog jumped into my lap. I had forgotten to feed him in all the chaos of the morning. After feeding him and sitting back down , I heard the still small voice begin to speak to me.

“My child, why are you so angry with Tori this morning? You were the one who was distracted and lost track of your time. If you had used those spare minutes to visit with me instead of answering that email, your mind would have been more rested and centered on the right things. I’ve seen you so many mornings rushing to do all that needs to be done for the kids. I wait for you to ask me for help but you are too busy trying to do it all in your own strength. Don’t you know by now that I am here for you? Just ask me and I will bring peace to your heart.”

I realized that I had been trying to do everything on my own. “Please Lord forgive me. Sometimes I get so caught up in my life I so often forget you are there for me.”

I would like to tell you that was the last hectic morning of getting the kids to school on time. I would also love to tell you that from that moment on I became the picture of the totally “cool, calm and collected” woman. I would love to tell that the first thing each morning I sat down and asked God to take over my day and give me the grace and patience I need with the kids. I would love to tell you that—but I can’t. Mornings at my house are still rushed and chaotic. But on the mornings that I do spend with God in prayer I find I am able to handle the chaos with a calmer heart and a peaceful mind.

Today’s Whisper:

How many days start out hectic? If you spend the first few minutes with your Heavenly Father do you think the day would start out calmer? Write out a prayer to God to help you remember to start your day right. Trust me—the highly frazzled female that prayer does make a difference in our day.



Today’s Prayer:

Father, help me to remember that you are in control of my life. I do not need to spin my wheels trying to do everything in my own power. You are there to help me. You are always waiting for me to ask for your help. You are always ready to guide my steps. I just need to ask. I love you.

You Can Run But You Can't Hide

I have a small Pug , Pugsley. I love him and he is a good dog with the kids. But I have to say he does have a stubborn streak and when he wants to do something he will do it regardless of the consequences.

One problem I’ve had with him is he frequently runs outside anytime the door is open. Now this doesn’t sound like a big problem but it is a dangerous situation for Pugsley, as well as me and the kids. You see we live on busy road with a lot of curves and hills. Cars are constantly speeding by our house. Can you see where I am heading with this line of thought? You’re right. As soon as Pugsley gets out he immediately heads for the road. Several times cars have actually had to stop in order to avoid hitting him. This frightens me because I am afraid the kids will run out into the street to get him and be hit by a speeding car. Now Pugsley is a good dog but when he is on one of his “adventures” he totally ignores me when I call his name. He wants to play and will stop long enough for me to get within arms’ length and then start running wanting me to chase him.

One morning he escaped when the kids went out to catch the school bus. This was a cold morning and I still had my robe on so running was a bit difficult. I tried for about twenty minutes to catch him—I might add—I looked a bit like a crazy woman to the neighbors . I was running around the neighbors’ yards and sneaking from behind trees and buildings. Finally I gave up and decided to go in out of the cold. When I went inside my house I quietly prayed, “God, please take care of that silly dog.” Immediately, I felt a tugging in my heart and knew God was telling me something. I sat down and replied, “What are you trying to tell me, God?” I then heard Him whisper to me. “My child I love you but sometimes you are like Pugsley. Sometimes you ignore my voice and find yourself in dangerous situations. You could avoid so much pain if you would listen when I call out to you. Just as you love Pugsley and want to protect him I am always there to protect you if you would just listen to me and call out to me.”

With tears in my eyes I realized god was right. Sometimes I give in to the temptations to ignore my heavenly Father and “do my own thing.” It is during these times of “childish rebellion” that I suffer more pain and heartache than I need to. I know He is always watching over me and protecting me even when I selfishly ignore His voice.

In case you are wondering If Pugsley ever came back home. About five minutes later I heard him scratching at the door wanting to come in. I would like to say Pugsley never escaped again. But I can’t. I would also like to say I never took things in my own hands again and ignored God again. But I can’t say that either. I sometimes still try to “do my own thing” and ignore God calling to me. However, I know God will never leave me and will always watch over me. He loves me enough to let me go my own way but He loves me too much to let me stay away from His sheltering arms. Just like Pugsley will always come home I will always return to my loving Father’s arms.



Today’s Whisper:

Have you ever tried to run and hide from God? What happened? Did you prosper or find more heartache? Take a few minutes to write about your experience.



Today’s Prayer:

Father, I am so thankful you love me enough to let me experience “life on my own.” But I thank you that you never leave me on my own. You have promised never to leave me or forsake me. I love you and am so thankful for your love and mercy.

The Great Possum Caper

One day my husband fixed a leak under the commode in my bathroom.  Being the handynan he is, he cut a small hole in the floor to make it easier to reach the pipe.  Fine--no problem--leak fixed.  Now he will fix the hole and life goes on-right?  Wrong!  He decided to leave the hole for a few days to make sure the leak has been permanently fixed.  Now that few days has turned into  months.  Although it is a small hole, I have tried my best to conceal it but there is just so much I can do to make a hole in the floor attractive..

Now fast forward about six montbs.  The hole is still there even though I have done all I can to conceal/decorate it.  But it is still there.

One night I stumble into bed exhausted after transporting four kids to four different activities as well as the usual daily struggles of running a household with four kids.  Around 2:00 in the morning my little dog woke me up with frantic barking and yelping.  I forced one eye open to see him jumping up and down on the floor by my bed.  He looked at me as if to say, "I'm trying to protect you, now come on and do your part."  When I did manage to stumble into the bathroom I was instantly awake.  There between the commode and the waste can was a  possum.  Pugsley, my dog had him trapped.  I could not move because I was totally in shock until Pugsley barked again as if to say,"See I told you.  Now get rid of it.  I'm tired and want to go to sleep."

Frantically, I woke my husband and screamed, "THERE'S A POSSUM IN MY BATHROOM!  GET UP AND KILL IT!"  He looked at me as though he thought I had totally lost my mind.

"Ok, get me something to use to kill it," he calmly said.  I ran to my grandson's room and came back with a ball bat.  I gave the bat to hubby and jumped on my bed and covered my eyes.  I could hear the battle raging on in the bathroom. "Hiss!"  "Pow!" "Ka Pow!" "Boom!"  Finally all was silent so I opened my eyes.  There on the floor lay the lifeless body of the intruder.  I carefully picked it up by the tail and placed it into a plastic bag and ran to throw it into the outside garbage can.

I was finally able to fall back to sleep but the bathroom light was left on for the rest of the night.

I bet you thought this was the end of the story.  WRONG!  While going about my daily chores the next morning, my grandkids came running to me with excitement written all over their faces.  "Nanny, Nanny, Nanny  (all three were talking at once.  There is a possum in our garbage can and he is alive!" I went out to see what what was happening and sure enough when I raised the lid of the can, I could see two beady little eyes staring up at me.   I don't know what eventually happened to this wayward creature.  The kids think he escaped and is now living happily ever after with his family.  I hope so.  But at least he is not living his life with my family.

The next morning when I sat down for my morning visit with God, I asked Him, as I always do "What do you want to talk about today Father?"  His answer came as a total surprise to me.  "I want to talk about the possum."

"What about the possum?" I asked in astonishment.

"That was a small hole in your floor wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was a very small hole." I answered, not sure where this conversation was going but definitely intrigued by it.

"Well that possum was able to come into your house through that small hole, wasn't he?"

"Yeah,"  I slowly answered.

"Just like that possum squeezing though such a small opening in your floor that was unguarded, the enemy can enter your heart through a small unguarded hole in your heart.  Just as that intruding animal filled you with dread, the enemy can fill your heart with fears and worries.  When he does that you do not fully trust me to care for you."

Suddenly, I understood what He was telling me.  We must always guard our hearts against the enemy that roams around trying to find who he can devour.  Satan doesn't need a door with a welcome sign, he enters through a hole he finds unguarded.  Don't make it easy for him to enter your heart.  Fill your heart with joy and love and trust in a heavenly Father who loves you unconditionally and will never leave you unprotected.

Oh, by the way--the hole in my floor has been fixed!

When Life is Hard

Some days it seems as though there is nothing I can do that is right.  The kids are grouchy when they get up for school and things go down hill from there.  I know you have all had days like this.   Usually mornings like this come on the heels of nights that seem so long and sleep evades me.   I have a clock that reflects the time on the ceiling.  Some nights I find myself gazing at this clock and thinking it has stopped because time seems to drag by.  A wonderful clock for an insomniac for sure.  Lately, I have been going through a time when depression is my constant companion.  I don't mean to bring you all down and discouraged when my purpose is to be an encouragement.  I'm sure God is teaching me something about myself but I just haven't learned the lesson yet.

I just need your prayers and understanding as I go through this tough time.  Remember, Moses was once a basket case.

LOL with God by Pam Farrel and Dawn Wilson

In this devotional of hope and humor for women, I found the hope consistent and the humor very uplifting.  Some of the devotionals seemed to speak right to my heart and helped me through a tough time.  Each devotional consists of a bible verse, a short story to make the point of the devotional, a short prayer, a place to write your own thoughts, bible verses called "text helps" and a short humorous story called LOL.

Although I found the book to be very enlightening I do confess the "text" verses at the beginning of each devo was a bit puzzling at times.  However, I did concentrate on the verses because I had to decipher them.

I enjoyed reading this book and will recommend it to others.

I received this book from Tyndale publishers in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Why Do Something Now When You Can Put It Off?

Well, I've put this post off as long as I can. I guess I will write it and get it off my to do list. Today I had to go to the doctor for a physical exam. Something else I have put off for too long. I hoped that if I waited long enough I would automatically feel better--well, that did not happen. So...........now I have to have more tests and more blood drawn. Procrastination never benefits me but I keep doing it anyway. Maybe I subconsciously wait because I get a "high" by barely making a deadline or maybe I am just old and lazy. Laziness is probably the reason for my procrastination. I have intended to research the scientific reasons for this problem but just have not gotten around to it.


Well, I have put off washing my dishes long enough so I guess I had better do that now. I will post more when that is done. That is, if I can find the time to.

Until then, see ya later on the edge.

The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews

YOUR LIFE MATTERS!!!  This is the message of the book by Andy Andrews.  What decision we make today or what action we take will have an effect on other people for generations.

I believe that what happens to us happens for a reason and some of these events happen because someone years ago made a decision that brought about our situation.  Mr. Andrews relates the story of Col Chamberlain who made a decision in the Civil War that affected our country.  Because of that decision we have a United States of America and not a divided country.

This book will cause you to stop and think about every decision you make.  It is truly a thought provoking book.  Although it is a small volume in size it contains more truths that a book with thousands of pages.  It will make a wonderful gift for family or friends that have made a difference in your life.  However, I will buy another copy for a gift.  I plan to keep my copy to read over and over especially when I feel the "What's the use" monster creep into my thoughts.  I will read this tiny book and realize that what I do does make a difference and my actions ARE important.

The book is very attractive in appearance and very well illustrated.  I will definitely recommend this book.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest and open review.

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews

This is a wonderful story for children.  Mr. Andrews' is a master storyteller and through this book children can learn that they can make a difference in the world.  This book carries a thought provoking question to everyone who reads it.  I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  MY LIFE COUNTS.  What an awesome message to send to our children.  We all need to know that our lives count and effect others. 

The illustrations are very well done and are of good quality.  I applaud the illustrator for the work that went into each and every one of them.

I have read several of Mr. Andrews' books and have never been disappointed.  I do recommend this book to anyone who has children or has contact with children in any way.  Our children need to know that their lives count and what decision they make or action they take today can have far reaching effects on not only the people they know today but for generations to come.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.

Captured By Grace by Dr. David Jeremiah

Amazing Grace.  I have heard this song since I was a child but had never thought about it in the way Dr. Jeremiah has explained it.  He tells the life stories of Saul who persecuted early christians and John Newton who dealt with the slave trade.  Through retelling these men's life stories Dr. Jeremiah demonstrates that grace can touch each and every life.  He dissects each verse and relates the effect grace has on each and every one of us.

I found the story of Victoria Ruvolo fascinating.  If only we could be show the grace she did toward her "attacker."  I found this book very interesting and enlightening.  In parts of the book, I felt as though Dr. Jeremiah were speaking directly to me.  I will highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the depth of God's grace.  I will "lend" my copy to family and friends but I plan to keep this book ro reread time and again.

Times Flies When You Are Having Fun

Well, school has started again and life is returning to "normal".  By this I mean I spend all day cleaning and five minutes after the kids get home, you can't tell I have done anything.  When they ask me, "nanny, what have you done all day?" it is not a smart aleck question but because they have destroyed my whole day's work, they actually want to know.  I think I will take pictures and post them on the wall so when they ask me that question--I can point to the picture and they will have their answer. 

Frequently, I will become so busy with my work that I do lose track of time and before you know it that same yellow bus that takes them away will bring them home again.  This seems to be happening earlier and earlier in the day lately, I have looked at my watch and think that it is running 2-3 hours too fast until I stop and see the show that is on tv.  and realize that the day is almost over.  You know what the old saying is "time flies when you're having fun."  I guess that is true because while I am cleaning up after the little darlins' I find myself remembering the good times and fun we have had.  Remembering the good times does make the mundane chores go by faster.  The next time you find yourself scrubbing up a sticky floor or washing a dirty load of laundry say a little prayer of thanks that the kids who made the mess are in your life. 

Latte Daze by erynn mangum

Maya Davis' life is complicated.  Her ex-boyfriend is engaged to her roommate and best friend, she is barista at Cool Beans, and her brother and sister-in-law have just announced they are pregnant.  Then there is Jack, her co-worker and friend who might be falling in love with her.  Does she love him?  After all they have been friends since second grade.  When she thinks her life could not get more complicated, her roommate's totally obnoxious mom moves into the apartment to help plan the wedding--or does she have a more sinister agenda?

Told with humor and fun, this story will keep you wondering what will happen next.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to read more by this author.  erynn's light-hearted, down to earth style will leave you wanting more.  Her brand of humor is like caffeine--addictive and at the same time satisfying.  You will come away from this book with a fresh and rejuvenated look at life, love, and friendships.

I will recommend this writer's works to family and friends.

This book was given to me by NavPress in exchange for an honest review.