The last picture dump of the year

The kids had been wanting to camp with daddy for a long time, so at the end of October they finally got their wish granted by camping outside of our land.  LB ended up coming back into the house to sleep on his bed.  When we asked the kids what their favorite part about camping was, Emma's response was:  "sleeping in the tent" and LB's response was:  "sleeping in my bed." :p

I had been wanting to refurbish our dinning table chairs for a while, but didn't want to spend too much money on them.  Lo and behold I found a huge roll of this fabric at a yard sale for $4.  I was able to refurbish all eight of our chairs, plus make the cover for one of our small side tables in our guest room.  Score!

LB likes playing with his tools, but somehow he got hold of one of daddy's tools as well, and one day while nursing Naamen, I heard him "fixing" something out in the hallway.  When I can out, I saw that he had dug a hold in the wall :'(  I just about died!

 One of Emma's school assignments one weekend this Fall was to bring Paws to the house and take care of him.  I'd say she did a great job at it.

 

I finally broke down one day at around Thanksgiving and gave Naamen a haircut that got rid of his head mullet that was always covering his eyes.  I took this picture and sent it to Byron to see.  His response:  "are you sure you've got the right kid?" :)

An early Christmas gift from Memma and Poppa -- a family outing to see the Nutcracker.   It was a hit, and both kids are already asking when we'll be going there again.

That glorious afternoon when all three of my children fell asleep in the car.

Setting up the Christmas tree.

Dunkin Doughnut treat with my kiddos to celebrate the beginning of Emma's Christmas break.

Emma loves to read to her brother, and brother loves to be read to.  I caught these two doing just that one morning over Christmas break that just melted my heart.

When we asked LB what he wanted for Christmas, one of his requests was that he wanted to go to "Green-bell" to see his cousins.  We had a wonderful day playing with them the Friday before Christmas.

This boy is just too cute.

We did a Nativity play this year on Christmas Eve at Memma and Poppa's house.  Emma was Mary, Ames was Joseph, and LB was the donkey that always tagged along side with them (he was supposed to be the innkeeper, but LB had other plans for himself).

It always startles me a bit the first time I see my babies pull up on their own.

Loving their gifts from Tia Alison.

Naamen's passport picture is just too much :)

My favorite 2016 reads

Not including the entire Bible (which I have now read completely three years in a row... woot!), I read a total of 33 books in 2016, which makes me wonder how on earth I got anything done.  But reading is my "social outlet" during this season of life, so I do it with gusto.  As C. S. Lewis put it:  "we read to know we are not alone."

How did I narrow down the books on this list?  They all moved me and/or changed me in some way.

So without further ado, in no particular order, here they are --

What Alice Forgot

By Liane Moriarty

What if you were to wake up tomorrow and realize you have lost 10 years worth of memories?  Would you be pleased with the way your life "turned out"?  Have you maybe been putting too much importance on things that really don't matter?  These are just a few of the many questions the author will have you reflect on while walking alongside the fictional character Alice.

Excellent writing, excellent story.  It changed the way I relate to my husband, children and friends.  This is not a "G-rated" book, so please keep that in mind while flipping through its pages.

Stepping Heavenward 

By E. Prentiss

The story of a girl that grows into adulthood, and her day-to-day struggles as wife, mother, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, friend, homemaker, etc.  It is a fictional story, but it's saturated with so much wisdom that I would even dare suggest it could also be read as non-fiction.

This was my second time reading it, and I already know I'll be reading it multiple more times throughout the rest of my life.

The Just Church:  Becoming a Risk-Taking, Justice-Seeing, Disciple-Making Congregation 

By Jim Martin

Jim Martin is the founder of International Justice Mission (IJM), an organization that uses the local law enforcement of countries around the world to free modern-day slaves.  A *must* read for everyone in the church.  It not only exposes you to the problem, but it also presents ways in which we can be part of the solution. 

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor:  The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson

By D. A. Carson

A short book on the simple life of pastor and Canada missionary Tom Carson.  Why this book was so moving to me?  I am not entirely sure.  The book was as "ordinary" as Tom himself.  And yet... I think it's because of that precisely that it meant so much to me.  Ordinary me over here, just plowing away, trusting the Lord to do his thing through me, whether I will ever see (or whether there will even be) the fruit of my labor on this side of Heaven.

The Anne of Green Gables series (books 1 - 8)

By L. M. Montgomery

I reread this entire series because I was looking for an escape from this modern-day world, and that is exactly what you get when you read through the life of fictional character Anne.

The story of Anne begins in the late 1800s, when she is mistakenly adopted by an elderly brother and sister who were hoping to adopt a boy to help them on their farm.  They instead got this red-haired, high-spirited, loving and simple girl.  This series walks you through Anne's life from age 12 to around 50.

All eight books are excellent, and depending where you are in life, different books will mean more to you than others.  When I read them the first time around about seven years ago, my favorites were #6 (Anne of Ingleside) and #8 (Rilla of Ingleside), but this time around I found myself really enjoying #3 (Anne of the Island) and #7 (Rainbow Valley).

Zeal without Burnout:  Seven Keys to a Lifelong Ministry of Sustainable Sacrifice

by Christopher Ash



This is a quick and to-the-point book.  A good read for anyone doing any kind of ministry and constantly struggling with how much they should do.  As anyone in ministry will tell you, there is always something more that you can do, and this reality will drive you to the end of yourself if you don't pace yourself and realize that you have human limits.

When God Doesn't Fix It:  Lessons you never wanted to learn, truths you cannot live without
by Laura Story



I first heard of Laura Story when I heard her song Blessings.  Then I would often YouTube her video and listen to it every morning before the kids woke up and my day started.  There was just something about that song that deeply resonated with me.  Then I learned her story.  This is the book where she tells her story and how this song came about.

***

I will list the remainder of the books I read below.  These were also very good (I do not read a book I do not like), but they were simply not on my "Top List."  They will not be linked to Amazon, and may or may not have my brief thoughts on them.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership:  Follow them and people will follow you
by John C. Maxwell

He had good insight, but I don't like the way he seems to base the success of a church by numbers.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World:  Finding Intimacy with God in the Business of Life
by Joanna Weaver

I didn't agree with some of her interpretations of Bible characters Mary and Martha.

When People are Big and God is Small:  Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependancy, and the Fear of Man
by Edward T. Welch

He seemed a bit redundant in some chapters.  Good message.  Just too many words.

All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr

The Last Sweet Mile:  A Journey of Brothers
by Allen Levi

Just Because I said "Yes":  One woman's testimony of what great things God can do through an ordinary person who simply says "YES" to God
by Rohnda Jackson

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
by J. K. Rowling

A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family
by Mary Ostyn

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui

Gifted Hands:  The Ben Carson Story
by Ben Carson

The Fortune Hunter
by Daisy Goodwin

Life Together:  The classic exploration of Christian community
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up:  The Japanese art of decluttering and organizing
by Marie Kondo

The Language of Flowers
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Awakening of Miss Prim
by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera
 This was actually a very good book and I highly recommend it.  However, the ending is a bit vague, and so because of that it did not make it to my "Top List."

Mistakes Leaders Make
by Dave Kraft
Another really good book with great insight that would have made it to my "Top List," except that it annoyed me that the author used fictional examples instead of real ones.  

 You are What you Love:  The spiritual power of habit
by James K. A. Smith
Another good read.  Great insight.  However, there were a few things that were a bit over my head, so because of that it did not make it to my "Top List."

If you counted all the books on this post, you'll realize that I am short two books that would add up to 33 books total.  There are two that I do not feel comfortable announcing to the world that I read.  I am not embarrassed by them, so if you are just dying to know which ones they are, please feel free to PM me :)

Happy Reading!