A Variety of Smiles

I hope to give you at least a few different reasons to smile today! Of course, every day is a day to smile when you live in the awareness that you are loved by God. =)

• "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." ~Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)

We have the quote above in a small frame we keep in our living room, and I think it is so precious. If Winnie the Pooh doesn't put a smile on your face, I don't know what will!

And for those of you who remember playing the Oregon Trail computer game, I highly recommend that you click HERE. This video on YouTube has a couple of crude moments, but it is ever so funny if you used to play the computer game, and if you remember having to choose your occupation, rafting down the river, and shooting your own food! I first saw this a few days ago embedded on a literary agent's blog, and it really made me laugh! The video is very well done and quite hilarious!

Finally, the following picture was taken on our last vacation, after we had played a round of miniature golf and we were looking at one of the of the other courses. If you watched the Oregon Trail clip above, then you could say I'm the kid who should have been more careful not to get a snakebite! ;) It's a good thing that's not a real snake, because 1) it's huge!!! and 2) my sister doesn't seem to care that I'm getting bit by a humongous rattlesnake! No worries, though--I would never look that happy if I saw a real snake like that!

Feel free to comment on anything and everything--even something completely random that made you smile recently! =)

"Sharing a Smile" Saturday 6

Happy Saturday!

I hope this has been as fun a week for you as it has been for me! =) I have a lot to share with you, and hopefully it will all put a smile on your face. It's been a while since we've had a "Sharing a Smile" Saturday, so it's about time, I say!

• Book Discussions: I think our discussion of A Passion Most Pure turned out really well! Thank you to all of you who shared your thoughts! And thank you, Julie, for joining in on the discussion of your book! With such a positive response, I was thinking of doing one more book discussion this next week, before things get a little hectic on this blog. So if you don't mind voting one more time on the book you would like to discuss, the poll is in the sidebar waiting for you. =) Thanks!

• Upcoming events: Are you curious now that I mentioned the future craziness on this blog? I hope so! Here is some of what you can look forward to in the coming weeks:
  

June 20-24: Vacation Week--Travel with me to some exotic and relaxing locations! Special features of this week include author interview(s) (number of interviews pending).

July 9: "Hot Summer Day" with Julie Lessman--Stop by to enjoy a summer-themed interview with author Julie Lessman! This will be your chance to win a copy of one of Julie Lessman's books, including her upcoming release A Hope Undaunted!

July 12-17: A Week in Washington D.C.--Depending on available time/Internet access, I will attempt to share some of the excitement of my family's trip to Washington D.C. More information will be shared soon! *Tentative*

July 19-24: Christmas in July!--Break out the mittens and scarves, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and join me for a week of winter fun in the middle of summer!

And there should hopefully be even more summer fun after all this! These events might whet your appetite for more. =) However, I also have a couple of other vacations planned this summer that might take me away from the Internet. Just a heads up!

• Blogging Buddies: I just have to tell you that I've realized recently how much I talk about blogging to my family and friends. I'm loving having a blog and reading others' blogs! =) And it's your friendship, your kindness and encouragment, dear readers, that really makes blogging so wonderful! You're very real friends to me, and I'm so very thankful for all of you!

Have a lovely weekend!

P.S. Isn't it funny that if you post at anytime before midnight on Saturday, the post will still be labeled "Friday"? It looks kind of interesting to have the heading be "Friday, June 11," while I say "Happy Saturday!" ;) But it is indeed Saturday as I write this now!

"Sharing a Smile" Saturday 5

Happy Saturday to ya'll!

First, I want to thank my readers for making "A Week at the Movies" so fun! I loved all of the comments--it was great to hear your thoughts! Next week's theme is "Let's Go Camping!" Of course we'll have to start getting things set up on Monday, like pitching tents and building the campfire. But then get ready for some great fun in the great outdoors! Hope to see you there!

To share my excitement about Camping Week, here's a video I found on YouTube of one of the cutest commercials ever (with a camping theme!):



Bonus Review of A Vote of Confidence by Robin Lee Hatcher:

From the Zondervan website: "Beautiful and single, Guinevere Arlington knows her 'place' in the early twentieth century. She just refuses to stay there. Gwen loves her life in Idaho—the mountains, the town, her independence. But when she runs for mayor—and falls in love with her opponent—Gwen realizes winning may come at too high a price."

My Rating: Spring

My Review:
First, I must make a confession: I read the second book in this series (Fit to Be Tied) before I read this one (which is the first book in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series). Happily, though, I still really enjoyed A Vote of Confidence, even though I knew some parts about the story before reading it.

This book was a fun read! It was a sweet romance story that could be considered to be a bit slow-paced. However, it was great getting to know Gwen and learning with her the need for trusting God and His will, as well as the importance of relying on others. I admired Gwen's independent spirit, but I also appreciated her lesson in humility. And the romance in this story is so gentle and beautiful. Morgan (the hero) is a man one can respect and rely on, and it was great watching him fall in love. And I'll say it again--even after knowing the end result of this story, it still was a pleasure to read it!

I also highly recommend Fit to Be Tied, the second book in the series. I think I might like it better than the first (I just love Cleo's character and the unlikely romance in this story!). I hope I get a chance to read the third book coming out soon: A Matter of Character.

"Sharing a Smile" Saturday 4

There are lots of smiles to go around today!!! I'll start with the winner of the $10 gift card drawing. I did the drawing the old-fashioned way, putting 45 names (out of 11 entrants!) into a hat and having my sister pull a name out. And the winner is . . .

Emma Michaels!

Congratulations, Emma!

For all those who didn't win this time, don't give up! I'm sure that wasn't the last giveaway to be seen on this blog!

And thank you so much to all those who entered! I loved reading about your sweet food memories, and I wrote all those recipes down on some recipe cards!

Now, another order of business before sharing a few more smiles with my readers. According to the poll, of the 8 that voted, half (4) of you wanted "Movie Week." I will be happy to honor that request. So next week will be "A Week at the Movies," premiering Monday. So stay tuned!

Also, there were 3 people that voted for "Nature Week" (which was a close second), and I came up with another theme that I couldn't resist (from "Nature Week"). So the week after "A Week at the Movies," join me for "Let's Go Camping!" Start packing your hiking boots and swimming suits, and don't forget to come back in two weeks!

Now for those smiles! I'm not sure how exactly Blog Awards work, but I thought I would create my own and pass it on to some of you! Here's the award:

And here is the list of those people (and their lovely blogs) that I would like to pass this on to:

• Renee @ Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot : Renee was the one who helped me get this blog started, patiently answering all my blogging questions and encouraging me. She was my first follower! Thanks, Renee, for being such a great blogging friend!

• Cerella @ The Cerella Life : Cerella not only agreed to do an interview with me on my blog, but she has visited my blog and left comments that make me smile. :) Thanks, Cerella!

• Lori @ Some of my Favorite Things and ~Some of My Favorite Books~ : Lori found my blog (as many new followers have) thanks to Renee and my Walmart gift card giveaway. Her comment there was so sweet, and after having just seen my blog she posted about my giveaway on her own blogs! Thanks, Lori, for your kind words and support!

• Ariel @ "The French Poet" (http://www.angelvelvet.blogspot.com/) : Ariel has been leaving so many kind comments ever since the beginning of my blog (over a month ago now!). I really appreciate her! Thanks, Ariel!

• Ashley @ After All....... Tomorrow Is Another Day : Ashley was one of my first followers (one of Renee's followers who decided to give my blog a chance). Thanks, Ashley, for your sweet words and your faith in me!

• Angie @ "Never a Dull Moment" (http://neveradullmoment-angie.blogspot.com/) : Angie's comments make me smile, and I so appreciate her interest in my posts! Thanks, Angie!

• Hannah @ "Project Journal" (http://hcprojectjournal.blogspot.com/) : Hannah is one of my new friends and followers, but I think this might be the beginning "of a beautiful friendship"! Thanks, Hannah, for your compliments and your kindness!

Thank you to these people and all the others who have followed my blog and/or left comments (or even just read it!). I appreciate you all so much!

To those who I passed this award on to, if you would like to pass this award on to others, please do! I think you should be able to find the link to this picture pretty easily, but let me know if you can't (it's also on my PhotoBucket account). My only rule is that you must tell the recipients why you gave them the award!

Anyway, tune in soon for some more fun!

"Sharing a Smile" Saturday 3

I hope everyone is having a fun-filled Saturday!

Since I recently posted about a "time to laugh," I thought I'd share a video all about laughter. This is a video I found on YouTube of the song "I Love to Laugh" from Mary Poppins. (You can click on the video to see the full-size version on YouTube.)



Mary Poppins is such a great movie, as are many of the Disney movies! What are some of your favorite Disney movies?

"Sharing a Smile" Saturday 2

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday!

In order to hopefully elicit a smile from you, I decided to post a response on my blog to my friend Renee's post on her blog Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot. Her post was titled: "What Do You Look For in a Man?" The prompt was, "I thought since it was Friday it would be fun to talk about something that we all love whether we read Christian fiction or love a fun chick flick and that is...the hero! So I want to know who are your favorite fictional heroes from novels, movies or tv? Why do they appeal to you?" Such a fun question! So here are some of my favorite heroes (this is not a complete list):

Clark from Love Comes Softly. I love how the actor portrays Clark in this movie. He is a man of compassion: a family man who is not afraid to go after the woman he loves! He knows when to give someone time alone to think or to grieve. And most importantly, he is a man of strong faith, who goes out on a hillside to sing to God and prays wholeheartedly.

Mr. Knightley from Emma. (The movie version with Gwyneth Paltrow in it is my favorite so far.) What can I say? Who wouldn't want a hero who is your best friend? Isn't that where they say love should begin--as friends first? Well, Mr. Knightley is not only a great and handsome friend, but he is also a very honest one, who cares enough about Emma to tell her when she has messed up. And he is a great dancer (which is very important in my book)!

And on the subject of Jane Austen heroes, Henry Tilney is now probably one of my all-time favorites! (I love the PBS version of Northanger Abbey.) Henry Tilney is such a fun person to be with--he teases, but he also shows honor and care. He rides horseback, dances, and is quiet up-to-date on the latest fashions!

As for heroes from books, I'm sure I'm not the only one who cannot resist Michael Hosea from Redeeming Love (by Francine Rivers). How amazing is love that never gives up, that follows God's will! Michael Hosea goes after his woman over and over, even when she returns to her sins. He never stops loving her, and takes care of her.

Along those lines, Noah from Snow Angel (by Jamie Carie) stole my heart. He, too, is a man that pursues and protects. As much as a human can, he offers unconditional love. And what a sweet man!

Well, I'm sure there are many more that I could choose, but now it's your turn! Any readers out there want to share some of their favorite fictional heroes and why you like them?

"Sharing a Smile" Saturday

Happy Saturday!

On Saturdays, I would like to share something with you that will hopefully make you smile and brighten your day, even if just a little bit! These two pictures were taken last night before heading to an all-girls dance at another dorm. My friends are so wonderful, and so much fun!

From left to right: my fabulous roomie (Lindsay), Novela and Annie (roommates), and Brenna (our amazing RA!).

Aren't they adorable? Novela and Annie won the "twins" competition--no surprise there!

Have a wonderful day!