Thanksgiving

I know, I know, I haven't been here in so long. I'm sorry. Life has caught up with me, and I just didn't take the time to sit down and blog. I've missed it though (I like to think that you do too).  Our life has been moving along at the steady pace of crazy. Which I guess is normal for a stay at home mom of two toddlers with a husband who travels.  This past I've been thinking back over the past several years, and I'm amazed at how blessed we are. Sunday, during church, I was teaching Ethan about Thanksgiving and how we should be thankful to God for what we have. We made a cute little turkey out of his handprint and I asked what he was thankful for. He answered, "Mommy, Daddy, Lydia. And me, I'm thankful God made me."  It was such sweet innocence, but so true. I am thankful that God made me, as well. Because if He hadn't, I wouldn't be a wife to my amazing husband, a mom to my precious children. I wouldn't have the wonderful siblings and godly parents that I was blessed with; and most important, I wouldn't be able to worship and thank my Creator. I am so blessed.
Even when life gets hectic, I try to remember to say thank you for blessing me with healthy children to love.
When I miss my husband while he travels, I say thank you for blessing him with a great job to provide for us.
As I watch my younger siblings continue to grow and mature, I say thank you for godly parents who raised us up in the way we should go.
As you gather with your families tomorrow and this weekend, what will you be thankful for? And will you continue to thank God for them throughout the year?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Masquerade-book review

I recently read Masquerade by Nancy Moser. This was the first book of hers that I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The plot concept is fairly obvious - a spoiled wealthy girl and her maid/companion swap places, see what happens next. But I really enjoyed the twists and turns her story took. Charlotte Gleason and Dora Connors, find themselves on their way to America. Charlotte is to marry a wealthy man in New York to help secure her future. Dora has come along as her ladies maid and companion. Along the way however, Charlotte decides that she wants to choose her own fate and begs her friend to take her place. When the women land in New York, Dora assumes Charlotte's identity and Lottie (Charlotte) sets off to find her own adventure. She is shocked when everything seems to go wrong though.  As a girl, she was given everything she wanted and never bothered with the world. Now, as a young woman, she is forced to face a reality she tried to avoid.
Dora, as Charlotte, is now entering a world she's only been part of from the outside. Can they both continue their charade? When they are faced with tough choices what will be the outcome? On the boat, neither one of them considered the other people involved in their plan, nor could they see the outcome of their decisions!

Per the back of the book:
They risk  it all for adventure and romance, but find that love only flourishes in truth...
1886, Charlotte Gleason embarks from England with conflicting emotions. She is headed for New York to marry one of America's wealthiest heirs-a man she has never even met. When her doubts gain the upper hand, she swaps identities with her maid, Dora. She wants a chance at "real life," even if it means giving up financial security. For Charlotte, it's a risk she's willing to take. But what begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl becomes a test of survival beyond her blackest nightmare. 


For Dora, it's the chance of a lifetime. She is thrust into a fairy tale amid ball gowns and lavish mansions, yet is tormented by the possibility of discovery-and humiliation. And what of the man who believes she is indeed his intended? Is this what her heart truly longs for?


*I received this book as part of the Bethany House Publisher's book review program in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*