Yesterday, Copperswife had a GREAT post on the benefits of reading. I encourage you to read it yourself. It made me think about my own love of books. It did not happen for me, like it did for her. No, I did not develop a love for books until I was an adult. Then it was all fiction, Christian, pioneer type, romances (think Janette Oke). For the last 15 years or so, I have found non fiction to be my favorite kind of reading. I have several areas I like to read in. I am drawn to anything related to quilt history, though any kind of history book is a favorite. Yesterday, I picked up this book and enjoyed it so much I devoured the entire 189 pages in one afternoon!!!
Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catherine Carey LoganFiction, but based in a lot of history fact. The back section is all history facts from that time period. I was pre-reading it for Charlotte, and plan to get more in the Dear America series. It was very good....a 13 year old Quaker girl's diary, set in Pennsylvania in 1763. She was taken captive by a band of Indians....well I won't give it away!
You know from past posts that I also love fitness/nutrition type books. I just finished these two, and both were excellent..JPG)
Books on homemaking, parenting, and marriage are also books I love to read. I finished Debi Pearl's book which was gifted to me by Cheryl. It was very good.
Though I finished it, it is not on the shelf, as I am going back through and going over specific parts again.
Books on homemaking, parenting, and marriage are also books I love to read. I finished Debi Pearl's book which was gifted to me by Cheryl. It was very good. Though I finished it, it is not on the shelf, as I am going back through and going over specific parts again.Books pertaining to quilting are collected and read through in my home. Right now I am reading through some old quilting magazines...yes it is still reading, and is most delightful when the magazines are from 1977-78.....
Spiritual growth books are a big favorite of mine. Right now, I have Francis Frangipane's "The Stronghold of God" on my nightstand. I like to read these types of books as I drift off to sleep.
Of course, the Word of God is the most important read of the day. I try not to pick up another book unless I have spent some time in THE Book. While cleaning out the storage area the other day, I found a treasure.....
My childhood Bible. It was used when I went to church with Grandma Grace. It was the only Bible I ever owned until I got the paraphrase at 18 years old. I had been looking for it ever since I found out I would have a granddaughter. .JPG)
The spine needs repair, but the Bible is in tact. It has the most wonderful cross zipper....
I will get it repaired and give it to Emerson.
Of course, the Word of God is the most important read of the day. I try not to pick up another book unless I have spent some time in THE Book. While cleaning out the storage area the other day, I found a treasure.....My childhood Bible. It was used when I went to church with Grandma Grace. It was the only Bible I ever owned until I got the paraphrase at 18 years old. I had been looking for it ever since I found out I would have a granddaughter. The spine needs repair, but the Bible is in tact. It has the most wonderful cross zipper....I will get it repaired and give it to Emerson. I am at the tail end of the library project. Here is what my dining room looks like....
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I know! I will be happy when the project is done in the next couple of weeks!
Now jump over to Cheryl's blog and read yesterday's post....then you can see what she is doing today!!! If you do not have a love of books, you can develop one....it does not have to come naturally. Choose books that hold an interest for you. I would not have any desire to sit down and read a book about baseball! Come to think of it, I do have a book about the Rockford Peaches Baseball team of 1943, signed by some of it's players.....I guess I would read a book about baseball!!!!
It has finally happened!!! 
Today will be a day filled with home school lessons and homemaking tasks. I want to get things finished so we can enjoy Labor Day weekend without inviting Hazel and her friends! I am planning a nice cookout here for just us. We may take the kids to the same park where we celebrated last weekend. Just a quiet family holiday. Do you have any plans?
I am thinking about updating the "My Home" post. I looked at it and I have changed so much in my house since I wrote that post in June of 07. It will be a big job though. I think it would be easier to just re-do the whole thing. You may see a new "My Home" post. A group of bloggers did this a while back. I enjoyed taking the tours of their homes. It is not about the decor, or the elegance, or the furnishings, which is good, cause my home is not about any of those things, but it is about the warmth of being "invited" in to "sit a spell". Many of us spend our entire days keeping our homes, which is not at all just about mopping floors and cleaning toilets. Those who work outside, spend alot of their effort to keep things up when they are home. Think about doing a tour of your home. You do not have to show every room. I left the entire upstairs out of my post.
Have you enjoyed the pictures? They are of the Glacial Pond we visited behind the Freeport Tourist Center. It was full of fish and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Summer has been enjoyable and full of great memories, but I am so ready for fall. I can not wait to sit in front of the fireplace wrapped in my warm shawl, with my new granddaughter in my arms and the kids sitting near by reading books to TJ on a quilt spread out across the floor. Music playing softly in the background and all of Emerson's little fingers curled around my one as she breaths that rhythm of newborn sleep. I can almost smell her. That newborn smell that only lasts a short time. I pray for that little one daily as God knits her together in perfection. 
Yesterday the postman came to our door with a package addressed to "The Haws Family Heritage Library". Oooooh, my kids were excited. My friend 
For most people this would have peaked their curiosity as to what is in the box. Not my Zachary. He RAN to get the globe....then the atlas...then his plastic placemat of the USA....and finally his leap pad to see how long it takes to get to California. Apparently it gives you the exact time when traveling by plane, or car. 
Finally we can look in the box....
Two beautifully wrapped books......One on the State of Illinois (our State).....
and one on the State of Kansas (because we love Kansas (and Joni and the Farmer) and Cheryl knew we were doing a Kansas study).
The series includes 51 books. 1 for each of the 50 States and 1 called "A" is for America. We will be collecting the entire series. Our next book????....the one on California!! How I order books (or anything from Amazon) is through Cheryl's blog. If you click on the Shop Amazon widget on her sidebar and shop from there, you will be helping to build her family's library at no additional cost to you. Cheryl has helped so many of us build our libraries and it is a way we can give a little back and not even notice it. If you are interested in the books she sent me, just click on her Amazon widget, and type in the search box "A ________ Alphabet" just filling in the blank with the State you wish to purchase.
Also in the box were two of the most beautiful birdies you have ever seen......
Cheryl's daughter 
Also enclosed with every order, is a free sample of tea. I was sent "Ginger Peach". Mmmmmm. The china is as beautiful as I imagined it would be.
If you like anything to do with tea or coffee, then 
TJ and Charlotte played with chalk while Zach played frisbee with a friend.
It is a gorgeous day today. 58 and sunny!! We might even hit 60!
Seeing pictures of Niki and Pam's grandchildren makes me anxious for my new one. Rachel isn't even showing yet!!! I keep waiting. Most ladies at Rachel's stage are popping right out there! Time....it will happen! 
So here is my weight loss update. I lost 1 pound this week. I am not at all happy about that, but understand why. I want to lose 2-3 pounds per week. I do not have my treadmill up, so I have done zero exercise...though I could do a walking DVD. I plan to go for a consultation this week at the 
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The McDonald's was on my free day (though the chocolate turtles not pictured were not). You can read about the program I am doing on Angie's new blog .JPG)
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