Irish Meadows Book Review

This is my first time reading Susan A. Mason, and I was impressed.  This book didn't have as much of the 'Irish' element that I was expecting, though the religious aspect of Catholicism and works definitely fit that genre.  Brianna and Colleen are two sisters who don't get along. They, along with their family, live on a horse farm. Their father has aspirations for them marrying well. But both girls have different ideas for their future than their father. As each girl grows up and matures, she realizes what is important and what is worth fighting for.

The book reads like a family saga. The writing flows well and kept me moving through the story. The characters were more numerous than a typical historical romance. The book is laid out so that the main story lines are completed at the end of the book, but characters are set up for the next book in the series. The message of forgiveness and faith was woven throughout the story without it being preachy.

  This was a good coming of age tale of learning the difference between being grateful and setting boundaries necessary to become mature. I found the exploration of honoring your parents while finding your way to adulthood very well and respectfully done. There is much to learn about love and honor in this book so that we follow Gods path for us and not the path others think we should take.

Updates

Life, at times it seems to fly by, and at times it seems to crawl.  It's been quite a while since I have updated anything on here so here we go. 

Riley is 8 now and in second grade.  He is doing great in school!  He is disappointed that he still has yet to lose a tooth yet though lol.  He is still also terrified of blood.  He ran into a tree branch at Great Grandma's house on Sunday and kind of freaked out because he figured with how hard he hit it, it had to be bleeding.  It was more or a scrape than anything.  But it was on the bridge of his nose..if it hadn't been for the fact that he is wearing glasses now (forgot to mention that he is wearing glasses now) it probably would have hit his eye...his glasses deflected it though, thank goodness!  There was a time a few months ago that we woke up on Sunday morning and Lily was sick.  He was really upset about not being able to go to church, so we called around and found him a ride.  I am thankful that someone was willing to pick him up, but more than that- the fact that he wanted to go so badly!

Lily is 5 now and in Kindergarten.  She is still a girly girl.  She loves school and is doing well.  They actually sent her for additional testing to see if they should move her to an advanced class...we'll find out how that went in May.  She, like Riley, has yet to lose any teeth also lol.  She loves to go to church also.  She is the more outgoing of the two and when she gets going on a story, good luck getting a word in haha! 

Me.  Well, still married.  Hopefully we can get it all done soon.  He is still giving me issues about the settlement agreement- the only issue we can't get straightened out is the child support.  Pretty soon, I have a feeling the judge is just going to decide it.  I try to keep things civil with him, but he doesn't always make it possible.  I tried to talk to him the other day, and he just wanted to argue and rant at me.  I told him I wasn't doing it and hung up and got some nasty texts for it, but I just am not going to deal with that anymore.  He did take the kids from Sunday to Saturday afternoon for Spring Break (shocking I know!).  They seemed to have fun for the most part, although Lily did call on Thursday wanting to come home.  I felt bad and told her she had to stay with her dad because I wasn't feeling well :(  But she ended up being fine.  I am babysitting Eli who is now two, and Charlotte who is 9 months old.  Things are going well with that.  However, come summer I will have no employment again.  I won't be watching Eli come fall either, since he is going to get a new brother and his mom will stay home for that rest of the year. 

Divorce sucks!

I got a call today from Riley's teacher.  She was calling to let me know that Riley has been in some trouble today and hasn't been acting like his usual self for the past week or two.  He went to the bathroom earlier today and was gone a while, so she went to check on him.  Apparently he was playing in the water and kicking bathroom doors.  Again later today, he went to the bathroom and she heard a loud noise, went to check on him.  She said he was standing there all alone and she asked if that was him and he said yes.  So today, he comes home with a sad face smiled in his homework log which means he wasn't behaving.

His teacher asked if there was anything going on at home to explain him acting out.  Well, James has been back from Afghanistan since the beginning of April.  BUT he hasn't spend a ton of time with the kids yet and it's wearing on them.  Four nights in a row this week he has been crying in bed that he misses his daddy.  It absolutely breaks my heart for him.  Last week he asked me when daddy and I were going to live together again.  So I had to explain (again) that we are getting divorced and that means we won't live together anymore. 

When I first found out he had cheated on me and he wanted a divorce he told me that it 'Wouldn't affect the kids that much since they are young'.  I told him he was wrong.  And this just proves it.  Obviously, the kids don't understand what all is going on.  Obviously, it is going to be hard on kids no matter what their age is at the time, but for young kids, they just don't understand it.  They don't know why mommy and daddy aren't together anymore.  They don't get that they aren't going to live together anymore.  They don't get that when they go on vacation, it is either with daddy or mommy, not both.  They don't understand why daddy can't come tuck them in at night because he isn't there.  Or why daddy isn't here this weekend when he said he would be.  The list goes on and on.  I hate this for my kids!  Military life is hard enough without adding this to it also.

Lily went  through a phase for about a month and a half of separation anxiety also.  She did not want to leave my side.  She has been going to her class in church on her own for two and a half years.  Then suddenly, she wanted me to take her.  Ok, no big deal....but then she would cry when I left or end up coming to my classroom crying that she wanted me.  When James came to pick her up to take her and Riley out to do something while he was here for the weekend, she told him she didn't want to spend time with him, that she wanted to spend time with me.  At preschool she would cry that she didn't want to go, she wanted to stay with me.  Then a couple weeks ago she asked me when I was going to give her a baby sister.  How do you even explain that to a four year old, that they won't have anymore siblings because their father left us?

Now, about me.  Everything about this situation just sucks, there is no other way to put it (well, maybe stinky-panted-ness as Sheila would say, lol).  I hate having to sit by helplessly watching my kids go through this.  Then they lash out at me because they are frustrated about the situation and don't know how to express it.  So I am on the receiving end of fits and tantrums because they miss their dad.  Which makes me want a break from my kids every once in a while.  Then when I finally do get a break once in a blue moon, I feel guilty about it.  Go figure!  Financially, everything is up in the air right now.  We are fine for now, but when my job ends at the end of this month, I don't know what we are going to do.  Jobs are scarce, so I would be lucky to find a minimum wage job.  But if that is all it pays, then I would work full time to put the kids in daycare and put gas in my car to get back and forth to work with no money left after that.  That's if I am lucky enough to be able to pay that stuff with the paycheck.  So working minimum wage is out, as it will not benefit us at all.  I have two jobs offers right now, but they don't start until the fall.  Those would be babysitting Eli again while Julie teaches, and watching Gavin and Brenna (that would start in October).  But in order to do that, I need to find a way to keep my apartment through the summer.  With stretching my savings (I mean REALLY stretching it) I might be able to make it.  Except for the fact that my car needs *probably* around $1,000 worth of work done to it right now.  Maybe.  It could be more.  So that blows my summer plan to keep my apartment.  Most likely we will be moving in with my mom for a year or so.  So that's what's going on here.  Keep my family in your prayers please!

Sun Stand Still- A Book that should be on your list of must reads!

This book will encourage a fresh hope and faith in you. It will also encourage you to live in expectation for God to do the impossible in your life but also through you. According to author Steven Furtick, "This book is not a Snuggie." And he's right. "Sun Stand Still" doesn't leave you with the warm fuzzy feeling of personal satisfaction. It leaves you with something far greater. Every page challenges you to believe God for the impossible and work our faith muscles. This is a book that powerfully delivers the message of faith that so many Christians are craving. If you're searching for something to kick start your faith, then this book could just be the tool God's going to use. And so, while you won't be left with a comfy, fuzzy feeling after reading "Sun Stand Still," you'll be left with a driving desire to pray "Sun Stand Still" prayers and leap into the middle of a move of God. You won't be able to sit back and pray passively or settle for mediocre faith.

Disclaimer:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

Notice some changes around here

I am going to try to be more positive and less....well, bitchy and whiny on my blog.  If you are reading this blog, then you probably know that I am in the beginning stages of divorce, so it's going to be a trying time for me over the next few months.  Also, I need a new blog title!  If you have suggestions, feel free to let me know :)