The Talens' Tales

M(om): Hey Gideon! You are 14 months old now! Yipee! G(ideon): I know, Mom. But what is this? A day late and only two pictures? M: I know. We have just been having too much fun enjoying summer. And the weather has been so nice to be outside. It is just great! G: It is fun. I love to be outside and crawl in the grass, play in the sandbox and eat dirt. M: What else do you like to eat? G: Everything! Food is so good. I love to eat and eat and fill my mouth too full. I just can't get enough M: That is for sure. What else do you like? G: I am starting to be more interested in books. I do like it when you read to me. M: I like that too. Anything else? G: I love to climb. I can climb on the desk and small table in the office. I try to climb on the coffee table and the couch, but I can't do that by myself yet. M: You certainly do keep me on my toes. Thanks for talking Gideon!

We are two days into Summer Vacation and things have been great so far. The weather has been lovely, though it could rain today. But we have been outside and it certainly feels like summer (though a bit windy to hit the beach, yet.) We are also trying a little more structured chore chart thing this summer for some extra motivation and to give some structure to our day. The kids have things they need to every day and a job that will change each week. I wanted to do a little bit of  "brain time" each day, so Joash has a math sheet and reads independently for 15 minutes each day. Mataya didn't want to be left out, so we found a little alphabet workbook for her to do. It is so fun to see them using their brains.  It makes this book lovers heart glad to see her oldest starting to love to read. He really, really likes to read non-fiction, especially about history and animals.

From the minds of Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, and Alton Gansky, Invitation compiles the first four episodes of Harbingers, each following a different character. BRENDA--the street-hustling tattoo artist who sees images of the future THE PROFESSOR--the atheist ex-priest ruled by logic ANDI--the professor's brilliant but geeky assistant who sees inexplicable patterns TANK--the naïve, big-hearted jock with a surprising connection to a healing power Brought together for the first time in "The Call," the four soon realize pockets of darkness are emerging throughout the world. Whether it involves a mysterious house, the unexplainable death of animals around the world, or an otherworldly little girl, each puzzle they solve brings them closer to the ultimate explanation of what's happening. But will they discover the truth in time? This book! It was so great. I really enjoyed the format of this book, how each author wrote one episode told from the point of ...

Most of my April books were reviews, that were already posted on the blog, so this a recap of what else I read in April and the books I read in May. It was a good month of reading. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller - A follow up to Blue Like Jazz . Great bits of truth with interesting stories in between. Thought provoking and challenging. The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst - A good book for thinking about why you do the things you do and making sure that the "yes" you give is the best one it can be. Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst - The real purpose of who we are comes from God, not others. But that still doesn't make it any easier to face rejection. But the truth is we are always loved by God. Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst - We were all made to crave something. Sin has caused that craving to turn to food and other addictions rather than God. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple - A fun, quirky story of a dysfunctional family tha...