:the one where i share what i'm reading:

a truly good book teaches me better than to read it. i must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. what i began by reading, i must finish by acting.

-henry david thoreau

Given | Poems by Wendell Berry
why in the world i waited so late in life to fall in love with poetry, i will never know. his words are lovely and eloquent, painting beautiful word pictures.

Sabbaths 1998 | I

Whatever happens,

those who have learned

to love one another

have made their way

to the lasting world

and will not leave,

whatever happens.

Mended | Pieces of a life made whole by Angie Smith
angie is raw and honest and having met her and experienced her wit in person, reading this makes me feel like we are having a conversation. my favorite chapter so far is [One Better] where she speaks about daily life and the opportunity we have to do One Better for our husbands, our children, neighbors and friends.

Soul Survivor | How thirteen unlikely mentors helped my faith survive the church by Philip Yancey
this book was handed down to us by our pastor and his wife. i love well loved books passed on. yancey is includes the ugly beautiful of his journey to a life of love, lead by jesus. i have great appreciation for the ugly beautiful.

A Circle of Quiet | The Crosswicks Journal- Book One by Madeleine L'Engle
several women of faith and bloggers that i love love love have read and recommended this book and since it was a penny on amazon i grabbed it for my collection. i have read L'Engle before and found myself highlighting nearly the entire book. her words move me and spark my passion for words written, envoking a pouring out of sorts.

Just Give Me A Cool Drink of Water Fore I Diiie by Maya Angelou
maya angelou's first book of poetry and my new found love for this genre compelled me to grab this up on my last visit to the library.

Half the Church | Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women by Carolyn Custis James
a love for women, my friends, and talents that often go unnoticed and underutilized made this title a bit more than attractive. it made this a must read for my wandering soul.

side note: i have some adorable little goodies in my shop just dying to be sent to a special home. it's never too early to start christmas shopping!

 

 

{a fun way to keep the kiddos busy}

{photo}

"children are made readers on the laps of their parents"

-emilie buchwald

"there are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. love of books is best of all."

-jaqueline kennedy

i came across these adorable little floor mats at target ($2.50).

one is blue with a whale and the other pink with an elephant. 

we call them our {reading mats}.

just lay them anywhere- i chose the door by the kitchen this time because it was snowing and i wanted the kiddos to enjoy the view. then put a big box of books beside them and spread some of their favorites all around. 

i made a big deal about how they get to use their {reading mats} and read their favorite books to one another. they were super excited! well, eisley was super excited. durgin just follows suit.

they looked at different books and giggled together and shared. it was precious guys...seriously precious!

i want my children to love books and learning. afterall...

"the more you read the more you know. the more you learn the more places you will go."

-dr. seuss