Dragon Seed By Marty Machowski

Dragon Seed
by Marty Machowski
Publisher: New Growth Press
ISBN:

I really love when I get the chance to review books for youth! I received this one from Litfuse Publicity and shared it with my 14 yr old.

Summary:

An angry teen, a desperate mother, a missing father, and a shadow lurking in the background.

Things were going from bad to worse for Nick and his family. Tempted to run away after yet another argument with his mom, Nick receives a handwritten, leather-bound copy of an old book-a family legend passed down to him from his great grandfather. The book, called Dragon Seed, leads Nick deep into his family's history and introduces him to another angry young man who lived in the shadows (the shadows of the tombs). Like Nick, you'll be shocked to discover where he fits in this story of epic proportions!

This page-turning, young adult fiction story invites older children and teens into the real-life struggles of Nick. But it also ushers them into an imaginative exploration of the life of the young man Jesus saved as he wandered through the tombs. Best-selling author Marty Machowski uses both stories to introduce the reality of spiritual warfare and how its shadows affect and change us.

Machowski, a trusted teacher for children of all ages, presents a thoroughly biblical view of spiritual warfare that emphasizes the importance of humility and dangers of pride. Teens will be drawn to the story of Nick and his struggles and will learn, as they read, to also identify the shadows in their own life and turn from them. While the biblical teaching is evident throughout the narrative of Dragon Seed, Machowski also includes a twelve-lesson Bible study at the end of the book to help teens ground their understanding of spiritual warfare on biblical principles.

Youth pastors, leaders, and parents will also want to explore with teens the small group study at the end of the book with its unique take on spiritual warfare that emphasizes the biblical theme of humility. This is a perfect book to read with a group and discuss together the implications of Nick's struggles for their lives.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

My Review:

I thought this was an interesting book. The idea of it initially reminded me of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I wasn't sure how my son would take to an allegory book, but he seemed to like it. This would be a good book for pre-teens and teens.

I think the family that's represented is very relatable. Kids from the same family react differently to life situations. Nick is mad at the world and takes it out on his family. His sister, Martha, is putting all of her effort into being a fabulous student. Mary, along with her mom, is trying to keep what's left of her family from falling apart.

A story has been passed down through the family in the form of an allegory. I love how these kinds of stories work to really help the reader understand through the hidden meaning of how important our faith is. Through Nick reading this story, teens are able to understand the spiritual world. In fact, I really appreciate authors who point out the things that happen around us that we're rarely aware of.

Now, I thought the names the author gave the demons were a bit cheesy. I thought for this age group he could've gotten a bit more creative. The names seemed more like you'd find them in an elementary story than a story like this. There were a few spots where I thought the story was trying too hard to be allegorical. Can a story sometimes be too descriptive? Then again, this book is geared to young teens so maybe that's more to their liking.

At the end of the book there's a 12 day prescription to help the reader work through uprooting what the author refers to as the dragon seed. You'll have to read the book to find out what he's referring to. It's a good way for the kids finish the story and really attempt to relate it to their own lives.

I think this would also be a good book for teen youth groups to work through as a small group.

About the Author:

Marty Machowski is the Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for over 25 years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the children's ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He is the author of a systematic theology for children entitled "The Ology," "Long Story Short," "Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God," "The Gospel Story Sunday School Curriculum" and the companion "Gospel Story Children's Bible." He and his wife, Lois, and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania area.

Find out more about Marty at martymachowski.com.

My First Awesome Con

What do you do when you're surrounded by guys who love everything Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Star Wars? You make your way to Awesome Con, DC's Comic Con! I reached out to the people who put it on, and they sent me a press pass to check it out for the first time!

Now, when I was a teenager, eons ago, I was fascinated by Dr. Who. I started watching it with my dad when Tom Baker was the Time Lord. That was back in the early 80s. I didn't realize at the time that I was watching a series that would become a cult classic. I hadn't actually kept up with it at all. Then a couple of months ago, I randomly started watching BBC America. Dr. Who would play for a few hours and then Star Trek would come on. Needless to say, my husband was mystified as to what was going on with his wife.

That being said, I watch these kinds of shows & movies for fun. My guys, and attenders at events such as Awesome Con, are serious about everything. Fred is a huge fan of Star Trek. He can tell me the names of planets they've visited, what each of their weapons are called, which crew goes with which captain, etc. My oldest son could pretty much tell you everything about Star Wars and Marvel. I have a feeling he'd like to be best friends with Stan Lee!

So, when we got to DC, Fred had to take the lowly front entrance since he paid for his ticket. He was able to mingle with all of the elaborately dressed people. A couple thousand of his closest sci-fi loving friends. I on the other hand was able to enter through the press entrance and walked right into the event. When I got in, right at opening, it was super quiet on the floor. Man, that is the WAY to go! No lines for anything, no trying to squeeze myself through throngs of people. I made the most of it!

I walked around all of the merchandise booths. SO. MANY! I had no clue there was so much to sell at a Comic Con event. I also didn't realize that there were so many artists. I walked through the Stan Lee collection and sakes alive, it was amazing! Again, it was so nice to be able to spend time looking at everything without being surrounded by hordes of people. I can't imagine what it's like being Stan Lee and living with such a vast collection of memorabilia.

After walking through the collection, I walked down to where the actors were hanging out. They each had a little booth. Not many were there yet, but wow, being an actor at an event is definitely a money maker. The actor who used to play Harry Kim on one of the Star Trek seasons would take a selfie with you for $25! Others like John Barrowman was there and I think with a signed photo it was $40? He also had his sister there who was out chatting with people in their line.

I meandered down to the large, closed off curtain area, and I guess that was where Stan Lee was going to be. To get inside the curtain, you paid $120 to take a photo for him to sign. It is definitely GOOD to be Stan Lee. I know my son would've given his left arm for that autograph, but I just didn't have it in me.

Fred finally made it into the conference center about an hour and a half after I did? lol Poor guy. By that time, I was hungry and getting something to eat at one of the handful of vendors. After he got in, we walked around and looked at the artists and merchants. I've never seen to many leather bustiers in one place! lol

We found an artist who had a portfolio full of original work. Displayed he had the artwork printed and able to be purchased. It was black and white, but if you wanted pieces of the characters colored in, he would charge a higher amount. We bought my son The Arrow and the mask was colored green. Then we found a lady who was doing artwork on a variety of journals and doodle pads. We got Fred's daughter one with a dragon on the front of it.

One of the booths Fred wanted to go see was the Legion. They have people who dress up like Star Wars characters for a variety of events and donate money to a good cause. We caught them as they were doing a fun group photo!

I'm hoping we can get back again next year. If so, we're definitely dressing up and we're taking the boys with us. I'll have to make sure they bring a good amount of money because I know they're going to want to meet the actors and actresses. lol

Eating Before & After A Workout

I wanted to share what I've learned about my body since I started going to the gym back in February. When I started going, I wasn't sure what to eat or when to eat it. It's still a huge process for me, and a ton I still don't understand about how food works with our bodies, but here's what's worked for me.

I realized that I needed to eat at least two hours before any workout I do, which is pretty much always Zumba. What I also figured out is, I can't eat just anything 2 hours before. The best thing I've figured out to eat is a small bowl of zucchini pasta with spaghetti sauce. I was eating regular spaghetti, but I've really been digging zoodles these days.

There were days that I grabbed a banana and ate it shortly before class. Bad choice. Even though I was eating something healthy, it made me feel sick to my stomach. If I was hungry before class, but hadn't eaten anything it wasn't going to be good. After class I typically didn't feel well either. In fact, for the rest of the evening I'd feel sick to my stomach. I'm sure a fitness guru would be able to explain why.

The other piece is that I couldn't drink a lot of water while working out. I found that I needed to hydrate mostly before I started my workout and just have sips during it. Again, I'd start to feel sick to my stomach if I drank too much during the class. It's just the craziest thing. I mean, who'd expect that when you want to be hydrated, right?

If I eat something small before class, by the time I get home I'm pretty hungry, and typically have a peanut butter & jelly sandwich with a glass of milk or zoodles! I'm pretty consistent with what I eat. Of course, I have no idea if those are the things I "should" be eating, but it gets me through the time before and after, so I'm good with it.

So, for me, it's about understanding my body. Not that I really understand it all too well. At some point my goal is to learn how to utilize food as fuel before and after my workouts, but for now, just not feeling sick during and after is my goal!

The Captain's Daughter by Jennifer Delamere

The Captain's Daughter
by Jennifer Delamere
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764219207

As a fan of historical Christian fiction, I was excited to receive this book from Litfuse Publicity to review.

Summary:

Warm-hearted Victorian romance brings 1880s London to life.

When a series of circumstances beyond her control leave Rosalyn Bernay alone and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater that is presenting the most popular show in London. A talented musician and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage.

A hand injury during a skirmish in India has forced Nate Moran out of the army until he recovers. Filling his time at a stable of horses for hire in London, he has also spent the past two months working nights as a stagehand, filling in for his injured brother. Although he's glad he can help his family through a tough time, he is counting the days until he can rejoin his regiment. London holds bitter memories for him that he is anxious to escape. But then he meets the beautiful woman who has found a new lease on life in the very place Nate can't wait to leave behind.

My Review:

As a first introduction to Jennifer Delamere's writing, I have to say, it was a delightful experience! The Captain's Daughter starts off with the reader getting a quick introduction to three sisters: Cara, Rosalyn, and Julia Bernay. The sisters have had it rough, but they're looking towards the future hopeful.

Rosalyn's situation starts off with promise, but when we meet her, things have clearly gone south. Circumstances have her landing in London, and things get even worse, which doesn't seem possible. God is at work in the midst of it, and provides at just the right time. With the author's writing, you can sense the turmoil Rosalyn's going through, but you also want to help her out by steering her in a different direction. lol

We're introduced to Nate Moran at the start of the story as well. Poor guy, trying to help Rosalyn, ends up not being so helpful. Thankfully soon after they're able to meet properly and under better circumstances. Nate seems to feel a pull towards Rosalyn, but with being burned once before and planning to head back to India, he tries to keep an emotional distance from Rosalyn.

I was really pulled in by the storyline of the opera house. It was fun recognizing names of the people Ms. Delamere wrote about like Gilbert & Sullivan and George Müller. I think because the story covered such a short period of time the reader is easily pulled into the theater world of the story. There were characters I enjoyed like Jessie and Mrs. Hill as well as ones who rubbed me the wrong way like Tony Hayes. It was fun also getting to know Nate's whole family. Makes me hope the author writes more about her, although I'm hoping the next book in the series will either be about Julia or Cara.

As for the summary, I was a little confused as to the "talented musician and singer" part. Rosalyn sings a sweet lullaby to her sister in the prologue, but you don't really get that she's grown up to be that person. It seems like she mostly would sing to herself since she spends years as a companion to a widow. When she sings for the first time for fun, you wouldn't think she was a seasoned musician and singer, but that's not really how she's written in the story. As she continues to work at the theater, you can see her natural talent shine through and her joy being part of it all.

If you're looking for an easy summer read, this should definitely be on your reading list. I finished it in a day! I'm already looking forward to book two in the London Beginnings series!

About the Author:

Jennifer Delamere's debut Victorian romance, "An Heiress at Heart," was a 2013 RITA award finalist in the inspirational category. Her follow-up novel, "A Lady Most Lovely," received a starred review from "Publishers Weekly" and the Maggie Award for Excellence from Georgia Romance Writers. Jennifer earned a BA in English from McGill University in Montreal, where she became fluent in French and developed an abiding passion for winter sports. She's been an editor of nonfiction and educational materials for nearly two decades, and lives in North Carolina with her husband.

Find out more about Jennifer at jenniferdelamere.com 

My Week With Blue: Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD

Do you ever experience something and wonder how you are going to share everything you want about it? That's where I'm at right now. I just finished experiencing test driving the 2017 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD, and it was amazing. I've been trying to figure out how to encapsulate it in one post, so hopefully I can do it!

My only experience with Mazda has been my dad's Miata, and that was fun to ride in. When the CX-9 showed up I kind of gave it a judge eye because I have a crossover (do we call them that any more) and I wasn't sure how it would compare. Let me give you a comparison as to what this drive was like.  Right now the car I drive is an '09 and would describe as a flip phone. The Mazda CX-9 is like the newest smartphone that's just hitting the market! THAT'S how vastly different they are.

So, where do I start? Maybe by telling you I named her. I've never named my cars. She was easy to name. I named her Blue in honor of how I knew I'd feel once she left me. I referred to her as Blue during our adventures which included baseball games, birthday parties, garden centers, and just tooling around town.

My first step was to figure out all of the bells & whistles. There was so much to familiarize myself with. I started with the center console, where you control much of what goes on "smart wise" in the car. It's what they call MAZDA CONNECT™ infotainment system. It's the size of a tablet that sits on the dashboard. It's basically your command center sitting right next to you. It didn't take nearly as long as I expected to familiarize myself with everything, but it all came together in no time.

Let's chat about the seats. The driver and passenger are able to control their own temperature and the passengers in the 2nd & 3rd row share one as well. The Signature comes with divine premium Nappa leather. Those seats were heavenly to sit in. Made me miss leather seats. Speaking of those seats, the driver and passenger have heated seat options! Gosh I love that. The driver's seat also has 2 memory buttons, something I genuinely miss in the vehicle I have now.

Between the seats is the dual armrest. I've never seen a split armrest, but each side can open a half. Not impressed with that, and it doesn't make sense to me, but each to her own, right? There are two USB ports inside the armrest. There's also a plug in towards the floor on the passenger's side, but it's really awkward to get to. None of those 3 spots works while the car is off. Definitely a negative for me, BUT (and this is the strange part) the drop down armrest in the second row also has dual ports, but one actually charges while the car is off. So there IS that. If it comes down to needing a charge, it's found in the 2nd row armrest.

Now let's talk about one of the feature that does a TON for this Mazda. It's called i-ACTIVSENSE®. This gives you some added safety features that you didn't realize you shouldn't be living without. I'm missing them A LOT now that Blue is gone! I honestly won't be able to do it all justice in my explanation, but if you watch my Facebook Live video you'll see everything I'm talking about.

 

If you are using cruise control, the sensors will pick up if you're getting to close the car ahead of you and will slow your car down and then speed it back up when needed. There's the Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring when a car is in your blind spot. It will show up in your side mirrors, on your monitor in your windshield, and as a chime. It. Is. Amazing! Then partnered together are the Lane Departure Assist & Lane-Keep Assist. If the car detects you're departing from your lane, it'll push you back away from the line and jiggle your steering wheel. So stinking cool! Really not sure how I'm supposed to live without these in my old car!

Ok, these next two pieces, which you will also see in my video, are just mind blowing to me. One is super simple and now that I don't have it, I want to cry while driving in the dark. lol So, you know how when you're driving at night and you have to keep switching your low beams to your high beams. Oh my gosh, it can drive a person batty, right? Well, their High Beam Control does it for you. FOR YOU! Whoever came up with that should get a raise or at least a bonus! Then...seriously you have GOT to check this out, they have something called the Adaptive Front-Lighting System. Your headlights freaking turn WITH you...as in they move as you go around a corner then adjust back with your steering wheel! I was absolutely fascinated by this feature. You've got to experience it all to really get the full effect. Again, you can see this in my video!

Oh! Something else that really wowed me was the attention to certain lighting details. There is very subtle lighting inside the door handles. I always feel like I'm searching for the door handle to get out of whichever vehicle I'm in. There's also the LED grilled accent lighting that gives it just that extra bling. The interior lighting is bright, but not harsh on the eyes.

I've never had a moonroof in any of my cars, and with this gorgeous weather, I made sure we enjoyed every single moment of it. That meant I didn't get to try out the rain sensing windshield wipers. I actually hoped for a rainy day just to experience them. Another feature I've missed from my minivan days of old is the power lift gate. From the driver's seat you can push a button, you can push it on your key fob, or if you squeeze the lift gate handle it will open! Magical I tell ya!

Moving back to the second and third row seats, they do a lot more than any of my seats have ever done. The second row seats are rather heavy to push up and I wasn't able to do it one handed. I was actually surprised at how much they weighed. lol It's a 60/40 split and can slide forward to give more room to the back and will also recline! The third row seats 2 and is a 50/50 split. Dropping the back row definitely gives more cargo room if you're road tripping it somewhere or just going to the garden center like I did and stocking up on new plants and soils.

I never had a chance to pack Blue full like we do on occasion with our own vehicles. The Mazda CX-9 is surprising strong for a little 4 cylinder. I think it would probably haul the normal things we'd stick in the back. Maybe next time I'll put it to the test! Speaking of the engine, it has what they call SKYACTIV® TECHNOLOGY which helps with "driving dynamics and efficiency." Now, say you're driving this baby and getting onto the freeway, this came with something called Sport Mode. You can switch that on at any point and kapow, you've just kicked it up a notch. Let me tell you, zoom zoom definitely comes into play. Of course, your mpg drop when you use this Mode.

Going back to our own cars has been quite the transition. Before it was picked up to be shared with another driver, I had to move Blue and my crossover out of the driveway. Pulled her out easy peasy. Got in mine, and sakes alive, it felt like I was moving a tank! I hadn't driven it in almost a week, and the difference was that significant. Letting Blue go wasn't going to be easy. Since Blue has been gone I've compared her to my car every time I get behind the wheel. I realized how important a role those safety features play in your every day driving, and I appreciate them more now that I no longer have them!

Overall Blue was a fantastic automobile to drive. She was fun and zippy. There were a couple of things that I wasn't fond of (as mentioned above), but not so much in a way that I'd pick a different vehicle over her. Mazda has thought of pretty much everything, and I'd give her a place in my driveway!

A Season Of Baseball

My youngest son has been playing baseball since he was just a wee little boy. He played with all of his little friends from school. Aside from one year, when we lived in Virginia, baseball has been a big love for our spring.

He's definitely improved year after year. This year has been a really good growth year for him even though his team hasn't won a single game. lol So, in this county they mix ages. My son is finishing 8th grade and he's playing with kids who are two years younger than him. There's even one boy on the team who's in 9th grade, but turned 15 after the age cutoff.

Unfortunately, he's on the B team this year. That's because of two things: there aren't any tryouts and the coach who's doing both A & B teams doesn't know my son's abilities. Thankfully he was able to see my son's skill with the game and has brought him up to the A (Gold) team several times the past few weeks. My boy seems to be the first kid he asks now. Gotta love that as a mom!

This post is basically a brag about my kid. lol I don't have crazy aspirations of him becoming a pro baseball player. I just like him keeping active outside. He's willing to play, so Fred & I are will to drive him to practices and games! Besides, I love cheering my kid on.

He's only got one game left for this season and then he's on to high school ball next year. That means things are going to get dicier. There's going to be real competition for positions and being off the bench. Up till now every player got equal time on the field and at bat. Not sure what next year will look like.

For the first time, this year he's gotten to play first base every single game. He wasn't looking to play that position, but they realized he's very reliable there. The other position he played was center outfield, which is what he's played for the last few years. He's got a strong arm and can throw far.

What he needs to work on is hitting. It's probably his biggest weakness. This weekend's game he kept connecting with the ball and it was amazing! Actually, the past couple weeks he's increased his contact with the ball.

Once he gets on base though, it's no holds bar. That boy can steal a base! It's one of the things I tried teaching him at an early age even though he wasn't able to do it until he was in middle school. HA! It's come in handy the past few years though, and he's just gotten better at it. He knows how to watch the pitcher. Now, that being said, several games ago he was getting pretty cocky, and almost ended up being called out trying to steal home.

When he got back to the bench, he looked at me and knew. lol We have this great connection when he's playing the game. If he gets a good hit, makes a good steal, has a good play out in the field, he automatically looks at me and we either pump fists, give a thumbs up, or something that says we know what just happened with the play. It's really something I cherish. Well, when he got back after this at bat, we talked about his cockiness and that it wouldn't serve him well every time. I don't ever want him getting too big for his britches and he really saw how badly that could go even though he made it home to get the run. Don't get me wrong. I love him challenging the pitcher to try and make a steal, but how he did it this one time nearly cost him an out.

I'm sad that the season is almost over since I love watching him play, but I'm looking forward to what's to come with his enjoyment of the game!

Minnesota Here We Come - The Home T

Three weeks and counting! We're heading back to Minnesota and we're excited to be home. To usher in July, I asked The Home T if I could do a review of one of their t-shirts showing my love of Minnesota. Thankfully, I must've conveyed my love of home, and they agreed! Now, I thought I was going to be getting a t-shirt showing Minnesota with the word Home across it. I was giddy, giddy I tell ya, when they surprised me with the "My Happy Place" design. Clearly they get me!

Have you switched out all of your clothing for the season? Here in Maryland all of my summer clothing is out and ready to be worn! The weather has made the full change to hot, t-shirt weather. I was looking on Facebook today and you won't believe the weather there. June is such a turbulent month at home. One second you're wearing a t-shirt because it's crazy hot out. The next, clouds are rolling in, the hail starts, and straight line winds hit!

Truly, you have to believe Minnesota is your happy place to call it home. How could you handle the weather there any time of the year if it wasn't? lol

The boys and I are excited to head home in just a few weeks, and I've already prepared the first picture I'm going to take once we get there. I'll be wearing my "My Happy Place" in front of the Welcome to Minnesota line right after we leave Wisconsin! To say I'm looking forward to getting there is quite the understatement!

Now, about The Home T specifically. It's an incredibly comfy t-shirt. I went with a Medium, but easily could've fit a Small. It's made in the USA which is so terrific! I'll probably live in it all summer. Yes, I'm one of those people. The fabric is incredibly soft. They also give back a portion of their profits to multiple sclerosis research. Pretty amazing, isn't it?

So get this. I was wearing my t-shirt right after I received it a couple of weeks ago. I wore it a week & a half ago to my son's baseball game. Well, I wore it again to my son's last baseball game on Saturday forgetting that the last time everyone there saw me I was wearing the same shirt. HA! I won't see them again until next spring for baseball season again so I should be good. =) (and yes I'm terrible at selfies)

I've already worked it out for my daughter to get my son the Home T for his 18th birthday in a couple weeks. She of course loved it. I suppose I should get my hubby the Maryland one for Father's Day. lol Poor guy is kind of outnumbered being surrounded by so many Minnesotans!

These would be perfect for birthday gifts, holiday gifts, and if you love to travel to a specific state, it could be fun for a trip...maybe even to Disney!

CARS 3 Activity Sheets

About a month ago I was able to check out the CARS 3 Tour that was going through our area. My son had the day off so he went with me. It was a great place to take the littles (not that I have any, but it was so cute to see the little kids). I think our favorite part was watching the extended trailer. The movie looks like it will be amazing!

In anticipation of the movie opening on June 16th, print out these activity sheets for the kids! They'll love them, and get them revved up for the movie.

There's also the CARS 3 Miss Fritter's Corn Fritters Recipe, Make Your Own Race Course, Memory Race, and a Race to the Finish Board Game that can be downloaded & printed as well! What a great way to get the summer started, right?

Like CARS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarCars/

Follow CARS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pixarcars

Follow CARS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixarcars/

Subscribe to the Disney/Pixar YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyPixar

Visit the official CARS 3 website here: http://movies.disney.com/cars-3

CARS 3 races into theatres everywhere on June 16th!

Folks, We Have A High School Graduate

As a parent, aren't you constantly amazed at how quickly your children grow up? I specifically remember when my son was almost 4 yrs old, I was sitting in the doorway of his bedroom, pregnant, holding him, and afraid that his little baby brother or sister would feel utterly neglected because I wasn't sure I could ever love the next child as much as I loved my son. Of course, this was after having two girls before him and managing to fall in love with him as well. HA! Oh pregnancy hormones.

My oldest son, almost 18 yrs old has finally donned his cap and gown, and walked across the stage to receive his diploma. Where did the years go? They continually seem to pick up speed. I remember him being in elementary school wondering if I should keep him back in 2nd grade. Then I wondered the same thing in 4th grade. He was struggling academically, but they were more worried about him socially. I think they were actually more worried about how it would reflect on them as a school.

Middle school saw him succeeding, and he started taking meds for ADD. Two of my children have Attention Deficit Disorder, and I and my brother both have it. I'm sensing a theme here. As I said, middle school really ramped up for him and everything was going rather well. He was playing baseball and basketball, but in 7th grade decided baseball was more fun just in our yard with friends.

We moved from Minnesota to Virginia halfway through his 8th grade year. I thought it would be a smooth transition, but it was hard on all of us. High school went ok for him, but he never quite recovered from the move, which is understandable since he'd lived in MN all of his life and grew up with all of the kids. Here he mostly stayed the new kid.

He actually really enjoyed the culinary club he joined after taking the culinary class. Sadly the teacher who ran the club and class moved and the club dissolved. From there he wasn't interested in any of the other clubs he looked into.

Senior year he got to totally take it easy since he'd met most of his requirements. He only had to go to school every other day for a half day. Pretty crazy, eh? Only downside to that was having to go get him from school every afternoon. Let's just say I'm glad that's over with.

His plans are now to go to the local community college to get his basics done inexpensively and then to hopefully go back to Minnesota to finish whatever degree he chooses at one of the Universities. I know he'd love to go to Northwestern in St. Paul like his sisters did, but we'll have to see how successful he is at community college and to see if they have whatever degree program he comes up with.

I'm excited to see what the future has for my favorite oldest son!

KOR Water Bottles Grillin' & Chillin' Giveaway

Summer time is nearly here! Of course we're completely enjoying the spring weather already. My hubster has already been outside grilling more often than inside cooking. He loves it (and the rest of the family does, too!) One of the ways we're making sure to keep chillin' is by keeping hydrated! That's where my partnership with KOR comes in.

Being outside on hot days either grilling, being in the garden, going for a walk, or just enjoying the patio, we've always got a bottle of water on hand. I'm also at the gym several times a week so either the KOR ONE or KOR Nava tags along with me.

The KOR ONE has a sleek look and at the top has the KOR Stone that will give you a little inspiration when you go to take a drink. One of my favorite features of KOR bottles is the rounded lip-surface which they refer to as "Perfect Spout." It's a soft, gentle edge that makes drinking from the bottle a delight! It has an easy, flip top cap that stays connected to the ONE body. This comes in a variety of colors, but I'm digging this onyx! I like having this one out in the garden with me.

The KOR Nava is perfect for the gym (well not just the gym, but I love it there). It's got a flip cap with that opens with the push of the button. The reason I like this for the gym is because if I knock it over the spout is one you sip from so it won't spill! Now, this is where this bottle starts to show off. It comes with a coconut filter that you insert into the straw. The filter is meant to last for two months. So, sticking with the color theme, I chose the Red Ribbon because it's black & red.

Both of these sweet water bottles hold a LOT of water. I need them to with how much I drink out of them. The KOR Nava is 700ml and the ONE is 750ml. I really think I should have a variety of these to match my workout gear! Not sure if my hubby would get on board with that though. Ha!

School is almost out... Nights have gotten longer ...And it is time to bring out the Good ‘Ol Grill! To celebrate the upcoming summer Anderson's Angels, This Mamas Life, The More The Merrier and Woven by Words, are very excited to bring you the Grillin & Chillin Giveaway Event! We've teamed up with over 15 other wonderful bloggers, to bring you another great giveaway event! Each blog has gathered a prize package worth $25 or more so be sure to visit each blog and enter!

Hosts & participating hop bloggers of the Grillin & Chillin Event are not responsible for sponsors or self-sponsoring bloggers that do not fulfill prize obligations.

Now you have the chance to win a KOR Nava to help keep you cool during the summer months! a Rafflecopter giveaway