Monday, July 18, 2011

Book club

I've always wanted to be in a book club. I majored in English because I thought it was "like" being in a book club, for crying out loud...only I had to write lots of papers. Yet, I had never been in a genuine, honest-to-goodness book club. I was invited last year to be a part of one, but scheduling never seemed to work out. This year, in February, I decided to take the plunge and start my own. Six months into it, and I can honestly say, it has been a blast! Last month we even had a few new people join the group, so we are up to 12 women now. We usually meet at a restaurant for food and drinks and end up talking about everything under the sun (and the book, too). It has definitely been a blessing, and I might get down-right depressed if we had to stop meeting. I often get asked for suggestions on books to read by others, so I thought I'd share what our book club is reading and some other good recommendations.

2011 Book Club Reading List

February - Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese (fiction) - one of the most beautifully written stories ever! It takes a little time to warm up, but you will feel blessed once you finished it...like you just devoured literary art.

March - A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul E. Miller (non-fiction) - best book on prayer I've ever read, hands-down!

April - The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (memoir) - Book club favorite.

May - Loving our Kids on Purpose by Danny Silk (non-fiction) - Great ideas in this here book.

June - The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (fiction) - Be ready to get wrapped up in such a great story that you will be depressed when it is over. Love! Looking forward to reading another one of Morton's books.

July -– Tiny Sunbirds Far Away by Christine Watson (fiction) - Just finished! Terrific! This is in CNN's list of top summer reads for 2011 (and it was).

August - Room by Emma Donoghue (fiction)

September - Half The Sky by Sheryl WuDunn (non-fiction)

October – The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley (fiction)

November - The Hunger Games - Book 1 by Suzanne Collins (fiction)

December - Catching Fire - Book 2 by Suzanne Collins (fiction)

January 2012 - Mockingjay - Book 3 by Suzanne Collins (fiction)

Other good one's:
Bossypants, by: Tina Fey - because we all need a good laugh

Half Broke Horses, by: Jeannette Walls - this is somewhat of a sequel to The Glass Castle about the author's grandmother

Sarah's Key, by: Tatiana de Rosnay - Great WW2 historical fiction

The Help, by: Kathryn Stockett - I've already recommended this book, but the movie is coming out soon, and it is truly a great read! Must read!

The Mark of the Lion series, by: Francine Rivers - The ONLY Christian fiction I'm not embarrassed to say that I've read. It is good...seriously good y'all. Would read it every year if I had the time. Chad has even read it, and loved it!

Hope this gives you some good reading ideas!


Saturday, June 25, 2011

Evening at Mandola Winery

My baby girl is turning ONE in just two short weeks! I am proud to say we made it a whole year! I bought her this yellow dress with white polka dots for Easter, but conveniently forgot (since the dress at this point had captivated me with its cuteness) that our church doesn't meet on Easter, but instead goes downtown to grill one thousand hamburgers to share with our homeless friends. Her little yellow dress wasn't really the appropriate attire for the occasion. None-the-less it had to be bought and had to make it's way into a portrait somehow, in some way. Well, I finally found a good reason to dress her up (before she outgrew it, no less). The Haynes family was in need of some family shots, so we decided to make an evening of it. Mandola Winery in Driftwood sounded like a perfect fit. As soon as you step on the property, you feel like you have been transported to the Italian countryside. Impeccable landscaping (despite the extreme drought level in Central Texas), beautiful fountain amidst the garden, vineyards, a clay tiled-roof, stone villa...PERFECT! Not to mention the food is pretty delicious, too. Another great part about the venue is that scattered amongst the oaks are picnic tables. You can order food from the restaurant to-go, then enjoy your meal with a glass (or two bottles if you are us) of wine in this gorgeous setting. Absolutely the best way to dine with children!

Here is some shots from the evening:


Elaina


Luke




The Haynes Family

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Latest pics of the kids












I took these portraits of the kids this past Feb. Elaina was 7 months and Luke was almost 4. You can tell in the pics how much they love each other. I am going to Mandola Winery to take Elaina's One year and Luke's Four Year shot tomorrow. I'll post those soon along with some good book suggestions. I started a bookclub six months ago and we've read some good ones. I'm definitely not the best blogger. Thank you Jessica Jett for your encouragement :)