Taking a Break

Hi friends!! Just wanted to let you know that recently I've felt led to take an Internet hiatus, so, starting tomorrow, I won't be moderating or responding to comments, checking my Gmail, visiting the blogosphere, or frequenting Goodreads. I'm not sure how long the break will last, but I hope to use this time to recharge and refocus . . . and maybe do some extra writing. 😄 

Goodbye for now! *sends virtual hugs* 😘

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Monday Musings // Warm Weather At Last!!

After experiencing three weekends of snow and many days with ice covering the roads and sidewalks, God blessed us with almost a whole week of beautiful, warm, sunshiny weather. Perfect for jogging and biking in capris without a coat on. Oh, and bringing Ruby outside in a onesie. It was great. 😄

Morning ^^^ . . .  

. . . and afternoon ^^^

I've also been busy with school, proofreading the latest Circle C contest book, enjoying time out with Mom at Trader Joe's and Joann's, beginning Alex and Brett Harris' Do Hard Things for the first time (and already loving it!) . . . and witnessing one of the absolute CUTEST things ever. 😍

I typically have Ruby with me in the morning while I do math, and sometimes I'll take a break from my work to put lotion on her legs and feet. After doing exactly that this past Monday, I settled her on the floor and returned to the algebraic equations I was solving. Next time I looked up, Ruby had the lotion bottle in hand and was pretending to use it just like I had. Talk about 100%, breath-catching ADORABLENESS. I managed to grab my phone and film the moment, so please humor my sisterly pride and enjoy this forty-eight second video. 🥰

How's the weather where you live? What's a super cute thing your sister (or brother) has done that made you smile? Let's talk in the comments below!

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Q&A with Abby!

I just did my first-ever author Q&A!! Many thanks to Abby for having me on her blog. 😄 To check that out and see a devotion from my book, click the image below. Enjoy! 😘

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Monday Musings // Life Recently

We've gotten several inches of snow every weekend for the last three weeks, which is truly a rare experience to have where we live. Usually there's only one good snowfall a year; sometimes not even that. This past Saturday, a freezing rain made the snow crust over, causing it to break like glass under our feet (my sister especially loved it 😂). I slipped and fell on the ice in our driveway, bruising the heel of my left hand and pulling something in my leg. Thankfully, the pain didn't really set in until later that day, after I got to my feet and went jogging as planned. 😄

School also kept me busy. Bible has always been a huge part of my curriculum, and I was recently assigned a book that at first I was unsure about, but now am really enjoying. It's called The Hour That Changes the World by Dick Eastman, and I would definitely recommend checking it out! You can find it on Goodreads HERE. 

My family had our own little game night, which was super fun. Mom baked cookies, and I played chess with my brother for the first time in a long while. Grandma was able to join us via video chat. 😁

We celebrated Valentine's Day with dairy-free cinnamon rolls (that Mom made) and candy and flowers (from Grandma). It was awesome! 🤗

Mom with the flowers Grandma sent. (tulips are her favorite!)

Nothing says true love like chocolate. 😊
(thanks, Grandma!!)

I ran out of storage space on my phone, so I was not able to edit my photos at all this week. 🙄 *ahem* . . . But I figured you guys would enjoy the dump anyway. 😉

The baby swing at our park. No way were we putting Ruby in that thing! 😂

So beautiful, filters or no. 😃

Being goofy together. 🤪

Winter wonderland. 😍

Yum!

Final note: my friend Sandrina is posting regularly again on her blog, From the Notebook!! Her content is very uplifting and fun, so go take a peek and give her a follow! I know she'd love to hear from you. 🥰

How was your Valentine's Day? Did you get snow? Comment below! 

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Monday Musings // I'm Back!

Hello and happy February, friends!! I can't believe it's been almost three weeks since I last posted on this blog. I've definitely missed it, although the break was good for me and gave me extra time to focus on some other, more pressing things going on in my life . . . like judging stories for the Circle C writing contest and taking the PSAT. (the former was fun; the latter, not so much. the test required tons of studying beforehand and absolutely no listening to music *gasp*, then spending four hours in a classroom with a bunch of strange kids and a mask on. I felt physically and emotionally drained for a while afterwards. however, on a positive note, it also meant watching a Sue Thomas episode on a weekday and having one-on-one time with Dad, so that was special. plus, I had great friends praying for me. 💜)

Yesterday (Sunday) was Ruby's first birthday, and my family woke up to snow falling outside. We had several inches by evening. Mom made snow cream (a rare treat consisting of three simple ingredients: snow, milk, and sugar) just for the occasion. 😄

Now, time for the slew of photos you all have been waiting for. 😁

Here I am right outside the school where I took my PSAT, masked up and feeling (somewhat) ready to begin. 

Selfie w/ my lil' sis.

😍😍😍

Eating Cheez-its and doing math together.

A walk in the snow. 😃  

So pretty!! 🤩

Did you enjoy reading this post? Have you ever made snow cream? Let's talk in the comments below!

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Book Review // Stop the Rain by Kassie Angle

BACK-COVER SUMMARY:

He left his entire world in Iraq. So why did the war follow him home?

Harley Keane and his best friend Nigel were just kids when 9/11 rocked their world and changed their lives forever. When they’re finally old enough to join the Army, all their childhood dreams seem about to come true. But war wasn’t supposed to be like this. A kid’s dream isn’t supposed to become a living nightmare. Fellow soldiers aren’t supposed to bleed out in front of your eyes.

Back home, safe and unwounded, Harley feels anything but. Why would God spare him when so many others were taken? Why won’t the nightmares stop, even when he’s awake? And how long can he hide the truth that threatens everything he has left? When Harley’s invisible scars refuse to stay hidden, will he let anyone close enough to help? And how do you go on with life when “okay” isn’t okay at all?

MY REVIEW:

5+/5 stars

I read this book in two days and have been thinking about it longer than that. Even now, I'm still struggling to find the words that would adequately describe the impact Stop the Rain has made on my life. This book HURT like few other books I've read ever have (or probably ever will). At times I thought for sure I'd begin crying, which is something I don't usually experience in my reading journey. And now I've reached the end of the book, and my heart's still broken, seeing a trampoline reminds me only of Harley and Nigel, and I . . . won't be the same for a while. But that's okay; this novel was worth it. <33 Harley's story, although at first it started off slow and his own crying fits were constant and confusing, soon wrapped itself around my heart and didn't let go. Especially when I reminded myself partway through that he wasn't even twenty years old yet. The characters--each and every one of them--were a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Sgt. Rhys, Keith Hayes, Russell, Trey, Levi, Hawkins, Paul, Savannah, & Jakob Carter . . . each with their own story and the longing to reach through to Harley, no matter how rough he may have been with them. (and yes, there were moments when I wanted to shake Harley and say, "These people are looking out for you! why are you acting so ungrateful?" but it made their patience and care for him all the more evident. <3) So, yes, Stop the Rain has officially entered my very-most-favorites shelf. Excuse me while I go scream to the end of the earth how much I loved this novel by Kassie Angle. 6+ stars if I could. Due to some violence + scenes of death + the weighty topic of PTSD, however, I wouldn't recommend this to young or sensitive readers. I look forward to more by this author! =) PLACES TO FIND YOUR COPY OF STOP THE RAIN: Amazon (for ebook)|| Goodreads                   Have you read this one yet? Ever cried over a book before? Comment below! <3 Blessings, Ellen S.

Monday Musings // More Randomness

Aaaand, we've successfully made it through another week in 2021. Time for a brief recap.

I smiled over . . .

this song by Matthew West//Nerf gun battles with my siblings (two kids to each of the three teams)//another trip to the BAM bookstore with my mom and brother//texts from Grandma 💜//Ruby's scooting (er, crawling) techniques//games of Mario Kart Wii (whoosh, it sure brings back memories from the early stages of my childhood, when my older brother and I would play together all the time)//taking a walk with Ruby stuffed down inside my jacket ⬇⬇⬇

I read . . .

Stop the Rain by Kassie Angle (review for that coming Wednesday, Lord willing)

I prayed especially for . . .

my family//our nation//the new president and vice president elect//online relationships 

What about you? What have you smiled about? Read? Prayed for? Comment below! 

Also, due to the fact that the last weeks of January are gearing up to be crazy busy, I've changed my posting schedule and will probably be taking a break from doing Monday Musings until sometime next month. I still hope to blog occasionally in the meantime, though, so stay tuned!!

Blessings,

Ellen S.