Wild Montana Skies

Happy Thanksgiving World!
So I love cooking and Thanksgiving is one of those days where I can bake and cook to my little hearts content.  I grew up with a mom who always made the holidays special.  Her five course meals were amazing, unique, and always so so good :)  Maybe because all our family is in Wisconsin (we live 17 hours away), I have tried my hardest to make sure every holiday for our family is the same.  The kids seem to love the lefsa (a Scandinavian treat) for breakfast, and the big five course meal for Thanksgiving dinner, and then, shhh don't tell them, but we'll be loading them up to go see Moana this evening in their pj's.  Hopefully they'll remember these memories and want to do the same for their family.  Do you have a favorite family tradition?  I would love to hear what yours is :)

Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren is a riveting book that immediately puts the reader into action.  The book opens up to a woman (Kacey Fairing)  driving back into her hometown for some much needed rest.  Kacey is a woman recovering from PTSD and bearing a history that is shattered.  Hoping to finally put the pieces back together she runs into the one person that can bring all the pain from the past to present.  Ben King didn't want to see Kacey, but he can't help remember what they had.

Whelp, this book had me at the first sentence.  Seriously I gobbled this baby up like it was twice baked potatoes.  For a first book in the series it lays out a lot for the reader but I didn't mind that because I knew this was laying the ground work for more books.  This book has superb writing, with the amazing truth and grace of Jesus Christ, you will want to read this book!  Once again Susan May Warren hit a home run, and I'm very excited to read her next book in the series!

*Yo peeps Revell gave me this book so I could write my honest opinion.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalms 100:4 (NLT)

Jesus Book girl's first video

Hello World,
So I decided to try my hand out with doing a video.  I hope you like it and please feel free to share it!
Love,
Bre

the Cottage

 Hello World
What a crisp Saturday we are having in Amarillo, Texas.  While it isn't the moors of Scotland, and I don't have a sheep dog :)  I thought it was appropriate to post a pic of our sweet chocolate lab "Lady Parker's Canon" with my amazing Roma boots.  This Canon pup of ours is 11 months old.  She is gentle with such a loving soul; our family couldn't have asked for a better pup :)  My Roma boots are pretty great too because they help out people in Romania; with every boot purchase you make Roma boots donates a pair to those who desperately need a good boot to stay warm and dry in.  These boots would be a great present for anyone, here is the link if you are curious about this company.

Michael Phillips book "the Cottage"  brings to life Loni Ford a young executive assistant who has all of a sudden become the soul heir of a large estate in the Shetland Islands of Scotland.  Not really knowing her family heritage she is surprised and somewhat flustered by the responsibility that is thrust upon her.  Little does she know how much her choice will affect everyone on the Island.

When I sit down to read a book I have several standards that I want if I'm going to like it.  The first would be that it pulls me in immediately and this book did it.  Two that it keeps me entertained, and 3rd that a book makes me think.  Mr. Phillips does a phenomenal job at pulling me in, entertaining me with different perspectives (adding some humor helps too), and all the while making me think how is this story going to end?  That to me are the ingredients of a great book, and the Cottage is definitely the results of mixing those qualities together.  So dear readers, if you want a book that takes you to the beautiful Shetland Islands,the distinct Scottish accent of a good many characters, and that weaves  a complex story; this is the book for you.

If you would like to purchase the book you can click Here.

*Yo peeps this book was given to me by Bethany House for my honest opinion :)

Tangled Webs

Hello World,
Today was such a fun day.  We had the kid's very first babysitter home from college and my son absolutely adores her, so of course she had to come for a paid visit i.e. babysit so Todd and I could go on a date :)  We ate Leal's which is a local restaurant that serves some pretty awesome Mexican food, and then we ended our date at Palace Coffee.  Palace is our go to place where the couches are comfy and the people are nice.  And let's not forget the most important part, today also gave me a chance to read this amazing book!

Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon is truly a tangled web (pun totally intended).  Finn McGregor is an ex-Army Ranger with PTSD trying to recover and handle the complex hardships that war time brings.  Dana Lewis is an editor recovering from a traumatic incident that leaves her with severe nightmares.  These two meet when they both escape into the woods for self discovery and peace.  What they didn't expect was for trouble to find them...

I am a fan romantic suspense novels!!!! And this one is definitely right up that alley.  What you have is a web of characters all being strung together when life throws them a curve ball.  What I loved about how Ms. Hannon wrote this book, was how each character handled hardship.  There is choosing the path of trusting God or deciding your way is better.  Each choice has it's own consequences and you can see how eloquently it's played out by the characters in the book.  Their voices are heard and the sequence of their choices recorded.  If you like a book that let's you see what is in a characters mind and how they handle life's hardship, this is the book for you.

If you would like the book click Here

*yo peeps this book was given to me by Revell so I can honestly write about it.

1 Chronicles 29:11 ESV

11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.

For you

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.


A little something that I needed to personally remind myself during this election.  No matter what the outcome of tonight's election; God is with you.   

Much love to you all!

When Love Arrives

Hello World!
So today was one of those cloudy dreary days in Amarillo, TX where you want to snuggle in by the fire and read a book, and that my dear readers, is exactly what I did.  It was beautiful, a cup of coffee made by my sweet husband, as well as the fire started by him too (I'm spoiled by my man), it was the perfect atmosphere to read an incredibly interesting tale by Johnnie Alexander.

When Love Arrives by Johnnie Alexander we meet two very deeply hurt souls.  Brett is a self proclaimed ladies man and multi millionaire, while Dani is an up and coming film producer/director. These two lives become entwined on a fateful night outside of a hospital.

This isn't your usual boy meets girl; falls in love kind of story, and I loved it for that very reason.  There's depth to the characters that Ms. Alexander composed in this book and it drew me in wanting to know each one.  I found myself seeing a man i.e. Brett who wanted change in his life, but not fully knowing how to trust/pray to God, this was true for Dani too.  As Brett and Dani begin their journey we are introduced to some amazing godly characters that help them along their way.  These characters made me think about how God brings people into my life and how simply praying for them or listening to them can be the nudge for them to accept God as their Lord and Savior.  God's hand is in everything, and this book is just one of those instances where I see it.  A very well written, fun book, that has nuggets of truth for everyone.  If your interested in this book feel free to click here.

*Yo peeps this book was given to me by Revell, so I can honestly say what I say.

Romans 12:1-2 msg
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 

The Raven

Hello World,
I am once again relaxing on my Saturday off.  It's amazing to me how one day of intentionally doing nothing puts me and my sweet little family in a good mood for the rest of the week.  For 33 years I have been constantly putting things in my life to do and to not really sit and rest.  This year, it occurred to me that I needed to do something, my job is very stressful and high demanding and I could feel myself falling apart from it.  It finally hit me that God told us to rest and was I really resting?  So the start of the school year brought a new tradition for our family, to intentionally rest and to really have a free day.  It has been wonderful, and I want to encourage everyone to do this!

On my day off I dug into the book "The Raven" (A Coffey & Hill Novel)  This is the 2nd book in the series.  Now dear readers have no worries, I didn't read the first book in the series and I didn't have any trouble with jumping into the 2nd.  The author Mike Nappa does a great job at making sure that even if you came into the book cold turkey you know the background and you don't feel like you missed much.  The Raven intertwines several character stories into one tale.  They are all closely connected to one another even if they don't know it.  Walk into the underbelly of Atlanta and see the good, the bad, and the ugly :)

I love mysteries, I love the puzzle pieces that are scattered throughout the book and in the end fit together to make a big picture.  It's probably why I enjoyed this book.  There were plenty of puzzle pieces that looked like there would in no way fit, but in the end did a great job showing the reader how all were connected.  We have Raven a magician/con-artist, Mama Bliss an owner of shop, Sam Hill former CIA agent turned officer, and Trudi Coffey a private detective and ex-wife of Sam.  It's a blend of these characters stories and going back in time make sure harm is not done to the citizens of Atlanta.  So, if you want a book that keeps you guessing and is told in multiple voices this is the book for you!

If you would like this book, please message me and I can find a way to send it to you :)  First come first serve peeps.

*Yo, this book was freely given to me so I can honestly write about it.