Cross Country 2013

Morgan and Blake ran Cross Country for the first time this year and I couldn't be more proud of them!  The elementary school offered a club for them to join and they were able to practice two to three days a week after school and then run at three meets.  The grades ranged from 1st to 6th grade that ran together at the meets.

Meet #1

They ran 1.5 miles and Blake had a time of 16:58

 

 Morgan ran at a separate time and ran the same distance in 16:32

 

Meet #2

 

The kids before they ran 1.75 miles.

 

Blake's time was 19:52

 

 Morgan came in 23rd for girls at this meet and received a medal!! She had a time of 17:45.

 My mom got a nice picture of us after their race.  I was so glad it was sunny and I could wear my sunglasses to cover the happy/proud tears. ;-)



Meet #3

This last meet was cooler and they had 2 miles to run on a golf course.  (Lots of hills!)

 

Morgan had a time of 21:29



 

 Blake ran the 2 miles in 24:34

 

 Happy to be done!

 

The cross country season was fun for Morgan.  She had some great runs and seemed to be very consistent.  She paces herself well and didn't need to walk much.  She thought it was pretty awesome to get a medal too, like her uncle always used to. :-)

 

Blake, while he ran and did well, didn't seem to like it as much.  I think it was a bit scary for him to be running around on his own with hundreds of kids...a bit intimidating.  He usually started or ended the races in tears.  He says he doesn't want to do it again at this point, but there were times that he was excited to run and he likes to be outside with me when I run...we'll see!

 

All-in-all an amazing experience!  I would have never imagined my kids running those distances at the ages of 7 and 6.  Again, very proud of them for finishing each of the races.

Soccer Season 2013

Blake finished up soccer for the season a few weeks ago.  With Morgan not playing, he was actually put into his age group this year, which happened to be mostly younger kids than him due to the birthday cutoff.  It was kinda nice to just enjoy watching the kids run around and play without worrying about what position they were playing.  (There wasn't even a goalie.)  I think Blake enjoyed it more too. :-)

 

 

 

Blake was able to score a few goals and was super excited!  He is looking forward to playing again next year. Morgan even says she wants to again as well...it doesn't seem to be her type of thing, but she liked Blake's medal, so we'll see. ;-)

Apple Orchard 2013

I am WAY behind on posting happenings around here, so I'm going to do my best to catch up over the next couple weeks.

 

Towards the end of September, we got together with a group of friends to pick apples....and eat apple cider donuts (the best donuts EVER)...and drink cider.

 (I chose bees to cover the kids faces this time...if youve ever been apple picking, you know about the bees!)

Everyone was busy finding the best apples they could.

Morgan and Blake stopped long enough to show me their toothless and cheesy smiles. :-) 

We had a wonderful time that day!  Of course I forgot to get pictures of the kids enjoying their donuts and cider...I'll let you imagine the deliciousness. ;-)

"King's Faith" DVD Review & GIVEAWAY! (11/20)

*Disclosure: I was provided a copy of the following movie in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

About KING'S FAITH

Eighteen foster homes. Nine arrests. One life-changing moment.

After Brendan King’s life spiraled to rock bottom, the teen found hope in a new relationship with Christ while serving time in a juvenile penitentiary. Recently released from prison, Brendan finds solace in the foster home of a couple struggling with suppressed grief.

 

As the city-bred teen enrolls at a suburban high school, he finds support from a group of believers. Yet the bonds of his old way of life—and the gang that wants to know where he hid their stash on a long-ago night—are strong. In his darkest moment, Brendan found faith. Now he must decide if it’s worth the price to hold on to it.

 

KING’S FAITH is produced by DiBella and Faith Street Film Partners LLC, a Rochester, NY-based collective of filmmakers, churches, investors, and supporters.

 

KING’S FAITH stars Emmy Award winning actress Lynn Whitfield (The Women of Brewster Place, Madea’s Family Reunion), Crawford Wilson (Judging Amy, Zoey 101), Kayla Compton (Entourage), and James McDaniel (Malcolm X, NYPD Blue).
 

My Review:
King's Faith is really a great, inspiring, movie!  It's amazing to see how God works through Brendan, and his past troubles, to help those around him.  When Brendan's own faith is tested, he wavers, but God is there for him in ways he could have never imagined. 

The actors in King's Faith portray their characters really well.  The foster dad really stands out.  I couldn't help but be moved by his compassion for Brendan and the strength of his own faith.

I really can't say enough good about King's Faith.  I highly recommend watching, and being inspired, by it!  Please don't let the kiddos watch it with you though.  There are several scenes that are too much for little one's eyes.

Buy It!
King's Faith retails for $14.99 and can be purchased through a variety of retailers found on the King's Faith website.  The movie runs 108 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Thank you to FlyBy Promotions for providing me a copy of "King's Faith" to review and another to give away to one of my readers!

GIVEAWAY!

 

Congratulations to comment #22, apple blossom!

 

One of my readers is going to win their own copy of "King's Faith"!

To enter to win, please leave a comment below. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address, so that I can contact you if you're the winner!

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Open to U.S. and Canadian residents 18 years and older. Giveaway will end Wednesday, November 20th, 2013 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be chosen shortly after and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.

"The Others" Review and Book & $75 Amazon Gift Card GIVEAWAY! (11/15)

*Disclosure: I received a copy of The Others in exchange for my honest review. In posting a review, I also have the opportunity to win an amazon.com gift card. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

 

About The Others:
A dangerous adventure to save a distant world Ryen is just a normal guy trying to do his job. Unfortunately, that job includes trying to save his distant world on the brink of disaster.

Ryen is on a mission to Earth to find the answers to his distant world's most critical questions. While searching the Yucatan Peninsula for a mythic figure-a savior-who would live a perfect life and ultimately die to save their souls, Ryen meets Savannah, a beautiful woman hiding a painful past. On their dangerous adventures together through the untamed jungles of Mexico, he can't help but fall in love with her. As his time runs out, Ryen must decide if he is willing to give up everything he has ever known and loved to stay on Earth with Savannah.

The Masters, a powerful clan of corrupt leaders, are plotting to take back Earth, the sacred planet, from the humans. Ryen and Savannah are thrust into the middle of The Masters' plot.

About the Author:
Kristin Bryant is a teacher, author and, most importantly, a mom. She teaches anthropology and psychology for a virtual high school and lives in Orange County, California with her husband and two sons. Visit her at kristinbryant.com.

My Review:
The Others took me a little bit to get into, but only for the fact I'm not used to reading science fiction. By Chapter Three I was pretty well hooked, though, and it didn't take much longer before I didn't want to put the book down!  The Others had to be one of the most intriguing books I have ever read.  It was full of suspense, the 'sci-fi' aspect was actually quite cool and I can always get into a good love story.  The Others is a book I would highly recommend and would even love to see it as a movie some day!

Buy It!
The Others can be purchased for $11.41 as a paperback or on Kindle for $9.99.  Amazon says its 192 pages, but my book is 388 pages.


GIVEAWAY:
One person will win a copy of The Others along with a $75 Amazon gift card.  Please follow the rules in the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

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Giveaway open to U.S. and Canada. See Rafflecopter form for official rules.