Say Cheese

I just came back from buying $35 worth of the best cheese around-Bothwell mild cheddar. In 20 minutes I can drive to the small town of New Bothwell, choose my fresh-as-can-be cheese, and get home. Not bad. It's way less money to buy larger quantities and straight from the factory and easily worth the trip. Our family eats a lot of cheese, so we really benefit from the savings. I won't tell you how long (or short) a time the cheese lasts in our house. Let's just say "Not long enough".

Around here, cheese is rated by how much it "squeaks" when you bite into it. If it doesn't squeak, it's not fresh enough. Not that we're picky.

I encourage you to visit the Bothwell site. They ship all over the world so it may be worth your while. I can't guarantee it will squeak when it gets to you though!

Time for Montgomery!

I was excited to come across a blog that featured a link to an LM Montgomery reading challenge for the month of January. If you know me, you know I have been greatly impacted by all of her works, especially the Anne books, (to the point of naming my daughter after her and the Emily of the Emily series) and that I've read them countless times. Just a day or two before I found the challenge I had been thinking that I needed to get lost in that world again, so the timing was right!

Follow the link on my sidebar to check it and maybe even join us. There's always room for a kindred spirit!

Oh, I'll be reading the Emily of New Moon Series. I've read that it in many ways resembles Lucy's life, so I find it fascinating just for that alone.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my "makes my heart melt, amazingly funny, spitting image of my brother, shy and wonderful" son. Ivan is 14 today and I marvel at how much he has grown and how much his Dad and I love and appreciate him. He makes us laugh 20 times a day, makes us want to hang on to these days with him at home, while looking forward to seeing him as a man, and just plain makes our home a fun place to be. He is gentle and shy, yet determined and committed to truth. We love seeing him think through things and be willing to stand up for what he believes, even when he is a lone voice. 
We love you Ivan and wish you the happiest of birthdays and a wonderful year of being 14.

Our Year in Review

Since all the news shows are doing it, so will I. Here are just a few highlights of our year. I'm not the best at taking pictures, so there are definitely some highlights not documented here, but I thought it would be fun to look back and marvel again at God's grace in our lives!