December Highlights

Can you believe that tomorrow it will be 2017?!
December was a very busy month.

--The first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of this month, my brother and I preformed in our towns Christmas program. I was in the orchestra, which is the prelude music. This was the third year that I did it and it was a ton of fun.

--We got a lot of snow! It snowed on December 8th, and never melted, but we've gotten quite a bit since then. A couple days ago some of my siblings and I went sledding with some friends.

--We had our annual family Christmas party.

--I put together a violin recital for my violin students. They all did a good job.

--My family and I put together a game day at our house. We invited friends over and we all visited and played board and/or card games.

--I participated in the 12 Days of Christmas blog link-up that Faith P. hosted. It was fun doing all of my Christmasy posts and seeing everyone else's.

--I also watched a lot of Christmas movies this month. :)

--Christmas! Christmas day was really fun! :) We read the Christmas story and opened presents in the morning. Then in the afternoon my grandparents came over for dinner. We also lost power for about an hour that afternoon.

--Two friends of mine and I had a girls night. It's where we stayed up super later watching movies, playing games, and just having fun together.


The books I read this month were:
The Lopsided Christmas Cake by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Jean Brunstetter
A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid
A Christmas Snow by Jim Stovall
Twice Loved by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Beyond the Horizon by Jesseca Wheaton
Millie's Grand Adventure by Martha Finley, adapted by Kersten Hamilton
The Old Mansion's Secret by Rebekah A. Morris
At the Christmas Lodge by Rebekah A. Morris

I mostly read all Christmas books this month since Christmas books are just so fun to read around Christmas time! :)


I won't be back to blogging again until next year. ;)

2016 Bookish Recap Tag

Faith from Stories by Firefly tagged me for this super fun tag that she created! Thanks, Faith, it was a ton of fun! :D

~ Rules. ~
-- Include the above button in your post. 
-- Answer the 11 questions. 
-- Use as many book covers as you like. (The correct answer to this question would be ALOT. B-)) 
-- Tag 5-10 people and notify them that they have been tagged. 


~ Questions. ~

// How many books did you read in 2016? (Exact if you know, or approximate if not.) 
I read 85 book this year.

// Did you set a reading challenge for yourself and, if so, did you meet it?  
I sort of set a goal. I really wanted to read 100 books, but I didn’t make it.

// What was your most read genre this year? Least read? 
The most read genre for me was historical fiction. I read around 60.
My least read genre was fantasy. I read 3.

// What's five of your favorite books from 2016? 
The Last Ride by Susan K. Marlow
A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin
Julia’s Last Hope by Janette Oke
The Wish by Beverly Lewis
A Question of Honor by Jesseca Wheaton (no cover yet)
…and many more! ;)

// What's five of your least favorite books from 2016? 
June Bug by Chris Fabry — This was an enjoyable book and I was enjoying the story, but something happened at the end that I didn’t like. It’s kind of a bittersweet book to me.
Deny by Tricia Mingerink — This is the second book in a series. I did enjoy the series, but there was some violence throughout this series and I felt that this book just had a bit too much for me.
A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin — This book was okay, but there was a couple things that I just didn’t like.
The Princess Club by Catherine Marshall (adapted by C. Archer) — I really enjoyed the  12 book Christy series, but this one was a little boring in my opinion.
Christy Miller volume 1 by Robin Jones Gunn. This collection has the first three Christy Miller books in it. I really didn't care for the first two books, but by the third they were okay. I kept reading the series and now I like them quite a bit.

// What new favorite author did you discover? (Not necessarily that the author is 'new', but that they became new to you this year.) 
I discovered Sarah Sundin and Robin Jones Gunn. I really enjoy both authors works, and I can’t wait to read more from them in the coming year.

// What's five of your favorite book covers from the year? 
Forever with You by Robin Jones Gunn
Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin
The Atonement by Beverly Lewis
Child of Mine by David and Beverly Lewis
As You Wish by Robin Jones Gunn

// How many books did you purchase for yourself in 2016? (Exact if you know, approximate if not.) 
Umm…a lot. Probably more then I actually needed, but just to clarify, a good portion of these books were from thrift stores or on sale, so I didn’t buy all of these for full price. ;) About 90.

// What's the longest book you read in 2016? 
Christy Miller volume 2 by Robin Jones Gunn. This book has books 4-6 of the Christy Miller books, but it's the longest I read. It has 496 pages.

// What's the shortest book you read in 2016? 
At the Christmas Lodge by Rebekah A. Morris. It was 28 pages.

// What's your reading goal for 2017? 
I’m going to try and read 100 books in 2017, since I didn’t this past year.


I tag:
Jonathan
Ashley Nicole

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!! :) I hope you all have a wonderful day!
I am so excited, we have a white Christmas! It snowed a lot on the 23rd and some yesterday too. :) We have about 7 inches all together.

With Christmas, as we do gifts and everything else, it can sometimes be hard to remember what Christmas is really about. So lets remember to put Jesus first!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies // Movie Review

After Aunt Sally's Christmas Cookies Company is sold, executive Hannah, must seal the deal and shut down the factory, which is the small town of Cookie Jar's lifeblood. What was supposed to be a simple assignment for Hannah becomes complicated when she meets Jake, the factory owner determined to find a way to keep his business open. When Hannah gets swept up in the joy of the holiday season and falls for Jake, will love make her risk her job to save the town?

The movie Christmas Cookies is a fun, family-friendly movie. It wasn't as good as I hoped it would be, but it was still good. I actually just watched this movie for the first time last night. :)

I give this movie 8.5 R's out of 10.

The Lopsided Christmas Cake // Book Review

From the Back Cover:

Twin sisters Elma and Thelma Hochstetler have done everything together for their thirty-two years of life, including remaining unmarried. They inherited their grandparents' house and general store, which will support them well. Now they will take on baking a cake for a Shipshewana charity event together. 
They are decent cooks, but they didn't anticipate having to demonstrate the baking process on stage before their cake will be auctioned off. They panic, and Elma struggles to keep order while Thelma bumbles through the process with a smile. The pair end up being so entertaining that bachelor friends in attendance, Joseph Beechy and Delbert Gingerich, think it was all planned. Joseph, a shy harness maker, would like to meet Thelma and asks Delbert to bid on the sisters cake.
Could a lopsided Christmas cake be the key to opening the door to a romance for one or more of the Hochstetler twins?

I really enjoyed The Lopsided Christmas Cake! It was a really good, cute, and funny story. It had me laughing quite a few times with things that the twins, Elma and Thelma, did. 

I have to admit that at first I wasn’t sure how this book would be. I’d read other books by Wanda Brunstetter and enjoyed them, but this one seemed a little, well…interesting. The cover and title seemed a bit strange and the main peoples names, Elma and Thelma, well, I just didn’t quite know what to expect, but I have to say that this book was really good. I will definitely read it again another Christmas. Also, there’s going to be a sequel to this book called, The Farmers’s Market Mishap, that comes out in June 2017. I’m looking forward to it! 

So, yes, I really enjoyed The Lopsided Christmas Cake and would recommend it! :)

I give this book 9.5 R’s out of 10

Today is the Eve of Christmas Eve! :D I am so excited!
Are you excited for Christmas in just 2 more days?

Christmas Traditions

Christmas is in 3 days!!! I can't believe that it's so close! I'm so excited, but I'm also not quite ready yet. ;)
Today I will be sharing some family traditions that are special to me.

--Each year, sometime in December, we have a family Christmas party. It's so much fun. We have something special for dinner. My parents put together a basket that's for everyone. Inside there's a movie, a game, snacks. We watch the movie that evening and also play the game while we have the snacks. Most years we do a gift exchange. It's a super fun night and one I look forward to each year.

--On Christmas Eve we do a family Christmas Eve service. We read from the Bible and my siblings and I play Christmas songs on our instruments and sometimes some of us will sing.

--Christmas morning is so much fun! When all of us kids were younger we used to always want to get up super early, but our parents made us wait to get them up until 7:00, so us kids would meet in my sister's and my room at 6:00 and do some fun things together until 7:00. Well, now just my two younger brothers and I do this. They come up to my room and we have fun until it's time to head downstairs. Once everyone is up we gather together and read the Christmas story. After that we open up our stockings. Next we have breakfast which is usually scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls. After breakfast we open presents. It's a really fun morning. :) After present we just have fun around the house doing stuff with our new gifts and all. Then later in the afternoon we have an early dinner of prime rib and for dessert we will sometimes do Christmas cookies.
So that's pretty much our Christmas Day.


What's one of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Some of My Favorite Christmas Books

Today I'm here to share with you all some of my favorite Christmas books!

Jaime and C. J. Fitzpatrick began their married life as most couples do--in love and looking forward to a bright future together. But four years later they've drifted apart and are almost ready to call it quits.

Mattie Riehl was hoping to give her husband Sol the Christmas gift they have both longed for--news that a baby was on the way. But as usual, she is disappointed. The holidays bring an acute awareness to Mattie that her dream of a big family isn't likely to become a reality. 

Then a winter storm raging outside blows the Fitzpatricks into the Riehl home--and into a much slower pace of life. Can these two couples from different worlds help each other understand the true meaning of love this Christmas?

--This book is so good! It's very Christmasy and snowy, and it just makes it feel more like Christmas. You can see my review here. 

Will Henderson, abandoned by his father sixteen years ago and left in the care of an Amish couple, has joined the Amish church and is about to marry Karen Yoder. But as Will contemplates marriage and potential fatherhood, he wonders will he eventually destroy his family as his father did his?
Karen Yoder can't break through the barrier that her fiancé has suddenly constructed around his heart. When she seeks the advice of an old boyfriend, Will begins to see green. Is there a chance there won't be a December wedding after all?
Riddled with guilt and shame over abandoning his son, Frank Henderson sinks into depression. As he begins to search for Will, he wonders if there is anything he can do to make it right.
When Will's life is threatened, the strength of blood-ties is put to the test. Can Will find it in his heart to forgive his father and marry the woman he loves? Can an old recipe for White Christmas Pie contain the truth that sets him free?

--This is a really great book! I read it for the first time last year, and it didn't take me very long at all to read it. It was an enjoyable story, and I plan to read it again this Christmas.

Twin sisters Elma and Thelma Hochstetler have done everything together for their thirty-two years of life, including remaining unmarried. They inherited their grandparents' house and general store, which will support them well. Now they will take on baking a cake for a Shipshewana charity event together. 
They are decent cooks, but they didn't anticipate having to demonstrate the baking process on stage before their cake will be auctioned off. They panic, and Elma struggles to keep order while Thelma bumbles through the process with a smile. The pair end up being so entertaining that bachelor friends in attendance, Joseph Beechy and Delbert Gingerich, think it was all planned. Joseph, a shy harness maker, would like to meet Thelma and asks Delbert to bid on the sisters cake.
Could a lopsided Christmas cake be the key to opening the door to a romance for one or more of the Hochstetler twins?

--This is a really fun book. I read it a couple weeks ago with a friend, which made it all the more fun. I'll be doing a review on this book in a couple of days. --

Eliana longs to see the world beyond the mountains that tower above Salzburg, Austria, but knows that dream will never see such adventure- and neither will she.
Surrounded by a world of cruelty, she lives for the weekly visits of Aron, a boy she met on one of her rambles through the countryside. 
But as the years pass and she begins to grow older, a new and unwelcome world is opened up to her.
On a fateful night at a party she vowed she’d never attend, she comes face to face  with  a shocking truth.
As the world around her teeters on the brink of war, Eliana struggles to figure out just where her loyalty lies; a decision that will drastically change the course of her life. Will she ever be free to see what lies beyond the horizon?

--This is a fun Christmas, World War II, Cinderella retelling. I really liked that this book wasn't a very typical fairy tale. You can see my review here. --

A position in a used toy shop is an answer to prayer for Bev Winters, who finds herself widowed with a young daughter after World War II. But when her employer shows her surprising kindness, she is unsure how to react.

After his wife’s death, Dan Fisher dutifully maintains her used toy shop and closes his heart to ever loving another woman. Then Bev Winters enters his life, and he is drawn to help her and her daughter. Will this working relationship turn into love?

--Twice Loved is a fun Christmas book that I read for the first time last week. --

Have you read any of these books?
What are some of your favorite Christmas books?

Some of My Favorite Christmas Movies

Today I am going to be sharing with you all some of my favorite Christmas movies! :D I enjoy watching these each Christmas.

Elementary school teacher Christie is embracing the holiday spirit: she has entered the Christmas Bake Off, and feels determined to win the grand prize of a trip for her class. But when her childhood rival, Penny, joins the contest, the heat is really on...especially when the handsome, widowed father of one of Christie's students becomes part of the festivities.

--A Cookie Cutter Christmas is a great, fun movie. --

In the midst of war in Afghanistan, an army soldier named Cody, is touched when he receives a Christmas card from a young woman named Faith, who lives in the small town of Nevada City, California. 
A few weeks before Christmas, Cody goes on military leave and travels to Nevada City in search of Faith. Through a series of events he becomes very close to the family. Her father and uncle do their best to bring Cody and Faith together even though Faith is already engaged to someone else.

--The Christmas Card is a favorite in my family. --

Newly widowed Kathy plans to skip out on decking the halls and trimming the tree this Christmas, trying to avoid anything that will bring back memories of her late husband. The only Christmas tradition she will observe is baking cookies for her friends, a passion since she was a child. When Kathy meets handsome Christmas tree shop owner Tim, their undeniable chemistry - along with an ornament Tim gives her that symbolizes hope - helps Kathy open up to the joys of the season again. With the support of her best friend Jenna, and the budding relationship with Tim, Kathy begins to embrace the hopeful message of the ornament. Although Kathy wants to take a chance on Tim, she struggles to find the balance between preserving the memory of her husband and moving on with her own future. Is the Christmas ornament a sign that she can have a hopeful future?

--The Christmas Ornament is a movie that I watched for the first time this year. It's really good, and I've actually watched it twice already. --

When Todd, a developmentally-challenged 20 year-old with an affinity for animals, hears that the animal shelter is looking for families to foster a dog for Christmas, he’s eager to sign up. But Todd's father George says “no adoptions” – even temporary ones – claiming he wants to protect Todd from disappointment. Mary Ann, Todd's mother, knows better. Something else is troubling George – something he doesn’t want to face.

With Mary Ann’s support, Todd’s persistence pays off. He chooses a friendly yellow lab and names him “Christmas.” Bringing Christmas home proves to be a life-changing event for the whole family, allowing Todd to show that he can care for the dog on his own, and inspiring George to love a new member of the family.

--This is a really sweet Christmas movie. --

Single mom Jennifer, who can't wait for Christmas to be over, has her perfect list-driven life derailed when her uncle Ralph visits for the holiday. 

During Uncle Ralph's trip, he meets a fellow, care-free, traveler named Morgan. Morgan's connecting flight is cancelled and Uncle Ralph convinces Jennifer to allow Morgan to stay with them for one night, but Uncle Ralph has alternative motives and things get crazy when Jennifer's list-driven life collides with Morgan's care-free lifestyle.

--The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is another family favorite. It's really good and pretty funny too. --

Kathleen has carried around the unwanted memory of her father abandoning her and her mother on Christmas Eve. For the past 30 years, she has blamed her mother for that night and refuses to celebrate Christmas in any fashion. Although she has tried to forget her past, it has not forgotten her, and in the days leading up to Christmas she finds herself stuck in her own home with two strangers, Sam, a gentle older man Kathleen took in for the night and Lucy, the daughter of her soon to be fiancé. As the storm brings her face to face with the hurts of her past, she will have to choose one path; letting go and grabbing hold of a life changing forgiveness or continuing to carry her pain and bitterness with her.

--I actually did a review on this movie a couple of days ago. If you didn't get a chance to see it you can go here. --

Have you seen any of these Christmas movies?

What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Six more days until Christmas!! I'm not exactly ready yet. I still have some more Christmas shopping to do, but I'm so excited for Christmas! :)

Christmas time is my favorite time of the year. I'm going to share with you all some things that make it seem like "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" for me. :)

--First off, snow. Snow makes everything seem very wintery and Christmasy. We actually have snow right now. It snowed about two weeks ago and it's still here! I'm really hoping it will snow again soon and that we'll have a white Christmas.

--Next, Christmas decorations! I just love to decorate for Christmas.

--Christmas Lights. They are so pretty. White lights are very nice, but the colored lights are my favorite.

--Fires in the fireplace.

--Reading Christmas books.

--Watching Christmas movies.

--Hot chocolate.

--Buying/making gifts for family and friends. I really, really enjoy getting people gifts, although some people can be quite hard to buy for. ;)

--Homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.

--Christmas music. Some of my favorite Christmas songs are: What Child id This?, Mary Did You Know?, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Away in a Manger, Joy to the World,  I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Deck the Halls, and We Need a Little Christmas.

Christmas Cookies

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday. I cannot believe that Christmas is in one week!!
Okay, today I am sharing my most favorite Christmas cookie recipe.

Sugar Cookies

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter and shortening for 30 seconds; add sugar and beat till fluffy. add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating till well combined. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. Working with 1/2 of the dough at the time, on a lightly floured surface roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place on an non-greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375* oven for 8 minutes or till done. 

This recipe is taken from a Betty Crocker cookbook. These cookies are my absolute favorite Christmas cookie ever! My family and I make them pretty much every year.
The recipe doesn’t usually make that many cookies, so we usually double it.

Also these cookies are really good with a cream cheese frosting. (Sorry I don't have any pictures.)


What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

Faeries

Two weeks ago my brother, Jonathan, and I played our violins in a Christmas program that a bunch of different churches in out town puts on. This was our third year being in the orchestra. We played eight different song. One of my favorite songs that we preformed was Faeries, which is from The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies. It was just a lot of fun to play. :) I wanted to share with you all this one song from the concert. Also, at the end there's some background noise and people talking. The orchestra's just the prelude music, so people don't tend to be that quiet, so sorry for the noise.

Beyond the Horizon Blog Tour

Today is the release date for Jesseca Wheaton's newest book, Beyond the Horizon.

About the Book:
Eliana longs to see the world beyond the mountains that tower above Salzburg, Austria, but knows that dream will never see such adventure- and neither will she.

Surrounded by a world of cruelty, she lives for the weekly visits of Aron, a boy she met on one of her rambles through the countryside. 

But as the years pass and she begins to grow older, a new and unwelcome world is opened up to her.
On a fateful night at a party she vowed she’d never attend, she comes face to face  with  a shocking truth.
As the world around her teeters on the brink of war, Eliana struggles to figure out just where her loyalty lies; a decision that will drastically change the course of her life. Will she ever be free to see what lies beyond the horizon?

Add to Goodreads

Buy on Amazon 

~My Review~
Beyond the Horizon is a really good book! It's a World War II, Cinderella retelling, Christmas story. I don't really like fairy tales or fairy tale retellings, but this isn't your typical fairy tale retelling. It's really good and unique. This book also had some twists and surprises that I wasn't expecting. I'd definitely recommend this book! :)

About the Author:
Jesseca is an 18-year old daughter, sister, and a child of God. Her days are spent reading, cooking, spending time with siblings, or playing piano.   And writing, of course! At an early age words fascinated her, and her love for the printed page has only grown. She lives with her parents and seven siblings in the sunny state of Kansas, and she’s convinced there’s no place like home.
Connect with Jesseca:
Blog:Whimsical Writings
Goodreads
Pinterest

Blog Tour Schedule

Friday, December 16th.
--Rebekah Ashleigh @ Rebekah Ashleigh --Review
-- Soleil @ Thoughts from a Daughter of God --Review and Book Spotlight
--Rebekah Eddy @ Rebekah’s Remarks --Book Spotlight, Author Interview
--Kaitlyn K. @ Twin Thoughts --Review
--Liv K. Fisher @ Whispers on the Wind --Book spotlight
--Faith Potts @ Stories by Firefly --Review and Book Spotlight
--Kellyn Roth @ Reveries Reviews --Review

Saturday, December 17th.
--Anika @ Anika’s Avenue --Review, book spotlight
--Rebekah Morris @ Rebekah’s Reading Room --Review
--Deborah C. @ Reading in June --Book Spotlight
--Natasha H. @ Looking through my Lens --Book spotlight

A Christmas Snow // Movie Review

Kathleen has carried around the unwanted memory of her father abandoning her and her mother on Christmas Eve. For the past 30 years, she has blamed her mother for that night and refuses to celebrate Christmas in any fashion. Although she has tried to forget her past, it has not forgotten her, and in the days leading up to Christmas she finds herself stuck in her own home with two strangers, Sam, a gentle older man Kathleen took in for the night and Lucy, the daughter of her soon to be fiancé. As the storm brings her face to face with the hurts of her past, she will have to choose one path; letting go and grabbing hold of a life changing forgiveness or continuing to carry pain and bitterness with her. 

This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. It's a great story and a movie that I enjoy watching each Christmas.
The only thing that I didn't really like was something that happened at the end. It was sort of strange and made the whole movie seem just a bit confusing, but other then that it was a great movie. 

I give this movie 9 R's out of 10

12 Days of Christmas and a Book review

Hi everyone! Today is the first day of the 12 Days of Christmas blog link-up! :D (That means there are only 12 days until Christmas! I can't believe it.)

Faith over at Stories by Firefly is hosting this fun link-up. The two of us, along with a bunch of other bloggers, are participating in this. I will be posting some type of Christmasy post each day until Christmas. Faith will be too, so you should definitely check out her blog. She will also be linking to a bunch of other peoples blogs participating in this fun link-up, so you'll be able to read some wonderful Christmas posts! 

                 ***************************************************************

From the Back Cover:

Jaime and C. J. Fitzpatrick began their married life as most couples do--in love and looking forward to a bright future together. But four years later they've drifted apart and are almost ready to call it quits.

Mattie Riehl was hoping to give her husband Sol the Christmas gift they have both longed for--news that a baby was on the way. But as usual, she is disappointed. The holidays bring an acute awareness to Mattie that her dream of a big family isn't likely to become a reality. 

Then a winter storm raging outside blows the Fitzpatricks into the Riehl home--and into a much slower pace of life. Can these two couples from different worlds help each other understand the true meaning of love this Christmas?

This is one of my favorite Christmas books. It is so good. The whole story takes place in 3 days, but it didn't drag on. This story is about Solomon and Mattie Riehl who you meet in The Choice, but if you haven’t read The Choice that’s fine. It just gives a little of a back story to this Christmas story. This is definitely a book that I will re-read!                                                                 

I give this book 9.5 R's out of 10

Please check back for some more Christmasy posts, and don't forget to check out Faith's blog!