by Stefany on February 8, 2010
This past weekend Mike and I had two opportunities to get out by ourselves. Both of the times the littles were sleeping so it made it possible to get out without the kids. We went out to dinner on Saturday night and then to the store on Sunday. Isn’t it funny how going to store can be considered a date when you have kids?
We really have made great strides in our marriage. We talk more and share our feelings more. In the past, Mike would get angry and get loud (at me, never the kids) and I would get angry and get loud back. He would then shut off and I would be left to deal with my feelings. This is no longer the case. We are talking things through. Mike and I are not getting angry at each other, don’t raise our voice, and are so much happier. Our kids likely don’t see a difference because, even when we were angry before, we didn’t do it in front of the kids. I think they may notice that we are closer than we were. We hug and kiss more than we used to, much to the dismay of my 16 year old who thinks it is just gross and my 3 year old who thinks mommy is for him to hug only.
In essence, we brought our marriage back to where it was years ago. The thing I am learning is that this isn’t really something we have to work hard on. If we remember to just stop and listen, we do all the things we both love about each other without thought. We have different ways of showing love for each other, but it is something that we are starting to understand more and it is nice. I spoke of this change awhile back and how we were going to focus on us more instead of making our focus the kids. We still give everything to our children, but these times when we can get out alone and just be together, they are worth everything to me.
by Stefany on February 8, 2010
” One moment, Carrie Weaver is planning to elope with Lancaster Barnstormer Solomon Riehl, leaving their Amish community behind. The next, she is staring into a future as broken as her heart. Now Carrie faces a choice. An opportunity. But will this decision, this moment in time, change her life forever?”
Recently, I was given the book The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher to review. I started reading it the day it came in the mail and finished it within 2 days! That is testament to how good this book is.
Carrie Weaver deals with tragedy over and over in this book but keeps her head high. She struggles with the decision to leave her home; the only home she has ever known and going with the man she loves. Should she stay in her Amish home or go to live with the English? Does she settle for less than what she wants, only for the sake of her family? Can she love anyone as much as she loves Solomon Riehl?
These are all questions Carrie must face in this story. It is a very quick read that, while teaching you much about the Amish way of life, still peaks and keeps your interest so you can’t put the book down. I felt like I personally knew the characters in The Choice and cared about what happened to them all. I was able to imagine what life in an Amish home was like thanks to the great writing of Suzanne. This book has a bit of mystery, romance, and drama. You will want to cry for the characters at one moment and then turn around and cheer for them.
The only negative thing I have to say about this book by Suzanne is that I have to wait until October to get the second book in this series, called the Lancaster County Secrets. I highly recommend this book to you (and already have to many of my friends). If you read it, The Choice will not let you down and you will be waiting anxiously for October as well.
A bit of information about the author of The Choice, Suzanne Woods Fisher:
“Suzanne is a wife and mom, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and an author of Christian books, both non-fiction and fiction.
Her relatives on my mother’s side are Old Order German Baptist Brethren, also known as Dunkards. That’s where her interest in Anabaptist traditions began. Suzanne’s grandfather was born into a family of 13 children, started his career as a teacher in a one-room school house in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and ended it as one of the very first publishers of Christianity Today. “We called him “Deardad” even though he was a very stern fellow. Still, Deardad’s life inspired me to write.”
After college, Suzanne was a freelance writer for magazines and became a contributing editor to Christian Parenting Today. Her work has been featured in Today’s Christian Woman, Marriage Partnership, Worldwide Challenge, among others. She took the plunge into books a few years ago and now she’s hooked. To learn more about Suzanne, visit her website at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.”
If you would like to chat with Suzanne, learn about the story behind The Choice, and possibly win some great prizes, be sure to join in the fun on February 15th at 8pm EST. Click on the button below for more information!
I wanted to share a fun contest with you as well! Enter to win a signed copy of The Choice by tweeting the following:
Psst… pass it on! Join @suzannewfisher for a Book Bomb & Author Talk! Details here http://ow.ly/W84r #thechoice
The 15th is also book bomb day! Purchase a copy of The Choice on February 15th and send a copy of your receipt to Amy (amy at litfusegroup dot com) and your name will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com! Amy will need the following information from your receipt: name of store, receipt number, and number of copies purchased. Make sure all that is visible on the copy you send in. Each additional copy you purchase will get you an extra entry!
disclosure: The book was given to me by LitFuse Publicity for the purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and I have not be compensated in any way for this review. All quotes and images were provided by LitFuse Publicity.
