My Ambition

Just before we moved to Texas, a dear friend from Wisconsin gave me Elizabeth Prentiss', The Little Preacher. Simple and unassuming at first glance, this easy read, written in 1867, is full of little nuggets of truth and conviction (as is Prentiss' more well known, Stepping Heavenward...a must read as well).

As I read through The Little Preacher, I started an index card of quotes from the text. My favorite is one I frequently pull out and read, as it truly is my ambition as well :

"As for her, like most women, she had but one ambition. To be a good
wife and a good mother, and to be beloved by her husband and children, was all
she asked. What she was in the old home, that she was in the new; a busy,
affectionate, cheerful little housewife, whose voice would never be heard in the
streets, but whose memory would always live in a few faithful hearts."

You can order a copy of The Little Preacher, Stepping Heavenward, and many other great books at: http://www.graceandtruthbooks.com/

"B" Keeping

I've decided to try my hand at blogging. I can't guarantee I'll be very good at it. Turns out I'm a lousy updater of our website, so don't hold your breath for much more here!

Over the last few days, I've been thinking about what to name my blog (as if I have nothing better to think about). One of my very favorite things to do is to read-aloud to my kids. Yes, I still read-aloud to my 14 and 12 yo "big kids"! Together, over the years, we have visited so many places, shared so many laughs, shed some tears, met innumerable memorable characters, learned so many of life's lessons, all through the reading-aloud of great books! Someday, as I look back on my years of mothering, I'm confident that these read-aloud times will be among the memories I cherish most.

O.K. - back to the naming of my blog...

Our current read-aloud is Gene Stratton-Porter's book, Freckles. If you are familiar with Stratton-Porter, you know that she was a lover of nature, and her love and knowledge of nature pours out through her text. If you are familiar with me, you know that I, too, am a nature lover, and that one of my other very favorite things to do is to take "nature walks" with my family; nothing is more rejuvenating to my soul!

We are almost finished with Freckles, so this morning I was pondering what we should next read-aloud. Stratton-Porter's, The Keeper of the Bees came to mind, as this is Max's favorite novel. Just as soon as the title of this book popped into my head, I thought, "that's it"! Keeper of the B's...that sounds a lot like my life (as full-time mom to Brittany, Brant, and Brielle)! As you can imagine, the analogies started filling my head.

So, here it is...my blog..."Keeper of the B's"