The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy

The Last of the Firedrakes

FROM THE BACK COVER:::

A fantastic adventure story that will transport you to a dazzling world of myth and magic.

16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad.

Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way.  Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear.

With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever.

MY THOUGHTS:::

I really enjoyed The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy (This is book one of the Avalonia Chronicles). The cover image really drew me in and caught my interest. It is absolutely breathtaking!

While it is out of my comfort zone of what I typically read, I soon found myself entranced by the writing of Farah Oomerbhoy. The story of Aurora, who we can surmise is the last of the Firedrakes, is full of mystery, magic, fairies, mysterious creatures, and of course an evil leader (in this case Morgana who wants to rule all the kingdoms). Ms. Oomerbhoy's first book is full of plot twists and never holds a dull moment; in fact, the plot is constantly full of action and intrigue and there is never a moment of boredom.

The characters are well developed and their interactions with one another are well thought out. You can see the importance of all of the characters and their roles in the story without overshadowing one another. There is also the relationships that Aurora forms with those around her and which give and take as her own confidence and reality changes. I love seeing how Aurora's relationship with the Black Wolf evolves throughout this first story in the chronicles.

I can't wait to see how the story evolves even more throughout the next book in the series as this book left us with a pretty significant cliffhanger. 

If there was any complaint in this book, it was the speed at which everything occurs. There were times where I got to the end of a chapter and I had to reread a little to make sure that I wasn't missing some of the action and so that I could put it all in perspective as part of the whole story. I don't see this as a huge problem though as the speed also lends itself to keeping my interest. 

Overall, I would highly recommend this book! 


DISCLAIMER:::

I received a free copy of this book from Kate Tilton Book Blogger's program and the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jacob's First Reconcilation

One of the things that has been keeping us busy is getting Jacob ready for his First Reconciliation at our church. We had to work through a workbook with him and help him with his examination of conscience. All that work paid off as he had his First Reconciliation on Tuesday night. 

He was very nervous beforehand, although he did give me a smile for my camera beforehand. Bill took him as I was behind on getting stuff done at home. 

When Jacob came home, he had a bigger smile and was talkative and said he felt much better. He said that he went to the main priest in our parish and that he did his confession face to face, and that it was only a little scary. Then he wanted to know if someday if I could make the punch that they served at the reception because it was very good (Bill said it was 7up and orange sherbet).   

Now the next step for him is to continue learning in his PSR class and moving toward receiving his First Communion which is scheduled for May. He is growing up both physically, mentally, and in his Catholic faith. 

Weigh In Wednesday #4 of 2018

Happy Wednesday!  I saw the above picture on Facebook earlier this week and thought I would share. I feel like this describes my feeling right about now. LOL Stress is the name of the game around here I suppose. Something that I have to deal with and not with food, which this past week has been difficult to do.

On a completely different note, can I also say that the changing temperatures everyday isn't helping. One day it is 60 degrees and then the next it is in the 20s. Crazy weather also lends to eating as I crave comfort food and sugar when the weather is colder. 

Anyhow--- let's get on to see where the weight stands this week....

Official Starting Weight (1/3/18): 241.0

My weight last week: 235.6
My weight this week: 236.8
Weight loss from last week: +1.2

Total weight loss for 2018: -4.2 pounds! 

Yeah, not a good week at all. I ate out 3 times, poor planning, too much snacking, too much stress eating. It all added up. I know what I did wrong.  Now I need to fix it this week. 

Source

On the exercise front: I mentioned in my 2018 goals post that I wanted to walk 3 days a week. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, that means my goal is to walk 156 times over the course of the year. 

This week, I was able to get in a couple good walks. Sunday we took a family walk in the snow/slush and walked 1.98 miles. That workout wore me out as I had to walk carefully so as not to fall or slip on the ice/slush/snow. 

Monday, Bill and I took advantage of the warmer weather (it was 60 degrees!) and walked 2.47 miles at the park. It was wet and there was some standing water where the snow melted but it felt great to get outside and breathe fresh air.

So that means I am at 4 out of 156 workout walks completed for the year! 

So that was this week's Weigh In Wednesday. If you are trying to lose weight or get healthier, how is your journey going so far?

Upward Basketball and a black eye

Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone is having a good day so far. Today I need to work on laundry, but first I thought I would share what I spent all day Saturday doing. 

I spent my day watching Benjamin, Jacob and Rebecca play in their first basketball games for the 2018 Upward season. They were actually supposed to play last week, but the snow and ice caused the games to be cancelled. Thankfully, the weather was perfect on Saturday.

Ben's game was up first.  Ben is playing for the Panthers.

Only 4 of the 5 players showed up, so they played 4 on 4. Really if you are in a bad mood, just watch Kindergarteners play a sport. It is hilarious and so much fun to watch. 

Ben had a blast! It was also Bill's first time coaching and I think he did a great job as well. 

Then we had a short break before we had to be back at the gym for Jacob's game. We headed to a nearby Tim Horton's and got the kids a donut as a treat. Then it was time to head back to the gym for Jacob's game. Jacob is playing for the Warriors. 

This was Jacob's first time playing as well. He loved it. 

After Jacob's game we headed home for lunch. Then we had to head back to the gym for Rebecca's game. She is playing for the Polar Bears. There was a bit of controversy as the team they played were all great players and they beat Rebecca's team 74 to 4. This league is supposed to be equally competitive but there is no way that the team Rebecca's team was playing was equally competitive with Rebecca's team. (They do evaluations before the season to place the girls on teams). Also this other team is coached by a high school coach, while 4 out of the 6 girls on Rebecca's team have never played before and the other 2 (including Rebecca) have only played one year. Bill expressed his concerns to the refs after the game and the refs who were officiating the game did say that there was a definite imbalance. I know you have that everywhere, but it is a shame when they say they are trying to make things equal.

I will say this that Rebecca said she had fun. She has definitely improved from last year, as she was aggressive going after rebounds and even got to attempt 2 shots. I hope that continues.

Speaking of Rebecca, she is sporting  new black eye courtesy of basketball.

Last night during her practice, they were practicing defense and she and another girl were getting aggressive and they slammed heads into each other and Rebecca's glasses were pushed into under her eye. It immediately swelled up, so we iced it. Who knew that basketball was a contact sport?

The kids are loving playing basketball and that is what is important! So if you are looking for me on Saturdays for the next 2 months, I will be at the gym watching my favorite basketball players in the world!  

Happy Homemaker Monday (1/22/2018)

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a good weekend. I know mine was BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. The kids had their first basketball games on Saturday so that meant I was at the court for most of the day. Saturday night Bill and I had date night at home and after the kids went to bed, we did too. We were exhausted and we were both asleep by 9PM. Lol. Sunday we had to go to the early mass so that Rebecca could serve and my  5th grade PSR class was lecturing and singing so I had to be there. Then we had PSR, ran some errands, took a long walk, watched football and planned for this week. It was crazy busy.  
Now here we are back to Monday. I have taken the kids to school, went to the bank, Walmart, Aldi, and got gas for the van so far. I just ate my breakfast, started a load of laundry and now I am typing this up to once again participate in the Happy Homemaker Monday theme hosted by the lovely Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

So with that being said, let's get to it: 

The Weather::: It is supposed to be 62 degrees today!! Can you tell that I am happy? :) :) Yesterday it was 45 and it felt great outside. It is already 50 degrees outside. We are supposed to get rain later and then tomorrow it is supposed to turn back to snow, but I will take the warmer weather when I can! 

Right now I am::: sitting here at the dining room table typing this up, having just finished breakfast and starting a load of laundry. I have Pandora playing in the background since I am the only one home at the moment (well except for the kitties!). 

Thinking::: I am thinking about what I need to get done today before I go tutor. I am waiting on Bill to get home as he is at work.   

On my reading pile:::

On my TV::: The Crown, Apollo 13 on Netflix (my all time favorite movie!), This is Us (I just started watching it and am 3 episodes in).

My simple pleasure::: Watching my kiddos play sports. On Saturday the kids had their first basketball games for the season and they all had so much fun.

On the menu for this week:::
Monday - BBQ pork sandwiches, green beans, corn
Tuesday - turkey smoked sausage bake, green beans, salad
Wednesday - BBQ pork nachos 
Thursday - Fish stick, baked potato, applesauce, salad?
Friday - Pizza and fruit
Saturday - Pancakes, bacon, fruit
Sunday - Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic rolls

On my to do list:::

For today: Kids to school, Walmart and Aldi run, laundry, walk, tutor P, Ben to speech, all 3 kids have basketball practice

Tuesday: Kids to school, housework, Jacob has his first Reconciliation at church

Wednesday: Kids to school, babysit A, tutor I, trash and recycling out

Thursday: Kids to school, babysit A, Battle of the books meeting with team, tutor N, S, and N

Friday: Babysit A, Pay bills, plan for PSR 

Saturday: basketball games for all 3
Sunday: Teach PSR, church, Pat Catan's Craft class for kids (maybe)

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
I have been trying new recipes in the kitchen including a yummy pork fried rice that I made last night for dinner. I will share the recipe later this week. 
 
Looking around the house:::
House doesn't look too bad. Ben left some toys on the coffee table.  Kitchen has a few dishes out from breakfast and I need to put the onions and grapes away from my trip to the store. LOL 

From the camera:::

The kids made a snowman Saturday afternoon while there was still snow on the ground. Of course by Sunday morning it's head had fallen off and by Sunday night it weighed significantly less. LOL

On my prayer list:::

My hubby as he searches for a new job. My brother as he is narrowing down his college choices and is hoping to make the right decision. My neighbor who is battling cancer. For all those affected by the flu viruses going around now.  

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Here's to a great Monday and good start to everyone's week! 

Nature Scenes for January 21, 2018

Sunday is meant to be a day of rest and relaxation and one of the ways that I rest is to spend time in nature. I try to spend a least a little bit of time in nature each week. I have decided that I will use Sundays to share the photos of my nature adventures each week just as a way to relax and share the beauty that is God's creation with all. I hope you enjoy!

Photos from January 14, 2018 in my backyard

Deer tracks in the very back of our backyard

Small creek just beyond our backyard

Kitty footprints on the steps leading up to our front porch

For more nature scenes you can check out my other nature posts: 

January 7, 2018

January 14, 2018

I hope everyone is having a good Sunday and if you get a chance check out the nature scenes around you! 

The Two of Us by Victoria Bylin

FROM THE BACK COVER::

After two broken engagements, nurse practitioner Mia Robinson is done with dating. From now on, she only trusts herself and God, and she's focused on her eighteen-year-old sister, Lucy, and caring for patients. Just as she applies to work for an international aid organization, a phone call from Lucy, who's pregnant and running off to marry her twenty-one-year-old boyfriend, throws a wrench into all of Mia's plans.

Jake Tanner may have recovered from the physical injuries he sustained on the job as a police officer, but his heart has yet to heal from losing his former partner in the tragedy. He's poured himself into starting a camp for the sons of fallen officers and mentoring Sam, the adult son of his deceased partner, who's asked him to be his best man at his wedding.

Mia is expecting a mess when she arrives to sort out the situation with Lucy, but she wasn't expecting Jake. And Jake, who can't help envying Sam and Lucy, doubts he'll ever experience their happiness for himself. But maybe Jake's courage and Mia's caring spirit are just what they need to bring them a lifetime of healing and a forever kind of love. . . .

MY THOUGHTS::

The Two of Us by Victoria Bylin is a nice, relaxing, romantic story of two people who in God's eyes are perfect for one another, but who has humans are scared of reaching out and really trusting that their love is true. It is the story of how two people, both with "baggage" can come together and fall in love; really it is a classic love story set in modern times. There are underlying tones that I felt Bylin did a wonderful job of highlighting as important but they don't make the story "dark" at all. She touches heavily on what it is like to have a family member going through Alzeihmers and what that entails; she touches on teenage violence and drug activity; she touches on loss; she touches on tough decisions needing to be made; how hard it is to be young, married and in the military; she also touches on complicated pregnancy. These underlying themes though do not overshadow the real story of Jake and Mia trying to follow through with God's will while also falling in love.

I will admit that I read this book over the course of 2 days, staying up until 1AM on the second day to finish it. It was a wonderful read and I would highly recommend it!  

DISCLAIMER:: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Baker Publishing Group and Bethany House Publishers. All opinions are my own. 

Weigh In Wednesday #3 of 2018

Source

Happy Wednesday! This post is going up a little later than I wanted as my kids have a 2 hour delay again for school today. It is still really cold out (currently it is 7 degrees but feels like 1) and the roads are still snow covered. Winter can go away now! Anyhow--- let's get on to see where the weight stands this week.... 

Official Starting Weight (1/3/18): 241.0

My weight last week: 237.0
My weight this week: 235.6
Weight loss from last week: -1.4

Total weight loss for 2018: -5.4 pounds! :-) :-) 

Yay! I will admit I wasn't sure what the scale would read this morning as this has been a stressful week. I did well with eating meals with lots of veggies thrown in. I did have a few occasional snacking bouts as things are pretty stressful here and that is a coping mechanism of mine. My husband is really having a rough time with his job right now and to say my stress level is through the roof would be an understatement. I tried to curb the cravings but it was really hard. 

Source

On the exercise front: I mentioned in my 2018 goals post that I wanted to walk 3 days a week. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, that means my goal is to walk 156 times over the course of the year. 

This week, I didn't get to take any walks as the weather was snowy and freezing cold. I did get to go out and play in the snow though with the kids on Sunday, so that was something. Being chased around and getting hit by snowballs has to count, right? LOL 

So that means I am still at 2 out of 156 workouts completed for the year! 

So that was this week's Weigh In Wednesday. If you are trying to lose weight or get healthier, how is your journey going so far?