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Life Is Beautiful

Book Reviews, Life Is Beautiful

Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter & Me: A Review

(Lorilee Craker is a multiply-published author and freelance journalist. Her work has been featured in Peoplethe Wall Street Journaland many more places. Lorilee has written upwards of a dozen books including “Through the Storm” with Lynne Spears (mother to Britney). Thank you to Family Christian for providing me with the privilege of reading this book and presenting an honest review!)

“Adoption. She tasted the word in her mouth” ~from Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter & Me: What My Favorite Book Taught Me about Grace, Belonging & the Orphan in Us All by Lorilee Craker

In the memoir Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter & Me: What My Favorite Book Taught Me about Grace, Belonging & the Orphan in Us All, author Lorilee Craker invites us on a delightful journey into the world of adoption through the twists and turns of her own adoption story, her heartwarming journey adopting her sweet daughter, and Anne Shirley’s own adoption adventure.  Lorilee artfully guides us through the three journeys that take place in very different times, circumstances, and places, and weaves them together. Continue Reading

Encouragement, Life Is Beautiful

Family Christian: Bringing the Holiday Home

(With the generous support of Family Christian, I’ve been able to find some beautiful items to adorn my home this Christmas season, expressing the true sense of CHRISTmas. All the items featured in this post were provided by Family Christian and my selection of these items and my opinion of them are pure, honest, and unbiased). 

Who’s in the holiday spirit? Show of hands…anyone? I sure am. I have about 75% of my shopping yet to do but I’m unthwarted.

I refuse to panic.

I’m excited. I’m determined to embrace the season, it’s true Reason, and just enjoy every little bit of it.

Deciding not to allow the season to be stressful, I’ve decided instead to delight in it and savor all its elements. Continue Reading

Encouragement, Health, Life Is Beautiful

Christmas: An Extra Place at the Table

This is the season of light.  Thanksgiving is past. We’ve already done our Black Friday binge-shopping for the year.

I see more trees being put up this weekend than I ever remember being put up so soon in the season in previous years. The decorations, trees, and lights inspire me to start decorating our own home.

But in this season of sparkling tinsel and twinkling lights, there’s a darker side we don’t always think about, or want to. For many people, this season of togetherness, generosity, and family presents a viciously painful battle. Continue Reading

Life Is Beautiful

Love and Roller Skates

Roller skating is like life.

When I was about 10 years old or so I fell in love with roller skating so much so that one year, my parents gifted me with my very own pair of quads. They were white with bright royal blue wheels and blue stripes down the side of each skate boot. The laces matched the wheels. They were my new prized possession. I proudly skated round and round my Dad’s garage blaring my favorite music (an ABBA 8-track tape was in my top five). In fact, I still own those skates. My daughter wore them during the roller skating unit in elementary school gym class. Roller skating is one of my fondest childhood memories, even still.

To my surprised delight, my husband whisked us off to the local roller rink a few weekends ago. It was my first roller skating adventure in about five years and I felt 10 again. I laced up those skates and glided out onto the rink.

I felt like Bambi. Continue Reading