The Governess of Highland Hall

I must admit, from the instant I saw the cover of this book, I was intrigued. It looked historical, and so I read the excerpt-

Worlds lie between the marketplaces of India and the halls of a magnificent country estate like Highland Hall. Will Julia be able to find her place when a governess is neither upstairs family nor downstairs help? 
 Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her parents, ministering and caring for young girls in India. But when the family must return to England due to illness, she readily accepts the burden for her parents’ financial support. Taking on a job at Highland Hall as governess, she quickly finds that teaching her four privileged, ill-mannered charges at a grand estate is more challenging than expected, and she isn’t sure what to make of the estate’s preoccupied master, Sir William Ramsey.  

I was hooked. How would the author combine missionary work in India with Victorian England? So I read the book - and loved it. Julia interacted very well with the children, tried hard to teach them right for wrong, and

I felt like Julia was an easily identifiable character. Right from the start, she was headstrong and feisty, yet gentle and strong in her faith. I must confess, however, I was a little afraid the plot would be instantly guessable- ya know, the cliche governess falls in love with her employer, but can she win the children over? However, there were so many interesting details along the way that the plot wasn't dry or too familiar.

William was also an amazing character. You find yourself feeling sorry for him. His disloyal wife died and left to care for  two young children and he's the guardian for his deceased cousin Randolph’s two rebellious teenage girls. Plus, he's worried about his disabled sister Sarah and wild brother David. William is practically obsessed with saving the estate from the financial ruin. He wants to prove himself. The last thing he needs is any distraction coming from the kindhearted-yet-determined governess. ;)

In my opinion, the best thing about the book was it's message. Many times in movies and books, the main theme in any relationship is to simply 'follow your heart'. This book stressed that you should follow God's heart. Would he be pleased with your future spouse?

I really recommend you read this!

Click here for more information on the book!

Disclaimer-I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

inspiring song

So, our youth pastor played this song for us, and it is so beautiful. It's one of my new favorites. I think the message is amazing.

Watch the video. You will be so inspired. I promise.

 Have a blessed evening!

Nancy Drew jewelry giveaway at Fantasy Art and Tree Chatter

I'm a die hard Nancy Drew fan. I own every single book, write Nancy fanfiction, and know all the character's sayings by heart. So when I found this jewelry giveaway, I was just browsing through the jewelry you could win, and... A Nancy Drew Necklace!! Not one, but 3. Plus necklaces withJane Austen quotes, cute cat jewelry, and so much more.I have to win this giveaway. I am determined!!The link to the giveaway: http://blog.aquariann.com/2013/09/black-cat-jewelry-giveaway-gift-card.html

Secret Letters by Leah Scheier Book Review

Oh my. This book was so amazingly written, so suspenseful and well crafted, it's hard to know where to start first.
Basically, the book is about an inquisitive, clever and feisty girl named Dora in 19th century England. She uncovers a massive secret- Sherlock Holmes just might be her biological father. Dora is thrilled- she's read his biographies written by Dr. Watson so many times! So Dora journeys to London to learn the truth, and to ask for Holmes' help in a case. Her cousin is being blackmailed over love letters she wrote when she was a teenager, and Dora is convinced Sherlock will help. So she joins her cousin in London and arrives on Holmes' doorstep- only to learn he was murdered in Switzerland by an adversary. However, his dashing young assistant Peter Cartwright, also guarding a secret past, offers his help in her case. He is investigating a disappearance of a heiress, and they soon realize their cases are intertwined. So Dora goes undercover as a maid to help Peter, learning surprising things about herself in the process. I highly recommend this book for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Victorian-age-literature readers. It was suspenseful, moving, and kept you guessing until the very end. I really enjoyed this read. (The only objectionable content- an unmarried, pregnant maid that Dora befriends mentions abortion, and while Dora 'knew it was terribly wrong, she could not find it in her heart to condemn this woman'.  The whole scene is very brief - not more than four sentences, but I just thought I'd mention it as some of  my readers are young.)
It is very sad at the end, I must admit I cried a little bit. I hope a sequel comes out very soon.
My rating- a must read for mystery fans.

My 15th birthday!

I had an amazing birthday! My friend JoGail came over and hung out, I got lots of cute and thoughtful gifts, and a general good time was had by all. :) (love that  phrase! It's so old timey- newspaperish.)
On my actual birthday, I worked in the surgery department, so I opened gifts when I got home. Then my family took me to Chuy's. I love that place. Then Saturday, I worked in the volunteer's concession stand to raise ,money for 4-H. I got some delicious cheesy fries. Then JoGail came over and we had a party!

JoGail!!

We did our nails, played outside with my brothers and their friend, and talked for forever!  My mom made me a delicious coconut cake with fluffy white frosting, which was really good.

I was rather spoiled this birthday:
My super amazing friends I volunteer with at the hospital got me a ring. A real ring! It's so cute. I just love it. You can see it in the picture at the bottom.
I got the book Secret Letters, about Sherlock Holmes' daughter. It was epic. You should read it!

I received a lovely pair of chic brown slacks and a scarlet blouse, orange flower earrings and bracelets. Also two adorable journals, a purify water bottle, candy, and an Amazon Gift Card. My lovely relatives sent money which was greatly appreciated. I'm saving it for college. Medical school isn't cheap. :)

So now I'm 15. Everyone asks if I feel older. Not really, but when people ask me my age and I say 15, then it hits me.
15!
Woot Woot!

things to do in and around Frisco, Texas

This is a wagon in the museum.

Recently I visited Frisco with my family.  A forty-minute drive from Dallas, it's a great little day trip for any one in or around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Frisco is one of the fastest growing towns in Texas and even America, and it's chock full of wonderful activities for families and kids of all ages.

Spot #1:

    First, I'd recommend a trip to old downtown Frisco, filled with unique boutiques and quirky little shops, a vast library, and a beautiful new museum, The Frisco Heritage Center.

The center is large enough to be interesting, but small enough to be covered in an hour/hour and a half, so it's perfect if you want to see other attractions in the area as well. Plus, it's quite a bargain, $4 for anyone over 12, and $2 for anyone younger. One of my family's favorite parts of the museum was the 'rooms'. Several sections of the museum were furnished authentically as a Victorian Parlor, a 1960's living room(complete with a tv showing reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and Dragnet.) Then there was an 80's den complete with an Atari and some ancient Nintendo games that were predecessors to the Wii and the D.S. You could play them, as they were in good condition.(No doubt they were lovingly preserved by some fully grown 40-something video game addict) =)

 There was also an exhibit on World War Two that I thoroughly enjoyed, a replica of a beauty parlor that was probably in use during FDR' s administration, a small media room showing clips of old movies, quilt displays, and a mock garden toddlers could play in. Outdoors there are several old homes, a tiny vintage church, and a school, all of which can be toured, but ONLY on the third Sunday of a month, which kinda stinks if you wanted to see them any other day. All in all, however, the museum offered an interesting view on life in Frisco years ago. The center's website is here, and, if you're planning a trip, remember that it's closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Helpful tip: Adjacent to the center is a restaurant called Babe's Chicken Dinner House, so if you go around lunch or dinner time, you'll have a place to eat, right next door! Their website is here.
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Spot #2:

Shop at IKEA!

Frisco boasts one of the largest Ikea' s, and it is a lot of fun to tour the model rooms, browse the kid's section,try Swedish dishes in the restaurant, and look around the HUGE store, which also features an indoor playground for toddlers. Plus, you can pretend you're a Food Network star in the model kitchens!! :P

Next, add flour, sugar, and the beaten egg, stirring gently...:)

I want our homeschool room to look like this!!

Here's Ikea Frisco's website.
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Spot #3
There's an attractive new bowling alley called The Strikz, which my family loved. (I personally don't enjoy bowling whatsoever, but read on to see what I liked.) The cool thing about this place, however, was that it had a new, (clean!) arcade, laser tag play zone, laser target shooting range ,and a restaurant. So there's something for everyone, even the non-bowlers. :) Here's the website.

Charro beans!!!

You will need:

• 2  cups dry pinto beans or 1 lb dry pinto beans

8 cups water, to quick simmer the beans

6 cups water

6 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 small onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (mild or original)

2 tablespoons chili powder, separated

2 teaspoons cumin, separated

1 lime

salt & pepper 

1 can (8 oz)  tomato sauce 

2 jalapenos, on whole, one seeded and diced.                                     

Directions:

1.  
   Sort your dried beans for stones and rinse.
2.  
   Bring beans and 8 cups water to a boil in a 6-quart or larger stock pot, and boil for two minutes. Cover the pot and then remove from heat and allow to sit undisturbed for 2 hours.
3.  
   After 2 hours, drain and rinse beans. Return to the stock pot with 6 cups water, and bring back to a boil. Once you've got it to a boil, allow it to then simmer covered for about 1 1/2 hours, with the top just slightly tilted to allow a little bit of steam to escape. Don't stir the beans. Resist. You can do it!!
4.  
   After the beans have simmered for almost 1 hour, begin cooking the chopped bacon in a separate saute pan.
5.  
   Before the bacon is fully cooked add the sliced onion and minced garlic.   Allow to fully cook, stirring.
6.  
   Once the bacon is fully cooked through, add the can of diced tomatoes with chili. add Cook for a few minutes to let the flavors settle, and then add 1 tablespoon Chili Powder, and 1 teaspoon Cumin. Cook a few minutes longer to allow the flavors to blend together. Add diced jalapeno. Do not drain! You want the bacon grease flavor in there... sit the whole jalapeno in the mixture to simmer as well IF you want a lil' extra spice.
7.  
   After the beans have simmered for the full 1 1/2 hours, check to make sure they're soft. Once they are soft, add the entire bacon mixture to the pot and stir in thoroughly.
8.  
   Add the remaining 1 tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon Cumin, Juice from 1 lime, and Salt and Pepper to taste.
9.  
   Bring the beans back to a boil and allow it to simmer covered, top slightly tilted for at least 30 minutes, or until beans are fully cooked.