My Son, US Army Soldier...In Training

Matt left Wednesday for 10 weeks of Basic Training and he's been able to call me every night. It's so hard to not cry when I know the call is almost over (cause they never last more than a couple of minutes) and when he tells me he misses me too. I know that tomorrow they are taking his cell phone away and I can't help but wonder when will I get to talk to him again. Tonight he even asked me not to cry. This is the longest we've been apart in 17 1/2 years. He doesn't even like being away from home to go to his Dads! 10 weeks seems like forever to me right now!
He has been able to send a couple of pictures from his phone, here they are:

Isn't he so handsome? He is truly a joy to have in my life! I don't think I could've asked for a better son!

Oh these CraZY, cRAzY times!

Wow these last week or two have been awesomely hectic!

 Name an emotion and I bet I've felt it: happy, sad, angry, joy, fear. AWE.

And so much more!

 First, there was Brittni's graduation.

 Last we heard she was ranked #87 out of almost 800!

Warren Central's Graduating Class of 2010!

And here she is!

My baby!

Then we had her graduation party 2 days later (can you say BUSY?)

Britt, Matt, itty bitty Kaylee, and some of Britt's friends

Brittni & her best friend Courtney!

Love 'em!

Then once that was over, I had to get ready to ship Matt off to Basic Training!

Of course, I was so upset that I wasn't going to see my baby for 10weeks, that I did not take any pictures. Sigh. Bad Mama! And I forgot to borrow Britt's camera. For some reason, when I take pictures with my camera, they are all squiggly. So I am going to have to buy a new one. And soon!

But. I do have a picture that Matt took last night, his first night at Basic Training:

His first Army made bed! LOL!

I have several blog tours coming up, along with a couple of contests and hopefully,

 I have a month or so before I have to get busy with Britt, getting ready to go to College!

Thanks for your patience while I'm living my hectic, wonderful life!

The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel--a demon-assassin--has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting - and falling for - Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this 'mortal' with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?

Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't...

my thoughts~

Like all the LOTU books, The Darkest Passion was steamin' hot! Aeron is probably my favorite Lord (so far). And Livvie. Gosh, who wouldn't love an Angel, even if she is a fallen Angel? Well, besides Legion, but hey, she's a Demon!
Aeron & Olivia are, in my opinon, a great match. But really, who isn't?



 

Shiva's Arms by Cheryl Snell

Is there a happy medium between Hindu tradition and American style, or does the battle of wills between a mother and daughter-in law for the love of the man caught in the middle trump all else? When Alice marries Ramesh, she is plunged into a battle of wills with her mother-in-law. Amma wreaks havoc over Alice's household until a family secret is revealed that costs the old woman everything. Now it is up to Alice to heal the rift. Shiva's Arms evolves into an exploration of cultural identity, the power of reconciliation, and the meaning of home.

about the author~
Cheryl Snell is the author of several books of fiction and poetry. She has published over four hundred poems, stories, and reviews online and in print. A multiple Best of the Net and Pushcart nominee, she won the Lopside Press competition for Prisoner's Dilemma, poetry inspired by game theory. Shiva's Arms is her first novel.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of this book.
 

Tasty Tuesday~ Kiwi Strawberry Smoothie!

I belong to a recipe website: allrecipes.com and I found this great smoothie that was submitted by ANNIESSE. I just love it! It is so refreshing! And at 204 calories, you can't go wrong! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients

1 banana
6 strawberries
1 kiwi
1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
3/4 cup pineapple and orange juice blend

Directions

Place the banana, strawberries, kiwi, vanilla frozen yogurt, and pineapple and orange juice blend in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 204
Total Fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 2mg

 

In My Mailbox~ 05/30/2010

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

If you haven't visited her blog, you should!

The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter

(review 06/03/2010)

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel--a demon-assassin--has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting - and falling for - Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this 'mortal' with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?

Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't...

Lover Unbound by JR Ward
(review  06/05/2010)
Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous son of the Bloodletter possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time- until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her.

The Pursuit by Steven Lourie
(review 06/11/2010)
All Adam Shepard wants is to get fame as a musician and the girl who lives down the hall. Or at least that's what he thinks. The story begins with Adam, the son of an insurance salesman and a woman whose only job is being a "mom," from a small town in Washington, recounting the story of his childhood, how he felt outcast and how he felt alive when he first picked up a guitar.

Adam goes through a life changing and belief changing journey to claim his dreams. This journey starts playing guitar in his bedroom with the door closed as a kid, distancing himself from his parents and their average lives, and takes him to the streets of Seattle as a street performer, while he was a student at the University of Washington, to the streets of San Francisco and Spokane, working crappy jobs to get by after flunking out of school, and eventually takes him to parts of the world he never imagined he would see, and teaches him things and challenges him in ways he could not possibly have imagined as a fourteen year old picking up a guitar.