{ Book List }

We have been reading up a storm around here. Toting home stacks of of books at a time. One of the highlights of the summer in particular for Annabelle was getting to go to Pajama Story-time and also participating in the summer reading program, which we completed last week and turned in our reading list and returned home grinning, with her prize of a 68 piece art set, in hand and the promise of a free pretzels and pizza. And I am happily making plans to start home school pre-school after Labor Day Weekend. I will be (loosely) using this curriculum. I am going to put very little pressure/expectations on either Annabelle or myself. We are just going to have fun and learn together, as we have only now with a tad bit more intentionality. And I think she could use the added activities in her day and I am going to appreciate a little more structured schedule. Really more than anything in the coming school year my heart and focus for Annabelle is to keep praying for her that Jesus will make her heart tender towards Himself and others and to continue telling her about Him and how amazing His love is, and most of all to better visibly model that love day to day, as her Mommy.

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So I thought I'd share with you our list of favorite books from the summer.

They are the following:

-The Jesus Storybook Bible

A definite family favorite around here. Our bedtime routine includes reading out of the The Jesus Storybook Bible. We are on our second time through with Annabelle and plan to continue rereading it to her and Jack for years to come. I love the wording and way in which Sally Lloyd Jones portrays the Bible, as the greatest Love story of all time. As the title states, " Every story whispers his name." Breathtaking in it's beauty and simplicity. Here's an excerpt from the introduction:

The Story and the Song

Introduction from Psalm 19 and Hebrews 1

The Heavens are singing

about how great God is;

and the skies are shouting it out,

" See what God has made!"

Day after day...night after night...

They are speaking to us.

Psalm 19:1-2 ( paraphrase )

God wrote, " I love you " - he wrote it in the sky and on the earth, and under the sea. He wrote his message everywhere! Because God created everything in his world to reflect Him like a mirror - to show us what he is like, to help us know him, to make our hearts sing.

The way a kitten chases her tail. The way red poppies grow wild. The way dolphins swim. And God put it into words, too, and wrote it in a book called " the Bible."

I have been on the look-out for the perfect age appropriate Bible for Annabelle. My search has ended here. Could not recommend this more highly and might also add that I love reading it for myself.

- Our Nest
- The Apple Pie that Papa Baked
- The Gardener ( As Annabelle would tell you, " my Mommy loves this book ")
- Tweedle Dee Dee
- Whopper Cake (our favorite part about this silly book is the dedication. Karma Wilson, the truly wonderful author is also friends with David's family. " To Hildi ( who is the precious mother of my husband and beloved Mor Mor to Annabelle and Jack ), who has been known to deviate from a recipe or two, but always cooks with love"
- Mortimer's First Garden, ( whis is lovingly dedicated to David's Dad who was, an amazing gardener )
- Mr. Murry and Thumbkin
- Tumble Me Tumbily
- All In a Day
- Hello Twins
-Once Upon a Time, the End...Asleep in 60 seconds
( David's most favorite children's book. He laughed so hard the first time he read it I thought he might fall off the couch. It's hysterical. He was still reading it to Annabelle and chuckling over it two, three, four weeks later.)
- On Our Way Home
- The Little Green Island

Now we are so curious to know what you are reading?