Visiting Fairhaven feels like you have just stepped into a hallmark movie. Unique shops and twinkle lights everywhere pulls you into the magic of this beautiful town. . With its charm also comes history .Fairhaven was settled in 1853, and started out as a booming manufacturing hub , it has since been designated as a National Historic District.
It is also host to the annual Ski to Sea race which takes place on Memorial Day weekend. The Ski to Sea race is accompanied by the Historic Fairhaven Festival, a street festival in Fairhaven to celebrate participants completing the relay race.
If you find yourself in Washington State , this is definitely a stop to add to your itinerary⭐️
Are you ready to read a book you can’t put down? Kristin Hannah The Nightingale is it! . This historical fiction follows two very different sisters throughout their lives. Both sisters navigate their worlds very differently as they grapple with WW2 and the Nazi occupation of France and as they soon learn they are stronger than they could have ever imagined. . There are a few parts of the book that were extremely difficult to read so please be aware of that if you are sensitive. They are short but important to the story. I’m glad my friends encouraged me to finish it and skip over the one section because it was so worth it! . Kristin did a great job of really developing each sisters story and following them in their journey of healing as a family , fighting for others even when it meant they had to let go and bringing it all together in the end.Such a good book!!
Holy Week Wednesday .. did you know it’s also known as Spy Wednesday? It is a solemn day in the Christian liturgical calendar, as it marks the beginning of the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus, which is commemorated on Good Friday.
As I read the scriptures this am,I couldn’t help but think of the relationship between Jesus and Judas. Judas saw the miracles and had an encounter with Jesus like no other. We see the whole story as it played out in scripture but in those moments and the moments leading up what was Judas thinking? Was he wrestling within, did he almost run and confess it all to Jesus or was he always plotting ? And the whole time Jesus knew.. he knew it all .. how it was going to happen,who would be the one to betray him and yet he still loved him❤️I can only imagine the heartbreak in knowing this and how Jesus felt as he washed Judas’ feet .
Holy Week Holy WeekHoly Week Wednesday
And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present” (Luke 22:2-6).
“He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.””
Matthew 26:23-25 ESV
Holy Week
Holy Wednesday is often marked with a service of Tenebrae (Latin for ‘darkness’ or ‘shadows’).With the reading of psalms while candles on a candelabrum are gradually extinguished, creating the sense of growing darkness.This symbolizes the abandonment of Jesus by his disciples.
To learn more about Holy Week check out these other post ⬇️
Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️ . I have really enjoyed the last few weeks of Valentine fun we added to our homeschool day with this cute Valentine mail writing area. It was a creative way to encourage some writing skills and add to the fun of making Valentines.
I added stickers , stationary and some blank postcards for my littles to write Valentines and decorate them. I loved how it turned out and it worked!! The kids protested at first but seriously how can you not enjoy making cards for friends??? . I’m already thinking of other stations this can become after today .. stay tuned!
Wow! What a year we had! As you can tell we read all genres this past year . I definitely came through these with some of my new favorite authors ❤️ So many of them gave such different perspectives into my faith.
Each book was unique and I love that! Just an FYI on how we decide as a book club what to read – Our curator gathers 3 books for our whole club to vote on when we gather once a month to discuss the current book we have read. We then announce the next months book once we have taken a paper vote. Some months , there is a clear winner and others we need a tiebreaker .
Below you will find a few highlights of things I loved about each book or that I found challenging . Think of it as a quick review of each book. ⬇️
⭐️ The Prophetess -Loved how the author brought a full story to Deborah which gave me something to ponder. It was fictional but made me see her in a whole new light.
⭐️ The Italian Ballerina -One of my favorite reads! It gave me a glimpse into WW2 that I had never explored with the Syndrome K sickness and the London ballet stage. Loved all the historical references throughout and the beauty from such heartache.
⭐️ Yesterday’s Tides – Another one of my favorite picks from 2024. I discovered something I had never heard of , Okracoke Island . I loved how the author combined WW1 to WW2 in such a beautiful way. We also had the opportunity to zoom with the author during our book club which was a fun treat!
⭐️ The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip – Wow! I want to be a Mrs.Kip! Such a great read and left me feeling that it is never to late to share Gods love❤️
⭐️ The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon – This one started out slow but I was so thankful that I stuck with it. We all need a neighbor like Mabel . I may just one day step into a funeral to celebrate the life of someone I have never met because of her .
⭐️ Drawn in Ash– This one was out of my comfort zone but I’m so glad I read it. It took a bit to understand all that was happening, but gave a glimpse of how things can change when we spend time talking to others instead of going with preconceived ideas. It is based on the story of Esther.
⭐️ The Number of Love – A beautiful story of the secretive Room 40 during WW2 and the power of prayer.
⭐️ Blink of an Eye– Thrilling but left me wanting a better ending . We discovered in book club that there are two editions of this and the first was better in our opinion
⭐️ Daughter of Eden – This fictional story of Adam and Eve gave me so much to ponder ! It gave me lots to think of with how pride and selfishness separated the relationship with God and left me yearning to have what Adam and Eve had before the fall.
⭐️ The Screwtape Letters – This is such a deep book . I have read it several times and each time get something different from it. It really highlights the spiritual warfare that is all around us and from the enemy’s perspective.
⭐️ The Last Exchange -This is such a beautiful unexpected love story . It is thrilling and just when you think it is all predictable. Watch out the turn you never saw coming is right around the corner. One of my favorite quotes of the book is “A life laid down is better than one picked up.
⭐️ We Three Kings -This Christmas Novella follows three generations of the Weise Family as they seek Jesus throughout each one. This was the perfect Christmas Book.
I hope our Book Club list from 2024 helps encourage you to start your own Book Club or gives you some new books to read ❤️ I would love to hear if you already do a Book Club and how yours works or if you would like to hear more about how we do ours send me a message .
And yes our 2025 Book Club has already started! Looking forward to a New Year and some new reads!
The husband and I were able to getaway for a few days to @skamanialodge for a romantic getaway right before Christmas which at first I thought was terrible timing but turned out to be just what we needed❤️ . Skamania Lodge has so many things to offer not just for the two of us but for the whole family. There are two restaurants on property , coffee and tea service that is complimentary, Spa , game room set up with games ,adventures like zip lining , on property trails and their Holiday Walk during our stay.
Fireside w/view King
We were able to hike on our way to the lodge and then enjoy the hot tub once we checked in , which was so nice! There is an indoor and outdoor one .. the outdoor was our favorite!
Playing chess
. While we waited for our dinner reservations , we headed to the game room to play a game of chess. After dinner, we grabbed a complimentary umbrella and headed out for the Holiday Light Walk. It was an added treat and we enjoyed it . The best part was hearing an owl throughout the walk …so cool!
It’s no secret we love the Columbia Gorge area and Skamania Lodge is located in a great location to access so many different adventures . There are so many trails in this area to hike , so much history to immerse yourself in , and gorgeous views every where you look!
From our window
Have you ever visited the Columbia Gorge area? If so , what’s your favorite thing to do there?
Beautiful LobbyViews❤️Looking ahead to the New Year
This is a good reminder for me today . I often want to hurry and get through moments or schedules but I am realizing that every moment is part of my story .The in between schedules , the late nights or the days when everything comes undone. These are the moments that build or tear down and my prayer this 2025 new year , is there will be more building then tearing down. That my story will be one that shows grace, forgiveness,kindness,humbleness and fun . . What about you? Have you ever looked at your life as a story? Not just the Instagram moments but all the moments? What do you want your story to show ? Share below ⬇️ .. I would love to hear and cheer you on ❤️
Such a great read! There are so many things to love about this book and I love when books teach me new things like this one. I had never heard of the Okracoke Island…have you? .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The story crosses two different wars and differant generations and the author keeps you guessing right up until the end.I love how she weaves family into the generations and brings the struggles within to life and the different angles of each character. It is packed full! . Our bookclub had the privilege to do a zoom with the author to talk through this book and it was awesome! We all loved getting her perspective and hearing about the writing process. A huge thank you to @roseannamwhite for taking the time to do this! We are looking forward to reading more of her books and if you haven’t read any of her books … pick up a copy!
What amazing wisdom in these words spoken so many years ago. I am continually learning the power in prayer . So many things in our daily life that we have no control over like schedule changes, extra work handed to us, last minute school projects,attitudes of others,and the list goes on . . What we can control is our reaction to those things.Prayer has been a comfort to me . Knowing that I am praying over how things will go , inviting God to go before me in situations,asking God to be with a loved one or friend who has not been kind, asking God to shut doors that are not His best and so many more . . Praying has giving me a perspective to see the situation from different angles and to put on humility, compassion and empathy when I otherwise want to fix it or make it better in my own way and trust me that never seems to work out.. anyone else? . When I pray I’m able to take what ever is coming or causing stress and lay it at the feet of God . That doesn’t mean it goes away but it does mean I lay it down and I don’t pick it back up. I trust God with whatever is next knowing I have given it to him and I am fully submitting to his will in the next steps. . What are your thoughts on prayer? Share in comments below. I would love to hear!
