Got books?

I love to read.
I can devour a good book in a day if it's worth it.
Hubs always says I waste them by reading them that fast but how can you not?
It's like I can't wait to take in all of the story_  all of the info.
I like fiction but I really like non-fiction.. something about the learning part that I can't get enough of. Taking away even a small tidbit of something real and tangible can be life changing.

My parents divorced when I was really young and my mom likes to say that she brought me to the library and read to me to keep herself sane. Reading helped her to focus on something other than
what all was going on around us. So I would pick out the limit of books we could check out_
which was a stack of like 15, and we would curl up usually in her bed_ and she would read til'
I told her I had had enough. I think that's probably where my love for it came to be.

I want and hope for my kids to have that same love of a good book.
I see my daughters especially of late really getting into certain books and I love it.
Just last night Kayli had to tell me of an event in her book called "Ida B" where a family is forever changed by a mom who has cancer. So in between watching the CMA's and commercial breaks I
would read a bit here and a bit there to her. Both my girls like for me to read because it helps them
to get through the book quicker. And I like it because we get to discuss certain things that are happening in the story and it leads in to those teachable moments.
It's been awhile though since I've gotten caught up in a good book.

And I thought for Christmas I may add a few to my wish list.
So what's been a great book either you've learned the most from(other than the bible) _
been the best read_ or that is the "one" you would hold onto if getting rid of all the rest?
I can't pick just one... I have issues with picking a 1 favorite thing... because it leaves out too much else that I like. And the above picture are all some books I've read within the past year...
all having goodness within.
But the last book I read was "one thousand gifts" by Ann Voskamp and I would say it's a must read.

Got books?
Heather :)

Season of leaves

Seasons_ they come and then they go.

Springtime in all it's bloom
The witness of leaves that come back anew and seed that will be planted

Summer and the heat that it brings
Sweat beads will collect and the thirst will follow

Fall in all it's beauty and splendor
It's harvest time, there will be reaping, and bounty to show

Winter chills and silence falls
Life is laid bare just as the trees now do show.

All the while we wish for some seasons not to last as long or for some to last all year
Only to find them stay right up until there time to go

It's Fall, the leaves are here in all their colors of red, orange, and yellow
I wish this beauty to stay, but know it will not
So with each breath I breathe and each color I see... I take it all in..to keep
Until time for this season to go....

Linking up with Jami

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And the winner of the giveaway is Jessica Smith! Jessica please email me your info and we will get your sign sent over. Thank you to all of you who entered... always fun to win a little "happy.

Heather :)

Whoop, whoop! Meet Nina and a Giveaway!

Well hello there. My name is Nina and I am a fairly new southerner. I have only been in South Carolina 6 months and I l.o.v.e. it. I was born in raised in southern California. 

My husband's job brought us to the east coast a year ago. I have two daughter's, they are 11 and 16. At the moment I am a stay at home mom who is constantly trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up...I am 42. My favorite quote is from George Eliot- "It's never too late to be what you might have been." I am kind of living by those words right now.

I have a couple of blogs but have been so neglectful of them as of late that I am pretty sure I am now qualified as an ex-blogger. Right now I am concentrating on my etsy business, Scrap Art by Nina. 

I make signs, boxes, clipboards...whatever I can mod podge basically. Which brings us to why I am here hogging up space on Heather's wonderful blog...we are doing a giveaway!   ********************************************************************
I have so enjoyed getting to know Nina over the last few months.
She contacted me through another blogging friend from Ca. _ we decided to have coffee at Starbuck's_ and that's it.

Ever since I've wanted to buy one of everything she had!

They are so so cute. 

One of my favorites from the beginning was this sign.

The colors and the grateful had me from the start.

And she is giving it away to one of you.

Here's how to win it:

1. Head over to Nina's Facebook and "like" her. Leave me a comment telling me to be entered.{1 entry}

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scrap-Art-By-Nina/199249203442436

2. Follow we.are.the.holdens {1 entry}

3. Tell me your favorite piece in Nina's shop {1 entry}

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. This ups your chance to win.

Winner will be announced Tuesday!
Happy Friday...
Heather :)

What we wore for Halloween

Alice in Wonderland

the Mad Hatter

Tim Tebow

Lots of Sugar

We started the night off by handing out candy. There are 11 neighbor kids counting my 2 that play together on a regular basis. So I had bought up some Root beer and made it into Spider Venom. It was a win and I got to be the cool mom. Oldest wanted to just be a coach or a trainer because like I've said before, i can't get him away from wearing sports clothes. I think he was starting to realize he didn't look any different and so he decided to be Tim Tebow at the last minute. I'm just glad he figured something out beings he won't have many more years to do this. Our neighborhood has a lot of homes and it is very kid friendly so people bus in to trick or treat. They hire police men and have certain streets shut off...it gets kinda crazy. Being our first year here we really didn't know what to expect but had been forewarned ahead of time that we would be slammed. I set a limit of spending $20 on candy and filled up a nice little caldron bucket knowing that when it was gone_ it would be gone_ and we would be done. We had set out a table_ chairs_ the candy_ our pumpkin all down at the foot of the driveway to meet each little character as they came by for some sweets. After participating in the giving it was finally time for my kiddos to go and get some treats so we left the bowl and pumpkin just sitting there for whomever to help themselves. When arriving back home we found that they had helped themselves...to our bucket and our cute little mustache man. I was like for reals? 

Swiper no swiping...Someone had took the bucket and our pumpkin...and they were walking around holding that heavy thing.... all i can figure is, it must've been hubs awesome carving skillz that made it irresistible not to take. I took a few things too... a lot of photos of my 3 sweet's and a few 

Almond Joys_ Snickers_ & Twix. :)

Heather :)

The show - out

Yes, this post is about a bird. But not any ole' bird....a HAWK!

Walking by my back door the other day, this is what i saw...

Now we've had birds on our back porch (I wrote about that here) but never a hawk for goodness sake. 

The majestic part is that he was on the back porch and we got to see him up close and personal.

The gross part was that he had picked up some small creature and was eating it_ like tearing it apart.

I spared you those details & pics. :)

I was kinda awe struck as I watched this bird with massive talons that are as sharp as razors...

just sit there on the back ledge.

We watched him finish his meal and then just stand there.

He was very aware of us and I couldn't wait to see his wing span and watch (snap) as he flew.

It's the little things and i know this. 

But i'm trying to be more intentional about the little things that happen in everyday life and seeing that hawk reminded me that 

it's not just another normal day. 

To see something like this.... but i could miss it.

i could totally miss this show-out in my day if i'm not intentional_ about picking out the little things.

About finding those things that happen throughout my day that are majestic_ a God thing_ that are out of the ordinary.

I saw someone who had come up with a list of "intentional happenings" throughout their day. 

So i came up with a few ....

And then just like that_ he flew....

Linked up with Jami for

Heather :)

For the love of my hubs

I've had the sore throat_ congestion- thing going on for the last 2 days and so when the alarm sounded this morning hubs said "just stay in the bed, I'll take care of the kids".

But i did get up and help get them get out the door.
Something in me won't let me just lay there while they do everything on their own.
Plus i have to give hugs, kisses, & i love you's before they go. 

It's pretty chilly here so i grabbed my fav red hoodie and as i slid my hand down in the front pocket i felt this....

I have no idea when hubs put this in my jacket or for how long it's been in there. 

All i know is it stopped me in my tracks. How thoughtful is he.
To know that he was thinking of me and took the time to do this.

Then as i was going over my list of what i needed to get today at the store i saw this....

And an email i received randomly from him last week.

He never ceases to amaze me. 

I'm so thankful for a husband that pursues me with the little things. 

We can't afford to take big vacations together,

Or have scheduled, get away date nights every week.

Even though both of those things would be amazing and we'll eventually get there.

But i know that he loves me and he's thinking of me because of the little things that he does.
And that always makes life more lovely...

Happy Monday & Happy hope you get lots of candy night.;)
Heather :)

Linking up with

Carv 'n' out Memories

I’m so glad you’re here and hope that you will hang around_

maybe even introduce yourself…I would love to get to know you, too.

This blog of mine I started to document our life.

To share our loves_ our joys_ our pains_ our struggles_

our day-to-day_our randomness.

It has become so much more than I ever could have imagined.

This is our family of 5_ Jode. Heather. Grayson. Gabi. & Kayli_

and we are the holdens.

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 If you were to come and visit me today…walking up to my door you would find it decorated with a few odds & ends.

I’ve kinda gone Cra-z-y over all the bunting & pennants lately.

I’m shooting for a goal to have one hanging in each room of the house.

So of course, I had to add in one over the doorway.

The big ole’ pumpkin on the urn we bought like 3 weeks ago and he has lasted quite well.

 I was concerned he may not make it through, but he has,

and will hopefully be here for Thanksgiving time, too.

I decorate more for Fall that way when Thanksgiving is over I can go straight into my Christmas things. And Christmas is my fave.

This little guy I purchased from Wal-Mart around 5 years ago. 

He is fiber optic and the kids when they were smaller liked him because of all the pretty colors he would change into.

Well this year I hadn't put him out and the then unloading some more boxes the other day I found him and brought him in the kitchen. 

That's all it took, the kids got one look at him and said he had to be put out. 

I thought they were over him...but I guess not. I guess he's a keeper. 

I’m not exactly sure what the pumpkin roll is???

All I know is it sounded good and so I went with it.

We’ll just make it up as we go along... and have fun doing it.:)

This weekend we were invited over to some friend’s house for a

Pumpkin Carving Party.

The invitation said “BYOP”….bring your own pumpkin.

We arrived to find they had supplied all of the tools needed to carve out the pumpkins, tons of books with templates, and plenty of table space for all to gather round’

 and get to creating.

Middle didn't like the guts part. So she let youngest take them out for her.

After you carved your pumpkins it was time to have your picture made

by Mr. Frankenstein.

He was gi-normous and pretty spooky looking. 

They even had a smoke machine going for an added effect to your photo.

Hubs tried to do a mustache man and I tried to do a hoot owl.

Overall they came out pretty good.

We stood back admiring our lighted pumpkins and then...

we did the pumpkin roll.

Happy Friday!

Heather :)