Wind Dancer

Jesse and I are starting to feel a bit cursed. Just after Thanksgiving, the van overheated leaving Mia and I stranded on the side of the road. But God provided, and there was no permanent damage to the van. Two weeks ago, Jesse blew out a tire driving Molly to practice at 7 am. He wasn't going in to work that day, so he wore shorts and a T-shirt, never expecting to get out in the 20 below windchill. Instead, he ended up changing a tire in the snow. That was an unexpected expense. Last week Friday Jesse accidentally locked his keys in his car at work. It would have cost us $45 to unlock it, but thank God (again), a co-worker has AAA.

On to this week. On Thursday, Jesse went to start the van to drive Mia to the bus stop and discovered that it wouldn't start. He thought it was the starter. A $100 that we definitely can't quite afford this close to Christmas. This morning he started working on it with his Uncle John who thought it was really just a frozen fuel line. I praised God for His mercy. That's a repair that doesn't cost any money. But after working on it some more, they determined that it was the fuel pump. Fuel pumps cost over $400. Merry Christmas. I know that we'll make it work and that God will provide for our needs. The blessing is that it comes before the Christmas holiday, so I won't have to drive into town much in the next two weeks, so if we have to save up to buy one, that's doable. I'm trying really hard not to be angry, but I can't help but be frustrated. I know that James says to count all trials as joy, so I'm doing my best to praise the Lord in the midst of it and stay positive and not take it out on my family. My family is healthy; we have food in the house, and a warm home to live in. The Christmas shopping is almost done. I have much to be thankful for, I just have to remember that.

Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie is a sexy, but faithful historical romance. Isabelle Renoir was raised unusually in Colonial America. She knows how to fire a rifle, loves the outdoors, and refuses to conform to society's expectations of her. On a trek through the wilderness on a mission from her priest with her brother and an Indian guide, she encounters American spy Samuel Holt who uses Isabelle as cover for his reconnaissance. Sparks quickly fly between the two as they travel together, but their lives are turned upside down when they are captured by Shawnee Indians who adopt them into their tribe. Both Isabelle and Samuel's skills and their love for each other are put to the test. Carie takes all of the standard ingredients in a historical romance: fiery heroine, mysterious hero, extreme circumstances and makes them stand above the rest of the genre. Isabelle has an amazing, wild kind of faith in God that makes even the Shawnee stand up and take notice. Isabelle is a wonderful heroine; she's assertive without being aggressive, her faith is beautiful, and her strong will makes her a true woman of God. Carie left a few loose ends at the end of this book; I hope she writes a sequel with more about little Belle and Isabelle's mother Hope.

I'm hoping I can cajole Mia into doing a Mia & Mommy's Book Blog tomorrow. Tonight she's distracted playing Nintendo with Jake. Today's pic is some of the cookies I made two weeks ago at Mom's. They are all gone now, but don't they look good?