Every Sunrise

Today the temperature hit a whole 45 degrees, the warmest day we've had in some time. You can tell we live in Wisconsin and are used to bitterly cold temps. At the elementary school, at least three little girls were in flip-flops, and several more were in capris. Poor Mia was sent to school in full out winter gear: snow pants, winter coat, scarf, and hat. I'm sure she'll need it all during recess, because none of the kindergartners are going to be able to stay out of the water. I'll have a second set of clothes for her to change into as soon as she gets home.

The doctor switched me back to my original medication which while it didn't work great worked a whole lot better than my old meds. I'm functioning again, making it to work yesterday and the school today. I'm not pain-free, but I come much closer to normal like this.

An update on my Uncle Howard: the doctors removed his trach this week, and he's having some trouble speaking, but he's doing so much better than we ever expected. He's been moved out of the ICU into a regular hospital room and plans are in place to move him to a nursing home for rehab in the next few weeks. His recovery is nothing less than a miracle; I am so grateful for everyone's prayers.

Every Sunrise by Tricia Goyer is the seventh book in Home to Heather Creek series by Guideposts. Charlotte and Bob Stevenson took in their three grandchildren: Sam, Emily, and Christopher after the death of their daughter Denise. The change hasn't been easy for anyone. The grandparents are in their sixties living on a farm in rural Nebraska; the kids grew up in the busy warmth of San Diego. Through the previous six books, the kids have worked to fit in and accept their new life. You don't need to to have read the previous books to dive right into this terrifically written book. Charlotte relies on her faith to get her through tough times, and it's been a pleasure to see the family's growth. In this book, Sam disappears on a quest to find the father who abandoned the kids over ten years ago. All of the Stevensons have to come together to find him and bring him home. Goyer captures small town farm life with accuracy and heart. Much of the story revolves around navigating the normal conflicts families face. Goyer always manages to create interesting characters regardless of the genre in which she's writing, and the Stevensons are no exception.

The winner of Every Sunrise is Judy Sytsma. Congratulations Judy! My next contest will start on March 16th, and the week of March 23rd, I'll be holding a huge contest to celebrate the third anniversary of this blog that you won't want to miss!