Books From 2011

So in 2011 I started writing down all the books I read through the year. I'm sorry to see that the number only amounted to 29, but I suppose that's better than none. I really liked keeping a log of what kinds of things I was feeding my mind. It's very helpful to be able to look back and decide what I would like to read more about or less of.
I admit, there are some books that seem rather childish for a 19 year-old to have read, but hey, I was 18 last year too! :P Sometimes it's fun to be able to just breeze through a book you really don't have to think a lot about. But even in kids' books we can find deep truths about life. See my post on Beyond The Deepwoods.

So anyways. Here are the books I read in 2011. Some of these I had read before.
Let's hope I can double this number in 2012

January
Beyond the Deepwoods - Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell (2nd reading)
A Coming Evil - Vivian Vande Velde
The Slippery Slope - Lemony Snicket
The Grim Grotto - L.S.
The Penultimate Peril - L.S.

February (this month I only read one book, but I'd *like* to think that's okay since I was caring for a great aunt and taking a couple of college classes)
The End - Lemony Snicket

March
Emma - Jane Austin
Northanger Abbey - Jane Austin
An Old-Fashioned Girl - Louisa May Alcott (2nd reading)
The Journal of Augustus Pelletier - Kathryn Lasky
A Line in the Sand - Sherry Garland

aaand then I decided that quantity doesn't always mean quality so I read fewer books a month the rest of the year but I think it's safe to say the quality improved.

April - June
Till We Have Faces - C. S. Lewis (2nd reading; part of a book "club" with Mom, Grace and Rachel)
The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History - Frances A. Schaeffer
Chosen By God - R.C. Sproul (2nd reading; another "club" book)
Gods and Generals - Jeff Shaara
The Blue Castle - Lucy Maud Montgomery (one of my most favorite books ever)

July
Beyond Stateliest Marble - Douglas Wilson (Very encouraging and insightful read. "Life is Christ, and death is more Christ. Life is beloved and death is the Beloved")
Scottish Seas - Douglas M. Jones III (2nd reading)
Huguenot Garden - Douglas M. Jones III (2nd reading)
Joyfully at Home - Jasmine Baucham

August-September
Under Enemy Colors - S. Thomas Russell
The Best Things in Life - Peter Kreeft - (2nd reading; "club" book)
The God We Love and Serve - Allen Dale Curry
Her Hand in Marriage - Douglas Wilson
Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare

October
Here Burns My Candle - Liz Curtis Higgs (This book was rather disappointing)
My Life For Yours - Douglas Wilson

November
The Long Walk - Slavomir Rawicz

December
Rise to Rebellion - Jeff Shaara
Putting Amazing Back Into Grace - Michael Horton
I'm still working on these two and a couple of other books

More books I was reading throughout the year (and still haven't finished)
The Art of Devine Contentment - Thomas Watson
The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith

How One Becomes A Zombie

Patrick, pretending to be a zombie, chases Lizabee around the house for a couple of minutes. Mom asks, "How do you become a zombie?"
He replies, "They dislocate your brain. Wait. Kathryn, how *do* you become a zombie?"
"Oh, they suck your brain out."
"How do they do that?"
"Through your nose."
Lizabee asks, "Oh so they do this while your sleeping?" She proceeds to make sucking noises.
Staring at Lizabee with a most serious face I reply, "They don't put you to sleep."
Wide-eyed Lizabee: "Oh."

A Few of My Favorite Things

Three little souls I can't get enough of:

Richard Phinehas Condit


Sarah Heloise Condit

Owen Pierce Aberle

November's Reading List

As you can see, I picked up just a *few* books from the library to prepare for the trip to Rome. ;) I'm excited to delve into these.

Next is a book I just finished, The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz. 'The true story of a trek to freedom.' It's just that: an autobiography about 7 men's journey towards freedom, their struggle for survival, and the pain and sorrow they encounter on the way. It'll grip your soul. A must read.

Then there's the book my uncle has lent me, Jeff Shaaara's Rise to Rebellion. 'A Novel of the American revolution.' I've read Michael Shaara's (Jeff's father) Killer Angels and Jeff's God's and Generals, and both being very well written, I look forward to starting this one.

And lastly, My Life for Yours by Douglas Wilson. 'A Walk Through the Christian Home.' A quick, light read, but very helpful nonetheless.

Also, I am listening to The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens. It must not be a very famous one, seeing as I had never heard of it before - haha - but I'm finding it very interesting. I'm curious to see how it ends, seeing as Dickens died before it was finished.

Well, that's my current reading list.

As the French would have it, Au Revoir!

This morning we got up early to say goodbye to these amazing people

Mr. Matt, Mrs. Elise, Anna-Kate, Helen and Thomas Peed


Here's a few pictures from last week's going-away party
The roast pig


Anna-Kate and Darcie-Anne

The Pastor and his wife


Helen and Rachel

The girls


Patrick and Thomas



I know God sent the Peeds here to be a part of the family at Bethel and to serve a special purpose. Now it's time for them to move on - to bless those they meet up in Missouri. I know God has a perfect plan for them and I know they will do well where ever He plants them. But boy, it's so hard to let go of sweet friends.

The Peeds have been a part of our lives for only 3 years, but it feels like we've known them forever. Their friendship is one we will carry with us always.


"If you tell me goodbye tell me tomorrow
'cause my heart can't take that kind of news today
And am I a fool for believing
that tomorrow everything will be okay?"

Party Pooper

True story:

Lizabee: "Why is it called a 'party pooper'?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, I know! Because a man was at a party and he was like, "I hate parties. I know! I'll go sit on the pot."


What a crazy child

Speaking Words of Wisdom

When we go through trials in our lives we often wonder why these things happen, and why us.

"Why me, O Lord, why me?"

We can search the Bible, we can turn to God in prayer, we can talk to our pastor or close friends. We can ask, "What purpose does this hardship serve?" But sometimes, we aren't told what we want to hear.

"This hardship will, in a way that we cannot understand, ultimately bring glory to God."

Well yes, I know that, but it brings up other questions: "How does it bring glory to God? Couldn't he have chosen some other way?"

Yes, he could have. And why he didn't, we will never know. In this life at least.

This is God's will. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years to accept it, but it is still His perfect and holy will.

And then one evening you're in the kitchen cleaning the supper dishes with pandora playing in the background. When the next song starts up you stop scrubbing the pot and stare out the window. You can't believe what you've just heard. A song you've listened to countless times suddenly takes on new meaning.

"When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be."

(But I'm a good old Protestant so I humbly suggest we insert 'The Holy Ghost' in place of 'Mother Mary')

"For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be."

There will be answers in Heaven. And let me tell ya, I've got a lot of questions. But because I know that there will be answers later, I can trust God's plan for my life right now. I can let go of everything I've been carrying with me for so long and just let it be. It's the most encouraging piece of news I've heard in a long, long time.

I don't know, maybe the Beatles had an entirely different interpretation of this song. But for me, it means I can listen to the whispered words of wisdom, and let it be.