Books, especially series

Because I don't have much of a book budget (in other words we don't spend much $ on books), I don't usually catch onto a series until it's very popular or I find a book at the library or read someone else's recommendation. This is very beneficial because quite often I can read a series all together. I don't have to wait months and months (or years) for the next book in a series to be published! So here's some I've read lately that I've really enjoyed:
Sisters in Bethlehem Springs series by Robin Lee Hatcher
The Bug Man series by Tim Downs (not sure if the series is finished now that #6 has come out so I may be waiting months/years for the next one)
Michelli Family series by Kristen Heitzmann

Sisters series - A Vote of Confidence, Fit to be Tied, and A Matter of Character
I'm not a feminist and I would probably think the 3 main women in the series are a little too independent and head strong. But I enjoyed the books and the characters were so good that it was hard not to want to read more about all of them.

The Bug Man series - Shoofly Pie (#1), Chop Shop (#2), (if you want the first two together), First the Dead (#3), Less than Dead (#4), Ends of the Earth (#5), and Nick of Time (#6)
I enjoy CSI so I have found the Bug Man very enjoyable. I love that each of these books until #5 Ends of the Earth can be read out of order or totally by themselves without messing up the storyline or characters. That is VERY VERY rare in a series. There are a few characters that show up in different books but usually in a very small amount. The main character from Plaguemaker (separate stand alone book, not Bug Man series) does show up in #5 Ends of the Earth so it might ruin a small part of Plaguemaker if you read Ends of the Earth first. But I didn't think Plaguemaker was that good so I would skip it anyway (though the fireworks information and bug aspect was kind of neat). (I just got book #6 Nick of Time from the library so can't comment about it yet.) Most of the time these books are not numbered as "Bug Man series #" so it can be kind of confusing. I think all of the books were categorized as "Christian" at my library but don't seem at all Christian until book #4 Less Than Dead and then just barely so these books might be looked over by a mainstream audience but might be good to share with a non-Christian friend.

Michelli Family series - Secrets, Unforgotten, and Echoes
Oh this series was SO good. Do not start book #1 Secrets unless you have book #2 Unforgotten close by so you can go right from reading the first to the second. Then you'll want to have #3 Echoes on hold so you can learn how the story concludes. I didn't agree with some of the Roman Catholic beliefs but felt that a lot of the biblical ideas were really good. These books definitely should've come with recipes!!!

Around my house

My oldest is going to camp this summer. Considering her medical needs (type 1 diabetic), this is a big deal. It is a diabetes camp and it's less than one week. But we are a bit nervous. Our daughter is pretty sheltered since we homeschool. My husband and I agreed before she went to camp we would talk more about "the birds and the bees" and biblical worldview. Since this isn't a church camp, we know that she'll probably meet lots of kids with different views. Also, we'll be talking about not following others, not doing everything someone else asks, and how other kids are not always nice. Lots of stuff she would probably learn if she had been in public school all along. I'll be somewhere between being in a fetal position holding the home phone and cell phone AND fixing the other 3 kids any and every dessert they want that we don't usually have! :) Admittedly, it should be a nice break from having to count carbs every moment of every day (trust me, you don't want to know how many carbs are in what you're eating!).

We've had a round of birthdays so my oldest is now 10, the 2nd daughter is 8, my son is 6, and my youngest (our baby!) is 4. Aaaackkkk with a side of tears thrown in!

My son was singing Peppermint Patty's song from Peanuts, "I'm in shake, I'm in shake, I'm in shake. I run five miles every morning . . .". We had to correct him that it's shape, not shake. Very funny though! Hope all is well in your corner of the world today. :)