oh christmas eve

Wow almost Christmas eve. Its such a weird time right now. Everything seems to be so wacked out. But at moments I wouldn't change it for the world honestly. Even if its all in disarray. Christmas eve will be weird. I haven't gone to the family get together in 2 years now. And its a whole lot less drama for me. Last year it was cause dad had surgery on the 23rd. So we weren't gonna go anywhere at all. That was the first Christmas that the boy spent with us too. This year I am not going by choice. I feel like I shouldn't have to deal with the drama. Its so silly. I almost can't stand it its so silly. I am going to go to church for the first time ever on Christmas eve. I'm so stinkin excited about it. I get to watch my kids at church sing. Its gonna be sooooo cute I cannot wait. Plus I get to spend the time with the boy. Christmas is our 1 year anniversary. That was the time we realized that we had feelings about each other. Its so weird to think about. I mean we have been together for so long. But really I think we were together the instant he moved up here last October. Its just so weird a good weird.

Some of his family is pretty enjoyable. At least through email. Cause obviously I don't know much about otherwise. Its such a blessing. I have been blessed in general. Just this week. I normally watch each of the girls twice a week. This week it was only once per girl. And both parents gave me a card and a gift card for 25 dollars. Its so not even necessary but I am so grateful for it. It is such a nice thing. I'm not used to that happening at all. My first instinct is to just go out and get something for them real quick. But they don't do it to get something in return. And I know that. But I’m just not used to getting presents at all. And its so disorienting when it does happen. I'm such a huge weirdo.

Well my car hasn't gotten broken into again yet. I think its happened twice or three times. I can't tell. But either way its annoying. There isn't anything but garbage in there. And clothes and feminine products in the trunk haha. I am prepared what can I say? Actually i'm not sure if my ice scraper is gone. I don't remember. Might have to check that out later.

I'm trying to write a lot of my reviews so I can just save and post later. Which is working. But then I haven't posted anything for my examiner page. Which is somewhat annoying. But I keep forgetting. I've also been trying to finish up these things i'm making for people. I'm half through my list. Plus I need to fix justins scarf. Which probably will just be redone totally cause I don't know how to fix it. Oh well it won't take that long. I've also got my huge pile of books to read which I haven't been doing either. Oh bother. I'm kinda behind on anything and everything I guess. Oh well what can you do right? Life kinda got away from me.

I am so grateful for the boy too. Living without him would be hard. I am not a huge sappy person but he gets that and doesn't get upset that I am not sappy. I do love him a lot. Its amazing at how much you could love someone. I just want him to get a job asap but I guess it'll happen when it happens. I am a worrier. Which is annoying but it is what it is. I need to trust more but trust is a hard thing. It is for everyone.

Things are looking up and that’s what I have to focus on.

Tom's of Maine

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Toms of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you heard of Tom's Of Maine

Its a line of natural hygiene products. They have tooth paste and deodorant. I'm not sure what else they have. But I use their deodorant. I'm not a totally organic freak but I didn't want to use aluminum in my deodorant so I switched to toms and its amazing. I use the clear roll on and it works pretty well. I'm happy with it.

I also like the toothpaste because I don't like mint stuff at all so finding a toothpaste for me that isn't a kids one that is difficult. But they have ones that aren't mint. So that's amazing for me.

Now they are doing a That's Wicked Fresh contest page, you go to the link and like and follow them on facebook and there are prizes. just go share you're favorite wicked fresh moment! i hope you will check them out soon. i am pretty pleased with their products. its a shame i didn't find them sooner. but please check out the contexts and try out their products as soon as possible! you won't regret it!

remember to check out their cavity protection toothpaste.

times

"I know i need you I need to love you I love to see you, and its been so long i long to feel you i feel this need for you' and i need to hear you is that so wrong?
 
oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh
 
now you pulled me near you when we're close i fear you still im afraid to tell you all that i've done are you done forgiving? or can you pass my pretending? Lord i'm so tired of defending what i've become what have i become?
 
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh.
 
i hear you say "my love is over, its underneath, its inside, its in between the times you doubt me, when you can't feel the times that you've questioned 'is this for real?' the times you've broken, the times that you mend the times you hate me and the times that you bend well my love is over, its underneath its inside, its in between, these times you're healing and when your heart breaks the times that you feel like you've fallen from grace the times you're hurting
the times that you heal the times you go hungry and attempted to steal in times of confusion and chaos and pain
im there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame im there through your heartache im there in the storm my love i will keep you by my power alone i dont care where you've fallen, where you have been i'll never forsake you my love never ends, it never ends mmm, mmm
 
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh" - Times by Tenth Avenue North


This song has been on my mind lately it has struck me. especially when it says "the times you're healing the times your heart breaks the times that you've falling from grace" and then " my love is over its underneath its inside its in between" its so relevant! I've had a really crappy last 7 days. but I'm still here i guess that counts for something. 

but there was the car accident so that's stressful. i didn't know if it was gonna trigger a seizure from the dog. i was pretty worried about it. and it is around the time she would be having one. she has one every three months about. so there was that. but then the family is down a car. but then there is my car. i didn't drive it much last week. i hadn't been in it for like 4 days. i went in it and all my stuff was on my passenger seat but my car was locked. i thought it was weird.  and my flashlight was gone.  i felt super violated but i thought oh maybe my dad did it. he didn't do it.  but i didn't get it cause i had locked my car and it was locked when i went in it. the next day i looked at it in the daylight. and determined that someone did break into it but they were like professional or something. didn't break anything and totally locked it and closed the compartments they went in when they were finished. who does that?!?!?! like  honestly..

then that day also i had to go watch the munchkin and i had to do some stuff for Justin and then later on i was gonna take him to class but that never happened cause he didn't get his work done and that was frustrating the whole day was frustrating and i sorta had a breakdown it was annoying. but I'm still alive. then there were just little things that went wrong. 

things are starting to look up again. we got our tree yesterday though i was so cranky yesterday i got better but smashing into that little car for that long of a time almost made me puke. oi. today no church i slept instead (crime right?) and maybe some writing but I'm trying to find a laptop used so i don't have to get one new. meh we'll see. anyways that's about all for now.

Book Review- The Snowflake by Jamie Carie

  

The Snowflake 

Well this next book up for christmas reviews is The Snowflake by Jamie Carie. Not familiar with this author. But it seemed like a good read. It was sent to me by B&H publishing for review purposes. That doesn't affect this in anyway.

This is set in 1897, around Christmas time. The main character is Ellen, she is traveling with her brother. They are bound and determined to reach the Alaska gold rush. Problems arise with the ship they are on, ice hinders them from going anywhere. Onto plan b they go! Buck makes a decision to travel on foot, going to Dawson City. Buck is another main character that comes in the story. He wants to leave behind a really distressing part of his life. He is determined to put all that in the past. But not until he explores it a little more. Though Ellen strikes him and he quickly starts to fall for her. Ellen stays behind in Dawson City. The stay there isn't a relaxing time. You'll see why when you read it. It would be bad of me to ruin the whole thing. But all in all its not what was expected.

The Snowflake is a great read. Also it's a nice story for Christmas time. It would also be cute to just set out on the table as a decoration. The cover is so cute and Christmasy!

never a dull moment

that's for sure. i almost wish my life would go back to being dull and boring again.

here has been whats happening.

first off i got accepted to write for the examiner! so I'm excited about that. I'm gonna post book reviews up there fitting right? so here is where my profile is. http://www.examiner.com/christian-literature-3-in-seattle/amy-clark check it out and look and post my link everywhere! it will be awesome!

also yesterday my dad, brother and our dog got in a car accident. thank goodness for great neighbors who come running to help. my neighbor Joe came rushing over here. i had to get the dogs harness and leash. my dad was taking my brother to work. and the dog barely ever has a collar one. so i had to go down there but Joe got a call from his wife Kim who was driving on that stretch and saw them so he came to help so thank goodness he did. my mom was sick puking and the works so i had to do everything and i was freaking out cause i was so stressed and had fifty million things coming at me all at once. everyone is okay thank goodness but it looks like that car is totaled. bleh but i guess things could be worse.


its so funny too cause i had posted about it on facebook and then my cousin texts then she called her mom. who called my grandparents and grandpa was home alone he listened to the message started freaking out, then he called grandma she called here. and that was that. but then today my uncle (dads brother) called and talked and he heard from his kids who saw my facebook too. hahah i have a string of communication apparently. its hilarious. i guess it keeps things interesting guess i should post more things so they all talk to us more. ah well.

also a while ago dad kept saying that he wanted a new car. i was like well i guess you shouldn't have said that. couple weeks ago when we got snow my Friend had been wearing snow socks. and we all said her snow socks worked too well. so this was the case with my dad saying he wanted a new car. it is kinda good that it happened now. it needed work. but the bad thing is he had just filled up the tank a couple days before. ugh but pretty sure its totaled so hopefully we will get a settlement and such. it wasn't dads fault.

but another reason our neighbors are awesome. they offered for us to use their car if we needed a bigger car for something. they are so amazing to us they don't even know! I'm so glad their house didn't sell and they stayed here.

so thats it from here for now!

Book Review- Carol by Bob Hartman

 Carol: A Story for Christmas 

Carol by Bob Hartman is a book that is about Christmas (obviously, right?) This is a really cute looking book and it's so small like a gift book. Though it's short it really is a great story. It is a play on the Christmas Carol. This in the category of those variations of the Christmas Carol in TV shows or movies that just have different settings. It does have some of the same themes.

Instead of Scrooge, the main character is an older guy named Jack who hates everything about Christmas. He's a very grumpy and kinda selfish man who has a bad day every day. But instead of being obsessed with money he's obsessed with music. After running into a gorgeous woman at the bookstore (literally), they start hitting it off while listening to a retro song. He gets sucked into a flashback which starts their reflection of his whole life from the early days to his future.

Not totally sure what I personally thought about it before I started reading it. There were really no expectations but I wasn't sure if I'd like it or not. In the end I really enjoyed it. The story was cute but also thought-provoking, and pretty entrancing. Seeing what happened next was a suspense you couldn't put down. At least I couldn't. It really does make you think about how Christmas is perceived these days. All the hustle and bustle on getting gifts and all the stress, while the meaning of Christmas is lost. Sometimes you just have to sit down and have a cup of coffee (or tea in my case) and think about it rather than get infuriated. All in all it was a great book. Check it out!

Jack O'Malley hates shopping,snow, and even Christmas. All three at once is Jack's idea of a very bad day. Storming into a Starbucks seeking escape, Jack runs smack into a beautiful and mysterious stranger, almost knocking her over and unintentionally changing his life forever. In this one moment his entire life—who he once was, who he is, and who he has the potential to become—flashes before his eyes. In this humorous rendering of Charles Dickens' classic tale, timeless lessons are reexamined through the lens of modern society. The result is funny, moving, and ultimately thought-provoking. [-Amazon]