Life as Mrs. Emerson

Hooray for summer!  We have been having a blast as a family soaking up the days of summer and squeezing in quite a lot of reading.  I am glad that we were able to get back into the habit of a family read aloud this month.  I hope to make reading at least one chapter book a month a family tradition.  I have such fond memories of my mother reading books aloud to myself that I really want to pass that on to my children.  Here is what I have been reading in June:  Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin: Ever since I can remember I have been a very scheduled young woman who thrives on organization and habits.  While marriage and becoming a mother has radically influenced my habits and my "productivity", I still delight in my routines.  My sister-in-law was so excited about this book that I think she could have sold me a copy on the spot.  :)  I knew I could borrow her copy next month but I just couldn't wait to read it.  I'm so glad...

A funny photo from our trip.   Two weeks ago I had the awesome privilege of tagging along with the happy hubby on a business trip to the SBC Convention.  It was wonderful.  We were in sessions most of the time but it was so much fun just hanging out as the two of us.  I thought I would enjoy attending the conference with Brandon but I was actually REALLY surprised by how much fun it was actually being at the convention.  I ran into a handful of friends that I attended school with back in the day before Brandon and I were married.  I did attend the convention six years ago when it was in Louisville, KY but I spent the majority of my time racing to the nearest restroom since I was expecting Eli.  This convention was so much better! This year the convention was held in Columbus, OH which is only a few hours from our home.  Hooray for a nice short trip!  This marks our fourth trip to Columbus together.  We have attended the amazing Oh...

If you have been reading this blog for a while or are a personal friend of ours you know that as a family we travel a few times a year to visit family.  What you might not know is the fact that I hate road trips.  I don't hate all road trips just the long ones.  Once you pass the five hour mark the trip takes on a more serious tone.  Don't get me wrong I really do enjoy the trip once I get there but it is just hard for me to have a great, cheery attitude the entire drive there. That isn't to say that I haven't tried.  Seven years ago my sweet hubby proposed marriage (after I had already taken two long road trips to Arkansas with him).  The first couple of trips we took to Arkansas were a lot of fun but they were also about four hours shorter.  We lived closer to Arkansas at the time and we didn't yet have children.  Since that time I have watched youtube videos and have read numerous blog articles about ways to have a fantastic road trip...

Love the Home You Have by Melissa Michaels:   I could not wait to read this book on decorating from a fellow pastor's wife.  Unfortunately the book really wasn't at all what I expected.  I love the premise behind the book to fully embrace and love your current living situation.  In my 6.5 years of married life we have lived in a variety of homes from owning our own home to our current living situation where we live in lovely church parsonage on 7 acres.  I just did not find the book that inspiring.  (If you follow her blog The Inspired Room then you might feel differently about the book.)  I was hoping that she would have included more commentary about her life as a pastor's wife and how her husband's ministry influenced her home. The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis:   Every time I read one of Lewis' books I never really know what to say about them without giving away too much of the book.  I really enjoyed reading this book and would rec...