Christmas Book Exchange!!! and other blogging firsts this year!!!

This year has been filled with a lot of fun firsts for me on this blog...

I started making bento lunches and gained a world of blogging friends with great ideas and great compliments!

I gained my first followers...my first one was one of my former students in Romania! She is an amazing mother of 3 now! teaches English kindergarten and has such a beauty about her...her cooking, her artwork, her lifestyle. 

I have started posting more recipes, taking better pictures (I hope) and trying to keep up with all the fun ideas out in the blogging world.

This December I participated in a Christmas book exchange through JDaniel4's Mom 

I had no idea what to expect especially when I received my partner...a Mom of 2 girls (ages 5 and 10)! What? I'm a mommy of boys and a toddler mommy at that! I looked and looked at bookstores and was quite worried when I bought the book I was to send her. It was a beautiful book, had a girl in the story, was written by a prize winning author...and well I was an English teacher for 9 years before my first boy was born! So, I sent it...I emailed her to tell her it was on its way. 

When she got it, this was her response..."I got your book tonight and I read it right away!  I was excited about it, I have already called 3 people and told them to go buy it.  My girls are going to absolutely love it!  Especially my oldest, she read Edward Tulane when she was 8 and immediately turned around and read Desperaux!  She is a HUGE fan of this author.  You couldn't have possibly picked a better book!  Amazing." 

Wow. Seriously? yeah, I'd have to agree. amazing. (God is good!)

I received her book the following day and had about the same response. We LOVE Eric Carle. Adrian's first books are ALL by Eric Carle. We have puzzles and coloring books too! This is what we received! What a fun Christmas book exchange! thank you JDaniel4's Mom for hosting!!!

looking at all the lights on the tree and pushing the button for a little jingle! so fun!