Facebook 10 Book Challenge

There was a Facebook Challenge going around where you list 10 books that made an impact on you and then tag 10 friends to do the same thing. One of my friends from work tagged me, but of course I couldn't just list 10.  I read WAY too much, so I listed 10 fiction and 10 non-fiction and even that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great books I've read.  Here is my list for the Facebook 10 Book Challenge:

Fiction 

March by Geraldine Brooks
Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Redwall series by Brian Jacques
Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Stella Bain by Anita Shreve
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Little House on the Prarie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Non-fiction

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper
Columbine by Dave Cullen
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen
Anything/Everything by Joel Salatin (the man is a genius!)
A Thousand Lives: the untold story of hope, deception, and survival at Jonestown by Julia Scheeres
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Grey Fox Sighting

Since we've moved into our current house I've seen a few foxes - both red and grey.  Usually you only catch a glimpse as they run back into the woods.  Chad saw a grey fox walk through our yard a few times when he was grilling on the deck.  On Labor Day weekend we saw possibly that same grey fox two nights in a row.  On Sunday night I was out walking and talking to my Mom on the phone around 7:30pm.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw something and stopped - it was a beautiful grey fox!  We just looked at each other for at least 2 minutes before he calmly turned around and walked back into the woods.  I couldn't believe it!  The next night Chad and I were out walking around the same time and on our way back to our house we saw the fox again in the same spot!  This time he looked at us for awhile and then sat down - he didn't even go back into the woods.  Chad was able to take a couple pictures on his phone - they aren't great since it was getting dark and we were probably 30 feet away.  I would love to get some pictures with the real camera, but I haven't seen the fox since those two nights.  It was one of the coolest things I've experienced.  Here are the pictures Chad got of the grey fox:

C&J Services 7 Year Anniversary

2014 marked 7 years in business for Chad's company C&J Services.  There have been a few ups and downs over the past 7 years, but we're very proud of our business and that it's still going strong.  Here is a slideshow of pictures from the early years of the business and also the party that we had in 2012 for the 5 year anniversary.

Sandy & Roxy Turn 10

This year Sandy & Roxy turn 10 years old!  We adopted them in August 2005, so we've had them for 9 years now.  It has gone by so fast and I can't believe they are 10 years old.  Of course now they are officially considered "seniors" and the vet is going to want to see them twice a year now instead of just once a year.  Thankfully, they are both in great health and I hope that we can keep them around another 10 years!  Here is a picture of them right after we first adopted them.

Back Pack Drive at Meck

This is the 4th year that our church, Mecklenburg Community Church, has done a back pack drive to support A Child's Place.  A Child's Place helps homeless children in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg area with school supplies, snacks, uniforms, etc.  This is just one of the many things that I love about our church!  We are doing things for local organizations and people as well as internationally.  Here is the picture I took this year of the back pack collection area.  Chad and I filled 2 back packs to donate - I really enjoy picking out the back packs and supplies and it's become a new tradition for us.