Ellen Senechal's Blog, page 9

Five Fall Favorites: Day One ~ Vintage

Hello friends and welcome to DAY ONE of the Five Fall Favorites party run by authors Rebekah Morris and Sarah Holman! I'm soooo excited to be participating + enjoying a stay at the Literary Lodge this year for the very first time ever. :) I hope all of you will stick around for the event, as well! There'll be a lot of book-related talk + reading recommendations, plenty of fun blog fodder . . . oh, and a giveaway! (with *clears throat* a signed copy of The Whispers God Gives included in the grand prize basket. :D)
Best of all, we're partying online, so every acre at the Lodge is COVID, mask, and hand-sanitizer free. (yay!) Be sure to hop on and check out the posts going up each day this week (from now till Saturday) at precisely 6 AM Eastern Standard Time. We'll have five different genres with five different favorites up for display every morning, and each day you'll be invited to join the hosts in different rooms of the Lodge. 

All right, without any further ado, let's head to my room for the day, the backpacks room! 

Everyone needs a place to store their books during the party festivities, so I made sure to stock up. Help yourself to a backpack each, and then you'll be all set for the week! There're many colors to choose from, reds, greens, pinks, yellows, blues. And if you take a peek in the side pocket, you might find some sort of tasty snack to enjoy while you're reading. (personally, I like the white cheddar Cheez-Its and pretzels best, but to each her own!)
The first genre of the week is vintage, and I had fun selecting a few of my favorites. :)
NOTE: If you're keeping a Goodreads TBR (to-be-read list), clicking the images should take you to the correct places. 
THE ELSIE DINSMORE COLLECTIONThis whole series has followed me through childhood and inspired me in many different areas of my life, but I remember always liking Elsie's Holidays at Roselands best. :D Elsie's strong faith and Martha's elegant writing style have stuck with me throughout the years, and I think these books are a must-read in today's world.

GRANDMA'S ATTICAnother favorite from years past. :D The stories in this book are SO GOOD. And the illustrations are adorable. I still have a worn copy of Grandma's Attic on my shelf that's long overdue for a reread.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIESisters acting like sisters. Real events from history unfolding in one easy-to-read, engaging storybook that's clean and perfect for all ages. What's not to like?

MANDIEMystery combined with family. Yes, please! This is one I've carried around and loaned out to friends everywhere. My love for the series began with this volume (which contains books 1-5). 
MILLY MOLLY MANDYFrom the cover to the pages, this book is so sweet and fun. <3 Just as her name suggests, Milly Molly Mandy is a creative little girl with an adorable personality. I thoroughly enjoyed following along on her many unique adventures! 
I guess this concludes my post for today. :D Don't forget to visit all the other acres at the Lodge and enter the giveaway!!! (simply tap the button below to be redirected to Rebekah's blog.)
Blessings,Ellen S. The prizes!!

Are you excited for the week? What's your favorite reading snack?  Will you be entering the giveaway? Drop a comment and tell me! <3

Monday Musings // Emojis, Photos, and a Surprise

Happy Monday, friends!! There's only week left till the Five Fall Favorites blog party, and I can hardly wait! (although . . . I'm afraid it means skipping a Monday Musings post for that week.

September 25, 2020

September 25, 2020, marks the one-year anniversary since discovering little Ruby's gender. I remember that day so clearly; being off school, hanging out at Grandma's from one to six as Mom had her ultrasound, and then Dad launching a cloud of pink powder in the air. (picture below!)

Now, a full year later, I have an adorable, blue-eyed baby girl to cuddle with, talk to, and assist me in completing what would otherwise be long, dull math lessons. And each time I press a kiss to Ruby's soft cheek, or feel her fingers curl around mine, I'm reminded of just how blessed I really am. <3 

Seven siblings younger than me, one older. Two amazing parents. And a God Who opened their eyes over fifteen years ago to the beauty of childbearing. 

I'm convinced that no other big/little sister could feel so loved! 

Aaaand now . . . a few photos. ;D

My journal entry from last year. ^_^

Do you have any siblings? If so, how many? Ever participated in a gender reveal celebration? Comment below! <3

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Monday Musings // We Got Out!

Friends, an earth-shattering event has occurred! 

THE SENECHALS LEFT THEIR HOUSE AND MINGLED WITH OTHER HUMANITY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER SEVEN MONTHS. 

After my bout of influenza in late 2019 + Ruby's birth at the end of January, my family decided to do what we've done with every winter baby: self-quarantine ourselves. Full corona lockdown hardly affected us as we were already nestled deep inside our "cave." Of course, a few changes took place eventually, like having livestream church services become the norm, and Dad doing all our grocery shopping. 

Even when things in our state commenced to open up again, my family stayed wary. Bringing a nasty bug into a home with eight kids and a sweet new baby was far from desirable.

So, in the times we needed to get away, Mom has taken a few of us with her on drives or possibly on an outing to the river. I also started walking, then jogging, on a regular basis. Connor (my awesome big bro) and I often biked to our neighborhood pool, circled the parking lot, and headed home without stepping a foot near the water. And perhaps it was insanity that drove me to picking wildflowers on the side of the road? ;D (to read about that adventure, click HERE.)

Meanwhile, the seasons slipped away. As the cold edge of autumn began to seep into the air, we started to lose hope of ever taking part in civilization again.

But finally, FINALLY, it happened. On Friday, September 18, Dad loaded the eight oldest kids (including me) in the van, and we broke from our secluded bubble to head in for our appointments at the dentist's office. I don't think it had ever been so exciting to go to the dentist before, and wearing masks for the very first time was certainly an experience! 

All you can see of this cutie are her big brown eyes.

Afternoon Homeschooling Adventure

There're so many joys to homeschooling, a few of which would be flexible schedules, opportunities to hold babies and listen to music while I work on my studies, and an AWESOME teacher (Mom) and principal (Dad) I can turn to whenever I might need questions answered or counsel given. 

And then there are the adventures of homeschooling . . . like stopping on the side of the road to pick wildflowers because my little brother needs them for a science project. This, my friends, has been my most recent Saturday afternoon activity. 

On the way home from Dunkin' Donuts, Mom and I spotted several patches of clustering, colorful wildflowers. She made a comment about picking them, but I didn't know she was serious until she passed me her cup of iced coffee and turned the car around. Then I realized my fate was sealed.

Mom pulled over into a clear spot alongside the road and parked, and I climbed out. With the sound of automobiles zipping behind me, I waded into the tall, unkempt grass and white-knuckled a number of thick flower stems, tugging until they came loose. Soon I had a nice bouquet, complete with blooms of varying colors - yellow, pink, white. (Quite honestly, though, the only flowers I recognized were the daisies. xD)

I brought them to the car, but unbeknownst to me, a small, eight-legged creature had decided to come along for the ride. No sooner had I buckled into my seat then Mom exclaimed, "Ugh! A spider!"  

Hoping to find something to kill it with, Mom opened the console. Too late we realized the spider had already attached its web to the lid. Up, up, up it went, swinging back and forth and causing both Mom and I to catch our breaths. Then smack! Mom popped the lid in place, trapping the spider inside. 

It was with much laughter that we drove back onto the road, arriving home and sending Dad out for the spider . . . which, uh, had actually escaped and is now nowhere to be found. (oops)

posing for a picture with the first few flowers. :D
Do you have a favorite homeschooling adventure? Ever picked wildflowers by the road before? Comment below! <3
Blessings,Ellen S.

Monday Musings // Books, Books, Books!!

It's Monday already?! I don't know about you all, but the weeks seem to be running together for me. Having a full schedule certainly makes the time fly! 

Okay, sooooo, a few note-worthy occurrences from the past seven days . . . 

~receiving/reading new books, both in paperback and Kindle format

~we had our roof redone (which created a REALLY noisy atmosphere in our home from seven in the morning to eight in the evening *winces in remembrance*)

~lots of rain. on one particularly wet morning,  Ruby Jane, my little brother, and I all squeezed under an umbrella to take a walk around the block. plenty of laughter and some slightly-soaked clothes ensued from this outing xD

~FFF organizing (again)

~I enjoyed my first-ever voice chat with Abby J. <3

~the arrival of a new piece of jewelry in the mail had me excited. September is national suicide prevention month, and I was inspired to order (and wear!) a semicolon ring as a reminder that the story is not over yet;

~two fun visits to Grandma's for PB&J sandwiches, pizza, snakes (!!!), and a variation of ball games 

~Ruby officially added two daily containers of Gerber baby food to her diet (she's growing way too fast!)

Aaaaaaand, time for everyone's favorite part . . . the pictures. Take a look at all these books + the cuties helping my photo shoots along. =)

How has your week been? What's on your currently-reading list? Let's talk in the comments below! <3
Blessings,Ellen S.

Monday Musings // First Week of September

Happy Labor Day, friends! Hope you all are well. :) My family had a fun yet busy first week of September. Some of the things I've been been up to these past several days . . . 
~school (reading, writing, and arithmetic . . .)~watching the "Queen Esther" LIVE show on Sight & Sound TV. :D~brainstorming ideas for a new story (and only getting a total of 464 words written).~fresh reads (Daddy Long Legs and Portrait of a Lady, to name a couple).~receiving/replying to sweet emails from dear friends. <3~with the help of a lovely younger brother, moving another shelf up to my room to stash schoolbooks in. then my dad hung a brand-new whiteboard above it for me to use whenever I'd like. (already I'm feeling more put-together.)~getting my books/posts organized for the FFF party in October.~going cycling with Mom after church on Sunday (which was GREAT).
Below are a few photos, the first of which was taken a couple weeks ago, but I never got around to sharing it. :D Enjoy!

This adorable little one wearing my headphones. *heart eyes*

When you need a reminder, just grab a pen and write His truth on your arm. <3
I seem to have a fascination with mushrooms . . .
(but, mind you, that does NOT mean I like to eat them. just use them as photo prompts.)
A peek at my school shelf + whiteboard.
  How was your week? Were you able to watch Queen Esther? Let's talk in the comments below! <3

Blessings,
Ellen S.

Announcement: Time to Book Your Stay at the Literary Lodge!

Ahh, exciting news, m'friends! *happy dance* For the first time EVER, I've signed up to participate in Rebekah Morris and Sarah Holman's amazing "Five Fall Favorites" blog party! The event starts in early October, so you'd best prepare yourselves to be drenched in a ton of posts, book recommendations, some reviews, aaaaaaand . . . a giveaway with a totally awesome grand prize basket. :D

Take a peek at the the beautiful invitation below for more details, and don't forget to book your stay! I'd love to see you at the Literary Lodge this year! <3

Monday Musings // "More Tales from Memory Creek Ranch" RELEASE!!!

note: instead of a life update + photo dump for this week's Monday Musings post, I have a special announcement to share with y'all. :) :) :) a few weeks back, I posted a pic of my prized CCA (Circle C Adventures) book collection. and now, I'm so excited to say . . .
My favorite author/writing mentor, Mrs. Susan K. Marlow, has just released her latest Andi book to the world!! (*cue intense applause and plenty of celebratory confetti*)The all-new, five-star More Tales from Memory Creek Ranch is the sixth installment in the CC Milestones series, as well as a sequel to the first Tales from Memory Creek Ranch book . . . with Jared growing up and another Prescott baby born during one of the ending stories. (eeks!) 



As many of you know, Mrs. Marlow's Tales from Memory Creek Ranch is my very most favorite book EVER. I have whole scenes from that book memorized, and two copies of it at home with one on my Kindle so I can take it with me wherever I go. And when Mrs. Marlow said she was coming out with yet another Milestones book, I have to admit I might've been a bit skeptical. As far as I was concerned, there was no beating the original Tales collection.Even so, I was very excited to be given the opportunity to help read and edit this most recent bunch of short stories. (and YES, that was my secret "job" I told you all about in an earlier post.) It wasn't long before I lost not only my reservations but also my imagination to the joys of devouring twelve more, never-before-seen-in-print adventures with Andi, Riley, and Jared Prescott.
  A great manuscript + music = one happy young editor. :D
Each tale is spectacular, but I think my favorites would have to be the final two (San Francisco Surprise and Riley to the Rescue). Oh, and Nanny Riley, 'cause that one was inspired by a dear friend of mine and just makes me smile to read it. :)So, what're you waiting for??? Go grab your own copy of More Tales from Memory Creek Ranch!! <3FIND IT ON:
Amazon || Goodreads || CCA Website

Blessings,Ellen S.

Monday Musings // Apple Butter!

This week has been both busy and enjoyable as we soaked up our final days of summer break. My sister, Marah, and I jogged every other morning, Connor (aka Big Bro) and I lugged out our bikes and went cycling together on a near-daily basis, and there was lots of writing, listening to music, new books, and baby cuddles. :D Here're a few of the highs from the past seven days . . . 
~I received the sweetest email from a friend telling me her tweenaged sister was blessed by my book. <3
~Ellen's Musings reached 62 followers! *confetti*
~I enjoyed a voice chat with an online friend for the very first time ever. ~Sandrina and I had over an hour's Skype call on Saturday, which was AWESOME.
~an amazing young lady posted a review for The Whispers God Gives on her blog.
~there was a moment of laughing until my jaw hurt. (thanks, Mom :D)
~I added a few new songs to my Amazon music playlists. :)~signing books + addressing envelopes.~on the way back from a drive-through coffee shop with Mom and two of my little sisters, rain began to fall in buckets. We pulled up in the driveway, Mom messaged Dad, and he came out with an umbrella to escort each of us, one at a time, to the safety of the garage. xD
~we bought bunches of peaches, apples, pears, and tomatoes, and made a pot of rich, frothy apple butter.
I didn't get as many pictures this week, but I figured I'd go ahead and share the ones I did take. =)

Getting ready to peel all these apples.