Meet Kirsten.

I love our American Girl Book Club.  The moms in the club do such a great job with their daughters of putting together a really fun experience for everyone.  Melissa and Laura thought of so many fun things to do for the afternoon that we were all together.

The day was pretty hot and humid and clouds were threatening rain.  We had hoped to be able to have all of our activities and fun outside but the weather kept us inside.  Kirsten probably had to endure extreme temperatures without air conditioning so we talked about how grateful we were to be able to be inside where we could stay cool and out of the sticky air.  Kirsten also wore layers of clothes and a long dress.  The girls couldn't imagine having to be outside all day long in the dresses they were wearing. They peeled them off the first chance they got.

Kirsten sailed across the ocean blue with her family and her friend's family from Sweden.  While on the water her sweet friend died.  I love getting to discuss the sorrow of losing a friend, the difficult times that Kirsten endured with joy, and the sweet way her family interacted as we sit in polka dot form all around the sofa and carpet talking about the book.

When we arrived at Melissa and Laura's home there was wheat to grind into flour and beans to shuck.  Just like Kirsten, there was a lot of work to do before we could even eat.  We had some delicious Dutch oven potatoes and fruit cobbler. There was also quilting and butter making and feeding a baby squirrel a bottle of milk.

Stay tuned for more...

sweet. LIFE.