This photo was taken on November 11th, 2007, three weeks after we had moved into HoneyWine Hollow, and one month before Carmen turned one.

The bookshelves were one of the first things that we set up in the house.  Our family believes that reading is absolutely imperative for a person, young, old, or in between.  Both Tyme and I remember devouring books as young people, which enriched our lives in so many ways - learning about the world, learning about ourselves, gaining a vocabulary, escaping the drearies, and gaining new perspectives.

We read to our kids every night, at least.  They choose a book each, and we sit on the couch in their playroom.  I don’t remember them ever not having the attention span to sit through a book, even at the typical squirmy age.  Carmen, now four, is starting to have a burst of speed in her learning to read and spell phases, which delights us completely.

We already have a great collection of books for the girls, and plan on adding to it as they grow and their interests expand.  The internet is cool and all, but there is something about a physical book in your hands that just can’t be replaced…