Winter Book Reviews

Winter Book Reviews: Part 1

1.) Still Life by Louise Penny

This is the first book in the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. I cannot even count how many times this series has been recommended to me via friends and podcasts and book blogs. People love it. I decided to give it a try even though mystery novels aren't one of my favorite genres. I had also been warned that the first couple of books were a little slow but that after those the series really picks up speed and becomes fantastic. Late autumn felt like the perfect time to read about a murder in the small village of Three Pines in Quebec.

From Goodreads:

As the early morning mist clears on Thanksgiving Sunday, the homes of Three Pines come to life - all except one…To locals, the village is a safe haven. So they are bewildered when a well-loved member of the community is found lying dead in the maple woods. Surely it was an accident - a hunter's arrow gone astray. Who could want Jane Neal dead?

This book was interesting. I didn't love it but I do want to keep reading the series. I found Three Pines and its quirky inhabitants to be somewhat charming. The mystery was engaging. I had narrowed my guess as to who the murderer was down to three people. I was thrilled that I didn't know exactly who killed Jane Neal although the murderer was one of my three guesses. Even with that I was still somewhat surprised with the twist at the end. Yay! I hate it when you figure out who did it early on and yet it also wasn't a book that jerks you around and makes you want to throw the book across the room like Gone Girl did. Yay again.

Still Life is not exactly crime fiction and not exactly a cozy mystery either. More like a well written literary mystery that is just a tad bit on the dull side. But I will listen to those whose opinions I trust and continue on with the series and hope for the best and for a bit more excitement as the series progresses.

My Rating: Okay

2.) The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

This was our book club pick for November. I love historical fiction. It is my very favorite genre so I was excited to get reading. Plus, it has been highly recommended to me over the years from many friends. I read most of it around Thanksgiving break and it was wonderful. Even better... the story is based on the real life Grimke sisters from South Carolina. Two women who should be better known and remembered.

From Goodreads:

Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke’s daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women. Kidd’s sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah’s eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership of ten year old Handful, who is to be her handmaid. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty five years, as both strive for a life of their own, dramatically shaping each other’s destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love.  As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process. Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women’s rights movements.

I loved the alternating perspectives as the story is told from Sarah's perspective who is the daughter of a Southern slave owner and from Handful's perspective; a slave owned by Sarah's family. The contrast between their two lives was poignant and heartbreaking and yet there is a similarity in that both Sarah and Handful are desperate to be free from the bonds that chain them...some literal and some societal.

It's never easy for me to read stories about slavery. Going into the book I felt like I had an understanding of slavery and its atrocities but this book definitely gave me new insight and made me think in new ways about the injustice of slavery. I also learned more about the abolitionist movement. I've never read a book before about slavery that discussed how the fight for women's rights and abolitionism became entwined as women like the real life Sarah Grimke fought for equality for ALL human beings. I also never realized that you could be an abolitionist and still not believe in equality. This was very evident in the novel particularly in reading about the Quakers who believed that slavery was a sin and who were very outspoken about abolishing slavery and yet still practiced racism and segregation. This novel gave me a lot to think about. Our book club enjoyed the book and we had a great discussion.

My Rating: A powerful read.

3.) Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

I heard about this novel on a book podcast that I enjoy. It was recommended as a good psychological mystery. It sounded interesting. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the book. I ended up checking it out of the library three times before I finally got around to reading it.

From Goodreads:

On a foggy summer night, eleven people--ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter--depart Martha's Vineyard headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the passengers disappear into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs--the painter--and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of a wealthy and powerful media mogul's family. The story of the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy glows at the heart of this novel, raising questions of fate, human nature, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

Once I finally got into the book, I started to enjoy it. It is an interesting story that is told in an interesting way. The author, Noah Hawley, is a TV and screen play writer and it shows in the way that he sets the scene and tells his story. I liked it. The premise was interesting too. A plane crash, survivors, mysterious circumstances, and an intriguing cast of characters. I liked Scott the complicated main character. I wish that the story would have stayed focused on him and those involved with the events following the crash like JJ, Eleanor, and Gus. You are introduced to the back stories of all of the passengers on the plane and how they came to be on that flight. You get their various points of view. At first I enjoyed the back stories of the passengers on the plane but then I got bored. Some of them were much too long and the plot got bogged down with too many details about characters that don't matter. The plot dragged and the story suffered for it. The crazy part was that the author skipped the back story of one of the main characters...Maggie...someone who actually does matter to the plot. Why? I kept waiting to get her point of view and sadly it never came.

This novel had a lot of promise but ultimately it was just a big build up that led to a big let down. I was left with a lot of questions and I'm not the only one. Readers discussing the book online were all left wondering about dropped plot points and inconsistencies. This book could have used tighter editing. I feel like the book would have been better if it would've stayed focused on relationships. I was super disappointed that with all of the scandals and situations swirling around the doomed passengers of the flight that the ending was so anticlimactic. Plus, I hated the crude language of the businessmen throughout the book. I am not easily offended but it was excessive. To end on a positive note...it was an interesting social commentary of the state of our media today and its abundant "fake news".

My Rating: A bit of a let down.

4.) Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

I remember watching a movie about Tom Sawyer as a child but the only thing that remained in my memory was something about white washing a fence, Becky Thatcher, and a scary cave. I was excited to read this book and reacquaint myself with Tom Sawyer and his adventures. This novel is the story of a wild and rebellious boy. He is sometimes more juvenile delinquent than mischievous free-spirit. It tells the story of the escapades of Tom and his friends who live in a small town on the Mississippi River in the 1800s.

From Goodreads:

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is at once a comic and poignant story about the fears and fantasies of a boy's world, and a brilliant satire of the culture and institutions of the times. One of this beloved author's most widely read works, it is hailed as an American classic.

I'm just going to say it. More often than not Tom Sawyer...the character... really bugged me. He is often an annoying troublemaker and bad influence. I felt very sorry for poor Aunt Polly. Although when absolutely needed Tom comes through and does the right thing. He can even be heroic. But the best part of the book, in my opinion, is our introduction to Huckleberry Finn. The story is both entertaining and dark and suspenseful. There is a murder and Tom is a witness. Keep in mind that this book was written in 1870s and the language and racial stereotypes in the novel reflect that.

As Tom Sawyer's adventures unfold, Twain is witty and acerbic. The novel is wonderful satire. Twain takes his digs at religion, politics, law enforcement, education, and social etiquette. He often humorously interjects with his commentary. While I enjoyed the story I am much more looking forward to reading the follow up novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

My Rating: A Classic

6.) My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

This was my book club's pick for December. I had never heard of the book before. All that I knew was that it was written by the author of A Man Called Ove. (Which I still haven't read.) It sounded interesting and it was!

From Goodreads:

Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy. She is also Elsa's best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal. When Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa's greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother's letters lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and totally ordinary old crones, but also to the truth about fairytales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.


I really liked this strange and quirky book. It was funny and charming. I laughed out loud quite a few times. It was also touching and sweet. The plot is interwoven with fairy tales about the magical land of Almost-Awake that Elsa's grandmother tells her. I loved reading about how the two worlds intertwined. It was a beautiful and moving journey that Elsa goes on to find out the true history of the characters in the fairy tales. I loved how Elsa gradually learns the truth about those around her. She learns that all adults are flawed and yet most are inherently good.  I haven't read many books that were about the relationship between a grandparent and a grandchild. It was refreshing. As Elsa's journey comes full circle you realize that this is a story about connection and the importance of community.

The novel is beautifully written and there were several quotes that struck a chord with me:

“The whole house smells of Granny. There’s something quite special about a granny’s house. Even if ten or twenty or thirty years go by, you never forget how it smells.” 

"It's possible to love your grandmother for years and years without really knowing anything about her.”

“They laugh until no one can forget that this is what we leave behind when we go: the laughs.” 

“She goes silent. Ashamed of herself as mothers are when they realize they have passed that point in life when they want more from their daughters than their daughters want from them.” 

"Not all monsters look like monsters. There are some that carry their monstrosity inside."

This was a great and memorable book. I loved it and our book club loved it.  

My Rating: Quirky and wonderful.

7.) Sisters First by Jenna Hager and Barbara Bush

I am a fan of the Bush family. I have read nearly all of their memoirs and in doing so I have come to like and respect them. I enjoyed this inside look at this famous first family and political dynasty. I was fascinated reading their thoughts on their grandfather's presidency, their father's presidency, and different world events like war and 9/11. They have a very unique perspective. They don't sugar coat things either. Sometimes they agree with their father's political decisions and sometimes they don't. They aren't dyed in the wool conservatives either...if at all. They might not even be *gasp* republicans. One of them for sure voted for Hilary. Readers who *think* they know what the Bush twins are like would be very surprised. I certainly was after reading this book. But then again I have been pleasantly surprised after reading all of the Bush family memoirs.

From Goodreads:

Born into a political dynasty, Jenna and Barbara Bush grew up in the public eye. As small children, they watched their grandfather become president; just twelve years later they stood by their father's side when he took the same oath. They spent their college years being trailed by the Secret Service and chased by the paparazzi, with every teenage mistake making national headlines. But the tabloids didn't tell the whole story of these two young women forging their own identities under extraordinary circumstances. In this book they take readers on a revealing, thoughtful, and deeply personal tour behind the scenes of their lives, with never-before-told stories about their family, their adventures, their loves and losses, and the special sisterly bond that fulfills them.

The book is basically a series of essays; each written by each of the sisters. They alternate telling their stories. My personal favorites were the ones written by Jenna. She is a little more fun and bubbly while Barbara is more cerebral and serious. It was an easy book to pick up and read here and there over the holidays.

The parts of the book that I enjoyed the most were the stories of the Bush family...extended and their own. The book is basically a story about a family who loves one another, their country, and always puts family first. The stories of Gampy (George H.W. Bush) are so sweet and the whole book is almost a love letter to him. He is absolutely beloved by his children and grandchildren...and wife. His letters and emails to his children and grandchildren are wonderful and inspiring! I would've loved to have gotten emails and letters like that from my grandparents growing up. In fact all the Bush family write lovely letters to one another and many were included in the book.

The stories of Ganny (Barbara Bush Sr.) are formidable. She is a force to be reckoned with and not to be messed with. As a granddaughter of a sharp-tongued and formidable grandmother myself who also put family first; I could appreciate her strong personality. She is not the cuddly, white-haired, pearl-wearing, cookie-baking, traditional grandma that she appears to be.

I also loved reading about the parenting style of Laura and George W. Bush.  Laura's quiet grace is admirable and both she and George's inability to be ruffled and shocked despite the antics of their teenage and young adult twins....who were quite a handful...was inspiring; especially as they were in the public eye.

But my very favorite stories are of President George W. Bush. He is hilarious and loving. I so enjoyed reading the stories about him as a father. Despite the media's characterization of him during his presidency he is intelligent, thoughtful, and super likable. I loved finding out that he is a voracious reader and that he and Karl Rove used to have reading contests to see who could read more books in a year.

Other fun things were finding out the inside scoop of what it is REALLY like to live in the White House (yes, definitely haunted) and to be protected 24/7 by the Secret Service. I was also especially touched to read about their family's experiences during 9/11 and its aftermath. I found this book to be insightful, honest, heart-warming, and humorous.


My Rating: A fun read with a unique perspective on the political world.

Better Than School Pictures 2017

Better Than School Pictures

Every year my friend Amy does her Better Than School Pictures photo shoot. I love it so much and absolutely treasure the pictures that she has taken of our kids over the years. The day that we were scheduled for our session happened to be the day after Reilly had her unexpected gallbladder surgery so unfortunately she missed out. The day was gray and rainy and freezing cold but some how Amy worked her magic and took some great pictures!! She does such a great job capturing their personalities. Probably because she knows them well and can get real smiles out of them. The struggle is REAL. Prepare for picture overload.

Bryn: Third Grade

Ailey: 8th Grade

Kameron: Junior 

I love this year's pictures and I especially love these amazing kids!!

November: Things I am Loving

November: Things I am Loving

1.) Stranger Things

We are late to this party but we are all in now!! We watched two seasons in a couple of big binge watching nights as a family while Tyler was recovering and over Thanksgiving Break. We loved it!

2.) Wood Wick Candles

I bought one of these as a birthday gift for my friend Mary last year. They are so cool. The wood wick of the candle makes an awesome crackling noise while it burns. It sounds so cool and soothing. I had been meaning to get one for myself all year long but never did ended up getting one. They happened to have them at the hospital gift shop so I picked one up while we were waiting for Tyler's prescriptions to be filled on the day that he was being discharged. I knew that I would need something calming in my life. There were many days when Tyler was napping and the kids were at school and I was trying to keep things as quiet as possible that I would light this candle and cozy up under a soft blanket on the couch and read. It really did soothe me. They are great candles!

3.) Podcasts

Podcasts have made my list several times but it still holds true. During the month of November I listened to so many motivational podcasts. I needed so much uplifting and I needed to surround myself with a lot of positivity. I listened to podcasts about productivity, business podcasts, financial podcasts, fitness podcasts, goal-setting and good habits podcasts, and parenting podcasts. These really did the trick and got me motivated and kept me moving forward rather than sinking into despair and worry. If you aren't listening to podcasts... you should be!!

4.) Hallmark Christmas Movies

The girls and I started watching these the first week of November. Cheesy and sappy yet just the right thing to watch when going through stressful life events. We watched a ton of them and they worked their magic.

5.) Franz Chocolate Donuts

If you don't have these donuts in your area...I hate to say it...but it sucks to be you. They are the best!! Our favorite used to be the powdered sugar raspberry filled. We still love them but we have moved onto the chocolate old fashioned and have never looked back. On super hard mornings, ones that I just wanted to stay in bed and pull the covers over my head and not deal with life, usually the lure of one of these chocolate beauties and an icy cold yellow red bull could drag me out of bed to face the day. You do what you gotta do. A little sugar and caffeine boost in the morning got those endorphins flowing and helped me to deal with life. Not healthy but necessary. Did I gain weight? No. I could barely eat anything else. This would last me all day long. I usually hate chocolate donuts but not these babies. Delicious.

November 2017

November 

I am finally working my way up to December. How is it already December? November was a blur. A hazy blur of tears, worry, stress, joy, relief, and gratitude. Kameron and Reilly had birthdays somewhere in there too. Days just passed by in a fog. One day it was Halloween the next day it was Thanksgiving and now it's nearly Christmas. That is how November went.

Tyler was told by his neurosurgeon to take a full week off of work to recuperate which he did. He slept most of that first week home. It was a weird week. We just didn't know what to expect. It was still very scary and uncertain. He had quite of bit of head and neck pain. Some days were better than others. While Tyler slept and the kids resumed their normal life; I worked. I organized the house and purged tons of stuff to be donated. I raked so many bags of leaves and winterized the yard and deck. I organized the garage. I worked on Sisters Creed projects. I just had to stay busy. All I did was worry and I couldn't just sit still or I would drown in it. I also did a lot of secret crying. We didn't know what the future would look like. Would Tyler be able to go back to work? Would he have chronic pain? Would he need to go on disability? Tyler didn't feel great with his head pain, constant ringing in his ears, and severe hearing loss in one ear. He was exhausted and dizzy and the anti-seizure medication he was on for the week made him feel horrible. It was a very scary and uncertain time.

Also, he had no PTO at work so he was freaking out that he was going to have to go a week or more without pay. Normally he has a TON of PTO and barely uses it up each year but this year was different. He took off a lot of time this summer with vacation and working at the lake and he had nothing left...maybe a day and a half. His boss is old school and doesn't grasp "working from home" and denied him that option. Lucky for us, his co-workers donated more PTO to him than we could possibly use. We were both in tears when he got that call from HR. People really are inherently good and Tyler is very beloved at his office. HR said they were having to turn people away who just said "Take it all...give Tyler everything" because they already had so much time donated to him. What? It brings tears to my eyes even now. I can't get over the generosity of people. We were loved on and supported by our ward and friends. Food, visits, texts, calls, prayers, blessings, carpools... so many times I just sat there and sobbed due to the incredible kindness and thoughtfulness of others.

We tried to somewhat get back into our normal routine as far as the kids were concerned. It helped. That first week Reilly turned 21 years old. How is our little Rei-Pie twenty-one? That girl spent most of that first week grocery shopping for me and running errands. I was terrified to leave Tyler alone especially that first week. She also cooked us some amazing meals, ran kids around, and tried to make us laugh as much as possible all while working full-time herself. She spent many nights at our house helping out. We managed to squeeze in a little birthday celebration for her.

She is such an amazing daughter!!

Kameron had a Veterans Day concert downtown. This is a yearly concert that I absolutely love. It is a gift to our local veterans. It is always emotional for me to see the veterans recognized, appreciated, and thanked. I love the patriotic music and I love being reminded of how blessed we are to live in this wonderful country and how appreciative I am for those who serve and sacrifice for all of us. It always makes me so proud to be an American.

They did such a great job!

Tyler wasn't able to come as he still wasn't feeling great so I went with Ailey and Bryn. It was nice to have a distraction although I spent most of my time worrying about him. This was also one of our first outings after all that had gone on with Tyler.  People were so kind and loving and everyone wanted to know how Tyler was doing and I spent most of the evening in tears. Ugh... It was such an emotional time. Kameron's best friend, Jonathan, is such a great kid and so are his parents and they have become such sweet friends of ours. Kam and JB (as we call him) have been best friends since first grade. Jonathan's mom, Susie, is one of the most amazingly loving people I know and her friendship is so appreciated. Are there better friends than those who will cry with you in public in the middle of a large auditorium about how scary life can be? I don't think so. Sometimes I don't know what is worse... being in the actual situation i.e. in the hospital with all that was going on or the week following it all and thinking about all that could have happened. My emotions were super raw and nothing sent me into a flood of tears faster than kind and loving friends. I love that Susie!! She is such a great example of friendship to me.

Two days after Reilly's birthday... Kameron turned seventeen. The rate at which our children are growing up seems like warp speed. Seventeen already. I love that boy so much!! Time needs to slow down.

I did manage to run over to the high school and brought him his traditional birthday fast food lunch of Taco Bell and a slushy. He was very appreciative! Ha ha.

The second week after Tyler got out of the hospital he went back to work for half days. He would go into work early and come home around 1pm. Once he got home he would take a long nap and then he would usually be doing much better by late afternoon and evening. We binged watched A LOT of TV shows as a family and watched a lot of movies. Friends brought dinners to us and took great care of us.  I really found out who was truly invested in our family. It was so obvious by visits, calls, texts, gifts in the mail etc. Invest in people who invest in you. I was so touched by all of those who showered us with such love and yes, it made the people who didn't...who I thought would have...stand in stark contrast. One of the biggest lessons that I have learned is how to love and serve people better. How to be a better friend. How to SHOW UP for people. Go to the hospital. Show up at their house. BE THERE physically for people. These are isolating and scary times. Friends and loved ones need you. In person!! Be a pleasant distraction and then show up again week two and week three however long it takes. These are lessons that I certainly will never forget.

I went to the gym a lot and on a bunch of walks. I needed it so badly to try to deal with all of the stress. I barely ate anything for weeks. Tyler and I both got more gray hair. I previously had very little gray...like maybe two or three strands...but I definitely grew more and so did Ty. Ailey even plucked a pure white hair out of her head. No doubt from stress and worry. I hate the toll that the stress took on all of the kids. One day at school Bryn was called down to the office by accident and was told to bring all of her things and that she was being picked up by a family member. The poor girl was in tears and absolutely terrified thinking that something had happened to Tyler. I hate that. Reilly and Kameron shouldered a lot of the stress and took on a lot of our parenting duties. They took such great care of their little sisters and did so much to keep them from being scared and worried.

Tyler and I couldn't ask for better kids... kids who love, support, serve, and strengthen one another and their parents too. Best. Kids. Ever. They are spectacular human beings. It is a blessing to know that they will be there for one another and take care of one another long after Tyler and I are gone.

Spokane is Reading:

Every year Tyler and I participate in our town's Spokane Is Reading event. We read the book that is picked for the year and then we attend the event where the author is speaking. We look forward to this all year long!! It is always such a great night and so fascinating. This year the book was Wiley Cash's A Land More Kind Than Home. Tyler read it first and loved it. It is a southern Gothic novel about a murder in a small North Carolina town. Ty loves books like this and having the setting be North Carolina where he lived for two years while he served an LDS mission was icing on the cake. I loved the book too. I didn't know if Tyler would feel up to heading downtown and attending this event but he did. It was his first foray back out into the world. It was a fantastic night!

Waiting for the event to start. This is an official pic from the event. Tyler is in the purple oxford shirt and I am right next to him.

Wiley Cash is a phenomenal speaker. If you ever get the opportunity to hear him speak or do a reading go to it!! He is hilarious, charismatic, and charming. It was so intriguing to learn about how he came to be a writer, got published, how he got the idea for the book, the setting, and the characters. It was so great!! We could have listened to him speak for hours. I always especially love the Q and A at the end with the audience. He was so funny. Tyler and I were laughing so hard.  (Much needed!!) Afterward we even went out for...you guessed it...passion fruit greek yogurt. A true date night. :)

In between doctor appointments... one night Tyler felt well enough to wander the mall with us for a bit while Kam picked out his birthday gifts. Kameron is hilarious. I'll let my insta story do the talking.

Best combo ever!!

This particular mall now has a carousel in it! Brynnie was excited to give it a whirl!! It was so nice to be out of the house and be distracted and doing something as simple as roaming the mall, drinking a smoothie, eating a pretzel, and sitting in a massage chair. It felt like heaven.

(The carousel reminded Tyler and I of when we used to live in SLC. When Reilly was little...like around 3 and 4...Her favorite daddy/daughter date was when Tyler would take her to the South Towne Mall and would let her ride the carousel a few times and eat fries from the food court. This was their special thing. It was a super cheap outing which was good because we were poor and Reilly absolutely loved it and thought that it was the best thing ever!! She still talks about it. How is she already 21 years old?)

Great friends:

I have some amazing friends who let me talk and vent and cry. I met this sweet one for breakfast which turned into a five hour *therapy* session. This is just one of the many dear friends of mine who have loved and supported our family through out all of this. They've come over day after day and cried in my kitchen with me and taken me out for lunch and breakfast and all sorts of things. I am so grateful for good friends.

On the third week of November Tyler went back to work full time. By this point he was doing quite well. He was off of the anti-seizure medication and feeling so much better. His pain was much less. He had only been taking Tylenol since getting out of the hospital. The ringing in his ears had stopped and his hearing was returning to normal. He had more energy and stamina.  He also had a great follow up visit with his neurosurgeon. This was the first week that things were starting to feel a tiny bit more normal. Like we were moving out of survival mode. Thanksgiving was coming and we were looking forward to it.

The weekend before Thanksgiving we managed to finally celebrate Reilly and Kameron's birthdays properly. We had a big family birthday feast and went to the movies and celebrated the heck out of those two kids.

We divided and conquered at the movies. Tyler, Reilly, and Kameron went to see Thor Ragnarok which they loved!!

Ailey, Bryn, and I went to see Wonder which we absolutely adored!! Our movies got out at around nearly the same time which was great! We met up afterward, ate, did a little shopping, and even saw Santa and his reindeer.

We topped off Reilly and Kam's birthday celebration with their requested cherry pies instead of birthday cake. These two kids pick pie every single year!! Reilly doesn't like cake. Who doesn't like cake??

Then it was Thanksgiving! A few years ago we decided that we wanted to do our own thing for Thanksgiving maybe every other year. Tyler's family doesn't gather on Thanksgiving so we don't have to worry about that but mine does. Sometimes especially as our kids are getting older and heading out on their own we just want to do our thing and have our traditions and celebrate our way. I mean I enjoy getting together with my extended family... we will be doing that on Christmas day... but sometimes we just want it to be us. We had made the decision to do that prior to Tyler's health crisis. I am SO GLAD that we did. It was just what we needed. A peaceful, enjoyable, drama-free, stress-free, talking-about-Tyler's-health-free, cooking-free year!! We went to the Davenport Hotel for their lavish and extravagant Thanksgiving Buffet and it was FABULOUS!! We seriously loved it so much! My kids are vegetarian so they don't eat turkey and they aren't big fans of stuffing and squash/sweet potatoes and many of the usual Thanksgiving sides anyway so it wasn't like we felt bereft by not having turkey leftovers. Not at all. We ate all the things that we loved and then some. Hello crab and seafood! The food was absolutely divine and the environment was lush and extravagant. We felt pampered and fancy. It was amazing and the kids were in absolute heaven!! It was the perfect Thanksgiving for us this year.

Our Thanksgiving Day was so relaxing. We slept in. We had a special breakfast. We watched the Macey's Day Parade and the Dog Show which we love. Kam put the Christmas lights on the house and got out all of our Christmas bins to decorate with later. We leisurely got ready and headed downtown to the Davenport at around 4:30 pm. We like to eat later on Thanksgiving so we kept that tradition. We walked into that gorgeous hotel and felt festive and excited.

The ballroom was grand and gorgeous. Our kids have been out to fancy brunches and to fancy restaurants but this one was extra special especially all decked for Thanksgiving. Seafood stations, carving stations, dessert stations with more desserts than I have ever seen in my life. Every kind of pie, cake, tarte, and other desserts. My favorite was the marzipan cake. Amazing. The kids were excited about the two enormous chocolate fountains...milk and dark chocolate...that were taller than Kameron. There were the most beautiful appetizers and canapes. The sides were spectacular and there was even an en flambe station. They also had a gorgeous cheese and charcuterie station. It was pretty spectacular. We even ended up with a fairly private table in the corner of the ballroom so that we could really talk. We had a great conversation about all that we were thankful for in between eating all the things.

It just felt so nice to be waited on and to have everything taken care of. I don't think I could've gotten through a big family Thanksgiving or a friends Thanksgiving and having to rehash everything that we had been going through. We were so tired of it all. I also had exactly zero energy to cook a big feast myself. We just wanted to enjoy ourselves and to feel normal for a few hours. We did and we enjoyed ourselves immensely!

We toasted one another with sparkling drinks and laughed and delighted in being all together!!

We were there later in the day so we were able to eat a truly leisurely meal and could really relax and enjoy ourselves. Our every whim and want was taken care of. It was wonderful!!

Afterward we walked around downtown for a bit and Bryn wanted her picture taken in front of her favorite smoke stacks which happened to be her favorite color right then.

Just pretend those garbage cans aren't right there! ;)

Then it was home for a Stranger Things marathon and we played games until late into the night. It was awesome!!! It was one of our very best Thanksgivings for sure!!

Our Thankful Tree was loaded with so many things that we were thankful for this year!

We had the BEST Thanksgiving weekend as a family. Black Friday we stayed in our pajamas and watched movies and more Stranger Things, played more games, and started decorating for Christmas. I was also finishing up projects for a Christmas show that I had coming up. On Saturday Tyler was feeling great so we did our usual marathon Christmas shopping day and knocked out 98% of our Christmas shopping. Love it!! Sunday we all went to church together for the first time since Tyler was hospitalized. It was fantastic!!

We have all been so looking forward to December and that wonderful month of love and lights and the spirit of Christmas which is the spirit of Christ. We can't wait to love and serve others this month and to try to give back even just a little bit of all that we were given in October and November. It's time to LIGHT THE WORLD!!