March 2018

March came in like the proverbial lion this year...and it still isn't lamb-like weather. When I say that I am ready for spring what I really mean is that I am ready for summer. Warm weather. Sunshine. Bring it on. That didn't happen in March.

We started the month off with Tyler and I having a fun night downtown with Kameron. We had tickets to see Kameron's best friend, Jonathan, perform in the lead role of Tarzan, at the Bing Crosby Theater. He did a fantastic job!! We started the night out with dinner at a new restaurant ... Incrediburgers. It was pretty good. They have all kinds of *interesting* gourmet burgers and shakes. I got the Thai burger that had peanut sauce and other Thai style ingredients on it. It was good. I am not a big cheeseburger person so I don't know that I am really in a hurry to return.  Kam got a Nutella shake that was delicious and Tyler and I split at a caramel corn shake which wasn't.

Jonathan's mom, Susie, got us front row seats. We love Jonathan's parents and the fact that these cute boys have been such good friends since 1st grade.

Jonathan was, of course, fantastic!! That kid has been growing his hair out for over a year and then got extensions that were made into dreads and went to school like that for WEEKS! Ha ha! That is dedication to your craft. It was a fun night!!

Reilly has a new boyfriend...his name is Hunter. He is very nice. Reilly has brought him around quite a bit this month. He has been to all kinds of performances and family events. He even helped break down from my last vintage show and lugged furniture and bins. He is a country boy and wants to go into ranching. He currently works on his uncle's ranch. It has been quite amusing to see our glamour girl, Reilly, go country. Country Reilly is quite enjoyable to watch!! ;)

Ailey has had a whole bunch of drill team performances and a big showcase night. I wish that I could post them on the blog but the Internet is full of wackos and I can't cover up all the uniform logos. But take my word for it. She did a great job and has been a wonderful drill team captain. She has done a bunch of the choreographing and has been awesome with the girls!! We have loved watching her perform!

Hunter doesn't have any sisters so it has been a whole new world hanging out at drill team showcase nights and things like that but he has been a good sport!

Bryn started Bloomsday Training at her elementary school which is basically track. Bloomsday is a 12K race here and all the elementary schools start training in the spring. Bryn was SO EXCITED to get back to running. I cannot relate to this at all!! I like working out but I loathe running. Bryn starts track today on her city team. So she will be doing that as well.

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day:

Bryn set up a very elaborate leprechaun trap the night before.

St. Patrick's Day was on a Saturday this year so no green lunches but we did get shamrock shakes and then had our family dinner on Sunday. It is awesome to have Reilly back in town for holidays both big and small!

We celebrated heartily considering that my DNA proved last year that I am Irish!! As for Tyler, one of the heartiest St. Paddy's Day celebrators...the jury is still out. Ha ha!

But he bought his DNA kit and sent it in so in a few short weeks we will find out not only if he has any Irish blood but also if he is indeed the Bad-A Viking that he claims to be!! :)

Tyler and I got free tickets to attend a special prescreening for the movie Ready Player One which happens to be one of our very favorite books so we were excited to see the movie. The plot was changed here and there but it was still good and we loved seeing the book come to life on the big screen.

We had a great event happen in our ward. The young man on the left in white is named Tyler and he started taking the discussions about a year ago and began coming to church regularly and attending seminary. He is a year older than Kam. Kameron and his friend Josh...the one on the right...have had a great opportunity to fellowship and become friends with Tyler. They sat in on missionary discussions, worked with the missionaries, and took part in this young man's decision to be baptized. It has been wonderful to watch. Great prep for both Kam and Josh as future missionaries. Josh baptized Tyler and Tyler asked Kameron to speak at his baptism. Kam spoke about the Holy Ghost and just did a fantastic job!! I am so proud of both of these boys for being such great friends and so welcoming and loving to this new young man in our ward.

The kids taking turns to cook Sunday dinner once a month is still in full swing and that means that sometimes Tyler and I get a Sunday nap!! Love it! That is one of the perks of early church...especially those days when I have to be at ward council at 7am. Not a fan. This month it was Ailey's turn to cook and she decided to make breakfast for dinner. She did an amazing job!! She made homemade waffles, homemade buttermilk syrup, two kinds of sausage (kielbasa and vegetarian), and tator tots. Ha ha! True to her word not one vegetable was on the menu!!

It was a delicious meal!! Thanks Ailey!!

Kameron had his Spring Band Concert! 

He did fantastic!!

Stacey and I were vendors at the Rebel Junk Vintage Market in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho this month. It was our first show of 2018.

Here we are on set-up day. We had a double booth space again with our checkout in the middle like we did last year. We added some pops of color for Spring and had some cute Easter decor for this show.

Show Day and back in the swing of things. Show season is under way!! We also ended up having a sisters sleepover at my mom's house after the show. My sister, Kelley, even joined us.

The day before the show this poor kid got left at school. I TOTALLY forgot to pick her up!! The school called me a half an hour after school was over to see if I was ever coming to get her!! I felt terrible. In my defense...I thought she had Bloomsday training that day...she was in her running clothes and had me do her hair in a ponytail...but nope...just a regular day. Things were also just a tad crazy getting prepped for the Rebel Junk Market and CLEARLY my mind was on other things. So...when your mom forgets you at school you get FROYO!! Bryn was a trooper. I have now forgotten all of my children once. I am an equal opportunity forgetter. When we got home Ailey opened the door and yelled, "Welcome to the Forgotten-By-Mom-Club!!" They never forget! Ha ha. They are lucky it has only happened once!!

We also had parent/teacher conference for Bryn. Her teacher Mr. O tried his hardest to talk us into having more kids!! Ha ha!! He is having a hard time believing that there are no more Johnsons to come through his class. The end of an era. Bryn is doing absolutely fantastic and Mr. O said that she just spreads joy and happiness throughout his classroom. He said that students like Bryn are the reason that he enjoys teaching and has done it for so many years. You can't get higher praise than that! It is wonderful as a parent to hear that your kids are nice kids!!

The school walkout happened this month. Ailey walked out and Kameron did not. Both of them had excellent and well-thought out reasons for why they did or did not walk out and Tyler and I proudly supported both of their decisions. They are super smart, thoughtful, and savvy kids. They both have strong opinions and thoughts on the matter and ideas about what needs to be done to protect students and since they are the ones who go to school every day not knowing if they will return home... I feel that both of their opinions on how to deal with school violence are to be applauded and respected.

Kameron and several of his friends stayed in school and had a great conversation with their teacher during the walkout. She contacted me to say how impressed she was with Kam. Ailey walked out and marched down the street with her principal by her side. We love these passionate and articulate kids of ours!! As a parent I want to bang some heads together until our children start being protected!!! I cannot even imagine going to school under the circumstances that they do!! It enrages and frustrates me completely.

What else happened this month? Ailey and Bryn both sang in church. Ailey sang with the YW and Bryn sang with the Primary. The Primary kids sang the song I Will Be What I Believe which has me in a puddle of tears every time I hear it...which was multiple times every Sunday!!

You can watch it here:

Try not to cry!!

Ailey is also involved with the Road Show and is busy with practices. Kameron took the SAT. I had a fun lunch with a dear friend. I was also asked to be a speaker at a RS activity. I was asked to speak about parenting particularly about helping teens and young adults to get the most out of General Conference. I'll post my thoughts later. I had book club and we read the book Murder on the Orient Express this month. Not my favorite book although I did watch the movie after I read the book and thought the movie was better. What?! That's like the second time this has happened this year!!

Tyler and I also tried to chase the sun whenever we could...

Now April is here and we are STILL waiting for sunshine and warmer temps. Come on Spring!!

February: Things I am Loving

1.) Visits with Old Friends

I had such a great time visiting my college BFF, Tiffany, while in Las Vegas!! Tiffany and I met in the dorms and finagled rooming together. We roomed together for the rest of our college careers...with maybe a summer semester here and there that we couldn't get in the same apartment but always lived in the same apartment complex. I love this girl dearly!! Visiting old and dear friends is one of the great joys of life!!

Then:

Now:

25 years later. I think we have aged pretty well!

2.) Hair Extensions

I am a big believer that women should do what they need to do to feel good about themselves. Whether it's coloring their hair, plastic surgery, losing weight, hair extensions...whatever. Life is too short to feel badly about yourself. Do what you need to do. It is surprising what some strands of hair attached to my head have done to make me feel better about myself. Obviously, it matters more what is on the inside of our hearts rather than the outside of our bodies but if you need a little perk to feel better...or if half your hair decides to fall out on one side of your head...go and do something about it!

3.) Travel/Romantic Getaways

This is the kind of stuff that fills my well. Travel always does. Romantic getaways do too. Not only are romantic getaways fun but they always gives my marriage a nice healthy boost. It helps us to remember that we are Kris and Ty and not just Mom and Dad and grown ups with bills, a mortgage, and responsibilities. So pack that lingerie and book a weekend at a nice hotel with your spouse and enjoy your life!!

4.) Bryn has almost all of her times tables/multiplication facts memorized.

Right up there with the Science Fair and extensive school projects... is teaching kids their times tables or multiplication facts as they are called now. Ugh... How do people with a million kids do it? It's grueling.

When I was a kid I had to memorize my times tables. This was done at school. We drilled and practiced all the time. I remember having to go up to Mr. Jacobson's desk in 3rd grade to pass them off...the ones, twos, threes...all the way up to the twelves. When you passed them all off you got a certificate and a treat. When our whole class had passed them off we got a party. I do not remember one single time sitting with either of my parents with flash cards while they tested me. Never once. Now, 99% of kids learning their multiplication facts is done at home and Ailey and Reilly nearly killed me. They took forever to memorize them. Like...FOREVER. Reilly out of stubbornness...Ailey out of just not getting it. Thank goodness Kameron just memorized them. Boom. Done. And...thank goodness he is willing to help out with Bryn!! She has memorized them pretty quickly too. Maybe Kameron has the magic?! I certainly do not nor does Tyler!! Now who has the magic to teach fractions?

5.) Acai Bowls

I finally tried one of these delicious bowls. I don't know what put me off from trying them before...texture maybe? Something just didn't sound appealing about a smoothie that you have to chew and slurp out of a bowl with a spoon. I was wrong. Reilly loves this place downtown called Method Juice Bar and she finally got me to try one. I got a hot pink Dragon Acai Bowl and it was...Delicious!

February 2018

I am always happy when February rolls around. There is always a lot going on and fun things to celebrate.  We started the month off with Tyler's 47th Birthday! We were EXTRA happy to celebrate it this year!!

The poor man ended up being sick on his birthday. Not cool. We thought that he had the flu despite having had the flu vaccine. He felt pretty miserable. It was extra worrisome due to his compromised immune system with diabetes, heart issues, and now having recently recovered from his brain hemorrhage. He got tested for the flu and luckily the test was negative. THANK GOODNESS! He felt better after about three days. The rest of us got some varied versions of whatever it was but no flu. This flu season has been absolutely terrifying.

Every year Tyler has a Super Bowl birthday party but we decided to scrap it this year because he was feeling so terrible. He started rallying a little bit on Super Bowl Sunday and we managed to throw a little party together for him anyway. He came out of his sick bed to watch the game and to eat some cake and then he crawled back in.

He looked pretty good posing in this picture but this is what he really looked like...poor guy!

Since he felt well enough to come and watch the game, we decided to order pizza, got out some snacks, and put up a table in the living room so that we could eat and watch the game.

We were just so happy that he was feeling even slightly better and that he was here to celebrate his birthday after his terrifying health scare so we partied it up anyway. After the game he headed back to bed and stayed there for another day and then he was on the mend and back to normal. This cold and flu season has been so scary and we have all been sick this month.

On another only slightly less traumatic note... we registered Ailey for HIGH SCHOOL!! What?! No! This is a gut punch every.single.time. Make that a double gut punch because we registered Kameron for his SENIOR year!! Our babies are just growing up at the speed of light. I am excited that Kameron and Ailey will have at least one year together in high school. They are the only Johnson kids that will experience that particular phenomena. They are all too far apart in age. I want Kam to watch out for Ailey. She's so tiny and so innocent. A lamb in the lion's den for sure.

Ailey made Honor Roll this semester and had a special Recognition night at her school and got her picture up on the wall with the other kids who made Honor Roll. Reilly and Kameron were both honor roll students with their pictures on the wall and Ailey was pretty happy to be keeping the family tradition alive. Although she did turn to Bryn and said, "Now it's all on you...don't screw this up!" Ha ha! Poor Brynnie but something tells me that she will have no problem keeping up with her siblings!!

Showing us her picture on the wall of her school with the other Honor Roll students.

Bryn participated in the Science Fair this year. She and Tyler worked on it together. One more Science Fair and we are done. Hallelujah. #fourthkidproblems. Bryn put eggs in containers with water, orange juice, coke, and white vinegar to see what would happen to the egg shell over time. It was quite interesting!

She received two ribbons and was absolutely thrilled!! But not nearly as thrilled as when she got to puncture all the eggs and see what happened to all of them inside and out. Gross.

Kameron was gone every single weekend in February for various band festivals, retreats, and competitions across the state. He was gone four weekends in a row! It was nuts. But he had a great time and his Jazz Orchestra and Wind Ensemble did fantastic!!

Tyler and Bryn got back their official Daddy/Daughter pictures!!

Ailey's drill team performed at half time at the varsity boys basketball game, an assembly, and also at the volleyball smack-down this month. It was fun to see her perform and shine!!

I got hair extensions. I am so glad that I did. My hair was in such bad shape. I didn't get too much extra length...maybe an extra two inches. It was mostly just to thicken my hair. They cost a pretty penny and require a lot of care...but so far they are worth it to me. I'll do a separate post about them.

This is the picture I texted to Tyler from the car after I got them done. Nothing too drastic! No mermaid hair for me...THIS TIME!! When I have to go through the whole process again...not just the adjustments...I will go longer. Why not? Maybe not mermaid...aka Bryn hair...but longer just for fun.

 

Tyler whisk me away for a little romantic getaway at a fabulous hotel downtown the weekend after I got back from Las Vegas. We had such a great time! It was a belated birthday celebration for him. It was the absolute best!! Can my life be spent traveling the world with my man and staying at luxury hotels?! #goals

I love room service!

While Tyler and I were on our romantic getaway and Kameron was out of town...Reilly came and stayed with the girls at our house. They had another awesome sisters weekend. They made multiple kinds of slime, had movie marathons, more make-overs and beauty treatments, and even made...unicorn macaroni and cheese.

They all swear that it was delicious...hmmm...I'm not sure about that!! But they all had fun together and Tyler and I really appreciated Reilly helping out. :)

I worked out at the gym with my little work-out buddy...and Tyler too!!

In February we watched the Olympics...somewhat... The events that we did watch were fun but they are on at such a late time here and life is so busy that we didn't watch as much of the Olympics as we have in the past. Are the Olympics dying? So many people don't seem to care anymore.

I already blogged about Valentine's Day and my trip to Las Vegas. We read an interesting book for book club called The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright which is about a little boy from India who is kidnapped, sold to an orphanage, and then adopted by unsuspecting parents from the U.S. Tyler grew up with the boy that the book was about...Taj Rowland. Very interesting.  We also had too much snow this month and too much sickness. We had so many viruses and colds and everyone felt pretty crappy for most of the month. I was busy all month long with my new Primary calling and getting positions filled, training done, making changes, doing home visits, and meeting with my presidency to get everything organized. It's been fun but exhausting too.

I'm looking forward to Spring and some warmer weather. Las Vegas gave me spring fever in the worst way!! Onto March.

Mid-Winter Book Reviews

Mid-Winter Book Reviews


1.)  Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

I am still on my classics kick. Having finished Tom Sawyer I moved right on to Huckleberry Finn. I definitely prefer this novel to Tom Sawyer; as I also prefer the character of Huckleberry Finn to the character of Tom Sawyer.

From Goodreads:

Of all the contenders for the title of The Great American Novel, none has a better claim than The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Intended at first as a simple story of a boy's adventures in the Mississippi Valley—a sequel to Tom Sawyer—the book grew and matured under Twain's hand into a work of immeasurable richness and complexity. More than a century after its publication, the critical debate over the symbolic significance of Huck's and Jim's voyage is still fresh, and it remains a major work that can be enjoyed at many levels: as an incomparable adventure story and as a classic of American humor. 

I am glad that I read this book especially as it is considered the great America novel. I enjoyed it; but I absolutely hated reading all of the n-words. It was jarring and terrible every single time that I had to read it. I could not get past it nor could I reconcile it to the language of another time. That word carries so much pain. I hurt every time that I read it... which was over 200 times. The book is controversial. There are so many differing opinions. Should it be banned? Should it be printed without the n-word? Should it be read in school? These are questions that continue to be asked. I am not a fan of censorship but I had a visceral reaction every single time I read that ugly and demeaning word.

Despite that, I loved the journey that Huck Finn takes and I am not talking about the journey down the Mississippi River. I am talking about the journey that he takes as he comes to know and love Jim, the runaway slave, and begins to see him first as a person and then as a dear and beloved friend. It was interesting to watch him wrestle with his conscience and his choices about what was the right thing to do. Huck's awakening to Jim's plight was both touching and profound.

I loved that this novel was written in first person; unlike Tom Sawyer. Huck is a great narrator. His voice and his perspective were fantastic. I loved seeing the world through Huck's eyes as he traveled down the mighty Mississippi and embarked on fantastical adventures. The novel rings with Twain's biting social satire. I had to keep reminding myself how progressive this novel was for his day.

The part of the plot that I disliked the most was the reappearance of Tom Sawyer. I get that this novel is, on the surface, a yarn and a tall-tale-adventure-story but when Tom Sawyer saunters down the road I groaned. He is atrocious. His meant-to-be-hilarious plans to spring Jim from captivity fell flat for me. I didn't find it at all funny. I kept thinking...we are talking about a man's life here...and then with the final reveal...I just wanted to punch Tom Sawyer in the face. This novel is weightier than Tom Sawyer and multi-layered. The actions of others have real stakes and real consequences. It's not just fun and games in this novel.

My Rating: Memorable.


2.) The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

This was my book club's selection for January. I didn't know anything about this novel except that it was YA fiction and that someone, at some point, had recommended it to me because it was on my to-read-list. It might have been one of my kids. Anyway, it sounded interesting and it won the 2008 Newberry Award so I was excited to get reading.

From Goodreads:

Meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High, who must spend Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of the class has religious instruction. Mrs. Baker doesn’t like Holling—he’s sure of it. Why else would she make him read the plays of William Shakespeare outside class? But everyone has bigger things to worry about, like Vietnam. His father wants Holling and his sister to be on their best behavior: the success of his business depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has so much to contend with? A bully demanding cream puffs; angry rats; and a baseball hero signing autographs the very same night Holling has to appear in a play in yellow tights! As fate sneaks up on him again and again, Holling finds Motivation—the Big M—in the most unexpected places and musters up the courage to embrace his destiny, in spite of himself.

I really liked this charming book! It's the story of a year in the life of Holling Hoodhood, an awkward seventh grader at Camillo Junior High, in Long Island, New York in 1967. Holling is a delightful, if at times, unreliable narrator. Normally I hate the unreliable narrator trope but Holling was one in the very best possible way! Things are happening to him and around him but he only *sees* them in a oblivious twelve year old way. It was fun to watch his perception of the events and the people around him change as his awareness grew. The book was a wonderful blend of humor and emotion. It was so darn earnest and hopeful. I loved its innocent charm which is something rather lacking in much of today's YA fiction. I've already recommended this book to my middle schooler. It was a great read! Our book club loved it too.

My Rating: Wholesome and satisfying. A wonderful coming of age novel.



3.) Ten Dollar Dinners by Melissa D'Arabian

This is a great cookbook! I made several recipes and they were delicious. I am excited to try several more.

My Rating: Great! If you are into cookbooks like I am.



4.) The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

As a child, I loved the Disney movie version of this book. I thought that I would give this book a read and see how it compared to the movie. I was looking forward to a fun family adventure story to share with my kids.

From Goodreads:

Shipwrecked passengers on a deserted island: how will they survive? After their ship founders at sea, the Robinsons—father, mother, and four sons—find themselves stranded 0n an uninhabited, idyllic island.

This book was at times entertaining and at times read like a how-to-manual. I also needed to have some MAJOR suspension of disbelief. First, the father is a walking encyclopedia. He knew everything about everything. He knew the scientific classification and uses for every plant and animal on every continent. He knew how to make and do everything that needed to be done whether it was agricultural practices or engineering. Often there wasn't much of a plot rather it was the father going from place to place and giving a series of lessons and lectures. Second, every plant and animal on the earth is on this deserted island which is geographically impossible. There were wolves, tigers, lions, elephants, penguins, bears, buffaloes... you name it and it is on this island. Third, if the island didn't provide everything that the Robinson family needed then it was salvaged from their shipwreck. They wanted for nothing. Fourth, they weren't troubled by any real sickness or injuries for over ten years. Not possible.

There were moments of entertainment. I liked that there was an extra Robinson son that does not appear in the Disney movie and he is an enjoyable one. I just wish that there was more plot and more character development. Very little happens besides building various residences and homesteads, creating inventions, finding animals, plants, fruit, vegetables, and grains and finding out how they will be used. The book often read like a how-to-manual as we moved from challenge to challenge. I wanted more from the characters, the story, and more depth. In addition, I wanted to know what happened to the family after they were rescued and two of their sons decided to sail to England. I wanted to know where they all ended up years later. Also, keep in mind that it was written in 1812...over two hundred years ago...so the writing and attitudes of the time and culture reflect that...especially concerning hunting and gender roles.

 I did like that the book showed the value of self-reliance and families working together for the common good. I appreciated the many references to their faith in God, their gratitude to Him, and their constant reliance on Him. We need mores stories like that these days.

My Rating: Okay. Sometimes entertaining and sometimes monotonous. I can't believe that I am saying this but the movie is better.


5.) The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

Every January I am drawn to books about the Danish concept of hygge. I need something to keep the winter from being so dreary. I already do 99.9% of the things that this books suggests so nothing new here. But there is something inherently cozy about reading a book about how to be cozy.

From Goodreads:

Who better than Meik Wiking to be your guide to all things hygge? Meik is CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and has spent years studying the magic of Danish life. In this beautiful, inspiring book he will help you be more hygge: from picking the right lighting and planning a dinner party through to creating an emergency hygge kit and even how to dress.  He is committed to finding out what makes people happy and has concluded that hygge is the magic ingredient that makes Danes the happiest nation in the world.

My Rating: Okay. A quickly read book of essays.



6.) The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright

This was our book club selection for February. I actually already had this book on our bookshelf because my mother-in-law gave Tyler it as a gift. He grew up with Taj and had absolutely no idea about Taj's incredible and heart-breaking past.

From Goodreads:

Based on a remarkable true story.
Seven-year-old Chellamuthu’s life is forever changed when he is kidnapped from his village in India, sold to a Christian orphanage, and then adopted by an unsuspecting couple in the United States. It takes months before the boy can speak enough English to tell his parents that he already has a family back in India. Horrified, they try their best to track down his Indian family, but all avenues lead to dead ends. 
From the best-selling author of The Rent Collector, this is a deeply moving and gripping journey of discovering one’s self and the unbreakable family bonds that connect us forever.

What a story! This book breaks your heart...for Taj, his parents, his adoptive parents, and the poor children in India. The circumstances that occurred are so unbelievable. My emotions were all over the place. Reading about the abduction of poor Indian children, sold to orphanages, and put up for adoption to unsuspecting families was horrifying.

Taj's story is compelling and captivating. I couldn't put it down as I followed along with his quest to find his past. His journey of self-discovery, identity, and finding his place in the world was fascinating. Miracle upon miracle. You could definitely see the hand of God working in his life.

While the story of Taj's life was amazing...there were parts of this book that were not. First, I disliked that this is a "novel" based on a true story. Why? I think this book would have been a wonderful memoir or even biography. So many unnecessary details were changed. Why change the city when you are including the actual name of the school? Why say Taj studied abroad in England rather than that he served an LDS mission there. That kind of thing bothered me and there were several instances of it. What did it add to the story? Second, I felt like the middle section of his life that was skipped over left me with a lot of questions. I felt like I knew young Chellumuthu but the jump from being an 8 or 9 year old boy to being an 18 or 19 year old young man left many plot points hanging and unknown. It was disjointed. I was left not really understanding the older Taj and his feelings and motives. Finally, the writing style was at times cringe-worthy. The book could have used a little more editing and tightening up in my opinion. Despite all of that, the story was so beautiful and inspiring that I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

My Rating: Good. It is a beautiful story of miracles, forgiveness, and a long journey home. Our book club really liked it.


7.) Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

I love this book!! This is the best book that I have read so far this year. I heard about it on several book podcasts and thought it sounded interesting and quirky. It was and so much more. Eleanor was a character to root for! I love her.

From Goodreads:

Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. All this means that Eleanor has become a creature of habit (to say the least) and a bit of a loner. 

But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.

This book absolutely hit the mark for me. It was the perfect combination of funny, sad, touching, quirky, and absolutely charming. This novel is well written and fantastically character driven. I love that in a book. I want to cheer and root for the protagonist and I did! This is an incredible debut novel! I look forward to reading more of Gail Honeyman's work. The book is a great story of how we impact each other's lives. It is a touching novel with plenty of heart, humor, darkness, and even an interesting twist.

My Rating: HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I loved it!!


8.) Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

I am a fan of Rachel Hollis. I like what she stands for, her outlook on life, her hustle, and her authenticity. I have been following her on social media for about two years now. She is motivating, uplifting, and encouraging. I did her Last 90 Days Challenge and it really helped me to finish out 2017 on a high note despite going through a really scary health crisis in my family and I ended up accomplishing many of the goals that I set that year. This is her first nonfiction book. It is part memoir and part self-help. I couldn't wait to read it.

From Goodreads:

With wry wit and hard-earned wisdom, popular online personality and founder of TheChicSite.com founder Rachel Hollis helps readers break free from the lies keeping them from the joy-filled and exuberant life they are meant to have.

This book is about the lies that we (and the world) tell ourselves. In particular the 20 lies that Rachel (I feel like I know her--ha ha) told herself, how they held her back, and then how she overcame those lies and negative self-talk. It was honest and raw and I respected that. I believe 100% that we connect with others through vulnerability.

"Recognizing the lies we've come to accept about ourselves is the key to growing into a better version of ourselves.❞  ~Rachel Hollis

I am all about personal growth in this season of life. I love learning and growing and becoming self-aware. In this book Rachel Hollis tackles issues like self-worth, body image, expectations, marriage, parenting, complicated family relationships, childhood trauma, careers, goals, hopes, and dreams. She is direct and frank and doesn't sugar coat things. Change is hard...it takes WORK. There is no way around it. She teaches women to not make excuses and to not listen to the lies they are being told or are telling themselves. She encourages and motivates you to take action to make your dreams come true. If you want something...go get it! Show up for your life. Let your dreams be bigger than your fears.

Through her online website and various social media platforms Rachel Hollis does an amazing job of motivating women to become the best versions of themselves while doing it with a mixture of humor and vulnerability which makes her so likable and relatable.

My Rating: Highly Recommend. Especially meaningful if you follow Rachel on social media and if you don't follow her...you should.