Winter Book Reviews

Book Reviews

1.) P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

This book was downloaded onto my Kindle at about 1:30 am because the first book leaves you hanging and I had to know what happened next. This series is so fun and charming that I got sucked right back into high school and the life of Lara Jean and I didn't mind a bit.

From Goodreads:

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

I liked this sequel to All the Boys I've Loved Before. This one was full of high school drama and angst. I had to laugh a few times...high school love...so twisty and complicated...or so you think at the time. I loved this quote from the book: "People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they're not." That sums up high school romance in a nutshell.

This book series has just the right combination of nostalgia and freshness. It is laugh aloud funny but it can also be incredibly poignant. The family dynamics are my favorite part of this series. The three girls and their single father making their way through the tumultuous teenage and young adult years. I loved everything about it!! I also especially loved Kitty!! She is the best! I also really enjoyed the addition of John Ambrose and the complications that ensued. Stormy was another favorite character and her antics at the assisted living facility were hilarious!

This book was a fun and easy read. I do feel like the language took a bit of a turn for the worst in this book and that there was more swearing in this book and even more in the third book. That is not something that normally bothers me too much but my daughter is also reading this series so it caught my attention more than if I was just reading the series myself.

My Rating: Fun read! 


2.) Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

After finishing P.S. I Still Love You I moved right on to Always and Forever, Lara Jean. This is the third and final book in the series and the weakest of the books in my opinion. The plot was basically Lara Jean waiting to hear which college she would be accepted to. While true to life...very true to life...it brought back all of my senior year anxiety waiting for acceptance letters...it doesn't make for  particularly thrilling plot. Where will Lara Jean go to school and what does that mean for her relationship with her high school boyfriend?

What this book does well is deal with the changing family dynamics that occur when kids leave home and go off to college. I have experienced this myself and am now currently experiencing it with my own children. That part was excellent. It also deals well with the tougher topics of sex and drinking. This book definitely had a more mature tone than the first two books. I also missed the character of Josh. We grow to love and care about him in book one. We see some of him in book two but by book three he is a complete nonentity. That was unfortunate.

I do feel that this series is relatable. Especially for high school seniors. I have one at my house right now.  It brought me right back to my senior year and my high school boyfriend and waiting to hear if we both got into the same university. I did and he did not. We also had to navigate what that meant for our relationship. We broke up (my decision) and went our separate ways. The mother in me kept wanting to yell at Lara Jean...just wait...college is AWESOME and yes...don't go to college with a boyfriend!! Despite how much I enjoy Peter Kavinsky.

This series is delightful and it was enjoyable to revisit the characters and to be a part of their world for a little bit longer. This book definitely tackles more mature themes than the first and second books but I think they were handled well. I just wish that there was more of a plot.

My Rating: Enjoyable but perhaps the weakest of the trilogy.

3.) Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

This book has been all the buzz on social media and was recently made into a movie. I wanted to see the movie but decided to read the book first. I thought that this book would be a fun read over Christmas break.

From Goodreads:

When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor. On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.

This novel is over the top in so many ways and that's the point I guess. It's satire. But... all the glitzy descriptions, sprawling mansions, exotic locations, designer clothing, and nonstop consumption got tiring and tedious. It was a lot of obnoxious shallow people overspending with little plot or character development. It did not keep my attention for the 527 pages it took to slog through. The novel really lost momentum in the middle for me. I almost abandoned it. But I decided to keep going to see if the ending redeemed the book and it did somewhat. The last quarter of the book was by far the most interesting. Finally we have more of a plot and some conflict...not just lush descriptions and annoying characters. I enjoyed the last quarter of the book and almost felt like I was reading a different book. I wish the rest of it was like the last few chapters. I *almost* want to read the next book in the series just to see what happens to Nick, Rachel, and Astrid. Too much time was spent on secondary characters and scenes that didn't move the plot forward or in some cases have anything to do with the plot at all.

Parts of the novel that I enjoyed were: the location, the food descriptions, and a glimpse into a world that I really didn't know existed. I loved the setting of Singapore. I thought the setting was so unique and interesting. I loved reading about an area of the world that I was unfamiliar with and learning more about the location, customs, culture, and even about the wealthiest of its citizens. I particularly loved the descriptions of all of the food that Rachel and Nick were eating and it made me hungry!

I have heard that the movie is cute and better than the book. Hmm...the opposite is nearly always true but I will give it a shot.

**Edited to add: The movie was cute! I liked it better than the book.**

My Rating: Okay...but didn't live up to the hype.

4.) Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

I love a good foodie memoir. I love reading essays and recipes and stories of food, family, friends, and connection. They always make for a cozy winter read. This book was exactly that. It was very enjoyable to curl up on a wintery day and read about food and hospitality. I am always inspired to do more and host more.

From Goodreads:

This book is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. Written by well-loved writer and blogger, Shauna Niequist, this mix of Girl Meets God and the Food Network is a funny, honest, and vulnerable spiritual memoir. Bread & Wine is a celebration of food shared and life around the table, and it reminds us of the joy we find in connection and relationship.

The essays are well written and cover topics like love, loss, community, faith, family, friendship, marriage, motherhood, travel, and of course food. Niequist encourages the reader to forget perfectionism and practice hospitality. Open your doors and invite others in...your home doesn't have to be a show place and you don't have to be Martha Stewart to invite people over for a meal.

“There are interesting, smart, kind people just absolutely everywhere, and that when you do things you care about, you find quick kinship with people who are passionate about those same things.” 

I loved the chapter called Russian Dolls. I thought it had some beautiful imagery on growing up and growing old that will stay with me. This book was an enjoyable read if not exactly a super exciting one. I would recommend it if you enjoy reading about food or memoirs although my very favorite book in this particular genre is The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Memories of My Life because writing just doesn't get better than Pat Conroy's and his recipes are fantastic.

My Rating: Good. A cozy read for January.

5.) Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines

From Goodreads:

Magnolia Table is infused with Joanna Gaines' warmth and passion for all things family, prepared and served straight from the heart of her home, with recipes inspired by dozens of Gaines family favorites and classic comfort selections from the couple's new Waco restaurant, Magnolia Table.

I enjoy reading cookbooks and I loved this cookbook. The recipes looked interesting. I have tabbed about 20 different ones to make. I love the stories behind the recipes. I especially love that Joanna included many of her family's favorite meals...even if they included things like Velveeta and cream of whatever soup. Apparently this has people up in arms. Guess what? Busy moms use cream of whatever soups and occasionally use Velveeta... even though I am NOT a fan of Velveeta. I like that she didn't try to make this cookbook anything other than a collection of favorite family recipes. Joanna didn't try to make everything super healthy or super clean or super trendy or whatever. That actually makes me want to try these recipes even more because they seem like the kind of recipes that a friend or neighbor would give you. That said, I would consider most of these recipes as a Sunday dinner type recipes. Most of them are a bit too rich and heavy for every day for my family. I can't wait to give some of these recipes a try!

***I have tried several recipes and loved them all. Even one with Velveeta!!**

My Rating: Good!

6.) Beauchamp Hall by Danielle Steele

I have not read a Danielle Steele novel since I was in high school. I read my fill then and got tired of reading the same old formulaic story. But whenever I think of Danielle Steele books it reminds me of summers at the lake. I guess I was feeling nostalgic so I decided to read this one over Christmas Break. It popped up in my feed and it sounded kind of fun in a Downton Abbey-esque way.

From Goodreads:

Winona Farmington once dreamed of graduating from college, moving to New York City, and pursuing a career in publishing. Then real life got in the way when she left college and returned to her small Michigan hometown to care for her sick mother.  Years later, stuck in a dead-end job and an unsatisfying relationship, Winnie has concluded that dreams were meant for others. She consoles herself with binge-watching the British television series that she loves, Beauchamp Hall, enthralled by the sumptuous period drama set on a great Norfolk estate in the 1920s. The rich upstairs-downstairs world brilliantly brought to life by superb actors is the ultimate in escapism. On the day Winnie is passed over for a long-overdue promotion, she is also betrayed by her boyfriend and her best friend. Heartbroken, she makes the first impulsive decision of her conventional life—which changes everything.  She packs her bags and flies to England to see the town where Beauchamp Hall is filmed. The quaint B & B where she stays feels like home. The brother and sister who live in the castle where the show is filmed, rich in titles but poor in cash, are more like long-lost friends than British nobility. And the show itself, with its colorful company and behind-the-scenes affairs, is a drama all its own. Winnie’s world comes alive on the set of the show.

Well...I think I can safely say that I won't be reading any more Danielle Steele novels. It all came back to me. She has an odd...and slightly passive...way of writing that annoys me. Constant telling without showing... and the characters are always kept at a slight distance so you are never totally invested or really care about what happens to them. That was definitely the case for me while reading about Winnie. She just didn't inspire any great empathy or loyalty. All of the characters are so one dimensional. I needed some depth! The first half of the book about her life in Michigan was terrible. The book got a bit better once she went to England and then the last part of the book was so rushed and forced. It didn't make for a great read. I thought the premise of the story was good I just wish that the book lived up to what could have been a cute story.

My Rating: Not great. 

7.) Save the Date by Morgan Matson

The same person who recommended To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han also recommended this book. She was right yet again. It's a cute YA novel and I liked it. It's not as good as To All the Boys...but it was a cute fun read.

From Goodreads:

Charlie Grant's older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can't wait for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect...Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she'll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

Although this book semi-stressed me out with all of the wedding day mishaps what I really loved was the Grant family. I absolutely loved their family dynamic. I found it to be very real. Their sibling interactions are funny and touching. There are five Grant children and I enjoyed them all. Of course I am partial to stories about five siblings. You don't find many of them! I was glad when the wedding drama was over but I will admit to being sad to say goodbye to this delightful family. I hope that the author writes more books about the Grants.

My Rating: A cute book! Would make a darling Netflix movie.


8.) The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy

I am a HUGE fan of Knox McCoy. I love both of his podcasts with Jamie Golden...The Popcast and The Bible Binge. I follow both he and Jamie on social media and I think that Knox is absolutely hilarious. His humor totally resonates with me and I was super excited to read his memoir.

From Goodreads:

When you hear the phrase pop culture, you likely think reality television, boy bands or Real Housewives of various cities. While these are elements of popular culture, they aren’t all it has to offer. Pop culture may not cure diseases, topple political regimes, or make scientific breakthroughs, but it does play a vital role in the story of humanity...In The Wondering Years, Knox explores this idea of connecting popular culture to his own experiences. Through hilarious yet poignant stories, he reflects on how pop culture has helped shape his life and carve out the foundation of his faith. While the three cultural tentpoles—the South, the Church, and Sports—defined many aspects of his East Tennessee upbringing, it was pop culture that most definitively influenced Knox and his sense of the world at large. 

I loved it! Yes, it talks about faith AND pop culture AND it hilarious...Knox McCoy canine evangelist and his childhood search to identify potential Antichrists had me wheezy laughing (Knox's trademark laugh) and also thinking deeply about my own faith. That is quite the combo and it totally worked!! The footnotes...are absolute perfection!!

This is a great collection of essays. It is a refreshingly introspective look at faith and yet Knox never takes himself too seriously. He has the best sense of humor about everything including life's deepest questions. Knox grew up as a Southern Baptist and his upbringing in many ways was quite similar to being raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Church culture is church culture!

I love the idea that questioning and searching for answers about even the most profound questions is healthy and should be encouraged. I know that my husband and I certainly encourage it with our children who are being raised in the LDS faith. Wondering ISN'T wandering!! How I want to shout that from the roof tops. God is great and He can handle us asking questions, in fact, He encourages it.

I loved this book! I would have enjoyed it even if I didn't know Knox from his various podcasts. Listen to The Popcast podcast if you are into hysterical commentary on pop culture and listen to The Bible Binge podcast if you are interested in some interesting and funny discussions of the Bible. I laugh and I learn.

This is a great memoir...vulnerable and touching. Thoughtful and refreshing. I highly recommend it! I especially recommend the audiobook. Knox does the narration and it really doesn't get better than that!

My Rating: Excellent

9.) Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

I love Reese Witherspoon and I loved this book. It had it all for me...part memoir, part cookbook, part decorating, style, and entertaining guide. It was a fun quick read.

From Goodreads:

Reese’s southern heritage informs her whole life, and she loves sharing the joys of southern living with practically everyone she meets. She takes the South wherever she goes with bluegrass, big holiday parties, and plenty of Dorothea’s fried chicken. It’s reflected in how she entertains, decorates her home, and makes holidays special for her kids—not to mention how she talks, dances, and does her hair (in these pages, you will learn Reese’s fail-proof, only slightly insane hot-roller technique). Reese loves sharing Dorothea’s most delicious recipes as well as her favorite southern traditions, from midnight barn parties to backyard bridal showers, magical Christmas mornings to rollicking honky-tonks.

If you like lipstick, peonies, pearls, books, monograms, cooking, the South, elegance, hospitality, friendship, and family traditions you will like this book. I do and I did!

My Rating: Fun!

10.) I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel

I listen to the podcast What Should I Read Next by Anne Bogel and enjoy her Modern Mrs. Darcy blog. This is the second of two books that she has written about reading. This is a slim little volume. It would be a great gift book or book club exchange. It is definitely a quick read and caters to the bookish types... like me.

“We are readers. Books grace our shelves and fill our homes with beauty; they dwell in our minds and occupy our thoughts. Books prompt us to spend pleasant hours alone and connect us with fellow readers. They invite us to escape into their pages for an afternoon, and they inspire us to reimagine our lives...“We are readers. Books are an essential part of our lives and of our life stories. For us, reading isn’t just a hobby or a pastime; its a lifestyle.” 

From Goodreads:

 In this collection of charming and relatable reflections on the reading life, beloved blogger and author Anne Bogel leads readers to remember the book that first hooked them, the place where they first fell in love with reading, and all of the moments afterward that helped make them the reader they are today. Known as a reading tastemaker through her popular podcast What Should I Read Next?, Bogel invites book lovers into a community of like-minded people to discover new ways to approach literature, learn fascinating new things about books and publishing, and reflect on the role reading plays in their lives.

I love books about books. This is a small volume of essays for people who love to read. Anne Bogel shares her experiences and insights about reading. Some of my favorite essays were:

Confess Your Literary Sins
The Books That Find You
Bookworm Problems
Readers I Have Been

I loved this quote from the essay Bookworm Problems. It was my favorite and I could definitely relate!!

"You finally persuade your friend to read your lifetime favorite book. She gives it three stars. You persuade your husband to read one of your favorites. He pronounces it "fine." You cannot, no matter how much you beg, plead, or wheedle, convince your book club to read your favorite book. You cannot, no matter how or what you try, persuade your child to read your favorite childhood book. You convince your child to read your favorite childhood book, and he begins, but then says, "I just can't get into it."

My only negatives were that I now have a new found angst caused by the author reminding me multiple times how there will never be enough time to read all of the books on my To-Read list and reminding me that even if I read a book a day it would still only be 365 books a year and that there are more books than that published on Tuesdays. There will never be enough time to read all of the books we want to read in our lifetimes. Depressing.  Also she returned The Prince of Tides back to the bookstore. An unpardonable sin. Granted she was 14 at the time but so was I when I read that book for the first time and I loved it. Pat Conroy is my all-time favorite author. Actually my very favorite book about books is Conroy's My Reading Life. It is fabulous.

My Rating: A cozy little read for bibliophiles. 

January: Things I am Loving

1.) Petit Fours

Somehow Tyler and I stumbled upon a local bakery that makes petit fours. Good petit fours. This is a REAL problem. I love petit fours... so much that they were served at our wedding reception. We had a big dessert buffet and this was one of the things that I HAD TO HAVE. Raspberry Almond Petit Fours. They were precious and delicious. They were also the only thing that I actually ate at our wedding reception besides the bite of cake that Tyler gave to me when we cut our cake. Sometime during the course of the night I managed to snarf a couple of these delicious little confections down before I changed out of my wedding dress into my going away dress and bid our family goodbye. Don't ask how many times Tyler and I have stopped by this bakery for these...just don't... you don't want to know. I also bought some for book club so that I could share the love and ended up eating most of them myself.

2.) Snow Sneakers

Due to #1 these came in VERY handy! One day whilst perusing at Costco I saw a display for Snow Sneakers. Hmmm...interesting. I hate snow boots. I despise clomping around in Sorels. I have never and will never own Uggs. They are glorified moonboots people! And... they are called Uggs for a reason. They are UGLY. Don't tell me how comfy they are or how warm they are...blah blah...I've heard it all before. And no one looks good in them...nope...not even you. They are the crocs of winter. I will wear Hunters if I have to wear some form of snow boots or Sorels if I will be seriously in the snow but I don't enjoy it. And people who wear Hunters just for fun and fashion? I don't get you either. If it isn't snowing or raining they are just clompy rubber boots. They are not comfy. My hatred of proper winter footwear annoys Tyler to no end. He was the first to spot the ol' snow sneakers and he was the one that demanded that I try them on in the middle of a crowded Costco. They look sporty and almost like high tops BUT they are insulated and have tread. They are also super light weight and zip up (despite having ties). Here is my other issue with snow boots...getting them on and off. Ugh...Tying them (Sorels)...getting in and hopping around on one foot trying to get out of them (Hunters)...no thank you. But these were easy to slip on and off and light and somewhat sporty looking. They were also $15 so you can be sure that I saved that receipt because it seemed too good to be true. But...they are still in my possession and I wear them all the time while out walking and hiking almost daily in the ice and snow. They are warm and delightful. I texted my sister and daughter to go buy some immediately which neither of them did. Whatever. They should've listened to me! I don't think you can beat a pair of $15 snow sneakers!!

3.) Duck shoes

Now lest you think that I put on my snow sneakers to run errands or to take the kids to school you would be wrong. I wear duck shoes for that and I love them. Duck shoes hadn't crossed my mind since about 1989 until we went to Portland for Thanksgiving and Tyler found the coolest pair of slip on duck boots which he bought as fast as he could. Portland knows its rain gear. Spokane isn't nearly as rainy as Portland but we still get a lot of rain and Portlandians have taught me a lot about how to deal with the elements. Like always buy a hat with a hood. That one took me a good 30 years to figure out. Rain coats are a necessity. I had been living in the PNW for 15 years without one. Scarves actually serve a purpose. You know, things like that. I have had Hunter boots for the last 8 years so I can walk around in any kind of slush and rain but Tyler has not had an equivalent in footwear. Enter duck boots. Something about his joy and delight with those duck boots took me back to the 1980s and I saw in my mind's eye my BFF Naomi with her bobbed hair and ribbon headband wearing her pegged jeans and a Forenza sweater and a pair of duck shoes. I decided right then that I NEEDED a pair!! They went on my Christmas list and Tyler bought me some. All blue and retro-like. I love them. I wear them every day!!

4.) Hoarfrost

This has made the list before but it is my favorite wintery item so I am bringing it back. We've had a lot of hoar-frosty goodness. I love frosty trees but no snow on the ground. It's like you get a bit of winter but not all of the drudgery that goes with snow and slush.

5.) Marie Kondo on Netflix

Let's just say that this show sucked us in for several episodes one weekend. I cannot stand having things around that we don't use or that I don't love so I make many donation trips. But there is someone in our house/garage/laundry room who has a few issues. #Tyler There are three specific places that I am NOT allowed to organize or go through and clean out. It is annoying. He is starting to let me go through some of the things that are in the off limit zones. I am truly enjoying saying this little phrase to Tyler. "Spark Joy??" :)

January

January 2019

January is the longest month. Despite the fact that the kids were out of school for what seemed like so many days... with a bunch of early release days and a three-day weekend followed by a four-day weekend. It still felt long and gray. I've tried to change my perspective on January and change a few habits and it has helped somewhat but January is just long.

The month started off with a ton of dental issues. Right before New Years Kameron had a filling come out and with it a chunk of his tooth. This, while a nuisance, shouldn't be huge deal...but it was/is. First, all of the dental offices were closed until after New Years unless it was a serious emergency which it was not. As soon as our pediatric dental office opened we got him right in. But things just went down hill from there. Kameron would need...best case scenario a crown and worst case scenario an implant. For both of those things he would need to go to regular i.e. grown up dentist. He's 18 now so it is probably time to bump him up anyway. We made an appointment with the regular dentist and Kam's tooth situation got more complicated due to some odd genetics. Kameron is missing 3 permanent teeth. They just never formed. This is a weird trait that runs in families and is apparently on my side because my nephew Dane is also missing some permanent teeth. Kameron also only has one wisdom tooth and Bryn has zero wisdom teeth.

The dentist has talked to Kameron in the past about really taking good care of those baby teeth and that they can last a long time. The dentist's dad is in his 70s and was born without a few permanent teeth and still has his baby teeth. The mom of one of the dental assistants at our regular dentist was missing a permanent tooth and she still has her baby tooth and she is also in her 70s.

Anyway...Kameron has been lectured to take good care of those teeth but unfortunately things haven't gone as planned. A few years ago, he got cavities in two of his three baby teeth...the ones that he needs to hold onto. They were filled and things were fine until his filling came out and part of his tooth and of course it was one of those darn baby teeth. Our regular dentist determined that there was no saving that baby tooth. The rest of it needed to come out and Kameron would definitely need an implant. The kicker is that implants take time. After the post is implanted it takes approximately 6 months for it to heal into the bone and then a fake tooth needs to be formed around it. With Kameron's mission looming, getting his tooth fixed puts us on a tight schedule. This month Kameron had three different dental appointments and he is scheduled for his implant in February. The good news is that our dentist used to be in our stake and gave us a huge "missionary" discount which was unbelievably kind as this procedure is expensive despite having good dental insurance.

Meanwhile during the same week before New Years...Tyler also had a toothache and had to wait until after New Years to get it checked out. He had a different dentist that he went to...not the one that is doing Kam's implant...and when he went in he was told that he needed two root canals and maybe a bridge. WTH?! Let me preface this by saying that Tyler has only had one cavity in his entire life...me too...no root canals...no nothing. We both got our first cavities in our 30s. Isn't that weird? Tyler and I have had zero dental issues and our kids have all had several cavities and all sorts of weird issues. Maybe our little weekly dixie cups of fluoride treatments in elementary school in Utah really did the trick and protected our teeth. Maybe we will eventually die of fluoride poisoning but our teeth are strong!

Tyler kept being prompted to get a second opinion and to change our dentist. So since Kam needed a new dentist... Tyler, Kam, and I all switched over to our new dentist...the one that used to be in our stake. Our new dentist was flabbergasted about what our old dentist had told Tyler. Our new dentist said that all he had on one side was a regular cavity that needed to be filled and then on the other side he was just going to fill that tooth as well but if it looked like Tyler needed a root canal once he was in the tooth he would do that also. No bridges necessary! Hallelujah! That sounded so much better! That just goes to show that you really need to find dentists that you can trust! Ailey and Bryn also had their check ups and cleaning and THANK GOODNESS they both were fine. No cavities! All in all we have had...SEVEN dental appointments in January and three more scheduled for early February. Sheesh.

Hanging out at the dentist... our home away from home. LOL.

In other news..more of Kameron is falling apart. While dealing with his tooth issues he also had knee issues. Kameron ruined his knees running track and XC. He ran all through elementary school, middle school, and through his sophomore year of HS. At the end of track season his sophomore year his knees were shot. They would swell and hurt and it was impossible for him to run. His pediatrician said that he needed to strengthen the muscles around his knees and had him do a bunch of PT exercises. Kameron did them for awhile but not as much as he should have. Without him running they seemed to get somewhat better. They would swell if he played sports or went on a hard hike but the swelling would go down and while somewhat painful they weren't too bad. He was reminded over and over again to do his exercises. Which he didn't do.

The first part of January, Kameron had a 3-day jazz band retreat. During the down time he and his friends played hours and hours of basketball and football. When Kameron got home he could barely walk and one of his knees was enormous. Bigger than a softball and he was in a lot of pain. His other knee was hurting too but nothing like the big swollen one. We got him into our GP right away and this doctor agreed with his old pediatrician that Kam has to build up the muscles around his knees. His knee caps are so loose it gives me the shivers just thinking about it. His patella floats around and isn't in the right groove so it rubs and becomes inflamed. Kam went in for x-rays on both knees. Luckily no serious damage had been done. He was diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome PFPS and bursitis. The doctor referred him to a sports medicine physical therapist who will then determine if his knee needs to be drained. He still has yet to go... the PT was booked out until February. The swelling has gone down quite a bit but his knees still really hurt. Kameron was freaking out that something was going to be seriously wrong with his knees that would prevent him from serving a mission. Missionaries have to pass some pretty rigorous physical assessments. They have to be able to walk an average of 6 miles a day and ride a bike an average of 12 miles a day. So between his darn knees and his tooth issues Kameron was super stressed out.

Kam is showing his actual kneecap. See how huge his knee is?

But during all of this rigmarole I got to cram in a mother/son lunch date with Kam. My brother, Kirk, and I have been on a quest for years to find the best cubano sandwich ever since we watched the movie Chef one Christmas. Kam and I found the ultimate cubano right here in Spokane!

 The same day that Kameron and I had our mother/son lunch date between his many doctor appointments...Tyler had a fun morning with Bryn at her elementary school for Donuts with Dads.

Is anyone on the celery juice kick? It is supposed to be really good for inflammation and is supposed to have all kinds of other health benefits. Kirk and Meki and their family are on the celery juice kick. We have tried all kinds of things to help with inflammation. Apple cider vinegar, turmeric, and on and on. The problem for Tyler is that as a Type 1 diabetic most of them absolutely plummet his blood sugar...dangerously fast. So he isn't able to do the anti-inflammatory things. We decided to give the fresh celery juice a try and yes, it also drops his blood sugar, but not nearly as fast as other things do. It's more of a gentler drop. That was exciting to find out so Tyler is all in!

Ailey and her dance team were coming in HOT this month. They had so many performances, competitions, and half-time shows. She was dancing all month long.

We have had fun watching her do her thing. But I don't think anything can top the fun we had watching her perform at Rubber Chicken which is the school spirit competition between our high school and our rival. The varsity girls play a basketball game and the cheerleaders from both schools do a competitive half-time show and then the varsity boys play their game and both dance teams do a big competitive half-time show. Each year there is a theme and all of the student body and crowd get involved with props and t-shirts and all kinds of things. At the end of all of that...judges decide which school had the most school spirit and they are awarded "Chuck" the rubber chicken to live at their school for the year. This is a big Spokane high school thing. All of the high schools have these spirit competitions with their rivals. It actually is really fun!

So imagine our delight when we found out that not only would we get to watch Ailey perform (like we did several years ago when Reilly was on the dance team) but that she was also going to BE Chuck the Chicken!! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! The smallest girl on the dance team has to wear the chicken outfit and do all of their dances in the chicken costume plus a bunch of other things to rev up the crowd. Reilly would've HATED being Chuck the Chicken but Ailey was excited!! Not only did she do an AMAZING job dancing as Chuck but SHE OWNED IT!! She loved every single minute of being center stage. Again Tyler and I just looked at each other like "Where did this kid come from?" She was the shyest kid ever and now she is rocking it at half-time like nobody's business. It was SUPER FUN to watch her!!

Dancing with the Silly Sacks...another weird school tradition.

Ailey in all her Chuck the Chicken/Baby Shark Glory!!

We sat up in a section with a bunch of friends from our stake and it was fun to cheer on all of our kids who were playing basketball, cheering, and dancing. It was a great night!

Kameron was hanging out with his cronies so we never really saw him. I do appreciate him being tagged on FB in photos! :)

My friend Rebecca and I were able to squeeze in one last marathon Starbucks meet up before she moved to Wisconsin.

Kam is super excited that he FINALLY gets to vote in an upcoming election!! That kid needs to major in political science!!

I updated all of our kids pictures on the piano a few weeks ago and came across this:

Different but still the same. I love it. 
And...then I had a nice little cry about how quickly Kameron has grown up.

One Saturday most of our family drove down to Stacey's to watch our niece River play basketball. She did a great job and it was fun to watch and cheer for her.

River's team won all three of her games!

We watched our nephew Dane do his thing during time outs and half-time. :)

We all went out to eat at the best little restaurant in their town. So good!

We dropped the kids and John off at Stacey's house and Tyler, my mom, me, Stacey, and Kelley went to one of our favorite antiques stores and found some treasures.

These guys had some fun cousin time!!

Things with Primary have been CRAZY this month...with the new schedule, new curriculum, putting on a Temple and Priesthood Prep Night...and I got a new counselor and secretary. Whoa. We had 12 kids move up early to YM/YW as 11 year olds so the YM and YW ended up getting quite a few kids and those organizations needed to be restructured to accommodate that. I lost my first counselor to YW (my friend Caroline) but ended up replacing her with my good friend Annie. Yay! My secretary got called be the librarian and help out with Sunday School since that has also gotten a bunch more kids. So I got a new secretary (Jordyn...new in our ward) and I think she will be great! So it ended up working out okay. The bad part was that they started releasing people in between Christmas and New Years and not getting new people called until the 2nd week of January which made things insane. Especially since we were putting on the Temple and Priesthood Prep night for 12 kids and their parents with decorations, refreshments, and six speakers. My good friend (and 2nd counselor) Shannon and I did it all by ourselves. We had to hurry and squeeze it in fast too because there was a youth temple trip the first week of February and it needed to be done before that! I am glad that it is done!

I also hosted book club at my house this month. We read Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart. I had already read it for Spokane is Reading. Everyone liked it. We had a bunch of people out of town so we had a smaller gathering this month but it all worked out and was a fun night with a great discussion.

Bryn had her 4th Grade Music Concert:

Reilly and Hunter came in a bit late and Bryn was so excited to point them out to her friend.

Not only did she sing but she also played the recorder. Sayonara recorder! Last kid...last recorder. You will not be missed.

Bryn and her friend Kaylee.

Bryn did a great job!

Tyler and I set some goals for the New Year for ourselves and our family and I am happy to say that we have made a good start on them already. I was talking to the missionaries from our ward and they are having some serious issues with new missionaries coming out that can't cook...like at all. They can't cook an egg or even make the most basic things. (There have been changes with feeding the missionaries so they are required to cook most meals for themselves rather than eat at members homes.) Kam is a pretty good cook but we are having him do some of the main cooking for our Sunday dinners as practice and he is doing a really spectacular job!! We also started our home study for Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families and I absolutely love it! We have had some great in depth discussions for our FHE. We always had FHE on Sunday nights anyway so it has been really easy to incorporate this program. Plus, we have older kids which makes it even easier. We all take turns planning the lesson and leading the discussion...even Bryn. The manual and online resources make it so easy. Tyler and I have also been staying really active despite the snow and ice. Being outside really helps with my January blahs. I have read a lot of books this month and have tried to *find* the coziness rather than feeling that cooped-up-cabin-fever-feeling.

I love this quote that I found on Instagram at the start of January. It really helped me set my intention for the month and gave me some great perspective:

Winter solstice time is no longer celebrated as it once was, with the understanding that this is a period of descent and rest, of going within our homes, within ourselves and taking in all that we have been through, all that has passed in this full year that is coming to a close. Like nature and the animal kingdom around us, this time of hibernation is so necessary to our tired limbs, our burdened minds.

Our modern culture teaches avoidance [of this rest] at a max at this time; [with] alcohol, lights, shopping, overworking, overspending, comfort food, and consumerism. And yet the natural tug to go inward as nearly all creatures are doing is strong and the weather so bitter that people are left feeling that winter is hard...it can be lonely and isolating. Whereas in actual fact winter is kind. She points us in her quiet, soft way towards our inner self, towards this annual time of peace and reflection.

Winter takes away the distractions, the buzz, and presents us with the perfect time to rest and withdraw into womb like love, bringing fire and light to our hearth. And then...just around the corner...like a seed planted deep in the earth, we will all rise with renewed energy once again to dance in the sunlight. 

-Venice Wyatt

10 Things to Tell You: #1

10 Things: When Do You Read?

I follow Laura Tremaine on social media and listen to her Smartest Person in the Room podcast. She just started a new podcast called 10 Things to Tell You. (This is also a challenge that she has done before on Instagram.) Each week on her 10 Things podcast she asks a question or gives a prompt that she challenges her listeners to journal, share with a friend, or post on social media. I don't know that I will do all of her prompts but I want to do some of them. She asks interesting and introspective questions and I thought that they would be fun to share on my blog.

When Do You Read? How Do You Read? What Do You Read?

This seems like a good prompt to kick things off. I love to talk about reading. One of my great joys in life is talking books. I am definitely a girl who loves to be in a book club and I am currently in one that I really enjoy. One of my *dream* jobs would be to moderate book clubs and come up with discussion questions and lead the discussion. Does this job exist??? LOL.

When do I read?

Whenever I can. I love to read and I make time for it. I am always reading/listening to several books at a time. I am always reading a fiction book and I am always reading a nonfiction book. I pick up whichever one I am most in the mood to read that day. I am also ALWAYS listening to an audio book as well. Listening to audiobooks is a perfect activity for when I am working on Sisters Creed projects during the day, driving the  kids to and fro, and while I do things around the house. (I also listen to a lot of podcasts.) I always have a book on my kindle fire that I am reading and I also read my scriptures daily. So...I read a lot.

I read my scriptures or listen to them (I have an audio version) each morning and then we read scriptures as a family most nights.  I listen to audiobooks while I work at home and the kids are at school. I don't watch TV so after dinner and activities with the kids I will usually read for awhile before bed. I also have anxiety that I have to work hard to keep in in check and it really likes to rear its ugly head in the middle of the night. I don't have trouble falling asleep but I usually wake up at least once in the night and have trouble falling back asleep. That is where my kindle fire comes in handy. I always have a classic book loaded up on my kindle. When I can't go to sleep I am able to read in the dark until I do. I find that the classics are perfect for this nocturnal reading. The stories are interesting enough that I want to read them but not so gripping that they keep my attention all night. I will usually read for about 10-15 minutes before I fall back to sleep.

How do you read?

Also any way that I can! I, of course, love a physical book. That would be my number one choice. My favorite places in the world are book stores with cozy upholstered chairs to sink into and read or flip through a book with a hot chocolate in hand. I also absolutely adore old books. I love their look, feel, smell, and the stories they tell. I have collected many for my own personal collection... both favorite authors and titles, classics, and childrens books. I also always have old books for sale in my booth and people love them and snap them up. Some of my favorite conversations at vintage shows are when someone has found a beloved book in my booth.

I listen to audiobooks. I started to listen to audiobooks right after Kameron was born. I was a stay at home mom with a baby and a preschooler. Tyler was working two jobs at the time so he would leave early in the morning and come home late at night. Those days were so LONG when it was just me and little tiny kids. Once I found audiobooks...these were in tape or CD form that I would check out from the library...I became addicted and started listening to books while I cooked, cleaned, and took care of my kids. I love that physically reading a book and listening to an audiobook stimulate the exact same areas of the brain. Audiobooks are so great because it allows me to multitask! I love it! Tyler and I also often listen to audiobooks while we travel. One of my Christmas gifts from Tyler this year was a subscription to Audible. It may be my very favorite gift so far!! It has definitely already been put to good use!

When Kindles came out I was very dismissive. I wanted to hold a book in my hand. I thought they were lame with their black and white electronic dreariness. But then the Kindle Fire came out and I asked for one for my birthday maybe five or six years ago and I was converted. They are awesome and so convenient!! So many books on one little device! Plus, I love that you can read with them at night! No stupid clip on book lights. No reading with a headlamp like I used to do! LOL. I prefer my background to be dark and my text to be white. This cuts down on any eye strain or glow in a darkened bedroom. It is perfect for my insomnia reads. I also always take my kindle when traveling. I love it so much! I still marvel at the convenience of instantaneously being able to download the next book that I want. It's like magic to me!! Especially when I am reading a series and I want to move on to the next book RIGHT NOW!

What do you read?

Everything! My favorite genre by far is historical fiction. I ADORE historical fiction and always have since I was a little girl. I also really enjoy biographies and memoirs. That would be my second favorite genre. Third, contemporary fiction. Fourth, nonfiction. I am not a big fantasy or mystery reader. I don't like gritty crime novels. But I will read them sometimes and have even really enjoyed several of them. That is why I particularly love a book club. It forces me to read things outside of my favorite genres. My book club has picked a lot of fantasy, mystery, and YA. So many times I have been very pleasantly surprised. The Night Circus, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Rainbow Rowell books, and Tana French novels come to mind.

Tyler is also a great resource. We try to read several of the same books each year. We started this traditon when we first got married. We started off with the goal of reading one mutual book per year. Now we both read many of the same books. It is so fun to be out on a date night or on a trip and passionately discuss books. We are both very opinionated!!  I am so glad that he is a reader and loves book stores and author events as much as I do. He has recommended some of my favorite fantasy and sci-fi books...books I would never have picked up on my own. He had me read George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones series years and years ago. Way before the TV show came out and I loved his books! He also got me hooked on Ernest Cline. Ready Player One is another all-time favorite book. He had me read The Martian which I also loved and many others.

Spokane Is Reading...the yearly book selection made by my town...has been a great resource. I never would have read ANY of the book selections on my own and I have loved them all. I've also mentioned that I love podcasts and subscribe to several book related ones and have gotten many great book suggestions there. I love Bookstagram (book related Instagram) I get so many good suggestions there as well. I am also involved in several FB book groups. Reading just adds such richness and joy to my life!! I can't imagine my life without it!! This year the kids gave me a t-shirt for Christmas that says: Bookish. I love it so much!

Some of my favorite authors are:

Pat Conroy
Diana Gabledon
George R.R. Martin
Jane Austen
The Brontes
Ray Bradbury
Ernest Cline
John Jakes
JK Rowling

Some of my favorite books are:

Prince of Tides and all Pat Conroy books
Outlander and the Outlander series
Harry Potter and the Harry Potter series
The Outsiders
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
North and South series by John Jakes
Game of Thrones Series
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
For the Love by Jen Hatmaker

These authors and book titles are just a few of my MANY favorites! Reading is so important to me and I can't imagine a day in my life without books in some form or another. People always ask me when I have time to read and I think that we always have the time to do the things that are a priority to us and reading is a priority to me.  I am always able to squeeze it in even if it is just a little bit each day. Plus, like I said before, I very rarely watch TV. I would much rather be reading! ;)