Summer Book Reviews 2025

 1.) The Examiner by Janice Hallett

From Goodreads:

Gela Nathaniel, head of Royal Hastings University’s new Multimedia Art course, must find six students from all walks of life across the United Kingdom for her new master’s program before the university cuts her funding. The students are nothing but trouble from day one. There’s Jem, a talented sculptor recently graduated from her university program and eager to make her mark as an artist at any cost. Jonathan, who has little experience in art practice aside from running his family’s gallery. Patrick runs an art supply store, but can barely operate his phone, much less design software. Ludya is a single mother and graphic designer more interested in a paycheck than homework. Cameron is a marketing executive in search of a hobby or a career change. And Alyson, already a successful artist, seems to be overqualified. Finally, there is the examiner, the man hired to grade students’ final works—an art installation for a local cloud-based solutions company that may have an ulterior agenda—and who, in sifting through final essays, texts, and message boards, warns that someone is in danger…or already dead. And nothing about this course has been left up to chance.

This was my first Janice Hallett novel and it was an interesting reading experience. Hallett writes her novels in a mixed media format. It took a bit of adjusting to her writing style and it was confusing at times but I also enjoyed this weird, puzzling, murder mystery.

The premise was interesting. Six art students from various walks of life end up as a cohort in an arts grad program at a prestigious UK university. They are enrolled to earn a one year masters degree by taking a challenging multimedia arts course.

The story is told via emails, texts, group chats, online message boards, assignments, course work, professor notes, board of review notes, Whatsapp conversations, and class notes as the author weaves the story together. It is clever, creative, and very cerebral. It was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. I had to keep reading because I had no idea where the story was going or how it was going to end. There were some interesting twists and reveals. In addition, there was group project drama with its power struggles, personality clashes, miscommunication, and inability to work cohesively. This would be great Fall reading. I love a campus novel and an academia mystery. This one, while unique, got a bit too convoluted, drawn out, and outlandish towards the end. 

My Rating: An unexpected and unique reading experience.

2.) Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

This is the prequel to We Were Liars which is a book that I didn't read but watched the TV show and enjoyed.

From Goodreads:

The thrilling prequel to We Were Liars that takes readers back to the summer that the Sinclair family’s lives changed forever...Welcome back to the Sinclair family. They always were liars.

This book is set a generation before We Were Liars. It is the story of the moms: Carrie, Penny, and Bess. It is another summer of secrets and family drama on Beechwood Island. I loved getting the backstory on the sisters and the parents. The Sinclair family as a whole is such an interesting fictional family. I enjoyed the inclusion of the extra characters...the uncle and cousins...who also grew up summering on the island with the sisters. I loved the cousin dynamic which was similar and different from the younger generation of cousins in We Were Liars. Yardley was a great character. The story was entertaining and the characters were interesting as the reader sees how the sisters childhood relationships influenced their adult relationships and what happened between them. It explains why their relationships are all fake smiles, pretended perfection, competitive, and surface level. It also shed light on Penny and why her marriage failed and what she was trying to hide in We Were Liars and other missing pieces of the Sinclair family puzzle.

The writing is definitely intended for a YA audience and didn't go as deep as I would have liked and the ending wasn't as shocking as in the first book; but I enjoyed the 1980s summer vibes and descriptions of food, elaborate family game nights, and traditions as well as the paranormal ghostliness. Stories about sisters will always be interesting to me especially sisters who start out close (or so they think) and end up not and how that comes about ... "But maybe we never were that kind of sisters..." 

My Rating: An enjoyable summer read.

3.) Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

From Goodreads:

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared. A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible — a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

This is my second Alice Feeney book. The first one was kind of fun but this one wasn't great. The premise was so good but the ending was so annoying/infuriating that I immediately had to get on Reddit to try to interpret what the @#$% I just read.

I loved the setting of a remote Scottish island with a grieving writer with writer's block. I enjoy a locked island suspense mystery thriller. But this book didn't live up to its potential. The characters were unlikable. There were huge plot holes and unbelievable twists. I don't think the author knew what genre she wanted this novel to be. The pacing was weird. The middle of the book dragged. I wish more time had been spent on the ending. The build up was so slow and didn't hold my interest. This wasn't a book that I couldn't put down. I could put it down...often. It wasn't until the last 1/4 of the book that things started happening. There were themes of revenge and women's rage which could have been great but the story was so convoluted. By the time I read the last page I was so confused and left asking what just happened? This book came highly recommended by one of my favorite book podcasts so I was extra disappointed.

My Rating: Disappointing. The ending was just too far fetched for me.

4.) A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

From Goodreads:

Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly altered world beyond, recovering from the war that changed everything. But Winter Solstice is finally approaching, and with it, the joy of a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated-scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

This is book four in the ACOTAR series. It is basically a holiday novella. It's the Winter Solistice in Velaris and Feyre, Rhysand, and their group are celebrating the holiday together. There are really no major plot lines. This book is all about relationships and character development. It's also supposed to be a breather between A Court of Wings and Ruin which was very heavy with drama and war and book five A Court of Silver Flames.

I liked the multiple POVs. Especially some from characters that we haven't previously had their POVs. I liked the setting of Winter Solstice and the characters getting a bit of a break. It was a quick read and full of romance and holiday fluff. If you are familiar with the ACOTAR series you know what you are getting into.

I still do not like Nesta! She's awful and so is Elain. They haven't won me over. I'm leery to start book five because I know it is all about Nesta. Ugh. 

My Rating: A quick festive read.

5.) One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

From Goodreads:

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life. Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it. Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when lifwas simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart. Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.

I've never read a Carley Fortune novel before but this book had so much buzz that I wanted to give it a try and I was sold just by looking at the cover. I am a lake girl through and through and anything with lake vibes is going to grab my attention. This is a companion book to Every Summer After but I had no idea and read it anyway.

The thing that I liked most about this contemporary romance was its nostalgic quality. The setting is immersive and cinematic. The author does a great job of putting the reader at the lake and in Barry's Bay which is a real place and one that I now would like to visit. I could feel the sunshine on the dock and the spray of water from the yellow ski boat as it zipped around the lake. Unfortunately the plot wasn't that riveting nor were the main characters. They were flat and one dimensional. Charlie talked like a frat boy home from college on summer break rather than the 35 year old business mogul he was supposed to be and Alice was just as juvenile. You can be playful and have flirty banter without it being so juvenile. All too often the banter between Charlie and Alice just made me cringe. I also wanted a deeper emotional relationship between them and less of a physical one. This book has some spice.

Contemporary romance isn't my favorite of the romance genre. I prefer a good Regency romance. LOL. I also should have read Every Summer After first and maybe I would have felt a deeper connection to the characters. But I loved the summer lake aesthetic and that was enough to keep me reading. I also agree with Nan who said, "Good things happen at the lake!"

My Rating: Okay... a fluffy summer romance.

6.) The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

From Goodreads:

Throughout her life Sybil Van Antwerp has used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings around half past ten Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter. Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has. A mother, grandmother, wife, divorcée, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.

This book came recommended to me from so many places and people. They were right. It was wonderful. I loved the feisty, no nonsense, and opinionated Sybil Van Antwerp and I feel sad not to read any more of her letters. This is a book that will stay with me and has made me want to buy some beautiful stationary, stamps, pens, and write some letters. Letter writing is a lost art and I remember so clearly the joy of opening the mail box and finding a newsie letter from a friend or loved one.

This is beautifully written literary fiction set between the years of 2012 to 2021. Sybil is a 73 year old retired law clerk who has had an illustrious career. She is divorced and her children are grown with children of their own. The reader learns about Sybil, her life, friends, and family through reading her letters to them and theirs to her. Writing letters (and some emails) is how Sybil communicates with the world. It is also how she processes her emotions, expresses what she has a hard time saying in person, befriends people, makes demands on people, and how we get to know her. She is a force to be reckoned with and has much that she wishes to convey.

I loved the structure of this book. Sybil's story is told in epistolary form. The audiobook is especially fantastic with a wonderful cast of characters that brought the story to life. Her story was surprisingly propulsive as I tried to put together the pieces of her life. Sybil is flawed and often made mistakes as she confronted (or didn't) the things in her life and yet I felt empathetic to her even when she was in the wrong and I cringed reading her sometimes sharp and harsh words. But there was so much to her as a person...so much character growth. I loved Sybil's character arc. You could see how she was shaped by her childhood, family, marriage, motherhood, career, loss, grief, friendship, aging, and her yearning for connection. She could be a tough cookie but by the time I finished the book I absolutely loved (and now miss) Sybil.

I love that Sybil was a voracious reader and a writer. She wrote to many famous authors and literary icons (many of my own favorites) who sometimes wrote her back. All of the literary allusions to authors and books were delightful! I love when my favorite books and authors show up in other places. I particularly loved how she and her bestfriend and sister-in-law, Rosalie, ended every letter to each other with what they were reading. This is definitely a book for book lovers.

This lovely book made me think, feel, and reflect on the themes of regret, forgiveness, love, and the power of human connection. I want to buy a copy so that I can annotate it because there were so many beautiful quotes like, "Life is filled with the miraculous and the mundane." And "...I know you think of me as your mother only, but please inside, I am just a girl." This is a such an endearing novel and a debut novel at that! I look forward to reading more from Virginia Evans. I highly recommend this book. 

My Rating: Absolutely charming.

7.) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

From Goodreads:

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

This was my book club's pick for September 2025. It is a YA Historical Fantasy and it's also very Princess Bride-esque. It is an alternate history of Lady Jane Grey who was the tragic great niece of King Henry VIII and her nine days reign as Queen of England before she was beheaded by her successor Queen Mary. But...that doesn't happen in this book! There is a plot twist! I loved that Lady Jane gets a much different fate in this over-the-top comedy.

In this tale Lady Jane is intelligent, stubborn, independent, and not a damsel in distress. Throw in a handsome and mysterious guy that she is forced to marry, royal and political intrigue, some eyebrow raising magical realism, a pretty outrageous plot, and you've got this book.

The writing is humourous and unique. It is actually triple authored. Throughout the book the narrators often break the fourth wall and throw in many pop culture references. Despite the actual sad history of Lady Jane Grey and her husband Guilford Dudley and this novel's satirical commentary on societal and gender norms of the time... the book doesn't take itself too seriously. Quite the opposite.

Did I love it? No..but it's light and fluffy and at times ridiculous but it was also a quick and humorous read. This is the first book in a series called The Lady Janies. If the next book was a continuation of this story I don't think I would read it but the next book takes on Jane Eyre in another alternative romance retelling and what can I say? I'm intrigued.

My Rating: A good palate cleanser.

August 2025

August got off to a much better start! The first week of August all of our kids were here and it was our week at the lake. They all arrived on August 1st and we headed straight to the lake house. 

Despite knowing that I would be missing out on a lot of the things that I enjoy at the lake; I was super happy to be there! The sunshine, water, and all our family being together was the best medicine.

That whole week was a blur and I didn't take as many pictures because it was hard to do that with one hand. I was also in a lot of pain and trying to wean myself off of the brace. It was a trying time. I bought a second Sarmiento brace so that I could get it wet and lake-y while keeping my other one in good shape. It allowed me to float around in the water on my pink float. I couldn't swim with my arm, or paddleboard, or kayak, and the boat bumping along on waves with all the wakeboarding and wake surfing runs was also a no. I spent a lot of time sitting on the dock. Yes, I felt sorry for myself some of the time but the view was so lovely that I could usually get myself out of a mopey mood.

The first night that we were there Ailey and Luke handed us a gift to open. We were not prepared to see this:

We were in complete and total shock!! But then the shock and disbelief wore off and we were crying with joy! How blessed are we to have THREE sweet babies joining our family in less than a year?! It is so exciting! Our family is growing at such a rapid rate and God is giving us beauty for ashes. 

Our days were spent on the dock, in the boat, and in the water. Everyone took a day to do the cooking even Bryn had a day (we helped) and that made life so much more relaxed. So many days to just soak up the sunshine and enjoy the lake. 

Karson loves to help Pops *drive* the boat but what he REALLY loves is honking the horn! LOL. 

Dwight was a good dock dog...Beverly not so much...although she had her moments.

Tyler dragged the kids around the lake on the tube, wakeboard, and surf board. Ailey, Bryn, Kam, and Erin were down for all the water sports. I have no pictures because I wasn't on the boat except for this one of Ailey and Bryn heading out on the tube. Thankfully Ailey has pictures and videos of everyone doing their thing!

Luke was our major fisherman this year. 

He was out on the dock early every morning fishing and now sports quite the manly mustache!

We had some great dock picnics and Reilly bought some viral TikTok treats for everyone to try! Ailey did her traditional donut run...which we love...and got donuts for everyone!

Our family's good luck symbol showed up and paid us a visit.

This was my one and only boat ride of the entire summer. Ugh. It pains me. But riding in the boat also pained my arm. At the time of this picture, the lake was pretty calm, and not many boats were out. I am so glad that I got in at least one boat ride this summer. It's my happy place!

We enjoyed those golden lake sunsets as much as possible too!

Kameron and Bryn introduced Erin to night swimming! It's the BEST!

We had some wild game nights and a few movie nights. The days passed by so quickly and then it was time for everyone to go home.

It wasn't a perfect week. Let's be real. There were some disappointments, disagreements, and hurt feelings mixed in with the fun and laughter. Blending a family isn't easy and there will be some bumps in the road as new people join but we were grateful for every day that we were together and grateful for every member of our family...the OGs and the newbies. Our family is getting better and better with each new addition. 

The rest of the month was spent with Bryn working at the pool and I started physical therapy. I go twice a week. PT is no joke. It is painful but so helpful in getting my arm moving again. Tyler was busy with work. He has so many projects going on or that needed to be finished before summer was over.

Reilly, Hunter, and Karson went on a little trip to Omak to go to the rodeo. They said that it was very hot but fun. I'm glad that they were able to go on a little trip before the babies come. They could be here next month!! Squeal!!

Tyler and I went with the YW to the temple one day and then drove them to Skookum Lake and spent the day. The YW were camping there and we went to help them get set up.

We had never been to Skookum Lake before. It is a small lake but very pretty! Tyler and I also explored the surrounding cities of Usk and Cusick.

Tyler's sister came to Utah for a visit and got together with our Utah kids. They had fun hanging out with Aunt Lori!

Bryn worked all month at the pool until it closed for the season the last week of August. Then she got hired by the country club to lifeguard there for another month or so. She enjoyed working at both places and but really liked the perks of working at the country club. Delicious free food! Ha ha!

Ailey and Luke found out that their baby is a boy!! How fun!! That'll make three grandsons and one granddaughter for us! We are so excited!! Tate Tyler Jorgensen is on the way! Ailey's had her OB appointment. Mom and Baby are doing well. Tate's due date is March 30th.

Back-to-school activities started kicking in. Bryn is on Link Crew at her high school. Link Crew leaders mentor and guide incoming freshman. She had training for that before school started and helped plan a bunch of activities for Freshman Orientation. She was super involved that whole week helping the freshman get ready for high school.

We also got Bryn glammed up for her JUNIOR year. We finally let her get highlights in her hair. She was so happy! Ha ha! 

I got my hair done too and we got mani/pedis. It's fun to have daughters!

We invited Reilly to go with us but she wasn't feeling well. Being preggo with twins takes a toll!! We also went Back-to-School shopping and found Bryn some super cute things!! It is weird to only take one kid shopping for school clothes now.

Our darling daughter-in-law, Erin, had her birthday and turned 23! She is talented, kind, loving, fun, and a fiercely competitive game player! She is also one who will actually read the instructions to games and explain them to the rest of us. That is a very special person indeed!

Happy Birthday Erin!!

Then just a few days after that Kameron and Erin celebrated their first wedding anniversary! In just a few days, they are heading out on another cruise to celebrate. Fun!

I ended a month of PT with a few more mini-milestones. Tyler and I now regularly walk two miles. I can touch the top of my head with my broken arm. That was super exciting! I feel like I am finally having a few somewhat *normal* days. The first normal days since I broke my arm. Normal days are a gift. Tyler decided to reschedule his hand surgery for October. I wish he didn't have to but we both feel good about it. 

Onto September!!

July 2025

I survived June and made it to July. A month down. That feels like a real accomplishment. 6 months since my hysterectomy and one month since I broke my arm. This summer is passing me by but this painful arm situation takes precedence over even missing the joys of summer.

I wish I could say that life was significantly better but it wasn't. I know I sound super dramatic but this injury is dramatic and there are support groups online full of the most depressed people with this injury. I had to stop following them because no one ever had good news or anything positive to report and I was already in the depths of despair. Bryn also came home sicker than a dog from Girls Camp and has been pretty miserable. We are a bunch of sad sacks these days.

Here was my big accomplishment at the start of the month... I could scrape my hair...by myself...into a pathetic side ponytail and was so thrilled that I sent this in the family chat. Tyler has gotten to be a pro at putting my hair in a ponytail when I need to leave the house. 

Not much new here. Bryn and Tyler work. I doom scroll and write thank you notes to all of the people who have been so kind and thoughtful to us. I can do small tasks around the house and that has made me feel better. I vacuum up a storm. It makes me feel like I have some small purpose in life. I deadhead flowers outside and blow off the deck with the leaf blower. Same thing there. Sometimes Tyler takes me for little drives just to get out of the house. Tyler will drive me to the lake so that I can put my feet in the water and that is when I am the happiest.

The Fourth of July came and went. This year it was very lowkey. We were planning to go to Utah for the 4th but then we found out that Bryn had to leave for Florida for the  FCCLA Nationals at 3am on July 5th so that was off... and then broken arm. Double off. So we stayed at home and tried to make the best of it. The weather was terrible. It was cloudy and rainy. Very gloomy. I didn't feel up to socializing with anyone but family.

Tyler, Bryn, I went to the movies. I could just sit there and not move. We saw the new Jurassic Park movie. Then we went over to the carnival at Riverfront Park and walked around and got hot dogs and cotton candy. I was happy to be out walking around. 

Brynnie in her 4th of July outfit.

Karsy in his!

Kameron, Erin, Ailey, and Luke all went to the Provo Parade and then went swimming. They went to the fireworks at Thanksgiving Point that night. We were definitely missing them. Tyler made us smash burgers and we ate out on the deck and it actually turned out to be okay. We didn't go to the fireworks this year because Bryn had to pack for her trip. But we saw quite a few in our neighborhood anyway. 

Tyler took Bryn to the airport at 3am and off she went to Orlando. I really missed her. She's been gone a lot this summer. I am glad that she is getting all of these fun opportunities though. We are really proud of her! She sent us fun pics and videos. We lived vicariously through her travels.

While Brynnie was living her best life in Florida...Tyler and I got to spend some good time with Reilly. The three of us went out to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant and went shopping for baby clothes. We got a tour their new apartment before they officially moved in. It's fun to get Reilly all to ourselves once in awhile. LOL.

Back in Orlando...Bryn was having fun and learning a lot at Nationals.

Bryn and Ellie presented their project and WON GOLD!!

I am so happy that she had this opportunity to compete locally, statewide, and then nationally. It was a great experience for her. She loves to travel and this was so fun for her. To win gold was icing on the cake!

While Bryn was in Florida...Reilly and I had a little mother/daughter date. She picked me up and we got manis/pedis. Reilly found us a much more glam place to get our nails done that even serves complimentary fancy drinks. Yes, please. 

We were both up for some pampering! It hurt like crazy to get my nails done and to maneuver my arm but it was worth it for fresh nails. It is always fun to spend time with my Ry-Ry!!

Once Bryn got home from Florida, it was time for Tyler and I to take our little road trip to Oregon. Tyler got me all situated with my arm cushioned in the car and off we went. It felt great! We had such a fun trip! On our way we made a few stops... Bryn had recently been to the Columbia River Temple in the Tri-Cities and we wanted to see it too. Very pretty! It felt good to get out and walk around for a bit.

Tyler forgot his church clothes so we ran into the LDS Distribution Center so he could buy a white shirt to wear on Sunday. It was so pretty to travel along the Columbia River. The weather was sunny and gorgeous. We stopped at our favorite Petite Provence in The Dalles for a sweet treat.

We got macarons, Pavlova, and Tiramisu. Divine! We also went to my favorite thrift store and found some great smalls for my booth. So fun! I love The Dalles. Time was running short so we had to bypass Multnomah Falls this time. Sadness but it was crazy busy. We got to Silverton at 6pm. It is just as charming and magical as we remembered it. We checked into our darling Airbnb that was about 10 minutes from Tyler's mom and sister's place.

It was filled with gorgeous antiques and vintage finds. This was my all time favorite piece of furniture!

How dreamy is that?! It is now one of my life goals to find one of these for our house!

While unloading the car I ended up hurting my broken arm quite badly. I was rolling both of my suitcases down the hall (one in each hand) to the bedroom when the handle on the one I was rolling with my broken arm jerked from short to long and threw my arm into an excruciating 10 minute muscle spasm. Pain level 10/10. I didn't know what was happening at the time or what exactly I had done but it nearly took me out. I thought I was going to have to go the ER. Thankfully the spasm eventually calmed down and we were able to go to my mother-in-law's. But every so often for the rest of the trip...and month...my arm would suddenly spasm into a terrible 5-10 minute spasm. When it happened I couldn't do anything to stop it or seem normal when it happened. It was HORRIBLE.

Once I could function again we went to Judie and Lori's and had dinner with them. It was good to catch up with both of them. They have settled nicely in Silverton. Lori is loving her new job and area. We are so glad that things are going well and that they are liking it here. Tyler's mom looked better than the last time we saw her but it still takes us a bit by surprise to see how much she has aged. She is 81 and that alone seems shocking. I guess not watching my mom grow old and lose her vibrancy and pep might be a hidden blessing although I would still rather have her here...aging away...but it is hard to see parents lose their vigor and mobility. Lori and Judie both go to bed fairly early. Lori had to work for part of the day the next day so we bid them goodnight. We stopped at our favorite specialty market for some snacks, drinks, and food to have at the Airbnb. We had a delightful cozy night there.

The next morning we slept in and took our time getting ready. Our Airbnb was so pretty in the morning. Tyler said that he saw a whole bunch of bluebirds out of the window. We were on the hunt for some good donuts. Tyler found several donut shops in Salem, OR which was about 20 minutes away so we headed there. We found DayNight Donuts and King Donuts. Both were good but DayNight was better. It's so frustrating that we don't have good donuts in Spokane! While in Salem, a city we had never been, we decided to do a little exploring. Salem is not that charming...at least not the downtown. We were still bumming around in Salem around lunch time. We were thrilled to see that our one of our favorite Oregon restaurants was also in Salem. Cafe Yumm!! 

We had the best lunch!!

On our way back to Silverton we stopped to see the covered bridge. Very pretty. Quite reminiscent of the ones in Iowa aka the Bridges of Madison County. The area around Silverton is so beautiful. We could totally live here! Lori wanted us to stop in and see her at work and meet her co-workers. She is the manager of Chase Bank in Silverton. It was fun to see her new workplace and meet the people she works with. Then we went across the street to the Farmers Market. Oregon berries are legendary and we wanted to see if they lived up to the hype.

The answer is YES!!

We met up back at Lori and Judie's house when Lori got off of work. It turned out that the Airbnb owners were in Judie's ward and they are friends with my cousins. Judie wanted to go out to eat so we went to their favorite restaurant and got something quick. We weren't really hungry because we had just eaten at Cafe Yumm and snarfed a ton of berries. But it was good to sit, chat, and belatedly celebrate Judie's birthday. We made plans for the rest of the day. Judie didn't have much stamina. She basically wanted to go out to eat, go for a drive, and then go back home. Just that much tired her out. We took her home and then Tyler, Lori, and I did some sightseeing.

We drove up to see the Mount Angel Abbey. It was gorgeous up on this high bluff and overlooks the Willamette Valley.  It's a Benedictine community of monks that was built in 1882. It has a famous library and theology college. We could see Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helen's from up there. Very cool! There were some huge trees up there. Mt. Angel Abbey is known for a large giant sequoia tree that was planted in 1893. It also happened to be the Saint Benedict Festival. We got there just as it was ending. I loved hearing the church bells.

Mount Hood was super visible. It was a GIANT! It was incredible to see some of the other mountains in the Ring of Fire from up there too. 

After that we headed back to Judie's house. We got updated on all of the extended family. Tyler's brother continues to be a piece of work. He still doesn't want contact with anyone but his mother and even that is extremely limited and must be on his terms. We've known that for awhile and have honored his wishes. The cherry on top of it all was that he was then annoyed and offended that he and his wife weren't invited to Ailey's wedding. LOL. You can't have it both ways dude. Pick a lane. Good grief. I am so over a-hole family members. 

Judie and Lori were able to facetime with Ailey in Utah and then with Bryn in Spokane which they really enjoyed. Kameron and Erin were in Rexburg for the weekend and Reilly, Hunter, and Karson were in Priest River visiting Hunter's cousin and his family. Reilly was able to send some pictures and videos of Karson to Judie. We had a nice evening with both of them and then they were ready to turn in early for the night. Tyler and I were definitely NOT ready to do that so we headed downtown. We walked all around downtown Silverton. There were all kinds of people out and about and live music playing. We grabbed a late night dinner at the Thai restaurant that Lori told us about and then walked around by the river. It was such a gorgeous night. We had a great time!

The next morning we got up to go to church with Judie. We had some makeshift church clothes going on. Tyler was dressed in joggers, his distribution center white shirt, a tie from the thrift store in 

The Dalles, and some tennis shoes. I was in a dress and flip flops...my sandal strap broke up at Mount Angel the day before. We looked...interesting. LOL. But I knew how much Judie wanted us to go to church with her. I love it when our kids are home and come to church with us. I didn't think that my cousin and her family would be there because it was the fair that weekend and her kids are very involved in FFA. They raise animals and sell them at the fair so I was thrilled when my cousin Wendy walked into church!! Her family was at the fair but she came to church. She sat with us and we talked and laughed our heads off all through Sacrament Meeting! Good times!

It was so fun to see Wendy and catch up. Judie headed into 2nd hour and Tyler and I stayed in the foyer talking to Wendy. Then the three of us left. We went back to visit with Lori at the house and Wendy headed to the fair. 

Look how gorgeous the hydrangeas are in front of the church! They were everywhere and HUGE!

We had a good visit with Lori and then Judie got home from church and we said goodbye. Tyler drove straight to the Portland IKEA which was about a half hour away and on our way home. We always have a running list of things we need from IKEA. Our nearest IKEA stores are in Seattle and Portland. We found the things that we were looking for and a few other things too. Tyler got to eat his favorite lunch at the IKEA cafeteria. LOL. 

The man loves his IKEA meatballs. That's a no for me. I ate dessert. 

We also made a stop in Hood River and then headed home. This is my favorite road trip. It is the perfect length and has some gorgeous scenery. There are so many places that I like stopping at along the way. Unfortunately on our way home we got a panicked phone call from Bryn. She was having a huge allergic reaction. She had been on antibiotics since she got home from Girls Camp. She had one day left of her prescription and suddenly started having issues. She was home alone and broke out into hives...everywhere...and then started having trouble breathing. She took Benedryl and things got worse. (Ailey and I are both allergic to Benedryl and this same thing happens to us but Bryn has used it before without any issues.) She drove herself to the Urgent Care where they monitored her for an hour and a half in case she needed an epipen and because she was home alone. They finally released her to go home but told her to take Zyrtec and to call 911 if things got worse. They told her that they would be calling her to check on her and to make sure that she answered her phone. The doctor called us on the road to tell us how she was doing. We finally got a hold of Reilly who had just gotten back from Priest River and she and Hunter headed directly to that house to stay with Bryn until we got home. Thankfully we were only about 2 1/2 hours away. It was pretty terrifying for all involved. Reilly and Hunter doordashed dinner for all of them and they, along with Karson, were a good distraction for Bryn who was pretty freaked out. By the time we got home she was doing better. Thank goodness! What a scary situation!

Bryn was pretty miserable and had horrible residual joint pain for quite awhile. She could barely sleep and walk. The hives and joint pain lasted for almost two weeks. She had to miss going to Youth Conference that next weekend because she still had hives and was miserable. Poor kid!

Tyler had his yearly check up with his GP. He has lost weight. The Ozempic is working but it has some terrible side effects and Tyler basically feels like crap. That is supposed to subside after a few weeks. I hope so.

My arm spasms continued...like a horrible charley horse... sometimes I could lean into it and it would subside but sometimes it just had to run its course. I felt like I lost any ground that I gained with my arm due to these horrible spasms. It was so frustrating! I had another orthopedic appointment and another x-ray. I had horrible anxiety going to that appointment because I thought I had injured my arm again and jacked up any healing that had taken place. Thankfully my appointment went well. I told the doctor about my arm situation and the horrible muscle spasms. I was prescribed muscle relaxers to help with that. They said it was most likely unused muscles waking up and freaking out. My x-ray showed that the bone was still aligned AND showed some new bone growth and callus formation. Yay!! The muscle relaxers helped. I have still had small spasms and some weird muscle *catches* but nothing like those debilitating spasms that I was previously having.

By midmonth I could walk one mile with Tyler pretty regularly. I could take a standing shower like a normal person and blow my own hair dry. I could also tie my shoes. I could finally sleep laying down on pillows like a normal person instead of sleeping propped upright and using a travel pillow around my neck. Progress. These small things gave me HOPE that healing and getting back to normal was on the horizon! It feels good to be resuming my life even just in small doses.

Tyler tended to all of my flowers in our flower beds and to my hanging basket but I still hadn't planted any planters or large pots. Bryn helped me buy flowers and then planted all of my planters for me. She did such a great job and it made such a difference to have all of my pots and planters filled with flowers.

Reilly continued to come over pretty frequently and brought Karson. He lights up our lives! I hate not being able to pick him up again. Tyler bought him a football to play with and he had fun with it. We got some cute pictures of him playing in the yard.

Reilly and Hunter moved into their new place. Both sets of parents helped them move. We loaded up our cargo trailer and it went pretty fast. I mainly entertained Karson. LOL. Then we went back the next day so that Tyler could do a couple of small projects for them. He installed their A/C unit and put in a new shower head and a few other things. I'm glad that they are all settled now and have a nice place to bring the new babies home to in a few months.

The momentous day FINALLY arrived for Bryn! Tyler took her to the DMV and she officially got her drivers license!! Woohoo!! Not quite as exciting to her...she also got set apart as 2nd counselor in the YW Older Girls Class Presidency. Ha ha!

Look at these cute pictures of Kameron and Erin (and Dwight). They are such a darling couple. They got two different sets of pictures taken. This was from when it was colder. I love having so many cute pictures of them.

Erin is working like crazy as a photographer and getting all kinds of clients. She is impressive!! Kameron spoke in his ward and Ailey and Luke went to hear him speak. I love that they are supporting one another and showing up for each other. It makes me happy. Kam's busy working for the car detailing company and driving LITERALLY all over Utah. It's a bit nuts. Both Kam and Erin are busy with school too. 

Tyler's been busy with work and with his calling with the Activity Day boys. They have done all kinds of things...lots of sports and swimming...and they learned fire making skills and got to make s'mores. That activity was a hit! Tyler is scheduled to have hand surgery in a few weeks for his Dupuytren's Contracture and Carpal Tunnels. It is causing us a lot of stress. The timing is horrible. I am nowhere near being back to normal for him to then be out of commission for two months. It's also really stressing Bryn out and understandably so...she can't have two parents incapacitated at the same time. We've been struggling to make a decision about what to do. His hand is bad and he really needs the surgery but perhaps now is not the time.

I had still another orthopedic appointment and this time I got some great news! I can start weaning off the Sarmiento brace and can start PT. I also don't have to come back for another appointment for two months. I was elated! In even better news...all of our kids are coming up for our week at the lake!! I cannot wait to have them all here!!

I am so glad to be moving onto AUGUST!!