My 2016 Book List

It's February and I've been a horrible reader so far for 2016. I normally read about two books a month (which may not sound like a lot but it's really all I can manage), but in January I started a total of 5 books and didn't finish a one of them. FIVE. I think it was mostly because they were all non-fiction and required too much thinking about my life and I just can't. handle. that. right now. You know? Too busy. Need escape.

I started The Girl With No Past over the weekend and am loving it. A good fiction is always the ticket.

I thought I would go ahead and post a little list of the books I would like to get to this year. I would love to know if you've read any of these and what your thoughts are. Also, new recommendations are always FABULOUS. I would love those as well. :)

(Titles are linked.)

1. The Girl With No Past by Kathryn Croft
2. Love Does by Bob Goff
3. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (I've had this one for YEARS and have never finished it....but everyone I know is obsessed with it.)
4. The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner (another one I started...about halfway through)
5. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
6. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
7. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
8. Strong and Kind by Korie Robertson
9. Audacious by Beth Moore
10. Every Bitter Thing is Sweet by Sara Hagerty
11. Own Your Life by Sally Clarkson
12. Simply Tuesday by Emily Freeman
13. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
14. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
15. After You by Jojo Moyes
16. Bossypants by Tina Fey
17. Yes Please by Amy Poehler
18. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
19. Rising Strong by Brene Brown
20. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
21. The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
22. Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese
23. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
24. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
25. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
26. Looking for Alaska by John Green (my sister got me this for Christmas!)
27. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
28. Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist
29. Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman
30. Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti by Bill Farrel
31. The Five love Languages by Gary Chapman (read this one before....need a refresher)
32. Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker (this one, too)
33. Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours by Kevin Lehman (this one, too--it's good!)
34. 7 by Jen Hatmaker (I've actually never read this one!)

We will see if all of these happen. I could have added more non-fiction, too---there have been so many on my list lately that it is just getting ridiculous. I also feel like I'm greatly lacking in the fiction department, especially since that's what I enjoy the most anyway.

Again, I would love suggestions! What are your favorites from this list? What would you add?

What I'm Reading (And Want to Read)

I am one of those people who tends to go through reading spurts, where I'll read like eight books in a month and then not pick up anything for 3 or 4 months. When I'm in a "spurt", it doesn't bode well for my mom responsibilities (oh, sandwiches for dinner again?), but it's what I tend to do when I'm overwhelmed or stressed because reading a good book is, truly, the only thing that forces my brain to chill out and not think of anything else.

Amen.

So, since I have been way too busy for my own good these last few weeks, I have also been on a reading kick. And I like it. I thought I would share a few of the books I've read recently with you all today!

For The Love by Jen Hatmaker: Hmmmm yes, who hasn't read this book? It is so good. In the first chapter alone I was spastically nodding my head in agreement and read basically every paragraph to Bryan.

“People will take as much as you will give them, not because they are terrible humans, but because they only want this one slice of you. It doesn’t seem like much to them.” 

“If it isn’t also true for a poor single Christian mom in Haiti, it isn’t true.” 

“Our primary defaults are exhaustion and guilt. Meanwhile, we have beautiful lives begging to be really lived, really enjoyed, really applauded” 

“The trouble is, we have up-close access to women who excel in each individual sphere. With social media and its carefully selected messaging, we see career women killing it, craft moms slaying it, chef moms nailing it, Christian leaders working it. We register their beautiful yards, homemade green chile enchiladas, themed birthday parties, eight-week Bible study series, chore charts, ab routines, “10 Tips for a Happy Marriage,” career best practices, volunteer work, and Family Fun Night ideas. We make note of their achievements, cataloging their successes and observing their talents. Then we combine the best of everything we see, every woman we admire in every genre, and conclude: I should be all of that. It is certifiably insane.” 

“God is unveiling women around the world. He always has and continues to work through women and girls, who are half of His church. They are, like men and boys, His image bearers. They are also, like men and boys, gifted, empowered, smart, and anointed.” 

Truly,  I could just copy and past the whole book (but I will resist that, for your sake and the fact that it's probably illegal). Her views on parenting, family, being a woman, being an American Christian, all of it....I love. I also loved her "Spicy and Sweet" description of family. I come from a Spicy, Bryan comes from a Sweet, and our poor children are getting a nice little mix. ;) Actually, I think that's a good thing.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: I loved the characters in this book and the way the chapters are written (a lot of the chapters are emails, letters, invoices, newsletters, that kind of thing). It's a mystery but nothing really suspenseful or scary, just interesting to read with a good storyline and some interesting people. 

Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist: I read this a few months ago, but it's worth bringing up again because it was AWESOME. I normally don't really like memoir-y books (I'm slowly changing my tune there), and I have definitely never read a cookbook just for fun (the author reads them regularly), but this was such a great read about coming together with those you love at the table. Our hearts and minds open up and a certain vulnerability lies in a good meal with good friends that you can't get anywhere else. Read it!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: Um. Yes. This book is amazing. I actually just read this one like two days ago, and it's one of those that I'm still thinking about constantly, and even having dreams about. It's a WWII book, so if you like historical fiction then this is basically a no-brainer. It's about two french sisters and their (heartbreaking) journey through the war (a husband leaving to fight, German soldiers coming to live with them, working with the Resistance, saving Jewish children....not to mention a hundred other things but I don't want to ruin the book). The last Kristin Hannah book I read was Firefly Lane and I have never cried harder in a book....goodness. This one is a tear-jerker as well, FYI. So good.

So....yeah! Super fun.

Here are a few that are sitting on my Kindle wishlist that I can't wait to open:

1. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

2. Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist

3. Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet by Sara Hagerty

4. Strong and Kind by Korie Robertson

5. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

6. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

7. Bossypants by Tina Fey (I know...I should have already read this)

What are you reading these days? I LOVE getting good book recommendations! Have a great weekend. Stay healthy. (Have I mentioned that our entire house is sick? So fun.)

My Book List.

Hey, everyone! I'm blogging from the beautiful Winder, Georgia right now and just wanted to drop by and fill you in on the books that I for some crazy reason am trying to read all at once.

I try and tell myself that I am a master multitasker, but really, I'm not...so none of these are completely finished, but I like them all just the same.

1. First-Time Mom by Dr. Kevin Leman

I've already read half of this book in two nights (which a a VERY big deal when you have a 3-month-old) and am loving it. It's pretty much about raising your children to be encouraged, not spoiled, and has a ton of interesting info. regarding birth order.

2. Imagine by Jonah Lehrer

This book makes you think. My sister (who is an Art Therapy major) told me about it so I decided to give it a try. The author talks a lot about using the right-side of your brain to evoke creativity. To sum it up-- he basically proves that right-brainers rule the world :).

3. Drive by Daniel H. Pink

I haven't started this one yet, but I hear it's great. Lately, I feel like I've been on a "discovering myself" kick--you know, what makes me happy, what I genuinely like to do, what makes me feel the most creative--so reading this seemed like a no-brainer. I'm excited to get started!

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The main reason for this post is this: I want to know what YOU are reading!

I'm always on the hunt for good books--fiction, non-fiction, self improvement, parenting....you name it, I will probably like it. I'm obviously lacking in the fiction department right now....maybe a few recs in that area?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lately.

I am happy to say that our Memorial Day weekend proved to be a successful one. A picture-less one (my apologies), but still very memorable.
We did a whole lot of....nothing. And it was amazing. Much needed.

Well, I guess I'm lying. We didn't do anything fun with other people (we've decided to take on a hermit lifestyle), but we did have a lot of fun at home by ourselves doing house projects, watching movies, shopping, and reading.

Is it bad that I can't even remember what I did on Friday? Let's see...........oh! Ok, I remember. Well, as I pointed out in my last post, Bryan began the ever-messy process of tiling the master bathroom. I began the ever-relaxing process of reading my new book. Haha, kidding. Kinda. I read all Friday afternoon and then spent ohhhhhh 4 hours cleaning the house. Yes, just four. But it is VERY clean now. Like deep clean. And I was able to reorganize our pantry as well as all of the kitchen cabinets. AND I put down shelf-liner (long overdue), AND I cleaned out and reorganized the fridge. Point, Katy.

On Saturday, Bryan headed to graduation for LHS, I cleaned some more, and then we both spent the day doing pretty much nothing. I read, Bryan played video games, we ordered pizza, and it was perfect.

On Sunday, Bryan got up early (like 6am early) and went golfing with a couple of coaches from LHS. We skipped church. I know, bad. Anyway, we met up for lunch (after my trip to TJ Maxx) and then headed into town to buy all of our supplies/decor for the master bedroom! Exciting stuff. Bryan especially loved the decor part (that was probably the most sarcastic comment I've ever made in my life). Plans are coming along nicely, and even look somewhat like the inspiration board I showed you a few months ago:

Speaking of inspiration...I was going through my StumbleUpon today (Don't know what StumbleUpon is? Well, I suggest you jump on the wagon, because you are definitely missing out), and came across this master of all craft websites: Craft Gawker. I cannot wait to do some of these projects!

And back to our weekend summary:
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On Sunday night, we went to see "Water for Elephants"...so good! I have to say, usually I like the book a whole lot more than the movie, but this time I was equally satisfied with both! After the movie, we came home where a lot more of nothing was done (or not done?)....Bryan played more video games, and I finished my book! Sobbing. Can I just say that while Firefly Lane is one of my new favorites, it is also the one book that has made me cry more than other book I have ever read? Ok, I'm saying it. I think I bawled for 2 hours. Seriously. But it's so good! I can't stop thinking about the characters. Everyone should read it, just grab a box of tissues for the last oooooh, 100 pages or so.

On Monday we both got back to work--I did some more shopping, some of which included grocery shopping so it was necessary :), pulled weeds in the flower beds, and Bryan started painting the bathroom! Hallelujah.

And here is what we have today:

Still a definite work in progress, but I am already so excited for it! I can't wait to show the final results.

We also went to see "The Hangover Part II" on Monday night with a few of the other coaches. It was funny...but very unoriginal and extremely disgusting. I was a little disappointed, but I kind of expected it with a sequel.

I also thought I should mention the "tease" we got tonight. I could have sworn it was going to storm. It looked so promising:

Guess not. We need rain SO bad. I don't think we've had a good rain (or any rain) since September.

Well, that's pretty much it! Can't wait to show you all our pretty new master bedroom and bathroom!!

Tiles and Croutons

Here is the latest of what's going on at our household...

Bryan made the announcement last night that he was going to start working on our bathroom. And so the mess took ensued and I've been trying to ignore the sounds of drills and saws ever since.

It's looking good though!

I also made homemade croutons today! My friend Alli's sweet mom gave me a few quick instructions, and I have to say, these are much better than any croutons I've ever bought at a store.

As any house of two knows, it's hard to finish a loaf of bread before it goes bad/stale (among other things). So, I took some of our stale bread, cut it into little cubes, placed it on a baking sheet, drizzled olive oil over the top and then sprinkled on garlic salt and italian seasoning. I baked them for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. (Where in the heck is the degree sign on a computer keyboard? I'm not seeing it.) So easy!

I hope everyone has big/fun/productive and/or relaxing plans for Memorial Day Weekend! We are obviously planning to get a few things done (fingers crossed), but I'm hoping to relax and have a little fun too....maybe go see a movie and finish the book I just started reading. Firefly Lane, anyone? I heard it was good.

Speaking of books, I just finished the very popular (and recently movie-made) Water for Elephants. Love, love, love it. I had to read it in about a day because I didn't want to get a late fee at the library, and because my normal reading schedule was interfered with when I saw this:

...And just had to re-read all of the Hunger Games books again. I am so excited they are making them into movies!

Happy loooong weekend!

I'm an Alum

The events of this past week really made me realize how much things have changed in the last year. I have graduated from college, moved into a house, gotten a dog, and gotten a job. It was a very... weird process to go from being an involved college student to someone who is now trying to separate herself from that "world" (which is really hard, since I work on campus and still know a lot of the students). BUT, it's a change that had to happen, and is honestly a change that I was VERY ready for last May.

Even so, I was really excited to go to my first Alumni Night during Kappa's Pledgeweek as an actual alum. It was GREAT to see all of my old friends, and really great to get to talk about all of the memories that made us friends in the first place!

I also felt horrible for the poor, exhausted little pledges. There was even a girl who's ear drum had BURST and was bleeding because they were singing too loud.

This picture is totally creepy, because I only know like 2 girls in it, but...oh well!

Here they are at the wedding this year. Yes, Kappa always duct tapes the bride's mouth shut. (She can't be kissed!)

Everytime I go to the Pledgeweek wedding, I always think of my wedding during Pledgeweek....

Oh my gosh, I look like death. A group of us are reading a poem in this picture. P.S. We weren't allowed to wear makeup or smile, so that's why we look really bored and on the verge of illness.

Anyway, that was really random, but I just felt the need to take a trip down memory lane. I know a bunch of old Kappa girls read this, so I'm sure you all understand!

Another fun alum thing I was able to do this week was go to the first Lubbock Alumni Lunch...which I actually planned. :) Of course, I ran out of the house this morning and forgot to grab my camera, but you're not missing much--besides, we're having them monthly, so I can just take pictures at the next one! We had it in the new Welcome Center Rotunda--which is really neat looking and a great place for events like this. There were a little over 50 people who attended, and I hope it grows more in the months to come! Everything went really well though, and I think a lot of alums are happy that LCU is starting to be more involved with their (our) alumni.

In other news, Lubbock High officially has a new Head Football Coach. His name is Jason Strunk and I PRAY that he lets Bryan keep his job! Prayers please!!!!! We should know more details in a few weeks but until then, we need all the help we can get from you know Who!

Also in other news, I stayed up till almost 2am last night finishing a good book called My Name Is Memory. I was actually a little disappointed with the ending (cliffhanger) until I googled it a realized that it's the first of 3 books! I can't wait until the 2nd one is published!

I may start reading this one again.... (I'm really bad about re-reading books that I like).

This book is a little....I don't know, "Twilight-ish", so if you don't like those lovey-dovey, sometimes corny books, then don't read it. BUT is was a very easy read (took me 3 days), and was really entertaining. It's about this guy who can remember his past lives and follows the love of his life throughout her lives even though she can't remember him. Interesting storyline, no?

That was a pretty random post, but it's all I have for now!