It's all good . . .

Sweet Arthur is Six!!

Oh, sweet Arthur!  It seems like only yesterday that he came into our lives, but he is growing up in spite of our wished to keep him little.  He is such an amazing little boy, and his smile just melts us every time he flashes it in our direction. He really is charming and handsome.  (In fact, a little girl in his class keeps sending him love notes - so cute!)

Arthur is smart and articulate, and he loves learning!  His reading is getting better everyday, and it seems like he is just soaking up the knowledge like a sponge.  It is amazing to watch how much he is growing each and every day.

Arthur is extremely independent, and plays so well by himself, just lost in his imagination.  Sometimes I wish I could peek into his brain and see what is going on in there.  I know it is sure to be amazing.  

But even with as independent as he is, Arthur still loves to hold my hand, give me hugs and kisses, and cuddle up next to me.  It is the best.  I am so grateful for all the hugs and cuddles, especially with Kevin gone.  And knowing that Arthur is growing up, I will soak in all the extra love while he still willingly gives it.  (Not that I think he won't want affection when he is older, but it is just different, so I am enjoying this time while it lasts.)

Arthur has a quirky and fabulous sense of humor, and he is always making us laugh - whether it is always intentional is another thing.  He is a never ending source of entertainment, and brings a fun little extra spark to our family dynamic.

Arthur is thoughtful and kind, and although because of his autism and ADHD, he sometimes has a hard time slowing down his brain or his body, I still have had some pretty amazing conversations with him.  He has the sweetest testimony of Jesus Christ and the gospel, and it is crazy to think that in just two short years he will be baptized.

Did I mention that Arthur never really stops moving?  He reminds me so much of Derek at his age, that I often mix up their names.  He is energetic, bursting with life, and loves to run, wrestle with his brother, and just move.

Arthur has a very special bond with his daddy, and it has been pretty rough on him with Kevin gone these past few months.  I love how much they love each other, and Arthur can't wait to get to play with his dad again when he gets home.  Maybe a few rounds of hide and seek to start out, followed up by some Breath of the Wild on the Switch.  Good times!

Arthur can be mischievous and does get into trouble quite a bit, but he tries his best to improve and works hard to be better behaved.  Just yesterday he came home and his daily behavior sheet didn't have any reds or yellows - it was all greens (good) and blues (above and beyond), which was a miracle!  He struggles, but he really tries so hard.   

We love our Arthur so very much.  He really was the final piece of the puzzle that makes up our family, and without him, we would not be complete.

Here are some of Arthur's favorite things:

Food: Nutella on everything (bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, etc.)

Dessert: Chocolate ice cream in a cone

Snack: Cheez-its

Color: Indigo

Song: "Jump Up Super Star" from Super Mario Odyssey 

Thing to Do with Mom: Play games 

Thing to Do with Dad: Watch him play video games

Thing to Do with Lily: Play pretend with her

Thing to Do with Derek: Play pretend with him

Movie: "Odd Squad: The Movie"

TV Show: Odd Squad

Game: Camelot Jr.

Video Game: Splatoon

To Do: Write a book or play a game

Picture Book: The Jolly Postman

Favorite Place to Visit: True Value Hardware store on the corner, so he can get a gum ball

Favorite Place to Vacation: Idaho

Be When He Grows Up: Video Game Designer

Most Excited About for this year: Daddy coming home from Afghanistan

Food: Nutella on everything (bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, etc.)

Dessert: Chocolate ice cream in a cone

Snack: Cheez-its

Color: Indigo

Song: "Jump Up Super Star" from Super Mario Odyssey 

Thing to Do with Mom: Play games 

Thing to Do with Dad: Watch him play video games

Thing to Do with Lily: Play pretend with her

Thing to Do with Derek: Play pretend with him

Movie: "Odd Squad: The Movie"

TV Show: Odd Squad

Game: Camelot Jr.

Video Game: Splatoon

To Do: Write a book or play a game

Picture Book: The Jolly Postman

Favorite Place to Visit: True Value Hardware store on the corner, so he can get a gum ball

Favorite Place to Vacation: Idaho

Be When He Grows Up: Video Game Designer

Most Excited About for this year: Daddy coming home from Afghanistan

Starting Out January

January, although it started off a bit rough emotionally for me, has actually been pretty good so far.  Lily and Derek are both in the midst of rehearsals for their musicals (Suessical for Derek and Les Mis for Lily), and so I spend a lot of time driving to and from the middle school and high school, and wishing that their rehearsals happened at the same time each day.  Arthur is doing well, and has started going to school full time at York Township, like I mentioned in a previous post.  He is counting down to his birthday next week, and keeps us entertained with his imagination.  Like adding magic tricks into our game of Camelot Jr.  Good times.

Arthur has also started taking a medication for his ADHD.  It is a non stimulant (since when we tried Ritalin last year, it was not a good fit for him), and while he gets used to it, it has made him very tired.  He is fine now, but the first few days he was on it, he was so sleepy.  he even fell asleep on the van ride to school, and during read aloud in his kindergarten class.  He also fell sound asleep right after family prayer.

To get myself back on track, I have been making more lists than usual, and really trying to focus my energy toward accomplishing things, especially all the little half finished projects that just drive me crazy.  I was so excited to finally get this picture attached to canvas and put on the wall.

And in the middle of all the crazy, I have been making time to have fun, by scheduling lunch and breakfast outings with friends and neighbors.  And sometimes I get a special treat from a friend with a note that completely makes my day.  It is seriously how I get through Kevin being away.

Speaking of Kevin, he sent us a package - a really cool camel hair blanket, and some new magnets for our collection.  So fun!

One of the things we have started this January, is the home centered, church supported "Come Follow Me" study program we have been doing.  Part of the program means that our meeting schedule has been shortened to 2 hours instead of three, and the other part is the wonderful family and personal study part of the program.  

Last Sunday, after church, we facetimed with Kevin for our family study.  It was so great.  And during the week, each of us used our personal study journals to record our thoughts about what we studied this week.  For Arthur, I got a journal that he could draw a picture to go with his notes.  I love it!  We had studied Matthew 1 and Luke 1, and he wrote, "An angel came to Zach! I learned that you and I should be obedient!" Note his use of exclamation point and how he shortened Zacharias to Zach - ha ha!

Today was an interesting day.  I got up, looked outside, and saw that it had snowed quite a bit last night.  I decided to make a special breakfast for the kids - orange rolls from my Magnolia Table cookbook.  They were so yummy!  

After we ate, Derek went out to shovel the driveway so we could get to church ok.  Just as he finished, we got a message saying that church was canceled.  We were all very disappointed, but since a lot of the areas in our ward are rural with winding, steep and skinny roads (which used to be cow trails), I understood.  We may have made it there fine, but for most of the people in the ward it would been dangerous.  

Since we were going to be home all day, I had the kids get bundled up so they could enjoy the snow.  They had a great time, even if Derek had a run in with a fence (so not good).  He is fine, the fence suffered, and now he will be earning money to repair it, but hey, it meant that I finally got to meet the people that live behind us.

After lunch, we were able to have our family gospel study with Kevin via FaceTime, which was wonderful.  After we finished, I got dinner ready.  We had the sister missionaries over for dinner, which we love.  We had a great time, but after they left, I immediately heard a knock on my door.  They had accidentally locked their car keys in their trunk when they had gone out to get something after dinner.  They only have one car key, and their extra apartment key was locked into their apartment, and nobody who might be able to help them was answering their phones.  

It seemed hopeless, and so we reached out to Kevin's best friend, Ryan.  he is enough like Kevin, that I knew that if there was a way to break into their car, he would figure it out.  Ryan showed up just as we heard from their landlord, so I drove them to their apartment so they could get in and get their extra key.  Now, regardless of what happened to the car, at least they would be able to sleep in their apartment.  When we got back, Ryan still hadn't got the trunk opened, but after we looked at things a bit more, he tried the trick he'd found on Youtube one more time.  This time, it finally worked!  Hallelujah!  It was a miracle, and the perfect way to end our day.

Tender Mercies and a Piece of Cake

Life is tricky, and truthfully, with the holiday season over, I have been battling feelings of emptiness and gloom.  My other half is away, and with a pice of my heart missing, I am heartsick.  The first few days that the kids were back at school, I was desperately lonely and missing Kevin so much that I was on the verge of tears.  I had to force myself to get moving and doing things.

On Sunday night, I was sitting in bed, writing my daily email to Kevin, when the doorbell rang.  I was in my pajamas and the kids were in bed, but I ran downstairs, and at the door was the son of one of my friends, holding a pice of cake for me.  I almost threw my arms around Spencer in gratitude, and once I said goodbye and shut the door, the tears came.   

This piece of cake represented so much to me, and truly was a "tender mercy of the Lord," reminding me that even though Kevin is away, I am not alone.  I am surrounded by friends who are watching out for me, but more than anything, my Father in Heaven is watching out for me.  Whether it is a friend who drops by to bring me a treat, a phone call, a text message, or getting together to talk and laugh (and maybe eat delicious food).  Sometimes the tender mercy comes in the form of a borrowed grain mill when I have exhausted all of my resources trying to mill some flaxseed.  

But often, the tender mercy comes in the form of a hug or a kind word of a friend or neighbor.  I am so grateful for all of your prayers, love, and support.  We are now 75 days down, only 105 to go until I have my Kevin back.

Ringing in the New Year

2019 is upon us, and I am not sure where 2018 went.  It seemed to fly by, and now we are embarking on a New Year.  One super exciting part of it now being 2019, is that it means that we are one step closer to Kevin coming home.  The kids and I decided to have a little New Year's celebration, and so we brought out the sparkling grape juice and then had a whole spread of appetizers.  It was perfect.

After dinner, we played dominoes, and had a great time.  We also watched a movie together earlier in the day as part of our celebration.  I think their favorite part was playing with the party favors :). 

One of the best parts of the day for me, was that by 8pm, all the kids were in bed, and I was able to relax and get to bed early.  Happy New Year everyone!

 

I Love Reading 2018

I love reading, and I have from my first memories of my mother reading Laura Ingalls Wilder to me as a little girl.  I have so many memories of my sister, Holly, dragging me out of my bedroom during summer vacation and away from a book I was caught up in.  My love of books has continued throughout my whole life, and although there were seasons where reading for enjoyment seemed to fall to the bottom of my list (during high school, college, and when I had a new baby), it has stayed strong.  This year, because of audio books and ebooks that make reading so much more convenient, I have far outdone myself, reading 201 books, over 71,000 pages, with an average of over 300 pages per book.  Crazy!  Here is my list, and if you want to see what I thought about each of these books, be sure to check me out on goodreads.com, where I rate and review each book.

*** - a book I read with Arthur

** - a book I read with Derek

* - a book I read with Lily

^ - a reread, which means I loved the book enough the first time to read it again

# - an audio book  

1. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ by Joseph Smith Jr. (Translator) (531)^
2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (489)#
3. The Girl On Legare Street (Tradd Street #2) by Karen White (335)#
4. Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin (160)
5. Amid the Winter's Snow (Lady Emily #12.5) by Tasha Alexander (71)
6. The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee (Origami Yoda #3) by Tom Angleberger (202)#
7. Shadow Tyrants (The Oregon Files #13) by Clive Cussler (400)#
8. The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6) by Lemony Snicket (259)#
9. Silver on the Tree (The Dark Is Rising #5) by Susan Cooper (274)#
10. That Silent Night (Lady Emily #10.5) by Tasha Alexander (63)
11. Story Thieves by James Riley (400)#
12. Scorpion Mountain(Brotherband Chronicles #5) by John Flanagan (480)#
13. The Christmas Heirloom: Four Holiday Novellas of Love Through the Generations by Karen Witemeyer (374)
14. Tomb of the Golden Bird (Amelia Peabody #18) by Elizabeth Peters (317)#
15. The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman (96)#
16. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas (576)
17. The Mage's Daughter (Nine Kingdoms #2) by Lynn Kurland (378)#
18. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (386)#^
19. The Penderwicks at Last (The Penderwicks #5) by Jeanne Birdsall (256)
20. Gravity vs. the Girl by Riley Noehren (264)
21. Heat by Mike Lupica (220)#
22. The Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook (372)
23. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman (372)#
24. Naomi's Gift by Amy Clipston (184)#
25. Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron (329)#
26. Arctic Drift (Dirk Pitt #20) by Clive Cussler (515)#
27. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (476)
28. The Gray Ghost (Sam and Remi Fargo Adventures #10) by Clive Cussler (400)#
29. The Magic of Ordinary Days by Ann Howard Creel (304)#
30. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain (240)#
31. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ by Joseph Smith Jr. (Translator) (531)^
32. Drums of Desolation (Tennis Shoes #12) by Chris Heimerdinger (468)#
33. Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland (336)#
34. Aunt Dimity and the Summer King by Nancy Atherton (240)#
35. A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin (224)#
36. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (272)#
37. Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt (197)#
38. Firelight by Sophie Jordan (322)
39. The Time in Between by María Dueñas (615)#
40. Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright (320)#
41. The Spanish Bride by Georgette Heyer (422)#
42. The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin by Suzanne Weyn (207)
43. Busybody Nora by Johanna Hurwitz (96)***
44. The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun by Paul Hattaway, Brother Yun (351)#
45. Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence by Bill O'Reilly (340)#
46. Redwall by Brian Jacques (352)#
47. The Time Between by Karen White (352)
48. The Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla (80)***
49. All That Makes Life Bright: The Life and Love of Harriet Beecher Stowe by Josi S. Kilpack (336)
50. Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran (429)#
51. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (672)#
52. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley (545)
53. Aunt Dimity and the Widow's Curse by Nancy Atherton (240)#
54. The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron (71)***
55. Ashes on the Moor by Sarah M. Eden (384)#
56. Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer (827)#
57. Darth Paper Strikes Back (Origami Yoda #2) by Tom Angleberger (163)#
58. Romancing Daphne by Sarah M. Eden (328)
59. The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman (384)#
60. To Die but Once (Maisie Dobbs #14) by Jacqueline Winspear (336)#
61. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas (448)
62. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (625)#
63. The Map Trap by Andrew Clements (131)#
64. The Serpent on the Crown (Amelia Peabody #17) by Elizabeth Peters (496)#
65. My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison (320)
66. Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye (368)#
67. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer (552)# 
68. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (374)#
69. Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer (384)
70. My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison (320)
71. Leroy Ninker Saddles Up by Kate DiCamillo (96)^***
72. The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley (284)#^
73. Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom by Nancy Atherton (240)#
74. Typhoon Fury by Clive Cussler (444)#
75. Guardian of the Horizon by Elizabeth Peters (544)#
76. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (337)#
77. Knee-Knock Rise by Natalie Babbitt (126)
78. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover (334)#
79. The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles #3) by Mary E. Pearson (679)#
80. The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd (343)#
81. Lord Fenton's Folly by Josi S. Kilpack (336)
82. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer (400)#
83. The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass 0.1) by Sarah J. Maas (70)
84. Line of Sight (Jack Ryan Universe #25) by Mike Maden (496)#
85. The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley (430)
86. The Star Garden by Nancy E. Turner (320)#
87. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan (513)#
88. How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn (448)#
89. The Naughty Nork (Moongobble and Me #5) by Bruce Coville (128)***
90. The Final Spark (Michael Vey #7) by Richard Paul Evans (316)#
91. Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian (320)
92. Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson (400)#
93. The Mischief Monster (Moongobble and Me #4) by Bruce Coville (73)***
94. The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (389)#
95. The Evil Elves (Moongobble and Me #3) by Bruce Coville (80)***
96. Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer (454)#
97. Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer (252)
98. A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (444)#
99. Slaves of Socorro (Brotherband Chronicles #4) by John Flanagan (462)#
100. I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai (327)#
101. The Secret of the India Orchid by Nancy Campbell Allen (320)#
102. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate (342)
103. The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson (470)
104. Redemption by Leon Uris (896)#
105. The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn (384)#
106. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand (491)#
107. Forever and Forever: The Courtship of Henry Longfellow and Fanny Appleton by Josi S. Kilpack (336)
108. These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy E. Turner (384)#^
109. Superfail by Max Brunner (208)
110. Cobalt Squadron (Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi) by Elizabeth E. Wein (251)#
111. The Weeping Werewolf (Moongobble and Me #2) by Bruce Coville (71)***
112. Cinderellis and the Glass Hill by Gail Carson Levine (112)
113. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (292)
114. 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 by Thomas W. Phelan (224)
115. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (440)#
116. The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter (400)#
117. For Love or Honor by Sarah M. Eden (272)
118. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (336)#
119. Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade by Patrick Dennis (299)
120. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (484)#
121. Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen (318)#
122. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger (145)#
123. Gladly Beyond by Nichole Van (400)
124. The Dragon of Doom (Moongobble and Me #1) by Bruce Coville (80)***
125. Follow the River by James Alexander Thom (406)#
126. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (234)
127. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (818)# 
128. The Yellow House Mystery (The Boxcar Children #3) by Gertrude Chandler Warner (192)*** 
129. More to Your Story by Jan J. and Zwick W. Craig Zwick (150)
130. The War that Saved My Life (The War That Saved My Life #1) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (316)#
131. The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott (188)^
132. The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander (384)#
133. Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle #4) by Christopher Paolini (849)#
134. The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay (320)
135. The Brontë Plot by Katherine Reay (334)
136. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (224)
137. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (425)#
138. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (282)
139. The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer (409)# 
140. Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy #1) by Robin Hobb (448)#
141. Death in St. Petersburg (Lady Emily #12) by Tasha Alexander (304)
142. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (192)#
143. The Yellow House Mystery (The Boxcar Children #3) by Gertrude Chandler Warner (192)***
144. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (748)#
145. A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay (368)#
146. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (272)#
147. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (615)#
148. Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay (339)#
149. The House at Pooh Corner (Winnie-the-Pooh #2) by A.A. Milne (180)***^
150. The Rent Collector by Camron Wright (304)
151. The Hunters (Brotherband Chronicles #3) by John Flanagan (403)#
152. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (208)#
153. The Rent Collector by Camron Wright (304)
154. With This Ring?: A Novella Collection of Proposals Gone Awry (With This Ring? Collection) by Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, Melissa Jagears (384)
155. The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket (221)#
156. Exodus by Leon Uris (608)^#
157. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (416)#
158. Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (288)#
159. The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer (233)#
160. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (274)#
161. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (388)
162. Change Your Questions, Change Your Life by Wendy Watson Nelson (275)
163. The House at Pooh Corner (Winnie-the-Pooh #2) by A.A. Milne (180)***^
164. Anne of Windy Poplars (Anne of Green Gables #4) by L.M. Montgomery (288)*^
165. Superparenting for ADD: An Innovative Approach to Raising Your Distracted Child by Edward M. Hallowell (212)
166. Longbourn by Jo Baker (352)#
167. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (388) 
168. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne (176)***^
169. Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer (328)#
170. Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (317)#
171. Frogkisser! by Garth Nix (372)#
172. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund (407)
173. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (329)#
174. The Invaders (Brotherband Chronicles #2) by John Flanagan (429)#
175. The Lions of Lucerne (Scot Harvath #1) by Brad Thor (512)# 
176. The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo (201)
177. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult (398)#
178. Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander (256)
179. A Duty To The Dead (Bess Crawford #1) by Charles Todd (336)#
180. The Grave's a Fine and Private Place (Flavia de Luce #9) by Alan Bradley (363)
181. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (145)#
182. Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer (288)#
183. Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers (549)#
184. Power and Empire (Jack Ryan Universe #24) by Marc Cameron, Tom Clancy (432)#
185. Saturdays at Sea (Castle Glower #5) by Jessica Day George (262)#
186. Anne of the Island (Anne of Green Gables #3) by L.M. Montgomery (272)*^
187. A Fine Gentleman (The Jonquil Brothers #4) by Sarah M. Eden (256)
188. Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer (336)#
189. The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket (194)#
190. Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive #3) by Brandon Sanderson (1243)#
191. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg (208)
192. The Ladies of Ivy Cottage (Tales from Ivy Hill #2) by Julie Klassen (444)
193. The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear (319)#
194. Sylvester by Georgette Heyer (410)#
195. Edgedancer (The Stormlight Archive #2.5) by Brandon Sanderson (272)#
196. Outshine (House of Oak #5) by Nichole Van (329)
197. A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer (400)
198. Superparenting for ADD: An Innovative Approach to Raising Your Distracted Child by Edward M. Hallowell (240)
199. Sarum: The Novel of England by Edward Rutherfurd (912)
200. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4) by J.K. Rowling (734)**^ 
201. The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) by Lemony Snicket (214)#

And at a glance, here are my favorite reads of the year . . .

Here are my favorite Children's books I read this year.

And lastly, here are my favorite re-reads of the year, and The Book of Mormon gets special mention, because not only is it one of the most important books in my life, but I read it three times this year.  

Happy reading!

Philadelphia Fun & the Rest of Christmas Break

The day after Christmas, I surprised the kids with a day trip to Philadelphia.  We started out at my favorite place in town, the Philadelphia Temple, so that I could attend the temple.  I had a lovely time at the temple, and the kids were great and hung out in the Visitor's Center while they waited for me.

After the temple, was the real surprise for the kids - a trip to the Lego Discovery Center in Philly.  I had gotten a deal on the tickets on Groupon, and didn't tell them where we were going until we pulled up in front of the mall where it is.  They were so excited, especially when we got to start things off on a ride called, The Imagination Express (similar to Toy Story Mania at Disney).

The ride dropped us off in the middle of the discovery center, and the kids started building with Legos right away.  They especially liked racing the cars that they built.

Then we went and watched the 4-D movie they were showing, and explored the rest of the center.

They had a big pirate ship obstacle course, which the guy took pity on Lily and let her in, even though she was a foot too tall.  (Poor Lily is getting too old and big for all the fun.) I am pretty sure that Derek and Arthur's favorite part was the Ninjago Training Camp - a laser maze that you tried to defeat.  Derek got pretty good at it.  And the Ninjago legos were pretty awesome as well.

My favorite thing was the lego model of Philadelphia - it really was amazing!  Derek spent ten minutes just trying to get the lego football players to make a touchdown in the Eagles stadium, which was pretty fun.  I loved looking at all the random figures they had in the stands at the game - Jedi go to football games, right?  And they even had Rocky running up the steps at the art museum.

It was a fabulous adventure, and we even stopped at Costco on our way home, to cap off all the fun.  Once we got back, it was time to buckle down and finish putting away the Christmas stuff.  I had only half finished on Christmas day, and so it looked a bit like a bomb had exploded in our living room.  And the Christmas tree is going to have to wait for Kevin's return to get put back correctly.  I have no idea how he gets it back in the box every year?  Lily and I tried so hard, but even working together, the pieces were to heavy to maneuver.  Oh well.  This is how it will sit in the storage room until May.

In spite of our need to clean up, I stopped to play and read with Arthur.  He was so excited to play with his new games from Christmas, and we especially loved his new game, "Hoot, Owl, Hoot!"  It is super cute, and you work together to beat the sun, so we either all win together, or all lose together.  (And yes, if you notice in all the pictures, I have been forgetting to comb Arthur's hair every day.  It's vacation, after all.)

On Thursday night, we had the sister missionaries over for dinner.  It was just Lily and I, because the boys were out on a hike with Bro. Berg and his boys.  It was crazy quiet, but about halfway through dinner, the boys came home, and that changed.  It gave our new sister missionary a taste for how life really is at the Brown's house.  After dinner, the sisters were awesome and helped us get our pearler bead craft to melt right.  We had been having bad luck, and they came to the rescue.

Speaking of the boys, they had such a great time on their hike with the Berg boys.  They got to see an awesome waterfall, and they even got to go to Chick-fil-A for dinner.  The only downside was when Arthur managed to fall in the river . . . twice.  He was soaking wet, but he still had a blast.  And I was able to get him dried off and in warm clothes once he got home.  Good times!  I'm glad they were able to have an adventure, and Lily and I really did enjoy the piece and quiet.

Most of the rest of this week has been spent taking it easy.  We slept in almost every day, which was fabulous, I got to finish up some projects, read a lot and play with the kids and watch movies.  One of the big projects that I finally got to cross off of my list, was a pillow to cover the vent on our fireplace.  Cold air likes to blow in through the vent during storms, and this pillow should really help keep out the draft.  And it turned out pretty cute too - even if I messed up the pattern of the colors - oops.

I think Arthur's favorite part of the break, has been getting to have sleepovers with his siblings about every other night.  He hates being alone, and that has increased since his dad deployed, and so since there was no school, I let him have lots of "slumber parties" with his brother and sister.  Good times!

It has been a very nice break, and a great opportunity to recharge.  And truly, the very best part has been that the kids are around to get to FaceTime with Kevin during his calls he makes before he goes to bed.  Usually they are at school and miss it, but being home, they get to talk to and see their dad for longer than just a quick minute for family prayer each morning.  It has been a great vacation, and although I think we are all longing a bit for the structure of school days, it has been a much needed break.

A Wonderful Christmas: Part 2

On Christmas morning, I woke up to some fun pictures of Kevin and an Afghanistan Christmas - just check out that Santa and his elf.  Good times!

Although I would have loved to have slept in, especially because Arthur was still sound asleep at 6:45 am, but Lily and Derek had both woken up with bloody noses, and so it made it a little hard to sleep in.  Once they got things under control, Kevin was ready to FaceTime, and so we woke up Arthur for prayer.  After prayer, it was time for the kids to come down to see the presents and open their stockings.  It was so fun to have Kevin facetiming with us, so that he could see all of the wonderful reactions of the kids to the tings in their stockings.  They got excited about everything, whether it was toothpaste, new socks, or candy and toys.

Kevin was able to take a longer break than usual, and so then he opened all of his little presents from us and from some other friends and family that sent him packages.  The kids had so much fun watching him.  Especially when he opened the special surprise from them of the new Super Smash Bros game.

We were planning on waiting to open all of our presents when Kevin got off of work later that day, but Arthur was heartbroken thinking he would have to wait, and so we let each kid open one present before breakfast.

Lily just happened to pick the gift that was her big surprise present - tickets for her and I to go and see Michael Buble' in concert in February.  She was so excited and shocked, that she couldn't speak.  I am not sure I have ever seen Lily at a loss for words.  So much fun, and definitely a good surprise.

We let them open one more present - a group present from "Mary Poppins," and it was tickets for us to go to a 10:30 showing of the new Mary Poppins movie, "Mary Poppins Returns."  They were so excited.  Then we had to let Kevin back to work, and so we moved onto out traditional breakfast of caramel rolls.  

After breakfast, we all got ready for the day, and then I had the kids play with the things they got in their stocking to kill time before we left for the movie.  Arthur was in heaven playing with all his new play doh.

Then we headed to see the movie, which was fabulous!  I don't know what I loved more, the movie, or watching Arthur glow with excitement and joy as he watched.  He would occasionally clap his hands and giggle, and it melted my heart.  Lily and Derek loved it too, and they have been walking around singing the songs ever since.

On our way home, we picked up some Chinese food for dinner, and then we finally got down to the business of opening our presents.  We facetimed with Kevin on my computer, so that he could see everything, and I didn't have to hold my phone the whole time.  It was so wonderful having him be a part of everything.

The kids loved their gifts.  Derek was especially touched by his baby book that I gave him.  I have been working on it for months, and he loved it.  And I love how he stopped everything and started to read the books that he got from his grandma.  The kids were all very happy with their gifts, and very grateful.  

And I was completely spoiled, not just by Kevin and the kids, but from the rest of my family as well.  I was really touched by the outpouring of love I felt from them all.  My sister Holly, and my sister-in-law, Susan, even sent me stockings full of fun goodies.  It was amazing.  It was a good Christmas, and although it was hard not having Kevin there with us, we managed to have a very fun day.

PS. And I totally took down the whole tree before I went to bed, partly because I always like to clean up the decorations as part of cleaning up the Christmas mess, and partly because if Christmas is over, we are one step closer to Kevin getting home.  60 days down, 120 to go.

A Wonderful Christmas: Part 1

The Sunday before Christmas was a wonderful day.  The kids and I got all dressed up in our Christmas best, and they looked so wonderful.  I sure do love these kids of mine.

They were so funny when I went to take their picture before church, and kept wanting to pose in different ways.  My favorite was the picture of Lily and Derek kissing Arthur.  The pure joy on his face was wonderful.

For church, we had a special musical sacrament meeting, which was very nice.  The only problem was that the Spanish Branch that is supposed to meet after us, decided to meet early and was in the middle of the meeting when ours was supposed to start.  It was more than a little frustrating, especially as our entire ward just stood in the hallway waiting to get in for almost 45 minutes.  Wow.

In spite of being late getting out of church, we still had plenty of time to finish the preparations on our Christmas dinner with Gale and Clara, our good friends and our old landlord.  We had a wonderful dinner, and the best time catching up with them.  Arthur especially loved trying on Gale's hat.

Christmas Eve turned out to be a very nice day.  We slept in and watched Christmas movies all morning, and I finished up some desserts for dinner.  Before we left to go to our friends' house for dinner, we got to talk to Kevin, which was wonderful.  Then we headed to the Atkinson's, where Sharmayne had laid the most beautiful table ever - it was like something out of a magazine.  

And the food was delicious, but the company was even better.  The kids especially loved the Christmas crackers we got to open after dinner.  They had paper crowns and little prizes, which were so fun.  I think we may need to add that to our Christmas traditions - it was so much fun.  Derek, and Arthur as well, loved playing with the cat, although the cat didn't really want to have anything to do with them - ha ha!  They did manage to lure her out from under the tree with some yarn though.

After dinner, we played a few games, one of them was a white elephant game, and Arthur ended up commandeering Eric's gift - a plunger.  He was "borrowing" it, he says, and he has been playing with it nonstop.  It really messes with my head to see him doing it, and I keep having to remind myself that it is brand new and hasn't been used.

Once we got home from dinner, we settled into our Christmas Eve traditions.  First, we read the story of Christ's birth in Luke 2, and Arthur acted it out using our Little People nativity.  Then we got cozy and watched the Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert on PBS.

Soon, it was time to open up their Christmas Eve gift of new pajamas.  The kids loved them, and changed into them right away.  then we read some Christmas books all cuddled up on my bed before they went to bed for the night.  Before they went to their rooms, they filled my stocking and put it out so it would be ready for me in the morning.  What sweethearts.

Once the kids were all in bed, I filled their stockings and then brought down all the presents.  It all looked lovely, but I felt pretty empty.  It was the first Christmas in 18 years that I wasn't spending with Kevin, and the first time that I had to put out the gifts alone.  Missing him overwhelmed me, and so I got some dessert and tried to drown my sorrows as I watched a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Even though it ended on a somewhat melancholy note, it really was a lovely day, and a wonderful celebration of the birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas!

In this special season where we celebrate our Savior's birth, we hope that you feel the love, peace, and joy that comes from his gospel. Merry Christmas from our family.  We are so grateful for all of you.

Christmas Fun

This last week before Christmas, we have been trying to squeeze in some Christmas fun, in spite of us being sick and Derek and Lily having a week's worth of tests and projects in their classes - not to mention the fact that Derek had rehearsals for his play every day after school.  It was a bit on the hectic side, but we still squeezed in some fun.

We started things off on Sunday with having the sister missionaries over for dinner.  Sister Hem, our sweet sister from South Africa, was being transferred, and so it was our chance to say goodbye to her.  They also helped me repair Arthur's tie, which he managed to mangle at church.  It was a Christmas miracle.

On Monday, we went over to our friends, the Ward's home, for a special family home evening with a bunch of friends.  The kids put on a nativity, and Arthur was so excited to be in a "Christmas play," just like on Charlie Brown's Christmas.  Derek stepped up and led the music for the hymns we sang, which was fun.  The kids were adorable - especially our tiny Mary and Joseph.  And when it came time for the shepherds, Arthur kept hiding from the angels because he was "sore afraid."

On Tuesday, we all got an early Christmas present when Kevin's youngest brother and his wife added a sweet baby boy to their family - Parker James Brown.  He is sweet and precious, and we are so excited for them.  And now Elsie has a baby brother - so much fun :).

On Tuesday night, we had a little party with our Young Women.  They made ornaments, we had treats, and then they did a gift exchange.  they had picked names and then secretly found out things the girl they drew might like.  It was so much fun to see what they got each other, and especially their reactions.  I sure do love these girls!

Another fun Christmas thing, has been watching my basement door get more and more covered with Christmas cards.  They sure do make me happy.

On Friday night, a few nights earlier than usual, the kids had a slumber party around the Christmas tree.  They decided that it would be more comfortable in the basement where there are couches and things for them all to sleep on, and so instead of our big tree in the living room, they sleep by the Star Wars tree :).

On Saturday, I surprised the kids with "Christmas Magic," a light display at Rocky Ridge Park in York.  I had heard about it from a friend, and I had really wanted to do something fun with the kids, and I am so glad we went.

The night was a bit chilly, but it was dry, and because we had tickets for the first time slot, we didn't have to fight any crowds. And the lights really were magical.

They had buildings throughout the light path with really fun toy train displays.  We all loved them, and it was fun to pick out the little things hidden in them, like when we found BB-8.  And Arthur and Derek both had to take a turn "milking" the cow.

One of the buildings had concessions, and I bought us all $1 hot cocoas, which were delicious and the perfect thing to warm us up.  The kids even got a picture with Santa, which was fun.  As soon as we got our picture, we turned around and there was a huge line.  Guess we came through in the nick of time ;).

The lights were truly beautiful, and I am so glad we came.  It was the perfect bit of Christmas magic, and just what we needed to cheer us all up.  It was the perfect end to the last week before Christmas.