A first for Gina

Last week I finished reading the bible in chronological order. I’ve never read it chronologically before and I really enjoyed it! I did some reading, and some audible book through the bible app. 

As I read the last words, I was overcome with hope, that He will make all things right. They brings me so much peace and joy in my heart!

April books...

This month was filled with lighthearted books and stories and it was such a treat to get lost in their adventures...

I really loved the character of Anne that Montgomery creates in her books, as well as the stories of additional characters. I loved reading the continuation to "Anne of Green Gables". I thoroughly enjoyed these.  I loved the movies growing up, and though the books are really not like the movies, the character of Anne is incredibly endearing and I am having so much fun reading the extended tales of her life with Gilbert and the community around them.

I absolutely LOVE this series.  I had only planned to read it for solidarity with Eden, but I have LOVED them.  This one takes the family outside of Harlem and is just as sweet of a story as the first 5.  When a book has you falling in love with characters, I just want to read it even more... We are on the countdown to the next book!

And finally...

Growing up in the evangelical Christian world, this book was simultaneously inspiring, eye opening, and highly educational in both mental and spiritual ways.  There are so many layers to this book and what she shares and bring to light... I strongly recommend this book!

March books...

 At the beginning of the year, I made a goal to read more this year, putting the goal for reading 25 books this year.  I have been having so much fun reading such great stories.  To keep track, I have been making a list of them at the end of each month.  For the month of March, these were the books that I enjoyed:

It was so good to read this story.  It came out when I was in middle school and I loved reading it for fun! Such a beautiful message and I was so glad to revisit this one!

I will tell you, I have never read Anne of Green Gables.  I grew up loving the movie but could't believe that I hadn't actually read it!  Anne is such an iconic character in literature and I loved actually reading her adventures!

The "Open and Unafraid" book has been a beautiful experience through the Psalms and I would strongly recommend it, not only as a book, but also for the exercises and reflections that he gives with each chapter.  It will be a book I will revisit for the response time for sure!

I continued the Vanderbeeker series with the 5th book "The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish."  I love this series, I love the characters, I love the story lines of each book, and I love that Eden and I are reading them at the same time!

This book was so GOOD!  It was recommended by my friend on healing as you step into the life that Christ has for you. For me, part 3 was phenomenal and incredibly powerful...

February books...

 I mentioned that I have been trying to read more books, of all types of genres, and so my goal this year is 25 books. Here are the books I read in February.

For February, in celebration of Black History month, I read a book of collected works/sermons by Martin Luther King, Jr. titled "Strength to Love." It was incredibly inspiring to read his sermons, in a book published in 1963 and his call to do what is right, to fight against hate and to stand up for justice and to keep Christ in the center of it all.  Strongly recommend.

I also continued two books in the Vanderbeeker series by Karina Yan Glaser:

I love these stories, I love these characters, and most importantly, I LOVE reading this series with my girl!

Finally, I read the book "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr.  It was recommended by my parents for our shared love of history, as it is a historical fiction that is really well written!  I would recommend it for sure!

It's fun to be reading great stories, of all types and genres and getting lost in their pages...

little goals for the year 2023

I have challenged myself to read 25 books over the course of the year.  Last year I think I read maybe three books so I could be biting off way more than I can chew...  It doesn't matter the size or genre.  So I am recapping this months books for my own records❤︎:

I received this one for Christmas and I loved that discussion of intentionality with opening your home with each season:

I jumped on the bandwagon and I'm reading the Vanderbeeker series with Eden. I read the first one and I am waiting for her to finish the second one...  I have heard so many people talk about this series and we are both loving the characters and stories that they are in!

Our friends wrote the book "The Intentional Year" and our church is going through it.  It has been such a great challenge to me and 35 pages of notes later, I am still feeling so inspired by it's pages.  I STRONGLY recommend this book!

And then I read the book "The Immortalists" by Chloe Benjamin, one of my sister's favorites and she gave it to me so that I could share in reading it.  It has some grit and hard story lines but the story and I thought the characters lives were really well written.  I know it wouldn't be for everyone, but I am so glad that my sister shared it with me...

I'm hoping to continue with reading great books and stories over the course of the year, for growth, for fun, to learn, and sometimes, all of the above...

Readers are leaders...

Our summer days have been so full with fun trips and adventures.  When we do have some downtime at home, we really try to fill it with things that allow us to relax.  Reading has been such a gift!

The series that we are currently into:

I read aloud and Ryder reads parts.  We are currently about to start book 5. 

 It's like the amazing race for kids and there are these "creature features" and lessons about where in the world the race is taking place.  We are ALWAYS learning something new!

Trips to the library are also a fun treat!

For our road trips, we have been listening to this:

Here are the things that I have been enjoying:

It is such a sweet time to be sitting together, either reading with each other or our own books...

I really don't want summer to end...❤︎

recent additions to our children's book collection

We recently added some fun new additions to our library and with how much we have enjoyed them, I wanted to pass along the titles to you!  

Flora and the Flamingo is only illustrations, but the pictures are so precious!  Ryder makes up his own story about what is happening in the picture.

 Mo Willems is hilarious.  Some of our favorites of his are all of the "Knufflebunny" books and "Don't Let the Pidgeon Stay Up Late."  Plus you know we have a thing for dinosaurs around here♥.

 Pirate vs. Pirate is a really sweet story about two battling pirates who fall in love.  The illustrations are awesome and you know that we have had pirates on the brain recently.

Tea Rex is a really cute story about inviting a dinosaur over for a tea party.  The illustrations are awesome and I am so excited to add this one to the kids library.

(I love that it is about a brother and sister too!)

Plus I may have added a few to my own collection:

I love Shauna Niequist.

I am saving her book Bread and Wine for our trip to Napa.

(We'll see if I can wait...)

This book A Homemade Year just came out and it's about celebrating special holidays around the liturgical calendar.  I can not wait to try some of the crafts and recipes that she has!

I have been trying to make a habit of taking 20 minutes to read when the kids are down for their afternoon nap.
It has made such a difference on our day.
I can't wait to get into these new additions!

good reads

This is what Kit is reading:

What Gina is reading:

What Ryder is reading:

What Eden is reading♥:

Hopefully as the weather keeps getting cooler, there will be more and more reasons to snuggle up with a good book!

If you have any good reads, please pass the titles along...

I always love recommendations!

Ryder's book review

One of our traditions is when Kit tells us he's on his way home, we gather up our favorite books and camp out on our bed, where you can see our driveway so that we can be on the look out for when Kit gets home.  Ryder loves to be on the look out and it gives us some great snuggle time and some GREAT time with our favorite books.  It's one of the things that when I look back and think of him at this age, I will definitely remember  this tradition...

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So Ryder has a few favorite books right now that have bee been added to the reading rotation, and if he could do  book review he would give these his highest rating so we wanted to share them with you♥:

For Just One Day by Laura Leuck and Illustrated by Marc Boutavant

We love the illustrations and the story is so sweet with a great message.

Look A Book by Bob Staake

We think it's one of the BEST hidden picture books (Plus there are lots of pictures throughout the book that have dinosaurs... Ryder was sold!)  It's been fun to use it for learning new words too!

Dinosaur Roar! by Paul and Henrietta Strickland

A book about opposites and the illustrations of the dinosaurs are in watercolor and so fun to look at!

Have a wonderful day!