4.30.2024

April Books

I found this summation of the book and I just loved. It was such a good read!

“In Things That Matter, Joshua Becker uses practical exercises, questions, insights from a nationwide survey, and success stories to give you the motivation you need to
• identify the pursuits that matter most to you
• align your dreams with your daily priorities
• recognize how money and possessions keep you from happiness
• become aware of how others’ opinions of you influence your choices
• embrace what you’re truly passionate about instead of planning that next escape
• figure out what to do with all those emails, notifications, and pings
• let go of past mistakes and debilitating habits
Things That Matter is a book about living well. It’s about overcoming the chatter of a world focused on all the wrong things. It’s about rethinking the common assumptions of today to find satisfaction and fulfillment tomorrow.
How do we get to the end of our lives with minimal regrets? We set aside lesser pursuits to seek lasting meaning. And we discover the joy of doing it every day.”
This was a beautifully heart warming as well as heart breaking story of a family over the course of multiple generations. The story focuses around four Italian sisters. I always love when characters are deeply developed and their relationships with one another intertwine with love and heartache.  In this story, there were twists and turns and highs and lows. It was a story of how they loved each other through each part of the journey.  Each chapter is from the perspective of a different character and covers the timeframe from 1960-2008. I am not doing it justice... It was rated a top read for 2023 on Amazon, and it covers over 400 pages with beautiful dialogue and narrative. I can absolutely see why this was a best seller and would absolutely recommend it!
Eden and her friends were reading this book series and so I joined in with them. I’ve read the first two and I'd describe them as a coming of age story that has beautifully developed characters and relationships and depth of narrative in the story telling.  There is teenage, emotional angst, and twists and turns.  I found myself cheering on some characters and angry at other. Even though they were written for the young adult audience, I have really enjoyed them, and I loved the happy ending!  I especially loved reading it with my Eden.❤︎
This was such a fun read!  It had awesome characters and a really fun story line with such a happy endingI  I kept thinking that it had a hint of Willy Wonka to it but it was about books instead of chocolate, a game with riddles and twists and incredible ending!  It was such a feel good read and I think Meg Shaffer is such a good story teller.
This was my second Nita Prose book, a continuation of "The Maid". The main character Molly is neurodivergent and how she looks at things so literally makes her the perfect person to solve the murders in the hotel where she is the head maid. This book alternates current day to when Molly was little and that helps her solve the murder mystery.  I loved it and I would absolutely recommend it!
I have found over these novels of fiction, I love when characters are developed and believable and that the narrative has a depth and meat to it.  This one checked those boxes.  It is a heartfelt story about a family that through heartache and joy, find each other after tragedy. The book is written in the alternating points of views the two main characters, Joe and Norma. The author successfully wrote the book with two separate "voices" which really drew me in .  I cried when I finished it. I would recommend it for sure!
I realized that I don't think I have ever read this classic and it was SO much better than any movie rendition! The stories were told with so much more depth and detail than what they have conveyed in the movies and I fell in love with the characters all over again and I am SO glad that I got to enjoy this classic!
(Also, I made a goal to read 25 books this year and this was my 25th book!)
This book came us as a recomendation to me and I was so glad that it it.  The author is a wellbeing expert who specializes in laughter therapy and positivity.  She teaches health promotion and action bases positivity that helps people enhance overall wellbeing and joy.  She shared so much science research about how we are wired for joy and tools to tap into it.  She is currently battling colon cancer and her outlook on life is so refreshing.  Her tools for utilizing mental reframing, gratitude and thankfulness, and actual breathing and laughter yoga practices are all designed to inspire the reader to see that joy is a gift that you have access. I would recommend this book!
This book surprised me.  I thought it would be a romance story, but it turned into a love story of friendship between the main character Dani and her best friend Bella.  I thought the way the author wrote their relationship was very sweet and authentic and I enjoyed the book more than I though that I would.  A quick read, but I enjoyed it! 

4.29.2024

creating...

 Over the last couple of weeks, I have been doing some craft projects and they made me SO happy!

Scrapbooking all of our recent adventures and birthdays...

Our dear friends are finalizing their adoption in May and I get to go to the court date!
It was so fun to make her a little bracelet to go with a book.
I also had a stack of magazines to make envelopes.
I listen to an audible book and just zone out into the project... It's so nice!

4.26.2024

dating at home...

The kids recently both had sleep overs for their friends birthdays so Kit and I found ourselves home for the evening.  We ordered lasagna from a local Tustin sopt, (I love lasagna but not making it), and watched the movie "Iron Claw". 

The movie was super depressing but the food was delicious, and time with Kit was priceless!❤︎  

4.25.2024

here again...

 It must be Thursday...

Here we go!

4.24.2024

basketball...

 Ryder decided to play basketball for his school, with his friends. He is the forward.  He really loves playing any sport and to watch him be with his friends is really fun!

I love these boys so much!

4.23.2024

Tasty fundraisers

 Last week we got all of Ryder's 8th grade activities to finish out the year.  I just can't believe that the end of the year is so close!  We had a fundraiser at Peter's Gormade burgers for our 8th grade class. 

 Three things that made it great: 1. the food is a favorite, 2. it's money for our favorite 8th grader's class, 3. I didn't have to make dinner...😉


4.22.2024

An evening with Angel City...

 Last night, Eden and her team got to do the walkout with Angel City in their game against North Carolina Courage.  It was SO fun!

We loved getting to cheer her on!
Her besties...
And just when she thought the evening couldn't get any better, she got to meet Alyssa Thompson!
We had such a special night!
We will never forget these memories that we got to make!

4.19.2024

weekend plans...

 I am working tomorrow...  The kids have soccer tomorrow and we will all be at church on Sunday, but tomorrow, my plan is to be here:


4.18.2024

We will turn anything into a date...

Last week, Kit and I had to renew our licenses and get our Real Id's.  The fact that we are 9 days apart, we always get our notices at the same time.  So off to the DMV we went.

We then headed across the street to Taco Mesa, where Kit bought me tacos.  Bless that man...
As not-fun as errands like these are, we always manage to have fun and laugh together!  If you can have fun at the DMV together, I say marry that person!

4.17.2024

I {finally} found it...

 I love the English countryside. I have been looking for a landscape that I could have in our home and while on our trip, I found one (actually 3) to bring home!  We were in Camden Market and a little vintage stall had a stack of paintings from local artists.  He gave me three for 5 pounds! 

I had been looking for so long that I was not about to have this thing get smashed, so while on planes, trains, and automobiles, I held that thing close:
My family called it "the baby" because I was always carrying it in transit...
Finally home I picked the one of three that was my favorite!
(It was hard to get a photo with the curve...)
It was worth the wait to have a piece of art that I love that has such a sweet story and memory for me that goes with it!

4.16.2024

Graduation is coming...

 This weekend, Kit got to take my nephew Max's graduation pictures.  We took them after Ruby's party around Redlands...

We were at the Redlands Bowl, where our graduations all happened.
We went to the train depot.

We all tagged along...
We can't believe how fast all of our kids are growing up!

4.15.2024

Our niece is 16!

 This weekend, we got to spend time with our family out at my sister's house to celebrate our niece Ruby's birthday.  

I just can't believe this girl is so grown up!