What's Up Wednesday

Today is the last day of the month and the last day of school for my kids.  I'm also sharing all that we've been up to this month.

Linking up today with Mel, Shay & Sheaffer.

What we're eating this week

Hamburgers
Hotdogs over the fire-pit
Grilled chicken & veggies

As you can see, I really don't want to cook inside this week.  I want to be outside as much as I can.

What I'm reminiscing about

Now that summer break is here, I've been thinking about all the past summers with my kids and how much they've all changed and grown.  Seeing pictures like these make me want to soak up these summer days to the fullest.

What I'm loving

I'm loving the nice weather that we've been having.  Yesterday was 86 degrees in the shade.  I'm loving this heat, now if only the river was clean and warm enough to enjoy.  Hopefully soon!

What we've been up to

May has been a good month.  The kids didn't have sports, so we've had a fairly quiet and relaxing month.

Gracie's drivers ed class is over!!!  This is huge.  It was such a commitment, because she couldn't miss more than x amount of days or she wouldn't pass.  That's hard to do and still get out of town for dentist and orthodontist appointments, plus just days of not feeling great.  It feels so good to have this done!

What I'm dreading

I'm dreading 30 more trips to get adjusted.  I wouldn't dread it so much if it wasn't a good 2 hours each way, but if that's all that I'm dreading right now, I'm thankful.  I'm also thankful that my back is feeling better... so maybe I should quit dreading the drive's up.

Another plus is, it's a gorgeous drive.

What I'm working on

Every year I have great plans in my head to be all organized and ready for when the kids get out of school.  Every year Summer vacation starts and I'm never ready.  Be that as it may, I'm still trying to get the house, my calendar, the fridge, etc... ready the kids to be home.

What I'm excited about

I'm soooo excited that I won't have to wake the kids up in the mornings!  My kids aren't big on sleeping in, but even if it's just for a little bit each morning, I'd love to enjoy a quiet morning with a cup of coffee before our day begins.  Also not having to rush out to the bus will be pretty fantastic as well.  :)

 What I'm watching/reading

Monday I shared my book review for the month.  Be sure and check it out to see what I've been reading.

As for what I'm watching, I'm still watching Gilmore Girls.  It takes me so long to finish a series, as I don't watch TV too often.

 

What I'm listening to

Nothing new.

What I'm wearing

I've been wearing my favorite capri's pretty often.  The reason they are my favorite capri's is because they are the only ones that fit.  I'm hoping to either buy a couple more pairs or shrink back into the ones from last year.  I wintered well again this year.  Somethings got to give.  ;)

What I'm doing this weekend

I'm not sure.  I'm hoping we'll get the garage straightened up and have a bit of time to work on the yard as well.

What I'm looking forward to next month

I am looking forward to some lazy summer days.  I'm hoping not to book us for too much this summer.  We need a healthy amount of things to do, but I don't want us running around like crazy that we aren't able to enjoy the little things that only summer seems to bring.

I also have a list of things our family is hoping to do this summer, which I'll be posting soon.

What else is new

Nothing new.

Have a great day!

XO,

What I read in May

 I finished 6 books this month, and today I thought I'd share them with you.  If you're like me, then you are always looking for a good book to read, or at least another one to add to your list.

I read a little bit of everything this month.

Also, I found these little ★'s that I thought would be fun to use to rate the books on my blog.  When I leave reviews on Amazon, or Goodreads they always ask me to rate the book.  I thought you might like to see what I rate books without having to go somewhere else to see it.  This is the system I use.

★= I didn't like it

★★= It was just okay

★★★= It was good

★★★★=I really liked it

★★★★★=I loved it

Usually you'll see me rate books anywhere from a 1 star to a 4 star.  I rarely give a book 5 stars.  I have to absolutely love it!  It has to be one that I want to keep forever.  One that I'll want to read over and over again.  It has to earn it's way into my list of 5 stars.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

★★★
Shay mentioned this book in her book review last month.  I took a chance on it, and thought it was good.  It's about a woman who has lost her husband in an airplane accident, only to find out a couple of years later that he's alive and on his way home.  The problem is, she finally accepted his death, and had moved on... she's engaged and very much in love with her Fiance.  She has to decide who to say goodbye to.   I thought the story was thought provoking and interesting, but it does have a few scenes, so if you prefer a clean read, it may not be for you.

It's one of those books that has you thinking, what you would do in the characters situation.  I definitely didn't envy this woman, and the decision she faced.  Almost a month later, I'm still thinking about it.

The Chapel Car Bride by Judith Miller

 ★★
This book is one that I read for the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I wanted to like this one since I've read other books written by Judith Miller that I've enjoyed, but this book just wasn't for me.  I think there are a lot of other readers out there that might enjoy it... I just didn't.

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

★★★★
This book was just what I needed to read this month.  I don't want to give too much of this book away, but I wanted to share one little paragraph, that I related to and loved.

"In many ways, I loved this life- loved my husband, adored my kids, was so thankful to be a writer.  But it's like I was pulling a little red wagon, and as I pulled it along, I filled it so full that I could hardly keep pulling.  That red wagon was my life, and the weight of pulling it was destroying me.  I was aware that I was missing the very things I so badly longed for: connection, meaning, peace.  But there was something driving me forward- a set of beliefs and instincts that kept me pushing, pushing, pushing even as I was longing to rest."

If any of this speaks to you, I would highly recommend reading Present Over Perfect.  It has really motivated me this month to take a look at the way I choose to spend my time.

The Governess and Mr. Granville by Abby Gaines

★★★
This was a sweet book.  Serena is the Governess for Dominic's children.  Dominic's wife had died a couple of years back and Serena tries to talk Dominic into marrying again for the children's sake, but he isn't interested.  These two characters personalities are a bit like fire and ice, which made for a fun read.

Wings Of The Wind by Connilyn Cossette

 ★★★★
This is another book that I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I really liked this one!  It had your love story.  It had some suspense.  It had a bit of drama.  It was good!!!   It was such an easy book to read.... I was hooked right away.  I would definitely add this one to your lists of books to read.

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

 ★★★
This was the first book of Elin Hilderbrand's that I have read.  Well, actually listened to... I bought this one and have been listening to it on my drives out of town.  I thought the story was fun and interesting.  I was torn over this book because I wanted to like it more than I did.  I could get past a few of the awkward scenes, but I have such a hard time reading a book that takes the Lord's name in vein.  It's so offensive to me that I cringe, which made it hard for me to enjoy this book... otherwise I would have liked it more.

Is there something that is a huge turn off for you, when you're reading a book or
watching a show?

Also, have you read anything good lately?  If so, be sure and let me know.  I have a small list going, but I always love good recommendations.


Enjoy your day!

XO,

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!

Today is our last Friday of the school year.  We only have a day and a half next week and then we are done!  We'll be the over here doing our happy dance.

I'm mixing things up again today and I'm sharing an odd set of favorites.  I'm sharing some of my favorite blog posts that I've posted over the years.  All of these posts are ones that I love for different reasons.  I hope you'll find something that might interest you.

 

 ~ONE~

This post is one of my favorites, because of the location, the time of year and the love for my mom's horses.  It was a casual walk back behind our house, but one that I still remember.

 A Walk

~TWO~

Our Montana road trip was probably one of my most favorite trips that I've ever taken.  It was fun and easy!  We saw so much, did so much and just had fun exploring our state.

 Our Montana Road Trip Part 1

Part 2

 

 Part 3

~THREE~

This was a random weekend at the lake, back when my babies were smaller, and seeing pictures of my kids when they were little, makes me happy.

Fun at the Lake

~FOUR~

Dan and I went to Sweden and Finland almost 2 years ago.  It was such a fun experience.  We saw and experienced so many neat things.  The best part about documenting these trips is that we are able to come back and relive them anytime we want.

Stockholm Sweden
 Day 3 & 4
 Day 5 & 6
 The Last Days Of Our Trip

Things to do and see in Stockholm Sweden

~FIVE~

Back in February I shared a little bit about my family.  We don't claim to be perfect or have it all together, but I sure wouldn't trade them for anything.

My Loves

Today, I liked up with Andrea, Erika & Narci.

Enjoy your weekend!

XO,

Wings Of The Wind

Wings of the Wind is a well written book with drama, suspense, history and a love story all tied in together.  It has a little bit of everything which made it a fun book to read.  It's the third book in the series, but I wouldn't have known that, with how easy this book was to read.  Some sequels are hard to follow if you haven't started from the beginning, but that wasn't the case with this one.  It could easily be an independent novel.

The characters in this book were fun and easy to picture.  The descriptions of the land and scenery were written so naturally, that you could almost feel as if you were there.  I loved reading this book and when I finally finished it, I was sad to see it end.  If you enjoy historical fiction, I'm sure you'll love this book.

I believe this is the first book that I've read by Connilyn Cossette, and I can't wait to see what else she has written.  As much as I loved this book, I can't wait to get my hands on the first two books in this series. 

* I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

What are you reading?

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!

My kids only have 6 1/2 days of school left.  I feel like I could end this post right now, and that you'd understand and share in my excitement but, I'm not going to.  The show must go on.  ;)

I've got an assortment of favorites this week.

 Both of my friend's daughters had a high school track meet for district's last weekend and I rode up to watch.  It was sooo cold.  The three of us bundled up in one blanket and looked like idiots, but we were probably warmer than most.  I love these ladies!

I have started reading Wings of the Wind, by Connilyn Cossette and I'm loving it!  You all know I don't say I am loving a book unless I really am.  I'm not afraid to call a book the way I see it.  So far this one is good.  I'm about half way through and I'll be sure and let you know what I think once I'm done with it.

Here are a few meme's that I thought you might appreciate.

Isn't this the truth!

I don't normally drop cuss words into my posts, but thought this was funny, probably because it is so true!

 I don't know who comes up with these meme's but I just love when I find new ones that are just so true and creative.  While reading all of these I was nodding my head and saying "Yes!!!"  Good job meme people... keep em coming!  ;)

 

 I shared a little about our trip to Jamaica yesterday.  Make sure you head on over to enter into a little giveaway that I'm doing.  I picked up a cute pair of Jamaican earrings that I'd love for you to win.

Today, I liked up with Andrea, Erika & Narci.

Christina, April & Natasha with Five On Friday.

Have a great weekend!

 XO,

Our Jamaican Vacation & A Giveaway!

I've been meaning to share about our trip to Jamaica for the last couple of weeks, but I wanted a bit of time to soak it all in first.


We stayed in Montego Bay Jamaica, at the Sandals Royal Caribbean and had a great time!

Welcome to Jamaica Man!

 When we arrived we had a couple hours until check in, so we sat and had lunch on the beach.

Going from rainy cold Montana to warm and humid Jamaica seemed like a slice of Heaven.

 
After lunch we grabbed a cocktail and walked along the beach.

 This swing... I can't believe more people didn't use it.  They were available almost every time we walked by.

 
A gorgeous view from the buffet style restaurant.  This was such a quick and easy place to stop in and grab breakfast or lunch.  And with a view like this you don't feel like you are missing out on anything.

 

I am a sucker for a beautiful sunset.  Isn't it crazy that after years and years, they are still just as gorgeous as the first time you noticed one.

This guy right here... I just love him!

I got in a lot of reading on this trip and I can't wait to tell you all about them.

Our resort was the perfect size.  Not too big or too small.

These two pools were right outside our room.  One to the right and the other to the left.  They were never busy, as these were the quieter pools.

Out on the little island, they have this wonderful Thai restaurant.  It was such a fun evening.  My favorite thing on vacation besides the amazing weather and location, is time alone with this guy.  It's so hard to fit in time for each other with the business, kids and life.

This was the view from the restaurant on the last night.  We took the shuttle over to one of the other Sandals resorts.  The food wasn't my favorite at the Italian restaurant, but you couldn't beat this view!  Gorgeous!

We were up the next morning by 4:00am to catch our flight home.

On our last night in Jamaica, I came across a couple who were selling jewelry.  I thought it would be fun to bring back a little gift for one of you.  Be sure and enter my little giveaway if you'd like to win a fun pair of earrings.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 Have a great day!

XO,