Spring + Summer Reads + Reviews

After feeling like I wasted most of the summer NOT reading due to so many other fun things and outdoor chores...I stacked up my pile of everything I've read/studied since my last post, and it turns out I wasn't as much of a slacker as I thought! I just pictured lazy summer days on the porch reading for hours on end, and that was not the reality. The same thing happened when Mav started preschool...I pictured coming home and settling in for three hours of reading and Bible study, and that hasn't. happened. once.

BUT I've started reading at night with a little reading light once Josh has gone to sleep (which is EARLY these days) and I just read until I'm tired which has led to two things:
1. Surprisingly, I'm getting a lot more reading done.
2. I have a much easier time falling asleep!

Reading ALWAYS makes me sleepy, whether it's 10am, 3pm, or bedtime...which is why I avoid it most afternoons in favor of accomplishing other chores and tasks around the house...but it's PERFECT for my new bedtime routine. I'm hoping that if I can establish this healthy habit now, it will have a better chance of 'sticking' when I'm feeding a newborn all hours of the day and night. I'd like to trade my Netflixing or reading this time around.

Anyway, here's everything I read from March to October, in no particular order (+ links to click and order from Amazon!).

1. Grieving the Child I Never Knew, Kathe Wunnenberg

Jamie gave me this book last Christmas, and it took until sometime in the spring for me to read it. I kept it in my nightstand but just wasn't 'in the mood' to pick it up because it included journaling inside...and books with lots of questions or journaling are usually more work than I want to put in. That's why I like reading, because I just get to sit and READ. No homework involved. But it was a good book for processing our loss, even a year later. Would be a good book to gift to someone when you aren't sure what else to DO.

2. Closer Than a Sister, Christina Fox

You've seen this one multiple times for more than a year and I am FINALLY reading it! Our connection group had planned to read it last fall, then pushed it off to do some other stuff during our group time, but now we are reading through it in a 'book club format' and so far I'm really like it. I think this is one I'd definitely recommend for a book club though.

3. Parenting with Loving Correction, Sam Crabtree

I've read a lot of parenting books at this point, and this one is in the Top 5 I'd say. It brought a fresh, practical, no-nonsense perspective...I found myself nodding along in agreement the whole time. It was a good 'refresher' about giving one warning, employing discipline immediately, consistently, and calmly. Like a pep talk full of reminders for why/when/how to use discipline correctly...and that's exactly what I needed to read right now that I'm parenting a four-year-old.

4. Labor with Hope, Gloria Furman

This book wasn't what I was expecting it would be, but it was good. It's written as more of a daily devotional, and I prefer to plow through books on my reading list, instead of reading small parts each day. It felt a little bit like 'the same thing' over and over, but that *might* have also been because I was reading two other books by the same author, at the same time. I'm not sure I'd recommend that approach, it's just how things happened. Overall, a good quick read, specifically for expecting mom's.

5. Risen Motherhood, Laura Wifler, Emily Jensen

This was the book I was waiting for all summer. It lit the fire I needed to jump-start my fall reading...sometimes a PRETTY, fun book does that for me when I'm feeling 'bored' in the current book I'm working on. I was feeling tired of reading HEAVY books, by the time I cracked this one, I was able to finish it within the week. It was filled with equal parts stories, wisdom, and gospel application, mixed with solid theology and practical mothering ideas. It will probably become my 'new mom' gift.

6. Love Lives Here, Maria Goff

This had been in my Amazon cart for a long time, and I ended up snagging it on an insane book-deal-day. I had it read within a week and it was good, but I prefer Bob's writing style and personality. His books feel like he's right in front of you talking and I can't get enough of them (he has a new one out and I'm dying to have it!). I liked Maria's take on hospitality and what that's looked like in their home over the past 30 years...while raising kids and after their kids left, with a husband who worked long hours and now with a husband who works even weirder/crazier hours. It was good, but not a drop-dead-must-read.

7. Grace-Based Parenting, Tim Kimmel

This is the one I was stuck on for most of the summer. I wanted to read it to check it off my list. And I wanted to like it. But it made me bored and I can't pinpoint exactly why, since it was all parenting strategies I agree with. There are so many other amazing parenting books I'd recommend, I'd say this is one you can skip. I feel mean saying that, but it's just how I feel.

8. Glimpses of Grace, Gloria Furman

I liked the practical mixed with the biblical in this book. By the end it felt a little repetitive (but like I already mentioned, that *could* be because I was reading two other books by the same author at the same time), but it was filled with the perfect eternal perspective to get through mundane days of motherhood...right down to specific examples for how to find eternal perspective while doing a mountain of laundry or a sinkful of dirty dishes.

9. 1 Peter, Jen Wilkin

I can't remember if this was my fall semester study last year, or the spring...either way I never included it on a blog list, so here it is! It was, of course, excellent. I could listen to Jen's teaching all day long. Her studies are intense because they're quite a bit of homework, but I tend to get a lot out of them because of that, especially because I hadn't studied 1 Peter before. I'd recommend doing in group alongside her video-teaching.

10. Imago Dei, Mike Cosper

I'm only a couple weeks into this study and it's HARD. Not because there's a lot of homework or time commitment, but it's a lot more thinking than is usually required of me, and for that reason I'm SO thankful we're doing it for our fall women's study...which means I'm at a table of my friends discussing it out every week. I can't officially review it yet, but so far, I'd definitely recommend. Just be prepared for some heavy lifting in the processing department.

11. Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, She Reads Truth

I tackled this study on my own in the spring after we finished our women's study at church and I really enjoyed it. I liked seeing how each of these prophets fit within the bigger context/story of the Bible, but I liked zooming in to study them individually...since they're small books and easy to breeze over. All four are written with differing styles and perspectives and with totally different themes, but I liked seeing how they fit together using the timeline always included in She Reads Truth study books...this helps me SO MUCH with context and I regularly flip back and forth to reference the timeline.

12. Genesis, She Reads Truth

I've been in this study since July and I'm annoyed about it. It's Genesis, so I expected that it would take a while...because it's BIG and a lot of stuff goes down. But I haven't put in the time I know I should to consistently sit down and study it to get some good momentum going. I've studied bigger chunks/days at a time and have gotten so much out of it (I even started doing genealogy diagrams to better understand those parts of Scripture on the days when the passage is 90% genealogy and I have little to 'reflect' on), I just haven't made it a habit. Reading books in bed is easier than sitting down at the table with book + pen + Bible to spread out and study. Sitting still is getting increasingly harder at this point, which isn't an excuse, it's just the reality. I've liked digging into Genesis, even though it's familiar and filled with common stories I've heard since childhood.

Here's what's on my fall reading list!

1. Love and Respect, Eggerichs
2. The Strong-Willed Child, Dobson
3. 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, Reinke
4. The Mission of Motherhood, Clarkson
5. The Accidental Feminist, Reissig
6. The Home Edit, Shearer
7. What Grieving People Wish You Knew, Guthrie
8. A Standard of Grace, Ley
9. When Less Becomes More, Ley
10. The Art of Neighboring, Pathak
11. Cozy White Farmhouse, Galvan
12. Give Thanks, SRT
13. A Thrill of Hope, Advent 2019, SRT
14. The Road Back to You, Cron
15. Make Something Good Today, Napier

Mav's TOY STORY 4 Birthday Party

It's been a couple months since we threw this party, but it was too good to skip over documenting. It was honestly the best-decorated birthday party Mav has ever had (and I kind of have to say...he's always had pretty great birthday party decor ;). But this time I went ALL IN on the kid theme of his choosing and bought all the cheap theme-y party crap...and it was super fun.

Mav's FOURTH birthday + Toy Story FOUR...it was just too perfect.

I grabbed some yellow, green, and red table cloths and streamers from the Dollar Tree which give a really fun colorful PARTY vibe almost immediately. Plus, clean-up is a breeze because you just bundle them up and toss them...when stuff is only $1, you can afford to party like this.

This is the first balloon arch I've ever made (above), but it certainly won't be the last. I bought four packages of different colored balloons for $1/per package, and THIS was the result. It looked so awesome and made such a fun statement...for FOUR DOLLARS. I'll breeze over the fact that the fake Dollar Tree Command Hooks ripped the paint off my walls in three small spots (lesson learned). but this looked so awesome I'm only like 45% mad I need to get more touch-up paint out before Christmas decorating.

I bought our Toy Story napkins, plates, and plastic cups from The Dollar Store in Manson when I saw they had them...they weren't the cheapest paper product option, but it was a Toy Story birthday party...we needed the plates and napkins, and I figured The Dollar Store would likely be the least expensive place to purchase.

The rest of the Toy Story party decor came from the party aisle at Wal-Mart...I bought one banner that hung near the front door and then the big plastic picture that hung above the buffet was actually in a 'photobooth' package...each package was like $5 and it was all the Toy Story specific decor we needed to create the theme.

Our biggest 'party splurge' every year are these sugar cookies from Larita's Cakes 'n' More in Fort Dodge and I'm telling you...they were worth the hour and a half drive there and back to get them.

I raided Mav's toys to find things that are in all the movies...a Barrel of Monkey's hung from our chandelier...wooden ABC blocks spelled out his name...baby monitors + army men (which I thought was the most genius/hilarious thing I did and unless you've recently seen Toy Story 1, you forget how genius this really is!). I bought 100 tiny plastic army men from Amazon for insanely cheap. And nabbed a vintage-looking Etch-a-Sketch at Target when I saw it (I figured it would make a great car-toy, bonus it doubled as party decor!). Hot Wheel cars, Mav's Tonka Truck, cowboy hat + bandana, Toy Story 1, 2, and 3 DVD cases, and then the Buzz and Woody toys he received from his grandparents as gifts rounded out fun decorating! 

When I had the invitations printed, I also saved and emailed the print-shop some Toy Story 4 pictures I found on Pinterest...I had them printed at the same time, which was so easy and it was a great way to cheaply add more 'Toy Story 4' stuff around the house. The biggest picture I used as a little 'guest book' that I'll keep with some of Mav's other party cards and notes, stored away in his 'special stuff' tote in the basement.

The party-drama happened the week prior to the party as I was scrambling to find all the 'ingredients' to make our own homemade Forky's for the kid's craft. This was the ONE aspect of the party Mav had been talking about for MONTHS. He'd been telling everyone, "and we're going to make Forky's for my birthday craft!"...........guess who had no idea it would be IMPOSSIBLE to find plastic SPORKS?! This mommy. The week before the party I checked literally every store and restaurant and craft store in the greater Ames area to no avail. My time had run out to order on Amazon Prime (which I actually thought I had done the same day I ordered the white dough/clay for the base...dough arrived, sporks did not), so I ended up calling the KFC in Fort Dodge and asking if my parents could pick up 20 black plastic sporks on their way through town. I spent the night before the party spray painting black sporks white in our basement and if that isn't love for your child, I don't know what is.

But come ONNNNN. Look at how legit those Forky's turned out! I can't even believe it myself. If the sporks hadn't been such a headache, it would have been the easiest craft in the history of birthday party kid crafts.

Perhaps only children of a Toy Story generation will understand this, but I was probably the most thrilled with this stack of labeled boxes. IT'S LIKE THEY'RE ANDY'S MOVING BOXES YOU GUYS. My parents were like, 'ummm we just don't get it we haven't seen the movies in a while.' My Grandma Rose got to our house and said, 'Did you know you got a lot of big packages delivered today??' Three boxes my mom grabbed from work for free...my favorite party decoration.

I wanted to throw a classic kid birthday party, so we went all out and got a pinata. Mav didn't even know what it was or what to do with it. I filled it with this summers' parade candy, which I then forced our party guests to take home. It was genius and the kids (and daddies!) had fun with it.

We just love this little peanut and had the best time spoiling him on his birthday. He's so smart and special and awesome. Throwing a big 'ole party for him is the highlight of our year because he's just the best. And now he's FOUR!

MmB

IT'S A BOY: Gender Reveal Party!

"When 'having a few people over' turns into a full-blown party with a meal and a photographer and explosives" would be another appropriate title.

I'm not sure how this always happens to me, but I just love a good party. It's a blessing and a curse. A blessing when we get to celebrate something awesome...a curse when it gets on top of me and is suddenly stressful but because I did it to myself I don't get to be stressed.

A couple weeks before I knew we'd be having our anatomy ultrasound, I asked Josh if he thought he'd have time for something like this. The last thing we needed was another scheduled 'thing' on a weeknight but he said he thought it would be fun, and so off I went.

I created a FB Event.

I bought pulled pork + buns from Sam's Club.

I ordered 3 dozen pink and blue cupcakes from Wal-Mart.

I texted a photographer friend to come take pictures.

And the rest of the details just kind of worked themselves out! We did the whole party outside since it was a weeknight and needed to be quick for everyone's schedules...plus the 'main event' needed to be outside so this kept everything in the same place and I didn't have to deal with getting the house 'ready.' Decorating a couple tables in our backyard was something I hadn't done before (and in extreme wind!) so it was a fun challenge...and it was also surprisingly super pretty out there. 

I used decor stuff I already had and borrowed Jamie's wedding lace to decorate the tables. I bought a girl version and a boy version of my favorite Burt's Bee's onesies, to return whichever one wouldn't be used for baby. I also bought a vintage-looking Peter Rabbit book for friends to write inside the front pages...gender neutral (my least favorite thing to try and shop for!) and timeless, the first book on baby's bookshelf!

I decided the best way to get Josh involved in the party was to let him shoot his AR. In my experience as an entertainer, the best way to get a party started (or keep a party going) is to get out the guns and start blowing stuff up. I don't make the rules, it just is what it is. So I asked Josh if he could pick up the correct ammo + tannerite on his next trip to Thiessen's and I ordered four pounds of pink and blue powder from Amazon. Next I had to find a trusted friend to set up the whole explosion, ensuring it would work correctly. Our friend Brent spent the night before our party secretly testing out the pink color-explosion to make sure the blue one would go perfectly, and of course it did!

It was fun to find out differently than we did with Mav (the blood test at 15 weeks, a phone call from a nurse saying, 'It's a boy!' followed by a phone call to Josh...I was happy to know so early, but it was a little anticlimactic) and it was fun to have our favorite people here to celebrate this baby with us. Plus, an excuse for a party.