Reading List 2019

I had a friend post her reading list, so I decided to try to keep track of my reading this year.  It doesn't include the picture books or any books I only partially read, but here is my 2019 reading list...

Read	Style
An American Marriage	Book: fiction
A Man Called Ove	Book: fiction
Two Miserable Presidents	Read aloud: Non-fiction
Across Five April’s	Read Aloud: historical fiction
Keeper of the Lost Cities: Flasback	Katie read aloud: fiction
Jesus Among Other Gods	Ebook: theology
The Golden Son	Novel
Love Letters of Great Men	Letters
Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule	Read aloud: Historical fiction
Whiskey in a Tea Cup	Autobiography
Cold Sassy Tree	Novel
Marilla of Green Gables	Novel
Ferragus -Balzac	Novel x
I am Ivan	Audio book (youth novel)
The Clockmaker's Daughter	Novel
Leaving Cold Sassy	Novel
Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crowe	Audiobook
King Solomon's Mine	Historical fiction
Kids on a Strike	Juvenile non-fiction
All the Light We Cannot See	Novel
Magnus Chase	Audiobook (youth novel)
Extraordinary Ordinary Family	Autobiography
The Historian	Fiction
The Penderwicks	Juvenile fiction
Little House in the Big Woods	Juvenile fiction
Anna and the King of Siam	Historical fiction
Ordinary Grace	Fiction
Tuesdays at the Castle	Juvenile fiction
Wednesdays in the Tower	Juvenile fiction
Life in Community	Non-fiction (Christian Living)
Thursdays with the Crown	Juvenile fiction
Educated	Non-fiction:memoir
Thursday’s with the Crown	Juvenile fiction
Untangled: guiding teenage girls through the seven transitions to adulthood	Non-fiction
Eli	Fiction
The Cherry Orchard	Play
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows	Fiction
Friday’s with Wizards	Juvenile Fiction
Anne of Green Gables	Fiction: abridged
All's Quiet on the Western Front	Historical Fiction
Saturday’s at Sea	Juvenile Fiction
Resident Alien	Nonfiction
Quiet	Nonfiction
Dignity	Nonfiction
If Our Bodies Could Talk	Nonfiction
Stardust	Fiction
The Pearl	Fiction

Friday Funny

As Justin and I are leaving on a date

G: If you make her cry, I make you cry.

K: Be sure to bring her home by midnight.

K & G: What you do to her, I do to you.

I think they've been listening to our friend with older daughters a bit....

November

Of course we didn't slow down in November...

A trip to the Parthenon in Nashville

 

To see the statue of Athena

We saw a train being restored

and visited the inside of a previously restored passenger (and dining) car(s)

 We went hiking in a park.

 

 Nate read the map and led the way.

We went out on our first date night in 14 years that didn't require a baby sitter!  And the house was still standing when we came home.

 Ready for our parade

 Ready for their trip to a living history village

 A Veteran's Day Parade

 Gabby planned a joining ceremony and badge awards night.

She made all the uniform style papers to attach all the badges, patches, and service stars.  It was a whole lot of work!

Here are our girls with their awards: 12 badges, 80 hours of service, and a bunch of patches too!

The older two attended a book talk by a favorite author in a nearby town.  The original plan was to have their books personalized, but after the full weeks of book signings, she had to switch it to a photo op at the end.

Sven, I mean Katie, and his her friends dressed as the cast and went to see Frozen 2.  They said it did not disappoint.

 We visited my parents in Kentucky for Thanksgiving...where Gabby didn't want her picture taken.

 And Ellie enjoyed the puppies and Gam's pictures.

Friday...Funny, Maybe

Watching Little Women...

Gabby: In the sequel we need him [Professor Bhaer] and Amy to cccclick [drawing finger across her neck].

Katie: Our Christianity makes us go to a rather dark place, since they can't just get divorced.

Yikes!

One Down

Once upon a time a nine year old girl was told she needed braces or risk loosing some teeth.  The orthodontist told us it would be a long road...three years...to do all the work and give her a chance to grow enough to take the braces off.  I took her to choose any sticky candy she wanted (Skittles), and off we went!

In the mean time, Katie got braces.  And then I joined her too.  We found some substations...they 'popped M&Ms' instead of popcorn or ate corn puffs.  We traded out their sticky Halloween candy for chocolate--a pretty awesome trade, if I do say so.

Every time we were in, they would compliment her wearing of her rubber bands.  And a couple of months ago the orthodontist started saying we were getting close.  Then, less than two weeks ago, she told us that we could either get them off at our regular appointment in January or we could go ahead before Christmas.

We were sworn to secrecy.  Gabby didn’t even want Justin to know at first, but after a few days she gave in and told him.

So today, six months early, we got to see her beautiful smile without those braces!  We are so thankful for her straight teeth and healthy smile!

October

 Ellie (with Katie's help), made cupcake bath bombs.  She purchased the kit with some birthday money.

 The older two were checking to see if they could both sleep inside a tarp for the fall campout--we purchased a second, but then between rain (so much rain that first night) and the cold they slept in a tent anyway.  They'll be ready for next time!

Camping

We had a bit of rain and cold weather, but it was a great trip.  As a side note, if you ever need to assemble a group of small children, they will come running if you sing the Birthday song, but they loose interest pretty quickly when they discover there is no cake.

Ellie asked to see a movie alone with me for her birthday.  There wasn’t much out for kids at the time.  We got a private viewing of Abominable by going on the university fall break (which was different from all the local schools).

We also took advantage of fall break to use some gift cards for breakfast.

Taking a walk

In the car...all the time!

Photo op at the library

Nate made a growth medium for his biology--we found that essential oils worked better at preventing growth for household germs that antibiotic ointment.

Our guinea pig had a couple of rough days, but after much prayer and extra attention, she has recovered!

 We got to see rplicas of the Nina and the Pinta.  The Santa Maria was not replicated because it requires much deeper water (so it can't sail up the rivers they use to move these two ships around inland ports).

The ships were tiny compared to what one might expect for sea faring ships, but Katie still can't hold them in her hands!

 Nate loves maps of all kinds.

Ellie was fascinated by what was below decks (at current it is used as a sleeping compartment for the men who live on board this moving museum, though originally the space below was so full that all men slept on the deck).

Even Gabby tried to catch a peek!  To see if the ships will be coming somewhere near you, you can click here.  They told us the mornings tend to be full of school trips, so afternoons may be better.

September

Our Fall has been so full of good things that I thought I should go back and take a little time to write it down before it leaves our collective memories!

 Our AHG troop year came back in to full swing.  Katie led a night full of butterflies and caterpillars to represent the Chrysalis theme that all AHG troops have been offered this year.  There were videos, crafts, library books, and snacks, all based around it.  Justin's favorite AHG uniform is the little red vests, and we have one of those again, after the three years since Gabby moved up from that one.

Since I tend to be the photographer, and Justin is the one to attend almost all Trail Life things, here is Nate heading off to a meeting!  They have been busy too.  They have completed two branch pins completely this fall with a couple more in the works.  Nate has been working on his Worthy Life (religious recognition) and his Timberline (an award that comes at the end of the elementary years).  The Timberline won't be completed this year, but he has started on the goal setting portion.

 Of course there is lots of reading going on around here.  I think Nate has Wind in the Willows here.

 Math

 A poetry tea...or hot cocoa as the case may be

The Screwtape Letters was assigned reading this fall...no complaints around here about that one, unlike The Great Gatsby, which was not her favorite!

 We had our annual Nation Day of Service for AHG too.  And no one fell in any storm drains!  We had a beautiful day to do it, and a cute little brother who took a walk with mom as we were working.

Friday Funny

Gabby and I had been planning an AHG event with another family, and when we were leaving, they offered for us to take a few things their daughter had matured out of.  I picked up a couple of beading sets, leaving behind a more complicated one, looked at Gabby, and said, “For the Bean.” (Ellie)

She bats her eyes, points to the one I left, and asks, “For the Gab?”

She got the beads.

TEN

I generally get the kids ‘birthday’ pictures a few days early, but Nate’s didn’t happen that way this year…between general busyness and rain.  So we went out on his actual birthday (at 19 degrees!!) for these pictures.  He, of course refused a coat, but did put on the jacket I requested!

 

 He gets up early to run with his dad.

 

Nate is the solo fellow around here during the day, while dad is at work, and takes all the sisters in stride.  He even plays games that aren’t his favorites to keep Ellie and he friends happy.

He serves at a food panty, helps his sisters with AHG projects, and looks for ways to help.

He loves the outdoors, and is super proud that he got his Woodsman Card (the privileged to carry a knife).

 

He loves books, almost as much as his big sisters.

We love you Nate the Great!

Friday Funny

Justin (Trying to remember a name of some unkind friend of a friend from long ago): He's probably named Johan.

Kate, Gabby, & Nate (in unison): They were all named Johan. (*Pachelbel Rant)

Ellie: Moron, he was probably named Moron.

Me (trying horribly to not laugh...and failing when I look up at Justin to see he's already lost it): We really shouldn’t call people morons.

* ⚠️  Language Warning, but super funny: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

🎂 Cake Season 🎂

Around here, as the sweltering days of summer come to an end drag on, we begin birthday season.

Save Katie's eighth birthday (the day after Ellie was born), I have made all the kids birthday cakes.

Store bought!

Roses all over

Dairy free carrot cake

Ninjas & snakes 

Simple cakes

Cakes with candy

Pumpkin Pie instead of cake 

Cakes iced in peanut butter frosting and drizzled chocolate

Cakes in the shape of a ball

Crown cakes

Monkey cakes

Ladybug cakes

Regular cakes, with the standard roses

Number 1 cakes

Cat in the hat cakes

Gymnastics cakes

Castle cakes

 Cakes with strawberries dipped in chocolate on top cakes

Cakes with candied lemon peels

Rainbow cakes

And even a Fruit 'cake,' though that was for my mom

And in May, we have Justin's cookie cake most years.

It is fun to ask what they want from year to year.  Flavors and styles change.  And I get to do some baking and decorating.  And they have picked up on the fun, and the older too like to bake and decorate too.