Happy Birthday Blog!

Last year, I gave myself a most amazing present for my 25th birthday: a blog. I think it is a tradition I am going to keep--giving myself something life-enriching every year. I have been so blessed by this blog--and although that sounds strange to say, it really has been one of my saving graces. I love having a time and a place to write down my thoughts and feelings and anecdotes. I love how sharing them has brought me joy returned in the form of comments from family members and friends. I think starting this blog was probably the best decision I made as a 25-year-old (I don't know what that says for this past year, since I started the blog two days after my birthday). Anyway, this year I wanted to come up with something that will bless my life even more. This year I want to give myself a better relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ. This year I am going to have more meaningful scripture study and prayer. If you want to know more, ask me about it! I will share gladly!

Anywho, since this is an "anniversary post" and since our Thursday is BOOKED this week, I thought I would do a different kind of post and refer you back to posts you may have missed this past year. If you want to see my "Most Popular Posts" check out the gadget on the right side of the blog, which links you to the ten most popular posts according to my readers. Today, however, I want to point you back to something you may have missed for some reason or another. These are ten of my favorite posts for the past year (I excluded the "Popular Posts" because most of you have read them!).  I don't think I posted any of these links (with the exception of "Family") to facebook. so those of you who come from facebook are in for some treasures. I hope you find something you enjoy!

1. A Champion
2. Terminology: A Post in Three Parts
3. An Ode to Joy
4. Trick or Treat or ...something else entirely?
5. Catching Up to Her
6. A Real-Life Fairy Tale
7. A Little More Like Her
8. Family
9. In Her Shoes
10. Square One

 Thanks for loving me, reading my writing, and not judging my thoughts-- and for giving me something to do every Thursday.

Happy Birthday Thursday Blog!

And now, here is a picture of me on my birthday, which was also this week:

 

 Kevin gave me a coloring book (as pictured). We love to color together, so this was a perfect present from her (that and we've pretty much destroyed the Princess coloring book that was one of two that we own).  Unfortunately, she had been grounded from coloring for two days as a result of a poor choice she made introducing purple crayon to our kitchen floor.  Guess we will try out the coloring book today, when her punishment is up.

Grounded at 16 months? This girl continues to astound us with her quick "progress" and development!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I'm about to head off for a birthday dinner, but it just wouldn't be my birthday if I didn't take just a minute to blog...because I dearly love to blog.

For those of you following the "Molly Saga"--put your minds at ease! SHE IS HERE! My husband--he is awesome! But I promised him I wouldn't write anything mushy or gushy about how much I love him, so that is all I can say. That and, I am glad that although he might not understand my obsession with American Girls, he is nonetheless understanding. I hope that makes sense.

I don't think I've been this excited about a birthday present since I was eight...and received the exact same present.

This is not a very flattering picture...but at least you get to see my face of extreme joy and surprise!

Kevin loves her already...and is quite miffed that I am content to leave her in the box

 

And now, thanks to my awesome friend Kima (who understands my Molly love), I get to go to dinner and a movie with my amazing, one-of-a-kind husband.

Sometimes, it just hits you.

I had a lovely day on Tuesday. I spent time with my toddler, my parents, and then my husband. But all day I felt a little "off." I couldn't figure out why I was so sad, or why my Grandpa Browning just kept coming to mind. I miss him every day, but for some reason on this day, it really hit me.

Kevin seemed to be having a difficult evening as well. Her dad went through the usual bedtime routine and went back in to rock her out of her screaming two more times before it was finally my turn. Sometimes I make her screaming worse because she just loves me so much, she hates to see me leave--but sometimes, she just needs to see me one more time before she can settle down and go to sleep. We usually do the "bedtime routine" two or three times with her at night--but it only takes 30 minutes to get her to calm down enough to sleep and we get extra cuddles in, so we don't really mind the repetition.

On this particular night, I picked Kevin up from her crib, placed her fleece blanket on my shoulder, and rubbed her back as she nestled in to me. I went and sat in our rocking chair, and she turned herself just enough so that she could see my face, just like she did when she was a very small infant. I started singing my usual repertoire of LDS Primary songs. And as I was singing, she started at me, mesmerized. The spirit filled her little room, and she smiled big behind her binky. And I knew it wasn't my off-key singing that was making her smile.

And I realized that all day I had been missing my Grandpa, and that it had been exactly two years since I saw him alive, since he gave me a hug and teased me about my newlywed love life, and how he needed a great-grandbaby and he was counting on us to give him one.

Oh how I wish he could have met my little girl. Sometimes I picture them playing together. I know he would have loved her--he would have loved her curly hair, her teasing smile, her cleverness that always keeps me on my toes. He would have loved to watch her toddle and he would have gotten a huge kick out of calling my mom "Grandma." He would have loved Kevin for her spunk and the way she challenges me to determine who I am and who we are going to be. She would have loved him for his big, leathery hands and quick smile and his deep laugh.

I so wanted him to have the experience of being a great-grandpa before he died, but it was not to be. Our timing was off. She came eight weeks early just eight months after he died. When I found out I was pregnant, I was pretty sure my Grandpa (whom our family referred to as "Big Guy") went up to the Other Big Guy and said, "They need a baby. They need a baby now." I don't think we had as much choice in the matter as we thought we did.

And that night, as I cuddled our precious little one close, I could feel him near, as I often can. I could feel him smiling. And I knew that he was proud of us, for the choices we were making. And I knew that he was grateful to be a great-grandpa.

Moments like that, they just hit you. Out of the blue. You don't think you are prepared for them, but most of the time they don't come to you unless you are in the right place to receive them.

I know that angels surround us every day. I know they help us more than we think. When I am in the right mentality, I feel them. I felt them walking and singing beside me on my mission. I feel them now when I serve in the Temple. I felt them standing over my little one's isolette as she fought for her life in the hospital. I have felt them on days when life seems particularly challenging, telling me that I can do hard things and that it is not in me to give up.

My family, we have several big events coming up in the next few months, and it feels like those times are the ones where we miss those who have died the most. I want my siblings to know that I know that we have more help than we think, and those that we miss so much don't miss us at all because they are so close to where we are.

I picture my Grandma Burningham, working with my little sister as she takes care of little ones all day. I picture my Grandpa Burningham, teaching and cheering my older brother on as he takes the hardest exam of his life. I picture my Grandpa Browning walking beside my little brother down the busy roads of Korea as they both complete the missions they have so been looking forward to, together. I picture my Uncle Brian sitting with my dad as he goes to doctors appointment after doctor's appointment. And I picture my Aunt Betty putting her arm around my mother, saying, "You can do this, honey. Just keep going."

And I picture them, as well as Scott's grandparents, as they take turns helping us put Kevin to bed each night.

Sometimes, it just hits you. You are never alone.

Who do you love that is with you today?

Square One

I have a need.

A need that I really need in the neediest way of needing.
We're talking the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs here.
A need that very few in my life understand.

Exhibit A:
Last night, as we lay in bed before we fell asleep, Scott and I started talking. He told me about how he was going to do better at studying his scriptures this week (we are both really bad at this lately). I said I would join him and asked if he wanted me to make a scripture reading chart so we can keep track of how well we do.

Scott, incredulous: "Would you actually use that?"
Me, in all seriousness: "Yes, and there can be a reward if we read so many days in a row."
Scott: "What kind of a reward?"
Me: "A new Molly doll."

He kind of, but not really, laughed in my face.

Fact: I am nearly 26 years old.
Fact: I want a new American Girl Molly doll.
Fact: I am not ashamed.
Fact: Molly is being retired (aka KILLED) but nobody knows exactly when.
Therefore: I need to get a new Molly doll ASAP.

What followed that conversation was a conversation about how:
- you already have a Molly doll
- yes but for our daughters sake I need a new one for her to play with when she gets older
-so?
-you just don't understand-you need to talk to my mother about how this is a necessity
-do I really need to have that conversation with your mother?
-yes right now (looks around for the phone and sees that it is 10:17pm and that conversation will have to wait for tomorrow).

And what follows this conversation is a realization that I have two Bachelor's degrees and no way to make some extra money right now. Yes, I could get a job, but that is not in our "family plan" at the moment (unfortunately, the career path I have chosen is not exactly made of money--at least not until our children do famous things and make lots of $$ and decide that they are so grateful to us that they want to share half their fortune with us). I briefly suggested starting a photography business, and Scott and I both laughed about that (see last week's post). Then I considered the other options: Pampered Chef, Mary Kay (my worst nightmare), Avon, Scentsy.

"I could do Scentsy. But I'd have to have $99 to start the business, and that puts me back at square one," I say aloud to a very tired and slightly amused Scott.

So I revert back to the EFY trick of figuring out how you really aren't getting paid crap for the job you do (considering all the hours you work in a week as an EFY counselor, plus the little costs of nametags and treats for your peeps each week, it amounted to getting paid about $2 an hour).

Note: I don't actually have any problems with not bringing in any money. In every case but this one, Scott and I are very united on the "finance" front. I do not want to be a working-outside-the-home mother right now. I just really want a Molly doll, and I don't feel like it is fair exactly to buy it for myself with family money. If I could earn the money on my own, that would be different.

Me: "What if I hired out as somebody else's stay at home mom for $2 an hour? At 12 hours a day, I could make enough in two weeks to earn a Molly doll."

My husband, the accountant: "Actually, you'd earn enough in one week."

Me, feeling silly that I can't do math: "Yes, but if I worked for two weeks, then I could buy the Best Friends collection and get Molly AND her best friend Emily and then Kevin and I would both have a doll to play with when she gets old enough."

Note: I am such a considerate mother.

I don't remember how our conversation ended, other than one or the other of us finally just fell asleep, and it was probably me, because I tend to fall asleep in the middle of conversations at night, especially when they are not going anywhere.

But I woke up this morning feeling very silly that none of my talents can really earn me any extra money quick.

So I have a few ideas:

A. My mom needs to call Scott and explain to him how his life will be enriched if he buys me a new Molly doll.

B. I can take our two or three spare change jars to the coinstar at Winco and invest the amount and hope it gives me a high turnaround very quickly.

C. One of my readers could "sponsor" a trip for a Molly doll to make the journey from the factory in Wisconsin to my apartment in Midvale. Any rich relatives out there? Bueller? Bueller?

D. It is my birthday soon...

I hope you are all just as amused as my husband is about this little "quirk" of mine.

Seriously, though, I need a new Molly doll.

she makes me happy.

 Any suggestions on how to accomplish this would be welcome.

The Origin of Kevin (the nickname)

Found this today and thought I would share. This is where my daughter's nickname comes from.

We found out that Kevin was a girl on Dec. 12 and told my family a few days later (Kymbo, the dog, had been in the family about a week by then). My little brother Nathaniel was not happy (he wanted a nephew in the worst way), and exacted his revenge by making sure our daughter became known as "Kevin."

Kymbo (originally known as "Kimbo") is named after some wrestler whose real name is Kevin, in case you didn't catch that in the comments. Also, the "I" turned into a "Y" at my Aunt Kym's suggestion, in case you didn't catch that too.

Chasing Dreams

Note: I always feel like whenever I do a "soapbox" post I have to do a "warm fuzzies mommy" post so people will like me again.

Kevin, my little one, loves to be chased. She will "lure" me into her room to play with her, only to run out of it so that I have to come find her. When she hears me coming up behind her, she tries to pick up her pace and waddle faster. I say "tries" because she usually trips over her feet and falls at some point, but it doesn't matter, because she is still giggling so hard she can barely breathe.

That laugh is my favorite sound in the whole wide world.

This afternoon, as we were playing this game, I wondered what is so thrilling to her about being chased. I, personally, hate that feeling of something coming up behind me, even when I know it is coming. I was that kid that never wanted to play tag in second grade (still my least favorite game), and I still do everything I can to avoid running at all costs.

My daughter, however, has always thrived on a challenge. Perhaps that is why she chose to come so early. Perhaps it is why she wanted me and Scott to be her parents. She likes it when things are harder, it makes life more fun, more thrilling.

Having me run after her makes her little heart happy, because she knows that no matter how hard she tries to get away, I am going to catch her at some point.

After all, I am chasing my dream.

Trendy...or not

I came across this post on Buzzfeed via facebook yesterday: 25 Things Mormon Girls Love. I found it quite enlightening. Why? Because I am Mormon, and I am a Girl, and I didn't know I was supposed to love/do some of those things. In fact, there are some of those things that I have stayed far away from.  For those who don't want to link to it, let me relay the list to you, with my commentary.

(Welcome to a Marinda's soapbox post this week. I hope I don't offend anyone, but if I do, I hope you are quick to forgive me.  I will probably say something in this post that will offend you, because most of "you" are Mormon Girls like myself, and you may love some of these things. Just know that this is just me, saying what I think. Also, Kevin woke me up really early this morning and although she went back to bed, I never did, so my usually decent-working filter is kaput today.)

25 Things Mormon Girls Love

1. Pinterest
Okay, true. I do like Pinterest...but I don't know if I love it. I could do with out it most days. I have a mother that is a walking pinterest board, so if I ever really needed inspiration, all I would need to do is go to her. That said, I like looking at the funnies my friends pin and getting new ideas to bring out my crafty/creative side. I do not like feeling like I have to keep up with the Joneses (who must run Pinterest). My family will never eat 100% nutritiously, our home will never be 100% put together, and I can't afford to dress like that. I will NEVER post workouts--seriously, women, some of those workout pictures are borderline pornography, and I really hate seeing it when my husband is sitting next to me, because we often look at Pinterest together for recipe inspiration and a laugh at the end of the day. He doesn't need to be seeing that, and neither do I, no matter how badly you need/want toned arms and legs. End rant.

2. Baby Names
Okay, true, again. I am obsessed with baby names and name meanings. Maybe it is the fiction writer in me. Scott and I will never have enough kids to use all of the names I like. At the same time, however, I had to laugh at the picture that went with this one...because Mormon Girls seriously come up with some of the dumbest most interesting names for their children. Lakynn? Sounds like camping equipment, lady. Your poor child. (And yes, my children will probably all have unique middle names...but there is meaning behind those unusual names, and they are not made up, and most of them involve family/mission memories. So there.)

3. Frozen Yogurt
The only time I have fallen into the "I love Frozen Yogurt" category is when I was on my mission and we went to visit my dear friend Pam in her Health Foods Store in Graham, Texas, and she had  frozen yogurt machine, and so we ate it. A lot. Consquently, I eat it when I am overly emotional (like when we were in the hospital with Kevin), because it feels homey and comforting to me. I am not a fan of Utah frozen yogurt (can you say overpriced?), so I don't feel like this one is true of me.

4. Wearing Neon Workout Clothes to 80s parties
False. I hate 80s parties and avoid them at all costs. I do not own neon work out clothes--in fact, the only "work out" clothes I own are yoga pants (a mommy must) and free t-shirts from various activities. 

5. The Word "Awesome"
I've been known to use it a time or two...but I certainly don't love it. At all. False.

6. Taylor Swift
Enh. I was so over her music about a year after she came out. What could have been okay to listen to once in a while is totally overplayed on the radio now. Do I know all the words? Oh, yeah, probably. Do I want to? No. But it seems that she is never, ever ever (you are singing now, aren't you?) getting off the radio.

7. Diet Coke
Yeah, don't love it. But my mom does. So, um, okay.

8. Fake Mustaches on Sticks
The whole fake mustache thing? COMPLETELY overdone. But that didn't stop us from celebrating Father's Day with a mustache theme, because I still think the mustache fad is slightly adorable. But we used them because my dad actually has a mustache. So it was okay. Mustaches on sticks? I don't really buy into that...but okay. (Why isn't the word "okay" on this list? I use "okay" more than "awesome.")

9. Mason Jars
I believe these are best used for the canned fruit we get from Scott's Mom and Grandma, and they can be occasionally reused to hold fresh flowers. A perfect example of Pinterest overkill (we will get into this again later).

10. Target.
Finally, something I can agree with. I do love Target. Sometimes, though, Target doesn't love me.

11. The Bachelorette.
Watched it once, a long long time ago. One of those things I don't really get...or get into. Here are some shows we do get into at our house: anything HGTV, Splash, Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey (now why the heck wasn't that on this list?!), Once Upon a Time, Lost, Psych, and SportsCenter.

12. Chevrons.
Warning: rant ahead. Somebody will probably be offended. Oh well.
The first time I saw the chevron print used, I thought it was adorable. Thanks to Pinterest and the overwhelming copy-cat everything off the internet trend (I include myself in this sad group), Chevron now needs to die. It is everywhere. It is like hearing a Taylor Swift song on the radio--you can't go more than a few hours in Utah before seeing it again. It was cute the first time, Pinterest, but now...now it is just blah. And in a year or two, it will be out of style, and then the DI will be full of maxi skirts and baby bedding. Maybe I will get to use it in 20 years, when it isn't so common, but for now...for now, Chevrons are ruined for me.

13. Group Dates
Scott and I aren't really group daters. We are lucky if we get to go on a date, period. I don't think group dates are bad--they are really fun, once in a while! Perhaps we are just anti-social, but I don't love these.

14. Cute Handwriting
Okay, maybe in sixth grade was this me. Okay, maybe it still is. When I see people with cute handwriting, sometimes I adopt parts of their writing into my particular style--like loopy l's or curved t's. I feel like handwriting is similar to a person's closet--it isn't "you" if all you are doing is wearing what somebody else owns. Borrowing once in a while is okay. So I guess I'm on the fence about this one, too.

15. Having DTRs.
For those of you who don't know, a "DTR" means "define the relationship." I have had maybe three of these in my life, and the only one that was really worth anything (when Scott and I decided we could maybe date each other after I finished my mission) doesn't really qualify because it was only a question ("Do you think there is a possibility...") and me teasing ("what kind of possibility?") and him choking on his words ("uh...maybe we could date?") and me nodding my head. But I guess we do have DTRs as a married couple, which usually amounts to him telling me that it is okay that I didn't get the dishes done and me thanking him for finally doing them.

16. The San Diego Temple
We went there once. It was gorgeous, yes, but a lot the same as every other Temple.

17. Having a Photography Business on the Side
This one made me laugh. Out loud. How many people do you know with a "photography business"? I know at least a dozen. Probably two. Sometimes I wish I were a photographer, because it seems to be the way to make a little extra cash these days, but then I remind myself that I have other talents and just because everybody else is doing it doesn't mean I have to, even if I think I could be good at it with a little time and money invested. I am grateful for my talented photographer friends--I love seeing the world through their lenses. I am not grateful that facebook and pinterest have made photography such a "thing" because now there is so much pressure to have "cute" "professional" pictures, and those pictures are almost always photoshopped, so how do we really know how pretty her eyes are, when everyone else's eyes are just as blue in  their pictures? Sometimes I like the raw, unedited, candid, point-and-shoot photos best.

18. Pride and Prejudice
Okay, guilty, love it. But I also love the lesser-known Jane Austen works, too. And lots of other writers. So I guess this one does apply to me.

19. The Romney's Marriage
Don't know much about it, but I do appreciate the fact that they have a strong marriage, because that is almost unheard of these days when it comes to politicians and their spouses.

20. Cupcakes
Again, pinterest overkill. My cupcakes look awful. That's not to say that I haven't tried making them, or that I would turn one down if ever offered...in fact, I would probably take two.

21. Lace-trim tank tops.
Only if they are on sale. That said, I own like five of these...so I guess this one applies to me too.

22. Blogs
This is where I stopped laughing (refer to #17), because I am guilty as charged. As Scott reminded me, however, this blog is different than others because I'm not out to make money, just to share my voice. So I guess this is acceptable. I do love my blogging world.

23. The "Evolution of the Swimsuit" by Jessica Rey
So, I never watched this movie. I did read an article about it and check out her website...and I was highly disappointed that all of her swimsuits are for teeny, model-sized girls, of which I am not one, so for lots of us her "modest is hottest" styles would actually show way too much skin (and cleavage, should you be blessed with that).

24. Reminiscing about Girl's Camp
Who doesn't love a good Girl's Camp story? One year, I almost drowned. Another year I got "drunk" on expired apple juice. And yet another year...well, that's enough of that.

25. Inspirational Quotes
Pinterest triumphs once again...but I can't say that I don't like inspirational quotes, because that would go against four years worth of my #24 experiences.

In conclusion, I am a girl and I am Mormon.

Thus we see, however, that I am not super trendy. Some things make me anti-trendy. But there are some things that buzzfeed got right.

I really hate it when the internet knows so much about me.

Picture This: Fireworks, Revisited

Logan, Utah puts on one heck of a fireworks show. Sure, I know there are better, bigger shows in other places (like the one my brother got to go to in the nation's capitol, perhaps?), but the Romney Stadium fireworks show will always be my favorite.

We have history.

I can only remember one year where I missed the fireworks show. I stayed home to go to a friend's birthday party and got in probably the most trouble I've EVER been in with my parents because I wasn't where they expected me to be when they got home. But that is beside the point.

What about those summers you were on a mission, you ask? I have awesome timing. I was never a missionary on Independence Day. I didn't leave until August in 2008, and then the next year I was on my intermission until July 9...which is one of the reasons the fireworks and I have history.

Picture this: July 2009. Hot, but not sweltering. She's wearing a cute pink short-sleeved cardigan. He's wearing a yellow shirt, but not because he knows yellow is her favorite color (he doesn't find that out for another year). Both are wearing unshakable smiles. They are sitting close together, but not quite touching. Both watch the explosions in the sky, but are more concentrated on the person next to them. She scoots a little closer. Their legs touch. Magic. It's what they are feeling.

2009

Fast forward to the next year, same place, same holiday, different outfits. Her family is watching closely--will he propose? They don't know that she told him that if he asked her on the Fourth in front of her family she wouldn't hesitate to say no. This year, they are touching. He puts his arms around her, she settles in and sighs, enjoying the magical feeling of being his and the sky begins to light up again.

2010

 

 

And again, the next year, same place, same time. They are both wearing Aggie blue. They've been married for nine months and have big dreams on their minds. There is still magic, still anticipation, still great things to look forward to.

2011

The next year they are wearing circles under their eyes. The baby, she doesn't sleep much. They just hope she will make it through the next few hours without screaming so they can enjoy their favorite day of the year. She spends the evening wrapped in her Grandpa's arms, happy as can be, freeing up her parents arms for each other. The summer has been hot, both more difficult and more lovely than they had ever expected.

2012

And this year. They show up late, the toddler is already cranky. It was a long drive from Salt Lake back to the place that doesn't quite feel like home anymore. They unload the child on her grandparents, thankful for saved seats and clouds in the sky. Kevin stays entertained for a few minutes, then finds her way back to Mama and Daddy, who have somehow lost that newlywed need to be touching all the time. They snap a quick family picture before the sweat and sun and heat wilt all of their smiles, forgetting to take one of just him and her this year. They take turns wrestling with the toddler as she gets further past her bedtime. They wonder, will the noise and lights scare her? Finally, the sky goes dark as the little girl puts her head on her mother's shoulder. He walks up to come join them and briefly puts his arm around both of his girls until the toddler kicks him away. The fireworks start and she is mesmerized--not scared at all. Her mother spends more time watching her little girl's eyes than the sky, seeing the whole show anew, appreciating just a little bit better what this holiday stands for. The flashes seem to last three times longer than in years past as they pass the toddler back and forth, their arms and legs and backs and eyes getting tired. And yet, something about the little one adds magic to the evening, as if to say, "look what we created. Look what we are now."

They remember to take a picture together later the next day, on the real holiday, as he makes macaroni and cheese in the kitchen for their dinner. They figure it can't get more American than mac n cheese. They put the baby to bed as soon as possible and spend the evening cuddling, alternately watching fireworks out the glass door that leads to the patio and HGTV, dreaming of the day they can pick paint colors and furniture for their own home. They count more than 15 different firework shows going on across the valley, but without the music and the booms right overhead, they are anticlimactic. The shows outside last for over two hours and they get through two episodes of HGTV-Star. She checks on the baby before they go to bed, making sure she is still breathing and safe. He switches on the lamp and turns back the covers. They kneel and pray together, and then he reads a scripture to his wife and they share a good night kiss, remembering the first time they kissed, a snuck-in moment in her parent's driveway on this day four years ago. "I'm glad we've learned to kiss," he says to her, and she laughs before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

Magic.

They feel it.

Rinda's Reads: June's Summer Reading Overload

This is list is WAY overdue, but I read so many books in June it has taken me a bit to remember all of them, and of course I am almost finished with my first book for July, which I have loved so much I can't wait to tell you about it. But first, here are my reads for June:

The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning
This is one of the better historical novels I've read in a long time. You don't find a whole lot of novels about that period of time leading up to the Revolutionary War, but it is one of the most fascinating eras in history to me. This story follows a young woman (Jane Clarke) who gets more than she bargained for when her father sends her to Boston. I learned a lot more about the Boston Massacre than two college history classes managed to get into my brain...so, there you go. You should read it. If you like history. If not, you might not get very far.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
This is the last of Ms. Allen's published books--I hate that feeling when I find an author I like and then realize I've read everything she has to offer thus far. This one is a good story about sisterhood, and follows Allen's signature magic+food+Southern hospitality formula, including my favorite "magic" tidbit for a character--a woman who has books just show up and follow her around. I liked it. Warning: this book would undoubtedly be rated PG-13. Just FYI.

The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly
Looks like I have found a new historical fiction author! I really enjoyed this book, even though I found several flaws in the writing (like too much interior dialogue with the main characters). I always enjoy a squeaky-clean book, however, and this fills that Christian genre that gives me no worries about inappropriate material. I didn't love it, but I liked it.

Gathering Blue; Messenger; Son by Lois Lowry
Have you ever read The Giver? It is easily on my Top 25 favorite books list, so I was ecstatic when I found out a few weeks ago that there were three more books to go with it! The Giver is definitely the best of the four books, and seems to have very little in common with the second and third books, but the fourth book does a great job of tying the stories together. You can read The Giver by itself, but the other three need each other to be a complete story. I like these books because they make me a bit of a philosopher. As a young mother, I especially identified with the last book, Son, which raised the question of how far a mother's love can take you. 

Those are all the books I remember at the moment--there may have been one or two more, but chances are if I don't remember them, they probably weren't worth recommending. If you have a book club meeting coming up and don't know which book to read, The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg has proved fascinating thus far. I will tell you more about it next month!

Kevin's pick of the month is actually three different books, all by the same author--probably better said illustrator, Mary Engelbreit.

    

If you don't recognize her name, I'm sure you recognize her art! I loved these collections because they took us several days to read together and the illustrations were bright and vibrant. They added new life to the stories and nursery tales. Her three collections (Mother Goose, Fairy Tales, and Nursery Tales) of tales are on my list of "Books To Buy When We Have A Little Extra Cash." Check them out at your local library! They would make a beautiful addition to any children's literature collection!