A few Christmas photos

Me, wearing my Christmas crown, in the perfect colour!

We always do Christmas crackers which is a British tradition from
my husband's family. More info here.

My cuties and their present from Daddy. Or was it Daddy's present? :)
Snap Circuits.

C and his big present - the police headquarters


A and his big present - his first electric train set.
My surprise gift from my hubby was a laptop. Here's a roaring fire (thanks to Netflix!)

Our kid-decorated tree. This was a big step for me (letting go).
I think next year we'll have two trees so I can have a "decor" tree. ;)
Christmas Dinner. Part of our table was empty.
We missed you Grandma & Grandpa!

Pin It

Books Read in 2011 with some mini reviews

"Woman Reading" by Mary Cassatt

image source

I read a total of 42 books in 2011. Twice as many as the year before! I use GoodReads to keep track of my reading. If you're wondering, I'm a die hard paper and ink reader. No Kindle for me, thanks. This was the year of the super long book for me. I read three books with than 400 pages!

My #1 read for the year was
Bonhoeffer:Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. 592 pages.

My favourite book to read and re-read (and recommend to others) was
One Thousand Gifts:A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.

My favourite novels were Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. The character of Katey Kontent (from The Rules of Civility) was someone you really wanted to have as a friend. I kept wishing a movie would be made about Major Pettigrew, maybe played by James Cromwell?

My favourite memoir wasUnPlanned by Abby Johnson.

My favourite book of classic fiction was The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. This book has a whopping 672 pages but it kept my attention throughout. This book is one of the first detective mysteries ever written.

This past year, I read quite a few books set during WWII, both fiction and non-fiction:

- Unbroken:A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand- an amazing book. 473 pages. I highly recommend it! Louis Zamperini is a true hero. I don't want to spoil this book so I won't write any more.

- The Paris Wife by Paula McClain - this book was such a letdown. I actually wish I hadn't bothered with it. It tells the story of Ernest Hemingway's first wife and their life in Paris during the Jazz Age. There was no-one likeable in the book.

- Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The Berlin Airlift by Richard Reeves

- The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
- Nella Last's War: The Second World War Diaries....- This was a diary of a real woman. It has been made into a movie but I haven't seen it. I en-joyed this look into the day to day life of an average woman in London, dealing with rations, air raids, and a very nonsupportive husband.

- Henrietta's War:News from the Home Front 1939-1942 (fiction) The problem with this book is that I read it AFTER I had read many serious books about this time frame. This book had a cheerful comic tone which seemed almost sacreligious after reading a non-fictional book about a woman's sacrifices during the war (Nella Last's War) and after reading about someone in prison and eventually killed by Hitler (Bonhoeffer).

- Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of WW II by Mitchell Zuchoff. A disappointing book. Yes, it told a unique story in an exotic locale but I thought the book could have used some editing. There was way too much focus on the one female character and the last half of the book dragged.

Memoirs and biographies were another popular genre, although I seemed to read quite a few that disappointed me.

- Bossypants by Tina Fey. It was funny but not side-splitting as I expected. I've been told that listening to the audiobook is better than reading it. I love seeing her book next to the Dick Cheney one on my list of books recently read. Quite the juxtaposition, don't you think? :)

- Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews. This book was a disappointment. Too much name dropping and fawning over other actors/singers.

- Confessions by St. Augustine - I didn't finish this. It was a tough read. Maybe I need a better translation? I just picked up the cheap one at Barnes & Noble.

- In My Time by Dick Cheney
- Decision Points by George W. Bush

- Shattered Dream: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer. This is the second book I've read about women escaping Morman fundamentalism (polygamy). Escape by Carolyn Jessup was more dramatic but this book revealed more about day to day life in that world.

- An Education by Lynn Barber. I liked the movie (especially the soundtrack) but the book wasn't great. She wasn't a sympathetic character.

- Saved by Her Enemy: An Iraqi woman's journey from the heart of war to the heartland of America by Don Teague and Rafraf Barrak. Recommended. This book left me wanting to read more accounts from the point of view of journalists or soldiers in Iraq. If anyone has a suggestion of a book that isn't profanity laced or too grim, I'm interested.

- Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhonda Janzen. Funny.

- Nomad by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I preferred her first book Infidel. In Nomad she wrote about her atheism quite a bit.

- A Sixpence in Her Shoe by Phyllis McGinley. A fun look at housekeeping in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

Fiction:

- I read several books from the Chronicles of Fairacre series by Miss Read (Village School, Village Diary, Storm in the Village). These are "cosy" reads about a small English village and focus on the school.

- Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner. Chick lit but the subject matter (surrogacy) is one that could be discussed at a book club due to its moral and ethical implications
- Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

- The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party - another installment in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series

- Mr. Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

- Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Ivy league admissions.

- Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - a depressing book.

- The Pursuit of Love & Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford. I saw the mini-series and decided to pick up the book. It was just OK.
- Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. I just read this gem a few days ago and it is still mulling around in my head.

Some other books that doesn't fit well into the other categories:

- Ten Big Lies about America by Michael Medved.

- Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World! by Andrew Breitbart
- Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis.

In another post, I'll tell you about some of the books I want to read in 2012.

Pin It

Family Photo & Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas cards are going out super late this year. If you haven't received it yet, it is coming, I promise. :) If you want to be surprised, then avert your eyes.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

photo location: Molbak's

photo credit: Christopher Lorton

Pin It

{this moment}

They love their Daddy!

Downtown Seattle.

J had gone to pay for more parking time and when he returned
this was the reaction. :)

Pin It

Handel's Messiah

On Sunday, my husband and I went to hear Handel's Messiah performed by the Seattle Symphony. I have done several sing-along Messiahs. We hadn't been to a professional performance since before we were married!

Some interesting facts about Messiah:

- Upon hearing the "Hallelujah Chorus" movement of "Messiah", King George II of England was reputedly so overcome with emotion that he spontaneously rose to his feet. When the king stands, everyone stands, so the audience immediately rose also. The tradition of standing for the chorus is still observed today in most live performances of "Messiah."

- In 1741, Handel set to work composing on August 22 in his little house in London. He grew absorbed in the work that he rarely left his room, hardly stopping to eat. Within six days part one was complete. In nine days more he had finished part two, and in another six, part three. The orchestration was completed in another two days. In all 260 pages of manuscript were filled in the remarkable short time of 24 days.

Check out the new tie and jacket. :)

Pin It

One Thousand Gifts - #103 - #120

hearing the story of the Crippled Lamb for the first time
my 6 year old's school Christmas concert
our babysitter Erika
free peppermint mocha
jeans on sale
beautiful Molbaks at Christmas time
sunshine in December
yummy treats at a Christmas open house at our pastor's house
my hubby got a bonus from work!
my 8 year old's school Christmas concert
the news that a Christian family with 4 kids is moving into our street
tired feet after helping with a teacher appreciation lunch
singing with the worship team
a generous PT (physical therapist) who doesn't mind me bringing my coughing son along
cuddling up with my coughing son and watching a movie together
finding a parking spot at a popular mall, quickly, in December!
going to hear Handel's Messiah at Benaroya Hall with my handsome hubby
my boys tangoing in the kitchen

Pin It

{this moment}

my son and his teacher, after the Christmas musical

Pin It

White and Silver Paper Doily Wreath

I finally finished this wreath. It's been sitting on my counter, unfinished, for a few weeks making my husband nervous in all its whiteness. It was right near where my kids pour their drinks. Talk about living on the edge!

My inspiration came from this wreath at Diamond in the Stuff's blog. Where did I find it? Pinterest, of course!!

Instructions and sources:
1. Using a styrofoam wreath, wrap with wide satin ribbon.
2. Attach a wide ribbon for hanging before gluing the cones down. I did this at the end (after the cones were glued down) and it was tricky. :)
3. Make lots of cones out of doilies. Instructions here. Secure them with hot glue. Don't burn yourself! You will need approximately 60 doilies if you want to replicate my wreath.
3. Glue the cones to the wreath using hot glue. I did 2 layers of cones.
4. Select something for the centre. I used a doily die cut from Martha Stewart's craft line. This is very similar. I glittered the edges. On top of that I glued a small silver doily. On top of that I glued a snowflake sticker (Jolee's boutique). Glue your centre into the middle of the wreath.
6. Hang and admire. :)

I'm linking up with A Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday, Chic and Crafty at Frugal Girls and Sew-Crafty Tuesday at Ruby Jean and Pin It

{this moment}

So proud of my son at his Christmas concert "Baby Jesus We Love You."

Pin It

One Thousand Gifts #86 to #102

tree farms
a sunny day for picking out a Christmas tree
free hot chocolate at the tree farm
modern dentistry
kind dental hygienists
Ann's blog with so many great resources and links
the beauty of fog
O Holy Night playing at Starbucks - what a message for those truly listening!
a lost and then found leather glove
a headlight that was out but when I took it in for service, it came back on!
scarves
Christmas carols
my children enthusiastically singing Christmas carols in the car - a cappella and a little off tune
my latte was free at the drive-thru Starbucks today - for no apparent reason!

last week we had the chance to see hundreds of salmon spawning up close at Goldstream Park
the smiles on my boys' faces as they ran from the incoming tide in Victoria

Pin It

{this moment}

wave chasing in Victoria

Pin It