My Summer Is All Booked!

 

 A lot of my Summer Reading time has been devoted to the Neapolitan Novels. I have had them on my To Be Read List for quite some time now, written in Italian, translated into English. (I feel smarter already, don't you?) Having finally assembled all 4 in the series, I determined this was the year I would read them. But I have to admit I'm not loving them. Though they, in theory, are everything I usually love about Books . . . Set in Naples Italy, the 4 Books follow 2 Girls who meet in the 1950's throughout their life time. The ups & downs of female friendships through the years & in this case decades. They started out strong for me as these two little girls meet & it's their shared love for the Book Little Women that binds them together, and makes them want to be writers when they grow up! (Be still my Feminist, Little Women Loving heart!) But they are some of the most violent I have ever read. Set in the streets of a very poor neighborhood in Naples. The third book is my favorite so far & I've yet to read the last in the series. It's so heart breaking when a Book doesn't live up to it's potential for me. Though many people all around the world love these books & they are pretty highly rated. They are just not my cup of tea.

Here's one that did live up to it's potential for me; The Boston Girl! I'm finding that I'm liking Historical Fiction more than I thought I did. And anything that makes you see from a different point of view is very interesting to me. And this protagonist was ahead of her time! And I'm glad I found her in mine! It's an easy read & well worth it!

 And what would a Summer Reading List be without an Elin Hilderbrand Book?! The quintessential Summer Read! Her Books, always set on Nantucket, and this one about Identical Twins very different from each other & from most characters you read about before is a fun one!

Look at this a male Author! :) I am a John Grisham fan! But this one isn't his typical Court Room Drama, of which I've read many & really like. Camino Island is set in Florida about an Author, a Bookstore, and a Crime. It's different for him and I really enjoyed it! If you love Books, you will like this one! The Perfect Beach Read!

Okay, so I didn't read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society this Summer, I read it a long time ago. But Netflix just came out with an Original Movie of it, staring Lily James, who is also in "Mamma Mia Here We Go Again" this Summer. And you have to see it! (And you also have to see Mamma Mia!) So Good!! 

I hope you are having a fun filled Summer, complete with good Books, good Movies and great Memories! And as always, let me know what your Reading & Watching in your Booked Summer!

Where The Wild Things Are Baby Shower

Our second Grand Baby, a Boy, is Due in November. 

To Celebrate we threw one "Wild" Party!! 

All based on the Classic Children's Book;

Where The Wild Things Are 

by: Maurice Sendak

Decor; 

We used the Book with lots of greenery.

My Daughter in Law's Mother & Best Friend are very creative!

Here are a few pics . . .

Food; 

A Taco Bar along with lots of yummy Mexican Food.

Fruit & Sweets Galore!

 

 

Games; 

We played the Classic Clothespin Game. 

And a couple other games based on "Wild Things." 

Guests; 

We had about 45 ladies, or more helping us celebrate.

Each were asked to sign & leave a little note for the baby in his own copy of the book! 

Gift Ideas; 

She received so many wonderful things! 

Our little boy will be very well dressed, well read & cared for!

I framed some pages out of the book for the Nursery wall. 

Mamma's sister in law created a bear riding a motorcycle out of needed baby items!

Thank you to everyone who came and helped with the Shower. 

Thanks to you we are ready for Baby! 

Can't wait to meet our little King of All the Wild Things!

Summer Reads For Everyone!

Weather you are Hitting the Beach, Sunning by the Pool, Camping in the Pines, Sitting Lake Side, Road Tripping, or staying in Air Conditioning this Summer, we all could use a good Summer Read! Books take us places we've never been, and let us look at the world through eyes not our own. I'll share with you some of what I've been Reading this Summer, and hopefully you find something that perks your interest and makes you want to pick up a Book!

 For the Young Adult Reader, who loves a good romance,

Everything Everything by: Nicola Yoon

My Daughters and I all loved this Book & then saw the Movie together! 

It's beautifully descriptive with an unusual story line. 

Adventure with a Twist

Leaving Time by: Jodi Picoult

If you like Books that aren't just what they seem, 

or simply love Elephants. :)

If you're a Non-Fiction History Buff, 

or just love Books about Women's Friendships

The Astronaut Wives Club by: Lily Koppel

is for you.

 Long to spend your summer on the East Coast?

Or like to explore Family Dynamics?

Body Surfing by; Anita Shreve

will let you do both!

 Since I am about to become a "Glam-ma" for the first time,

and my son is a Park Ranger;

Our Great Big Backyard by: Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager

Inspires kids to explore our National Parks! 

 My next Read is Christian Fiction

The Blue Bottle Club by: Penelope J. Stokes

A look back through time,

exploring women's lives.

This is not your light Summer Read.

Everything I Never Told You by: Celeste Ng

 Is a darker look inside a complicated Family

set in the 70's, but relevant today

Well, I Hope you see something that perks your interest and makes you want to pick up a Book or two! If so, tell me; what are you Reading this Summer? And where are you taking your Books to? 

The Zookeeper's Wife

I read this book quite a few years ago. And when my son, Zach was in school and had to do a World War II book report I told him about it and gave it to him to read. Then when my girls were in High School and it came time for them to do this same assignment, I gave The Zookeeper's Wife to Lexi, and to Erica I gave what was to become one of her all time favorite books; The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. I don't tend to read a lot of Historical books, but when I do, I like the World War II Era, for both Historical Fiction and Non Fiction. And this is a really good story. It's a true story of Zookeepers who hid over 300 Jewish people in their bombed out Zoo in Warsaw, Poland, even while having it occupied by the military, thus saving their lives.

I was so excited when this Movie Trailer came out and I've wanted to see it since it came out. But not being a big "blockbuster", not all theaters carried it, and the closest theaters to my house were not showing it. We tried to squeeze it in over Easter weekend, but it didn't work out. So we had picked a weekday evening that neither of my girls worked, which doesn't happen often, but I ended up with a migraine. Then this weekend, we decided we were going! So after my girls got off work on Saturday, we drove from Gilbert to a theater in Mesa to see it, only to be told, there were only 8 seats left for the showing, and of course they couldn't guarantee we'd find 4 seats together, or not in the front row, etc. Um, no thank you. We couldn't help but wonder if maybe we're not supposed to see this film! But I really wanted to. So we tried one last time. Sunday evening we drove back to the theater in Mesa, and Finally got admittance into the Zoo! :) The book by Diane Ackerman, is based on the translated journals of Antonia Zabinska, and isn't always easy to follow, or really well written. But it is such a great story, that deserves to be told! The movie is visually stunning. And yes, this is one of the extremely rare instances in which the Movie happens to be even better than the Book! That's right, I said it!! 

Mamma Mia!

If you know anything about me, you know I love all things Broadway! And I have tried my best to impart that love onto my children.

Last night my girls and I got to see Mamma Mia! Touring as part of Broadway Across America, and it is sadly on it's farewell tour.

We all love the Movie version, but if you've seen it; not all the actor's are great singers. :0 (I can relate to that as I'm not a great singer myself! Though I don't usually let that stop me!) ;) But Broadway actors are amazing singers! And with the awesome songs of Abba, you know it's good!

 This is such a fun show! At any given moment, you can look around the audience and see patrons singing, clapping along, and dancing! You laugh and leave feeling happy and up beat!

 And Bonus! We got to see some old friends of ours; another mother with her two amazing daughters that we used to go to Church with. They are Finnish, and love Abba maybe even more than I do!

Sadly Mamma Mia! is on it's farewell tour. And as the "Dancing Queens" we are, we are so sad to see it go, but so happy that we got to see it together! And say along with everyone else; "Thank You For The Music!"

15 Years

It was one of those days we all remember exactly where we were. As for Me, I was at home with my two 3 year old daughters, my boys had gone to school. I turned on the Today Show. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was a sad time already, as I had just lost my only Sister a month before. We went to the Church where my husband was working, they had brought in a TV to watch and Pray. I remember my little girls saying "Daddy, we already watched this one with a plane flying into the building!" And I was so grateful they weren't old enough to understand what was really going on.

My boy's were in 4th and 5th grades. They were told and watched at school, then were sent home early. We had many conversations following. Adults couldn't understand it, let alone children. I've read "Let's Roll" and other books, and we've watched the Movies made about that day. Then when my boys were teenagers we got to go to New York. We stood at the Memorial as it was being built. When you stepped off the subway, you just felt a hush in the air. I think it truly is the only quiet place in the city.

A few years ago, John & I got to visit Washington D.C., another awesome city. Below is a pic we snapped of the Pentagon, that was also hit on 9/11. In both cities we heard stories from people who were there that day, and what they lived through.

My oldest son, Kyle and his wife, Katie spent their Honeymoon in New York. All the Pictures of the 9/11 Memorial and the new Freedom Tower, he took. The ones with the Twin Towers in them I got off the Internet, as I wanted to show some before and afters.

We will not forget.

BFF's

 We moved into the house we're in right before my girls started Kindergarten.  At our Church they met Maddie & her younger sister Morgan, and they became fast friends! Their Mom, Tammy and I became friends as well. We spent many afternoons poolside and on outings with our girls. Tammy & I ran a Mom's Group together at the Church. Our kids never went to the same school, and even after we no longer went to the same Church, we stayed close . . .

 

I love this pic of the little cuties!

 Here they are a little bit older.

It's great when you can be friends with your kids' friends parents! We all love hanging out together! Our families enjoy getting together. Over the years we all have spent countless Holiday's together, every Halloween & New Year's Eve among them!

 Ringing in a New Year Together

 Us at Maddie's "Sweet 16"

 One of the MANY Dance Concerts we all went to! 

Girls supporting each other, become Women who support each other!!

 Beautiful Girls and their first Prom! 

It's also great when you find "Couple Friends!" Too many times, you'll meet someone you might like to hang out with, but the husbands might not get along, or vise-versa. But, thankfully that's not the case here.

At our oldest Son's Wedding! 

 Daddy/Daughter Diamondbacks Date!

 Happy Birthday to me! 

Happy Birthday to her!

 Tammy and I do have some things in common; Besides raising Brilliant and Beautiful Daughters! :) We Both love Reality T.V., especially American Idol! And could Fan Girl with the best of them! And we Love Movies, and have seen too many together to count! And have stood in line for Twilight and Hunger Games tickets while our girls were in school! Yeah, we're the "Cool Moms!" Though like all Friendships, we've had to overcome some hardships; namely She Doesn't Like To Read! (I know, right?!) Yet, she will ask me what I'm reading and listen intently as I talk nonstop about Books! Now that's a true friend!

Here we are waiting for one of the Twilight Premiers to begin!

Here's Tammy having her Favorite American Idol, Danny Gokey, sign her Boob! :0

(Okay, it was really her VIP Name Tag, but what are friends for if not to tease you?!)

We really do Sparkle!! 

As do our girls! 

Jay taking the girls out 4 wheeling! 

So, why the Blog Post talking about our 13 year Friendship? Because as long as we've known Jay & Tammy, Maddie & Morgan, they have talked about a dream they have to live on a tropical island. Now a lot of people dream of leaving the daily grind and living on a Beach somewhere, but who really does that? Well, they sold their big house and their boat. Rented a smaller house the past few years till Maddie Graduated from High School. They sold just about everything they had, and actually did it! Yes, our good friends have moved to Aruba! 

 Hanging out together before they leave!

 

 These four little girls are so grown up now!

We are so Happy and Thrilled for them, but we are sad for us. We text (or Facebook Message) and Facetime, but It's hard not seeing them all the time. My boys used to house sit for them whenever they went away. We have dog sat each others pets. Shared Birthday's and Holiday's. Gone to each others School Events. After they shipped what they were moving with them & sold everything else, we had them over for dinner once a week. I've always loved their big square dinning room table that seats 8. Our little table sat just 6, and with us adding 2 Daughter in Laws, we'd have to squeeze around it. Well, that big beautiful table is now ours! We think of them every time we sit at it!

 Dinner in the Square!

 Our last time together in their empty house

The Amazingly good news is that we will always have a place to stay on Aruba! :) It's been a huge undertaking to move out of the country. If you'd like you can follow along on their adventures and learn the ins and outs, and all the things you'd never think of, with a move of this kind on Tammy's Blog. Z Island Life. And we can all live vicariously through them together!

 Just hang up the phone! ;)

 Just don't forget where you came from!

So, now I guess I'll be taking applications for a new Best Friend! :)