A year of books in review

Last year I posted a list of five of my favorite books from the year. This year I thought I would do the same. I read over 90 books this year and I had some really great reads that I recommend to most people I meet (I also had some really awful reads too, pity). Here are a list of my top five, in no particular order.The Luxe series was such a fun read. She finished the series this year and I just thought it was the perfect ending. The story takes place in New York in the late 1800's. It involves scandal, romance and everything in between. I just loved these books and the characters that were so easy to love and hate. My grandma gave me this book to read and I was a little hesitant about it. One day I didn't have anything else to read so I picked it up and never put it down. I cherished my time reading this book. It is such a sweet simple story that left me completely satisfied. The authors' writing was magnificent and I just couldn't get enough. I just loved this read. I started reading the Percy Jackson series early on in the year and I just fell in love. He also finished his series this year and I couldn't have been happier with the last book. The author knew how to the end the series with a bang. The entire book is one big fight and although that sounds like it could drag, it doesn't. I just love Percy Jackson! The much anticipated second book in the Hunger Games series came out this year. I don't think I've been so excited for a book to come out in a very long time until this one. I waited anxiously and loved every minute of this one, although sometimes I had to walk away because it was just too emotional for me at times. Although I will say this wasn't as good as Hunger Games, it came pretty darn close. Expect to see the third book in next years best list. I finally got around to reading this book after it had been on my to read list for years. I mostly started it because I met the author and was so impressed I decided to go for it and I wasn't disappointed. I read so many books that most of the time they all remind me of each other, this one was different. I read it and was refreshed by how different it was from all the other books I had read. I couldn't get enough of his descriptions of the fairies (and the fact that he spelled fairies correctly). I am slowly making my way through this series, especially knowing I will be meeting with the author again in February.

I am always in search of a great book, so if you have any let me know! What did you think of these books?

I am quickly learning how ridiculously difficult it is to get two kids to look at the camera, smile and look cute at the same time. Here are my pathetic attempts. 

Can you tell who was happy to take this picture and who wasn't?  This is seriously the best of the two of them together, pitiful!  Apparently Blake takes better pictures by himself rather than with his sister! And sadly this is the best of Kalli. I just loved her dress this year!

Merry Christmas!

Builders We Are..

This year we decided to start a new tradition of making a gingerbread house together. I don't ever remember making one so this was quite a new experience for me. We had so much fun together sitting around the tree decorating. Our kids didn't really care about decorating but instead concentrated on getting their hands on as much candy as they could. So good times all around. 

Joe took the frosting away from me at the very beginning because my frosting work was not up to his standards. He did a good job I have to admit.  Blake pretending to help but in actuality stealing candy.  Can you tell they were excited. This was the only picture I could get of Kalli looking at the camera because she was so involved in taking the candy off the house, the little stinker! Yea, this is what happens when these two get together.  Our finished product. Joe told me I need to take a picture from afar because it's not so nice looking up close, but I think for first timers it turned out really well. This will be a tradition we will come back to each year, it was so enjoyable! 

One year ago today....

It's hard to believe that a year ago Kalli went into surgery to fix her skull. It actually feels like a lifetime ago. Here are some pictures to show how much we've grown!

Kalli's football head.  Right after surgery. She was so swollen and it was hard to see what she would look like. Poor baby.  This was Kalli a couple days after surgery. When we got her home she was smiley and happy and you would never have known she had had surgery on her skull. What a little trouper!  And Kalli today. You can't even tell that she ever had surgery except for the beautiful shape of her head and her tiny little scar. I only see the scar because I use it as her part for her hair. I find I look at people's head shapes now, after going through all this. Kalli has the most perfect head shape and although it came from surgery, it's still perfect. 

We have found out that her condition is genetic so we're crossing our fingers that our future child(ren) don't have it. She's come so far in a year!