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August Titles // 2019

August books in the windowsill 
August was a bit of a lame reading month. The top picture does show quite a smaller stack than most months, and the (top) bookclub pick didn't even get picked up until September. In fact, I only finished one book this month by myself and one book with the kids as a read aloud! One of these books I read about 10 pages per day (though didn't finish it) and one I completed today, on September 1st, so you'll see it next month. In the words of Donald Trump, "SAD!"
*The Marrow Thievesby Cherie Dimaline - I can't remember where I first saw this book-more than likey at my local library on the teen shelves- but I finally read this YA Indigenous dystopian novel. How's that for a genre? I really enjoyed it. The year is 2049 and the world has gone through an apocalyptic change due to climate change, and everyone has lost the ability to dream...except the Indigenous peoples, who are on the hunt to be harvested for their dreaming ability…
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July Titles // 2019

I literally can't believe I read this many books in July. Now, mind you, I probably finished three the first week that I had been reading for some time, so that feels like cheating a bit, but I found myself very busy, with a lot of restless energy, and very little desire to read especially towards the end of the month. My brain is feeling overloaded from so much. I'm specifically not planning any outings for myself or the kids the last two weeks in August because hoo-boy do I need to actually start planning our homeschool year. 

The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy - This is a memoir from a co-host of the popcast, which isn't a podcast I listen to, but a friend of mine does and she loaned me the book because hello! 80s and 90s pop culture references! It was funny and I enjoyed it but the Christianese message at the end of most chapters I found to be a bit corny.

Start From the Heart by Kathy Koch - This was a book I got from my mother-in-law at the beginning of the summer and …
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June Titles // 2019

Been waiting a loooong time to read this one!
I really had no idea how many books I had actually read in June (I thought it was half of this!) until I started this blog post and realized the four I thought were from May were actually this month. What?! That might be an example why my brain feels so slow these days.  I am fully into the book, but time is passing quickly and I just can't remember when I finished what. Thank goodness for Pinterest, where I keep track of the books I want to read and those I have finished. 
*No Walls and the Recurring Dream by Ani DiFranco - My best girl Ani finally wrote a memoir! It only covers her first 30 years (she's close to 50 now), but it was just as good and rife with feminism and weirdness as I expected it to be. I first started listening to Ani Difranco's music in high school and I am so glad I found her, her uncontrollable guitar, and her penchant for fierce political poetical lyrics early in life. Loved this; 100% biased. 
*A Beaut…
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Lukka's 12th Birthday Interview

science experiment with friends
What is your favorite color? Blue--sky or navy

Who are some of your friends? the Imoo family, the Hieberts, Zack + Dillion, Cole, Ethan, Daniel, the Goheens, Kellan
What do you want to do when you grow up? car designer and car company owner, or something to do with cars

What is your favorite animal? tigers, dogs, turtles, cats, horses

Lukka interviews a family friend in front of his co-op friends
What is your favorite thing to do with Anikka?  play chess
What is your favorite thing to do with your friends?  play video games, go swimming, play games 
Lukka loves covering himself in mud + clay at the Fraser river
What do you like to do outside?  bike ride, swim, skiing, frisbee, go to the beach

What do you like to do inside?  xbox, watch Family Matters, read, play my piano
posing for a pic at Mt. Seymour
What is your favorite food?  mac n' cheese, pizza, hot dogs, burgers, cereal, fries

What is your favorite drink?  Dr. Pepper

barely making a dent in a massive bowl…
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May Titles // 2019

just a few of this month's reads!

This month was sort of a red letter one--I can't believe all that I got to read in just 31 days. Thankfully, a few of these reads were very short (I'm looking at you Juliet and Mary Ventura), but mostly I just plodded on through one chapter per day with the others (so many holds all at once!) to finish them all in a timely manner. That worked very well, especially as most of these wouldn't be page turners or ones I could sit with for long. It's a long list so let's get to it!
*Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - I LOVE Rowell's work and always sneak one of her super fun YA page turners in when I'm downright tired. This was a funny and interesting little love story that I connceted with because I know the place. Rowell is from Omaha and so I can see in my mind's eye exactly where she's talking about even if she isn't 'talking about it' with real names. The bands playing at the Sokol? I've been there …
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April Titles // 2019

slow mornings; a Mast favorite!
April was a pretty decent reading month, considering it was a full month. The kids had their Destination Imagination tournament (1st place in both categories!), a few field trips, wrapping up of the kids' co-op with Celebration Day, horse camp each week, planting our garden, Easter Celebrations and the like. Phew! We squeezed in finishing a couple good read-alouds, too. Here's my list:
*True You by Michelle DeRusha - This was another book that felt right in line with books I've been reading relating to spirituality and the Christian faith; but really, the breaking down of the false self (see The Gift of Becoming Yourself and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality). I love DeRusha's metaphor of pruning a tree that shows up in section breaks. The author lives in my hometown, and so I felt a bit more context with what she was noticing throughout the seasons (and relating them to the context of a faith journey) becuase I've been to all those p…
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March Titles // 2019

Surprisingly, I read more in the blips of the month before and after my trip than I did in all of February!

*Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero - This was a book I was going through with my small group, and boy was it good. It's a book that, upon finishing the first time, you shake your head a bit, wonder at what you just read, and realize you need to immediately start over to absorb more. Highly recommend for just about everyone.

*Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd - This was a mother-daughter travel memoir intermixed with changing life seasons and gorgeous scenery...pretty much right up my alley. A bit melancholy at times, but the writing, oy. Monk Kidd talks about the beginnings of her bestseller--The Secret Life of Bees, while simultaneously coming to grips with mothering her daughter in a new way. Loved it! It was an unexpected book club pick and I was here for it.

*Prairie Suite by Twyla Hansen - This is a short book of poetry about the Spring Creek…
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February Titles // 2019

the hopefuls
Februrary wasa  slower book month, but unfortunately because of this month's fewer days, there are 2 books that won't make this list that I will probably complete in that time period. Harumph. Only two of the above books were completed, and one wasn't even started. That, I'm assuming, will also be our March read-alouds fate, barely any output this month, but partway through a number that we'll finish by the end of next.
*China Rich Girlfriendby Kevin Kwan - This is the second book in the Crazy Rich Asians series, and it did not disappoint. It clocked in just under 500 pages and was again, my favorite read of the month with the humor, cultural context, and ridiculous storyline. I have now gotten to the end of each of these books with the thought, "dangit! Now I'm going to have to read the next one" because I don't like spending time with a 450+ page book. These are worth it, however, and I fully intend to read the last in the series so…
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Anikka's 10th Birthday Interview

Happy Birthday, Anikka! It's hard to believe our baby is now fully in tween-hood and double digits. We love you and love who you are: an artist, a good friend, a deep-thinker, a cuddler, and someone who shows courage. We pray health and joy over your next year!
Candid of Ani checking out Frida Kahlo's art and self-portraits during a co-op Art class
What is your favorite color? blue and purple
Who are some of your friends? Isla, Kathryn, Rachel, Nyah, Marie, Anya, Phoebe, Audrey, Charlee, Charlotte, Ana, Anna, Ashlyn
What do you want to be when you grow up? a mom
What makes you happy? art, and Copper
What makes you sad? death
 Ski bunny Ani!
What is your favorite animal?cat, dog, horse, unicorn, bird
What is your favorite book?  Wings of Fire (series)
What is your favorite thing to do with Mom? read or bake
What is your favorite thing to do with Dad? play games
What is your favorite thing to do with Lukka? bounce on the balls
What do you like to do with your friends?  play and art

Ani and mo…
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January Titles // 2019

Lukka heading down the hill at Cypress during sunset
The book reading was light this month as our local homeschool support group started up our ski + snowboarding lesson group which I am in charge of and that took a lot of my free time and energy. Also, two of my favorite shows started up again and with three episodes each under my belt, that's a solid 6 hours I would have spent reading, watching online! I rarely watch TV and tell most people "I'm not currently accepting applications for new shows" when someone tells me about a show I have to watch, but my favorites often come up with new season in the winter which is pretty much the perfect season for me to tune in. Anyway, onto the sparse list!

*A Light So Lovely by Sarah Arthur - The first book I finished in 2019, appropriately, was another Madeleine L'Engle biograhy, this one specifically about how she defyied all categories of Christianity, motherhood, writing, and imagination. I loved this one. I might buy …
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19 in 2019 // Intentions for the Year Ahead

view from the top of Salt Spring Island, BC
I always love making an intentional list for the year ahead, but as I've been reflecting on the past year in my personal time, along with reflecting on our past half of our homeschooling year thus far, I've staretd to jot some 'things' down for this year as in years past, but I haven't been able to fill up the whole list and I have no idea why.  Maybe it's that I don't feel I have the brain space, maybe because it's nearly Feb. 1st already and I'm feeling behind already, or maybe it's because I just haven't let it sit and stew enough. That's ok. I'm learning to just go with it. I have about half.  I add to my list in my bullet journal, I more than likely won't remember to edit this post but (shrug), Oh Well. Such is life! 
19 in 2019 (or, ahem, a few less)
1) Watch Lo & Behold technology docuseries with Lukka. We watched Cosmos last year and that was a wonderful experience for us bot…
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2018: What Happened? What Didn't?

looking into 2019 like
Yes, I totally used this photo at the beginning of the year, too, but I love it. It represents looking forward, of course, at the year to come, but also a great reflection of what happened within a year that just passed. 
There is nothing special about New Years to me, aside from the fact that I have, at one time in my life, been a big List Person. As the kids grow up and our days get fuller, them going this way and that, it becomes imperative that I write down some sort of tangible activities we can do together (or I can do on my own!), and experiences I want to be intentional about getting to. Science says writing things down means they are more likely to happen.  Even if I only get to half my list-half is better than zero any day!
So, here's my 2018 list, and here's whatactually happened: 
I tried to make an honest effort to be in more photos as opposed to being the one always taking them. I made Stefan do more selfies with me on date nights, and made…
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Top 10 Books from 2018

a friend's beautiful built-ins!
I love writing book reviews, talking books with friends (or let's be honest, complete strangers), and reading and attending my book club. One of my favorite ways to reflect on the past year also has to do with books; making a Top 10 list. I usually average about 60-80 books per year. I could up it if I listened to audiobooks, but they're just too long, and I love my podcasts for doing chores and driving instead.  I can usually easily hit 60 on my own, but the other 15-20 come from reading aloud to the kids, something I rarely miss per night. This past year we hunkered down with the hefty 4,000+ pages of Harry Potter, so we had fewer read-alouds than normal, but plenty of pages. Here are the favorite books I read over 2018; there's something here for everyone. I only included books on this list that I hadn't previously read (so, no HPs, is what I'm saying, though at least 3 would be on this list otherwise!). It's fun to see th…
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