Books that I read for fun in July

Over the last year and a half, I started documenting the books that I read for fun (and not just for review purposes).  I have decided that I need to continue that as reading is important part of how I relax. Books that I read for fun are books that I have not been asked to review and that I have chosen to read, well because I like to read. In 2015, I read a total of 49 books! This year, 2016, I am aiming to read 52 books...Not including this month I have read 33 books so there is a good chance I will meet this goal! 

So....What did I read in July?: 

I discovered a new to me author-- Mary Alice Monroe-- quite by accident. I saw one of her books on the shelf at the library as I was looking for another book and I picked it up and noticed that they had the 3 books in the trilogy and decided to give them a try. I LOVED them! "The Beach House" I read on vacation-- it was the perfect beach read. I started "Swimming Lessons" on the drive home from vacation and finished the next day. Cannot wait to read more of hers. 




I also read several diet books and non-fiction books as well! 

 

Here are the books I read for fun in:

June 2016
May 2016
March-April 2016
February 2016
January 2016
Books from 2015
Books from 2014

                                                 Have you read any good books lately?

Any series you would recommend? 

43 things you didn't know about me

I saw this on facebook the other day and decided to answer the questions here. I am taking this year to really get to know ME and to listen to my likes and dislikes and to really become in tune with who I am. So without further ado, here are 43 things you probably didn't know about me. 

1. Do you like blue cheese? 
    ---that would be a big fat no! Cannot stand blue cheese
2. Have you ever smoked? 
    ---One time in my life. One and done. Didn't like it.
3. Do you own a gun? 
    ---Nope
4. What is your favorite flavor? 
    ---Chocolate or peppermint
5. Do you get nervous before Doctor visits?
    ---Of course, who doesn't.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? 
    ---They are okay. Not the greatest in the world, but I will 
       one on occasion. 
7. Favorite Movie?
    ---Apollo 13 (with Tom Hanks)
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? 
    ---Water
9. Do you do push ups? 
    ---Nope
10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? 
    ---my wedding ring
11. Favorite hobby? 
    ---Reading
12. Do you have A.D.D.? 
    --- Not that I know of.
13. What’s the one thing you dislike about yourself? 
    ---My weight
14. What is your middle name? 
    ---Marie
15. Name three thoughts at this moment… 
    ---the kids' show is over, why are they playing with the 
       v-reader, I need to think about making lunch
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
    ---water, pop, water
17. Current worry? 
    ---Lots of things...the future of our country, back to school
       anxiety for the kids, Bill's job situation, etc. 
18. Current annoyance right now? 
    ---messy house
19. Favorite place to be? 
    ---home or on Indian Beach, North Carolina
20. How do you ring in the new year? 
    ---Home with my husband
21. Where would you like to go? 
    ---Back to the beach
22. Do you own slippers? 
    ---Nope, don't like slippers
23. What color shirt are you wearing right now? 
    ---Black and white
24. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? 
    ---I can take them or leave them.
25. Can you whistle? 
    ---Nope
26. What are your favorite colors? 
    ---Teal and Pink
27. Would you be a pirate? 
    ---Sure Matey!
28. What songs do you sing in the shower?
    --- I don't sing in the shower
29. Favorite girls name?
    ---Rebecca
30. Favorite boys name? 
    ---Jacob and Benjamin
31. What’s in your pocket right now? 
    ---Nothing
32. Last thing that made you laugh? 
    ---My kids
33. Best toy as a child? 
    ---Cabbage Patch Kids doll
34. Worst injury you ever had? 
    ---putting my hand through a glass door when I was young
35. Where would you love to live? 
    ---on the coast of North Carolina
36. How many TV’s do you have? 
    ---We have 4 in our house I think.
37. Who is your loudest friend? 
    ---??? I don't really have loud friends.
38. How many dogs do you have? 
    --- None
39. Does someone trust you? 
    --- Yes.
40. What book are you reading at the moment? 
    ---Extreme Transformation by Chris and Heidi Powell
41. What’s your favorite candy? 
    ---Dove chocolate
42. What’s your favorite sports team? 
    ---Cleveland Indians and Green Bay Packers
43. Favorite month? 
    ---July

Hopefully you learned something new about me. If you want feel free to put your own answers to these questions in your own blog or in the comments!

Tomatoes, pigs, fair rides and birthday cake

Yesterday was my 37th birthday! And it was a low key kind of a day. My husband had to work in the morning, so I took the kids to the library and then to a local farm market. At the farm market, the owner was putting out cherry tomatoes and started talking to my kids and offered them each a cherry tomato. Jacob gobbled his up, Ben took one bite of his and Rebecca politely told her no, as she doesn't like tomatoes. I told the woman that Jacob eats cherry tomatoes like candy. Then we went on our shopping. As we were leaving, she said bye to the kids and then told Jacob that she wanted to give us a whole container of the tomatoes for him to take home. Talk about sweet and unexpected. That is why we go to this market. The people are so sweet and are extremely customer friendly-- (as we were leaving I saw one of their male employees gathering sweet corn for an elderly woman so she would not have to get out of her car!). They are really an asset to our community. 

After we came home, Bill came home from work and we went out to lunch. I really didn't want to spend a lot of money on my lunch and I knew that the kids would enjoy a lunch at McDonald's so that is what we had--using a gift card I had received at the end of the school year from a tutoring client. 

After lunch, we headed out to the Knox County Fair. This was the first year we had to pay for Rebecca to get in as she is 9 and 8 and under get in free. 

We first walked through the various animal barns. One of the first animals that we saw were pigs and Benjamin had a fascinating conversation with a huge pig that kept snorting and responding to Ben. Maybe he has a future career as a pig whisperer. 

We also saw cows, sheep, bunnies, horses, chickens, ducks and turkeys. We didn't see any birds last year as they had been banned because of bird flu fears, but they were back this year. 

The kids wanted to ride some rides and play some games so we headed in that direction. In the kiddie ride area we were disappointed in that they only had 2 games for kids to play and not the balloon pop game that Rebecca has played every year and kept saying that she wanted to play again this year. 

Ben kept saying he wanted to ride the "roar" (dino) ride and we got him in it and then as soon as it started he started screaming and crying and wanting off. The guy running it actually stopped it so he could get off. 

Ben did ride the train with Jacob and the Merry-go-round with Bill, Jacob and Rebecca.  We found that Rebecca was too tall for many of the kiddie rides this year which she was a little disappointed in. 

However, after we walked over to the adult ride area she found a couple rides to ride that she loved. She went down the giant slide 2 times and LOVED it!

She also rode her first roller coaster type ride. She was very brave! 

After that we decided to get a snack-- funnel cake for me (and the kids) and an elephant ear for Bill. We also got icees for the kids to enjoy. 

After finishing our snacks, we headed back to the van. While on the way, we ran into our good friends, whose daughters are involved in 4-H and were doing horse stuff. So we talked to them for a few minutes while my friend had a break from working the arena. 

When we came home, Bill surprised me with flowers, a card and a birthday cake. Bill and the kids sang happy birthday to me then since Bill had to go back into work in the evening. 

After Bill went back to work, I made dinner for the kids and just relaxed. I also gave baths and let the kids have some cake before bed.

Overall, it was a good day to be turning 37. 

Ghost crabs and beach and pool time

The beach is good for the soul! I truly believe that and I find that I feel at home when I am near the water. 

So being in Indian Beach, was refreshing and uplifting to my soul! 

The first full day we were there, Monday, July 11, we decided to just hang out on the beach and in the condo complex that we were staying in. 

After breakfast, we all got changed into swimsuits, slathered on sunscreen, gathered towels and beach toys and headed down to the beach. We were greeted by the sounds of waves and by Rebecca exclaiming that there was something moving in the sand. 

It was 2 huge ghost crabs. One quickly buried itself in the sand while the other took off across the sand and my husband chased after it while I got the kids settled and towels laid out. 

All the kids were excited to get the beach toys out and dig in the sand. Rebecca was determined to make a sand castle. Jacob was the first to get bored and head to the water, with Rebecca following shortly after. 

Benjamin decided to stay on the sand and have me bury him! He thought it was hilarious. 

We stayed on the beach for several hours, before heading in to shower, eat lunch and relax for a bit. 

Around dinner time, we decided to try the little restaurant/snack bar that is in the condo complex. The food was snack bar types..I think Ben had french fries, Bill had nachos and I think the kids had popcorn chicken and fries. I wasn't hungry. 

After dinner, we went out to go swimming in the pool. They have 3 large pools spread over the complex and there is a fenced off kiddie pool that we took Benjamin to, as it is only 1 foot deep in all areas. Bill took Jacob and Rebecca to the adjacent big pool. Benjamin had fun with his new pool toys (rings that you throw and then get underwater) and loved the pool! 

After swimming, we got the kids ice cream to take back to the condo and to get ready for bed. 

The kids loved their bedroom setup-- Ben got his own twin bed and Rebecca and Jacob shared the bunk bed-- Rebecca on top and Jacob on the bottom bunk. 

After the kids were in bed, my hubby, sister and I played cards. (In fact we did this every night except the first and last nights). We played Rummy and ate chips and cheese! I am happy to say that I won! 

After cards, we all went to bed, extremely happy due to our great day at the beach!  

 

If you are interested in more vacation recap here is:

Day 1: We went to Indian Beach, NC