My 2018 Book Review

In 2018, I have read 42 books. I like to read fiction but there were also some autobiographies, Christmas books, and quite a few historical fiction books. Of these 42 books: 

• 8 were audio books
• 3 were read-aloud to the children (of course there were many more books were read to them but these are longer chapter books): The Wizard of Oz; Pippi Longstocking; The One and Only Ivan
• 8 were historical fiction: Orphan Train; Winter Garden; The Zookeeper's Wife; I was Anastasia; Yellow Crocus; The Book Thief; All The Light We Cannot See; Als wir unsterblich waren
• 5 were autobiographies: Sister's First, Confessions of a domestic failure, Three Cups of Tea, Lion: A long way home, Hourglass
• 6 were Christmas stories : Winter Stroll/ Storms/ Solstice; Christmas Masquerade; Winter in Paradise, Catching Christmas
• 7 were psychological thrillers/ suspense: Not that I could tell; Behind closed doors; An unwanted guest; The Chemist; The Couple Next Door; Nine Perfect Strangers; The Girl Before
• 12 novels/ fiction: After You; Still Me; A Man Called Ove; Britt-Marie was here; Us Against You; The Alchemist; The Great Alone; The Next Person You Meet in Heaven; The Good House; Uncommon Things (by Tom Hanks); Little Fires Everywhere; And Every Morning...
• 1 Teen Novel: 13 Reasons Why 

From the following authors, I read multiple books this year and often, I have read them in the past years as well: 

• Fredrik Backman (fiction)
• Elin Hildebrand (Winter Stroll Series)
• Jojo Meyers (romance novels)
• Shari Lapena (psychological thriller)

My top reads of the year 2018 are as follows. As you can tell, I like to read historical fiction, mostly about WW II and women who gave their all for their loved ones. 

• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - Ove: a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Death is the storyteller, which is quite a different viewpoit to get used to. But since it is 1939 and Nazi Germany, Death is very occupied until he meets Liesel Meminger. 
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - The story of a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II
• The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight novels, which I do not care for) - A gripping page-turner about an ex agent on the run from her former employers, who must take on one more case to clear her name and save her own life.
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate - Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this novel is told from the point of view of Ivan himself and how he became friends with an elephant, a dog, and a little girl.
• Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - Heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. 
• Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim - The story of Lisbeth and her enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. 
• Als Wir Unsterblich Waren by Charlotte Roth (German author) - The great German family saga: brilliantly researched, perceptibly authentic and full of passion. The story of the clever and brave Paula, who fights for women's and workers' rights in the 1920s - and falls in love with an immortal "comrade" from an upscale family. Many decades later, her granddaughter unravels the secret of her grandmother's story. 
• The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman - A true story in which the keepers, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, of the Warsaw Zoo managed to save over three hundred people from the Nazis by hiding refugees in the empty animal cages. 

Honestly, I really enjoyed the following books as well and often times, thoughts about these books still linger many months after I read them:

• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
• Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng 
• Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Sequel to Beartown)
• Britt-Marie was here by Fredrik Backman
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
• Sisters First by Jenna and Barbara Busch
• The Girl Before by JP Delaney
• I was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhorn

I also read/ listened to a couple of books that were not horrible but scored the lowest on my chart: 

• Lion: A long way home by Saroo  Brierley - it was too slow moving for my taste and the book started with the ending, so what is the point of reading it???
• Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro - autobiography that jumped everywhere and was repetitive in a lot of ways

I also have an ever-growing list of books to read and I hope that this year, I will be able to finish at least 40 books. For some this does not seem a lot but given that I had a couple of months were I only finished one book, this goal is achievable for me. Reading is a pleasure and should never become a must-do thing. This also does not include any children's book we read-alouds around the breakfast table. If you have any great book recommendations for me; please let me know. 

HAPPY READING, EVERYONE!

Happy New Year 2019

New Year's Eve was warm but very rainy. So, we just went to the gym in the morning for a last run in 2018 and then spent the rest of the day at home. This entailed a lot of cuddling of the guinea pigs. Lucy and Linus adjusted very well and even the cat doesn't mind them: 

We had planned to spend NYE at home with the kids. So, the children and I made some delicious brownie bites for dessert and served up a buffet style dinner. Of course, there had to be some decorations, kids champagne and poppers too: 

We had an early countdown with King Julien (thanks to Netflix) before heading outside for some sparklers and fountain firework.

Last family picture of 2018:

Overall, 2018 was a great year for us and we are looking forward to what 2019 brings for us. Our focus will be on less travel for work but instead more family getaways. So grateful and blessed to be spending the last day of the year and the rest of my life with these crazy 3 people, especially my husband who always has my back. 

After saying Happy New Year at midnight EST (as I was to tired to stay awake for another hour), we all slept soundly in to the new year. This morning, the temperatures dropped from 67F to mid 40s F with a breeze and we bundled up for our New Year walk around the neighborhood. 

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, watching football, doing some puzzles, playing games and preparing for work tomorrow. 

Even the cat "helped" with my puzzles: 

Hope everyone has a joyful, healthy and prosperous 2019!!! 

Christmas 2018

Christmas Eve I woke up before the children and the noise and enjoyed a cozy view with my morning tea. I'm savoring those few minutes I get for myself here and there before the chaos of the day starts.

It's Christmas Eve and the excitement was thru the roof in our house. Seeing them so excited makes Christmas even more magical. That morning, they hugged their elves goodbye until next December, when they will return.

Followed by Rudolph pancakes for breakfast:

Santa's helper ran to the pet store and picked up two guinea pigs. While the kids napped, Mommy got to cuddle them:

We got dressed and went to the Christmas Eve service at church. The children were thrilled to be able to hold the candles during the last song of the service: Silent Night.

After church we ate cookies in the car while watching the Christmas Light displays. 

Before bed, we fed the reindeer, put out milk and cookies for Santa and read T'was the Night Before Christmas.

Santa came:

Both kids can't wait to see what Santa brought:

A new stuffed animal for each as well as two guinea pigs!

Opening gifts and some blurry family pictures:

Everyone loved their gifts but the two new guinea pigs, named now Lucy and Linus (both male though), were definitely the most popular gift.

 For lunch, I made a traditional German Christmas dinner: duck, red cabbage and some other trimmings. It was delicious!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing in our pajamas and playing with the new toys. It surely was the perfect Christmas day. We hope your Christmas was as merry and bright as ours!

Merry Christmas!

It’s the last month of the year and then 2018 will be over…unbelievable how fast this one went by. Every year, time passes quicker and quicker. I’m a bit sad to say goodbye to 2018 as this was truly a great year for our family. Nothing too exciting or crazy happened (no move or new job), just living life and enjoying it as much as we could, and we are more than thankful to be healthy.

Our youngest, Elliot, turned 5 this month and this is his last year in preschool before starting Kindergarten at the elementary school next August. He grew so much over these past 12 months, not only in height but also in spirit and mind. This is his first year we signed him up for a sport: Basketball and he loves it. Actually, any sport involving a ball is his kind of thing. It was quickly discovered that he is ahead of his age and now plays with the 5/6-year-old group. His favorite thing to watch is the show Battlebots and afterwards he builds his own robots out of Lego. Elliot is very creative and definitely has an engineer’s mind. He also excels at reading (one lesson a day at home and some at preschool too) and writing his name. Looking forward to see how he does at school next year and if his hobbies will change because of that.

Our little girl might be small in size but definitely not her personality. She loves being in second grade (and her awesome teacher) and anything that involves drawing, painting, writing or reading is her favorite subject. She writes a story almost every single day and we have a hard time keeping up with all the papers of this future artist. Amelia also joined a dance studio, per recommendation of her pediatrician, where once a week she has a tap/ ballet lesson. She really enjoys it and we love watching her become more confident while performing in front of people.

Our furry child, Indy, just turned 10 in the beginning of the month and is loving life. When she isn’t squeezed or chased by Amelia, she relaxes in front of the fire or watches the birds on the birdfeeder thru the window.

While Derrick’s year started off with lots of rest and healing after a hernia surgery, by spring time he was out and about working hard in our yard. Old decking and an overgrown pool has been removed and lots and lots of dirt has been added to even out and re-sow the grass in the front and the back of our house. When he is not busy traveling for work or working around the house, he jumps in to play Mr. Mom while I’m on business trips.

For me, 2018 has been a fast-paced and busy year mainly due to the many changes at work because of acquisitions, but I do enjoy the work. I also traveled twice to Europe this year:  in February to France for a week and then two weeks in September to Holland with weekend visits to Berlin to see my family. While in France, I enjoyed spending 36 hours with my brother, Lennard, exploring Paris and catching up with a friend for dinner. To balance life, I try to go running at least 3 times a week and help at least once week in Amelia’s classroom (from copying to testing children) and anytime there are special events. So far, I have organized the fall class party, dressed up as a witch for a mystery reading sessions and decorated cookies and made clay mats with the children. I feel blessed that I’m able to work but also to be there for my children’s carnivals, class parties, and weekly lunch meetings.

This year, we were delighted to have Grandma and Grandpa Martin as well as Derrick’s brother Lee and family visit us here in Nashville. We spent a fun couple of days with them, boating an entire day on the lake and barbequing in the backyard. In October, Oma Doris came to visit for 3 weeks and next to visits to their schools, going to the pool, spending a day at the farm in record heat, some honky tonking in downtown, we also spent a few days in Chattanooga exploring the underground waterfall, riding a truck in the river, and visiting the aquarium. Tony, Derrick’s oldest brother, and his grandson also stopped by for a brief visit just a few weeks ago.

For our family vacation this year, we headed up North to Columbus, Ohio, where we visited the famous zoo, watched the Memorial Golf Tournament, explored Germantown and had fun at the Children’s Science Museum. Unfortunately, our camping trip had to be cancelled due to a sick child, but Derrick and I explored a great State Park to go camping to next year on our weekend getaway in October while Oma watched the children for us. It has been 3 years since the last time we had a couple’s weekend and we truly enjoyed it. We went hiking, discovered waterfalls, chatted uninterrupted and relaxed during a way overdue massage.

By Christmas morning, our family will grow by two...guinea pigs, that is. The children, mainly Amelia, have asked for their “own” pet for over a year now and we are finally ready to add more furry friends to our house.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM  OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

Christmas Parties

We are in full swing with all things Christmas over here. In the past week, there were 5 Christmas parties between all of us, of which I planned and attended 3. Despite the extra work and less sleep, I really enjoyed those parties. The first one was a girls' Christmas Get-Together at my friend's house. She always does the best decorations and I just helped out with the food and organization. We had so much fun that night that the only picture we took is of the food and part of my crafts. We ate, laughed, drank and crafted till way past midnight. 

As little teacher gifts this year, I made some Santa and Mrs. Claus sets and a gift card tree for Mrs. Ingham. I also made this beautiful Nutcracker peg doll set for Amelia's Ballet teacher. 

Derrick had his Christmas luncheon at work and then Amelia had a Christmas party at her dance class. The girls performed a dance from the Nutcracker before enjoying their Christmas picnic dinner. 

 

The next day, I had organized a Christmas Potluck at work, including a Dirty Santa gift exchange. Again, we had lots of delicious food and fun exchanging gifts that no one took a picture. On Wednesday, the elementary school children had Pajama day at school. They brought in their stuffed animals, blankets and then watched the Polar Express while drinking hot cocoa. This is one of their favorite days of the year and I can't blame them. 

We saw the Vice Principal directing traffic in the morning in his Santa suit and after a quick phone call to his office, he stopped by their classroom for a picture. So fun!

Thursday was the last day of school (a half day) and both children had their Christmas parties that morning. As room mom, I had planned Amelia's party, including organizing the food, prepping the games and making sure everything goes smoothly. Mrs. Ingham and her 2nd graders: 

She is the best teacher we had so far. This gift card tree was a big hit: 

The children decorated their lockers earlier in the month: 

Pin the Nose on Santa and photo booth fun with the props I made last year and an easy backdrop made from wrapping paper and some Christmas lights. 

Elliot also had his gift exchange and Christmas luncheon but I was told the parents don't have to come. Thus, I went back to work but still received these pictures from the teacher. The preschoolers enjoyed their gifts from each other and loved the pizza and treats. 

While we were busy this month recovering from being sick and working and taking in all the advent activities, our elves, Eli and Sparkle, entertained us at home with their shenanigans. 

Only a couple more days and Christmas day is here. The gifts are wrapped and the Hallmark Christmas movies are playing non-stop on tv. While it is cold and wet outside, we are enjoying a well deserved and relaxing weekend at home by the fire, watching movies, playing monopoly and cuddling our children. In case you are curious, here is a sneak peek of what each child will get this year - 3 gifts from Santa as usual: 

I think we are fully prepared for our two new guinea pig friends to join us on Christmas morning.

Next to the guinea pigs, the family will also receive a board game and an overdue upgrade for a tablet. It looks like the children have been good and there will be plenty of presents to go around. 

HOHoHo