2026 Book Post #2

My Reads
Big Dumb Eyes by Nate Bargatze: While I love Nate Bargatze's comedy & all of his specials on Netflix & Amazon Prime, I felt like this memoir was kind of a flop for me. 
The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros: I was initially introduced to this author by my sister when she gifted me a copy of In the Likely Event, which I really enjoyed. Rebecca Yarros is also the author of the Fourth Wing series, but those aren't really my jam. The Last Letter is a little long, but I liked it!
The Favorites by Layne Fargo: I loved this one! It was so different than anything I've ever read before. The storyline focuses on ice dancing {which I'm not sure I ever realized was its own distinct sport!}, and it was especially fun for me to read during the Winter Olympics. Lots of drama, but I highly recommend this one!
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: This is another book that was unlike anything I've ever read. The storyline focuses on the 1980s space shuttle program. While it certainly wasn't a favorite of mine, I'm so glad I read it!
To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han: This is a YA book that I saw pop up on a bookstagram account & decided to give it a whirl. It was so unexpectedly fun for me to read! I think part of the reason I enjoyed it is that the main character is close in age to Shelby--learning to drive and navigating high school life, so it put me in her shoes a bit. Funnily enough, when I mentioned the book to the girls, they both said they'd read it and didn't like it. Soooo, take that for whatever it's worth!
The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage: I loved this one! The ending left me wanting a bit more, but I flew through this one on our cruise over Spring Break! This book is completely fictitious, but if you enjoy the royal family or The American Royals series, you'll love this!
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry: This book is in the historical fiction genre with a split timeline--England in WWII and then again in 1960. While I've read lots of books set during WWII, this is the first book I've ever read about Operation Pied Piper, which was the British government's initiative to evacuate their country's children ahead of the seemingly inevitable German bombings. It took me a bit to get into the book and the plot moved a little too slowly for me, but I'm so glad I read this one!

Read-Alouds
The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody: I read this one aloud to Hadley & Brady as part of our homeschool curriculum. This is the first book in the Wilderlore series. We all liked it well enough, but didn't like it enough to pick up the next book in the series. If you like adventure or fantasy stories with a little suspense and mystery mixed in, this might be for you!
Winterfrost by Michelle Houts: This was a winter read-aloud for all of us, but I first learned of this book through Julie Bogart's Brave Writer program. We all adored this one--definitely a perfect read-aloud for the holiday season!

February 2026

Just realized this post never made it out of my drafts folder...whoops! Better late than never I guess!

Highlights of February: Hadley's winter performance for YOSA at the Tobin Center (such a beautiful venue!), two jazz festivals for Shelby, an allergy conference for Derek in Philadelphia, two field trips for Hadley & Brady (one to a local bakery & another to the Tobin Center--crazy that we've never been there before, and now it's the second time in a month!), and braces for Hadley! And also, I am apparently did a terrible job of documenting most of these events. 

{doing handwork in a self-made hammock at school one afternoon..perfection!}

{Hadley made bookmarks and did oragami envelopes for each of her classmates for Valentine's Day}

{twinning!}

{we have been missing Playaways in our life ever since we left Alaska, but Hadley recently started downloading audiobooks from the library on a laptop and listening while she does handwork...if she ever has a free minute, there is a hook and yarn in her hands and headphones in her ears, ha!}

{a crocheted tapestry Hadley is working on for our school Art Show}

{Hadley does the best nail art!}

Hadley & Brady got to go on a field trip with their class to a local bakery & each person got to make their very own sourdough loaf to bring home! 

{our 2025 blog book came in!}

{a proof of life photo we sent to Derek one evening during dinner while he was out of town}

We attended LibraryPalooza for the first time, which is an annual YA book festival geared towards teens. It was so fun!

January 2026

Highlights of the month for us were: kicking off the New Year in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl & getting to spend my mom's birthday with her, a Marvelously Made staff retreat over MLK, Jr. weekend along the Guadalupe River, icy Texas weather {which brought us an unexpected three-day weekend!}, and my 42nd birthday!

{Brady got this Lego set for Christmas & was so proud/excited to show off the finished product!}

{homeschool at the orthodontist office}

{These two were troopers and spent two back-to-back afternoons in orthodontist offices for consultation appointments on the first days back to school after Winter Break, which wasn't for the faint of heart! Crumbl was absolutely in order!}

{Twinning in purple! Brady went with me to pick up Shelby on this afternoon to get a little extra Mommy time before I left for my retreat, which made my heart so happy!}

{We went out to lunch & to the library one day after school, and there immediately curled up with their new books once we got home--perfect afternoon!}

For my birthday, we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Surprisingly, it was our first time going since this summer! It was such a delightful dinner, and then we strolled through Barnes & Noble for a bit before coming home to eat our dessert, read, and puzzle! As we were walking from dinner, Derek and I were marveling at how nice & relaxing it is to go out to eat together now. It doesn't feel like that long ago that going to a restaurant meant toting along games, toys, and activities to keep everyone entertained as we waited for our meals to arrive--but now, we just sit, chat, and enjoy one another's company. So thankful for my people!

Sugar Bowl 2026

As soon as our beloved Georgia Bulldogs won the SEC Championship game in early December and the bowl game schedule was released, Derek was immediately booking us a hotel room in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl! After three years in Alaska, we were thrilled to be within driving distance for a bowl game! We initially had our fingers crossed for the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, but it worked out better being in NOLA because it was a mid-way point between us & my parents! They were able to join us for a few days in the Big Easy and for the game--it was so much fun! And an extra bonus was that we got to be with my mom on her birthday, which almost never happens! We were actually together for my birthday last year on our Disney cruise & then together this year for her birthday--what a gift!

We visited the WWII museum, the aquarium & insectarium {new since we've last been there!}, the jazz museum for Shelby. We also got to attend the Sugar Bowl parade the day before the game, which was a lot of fun! The game didn't turn out the way we'd hoped {two of our kiddos were in tears as we left the stadium}, but there is nothing like the energy of a city leading up to a bowl game!

{you can get a peek of Hadley's UGA nails in this photo--she purchased a nail art book with her Christmas gift card money & has had so much fun with it so far!}

And just like that, it was time to go home! The drive home seemed to drag on & on for us, but one bright spot was that we spotted Bevo in route back to Austin from Texas's bowl game in Florida.

We sure would have loved a win in New Orleans, but we'll take the memories! So thankful for this special trip with our people!