Baby Mason is a Toddler! [15 Months]

 :( My baby isn't a baby anymore.

I had a really rough time health-wise around Mason's first birthday with having the flu and then following that with the heart issues - probably related to the flu, so I forgot to get a good picture of him on the couch. I finally got around to making his first year collage which makes me so sad. He's so big now :( However, I love how his personality shines through. He's such a sweet heart - always smiling.

Books I Read in May

We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist - 3.5 Stars (finished 5/11)
I really enjoyed the format of the book and the voice. It was such an easy read and it was very comical. It wasn't a typical read for me though and I am not sure that I would read it again. It's really more of a memoir and that is fine.

The book goes through different almost-girlfriends of Josh Sundquist, a cancer survivor and amputee. He goes over their encounters and then meets up with them years later as an adult to find out what went wrong. In the end, he learns that it was him who had flubbed all these almost-relationships up. The ending came a lot faster than I expected and I wasn't really big on the "resolution".

But again, it was a pretty decent read and I did like it. It just wasn't something that I would read more than once and memoirs aren't always my favorite type of read.

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige - 4.5 stars (finished 5/17)
BOOK 2 IN THE DOROTHY WILL RISE TRILOGY

A great second book that didn't fall into the dreaded filler book in a trilogy category. I really liked the continuation of the plot from where the first book left it [highlight to see spoiler with Dorothy on the run after the little battle and The Wickeds disappearing]. It was dark and heavy at times - which I really loved. Everything isn't always sunshine and rainbows, so I like when books get into the nitty gritty. And the ending....WOW!! So super stoked for the third book. 

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider - 4.5 stars (finished 5/19)
This novel was very easy to read. I loved both Sadie and Lane's POVs. I feel like it is the novel I would have finished in a day back in the day when I read 24/7. It follows two teenagers diagnosed with total resistant tuberculosis who have been shipped off to a sanitarium called Latham House.

I felt like, even though this is a pretty unique situation, the author made it very authentic. I think it was authentic in the mannerisms of an older teenager and those suffering from an incurable disease.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris - 5 stars (finished 5/27)
BOOK 1 IN THE SOUTHERN VAMPIRE MYSTERY SERIES

When I first heard about this series, I read most of the books in one day. I would stay up until 4 am just to read. I couldn't put them down. I am so happy that rereading the first book was similar experience to the first time. I just love the style of writing and the plot flows so seemlessly. I still feel the way I did the first time...not sold on Bill. Also I completely forgot about Bubba. He is my fave!!

May Photo-a-Day: my month in pictures

Hi guys! I meant to have this up on the 31st, but I got a little behind schedule. I know I've been posting so many planner videos lately, but it's something that I've been spending a little more time on - rather than crafting or reading. Call it my latest obsession.

The month of May was a great month and very busy, but I'll get to that in the pictures.

We have had a ton of chipmunks in our yard as of late - I have to make deer repellant for my garden in hopes that it will deter them from it in a humane way. Cambria had her end of the year GS troop party and there was face painting. We made some killer ground beef fajita nachos and pb&j yogurt parfaits. Cami also had her tubes put in her ears and adenoids removed. She was a trooper. They told us she would be tired and sleep afterwards and we had to practically tie her down on the couch to keep her from going out and playing. I got some yummy Godiva chocolate for Mother's Day! :)

June TBR List + Upcoming Releases

Holding steady at 5 books behind schedule..although I did read 4 books last month, so that was exciting. It's actually my goal for each month anyways - one a week, but I haven't really been meeting it since the beginning of the year and that's why I'm trying to play catch up. I am not too excited to see how many new series are in this month on my possible reads list, but we'll see what happens. I'm concentrating on rereading the Southern Vampire Mystery series right now. I feel like I'm cheating because they were ones I read each book in a day when I first read them back before joining Goodreads. I may actually get ahead on my yearly challenge because of them. One can only hope :) Anywhoo...

What I may read:

• Covet by J.R. Ward (new series)
• Ashfall by Mike Mullin (new series)
• Breathe by Sarah Crossan (new series)
• Icons by Margaret Stohl (new series)
• The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (continuing series)

Top Row: My Lady Jane // Gifted // Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies

Middle Row: All the Feels // The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love // Ivory & Bone

Bottom Row: United As One // Run // And I Darken

What books do you hope to read this month?

What releases are you excited for?