the hoppe pad: December 2016

Saturday, December 31, 2016

The end of 2016 and a new movie!

It is true...the week between Christmas and the new year is always such a blur! We got to see Krishna and Rick as they came into town...dinner at Frank's with the crew. We love seeing them and wish we saw them more!! I'm trying to figure out a date to visit them!

Norah and I did go see the new movie "La La Land" and I really liked it (okay I really enjoyed it...Norah said it was ok but hey she is 9!) A classic movie...a feel good movie. It was a nice change from some of the movies lately. I loved the ending too (Norah didn't like the ending...because it didn't end the way she wanted it to end but she cried...so I think it shows that it was really good.)

Today Jeff cooked a pig today starting at 4 AM....I think we all liked it!! So good!!

There is so much to say about all the little things that happened this break that I loved. Every moment was good. I will miss having Norah at home...but back to school on Monday brings back the routine! :) Until then...Football time...Go Tigers!!

So long 2016...I'm thinking 2017 will be an amazing year!

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Friday, December 30, 2016

Book 47 and a review of books I read in 2016...

So this year I read a total of 47 books. I have gotten better about keeping track of the books I read by keeping a list in my bullet journal (pic below)...and trying to start doing separate posts for the books titled with the word "books" in it somewhere to help keep them easy to find.

The last book I read this year...# 47 was "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman. It is a book I heard a lot about so finally got around to reading it. I liked it and thought it was a super sweet book.

Looking back on the books I read this year...my favorite book hands down...
"11/22/63" by Stephen King. It was fantastic, has every element of a book that I love in it, and I didn't want the book to end! I think everyone should read it! Just so good! (I did watch a few episodes of the show they made with same title but it is so different from the book that I couldn't finish watching it...the book is so much better of course!)

My next top two picks for the year would be:

I love spy genre books and the Vince Flynn book series was great that I read earlier in the year as well as the Daniel Silva books that I have been reading lately too...but I really enjoyed his newest novel "The Black Widow." I think it was the best spy book of the year for me out of all of them but so many close seconds. And in my latest post about books I talk about how "Homegoing" is definitely one of my top 3 books for the year and is high on the list for all time. Loved it.

I feel like I read a lot of suspense genre books this year and "Behind Closed Doors" sticks out the most in my head for the best of the bunch with a unique premise. I also really enjoyed "Mr. Mercedes" and "Finders Keepers" both by Stephen King. I thought they were excellent books (didn't love the third one in the series.)

There were a lot of great books this year and I cannot wait to keep reading in 2017...maybe I will hit 50 books for the year!

Here are links to all the past book posts on the blog I could find for 2016 if ya want more details...
January 3 post
January 14 post
February 1 post
February 19 post
March 12 post
April 28 post
July 10 post
July 29 post
August 23 post
September 26 post
November 14 post
December 23 post

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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Christmas 2016

We had an amazing Christmas! Santa came and Norah was pumped up! I love seeing Christmas through her eyes...it is all so magical! Her big gift was a trampoline which she had no idea about (Santa left a note on the tree to go in back yard...that she opened last) but she also got a fitbit, magic trick kit, books, and a few other things. Then she got gift cards from relatives which she asked for and is thinking about what she wants to get plus a new scooter from Nini and Pops (which she has used as much as she has jumped on trampoline already!!) We had a yummy Christmas dinner with my mom and Denny...everything made for a great Christmas!

Car selfie on the way to Church on Christmas Eve!!

She got the hippopotamus she wanted in ornament form!! (We talked about that Christmas song all season! Ha!

The shock when she finally opened the note from Santa!

Now we are enjoying our week off and getting ready to un-decorate the house...it was a great Christmas!!! Next up...New Year's and Clemson winning! :)

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Friday, December 23, 2016

Books 43-46 for the year...

So as of today...I've read 46 books for the year...I would have loved to eventually hit 50 or 52 for the year but I don't think that will happen. I am hoping I can maybe read one or two more by year end and then I'll post about my favorites I read for the year.

Number 43 was another Daniel Silva...I'm still going through all the books in order now since I originally read his new ones first. I really enjoy these a lot. If you like spy fiction...this series is top notch.

Number 44 was "Behind Closed Doors" and this was a great read! I read it in two days...loved it. It was quick paced and different. Cannot wait to read something else the author writes. Would recommend for anyone to pick up! Great Christmas gift for a reader!

Number 45 was "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi and I will already tell you that this has made my top 3 books I have read this year. I was not sure going in if it would be something I would be interested in or would it be too "heavy" for this time of year...but honestly it is so well written. It is incredible and I hope it wins lots of awards. It follows the family line of two sisters and it is just story telling at its best. You want to know all about each character and they seem so real. Even when the situation is a negative, terrible thing...the story draws you in and you want more. Please pick this book up and dive in. It is a true literary treasure.

Number 46 was "in a dark, dark wood" and honestly if it hadn't gone back and forth from the present time to past events so that you know something happened....and only gone in chronological order...I would have never finished reading this one. I was not interested at all in the characters (their personalities drove me batty) and the situation they were in was far fetched but the actual figuring out the event that takes place is interesting but a little far fetched. It is a shorter, quicker read and in the suspense genre. I would recommend "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Couple Next Door" over this one...but if that is your genre...you might want to read this one too.

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2 days til Christmas!

We are super excited about Christmas and this week has been so fun to have off to enjoy the days of anticipation! Monday Norah had a few friends over to decorate gingerbread houses, make cookies, and just play! I loved seeing them do this and it makes me remember the early years of when we did this like in 2010, 2011, and 2014. Man...she is growing up too fast!

This is Finn and he seriously just lays around like this...hilarious!

We have gone out to eat and seen the movie "Sing" which was really cute! I love doing stuff with my girl!

I have also have been enjoying every gift my cute kiddos from school gave me...seriously they were all so generous and thoughtful...just grateful and amazed! And honestly one of my favorite things (besides watching ton of Christmas movies) is getting all the Christmas cards in the mail. I love it!!

Today I have to do some cooking prep and clean a little but I'm really just trying to beat this freakin' cold I have had for a week or so! Hope the weather stays cold and doesn't go back and forth between hot and cold as that is not helping me! Off to prepare for the big day!

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Sunday, December 18, 2016

One week til Christmas!

Our Christmas tree went up soon after Thanksgiving! One of my favorite parts to the holidays is having all the Christmas lights/decorations out.

Snapped a pic of Norah in front of the Christmas tree at Market Commons...one of our favorite places to go to see movies, shop, and eat!

Another favorite is the The Carolina Opry's Christmas show. Norah and I went last year and this year took Jeff, my mom, and Denny. I love the show! Definitely something we will go to every year!

On the same day we went to the Christmas show...we went out to eat with friends. They all went to their Ribbon Club ball after dinner but Jeff and I headed home as we were beat!

This weekend was just as busy...Friday was Norah and my last day of school before the holidays. So Norah had a party at school and my school had a Christmas program. I will miss my little kids during break...they are the cutest things!!

On Friday night I took my favorite girl (Norah of course!) with some others to carol at the local assisted living facility. It was so sweet and I'm glad we did it. I hope it brought some joy to some of the people there.