the hoppe pad: 2017

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Book #50 and my best books of 2017...

I was really hoping to hit 52 books for the year but only made it to 50...but I'm pretty happy with it. If you want to see my favorite books for 2016...you can click HERE (still some of my favorites.)

#50 was "Winter Stroll" by Elin Hilderbrand which is #2 in her Winter Street series. Just a fun, light book like the first one.

Now to my favorite reads of 2017...here are my top 6 in no particular order.

All of these were books that I couldn't put down and that I really enjoyed reading! I would highly recommend all of them...and just seeing them makes me want to read them again for the first time!

You can check out all books I read throughout the year through the following links...
Books 38-49 (This includes "Endurance" and "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo")
Books 23-37 (This includes "The Night Circus" and "Faithful")
Books 11-22 (This includes "Water From my Heart" and "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane")
Books 3-10
Books 1-2

And for those that ask my about suspense genre book recommendations...here are a few I read this year that were solid reads. ("I Liked My Life" isn't really suspense but a good solid read)

I am going to get started on my 2018 reads...I already have a few on hand that I'm pretty excited about!

Connecting with Modern Mrs. Darcy

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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Christmas 2017 plus Christmas cards past and present

We had an amazing Christmas this year and I did not take pictures at all on Christmas Eve and barely any on Christmas when the family was here for lunch...just forgot! Boo! Everyone loved their loot and just getting to be home to enjoy everything. We watched so many Christmas movies to date and listened to Christmas music nonstop! We have really just soaked up all the togetherness and fun in this time of year! I also love all the time spent with Norah and know that the memories we make will stay with me forever.

Norah's big gift this year was a gaming laptop! She was so excited! She got lots of other goodies too. We all did!

I made lunch and my mom, Denny, aunt, and uncle came over...I only snapped two pics...boo! I wish I had taken more!

And I remembered that we did not take a family pic on Christmas Eve or while anyone was here on Christmas so we did a quick selfie late Christmas afternoon! Ha! I love our little family of 3...5 including the cute dogs!!

Norah got some new badminton supplies and Jeff and her went at it Christmas! They were yelling and getting really into it...it was hilarious!

Now we are slowly getting back to normal mode around here. We have so enjoyed our Christmas break so far and we have one more week to hang out together before school starts back! Merry Christmas!!!

This is for me...I wanted to post all of our Christmas cards to date to have in one spot. I love getting Christmas cards and I know a lot of people are starting to not do them some years but they are one of my favorite things!!

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The big surprise of Christmas 2017...

Christmas 2017 will always be remembered as the big surprise. Those that know me...I'm never surprised. The last time Jeff surprised me was when we got engaged on December 26, 2003...but he surprised me this year! Saturday, Dec. 23...Jeff surprised me with a new car! I had no idea...had never driven it...but am so happy!

First, I drove my CRV for 10 years...we called it the black jelly bean and I thought I would drive it til it died. We started talking about how I really needed a larger car as Norah is so tall...sitting in the back seat was getting tight for her...and especially if we were all traveling somewhere or I was picking up her friends. So we decided with everything going on that we would get something next summer.

Anyway...Jeff left Saturday morning saying he had to go to work just a bit but wouldn't be gone long and was going to take my car (this happens all the time on the weekend so nothing out of the ordinary.)

When he got back...he came in the house and I told him I was going to run errands. He said that he got a nail in my tire at a job site but to come see if I thought we could drive it to the tire store. I opened the door and saw this....

I literally was speechless. It is a 2017 Honda Pilot and I think we have already nicknamed it The Flash! He had arranged everything on Friday and so he only had to pick it up on Saturday. East Coast Honda is the best and let Jeff borrow the bow! I was in shock as I would have never in a million years thought Jeff would buy me a car. Ha! So he picked out everything that I would want in a car and I love the color too...even though I'm usually a black car girl...this is a great pearl white color and it is perfect! Now if I can find a way to keep the new car smell forever!!

So he got me...the big surprise!!! Thanks Jeff!!!

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Now...December 2017...before Christmas

December is a busy, fun month. Here is December before Christmas!

This sweet dog still is fighting infection since September. He has been on all kinds of medicine. Culture and blood work done. Next stop...we are heading to specialist in Charleston next week. Hang in there Darcy!!

Norah had her December cotillion which was a little dance/holly ball. It was cute!

I really don't do well in crowds and it was crowded so I only got a couple quick pictures.

This is the second year that we have gotten Carolina Opry Christmas Show tickets for my mom and Denny for their Christmas present. I love it! The show is fun and gets you all in the Christmas mood!

After the show...we went to Brookgreen's Night of a Thousand Candles. It is really a site to see! The pictures do not do it justice. It was really cold the night we went but we had fun!

The last week of school was packed with activities! Norah was in the chorus of her little school play.

Then the kids put on their Immigration Fair. Norah and her partner did France. They loved doing this project. It was hard to have the week before Christmas break but the girls made a wonderful slide show detailing why people in France immigrated to the United States. Really cute.

The annual cookie decorating happened this year. I have hosted cookie decorating for Norah and some friends since she was 2!!! How crazy! They are all so cute!

Norah and I headed to Charleston with Glenn and her kids to see "A Christmas Carol" performed at Dock Street Theatre and it was amazing! We have seen a few plays done there and they all have been great!! We had lunch at Fleet Landing before the show.

Over Christmas break...Norah and I have been to Market Commons twice...both for a meal and movie. First was sushi and "Jumanji" which was a great movie. It was pure fun to watch! Then dinner at PF Changs and "Star Wars" which also was a winner in the movie department!