A Year Of Reading 2018

I hope there are readers out there who love books as much as I do. I don't typically talk books on the blog but it's one of my favorite topics. And I enjoy looking back on my reading life over the years.  I love to read and have for my whole life. I think it would be safe to say words are my love language. I don't have many book people in my life so if you are, please let me know in the comments. Also, please feel free to leave any and all book recommendations you have to offer!

2018


In 2018, I read 63 books. My goal was to read 40 books in 2018 which was significantly more than my 2017 goal of 30 books. My final total was a result of changing responsibilities and more time for reading. Of those 63 books, zero were re-reads. All new books this year. I read several new authors this year but Tara Jenkins Reid was my favorite and binge read all her books in 2018. So glad I did. Have you read TJR?

My 2018 book list was equal parts fiction and nonfiction this year with some mix of graphic novels. I was interested in reading recent releases this year, so lots of new reads are listed. I continued to read my mostly from one of my favorite genres, contemporary fiction. I started reading some self improvement/motivation books this year which I enjoyed and will continue in the new year.

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

I don't feel like I read anything that knocked me off my feet in 2018. My favorite was probably Big Little Lies from Liane Moriarty. 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

This was easy! And probably an unpopular opinion, The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, was a book I could not wait to read in 2018. In the end, I just did not like it. It was too unbelievable for me and the build up of suspense was so anti-climatic. A big nope from me.

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? 

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo. My favorite storyline is answering the 'what could have been' question. The Light We Lost was a tough read and I really wasn't sure I would like this one. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised and definitely a top ten from 2018.

 4. Best series you started in 2018? 

The only series I read in 2018 was the children's graphic novel series, Amulet. I was instantly won over. If you have an emerging reader (2nd grade or older), give them these books. The novels have such important themes interwoven in fantasy writing. I loved it. I wish I would have known about these when my kids were younger.

5. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Tara Jenkins Reid by far. I read Maybe In Another Life in February and devoured everything else Reid wrote by the end of the year. I can't wait for her next release. I am such a fan. I can't believe I waited this long to read one of her novels.

6. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I don't read classic novels very often, so The Handmaid's Tale would be my choice for this question. It was really good. I read a couple dystopian books this year and this was the best. 

 7. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

My fastest read was One True Loves by Tara Jenkins Reid. So entertaining. 

 8. Book You Read In 2018 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I am most likely to read Believing Bigger by Marshawn Evans Daniels in 2019. I did a double read of Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis in 2018. I'm definitely in a place of exploring motivation and vision building/goal setting. I imagine 2019 will be more of that! 

9. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

All the Tara Jenkins Reid books were beautiful covers.

10. Most creatively written book read in 2018?

11/22/63 by Stephen King was the most creative I read. This was my first Stephen King and I was drinking the Kool-Aid for this popular author. My goal is to read another Stephen King this year.

11. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?

If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey was probably the book that got me on the path to goal setting and becoming more authentic. This started a year of self assessment and goal setting. 

12. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2019 to finally read? 

Anything from Tara Jenkins Reid. She is that good, people!

13.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Shortest Book: Sea Prayer, 48 pages

Longest Book: 11/22/63, 849 pages

14. Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Every young adult book I read is because my teenagers recommend them to me. One of Us Is Lying was a book my daughter was telling me to read for a long time. A List of Cages was the second book she recommended. I don't read too many YA books but I try to read something my kids are enjoying.

15. Best 2018 debut you read?

The only debut I read this year was The Woman In The Window by A.J Finn and I wasn't a fan. I hope 2019 will bring better debut novels.

16. Books That Made You Cry in 2018?

What the heck, I don't think I cried the year! I rarely cry when reading so it's not a big surprise but last year I cried over two books: Everything I Never Told You and The Mothers. Wow! 

17. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

My hidden gems were the Amulet graphic novels. I was so surprised by  what powerful messages were written in the pages. I would recommend this to all young readers. It is so positive and powerful (in my opinion).

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

All The Light We Cannot See is on the top of my list. I just keep pushing it down the list every year. 2019 is the year!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019?

I'm ready for another Tara Jenkins Reid book in March. Daisy and the Six is coming out and I'm ready for it! If Ruta Septys and Celeste Ng want to publish another novel I'm all for that too :)

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading Life In 2019?

I want to read all the books on my shelf.

Now it's time for you to answer some bookish questions. What was your favorite book of 2018? What book are you committed to reading in 2019?

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Greenville South Carolina 2019

Welcome to the South's best kept secret, Greenville, South Carolina. This past weekend we took a quick getaway to this up and coming city and it was the best. I can see what all the fuss is about.

Greenville South Carolina is all about outdoors, small business, and Clemson. I'm not fully confident about the Clemson thing but we were there the weekend before their national championship football game, so there was a lot of purple/orange love being shown off! I was digging it.

I think the best feature of Greenville is the Reedy River. There is a waterfall running right through downtown. Seventeen miles of paved trails along the river for walking/running/biking. And walking bridges all along the way. We love the outdoors and Greenville was just what we needed!

I was all about the small coffee shops around town. The first place we visited was The Village Grind where I ordered a Rose Cardamon Latte. This is not my usual order but I wanted the local's favorite. It was interesting, floral flavors, but still very satisfying!

We enjoyed walking the main street through downtown and browsing the small shops. My favorite was J. Hudson Booksellers shop. I love all things reading! 

The bookshop was filled with lots of good books, bookish gifts, and decor. 

All of my favorite things! 

At night, the town was all lit up and festive.

We had the best time. I can't say enough good things about Greenville. It was just what we needed to refresh and enjoy time together before Miss Ky goes back to school this weekend!

Favorite SemperFi Family Moments of 2018

Are you a fan of the Best Nine collage? One of my favorite year end activities on social media is seeing everybody's favorite pictures of the year. The best nine are the pictures you received the most likes on Instagram and there is a website like, THIS, that will calculate those rankings for you.

Looking back on 2018, I see A LOT of Kyli :) She is a favorite all the years :) 2018 was a big year for her with prom, graduation, leaving the role of military kid, and you can see it all in this collage. It was also the year of the Marine's retirement ceremony. 20 years in the military. I think I started this blog at year 13 in military family life. So surreal. Technically, we are starting 2019 as an active duty family but in a few short weeks we will be moving on to the blue IDs. 

We are still here in North Carolina. We will be finalizing moving plans in the next 2-3 months. Even though I would love to be in our forever home, I do appreciate this down time during retirement transition. Nobody likes to talk about the transition but it's a big one. I like that we are taking it slow and going through the whole process. I didn't realize how important that was but I can see it now. 

Anyways, back to the Best Nine, the favorite pictures were all about retirement and launching Kyli out into the real world. Which she is doing fantastic in the real world :) She is a little cold in Iowa this winter. Lucky child, she has only ever known warm weather living in California and North Carolina and Japan. Weather aside, she is rocking independent life! 

I love all the pictures but I think my favorite picture of the year was our family pic. Our very last military picture with the Osprey on the base. And of course, those kids all grown up. 

Did you get your Best Nine? Did you have a favorite that didn't make the collage? 

Hello 2019!

2019 is here. Are you ready? I'm ready!

This year I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone, to be bold, and risk hypothermia. We joined the locals for a very brisk and shocking dip in the Atlantic Ocean on the first day of the new year. I admit it took me two tries to get it done. I walked out after letting the water crash against my knees but luckily had friends (and a husband) who wouldn't let me miss the opportunity.

Yes, it took my breath away and pricked my legs like a hundred stabbing needles. Ultimately, it felt good to push myself out of my comfort zone.  I feel like I set the tone for my new year's goal of being more courageous, stepping outside the comfort zone, and accepting others for doing the same.

This year is the beginning of a "new" life outside of the military. It's exciting to have all the possibilities laid before us. I'm ready to start that new chapter with positivity and an open mind.

Cheers to you all, may you find what brings you joy in the new year!

Shackleford Banks Sunset Cruise

I felt like the weeks leading up to Kyli's send off was filled with all these "last" moments. Truth is, we took a handful of last hurrah trips to enjoy having the kids all together as kids (not independent people/adults). I was really feeling like life was about to change. I still think that but I'm not quite sure we needed all the "last moment" trips :) I might roll my eyes at my sentimentality sometimes.

This boat trip to Shackleford Banks was our very last trip together before we brought Kyli to college. We probably should have stayed home, packed the car, and went to bed early. Instead, we hopped on a catamaran for a sunset float out to a remote island to try to find wild horses. 

It's sort of our signature style of doing things.

It was a fantastic time walking horse trails over sand dunes, collecting shells on the beach, and searching for the elusive wild horses on the deserted island. The down fall was stepping on cactus with bare feet. By the way, if you ever go out to Shackleford Banks in North Carolina, don't leave your shoes on the boat! It's a terribly walk without shoes ;) 

 We did eventually find wild horses. Which was great luck given the 9 mile stretch of land they have to roam! We were feeling pretty lucky.

It was a good time and we floated back to the mainland glad we made the trip. 

We can't help but think of the next times...to stay longer...to go early in the day...to wear shoes...to bring a netted bag to collect shells. Our time is limited in North Carolina though. So, maybe, that is just good advice for other people :)

Good Times Iowa Style

Delivering Kyli to Iowa meant we got to take some time to do Iowa things. We hit up the Iowa State Fair and ate all the garden fresh veggies our bellies could fit. We binged on all things Hawkeye and hung with our family. The boys did not want to leave!

I did not grow up going to the Iowa State Fair. It wasn't a thing for us. In fact, the two times I've attended has been in adulthood with my the kids. Every experience is as new for me as it is for them. We did a lot of walking and a lot of farm animal petting. It sounds lame but it was fun :)

We saw the biggest cow and the biggest pig in Iowa. I took a picture of the big cow, in case you were curious.

 

My favorite is the Animal Learning Center with all the baby farm animals. The barn is filled with pregnant farm animals and you can even witness a live birth (if you are lucky). It's pretty cool. Definitely a favorite for me. 

At a young age, I can remember sitting in my grandparents' pig shed waiting for the pigs to give birth. It fascinated me and I would literally sit on an overturned bucket for hours waiting for the little piglets to be delivered. 

 

One grandma thought the boys needed to ride the fair rides. The boys loved that! I was a little unsure about that one. Those rides always look sketchy to me.

 

Derrick was all about the University of Iowa booth. He needed his picture with the trophies.

I don't understand. Football isn't my thing. But it's important to him and he understands what all the trophies represent :)

Here is our girl with her mascot signed by everyone in the Class of 2022.
I'm so proud of her for working hard and being independent with her school thing.
She is enjoying herself and likes her school.
I feel like it's worth reporting the separation for this momma hasn't been too bad.
I was a little worried how it would go. Technology sure helps and she hasn't met her people yet, so she still calls home every day :)
I'll take what I can get for as long as I can!

College Bound. A Smaller Space. And Lots of Transitions.

Tomorrow, we are going to load up our car with stuff and drive to Iowa. We are delivering our child to college. A 4 year state university. A ginormous student body and campus. Diverse ideas and driven people all pouring into my child. My smart beautiful child.

My friends asked me yesterday, "How are you feeling?" And yesterday, I felt very positive. I'm not sure why and next week I might feel differently. Today, I'm excited for her. I remember so distinctly desiring that independence of moving out on my own and becoming an adult. It really is an exciting time in life. She is smart, level headed, and open minded. She is going to be fine.

And we are going to be fine. I keep forgetting that not only are her parents going to miss her (that's us :) but her brothers will too. So, maybe next week will be a little off for us.

It's a big season of changes and transitions for us. In preparation, we moved to a smaller space. And the first couple of days, I was panicked! Like what the freak was I, who pushed hard for this to happen, thinking?!? Two weeks later, Best. Decision. Ever.

First and foremost, the money we are saving is worth it. Second, the space to take care of is so small. No stress of all the things I should be doing to take care of the house instead of doing important things like hanging with my kids, my husband, or showing up for a friend. This smaller space also has been amazing for us to gather together. I noticed that in our big houses we all tended to go to our separate areas and do our separate thing. So, I like our new togetherness... for now :)

Ultimately, everything is pointing to the direction of military retirement. Only a few months left to go before his ceremony and leave begin. Official retirement begins a couple months after that. No, we don't know where we are going. We really do not. We know there are two choices: Southern California or Austin/San Antonio, Texas area. There are pros and cons for both, we have no real convictions about either (right now), so we are going to be persuaded by a job. I'm going back to school so I can do a career change. Both places have plenty of education options for me to do that. Worst case scenario, we hang in North Carolina past retirement until things fall into place. Which is totally doable now that we have a smaller space! See how all our decisions come full circle? I'm so happy for that!

Today, I'm connecting this picture with this post because it was a moment captured. And today's post feels like it a moment captured. The husband and I went for a walk here while Zac had cross country practice at the same place. We came to this pond and it was one of those moments that left you in awe. The colors and the stillness of the water were my idea of perfection. It always just sets my mind right.

Happy Friday everyone! I hope this weekend is just what you need!

Hiking in William B. Umstead State Park

If you know our family, then you know hiking is our thing. We hiked all over Southern California and truly miss all the trails out West. Some of our favorite trails were along the ocean and in the mountains. Heck, we were happy anywhere we could find a trail to overlook any part of the city.

We love to get out in nature and just cleanse all the crap that we collect in our heads from life. One thing we've missed terribly at this duty station is hiking. Coastal North Carolina is flatter than a pancake. Hiking is non-existent. Not being able to get out in nature makes me feel restless and sometimes grumpy. So, when we go inland, I'm always looking for trails. Raleigh has this cool outdoor retreat in the middle of the city called William B Umstead State Park that has lots of trails. It's beautiful and a perfect fix for a girl desperately needing to hike in a place where the terrain changes elevation.

When we drive to Raleigh for airport pickups (mainly), this is one of our go-to places. We have never truly hiked Amsted Park before now. We are always exploring little foot trails or driving along tree canopied roads.  This trip we allowed a few hours to hike a trail at William B. Umstead State Park.

We automatically scoped out the trail with water. Those trails are our favorite. The boys like to get a little daring and test their balance.

You can see from the trail map there were a few choices. Of course, this is only a small section on the west side of Umstead park. There are lots more options around the entire park.

Even the Marine husband got comfy and relaxed.

We came across lots of bugs and flying creatures because HELLO it's North Carolina. How cool is this lunar moth? Cool story...this moth was hatching from caterpillar to moth right before our eyes. I love that we got to observe nature in action!

Hoping the last few months here bring a few more hikes!   

Life Update- Iron Infusion

Hey readers. I wanted to take some time to share something a little more real life today. I feel like it's worth sharing to bring a little more understanding to the lack of follow through over the past year.

The bottom line is that I've been dealing with a health condition over the past year. It's not too serious. I'm just one of the millions of people who deal with iron deficiency anemia. Nothing too abnormal but it can get kind of debilitating for me. Since last summer, I have been dropping super low on my red blood cell counts. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC. All of them. Usually, doctors will prescribe a heavy duty iron pill and bounce those numbers up pretty quickly. After 10 years of iron pills, my digestive system said 'No Way. No More!" So, this past fall, we had to find an alternate way to get me my much needed iron. By way of iron infusion. They pumped iron right into my veins. It's pretty wild but worked like a champ. There are some risks and it's a little nerve wrecking going into the infusions but my body takes hold and goes to work. It's amazing and it helps me so much.

Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before I needed another iron infusion this summer. It's a little disheartening when your body doesn't work like it was intended. But praise the Lord for modern medicine. In June 2018, I had another infusion and my body absorbed the iron the way it needed. And so now I'm juiced up and my red blood cells are nice and healthy :)

The problem is maintaining the iron stores and maintaining the healthy red blood cell production. My body works against me in that way. I will give you the basic cause...female issues. That might be TMI but I also know there is a whole community of women out there who need to hear this. I know I have felt like I'm the only one experiencing all this with the big scary (to me) treatments. This month I underwent a medical procedure to see if I could assist my body in maintaining my iron levels. I am one week post procedure and feeling on the upswing of recovery. Over the next few months, we will know if this is the answer to my problem. I am happy to talk about that with anyone who might feel that information is beneficial but prefer a more private platform. (You can email me at adventuresofasemperfifamily@gmail.com) It's funny because today at the bank I overheard someone talking about their anemia problem. And I wanted to say, "Me too!"

I give you all this information to bring a little more understanding for what is going on in my world. Why I start things, like running, and then abruptly stop within weeks. Because my poor heart can't keep up with me running when I have little oxygen to deliver in my blood stream. The same reason for no adventures or pictures to share. Do you really want to see me hanging out at the clinic? It's pretty uneventful and I know for some people it can trigger sad/sympathy/etc feeling. I want to try to keep this a happier and lighter space.

So that's me guys. Things are looking up and hopefully adventures and fun hobbies are on the horizon.

Much love to you all!

Time For Adulting

Oh yes, girlfriend can now use the term 'adulting'. Not that she would, or even knows what that means :) But... now her long journey into figuring it out begins! It has been such a pleasure being her mother with the exception of 9th and 11th grade year...those I do not want back! And I'm very much looking forward to being mom to adult Kyli.

This girl is funny and smart. Loyal, influential, fierce, and quick witted. She is humble and easy going and unaffected by trends and mainstream (outside of scrolling through Insta and Snapchat every five minutes). She loves Jesus and is truly interested in others. She loves animals. And she loves shoes, lots of shoes, always. And stickers, so many freaking stickers!  And junk food. Just all the vices!

We have thoroughly enjoyed her childhood and are so lucky to have her! Now, sink or swim baby! (Just kind of kidding ;)

DisneyWorld 2018

DisneyWorld in July. Call us crazy! Long lines, humid heat, all the things you want to avoid on vacation. And despite all the negatives, we had the best time! We hit the parks in the morning and night. We took breaks for naps and swims in the heat of the day. And we let the kids have some freedom to roam the park while we (the parents) did our own thing. 

That may have been the best part for mom and dad :)

We wanted to do something special for Kyli's graduation so we let her pick the destination. She picked Disney because that's her thing. Her friend from California joined us and we road tripped to Florida from North Carolina. Super simple 8 hour drive.

We had four days of park hopping thanks to our military tickets. And we got to enjoy the early & late hours, thanks to our military hotel on property. We will miss our military perks in 2019!

Here are a few fun pictures of our DisneyWorld trip.

Magic Kingdom

Epcot

Hollywood Studios

and Animal Kingdom.

Yes, Magic Kingdom is awesome. It's the iconic Disney place. However, we enjoyed Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios way more! Less crowds, shorter lines, and more thrill rides.
When you have teens that is what they want.

They also wanted freedom to go off on their own and ride Dinosaur four times in a row while being completely obnoxious (I'm sure). We, the parents, were also able to do adult things, like ride the "slow" rides and eating Dole Whips!

It was a blast for our last DisneyWorld trip. Disney is always a good time!

I admit I'm ready to graduate to something a little more grown up though :) 

Stay tuned for those adventures!

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She Did It!

If we had a summer bucket list, then we would be checking off one big box. Graduation!!
Kyli graduated from high school! Cue the tears!

There is just something surreal about your first born graduating. Days filled with sadness over childhood reflections, anticipation of a changing relationship, anxious over what the future holds, and all the other things that sneak up on you as the day approaches. There are also positive things like celebrating this milestone of finishing 13 years of school with them, gaining their independence, and finding interests and passions they didn't know they had. I'm very excited to see what this child does with herself.   She really is a great girl and has so many amazing characteristics that will serve her well. I just want her to hold on to those qualities tightly because I know the world doesn't always appreciate them  :)

I don't quite think Ky knew what to expect on graduation day. It's understandable because she has never attended a graduation in her life. Weird, huh? After the ceremony, she was glowing. She said, "That was fun!" I thought that was just the cutest thing. You will see a picture below of her waving up to us in the crowd. I thought that captured her attitude the best.  

The graduation ceremony was a special moment to watch and know it was honoring her (and her classmates) hard work. I couldn't help but reminisce about my own graduation sitting there. It is such a great memory and a great time in life. Ky is going to love adulthood. Recently, I have really sensed her desire to be more independent and explore what she will become in the future. 

I'm looking forward to seeing her life unfold.  

Could her smile be any bigger?

And we can't forget the graduation cap. I love all the creativity that goes into this graduation trend.

Kyli did hers all by herself with a nudge from Pinterest (of course). However, Pinterest still doesn't make my creations nearly this cute! She just has that creative, artsy touch.

My friends, this picture right here, is almost too much for me to manage :)

All of us together with one "launched" baby bird. And let's define launched as --technically she can do what she wants with her life now.

I can't even believe it happened!