Europe Top Ten, Part Three

Soon after Mike and I began dating, I was at his parents' house one evening during family scripture study. Each person took a turn reading a few verses, and when it got to be Mike's dad's turn, something was . . . different. He was reading slowly and stumbling a little and even though the general message of the verse was right, the words and phrases and sentences were not exactly the same. I was baffled, until Mike told me his dad was reading from a Norwegian Book of Mormon and translating it into English as he went along.

That was one of my first clues that for Mike's dad, Norway was a big deal.

He served a church mission to Oslo when he was nineteen years old and has always claimed that Norway is the most beautiful country in the world. In the last twenty years, he has traveled extensively all around the world and seen many beautiful and wondrous places but has still maintained that deep and abiding love for Norway and its people.

When Mike and I were planning our trip to Europe, Norway was not on the original agenda. It was expensive and not as convenient to get to as some of the other countries. But then things shifted. Mike's sister, Anne, and her husband were coming to Europe immediately after us, and it just so happened that Mike's parents had a rare week off of church assignments. Anne approached them about a possible Norway trip, and when they said it just might work, Mike and I did the only sensible thing and invited ourselves along.

Even once we made it to Europe though, the Norway plan was still a little up in the air. We knew there was a possibility that Mike's parents' plans would change at the last minute and they wouldn't be able to go with us. And then, after ten days of traveling to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany, the truth was, Mike and I were tired and missing our kids something fierce. We kind of just wanted to go home. When we arrived at the Frankfurt airport to catch our flight to Oslo, we found the place a literal zoo. Mike's parents said they had never seen it like that: Swarms of people and twisty long lines and chaos. (Apparently, a bunch of flights had been cancelled the night before, and all those extra people were still trying to leave.) Even though we'd given ourselves a cushion of time, the chances of making our flight looked bleak. Mike turned to me and said, "If we miss this flight, we're just going to go home."

But fate must have been on our side. Our flights happened to be business class (we've never flown business before, but when we bought our tickets, they were the only seats available), and so our line was shorter--not by much, but it was enough. We arrived at our gate with about five minutes to spare and arrived in Oslo without incident.

I'm telling you all of this because sometimes I feel a little sick when I think back to how close we were to abandoning this part of our trip. Norway was an absolute dream--a constantly changing landscape, and all of it drop dead gorgeous. We kept joking, "I hope we finally get to see something pretty on this trip!" We traveled from Oslo up to Geiranger down to Flåm and ended in Bergen, and the entire trip was a feast for the eyes.

I have only two regrets: that I couldn't capture its full beauty in photos and that, even as inadequate as they were, I didn't take more of them. I want to remember this place forever. Here are a few highlights (but it was really hard to narrow it down, and you'll see that I cheated just a little bit):

1. Our eight-passenger van

When we were planning how to get around Norway, we decided driving would be the most ideal because it would offer us the greatest flexibility and freedom. The problem? There were six of us, and all the car rental places didn't have any vehicle big enough for us and our luggage. Mike's dad tried again and again, calling various places and talking to numerous people. In the end, we decided we'd have to just rent two cars, but it was such a disappointing compromise. The fun of a road trip comes from talking and laughing and experiencing new things with other people, and I just knew if we couldn't all be together, we'd be missing out on a lot of great memories. When we went to pick up the car, my father-in-law asked one final time, "You don't happen to have something that would fit six people, do you?" "Actually," said the receptionist, "we just got an eight-passenger van. It's never been out before. Would that work for you?" Oh my goodness, we loved that van so much (except on the narrow, twisting mountain roads), and even though the views would have still been pretty if we'd had two little cars instead, the memories wouldn't have been the same. One of the great things about driving rather than traveling another way is that we could pull off anytime we wanted to for pictures or a longer look. And believe me, we took advantage of that, sometimes stopping as frequently as every five minutes because we just couldn't help ourselves.

2. Going to church

On Sunday morning, we went to church at one of the wards outside of Oslo. When we walked into the building, my father-in-law immediately recognized someone from when he was a missionary there 40 years before. She was so pleased and happy to see him. The meeting was in Norwegian (of course), but we had a couple of people translate for us. Mike's dad also gave a brief testimony in Norwegian. I loved seeing him in his element, sharing the Gospel with people he loves. And the members of the ward were just so incredibly kind and sweet and generous. I love the unity that is felt within the Church across oceans and countries and languages--the language of the Gospel is the same.

3. Red barns, grass roofs, and stave churches

Over and over again, I was amazed by the colors in Norway. The abundance of green in many different shades was the perfect backdrop for the red and brown and white and mustard-colored houses and barns. Driving through the countryside, they popped out, sharp and vibrant, on the hillsides. Many of the houses also still boast the traditional grass roofs that have been used for centuries. And the small churches, each with their own cemetery, anchor every village and town. The architecture was both quaint and striking.

4. Tunnels

I have never been in so many tunnels in my life. Mike and I often have the debate: Tunnels or bridges? I'm firmly on the bridge side, but Mike loves tunnels, so he was in heaven. Notable tunnels we went through were the Spiralen (which spiraled up to the top of the mountain and must have been the inspiration for Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King") and the Lærdalstunnelen (the longest tunnel in Norway--clocking in at 15.23 miles, I may have felt a little panicked when we got to the halfway point, especially when the guys decided we needed to pull over for pictures).

5. Waterfalls

I don't think we were ever out of sight of a waterfall (except when we were inside a tunnel). Some were the merest trickle, leaking out of the mountain while others were huge, rushing cascades. One of our favorites was Pollfoss (pictured above).

6. Fjords

We came to Norway specifically for the fjords, and they did not disappoint. We saw them both from above (the Geiranger fjord at the top of Dalsnibba--my fear of heights definitely kicked into high gear) and from sea level (we took a ferry from Geiranger to Hellesylt), and every angle was breathtaking. We worried that the weather was going to hinder some of the views, but it cooperated for almost the entire trip.

7. Fjord jumping

One evening, we drove past a diving platform, and Mike knew he would never forgive himself if he passed up an opportunity to jump into a fjord. That's not the kind of experience I regret missing, so I opted out, but Anne and Nate joined him. The water wasn't too cold, and after a couple of times jumping in, Mike grew overly confident and decided to run the length of the platform before jumping off. Unfortunately, he slipped at the edge of it and did a back flop instead of a jump, but it was still epic (and so were the red welts that followed). (If you want to see a picture of it, check out my Instagram feed.)

8. The fruit

The chocolate in Norway was good. So were the crab legs. And the jarlsberg cheese wasn't bad either. But the strawberries and raspberries blew me away. I have never never had strawberries and raspberries that tasted like that. I wish I could go back and have that first taste all over again because it was so startling. The strawberries were sweet and literally melted in my mouth--and not in a mushy, overripe way. The skin was firm, but as soon as I bit into it, it turned into juice and ran down my throat. Unbelievable. The raspberries gave us a little heads up for what we were in for just by their sheer size (as big as quarters), but man, each one of the those little pockets was filled to bursting and exploded when I bit into it. Yum, yum, yum.

9. The color of the water

I told you I was obsessed with the colors of Norway. We saw water that was a beautiful opaque turquoise and also the deepest darkest midnight blue. The pictures do an inadequate job of capturing it.

10. The Fløibanen

In this top ten post, the cities we went to have been woefully underrepresented. I could have done a top ten composed of just the fun things we did in Oslo and Bergen. Although I preferred the countryside, both cities were delightful (and very different from each other). When we got to Bergen, we rode the Fløibanen (a funicular) to the top and had an amazing view of the city (and the goats on the hillside kept us all entertained).

But I think the best thing for me about the whole trip was just seeing Mike's dad in his beloved Norway along with his wife and two of his kids. He has waited so long to share this with someone, and he couldn't have had a more appreciative audience.

What I Read on Our Trip: Cinder, Lizzy & Jane, Inside Out and Back Again, Where'd You Go Bernadette?

As we planned and packed for our Europe trip, one of my highest priorities was making sure I had enough books to read and enough variety that if something didn't fit my mood, I had more to choose from. As you might remember, Mike got me a kindle for Mother's Day specifically because of the upcoming trip, and I spent the weeks prior filling it up with titles from my to-read list. Although I'd done a little bit of destination-specific reading before we left, during the trip itself I just wanted books that were light and fun and that would strike the right balance between "easy to get lost in" but not "hard to pull away from." So no dense nonfiction but no gripping thrillers either.

I fell in love with my kindle on this trip. This is the first e-reader I've ever owned, and I guess I'm admitting that I didn't know what I was missing before. I have much more to say about e-readers in a future post . . .

I have to admit that one of the best parts of our trip was just being able to read, uninterrupted, for hours at a time. I can't remember the last time that happened (probably on our Australia trip). When people heard how long the flight was from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam (nine hours), they gave exclamations of sympathy, but I countered with, "Oh, no, I loved it. That was quiet, peaceful, dedicated reading time." (That was the flight out there; the flight home was more brutal because I just wanted to be home.)

I've compiled all the books I read into one post and tried to consolidate my reviews a bit so that this isn't too long. I'd love to hear your thoughts about any of these that you've read (or want to read)!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
As Mike and I were sitting on the plane at the very beginning of our trip, waiting for takeoff, Mike looked over at me and asked what my book was about. "Well," I started, "you're probably not going to believe it, but it's a Cinderella retelling" (insert indifferent nodding), "and Cinderella is actually a mechanic . . ." (insert raised eyebrows), " . . . and a cyborg" (insert a surprised guffaw, followed by my own hysterical laughter).

That was Mike's reaction. When I presented the plot to my mother-in-law later on in the trip, her reaction was one of disbelief, disappointment, and sympathy. I think she couldn't believe I would waste my time on anything so ridiculous. And frankly, neither could I. In fact, during the first couple of chapters, I thought I was going to have to abandon it. I mean, did you hear what I said? It was about a cyborg-mechanic-Cinderella!!! You have to admit, that's a bit much.

But I forged ahead, and after awhile, all the references to hovercrafts, technological interfaces, androids, and moon (Lunar) people (oh yeah, did I mention that?) didn't jolt me as much. I became wrapped up in the story: Cinder (the cyborg mechanic) lives in the city of New Beijing (this takes place years in the future after WWIV) with her stepmother and two stepsisters. A deadly plague has been slowly infiltrating earth and reaches New Beijing soon after the story begins. It shows no respect of persons: the little baker's son gets it, so does Cinder's youngest sister, and so does the king. Prince Kai is desperate to find a cure, but meanwhile, he is also trying to fend off attempts by Queen Levana, the Lunar queen, to build an alliance (through marriage) between Earth and Luna.

Strange as I found it, I couldn't deny that the whole thing was extremely clever. The underlying fairy tale was always there, but it blended into the new story perfectly. And the characters were fresh and new if, at times, just a little stereotypical. Most of all, I appreciated that it was a young adult novel that I would actually feel comfortable giving to young adults. I hope the rest of the series stays as clean.

It felt good to finally check this book off my list because it's been on there since it first came out in 2012. That was long before people were talking about it and the series became so popular. What grabbed my attention back then wasn't the synopsis (I don't think I even knew what the story was about), but that shiny red stiletto on the cover. In the years since then, I've heard other people, most notably Anne Bogel, remark on the ugliness of the cover and how it was a major turnoff for them, but for me, it was the thing that made me continue to come back to it, even though it didn't sound like anything I would like. It was just so different, and so is the story, so they actually go together perfectly.

Lizzie and Jane by Katherine Reay
Katherine Reay's books have been mentioned several times on Modern Mrs. Darcy. They sounded like cute, clean, light books, so when this one came up as a kindle deal, I snagged it.

It's about two sisters, Lizzie and Jane (yes, their mother had a deep love affair with Jane Austen and named them after the two oldest Bennett sisters) who were never close but became even more estranged after their mother died of breast cancer. Fifteen years later, Lizzie (or Elizabeth as she prefers to be called) has her own restaurant in New York City, but it is floundering. Elizabeth just seems to have lost some of her creativity and drive, especially after she finds out that Jane has also been diagnosed with breast cancer. Hoping a break will help rekindle her passion for cooking, she flies out to Seattle to spend some time with her sister and help her as she undergoes treatments. Of course, when you've kept your distance from your sister most of your life, being forced to spend time together when you're both emotionally vulnerable is probably not the best idea, but that's what makes it interesting.

For the first few chapters of this book, I thought I'd found a new favorite author: the story was interesting, the characters complex, and the writing better than average. But the longer I was in it, the less I enjoyed it. Elizabeth especially started to get on my nerves, mostly because she talked about food and cooking all the time. It was supposed to be endearing, like, Look how passionate she is! She can't even have a normal conversation with someone because she gets totally immersed in the subject of food and doesn't even realize who she's talking to. Luckily, handsome Nick thought it was adorable, but I was just thoroughly annoyed (although maybe that's how I am when it comes to books, so my apologies everyone!).

There were some sweet sentiments about dealing with trials and pursuing your dreams, but in the end, I just couldn't make myself believe this story could have actually happened . . . and it wasn't even that unbelievable of a story, it was more just that I didn't connect with it. Still, it definitely kept my interest and was a great book for reading while traveling. Like Suzanne said in our most recent Book Blab, it wasn't so good that I was tempted to read it instead of watch the views out the window, but it was good enough that I was happy to pick it up when we had down time. So take that for what it's worth.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
I have yet to read a verse novel I didn't pretty much just swoon over. Whether that means I've been lucky enough to only read stellar ones so far or just that I actually don't what is good poetry and not, I don't know, but I'm adding this one to my ever-growing list of verse novels that I love.

Although technically a novel, it is based on the author's own memories of growing up in war-torn Vietnam and making the decision to come to America with her family. The Vietnam War is not one I've read a lot about. In fact, I paused in the middle of reading to ask Mike, "So . . . why did we lose the Vietnam War?" After so much WWII history on our trip, I think I was just baffled that America could lose anything. It was a completely different war though, fighting against a different kind of enemy, and it's no wonder that tensions were so high because of it.

Reading about Hà's experiences fleeing a country she truly loved and having to adjust to a totally new culture just made my heart ache. Refugees give up so much for the hope of a better life, and I am amazed by their bravery and tenacity.

Hà and her family basically had one chance to get out of the country after the fall of Saigon, and thousands of other people had the same idea. As everyone crammed onto the ship and it threatened to sink because of the weight of so many, Hà said,

But no one
is heartless enough
to say
stop
because what if
they had been
stopped
before their turn?

And it's true. How could you possibly refuse passage to someone when you know if they stay, their future will be doomed?

The poetry makes the raw emotion of the story stand out in a sharp and vivid way. Like when Hà's mother decides she must sell her amethyst ring their father gave her because she needs the money. That ring is their last tangible link to their home:

"Brother Quang says,
NO!
What's the point of
new shirts and sandals
if you lose the last
tangible remnant of love?

I don't understand
what he said
but I agree."

One of my favorite poems was called "Confessions" because it brought together so many elements of the story together. Hà says,

"It's time to tell Mother
why misery
keeps pouncing on me."

She confesses to buying less pork so she could have a little money left over for fried dough. She confesses to making a little girl cry at school. She confesses to being the first one to touch the floor on Tết (an honor reserved for the oldest son). These were all events that had been introduced earlier, but now being reminded about them, especially in light of the taunting and insecurities she was facing at her new American school, made them seem especially pitiful and forlorn. "My child," says her mother, "how you shoulder the world."

I think this ended up being my favorite book I read on the trip. The other books were fun to be in the middle of, but this one actually made a lasting impression on me. It was sweet and poignant and made me see things in a new way.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
I didn't know what to expect from this book. When I first heard about it a couple of years ago, I thought it must be a funny book. Then, more recently, someone else was talking about it, and it sounded more like a serious book. But here's what I found: the plot line itself is rather heavy (Bee's mother, Bernadette, is psychologically unstable and something of a recluse; when things fall apart, she disappears), but the writing itself (witty, smart, funny) kept everything light. So depending on how you look at it, it could be either . . . or both.

When the novel opens, we know Bernadette is gone, but we don't know why. Told through 15-year-old Bee's eyes, as well as email exchanges, report cards, invoices, school notices, and doctor's bills, the evidence gradually stacks up and we're able to form a clearer picture of why Bernadette bolted, where she might have gone, and who she really is.

I don't know if I've ever shared the Goodreads plot summary in one of my reviews (I kind of pride myself on writing my own), but its description of Bernadette is just so perfect that I can't help myself: "Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom."

Even though this didn't end up being my favorite book from the trip, it was definitely the one that captivated my interest the most. In fact, on the flight home, Mike asked me if I wanted to watch a movie with him, and I somewhat sheepishly admitted that I didn't know if I could pull myself away from my book.

This had to do, in large part, with the writing (as mentioned before, it's just so sharp and smart) and the way the book was set up (I love it when the story moves from the end back to the beginning, and I have to put the pieces together), but also, it was because of Bernadette. As you can probably tell from the above quote, she was just an absolutely fascinating character.

Unfortunately, the ending got just a bit melodramatic for me. I wasn't unhappy with the way it ended, but getting there felt a little crazy (but then, the whole book is actually a little on the crazy side, so I shouldn't have been surprised).

It would be remiss of me not to give you a little taste of Maria Semple's writing, so I'll leave you with one of my favorite passages, a description of icebergs (Antarctica plays a big part in the story): "White, yes, but blue, too, every blue on the color wheel, deep like a navy blazer, incandescent like a neon sign, royal like a Frenchman's shirt, powder like Peter Rabbit's cloth coat, these icy monsters roaming the forbidding black."

This book is one that really can't be replaced by a summary or a book review. It's very much about the journey, and the only way to get there is by reading it.

Content note: swearing, including the f-word, and a brief, non-descriptive affair

Have you read any of these books? I'd love to hear your opinion!

Baptism is the Gate

Aaron recently celebrated his eighth birthday. We've been anticipating this birthday for a long time because it's a big one. In our church, we believe eight is when you reach the age of accountability (in other words, the ability to make good choices and take responsibility for your own actions) and are therefore ready to make the sacred covenants associated with the ordinance of baptism.

We've spent the last year, but especially the last six months, helping Aaron prepare for this important decision. We wanted to make sure he understood the eternal importance of the promises he'd be making. We've had many family home evening lessons on the subject, as well as some heart to heart chats (which, if you know Aaron, you can probably guess these were mostly one-sided), and Aaron has been more consistent lately with his personal prayers and scripture study.

Yesterday was the big day, and it came with mixed emotions from me. Of course I was so happy and so proud of him, but I also found myself feeling more hesitant than I was expecting, almost like I wasn't ready to let him take this leap. I guess I'm a little bit fearful of the increasingly significant decisions he'll be confronted with, the temptations he'll face, and yes, the mistakes he'll make. The stakes feel higher all of a sudden. His daily life is going to consist of more than just deciding which cereal to eat for breakfast.


But I keep thinking of the scripture in 2 Nephi 31 that says: "For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life." What a beautiful, absolutely perfect analogy. Baptism is the gate, the first step on that path of everlasting joy. Mistakes? Yes, they'll come. It's part of the learning process. But there's repentance, and his claim on the Savior's atonement will never run dry. He can repent again and again and again (and most likely, he will). But now he'll also have the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide and direct and protect him. There's absolutely no need for me to be fearful because he's in better hands than he's ever been before.

If you had seen him yesterday at his baptism, you wouldn't have been able to tell how he was feeling. Aaron keeps his emotions locked up tight. He's calm and stoic, and he rarely smiles in a new situation. (He's the complete opposite of Max who, during the special musical number with all the children, was up on the stand doing crazy things with his eyes and making us all giggle irreverently.) But I know he was excited. And I know he was glad to have the support of so many family members. And I know he understood, at least on a small scale, the significance of his decision. It was more than just being immersed in the water by his dad. It was symbolic of the sacred covenants he was making with his Heavenly Father.

I took some pictures of him a few weeks before his baptism. I ended up only using one of them for the invitations we sent out, so I hope you'll indulge me if I put a few more of them up here.

 

 

Reading Goals 2016: The Halfway Point

Even though I seem to be behind on everything these days (including this post), I'm still slowly plugging away at my reading goals. Here's a brief report on where I'm at and what I still need to do:

1. Read a book I put on my to-read list in 2011 (not complete)
The problem with delaying this post by a month is that it doesn't take into account a lot of books I've now read. Case in point: I could have sworn I finished this goal, but when I looked back through my books from the first half of the year, not a single one had been hanging out on my to-read list since 2011. Then I remembered: I did complete it, but not until July, and I'm nothing if not stringent about deadlines. So you'll just have to wait until the end of the year report to find out what it is.

2. Read a female author I've been meaning to read (not complete)
Nope, not yet, but I still have big plans for this one. I really think it needs to be a Susanna Kearsley novel, so any recommendations for favorites of hers? Or I'm also still up for more favorite female authors to add to the list!

3. Read a male author I've been meaning to read (complete)
I've wanted to read something by Wallace Stegner for years, and when my friend, Jen, volunteered to read Crossing to Safety with me, I jumped on it. Stegner's writing was poignant, tangible, and just so gorgeous, and it will easily be one of my favorite novels in 2016. Now I need to make a new goal: Read everything by Wallace Stegner.

4. Read (don't listen) to something by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens (not complete)
It is for this goal alone that I'm worried about my numbers goal for the second half of the year. I've decided to read Sense and Sensibility, but I am not a fast reader, particularly when it comes to the classics, and since I have to physically read this book in order for it to count, it's going to consume a big chunk of time that could be spent flying through other books. Do I care more about this goal or my numbers goal? Time alone will tell.

5. Read six books with Aaron (partially complete)
I've been doing pretty well with this one. So far we've read:

Truce by Jim Murphy (February 2016)
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein (March 2016)
One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale (May 2016)
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier (June 2016)

This has seriously been such a fun goal to complete. I love sharing books with my kids.

6. Read a book about the Olympics or an Olympic athlete Read a book in preparation for Europe (partially complete)
For the first time ever in my reading goals history, I changed a goal mid-year. Actually, it was much earlier than mid-year, but no one but me knew about it until now. Why did I do it, and, perhaps the more important question, why do I feel okay about it? Way back in January or February, I started making a list of possible Olympic books. Maybe I just wasn't looking in the right places, but I was having a difficult time finding any that actually piqued my interest (there was a Jesse Owens one and an Eric Liddell one, but without glowing reviews, I was pretty sure they weren't going to be the fast-paced narrative non-fiction that I love). But even without being too excited about it, it still would have been a goal I would have completed (I do love the Olympics, after all), but meanwhile, Mike and I were getting ready for our Europe trip, and I really wanted to do some reading for that to make it more meaningful. I could tell it was actually turning into its own goal and with them both happening around the same time (the trip in July, and the Olympics in August), I knew I was going to have to choose one or the other, and the trip won out. So there you have it. I've been reading The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel. I listened to about half of it before our trip, and I'm working on finishing it now that we're home.

7. Read another book by Louisa May Alcott (not complete)
This goal has not been my top priority yet, but Alcott's better in the fall anyway, right? Still haven't decided which book of hers I want to read . . .

8. Read five Newbery related books (partially complete)
This goal is supposed to be a mixed bag of past and potential winners. So far I haven't read anything current (although I have my eye on Wolf Hollow, The Wild Robot, and Pax), but I have read a few Newbery books from the past: Caddie Woodlawn (which won the medal in 1936), Rascal (which won an honor in 1964), and Heart of a Samurai (which won an honor in 2011).

9. Read a verse novel or poetry collection (not complete)
Even though I have some long books that still need to be finished for several of the above goals, this will be a fast and easy goal to complete, and I'm looking forward to it because I love poetry.

10. Reread Edenbrooke and The Happiness Project (partially complete)
I reread The Happiness Project at the beginning of the year (even though I've loved Gretchen Rubin's later books, too, there's just something about the innocence of her first happiness book before she became "the happiness expert"--I loved it). I've been saving Edenbrooke because I want to have something to look forward to in the fall.

So how am I doing? Out of the twenty books I need to read in order to complete these goals, I've read nine-and-a-half. So that's basically like I'm right on track, although, like I said, I am a little nervous about some of the ones I've left for the second half of the year.

Any suggestions for books I should read in order to complete the rest of my goals? I'm up for recommendations!

Europe Top Ten, Part Two

We spent the second part of our trip in Frankfurt, Germany (and surrounding areas). Mike's parents are currently living there on a church assignment, and so we were able to stay with them, which was absolutely wonderful. It was just so nice to be able to sleep in the same bed for more than one night in a row, relax in the backyard, and eat food that we (or I should probably say, they) cooked ourselves. It was perfect having the week in Germany sandwiched between our other travels. It let us recuperate after France and the Netherlands and gear up for Norway. As an added bonus, we were joined for this phase of the trip by Mike's cousin and her husband and baby, so we even had traveling buddies to go on adventures with. Here are ten of the things we enjoyed the most:

1. Rhine River Cruise

This 90-minute tour took us down a picturesque strip of the Rhine where the vineyards crawled up the hills on both sides, the little villages on the shore beckoned to us, and we were never out of sight of a castle. The weather was lovely and didn't get too hot until the very end. We went with Rachel, Micah, and Benji, and we kept saying to each other, "Isn't this amazing?! Here we are, just hanging out on the Rhine River together!" Definitely something we'll always remember.

2. Burg Eltz

Although we saw dozens of castles from the road (and river), we ended up touring just one, and it was a good one. Burg Eltz dates back to the 12th century and felt totally legit with cannonballs in the courtyard, towers and buttresses, and hanging baskets in the kitchen (the only place inaccessible by rats). Plus, we had the most awesome tour guide who sounded like he was straight out of Dungeons and Dragons.

3. Rothenburg (i.e., the Christmas village)

Rothenburg is this classic German village with darling half timbered houses, overflowing flower boxes, and an iconic wall that encloses the village. It was just my mother-in-law, Mike, and me for this particular adventure, and after driving for two hours, we arrived in Rothenburg, but it wasn't at all what we expected. In fact, it didn't look the least bit touristy (we couldn't even find a village square), and my mother-in-law, who had been there before, didn't see anything that looked familiar. Turns out, we'd gone to the wrong Rothenburg. The one we wanted was actually Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Not easily deterred, we drove three more hours to the real Rothenburg, and the fact that I'm including it on the list of favorites shows that it was worth all those hours in the car (although I think Mike's mom, who had white knuckles from Mike's driving on the autobahn, would disagree).

4. The best ice cream I've ever eaten in my life

While in (the real) Rothenburg, we got ice cream (not an unusual occurrence--I made it my business to try out the ice cream pretty much everywhere). Because of the high quantity of ice cream we ate on this trip, I'm sure you will realize the magnitude of claiming this as the best ice cream of my life, but it was. I was expecting it to be soft serve, but it wasn't just soft, and it wasn't just creamy. The only word I can think to describe it with is silky. We had something that came close in Norway, but it was vanilla, and the Rothenburg cone was lemon, so it got the edge. (If you're ever in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, check it out--that's a photo of it up there.)

5. Feeling at home in Frankfurt

One of the great things about this trip was just spending time with Mike's parents: shopping at the nearby grocery store, going on their favorite walks (my mother-in-law: the cemetery; my father-in-law: the park overlooking Frankfurt (pictured above)), meeting their friends, playing games at their house, and chatting over a homemade dinner. Now when they write about the things they're doing, we can picture it because we've been there. I was sad to leave.

6. Frankfurt market

It had the same charm as Pike's Place in Seattle but was smaller and cleaner and didn't have any fish throwing going on (which makes it sound nothing like Pike's Place, but Mike and I both agreed it reminded us of it). We wish we'd made the time to go back later in the week and do more exploring (and more buying).

7. Window boxes

Every house, every hotel, every little shop in big cities and small villages has window boxes, literally overflowing with gorgeous flowers. You would have thought I'd have gotten used to it by the end of our trip, but I still found myself snapping all the pictures all the time because they just made me so happy. I'm ready to hop on the window box train . . . anyone else with me?

8. Stuttgart Library

I really only had one thing on my Germany bucket list: visit the Stuttgart Library. I'll probably save most of the details (and pictures) for its own post (because where else can you devote an entire post to a library than on a book blog?), but just know this: It was incredible.

9. Cute alleyways

I'm sure dark, scary alleyways do exist in Germany (but that's not the kind of thing I generally seek out when I'm traveling), but every one that I saw looked like this: clean and bright with a cobblestone path and adorable doors and (of course) more window boxes.

10. Spending time with Rachel and Micah (and little Benji)

During our first year of marriage, Mike and I were fortunate enough to be in the same ward as Mike's cousin, Rachel, and her husband, Micah. During that time, they became some of our dearest friends. And the great thing about being related to your friends is it's easier to stay in close contact even when you live thousands of miles away from each other. Earlier this year, Rachel called us and asked, "Hey, do you guys want to go on a trip together this summer?" And we said, "Well, we're going to Germany, but if you want to come with us, we would love it." And what do you know? They did! It was so much fun talking to each other for hours, playing games in the evenings, and going on adventures together (and their one-year-old baby was a total traveling champ). I'm so glad our memories from Germany will always have Rachel and Micah in them.

Stay tuned because our top ten from Norway is still to come!

2016 Reading: First Half

I made a goal to read 70 books this year. At the end of June, I had only finished 34 (and that was with a lot of shorter books worked into the mix), so I'm not feeling overly confident about the second half of the year. I think the fact that I'm posting this a month late also shows that I'm just behind on everything right now, which is not something I enjoy. Looking on the bright side though, I read many good books during the first six months of the year, including three that I'm pretty sure will make it onto my favorites list at the end of the year. Here's a recap (book titles are linked to full reviews):

1. Lulu and the Hamster in the Night by Hilary McKay, 5/10
I kicked off 2016 by being a Round 2 judge for the Cybils Early Chapter books category. This was the first title I read, and even though I'm not going to rush out and read the rest of the series, I have no problem recommending it to an eight-year-old.

2. Dory and the Real True Friend by Abby Hanlon, 8/10
This one, on the other hand, I liked well enough to then check out the first one in the series. And if Abby Hanlon writes any more books about Dory, I will read them. (Update: Dory Dory Black Sheep comes out on September 20th!)

3. My Pet Human by Yasmine Surovec, 2/10
Creative premise, disappointing execution.

4. Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner, 2/10
I'm always on the lookout for excellent historical fiction for the 7-10 year-old set. This one, unfortunately, is not going on the list.

5. The Lake House by Kate Morton, 8/10
I still like The Secret Keeper more, but I'd be lying if I didn't say this one pulled me in and didn't let me go until the end.

6. Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale, 4/10
It was fine, but I was very much aware that I was reading kids' lit.

7. The Case of the Snack Snatcher by Liam O'Donnell, 3/10
This one felt too much like it was trying to feature a special needs character, and so the mystery itself fell flat for me.

8. Clover's Luck by Kallie George, 7/10
I was pleasantly surprised by this one and would recommend it to elementary-aged kids.

9. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, 10/10
A re-read for me. I enjoyed every bit of it. I am more comfortable with who I am and my own hopes and dreams because of this book.

10. My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke, 6/10 (audio)
I love Dick Van Dyke, but I lost interest during the second half of this book.

11. Ragweed by Avi, 9/10 (readaloud)
Aaron read this first and then begged for me to read it aloud. If that's not a glowing endorsement, I don't know what is. (Also, if you like fun accents, this is the perfect readaloud for you.)

12. The Children Act by Ian McEwan, 5/10 (audio)
This makes for a great book club discussion, but let that be your warning: you'll want someone to discuss it with.

13. Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy, 7/10
I have not read very many books about the Great War, so even though this one was targeted towards a younger audience, I learned a lot from it.

14. Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt, 2/10 (audio)
Ugh. I know several friends who love this book, but I think the audio version might have ruined it for me.

15. Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon, 8/10
I read this myself and then had to share it with my kids because Dory was just too delightful to keep to myself.

16. Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol, 7/10 (readaloud)
My brother loved these books as a kid, so I read one aloud so my kids would get hooked, too. We loved solving the mysteries together.

17. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink, 8/10 (readaloud)
So good. Caddie has some serious spunk but also a tender heart.

18. Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein, 5/10
I would have liked this book a lot more if the library had actually been a cool library and not some technological showcase.

19. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, 9/10
I didn't think I could love a graphic novel about roller derby, but I did. Really top notch.

20. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day by Winifred Watson, 7/10
The loose morals in this book (published in 1938) were shocking, but Miss Pettigrew herself was a model of decorum.

21. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, 10/10 (audio)
I loved everything about this book: the multi-layered characters, the rich language, the quiet story. Five stars all the way.

22. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, 2/10 (audio)
Book club certainly helped me appreciate this book more, but I still didn't like it.

23. Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary, 10/10 (readaloud)
Ramona is the comfort food of books for me.

24. One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale, 8/10
I've been recommending this graphic novel series to anyone who has kids who love historical fiction.

25. Rascal by Sterling North, 6/10 (readaloud)
We loved parts of this book, but some of it was slow and tedious.

26. The Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge, 7/10
This memoir about how befriending a refugee family helped heal Sarah Thebarge after the trauma of breast cancer was inspiring and touching.

27. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, 7/10
There were a lot of hard things in this WWII novel, and at times I found it erring towards the dramatic, but I liked it.

28. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis, 8/10 (readaloud)
This one has so many great adventures, and my kids were absolutely enthralled.

29. Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, 7/10
The main character is quite a bit older than what is common for most middle grade novels, but it works in this one.

30. By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman, 9/10 (readaloud)
What an absolutely delightful adventure story.

31. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, 8/10 (audio)
There were things about the book I didn't love, but Ove made up for almost all of them.

32. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier, 10/10
I read this book, and then Aaron read it, and then the whole family listened to it on audio. And just like that, it has become one of our very favorites.

33. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, 8/10 (audio)
Another re-read. It was fun to read the story while knowing what the twist was going to be. I was just as impressed as the first time I read it.

34. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, 10/10
Oh wow. So heartbreaking, but what a powerful memoir.

Our recent trip helped me close some of the gap, but without any more ten-hour plane rides in my immediate future, I think it's going to be difficult to maintain my lead.

What have you been reading lately?