Book Review: The 19th Wife

"Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain."

-David Ebershoff

It has been a crazy week in our household, so I apologize for my absence.  As promised, I have my book review on The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff for you today.

Before I begin, I have a confession to make: I love Lifetime movies.  While I was in college, my DVR was filled with Lifetime movies and my friends and I would gather together to watch them.  I miss those days dearly.  Anyways, the fall semester of my senior year, Lifetime aired the movie version of The 19th Wife. Now, I'm not usually the type to watch the movie before reading the book, but I honestly had no idea this was a book until after watching the movie.  I picked up the book at a Barnes and Noble a few months later and finally got around to reading it this year!

I won't lie and say I didn't struggle a little with this one, because I did.  It was very long and I just wasn't as into it as I wanted to be until I got about halfway through.  Once I hit that halfway point, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen to Ann Eliza and Jordan.

The novel tells two stories.  The first is the story of a young man named Jordan who is a former member of the Firsts and whose mother has been arrested for the murder of his polygamy practicing father.  The second is the story of Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young's infamous 19th wife.  This portion of the novel is comprise of historical writings written by Ann Eliza Young herself, her father, her son, and Brigham Young.

I didn't know much about the Mormon faith prior to reading this novel and I feel as if it provided a good history about how the Mormon faith came to be.  I understand there may be some discrepancies between truth and fiction, but I still feel as if it provided good insight.  I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys good historical fiction. 

Have a great weekend!

This weekend I...

• Woke up bright and early Saturday morning to drive to KC.
• Went shopping at Oak Park Mall and Target and only bought some new socks and some lip balm.

  

  I tried this stuff after reading about it here and it is fabulous!

• Got yelled by a Target employee-I asked the young man where I could find these new and popular light up bath toys for Aaron's nephew and he proceeded to scold me saying that putting light up bath toys in a tub was not safe and I was going to electrocute my child.  I was mortified and too caught off guard to say anything back so I just walked away.
• Ate a blackened chicken and poached pear sandwich at Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge and it was delicious.
  
• Had my first experience at PBR and it was super fun!

  

  This guy was the highlight of the show.

  
  
  
• Finished our registry at Bed Bath and Beyond!
• Played Cards Against Humanity for the first time with my dad, stepmom, fiance, sister, and some family friends-it was quite the experience.
  
• Received an amazing Valentine's Day gift from my dad and stepmom-thanks!

  

  I am very excited about the Harry Potter forever stamps!

What did you do this weekend?

5 on Friday

It's time for another link-up with The Good Life blog.  I cannot even begin to tell you how ready I am to be off this weekend after having worked two weekends in a row.  It has been a trying past few weeks at work and I really need this two day break.  So, let's kick off this weekend with five things I'm loving or have done lately.

One

 # 54.  One more item can be checked off my 101 things in 1001 days list.  I finished putting together the Beauty and the Beast puzzle I received for Christmas and first posted about here.  But, it was missing a piece!  How does this even happen?!  I swear to you I opened the puzzle on the same table I put it together on and it never moved.  Crazy!

In case you don't see the missing piece, look in the upper right hand corner.  It is driving be crazy!

Two

These are my new favorite snack.  I absolutely love dark chocolate and these are the perfect amount of sweet to satisfy my sweet tooth and I love the burst of acai and blueberry.  So yummy and they can be found at Wal-Mart or Target!

Three

I finished reading The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff (one of the books on my 2014 Reading List) last week and I really enjoyed it.  Prepare for a book review next week.  I've started The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom now and so far it is just as excellent as the rest of his books have been.

Four

27 days.  I am so ready for spring that I have this countdown going next to the countdown until our wedding (189 days until the big day-yikes!).  It rained, hailed, and snowed in here in northeast Kansas yesterday and then the sun came out and, had you not just experienced the weather, you would have never known it happened.  Kansas weather is crazy y'all!  Anyways, I am ready to wear cropped jeans, light jackets, and, as much as I love my boots, I am ready to pack those babies away for the season.

Five

Our save the dates are here and the address labels are in the works.  I'm so excited to get these mailed out to everyone!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Olympic Fever

First of all, my sincerest of apologies for my blog hiatus.  I just really haven't been inspired to write about anything lately.  I had a post planned on House Bill 2453, but I still haven't quite found the words to explain my utter embarrassment and anger in regards to this bill.  I have a book review I need to write and an update on my 101 things in 1001 days, but I will save those for another day as well.

The olympics have been on non-stop in our house with a few breaks to watch The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.  I am loving Jimmy Fallon as the new host and watching him is just the cure I need after a stressful night at work.  Anyways, as far back as I can remember figure skating has always been a sport I love to watch.  Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski, and Sasha Cohen were some of my favorite skaters to watch growing up.  Needless to say, figure skating has been the highlight of the 2014 games in Sochi for me.  I loved watching Meryl and Charlie and now I'm loving watching the women's figure skating.  I've also gained a newfound appreciation for the snow events, particularly slopestyle and the moguls.  Snowboarding and skiing slopestyle was so fascinating to me and kudos to those athletes because I could never do anything close to what they did.

This weekend we have big plans in Kansas City and then we will finally finish up registering on Sunday.  Registering has been Aaron's favorite part of wedding planning thus far (totally kidding of course!).  The multitude of odd looks and "it doesn't matter to me" that I received while registering at Target and Picture This was one for the record books.  Wish me luck! :)

My Tribute to Shirley

"As long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be alright."

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

A part of my childhood died yesterday with the passing of Shirley Temple Black.  I was first introduced to her movies by my grandmother and the joy her films and the songs she sang brought me has never stopped.  Occasionally, I still find myself singing "animal crackers in my soup, monkeys and rabbits loop the loop."  My grandma loved Shirley and her perfectly curled hair and watching her movies together will always be one of my fondest memories.

Here is a clip of one of my favorite songs sung by Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes, my favorite movie that she starred in.  The VHS copy at my grandparent's house was kept in the filing cabinet in their back room.  My grandpa had taped it and I can guarantee I about wore that copy out.  Thankfully, now I own my own personal copy on DVD.  

Rest in peace Shirley.

5 on Friday

It's time for another link-up with The Good Life blog for 5 on Friday.  I am so glad today is Friday because I am off today and the end of the week is here.  This week has seemed extra long and I don't know if it was because of the massive amount of snow or the fact that I was extra irritable, but I was beyond ready for it to be over.  Here's to hoping that my happy go-lucky mood returns this weekend!

1. As I said in this post, Aaron and I registered at Picture This in Seneca this past weekend.  While I was trying to decide what I absolutely cannot live without, I stumbled upon these placemats and they were on sale!  I plan on having a kitchen with these exact colors and sunflowers so they could not have been more perfect!

2. Because of the snow this week, I stayed at my mom and Ryan's house so I could be closer to work.  My mom ended up having Tuesday and Wednesday off and it was nice to be home during the day with her.  We watched TV, baked a few goodies, and enjoyed each other's company.  I also need to give a quick shout out to my parents.  On Tuesday night, I wasn't sure if my Honda would be able to make it home from work at midnight.  Thankfully, a co-worker of mine drives past my mom's house, has four wheel drive, and offered to take me home.  Well, on Wednesday, I had no way to get to work.  After snow-blowing and shoveling the driveway with my mom, she was able to get her car out to give me a ride.  Thanks mom!  Then, my dad called and said he had stopped by the hospital to clear the snow around my car and off of my car.  Thanks dad!  I have wonderful parents.

My snow-blowing casualty.  Evidently you aren't supposed to touch one particular spot or it will burn holes in your tech gloves.

3. I stumbled across the iHeart Organizing blog the other day while reading Pinterest Told Me To and I just love it!  So many great tips about how to organize just about everything in your house. 

4. I invested in some Hunter boots three years ago while I was in college at KU and have not regretted my purchase one bit.  Not long after buying them, I went to NYC with some friends for spring break.  It rained and snowed the majority of the time and I was so thankful for my boots.  They have proven to be extra useful this week too.  However, I have decided I need to invest in the fleece socks to keep my toes warm. Here are my exact boots.

I love these boots!  Perfect for a rainy or snowy day!

5. My dad sent me the link to this article the other day and I was shocked.  I am a huge Harry Potter fan and while reading the books I always thought that Harry and Hermione should end up together, but I also really thought the pairing of Harry and Ginny worked out well.  Needless to say, J.K. Rowling rocked the world of all Harry Potter fans by coming out and saying having Hermione and Ron end up together was a mistake. Crazy!

Have an excellent weekend everyone and stay warm!

Wednesday Wedding Update

According to the news this morning, Topeka received a total of 13 inches of snow.  13 inches!  That's a lot of snow and the drifts that have formed thanks to the lovely wind are even deeper!  Thankfully, I did not end up stranded at the hospital.  My car, on the other hand, was not so lucky.  I opted to forgo driving home and hitch a ride with a co-worker who happened to have four wheel drive and boy am I thankful I did.  My parent's neighborhood roads had not been cleared as of midnight last night and my little Honda couldn't have plowed through the massive amount of snow even if she wanted to.  I can't say this enough-I am so ready for spring!

Anyways, I have a wedding update for y'all today.  Last Saturday, Aaron and I picked out tuxes for the wedding party and we registered at one of the stores on our list, Picture This.  It's this wonderful little store on Main Street in Seneca, Kansas.  If you're ever in that neck of the woods, I highly recommend you stop by!

We also got our Save the Dates ordered and I cannot wait for their arrival!  Our weekend was very productive and our list of things to do is getting shorter, which is wonderful and scary at the same time.  205 days until our big day!

I hope that you are warm and cozy and staying inside on this blistery cold today.  I'll be begging someone to drive me to work later (seeing as my car is stranded in my work parking lot) and then help me dig my car out of the massive amount of snow surrounding it.  Any volunteers are welcome!  Happy hump day folks!

Never-ending Winter

Snow. Snow. Snow.  The news channels in my neck of the woods are calling for anywhere from 6-12 inches of snow between tonight and tomorrow, which means I am preparing for snowpocalypse 2014.  I won't say I hate snow, but I have a strong dislike for snow, especially when I have to drive in it.  Don't get me wrong, there is something magical about snowflakes falling from the sky and I love a white Christmas as much as the next person, but if it in any way, shape, or form affects my travel, I'm a mess.  I can't even begin to tell you how ready for spring I am.

Now, for a weekend update.  Saturday morning we made our way north to run a few errands for the wedding (update on Wednesday) and so Aaron could get some work done on the farm.  Well, since it snowed Friday, he wasn't able to do a whole lot but he did get to move some snow.  We then made our way south to Topeka for a mini date night.  For dinner we ate at LaRocca's Pizza.  If you haven't eaten there before, you must!  I highly recommend their pizza, the garlic rolls and the house salad.  After dinner, we decided to go see American Hustle.  I loved David O. Russell's work on Silver Linings Playbook so I was so excited to see this movie.  Also, the cast was superb!  Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner, Robert de Niro-there are no words.  Great acting here folks!

Sunday was pretty low key in our household.  Aaron caught the sinus bug, so his morning was spent on the couch while I did a few things around the house.  I had an afternoon date with one of my best friend's in Kansas City in the afternoon and then we went over to my aunt and uncle's for the Super Bowl.  They recently became the parents to two darling Boston Terrier puppies, so I didn't do a whole lot of game watching (plus the Seahawks were killing the Broncos!).

Sweet sleepy Benny.

Sweet sleepy Stella was all cozy in Ryan's hoodie.  Later on in the evening she was playing with my mom's zipper on her coat and it was hilarious.

They both crawled over on Aaron's lap for a mid-game snooze.

It was a great weekend and my morning before work has been very relaxing.  I'm watching Rain Man so I can check off one more Best Picture movie off of my list for #43.