my bits & pieces

It was really good to see you girls last weekend. It feels like an eternity ago... But I felt like writing (and reading) so I hopped on here.

Ok quick update: I'm not taking classes this summer, just reading and researching. Most of it I can work on from home, which is wonderful for me. I get super distracted at school and they keep the building so cold these days. I will be going to some research conferences later this month that should be cool. Travis is working full time at DOMO. He loves it. He had to get his appendix out this week so we couldn't go to Sun Valley with my family for the three day weekend which is a bummer but hooray for modern medicine right?? I keep thinking about how there was a time not too long ago (and still places in the world) where an appendicitis was a death sentence and I would have lost my husband this weekend. I cannot imagine that! It makes me so sad to think about and so grateful for this day and age we live in. And also grateful for a medical family who was able to see a weird display of symptoms and realize quick enough that a real medical emergency was going on. Luckily for us, it didn't rupture but they kept him overnight to look for infection and things. He is doing great!
And if anyone ever needs help being happy, just go buy a baby duck :) Best $8 you will ever spend!

Any good books? Movies? Things to do??

I recently read The Light Between The Ocean and I LOVED LOVED LOVED it! The movie is coming out this September so anyone who wants to read it and then go see it with me I would love that! I also loved Everyone Brave Is Forgiven. It's another WW2 book. I've been on a WW2 kick lately. I quite enjoyed the Cedar Cove series (the books and the show on netflix. But don't start watching if you can't handle a cliff hanger because they cancelled the show but ended on a huge cliff hanger...UGH). In the LDS author department, I just read Josi Killpack's A Heart Revealed and really liked it--it has a Pride and Prejudice feeling to it. Love and Gelato was a cute teenage love story and By The Stars was a true story, again a WW2 love story, but a really great LDS perspective! I also read The Girl On The Train because I couldn't help myself. It is a thriller! But no one read Who Do You Love because is it slutty and gross. I'm currently reading: The Bar Tender's Son, I Let You Go, Alexander Hamilton (The one Miranda Lin Manuel read that inspired the show, which I am still obsessed with), The Inn at Rose Harbor series (a branch off of Cedar Cove, I am on the second book), the third peculiar children book and The Summer Before The War. I just cannot get enough of reading these days!

Good movies? I haven't seen a ton of movies lately. With Travis recovering I thought we would watch a bunch of them but we haven't really. We watched Daddy's Home which was SO funny. And we watched Hail Ceasar! Which was interesting. I really liked it but I like those strange films. It's the same director as Oh Brother Where Art Thou which is a Cook Family favorite. I liked The Scorch Trials but it was so different than the book. And I was entertained by My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. It definitely could have been more clever, like the first one. But it was still good.

TV shows. Again, I like the Cedar Cove series on netflix. It is just clean and cute and small townish. But we LOVE Better Off Ted!!!! Oh my goodness it is funny! And Ellen's wife (what is it, Portia?) is so interesting! Obviously I read more than I watch but I think that is a good thing.  

I just read Hailey's comments on my last post so I will add those books to the list (I love reading books written for younger audiences!!!) but if anyone else has any recommendations, I would love some! Books, movies, shows, restaurants, places to hike?!? I want them all!!

Happy 4th everyone! Be safe and have a great holiday!