Even though it will tomorrow is September, I am finally getting around to writing about my July reading. Of the ten (only ten? so unlike me) books I read in July, I rated two as five star reads.

Things I Read About by Kelsey Humphreys – I can’t quite put my finger on why I rated this book five stars. That is partially because it’s been a while since I finished it and partly because there wasn’t just one thing that I liked. This book is the fourth in a series about five sisters. Some of the best parts of these books is the sister text threads. They are hilarious! The series is well worth the time to read.

Zero Days by Ruth Ware – I am fairly new to Ruth Ware’s writing. I think this is the second book I have read. This book is full of intrigue and drama. I had a difficult time putting it down. At the end of each chapter I need to know what happens next. After reading this book and The It Girl, I know I will be reading more Ruth Ware in the future.

Since July was short on five star books for me, here’s a few of the four star books that I read.

In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

Thanks for reading! If you have any book recommendations, please leave them in the comments. I’m always up for a good book.

Or How I Spent My Summer, part 2

Before I introduce you to our newest family member, here’s a little backstory. Two years ago, we had to say goodbye to our Shih Tzu, Riley.

He was 16 and a half years old. He was the sweetest. He was my buddy, my shadow. Losing him was so hard to get past. After about six months, the family was ready to get another dog. I was not even close to ready. My husband, knowing that I would be the primary caretaker/trainer, left it up to me when and whether we got one.

After spending time with Max and Teddy at my stepsister’s, I realized that it was time. I missed having a dog around. I wasn’t just missing Riley, which I still do, but I missed the companionship. I missed the puppy cuddles. I missed the unconditional love.

So, when Miss M and I returned from the parental road trip, we started looking for a puppy. My daughter-in-law, with her world-class research and googling skills, found us the perfect puppy for our family.

Meet Sullivan, or as we call him, Sully.

Yes, he is named after the Monsters, Inc. character. He was eight weeks old when we got him and is now almost twelve weeks old. At his last vet visit, he weighed 3.74 lbs. He’s just a tiny guy. He is so incredibly cute and so much fun. Sully is the perfect addition to our family. I am sure he will make many appearances on the blog in the future.

What I’m watching now: The O.C., Season 2

What I’m reading now: Shucked by Kate Canterbary

What book I’m listening to now: Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren

What podcast I’m listening to now: The Shuttlepod Show

What I’m knitting now: Thea Tank by Tamera L. for Miss M

Do you remember returning to school in the fall and your teacher assigning an essay about what you did over summer vacation? This post is going to feel a little like that. I have actually had an eventful summer. Normally, I would only be able to say that I knit, read and binged some shows. My summers looked a whole lot like the rest of my year.

This summer has been different. My daughter and I went on a two week road trip with my elderly parents (ages 82 and 77). We drove from our home in the Kansas City area to Hendersonville, NC. My stepsister lives there with her significant other and their two miniature schnauzers, Max and Teddy. They might possibly be the best behaved dogs I have ever seen. And they are just absolutely adorable.

While visiting my stepsister there, we made the drive to Black Mountain so that I could spend a whole lot of money (lol) at the Black Mountain Yarn Shop. It was divine. My local yarn store closed about six or seven years ago, so most of my yarn purchases are online. It was so great to feel and see the yarn before I bought it.

From Hendersonville, we drove to Winston-Salem, NC. All of my dad’s siblings live in that area, so we were able to see them. There were a lot of family events with a lot of the extended family. It was a lot for my introvert self. Thankfully, my equally introverted daughter was with me to help balance my very extroverted parents. The best thing was spending time with my favorite cousin. We are both grandmothers now, so we spent a lot of time talking about our grandkids.

Our last stop was Columbus, GA, where my mom’s only sibling lives. It was a good, but short visit. I hadn’t seen my aunt and uncle in many years, so it was great to see them.

Trip takeaways:

I am so happy I was able to take this trip with my parents and daughter. Reality is that this could be the last time my parents are physically able to take a trip like this. And it was an opportunity to spend quality time with my parents. As morbid as it seems to think about, we just don’t know long we have with them.

My mom has aged more than I realized in the last few years. Being with her for two straight weeks, I realized how much her memory has slipped. Her grasp of conversations is sometimes shaky. I’m not a mental health professional, but it seemed that she had a high level of anxiety. She just seems so much smaller and not in a physical sense. Honestly, it’s hard to see.

While I am glad and grateful that we were able to make this trip, I will never, ever, ever do it again. It was stressful. It was long. It was a reminder that my dad is stubborn. That he and mom pick at each other nonstop. That my mom is a helicopter spouse, constantly asking him how he is feeling, what he is doing, where he is going. Did I mention that it was long? My daughter and I had a mantra through the trip – I love my parents/grandparents. Some days we just needed the reminder.

The biggest takeaway – it’s a cliche, but life is short. We lost my father-in-law almost ten years ago. My mother-in-law’s health has declined tremendously over the last year. My parents each have their health issues. Spend time with the ones you love. You never know how many opportunities you have.

There is more to come about my summer. I’ll introduce you to our newest family member in my next post. Hopefully, that will be coming you way very soon.