We had a busy July we left for Yellowstone a few days before Mom and Dad via Scottsbluff, NE so we could go see Chimney Rock. We stayed the night in Torrington, Wyoming. Before making our way towards Worland Wyoming to stay with Lindsey’s sister, Candace and family. for the night Around lunchtime in Casper we decide to make about an hour and half detour and visit Independence Rock, Devils Gate, and Martins Cove. The kids were pretty amazed by this size of Independence Rock and were determined to climb to the top it. We started on one side and went across the entire top and down, not as easy as it may look. We weren’t able to do a whole lot at Martin’s Cove, but we did see a little video with a brief history and the kids were able to try and pull the handcarts around a little loop. We would like to go back someday and do the longer trek and go down into the cove. We past by the Sixth Crossing on our way to Worland but didn’t stop. That night we spent with Candace and the next day meet up with Mom and Dad Cottrell for our Yellowstone Trip. Mom already wrote about Yellowstone so I won’t repent to much. Adam and Lindsey got some nasty bug bites in Burlington, which we annoying and hurt, from that point on we smelled like bug spray, so help prevent anymore nasty bits. Sarah would get nervous every time we came to close an animal and roll down our windows to look at them. She was doing better towards the end the week. Some highlights are Lower Falls, Grand Canyon, Steamboat, Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful, picnics, play string games, grizzly up so close, buffalo at our first stop, a buffalo at that liked to hang around the Canyon Cabins, and our last night blocked our path from the parking spot to our cabin, and of course being with Mom and Dad. They took good care of us and we all had wonderful time. As mom mentioned Lindsey and the kids were dropped off in Star Valley and the took Greg down to Salt Lake to fly home and work for the week. The next day all of Lindsey siblings ran a half marathon and the whole family went cheer them on. They are trying to get her to run it with them next year…..It rained that afternoon so we all hang out and the kids watched a movie. We spent week relaxing mostly. We went the park a few times, out to lunch, eating the snow cones, swimming, playing with kittens, jumping on their trampoline, playing with cousins, and tubing in the slough (a fresh water spring that forms that makes a stream). The kids were having great time until we moved up river little. Isaac decided he had enough so Lindsey waited on the banks with him while Grandma Jane and Sarah one tube and Adam on another decided to float down a little. Adam was really enjoying it, but Sarah decided she was done and so Grandma Jane put her up on the bank and told her to walk back to me (Lindsey) only problem it was the other side. Sarah was fine until she decided to cut across on want she thought was land but ended to be the most swampy part and worst place to cross. She freaked out, and I wasn’t about to go and get her. I kept yelling for her just run across she kept getting stuck and lost both of her crocs, which made it worse. Once she was across she jumped in a one the deepest parts kicking and screaming, and quickly grab her. She would have been fine if she would have walked up the bank more and straight across from were I was standing, but she was in hurry and afraid. It was a little crazy, we were both not happy. Grandma Jane felt bad and we only found one of her crocs. Sarah ended up getting new croc like shoes at Children’s place and flip flops (which she has always wanted) from Grandma Jane since we lost her other ones. We left on Friday and Salt Lake and did little shopping at the Park City Outlets and stayed they night with Uncle Taylor (Lindsey’s Mom’s brother). The next morning Lindsey and the kids went to Wheeler Farm with a good friend from Omaha. Then they went to go and visit Lindsey Grandma Rose in a rehabilitation center were she was staying after she had fallen and broken her back. She is 91 years old, her health is good, but she is becoming very frail and needs care 24 hours. Then they went the hotel pool to go swimming before picking up Greg at the Airport. The next morning we went and visited Temple Square for a few hours and then back to visit Grandma Rose before heading to Star Valley again. On the they way home we stopped and visited with Aunt Louis in Evanston since she has never met Lindsey or the kids. We also stopped in Almy Cemetery just outside of Evanston to see were some Lindsey’s ancestors are buried. On Monday we hiked to intermittent springs it is any easy trail. We made the bottom the falls and you are able to go the top but it was to slippery from snow melt this year. On Tuesday we went of to Rexburg and having lunch at Big Jud's on the way. Our family of 5 couldn’t finish the 1 lb. hamburger. We enjoyed visiting campus and seeing the changes made there, it has grown a lot in 10 years. We were planning to go spelunking at the civil defense caves but Greg and Adam needed to get ready for their big hike the next day and get to bed earlier so we headed back to Star Valley. Wed Adam and Greg planned on hiking to Surprise Lake in the Tetons, but they turned around about half way there. About five minutes from the trail head the first hiker headed down and he said that there was bear, they had bear mace so they kept hiking. Some of the other hikers they passed said they saw it some said they didn’t. About .3 miles later Greg was leading the way around the corner and was like “WOW that’s a big bear.” So they slowly backed up and head back down the trail. They then meet up with an older couple and decided it safe to head back up with them, this time they didn’t see the bear. They hiked another 2 miles eating lunch along the way. before turning around. On the way down again hikers warned them of the bear with cubs. They met up with group of people that seen the bear and cubs that was within .1 miles, they didn’t want to cross between the mom and cubs. By this time there 6-8 people in the group, so they decided to risk going through and making a lot of noise. Greg got his bear spray out ready to fire just in case. They did see one cub climbing a tree, and another on on log. A few minutes later they did see the mama bear and the last cub. They tried to take picture but they couldn’t see it well. They made safely to car and always enjoyed Colter Bay and Wendy’s. While they were hiking Lindsey, Isaac and Sarah spent the afternoon at her brother Robert’s house were the kids enjoyed playing the dirt, ditch, and mud. The next day we headed back up the Teton’s to do another hike, picnic and swimming. We went across Jenny Lake on the ferry and hiked 2 miles round trip to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. They kids did great, Hidden Falls is good little hike and the Inspiration Point is little more difficult but they all did it. We spent Friday mostly getting ready to come home and taking some family pictures. We headed home on Saturday and stopped in Laramie for the night. It was fun trip.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Packers Newsletter
Rob had a 5k at his work and they also sponsored a kids 1k.
Luke was so excited to do this and would practice in the backyard. They had the
kids run around the baseball field at American Express 3 times. He was loving
that all of Rob’s co-workers were cheering him on. He did such a good job and
only stopped to walk a couple times. He got a little trophy and a t-shirt.
We did two backyard projects this summer. We put in two 4 x
4 raised box gardens and we did an 8 x 8 sandbox. The gardens went in fast and
we only had to move one sprinkler!! (I think we have rearranged all of our
sprinklers in the backyard at least once.) We have gotten a ton of tomatoes and
are overwhelmed by cucumbers, but the kids love it. None of our strawberries
have made it inside the house because Sophie eats them all.
The sandbox took a LOT of work. There is a huge 80 year old
tree next door that shades half our yard, so we wanted the sandbox under that.
The only space to put it was where a 10 x 10 cement pad was that the previous
owners used as a dog run. We obviously don’t have a dog so we tore the cement
out, but left a one foot border of cement around where the sandbox would go. We
found out the cement was 10 inches thick and had rebar in it! It took SO long
to break it all up. Nic even broke a sledge hammer trying to pound it out!
After that we built the frame and had sand delivered. They dumped it in the
street and we had the entire neighborhood playing on the sand pile before we hauled wheelbarrow loads full to the backyard. It has been the place to play
since then. The knocks on our door to play in Luke’s sandbox haven’t stopped.
It doesn’t matter what hour it is! It is a great toy!
Sophie turned two in June. She is so fun and has grown into
such a girly girl. She’s always trying to put on my heels and sneak my makeup.
And her toes are always painted pink, her FAVORITE color. She is talking like crazy! She isn’t the best
eater. She’ll eat one or two bites of any meal and be done until the next meal.
She is very different than Luke and I because she has a major sweet tooth! I
can’t get Luke to eat a popsicle or ice cream, but Sophie will sniff it out and
inhale! She loves nursery and all her little friends. She officially doesn’t
take naps anymore. Well she hasn’t all summer now. She is a very tired little
girl by the end of the day.
Lehi had their annual round up week. It is a huge deal
around here. We braved the crowds for the cow stampede down Main Street. Sophie
loved all the rodeo princesses and waved to each one. Our ward does a float
every year and the primary kids get to walk next to it. These floats are so
time consuming and are so amazing and huge. It is a calling I never want!! Our float
for the Mini Float parade on Friday night was a Dr. Seuss theme and all the
little primary kids were Sneetches. Luke got to ride in a wagon for the 3 miles
and I walked beside him. It was 100 degress and I died a little. Luke was great
and waved to everyone the whole time. All the adults had spray bottles and we
were soaking down the kids. Mom and dad came too, so that was fun for them to
see Luke. We went to the big parade on Saturday morning so Luke could sit and
watch and it was equally hot, but all the floats throwing candy made up for it.
That afternoon we had the family over for a little swimming
party for Sophie. We just had lunch and the kids swam in the pool and played on
the slip and slide. We had a gigantic chocolate cake with pink candles. Luke
made her a cardboard baby bed that he painted pink and purple and helped me sew
a baby pillow for it. He was so proud of himself!
For 4th of July we went to the Packer family
reunion up in Fruit Heights. Rob’s uncle has an amazing yard that is perfect
for all of us. There was a little kids parade, a gigantic homemade waterslide,
sand pile, and the traditional soft serve ice cream machine. All of the aunts
and uncles were reminded of a young Rob when watching Luke go gang busters on
the waterslide with no fear. Rob was quite the active little boy. We had to drag him away from it after 4
hours. That night we had Mom and Dad and
grandpa over for Chinese. Luke has been obsessed with all the fires around here
and always wants to watch the news about them. He heard there were lots of
places with firework restrictions and bans so he told us he didn’t want to do
fireworks this year because it was too dangerous. (His preschool was within a
few blocks of one of the fires a few months back.)
For Pioneer day we headed down to mom and dads and had some amazing ribs by Uncle Sam. It started to pour rain and luckily I brought the kids swim suits so they could play in the rain with Bryce. Luke agreed to some fireworks and he and Sophie thought they were great!
Stephensons June/July
I thought I wrote in June! Guess I have a lot to catch up on.
At the beginning of June we were still in Utah and we'd just gotten our car back from the shop with it's "new" (used) transmission. ($$$) We left the evening of Sunday the 3rd to head home. We thought we'd drive all night but by about St. George Addie was so tired (it was about 11 PM) but couldn't get comfy to sleep in her chair. She fell asleep for about 45 minutes and woke up screaming mad. She screamed for about an hour straight and even managed to get her arms out of her seatbelt. Ugh. We gave up and stayed over at South Point in Las Vegas. (Stopping in Las Vegas and realizing all our friends were gone made me so sad!) Addie woke us up early the next morning so we just got right on the road and drove to Fresno. We got in around 1 in the afternoon. Jacob had brought in all the furniture and boxes but nothing was unpacked. (Wait, it's August and we're still not completely unpacked. Oops.)
Our new house is older, I think early 70s. We have 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a dining/living room, a "den" and a garage. And the back yard is pretty nice, besides the part of the grass that is dead from the previous tenants' above ground pool. We like the space but the house has some quirks. The kitchen and dining have new fake wood floors but the rest of the house is carpeted in hideous dark brown carpet. Every room has a different light fixture. The ceilings have a really ugly popcorn texture and the walls are textured too. The sink is tiny. The water stinks, literally (we still haven't figured this out yet, but we're not drinking it!) And our neighborhood is not our favorite. But we definitely got the biggest/nicest house possible for the really affordable price. Jacob constantly says we're going to move as soon as the lease is up though.
Our ward is nice but we haven't really clicked with anyone. It's mostly got families with older kids and lots of seniors. Nobody has really taken much effort to get to know us, including the Bishop who didn't even introduce himself till we'd been here 6 weeks. But I'm still trying to go to Relief Society activities and meet people. I'm hoping when the weather cools down a bit there might be a play group or something. On a positive note, Addie LOVES nursery.
June kept us busy doing lots of mundane tasks like registering the cars, getting new drivers licenses, changing the car insurance, setting up the utilities, etc. Jacob's car's check engine light has been on forever and in CA you can't get your car registered if it's on so he spent DAYS trying things to get it off. Finally he got it off just long enough to get it registered.
Jacob's residency orientation started June 18th and he started seeing patients on the 23rd. Every 4 weeks he'll be on a new rotation. His first one was "wards" which is one of the hardest. Morning Report is at 7 AM which means he has to be there with his charts done before that. Most days he didn't get home until 6-7 PM and at least once a week he had short call which means he was on until 8 but wasn't done with charts until at least 9. Once a week he also had clinic in the afternoon which meant he had to go back to the hospital afterward to finish his patients, which was always a late day. He got 4 days off the whole months, every other weekend. Needless to say, Addie and I hardly saw him and he was so tired.
Luckily, he started a new rotation the end of July and it has been great. ER at the VA. Twice a week he has the morning off then clinic in the afternoon. He always has the weekends off. He's usually home by 6:30 at the latest. It has been a nice change of pace! Good to know that not every single month of residency will be really hard.
Addie got hand, foot, and mouth early in July. It was awful. She didn't have the hand or feet rashes which was good but made it harder to identify. We went to the urgent care and they didn't know either. I finally figured it out by searching the internet. A week later we found out that the whole nursery had come down with it but nobody had thought to call us (and save us a trip to urgent care...) Addie went a whole week without using her binky because of the mouth sores (and subsequently not sleeping much) and I thought she might give it up for good. But then she found one and now I think she's more binky obsessed than ever. Oh boy!
Heidi and I have been having really great success with our business lately and that has kept me extremely busy. In just 2 months we've made it into the top 100 sellers of ALL TIME on the site we use and one of our products is currently the #8 most popular item on the whole site. It's been good to have that distraction while adjusting to the new place. I have a mother's helper who comes 2-3 times a week in the morning to hang out with Addie so I can work. She's a little younger than I wanted and sometimes Addie is too big of a handful for her but overall it's been good.
At the end of July we made a super quick trip to So Cal. We stopped in Santa Monica to visit my dear friend Emily and her family. We went to the In-N-Out at LAX where you can watch the planes land. Then we continued to San Diego to meet up with Jacob's sister Erin who was there on vacation with her little family. We met up with them at La Jolla Shores and enjoyed the evening there. It was actually pretty chilly (a nice change from Fresno weather.) Then we went to El Cajon (where Jacob's grandparents used to live) to go to this frozen yogurt shop that their Grandpa loved. It has a 30 minute line! The next morning we joined Erin's family at Singing Hills (a country club) to have breakfast with them and Grandma Bell and Jacob's aunt Lisa + her 2 adult children. Then we spent the rest of the day at the beach (a much quieter beach than La Jolla but it was actually an inlet so the views weren't as good.) Addie was in heaven at the beach! We took off mid afternoon to head home. It was a super quick trip but we're glad we got to go. It was really nice to get out of Fresno.
One of the things we've loved here in Clovis (when the weather was cool for a little while) is the Farmers Market.
At the beginning of June we were still in Utah and we'd just gotten our car back from the shop with it's "new" (used) transmission. ($$$) We left the evening of Sunday the 3rd to head home. We thought we'd drive all night but by about St. George Addie was so tired (it was about 11 PM) but couldn't get comfy to sleep in her chair. She fell asleep for about 45 minutes and woke up screaming mad. She screamed for about an hour straight and even managed to get her arms out of her seatbelt. Ugh. We gave up and stayed over at South Point in Las Vegas. (Stopping in Las Vegas and realizing all our friends were gone made me so sad!) Addie woke us up early the next morning so we just got right on the road and drove to Fresno. We got in around 1 in the afternoon. Jacob had brought in all the furniture and boxes but nothing was unpacked. (Wait, it's August and we're still not completely unpacked. Oops.)
Our new house is older, I think early 70s. We have 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a dining/living room, a "den" and a garage. And the back yard is pretty nice, besides the part of the grass that is dead from the previous tenants' above ground pool. We like the space but the house has some quirks. The kitchen and dining have new fake wood floors but the rest of the house is carpeted in hideous dark brown carpet. Every room has a different light fixture. The ceilings have a really ugly popcorn texture and the walls are textured too. The sink is tiny. The water stinks, literally (we still haven't figured this out yet, but we're not drinking it!) And our neighborhood is not our favorite. But we definitely got the biggest/nicest house possible for the really affordable price. Jacob constantly says we're going to move as soon as the lease is up though.
Our ward is nice but we haven't really clicked with anyone. It's mostly got families with older kids and lots of seniors. Nobody has really taken much effort to get to know us, including the Bishop who didn't even introduce himself till we'd been here 6 weeks. But I'm still trying to go to Relief Society activities and meet people. I'm hoping when the weather cools down a bit there might be a play group or something. On a positive note, Addie LOVES nursery.
June kept us busy doing lots of mundane tasks like registering the cars, getting new drivers licenses, changing the car insurance, setting up the utilities, etc. Jacob's car's check engine light has been on forever and in CA you can't get your car registered if it's on so he spent DAYS trying things to get it off. Finally he got it off just long enough to get it registered.
Jacob's residency orientation started June 18th and he started seeing patients on the 23rd. Every 4 weeks he'll be on a new rotation. His first one was "wards" which is one of the hardest. Morning Report is at 7 AM which means he has to be there with his charts done before that. Most days he didn't get home until 6-7 PM and at least once a week he had short call which means he was on until 8 but wasn't done with charts until at least 9. Once a week he also had clinic in the afternoon which meant he had to go back to the hospital afterward to finish his patients, which was always a late day. He got 4 days off the whole months, every other weekend. Needless to say, Addie and I hardly saw him and he was so tired.
Luckily, he started a new rotation the end of July and it has been great. ER at the VA. Twice a week he has the morning off then clinic in the afternoon. He always has the weekends off. He's usually home by 6:30 at the latest. It has been a nice change of pace! Good to know that not every single month of residency will be really hard.
Addie got hand, foot, and mouth early in July. It was awful. She didn't have the hand or feet rashes which was good but made it harder to identify. We went to the urgent care and they didn't know either. I finally figured it out by searching the internet. A week later we found out that the whole nursery had come down with it but nobody had thought to call us (and save us a trip to urgent care...) Addie went a whole week without using her binky because of the mouth sores (and subsequently not sleeping much) and I thought she might give it up for good. But then she found one and now I think she's more binky obsessed than ever. Oh boy!
Heidi and I have been having really great success with our business lately and that has kept me extremely busy. In just 2 months we've made it into the top 100 sellers of ALL TIME on the site we use and one of our products is currently the #8 most popular item on the whole site. It's been good to have that distraction while adjusting to the new place. I have a mother's helper who comes 2-3 times a week in the morning to hang out with Addie so I can work. She's a little younger than I wanted and sometimes Addie is too big of a handful for her but overall it's been good.
At the end of July we made a super quick trip to So Cal. We stopped in Santa Monica to visit my dear friend Emily and her family. We went to the In-N-Out at LAX where you can watch the planes land. Then we continued to San Diego to meet up with Jacob's sister Erin who was there on vacation with her little family. We met up with them at La Jolla Shores and enjoyed the evening there. It was actually pretty chilly (a nice change from Fresno weather.) Then we went to El Cajon (where Jacob's grandparents used to live) to go to this frozen yogurt shop that their Grandpa loved. It has a 30 minute line! The next morning we joined Erin's family at Singing Hills (a country club) to have breakfast with them and Grandma Bell and Jacob's aunt Lisa + her 2 adult children. Then we spent the rest of the day at the beach (a much quieter beach than La Jolla but it was actually an inlet so the views weren't as good.) Addie was in heaven at the beach! We took off mid afternoon to head home. It was a super quick trip but we're glad we got to go. It was really nice to get out of Fresno.
One of the things we've loved here in Clovis (when the weather was cool for a little while) is the Farmers Market.
Monday, August 6, 2012
More Books - Clean Romances this time!
Again, from Studio 5, a local daytime TV show on KSL.
Unlike movies and television shows there is no content rating system for books. The pages may contain sex, violence and foul language or be perfectly clean; it's a gamble. If you are content conscious, it is especially risky to pick up a book about romance or love.
But who doesn't enjoy the smolder, intrigue and sigh-worthy romance of a well-crafted love story? So if you want all the good stuff of a romantic read without worrying about content, look no further than this list of favorite clean romances. All of these books are free of graphic/descriptive sex scenes (in a few of the books sex occurs, but is only mildly described or happens "off- stage") and contain no or only small amounts of foul language and violence.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel is terminal. She's known it since she was diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at age 13. Now at age 16, thanks to a miracle drug, she's been given some time to live a quiet life, but knows there are still fewer days ahead. The last thing she expects is to fall deeply in love, but when seriously handsome, intelligent, bold Augustus Waters appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's simple life takes a whole new direction.
This book is simply amazing. The story is so real and achieves that elusive goal of speaking about life, death and love in a way that is meaningful instead of pretentious. Bold, slightly irreverent and genius.
The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum
Abby, a senior in high school, has a normal, predictable life: good friends, reliable boyfriend and college applications in the works. But all her normalcy is interrupted when mysterious, gorgeous and Italian, Dante Alexander shows up. He's unlike anyone she has ever met and Abby soon discovers that she cannot resist Dante's allure. But as Abby is swept up in his love she is also pulled into his world of danger and time travel, filled with secrets that reach all the way back into the sixteenth century.
Pick up this beautifully written young adult novel, the first in The Hourglass Door Trilogy by local Utah author Lisa Mangum, and forget everything else for a day or two. The love story is loaded with swoon-worthy moments and the time travel adventure feels fresh and new.
After Hello by Lisa Mangum
After you finish The Hourglass Door Trilogy, get your hands on Lisa Mangum's next young adult book, After Hello, which hits shelves in September 2012. With inviting writing, a quick pace and a wonderful first- love story, this book is a pure delight to read. Mangum has a gift for subtle, but smoldering romance.
It's Sara's first trip to New York City. With her camera in hand, she is ready to capture every moment of the experience. As she stands on the busy streets of the city she watches a handsome guy step out from a bookstore and she impulsively takes his picture. From that one picture a whole day of adventure is born. Sam and Sara partner together to find an elusive piece of art work and along the way discover the unexpected: love and themselves.
To join in a special promotion for the book visit trackthepacket.com
Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs
The Kerr family is a family of secrets. Lady Elizabeth Kerr hides her devotion to the auld ways. Her husband, Lord Donald, hides his shameful behavior from the household. And the dowager Lady Marjory hides gold under her floor boards and harbors regrets of the past. As the city of Edinburgh is turned-over in the wake of a rebellion, so, too, are the Kerr's secrets left bare for all to see.
Everything about this book is intoxicating: the romance, the writing, the emotions, and the vivid eighteenth-century Scottish history. It's nearly impossible to put down and, thank goodness, when it ends there are two more books to finish the story (a trilogy).
Thorn in My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs
Ah, the fated love triangle. In the autumn of 1788, on the mysterious Scottish Lowlands, Jamie and Evan McKie fight to inherit their father's lands and flocks and two sisters, Leana and Rose, vie for the attention of one handsome man. Only one brother can inherit and only one sister can be the bride.
Liz Curtis Higgs, master of historical fiction, pulls the reader in from the first word and takes them on a journey of passion, drama, deceit, betrayal, jealousy and secrets. This is also the first book in a trilogy.
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
From a harrowing attack by a highway man to the unexpected attention of a handsome gentleman, Marianne's visit to the fabulous English country estate Edenbrooke is nothing she expects. Local author Julianne Donaldson's new Regency (think Jane Austen) love story is a pure delight. The first in a new brand of novels called "Proper Romances" from local publisher Shadow Mountain, this book has all the smoldering romance without any of "that other stuff." Watch for more "Proper Romance" titles coming out yearly.
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Can a hummingbird cake bring back lost love? Is there a ghost dancing in the woods? In the small Southern town of Mullaby, North Carolina, these kinds of questions are not a rarity, but the norm. When Emily Benedict comes to town to stay with the grandfather she's never met, in hopes of learning more about her mother, she is surprised to find that strange is around every corner. From the wallpaper that changes to fit her mood to the strange light flitting around the yard late at night, Emily finds nothing she expects, but everything she needs.
Sarah Addison Allen's writing is magical. This endearing story of every-day magic and loveable misfits will enchant readers from the very beginning.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), of the small English village of Edgecombe St. Mary, is everything a proper English man should be: loyal, wry, courtly and an expert on a properly brewed cup of tea. After his brother's death the Major finds himself in an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. As they share a love of literature and bond over the shared grief of the loss of their spouses, the two soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But the village society is not entirely comfortable with their relationship. Can they push past culture and tradition to find happiness?
A perfectly charming and thoroughly enjoyable book. As funny as it is sophisticated, Major Pettigrew's love story between two older people will leave the reader with a smile and a warm heart.
A Time to Love by Barbara Cameron
Television over-seas correspondent Jenny Knight faced the unthinkable while in a war zone and almost lost her life. Now, as part of her recovery, she's staying with her grandma at her home in an Amish community. As her body heals from the devastating injuries sustained in a car bomb attack, Jenny finds a teenage crush for her grandma's neighbor, Matthew, sparking to life again. But can she look past her scars and their different lives to find love?
This book is filled with hope, redemption and sweet romance. Not only is the story romantic, but also intriguing as life in the Amish world is revealed. A quick, satisfying and memorable read. This is the first book in the Quilts of Lancaster County series.
A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin
Violet Hayes is a proper young lady of wealthy society, but she longs to experience mystery and romance, the kind she secretly reads about in novels. After discovering a shocking truth about her mother, Violet manipulates her way into visiting Chicago, intent on tracking down the woman she thought she'd never see again. Her grandmother and three quirky sisters open their home to Violet and each decides it's their duty to help her find a purpose and a husband. From the thrills of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 to the city's depressing slums, Violet's journey will be everything she hoped for and many things she never dreamed of.
This light, fun read is rich with interesting history and keep-you-guessing romance.
The Shoemaker's Wife by Adrianna Trigiani
Enza and Ciro first meet as teenagers in the majestic beauty of the Italian Alps. But after one night of heart-felt conversation and a first kiss, circumstances beyond their control pull them apart. They meet again, unexpectedly, far from their native home in the hustle of turn-of-the- century America, but still fate seems to want to keep them apart. Fate, however, is not strong enough to keep these star-crossed lovers apart forever. From the beauty of Italy, the drudgery of garment factories, the trenches of The Great War and the glamour of the Metropolitan Opera, this epic and beautifully written story of love and family is one that everyone will be talking about.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
One of the bestselling novels of all time, Rebecca deserves every accolade it gets. "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." With this haunting first sentence, the second Mrs. Maxium de Winter begins her tragic story of romance and mystery. Married young to a husband she barely knows, the new bride is forced to live in the shadow of the life of the first Mrs. De Winter, the beautiful Rebecca.
This mysterious, suspenseful romance should be on every love-story-lover's list. The writing is so atmospheric and the emotions of the poor second Mrs. De Winter heart-wrenching. A must-read!
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre's quiet patience, endless perseverance and sharp mind catch the eye of her handsome and arrogant master, Mr. Rochester, after she is employed as governess to his ward. Despite the fact that Rochester is far above her station, Jane falls irrevocably in love with him and soon discovers that he may share her passion. But tragedy and old secrets arise to stand in the way of Jane's happiness.
Deep sigh. Few love stories are as affecting or as tragically romantic as "Jane Eyre." First published in 1847, Bronte's quiet but stalwart heroine broke the mold of standard class conceptions and is one of the most endearing female characters of all time.
Book Rating Websites
Also, check out these on-line resources that are helping readers take the gamble out of picking up a book.
Rated Reads (ratedreads.com) - Book content rating website, all genres
The Literate Mother (theliteratemother.org) - Content ratings for youth and young adult books
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Sunday, August 5, 2012
Mark and Linda's July
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| We had a great time on a trip with Greg and Lindsey and kids to Yellowstone. Here we are in Burlington at the cemetery. We also explored the old tank on the farm where we gathered a few treasures: some of Mark's early school workbooks, his little bicycle, an old sled and a milk bucket. It was also fun to discover that the old store was still there and everyone chose an icecream bar. It was hot there, and we found that the temps would be high in the park too. |
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| Mark wanted to show the kids the Cody Chapel with it's famous church history mural. There is a senior missionary couple there and Mark was able to tell them a lot about the history of the building. I was especially fascinated with the old Junior Sunday School room which hasn't changed since Mark's day. It felt like stepping back in time. And even though it wasn't MY old sunday school and Primary room- it brought back little-kid memories...with the giant picture of Jesus we used in the 60's and the old pew that stretched across the back of the stand, and the little podium and the old chairs. This is now a favorite memory for me from our trip. |
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| We spent the night in Cody and went to a rodeo. The next day we drove into the park and looked for a picnic site. We pulled into the first good one we saw ....and drove right out since there were two huge buffalo by the tables! It was so fun to get up close and personal...from the safety of the car! We were able to see a LOT of animals in the park,. including a black bear, and mother bear and 2 cubs, a grizzly (see below), elk, a wolf, pelicans and LOTs of bison. |
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| We enjoyed some hiking in the park. The trail down to the brink of the falls of the Yellowstone River was the hardest. Even though this was an amazing view, i was glad to leave.....scaaaary! |
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| Another favorite memory was seeing this grizzly up so close!!! We watched him pawing at the ground and Sarah informed us that he was digging for worms! (cute!) |
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| Sarah- age 6, Mark, Adam- age 8, Linda, Isaac- age 4, Greg and Lindsey at Yellowstone Canyon. A fun memory is how i taught the kids how to play string games (Cat's cradle ya know.) We also had the fun of finding $5 Yellowstone Park t-shirts. |
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| Loved picnic lunches in the park. We ate breakfast in our cabins and had dinners in the cafeteria at Canyon or Lake Lodge. Our last night in the park found us waiting outside our cabin for a buffalo to move so we could get out of the cars! After leaving the park we drove down to Star Valley and had dinner with Lindsey's family. She and the kids stayed there and we drove to Salt Lake with Greg and took him to the airport the next day. Mark and I enjoyed hitting a few favorite stores in the valley, and eating dinner at Thai Siam in downtown SL before heading to Salem to see Nette and Jess. |
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| Nette and I yakked and yakked!!! We made a cute table runner that looks like a giant ruler. It was a lot of fun to go to dinner at a favorite Thai place in Orem and to Hale Theater where we saw "Crazy for You." Nette made us the BEST meals....loved the tacos with the grilled chicken and fish. And Nette made the most scrumptious (Rumbi's Voodoo) salad. She is a master with food. It was amazing to see the stuff they were taking on the trek and to hear what they were in for!!! |
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| I was delighted when Project Runway started in July. I took inspiration from their new "workroom" decor and added these stitching lines to my studio with vinyl strips. |
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| This is one of my favorite little groupings on a shelf in my studio. Isn't the book perfect? |
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Van Natter Construction Update
Yesterday the remodel project moved indoors. My kitchen was dismantled, including the laminate flooring in about 90 minutes. The biggest problem encountered came when they opened the drop down ceiling over the actual kitchen area. They had hoped the original builder had sheetrocked at the ceiling but no luck. They had to sweep the insulation out of the way up in the attic, then open the ceiling and catch all that fell in a big plastic tarp. New insulation was installed yesterday and it was sheetrocked today (I haven't taken a picture yet, there is still work going on out there.)
The biggest change is the removal of the wall between the living room and kitchen area. That came down surprisingly quickly too. It looks like a totally foreign place now! We still can't use the living room - everything is covered with tarps. We can begin to see the end now. Thanks for letting me share our adventure!
The biggest change is the removal of the wall between the living room and kitchen area. That came down surprisingly quickly too. It looks like a totally foreign place now! We still can't use the living room - everything is covered with tarps. We can begin to see the end now. Thanks for letting me share our adventure!
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