Life's Blessings - Jenn!

Jenn is daughter in law #1. Not only is she #1 in order, she's #1 in creativity, organization, and reliability!! These are all traits I admire, crave, and ones we need in our family!! Jenn is terrific in supporting family traditions, sharing her skills, and helping to keep our family together.

Things I love about Jenn...

• her love of her kiddos!! No matter how taxed she feels, they are her first priority. That makes my heart soar.
• she shares her talents so willingly!
• she makes the best party food. (Reminder, have her be in charge of all family parties and events!! Just kidding...)
• she shares her books! :) and just about anything else you need!
  
• her teaching creativity and wisdom
  
• organization, organization, organization. No one can pack a closet or car like she can!
• vision - she knows what she wants and how to put it together. From a classroom, to designing her home, to planning a vacation - she has a vision of what she wants it to be like and she makes it happen!
• she has a memory for all details - great and small
  
• follow through. She says she'll do it, she does it, and that's that! Wow! I forget what I'm doing half way through...she's amazing!
  
• her loyalty
• her love of my son! (yep, she has great taste!)

Just a few of the things to love about Jenn.

Because of Jenn and her influence I am now addicted to chips and dip, a member of the Godiva chocolate of the Month club, and I'm a teacher!! Who knew our lives would change so much when Ben brought her home to meet us. One of my life's blessings!

Magnetic Attraction

Magnetic Attraction - the force by which one object attracts another.

Chocolate - It pulls me from almost any corner of the house! (Curse you, See's Candy!)
Bookstores/ Library - my car has been known to weave across four lanes of traffic when that magnetic attraction kicks in. I got out of class early tonight and was happily skipping home (well okay, driving!) when my car practically drove itself to the library before I even realized it! Sometimes it's a little embarrassing.
Gem Show - If it's February there must be sparkly things somewhere. Diamonds, rubies, gold and silver, oh my! The Gem Show in Tucson this weekend is the biggest in the world and it takes all of my willpower to stick to my budget when there are sparklies around. Can you feel the magnetic pull? Is it happening to your wallet too?
Oreo Cookies - I have to hide them. Their pull is powerful. And don't even get me started on No Bake Cookies!! How come carrots don't have this same magnetic pull?
My Bed - After some sleepless nights it has the strongest pull of all and tonight I won't even resist it. After all, Magnetic Attraction is a basic force in nature!!! Resistance is futile!

Library Buddy

When I was a kid my mom took us to the library nearly every week. I remember roaming the children's room and knowing all of the stories. My mom had so much confidence in me that she even signed me up for an adult card when I was 10. I had outgrown the children's section and she wanted me to keep reading. What a wise woman!! I took it so seriously and was so careful. How I caressed books and studied all of the titles. Mom and I were Library Buddies.

When my kiddos were growing up we followed that same tradition and we went to the library nearly every week. We learned different strategies that allowed the kids free reign, me some looking time, and a way for keeping track of all of our treasures. Each kiddo had their own library card and took care of their own books. Obviously it didn't always work well. One summer one of the boys got an overdue notice. He knew it was going to come out of his pocket and he was absolutely stunned when the notice was for $1.9 million!!!!! (The librarians really got a kick out of that! The real notice is in his baby book!!) How I cherished the days when we would share suggestions and titles and stroll the shelves together. All of my kiddos were my Library Buddies.

The kiddos are all grown now but I recently have been grooming another Library Buddy. He's handsome, loves books, carries all of my books without complaint and says "cool" whenever I suggest a title! He even checks the books out for me. We're Library Buddies!

(Grandchildren are awesome!!)

Me - The Dead and the Gone

Jase - Big and Little
Thomas the Train
Five Little Pumpkins
Find the Puppy
The Wiggles - DVD

I love this new tradition!!!

See What $3.00 Will Buy

Yep, I can smell a bargain!! No lie, All three books - in hardback, no less - came home to join the towering stacks and all for only $3.00! My local independent bookstore emailed me Happy Birthday wishes in the form of a $10 coupon. They also have a stamp program that is worth $10 when filled!!! With some fancy bargaining on my part all I had to use of my birthday gift certificate was $3.00!! I felt like I almost stole these beauties. Don't you want to go shopping with me??

Saturday AND Sunday

Well alright it's Sunday as I post this BUT it was Saturday when I started it.... it's the thought that counts, right?!?!?

1 Book you read and/or reviewed this week
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
2 Words that describe the book Life altering
3 Settings where it took place or characters you met Small town Pennsylvania
4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it 1. This was reality after a catastrophe - no TV show could equal it...it was all plausible!! 2. I was sucked into the drama rather quickly and got so involved that I kept counting my cans of food on my shelves in case of emergency!! 3. Research was evident - no off the cuff guessing or predicting. When a cataclysmic event happens to the whole world, how will we cope? 4. Hope and dismay were both present. Just like life!
5 Stars or less for your rating? 4.5 I'm still thinking about it!

In rambling news....

• I loved celebrating my birthday at the park with everyone!! It was worth getting older for the perfect day I had!! We rode rides, fed the ducks, sledded down the grassy hills on cardboard ( what Arizonans won't do to pretend there's snow!!) and ate Eegee's, cupcakes and chocolate mousse cake!! Sugar overload!! Thank you Mr. Weatherman for the perfect 72 degrees with scattered clouds. Thank you, family, for adding laughs and love!! I feel blessed!
  
• Rich took me out to breakfast - my favorite meal to eat out at! Yum!!
  
• AND I got books and gift certificates to my favorite bookstore. Can you guess where I'll be Monday?!?! Wanna come? Was this a good weekend or what?!?!
  

• I got this neat sign from J&K - I've coveted this forever! Thanks!!! Help me design around it?
• Football was everywhere....both of my teams lost but I got to watch and revel in the excitement.
  
• It's a holiday weekend and I'm ready to play, relax and go see Suessical the Musical!! Who needs work?

June Bug

A book cover and title peeked my interest one afternoon while cruising through the blogosphere (thanks lifeinthethumb.blogspot.com .) It was Teaser Tuesday and the book title just stuck with me. I was surprised to notice it on the "New" shelf at the library later that week and the book just about walked home with me!! (How come books keep doing that? Don't they know they have cousins at my home towering in piles towards the ceiling?!?)

Anyway, here's what captured my attention on the back cover:

“I believed everything my daddy told me until I walked into Walmart and saw my picture on a poster. . . .”

A great pull, don't ya think?? And it's within the first 3 paragraphs of the book!!

The rest of the back cover:

"For as long as she can remember, June Bug and her father have traveled the back roads of the country in their beat-up RV, spending many nights parked at Walmart. One day, as she walks past the greeter at the front of the store, her eyes are drawn to the pictures of missing children, where she is shocked to see herself.

This discovery begins a quest for the truth about her father, the mother he rarely speaks of, and ultimately herself. But when her father’s past catches up with them, forces beyond his control draw them back to Dogwood, West Virginia, down a winding path that will change their lives forever."

June Bug by Chris Fabry was altogether readable from page one. I liked that kid, I liked her dad, I lost myself in the pages and the story and liked how that felt! A story about love and redemption ....hmmm, it was fun to start the year off with a book I kept wanting to read.

2009 - What a year!

I feel like I'm crossing over into some Star Trek year or something...Stardate 2010!! Wow! And I was just getting good at writing 2009 on the white board at school.

As this year wanes and a blue moon shines I want to remember some of the great memories of this last year...

Personal

• I love carpooling everyday with Rich. He makes me go home on time and it's like a continual date. He enjoys the time waiting for me even more since he has his iPod linked up with podcasts and game applications.
• Three weddings dominated 2009!! How can anything top that? At the Mesa temple, at a roller coaster theme park and at The Little White Wedding Chapel in Vegas. New family to love. It's so cool.
  
• Books are a great souvenir. I'm still relishing books from this summer's vacation. A great memory is the little lady who hand sold so many to us.
  
• Our weekly date has been going on for more than 33 years now. We still love it. It's like an insurance policy. Taking others along with us is a blast too.

What I've learned

• I can get rid of 100 books and still have full bookshelves.
• Getting books in the mail brings out the kid in me! It's like Santa Claus!
• I am a much slower reader than I used to be. I think I have 1st grade teacher brain...everything in short segments!
  
• There are so many terrific books out there. I remember when I was in 6th grade and read all of the biographies in our school library. I will never come close to that again. The more I read of book blogs the more I realize that I will never even begin to read a small portion of the books I'm dreaming of.
  
• I am terrible at Reading Challenges. I am pretty good at reading for my in-person book group however. I'll celebrate the positive.
  

My Favorite Books of 2009 (in no particular order)

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
• The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
• North of Beautiful by Justina Chen
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• The Scarlett Pimpernel by Baronness Emmuska Orczy
• Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
• Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Resolutions/Goals for 2010

• Read 8 of the 10 Book Group books this year.
• Read from my shelves or the library this year.
• Make personal scripture study more of a priority. So, put it first! No blogging, emailing, or other reading until it's done each day. (This one is going to be hard!)
• Complete my ESL endorsement by June 2010. This will seriously cut into my reading time!!! (Note - I have already enrolled in a class starting in 2 weeks and then will start my last Spanish class in February!! I'm on top of this one - right now anyway!)
• Walk 3 times a week - download reading podcasts, talks, Prairie Home Companion, or audio books to accompany me!!
• Find the top of my desk!
• Put my grades and gradebook on the computer!

Okay 2010, I'm ready for you to show me a little love...