Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am so torn as to what to think about this book. I loved the story and the characters and their stories.  Each character is so unique and amazing, It's been a while since I have read about so many different people with such a wide variety of personalities and backgrounds.  I really had a hard time with the first about 5 chapters. I thought I was reading something close to a porn. I couldn't believe how explicit things are described and the detail that was used. I should have quit reading at that point but I loved the characters so kept reading. I'm glad I finished the story and found out what happened with everyone. I just really wish that I could have not read the inappropriate parts. Some of the people that read this before me had just said that it was the way things were. Even if that is how things worked with the circus back then I would rather have had the story skim over it instead of being so detailed.  I was amazed at how the circus worked and how they would acquire new people and animals. I was also amazed at how they would get ride of workers when money got tight or if they didn't like the person. The circus world is definitely its own world. Their world is one that has social classes and scum just like any society.  In the end, after I get past everything, it was a very interesting and entertaining read.


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Thank You!!!!

Our flags we got at the Veterans Day Parade

I love this Country and am so grateful for all the people who are willing to serve and protect all of us. We were able to attend a Veterans Day Parade and see all the different groups of officials that protect us.  There were veterans from all of the wars including people dressed in costumes from the Civil War.  It was such an amazing way for us to honor all veterans from the time that our Country was founded.  I don't think I have ever thought that far back before.  It put things in perspective on how many veterans we have and that we are so blessed to have such valiant people sacrificing their lives, time, and families so we can live in America.

Thank You to all our:

Army

Marines 

Air Force

Navy

Coast Guard 

Police

Fire Fighters

Homeland Security

and anyone else out there that is working hard to keep us safe.

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this one as much as the first book (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).  I am now affectionately calling these my smut books.  The mystery part is amazing and of course, like the first book, lots of sex.  It is an adult book though :) I am amazed at how the plot will twist and turn and even though you know who didn't do it, you have to pay attention to learn who is behind everything. I have completely enjoyed seeing how the characters have developed and even when I get upset with them for not talking with each other openly I know that that is just part of the whole development.  I can't wait to read the last book in this series!


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The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked the story and how it all unfolded. I love reading mysteries that can just suck me in and pull me through...I never have time to wonder who did it because I'm just enjoying the story too much.  I did however have a problem with some of the language and content, but the story was so good that I was able to overlook most of the language and the content was part of the story and what had happened.  I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read it. If you are sensitive to language, this might not be for you but if you can overlook it it is a great read.


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Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! It was so much fun to read about how much life has changed and yet how many things are still the same for women and mothers.  I would suggest this to anyone who likes to just get sucked right into a book and become a part of their lives.


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Showing Gratitude

November? Already?!

Out of all the different times of the year, this is the time that we usually spend focusing on the things that we are grateful for.  I like seeing how so many of you are doing a post every day on Facebook and sharing the things that you are thankful for in your life.  I seem to have very little computer time any more, my boys have taken over.  Besides that, I would forget to share something everyday.  From here until Thanksgiving I will be pretty busy, so I thought I would make a list of things in my life that I am thankful for.

I am thankful for:
1)   My life
2)   My husband
3)   My children
4)   All of my family
5)   All of Kenny's family (just in case someone out there might think they weren't included in #4)
6)   My faith
7)   Prayers and Priesthood blessings
8)   A home to live in
9)   Food to eat
10) A reliable car
11) All of our season's and the amazing weather and plants that each brings.
12) Modern medicine
13) Our Maggie dog
14) The Scriptures
15) Enough money to pay our bills
16) Shriners Hospital and Dr. Carroll
17) Did I say my children, they crack me up!
18) Good friends...most of which we have had since high school.
19) My Dad and my Mom...they both taught me so much and continue to
20) Kenny's Mom...She has taught me so much since we met
21) My sister...She is so strong and independent and has a motorcycle (jealous!)
22) Books...I would be lost without my books
23) Christmas and Easter....my favorite holiday's for so many reasons.
24) Health Insurance....that is after the deductible has been met :)
25) Did I mention my husband...He deserves to be mentioned many times after our last summer
26) My freedom and this amazing Country that I am blessed to live in
27) Having my children in their charter school
28) My education
29) A husband who can fix just about anything...did I mention him already?
30) My amazing support system which includes my family, friends and ward family. Without whom I would be lost.

Most of these are in the right order but some could be rearranged and placed higher.  If I could (which I could, this is my list) I would list everything as #1.  There really isn't a good way to place any of these in order of importance since they are all important and mean so much to me.

While Driving

While I was driving to pick Kenny up from work I was looking around and noticing some of the things around me.  As I drove I wished that I had a camera attached to me or my car somehow so that I could capture the things that I saw.  Instead, I found some pictures that are close to what I saw or remind me of how the things I saw was almost from the past.

Being in the city (okay, suburb, but still the city), the picture below looks like the freeway as I merge on in the morning when taking Kenny to work.  Always busy and crazy and for the most part not to bad to drive in other than the few (or many) idiots that decide they also need to drive to work.

This is what we woke up to this morning.  The first real snow storm for the season. It always seem that no one can remember to drive in the snow for the first couple big storms.

As much as I love a bright sunny day...I love seeing a dark sky bringing in a storm.  I am always amazed at how many different colors and shades of grey, blue and black you can find in storm clouds.

While driving one day I saw a small group of boys that were playing baseball in the grass in front of a church.  It reminded me of when I was a child and even the stories that my mom and uncle will share about their childhood.  When all the kids would gather in the street for an impromptu game of baseball or kick the can.

Our last home had a front porch that we would sit on and visit in the evening.  We would just enjoy sitting there in the quiet and catch up on the day or plan for the weekend or visit with neighbors that were out walking and would stop to say hi.  I love seeing families sitting on their front porches and visiting while I drive by.  It is one of our requirements for our next home, we need to have a front porch again.  That is Kenny's request, mine is to have the rocking chairs that are in the picture below.

I think this has to be my favorite part of my day.  On my way home from taking Kenny to work and again when we are on our way home in the evening, we have a view of the Jordan River Temple.  As we come down Redwood Road and just as we hit the top of the hill right before 7000 south we have a perfect view of the Temple lit up.  What a perfect way to start and end my day.

There are so many things that I see as I am driving around town and wish that there was a way to capture them just as I see them while I am driving past them.  There are so many images that brighten my day and make everything wonderful.  I don't always notice just the nice things, I do notice the people driving drunk and texting and just plain distracted.  I'm not perfect either, I have been known to line bump :)

Focusing on the good is always so much better!

Halloween 2011

We had a good Halloween this year. We went out to Grantsville to Grandma Susie's and made sugar cookies and had dinner with most of the family.  Kelton had fun taking charge of the sugar cookies for a while and then disappeared into the front room with the other boys to watch football.  I took pictures of the "boys" but they came out to dark.  We even took our Maggie with us and Karen and Trevor had Bones and they even got along for the most part.  It was Maggie's first outing. She did okay but we need to work with her some more, that was a really long ride with her.

Kelton and Taylor did end up dressing up and going trick or treating with their friends.  It was only the second time for Kelton to go on his own with friends and Taylor's first time to go without me watching over them.  Now that they are old enough to go on their own I think they are too old to be out trick or treating. They did go trick or treating at their Grandma Shauna and Grandma Chris's work and got tons of candy that they added to later when they went with their friends.  They had tons of fun and even at the end of the week, they still have candy.

Along with the traditional activities, we also added in some spooky movies. We watched The Changling (1980), corrupted them with Paranormal Activity one and two and we have Watcher in the Woods coming for this weekend. I guess we are still celebrating because I have another movie on Netflix and after that we will be adding in Poltergeist (there should be no more questions as to why we have a therapy fund for our boys).  We also added in Thriller.  The boys loved Thriller and the more I think about I can find more things to like but it just wasn't what I expected, I expected more.  

Kelton and Grandma Susie cutting out cookies.

Carrie and Audrey doing dishes.  Audrey was a big helper!

Cookies!  Kelton made one that "was shot" and Carrie had made some chocolate marble dough, yummy!

My Cowboy

My Greaser

I love these two boys!!!