Thank you Amy!

My sis-in-law just bought me the greatest present as a graduation gift. I thought you would all like to see it. She knows me too well. Can't wait until November 21st to wear it!!! For those of you that don't get it--see previous posts and you'll probably figure it out!! Thank you Amy!!

A week..or so...in review

I am such a slacker! Sorry! I keep meaning to update the blog but never get around to it. I have 1 semi-good excuse and 1 that is just ridiculous. We'll go for the decent excuse first. My living room is done!!! (Mostly, anyway) I will take pics soon but I still need to find(or make--hopefully find) some curtains to work in the room and I need to repaint my ugly endtables. But as soon as that is done I will put up the pics. I am so happy to have pictures on the walls and couches that I can sit on and bookshelves with BOOKS!!!!! And, most of all, my comfy reading chair and ottoman! It is going to get worn in a lot faster than the sofa and loveseat cause I NEVER let the kids sit on them--they(the kids) have been banished to the basement. So that is excuse #1--I have been putting together furniture and hanging things on walls and unpacking books---FINALLY! Excuse #2: I just finished reading the Twilight Saga (yes, all 4 books) for the second time in 2 weeks. I know I am sooooo silly, but I enjoyed it sooo much that I had to read it again. Actually I read the first 12 chapters of Midnight Sun that are on Stephenie Meyers website. (The link to the chapters is http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/pdf/midnightsun_partialdraft3.pdf ) For those of you that love these books, you will love to read the few chapters she has posted of this book. It is Twilight from Edward's perspective. It makes you understand him better and Bella also. After I read the chapters it left me wanting to finish the story so I picked up where it left off and read Twilight again--and then I couldn't stop and had to read the rest of them again too. I know...I am like a silly addict. If I would've know I would be so consumed I might have waited to read them until all the kids were in school!!! So those are my excuses--not good ones I know--but excuses none the less!!

So here are a bunch of random pics from the last couple weeks for grandparents that are wanting to see more of their grandkids!

This is a pic of London on her first day of Drama Club. She told me she had to look especially cute that day. So we did our best. Her school has a drama club once a week and in the spring they are putting on a musical. Here in the next few weeks she is going to try out for the lead, but she is already excited about just being in the chorus if she doesn't get it.

Jonas and I had a fun errand day last week. We had to go all over the place. His favorite was the grocery store because they had a special cart just his size. He was so proud that he was able to load it up and push it through the store!

Last Friday we were supposed to meet a group for a field trip at an orchard, but due to some confusion and bad weather we ended up being the only ones there. We had a blast though. Jonas picked a bag full of the most delicious apples we have ever had. We are going to take all the kids back there soon because it was so fun. (you can kind of tell in the second pic--it was REALLY foggy!)

Last week Zeke was given the Star of the Day because he was really good in class--at least that is what he told me. He was soooo pleased with himself. Please excuse his messy face. He drank some gatorade right before I took the pic since he had just finished working out! (Dave has been exercising with the kids almost every afternoon when he gets home. They LOVE it and they are already seeing a lot of improvement.)

Jumping...no...LEAPING JOYFULLY onto the Bandwagon!

For those of you that don't know, a couple of years ago I dislocated my left shoulder. Had to go to physical therapy, etc... Not fun. It is still kind of weak. Well, this past Thursday I stepped awkwardly on a toy left out by the children and it made me fall...so of course I landed trying to catch myself with my left arm! Pop! Shoulder out yet again. I popped it back in.(I will spare you the details cause it didn't go smoothly) So of course I was sore and couldn't move my arm too much. So all my plans for the day went out the window since I couldn't do them physical. So instead of sitting around watching TV all day long I decided to do something else on my list of things that I wanted to get around to but never could find the time. 4 days later I finally finished my project and enjoyed it so much that I needed to share.

What did I do you ask???? I obsessively read the funnest books ever...The Twilight Series!

I hadn't even heard of these books until a couple of months ago and now Twilight stuff is EVERYWHERE! Maybe it was before too and I just never noticed it. I was absolutely enveloped in the first one and finished it the same day that I started because I was enjoying it too much to stop. And after that I was hooked. I finished the second one by the next afternoon and was anxious for Dave to get home so that I go buy the last 2 books. I was going crazy wasting a few hours that I could've spent reading!! I always thought that the people that were GAGA for the books were a little weird and what not but after I read the last book I have to admit that I am too!! I have never enjoyed a book more thoroughly than I did the 4th book in the series. She surprised me at every turn and left me absolutely glowing with joy when the saga ended. Now I am anxiously awaiting the movie although I know that it will in no way do the book justice. I need to find someone to go with me that loves the books as much as I do...Any volunteers????

And for all my friends that have sworn off the books, refusing to get caught up in the madness, I say....Just let yourself go. They are so enjoyable!!! And I promise that by the end you will be in love with Edward Cullen just as much as the rest of us silly adults that are acting like teenagers! Seriously the most fun I have ever had reading. So go buy them--there is no way you are going to get them from the library--I tried!!! (the waiting list was insane!)

Duck, Duck, GOOSE!!

Okay, I admit that this is not a game of Duck, Duck, Goose. It is tag. But if I would have titled my post that way then no one would have read it! I have been tagged by two different people with two different tags so I am just going to put them both in this post.

The first tag is from my friend Sarah. She sent this to me back in May and I promised her I would get on it as soon as I finished school—as we all know that took a few extra weeks and so here I am finally getting to it. The second is only from a few days ago (I’m trying to do better about keeping up) and is from my sis-in-law Amy.

Tag #1:
List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself.

3 Joys: This one is easy! 1)My sexy, hunky husband. 2)My cute and rambunctious children. 3)My home—I know that is soooo materialistic of me! But I love painting the walls and putting new furniture in it and hanging pictures on the wall and creating just the mood I want in it!

3 Fears: 1)Dave finding someone better than me—let’s face it, it wouldn’t be hard. 2)My children getting hurt. 3)Eternity! Don’t get me wrong. I love the fact that I am sealed for eternity to my hubby and kids, but when I actually sit down and contemplate how things will go on forever and ever and EVER and that there is no end to anything—It kind of freaks me out. My finite mind can’t quite grasp the concept.

3 Goals: 1)Lose weight 2)Be a better wife and mother. 3)Read my scriptures more often and with more fervor.

3 Current Obsessions: 1)The INTERNET—nasty thing eats up a day in the blink of an eye! 2)My husband—I’m trying to pay him more attention and make his life easier by being a better wife. 3)My Home—yes, there it is again. I am still trying to finish painting and decorating plus we still have to put up the molding in the basement. And don’t even get me started on the things that need to be done in the yard!!

3 Random Facts About Me: 1)I am an obsessive reader. So unless I have time to waste I can’t start a book because it will not be put down until I am finished. This includes missing meals and sleep in order to finish it. 2)I have lost all social skills. Once upon a time I was actually outgoing, but after marriage and children I have a hard time thinking about anyone other than my family. I know—jerky!! I need to work on that. 3)I have short, wide feet that my family all make fun of—they call them hobbit feet. At least they aren’t as hairy as Frodo’s!


Now on to tag #2:

4 random things I like about my husband:

I like his impersonation of a Chinese man that thinks Americans are stupid. It is so funny it will make you cry!!

I love how when we are getting ready for bed and I say “It’s your turn to say prayers” he will ALWAYS answer by saying “Prayers!” and then giggles. You would think that it would get old but it makes me laugh every time and I miss it when he is gone!

I love that he is so tall that when he hugs me tight his chin rests on the top of my head.

I love that his spare time—if he has any—is spent studying WW2 history.


4 movies that I would watch more than once:

Pride and Prejudice (long A&E version)

The Notebook

All of the Harry Potter Movies

Shakespeare in Love (the edited, non-rated R version)


4 tv shows I watch:

American Idol

The Biggest Loser

What I Like About You (Yes, I do know that I am a dork—luckily they have the reruns on ABC Family, so someone other than me must like it too!!)

Dancing with the Stars


4 places that I have been:

Chile

Spain

France

Morocco


4 people who e-mail me regularly: I correspond with most people via blogs and facebook now a days so emails from individuals are lacking. Here are some “groups” that I get emails from frequently.

Charlottesville Second Ward Relief Society

Great Wall Adoption Agency

LDS Living

FaceBook


4 favorite foods:

most things chocolate

Ruth’s Chris Steak (ahhh-too bad it is so expensive I can only have it every decade or so)

fresh bread

avocados (I swear I lived off these on my mission—mmmm, I need to go buy one now!!)


4 places that I would like to visit:

New York

China

Cancun

Europe (again but with Dave this time)


4 things that I am looking forward to in the coming year:

Finishing our house

Reading the Twilight series

Seeing some progress in our adoption of Langli

Getting in shape


As for the people that I tag…. The first tag says to tag 5 people and the second says 4. So I am just going to tag 4 people and they can choose which tag they want to do (or they can do both!!). Leah G., Holly G. , Logan M. and Shelley D. And if you don't get to it--don't worry, I won't be offended!!