0 Pay it Forward

Hayley, I REALLY debated doing this, but I'll play along.

This is how it works.....
The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year.
When and what will be a surprise.
BUT, in order for you to leave a comment on my blog, you have to post this on your blog first. (That means that sometime during this year you will send a gift to 3 people as well.) Get it?
So, the first 3 people to comment on this post will be the lucky ones!
Good Luck!!!

3 Got Green?

We did!
Green pancakes, yum!

4 Thankful Thursday #8 ( a week late) & #9 (on time!)

Last Week:
1) Adoption: I don't even think I can put into words the feelings I have for adoption. I hold birthmoms in such reverence. It has been through them that members of our family have come to be with us. Man, I'm tearing up just thinking about this. Countless prayers were answered last week when Hayden Kali was born for Brett & Britney, our good friends and neighbors. All at once it seemed the years of heartache and pain seems to be washed away as they brought this special Daughter of God into their family. Our Heavenly Father has a plan for our happiness!

2) Baptism: Our beautiful niece Keiko became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints last weekend. It was extra special since Allie is now starting to process what is going on and asks LOTS of questions. Its hard to belive our kids are growing up so fast!

3) Primary Singing Time: I really miss Relief Society (*gasp* yes I just said that mom), but I'm finding myself really enjoying singing the songs in primary. Most of the boys in our class don't sing. They are a mature 6 years old and much to cool for that, but I like to sing right out. The words stick with me through the week and I find myself humming them daily. What a comfort!




This Week:
1) a Strong Marriage: This is one thing I take for granted all the time, but I am REALLY thankful for. Right now someone close to us is really struggling in this area and it breaks my heart. Nate is a wonderful husband and I love getting to spend time with him. Even in the tough times I know I can count on him, which is a huge relief.

2) Books, Books, Books: Kylie is really getting excited about books. Its more about turning the pages than the stories, but its still super cute. She will get a stack from the bookcase and tote them to the living room where she sits down and flips through them all. After a minute she gathers them up and moves locations and repeats. I can't even count the number of times we re-stack the books each day. Dozens!

3) a Full Night's Sleep: I'm thankful for my job, but my sleep has definitely been suffering due to some major deadlines the past two weeks. I'm not as young as I once was and I'm really looking forward to some full night's sleep next week during spring break. I guess that's the silver lining to the mandatory week long unpaid vacation all USU employees are being forced to take in an effort to budget cuts.

5 POEM: Get out the Kleenex!

I read this poem posted on my cousin Dev's blog today and just had to post it here.
Sorry for the swipe, but I need the reminder -sob!

The baby is teething; The children are crying.
Your husband just called and said "Eat dinner without me."

One of these days you'll explode and shout to all the kids,
"Why don't you just grow up and act your age!"
And they will...

Or, "You guys get outside and find something to do -- without hurting each other
And don't slam the door!"
And they don't.

You'll straighten their bedrooms until it's all neat and tidy,
toys displayed on the shelf,
hangers in the closet,
animals caged.
You'll yell, "Now I want it to stay this way!"
And it will...

You will prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't had all the olives picked out
and a cake with no finger traces in the icing
and you'll say, "Now this is a meal for company."
And you will eat it alone...

You'll yell, "I want complete privacy on the phone. No screaming, Do you hear me?"
And no one will answer.

No more plastic tablecloths stained.
No more dandelion bouquets.
No more iron-on patches.
No more wet, knotted shoelaces, muddy boots or rubber bands for ponytails.

Imagine.... a lipstick with a point,
no babysitters for New Years Eve,
washing clothes only once a week,
no PTA meetings
or silly school plays where your child is a tree,
no car pools,
blaring stereos or forgotten lunch money.

No more Christmas presents made of library paste and toothpicks,
no wet oatmeal kisses,
no more tooth fairy,
no more giggles in the dark,
scraped knees to kiss or sticky fingers to clean.

Only a voice asking, "Why don't you grow up?"
And the silence echoes:
"I did"

I am so glad I took the time to take my girls to the library today. I was wasted from pulling an all-nighter to finish a major work project by 4:45am this morning, just in time to go coupon grocery shopping with my sister-in-law at 5:45am. I'm not a young chick anymore, I admit. I truly felt awful this morning BUT I've never taken my girls to our local library (and before you judge, it really is the most pathetic excuse for a library), and for some weird reason, yesterday the thought came to me that we must go there today. I'm not claiming it was a spiritual whisper, but I was glad I listened nonetheless. Nothing amazing happened, rather it was just nice. I'll take that!

We were the only patrons in the tiny one-room basement children's section. The 3 of us sat on the floor and I read all the books Allie picked out, well the non-spanish ones anyway. We also played with the hand puppets. Kylie really got a kick out of them. I was very proud when Allie asked the librarian to help her find a book about Cinderella, all by herself. She was so grownup about it all. She amazes me. Kylie actually enjoyed herself more than I expected and was on her best behavior until I instisted she leave the sparkley board puzzle when we left. Not bad for a not quite 2-year-old. Not bad. Oh, the reason we left was a smelly behind and lack of diaper bag...I've gotten lazy about leaving the house prepared. Sorry child #2, its just the way it is.

When we got home it was diaper change, banana snack, and naps all around. As tired as I was, I gave rigth in when Allie asked me to lay with her for a 'little while'. It was so nice to snuggle up with my not-so-baby girl on my bed. It was blissfull fall asleep to the sound of her breathing, warm body curled up by my side. I think I might do that more often! Work can wait...I'll gladly stay up all night working to have moments like thoes with my children the next day. I think I am starting to realized just how fleating childhood is. sigh.

0 Book Blunders

I lent my copy of 'Hunger Games' to my father last week thinking he'd enjoy a good read on my parent's trip to Hawaii. Boy was I wrong. He called it satanic. YIKES! So I'm tucking my tail between my legs as I warn you that this book may not be for you.

On a related note, I have lost yet another book. I can not find my copy of 'the Host'. Did I lend it to you?

0 I am such a giant nerd: I'm counting down the days till this book is released!!!

'Hunger Games 2': A First Look

By Diane Roback -- Publishers Weekly, 1/22/2009 3:30:00 PM

When readers of the bestselling fantasy novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins reach the last page, many of them will be eager to know, “But what happens next??” Unfortunately, we can’t tell you yet, but we can show you, for the very first time anywhere, the cover for the sequel, Catching Fire. Scholastic is publishing the book on September 8 with a 250,000-copy first printing (Scholastic Audio Books will release a simultaneous audio edition). UPDATE: release moved up to August 5th, since the book is already COMPLETELY WRITTEN !!!

The Hunger Games came out last September, after much pre-pub buzz; it has 225,000 copies in print, with 26 foreign editions to date. Collins is currently at work writing the third and final volume in the trilogy, tentatively scheduled for 2010. <--UGH!!!

David Levithan, executive editorial director at Scholastic, says that the manuscript for Catching Fire is available in-house on a “need to read” basis only. “It’s the most secrecy I’ve had about any project I’ve ever worked on.” Why such secrecy? Levithan says it’s not a ploy for attention—they really don’t want the book’s plot to become public. “We want as many readers as possible to find out what happens in the book itself,” he explains. “We don’t want a Midnight Sun to happen [an early draft of Stephenie Meyer’s companion novel to Twilight was posted on the Internet last summer, causing the book to be postponed indefinitely]. <--I could really hurt that person!!!] It’s pretty remarkable what [Collins] has done and where she’s going. There are lots of twists and turns, and part of the fun is the surprise of it.”

Fans in the book industry can have their first chance to find out those surprises at the end of May—Scholastic will be giving out ARCs of Catching Fire at BEA in New York City.

This is the official plot summary of the book:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

If you have not read HUNGER GAMES, you M-U-S-T!!! I couldn't put it down. I'm more than willing to lend out my copy, as soon as I get it back, again. Stenphenie Meyers was right, this really is an all consuming book. Hum, on second thought you might want to wait till the last one comes out in 2010. This wait is TERRIBLE!!! (my post about Hunger Games last fall: HERE)

1 Beautiful Day on the Slopes

My brother-in-law Troy just sent me this great picture we took a few weeks ago up at Beaver Mountain. It was an amazing morning. The fog was thick in the valley and burnt off fast -fabulous view from on top. The runs were soft and the sky was blue. Exhilarating!!!

BIL-Paul & SIL-Maho, FIL-Eldon, BIL-Troy & GF-Heidi, ME-Sarah
(yeah, I'm the only board in a group of silly skiers)