Book Review #52

Insomnia strikes!! I don't know what is up with this pregnancy...except for me...all the time!! So I'm getting a lot of reading done.



This is the pick of the month for my second book group. This is the book for February for my church book group. I have been wanting to read it for quite awhile. I had heard from a lot of people how great this book is so I was excited to finely sit down and read it. This is also a selection for this year for my regular book club...double duty...you can't beat that.

This book is set in Nazi Germany during WWII and the narrator is Death. I think we can all conclude that this book probably isn't a light read. It wasn't. But it isn't what I thought it was going to be either. This book is different. And by different I mean strange and unique.

The book tells the story of Liesel Memenger aka The Book Thief...from the perspective of Death as he comes in and out of her life to claim the souls of people around her. Death becomes fascinated by the Book Thief, is captivated by her story, and shares it with us.

The story begins with nine year-old Liesel and her little brother, Werner, traveling to the home of their new foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann. This book tells the story of the youth in Nazi Germany. It is a perspective that I haven't often read. Interesting.

The writing style is bold...full of insights in asterisks from Death himself. There are also some illustrations and books within the book. All of which gave a modern spin on the subject matter. But I have to confess...the first 20 or so pages were confusing and disjointed and I almost gave up on it because I hated the writing style so much. But I kept going and the writing became less jarring and the story began to flow and I found myself drawn into the world of the book thief and life on Himmel Street.

What I liked about this book was that although much of the subject matter was heart-breaking and tragic there was also humor, wit, optimism and love woven throughout the story. There were characters that will stay with me for a long time like the loving foster father Hans, her best friend Rudy Steiner...the boy with hair the color of lemons, and Max the Jewish Fist-Fighter.

Though Liesel lives in a terrifying time she learns to read and finds comfort and peace in words. There are several touching and haunting scenes that take place: one is as Liesel reads to her neighbors in the basement as bombs are falling outside; another is Rudy's kiss, and another is Liesel's confrontation with Max as he is marched to Dachau. That is what I loved about this book... it shows both the beauty and brutality of humanity.

I really liked The Book Thief although I do feel that it has been a bit "over-hyped". All in all, it is a unique book, told from a unique perspective.

My rating: EXCELLENT.

Happy Birthday Old Man


Today is Tyler's 38th Birthday!! 38...that seems old. Considering that we met when he was a mere 22 years old. But I cherish every birthday and every gray hair on his head...of which there aren't many...and he still has hair on his head so... double yay!!

I am lucky to be married to my best friend. I can't say enough how proud of him I am. He has matured into the most amazing man. He is a remarkable husband and father. He gives and gives and sacrifices so much for our family. I know that he has a lot of stress and responsibility on his shoulders but he always remains the ultimate goofball!!

He is so much fun and always up for an adventure. I love him so much!! And...after 16 years he still makes my heart skip a beat.

I love you baby!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

Happy Birthday...from your MUCH younger wife!!

Book Review #51



OK... I am loving this author and this Welsh Trilogy. Book Two starts up where the Here Be Dragons ends and completes the story of Llewelyn, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Joanna. The story then picks up with Llewelyn's sons and grandsons and their conflicts and turmoil as rulers of Wales. That story line runs parallel with the story of Simon de Montfort's rise to power. Simon is a French Nobleman who marries Eleanor (Nell) sister of King Henry III of England. Nell is also the Lady Joanna's half sister. Simon de Montfort ends up mounting a civil war against Henry III.

About half way through the book I felt like the author had abandoned the tale of the Rulers of Wales and focused solely on de Montfort. According to the author that is exactly what happened because the story of Simon de Montfort was so compelling that the Rulers of Wales took a back seat to be picked up again in Book 3. I hope so. I love the Welsh storyline. That said I also REALLY liked Simon de Montfort and his family. I think Penman should have just focused on them rather than drop the Welsh like a hot potato half way through. It was a little jarring.

This book had less of a love story...although the marriage of Simon and Nell was a wonderful story of a devoted marriage...but the focus of this book was more on the battles and intrigues of war, politics and the religious ideology of the time. I loved Simon de Montfort and the de Montfort sons and their relationship with and devotion to their father. This book had a completely different feel from book one but I definitely enjoyed it. I can't wait to read book three. This is wonderful historical fiction!!

My rating: Better than good but not quite excellent due to the storyline switch but
still a fantastic read.

Early Celebration


Sunday night we had an early birthday celebration for Tyler. His birthday is actually next week but my mom will be in Mexico on a belated honeymoon with Ken so we decided to have a little family dinner before she left. Kelley also joined us. We had a fun dinner catching up with each other.

Kirk, Jayme, and Kaiden also joined us via Skype. Skype is such a cool invention. I love it. It felt like they were at the party too.

Of course Kelley and I had to take a few pictures of our newly acquired "girth":

Tyler decided to get in one the pictures too!! He is pushing out his stomach. He has actually been working out like crazy and has lost his sympathy weight! Whatever.

Mom and her two pregnant daughters who are due two and a half weeks apart. She is begging us to try to space them out a bit. She had this same problem last year when Stacey and Jordin were due only a few weeks apart too.

Needless to say it was a fun night full of lots of laughs!!

The Wacky World of Scouts


Kameron started Cub Scouts in November and all I have to say is that this is a world that I don't understand...at all. It is weird. They do weird things. They say weird things. AND...Kameron LOVES it!! I had no previous knowledge whatsoever of scouting...I have one brother and he didn't start cub scouts until I had left for college...ergo...complete ignorance...and a bit of a shock. Is it all about Indians? The Jungle Book? I am baffled.

We went to the Boy Scout Store before Christmas and Kameron was in little boy heaven!! He was running here and there looking at all the "treasures"...expensive treasures... for being a scrap of fabric. As the cashier was ringing us up she asked if I would like to purchase the badge adhesive. Um...no. Apparently she couldn't tell just by looking at me that I have sewing skills...remember my goal for 2008 of learning to sew. I don't have "great" skills but I could surely sew around a few patches. Please. No...on the "adhesive". BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!!

I forgot to sew on Kameron's patches during the holidays and as his first pack meeting was approaching he was getting a complex and reminded me that he REALLY NEEDED his patches sewn on before his pack meeting. So I blew the dust off my sewing machine on Wednesday and got to work.

Look how positive I was to begin with...I even thought this would make a good blog post...I will take a picture!!

I don't know what impenetrable fabric those %@#$ patches are made of but they are nearly impossible to sew!! (Are NASA and the military aware of it's ability to repel metal?) I was able to sew on his biggest patch on his sleeve with my machine but by the time I sewed on his World Crest patch it looked like a blind alcoholic was at the machine. I had to rip it out and start again...only to rip it out and start it yet again...only to rip it out and hand stitch it. Hand stitching seemed to go a bit better but I still had three more patches to put on. By now this was rapidly turning into an all day project. One that crippled my fingers for days which were covered in scratches and pokes. I was bleeding from multiple sites. Tyler called during the day and I told him about the nightmare of sewing these patches on. He said: "Are you using a thimble?" A thimble!! What am I a pioneer? Of course I don't own a thimble!! Why don't I just get a loom and weave the cloth too? Anyway the patches finally got sewn on and Kameron was thrilled. He didn't notice that his pack # is on a severe slant and stained in my blood. But they are on and that is all that matters. Am I missing something? Is there a trick to getting those suckers on? Is it my pathetic sewing skills? From now on it is adhesive all the way!!

Kameron got his Bobcat after working hard to memorize all the cub scout stuff. I feel like I should've gotten a badge too for memorizing them right along with him. Just try me..."The cub scout follows Akela...blah blah blah".

To all of you who work with these CRAZY and WILD little boys in a CRAZY and BIZARRE program my hat is off to you and you have my sincere gratitude for your service. Lara, you are AMAZING and apparently have the patience of a saint!! Thanks for all you do.

Kameron proudly receiving his Bobcat. He was so excited!!

Out with the Old...

And in with the New...


Inauguration Day. A day of change. Regardless of my political affiliation I am grateful to live in a free country where leaders are elected by the vote of the people and not by violence. I am fascinated by the political process and thus find Inauguration day interesting even if it isn't the person that I voted for being sworn in.

I am also very grateful for President George W. Bush and for the service and sacrifice he has given to our country. I think he is a good man who did his best under extremely difficult circumstances and I think he deserves more respect than he has gotten over the years. I appreciate his dedication to our country, it's safety, and the men and women of the armed forces.

While I don't believe that Barack Obama is the holy messiah come down from heaven to single-handedly save the United States of America I do wish him well.

The historical significance of this election has been one of the most moving aspects of the Inauguration...especially on the heels of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.


I am grateful for programs like Family Home Evening that allow Tyler and I, as parents, the opportunity to take time with our children to discuss what is happening in our country, what has been happening in our country, and what has happened in our country and to be able to tie in the gospel with all that is going on around us. I am grateful for the Internet that allows us to not only hear but witness Dr. King's incredible "I Have a Dream" speech and to feel of the spirit in Washington DC that day.

I am so impressed by our children are so much more informed about civil rights than I ever was as a child. Kameron, while just 8 years old, was telling us all about Rosa Parks and Ruby Gates. Kuddos to the amazing school that he and Reilly attend. We were in awe of the depth of his knowledge.

I also had the opportunity to attend their school's MLK Jr. Day assembly on Friday where Reilly's 6th grade choir was performing. She sang in a quartet "We Shall Overcome" and had a teacher near me in tears. We had her sing it again for our family in our FHE and again it was moving and significant.

I am grateful to be a citizen of the United States and I will pray for President Obama that he might have the wisdom, strength, character, and fortitude needed for the job as President of the United States of America.

God Bless America!!

Baby Update


School is back in session and things are back to normal. We have been busy this past week with all after-school activities, a fun book club night, date night, a baptism and a fun Sunday dinner with friends. It feels good to get back into the swing of things after all the snow days.

Since several of you have asked how things are going with the baby I thought I would do a little update. Things are going fine. I am now 27 weeks along. I just had a doctor's appt. yesterday and things were looking good. I will start going in more often now because the doctor wants to monitor me more frequently for high blood pressure. I get pregnancy induced hypertension when I am pregnant and it usually kicks in right about now...so that's the reason for closer monitoring. But so far my blood pressure is in the normal range but on the high end of normal. I had to do my glucose test this morning and had forgotten how TRULY revolting it is...oh my gosh!! I thought I was going to throw up trying to get down that revolting drink. BLECH!!

We are just starting to prepare for the baby...it is finally starting to seem real. I have retrieved all my newborn baby clothes from the garage and have been washing them all and getting everything ready. It is crazy to be buying Dreft again!! As far as getting a nursery ready...we aren't. Our house is so tiny...and we were thinking of selling it last summer and then we had a crazy summer and so we decided to just wait another year or so...and WA-LA pregnant. So...now with the economy as crazy as it is and not wanting to deal with getting a house ready to sell...finding a new house...all with a newborn in tow...I think we are going to do a little addition to our house. We will hold onto our house for awhile longer and then upgrade to a bigger house. SO...that means that Tyler and I will have the baby in our room for awhile...which I don't really mind especially with night feedings. It's a lot easier. But...there are some things I want done to OUR bedroom before the baby arrives...new paint...new bedding etc.

As for buying new baby girl things...I've been really superstitious and not wanting to jinx anything so I put it off for awhile. BUT... I have gotten a few things that were super cute. I also wanted to inventory all the stuff I already have and see what I needed before I bought very much. Most all of our baby equipment from Ailey will still work for this baby. Although...a girl in our ward just had a baby and had a really cute infant carrier that had pink lining and TYLER of all people was like..."We need to get the baby one of those!!" For all his complaining about 3 GIRLS...he likes them decked out with cute things!!

Katherine was asking me about cravings...I haven't had as many as I have had in the past. With this pregnancy there are still LOTS of aversions. Will I ever be able to eat Chinese food again?? Sigh. But I have had a few weird ones. My number one craving is ICE!! When I am pregnant I really can't stand water (which is weird because I love it normally) so I don't drink nearly enough which is undoubtedly why I always want ice. And...not just any ice. With my other kids I needed ice in a bag...and I would make Tyler dig way down deep in the pile to find the frostiest sack in the freezer. It's that snowy ice that I love. Lucky for me through blogging I found out that you can buy pebble ice from Sonic for less than $2 bucks for a 10 lb bag!! Yahoo. Plus...it gets snowy a lot quicker than regular ice. Score. While we had all that fresh snow falling I could literally walk outside and see all the snow and my mouth would start to water. INSANITY!!

My other recent bizarre craving is...Sweetened Condensed Milk.

One day I REALLY needed something sweet and desperate times called for desperate measures and I cracked into a can from food storage. I scarfed down half the can and put the rest in the fridge. "Someone" apparently thought it looked rather tasty too and ate the rest...ahem...TYLER!! So now that is a regular staple on the grocery list. It is really good cold. I have to add a can for Tyler though too.

Speaking of Tyler...with all my pregnancies Tyler has been kind enough to gain 30 lbs sympathy weight with me. This time he told me he wasn't going to do it!! BUT...he did gain about 20 lbs before he decided to start hitting the gym regularly. RUDE!! So he has now requested that I buy him the "lowfat" sweetened condensed milk!! HA HA!! (It even comes in "nonfat" who knew?)

So that's the update...the baby seems to be doing well...I'm doing well. I am cleaning and organizing like crazy; we are contemplating colors for our bedroom; I'm chewing ice; Tyler and I are knocking back the sweetened condensed milk;I'm barely containing my excitement for LOST to begin; and STILL dreaming of someplace warm and tropical.

Snow Days


Due to our abundant snow the kids were out of school for almost another week. Oh what to do with kids who are going crazy with cabin fever? We did ALOT of baking. Ailey is a very enthusiastic little baker. Four years old truly is one of the cutest ages. Ailey wanted to learn to bake bread. She's a little molly in the making...I'm so proud.

We made my Grandma E.'s French Bread:

It turned out delicious!!

Coming off of the holidays and all our baking I have been CRAVING really fresh-tasting and light foods. This is a fantastic recipe that I got from my sister, Stacey. It is sure to please the most picky of eaters...if Ailey and Dane will eat it...anyone will!! Plus, it is SUPER EASY, quick, cheap, hearty, and vegetarian. Does it get better than that?

Lemon Broccoli Pasta

1 box penne pasta
1 lb. fresh broccoli, chopped
1 large lemon (or two small) you need the zest and the juice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
3-4T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and boil for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli to the pasta and boil for another 6 minutes. Drain and throw back in the pot. Add garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice,Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Combine and season with salt and pepper. Serve with some garlic bread or really good French bread. Enjoy!!

Need a Good Book?




The kids are out of school again due to snow...will they ever go back? But it's a perfect day to snuggle up on the couch with a book and a cup of my new favorite hot chocolate Stephen's Cherry Chocolate Hot Cocoa. Have you tried it? It's heavenly but I think I have to buy it online now that the holidays are over. Shoot.

I have gotten EXTREMELY behind on my book reviews...so these reviews are going to be short. But hey...if you need a book to read...here are a few to consider (or not) as the case may be:


#43


Aahh...the final book in the Stephenie Meyer Vampire Series. So many people feel so strongly about this book. I liked it. Finally Bella gets what she wants and she's not nearly as lame as she has been in the last 3 books. She is strong, she has depth, she is...dare I say it...interesting. I found the ending very satisfying with the marriage, baby, and becoming a vampire etc. I found the imprinting of Jacob with Renesmee creepy and I am a big Jacob fan. The birth of Renesmee was truly gruesome with her clawing her way out...good grief! But I enjoyed the introduction of all the other vampires from around the world (why didn't we hear more about them in the other books??) I was disappointed in some discrepancies throughout the book. I mean really...Bella was able to be in control of herself immediately after becoming a vampire?? Didn't that discredit everything we were lead to believe about newborn vampires? I have a few other issues but I will leave it at that. I liked the final battle although I thought it was a little tame and wanted more of the Volturi and more of a fight. It seemed like a big build up to nothing. But in the end I was glad that there was a happy ending and that good won over evil.

All in all, I liked this book the best of the series. My rating: GOOD.

#44

This was a book club selection...a book that I had heard about over and over again. In a few words it is clean historical romantic fiction. A gripper and a page turner it is not. Just a nice easy read.

The story is about Lady Constance Morrow who has gone to say farewell to her uncle who has been accused of a crime and is being sent to the colonies from England as an indentured servant as his punishment. Lady Constance is kidnapped, sent to the colonies, and sold to a tobacco farmer wanting to purchase an English bride. And the plot thickens...

I found the subject of the tobacco brides interesting...I had never heard of them. I found the day-to-day living elements interesting. But I found the characters for the most part highly annoying. I mean really...Drew goes 4 MONTHS without talking to her or sleeping with her?? Yeah right...I don't buy it. The math bored me to tears. Scratching out problems on the hearth with charcoal...snooze.

But it had it's heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments and it kept me reading. If you are interested in a nice Sunday afternoon read this is for you.

My rating: somewhere between GOOD and OK.

#45

This book was a HUGE disappointment!! I really liked The Other Boleyn Girl and The Constant Princess and so it was with great anticipation that I started this book. It was a big waste of time. I hated every character...how can that be? Not one lovable or even likable character. I wanted them all dead by the end of the book...especially the long-suffering Amy. Why did it take her so long to die?!?

This is the story of Queen Elizabeth, daughter of Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn, and her long-time friend aka lover Robert Dudley. It is the story of Robert Dudley's rise to power at Elizabeth's side...even though it meant putting aside his devoted wife Amy...and his maneuvering and scheming which brought about his ultimate downfall.

If you want to read about Queen Elizabeth there are many good books out there...this is not one of them!! Skip it. Avoid it. I loathed it.

My rating: HORRIBLE

#46


How refreshing it was to read this book after the dreadful The Virgin's Lover. Here is well-written, wonderful, historical fiction at it's best!! Sharon Kay Penman is a fantastic author and she took me to a time and place that I haven't read much about...13th Century Wales.

The book tells the story of Llewelyn, the Prince of North Wales, and his rise to power and fame as Llewelyn the Great and his great love, Joanna, the illegitimate daughter of King John. In the quest for Wales Llewelyn and King John become bitter enemies and Joanna is forced to choose between loyalty to her beloved...but ruthless...father or the husband she was commanded to marry for political reasons but with whom she ended up falling in love.

This book was over 700 pages of fantastic reading!! It was like Pillars of the Earth only REALLY GOOD!! :) And lucky me it's the first book in a series. Yay!! I am currently 120 pages into the second book in the saga Falls the Shadow and loving it.

My rating: EXCELLENT

#47

Can someone please explain to me the hoopla over Shannon Hale? I don't get it...I don't feel it. I bought this book for Reilly to read over summer break as a book on her summer reading list. She read it but wasn't enthusiastic about it...at all. How can that be? It's won awards...it's about girls wanting to be princesses...people I respect recommended it. I figured that there must be something defective with Reilly and her quick read generation that didn't appreciate award-winning literature. Then I read it. BORING BORING BORING!!

In this book the main character is a 14 year-old girl named Miri who lives high a top Mt. Eskel with her father and sister. All the community works in the quarry and it is the foundation of their economy and society. Miri has never been allowed to work in the quarry for reasons unknown except for being "small" (did I miss something?) and instead takes care of her father's home and goats...always feeling like an outsider. But then one day a messenger from the King arrives and says that the next princess will come from Mt. Eskel and all girls between the ages of 12 and 17 are taken to the "Princess Academy" to be trained to be proper young ladies from which the prince will choose his bride.

This book has some good points. I loved the emphasis on the importance of education!! Fabulous. I loved that Miri comes to appreciate her culture and herself. Wonderful. But the quarry-singing and quarry-speaking were bizarre to say the least as was the whole world that Shannon Hale created. The book had an overall drab grayness to it. It didn't excite or entice me in anyway. I realize that this isn't a book written for my age demographic but my 12 year-old didn't like it either. There are a lot of people out there that really liked this book but I am not one.

My rating: BORING

#48

I had never read a Willa Cather novel before...I don't know why. I read this for a book group through my church...not my usual book club... It is their selection for January. I LOVED it!!
Positively loved it.

The story is told through the eyes of the character Jim Burden who as a 10 year-old orphan was sent from Virginia to live with his grandparents in late 19th century Nebraska. It chronicles the life of Jim and his childhood friend, Antonia, the daughter of a Bohemian immigrant family who come to Nebraska at the same time that Jim does.

This book tells the story of the hard-working immigrants who came to the United States in the late 19th century in search of a better life and who settled the Midwest despite all kinds of obstacles like not speaking the language. The struggle to farm a homestead on the desolate Nebraska prairie forged characters of strength and faith. The portraits of the characters who settled the land are as rich and as vast as the countries they came from. It is a coming of age story and of learning what is really important in life.

Fabulous!!

My rating: EXCELLENT

#49


After My Antonia and Here Be Dragons I wanted a light read...some chick-lit if you will. This book sounded intriguing. Set in North Carolina during WWII it tells the story of three generations of unconventional Southern women: Charlie Kate, Sophia her daughter, and Margaret her granddaughter...the narrator. Charlie Kate is a backwoods mid-wife/healer and the adventures/medical conditions that she encounters are unique to say the least. This is a book of strong women who depend on one another rather than men during the trying times in their lives and the amazing bond between the three of them. Margaret's love and admiration for her grandmother shines through the book.

My problems with the book: Is there a plot? It is mainly just anecdotes of the amazing Charlie Kate...the only fully developed character in the book. Sophia is just a shadowy character and even Margaret lacks depth. Problem #2: What was with all of the suicides at the start of the book...they had no relevance to the rest of the book...they were just weird and intriguing. Problem #3: Margaret, our narrator, was an absolute bore. Are we really expected to believe that the hottest catch in town from the best family falls for her after she stares at his back in the hospital...NOPE! I just kept waiting for Margaret to stop following her grandmother around to get interesting but she never did. Too bad. In my opinion this book had a lot going for it at the beginning but then the author dropped the ball and let it slowly tank.

My rating: OK...but disappointing in many ways.

#50

FABULOUS!! FABULOUS!! I absolutely LOVED it!! I highly recommend this book. Truly a pleasure to read. Especially if you are a fan of the book Suite Francaise. I found them to be somewhat similar.

This is a story of an English author, Juliet Ashton, soon after WWII has ended. She receives a letter in the mail from a stranger who has a book that she once owned and is looking for more information on the author. A correspondence ensues. The story is told through a series of letters and telegrams ( I loved the style) to various people: her publisher, friends, the man who sends her the first letter, Dawsey, and the people in his literary society. Through Juliet's correspondence you meet an amazing cast of characters...quirky and lovable. Juliet is drawn into the literary society's world...amazing men and women who formed their literary society on the spur of the moment as a cover to protect themselves during the German Occupation of the Channel Islands. Via these letters Juliet finds a book to write, life-long friends and even love.

This book is charming, witty, clever, heart-wrenching and triumphant all at the same time. I LOVED it!!

My rating: EXCELLENT

Start 2009 off by reading a book!!

See Ya 2008!!

So 2008 has come and gone...hmmm...was it my most favorite year? No. Lots of challenges...lots of adjustments. But yesterday as Tyler, the kids and I reflected over the past year with all things considered we came to the conclusion that there were lots of good things too. Many things to be grateful for, many blessings bestowed, many fun times and that the positive did in fact out weigh the negative.

When I was a kid we always would take down our tree and all our Christmas decorations on New Years day. This is our tradition still. But one thing we always did was write on a big white and gold box that held our most special ornaments our thoughts about the passing year. I will always remember the famous quote from 1987: "1987 SUCKED THE BIG ONE!!" I am happy to report that 2008 did not suck the big one.

But all this @#$% snow is sucking the big one!! We have had more snow in the past two weeks than I have ever seen in our area...this even includes the big dump of last year when school was out for a week. This snow is on my last nerve. Mainly because I can't enjoy it due to my "delicate" condition...nor do I want to see anyone else enjoy it because it fills me with rage...I'm hoping this is hormonal...and not an innate nastiness of character.

Here is some footage I shot a week ago...add much more snow...and just image my feelings now.

This week Reilly had her make-up Christmas Piano Recital that had been postponed due to the snow. She did a great job. It was fun to see all the kids at the recital and see how they have grown up and become more accomplished in piano.

Here's a picture of Reilly from last year's Christmas Recital. Holy Cow has she ever grown up!!

On New Years Eve we attended our town's First Night Celebration. Reilly's ballet company was performing. She had two performances that night. She did a great job. They had a pretty grueling all day rehearsal due to all the cancelled rehearsals because of the weather. Her instructor was very tough on them. Reilly said that half the girls were in tears that day and Reilly was a bit stressed for her first performance of the night. She said that she had gotten yelled at in rehearsal because her count was off...so during her first performance I could see her counting away. By her second performance of the night all the girls were much more relaxed and smiling away. We met my mom and Ken at her performance.

Reilly's ballet company was performing Waltz of the Snowflakes from The Nutcracker. Reilly was LOVING the costume!!


Here's a snippet from the first stressful performance of the night!!

She still did fantastic though.

After Reilly was done we wandered around and went to all the kids activities. The girls got their faces painted and we wandered around downtown but it was so cold and icy that we ended up heading home a little earlier than planned.


We had fun eating our appetizers and snacks and playing lots of games. Here are a few photos from a hilarious game of Twister:

Here's Ailey pouting when she got out:

Try as I might I tried to hang on until midnight...but it didn't happen. Tyler and I both crashed at around 11:30pm. Ailey was sent to bed at 10pm. Her mood didn't improve the longer the night wore on. Reilly and Kameron stayed up and tried to rouse the rest of us at midnight...but it didn't happen. So at midnight Reilly and Kameron poured themselves some eggnog and toasted each other and took some pictures.



Tyler zonked out...Reilly had the good sense not to take a picture me!! I guess she values her life so she took one of herself instead.

The Evil Photographer!!

So Happy New Year from Reilly and Kameron!!

(They're the only ones who rang it in around here!!)