Second Christmas

Since Christmas this year was a little bit crazy, the kids got lucky and were able to have a "second" Christmas when nanas brought over Christmas gifts just after the new year.  It was fun to see how excited Abbi was, and maybe it was even better this way so that they didn't have toy overload on Christmas day!  Both Abbi and Easton sure were spoiled, and they loved every single thing they got.  (and excuse the really horrible, blurry iPhone pics.  I was feeling lazy!)

New Beginnings

First sunset of 2012 

January 1st. It's a day for new beginnings, right?

I've been a bit absent from this blog lately. I blame it on a busy life. I would promise myself day after day that I would catch up, and then I'd be up until midnight working, and staying up another hour to blog just wasn't going to happen. I got further and further behind, until I was just so overwhelmed looking at everything I had to catch up on, that I would just put it on the bottom of the list.

But I'm making a new year's resolution. I'm not usually very good at new year's resolutions, but I think this one is important. I'm going to blog again. Because this is my journal - my memories. I feel so badly that I can't even remember when Easton hit some milestones, because I was too busy to blog about it. If it's not written here, I don't remember. I'm still going to work on getting caught up, but I'm starting fresh here, too. No more waiting to catch up before moving forward. I'm moving forward, and I'll catch up in the meantime. And the goal here is to not get behind again. I need to take a step back and slow down just a little bit.

Here's to a wonderful 2012!!

Wordless Wednesday - Pool Time

Friends

I miss having my friends live nearby!! I'm so happy that both Michelle and Syndi were in town at the same time, and we all met up for some fun times at Micky D's to catch up and let the kids play. It was so fun to see them and to chat with them. I miss them both so much!!

24th of July

I love all of the fireworks shows in Utah in July!!

We celebrated Pioneer Day down at my parent's house. Since the 24th of July was on Sunday, the fireworks show was on the 25th. (I guess technically, this fireworks show wasn't even for Pioneer Day, but for Spanish Fork Days.)

The kids all played dress up while we waited for it to get dark outside.

And we got to celebrate Gavin's big 3rd birthday with cupcakes!

There were some smaller fireworks while we waited for the big fireworks show.  I am not good at photographing fireworks, and I was trying to figure out how to do them - but not having a whole lot of luck!

Except I do love this picture of Asher watching the fireworks!

Then it was time for the big show.  My parent's backyard was the perfect location!!

I always love a good excuse to get together - especially when fireworks are involved!!

Splash Pad

Just some random pictures of Abbi at the splash pad at the Riverwoods. We went to the Taste of the Valley, and after Abbi saw this, all she wanted to do was go and play. It was a fun way to cool off!!

Book #32 - The Road

The Road
Cormac McCarthy

Blurb: Unfolding in a terrifying future where Armageddon has been waged and lost, The Road traces the odyssey of a father and his young son through a desolate landscape of devastation and danger. (From Goodreads)

Opening Sentence: "When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of night he'd reach out and touch the child sleeping beside him."


Length:Medium - 241 pages

Notes: I'd had this book on my "to-read" list for quite some time.  I wish I wouldn't have waited so long to read it!  At first, I didn't think I was going to like it.  The short, choppy paragraphs kind of bothered me (no actual chapters) and at first, I felt like the story was going nowhere.  We were walking down the road, watching out for the bad people.  We got really hungry, then found some food.  Then we were walking down the road again, and ran out of food again. Then found some more food.  But then, somewhere in there, I totally got sucked into this book.  I found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading, and trying to find a spare minute here and there to pick it up and read it.  I was completely engrossed in it.  It ended up being one of my favorite books that I have read lately.  There were a couple of disturbing parts in it, though.  And I was left feeling kind of hanging at the end.  If I would have gotten a little more closure from the ending, this would have been a 5 star book. 

Random quote: “You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.”

Recommend: yes

Have you read this book? Share your feelings!