Let's Review...

On my sidebar, there is a list of books I read in 2009. I really wanted to do a review of each of them so I can change the sidebar to "Books read in 2010". So here it is:

1) The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham
I became a big fan of Madeleine Wickham before I realized that she also wrote the Shopaholic series under her pen name, Sophie Kinsella. I really love her writing style. Always filled with spunky main characters that get into all kinds of interesting situations. In this book, the main character is a woman that goes to funerals to pick up rich men and leech off of them until she's cleaned their bank accounts dry. It's was very entertaining. This story is, of course, the one where she actually falls for one of the men. Just like reading a chick flick.

2) Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger
A story written by the same author of The Devil Wears Prada. The story is nearly the same if you were to only replace the fashion industry with PR. I actually enjoyed this read, even if it was a little fluffy.

3) The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Very well written. The plot is very interesting. I did have a little anxiety reading because of the father's guilt. I wanted him to relieve the pressure by coming clean. It made me a little wistful for what the family's life could have been if things were handled differently. But, overall, I liked this book.

4) Sea Jade by Phyllis A. Whitney
A light version of Wuthering Heights. I liked this ending better. However, reading this book made me realize how much I dislike sole romance novels. Fortunately, there was no trashy parts, but I do prefer to read books with less of the love story and more of adventure or conflict. That being said, I really liked the writer's style and would read any of her other books with a different subject.

5) Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
I absolutely loved this book. The book is always better than the movie and this one did not prove me wrong. The story and characters were much more realistic and deep. I highly recommend this book for a quick, easy read.

6) Sleeping Arrangements by Madeleine Wickham
Another fun one by Madeleine Wickham. I laughed pretty hard at this one, although a little risque. Two couples and their families are offered to vacation at a friend's villa. The friend overbooked to experiment what would happen getting the two together. It was pretty funny.

7) My Body Fell Off! by BJ Rowley
8) Silver Hawk's Revenge by BJ Rowley
9) Missing Children by BJ Rowley
These three books are part of an LDS writer's series. I really like them. The main character has learned that his soul can leave his body and get into all sorts of trouble and adventure. This series is great for middle school aged boys. It's very similar to the Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites series.

10) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
11) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
12) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
13) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter books are read by me every Summer. It's a tradition that I love and cannot wait until I can share the tradition with Kaitlin. It's hard for me to believe that the series are much older than I think. The writing is just so timeless to me.

14) Brilliant by Marne Davis Kellogg
15) Priceless by Marne Davis Kellogg
16) Perfect by Marne Davis Kellogg
17) Friends in High Places by Marne Davis Kellogg
This series is about a savvy and interesting woman that works for the prime auction house in the UK. It turns out that she is a jewel thief. I loved these books because every outfit and decadent food was described. I also loved reading about all the sumptuous jewels. All very yummy.

18) The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Where do I start? This book has really made an impact on me. I highly recommend reading this one! The Tipping Point is a non-fiction work that studies human behavior and economics. I was fascinated by the stories he used to explain each factor contributing to the 'tipping points' in life. I constantly annoy my friends by talking all about the book in almost every conversation.

19) The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham
To be honest with you, this book let me down quite a bit. M.W. felt almost tired writing it and I was nearly trodding through it just to finish. It was a disappointment that I could not enjoy this book as much as the others, especially because I LOVE weddings so much!

20) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Any book that makes me cry is a good one. I sincerely loved this book and it's sweet message. I loved the optimism shared by most in such as hard trial in life. A very gorgeous picture of human nature.

21) Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
22) Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
23) Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella
27) Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella
28) Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella

Yay! I love Becky Bloomwood! I really had a blast reading all about Becky and her issues. Sometimes, I felt like I was reading out of a diary. As much as I loved the series, I do have to admit that the second book was a little too repetitive. It seemed like Becky was going through everything again in the second book. I am glad that the author found ways to change it up a bit it the following books. I highly recommend this series if you would like to laugh out loud with a larger than life and lovable character.

24) The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks
Eh. I read reviews for this book and was excited to start it... not that great in my opinion. I also was not very excited by the movie, The Suburban Girl, based loosely on a few of the stories

25) Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik
Such a sweet and special story. I really enjoyed this one. It was very reminiscent of Fried Green Tomatoes. Very strong woman characters with great patience, love and spunk. I did laugh out loud at some points in the book.

26) Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
FAB-U-LOUS. I just love Malcom Gladwell. This is a non-fiction book that combines a little of Blink and The Tipping Point. What I really enjoy about his books is the way I am able to apply his concepts in my life. I love the format and way he makes the subjects relatable to someone like me. I have never been let down by one the the three books I have read by Malcom Gladwell. In fact, I think I may add them to my list of books I read yearly.

Well, folks, that's all she wrote. Good news is this: I have loved reading so much that I decided to give writing a try. When I get further along in my book and actually have some copyrights going, I would love to share it with you. But for now, I am just loving reading all the amazing things people have to say. In retrospect, I have noticed that I have gravitated towards light and fluffy books that are very similar. I plan on being a bit more diverse in my reading this year and hope to re-read some classics I love.

House of the Sick

I have officially walked the red carpet to collect my award as 'Worst Wifey of the Year'... Jimmy has been so sick the past week. Like, gross, hacking cough/high fever/achy/whiny sick. And I have banished him to the guest room. I can still hear him coughing and snoring at night, but the guest room is farther away than any other room in the house. I am considering making him sleep in the car tonight. In my defense, for the first 48 hours I waited on him hand and foot, bringing medicine, water, soup etc. Then Kaitlin got sick with a fever of 103 and I was left a lone well person in the House of Graham. Gosh, now my duty had doubled from one whining baby to two. By the fourth day of doing my rounds in the sick ward, I got fed up and started letting the two invalids fend for themselves. Or let the sick husband care for the sick child, rather. Yeah, I'm that evil. Thus, waiting for the lightning to strike... or a high fever, whichever comes first.

OCD part deux

Actually, if I'm being honest, it's far past the second time I've had OCD...
I am a complete control freak about our Christmas tree. Complete.
To live as a Christmas tree at the House of Graham one must

a) have white lights. NO colored lights allowed, much to my husband's dismay.
b) ornaments are properly spaced and color coded to look 'randomly hung on the tree with great care'
c) must follow strict monochromatic dress code excluding the Faberge eggs my grandmother made forty years ago.


p.s.- any friend of mine does not have blue lights as part of their decor. If you have ignored this code of our friendship, we will not speak until Valentine's Day. I do this because I love.

Let it snow!!!

It snowed here yesterday! I have never seen it snow in the Bay Area before. I still recall a day living in Santa Cruz when there was actually a little ice on our driveway... It was so exciting to play in the white fluff with Kaitlin. Granted, it was only a couple of inches, but still enough to make a little baby snowman!

Oh, gosh

why is it that when I'm all gussied up and go to run errands, I don't see anyone I know... but when I look like c.r.a.p.- I see everyone and their brother/sister/gardener/nanny... you get the picture.

My allegiance is to the Road Runner

It was my morning to drive the kids to school today. As were driving down the driveway towards the road, one of the girls said, "Hey, look! There's a deer in the field!" Of course Kaitlin jerks her head around frantically searching for a glimpse of the wild life. I, on the other hand, am used to multiple deer sightings a day so was less than enthused and continued driving. "That's not a deer, " shrieked Anna, "that's a coyote!" Screeeeeeeech! The car comes to a stop and the supposed responsible adult yelps in fear, "Where?!?! A coyote?!! Where is it?!" As my eyes are directed to the coyote in the front field, all I can think of is our dog, Baxter, lazing around the yard. Oh no, I think, that coyote is going to eat Baxter in one bite! I do anything a rational adult would do and start to panic. Might I add, that the kids are calm this entire transaction... I started laying on the horn and yelling, but the coyote does not budge. So, the next thing to do is to protect Baxter from his impending doom and to get him in the car with us. Now, I was quite a distance from the front porch he was sunning on (think about 1/4 mile) and if I called him, the dog would have just barely avoid the coyote's path.

If Baxter ran straight to me. If the coyote stayed put.

Well, of course, this is my life so neither of those two things happened. Baxter came running at my call, but saw the coyote mid stride and started to chase the thing! Kids, still calm in the back seat- Me, freaking out!!!

"Baxter, get back here now- the coyote will!eat!you!" I scream. The dog continues to chase, I continue to scream. The dog crosses the road into reservoir property. I continue to scream. The dog runs further and further away. I continue to scream. Now granted, I did not use profanity... but I was a tad bit out of control trying to get the dog in the car. By now, I had no idea where he was. I am sure the coyote had him up on a spit by now and was preparing a tasty salad to go with Baxter. I hop back in the car to drive up the road to find our dog. There! There he is! just standing barking a severe warning to that coyote and awaiting his carriage ride. He came running towards me up and over the wall (it's private, city owned property, with gates and locks and such) as if to say, "Look, Mom, I've protected you... ain't I great?!" Oh gosh... Yes, Baxter is great, but not in the sense that he goes well with leafy greens and a nice vinaigrette.

Confessions of a Black Friday Shopper

I was a Black Friday novice this year. Not once in my life had I wanted to attend a Black Friday shopping trip. In fact, I avoided Black Friday like the plague. Well, I suppose I met my tipping point this year and succumbed to the ads... I have to say, this will be my new tradition! I LOVED it! I got to spend some girl time with my mom and in-laws, I got some uh-may-zing deal, and I just had a blast! Here's the rundown:

Thursday Night: after extensive debate and many shreds of newspaper ads, go to bed at 8:00pm

Wednesday:

2:00 am: pop out of bed like a well oiled toaster

2:57 am: leave the house with minimal baggage- debit card and license in one pocket, ads and shopping list in the other

3:14 am: be fourth in line at Kohl's, have a great time laughing and joking with fellow shoppers(until 4:00 am, then all bets are off)

4:02 am: run through the store like a mad woman

4:06 am: realize no one else is in a shopping frenzy and calm down to get the things on my list

4:47 am: leave Kohl's and head to WalMart

4:53 am: invent own parking space, hop in to WalMart, weave my way to the back of the store for desired product, yank last desired from woman with less spunk/sass, check out and be on my merry way

5:13 am: arrive at Target, do some shopping come out while it's still! dark!

6:48 am head over to World Market and get a free ornament in the gift basket, buy French Milled soap for a buck! woo hooo!!!!

7:36 am: breakfast/should be lunch... at IHOP- thanks, Mom!!!!

8:53 am: got to Fairfield Michael's and start to ebb a bit. We all started walking around like zombies visiting aisles repeatedly and slurring our speech.

10:03 am: Head home- crash.

I will be doing it next year, any takers?

How we do Turkey Day...

with a HUGE amount of pictures!

Look at that bird... shake your tail feather (I'm sorry... I had to say it)

And THE picture to top all pictures...

Tomorrow's Turkey Day!

Get that bird in it's brine!!! *

*A friendly reminder from your neighborhood perfect turkey captain.

Seriously...

SO, yeah, I was just reading the blog, Seriously, So Blessed... when I realized that my last post looked almost exactly the same as her post on New Moon... I am so that mom she's poking fun at!!! I know she only does it out of jealousy.

only a little obsessed...

*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*vnew moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*new moon*

I saw the sign (think Ace of Base)

Now that song will be stuck in your head all day. You're welcome.
Onto the post!
There has been quite a bit of construction on our road lately. Since it is a two lane road, the construction crews have been closing one side and having cars take turns to use the remaining lane still open. With this procedure comes a tired looking, sometimes eating Doritos (true story), man holding a sign that either reads, 'Slow' or, 'Stop'. Pretty straight forward, no? Jimmy and I were driving through the cone zone and stopped at one of the men holding a 'stop' sign. Strange. This part of the road has both lanes open... Well, maybe they are about to close one side. Hmmm...The sign man was standing there chatting it up with a few other workers while we patiently waited for the sign to change. We sat there for a full minute. Think: a mouth full of fluoride in the uncomfortable trays minute... not- the last minute of 'Glee' minute. That's how long it took for the man and his buddies to realize we were stopped in the road. Then the group looked at us confused as to why we were just staring at them. The exchange of meaningful looks went between us in the car and the men on the road for another full minute. Meaningful to the point where our eyebrows and theirs were about to have a serious brawl. Then one guy looked up at the pole he was holding on to and realized that he was holding a 'stop' sign. He quickly put it down and started waving us through the nonexistent traffic. As we rolled through, I glanced back at the men men laughing and pointing at the former sign holder... gosh, I'm glad I wasn't the only one.

I'm so sneaky

My mom sent us a few treats from See's Candy a few weeks ago. One of the treats was a 1 lb. box of Nuts & Chews... I know you're drooling, but please people, let's get a hold of ourselves. Because Halloween was soon approaching, we put the See's in the cupboard so Kaitlin's cheap candy would be consumed first. I assumed that Jimmy had forgotten about the 1 lb. box of Nuts & Chews and very slyly hid it on top of the refrigerator. While Jimmy and Kaitlin would snack on her Halloween goodies occasionally, I would sneak into the kitchen for a taste of the good stuff. I had a meeting to attend to one night and had to leave my precious (think Gollum from Lord of the Rings...) chocolates to fend for themselves. Apparently, I did not take into account that Jimmy is, in fact, taller than me... hence, being able to see the box, hence finding it when I was at the meeting, hence... oh, gosh- you know what happened next- I was caught red handed... melted chocolate handed, rather. I am not as stealth as I think I am. At least I ate all the good ones first.


p.s.- thank you all for your sweet and tender words from my Kenai post. Your words are very encouraging and it helps to have them in this difficult time.

Our girl, Kenai

Our sweet dog, Kenai, peacefully passed away today. I cannot believe the tremendous effect it has had on our family. I suppose the effect is reflective of what she gave to our family. Kenai was a happy, loyal and loving animal. She was tender and sweet to Kaitlin, despite the numerous times playing dress up. Jimmy and I have cried together more at this event than any other in our life together. We loved Kenai. She brought such a special spirit into our home. We will miss Kenai dearly. I have no doubt that she is cheering up many children in heaven. Jimmy and I both admitted to each other that her heart was clearly for children. She would follow Kaitlin around and just kiss her to pieces. I am grateful that I was granted a short time with, Kenai, the angel dog. Rest in peace, sweet girl.

Joy to the World

I don't know what it is, but this year I feel the holiday spirit so strongly. It's palpable. It's deep. There are some years that I just skim through the holidays nearly panting from the busy-ness that comes. But this year, I feel the spirit so strongly and I'm striving to savor every moment.

The smells, the laughs, the friends, the family... it just feels so real to me. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that has given me this gift of the holidays. I am sorry to say that I don't have this wonder and awe every year. The gratitude for the amazing things in my life run deep and I feel anchored to it. I know that the spirit of Thanksgiving is not just about the food but about the gratitude and love for our loved ones. It's about those that granted us freedom and paved the way in a new nation. I know the spirit of Christmas is not all about the commercial aspect, but a true celebration of the greatest gift of all, our Savior. My love for the Savior is so real. I know without a shadow of a doubt that he loves me. I know that the birth of the precious Christ child is a miracle. Not just a miracle of that night... but of his whole life and example. How I love the knowledge of these things. I treasure my testimony of a true and living Savior. May this holiday season grant you peace and joy. May your hearts be filled with a tangible love and your soul be touched by the small miracles that happen everyday.

Rules of Mommyhood

I have come to learn with being a mother that there are certain tricks, rules, if you will of nature. I have listed some choice rules in our house below:

• The Rule of the One Messy Room- at no one given time may all rooms within the household be entirely orderly. One room must take the fall... usually mom's room.
• The Rule of the School Aged Child- you will never be able to wake your child early enough to avoid: the morning rush, banshee screaming/yelling, slow eating, lost shoe.
• The Rule of the Toddler- this child must act like a blender with the top removed especially at: the grocery store, the toy store- heck, any store...
• The Rule of the Teenager- anything a parent states must result in rolling of the eyes and a muttering of some sort. In most cases the uttering resembles, "whatever..."
• The Rule of the Laundry- it shall never, ever, ever, ever, ever be done
• The Rule of the Dishes- *see rule of laundry above.
• The Rule of the Potty- no matter how many times a child uses the restroom before an outing, once leaving the threshold of any given residence, will need to use the potty immediately. This rule is usually most in use during car rides when the nearest restroom is either at least an hour's driving distance or filthy beyond all reason.
• The Rule of the Ratio- 50:1 amount of time it takes mom to clean a room to how long it takes to be completely unrecognizable i.e. trashed.
• The Rule of the Food- only the food on mom's plate is desirable, even if it is the exact same food on everyone else's plate.
• The Rule of the Good Book- a child is equipped with ultrasonic hearing in that a page ruffle or spine crack of a good book is heard at distances between 2 and 40 meters from reading site. The child has two choices at that point: make trouble or play shadow.
• The Rule of the Toothpaste- a child may never leave more than 30% of current toothpaste in tube remaining in the tube.

Tried a new recipe tonight...

did NOT go over very well with anyone. Jimmy actually threw away his remaining portion. It has to be pretty bad if he doesn't at least hide it in the napkin first...

get the tissues ready...

I am terrible at writing thank you cards, birthday cards- any of those. Terrible. My family can attest to that. I am going to send a card to this little boy, though. If I can do it- I know you can! (this little boy is the son of a friend)

5 year old Noah is in the last stages of a 2 1/2 yr battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. The family is celebrating Christmas next week. Noah's request is to get lots of Christmas cards.

Lets do it, please send cards to:

Noah Biorkman
1141 Fountain View Circle
South Lyon, MI 48178

with sweet and sour

This past Sunday at church, I got up to speak while Kaitlin and Jimmy stayed seated in the congregation. While I was talking about a very spiritual experience Kaitlin whispered not so quietly to Jimmy, "Dad, it smells like chicken nuggets... and I want to eat them."

The red button kid revisited

To quote an earlier post:
"I am a self proclaimed red button kid. The definition of a red button kid is this: one that sees a button, any button and has an overwhelming urge to push/pull said button. I still have to fold my arms when I walk by the fire alarm at the church. Luckily, there's a protective plastic shield over that alarm now. It used to be completely exposed... I would have to walk very quickly past that red button with arms folded and look in the complete opposite direction."

It seems that karma like to make a mockery of one, Stephanie Graham... because, literally touching the kindergarten class sign out sheet- the sheet I have to touch every day- is this: