A Utah Mom's Life

Unitards - Movie Review

2012-01-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

I took my friend Jessica with me to the premier of the new movie Unitards on Wednesday night. She was skeptical but agreed to go because she really needed a night out (a night that included sushi before and ice cream after the movie). I must admit that I was a bit leery too, after all the movie was about dancing teenage boys.

We got our popcorn and settled into seats next to the give-away winner Shilo and her husband.

Louis, the main character, has just won an election as a student body officer. As the president of the men's association, the vice principal gives Louis a charge to find some way to bring school spirit back to the lackluster students of Skyline High. Louis finally decides to create an all-male dance ensemble.

Silly. Right?

But dang, if it wasn't funny. I couldn't help but chuckle. The characters were so likable and young (Louis sports the exact same haircut as my 10 year old). Even though no one is going to win an Oscar for best actor, the guys were completely believable. In fact, the kids in the movie reminded me A LOT of my brother Nick and his friends from high school who learned to tap dance for the school musical. And even though they were pretty dorky, they were always surrounded by cute girls. Imagine that.

I thought it was interesting that much of the laughter in the theater came from the older "grown-up" crowd. Perhaps the subtle humor was lost on the teenagers who are still taking themselves too seriously.

Jessica and I were both won over by this "feel good" movie based on a true story. She plans to take her pre-teen daughters back to see the movie. Best of all, she won't have to worry about letting her kids see it. It is completely clean of vulgar language and sexual innuendo and all the other garbage that regularly fills movies these days.

Unitards opens at theaters all over Utah tonight. Go check it out with your family.

** I did receive free tickets to the movie in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

Parent Teacher Conferences

2012-01-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

This week was Parent Teacher Conferences, or rather SEP Conferences. I always go into them with a bit of trepidation. My kids are pretty good (generally) and I shouldn't worry so much, but I do. I might get blindsided with information about my kid that makes me look like a bad parent.

We heard plenty of really glowingly good things about the kids and a few things that can be improved upon--like Neal has not turned in his homework for the last six weeks. (He's always been so responsible about completing his homework by himself, so we were a bit surprised. Needless to say, he is grounded from the Wii and we will be checking his homework for awhile.) Amberly is a bit too chatty in class--not a surprise (Amberly has a brand new teacher who has known her for exactly two weeks but clearly knows our social, little daughter already).

Our last appointment was with Thomas's kindergarten teacher. Utah Dad and I enjoyed hearing all the great progress reports on our little son. Then his teacher pulled out a story he had written. His spelling was remarkable. His handwriting, though giant, was more legible than his father's. The accompanying artwork was cute. The teacher read it aloud to us:

I was hungree so I went down stairs but there was no food.

We chuckled. Then Thomas turned to me and accusingly asked, "remember that day?" And there it was. That embarrassing moment in front of the teacher. Apparently, I don't feed my children. Did I detect a glimmer of reproach in the eyes of the young teacher? Certainly, she doesn't actually believe all the stories she must hear from the thirty (yes, thirty) kindergartners in her morning class? Right?

I hope so.

Mom's Cooking Crisis

2012-01-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

Back in November (man, that seems so long ago) Amberly, The Mom Nerd and I drove up to Logan to be judges for an episode of the new Web TV show Mom's Cooking Crisis. We had so much fun and the show was a riot. The first season of this new show will begin airing on January 31st.

To gain support for their show, they are currently having a fun contest. Be sure to check out Mom's Cooking Crisis web page to enter.

And check out the promo video.

Maisie Dobbs - Book Review

2012-01-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to read a Maisie Dobbs mystery since my niece Anna recommended them over a year ago. I finally got a chance this week. It was a relatively short book and I expected to have it finished in a day or two. Life has been busy this week and frankly, I've used much of my available reading time to study The Book of Mormon (we're right in the middle of the Bishop's weekly challenge) and to read President Monson's biography with Utah Dad. I finally hid away last night while Utah Dad watched a movie with Amberly, and finished Maisie Dobbs.

Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear is a sharp, unconventional approach to the detective novel. I don't read them often and I won't pretend to be an expert. I especially enjoyed the intelligent and thoughtful way that Maisie Dobbs investigates. As a psychologist and investigator, Maisie is as concerned with the people she helps as she is with solving the case. Skilled at understanding and even manipulating the human mind, Maisie takes a sometimes subtle and careful way in getting to the truth.

Maisie Dobbs, opening her own detective agency a decade after the first World War, is hired by a man to find out if his wife is having an affair. This seemingly simple case will lead Maisie into a more dangerous investigation.

The novel did lag a bit during Maisie's back story. However, it was interesting to see where she came from and how she became a detective and what has shaped her own life. I understand that since this is the first novel in a series of Maisie Dobbs mysteries that there would probably be more of Maisie's story in this first novel. It definitely gets moving again, once Maisie gets back on the probing quest for the truth regarding The Retreat, a home for wounded veterans.

Maisie is also portrayed as squeaky, clean and sometimes dull. She loves everyone. Everyone loves her. While this is refreshing, the very ending is at a sharp contradiction with her character. It is, frankly, hard to believe that she would actually do that.

The case wasn't terribly mysterious and I had guessed at the truth early in the novel. It was fun to see how Maisie figured it out and employed her knowledge of human nature to save those in the harrowing situation.

Maisie Dobbs was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be picking up more books from the series in the future.

The Unitards Give-away Winner!

2012-01-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

The winner of the passes to the premier of the new movie Unitards (filmed in Utah) is . . .

Shilo

Congratulations! Send me an email so that I can get your passes to you. And I look forward to seeing you at the movie premier.

The Healing - Book Review

2012-01-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

It's been quite some time since I've read a book that I could honestly rate five stars--one that I thoroughly enjoyed; found the characters and plot engaging and the writing beautiful, inspiring and emotional and then could actually recommend to any and all my friends.

The Healing by Jonathan Odell is that book.

Granada, a young slave girl and the pampered pet of the grieving mistress, has her eyes opened and her life changed when the master buys Polly Shine, a healer. Polly immediately recognizes that Granada has the gift and Polly sets out to train Granada to take her place on the plantation.

Odell is not simply a good writer, he is a gifted writer. He, like Polly and Granada, have a gift for seeing the human soul and expressing the desires, pains and struggles of each person. In his written note at the end of the book, Odell mentions how pleased he was that after the publishing of his first novel The View from Delphi, that a reviewer thought incorrectly that he was an African American. I chucked at the mistake because several times during the novel, I found myself looking at the cover to verify that the author wasn't actually a woman. This novel is an incredible and beautiful tribute to women and the sacred power of creating new life. Odell writes about these topics so tenderly and powerfully that it seems simply impossible to believe that he is a man.

I was disappointed at the end of the novel, simply because I had reached the end. I would have liked to read so much more about Polly Shine, Granada and the others who worked the Satterfield plantation. With careful attention to historical detail, The Healing is a compelling novel with strong and memorable characters that will not soon be forgotten.

Read this book.

** I received a free copy of The Healing in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

Unitards - Movie Premier Give-away

2012-01-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

Multi-award-winning independent film

UNITARDS

a new family-fun movie will play in select theaters starting Jan. 27.

Excel Entertainment is proud to announce the release of UNITARDS in select theaters on Jan. 27, 2012.

UNITARDS has been honored at every film festival to which it’s been selected and has earned nine awards. This film is based on the actual experiences of Sam Featherstone—the actor playing Lewis Grady.

In the film, Lewis Grady (Sam Featherstone) just won the student-body elections at Skyline High School, and Vice Principal Spooner (Michael Buster) has big plans for the goof-off high school senior.
Charged with the difficult challenge of bringing school spirit back to Skyline, Lewis teams up with his two odd-ball friends (Jamison Featherstone and Zack Spurlock) to change the school forever. And they have the perfect way to do it: a guys-only dance team called the UNITARDS. As Lewis and his friends scrounge up the perfect group of misfits to join the revolution, Ms. Zarolla (Karen Dodge), coach of the school’s award-winning all-girl drill team, vows to bring the UNITARDS to an end before they embarrass her and ruin the school’s reputation. As she makes plans to put an end to the newly formed dance team, the UNITARDS make their own plans to take over the school once and for all. Director, writer and producer Scott Featherstone broke almost every rule of filmmaking in UNITARDS —he self-funded the project, used “real” kids rather than actors, went into production just as the economy turned downward and shot a film requiring nearly fifty tracks of music. More than 90% of the cast was selected from an open audition at Skyline High School.

With fifty-plus songs, the film’s score includes several tracks by Salt Lake City composer Tom Hewitson; six popular songs by well-known artists; nine songs by talented upcoming artists; two original tracks written for UNITARDS — including the main theme, “Gonna Dance”; and more than twenty licensed production tracks, such as “Sledgehammer,” by Peter Gabriel, “My Girl,” by The Temptations, and “Come on Eileen,” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners.

The crew filmed UNITARDS over a three-month period at Skyline High School. The schedule was ambitious because the lead actor, Sam, had received an LDS mission call and was scheduled to report to the MTC in just six weeks. The show wrapped just six days before Sam departed for Mozambique, Africa.

UNITARDS awards include:
ReelHeart International Film Festival (Toronto, Canada): Best Feature Film Award, Best Actor Award (Ensemble Cast of Lewis, Greg, & Jake); International Family Film Festival (Hollywood, Calif.): Best Musical Award; Santa Clarita Film Festival (Santa Clarita, Calif.): Best Feature Film Award; Fallbrook Film Festival (Fallbrook, Calif.): Best Feature Film Award; KidsFirst International Film Festival (Santa Fe, N.M.): Best Feature Finalist; International Accolade Awards (Los Angeles, Calif.): Award of Merit; Foursite Film Festival (Ogden, Utah): Best Direction Award; BEST OF FEST, Official Selection.
The film is independently produced by Scott Featherstone and distributed by Excel Films. For more information, visit www.unitardsmovie.com <http://www.unitardsmovie.com> .

Release date: Jan. 27, 2012
Running time: 104 minutes

Looks like fun! I am so excited that Utah Dad and I have been invited to attend the premier of Unitards on January 25th. And I'm especially excited to announce that one reader of Utah Mom's Life blog will also win a pass for two to attend the premier of Unitards at Jordan Commons.

To enter to win just leave a comment on this post. Super easy! The contest will be open to entries until 11:59 MST on Friday, January 13th.

The winner will be selected from the comments on this post and announced on Saturday, January 14th.

Good luck!

The Face Thief - Book Review

2012-01-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

I know. I know. I don't blog for awhile and then I post a bunch of book reviews all at once. Just one more today. And for those of you that want more about what the family has been up to, I'm working on all kinds of posts about our adventures and I even have a give-away on the blog next week. So, don't give up on me as a blogger just yet.

Last night I fell asleep at 7:30 pm. Then I woke up just before nine, took out my contacts, brushed my teeth and got in my pajamas intending to go right back to sleep. Once I was in bed, I couldn't sleep so I pulled out the new novel from Eli Gottlieb The Face Thief.

(By the way, for those of you interested in my progress with my 2012 personal goal to read the scriptures every day, I've given myself a rule that I can't read anything else until I have already completed my scripture reading for the day. So, I'm reading my scriptures earlier.)

The Face Thief is a cerebral, character-rich thriller that I found unable to put down. I simply had to finish it before I fell asleep. The narrative flows so well and suspense kept me turning the pages so quickly that I was able to turn out the light long before Utah Dad finished watching television and came to bed.

The beautiful woman's fall down the stairs was probably not an accident and Dan France, the honest detective who can't help falling for the victim, is determined to find out who pushed her. But as the truth unfolds regarding the victim--a manipulative and deceptive woman, it seems there could be several people angry enough to want her dead.

Brilliant at understanding human nature, Gottlieb brings his characters to life and delves into their personalities to uncover the traits that they hide from the world and ultimately shows how many people aren't even honest with themselves.

While I wouldn't exactly say that I was "rooting" for any of the characters, I felt compelled to find out what was going to happen next. Not only is Gottlieb adept at character development, his skill at writing the psychological suspense is superb.

This is one smart read.

All the Flowers in Shanghai - Book Review

2012-01-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

Writing and publishing a novel titled All the Flowers in Shanghai not long after the success of Lisa See's novel Shanghai Girls and then including a cover line comparing this work to Lisa See's work can have several consequences. If you're lucky, readers of Lisa See's books will be intrigued, buy and read your novel (the ultimate goal). However, the downside of this is that you will always be compared to Lisa See. Good luck with that.

Duncan Jepson, the author of All the Flowers in Shanghai, tells an interesting story of Feng, a young Chinese woman forced into an arranged marriage in the years before the country was invaded by the Japanese. The story reads as an explanation from a much older Feng to her estranged daughter. The opening chapters are intriguing and the reader experiences the very real impending doom that seems so much worse since the innocent and young Feng is naive to her future.

The story has holes, however, and loses momentum. The story skips the entire war though it was interesting to read about the changes to China as the communists took control after the war. The character development also seems flawed. Feng, who appears to mature and grow and overcome her abuse, never seems to see the good in the people around her and reacts with selfishness. Her personal redemption comes so late and I was, frankly, disappointed by the ending.

As a writer, I think Duncan Jepson has potential and for a debut novel, All the Flowers in Shanghai is pretty good.

The Thirteenth Tale - Book Review

2012-01-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

I took an unplanned hiatus from blogging for the last few months. Between the holidays and a busy new church assignment, I didn't have as much time to blog. Then the kids went back to school and I was busy attempting to put the house back together.

With the busy schedule, I didn't get to read as much either. There were days when the only thing I really wanted to do was climb into my bed with a good book and hide from the world--especially since I was in the middle of such a good book. That didn't exactly happen but I was able to carve out a little reading time to enjoy The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

I've heard so many good things about the novel and it's been on my to-read list for years. I was delighted when I found a beautiful, like-new copy at the library book sale this fall.

Using her captivating gift of language, Setterfield weaves as fascinating tale about the secretive world famous author Vida Winters. After years of writing beloved novels, the world had become intrigued by her own story which she had guarded for years by telling other stories to the reporters. Now, Ms. Winters requests that a biographer, Margaret Lea come to her home and write her story--the thirteenth tale--the true story of her life.

With the Angelfield family estate falling into ruins, a mysterious fire, ghosts and strange people the truth seems only another illusion while hearkening to the beloved Gothic stories of the Bronte sisters. The Thirteenth Tale is a spellbinding ghost story with rich language and eccentric and intriguing characters that will keep you up reading late into the night.

One Cool Mummy

2012-01-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

Getting back into the school groove has been harder for us this week than I expected. After weeks of playing hard and celebrating, I have been so exhausted.

Yesterday morning as I was sending the kids out the door to school and contemplating going back to bed, Neal reminded me that it was the day for the body wrapping project and a parent was required to be able to participate. I needed to be at the school by 9:30.

What?! I received a note about it but that was back in December. The body wrapping project was in January. Could I really be expected to remember? Couldn't my child remind me the night before instead of the second he walked out the door? At the same time, Utah Dad reminded me that he had to do a presentation at work and would be no help. I panicked. Neal panicked. I shoved him out the door and promised that I would figure something out.

I called a good friend who agreed to watch the little girls and I jumped into the shower. My bed had never looked so inviting.

I walked into Neal's classroom just two minutes late and I caught that brief look on his face of extreme relief as he had surely been worried that I wouldn't actually make it to school. (I know that look. I remember that feeling as I waited for my own mother to arrive at the school.)

And then we got busy turning the sixth graders into mummies (they are studying ancient Egypt). By using clear packing tape and wrapping their body parts they were able to create a pretty cool shell of their bodies.

We get to finish his head at home. I'm guessing the school didn't want to be held liable if we accidentally suffocated our child with tape (disclaimer: we won't actually put tape over their mouths and noses).

Pretty cool though.

The Angel Makers - Book Review

2011-12-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

Sari is a young apprentice to the local midwife in an isolated Hungarian village when the men, including her fiance, are called away to fight in World War I. For most of the women, who have arranged marriages, having their husbands away is a relief. Before long many of the women, including Sari, begin relationships with the Italian prisoners that are kept at a nearby POW camp. But the war ends and the consequences must be faced. The Italian men leave and the village men return. However, the women are not ready to return to the repressed and abused lives they lived before the war.

Desperate to escape her cruel fiance, Sari uses poison to slowly end his life. An abused friend and then another ask Sari for help and soon the village and Sari are engulfed in a macabre conspiracy of murder.

The Angel Makers by Jessica Gregson is a novel based on a true story. During the years following World War I as many as 300 people were murdered in the village before investigators from outside finally figured out what was really happening. In her novel, Gregson, elaborating on the known facts, shows a decidedly human view of the story--at once sympathetic and outrageous.

As much an ethical discussion on the value of life and of personal choice, The Angel Makers is a mesmerizing and horrifying novel. Like many who met her, I found myself entranced by the character of Sari and I appreciated the descriptions of the village and the life.

My only complaint with the novel was the excessive use of foul language.

**I received a free copy of The Angel Makers in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

The Giver - Book Review

2011-12-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

Although I spent most of my free time with a book, I can't remember much of what I read in junior high (other than Little Women, Anne of Green Gables and Jane Eyre). The other books from that era must have been blocked in my mind with the rest of my junior high memories. I spent the three years of high school reading from the "100 books list" my teacher assigned. I loved many and snoozed through others. I still have the photo copied list. I'm still working on reading all the books on it. For fun, I read all the Jack Weyland novels (possibly why I just can not bring myself to read LDS fiction now).

Essentially, I didn't read Young Adult Literature when I was a young adult. For years I didn't know I had missed anything. What I realize now is that I lacked the adult that could steer me toward enjoyable but well written and thought provoking novels for young adults. My English teacher was busy pushing the classics and I can't fault her for that. The school librarian was more of a multi-media manager and while I liked him and spent hours in the library, I can't remember him ever suggesting a book. My parents weren't big readers at the time and my "adult friend/YW leader" was letting me borrow her Jack Weyland novels.

This is what I regret now as I discover amazingly well written Young Adult novels such as The Giver by Lois Lowry (I do remember reading her Anastasia books). During a conversation with a friend last week who had borrowed and read my copies of the Hunger Games trilogy, she asked if I had ever read The Giver. I had not. Neal is assigned to read Lowry's novel Number the Stars this month for school, so while I was buying it, I added The Giver to the order.

The Giver is a dystopian novel. Published in 1993, it predates the current popular dystopian novels and it is obvious that it inspired at least a few of them. Living in a "utopian" society, Jonas and all the other twelve year old children are given their work assignments at a ceremony. Surprisingly, Jonas's assignment is a great and rare honor. He will be the new Receiver of Memories. The former Receiver becomes The Giver as he transfers all the memories to Jonas.

The Giver is cerebral. It has depth and symbolism and irony and wit and could have inspired a very interesting discussion in my high school English class (I graduated in 1993, so I would have missed it even if my teacher had included Young Adult lit in her curriculum). It is a beautiful novel--one that I will suggest to all the young and old adults within my meager influence.

The Bungalow - Book Review

2011-12-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

The sun may be shining and there isn't any snow on the ground, but it is bitter cold outside. I spent every spare moment between Christmas parties and family get togethers this weekend snuggled up with the latest novel from Sarah Jio. Remember when I gushed about her first novel The Violets of March last spring? Jio's second novel The Bungalow will be released at the end of December.

Anne Calloway is overwhelmed by the plans everyone else has for her life, including marrying the honorable and rich man her mother has chosen for her. Frustrated and also feeling a need to serve, Anne signs up as a nurse during World War II. She and her best friend are stationed on the base in Bora Bora, the warm and inviting island in the South Pacific.

On the island, Anne meets the dashing and charming soldier Westry and together they discover a hidden bungalow. Things really heat up then as Anne falls madly in love with Westry. Throw in a gruesome murder mystery and the horrors of war, and The Bungalow is one of those entertaining novels that will keep you reading late into the night.

Sultry and just a bit steamy, The Bungalow is a page turner that is perfect to warm up with this cold winter. Or if you happen to be lucky enough to escape the chill and spend some time on your own beach, The Bungalow is the book to take.

**I received a complimentary copy of The Bungalow from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Ed King - Book Review

2011-11-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

A modern day retelling of Oedipus Rex, Ed King by David Guterson is a strangely compelling read. I pulled out our copy of Sophocles' work but couldn't bring myself to read it. I did, however, reacquaint myself with the basics of the story. As far as I can tell, Guterson stays pretty true to the source while being imaginative, original and believable.

Married and a father to two young children, Walter Cousin's gives in to his lust and has a month-long affair/rape with the "au pair". He impregnates her and she then leaves the baby on a door step. The abandoned baby is adopted by an infertile Jewish couple. The baby, named Ed King, will become an Internet billionaire but even then he will be unable to escape his fate. It is ultimately as tragic as the forerunner.

I read Guterson's famous work Snow Falling on Cedars so many years ago that I can scarcely remember the details of the story. Impressively, Ed King is an astounding work while being drastically different from Guterson's earlier novel.

The characters in Ed King are reprehensible, amoral, and vile. It's hard to feel sorry for them yet impossible to look away from their dramatic and destructive lives. While the novel is dark, Guterson has a talent for wit and cynicism that made me laugh several times. Some passages were so clever and humorous that I read them aloud to Utah Dad.

Ed King is a dark novel and includes graphic scenes as well as foul language, for those reasons I would not recommend it to most of my friends.

**I received a complimentary copy of Ed King in exchange for an honest review. No additional compensation was received.

The Winner of the McDonald's Play Date Give-away

2011-11-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

We've been so busy celebrating Thanksgiving and various other family events that I almost forgot to pick a winner for the McDonald's Play Date Give-away. This seems to be a recurring theme lately. But it's not too late (it is still Saturday, after all).

Chosen randomly from the comments, the winner of the Play Date Give-away from McDonald's of Utah is . . .

Megan B.

Congratulations! Please send me an email with your contact information so that you can claim your prize.

The Time in Between - Book Review

2011-11-22T15:28:00.000-08:00

On the eve of the Spanish Civil War, Sira, a young dress maker, escapes quickly with her new lover to Morocco. She leaves behind her mother, her former fiance and the father that she has just met for the first time in her life. While in Morocco, naive Sira will have her heart broken, make new friends and find her own inner strength to succeed. Later, the world is embroiled in World War II and Sira is recruited as a spy.

I read the first 200 pages of The Time in Between by Maria Duenas in a single day. I was swept up in Sira's life and the richness of the descriptions of Morocco. Maria Duenas creates a rich and sympathetic character and the reader is immediately entranced by her story and life. However, as Sira, heartbroken, holds off the potential lovers, so too the author seems to hold the reader at arm's length. There are huge sections where the details are told yet there is no passion, no life. The novel redeems itself in the third section and Duenas reclaims the earlier thrill only to have a rushed and incomplete ending. Given that the novel is over 600 pages long there seems little reason to have a quick conclusion.

I loved Sira's character. I loved the plot. I loved the setting. But there was no real passion. I don't enjoy reading "sex scenes" and I'm pleased that this book is free of them. What I mean, is that the scenes between Sira and her main love interest are flat. In fact, there is little intense emotion evoked in any of the scenes that should do so, including when Sira's life is in danger.

I have to admit that I'm holding this book to a higher standard than many. It was better than most books. It has so many great things going for it, I just thought it could have been even better.

**I received a complimentary copy of The Time in Between through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

McDonald's "Play Date" Give-away

2011-11-19T19:55:00.000-08:00

The kiddos and I were invited to join other local bloggers at a launch party for the new Happy Meals at McDonald's last week. I took Utah Dad along as the child wrangler so that I could peacefully enjoy the time with the other fabulous bloggers.

Since I had informed my children years ago that only grandparents could buy Happy Meals, this was a very special treat for them. My kids were munching on burgers and chicken nuggets and running around like lunatics in the Play Place either terrorizing the other bloggers' beautiful children and/or turning them into minions, I learned all about the new Happy Meals from the owner of the Herriman, Utah McDonald's and from a dietitian.

McDonald's has worked hard in recent years to change their image from a greasy fast food joint to a rather healthy place to eat. Offering salads, Premium chicken sandwiches, oatmeal and parfaits, they've become the stop for the healthier meal on-the-go. I personally LOVE their parfaits and smoothies. Utah Dad is still a sucker for their greasier and fattier cheese burgers.

In keeping with the desire to help people and especially children get more nutrition in their daily diets, McDonald's will now offer fruit with every Happy Meal. While apples have always been a choice, very few people actually substituted the fries for apples. After all, the fries are one of the main reasons to stop at McDonald's. Beginning in the Spring of 2012, apples will accompany all Happy Meals, in addition to the fries.

We also got a surprisingly fun and informational tour behind the counter and in the kitchen of the McDonald's. It was fun to see the employees hard at work during the dinner rush and see how each sandwich is made to order right when you order.

It was also fun to meet other bloggers in person. Good times. Really. And I enjoyed a delicious Premium Chicken Sandwich while we visited.

Now, you have a chance to have your own good time at McDonald's. Take your kids, some friends and your friends' kids and enjoy the afternoon out. McDonald's Utah is sponsoring a very special "Play Date" Give-Away to one of my readers.

One lucky winner will receive

10 gift certificates for the New Happy Meal,

3 gift certificates for the Premium Salads,

and

3 gift certificates for the Premium Chicken Sandwiches.

To enter simply leave a comment on this blog post.
Share this give-away with your friends on your own blog, Facebook and/or Twitter for up to three more chances to win. Just leave additional comments for each time you share.

The contest will be open until Friday, November 25th at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be chosen randomly from the comments and will be announced on Saturday, November 26th.

**The gift certificates will only be honored by McDonald's in Utah.**

The Winner of the Eversave Give-away

2011-11-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot to pick a winner (using the random number generator) for the Eversave Save Rewards Give-away today. I've got to get on that. My life is becoming increasingly more and more busy as we approach the holidays and Utah Dad and I both got hit by an unfortunate and unkind stomach bug today. Aren't you so glad I shared that.

Anyway, the winner of the $15 Eversave Save Rewards is . . .

Rheanna

Congratulations! Please send me your information so that you can redeem your prize.

Be sure to check out Eversave for the great deals.

Serenading the Kids

2011-11-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

I regularly embarrass my children my making up silly songs. It drives them crazy. But today's little diddy actually got a smile from Neal and he added, "That one was pretty good, Mom." Since I had success with the ten year old, I decided to share it here.

                                    If you don't go to school
                           You'll be dumb all your life
                           You won't get a job,
                           You won't get a wife.

                          If you don't go to school
                          You won't be cool
                          And the only job you'll get
                          Is cleaning out the pool.

(No offense to pool cleaners, it was the only word I could think of that rhymed with school.)

Do you just love my skills with the lyrics? I foresee a new career. Haha! Ya, right!

Eversave Review and Give-away of $15 Save Rewards

2011-11-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

We all like to save money. Right? I love an amazing deal and there are so many resources on the Internet to help us find them. Eversave is one of the great ways to save a buck or two or three. Eversave is organized locally so they give you the deals that are available in your local area.

Once you've subscribed to Eversave you get updates about the weekly deals--50-90% off the regular price. This week in the Salt Lake City, Utah area they have a great deal for 69% off a photography package from Decadent Photography. Last week's deal was 50% off a thorough house cleaning from MaidPro (I so need that).

Eversave is offering $15 Save Rewards to one of my lucky readers. The winner can use the Save Rewards towards any future "Saves" from Eversave.

To enter simply leave a comment on this post. You can earn extra entries by sharing the link for the give-away on Facebook and Twitter. Leave an additional comment for each thing you do.

The contest will be open to entries until Thursday, November 17th at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be chosen randomly from the comments and will be announced on Friday, November 18th. Open to residents of the US only.

Don't miss out on another opportunity to save money. Check out the "Saves" at Eversave.

The Winner of GUBS Give-away

2011-11-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

The winner of the GUBS game from Gamewright give-away, chosen randomly, is . . .

JEN

Congratulations! Please email me with your information so that you can claim your prize. Thanks to everyone who entered the give-away contest. Be sure to check out the games from Gamewright this Christmas season. Lots of fun for the entire family!

Just Being Neighborly

2011-11-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

The other night I was hosting the neighborhood book club at my house. As the ladies were arriving my neighbor's little dog was in the front yard barking. I was surprised because the dog is never out without supervision. It's always in the house or in their fully fenced back yard. One friend coming to book club was trapped in her car because she was nervous about the dog. I decided I would just quickly put the dog back in the back yard. The dog barked at me and growled a little but when I opened the gate, it went right in.

Nuisance Dog Problem : Solved.

Yesterday afternoon when I got home from the grocery store, I noticed the same dog hanging around in the yard across the street. It was my neighbor's birthday and I had gotten her a little treat, so I walked next door to give it to her and let her know that her dog had escaped once again.

She wasn't home. I stopped by again a few hours later. She still wasn't home but her teenage daughter was home from school. She confirmed that both dogs were safely inside the house. The third time I stopped by with the birthday treat, I finally found my friend at home. We were visiting when her dogs ran in to the room. Imagine my surprise when I saw that the dog was shaved. My friend confirmed that her dog had been shaved and hadn't been out of the house.

With this revelation came two truths : first, the dog I had seen out earlier in the day did not belong to my neighbor and second, I put the wrong dog in her back yard last week.

Crossed - Book Review

2011-11-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

Ever since I read Matched by Ally Condie last spring, I have been anxiously awaiting the next volume in the trilogy. Crossed released last week and since I had preordered it, I was happy to find a copy on my porch (via UPS) last Tuesday morning. I set aside the other book I am currently reading to devour every word of the highly anticipated young adult novel.

It is difficult for me to write reviews for the middle novel in a trilogy. The endings so rarely leave the reader satisfied (which is the point) that after a breathless reading there is that moment of realization that the story won't be complete for another year. This is the reason that I usually don't read series until all books have already been published.

Crossed takes the characters of Cassia and Ky from Matched and puts them in the next portion of their personal and societal conflicts. This novel has alternating chapters from Cassia and Ky's perspective and I must admit that it took me a few chapters of confusion to realize this, even though on closer inspection I saw that their names are clearly indicated with each chapter heading.

Crossed continues the action from the end of Matched. Cassia is searching for Ky who is now fighting to stay alive in the Outer Provinces. Their values and their hearts will be tested in the unforgiving landscape of the Carving.

I did enjoy Crossed, though perhaps not as much as I liked Matched. I especially enjoyed Matched because of the uniqueness of the very well organized socialistic society that didn't have such obvious breaches yet still restricts the freedom of the individual. It is often harder for people to rebel against this type of society and I feel more impressed by those who can "rise" up. I also appreciated the lack of violence in Matched. However, violence is to be expected in a war so I was not surprised to have it in Crossed, though it was minimal. The setting in Crossed is very different. While I love the "Southern Utah" setting that is described in those novel, I look forward to a return to civilization in the final novel of the trilogy.

As in the second act in a play, the conflict builds and the audience is left frustrated and anxious. Overall, I enjoyed the continuing action and direction of this story and I look forward to the conclusion of a well written, imaginative and intelligent dystopian series.

GUBS Game - Review and Give-away

2011-11-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

We are big fans of Gamewright games. Over the last few years we have collected quite a few of their card games, including Sleeping Queens, Frog Juice and Zeus of the Loose. We especially love Rory's Story Cubes. You can read an earlier review of a few of Gamewright games **here**.

Gamewright card games are fun for a variety of ages.The games win all kinds of awards and are unique and creative while teaching kids. They make fantastic stocking stuffers for Christmas. They even have a selection of party games for adults. We are fans of Who Would Win and Joe Name It. Their small size make them very portable and we took them along on our vacation last summer.

Utah Dad, Neal and I were excited to try out one of the newest games from Gamewright. It's a card game called GUBS (a fascinating little creature). It's a game of wit and luck. Keeping with the style of Gamewright games, the illustrations are colorful and fanciful. Really, this game is just so creative. Each player is trying to build the largest colony of Gubs. There are barricades and traps and hazards and events that happen along the way. Our initial assessment was that the rules were pretty involved and we worried that we might not have the attention span to "get it". It is definitely a game for older children (10+) and adults, but we caught on quickly and have enjoyed playing it.

We've been playing GUBS every evening since we got it (even though I consistently get beat by Utah Dad). We just played it again and I lost 2 out of 3 games. I obviously need to work on my strategy. I had to redeem myself by beating him soundly at Frog Juice. It really is a lot of fun.

And it's about to get even more fun for one of my very lucky readers.

Gamewright has generously offered one copy of GUBS as a give-away on my blog.

Are you so excited? Here's the deal :

1. You must be a follower of Utah Mom's Life Blog.
2. You must leave a comment on this post. (If you already own a Gamewright game, tell me which one. This is not required to win).
3. You can receive up to 3 extra entries by doing the following and then leaving additional comments about what you did:
   ** "Like" Gamewright on Facebook.
   ** Post and link to this giveaway on Facebook.
   ** Link to this giveaway on Twitter.

(I would include those cute little buttons to make it easier for you to put in on Facebook and Twitter but I haven't figured out how to make it work on my blog yet.)

The contest will be open to entries until Thursday, November 10th at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be announced in the morning on Friday, November 11th. This contest is open to US residents only.

**I received a complimentary copy of GUBS in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Girls' Night

2011-11-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

Thomas has made a sweet little friendship in kindergarten this year. Most days we walk to and from school with the girl that lives just down the street. They are not in the same class so whoever gets out of school first waits for the other and they walk side by side.

Yesterday, as we walked home together, they tried to arrange a play date with each other. "Ask your mom if I can come over and play." "Ask your mom if I can come over and play at your house." We both had plans for the afternoon so we arranged to have them play together today after lunch.

Thomas quickly ate his lunch and then watched out the window for her to walk over to our house. He was so anxious. She finally arrived and the kids were all waiting at the door before she even had a chance to knock. Thomas immediately invited her upstairs to his bedroom to play Legos. She joined him.

However, she is also friends with Lilly. Lilly and the doll house were just too enticing and before long she had ditched Thomas to join Lilly in the girls' bedroom. Thomas tried to beg her to come back. She suggested that he play with the girls. He refused. He insisted that she come play with him in the boy room. She declined. He then appealed to me for help. Not wanting to force her to play Legos, I tried to explain that girls like to play with girl toys and that she and Lilly were friends too. He burst into tears and cuddled next to me on the couch sobbing.

He cried that she didn't like him any more. He cried that she had chosen his sister over him. He cried that she wanted to play with "stupid" girl toys. Through his sobs, he insisted that she no longer liked him and that he just felt so bad.

I tired to comfort him the best I could and assure him that she still liked him (I had seen her little smile when her mother teased her about waiting for her "boyfriend"). I really never thought I would be consoling him over girl trouble in kindergarten.

Then, I explained that even when he is grown up and married and his wife is his very best friend, she will still want to play with girl toys and hang out with girls. Utah Dad, who was by now involved in the conversation, agreed. Utah Dad knows and he understands, as he puts the kids to bed by himself tonight so that I can run off and join my girl friends for an evening out together. Wait. Make that two Girls' Nights--I get to meet my friends from college for dinner tomorrow night. Who knew that Thomas gets to learn this lesson at a very young age?

Oh, and do you want to know something absolutely disgusting. I cleaned out the garbage can in my bathroom today (that alone is disgusting) but today I noticed that there were special "drawings" on the inside of the garbage can. On closer inspection, I realized that Molly had used my lipstick to create the art. She must have done it the other day when I discovered my lipstick on the floor. The lipstick that I have been using for the past few days. Ewwwww!

Favorite Halloween Picture

2011-11-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

After Trick r Treating last night, the family was gathered in the kitchen. The kids were going through their candy. I was cleaning up when I realized that Molly was missing. I called out and she responded, "I'm in the family room." Utah Dad went to check on her and found this . . .

Easy and Very Cheap Halloween Costumes

2011-11-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

We've been celebrating Halloween for so many weeks now that yesterday's festivities were almost anti-climatic. I woke up earlier than usual to get ready and help the kids get dressed and ready for the day at school.

Neal and his 6th grade performed a line dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller. Their performance was scheduled at 8:15 at his school. I dropped Amberly off at her school at 7:30 and told her to eat breakfast at school. Then I picked up the car pool kids and we hurried to their school. While I waited for the Thriller performance, I was thoroughly entertained by the costumed kids and teachers. Neal's school loves Halloween and it shows. Neal has been so excited for us to see his dance. He is the dead basketball player.

As soon as the dance was over, I bolted from that school to hurry home and get Thomas ready for Kindergarten. The Halloween parade at his school was just 15 minutes after kindergarten started. I sat with friends as we watched some very cute and scary children parade through the gym. The parade was well organized this year.

In the afternoon, the kids dressed in their costumes again to hit the neighborhood for some Trick r Treating. Our neighborhood is perfect for it and the weather was nice and mild. Our family is always one of the first families to set out but we were able to stay out for about two hours, go to most of the homes in our neighborhood and get loads of candy.

I don't love Halloween (we already know this) but I do want my kids to have a good holiday. However, this year I did my very best to make the kids happy without spending much money. Tricky. Very very tricky.

Thanks to the box of costumes that we've saved over the years and some creativity, we were able to get through the Halloween season for just a few dollars. Really.

Amberly used the white tutu from her Corpse Bride costume and her wings from her fairy costume to put together an angel costume. She found the tinsel in our Christmas box. She was an angel when she went to the Daddy Daughter party, the family party and at school but last night she suddenly changed her mind. She wrapped herself in her pink pashmina scarf and called herself Aphrodite. Money spent : $0

Lilly was pretty indecisive about what she wanted to be for Halloween. For months she has talked of being Rapunzel and we let her continue to grow her hair out in preparation. I don't know exactly how or why it happened but earlier this month Amberly talked her out of being Rapunzel. Some weird sister thing. Lilly still didn't know what she wanted to be until I dressed as a cat for the Transition Sister Carnival and for an Adult Halloween party that Utah Dad and I attended. Lilly decided that she too would be a cat for Halloween. She used the ears that I made by hot gluing card stock to a head band and we painted her whiskers and nose on with face paint. Money spent : $1.50 for a package of 4 head bands.

Molly recycled a costume that Lilly wore for Halloween a few years ago. It was one of our favorites and we decided to use it one more time. With the cute ribbon tutu and some ear barrettes, Molly made a very cute Minnie Mouse. Money spent : $0 (I paid $30 for the costume when Amberly was in dance several years ago but I think it could have been made for much less.)

Can you tell what Thomas is? Most adults were not sure but his little friend from kindergarten guessed as soon as she saw him. "You're a Nephite!" (Nephites are a group of people from The Book of Mormon.) Specifically, he is Nephi. Neal wore this costume when he was four years old and it has come in handy as a shepherd costume for several Christmas nativity pageants. Because I don't sew, it's the easiest costume ever. I just cute brown felt to fit over his body and cut fabric to tie around his waist and head. We had to make a new shield and sword. I cut them out of card board and spray painted them. Thomas then glued on jewels. Money spent : $3.99 for spray paint and $1.99 for the jewels (I had some in my craft ~~room~~ closet but was too lazy to look for them.) I can't remember how much I originally paid for the felt and fabric.

Neal dressed up as a dead basketball player. Since the NBA season won't be happening this year, we thought it was most appropriate. He wore the Jazz shirt that he won as a top reader at school several years ago and we painted his face and gelled his hair. By the way, he will be getting a hair cut tonight.
Money spent : $6.99 for a face paint set that included fake blood.

Utah Dad and I didn't dress up last night for Trick r Treating. We had already had enough of that. When we attended a party together last weekend, we went as the second scariest thing that came to mind--Occupy Wall Street Protesters. We looked online to see some of the signs the protesters were carrying and recreated some of our favorites. Money spent : $0 (I already had the poster boards.)

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween. Now on to my favorite holiday -- THANKSGIVING!

Surviving October

2011-10-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

My calendar fills up so quickly in October. The beautiful light and wonderful outdoor colors are just perfect for photo shoots and families are often anxious to get their pictures done in time for Christmas cards. Besides the evening photo shoots, we've stuffed this month full of family outings, Halloween parties and other activities.

Since I've been feeling bad that I haven't updated the blog much lately with our family happenings, I've decided to do one quick post about all the happenings. It's a mind dump but there will be pictures.

We began the month of October by spending General Conference weekend with my in-laws. We love listening to the prophet and the other general authorities during conference. We were excited to hear the announcement of all the new temples. We're so happy that more people will be able to be closer to a temple. We're especially excited about the announcement of the Star Valley, Wyoming Temple since we have ancestral ties to the place and we're very happy for our family members who still live there.

We spent the weekend lounging in our jammies, eating good food and enjoying the perfect weather. We picked and ate delicious pears from my in-laws trees. Utah Dad got together with his brothers and nephews for the Priesthood session of conference. It was a wonderful weekend.

As a family, we drove up Alpine Loop and to Cascade Springs and enjoyed the beautiful changing colors. We have loved the warm weather this autumn.

Some of my children regularly experience car sickness. We started giving them Dramamine before we set off on trips and it has literally changed Lilly's life for the better. Road trips are much more enjoyable for all of us. Unfortunately, the medicine made Thomas grumpy and tired. He's almost always just a bundle of happy energy so it was especially sad that he didn't have a great day.

Neal is at the age when spending time with family away from a video game is not especially fun. I handed him the Bloggie camera and his entire mood changed. He still won't smile when I turn my camera on him (he's self conscious about the braces) but he had a great time snapping pictures of whatever he wanted to.

Here are a few of the pictures Neal took with the Bloggie.

I've had seven fun photo shoots--many of which I have squeezed in on nights when I have other things I also have to attend. I was actually late to book club which I hosted at my house.

We attended parent teacher conferences (the kids are having a great year and they love their teachers). Another evening, we went to the Kindergarten Open House with Thomas.

We had Stake Conference and I've been able to attend the temple three times--twice with Utah Dad and once with sisters from my Relief Society.

Neal and I built the Lighthouse at Alexandria for a school project. Yes, we know it's leaning. And I am also aware the kids' pictures on my wall are in serious need of updating. Some day.

We all attended the Picadilly Circus in Orem.

Utah Dad and Amberly dressed up and went to her Daddy Daughter Halloween party put on by her Primary Activity Day leaders.

We ate dinner with some neighbors and hosted them for dinner the following weekend.

We all went to Cub Scout Pack Meeting. All of us. Even me. In spite of my Pack Meeting Anxiety. It was a "blast".

Utah Dad attended the baby blessing of his newest great nephew.

I went to a recipe exchange party hosted by a new neighbor. She made the most amazing chili and pumpkin cookies. It was fun to visit with her and get to know her better.

One Saturday morning, several friends and I woke up early to leave our homes at 6 am to drive for an hour to the Salt Lake City Library for the semi-annual book sale so that we could be there just when it opened. This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. I give myself a monetary spending limit or I could just really get myself in trouble. This year I limited myself to $10. My friend ended up spotting me $3.50. I went over a little. But I found some great books that have been on my wish list. Happy winter reading for me! One of my dear bookish friends moved to Virginia this week, so this was our last adventure together. I will definitely miss her.

I dressed up as a cat and went to a Halloween Transition Sister Carnival with my dear Laurel friend Kathryn. She did our make-up and we looked very feline. We had a great time and I won the coloring contest. :) I definitely know my way around a box of crayons.

Utah Dad and I attended another Adult Halloween Party hosted by some friends in our neighborhood. Our team won the Scavenger Hunt. We were awesome and Utah Dad was a crazy driver. Our hosts threw a fabulous party. I can't believe I've already dressed up twice this season. What is the world coming to?

Molly and I went door to door to collect donations for Pennies by the Inch which supports Primary Children's Medical Center.

We went to my sister's house for a Family Halloween Party and bottled apple sauce.

We had a successful Primary Program. Amberly gave a talk about her baptism. The other kids said their parts nicely. We were glad that both sets of grandparents could attend. All the kids in my class were there and participated. Our Primary leaders did a great job putting it together. I appreciate all their hard work.

This Monday we went to Cornbelly's to enjoy the corn maze and the other fun attractions. As always, we had a great time.

Whew! And we still have another weekend full of Halloween festivities coming up. Hopefully, I'll survive.

FHE at Cornbelly's - Out and About in Utah

2011-10-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

Last night we took advantage of the warm weather (hopefully not the last) and spent the evening at Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point.

It was a gorgeous evening.

The kids played hard and we enjoyed every minute.

See how much they enjoy it when I make them pose for a picture? Beautiful!

Molly was fascinated by the walking scare crow. When she first saw him, she clung to my leg but wouldn't stop staring at him as he walked by. Utah Dad finally took her over to meet him. She conquered whatever fear she had of him (he really did have a sort of freaky mask on) and gave him a "high five". She talked about it the rest of the night.

Lilly was so excited to discover her picture in the brochure. Utah Dad took the picture of Lilly and me when we were at Cornbelly's in 2009. Lilly carried around the brochure and tried to show it to everyone.

Picture in Cornbelly's Corn Maze in October 2009. Lilly was so tiny and cute.

Apple Sauce and Cousins

2011-10-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

My parents got a bumper crop of apples this year from the trees in their yard. After putting away over 60 quarts of apple sauce for themselves, they brought the remaining boxes of apples to us.

We joined other members of my family for a little apple sauce making/Halloween party at my sister's house last Saturday. My sister has a beautiful house with a kitchen just perfect for canning. She was gracious enough to host us all and the mess.

Some of the apples were "protein enhanced" but that just made them perfect for apple sauce. During the day, we turned seven boxes of apples into over 70 quarts of apple sauce. It was a long, hot, sticky job but we love the delicious sweetness of the apple sauce. I look forward to eating it all winter.

While we took turns working in the kitchen, the guys played football in the backyard and watched the kids (sort of). They cheered on BYU's football team and mourned Utah's loss.

My sister and sister-in-law prepared some fun Halloween games for the kids. They all looked so darn cute in their costumes. Unfortunately, many of the cousins were unable to attend. We missed them. Thomas especially missed all his boy cousins. We forced them to pose for pictures. They truly love it.

My little nephew is one darn handsome cowboy.

He's even mastered the bowlegged walk.

(Read that with a drawl. I'm typing it with one.)

We also got to meet and fall in love with our newest niece.

She is darling.

We all had a fabulous time.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Book Review

2011-10-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare has been on my to-read list since I was a child. I don't know why I haven't read it before. As we were thinking about what book we should choose to read for our neighborhood book club, I was reminded of this novel. It is October, after all, and what would be better than a book about [supposed] witches?

Apparently, it was a good book club choice because more than the usual number of women have actually read the book this month. I, for one, am looking forward to discussing the book with them when we meet next week and will keep my review here short and sweet.

I liked it. A lot. It is just the kind of book I hope to encourage my children to read and love.

All Our Worldly Goods - Book Review

2011-10-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

I am completely fascinated with the story of author Irene Nemirovsky. A Jewess, born in Russia at the turn of the twentieth century, Irene's family fled from Russia and resettled in France. Falling in love with France, Irene converted to Catholicism and considered it her home. She became a famous author, writing powerful and successful novels. All of this would not be enough to save her from the Nazis. During World War II, she was arrested and sent to Auschwitz, where she died.

I fell for her writing when I read Suite Francaise several years ago. Written during the war and published posthumously by her daughters, Suite Francaise describes life for the French during World War II. She is a talented writer with a gift for creating absolutely honest and believable characters. It's almost as if she is simply telling the reader about the neighbors she watches out her kitchen window. Yet, rather than just the voyeuristic reporter, she also understands and conveys their truly human desires, flaws and strengths.

I was anxious to read another novel by Irene Nemirovsky and was delighted to have the privilege to read and review All Our Worldly Goods. Published in French, the novel has been translated into English and is now being published in the United States.

As with Suite Francaise, in All Our Worldly Goods Nemirovsky again writes an elegant and beautiful book. Pierre and Agnes fall in love with each other in spite of the marriages their parents have carefully arranged for them. Breaking tradition and risking falling out of favor with family, they decide to marry each other. In brief snippets, Nemirovsky tells a family saga and how their brash and yet passionate decision will affect the generations. Her story and plot are so carefully planned that it rings absolutely true.

The love between Pierre and Agnes will survive two wars. Nemirovsky is at her greatest when describing the emotions of the French as they must evacuate their cities, yet again, as they are defeated by the Germans in the early years of World War II. Since she personally lived through this experience, she is in the unique position as observer and reporter. As I read the novel, my heart ached for the discouraged people who couldn't believe that they would see two great wars in one lifetime. Who simply didn't believe they could go on.Yet, in all the pain and depression of the war, Nemirovsky shows in her novels that life continues--people are born and die. They love and they live.

Tragically, Nemirovsky was killed. We should be thankful that her powerful and beautiful work lives on.

**I received a complimentary copy of All Our Worldly Goods by Ireme Nemirovsky in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

The Buddah in the Attic - Book Review

2011-10-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

I discovered this spare, little novel in my mailbox the other afternoon. I started reading it while I sat on my front steps watching my children ride their bikes and scooters down the sidewalks (I'm loving this warm, fall weather).

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka is compulsively readable. I really couldn't put it down, in spite of its unique and daring writing style. Otsuka doesn't just tell the story of one Japanese woman arriving on a boat to America as a mail-order bride. She simultaneously tells the stories of all the Japanese women arriving in America in the decades leading up to World War II. It is an interesting and mostly effective technique.

Most novels focus on a single or small group of characters. The reader comes to know and usually empathize with the characters. Novels are a powerful way to change perspective and thought processes. Perhaps they influence the reader to be more understanding of a certain group of people. They touch our hearts and open our minds--think beloved recent novels like The Help or A Thousand Splendid Suns. I don't believe someone can read a novel like this and not question their own perceptions and ideas at least a little.

In The Buddha in the Attic, Otsuka uses a very different style. She never focuses on a single woman. She doesn't give them names. They are like many of us see them--an immigrant group, indistinguishable from one another. Yet, at the same time, she tells their individual stories in America and then their common fate as the country rounds them up and sends them to internment camps during the war.

Spend an afternoon with The Buddha in the Attic. Let your heart be touched and your mind be opened.

**I received a complimentary copy of The Buddha in the Attic in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

A Prayer for Owen Meany - Book Review

2011-10-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I posted a book review. In September I was celebrating the self-declared "Read What You Want" month and I was able to finally read some books that have been sitting on my shelf for awhile. At the end of September I started reading A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. I am just now finishing it.

Several of my favorite people read and loved A Prayer for Owen Meany and its setting is the beautiful New Hampshire, so I must admit that I was biased from the start. I was completely prepared to fall madly in love with this novel and I did.

Johnny Wheelwright tells the story of his very best friend Owen Meany, who is very small and has a distinctive voice. Owen believes, even as a child, that he is the hands of God--an instrument for God's purposes. A Prayer for Owen Meany is a story of family, friendship and faith. As the boys grow up in New Hampshire during the idyllic 1950s and the riotous 1960s, Johnny's own faith grows as a result of Owen's example and ultimate sacrifice.

The novel is witty, delightful, painful and emotionally stirring. It causes the reader to think and question, ponder and wonder. The characters in this small New England town are fabulously eccentric, yet completely believable. I adored Johnny and Owen as children. I liked them slightly less as adults. It is difficult to divorce the thought that it is a true story. It is fiction, yet it is tremendous fiction.

There were two factors involved in the length of time it took me to read this novel. First, I simply haven't had as much time to read. I have been so busy, good busy but too busy to read. Second, the novel is quite long. I'm not one to shy away from a long novel, but I did get bogged down in some sections. I felt that much of Johnny's adult rage could have been removed without much loss from the plot, characters and theme. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed this powerful book and mourned its ending like the loss of an old friend.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is a lovely piece of literature, destined to become a well beloved classic.

Picadilly Circus - Review

2011-10-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

My family drove to Orem, Utah yesterday to attend the Picadilly Circus. As a family, we have never attended a circus before. This was probably a good thing. I should disclose immediately that we received complimentary vouchers for the family to attend in exchange for an honest review.

Neal and Amberly were already grumpy and determined not to like circuses even before we arrived. Amberly claimed and I quote, "circuses are for babies". I really wasn't expecting much and was actually surprised by the crowds waiting in line for tickets. Because of our passes, we were able to go right in and were lucky enough to get the few soft seats on the front row.

According to the web site and the advertising the show was supposed to start at 4:30. We waited at least until 5:00 before the show actually began. We spent that time reminding our children that we would not be paying money for them to pet the llamas or ride the ponies. We would also not be buying the over priced popcorn and cotton candy. We never buy the concessions at shows so they are already used to this rule. I'm sure the extra time between the advertised start time and the actual show time was an attempt to get more parents to relax this rule (assuming that other parents have this rule).

Once the show started, I have to admit that I was entertained. Thomas, at six years, old loved every minute--especially the clowns. He laughed and clapped and shouted. At one point I looked over to see that Thomas was so excited, he was literally trembling.

I caught Neal smiling once or twice at the motorcyclists in the cage. Amberly was slightly amused by the contortionist. They think they're too cool. Lilly and Molly watched the entire show in silence and it is still difficult to measure their pleasure or confusion. They appeared to be mesmerized.

The elephants were pretty impressive. I was disappointed that there were not very many animal acts. The performers made me think of "stupid human tricks" although they really are quite talented. Strange, but talented.

Even finding out that the tickets were fairly reasonably priced (If you buy one adult ticket, you get one free and each adult can get in some kids for free. Although I'm not sure how many), I'm still not sure if I would actually pay money to see the show.

If you go expecting the best show on earth, you will be disappointed. Think of it this way, the Picadilly Circus is to The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus (which I only attended once as a child but can still remember as an amazing show) as the rides at the state fair are to Lagoon Amusement Park. We know the difference, but we still have a good time at the state fair. We still had a good time at the Picadilly Circus.

And because Thomas had such a fabulous time, it was definitely worth the trip.

The Picadilly Circus is in Orem for two more shows today and will be in West Valley City tomorrow.

DownEast Home and Clothing is Now in West Jordan

2011-10-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

You already know that I love DownEast Home and Clothing. Nearly everything I wear to church I've purchased at their store. I don't love to shop. I know. I'm strange. I like to be able to go in one store, find clothes that I like and that are modest. For me, that one store is DownEast Home and Clothing. I dragged Utah Dad in the store on Saturday during our "date day". I always end up buying more when he's along. He's a generous guy.

Lucky me! They've opened another convenient location. DownEast Home and Clothing (with all their great values on clothing and home furnishings) have opened a new store in the

Jordan Landing shopping area in West Jordan, Utah. Stop by for some fabulous deals on clothing, furniture and don't forget the beautiful home decor items.

This is the perfect time to visit any of the DownEast stores.

They are celebrating their 20 year anniversary

and all clothing is on sale for 20% off!

I am loving the new fall styles and colors! Lovely and feminine.

The Maze Runner - Book Review

2011-09-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

Read What I Want Month

My friend raved about James Dashner's dystopian young adult novel The Maze Runner. I've enjoyed several of the other dystopian series that I've read and I was anxious to read Dashner's work. Since it's still September and still "Read What I Want" month, I pulled The Maze Runner off the shelf this week.

Thomas wakes up alone in a dark box. He remembers only his name. Suddenly there are faces looking down at him--faces of teenage boys. Thomas has entered a new world and yet it feels eerily familiar. Each month for the last two years one boy has appeared in the box. The boys have formed a civilization of order and law. Their ultimate goal is to solve the maze that surrounds them and free themselves. But things are changing and the boys must work together more quickly now or die.

The novel is intriguing and mysterious and a little frightening. It fits nicely into the dystopian category while still being unique and very creative. Since it is written for a young audience, I especially appreciate that it is actually appropriate for a young audience. My ten year old is anxious to read it. I won't have any problem letting him do so.

Personally, I didn't enjoy it as much as other dystopian genre series but I do look forward to reading the next book in the series--The Scorch Trials. The third book in the trilogy--The Death Cure will be released in October.

Sweet is the Work - Choir for General Relief Society Conference

2011-09-26T10:02:00.001-07:00

The Morning Breaks - Choir for General Relief Society Conference

2011-09-26T09:46:00.001-07:00

One Small Conference Miracle

2011-09-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

I felt so honored and humbled to be invited to sing with the choir at the General Relief Society Conference. We've been practicing for months and the experience has been very exciting and spiritual. Every rehearsal with the beautiful, talented and funny Emily Wadley, our conductor, was a delight.

At first, I was just excited to be one voice blended with so many others who knew how to sing! It was also fun to stretch my own voice and remember how I once sang so much and so often and so high. Now days, the lullabies I sing my babies are in a much lower register.

The week after our first rehearsal I got strep throat. Nice. Still recovering, I spent more time at the second rehearsal listening rather than singing. I was moved by the power of the message in the music and the army of believing women. I thought of the number of children we were teaching in our homes. The service and time we were sharing with our neighbors, schools and communities. I was overwhelmed by the strength of these women and then I was reminded that we were just representatives of the thousands of other strong, believing women in our wards and stakes--just in one small geographic area. And then as I listened to the words of the visiting members of the General Relief Society board and read the first chapters of the new book Daughter of My Kingdom, which shares the history of the marvelous organization of the Relief Society, I remembered that we are not alone, though sometimes I feel that way, but that we are sisters with millions of other women across the world who believe in Jesus Christ and the restoration of his gospel. How absolutely glorious. I felt like singing.

Then, last week, just days before the dress rehearsal at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, I came down with a horrible head cold. I was stuffed up and gross and completely unable to sing. Utah Dad and a neighbor gave me a beautiful Priesthood blessing. His blessing assured me that I would be able to get through the mandatory rehearsal and that I would be able to sing again by the time of the performance.

At the dress rehearsal, I was overwhelmed by a coughing attack that I could not squelch with water or cough drops. I had to leave and watch the rehearsal from the wings where I would cease to bug the choir and not spread my disgusting germs but I could still hear the conductor and the instructions.

I went to the doctor on Monday and got antibiotics for the sinus infection that had developed. As each day went by and I continued to cough excessively and I was just very sick. Even on Friday evening, I was stuffed and coughing so hard by ribs hurt. I was so nervous and worried that I wouldn't be able to participate in the choir, but the words of the Priesthood blessing comforted me and I tried to have faith.
On Saturday morning, I woke up to get ready. I could breathe through my nose but the coughing persisted. My dear sweet children each knelt and said their own sweet and innocent prayers for me. My tiny girls knelt beside me reverently as I said my own fervent prayer. I filled my purse with cough drops and went on pure faith.

It was a miracle. I was able to sing with the choir. I must admit that I didn't hit the highest notes this time. Yet, I was able to sing. I didn't cough once during the entire performance at the General Relief Society Conference. It was beautiful and exciting and a very spiritual experience. Like everyone else, I especially loved President Uchtdorf's message. Glorious.

I am so very grateful for the opportunity and for the brief reprieve from my cold. I've been coughing like crazy ever since.

Like Water for Chocolate - Book Review

2011-09-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

"Read What I Want Month"

I devoured Laura Esquirel's novel Like Water for Chocolate--a love song to food. Mouth watering and spell binding, this novel worked it's magic on me and I just could not put it down.

Tita is the youngest daughter and according to tradition, must stay with and care for her abusive mother. Fighting against her fate, Tita falls madly in love with Pedro. She will spend her life yearning for this futile relationship.

The reader gets to know Tita in the kitchen. The smells, tastes, and textures of food are her world. With a touch of mysticism, unknown even to herself, Tita infuses the foods she creates with her strong emotions and infects those who eat of her food with overwhelming feelings.

A lovely and unique novel about the power of love, Esquirel introduces the reader to compelling characters who fight against the odds to determine their own destinies. This sensuous novel was simply entrancing.

Wedding Dos and Don'ts on my 15th Anniversary

2011-09-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

Utah Dad and I are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary today. We had hoped to take a cruise this year and tried to plan one with his parents who have been married 60 years on Friday and his sister and her husband who celebrated their 30th anniversary last spring. For lack of funding, most of us backed out. Utah Dad's parents are enjoying a cruise to Alaska in the stormy seas right now.

So, instead Utah Dad and I went out to dinner on Saturday night. Tonight we are enjoying a cozy evening at home. He beat me at The Farming Game.

We've had a mostly wonderful 15 years and I am so grateful to be married to my best friend. If I had to do it over, I would definitely marry him again.

Today, I've been reminiscing about our wedding day and the things that I liked and would do differently. I should say that my wedding and reception were very simple. I like that. We [my parents] spent exactly $2,400 TOTAL. I'm serious.

Things I really liked :
1. I look at my dress now and think "yikes" but it was the 90's and that style was in, so I'm OK with it. I rented it which is so nice because I don't have to store it in the back of my closet or try it on to see if it still fits and feel bad that it doesn't.

2. We got married in the Manti Temple on a Friday afternoon. Our reception was on Saturday. After the wedding and the pictures, we ditched our family and the rest of the day was ours.

3. I loved that we held the reception in my parents' backyard. It's one of my favorite places on earth and my family did a great job setting up. The weather was perfect that September. Just perfect!

4. The cake was beautiful and delicious. I wish we had eaten the top that night though. It didn't taste great a year later.

5. In spite of all the driving required of our guests, I'm still so glad we chose the Manti Temple as the location for our wedding. I am grateful, of course, to be sealed for eternity to my spouse. But there is a special, quiet and calm feeling at the Manti Temple, that I know doesn't exist during the hectic and rushed wedding season at the Salt Lake Temple. Also, my parents and grandparents were married there (later two of my brothers would also get married there).

Things I would do differently :
1. I would definitely hire a professional photographer. It's worth the cost.

2. I would have gotten my hair done by a professional. My hair was fine and hello! that veil-thingy was HUGE but it would have been fun to be pampered. Maybe I would have left my hair down.

3. If you've been to a LDS Temple Wedding, you know that typically the guests gather around the exit to wait expectantly for the bride and groom to make their grand exit. The photographer will be sure to capture this moment on film. You know this, right? Well, I didn't. I hadn't been to a temple wedding before my own. I went to get ready to leave the temple and Utah Dad went to get ready. I felt like I had taken forever and surely men were faster than women, so when I came down to the foyer and didn't see Utah Dad, I figured that he was already outside waiting for me. No one told me that I should wait for him. Not my mom. Not the workers at the temple. When I exited the temple, our families weren't waiting outside. I had to search for them. They were all playing on the hillside lawn. And Utah Dad wasn't with them. He was still inside the temple attempting to put on cuff links and a bow tie by himself. Feeling deserted, he wasn't exactly happy when he finally made his own way outside and found me hanging out with our families who were still playing on the hillside lawn.

If I could do it over, I would definitely make sure our families and the professional photographer were waiting excitedly just outside the temple doors as Utah Dad and I came out TOGETHER.

Since we can't go back, I'm just very grateful that we get be TOGETHER in this life and for all eternity. Fifteen years later, I'm still very grateful.

The Shadow of the Wind - Book Review

2011-09-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

I took a little unplanned hiatus from the blog (and pretty much everything else) last week. I got a cold that mutated into a sinus infection. Lovely. Really lovely. Anyway, thanks to dear Utah Dad, I spent Thursday and Friday in bed. I was too sick to read. Seriously! Hard to believe, I know. The really sad thing was that I was right in the middle of a very exciting and mysterious book.

My former co-worker and friend recommended The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and I ordered it immediately. Then it sat on my shelf. You already know this story. But, remember I declared September "Read What You Want Month" just for this book.

The Shadow of the Wind is a dark, richly layered mystery that speaks right to the heart of the book lover. Daniel's father, the owner of a Barcelona book store, takes him one night to a mystical and secret place known as the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Allowed to choose any book as his own to protect and keep, Daniel chooses The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. Entranced by his new book, Daniel sets out to find other works by Carax only to discover that the books are being destroyed. The copy Daniel has may be the last Carax book that exists. As Daniel uncovers the mystery surrounded the author Julian Carax, he puts himself and his friends in danger but also reveals the direction of his own life.

Provocative and dangerous, Zafon writes a fascinating and glorious mystery. Daniel is surrounded by unique and perplexing characters--broken, brutal and haunted. Using just enough foreshadowing of peril and threat to keep the reader absolutely intrigued, the writer is taken deep into the shadows of a city struggling to return to it's pre-war grandeur. The city of Barcelona makes a fabulous Gothic setting and very nearly becomes a character in it's own right.

Zafon is a brilliant story teller. I can't wait to read his other novels.

March - Book Review

2011-09-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

I have been lucky enough to have read some great books for reviews lately. Even so, I have a book shelf on the wall opposite my bed filled with books that I have been wanting to read. Some books have been on the shelf for quite awhile. Every now and then, when I'm in the middle of a less-than-enthralling-read, I find myself looking longingly toward that shelf.

I declared the month of September :

"Read What I Want" month.

This month, I have been pulling books from that shelf in my bedroom. I started with March by Geraldine Brooks. Several years ago, I read Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. I loved it and so I added all her other works (fiction and nonfiction) to my wish list. I discovered March at a used book sale a year ago and it has been waiting on the shelf ever since.

March : A Novel finds Mr. March, the father of the March girls in Little Women, running for his life from the advancing rebels. As iconic literary characters, I loved Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy the first time I read Louisa May Alcott's novel as a young girl. I'm still a little upset that Jo didn't end up with Laurie. The only thing we know about Mr. March from Alcott's writing, is that he was a recently impoverished abolitionist who left his family to go serve with the Union army in the Civil War.

In her novel, Brooks tells Mr. March's story at war. Using journals and information about Louisa May's father Bronson Alcott, Brooks imagines a fascinating and idealist character who strives to further his righteous cause. During the war, Mr. March will encounter people and situations that do not always fit so easily into his ideals. He will also witness the atrocities and horror of war and slavery. He is changed and broken and must eventually rely on his family to help him heal.

Geraldine Brooks is a brilliant writer. Well researched, she takes a minor character in beloved literature and brings him to life. Staying true to Alcott's work, Mr. March is completely believable as the father and husband of the amazing women that inhabit Little Women. The plot is also well developed and Brooks exposes the barbarity of war and slavery. While these are not new themes, Brooks writes of them in a fresh style, showing them through the innocent and optimistic eyes of Mr. March, who as a Transcendentalist in Concord, Massachusetts spent time philosophizing with Emerson and Thoreau.

March, the Pulitzer Prize winning novel is amazing literature in it's own right and will find a place next to Alcott's novel. I might have to dust off my copy of Little Women and read it again. I have no doubt that Brooks' novel will forever change the way I read the classic.

Please "Bless" the Food

2011-09-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, I sat squirming on the hard chair during a marriage enhancement fireside (cleverly disguised as a "date night"). The speaker occasionally reminded us that the refreshments had already been blessed so we were free to get up at any time and sneak to the back for a brownie. I began to wonder why and when we started the tradition of "blessing" the food (clearly my mind was not fully engaged on the actual topic being discussed).

I completely understand why we give thanks for the food we eat. After all, God has blessed us with each morsel and we should be grateful. But I'm curious about the casual words that so many of us (my family especially) use in the blessings on the food--"Please bless the food to be nourishing and strengthening to our bodies."

I get why we might say something similar to this in the blessings on the daily meals. I guessed that perhaps the practice began in hard days when families didn't have enough and they fervently hoped that the watery cabbage soup would fulfill the needs of their hungry family. To me, this makes sense. Even today, as a mother, I truly hope and pray that the food I provide for my family is healthy and sustaining (although on the occasional nights when I feed them nachos or cold cereal, I might be stretching the limits of possibility).

Turning to the scriptures, I discovered that the practice of blessing our food is actually much older and was set forth in Exodus 23:25 : "And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee."

But why do we bless the brownies? What exactly do we hope to accomplish?

* Please bless this brownie that only a small portion of the calories will turn to permanent fat on my butt.
* Please bless this cookie that it will provide some of the nutrients that I lack because I didn't eat all my vegetables at dinner.
* Please bless this brownie that the chocolate will satisfy some deep and hormonal craving--that my mood or the mood of my spouse will suddenly improve.
* Please bless this cake that, even though I devour three pieces, it will not cause abdominal pain and/or heart burn.
* Please bless these refreshments that they will provide a sugar "buzz" so that the people will return to the next meeting so that they may partake of the promised refreshments.

The audacity. (The brownies were good. I grabbed one as I snuck out early.)

Ten Years Ago

2011-09-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

Utah Dad and I were sleeping in that morning. Utah Dad didn’t have to be to work until 11 o’clock. Neal was just three months old and he had woken up, nursed and gone back to sleep in between us in the bed. The phone rang and since it was on my side of the bed, I answered it. It was Randy’s dad. He asked if we were watching the news. I said no. He told me to turn it on immediately and then he was gone. We had our little old TV in our bedroom then. Utah Dad turned it on and of course we saw live feed from New York City. The second airplane had already struck the buildings, so it was obvious that it wasn’t just an accident. We watched in silent horror. I remember calling my dad. He was at work and didn’t have access to television, but he was listening to the news from somewhere—internet or radio, I don’t know for sure. I was on the phone with him when the first tower fell. I described it to him as it happened. It seemed to me like watching the demolition guys implode an old building. Utah Dad and I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Our horror turned to grief and fear. I cried. I just couldn’t imagine why anyone would do such a thing.

I drove Utah Dad to work in Dover. We listened to the radio all the way. The reporters on the radio seemed to be in panic mode. They were reporting downed airplanes all over the country. We were really scared by then. After I dropped Utah Dad off at work, I drove home in a daze. I can still remember driving up the Spaulding in a thick corridor of trees, listening to the radio and wondering just what was going on.

Neal and I went home and watched the continuous news coverage for the rest of the day. I was glued to the television.

Neal and I went to Relief Society Homemaking that night. It seemed strange—like I was walking around in a dream. Most people seemed too normal. No one really mentioned the events in the morning and I wondered if I was the only one who even knew it had happened. Maybe it was just a dream.

As the days went on and more and more about the events were discovered, Utah Dad and I were dismayed to learn that some of the terrorists had spent the previous night in Portland, Maine. They had driven on the same roads that we frequently drove on. They had passed through our state on their way to Boston to fly out of the airport we frequently used.

Thank goodness, no one we knew was really intimately affected by the tragedy. We had a friend in Cambridge whose husband was flying from Boston to Los Angeles that day. She had several terrifying hours until her husband was able to let her know that he was all right—his flight had been diverted to Detroit. Utah Dad had friends from Chatham, New Jersey who were affected. Some of their lives were miraculously saved that day. But we mourned anyway. We mourned with those who lost family members and we mourned for our country and we mourned for our lost innocence.

Because they traveled extensively for work, I called my friends at Measured Progress, where I had worked, to make sure everyone was safe. They were. One team was grounded in Utah, where they had been working. The men and women rented cars and raced across the country to get home.

Neal and I spent our days watching the continuous coverage. We were proud of President Bush and Mayor Guilliani. We were proud of the people on the United Flight who stood up and saved people while sacrificing their own lives. We were proud of the heroic fire fighters and police officers. We were proud of all the Americans who donated and who rushed to volunteer.

I felt a strong need to be in contact with my family during this period of time. I talked to my mom on the phone at least once a day.

The following Saturday, was really our first day to get out and face the real world again. In some ways, I felt like there was no way we could get back to real life. Another part of me was anxious to return to real life—to prove to the terrorists that their plot to scare me had failed. We dressed Neal in his America t-shirt and enjoyed the perfect autumn weather in New England.

We had another decision to make. We had plans for Neal and me to fly to Utah on September 17th—one week and a day later. We were nervous. For one thing, we weren’t sure the airlines would even be flying yet—they had been grounded. Then, it was announced that the airlines would begin flying again on the 16th. I was anxious to go visit family in Utah. We decided that I should fly. As planned, Utah Dad would join us the next week.

Utah Dad drove Neal and me to the Boston airport the morning of our flight. The airport was surprisingly empty. We watched the armed National Guard walking around the terminal. They were doing extra checks on luggage. I noticed that one old lady had her aerosol hairspray can confiscated. The man at the check-in counter was very kind and even suggested that I take Neal’s car seat on the plane even though I hadn’t purchased him a seat. Once we were on board, it was apparent why. The plane was nearly empty. I was flying on America West to Phoenix and then to Salt Lake City. An older couple boarded the plane but just before we were to leave the terminal they had to get off. He apologized to the flight attendants but said that he just couldn’t fly yet. They were understanding and helped him. Neal and I had our own row during the flight and I was very relieved that he was such a good baby. Several people commented about how good he was after the flight.

The events of that day were very influential on my feelings about moving back to Utah. I loved New Hampshire and wasn’t sure I wanted to leave. But I didn’t like being so disconnected from family and the safety net they provide.

It was a day that effected every person and I will never forget it.

The Winner of the Amazon Gift Card

2011-09-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

The winner of the $15 Amazon Gift Card in the

Back to the Books Give-away Hop is . . .

LindsayWrites

Congratulations! Please send me an email with your contact information.

The Lantern - Book Review

2011-09-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

As soon as I read a review that compared The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson to Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, I knew I would have to read The Lantern. I love the psychological thriller Rebecca and looked forward to A newer work with a similar style. The comparison between the two novels is definitely deserved and Lawrenson even pays tribute to Du Maurier by having the main character and narrator of her novel read Rebecca.

While the similarities between the two novels are obvious and numerous, I wanted to enjoy The Lantern for it's own story and tried to divorce my thoughts from the plot in Rebecca. Not only was it possible, Lawrenson succeeded in writing a story that was fresh, riveting and eerie.

The unnamed narrator and the older man she has recently fallen in love with, though she has only known him for a short time, move together to a charming but dilapidated hamlet in France. Not only does she begin to wonder about this man and his former wife, whom he will not talk about, she suspects that the home is haunted by ghosts. Alternately, a second narrator, Benedicte Lincel, the former owner of Les Genevriers, tells of her own haunting experiences.

I love a good ghost story and The Lantern delivers. Lawrenson is adept at building the suspense and moving along the plot at a steady though slower pace, also reminiscent of Rebecca. Lawrenson also paints a lovely picture of the landscape and describes the distinct smells.There are some books that you can very nearly taste. The Lantern is a book with it's own scent. Invoking the senses, the reader easily becomes immersed in the luscious language and the suspicious thoughts of the main character.

I enjoyed the experience of reading The Lantern so much that I was disappointed that it came to an end. It's the type of book that remains on my nightstand for weeks after I've finished it and I'm reluctant to place on the shelf.

I received a copy of The Lantern in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

Back to the Books Give-away

2011-08-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the kids going back to school, I am participating in a "Back to the Books Give-away".

I am giving away one $15 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner.

Seriously! How cool is that?! You can buy whatever book you've had on your wish list.

The rules are pretty simple.

The only mandatory entry:
1. Be a follower of Utah Mom's Life Blog and leave a comment on this post.

You can receive additional entries in the contest by adding a link to this give-away on Twitter, Facebook or your own blog. Leave additional comments for each thing you do (no more than 3 extra entries).

The contest will run until 11:59 p.m. MST Wednesday, September 7th and the winner (selected randomly from the comments) will be announced on Thursday, September 8th. This contest is open to US residents only.

Be sure to check out all the other fabulous book-related give-aways this week!

Back to School

2011-08-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

I had mixed emotions about the kids going back to school. We've had such a fun summer together and there are many more things we wanted to do. I love the lazy, hanging out days--sleeping in and staying up later (even though my kids protest that I still make them go to bed before the sun sets). At the same time, our family needed to get back on a schedule.

My kids love school (some more than others) and they were anxious to go back and see their friends and meet their new teachers. Neal and Amberly started a week ago. So far, they are happy.

Apparently, as a sixth grader Neal is now "too cool" to pose for first-day-of-school-pictures. This is the only one he stood still for. He looks thrilled, doesn't he? Don't let him fool you. He was so excited, mostly for social reasons, though he has admitted since that he is enjoying what they are studying too.

Amberly doesn't even try to hide her joy. She simply loves school. Everything about it.

Thomas is in kindergarten this year. His birthday is next week and he'll be turning six, so he's been waiting to go to school for awhile. He was so excited. On Monday, he woke up, bathed and got ready for school in his new clothes. Utah Dad, Lilly, Molly and I walked him to school while he tried to convince us that he was old enough to walk by himself (not yet).

As we got closer to the school, we wondered why no one was there yet. The kindergarten area is usually so full on the first day. Then we saw a neighbor friend who was also starting kindergarten.

Just kidding! Kindergarten didn't start until Tuesday. So, we marched back home and Thomas spent one more day hanging out with his little sisters. Don't even ask how we got so screwed up on the date. I'll blame it on Utah Dad since he took Thomas to school the week earlier for his assessment while I stayed home sick with strep throat (the first time I've ever had it. MISERABLE!).

Yesterday morning, we got up and did it all again. This time, for real. Thomas was so cute and practically bouncing. We joined all the other HORDES of kindergartners from our neighborhood walking to school. Many of the neighborhood kids are in Thomas's class. Thomas played on the play ground while we waited for the bell to ring and wasn't a bit sad as he waved goodbye and walked into the classroom.

I didn't cry either. I suppose I'm weird. But Thomas is so ready to finally be off to school and I do get him back three hours later. I'll save the tears for when he leaves for college and his mission.

Thomas is in the same classroom that both Neal and Amberly were in during kindergarten, although they all have had different teachers. They both had darling, young, recently married teachers who got pregnant and had babies and didn't come back to teach. Thomas's teacher is darling, young and recently married. We shall see . . .

Thomas came home after school in love with his teacher and filled with stories to share about his day. Makes me so happy.

It's going to be a great year!

Nothing Better Than a Nice Juicy Steak

2011-08-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

I confess, we love meat at our house. It's just true. We're carnivores. Nothing makes Utah Dad more angry than a wasted sausage. Let a piece of bacon fall on the floor and really, it's just about the end of the world. The boys take steak kabobs to the Annual Father and Sons' Outing and we splurge for a rib roast at Christmas. Utah Dad doesn't think it actually counts as a meal unless there is a substantial percentage of beef or pork or possibly chicken (heaven forbid) in the recipe. And all of my kids agree.

My dad once told my mother in their early years of marriage (hopefully I am remembering the story right) that he preferred meat and potato dinners. He wasn't a fan of casseroles. As a result we mostly ate meat and potato dinners when I was a kid. There was always a vegetable on the side, rolls and dessert. My mom excelled at the square meal.

Since my dad was a hunter, we ate various forms of meat--elk, venison, pheasant, quail, rabbit--pretty much whatever was in season. We also lived on a small farm so we had a few cows and every now and then we raised a pig.

My brother and I were very young children the first time we raised a pig. We named him Homer and we visited him now and then in his pen. It certainly wasn't a "Fern and Wilbur" type relationship, but my parents were worried about our reactions when we found out that Homer had been butchered and that we were now going to eat him. They told us gently and were rather shocked by our childish responses. With gleeful faces we shouted "We're eating Homer!" over and over as we chewed piece after piece of ham. My parents had trouble eating their own dinners that night.

We don't live on a farm but my children have spent time on their grandfather's farm and they love to see the animals. They also know that meat comes from those animals. Over the years we've had several humorous conversations with the kids.

When Amberly was about three years old, one night at the dinner table she told us: "Cows give us milk. Pigs give us bacon and rabbits give us carrots."

Lilly, whose favorite stuffed pet is a little pink pig, was eating pizza on Monday night. Thomas watched her pick a pepperoni from her pizza. Pulling a pepperoni from his own pizza and holding it up in the air, he taunted her, "Pepperoni is from pigs, Lilly." She paused with the pepperoni half way to her mouth and countered, "No, pepperoni is from cows because cows have spots." Then she shoved that delicious circle of meat in her mouth and chewed with her supposed victory.

But today Neal and Thomas watched Food, Inc. on Netflix after school. This evening, Thomas was playing with Legos. I asked him what he was building and he announced, "It's a slaughter yard. I'm going to work in a slaughter yard." I haven't seen the movie but I've heard about it and I highly doubt that was the director's intended outcome.

Meat. It's what's for dinner (at our house, anyway).

Among the Wonderful - Book Review

2011-08-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

In 1842, Phineas T. Barnum purchased the Scudder Natural History Museum in New York City with plans to make it into a showcase of the world's wonders. Filling the building with treasures and curiosities in order to fascinate and marvel the general population becomes his passion.

Ana Swift, the world's only giantess, moves into the apartments on the 5th floor of the museum as one of Barnum's employees. Her job is simply to walk among the visiting crowds each day in the museum.

Guillaudeu is the aging taxidermist who has spent his career in Scudder's museum and balks at the transformation of the museum under the new ownership.

Stacy Carlson's new novel Among the Wonderful is the story of Barnum's museum, the curiosities and the people who work and live inside it's walls. With gracious and fine writing, Carlson opens up and displays Barnum's spiraling and mysterious museum with it's hidden galleries and human treasures. While the people who inhabit it are what the world called "freaks" and Barnum called "wonders", a hirsute woman, Siamese twins, albinos, natives, dwarfs, and giants, Carlson writes of them with a profound human touch, turning the reader from the voyeuristic tourist to the sympathetic and accepting soul.

The characters are richly developed and vastly different from the stereotypes that inhabit most stories about carnivals, fairs and circuses. Ana, the giantess, is so lovingly portrayed in all her heartache, hope and pain that she will be a literary character I will not soon forget. Guillaudeau, too, is a timeless character dealing with the very universal human emotions of aging, loss and dealing with change. His own metamorphosis is interesting to watch even as he bemoans the vast and sweeping changes in the museum.

With skill and style, Carlson takes a foot note of history and works it into a lovely and sweeping novel. Carlson excells as a story teller but proves herself, even more, as a compassionate and thoughtful observer of the human condition.

I received a complimentary copy of Among the Wonderful through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

Scabs and Guts Board Game - Review

2011-08-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our last official day of summer vacation. Neal and his cousin spent the day bingeing on Mario, which will go in the closet for the next nine months.

I received a package in the mail that contained a new board game. I called the boys to ask if they wanted to play. I got a half-hearted, dulled-by-video-games response. Then, I told them the name of the game : Scabs and Guts. They came running.

Scabs and Guts : The Meducational Board Game is easy to learn and quick to set up. The game teaches children about the body. Players answer questions in three categories to advance around the board. The categories are first, Scrapes and Scabs, the questions cover topics on hygiene, infections and wounds of the external body, second, Blood and Guts, which has questions about the blood stream and internal organs and third, Blubber or Buff, questions focus on positive healthy choices.

The questions are all about interesting facts about the human body, inside and out. We had fun learning things that we've really never even thought about. There were plenty of mentions of boogers, farting and other bodily functions to keep the ten year old boys giggling.

Younger kids will enjoy it too. In fact, Thomas won the game--possibly because of the unusual amount of time he spends looking at his book about the human body or because he is exceptionally good at guessing.

There's lots to learn and plenty of fun to be enjoyed playing Scabs and Guts Board Game.

I received a complimentary copy of Scabs and Guts through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest review. No additional compensation has been received.

My Heroes

2011-08-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

It used to be that most of the women that I admire were older. And by "older" I mean that they are older than I am, not necessarily "elderly". Women like my amazing mom (who celebrated her 56th birthday yesterday) and my grandma and my step-grandma and Sue Kane and my mother-in-law and my sisters-in-law and and that English professor at BYU and Sister Hinckley and Sister Beck and . . .

I still admire these women. I still look up to them and appreciate their wisdom and examples of virtue and integrity.

During a conversation the other day with Utah Dad I realized that the older I get, the more I find that many of the women I find truly amazing and remarkable and worthy of my of my admiration are actually younger than I am. It's inevitable, I suppose. But so many of the women I know are just amazing!

Women like my cousin who lost one of her premature twins and has helped the surviving twin overcome his myriad of trials with grace and dignity. I know she has had and will continue to have difficult, draining days but she is always so hopeful and positive. Her smile always brightens my days.

Or another cousin who has finally been blessed to adopt two beautiful children after years of desiring and longing for a family. Her ability to love is amazing as she has opened her arms and home to not only her little babies but to their birth families as well.

My dear college friend who works long hard hours to support her family while her husband is ill.

The neighbor women and girls who send their husbands and fathers to fight and protect in the Middle East and then serve the other soldiers' families left behind.

Frankly, my neighborhood is full of women I admire. Women who genuinely care about their neighbors and go out of their way to serve.

I really am supremely blessed to live where I live and to know the women I know--young and olderish.

The Butterfly Cabinet - Book Review

2011-08-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

August has been an interesting reading month for me. I've been running like crazy doing all kinds of fun stuff with the family. At the same time, I've been fighting off a cold. By the time I fall into bed, very late, each night, I just don't have any more energy to stay awake and read.

It took me longer than I expected to read The Butterfly Cabinet by Bernie McGill. I had trouble getting into it and then I had trouble finishing it. I'm also having trouble finishing the review. This is my third and hopefully final attempt.

The Butterfly Cabinet is a novel based on a true crime in Ireland from the late 1800's. A child is locked in a closet as a punishment and dies. Her mother is sentenced to prison for murder. The basic plot intrigued me immediately.

The novel alternates between two narrators--the mother's prison journal and the house maid's recollections to the granddaughter of the murderer, neither of which I particularly cared much for.

The author uses language to her benefit. She has a lovely way of describing the situation and excels at exposing the secrets, fears, and thoughts of two very different women. There are multiple sentences so lyrical that I had to stop and read them again. The prose is delicate and kind while revealing the darker parts of a person's life.

The novel delves deeply into the themes of motherhood and marriage. There is much to think about regarding a mother's love and the line between abuse and punishment.

However, this novel was less than enthralling for me. The suspense fell flat and I was disappointed by the ending that didn't seem to fully fit with the mother's earlier persona and actions.

I received a free copy of this novel from the publishers in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

Lagoon - Out and About in Utah

2011-08-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

I had only been to Lagoon once before. I must have been fairly young. I only have a vague memory of a fun house (that I believe no longer exists).

Gramps took Neal and two of his cousins to Lagoon last year. They had a fabulous time and Neal has been anxious to go back.

Our entire family spent the day at Lagoon in Farmington, Utah on Tuesday.

We all enjoyed our day so much. I was thrilled to find out that most of the park is shaded by large trees. The shade helped but it was still a very hot day. The younger kids enjoyed the carousel, bumper cars and other kiddie rides. I didn't know that Lagoon has a small zoo boasting several tigers, lions, llamas and other interesting animals.

Amberly, Neal, Utah Dad and I went several times on the new Bombora roller coaster. Then, we noticed that kids as small as Thomas (who was just one inch too short to ride on nearly all the big rides) and Lilly could go on it too. Just as we were about to get on Thomas got nervous. He cried and clung to the gates. I felt like the evil mean mom as I peeled his fingers from the gate and carried him crying onto the roller coaster. He tightly held my hand and when the ride was over (in about 30 seconds) he shouted, "Let's do that again!" So we did. Lilly liked it so much that she would have been happy to ride the Bombora over and over.

Lilly and Thomas also loved the HydroLuge and insisted on going down the slide a second time. We were all disappointed that Rattlesnake Rapids was closed for mechanical reasons.

Molly looks thrilled, doesn't she. A little nervous, maybe.

I spent the early part of our day trying to convince someone to go on the "big and scary" roller coasters with me. Finally, at the end of the day, Neal and Amberly went with me on the Colosus and Wicked roller coasters. Amberly had a moment of panic at the beginning of Wicked but once you're on the ride, there's nothing to do but hold on and enjoy it. They were awesome and had the lines been shorter, we would definitely have gone again.

We had a fabulous day and now I've got a bunch of dare devil thrill seekers who have been discussing how they can't wait to save their money and go on the Catapult in the X-Venture Zone. I think I'll make them wait to do that until they are adults and I don't have to witness it.

Great times at Lagoon! It was a fun and exciting was to end our summer vacation.

The Picadilly Circus is Coming to Town - Promo Code

2011-08-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

PICCADILLY CIRCUS has everything you'd expect to see at a Circus. Celebrating 25 years entertaining families throughout North America "we've pulled out all the stops!" You'll see the 'Elephant Extravaganza', an elephant stands on one foot; 'Motorcycle Madness' has motorcycle daredevils somersaulting and spinning in a big Globe of Doom; 'Katunga' the giant jungle monster; the fabulous 'Mongolian Angels' outstanding contortionists; crazy comedy with circus clowns, even a 1923 Model T with a mind of its own; daring aerialists; cirque artists and our special attraction 'The Boxing Kangaroo', Rocky a 250 pound kangaroo, will have you falling off your seat laughing as audience members are invited to participate. It's 1 1/2 hours of excitement and fun at PICCADILLY CIRCUS.

Check the website for locations, dates and times. Fun for the whole family!

Special "Buy One Get One Free" adult tickets are available on-line at our website (limited time offer!!). See site for details and ticket pricing. Use Promo Code: ELEPHANT

**My family will be attending the circus for free in exchange for this announcement. No other compensation was received.**

Weekend at East Park - Out and About in Utah

2011-08-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

My parents celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary this weekend (convenient timing since I turned 36 years old today. It was also one of the things that tipped me off about my real age). My parents considered celebrating by going to a concert together but I insisted that it was the perfect weekend for my family to visit. It turns out that it was the perfect weekend for my sister and her family to visit also. My youngest brother decided to join us since his wife was hanging out with her mother and sisters for the weekend. Once we were all there, we missed my other brothers and their families. The weekend would have been even better if they had come too.

We all arrived Friday evening, ate pizza and stayed up ridiculously late visiting and laughing.

It wasn't my idea, but we woke up pretty early on Saturday morning. My mom woke up even earlier and was already making our traditional and favorite breakfast of apple fritters. I ate more than I should. They're just too delicious.

My mom always has some projects for us to complete and we always work before we play. So, Neal and I joined my mom, grandma and aunt picking apricots. The ripest fruit was in the top of the trees so we devised several creative methods to reach it, including standing on the truck and making Neal climb up into the branches. Neal was a great help and within a few hours we had baskets and baskets and boxes of fruit.

While we were getting sticky and hot climbing trees, my dad and the men were bailing hay in the fields. Utah Dad and my brother-in-law were excited and anxious to have a turn on the tractor. It broke down while Utah Dad was driving it. I'm really hoping it wasn't his fault.

My sister took the kids with her to the pond to catch frogs. They caught over 10 tiny little frogs and Amberly got her shoes very muddy. It's a good thing we haven't bought her new school shoes yet.

My sister has two little girls that are the same ages as Lilly and Molly. They had so much fun playing together. The older two girls were trying to "ditch" the younger two girls who followed them from place to place.

When all the work was done, we drove up "the mountain" to East Park. My youngest sister and her husband came too. My second brother had to work but his wife and three boys also joined us. The reservoir there was uncrowded and welcoming. As soon as we parked the car, Neal, Amberly and Thomas bolted from the car and ran to the water. I think they were a bit surprised at how cold the water is.

The adults insisted the water was too cold to swim. Then Utah Dad went in. Since my family is notoriously competitive, the others just had to join him. Before long my dad and brother were out in the water too. One of my sisters and my sister-in-law got in too. I went in to my waist. It really was numbing cold. (By the way, I have a cold so my voice sounds especially obnoxious on the videos. Hopefully it doesn't always sound like that.)

My sister and brother-in-law brought their kayaks so we all took turns kayaking around the lake.

I love how my brother-in-law carries around his little daughters. They are tiny and they cling to his arm like little monkeys.

Both Neal and Amberly begged to try kayaking by themselves. They've never done it before and I was a little nervous but they both did really well.

My brother and brother-in-law decided to try some "dare devil" moves and stand on the kayaks. They were knocking each other off and it was pretty dang funny.

Neal just had to try standing up in the kayak too. He has some pretty impressive balance.

Molly and her "matching cousin" had a great time getting wet and muddy.

Lilly and her cousins (she called them "my best friend and that boy") were inseperable. They layed out on a rock and had all kinds of princess make believe.

Amberly enjoyed trying to kayak by herself. I was pretty impressed by her ability to navigate. She thought it was funny to go out in the reeds.

Not to be out done by his sons and grandson, my dad had to try standing on the kayak as well.

Anyone who thinks my little Amberly is just a sweet girl might be surprised to see her mischevious streak. She did her best to try to knock her grandfather off the kayak and into the water.

Thomas and his "matching cousin" had a great time climbing on the rocks, swimming and throwing rocks out into the water.

Amberly tries to bump into her grandpa again.

The mountain lake was breathtakingly beautiful. There were very few people there and we only had to share the lake with a pair of fishing ospreys. They are the coolest birds.

After we spent several hours at the lake, we returned to my parents' house and had a BBQ. Then my sister had a special surprise. She brought ten floating lanterns. The children were absolutely mesmerized as the lanterns floated into the sky (imagine a much smaller version of Tangled). It was so beautiful. Thomas shouted with great enthusiasm "They're becoming stars!"

We put the kids to bed. My brother-in-law taught us a great way of making ice cream shakes in the Kitchen Aid. And then he and my sister taught us a new fun card game.

The days are just longer and much more fun at my parents' house. I'm convinced.

**Thanks to my sister for sharing many of the pictures included in this post. You're awesome.**

Birthday Gift

2011-08-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

We have been having non-stop fun around here. School starts next week so Utah Dad took some vacation time from work and we have been playing, playing, playing. I have lots to write about and lots of pictures to share. But I'll do that later, because today is my birthday.

I got to sleep in as late as I wanted. My kids played nicely by themselves and Utah Dad made them breakfast. Later today, we'll go get dinner somewhere. I haven't decided where yet.

But the best birthday gift this year is from my own psychotic mind.

All year I thought that I was 36 years old.

But I'm not. Well, not until today.

So, I didn't get any older--in my crazy, insane mind, any way.

Sticky Sweet Service

2011-08-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

It was my turn to go to Relief Society instead of Sharing Time last Sunday. I sat in the back row (I'm one of those) with my friends as the counselor went over the volunteer assignments that we needed to fulfill this week. One assignment was at the LDS Cannery in Lindon. The room was uncomfortably silent. It's the end of the summer and we're all busy. One sister volunteered and then my mouth opened and I surprised myself by volunteering to go.

I was kind of excited, actually. I've helped in the bakery before but never in the cannery. We arrived on time for our shift and joined the many volunteers to watching a quick training/safety/hygiene video. They tried to be funny. Some of us may have laughed once.

We put on our hair nets and aprons; scrubbed and washed our hands and arms (I felt like I was prepping for surgery), put on our gloves and gathered inside the plant to get our assignments. The other sister from my ward and I were standing in the midst of the group when the guy in charge called us out first. I was feeling special. The women on the previous shift taught us our tasks. Turns out, we had been given the messiest, stickiest, hardest job (according to the floor manager, but maybe he tells everyone that).

One of us was in charge of filling the cans with peaches. The other one made sure they weren't too full. The peaches came down a shoot and the cans were on a conveyor belt. It was trickier than you might think to get each can full of peaches. If we got them too full or not full enough, the manager definitely let us know.

We worked for a three hour shift filling countless cans with sticky sweet peaches. I have to admit it was a bit mind numbing. But I also couldn't help reflecting on what our true mission was today. My own contribution was minor. Nothing really. But combined with the other volunteers on all the shifts yesterday, today, tomorrow and the day after that we produced and will produce cans and cans of peaches that will go to feed the hungry all over the world. It's an amazing and impressive operation.

Jesus said to Peter, "feed my sheep." And while we share the gospel message of Jesus Christ and feed the spirits of our fellow men, we also feed their bodies. And I love that.

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Delicious Green Beans

2011-08-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

I just shocked myself when I wrote that title. Really.

I was a picky eater as a kid. My parents insisted that I eat everything on my plate including my vegetables. I ate them but I didn't like them. They did give me a "pass" on eating asparagus. Apparently, my gag reflex was too much for them.

Every year I continue to "try" several of the vegetables that were on my "gross list" as a kid. Most of the vegetables I hated when I was a kid, I now enjoy. I still don't like asparagus or brussell sprouts. And I hate green beans. I loathe them. Even in that casserole where the green beans are covered in cream of mushroom soup and fried onions that my sister-in-law makes every Thanksgiving. Utah Dad loves it.
Last night as we threw together a quick dinner with veggies from our garden, I suggested that we run over to the ward garden and pick some green beans. (I must brag for a second and it's OK since it's not something I did, although we did go weed the garden one night for FHE. Our ward garden is absolutely beautiful. The folks in charge have done an incredible job.) Neal and I grabbed a bowl and drove over to the garden. The beans were just ready and waiting to be picked. We picked enough for our dinner. (There are still tons on the bushes -- go get some!)

I brought them home and Utah Dad threw them in the wok with sesame oil, a red onion and a minced garlic clove from our garden. He sauteed them until the onion was caramelized perfection. I should have taken a picture but I didn't get a chance because we devoured them.

It was the only time in my life that I have enjoyed green beans and they really were amazing. Did you hear that? Green beans were amazingly delicious.

Hiking to Lake Solitude - Out and About in Utah

2011-08-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

We woke up on Saturday to hear Neal and Thomas fighting over a Wii game. We knew immediately that we needed to go somewhere. Fast. We got up, dressed, had smoothies for breakfast and headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

We go to Silver Lake at Brighton every summer but we hadn't been there yet this year. It's one of our favorite places. The trail and board walk around the lake are perfect for a leisurely stroll and we always see wildlife. This year we decided that we'd explore the trail that leads from Silver Lake to Lake Solitude. According to the sign it's just over a mile to the lake.

The kids were anxious to be explorers. Utah Dad and I had hiked that trail years ago but the kids had never been the entire way (Lake Solitude can also be accessed by trails from Solitude Ski Resort and the older kids have been there). Utah Dad carried Molly in the back pack but the other four kids hiked on their own.

When we started, I really didn't expect that we'd make it all the way with the smaller kids. They were awesome. I was especially impressed by Lilly. She hiked the entire way without whining. She fell twice on her face but she just got back up and kept on going.

The trail to Lake Solitude has some rocky, steep parts but it's worth the trip. The wildflowers are amazing right now. Breathtaking views.

When we got to Lake Solitude we were warned by other hikers that there was a mother moose and her calf in the willows along the trail. We decided to be safe with our little family and took a higher route.

We were rewarded with views of wildlife too. Once back to Silver Lake, we stopped along the trail to watch an osprey dive for fish in the lake. While we were watching the bird, Amberly pointed out a moose cow walking non-chalantly through the grasses between the lake and the parking lot.

On the really hot days in the valley, there's not much better than driving high into the mountains and finding the cooler temperatures. The best part of the day was that the kids didn't fight with each other and were so exhausted that evening that they went to bed early without complaining.

If you don't feel like taking a longer hike, you can ride the ski lift at Solitude and take a shorter trail to the lake. Solitude also boasts a challenging and fun 18-hole frisbee golf course on the mountainside.

**The pictures were taken with my new Sony Bloggie Duo camera. It was great because it fit nicely in my pocket.**

The Nashville Tribute Band Concert

2011-08-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

I really tried hard to convince Utah Dad to join me at The Nashville Tribute Band concert. I even promised that we'd go out for steaks before the concert. I was ultimately unsuccessful (even though I quoted the recent article in the Deseret News that talks about how there are more declarations of faith and family in country music). Oh well.

So, I invited my good friend Kerri to join me at the concert. We arrived plenty early and found our seats. This was the first event I have attended at the Sandy Amphitheater and I was very impressed by the venue.

Opening for The Nashville Tribute Band was a young and up and coming new group of siblings called Dyer Highway. We were impressed by their talent even though they are just teenagers.

I haven't known about The Nashville Tribute Band for long. I just recently received a copy of their latest album The Work : A Nashville Tribute to the Missionaries. I've enjoyed the songs on the CD, but I'll tell you what, they put on a great show. I have become a true fan (much to the chagrin of Utah Dad who cringes the second he hears twang. I've been forcing him to listen to the music ever since the concert. Some day I'll get him to embrace the Kentucky blood flowing in his veins).

The Nashville Tribute Band is a group of LDS artists and song writers working successfully in Nashville who started a band to produce music for their faith. The Work is the third album, following the very popular albums Joseph : A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet and Trek : A Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers.

Kerri and I had a great time at the concert. Even as we huddled under blankets during the down pour and thunder storm. The nice thing about Utah summer storms is that they pass quickly. The concert continued in spite of the fact that the audience was drenched. The rain did nothing to soak the enthusiasm of the audience.

Debuting songs from their new album and filling in with beloved crowd favorites, The Nashville Tribute Band entertained the crowd. Special guests joined them to make the concert even more memorable. Hearing Michael McLean play a medley of songs from his Celebrating the Light album and seeing The Jets made Kerri and I reminisce about our younger years. And if you don't happen to know who The Jets are it probably means you are much younger than I am. Billy Dean (who is not LDS, I don't want to start any of "those rumors", but a good friend of the members of The Nashville Tribute Band) joined the party after his own concert in town and delighted the audience with several numbers.

Kerri and I had a fabulous time. The entire concert was entertaining and even inspiring. I'm pretty sure I wiped away tears and not just raindrops when two little sisters sang the emotionally moving song about the pioneers: "Somewhere There's a Mountain". I imagine that Kerri, who will send her son on a mission next year, was affected by the powerful tribute to LDS missionaries who serve all over the world to share a message of Jesus Christ.

The following pictures from the concert were taken by Russ Dixon.

I am going to have to go out buy the other two albums or download the songs because I fell in love with several songs. The Nashville Tribute Band has just started their tour. They're headed to Idaho and Oregon but will be back in Utah for shows in September. Check out their website for dates.

I received free tickets to the concert in exchange for my honest review. No compensation was received.

Ellis Island - Book Review

2011-08-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

It was the title of the book that initially caught my attention. Ellis Island and the stories of the immigrants that came through it's doors hoping for a better life has always intrigued me. Each one of the millions of immigrants has his or her own story and author Kate Kerrigan tells the tale of just one Irish girl and her motivation for leaving her home country to come to the United States of America.

Ellis Island a novel by Kate Kerrigan is the story of Ellie Hogan, a smart and determined young woman who sets of to America after her beloved husband is injured as a soldier in the Irish Republican Army. Since John is unable to walk and in need of an expensive surgery, Ellie emigrates to America to work as a maid for a rich socialite. She sends nearly every penny home to her family in Ireland.

Devoted to her family, Ellie also becomes enamored with her new life and comforts in New York City. She further educates herself, finds a new job and is on the verge of living the American Dream. To complicate matters, a wealthy young man falls for Ellie and offers her every luxury she could ever imagine. Where does Ellie belong? In her new comfortable life in America or in Ireland with the ones she loves?

Ellie is a likable yet very real character. She is smart and not easily swindled. She stands up for herself yet walks the line of propriety standard for the period. She has personal integrity and yet she is also human and vulnerable to temptation. Kate Kerrigan has created a very empathetic and believable character. I found myself moved by Ellie's plight and rooting for her throughout the novel.

The plot is well paced and structured. Kerrigan's descriptions of the both rural Ireland and New York City in the 1920's paint a detailed picture of the period. She equally well describes the poverty and the glamour while staying true to Ellie's character and the story.

Well written, Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan is one to add to your to-read list if you enjoy period dramas and character-driven novels.

I requested and received a copy of Ellis Island from the publishers in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation has been received.

Singing Along

2011-08-02T12:28:00.001-07:00

The Nashville Tribute Band CD Winners

2011-07-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting going this morning after a late but extremely fun night with my family. My mom, sisters, sisters-in-law, cousins, aunt and grandma got together last night to celebrate with my youngest sister-in-law who is expecting her first baby this September. Since most of us in my family are finished having babies it was an exciting party as we anticipate another little one in the family.

Did you know babies are born without kneecaps? I didn't. Learn something new every day. My brother and his wife have been given the job of finding out just when babies develop their kneecaps. I want to know the exact day their little baby girlie gets her kneecaps! I'm weird like that.

But, I'm sure you are much more excited to find out who won The Nashville Tribute Band CD give-away. So . . .

The winners are :

Mom of 12

Catey

Kathryn

Congratulations! You have each won one CD of THE WORK by The Nashville Tribute Band. Please send me an email with your contact information.

Lavendar Fields

2011-07-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

Some nights it's just an absolute pleasure to be a photographer. This was one of those nights. We went to Young Living Farms near Mona, Utah. They grow the lavendar to produce essential oils. It makes a beautiful landscape. I'm definitely going to return.

Here are just a few from the session tonight. Darling, darling girls. Gorgeous location. No rain. Perfect!

All Different Kinds of Free - Book Review

2011-07-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Last fall I read and reviewed the surprisingly well written Am I Not a Man? The Dred Scott Story by Mark Shurtleff. In history class we learn of the importance and influence the Supreme Court decision on Dred Scott's case had on the United States of America and Lincoln. Eventually the country would resort to war.

Years earlier, in the 1830's, a free black woman living in Pennsylvania with her free husband and free children was kidnapped by a bounty hunter, taken to Maryland and sold into slavery. Margaret Morgan's life would never be the same. She would taste and know all the bitterness and evil associated with slavery.

All Different Kinds of Free, a novel by Jessica McCann tells Margaret Morgan's story for the first time. Who was this woman who dared to stand up for her own rights and take her case to court?

The case Prigg vs. Pennsylvania would go to the Supreme Court. It's decision flamed the fire of hostility between the free and slave states. The case gets barely a mention in history and I had never even heard of Margaret Morgan before. In this novel, McCann brings the courageous Margaret Morgan and her personal misery to life. In doing so, McCann tells the passionate and desperate story of every slave and the dream for freedom.

McCann writes well. She is especially effective of drawing out the emotion and the feeling of absolute helplessness and hopelessness in the reader. Yet Margaret Morgan refuses to give in to this feeling. Her strength of character is refreshing and admirable. The story is captivating and enthralling and enlightening. It was a dark period in the nation's history and McCann writes to remind us.

All Different Kinds of Free is a powerful, well written novel that tells the story of a truly remarkable woman.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. No additional compensation was received.

The Nashville Tribute Band CD Give-away

2011-07-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

I go through periods where I especially love country music and listen to it exclusively in the car. So, I was recently delighted to learn about The Nashville Tribute Band. A group of successful song-writers (they work with some of the greatest talent in Nashville) formed their own band in 2005 to record their music for an LDS audience. Writing songs about the Restoration and the Pioneers, The Nashville Tribute Band has developed quite a following.

On August 4th The Nashville Tribute Band will celebrate the release of their newest album The Work, a tribute to missionaries, with a concert in Sandy, Utah. They will follow this concert with a tour through the west. Check their website for dates and sites.

Three of my very lucky readers can enter to win a CD of The Work by The Nashville Tribute Band.

It's easy to enter.

1. Become a follower of Utah Mom's Life Blog and leave a comment on this post.

For extra opportunities to win:
1. "Like" The Nashville Tribute Band on Facebook.
2. Share the information and links about this give-away on Facebook, Twitter or your own blog.
3. Be sure to leave an extra comment for each thing you do on this post.

This contest will be open to entries until Friday, July 29th at 11:59 pm MST.
The winners will be chosen randomly from the comments on this post and will be announced on Saturday, July 30th.

Good luck!

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg - Book Review

2011-07-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to introduce a guest blogger/reviewer today. Neal, my ten year old son, is ~~willingly~~ writing this review to earn a later bedtime (because I'm cruel like that).

My mom read The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick to us in the car while we were going on trips this summer. It is a book about a twelve-year-old boy trying to save his brother who was recruited to fight for the Union in the Civil War when he was underage. Homer has many adventures. At one point he's trapped in a pen of pigs and becomes part of a small traveling circus as the "Amazing Pig Boy". Homer likes Professor Fleabottom, who runs the circus, but he might not be who he says he is. He escapes in a silk reconnaissance balloon only to discover that he's landed on the wrong side of the war.

This is a very interesting and funny book. I learned a lot about the Civil War. Homer is a daring and brave kid. He and his brother are orphans so his brother is the only family he's got. He is very good about getting out of scary situations. He thinks quickly on his feet and he can sure tell a whopper. Homer is also very smart.

I recommend this book to anyone from 10 to 95 years old. Actually my five-year-old brother liked it too.

Art Class

2011-07-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Amberly spent last week with her Mamau and Gramps. Each afternoon she attended art classes at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Amberly loves art and she was anxious to learn to work with various mediums this year.

On Friday, the last day of class, they held an "art show" for the family members to come and see the masterpieces they created during the week. Amberly was excited to show us her work. We were all very impressed.

We also enjoyed seeing the art displayed throughout the museum. I was surprised how interested my children were in the art. Right now there is an interesting display featuring art from Africa.

Amberly had a great week with her grandparents. The best part -- not having to comb her hair for five days.

Little Princesses

2011-07-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

Other than my own three little princesses, I don't think there are cuter girls than my little friends. I get to photograph them a couple of times a year when they dress up for fun events like the Witches Breakfast at Gardner Village or the annual Princess Festival held at Thanksgiving Point.

I was so sad that I missed them at the Princess Festival this year. I was away in Yellowstone. Fortunately, their mom and the girls were willing to dress up again so that we could get in a photo session. The staged session actually worked out so well. The girls were completely focused on getting their pictures taken instead of just enjoying the fun day of the festival.

I've posted pictures of the girls on photography blog but I wanted to include some here too. Aren't they just darling?! Together with their mom and some glue guns, the girls made their own headdresses.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Book Review

2011-07-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

Several years ago my brother-in-law suggested that I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I added it to my to-read list which is approximately 400 books long at present. It wasn't until the last few weeks when I fell in love with Lisa See's books Shanghai Sisters and Dreams of Joy, that I knew I would have to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan very, very soon. My friend, who has also recently become a fan of Lisa See, and I conspired together to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan for our neighborhood book club. That would give me an excuse to buy it and bump it up on my to-read-immediately list.

Lily and Snow Flower are just small girls living in nineteenth century China when they are bound together as laotongs or "old sames" by an influential Match Maker. Contractually, they will be closer than best friends for their entire lives. They begin the process of having their feet bound on the same day. Their relationship and love for each other continues to grow as they prepare their dowries together and look forward to marriage. Even following their marriages, the two women will be closer to each other than to anyone else. They love each other intensely, until a misunderstanding drives a bitter and heartbreaking wedge between them.

I already knew Lisa See was a fabulous writer and so I wasn't surprised how fully developed the characters are in the this novel. I likewise was not surprised by the powerful emotions evoked while reading this story. Lisa See is gifted at making the reader care and care deeply. I believe even the most cynical person could not resist becoming emotionally involved in this story.

While I read the sections about the feet binding process, I cringed as I read of the young girl's agony and I imagined my own daughters' perfect feet. How could a mother do this? And yet not do it knowing the consequences? I practically ran to the computer to Google "Foot Binding" and found websites that documented the stories of women who had the feet bound when they were children. You can read more and see pictures of the results of this tradition here and here and many other places on the web.

While the Chinese historical and cultural aspects of this novel are absolutely fascinating, there are many other powerful and still pertinent aspects of human nature within the story that beg to be discussed, such as Mother Love, friendship, loyalty and betrayal.

Originally published in 2005 and intensely popular, I'm sure that Snow Flower and the Secret Fan has already been read by many book clubs. I'm definitely looking forward to discussing it with mine. A movie based on the book is releasing in select theaters very soon, so I'm sure we will see another surge of popularity for this novel. It really is fantastic. Get it. Read it. Soon.

Middle of the Night Giggles

2011-07-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

Thomas woke up around two am last night with a bloody nose. I can generally do all the middle of the night "mom business" in the complete darkness (whatever it takes to prevent the others from waking). However, since I spilled the glass of ice water on my night stand as I clumsily climbed out of bed, I turned on a light which made it harder for Utah Dad to pretend he was still sleeping.

We got the bleeding stopped; cleaned up Thomas and got him back in bed. I got a towel to clean up the spilled water near my bed and climbed back into bed expecting to fall immediately back into blissful sleep. But I didn't. I tossed and turned and when I realized that Utah Dad wasn't snoring (which means he was also awake) we started to talk.

The first thing that I fell in love with about Utah Dad was the easy conversation and the way we can always find something interesting to talk about. Utah Dad is never short on opinions and always willing to express them (just ask the folks at the party last night). Other than the Friday night when we were purposefully giving each other the silent treatment, we talk a lot.

So, in the middle of the night, we lay in bed, exhausted yet unable to sleep. We talked about politics and religion and religion in politics and moral issues involving religion and politics. It was deep. Then we started talking about naming babies.

When we were first married, we were hanging out with some of Utah Dad's little nieces and we were making up ridiculous names for our future children. The little girls were adding some fabulously crazy names to the mix and we laughed so hard tears rolled down our faces. I won't mention any of these names so that I won't accidentally offend any of my readers and/or relatives.

Utah Dad and I have officially finished our career of naming babies. Our own children have very traditional names (different from the names I use to refer to them on the blog, by the way. I know I've been blogging too much when I mistakenly call them by their blog names). This is not to say that I only like traditional names. There are many less traditional names that I think are absolutely lovely.

But last night, in our silly state of complete exhaustion, we got the giggles as we thought of various, hilarious and odd names (mostly used by celebrities or my ancestors). Or strange combinations. I once knew a Harry Barber. Utah Dad knew a Harry Beaver. Warning: just be especially careful if you consider naming your child Harry.

We giggled like children.

And then Utah Dad started telling me about an episode of Law and Order that he recently watched and I fell right asleep.

Bright's Passage - Book Review

2011-07-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Henry Bright has survived World War I with the special help of an angel that he takes home with him after the war. The angel tells Bright what to do and Bright obeys. Now, Bright is the father of a newborn son. His dear wife is dead and his revengeful father-in-law is chasing him through the woods of West Virginia. But the angel has a plan.

Song-writer turned novelist, Josh Ritter writes a captivating and beautiful story with unique characters and a touch of the super-natural in his first novel Bright's Passage. I imagine that as a song-writer, Ritter has honed his skills with lyrics. Writing a song, one is limited by length and must choose the perfect few words to create all the emotion and meaning of a song. With these skills, Ritter has created a story that is succinct and yet not diminutive. In fact, his use of the language is stirring and lovely.

Often humorous, Bright's Passage is also mysterious. Ritter gives the reader just enough information to keep the reader turning the pages in suspense and anxiety. He builds the palpable tension through brief yet effective scenes of the past and the dogged pursuit and flight of Henry Bright and his tiny son. However, the ending feels incomplete and some of the questions and mysteries are left unanswered.

Bright's Passage is also a novel that has left me a bit perplexed and it is completely possible that my views and opinions of the novel will change as I have more time to reflect on the characters, plot and themes. The novel is short enough that I may have to read it again.

One thing remains, Josh Ritter has a way with words and this compelling novel is a standard to his extreme talent.

I received a free copy of Bright's Passage through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest opinion. No additional compensation has been received.

Engaged!

2011-07-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Fifteen years ago Utah Dad and I got engaged (it was actually on July 12th). We had known each other for exactly 14 days. Seriously.

Two of my roommates had been dating two of Utah Dad's roommates (they would eventually marry each other) so I regularly hung out with my friends in their boyfriends' apartment. Six guys lived in the apartment and during the summer I had casually dated three of them. The remaining roommate (Utah Dad) I had heard about but not yet met. He spent much of his time in Salt Lake with his family.

One weekend at the end of June, one of my roommates, her boyfriend, Dale (a roommate whose name has been changed) and I went on a double date up the canyon. We built a camp fire and roasted our dinner before heading back to the guys' apartment. Dale left to go help his parents with a project for a few weeks and I stayed to visit with my roommate and her boyfriend. Utah Dad and his friend came back to the apartment and joined us. Before long, Utah Dad and I were deep in conversation and when it was time for my roommate and I to return to our own apartment, Utah Dad walked us to the car.

Just as I was about to get in the car, Utah Dad asked me if I was dating any of his roommates. "No," I answered and our relationship was started with a lie. He asked me out on a date for the next day.

For our first date, Utah Dad and I drove up Provo Canyon and drove Alpine Loop. He had prepared a picnic dinner which we ate in a quiet meadow. Talking with him was immediately comfortable and we conversed about everything from our families and our studies to our hopes and dreams for the future.

I went with him to church in his ward the next day to hear him teach his Sunday School class and we saw each other every day after that.

He had already scheduled a date with another girl on Tuesday. I insisted that he keep the date. We had only been dating for four days and I was freaked out about how serious our relationship was already. He left on his other date and returned a half an hour later. I was planning to break it off or at least slow it down. We talked all night, went to breakfast and knew then that we would get married.

I met his family on the Fourth of July and I really felt like I had known them (even the crazy ones) forever.

My family had a family reunion planned to raft the Green River. My dear cousin and I had made a pact that we wouldn't take anyone else with us since many of our other cousins were bringing "significant others". However, things had suddenly changed and I took Utah Dad home with me to meet my family. He had insisted on meeting them before making anything "official". My cousin did forgive me, thank goodness.

I wasn't expecting an actual proposal yet. That Friday evening, Utah Dad and I sat together near the fire pit in my parents' backyard and he suddenly asked me if I would marry him. I, of course, said yes. I believe we had ten minutes to ourselves before we were joined by my younger brothers and sisters. Spontaneous and simple. Perfect for me.

We told my parents our news the next day after my extended family left. What could my parents say? They had gotten engaged on their second date. I don't think they were terribly surprised. Utah Dad was the only boyfriend I had ever taken home. We told Utah Dad's parents when we returned to Salt Lake. They weren't surprised. In fact, their lack of surprise actually surprised me.

Perhaps the most surprised person was Dale. When he returned from his parents', he called to ask me out and I had to tell him that I was now engaged--to his roommate.

DownEast Basics Warehouse Sale

2011-07-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

When flipping through our catalogs or shopping online on DownEast Basics and Modbe websites, do you sometimes debate on what you’ll buy based on what’s in your budget? Maybe you consider buying 3 or 4 pieces instead of 10 or more to fill your closet for a season? Well – come this Friday – that will be a stress of the past – as your only worry starting this weekend will be how much stuff you can fit into your shopping bags – as they’re having a WAREHOUSE SALE with clothing from DownEast Basics AND Modbe – and everything is $10 or less! (Meaning some stuff is $5!). Here’s the where and when!

The Warehouse Sale takes place at a location next to our DownEast Basics store at the Layton Hills Mall:
1076 Layton Hills Mall
Layton, UT 84041

Event starts on Friday, July 15, 2011 at 10AM, and will run daily during the following hours of operation:
- Monday through Saturday 10AM to 9PM
- Sundays 12-6

*Please note the discounted pricing is offered for warehouse sale event merchandise only, and doesn’t apply to new styles available for sale inside our permanent DownEast Basics’ store at the Layton Hills Mall.

Summer Nights

2011-07-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

My extended family and many of our in-laws gathered last week to view the firework show in North Salt Lake. It had been extremely hot all day but it started to cool down nicely in the evening and we enjoyed snacking and visiting with each other until it got dark.

I love summer nights when it starts to cool off and the sun goes down later. And I especially love hanging out with family.

I LOVE SUMMER.

(A few months ago I was sent a Sony Bloggie Duo to try and review. I've used it to take the pictures and videos included in this post. It's picture quality is not as good as my DSLR or my digital video camera but it is so easy to use and very convenient. About the size of a smart phone, it fits nicely in my purse. The included software also allows for super easy upload to YouTube or Facebook.)

Aunts and Uncles are just so much fun!

Think - Book Review

2011-07-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

My father-in-law has a simple note pinned to the door that leads to his garage. It reads : THINK.
The simple word is meant to help him remember the things he needs to take with him when he leaves the house to run errands. One final reminder to check to make sure he didn't forget the checks he needs to deposit at the bank or the the books he means to return to the library.

Lisa Bloom's recently published book Think : Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in A Dumbed-Down World is a reminder for women to use our brains. Quite simply, to think.

You probably already know Lisa Bloom. I didn't. I don't watch television and so I haven't seen her as a legal analyst on shows like The Early Show and Dr. Phil's or on CNN. I just got acquainted with her in this book. Ms. Bloom and I are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. We don't see eye-to-eye on many issues. However, on a few very important things we absolutely agree.

We both agree that women are smart. Women have amazing brains and are capable of doing most everything. Unfortunately, so many of us fail to use our brains to think. As Bloom points out in her book, too many women become overly enmeshed and concerned with pop culture. We know everything about the personal lives of celebrities, yet ignore the crises and horrors taking place around the world. We are too focused and spend too much time and money on our appearance, even risking our lives and health for dangerous procedures and the perfect tan. And many women think it is actually better to be "hot" than "smart". One third of the population won't read a single book after graduating from high school. SAY IT ISN'T SO!

As Bloom writes in her hard-hitting, honest style, it's hard not to be defensive. Really. Even so, her arguments ring true and even though I think I use my brain quite a bit, I know there are always ways I can use it more. Obviously.

In spite of our political differences, by the time I got to the section about books (hello! read more good books, people), I felt like Lisa Bloom and I were old friends chatting about our favorites. She and I also have similar parenting styles or at least a style I am attempting to apply in my home. Bloom even mentions my personal favorite parenting expert Wendy Mogel. (Read my review of her fabulous book The Blessing of a Skinned Knee.)

Lisa Bloom is funny. She points out the obvious with a wicked wit. I chuckled out loud several times and then read whole sections aloud for Utah Dad's enjoyment and enlightenment.

Bloom's advice is brilliant and simple and frankly rather straight forward if you think about it. Following her suggestions and using your brain more will help you be happier, smarter and will even help the world be a better place. You have a brain. Use it.

By the way, check out Lisa's website : Think.tv for more ideas on ways to use your brain; for easy recipes and fabulous books.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions here are my own. No additional compensation was received.

Chinese Zodiac Signs

2011-07-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

Reading Lisa See's fabulous books Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy last week sparked my curiosity and interest in the Chinese Zodiac Signs. The characters in the novels frequently referred to their own signs and corresponding personality traits. Just for fun I found a web site about each of the twelve different Chinese Zodiac Signs that also included a feature that allowed me to easily look up the signs of each of the members of my family.

I should mention that I have very little personal belief in horoscopes or zodiac signs. I think other cultures are fascinating and this is just for fun. Because it is fun.

According to the Chinese calendar, I was born in the year of the Rabbit.

Sensitive

Gentle

Compassionate

Amiable

Modest

Communicable

Humorous

Creates romance

Homebody

Hospitable

Slow to Anger

Soft

Likely to Escape Reality

Reserved

Utah Dad was born in the year of the Pig.
Don't laugh. This is actually good, because according to the compatibility chart, a rabbit and a pig will make a supreme match.

Honest

Frank

Chivalrous

Gallant

Calm Appearance

Strong Heart

Tolerant

Optimistic

Virtuous

Loyal to Friends

Few Friends

Quick Tempered

Hate Arguments

Kind

Light Hearted

Sleep Easily

Impulsive

Neal was born in the year of the Snake.

Good Temper

Skillful Communicator

Gracious Morality

Great Wisdom

Financially Secure

Sympathetic

Helpful

Determined

Intense

Passionate

Perceptive

Jealous

Suspicious

Headstrong

Fickle

Amberly was born in the year of Sheep/Goat.

Tender

Polite

Clever

Kind-Hearted

Sensitive to Art and Beauty

Faithful

Compassionate

Kind

Economical

Shy

Pessimistic

Moody

Indecisive

Thomas was born in the year of the Rooster.

Deep-thinkers

Honest

Bright

Communicative

Ambitious

Capable

Warm-hearted

Handsome

Quick Mind

Hot Temper

Busy

Neat

Eccentric

Narrow minded

Vain

Arrogant

Lilly was born in the year of (and this is perfect, considering her favorite stuffed animal and her recent birthday cake) the Pig.

Honest

Frank

Chivalrous

Gallant

Calm Appearance

Strong Heart

Tolerant

Optimistic

Virtuous

Loyal to Friends

Few Friends

Quick Tempered

Hate Arguments

Kind

Light Hearted

Sleep Easily

Impulsive

Molly was born in the year of the Ox.

Honest

Industrious

Patient

Cautious

Leader

Strong Will

Faithful

Hard Worker

Tender

Amiable

Conservative

Obstinate

Prudish

Silent

Dreams of Joy - Book Review

2011-07-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

As soon as I finished reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See last week I was anxious to start reading the sequel Dreams of Joy. The ending of the first novel would have been frustrating if I didn't already know that there was a second book. And fortunately, it was already waiting on my night stand.

I've been hearing the buzz about Lisa See's novels (especially Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which I hope to read very soon) for years but these are the first of her novels that I have had the privilege to read. I have definitely become a fan.

Dreams of Joy picks up right where Shanghai Girls ends. Joy, deeply upset by the family secrets and a new believer in The New China, she sets off to China. Pearl, determined to find and save her naive but determined daughter, returns to her homeland.

It's been nearly twenty years since Pearl escaped the Japanese invaders of China and immigrated to the United States of America. Since then, China has undergone vast changes. Now under the leadership of Chairman Mao Tse Dung and a Communist country, it is hardly the home she left. Yet, Pearl only wants Joy to be happy and safe and she'll try her best to assimilate in this new world. Pearl will renew old friendships and find love.

Reading of the rule of Chairman Mao, Communism and the socialistic changes in China, reminded me of the popular dystopian novels. However, this is all too real and painful. Millions suffered and starved under this rule. The important and essential family unit was broken. Pearl and Joy are determined not to have their free spirits broken. Reading of their brave struggles and harrowing trials in China, also made me even more grateful for the freedoms I enjoy in America.

Lisa See's characters are richly developed. Each has his or her own flaws and strengths. While I found myself frustrated with Joy and her decisions, I also admired her determination and personal strength. The plot moves along steadily. The history and details of Communist China are vastly important but are woven into the plot so expertly that they do not detract from the characters and the story. See's style is effortless and readable while maintaining an almost conversational tone between the main characters and the readers.

Powerful and compelling, Dreams of Joy is a novel that surpassed the first. It is a valuable and enlightening piece of literature.

I obtained a copy of Dreams of Joy through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and no additional compensation was received.

Lilly's 4th "Birtsday"

2011-07-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

Lilly has been planning her "birtsday" since Christmas. Every time she saw anything cool she would say "I wants that for my birtsday." A few weeks ago when Neal celebrated his birthday, Lilly was so excited she could hardly stop shaking at the dinner table. "It's Neal's birtsday, so it's almost my birtsday," she giggled.

This morning, I was still in bed when Lilly came in my room. I was trying to pretend I was still asleep even though Thomas had already climbed into bed and was kneeing me in the back. I opened my eyes to see Lilly's smiling face. "It's my birtsday. I'm a birtsday girl!"

I was a little worried that the day wouldn't live up to the hype. After all, I'm a pretty low-key birthday type of mom. Lilly turned four this year so based on our family rules she didn't get a friend party. She didn't care. She was mostly concerned with the cake and the presents.

Lilly wanted a pig cake and thankfully, our amazing neighbor and Lilly's "favorite babysitter" spent all day yesterday making Lilly a truly fabulous pig cake. Kathryn brought it over in the morning so that Lilly could enjoy it all day. And she really did.

By the time the birthday actually rolled around, Lilly's requests had gotten pretty simple. She wanted glow sticks. That was it. She coveted them at the recent firework shows and they moved right up to the top of her wish list. She got her glow sticks. She also got a Barbie Princess movie (help me!), some coloring books, art stuff and a book of Disney Princess bedtime stories (which Amberly promised to read to her).

Mamau and Gramps joined us for dinner and for the cake.

Lilly went to bed tonight pretty dang happy. She had a really great day and she's already dreaming up schemes for next year. She's such a dolly. Just love her to pieces.

Shanghai Girls - Book Review

2011-07-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

For the first time in two and half years, I didn't read the book for our monthly book club meetings. It's a book I'm actually looking forward to reading, I just didn't get a chance to read it this month. Ironically, I have a lot less time to read in the summer. The kids are staying up later and we're spending our evenings playing with friends and family. It's all good.

Even though we didn't discuss the assigned book at our book club meeting last night, we did, of course, talk about books. One friend and I shared our mutual love and affection for the book I just finished last week -- Shanghai Girls by Lisa See.

Sisters Pearl and May are "beautiful girls" in 1930's Shanghai, meaning they pose regularly for the popular advertisements depicting beautiful girls using a variety of products. They are from the upper classes and have enjoyed a fun and spoiled life in the "Paris of Asia". But their lives are drastically changed by their father's financial demise and the invasion of China by the Japanese. Eventually, Pearl and May will immigrate to the United States, carefully guarding their secrets.

Shanghai is a fascinating setting. I was enthralled. Pearl and May are devoted and loving sisters, in spite of being very different personalities. Together and separately, they do what they must to survive in frightening and dangerous times. While the threats are different once they arrive in the US, they still live in constant fear. So much of their circumstances is beyond their control, but the sisters' contrasting reactions and beliefs are very interesting.

The plot moves along frantically through the first half of the book. I could hardly put it down. Later, the plot does slow and time begins to move in large segments. I felt the book lost some of it's early momentum at this point, but it is still compelling.

The ending would have upset me if I didn't already know that there is a sequel, Dreams of Joy. I've already started reading it.

Bringing up powerful topics of war, survival, immigration, motherhood, family devotion, and sacrifice, Shanghai Girls is a truly rich novel.

And Their Mischevious, Adoring Brother

2011-07-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

My Girlies

2011-07-01T11:55:00.000-07:00