Summer Reading List

Whoo hoo!  Summer break has finally arrived and I can't wait to read.  Once again, I am trying to break out of my traditional courtroom/police novels.  Here is my summer reading list:

• Long Walk to Freedom:  The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela -I started this last night and it is really good so far!
• A Tree Grow in Brooklyn - Betty Smith -this was on my list last summer and I didn't read it
• Princess Academy - Shannon Hale -my Aunt Jalyn recommended this years ago, I picked it up for $1.99 today!
• Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand -this was on my list last summer as well.  It has been recommended by many people
• The Glass Castle - Jeanette Wells -I have heard this is a very good memoir.
• Hotel of the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford - this one has been on my Nook for at least a year waiting to be read.
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee -I haven't read this in years, but I show the movie to my law & justice students every semester.  
• World Without End - Ken Follett -this is the follow-up (but not sequel) to Pillars of the Earth.  I read it a few summers ago and really liked it!

I am not teaching this summer (whoo too) but I am taking a summer class.  I have really been making an effort the last few summers to break out of my normal genres.  I am excited about this list!  

I looked out the window and what did I see?

This morning instead of rushing out the door hurrying to get somewhere, I took some time with a couple of my favorite things ... my camera and my lilacs.  I was pretty happy with the results. 

Can you almost smell them?

April recap

I am really excited that I have stuck with my picture a day project for 121 DAYS!!  Whoo hoo!  Here is our April in review.  

You can see my whole calender here.

Just what I needed!

This weekend Jeff rode the Frontrunner bike ride (62 miles) in Salt Lake.  You can read his account of it here.

My wonderful mom changed her weekend plans and offered to watch the kids for us on Friday night.  Our plan was to leave our house Friday morning and then meet her in Pocatello and she would take the kids and we would go to Salt Lake - we would head back to Idaho Falls on Saturday night.  When we got to Pocatello, she encouraged us to stay the whole weekend in Salt Lake and said she would meet us back in Pocatello on Sunday afternoon.  She said she remembered having little kids and the need for time away.  I love her more than I can even write.

This weekend was just what I needed for a few reasons:

• I miss Jeff.  Is that silly that we live in the same house and I miss him sometimes?  There are many days when I feel we just see each other in passing and give each other a high-five.  I anticipate the next few weeks to be even busier than the last few weeks.  Hours in the car together to talk and a weekend full of dates was exactly what we needed.  
• I love to see Jeff succeed!  This ride was awesome for him and I love to see him be successful in what he wants to do.  He is such a support to me in all my hobbies, I love when I can extend him the same support.  
• I needed to miss my kids.  I love my kids so much, and love every minute that I spend with them (ok, most minutes ...).  But having the opportunity to miss them is always good.  I was excited to see them, relished in Mylie's squeals when she saw me and Blake's 5-minute (not exaggerating) long hug.  
• I needed to hug my sister.  It was fun to hang out with my baby sister Bailey while Jeff was on his ride.  She met us one night for dinner too.  I can't wait for Courtney to move closer and for even more quality sister time!
• I needed to be grateful.  After we picked up the kids and were driving back, I was driving and everyone else fell asleep.  I had one of those moments that Heavenly Father gives you when you can really see and feel how incredibly blessed you are.  I was thankful to be reminded of this.  
• I needed to recharge.  Aside from the ear infection I have today (ugh), I feel like I can make it through the last few weeks of the semester.  Summer break is just around the corner!  Whoo hoo!

April Updates

It is tough to believe that we are this far into the year!  Here is an update on everything going on at our house:

 This boy keep us laughing and on our toes!  He is doing so good in school and I often hearing him counting or identifying letters.  It is hard for me to believe he is the same boy who two years ago didn't talk.  It is rare that he is not talking now.  He loves superheros - reading about them, watching them, playing with superhero toys, and mostly pretending to be a superhero.  He is happy for the warmer weather so he can play outside with Bosco and sissy.  He loves his primary class, loves working out with Daddy (see above picture of him doing yoga), and still loves to snuggle his momma!

This girl is growing too fast for me.  She is a reading fool and checks out chapter books from the library.  She LOVES to scrapbook and went with mom to a crop on Saturday.  She is very fashionable and puts thought into her outfits, hair and earrings.  She loves school, but is excited for summer.  She started tumbling class and loves it so far.  She is going to take tennis lessons again this summer.  She loves playing with her brother and the two of them have a great imagination.  They play school, house, pirates, detectives, you name it!  She is such a big help to me.
 

This guy has so much dedication!  It is only the middle of April and he has already logged over 500 miles on his bike.  He has his first ride of the season coming up in a couple weeks - 62 miles.  He is doing P90X (see yoga day above).  He is registered for summer school and excited to be continuing in his Adult and Organizational Leadership Masters program at U of I.  He is such a wonderful Dad and the kids have so much fun with him.  I am so happy he is mine. 

 

I have been busy!  This semester has been flying by.  I can hardly believe there are only 4 weeks left!  Right after Spring Break I left for Las Vegas to present at a conference with some other faculty members at my school.  We presented on training teachers to teach online.  Our presentation went great.  I am registered to take a graduate course in educational technology this summer and am quite excited about it.  If it goes well, I am going to work on a graduate certificate in educational technology.  (In my spare time, ha!)  I am soooo looking forward to summer.  For the first summer since I was 14 years old (22 year ago, ack) I am not working and I can hardly wait.  The kids and I have lots of fun stuff planned!  I told them we could do fun stuff everyday ... after we sleep in.  :)

I love being their mom.

(Only 10 days late) March is in the books!

I am still moving right along on my picture of the day project.  I feel like this is the year I am going to make it all the way through the year!!  It has been a lot of fun!  Here is our March in pictures!