in

the

City

Arches National Park

04/18/09

I know I've been away for a while. I was taking an unoffical break from blogging. Mostly because I was tired of it, partly because my life has been pretty dull for the last few months. But now there's fun things to post. Gardening stuff will be soon as the weather improves.

This week Mark, me and the kids, and Mark's parents came with us to Moab, Utah, where we broke in Mark's new Jeep and took in the beautiful sights of Arches National Park.

We drove down Thursday night right after work through snow and sleet. The pass that took the highway through Price was closed so we ended up taking an hour detour. We were already behind schedule so that put us in Moab at about 11pm. We found our condo pretty easily and fell into bed.

The next morning we went straight to Arches. Our first stop: the Windows arches.

After a bunch of climbing around and looking at another arch nearby, we stopped for lunch then took the dirt road to Eye of the Whale arch--you needed 4-wheel drive to take this road and Mark was ready to try out the Jeep.

The kids loved playing in the sand.

Then, it was the hike to Delicate Arch! The hike takes one across slickrock, up hills, around ledges, and into the bowl upon which this beautiful arch sits.

Friday we started with several hours of 4-wheeling, breaking in Mark's new Jeep across rocky, sandy, and rough terrain.

A candid shot of Mark as we just finished traversing some sand dunes (I often have to take candid shots of him, he doesn't like his picture taken--my excuse is different, there's no one to take pictures of me).

Then we spent the afternoon in the Firey Furnace climbing through slot canyons and finding hidden arches there.

On Saturday morning we went to the Devil's Garden area and visited Landscape Arch, Pine Tree Arch, and Tunnel Arch. By then the children were dragging their feet and after a picnic lunch headed home. What a fun weekend!

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Happy Birthday Amber!

01/15/09

Amber turned 10 on Tuesday and it was low key, with Grandma and Grandpa Christenson, Uncle Dan (and Kristen) and her family.

The kids only get parties with friends every other year anyway. This year I'm glad she didn't because I was too very busy with her present to be able to do much around the house at all. I painted her room pink AND made her a quilt:

I also did some recorganizing and redecorating and now it's all snazzy and pretty. I got her a new bookshelf, curtains, lamp, nightstand, and repainted her desk and shelves. She chose the color scheme.

It was an exhausting three days of painting and sewing and organizing and assembling so I took a giant nap yesterday (much desereved) and hopefully today I can take care of the other things around here that got neglected.

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Christmas Pics

01/12/09

Christmas was great this year. It's so much fun to watch kids when they open presents. They had a lot of fun:

The boys got scooters from their Grandma Christenson and Amber got an American Girl doll. They got lots of crafty supplies from Grandma Kennington and books, games, clothes (from BYU), movies, puzzles, and puppets from their parents. They were all properly appreciative.

But unfortunately Mark left right after opening gifts to go to work and while the kids played I was left with this mess:

On Christmas Even we hosted dinner for Mark's family, and everyone was there to enjoy our very scrumptious tenderloin that we made (we get better at making it every year, I swear).

I've been busy with painting projects, and will post pictures as soon as they're done, as well as Amber's birthday surprises.

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Happy Anniversary: Year 12!!

12/21/18

Today is Mark and my wedding anniversary. I asked for pots and pans. I got him a new ring (I'll post a picture later).

The first couple of weeks of December were busy with a few improvements on the house, including a new railing for the front porch. It's very pretty, I think, and really makes the front entryway feel bigger and more inviting. We're quite happy with it. Right now, however, there's about 8 inches of snow on the ground, so I took this picture earlier.

We also replaced the old wood burning fireplace with a gas fireplace and I think it really makes the living room look finished and oh so snazzy:

Here's an in progress picture of the old hole in the wall and the new fireplace installed:

And the way it looked before we decided to rip it out:

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Happy Birthday to Me

11/18/08

Yesterday was my birthday. It was a pleasant day, the weather was clear, if cold, and my kids were all helpful and nice.

In the morning I dropped my boys off at their friend's house and I went shopping! I bought myself some shoes and a new bike:

The color is called Root Beer (haha). It's a men's bike, but it's the right size for me. Strangely enough, about 90% of the women's bikes weren't big enough for me. It has a nice comfy seat and I can sit upright on it and it rides like a dream. I'm quite pleased with it. Even if it is an odd color. All of my birthday money was pooled into this, so I didn't really get anything else except some books from Aunt Raylene (which I've already read since Sunday! Thanks! I love them), and gift card to Amazon.com from my brother Casey (still deciding what to get with that...)

Mark had a late meeting, but was wonderful and brought me home some flowers and dinner for everyone. Yay! I Didn't have to cook.

Amber cleaned the kitchen, Spencer picked me flowers from my own yard, and Carter agonized over what he should get me but I told him I would consider it a birthday present if he were a good boy all day (he didn't buy that, he didn't see how it could be a birthday present).

I got cards, messages, and calls from friends and family all day.

All in all, it was a nice day.

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NaNoWriMo

11/09/08

November is National Novel Writing Month. Check it out at www.nanowrimo.com. Some person came up with the idea about ten years ago and now hundreds of thousands of people practically have to self-flaggelate themself to get 50 thousand words written between November 1st and November 30th (sounds like great fun, doesn't it?). The first time I did it was back in 2002, so I figured it was time again, especially since I had a new novel I wanted to work on anyway, so I'm attempting to hit the word mark this year.

Current word total for this year's attempt: 14,700

/cracks knuckles and gets back to work

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Halloween 2008

11/05/08

My kids had a fun Halloween this year. For school Amber decorated a pumpkin and entered it in a contest at school. Her Mummy Pumpkin won the award for 'Scariest Pumpkin.'

The cousins came over to come trick or treating with us. Amber was a witch, Carter a Power Ranger, and Spencer was a ghost.

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Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

10/27/08

The boy Tavi has no magic to call his own, which among the people of Alera makes him something of a cripple. He can’t call a fury of the earth or of wood, like his Uncle Bernard; the fury of water like his Aunt Isana; and neither can he use a fire, metal, or air fury like his friends. To make up for his lack of magic he has to be brave and clever: characteristics which become crucial to the events happening in the Calderon Valley where he lives.

On another side of Alera, the spy Amara is on a mission to find proof of the rebellion of Alera’s nobles against their king. What she finds is much more comprehensive than she would have ever imagined--it’s a full-blown bid to overthrow the king, the enemies of the crown even recruiting the barbaric Marat to invade and throw the country into chaos. Amara races against time to find the truth and warn the Count of Calderon Valley about the incoming invasion.

Starting out the novel it felt like the same old fantasy. And in many ways it is, but it’s those basic elements of fantasy that appeals to its readers, plus some fresh twists, that makes Furies of Calderon worth reading.

Butcher’s prose flows easily from page one and carries the reader along a story that moves quickly—so much happens in such a short time than you can’t believe the book only covers a few days. While it starts out a little slow to establish the setting and core characters, enough happens to keep you engaged until everything hits the fan. Sometimes you go from event to event, the tension building to have something completely different happen; Butcher attempts plot twists that sometimes come across as a bit awkward, but if you just go with the flow and don’t think about it, they resolve satisfactorily.

The characters are well drawn and interesting, with enough background story to keep you curious about them as their lives are slowly revealed. Tavi in particular is fascinating as the black sheep among a magic-dependant society, who has to find ways to prove himself. Amara I found rather obnoxious, however, as she was not very realistic for me; Butcher tries to make this a society where women aren’t equal to men, but then has this woman as a high-powered spy with aggression to spare, but fortunately her inconsistencies didn’t ruin the story.

The magic system is the most interesting aspect of this book. When everyone has magic it makes not only the everyday living, but the fighting and interaction much more remarkable between the characters. The Marat horde, who once occupied the Calderon Valley, don’t have fury magic. Instead they bond with animals unique to this world (and the more common to us, including horse, wolf, fox), taking on some of the characteristics of their animal companions. How do the furycrafters fight the animal ferocity of these barbarians? How can two completely different races possibly communicate?

Despite it being the first in a series, Furies of Calderon ends with a satisfying conclusion, wrapping up the most important elements that are introduced at the beginning of the story, without solving the overarching dilemma of the series.

Furies of Calderon is the first book in the Codex Alera series.

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Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson is out

10/15/08

I went to the first book signing last night for the release of Hero of Ages at the BYU Bookstore and had my book signed.

I was in line for 2 1/2 hours. With my kids (Mark was working). Needless to say we were pretty tired by the time we got home, but it was an interesting experience.

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Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik

10/11/08

At the end of book 4, Empire of Ivory, Temeraire and Laurance have saved not only the English dragons from disease and death, but at the risk of being named traitors, delivered the cure to the French. Despite it being Temeraire's plan, Laurence is the one who suffers imprisonment and the loss of his aeral corp rank. But when Napleon invades the shores of England, Temeraire and Laurance must join the fight because England needs every dragon it has to battle Napoleon's new scemes.

Novik diverges quite a bit in this book from the real history of the Napoleonic wars, but to great effect. Napoleon's invasion of England is interesting in its details and strategy, and she makes it feel real--from Napoleon's actions to the response of the English citizens. And, of course, there's an exciting battle at the end of the book well worth reading.

Temerarie, despite spending the first part of the book seperated from Laurance, continues to be frustrated with the prejudice that England's men and women have for dragons--that they're dumb animals only worth using in combat. Temeraire, despite all this, feels a sort of patriotism for England and takes the initative to help his country. I really enjoyed watching the interaction between the dragons, which was much more common than in previous books; Temeraire's natural leadership ability really shines. Novik's characterizations of the dragons and their roles in war and within their own little dragon culture really makes this story interesting.

Poor Laurance, however, is still branded a traitor among his peers and suffers for it despite the risks he makes for them. This reality affects his choices and attitudes throughout the story, and his struggle feels real. He knows that the hanging due for a traitor is only a matter of time, and as a result goes about his tasks with grim determination. He worries most about Temeraire and what his death would mean for his dragon, and about how it will affect his family; you can't help but pity the guy, who spends his time worrying about others more than himself.

As usual, Novik's swift pacing and engaging prose carries you along the story. If you liked the style of her first books, she continues on very consistently here. The voice is easy reading and pulls you into the era nicely. Events take turns you don't expect, and by the end you feel satisfied that Laurance and Temeraire have done everything they could to save England. And, of course, by the very end you know they have a new adventure right around the corner.

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Updates and Excuses

10/06/08

*Embarassed laugh* Wow. It's been two months since I last posted. My bad. Well. I will endeavor to catch people up on what's been going on around here and try again to keep current.

New Computer/New Desk

The first thing that caused my delinquency is the fact that we got a new laptop. This was clear back in June, but over the months I've gotten used to using it more and more. We have it in the living room where I can surf/write/play/watch movies on it while in the same room with the kids. I've gotten so used to it that I don't use the desktop much anymore, it's just not as convenient. The problem? All my blogging, writing, and photo editing programs are on that computer. I have been sooooo lazy about transferring over everything to the laptop because I knew it would be a hassle (and it was). But now everything is where it will be used so I can do my blogging updates regularly, without the excuse of not using the desktop anymore.

Of course, having another computer means having another desk. Mark got it for me for Mother's Day and I LOVE it!

School

School began at the end of August and Amber is in the 4th grade and Carter is in Kindergarten. Aren't they just the most good looking kids you ever saw?

Carter's Teeth

Carter lost his first tooth just a week ago, and then a couple of days later lost his second!

Gardening

This year has been very successful! We've been swimming in tomatoes, which I've been canning. I grew my first watermelon this year and it was delicious!

A few of the carrots got HUGE! My kids eat them as snacks they are so tasty!

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Disneyworld: DownTown Disney and Epcot's the World of Tomorrow

08/05/08

We spend a few hours in DownTown Disney one evening as we waited for our dinner reservation at the tasty Fulton's Crabhouse to come. In the meantime, we shopped. A lot. Including at the amazing Lego store (the girl next to Amber is made of legos!). The kids have been playing non-stop with the legos we bought there since we got home.

We spent the morning at the newly re-vamped World of Tomorrow in Epot, where there were a ton of hands on activities for kids.

As well as a ride in The Land about conservation. I was drooling over their fancy greenhouse things they were doing. What a cool way to grow lettuce!

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Disneyworld Trip: Hollywood Studios

08/01/08

I don't have many pictures from Hollywood Studios to post. This place has a bunch of rides and it's hard to take pictures during that. Esp during the Rockin' Rollercoaster that goes from 0-60 in, like, 2 seconds. I love that ride.

At the entrance:

These aren't statues, there were really guys walking around as stormtroopers. Carter was scared of them, but agreed to stand there so I could take a picture (look at his face! "Mom, are you sure this is ok? These kinds of guys are mean, aren't they?")

And Carter on a speeder. This place was heaven for him. We got him a Star Wars t-shirt here that says "Rebel Alliance" and had to spend time explaining what that means. Haha.

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Disneyworld Trip: Magic Kingdom

07/30/08

Our longest day was the second day. The Magic Kingdom opened early for those staying in a Disney resort so we get there at 8am and stayed there through the night fireworks until 11pm. It was a long day, but the kids loved this park the best. Their favorite rides were here (Amber's was the Thunder Mountain Railroad and Carter's was Space Mountain). We did several rides twice, here.

One of the few pictures with me in it:

The jungle cruise ride:

The Buzz Lightyear ride was way fun. You got to shoot things from your little vehicle.

And, of course, the carousel:

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Disneyworld Trip: Animal Kingdom

07/29/08

We just got back from our fabulous Disney vacation last night. This week I'll post pictures.

Today's feature is the Animal Kingdom. It has some fun rides and shows, including the new Expedition Everest rollercoaster that Carter loved (it was a great ride!).

There was a walking tour of some of the animals, including tigers and other African beasties.

Carter played with everything he could get his hands on.

The Safari ride was the first we took and there were lots of animals to see.

There was a petting zoo with goats and sheep. Carter loved the baby goats.

Unfortunately Animal Kingdomw as cut short that first day due to a thunderstorm late in the afternoon (we came back on Sunday to finish off the rides before we went back to finish Epcot). Fortunately, I was prepared with ponchos for everyone. Although they took up a lot of room in my purse, they were worth of the effort of toting around. They came in handy often. The tropical storms off the coast proved to be a nuisance, but it wasn't too bad with a couple of late afternoon thunderstorms we waited out in our cozy hotel room.

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Camping with Grandma & Grandpa

07/21/08

We found a Geocache not far from where we were camped.

Trial Lake in the Uinta Mountains

Roasting marshmallows

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