Corbin's First Year

Click here to view this photo book larger

Corbin's First Year

Click here to view this photo book larger

Corbin's First Year

Click here to view this photo book larger

Corbin's First Year

Click here to view this photo book larger

Corbin's First Year

Click here to view this photo book larger

hmmmm...

I'd like to say I've been busy the last year and that is why I haven't added to the blog, but the truth is I've just been lazy. I tried my hand at facebook and although it is great for keeping in touch with friends and neighbors, it just isn't as good or informative as the good ol' blog! So I am going back to the blogs --posting on my own as well as reading others. If you have a blog and I don't already view it, please send me an invite!

New mantra: Down with facebook, up with blogs.

January Book Journal

This year I am doing something a little bit different with my book journal. Usually I just write a short description of the book and/or how I liked it.

This year, in addition to the book description, I am keeping track of how many books I read and how many pages I read each month. I am pleased to say that I am already way ahead of my reading goal of one book per week. January totals: 12 books and 2634 pages.

I give kudos to the people in the reading group; they come up with interesting books to read! Some of which I literally could not put down. I pulled a couple "all-nighters" this month! There are seven people in the reading group now and each one picks a book for the group to read for the next month. Of course, not everyone can read all seven books, but there is at least one book that has been made into a movie which it is hoped that everyone will read. That way when we get together we have lunch, discuss the books, then watch a movie.

Believe it or not I hated reading as a child. I only read one book in high school and that was because I had to! Now I think what a waste of all those reading hours.

Happy February to everyone!

Parent Mandate: No Complaining or Crying Allowed!

At some point we parents have to let our child be an individual and express herself in her own way. Well, that's what happened today with Samantha. Okay, yeah, I know she is 22 and we've been letting her pretty much do what she wants since she was 15, but today we gave her a condition -- not on our love, but on what she did -- and that condition was... no complaining or crying about the consequence of her decision.








No more blond for Samantha! For years she has wished she wasn't a blond and today she actually did something about it. She absolutely loves the color of her hair. Hey, at least there was no complaining or crying and that makes us happy too!

Ya just gotta love Sam. She is so unpredictable, spontaneous, and full of fun and life!

P.S. It's not black; it's medium ash brown.

... what happens when you don't put a car into 4-wheel drive then go driving in a snow/ice storm ...

Dylan is a smart and talented young man. When he decides to do something, he gives it his all -- 100% -- nothing less.

That's also true when getting into car accidents. No minor damage only major damage in every way! That's right folks... one week before Dylan turned in his mission papers he totaled the Jeep.




Ta Da!








You can't really see the damage in the picture, but I think you get a good enough idea that the Jeep was not repairable. The car ended up partially on its side in a deep ditch so there was body damage: doors and back hatch won't open/close correctly, broken axel and brackets, etc... the list is as long as my arm.


Poor Dylan though. He feels so bad about this while Jeff and I can't stop laughing!
(We wanted to get a new car/truck/SUV anyway, but have been procrastinating. Now we HAVE to.)

.

And Yet Another Birthday Dinner!!!

Saturday will be the third birthday dinner party this month. Richard, my only great and wonderful son-in-law is turning 29 (yippee, bells and whistles the big 2-9!) on December 3rd, but because of his work schedule we are having his party a wee bit early. This dinner will consist of prime rib, baked yams, fresh out-of-the garden horseraddish (this is heaven on Earth--the only way to eat aged prime rib!), potato rolls, brussle sprouts (slightly steamed with lemon-still biteable), as well as other veggies. OMG this is making me hungry.

Happy Birthday Richard! We love you!

Hardware Removal Surgery - Andrea's Knee

On Monday Andrea had surgery to remove the screw that was put in her knee 18 months ago as part of her knee surgery. Luckily the surgery was nothing like her first. Last time during her post-op recovery period she was hallucinating horses and unicorns. This time a different med was used and it made her body itch--specifically her nose. She kept grabbing, rubbing, and scratching her nose like she wanted to rip it off. I thought it would be swollen, red, and bleeding by the time we left the hospital, but it wasn't--she is as cute as ever!

Her knee is a little bit swollen with a lot of bruising. The incision looks horrible and I think it will leave an ugly scar. You can't tell from the picture, but it is "T" shaped about 1 1/4 inches long and only held together by two large stitches.

First Fish

Sammy and Robert went fishing in Wyoming yesterday and Sammy caught her very first fish, and it's a big one!

Book Update

Week 45 and I just finished book 53!

.

Here's the picture of Dylan's Birthday Dinner
I promised to show you.

Yummy!

Another Birthday -- Another Special Dinner!

Last week was Dyl's b-day and special dinner; this week is Robert's b-day and special dinner. Yum!

Robert's dinner request -- calzones. I've been checking various recipes and concluded the best way to do this dinner is to have a "buffet" of prepared ingredients that way everyone can make their own specialized calzone. Yum Yum!

Kind of makes you wish you lived in Powell-land doesn't it!
Yum Yum Yum!

Happy Birthday Robert!!!!!!!

.

Contortionista Kitty!

Sammy's little "Wink" sleeps in the weirdest positions.
Just looking at her hurts!

Happy 19th Birthday Dylan

One family birthday tradition we have is the birthday person gets to choose whatever he/she wants for dinner. You would think Dylan, being the typical boy that he is, would want tacos or pizza. No, not our Dylan. He wanted a combined Chinese/Japanese dinner including Orange Chicken, Tiny Spicy Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, low-mein, rice, and a full-out sushi bar! Everything home-made of course! (I'll add picture of food later.) I forgot to mention dinner was for only 17 people this time! (I'm getting really good at banquet-size cooking!)


Dylan is all "Bro."

Dylan talking with his long lost mysterious Aunt Kim!

Happy 19th Dylan -- We love you!

.

There are Pumpkins, Then There are PUMPKINS!

This year was definitely the most fun Jeff's had carving pumpkins.

He has wanted to do special pumpkins for years. This was His year!

Jeff and Robert busy carving pumpkins.

Believe it or not they didn't make a mess of the kitchen!

(I got out of helping with pumpkins this year

because I was busy putting the final touches on Robert's costume.)

My favorite: "Barbie-Eating Monster"

I thought parents would be upset by this one;

especially the ones with really young children,

but only a few people even commented on it.

Jeff's favorite: "Crying Baby with Poopy Diaper"

Parents asked if they could take pictures of this one!

This "Alcoholic Pumpkin" got the most comments - good and bad!

Some people just can't take a joke or maybe it's just Utahns

(Utards as Kim says).

Yes, after 30 years living in Utah I still consider myself a

New Yorker through and through.

You can take the girl out of New York,

but you can't take the New York out of the girl!

Jeff with all the pumpkins he and Robert made.

They also made a "Punk Mohawk Boy," "Pirate,"

and "Crying Baseball Boy."

We would have liked to have Robert in the picture too, but he and Sammy were too busy winning First Place in Best Couple Costume contest at Sherwood Hills huge Halloween shindig. Okay, I guess we can forgive him this time!

All of us in Powell-land hope you had a fun Halloween!

46, 47, and counting!

Book number 47 done!

The Eyre Affair is 48th

Ahead of Schedule -- Yippee for me!

My life for the most part is boring. I don't keep a journal or a diary; that would just remind me about how boring my life is. What I do keep, however, is a book journal. I don't know why I started keeping one; it's like I woke up one day in 1994 and said, "I think I'll keep a log of all the books I read." Two years ago I lost the book journals. Well, at least I thought I did. Yesterday I found them tucked behind the photo albums on the bottom cabinet shelf. It has been fun to look at the list of books and reread some of the things I wrote about them. I can tell when I really liked a book because I would write, write, and write. The books that were so-so, sometimes just received a "meh."

My reading goal has always been at least one book a week. When the children were young that was achieved through our homeschool reading and educational materials. Okay, I know that is cheating, but at least I was reading something. Now that the children are out of the house during the day and I have lots of free time, I get to read more interesting material. This year most of my reading has been contemporary novels. That is something I thought I would never enjoy. I've tried to stay close to the classics, but recently have discovered I like a few of the newer authors too! Because of a very busy winter/spring I was unable to read my first book until April. Not a good start to my reading year! I am pleased to report, though, that I just finished my 45th book and it is the 43rd week of the year!

As always, all recommendations welcome.

.