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In case you have been wondering where I am...I have moved over to the Instagram world.  Come find me!  I post almost every day, but rarely get on this blog any more...obviously.
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Neighborhood Christmas Activity

We have a local shopping center just behind our house.  Every year they shops in the center have a big Christmas celebration.  Every business has a different activity for the kids, free goodies, and treats.

Since we live away from family and we don't get to participate in family Christmas parties.  It sometimes doesn't feel like Christmas with out all of the traditional parties and celebrations.  We have tried to make our own special traditions.

A Papa Murphey's just opened in the shopping center and were giving out all kinds of goodies and coupons.  Yum!

A hair salon was putting chalk in kids hair.  Grant didn't want any color in his hair, but Celeste was cool with some fun pink in her hair.

One store had a real reindeer available to pet.  Celeste loves animals and thought the reindeer was really neat.

Another store had cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus.  Grant liked this idea except for the decorating part.  That kid!

The spa and pool business had ice fishing for the kids. Celeste just wanted the ducks and to play in the water.  Grant thought it was really fun.

We had our picture taken with a miniature horse.  I think I have an animal lover!

We waited in line to see Santa.  It was a really long line, but worth it.  Santa was really neat and actually talked to the kids about what they wanted.  He was a cute Santa.  Grant was a great sport and sat on his lap and told him everything he wanted.

Celeste on the other hand....

For the Birds

We stayed home for Thanksgiving this year.  We knew we would be traveling to Utah for Cindy and Mark's wedding the next weekend.  We had a delicious and quiet dinner with just our small family.  It was amazing!

Later in the weekend we went out my friend and colleague, Michelle and husband Peter's, house to see some pigeons and chickens.  Celeste is OBSESSED with birds and thought she had died on gone to heaven when she could sit on the ground with the chickens.  Celeste had fun feeding the chickens.  She couldn't get enough of it.

Then Peter let out the roller pigeons.  Grant thought it was so cool.  The pigeons started flying and after a few minutes they started "rolling" by doing back flip in the air.  It was really pretty awesome.  Even Kyle thought it was neat and he can be a tough crowd to please.  

Celeste was nervous to pet the bird, but she was all smiles and giggles. 

Grant was honored to get to hold one of the pigeons.  When he was done holding the bird he just let it fly away.

The Seamstress

By: Sara Tuvel Bernstein
4 of 5 stars

	This book was fantastic! A great story told in a fabulous way! I love how Sara tells her story. She is such a powerful person with so much optimism it is contagious! If you liked The Hiding Place or Unbroken you would probably like this book.  The book is clean. No swearing or sexual references. I would highly recommend this book!

Mr. and Mrs. Maybury

I got these pictures a few months after the wedding any way,  and then I have just been super busy.  I finally would like to share them.

It was fun to be part of the brides maids.  I got to be in the bride room with Karlee before the wedding.  It was fun just watching her get ready. She looked so beautiful!

Celeste was a flower girl.  She threw some petals on the ground until she rounded the corner of the building.  When she saw everyone looking at her she gave up the flower petal throwing and just smiled and waved. 

Grant did a really good job pulling the wagon.  He was a little nervous, but still did a great job.  No one was really watching him anyway.  Everyone was busy waving at Celeste!

After the ceremony we all danced down the aisle.  We felt a little goofy!

Chris was married on Irene's birthday!

The entire wedding party!

9-11: A New Meaning

Remember how a few months ago I mentioned something the happened, but I wasn't willing to talk about it.  Well, I am ready to talk about it.  I finally wrote this big awful event down in Celeste's Journal so I don't forget it.

It happened on September 11.  A day I was never going to forget.  An already emotionally charged day for a lot of people, and now very much a day I will really never forget for another reason.

Here you go:

My friend Melisa came over today.  I promised I would help her cut out material for a quilt.  She brought over her girls and Celeste was in heaven.  We started cutting and the girls were just playing in the toy room.

After a while I asked Auna if she could bring over her cutting tools so we could both cut.  Then we could get the fabric cut out a little faster.

Auna brought her tools over and stayed for a minute to talk.  Melisa’s husband had just found out he was getting laid off from his job and she was pretty upset.  The girls were playing on the stairs and the toy room.  We had our eye on them, but after a few minutes we realized Celeste was missing.  

I went upstairs thinking she was probably playing in the toilet or shut herself in a closet.  Melisa looked around downstairs.  Auna noticed my front door was open and went and checked outside.  

After a minute or two we still couldn’t find Celeste.  Auna came back in to see if we had found her.  She said she had looked in her yard, but was going to go over to the other neighbor’s yard.  

Melisa and I kept looking in the house.  Melisa asked me if I was starting to get worried and I said, “yes a little bit but I am sure she is around her somewhere.  I really doubt she is outside.”

Just then Auna came in the house holding a very dirty Celeste.  Auna was very upset and near tears.  She said when she went out to look for Celeste again a construction worker was coming down the alley way holding Celeste.  He wanted to know where her parents were.  He told Auna he has just found Celeste crawling around in the middle of McMillian Road.  Auna said she knew where Celeste belonged and thanked him for rescuing her.  

As Auna is telling me all this I become upset as well.  So many thoughts are going through my head.  There is a ditch right next to the road.  Celeste could have fallen in and drowned.  She was in the middle of the road.  What if a car hit her?  What if someone had just taken her?  

All day I hugged Celeste a little closer and said many prayers of gratitude for her safety.   I was grateful for Auna for being outside and finding her.  I felt horrible all day!  I felt like such a horrible parent and felt so much guilt.  I just felt so awful.  

When Kyle came home I didn’t want to retell the story, but I did.  I will be honest though, I thought he would have been less upset than he was.  I already felt guilty and he didn’t help my feelings.

Then as we are just finishing dinner there is a knock on the door.  There in full uniform is a local police woman.  She said she wanted to just make sure Celeste was ok.  But she gave me quite the interrogation.   She asked me lots of questions and made me retrace my steps.  She informed me that I could’ve been charged with a felony if it was her who had found Celeste.  I felt very vulnerable and almost attacked.  I began to cry and right then Celeste, who had been playing with the light switch on the stairs, falls down the stairs and I barely catch her.  I swear the officer was ready to arrest me right then and there.  

The officer eventually left, but boy was I distraught!  I was annoyed that Kyle didn’t stand up for me.  He just stood there in the kitchen watching the whole thing. I was upset with myself.  I was angry with Celeste for crawling away!  I was mad at the man who rescued Celeste for calling the cops.  

It took me a long time to calm down.  I ended up calling Melisa, Auna, and Erin and told them what happened.  After venting and after they each consoled me a little I felt a little better about things. 

I didn’t tell anyone else for about a week.  I am hoping that one day I will be able to laugh about this.

Her Mother's Hope

By: Francine Rivers
4 out of 5 stars

Oh how I loved this book! It was such a well written book. I read some reviews that complained about the authors inability to expand on major events in history and instead goes into details about the characters lives. I have to say I like the approach. I can read millions of books written on WWI or WWII. I can read all about the hardships the Japanese Americans experienced in other books. I liked how the author didn't get distracted and stayed focus on the main characters' lives and hardships. 

I am in love with Hildie, Marta, Bernie, Trip and all the other characters! They feel like real people with real lives. I have to keep reminding myself they aren't real.

I love the Christian references throughout the book. I don't think the author goes overboard, but makes it very clear how much religion is a part of this family's life.  

I could relate to so many parts of the story. Marta in particular reminds me of my own mother.  

I am only giving this four stars because I didn't like how it left me hanging. I know there is a sequel, but I don't like it when there is so much left unsaid at the end of a book.  

Clean read! Highly recommended!