My Sister's Keeper

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was a little hesitant to read this book.  I even started it 2 different times.  I finally finished it and I liked it.
I liked the different perspectives this book is written from.  However, I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary swearing.  I think swearing, especially if its unnecessary, is a lack of creativity and the inability to express emotions using other more educated words.
I finished the book because it was interesting and brought up a very difficult issue.  It was really something to think about what is ethical.  I spent a lot of time pondering the issues this book arrises.  I would recommend this book, but not if you don't like swearing.  


View all my reviews

A Tricycle Made For Two

Grant is getting old enough to enjoy a trike.  We found this awesome one online for a sweet deal.  I love having a handle on the back to help push.  He can reach the pedals right now so I am thinking by summer he will really enjoy it.

Evy came up to visit and of course she wanted to ride the trike too.  They are both at almost 2 years old and both have some ego issues.  Instead of fighting or having to take turns we just threw Grant on the back and off they went.

I had my camera in "aperture priority" so when I tried to take these pictures one of them was always a blur.  Oops!  Note to self: when taking pictures of children riding around like crazy monkeys switch to "shutter priority."

Evy the blur.

Grant the blur.

Having fun!

They burned a lot of calories screaming with glee.  They wanted a snack.  Miss Evy who never eats a string cheese ate one for her Auntie.  Ha! She made everyone else a liar.  (Isn't that always how kids are?)

New Years Eve

For New Years Eve we had Kyle's family up to celebrate.  We had all been craving some of Cindy's amazing carmel corn.  So we made a HUGE batch.  It was so yummy.  There is nothing like warm gooey carmel corn.  It was nice of everyone to come up to our house so we didn't have to go any where. Little kids make it a little harder to be out so late.  Thanks for bringing the New Year with us!

A Child's Prayer

I have been trying to teach Grant how to pray.  It has been so sweet to listen to the things he prays for.  I usually help him start, "Dear Heavenly Father" then I ask him who he wants to pray for.  This is when it gets interesting.  We have prayed for Granny, Papa, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Evy, Trace, Daddy, Lee, Grandma, Chris, Mommy, Easton, Lightening McQueen, combines, tractors, and milk.  I let him pick a few things to pray for then I help him say, "amen."
Tonight I asked him if he was ready to say his prayers and this is what we got.
"ah-nee-ah-
Heny (heavenly) Fade (father) oh-ah-ee-ba-do- 
-here there is some giggling-
ham ber her (hamburger)
oh-ah waher (water) ah-oh  
hehu (Jesus) ah-ee  
ay may (amen)"

I couldn't help smiling.  In fact it was hard not to laugh.  He thought he was so funny.  I don't know why, but it was funny to him.  I thought it was the cutest thing ever.  I love how innocent he is.
At first I was a little embarrassed about the things he would pray for.  But then I realized that for him Cars, Elmo and Cookie Monster are his life.  He is grateful for them.  It doesn't matter that he prays for them.  This has been a good reminder for me that Heavenly Father knows us and loves us.  We only we get to know him by talking to him through prayer.  I am sure Heavenly Father has a sense of humor and loves the prayers from small children as much as I do.

Welcome 2010!

I am finally done with all of the Christmas posts.  I was excited to share all of our fun memories with everyone.  I am glad to get them all posted before January 25, that would have just been sad.
I am really excited for 2010.  I enjoy this time of year  because it is an opportunity to look back on the last year.  Many things have changed, some things are the same, and other things are done.  My goals for 2009 are not completely accomplished, but I did accomplish something.
I have worked super hard on not swearing.  It still slips sometimes, but I have a lot more control than I used to.  Curse words used to be some of the first words that came to my mind.  Now I don't even think about cursing.  It took a long time and a lot of self control.  I appreciate it when people don't swear around me and especially Grant.  I know it is hard and I try not to judge because Kyle still swears frequently.
My goal to not be pregnant the entire year of 2009 was a success.  I am not pregnant and I feel great!
I really tried to read the Book of Mormon and I was pretty faithful about it during the first part of the year.  I have really slacked off.  I also didn't get a chance to go to the temple every month.  It is really hard to go by myself.  If anyone wants to start going with me please let me know.  I would like to set a day every month to go.  Our ward temple night is on Fridays, and that is a hard day for us.  I would like a week day.
I have been thinking about this year and the things I would like to do this year.  I have felt like I have needed to do two specific things and so those will be my first two goals.

1. Get on Family Search and start doing some family history work
2. Hold family home evening every week
3. Share my testimony more often (to nonmembers and also my family)
The next goals are more personal improvement goals.

4. Run  a 10K
5.  Get a website up and running to help families with children who have special needs


I think this year will be great year!  I am excited for the many opportunities to come!

Christmas Second

My family stopped trying to celebrate Christmas on Christmas day.  So we celebrate "Christmas Second" aka "Boxing Day."  We had a great time.  The kids came in their jammies and ate cookies for breakfast.

All season long Grant has asked Santa for "tissues."  Since Grant wanted tissues Evy decided she wanted tissues too.  Santa of course brought Grant tissues but Uncle Trace and Aunt Sierra pulled through too.  Grant and Evy were so excited.  I think Grant used about 20 tissues in 15 minutes.  It was driving Papa crazy that he was 'wasting' so many good tissues.

Uncle Trace and Aunt Sierra also pulled through with the best Christmas gift ever.  These little 4 wheelers were a BIG hit.  Evy loved her's a lot and within 5 minutes she not only could operate the thing but was trying to do stunts on it.  Grant was a little more cautious, like usual, and wasn't nearly as daring.  

Later that evening we took the kids up to the church so they could have more room to drive.  Grant walked into the gym and saw the basketball hoops and that was all he wanted to do.  Bag the car he wanted to play basketball.  He did eventually get bored with the basketball because he couldn't make any baskets.  If only dad was about 6 inches taller.  Evy chased Grant around because she liked the cool spiders on his wheels.  What silly kids!  Thanks "Hace and Herra" for such great gifts!

Christmas Morning

Christmas was so much fun this year!  I have to agree with Sierra when she said that Christmas and kids go together.  I had so much fun celebrating.  In addition to seeing Christmas lights and making cookies I read Christmas stories to Grant every night.  He quickly recognized Santa and only wanted to read the pages with Santa on them.   Grant liked baby Jesus in all of the Nativity scenes.  I was really appreciative to Grant's sweet and innocent personality.  He reminded me that Christmas isn't about all the of the stuff, but rather the spirit of the season.

For example look at his face when he came downstairs on Christmas morning and saw the tree!

This is the picture of true joy.  Grant got a basketball hoop for Christmas.  We have had a Nerf one that just hangs on a door or chair.  It has been ducted taped many times to keep it from falling apart.  Grant loves basketball and so we invested in a higher quality hoop.  Kyle got him a couple of basketballs.  Grant would have been perfectly content if all he got was basketballs.  Look at his face!

Grant definitely got the concept of opening presents this year.  He thought everything was going to be a basketball or a car.  He would rip the gift open and sometimes he was a little disappointed when it was just clothes.  It was so much fun!

Temple Square

I love the holidays because it is a time to spend with family.  I love all of our family's traditions.  Kyle's family likes to go down and walk around temple square.  We enjoy seeing the beautiful lights.  I personally enjoy listening to the Christmas message from the prophet to all of the temple square guests.  The prophet testifies of Christ and the true meaning of Christmas. It is a good reminder for me.
Grant loved the lights this year.  He also really liked riding tracks to temple square.  It was pretty cold and we bundled him up really good.  The poor kid could hardly walk or move at all for that matter.  We were all reminded of the little brother off of Christmas Story who gets all bundled up and can't get up after he falls in the snow.

These all the Maybury boys with Cindy!  There is a pretty strong resemblance between the brothers.  They are all such handsome young men.  I love being a part of the Maybury family.

Here is our small family.

Camel Club

The Camel Club by David Baldacci
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was fantastic.  It interested me from the beginning. I loved the personalities of the men in the Camel Club.  It bothers me to read novels like this because I hope our government isn't as corrupt as these types of  books portray. I have a feeling it is though.  I can't wait to read the next book in the series.


View all my reviews

Sesame Street Live

Sesame Street Live came to SLC in mid December.  Grant loves all of the Sesame Street characters.  Cookie and Elmo are his favorite.  Just to give you an idea at how much he loves Sesame Street last Sunday in nursery they talked about how everyone is a child of God.  The coloring sheet was a picture of a little boy that said, "I am a Child of God" at the bottom.  When I went to pick him up his picture was colored in blue.  I told him he did a really nice job coloring and it looked really nice.  He looked at me, pointed at the coloring and then shouted, "COOKIE!"  So, in case any of you were wondering Grant has decided that Cookie Monster is a child of God.

It was a really neat show.  Grant loved it!  It was quite expensive so I don't think we will go again.  I also wish the characters went around the audience more.  They would come out to about the first 3 rows.  We were on row 12 and Grant really wanted to see Cookie Monster!

Christmas Cookies

It is not Christmas until you make sugar cookies.  I love making cookies and it is twice the fun now Grant is big enough to help.  I have to be in a good mood to do the cookie mess.  I know it will be a big fat mess and so if I am not prepared I get a little frustrated.  I wasn't prepared for this mess.  Look at all the sprinkles!  It was still fun!  I vacuumed 3 times and swept 4 times before I didn't get sprinkles on the bottom of my socks!