June 14-19

6/19 Horseback Riding at the Hardy's

6/18 Caterpillar Capers Continued...

6/16 First Day at the Pool

6/15 Mexican Train on Father's Day

6/14 Cheering Dad Across the Finish Line

Brian did his first official bike race, the Tour De Cure in Brigham City. 70 miles later we were there to cheer him across the finish line!

June 9-12

6/12 Cookie Pizza for Cookie Thursday

6/11 Horseback Riding Lessons

6/10 Planting Tomatoes

6/9 Library Day

Dashing through the Daisies

6/8 A Sunday walk with Grandpa Ted

I love where we live! This is just down the "trail" from the house but it was no mere tiptoe through the tulips because 1)deer eat tulips and 2) our three girls don't tiptoe anywhere!

Little Red Riding Hood & the Big Bad Wolf

Another I DID IT!

Tee and I at the finish line with the Big Bad Wolf

Yesterday I rode in the Little Red Riding Hood Century, a women's only cycling event. I rode with my friend Tee, and even though we signed up for the 45 mile segment we decided to do the 60, and I completed it! I was in the saddle for just under 4:30, and I've decided that is a long time to be on a bike!

We started in Wellsville at 8:00 am and it was cold! About 45 degrees, we started off at a great pace and made our first rest stop in Newton about 17 miles down the road and just over an hour into our ride. After a quick stop we were back on our bikes and on to the next loop. The first three or four miles were a gradual uphill, and I had a hard time getting back into the rhythm of our first section. But then around mile 25 or so we had a fantastic downhill, always lots of fun. Of course we made up for it with a hard climb before we coasted in to lunch back at Newton around mile 33. I needed the rest and the calories. After lunch even though we were headed south again we were right into a pretty strong headwind and mile 33 to the rest stop at 41 was the hardest section for me. The wind finally dropped off again around 50 miles but as we looked back to see our lunch spot across the valley we could see it being drenched by rain. I think we rode around the storms all day, they always seemed to be about an hour behind wherever we were. Thank goodness! After another stop at about 54 miles we had a stong finish back in Wellsville. My friend Tee is awesome, she could have done the entire ride in a lot less time and yet she stayed with me and I had a fantastic time. She "pulled" me and a couple new found friends through the hardest part of the ride. I promise to practice more so I can repay the favor soon!

Tee and I at the finish line with our celebratory Martinelli's

The valleys we rode through were beautiful and green, the west side of the Logan Valley is just gorgeous! And the little towns we rode through were so picuresque and pastoral. I can't wait to try again next year maybe by then I'll be doing the whole century and taking a turn at the front!

I am a child of God

6/7 I am a child of God

Today the girls went with their primary to the I am a child of God exhibit at the Museum of Church History and Art. Sadie told me all about the "church mouse" that was hidden in one of the exhibits and Brin enjoyed the coloring. I think we'll have to go back together.

WebKinz World

6/6 Welcome to our new additions, Lucy, Hiccup & Blackie

Grandma Millie & Grandpa Ted are here to visit for a few days and Grandma took the girls to the store this morning to add to their webkinz collection. They were so excited! I have to add that I love the webkinz website. It is awesome for kids: pet care, games, mail to friends, a store where you can "buy" for your virtual pets with all the virtual money you earned playing games. And it's great for parents: kid and user-friendly and most importantly safe!

Cookie Wednesday & a Sleepover

6/5 Sleepover!

6/4 "Cookie Wednesday" an idea borrowed from our Beach & Bike family friends. Thanks guys!

Picnic on the Porch

6/3 Picnic on the Porch (what we did today instead of watching TV)

FAQ's

The three most frequently asked questions at my house:
1) Can I watch TV?
2) Can I play the computer?
3) Can we watch a movie in the car?

So...to avoid having to answer these questions more than 20 times a day we are making TV & computer rules. Right now that's one hour of TV and 30 minutes of computer a day, and no movies on car rides around town. But we will also be compiling a list of things to do besides the above 3 activities...Stay posted for our upcoming summer adventures...

6/1 Strawberry Jam

6/2 Catching Caterpillars

I promise there is one inside the jar. We found our new friends on a thistle plant outside the house. We're hoping that we might actually have a few chrysalis' in a few days. I'm going to have to do some research with Sadie and see how long that takes.

The Book Thief

Brilliant! Told from an extraordinary point of view, death was the perfect voice for this wrenching story. His wit, his frankness, and his asides were perfect companions to this carefully wrought novel. In the middle of the story he pauses to write and foreshadow,

"I'm spoiling the ending, not only of the entire book, but of this particular piece of it. I have given you two events in advance, becasue I don't have much interest in building mystery. Mystery bores me. It chores me. I know what happens and so do you. It's the machinations that wheel us there that aggravate, perplex, interest, and astound me."

How often in an English/Literature class have we heard the intoning voice..."now why did the author choose to use foreshadowing?" And we have the typical answers, to build suspense, to pique interest to frame the story...Here the author is blatant, I love how he admits that it's not so much the ending but all the little details in between. Draw your own life metaphors in the blank...

I have to admit I have a macabre fascination for Holocaust stories. I am haunted by WWII. By it's brutality, immensity and inhumanity. The Diary of Anne Frank, The Hiding Place, Night and Number the Stars are among some of my favorites, and The Book Thief now takes it's place on my list.

This was a fantastic book! But wait until you have a day or two blocked out to read, because once you find yourself inside this story you won't want to leave.