Happy Valentine's Day from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood 2013

The Death of Romeo and Juliet by John Everett Millais, 1848

I'm going back to the Pre-Raphaelites for my Valentines art piece this year. It's just not Valentine's day for me without the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. I think the Pre-Raphaelites are definitely the art worlds equivalent of Valentine's day - sappy, sweet, romantic, and yes even cliche, but is that wrong?? I say not at all. There is nothing wrong with a little cheesy every now and then... And actually this piece by Millais feels a lot more moody and full of pathos than your typical sweepingly romantic Pre-Raphaelite piece.

How often do you see this particular part of Romeo and Juliet focused on in painting, illustration, or literature? Seriously, this is pretty depressing, after the double suicide, but from an art point of view it's so interesting. Way to go John Everett Millais for taking us to this scene. I feel like I'm looking at a Baroque work of art, and that is a compliment. The colors are dark, the mood is not just melancholy, but painfully sad. The reality is that Romeo and Juliet is a horrible tragedy. So many young lives are cut short in this much beloved play and this painting takes a look at the aftermath. A young man (maybe Balthazar) holds back a crowd of awe-struck onlookers on the right. The group in the middle is focused on the man in yellow holding up Romeo's empty vial of poison as they huddle around the bodies of the young lovers. Juliet's mother and nurse cradle her body as she lays over Romeo. To the left the 2 men comforting each other are Capulet and Montague, the fathers. The Prince stands on the far left ready to give the final verdict/speech of the play. It is such a sobering scene. It puts all the talk of endless love - "eyes look your last, arms take your last embrace"- in perspective as you look at the consequences and those left behind to feel the pain and sorrow of Romeo's and Juliet's final act. I really love that Millais is taking this story and giving us the real feelings and pain behind the words. Much like actually seeing the play acted out. It doesn't seem 1 dimensional at all to me, but fully fleshed out and vibrant in its sadness. I really like this painting - remembering that "sad is happy for deep people".

And on the subject of Romeo and Juliet and Valentine's day - have you seen Warm Bodies?? Oh my, it is such a good movie. I know it's not surprising that I'm going to bat for a zombie movie, but really it's a wonderful take on Romeo and Juliet. There is even a balcony scene. It is awesome and surprisingly sweet. I love R (that's the zombie's name and the girl's name is Julie - see!). Go see it for Valentine's day! Or if you aren't a zombie fan at least get it from Red Box when it comes out - it's worth the dollar.:) Happy V day!

The Books I Read in 2012

I read some really great books last year. Were there some stinkers? Yes. But by and large I really liked my 2012 books. Keep in mind that the majority of these books were read pre-baby, but I'm getting back to reading now and it is making me so happy. Books are great aren't they?!

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Ok wow, it is hard to start right off with this one, but I must. So I know that this is not a book for everyone. Please don't judge me... It has some truly awful and inappropriate parts, which is why I decided not to read the rest of this series, but despite it's faults this was a well crafted, well written, intelligent, thrilling, page-turner of a book. I could not put it down. Lisbeth is a complicated and intriguing character and I love that she is more of an anti-hero. I like anti-heroes sometimes - I find it refreshing and sometimes makes for some good story telling.

2. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
This is a middle-grade fiction about slavery in NYC during the Revolutionary War. I really liked it. I had never read a book from this point of view (a slave girl) at this place in time. It was a quick, good read.

3. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
I reread this one for a book club I hosted and I still really like it. It's pretty believable for a post-apocalyptic story. It's told from the point of view of a somewhat whiny teenager, but all and all I think it's a good read.

4. Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpac
Here comes the fluff. So this is a Mormon murder mystery novel. Ha! It is not all that well written, but it is funny and there's some cute little twists along the way. Sadie (the main character) is far from Ms. Marple, but she likable enough and I needed a mindless read. Sometimes that's ok. Oh, did I mention there is a recipe for every chapter. Ha again!

5. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
I read this one before going to see the movie. (I really liked the movie!) This is a disturbing little horror story to say the least. It reminded me of The Turn of the Screw. The Woman in Black is a super scary/nasty character - her description alone is pretty gross, but actually as a whole the book was more disturbing than scary if that makes any sense.

6. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
Reread this one for a book club my friend Ganelle hosted. It was a great discussion! In re-reading it I did notice just how crass Elna can be, but if you can forgive that I think her struggles are thought provoking and she is hilarious.

7. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
I am a big Susanna Kearsley fan! I think her books are romantic and lovely. This one reminded me of Somewhere in Time. Yes, there is time travel, but it's actually well written and the characters are great. I loved it.

8. Matched by Ally Condie
This is yet another young adult dystopian fiction. Am I a fan? Not really, but Sophie really liked this book and I can understand why it's popular. Can I just say that I'm a little tired of this genre and I think this sanitized story just skimmed the surface of what it could have been. Maybe that's the point, I don't know. The Giver (still YA fiction) is a better choice if you want to delve a little deeper, though I don't really like The Giver either. I was not of fan of the love triangle (I don't see why Ky is so cool). That said, I did go on to read Crossed and I'll probably read Reached just to see what happens - so I guess the story pulled me in enough.

9. Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond
I read this one again for a Valentines Day read and I loved it the second time. It's just a sweet love story and it's very funny. Isn't this suppose to be a movie soon?? I hope they get on that.

10. Crossed by Ally Condie
So like I said the story did pull me in enough to read this one. I thought the subject matter was treated too lightly. If people are dying there should be some real emotion/feeling before moving on to the next plot point. It was all too sanitized and easy. More struggle. More thought. More conflict. I should just shut up. It's quite popular. I'm being too picky.

11. The Bake Off by Beth Kendrick
See who am I too criticize Crossed for not being meaty enough when I go off and read fluff like this? This book is about 2 sister coming together after years of misunderstanding to be partners in a bake-off. It's kinda funny and it was amusing to read about the cut-throat behind the scenes of a baking contest. I wonder how true that is?

12. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
I look forward to every Sophie Kinsella novel because I know it will be a fun ride. This one was not a disappointment - totally fun and romantic. All of Kinsella's heroines remind me a little of Lucy from I Love Lucy. Great read (but don't expect Hemingway or anything - it's a comedic chick-lit book).

13. Every Secret Thing by Susanna Kearsley
So this book is the exception to my Susanna Kearsley adoration. I ordered this book from a seller in the UK because it's unavailable here and I kinda figured out why. It was not very romantic and was very very slow. I'm going to stick to the ones they are putting out every 6 months here in the US, because those are her romances and they are lovely.

14. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
I read this one for a book club and I had forgotten how good it is. I really love the voice and I really felt something for all those greasers. It made for a very good discussion too and I rewatched the movie which was fun times. Stay gold Ponyboy.

15. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I reread all of these before seeing the movie and was so glad I did. Now this is a YA dystopian fiction series that I love!

16. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

17. Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins

18. Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
This should be called "Midnight in Bronteland" because the characters were a lot more Bronte-esque; which I thought was great! Very much like Austenland, but a little slower with a murder mystery thrown in. Fun times. I liked it.

19. Manhunt : The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson
This book was so slow and dry. I think the author could have really tightened it up to make it better, but it was a really interesting subject. I learned a lot about finding John Wilkes Booth and what a whack job he was (not exactly how the author put it). He really thought he would be a hero. It was interesting to find out about all the people along the way involved in the assassination and their trials, etc. Interesting, but super slow.

20. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
I really like Kate Morton and I really liked this book. I liked the World War II setting and I loved reading about these 3 sisters and their relationships. It was a beautifully written book. I just love Kate Morton's style. The House at Riverton is on my to-read list.

21. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Whoa, this was an unforgettable book. It is hard to imagine one person, Louie Zamperini, surviving so much. I would be thinking to myself, "well it can't get worse than this" and then it would. This poor man and really anyone who was in a Japanese POW camp. It made me so grateful for those who have given so much in service to our country. This really is a must read.

22. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
This is the first in a very popular series called The Dresden Files. I read it for a book club and though it was a fast, entertaining read, it really wasn't my particular cup of tea. I guess I'm just not a fan of the main character, Harry Dresden. I thought he/the author was a little sexist and I didn't like the treatment of female characters. That kinda stuff bugs me. Sorry if you are a fan!

23. The Ladies Auxillary by Tova Mirvis
This is one of my favorite books for a book club. Though this book centers around a tight knit Orthodox Jewish community in Memphis, it is so relatable to me as an LDS woman. In every ward I've every lived in there have been similar issues to the ones brought up in this book - I think everyone knows a Mrs. Levy. I also love revisiting this book because I love the insular world that Tova Mirvis creates. I love language of the book and how each character is complicated and real. It's just a very satisfying book on so many different levels.

24. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (I hope that's a pen name.)
This is a quirky little young adult fiction and of course the ending was left wide open to make it a series (I hate that), but it was actually kinda fun. I liked the premise and the creepiness of it all. Yes, I am a weirdo. All through out the book there are these real, bizarre, old pictures, which the story rotates around. So odd. Good kind of odd. I don't know if I could make it through a whole series, but for one book it was great.

25. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Hahaha! I bet you thought I would read this book! And the most wonderful part of reading this book was that I started way back when I was reading Manhunt (a total non-fiction about Abraham Lincoln) and I would confuse the parts in this book with that book. I would be thinking, "but how can that be when he was off killing that vampire..." Whoops!! It was awesome!! I wish I could read a vampire book based around a real person every single time I read a non-fiction! Ok, for the actual book I must say it was just what you would expect. It was pure silliness and I loved it.

26. Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
I think this is my 2nd favorite Susanna Kearsley (1st going to Winter Sea). It is lovely and romantic. I think that is exactly how I described The Rose Garden! Really if you want a nice escapist romance this is the book for you. One of my favorite books of the year.

27.The Outside World by Tova Mirvis
After reading The Ladies Auxiliary again I wanted to reread this one. I just love the world that Tova creates in her books. Admittedly this book is not as powerful to me as The Ladies Auxiliary, but it's still good and I really like the main character Tzippy. She's relatable and her voice is great.

28. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory
I had read a few Phillipa Gregorys but hadn't read her most famous - this one. So I read it. I can see why it is her most popular. It is well written, but wow it's kind of awful. The way these women were used as pawns by the men in their lives was hard to read. And well Henry VIII was just horrible wasn't he?! Every time I read a historical fiction about women I am so glad I live now.

29. The Lady of the Rivers by Phillipa Gregory
I thought I would read another one after The Other Boleyn Girl and I really liked this one. It is very different from The Other Boleyn Girl. The main character, Jacquetta, through a complicated set of circumstances, has a lot more power and control over her life, which made it easier to read. If you want a gentler Phillipa Gregory book this is a good one.

30. The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
This book is the sequel to Life As We Knew It, dealing with post-apocalyptic New York City. It's told from the point of view of Alex Morales, another teenager like in Life As We Knew It, but Alex has a much tougher voice. He's angry all the time and it was much harder to deal with him as the main character and the subject matter was a lot tougher too. More dead bodies, more sickness, more horribleness in general. So yeah, I didn't like it as much as Life As We Knew It, but it was believable as awful as that is.

31. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
I decided to read this again on July 31st for Harry's birthday. I'm silly like that. I love this book so much, though, from an adoption stand point, it is so not a good kindred adoption story. It's interesting how your perspective can shift. Still love it though.

32. Bring Back Beatrice by Jennifer Griffin and The Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg
I'm grouping these together because they were read simultaneously and thoroughly. From August through September you could find any member of my family (my 3 older kids included) sitting on the couch reading these books. We named our sweet baby Clara which was #228 in the US in 2009, #1 in France in 2008, and in the catagories "Ladies and Gentlemen", "Antique Charm", and "Nick-name proof" (we call her Clara-Beara and Baby Cakes :)). Clara is "feminine and traditional" and "trim and cute but every inch a lady". Love it!

33. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
This was a definite favorite from 2012. So cute and sweet. It's a regency romance using modern language so it's basically mind-candy. Great fun!

34. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
After reading Edenbrooke I craved the real thing so I picked up Pride and Prejudice. Seriously, isn't this book just a dreamy classic?! I love Mr. Darcy. Adrian knows and he's ok with it.:)

35. Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden
Alright the regency romances stopped with this one. It was a stinker if there ever was a stinker. The story behind picking this one up was that I went to a Seagull Book store when I was in Utah. I was in great need of a fluffy escapist book and the sales clerk told me this was a great book, "Even better than Edenbrooke!". I think she was smoking crack. This book was painful and not to mention it was horribly sexist. Not in a Phillipa Gregory sort of way, pointing out the sexism of the time, but sexist in that the main character was weak and wanted to be dominated. (I'm not talking 50 Shades or anything though, this is a very clean LDS romance and for the record I have not read 50 Shades, I've just heard.)Yuck! Not my kind of book.

36. Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
Yes, again I'm a fan. This one is set in modern Scotland and has an archaeological dig in it... and a ghost. Still romantic and lovely, but in a subtler way. Not a sweeping love story. I did really like reading about the archaeological excavation and I liked the main character Verity. Her love interest, Davy, on the other hand was not quite as studly (did I really just use that word??) as the guys in Mariana, The Rose Garden, or Winter Sea, but that's ok. It was still a good read.

My goodness it seems like I read a lot of period romances! Some were so good!! My favorite books of the year were Mariana, Pride and Prejudice, Edenbrooke, and Unbroken. I would recommend them all. As far as goals for 2013 (I never seem to carry through on these book goals, but I'm gonna try) I want to finally read Gone With the Wind. It's been sitting on my to-read shelf for years and I need to buckle down and get it done. Other than that I'm excited for another Susanna Kearsley, The Firebird, which will come out in June, and Death Comes to Pemberly which I plan to read soon. Here's to happy readings in 2013!

And Now for December

I'm still counting it a victory that I'm posting about Christmas in January. Sure it's the 15th of January, but that's okay. Life is busy. Wonderful, but busy.

I think we Decembered quite well. We did simplify a lot, with our new little Baby Cakes being only 2 months old, but we managed to do all the traditions that really mattered and we had a wonderful Christmas time.

Clara started smiling all the time and that was a serious highlight of December. Half the time she still sticks out her tongue when she smiles, either that or its a big wide-mouthed-gummy smile. Heart melting! We love it!!

Sophie, Nina and I posing before going to the Nutcracker. It's our Christmas girls' tradition and we went out to eat at Mimi's Cafe (we thought it was girly) and then had a great time at the ballet. We went to a local production which is just perfect, for right now, but next year Sophie and Nina have said they want to go to the Colorado Ballet Nutcracker in Denver - I think Nina's attention span is almost there. We look forward to Clara being able to go with us in a few years. Nina really wants to be in The Nutcracker someday and for days after going she was twirling around humming the music. So cute.

We got dressed up in our new Christmas outfits for church. Clara was okay for the first pictures, but by the time we set up the camera timer to get all of us she had had enough. Oh well, at least it was documented. Can I tell you how happy it made me that I was able to find matchy Christmas outfits for the kids?! I didn't think it would happen, but yay it did.:)

On Christmas Eve we acted out the nativity play with the joy of having little Clara play baby Jesus, wrapped in a swaddling blanket I might add. Nina loved being Mary because she got to hold Clara. We get silly sometimes with the nativity play which makes it all the more fun. This time baby Jesus was presented with 3 Sonic Tots for the gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Every year it's a goal to find the funniest things to give baby Jesus. Here's who played what: Clara - baby Jesus; Nina - Mary and a wise man; Ben - Joseph and a wise man; Sophie - shepherd and a wise man; Jenni - angel, costumer, and director; Adrian - narrator, Herod, and donkey (poor Adrian :)).

We made Finnish Ribbon cookies. Traaaaaddddiiiiition! They are Santa's favorite cookie in case you didn't know.

The kids got new pajamas and we took pictures by the tree. Then the kids were off to bed. Clara was certainly getting tired.

Santa came and the Christmas bomb dropped. All the kids were so happy with what Santa brought them and all declared it to be the best Christmas ever.

And Clara was about the same size as her stocking which made us all giggle.

We had Christmas monkey bread, doused in a delicious sugary glaze, for breakfast and our traditional picnic by the tree for a late lunch. Christmas food is good! The rest of the day was spent relaxing and playing with new toys. We also watched Elf and A Christmas Story. It was a great Christmas day.

Two days after Christmas Ben turned 9! We went to The Hobbit as a family (Clara either watched the movie  happily or slept the whole time, it was great). Ben loved that movie and wants to go again. I think it helped that Adrian read The Hobbit to him last year. He got a new DS, some games for the DS, and Beyblades for his birthday. I can't believe he is 9!! It seems crazy to me that he only has 2 more years of elementary school. Where does the time go?

Clara turned 3 months old at the end of December. She is just the sweetest baby ever. When she looks at me with those big blue eyes I get misty. I really do. What a joy she is and how wonderful that I get to be her mom.

We celebrated New Years Eve. Sophie went off to a party shortly after this picture and had a great time while the rest of us had a Dr. Who marathon, played some games, and waited for midnight. Clara was in bed by 8 and Nina fell asleep by 8:30, but Ben actually stayed up. We toasted the New Year with Coke (a new tradition that I'm quite excited about:)) and Ben of coursed "yucked" when Adrian and I kissed.

Whew! Well that was our December and wrapping up of 2012. What a ride 2012 was for our family! A wonderful, unexpected, emotional, crazy, busy, joyful, beautiful year! Here's to a great 2013 ahead!

November Happenings

I know it's Jan. 2nd, and I am super far behind in posting, but here are some of our November happenings. Hopefully I'll get things caught up over the next couple of days...

Sophie got her braces off and the very next day Ben got his braces on. Wow, we are in for the long haul with Ben's orthodontia needs, but we love our orthodontist practice and some day we are sure he will have straight pearly whites just like Sophie.

We had a photo shoot for Clara's announcement and Christmas cards with my friend and awesome photographer Michelle. We love all the pictures she got, especially the sweet ones with all four kids - they were totally bribed and it worked! Smiles all around! And frozen custard afterwards.:)

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with a great Cajun turkey dinner with all the fixings, Rise of the Guardians movie watching, and yummy leftovers for days.

We decorated for Christmas with matchy matchy stockings! There was some homemade fudge enjoyed that night too and I think it was every one's favorite part.

Clara turned 2 months old and we can't believe how much she changed in 2 months! That is the beginning of some serious chubby cheeks there (they are so great and squeezable now!:)).

Happy Halloween!

Yay for Halloween, my favorite holiday! This year the kids all chose very different costumes, no family theme, but that's okay. Maybe next year. Sophie is a zombie (seems like our Walking Dead obsession has rubbed off on our oldest, though she has never actually watched the show) and her T-shirt is a torn up My Little Pony shirt that says "Ponies Forever" - for some reason I think that is the most awesome zombie shirt ever.:) Ben is a Gryffindor appropriately named Ben. Not Harry, not Ron or Neville. Ben. How I love my boy! Nina is Merida from Brave and she loves her costume including the wig and oh my goodness how adorable she is in it! I have a feeling we're going to be seeing Nina dressed up as Merida frequently now that this costume will be in our costume trunk. And last but certainly not least our little Clara is a lady bug. Seriously I could just eat her up - she is so cute!! Thanks to my friend Tracy for giving me this cute and cozy little sleeper costume at Clara's baby shower!

Well the chili is in the crockpot and the pumpkin seeds have been roasted so we are ready for a fun filled Halloween evening. Our family movie this year is going to be Goonies after the trick or treating. So I say bring on the Reese's peanut butter cups and Twizzlers. I'm looking forward to my share (commission) of the kids candy!!:) Happy happy Halloween!!!

Our Clara

Welcome home Clara Lily. We feel so happy and thankful to have this sweet baby in our family. We love you Clara!

June Days (the not so lazy days of summer)

Another month gone by with nary a post. I'm such a slacker. Or I've just been on Pinterest and food blogs waaay to much! Well here's another month in pictures. June was quite the busy month for us. Nina's ballet/tap recital, Sophie's girls camp, Ben's scout camp...  And of course keeping up with the kids' piano lessons, swimming lessons, and soccer games. Fun times.

I also instituted a summer learning program for the kids. Every week day, almost :), the kids have worksheets (I've been using Summer Bridge activity books for Ben and Nina and a Geometry workbook for Sophie), reading, and journal pages to complete. I made some punch cards and they get a hole punch once they've done their work. After 5 punches they get an agreed upon treat. We've had frozen yogurt, gone to movies, and this week they are working towards a trip to Krispie Kreme. It has been our most successful summer "mom school" yet. Yay. And the great part is that if they complain they don't get a punch. So I haven't heard any complaints. I think I'm sticking with this plan every summer.

Seriously, can this child get any cuter than in her ballet costume??!! I love it. The dance recital was all about Snow White. During her ballet dance her class danced with Snow White, and during her tap dance she was a little dwarf tapping around with the 7 Dwarfs. It was addddoorrrabbbllle!!!

From all accounts Sophie had a fantastic time at girls camp. She loves it every year. She is such a camper! And she loves staying up late laughing and talking with her friends. The theme this year was princesses and because of the new Brave movie with archery as a major focus, Sophie got to fulfill her Katniss dream of shooting with a bow. (She's the 5th one from the right in the picture.) She loved it. As a matter of fact she loved it so much that she talked her Dad into talking her to a place where they could shoot arrows together. (Honestly, it was not a hard sell as Adrian has Hawkeye dreams of his own.) As I write this she is at a bow hunting practice range shooting with Ben and Adrian having an awesome time. It will probably become a regular Saturday activity for them. My funny family. Hunger Games and Avengers has changed our lives, but as a plus we'll be good when the zombie apocalypse happens because bow hunting skillz seem to be a major plus in Walking Dead. Just to get one more geek reference in this paragraph - the Hobbit comes out in December!!Woot!

Oh how my boy loved Cub Scout camp. For 3 days he got to play games, do leather crafting (he made a new case for his DS), pan for gold, and revel in all things scouting. Everyday he came home so incredibly dirty - like Olympic gold medal in dirt dirty - though he does look kinda clean in those pictures. Rolling in mud must have been the next activity that day. I think he wishes scout camp could go on forever!

And last but not least, Father's Day. I must embarrass Adrian every year with a picture the moment after our children piled into bed and wake him up. He's a good sport. He is not allowed to take any similar pictures on Mother's day.:) We had a fun day on Father's day with presents (a new charcoal grill and some Eddie Bauer shirts - Adrian cannot have enough plaid shirts), church, ribs, pasta salad, and corn on the cob for dinner and fresh peach pie for dessert. Then we ended the day with a family movie night with Journey 2. We love you Adrian! You are the best husband and father!