Tantalizing reads

I am a girl with many love affairs. ...of course number one is my husband. ...then there are Sunday afternoons, perfect rainstorms and flip flops in the summer, just to name a few. And right there at the top of the list are delectable books. You know the kind I mean... the ones that you can't quite put down, even though there are a million more important things that you need to be doing at that exact moment. These are the ones I have a "love affair" with. When I read a good book it's like something fills up inside me and I melt away with the words, leaving behind any unimportant, stressful or mundane thing that would usually tempt my time. These are the books that I finally put down at night because I absolutely MUST go to bed... but after twenty minutes of thinking about it I have to sneak out to the couch so I don't wake Ben, just to catch a few more pages. Lately I have found a few of these treasures. Be careful not to mistake me. I'm not talking classics like The Catcher in the Rye or Lord of the Flies, literature whose purpose undoubtedly is to start your mind wheels turning in an effort to make you a more intellectual and aware person. No, these books are simply to sit back, relax and enjoy yourself for a moment. So if you're like me and absolutely can't pass up a good book, try one of these out. I hope they're as delightful for you as they were for me!

The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins. Definitely an easy read, but the plot is amazing! It's the future of North America, where children's names are drawn annually and the winners are forced to participate in the Hunger Games. The sole objective of the games is to be the last one alive. This one actually does get those little thinking wheels turning... and if you have teenage siblings they're going to love it too.

Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games. The third one is due out next summer and I'm anxiously waiting!

Perhaps you've recently seen the previews for the movie The Lightning Thief? Well here's the origins, the first in a five book series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Also easy, humorous, and a really fun story. It's Greek mythology in present day as the mortal children of the gods are on a quest to save the world. Narrator for the story? None other than the son of Poseidon, Lord of the Sea.

Book 2 is The Sea of Monsters; 3 is The Titan's Curse followed by 4: The Battle of the Labyrinth. And my favorite? Book 5: The Last Olympian. Definitely loved this whole series.

Of course all those fun fictional works have to be grounded with a historical fiction intermission from one of my favorite authors of all time. Gerald N. Lund's newest book The Undaunted is wonderful. Not quite as good as The Kingdom and the Crown or The Work and the Glory, but still really good, and I learned a ton about a set of pioneers that I knew nothing about! It tells about the story of the Hole in the Rock pioneers and their amazing journey to the San Juan.

College Graduate!

May I present to you my sweet husband who is, as of December 11, 2009, a graduate of Weber State University! I'm so proud of him and we're so excited he is done! Plans for his MBA are in the near future, but we'll enjoy the break while it's here! Just before graduation, his boss came to him about an opening doing something a little different in the company. We were so excited; when a similar position had been open a few months earlier we'd considered him applying for it, but just didn't feel that it was time since he was still working part time while in school. The timing this time around couldn't have been more perfect and we feel certain that the Lord is watching over and blessing us. It's a new and exciting opportunity for him and he's doing great. He now sells signs for businesses, yes that's right... signs, billboards, you got it. It's a job full of opportunity and hard work and although we were a little nervous we are excited that the door was open for him. And now, a view of Ben the graduate:

Congrats, Babe!

Then of course I haven't posted ANY of our Holiday happenings around here, but they were busy, and they were the most MAGICAL and WONDERFUL time of year! This year our families ate their Thanksgiving feasts about three hours apart, so we were able to eat turkey dinner in Layton with much of my in-laws and then we made the drive down to Cedar Hills where we arrived in time to eat pie at my parents' house. It worked out perfectly and was so much fun. Christmas time is our favorite... the decorations were up well before Thanksgiving even arrived, and the Christmas music and cinnamon scents filled the house, making it deliciously magical. We spent Christmas Eve making candy and treats with my family... my twelve year old nephew Brayden even donned an apron and made the divinity with my mom! We got back by ten and then it was sweet dreams for me, since I had to work on Christmas morning. I worked from 5 til 11, and consoled myself with the thought that Ben would stay in bed til at least 830 and then he'd only have to spend a few waking hours alone on Christmas! But bright and early, 530 am to be exact, our DARLING nieces called and wished him Christmas cheer! Luckily work was slow enough that I got to receive my Christmas call as well. After that, Ben decided to go watch his nieces and nephew in Farmington open their presents and have a big breakfast with them. Once I got home we opened gifts and spent the rest of the day with family. Of course it was wonderful and full of goodness and cheer. We were so sad when it was all over! But of course there was the New Year celebrations with family and now we have a whole year to work on all of our resolutions! I will say I have actually made some, which is really a new experience for me! Let's hope I'm not a statistic that gives up by February 1st!