Twilight

When I read the Twilight Series I was inspired, because I wasn't sure that a story of True Love would be accepted by an majority of the world.  And I glad that so many enjoyed a story that showed True Love and not just...well you know.  So many teen books deal with issues like homosexuality, teen pregnancy and sex out of wedlock.  It was so nice to read a book about LOVE.

Then I went to my favorite website, which I am even a moderator of, and most, if not all, the men are complaining about the Twilight Series!  Now, some of what they say is correct, 40+ women should not be chasing after 17 year old teen actors.  And I agree that it is a sickness of our society when people think that is acceptable behavior.  What bothers me is when they talk about "poor sentence structure and grammar."  And how Bella was a typical Emo teen.  And, at least, one person said these things and more had not ever read the books.  How frustrating is that!

For me the characters were realistic, enough so that I related to them and understood where they were and why they ended up where they did.

Another complaint was about the use of vampires.  They said "it's been done."  But not the way that Meyer did it.  Instead of the completely evil hell spawn, they were human with a circumstance and they had to choose what life they were going to lead.  Sounds a lot like real life and a lot different from the typical blood sucking vampire.

I think that the men who have issues with this story without ever reading it are only jealous.  Jealous that someone made it successful with a concept they thought had already been done to it's limits.  And they were proven wrong.  Oh, snap.

New Bedford

This past weekend we headed out to New Bedford to visit our bff's.  Suzanne and Roger and their three great kids!  We always have a good time visiting them.  Suz and J met almost 14 years ago when J started working at Polaroid.  When we met it was instant friendship.  And we have been best friends since we met.  We know we were bff's in Heaven before we were born.  Sometimes...who am I trying to kid....often, I wonder why I live here in MA, but then I remember my friends, like Suz & Roger, Erik & Carol, Sean & Carol, Josh & Janel, Bobby & Gail, Joe & Noel, Eric & Brooke, etc, etc, etc, and I know why I'm here.  (If I left your name out i'm sorry, I just can't list everyone who is special to me, but please know that I do love you and think of you and pray for you often!)  Add to that my family, Shari, Mike, Mel & Christian, TJ & Coe, plus the extended family...just too many to try to write, and I know I'm here for a reason and I'm in the right place.

Sometimes I wish I could spend more time with everyone, but then I'd never have time for my family.  But in about 11 years I will have time. (Madison will be 18)  Then I can hang out, talk on the phone, go to lunch, etc.

Suz, Roger, J & I will be taking a vacation in 20 years.  In 2030, we are going to go to Jamaica on an all expense paid vacation.  I'm going to start saving now.

So, here are some pictures of our "staycation."

 Left to right: Elise, Bailey, Suz, Adam & Madison

Adam and Madison throwing gang signs.

This is Destiny.  She just got her permit 7 days before we arrived.  She gets nervous when her parents are in the car with her because they get nervous.  So I went with her for a 2 mile drive.  She didn't know it, but I was nervous, but not knowing it she stayed calm and drove very well.  Once Taylor turns 14 I'm going to start her on driving lessons, in parking lots!  Don't worry your car is safe.  That way she won't be so nervous once she gets her license.  

Oh, and today is her 14th birthday.  But she isn't here.  She has youth conference for the weekend!  Her birthday party is on April 30th, so we'll do the whole bit then.

And the reason Taylor isn't in any of the pictures is because when we went to Suz & Roger's we dropped Taylor off at her cousins.

Birds of Prey

As part of homeschooling I joined a group called the FRC, Family Resource Center.  In doing so I get emails and discounts.  In these emails are offers for discounts on homeschooling activities.  Most recently we went to a Birds of Prey assembly.  There were about 40 kids present.  We got there early and were able to get front row seats!  We previewed the display table, which I didn't bother with pictures because everything was behind plastic and I'd never be able to hold still long enough for the exposure, because the lighting wasn't great. 

The kids got to see a Kestral, Perrigrin Falcon, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Turkey Vulture and a Golden Eagle.  All are native to Massachusetts.  The kids listened to the speaker and because we were in the front row they got a great view of the birds.

Great Horned Owl

Barn Owl

Kestral

Perrigrin Falcon

Turkey Vulture

Golden Eagle

The kids also got to discect owl pellets.  They got papers to write down facts they learned from the speaker.  It also had facts about the vairous bird on the back of the same page.  The papers they received also had images of the bones they may find in the owl pellets.  The kids are going to take the bones they found and glue them on to the skeleton paper so that they know what parts they have!  Fun!

At the end, the speaker talked about how much he loved speaking to home-school groups.  He said that everyone was so well behaved and polite.  He said that when he's at the public schools it's not so nice.  So kudo's to Jordan and Madison, because they were the only kids present that aren't homeschooled and he couldn't tell the difference.  Yeah, my kids are great, aren't they!

Summer in Spring

It's almost 90F outside and it is beautiful!  It reminds me of the summers of my childhood in California.  Low humidity and a wonderful breeze to cool you down.  The kids are outside playing in the sprinkler and the nieghbors are setting up their pools.  The kids decided to make a tsunami in the yrad.  So I had to go check it out.  They had dug into the lawn and made a dam which one of them (probably Madison) destroyed.

Ben is angry because he can't find the attachment to the pump.  He said just before I took this picture, Don't take my picture I'm not in the mood.  So of course, I took it anyway. 

I did some yard work, too.  I'm trying to get the yard into something I want to spend time in.  Though, with the mud puddles and holes it may not happen this year. 

Gingerbread Boy

Well, first things first. I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. But, well, there really hasn't been anything to post.Until now.

My parents go to the temple with another pair of parents.They leave their children with us and we baby sit. Well, there are two kids: Joshua the oldest brother and Krysten the little sister.
Usually, Joshua just statys downstairs and plays wii with MADison. Krysten euther watches them or comes upstsairs and annoys us. Well, yesterday it was the same thing. Except it was a nice day out and Krysten and I went outside to play. When we came inside because we heard screaming, Everyone was crowde around the bathroom door and Joshua was behind it screaming"Three of my teeth are loose!" (This the teeth is not true.) Kara(our neighbor who came over to help) and Taylor kept saying that they were sorry but he always just said they were liars.
Taylor suuggested Krysten go in and talk to him, but he wouldn't let her in so she banged and kicked and pulled the door until T aylir pulled her away. Eventually, he stormed out and we followed him putting on our shoes because he ran outside. We found him up a tree which Krysten had been climbing earlier. Krysten ran toward him and climbed up the tree. I told her to stop but she woulldn't listen.As, she climbed up the tree, Joshua jumped down and ran thorugh the woods. We all followed him (actually, we were following Krysten who couldn't stop chasing after him because "He's my brother!")
He jumped on the road that stopped our woods and kept running.
I waited for Madison to catch up while Krysten, Taylor and Kara went after him. Eventuallly, we olowed them and found Josh walking back with Talor and KAARA. I went back to find Krysten, who had gotten caught in a bush.
I went home just in time to see Josh running up the street, Kara, Taylor,Lady, and Madison at his heels. I told Bailey to watch Krysten and left. We follwed Joshua until Kra sent me and Madison home. Josh came home and I got the rest of the story:
Josh was in the bathroom because kara accindently hit himm in the mouth.
Taylor had persueded Joshua to come home by offering Ice Sream and nobody bothering him.
That's all for now!