and now for my final TRICK: Happy Birthday, Ian

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Happy Birthday, Ian

My husband had a VERY grown up b-day weekend. So different from just a few years ago. Add 2 kids, a wife, and a lot less alcohol and you get the picture.

We had Beckam Johnson's First Birthday Party on Saturday in Salida. When we mentioned this to our friend Eric, he immediately called his parents and set us up at their cabin in Buena Vista for the whole weekend (same place where H fell into a cactus a few months ago). Their cabin is beautiful and cozy. When we arrived on Friday, after a LOVELY 2 1/2 hour car ride-seriously-happy b-day daddy, we went to town decorating Ian's cake. That decorating job is what happens when a three year old keeps moving the pan when you are trying to write.

Ev got his first peanut butter cup

...and he wanted, "MORE, MORE, MORE!!!!"

and Holden was photographer

Saturday before breakfast everyone went "swimming" in the hot tub, which was definitely the big excitement of the weekend.

We had a blast at the party. Beckam's dad, Brian lives and works at the fish hatchery. So all of the kids got big buckets of fish food and had fun pounding the rainbow trout with fists full of the stuff. Holden had fun attacking the b-day boy with hugs and kisses.

We did lots of relaxing, lots of swimming, and lots of eating. I even got to lay out on the deck and read a book while the kids napped and Ian hiked. Ev passed out reading his favorite Nemo book. We have never seen him do that before and it was pretty cute.

Quote of the Day

"A vcation trip is one-third pleasure, fondly remembered,
and two-thirds aggrivation, entirely forgotten."

-Robert Brault

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Recent Reads

Honolulu by Alan Brennert- 4 Stars
A lovely tale told by a Korean woman who came to America as a "picture bride." We learn of her challenging and oppressive childhood in Korea, her journey away from all she knew, learning the new culture in Hawaii, escaping an abusive husband, becoming an entrepreneur, finding love, becoming a mother, and living a fulfilling life. I previously read Molokai by the same author and loved it, which is why I snatched this one up as soon as I heard of it. I think I enjoyed this one even more! The writing is smooth and easy, the tales are gripping, and the experiences are harrowing which keep you wanting more of this woman's incredible story.

The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha- 2 1/2 stars
This book is a collection of vignettes celebrating the awesome things in life. The cold side of your pillow on a hot night, finding money in your coat pocket, popping bubble wrap, when cashiers open up a new line at the grocery store, and watching Price is Right when you were home sick from school. This guy also has a blog where people can submit more awesomness. It was fun to read, but not as great as I was hoping. I will probably read his blog though, because he is pretty witty and definitely made me chuckle and remember to appreciate the small things in life.

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson- 3 stars
PAGE TURNER! I read this in 1 1/2 days. The story begins with a woman waking up in a bed, next to a man, in a house and she recognizes none of it. Over the next few minutes she learns that she has amnesia and every night when she goes to be she forgets most of her life. She begins working with a psychiatrist who convinces her to write in a journal, so she can reread it each morning and hopefully begin to build memories. The mysteries of how she ended up in this condition and her relationships with friends and loved ones kept me on the edge of my seat.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - 4 1/2 Stars
Another winner here folks. This book was AWESOME (and a bit shorter than Cutting for Stone). This was a new perspective on World War II for me. The story follows a boy growing up in a Chinese household in Seattle during the war. He befriends a Japanese girl, which is STRICTLY forbidden by his domineering and emotionless father. He realizes he is in love with her just as her family is removed to a Japanese Internment camp for the remainder of the war. The stay in touch through letters and his enormous risks to visit her . I don't want to give away any more, but you simply HAVE to read this book. The relationships between the children and their families and even the public during these war years was an interesting perspective for me. The twists and turns kept me up till midnight and the ending was wonderful!

Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese- 5 Stars
Oh my! I LOVED LOVED LOVED it. It was long and delicious and I did not want it to end. The premise is a nun working at a clinic in Ethiopia dies while giving birth to twin boys. The story explores the people and relationships in these boys' lives through the eyes of Marion, one of the twins. He grows up in the clinic in Ethiopia with amazing adoptive parents who were friends with his parents and gives us a taste of the culture, food, and everyday life of an Ethiopian. He heads to America to pursue a medical career and his birth father. We read this for book club and had wonderful and rich discussions...I wish there was a part 2!

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton- 3 stars
This was pretty darn good. It took me about 100 pages to really get into it and the ending was a bit too quick, neat, and tidy. But not nearly as terrible as the ending of Handle with Care by Jodi Piccoult (I threw that book across the room and into a wall as I read the last word). I was hooked and couldn't stop myself once I was into it. It was a book club choice and there was more discussion than I remember in 3 years of book club. We were talking over each other and jumping into other conversations. I couldn't even keep up. This story centered around the lives of three sisters who grew up in a castle in England from World War II to the present. They had an eccentric family and extremely odd and famous author father. The mysteries weave through history and the walls of the castle, revealing themselves to the woman chosen to write a piece about the famed play written by the father. It was very good and I would highly recommend it.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Happy Birthday, Ian

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