Harry Potter is Over!

For the last 3 weeks I've been reading all of the Harry Potter books. So in a sense, I've been thinking, eating, dreaming Harry Potter. When there wasn't something that absolutely had to be done, I was reading the books, one right after the other. I was hooked! It was "constant vigilance"! I just finished book 7 on Saturday night. I found myself sobbing (I'm not ashamed to admit it) through the end and was happy with the ending...yet very sad that it was over! Seriously, I can't believe that I've never read them, but at the same time, glad that I didn't have to wait a year in between books! I think the romantic in me would have liked the books to continue as the relationships developed, so to me, the Epilogue was unsatisfactory. I'd rather have had Harry as an old man taking a trip down memory lane (through the Pensieve) with his wife...sort of like viewing Snape's thoughts...with a glimpse of the special moments. Anyway, just my ramblings but I am really sad that it's over! I need to see the movies now, but I hope they aren't a disappointment.

I just have to add that a friend of mine told me about a new series that's just as good as Harry Potter. It's called Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (an active LDS girl in Utah). Read about it on her website www.stepheniemeyer.com . It's kind of like the link between the magical world and muggles in Harry Potter, but with vampires and humans. Don't write it off until you see the website!

A shout out to Alisa...this one's for the girls!

Right before Alisa got married, she gave me a CD that she'd made for all the "girls". I listened to it and loved it!! (By the way...i'd love to know the artists and song titles...i have no idea on some of them.) Anyway, on our trip home from Utah, the kids were getting a bit antsy in the car, so I put in Alisa's CD and skipped it forward to a track that i thought they'd really like. To my surprise, the kids started belting out the words! "Children walking next to mothers, sisters walking next to brothers, fathers keepin' those wagons goin' ..." i was shocked and then they told me that all the time's they'd ridden in the car with Alisa, they were listening to her CD! Although one question keeps coming up about that song...Who is Joshua...the kids think it's a horse because the lyrics say, "Whoa, Joshua!" Somehow I don't think that he's a horse, but it's funny anyway.

OK, so one more story...I listen to the CD in the car all the time and though I like all the songs, sometimes you're in the mood for something else. So in the middle of one of the songs I skipped ahead to one of the other songs, and Will started protesting from the back of the van, "hey, mom...i like that song...put it back!" I had no idea that he was even listening. Now he sings along to the words he knows, so I won't change the song in the middle!!!!

So, Thanks Alisa! We love the CD!

Happy 3rd Birthday for Will

This is a little past due, but the pictures are so cute, I had to share them. Will turned 3 on August 4th, just over a month ago, and we had a nice family party here at the house for him. For those of you that know him, you know he LOVES the Disney movie CARS. So, we got CARS plates, cups, napkins, etc... and even found a Lightning McQueen pinata! I made a simple racetrack cake and we had a blast. Enjoy the photos.