the silence of god

I just finished this and want to recommend it to everyone! This is an excellent historical novel based on the Lindlof family who were the first LDS members to live in Russia. It begins at the turn of the century when Tsar Nicholas was still in power and the Bolsheviks had yet to take over. Elder Lyman came to Russia in 1903 to dedicate the land of Russia for missionary work and the Lindlof family was present for that dedication which took place in the Summer Garden in St. Petersburg. Their journey then truly begins as they fight for their faith and love of Russia when, in 1917, the revolution envelops their country. This trial tests their promise to God in that, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law". Gale Sears really did her homework and sheds a light on the endurance of this faithful family.

look ma! no training wheels

We have had a busy month! All of the fam was together for the first time in years and we enjoyed every single minute. In the midst of it all, M learned how to ride his bike minus the training wheels. He had set this goal at the beginning of the summer but didn't feel comfortable enough to truly go for it. Until now...

Dad giving him a few pointers before he sets his sails.

Getting ready for his send-off.

Mi-mi polishing her skills.

He's off!


Now we can't get him to stop. He is so confident with his newly acquired skill. He likes to ride like the wind. We love summer with all its diversions and happy times. And pictures like this:

fallon

If you missed the Emmy's last night, no worries. You really didn't miss much. Jimmy Fallon pretty much owned the night and his bits were the best of the show. Ricky Gervais was also funny when he presented. But Fallon's opening for the show was absolutely electric with all the cameo's and awesome Glee setting. Here it is for your viewing enjoyment:

fanatical friday

We have been having way too much fun. I think the cousin playtime has been the best so far but we always like to throw in an activity here and there: going for ice cream cones, a trip to the park, running through the sprinklers, swimming, playing dodgeball with grandpa. Grandpa even took the kids to the park and ran races with them. He won both races but pulled a hammy and procured a bloody nose in the process. So, like I said, a very enjoyable and lively time.

Today was no different. We all ventured down to Maddox and had a fantastic lunch together. Then decided shopping would be the best afternoon activity and rounded off the day with a jaunt to the park.









Way. Too. Much. Fun.

favorite children's books

We love Rosemary Wells and her Max and Ruby series. But we have now become fans of her newest character, Felix. He is a super cute guinea pig who either eats too much before bedtime or has a hard time sleeping through the night.


This lovable character deals with going to the doctor and also keeping his worries at bay. Both books subtly deal with children's fears and Wells expertly portrays his every mood through her art. Definitely worth checking out.

addition

Bonuses to being pregnant:

• I have an excuse for getting fat
• Excuse for not doing sit-ups anymore
• I get to eat an extra 200 calories
• I have an excuse to sit and be lazy
• The first time I feel the baby kick is like opening a present Christmas morning
• My skin is softer and clearer (adult acne beware!)
• Afternoon naps become a priority
• having an excuse to buy new clothes

Cons to being pregnant:

• Feeling like absolute...blah
• Everything gets bigger
• Zero energy or motivation to get anything done
• Being absolutely drained and exhausted by 5pm
• Morning sickness
• Constantly thinking and planning my next meal
• Making sure I have food around me at all times
• The day when your non-pregnancy jeans don't fit anymore
• realizing the scale doesn't lie especially when a nurse is looking over your shoulder
• not being able to sleep on my tummy anymore :(

But, of course, the beautiful reward in the end is worth every stretch mark, fat joke, cankle, pound gained. We don't find out the sex of the baby until the end of this month. Any guesses?

canyon

With my sister and her kids here, we have been keeping pretty busy. Between jumping on the trampoline, running through the sprinklers, multiple ice cream cones and popsicles, and a trip to the park, it seems we barely have had time to stop and breathe. Writing it here makes it sound like its not much. But it seriously has been non-stop fun. The kids absolutely love the constant action and running until they drop. Mo said to me today, "I love having my cousins here."

Tonight we drove up the canyon to do one of my favorite things: roast hot dogs and make s'mores. It was so much fun to watch my niece and nephew do this for the first time. Plus it couldn't have been a more perfect night. And like Gilbert Blythe would say, "I don't think we will get many more nights like these."


His first burnt mallow:

Fia's turn:



Learning the sacred art of s'more making:

The reward:

simpler times

This is awesome and hilarious and so true. Enjoy.

weekend in vegas

The hubby and I went to Vegas this last weekend. Just us. Sans kids. It was awesome. The drive alone was so great. Just the sheer fact of not having to stop for potty breaks or listen to whiney kids. It was wonderful. We could even talk and not be interrupted. Wow. We were definitely spoiled. I wish I had loads of pictures to show you but we truly enjoyed a lazy, fun-filled weekend. And by fun-filled I mean chilling with friends and eating out and watching movies and being lazy. We seriously didn't do anything super crazy. Just laid low and enjoyed every minute. Well, we did go to a concert our first night at the House of Blues. That was actually our main reason for going but having friends who live there is a double bonus. As you well know, Keane is one of my faveity-faves. I think I have mentioned them here once or twice, maybe... ;) For some crazy reason they chose to not return to Utah on their tour this year. So we had to resort to going to Vegas and seeing them there. Good excuse for a weekend getaway, right? It was such an awesome concert and we were four feet away from Tom the whole time. Here they are singing their most popular song. Enjoy.

Keane: Somewhere Only We Know from Nells Bells on Vimeo.

heritage

My eldest sis and her two kids flew in last night from London. We absolutely are so excited to have them here and for a whole month to boot! The kids especially are excited to have their cousins here and across the street to play with all the time.

We spent this morning out at the heritage/living history center. Our first stop was to visit the mountain man tent. Would you believe this is the first thing he handed our kids?

Um...lets think about this one: four kids running around with tomahawks and trying to chop everything in sight. It was the most memorable part of the day for them!


The mountain man then decided to teach them another dangerous practice that we all want our kids to learn young: how to start a fire. Perfect.


They were all very engaged. They also loved trying on the hat made out of beaver pelt.




We then moved on to the more dull parts of the history museum like riding the train and horses:


Oh. And don't forget petting the pigme goats. That is SUPER boring and dull compared to holding a tomahawk:

It was an eventful morning and one I'm sure the kids won't forget. It was great to just all be together and out enjoying the beautiful day.

fanatical friday

Paul McCartney finally made it to Utah. It was the concert of the year (especially since the U2 shows were canceled). I was very impressed by his longevity (he performed for three whole hours and didn't have an opening band -- it was just him) and the way he interacted with the audience. He truly is a born performer. Here is one of my favorite points in the show. It was just him and a guitar. This video is a bit long but totally worth the watch. Enjoy!

Paul McCartney 2 from Nells Bells on Vimeo.

fanatical friday

Could Friday get any cooler?
The Edge. Muse. Where the Streets Have No Name. Glastonbury Festival 2010.
Enjoy.