women's conference about literature

took this part from my sisters blog

someone's lazy

"But I digress. The conference was about literature. Keeping good books in your homes (as opposed to trashy ones), immersing oneself into studying the scriptures, and the importance of journal keeping. Thus the challenge. At the conference I made a journal jar and was given strips of papers with questions on them one might answer in a journal. SO for this blog you will see me write posts entitled Journal Topic #... and than I will answer the question.

Me and Ki also got inspired to start our book club. We are being uncreative and using the name of the reading/food club from The Office, "The Finer Things Club". Our first book is called "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini."

so yeah look for those journal prompts since this is the closest thing to my journal . . .

bet you are wondering what my sister was digressing from . . .

Christmas Morning in Pictures

 Aurora tested me that morning my saying that Santa only brought her the oven and not the refrigerator (Santa almost died that day and I am told Santa wraps presents so maybe next year he will remember)

 Noly loves his sit and stand walker I need to get a video of him

 THAT FACE KILLS ME

 PJ stayed the night with us Aurora loved it.

 I love this guy^

 I cut my hair btw

 Aurora helping

 We now have more toys than I ever had in my childhood

SANTA forgot the refrigerator but mom and dad got the learning laptop

Pictures from part of Thanksgiving

That deadly handsome nolan again

We went to the mall and rode the merry-go-round twice!

(while the men went to see Immortals)

                                      

Noly @ Thanksgiving (8 months old)

Welcome to The Houston Zoo

So the first Tuesday of every month after 2pm the Houston zoo is free to enter. So the first Tuesday in December the kids, Gerald's mom and I met up at the zoo. Dawn asked Aurora what animals she wanted to see first and Aurora wanted to see the "dangerraffes" well we didn't really know where they were so we walked around most of the zoo. It was cold very cold for what we had been used to so I didn't last long and it was free so I didn't feel bad about leaving early, I should have spent more time with my mother-in-law, but we called it a day after about an hour and a half. I am also okay with not pushing kids and they had had enough. you don't have to try and see everything thing in one day. I was mad at myself for not noticing my camera was low on battery power so I got a few pictures but just as I got Dawn to take a picture of me and the kids the Batteries died. and I almost cried. it was a big deal to me. . . as the mom and usually the one who takes the pictures I have very pictures with my kids and even fewer that I look good in.

 

 Dawn and Aurora

    Glad I got this picture of my boy (Gerald loathes this hat)

say it ain't so

I kind-of-sort-of-only-a-little-bit miss Utah . . . Gasp!!!!! I miss the cold weather and the snow. I never enjoyed driving in it and didn't get to really enjoy my last winter there being preggers and all. I miss how close everything was and the mountains oh how I miss seeing those beautiful mountains. I miss our siblings that were there maureen and Pj, our bosses and several friends we had living there but there is a bigger list of things I don't miss. and we wouldn't have a job if we had stayed and eventually many of the people we love would have moved on and away at some point.

This was our view from our complex

I still enter the HGTV Dream Home giveaway 2X a day everyday. The "Mormon Lotto" my sister calls it (Gerald also calls monopoly time at McDonalds the "Mormon Lotto"). And when I win that house I'll have a giant party for my Utah friends and I'll have the rest of my family come out for family vacations we could camp right on the property and go fishing and hot tubbin' .  A girl can dream right?

I love being in Texas and I think if the weather was perfect here Texas would be filled with a lot more terrible people. but I love being near family and the friendships we are renewing. I love our ward. I love the Houston temple (all temples are beautiful but I feel like I am in a different place when I drive into the Houston temple parking lot). I love the familiarity and the beautiful homes and professional sports teams. I think Texas would be even more enjoyable if Gerald was in his career path and I didn't have to worry so much.

Aurora being traumatized by ridding on the back of my Dad's motorcycle

I've been thinking of ways to spend my time instead of sitting inside all day.

• going to the library
• going on picnics while the weather is bearable
• hanging out with cousins
• birthday party planning
• the Houston Museum of Natural History to see the King Tut exhibit (little pricey but I really want to see it)
• mall walking that's right I love a good mall walk

I am excited for what our future in Texas holds for us but on balmy-ish January days I long for some cold Utah weather.