tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13830047269207557902024-03-13T16:39:54.567-06:00She Reads - She BlogsThis is a blog mainly about books but will also include other little tidbits that seem to float around in my mind and that I just need to let out somewhere.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-79312446983064593812012-01-13T17:52:00.000-07:002012-01-13T17:52:36.615-07:00New Year New ME!<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="28">Wow! It has really been a long time since I have blogged. For the last few months I have seriously considered not blogging anymore. Trying to find my place within myself through a lot of changes in my life this past few months. The changes started a couple of years ago but these past four months have been especially hard and trying for our family. This all started my questions of where I really want to be in this life - WHO I really want to be in this life. This has begun a journey within myself.</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1118b60" sourceindex="6" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4">I have always been one to reflect on my life but only seem to do so after tragedy or loss has come and gone. Never while I am in the midst of it. One reason is because I can only face so much at one time and another is because we aren't always the person we want to be or expected ourselves to be in the midst of hard times and situations. I am trying to do that DURING instead of AFTER. It is much harder for me this way, but it has made me a much humbler person. </div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1142e70" sourceindex="9" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4">I think I lost myself somewhere along the road. I don't wish to reclaim my youth or become who I was when I was 20 - how awful would that be!! I like being in my 30's for many reasons. What I wish is to find that person who loved life and didn't look at it through skeptical eyes. Ones that are too wary, see too much danger or too much risk. I need to find my balance again. Find my peace again. </div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1132670" sourceindex="12" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4">I usually don't make resolutions at the new year. Mostly because I believe you set a goal when you know you need change not because it is Jan 1st, Monday, first day of the month, etc, etc, etc... I set myself up for failure if I set these 'start' dates. I am more successful if I start my goal on the day I decided I wanted to reach that goal. I am such a procrastinator by nature so putting my 'start' date to far in the future is the same as never setting one. So this year I am calling it my New Me Journey not my New Year resolutions.</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1118ec0" sourceindex="15" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4">It took a tragedy in my family this past September to realize that I wanted - needed more from my life. We lost someone very close and special to us in Afghanistan on September 9th. Someone whom we loved so dearly. Our hearts have been broken and we are still trying to heal and keep moving forward. It shattered so many things close to us in our family that it has taken a while to post about that here. I may share more in the future when I am ready.</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="113e6d0" sourceindex="18" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4">I love books too much to not read and blog about them. I will be blogging every Friday. Sometimes it will be about a book and sometimes it will be just about whatever I feel the need to share. I have many other goals that I have on my list to start my journey to becoming a new, better, more improved ME! I will share those along the way. </div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11143f0" sourceindex="21" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4">I have missed you all and even though I haven't posted on your blogs for a while I still read them everyday. You have helped me to laugh on those hard days that I didn't think I could. I have read books and listened to music that I may never have chosen if not for you and your posts. I look forward to 'talking' with you all again!!!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11250e0" sourceindex="24" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4">Have a fantastic weekend and I'll blog with you again next Friday!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1109c90" sourceindex="27" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11251e0" sourceindex="4"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11367d0" sourceindex="29" style="color: #660000;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1118cc0" sourceindex="30">~Melissa</i></span></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-73382095638890162152011-11-07T10:33:00.000-07:002011-11-07T10:33:32.264-07:00A Gentle Thief by Amanda Dickson<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mediaguests.net/online-tours/a-gentle-thief/"><img src="http://mediaguests.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/amanda-dickson-tour-button.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">A Gentle Thief</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">By Amanda Dickson</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><img alt="A Gentle Thief" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415KVcglCdL._SL75_.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i>Maddie Johnson loved Shakespeare. Unlike everybody else she knew growing up, she seemed to understand him, enjoy him, more with every reading. It was partly because of this love that she drove her home in rural Pennsylvania to college to Southern Utah University, home every summer to the Utah Shakespearean Festival. It was partly that, and partly desire to get as far away as possible.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i>Maddie thought being in Utah would help her forget, that the stark beauty of the scenery and the power of the metaphor would be enough to clear her.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i>They weren’t.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i>The novel unfolds in two time periods, 2004 as Sophie Brownlie, attorney-at-law, become obsessed with helping the father of a girl who died 20 years before prove that she didn’t kill herself, and 1983 as a tortured and lonely young Maddie moves closer and closer to the day of her premature death. After considering several possible suspects, you begin to believe that the Utah Medical Examiner may have been right all along.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i>May have been.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">This is a great who-done-it kind of mystery. I love those kind of stories but seem to have a knack at guessing who it was long before the story ends. I don’t always mind that I can do that but prefer if I can’t guess because it keeps me deeply interested and my mind churning away at all of the possibilities of who it is. Yes I loved Clue when I was growing up!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">This story had me from the beginning and although I had my suspicions as to what happened to Maddie I did not figure it out until it was revealed. So to me that is a great mystery! Ms. Dickson did a great job at going back and forth between 1983 and 2004. There were a couple of transitions that could have been smoother and I had to go back a page and double check that we moved to the other timeline. I am going to assume I had an ARC copy because of a couple of minor discrepancies that would have been fixed by a good proof-reader and editor. Nothing that detracted from the storyline and plot.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">I especially enjoyed the connections to Shakespeare. Every chapter begins with one of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. It was enthralling and so fitting within the context of the storyline.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">I hate to give anything away especially in a murder-mystery. This book is so much more than that though. It is the story of two women that lived 20 years apart but are brought together by tragedy. Maddie died too young to figure her life out and move forward to be happy. Will the same fate happen to Sophie? It may if she doesn’t solve this case.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">Thank you so <a href="http://www.mediaguests.net/">MediaGuests </a>for another great book for me to review. Please visit their website for more information about all of the great authors they are touring with this year. You will definitely find a great story that you will want to read!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">I give this book 4 stars. If you love a murder-mystery that spans over time along with the drama, intrigue, and suspense you will love <i>A Gentle Thief.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">~Melissa</span></i></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-48929212948859309892011-11-02T06:00:00.006-06:002011-11-02T06:00:10.634-06:00Review of Catherine by Sigrid Weidenweber<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1110120" sourceindex="9" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mediaguests.net/online-tours/the-river-volga-flows-catherine-book-one/" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4958da0" sourceindex="5"><img siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="46657f0" sourceindex="6" src="http://mediaguests.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Sigrid-Weidenweber1.jpg" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1110120" sourceindex="4" style="text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="117d790" sourceindex="8" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1110120" sourceindex="4" style="text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1143290" sourceindex="10">Catherine</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1143d40" sourceindex="11">Inside the Heart & Mind of a Great Monarch</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11ca010" sourceindex="12">By Sigrid Weidenweber</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11cafe0" sourceindex="13"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="45e1420" sourceindex="15"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4954620" sourceindex="16"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4954000" sourceindex="17" /> “You look astonishingly pretty,” admits Johanna when Sophia steps out of her bedroom dressed in Ulrika’s magnificent gown. Sophia is stunned, halting in mid-step. This is rare praise from her cold mother, so she must, indeed, look very good. At <st1:city siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="463f450" sourceindex="18" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="463f520" sourceindex="19" w:st="on">Frederick</st1:place></st1:city>’s side during the elaborate court dinner, Sophia shines and sparkles with youth and wit. The monarch is very pleased with his choice. Indeed, he is so enamored with the girl that he opens his purse to outfit mother and daughter, both woefully deficient in material matters appropriate for court life. So begins the transformation of Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst into Catherine the Great of <st1:country-region siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11745e0" sourceindex="20" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4617130" sourceindex="21" w:st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The personal and professional triumphs and tribulations of this remarkable woman are retold by Sigrid Weidenweber, whose research into the life of Catherine reveals a new perspective on Catherine, from the inside out. Sigrid portrays with heartfelt understanding what it was like to have been such a major European political and military, social and cultural figure during the eighteenth century.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4617360" sourceindex="22"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11748c0" sourceindex="23"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4964190" sourceindex="26">I believe I have mentioned before how much I love history. But I LOVE HISTORY!! So whenever someone writes a historical fiction book I can’t wait to get it and devour it! I am rarely disappointed either. <i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4661430" sourceindex="27">Catherine</i> was definitely no different in my expectations. I could hardly wait to get started and delve into this time machine of love, deceit, and intrigue. All of the great things we think of when we think of the great monarchies. I have a fantasy of these time periods from <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4661300" sourceindex="28" w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> that I put myself in these books as part of the court of each monarch. I know that is crazy since no one really ever survives the ‘Court’ unscathed or quite possibly dead! But still I picture myself there and try to imagine what it would have been like. I don’t think I would like to have actually lived in these time periods but poking my head in through a book is the best adventure!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11715e0" sourceindex="29"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1171d60" sourceindex="31">This book is superbly written and the research impeccably done. It is hard enough to piece together a life of someone from 200+ years ago when records are not the most accurate or complete. But to also piece together a full life of personalities and drama is quite another. Ms.Weidenweber has combined these together to create a story wrapped in so much excitement and mystery that I could hardly put it down each day. She made Catherine so easy to love and to watch her grow into her status as Empress was filled with answers as to why she was the person she became in the end. I don’t think I would have liked Catherine any other way. If I just looked at the facts I would see a harsh, spoiled Queen and not cared who she was. The author truly made Catherine into a real person that had real struggles in life. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="10d2af0" sourceindex="32"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="465ce40" sourceindex="34">I give this book 5 stars! If you love historical fiction then you must read this book. It leaves you trying to keep your eyes open in the middle of the night because you just can’t bear to put it down. You finish the book fully satisfied of an adventure into the past.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="11ce3f0" sourceindex="35"><br />
</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4954480" sourceindex="37" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptQ0E9AESFOVTY1YDvIuS1L3KsOocGoqSjN6dFMhbDIPJ-I5M_28r9Uboa-0vZJ8QgG1PEdMUN4RsgzRXi-v3cfu0tp5DeYmckE0MsL-yuv7Rop3OPIjDzDxLlXFFZ1jY_FE3Tydgq3u9/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="463fbe0" sourceindex="38" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="495c560" sourceindex="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptQ0E9AESFOVTY1YDvIuS1L3KsOocGoqSjN6dFMhbDIPJ-I5M_28r9Uboa-0vZJ8QgG1PEdMUN4RsgzRXi-v3cfu0tp5DeYmckE0MsL-yuv7Rop3OPIjDzDxLlXFFZ1jY_FE3Tydgq3u9/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="466bae0" sourceindex="40" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-33512054748103569412011-11-01T06:00:00.012-06:002011-11-01T06:00:07.029-06:00Review of The Crystal Prince<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><a href="http://mediaguests.net/online-tours/the-crystal-prince/"><img src="http://mediaguests.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/crystal-prince.jpg" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" /></a> </o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The Crystal Prince</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> by Jeanette Clinger Hurley</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Love is the only way. Escape into a world of spellbinding adventure, a world where kindness is king, a world where faith and imagination separate life from death, a world where love is the key that unlocks both mystery and magic…Escape into the world of<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i> The Crystal Prince.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jeanette Clinger Hurley transports you to a land where darkness and light are in constant battle, a place where good & evil equally wage war on the heart…challenging both faith and destiny.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Come along and join the charmed prince Xabian and the beautiful Jenevieve on their enchanted and courageous journey, as they discover…The heart is mightier than the sword, that faith conquers fear and that the true magical and transformational miracle of life is simple and pure…That love is the way, love is the only way.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">First of all, thanks to <a href="http://www.mediaguests.net/">Media Guests</a> for another great book to review. This is a book that I wouldn’t have generally picked up – children’s age level. It is a very fast, easy read at just 70 pages and some of them have illustrations. It was fun to sit down for a couple of hours and just pretend I was a kid in a fairy tale. This is a fantastic fairy tale with all of the good and bad things you find there- kings, queens, castles, princes and princesses, the evil creature, and the one who saves them all, and of course a sweet love story.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This book has a beautiful, simple message to us all. We have choices to make each day and because of those choices we have consequences – both good and bad. We can choose to treat people with love and respect even when we don’t get that in return. If we treat people as the type of person we know they can be then they will become that person. This story is the epitome of pure love of others more than oneself.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">It reminds me of a favorite quote that I keep in my office:</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I have come to the frightening conclusion</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> that I am the decisive element.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">It is my personal approach that creates the climate.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">It is my daily mood that makes the weather.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I possess tremendous power to make life</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">miserable or joyous.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration,</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I can humiliate or humor, or hurt or heal.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">If we treat people as they are, we make them worse,</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">are capable of becoming.</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">~ Johann Wolgang von Goethe</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Never discount a book by its cover. Heard that one before? Remember that phrase is an analogy for more than just a book!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I give this book 4 stars. Need to just get away to a happy fairy tale for a couple of hours? Then pick up this great story with a perfect message for us all!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><b><i>~Melissa</i></b></span></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-77429673567490512472011-10-17T00:46:00.000-06:002011-10-17T00:46:21.560-06:00Review of Velwythe by Bonn Turkington<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://mediaguests.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Velwythe1.jpg" /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Velwythe</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Resurrection of the Mind Vol. One</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Velwythe: Resurrection of the..." src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511hTzlv3mL._SL75_.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">By <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Bonn</st1:city></st1:place> Turkington</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span> </span>His mother vanished. His father killed himself. Vaan, now 21, has no friends, no money, no family, and no hope. All his dreams have vanished. Unable to escape the horror of his own memories, his life has been in stasis.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span> </span>But with a bit of luck and a bit of effort Vaan manages to make his first real friend since childhood. Duncan, a man who has watched the growing railline destroy his entire home city, was disowned after denying his birthright.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span> </span>Vaan and Duncan become fast friends with troubled pasts. Now, with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Duncan</st1:place></st1:city>’s help and the ‘encouragement’ of a local priest, Vaan decides his life ahs remained in a quagmire too long. Only by selling his house and everything he owns will he have a chance to become a wandering scholar.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span> </span>Every year around the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">FreePort</st1:place></st1:city> Solstice Festival (and his birthday) Vaan has terrible nightmares of his father’s chronic pain. But the night before the festival Vaan has a dream un like any before. He wakes up thinking he has gone blind – but it isn’t just that, he can feel something, something cold pawing at his head as though it is absorbing his very thoughts.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span> </span>After the horrible dream, leaving <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">FreePort</st1:place></st1:city> isn’t just about getting an education. Ellred, a local priest, tells Vaan there could be more to his non-dream than he could ever imagine. But the only way to figure any of it out is if <st1:city w:st="on">Duncan</st1:city> agrees to travel with Vaan to the very place <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Duncan</st1:place></st1:city> can never return. And on their way to Alpine, Vaan’s encounter with a small militia forces him to question his understanding of humanity and the very reality he thought to be true for so many years.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First of all I want to thank <a href="http://www.mediaguests.net/">Media Guests</a> for giving me the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book.<span> </span>I had originally passed up on doing so but had it in the back of my mind that I thought I needed to give it a try. I was not disappointed either!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This book is not an easy read. There is so much dimension and depth to the writing that you really need to pay attention to understand what is going on during the story. This is based on a fantastical new world that you need to figure out what Vaan is trying to tell you. It is not a skimming kind of story. Don’t be frightened about that because it is well worth your time.<span> </span>I loved how I could not ever guess what was going to happen next or really figure out all of the characters presented. I really want the next book so I can start to piece more of this together.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The prologue is very interesting and hooks you from the first sentence. However, don’t think that the questions it raises will be answered in this book. By the time you get done and read the epilogue you are just more intrigued with more questions. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I give this book 4 stars and will sit patiently for the next book to come out sometime next summer!!! In the meantime though you can go to <a href="http://www.velwythe.com/">www.velwythe.com</a> and check out the interactive site the author has created to immerse you into Vaan’s world.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALWjKvaH0pnL58x8hV8ovsqmGaZZdNVm4pBN_U4yR1jKEEr2gw4qDAsPiDDUWeNwttFyNiTmBq792k24rl0Qxh3P1rLfVEE78yIPQr4B5j3FyhiR2lYKolNzI__SH-emMUXIG4vEdcM3c/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALWjKvaH0pnL58x8hV8ovsqmGaZZdNVm4pBN_U4yR1jKEEr2gw4qDAsPiDDUWeNwttFyNiTmBq792k24rl0Qxh3P1rLfVEE78yIPQr4B5j3FyhiR2lYKolNzI__SH-emMUXIG4vEdcM3c/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-84761043722497562702011-10-11T06:00:00.002-06:002011-10-11T06:00:05.569-06:00Review of Diary of a Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Diary of a Teenage Girl</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Becoming Me</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Becoming Me (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, #1)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174110425s/363453.jpg" /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">By Melody Carlson</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>January 1, 2000 10 p.m. – “I used to think that being fifteen was bad…well, let me tell you, being sixteen isn’t exactly a walk through the mall either. And so far, I think today’s been about the worst day of my entire life…”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Follow Caitlin O’Conner, a girl much like yourself, as she makes her way from New Year’s to the first day of summer – surviving a challenging home life, changing friends, school pressures, an identity crisis, and the uncertainties of “true love.”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>You’ll cry with Caitlin as she experiences heartaches, and cheer for her as she encounters a new reality in her life: God. See how rejection by one group can – incredibly – sometimes lead you to discover who you really are…<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have read Melody Carlson before so when I had the opportunity to read this book I immediately said yes. This was originally published in 2000, so it is not a new book and there are several <i>Diary of a Teenage Girl</i> books out – Caitlin, Chloe, Kim, & Mya. They each have about four in their series. I have to say that I wasn’t sure what to expect since it is written by an adult playing a teenager. Sometimes adults can really miss the mark on the realities of teenage life even though we have already lived those years. Why authors cannot get it right is strange to me. They either go overboard or just stop shy of hitting it right on.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well Ms. Carlson is the exception and hit it right on the mark! I have a 17 year old daughter right now so I live these realities everyday at home. Caitlin, Beanie, Jenny, Josh, or Zach could easily be one of my daughter’s friends or my daughter herself. The things they discuss as friends and with the diary is exactly what happens to every teenager. Maybe being a mom of a teenager right now is one of the reasons I really loved this book. I couldn’t help but picture my daughter and her friends as these characters. I could actually replace their names with those in the book. It really hit home with me. It made me glad I had to never live those years again myself but also more aware of the teenagers I have in my home daily.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I will give this book 4 stars. It is a great read about a young girl that struggles with life and all of the issues that come her way. She works to find herself in the midst of the pressures of family, school, and growing up.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you to Glass Road Public Relations to re-introducing us to this great series.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">~Melissa</span></i></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-41024650495478515922011-08-08T06:00:00.011-06:002011-08-08T06:00:10.073-06:00Review of Marysvale by Jared Southwick<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f330" sourceindex="4" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652ffd0" sourceindex="5">Marysvale</div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652faf0" sourceindex="6" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f4b0" sourceindex="7">By Jared Southwick</div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652fc60" sourceindex="8" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e170" sourceindex="9"><img alt="Marysvale" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f450" sourceindex="10" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515EWBxuUsL._SL75_.jpg" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f660" sourceindex="11" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f8c0" sourceindex="12"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e690" sourceindex="13" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="52f3430" sourceindex="14" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="53c7b00" sourceindex="15"><a href="http://mediaguests.net/online-tours/marysvale/"><img siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="52f3d10" sourceindex="17" src="http://mediaguests.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Marysvale-button.jpg" /></a></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e4b0" sourceindex="18" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f850" sourceindex="19"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f100" sourceindex="20" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447eaf0" sourceindex="21" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f860" sourceindex="22"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447eba0" sourceindex="23" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">John Casey was ten years old when his mother was murdered…and ten when his father hid the truth from him. Without that knowledge, he has no idea of the enemies that lie in wait.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652fab0" sourceindex="24"></o:p></i></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e870" sourceindex="25" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e8a0" sourceindex="26"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e7b0" sourceindex="27" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now grown up, John lives a solitary life, in a world enslaved by ignorance and superstition, when anyone unusual is treated with distrust and even killed…and John has some very unusual gifts. When he is accused of witchcraft, John does the only thing he’s ever done – Run! That is, until he meets Jane, who lives in the bleak, imprisoned town of <st1:city siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f2b0" sourceindex="28" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652f040" sourceindex="29" w:st="on">Marysvale</st1:place></st1:city>. Life outside the safety of the town walls means certain death from the brutal monsters that hunt there. However, life inside, under the rule of a tyrannical leader, means no life at all.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e3d0" sourceindex="30"></o:p></i></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4436890" sourceindex="31" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652fbd0" sourceindex="32"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e370" sourceindex="33" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As the love between John and Jane grows, the dangers of Marysvale unfold; and for the first time in his life, John discovers that there is something worth dying for.</i></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e7e0" sourceindex="34" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447ed10" sourceindex="35"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e340" sourceindex="36" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447ec60" sourceindex="37" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e840" sourceindex="38">This is a book from a local <st1:state siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447eae0" sourceindex="39" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e740" sourceindex="40" w:st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:state> author. I love that we have so much talent out here and it is getting showcased so well. This is a fantastic book. There are unusual creatures that lurk in the woods outside of Marysvale and a few other towns in the forest. John is tied to these animals but can’t remember how. John just happens upon Marysvale after fleeing from the current town he is residing. He is a drifter and often moves on when those around him start to recognize his unusual talents. You will have to read the book to find out what those talents are – I don’t like giving anything away.</div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e890" sourceindex="41" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e0e0" sourceindex="42"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e2c0" sourceindex="43" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="652ff90" sourceindex="44" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e970" sourceindex="45">I give this book 4 stars. It is a fun, easy read but has lots of action and drama. The love story is great to watch develop but it not over the top so it doesn’t interfere with the story at all. This is part of a series and I will definitely be reading the next one that comes out this Fall! This is definitely a romantic, action-packed story filled with monsters and tyrants, heroes and heroines.</div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e450" sourceindex="46" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e3c0" sourceindex="47"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e770" sourceindex="48" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447ea00" sourceindex="49" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e8e0" sourceindex="50">Thanks to<a href="http://mediaguests.net/online-tours/marysvale/"> Media Guests</a> for the opportunity to review this book!</div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e130" sourceindex="51" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e470" sourceindex="52"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e2a0" sourceindex="53" /></div></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e9d0" sourceindex="54" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd25gHYw-6bA4vGUg91riA_HxiYlGpfeaa9rwq-qUQ1lHOR81J2CMj_prRAr-5LezqF9gjNsP4F7UhfDJv0EFPqPwROjrnhOU2DyJe5DGmla8GIfmjtepFaWDqR_A4E-MMIzyZDhuXQXc/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e010" sourceindex="55" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447eb10" sourceindex="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd25gHYw-6bA4vGUg91riA_HxiYlGpfeaa9rwq-qUQ1lHOR81J2CMj_prRAr-5LezqF9gjNsP4F7UhfDJv0EFPqPwROjrnhOU2DyJe5DGmla8GIfmjtepFaWDqR_A4E-MMIzyZDhuXQXc/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447e960" sourceindex="57" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447ec00" sourceindex="58"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="447ea70" sourceindex="59" /></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-91564516518655554312011-08-05T06:00:00.002-06:002011-08-05T06:00:13.648-06:00Review of Homeward by Melody Carlson<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="64bf410" sourceindex="4" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="645b640" sourceindex="5">Homeward </div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="607bce0" sourceindex="6" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6072110" sourceindex="7">By Melody Carlson</div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="648c7c0" sourceindex="8" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="64bf8c0" sourceindex="9"><img alt="Homeward" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="61188c0" sourceindex="10" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1302068149s/9883666.jpg" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6118df0" sourceindex="11" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="649c130" sourceindex="12"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="64c4160" sourceindex="13" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="610ebd0" sourceindex="14" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6050a40" sourceindex="15"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="645b6d0" sourceindex="16" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">From bestselling author Melody Carlson comes this award-winning story of three generations of <st1:city siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="60f54c0" sourceindex="17" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="64bfee0" sourceindex="18" w:st="on">Lancaster</st1:place></st1:city> women. For twenty years Meg Lancaster has avoided Briar Hedge, the <st1:city siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="60fed30" sourceindex="19" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6081810" sourceindex="20" w:st="on">Lancaster</st1:place></st1:city> family estate. Now she has been drawn back to her grandmother’s home to uncover secrets that have been hidden for decades and to try to regain the family she long ago abandoned.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="60814f0" sourceindex="21"></o:p></i></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="60fe9b0" sourceindex="22" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="648c0e0" sourceindex="23"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="645b1a0" sourceindex="24" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="645b7e0" sourceindex="25" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="607be60" sourceindex="26"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="64489a0" sourceindex="27" /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="645baa0" sourceindex="28" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="645b5f0" sourceindex="29">This is a powerful story about one girl’s struggle with abandonment from her family. Meg had always been the fat, ugly daughter and was always trying to fit into her family. The only person she ever connected with was her beloved grandfather. The day of his funeral ended up changing Meg and her family’s lives forever. Meg packed up and left her family for good – or so she thought. She was 17 and a high school drop out. She left her only home in <st1:state siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6448280" sourceindex="30" w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state> and headed off to <st1:state siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6491a00" sourceindex="31" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="645bca0" sourceindex="32" w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state> to make it on her own cutting all ties. She puts herself through college and becomes a highly paid marketing executive. But when her live takes an unexpected turn the only place she wants to go is home. Nearly twenty years after walking out she arrives back in Crandale to face her sister, mother, and grandmother.</div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="60f5b20" sourceindex="33" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6077ac0" sourceindex="34"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="64489f0" sourceindex="35" /></div></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="64bfe80" sourceindex="36"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6448020" sourceindex="37" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Meg unexpectedly finds the solace and healing that she is looking for after so many years away. She also finds that she can love again and not just those in her family. I would give this 3 stars. It is an easy read and has a great underlying message.</span></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6496610" sourceindex="38"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6491ca0" sourceindex="39" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6491750" sourceindex="40" /> </span></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6448340" sourceindex="41"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6487e30" sourceindex="42" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Thanks to Glass Road PR for the opportunity to review this great book!</span></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6491ee0" sourceindex="43"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="60fe650" sourceindex="44" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6448250" sourceindex="45" /> </span></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6491c50" sourceindex="46" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyWYyU_5SByM7-Xq6IrSF2tpb5LLLHotO_2MaOLtP-Apr4SdQZ1bpe92ZSGEmAyiYZwoTqS0kISc_c7QHBQQGkNzdeHF1eIw8zpoOxVFLFXQmyqM_7G5-ZucpxcK_siJvTZlbpU8isP-s/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6496b50" sourceindex="47" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6054810" sourceindex="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyWYyU_5SByM7-Xq6IrSF2tpb5LLLHotO_2MaOLtP-Apr4SdQZ1bpe92ZSGEmAyiYZwoTqS0kISc_c7QHBQQGkNzdeHF1eIw8zpoOxVFLFXQmyqM_7G5-ZucpxcK_siJvTZlbpU8isP-s/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6496980" sourceindex="49"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6448100" sourceindex="50" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="64914e0" sourceindex="51" /> </span></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-81268163186324137662011-08-02T06:00:00.002-06:002011-08-02T06:00:06.900-06:00Review of River's Song by Melody Carlson<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">River’s Song</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">By Melody Carlson</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="River's Song (Inn at Shining Waters, #1)" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WUkNazTtL._SL75_.jpg" /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Following her mother’s funeral, and on the verge of her own midlife crisis, widow Anna Larson returns to the home of her youth to sort out her parents’ belongings, as well as her own turbulent life. For the first time since childhood, Anna embraces her native heritage, despite the disdain of her vicious mother-in-law. By transforming her old family home on the banks of Oregon’s Siuslaw River into The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna hopes to create a place of healing – a place where guests experience peace, grace, and new beginnings. Starting with her own family…<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The story begins with Anna returning home after her mother’s funeral in 1959. She hasn’t been home in nearly 20 years. She left and eloped when she was just 19 with her first love; however, her fairy tale marriage went down hill fast. Her mother-in-law hates her because she is part Indian and calls her ‘squaw’ for most of her life. Her husband went off to war and was severely injured. He came home alive but had to be taken care of around the clock by Anna. After nursing him for 12 years he finally succumbs to his injuries and dies. By then Anna is living in her in-laws home with her daughter Lauren. Anna is turned into virtually a live in slave to her mother-in-law and is even being treated that way by her teenage daughter. The story details Anna’s life from when she was a little girl to the present. She finds the peace she is looking for in her life back at her parent’s home and finds a way through various friends and opportunities to stay on the river. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This story is full of emotion – fear, sadness, anger, bigotry, and of course love. It is heart-wrenching in some parts but over all it is a story about coming home. Coming home to that place of peace within yourself. This is a great read and will leave you wanting more. And there is more coming – this is a series book and the next one will be out soon. I can’t wait because this definitely leaves it with a cliffhanger. I give this book 4 stars. <br />
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Thanks to Glass Road PR for the opportunity to review this book!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL1vVniDe1SMhFO6FbzFkWBy6op1xCl3bV34cdll771ngsx85G8Ev41t4DMQx2nQNmnn_wiud0qbc6pmpf0TsJC2oRUwVYHEc43kMsOQdCOcyc9q9tfQi9OlVf6ZFZVJKhETXgeQKjN5t/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL1vVniDe1SMhFO6FbzFkWBy6op1xCl3bV34cdll771ngsx85G8Ev41t4DMQx2nQNmnn_wiud0qbc6pmpf0TsJC2oRUwVYHEc43kMsOQdCOcyc9q9tfQi9OlVf6ZFZVJKhETXgeQKjN5t/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-89455575387336303922011-07-29T06:00:00.001-06:002011-07-29T06:00:17.151-06:00Review of To My Senses by Alexandrea Weis<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">To My Senses</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">By Alexandrea Weis</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="To My Senses" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GnqJ8a-XL._SL75_.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Amid the prying eyes of spicy <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Orleans</st1:place></st1:city> society, one woman just choose between embracing her passion or heeding practicality in this finely-tuned Southern love story. Haunting and heartfelt, this debut novel is steeped in wit, charm and sizzling moments of desire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It shares one woman’s journey through love, betrayal and the ultimate tragedy that eventually leads her to discover her true purpose in life.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This is the first book in the Nicci Beauvoir series. I received the second one <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Recovery</i> a couple of months ago from the author and loved it so much I asked for the first one. The take of Nicci and David starts here. You don’t have to read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To My Senses</i> to understand <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Recovery</i> but I would suggest it very highly. It does make everything add up better and you get all of the back story to all of the characters in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Recovery. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This is a great dramatic love story based in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Orleans</st1:place></st1:city> high society. It is fun to see how Nicci fits into her eccentric family and society groups. I say fun because she is not a traditional society girl and loves to do things to show she is independent of their ways. Nicci’s character starts to develop in this book as she finds out who she really is and where she wants to go in her life. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I gave <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Recovery </i>4 stars but I will give this one 3 stars. Not because it is not worth the read but to emphasis that this series gets better with each book. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sacrifice, </i>the 3<sup>rd</sup> in the series, will be out sometime next year. I will definitely be getting that book and letting you know how everything with Nicci ends up.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN0xJHTebxeq3P2FJABYxtOTI3prPvxfMTDnEnUignk7XcetrnPilhLEH4m-XVQr4Oy00ATMOlXmEKBpupM9MxoX_tkqw-7lpqqWBxErIoDX8bIBpevALKgndjLRb9ozP9voMvdI3Cz9S/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN0xJHTebxeq3P2FJABYxtOTI3prPvxfMTDnEnUignk7XcetrnPilhLEH4m-XVQr4Oy00ATMOlXmEKBpupM9MxoX_tkqw-7lpqqWBxErIoDX8bIBpevALKgndjLRb9ozP9voMvdI3Cz9S/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-41958677993889941772011-07-28T14:47:00.000-06:002011-07-28T14:47:21.115-06:00Summer 2011Hello to all my blog friends! I have so missed you all! What a crazy summer this has been for me. Not only have I been out of work for the last four months but I still have the rest of my life going on!<br />
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Can I just say the economy sucks! The job hunting is not very fun. I do get interviews so I guess that is good but just no solid job offers so that is not so good. It is funny how you go for an interview and when you ask how soon you are looking to hire they always say right away! or last week! and then all you do is wait for the phone to ring! I had one place that I had to do three interviews and by the time I got them all done it was 6 weeks after I started with the first one. I guess that is in a hurry? So the process is long and discouraging. Good news is that I had another interview today and it was great. So we'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks to see if it pans out.<br />
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But on to the better things about being unemployed. My house is clean, my laundry is always caught up, I cook more often, I read a lot of books, I have re-painted my whole house, I have cleaned out the basement, finished my Mom Cave, I get to exercise whenever I want (wait is that a good thing?), don't forget the Harry Potter movie marathon leading up the last one :( and also re-reading book 7 too, and I get to spend TONS of time with my kids!!! They are not really seeing that as a plus anymore. They seem to be finding more and more things to do away from home lately. I am getting the hint. It probably has something to do with the week of hiking every day that did it to them.<br />
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My family is coming up to my house next weekend. So I am trying to find a great hike that the whole family can do together for one of the days they are here. Utah has tons of hiking trails all across the state that are of all different skill levels. So I decided that I should try some out so I can take the fam on the best one out there for all of us. So I subjected my kids to a hike a day for about a week. Every morning at 8am I was ready to leave and take them to the mountains! What a fabulous way to start the day right? Well for the most part it was fabulous. So needless to say we found the perfect hike that ends at an amazing waterfall. If you have ever heard of Sundance - as in the Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Ski Resort - that is pretty close to where we will be hiking at. It is only about a 30 min drive to the trailhead and it is truly some beautiful country there. I will post pics soon. I have several other hikes I will post about that were great and even one that wasn't so great.<br />
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So that is what I have been up to this summer and so that didn't leave me much time for blogging. I have another great review for tomorrow. There are two more coming for next week and then another two the week after that. I am so excited for them. In between all of that and hopefully some more hiking I will post some details about the hikes we went on and I am still going to post about my Oregon trip. I know, I know that I have been promising that for a while now but I am really going to do it! <br />
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I am going to try to spend more time getting on all my fav blogs over the next week. Now that the Mom Cave is actually finished and usable I can get on the computer more often. So thanks for sticking with me and I will be visiting y'all soon!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGJgWPtOHnyK4HyufAjBfiNDycSA59ul50yAorJR5_GGMM560PIAJJPkhXg_y9Kh5svIUEfIYPAHcVns8Pr2LAGN10oMMBhOOFi98nGWVCXAimfLKfp2fNxCa_sWtoYhlt-jfaCrxEEVh/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGJgWPtOHnyK4HyufAjBfiNDycSA59ul50yAorJR5_GGMM560PIAJJPkhXg_y9Kh5svIUEfIYPAHcVns8Pr2LAGN10oMMBhOOFi98nGWVCXAimfLKfp2fNxCa_sWtoYhlt-jfaCrxEEVh/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-10249115779401926232011-07-26T21:03:00.000-06:002011-07-26T21:03:10.103-06:00Review of Under the Dome by Stephen King<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Under The Dome</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">By Stephen King</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Under the Dome" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1268982908s/6320534.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Just down Route 119 in <st1:city w:st="on">Chester</st1:city>’s Mill, <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>, all hell is about to break loose…<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day, a small town is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and rain down flaming wreckage. A gardener’s hand is severed as the dome descends. Cars explode on impact. Families are separated and panic mounts. No one can fathom what the barrier is, where it came from, and when – or if – it will go away. Now a few intrepid citizens, led by an <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> vet turned short-order cook, face down a ruthless politician dead set on seizing the reins of power under the dome. But their main adversary is the dome itself. Because time isn’t just running short. It’s running out.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I absolutely love a good, long book and so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one! It is a whopping 1074 pages and it didn’t disappoint!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very intrigued by the synopsis that was written about this book but had heard mixed reviews so wasn’t really sure how much I would enjoy this. I was engaged from page one and if I could have read all 1074 pages in one day I surely would have done so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was very much a fast paced book and I would compare it to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Stand</i>, which is one of my top five all time favorite books ever. It has a good mix of the fight between good and evil but on the smaller scale of this little town and those trapped inside. This does not mean it is not as dramatic as the battle in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Stand</i>. I feel that it made it even more so and if you have ever lived in a small town you will totally understand why. Of course in true Stephen King style it has a great sci-fi twist in it that I didn’t see coming at all.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">So I will give nothing away and will end on this note cause you know how I HATE spoilers. It is a 5 star book and well worth the length, especially if you are a Stephen King fan!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSCS-cEC9m6ocDWcow5EcD-RUQy4ZIIvX4DQPNUk1d-h1nOAvq96ndScioTzyiCp5uJv0pMgKibgMafUOYbKUGXWmLWymk25_lV818GyzhLKq1iPA47bi2OWFYnl4lP0-xJrO4PrCLES3/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSCS-cEC9m6ocDWcow5EcD-RUQy4ZIIvX4DQPNUk1d-h1nOAvq96ndScioTzyiCp5uJv0pMgKibgMafUOYbKUGXWmLWymk25_lV818GyzhLKq1iPA47bi2OWFYnl4lP0-xJrO4PrCLES3/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">PS - I will post more on Thursday about where I have been for the last month and what I have been up to. I have missed my blog and am glad to be back with all of you!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-12426250914144509832011-06-30T06:00:00.086-06:002011-06-30T06:00:07.435-06:00Zions 2011 Girls Trip!!!<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc36f0" sourceindex="4"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3c80" sourceindex="21" style="text-align: center;">So me and my sisters planned a very, very impromptu girls trip over this last weekend. Of course my girl Ashley came with to chaperone us:) We planned a quick overnight trip down to Zions National Park on the spur of the moment. It was so worth it and we had a blast! One sister lives in Nevada and the other two of us live in Lehi/American Fork UT. One sister only had a 2 hour drive while the others had a 4.5 hr trip! Wish we could have all traveled together. My older sister Christine is 40, I am 38 (39 in 2wks), and little sister Kim is just a baby at just 35! We all have families and only seem to get together when the families do so we headed out alone into the desert for some much needed girls time! If you haven't been to Zions National Park you really need to plan a trip because it is breathtaking! We really need to plan a trip longer than one night next time. We got down there on Friday night and came home after dinner on Saturday night! </div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3c80" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="71139b0" sourceindex="7" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3c80" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;">So we found a cutie to hang out with on one of the stops on the way there:</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6c7e640" sourceindex="19" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXVbigyqURfj6SUYSalEge0aDYiUDRg7Vh9l6P7l0YDb-6_whjdflrk2N9v3jZDO4PHsP18Ihm55jPrYNBkAAmJn0sgIXqTZAkFi0wCmWsspAlAhPHY70nIStDpF_cUQbkp8opV1MBS0T/s1600/Picture+202.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6c7e160" sourceindex="10" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7113d60" sourceindex="11" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXVbigyqURfj6SUYSalEge0aDYiUDRg7Vh9l6P7l0YDb-6_whjdflrk2N9v3jZDO4PHsP18Ihm55jPrYNBkAAmJn0sgIXqTZAkFi0wCmWsspAlAhPHY70nIStDpF_cUQbkp8opV1MBS0T/s320/Picture+202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6c7e640" sourceindex="9" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kim and Ashley always find the keepers:)</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6c7e640" sourceindex="9" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70e3790" sourceindex="14" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6c7e640" sourceindex="9" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They also know how to find the rest areas too:</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6c7e330" sourceindex="16" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tSkeq3Q3fwzSLn6USDpNjQwlbFyY02P9KrVMe_tbYFlatxHvG1225q-wS1XwVuGiQMWcItfR_VU0vVqkq1Hlie_NoL9OgxJU9j_OnTWc2n4mSsy5U-fGpyTOrV597sUhcfjJ_zq9pRo5/s1600/Picture+203.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70e30a0" sourceindex="17" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70e3b40" sourceindex="18" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tSkeq3Q3fwzSLn6USDpNjQwlbFyY02P9KrVMe_tbYFlatxHvG1225q-wS1XwVuGiQMWcItfR_VU0vVqkq1Hlie_NoL9OgxJU9j_OnTWc2n4mSsy5U-fGpyTOrV597sUhcfjJ_zq9pRo5/s320/Picture+203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6c7e330" sourceindex="16" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good thing we found this map and found out where we are! Well Ashley looks a little confused still - but she looks like that quite a bit so we weren't worried and went on our way!</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6c7e640" sourceindex="9" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70e3520" sourceindex="20" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3c80" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6c7efb0" sourceindex="22" /></div></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70ac9f0" sourceindex="23"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70acdf0" sourceindex="24" style="text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7094c60" sourceindex="25" /></div></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70ac7b0" sourceindex="26"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70ac890" sourceindex="27" style="text-align: center;">So we started our day with full intentions that after we hit a store to get some matching shirts to go with our ever so cute matching hats we would head up to a short hike before lunch. So here is some quick shots of us waiting in line to get into the park: </div></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3750" sourceindex="28"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3d70" sourceindex="29"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc35f0" sourceindex="30" /></div></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70ac880" sourceindex="31" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2rd38jZNuA-JHqQz1qw1npjihhTG_c-2NQWmqfDJtVe46C2btyiTYuoN8G3DhV7-KbKm5b9_yDFNjjSm20KmbR3XIw9TdhJJexEBgGyADxDfB6tiBmKDOU6qWIq648YnCz_KJiGeSPaX/s1600/Picture+217.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3c50" sourceindex="32" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3a50" sourceindex="33" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2rd38jZNuA-JHqQz1qw1npjihhTG_c-2NQWmqfDJtVe46C2btyiTYuoN8G3DhV7-KbKm5b9_yDFNjjSm20KmbR3XIw9TdhJJexEBgGyADxDfB6tiBmKDOU6qWIq648YnCz_KJiGeSPaX/s320/Picture+217.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70ac210" sourceindex="34"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3c40" sourceindex="35" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3b10" sourceindex="36" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuc2bXrjkKE4qTYS824ccbDWgbNvYg8g7dgcC6LXmAKjsvLHbJHjjB2GtsvI3Mtxfvj_fcQWmid_9W_hyEImG1mLlI0DsgC8e1t8Pto30m6QUxqAGAnETmnJtCjFh_qY2OlgLS-bMchJ2/s1600/Picture+212.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3a10" sourceindex="37" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc39e0" sourceindex="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuc2bXrjkKE4qTYS824ccbDWgbNvYg8g7dgcC6LXmAKjsvLHbJHjjB2GtsvI3Mtxfvj_fcQWmid_9W_hyEImG1mLlI0DsgC8e1t8Pto30m6QUxqAGAnETmnJtCjFh_qY2OlgLS-bMchJ2/s320/Picture+212.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70ac830" sourceindex="39"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3f90" sourceindex="40" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc38e0" sourceindex="41" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAHi82O8TGFcMkvmsPxqSi2teSFRGAMI1Y7iPW2BCtR32GUmebA-BHctR1yMCxmVWXPIMiyzECgka6sV45AfTzXZJGg1o525jfJp4OMZP5qQw1OAfU1CUR7OLv8GJts8dvnDNRLCbeg1I/s1600/Picture+213.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3ef0" sourceindex="42" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70ac340" sourceindex="43" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAHi82O8TGFcMkvmsPxqSi2teSFRGAMI1Y7iPW2BCtR32GUmebA-BHctR1yMCxmVWXPIMiyzECgka6sV45AfTzXZJGg1o525jfJp4OMZP5qQw1OAfU1CUR7OLv8GJts8dvnDNRLCbeg1I/s320/Picture+213.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3fc0" sourceindex="44"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3c10" sourceindex="45" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc32d0" sourceindex="46" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlazxmz4RD5ARqDUxcf1SwMranGLpcrepwVVWulA-JUgJKXhebjKQAufMt3Ds6I_7JzRB-ly1Ko3EI0IDms0ObyIVIL3lOS41iihaXYfSkd2L2BSlUqzXuYmVqpvd8SpLSoLGin5e0-_v/s1600/Picture+214.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70ac6b0" sourceindex="47" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3730" sourceindex="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlazxmz4RD5ARqDUxcf1SwMranGLpcrepwVVWulA-JUgJKXhebjKQAufMt3Ds6I_7JzRB-ly1Ko3EI0IDms0ObyIVIL3lOS41iihaXYfSkd2L2BSlUqzXuYmVqpvd8SpLSoLGin5e0-_v/s320/Picture+214.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3ed0" sourceindex="49"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3e60" sourceindex="50" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3020" sourceindex="51" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxeFq3Wo7JCZlUygmZvWnskLw5P_uk8qAuCUiuQXvMzYc0mh2f-Uu_mN1O4tAPM-TwRsaL8YuJg6PgJataUR21S3IEykcoYHG8MevP8A8yVcDVOauOYmVd-wMVIJXkQAQH3lK0zqjga7v/s1600/Picture+215.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3e70" sourceindex="52" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3790" sourceindex="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxeFq3Wo7JCZlUygmZvWnskLw5P_uk8qAuCUiuQXvMzYc0mh2f-Uu_mN1O4tAPM-TwRsaL8YuJg6PgJataUR21S3IEykcoYHG8MevP8A8yVcDVOauOYmVd-wMVIJXkQAQH3lK0zqjga7v/s320/Picture+215.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3560" sourceindex="54"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc31b0" sourceindex="55" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc38a0" sourceindex="56" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaNwhKbb_sr9F4EUpPHcHoHk_LVgBE3bsluSP5FCO6C4paNaruRv6Pys4aOLJdARi_mLqGlGO6cFuJ7AqS-1wb3csJPQVzc7qJ5iK3t8xwY7JAM3Z4lv7MQH11H1u8-56ySzmcAW80gRq/s1600/Picture+216.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3bc0" sourceindex="57" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3f10" sourceindex="58" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaNwhKbb_sr9F4EUpPHcHoHk_LVgBE3bsluSP5FCO6C4paNaruRv6Pys4aOLJdARi_mLqGlGO6cFuJ7AqS-1wb3csJPQVzc7qJ5iK3t8xwY7JAM3Z4lv7MQH11H1u8-56ySzmcAW80gRq/s320/Picture+216.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3230" sourceindex="59"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3ac0" sourceindex="60" style="text-align: center;">Not bad for taking them through the sunroof as we waited in line. So for Kim and Ashley in the back seat they decided to help with the window decorations that we had done that morning before heading out! The other cars in line loved watching them getting in and out to add to their entertainment:</div></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3d50" sourceindex="61" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMw3eiRsKK8hCFVXdo8VgJ53D_S9Mjlxchh7qtIju-zcQTWuMw7c8iiyF6ktVeazntuGEkdcqXuMlAuhpEvvuq8fQoxSE6iBP_OKqt-x0F9G2RU2EcqGeDorjQC8-xf-nlGGFxvLpE5n-j/s1600/Picture+269.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3b80" sourceindex="62" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3b20" sourceindex="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMw3eiRsKK8hCFVXdo8VgJ53D_S9Mjlxchh7qtIju-zcQTWuMw7c8iiyF6ktVeazntuGEkdcqXuMlAuhpEvvuq8fQoxSE6iBP_OKqt-x0F9G2RU2EcqGeDorjQC8-xf-nlGGFxvLpE5n-j/s320/Picture+269.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3b50" sourceindex="64"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687500" sourceindex="65" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc37c0" sourceindex="66" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDukawEHtSgcbO3gH5Yn1mOu5sddgwB4WX4n9TQFFeSoglsZ2i0qZbeX6wklQMC3VVfjmluHUFoDgmMgQKw68B-MSbPsFO_rwkCelZyDXvCR4XY0RPDL-kEcOIzSh724yIsDiu52HF4pPl/s1600/Picture+211.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc36a0" sourceindex="67" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687a70" sourceindex="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDukawEHtSgcbO3gH5Yn1mOu5sddgwB4WX4n9TQFFeSoglsZ2i0qZbeX6wklQMC3VVfjmluHUFoDgmMgQKw68B-MSbPsFO_rwkCelZyDXvCR4XY0RPDL-kEcOIzSh724yIsDiu52HF4pPl/s320/Picture+211.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3100" sourceindex="69"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3270" sourceindex="70" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3f30" sourceindex="71" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCAcoNCP1RoSwjYJ-WK6mecuZjs7UmrUDHNFwBu8sHpaKJJg4_yei3IQzB1BFnDRad8-BtLuDs5hfuUaZny_ytTlOTbmYd4NYzJ-SlUAC5WIfQ6vAhR4PcatnmBe07vemGh62StQgy2jv/s1600/Picture+206.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="563d9b0" sourceindex="72" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687220" sourceindex="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCAcoNCP1RoSwjYJ-WK6mecuZjs7UmrUDHNFwBu8sHpaKJJg4_yei3IQzB1BFnDRad8-BtLuDs5hfuUaZny_ytTlOTbmYd4NYzJ-SlUAC5WIfQ6vAhR4PcatnmBe07vemGh62StQgy2jv/s320/Picture+206.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3340" sourceindex="74"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3930" sourceindex="75" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687a20" sourceindex="76" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JKzkFh5tfXFB8wjATrdtbY1C3N7J0m2QBIKvJTS__cbsHCg67wEoSeHR32jvMUscEyzEegUo1cDe92Vk_mRMeki8-rVenKd6AxLj90V4ucURLEdgmuXNW7JrSYguk-WkL2lZEx5ZV00j/s1600/Picture+207.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="563dbb0" sourceindex="77" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3d60" sourceindex="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JKzkFh5tfXFB8wjATrdtbY1C3N7J0m2QBIKvJTS__cbsHCg67wEoSeHR32jvMUscEyzEegUo1cDe92Vk_mRMeki8-rVenKd6AxLj90V4ucURLEdgmuXNW7JrSYguk-WkL2lZEx5ZV00j/s320/Picture+207.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70ac640" sourceindex="79"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="563d670" sourceindex="80" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687000" sourceindex="81" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFShLejDyPdLKKzfcbZ4GutQJ5hv9tdSIUDfBdMinx-Geny6t2GpfeFssl86DfeIaZum-CoApTuL6VHsqLjz1dZnFLC9DGYEkMMgIgwRNVd6uGSvf0aeODMn2mhutaV0KPJa6KZlCTqP_/s1600/Picture+210.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3ce0" sourceindex="82" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5631770" sourceindex="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFShLejDyPdLKKzfcbZ4GutQJ5hv9tdSIUDfBdMinx-Geny6t2GpfeFssl86DfeIaZum-CoApTuL6VHsqLjz1dZnFLC9DGYEkMMgIgwRNVd6uGSvf0aeODMn2mhutaV0KPJa6KZlCTqP_/s320/Picture+210.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687550" sourceindex="84" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="563da60" sourceindex="85" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5631520" sourceindex="86" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was great to drive 4.5 hrs home on the freeway in Utah. We had a lot of looks and laughs! We loved it though. So back to the story of our morning. We apparently can't read a map all that well! So we missed the turn off to where we wanted to hike to and ended up driving several miles in the other direction. Beautiful scenery and we went through two tunnels - one was a mile long! Who doesn't love a good tunnel?!? So we finally stopped and took some fun pictures - well Kim and I look like we are having fun:</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a96fd0" sourceindex="87" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcadjIx-CC1ZRDakwz77Ps6DMx2-yz1Dcx71OYIRoo5OXiEkS5JHSB-ppHcUIRWcDyPTTGgF1yKr7wT-eUpIsBcH-lz2iJI8kz-zyJnceuLNrJsiPUoVNDCbIhXFc0r4XhOd_5GdgGbGr/s1600/Picture+221.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="563d6e0" sourceindex="88" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="563da70" sourceindex="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcadjIx-CC1ZRDakwz77Ps6DMx2-yz1Dcx71OYIRoo5OXiEkS5JHSB-ppHcUIRWcDyPTTGgF1yKr7wT-eUpIsBcH-lz2iJI8kz-zyJnceuLNrJsiPUoVNDCbIhXFc0r4XhOd_5GdgGbGr/s320/Picture+221.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a96320" sourceindex="90"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5631d90" sourceindex="91" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687750" sourceindex="92" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-gTSIfTpWCpShCsGG6s2IHUEwsKwqmdZf0bYztUaGTUJ0r36rmxqJwmRU8sRNxN-mv83PTgfChdNa0hianjN6ZYn2Y5wuwlE7rJDy5XwIQwZt_kLs70h922TCFLlK6ArgE8MOXnu2_XW/s1600/Picture+218.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf280" sourceindex="93" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687af0" sourceindex="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-gTSIfTpWCpShCsGG6s2IHUEwsKwqmdZf0bYztUaGTUJ0r36rmxqJwmRU8sRNxN-mv83PTgfChdNa0hianjN6ZYn2Y5wuwlE7rJDy5XwIQwZt_kLs70h922TCFLlK6ArgE8MOXnu2_XW/s320/Picture+218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a96910" sourceindex="95"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a96150" sourceindex="96" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf8c0" sourceindex="97" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagp1YsbbDU3aqzg8h8k0LZFubV2lVH0Cn-gAHeuIHjlhQJ-jDkdAaK6xtKGE52YXPlyNQ922mUhdrOMoM4YSWNqtNlg70LsD-W9Mg6BEcwP5QXd9z9y1nDPEywbUtfqeJcGOBcEhYsQ4D/s1600/Picture+219.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5631ce0" sourceindex="98" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="56313f0" sourceindex="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagp1YsbbDU3aqzg8h8k0LZFubV2lVH0Cn-gAHeuIHjlhQJ-jDkdAaK6xtKGE52YXPlyNQ922mUhdrOMoM4YSWNqtNlg70LsD-W9Mg6BEcwP5QXd9z9y1nDPEywbUtfqeJcGOBcEhYsQ4D/s320/Picture+219.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf2d0" sourceindex="100"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a96180" sourceindex="101" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="56879a0" sourceindex="102" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_uHjf0G141u0pmSkRIoijoWXymJr8sVfkPvwt9ODEnOdSRVKYJFrVCjPk-7f4s9A1RYRvRm17mIrIP8Ee29UlfIjmf9mlI8U_tEMj7mU0dTyO1cVeXC4OM4ee_vTAy043JBb0yorKfWV/s1600/Picture+220.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687640" sourceindex="103" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf3b0" sourceindex="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_uHjf0G141u0pmSkRIoijoWXymJr8sVfkPvwt9ODEnOdSRVKYJFrVCjPk-7f4s9A1RYRvRm17mIrIP8Ee29UlfIjmf9mlI8U_tEMj7mU0dTyO1cVeXC4OM4ee_vTAy043JBb0yorKfWV/s320/Picture+220.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf720" sourceindex="105" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a967f0" sourceindex="106" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687800" sourceindex="107"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc3530" sourceindex="108" style="text-align: center;">So I am in the middle with Kim on the left and Christine on the right. I think she had that look a lot on this trip! Don't let her fool you because she had a fabulous time! Don't you just love the shirts and hats! So we headed back through the tunnels wanting to find our original hike. Well if you have ever driven in canyonlands then you know it is very twisty and windy. Which usually ends up with someone a little green. Well Kim was the lucky winner this time:</div></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf3c0" sourceindex="109" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFj0owiM_V6uAQxl8CpSdwcLI_tJsbuKOGm2nqttOYHfx-VYunYDTm1sRevjwhRWHOhkN5TMoB7Ciqvsgp7-jbVxp2u_ZCtBWvBOPQN4taZea6msoyeP2r2blMri9JJfSse_-Ei_RxgGH/s1600/Picture+226.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf380" sourceindex="110" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbfb40" sourceindex="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFj0owiM_V6uAQxl8CpSdwcLI_tJsbuKOGm2nqttOYHfx-VYunYDTm1sRevjwhRWHOhkN5TMoB7Ciqvsgp7-jbVxp2u_ZCtBWvBOPQN4taZea6msoyeP2r2blMri9JJfSse_-Ei_RxgGH/s320/Picture+226.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a96e70" sourceindex="112" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf080" sourceindex="113" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf870" sourceindex="114" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So why not take some pictures while we wait for it to pass:</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf2c0" sourceindex="115" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYgqRwXKHH1FAA6_mPdxX7br-GbHAsPW0I3c9RJm_XpOSMwE-2LMo6jMP3eHkAtNFRMekySdjbxu8ro15K2oZLK1uC3ghiUfgX0KpQYwfMy6xDJbo1kfC4qLZe1FSAH6eGzeZ-NigEHCg/s1600/Picture+225.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbfac0" sourceindex="116" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf8f0" sourceindex="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYgqRwXKHH1FAA6_mPdxX7br-GbHAsPW0I3c9RJm_XpOSMwE-2LMo6jMP3eHkAtNFRMekySdjbxu8ro15K2oZLK1uC3ghiUfgX0KpQYwfMy6xDJbo1kfC4qLZe1FSAH6eGzeZ-NigEHCg/s320/Picture+225.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbff10" sourceindex="118"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5631a60" sourceindex="119" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf900" sourceindex="120" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41axps-XIDp-kpRbPvIWaFFBA_rVvDFQxFW62R2CpCrMB7JCBz_oIJU05u_0cHwFuS1IiGJ_qqckUx3m8nhflIT9mkROa8QtXf4UP_tE-O-qz7eld0dlDdwvnLsTbH9pmhVBMAmvK3vPc/s1600/Picture+222.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbfd70" sourceindex="121" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf910" sourceindex="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41axps-XIDp-kpRbPvIWaFFBA_rVvDFQxFW62R2CpCrMB7JCBz_oIJU05u_0cHwFuS1IiGJ_qqckUx3m8nhflIT9mkROa8QtXf4UP_tE-O-qz7eld0dlDdwvnLsTbH9pmhVBMAmvK3vPc/s320/Picture+222.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf270" sourceindex="123"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbfa30" sourceindex="124" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbfda0" sourceindex="125" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUA2OhqnJGiFu3jNkpWSpPzftgtPH3ATZJhwRYF3NNoU8ZN1jSI12zOBr1dpwnM5FumAB-dsrKbh9dkkJE8zzJaHqUvcM-PK85Y0-q2CumPxvALYbUhSsdzR_C9geNhyaofDMOgwZVfqof/s1600/Picture+223.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf960" sourceindex="126" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1dcf0" sourceindex="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUA2OhqnJGiFu3jNkpWSpPzftgtPH3ATZJhwRYF3NNoU8ZN1jSI12zOBr1dpwnM5FumAB-dsrKbh9dkkJE8zzJaHqUvcM-PK85Y0-q2CumPxvALYbUhSsdzR_C9geNhyaofDMOgwZVfqof/s320/Picture+223.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d310" sourceindex="128"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cc34a0" sourceindex="129" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbfcd0" sourceindex="130" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dvuUST-bbK0jX-_sZiqhw_9g1Qca3lcAIJQCFaADba9olcOQGb7QIowK-Ljg1mExHGUhur8m-RVgjtukTLCmd0vpRWFHrvt65Hbh4FZFc4kIburyXogHWgBOCfAgUMcY42RaDuZnPAm3/s1600/Picture+224.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d3a0" sourceindex="131" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d510" sourceindex="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dvuUST-bbK0jX-_sZiqhw_9g1Qca3lcAIJQCFaADba9olcOQGb7QIowK-Ljg1mExHGUhur8m-RVgjtukTLCmd0vpRWFHrvt65Hbh4FZFc4kIburyXogHWgBOCfAgUMcY42RaDuZnPAm3/s320/Picture+224.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf820" sourceindex="133" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf440" sourceindex="134" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf370" sourceindex="135" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once she was feeling better we headed back on the right path. But while on this path we noticed we were the only car on it. There were shuttle buses but really no cars. We thought hmmm this is nice! Then we passed a sign that told us if we didn't have a red permit then turn around! Well we thought we have come this far so we kept going to the parking lot. Sure enough there was lots and lots of cars with red permit stickers in their windows! We decided that we shouldn't leave our car there while we hiked for two hours. We may not have a car to come back too. So since it was already 12:30pm we decided it was time for lunch! Went back into the town of Springdale, UT and found a fabulous little diner called Blondie's! It was amazing and so yummy. Back to the canyon for us and another hike:</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d290" sourceindex="136" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirISHjK9o5KSupsk89CZNNPkRMJEZJpXDNlwm9VNOHfU8ICbSrG9Amnh-SnHHXrgqXrdDWFPlduzyC0SeGp5-nbGmITH5OZgCy4Jw39hYeqEm6cX3Nh1AVyGpAwBJsqGp_5M6BOfX1a7zm/s1600/Picture+230.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d0f0" sourceindex="137" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1df00" sourceindex="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirISHjK9o5KSupsk89CZNNPkRMJEZJpXDNlwm9VNOHfU8ICbSrG9Amnh-SnHHXrgqXrdDWFPlduzyC0SeGp5-nbGmITH5OZgCy4Jw39hYeqEm6cX3Nh1AVyGpAwBJsqGp_5M6BOfX1a7zm/s320/Picture+230.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d9e0" sourceindex="139" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ashley is going to point the way for us! </div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a96b60" sourceindex="140" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0JG17eFIZBnnNS_kawGT2DqksFsw_u2fe-ZB9_xflpx3NpEdZYPDmqKwvXtIlBcRfOScv8hMM_dQPty9NzlHKFXfHDx5e4NOOxg6AJg3HbxakLr3Ec6z8PRAI-SQc81-as4CKbIzYTeZ/s1600/Picture+234.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1dd40" sourceindex="141" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d9c0" sourceindex="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0JG17eFIZBnnNS_kawGT2DqksFsw_u2fe-ZB9_xflpx3NpEdZYPDmqKwvXtIlBcRfOScv8hMM_dQPty9NzlHKFXfHDx5e4NOOxg6AJg3HbxakLr3Ec6z8PRAI-SQc81-as4CKbIzYTeZ/s320/Picture+234.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf530" sourceindex="143" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d270" sourceindex="144" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cbf8e0" sourceindex="145" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d920" sourceindex="146">So we headed out on the Watchman trail for two hours of fun together!</div></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d950" sourceindex="147" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1df80" sourceindex="148"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d560" sourceindex="149" /></div></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1dba0" sourceindex="150" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZYCqHQpftGhhV5tg3MpSf1QjpPYpaJgzSiq3TV5Tue5pUisM8iB4bIij5Z60x6U9EQC-xk9Bw0pwlGy41wFBqs0biIuMetIqLMgBBEN4fJN211A2GPJUyq4xLqqQTvRT2s_J7mfo0D4I/s1600/Picture+240.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d7a0" sourceindex="151" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d040" sourceindex="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZYCqHQpftGhhV5tg3MpSf1QjpPYpaJgzSiq3TV5Tue5pUisM8iB4bIij5Z60x6U9EQC-xk9Bw0pwlGy41wFBqs0biIuMetIqLMgBBEN4fJN211A2GPJUyq4xLqqQTvRT2s_J7mfo0D4I/s320/Picture+240.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d570" sourceindex="153" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me and my baby girl!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1dd30" sourceindex="154"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d960" sourceindex="155" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d880" sourceindex="156" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSCYukEvlJDjEDDv_OpX1Q6dwnzjMA26GmQjBLsZ-hReiszDxyeErgspdQxNr2GS9dB2dK7AJP4Xhf2dM5tZP26Foz_euDFLO9lCc7xflvHq6G4iXQ3ivHbXhrRSIGfDH59hKiBuMjsrj/s1600/Picture+237.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1dc80" sourceindex="157" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1dff0" sourceindex="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSCYukEvlJDjEDDv_OpX1Q6dwnzjMA26GmQjBLsZ-hReiszDxyeErgspdQxNr2GS9dB2dK7AJP4Xhf2dM5tZP26Foz_euDFLO9lCc7xflvHq6G4iXQ3ivHbXhrRSIGfDH59hKiBuMjsrj/s320/Picture+237.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d460" sourceindex="159" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The girls on the trail!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d6c0" sourceindex="160"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d540" sourceindex="161" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d160" sourceindex="162" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Qi1-c1k_zKgTvifLghBaj3ubYvxIkDTnUPUUcjJyCnuiGR-DyQBaMCmF3hLGAeL2tQaHao1NGTgq_qZQWdJXgCwV9LVmCRFwQffjSiPAVLlSd5tW9cJTLN7PP9jJzq8txTcnPQeAKxoF/s1600/Picture+238.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1df60" sourceindex="163" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d940" sourceindex="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Qi1-c1k_zKgTvifLghBaj3ubYvxIkDTnUPUUcjJyCnuiGR-DyQBaMCmF3hLGAeL2tQaHao1NGTgq_qZQWdJXgCwV9LVmCRFwQffjSiPAVLlSd5tW9cJTLN7PP9jJzq8txTcnPQeAKxoF/s320/Picture+238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d750" sourceindex="165"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1dad0" sourceindex="166" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d0c0" sourceindex="167" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTLTOk-0Orn4kjkhFJrfOR-4UFk5lWy6CE12e9uXTDu71zXhVRhVSmcj6jpdTpW9Z1yrwwaAOe01BuBY984ZRcKBVfoqNl-ckYRi6qHsfcq7ZapScB9pbSYgf6cYbBu5N0hSloI8NshR-/s1600/Picture+239.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5629440" sourceindex="168" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d4c0" sourceindex="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTLTOk-0Orn4kjkhFJrfOR-4UFk5lWy6CE12e9uXTDu71zXhVRhVSmcj6jpdTpW9Z1yrwwaAOe01BuBY984ZRcKBVfoqNl-ckYRi6qHsfcq7ZapScB9pbSYgf6cYbBu5N0hSloI8NshR-/s320/Picture+239.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1dfd0" sourceindex="170" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1dcb0" sourceindex="171">There is that look again by Christine! Should Kim and I be concerned?</div></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5629fb0" sourceindex="172" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1da60" sourceindex="173">Also, I am not as short as this picture portrays! None of us are tall by any stretch but really this just makes it worse!</div></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1db30" sourceindex="174" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a2f0" sourceindex="175"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a8a0" sourceindex="176" /></div></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d090" sourceindex="177" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a4a0" sourceindex="178">We had several stops along the way because when the map says that this hike is not recommended for early afternoon then you should listen. Man was it hot! We had plenty of water with us and stopped when we could find shade:</div></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709ab20" sourceindex="179" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d4b0" sourceindex="180"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a080" sourceindex="181" /></div></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a940" sourceindex="182" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7k3CgKENV1GUWoZAveAiefr5eL7jk_GBL2OGWfTQFqE40B7Hhpg0YKPczE_D5OFwZJjOiuTX9G6XLTE4-fIOm5OKKYuH9KkdsQNoucDBdDDiDhNZeLuYyr5GIVEKba0Mo8diLRBJWeWZ/s1600/Picture+241.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="56294e0" sourceindex="183" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5629740" sourceindex="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7k3CgKENV1GUWoZAveAiefr5eL7jk_GBL2OGWfTQFqE40B7Hhpg0YKPczE_D5OFwZJjOiuTX9G6XLTE4-fIOm5OKKYuH9KkdsQNoucDBdDDiDhNZeLuYyr5GIVEKba0Mo8diLRBJWeWZ/s320/Picture+241.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a260" sourceindex="185" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ashley running ahead on the trail that seemed to never end!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709afd0" sourceindex="186"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a690" sourceindex="187" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a900" sourceindex="188" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgWcmTzPM0kQvWo5PUqmivH2emoZdBNUAY6JW1305HPZxK8O0mbesxh6_iQAwYqswzLe9CpW_lBuYL14CzOOnevhOd7OFvSC39dpQsBHh7K1-vLg1Ka8wkJf1ZHyo0wUGj5ACW5wdquHe/s1600/Picture+242.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a6c0" sourceindex="189" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a850" sourceindex="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgWcmTzPM0kQvWo5PUqmivH2emoZdBNUAY6JW1305HPZxK8O0mbesxh6_iQAwYqswzLe9CpW_lBuYL14CzOOnevhOd7OFvSC39dpQsBHh7K1-vLg1Ka8wkJf1ZHyo0wUGj5ACW5wdquHe/s320/Picture+242.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d100" sourceindex="191"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d670" sourceindex="192" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a7b0" sourceindex="193" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PkVt_V0DbJk3jkemrukJ_gNXOd4F7xFgwr3zd506rRZ30TT7myp6nIzZMfxmp4BlfRY30OZsSBCRD8p2ayo78nkubM7MJqE9QE_z8syrOKEYydTuo-HFmq0OZj1wGwaXUY-r8ikYphvs/s1600/Picture+243.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709aa50" sourceindex="194" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1d730" sourceindex="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PkVt_V0DbJk3jkemrukJ_gNXOd4F7xFgwr3zd506rRZ30TT7myp6nIzZMfxmp4BlfRY30OZsSBCRD8p2ayo78nkubM7MJqE9QE_z8syrOKEYydTuo-HFmq0OZj1wGwaXUY-r8ikYphvs/s320/Picture+243.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709ac80" sourceindex="196" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think their looks say it all - it was HOT!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709adf0" sourceindex="197"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a1d0" sourceindex="198" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a6d0" sourceindex="199" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcttO6o3C_57_DNRHSeYvmuiX_NsGZsEhXGmT0beHLZgpAzMIeiOfUqOKe6vjyqyrq0GvNZWgo81mHEEYVkhtkFz2al60D9v5jVHNo_1gATIXdZAWN3nE48JS_I2MTQSRHKxBqJUrIQwW/s1600/Picture+244.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709ace0" sourceindex="200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a190" sourceindex="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcttO6o3C_57_DNRHSeYvmuiX_NsGZsEhXGmT0beHLZgpAzMIeiOfUqOKe6vjyqyrq0GvNZWgo81mHEEYVkhtkFz2al60D9v5jVHNo_1gATIXdZAWN3nE48JS_I2MTQSRHKxBqJUrIQwW/s320/Picture+244.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a650" sourceindex="202" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ashley and Kim finding a great seat to rest.</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a370" sourceindex="203"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a570" sourceindex="204" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709adc0" sourceindex="205" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_vrwAEZ7SCbCfruPFRBxO5swWjYc6RwLTKMqvjOL3xzWBUHNKh1lz8AMzt80S66tb0OFd-bsiZk1FUPA1W1tRtNhALdqn7ODpmvbG9RsRYhvPPSN0rNy__JEJn53w-TCekvd_-jvPL0_/s1600/Picture+245.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709af60" sourceindex="206" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709ada0" sourceindex="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_vrwAEZ7SCbCfruPFRBxO5swWjYc6RwLTKMqvjOL3xzWBUHNKh1lz8AMzt80S66tb0OFd-bsiZk1FUPA1W1tRtNhALdqn7ODpmvbG9RsRYhvPPSN0rNy__JEJn53w-TCekvd_-jvPL0_/s320/Picture+245.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a990" sourceindex="208"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709ab00" sourceindex="209" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1da50" sourceindex="210" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrIz3pC-iuOI_rsXqXP_as1Pjb61-iBX-e34oWSEO4W8QNb2178Vd5tY_BmXykNVxx3EiSV1rG2WNeJoFyI0N3eHx1XWZtAMQuAyDKg-qY6Y5eU7Sez1hURG5Cffj5XKp1bh467Sg0kO_/s1600/Picture+248.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a740" sourceindex="211" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709aee0" sourceindex="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrIz3pC-iuOI_rsXqXP_as1Pjb61-iBX-e34oWSEO4W8QNb2178Vd5tY_BmXykNVxx3EiSV1rG2WNeJoFyI0N3eHx1XWZtAMQuAyDKg-qY6Y5eU7Sez1hURG5Cffj5XKp1bh467Sg0kO_/s320/Picture+248.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="56292a0" sourceindex="213" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kim, Me, and Christine </div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709aa80" sourceindex="214"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a770" sourceindex="215" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709acc0" sourceindex="216" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXvvqTtLeBHgQaciPjNiNUd6j-HYcDTzYFFdfPpQ-ctXFSCz60fBiAVVaHTJqk2jPmV6OeqsX9r-8EYzmFlol8gTWB-nDmSsswVVgLrHloqg59l4rrwnA2zGpBwDjzjpD_UK6NvKlZLYX/s1600/Picture+249.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a8e0" sourceindex="217" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6d1ddd0" sourceindex="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXvvqTtLeBHgQaciPjNiNUd6j-HYcDTzYFFdfPpQ-ctXFSCz60fBiAVVaHTJqk2jPmV6OeqsX9r-8EYzmFlol8gTWB-nDmSsswVVgLrHloqg59l4rrwnA2zGpBwDjzjpD_UK6NvKlZLYX/s320/Picture+249.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709ad60" sourceindex="219" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kim, Christine, & Ashley</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a4b0" sourceindex="220"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1b10" sourceindex="221" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709adb0" sourceindex="222" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMBvu6oUl5N7KheYlCxsce8kv5QE13aqrNHKySbacfihf5zHtSFexlHqRqLQAye82Rnbjd2WP2NeytmpNjXz2RGyILMpph4kKcUvkG7AxoGYttsuwzMOKJ1Hl45-79MQVGFBOCncJKNaD/s1600/Picture+250.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709aa70" sourceindex="223" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709ae80" sourceindex="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMBvu6oUl5N7KheYlCxsce8kv5QE13aqrNHKySbacfihf5zHtSFexlHqRqLQAye82Rnbjd2WP2NeytmpNjXz2RGyILMpph4kKcUvkG7AxoGYttsuwzMOKJ1Hl45-79MQVGFBOCncJKNaD/s320/Picture+250.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a520" sourceindex="225" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cutie pie Ash!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a4c0" sourceindex="226"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a500" sourceindex="227" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709abe0" sourceindex="228" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpgO-URh4kzclFei4Dysk4zMJkxBgoOpsGulvzvpGCTrRzkNtEz2jfUd_xcV5533G2JFJcgJPZXrpGJA-5iitI47XLCPyzhg7PDKvxptQUclRkbWU0dK9U4Bc-ZQVBnpbEd8qgTGn5xHU/s1600/Picture+251.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="55f64e0" sourceindex="229" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1db0" sourceindex="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpgO-URh4kzclFei4Dysk4zMJkxBgoOpsGulvzvpGCTrRzkNtEz2jfUd_xcV5533G2JFJcgJPZXrpGJA-5iitI47XLCPyzhg7PDKvxptQUclRkbWU0dK9U4Bc-ZQVBnpbEd8qgTGn5xHU/s320/Picture+251.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a890" sourceindex="231" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Isn't she just beautiful! Even after sweating and hiking:)</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1280" sourceindex="232"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1160" sourceindex="233" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1fe0" sourceindex="234" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53_HnFnNbmPkIjsBqiUFEktIMdr0RMAHeAgLq4iCrDpz0ebEdspdaiIZZ2qYZ5-ZB2Y059qudc_FEYzUetcmJLztF9Bn3OP8Rk3Z6i6dsz6GLsdD2x642eNN2IoIoYFBe17GXxC2jgztA/s1600/Picture+254.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709abf0" sourceindex="235" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1140" sourceindex="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53_HnFnNbmPkIjsBqiUFEktIMdr0RMAHeAgLq4iCrDpz0ebEdspdaiIZZ2qYZ5-ZB2Y059qudc_FEYzUetcmJLztF9Bn3OP8Rk3Z6i6dsz6GLsdD2x642eNN2IoIoYFBe17GXxC2jgztA/s320/Picture+254.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1660" sourceindex="237" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yeah we climb rocks!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1a00" sourceindex="238"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a140" sourceindex="239" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="55f6730" sourceindex="240" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AXAAn2x3Bz5vksubmVBCzLpMAASwipckDSeVIPZO8ElnZT_kuBmdB4wx43vP3FtDtiLYMX007r3OWbQWxs8GPnzeqkZg9ZLl1mpRTsIzp_cnvUzRa0eC851ArAwwW-D7_0oSZbru2nch/s1600/Picture+256.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1610" sourceindex="241" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a4e0" sourceindex="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AXAAn2x3Bz5vksubmVBCzLpMAASwipckDSeVIPZO8ElnZT_kuBmdB4wx43vP3FtDtiLYMX007r3OWbQWxs8GPnzeqkZg9ZLl1mpRTsIzp_cnvUzRa0eC851ArAwwW-D7_0oSZbru2nch/s320/Picture+256.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1d50" sourceindex="243"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1990" sourceindex="244" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709a590" sourceindex="245" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGdAOqU0mq0pqReN6AU6gATD1yqgF5Hip51JmETGqQLzV_q10Mu8vWO1qji2azX5MYSpyhIb0qu2KVzvtoiI2epXvY7FCcQ1SxhuUZTLFU6xB56xmX4IKEUL__pTBbzWntBBiZa4qsM6a/s1600/Picture+257.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1310" sourceindex="246" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1b70" sourceindex="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGdAOqU0mq0pqReN6AU6gATD1yqgF5Hip51JmETGqQLzV_q10Mu8vWO1qji2azX5MYSpyhIb0qu2KVzvtoiI2epXvY7FCcQ1SxhuUZTLFU6xB56xmX4IKEUL__pTBbzWntBBiZa4qsM6a/s320/Picture+257.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1430" sourceindex="248" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The last stop before we head back to the bottom.</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b14f0" sourceindex="249"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="709af40" sourceindex="250" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1d60" sourceindex="251" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh672ZPSKKSH85yk7yxzTyV2BsEG4QvQSSOIrLUQuyZJoZC_XHJRXdhem1NHcNNbnlNJvJZ6St9vmT4VG-TPB_XR61daJmzTcXtym_X3GHs2gO41FggQnTeumKEFfcDoGZzKxJa2hf4ixdK/s1600/Picture+258.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1790" sourceindex="252" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1920" sourceindex="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh672ZPSKKSH85yk7yxzTyV2BsEG4QvQSSOIrLUQuyZJoZC_XHJRXdhem1NHcNNbnlNJvJZ6St9vmT4VG-TPB_XR61daJmzTcXtym_X3GHs2gO41FggQnTeumKEFfcDoGZzKxJa2hf4ixdK/s320/Picture+258.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b14a0" sourceindex="254"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1850" sourceindex="255" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1200" sourceindex="256" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaEIVyPtVMrp4DI8AhXp6OKjYisGzBnzOoET_gemMs35Usr7-442FTLqFnGpbiUSZzFpJ5_msgZivFbTnYViVP2grfL0JNFxuP9ch7fFERPPpCPQEWmAMXkdixk6wvH0WDiHQRnX-i_dc/s1600/Picture+260.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1040" sourceindex="257" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1ea0" sourceindex="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaEIVyPtVMrp4DI8AhXp6OKjYisGzBnzOoET_gemMs35Usr7-442FTLqFnGpbiUSZzFpJ5_msgZivFbTnYViVP2grfL0JNFxuP9ch7fFERPPpCPQEWmAMXkdixk6wvH0WDiHQRnX-i_dc/s320/Picture+260.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1680" sourceindex="259" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kim and Ashley</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1d00" sourceindex="260"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1070" sourceindex="261" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b19a0" sourceindex="262" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBx9MnWGCemE2g7i4PKuvPfpOZErkmbkDlpMmY04wFJqFVmPIvsZXzi2-DJaaiHr9Tkvg1EWyg8kC8DHh46oMrdCIyzAhN6sIxsHGp2EtpIGVF5Xiu1L1T8Nhyphenhyphenxob73-43DdqxzdyXVlb/s1600/Picture+261.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b13d0" sourceindex="263" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1090" sourceindex="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBx9MnWGCemE2g7i4PKuvPfpOZErkmbkDlpMmY04wFJqFVmPIvsZXzi2-DJaaiHr9Tkvg1EWyg8kC8DHh46oMrdCIyzAhN6sIxsHGp2EtpIGVF5Xiu1L1T8Nhyphenhyphenxob73-43DdqxzdyXVlb/s320/Picture+261.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b15e0" sourceindex="265" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good thing going down is a lot faster!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1350" sourceindex="266"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1d10" sourceindex="267" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b11f0" sourceindex="268" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71lPpteD0aMr0NMTCUyvNHCJTVTHf1HkAoUrYpCjF1pXyQiLJN-EFFSyBkvvsP94rG8n-n3qmRJyIxAh7UjbcwSrvcZqev4SU4IZZuP01J-gBDP_qgA6LL2Jpl2TyTVvtgv7CcrypTlmj/s1600/Picture+262.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1510" sourceindex="269" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1420" sourceindex="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71lPpteD0aMr0NMTCUyvNHCJTVTHf1HkAoUrYpCjF1pXyQiLJN-EFFSyBkvvsP94rG8n-n3qmRJyIxAh7UjbcwSrvcZqev4SU4IZZuP01J-gBDP_qgA6LL2Jpl2TyTVvtgv7CcrypTlmj/s320/Picture+262.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1e40" sourceindex="271"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b12c0" sourceindex="272" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1cb0" sourceindex="273" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBr0b4sHPdDA8ETeXhGqHybTacVwC5Y8Xhwn2U9N0crpG3UiTplAifS-c24lOxQuWBVwcB8ECGVq1VNx68F4qYjCQRXlS5V8xo8PYzlSllpLTdiRX60UrIE2g-Dnr5NJA8NGAkre4grAe/s1600/Picture+265.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1300" sourceindex="274" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4f10" sourceindex="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBr0b4sHPdDA8ETeXhGqHybTacVwC5Y8Xhwn2U9N0crpG3UiTplAifS-c24lOxQuWBVwcB8ECGVq1VNx68F4qYjCQRXlS5V8xo8PYzlSllpLTdiRX60UrIE2g-Dnr5NJA8NGAkre4grAe/s320/Picture+265.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb49c0" sourceindex="276" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our little friend taking it easy in the shade</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1880" sourceindex="277"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1190" sourceindex="278" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb45c0" sourceindex="279" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkwPOAUjWp0pX-ENE8u0ynU-ilgHIhOLWSB6hx33PyrdJ14AmjbRXW1LTzCUsCZoCZA7csoapoHc6ow8ZxHFBckiAEzfkeBysC_E-hyGreUn9Q1c9WdHC8-3J4fyzclxz1w3Hci97Ag3x/s1600/Picture+266.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4a30" sourceindex="280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1e60" sourceindex="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkwPOAUjWp0pX-ENE8u0ynU-ilgHIhOLWSB6hx33PyrdJ14AmjbRXW1LTzCUsCZoCZA7csoapoHc6ow8ZxHFBckiAEzfkeBysC_E-hyGreUn9Q1c9WdHC8-3J4fyzclxz1w3Hci97Ag3x/s320/Picture+266.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b12f0" sourceindex="282" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Finally the river!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4660" sourceindex="283"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1ed0" sourceindex="284" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4110" sourceindex="285" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDPa7DGdn525g1M46jfd5UiubkPZtI5oNZJMU3ABmqPm3DErPeGZr3Hx7m4Z_FzLkkem8u4mssX69nrFFAS5AtM4XmOhNUee3P0SQrF4A30sHhw-U7-VKMxWeYas7ReNmG1jv-x8nn58b/s1600/Picture+267.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4a50" sourceindex="286" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1500" sourceindex="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDPa7DGdn525g1M46jfd5UiubkPZtI5oNZJMU3ABmqPm3DErPeGZr3Hx7m4Z_FzLkkem8u4mssX69nrFFAS5AtM4XmOhNUee3P0SQrF4A30sHhw-U7-VKMxWeYas7ReNmG1jv-x8nn58b/s320/Picture+267.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4520" sourceindex="288" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The river was so cold and felt so good after a long day in the sun! We hung out here for a while cooling off before heading into town for a little shopping and some dinner.</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb44c0" sourceindex="289"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb48b0" sourceindex="290" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4990" sourceindex="291" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKSLmcfEisiHJLStdFk-ar6fFQ_FP2giLohIQm4etkTt0REm7J_piNNNx3s_Lv6l6Am5PIIXKH5CO86aXBbRBxPiVr1EhrlIKlDAVUurnUOnsRTVWjO4JMRj3mkp5K21lTf4nzNQc1WaX/s1600/Picture+270.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b1020" sourceindex="292" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4160" sourceindex="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKSLmcfEisiHJLStdFk-ar6fFQ_FP2giLohIQm4etkTt0REm7J_piNNNx3s_Lv6l6Am5PIIXKH5CO86aXBbRBxPiVr1EhrlIKlDAVUurnUOnsRTVWjO4JMRj3mkp5K21lTf4nzNQc1WaX/s320/Picture+270.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4740" sourceindex="294" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Christine, Kim, and Me! </div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4b80" sourceindex="295"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4930" sourceindex="296" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8460" sourceindex="297" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtt72J9cM36xiW9POCwpcUqwAVeg1Td4tX3BzQI6k-updLZVbzLsshLXztIR4_HHvB8aEXJ_sIl0O2gaZS3b7XqUDGm-eAEJW1tLirKdwBl3jigKr2nwtGFeP9Xus3qBuoxaLglytxruQ6/s1600/Picture+271.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb42f0" sourceindex="298" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4b50" sourceindex="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtt72J9cM36xiW9POCwpcUqwAVeg1Td4tX3BzQI6k-updLZVbzLsshLXztIR4_HHvB8aEXJ_sIl0O2gaZS3b7XqUDGm-eAEJW1tLirKdwBl3jigKr2nwtGFeP9Xus3qBuoxaLglytxruQ6/s320/Picture+271.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4450" sourceindex="300" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ashley and Kim posing on the car before heading home!</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8b20" sourceindex="301" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Aren't they hotties?!?</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb41f0" sourceindex="302"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4830" sourceindex="303" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4330" sourceindex="304" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPphSiD-bPAaAVPRr_mE3zQv8T_IxvqvUmYm6UIT_PJNLX-Cokq5LkzaKNEgApB1GJbDrkiOCglUOYKjeMFpzx8WBEMiwUW5VjKfWcC14Mm6WuSjpI0i2YGcHH7QDbgGdRWImkHQOOu7Xh/s1600/Picture+272.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8c80" sourceindex="305" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4710" sourceindex="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPphSiD-bPAaAVPRr_mE3zQv8T_IxvqvUmYm6UIT_PJNLX-Cokq5LkzaKNEgApB1GJbDrkiOCglUOYKjeMFpzx8WBEMiwUW5VjKfWcC14Mm6WuSjpI0i2YGcHH7QDbgGdRWImkHQOOu7Xh/s320/Picture+272.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8030" sourceindex="307" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well Kim thinks she is Hottie #1</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8540" sourceindex="308"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4af0" sourceindex="309" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b84b0" sourceindex="310" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdW6mBGpcetQtH34wHaccjsHoZ5pZXFA_XjyUZAeYVKSWcPV1xhyphenhyphen25jpEQ7kUC20IKYfEqBdocOO0D1Sw2jOaqDMF0I92Z4VC873nS5ORF2MZxgVxW2d8xpXeDQgjxDx-wyKxrnVElNWZt/s1600/Picture+274.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8dd0" sourceindex="311" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b81e0" sourceindex="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdW6mBGpcetQtH34wHaccjsHoZ5pZXFA_XjyUZAeYVKSWcPV1xhyphenhyphen25jpEQ7kUC20IKYfEqBdocOO0D1Sw2jOaqDMF0I92Z4VC873nS5ORF2MZxgVxW2d8xpXeDQgjxDx-wyKxrnVElNWZt/s320/Picture+274.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4f50" sourceindex="313" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ashley is Hottie #2</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7108ae0" sourceindex="314" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRE6rAUSkLspzHJTYbMsCyRpuxbRkm7amt1p-KQgjtSpcwbKXlFQsnG5uiD4hzRId0rCKwME2pbieODEc-azF6sKyYKglFMU1VLxVugd2HSmDNNEy3GBvsorhuYBUuKv0RQQXnND1S8Wm/s1600/Picture+275.jpg" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7108880" sourceindex="315" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7108a70" sourceindex="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRE6rAUSkLspzHJTYbMsCyRpuxbRkm7amt1p-KQgjtSpcwbKXlFQsnG5uiD4hzRId0rCKwME2pbieODEc-azF6sKyYKglFMU1VLxVugd2HSmDNNEy3GBvsorhuYBUuKv0RQQXnND1S8Wm/s320/Picture+275.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6cb4670" sourceindex="317" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8660" sourceindex="318" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8050" sourceindex="319" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And they so kindly called Christine Thing #2 and I was Thing #1. Yeah we are all mature. Not sure where my picture went from the camera but I am sure one of the sisters has it for posterity's sake.</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8330" sourceindex="320" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8b30" sourceindex="321" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b89d0" sourceindex="328" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Great weekend with the girls! If you have the chance to run away for a weekend make sure you take along your matching hats, shirts, window markers, food, and your best girls!</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b89d0" sourceindex="302" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7108b20" sourceindex="324" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7108910" sourceindex="325" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ9DQXSqEyymfhNTfKVKsR2CIaJanFNstyxQFMyx9LNjFa_db6uvziyG6IwvaTWVJpUN5qbIGyISfm95sG1mqFq12AklFs2ce3Eb8LDchYP29GKsELlPLjHELK30E0f08e7ZzC2qGW5jV/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7108900" sourceindex="326" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7108af0" sourceindex="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ9DQXSqEyymfhNTfKVKsR2CIaJanFNstyxQFMyx9LNjFa_db6uvziyG6IwvaTWVJpUN5qbIGyISfm95sG1mqFq12AklFs2ce3Eb8LDchYP29GKsELlPLjHELK30E0f08e7ZzC2qGW5jV/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b89d0" sourceindex="302" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="7108cf0" sourceindex="329" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8d20" sourceindex="330" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8360" sourceindex="331" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8d10" sourceindex="332" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b85d0" sourceindex="333" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8560" sourceindex="334" style="text-align: center;"><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b8990" sourceindex="335"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="70b80d0" sourceindex="336" /></div></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-89555450696060522972011-06-29T06:00:00.001-06:002011-06-29T06:00:02.908-06:00Review of The House at Riverton by Kate Morton<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687950" sourceindex="4"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54070" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;">The House at Riverton</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54880" sourceindex="6" style="text-align: center;">By Kate Morton</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54930" sourceindex="7" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The House at Riverton" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54910" sourceindex="8" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182455437s/1278752.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54fb0" sourceindex="9" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54cc0" sourceindex="11" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54800" sourceindex="12" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grace Bradley was just a girl when she began working as a servant at Riverton House. For years, her life was inextricably tied up with the glamorous and eccentric <st1:city siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a547f0" sourceindex="13" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54d10" sourceindex="14" w:st="on">Hartford</st1:place></st1:city> family’s daughters, Hannah and Emmeline. Then, at a glittering society party in the summer of 1924, a young poet shot himself. The only witnesses were Hannah and Emmeline, and only they – and Grace – knew the dark truth.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54530" sourceindex="15"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54520" sourceindex="16" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54c20" sourceindex="17" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Many years later, when Grace is living out her last days in a nursing home, she receives a visit from a young director who is making a film about the events of that summer. The director takes Grace back to Riverton House and reawakens her memories of the last days of Edwardian aristocratic privilege, of the vibrant twenties and of a stunning secret that Grace kept all her life.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a548b0" sourceindex="18"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54ba0" sourceindex="19" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54140" sourceindex="21" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54870" sourceindex="23" style="text-align: center;">This is Kate Morton’s debut novel and it is fascinating! I loved her book <i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54290" sourceindex="24" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Forgotten Garden</i> that I had to go out and read this too. I am sure I will also be picking up <i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5631410" sourceindex="25" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Distant Hours </i>very soon. If I find an author I like I love to read everything they have out. Some think that takes out the variety but since I read by mood I can’t help it. The author creates such an intriguing mood with all of these books even though unrelated stories that you can’t help but go out and get more.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54d90" sourceindex="26" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54e00" sourceindex="28" style="text-align: center;">This story is told from Grace’s perspective and she basically narrates the story as she copies them to tape for her grandson, Marcus.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5687ca0" sourceindex="29" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has had his own personal tragedy and hasn’t been by to see her in over a year.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a548c0" sourceindex="30" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has a secret and needs to let someone know and she trusts Marcus. So she starts her story from when she was 14 and started working at the Riverton House in 1924. She is now 99 years old and will not last much longer. When the director of this new film comes to visit Grace it starts to bring back so many memories of those days with Hannah and Emmeline and the secret they all shared.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a54240" sourceindex="31" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only Grace is alive now and is ready to relieve herself of the guilt she has felt for all these years.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5683090" sourceindex="32" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a544e0" sourceindex="40" style="text-align: center;">A fabulous 5 star book! This was a page turner full of suspense, mystery and passion.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a544e0" sourceindex="34" style="text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a44200" sourceindex="36" /></div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a44340" sourceindex="37" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YKRz4Y9vfCxjZw8lEKbVD3sjBPsJl1KCyJpkgwZk6FjTeOFT20s_6nwM-RrUOB6x2bKDuRIhobQkaKxuwm7S44A017p7I1Qi9YyCtf2hJr2VgV0hbsmglXbdimvVDce21B66iYDV0NoK/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a44f30" sourceindex="38" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a44a10" sourceindex="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YKRz4Y9vfCxjZw8lEKbVD3sjBPsJl1KCyJpkgwZk6FjTeOFT20s_6nwM-RrUOB6x2bKDuRIhobQkaKxuwm7S44A017p7I1Qi9YyCtf2hJr2VgV0hbsmglXbdimvVDce21B66iYDV0NoK/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6a544e0" sourceindex="34" style="text-align: center;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="6ac67e0" sourceindex="41" /></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-84449079418801671942011-06-24T06:00:00.001-06:002011-06-24T06:00:01.062-06:00Entwined by Heather Dixon<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4439b90" sourceindex="4"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="59c08c0" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;">Entwined</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a4c090" sourceindex="6" style="text-align: center;">By Heather Dixon</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a7ec20" sourceindex="7" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Entwined" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="53b1970" sourceindex="8" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279037245s/8428195.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a7e160" sourceindex="9" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4416900" sourceindex="11" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a4cc70" sourceindex="12" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her…beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing…it is taken away. All of it.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a7e570" sourceindex="13"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="59c0c90" sourceindex="14" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a7efa0" sourceindex="15" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a0f7f0" sourceindex="16"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0480" sourceindex="17" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a7e7f0" sourceindex="18" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a7eb10" sourceindex="19"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0990" sourceindex="20" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0cc0" sourceindex="21" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But there is a cost.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4435070" sourceindex="22"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a7e080" sourceindex="23" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0ab0" sourceindex="24" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Keeper likes to keep things.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="442c8c0" sourceindex="25"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="53b1b10" sourceindex="26" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44420e0" sourceindex="27" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a7ef00" sourceindex="28"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a0f850" sourceindex="29" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="543f3b0" sourceindex="32" style="text-align: center;"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a7e560" sourceindex="33" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book didn’t pull me in at first. It was slow going but horribly slow or I probably would have given up early on. There are a lot of references to dance and dance techniques terms that I found distracting and sometimes a little bit silly.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44422e0" sourceindex="34" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked past that and focused on more of what the story was really about – a young princess, oldest of 12, loses her mother and tries to keep her family together.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d08e0" sourceindex="35" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4442090" sourceindex="37" style="text-align: center;">It is a touching story and gets interesting with a lot of lively action about half way through. That kept me on until the end. It has a fun mix of castles, fairy tales, love, and magic.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="53b1400" sourceindex="38" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a fun, easy, clean read that I did enjoy.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="53b1880" sourceindex="39" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4442e40" sourceindex="41" style="text-align: center;">I give this book 3 stars. Not a complete page turner but still fun and makes you want to know how it ends.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4442e40" sourceindex="41" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8qkcVyx5RJ4bXYaDihTCx3fCHEktVjnAsXrOeRTbCF1WL6Q2gWdCReTYWkc8D8rGPW7eHF6dDzAC01j8IsoSj-ZQZA_Oczj1H00mx419mJrtA99CTrFX_8jS4D77NK9vat103uzKmWaO/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8qkcVyx5RJ4bXYaDihTCx3fCHEktVjnAsXrOeRTbCF1WL6Q2gWdCReTYWkc8D8rGPW7eHF6dDzAC01j8IsoSj-ZQZA_Oczj1H00mx419mJrtA99CTrFX_8jS4D77NK9vat103uzKmWaO/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4442e40" sourceindex="41" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-77664589630054541432011-06-22T06:00:00.000-06:002011-06-22T06:00:08.868-06:00Review of The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5435c20" sourceindex="4"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4453d50" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;">The Forgotten Garden</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44165f0" sourceindex="6" style="text-align: center;">By Kate Morton</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="442c3d0" sourceindex="7" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Forgotten Garden" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a0ff60" sourceindex="8" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51k8YmcsgDL._SL75_.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4425250" sourceindex="9" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4453120" sourceindex="11" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a92b20" sourceindex="12" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for <st1:country-region siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44252c0" sourceindex="13" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4435e90" sourceindex="14" w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 1913. She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book – a beautiful volume of fairy tales. She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own. On her twenty-first birthday, they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and very little to go on, “Nell” sets out to trace her real identity. Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrests of the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell’s death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. A spellbinding tale of mystery and self-discovery, </i>The <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="54359c0" sourceindex="15" w:st="on"><st1:placename siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a92e40" sourceindex="16" w:st="on">Forgotten</st1:placename> <st1:placetype siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4425e00" sourceindex="17" w:st="on">Garden</st1:placetype></st1:place> <i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c7bb0" sourceindex="18" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will take hold of your imagination and never let go.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="440e3d0" sourceindex="19"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4425890" sourceindex="20" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44259a0" sourceindex="23" style="text-align: center;">This book completely had me captured from page one. The story of the little girl on the ship and how she found a new life in <st1:country-region siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44258d0" sourceindex="24" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4409ee0" sourceindex="25" w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> was heart-wrenching. It was sad to think that she had lost a family somewhere but no one knows where.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4425360" sourceindex="26" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story starts with the little girl on the ship in 1913 and then goes back and forth between 1907, 1913, 1975 and 2005. The author does it so smoothly that it is a great addition to the story and not a detraction at all. It makes the story so much stronger. The addition of the different fairy tales from the book found on the little girl in 1913 is just an added bonus. I think it was brilliant!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4435140" sourceindex="27" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4412390" sourceindex="29" style="text-align: center;">There are some of the same characters in each era but many different ones. Ms Morton writes in a way that you are brought in to love and hate them all. No character is too minor. See if you can figure some connection to Nell and a family Cassie meets in 2005. They are all relevant. It is subtle but it is all in there if you just look!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4453680" sourceindex="30" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4412200" sourceindex="32" style="text-align: center;">It is such a great story about self discovery, courage, love, tragedy, and adventure.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="442c060" sourceindex="33" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The author has included them all in this book. The following is one of my favorite lines from the book: <i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5a920c0" sourceindex="34" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ever since Eliza had discovered the book of fairy tales..had disappeared inside its faded pages, she’d understood the power of stories. Their magical ability to refill the wounded part of people.</i> I love that line because that is exactly it! The book does that for all involved in the end. It will refill the wounded parts.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f80a30" sourceindex="35" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4435f40" sourceindex="37" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">This is a 5 star book for me. I have not read Kate Morton before but will definitely be picking up another one of hers. Her writing is clean, smooth, and just beautiful.</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrDN-aV82tr9xMl2cW79L8AWknF5qtxuIXYMjESYQqklOoJ8q4P1OKk0bLylVw4T1xpFrN2isK7_Sw8ep09vZNfUTGz_IsZUhN3X2DPAEyvRxdXmEdEjLZ9N3EnbmKEPEojM3RPwTQzZU/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrDN-aV82tr9xMl2cW79L8AWknF5qtxuIXYMjESYQqklOoJ8q4P1OKk0bLylVw4T1xpFrN2isK7_Sw8ep09vZNfUTGz_IsZUhN3X2DPAEyvRxdXmEdEjLZ9N3EnbmKEPEojM3RPwTQzZU/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5435c20" sourceindex="4"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4435f40" sourceindex="37" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
</span></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-29392745046189102732011-06-20T17:49:00.001-06:002011-06-20T17:49:30.447-06:00Review of Possession by Elana Johnson<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44fa5e0" sourceindex="4"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44e95b0" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;">Possession</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0de0" sourceindex="6" style="text-align: center;">By Elana Johnson</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44e9fc0" sourceindex="7" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4453950" sourceindex="9" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Possession (Possession, #1)" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44e55e0" sourceindex="10" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1284729671s/8337087.jpg" /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c3e60" sourceindex="11" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0a30" sourceindex="13" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0930" sourceindex="14" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vi knows the rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44e9340" sourceindex="15"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="4453e80" sourceindex="16" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c3cf0" sourceindex="17" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them…starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous – everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44e9a80" sourceindex="18"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0fb0" sourceindex="19" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c70f0" sourceindex="20" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44e9150" sourceindex="21"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0be0" sourceindex="22" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c3020" sourceindex="25" style="text-align: center;">This is a fun, fast paced dystopian novel by a fantastic new author. She is a local author here in <st1:state siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44e9530" sourceindex="26" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c31e0" sourceindex="27" w:st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:state> and I have been privileged enough to attend one of her seminars. She is funny and smart – the perfect combination.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44efe20" sourceindex="28" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44d0b80" sourceindex="30" style="text-align: center;">So the book <i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44ef7e0" sourceindex="31" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Possession</i> has been long awaited by many that know Elana Johnson. It starts off very fast paced and gets right into the action with Vi being arrested for breaking the rules.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c3660" sourceindex="32"> </span>Right away you know something is up because Zenn wasn’t apprehended but pulled back and didn’t support Vi. She noticed some differences in him when they first met that night but brushed them off because she loves him and hadn’t seen him in a while.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c3040" sourceindex="33"> </span>After the arrest her world is turned upside down.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44efb20" sourceindex="34"> </span>She finds things about the crazy world she lives in that she never wishes to know. The mysterious death of her sister and disappearance of her father come back to the forefront of her life. She isn’t sure how to deal with the answers she receives. What she once thought was reality is no longer true and she starts to question every move and decision she makes while in the fight of her life.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44f4bb0" sourceindex="35" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44ef0f0" sourceindex="37" style="text-align: center;">This is a stand alone novel but has been left WIDE open at the end for a sequel. There is a tentative follow up novel that is being talked about for next year but nothing has been confirmed.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44f4890" sourceindex="38"> </span>I will be extremely disappointed if there is not more to this story.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c3240" sourceindex="39"> </span>This could easily be a 3 book story in my opinion. And if we don’t at least get another book then I personally feel cheated by the author.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44c39e0" sourceindex="40"> </span>There is so, so, so much more to this story than where it is left at the end. The end cries for more to be told – it kicks, screams, throws tantrums – you get my point right?? It must have more!<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44f48d0" sourceindex="41"> </span>Ms. Johnson if you are reading this I beg of you on my knees to PLEASE finish the story of these characters.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44efef0" sourceindex="42" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44f4740" sourceindex="44" style="text-align: center;">So all of that being said I give this book 4 stars. I would have considered 5 if it was confirmed to have a sequel to this story. I know that sounded childish but if the story isn’t finished then there is more to be written. So 4 stars for a partial story if more than fair!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44f4740" sourceindex="44" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14JYQFZhrNMlUgP9i3OVXS2jkfzK5z9KkbBK7dZJtDhYKgx3GUCtP7cwa0ZXki3d2rLrdqhkCw2iVXerSPwS_5dn2n2Q_Q0bHiyTm9RVyTtQ-7eOpTEwlcKtJXtcv1y5n5WO8u7nAq9zk/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14JYQFZhrNMlUgP9i3OVXS2jkfzK5z9KkbBK7dZJtDhYKgx3GUCtP7cwa0ZXki3d2rLrdqhkCw2iVXerSPwS_5dn2n2Q_Q0bHiyTm9RVyTtQ-7eOpTEwlcKtJXtcv1y5n5WO8u7nAq9zk/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="44f4740" sourceindex="44" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-18444090373400436402011-06-17T06:00:00.001-06:002011-06-17T06:00:05.145-06:00The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a59530" sourceindex="4"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The Dark and Hollow Places</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">By Carrie Ryan</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Dark and Hollow Places (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #3)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1297902337s/8535273.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister’s face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters. Annah’s world stopped that day, and she’s been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn’t feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again. But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to the past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it’s up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return’s destruction?<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The final in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Forest of Hands and Teeth</i> series it picks up right where <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dead Tossed Waves</i> ends. The description talks a lot about Annah and you find out who she is in the second book. But this books is about not only this new character but also about Gabry, Elias, and Catcher. Mary is mentioned but it is the conclusion of this new generation in the zombie plagued world.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Again, can’t say too much without giving away all of the good stuff. If you have made it this far into the series you know this is a must read to find out what happens to these fascinating characters. I love the way the author has developed each of her characters in this whole series. You learn to love some and hate some. But even the ones you hate you can’t wait to see what happens to them!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This is a 4 star book again! If you love zombies and love stories then this is a perfect mix!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrFiD7ZbTjG9QgaAMt9A20v_m3uN8xf0Yk5p9h8857DaNHO1jAsjOY3sxl0Z3Zj98Jtr9ZL0u3Tr4nC3GB2nURhgkn-Js7ACAZn5-wqJs-GUME69MM8H8GEdCVFLZ0IruhUna_2YAVKGO/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrFiD7ZbTjG9QgaAMt9A20v_m3uN8xf0Yk5p9h8857DaNHO1jAsjOY3sxl0Z3Zj98Jtr9ZL0u3Tr4nC3GB2nURhgkn-Js7ACAZn5-wqJs-GUME69MM8H8GEdCVFLZ0IruhUna_2YAVKGO/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-85774527544436083372011-06-15T06:00:00.001-06:002011-06-15T06:00:05.158-06:00The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f956e0" sourceindex="4"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="fb0db0" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;">The Dead Tossed Waves</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a776f0" sourceindex="6" style="text-align: center;">By Carrie Ryan</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab7980" sourceindex="7" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab7f00" sourceindex="9" style="text-align: center;"><o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab7950" sourceindex="10"> </o:p><img alt="The Dead-Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #2)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275693767s/6555517.jpg" /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab7850" sourceindex="11" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab7aa0" sourceindex="12" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77800" sourceindex="13" w:st="on"><st1:placename siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab74b0" sourceindex="14" w:st="on">Dark</st1:placename> <st1:placetype siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f95190" sourceindex="15" w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> up the coast while she watched from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother though she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a772d0" sourceindex="16" w:st="on"><st1:placetype siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77850" sourceindex="17" w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab71a0" sourceindex="18" w:st="on">Hands</st1:placename></st1:place> and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a777b0" sourceindex="19"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77db0" sourceindex="20" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a773b0" sourceindex="23" style="text-align: center;">This is the second in a series of three of <i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77fc0" sourceindex="24" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Forest of Hands and Teeth</i>. I couldn’t wait to start reading this once I finished the first book. It picks the story of Mary up several years later after she has made it to the coast. I am not sure how many years later because it doesn’t exactly tell you that and I had a little trouble putting the timeline together between this book and the first. It never does stipulate any age so you just assume how old they each are and I may have assumed wrong. But even still it is entirely possible to have this work out even if I am off a few years.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a774b0" sourceindex="25" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77030" sourceindex="27" style="text-align: center;">Mary is now living in the town of <st1:city siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a5d490" sourceindex="28" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77190" sourceindex="29" w:st="on">Vista</st1:place></st1:city> and in charge of the lighthouse on the coast. She now has a daughter Gabry that is the approximate age Mary was in the first book. Mary is in this book but it is a story more focused on Gabry and her struggle to survive in this zombie infested world.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a775f0" sourceindex="30" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gabry is not as free-spirited and reckless like her mother Mary has been but is more afraid of anything outside of <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a776d0" sourceindex="31" w:st="on">Vista</st1:place>. The only time she breaks the rules tragedy hits that turns her world up side down.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5112100" sourceindex="32" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77b40" sourceindex="34" style="text-align: center;">Since it is series book I won’t say too much more because I don’t want to give anything away. You will not go away feeling disappointed though. This is also a 4 star book for me and definitely recommend reading it to find out more of this intriguing story.</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab78c0" sourceindex="35" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5K7HdTGLNlFzsNy1W7Gbg2K6npI_qRRuftYgDkEvNPKluaABab91Bc5Zqx2FxX0FS_S_nj_2Yg8pJptVrGmvNyyg1iwsO7QWqw6-mVdU68FD8-e15bEVZMyfDV8tOg44siXpGMPDy13Ek/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a777f0" sourceindex="36" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77970" sourceindex="37" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5K7HdTGLNlFzsNy1W7Gbg2K6npI_qRRuftYgDkEvNPKluaABab91Bc5Zqx2FxX0FS_S_nj_2Yg8pJptVrGmvNyyg1iwsO7QWqw6-mVdU68FD8-e15bEVZMyfDV8tOg44siXpGMPDy13Ek/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77700" sourceindex="38" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-57906380624694252992011-06-09T06:00:00.003-06:002011-06-09T06:00:14.490-06:00The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6d80" sourceindex="4"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6440" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;">The <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6f70" sourceindex="6" w:st="on">Forest</st1:place> of Hands and Teeth</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6ba0" sourceindex="7" style="text-align: center;">By Carrie Ryan</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6c30" sourceindex="8" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #1)" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41q8PcJO1mL._SL75_.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac68e0" sourceindex="10" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6560" sourceindex="12" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac65e0" sourceindex="13" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In Mary’s world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac63f0" sourceindex="14" w:st="on"><st1:placetype siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6600" sourceindex="15" w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6790" sourceindex="16" w:st="on">Hands</st1:placename></st1:place> and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future – between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac61f0" sourceindex="17" w:st="on"><st1:placetype siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac68a0" sourceindex="18" w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac60d0" sourceindex="19" w:st="on">Hands</st1:placename></st1:place> and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac60a0" sourceindex="20"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac60e0" sourceindex="21" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5082ea0" sourceindex="24" style="text-align: center;">I am really not into zombies at all so I was very hesitant about reading this series. I am not sure who recommended it to me but…..I am soooo glad they did! I absolutely loved this book.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6190" sourceindex="25" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t dwell on what I would think a typical zombie would be. Maybe I have watched too many B rated horror flicks. I am pretty sure that I have!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6f60" sourceindex="26" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6280" sourceindex="28" style="text-align: center;">So back to Mary in the story – I loved this character! She is strong and insecure at the same time. She just wants to love the person she marries even though marriage in her little village is more about commitment and survival than about love. She ends up betrothed so someone she cares about but doesn’t love. Her best friend is betrothed to the man she loves. However, during the week long commitment ceremony there is a breach in the fences surrounding their village that turns everything Mary ever knew into a whirlwind.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="51276f0" sourceindex="29" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mary learns to chase her dreams and what love is really about during her struggle for survival in this brutal world full of disease and danger.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6870" sourceindex="30" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="514d700" sourceindex="32" style="text-align: center;">I give this book 4 stars! It is a clean, easy read. It is a book that makes you wonder about the primal instinct of survival as it is also pitted against all of our emotions of love, compassion, and fear.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac60b0" sourceindex="33" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5127b60" sourceindex="38" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHG1OJqNffKTbl2Dj7mlQRIQCO7NIiUF-_wnqfIHSoL6hdfhmAE07lMfc3v0bQ1ONOi7gHucwq7rw6HDsT62-0MMaKIDUJcqLrZPzALGXHc-AjzD9TuAC7OWuzhJz6QQSxGQvItHJz5d0g/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6270" sourceindex="39" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac61e0" sourceindex="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHG1OJqNffKTbl2Dj7mlQRIQCO7NIiUF-_wnqfIHSoL6hdfhmAE07lMfc3v0bQ1ONOi7gHucwq7rw6HDsT62-0MMaKIDUJcqLrZPzALGXHc-AjzD9TuAC7OWuzhJz6QQSxGQvItHJz5d0g/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5127620" sourceindex="41" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-28286595099963850992011-06-08T06:00:00.004-06:002011-06-08T06:00:00.934-06:00The Trees by Conrad Richter<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a71300" sourceindex="4"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bce70" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;">The Trees</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bc060" sourceindex="6" style="text-align: center;">By Conrad Richter</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1acff10" sourceindex="7" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Trees (Awakening Land, #1)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166572820s/13760.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bc2e0" sourceindex="9" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bca50" sourceindex="11" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bcae0" sourceindex="12" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Trees is a moving novel of the beginning of the American trek to the west. Toward the close of the eighteenth century, the land west of the Alleghenies and north of the <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1d20" sourceindex="13" w:st="on">Ohio River</st1:place> was an unbroken sea of trees. Beneath them the forest trails were dark, silent, and lonely, brightened only by a few lost beams of sunlight. Here, in the first novel of Conrad Richter’s <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1800" sourceindex="14" w:st="on"><st1:placename siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1acf4c0" sourceindex="15" w:st="on">Awakening</st1:placename> <st1:placetype siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1940" sourceindex="16" w:st="on">Land</st1:placetype></st1:place> Trilogy, the Lucketts, a wild, woods-faring family, lived their roaming life, pushing ever westward as the frontier advanced and as new settlements threatened their isolation. This novel gives an excellent feel for <st1:country-region siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1c40" sourceindex="17" w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>’s lost woods culture, which was created when most of the eastern <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1acf680" sourceindex="18" w:st="on">Midwest</st1:place> was a vast hardwood forest – virtually a jungle. The Trees conveys settler life, including conflicts with Native Americans, illness, hunting, family dynamics, and marriage.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1acf380" sourceindex="19"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1430" sourceindex="20" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1450" sourceindex="23" style="text-align: center;"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bcda0" sourceindex="24" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This description makes you must want to pick up this book and devour it. I love stories about the settling of <st1:country-region siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1840" sourceindex="25" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1a40" sourceindex="26" w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region> so I thought this would be fantastic. I am sad to say this was not the case. I was lost in the beginning trying to figure out who the characters were and where they fit into this crazy family.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1260" sourceindex="27" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One in particular is called by a nickname sometimes but there was no reference that it was a nickname so I thought it was another character. I finally figured it out when I was very confused by the story in places. It was hard to keep track at first what was really happening.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bc8c0" sourceindex="28" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not confused easily either. I love a complicated story if it is written well. I don’t think that this was written well enough to get engrossed with any of the characters let alone the main character. You don’t even figure out who that is until very late in the book. It took me about ¾ of the way into the book to really care about any of them.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab10e0" sourceindex="29" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1170" sourceindex="31" style="text-align: center;">So that being said I know this is deemed a classic novel but I only give it 2 stars. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1df0" sourceindex="32" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1acfd80" sourceindex="34" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLubQg80Kq-BTzL4ox5GGacCpGjP8Gfd9yaLU6f_5reoEfJ0RY-dth8JDAvwF6ghxlqAFukHzv0gOyw-dVhfWvG7x1AcBeAHd6DsAtgokPYxGrVnKSldx3-J2h4eMMfV1vcXNjDJGFIOAn/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1b30" sourceindex="35" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bc980" sourceindex="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLubQg80Kq-BTzL4ox5GGacCpGjP8Gfd9yaLU6f_5reoEfJ0RY-dth8JDAvwF6ghxlqAFukHzv0gOyw-dVhfWvG7x1AcBeAHd6DsAtgokPYxGrVnKSldx3-J2h4eMMfV1vcXNjDJGFIOAn/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1eb0" sourceindex="37" style="text-align: center;"><o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab1f40" sourceindex="38"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bc720" sourceindex="39" /></o:p></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-25437345834494505232011-06-07T06:00:00.001-06:002011-06-07T06:00:03.132-06:00The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a68520" sourceindex="4"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="fa54c0" sourceindex="5" style="text-align: center;">The Peach Keeper</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1aadb60" sourceindex="6" style="text-align: center;">By Sarah Addison Allen</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50f24f0" sourceindex="7" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Peach Keeper" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab72c0" sourceindex="8" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1292779551s/8546358.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ab7400" sourceindex="9" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac0c30" sourceindex="11" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="fb0510" sourceindex="12" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a715d0" sourceindex="13" w:st="on">Blue Ridge</st1:place> Madam – built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home – has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build the life beyond the brooding <st1:city siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5092330" sourceindex="14" w:st="on"><st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50b2770" sourceindex="15" w:st="on">Jackson</st1:place></st1:city> family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1abc3e0" sourceindex="16"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1acf0e0" sourceindex="17" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50d2a80" sourceindex="20" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a6c3e0" sourceindex="21" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate – socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood – of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the <st1:place siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac0260" sourceindex="22" w:st="on">Blue Ridge</st1:place> Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50ad220" sourceindex="23"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5072ac0" sourceindex="24" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="505caa0" sourceindex="27" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f95700" sourceindex="28" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For the bones – those of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water seventy-five years ago – are not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ae8990" sourceindex="29"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50b23d0" sourceindex="30" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="506d5c0" sourceindex="33" style="text-align: center;"><i siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac6970" sourceindex="34" style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families – and uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied that grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living.<o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5158db0" sourceindex="35"></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a77430" sourceindex="36" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="fa5d40" sourceindex="39" style="text-align: center;">So this is the book that I was talking about on my Saturday blog post. I absolutely fell into this story head over heels and didn’t want to come out! What an amazing, intriguing story. There may have been some problems here and there but really I loved the premise of it – friendships.<span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bcde0" sourceindex="40" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a little bit of magic, murder, and love. I have not read anything else by this author but I will try out her other books now.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5122b10" sourceindex="41" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f5e080" sourceindex="43" style="text-align: center;">While I loved all of her characters in this book I loved Paxton the most. She is not who you might think she is or would be based off of what you know about her family. I relate most to her. I am someone that most people think they know based off of what they hear from others etc. But I think I am much more and usually not even close to what I am perceived. I relate to her heartache and the need to not always have to over-achieve to prove herself to others. Even though Sebastian is a little strange I love him because he loves her unconditionally. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="518d410" sourceindex="44" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a9e750" sourceindex="46" style="text-align: center;">I love how they talked about high school and the people they really were inside compared to what everyone else thought they were. It was interesting to see how much Colin idolized Willa for the things she had done and how it inspired him to do what he did. However this didn’t always turn out for the good of Colin or Willa. It was great to see how Willa and Paxton were kind of forced together because of the skeleton found under the peach tree. It was interesting to learn of the friendship their grandmothers shared and what it had become over the years – not what it seemed. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50bcba0" sourceindex="47" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50f2d80" sourceindex="49" style="text-align: center;">I think I learned that no matter who we are and no matter who we think other people are that shouldn’t stop us from reaching out and being a friend. The friendships in this book make me a little sad for the ones I lost over the years but grateful for the ones I have found. While it is great to have friends from when we were little it doesn’t make the friendships we have started just last week any less valuable and important.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="50978c0" sourceindex="50" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a8f030" sourceindex="52" style="text-align: center;">OK I think I am rambling now. This is a 4 star book for me. I loved the storyline and the premise despite any little discrepancies that are in there. They are small enough for me to ignore because everything else was fabulous.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f552f0" sourceindex="53" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ae88d0" sourceindex="55" style="text-align: center;">Now go tell your friends how much you love and cherish them – especially since they aren’t perfect and do make mistakes!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac0560" sourceindex="56" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAcbZ5BpO5goR0ZPavTK0rQHmELYMKP3uPb6HBdYaaMMWhPD6BcZ0kI9X12A0MGiLVLvGcODvku9RrfGsk5k-GwwF4zcGDTwWh29oiavF0z_N4_hhwskQcA0XTzF6q8XcNAYEq3kv06tD/s1600/mysignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAcbZ5BpO5goR0ZPavTK0rQHmELYMKP3uPb6HBdYaaMMWhPD6BcZ0kI9X12A0MGiLVLvGcODvku9RrfGsk5k-GwwF4zcGDTwWh29oiavF0z_N4_hhwskQcA0XTzF6q8XcNAYEq3kv06tD/s1600/mysignature.png" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ac0560" sourceindex="56" style="text-align: center;"><o:p siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="5097ff0" sourceindex="57"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1ada540" sourceindex="64" style="text-align: center;"><span siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a59ff0" sourceindex="65" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a6cfb0" sourceindex="66" style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a68970" sourceindex="67" style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <!--[endif]--></span></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-18198450310440086662011-06-06T20:32:00.000-06:002011-06-06T20:32:42.530-06:00It's Monday! continued...<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="1a99f80" sourceindex="4">So after looking at my crazy week I have decided to post book reviews the next three days. I will blog about Oregon on Friday. Next week it will be back to some regular viewing pleasure with Tuesday's Spotlight and Wednesday and Friday with more reviews. I will add some more Oregon details inbetween those books! I am headed to the bookstore tomorrow for some more purchases - can't wait!!! Any suggestions???</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-19578876255429808422011-06-06T15:12:00.000-06:002011-06-06T15:12:01.437-06:00It's Monday!<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f413d0" sourceindex="4">So I know that I promised I would start blogging about my Oregon trip today but it will have to wait until another day. My mother-in-law made a surprise visit to us today so that changed all my plans for this AM. Then my brother called and wanted help moving his accounting system to a new platform so there went my afternoon. It's all good though because I haven't seen Diane (MIL) for a while and missed her and also glad my brother called because I can use the extra cash right now! So I will blog later this week about Oregon. I will also have a couple of book reviews to post this week too!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f413d0" sourceindex="4"><br />
</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f413d0" sourceindex="4">Have a fabulous week and will see you all soon:)</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f413d0" sourceindex="4"><br />
</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f413d0" sourceindex="4">~Melissa</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1383004726920755790.post-76916236369696577832011-06-04T18:33:00.000-06:002011-06-04T18:33:25.283-06:00Thoughtful Saturday<div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="22">I usually don't blog on Saturday's since I am trying to get reviews written for the regular part of the week. But I just finished a book (I won't tell you what it is yet since I am going to review it in the next week or so) and it had me really thinking about my life. I have often been told that I should write a book about my life. I don't think my life is that interesting and I don't write. I have had some momentous events in my life but so hasn't everyone? I don't think mine are that special. I also say that when you write a book about your life you can't just leave certain people out or else it wouldn't be factual. I think about situations in my life that have defined me and who was there and apart of that and many times the other person wasn't very nice. Probably why it defined me. But I couldn't put that in a book and hurt people's feelings. I always say that is a big reason why I wouldn't write a book about my life. But really I think about a lot of times in my life I didn't like myself and I don't want to out myself to the whole world like that! Does that sound pretty selfish and self-absorbed? I have been pretty honest with my kids about my life but seeing something in print is completely different! My kids still like me and they are also old enough to read and hold it against me!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f1a0f0" sourceindex="6" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4">Well back to my thoughts from the book. It is about friends and their life long impact. Friends that would do anything for you - ANYTHING! I thought about that all during my workout and my shower. I wondered about my friends. Would my friends do anything for me? I would have to say no they wouldn't. How sad is that? I have friends from high school that I thought we would be friends forever but then reality hits and we grow up and apart. We grow judgmental too. Why do we do that? I have always tried not to be that way but found myself just pulling away from them when I couldn't confide in them without that look they would give before acting sympathetic and then finding out what they said after I left. To me that is not friendship.</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f730f0" sourceindex="9" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4">Now I was the girl that was married and had two kids by the time we graduated from high school so to say we didn't relate to each other pretty early on is an understatement. I have a daughter that is 17 and I don't love that she has friends that have kids already so I get that. Unfortunately now at her high school girls are just getting pregnant because they think it will be so much fun! I know crazy, huh! That was not my case. Completely unplanned on our part! Anyway's I digress from my story. So I guess I wonder what it feels like to have friends that would do anything for you? Family doesn't count because I already have that from my family - my husband and kids would literally die for me and I know that. I mean just your regular friends. Those that have time for you no matter what is happening in your life. Those that when they give you complete, direct, painful advice you know it's because they love you not because they are judging you? </div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f731f0" sourceindex="12" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4">Well those are my thoughts for today. I can't wait for this book review because I couldn't put down this book and read it straight through. It left me wanting more from these characters. It made me want what they found in this story. I guess I live vicariously through books sometimes - OK now I am in denial - I live vicariously through books ALL the time!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f94530" sourceindex="15" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4">All of that being said - Thanks to all my blogger friends for being my friends! I love getting on and reading and sharing a piece of your lives no matter where you are in the country! You make my life better:)</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f8c3c0" sourceindex="18" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4">I have 5 book reviews waiting in the wings that I am writing today. I will have them on the blog over the next 2 weeks so come back and check it out. I have promised posts about my trip last month and I will be doing that starting Monday too!</div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4"><br siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f94590" sourceindex="21" /></div><div siber__q92dpb7seovvtbh5__vptr="f20970" sourceindex="4">~Melissa</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13916268888264378862noreply@blogger.com2