Books Read in 2012

"The Host"  by Stephenie Meyer
"Lemon Tart" by Josi S. Kilpack
"English Trifle" by Josi S. Kilpack
"Devil's Food Cake" By Josi S. Kilpack
"Family By Design" by Heather Justesen

"Key Lime Pie" by Josi S. Kilpack
"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
"Shelter From the Storm" by Anita Stansfield
"Lost December" by Richard Paul Evans
"Silence of Snow" by Anita Stansfield

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
"Love Comes Softly" by Janette Oke
"The Fragrance of Her Name" by Marcia Lynn McClure
"The Tiger unleashed" by Rachel Rogers
"The Painting" by Linda Hawrey

The Kincaid Brides Book 1: "Out of Control" by Mary Connealy
"Sleeping with Paris" by Juliette Sobanet
"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
"Tempting Trace" by Debra Webb
"Not Your Everyday Housewife" by Mary Campisi

"The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks
"Deep in the Heart" by Staci Stallings
"Kiss in the Dark" by Marcia Lynn McClure
"Sleeping Love" by Sara Curran-Ross
The Kincaid Brides Book 2: "In Too Deep" by Mary Connealy

"The Road to Grace" by Richard Paul Evans
"For Cryin' Out Loud!" by Dianne Blaine Hardy
"Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
"By Leaps and Bounds" by Jacqueline Diamond
"Love Me" by Bella Andre

"Wild Wild Widow" by Emma Jay
"Just One Look" by Harlan Coben
"Gabriel's Angel" by Cynthia Thomason
"Lady Sophia's Rescue" Cheryl Bolen
"Midnight Sun" by Mary Fechter

"The Litigators" by John Grisham
"Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks
"Edenbrooke" by Julianne Donaldson
The Burnett Bride Series Book 1:"The Rancher Take a Bride" by Sylvia McDaniel
"The Giver" by Lois Lowry

The Burnett Bride Series Book 2: "The Outlaw Takes a Bride" by Sylvia McDaniel
"Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
The Burnett Bride Series Book 3: "The Marshal Takes a Bride" by Sylvia McDaniel
"Messenger" by Lois Lowry
"Fifty Shades of Grey" by E L James

"Over the Edge" by Mary Connealy
"The Woods" by Harlan Coben
"Chocolate  Chip Cookie Murder" by  Joanne Fluke
"The Inconvenient Duchess" by Christine Merrill
"The McCall Trilogy" by Marcia Lynn McClure

"Umtethered" by Marcia Lynn McClure
"Caribbean Crossroads" by Connie E. Sokol
"Message in a Bottle" by Nicholas Sparks
"The Best of Me" by Nicholas Sparks
"The Guardian" by Nicholas Sparks

"The Choice" by Nicholas Sparks
"The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks
"Fifty Shades Darker" by E L James
"A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks
"Dear John" by Nicholas Sparks

"Fifty Shades Freed" by E L James
"The Rescue" by Nicholas Sparks
"A Crimson Frost" by Marcia Lynn McClure

New Year's Eve

We had big plans for New Year's Eve. We had planned a Wii party (with lots of food) with Josh's brother and his wife. Then just a few days before, we both got sick. The morning of New Year's Eve, we decided to cancel. Just a lazy night were we planned to be in bed by 8:00.

 

Then around 5:00, Josh called me. His horse was hurt. I got home just in time to hop in the truck and drive back to Roosevelt to the vet. One back foot just had a few shallow cuts, but her other back foot was bleeding pretty good. The vet got it cleaned up. She was cut clear down to the bone and had just barely missed the tendons.



 

We got her bandaged and then headed home. Not the quite evening we had planned, but at least everything turned out ok. We have a friend with an indoor arena and they are letting us keep her there for now. 

 

 

Josh's 31st Birthday

 

For Josh's 31st birthday, I got him some pack panniers. They are used and one of them needs a little work, but he was still excited to finally have his own set. He says he can't wait to use them next elk season.  

Christmas....extended :)

Today, my grandma and two aunts came out to visit. We had purposely kept some presents wrapped so the boys could have one more round of presents. Of course they loved it.

 

My uncle had sent some popcorn canisters for us older siblings. Daxsen thought they were perfect for blocks. He stacked them, knocked them over, rearranged them, climbed on them and stacked them again for a long time.  

 

The presents were in the playpen, you know, so the boys couldn't get to them.

Both boys were wearing some of the shirts I bought them. How neat is it that Valex had some pants that matched his shirt perfectly!

 

And in we go again for another one!

 

Both boys were in the tent when one started screaming. When I went to investigate I found Valex hugging his brother, but Daxsen wasn't enjoying it all that much.

Grandma Great (that is what the boys call my grandma, aka great grandma) brought a cake. Both boys loved it.  

 

Valex wanted to touch the ceiling. His uncle Wyatt helped him. 

 

My favorite picture of each boy from tonight. I love them so much. They have completed my world like I never knew could be possible. 

Christmas 2012

This year, I could not find the energy to put up a tree. I think it had to do with the lack of snow. It just didn't feel like Christmas until just a few days before. By that point, I decided a tree was just to much effort to only enjoy for a few days.

 

So our tree this year, was a small wooden tree on our sofa table. I even set it up right next to the only Santa I own. Then we piled our presents underneath. Circle paper were my presents, stripes were Josh's and the candy cane packages were for both of us.

 

While waiting for breakfast to cook, we opened our stockings.

Breakfast was cinnamon monkey break and north pole smoothies.

 

The cats each got their own can of soft kitty food.

Sage got a big bone and a new chew toy. I had them on the floor by the door when she came out of her kennel. She picked up her chew toy and then was ready to go outside.

 

After breakfast. we opened our gifts. Josh got some trapping supplies, a calendar, the new Cabela's Wii game, a license plate cover and the Pampered Chef wok pan. I was actually looking for a different pan when I found this wok. It is used, but I got it for such a great deal that I don't care. We can't wait to try it out.

 

I got a new purse, a clock, a small pampered chef pan, a vest and a new laptop.

 

At the work Christmas party, I won the $500 drawing for a health awareness program! I decided that gave us the money we needed to not only buy me a laptop, but also get a new home computer. We also upgraded to a bigger screen and new speaker system since we've had our old ones for about 8 years.

 

 

We both agreed to wait until Christmas to use the new computers. But I didn't want to be stressed on Christmas trying to get the Internet to work. So last week I set them both up to get make sure they would be ready to go. Then I decided it would be too much temptation, so I decided to put the laptop back in its box and wrap it. Then I took down the old computer screen but left the hard drive out. To do this, I simply needed to turn them both off. Let's just say, I don't like the newest Windows version. Took me 10 minutes to figure out when the shut off menu was! I also thought the laptop would be great to blog on, but it has taken me all day figure out how load pics, resize pics and run everything. I hope I catch on quick because right now, its just driving me nuts!

 

 



Christmas with Savannah's family

After we finished our Christmas breakfast and opening our gifts, we headed to my mom's to spend the day with my family.

 

We were a little early, and my dad was a little late, so it was a while before we got to open presents. Being the impatient person I am, I ended up sneaking into the boys gifts to get out one of their new shirts to wear. ;)

 

While waiting for everyone to show up, we stayed busy playing with other toys. Valex kept saying "too big" while pretending to ride a toy motorcycle

 

 Grandpa is here!

Last week, Vanessa posted a few pictures of Valex painting on Facebook. I started secretly hoping that one of those paintings would be mine. 

 

YAY!! She found a cute picture frame to hold the painting and some other pictures of me and the boys. LOVE it! I will always treasure their first painting. 

 

We Haslem children are known for climbing anything and everything. Daxsen is no exception. I knew it was time to eat when he put himself in his high chair.

 

My mom got Josh some trapping stuff for Christmas. Since his birthday is 2 days later, she also got him some trapping lures. We didn't wrap and take them since they smell like skunk, but Josh was excited. My mom gave me a Maurice's gift card. She also threw on a little extra to go towards my birthday. I knew that was what I was getting and I am so excited to go clothes shopping! My brother Alden had my name this year and he gave me a Maurice's gift card too. Plus I have a 15% off coupon so I plan to buy a lot of new clothes very soon.

 

My dad gave us some money and some tools. John had Josh's name this year. He got him some trapping books. Josh had Alden's name. He gave him a shirt with a tiger on it and some money. I had Vanessa's name. I gave her some pages for her scrapbook I made her last year. I also gave my mom some pages for her's. But I forgot to take pictures before wrapping them. After this year, I think I'll now do those for Mother's Day instead because I would be sad when I didn't get Vanessa's name.

 

This is the picture frame the boys gave me. :) I'm sure Vanessa didn't plan it on purpose, but those pictures are some of my very favorites of the boys. The paintings would have been fine on their own, but those snapshots made it the perfect present.