Sunday, May 22, 2011

My Baby Brother and My Baby Boy

Conner and I were very lucky to be able to go on a trip to Utah with my parents earlier this month. We went to pick up my brother for a short visit. He is currently in a program for teenage boys who have addictions and behavioral problems. Last year about this time was very difficult for my family. We were afraid my little brother would end up in jail or worse. He was headed down that path at full speed. My parents took him to a boys ranch in July and when that program didn't fit he was transferred to another in Utah.
There is a lump in my throat and tears threatening in my eyes writing this because of how hard this was for me and my family. He was so lost and so changed by the substances he took into his body. It was very frightening. But as time went on he began trying to fight what he had become and he started to win himself back. He started to come back to us emotionally and spiritually. By this trip he was doing very well. He has almost completed high school and the recovery program. He is wise beyond his years and yet he is the brother I knew before the drugs. I have seen the Atonement at work in his life, seen his testimony develop and now he has a relationship with his Father in Heaven like he never did before. I pray for him constantly because his life will be a battle from now on. But he is happy and strong and brave and I love him dearly.

Conner was 10 1/2 months old when my brother went away. He has grown so much since then. He is 20 months today. He says doggie (like da-dee), go, no, uh oh, hey you (like ay you), two, shoe, and three. He is such a busy little bee. Unfortunately we are both sick with colds right now but that doesnt seem to deter him from his hijinks. Oh and just today Cam taught him where his toes and fingers were so we added that to the list of body parts he knows. He also gives kisses now as before he had no interest in it whatsoever. That's just the way he is, an idea has to be his or he'll have none of it. He is tough and messy and smart and I love him dearly as well.

Here are pictures from our trip...


Conner and I on the bleachers at my cousins softball game. It was chilly for us desert dwellers!


Siblings, can't you tell? He is so tall it is getting akward to hug him but that didn't stop me from doing it anyway.


My cousin and Conner. He takes to her immediately, no matter how much time has past since he last saw her. She just has that kind of warm and caring personality babies are drawn to. I admire and adore her.


On a hike...my first in a long time...phew!


Grandpa put Conner on his shoulders but also helped him walk a little too.


He conquered that rock edifice behind him and so did my mom. They got all the way to the top!


Conner reading in the car. He loved his new books Grandma got him for the trip.


Doesn't this one melt your heart a little?


And now that your heart is soft...this one ought to finish the job and make it mush!


Here is Conner on his Auntie's birthday, helping her blow out the candles! Originally this post was going to be just about him (because 99.9% of them are) but then I guess I got inspired to share a little about my baby brother.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Bookworms

I'm sure that I've mentioned before how much I enjoy reading. I am an avid bookworm, always have been, always will be. To keep myself from re-reading the Harry Potter series over and over and over again I joined a book club. Well, lets be honest, I'll still read Harry a gazillion times but at least with book club I'm reading a variety of different authors and styles. I'm sure my battered HP books are grateful for the respite, however breif it is. I absolutely LOVE my book club. We gather once a month, taking turns hosting and picking the book. It's a small group and more are welcome but be warned, we don't just talk about the books. We talk about EVERYTHING! It is one night a month that I really look forward to.

I'm going to do my own version of Goodreads here (If you love books like me you should be on this site) and tell you a little about the books we've read so far. Hopefully I can inspire more book clubs to spring up wherever you are. Or just go check these titles out for yourself. We mainly try to pick easy to find books that can be checked out at our local libraries. Between all of us ladies we frequent about 5 of them. The best part? It's free!

In September we formed our book club and started with this book...



It's a historical fiction novel about a woman who settles in the Tuscon,AZ area with her family way back when the town I live in now was just a tiny settelment with a different name. I don't like the whole star-rating thing it seems a little too abstract to me so I'll grade this one instead. I'm thinking an A-. The writing style takes a little getting used to because it is written as an uneducated woman's diary.



Octobers was a book about a lady detective in Africa. I petered out of the series around book 9 (there are 11) but I'll come back to it because it was a lot of fun to read! This one deserves an A.



I chose this one. My mother-in-law recomended it to me. It was in the form of letters, which I loved. The book takes place after WWII in London and the Channel Islands. It's about the occupation of Guernsey. This one gets an A too. Oh and it's full name is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society but don't let that stop you for reading it.



Oh boy this one sounded so interesting but I could not even get through it. I don't recomend it even though the same person who wrote it wrote WICKED. Which is now a hit broadway show. I don't dare read the book version after this Stepsister book that had a great concept, but crazy dull execution. I'd say an F for this one.



This was our first non-fiction. It's about where our food comes from in America and the dilemma that is trying to find something to eat. I picked over some chapters choosing what interested me the most, but I'll tell ya, I'll never look the same way at corn or a chicken nugget. Non- fictions aren't my favorite so I'll give this one a B+.



The Witch of Blackbird Pond was great. I got really into it. I'd say an A+ for this one. It's a jouvenile fiction about a girl who goes to live with relatives in Puritan New England.Short and sweet and kinda powerful.



I chose March's book. It's Christian fiction novel about an Episcopalian rector and his parish. Another A+ for this one. It was an uplifting read.



Our second non-fiction. I completely clicked with all she said in the section on toddler eating. This book helped me so I give it an A-. It's no novel after all...



This is our May book. I haven't made any conclusions on it since I'm only thirty pages into it. I'll let you know!

So we've read two non-fictions, four historical fictions, a jouvenile fiction, a christian fiction, and a fantasy that read more like a historical fiction. Three male authors so far. If you have any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them, I'm supposed to host again in July!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Soaked II

I just had to post the rest of the photos from Conner playing in the hose. It was too cute and funny. I think some of these are pretty good.









Soaked

Conner played with his pool floatie on his head before he went outside and...



Got soaked in the hose. Have fun looking at these silly pictures of Conner getting wetter than wet one afternoon. He absolutely loved it!







Fun Times in April

In April Conner...

Got his first pair of flip-flops...


Found lots of fun things in his Easter basket...


Discovered a love of sunglasses...


Went to the zoo with family...


And spent time with his cousins when they came to visit.