tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74225389974720527352024-03-05T05:00:17.958-07:00CROSSING GEORGIAKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.comBlogger323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-8372774542870218562014-01-15T20:59:00.003-07:002014-01-15T20:59:33.254-07:00I think I wanna be...a librarian when I grow up. Whenever I go to the library, I feel..really...happy. And peaceful, and calm and just good. And everything is right in the world. And time is suspended and I want to read every book on every shelf. And I want to put them all away (correctly). Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-41080404240729956652014-01-04T15:46:00.002-07:002014-01-04T15:46:52.445-07:00I been feeling...GUILTY about neglecting this blog for so long. Now, it's not just that I haven't been posting, but I haven't even been looking at anyone else's. Well today I took a look at all the other blogs that I used to keep up on and...I don't feel guilty anymore. Most (not all) of them are just as neglected as mine. Like 1-4 years since the last post. So I guess blogging was a fad that most of us have just lost the time or interest for. Anyway...Happy New Year!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-29264974114412995732013-11-08T10:44:00.003-07:002013-11-08T10:44:57.734-07:00No NaBloPoMoUsually November is the month where I participate in <a href="http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-nablopomo.htm" target="_blank">NaBloPoMo</a>, however I am not doing it this year. As you've noticed, I haven't even blogged since March. So, instead of posting everyday in the month of November, how about November is just the month I return to blogging. I doubt anyone even reads this anymore, but I'm terrible at keeping a journal, so I'm going to try to update more often so I at least have documentation that I was alive and when I spent my life doing.<br />
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Below are a couple of book reviews. I haven't been reading hardly at all the last couple of months which is strange and just WRONG to me, so hopefully I'll get back to reading and reviewing books.<br />
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The biggest reason I haven't really been blogging is that we bought a house and have been moving, unpacking and getting settled the past few months. I'm torn whether to post pictures of my house as it was before we moved in, as it is now, or wait and post a room at a time as I do the necessary changes getting each room as I like it....Maybe I'll do all three. Before that, here is a quick history of the house. It is an older home that sat empty for 2 years before an investor bought it, gutted it, and completely refinished it (flipped it). <br />
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Here are pictures of my house before we bought it; staged for selling with furniture that isn't mine (sigh). However I hate the paint color and they painted every single room, walls and ceiling, in the same boring color (ugh). So my biggest project will be repainting with color on the walls and repainting the ceilings white. I've got one room totally done, and at least the ceiling in the living room/kitchen done. But I've still got so much to do! (Sorry the photo's are terrible. I am really a bad photographer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0llB-XCChyuLes-EIqJ3cS1_lMxwMGA_55-9Lzyq67YHjfQEYOji1zdLJv7etZUv5HUCAuVX29XhzR1cuR6BeXQ9xkGEbbclU78iyrEraJTu_gvoZEK-TpZiEHP8SvIo9jis9-8GUvg/s1600/IMG_1809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>And the BEST part of the house:</div>
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THE POOL!</div>
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I am so incredibly lucky to have a pool in the back yard. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my house!</div>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-69813230370364789482013-11-08T10:15:00.001-07:002013-11-08T10:15:03.993-07:00Book Review: Man's Search for Meaning<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_Meaning" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Man's Search for Meaning" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320448085m/4069.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_Meaning">Man's Search for Meaning</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2782.Viktor_E_Frankl">Viktor E. Frankl</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/760014247">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />This was a wonderful book. So well written and the story is incredible. Very thought provoking. I think I may need to reread the section on logotherapy, my psychoanalysis vocabulary is a little rusty, and there were a few passages I may need to study to really get it. I love his view of life and how to be happy we must find meaning. My favorite aspect is the idea that every man's meaning is different and no one can declare "_____ is the meaning of life for every person on earth" I truly believe in the individual and so of course that would mean that the meaning of life is an individual thing. This trick is finding our own meaning, which is not so easy.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a><br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-73265258357419301252013-11-08T10:12:00.003-07:002013-11-08T10:12:28.340-07:00Book Review: The Host<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1656001.The_Host" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Host (The Host, #1)" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1318009171m/1656001.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1656001.The_Host">The Host</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/941441.Stephenie_Meyer">Stephenie Meyer</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45990339">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />Second reading. Read with Jerry. I love this book. I love sci-fi and romance and the best is when they are combined, like in this book. Awesome awesome book!!<br /><br />First reading: February 23, 2009<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a><br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-28421013394380884002013-01-19T13:41:00.002-07:002013-01-19T13:41:16.977-07:00Book Review: The Goose Girl<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179064.The_Goose_Girl" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330728389m/179064.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179064.The_Goose_Girl">The Goose Girl</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49177.Shannon_Hale">Shannon Hale</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/511012647">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />The book was in three parts, of which I really enjoyed parts 2 and 3. Part 1 (The beginning of the story) was really difficult for me to enjoy and it took forever for me to get into this book. The beginning felt like every other princess story I've ever heard. Princess who doesn't fit the mold of the perfect stereotypical princess and is a little rebellious. A wicked or unloving mother. A father loves her but is tragically taken away. A little bit of magic mixed in, etc. (I will say, don't be too put off by my dislike of Part 1. I was a necessary set up to the rest of the story, and I just wasn't really in the mood for a princess story and it's also not my favorite genre to begin with) <br /><br />Luckily in part 2, the story becomes original and very cool. I love journey stories. This one had both a physical journey as well as the journey of the character of the princess. She grows up and figures out who she is and what is her destiny so to speak. I really liked it. Even the love story felt like a happy coincidence rather then happening because of 10 different miraculous events.<br /><br />I liked it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a><br />Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05587426646832396092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-57491229429785734302013-01-05T14:15:00.002-07:002013-01-05T14:15:53.634-07:00We're home now!Short update. We did find a place. We just decided to rent a place for about 6 months while we figure out where to live and if we want to buy, build, or live in our house that we own, but currently rent out.<br />
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Anyway, we are very excited to be in our own place, and we're just busy busy trying to unpack and not freeze to death (it's been between 2 and about 15 degrees everyday this week, yuck!)Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05587426646832396092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-22237506701531195152012-12-17T14:11:00.000-07:002012-12-17T14:16:06.017-07:00Housing UpdateHave I mentioned that we don't have a house yet? We've been living with my mom until we can get a house and it's been pretty frustrating. Me, Jerry, and my two boys are all sharing one room. It's almost been 3 months! So, again, sorry for my constant bad mood. And if you're in Utah and I haven't really been a very good friend, please forgive me. Things really will be better when we have our own space and we don't have this constant stress and time requirements of buying/building/renting a home.<br />
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Anyway, we just got some more bad news. There is a mistake on our credit report which takes 30-45 days to be fixed. The mistake caused us to loose a beautiful home we were hoping to buy.<br />
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<b>So when you hear that you should periodically check your credit report to make sure it's accurate, DO IT! </b> If I'd known about this issue I would have fixed it 2 years ago (or at least this summer before we moved). <br />
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Anyway, I can't live here for another 2 or 3 months, so we've decided to just rent a place till next summer, then decide what to do next.<br />
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<i>Hopefully</i>, I'll be posting pictures of our new place next week. I'm REALLY, <i>really</i> hoping to be able to move this weekend and have our own place for Christmas, but it's probably not going to happen till the beginning of the new year.<br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-41102638277631315302012-12-17T14:02:00.000-07:002012-12-17T14:02:00.524-07:00Book Review: Beauty Queens<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9464733-beauty-queens" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Beauty Queens" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1289410187m/9464733.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9464733-beauty-queens">Beauty Queens</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2526.Libba_Bray">Libba Bray</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/474761219">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />This was a funny silly novel. But also deep. If that makes sense. She brings up some serious issues that face young women today, but does it with stereotypical characters. Sort of. I guess you could say she does it in a lighthearted way. One of my favorite parts of the story is when one of the girls is called out for saying "sorry" a lot. They tell her that as women we often feel like we have to apologize for having an opinion, or for speaking or sometimes for just existing. And that's crazy! I know that I said "sorry" in almost every sentence when I was younger. Without really realizing it. Then I met a woman who said it more than I did, and it drove me crazy! That's when I realized that I'm not going to say sorry for living anymore, and even though it's a small thing, it's really helped me a lot and given me a lot of confidence. <br /><br />So this was a fun book and the audio was hilarious! The reader did all the voices (which really helped me keep all the characters straight). <br /><br />General MoMo and his stuffed lemur were my favorite characters. <br /><br />So, If you want something funny and light, but thought provoking too, read it. I will also refer you to my friend Bridget's review (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/364361645" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...</a>), because she is much better at reviewing books than I am.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a><br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-9702690068965256142012-12-11T16:42:00.001-07:002012-12-11T16:42:13.990-07:00Santa Visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqedAUpymUNKB-oKBASqtEehtrWnzn4sQ8g-LH7VPHYlJdZUcMT48Ds74BdAu-Fvu7dR4huggjhwF3fCLrNQLHBMg-GzeSoUUXpl8y4kmnikt5qVdoU7nnqGMCoQtchndSpF_j0cRf4c/s1600/boys+with+Santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqedAUpymUNKB-oKBASqtEehtrWnzn4sQ8g-LH7VPHYlJdZUcMT48Ds74BdAu-Fvu7dR4huggjhwF3fCLrNQLHBMg-GzeSoUUXpl8y4kmnikt5qVdoU7nnqGMCoQtchndSpF_j0cRf4c/s320/boys+with+Santa.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
I'm pretty sure that a good photo (or visit for that matter) is probably not something that's attainable until kids are too old to believe in the magic of Santa. But this one was better then <a href="http://www.katiebeth36.blogspot.com/2012/01/santa-brings-joy-to-children-everywhere.html" target="_blank">last year</a>.<br /><br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-19124324245497414552012-12-10T16:17:00.001-07:002012-12-10T16:17:28.427-07:00Book Review: Return to Red Castle<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1153938.Return_To_Red_Castle" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Return To Red Castle" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1206420932m/1153938.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1153938.Return_To_Red_Castle">Return To Red Castle</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3402674.Dorothy_M_Keddington">Dorothy M. Keddington</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9921571">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />I'd say this was more like 4 1/2 stars. It was just so fun. Deep? No. But fun? Yes. I loved reading about the mountains. It makes me remember how much I love being in the mountains. Hiking, camping, living simply. And the love story was so good! You could really feel the electricity between Melissa and Jesse. The adventure part was great too. It surprised me often.<br /><br />Basically, I loved this book. I'm having a hard time writing a decent review right now, so just read it (if you can find a copy, I'm pretty sure it's out of print), you'll love it!<br /><br />A new favorite of mine!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a><br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-34760777788571583562012-12-06T13:35:00.003-07:002012-12-06T13:35:11.668-07:00Book Review: As Sure as the Dawn<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95621.As_Sure_as_the_Dawn" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="As Sure as the Dawn (Mark of the Lion, #3)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1280260952m/95621.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95621.As_Sure_as_the_Dawn">As Sure as the Dawn</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6492.Francine_Rivers">Francine Rivers</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/108461380">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />Good ending to the trilogy. This was probably my least favorite of the three books, but I still really liked it. What I would have expected to be the ending came about 3/4 of the way through the book. Then they story changes and continues. At first I didn't like that, but I can see that it was the right thing to do. If she had ended where I expected, I don't think you could have been sure that Atretes change of heart would have been a long term change. Also, it was good that through Rizpah and Atretes they did more then change themselves, they brought shared Christ's gospel with others.<br /><br />Overall, a very good series.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a><br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-59553911701683272282012-11-29T20:07:00.001-07:002012-11-29T20:07:24.759-07:00Katie's night offKatie is taking the night off. Her mom had a rough day so they decided to treat themselves to movie. I would have loved to have gone but someone needed to put the boys to bed. And besides, they went to see the new Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn Part II. Da da da. I'll watch it when it goes to the dollar theater. I can't wait.<br />
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So, I guess this concludes today's episode of the blog. Perhaps tomorrow's will be better. Katie should be refreshed and totally stoked to go to the Killers concert and hang out with her man. Until then!<br />
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<br />Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05587426646832396092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-6087072363124373362012-11-28T19:50:00.001-07:002012-11-28T19:50:49.190-07:00Book Review: Hot Six<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6858.Hot_Six" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Hot Six (Stephanie Plum, #6)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312004212m/6858.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6858.Hot_Six">Hot Six</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2384.Janet_Evanovich">Janet Evanovich</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/461603663">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Another cliff hanger ending. I own the next book, "Seven Up", but it's in storage, which I won't have access to until I get a house, so I guess I'm going to have to take a break from these for a month or two. It's going to kill me. I love these stories!<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-73019614726824026912012-11-27T16:03:00.001-07:002012-11-27T16:03:25.566-07:00Jonah's Ear's updateTo catch up on Jonah's ear issues, see <a href="http://katiebeth36.blogspot.com/2012/03/jonahs-upcoming-surgery.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://katiebeth36.blogspot.com/2012/07/jonahs-surgery.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Since moving to Utah we finally met Jonah's new ENT who will be continuing his care and performing the second look surgery to make sure there is no more cholesteatoma in his ear. Unfortunatly, during the visit, we found that he also now has a large hole in his right eardrum (same ear as the ear with cholesteatoma), so he will repair that as well during the surgery. He hasn't had an ear infection since the beginning of October, so hopefully that will continue. We go in for a CT scan and hearing test on December 10, so I'll keep you updated of how that all goes.<br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-29302623621977754232012-11-26T16:38:00.000-07:002012-11-26T16:38:05.896-07:00ThankfulI don't talk about this enough, but have I ever mentioned that I'm grateful for my husband, Jerry?<br />
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Well, I am. He is such an amazing man, father, and husband. I really try not to compare my life to anyone elses, but sometimes I will be talking with a friend, or spend time with another couple and I frequently have this thought "Thank goodness I'm not married to <i>that</i> guy". (btw: don't worry, If your reading this I'm not talking about you. I promise) I'm sure people will say the same thing about me, and really, that's the way it's supposed to be. I don't want anyone else wishing they were married to my husband, and I shouldn't be thinking that about anyone else. Anyway...(this is starting to get weird)...<br />
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What I mean is that even though my life, my marriage, and my husband isn't perfect, I'm so glad for the type of imperfections I have to deal with, because they are one's I can handle. I suppose what I meant above was that the issues that some people have are not ones that I have, and I am so grateful.<br />
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So thanks, Jerry, for being so great, and so perfect-for me.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-13348148025257715462012-11-25T20:05:00.000-07:002012-11-25T20:05:04.645-07:00All the places I've visited.Thanks for the idea <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://annaandtheblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/nablopomostill.html" target="_blank">Anna</a></span><br />
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Here are all the countries I've visited, in order:<br />
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USA<br />
Canada<br />
Mexico<br />
Austria<br />
Egypt<br />
Jordan<br />
Palestine<br />
Israel<br />
Italy<br />
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Oh man, that's only 9. And numbers 4-9 were all visited within a 3 month period, so it seems like I'm more traveled than I really am. I just went on one really cool trip the summer of 2007. Anyway, I'm also going to list the States I've been to. There's no way I could tell you the order they were visited, so I'll do it alphabetically. And there is always the question if you have a layover at an airport, can you count that state as being visited? What do you think?<br />
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Black is yes, <span style="color: red;">red is no</span><br />
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Alabama<br />
Arizona<br />
Arkansas<br />
California<br />
Colorado<br />
<span style="color: red;">Connecticut</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Delaware</span><br />
Florida<br />
Georgia<br />
Hawaii<br />
Idaho<br />
Illinois<br />
<span style="color: red;">Indiana</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Iowa</span><br />
Kansas<br />
Kentucky<br />
<span style="color: red;">Louisiana</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Maine</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Maryland</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Massachusetts</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Michigan</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Minnesota</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Mississippi</span><br />
Missouri<br />
Montana<br />
Nebraska<br />
Nevada<br />
<span style="color: red;">New Hampshire</span><br />
New Jersey<br />
<span style="color: red;">New Mexico</span><br />
New York<br />
North Carolina<br />
<span style="color: red;">North Dakota</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Ohio</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Oklahoma</span><br />
Oregon<br />
<span style="color: red;">Pennsylvania</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Rhode Island</span><br />
South Carolina<br />
<span style="color: red;">South Dakota</span><br />
Tennessee<br />
Texas (Airport only)<br />
Utah<br />
<span style="color: red;">Vermont</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Virginia</span><br />
Washington<br />
<span style="color: red;">West Virginia</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Wisconsin</span><br />
Wyoming<br />
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Phew, 26, just over half! The Northeast is<span style="color: blue;"><u>,</u></span> by far, the area of the country that I've least explored.<br />
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Also, I have a (probably unrealistic) goal to visit all 7 continents before I die. I've got 4 of 7 (North America, Europe, Africa, Asia). Although Egypt and Jordan really are the Middle East. Which isn't it's own continent, but it's more of a unique culture. So It kind of feels like cheating. Since I really don't feel like I've <i>really</i> experienced what I imagine as the culture of<i></i> Africa and the culture of Asia, so I probably still need to visit Madagascar or South Africa, and Vietnam or Japan.<br />
I still need South America, Australia, and Antarctica.<br />
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Antarctica will be, by far, the most difficult.<br />
South America is, by far, the most frightening to me. <br />
Australia is, by far, the place I most want to visit.<br />
And, of all the places I've been so far, Hawaii was my most favorite and the the place that I most want to live.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-56522224915202880772012-11-24T20:57:00.001-07:002012-11-24T21:57:36.957-07:00Book Review: High FiveI'm sorry, all I'm reviewing are Stephanie Plum books. I can't stop reading them. I have three other books to read (<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12751687-finale" target="_blank">Finale</a></span>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13125947-reached" target="_blank">Reached</a>, and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95621.As_Sure_as_the_Dawn" target="_blank">As Sure as the Dawn</a>) sitting next to my bed. They are all the final book in their respective series, so you'd think I'd be anxious to read them, but I just keep starting the next Plum book. Oh well, it's nice to have books you enjoy and are anxious to read. It's really helped pass the time during this <a href="http://www.katiebeth36.blogspot.com/2012/11/we-moved-to-utah.html" target="_blank">lame time for me</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6423.High_Five" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="High Five (Stephanie Plum, #5)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1270849101m/6423.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6423.High_Five">High Five</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2384.Janet_Evanovich">Janet Evanovich</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/461602680">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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After staying up till 2:00 making pie for Thanksgiving, did I go to bed? No, I stayed up another hour reading this book! I can't stop. I loved the cliffhanger ending. I hope she called Joe!! We'll see...<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-44744234121859798302012-11-23T17:19:00.001-07:002012-11-23T17:21:35.359-07:00I love "Bad Lip Reading"<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FmxSk0wZxss" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Thanks <a href="http://myadventuresintucson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bridget</a>!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-89821810783569993392012-11-22T21:49:00.001-07:002012-11-22T22:03:11.420-07:00Oliver's 3!!My sweet baby Oliver turned three yesterday and I can't believe it! He is my wild free spirit. He brings so much fun and joy into our lives. Happy Birthday Ollie!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look mom, CANDY!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinata!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6xKm8vpziT_zyfKZAjZMI-FKHTLhPkkJl2RyAKsYkWn1xDHyfRcXAng-Doq7fanHsFKKJxCs8D4Cta8dYf0OTMWBT_sm9KLRXytSYzoj4uIqWWxZ0WCXEGK62De87uTH4mpuC6YcaNf8/s640/blogger-image-1979868161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6xKm8vpziT_zyfKZAjZMI-FKHTLhPkkJl2RyAKsYkWn1xDHyfRcXAng-Doq7fanHsFKKJxCs8D4Cta8dYf0OTMWBT_sm9KLRXytSYzoj4uIqWWxZ0WCXEGK62De87uTH4mpuC6YcaNf8/s400/blogger-image-1979868161.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpU6h0iQGVxdDqxyJ3i2wSjcaiOPHjskQ6Z4GDLA4TTCfsfTzbqucL2k7JmWg7m4dyhq6zzlyhdefO02aep6JOeOlvRElHsezs_XklJZQZTVeZj_bXMtOM1nC6VcmUsn6DdMkCKFkj4jo4/s640/blogger-image--1612641238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpU6h0iQGVxdDqxyJ3i2wSjcaiOPHjskQ6Z4GDLA4TTCfsfTzbqucL2k7JmWg7m4dyhq6zzlyhdefO02aep6JOeOlvRElHsezs_XklJZQZTVeZj_bXMtOM1nC6VcmUsn6DdMkCKFkj4jo4/s400/blogger-image--1612641238.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Irl1ck4nN4ZHs0N17pFfI4skHj0yb85Om_rSR_IMESpZk4YXzwKJMqhpTil3V25IXzR5XCr0Y5gz4t41_hFn4OuaYZ6tCniH0ktprXtov44vZrd8UKckUggteGJaG6nBBOFN-anVaXgL/s640/blogger-image--566699966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Irl1ck4nN4ZHs0N17pFfI4skHj0yb85Om_rSR_IMESpZk4YXzwKJMqhpTil3V25IXzR5XCr0Y5gz4t41_hFn4OuaYZ6tCniH0ktprXtov44vZrd8UKckUggteGJaG6nBBOFN-anVaXgL/s400/blogger-image--566699966.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cousin Destiney and Oliver. She is also like a sister to him. They are like peas and carrots; spending everyday together for the past year and a half.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbsM-IHxXOyo5aBU1HLeR4tH8W14wihNYiC4cg_sVsSrzOXeqV0yTx3DNuxD5LxLIwa56hjPWwAPCJYZ0NhrQv38etOMBy6-uLN8HNEjpso3TV6nzVWs84PzBddrJ_sLKx4tQTgO4hbHR/s640/blogger-image--745736582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbsM-IHxXOyo5aBU1HLeR4tH8W14wihNYiC4cg_sVsSrzOXeqV0yTx3DNuxD5LxLIwa56hjPWwAPCJYZ0NhrQv38etOMBy6-uLN8HNEjpso3TV6nzVWs84PzBddrJ_sLKx4tQTgO4hbHR/s400/blogger-image--745736582.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonah, Oliver, and their cousin Jodi. She is like a sister to them. She is so amazing. She drew this picture for Oliver, and it is amazing. It's a Robot in a Rocket. Two of Oliver's very favorite things. She also entertained all the kids at the party by playing games with them. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenZ-G719k_iY7uBwM8ejbaFHkgMdAzX8AihTRuJqtgKAE94Zv0_Es7W9jRZiJDF0_n5pJjoR-QBG1iVnhpt5XUMaLE9_X4kiZgazH5Z2GhGzpyBxc9uiIl48h90h6sVf7BSvf_0K3Y4dF/s640/blogger-image--581925276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenZ-G719k_iY7uBwM8ejbaFHkgMdAzX8AihTRuJqtgKAE94Zv0_Es7W9jRZiJDF0_n5pJjoR-QBG1iVnhpt5XUMaLE9_X4kiZgazH5Z2GhGzpyBxc9uiIl48h90h6sVf7BSvf_0K3Y4dF/s400/blogger-image--581925276.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robot Cake. Certainly not my best or most elaborate cake, but I thought it turned out pretty cute.</td></tr>
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Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05587426646832396092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-18721041668640029972012-11-21T22:50:00.001-07:002012-11-22T21:21:24.757-07:00T'was the Night Before ThanksgivingEvery year during the nablahuwachamacallit, I end up submitting a post on Katie's blog on or around Thanksgiving. Well, here goes.<br />
<br />
T'was the night before Thanksgiving. T'were really--all around the house.<br />
Pies were baking in the oven and my wife was wearing a blouse.<br />
In the air hung the smell of pumpkin, nutmeg, and spice.<br />
I hoped tomorrow would come soon, eating pie is oh so nice. <br />
<br />
The children were nestled all snug in their beds.<br />
I better stop plagiarizing, or on the morn I may be dead...s.<br />
At this point both my wife and I should be dressed for a long fall's nap<br />
But neither my wife has a kerchief, nor do I have a cap.<br />
<br />
When up in the kitchen the pots and pans clattered,<br />
I ran up the stairs to see what had shattered.<br />
A dish was all broken to pieces, strewn all about<br />
I took up the broom when my wife began to shout.<br />
<br />
"I'd prefer to clean up that mess from up off the floor,<br />
You can wash the dishes; you said you liked to, sort of...before."<br />
So, I dashed to the sink, took up the soap and a rag<br />
And cleaned all the dishes, the garbage disposal made me gag.<br />
<br />
By now, the pies were done baking. The aroma was still there.<br />
My wife was now on the couch reading, all without a care.<br />
I took out the pies from their warm oven nest<br />
Placed them on the cooling rack, screamed, pulled my hands to my breast.<br />
<br />
The crust shriveled 'neath the pumpkin custard--like the wicked old witch<br />
When my wife saw the matter, her eyelids began to twitch.<br />
"What in the world has happened? What did you do?<br />
We'll have to start all over, these pies look like poo."<br />
<br />
"Go, run to Costco, buy one of their pies,<br />
A mess such as this, I could never disguise.<br />
I can't take this pie to your family's Thanksgiving supper<br />
Your mother will think me foolish, a bakery blubber."<br />
<br />
I replied in haste, "The pies will be fine.<br />
We'll just bake another, on which we can dine."<br />
"Anyway, it isn't the cover of the book that we read,<br />
but the words in the middle, on which we do feed."<br />
<br />
"Your pies are delicious, I know them to be so,<br />
I eat them a plenty! Watch my mid-section grow.<br />
This Thanksgiving squash pie smells great but may look like poo,<br />
but I know it will be delicious, cause it was made by you.<br />
<br />
I love you, Katie.<br />
<br />
Love, Jerry<br />
<br />
P.S. I know you were really wearing a sweater, but it didn't fit this time.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-22453771276450082662012-11-20T23:15:00.000-07:002012-11-20T23:15:36.057-07:00So funny, so trueI'm just going to direct you to another funny post today.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://hellogiggles.com/everything-i-need-to-know-about-thanksgiving-i-learned-from-friends">http://hellogiggles.com/everything-i-need-to-know-about-thanksgiving-i-learned-from-friends</a><br />
Does anyone else love Friends as much as I do. It started when I was only 11! I can't believe that because it feels like I was a teenager, but maybe it's just cause it's been in reruns for so long. Now that I'm older it seems even funnier!<br />
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Also, did you ever see Date Night? If your married, and especially if you're a parent, you will no doubt find this movie so funny and so true. My favorite is the opening scene when they are lying in bed, the clock reads 4:59 am. They can hear the kids coming to their bed and they whisper, "don't move". I do that all the time. And Mark Wahlburg <i>does</i> do all kinds of right. Right?<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XaW7cUSBax4" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Do you watch the TV show "The Middle" The Hecks are so so similar to how I grew up. So it feels funny because it's familiar to how life was as a kid and a member of a family. But now that I'm a mother and a wife, all those struggles and situations strike a chord with me too.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyaOyc3occA&feature=player_detailpage">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyaOyc3occA&feature=player_detailpage</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-NkgcNy7gFs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-NkgcNy7gFs</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3viPcFIo2GQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3viPcFIo2GQ</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=XC2VGUVvvAg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=XC2VGUVvvAg</a><br />
<br />
and I can't find a clip, but the Mother's Day episodes are the best! (Season 2, episode 21)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-86303257912785123792012-11-19T13:29:00.000-07:002012-11-19T13:29:40.747-07:00Book Review: Four to score<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6422.Four_to_Score" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Four to Score (Stephanie Plum #4)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311983211m/6422.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6422.Four_to_Score">Four to Score</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2384.Janet_Evanovich">Janet Evanovich</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/459314829">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />*Spoiler Alert*<br /><br />Finally Stephanie and Joe got together! Man they are so good together, they just need to accept it. I was completely surprised by the revelation of the identity of the killer. But, I did know Sugar was the one sending Stephanie threatening notes. Sally the drag queen was very entertaining.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a><br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-88304712547645581422012-11-18T22:48:00.000-07:002012-11-18T22:50:33.664-07:00If I were a casting agent...<span class="userContent">Wouldn't <a href="http://Wouldn't he have made a better Carlisle in the Twilight movies? I love Peter Facinelli, but Dan Stevens is pale and blonde without makeup and hair dye. And wouldn't he have looked seriously freaky with red eyes?" target="_blank">Dan Stevens</a> (William Crawley from Downton Abbey) have made a better Carlisle in the Twilight movies? I love <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=103366162069" href="https://www.facebook.com/peter.facinelli">Peter Facinelli</a>, but Dan Stevens is pale and blonde without makeup and hair dye. And wouldn't he have looked seriously freaky with red eyes?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"> </span><img height="204" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSN7MJpMux0IwID_WfaFkObS4jt75vHIEXDqGmsiCf2uglk7BwnYNRUMrsOYlGF6ko7li-woGtEVwVouLPkx07LAUzAfObdwK0RXX_MYkZEK5nbCEOd-NWGQFNwQ-v-5IOwqF3ziwKR-f/s320/dan+stevens+downton+abbey+matthew+crawley.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /><br />
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<img height="320" src="http://i2.listal.com/image/3597624/150full.jpg" width="235" /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="image" height="241" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvjd1cPXau1qc9nyro1_r1_500.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think these two would have been a perfect Esme and Carlise</td></tr>
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I was thinking this as I was watching Downton Abbey tonight, then I found the picture above, so I guess I'm not the only who who had this thought.<br />
<br />
And I can't ever get past remembering Peter Facinelli as the Jerk bully from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127723/" target="_blank">Can't Hardly Wait</a> (which is a super fun (under-rated) movie by the way. And I think is my generations <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091790/" target="_blank">Pretty in Pink.</a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7422538997472052735.post-89522674642893120682012-11-17T22:58:00.000-07:002012-11-17T22:58:25.197-07:00Book Review: Three to Get Deadly<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6854.Three_to_Get_Deadly" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, #3)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312230718m/6854.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6854.Three_to_Get_Deadly">Three to Get Deadly</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2384.Janet_Evanovich">Janet Evanovich</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/456788597">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Well, I finished this book in 2 days. It was so much fun, just like the first two. I didn't love her case as much this time. It wasn't really a huge surprise who ended up being the bad guy, but still fun. Of course the back and forth between Stephanie and Morelli is still great. And I can see that Evanovich may be starting to introduce Ranger as a possible live interest. I don't feel any heat between them, but I love them as a friendship. It was fun to see Stephanie's ex-husband be introduced as a character, and Lula threatening him is hilarious! Lula is the best. In fact, all the characters are great. I don't think I'd get sick of any of these characters for a while.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/455420-katie-johnson">View all my reviews</a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02547854127255044144noreply@blogger.com0