My First Post of the New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY BLOGGING FRIENDS!

I hope that everyone had a great new year that was full of fun times and good memories!! We had a fun new years...we kept it simple but fun this year by spending the night with some good friends, some good food and some good laughs. I worked until 5:30pm that night and was greeted at home by Brandon, Phil, Sonja and Ethan. We got the food together and the boys played some video games. Matt and Nancy joined us just in time for the Chinese food which was DELICIOUS... I love love love egg rolls! We watched the movie Hotrod, which wasn't my number one favorite movie, but if you want to see something funny that makes fun of the 80's then it's a good one. It ended just in time to watch the count down to the new year...so we rung the new year in all together and it was really great! Brandon and I didn't get a picture together until everyone had headed home, so we took it ourselves...we both look a little tired, but it had been a long day! Luckily I had the next two days off so I was able to recover some sleep. It was really fun to see Nancy...she is due in February with a little girl and she is looking GREAT...she has the cutest little tummy! I cannot wait to meet Baby Maxwell when she arrives. Sonja and I finally got to exchange Christmas Gifts as well on new years. We've decided to make a new Christmas Tradition, and that is that each Christmas we'll give each other as gifts a new Christmas Tree ornament. That way we can build our collection of ornaments but also we'll be building it with memories as well. This year she gave me this beautiful ball, it has so many intricate designs on it...very pretty. I felt very blessed to get to spend the new years with Brandon...can you believe that it's been our first new years together since we've been together since Brandon's always had to work...so I especially enjoyed this one. It was extra special to be together on our first Married New Years. We are looking forward to this New Year and starting it off Married!!

I didn't get to write about this before the New Year, but on the last stormy weekend of 2007, I headed over to Cole Harbour with my parents to go to Ryan and Dee Hudson's wedding reception. They were married on December 20th, in the Washington Temple, and were back at home for their reception here. It was a yucky night outside but the reception was really nice inside. Dee's mom Kim made the cake and she did a great job, it looked delicious. They did a breakfast food theme too, which was a cute idea and actually quite yummy...I love breakfast foods! They even had a chocolate milk fountain and an orange juice fountain...too fun. They were very cute together and very much in love. It's so fun to see Dee married, I've known her since she was a baby so we've come a long way together!! She looked beautiful and had very cute dress!! I really enjoyed spending some time with my sisters and Cory chatting and taking pictures as well as Adam and Jenn. I haven't seen Adam and Jenn in awhile so it was great to catch up and visit and hopefully we'll get to hangout with them soon. Georgia was the only Nelson child that attended the reception and she was as cute as always...i love holding that little cutie pie...she's going to be a heart breaker when she gets bigger watch out Kathy and Jeff!!

Brandon and I have just been relaxing so far in 2008, although the school application process is calling our names again, and we need to get to work on them. Work has been slow but busy with lots to do...still no manager for us...so I get to take the brunt of the un-happy customers. I think that everyone in the world needs to work in retail at least once for Christmas so that they know how it feels. People can be soooooo mean, they think that we make all the policies...and like to take it out on us....WE DON'T MAKE THE RULES! But don't worry too much because we always talk and complain about the people after they loose and they always deserve it!!

Congratulations are in order... for the Blakeney family who shared the news with everyone this past little while that they are exciting a new little member to their family this summer and I couldn't be happier for them! I was so excited that I had to send them some mail...I think it's exciting to get mail, so since this was an exciting announcement I had to send my excitement in the mail to them. I quite enjoyed my little card in the end...wasn't quite sure how it would turn out, but not too bad for my first creation in awhile. Josh and Julia will be really cute families...I can't wait to see what their little cutie will look like and what his or her name will be!! I wanted to write my congrats on here too for them...I'm so looking forward to watching Julia grow as she gets ready to become a mommy!!

Finally, I've been doing some reading lately and Kristi had said I should write about all my books so she'd know about them...so here are three that I've read lately and three that I LOVED....I'm going to put a little summary from the Internet, and then write what I thought and felt about the book...hope you enjoy!!!

"The Red Tent retells the story of Dinah, which is found in the Biblical book of Genesis, Chapter 34. This episode, usually known as the "Rape of Dinah" has been a difficult passage for bible readers for centuries because of the murderous behavior of Jacob's sons. In Genesis, Dinah does not say a single word; what happens to her is recounted and characterized as rape by her brothers. In my retelling of the story, Dinah finds her voice. The Red Tent is told entirely from her perspective and the point of view of the women around her."

What I loved about this book is the perspective that it takes on the Story of Joseph and his 12 sons. Everyone knows the Bible story but you never hear much about the women...so this book gives the perspective of the women...and it's so interesting to see how their relationships work and how life as a woman was back in the time of the Bible. Although it is historical fiction, it really just makes you think about these women. It was a moving story and I would totally recommend it to everyone. My mom recommended it to me and I will probably read it again sometime because she said that she gained a lot more from it the second time round...Check it out it will definitely make you think!!! Amazing!!

#1 New York Times bestseller Nicholas Sparks turns his unrivaled talents to a new tale about love found and lost, and the choices we hope we''ll never have to make.Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life - boating, swimming , and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, THE CHOICE ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?


Okay so I got this book for Christmas and I read it in under a week. Nicholas Sparks has done it again. This book as usual moved me to tears and I don't mean like one or two trickling down my cheek by outright sobbing because it was THAT GOOD! It was quite interesting too because as soon as I thought I'd figured out what "the choice" might be, I would read another twist. Nicholas Sparks always makes me want to just hug Brandon, when I read his books because they just bring such feelings of love. This one especially made me feel lucky to have Brandon as my husband and I don't know what I would do without him. If you want to read a moving story definitely check out The Choice...I own it if anyone wants to borrow it, mom has it right now and then Kathy wants it...but then it's up for the borrow..Check out anything by Sparks and you won't regret it!!! Write me about any of them I love to talk about them.



Right now I'm Reading "Three Weeks with my Brother" By Sparks and it's been a good read so far... it's quite cool to learn that he's used all of his children's names in his books. Can't wait to keep reading!!!



Cecelia Ahern's debut novel, PS, I Love You, follows the engaging, witty, and occasionally sappy reawakening of Holly, a young Irish widow who must put her life back together after she loses her husband Gerry to a brain tumor.Gerry has left Holly a series of letters designed to help her face the year ahead and carry on with her life. As the novel takes readers through the seasons (and through Gerry's monthly directives), we watch as Holly finds a new job, takes a holiday to Spain with her girlfriends, and sorts through her beloved husband's belongings. Accompanying Holly throughout the healing process is a cast of friends and family members who add as much to the novel's success as Holly's own tale of survival. In fact, it is these supporting character's mini-dramas that make PS, I Love You more than just another superficial tearjerker with the obligatory episode at a karaoke bar. Ahern shows real talent for capturing the essence of an interaction between friends and foes alike.



This is the last book to mention and I left it for last for a reason. If you have not seen the movie yet....WAIT...read the book first...because the book is the original and the movie as I have heard has CHANGED A LOT OF THE STORY and I was really bummed to hear this because the book is so good. This is such a beautiful novel about friendship, love, sadness and moving on. It looks at so many relationships, between friends, spouses, parents and children's and siblings. Again it brought me to tears...so much that the day it first brought tears to my eyes I was on the bus and had to stop reading because I didn't want people on the bus to think I was crazy. I would recommend this one too...I plan to still see the movie...but it might be a renter for me. If anyone wants to go give me a call because I totally would...but for sure read the book because it is AWESOME!



I hope everyone made it to the end of my massive blog...I hope you'll check out these books I own two of them as well as a bunch of others so stop by if you need something good to read!!!



Hope this finds everyone well and happy...please comment...I love hearing from everyone and I get so bummed when no one comments!!!