Little House

Blog Challenge:

Did you have a favorite TV show as a child? 

Around the time I turned 9, Michael Landon made a TV series out of the classic "Little House on the Prairie" story.  It quickly became my favorite TV show.  I was not much of a TV-watcher (still am not) so it was a big deal that I was committed to watching the show every week. 

I had blond hair and my younger sister had brown hair, so we used to pretend to be Mary and Laura.  I became fascinated by all things pioneer era.  We used to light a candle and sit at the kitchen table at night and try to read or do homework.  It wasn't easy, but it was certainly more fun! 

As I grew older, I learned that there were some things about being a pioneer that I would not like, such as outhouses.  I also decided that I loved other modern conveniences, such as warm showers, automobiles and air conditioning.  However, I still have a fascination with stories about pioneer-era people and their experiences.  As a result, many of the books I have read over the past several decades are about pioneer-era people on both the American continent and in Britain.  Perhaps that is one reason I have such a great love of history.

I really liked Mary in the TV series and later in the book series.  I learned that in her teens she went blind, which would have been extra tough in a pioneer situation.  I began a period of intense fascination with stories about people who went blind.  I found probably every book in the school book order forms on blind kids.  Two of my favorites were "Follow My Leader" and "Blind Sunday."  I liked seeing the TV Mary learn to cope with her blindness and find a husband. 

I loved watching Laura grow up on TV, especially when she met Manly (her future husband).  Knowing who was going to win his heart, it was fun to watch Laura and Nellie fighting over him. 

Today when I see an old episode of "Little House" it brings back so many great childhood memories.  It is still one of my favorite TV shows ever.

Black Potatoes

Blog Challenge:

Share a favorite recipe and where it came from.

When I was in junior high school, I took a home economics class.  We completed a variety of assignments, including sewing and cooking.  During a cooking assignment, my best friend, Debbie, and I found this recipe in a classroom cookbook and thought it sounded yummy. 

Unfortunately, the assignment was a 2-day project.  We prepared the dish one day and cooked it the next day.  I don't recommend EVER doing that with this recipe!  Needless to say, the potatoes came out BLACK and tasted pretty nasty.  The sauce was good, though, so I tried the recipe at home and baked it the same day.  It was SO much better the second time!  Ha Ha  It became an instant family favorite.

Over the years, everyone in the family has tweaked it somehow.  First, we added cheese to the sauce, and then we added more ham than the original recipe suggested.  We have increased the amount of sauce and my folks added green peppers.  The final result is one we all love.  I hope you enjoy it, too.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 1/2 c. ham, diced

3/4 c. chopped onions

3/4 c. chopped green peppers (optional - I still like the plain version better)

6 T. butter

6 T. flour

3 c. milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter in sauce pan over low heat.  Add flour and stir until blended.  Add milk and heat to thicken.  Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted and well blended.  Place half of sliced potatoes in bottom of 9x9 baking dish.  Sprinkle half of ham, onions, and green peppers on top.  Cover vegetables with half of sauce mixture.  Repeat layers.  If desired, sprinkle extra cheese on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender.

My family usually makes a double batch because we love the leftovers!  Enjoy.

Travel Wishes

Blog Challenge:

What places in the world do you want to visit, and why?

There are so many that I don't think I can pick just one. 

I have ALWAYS wanted to go to London.  It just oozes history!

I don't know if I could ride on one of these buses without thinking of Harry Potter and his wild ride through London.

Big Ben is a must see.

As are the guards at Buckingham Palace. 

You gotta love a group of men in uniform!

I love the sense of history that surrounds England. 

Besides, every girl wants to step foot in a real castle at least once in her life!

 

Likewise, the Scottish Highlands are so beautiful

as are the Scottish castles. 

I love to listen to bagpipers.

* Funny side note: I once attended a fireside where an elderly sister missionary had just returned from Scotland.  She said not all men look good in kilts.  It made me laugh because she had looked when she shouldn't have been looking.

It could be fun to do some checking of my own. Besides, I love listening to that Scottish brogue! 

I was told once that EVERYONE needs to make at least one trip to Paris in their lifetime.

My brother served his mission in Italy and a good friend served in the same mission immediately afterwards.  After writing to missionaries there for 3 1/2 years, I learned to love all things Italian.

If I did visit Italy I would want David to come with me.

I have always loved kangaroos

and koalas

and Outback dusters.  Ha Ha  I am seeing a theme here!

All joking aside, I have always wanted to visit Australia.

Closer to home, I have always wanted to visit Washington, DC.  Although America does not have any centuries old castles, there is tremendous history in the Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area.  I would love to spend a month there, just so I could see it all.

Lincoln is my favorite president so this would be a must see.

The site of MLK's march.....and where Ben and Riley discuss stealing the Declaration of Independence in National Treasure. 

Gettysburg and so many other Civil War sites hold such a powerful historical significance that they would be moving to visit.

I would love to take a Church history tour, starting in Palmyra, New York, then going on to Ohio and Missouri before arriving in

Nauvoo. 

I would love to walk where the early pioneer Saints walked and feel of their spirit and then visit some of the sites along the pioneer trail.

I hope someday to visit at least some of these sites.  I did find a Scottish castle that was for sale.  Perhaps if I start saving now....

Butterflies and Ice Cream

Blog Challenge:

Share a story about one of your grandparents.

My mother's dad was an interesting man.  He was mostly a quiet, soft-spoken man.  He wasn't comfortable in social settings with large groups of people.  He was more comfortable one-on-one.  Growing up, I remember few conversations with him clearly.  He was more likely to sit back and listen than to join in the conversation, at least with us kids.

There are several memories involving Grandpa that stand out.  The summer that I was 8 (I think) we spent what feels like the entire summer with Grandpa and Grandma.  Grandpa had fallen at work and broke his back.  Mom took me, my sister, and our baby brother to Wyoming so she could help Grandma take care of Grandpa while he recovered.  They got Grandpa a hospital bed, which was set up in a corner of their living room.  That bed stayed there until his death while I was in college.  He found that bed more comfortable than his regular bed or the couch and spent much of each day there.

Grandpa love to walk.  They lived "in the country" outside the town limits.  He would wander up and down his stretch of road.  I suspect the walking felt better on his back, too.  We moved to Wyoming when I was 9 and quite often we passed Grandpa on the road....walking.

One summer, Grandpa invited us over to see what he called "our owl."  It turns out a wild owl had claimed possession of the tree outside Grandpa's carport.  Grandpa stood besides us while we each took turns petting the owl.  Grandpa would walk behind the tree so the owl would turn its head 360 degrees. We thought that we pretty amazing!  Grandpa and Grandma began to collect owl items....or maybe they began to receive owl items as gifts.  Either way, to this day I still think of them when I see a brown owl.

Grandpa also taught us how to hatch monarch butterflies.  He built wooden cages with mesh wiring and took us out hunting for caterpillars.  We would feed the caterpillars until they formed their chrysalis.  We watched closely to see when they were "hatching" from these cocoons and then set them free once their wings were dry.  This was a routine summer activity.  To this day, every time I see a monarch butterfly or caterpillar I think of Grandpa. 

Grandpa was an avid  reader.  That seems to be family trait!  He loved history and found the Book of Mormon a great history of the Native American people.  I remember him sharing some of his favorite stories from the Book of Mormon and wondering why he didn't realize it was a sacred book.  Perhaps he knows now.

Grandpa didn't say much, but he showed he loved us in many little ways.  The last time I saw him alive is still burned in my heart.  That summer I was in my early 20's and had driven to Wyoming from college.  My parents and family were to meet me there but I arrived first.  I pulled into Grandpa and Grandma's yard and was surprised that Grandma hadn't come out to greet me.  I opened their back door and called out.  No answer.  Again, I was surprised that no one was home but the door was unlocked.  I stepped inside and called out again.  Grandma appeared at the bottom of the stairs to the basement, wearing fishing wading boots.  More surprises!  I started to descend the stairs and realized that their entire basement was flooded to about knee level.  Both Grandpa and Grandma were down there trying to clear the drain in the cement floor.  Grandpa looked up when he heard me.  Keep in mind that his basement had close to three feet of water in it.  Personal belongings were floating throughout the room.  He was bent over, up to his elbows in water, trying to use the plunger to clear the clogged drain.  He looked over his shoulder at me and called out, "Just give me a minute and I will get you some ice cream!"  Ice cream.  He was in the middle of a crisis and he wanted to share ice cream with me. 

I still think of him whenever I eat ice cream, too.  And I always have a tear in my eye.



This is NOT my grandparents, but it could totally be their basement!  I had to include it because it reminded me so much of their house.

Poetry Appreciation Week

Blog Challenge:

Please share your favorite poem with us.

While I enjoy poetry, I do not really have a favorite poem.  As I contemplated this topic, I thought of several poems that I would like to share with you.

1.  I like The Ambulance Down In The Valley because, like the old man, I sometimes wonder about the choices people make.  I have heard different versions of this poem, applying it to medicine, temptation and repentance, and planning for the future.  Perhaps it just boils down to prevention and common sense.

2.  The girls' school requires that they memorize poetry every few weeks.  Last week Megan was memorizing In Flanders Fields.  Although I have helped the older girls memorize the same poem in years past, I guess I just listened to the words closer this time.  As I explained each line to Megan so she could better understand the flow of the poem, she was very touched by the thoughts expressed.  Our family has a great love for the soldiers who serve our country so selflessly and this poem helps us understand our responsibilities to those who fall in the line of duty.

3.  Several years ago I had a job that seemed to take over every moment of every day.  My mother found a bumper sticker around this time that said, "I used to have a life....but my job ate it!"  I thought that was a pretty accurate description of the situation at the time, but it also made me laugh.  The final poem I want to share is a Dr. Seuss-style spoof called I Love My Job!  When I read it for the first time, I was reminded of the bumper sticker my mother gave me and I was grateful that I found another job before I got to this point.

Me Time

Blog Challenge:

What do you do if you have time to yourself?

- Read a good book.   I try not to get involved in a book unless I have plenty of time to finish it.  I rarely take more than a couple days to finish a book.  (I read Harry Potter 7 in one sitting.)  I get caught up in the story and just have to finish.

- Watch a good movie.   Movie are like books, but require no effort.  Sometimes I just need to veg on the couch and enjoy a good story.  Since we never watch TV at our house, we have an extensive video library.  I also borrow movies from friends and family, or occasionally rent movies.

- Spend time in the kitchen.   Often when the girls are gone, I will spend time in the kitchen.  I cook foods I love but they don't (like broccoli), or prepare meals for the coming week.  I also love to bake.  I just try not to bake when I will be home alone with the results!

- Talking on the phone.   When I have time to spare, I often spend it catching up with friends and family.  My brothers both live out of state and my sister's life is as hectic as mine.  When we get on the phone we talk for hours to make up for the missed time together.  I also enjoy visiting with friends and extended family.

- Sleeping.   I really love to spend my free time snuggled under my covers.  Napping in the afternoon or sleeping in late on a Saturday morning has tremendous power to restore my energy and improve my outlook.

- Going out.   I guess I am mostly a home-body, but I do enjoy going out.  I love to go to the movies, eat out, visit friends, or go to church activities.  I often spend time with my parents when the girls are gone.  I still love my mom's cooking!

- Blog.   Naturally, when I have a few minutes to spare, I like to update my blog!

Working For A Living

Blog  Challenge:

Tell us about your first paying job.

The summer between 3rd and 4th grades, my parents bought a greenhouse and opened a flower shop in their hometown in Wyoming.  We moved in August of that summer.  I was 9 1/2 years old.  David was 2 years older. Sharilyn was 2 years younger.  Devon was simply 2. 

Instead of allowance for things we did around the house, we got paid for doing things around the business, which was right next door to our house.  We dusted, watered plants, swept the floors, and did other simple tasks.  I think we started at 10 cents per hour, but we thought we were raking in the dough.

I worked for my parents until the middle of my junior year, when we moved to Denver.  (I did eventually get a raise.)  Over the years, I learned more complicated tasks such as waiting on customers, running the cash register, driving a stick shift delivery van, walking into a church before a funeral without jumping when I see the open casket, answering phones in a business-like manner, creating simple floral arrangements, helping with accounts payable and payroll, and eventually processing accounts receivable.

My folks were demanding employers, especially Dad.  I used to get quite frustrated because he demanded so much more from us than he did of his other employees....even the adults.  I didn't think that was fair.  However, as I grew older and worked with a variety of people, I came to appreciate the lessons I learned from Mom and Dad as we worked side by side.

Beauty and the Beast

Blog Challenge:

What is your favorite fairy tale and why?

From the first time I saw Beauty and the Beast, it was my favorite Disney movie.  Most fairy tales have perfect princesses and perfect princes.  I love the fact that the Beast is less than perfect.  He has an uncontrollable temper, bad manners, and a less-than-perfect appearance.  Yet there is something about him that has always charmed me.  I love watching him transform from a beast who thinks only of himself to a gentleman who tries to make others happy.  Who could resist a guy who can make that transistion?  Not me!  He is my all-time favorite fairy tale character.

We can learn some great lessons for life from this fairy tale: 

     -  Don't judge people by their appearance.....that isn't who they really are.

     -  Be nice to everyone....you never know who might be a magical enchantress in disguise!

     -  Respect boundaries you are given.....sometimes they are for your own protection.

     -  Not all men know the way to a woman's heart....."flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep."

     -  Stand up for yourself.....even when the other person is bigger and louder.

     -  Make sure the woman loves you and wants to marry you.....BEFORE you invite the entire town to the wedding reception.

     -  Believe in yourself even when others do not.....you might be a world-famous inventor or a princess one day!

     -  A good book is always good.....even the third or fourth time.

     -  Don't try to rush love.....it has its own timetable.

Color My World

Blog Challenge:

What role does color play in your everyday life?

This topic was a little more difficult for me because I don't consciously think about color every day.  As I thought about the topic, I found several instances that color makes a difference.

My dad is an avid gardener.  He planted winter grass for us this year.  It is so green and lush and I find tremendous joy just looking at it.  I love to pull up to my house and see the bright green grass reflecting the sunlight.  I love to watch it out my window and I especially love to walk on it and watch my girls roll around in it.  Green is a happy color and brings feelings of joy and relaxation.  No wonder green is my favorite color!

On an overcast day, when the sky and everything else takes on a drizzly gray tone, I often feel moody.  On a clear day, when the sky is a bright blue full of fluffy white clouds and a bright yellow sun, I feel much happier.  I love rain, but I enjoy the sunny weather more.  Perhaps that is why I love Arizona so much.

When I mark my scriptures, I use a color-coded marking system that I learned in seminary.  When I think of specific scriptures, I think of the color I highlighted them in.  Because of that system, I can often visualize the scripture on the page (i.e., right page, bottom of the second column).  By the same token, when I turn a page and find a scripture that is highlighted, I know immediately what that scripture is about simply by the color.

Even around the house, I associate color with specific items.  For example, today Megan was preparing to dust the living room.  She was using a can of dusting spray and ran out.  I went to the cupboard to grab the extra can we have, but I didn't look closely.  When she sprayed the entertainment center everyone started gagging.  I had inadvertantly grabbed the Lysol spray instead of the dusting spray!  Both cans are the same color.  Associating a color with specific items USUALLY makes it easier to locate.

I am a big fan of classic movies.  I love Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart and other movies from that era.  However, I also love the vivid colors that we enjoy in modern movies.  How much fun would Toy Story or The Little Mermaid be in black and white?  For that matter, how much fun would our daily lives be without color?  I am so thankful for that I am able to view the world around me in vibrant color.

Motivation

Blog Challenge:

Everyone has a conversion story.  Share yours with us.

I was born of goodly parents who were members of the LDS church.  I was baptized at age 8 and our family attended church faithfully every week.  I served as class president in my Young Womens classes and attended seminary.  When I went to college I attended church every Sunday.  It never occurred to me to skip church.

I served in a variety of leadership positions in my Young Single Adult (YSA) wards in the next several years.  I was very involved in the wards and attended nearly every activity.  I received my temple endowments at age 23 and continued to serve in my ward.  I read the scriptures, prayed regularly, and went to the temple whenever I could. 

All my life I had heard stories from converts to the LDS Church.  Sometimes I envied them because they always seemed to have such a strong conviction of the gospel.  They usually had a specific moment in time when they suddenly knew that the Church was true.  I didn't have that.  I had lived my entire life doing the things I had been taught to do but I started to question why I had done them.  I could not claim to have had a particular experience that solidified my testimony.  Did I attend church for the social aspects?  Did I do it because I didn't want to disappoint my parents and leaders?  What was my motivation?

I struggled with these questions for some time.  I would like to say that I eventually had one specific moment when I suddenly realized that the Church was true.  However, it didn't happen that way. Instead, understanding came slowly, over the course of several years. 

When I started questioning my motives I was Activities Chairman in my YSA ward.  We put a great deal of prayer and planning into each and every activity.  As I watched the reaction of the young adults who attended our ward activities, I began to realize that the Spirit could be felt even at a ward dinner or a more energetic activity.  I just had not recognized that the feelings of joy and happiness I felt after a ward activity were the Spirit.  

I was later called as Gospel Doctrine teacher.  Of necessity, I began to study the scriptures as I never had before.  I began to recognize that I had a testimony of so many individual gospel principles.  As I taught each week, I was surprised to find how often the talks in Sacrament Meeting related to the topics for the Sunday School and Relief Society lessons, often building on one another.  Ward members often shared personal experiences and insights during lessons that illustrated the points in the lesson and provided greater understanding.  I watched ward members grow in the gospel and make significant changes in their lives.  I slowly realized that I had always attended my Sunday meetings because I knew the Church was true.  I attended church because I thirsted for more knowledge and because I felt the Spirit there.

I hadn't recognized the depth of my testimony because it had grown slowly over the course of my lifetime, but it had been there all along.  I had a testimony just as sure as any convert.  That was what motivated me to do all the things I did.

The True Spirit of Christmas

Blog Challenge:

What is your favorite grown-up Christmas memory?

I worked as administrative assistant to the store manager at a local thrift store for several years following my divorce.  A few years ago, Megan and I stopped by to visit with my former manager during the Christmas season.  While we were visiting in his office, one of the supervisors came in and said, "Luis Gonzalez is in the store!"

My in-laws are huge D-backs fans and Gonzo is their favorite player, so Megan knew immediately who was in the store.  She took off running to meet him.  Jeff and I followed and found him on the sales floor visiting with customers and signing autographs.  Megan pushed her way up front and had a lengthy conversation with him.  He was SO sweet to her and even signed an autograph so she could rub it in her sisters' faces that she had his autograph and they didn't.  Megan thought it was pretty neat that he has a daughter named Megan who is about her age.

Jeff asked Gonzo what brought him to the store.  He said, "We are just spreading Christmas cheer."  I looked around to see who he meant by "we" and saw a number of people in Santa hats wandering through the store, visiting with other customers.  One of them came up to Gonzo and said it was time to leave.  He graciously took his leave and left the store. 

Megan begged to go watch Gonzo leave.  I gave my permission as we were preparing to leave ourselves.  However, I made her promise to stay inside the store.  I said goodbye to Jeff and followed Megan.  As I arrived at the front of the store, I found Gonzo squatted down in front of Megan and he had clearly handed her something.  He looked at me, smiled, and wished me a Merry Christmas, then exited the store.  He and his friends had a police escort and one of the policemen handed me a card and explained that they were handing out $100 to folks to spread the spirit of Christmas.  Sure enough, Luis Gonzalez had handed Megan two $50 bills and told her to do something fun with her mom and sisters for Christmas!

The story could end there and be really amazing.  However, it gets better.  My dad had recently retired.  As his company planned his retirement party I had been contacted by one of dad's friends from work.  Alan and I had maintained an e-mail correspondence since then.  Alan and his wife had adopted two children shortly after Dad retired.  Two weeks later, he was laid off.  They have other children, too, and Alan had been unemployed for several months so money was tight and Christmas would be lean.  The same week that we met Luis Gonzalez, the girls were going to go with Grandpa and Grandma and deliver Christmas cookies to Alan and his family while I was at work.  Megan came to me and asked if she could give Alan's family one of her $50 bills.  She wanted to make sure his kids had something for Christmas.  She wanted to use the other $50 to go to Olive Garden with our family.

I agreed that this was a great idea.  We all signed a card and put the $50 inside.  I had sent out an e-mail to my friends to share the story of meeting Luis Gonzalez, so Alan knew the story.  When he opened the card from this little girl he had never met, he knew immediately where the money had come from.  He gave her a hug as his eyes filled with tears.  Megan had truly caught the spirit of Christmas.

It's A Wonderful Life

Blog Challenge:

What is your favorite Christmas movie and why?

I saw "It's A Wonderful Life", starring Jimmy Stewart, for the first time my freshman year in college and it has been my favorite Christmas movie ever since.  George Bailey grew up in a small town but dreamed of doing something big, and his dreams began with leaving his hometown. 

However, for over a decade his dreams are repeatedly put on hold.  He watches his friends and even his younger brother leave town to chase their dreams and have exciting adventures, while he stays in his hometown and runs the family business.  One Christmas Eve a crisis occurs and George feels even more trapped and frustrated than ever.

At this pivotal moment in his life, George is visited by an angel who shows him what the world would have been like if he had never been born.  He is surprised to learn that he had a critical, positive influence on huge numbers of people and on the history of his little town. With this new knowledge, he stops focusing on his lost dreams and starts to see what a truly wonderful life he has had.

The American Film Institute has ranked "It's A Wondeful Life" number one on the list of most inspirational American films of all time, so I guess I am not the only who loves this movie.  I think everyone sometimes feels like maybe they have let at least some of their dreams slip away unfulfilled.  However, we need to remember that sometimes the Lord has different plans for us, grander plans than we could have dreamed on our own.  

My second favorite holiday movie is "Miracle on 34th Street."  It is another feel-good Christmas movie.

Deck the Halls

Blog Challenge:

What is your favorite holiday tradition and why?

When Pat and I were first married, a friend told me that she buys a new ornament every year for each of her children.  The ornament design can relate to something that the kids did that year, something they became interested in, or just a cool ornament she found.  She writes the year and the child's name in an inconspicuous place on the ornament with a Sharpie marker.

I thought it was a great idea so I started the same tradition with my children. It has become a favorite holiday tradition that the girls look forward to every year.  As soon as Christmas decorations are on display in the stores the hunt begins for the perfect ornament for each girl.  Sometimes Mom even gets a new ornament!

 

I love this tradition because it creates great memories.  The girls love to decorate the tree and pull out each ornament.  They get so excited when their favorite decorations are pulled out of the storage box.  Below are some favorites:

 

Emily's second Christmas she was captivated by Elmo

Heather's young Primary teacher joined the service one year.  She came to visit at Christmas and gave Heather this ornament.  It is a much cherished favorite for everyone in the family.

We have a whole set of Cinderella figurines that include the fairy godmother, Jaq, Gus, and Lucifer.

This is one of my early tole painting attempts. Pretty lame paint job, but the girls LOVE this advent calendar.



Our bishop handed these out one year during tithing settlement.  A great reminder that feeling the true Spirit of Christmas requires effort.

Pizza, Popcorn and Movies

Blog Challenge:

What is your favorite day of the week and why?

Fridays are the only day of the week when the girls don't have homework.  And I have to admit they aren't the only ones who are happy about that.  The girls are always so excited to be able to relax and put the week behind them.  For many years, I used to pick up pizza on Friday paydays (every other week).  We would all sit at the coffee table, eating pizza and watching a movie.  It was a much loved regular ritual.

We don't pick up pizza anymore, but we do still curl up under blankets and watch a movie most Friday nights that the girls are with me.  It is our way of relaxing and celebrating the end of the week. 

Megan cannot seem to watch a movie without a bowl of popcorn in her lap.  She and her sisters love to eat popcorn while they watch a movie.  (Mom isn't big on popcorn.)   As long as we have popcorn, the girls don't seem to miss the pizza. 

Fridays are my favorite days because it is so calm.  No rushing to get homework done.  No rush to get to a church or school activity.  It is a night we can just savor being together.  It is absolutely my favorite day!

A Reading Heritage

My grandparents and my parents are all avid readers.  When I was little, I remember Mom taking us to the public library regularlly.  We loved books!

However, when I was about Megan's age, maybe a little younger, I was still more interested in picture books than chapter books.  For my birthday or Christmas that year I received two copies of Little House on the Prairie.  I was SO disappointed!  Ha Ha   My wise mother decided to challenge me to see which of us could read the book fastest.  While I wasn't very excited about reading the book, I was quite determined that my mother was not going to read it faster than me.  I finished the book in something like 2-3 days.  (It was Christmas break, so I had plenty of time to read.)  My mom is a fast reader, but she was working so I won.  I borrowed every Laura Ingalls Wilder book the public library had and I have been reading ever since.

Our blogging challenge topic for this week has created some discussion in our home about books. Although I posted earlier this week about picture books, we moved on to discussing our favorite chapter books.

Some of my favorite chapter books growing up were:

A young boy has an accident while playing with his friends and goes blind.  The book tells how he adjusted to being blind and how he learned to use a seeing eye dog.  I must have read this book 20 times!

Heather read it a couple years ago and really enjoyed it, too.

This story about a young boy and his dogs was one of my all-time favorites.  I cried every time I read it.

During one of my college creative writing classes, author Orson Scott Card came to visit and talk to us.  I had never heard of him so I went out and bought this book.  I read it several times and borrowed some other books by the same author from friends who were appalled that I had never read any of his books. 

Many of my favorite books now are books I have read with my children.  My sister's kids and my best friend's kids often read the same books and then we discuss them.  Some of books I like are:

     - No Talking by Andrew Clements

     - Frindle by Andrew Clements

     - Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

     - Everything I have read by Rick Riordan 

     - Adventurers Wanted 1: Slathbog's Gold by ML Forman (book 2 comes out in February 2011!)

     - The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy

     - The Work and The Glory series by Gerald N. Lund

     - Charly by Jack Weyland

Megan is still at the point that I was when I got my Little House books for Christmas.  She LOVES to have me read to her, but she isn't so excited about reading to herself.  Many of her favorite books are still picture books.  Her chapter book list is below:

     - Tardy Boys series by Todd Strasser

     - Island of the Blue Dolpins by Scott O'Dell

     - Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder 

Emily loves book series more than one-shot stories.  Her favorites include:

     - Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull

     - 13th Reality series by James Dasher

     - Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis

     - Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket

     - Tennis Shoes Adventure Series by Chris Heimerdinger

     - Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

     - Adventurers Wanted series by ML Forman

Heather is an avid reader, too.  In fact, many times I have had to take her book away from her to get her to do other things, like homework and sleep.  She also loves book series.  Some of her favorites are below:

     - Tennis Shoes Adventure Series by Chris Heimerdinger

       (She read all 10 books in two weeks last summer!)

     - Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

     - Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
     - Big Red series by Jim Kjelgaard
     - Sister Grimm series by Michael Buckley
     - Anything by Andrew Clements
       (He single-handedly got Heather hooked on reading)
     - White Fang by Jack London

What are some of your favorite books?  We'd love to find some new series or authors to follow.