Read these three posts in reverse for book reviews 1 through 3 in the trilogy

Chestnut King by N.D. Wilson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


WOW!! Just when I thought this series couldn't get anymore exciting, N.D. Wilson really cranked it up! I was held captive by the Chestnut King!! I truly could not put this book down! The entire series really... I read all three books in less than 5 days, while I had 3 kids home for summer vacation! It was an incredible adventure and I was truly swept away into the cupboards again with this third and last book in the trilogy. This book is non-stop action from the very beginning! The author does such a fantastic job writing in a way that evokes such imagery that I would have to say I would recommend this book for young teens rather than the age 10 rating I have given the preceding books. My movie rating for this one is a PG-13.. only because I am a wimp and thought it very very scary to venture into the cupboard of Endor with the threat of having my very life drained away! More than once I peered over the pages of the book at my 11 year old daughter (who I allowed to read the series before I read them myself) and asked her how she could read this before bed like she had and not been scared?! She laughed and said, "It's just a book Mom.".... "Yeah," I answered "A book I am hiding in the freezer until I am brave enough to finish it!"



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Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I couldn't wait to burn through this book! I read it in just one day! ...amazing for a Mom with her 3 kids home on a summer day!! I really really like the way this series is written and I thoroughly enjoyed traveling through the cupboards with Henry as we fought to make everything right after opening the wrong cupboards in book one. The story picked up well where 100 cupboards left off. You could even read this book alone, without the preceding or following book, but, it is sooo much better read with it's companions to introduce the story and to finish it up. I would give this a "movie rating" of PG. And recommend it for ages 9 or 10 and up. Maybe older, if they have an imagination as vivid as mine... or maybe just a weakness for anything much scarier than Harry Potter 3.... ;0)



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100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really loved this book! I read it years ago and loved it then as well. But, I do remember thinking it was a bit too scary for my children to read then, although my 11 year old daughter read the series in July and really liked it. When I was at the book store and stumbled across the second book in this series, Dandelion Fire, I was so excited! I somehow missed the sequel and was thrilled to find out that it was not the last book either and in fact N.D. Wilson had turned this exciting book into a Trilogy!! I was sold! I bought all three! And I am very glad I did! While I really think any one of the books in this series would do well enough to stand alone, it was an amazing 5 days of reading to power through them one after the other. Although, I was frantic for a few hours when I couldn't locate book 2 after my daughter had read it and couldn't remember where she had last put it down! But, some manic cleaning of her bedroom finally uncovered it stashed under her stuffed animals at the foot of the bed (along with a small flashlight of course).
This book is very fun to read. If you have ever adventured into an old house and searched through the closets, up the staircase and into the attic all the while hoping for secret passageways.. imagining adventure and magic behind every door.. then you will be in for quite a thrilling read! I would recommend this book to older children and to adults alike. I felt like it was still a little too scary to read before tucking into bed at night, but my daughter just laughed at me! I would give this book a PG rating (for my Movie Rating) and for kids about 10 and up.



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DAVE!

Well, I haven't blogged in awhile, but I just posted two posts with lots of pictures that Dave has sent us over the last few months. The girls and I have been writing to him, and I wanted to share some of the things he has told us about. So check out the Foxfyre Blog for some more photos and the latest updates!

KIRSTEN in Code

KIRSTEN in Braille (Blind) Alphabet :

KIRSTEN in Sign Language :

KIRSTEN in Morse Code :

-.-...-....-.-.

KIRSTEN in Marine Flag Language :

Storms Sweeping through Southern California

A series of storms are hitting Souther California this week and creating an immense amount of work for rescue crews and citizens alike.
The following pictures are from LATimes.com:

As for us, we are still in the hotel right on the coast at San Pedro and other than getting wet, we are doing just fine.

Martin Luther King Day

Read the phrase within the artwork
Art by Phil Hansen

S O L D ! !

Our Home Has SOLD!!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and support, it has been a long year for us and we are grateful to Heavenly Father our house has finally sold!

We're so glad that Daddy came home!!

On July 8th 2009 Brian came home from Qatar, Saudi Arabia.
We were so thrilled to have him home!

The first thing we did was take him out to lunch for some good 'ol American BBQ!

Since Brian came home, life has been busy and packed with fun! I will begin posting updates on our activities and try to get this blog a little bit caught up over the next few weeks. We've had so much fun being reunited and getting back to life as usual.

Rockin' the Wall!

What a blast this was! I organized this climbing wall event for our Relief Society Sisters. We didn't get as large of a turn out as we expected.. but, all the more wall for the rest of us to climb! We had so much fun! I can't wait to go again. And, waking up this morning wasn't as bad as
I thought, I am mildly sore but ready for more!

Group Photo
(We took this picture at the end, so some of the group had left)

Getting ready to climb for the first time, and laughing because my friend Shelly is pretending she doesn't remember how to belay.... or was she pretending?

Made it to the top! I was surprised with myself!
It was so much harder in some ways than I thought it would be.
It was the going down that really got to me... just let go... No Way!

It may have been the way down that gave me this....
I was still trying to hug the wall.

It's hard to tell from this picture, cause it's zoomed in,
but this was by far the hardest wall, and my favorite!
See the straps on my gear?
I am hanging on more than climbing here!

Giving my friend Amber a high five when she makes it to the top!

Computer Crack

Facebook boasts "200 Million Active Users"

"Reach over 200 million active users on Facebook. Learn how to connect your business to real customers through Facebook Ads."

I do find it somewhat disconcerting... here I am browsing Facebook for the 100th time since I woke up this morning.... wondering "Am I addicted?"

When Facebook actually refers to me as a "User".... I need a 12 step program!

At the Dog Park

Last Saturday we met with some friends to let Baylor get play at the dog park.
He had a ton of fun as you'll see in the pics below...

Baylor "casing the joint" ... he likes to check everything out first

Here he is saying hello to some new and old friends, I just finished telling one of my friends there, how glad I am that he is always the biggest dog there,
and doesn't get all dirty and slobbered on...

Let the games begin! Baylor and his buddy Toby love to wrestle...
when they are through, Toby is always covered in drool and dust and mud...
and always leaves the park and heads straight for the bath! Not Baylor... until...

(cue music, earth rumbles)...........Enter Cosmo, the Mastiff!

Here is Cosmo with Toby, and two of his young owners...
And Cosmo and Baylor at the "bar" together
Whoa!
What a Dog!!