Coolest Thing Ever...For book lovers...

So you type in your favorite books, and they give you a list of new books that you should like based on your past reads...Very Cool!





I Typed in some of my favorite books:

Dealing with Dragons-Patricia C. Wrede

Uglies-Scott Westerfeld

Princess Academy - Shannon Hale

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - JK Rowling

Then I got this HTML listing:

The WhatShouldIReadNext.com website suggests items you might like reading based on real readers' recommendations.
These
were the results:

THE SILVER CHAIR. (Check) - CS. Lewis

Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr

Prince Caspian (Check) - CS Lewis; Pauline Baynes

Talking to Dragons (Check...loved this one) - C. Wrede Patricia

Among the Imposters (Love this series...haven't read this one yet) - Margaret Haddix

THE CHRONICALS OF NARNIA (Check) - C S LEWIS

Tantalize - Cynthia Leitich Smith

High Wizardry - Diane Duane

Alt Ed - Catherine Atkins

Charlotte's Web (Check) - EB White; Garth Williams I have already read some of these, but there are some new ones that I am looking forward to trying out! You should give it a try! Another really interesting one for literature is Literature-Map.com Enter the name of your favorite Author and you'll get a display of writers' names, with your pick at the center. The idea: The closer a name sits to your favorite author, the greater likelyhood that you'll enjoy that authors work.

Mother's Day Cards

All of my boys got me very sweet cards for Mother's Day...But this one was my favorite:

(Front of Card)

(Inside of Card)
Translation of "Ranks ror rhe rurgury" if you don't speak "dog"..."Thanks for the surgery"...Thanks Scooby Do, Rex and Jeff.
(Jeff, You are so funny...thanks for keeping me laughing all of these years!)

10 reasons why I love my Mom

My Mom: Josephine Gayle McClaine Rawlins (High School Senior Picture)

1. She taught me what real beauty was all about.

2. She laughs easily and often, and finds humor in even difficult situations.

3. She has taught all of her daughters how to be a good and loyal wife, and how to be sweet, loving, and supportive to our husbands no matter what.

4. She taught us to have a love for music.

5. She has taught us to "save our kisses for our sweetheart".

6. She can be a real bad-a_ _, especially if some big tough kids steal her son's bike.

7. She taught us to have hope for the future.

8. She has sacrificed for all of her children, more than we could ever know, and she still does.

9. She is smart. She knows more about grammar than anyone I know, and she has shared with her children a love of reading, books, and language.

10. She taught us the gospel and has always been a perfect example of having faith and believing in miracles. She Taught us how to pray, and read the scriptures, and to turn to Heavenly Father for help. To be active in the church and always be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Taught us by example that Heavenly Father will help us if we help ourselves...that there is always a way.

We are who we are because of you Mom. Thank you for all the years of being there for us. Being an example, and a listening ear, giving advice, praying in our behalf. We couldn't have done it without you...and everything we have become is because of you and Dad. We are so lucky to have you for our parents.

Happy Mothers Day Mom! I love You!!!

Stressed

I am starting to feel overwhelmed with the end of the school year approaching and all of the things I need to do. I really wished I would not have taken on the role of PTA president until after Derek was older. This is my schedule for today, and it is typical from now until the end of the school year. I know everyone is busy. But this should maybe put an end of the idea that some people have of my having " too much time on your hands":

• Work out---Derek only let me do 1/2 hour of my video...typical...I need to get up at 6 a.m.
• Walk Rex --twice--2 times each around the block for leg rehab
• Drop off teacher birthday gifts
• Deliver jog-a-thon fliers to local businesses for sponsors
• Play board games with Derek
• Take Derek to the Park
• Get Groceries ( used to enjoy shopping...now dread it with a 3-yr. old.
• (Derek used to be so easy to take everywhere...I used to take him to the gym every day...he used to be great in the shopping cart at the store...Everything changed at about 2&1/2.) Still love being a mom...but the baby stage was much easier to actually get things done. Maybe the problem is that when he was a baby I wasn't PTA President Elect...Next year is only going to be worse. I wish I would have waited...I forgot why I said I would do it.)
• Call Members of PTA Board for next year
• Find a babysitter for PTA State Convention for next Friday
• Clint's Dress Rehearsal for Singing Program 5 p.m.
• Help Clint finish State Report Due tomorrow
• School Carnival 5-8 p.m. (I need to stop by and make an appearance sometime during the night.)
• Friends Lia Sophia party 6:30 p.m.
• Stake Primary Meeting 7:00 p.m.
• Put Laundry Away
• Clean Kitchen
• Send Mother's Day Gifts (sorry mom, it's probably going to be late).
• Clean TV room
• Pay Bills

These are all things that absolutely have to be done today. So why am I wasting time on my blog? I am waiting for the caffeine from my diet coke to kick in that I recently gave up...and started again this week...And oh yeah, I quit Target. I already have a full time job...to bad I don't get paid.

I LOVE MOVIES

I love spring. It is definitely my favorite season. I love it because winter is ending...days start to get longer, and school will be over soon. It starts to get warmer...everything begins to come alive. It is just such a hopeful time. The promise of summer, and vacations, and new MOVIES. I love movies. They are such an escape for me. It is like taking a vacation. And all you have to do is sit and be entertained. I love a good movie more than anything else! And there are some good ones coming this year. I just saw Iron Man yesterday. I absolutely loved it. I loved Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Thought he was perfect for the part. Loved Iron Man as a hero. Loved the story, the special effects, and how I felt afterwards. It made me happy, and hopeful, and a little frustrated that it had to end.

It is harder for me to get to movies right now. Babysitters are more of a challenge these days. And I really just love to go with Jeff. We really do have the same taste in Movies...one of the few things we have in common. Although there are a few really stupid ones that Jeff likes that I absolutely hate...(Like the 5th Element...I hate that movie...stupidest movie ever made...Jeff loves it for some reason...it must appeal to his juvenile side...so stupid!) But most other movies we agree on. And he understands. He understands why I cried in Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted...not everyone does. It's nice that he understands and I don't have to explain my reasons to him. But I loved Iron Man...and I am so excited to take my little mini-vacation several other times this spring and summer! Movies are all I need!

Rex Update

Rex is so patient with Derek. And I just noticed in this picture that Rex's head is almost as big as Derek's upper body!

This is the Salt Lake Tribune article...it is the only way I am able to save it...just in a word document with no pictures. If you want to see the entire article, Just do a search for "Rex" at the Salt Lake Tribune home page at sltrib.com, or cut and paste from the link below. I guess I'll have to keep doing real scrapbook pages still. I took newspapers up to the school yesterday for all of the kids that were mentioned in the article. I am still going to try to scan the article later and see how that looks.

Puppy love: Sandy rallying for Rex
By Steve Koecher
Close-Up Correspondent
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:
Here is the link at the Salt Lake Tribune on line: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9121118?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com


"A special dog and a special owner have touched their community. Clint Bingham had a dog, Rex, since he was 2. He has grown to love his dog more than anything. The Golden Retriever was a community favorite in his Sandy neighborhood. "It's hard not to smile when you see Rex," said Corbin Robinett, a friend of Clint. Rex loved to play in the water, the snow, go on walks and chase down tennis balls. When running in a dog park Rex tore a ligament in his knee; giving him extreme pain trying to walk. The vet said it would cost $2,200 to operate on Rex. At the same time, the car and the furnace broke and the family had a tough decision to make. They decided they couldn't afford the operation. Clint was heartbroken. He told his grandparents about it on the phone, and they promised to help a bit. Gaining courage, he went into action. He told his classmates his troubles. They got together and decided to run a lemonade stand for Rex. On March 21, Corbin Robinett, Bailey Robinett, Matthew Earl and Clint had the day off from school and used it to full advantage. With a donated lemonade stand, they sold lemonade from morning to evening. Luckily they live near the end of the street where traffic on Sego Lily Drive backs up as the TRAX train passes. The "Help Rex" campaign made more than $182 that day selling Crystal Light and yellow lemonade.

The following Monday they earned another $36.10. Rex wasn't going to sit this one out. He stood by the lemonade stand using his animal charm to attract customers. Often lemonade-purchasers would stop to pet him. The children became really excited when one gentleman donated $20 and later returned to donate $20 more. Other classmates got in the act too. Sammy Rivera, Kelsey Mower and Gwen Jeffries decided they would make cookies. They made $50 selling chocolate and double chocolate cookies in Sammy's front yard. Rachel Bingham, Clint's mom, felt compelled to help as well. Clint went to houses in his LDS Ward taking orders for five types of pies: apple, chocolate cream, lemon meringue and bread pudding. He got 32 orders for pies on the Tuesday before Easter. Rachel spent all Saturday with the help of her sister, Kim, making the pies. Saturday night, Clint delivered the pies. They made more than $900 from donations for pies. Other family members made donations. Cottonwood Animal Hospital set up a donation fund in which Clint's aunts and uncles, cousin and grandparents made donations. The fund even received some anonymous donations. Last but not least, Clint agreed to forgo his allowance for a whole year. With the help of so many individuals, Rex was able to have his surgery and is expected to be his old self in no time. Clint and his friends have learned the value and support of a good community when in need. In addition, with each other's help, they can accomplish big things. "Get out and help your neighbors. You'll want someone to help you when you're going through a tough time," Corbin said. "There are a lot of more important things than saving a dog," said Rachel Bingham. "But for these kids, it's all about learning to serve."

Rex's Newspaper Article...

Clint's story about Rex is in the Salt Lake Tribune today...I am a little frustrated that they left Amber's name out of the story. She made pies too and was the one who showed me how to wrap them up really cute with cellophane. I know she probably doesn't care, but I do. They also wrote Kim as my sister instead of my sister-in-law. But other than that...it is a nice article, and Clint is excited about it. I'm sure all of other kids will be excited too. I have to try to figure out how to get the article on the blog. So far all I can get is the words to come on. Maybe I will try to scan the actual article later.

Right now Derek needs me to play Hot Wheels Shake 'um Up.

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