FUN READS

Sooooo... I haven't read a fiction book in - like - 3 months!  And I decided to binge read two weeks ago a new - to me - series of YA fiction dystopian books.  I enjoyed them, although I'm not sure my family enjoyed fending for themselves for three days.  (Yes, I read three books in three days.  They are pretty quick reads and fun.)

The series is called The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau.  The three books are:  The Testing, Independent Study and Graduation Day.  Kotten Kandy recommended the books to me and I devoured them.  She did too.  And now she's reading them out loud to her dad!
This dystopian society puts its youth through a testing process in order to make the society stronger as a whole.  Unfortunately, the testing is life and death, and many young people are killed or reassigned.  Sound familiar?  (The Hunger Games?!)  It kinda is.  But the author was original in some of the testing and the society/government was engrossing and intriguing.  I really liked Cia, a 16 year old student who is really kind, brilliant and thoughtful.  I am not fond of the first person narrative and Joelle's writing isn't as good as Susanne Collins.  But I really did enjoy reading these books and would recommend them to fans of the dystopian society type books.  It was a fun break from the non-fiction, more intense reading I've been doing the past few months.

MY BRUDDER, ZANE!

My "little" brother is moving across country.  Actually, I'm excited about their move because they'll be living closer to us in sunny Florida!  Because of the move, we were lucky enough to have the entire family (plus 4 dogs) come stay with us for 24 hours!  It wasn't long enough.  We LOVE hanging out with Zane, Tara and my awesome nephews and niece!  We mostly just relaxed.  The kids played pool and went to see the movie Tarzan.  Zane, Tara, Scott and I went to see some of Kentucky, including the temple.  We also got to go out to dinner - Chuys (Scott's and my favorite!)  I already miss them!  But now that they will only be 11 hours away (instead of 24) we are hoping to see more of them!  Yeah!!!!!!!

Love you, brudder!

SISTER MISSIONARIES

My daughters want to go on missions.  Kotten Kandy has always wanted to go and Key Lime Pie made the decision to go about a year ago.  Scott and I are encouraging there goals and are pleased that they want to serve....  We are truly grateful for the Sister missionaries that have served in our ward for the past few years!  They have been wonderful examples to my sweet daughters.  There are a few sisters who have truly exemplified love and service and who have been such fabulous examples to our family.  These handful of sisters have helped our daughters grow in love and testimony of their Savior.  Words can't express how much I love them for their examples and love for my girls.  Thank you!

Sister Graham and Sister Porter were just two of our favorite missionaries....

We miss them!  We love them!

More recently, we have grown to love Sister Heil and Sister Imlay....

They spent Thunder Over Louisville with us.

Last night we had to say goodbye to Sister Imlay.  She is going home.

She has definitely made a difference in our lives!  And we'll miss her. 

I am truly grateful for young women who serve the Lord and share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  I'm grateful for their examples and their talents!  I'm grateful for daughters who desire to do what's right and strive to live like the Savior did!  I know He lives!  I know He is the reason for true happiness!  I know the gospel is true!!!!!!!

HODGEPODGE

Life at the DeGooyer home keeps on keeping on....  Life is fun!  Life is busy!  And life sometimes isn't so much fun....  Here's a snapshot of the past two weeks....

Two weeks ago, Scott got free tickets to a Louisville Bats baseball game.  We enjoyed being outdoors, eating gourmet hot-dogs, and watching the game.  Unfortunately the Bats lost.  We decided to leave at the 7th inning to go see the new Independence Day movie.  It was fun, but not impressive.  Luckily we can still enjoy the movies for free since Key Lime Pie works there...  I wouldn't have wanted to pay for that one.  We still enjoyed being together though.

Key Lime Pie and Kotten Kandy had a total BLAST at youth conference two weeks ago.  (They had so much fun that they forgot to take pictures.  Which was sad for mom!)  I did get one photo of their roommates together.  They had such a good time with these beautiful young ladies!  Both girls said that youth conference was truly a spiritual experience and they had moments of great fun too!  They really liked hanging out with these girls and Asparagus and Taffey too....

We also had another teen party at our house on Friday.  This group of teenagers is so awesome!  They are wholesome and fun!  They played silly games like What If...? and Family.  They searched for Pokemon.  They sang songs at the top of their voices.  And they made s'mores.  Again... I only have a picture of them searching for Pokemon....  Silly kids!

This week, Kotten Kandy, Key Lime Pie and I decided to paint our bathrooms.  We chose a coral color.  I LOVE the color and the makeover!  And both girls were SUPER helpful.  (Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of Key Lime Pie and I... and the picture I did get of Kotten Kandy and I looks TERRIBLE because we were working so hard....)

Sometimes, when it's JUST our family at home... we get a little weird.  See?!

Yesterday, our entire family spoke in church - at the Carrolton Branch.  It was really fun!  The branch has really grown and gotten better under the direction of President Call.  I was also really glad to have the opportunity to study about faith.  It was fun to see each of our different takes on the same subject....

Kotten Kandy spoke about "By faith...."  She shared Hebrews 11 with the congregation and talked about the list of "by faith"(s) in the chapter.  Ie. By faith Moses parted the Red Sea.  By faith Daniel survived the lion's den.  etc.  Then she made her own, personal, list of "by faith"(s).  Her list really touched my heart.  Here are a few that I remember:

     By faith our family moved to Kentucky when all of our extended family lived out west.  The move has made us a stronger family unit and strengthened our testimonies.

     By faith, her good friend, Spencer Schmid, set an example for her by going on a mission.

     By faith, her grandfather joined the Church while serving in the army and reading the Book of Mormon by the light of the Coke machine.

     By faith, her grandmother went to Germany to marry her grandpa without any friends and not speaking the language.

     By faith Key Lime Pie is moving forward with life after high school.

I really enjoyed her entire list and now I want to make a list of faith experiences too!

Key Lime Pie spoke about her "collection" of quotes.  She has always wanted to have a collection. (I collect pencils and nativities.  Scott collects hats.  Kotten Kandy collects owls and journals.)  When she realized she collects quotes, she was so excited that she wanted to share.  She shared her favorite faith based quotes and why they are some of her favorites.

Her favorite quote is by C.S. Lewis:  "I believe in Christ, like I believe in the sun -  not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything."  She talked about going on a sunrise hike with her cousins during spring break.  She likened watching the sun slowly get higher and higher and being able to see all of the beauty around her as it rose was a lot like "seeing" the entire plan of salvation and understanding the Savior's sacrifice by faith!

She also shared the quote by Neal A. Maxwell, "Faith in God includes faith in His timing."  - I like that one too!  I need to remember this one because I need to remember that the "time" in my life right now is letting my daughter grow up to become an independent, beautiful woman!  (Man, it's hard to get ready to let her go.....)

Scott spoke about faith too!  He shared some personal stories that illustrated the importance of implementing faith in our lives.  He talked about when he was out of work for 2 years and how it took faith to move from Las Vegas to Arizona and then from Arizona to Kentucky.  It was really touching.

Finally, I spoke about the 4 tools of faith:  Prayer, Scripture Study, Regular Temple Attendance and Family Home Evening/Family Relationships.

NON-FICTION

The last three books I have read are non-fiction.  Why?  I dunno.  I guess I've just been in a non-fiction mood.  (Although I am definitely craving a novel right now... So next?!)
Anyways, here are my reviews:

The first book I read was The Christ-Centered Home - Inviting Jesus In by Emily Belle Freeman.  This book is set up in 12 sections.  Each chapter is set up to become a conversation for the family.  There is a principle/chapter for each month if the year.  Each chapter is pretty good.  It was a good review for things I've already done.  And the stories about Christ were a good review.  Full disclosure: My least favorite chapter was chapter 6, Be Nice, Be Sweet.  Why?  Our family often has deep conversations about principles.  One of our conversations is about Nice vs. Kind.  We have come to the conclusion that if we are "trying to be like Jesus" we need to be KIND not nice.  Kind is honest and truthful.  Her use of the word nice and her definitions were well meaning but, in my opinion, wrong.  I almost stopped reading the book because of that chapter.  But the rest of the book is good.  It wasn't earth-shattering good.  But it was a reminder that the most precious moments in our lives and in our homes is when we feel the peace of Jesus Christ.

I also finished reading Dinesh D'Souza's new book Stealing America.  (As a side note:  His movie, based on this book, called Hillary's America, comes out next week....  And I am sooooooo excited to see it.)
Dinesh D'Souza is a noted Conservative author, speaker and film maker.  He made a dumb mistake in donating too much to a political campaign a few years ago.  Since he was closely watched by political enemies, he found himself in court due to his mistake.  D'Souza was sentenced to 8 months of "confinement" - which sounds less bad than prison but in actuality is being locked up at night with murderers, rapists drug dealers, and gang members on their way out of prison.  He learned a lot from this experience.  And he shares it with us in this book.
D'Souza makes astonishing connections between the way gangs operate among themselves and the gangs in politics.  Because of that, this book will anger a lot of people.  I was angry.  I was angry with the way D'Souza was treated.  I was angry with the way politicians steal from average, hard-working Americans.  I was angry that more people don't believe or choose to be ignorant of these things.
This book was enlightening.  This book made me feel smarter.  And, I believe, this book is honest and full of truth.  I definitely recommend it.

Finally, I finished reading A Convenient Truce by Gary McCallister last night.  (Full disclosure:  Gary McCallister is my amazing, talented, incredibly educated, and wise father.)  This book attempts to "prove" that there is not a war between science and religion.  It discusses how the two studies actually can and often do work together.  I learned a lot.  I plan on using this book as a science book for my homeschooled teenager.  Throughout the book there are questions and thoughts about both science and religion that helped my faith in both subjects grow.  It was not an easy book to read.  There are a lot of thoughts, ideas and actual learning that I had to re-read or mull over before I could read the next chapters.  But I actually feel smarter having read this book.

SWEET 16 - 80s FASHION, MURDER AND A BIRTHDAY

Kotten Kandy

This girl turned 16!  And she celebrated with a Murder Mystery and all of her friends!  I think they had a great time.
Here are the suspects:

POLLY ABDOOL

(aka. Sweet Tarts)

Polly is the peculiar pop idol wife of Nork from Pork.  An avid cartoon fan, 

she has a fascination with drawing cartoon cat characters.  She's a little crazy.

NORK FROM PORK

(aka. Dove Chocolate)

Nork is one of the most bizarre television actors in Hollywood!

Rumor has it that he was a normal struggling actor who got lucky landing

a sitcom role of a stranded alien on the planet Earth.  He has assumed the

identity of the fictional character both on and off the TV set.

TONI OREGANO

(aka. Red Hot)

Toni came out of the woodwork with her hit cheerleading-themed single 'Hey Mickie!'

The world has been awaiting another hit from this pop diva, but instead

she is too busy with her Mogwai Rescue mission....

DEBBIE GRIBSON

(aka. Kotten Kandy)

Debbie is a high-maintenance teen idol.  This pop icon is extremely

demanding and because of her fame and success, she gets whatever she wants.  

DANNY SON

(aka. Juice)

Danny Son is the American black belt Karate champion.

He was raised by a single mother in a poor neighborhood,

but taken in by an old Karate master who trained him.

LINDY LAUPER

(aka. Key Lime Pie)

Lindy is a fun-loving and eccentric American pop star.

She is known for her ever-changing colorful hair and crazy clothing.

She is also a major vegetarian and humanitarian!

ALLIGATOR DUNDEE

(aka. Asparagus)

Alligator is quickly rising to international fame with his rugged charm.

He is known in Australia as an alligator hunter and charismatic wilderness guru.

He is now a Hollywood upcoming film star!

WEE PEE VERMON

(aka. Almond)

Wee Pee is the goofy television host of a children's show.

Wee Pee's silly fashion and addictive laugh has made him one of

the leading children's television actors in America.

JESSICA BUNNY

(aka. Maple)

Jesssica wants everyone to know that she was the voice behind the famous

cartoon rabbit of the same name.  She insists upon wearing a Jessica Bunny

costume and going by the stage name so everybody will know who belonged to the voice.

SCABFACE

(aka. Taffy)

Scabface originally hailed from Scuba.

He came to America in search of fortune and fame and quickly rose

to becoming a legendary mob boss.

SPUNKY BREWSTER

(aka. Apple Jacks)

Spunky is the lucky orphan that landed an awesome role as

an orphan in a self-named television sitcom!

Her pigtails and silly socks are what she is known for....

FADONNA

(aka. Rice Krispie)

Fadonna is one of the most famous pop stars of the 80s.

She came to Hollywood to make it big.  She is a tad spoiled and demanding at times,

but this is one musical diva that knows hot to party.

Unfortunately, Alligator Dundee was murdered with a Rubics Cube.

He was bashed in the head.

Luckily there were 5 sets of fingerprints on the Rubics Cube

to give us leads to the culprit and the motive(s).

Turns out Alligator Dundee was blackmailing quite a few guests, including Lindy Lauper.

He caught her eating a Mogwai burger and was charging her $2K a week to keep it a secret.

(Apparently I gave birth to a cold-blooded Rubics Cube Murderer.)

Here's the entire gang!  Great kids!  All of them!

Happy Birthday, my sweet, beautiful, talented, funny and kind baby girl!

We really love you!

Scott made this awesome cake. Yes, it's a gold record!  What talent!

P.S.  You make the 80s look good, Kotten Kandy!

"THEY ONCE WERE LOST... BUT NOW ARE FOUND"

A special shout-out to Mark Bettenhausen!  He recovered my DeGooyer reunion pictures!  I sobbed when I lost them and I screamed and cried when he found them!  (Yes, I know, I'm extremely dramatic...  Everyone who knows me, already knows that....  Crazy?  Maybe.)  Anyways... here are my favorites (not all 268):

The girls didn't remember Temple Square....

Here we are!

The tabernacle and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir were spectacular!

The Christus was majestic!

Salt Lake City Temple

Yes, these two are cousins and are only a few months apart in age.

The length difference cracks me up!

Brett, Kerri, Scott, Stacey and Kevin

with Dad and Mom

Priceless photos of siblings with their spouses....

I had to get a shot of my cute husband with his fantastic parents!

These silly men make me smile!

I begged for this picture....

Mom and Dad (aka. Grandma and Grandpa)

with their grandchildren

(we are only missing Shannon and Kendall)

Families are Forever!

These strange and crazy girls (I mean... my sweet and beautiful daughters)

thought they'd wade in freezing cold water....

Kotten Kandy stole my camera and took this strange photo.

She was super proud of it and so I thought I'd display her talent!

Kotten Kandy was SUPER excited to see so many LDS church buildings.

When we saw two side by side, we stopped for a picture... cuz... Utah!

Provo Temple

Provo City Center Temple

IHop with Grandma and Grandpa

Bountiful Temple

Oquirrh Temple

Draper Temple

Friends from Kentucky in Provo...

including Doritoes, Nettie and Lemon Drop

Pason Temple with Haagen-Dazs

Mt. Timpanogos Temple

The Family History Center was AMAZING!

Kotten Kandy learned about the day she was born...

Scott researched places where his ancestors came from...

And Key Lime Pie looked up photographs about Grandma T.

Ogden Temple

Brigham City Temple

Logan Temple

What a memorable week!