BEDROOM, BOOKS, TEMPLE AND FUN

After painting and decorating Key Lime Pie's room last month... it was time to do Kotten Kandy's room!  She chose to paint it brown.  Books and Young Women's values are her "theme!"  I think she's excited about the transformation!

The owl picture is from Mil.

The light switch cover is from Shaved Ice.

The flowers are the YW value colors.

I think the book shelves are Kotten Kandy's favorite part!

Owls and books are on every shelf!

I finished reading two books...

If I Stay by Gayle Forman was alright, but I can't recommend it.  For those who haven't read it, it's about a girl, Mia, who loses her family in a car accident and is now in a coma.  Mia is a cellist (which I loved).  And I love how music played a HUGE part throughout her recovery.  I didn't like that there was swearing and that Mia and her boyfriend did consummate their relationship.  I know that it wasn't described in detail, but the fact that they had pre-marital sex really did bother me.  If I had known before hand, I wouldn't have read the book at all.  I feel that it is NOT OK to normalize relationships in that way, even if it is just "barely mentioned."  I'm not judging others who loved the book.  It's just my opinion that I don't like to read books like that.

The second books I read was completely different. Conquering Your Own Goliaths by Steven A. Cramer is wonderful!  We all have a Goliath (or two, or three, or four) in our lives.  This book gives practical advice and provides you with the tools to slay the Goliath.  It doesn't make you feel terrible about yourself, but rather gives you hope that there is a way out.  I love it and will probably reread it over and over again.

We got to go to the Indiana temple open house on Friday!  We went with our favorite people:  The Bettenhausens, Chris, Twiz and our family!  It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  I wish I could have taken pictures inside the temple.  It was gorgeous!  But what's even better about the temples is what we do once they are dedicated.  Temples are wonderful!

The rest of the pictures and stories in this post just make me smile....  Enjoy!

What do the DeGooyers do when nothing is planned?

We take selfies on the floor....

So excited for this!

Had to take a picture at Key Lime Pie's work!

It's the little things!

Twiz wears a 13....

Key Lime Pie wears a 7.

And they actually were able to wear each other's shoes!

For FHE a few weeks ago we made art work based on our favorite scriptures.

Mine:  D&C 121:7-8

Key Lime Pie's:  Alma 32:21

Scott and Kotten Kandy were to embarrassed to share their art work...  :-(

Key Lime Pie sent me this picture.  It made me laugh!

DELIVERANCE, HAPPY AND NO EASY DAY

I've been reading again.  Here are some of my thoughts and reviews:

Deliverance from Depression by G.G. Vandagriff is a SHORT book about depression and using the Atonement of Christ to help find hope and healing throughout the process.  As most of the people who read this blog know, I suffer from clinical depression.  After reading this book, I wanted my husband to read it so he could maybe understand what it was like to have a chemical imbalance in my brain.  I related to G.G. and her son as they described their depression, turmoil, pain and despair.  I hoped that my husband could relate to G.G.'s husband in the third part of the book.  I liked reading all three points of view, and found it very insightful.  If you, or someone you know, is suffering from a mental illness, I recommend reading this book.  At the very least, it will help people to understand what depression is like.

Being Happy! by Andrew Matthews was another easy read.  After reading about the struggle of depression, I needed a book that was a bit more upbeat.  This one was recommended to me by a good friend, Trina.  It was a good reminder of the simple things that make us happy throughout our lives.  It is a cheerful book and has a great message.  The advice the author shares is common-sense advice that we all know we should be following, but often we get off-track, or forget.  I enjoyed the reminders.  And I also enjoyed the cartoon illustrations that accompanied each thought.  I definitely recommend this book!

And I finished reading No Easy Day by Mark Owen last night.  I normally wouldn't read a book like this.  It is the story of a Navy SEAL, an elite special operations warrior.  The climax of the book was the raid and death of Osama Bin Laden.  After reading a "military book" I've decided:
- The amount of dedication and commitment required by SEALs is amazing.  They are often away from family and friends for LONG periods of time with little or no contact.  And their time training and honing their skills is insane.  For those two reasons, I could NEVER be a SEAL, and I could NEVER be related to one.  BUT I respect them and think of them as heroes.
- I didn't think this book was political at all.  It also was not egotistical or self-aggrandizing.  It has been accused of both.  I felt this book was really just Mark's perspective, and it could apply to many SEALs.
I'm glad I read this unusual (for me) genre.  But I will warn those who want to read it: there is some foul language.  Actually, I was surprised that there wasn't more offensive language than there is in the book.  These are hardened soldiers who don't have the same commitment to clean language and other values that I have been raised with and consider important.

On another, unrelated note:  Someone, somewhere has a great sense of humor.  We saw Papa Smurf on our walk the other day under a wild mushroom.  I had to get a picture.

YOUTH CONFERENCE - KIRKLAND, OH & FLOODING

Last weekend my daughters got to go to Kirkland, OH for Youth Conference.  They had a great time!  They especially enjoyed spending time together (they were roommates) and with a couple of good girl friends from church.  They enjoyed learning about church history and singing to High School Musical on the bus!  I'm glad they had such a wonderful time!

My pretty daughters!

The girls were photo-bombed.

They had no idea who he was....

Their group outside the Newl K. Whitney Store.

Last night is rained.  And it rained.  And it rained.  The thunder kept me awake....  This morning we decided that it was "clear" enough to go for our 3 mile walk.  (We walk three days a week... at the Egg Lawn.)  It was completely impassable!  If we wanted to walk today we needed a boat!  These pictures don't do our flooded trail justice.  It was CRAZY!  Check it out:

There is usually a bench on the left in front of the trees, off the path...

We walk on the sidewalk beside the fence...

Water come right up to the sidewalk here....

Kotten Kandy and Apple Pie can't believe their eyes.

AUNT GJ's PHOTO SHOOT

My sister is an amazing photographer.  Check out these photogenic beauties (including her new puppy, Leia.)

Short Bread, Leia, Kotten Kandy and Shaved Ice

Isn't she beautiful?

Leia

Cousins and Dogs

Wild flowers!  And my daughter!

Sweet Girls!

Kotten Kandy loved Leia!

This picture makes me laugh!

I love these "tree huggers!"

Leia in Shaved Ice's cowboy hat....

I love this girl!

Kotten Kandy and Leia

Silly Girls!

My favorite flower is a Columbine....

This is a picture of two of my favorite things!

Love these girls!

Life is good!

4th OF JULY

We had a VERY quiet Fourth of July.  It was just right for us!  We  BBqed hamburgers and played games.  Amy, Jelly Bean and Twiz joined us.  Then we ended the evening at the movies watching a FABULOUS new movie, Inside Out.  I HIGHLY recommend it.

This movie is a wonderful story about learning to handle your emotions.  It is told from the perspective of the feelings inside 11-year-old Riley's mind.  I actually cried.  It was a beautiful movie with lots of positive messages and deep, thought-provoking moments.  We definitely need to feel and express ALL of our emotions, whether happy or sad.

Jelly Bean with his "bloo icee"

Scott had just "shot" Jelly Bean...

This is his DRAMATIC death scene.

Key Lime Pie and Twiz

Kotten Kandy

KILLING THUMPER

Kotten Kandy learned how to butcher rabbits this vacation.  It was difficult.  But it was a skill she felt she needed to learn.  Thank you to Aunt G.J. and Brother Sawyer for teaching Short Bread and my daughter how to be more self reliant.  Both girls didn't actually kill the rabbits, but they did everything else.  It was gruesome, but educational.  They are grateful for the experience and it made Kotten Kandy more grateful for knowing where her food comes from.

BEFORE... AND WHILE WE WERE GONE...

Before we left for Colorado, Key Lime Pie and Kotten Kandy also went to see Jurassic World for a second time.  They loved it!

Kotten Kandy and Key Lime Pie also went to girls camp the week before we left for Colorado.  While they were gone, Twiz and I painted Key Lime Pie's room.  Here is the finished project:

While we were in Colorado, Key Lime Pie and Twiz spent time playing games, and jet skiing.  They had fun!