Total Eclipse of the Heart...

I know, I know I am such a dork. But I finished Eclipse and couldn't not blog about it! I was a little worried before starting it because I had told my sister, Alyce, that I wasn't a fan of Jacob and she told me then I really might not be happy with book three because he played a big part in it. I was worried. And I worried about him being/getting closer to Bella through the whole thing. (FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T YET READ THESE BOOKS--SPOILER ALERT! STOP READING NOW!!!!)
I was getting so frustrated!!! And I found that I not only was disliking Jacob...but I was getting really fed up with Bella. I was so angry with her a couple times. And then there was Edward...so patient, understanding, and perfect. He really is too easy on her.
But I am THRILLED with how the book ended. I hope that everything goes as planned for the series end. I might not get over it if Bella doesn't follow through for some reason. Happy reading to you all...I will be blogging about the final installment soon...less than a week!!!

What is all the fuss about...?

Ok, NOW I know!!! This one is for all you Twilighters (especially you, Amanda Hadfield!)

For months now...and when I say months I mean probably more than a year...people have been asking, "Have you read the vampire books, or the twilight series, etc?" And I would say no. And they would proceed to tell me I needed to, what I was missing out on. I resisted. Then friends started blogging about it....I probably have at least 5 people on my friends and family list who blogged about it...some of the numerous times. Still I resisted. It can't be THAT good can it? I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I thought so, anyway. My husband is a huge Harry fan. I'm not quite as much. But I really love Harry. I didn't need a new obsession or anything.
As much as I enjoy reading, I don't do much of it...I kind of avoid it because if I do find something I like, all my other responsibilities get put on the back burner. And as a wife/mom of two/housecleaner/laundry doer/etc....I just can't afford it.

This brings me to last Saturday, July 19th. We were at the airport in Salt Lake waiting on our flight to El Paso to visit my dad, his wife, her kids, and all my siblings....and Travis comes walking out of a bookstore. "I got you a present," was all he said, handing me a bag. (This is the best part of the story!!) I opened the red bag and there it was, a book titled "Twilight". Aw, crap. I thought. I told him I had been trying to resist. I guess he knows me too well, figured I would like it. I was skeptical...could it REALLY be THAT good? I liked the fantasy world of witches and wizards....but vampires? I didn't think it was my thing. My sister liked the Ann Rice books...Interview with a Vampire, I think was one of them. I was simply not interested. But now that Travis had actually bought it for me...I had to read it. And read it I did!!! I read the first couple pages immediately but didn't put much time into it over the next couple days....and when I did really get into it there was no putting it down. I loved it, loved it, LOVED IT!!!! So when we got back into SLC airport this past Saturday, I bought book two. The lady behind the counter said she gave me one day to be done with it. Impossible, I thought. I have two kids to feed, love, play with, etc among other things. Sure enough...I finished it (in a little over a day)! And it was longer than the first. I have not yet bought book 3. "Eclipse" But I will buy it tonight once Travis is home from work! haha. I am super lucky. I don't have to wait for the final book that is being released. At least not months like the rest of you, anyway...just a couple days! And now back to something I mentioned earlier (the best part) is that I can blame this on my husband because he bought the first book for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahaa I love it.

Can I just say though...I did not like book two nearly as well as I liked the first. Having Edward gone for so long was painful. And I liked Jacob in the first book and fine as a friend for the first little while in book two...but then something happened (I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read it yet--and I say YET because you must!) and now I really dislike him. I don't feel sorry for him ONE LITTLE BIT. Anyway...I now have seen the light...what "all the fuss was about" and I am so glad!

Travis asked me after I completed "New Moon" (book #2) if I liked it more than Harry Potter and I told him it was hard to compare...because this is far more of a romantic love story (which appeals to me). But are you ready for what I decided.......

I like Twilight WAY, WAY, WAY........................
..................................................................
MORE! *gasp!*
I didn't know that was possible!

N is for...

New Mexico!

A couple weeks ago we traveled to New Mexico to visit my dad and some other family. We flew down on Saturday, Juky 19th stayed down there for a whole week. Dad flew all my siblings down as well as my grandparents and grandmother's sister for a little "reunion" I guess. So he rented this condo-type thing in a little town called Ruidoso. One big happy family all together. In attendance there was Dad, his wife Rachel, her two daughters Taryn and April, Grandma and Grandpa Odasso, Sister (Grandma's sister), Adrienne and her husband James, Brad, Maria, Alyce, and then our family of four. Can you say crazy?? We have never all been together like this. Adrienne and James didn't come out last year when dad flew all the rest of us siblings down because they have been living in England so it's a little harder for them to make it home to the states. Anyway, here are a few photos...I know I need to get back to blogging regularly!

Izzy having fun at the pool
Dad and Rachel with Isabelle
Riley with Aunt Maria
Riley on a mini carousel
Our sweet baby

Izzy gumming a breadstick...MmmmMMMmmmm!


Beautiful landscape...picture courtesy of Maria
The 5 Odasso Siblings from oldest to youngest: Adrienne, Brad, Jenna, Maria, Alyce. Why do I have to be the shortest? And the fat kid in the middle, too? I guess I am the only one who has had kids. Is that a good enough excuse?

Now for some Izzy entertainment

M is for...

Mommy! (ME) and monkeys...

I am sure I could come up with More...but these were the first "M" things to come to My Mind. :-)

Anyway, we took the girls to Tautphaus Park Zoo in Idaho Falls. It's not a real big place or anything. And they are missing some major animals compared to a large zoo but they still had quite a few neat things. They had a lot of birds...of all kinds. Emus, penguins, pelicans, swans, ducks, kookaburra, macaw, parrots, storks, and the list could on and on. They also had some wallabies(kangaroo-type things), a tiger, a lion and lioness, a frog exhibit, different kinds of primates, something fox-like from the canine family, humongous turtles, a yak, donkeys, chickens, goats, llamas, camels, red pandas, sea otters, and camels. I'm sure I am missing some things but basically what I am saying is it is a decent little zoo. They have a zebra but it was not out or visible or something while we were in that area... :-( We hope to make it to the Pittsburgh Zoo while we are in Pennsylvania in a couple weeks. Riley will just love to see animals such as giraffes, bears, elephants, apes and much more. But the Idaho Falls Zoo was a good warm up for us. The farm animals were in kind of a petting zoo section of the park and Riley got to feed the goats. She thought it was so cool! I have to say my favorite thing was the Monkeys though! Man, were they entertaining! I could have looked at them all day long. I uploaded a video below of a couple monkeys. And pictures of plenty of other animals. Some are hard to see because of the glass or wire cages...but oh well :-P

Lion and lioness

Wallaby
Penguins!

These monkeys were really small but you can't tell from looking at a picture
boa

alligator Black swan
kookaburra peacock
pelicans-they were so close I could have reached out and touched one
Riley checking out the ducks

donkey!
stork, i think?


some sort of smallish cat

no clue what these are called
Riley feeding a goat
She must have thought it tickled because after each time she fed him a bite, she looked at us and giggle/smiled huge. It was so cute!

Riley was too busy looking at animals to smile or look at me
These monkeys were so entertaining to watch!!!

My baby...

...is 7 months old today!
Yes, that is right. Isabelle Jane Anderson was born December 10, 2007. 7 months already?! Wow, where does time go?? By the time Riley was 7 months old I was already pregnant with Isabelle. So I thought it was fitting that I had my yearly check-up with my OB/GYN this morning. My IUD is in place, so am happy about that. YAY for no more babies any time soon! We are happy with our little family the way it is right now :) Anyway, since Izzy is 7 months old, I thought I would post a little bit about her.
She sits on her own
She will probably be crawling soon :(
She has started eating solids (or mush, really)
among those she has tried are bananas, applesauce, pears, oatmeal, rice cereal, green beans, carrots, and sweet potatoes. She hates it all...except for those carrots. Weird kid. I don't know when she will start eating consistently. Riley loved getting new foods.
She weighs just over 18 pounds and is 27 inches tall
She babbles a lot
Her sweet little laugh is adorable!
She likes to watch her bug sister play
She tries to put EVERYTHING in her mouth
She likes the bathtub
She smiles so much
and our favorite:
She will now bounce (we call it dancing) to music!
Video to follow!!!

4th of July..

Here are a few photos from our 4th. We really didn't do much. Just spent time together as a family. And Travis went golfing...(of course).
We picked up a few of our own fireworks (little things) that were kind of dumb but we thought the kids would like. We were wrong. It was all tears. We set them off with our neighbors. Then once the kids were in bed, we played a game with them. My friend Jodi was in labor on the 4th and so Grammy Jane and Jodi's 3 kids were over at our house for a little while as well. Little Madison was born at 1:03 am on Saturday, July 5th. So there is a photo of her below.
Steph and Caden. He didn't like the fireworks...they were too loud! But at one point, he actually fell asleep while she was holding him!
Travis showing Riley a sparkler.


Isabelle crying about the older kids crying
Riley scared of the fireworks.

Fine one minute...
...and so sad the next :-( Baby Madison

Look at allllll that hair! I am so jealous. Isabelle could use some of that! haha.

L is for...

my LOVES, life, and laughter (to name a few!)

I love my life, my family and the fun times we have! And that is all I want to say about the letter "L". I have more photos that I didn't feel up to posting last night! YAY!



Mmmm, yummy blueberry waffle.
Isabelle wants anything and everything that Riley has, anything that is in her sight, and everything she shouldn't have, of course. `

I'm finally not using the baby bathtub anymore! She is stable sitting on her own in the big tub now! SO BIG!

Isabelle getting kisses from the neighbor boys. They like her; a lot!
Riley went to the dentist the first time this week. Just to get used to the idea and let him take a peek...it didn't go so well...This was before the dentist even tried to look. So yeah. No fun.


After the park the other day. Girls in their matching suits.

Riley climbed into the baby swing again...
She is warming up to the camera again these days, smiling for it (or trying to? some of her faces are pretty goofy).