Happy 2009!! and other fun stuff!

Happy New Year! I hope 2009 has found you happy and healthy!

The last week has flown by and I've neglected my blogging. Most of the reason for that has everything to do with the Twilight book series. Any waking moment I've had the last few days (and nights!) I've been nose deep into the last of the 4 books, Breaking Dawn, which I finished today. Before I started reading the first book, Twilight, in late November, I would have told you that vampire books really weren't my thing, but my friend Tracey had read the book and she thought I'd like it, so I decided to read it. Well, to make a long story short, I loved, loved, LOVED Twilight, saw the movie, read the 2nd and 3rd books - New Moon and Eclipse, and just today finished the fourth and final book in the saga and am a self-proclaimed Twilight fan, nut - lunatic, if you will! My kids were happy to get me back today - haha - when I finished that last book!

The other fun thing we did this week when I wasn't completely enthralled in my book was
the Titanic Museum in Branson.

On Monday, Jake, Josh, Caleb, Anna, my dad and I traveled to Branson with my friend Mary and her five kids to visit the Titanic museum and we had a really good time. Ever since we watched the movie Titanic, all the historical facts of that fateful night have interested us and when we found out about the museum in Branson, we knew we would have to visit. When we first entered the museum, each of us was given a boarding pass assigning us the identity of one of the passengers on Titanic that night and then at the end of the museum tour, a memorial wall indicated if we survived or perished in the tragedy. Each boarding pass gave information about the passenger and it was neat for the kids to get to "personalize" the museum experience.

After Titanic, we drove down to Branson Landing and arrived there just in time to see the flame and fountain light and sound show. It was cold, but we stood right up by the fountains and we could feel the heat from the columns of fire every time they lit up. It was fun!

our attempt at 'raising the bar' - haha!

On our way home, we stopped at Lambert's Restaurant - 'Home of the Throwed Roll', for dinner. After only a 20 minute wait for our party of 12 (that they said would be a 40 minute wait), we were seated in back-to-back booths. It took only a couple minutes before the rolls started flying! The kids had a great time being "targets" and the guy throwing the rolls had really good aim, most of the time anyway....one roll ended up in my soda and one in Jake's hair but other than that, there were no casualties! :) We were served very quickly, the food was good and we all had a fun experience! Can't wait to see where our next adventure takes us.....!!

The boys have had basketball practice every morning this week except for today so we're starting to slowly get back into the swing of a schedule after we've all been 'home for the holidays' the last week or so. It's been a wonderful holiday season sharing lots of fun times with our friends and family.

May 2009 hold many blessings for all of you!