Kody Graduates!

My youngest brother Kody graduated from high school on Friday night! The baby of the house has made it. I wonder how my parents will react to soon having an empty nest (I think they will survive), but Kody might not. :) Kody is one of my favorite siblings and I have many phrases and sayings of his saved in my memories. I share a few of my favorite pictures of him here. I will never forget his e-mail to me in college about the cat getting run over, the picture he colored for me in second grade, and the note he put on his leftovers one night, telling everyone not to eat Kari. I love you Kody and am so proud of you!!!

Memorial Day in Elk City

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Elk City with LJ's Family this year. It was rainy and cold on Saturday, but the sun came out Sunday. It was nice to relax, sleep, eat, and watch tv. We did get to go on a four wheeler ride and enjoy the beautiful scenery. It was nice to get away. I debated bringing the dogs up, but I thought it was going to rain all weekend and I didn't want them to be miserable, so I left them home. I wish we had brought them. They would have had fun. They need to get out! Next time. Thanks to all for a great weekend.

Three Books in One

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

This book is narrated by the two main characters, Little Bee (a Nigerian refuge) and Sarah O'Rourke (a London journalist). Chapters rotate back and forth and pull the reader in from the beginning. Reviews are brief and weak for a reason- this plot should not be revealed at all. I found myself liking the book and wondering how on earth it could end. I thought the ending was a little abrupt and in hindsight maybe predictable, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless and recommend it for everyone.

Andrew Jackson by H.W. Brands

I finally finished my book about Andrew Jackson. Jackson is one of my least favorite presidents. I don't like his actions or impact on American History. While Brands is a talented and thorough author, this was not my favorite biography. Too much time is delegated to explaining the historical context of events before explaining Jackson's role in them. Over half of the book is spent on events before his presidency. It seemed like events from his presidency were glossed over and much of the controversy ignored. Jackson's perspective is explained which is good and helped me think a little more of him, but I still felt it was very pro-Jackson instead of middle of the road. It is a quality biography of Jackson, but it did not convince me to love him more and it could have been condensed had some of the historical narrative been eliminated.

I also read Liberalism and Social Action by John Dewey this weekend, but I won't bore anyone with a review of it. My summer Teaching American History cohort classes are beginning, so I am diving head first into all my readings for those classes. I won't review all of them- just the ones I really like! I did not like this one much, so not much else to say.

Great Potato

Today I ran my first ever Half Marathon! It was pretty good. I felt good and had a decent time of about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Not awesome, but I came in under 2.5 hours which is what I wanted. I felt good and stayed consistent and had fun. I feel okay right now, but that could change tomorrow. I didn't get any pictures with my friend Kathie who I trained with the last four months. LJ's brother, Jake, and his wife, Kim also ran it. They rocked it and finished a little ahead of me. Congrats to all! I am pretty proud of my accomplishment.

Pre-race
Almost done and looking like death!

At the finish!

The Gospel According to Larry

The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian is my latest literary find. It is the Freshman Feed and Read Book for 4th Quarter at school. It details the life of the teenager, Josh Swenson. Josh is a self-proclaimed nerd, who would rather not be noticed and functions at a level much higher then the average jock. He finds fascination in beginning an online anonymous blog posting his views on anti-consumerism in America. What he doesn't realize is just how popular his blog will become. The story is fast paced and an easy read. It draws the reader in and keeps one turning the page. Teenagers can relate to the book as it is about many of the struggles they face daily (Josh secretly has a crush on his best friend). Adults will also appreciate his comments on America and the consumerism that exists will also appreciating the insights into the life of the teenager as well as the online phenomenon.

The work is fiction, but the author makes it seem like it could be real. I had to double check myself- the end left me believing that this was a true story and I wanted more. Lucky for me there is a second and third book in the series. I am going to check them out.

Happy reading to all!

Mom's Weekend

This weekend is my mom's weekend! Saturday was her birthday. Of course, she had to celebrate watching a baseball game (it is just that time of year). Then we had dinner at their house and gave gifts. It was a good time. Today is Mother's Day. Mom gets the short end of the stick getting presents on the same weekend, but that's just the way it is. We got to talk to Kris today and that was awesome. Then we had a short bbque with Grandma Myers and just hung out. It was a fun filled family weekend. I want to send a shout out to my mom- she is great! I would not be half the person I am today without her. She taught me about cleaning, respect, honesty, integrity, and love. I am grateful for her strong example! Thanks Mom! Hope you had a great weekend! Katie, Clint, Max, and Kris- we missed you!!!

Happy Mother's Day to my Mother-in-law, Kellie. Hope you had a great day!