I'm (gasp) 30.

Well I hadn't posted in a while, so I thought I'd post one. February 3rd was my birthday. Everybody in my immediate family remembered. My in-laws remembered, but the funny thing is...my parents forgot. In fact, as I'm posting right now, I still haven't gotten a call saying happy birthday! Who knows, maybe they sent me an unbelievable package in the mail and I just haven't gotten it yet and they figured that was good enough. Until then I'll keep waiting. The funny thing is mom forgot Rachelle's birthday last year. So maybe it's my turn. I don't care too much that my dad forgot because well he'd forget his own birthday if we didn't call him to let him know he had been born that day 'x' years ago. You know, you'd think my parents would definitely find out now because I'm posting this over the web, but my mom considers herself too inept to even check our family blog. My dad rarely uses the internet for anything other than airplane parts and watching his stocks. So until someone in my family tells them, they probably will keep on forgetting! I feel the love!!! (Where is it exactly? I'm sure it was here just a second ago.)

Here's my birthday cake! It was good! Upside down pineapple cake - thanks to Cassidy for the loaned egg!


The kids are doing well. Phoenix and I have been up and biking again. We really enjoy that. He mainly likes to bike to the airplane museum. 'Quoia has been taking it really well and staying home, but soon her head will be big enough to fit inside a biking helmet. Then we can take her out. Until then I think she has to wait. At least that's what the more responsible half tells me.

Other news...every year the Hanks family (that would be Tamara's side) gets together and does secret pal. After we draw names, we all say things that are reasonably cost efficient that we would like for Christmas. I'm getting so old (Hey I'm thirty, that's like...ancient) and my toys are becoming more and more expensive (You know XBox 360 or an already made magic gimmick where I can saw people in half) so the only cost efficient thing I tend to like is books. So I said I would like whoever has my name to give me a copy of there favorite book. This could've been quite risky as Tamara pointed out. I could've received anything from a church book to the latest analysis of socialism and its effects on the capitalist economy. Instead I received a pleasant little surprise called Jane Eyre. I'm sure you've heard of it. You maybe haven't read it, but you've heard of it. When I asked the person who gave me this why it was their favorite, they replied "Because it's depressing!" Like that was a good thing.

After reading it, and I must admit I was not able to zip through this one as the style it was written in is about a 150 years old. I was happy to say this book is not depressing. Oh it has depressing parts and you really do think that Charlotte Bronte gets a thrill for torturing poor Jane Eyre, but in the end it's a happy book. It's actually quite good, and while I will probably never read it again I can say I have read this classic and it has even made me think. Which, if I remember my english lit classes, is what is supposed to happen. I do find it interesting to see the path that Gothic style has come from. If I'm not mistaken and I could be...the Bronte sisters started the gothic genre of literature. It's interesting to me because there are only four or so scenes that one might say is gothic at all when comparing it to current gothic style novels. It's just neat to see the origins of so called gothic lit or style and take a look at where it is now. Thank goodness vampires came along to inspire the white make up. (No I'm not a huge secret goth person in disguise...)

I do have one question...and if any one can corroborate this with me I'd really appreciate it. I read Wuthering Heights over ten years ago. I was trying to remember if Heathcliffe was previously married to a crazy woman who was responsible for all the ghost-like imagery in the novel. If so I must say the Bronte sisters totally ripped each other off and I wonder if that was a necessary goth type element for a gothic novel. I can't remember though, and I don't care enought to look it up, but if someone would tell me I'd appreciate it.

For FHE we learned all about being princes and princessess in our Heavenly Father's kingdom. We made crowns for fun.

Here's 'Quoia all covered with pizza sauce celebrating with her new crown. She is a princess!

Phoenix really enjoyed making these crowns for Family Home Evening.

I can't help it!!! "It's good to be king!" I just had to say it!