Spring - Let's Go Fly A Kite!

So - we've been enjoying this fun spring weather and we went out to celebrate it last Sunday by flying kites at a local school yard. We went with my brother and sister-in-law and their kids. We had a lot of fun flying kites and playing on the school equipment. We look forward to many more outdoor activities coming up soon!

The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve

Ummmm  . . . .  where do I begin! This book was hard to get into and the twists and turns in it's plot were easy to see coming - they were typical.

It was about a pilot's wife that learns that her husband's plane went down over the Atlantic. She grieves, asks questions and such and then they discover that it may have been suicide. Come to find out that he is involved in a conspiracy and was involved with smuggling money across borders - not only that but she discovers that he has another family in London and she never really "knew" him at all. Sounds very uplifting and encouraging doesn't it?

Not impressed! Waste of my imagination!

Rating: 4

The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald

Yes - I just finished another children's book but apparently it's a classic and I didn't even know about it!! What??? And I just can't read too many adult novels before I have to read a children's book - just have to!

If you like princesses, kings, grandmothers, magic and goblins that live in the mountain you will enjoy this story. I was pleasantly surprised with the Christian symbolism and related it to the writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien. As I was thinking about this concept I happened to read the inside flap of the book and this is what I found it to say:

George Macdonald was a 19th century author who moved in the literary circles of Alfred Lord Tennyson and Lewis Carroll. Not only that but he had tremendous influence on C.S. Lewis who claimed that MacDonald baptized his imagination with goodness, and J.R. Tolkien who used MacDonald's work as a measuring stick for his own writing in "The Lord of the Rings".

WHAT???????? I LOVE reading the books of Lewis and Tolkien!!

It was a very cute story and I look forward to owning my own copy someday!

Rating: 9

31 years of life!!

Wow - am I ever blessed!! As I look back on these past 31 years of life I can feel nothing but complete and utter amazement at my journey. It is one that few get to take and trust me when I say that I do not take it for granted - at least I try not to. I am going to try and account for each year - what I remember to some degree and see if I can't recap some of my most memorable moments. Here goes -

Year 1 - Welcome to the world!!! I'm told I was allergic to milk so my mom went to a local farmer and bought me fresh goat's milk to live on for my first year.

Year 2 - don't remember much except that I was very sneaky and liked to sneak crackers from the cupboard and take them to my room to eat them.

Year 3 - my sister and best friend was born

Year 4 - We lived in Meridian in a brown house and I remember building a snowman in the front yard with my daddy and then some teenagers came over and destroyed it - I cried and cried and was very upset. I also remember having to give up our cat "Puddin" because I was allergic.

Year 5 - My first year of Kindergarten. I remember playing outside in our backyard and swinging on the swingset singing songs I learned in church. My mom said I was a great witness to the neighbors.

Year 6 - I remember my grandpa Lewis dressing up as Santa Claus for Christmas. I remember going to Caravans at Valley Shepherd Church and hating it. I also remember stabbing myself (by accident) with a pencil during Caravans and thinking I was going to die from lead poisoning. I remember first grade - I do remember learning how to read and being so excited when I could recognize the word "the". My teacher was Mrs. Wright!

Year 7 - I remember losing our dog "Bogie" while we were on vacation. I remember my dad telling me that he was going to be a pastor. I remember climbing on the carpet rolls at Nampa Floors, playing hide and seek, and letting Big Steve throw Katie and I up in the air. I remember being so excited to get some coins so that I could go get a soda from the Coke machine when we were visiting dad at work. I remember 2nd grade and having a crush on a boy named Jeremiah. I remember drawing an apple on a piece of graph paper for math and LOVED it. My teacher was Mrs. Mench and we LOVED her!

Year 8 - I remember moving from Meridian to Nampa. We moved to a small duplex right behind what is now Walmart. I remember hating this house, being extremely fearful and depressed, cutting my hair "boy short", and cutting my toe off while riding a bike. (It was reattached but I still have no feeling in the top of it). I remember when my cousin Kyal was born and what a blessing it was that it happened to be on my birthday - I snapped out of my depression and began enjoying being a kid. I remember bringing tadpoles back from the cabin and trying to grow them into frogs in our kitchen - it didn't work! I remember third grade - I went to Centennial Elementary in Nampa. I remember beginning to LOVE tetherball and had a crush on a boy named Kevin. I remember our move to Grangeville - it was raining and Katie and I were both apprehensive about the move. It was too far away from our cousins and grandparents.

Year 9 - I remember starting 4th grade. My teachers name was Mrs. Nolan and she was amazing. I remember meeting new friends and enjoying Idaho History. I remember liking a boy name Ryan McBoyle and Ryan Carver. I remember living in our small house next to the church and playing "teacher" in our basement with my sister and our dolls. I remember enjoying the fact that we could walk to the store and be in the mountains in less than 5 min.

Year 10 - I remember being harassed by a boy named Kasey Shaw. I was extremely fearful of him and he didn't live very far from us. I remember my dad going down to talk to his mom once and when I started 5th grade and he was in my class I got switched to a different class.

Year 11 - My most memorable moments from this year were probably being in Mr. Vopat's sixth grade class. He was an amazing teacher and inspired me to become a teacher myself. He was witty, funny, wise and called my friend and I Thing One and Thing Two. I remember him giving me The Cat in The Hat for my graduation present.

Year 12 - My first year of junior high. I had a crush on David Schultz and I was a cheerleader for the boys basketball team. I had my first experience with volleyball as a team sport and really really enjoyed it once I realized that I could serve overhand and do it well for my age. I also remember Grangeville Border Days and our cousins visiting. My dad and my uncle won the world's largest egg toss and we all got free pizza.

Year 13 - 8th grade! I don't remember much except for drawing an endless amount of circles and squares in shop class - as well as making my first leather coaster. I remember enjoying art class with Mrs. Winter and having my first "relationship" - Kyle Heath. It was the best dating relationship that I can remember because we were more like best friends. We held hands and hung out together all the time but never kissed or had any of that physical stuff. It was honest and innocent and I look back on it with fond memories! I also found a best friend in Robin - we had soooo much fun together!

Year 14 - My first year of highschool - wow! This was a strange year. I loved volleyball but felt lost with Kyle for some reason. And then my best friend Robin moved away and I was extremely lonely. I don't remember much else!

Year 15 - Sophomore in highschool!! Again volleyball was great and Anita became my new best friend - we did everything together and she taught me not to take things so seriously. We were in youth group together along with some of our other best friends and we always hung out on the weekends as a group. I remember Scott and Angie were our youth pastors and we adored them. I began dating Ryan Frei - a freshman after he asked me to the homecoming dance. That lasted until summer!

Year 16 - Junior year - I made the varsity volleyball team and again LOVED it! I dated Marty Willis during this year and then Ryan again the next fall. It was a typical case of my old love wants me back so I'm done with you thing - it wasn't nice and I still feel bad about it. I began working at Subway and enjoyed being a sandwich artist, except with the boss would call late at night and have be close all by myself. Luckily my wonderful father would usually come down and help me. :)

Year 17 - Senior year - Our volleyball season was the highlight and lowlight of this year for me. We were undeafted all season and then went into the championship game and lost both games so we were eliminated from the state tournament. I don't think I ever felt more depressed and defeated. I continued to date Ryan throughout my senior year.

Year 18 - I graduated!! My aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents came to Grangeville to celebrate and we had so much fun together. I remember a huge game of family softball. I remember going on a mission trip to Seattle during the summer and then when I returned Ryan ended our relationship in pursuit of another girl - never felt so heart-broken - really! I moved down to Nampa with my grandparents and worked about a month before I began college. I worked for my uncle at Nampa Floors!

Year 19 - Freshman in college! Soooo much stinkin fun! I remember having a crush on a boy named Chris Jackson and come to find out a few months later (after we had been hanging out) that he had a girlfriend at Albertson's college. Oops! That ended quickly! I remember meeting my best friend Bekah and hanging out with a wonderful group of girls. In April I met Jeremy on a group date. I remember my roomate asking me which twin I wanted to go with and I said I didn't care. I ended up with Jeremy and God knew that was how it was supposed to be - I chose the right twin!

Year 20 - Jeremy and I dated seriously. We were still unsure about our future because we would often argue. I had trust issues from relationships in highschool and I failed to trust him. However we were engaged in November. I remember taking a trip with my family to Hawaii for spring break and then I went with Crusader Choir to the Brisitsh Isles on a summer concert tour - SO MUCH FUN!!

Year 21 - I remember Jesse moving to Venezuela for a term and how much I missed him being around. He had already became my brother and one of my best friends. I enjoyed planning for my wedding, being an RA in Morrison Hall and having a wonderful group of girls to watch out for, having quite a few roles in NNU's spring production "My Fair Lady"  and sneaking out of play practice to get "bricks" at the brick house. I remember working for the Salvation Army Day Camp with my sister during the summer and meeting some amazing people. On August 19th, 2000 I married my best friend and began our wonderful lives together. We had so much fun in Disneyworld on our honeymoon. I remember our first apartment, how small it was, how much is smelled of mildew and how the "goonies" basement scared me.

Year 22 - Graduating from college! I began to work at Home Federal during the summer until I found a teaching position. I had many interviews but was beginning to get discouraged. Then I got a call from Melba and went our for an interview - they wanted me for the preschool/extended resource teacher and I wasn't too excited about that. Then I was offered a position as a third grade teacher in Kuna and I really wanted it. However, I had given my word to Melba that I would join their team - I'm so glad I made that choice. I remember driving to work one morning when I heard over the radio about the planes crashing into the world trade center. When I got to school I watched as the second plane crashed into the second tower - we were all speechless.

Year 23 - The war in Afganistan began. I don't remember seeing so much patriotism. There were flags flown outside almost every house - it was impressive. Jesse and Jeni began dating and soon were engaged. I'm so glad that Jesse picked an amazing woman and a great friend for me. I'm so happy to have her as a sis-in-law! My grandpa Wilson died in April of this year. Jeremy also lost his grandpa Fountain. Jeremy worked in real estate and then decided to take a job at Home Federal in Meridian. I moved to teaching 3rd grade in Melba.

Year 24 - I remember becoming an aunt to Kenna Joy Franklin. We went to Seattle for Aaron and Katie's wedding. It was a great wedding and am glad Katie made a fine choice in a husband. We moved out of our apartment and into our home! I began to teach 4th grade in Melba. We got a cute little schnauzer in October and named him Solomon. I became pregnant!

Year 25 - Jeremy and I went with my family to Hawaii and had an amazing time. I was five months pregnant. On December 15th, Addison Grace Franklin joined our family. She was such a blessing. I had a difficult recovery with Bells Palsy but luckily 4 weeks later it disappeared.

Year 26 - Enjoyed being a mommy. Continued to teach in Melba as a 4th grade teacher. Became an aunt to Chade Jesse Franklin. Jeremy lost his grandpa Franklin.

Year 27 - Enjoyed watching Addison grow up. We took at trip to Washington D.C. and Virginia to see my cousin Grant graduate from the Virginia Military Institute. We enjoyed seeing the history back east and hope to return someday. We began a small group with some of our friends and have been so blessed by their love and support. We enjoy getting together with them to do bible study and prayer. They have become some of our closest friends!

Year 28 - My sister got engaged to Derek Henbest! We sighed a huge sigh of relief. It was a long emotional dating road for her and were glad she found her prince. Another year of teaching 4th grade and having a student teacher Marie Rockwood who would become a great friend.

Year 29 - became pregnant with Rhett. On October 3rd, 2008 Rhett Douglas Franklin joined our family. He had to be in the hospital a few days after birth under the Bilirubin lights. What a precious little boy God blessed us with. My sister got married to a wonderful man - Derek Henbest. I'm so pleased that she chose so wisely. I was able to go to work part-time and loved it!

Year 30 - Went on a family vacation to Disneyworld with my inlaws and my parents and my sister and her husband. It was so much fun! Was able to take a kindergarten position in Melba that allowed me to work part-time and be home with my kiddos more. It was the right choice and I hope to do it again next year.

Year 31 has just begun and I'm excited as to what is in store for me. I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful memories in my past and I look forward to many more in the future. I'm grateful for all of the wonderful people that have touched my life.

Sidenote: I couldn't remember exactly how old I was on some of the things I mentioned so some may be an estimate. I also probably forgot a lot of significant memories that I did not mention.

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

So - I have been  England and have been to the town of Haworth where the Bronte sisters grew up. I had the opportunity to take a short walk to Wuthering Heights but instead decided to remain in the quaint village and walk down the cobblestone streets and into the adorable shops. I think I could have spent an entire week at that village but we only had a few short hours. I have to say that I wish I would have taken that short hike to Wuthering Heights - especially after reading this book. It made me long for the moors and the cool spring breezes and the gorgeous flowers that adorn the gardens of the stone cottages along the dusty dirt roads. There is something about England that draws my soul. I don't know what it is - I do know that a huge part of my heritage is in that country and visiting there has only enticed me to return someday and see more. If Jeremy said he wanted to live there I would be packing my bags within the hour - I would LOVE it! I would miss my family but because their love of England pretty much matches my own I believe they would be packing as well.

After visiting Haworth I bought a few of the Bronte sister's book at a small bookshop in London. The first that I read was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and it stands as my most favorite of all time. I don't know why I haven't picked up another one of the Bronte sister's books. It was probably due to the fact that I knew nothing could hold a candle to Jane Eyre. But I am pleased to announce that this book did not disappoint and rekindled my love for British literature.

O.K. - the book!! It was classic British literature. It was difficult to get through the first few chapters while getting used to the language but I soon caught on and it went swiftly from there. It was about a deep, soulfull, crazy kind of love that is so intense it brings about dark components of selfish character that are harsh and cruel. They think of no one but themselves and each other - every one else means nothing and I'm not exaggerating. To say that the book was depressing would sound about right but it still doesn't seem to fit the story - It was so much more than that. While reading through the pages I caught glimpses of crazy passion (not the sexual kind either that would be in today's stories), deceit and harsh cruelty, commitment, love for the countryside and it's beauty, pity, depression, disappointment and extreme drama. Even though the contents of this book are dark and cruel there is something about it that draws me to the conclusion that I love the story. It ends well which is a fresh breath in the last pages and to anyone who enjoys a good English classic I would say you would love this story. I still can't fathom the unabandoned love that Heathcliff had for Catherine and can't understand some of the things that he did to show his undying affection for her. Great read!!

Rating: 9

The Winter Olympics!

So - the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada is well under way. A few medals already for the USA in the first few days. I have become addicted to watching them this year. It's probably because with the world in shambles we all need a little cheering up and it's good for the heart to see people's dreams become reality - for reals!


I wasn't going to post anything about the Olympics but since we've been watching it Addison has come up with some really cute comments about the things that she is seeing so I just have to right them down. I won't be posting this until after the Olympics are over because I want to add to the list.


Women's moguls - "that is funny, they look like bunnies hopping down the hill"


Men's luge - "mom, come quick - you gotta see this. These guys are jumping on a sled and going down a slide really, really, REALLY fast - it's so cool you just gotta see it!!" I haven't seen her eyes that big in awhile. Then I had to pretend that I had no idea what it was so she could tell me all about how they start and what they have to do on the "sled". It was too cute!


Figure Skating - "Mom is there water under the ice? I am scared that when they fall they are going to break the ice and go into the water"


Snowboarding - "Wow - that looks pretty dangerous" She also commented on Shaun White's hair and said that he should probably cut it. She laughed when we told her his nickname was "The Flying Tomato"


Bobsledding - She was super excited about this sport saying, "Man, that looks like a lot of fun". She also said, "I'm probably going to have to wait until I'm older to do that though cuz I'm too little now." Luckily she wasn't watching when they crashed like 5 seconds later.

Well, the Olympics are over and Addison is excited to see them end. She was a great sport at first and was fascinated by all of the things they could do that she's never seen before. But as the week progressed she was heard to say, "You are watching the dumb ole Olympics again". I guess it will take some time for her to realize what the Olympics are all about. Thanks Vancouver for a great winter Olympics - it was sooooo much fun to watch!!