Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Notorious Spinks Talk Books this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
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I definitely haven't been doing this every week but I haven't needed to. I tried to have a lighter load for summer and spend as much time as possible outside. These are some of the goodies that came in the last two months. I hope you've had plenty of great reads at your house!

The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg
For review from Goodreads First Reads (arc)

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voight
For review from NetGalley (ebook arc)

Deadtown by Nancy Holzner
From Paperback Swap

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Free with coupon from Kobo (ebook)

The Troop by Nick Cutter
For review from Goodreads First Readers (arc)

The Angel Stone by Juliet Dark
For review from LibraryThing (arc)

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman
For review from NetGalley (arc)

Rude Bitches Make Me Tired by Celia Rivenbark
For review and giveaway from St. Martin's

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot (originally hosted by At Home with Books) is now hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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 My youngest son is 20 years-old and a few months ago got a great job 2 hours away as a welder. He loves it and is quite happy but it's a bit unnerving when your baby boy sends this photo home!

Yep, he's high off the ground and I don't like it one bit. But I'm very proud of him and trust him to stay safe and work hard. And I hope and pray - a lot!

On a lighter note, we took The Princess to her first dance class this week. She's taking tap and ballet and loved it! Grandpa and Monkey Boy went for a walk while I waited. I made the kiddos pose first, of course. That's what grandmas do!

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot (originally hosted by At Home with Books) is now hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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 So many family changes lately! Good changes - graduations, new apartments, new jobs - but it's still making me sentimental. My last boy moved out yesterday so my nest is empty. For now. They've moved in and out a few times and it's been fine with us. (I did it twice to my mom!) Two sons live in town and have added to our family. One son lives two hours away and comes home most weekends. I'm so proud of all of them and I'm a very lucky mom. Please indulge me as I reminisce.

Little Wright Brothers

We didn't get to Kmart photo studio before closing time so I made them pose in the back yard

Playing in the mud

Soccer games

Family photo in the yard

Tried to pose for Christmas card photo but dogs wouldn't cooperate and boys wouldn't smile. Epic fail!

Traditional first day of school photo. They were pissed but I wouldn't let them leave until they did it!

Oldest boy's first day of college. I cried when when each boy got a turn

Mother's Day pose

At the pool's beach during our Universal Resort vacation

Last night of family dinners at Margaritaville, Universal Orlando

Father's Day - 3 generations of Wright Brothers!!

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :
1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"The patch of white hairs, the stubble on my legs, the heels in need of exfoliating...nothing goes unnoticed by my lovely children. At the end of the day, as I read the boys bedtime stories, Evan inevitably focuses on my face. "What's that dot?" he will ask, pointing to the tiniest pore or a  birthmark or a chicken pox scar. One by one, he counts them like he's counting sheep, falling asleep to the comfort of my imperfections."

~page 66
Motherhood Comes Naturally (and other vicious lies) by Jill Smokler

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Book Obsessed this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
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I haven't done this in several weeks. I've been cutting back a bit but still had some good stuff come in that I wanted to share. I can't wait to head out to my hammock to enjoy them all. I hope you've had some great summer reading arrive at your house as well!

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
For review from NetGalley (ebook)

Rotters by Daniel Kraus
From Sync (audiobook)

The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann
Free from Sync (audiobook)

Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass
Free from Barnes & Noble Free Friday (ebook)

Unremembered by Jessica Brody
For review from Macmillan Fierce Reads (hardcover)
*This is a follow up to the first set I received last year and there were other goodies as well so stay tuned!

Monument 14: Sky on Fire (book 2) by Emmy Laybourne
For review from Fierce Reads (hardcover)

Of Triton (book 2) by Anna Banks
For review from Fierce Reads (hardcover)

Siege and Storm (book 2) by Leigh Bardugo
For review from Fierce Reads (hardcover)

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot (originally hosted by At Home with Books) is now hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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 I've been working for weeks on a photo book for my niece who just graduated high school. It was such a fun project but it took so much time. Now I can get back to my reading and posting reviews that just need a few finishing touches. I have a few other goodies coming up too.

We always have time for the grandkiddos, of course, and last weekend they were here playing in the yard, swimming in their little pool and helping Grandpa with his haircut. Great time for photos!

Monkey Boy & The Princess help Grandpa

When The Princess was told she missed a spot she said "Are you trying to get rid of ALL your hair??"

Monkey Boy was on the clean up crew and yes, he is naked!

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot (originally hosted by At Home with Books) is now hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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Two years ago (October, 2011) our family took an amazing trip that my hubby won to Universal Resort in Orlando. Yes, people really do win these things! I wrote a post about it and included some photos in a previous Saturday Snapshot. I hope you don't mind if I share a few more of my favorites here today. These are mostly touristy spots along the City Walk.

Main entrance to the park

Hard Rock Cafe

NBA City Restaurant

Our favorite place to eat - Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville! (Yep, that place - "stepped on a pop top, blew out a flip flop...")

One of Jimmy Buffett's actual planes parked (permanently) by the restaurant

Of course we had to be dorky tourists posing by the Universal trademark

My favorite place with my favorite guys, the beach at our humungous pool at the Hard Rock Hotel

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot (originally hosted by At Home with Books) is now hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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A few years ago (June '09) I posted photos of the progress of some baby birds we had at our house (details are here and here). Robins make nests everywhere around my house and we just had a new batch of birds take flying lessons from their momma last week. She built her nest in the eves of our porch and when our dogs went to investigate the babies hopping and "flying" in the driveway, momma bird chased one dog all the way to the backyard! (No birds were harmed but my dog was scared and we were entertained.) I thought I would put up old photos again since it's quite timely.

Week 1 - Robin builds nest in wreath on my porch (I still have the wreath with the empty nest!)

Week 2 - beautiful blue eggs

Week 4 - ugly baby birds

Week 5 - cute baby birds

Week 6 - hungry baby birds

Week 6 + 2 days - crowded baby birds

Week 6 + 5 days - learning to fly baby birds, and they never came back