Olympus High School Class of 2000 Alumni Website

We enjoyed a nice quiet Christmas here in Bakersfield. After moving in on Sunday we got to work putting things away and cleaned up the house just in time for Christmas. This was our first time doing Christmas on our own and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I think it definitely helped having our kids to enjoy Christmas with but they still were not sure what was going on.
Christmas was small this year. With moving and Eric not starting his job until mid January we could not afford anything big. We did get to take a shopping spree through my parent toy room since they were looking to get rid of some toys. That store was the best because all the toys were free. I found some good stuff in there.

Christmas Eve we were invited to a dinner party by a couple in our new ward. That was really nice especially since they didn’t know us. We enjoyed a great dinner with some games and great company. Then we came home and put the kids to bed. One of our traditions for Christmas eve is new pj’s. We never got around to buying new pj’s so I pulled out a pair that we got a couple of years ago. I think it was important that we matched to make it feel like they were new again. I think it worked. Eric and I wrapped presents while Aaron kept trying to come out of his room. We managed to keep him away from the living room. Then we had some hot chocolate.

Santa made the stop to our house. We were a little worried since we just moved. He managed to find us just fine.

Santa brought Aaron a rug with streets all over it and trucks to play with.

Kaylee got her first set of dolls and a book.

Santa heard that Eric was starting a new job soon so he brought Eric a new briefcase for work that can carry his laptop too.

No Picture: Angela got the new Super Mario Bros. game for the Wii and is loving it. (I am just about to beat the game)

Kaylee got some fun toys from Grandma Coleby. She loves her stacking cups.

Aaron was about to open another present but got distracted by the cool trains he got from his cousins.

Grandma Coleby scored once again with these awsome tractors for Aaron.

These kids loved their toys. They played with them all day long.

We had a very Merry Christmas. I think one of the things that made it feel like Christmas around here was the tree. We were not planning on getting a Christmas tree but on Christmas eve we were at Lowe’s and saw pre-lite artificial trees for 75% off. So we get the tree and I think that helped make our Christmas extra special this year.

Read more here:
Christmas at the Bells

I guess if you can say there is one good thing about your basement flooding, is that we totally reorganized everything. Here are some things I listed on KSL that we are interested in selling. I thought I would also post them on my blog. If you are interested in anything, email me at ktaggart1@hotmail.com

This stuff could make awesome Christmas gifts!

Black and Silver Ogio Laptop Bag – great condition $25

Franklin Day Planner – Perfect condition. Spence got it at his old work and rarely-never used it.
$20


Black Laptop Bag – fine condition, not as fancy as the other 2. $15

Beautiful Ogio carry on suitcase. Excellent condition. The only problem is that we can’t get the stick thing to pull out, so you would have to carry it vs pull it with the wheels. Other than that, it’s a great piece of luggage. $25

Black leather office chair – $60

Excellent indoor/outdoor table. We used it for our computer, but it could also make an awesome eating table for inside or outside. $55

This would make a wonderful Christmas gift. We got this for our wedding and NEVER used it. It is so cute, but I just don’t really see us ever using it. It is a picnic suitcase with service for four, plus has a big cooler section and it has the stick thing that comes out and you can wheel it like a suitcase. Perfect condition. $65

Black Ogio Premium Laptop Bag – $70.

Spence thinks this retails for $130, that is why the price seems a little high. It is a super nice laptop bag with no flaws or anything on it. Excellent condition.

Let me know if you are interested in anything. Happy shopping!

Read more here:
FoR SaLe!

Read more here:
How do you like the new blog format?(opinion)

One of the not-so-hidden benefits of unemployment is that you get a lot of things done that don’t really matter individually, but collectively make up a long list of “things I would do if only I had the time.” These days, in addition to scanning the want ads, I’m working on Etsy projects, breaking down my stack of magazines, working on my Pilates stances, and flying through my book list. I’ve hit a good rhythm where I can get through about one book every two days.

So, I thought it was probably time for another book review…

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

I hadn’t heard anything about this book or this woman until the movie came out and the trailer was on TV every five minutes. I have a soft spot for Amy Adams, thanks to Enchanted, so I wanted to see the film and decided to read the book first just to make sure I wasn’t ruining it for myself. Imagine my surprise when the book turned out to be about a twenty-something year old wife in a career that she doesn’t like and a life that she doesn’t really have a handle on, who turns everything around by creating a blog and dilligently working on it for a year.

It’s like someone wrote a modern day fairy tale just for me!

Now, since this is a true story, there are some things about the book that I would have liked to have seen turn out differently. That being said, it was a very entertaining read and it really spoke to me on a personal level. In fact, I liked the book enough that I’ll probably skip the movie so that it doesn’t ruin it…or at least wait until it comes out on DVD.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

This book has been floating around for a while, but it’s one of those books that just never caught me at the right time. It’s another true story…a memoir that follows a recently divorced woman as she travels through Italy, India, and Indonesia searching for herself, the meaning of life, etc. When I first started reading the book, I didn’t think I’d be able to get into it because the main character seemed really lost and really unhappy with herself and I never really connect to those types of characters. However, Elizabeth’s style of writing makes her incredibly endearing and I found myself really looking forward to each new chapter.

The book also made me reflect on my own path and my own spirituality and all that, which is one of my favorite after-effects that can come from reading. Anything that affects my soul in that way is something that I would recommend to others, even if it isn’t the most well-written or comprehensive memoir. I’d say you should pick up this book if you’re feeling a little lost, wondering where you fit in in this universe, or just feel like reaching out for a new friend. It does all three.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Oh, heaven.

I picked this book up after seeing it on every display at every bookstore for the last 6 months. I didn’t know much about it, other than that it was being made into a movie, and I didn’t let myself read the back panel because I wanted to be surprised. I knew that it was fiction, but other than that it was a complete blank slate.

And it was perfect. Soul-shaking, heart-fluttering, tears-in-my-eyes perfect.

For this reason, I won’t tell you what it’s about. I feel like not knowing the plot really helped me to enjoy it. I will simply tell you that a) this is not fluffy chick lit that you should be embarassed to be reading, b) this is the greatest first novel of any author that I have ever read, c) this book immediately entered the top ten books I’ve ever read…and I have read an insane amount of books in my life.

Just read it. You’ll love it.

Read more here:
One of the not-so-hidden benefits of unemployment is that you