Only in Utah

Book Review – The Alias

I’m coming to grips with the idea that not all books have to be considered classic literature to be good. There are books that are so amazing that they change your life and those are the books that I have long considered to be the ones worthy of my time. However, in doing book reviews, I am now reading more of the non-life shattering books. They may never make it to The New York Times Bestsellers, and that is perfectly o.k. As an aspiring author these books are giving me courage to get my stories onto a page.

The Alias is in the second category. It’s a simple story. It will probably never make the New York Times Bestsellers because of its simplicity. It’s short and sweet. It wasn’t life shattering for me, yet it was a completely enjoyable read. I read the book in a few hours. As I read this book, my philosophy on book enjoyment changed. Novels don’t have to be long with complex plots and words like honey to be good. They just have to tell a story that you are interested in reading. This story kept my interest throughout and by the end I found myself wanting to read more “simple” stories.

Not every author needs to be a JK Rowling or a Suzanne Collins. Mandi Slack is a small town Utah girl who loves the outdoors. She isn’t pretentious, I can tell this about her from her writing. I think she will be perfectly o.k. with me saying that her book was simple in nature…or at least I really hope so! I am not saying it was simple to write, but just a simple read. Simple being the same as easy, enjoyable, quick, and fun. Mandi Slack is the kind of mom with whom I would love to sit down and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. She’s imaginative. She’s deep. She has a great understanding of what kinds of inner struggles a women has when she is in an abusive relationship. I plan to go over to her blog and make a new online friend, just as soon as I finish this review.

Mandi Slack wrote a great short novel. It’s the kind of book someone needs to have in their possession on a intercontinental flight or for a night off with no kids and a bubble bath. It’s also the kind of book that a busy mom can squeeze in and enjoy in pieces between carpools, mealtimes, and before her head hits the pillow. Just look at the cover, and tell me it doesn’t draw you in.

The storyline went something like this: there is this girl named Jacey. She has a best friend Melissa. Jacey is running away from her psychopath husband and doing everything she can to protect her darling son who is at that awkward age between boy and young man. She’s a big city girl, but ends up in small-town Utah. The characters in Utah are so love-able that you will want them for your own distant relatives. There is a love interest that is just as dreamy as Jacob or Peeta. Two side story-lines are life on the small farm and life as a Mormon. Neither are overwhelmingly saturated, so I would recommend this book to all of my friends, even you Non-Mormons. I never like to give away too much of the plot. I hate spoilers. So, that is all you are getting from me. Just know that an alias is formed and the FBI is interested it and that this book will keep you in suspense.

I loved the book. It left me with characters who will go on with me through all the books I will read in the future. I looked deep inside myself to find that I share some insecurities with a fictional battered woman. Thank goodness I am married to a gentle giant. The Alias left me wanting to work on those insecurities. I loved the ending of the book. I am HUGE on the endings, as you all know. I got closure; that’s important to me.

On page 158, I absolutely adored the descriptions of the close-by Provo Canyon. If you read the book, and have never been to Utah, you have to know that the descriptive narration here is all spot-on. The Provo Canyon is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I loved seeing it through Jacey’s eyes.

Buy the book. Read it. And then come and visit me and I will take you to the Provo Canyon to see the awesome geological wonders as well as Mt. Timpanogos and Bridal Veil Falls.

Go here to buy it. It’s only $3.99 for the e-version. That is a pretty amazing price.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for this review but as you all know I always give my true opinions. I can’t help myself really.
View all my reviews

Utah skies

For your Sunday viewing pleasure,
I present God’s country.
Oh so breathtaking.
Thank you God for your glorious earth.

Genesis 9:11-16

And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it,

that I may remember the everlasting covenant

between God and every living creature

of all flesh that is upon the earth.

Acts9:3

And as he journeyed,

he came near Damascus:

and suddenly there shined round

about him a light from heaven.

Job 31:26

If I beheld the sun when it shined,
or the moon walking in brightness

Isaiah 14:14

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will be like the most High.

Psalms 78:14
In the daytime also he led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a light of fire.

Wolverine through and through

For you readers who aren’t familiar
with Utah,
last week was The Holy War.
That means that the holier than thou team BYU
got spanked by the rebellious Utah Utes.

I have a few suggestions for the team’s improvement,
inspired by photos of my kids and their cousins.

Maybe before their next football game,
the BYU Cougars
should go to The Bean Museum
for some inspiration
on their animal instincts?

They could learn to stare down and intimidate their opponents.

Charge like an ostrich.

If all else fails they could just be silly

and hope some laughs could get them some yardage.

Blending in may get them better results.

Or even crouching beneath the other team.

Maybe they just need some glasses?

Or maybe they won’t play any fair opponents at all

because they are just like helpless little mice.

How about this great idea?

We should just lock all the players in the elevator with our kids.

That might give them some better training then they’ve been getting.

Our future BYU cheerleader still looks good

even though she just experienced

two great defeats in the same week:

BYU’s 54-10 loss,

and a broken arm.

Poor Sophia.

Maybe the Cougars could change their mascot
to something a little more fierce
that can actually beat a Ute?

Did I mention that we aren’t really BYU fans?
Go Utah Valley University.
Everyone knows that Wolverines
are better than Cougars,
and usually a little more humble.

If you agree with me that UVU
is the best higher education
in Utah,
or you just loathe BYU,
how about you like my blog on facebook?
Look to your right sidebar.
You’re one click away from being my newest fan.

Scenes from the Utah trail

We were going to go on another
family bike ride for
Family Home Evening
last night
until we realized
it was a bad idea
because of Sophia’s broken arm.

So, we had Abigail give a lesson instead
from True to the Faith.
She had to do it for Personal Progress.
Might as kill two birds with one stone.

She taught us all about
modesty and profanity.

Abigail was sure to look in my direction
on that second one.
Damn semantics.
I can’t do it all.
And my pet sin is
an occasional swear word.
Didn’t it work for
J. Golden Kimball?

And really
what is the difference between
saying DANG or DAMN?
Go ahead,
feel free to enlighten me
and judge me
and tell me how evil I am.
I am such a horrible mother.
As evidenced by dinner
being served at almost
8 p.m. last night.

Whatever you do,
make sure and tell your kids not to read
my blog.
I would hate to be a role model.
The thought of it makes me cringe.

Sorry for the tangent.
Back to the bike ride.
We love riding in Utah.
It’s our family hobby.
And oh so much fun.

Check out the view
and tell me you don’t want to join us.

Yep, those are two deer,

right up the road.

Abigail said

“Mom, look,

it’s the kind of tree

that every kid draws.”

Only seen in Utah

and children’s doodle books

in your part of the world.

P.S. Biking is a great cheap source of entertainment.
And, did I mention great exercise?

Camping at Nunn’s Park

One really great cheap summer/fall activity is camping.

I think we pulled off this excursion

for the price of $15 for the site (group rate)

and $20 in groceries.

(It helps a lot to combine efforts with other families.

We didn’t share our smores though.)

If you don’t have the gear just borrow some.

I love living in the state of Utah

with all its camping abundance.

I LOVE CAMPING!

I can’t wait until all of our kids get old enough

to start backpacking.

There is something so relaxing about

leaving the rush of the world

and entering God’s country.

Nunn’s Park is so close,

we took full advantage

when a bunch of our neighbors

planned a great excursion.

This is how we do camping in Utah.

Warning:

Picture overload.

Good food is a must.

Scones are a local delicacy.

Thank you to Marilyn

for setting up shop.

And to Marilyn’s hubby

for all the frying.

Good stuff.

But you must buy the honey butter in the squirty jar.

mm mm good.

Don’t try cooking the scones

in the tent.

It’s not a good idea.

Before the sun goes down,

everybody needs to hop on their bikes.

You don’t want to miss out on the local beauty.

This one is called Bridal Veil Falls.

The kids always love anything

that includes water and rocks.

Of course there is more than one kind of beauty

that needs admiring.

Kick back and enjoy the campfire.

Smores are a must.

The kids love the tent so much that they don’t mind going to bed.

Of course camping is a lot more high tech than it used to be.

But some of the perks of camping remain the same.

Like mom and dad in their own tent.

Alone.

Of course I wasn’t talking about THAT.

You guys have such dirty minds.

Campsites are a lot closer than they used to be.

Which is why you will get your clothes back on,

get out of your tent at 2 am,

walk over to the camp full of 100 Spanish speakers

squeezed into a site made for one family,

and ask them nicely to keep it down.

In the morning, you wake the kids up at the crack of dawn,

and put them to work!

Don’t go without your favorite sausage.

And if you invite Colleen Gleason,

she will make the biggest best batch

of homemade pancake mix that you have ever seen.

Being the mother of 7 has it’s qualifiers you know.

Feeding the masses is very important.

Seriously, I mean to get her recipe.

I will share.

All kinds of grain.
And scrumptious.
She makes one big food bucket

and just adds water as she goes.

She says she used to use a bucket in two months.
When all her kids were at home.

I think I could give her a run for her money

with just four kids.

Of course because I would have to eat three pancakes

from every batch.

We plan to do a lot more camping.

Now that we are free from humidity and all varieties of bugs.

I laugh that Utah mothers actually carry around bug spray.
Are you kidding me?

Cafe Rio Pork

Being back in Utah has reunited us

with a lot of our most loved foods.

Fry Sauce for one.

mmm mmm.

Cafe Rio for two.

I thought I would help those of you out that aren’t close to a Cafe Rio.

Here is a recipe that I recently tried and loved.

Homemade Cafe Rio Pork.

It is made in a crockpot, so it’s perfect for Sundays.

Cook the 5-6 lb. pork roast alone in a crock pot on low overnight.

In the morning add

1 Liter Dr Pepper

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 clove minced garlic

6 oz red taco sauce

7 oz can green chilis

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

After about 4 hours, shred the pork and let cook for another 2 hours.

You can serve this burrito style, enchillada style or over a yummy salad.

Just don’t forget the cilantro and lime.

Funny, I scheduled this post two weeks ago, but lately two of my friends have both posted a variation on this recipe. You know it’s good, if it’s all over the blogosphere. The slow cooker part makes it great for this hot time of the year.

At the field.

In Utah,

being at the field,

awesome.

Thank you Rocky Mountains.

The Abbey Road Show

We had the great privilege of witnessing

the Abbey Road Show

in Provo

last Friday, July 1st.

Local Provo artists

covered the songs from

The Beatles’

Abbey Road.

And they were

A-MAZ-ING!!

I think it was on my facebook

on our way home from the concert

that I said that they were better than

the original.

And I meant it.

You know how we are

true Beatles fans

around here.

I would never say that

The Provosts

were better than the original

lightly.

Ryan Innes was my favorite.

Go and check him out.

It was the most amazing concert

I’ve ever attended.

And if the whole concert wasn’t good enough,

guess how it ended?

Me snuggled up to LG

watching 3 of our 4 kids

rock out

to our favorite

Hey Jude.

The song was awesome.

And then as if God was

putting his own stamp of approval

on the experience

(as it was an experience,

not just a concert)

fireworks started going off all around us.

I won’t lie.

I teared up.

Quite possibly,

this concert made my

life’s

Top 10

moments.

Seriously.

And guess what?

At the beginning of the concert,

before very many people had arrived.

I walked right past

that CJane

and I didn’t even say Hi.

Because she is too good for me.

And I am not giving her the time of day.

And I didn’t want to

sound desperate like the other girl

who was saying,

“I know you don’t know me,

but I have a blog,

and I follow yours religiously.”

CJane’s response:

“Oh, don’t we all know each other?”

Oh really then?

Why don’t you return my e-mails,

if you know me?

Huh? Huh?

Not all bloggers are created equal.

And LG says my best revenge

will be to get a greater

readership.

Which I will do.

And when her 5 minutes of fame are over

and mine are happening,

I will show her how to be nice,

and I will return her e-mail.

Oh yeah,

back to the

most amazing concert.

I will give it to CJane

about her rooftop series.

Best concert of all time.

Really.

Even if I am pretty sure that the

people who set up for the concert,

set up chairs and blankets in

any good viewing spot of the stage

early in the day

I won’t hold a grudge.

As we could hear the music,

and that is all that matters really.

We were maybe number 50-55 to arrive

and there was not a single place to

lay out our blankets

where we could actually see the stage.

boo hiss!

But really –

Mountains.

Rooftop.

Paper lanterns.

The NuSkin towers’ reflection

of the mountains.

Hoards of music lovers.

The Beatles.

Amazing musicians.

Perfect weather.

Families

dancing together

and

Fireworks.

What else could a girl

ever ask for?

Not much.

Except a returned e-mail.

Or five?

Enjoy the photos.

And if you have never listened

to Judicial LG’s version

of Hey Jude.

You must head over now.

So bad

and hilarious.

(You can forgo CJane’s write-up and just go here for the video of the Hey Jude experience)

Artist Cherie Call.

She was

the opening act.

There she is.
It’s the best picture I could get with my little camera.
Like I said,
even though we arrived plenty early,
the only spots left
were in the back.
Waaaaay back.

The kids loved the street vendors.

Caroline wanted a doll really bad.

Caroline can’t wait for the music to start.

She’s got her dance on.

Oh, and do you remember the people watching we did last time?
And I told you that LG and I have a hard time understanding up to date fashion?
Check out this guy’s butt.
I have no idea why he thinks that skinny jeans can be worn like a gangster.
We got shot after shot of his underwear throughout the night.
I wonder if he would even care
if he knew we were checking him out.

Glad we had something to make us laugh
while we were waiting for the music to start.

Don’t miss the fireworks.

So, on Saturday night at 10 pm, LG and I were walking out of the temple.
Yes, this temple. How amazing is that?

From our view up on the hill, there were fireworks going off all over the valley. It was absolutely breathtaking.

LG informed me that The Stadium of Fire would be happening any moment. For some reason, in my mind, I thought that it was going to happen on the actual 4th.

I decided we should hurry home and find a spot to watch the fireworks.

To my dismay, when we got home, the kids had no interest whatsoever in breaking away from the TV.

I pried their bodies and eyes from the tube, and made them pile in the car. I was not about to miss the fireworks, especially after this post.

As we drove down State street (Utah Valley’s version of Knoxville’s Kingston Pike) I was overwhelmed by so many US flags lit up along the road. The patriotism of Utahns is not only efficacious but admirable. People either love America here or they display their stars and stripes to compete with all the other businesses. And by all, I mean ALL. Everyone has a flag. Everyone.

The kids were grumbling during the whole drive.
Why do we have to do this?
We don’t want to watch the fireworks.
Let’s just go back home.
wah wah wah.

I told them to keep their eyes on the flags and to sing along.
I started loud and strong:

This land is your land, this land is my land….nothing but my voice.
Oh beautiful, for spacious skies….again, nothing from the back seats.
She’s a grand old flag, she’s a high flying flag….”Shut up, mom.”
God bless America….”Really, Alice, do you have to sing so loud?” said quietly by LG so the kids wouldn’t hear; I’m assuming he didn’t want to totally stomp on my love for country.
I’m proud to be an American….(even louder than before)

By this time the kids were all horrified and hating their mother and her motherland.

And guess what? By the time we got to Provo’s end of State from our northern end of Orem’s State, all we could see was traffic. The traffic was heading towards us, not with us.

Yes, I hate to tell you, Murphy’s Law is still in full effect, and has no respect for a nation’s holiday celebrated two days early or a very loud and song singing patriotic mother. We had missed the fireworks.

More grumbling, complaining, and whining ensued.

LG and I were not about to miss a good opportunity for teaching our kids.

Me: “Knock it off you guys, at least we still live in a country that has firework celebrations.”
LG: “There are a lot of kids in this world that would die to be in this car right now.”
Me: “Or to even have a car.”
LG: “Or to have a mother.”
Abigail: “Not if their mom sang like that.”
Me: “Especially if their mom sang like that.”
LG: “Yeah, think of all the kids out there that don’t live a country where they have mothers.” (O.k. I just made that up.) I think he really said, “You should be grateful for a mother who can sing, and cook, and do laundry.”

Abigail: “At least parents in other countries would be smart enough NOT to drive their family into the middle of the traffic jam, especially when their family missed the show.”
Me: “Well, at least there are other Americans with cars.”
LG: “And at least your mom can see in the dark and drive.”
Bella: “Mom, STOP!” (I admit it I barely missed that car in front of me.)

Anyhow, the conversation went on for a bit. And there was no chance of it stopping.
[In fact, it can still be happening if you want to comment what your best line would have been to the kids.]

Quietly, ever so quietly and with her Gold sense of perfect timing, Sophia chimes in. She must have looked up from reading Harry Potter for long enough to gather her sisters’ desperation for winning at the “Be glad you are American” game.

What does she say?
Brace yourself.

“Man, I wished I lived in Canada.”

Seven words. That’s all it takes to make a total complete disaster of an evening all worth it.
Good one Phia. Good one.
Average Americans should really consider more than 2.5 kids; they make everything more fun.

I told the kids that if they would sing their favorite patriotic song at the top of their lungs, then I would indeed STOP.

Abigail was loud and proud. I wonder where she gets that from?
“I’m a yankee doodle dandy. A yankee doodle, do or die.”

I am sure that all that traffic surrounding us was so grateful that they didn’t miss the real entertainment of the evening as I rolled all windows down.

And If I do say so myself those frostys from Wendy’s were the perfect consolation prize for everyone involved. Nothing like good old American food.

And when the song Firework came on the radio. I promise you, not just momma was singing. Even dad got in on the falsetto. Perfection, pure perfection.

We didn’t miss a thing. The fireworks had been going off in our car all night long.

And guess what? Utah loosened their firework laws this year. We can now shoot off 150 foot rockets from our very own neighborhoods. And on the real 4th of July, the sky was lit up in every direction we could turn. Our culdesac of fire was a billion times better than their Stadium of Fire. Fireworks in the sky on all four sides, coming from everywhere.

God bless America.