February is already here?

I know what you are all thinking... how is that 30 day blog challenge going?  I know my last post was January 1st, but I was a little busy m'kay.  Since it is the end of the month I am keeping up with reading and what I read in January.
January Reading List
The Bolyen Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
The Queens Fool by Philippa Gregory
The Virgin's Lover (still working on) by Philippa Gregory
The Autobiography of Henry VIII by his Fool Will Somers by Margaret George (still working on)
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (still working on)

30 Day Blog Challenge

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope everyone had a great start to 2012.  I found this 30 day blog challenge and thought it would be a great way to keep me blogging.  So here we go...
Day 1 Recent Picture and 5 Interesting Facts About Yourself

My family and I at the Pumpkin Patch October 2011

5 Interesting Facts

1.  I was born in Greybull Wyoming.

2.  My name was originally spelled Thalia but people were not pronouncing it right so my parents changed it.

3.  I have always wanted to be a teacher, even when I was little.

4.  I married my high school sweetheart.

5.  I was lucky enough to get to go to Europe for 10 days.

Books I read in 2011

I wanted to keep a list of all the books I read in 2011.  If you have not read any of these I really recommend them.  If there is a star by them it is one of my favorites of the year.

The Naked Truth by Danielle Stab
Unsweetined by Jodie Sweetin
Vampire Diaries Series by LJ Smith (audio)

• The Awakening 
• The Struggle

Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard

• #9 Twisted*

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

• The Lying Game (audio)
• #2 Never Have I Ever (working on)

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (audio-working on)

Sookie Stackhouse Series* by Charlaine Harris

• Dead Until Dark (audio)
• Living Dead in Dallas
• Club Dead
• Dead to the World
• Dead as a Doornail
• Definitely Dead
• All Together Dead
• From Dead to Worse
• Dead and Gone 
• Dead in the Family
• Dead Reckoning 
• Sookie Stackhouse Companion Series
• A Touch of Dead Sookie Stackhouse Short Stories

The Tudor Court Series by Phillippa Greggory

• The Constant Princess
• The Other Boleyn Girl*
• The Wise Woman*
• The Boleyn Inheritance (working on)

In 2012 I am going to have a post every month dedicated to what books I have read.  My goal is to at least get 6 books read/month.  Happy reading everyone!!

Recap of 2011 in Pictures

Here is a recap of 2011 with my favorite pictures of the year!

1st Birthday

Easter

Grandpa Smith made toy box for Christmas

1 year pictures

Fathers Day. 1st time in sprinkler

Vacation to Wyoming

Fathers Day

Wyoming Vacation

Story Book Island, Rapid City South Dakota

Badlands South Dakota

4th of July

Wild Dunes, South Carolina

Charleston South Carolina

1st Day of Fall

Playing in the snow 2011

Uncle John's Pumpkin Patch

My little Dorothy!   

Oak View Nursery Pumpkin Patch

Christmas Day

Christmas Eve

12 Goals for 2012!

Its that time of year when I go and make resolutions I am not going to keep.  This time I am going to make short term goals like a checklist and see if I can accomplish some important items that way.  So here it is folks, Talea's 12 Goals for 2012:

1.  Get Jessalynn to give up her bink.

2.  Get Jessalynn to give up her sippy cup at night.

3.  Get Jessalynn to sleep in her bed all night.  Key word is her bed.

4.  Potty train Jess.

5.  Clean/Sort the whole house and get things ready for a garage sale in June.

6.  Have a garage Sale in June.  Fingers crossed.

7.  Pass both PRAXIS Teacher Exams for my Minnesota License.

8.  Become physically and mentally healthy. ie. lose weight, eat better, and don't stress out as much

9.  Recycle Paper, Cans and boxes

10.  Blog at least 5 days a week.

11.  Go to church more.

12.  Save money so we can go on more vacations.

Bring on the new year!!!

Christmas 2011

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  The Smiths sure did.  We started some new traditions this year, which was really fun.   Christmas Eve we went to church and after we went around Owatonna and looked at Christmas lights.  When we got home, Jess got to open her one present which was Christmas pj's.   For dinner we ate tacos and had ice cream sundaes for a special treat.   To end the night we watched A Christmas Story.  After Jessalynn went to bed we put her kitchen together.

Getting ready to go to Christmas Eve Service

Opening Christmas Pajamas

Christmas Eve 2011

Jessalynn's 2011 Christmas ornament

Christmas day we got up around 8:30.  We opened all the presents.  Jessalynn's wrapping paper was Mickey Mouse so she knew what presents to open.  That worked out really well.  We were pretty much done unwrapping, putting together and putting batteries in all the toys by 10:30.  I made a big pancake breakfast.  Afterwards we played with all of Jessalynn's toys.  About 1:30 everyone took a nap.  For Christmas dinner we had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, corn, rolls, and cheesecake.  We had a great day.