I just got this from my brother and had to share it. It is a video of my brother in law Dan taken by my brother Greg introducing their new Olympic sport. I wish I'd been there!
Showing posts with label NB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NB. Show all posts
Monday, December 29, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Dancing Girl
We had some pictures posted yesterday of Abi on Christmas day dancing to Doug's new CD. I tried to get it on video as much as possible so here is a little video of her dancing over the past two days... it is a little long so only watch if you really want to see her dancing! I love the abandon with which she dances! Keep an ear out for her singing along.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Hippopotamus
This is a video we made for some of our family for Christmas. I thought I'd post it on here because I like it so much!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Husband Tag
In prep for our anniversary tomorrow I thought I would do this husband tag:
1. how long we've been married: Tomorrow is our 5th anniversary.
2. how long we dated: about two months in high school and then a little over two years this time around.
3. who eats the sweets: It depends. I like candy more than Doug does but he could eat 20 ice cream sandwiches in one sitting (not that he does this.. but he could)
4. who said i love you first: I did.
5. who is taller: Doug is taller by a couple of inches.I think we are both kind of vertically challenged.
6. who sings better: Doug does for sure. I love to sing by myself and with Abi but not around other people.
7. who is smarter: I have no idea. I think we are smart in different ways. I really don't know much about computers except for what I have to know to do the things I like to do on one and he can build them. I like doing logic puzzles for fun. He does not. I think we probably balance each other out in this area.
8. who does the laundry: I do with the help of Abi. She likes to put the clothes in the dryer.
9. who pays the bills: Doug does most of the time
10. who sleeps on the right side of the bed: I do. Although I tend to sleep diagonally- I think I'm finally getting better. When we were first married and Doug was first discovering this about me he would push me back over to my side. One time pretty early on he actually pushed me right off the bed. Nice.
11. who mows the lawn: Doug does thank goodness. Sometimes when he doesn't have the time for a while it gets really long but he always does it because I am allergic to grass and get rashes all over when I mow.
12. who cooks dinner: I do. Occasionally Doug pops something in the microwave or rice cooker.
13. who drives: Doug usually drives when we are all together.
14. who admits they are wrong: we both do, but I think I do it sooner.
15. who asked who out first: In high school he asked me out on the first date but this time around I think it was me. I just invited him over to hang out at my house.
16. who wears the pants: I hate even saying that it's me, and I'd rather that it was him... but I'm just more of a type A control freak personality and he's a laid back, "oh, whatever happens, happens" type of personality.
17. what does he do that surprises you: That's a hard question for me. We knew each other so well before we got married that I don't think anything really surprised me too much. As far as if its asking if he surprises me with things - not really. He did surprise me when he asked me to marry him. I wasn't expecting that yet.
18. what is your favorite feature on him: His eyes. They are such a pretty color.
19. what are your favorite qualities about him: He is the most loyal person in the world. If you become his friend you will be his friend for life and he will do anything for you. He cares about everyone around him- hoping everyone is having a good time and taken care of. He is very hard working and will do whatever it takes to take care of our little family and make it so I can stay at home with our daughter, he is really funny, he is very imaginative, he is not judgemental at all, and he has the priesthood.
20. does he have a nickname for you: Spanky. He didn't come up with this though. This was my nickname in high school so he still remembers me as that. It has a weird story behind it -maybe I'll share sometime.
21. what is his favorite food: Anything edible. Ha. He loves this salad his mom makes that they have all dubbed "Doug Salad". If we were going out he loves steak at most places and cheese fries and Hawaiian burger at Training table back in Utah. If I'm cooking his favorites are Taco Soup, Tator Tot Casserole, and Cafe Rio enchiladas.
22. what is his favorite sport: I have no idea. I would imagine it is soccer.
23. what is your favorite thing to do as a couple: watch movies, talk, family traditions.
24. does he have any hidden talents? He is writing a book that is really great.
25. what do you admire about him: He really wants to do the right thing. It's not always easy and we all struggle but he really tries. He takes care of us and he has a really good attitude about it. He is a really decent guy and really wants to make everyone around him happy.
Doug and his little brother Mark
1. how long we've been married: Tomorrow is our 5th anniversary.
2. how long we dated: about two months in high school and then a little over two years this time around.
3. who eats the sweets: It depends. I like candy more than Doug does but he could eat 20 ice cream sandwiches in one sitting (not that he does this.. but he could)
4. who said i love you first: I did.
5. who is taller: Doug is taller by a couple of inches.I think we are both kind of vertically challenged.
6. who sings better: Doug does for sure. I love to sing by myself and with Abi but not around other people.
7. who is smarter: I have no idea. I think we are smart in different ways. I really don't know much about computers except for what I have to know to do the things I like to do on one and he can build them. I like doing logic puzzles for fun. He does not. I think we probably balance each other out in this area.
8. who does the laundry: I do with the help of Abi. She likes to put the clothes in the dryer.
9. who pays the bills: Doug does most of the time
10. who sleeps on the right side of the bed: I do. Although I tend to sleep diagonally- I think I'm finally getting better. When we were first married and Doug was first discovering this about me he would push me back over to my side. One time pretty early on he actually pushed me right off the bed. Nice.
11. who mows the lawn: Doug does thank goodness. Sometimes when he doesn't have the time for a while it gets really long but he always does it because I am allergic to grass and get rashes all over when I mow.
12. who cooks dinner: I do. Occasionally Doug pops something in the microwave or rice cooker.
13. who drives: Doug usually drives when we are all together.
14. who admits they are wrong: we both do, but I think I do it sooner.
15. who asked who out first: In high school he asked me out on the first date but this time around I think it was me. I just invited him over to hang out at my house.
16. who wears the pants: I hate even saying that it's me, and I'd rather that it was him... but I'm just more of a type A control freak personality and he's a laid back, "oh, whatever happens, happens" type of personality.
17. what does he do that surprises you: That's a hard question for me. We knew each other so well before we got married that I don't think anything really surprised me too much. As far as if its asking if he surprises me with things - not really. He did surprise me when he asked me to marry him. I wasn't expecting that yet.
18. what is your favorite feature on him: His eyes. They are such a pretty color.
19. what are your favorite qualities about him: He is the most loyal person in the world. If you become his friend you will be his friend for life and he will do anything for you. He cares about everyone around him- hoping everyone is having a good time and taken care of. He is very hard working and will do whatever it takes to take care of our little family and make it so I can stay at home with our daughter, he is really funny, he is very imaginative, he is not judgemental at all, and he has the priesthood.
20. does he have a nickname for you: Spanky. He didn't come up with this though. This was my nickname in high school so he still remembers me as that. It has a weird story behind it -maybe I'll share sometime.
21. what is his favorite food: Anything edible. Ha. He loves this salad his mom makes that they have all dubbed "Doug Salad". If we were going out he loves steak at most places and cheese fries and Hawaiian burger at Training table back in Utah. If I'm cooking his favorites are Taco Soup, Tator Tot Casserole, and Cafe Rio enchiladas.
22. what is his favorite sport: I have no idea. I would imagine it is soccer.
23. what is your favorite thing to do as a couple: watch movies, talk, family traditions.
24. does he have any hidden talents? He is writing a book that is really great.
25. what do you admire about him: He really wants to do the right thing. It's not always easy and we all struggle but he really tries. He takes care of us and he has a really good attitude about it. He is a really decent guy and really wants to make everyone around him happy.
Doug and his little brother Mark
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Abigail part 1
On Abi's 3rd birthday I thought I would look back at her arrival. It is so hard for me to believe she is already 3.
Since I always loved children and got along with them pretty well all of my friends thought I would be the first one to have kids and have dozens of them.. in actuality I think I was the last one to start a family and obviously have the least amount!
I was 28 when I found out I was pregnant with Abi and deliriously happy. I had wanted a child for so long but the time hadn't been right and Doug and I wanted him to be done with school. Once we decided to have her it wasn't that long of a wait.. but it felt like it.
We wanted to tell our families in a creative way so before I even found out I ordered some pink and blue baby M&Ms and stashed them away. I couldn't keep it from my family for long. My sister was the first to know as I called her before I even got tested.
I found out right before Mothers Day. I asked my parents to come visit me at work so I could give my mom a Mothers Day gift. When they did I gave her a William Joseph CD and then a book. The book had a picture in the cover of my mom and was entitled The World's best Grandma. At first she didn't think anything of it and then the light turned on in her head that I wasn't just telling her that she was a great grandma but that she was about to be a grandma again. There was a lot of excitement.
For Doug's family we showed up on Mothers Day for the family dinner and stealthily put the M&M's out on the tables outside in bowls. It took FOREVER for anyone to notice. Doug and I were inside the house and we heard some mumbling start. People were asking our sister in laws if they had put them out there. People had been sitting there eating them for a few minutes. It was so funny. Then they thought to ask us. Doug's mom screamed. It was awesome.
My pregnancy went by really fast. It was pretty easy. I got huge. I started out the pregnancy with a little book called "What to eat when you're expecting" determined that I wouldn't gain more than 35 pounds and I stuck to it completely and worked out at least 4-5 times a week still. At work people would invite me to the cake days and try to get me to eat all sorts of things by saying "You're pregnant.. you can eat it" and I would smile while eating my apple and say no. Then I went in for my doctors appointment at the end of the first trimester and found out I had gained 20 pounds. I was so upset at first. But my doctor convinced me that everyone is different and I just had to stay sensible. He did tell me to dumb down my workout routine because I already was plagued with more than normal amniotic fluid. Wierd. So, I spent the rest of the pregnancy eating normal and ended up gaining 60 pounds overall. I was really self concious about it the whole time but looking back I know I couldn't have done anything different. The worst part about it was the cankles (which thankfully went away pretty quick) and the fact that its taking me so long to lose it all!
I never threw up. The only things I suffered with were the too much amniotic fluid which caused a HUGE belly, water retention, headaches, and heartburn. They did notice in my ultrasounds that Abi's kidney was enlarged and had fluid in it so we were a little worried about that... but it turned out okay.
I have to admit that I wanted a girl right from the start. I wanted a girl so bad that I was scared to have my ultrasound because I knew if it was a boy I would love him the same but everyone would know I was disapointed- and I didn't want to feel that way. I couldn't help it though- I just wanted a girl. My mom and dad, Steph (my sister) and her daughters McKenna and Courtney all came to the appointment with Doug and I. Dad, Mckenna, and Courtney waited out in the hall but mom and Steph came in. It was incredible. We were so happy to see a healthy little girl! Mom and steph cried even more than I did. Afterward we celebrated at lunch and went and bought some girl clothes.
We had already decided on her name. It's just my favorite girl name.
Next up: birth
Since I always loved children and got along with them pretty well all of my friends thought I would be the first one to have kids and have dozens of them.. in actuality I think I was the last one to start a family and obviously have the least amount!
I was 28 when I found out I was pregnant with Abi and deliriously happy. I had wanted a child for so long but the time hadn't been right and Doug and I wanted him to be done with school. Once we decided to have her it wasn't that long of a wait.. but it felt like it.
We wanted to tell our families in a creative way so before I even found out I ordered some pink and blue baby M&Ms and stashed them away. I couldn't keep it from my family for long. My sister was the first to know as I called her before I even got tested.
I found out right before Mothers Day. I asked my parents to come visit me at work so I could give my mom a Mothers Day gift. When they did I gave her a William Joseph CD and then a book. The book had a picture in the cover of my mom and was entitled The World's best Grandma. At first she didn't think anything of it and then the light turned on in her head that I wasn't just telling her that she was a great grandma but that she was about to be a grandma again. There was a lot of excitement.
For Doug's family we showed up on Mothers Day for the family dinner and stealthily put the M&M's out on the tables outside in bowls. It took FOREVER for anyone to notice. Doug and I were inside the house and we heard some mumbling start. People were asking our sister in laws if they had put them out there. People had been sitting there eating them for a few minutes. It was so funny. Then they thought to ask us. Doug's mom screamed. It was awesome.
My pregnancy went by really fast. It was pretty easy. I got huge. I started out the pregnancy with a little book called "What to eat when you're expecting" determined that I wouldn't gain more than 35 pounds and I stuck to it completely and worked out at least 4-5 times a week still. At work people would invite me to the cake days and try to get me to eat all sorts of things by saying "You're pregnant.. you can eat it" and I would smile while eating my apple and say no. Then I went in for my doctors appointment at the end of the first trimester and found out I had gained 20 pounds. I was so upset at first. But my doctor convinced me that everyone is different and I just had to stay sensible. He did tell me to dumb down my workout routine because I already was plagued with more than normal amniotic fluid. Wierd. So, I spent the rest of the pregnancy eating normal and ended up gaining 60 pounds overall. I was really self concious about it the whole time but looking back I know I couldn't have done anything different. The worst part about it was the cankles (which thankfully went away pretty quick) and the fact that its taking me so long to lose it all!
I never threw up. The only things I suffered with were the too much amniotic fluid which caused a HUGE belly, water retention, headaches, and heartburn. They did notice in my ultrasounds that Abi's kidney was enlarged and had fluid in it so we were a little worried about that... but it turned out okay.
I have to admit that I wanted a girl right from the start. I wanted a girl so bad that I was scared to have my ultrasound because I knew if it was a boy I would love him the same but everyone would know I was disapointed- and I didn't want to feel that way. I couldn't help it though- I just wanted a girl. My mom and dad, Steph (my sister) and her daughters McKenna and Courtney all came to the appointment with Doug and I. Dad, Mckenna, and Courtney waited out in the hall but mom and Steph came in. It was incredible. We were so happy to see a healthy little girl! Mom and steph cried even more than I did. Afterward we celebrated at lunch and went and bought some girl clothes.
We had already decided on her name. It's just my favorite girl name.
Next up: birth
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Preschool and Birthday prep
Preschool: here they are with their gumdrop trees- worst idea ever! Those toothpicks are dangerous. Just ask my punctured finger and the two little girls that kept saying "ouch."The giant ornaments were the parent presents.
I just finished making Abi's cake a few minutes ago. I started this at about 7am and worked on it until preschool started and then again after lunch until now... so here it is ready for the party. Now I must go clean up the mess I made making it.
I just finished making Abi's cake a few minutes ago. I started this at about 7am and worked on it until preschool started and then again after lunch until now... so here it is ready for the party. Now I must go clean up the mess I made making it.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Thursday's Thirteen: Concerts
I know... I know... it's not Thursday. I started this post on Thursday and didn't get around to finishing it so here it is a few days late. (this could have something to do with the fact that we ended up at the hospital for so long that night!)
My 13 favorite concerts I've ever been to: (in random but mostly chronological order)
1. The first one I was thinking of is kind of weird. It was a big group of singers including Richard Marx (Hot Jam '91)and I won tickets and back stage passes from the radio. My best friend in junior high, Kelsey, my sister Steph, and I went downtown for it. I doubt it was that great but I remember feeling so cool going backstage and meeting all of the musicians. We got a lot of signatures- I have no idea where they are now. The funniest thing about it is that I remember it being this huge thing but I can't find a journal entry about it and I don't remember who else was there and who we met. Steph, do you remember?
2. Oingo Boingo- October 1991: Kelsey and I were allowed to go to this concert all by ourselves. Woo hoo. They were one of my favorite bands at the time so it was amazing. We were even on the news in the background jumping up and down during Dead Man's Party. We felt so cool. It was a great concert though.
3. New Kids on the Block- Unfortunately I can't remember the exact date but it was sometime in 1991/1992. I went with ....wait for it... my MOM! She was a fan as well although not a silly screamy fan- she just liked some of their songs. We had a blast together which was pretty cool since at that point in my life (junior high) we did not get along that great. We were way up in the nosebleed section but it was still so much fun.
4. Blonde Eugene- Not any concert in particular but I have to mention them. This band was a small local one that consisted of a few guys I knew. Two were my best friend Jenny's brothers (one of which I dated very briefly) and we all thought they were the coolest band ever. We went to every concert for probably about 3-4 years.
5. Another multi band concert for a country station: country is not my favorite type of music but I went to this with my mom and my brother Greg one summer. Collin Raye was just starting out and I really liked his songs. At this particular outdoor concert all of the smaller bands were hanging out at booths so you could meet them. I spotted Collin Raye and approached him. I told him how I was a huge fan. He told me I was sweet and gave me a huge hug and signed my notebook. Soon after that he became a much bigger star so I always loved this memory.
6. Duran Duran: August of 1993 with my best friends Jenny and Lora and our three significant others Matt, Chuck, and Taylor. This was up at Park City and was amazing. I loved every minute of it.
7. Paul Revere and the Raiders and Lovin' Spoonful: April 1994: Our police lady friend gave Jenny and I free tickets to this concert sponsored by the police. We were pretty much the only people there under 50 and had no idea who they were. Then the music started and we recognized the songs. It was so much fun. We danced like maniacs and then met the bands afterward. Since we didn't have pictures or albums like the other people did, we had them sign paper towels that we grabbed out of the bathroom. They hesitated at first and then laughed about it.Paul Revere:
Lovin' Spoonful:
8. Depeche Mode: May 1994 with my friend Jason. This was one of the best concerts ever. We had such a great time. It was in Park City. There is also a crazy story. After the concert when we were back in SLC we went to some people that we were with's apartment and Jason almost got smooshed by a drunk guy that came flying into the parking lot... and already had a big huge dent in the front of his car and windshield.
9. John Denver, Eddie Money, and America: March 1995 with my friend Jason again. It was a free concert downtown outside. It was amazing. America was great but the highlight of the night was John Denver. I really loved his music-I grew up listening to it but the most amazing thing about it was how he was sitting on this stool with just a guitar and a microphone and sounded better than he did on CD's. It was so great. Now that he has passed away I am so grateful that I was able to experience that while he was still here.
10. Colors: May 1995- This was just another local band that came up to our Young Women's Camp during this summer. First of all, I don't know who's idea it was to have 3 cute boys that were really talented come up to a girls camp full of silly 12-18 year olds that haven't seen a boy in 4 days but.... we all loved it. We met them afterward as well.
11. Yanni: 1997- I love Yanni. It's no secret. I've been to his concerts 3 times but the first one was particularly special. We flew to Connecticut to see him at the Foxwoods casino. The show was very intimate... we were about 10 feet away from him. (maybe closer) It was AMAZING!
12. Midnight Oil: 2002- Doug and I went to this when we were dating. They were one of my favorite junior high bands so it was so nostalgic. The concert was big and noisy but we had a great time.
13. Muse: This was in 2004 a few months after we were married. They played in a small club/bar downtown so there was a really small crowd. We were front row standing right beneath their stage. It was great but VERY loud. We said hi to them as they walked off which was pretty cool.
Honorable mention: Some of you may know that Doug was in a band in high school and I was a groupie. So, there were a few 'gigs' for Xstatic attended throughout those years. (They later changed their name when they started doing 'real' shows but we weren't really in contact anymore so I didn't go to any of those.)
What great concerts have you been to?
My 13 favorite concerts I've ever been to: (in random but mostly chronological order)
1. The first one I was thinking of is kind of weird. It was a big group of singers including Richard Marx (Hot Jam '91)and I won tickets and back stage passes from the radio. My best friend in junior high, Kelsey, my sister Steph, and I went downtown for it. I doubt it was that great but I remember feeling so cool going backstage and meeting all of the musicians. We got a lot of signatures- I have no idea where they are now. The funniest thing about it is that I remember it being this huge thing but I can't find a journal entry about it and I don't remember who else was there and who we met. Steph, do you remember?
2. Oingo Boingo- October 1991: Kelsey and I were allowed to go to this concert all by ourselves. Woo hoo. They were one of my favorite bands at the time so it was amazing. We were even on the news in the background jumping up and down during Dead Man's Party. We felt so cool. It was a great concert though.
3. New Kids on the Block- Unfortunately I can't remember the exact date but it was sometime in 1991/1992. I went with ....wait for it... my MOM! She was a fan as well although not a silly screamy fan- she just liked some of their songs. We had a blast together which was pretty cool since at that point in my life (junior high) we did not get along that great. We were way up in the nosebleed section but it was still so much fun.
4. Blonde Eugene- Not any concert in particular but I have to mention them. This band was a small local one that consisted of a few guys I knew. Two were my best friend Jenny's brothers (one of which I dated very briefly) and we all thought they were the coolest band ever. We went to every concert for probably about 3-4 years.
5. Another multi band concert for a country station: country is not my favorite type of music but I went to this with my mom and my brother Greg one summer. Collin Raye was just starting out and I really liked his songs. At this particular outdoor concert all of the smaller bands were hanging out at booths so you could meet them. I spotted Collin Raye and approached him. I told him how I was a huge fan. He told me I was sweet and gave me a huge hug and signed my notebook. Soon after that he became a much bigger star so I always loved this memory.
6. Duran Duran: August of 1993 with my best friends Jenny and Lora and our three significant others Matt, Chuck, and Taylor. This was up at Park City and was amazing. I loved every minute of it.
7. Paul Revere and the Raiders and Lovin' Spoonful: April 1994: Our police lady friend gave Jenny and I free tickets to this concert sponsored by the police. We were pretty much the only people there under 50 and had no idea who they were. Then the music started and we recognized the songs. It was so much fun. We danced like maniacs and then met the bands afterward. Since we didn't have pictures or albums like the other people did, we had them sign paper towels that we grabbed out of the bathroom. They hesitated at first and then laughed about it.Paul Revere:
Lovin' Spoonful:
8. Depeche Mode: May 1994 with my friend Jason. This was one of the best concerts ever. We had such a great time. It was in Park City. There is also a crazy story. After the concert when we were back in SLC we went to some people that we were with's apartment and Jason almost got smooshed by a drunk guy that came flying into the parking lot... and already had a big huge dent in the front of his car and windshield.
9. John Denver, Eddie Money, and America: March 1995 with my friend Jason again. It was a free concert downtown outside. It was amazing. America was great but the highlight of the night was John Denver. I really loved his music-I grew up listening to it but the most amazing thing about it was how he was sitting on this stool with just a guitar and a microphone and sounded better than he did on CD's. It was so great. Now that he has passed away I am so grateful that I was able to experience that while he was still here.
10. Colors: May 1995- This was just another local band that came up to our Young Women's Camp during this summer. First of all, I don't know who's idea it was to have 3 cute boys that were really talented come up to a girls camp full of silly 12-18 year olds that haven't seen a boy in 4 days but.... we all loved it. We met them afterward as well.
11. Yanni: 1997- I love Yanni. It's no secret. I've been to his concerts 3 times but the first one was particularly special. We flew to Connecticut to see him at the Foxwoods casino. The show was very intimate... we were about 10 feet away from him. (maybe closer) It was AMAZING!
12. Midnight Oil: 2002- Doug and I went to this when we were dating. They were one of my favorite junior high bands so it was so nostalgic. The concert was big and noisy but we had a great time.
13. Muse: This was in 2004 a few months after we were married. They played in a small club/bar downtown so there was a really small crowd. We were front row standing right beneath their stage. It was great but VERY loud. We said hi to them as they walked off which was pretty cool.
Honorable mention: Some of you may know that Doug was in a band in high school and I was a groupie. So, there were a few 'gigs' for Xstatic attended throughout those years. (They later changed their name when they started doing 'real' shows but we weren't really in contact anymore so I didn't go to any of those.)
What great concerts have you been to?
Thursday, December 4, 2008
I'm looking into hibernation.
I talked about how Abi hardly ever gets sick last week when she was throwing up. I jinxed us. She was being extremely, unusually cranky this morning during preschool and then I noticed before naptime that her eye was kind of goopy. During the time it took her to fall asleep it kept getting worse. She slept for a couple of hours and when she woke up it was swollen and didn't look good.
As soon as Doug got home from work we went to the walk in clinic and found out she has pink eye. They gave us some drops I have to give her for the next week and she is contagious for the next 24 hours the dr said.
Seriously, I don't think it is humanly possible for me to wash and sanitize our hands more than I do. I have these anxiety moments now wondering what germs are on what things- I am such a germaphobe it's just not right.
So, I may keep Abi out of nursery for the next few weeks as it seems like that must be where she is picking things up. She hasn't been out of the house much lately besides going there.
Does anyone know where I can pick up a big Abi sized bubble?
As soon as Doug got home from work we went to the walk in clinic and found out she has pink eye. They gave us some drops I have to give her for the next week and she is contagious for the next 24 hours the dr said.
Seriously, I don't think it is humanly possible for me to wash and sanitize our hands more than I do. I have these anxiety moments now wondering what germs are on what things- I am such a germaphobe it's just not right.
So, I may keep Abi out of nursery for the next few weeks as it seems like that must be where she is picking things up. She hasn't been out of the house much lately besides going there.
Does anyone know where I can pick up a big Abi sized bubble?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Christmas tag
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. I like wrapping paper best because a well wrapped package is so beautiful... but I don't posess the talent of gift wrapping and mine usually end up looking like Abi wrapped them so I use bags often.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I would love to have a real one. I loved going on treks into the wilderness to cut down our tree when I was little... but this year as we thought about getting a tree it was just a lot more economical to go with the fakie. I love it though. I think it's really pretty and it was a smoking deal.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually we put it up either the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving but this year, as chronicled on this blog, it was up the Sunday before Thanksgiving so my mom could be here for it.
4. When do you take the tree down? We usually leave it up until the second week of January. I would take it down on jan. 6th (the epiphany) but I hate taking it down.
5. Do you like eggnog? I love it. I never drink it any other time of year though (do they even have it out at other times?) I like it mixed with Sprite the best. It also can't be guzzled or a big glass...small doses.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmm... this is a hard one. I loved everything I got. This would probably be a toss up of the year I was ten when we were living in a borrowed one room trailer house (all 4 of us kids made do in the living room) and we didn't have much. That year was special. We had been apart for awhile and couldn't stand it anymore which was why we needed a place to stay while we waited for housing to open up. I remember being so happy to be back with Dad and so Christmas seemed so magical. I didn't expect much that year but I got a care bear. I loved Care Bears. The other one would probably be when I was in high school and I finally got all of LM Montgomery's books in paperback. It was such a wonderful moment to see so many books laid out by my stocking. I hadn't read most of them- only the Anne books- so I was so excited to delve into her other stories.
7. Hardest person to buy for? I'd say most boys- whether that is nephews, brothers, or whatever... it seems like most boys want video games which can get expensive.
8. Easiest person to buy for? I think this is probably Steph, Karen, Abi, and my parents.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? We have SO many. I collected nativities for a while. I love them. We have a large wooden one, a smaller wooden one (Just Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and a donkey), a sculpted thingy one (don't know how to describe that) of just Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, a few ornaments with it on them, a pillow, a fancier big breakable one, a candle holder,and Abi's fisher price one. I think that's all.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I love Christmas cards. My mom always sent out cards with a picture and a letter so all of us have carried that tradition on and I love doing it as well as getting other families cards and letters.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hmm.. it would probably be the wise men I got that were made out of beer bottles. They were really funny and I actually set them out for a few years but then I couldn't do it anymore and gave them away at a party for a white elephant gift.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Bishop's Wife- it is a Cary Grant movie where he plays an angel named Dudley that comes to help a bishop that needs help (he thinks) building a cathedral but actually needs help repairing the relationships in his life. They remade it a few years back and called it The Preachers Wife (Denzel and Whitney Houston) but it was no where near as good.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year. I have a spot in my closet where I can put things for birthdays and Christmas all year if I see a good deal. Usually I start in fall though.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, but it was a good one!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peanut Brittle and Nut clusters.
16. Lights on the tree? Mini and multicolored!
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night.
18. Travel at Christmas time or stay home? I love going home to see family and be able to partake in all of the fun family and friends activities. This year, however, we are staying home and I am pretty excited about being in our own home for Christmas. Someday I would love to stay at a snowed in cabin somewhere with all of my family over Christmas- I've been dreaming about that for years.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? The star my mom made for us!
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both. We open new pajamas and books on Christmas Eve. The rest waits for morning though. In the morning Abi gets presents from Santa first and we look at our stockings and then we take turns opening the remaining gifts.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? hearing about people that got in fights (and the one that died) on the shopping day. I like going shopping that day and getting deals but I can't understand getting that crazy over it.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My favorite ornaments are the homemade ones. I decorate with a lot of snowmen. We use mostly red and green with blue thrown in here and there because of the snowmen.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey or ham, potatoes, rolls, salad.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A convertible yellow beetle... haha...
a book.
TAG!! I tag all of you to do this on your blog!
2. Real tree or Artificial? I would love to have a real one. I loved going on treks into the wilderness to cut down our tree when I was little... but this year as we thought about getting a tree it was just a lot more economical to go with the fakie. I love it though. I think it's really pretty and it was a smoking deal.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually we put it up either the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving but this year, as chronicled on this blog, it was up the Sunday before Thanksgiving so my mom could be here for it.
4. When do you take the tree down? We usually leave it up until the second week of January. I would take it down on jan. 6th (the epiphany) but I hate taking it down.
5. Do you like eggnog? I love it. I never drink it any other time of year though (do they even have it out at other times?) I like it mixed with Sprite the best. It also can't be guzzled or a big glass...small doses.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmm... this is a hard one. I loved everything I got. This would probably be a toss up of the year I was ten when we were living in a borrowed one room trailer house (all 4 of us kids made do in the living room) and we didn't have much. That year was special. We had been apart for awhile and couldn't stand it anymore which was why we needed a place to stay while we waited for housing to open up. I remember being so happy to be back with Dad and so Christmas seemed so magical. I didn't expect much that year but I got a care bear. I loved Care Bears. The other one would probably be when I was in high school and I finally got all of LM Montgomery's books in paperback. It was such a wonderful moment to see so many books laid out by my stocking. I hadn't read most of them- only the Anne books- so I was so excited to delve into her other stories.
7. Hardest person to buy for? I'd say most boys- whether that is nephews, brothers, or whatever... it seems like most boys want video games which can get expensive.
8. Easiest person to buy for? I think this is probably Steph, Karen, Abi, and my parents.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? We have SO many. I collected nativities for a while. I love them. We have a large wooden one, a smaller wooden one (Just Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and a donkey), a sculpted thingy one (don't know how to describe that) of just Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, a few ornaments with it on them, a pillow, a fancier big breakable one, a candle holder,and Abi's fisher price one. I think that's all.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I love Christmas cards. My mom always sent out cards with a picture and a letter so all of us have carried that tradition on and I love doing it as well as getting other families cards and letters.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hmm.. it would probably be the wise men I got that were made out of beer bottles. They were really funny and I actually set them out for a few years but then I couldn't do it anymore and gave them away at a party for a white elephant gift.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Bishop's Wife- it is a Cary Grant movie where he plays an angel named Dudley that comes to help a bishop that needs help (he thinks) building a cathedral but actually needs help repairing the relationships in his life. They remade it a few years back and called it The Preachers Wife (Denzel and Whitney Houston) but it was no where near as good.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year. I have a spot in my closet where I can put things for birthdays and Christmas all year if I see a good deal. Usually I start in fall though.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, but it was a good one!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peanut Brittle and Nut clusters.
16. Lights on the tree? Mini and multicolored!
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night.
18. Travel at Christmas time or stay home? I love going home to see family and be able to partake in all of the fun family and friends activities. This year, however, we are staying home and I am pretty excited about being in our own home for Christmas. Someday I would love to stay at a snowed in cabin somewhere with all of my family over Christmas- I've been dreaming about that for years.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? The star my mom made for us!
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both. We open new pajamas and books on Christmas Eve. The rest waits for morning though. In the morning Abi gets presents from Santa first and we look at our stockings and then we take turns opening the remaining gifts.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? hearing about people that got in fights (and the one that died) on the shopping day. I like going shopping that day and getting deals but I can't understand getting that crazy over it.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My favorite ornaments are the homemade ones. I decorate with a lot of snowmen. We use mostly red and green with blue thrown in here and there because of the snowmen.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey or ham, potatoes, rolls, salad.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A convertible yellow beetle... haha...
a book.
TAG!! I tag all of you to do this on your blog!
Monday, December 1, 2008
If your kid likes legos....
Doug's brother Steven and his sons love Legos and they wrote a book last year called Brick of Mormon Stories. It has summaries of parts of the Book of Mormon accompanied by pictures they made with their Legos. It is a great book and Abi loves looking through it. Steven recently started a website/blog to promote this book and make it available for purchase online. So, if you are looking for something to help with scripture study/interest and your kids like Legos - be sure to check it out at
Brickofmormon.com !
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
We've got a sick girl..
I don't think I am good at having a sick kid! I'm just not used to it yet I guess. Abi will be three in about 3 weeks and has had only a handful or so of colds, one ear infection (last spring) and today she threw up for the very first time. Now you can see why I am not used to it yet.
She went down for nap and actually slept ( a rarity) and it had only been about 30 minutes when I heard her call to me. This is unusual as I now leave the door open and she usually just comes out looking for me so I ran upstairs to her room. She had thrown up all over her mattress and floor and herself. She looked like she was going to cry. I picked her up quickly and gave her a bath to clean her-especially her hair. While in the tub she was in great spirits and continued to act normal the rest of the afternoon. Doug played with her while I went grocery shopping and then when I got back I gave her some crackers with turkey and a little cheese and some water and sprite. She didn't eat much but was still being goofy and fun. We sang Jingle Bells while she watched me putting tootsie rolls on our advent streamer.
Then she began to crawl away toward the stairs. I asked where she was going and she whispered, "upstairs". I knew. Then she threw up all she had eaten which seemed to have tripled. It was horrible watching it happen this time. She looked so sad and confused. We cleaned her up again and I got her into bed.
I took her temperature and it is up but not too high I hope. We gave water. Doug gave her a blessing and she fell asleep faster than ever.
I am so worried about her. I keep stressing over it. Do we call the doctor? Do we go to the instacare just to make sure she is okay. I worry about dehydration and fever. Then I think I'd be dumb to go in over a kid throwing up twice. Then I remember how I felt that way when she cut open her head because we didn't think it was too bad and how the doctor said it was good we came in.
So- how do you deal with sick kids? What advice can anyone give me?
What are the real warning signs and things I need to be doing?
I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be getting any sleep tonight!
She went down for nap and actually slept ( a rarity) and it had only been about 30 minutes when I heard her call to me. This is unusual as I now leave the door open and she usually just comes out looking for me so I ran upstairs to her room. She had thrown up all over her mattress and floor and herself. She looked like she was going to cry. I picked her up quickly and gave her a bath to clean her-especially her hair. While in the tub she was in great spirits and continued to act normal the rest of the afternoon. Doug played with her while I went grocery shopping and then when I got back I gave her some crackers with turkey and a little cheese and some water and sprite. She didn't eat much but was still being goofy and fun. We sang Jingle Bells while she watched me putting tootsie rolls on our advent streamer.
Then she began to crawl away toward the stairs. I asked where she was going and she whispered, "upstairs". I knew. Then she threw up all she had eaten which seemed to have tripled. It was horrible watching it happen this time. She looked so sad and confused. We cleaned her up again and I got her into bed.
I took her temperature and it is up but not too high I hope. We gave water. Doug gave her a blessing and she fell asleep faster than ever.
I am so worried about her. I keep stressing over it. Do we call the doctor? Do we go to the instacare just to make sure she is okay. I worry about dehydration and fever. Then I think I'd be dumb to go in over a kid throwing up twice. Then I remember how I felt that way when she cut open her head because we didn't think it was too bad and how the doctor said it was good we came in.
So- how do you deal with sick kids? What advice can anyone give me?
What are the real warning signs and things I need to be doing?
I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be getting any sleep tonight!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Twilight
Friday night mom and I went to see the late showing of the new Twilight movie... so did I like it?
YES!!!! I thought it was great. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews but I actually liked most of the things I have heard others didn't(such as the humor).
I thought it was funny and well acted. I thought every single person in that film was well cast. There wasn't anyone in it that made me think they shouldn't have been cast in as I was watching. I felt like the dialogue between Edward and Bella was awkward at first.. but it was supposed to be so I'm glad it was.
I am glad he wasn't shirtless the entire 'meadow scene' and I loved the kid that played Jacob- not that he was in it much but I thought he really looked like him.
My favorite scene was the baseball scene. It helped that my favorite Muse song was playing.
Anyway, I really felt like they kept the spirit of the book in the movie which is the most important thing to me when watching a movie that has been made from a book I like. I hope they make the rest of them and I will definately see it again. Oh and by the way- Mom liked it too.
YES!!!! I thought it was great. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews but I actually liked most of the things I have heard others didn't(such as the humor).
I thought it was funny and well acted. I thought every single person in that film was well cast. There wasn't anyone in it that made me think they shouldn't have been cast in as I was watching. I felt like the dialogue between Edward and Bella was awkward at first.. but it was supposed to be so I'm glad it was.
I am glad he wasn't shirtless the entire 'meadow scene' and I loved the kid that played Jacob- not that he was in it much but I thought he really looked like him.
My favorite scene was the baseball scene. It helped that my favorite Muse song was playing.
Anyway, I really felt like they kept the spirit of the book in the movie which is the most important thing to me when watching a movie that has been made from a book I like. I hope they make the rest of them and I will definately see it again. Oh and by the way- Mom liked it too.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A Tag: Things I've done
I thought this looked like a fun tag. The things I have done are in bold.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn't care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states- OH SO CLOSE!!! CURSE you Hawaii, Alaska, and North Dakota!
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends (still have them)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44 . Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDS (who doesn't?!)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day A c-section will do that to you!
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving (in a swimming pool)
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theatre
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on a television news program as an "expert"
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children well technically not raised... I'm still raising.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period I'm pretty sure I did this when my wisdom teeth were yanked.
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132.Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions So far- but I would love to go to one.
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair to brown to blond to brown to blond to brown to blond
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head well not all of it- just the sides.
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life
I tag ALL of you!
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn't care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states- OH SO CLOSE!!! CURSE you Hawaii, Alaska, and North Dakota!
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends (still have them)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44 . Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDS (who doesn't?!)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day A c-section will do that to you!
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving (in a swimming pool)
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theatre
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on a television news program as an "expert"
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children well technically not raised... I'm still raising.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period I'm pretty sure I did this when my wisdom teeth were yanked.
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132.Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions So far- but I would love to go to one.
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair to brown to blond to brown to blond to brown to blond
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head well not all of it- just the sides.
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life
I tag ALL of you!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Fridays Fifteen: for something light
I was going to do this post yesterday for Thursdays Thirteen but didn't get a chance- so I added onto it ....
My fifteen favorite actors (and one honorable mention) that will get me to just about any movie if they are in it: (in random order)
1. Steve Carrell- I think he is so funny. I love him in movies. I love him on The Office. I also think he looks a lot like Doug's dad.
2. Mark Ruffalo- the first thing I saw him in was 13 Going On 30 which is one my favorite romantic comedies. I loved him in that and then saw him in Just Like Heaven and decided he was a new favorite. Also, he's from Kenosha!!
3. Harrison Ford- Of course this started with Hans Solo and moved onto Indiana Jones. I was excited to see that I still loved him in that role in the new movie!
4. Colin Firth- Mr. Darcy! Enough said. No, I've liked him in many roles -my favorites being Mr. Darcy (of course) The Importance of Being Earnest, and Love Actually. I've only seen two movies I didn't like him in- one was a wierd one my mom and I got from the library last spring (bad memories eh mom) and Mamma Mia. I know I'm in the minority here because I have not talked to one person that didn't love that movie but I hated it.
5. Christian Bale- He is one of the top 3! From Newsies to Little Women to Batman... he's amazing.
6. Tom Hanks- don't remember if there has a been a movie I've not liked with him in it.....
7. River Phoenix- RIP..... He was my favorite celebrity during my junior high days. I still love to watch him in the Last Crusade as young Indiana Jones just to be able to see him and feel sad that he died so young.
8. Jonathan Crombie- how could he not be on my list? Even though I've only seen him in Anne of Green Gables I could not leave him off a list of my favorites.
9. Heath Ledger- I have liked him for a long time. I've seen a few movies of his that I didn't like but even in those he did an amazing job. For the most part though I have really liked his movies. I thought he did incredible in the new Batman.
10. Henry Cavill- I first saw him in the Count of Monte Cristo but he didn't get my full attention until The Tudors. I think part of it is his resemblence to Gilbert... This is who I pictured in my mind for Edward from Twilight.
11. Gerard Butler- He can do it all. Sing in The Phantom of the Opera, PS I love you, Dear Frankie, Nims Island, 300- I loved him in all of them. (I didn't love 300 but he did great in it I thought).
12. My number one favorite actor is Cary Grant of course...
He was my first crush and I have loved everything I have ever seen him in. I think I've seen most of his films. He came up as one of Doug's top look alikes on heritage.com which I don't see but it still made me happy. Ha.
13. Johnny Depp- my #2 after only Cary Grant. I don't think there is role that he can't play. He becomes whomever he is playing. I will almost always go to a movie if he is in it. (I avoided Sweeney Todd though)
14. Brad Pitt- He is so versatile.
15.Mel Gibson- I liked him a lot when I was younger and I think he did amazing in Braveheart, We were soldiers, and The Patriot.
Honorable mention:
Steven Strait- The first thing I saw him in was Sky High. He was my favorite character. As I read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse I pictured him in my head for Jacob. Watching 10,000 BC the other night I could see how much older he was and why he probably wouldn't have made a good Jacob anymore but he was amazing in that movie.
My fifteen favorite actors (and one honorable mention) that will get me to just about any movie if they are in it: (in random order)
1. Steve Carrell- I think he is so funny. I love him in movies. I love him on The Office. I also think he looks a lot like Doug's dad.
2. Mark Ruffalo- the first thing I saw him in was 13 Going On 30 which is one my favorite romantic comedies. I loved him in that and then saw him in Just Like Heaven and decided he was a new favorite. Also, he's from Kenosha!!
3. Harrison Ford- Of course this started with Hans Solo and moved onto Indiana Jones. I was excited to see that I still loved him in that role in the new movie!
4. Colin Firth- Mr. Darcy! Enough said. No, I've liked him in many roles -my favorites being Mr. Darcy (of course) The Importance of Being Earnest, and Love Actually. I've only seen two movies I didn't like him in- one was a wierd one my mom and I got from the library last spring (bad memories eh mom) and Mamma Mia. I know I'm in the minority here because I have not talked to one person that didn't love that movie but I hated it.
5. Christian Bale- He is one of the top 3! From Newsies to Little Women to Batman... he's amazing.
6. Tom Hanks- don't remember if there has a been a movie I've not liked with him in it.....
7. River Phoenix- RIP..... He was my favorite celebrity during my junior high days. I still love to watch him in the Last Crusade as young Indiana Jones just to be able to see him and feel sad that he died so young.
8. Jonathan Crombie- how could he not be on my list? Even though I've only seen him in Anne of Green Gables I could not leave him off a list of my favorites.
9. Heath Ledger- I have liked him for a long time. I've seen a few movies of his that I didn't like but even in those he did an amazing job. For the most part though I have really liked his movies. I thought he did incredible in the new Batman.
10. Henry Cavill- I first saw him in the Count of Monte Cristo but he didn't get my full attention until The Tudors. I think part of it is his resemblence to Gilbert... This is who I pictured in my mind for Edward from Twilight.
11. Gerard Butler- He can do it all. Sing in The Phantom of the Opera, PS I love you, Dear Frankie, Nims Island, 300- I loved him in all of them. (I didn't love 300 but he did great in it I thought).
12. My number one favorite actor is Cary Grant of course...
He was my first crush and I have loved everything I have ever seen him in. I think I've seen most of his films. He came up as one of Doug's top look alikes on heritage.com which I don't see but it still made me happy. Ha.
13. Johnny Depp- my #2 after only Cary Grant. I don't think there is role that he can't play. He becomes whomever he is playing. I will almost always go to a movie if he is in it. (I avoided Sweeney Todd though)
14. Brad Pitt- He is so versatile.
15.Mel Gibson- I liked him a lot when I was younger and I think he did amazing in Braveheart, We were soldiers, and The Patriot.
Honorable mention:
Steven Strait- The first thing I saw him in was Sky High. He was my favorite character. As I read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse I pictured him in my head for Jacob. Watching 10,000 BC the other night I could see how much older he was and why he probably wouldn't have made a good Jacob anymore but he was amazing in that movie.
10,000 BC
Every time we go to the library we check to see if they have any good movies (we very rarely rent anymore) and this week we lucked out because they had a couple of newer movies we both wanted to see. We watched 10,000 BC on Wednesday night. Have you seen this movie? It may not be everyone's cup of tea but we LOVED it.
It has an actor I really like in it as the main guy (Steven Strait) and I just really liked the story line. It was pretty intense and had me gasping a few times. It had a lot of action but wasn't too violent (as far as what you see). I love a good underdog becomes hero movie.
It has an actor I really like in it as the main guy (Steven Strait) and I just really liked the story line. It was pretty intense and had me gasping a few times. It had a lot of action but wasn't too violent (as far as what you see). I love a good underdog becomes hero movie.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Waahhh!
As if yesterday wasn't a bad enough day for me............
I just found out that Michael Crichton died yesterday. He was only 66 and died of cancer. I had no idea he had cancer. This makes two people now that were on my 'People I want to meet' list that have died - Steve Irwin was the other. If Jeff Corwin dies anytime soon I am going to think my list is a curse.
Michael Crichton not only wrote books that I loved (my favorites being Jurassic Park and Timeline) he also inspired me. He is the one that made me want to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, swim with sharks, track tigers in China... and so many other things. His book Travels reads like a list of things I want to do and places I want to see. (Except for a few crazy seventies things!)
He influenced my view of Global Warming (and no- it is not the popular majority view on this- go read State of Fear and then research the subject if you want to know what I mean). He made me excited about things like dinosaurs and quantum physics. He made me want to challenge my mind every day- one of the reasons I do logic puzzles for fun.
I will miss just the knowledge that this man lived in the world. If you have never read a book of his go get one. If you have, re-read it or get another you haven't read.
I just found out that Michael Crichton died yesterday. He was only 66 and died of cancer. I had no idea he had cancer. This makes two people now that were on my 'People I want to meet' list that have died - Steve Irwin was the other. If Jeff Corwin dies anytime soon I am going to think my list is a curse.
Michael Crichton not only wrote books that I loved (my favorites being Jurassic Park and Timeline) he also inspired me. He is the one that made me want to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, swim with sharks, track tigers in China... and so many other things. His book Travels reads like a list of things I want to do and places I want to see. (Except for a few crazy seventies things!)
He influenced my view of Global Warming (and no- it is not the popular majority view on this- go read State of Fear and then research the subject if you want to know what I mean). He made me excited about things like dinosaurs and quantum physics. He made me want to challenge my mind every day- one of the reasons I do logic puzzles for fun.
I will miss just the knowledge that this man lived in the world. If you have never read a book of his go get one. If you have, re-read it or get another you haven't read.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The town that Halloween passes over...
That would be our town. I am so happy that we get to have our ward Trunk or Treat on Halloween night so that we can do at least a form of trick or treating on the actual holiday.
See, the thing is, here there is no trick or treating on Halloween. It is ALWAYS the Sunday before Halloween. It is for a few hours in the early evening. When we got home from church on Sunday the kids were just finishing up.
This week as I went into stores I noticed that even though it isn't even officially Halloween yet that the halloween candy is gone. If I hadn't bought it a few weeks ago I would have been out of luck if I wanted the Halloween bags of candy.
I have no idea why they don't celebrate Halloween on Halloween here and even more than that why they celebrate in on Sunday. It makes more sense to me to do it on Saturday night if it is going to always be on the weekend.. but oh well.
Like I said, we get to go to Trunk or Treat so we luck out!!
See, the thing is, here there is no trick or treating on Halloween. It is ALWAYS the Sunday before Halloween. It is for a few hours in the early evening. When we got home from church on Sunday the kids were just finishing up.
This week as I went into stores I noticed that even though it isn't even officially Halloween yet that the halloween candy is gone. If I hadn't bought it a few weeks ago I would have been out of luck if I wanted the Halloween bags of candy.
I have no idea why they don't celebrate Halloween on Halloween here and even more than that why they celebrate in on Sunday. It makes more sense to me to do it on Saturday night if it is going to always be on the weekend.. but oh well.
Like I said, we get to go to Trunk or Treat so we luck out!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Wednesday night at our house... random thoughts
Does anyone on Earth re-arrange their house as much as I do? Seriously. Doug and I are trying to de-stress and simplify some things. We talked about the state of our house. I don't feel relaxed when it isn't tidy and yet picking up after a 2 year old and 31 year old constantly (not to mention myself) has me frazzled- so, after some great advice from his mom the other night we have chosen certain areas of the house that are the most important to have perfectly clean all the time and the rest can be done when there is time or on my strict schedule (meaning that since my schedule has Tuesday as the day to clean the upstairs bathroom it doesn't get done until then even if it needs it unless I have some time when I FEEL like cleaning it... I don't think that will ever happen.) Also, this means not picking up the toys throughout the downstairs and Abi's room every 15 minutes or so because I want it clean. I will let her play to her hearts content and before nap and bedtime we will clean. This led me to some other ideas because of how massive our toy problem can get because of having the preschool in our front room.
We used to have a 'sitting room' in that area. It was a nice, quiet, relaxing spot to visit with people and to sit as a family or read. I decided that since my preschool is very small that we will downsize it. Most of the toys and things will go to the basement to be swapped every few weeks to keep them interesting. This way what we keep up here at one time will fit into the 'family room' off the kitchen. The front room will be transformed over the next few days back into a 'sitting room'. This is also so that it feels more relaxing when we come in through that door.
That said, I re-arrange all the time. I know Doug thinks its funny how he can come home and have everything changed without his knowing it was even going to happen. I was talking to my mom about this today and I told her that I blame her and my dad!! It's that Navy Brat blood in me that keeps me from being able to settle. I have to constantly be changing my surroundings and if that isn't moving into a new state/city/house than it must be done by the re-assigning of where the bed is or the way the tv faces. I realized that come next summer when we will have been in this house 2 1/2 years (assuming we will still be here then) it will be the longest I've ever lived anywhere. Yes, it's true. I have NEVER lived anywhere longer than 2 1/2 years. In My Life. The funny thing is that most places were much less than that. It was fun though. I enjoyed the adventure so I will embrace now the adventure of furniture 'moving'.
While I have been doing this I have been watching the final debate of McCain and Obama. It was crazy. I didn't think McCain came off as eloquent as I have seen him in other debates/interviews but I think that has a lot to do with how everyone told him that he needed to take the gloves off with Obama. I don't think he was comfortable doing that... just my opinion. I still prefer him though. Watching them I just know that I agree with so much more of McCains platforms than Obama's. I do think it is important though to keep an open mind when watching these kinds of things so I did that- and I'm still for McCain. I kept thinking that if I was somebody who owned an insurance company I would really be sweating right now. I know a lot of them are probably pretty corrupt but not all of them and I have a feeling they are out of business if Obama wins.... the good along with the bad. AND I have to say that although we make nowhere near that quarter of a million dollars a year- I don't think that people that are successful should be punished for it. Why should you have to pay more just because you make more?
How is that fair? I will always believe that it should be an across the board percentage. Like tithing. If you are making 10,000 a year or 500,000 a year and you are paying the same percentage of tax the rich person is still paying more but it makes it fair. Anyway, that's what's going on around here.
Oh and a bit of news... in case you didn't know Doug's mom was called to our church's General Young Women's Board recently. I think that is really cool. She will be great at it and a huge asset to that program.
We used to have a 'sitting room' in that area. It was a nice, quiet, relaxing spot to visit with people and to sit as a family or read. I decided that since my preschool is very small that we will downsize it. Most of the toys and things will go to the basement to be swapped every few weeks to keep them interesting. This way what we keep up here at one time will fit into the 'family room' off the kitchen. The front room will be transformed over the next few days back into a 'sitting room'. This is also so that it feels more relaxing when we come in through that door.
That said, I re-arrange all the time. I know Doug thinks its funny how he can come home and have everything changed without his knowing it was even going to happen. I was talking to my mom about this today and I told her that I blame her and my dad!! It's that Navy Brat blood in me that keeps me from being able to settle. I have to constantly be changing my surroundings and if that isn't moving into a new state/city/house than it must be done by the re-assigning of where the bed is or the way the tv faces. I realized that come next summer when we will have been in this house 2 1/2 years (assuming we will still be here then) it will be the longest I've ever lived anywhere. Yes, it's true. I have NEVER lived anywhere longer than 2 1/2 years. In My Life. The funny thing is that most places were much less than that. It was fun though. I enjoyed the adventure so I will embrace now the adventure of furniture 'moving'.
While I have been doing this I have been watching the final debate of McCain and Obama. It was crazy. I didn't think McCain came off as eloquent as I have seen him in other debates/interviews but I think that has a lot to do with how everyone told him that he needed to take the gloves off with Obama. I don't think he was comfortable doing that... just my opinion. I still prefer him though. Watching them I just know that I agree with so much more of McCains platforms than Obama's. I do think it is important though to keep an open mind when watching these kinds of things so I did that- and I'm still for McCain. I kept thinking that if I was somebody who owned an insurance company I would really be sweating right now. I know a lot of them are probably pretty corrupt but not all of them and I have a feeling they are out of business if Obama wins.... the good along with the bad. AND I have to say that although we make nowhere near that quarter of a million dollars a year- I don't think that people that are successful should be punished for it. Why should you have to pay more just because you make more?
How is that fair? I will always believe that it should be an across the board percentage. Like tithing. If you are making 10,000 a year or 500,000 a year and you are paying the same percentage of tax the rich person is still paying more but it makes it fair. Anyway, that's what's going on around here.
Oh and a bit of news... in case you didn't know Doug's mom was called to our church's General Young Women's Board recently. I think that is really cool. She will be great at it and a huge asset to that program.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
We're back!!
We are finally back from a three week trek out west so I can start posting again. I will get some pictures (many!) and stories up starting tomorrow. It was sad to say goodbye to family but it is good to be home.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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