Happy Festivus...for the rest of us

A non-denominational holiday to be celebrated on December 23rd by those frustrated or jaded (ME) with the commercialism and pressure surrounding the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza season.

It starts with the “Airing of Grievances” at the Festivus Dinner in which a person tells everyone else all the ways they have disappointed him or her over the past year.

After the Festivus meal, “Feats of Strength” are performed, involving wrestling the Head of Household to the floor, with the holiday ending only if and when the Head of Household is pinned. (I guess that's why Festivus has been going on for so many years at the Lambson Household because nobody can pin Jim?!)

There is not a Festivus tree, but rather a Festivus pole. It is made of aluminum and is NOT to be decorated. Remember, tinsel is a distraction!



So, HAPPY FREAKIN’ FESTIVUS!!!!! Who wants to be the first to “Air their Grievances?”

Merry Christmas from John Malcovich

If you tried earlier, here is another video that will work!!!

This is the opening monologue from Saturday's SNL and I thought it was hilarious. Maybe it's because I'm just a little off????
(don't forget to pause the music)

Yet ANOTHER shameless plug

Joe updated his blog with his take on our Disneyland trip.  He would love for you all to check it out.  He included a lot more pictures than I did.  So, what are you waiting for?  Head on over to his blog and check it out.  Just go right over the right side of the page there, and click on JOE.  As always, with Joe, comments are not only appreciated but expected.

Enjoy!

The Obligatory Thanksgiving Post

Since Brian never updates, and it is Thanksgiving and all, I thought I would do the obligatory Thanksgiving post, stating all of the things (ok, not all, that would take entirely too long) I am thankful for today.  So, here is my stream of consciousness Thanksgiving list:

I am thankful for good family and friends, for a boy with an active imagination and snickerdoodle freckles on his nose, for the rain, the glorious rain we've had the last 2 days, the smell of pine trees, Christmas lights, the ocean and the beach to stick my toes in the sand, peppermint ice cream, cozy socks, the hook-up on some AWESOME Coldplay tickets, music of all kinds, DVR, a brother who is an eye doctor, a sister who will watch my kid until all hours of the night so I can go on a date with my husband, a dad who built a cabin with his own hands so his family would have a place to get away and all be together, a mom who is entirely selfless and will do anything for anybody, stretchy pajama pants, sparkling apple cider, pizza, an awesome husband who takes such good care of me, chocolate, clouds, sunsets and summer rain, any rain for that matter, my camera, a good painting, paradise bakery molasses cookies, my new car that is so fun to drive, the best nieces and nephews on the planet, a free country to live in, soldiers who put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms of other, a place to live, food to eat, running water, and all of the other things that I tend to take for granted on a daily basis.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING

What are you thankful for?

Joe's Update

For any who are interested, Joe updated his blog.  It's his Halloween post, and it's really good.  So here I am once again, shamelessly promoting it.  He LOVES to get comments.

See Ya!

Am I the only one????

I'm tired. I'm tired of all the political CRAP. (sorry Tiffany..I should watch my mouth!). The election is tomorrow and it can't come soon enough! At this point who cares??? I feel like the line between the political parties is so thin anyway that it ends up like this:

Anyway, enough of that.  When I get frustrated or depressed or I just happen to be breathing there is one thing that ALWAYS makes me feel better:

Yep...Dr. Pepper always makes me happy.  Ahh...the sweet nectar!!! Screw the politicians!  Heck, if one of the candidates was handing out Dr. Pepper from Sonic (Sonic is the best when it comes to soda.  They have the best ice and the styrofoam cup keeps it cold and icy longer...not that it makes a difference.  It's usually gone pretty fast) I would probably vote for them.  Kidding...kind of.  

Also, there is one more thing that makes me happy: 

It's Music.  Is there nothing better than blaring music in the car and singing along.  There's a reason why I do it alone.  It would be cruel and unusual punishment if others were around.  But, it's fun.  Now, combine music and a Dr. Pepper from Sonic and you've got something pretty great!

It worked!

I just wanted to let you all know that It worked.  I officially guilted my mom into updating her blog.  I tagged her for the ABC tag and she actually posted.  If you are interested, head over to her blog and check it out.

Also, Joe updated as well.  I tagged him for the ABC tag too.  Check out his blog for his new post!

Happy Day!

ABC Tag

I was tagged by both Michelle and Laura.  Since I don't really have pictures to go with, I thought I'd list the tag on the family blog instead of my photo one.  Here goes:

A B C

A - Attached or single:  Attached.

B - Best friend:  Joe and Brian

C - Cake or pie:  Not a huge fan of either.  If I had to choose I'd say white cake with vanilla frosting.  Oh wait - does Cheesecake count as cake?

D - Day:  I like Monday's (I may be the only person who does).  Isn't everyday the same?

E - Essential Item: My camera.  I don't go anywhere without it.

F - Favorite Color:  Yellow.

G - Gummi bears or worms:  Like Amelia, I also like the good gummi bears from Germany.  

H - Home town:  Chandler, Arizona

I - Indulgences: Right now they are reading (It consumes way too much of my time) and Peppermint Ice cream.

J - January or July:  Duh - January.  July = Hell (in AZ at least).

K - Kids: Joe (also: Adam, Jared Ammon, Dallin, Michael, Joshua, Alex, Ben, Max, Evan, James, Anna, Emmy, Addy and Rowan.  I consider them all mine).  

L - Life is incomplete without:  Family

M - Marriage date: September 29th, 1995

N - Number of siblings: 2 sisters, 2 brothers, 5 sister-in-laws, 6 brother-in-laws.

O - Oranges or Apples:  Oranges because it means it's winter time.

P - Phobias or Fears:  Claustrophobia and Spiders. 

Q - Quote:  "Just Keep Swimming" - Dory from Finding Nemo (Amelia and I share the same favorite quote.  I also like "Do or Do Not, there is no try"  - yoda (I know I'm a nerd).  

R - Reason to smile:  so many reasons, so many blessings.  Joe and Brian.

S - Season:  Winter

T - Tag: My mom - for the simple fact that she hasn't updated her blog since May.  I also tag Joe.

U - Unknown fact about me:  I secretly wish I was a rock star (or a dancer - SYTYCD has really gotten to me).

V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of animals:  Sadly - oppressor of animals

W - Worst habit:  Wow - so many to choose from.  I guess I would have to say Procrastination.

X - Rays or Ultrasounds: Couldn't we come up with a better question?  How about X-Ray vision or Spidey Sense?  I choose Spidey Sense.

Y - Your favorite food:  Italian and Mexican (there is just too much food to narrow it down).  I know it's generic, but I really like pizza.

Z - Zodiac sign:  Capricorn

Update

Since Brian never updates, I thought I'd let you know that JOE updated his blog, for anyone who is interested.

See Ya!

When You're Sure You've Had Enough...

The Biggest Loser...

Vs.

All for naught! Ktar 620am is having a promo that for the next three weeks on Tues, Wed, and Thurs at 7am and 4pm they will announce a time in that hour what time they will announce an All-Star member during that hour. That person has 10 minutes to call and claim their prize. The winner gets to choose whatever NFL game that weekend they want to attend. They get 2 tickets to the game, airfare for 2, and Hotel accomodations. Cool Huh? Needless to say, this morning in the 7am hour they announced a name. Yes, it was mine. I however was sleeping. Apparently sleep is worth more than a trip to Denver to see my Broncos trounce the Saints. Hmmm... I don't think so. What the hell was I thinking? Why did I not pay more attention? Lesson learned. So, at my expense, everyone out there that thinks they won't ever call YOUR name, let it be known that they just might! My ONLY comforting factor in this is that I get to go to the ASU/Georgia game on Saturday. Not AS good, but still good! Go Devils!!! So, I AM today's Biggest Loser!!!!!!! Just be gentle with your comments because the wound is still fresh!

Midnight Woes

(This is not the ACTUAL cover of the book - just something a fan came up with, but I wanted to post a picture).

So, it's been just over a week that I heard the sad news about Midnight Sun.  Have you heard yet?

For those of you who don't know - Midnight Sun is the last of the Twilight series books that Stephenie Meyer has been working on.  It is actually the book Twilight, written entirely from Edward's perspective instead of Bella's.  Stephenie has had the first chapter of the book posted on her website for some time now.  It is awesome.

After finishing Breaking Dawn, I felt a kind of let down - not because I didn't like the book. I DID!  It was a let down because the series was over, and I had nothing else to look forward to.  Then I remembered Midnight Sun.  She had said that she was working on it to be released sometime next year.  It got me excited again.  

Sadly, a partial draft of Midnight Sun was illegally posted on the internet and has been distributed without her knowledge or permission.    She feels that her rights as an author and human being have been violated, and that it has been a very upsetting experience for her.  She is so upset, that she has put the project on hold INDEFINITELY.  What?  No Midnight Sun?  NOOOOOO!  I was SO looking forward to it.  I am now distraught.

She said on her website that she didn't want her fans reading the version that's out there.  She said "it was only an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes."  However, she knows that there will be a lot of interest in seeing it, so she has posted a link on her website if you are interested in reading the incomplete draft.  Her website is www.stepheniemeyer.com.  It is under her August 28th 2008 (part 1) entry at the bottom of the page.

I haven't decided if I'm going to read it or not.  Who am I kidding?  I probably will.  I'll take all I can get.  

Do you think you'll read it?

On a side note - Stephenie is directing the video to the first single from Jack's Mannequin's upcoming album.  The song is "The Resolution."  I'm not a huge fan of Jack's Mannequin, but I'm sure I will be checking out this video.  

Casting Call...

Ok, it has long been understood that this year we are doing an 80's party for Kim's birthday so with that in mind, I am in need of people to help. It will be New Year's Eve, of course, and invites will come sometime between now and then, but keep the date open. Also, it most definitely is a costume party and those with the BEST 80's costumes will be rewarded. Tricia, I'm sure I can pencil you in as a winner already! I can't wait to see what you come up with. Anyway, those who have any ideas for decorations, music, or are willing to help, please email me at brian_horak@cox.net. We can't let Kim in on ALL the secrets can we??

THE LOCATION IS YET TO BE DETERMINED.
AND ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR MUSIC NEED TO BE EMAILED OR POSTED!!!!!

New Oasis

I got a call from Jason while I was at the ASU football game (go Devils) and he said there was a new video from Oasis on their website.  So, I had to check it out and it's definitely worth posting. It's back to oldschool Oasis and I like it.  

And the winner is...

PANCAKES.....Yeah!!!!  

Sorry waffles, but there had to be a loser!!! 

(if only Elise would have voted for you 

and not for French Crepes you would have tied)

A few things that have been on my mind...

There have been a few things on my mind lately (I know, weird huh?) and I would like to throw them out there for debate:

1.  Why would our parents choose to live in this hell hole we call Arizona, and why have we followed their erroneous decision and stayed here to melt???  I know this doesn't pertain to all of you so for you wise individuals that managed to get away, don't rub it in!

2.  Is it wrong to want to run the moronic drivers off the road, half of which don't belong there, and then hang them from the underpass so that all the good drivers can stare and mock them for being the lousy drivers they are?

3.  On a similar note, why don't we have a "Illegal Immigrant Celebration Day" and when they all show up in a symbol of solidarity and pride, we herd these wonderful money and resource sucking individuals into cattle trucks and take them back to Mexico or where ever they are from.  

4.  What has happened to bar soap?  I used to like bar soap but now we have this flower or fruit smelling goo that we put on these "puffs" and rub all over our body.  Where did the bar and wash cloth go???  

5.  If I KNOW the Church is true then why do I have to go?  It's not like they are going to get me to believe any more than I do.  I already believe.  And on that note, why do I have to wear garments???  They are so stinkin' hot and uncomfortable and I know that it's more miserable for the women. Sure, I know why we do, but man, can't we just wear like patches or something. I like to feel free!!!

6.  Why does Dr. Pepper taste so good???  I can't get enough.  I want to drink it by the gallon.

Just a few and there is more but I'll save them for next time.  I'll let you chew on these for a while. 

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to the best person I know - My Mom.  Isn't she gorgeous?  Don't be mad that I posted a picture.  You look awesome!  This is one of my favorite pictures of you!  Anyway, here are some things you should know about my mom:

1.  She is kind.  She will do anything for anybody.  She doesn't know the word "no."

2.  She is fun.  She tells silly little jokes, you know, the kind that make you cringe, but you just can't help but laugh at because they are so bad.  Example:  When someone asked where the bananas were, her repy was:  "In the peel."  I'm proud to have gotten some of her sense of humor.

3.  She takes notes about everything.  I'm not kidding - everything.  She has notes on Conference and Church talks, but she also has notes on episodes of SYTYCD.  We made fun of her one time for taking notes at a Sun's basketball game - not kidding.  But whenever anyone asks when something happened, she knows right away where to look to find out, and she always has notes on it.  She is a dedicated journal keeper.  100 years from now, her descendants will know exactly who she was.

4.  She is fair.  At Christmas time, she makes sure she spends the exact amount of money on everyone.  If she takes one grandkid on a special date, then she'll make sure that she takes each of them on one.

5.  She is fun.  There is no one else that I'd rather see Mamma Mia with 3 times.  She is my favorite lunch date, shopping date, movie date.  

6.  She's into pop culture.  Anyone who knows her knows her obsession with Jacqueline Smith or Emmy Rossum.  It's fun.  I love that she reads people magazine and that I can talk to her about pop culture.  I love that she loves SYTYCD and Gilmore Girls just like I do.  I love that she likes some of the same music and books.  We always have something to talk about.

7.  She is sympathetic and empathetic.  If you are hurting, so is she.  If you are happy, so is she.  If you are upset, so is she.  You never have to go through any emotion alone.  

8.  She is spiritual.  For years and years she would get up at 4:00 in the morning so she could spend quiet time reading scriptures and inspirational books and articles.  She meditated and prayed in the quiet morning hours.  With 5 kids in 6 years, she probably needed that time to make her sane because the rest of her day was crazy.

9.  She is patient.  Again, with 5 kids in 6 years, you'd have to be.  In all my memories of my childhood years, I never remember her yelling.  I'm not kidding.  I'm not saying that she didn't get upset with us, or discipline us, but she never raised her voice.  I never felt like she didn't love me.  

10.  She epitomizes creative parenting.  I remember doing morning family exercises to a song called "go you chicken fat go."  I also remember her gunny sack song.  When we didn't pick up our toys, gunny sack would come out and eat them up.  We'd have to pay a quarter to get them back.  

I could go on, and on, and on....

She is awesome.  I love you mom.  The best compliment I ever got was when someone told me I was just like my mom.  Happy Birthday!

Thanks Brian!

So, my husband watches a lot of sports - A LOT! He would probably disagree and say that he doesn't watch enough. Anyway, he is not picky about what he watches. He loves all sports - baseball, basketball, football, you name it. But, when the big 3 are not available, he will watch whatever sport is. I've caught him watching ping pong , bowling and even billiards on a few occasions.

So, it was no surprise a few weeks ago when I walked into the bedroom and he was watching tennis. Normally, I would roll my eyes and make some remark about how it's just a ball going back and forth and back and forth over the net. Nothing really exciting there. But then I saw who was playing.

And so we have my new celebrity crush - Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal.

Exhibit 1:
As I was folding laundry and secretly watching the tennis match, Brian noticed I hadn't made any snotty remarks about lame sports. I casually asked who was playing. He could see right through me. I finally fessed up and said I thought he was cute and I may have made some offhand remark about how I'd just like to touch those arm muscles once. He won his match, by the way. I think it was the final match of Wimbeldon. It could have been the French Open. He won that too. And, just today he won the Olympic gold medal for tennis, and is now officially the #1 ranked tennis player in the world.

Much to my surprise, this is what I found as my screen saver this morning when I logged on to my computer. Brian had posted these 3 pictures and now they rotate as my screen saver.

Thanks Brian. You Rock! I'll watch Tennis with you anytime!

California Dreaming

Yesterday was a LONG, HOT day.  This picture is what got me through.  When I was mowing my mom's lawn for an hour in the extreme heat, this is what I thought of.   When I was sweeping the front porch, this is what I thought of.   When I was folding laundry and doing dishes, this is what I thought of.   When I was waiting in the line for 20 minutes to pick up Joe from school, this is what I thought of.  

I am happiest when I am sitting at the beach, with my toes in the sand, watching the sun set.  I have been dreaming of California all day.  I need to stick my toes in the sand.

O Happy Day!

Ok, so yesterday was a pretty great day!  The best I've had in a long time.  I have been looking forward to August 2nd for a long time now.  

Brian went out at midnight and bought me my copy of Breaking Dawn.  I read until 3:30 in the morning, and even then I had to force myself to go to bed.  I read until 2:00 last night.  I am nearly done.  I'm sure I'll read it again as soon as I'm finished.

We also got our tickets for the So You Think You Can Dance tour.  They went on sale at 10:00 a.m.  Brian and my mom both got on line to buy tickets to see who could get the better seats.  We were communicating over the phone.  I was just happy to get them.  I went 2 years ago in Los Angeles when Benji won and it was FANTASTIC.  I skipped out on the tour last year and have been kicking myself ever since.   I'm excited to be going this year.  Brian and Joe are going to go too.  I can't wait to see the dances live.  
Lastly, we went to see Mamma Mia once again.  This was the third time for me.  I think it was most fun this time because we went with so many people.  Laura, Tricia, and Trina even brought their feather boa's and stood up and did some dancing.  It was fabulous.  I'm going to have to go out and buy one for me.  If you look closely in the picture, you'll see Brian in the back.  He was the only male in our sea of women.  I didn't even have to drag him.  He wanted to come.  Come to think of it, maybe that's WHY he wanted to come, so he could be the only male in a sea of women.  Hmm...  Anyway, it was a fabulously great day.  I'm kind of paying for it today though.   The lack of sleep is giving me a huge headache.  Thank goodness for Motrin.

P.S.  I can't believe I beat Sheri posting this (she pretty much had the same day I did).  I didn't beat Laura though.  You are too quick.

Happy Day everyone!

Rock Star

The other day I was doing laundry and I told Joe that if he had any dirty clothes in his room that he needed to bring them into the laundry room.  His response was: "Mom, rock stars don't do their own laundry."   Now, I secretly wanted to laugh at that, but the mom in me came out.  "Um, whether that's true or not, you are not YET a rock star."

"I'm going to be.  Also mom, rock stars don't clean their rooms.  They trash their hotel rooms."

I then explained that his mom raised him right, and rock star or not, he would be doing his own laundry and keeping a clean room.  Maybe someday he'll be the cleanest, most responsible rock star on the planet.  Maybe.

Check out my Rock Star's blog.  JOE updated recently if any of you are interested.  Yes, this is another shameless plug.  He loves to get comments.  

Music Monday...before it's Tuesday

I heard this song today for the first time and quite honestly, it's is amazing! Let me know...take it or leave it?

Music Day

OK, I did copy this idea from Sheri but what I won't copy is the book she writes about her choice. It's whatever I feel like for whoever I feel like. Not that there's anything wrong with that Sheri...

Happy Birthday Jared Ammon

I know it's late in the day.  I should have done this sooner, but this is the first chance I've had today to blog.  I wanted to wish Jared Ammon a happy birthday.  I'm not sure if he checks the blogs or not, but I'm going to do it anyway.

Jared Ammon turned 16 today.  I can hardly believe how fast the time goes.  Jared was the cutest 2 year old I've ever seen.  He had the little face of an angel.  I wish I had a scanner, I would put up one of my pictures of him when he was 2, but alas, I don't.  I remember him being a whiz at the computer when he was very young.  I have an image in my head of him sitting at my mom's house in front of her computer playing Freddie the Fish.  I remember holding him up so he could look over the brick wall and see the doggies in the yard next door.  I remember countless days pushing him on the swings in the back yard, or pushing him on the hammock at the cabin.  I remember him and Adam coming over to my house for sleepovers.  Joseph always loved this.  It made him feel like one of the big guys.   

This is the most recent picture I have of him.  I took it at Max's birthday party.  Jared is as cool as cool can be, just ask Joseph.   He is one funny guy.  I love his sense of humor.  He's quiet about it, but he makes some great comments.  If Jared wants something, he goes after it.  I am impressed with his work ethic.  At 15, he worked hard to become a lifeguard.  He works almost full time, about 30 hours a week.  During track season, you could see him jogging every night.  When he wanted to learn to play the guitar, he took it seriously, often putting in about 2 hours of practice a day.  Jared is also very interested in music - all kinds.  He reminds me of myself in that way.  When I was in high school, I was obsessed with music.  He often keeps me in the loop with new music.  (I'm too old to be completely obsessed with it anymore).  He even makes me cd's when I ask him.  I loved it when he came to the Guster concert with us.  It was a lot of fun.  He is just an all around awesome kid, and I'm glad he is my nephew.  Happy Birthday Jared!  

Music Monday...ok Sunday Night

Remember when MTV used to play videos????





Anyone want to dress up in bee costumes and dance around in a field together???

Miles & Erica's Mission...

Just found out that Miles Hunt is doing an acoustic show with Erica Nockalls and Wayne Hussey on Monday Sept. 22 at Modified Arts in Phx. I know that I'm there and Ian also. Anyone else want to go? Here's a sampling of what you might hear...

Music Monday (or whatever day I choose)

Sheri posted a Music Monday post, and I thought it was a good idea, except for her choice in music....sorry Sheri. Anyway, I have 2 oldies, but classics. As always, remember to pause the music to the right.

Eddie & Jack....Could it get any better?

It's ALIVE...

Wow, that was horrible!  Having no computer is like have no...well, you fill in the blank.  (I meant AIR you twisted people) HA HA!  Anyway, after a long battle with our old piece of poo, we finally have our iMac.  I still have to train Kim to use it, but it's so user friendly it won't take long.  It's good to get back to the real world!!! 

Fried...

Unfortunately, our computer is fried. Last night Kim was playing Zuma and the computer died. It is now in the trusted hands of the Geek Squad and hopefully they can restore our livelyhood. Kim is distraught as a majority of her pictures that she so desparately cherishes were not as of yet backed up. HOPEFULLY they can be retrieved. The initial diagnosis is a bad hard drive. If that's the case, I'm going to push for a new iMAC rather than pour money into a dying machine. So, we apologize for not posting and for Kim not being able to post her photo-a-day. If you're wondering how I am posting this, I am on an unnamed computer that's not mine. We will be up and running shortly. Cheers!

Beck..one of my favorite songs

Kim doesn't like when I post videos, but this is one of my new favorite songs, even though it's not really new...

Much Ado About Nothing...

I wanted to post, but nothing came to mind, so I will post about nothing. Hey, it worked for Seinfeld, right? Well, what's going on? Not much to speak of really, but I will bore you nonetheless. So, here are a couple of things on my mind:

First, as many know, Joe and I are taking guitar lessons at McKnight Guitar from Matt Vandal. Thanks to Tricia for giving up 2 of her weeks so that we can do this. It is an awesome experience. I don't play an instrument except for a semester of percussion in H.S. so this is new to me. Joe is extremely excited and a very fast learner. It is fun to be able to do this together.

P.S. I stole this photo from Tricia's blog. It's just a good picture. Sorry T.

Secondly, and for no significant reason, I love Otter Pops. I bought some the other day after not having them for a couple of years and I forgot how much I love them. I know, they are a kid's treat and hold no nutritional value. But this time of year, they are awesome!

Lastly:

My Team

My Team

All Hail the Banana King

If any of you remember, Charlie the Unicorn was my very first post. After a long wait, they now have a second installment. All I can say is I recomment you smoke your Peace Pipe before watching....

Adam's Graduation Day

Adam is graduating from high school today. I can't believe it. Time goes by way too fast. To me, he will always be that little boy with the active imagination, running around in the back yard chasing after bunny foo foo and goofy, his imaginary friends. He still has an active imagination, he is just putting it to better use (You better finish writing that book soon, so I can read it!). I am so proud of Adam. Congratulations!

His mom doesn't blog, so she asked me to post this message: For anyone who is interested (who knows Adam, or the Gonzales family), you are all invited to a graduation open house for Adam tonight at the James and Karen Lambson house from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. See You There!

New Update

If any of you are interested, Joe posted his weekly update yesterday. Check it out.

Migraines...

I've been getting Migraine headaches with increased frequency. I have an appointment to see a Neurologist next week, presumably to diagnose and prescribe Imitrex to help control them. I am anxious to see if anyone out there has a remedy that might help. I'll take any suggestions...

The Next 'American Idol'

Sorry to all you David Cook fans, but even his biggest fan (Simon) had to call it like it was..."A Knockout" performance by David Archuleta. Do I really care about American Idol? Maybe. Do I really like David Archuleta that much, or do I just REALLY dislike David Cook that much? I think the answer is obvious. For some reason, I just can't stand "Big David" as he's known. Big Head, Big Ego. C'mon, anyone who can hear will tell you that David A. can sing WAY better than David C. It's not even close! I can only hope that people vote for David A. as much as Kim is. It's approaching 11:30 and I think she has voted over 400 times.

Ready to kick it?

I'm sitting at the computer today, trying to update my picture a day blog. I was a couple of days behind. Joe comes in and he's being silly, trying to get my attention - nibbling on my arm, covering my eyes so I can't see, etc. He does not like it when I'm not paying attention to him. So, finally, I stop typing to tell him that he's being a spaz. As soon as I turn my head to acknowledge him, he is so happy. He says: "Hey girlfriend, what do you say? Ready to kick it?" Needless to say, that got my attention. I couldn't stop laughing.

Also, Joe updated his blog today. Check it out! He loves to get comments (don't we all?). He's decided he's going to update every Sunday, for anyone who is interested in reading.

That's it - Peace out!

Kim, you asked for it, so here you go....

It is a little long, so if you just want to see the dance, go to the 3 minute mark.

Actually, THIS is for Kim...

Although Kim LOVES Twilight, she isn't too keen on the choices for the actors in the movie, so, this is something I KNOW she will appreciate:

For Kim

Sorry Sheri, but I had to post this for Kim. You know that I AM her Edward...HA HA


Twilight

The Dumbest Nerd

So, Joseph comes home from school the other day and says: "Mom, I'm the dumbest nerd."

I, of course, want to know who called him a dumb nerd and why. He tells me that I don't get it, so I ask him to explain. He tells me that they split up into Math groups today. They put the kids who are working at the same ablility levels together to work on different math projects. Apparently he got put into the smartest group. I ask him how he knows his group is the smartest. He rolls his eyes at me and says: "Mom, you just know. I'm in with all of the math nerds." (They call themselves that, so they are ok with it.) He then informs me that even though he is in the smart group, he is the dumbest one in his group. He's okay with it though. He's happy to be the "dumbest nerd." His friend Henry is also in the group. He happens to be the smartest nerd, so he can help Joseph out.

P.S.--Check out my new Photo-a-Day blog.

Boss Man needs some puddin'

I have a lot of nicknames for Joseph - Bo, Ho Ho, Snickerdoodle - to name a few. But recently I came up with a new nickname - Boss Man. No, it's not because he's bossy (though that might work too). Last month he got new glasses. When he was browsing the store, he had a very specific look he was going for. He finally found the ones he was happiest with. Of course, they were one of the most expensive frames in the place. They are Hugo Boss.

A quick shout out and thank you to Jared for giving us a discount and providing excellent eye doctor services. We'd be broke without you.

Anyway, he is super happy with them. So, I jokingly started calling him Boss Man, because he's so Boss! I don't think he liked it much at first, but apparently he's ok with it now.


Sunday was fast Sunday. No eating until after church. That is hard enough to do as an adult, but as a kid, it's almost torture, especially when you have 2:00 church and don't get home until 5:00. Joe has handled fasting surprisingly well. There is a lot less whining and complaining than I thought there would be (0r that I'm sure I did when I was his age). Anyway, church is over, it's 5:00 and I am in the relief society room, helping put chairs away and chatting with people. At this point he's hungry and he's not waiting any second longer than he has to to eat something.

* On a side note, Joe's favorite snack of late has been chocolate pudding. I very rarely buy it, because let's face it, there is no nutritional value whatsoever. But as it is, we happen to have some in the fridge at home right now!

Joe walks into the room, comes right up to me (interrupting my conversation, of course), looks me right in the eye and says: "Let's go. Boss Man needs some puddin'." I was laughing too hard to be mad at him for interrupting. Needless to say we hurried home, and within minutes he was happily eating his puddin'. I loved the pudding mustache.

My Palm Pilot

So, I've been sick again this past week. That's been happening a lot lately. It lasted from last Friday to this Wednesday. Saturday - Monday was the worst of it. I hate being sick because it throws off my schedule, I get behind on things like grocery shopping and housework. Ok, so I'm usually pretty bad about doing those things anyway, but it's much worse when I don't feel good.

So, Thursday I woke up feeling pretty good. I decide to try and play catch up a little bit. My problem is that I have a lot of things I need to do and I have scrambled eggs for brains. I can't seem to remember anything unless I write it down, and when I do write it down, I end up loosing the paper I wrote it on. This is where the palm pilot comes in to play. I write it down on my palm, and then I don't forget it. I know. It's awful. I've been taught since I was little not to write on myself. But this system really works for me. I could never own an actual palm pilot, or blackberry or whatever the heck those personal organizers are called now. I'm completely inept when it comes to technology, and I'd probably end up loosing it anyway (scrambled eggs for brains, remember.) So, I'm sticking with my system. I'm curious though. What do you all do to stay organized?

Ok, since I'm here and I don't know when I'll blog again, I thought I'd post a few pictures of things I had meant to blog about before I got sick.

Sadly, Joe decided not to play baseball this year. It is the first time in six years that he hasn't played. Brian was really disappointed. He really enjoyed helping coach the last few years. So, instead, we've been making the rounds to all the boys in the family who are playing: Michael, Alex, Ben and James. The most recent game we went to was James'.

James is very serious when it comes to baseball. I love it. Here he is taking a practice swing.

Here he is playing catcher. He's letting his team know how many outs there are.

Joe was happy because Tricia bought him candy.






Recently we also went to watch Adam perform with his urban lemmings group. Urban Lemmings is a acting/comedy/improv group that Adam is involved in at school. The theme was Indiana Jones. Joe was happy because his Indy hat made it into the show. He let Adam borrow it for the performance. There were 2 improv teams who performed for points. It ended up in a tie, and Adam's team won the tie breaker. I've always been impressed with his acting skills, but who knew he could do improv comedy. We had a good time. Dallin and Grandma were with us.

Last week Joe had a day off of school. He invited a couple of friends over for swimming, pizza and video games (aren't I a great mom?). Here are Dallin and Joe having fun in the pool.

Jared was so kind to invite Brian and Joe to the D-backs game on Monday night. They had such a fun night. It worked out great because I was still sick on Monday, I had the whole couch and tv to myself for hours. (That NEVER happens!)

This is Shadow Cat. He kept me company while I was sick. Tiger kept me company too, but Tiger likes to stay on the bed. I was pretty much passed out when I was in the bedroom, so I didn't get a picture of Tiger. Shadow prefers the couch. When I was feeling a little better and could actually drag myself to the couch, Shadow sat with me.

Also, thanks to Brian for taking such good care of me. He brought me Olive Garden and some pretty roses. You almost made being sick worthwhile (almost).

At least there's the D'Backs...

I hate to say it, and many who read this will not care, but the Suns SUCK!!! It makes me completely sick to see them get their backsides handed to them the way they are, especially by the Sterns. They have NO passion or pride. At least the D'Backs are showing some passion and pride. They have the best record in all of baseball. Sorry Jon, but this is the most embarrassing Suns team I've seen in a LONG time.

Also, just 5 short months until ASU Football takes the field. I'm buying season tickets if anyone wants to get them together, let me know in the next few weeks.

On a side note, it made me laugh out-loud when Brooke was safe and Carly went home on AI. I'm not upset by any stretch of the imagination, but it was surprising. I am not a Carly fan. All we need is for Syesha to go and then David Cook. Ha Ha Ha.....

I (We) Don't Get It...???

I would like to preface this by saying that, yes, he can sing, but I don't understand the "hype". For weeks now, there has been this buzz around David Cook and to be honest, I just don't get it. First of all, am I the only one (ok, Kim and I agree on most of this) who thinks that he is a complete fake? He even said it himself tonight, that he grew up doing theater. He is NOT a rocker! He is a drama queen, err, theatrical singer playing dress-up and pretending to be something he's not. Granted, when he sticks to the rock, he's pretty good, but I don't think that he's genuine. Not like David A. or Brooke. They are completely believeable. They are genuine.

From the get-go, I have thought, and still believe David Cook to be COMPLETELY arrogant and condescending. He thinks he's the best and knows it. Ever since Simon called him on it, he does this "awe shucks" act and holds his precious hands together and raises them to the crowd in "humble" thanks and appreciation. Phony!!!!

As Andrew Lloyd Webber stated, the eyes have it and when you look into David Cooks eyes, there is nothing there, especially tonight. He just seems empty and therefore unbelieveable. I think we all know when someone believes what they're singing and it comes through. That did not happen tonight. When Simon said that he did the best he could with what he had and the song he chose, that is not true. We both were waiting for him to take off and change the song into his own style (similar to what David A. did, which was awesome by the way) but he never did....until the LAST note, which was stupid because you can't walk through that song and sing it one way and then decide "Hey, I'm going to put my stamp on this thing and belt out a Rocker scream at the end." At that point, it was completely inappropriate. I'm surprised Simon didn't call him out on that one.

Ultimately, he will skate through to the next round, which he probably deserves, but as I said prior, I just don't get the whole David Cook hype. Don't even get me started on his huge heed. I wonder if he cries himself asleep on his huge pillow?

P.S. I feel so bad for Brooke. Although she did stumble badly, I don't think it was as bad as the judges felt it was. Oh Well.

My Switzerland...in Pictures

WooHoo!

Brian is coming home today! Woo Hoo! I'm so excited. Who knew that 5 days could seem like such a long time.

Kim's Team...

On behalf of my beautiful wife, I'm claiming this one for her as the captain of "Her Team" (see Tricia's blog). She can comment on it if she wants to, but there is NO doubt here!

"My Team" is coming soon! And, NO, I don't play for both teams!

Sorry Tricia and Sheri, but here is another Josh that either of you can claim:

Easter Weekend

Ok, so this post is pretty much the same as Sheri's, except the pictures are different.

Friday we colored eggs. We usually do this at the park, but we thought it best to do it at my moms this year, that way the little ones couldn't escape.

It was Sheri, Stacy and I along with the kids: Joshua, Michael, Joseph, Alex and his friend Josh, Ben, Max and Evan. It wasn't as crazy as I thought it was going to be. We had plenty of colors so they didn't have to fight over who got which ones.

Max preferred to get the eggs out with his hands, instead of using a spoon. Messy, but effective.

This is Joe on Saturday morning looking for eggs at our house. It is tradition for him to get his easter basket on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon we met up with the Trezise family and the Cameron family for lunch and a game of wiffle ball. Sheri was right, The Cameron's creamed us, and we had more players. Their pitcher/first base combo of Boston and Mason was too much for us.

Max had his own little game going on off to the side. He had fun practicing his batting.

Then it was off to Grandma's for our annual Easter egg hunt and picnic. They announced that this is the last year it is going to be at Grandma's house. I hope someone picks up the tradition next year.

It was fun getting together and seeing everyone. This picture of Evan and Rowan was my favorite of the day.

I also quite enjoyed watching Emmy and Evan eat ice from the ice chest. They were at it for a long time. Sometimes they would suck on the ice and put it back. I hope no one used it for their drinks.

Here comes trouble!

I hope you all had a happy easter. I know we did!