Blah Blah Blog

Anyday now....

2010-09-16T17:40:00.003-07:00

I bet my friends in Oregon and Idaho are experiencing a strange phenomenon we like to call......

FALL!!!

Anyday now!!!!!!!! It's hotter than HELL.

LOVE it....

2010-04-16T15:34:00.002-07:00

All I can say is that this is the funniest, truest shirt I have ever seen:

One of my favorites:

2010-03-13T20:16:00.002-07:00

Joe's Birthday Tribute

2010-03-01T09:29:00.019-07:00

Happy Birthday Joe!

ok, so that is a few days late, but I actually started on this a few days ago. Joe turned 13 on Friday, February 26th. Here he is having his birthday breakfast:

Then, out of curiosity, I looked up his birthday photo from last year:
I couldn't believe how much he had changed. He does look so much older. But, seeing him everyday as I do, the change is gradual. I didn't really notice it at all until I looked at the pictures side by side. So, then I went back and looked at all of his photos from last year. It was fun to see the changes month to month. So, even though it will make this post really, really long, I am posting some of my favorite photo's of Joe over the last year.

February '09
March '09
April '09

May '09
June '09
July '09

August '09

Sept. '09

October '09

November '09

December '09

January '10

February '10

Last photo of Joe at 12 years old.

Joseph is such an awesome kid. I am so lucky to be his mom. He is imaginative, creative, sensitive, funny and all things good.

Some of Joe's favorites:

Color: purple/lime green

food: Italian/sea food He loves Red Lobster, Cheesecake Factory, and Olive Garden.

Fruit/ Vegetable: Green apples/Green Beans/Carrots

Candy/Dessert: Milkyway/3 musketeers/ Strawberry ice cream

Drink: Orange Fanta

Store: Target/Tillys

Book: Kingdom Keepers. I'm not surprised, seeing as it takes place at Disneyland.

Animal: Otters/ his kitty's Tiger and Bob

Sport to play: Baseball/Football

Sport to watch: Baseball/ Olympics

T.V. show: Community

Music: currently obsessed with Green Day. Favorite Green Day songs include: Deadbeat Holiday, She, 21 guns, Misery, Wake Me Up When September Ends, Good Riddance

Favorite place to go: Disneyland/California/Embassy Suites South Anaheim(in case you didn't know).

Place you'd like to go: New York

What makes you happy? Girl

Something you've never done, but would like to do: bungee jump/ playing on stage

Hobbies: play guitar/write songs/ watch t.v./ texting

Joe writes songs and plays his guitar nearly every day. He drags out bedtime EVERY night, even still. He flosses every day! Joe is interesting and fun-never a dull moment here.

Happy Birthday!

A few random thoughts....

2010-01-21T16:25:00.006-07:00

I choose Team Conan without reservation. Let's face it, he is hilarious and Jay Leno is as funny as a beige wall. I actually like Conan and Letterman equally, but the only people who like Leno are blue haired idiots!

I LOVE rain. I should live in Oregon. I like the smell of rain and the sound of rain. I love to be wet. (get your mind out of the gutter...Geez)

My obligatory NObama comment. I am soooo happy that Scott Brown was elected to the US Senate in Mass. If a state as "blue" as Mass. can see the failures of this administration, then there is hope out there for the rest of the morons. This election all but kills Obama's Healthcare Reform and for that I am grateful. Gotta love the people of Massachusetts.

To Facebook or Not to Facebook??? That is the question......

This is correct on so many levels....

2009-08-08T14:38:00.002-07:00

Britain's Got Talent

2009-04-15T10:16:00.002-07:00

Check out this YouTube clip. You will be shocked. I will leave it at that.

Just copy and paste. If that doesn't work, just go to YouTube and search Susan Boyle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

MST3K

2009-03-28T10:37:00.002-07:00

For any of you who don't know of MST3K (Mystery Science Theatre 3000), here is a sample of what made this show so damn funny!!! Generally they showed old "B" movies but this one was so funny I had to post it. I miss this show. The sarcasm and one-liners are classic.

Happy Birthday Joe and Adam

2009-02-26T10:07:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday to Joe - the most awesome kid in the world!

I was planning on posting some of my favorite pictures of Joe over the years to go along with this post. Brian even taught me how to scan them into the computer. Sadly, I can't figure out how to get them HERE. So, I will go ahead with my birthday post and when Brian comes home, I will add more pictures.

Joe is 12 today. 12!!! That is crazy to me. The time has gone by too fast. When I look at him, I still see the little boy who ran around the house with his cape on all the time. I'm pushing him on the swings, while he looks back to make sure his cape is flying in the wind. I'm not ready for him to be 12.

He, however is more than ready to be 12. He's interested in music, hangin' out with friends, and girls. It's all too scary for me.

Joe is such an awesome kid. I thoroughly enjoy being his mother. Joe is sensitive and kind. He is creative, talented and funny. He has the best laugh in the world, and uses it a lot.

Some facts about Joe:

Favorite color: Purple, Lime Green

Favorite food: Seafood (especially crab) and Italian food.

Favorite restaurant: The Olive Garden and Cheesecake Factory

Favorite fruit: Green apples

Favorite vegetable: Green beans

Favorite dessert: Ice cream

Favorite candy: 3 musketeers/rollos

Favorite drink: Orange Fanta/ Raspberry Lemonade

Favorite movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas/ Eagle Eye/ Signs

Hobbies: He loves to play the guitar, ride his wave and read.

Favorite store: Tillys/ Target

Favorite book: The Warrior Heir series/ The Percy Jackson series/ Harry Potter series

Favorite animal: Otter/ Pelican

Favorite sport to play: baseball/football

Favorite sport to watch: baseball

Favorite tv show: America's Best Dance Crew/ American Idol/ Arthur

Favorite bands: All American Rejects/ The Cure

Favorite songs: "My Paper Heart" - All American Rejects/ "The Caterpillar" - The Cure

Favorite place to go: Disneyland/California Adventure/ Embassy Suites

Place you'd like to go, that you've never been to: New York

What makes you happy? "girls, and my new ipod touch."

Something he's never done, but would like to do: bungee jumping/skydiving (those surprised me).

Anything else you'd like us to know about you? "My favorite body part is my ankle."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE. I LOVE YOU!

As most of you know, today also happens to be Adam's birthday too. I wanted to wish Adam a happy birthday.

Adam is going to be a famous author some day. He is incredibly talented. You should all go check out his work in progress. I don't know how to set up a link (technically challenged, remember?), so I'll post his blog address here: tarterrior.blogspot.com. Check it out and you will see what I mean about him being a literary genius. Also, leave him a comment and wish him a happy birthday.

When he's super famous, I'll be able to say that I knew him way back when. He's the greatest. Happy Birthday Adam.

The Life of Brian

2009-02-24T23:00:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow morning I GET to have one of these installed into my jaw. It's just another day in the life of me. Awhile ago, (jokingly) I started saying that in a few years I will be completely rebuilt, but as time goes on and the more procedures that I have to go through, it's starting to appear more and more likely that I wasn't far off. This procedure is a titanium post inserted into a bone graft that I had done 4 months ago. This will serve as a host for a crown, which I will have to have done in another 4 months. Anyway, just stay away from me because IF I am at all contagious, it is in your best interest to avoid me. I call it the "Brian Effect".

Wish me Luck!!!

Time for a Change?

2009-01-28T14:10:00.004-07:00

So, as many of you can tell, I have been slacking when it comes to my blog. I've just had no reason to blog and when I try to come up with ideas, all I can think of are all of the things that piss me off or to rehash things Kim posts on her blog. You know how much I love people and all the wonderful things they do and say, right?! Well, in an effort to give myself a new perspective and a new outlook on life (yeah, like that's going to happen!) I decided to start with my actual blog. I figure if I change how it looks then maybe some new ideas will come to mind. If not, you will all be stuck with my Kermudgin mentality. Hey, if we are all walking around with stupid smiles on our faces with a "Golly Wally" outlook on life, then what fun would that be? Cheers!

P.S.--if anyone has a hot topic that might make an "interesting" post, go ahead and let me know. I might just have an interesting take. I didn't say it would be a good take, only interesting.

James

2009-01-08T17:00:00.005-07:00

One of my favorite bands is James, only I somehow forgot it. I'm sure that many of you out there love a band but for some reason they just seem to fly under your radar so to speak and when you hear them again, you realize just how good they are. Anyway, I was looking for some music for Kim for Christmas and came across James and low and behold, they have a new album out, "Hey Ma". So I decided to buy it, of course. Well, I just now put it on my iTunes and my new iPod (thanks Kim!!) and i've listened to it for 20 minutes and I LOVE IT!! His voice is a little Killers (although James has been around MUCH longer) but unique all his own. Here is a video of one of their new songs, "Waterfall". ENJOY!!

Happy Festivus...for the rest of us

2008-12-23T14:25:00.003-07:00

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

2008-12-09T00:00:00.003-07:00

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

2008-11-30T20:38:00.002-07:00

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

2008-11-27T11:18:00.004-07:00

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

2008-11-05T21:00:00.002-07:00

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????

2008-11-03T21:55:00.009-07:00

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!

2008-10-17T07:14:00.002-07:00

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

2008-10-15T00:39:00.006-07:00

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

2008-10-06T12:37:00.003-07:00

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...

2008-09-25T19:24:00.002-07:00

The Biggest Loser...

2008-09-18T13:09:00.006-07:00

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

2008-09-07T02:35:00.007-07:00

(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...

2008-08-31T21:23:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-30T23:45:00.001-07:00

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...

2008-08-27T22:47:00.003-07:00

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...

2008-08-24T21:53:00.004-07:00

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!

2008-08-19T08:32:00.004-07:00

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!

2008-08-18T01:04:00.013-07:00

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

2008-08-09T13:01:00.002-07:00

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!

2008-08-03T12:59:00.010-07:00

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

2008-07-26T10:40:00.002-07:00

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

2008-07-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-14T15:51:00.003-07:00

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

2008-07-08T18:25:00.003-07:00

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

2008-07-06T20:55:00.004-07:00

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...

2008-07-02T11:37:00.002-07:00

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)

2008-06-30T23:25:00.002-07:00

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?

2008-06-24T23:22:00.002-07:00

It's ALIVE...

2008-06-20T19:10:00.002-07:00

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...

2008-06-08T11:20:00.003-07:00

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

2008-06-05T11:55:00.003-07:00

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...

2008-06-01T21:36:00.017-07:00

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

All Hail the Banana King

2008-05-29T15:08:00.002-07:00

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

2008-05-28T00:53:00.002-07:00

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

2008-05-26T06:56:00.001-07:00

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

Migraines...

2008-05-21T19:44:00.004-07:00

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'

2008-05-20T23:19:00.002-07:00

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?

2008-05-18T23:30:00.002-07:00

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....

2008-05-13T15:19:00.001-07:00

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...

2008-05-13T13:12:00.002-07:00

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

2008-05-13T10:20:00.002-07:00

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

Twilight

The Dumbest Nerd

2008-05-07T23:36:00.003-07:00

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'

2008-05-05T10:05:00.006-07:00

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

2008-05-03T00:16:00.018-07:00

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...

2008-04-26T11:26:00.003-07:00

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...???

2008-04-22T23:06:00.004-07:00

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

2008-04-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

WooHoo!

2008-04-08T13:52:00.001-07:00

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...

2008-03-31T12:05:00.003-07:00

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

2008-03-25T13:30:00.030-07:00

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!

And The Winner Is.....

2008-03-21T23:41:00.003-07:00

AMY...Congrats to Amy and all who participated. Being a man, and the fact that Kim left me in charge of the prize, it is still undecided. I will ponder and let you know shortly. Thanks again and we look forward to another trivia of some sort soon!

Game Over!

2008-03-21T10:09:00.002-07:00

Ok, all of the movies have been guessed. Thanks to all who played! If any of you haven't gotten your fill of movie trivia yet, Joseph still has 4 that haven't been guessed on his blog. Just click on "Joe" under my family and friends. And, I know Tim and Becca have a trivia game going on too.

We will be holding a drawing shortly - whenever Brian decides what the prize will be.

We will keep you posted.

Jumping on the Movie Trivia bandwagon

2008-03-20T08:57:00.021-07:00

Ok. So, we loved playing the movie trivia game on Sheri and Jamie's blogs that we decided to be the next ones to jump on the bandwagon.

In case you don't already know how to play, we've taken 10 quotes from 10 different movies. Please guess only one every 24 hours. That way everyone has a chance to play. I will highlight the movies that have been guessed correctly. Don't cheat by googling quotes. Nobody likes a cheater. A prize will be forthcoming. Brian just hasn't decided what it should be yet.

1. "If I can't touch you, I can touch your shirt and dream." ---Maverick - guessed correctly by Darrel

2. "It's called a 'cruel irony', like my dependence on you." ---The Emperor's New Groove - guessed correctly by Amy

3. "They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works, every time." ---Anchorman - guessed correctly by Becca

4. "You said 'wet shirt don't break', not 'piss shirt bend bar'! --- Shanghai Noon - guessed correctly by Jamie

5. "It appears my hypocrisy know no bounds." - Tombstone - guessed correctly by Ian

6. "What's her name and social security number?"
"No, you're not gonna kill her." ----Mr. and Mrs. Smith - guessed correctly by Teresa

7. "Woman is the most fiendish instrument of torture ever devised to bedevil the days of man." -O Brother Where Art Thou? - guessed correctly by Jared.

8. " I don't know what they taught you in France, but rude and interesting are not the same things." - French Kiss - guessed correctly by Alexander (that just sounds wrong for some reason.)

9. "Welcome to downtown Coolsville. Population: us." --The Iron Giant - guessed correctly by Sheri

10. "I am angry. I'm like a tornado of anger swirling about." - Kicking and Screaming - guessed correctly by Jared

I was going to put in my favorite movie quote of all time (or at least the one I quote the most),
but since I say it all of the time, I thought it would be waaay too obvious (for my family, at least.)

What the heck. I'll throw it in as a bonus:

"You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity." -Toy Story - guessed correctly by Becca

Somehow, that quote comes up in conversation a lot.

Check out Joe's Blog

2008-03-18T10:59:00.002-07:00

Hey, for any of you interested in seeing pictures from our recent trip to Disneyland, check out Joe's blog. He's posted lots of pictures.

Book Tag - Finally

2008-03-17T08:10:00.010-07:00

Ok, so Elise tagged me, a long long time ago. Because I love to read so much, I thought this tag was fun.

This one is called book tag. Here is how it works:

1. Pick up the book that is nearest to you (must have at least 123 pages).

2. Open to page 123

3. Find the 5th sentence.

4. Post the next 3 sentences.

5. Tag 5 people

I am currently reading 2 different books that I have with me at all times. So I'm posting them both. The first is from one of my all time favorite books. I have read it several times. I am reading it again for our book club this month. It is "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke. Here are my 3 sentences:

"With only his feeble flashlight for illumination, he fought through the piled-up garbage, climbing over wedged chairs, crates, and broken partitions. It was pitch black behind the boarded-up door and Victor's heart nearly stopped when, by the ticket booth, he ran slam-bang into a cardboard cutout of a man pointing a machine gun into his face. Cursing quietly, he shoved the thing aside and crept toward the double doors that led to the movie theater's auditorium."

They also made this book into a movie, and unlike some books that are made into movies, this one isn't chopped to bits and changed so much that you don't recognize it.

The second book is one that my nephew Adam gave to me to read. I think I've mentioned before that he is always supplying me with books. Anyway, I have not read this one before, and I'm not quite halfway through with it, but I am really liking it so far. The prologue was a little gory but so far the book hasn't been. I can't really recommend it until I've finished with it.

From the Book "The Warrior Heir" by Cinda Williams Chima:

"Our ancestors." Aunt Linda picked up her teacup, then set it down again without drinking from it. "We include our share of poets, writers, revolutionaries, and visionaries, but the Weir inherit unusual abilities."

So, now I'm supposed to tag 5 people. I'm not going to. Instead, I tag anyone who loves to read. Please share what you are reading right now.

I'm also leaving you with a question. I love to read and I'll pretty much read anything from any genre, although kids fantasy type books seem to be my favorite. What are your favorite books? I'm always looking for a good read, and I'm curious to see what all you people out there in blog land are reading.

Toilet trouble

2008-03-13T09:01:00.004-07:00

First of all, No, this blog is not about Brian's lactose intolerance.

Ok, so the toilet is clogged. That will sometimes happen. We try and try and try to unclog it with the plunger. We finally figure that the plunger is not working correctly. Brian goes out and buys another one. More plunging, to no avail. Brian decides we need something stronger, and goes out and buys some clog remover to put into the toilet. Warning - must use heavy duty gloves and protective goggles to use this product. So he also buys said gloves and goggles. Guess what? It does not work! He finally asks my dad what to do. Dad suggests snaking the toilet. Brian goes back to the store once again and buys a toilet snake. Guess what? Still not working! At this point I am resigned to the fact that it will stay clogged forever.

So after 3 trips to the store and almost $50.00 spent, what do I have? A stupid toilet that is still clogged. Brian decides to go on line for help. Hallelujah, he found a solution. Do you know what it took? Dish soap. That's right, dish soap. He put some in the toilet, waited about 2 minutes, plunged again and what do you know, it worked. Why didn't he check on line in the first place? We could have saved ourselves $50.00.

Here is what I want to know: Is the dish soap thing common knowledge? I'd never heard of it before.

Blah's

2008-03-09T09:57:00.001-07:00

I feel Blah today. Do I really have to get ready and go to church? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get over the Blah's?

Happy Birthday Joe & Adam

2008-02-26T10:20:00.006-07:00

Wow, where do I start with these two? I have so much I could say. I'll try not to go on too long. First of all Happy Birthday to Joseph and Adam. I guess I'll start with Adam, since he was born first.
February 26th, 1990, Adam was born. He was an emergency c-section. All drama, right from the start. I remember visiting him in the hospital like it was yesterday. Time goes by way too fast. When Adam was in his toddler years, I still lived at home. At different stages in his childhood, Stacy either worked or was going to school, so Adam spent a lot of time at my mom's house. He and I were good friends. We would hang out practically every day. I was part of the duo "Mimmy and Haus." I was Mimmy, and my mom was Haus (which was how he said "Grandma's House").

I have such a soft spot for this kid, I can't even tell you. We spent lots of time together going for long walks in the neighborhood, playing make believe in the back yard on Grandma's swingset, eating popcicles. We've gone to the park together, to the movies, to the zoo and to Disneyland. I've hid easter eggs over and over for him to find. We've read countless numbers of stories together and played endless games of candyland. There have been many sleepovers at my house where he, Joe and Jared would stay up late and watch movies and eat ice cream and be silly.

As he's gotten older, I become more and more proud of him. Adam is creative and extremely talented. I have seen him in all of his school plays, he is quite a good actor. His most recent play, "The Yellow Boat" he was the lead, and he was soooo good. Adam is also quite a good artist and writer. I love that he is so creative. Adam is great with kids. I think it's because he will always be a kid at heart. Even though he is 18 now, he still calls me "Kimmy", I love that. And thanks to him, I always have a good book to read. He is always introducing me to new books, and I always like them. We must have the same taste. My favorites he has introduced me to are: Inkheart and the Bartimaeus Trilogy. In case you can't tell, I love this kid! Happy Birthday Adam.

Now, about Joe....
Joseph was born February 26th, 1997. Seven years after Adam. He was born at 3:18 in the morning. The whole day, when people would come to visit, he was wide awake. I didn't know at the time that it would be a foreshadowing of things to come. This boy does not, and never has, liked to sleep! When he finally did start sleeping through the night, it was exactly 7 hours and then that was it. If I was lucky, I could get him to take two 15 minute naps a day and that would be it. I always felt like his mind was too busy for him to calm down and sleep. Even when he couldn't talk, I could see it in his eyes. Also, he doesn't like to feel like he's missing out on anything. If anything was going on, he was going to be awake for it. He seriously hasn't taken a nap since he was 3.

Joseph is such an awesome kid. I am so happy to be his mom. We do so many fun things together. My favorite is to read stories on the bed. When he was younger, he'd grab a bunch of books and bring them to my room and we'd read stories on the bed. Now that he is older we each grab our own book to read and hang out on the bed and read together. I love to read, and I'm glad that Joseph has a love of books also.

Here are some things you should know about Joseph:

* He prefers to be called "Joe", but I call him "Joseph, or Bo."

* He has the best laugh in the whole world. You hear him giggle, and you can't help but laugh along.
* He loves his hair and is immensly proud of it, although he knows that when he turns 12, he has to cut it.

* He is persistent. Sometimes that can be really annoying because he doesn't hear the word "No". He keeps trying and trying anyway to get what he wants. But I think it is a good quality because he never gives up. I know he will get what he wants out of life.

* He collects "stuff". He has so many different collections, it is ridiculous. His shelves are full of cool things he has collected. It's hard to be mad about it. I was the same way when I was his age.

* He is so creative. His drawings blow me away at how good they are. He's even taken to selling some of them at school. He also is good at creative writing.

* He has such an active imagination. I can always see the wheels turning. He is always creating some new superhero or villain, or coming up with ideas for a comic strip, movie or book. He also likes to come up with costumes for his characters, and will often walk around in some kind of costume throughout the day. He loves superhero action figures. Silver Surfer, Gambit and Black Panther are his favorite.

* Everything is drama with this kid. I swear he'll win an oscar some day. He can fake cry with the best of them. When I believe him and ask him what's wrong, he busts out laughing. Stupid me, I fall for it every time.

* He likes to eavesdrop on the phone. He can't stand being out of the loop.

* He has a sensitive soul. He can empathize with others. He doesn't like it when people are sad. He is a deep deep thinker. We have some really awesome conversations. I am amazed at some of the things he thinks about. I know I wasn't that deep when I was 10.

* He loves to be outdoors. He loves riding his bike and his wave. He recently got rollerblades. He would rather be outside running the neighborhood, than inside playing video games. Can I tell you how much I love that?

* He loves the beach. He is like a fish. When we go, he is in the water for hours and hours and never wants to leave.

* His favorite color is purple

* He loves to eat crab legs.

* He beats me at Harry Potter Scene it nearly every time we play.

I love Joseph. I am lucky to be his mom. Happy Birthday Joseph. Happy Birthday Adam.

I know this seems long, but believe me, I could have went on longer!

Wise Guy

2008-02-24T09:27:00.002-07:00

So, I'm sure you all know about the multitude of health problems Brian has had over the past year. I recently posted about his surgery to repair his deviated septum. We'll, the recovery for that was loooong, and he kept having acute pain on the left side of his face. So, he went back to the doctor and was told it was infected and was given even more pills to take. When the pain didn't go away they decided to have him come in so they could drain the infection. So, he went in for the appointment and guess what? Nothing to drain. Which meant that something else was causing the pain. After an x-ray, he was informed that he had not 1 but 2 impacted wisdom teeth on the upper left side. One of them was so far up, it was near the sinus cavity and was probably the culprit of all the pain. So, we make the appointment for surgery to have all 5 of his wisdom teeth removed. Where he got 5 instead of 4, who knows, I guess he is just extra wise. Does this mean he'll be extra stupid when they are gone?

So, Friday morning I take him to the oral surgeon, where he is told that after looking at the x-ray more closely, there are not 5, but 6 wisdom teeth. There are 3 on that upper left side. He was in surgery for 2 hours. When he is done, I'm given all the instructions and pretty much taking him out the door, when the surgeon comes in and says, "Well, it looks like we missed one."
What? He explained that when he was removing the teeth, he never saw the 6th tooth. But, when he checked the x-ray afterward it was still showing up. He gave us the option of waiting and having it done at a later time, or putting Brian back in the chair and doing it now. We opted for now. He is sick of doctors and hospitals and just wanted it to be finished. So, back in the chair he goes for another half an hour. This time he is awake for the whole thing, he is numb, but awake. After another 1/2 an hour, the surgeon tells me that he got the tooth, and that it was not one, but 2 small teeth. That makes a total of 7. Apparently, I married the Wisest guy around. He also said they were so so close the the sinus cavity. I'm thinking that some of his diagnosed "sinus infections" from last year, may have been misdiagnosed. I think 4 wisdom teeth on the upper left side of his mouth may have been causing a lot of the pain problems.

So, he is now very much swollen and in pain. I think he looks cute with his chipmunk cheeks. Instead of rubbing his head and saying "poor bunny", I've switched to "poor chipmunk". He wouldn't allow any pictures, sorry.

Happy Birthday Sheri!

2008-02-20T02:06:00.006-07:00

Yes, it's that time, for another family birthday post. This time it is for my little sister Sheri. I do know her celebrity crush, because he's one of mine too - Josh Duhamel. Enjoy!

Sheri is awesome. I'm sure all of you out there in blogland know that already. She is spunky and silly! She is the busiest person I know, but still manages to get it done and then some! But, as busy as she is, if you need help, she'll be the first to volunteer. I have so so many Sheri memories, it was hard to narrow it down to just a few, but here they are:

* Mom dressing us like twins when we were younger. I didn't find out until much later on that it upset you because you thought you were so much cuter than me, how could people possibly believe we were twins?

* Getting ready for school in the mornings, listening to "When in Rome" practically every morning - you sitting up on the sink blocking the mirror.

* Trips to stinkweeds to buy music and even more posters for the walls of our bedrooms.

* Every time I hear "The Smiths" I think of you.

* Making "Book of Love" videos in the basement.

* All of the concerts we went to together. Why do all of my memories revolve around music?

* Watching your first ever modazz dance concert. You blew me away at how good you were. I was in awe.

* Our big plans to tear down the wall between our rooms to make one big hangout, so we could be together all of the time.

* Cherry dipped cones.

* You not being able to eat anything without spilling it on yourself.

* Your afterschool "Cure" t-shirt. I think every picture I have of our teenage years at home, you are wearing that shirt.

* My favorite Sheri story ever - you at the doctor's office (I'll leave it at that to spare you the embarrassment.)

* Our many trips to San Diego together with friends.

* Driving to MCC together, singing the wrong words to "The Wonderstuff".

* Hanging out with you in college. Those were some of the best times of my life.

I admire your drive and your work ethic. I love your laugh and your spirit. You are such a fun person to be around. You're not just a sister, but a good friend. I love you. Happy Birthday!

don't be mad about the pictures! I posted one silly and one beautiful, because you can be a goofball, but your also beautiful.

I couldn't find any pictures of you alone. I guess this picture is appropriate. You always have kids hanging on you. That is a sure sign that you are a great mom!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T11:19:00.004-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life. I want to publicly express my appreciation to Kim for all that she does for me. She is the glue that holds this union together. She also is very humble and will dispute everything that I am saying. Another great quality, I'd say. We all know how sweet she is, but many may not realize the extent of her kindness. I have put this family through a lot these last 2 years in particular with all of my health issues, not to mention the financial stress that accompanies many surgeries, but she is always making sure I get done what I need to get done so that we can be together in health and happiness for many years to come. She is always there to rub my head and say "poor little bunny" (see Sheri's blog if you want further detail). I cannot express in words just how much I love her and how much she means to me. Kim truly is an angel on earth, and I feel blessed everyday that she chose me.

Happy Birthday Trina

2008-02-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there are so many February birthdays in our family, that every new post will probably be a birthday one. Oh well!

I didn't know Trina's celebrity crush, so I had to put up a picture of her instead. Don't be too mad at me Trina! I think you look beautiful in that picture.

A few thoughts about Trina: She has the face of an angel and a heart of gold to match. She is always smiling. She cares about people. At every family get together she is the first one to start cleaning, and the last one to finish. She never sits down and lets someone else do the job. She loves to be outside (on warm days). She hikes, bikes, plays tennis, soccer, you name it. She loves the outdoors. She is a great mom. She loves her kids so much. She is like a little ray of sunshine. She has a way of walking in a room and lighting it up. She is also very humble and will probably be more than a little annoyed that I posted this. But, she is also forgiving, so I hope you don't stay mad at me too long. It's just because I think you're great! I'm glad you are part of our family. We sure lucked out the day Darrel married you!

Have a very happy birthday. I wish you lots and lots of chocolate today.

Happy Birthday Stacy

2008-02-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so apparently Sheri and I had the same idea, but she beat me to the punch. (She always does). But I am going to post anyway. I like my pictures of Hayden better. This is of course for my big sister Stacy's birthday. She happens to be the biggest Hayden Christensen fan EVER! Hey, we all have our secret crushes. She just happens to be really proud of hers, no matter who makes fun of her. And Sheri is right, she does take a lot of abuse for it. But since it is her birthday, lets not leave any mean comments about Hayden today. Let's just let her enjoy the pictures in peace. He may not be the greatest actor ever, but you can't deny he photographs well.

Happy Birthday Stacy. You are an awesome big sister. I have so many great memories of growing up with you. You are such a fun person. Here are a few memories I have of growing up with Stacy. They may not make any sense to any of you out there, but Stacy will remember.

* Pipsy the one-eyed bunny

* Vaselina and purple

* Tarzan boy - making the video

* Listening to "Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung almost every day

* "Mom come quick, there's a hot dog in the bedroom" (those words were uttered by Stacy, not me.)

* Being on pom together and watching you lose your pettycoat during our halftime dance at the biggest football game of the year, Chandler vs. Willis. You just kept on dancing.

* Going to lunch with you and Paul in high school. Leaning Tower had the best lunch deal around.
* Going to Pizza Hut after Chandler High School football games. Turning down "Coke" in the parking lot. You told the guy "No thanks, we just had some inside."

* Not being embarrased to hang out with your little sister (if you were, you never made me feel bad about it.)

* Beating you at hearts because you try to shoot the moon every time.

* Eating Breyers mint chip ice cream and being silly.

I hope you have a great day. You are awesome! Thanks for sharing your boys with me. I love them, and I love you. I love our long talks on the phone (when you are able to get a hold of me). You are always pushing me toward my dreams. You are a dreamer and I love that about you. Never let the dream die. Happy Birthday!

Random

2008-02-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my friend Amy tagged me. She actually tagged me on January 18th and I am just getting around to responding. That is totally indicative (did I spell that right?) of my personality. I mean well, it just takes me a while to get things accomplished. This is similar to a tag I did previously. In that one I had to list 5 things people probably don't know about me. It is also similar to the one Sheri just did on her blog. In this one I have to list 7 random things. I seriously tried to be random and I quickly wrote down the first 7 things that popped into my mind. I didn't think about it or edit at all. Here goes:

1. I love milk. I hated it as a kid, so I don't know why I like it so much now, but I do.

2. I have super dry skin, but I hate lotion, so, oh well!

3. I wish I had strawberry blonde hair.

4. I ran a 5k at Disneyland and it was soooo fun. I want to do the 1/2 marathon this year.

5. Someday I want to run the San Diego Marathon. I know it's hard to believe, considering the shape I'm in, but someday... Anyone who wants to run with me is invited.

6. I love the movie "French Kiss". I could watch it over and over again.

7. I'm addicted to "The Amazing Race". It would be my dream to be on that show. My 2nd favorite team of TK and Rachel won this year. Woo hoo!

So that's it. Also, when I was on Amy's blog she had a fun feature that I wanted to share with you guys, so I took this right off of her blog. I hope that is ok. Here it is:

It’s the Random Album Cover Game! A great exercise in creativity.

This requires three random things. But wait, here’s what you’re supposed to do (I promise I didn’t cheat on mine):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The first article on this page is your band name. (If it’s a real band or musician, you might want to cheat and hit refresh.)

http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 Scroll down - the last four words of the last article are the title of your album.

http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/ Whatever the third picture is - that’s the album cover.

Now, put it all together in your favorite image editing program(s)… It’s fun!

I did it twice. Here is what I came up with. ( It would have been better if I could edit it and put the name of the band and album on the actual picture, but I am having trouble with my photo shop.) Which one do you like best?

Band Name: Bergelmir

Album title: They Chose Each Other

Album cover:

I thought it was interesting that this picture came up. Bergelmir is from Norse Mythology. He is a frost giant. I thought the picture was fitting.

Here was my second try:

Band name: State Route 55

Album title: Of It's Ugly Side

Album cover:

This is fun. Try it out and let me know what you come up with.

On a side note, I was finally released as cubmaster of cub scout pack 888! After three years, all I can say is woo hoo!

Have an awesome day!

Election Day

2008-02-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder for all you bloggers out there that today is election day (in Arizona). Get out there and exercise your freedom to VOTE!

Who Else is LOST?

2008-02-01T10:59:00.001-07:00

Ok, now that Season 4 is underway, I'm officially blown away at the complexity of the show. I use this post as a forum for all of you who have taste and are LOST fanatics. Please let me, and all other LOST fans, know your impressions of the Season Premiere. I loved it! It did not disappoint.

Get LOST

2008-01-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

LOST Returns

A Loss Felt The World Over...

2008-01-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight we lost someone whom I have grown to love over the years. Tonight we lost a Great man. Even thought we have never met, tonight we have lost a friend. Tonight we have lost our Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinkley.

For most of my life in this Church, I have been led and guided by one Prophet. I have come to respect and love him for so many reasons, reasons that I'm sure all of us share. I know that this isn't unexpected. He was 97 for goodness sakes. However, it doesn't make it any easier. I was hoping to make it to General Conference one last time before he passed. He was such a genuine man. You KNEW that he loved and cared for each member of the Church. He had a Spirit about him that was undeniable. I love him for the dignity and honor that he carried himself with. I love him for the Spirit that he brought to me in my life. I knew that we were in good hands under his leadership. He was called of God, and now he was called home by God. I can only imagine the reception that he received on the other side. I'm sure it was a sight to behold. And how about reuniting with his beautiful bride? Not a dry eye to be found I'm sure!

President Hinkley, I will miss you! We will ALL miss you! I pray that one day I will be worthy enough to enter into your presence and thank you for what you've meant to me and my life.

You will truly be missed!

P.S.--I apologize that the Lost background is still up for this post. A little worldly for such a non-worldly man. I think that President Hinkley will forgive me though....

I Heart Brian

2008-01-25T00:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this was going to be a complaining post. I have had a pretty crappy week, especially Wednesday and Thursday. I was all set to get on line and complain about it, but then, I decided to take it another direction. Here goes:

I Heart Brian. I have the most wonderful husband in the world. I have proof to back it up:

* After 12 years of marriage, he still calls me 2-3 times a day to check on how I am doing.

* When I'm having a really lousy day, he brings me Olive Garden (or something fabulous) for lunch.

* He'll take Joe to a scout meeting for me when I can't deal with one more scout activity.

* He makes me take vitamin C every day so I won't get sick.

* He puts up with me keeping the house at 62 degrees because I like it cold, even though he has to bundle up to keep from freezing.

* He puts up with my multiple personalities.

* He cooks lunch and dinner practically every Sunday, so I don't have to.

* He does the last minute shopping at 11:00 on Saturday night so we have something to eat on Sunday. And, he always remembers to buy me Hershey's Truffles so I can get through Sunday.

* He still writes me sappy love notes that make me cry.

* He lets me control the radio in the car.

* He lets me drive the good car while he drives the crappy one to work every day.

* He watches Gilmore Girls with me, without complaining, when I need a laugh.

* He makes my doctor appointments for me because he knows I never will.

* He goes with me when I don't want to go alone.

* He remembers to pick up my perscriptions when I don't.

* He always drives because he knows I hate to.

* He patienly shows me how to load my pictures from my camera to the computer, even though he's shown me 20 times already.

* He lets me cry, and when I'm done, he wipes away my tears.

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

Ashley's update

2008-01-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody. I know it's been a while. Doesn't Brian's new nose look fabulous.

I just wanted to do a quick update on Brian. As you all know, Brian had surgery about a week and a half ago to repair his badly deviated septum. It has caused him to have at least 6 major sinus infections over the last year. Hopefully with the surgery there will be no more sinus infections.

A few days before the surgery, Jason started calling him Ashley. Apparently in hollywood, repairing your deviated septum is code for having a nose job. And as Ashley Tisdale was recently in the news for her "deviated septum" repair, the nickname seemed appropriate. So, I've started calling him Ashley as well. I pointed out to Brian that Ashley Simpson also had a nose job, so the "Ashley" nickname works on 2 levels. I have to say, he is being a good sport about the nickname.

Anyway, I took Brian to the hospital on January 9th. He was in surgery for about an hour and a half. He then was sent to recovery where he was supposed to stay for about 2 hours before I could take him home. We were there for about 3 1/2 hours. He was so nauseous after the surgery, that the nurse would not let us go. We finally got him home. I left him with my mom while I went to fill his perscriptions. As soon as I left, the vomiting started. He was sooooooo sick that first night. It was sad. The first 2 days he was told that he was not allowed to lie down. Also, he was bleeding through the nose that whole first night. It was the saddest thing I think I've ever seen. He was propped up in bed leaning his head forward and holding a tissue to his nose all night long. You try to sleep like that. I thought about taking a picture, but it was just too sad.

After that first day, the bleeding stopped and thankfully the pain medicine made him tired, so for the next 4 days he spent most of the time in bed sleeping. Tuesday he was still in a lot of pain, but went back to work for a few hours. He is not fully recovered yet, but has been able to go to work, and be up and about. He is still in a lot of pain though, mostly on the left side of his face. I just went in to check on him and he has an ice pack covering the left side of his face. Every time he says his face hurts, I reply "It's killing me!" Ha Ha. My dad used to say that to me when I was younger. I never thought it was funny. Maybe I should stop saying it.

Anyway, on the plus side, he didn't really have any swelling at all. And, his nose looks exactly the same as before. I now have proof for all of those Ashley's in hollywood that you can repair a deviated septum without changing the look of your nose.

We just wanted to thank all of you who have expressed your concern for Brian. He appreciates your prayers and support. And thanks Sheri for letting him use your headache bag. It was a big relief to him. Hopefully in a few days he wont need it anymore and we can return it to you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELVIS & GOODBYE CHRISTMAS!

2008-01-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly. Why is there a picture of my Christmas tree next to Elvis when we are 8 days into the new year and Christmas was 2 weeks ago?

What do these 2 things have in common?

I'm glad you asked.

My husband loves 2 things very much. Ok, he loves more than 2 things, but 2 things in particular we will be discussing today.

If any of you know Brian at all, you know he loves Christmas, and he also LOVES Elvis. The problem with this is that I'm not allowed to "take down" Christmas until Elvis has celebrated his birthday. That is the way Elvis did it, so that is the way we do it. I tried to remind my husband that he is not Elvis.

I've always had the tradition that we leave the Christmas decorations up until my birthday - New Years Eve. It's not that bad. it's only 6 days after Christmas and is still December. Marrying an Elvis freak means that we extend that by 8 days. January 8th, are you kidding me?

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. The day after Thanksgiving all the decorations come out. It's fun because I married a guy who loves Christmas and he helps with all the decorating.

He loves Christmas so much that one year, we started listening to Christmas music in July and went straight on through December (I kid you not.) But January 8th, COME ON! I agreed to the tree. It's bad enouh keeping it up till the 8th, but it's indoors. No one else can see our secret shame, but Brian insists on turning the outside lights on the house on every night. It's getting a little embarrassing. Last night we were one of 2 houses left in the entire neighborhood. It's a fight to see who can last the longest. I'm betting we win. I jokingly remarked to Brian, "why don't we just leave them up and turn them on every night of the year?" He was all for it. I need to keep my big mouth shut.

I guess I shouldn't fight him on it too much. He did spend most of the month of December sick, and didn't really get to enjoy it this year. Christmas Day was just sad for him. He looked half dead. Not to mention the fact that tomorrow he will be having surgery and will once again be bed-ridden. I should just let him enjoy his Christmas after Christmas. After all, we celebrate the season 2 weeks before Christmas, and nobody has a problem with that, why not 2 weeks after Christmas too? Shouldn't the spirit of Christmas last all year?

On that note, I wasn't going to blog about Christmas. I figured it was too late, but since we are still celebrating at our house, I'll do an overview. (I was going to say I'll do a brief overview, but as you can tell by now, I'm not good at "brief").

A couple of days before Christmas, Joe and I were outside and he made the comment: "It just doesn't feel like Christmas." He was referring to the fact that it was 70 degrees and sunny, but I was feeling like that for other reasons. I think mostly because Brian was so sick this year. It was hard to enjoy the season with him being miserable. That and the fact that it seemed a lot of my family was grinching and grouching about Christmas (you know who you are!) I think when people grinch and grouch about Christmas, it's because they are forgetting the true meaning of it. It's not about stressing yourself out by trying to do too much, or spending money you don't have on people who already have too much. You are missing the whole point! Ok, I'm off of my high horse now, and back to the subject. So, after Joe made the comment, I started to think back over the past month. There were a lot of moments where it DID feel like Christmas, so I decided to focus on those. I made a list:

IT FELT LIKE CHRISTMAS WHEN:

* It was rainy and cloudy for a week.

* When I went with Joe to Target and watched him pick out a present for a boy that he'd picked off the giving tree at school.

* When I got to go shopping with my mom, just the 2 of us. As much time as I spend at my mom's house, I hardly get to spend any real time with her. She is always babysitting, running errands or on the phone.

* When Rowan got SO excited about the lights and music at Organ Stop Pizza on Michael's birthday.

* When Joe and I delivered Christmas cookies together.

* When I went secret Santa shopping all by myself.

* When Joe & I went Christmas caroling with the Gonzo's to Grandma's house. She sent us over to carol for her neighbor. He was so happy.

*When I got to watch Joshua's reaction to the lights at the temple. Also watching him be completely mesmerized by the Christus Statue in the visitor's center.

* When we decorated gingerbread houses at Jared and Tricia's house.

* When my mom and I wrapped presents at Grandmother's house.

* When I got to hear Tricia sing "Where are you Christmas?"

* When I got to hear Adam sing "Silent Night" while Jared Ammon played the guitar.

* When Stacy, Sheri and my dad read Christmas stories at our annual, adults only dinner.

* When I listened to Josh Groban sing "Oh, come all ye faithful".

* When we would read our nightly Christmas story. Brian, Joe & I turn of all the lights in the house and plug in the tree and the Christmas village. Then we get cozy on the couch and read a Christmas story. This is one of my very favorite Christmas traditions. Sometimes we would add hot chocolate.

* When I sang Christmas hymns in church.

* When I read my Christmas card from Brian. He always makes me cry.

* When we packed lunces for the homeless. Especially watching Addy pack hers.

* When I watched my son and neices and nephews hand out lunches to homeless people on Christmas eve. One man Joe gave a lunch to was so happy he started laughing. I later overheard Joe telling his cousin about it. He said : "I have a soft spot in my heart for that guy."

* When I visited my Grandma on Christmas eve with my family (most of us made it over there together). She was so happy when Rowan gave her a big hug. He just seems to make people happy.

* Baking cookies for Santa with Joe on Christmas eve.

* Joe's excitement on Christmas eve. It was electric. I love kids!

* Watching White Christmas with Brian and Joe on Christmas eve.

* Listening to my dad read the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas morning. All 27 of us crammed into the living room to listen.

* Watching James open his drum set on Christmas morning. I don't think I've seen anyone more excited.

* Watching Brian open a doormat at his mom's house on Christmas day. He had a huge grin on his face the minute he ripped open the paper and saw the box. It was nice to see him smile. He had been so sick, I think it was the first true smile I'd seen on his face in days. I know it's strange to be so happy about a doormat, but he'd seen it on QVC and really wanted it. Both he and his mom are addicted to QVC. It was funny that she knew just what to get him.

All in all, it was a great Christmas season. So, as the rest of the world has moved on to New Year's resolutions, we are quietly celebrating this, our last day of Christmas - and so we say: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELVIS & GOODBYE CHRISTMAS!

sorry this was so long (if you're even still reading). I don't post much, so when I do, I guess I have a lot to say.

In Case You Haven't Heard, We Love Lost

2008-01-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but in case you couldn't tell, Lost is one of, (Yeah, I spelled 'of' correctly) if not our favorite TV show, and it is back this month. Just a cheap plug. And for those of you who do not watch it (you know who you are), it is time to drop Big Brother (please) and catch up on Lost. Do it!

P.S. I wanted to be fair and post one picture for me and one for Kim. Mmmmmm.

Happy Birthday Kimmy!!!

2007-12-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

Let me take a dip into the pool of cheese for a moment and wish a Happy Birthday to the most wonderful person I know! Today is Kim’s Birthday and I want her to know how much I love and appreciate her. She is the one constant in my life. She keeps me on the straight and narrow (as any great woman does) and guides me through my tough times. She is so giving (as you ALL know) and, despite her vast vocabulary, does not know the meaning of “NO”. I wish that I could be the kind of husband that she deserves, but all that I can do is try. Of course she is too humble to take any of these words to heart, but for all that have come in contact with her throughout their lives, we can attest to her genuine smile, her giving spirit, and her perfect sincerity. She is what I believe all women should be. She is an Angel on Earth.

Happy Birthday Kim. I love you!!

Tag...I'm It (Thanks Trina)

2007-12-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I was tagged a long time ago by Trina and unfortunately she didn't forget. So I am supposed to tell 6 things people don't know about me. So, in the spirit of Christmas and the season of giving, I'm going to give up some of my secrets, embarrassing moments if you will. So, be kind and try to understand....

1. I have locked my keys in my car...with the car running....Twice! I know how could I let this happen...twice?? In my defense, well, I have no defense. I'm just stupid.

2. Several years ago I got so upset (at I don't know what) that I banged my fist on my windshield that, upon contact, the entire windshield shattered! Well, whatever I was so upset at didn't seem too important, especially since Kim was laughing at me and my stupidity. See, I am stupid. But the good part was that we got 52 free dinners at the Hometown Buffet because of it.

3. When Kim and I were first dating and then married, I had a propensity to "dink" people. Now, get your minds out of the gutter, when I say dink, it was this uncanny ability I had when driving to be able to stop just in time to barely "tap" to drivers in front of me. This was a common problem that has since ceased. It got to be pretty funny, for me at least.

4. When I was in First grade we had a spelling bee of sorts. Now keep in mind, I was pretty shy back then and hated when I had to be in front of any amount of people (I still do come to think of it) and I would tense up. Well, inevitably it was my turn and I was in a panic. I was given my word and my mind went blank. I was in cold sweats and my heart was racing. I had no answer and when the teacher told me that she needed an answer, I quickly blurted out my response. I was quickly rejected in my response as several classmates snickered. I was distraught. This is funny, since I am really good at spelling now. Maybe it scarred me for life and I didn't want to have that feeling again. Oh yea, the word I misspelled......'of'

5. Perhaps the most embarrassing moment is something many of you are aware of. It's my defining moment it seems. Well, it happened several years ago when we were at Kim's parents' house with a group of us playing games. The game we happened to play this fine evening was 'The Newlywed Game'. It is a pretty fun game, unless you're me. I was doing pretty well with my answers until it happened. The question came up that has been the butt of many jokes since...."what is the color of your spouse's eyes?" Oh my !#&@, are you serious? I have gazed into my wife's eyes countless times and I didn't remember what color they were! I panicked!!! What color were they??? I guessed green when they are clearly Blue with Yellow specks! How could I miss that? To add insult to the situation, after getting MUCH grief after my answer was revealed, the next day I typed up a letter of apology to all who were in attendance, including Sheri and Ian's neighbors at the time whom I have never met before. Man I suck! I just chalked my errant answer up to whenever I was gazing into my wife's eyes, I wasn't stopping at the eyes, I was gazing into her soul!

And finally....

6. I came to the realization that I was lactose intolerant in front of Sheri & Ian and Tiffany & Jason. You see, I was the butt of their little joke when we all went to Olive Garden and everyone at the table knew that Jason & Tiffany were engaged and I had NO idea. They kept dropping hints and I was too dumb to pick up on them. They just laughed at me. Afterwards, we all went back to our house for games/tv and then it happened. I had to excuse myself and didn't return for A LONG time. That's when the last enjoyment I had in life was taken from me. (No Kim, I don't mean that you and Joe aren't a joy) I think the look on my face said it all when I finally resurfaced.

Well, that's my embarrassing moments. Happy now Trina? I will NOT tag anyone, as I don't have anyone left to tag. Peace and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Songs for Shrinks

2007-12-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Schizophrenia: Do You Hear What I Hear

Multiple Personality: We Three Queens Disoriented Are!

Narcissism: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing About Me!

Dementia: I Think I'll Be Home For Christmas

Paranoia: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town To Get Me

Depression: Silent Anhedonia, Holy Anhedonia, All is Flat, All is Lonely

Personality Disorder: You Better Watch Out, I'm Going to Cry, I'm Going to Pout, then maybe I'll tell you why!

Obsessive Compulsive: Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell Swing, Jingle Bell Swing, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell Swing, Jingle Bell Swing, Jingle Bell Swing Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell Rock

Suicidal: Thoughts of Roasting On an Open Fire

Passive Aggressive: On the First Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me (then took away)

I've been Christmas tagged

2007-12-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

So, I was Christmas tagged by Jamie. Usually I don't like to be tagged, but Christmas tag is fun, so I'm playing along:

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate (from the cannery is best). I think Egg Nog is gross.

2. Do you wrap presents or not? Yes. It's way more fun to open a present, than a bag.

3. Colored Lights or White? Colored lights, and tons of them on my tree, at least 2,500. Also, old school, big fat colored lights on the roof, just like I had when I was a kid.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. I've got a man, I don't need to hang mistletoe to trick someone into kissing me.

5. When do you decorate? Usually I start the week before Thanksgiving. I know it's apalling to start before Thanksgiving, but because I do all the lights on my mom's house, both of her trees, my lights, and my tree, I have to start early. I always start with the lights on my mom's house before Thanksgiving, but she is not allowed to turn them on until after. Brian and I usually start decorating our house the Saturday after Thanksgiving. He does the roof, I do the tree.

6. Favorite holiday dish? I don't know that we do any special dishes at Christmas. My mom always does someburros and chick-fil-a on Christmas eve. I like that.

7. Favorite memory as a child? I have 3. I hope that's not too many. The first is peeking down the hallway on Christmas eve. You couldn't see into the family room, but you could just catch the corner of the Christmas tree and the lights. I never did sneak down and peek at the presents, but I did peek around the corner to see that little bit of the tree. The second is I would listen to Christmas music in my bed and look out the window. I could see the big colored lights on the house. It made me happy. That's how I'd fall asleep. The third is the year we had Christmas in July. My mom and dad came home one day in mid July with all kinds of presents for all of us. It was so unexpected and out of the blue. It was a lot of fun. I got a Strawberry shortcake sleeping bag and a lemon merengue doll, ooh, and my little ponies. Every time I see anything Strawberry Shortcake, I remember that. I think that's when we got our trampoline too.

8. When & how did you learn about Santa? I don't exactly remember, but I think it was Stacy that told me.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Always - pj's and cozy socks!

10. How do you decorate your tree? Seeing as how I've never really grown up, I've never graduated into sophisticated Christmas decorations all matching and color coordinated. I use colored lights -those are the most fun for us kids at heart. None of my ornaments match. They range from winnie the pooh, to sports (broncos, suns and d-backs) for Brian, to star wars, to sponge bob, to cute wooden snowmen. It's very eclectic. We are all represented on the tree. I love it.

11. Snow...love it or dread it? Love it. My dream is to have a White Christmas at least once in my life. Maybe next year, if the cabin ever gets finished.

12. Can you ice skate? That would imply that I have balance, so no, I don't. I've been, but I fell more than I skated.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? As a kid - my pogo stick. More recently I'd have to say the camera Brian got me last year. I was so set against going digital, but I have sooo loved the camera. I use it all the time.

14. What is the most important part of the holidays? Spending time with family.

15. Favorite holiday dessert? Aunt Denise's crispy cookies. When I taste those, it's Christmas. I also love Brian's moms sugar cookies. They have just a hint of peppermint. Oh, and I love Shamrock farms peppermint ice cream. I wait all year for that.

16. Favorite tradition? I have 2. The first is going to my parents house Christmas morning, all of us (all 27 of us now). Before we do anything else, we gather in the living room around the white tree, and my dad reads the Christmas story out of the bible. We have done that every Christmas since I was a kid. My second favorite is reading Christmas stories at home with me, Brian and Joe. Every night before we go to bed we turn on the tree, we turn off all of the other lights, we get cozy on the couch and we read a Christmas story. I love it.

So that's it for Christmas tag. Instead of tagging specific people, in the spirit of Christmas, I include everyone. Anyone who reads the Christmas tag and wants to participate, please feel free. If you don't want to play tag, then don't. I'm okay with that too.

Lastly, another shout out for Joe. He's playing tag with Dallin and Michael and has listed 3 embarrasing things about himself. CHECK OUT JOE'S BLOG! (shameless plug).

A Politically Correct Christmas Poem...Enjoy!

2007-12-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the North Pole,
were alleged by the union, to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished without much propriety,
released to the wilds, by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear,
that Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his beautiful sleigh,
because the ruts were deemed dangerous by the EPA,
And millions of people were calling the Cops,
when they heard sled noises upon their roof tops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe, had his workers quite frightened,
and his fur trimmed red suit was called "unenlightened".

To show you the strangeness of today's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose.
He went to Geraldo, in front of the Nation,
demanding millions in over-due workers compensation.

So...half of the reindeer were gone, and his wife
who suddenly said she'd had enough of this life,
joined a self help group, packed and left in a whiz,
demanding from now on that her title was Ms.

And as for gifts...why, he'd never had the notion
that making a choice could cause such commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur...
Which meant nothing for him or nothing for her.
Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot,
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls and nothing for just boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific,
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic.

No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish upon the truth.
And fairy tales...while not yet forbidden,
were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden,
for they raised the hackles of those psychological,
who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

No baseball, no football...someone might get hurt,
besides - playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist and should be passe.
and Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.

So Santa just stood there, disheveled and perplexed,
he just couldn't figure out what to do next?
He tried to be merry he tried to be gay,
but you must have to be careful with that word today
His sack was quite empty, it was flat on the ground,
nothing fully acceptable was anywhere to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might,
give to us all, without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy - with no indecision,
each group of people in every religion.
Every race, every hue,
everyone, everywhere...even you!
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...

"MAY YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES, ENJOY PEACE ON EARTH"

Check out Joe's blog

2007-12-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

For any of you who are interested, Joe was tagged and has since posted 6 things about himself that you probably don't know. Check out his blog to see what they are.

Yes this is a shameless plug for you to read my son's blog. Have a happy day!

2 things to say today

2007-12-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

First of all: HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARDO!

You know who you are! Just kidding. I was recalling the day in high school that we went to lunch. We dropped you off at subway and Stacy and I went to Arbys. (There is no way I'd go to Arby's now, but that is a different story). We went back to pick you up and you weren't there. We then saw you running across the field towards us, waving your arms, yelling "Nardo!". Good Times! I have lots of fond high school memories: Going to Leaning Tower for the awesome lunch deal, driving past the school with the windows down singing "The wheels on the bus go round and round..." Laughing at Stacy as we left pizza hut because a guy outside offered us Coke and she thought he meant Coca Cola. I know you guys were pretty muched forced to let me tag along, but I always had fun and you never made me feel like I was tagging along. Thanks! I hope you have a very happy birthday. You're awesome.

Second of all: Today is gorgeous. Have you been outside. As I used to say when Joseph was little: "This is a go to the park kind of day." It makes me happy.

I've decided to be "it".

2007-12-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Elise tagged me - a while ago actually. Thanks for being patient. Normally I ignore these and don't play along, but since I needed something new to put on my blog, and nothing else exciting has been happening, I decided to play.

I guess I am supposed to list 6 things that people don't know about me. This was hard, as I am pretty much an open book. No secrets here. I picked 6 things that I'm sure some people know about me, but not everyone knows. It was the best I could do.

#1. I am a secret MTV fan. I know I am way too old for this, but I can't help it. I was never allowed to watch MTV when I was a teenager, I am re-living my youth. Let me qualify this by saying that I know that most of what is on MTV is filth. I am only addicted to a couple of shows and the rare times that they play videos. I like the Hills, Made and The Life of Ryan. Joe and I actually watched The Life of Ryan together. It was my favorite.

#2. I like to car dance. For any of you who don't know what that is, it is when you turn up the radio really loud and dance (as best as you can) in the car. I often make Joe do this with me. Sometimes he plays along, but mostly he's just embarrased by me. When I'm alone I also sing loudly. My favorite car dancing songs at the moment are: Dare - the Gorillaz, and Supermassive Black Hole - Muse. The White Stripes also provide great car dancing music. I love music. It lifts my spirits.

#3. I know how many buttons are on my remote control - 49. I know this because I have counted them probably a few hundred times. I am not joking. This leads me to #3. I am slightly OCD about some things. I don't feel bad because I know it runs in my family. I am not the only one (the rest of you know who you are). I have other quirks that go along with the OCD as well. I check several times a day to make sure the stove is off, especially before I go to bed at night. I also have to check that all the doors are locked at night. I do this at least 3 times. Sometimes one right after the next. I cannot leave a room without turning the light off and it really bugs me when people leave the light on in a room when they leave it. I don't know if these things officially qualify as OCD, but that's what I call it. Whenever I do something strange that Brian doesn't understand, I just tell him that it's the OCD kicking in.

#4. I am an insomniac. If you came by my house at 2:00 in the morning, I'd probably be up. But don't come by my house at 2:00 in the morning, ok. Maybe this has something to do with the OCD. I can't shut my brain off and relax enough to sleep. After about a week of not sleeping well, I'll take NyQuil so I can get one good night of sleep. That keeps me going through the next week. It's bad to take it when you're not sick, but I can't help it. It knocks me out!

#5. I have kind of a warped sense of humor. Many of you know that I am pretty sarcastic, but it's more than that. I find things funny that most other people don't. I often have to stifle a laugh during church. I guess I find serious situations funny. Often, when Brian is trying to "parent" Joe, and he's visibly upset, I bust out laughing. We got stuck in traffic the other day, for a long time. Joe & Brian were mad. I thought it was hillarious. This one is hard to explain. I'll just leave it at that.

#6. I like to write Childrens books. I have 5 already written, with many ideas for more. It's a fun creative outlet. I've always identified with kids more than adults. I feel more comfortable around children than I do around adults. I guess I'm more on their level. Who wants to be a grownup?

Well that's it. 6 things you probably already knew about me, but I forced you to read again.

I am supposed to tag 6 people. Normally, I would pass on that, but I decided to play along today. I choose: Ian, Trina, Tricia, Laura, Xander and Paul. I know you've got secrets, now spill 'em.

Something smells good....Oh wait, its me!

2007-11-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

So, Brian comes home from work yesterday carrying a Bath & Body Works bag. He had gone on his luch hour and bought both the Sugar and Spice and the Twisted Peppermint 3 in 1 - bubble bath, body wash, & shampoo. Yay for my thoughtful and wonderful husband. Last year he bought me the Gingerbread kind and I loved it sooooo much. So, he went looking for it again this year. Sadly, they no longer make the gingerbread. They had replaced it with the Sugar and Spice. It's pretty much the same thing.

Anyway, I'm at work today, and I kept smelling this really good smell. (My hearing and vision are gone, but my sense of smell is acute as ever.) Anyway, this is an unusual thing, because re-grouting a fireplace is a really dirty job. I usually end the day covered in dirt, grout, soot, you name it, I'm dirty. So, I was surprised by the smell. I kept getting little hints of it. After a while, I realized it was me. I had used the Sugar and Spice body wash this morning and the smell was still lingering. I kept sniffing my arm all day. I smell yummy!

Thanks Brian! I so love Christmas and now I smell like it.

On a side note - rain today - woohoo! I had almost forgot what it looked like. I'm having a happy day!

The Rest of the Trip

2007-11-28T01:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so day 2 at Disney continued....

After lunch we went back to Disneyland. Darrion wanted to get picked for the Jedi Training Academy. We had gone the day before, and he was devastated when he didn't get picked. So, that night at the hotel he decided he would wear bright orange today and he practiced all the light sabre moves on Joe. It worked! He was chosen. He was soooo happy and he was the first one to fight Darth Vadar.

By now, Disneyland is wall to wall bodies. Apparently it was the first day of the Holiday Season at Disneyland. Everyone came to see the parade and the fireworks show. So, we parked it on a bench in front of the castle and took turns saving seats and taking the boys on rides. Here are some "art" pictures Brian took while he was waiting. The first one is called "Joe's tree". When were at Disneyland earlier this year in March, Joe took a picture of this same tree for Addy. At the time it was covered in pink blossoms. We actually ended up enlarging Joe's picture. It is now hanging over our fireplace. I realize now that I've told that story, I should have posted Joe's picture too. Oh well!

The parade was very Christmassy. It put me in the holiday spirit. It was cold (which I love), and they made it snow afterwards. Here are some parade pictures:

After the parade we stayed on our bench and waited for the fireworks show. The boys were freezing, so we got hot chocolate. They gave us candy canes too. I melted mine in my hot chocolate. Again, very Christmassy. I was happy. The fireworks show was awesome - totally worth waiting for.

Ok. That was pretty much it for Disneyland. I'm not going to do a Day 3 beach day. I'll just tell you now, that the next afternoon we went to the beach. Yes, it was cold and I loved every minute of it. I am happiest when I'm sitting on the beach with my toes in the sand. The cold didn't stop the boys from getting in the water. In fact, they stayed in for a couple of hours. Of course we had to stay for the sunset over the water. It did not disappoint. The picture doesn't really do it justice. As fun as Disneyland was, I have to say that my favorite part of the trip was the beach. It makes me so happy!

We packed up and went home the next day. That's it for the trip.

A note to Elise. I know you tagged me, and I'm taking a while to post about it, but I will soon. I had to finish the trip post first.

California Adventure - Day2

2007-11-24T11:32:00.001-07:00

Ok, as I was trying to decide what to write, I realized there is way to much for day 2. So, to avoid an extremely long blog, I am splitting up day 2 into 2 parts.

Friday we started at California Adventure. Joe had been dreading Tower of Terror, but I told him last March when we planned this trip, that there was no way I was going to spend the money if he wasn't going to try everything at least once.

So, we decided to do Tower of Terror first, so he wouldn't have to dwell on it all day. To ease his fears, Brian tried to explain that it wasn't scary, you just get happy, butterfly feelings in your stomach. It's not a Tower of Terror, Its a Tower of Happy Butterfly Feeling Time. Luckily, there was virtually no line, so he didn't have time to think about it and back out. Guess what! He loved it. As soon as we got off the ride, he and Darrion ran to go on it again. To see a picture of just how happy butterfly feeling time they were, see Joe's blog.

Tower of Terror is my all-time favorite ride, so I was happy.

We went on a couple of rides with mom - Monsters Inc. & Soarin' over California. Then we split up for a while. She didn't want to go on the Grizzly Run Raft ride with us. I don't blame her. Brian sat that one out too. So, reluctantly I went. I don't know what it is about water rides, but I manage to get soaked every time. Sure enough, I got soaked from head to foot(I am not exaggerating). I was the only one in our raft that did too. So, when they wanted to go again, I passed. I spent the next 3-4 hours trying to dry out. It was cool & overcast, so it took a long time to dry.

We finally made our way to the back of the park to California Screamin'. I thought Joe was going to back out, and he tried, but we pretty much made him go. And, of course, he loved it! He ended up going on it 4 times. Once was enough for me. I was starting to feel a little nauseous. I think I've developed motion sickness in my old age. So, I stood at the pier and watched them take off. This was Brian, Joe, and Darrion's favorite ride!

For more Screamin' pictures, see Joe's blog.

After they had their fill of Screamin', we went to MalliBOOMer. There was no line, and I remembered how much Alex loved it last time, and how I promised I would try it. Brian refused, as did Joe, so Darrion and I went. The minute I sat down and started to buckle up, I started to panic. I have vertigo, and the thought of being shot up that high started to get to me. Darrion couldn't get his restraint buckled, and I was strapped in and couldn't reach him. We had sat there a long time and no one came to check if we were strapped in, like they always do. Darrion freaked out a little: "I don't want to die." I secretly was thinking the same thing. Someone finally came and checked. Then, it shot us up in the air so high. It was terrifying and completley exhillarating and awesome at the same time. I pretty much loved it! Thanks Alex for suggesting it!

Ok. I'm done for today. I'll post parade pictures tomorrow. But, I had to post this one for Max. I promised him!

See ya!

Day 1 at Disneyland

2007-11-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

So, I thought it was about time to post about Disneyland.

We left Wednesday (Nov.14th). Brian drove with Joe & Darrion (Joe's cousin). I got to ride with my mom. It was nice. We stayed at the Embassy Suites (of course). I sometimes think that Joe likes the hotel better than Disneyland.

Disneyland didn't open until 10:00 on Thursday. Yeah! We got to sleep in. It seemed like there was a lot of people there, but we never had to wait very long in line. I think our longest wait was Splash Mountian (It always is). That was 25 minutes. Most of the rides were 5-10 min. wait, except for Nemo. That was a 75 minute wait. So, we passed on it. I'm a little claustraphobic, so I didn't mind. If I want to see Nemo, I'll watch the movie.

My favortie rides at Disneyland are Buzz Lightyear and The Haunted Mansion (only when it's decorated like the Nightmare before Christmas - which it was.)

Joe and Darrion liked Space Mountain & the Matterhorn. Materhorn was a walk on, so they must have went 7 or 8 times. I lost count. I could only handle it about twice. It's too jerky for me. They like to yell at Harold (the snow monster). I think Brian's favorite was Space Mountain.

Joe & Darrion were mad because I made them go on Winnie the Pooh with me. They absolutely refused to let me take their picture on it. Hey, it was right by Splash Mountain, and there was no wait. They rolled their eyes and looked bored, but I loved it.

My mom spent a lot of the day sitting on a bench reading. They were taping a segment of "Dancing with the Stars" (one of her favorite tv shows) that evening and she wanted a good seat. It ended up being a let down though. Only one person from the show came - Jennie Garth. Her partner was sick, so she ended up dancing with Mickey, and it lasted about 5 minutes. What a let down. It was funny though, because when my mom watched the show Monday night, and they showed the Disneyland segment, she got all excited because she spotted herself in the crowd. So, we paused it to take a closer look. It turned out to be a young boy. Ha Ha! You know I love you mom.

That night, mom ditched out early and Joe, Darrion, Brian & I stayed to see the Fantasmic show. I haven't seen Fantasmic since I went with Adam and Jared when they were little, probably 10-12 years ago. It was a little different, but mostly what I remembered. Joe loved it. Especially when Malificent turns into the dragon at the end. It was pretty cool. I wish I could have gotten a picture of it, but alas - no flash photography allowed. People cheated though. I should have too.

Well, that's it for day one. Tomorrow: California Adventure & the happy butterfly feeling ride. Also, the picture of Chip and Dale that I promised Max. I didn't forget!

Be sure to check out Joe's blog for his take on the trip, and more photos!

p.s. He loves to get comments!

Merilee...

2007-11-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Now for all of you not named Merilee, you can ignore this blog (or read it for all I care). Mer, I promised you yesterday that I was going to blog last night and update everyone on our wonderful trip to Disneyland. Paint the picture, if you will, on the happenings at the "Happiest Place on Earth". Well, something happened last night that changed my plans. Namely, the Suns were on TV and since it was in Sacramento it was a late start. I actually did remember what I had told you and I had to weigh that with the fact that I just wanted to sit my butt on the couch and watch the game. Being a guy, that decision was easy. Sorry Merilee, I truly am. Rest assured, though, but Kim will not let me go much longer without blogging. I know, I have a disease.

Disneyland

2007-11-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hey, I thought I would check in before we left town, since Brian seems to have given up on the blogging. We are going to California today. Joe is excited about Disneyland, but I am more excited about the beach. Yes, I know it is November, and the beach will be cold. I am so looking forward to it! This has been a rough month for me. After tearing my calf muscle and being hit in the face by a giant metal ladder, and nearly breaking my nose, I think I deserve a break. I'll post some pictures when we get back!

The Yellow Boat

2007-11-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight Joseph, Brian and I went to Hamilton High School to watch their theater production "The Yellow Boat". My nephew Adam (Stacy's oldest) plays the lead in the show. He was so amazing. I've seen every high school play Adam has been in, and this was by far the best. He was made to play the part of Benjamin Saar.

Let me give you a brief history of this play. "The Yellow Boat" was written by David Saar. It is based on the true story of his son Benjamin Saar. Benjamin was born a hemopheliac, and grew up with constant blood transfusions, and during one of them he contracted AIDS. He was a gifted artist, and nearing the end of his life Benjamin used his drawing to communicate his feelings, and as a release for his pain. He passed away at the age of eight.

This is a replica of the actual piece of artwork by Benjamin Saar. When he was young his favorite bedtime story was a story his parents told him about 3 boats - A red boat, a blue boat and a yellow boat. They all set sail together. The red and blue boats returned, but the yellow boat left and never came back. He sailed away to the sun. As a child, Benjamin always said he was the yellow boat. This is a drawing of his yellow boat sailing up to the sun.

This play made me laugh, and cry, sometimes both at the same time. It focuses so much on who Benjamin was and how he dealt with his lot in life. Adam is so perfect for this role. It must have been hard to play a 7 year old, but he did a great job. After all, any of you that know him knows that he is a kid at heart. Also, during the hospital scenes where he is being poked and prodded, I couldn't help but think that Adam could probably relate. I kept having flashbacks of him when he was a 5 year old boy in the hospital, newly diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. He was poked and prodded and tested so much.

I have to say that I am so incredibly proud of Adam. He really suprised me at how good an actor he really is. And, to any of you out there in blogland who live in close by, GO SEE THIS PLAY! You won't regret it. Thursday, November 8th at 7:00 p.m. at Hamilton High School is the very last showing of it. Tickets are $7.00 at the door. Kids 10 and under are free. It will touch your heart.

Joseph and Brian loved it too!

Halloween

2007-11-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

For all things Halloween, make sure to visit Joe's site. He did a great job posting about all we did for Halloween this year. There are lots of great pictures. We didn't want to duplicate everything here, so we are directing you there.