Day 12: What do I think.....

Blogging assignment, Day 12-What you believe

I’m assuming this is a faith-based question. Well…….I believe that God is Love. :D Now, you can argue differing theology and scripture ‘till the cows come home, but in the end, I think we (those of us that believe in God, or a God-like being) all basically agree that God is Love.

Now, as for my personal denominational choice? I’m a member of the Community of Christ. Feel free to visit our site here: www.cofchrist.org Our church’s website says (and this sums it up as well as I could): “We proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of Joy, Hope, Love, and Peace”. So there ya go!

I believe we should live our lives seeking (and being beacons for) Joy, Hope, Love and Peace. I'm still working on how to actually DO that.....but I believe we should!

I believe that (as a parent), my greatest responsibility in raising my kids is teaching them about God.

I believe we should treat others with respect. God loves everyone and we should try to do the same. It’s not always easy, and I struggle with it as much as the next person…..but I think we really should try.

I believe in freedom. I don’t know what I would do had I not been born an American, with the freedoms we have here. I think everybody should be free to live their lives however they want. Why should it bother you or me what the guy down the street is doing? As long as he’s not breaking the law, let him do his thing, kwim?

I believe that you get what you give. But you shouldn’t give simply to ‘get’. Did that make sense? Maybe not. What I mean is that doing good in the world should be it’s own reward, vs. any accolades that might come your way for doing it. Along the same lines, I believe what goes around comes around…..selfish, narrow-minded people usually end up finding their lives in a pickle. Maybe that’s better described as Kharma?

I’m not one of these people that believes that if you don’t belong to “my church” or believe the same things I do, you’re going to H*ll. I think that’s a very narrow-minded view of the world and of God to think that way. Don’t put such limitations on God. :P And without going on a big rant, I’ll leave it at that.

Eh, there’s plenty of other things I could probably put on here….but those are the biggies I guess…..I can't think of anything else earth-shattering to list....

What other controversial topics could I weigh in on while I’m rambling? Abortion? Marijuana? The Death Penalty? Boxers or Briefs? Toilet paper over or under? I could go on for days blabbing……but I won’t. you’ll just have to sit and wonder my opinions :P

Day 11: Let's talk TV!

Day 11-Favorite TV shows

Welcome to Day 11. Are you still with me or have you been bored into a coma? Remember, I didn’t make up the questions, I’m just playing along!

Easy blogging topic for today! Today we’re supposed to talk about our favorite TV shows.

Now, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to interpret that as our favorite TV shows of ALL-TIME (like when I was a kid?) or if they’re only talking about currently.

So…..my blog….my interpretation of the rules…….I’m gonna do both! Because I can.
When I was a kid……WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY back in the mid 1980’s……..I lived for shows like these:


Little House on the Prairie. Good ol’ family TV at it’s finest. When I watched it, it was on after school as reruns.



Silver Spoons. Every girl my age had the biggest crush on Ricky Shroeder. Actually, he’s aged quite nicely and I can say I still kinda have a crush on him now!



The Cosby Show. They were just the coolest parents EVER. Weren’t they?



Punky Brewster. Didn’t we all want to be Punky? I know I did!

And of course, in high school/college, there was:



Beverly Hills, 90210. ah, memories! My high school experience wasn’t a THING like theirs, but eh, it was still fun television back in the day.



ER. I watched it until Dr. Ross left, and then I was done. My love for ER wasn’t enough of a draw to keep me there once George Clooney bailed. Sorry! :D



Friends. Of course. I still mourn this end of this show. Everybody had a ‘Friend’ that they were like, ya know? Me? I was totally Chandler. Neurotic, funny, lovable Chandler. One of these days I’ll own that series on DVD and relive it all. Christmas gift idea for anyone reading this……



Seinfeld. OMG, the ‘show about nothing’………was just darned funny. Reruns are still funny. I mourned the end of this show as well.

And this show has come and gone, but while it lasted, I will admit I was obsessed:



Battlestar Gallactica. Oh how I loved this show! It was gritty, edgy……frakkin’ awesome! :D I was in love with Apollo, and the hubby was in love with Six. Of course. What guy wasn’t?

And now……I’m into cool TV fare like:



GLEE!
I hope I don’t have to defend myself too hard here. It’s totally cheesy, I’ll admit. I just think it’s cute. My daughter and I watch this together, and it really impresses her that I know almost all the songs they sing (Journey? Uhm, hello!). Sue Sylvester is so un-PC it’s hilarious. She has some great dialogue. LOVE HER!



CSI
It makes sense, both of us being science-minded folks and all…..karl and I love CSI. I must confess though: I miss Grissom!



NCIS
Gibbs is awesome. I’m in love with Gibbs, and Karl is in love with Abby. So this show gets to stoke both of our crushes. It’s all good. Plus, more science-y stuff we love.



House
I love that guy. He has some of the BEST lines in television. You know what would be the holy grail of television for me? A House vs. Sue Sylvester episode. O.M.G. The insults would just be EPIC! I’m drooling at the thought of it. Dangit…….they’re both Fox shows…..please, TV Gods, make this happen!



Modern Family
It’s just funny. Hilariously funny. I can see myself in all the adults…….and in some of the kids too. And I think just about everyone can relate to the family dynamic hilarity on some level. It’s just a great show.



The Tudors
I’m finishing up Season 4 on DVD thanks to Netflix, so don’t ruin anything for me! Karl’s only comment about the show: “It’s good to be king!”…….and how! Besides, you know how I love me some Brits! And I must say, bravo for picking Henry Cavill for the next Superman movie. I am so there now!



Ni-hao, Ki-lan
Yeah, I know. This is a toddler’s show. But have you ever actually watched it? It’s cuteness. They learn about friendship….they sing little songs…..they learn how to say things in Chinese. Zach LOVES this show, so I get to at least hear it for a good hour every night. It’s cute. Bonus: she’s not a fraction as annoying as Dora the Explorer. :D

I don’t watch any reality TV anymore, just on principle. Too many reality shows….too many fame-mongers wanting their 15-minutes……I’ll stick to scripted TV, thankyouverymuch. So that pretty much eliminates the rest of the TV schedule, doesn’t it? :D with a video-game-obsessed son that monopolizes the TV just about every waking moment……..it’s all I can do to keep up with the shows I currently watch. God bless TiVo!

Day 10: Fear Not!

Blogging assignment, Day 10-Something you're afraid of

There’s LOTS of things I’m afraid of actually: fires, drowning, suffocating…….i guess I’m scared of a gruesome death? :D I’m scared of getting sick and becoming disabled. I’m scared of getting an incurable disease. I’m scared of my KIDS getting an incurable disease. I'm scared of something happening to my kids (Karl's insured, lol!). Okay, I'm scared of something happening to Karl too. I’m scared of outliving my children. I’m scared of having to work forever because of not having enough money to retire on. I’m scared of being a burden on my children when I’m old.

So there’s lots of little things I’m scared of. But the big one I’m scared of? Not fulfilling my purpose.

Is that cryptic enough for ya? WTH does that mean? I dunno…I just am afraid of not doing whatever it is I’m supposed to be doing……whatever reason God put me where I am, I’m scared that I’m not doing whatever it is I’m supposed to be doing with my life. Which is an odd thing to fear because I’m not even sure WHAT that ‘thing I’m supposed to be doing’ actually IS. So I guess, in a nutshell, I’m afraid of the unknown? Uhm. Yeah. Weird blog post. I blame whoever made up these questions!

Day 9: My Friends

Day 9 assignment: A Picture of your friends.

I’ve known these gals since I was 12. I just wish we lived closer to each other, but God bless Facebook for making it easier to stay in touch!

(this is Sue, Me, Kerri and Sarah)
We met at church camp as kids....kept in touch via letters all through high school and college.....and now our kids are going to camps together. It's perfect! Except that they all live in Kansas City. BAH!

And this gal trying to choke me? She’s my sister-in-law, Nicole. We write each other emails every day. She’s pretty cool……for an in-law. :P

the blonde next to Nicole is her BFF Emily.....so she's a friend by association. Hopefully she doesn't mind. :D

And that's it. I don't have a lot of friends. Will you be my friend? :D

Day 8: The Places I've Gone.....

Day 8's assignment: A Place I've Traveled To

Just one? Seriously? That is SUCH an unfair thing to ask of me! Okay, I’ll pick just one. And since it was around this time of year when we went, I’ll pick here:


Paris, France. February 2007. Pretty cool Valentines’ Day present, huh? Gosh, it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, but I guess it was!

Kick back in your chair………Here’s the story of this trip. Hubby was going to be leading a group of students on a trip to Europe in a few months……and the company that does said group tours (EF Tours, in case anyone cares) requires all their group leaders to have specific training. And where do they offer said training. Paris. Uhm, okay….twist our arms here! So his trip was free. Flight/hotel and a lot of the meals were taken care of. Oh darn.

Did I want to tag along? Uhm, DUH. It was the cheapest way we’d ever get to Paris, we knew that much for a fact!

All we had to pay for was my flight/food…..since I could just crash in his room for free. We went with a cheaper flight option than how Karl was flying, so we ended up on different airlines. That wasn’t a big deal, as I was traveling with the husband and daughter of the other group leader (who was on the same flight as Karl), so it’s not like I was abandoned and all alone, etc. But wouldn’t ya know it…….weather had to create problems for us.

Karl’s flight was supposed to leave St. Louis and fly to Chicago and then onto Paris. As he’s at the airport waiting, his flight to O’Hare gets cancelled because of weather in Chicago. But his flight from O’Hare to Paris is still on-time. Huh? Apparently there are different rules for canceling domestic vs. international flights…..and Karl’s 2-leg trip unluckily fell into both categories.

Sooooooooo………since he didn’t really want to miss his flight to Paris (next flight wasn’t until the next day), what were his options?

He drove to Chicago. In record time, I might add. He had 5 hours before his flight left for Paris when his flight to Chicago was cancelled. Normally, driving from St. Louis to Chicago easily takes 5 hours. I don’t know how he did it in 4. (for the record, Karl is NOT a leadfoot. That title in this family belongs to moi!) Not only did he and Rosie (the other leader) manage this feat, but they took along some complete stranger who was needing to catch the same flight. I still cringe at her riding in the backseat of our car amongst all the goldfish and kid-debris from under the carseats that nobody’s supposed to see. :P

While they’re dealing with this, I’m boarding my flight to Detroit (which was NOT cancelled). As I turned off my phone for take-off, all I knew was that Karl was somewhere on I-55 between St. Louis and Chicago. Either I’d see him in Paris that night……..or I wouldn’t. Not the best start to the getaway!

Anyhoo…….as Karl neared the airport in Chicago, he called his brothers Keith and Kurt to meet them and take our car since Karl didn’t have time to park it if he was going to make that flight. Karl’s from the Chicago burbs, and all his family still lives there. At this moment in time, it came in quite handy. Gold star for the inlaws!

My flight was great……it was my first trans-Atlantic flight and I was easily amused by the individual TV screens. Woohoo! When we got to Paris and I turned my phone back on, I had a text from Karl that they’d made their flight. Barely. So he was in the air, and that was good enough for me! Christina, Greg, and I did a little happy dance in the middle of Charles de Gaulle knowing that our other halves were on their way!



So when did we finally meet up with each other? LATER that night….MUCH later. Like into the wee hours of the morning.

Not being one to sit idle in a cool city, I wasted no time being all tour guide-y with my traveling companions. I had an itinerary I was sticking to (remember how I told you I like to plan out stuff in great detail. Yep. If you travel with me, you will be micromanaged. Best get used to it!) so we shook off the jet lag, hopped a train and got to our hotel……dropped off our stuff and set off to explore the city.
First up was a walking Da Vinci Code tour.



The movie had come out not too long before that, and I was obsessed with seeing some of the sights described in the book. And Greg/Christina happily played along. Like I gave them a choice. :D Anyhoo……that was a blast to do….we got to walk all over Paris (tiring, but very fun and informative!). It ended at the Louvre, which we didn’t have time to go into at the moment, but we planned to come back the next morning.

I was already passed out for the night when Karl arrived at the hotel. He finally made it to town! His silver lining was that even though he’d been delayed and stressed out (and now we had to deal with a car in Chicago we didn’t plan on being there), they’d been upgraded to business class……so he had to give me grief for being packed into coach while he flew across the atlantic in style. Whatever. I got there first!

The next couple of days were a blur…..karl/Rosie had a few meetings they had to go to, and while they were at those, the rest of us were off exploring.
We walked all over the place……


We went to the Louvre.


See this?

This is the Mona Lisa. You can't see them, but there's 4 burly dudes next to it yelling at people to not take pictures and then chasing them off if they tried.

See this?

This is my running shot of the Mona Lisa......that leather jacket on the right is my traveling buddy, Greg, running offense for me so I wouldn't get busted........bwahahahahahaha! I thumb my nose at your pesky french camera rules, Louvre!

We went to Versailles.


(The Hall of Mirrors. Sadly, I was not impressed)


The Grand Canal


(wish the fountain had been working, but after all, it WAS February)


We went to Notre Dame.


We went to the Red Light District to see the Moulin Rouge. Hehehe. Don’t you hate it when complete strangers step into your photos at the last second? I do. I really really do.


We did more sightseeing of stuff from the Da Vinci Code. And we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower of course (hubby is deathly afraid of heights, so that was an ordeal).




We went shopping for cute French clothes (which I still have and still wear…..oooh la la!) and ate LOTS AND LOTS of amazingly rich and good food. Yum!
So it was a quick trip, but I think we made the most of it for sure. I’d love to go back and have more time to see some things in the city we didn’t get to. Some day perhaps……..but until then, we’ll always have the memories.

Day 7: My favorite Movies

No, I'm not caught up yet. I'm workin' on it!

For Day 7, I'm sharing some of my favorite movies with ya. Now, these are only SOME of them (the ones off the top of my head basically), because there are LOTS and LOTS of movies I really love......but anyways, here's a few:

I have my old standbys:

Ferris Buehler’s Day Off



This movie is a classic. I never get tired of it.

The BBC Mini-series of Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcy is the man. Nuff said.



Another BBC production of another Austen novel: Persuasion. Capt. Wentworth is totally swoon-worthy as well. Plus, for some reason, i just love the music in this movie.....



My favorite Disney movie of all time, Cinderella.



It’s just the best storyline of all time…..the girl that gets cr@pped on all her life….has everything go wrong it seems…….eventually ends up winning the prince and living happily ever after. Isn’t that what we all wish for? I know I did!

And here’s some newer favorites:

Pirates of the Caribbean



I've loved all of them, and can't wait for the next one to come out.....but the first is by far my favorite. Captain Jack Sparrow is an amazing character. Hilarious! And even with the nasty getup, he’s still mighty-fine to look at! And since it’s also one of our favorite rides at Disney World, that makes the movie even more fun for us.

Love Actually.



Have you figured out I’m kind of obsessed with British culture? Well, I am. I could totally live in London…..aside from them putting milk in their tea (not sure I could EVER get used to that), I love all things Brit. This is a great movie that just makes me smile every time I watch it. I tend to put this on when I’m wrapping Christmas presents. Not sure why, I just do.

The Proposal.



I was in love with Ryan Reynolds way back when he was on that tween show ‘Fifteen’ on Nickelodeon. I remember him from that…..he was adorable then and I had a huge tween crush on him then and he’s only gotten cuter over the years. *sigh* The movie is incredibly funny…he and Sandra Bullock (who I just LOVE) are great together, and Betty White is just awesome! Plus, I’ve been to Alaska and the scenery reminds me of that trip. Gorgeous!

Avatar



This was the first blu-ray we bought. We hadn’t seen the movie in the theaters (we were probably the only people that didn’t!), and it was just GORGEOUS. The effects, the sounds, the colors….everything was just spectacular. What an amazing movie. I’m kinda excited about the sequels coming out soon!

I’m sure there’s more movies that I love I’m just not thinking of them right now……..favorites like that sometimes just depend on your mood, kwim?

Day 6: Something that makes me happy

I told you I was going to double-blog and catch myself up......stick with me, people!

Day 6. I'm supposed to share a picture of something that makes me happy.

This makes me happy:


Most of the time, that big tub of train track pieces and parts is scattered all across that freshly-swept floor. (yes, I swept the floor for a camera-phone picture. i don't want you all to know what slobs we really are!), and that big tub of trains is usually scattered all over the house as well.

But this. makes. me. happy. Why?

Because this assortment of toys symbolizes my kids. They're creative. They build something out of pieces of plastic. That's so cool. And inspiring.

Because this mess of plastic reminds me that I'm super-lucky to have my kids in my life. There are lots and lots of people out there that would give everything they have for one healthy child to mess up their living room with toys like this. I have 3.

So this makes me happy. I don't mind the mess of toys. Because sooner than I want it to happen, those toys won't be there for me to trip over in the night.

And I'll miss that.

So for now, it makes me happy.