The Colorado Times, Final Copy

On our way home we stopped and checked out the Four Corners National Monument.

Note: If you ever plan to visit, bring cash.  It cost us $3/person (over the age of 5) and they only accept cash.  Kind of a rip off, I think, but whatever.  At least we've been there now.



All four kids in all four states.  And I've lived in each of those states at some point in my life.



Really not sure what it takes to get the kids to take a pretty picture.  Obviously, not the words, "Pose for me!"

The kids teetering on the borders of New Mexico and Arizona.



Josh and me.  Don't judge.  I'd been sick and in the car for hours.

The Colorado Times, Issue 3

After we stopped in the Springs, we took a ride to southern Colorado where we spent some time with Josh's mom. 

We had lots of fun with her as well.

There's a story of when Josh's mom was younger.  They went on vacation and her dad only took pictures of all the old war ships they saw.  When her mother asked him to take a picture of the children, he said only if they posed to point out the ship which was also in the photo.  Thus, the pose above is a necessary element of most photo opportunities.

The Colorado Times, Issue 2

After we went and spent some fun time at my sister's house we headed down to Colorado Springs and hung out with Josh's dad. 

We went to the zoo.




What'cha see there, Millie?





Feeding the baby giraffe.




Emma makes a friend.




Abby bonding with the gorilla.




I told the kids to pose like they're scared of the bear.  I think we need to consider some professional help.


And we had a big birthday bash for Josh.

Here are some rare shots of most of the family.

Kids and grandkids

Everybody... if you want names, let me know and I'll do my best to label everyone.



Left to right: Amanda (sister), Justin (brother), Curtis (dad), Jake (brother), Jaymen (brother), and Josh


It was tons of fun.

The Colorado Times, Issue 1

We headed to Colorado for Fall Break.  It's the first family vacation we've taken since Millie was about 3 months old -- she turns 3 years old in two months.  It was time to get the heck out of Dodge.

So we left the heat (yes, it's still in the 90s here in good ol' AZ) and went to the mountains.

It was a good choice.

We stopped and had some vacay time with my sister and her family.  It just so happened to be the weekend my nephew Trenton was baptized and my parents and my two brothers and their families all came.  We had a lot of fun with everyone and loved watching sweet Trenton on his special day.

On the trampoline



Josh with Abby, Teagan, Emma, and Millie




Abby asked for an extra picture so she could pose.  Vogue!


We also were introduced to Kid History.  Have you seen these?  A family with at least 4 brothers has told family stories to their kids so many times that the kids can retell the story.  The adults then take the kids' narration and dialogue and act them out.  My description does not to do it justice.  You much watch it to completely get it.



This one is good too.



There are six episodes and I highly recommend that you watch all of them.  Highly.  And if you don't begin quoting it, we may need to reevaluate our friendship.

Randay!!!  Randay!!  Randay!!!  Randay!!!  Randay!!! Randy?

Bye-Bye Bah

Millie is getting to be a big girl.  And it's time for her to give up some of the things that Mommy has let her hold on to.  Millie has been our baby for nearly 3 years now and it has been hard for me to tell her to give up her Bah, or pacifier as most people call it.  She's so cute with it and I know it gives her comfort. 

But it's time to say bye-bye.

Last night Millie slept without her Bah for the first time ever.  She slept through the night okay, but the sadness of being denied her Bah was difficult for about 20 minutes before she fell asleep.  The look on her face was priceless and my heart broke as I wondered if she thought I had kidnapped her best friend.  It was the look of true sadness.  I tried to hug her and comfort her, but eventually she just wore herself out.

Tonight she asked me again where her Bah was.  Actually, she said about two or three sentences worth of words but I couldn't understand any of them.  I just kept reminding her that we said bye-bye to her Bah.  Then I wondered if I should let her literally say good-bye to her Bah. 

We went downstairs and I grabbed her Bahs (three of them) from the top of the fridge (the only place I can keep them where she can't reach them) and told her we needed to say bye-bye and throw them in the trash.

I instantly had the notion that I was being too harsh.  Was it mean to have her throw them away rather than some cute "give them to babies" sort of thing?  Millie was crying and said she didn't want to say bye-bye.  I was dying inside and asked Josh what we should do, especially since she was making that face again!  I held her in my arms with the other kids standing around watching Millie struggle with becoming a big girl and Josh telling me of a book about giving pacifiers to baby horses. 

I turned to him and asked if he thought I should let her have her Bah until I could get a copy of this book when suddenly Millie threw both of her arms up the air and yelled, "OK!  I say bye-bye to Bah!!!"  The five of us stared at each other in shock as I held out the Bahs to Millie.  She took them one at a time and threw them into the garbage can.  When she finished she yelled, "I did it!!" and the rest of us cheered with her. 

We all began laughing at the sudden turn of events.  I began crying (shock) and Matt began laughing so hard he cried too (actual shock)!  He told me that he's never been prouder of his little sister than at that moment.  Millie went upstairs and on her way she pointed to the top of the fridge and announced, "All gone!" 

Yep.  they're all gone.  Our baby is becoming a Big Girl!

Border Woes

In case you didn't know, when you travel along the roads in the southwestern US, and you are close to the Mexican border, you pass through Border Patrol Checkpoint Stations. 

It doesn't matter that I'm a legal US citizen.  Nor does it matter than all of the people in my vehicle are US citizens.  I get a bit intimidated by the whole thing.  There are working dogs, men with guns, the whole sha-bang.
So when we go to visit my parents and have to stop at one of these checkpoint areas, I automatically sit up straighter, use words like "yes sir," and hope I don't say something stupid.  Because they don't check my I.D.  They ask me questions.





Today we visited Mom and Dad for Labor Day.  And on the way home tonight I was asked, "What nationality are you?"  I immediately replied with my answer, but couldn't help but wonder as we drove away, What if I'd gotten mixed up and nervous and said the wrong thing? 




So now that all of these thoughts have come into my head, next time I visit my parents I'm going to be thinking extra hard about what my answers should be.  Not because I'm lying, but because I don't want to say the wrong thing!

Date Morning

Most people will shout for joy when they get to experience Date Night. 

When you live with a night-shifter, your schedule goes a bit caddywhompus.  There are all sorts of things you do differently.

• We eat dinner early (5 - 5:30pm) so he can eat with us before he leaves for the night.
• Days off are not real days off unless there are at least 2 scheduled in a row.  Otherwise the day off is overshadowed by his need to sleep and recover from working the night before.
• Doctor, dentist and other appointments must be carefully scheduled around sleep-time, not work-time.
• Cleaning the Master Bath and/or Bedroom is tricky when he's sleeping during the day and your cleaning capacity functions better before dinner.
• AND, Date Night is rarely an option.  A much more viable option is Date Morning

So this morning, at about 9am we headed off to our date.  First, we went bowling.  In case you didn't know, East Mesa, AZ, is notorious for housing senior citizens.  And this just happened to be where the bowling alley was located.  We pulled into the parking lot and I was surprised to see it so full of cars. 

I had no idea so many senior citizens bowled together on Monday mornings.




Josh and Millie bowling together


We were easily the youngest people there by at least 30 years.  The group next to us was probably in their 70s.  But, man, did those old people know how to have fun!

Every time Millie bowled, she'd turn around and start jumping and yelling, "I did it!  I did it!"

Josh is a good bowler.

That's right.  I had 5 gutter balls.  And this was my best game.  What of it???

I am not.

After that we decided to grab some lunch and then head to the new LDS Gilbert, AZ Temple. 

It's still very much a work in progress, but it was really cool to stop by the Visitor Trailer to see so many of the plans of what it will all look like sometime in 2013. 

The tall spires are the elevator shafts.  They stand 53' high.  The Angel Moroni will cap the temple at 193' high, an additional 140' above the elevator shafts.  It's hard to understand how grand that will be from the pictures because it's hard to understand how grand that will be even when you look at it in person.

And a temple only 15 miles away from home!  How great will that be???

And that, my friends, is a Date Morning.  We got home in plenty of time to then separate to run different errands, but it was a wonderful morning while it lasted.

#30 30 Day Movie Challenge

#30 A movie in the theater at this time last year

We went to the movie theater a few times last August.  I remember this because I had to look up which movies were in the theater.  But I really didn't care for any of them.

But a few months ago Josh and I got a movie from Netflix that came out last August.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

This is kind of a weird movie to end this challenge with.  It's a much different movie than any of the others I've listed.  And it's a bit of a weird movie anyway.  I wouldn't just go ahead and recommend this movie, but I did like it. 

Scott Pilgrim must fight off the evil exes of the girl he likes in order to be with her.  And because it's based on a graphic novel (meaning a comic book type novel and not porn, which is what I originally thought that term meant) there's lots of psychedelic oddness to the movie. 

It's just very different, quite weird, and somehow enjoyable.  But I don't know that it's one that everyone will like.

#29 30 Day Movie Challenge

#29  A movie from your childhood

So many of the movies I've already listed are from my childhood.  I watched them for years and grew up loving them.

So, one set of movies from my childhood that I absolutely loved (and still do), but haven't mentioned yet....

The Muppet Movie

This includes all forms of the Muppets: The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Great Muppet Caper, and the newer movies like Muppets From Space and A Muppet Christmas Carol.  Plus the newest of the series which is coming out this Thanksgiving, The Muppets.  Pretty much, any movie with the word Muppet in the title is going to be a good movie.  And very quotable.

Watching these movies takes me back to my childhood.  And watching my children love these movies just creates moments of pure joy.

And this clip is from The Muppet Show, which is not technically a movie, but it made me laugh.  My mom and dad still tell the story of me making us all watch The Muppet Show every time it was on.  And if you need something to do, watch all the related videos.  They are all so worth it!

#28 30 Day Movie Challenge

#28 Favorite movie adaptation of a book

In 8th grade we had to read

The Outsiders

I thought it was a good book, especially considering that it was written by a girl only a year older than I was at that time. 

But then I found out who starred in the movie.

Matt Dillon.  Ralph Macchio.  Patrick Swayze.  Rob Lowe.  Emilio Estevez.  Tom Cruise.



It's one of the few movies I've seen that stayed very true to the book.

#27 30 Day Movie Challenge

Another two movies in one night.

#27 A movie you wish you had directed

There's really only one movie that comes to my mind for this category.  A near-theatrical spectacle.

The Phantom of the Opera

 

The topic of directing takes me directly to the theatrical stage.  After all, my senior thesis in college was to direct.  And I loved it. 

I thought the film direction of Phantom was actually very good.  The vibrancy of the lighting, the costumes, the characters.  It's an over-the-top production, which is what you would expect an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical would be.  It makes me miss my days living in the theatre. 

I love Minnie Driver in this, btw. 

#26 30 Day Movie Challenge

#26 A movie you wish you had starred in

Josh asked me what today's post was going to be.  I told him this challenge and he said he knew what I'd choose....

Pirates of the Caribbean

I tried to weigh other options, but kept coming back to this movie.  After all, Josh justified his answer very well:

• I'd be wooed by Orlando Bloom
• I'd be wooed by Johnny Depp
• I'd get to swing around a big sword and fight pirates

That's good enough for me.

#25 30 Day Movie Challenge

#25 The movie you last saw in the theater

I missed this post last night (did you miss it too?).  I got caught up in preparing for my new calling at church -- Cub Scout Committee Chair -- can we say "yikes"? 

So you get two tonight.  Yippee.

This summer we saw a lot of movies.  One of the local movie theaters offered free movies through the summer.  So we saw most of what was offered, whether we already owned the DVD or not.  Plus, Josh gets discount tickets through work, so our list of movies was large.

This summer we saw:

Cars 2

Transformers 3

Despicable Me

Nanny McPhee Returns

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

X-Men: First Class

Shrek 4

How to Train Your Dragon

But the last one we saw was

The Smurfs

I give this movie an "Eh."  It was cute enough, and there were a few times that I literally laughed out loud.  But Gargamel was annoying, despite the fact that he was played by Hank Azaria, who I absolutely love.  There was some crude humor, especially with some of the explicit uses of the word "smurf".  You could rent it from Redbox, but be sure to watch it before you buy it.

#24 30 Day Movie Challenge

#24 A movie you can watch over and over

There are several movies I have watched many times throughout my life.  When I was younger I'd put on Back to the Future and watch it a few times a week.  So that almost became tonight's spotlight.  But there's another movie I've watched more recently.

Oceans 11

There are so many big names in this movie and they all are fun to watch -- George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and (my favorite) Matt Damon.  Clooney plays Danny Ocean, but everyone has their part.  Everyone has their time in the sun.  Everyone has great chemistry.  I love all the little mumbles and looks between characters.  There's a lot being said, both verbally and nonverbally, and they all play it off very well.  And what's even better is the fact that the second and third movies are as delightful.  Granted, by the time you get to the third movie it's a bit predictable, but still it's delightful.

Now that I've mentioned it, I'm thinking I'll have to watch it tonight. 

It's that good.

#23 30 Day Movie Challenge

#23 A movie you wish you could live in

I love Disney movies.  Both the animated and the live action movies.  But one of my favorites has always been

Summer Magic

A recently widowed woman takes her three children from Boston to a small town in Maine to "live off the land."  And since it's a Disney movie made in 1963, and the movie takes place during "rag time," it's got such great, fun songs.

I'd love to live in a quaint and beautiful town, full of good people I know and love, and burst into song for any and every reason.  I always wanted to fix up a big, beautiful house and hold a ball in the barn where all our friends and neighbors could come and a tall, dark, handsome stranger comes in and sweeps me off my feet. 

Someday I do plan to visit Maine.  And I have my tall, dark, handsome man.  Now I need to start bursting into song every 20 minutes to enhance the action of my life and my life will literally be Summer Magic.

#22 30 Day Movie Challenge

#22 A movie you watch when you're sad

I mope.  I'm a moper.  I also dwell.  I dwell on moping.  I'm a pretty depressing sad person.

But because I don't like rushing out of sad mode, and movies generally make me happy, I don't watch a lot of movies when I'm sad.  But if I watch anything, it's something familiar, something that won't jostle my emotions more than they already are.  Something mellow.

Mona Lisa Smile

This is a pretty good conglomeration of some humor, some drama, some love, some hate, some feminism, some traditionalism.  I love the flavor of the 1950s and find so much intrigue in the dilemma of family vs career, a dilemma that continues sixty years later. 

The cast is great and includes Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and (my favorite in the movie) Julia Stiles. 

It's an easy movie to watch.  And now I've seen it so many times that it's very familiar.  No emotional surprises.  That way I can mope all I want.

#21 30 Day Movie Challenge

#21 A movie you watch when you're happy

One thing that makes me happy, without fail, is Christmas.  I love Christmas.  I love the Reason, the music, the food, the gifts, the jubilee, the Good Will.  And of course the movies.

One movie I love to watch, and happily watch several times each Christmas (like TONS), is

Elf

This movie makes me happy and it focuses on one of the times of year that makes me happy.  Even if you're not a Will Ferrell fan, this is a good one.  I love the sincerity of Buddy the Elf.  His childlike qualities make him instantly lovable.  It's just a good, lighthearted Christmas movie featuring Santa, elves, the North Pole, and Christmas Cheer.  It makes me happy just thinking about it.

My favorite 30 seconds of the movie:

#20 30 Day Movie Challenge

#20 A movie you wish had a sequel

I really enjoy movies that incorporate a lot of other known storylines into the plot.  One of the best examples of this is

The Brothers Grimm

It's a story about the Grimm brothers as they travel the countryside and encounter different experiences that lend themselves to the stories the eventually publish.  So all of these stories are found throughout the movie, like Red Riding Hood and Snow White.  It's fun to find the stories and identify them.  I'm fascinated by the Grimm brothers, although I do have to admit that I haven't read all of the stories.  They really are quite grim, no pun intended.

Plus, there's a rumor in our family that we're related to them, so that's even cooler.

But I have some strict rules about sequels. 
1) The original actors must resume their roles. 
2) The sequel must stay loyal to the original. 

Unfortunately, there is no way this story can continue.  Rule 2 can be completed.  There are plenty of Grimm stories that can used for a sequel.  But the saddest thing is that Rule 1 cannot be kept. 

I loved the camaraderie of the two Grimms, played by Matt Damon and Heath Ledger.  They played so well off each other and despite the darkness of the film, it was FUN.  But since poor Heath passed away three years ago, Rule 1 is forever broken. 

It really makes me sad and I really do wish it could have a sequel.  I miss Heath.

#19 30 Day Movie Challenge

#19 A movie from your favorite director

I've mentioned before that I'm a sucker for romantic comedies.  It's the first subcategory I'll peruse when looking for a movie to watch on Netflix. 

So one of my favorite directors is Nora Ephron.  She's not a major household name like Spielberg, but you've probably seen a few of her movies:

Julie & Julia

Bewitched

Lucky Numbers

You've Got Mail

Michael

Sleepless in Seattle

Plus, she wrote or did the screenplay for all but Lucky Numbers. 

But one of my favorites of all is

Mixed Nuts

It's got some of the funniest people in it, including Steve Martin and Madeline Kahn.  Adam Sandler sings stupid songs while accompanying himself on the ukulele.  And you can see Liev Schreiber (aka Sabretooth from Wolverine) in drag.  And what's more hilarious than a crisis hotline center during the holidays?  Okay, that's a bit dark, but it's still funny.

And I'd have to say I've got runners-up for this category:

Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride)

and

Garry Marshall (Runaway Bride)

I realize those are both "bride" movies, but they are still great.

#18 30 Day Movie Challenge

#18 A movie you wish was in theaters

Ben Hur

I don't know that I'd want to watch this entire movie in the theater.  It's a long one.  And, truthfully, the only reason I watched it is because it's on the American Film Institute's (AFI's) Top 100 Movies List.  You'd need a few buckets of popcorn to make it through.  And a pause button to run to the bathroom because of the numbers of sodas you'd need to drink as well.

But it certainly has one of the most amazing scenes I've ever seen: the chariot race.

It's infamous.  Real people, real horses, real crowds of people watching.  And no CGI.  It would be awesome to see on the big screen.  Especially as you're sitting in the middle of the upper rows. 


Ben Hur - Chariot Race by andybe29

It really is a great story and this scene is more impressive when it remains in context with the rest of the movie.  It's worth watching at least once during your lifetime.

#17 30 Day Movie Challenge

#17 A movie you want everyone to see

At first thought I wanted everyone to see a movie that inspired me or stirred me to seek change.  But then I realized what movie I want everyone to see.

The Goonies

I know, this sounds stupid, but there is a true reason for this.

Several weeks ago one of the instructors at the gym made a comment that she had never seen a certain movie.  I don't remember which one it was, but I remember being surprised because I had been pretty sure everyone had seen it.  Then she dropped the bomb.  She said, "And I've never seen Goonies either."

I groaned.  I groaned so loud that the other instructor could hear me above the music playing (the instructors wear head mics to be heard over the music easier) and she laughed at the appalled look upon my face.

I consider myself a Christian woman.  I try to follow the teaching of, "Judge not that ye be not judged." 

Watching The Goonies is a rite of passage.  I don't really know where the passage leads or where it comes from, but it is necessary to experience.  And if you don't, I judge you.

So please, for the sake of my soul, please watch this watch this movie.  I do not want to judge you.  I have enough strikes against me as it is, don't make me add another.

#16 30 Day Movie Challenge

#16 A movie you used to dislike but now like

My dad watches Westerns.  I lot of Westerns.  I grew up watching them.  And about five seconds into them I'd leave the room and find something else to do.  But I saw the first little bits of most John Wayne movies.

One time I told my dad that my favorite Western was Back to the Future: Part III. 

But I have to say that I now enjoy Westerns.  I'm sure my husband had some influence over that.  It's nearly impossible to marry a man like Josh and not appreciate cowboys, horses and the Old West.

I have to say that despite all my efforts as a kid to deny my upbringing and influence of my father, I like Westerns.  I like that the first movie I ever watched with Josh was Tombstone.  I like the Old West and the history associated with it.

But I have to say that the movie I disliked but now really like is

True Grit

The John Wayne version is classic. 



But I think I might like the updated Jeff Bridges version even more.  (Matt Damon = Awesome)

True Grit - One-eyed ManTrue Grit (2010 film), Clips

I think that can count.  It's essentially the same story.  And I do like the classic version much more than I used to.

#15 30 Day Movie Challenge

#15 The first movie you remember watching in the theater

As I said before, my friend Jim is playing this game on Facebook.  This question was originally: A movie that describes you.  He didn't care for that question and changed it to the first movie you remember watching in the theater. 

Because there are very few movies highlighting the lives and trials of Mormon mothers in the 21st century, I've chosen Jim's version.  Someday I'll make my own movie and then this question will be a lot easier to answer.  Influence my life and you can be in the movie too.

So, the very first movie I remember watching in the theater was

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

I was four months shy of being 3-years-old when this movie was released.  I remember going to the theater with my mom and dad.  I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a date night for them.  Mom was about 5 months pregnant and I was their only other child, so they probably figured it would be easier to bring me to the theater rather than find a babysitter. 

They were wrong.  When a 2-year-old doesn't want to sit still and watch a movie, she'll do whatever she can to make you wish you hadn't brought her.  I can actually remember thinking to myself that if I threw a big enough fit, then Mom and Dad would have to take me home. 

I remember Mom fighting with me until she finally just gave up.  I sat on the floor.  I'm pretty sure I gave up on trying to go home at that point.  If I remember right I just laid on the floor for most of the movie.

Ah, Harrison.

So I guess I technically didn't watch this movie at the theater, but I was on the theater floor as it played on the screen.

I don't remember going to another movie at the theater until my parents took us to go see E.T. two years later.




Josh and me (thank you, Disneyland).  This is from Return of the Jedi, but it's still fun.


Now I love the movie.  And don't worry.  My children have all returned the favor of throwing fits in the movie theater.  I got it back in full force.

#14 30 Day Movie Challenge

#14 A movie no one would expect you to love

Just when I think I've answered the hardest question, this one pops up. 

I'm pretty diverse in what I like. Of course, I have my favorites.... comedies of all kind.  And I like most genres.  But there are a few genres I don't really care for.  Namely, foreign films and ghost stories.  I don't do ghost stories.

So it would be a real shocker if I loved a foreign ghost movie.  So closest thing I can think of is

Big Trouble in Little China

Okay, I don't think it's hard to believe that I like this movie.  After all, who can resist Kurt Russell in his tank top?  But there's a foreign element and there's some creepy ghost-like dude. 

It's the best I can come up with.

#13 30 Day Movie Challenge

#13 A movie that is a guilty pleasure

Okay, how do you define a "guilty pleasure"?  Wikipedia says, "A guilty pleasure is something one enjoys and considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. The 'guilt' involved is sometimes simply fear of others discovering one's lowbrow or otherwise embarrassing tastes."

My guilty pleasure: Adam Sandler.

He's made more mature movies in the last few years, but I will still quote and refer to the first Sandler movie I ever saw:

Billy Madison

I know, I know.  It's stupid, it's crude, it's inappropriate, it's my guilty pleasure.

Now you all know my "lowbrow or otherwise embarrassing tastes."

#12 30 Day Movie Challenge

#12 A movie you like from an actor you don't like

Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves

Oh, wait.  I mean:

One of the greatest enigmas of Hollywood, in my opinion, is how in the world Keven Costner made it so big.  The dude isn't handsome.  He's pretty monotonous.  If the eyes are the window to the soul, Costner has none.  His eyes are dead. 

He is by far my least favorite actor.

But the fact is, he's made a couple decent movies, despite his involvement.



I'd be fine if they released a version with Costner edited out and it focused on the other major players: Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman, and Christian Slater (yes, I had a crush on Slater in 1991 when this movie came out).  But then the movie would be about 20 minutes long, if that.  Oh well.