Quirky Things

Not too long ago my friend Amanda tagged me with a 6 Quirky Things tag.

So here are 6 of my many quirky characteristics

1. I don't/won't carry a purse. I just keep my license and bank card in my back pocket.

2. I like fries with mayonaise. Anyone I've told about this thinks it's gross, but in looking for a picture online found out it is quite popular in Holland! Perhaps I have Dutch ancestry I am not aware of.

3. I hate birds. More accurately I hate birds flying near or over me.

4. I am the only female between the age of 12 and 40 who hasn't read Twilight. I don't like Fantasy at all!

5. I have a blue "Club Monaco" sweatshirt I bought in '85 (that's 23 years ago folks!) that I wore to numerous track and basketball practices, games, races, college, and more recently morning runs, or for just lounging around, and I continue to wear and love it... holes and all.

6. I like things made from tomatoes, like ketchup, salsa, tomato soup, even bruschetta, but hate tomatoes au naturel.

Now I supposed to tag 6 people. So let your quirky shine: Sherry, Shawna, Tricia, Sarah, Gabi, and Amy :D

Happy Thanksgiving

An Honor

Call her a flautist, a "floor-tist", or a flutist, whatever you call her, one thing she is IS a star!!

Samantha was recently selected as one of the top 14 middle school flautist's in the STATE! In January she will participate in the State Honor Band in Eugene. The Oregon Music Educators Association bring together the top students in the state to Eugene where they will practice all day together and put on a performance in the evening.

We are looking forward to going to the performance.

Way to go Samantha!!

Twilight Premiere

Yes, I waited in line with my 2 girls and a bunch of giddy teenage girls and moms at 9:30 for the 12:05 showing of Twilight. Samantha talked me into going so early since she got a call from friends that they were letting people sit inside as long as there was room. Since it was a pretty cold night I figured I would rather be sitting inside than out and agreed to go at such an insanely early hour.

When we arrived Samantha quickly found her friends

and I also found a couple of my friends there as well

Elise was a real trooper and stayed awake even though we almost lost her to the sandman between 11 and 12.

We counted ourselves so fortunate in Theatre 5 when no one showed up for Madagascar II, so the manager let us in early and we got to sit in the theater seats to wait for the movie to start rather than on the floor in the lobby or outside like everyone else.

Fortunate until.... the movie started and there was no audio... one group of people you NEVER want to get mad are a theatre full of women. The audio continued to cut in and out and we stuck around for 90 minutes like that until finally the personnel came in and told us it was hopeless and to see if we could find a front row seat in another theatre (by that point there were probably only 25 die-hards left in theater 5) It was pretty disappointing after waiting 2.5 hours to see a movie!! and I am not even a fan of the books.

The girls totally LOVED the movie, they have read the book multiple times, but even they had to admit that it fails in places. Of course they don't care though.

Not having read the book, the movie was lost on me. The chemistry between the actors was forced, the makeup was really bad, it tried too hard to be intense and had too many close ups. I have to admit, I really did enjoy the prom scene, and the 2nd half of the movie was better than the first half.

I am more intrigued about the book now, than I was before, and feel it unfortunate that the movie was so low budget, when I think it could have been made into a half decent film with better money and actors.

Those who have read the book will still enjoy the movie, so go see it. If you haven't read the book, not exactly a must see.

By the way, we DID get "re-admit" tickets to compensate for our "pain and suffering" and the girls went back to see the movie the next day.

I DO feel bad for the girls though after having waited months and months for the movie to come out and visiting the set (remember when we did that in March?)etc., only to have the audio cut out was a real disappointment.

Just Ducky

Saturday I had a baby shower for one of my girlfriends, and it was really the first party I've ever had that I tried to decorate for and host/feed 25 people. I thought it turned out so cute that I wanted to share, so you can all tell me it was "so cute" too! LOL!!

Don't know if you can tell but those are little duckies in the bowl and the letters are actually cookies

This was the food table before I put out the pastas and bread, but you get the idea
I was so proud of my idea to put the theme paper in the stocking hangers to hang up the ducky clothes I got her

I thought these flowers were so pretty
It is so sad that Emily is leaving and that we won't actually get to see the baby until he is a couple months old. I will miss Emily and her family. They are good friends.

Shevlin pics

We actually took these pics on October 26, but haven't posted them yet.
We decided to go down to Shevlin Park one Sunday evening for a walk, since it was such a nice day and we didn't know how many more nice days we would have. However, yesterday and today we had high temps of 70 degrees. VERY NICE!! Since we didn't get a spring this year, we surely deserved the nice long fall we are getting :D

You gotta love our rag tag gang... This is what you get when you get dressed out of your Sunday clothes and randomly put something on and have nap time bed head.

Brad was setting up the camera, trying to adjust for how dusky it was getting and setting up the timer and Star happened to bound in the picture. I just added it because I think it's funny :D

Lest We Forget

Today is Veteran's Day/Rememberance Day. It is a very solemn day for me and I try to make it that way for my family as well. I don't cry often, but you will always find me in tears at a Veteran's parade, watching tributes to the military or whenever I am brought to remembrance of my debt to those who have sacrificed for me. I feel blessed to live in a land of freedom, but know that it came with a price, and some gave all for me.

Today, please remember and honor those who paid the price, and continue to pay the price for your freedom.

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.