June 30, 2008
Christina Visits Missouri
**Updated**
Christina visited Andrew in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri the weekend of June 20th-22nd. Today she brought us some pictures to enjoy.
This is Andrew’s bed and living space:
Below are “Smoke Pits” (I have circled one of many in the distance):
Smoke Pits are designated stations for smoking cigarettes. It was interesting to me learning that they are marked for boys only or girls only. (**Christina misunderstood what Andrew said about these pits. They are not separated according to gender.**)
A photo of Andrew:
Christina & Andrew outside the hotel:
Sadly, Andrew has been stationed in Missouri since March 4th waiting to get into MP school.
There is good news though!
He will pick up with MP-14 on July 7th and finish on September 5th. YEA! Each week he will learn new skills which he is very excited about. He should be free to contact us on the weekend, so I will let you know how he is.
Posted by tami at 4:40 PM Comments (2)
June 29, 2008
Something Cold
I love ice cream, but I don’t crave it like some people. Kevin likes to have something cold and sweet for a nighttime snack. If he buys a half gallon of ice cream, there is no limit on the amount he can put in a bowl. He has no idea how many calories he has consumed and therefore ends up eating much more than he planned.
Wanting to watch his calories more closely and still have ice cream at the same time, Kevin was thrilled to find these 100-calorie Blue Bunny Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream Cups.
These are portioned and he can eat as many as he wants while keeping in mind that they are 100 calories each. He normally eats one vanilla and one chocolate each night.
On our most recent visit to the store, he found these:
There are three flavors in each cup: Lemon Lime, Orange, and Cherry.
These cups are only 90 calories each, but they are packed with taste. I tried a bit of each flavor and they were all very good.
In my opinion, you cannot beat icy-cold Sherbet on a hot summer day.
Posted by tami at 6:46 PM Comments (0)
June 28, 2008
Now You Know
I need to clear up a comment made on June 21st.
On December 11th, I officially introduced you to Andrew’s then girlfriend Christina. (There is a beautiful photo of her under that link.)
She can also be seen HERE.
June 1, 2007
October 9, 2007
On Friday, April 11th, while Andrew was home on Recruiter's Assistance, they went to the court house and were married.
On April 12th, we took Andrew to the Louisville Airport. This is when he went Back to Missouri. We had no idea he was married. In fact, as I was making that video, I blew up the last photo and saw a gold band on his left hand which looked like this:
I called him and flat out asked about the ring. He claimed it was just a “promise ring”. I knew they were engaged and found it odd that he would wear a ring on that particular finger. He told me Christina was wearing her engagement ring and wedding band. I thought that was strange also, but left it alone.
A few weeks later when the court house records appeared in the newspaper, Kevin and I were informed of our son’s marriage. Ashley abruptly learned that her brother was married.
Because he left for Missouri, we have never seen them together as a married couple. For a while, it was hard to visualize them in that way. She recently traveled to Missouri for a weekend visit. My parents paid for her travel and Kevin and I paid for their hotel room for the weekend. Andrew was allowed off base. They saw a movie, shopped, and went out to eat. I’m glad they had a honeymoon of sorts.
I am not upset about them being married at the court house. Kevin and I were married the same way many years ago. I never wanted a big wedding and have never regretted our choice of venue. I do wish he had been truthful when I asked him point blank about the ring. Reliving the day he left over in my head, I see the many opportunities he had to tell us the news.
He was afraid of what I would say and do. She was afraid of what her mom would say and do. I can appreciate these feelings.
I think they were both surprised by our acceptance, but I love Andrew and I want him to be happy, so I am not mad. If it helps him get through the tiring and trying days and makes him happy, I am fine with it. Being in the military is hard.
Christina is a smart, hard-working girl who is going to school to become a nurse while keeping a job. I am very confident she will be faithful to Andrew.
Of course Kevin and I wish we had been there when they were married, but we know our parent’s probably felt the same way years ago.
I guess the only question left is: why didn’t I say something about it when it happened?
The answer is simple; I was embarrassed; embarrassed that my son would do something so important behind my back. Now I realize that I have nothing to be embarrassed about. People elope every day. This was just a “local elopement” ;)
Obladi Oblada. Life goes on.
Posted by tami at 2:09 AM Comments (6)
June 27, 2008
For Mom
Posted by tami at 12:28 AM Comments (5)
June 26, 2008
Her Skilled Hand
Tammy asked me about Ashley’s make-up skills in the last set of comments, so here goes.
Ashley is very girly. She loves make-up and applying it in different ways. She is one of these girls who enjoy spending time in front of a mirror trying different things out. She constantly puts make-up on me (at the end of the day so I don’t wear it out of the house) because she enjoys it. As I pointed out in THIS post, the child has more make-up than me.
She spent some of her birthday money on a hair straightener which she loves. She has straightened all the hair in this house and now looks for outside sources. The cat is lucky he knows how to run. Guido is fortunate that his hair is so very short because shortness apparently doesn’t matter to Ashley. She has even attempted to straighten Kevin’s hair and his is about an inch long all over! Still, he sat there and she tried for a long time.
When she was a little younger, Ashley put hair bands and bows of every color in both Andrew and Kevin’s hair. I have pictures of this; however I am not allowed to share them (I asked). It was quite a sight to see my young son or my grown husband looking like a fairy princess experiment gone wrong. I now know that they both just enjoyed the attention. She could spend an hour brushing and combing and fooling around with practically no hair at all.
Her desk looks colorful and invites you to come, pick up a bottle, inhale deeply, and then choose another.
I often had bottles of one lotion or another growing up; however, I would use the lotion to fill small Barbie containers. Put it this way, the lotion was never used for its intended purpose. I suppose this is the reason I never received much. With the price of cosmetics in general, I can understand why my parent’s wouldn’t want to waste money buying me something only to have it ruined.
While discussing high gas prices, I heard Ashley tell her grandmother, “The price of make-up is going up.”
I have no clue if this is true or not. It probably is, but I have never been interested enough to keep track. I buy what I have bought for the past twenty years and go on. To Ashley, this is some math she is actually interested in. Teachers should take notice!
Her closet is also very colorful and girly. It is filled with color and crinolines. Carrie Bradshaw would be proud!
Posted by tami at 11:48 AM Comments (3)
June 25, 2008
Dana's Kindness
Ashley received a package today from her third cousin, Dana who lives in Pensacola, Florida:
The package contained three necklaces from Mexico.
Black:
Brown with white accent beads:
White:
Needless to say, Ashley was thrilled and cannot wait to wear them out!
Thank you so much Dana for the loving gesture :)
Posted by tami at 10:45 PM Comments (2)
June 24, 2008
Chex Mix Bars
I enjoy sharing products with you that are not necessarily new, but new to me. Even though these Chex Mix boxes say “New”, they may have been available for some time and you might have even tried them.
Now that I have tried both bars, I can say that I like the Chocolate bar the best. The Turtle bar is good and sweet, but the Chocolate is better. It is also ten calories more. Where the Turtle bar is 130 calories, the Chocolate bar is 140 calories. The ten extra calories are totally worth it though. These bars are so good, once you finish eating one, you’ll want to eat another!
I like them for their sweet taste, but also because they are crispy. You can find them in the cereal isle at Wal-Mart.
Posted by tami at 12:56 PM Comments (4)
June 23, 2008
The Secret
A message from Guido:
My Aunt Patt thinks I am one tough Pug.
She tells me I am a good boy.
She says I am her boy, but this face must worry her a little bit:
Why would I think that?
Well, why else would she buy this sign for my Mommy to hang?
She must have been watching me use my secret weapon to scare the neighbors.
Yep. I have my own secret weapon.
When the neighbors make me mad, first, I pee on the fence and then I just stick out my tongue:
It works every time. People better beware.
Posted by tami at 10:05 PM Comments (2)
June 22, 2008
The Sugar Monster!
It wouldn’t be fair to post a video of Sydnee and not post a video of her sister, Jesse. I hope you enjoy it.
Beware: I think she had eaten a lot of sugar!
Posted by tami at 8:25 PM Comments (1)
June 21, 2008
His
If you are a constant reader of this blog, you know our hot water heater broke which caused damage to several floors in our home. Andrew’s bedroom carpet was the only carpeted room affected by the water. You will recall that we pulled the carpet out after it began to fill the entire house with sickening fumes.
Yesterday, we ordered new carpet from Lowe’s which they should have in eight to ten days. Hopefully, the flooring company will fit us into their schedule quickly since we only have the one room which will get carpet. Until then, it is a waiting game. Since the room had to be cleared of furniture for the carpeting, we decided to take this opportunity to paint the ceiling and walls.
I believe Andrew was ten when he last had his room painted. We did a faux finish on the walls, bought curtains, all new bedding, pictures for the walls, and even a desk. We bought new mattresses for Kevin’s childhood double bed and did away with Andrew’s smaller, twin bed. He was very pleased with everything.
It has been very bittersweet painting in there last night and this afternoon. I guess if you don’t have children which have left the nest, you might not understand fully how I feel. The room needed painting, and still, my heart tugged with each brush stroke. Memories, both good and bad, flooded my head.
As I painted, I so much wished that Andrew was waiting in the next room; willing us to hurry up so he could have his bedroom back. I so wish he was here with us now to use his room. It will always be his room. We can paint, rearrange furniture, and lay new carpet, but it is still his room.
I miss him.
Posted by tami at 11:54 PM Comments (3)
June 20, 2008
Jesse Plays Games
My other niece, Jesse, is spending the night with Ashley.
Here they are playing Candy Land:
Getting ready to eat a hamburger and hotdog:
Posted by tami at 11:59 PM Comments (0)
June 19, 2008
It Brings Out The Spy In Me
We bought two Crosley telephones at Target.
We really only needed one for the kitchen, but when I saw the selection, there was no holding me back.
For the wall phone in the kitchen, I chose the Brushed Chrome:
For the desk in our bedroom, I chose this Classic Desk Phone:
I have used both phones and I love the large ear pieces and the way they feel in my hand. It also has an old-time ringer. I will admit, neither is lightweight, but I feel as if I should be whispering secret government secrets each time I talk into one. Or maybe I should Dial M for Murder.
As I spoke with my dad, my eyes shifted across the room as I lowered my voice. Someone was coming … I had to make it quick!
It was Guido Da Mafia Hit-Pug:
I was caught!
Posted by tami at 12:17 AM Comments (6)
June 18, 2008
Is That PEE In The Fountain?
If you ever wondered what my friend Deanna looks like, wonder no more:
I think it’s always nice to put a face behind the name of someone who comments on a person’s blog.
Deanna comments, but she is also a personal friend of mine. She is a genuinely sweet and loving person who has a good heart. She is the type of friend you want to have because she will always be there for you. I am blessed to know her.
*****
After visiting with Deanna, we had lunch at the awesome Beef 'O' Brady's:
Inside:
If you live in the area, you should really try their food. They have anything you could want and more.
*****
I can’t resist showing you these last photos.
This is a park downtown which has a pretty water feature. No, it is NOT a public pool.
I found it funny that a code enforcement vehicle was pulled up next to us at the light. The man behind the wheel could not have missed these children and their mother using the fountain as a swimming pool:
The way I understand it, these fountains do not contain chlorine and are therefore not safe for swimming. The city cannot be held responsible for foolish parents who let their children swim in potentially hazardous water. I get that. BUT, shouldn’t code enforcement tell these parents to move along?
I think so.
Posted by tami at 11:17 PM Comments (2)
June 17, 2008
Things Change
Sometimes change is good and I can understand the reasoning why a company makes certain changes. However, there are those times when I wonder what are they thinking?
As a consumer, I am attracted to bright, flashy labels. I have heard that certain colors make a person want to buy a particular product over others. So, I wonder why a company would take a perfectly good-looking label like this one:
And turn it into this:
Without that flash of yellow, I believe this new label is plain and not appealing.
I thought the store had stopped selling this mayonnaise because the label had changed. This, to me, is another reason to keep things the same; consumers may buy something else because their eye doesn’t zoom in on the new, boring, label.
This was the old oatmeal box:
It was baby blue, the flavor was in a brown box and easy to read.
This is what I have to look for now:
This is a very basic box and the flavor is not near as visible and easy to spot on the shelf when it is among the other boxes which look the same. In other words, I actually have to take the time and read the boxes to make sure I am getting what I want. Before, it was much easier.
As I said earlier, there are some changes which are good. For instance, this is the old Fried Ice Cream box:
It was a good box, but this is a better one:
It’s bright, flashy green and you can’t miss it. I don’t have to take time to read labels with this new box because no other flavor is this shade of green. (In Winchester, I have only seen this particular flavor in Kroger.)
This last change is okay, but I hate to see something I grew up with completely change.
This was the old Friday’s restaurant:
It was blue and very easy to identify. If you drove past a blue restaurant, you knew it was a Friday’s. Now it looks this way:
It’s nice. It really is, but it tends to blend into all the other buildings which surround it. I won’t say it was a bad change, but I will miss the blue.
Posted by tami at 5:23 PM Comments (2)
June 16, 2008
Losing Myself
Posted by tami at 8:55 PM Comments (8)
June 15, 2008
Looking For Fairies
When Lori-Lyn mentioned that Fairies could be seen at Louis Flower Power Shops, I knew we would have to visit. Having my small niece, Sydnee with us yesterday, I knew it would be a good time to show her the fairies and some places where they live.
We started off at Culver’s where Sydnee had a grilled cheese sandwich:
Once we arrived at the flower shop, we saw this very large fairy cottage:
We also were awed over this huge castle display:
I had hoped to purchase the Summerbridge Toad House seen HERE, however there were none of this type of home to be found.
I do wish I had purchased this door:
We didn’t buy anything, but we loved looking around for the houses nestled amongst the flowers and potted plants.
We ended our time together at The Disney Store where Sydnee chose a Toy Story figurine set for herself and a Sleeping Beauty set for her sister.
I think she had a good time. I know I did.
Posted by tami at 4:19 PM Comments (4)
June 14, 2008
Ants & Spiders?!
My niece, Sydnee, spent the night with us last night. We had some fun conversations as she played with Ashley’s Mio Pup.
The video she is watching can be seen HERE.
Posted by tami at 9:47 PM Comments (1)
June 13, 2008
Thank You President Bush :)
On June 4th I said I would show you before and after pictures of our bedroom windows. They were installed today :)
This was the old double window:
Taking it apart:
Heavy rain fell right after the windows were installed:
The new windows:
I am very happy with them and hope to try them out when it isn’t pouring rain or hotter then you-know-what!
Posted by tami at 10:11 PM Comments (1)
June 12, 2008
Just Keep Swimming
Ashley had a friend come over to swim today:
Lest you think she is totally innocent, I caught her misbehaving:
Her friend had no idea what was happening:
SCORE!
Posted by tami at 4:55 PM Comments (2)
June 11, 2008
For You Geeky eReaders
* It doesn’t matter that Kevin is taking not one, but two master’s classes this summer.
* It doesn’t matter that he is writing pages upon pages of homework each day.
* It also doesn’t matter that he is teaching not one, but two classes online.
* No, it doesn’t matter that he is in the mist of home repairs and pool maintenance.
I still asked him to write a guest blog … and he did.
I hope you enjoy it :)
*****
From Kevin:
I really enjoy the Sony Reader I got for my birthday. It is cumbersome right at first but after 10 pages you ignore the device and just read. The contrast of the screen is excellent and I have not found any situations where I needed more light. The text is very clear and easy to read. There are 3 font size settings and I generally keep mine on small. MobileRead is an excellent website with tons of information on all the ereaders available.
If I had to purchase again, I would still buy the Sony Reader even with the recent price drop of the Amazon Kindle. If they had been the same price, the decision would become harder. I honestly think I would still buy the Sony. There are some great programs for the Sony that are not available on the Kindle such as library management and format converters.
I did quite a bit of research on both the Sony and Amazon's Kindle before I purchased the Sony. I have not used a Kindle but the screen is the same so I would think the reading experience would be the same. I understand it has more font sizes but I am not sure how important that is. I read mostly from the public domain books so I will not purchase a majority of my books. With this in mind, I did not need the ability to shop and buy books from the device and have almost instant access to that book.
The Kindle also has search and dictionary functions which are nice but not worth the extra money. Also, if you are outside the US the current wireless browser options on the Kindle will not work for you. You can still use it and buy books but they will have to be synced through your PC.
The bottom line is, if you are a reader who enjoys browsing books and are willing to read just about anything then an ereader will work for you. On the other hand, if you only read specific authors or types of books you really need to check into the electronic versions of those books. Make sure they sell those books in a format that will work on your reader. Amazon and Sony both sell ebooks and honestly Amazon has more of them so if you plan to buy a ton of ebooks then you might want the Kindle instead of the Sony. Just check out the stores before you buy.
One last thing, the Kindle does not support PDF documents as of this reading (without converting) and the Sony does open PDF documents but very poorly. So if your hope is to carry around a bunch of PDF documents with pictures (such as technical manuals or textbooks) then I would NOT get either reader right now. The converters currently available do not convert formatting and pictures from PDF files very well. And there is no correlation between the electronic page number and the real page number so textbooks do not work since you are often asked to refer to a specific page which you cannot do with the electronics version.
Posted by tami at 2:15 PM Comments (3)
June 10, 2008
I Love Slate
We have a small half-bathroom which we refer to as “the little bathroom”. How creative! Anyway, the little bathroom needed a facelift, so we started by painting the ceiling. After that, the walls went from an ugly shade of purple to a pale yellow.
Kevin installed a new faucet, just like in the big bathroom and he also put in a new toilet, towel rack, and toilet paper holder.
The biggest thing he did, and what started this whole project was the floor. It was very dated and original to the house. It had also suffered water damage (not from the hot water heater) which we have now fixed:
Kevin installed slate in our big bathroom years ago. We love it so much we decided to install it in the little bathroom also.
He used an adhesive and spacers to set the slate in place. This had to sit for 24 hours before we could do anything else.
Once 24 hours had passed, he could grout. This is a messy job and one they usually don’t show on those home repair shows. If they showed the grouting process, no one would want to try it!
Grouting slate tiles is different from grouting porcelain tiles. With porcelain, you can simply wipe the excess grout away with a few sweeps of the hand. Porcelain tiles are slick, so there is nothing for the grout to stick to on top of the tile itself. With slate, you have to pick the excess grout up and wipe many, many times. Since slate has a rough texture and tiny crevices, it will hold some of the grout on top if you aren’t careful. You definitely don’t want to cover the beautiful colors of the slate with grout.
Kevin’s last step was sealing the floor so water cannot penetrate the slate.
This is the end result.
I think it’s beautiful!
It makes me happier to be in a place where nothing is coming apart or needs fixing.
Posted by tami at 10:32 AM Comments (4)
June 9, 2008
39
Although we celebrated Ashley’s birthday yesterday, it was actually Kevin’s birthday.
This is what he bought from the $100 my parent’s gave him, plus our own money:
For months he yearned for this Reader, so I’m glad he was finally able to make the purchase. He even had it engraved.
Yesterday, he received several cards and more money. We love finding money in cards! JOY!
This is the most recent photo I have:
Photo taken 6-3-08
I am so thankful for Kevin. He is patient, kind, considerate, loving, smart, hard-working, and much, much more. There aren’t many family-men left that compare to Kevin.
I am grateful to be married to such a wonderful person.
Posted by tami at 11:18 AM Comments (7)
June 8, 2008
Happy Birthday Ashley!
Posted by tami at 10:31 PM Comments (2)
June 7, 2008
Grand Night & Full Day
Last night we went to It’s A Grand Night for Singing at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts in Lexington.
I didn’t recognize many songs, but I still had a wonderful time watching the show.
There was some confusion when we first arrived. We were supposed to be sitting in row A. As you can see from the photo below, TV’s were in the seats in row A and there was no way to safely climb over the cords:
As it turns out, they were not supposed to sell tickets in row A. We were actually seated in row AA, the next row back. The seats were just as nice and we were close enough to see the spit and sweat fly.
Today, we have been very busy. We met a good friend for lunch and Ashley took a ride in her convertible. It was our first visit to Culver’s:
It was excellent! If you want a great hamburger and fries, this is the place to go. We will definitely return!
We also picked up Ashley’s birthday cake for tomorrow and then came home and worked on my bathroom. Pictures will follow as soon as the job is complete.
We had a very full day and I am now ready for bed. Good-night John Boy!
Posted by tami at 11:40 PM Comments (7)
June 6, 2008
He Had Big Dogs
After supplies were purchased at Party City, we ran into a Saint Bernard and a Great Dane.
They were big, but incredibly sweet:
This one holds the world’s record for the largest tongue (I am exaggerating, but you get the point):
If they weren’t so good tempered, they could have Guido Da Pug for a snack … Okay maybe a big snack … OKAY maybe he would be their meal for the entire day:
You callin’ Da Pug big?
Posted by tami at 10:46 AM Comments (6)
June 5, 2008
Lots Of Sweets
Yesterday we visited Mondelli's Bakery to order Ashley’s birthday cake for Sunday. While we were there, we bought Jesse and Sydnee an iced and decorated cookie.
Here they are reaching for their surprise:
Jesse’s cookie had a monkey head and Sydnee’s had a zebra head:
They loved it!
We also bought mom and dad a petit four each for their anniversary which is today.
Opening the box:
This is what they saw:
Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!
Posted by tami at 8:16 AM Comments (5)
June 4, 2008
Is This Some Kind Of A Joke?
The last day of school was Monday. I received the following reading list in the mail today – two days later.
I’m reading through this list thinking, okay Ashley reads what she wants and I’m not going to make her read anything that is not of her choosing during summer break. Then, I get to mid-page and discover that this is actually an assignment.
Here is a closer look:
I CAN NOT believe this! I know it has been argued that children loose some of what they have been taught during summer break because their brains are unused. When school resumes in the fall, they often have to go over certain things again before learning new things.
Guess what?
I DON’T care!
Summer break is S.U.M.M.E.R. B.R.E.A.K.
Unbelievable!
Posted by tami at 6:55 PM Comments (4)
His Mysterious Ways
Eight years ago, my parent’s bought Kevin and me new French doors for our back door. It replaced a sliding glass door in which the window was so foggy you could hardly see out. We loved the French door, but within a month, it too had fogged up. It never occurred to me that it would have a long warranty or what a warranty would entail, if the glass would be any trouble to replace and so on. I thought we were stuck with a dud.
Before our hot water heater decided to bust, I made a list of things I would like to get accomplished around the house. We have lived here twelve years and it is time for some major work. One major job is having our bedroom windows replaced. It is a double window, which means it is two windows put together. When we moved in twelve years ago, one window would not stay in place when raised. Therefore, you had to put a book under it to hold it open. After a while, the other window did the same thing. We had a book holding up each window for a while. I’m sure this looked very redneck, but sometimes you do what you have to do.
We lived with this for a long time and got used to the book thing. It didn’t get really bad until the windows didn’t want to rise at all. It took the force of Hercules to raise either window. That’s when I decided something had to be done.
If you live in the United States and file your taxes, you will get a big check called a Economic Stimulus Payment. My idea was to use the money from this check to have our bedroom window replaced. We received our check within a week of our hot water heater bursting. Kevin told me I may not get my windows. I said, “Oh, yes, I want those windows. I have waited long enough.”
We spent almost $500 on a new hot water heater. That money was for the heater itself, plus supplies needed to install the thing. I paid $615 for our new window from Lowe's. That price includes installation. We will hear from the installation company once the window arrives because it had to be special ordered. I would have never thought a double window could cost $615. I’m just glad we are getting it.
When the man came from the installation company to measure for the new window, I mentioned the French doors and how they had been foggy for years. He informed me that most of those doors had a ten-year warranty and as long as I had my paperwork, they should be covered.
He wasn’t gone ten minutes before I was rummaging through our filing cabinet for that paperwork. Once it was found, Kevin read that indeed those doors did have a ten-year warranty. They were bought eight years ago.
Kevin took all the paperwork to Lowe’s. Lowe’s called the window company and faxed all the paperwork we had to them. The company shipped new glass to Lowe’s. We picked it up less than a week later and Kevin installed it Saturday.
What I thought would be a huge ordeal wasn’t. Those guys at Lowe’s are great!
Below is a before and after of one view:
Before and after from a different angle:
We lived with foggy windows for eight years because I thought it would be a lot of trouble to get them replaced. I was wrong. The lesson here for anyone reading this is, keep good records and receipts and refer to your warranty if something goes wrong. It’s well worth it!
* I will show before and after photos of our new bedroom windows once they arrive. I am excited about them!
I cannot end this post without pointing something out. Every time we are due a tax check and plan to pay off a bill or do something great with the money, disaster strikes. You can read THIS post from 2006 for proof.
The Lord works in mysterious ways though. Had we found the termite damage (see link above) at any other time but tax time, we wouldn’t have had the money to fix the floor. This year, had the hot water heater busted at any other time of year, we wouldn’t have been able to afford buying a new one without putting it on credit.
Posted by tami at 4:44 PM Comments (5)
June 3, 2008
Happy 12th
She plays with her food:
But, she is 12 today!
This morning we gave her a mini cake, a card with $100, and two of those washcloths that expand when you put them in water (she loves these). We will have the family here for a birthday party this Sunday which is Kevin’s birthday. It will be neat that they both get presents! Ashley will have a big cake that day :)
Posted by tami at 4:24 PM Comments (8)
June 2, 2008
Traveling Trail
Last night:
Posted by tami at 7:58 PM Comments (2)
June 1, 2008
Lots Of Popcorn!
5-2-08 No Country for Old Men – This was an interesting movie, but very odd at the same time. There was a lot of violence and it would probably be termed as a “guy” movie because of that. There were times when I wondered if pieces had been accidentally left out. When it ended, I thought What The Heck. If you have seen it, you can let me know if you thought the same thing.
5-2-08 Atonement – This was a love story that took place during WWII. Keira Knightley looked completely different in this movie than when she played Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Whatever diet she is on, I need to be on that diet! If you watch this movie, you will see what I mean. They must have really padded her bra in the Pirates movies because she is as flat as a pancake in this movie. If you don’t like love stories that are kind of drawn-out, you probably won’t enjoy this one. I did, but that’s just me.
5-4-08 Risky Business – If watching Tom Cruise dance around in his skivvies doesn’t put a smile on your face I don’t know what will. That is, and will always be a scene to remember. This movie also reminded me of the time when television stations went off at night. They ended with a picture of the American flag and the national anthem and then the screen went fuzzy. That seems like such a long time ago. Watching this I was also reminded of TV dinners that came in tin containers. This is something else I enjoy about watching movies from the past; you get to see the past. My favorite quote: “I don't believe this! I've got a trig midterm tomorrow, and I'm being chased by Guido the killer pimp.”
5-9-08 Cloverfield - First of all you should know that this movie is only about 73 minutes long. With movie times being long these days, this was a pretty short movie. This movie was like The Blair Witch Project hits Manhattan. By that, I am referring to the entire movie being filmed as if someone is holding a video camera. It was just so-so for me. I kept waiting for someone to put the video camera down and the “movie” to start, but that never happened. Kevin liked it.
5-9-08 The Good Night - Andrew recommended I see this movie. He told me it was awesome and I would love it. After an hour had passed, Kevin and I were puzzled that Andrew would suggest this movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very interesting, but also very slow-moving. All of my previous difficulties imagining Andrew enjoying this movie were swept away when I heard the music play in the last ten minutes of the film. You would have to know Andrew to know that this music is just his speed. Hearing it made my eyes water and I had to find the YouTube video which you can view HERE. It doesn’t give away anything about the movie. I will repeat; it does move slowly.
5-11-08 The Number 23 - Jim Carrey plays a man who reads a book about the number 23. He becomes fascinated by the number itself and also with the book and believes it was written about himself. This isn’t a movie I would sit through again. Honestly, it was only 98 minutes long, but I was bored for the first 60. The ending was interesting, but the rest was just okay for me.
5-21-08 Juno - This movie is about the actions a sixteen-year-old girl takes after finding out she is pregnant. I enjoyed this movie and would watch it again. I think some of the offbeat sayings used during conversation aren’t really common among teenagers that I know, but that quirkiness is what makes this movie stand out. If anything, teenagers now have some new catch phrases.
5-23-08 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - I know this movie came out in 2005. Sadly, it took me three years to sit down and watch it! It was a wonderful story and made me feel young and innocent watching it. If your family has not seen it, I highly recommend a viewing. The message is powerful as are the cast and animation. I hope it doesn’t take me three more years to see the second installment which is at the theatre now!
5-30-08 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - If you like the other three Indiana Jones movies, you are sure to love this one. From beginning to end it was packed with adventure. It didn’t seem to me that Harrison Ford had aged at all and it would be fun if they made another one. Also, I enjoyed seeing this on the big screen since we had not been to the theatre since August 2007.
At the Regal:
Posted by tami at 5:30 PM Comments (3)