In need of advice

Ok, question for the family:
I have a friend that I love that I am worried about. It's a long complicated story, but I'll try to not take forever telling it. She's one of my former roommates that I lived with for two years and honestly, she's the one that I'm closest to out of the bunch. She's been dating this guy on and off (mostly on I think) for the past five months. Normally this would be fine, great even. However, here's the problem: this guy dated one of our other roommates for over eight months, had some "difficulties", and then didn't want to marry her until she didn't want to marry him anymore. This other roommate has since moved away and has no idea that this guy is dating one of her best friends. Oh the drama! :-) I started getting worried when last Sunday, we invited her over for dinner and then she didn't show. I called her and she said she was on the phone with her boyfriend and could she call me back. Half an hour later, she calls and asks if he can come too. Sure, that's fine. 45 minutes later, no show. She finally calls and says that she can't make it because she has to go do something with her boyfriend.
The advice I need is should I do or say anything to my friend about this guy? On the one hand, it's not really my business and it's her life. But on the other hand, she's my good friend and she doesn't know all of history surrounding him. Mostly, I'm worried because she keeps coming to my mind. I don't have lots of prompting-type experiences that I was aware were the Holy Ghost telling me to get a move on, but with the frequency with which she keeps popping in my head, I'm starting to wonder.
Anyway, I just want to know what people think. Should I try to talk to her and express my concern or should I just it go? I just don't want her to get hurt like our other roommate who still crys over this guy.

What Heaven would be like

You don't have to all read this, it is long and some may find it boring. I thought I'd Blog it for Bret to keep in his journal.

The first question my journal asked was, write down the things you love. I had so many! Next, it said, write what your idea of heaven was.

Karen’s Heaven:

I would never have to get up to an alarm clock, but would wake early to sunshine and the gentle sounds of birds chirping. Our bodies would feel wonderful, no aches or pains! I would have my favorite breakfast everyday, granola and yogurt and fruit. Then, I would get to go for a long walk, sometimes with friends or family, sometimes alone. I could choose to walk where ever I wanted each morning, from along rivers to up canyons to city streets paved with gold and jewels.

For scripture study, I would get to read all the unknown books, and it would be so fun and interesting to have it all become so clear.

For lunch, I could go out with someone everyday, sometimes grandkids, my mother, my kids, my friends; sometimes people I felt I could help, sometimes people who could be of a help to me. I could have whatever I wanted, because there were no calories up there. I could have donuts with Jarek one day, and ice cream sundaes at Friendly’s with Kathy the next, then a healthy salad with my sister the next.

During the afternoon, we wouldn’t have to do chores, like cut the lawn or clean much. My house would be small and simple, yet it could grow and stretch to the right size if I had family or friends come to visit or for a get-together or party. I guess we would all have some kind of job to do. I hope I would get to visit people that needed the Gospel and share it with them. Maybe in heaven that would be all done. I just hope I get a job with people.

In the evening, there would be special firesides once a week like at BYU, sometimes and Apostle, maybe sometimes Joseph Smith or Brigham Young. On other evenings, we could visit friends or family on the front porches and have nice long talks, and even walks too if we wanted.

There would be no pain, no hate, no evil. People would love each other, and there would be no stealing or lying or anger.

The days would go by with all the good we have here, but none of the bad. No flat tires, no strep throat, no money problems, no broken bones, no hurricanes or tornados, except there would have to be some rain for Tevia.

It sounds wonderful to me.

Thankful

Well, I am just so thankful that Malik is fine. And I am thankful for nurses who stay up all hours of the night tending to sick and injured people. I am thankful for thoughtful people who give their love and concern and prayers and best wishes on behalf of Malik. I am thankful for the time when I will get a full nights sleep without having to hear beeps and cries. I am thankful that mine and my kids trials are ours, and that we don't have someone elses. I am thankful for Bret who picks up the slack and cares for Jarek and makes sure he gets to school while I am gone. I am thankful for Jarek and his great faith, he is such a good example. I am thankful for Malik who toook his medicine this morning without even crying or spitting it out one time. I am thankful for modern medicine, for without it, I don't know how long Malik would even be with us. I am thankful to God for giving me things in my life that strengthen my faith, and keeps my mind in rememberance that all we have is not ours, but His, and we are just the caretakers of what has been entrusted to us. I am thankful for life.

Malik on my mind

As I have Malik on my mind - I looked him up in Wikipedia and found some great stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malik

It is always hard seeing a child sick. But I do have a lot faith. I never really worry that things are going to get terrible; like he'll die or something. It is also great having another son with even greater faith. As I drove Jarek home from the hospital where Malik still is, he asked me why Malik couldn't come home with us. "I thought I had enough faith" he said. What a blessing to have children.

And is there anything greater than a mother? Tevia went to the hospital with Malik last night as he was having difficulties breathing. Tevia spent most of the night at his side. I was able to take her place for a few hours to help her get some rest, but she makes it through with little sleep on the love of a child and poor tasting hospital food. We are so blessed to have her in our home.

Malik will be back tomorrow morning. He is doing well and is happy. But Jarek and I are lonely here at home. We can't wait for mom and Malik to come home and complete our family.

FYI - Jarek is in Wikipedia also!

Sunday dinner at the Wall's

We had another Sunday dinner at Jacob and Cari's yesterday. I made a pot roast, Cari provided her WONDERFULL jello cake dessert, and we had a couple other sides brought by friends of both me and Jacob and Cari. The food was great and the company was great.

Jacob... you've fooled another. My friend Molly seems to think you're quite intelligent. Don't worry... I didn't tell her the truth... so she still thinks you are! HA! Just kidding. I just wanted to say (and I've thought this on several occasions) Molly pointed out how impressed she was that we carried on an actually gospel conversation. Dispite the fact that it was a Sunday, I told her that's something the Wall family just does, regardless what day it is. I really do appreciate having friends (family) that are well read, opinionated, and willing to discuss gospel topics... so, thank you... all of you....

Oh and Jacob... it's ORGANIC, O-R-G-A-N-I-C... don't forget it, ok? :)

SNOW DAY!!!, and more on listening

I really watched this week to see how people listen. not very well, I may say. we did a 'pretend' visit teaching meeting with a new person we were paired off with in a Relief Society thing. before we were paired off, we were supposed to write on a card what we would like our visiting teacher to do, especially if it were our real life ones. I simply wrote, 'listen more', so I have someone to really talk to and not have to listen to their sad life stories. (this can't work in my real life situation, because I have someone who needs me.) well, I met this cool lady from Westpoint, we had 15 minutes to chat, and she was sweet and fun and nice, but she basically asked me about 2 or 3 things, like how many kids I had, etc, and then she told me all about her. it must be hard to really want to listen to what other people are saying, cause most of the time, why would we or they really care? they gave another example of a lady who's visiting teachers asked if they could come over cause it was the end of the month and they still had to fit her in! the young mother said you could come if you can help me clean, my house is a wreck and I have guests coming tomorrow and a sick child. they came, sat, gave a lesson, and left..... how rude is that? oh well. it was fun. I watched how seldom even dad really listens to me. right now, he just simply can't take anything else in. his brain is fried. so pour your little heart out to the Lord, and in your journal, cause that may be all we get sometimes. everyone needs someone to listen to them.

Haxxor skillz

Maybe it is the post vacation era, but I have been feeling kinda depressed as of late. My classes are more interesting than usual, and I am doing well in a rough job; yet, I feel I have little purpose in life. Which, to be honest, isn't true since work and school really are my purpose. But, that dosen't stop me from feeling lost. Usually, I have some event or time in the future to look forward to and hope for. Its my dreams and hopes that push me and allow me to enjoy day to day life. I don't have one fixed event on the horizon that isn't a meeting or test. Four inches of snow fell last night turning Provo all white and reminding me how much the pretty white stuff had cost me a month earlier. Its the first time I've ever been annoyed to see snow.

I've learned how poorly I write in my English 316 class. This paragraph displys evident proof of that. This is not a surprise to me, but my teacher was not at all reserved when she told me she didn't think an A was in my future and suggested I retake English 315. Whether she knew it or not, this was the best advice she could give me as I am always trying my best to prove people wrong. Discouraging remarks have always pushed me harder than compliments.

This is also true in my advanced volleyball class where the possibility to be thrown out of the class has me really excited. The constant negative feedback has pushed me to really put forth some effort. I won a game 15-0 yesterday. I served 15 striaght points with 3 aces. The rest of my game sucks, but no one can handle my very short curving serve.

The title you ask? The computer Science department had a major problem this semester with one of their large databases. After all options but wiping the database had been exusted, Dr. Burton suggested they pay me a visit. I assured them their grim assesment of no regular fixes was correct, but asked them if I might atempt a more unusual fix. After deciding it was worth a shot they returned, and asked me to give it a try. End of the story, I hacked the database from outside and hex edited(hard coded) a solution. So, I guess some of my earlier skills in that area are still usful.

Why is this important? Everyone constantly tells me how talented I am at so very many things. Yet being talented at everything does a whole lot of nothing. Only if you are exceptional at just a few things do rewards come. Example, I am a great programmer in more languages than most of my friends even know. Yet, they are exceptional in just Java and C++ the two languages the CS department is currently using to test us.

Anyways, Im not really complaining, just trying to get some words out so I can feel better. The real purpose of this blog is to ask everyone to email me their resume. Mine is due on Tuesday and I am really trying to show my teacher I am not illiterate. I did get an A- in 315 for goodness sake. Only, Cari constantly reminds me it was only becasue I flirted with the teacher every class.

So to sum up this entry, BYU won their basketball game tongiht, Cari liked the dinner I made and the CS department called me a genius; lets get ready for tomorrow.

Tom brought an updog home from school today

I never could tell a joke right! :0

deep question

Yes to Jacob Webb, people have kept me busy and I haven't had time to blog lately, but I loved all the people who were here and kept me busy having fun.
I am doing a 40 day soul- searching- journal -type thing. the question for yesterday was: sit quietly and think back and try to remember someone who you know really listens to you when you speak, and cares about you and even understands you.
wow! that was fun to do. to really try and figure out, does anyone out there understand me?
I loved the question. I guess I love deep stuff. I think Bret does in some ways. I know my parents don't now and I don't think they ever did. I couldn't think of a single teacher that I went to for that special care that some people have. none of the priests understood me. my first husband certainly didn't. I think at a high school level, my best friend did, Alexa, so I am glad the name may get used someday in the family. My brothers don't. but, alas, my sister does!!!!! yeah! my poor Donald tries to, and does sometimes. I am very complicated. Olivia and I were close, but she did not get what I was about. so, I am glad for my sister who loves me unconditionally. and, for Bret, who I think gets me pretty much. and I know for sure that I always have the Lord who knows me and loves me anyways... (that reminds me, would anyone mind if Kathy my sis joined the Blog? she may not want to, but I was wondering. )
then the book says, today, I will try and understand someone else.... cool. so I did. Kathy had a terrible day at school. I tried to be unjudgmental and just understand how she was feeling. it was fun. then dad had a bad day at work. it worries me, but I do understand how he must feel not knowing what everyone in the dept thinks he should know.
and just for everyone's enjoyment, hoy es el compleanos de Ben Franklin. I love my little spanish word of the day. I love to learn. I am happy even though everyone else had a bad day, I have a cold and something even worse, (womanly stuff), and yet, it feels good to be able to make a good dinner for Don and the kids and cheer them on in this crazy trip of life. I made Don white macaroni and cheese, homemade, like he liked in the restaurant we went to. He liked it, Tom didn't.
ps - from the boomer saga.... Kathy went on a date yesterday with Charlie, a cutie and runner up for Mr. Ketcham. he took her to a movie, Burger King, and to play air hockey at fun central. when she got home, she said, " I kept thinking of Boomer the whole time and how comfortable I feel when I am with him."

Where are the Cheetos?!

So, there's been quite the quiet spell here on "All That is Wall."

I can only imagine that it is because Jacob has been making his rounds visiting family and leaving a mess of destroyed computers he has "fixed" in his wake... well... IF anyone happens to get their computer up and running it will be good to hear how the new year is going... after all, we've now started into the second half of the first month of the year already!

As for me... well... I'm just excited to be starting BYU intramural soccer again. It's co-ed and Jacob will be on our team. I'm also still hoping to get on a basketball team, but in the mean time, I'm doig well filling my exersice quota with racquetball on Wednesdays and elders quarum basketball on Thursdays.

I've moved to full time days now (instead of working part time days/nights for full time) since I'm not taking classes this semester becuase tuition is ridiculous!!! I'll have in state tuition by summer session!!! FINALLY! I am also taking two night institute classes. Tuesday nights: Doctorines of the gospel (for 24-31 year olds) and Thursday nights: Preperation for a celestial marriage (no, there are no prospects, but it's been a few years since I've taken the class, and the instructor comes HIGHLY reccomended... it's a good class, I think everyone should have to take it at some point).

Anyway... hope all are doing well as well.

Roommates

I simply need to vent. I don't expect anyone to read this, but I kind of have no where else to turn.

My roommates are complete... well... you fill in the blank.

In all my life, throughout all my various roommates, companions, and even family members I've never had trouble getting along with any of them with the exception of these two, and of course, my mom.... but this isn't about her for once.

I'm sure I could do something to better the situation... but there's only so much I can do. One roommate is a pathalogical liar (even about the smallest most insignificant things too) and he stinks to high heaven. The other is a lazy blob that thinks the world owes him everything and does nothing for himself... thank to his mom and dad, he never does, and he expects the same treatment from me.

I've done everything I can to accomidate these two guys. From the day I moved in. I've cooked them meals. I clean after them. I even agreed to share a room with one of them so there wouldn't be conflicts with sleeping schedules. For the most part, I don't mind that. I like to think of myself as an accomidating person.... but when I go on doing things like that without a single thanks. In fact, they really do think it's all owed to them!!! To compound my frustration, they've now conspired against me to get me kicked out of my apartment. You would think I'd be happy to leave... right?... WRONG. Do you understand the time and effort I've put into this dump to make it par living conditions for myself?? From upgrades to fixtures, to deep cleaning in the kitchen and bathroom. Additionally, I have more possessions here than both of them combined. They're both from Heber, UT and have most of their belongings still at their parents house.

Given all this, I went to the apartment management after receiving a notice to move and asked what was going on... they gave me a run around that they had to move me because of apartment consolidating, yadda yadda yadda... bullcrap! Today I found out the truth that my roommates tried to get me kicked out becuase I mentioned bringing a friend to come live here too and they didn't want to have to share rooms.... needless to say, no more Mr. Nice Jacob. I'm making them move into the same room together and I plan on making their life complete hell. What ungrateful jerks!! Never have they shown a hint of gratitude, apprectiation, or respect for me or all I do for them.... they honestly believe the world owes them everything.

Am I way off base here? I can't remember the last time I felt SO upset, betrayed and ready to literally punch someone...

The Right to Act in God's Name

As those of you who have read this blog know, when I am alone I go for walks. This evening I walked past a new church that is situated in a very unique, and intriguing, area full of palm trees in various twists and turns. The church is called Pure Heart (www.pureheart.org). Since the buildings intrigued me, I thought I would look it up online to see if it gave a history of the architecture. It did not. But while on their site I thought I would see what this church is about. Reading their page made me realize why many other "religions" will never understand the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Our "churches" are based upon completely different paradigms.

The Pure Heart church is a non-denominational congregation. Which in essense means they are not a church, but a "group" of people. Yet they baptize people, and preach, and most probably collect money. If you read the history of their "leaders," many of them were ordained, but it does not say by whom. It would seem they are elected by the "board" which makes all decisions, including what the pastor preaches. The church seems nice enough. They certainly want to be followers of Christ. They have programs for women, men, and young adults (okay, has every religion now copied this Mormon trait?). They also apparently have a sort of race you go through with different laps. The first lap is acceptance of Christ and baptism.

I do not wish to speak ill of this church, but rather use it as evidence that there are profound differences between most churches. I remember reading an article while on my mission of a religious professor who stated there really can only be two religions which are true: Catholicism and Mormonism (forgive the lazy Mormon references). This is because only these churches have been given authority from God (this is an exaggeration, but let's talk about major religions). The Catholics got it from Peter, who received it from Christ. We received it from Peter, James, and John (to Joseph and Oliver). Any other Christian religion was just formed by people who thought they understood the scriptures better. This is a paradigm that is hard to shift once you believe it. It is no wonder that most members I know who have left the church do not go to another church, but rather avoid churches. They can not rid themselves of this belief. Therefore, if Mormonism is not correct - then no church is correct. It seems logical to me, but to the rest of the world we seem awfully cocky and condescending.

friday, Jan 6th

Wow! you guys have been busy blogging. Last I checked there weren't any new ones. Jacob, that was a nice tribute to your brother and a sad but sweet blog. Tev, I write all my books and movies in my journal each year, but I it was great to see yours as a blog. I also thought we'd do favorites this year for our 'family' as a blog, but we were waiting for you to come and get all the favorite movies and books of this year. we did Cari's favorites. we had a wonderful time with Jacob and Cari. They are fun and easy going. I enjoy Cari's sense of calm and her incredible patience. Jacob is lucky to have her. she is smart and sweet and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. Daisy loves her so much. they both played and played with Daisy. she will miss them but luckily she has the boys coming to keep her busy. they will like her now. she is obedient and calmer. Jacob did me lots of great favors, like getting all the wires out of my room and out from behind my computer. thank you Jacob!!!!! we played so many games, mostly Puerto Rico. I never won, but I came in second once and 3rd twice. I did win the first time I played, but only cause I made a mistake no one caught. the snow is melting, but there should be some left for the boys. Kathy has been in bed for 2 days straight. we are both on amoxicillin. I have sprayed Lysol everywhere. wer are good to go! awaiting the arrival of our favorite little boys!

Tiny shoes

Over Christmas I had the opportunity to see and hold something I haven’t for almost 20 years.

Tevia came to me and said, “I think you might be ready to see something.” She pulled out a FedEx envelope from the closet of the guest room we were in and unwrapped a small plastic baggie containing a little pair of old blue sneakers. It took me a few moments to realize what exactly I had just been handed… it was the pair of shoes our little brother Andrew was killed in. They were worn out blue canvas shoes with once white plastic toes, faded and stained from the grass and dirt of a small child’s adventures. Stuffed inside the shoes was a pair of small dark-blue socks and a wallet size photo of the shoes’ last owner; one of only three or four pictures ever taken of him.

I was busy packing so I took that opportunity to compose my thoughts before removing and holding the shoes. So many thoughts were going through my mind, most of which were questions of “why.” Why did my aunt Donna take them from him in his final moments? Why had my mother let Andrew (and all us kids) run free with absolutely no supervision as such a young age? Why did I blame myself for his death for most of my life? Why was I being shown these items now after so many years? What would my mom say if she ever found out Tevia was now in possession of these shoes and how she acquired them? How many more adventures would these shoes have seen had the events of that fateful day, some twenty years ago, been different?

As I finally took the shoes out of the bag to hold them my mind was flooded with memories that I had been too busy, or rather unwilling, to recall for years. Many of the memories I have to doubt because I’m unsure what injecting my own thoughts about how things were as a child then letting them collects dust on the shelves of my mind for years has done to their credibility. Regardless….

Some of my memories include Andrew sleeping in a wicker bassinette that stood about four feet off the ground and he was able to (and did) climb out of it at about 16 months old. We used to move his bottom lip when he was sleeping and “talk” for him, although, he never needed us to talk for him as he learned to both talk and walk at an exceptionally young age. We used to push the middle of his forehead skin down towards his nose and say “transformers, more than meets the eye!” I’m not exactly sure why we did that, I think he looked like the Decepticon symbol when we did it… or something like that.

So little ever was, and even less now remains, of Andrew T. Webb. Had he been granted the chance to live out his life, 2005 would have been the year of his homecoming from his mission. He would have most likely been the best built, and tallest of his siblings… and who knows… I might even have TWO younger brothers married before me!

I’m thankful Donna had the sense to save those shoes and keep them from an unfit mother. I’m glad Tevia showed them to me, which gave me something more than fuzzy memories to remind me of the 9th member of our family.

The Skeleton Key

Okay, so Bret and I watched this movie last night. It took place in New Orleans and there is a lot of magic, vodoo, etc... that is associated with that area due to the diverse population there. I have read a lot of books and seen movies that broached a lot of these subjects and have never been disturbed by them, knowing that I was far removed and didn't believe in most of it. Anyhow, while I was watching the movie I didn't feel scared or disturbed or anything like that. It was just another movie. I would probably give it a 2 out of 5 stars. Anyhow, last night I tossed and turned, as did Bret, who eventually ended up in the guest room because he couldn't sleep and didn't want to disturb me. Well, I had horrible nightmares about being possesed and not being able to get rid of the evil spirits. I was very scared and woke up to get reassurance from Bret, but he was gone. That made me even more nervous. But I calmed myself down and looked for him. That is when I found him the guest room. He reluctantly came back to bed and had a hard time sleeping again. I couldn't fall back asleep because I kept revisiting my bad dreams.

It is amazing to me how much influence movies, books and other media can have on our subconscience. (sp) Even though I wasn't scared during the movie, something in my mind was terrified of things in that movie. It had me singing primary songs in my head and praying all night. Which, oddly enough, we had to tell Jarek to do the same thing that night since his brain had gotten overloaded with Pikmin. He couldn't get the music out of his head.

I don't know what was going on last night, but nobody here slept all that well. Even malik woke up around 11 and thought it was time to get up for the day. Crazy!!!

Books 2005

Here’s a list of books I read in 2005

Title, Author, Year, Times Read, Rating, Category

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire     Rowling, J.K.     2005     3     1     
The Giver     Lowry, Lois     2005     2     1     
A Long Way from Chicago (audio)     Peck, Richard     2005     1     2     Young Adult Fiction
Star Wars: Dark Rendezvous (Clone Wars)     Stewart, Sean     2005     1     1     Sci-Fi
Slave Ship     Jeter, K.W.     2005     1     3     Sci-Fi
Heretics of Dune     Herbert, Frank     2005     1     1     Sci-Fi
The Golden Compass (audio)     Pullman, Phillip     2005     1     1     Young Adult Fiction
Year of Wonders     Brooks, Geraldine     2005     1     1     Fiction
The Subtle Knife (audio)     Pullman, Phillip     2005     1     1     Young Adult Fiction
The Count of Monte Cristo     Dumas, Alexandre     2005     1     1     Fiction
The Amber Spyglass (audio)     Pullman, Phillip     2005     1     2     Young Adult Fiction
Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil     Luceno, James     2005     1     1     Sci-Fi
Shadow of the Giant     Card, Orson Scott     2005     1     1     Sci-Fi
Star Wars: Jedi Trial (audio)     Sherman, David and Cragg, Dan     2005     1     3     Sci-Fi
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith     Stover, Matthew     2005     1     1     Sci-Fi
Harry Potter: The Half Blood Prince     Rowling, J.K.     2005     1     1     Fantasy
The Five People You Meet in Heaven     Albom, Mitch     2005     1     1     Fiction
Freakonomics     Levitt, Steven D. and Dubner, Stephen J.     2005     1     1     Non-Fiction
Wicked     Maguire, Gregory     2005     1     2     Fiction
Sabriel     Nix, Garth     2005     1     1     Young Adult Fiction
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire     Rowling, J.K.     2005     2     1     Fantasy
The Old Man and the Sea     Hemingway, Ernest     2005     1     2     Fiction
The Handmaid's Tale     Atwood, Margaret     2005     1     2     Fiction

Movies 2005

Here’s a list of the movies I watched this year, with the format and rating (1 being the best).

TITLE Year Format Rating

Spiderman 2 2005 DVD 1

The Village 2005 DVD 1

House of Flying Daggers 2005 Theater 1

Shall We Dance? 2005 DVD 1

Finding Neverland 2005 Plane 2

After the Sunset 2005 Plane 2

Without a Paddle 2005 DVD 2

Goldmember 2005 TV 2

I, Robot 2005 DVD 1

Alien vs. Predator 2005 DVD 1

The Forgotten 2005 DVD 2

The Incredibles 2005 DVD 1

Star Wars: Clone Wars (Season 1) 2005 DVD 1

King Arthur 2005 DVD 3

Elektra 2005 DVD 2

Spanglish 2005 DVD 1

Ocean's 12 2005 DVD 3

Behind the Sun (Brazilian) 2005 DVD 2

Meet the Fockers 2005 DVD 2

To Live 2005 DVD 1

Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 2005 Theater 1

In Good Company 2005 DVD 2

The Count of Monte Cristo 2005 DVD 2

Hotel Rwanda 2005 DVD 1

Terra Estrangeira 2005 DVD 2

The Pacifier 2005 Plane 2

The Work and the Glory 2005 DVD 1

Shaolin Soccer 2005 DVD 2

War of the Worlds 2005 Theater 2

The Aviator 2005 DVD 1

Harsh Realm (the TV Series) 2005 DVD 1

Pay it Forward 2005 TV 2

The Cave 2005 Theater 2

Scream 3 2005 TV 3

Bride and Prejudice 2005 DVD 2

Saints and Soldiers 2005 DVD 2

Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries 2005 DVD 1

Sahara 2005 DVD 2

The Transporter 2 2005 Theater1

The Transporter 2005 TV 2

Monster-in-Law 2005 DVD 2

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 2005 DVD 2

GI Joe: The Movie 2005 DVD 2

Coach Carter 2005 DVD 1

Batman Begins 2005 DVD 1

The Matrix: Reloaded 2005 TV 2

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005 Theater 2

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005 DVD 2

Mr. And Mrs. Smith 2005 DVD 1

Resident Evil 2005 TV 2

The Fantastic Four 2005 DVD 2

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 2005 Theater 1

The Island 2005 DVD 2

Star Wars: Clone Wars (Season 2) 2005 DVD 1

My year-end review

Well, I just finished reading The BofM!! I think that in itself is a good way to finish off the year... of course... I had to read the entire book of Alma in two sittings (first 31 chapters yesterday and the last 32 chapters today). I have to admit, even if I were to have read the entire book without getting a hint of spirituality added to me I can deffinitely say there is a great sense of accomplishment in fullfilling the challenge of the prophet... and don't worry, I do feel I've increased in spirituality as well. Because I read the entire book in so few sittings (which is not something I've done before) I got quite a different perspective as to timelines and relationships (both familiar as well as interpersonal) within the book. I also have to admitt that I think reading and getting into the Harry Potter books so much has really helped me in visualizing the events of scriptures. Finally, I think one last thing that aided me in reading so much in so little time (aside from the spirit and promise from the Lord that he nor his servants the prophets will give a commandment without providing a way to fullfill them) is that I listen to the Braveheart soundtrack (all instumental) and read in a Scottish accent... really adds a whole new life to those long war ridden chapters From the last half of Alma, most of Heleman, Ether, etc...

Anyway...

This year was a fairly good year for me in many aspects, and unfortunately it was a very bad year in terms of "I really could have done better." Thank goodness for repentance and the atonement. I really resolve to make this coming year one of spiritual grwoth. I think this last year was moreso dedicated to spiritual digression... These last couple of months I've really been trying to get things together and figure out just where I stand with myself and in all things. I have to give thanks to such a great family and good friends who have continually prayed for me and never gave up on me to come around. There are few, if any, who I feel really know me or why I make some of the choices I do... but regaurdless, I do have a testimony of the truthfullness of the restored gosple and continue to nurture my faith in the living Christ.

Some highlights from this last year include two trips to Disneyland with dear friends, and an unforgetable trip to the East coast with my favorite family! I also finished out my first semester of college with straight As, and got a couple of good raises and added perks from a job that I really do enjoy. I think I'm finally aclimatizing to Utah, but don't think I will ever get used to the lack of sunshine here and ALWAYS look forward to spending time in AZ... which by the way I think I made more visits to AZ this year than any other since moving away.

I think I've become more indifferent as to what my mother thinks or wants of me. I realize that nothing I ever do will cause her to be proud of me and I don't plan on going out of my way to apease her anymore. This doesn't mean that I don't love her, but I know I've missed opportunities in my life and made sacrifices that will forever go unnoticed just to get her approval, and failed to do so.

I think I finally share Tevia's hope too that this may be the year I at least find someone to marry... whether it happens this year or not... I dunno... the fact that I'll be commencing this year without a single prospect somewhat dampens my hopes... but then... anything can happen in Happy Valley.

So here we go... Another year on its way.

2005 - not that bad of a year

As the end of 2005 quickly approaches, I have sat and thought about the year, where I am in my life, etc. This was mostly done while driving - thus thank goodness I was sitting. I have come to realize that it hasn't been all that bad of a year. Though in my career it has been the busiest and most stressful so far, I still have a job I enjoy, work with people I respect and like, and get paid pretty well to do so. In 2006 I have already thought of some things to change some of the things that happened in 2005 at Prudential to make it an even better year. One of those things is to play my cards and let Prudential show me how much they care. I did this in 2004 with great results. It is now time for the next step.

Outside of work I have been blessed with the most wonderful family I know. I pray every night in gratitude for the love I have for my wife and children, and the love I feel from them. How many people can say that they know the people that surround them love them. And that they truly love the people around them? I do. Tevia is the greatest mother to my children I could have chosen, and the best woman I would ever want to marry. There certainly are days we struggle, but they are so few and far between, and over such petty things, that I know we are blessed in our relationship. My children are the best boys I have ever met. They are respectful, love God and others, and are inspirations to me daily. God was so wise to provide us with families to make us think twice about anything that might be a temptation. I would hate to dissapoint Tevia; I would be devestated to disappoint my boys.

Physically it has been a good year. I am able to play basketball at least once, if not twice, per week. I still love this sport so much. I have put on a few pounds, but I am confident I can get them off. Metabolism has caught up, and so sacrifices need to be made (mostly just waking up a little earlier to work out).

Spiritually I feel that I have progressed. I know I need to do more. 2006 will be a year of spiritual goals. But my primary non-calling and reading the book of Mormon this fall (maybe I'll finish!) have renewed my belief that this gospel is true. I am grateful for this knowledge. It comforts me in a time of chaos and lack of spiritual beliefs. I am not ashamed to be a Christian or a Mormon.

So - how can I complain. I sit and think what more I could possibly have wanted from 2005. There may be a few material things, but these are insignificant. I'm not even sure I deserve what I got in 2005. So here's to 2006. It will be a great year. I look most forward to our 10 year anniversary (with Sparkles - aka Tevia - aka Darevco). Peace out.

bowling news

Tom and dad tied for first in the first game, Jacob won second game. I couldn't bowl, but we had fun. where are all the post-Christmas blogs?

First day of Jacob... Webb

I got in SUPER late last night, thanks to delayed flights across the country... but that's okay, thanks Tevs for coming to get me, I'll learn my North and South for my next flight! :)

I stayed up last night till almost 3am messing with my own computer (Maxwell, my laptop) I took it in to the dealer the other day to try and figure out why a 30G hard drive only has 600MB of space left when I only have about 20G of stuff on there... they couldn't figure it out so I erased EVERYTHING and reinstalled my OS, music and photos. Now I have the 10G of space I should have... but I'm missing my Office Suite and I need to connect to the internet to get my iphoto and itunes update... what a pain... I'll have to do it when I get back to Orem and my high speed internet... In the mean time, I have Baby, my new 60G video ipod. :)

Today we (Tevs, Jarek, Malik and I) went to IKEA. This was my first time there. I LOVED it. we had breakfast and lunch there, it was pretty good. Tevs ended up getting a desk, mirror, chair, and shelf thing... but I geuss I should let her tell about it if she wants.

We got home, and Bret Tevs and I put the desk together. Tevs assembled the chair all by herself, and I'm actually sitting on it right now... so, good job!

I think our first day of Jacob here in AZ has gone ok, despite the fact that I lost some info on my laptop, forgot my dad's christmas present in my apartment in Orem, and left my doors wide open on my car in Salt Lake... oh well... Merry Christmas, tis the season to go brain dead... I guess.

puerto rico

I played my first game of puerto rico today. I won by cheating by mistake. oops. it was boring at first, but more interesting later. it reminded me of Settlers.

Happy Birthday Joseph - Wikipedia

For a few weeks now I have wanted to blog about Wikipedia. If you have not used this online encyclopedia, you are missing out. It is awesome. Just looking up something dumb like Battlestar Galactica will give you hours of reading with wonderful information (i.e. did you know that the Mormon symbols/terms in Battlestar are not just coincidental? The producer of the original series was/is Mormon and did it on purpose).

This is a reason the internet is awesome. Well, a few weeks ago I was reading the info on Mormons (which is extensive, well-done, and I even learned some things!). The article on Joseph Smith had been requested to be the "featured article" today - on his birthday. There was a lot of back and forth over whether or not it should be, but in the end they did make it today's featured article. Pretty cool! Take a look and enjoy one my favorite websites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

quote of the week

"Well, I think I plugged something into something..."

guess who?
Bret, are you off today?

3rd day of Jacob

a dramatic reading to the tune of 12 days of Christmas: "on the 3rd day of Jacob, amazing to our eyes, 3 broken computers, and another one that wouldn't go on line."

2nd day of Jacob

On the second day of Jacob he managed to break our computer. our power source is now fried. Kathy is fuming, and we are down to one computer, cause Cari's won't work.
Dad managed to beat him in Acquire, and Daisy loves Cari.
we will keep you updated so you don't miss out on any amazing fun.

new driver

we have a new driver in the family! nice job, Tom!

Cleanliness is next to...

It's a good thing I keep my bathroom clean!... I ended up spending the night (Tuesday night) on my bathroom floor... the sad thing is, it's probably cleaner than either of my roommate's beds. You know, neither has washed their sheets or blankets since I've lived with them... and I'm willing to bet all I have that they haven't washed their bedding this entire year.

SICK SICK SICK!!!!!

Plus, the one I share a room with is still working on his same 12 oz bottle of body soap (used with a lufa) since before I moved in in August!!! I think he's showered less than 8 times since I've lived here.

SICK SICK SICK!!!

Cleanliness is next to... well... not my roommates. thank goodness I'm not married to them!

The Lion, The Witch, and the Principal's Office

I had a wonderful weekend. Friday night Kipp and his boys came over. The boys stayed up late and then slept over in tent (all four of the boys) in the playroom. We stayed up with Kipp talking until almost three in the morning. In the morning we decided to go see the movie The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I LOVED it. Based on the book by Mr. C.S. Lewis, the story is allegorical in nature, with the Lion being a Christ figure. I thought the filmmakers did a great job of capturing that religious symbolism. Tears came to my eyes as I would lean over to Jarek and point out the similarities between Aslan and Christ. As Aslan gives up his own life in order to save Edward - and meet justice - to the seen of the two women weeping over his dead body - to the return of the Lion was all well done. Then at the end you see Aslan walk away as the characters discuss his eventual return. Not often do you get a fun, exciting movie mixed in with the Spirit. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Saturday night we had a few friends from work come over and we played Scattergories. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoy my coworkers. Work has been a little less stressful lately, a large part of the reason being that I have taken more time off to be with the family. This has helped a lot to get my priorities in line and get away from the everyday stress. It has been nice.

Today I got a call from Tevia at work. She was emotional as she mentioned she had received a call from the principal of the school. Jarek had gone to the principal's office due to the fact that he was involved in a fight. Yes, you read correctly - Jarek got in a brawl. Now this was no Pacers/Pistons brawl, but rather some kid named Noah approaching him in the bathroom and telling him he was going to "beat him up." Later on, as we were going to the temple Christmas lights, Jarek mentioned that at this point Noah began to punch and kick him. There was another kid in the bathroom with them, and I guess he tried to help Jarek, or at least separate them, but Jarek took things into his own hands, and according to Jarek he began to "punch and karate chop" the two kids - since these are his "strongest moves." Eventually a teacher got involved and separated them. Jarek was not hurt. In the end the third kid was the only one hurt and needed ice on his arm.

Now as Tevia related this story, I found it amusing. I certainly am not one to espouse violence, but I know Jarek is tiny and weak due to his disabililty. I have always thought that he would have issues with bullies at some point due to both of these things. I always wondered how he would deal with it, as it is hard for a parent to see a child subjected to bullies. A few times this year he has told us about kids that have pushed him or some other thing, so we've seen hints of this. But in Jarek's first real encounter, it appears he took control and fought back. I must say that I am proud of him. For fighting, he will miss a lunch and a recess, but the principal noted "off the record" that Jarek had every right and was just defending himself. If anything, this will be a major morale boost for Jarek and might avoid any future issues. On the way to the lights Jarek mentioned that he is now friends with Noah. Jarek wasn't upset at all. When I asked if he had been hurt, he said only his feelings - and wondered why people have to hurt people's feelings. He is such a good kid. I would have never expected to see Jarek in a scuffle like this. I am glad to see he escaped unscathed and hopefully he has earned some respect on the playground of first graders.

Sunday Dinner

Last night I had one of the best dinners I've had this entire semester here in Orem. I went down to Jacob and Cari's for chicken enchiladas (made by Cari, but accreditted to Jacob... or so the story goes)... either way, they were excelent! We also had taco salad that I brought as part of the main course. For dessert, Cari made this AMAZING Jell-O cake, thing... it's my new favorite dessert!

It was a good dinner. The Walls had a couple of friends over, and I brought a friend (Brittney)as well... and yes, that's all she is, a friend. It was kinda funny because I was the oldest there, and Brittney was the youngest... and Cari's little sister was there too, but Brittney was still the youngest by 6 months... kinda funny, and see?... I'm in SUCH a young ward! Oh well.

I wish we could have stayed longer and played games, but Brittney had to get back to finish a paper (final) that was due this morning at 9am. I was kinda dissapointed, but I guess I'll just have to make sure that whoever I bring to the next dinner doesn't have to be back so early so I can kick Jacob's butt at Puerto Rico or something... HA!! you heard me!!

Anyway... I hope we can make these Sunday dinners a reocurring event... maybe even just every other week or something... eh?

snow day!

Yeah! snow day number 1 of the winter! 8-10". Tom and dad are out shovelling. dad actually came home early. wow! it is soooooo pretty! Daisy loves it too!!

Dogs Really Suck

Sorry for any of you that actually like these creatures, but I really can't stand dogs. Well, dogs that bark. We have these neighbors that live behind us and they have dogs that bark. At first it was only two dogs. Beagles. Then, this week they added two more dogs. Mutts. The four dogs get released outside at about 6:30 in the morning and start barking. Then, they continue to bark for about eight hours straight. It is so annoying my brain is going crazy. The owners are hardly there so I am going to just have to leave a note. I called the barking dog hotline, but in order for them to take any action, you have to actually file charges against the owners of the dogs with evidence of barking, neighbor signatures etc...

I guess I better just go out and go shopping so I don't have to hear the dogs bark and end up doing something to them that could land me in jail, since everyone in Arizona loves stupid animals more than they love kids!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!

The last day of class

Drumroll please....yes, we're still alive out here in Provo. Surprise, surprise. :-)
Today was the last day of class and I haven't been so happy to be done with a semester since high school. My classes this semester have just been so....ugh. I don't think there's a better word for it. But at least my professors are being nice about finals are most aren't too hard. I'm doing the take-home final tomorrow, 3 or 4 on Monday and then 1 on Tuesday (if I don't get to it on Monday). Then I'll work for a couple of days, clean our filthy house, pay a bunch of bills and then go to New York! I can hardly wait to get out of Provo for a little while.
Life has been pretty regular the last little while. Lots of school and homework and video games to relax. Tevia, I promise that it's Jacob's fault that we haven't been in touch. If he hadn't gotten me addicted to video games, then I would have more time to email and post here. So it's all his fault. :-P
We've only had a couple events of any excitement around here. Thanksgiving was pretty fun, though no offense to my sister or her relations, but I think in retrospect, we wish we'd gone to Arizona. Especially because Logan is really, really cold. The week after Thanksgiving was really hard for me because one of my good friends and her mom died in a car accident while traveling back to Provo. I have never lost anyone I was that close to so that week was extremely hard for me. One group of her friends threw a memorial service for her last Sunday and that helped a lot with closure and such things. Lots of introspection from this particular event. Most of all, I just hope that all of you, and all the rest of my friends and family, know how much I love and appreciate all of you. I think about you all the time, even if I don't write very often.
Really the only other excitement was Jacob's first car-to-car fender bender. There was us, a car, ice, and another parked car. I'll let him fill in the details. :-) Nothing too tragic, but it made us drive a lot more carefully the rest of the day and we think that may have saved us from some worse car crashes. Now we just have to get through finals. It's not too big of a deal for me, but everyone send Jacob some good luck vibes.
Oh, and this Sunday, we're going to try to have a bunch of people over for dinner. So Jake Webb, if you read this before we call you tonight, you're invited. :-) We're also going to get in touch with Maggie and a couple other people from around here.

Rockeffeller center and Chinatown

Yesterday, dad and I went with Sandi Wong and her non-member husband to the city before our ward temople trip. I only mention the fact that Mike Wong was not a member because when Sandi called and asked for a ride to the temple, dad explained that I wanted to go on a date first to see the Tree and eat at Chinatown, since I had never done either of those two things yet. Sandi jumped on board, and said she'd love to go with us, and so would Mike. He said he would just walk around while we were in the temple. so we drove down at noon and used the subway system after parking near the temple, and we had a lot of fun. the city was packed, which we hadn't thought about. the subway so crowded we were packed in like sardines and some people couldn't even get on. the tree was ok, just a large tree, but fun to see all the decorations around the area. dad liked the ice-skaters, and wants to ice-skate there sometime. I was surprised at his response, especially when he told Kathy and Tom about our day when we had family time this morning. He loved being around the people and the excitement of doing things just to say you did them. I would have thought he didn't like being around that many people. He said he'd go back down just to ice-skate, and I personally would rather ice-skate closer. He loved Chinatown, and said he would like to go back and shop! we learn so many new things about our spouses over the years. he hates to shop. we didn't have a lot of time to shop, so we ran past all the shops very quickly, and walked through the Soho area also. the city is interesting when you see all the expensive yuppy shops, with people outside of them going through the garbage cans looking for food. we went to the first Chinese restaurant we arrived at in Chinatown, and I said to them, is this one good? they laughed and said they were all good. Sandi ordered in Chinese, and the place was fun to see. whole ducks with heads on hanging in the window, etc. not much ambience, but good food. they ordered lobster, chicken, shrimp, rice, spare ribs, and sea bass. everything was cut so differently. we saved the last little pieces of chicken, (we ate everything else) and gave it to a homeless lady. the city was cold, but everyone was bundled up. it looked beautiful all decorated for Christmas. it was fun!

Pacers/Suns Game

Wednesday night we went to the Phoenix Suns vs. Indiana Pacers basketball game. I purchased the tickets for our family via Prudential, which had a special on the price. It was a stressful ordeal purchasing the tickets as somehow I managed to purchase the Toronto Raptors game tickets! Fortunately the Suns organization was able to switch my tickets - so I am grateful I didn't pay that much money to see the worst team in the NBA!

This was the first time either of our kids have been to a NBA game. It was fun to see them so excited as the game began. They were overwhelmed with the noise, lights, and atmosphere. I was too! I love being at these games. Unfortunately the night was not as fun as we would have liked as the Pacers played terrible. It was their worst loss of the season. I must say, I have seen about 4 Pacers games now - and they have lost each one! I must be bad luck for them. But it is still fun.

One fun moment was when they gave out free pizzas to people sitting two rows in front of us. So close! The Gorilla was there and the kids loved seeing him close up. I think he would have given us some pizza too, but I was wearing a Pacers jersey. We left midway through the third quarter as the game was out of hand and the boys were getting tired. I had a lot of fun enjoying the game with my family. I think we will go to another game later in the year. We were hoping to go with Kipp and his boys, but I haven't heard from Kipp since the last blog. I have reached out to him a couple of times. Hopefully we will hear from him soon. We were planning on having him and his boys over next weekend for some fun. This situation has certainly made me feel uncomfortable. It seems too odd to even be true. It is the first time in a long time I have felt "surreal." I'm sure it has felt weird for Jake, too. He is much better at keeping things to himself than most people. I know Jake didn't do anything to try and hurt our relationship with Kipp - and hopefully Kipp will realize that. But I wouldn't expect Kipp to want to golf with Jake anymore. LOL.

nevermind

Well... I guess it doesn't matter now. Bret, PLEASE don't metion it to him since I guess he already found out and had it out with her this weekend... but the girl that tracked me down and that I've been "seeing" recently was Shanna. I don't doubt that you and or Tevs had already figured that out... by me not wanting to say anything... but she assured me she wanted absolutly nothing to do with Kipp because of what he did during and after the marriage and divorce. I want you to be able to keep your friendship with Kipp, but I think I may have been wrong trying to keep this from you and Tevs. Shanna was just worried that he'd be upset... which aparently, he was. I was under the impression that she didn't want anyone to know untill we knew if we'd actually start seeing each other, or have to worry about telling anyone, or making it official. But it comes to this. There will be nothing to come of us, and there was nothing that happened... which I'm glad, becuase I had the chance and denied her... that is SO not like me... Tevs, you know that.

So.... why do I write this? Well... like Bret, this is the closest thing to a journal I have. Although this might not have been the best way to inform you of my secret "girlfriend" that never was, but I record it in part for my own benefit and in part to get it out. I have to say, I had a good weekend, and when it came down to it, nothing happened. But the thought of marring a girl, with ready made cousins for my nephews (that are already friends) seemed like a very apealing idea... plus, we all know how she and I made eyes at each other that night she came over for dinner.

Oh, well. Another failed relationship. I'm just about one shy of turning gay.

Bret, I'm sorry if I've comprimised your friendship with Kipp. For what it's worth, you can sleep well knowing that nothing happened. AND, if he asks... you can honestly say you didn't know anything about it.

The Park on Monday

Well, just a quick little blog here. We just got back from the park. Now, normally this wouldn't be so amazing that I would want to blog about it, but this particular trip to the park was quite eventful. Bret drove us to this park so that we could play and enjoy the nice weather. Oh, by the way, Jacob Webb is here with us for a couple of days. So, here we are at the park, and everything was just normal as can be. Kids swinging, adults pushing, blah blah blah! Well, somehow, I am not quite sure how, a nice little game of tag errupted! We were running around the play equipment chasing each other and laughing so much. It was so fun running and playing. I realized just how out of shape I am in. I could never catch Jake or Bret. They are so fast. I had such a fantastic time laughing and playing together with the kids and with the other kids! LOL!!!! It was so fun to watch Bret and Jacob jumping and running all over the playground. They are still pretty fast and agile. I felt like an old lady!!!

Now here is the highlight. I was it. I was chasing Bret around in the sand, around the play equipment and all of a sudden, BLAM! I was eating dirt. I totally tripped up and did a face plant in the sand. I was laughing so hard! I had sand in my mouth, in my teeth, in my hair, on my clothes, it was fantastic! There was a girl on the swings and bret said she made a funny face after watching me eat it! I haven't had so much fun in so long. I forgot how much fun it is to play. I think Jarek and Malik had a good time too. We should probably play more often!!!

junket

Just wanted to use my word of the day. Kathy's junket to the city with Scott was fun for her, but seemed to disappoint Scott. He was sad all weekend, and even left church early. He did email her this morning saying he read his scriptures last night and was doing better. love sure makes it hard to be happy all the time. He wants Kathy, she wants Boomer, Boomer isn't allowed to like her, Scott hates Boomer, it is such a circle over here. :) I love my word of the day calendar. there are just some things in life that make each day a bit brighter, like having this family Blog. I even went out and spent a little extra to buy Christmas lights that stay on even if one goes out. I'll see if it works. we bought a white-lighted deer two years ago, and this year, we can't get half of the lights on the one side to light. ugh. I am in the Christmas spirit! I love this time of year! poor dad, he had a bad weekend. he hurt his thigh in basketball, got one of those "I saw you go through the red light photo" tickets, and he is not happy with the choir at church. he did get the dishwasher in, so that should make him happy. I sure am! thanks, Hon and Tom! work is still a stress to him. I made him a good dinner by candlelight, but the only thing that seems to cheer him up is reading Harry Potter. :) well, I am off to walk, it is 45 outside today!!!

thanksgiving

we had lots of fun with all the chaos and little kids. it was different for me. I didn't get to play any games, but I did enjoy watching the Ward kids act like they were in toy heaven, going from room to room playing all our stuff. we had plenty of food, 20 people, and Miya and Greg came over later at 7 for pie. I tried not to eat too much, but she brought over this delicious chocolate pie. yummie! I had already had pumpkin pie, but, oh well. so I will have to be good for awhile. we had been invited to go bowling with the ketchesons at 8, but everyone was still here. the Wards couldn't get their kids to leave. Megan, 4, drove me crazy, as usual, opening cupboards and my frig, going upstairs and bringing down stuff, without any supervision from her parents. Kathy and Tom impressed everyone with DDR, and everyone tried it, including most of the adult women and all the Ward kids. they loved it. Ana DeMoura intends to buy it now. they played chinese ping pong, and that was a hit. Kathy had fun in the city. what a wonderful experience she will always remember. she ate at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, saw the show at Radio City music hall, stayed over night and had a wonderful time seeing what the family she stayed with live like in Manhattan, and got to see the parade. she is a lucky girl. we missed you all, but kept busy. I was glad we had decided to invite over a big crowd. I was exhausted by 9, and in bed by 10. hope you all had as much fun.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I think most of you have probably seen this movie by now, so I thought I would blog about it. We saw it Friday evening (thanks Tevs for arranging a babysitter!) with some friends. We saw it at the CineCapri, which is the largest movie screen in AZ (not IMAX). It was exciting to get in line, though the line seemed mostly comprised of children. The theater clapped and cheered as the movie started - so it felt like Star Wars.

To start out, I must remind everyone that I have not particularly enjoyed the Harry Potter movies. I love the books, but the first two movies I didn't like all that much. The third I loved, mostly due to the fact that Alfonso Cuaron directed it, and I love his style. I was, however, looking forward to this movie - and had just reread the book recently.

I would have to say that for the most part I was disappointed. I know they have to take a long book and shorten it, but it seems like they left out some good stuff and kept some stuff in that didn't need to be there. An example would be Rita Skeeter. If they weren't going to show what happens to her (thanks to Hermione), why would they even have her character in the film? The movie seemed strung together with little flow. You don't even really get to see who wins the Quidditch World Cup. I understand that the movie is made mostly for fans of the books, and so we know, but it seemed silly to leave little things like that out. I also did not like the directing/acting. Hermione did a good job, but Ron, the twins, Mr. Weasley, and others seemed uninterested. I was especially underwhelmed by Dumbledore's acting. Maybe this is more because I really did love Richard Harris in the first two movies (one of the few things I liked). In this film Dumbledore seemed mean and not calm, like I picture him in the books. He even pushes and is semi-violent towards Harry when he finds his name has come out of the goblet of fire. That is definitely not how it happens in the book.

In the end we did have fun. I think most people will love the movie. It is always hard to see movies of books you love, since the director will have a different view of things. I also find it so weird that they change so much at times. I understand this is necessary to shorten the time of the movie, but I thought they would have had it right to make two movies out of this book like they had originally planned. Then we could have seen more fun things like S.P.E.W.

I will probably end up seeing it again on DVD at some point, but for me, the movie was not all that great. Sorry Potter fans - but I say we demand Cuaron be brought back for number 6! I think they already have a director for number five.

I did like Voldemort. Mr. Fiennes did a good job.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I wish we could all be together, see the parade, have biscuits and berries, and play games. that would be my perfect Thanksgiving. ( this includes you, Jacob Webb!) but, I will be happy with having over the DeMouras and Wards, set a fun table with Kathy, and watch the parade on tv. dad wants to set tables up in the family room so we can all sit together, (15 people), and then play games. kathy wanted to go to the parade really bad, as did I, but Tom didn't. since they are having a turkey bowl that morning for the YM, we decided to go Tom's way. Kathy is going to the city with Scott on Wed to see the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes. now she may stay later and watch them blow up the big balloons for the parade. if she does, I may talk dad into going down and seeing that also. fun! I have Christmas music on, and am ready! from Sept to Jan 1st is always my favorite time of year. I hope all the visits with my family went well.

Vague news brief...

Life is funny... ok, so maybe not life itself so much as how it unfolds sometimes. I don't want Bret and Tevs to feel like I'm keeping anything from them, but... I am. This last week I was tracked down and contacted by an old friend. Maybe not so much as a friend, more like an acquaintence. Okay, so, not even an acquaintence, more like, uh... we met once before a long time ago. Under the circumstances that we met, we were unable to really get to know each other... it was a complicated situation. Apparently there was some attraction and maybe even chemisty at our first meeting though because she and I both thought of trying to find each other again to get to know one another a little more. She, however, took the thought one step further and actually found me. That is a story in itself, but we'll just say she did.

So this last week or so she and I have been in communition with one another and getting to know each other. We live in different states so our conversation is all by phone, text, email, and IM. I love technology! (kinda like the Napoleon Dynamite song, for those of you who've seen the very end of that movie) Anyway... she and I seem to have quite a bit in common... it's almost scarry just how much. I guess at this point it's hard to say, but I think we both could see this resulting in marriage. She's a little older than me, has some children (perfect cousins for my nefews) and is LDS... oh and of course, very attractive, and apparently attracted to me too. Sounds good, right? I think so... but like I siad, our first meeting was a complicated situation and it remains as such. So, for the time being, I just want you all to know I am looking forward to what this year may bring for me. In fact... she is supposed to be coming up here in a couple of weeks for her brother's wedding reception and she and I are going to get together. I'll probably let you all know how that goes, and barring unforseen... uh... complications... I'll keep you informed on everything else as well... maybe. :)

Wedding and a great surprise.

Just this weekend we went up to my parents house for my brother Quentin's wedding. Risa and I got to leave from the Valley on Friday morning, and this ended up being a great help to my mother, as she was starting to get very stressed with everything coming down to the wire. We were able to help with the decorating and last minute details. My kids were so good, especially since they had two of their cousins to play with while we worked.

I was sad because I really wished that my brother Jacob could be there, but had consigned myself to the fact that he just couldn't make it. On saturday morning we were all sitting around the table talking about Jacob when all of a sudden he comes walking in the back door. I thought I was going to pee my pants! I jumped up on him and hugged him and started crying. My mom and sister also ran over and were hugging him and crying. Good job Jake, making all of the women in your family burst into tears of happiness. That was such a fantastic surprise I still get teary eyed just thinking about it. That was one of the best surprises ever. Thanks for coming Jacob. It meant a lot to everyone!!!!!

Back to the wedding part. The wedding itself only took four minutes. They, Quentin and Yesenia, opted out of the ring ceremony and the rest was very short. I was taking the picuters and as always am very nervous that they aren't going to turn out as well as I expect them to. But wait, this isn't about me!

Quentin's new wife, Yesenia, looked very beautiful, and my brother looked very handsome! They looked happy.

The reception was very fun too. We had a delicious dinner, catered by our favorite mexican food restaurant, La Casita. I could eat there every day, the food is so good. They had a live band that Yesenia's friend/coworker hired so that we could have a dance. That was so much fun!!!! Unfortunately, halfway through the dinner our kids started to have meltdowns. Malik was so super tired that he fell asleep while Jacob was holding him, and Jarek was having a really bad earache. Ultimately, we had to take them back to my parents house which meant that Bret had to miss out on all the dancing fun. On a side note, Jarek's ear started oozing again at about 3:00 in the morning. I am taking him to the doctor today.

My sister and I had so much fun dancing all night. Many of Yesenia's cousins asked her to dance and she is so good at it. I tried dancing with one of her cousins, but I am just not a good follower when I dance with a partner. I can do fine if it is just everyone dancing around, but any dancing that requires coordination, like swing or salsa or any of that, I am not so great at. But I had fun, and he was nice enough not to tell me I was horrible. Maybe that was because he didn't speak very good english! :) All in all it was a fun night for me. Not so much so for Bret though. Sorry babes.

It will be fun getting to know Yesenia, she seems like a really nice girl, and her family was very nice too. I hope that she and my brother are happy in their lives, and that they will strive to make it to the temple.

With the two weddings we had this year between our families, I learned something important. Parents are crazy. Maybe, hopefully, I will not get crazy when my kids get married. I doubt that, but at least, being the oldest kid, I will learn what to do and what not to do when our kids get married by all the mistakes and good choices our parents made. We shall see. ~~~~~~

Peace out.

kathy ACT

Kathy got her results today! 26!!!!!!!!!! yeah! we are so happy for her. that should be good enough to get in.

The Old Lady

Two weeks ago I sang in church. So I had to get to church early in order to pratice with the guys I was singing with. I decided to walk since we are fairly close to the chapel and it was a beautiful morning. On the way to church I noticed an old lady walking across the street from me. She looked quite old and had difficulty walking. She noticed me looking at her and said hello. I was feeling more cheerful and friendly than usual, so I responded with a hearty 'good morning' and smiled. Next thing I know she is crossing the street and asks if she can walk with me.

Now, I am not really very nice to strangers. I can blame it no NY or it might just be my personality, but I try to avoid interaction with strangers. But I was feeling inspired and couldn't imagine being rude enough to say "no." So we walked to church as I asked her about her life. She was a widow living in Phoenix with her son. She said she was very lonely and pointed which street she lived down. I told her about my family and how long I had lived in AZ. Abruptly we arrived at church and, without knowing quite what to say, we said goodbye and went our separate ways.

This encounter has had an unusual effect upon my life. First of all, I was happy that someone found me friendly enough to want to walk with me. Maybe some of my NY crust is falling off (no eye contact, ever!). But mostly it was what I didn't do that has bothered me. Certainly I was being kind and was interested in her stories, but I wasn't interested in her. I think this is what keeps me from being a better person. Afterwards I thought of many things I could have done. I could have invited her to church. I could have found out exactly where she lived and have home teachers - or better yet me - visit her. My family could have had a large impact on her life, and vice versa. But I didn't do any of those things. I was scared, uninterested, and busy. This is one area I would like to improve my life in. I want to be more interested in helping and being a part of those around me. I want to give more.

Later that week on my perfunctory trip to the gas station to get Gatorade after basketball at 11 PM, the cashier asked me a question and I actually answered - and asked him a question! We talked for a few minutes and I hope that I made his tough night at work a little better - either that or he thinks I'm gay. :-)

The Impact of Religion

For the past couple of weeks I have been reading two books (well, reading one and listening to another): The Handmaid's Tale and The Giver. They are actually similar books set in a distant future. I have enjoyed them both (I have read the Giver before and loved it). The Handmaid's Tale, as far as I can tell so far, seems to be about how religious extremism could lead to a terrible future. And I agree with this. But it has made me wonder what effect these types of books have on society. Similar books, like 1984, had huge impacts on society to help us avoid a "communistic" future. So does a book like the Handmaid's Tale have too big an impact? In other words, does it affect people to avoid religion at all - instead of extremism? I fear that this is what happens in our society - and it scares people to be religious at all instead of being "too" religious. It seems to be happening in the regular world. With strange stories now of not being able to have the ten commandments on display, or use the word "God" in the pledge of allegiance, or the large discussion about 'intellingent design," it seems people are getting more and more afraid of religion. And what might happen is the creation of a further divide between the religious right and the liberal left. People will be forced to choose extremes, instead of principles, and will be judged for it.

This came up with the recent nomination of Bush's friend for supreme court justice. Since she attended church, it was assumed she was too conservative and couldn't be objective (I am not supporting her nomination here, just making a point). Soon someone will judge me as being religious or not based upon some extreme notion such as abortion or euthanasia (sp?) or evolution, and NOT upon the fact that I believe in a God or pray with my family. I will be judged both by believers and non-believers in this extreme way. It is thinking like this that make me fear the future as we divide as a world no longer in communist vs. capitalist (that battle is over), but religious vs. non-religious (moral vs. amoral?). We already see this in the issues of the middle east as Muslim countries perceive the USA as immoral and sinners. And this makes them ready to kill and sacrifice to eliminate our poison from entering their world. And we see their extremism as "illogical" and "crazy," based upon some belief in a false god, and perhaps just as easily can justify killing.

Not even looking at the scriptures, the logical next world issue would seem to be religious in nature. Even if a country like ours (USA) says that our exportation of democracy is not religious in nature, in reality it is. We are convinced in our minds due to our heritage of religion and freedom of religion that all men should have this choice. We separate it from religion in our minds, but it is seen as evangelistic to other nations. As we export democracy we also export our religion - or anti-religion. There is no way to separate it from who we are. We may say they are separate (church vs. state), but they never can truly be separated. That is why we see left vs. right being much more agnostic vs. believer.

In the end, I enjoy reading how we can take religion to an extreme and limit ourselves as humans from the experiences we need to learn in this world. But I fear that these types of books can scare people from religion - and see all religion as extreme or radical. We know that this is not true. The gospel of Christ accepts all men and women and understands the need for free will.

omen?

Cool thing happened last night on the way home from book club. My friend was driving, and we saw something in the middle of Jackson road up ahead of us. it was too small for a deer, and too big for a raccoon or skunk. as we got closer, it looked like just a plastic bag blowing, and then, when we were right on top of it, it was a huge owl! she had to swerve to avoid it, and when she got within one foot of it, it dropped whatever it had in its claws, and flew off, and the other animal ran out under our car and off into the woods. I never had that happen before. Really cool.
Hey, why is no one blogging? It is Kathy's birthday today, the big 18! of course, she has not been here all day, ran in at 5 to change and redo her makeup and hair and they all went out to dinner. then her friends are coming over tonight, but not for a party, just to chill. she did not want a 'party'. I guess an official party these days has too many responsibilities and expextations. so we got her a DQ cake and soda and chips, and we will chill also and watch the Matrix Reloaded, although why we are going to watch it, I don't know, since I still don't get the first one, and we all heard this one was even harder to understand and not very good. hey, what else are we gonna do on a Friday night? love ya all.