My Take on Must-or-Must-Not-See TV

It's really chilly today. Raw, rainy and cold. I once got frostbite on a couple of my toes, and now if I don't make a huge effort to keep them warm, then they turn white on me and I can't feel them. This is a bad thing. So in order to prevent that from happening today, I am curled up under two blankets on my super comfy sofa, enjoying the fireplace and contemplating a nap.


I'll enjoy it while I can... it doesn't happen often, and truth be told, it's all about to change come January. Stay tuned for that news.


So what else. How about if we discuss the new fall TV shows? I'm not a huge TV watcher, but there were a few coming out this season that we wanted to try. Plus, we needed something to fill the void left by LOST. Here's my verdict on each (and for the record, B feels the same way as I do about every show but one. See if you can guess which one he disagrees with me on):

1. Hawaii Five-O: We made it through 20 minutes of one episode. What were we thinking by wasting those 20 precious minutes? I'm sure we were looking for a LOST fix since Jin is one of the leading characters. But the acting was horrible, and the entire crime was so conveniently easy to solve, that there was no point in finishing the episode. Or watching any others, for that matter. Ixnay on the Awaii Five O-Hay.

2. UnderCovers: We have seen all of the episodes of this so far. We figured it had Boris Kodjoe for me and Gugu Mbatha-Raw for Skip. That was a good call. The show itself, sadly, is a bit lame. It's predictable, cheesy, and unrealistic. But they keep teasing us with these red herrings of a subplot... so we keep tuning in. At least it's good-clean-fun, and did I mention it has Boris Kodjoe for me and Gugu Mbatha-Raw for Skip??

3. The Event: Touted as the lovechild of LOST and 24, we were promised mystery, intrigue, and compelling story lines. We've watched every episode, and have yet to have our expectations met. It's like they're trying too hard. Laura Innes is back, not as a physically disabled lesbian doctor, but as an imprisoned extra terrestrial biological entity (EB for short). It's us vs. the EB's and frankly, we are fairly incompetent. I mean, we look good doing it, thanks to some fairly attractive main cast members, but still... we pretty much don't stand a chance. Again, we are less than impressed with the acting on this one, although the storyline does have potential. We'll keep plugging along for a few more weeks and then decide if we should fire it like a useless Apprentice.

4. Modern Family: I realize this premiered last season, but it's new to us this year. I cannot get over how hilarious it is! It's politically incorrect in the most entertainingly humorous ways. It's quirky, twisted, and dare I say accurate in so many of its stories, that you can't pull yourself away from it. Plus, it's a great plug for Colombia, because if all its people are as drop-dead stunning as Sofia Vergara, well then who really cares about all the drug lords and political unrest??

5. No Ordinary Family: This is one we watch with Mika. I like it because it's appropriate for him, and it's hard to find shows like that after 8:00 at night. The premise is fun- this "ordinary" family suddenly find themselves with super-powers. The plots, while silly and at times a bit of a snooze, are at least free of gratuitous sex and violence. It's comfortable to watch, the acting is decent, and it gives my poor tween a chance to watch some nighttime TV that doesn't involve the words "documentary" or "biopic".

So there you have it. That's what we've been watching or not watching. Can you figure out which one my husband feels differently about than I do? Do you even really care? It's okay. No offense taken.

Some Happy News

Click over here to see more from a super fun daddy daughter dance, and my fabulous husband's birthday today!

Also, have I ever mentioned that Ann is supremely talented as a cake maker? And she was so kind to make this for Skip's birthday and bring it over tonight. It was a made-from-scratch chocolate cake, with whipped cream cheese frosting. It was SO YUMMY. I ate an entire piece. Thanks, Ann!!

MY BIRTHDAY GUY!! Love him more every year.

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One Step Closer

Ann... through you, I have seen what despair looks like. But I have also seen what hope, faith and strength look like. I know Conrad is so proud of your strength. We all are.


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2 Timothy 4:6-7
"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

On Grief...

The rest of Conrad's remains arrived last night. The local fire department was on hand to transport him from the plane to the hearse. It was heart-wrenching and touching at the same time.

I have been having a hard time lately wrapping my head around the idea of death. I have been stuck in a mode of grieving that I can't understand. Ever since Conrad was killed, I feel like I've been trying to come to terms with the sorrow that accompanies death. I've watched my sweet friend Ann struggle with loneliness, grief, and anger, and I've continued to feel those same emotions myself. Does it seem strange that I feel lonely in spite of spending every day with my best friend? When I go to sleep at night, I have difficulty sleeping well because I feel like if I'm asleep, I'm not with him. I am literally overwhelmed at the very thought of losing him.

I can clearly see that this is not the best line of thinking. I've talked to some friends about it, and I was surprised at how many of them worry about losing a spouse or a child more often than they consider "normal." This did make me feel a little better. Some also suggested maybe I was feeling a type of survivor's guilt. It is difficult at times to feel comfortable with my own happiness when I see my friend so devastated.

I dusted off my copy of C.S. Lewis's "A Grief Observed". If you're not familiar, after his wife passed away from cancer, he went through an intense cycle of grief, anger at God, and finally, a reawakening as to God's role in death. One of my favorite quotes is found in this work. He says,

"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be

strong and sound

as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn't you then first discover how much you really trusted it?

Only a real risk tests the reality of belief."

I think that's what this comes down to for me. I have always held to the doctrine of life after death. And I have always been taught that this eternally-binding principle can bring us comfort and peace in a time of loss. Using that doctrine to cord a box has been comfortable to me for the better part of 37 years. Suddenly, however, I find myself hanging over a precipice. And my rope seems to be an unsteady lifeline. I don't doubt the validity of Heaven, of God or of His love, but I seem to be struggling with the reality of finding peace throughout grief. I understand it's a process, and I may not be very far along just yet.

It is indeed a risk to believe that if I were to lose my husband, God could provide any semblance of peace for me; and truly this tragedy is testing the reality of my belief. Faith, however, is the sustaining force of my cord at this point. I am relying on this cord in the hope that when all is said and done, this changing reality of my ideas will prove only to strengthen the rope with which I must both bind my beliefs and hang my challenges .

Tunesday: You Are

It's been awhile. I actually forgot about my Tunesdays. Can you believe? I know, the horror. This song came out TODAY, and I have already loved it a million times over. I even made a dvd for my man with a bunch of our pictures set to this song. I owed him an apology, and that seemed like the best way to say it.
I already featured another Charlie Wilson song... remember "There Goes My Baby" in which we watched Snoop display his softer side? Anyway. Uncle Charlie let me know that this was out today (along with a few thousand of his other fans) but I appreciated the personal message, and I downloaded it right away. I added it to my after-hours playlist, and I thought repeatedly today how much I love my husband. Marriage is hard. There may be a few of you out there who find it to be smooth sailing. I do not. But the good stuff is so, so, SO worth the hard stuff. When you find someone who can really be your reason to love, then you got a good thing. Baby... we got a good thing. I love you!!

Enjoy his rich vocals, download this song, and then go love on someone who's given you a reason to love.

If I Could Maybe Be Someone Else... I Might Pick Her.

My friend is awesome. She used to be my roommate in college. She is level-headed, grounded, kind, driven, and insanely creative. She's the kind of person I NEED for a friend, since I can be a bit more type A. Anyway... her name is Dawn. I would post pictures of us from college, but that wouldn't be nice for either of us. Good times, good times... bad photos, bad photos...
She is in the throes of a new goal: run 12 marathons in 12 months. She has been featured on the tv news and in the paper there in her state (UTAH), and I'm super proud of her. Go to her blog
and read about her, and then talk to whoever you know in Utah (you know that you know people...) that would be willing to sponsor her in her efforts. Who owns a sports store? A health food store? A gym? Personal training company? Flip through your mental roladex of peeps and figure out who would be a candidate, and then pass her name and website along. Follow her blog, even if you despise running, so that her numbers go up along with her chances for sponsorship.

Just Some Stuff...

So. We're making progress on the house. Well, we made a lot of progress 2 months ago when my parents were here. Since then, we've kind of stagnated. But still. Progress was made once upon a time...

Like in the man cave. I will say, my man was manly when he included a few Celtics covers in with his beloved Lakers. It was a trade: I'll bring him buffalo wings and cream soda during football games if he hangs Larry Bird up. Excellent.
Oh, and yes, that's a leg lamp. It's Italian.



In the end, we decided not to put Noe and Sam in the same room. The room was too small and the female drama was too big. So this is Noe's room. My mom and I picked out this fabric for the curtains to go with the bedding (the bedding: $149 at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Same set at Ross: $49.00. I know.) Anyway, my super duper handy mother whipped up these adorable curtains. We got the bed at Direct Buy. Get this: The bed retails for $1200. It has drawers on the bottom for clothing, and the whole bottom pulls out for a trundle. We signed up for the free 30 day trial membership, and got the bed for ONE THIRD of that price. I KNOW! I was dying too.
*Perfectionist disclaimer: Pardon the junk on the window sill. And Noe makes her own bed.




Lastly, we had General Conference this weekend. Here is a page from the notes that Noe took:

Frankly, I can clearly see that this is Elder Eyring speaking into the microphone. And do you notice the background? Very accurate. I sort of feel like I'm parenting a prodigy. Of course, I'm not. Not by a really, really long shot. But let's all play along, mmm'kay?

The History Of Rap

I am proud to say I could have done this entire number myself. Who's up for being my sidekick??