Movies and more

This past week Netflix sent us a few movies that I have been longing to see. Over the past 7 days, I have actually had some down time between 9pm-11pm to watch them. This is our 5th year with Netflix, and I am yet to be disappointed by them. I love that their "live streaming" is starting to boom again. It helps when two of our TV's are set up via internet. Especially when I am running.

First movie: One Day.

This movie had me captured in the first five minutes. It had moments of laughter, heart ache, wishing, lost moments, all that 'will they, won't they' scenarios. Anne Hathaway is amazing, as usual. I love her and she did a fantastic job in this movie. I am also in love with Jim Sturgess, a large part due to "Across the Universe". The ending....ugh, the ending of this movie. I won't ruin it for anyone but it tears at your heart strings. It is very realistic though because not all things end the way we want them to. We just learn from our past experiences and it makes us stronger.

Second Movie: Cowboys vs Aliens (this was NOT my choice!)

This movie did nothing for me. I love Daniel Craig and he is extremely good to look at, but I did not care for this movie at all. I am not a Harrison Ford fan and I should have known from just that, that I wouldn't enjoy this. There was very little action and for an "alien"movie, very little aliens. I felt that there was a ton of downtime and horrible humor. Definitely a "guys" movie.

Third Movie: The Art of Getting By

This movie did not disappoint to me. I have been a fan of Freddie Highmore since "Finding Neverland", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", and of course, my favorite "August Rush". This movie had some great story lines and showed what a little drive and determination can really do. The acting was okay, but these kids are suppose to be in high school and kids in high school, well, they never really care. Lol. I had a few tear up moments and it was a total "feel good movie".

Fourth Movie: Crazy Stupid Love

Now, I saw this movie in theaters and LOVED it. I must buy this. First of all, I love Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling and of course, the talented Emma Stone. This movie had me laughing all the way through and the twist, yeah, didn't see it coming in theaters and almost forgot about it when we watched it the other day. Emma Stone, is of course, utterly amazing as usual and Ryan Gosling, wow, that man has a super body and is actually pretty funny. Julianne Moore does an excellent job and Marisa Tomei is nothing but hilarious. I really need to go buy this movie. It is something I for sure need in my collection!

Other then the four movies I actually watched this week, nothing too exciting is going on. It's been so much fun watching the boys change though. They both enjoy playing together. It's so fun to watch them chase each other, laugh at the same things, sing together, and just be with one another. Jax feels like a 3 year old, not a 13 month old. He is so into everything Jake is and is just so ridiculously happy all the time. It is honestly insane how happy that boy is all the time. He loves to laugh and will always give a stranger a smile. Women love him when we shop. 

I will say one thing, I love our pastor. Mike has the ability to reach you to your core every Sunday. Every week I am brought to tears. I am shown that no matter what, we are all sinners. I am thankful, so very thankful, to have a pastor and a church that is alive and full of faith and grace. 

Tomorrow one of Jake's friends (one of our good friends daughter) has heart surgery. We hope nothing but the best for her and her parents. We pray for a good, thourough, easy surgery, and a quick recovery. I hope and pray that her parents are calm, up-lifted, and at peace. We want nothing but a speed recovery for her!

I love new music

I received a book and CD (what is a CD?), in the mail the other day. The album is just amazing. The music coincides with the book. I cannot stop listening to it on my iPod. There are for sure 3 songs that I cannot stop listening to. The one below has to take the award for my favorite. I listen to all genres of music and will at least listen to someone once before I judge if I like them or not. I do have a heart in love with worship music which is mostly what this album is. Below is the song lyrics to Chris Tomlin's "Your Heart". The message is so powerful and it really got me thinking. This song is sort of a game changer for me. It really leaves you thinking of the legacy you are leaving behind. I have a fear in a week it will knock out "A Thousand Years" as the top played song on my iPod. (Side note: that song has been played 311 times since I bought it on iTunes in November, sad.)

It never was about the oil dripping from my head
I never did dream beyond the pastures I could tend
It never was about the praise, not about the street parade
I didn’t really need a crowd when Goliath fell down

I never meant to woo a king with simple shepherd songs
Or hide away inside a cave, safe from danger’s arms
I never meant to wear a crown, or try to bring armies down
It never was about me and who I hoped to be

At the end of the day, I wanna hear people say
My heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart
When the world looks at me, let them agree
That my heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart

I never thought I would be much more than Jesse’s kin
Who would ever dream a king would come from Bethlehem?
I know that I’ve crashed and burned, lives have been overturned
But You redeem everything, yeah, even me

At the end of the day, I want to hear people say
That my heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart
When the world looks at me, I pray all they see
Is my heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart

Five little stones, or a royal robe
Shepherd or king doesn’t mean a thing
At the end of the day

At the end of the day, I wanna hear people say
That my heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart
Unashamed I will dance, In Your name, lift my hands
‘Til my heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart

Tis the Season

I have no idea where the last two weeks have gone, but wow, talk about total chaos and insanity and I loved every moment of it.

We kicked off Christmas celebrations a few days before hand with some friends. Good food, lots of laughter, and wonderful memories. We celebrated Christmas with my family on Friday evening. The boys had a blast chasing one another around. My parents started off the gift exchange on a funny note. They gave the boys their gifts. As they opened them, fake nails, princess pens, and other girly treasures came out of their bags. It was a great joke and their commentary was pretty hilarious. We did video tape it and it will be fun to show them when they are older! David also came into town that night and pretty much only went home one day. It has been amazing. Christmas Eve we spent time shopping, cooking, wrapping, playing games, singing, dancing around the house, and enjoyed spending time together. Chuck and Marilyn came over on Christmas Eve and we had another amazing meal and spent the evening laughing and enjoying our time together. Christmas Day we went to church with my parents and then ate lunch with the Janzens before they took off to Omaha for an overnight. We took a nice family nap and then our fantastic friends, The Chases, invited us over to spend the evening with them. It was a very relaxing day and we shared it with family and friends. I luckily did not have to return back to work until the new year so Monday we had a giant gathering at my sisters with my moms side of the family. We played games, once again ate amazing food, laughed, and just enjoyed each others companies. David returned that evening and we just crashed. The rest of this week involved, having a dear friend of ours over for lunch, having play dates during the day, spending time with friends, shopping, going to the mall, and just enjoying this time off work. My cousins from Missouri came up during the week and it was great to see them. Michael even crashed on our couch for the night and it was nice to have him around. Friday evening we had a girls night! It was for a sad reason, but Jana was up in Des Moines for basically 24 hours so we had to make the most of it! We had a surprise party for Ellen and Mary at Glazed Expressions. The evening was full of laughter and it is definitely an evening I will not forget. After leaving the party, Ellen and I met up with Bec and Jana for even more laughter at Monterrey. Oh how I love those 3 women. Their laughter is just amazing. New Years Eve we shopped, spent time with the Olsens. I met up with Beth and Ellen for pedicures, some shopping, a middle school experience (ear piercing at the mall lol), and Starbucks. Ellen and I then spent some time at Costco getting food and beverages for the evening. All I can say about New Years Eve was....amazing. We had a total blast and rang in the new year with a great crew of people, some amazing glowing gloves, super delish champagne, and a fantastic dance party. It was epic. Today.....oye. Morning came way too soon. We made it to church on time, had lunch and the Janzen apartment with the whole crew, we then took the Olsen kids to our house so that Andy and Laurel could shop in peace, and now we are awaiting the arrival of a freshly baked pizza and a night of doing...nothing. It has been a couple of crazy weeks and a little R & R is needed!

I am not one to make or believe in resolutions for the new year. If you have something to change, why wait for the start of a new year? Do it now. I also do no like making a resolution, only to burden myself with it. I have aspirations for the next few months but I'm not going to hold them over my head. We have had a very interesting year in 2011. We have had many highs, way too many lows, and it has brought not just us but our entire family together. Through mom's surgery, Michaels cancer, Dad's cancer, the passing of Grandma, it has just been a rough one. I wouldn't have been able to make it through with out Our Father Above, my wonder family, and my devoted friends. I am so blessed that I have quite a few amazing people in my life that always go above and beyond the call of duty. I am forever in your debt.

So, here is to a new year! I am super excited to see what it has in store!

One year

So it's a few weeks late but Jax turned one in the beginning of December. It was sad because he was sick and so his party got cancelled. We made it up in about 3-5 smaller parties with family and friends over the past few weeks. So technically we have been celebrating his birthday for about 3 weeks. I guess for me, him turning one year isn't too depressing. He is our last baby but he's seemed older then one for a while. He's been walking since about 9 months, he says about 10 words, he is non-stop moving (Chuck gene), gets into everything, and has no problem keeping up or taking out his older brother. His one year check up has him weighing in at a hefty 25 1/2 pounds, and 33 inches long. He's in the 90% for weight and the 99% for height. The nurses did not believe me that he was one. They thought he was two. No, he's just really tall and a ham. He never fails to warm everyone's hearts. He loves everyone and is always willing to give you a hug. He laughs all the time and rarely cries. He is the sun on a cloudy day. He may have an obsession with the toilet and if he's being too quiet...you know he is in it. He loves his brother and cannot get enough of him. He eats almost anything as we all know. You clean up all his toys and within 2 minutes, they are all over the house again. He runs around the house all day long and loves to dance. He makes anything into a drum and will drop anything at the sound of music. He loves my parents I think more then me at times. Lol. He loves my Grandpa and my Uncle Rod terribly. He will go to them over anyone in a room. He is always willing to flirt with woman at church or at a restaurant. He loves to gives bashful smiles to anyone and has just started blowing kisses. He's such a light in our lives and we are so blessed to have him. He's another amazing gift from Above. I love him so and can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Since apparently everyone else is doing it....

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate. But I love tea.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa does both

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
The tree has white lights since it's covered in colored ornaments. The house...depends on my mood. Everything has to match though, no different types.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No but I will next year!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually the start of November.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Seriously? Just one? Probably Lefsa

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

Our family cat running up the tree. That was pretty epic. I would mostly have to say getting a tree, cutting it down, listening to Christmas music while drinking coffee and cider while decorating.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Not really sure what age. I just know, I snuck out of my room and saw mom and dad putting gifts out.


9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Sometimes. Usually it was PJ's or something small.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
It is fully of multi colored ornaments. It's a random collection. Some memories and we get an ornament for the kids each year.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I do enjoy it at times. I am not a fan during the holidays just due to traveling.

12. Can you ice skate?
We use to growing up, haven't for a long time.


13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
My game gear for sure.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
The birth of Christ, Family, Friends, just being together.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Pam's sugar cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I have way too many. Probably decorating the tree and getting up and going to church on Christmas Eve.

17. What tops your tree?
We have a star, but as a child we had an Angel

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Giving, but I loathe gifts at Christmas time. I would much rather play games and eat food.

19. Candy Canes?
Eh, I do not need them.

20. Favorite Christmas show?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carey), Elf, Christmas Story, Love Actually, and now Christmas Vacation (finally saw it this year!)

21. Saddest Christmas Song?
Christmas Shoes. horrible...way too sad.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night....by far my favorite.

Bake day

Today I arose after only getting about 3 hours of sleep. My fault for staying out till 3am and knowing my boys will wake up at the latest 6. I decided to embrace the day. I went to church last night so I ran to the store and bought way too much. I started off with scotercheroos, then moved to peanut butter cookies with the kiss in the middle, went next to a bath of snickerdoodles (that are amazing), then made some oreo balls, and got the red velvet cake balls rolled out. I also baked a french vanilla cake to make cake balls but I ran out of chocolate. I still have to make pretzels tomorrow. We will see. I'm spent. I've been baking since 8. I also had decided to make some gifts via Pinterest and they were an epic failure. I am really discouraged about them. I am about to free hand them. We will see how this goes. I haven't decided on what to do yet.

I promise that I will soon blog about our new one year old and other things going on but I have to get some cookies out of the oven!

Failure

Lets talk about the epic failure, that was my "thankful" postings. Honestly, I did not have the time get on the computer and type. We have been so busy that I find myself getting to sit down and it's already 11pm. Between weddings, trips, Thanksgiving, friends, family, sporting events, I just didn't have the time. I know it happens to everyone at some point.

Thanksgiving was good. As usual we headed to Arkansas. The kids all had a great time wearing each other out and the men got to get out and shoot 18 holes of golf. We had a birthday party for Jax since we could get everyone together and he did not like cake. A boy after my own heart! I am picky when it comes to cake. Apparently, he is too!

Jana came into town that same weekend so it was Mexican and a movie! It was a good night out with the ladies and I was we were so far into the future that we could do something like apparate. Then we would never have to without seeing each other for more then a few days...heck maybe hours.

December is here. That is absolutely insane. I have no idea where this year went. It came and went extremely fast. Currently we are getting ready for what looks to be the final wedding of 2011, getting the last items for Christmas, nursing the boys back to health since they have been sick for about 2 weeks, gearing up for some major time off work, Christmas party central, and just spending time with family and friends. Oye, I better get started on Christmas cards this coming up weekend. Yikes.