2009 in review
04 Jan 2010 2 Comments
in Adoption, Books, Ethiopia, Family, God, Homeschooling, Kids, Moving pictures, Random, Soap Box, Uncategorized
A review of the last year
Travel:
Ethiopia- to pick up Esuyawkal
Galena, IL- for my sister Meghan’s wedding:)
We did not travel to a lot of different places but the places we did travel we did so for great reasons!
Books I read:
- The twilight series- in record time, all 4 books in 6 days:) I know I am a geek!
- The Host
- Eldest, and Brisinger
- Unconditional Parenting
I read more books this year then last year but still not that many, I have started more then I have completed. Maybe 2010 will be a banner year for reading- but I doubt it:)
Movie:
- Star Trek- loved it!
- Avatar- loved it!
- New Moon- hated it:(
- Watchemen- hated it:(
- Wolverine- liked it.
- Monsters vs aliens- liked it.
Can you tell I go to the movies to escape:)
The Good and the Bad
- Bought our first mini van.
- Began homeschooling for the first time.
- Brought home our third child.
- Said goodbye to two of my grandparents.
- Welcomed two new brother-in-laws into my family.
- Attended my sister Theresa’s 18th birthday party!
- Witnessed the beauty and glory of Ethiopia first hand!
- I grew in my faith, and came to understand God better.
- I know myself better, and love myself more:)
- I got my first tattoo.
- Made a lot of friends this year, here and abroad.
Ewan:
- Turned 6 my baby is growing up!
- Became a master with Legos.
- Started reading, and loving it!
- Started doing math- likes it sometimes but most of the time is frustrated by it even though he knows what he is doing.
- Became a bigger brother!
- Loves to cook and do science experiemnts.
Anwen:
- Turned 3!
- Became a big sister- mostly she loves it, but sometimes she really wants to be the baby again:)
- She has really developed her interest in princesses, although some how her love of princesses is balanced by her love of Star Wars- go figure!
- Is a little dancer and a wonderful singer.
- Is sassy and a little diva sometimes.
- Was a really big girl and survived our trip to Ethiopia with flying colors.
- Falls down more then any other child I know- I hope she grows out of that:)
- Gave herself bangs- thankfully she did a good job but the scissors are now hidden from her:)
Esuyawkal:
- Turned 1!
- Started crawling.
- Is walking along furniture and behind his push toy.
- Is thriving and growing like a weed.
- Saying a few words- uh-oh, more, and hi.- we are so proud of him:)
- Shakes his head no, and yes.
- Sleeps like a champ- really loving that:)
- Is so cuddly and happy- he is amazing!
This year had had a lot more good then bad and for that I am grateful!
Join the Advent Conspiracy
16 Nov 2009 1 Comment
in Do Good, ECO, Family, Fun Internet Stuff, God, Kids, Moving pictures, Random, Soap Box
“The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.
So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.
And when it’s all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?
What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?
Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.”
This movement really strikes a chord with me as I have long been frustrated with the materialism of Christmas, the stress of the holiday and the feeling Christ has been taken out of Christmas. I want for myself and my family for Christmas to be different, for it to be Christ centered as it used to be. I am excited that this year my church is taking part in this movement. We hope to:
We hope to bring Christmas back to the way it used to be.
Visit Rethinking Christmas for gift giving ideas that support Advent conspiracy. Click on the pictures through out this post to see video, get resources and enter the story!
British comedy anyone?
07 Apr 2009 Leave a Comment
If you happen to be fans of Bristish comedies as we are then most of these will either be familiar or very well known. If you are a newcomer to the British comedy scene then here are some oldies but goodies to get you started.
All I am going to say about this comedy is John Cleese!!
We really liked this one, you’re in the country which is always beautiful, set in a small town with a woman as Vicar at the local church. Enough said, right!
I watched this show growing up and it was funny to me then. I can’t imagine what I would think watching it now, now that I understand adult humor. This show was great!
Awesome!! Hyacinth is a riot and so is her poor husband. This show is top notch! ”Keeping Up Apperarnces” used to play on our local PBS station every Saturday night along with “Faulty Towers” and ”As Time Goes By“. I loved it!
Why the love of British TV? Well, I have been to Scottland, the land of my people, at least some of them three times and to England one time. My people came over from Scotland and Ireland a long time ago but the Scottish pride in our family is strong and proud, we are McLeods after all!! I absolutly love it there, and If I could I would live up in the highlands of Scotland with sheep and all. Watching BBC programs helps me feel connected to the country that I miss. Plus they are truly funny shows.
Here is another show that I love that may be considered more on the side of drama;
This show is great, each episode is about and hour long and they are funny and engaging. They are unlike anything I have seen before, except perhaps on a documentary about being a Veterinarian. All of the work on the animals looks so real and is very convincing. I am sure no animal were hurt in the production of this show. It’s a great show for animal lover and this story line keeps you coming back as well.
You can watch clips on most if not all of these shows on YouTube. You can also watch them if you use Netflix, if you subscribe to the streaming service you can stream them, you can rent them or you may even be able to check them out at your local library. How ever you get your hands on them, (please no stealing) I am sure you will enjoy them, unless British TV is just not your thing.
Slumdog Millionaire
05 Feb 2009 Leave a Comment
Two thumbs up!!!!!! I had no expectation when I went to see this movie and left the theater understanding why this movie has been nominated for best picture! Slumdog Millionaire takes you through the life of Jamal and his brother Salim as Jamal answers each of the Who Want’s To Be A Millionaire questions, I thought it was a very clever way to tell the story. I thought the movie was a beautiful story of a very unbeautiful way to grow from a boy to a man or child to an adult. A story that takes you through India to places most people might never see or known of. And of course I love the little bit of Bollywood that’s in the movie. I am not going to say that this movie was fun to watch but it is a good movie and a week later I am still thinking about it.
Hope you enjoy it!
Horror meets Comedy
10 Jan 2009 Leave a Comment
in Fun Internet Stuff, Moving pictures, Random
Aparently the theme is horror/Horrible. Horror meets Comedy is a series of pilots that are only available to XBOX owners/users, the pilots are available on the marketplace. “The unique concept of masters of horror taking on comedy sees some of the world’s greatest horror directors bring their comedic visions to life.”
We have only watched a few of these so far, Blue Like You and The Miracle of Phil and they were pretty funny in a weird kind of way. I imagine the “master” of horror kind of way.
If you are looking for something a little different to entertain you for a little while, give these a shot, you never know maybe you have a twisted sense of humor too.:)
Dr. Horrible
10 Jan 2009 1 Comment
in Fun Internet Stuff, Moving pictures, Random
This is a funny three part musical that was done for the web only. It was created by Joss Whedon who also created Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly. I personally like Joss Whedon’s work and so when I heard about Dr. Horrible I was intrigued. I had heard about it on NPR and it had been given great reviews, which made me decide I needed to watch it.
Dr. Horrible is only 45 minutes long divided into three acts that are each 15 minute long. So all you need to set aside is 1 hour of time, a few minutes to get settled in and maybe a bathroom break.
We liked it, I hope you do too.
Changeling
09 Nov 2008 Leave a Comment
in Moving pictures, Random, Soap Box
Let me just preface what I am about to say with this; I closely guard myself when it comes to disturbing movies. I find that my conscience gets too burdened with things like this and with my inconsistent sleep I am even less able to deal with disturbing topics. So with that I write this review of Changeling.
This weekend I went to see the movie Changeling. The true story of Christine Collins and her fight to find her son who has been kidnapped. I do not write much about movies but after I saw this movie I decided I had something to say about it. I will not spoil this movie for you if you desire to see it but I will give you a few “warnings”
Either DO NOT see this movie or THINK VERY CAREFULLY about seeing this movie if:
- You are a mother.
- You are sensitive to crimes against children.
- You are easily depressed.
- You are sensitive to gruesome details.
I went to see this movie with great hesitation, and when it was over I felt as though I had been emotionally beaten with a 2×4. I did not feel that the reviews I had read have prepared me for what lie ahead in this movie and had I known I do not think I would have seen it.
Here are a few questions I have answered that might help you decided if this movie is for you.
-Were there any upsides to this story?
NO, not in my opinion.
-Was the acting good?
YES, all of the actors did a wonderful job.
-Was the movie a good length?
SO SO, It was long about 140 minutes and towards the end It began to drag. It was a little like taking a band-aid off slowly. I would have preferred if they had just ripped it off and gotten it over with.
- Is it a true story?
YES, but I read a bunch of the original articles from 1928 afterward and they left out a lot from the story and distorted some of the facts, according to these articles.
-Was it a good thing that they distorted the story?
YES, because the true, true story is even worse then the true movie version. For once I was happy not to have all of the details.
-Would I ever watch it again?
MAYBE, if someone payed me, but definitely not for free.
-Did I think it was a bad movie?
NO, I thought is was very challenging to watch due to the subject matter.
-Am I a wimpy movie watcher?
Brian would probably say yes, and I am ok with that. You might just have to watch the movie and make your own judgement.
So there you have it my first movie review, I hope that if you do go to see this movie you will fare better then I did.
