Monday, February 25, 2013

Favorite Movies and FTSOY

Week 8: What do you think about movies?  What is your favorite movie and why?

So, what can I say about movies? Other than the fact that I LOVE them! There is just something magical about the idea of a movie - from the enchanting experience of seeing them in theaters (butter popcorn and candy in tow - and I don't care how often I go, it's still an adventure), to the relaxing occurrence of a movie night at home with my family.

I have so many favorite movies too. It's hard to pick just one. So, I think I will list my top 10 (in no particular order):

1. Pride & Prejudice (BBC version)
2. Sense & Sensibility (Ang Lee - 1995)
3. Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theater -  1996)
4. North And South (Elizabeth Gaskell - 1994)
5. The Young Victoria
6. Harry Potter (the whole series)
7. Stardust
8. The Count of Monte Cristo (Kevin Reynolds - 2002)
9. Enchanted
10. Leap Year

As you can tell, I am a huge fan of period films. And I know what you are thinking - yes, I am a sucker for a good romance movie with a happy ending, and I am not ashamed to admit it. In reference to the above-listed movies in particular; though, I could watch them OVER and over without ever growing weary. I could actually do a top-20 list without blinking, but I figured that it might be a little excessive for this particular post, so I controlled my inner movie fanatic and kept it to just the top 10. ;) 

There are actually a few movies I would add to this list, if they weren't rated R. But since I don't watch them anymore (I went through a little rebellious stage in my early 20's, but have since seen the light, and have rectified my conviction on the subject), I won't even go there. 

I personally don't see the point of rated R movies, though. I mean, what usually makes a movie rated R? Sex? Profanity? Violence? Nudity? I know these things are what sells in this day and age, but I think it is really unfortunate that people (in general) require that type of content in order to be entertained. I am sure that the majority of the population has just been so desensitized that content with this level of shock value is almost necessary for them to feel anything? Even then, the shock value of certain types of content has definitely dwindled significantly. What used to be appalling and controversial has become a part of society's new norm. I don't really need to go into a rant about the argument of Rated R movies being an unnecessary evil, though. You can refer to the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet if you have any questions on that score. ;)






Related Link:


Friday, February 22, 2013

Sarcasm at Its Finest

Like many American's who understand and appreciate the value of the U.S. Constitution, my husband and I are strong supporters of the 2nd Amendment. We firmly believe that the Constitution is an inspired document that was written by our forefathers to protect us against the potential of a tyrannical government, and that the right to bear arms is just as significant today, as it was the day the Constitution was first written. 

Now, I know that today is Frivolous Friday, and there is certainly nothing frivolous about our Constitutional rights, but with all of the buzz of the potential assault weapons ban (Thank you, Obama Administration), it's sure great to see that so many other Americans value their 2nd Amendment rights, and that the idea of an assault weapons ban is as ridiculous to them as it is to us. 

This guy, FXhummel1, posted this new video that paints the picture perfectly. ALL of his videos are seriously hilarious. Only Cops Should Have Guns is epic, though! Like I said...sarcasm at its finest. ;)


Be sure to subscribe to his channel on YouTube too! :)

Happy Friday! <3

Thursday, February 21, 2013

UBC? No Thanks!

Today is Thankful Thursday, and I know that I have probably already said this, but I am thankful for my 2nd Amendment rights. I am also thankful for the 1st Amendment, which allows me to voice my opinion on this topic. 

Many of you know that there is currently a Universal Background Check (UBC) that is being proposed in legislature as we speak. As law-abiding citizens of this country, who value our right to bear arms,  but do not appreciate big government looking over our shoulders and dictating our every move, we MUST be proactive and let our Senators and Representatives in Congress know that we are not in support of the UBC.

If you are not convinced that a UBC would be devastating to our rights as American Citizens, watch this video:



TNP's form letter, which he mentions in this video, can be found here. You can change the form letter, or just type one up in your own words, but please...take action. Sitting idly by, with the assumption that our government has our best interest at heart with the UBC, will only result in catastrophic consequences in our future as gun owners. We can make a difference; though, so please do not take this opportunity for granted. 

P.S. Nevada Residents can contact their Senators by clicking on the links below:

Senator Dean Heller

Senator Harry Reid

For those of you who are represented by Congresswoman Dina Titus, click below:

Dina Titus

Thanks for your cooperation in this, you guys. :)










Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Germ Fairy Strikes Again!

I don't know what in the world is up with our family this winter, but we are all sick...AGAIN! It seems like we have been fighting this uphill battle against the germies since we first got sick right around Thanksgiving. I had that really bad case of walking pneumonia/bronchitis right after Christmas; too, when the kids all had ear infections and coughs. But two weeks ago, I took the two babies to their pediatrician for a follow up and they were in the clear, so I thought maybe we had finally seen the end of it...but, nope! M came home from school last Wednesday complaining of a head ache, and ended up staying home sick from school Thursday AND Friday. By the weekend, she was complaining of an ear ache, and BOTH babies had coughs and runny noses too. ((sigh))

I called Monday morning and got them in for an appointment with their pediatrician today, and once again, all THREE kids are back on antibiotics. M and B both have ear infections; but thankfully, L just has the sore throat/cough/runny nose thing going on. And here I am...out of like all of my essential oils. Doh!

I am not usually one to wish for warmer weather, but geez...I will be so glad when this cold/flu season is OVER for good! :-/


Monday, February 18, 2013

Life Lessons

Week 7: What are the most important things your parents taught you?
Looking back on my childhood, I can honestly say that I had it pretty easy. Both of my parents always showed an unlimited amount of love toward my siblings and me, and they were always available and willing to give of their time and attention to us - in our educational needs, our extracurricular activities, etc. They were always present in our lives; though, and taught me so much. Here are a few of the lessons that have stuck with me throughout my life:

1. Being kind is more important than being wealthy.
2. You can do anything you truly put your mind to (I know this one is cliche, but my parents really believe it and they taught us to feel the same way).
3. You can only truly appreciate the value of something after you've had to work for it.
4. Cherish every moment with your children. They will be grown and out of the house in the blink of an eye.
5. Forgiveness is a vital component in every relationship.
6. The ability to clean a toilet, do your own laundry, and fry an egg (not necessarily at the same time. Haha) is invaluable. 
7. Getting your education is crucial.
8. The Gospel will bring you happiness. 
9. "If you keep on dancin' you'll never grow old." -Steve Miller Band (They had great taste in music.)
10. Time spent with family is immeasurable... 

...Some of my most beloved childhood memories are those that were created around the camp fire roasting marshmallows - camping out under the stars in the woods, or along the shore of Lake Mead. I was very fortunate to have had such amazing, attentive parents, and I pray that I will be able to have the same leve of patience and influence with my own children.  






Related link:

52 Gems of Reflection

Friday, February 15, 2013

Love Advice from Kids

In honor of Valentine's Day this week, I thought some quality love advice would be the perfect way to celebrate the occasion on this fine Frivolous Friday. ;)


My favorite part is when the one girl says her perfect date would be to go trick-or-treating. Haha. Too cute! Hope you all had an awesome Valentine's Day! My hubby and I had an amazing time. He bought me roses and some chocolate hearts from See's - we even went a little crazy and got a babysitter. Haha. He took me to see Warm Bodies, then we went out for sushi...yum! 'Cause nothing says, "I love you" like raw fish and zombies. Hehe. <3 <3 <3

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Crash and Burn

Yesterday, I had quite the experience. I was taking the babies for a walk in their new double stroller and stepped right into an uncovered utility hole in the sidewalk a few blocks away from my house. The stroller rolled right over it without so much as a bump (the wheels must have been spaced just far enough apart). Not me though. I went crashing down into the hole with my left foot, my right knee crashing down onto the pavement. 

As I sat there in that position for a few seconds, trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened, some "not-so-nice person (trust, that is not what I wanted to call them)" went zooming by in their car, honking their horn at me. "Yes, everyone look at the dumb lady pushing the stroller that went tumbling to the ground." I swear, some people are so rude.

Anyway, when I initially pulled myself back up to my feet, my foot and ankle were throbbing pretty badly. All I could think was, "Great, now I am gonna have to have Z drive me to a quick care to get an x-ray." I was also pretty bummed that our walk would be cut short. I noticed pretty quickly; too, that there was a huge gash on the outside of my left ankle. I tried walking a little ways further, but every time I put pressure on that foot, it would throb. 


It took two bandaids to cover the gash on my ankle. :(

A friend of mine from church lives a few doors down from where I fell (thank goodness), so I thought I might have to stop there for some help. Z was home sleeping and I had his phone; of course (L wore the battery down on mine, so I left it at home charging), so I knew there was no getting ahold of him. After a few minutes; though, the throbbing started to subside a little, so I thought we might be able to finish our walk after all. Yeah - not so much. I barely made it past my friend's house when I started to feel nauseated. 

I knew I wouldn't make it home, so I doubled back and knocked on my friend's door. I tried explaining what happened, but I was barely able to finish the details when the darkness started closing in around me. I could feel myself beginning to lose consciousness, so when she invited me in, I sort of collapsed onto her entry way floor. Not my finest moment.

Anyway, she bandaged me up and let me recover on her couch. After a little while, I was feeling a little better, and was actually able to walk home. I am just grateful for good friends - and for the fact that no serious damage was done to my foot. Now, if only I could learn to control my lame nausea reflex. ;)




Monday, February 11, 2013

The Colors of Nostalgia

When I was a child (I believe it was around the time that I was 12), we remodeled our house, converting the garage and adding onto the back to create a mother-in-law quarters for my dad's parents. We also added several feet to the front of the house, expanding the width of the living room, added a bay window (I always wished we'd added a bench seat in the window too. It would have been the perfect spot for reading), and replaced all the flooring in the house. My dad also re-stuccoed the outside of the house as well. 

My mom chose a light pink color for the stucco - as well as for the carpets in the main part of the house (a color which I am sure she came to regret later. That carpet was ridiculously difficult to keep clean), but we got to decide what color we wanted the carpet in our bedrooms. My older sister and I shared a room, and we chose a dark blue for the carpet. My two brothers also shared a room, and they chose a sort of aqua green color. All of the walls in the house were always plain white, though. I guess my mom was never into painting accent walls. Hehe. 

We lived in that house from the time that I was 10 years old until just after I graduated from high school, so that is where I spent a good portion of my adolescence. I have so many memories of that house, and I often drive by when I am on that side of town - just to feel a sense of connection to my childhood, I guess. Nostalgia is a funny thing. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it. ;)

It's kinda funny to think that we currently live in the house that my husband grew up in. To think that he has so many memories here - and that our own children are creating memories here too. It makes me wonder how they will remember things. It also makes me want to replace some old carpets. Hehe.



related link:

52 Gems of Reflection