For Sarah's Little Surprise...

I am posting this very moving little video montage for my friend Sarah who just found out this morning that she is expecting! Here's to unexpected little gifts!

I know you've got dial-up Sarah, but trust me...it's worth it to wait on this one. Dare you not to cry!

For Moose n Muffin...

This video has been circulating the internet like crazy so most of you have probably seen it but I still think it's so funny and cute! And in light of certain karaoke events from the not so distant past, I felt it was fitting.

Holiday in Memphis-The Highlights

Memphis ain't all bad. There are definitely nice things about a visit there. Some of my own highlights about last weekend's visit are listed below:

1. Discovering a New 'Shortcut': We had to leave on Saturday morning instead of Friday night, as originally intended, and since we knew holiday traffic would be horrid, we made it a point to drive thru Gallatin and catch 65 instead of driving I40 the whole way. It knocked a good 45 minutes off the drive and that was a big plus. Also, Victor slept almost the entire time. Easy Peasy.

2. Victor in all his 'fatness' meeting friends and family: Mom hasnt seen Victor since he was born so it was fun to watch her face when she saw him again, in all his fifteen pound splendor! I knew she wouldnt want to put him down...so cuddly and smooshy is he!

3.'Tear It Up' and White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha: On a quick little outting Saturday, my husband and I ran accross a great little clothing/accessory store on Cooper beside the Celtic Crossing. It's called Tear It Up and even though the store is the size of a small bedroom, there are some GREAT items in there. I couldnt resist a super-soft T-Rex (the band) Tee for 19.00. Also, lots of nice retro reproduction shoes and dresses in there, ladies! Afterwards, we treated ourselves to the novelty of Starbucks (we don't have any of those around here, guys) and their seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha which was AMAZING. Starbucks is the one thing that makes me wish I lived in the city...ha!

4.Seeing the new Assembly Hall: No, we didnt get to actually attend the assembly like we planned...sigh. We had to drive in on Sat instead of Friday so that day was gone anyway. And then on Sunday morning we were ten minutes late to the program and there were NO seats! Crazy! And since there was some work being done in the Cafeteria, we couldnt go in there. But we got to see the place anyway, and it is indeed beautiful!

5.Good Food: We have our 'regular' places we like to eat in Memphis but this time, we made two more yummy discoveries. Sunday we ate at the Dixie Cafe for the first time (which we loved...go figure how it's possible I havent' eaten there before) and Sunday night we tried the Blue Fin on Main st. Awesome place...loved the atmosphere, loved the beer, loved the sushi, but most of all loved the...

6.Good Company: So nice to visit w/ old friends...Moose, Monkey, Muffin, all of you guys were a blast! Big brother is always a plus too. I'm so glad we found out about the Karaoke at Alfred's and that practically no one was around to witness our foolishness! You know we have to sing our 'signature song' every time now, don't ya Moose? Oh, and here's the link to the RED lipstick: http://www.besamecosmetics.com/home/?page=home


7.Family : Time spent w/ my parents, niece and nephew, and spiritual family will always be the best part of any little trip. And I enjoyed seeing my brother's new house and forseeing the good times to be had there as well.

We had an easy drive home with almost no traffice, due to the Holiday. It was companionable and smooth. All in all, a lovely little Holiday.

In Good Company...

So my house isnt quite as small as once I thought. After five days playing host to lots of company, I feel like I am finally in my element and ready to start planning more parties at home. I've never felt like much of a success in that arena before but things went really well so maybe I'll reconsider. I've already made plans w/ two couples to come have dinner in December...yay me!

Wednesday night, my good friend Barbie came and stayed w/ me since hubby was spending the night away (enjoying that show I already mentioned on a previous entry and making me very jealous). We had a nice quiet night of Project Runway, the game of LIFE, and Miller Chill. It was really fun staying up until 2am again, talking. Thanks, cinnamongirl!

Thursday, I did a quick cleaning job and prepared for my next set of company. Craig and Sarah (with their little beauty, Violet) had originally planned to stay in a hotel but since we're so far from the nearest one, I made room for them in Victor's room and they were able to stay here..and I'm so glad they did! Sarah is one of my favorite people, so easy to talk to. We made a quick trip to Wal Mart for some games and last minute items so when Toby and the kids came later that evening, we had JUST ENOUGH food for everyone (but no surplus).

It must be noted that I love to cook for my family but I've always shied away from cooking for guests. This time though, I made myself do it and I just loved every minute of it. Thursday night I made Chicken Parmesan, baked potatoes (brush some sesame oil on the skins prior to baking...so yummy), salad, and garlic bread. Friday morning I got up and made semi-homemade Cinnamon Latte rolls (courtesy Sandra Lee of the Food Network) and for lunch I prepared another Paula Deen recipe, Taco Soup. It was all very successful, I think. Josh and Mo came for dinner that evening (and brought food with them) so we provided a few extra store-bought side dishes and I made a double layer pumpkin pie, which is quick and easy. Thanks again for the ham, Mo, it was AWESOME! I wanted to gnaw on the bone like a dog...ha.

All six of the kids were surprisingly good, especially since they were kind of confined to the house due to the cold, wet weather. We put them to bed at a decent hour still, and were able to enjoy grownup talk and cards until relatively late. Very nice.

Saturday morning, Craig and Sarah said their goodbyes and I was able to make it to the bookstudy...late, of course. Afterwards, Toby and I took all our kids to McDonalds to eat lunch and then we went to the (gasp) Outlet Mall in Lebanon. My van fit everybody just BARELY and the kids were all very well behaved. We even took them to Wal Mart to buy some necessaries and got away with only minimal 'kid' purchases. This was the first time my brother and I have ever been anywhere w/ just us and the kids. It was so great to spend time together like that. When I come to Memphis, I usually end up spending the little time I have w/ my parents at their respective homes so we don't really get the chance to do that. I'm hoping he can make it up here more often now.

Saturday night was the now-famous hayride that Barbie's parents put on every November. It comes complete w/ bonfire, chili, marshmallows, homemade wine, and lots of nice people. The actual hayride was even more of a hoot than usual because Barbie and I sat side by side singing Janis Joplin at the top of our lungs, heedless to the annoyed glances of our fellow passengers...except for Chad who sang along...good for you, man! We rock! My Nathan was so happy to be on the hayride he sat in stunned silence. It was so sweet. We liked it so much, John took us all on a second hayride later (an oh-so-memorable one, wasnt it Barbie?)...hee hee. And I finally tried elderberry wine (but w/out the arsenic)!

Sunday morning, we made it late to the meeting (really really late) and enjoyed good conversation w/ friends at the local Mexican restaurant before heading home so Toby could pack up youngn's and clothes. He left by late afternoon along w/ our other houseguest Michael (who is a regular in this establishment) and we were finally on our own again, as a family. It was so wierd.

But I can't wait to do it all again.

A 'Cool, Modern Nerd' Am I.....

Your Score: Modern, Cool Nerd

56 % Nerd, 60% Geek, 30% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!

Congratulations!


Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

29 Weeks and the District Convention...

Another great Convention and another month passed.

If you look to the left, you can see an interesting view that we found in the nice little pond across from our convention site. One huge coi fish, lots of smaller gold fish, a bunch of tiny baby ducks, and one mama duck enjoying the leftover lunchables of convention delegates and park patrons alike. I thought it was so odd to see them all so close together like that and seemingly unaware of one another's presence. But I digress.

The convention theme this year was 'Follow the Christ' and I am pleased to say that I got almost everything there was to get out of it. A nice little 'last gift' before I am stuck w/ a nursing infant. Luckily, Victor will be one year old almost by next convention so I shouldnt be too overwhelmed. The circuit assembly in Oct is another story altogether...voivais! Both boys were extremely good and Johnson has taken to looking up all the scriptures and taking notes-without our coaching too much. Nathan draws pictures and looks at his Bible Story book for two minute intervals, climbs on me for two more, before eventually settling down to sleep for long stretches at a time. He loved the baptism and the drama, for the most part, and was very confused (as were many in the audience, I'm sure) by the new 'audio program'. heh heh. During lunch, we enjoyed leisurely strolls across the street to the very nice Huntsville City Park. Yes, it was hot and very humid but the boys didnt care a bit. My favorite talks were the ones dealing w/ Christ's different 'titles' and the Public Address on Saturday. The brother who gave that one was one of those 'gifted' speakers who speaks very deliberately and quietly so that you have to listen very closely to what he says. Extremely effective teacher. He used to be a circuit overseer but goes to a local hall now so I've heard him a few times before. The final talk of the convention was also great...given by a brother from Bethel. We had about 6,000 in attendance ,on average, and 46 were baptized.

We stayed at the Couryard Marriott again and we really like it there, despite the absence of free breakfast. The pool area is very nice and cozy so if you have a 'pool-facing' room, you can watch from your balcony as your brothers and sisters self-conciously tug at their swimming attire. Good stuff. We swam once, Saturday night, but our swimming was cut short when Nathan has an 'accident' in his swimming shorts and I had to leave in embarassment. It rained Friday night, unfortunately. We're gonna try to come in earlier on Thursday next year and leave on Monday so that the kids can take advantage of the hotel amenities a little longer.

Huntsville is my favorite place for Conventions. It's a small city but has lots of convenient eating establishments and nice hotels. It also has a beautiful downtown area that most people overlook. Friday night we went w/ some old friends (12 of them!) to a local Mexican Cantina called "Rosie's". Pretty good food but more 'tex-mex' than the traditional stuff that I'm used to...and yes, I did partake of a Dos Equis amber in spite of my condition...LOL. Couldnt help myself. Saturday we had us some yummy vittles at Chile's w/ a smaller group (just us and a close friend) and had a nice evening at the hotel. It was a relaxing 'vacation' in spite of the dressing up everyday and walking alot.

Other than a few minor ligament pains due to the extra weight, everything is good with the pregnancy and I was pretty comfortable for the duration. We'll see how things work out next year, when we add another youngn' to the mix.

I'm looking forward to all of your own convention stories! Get to bloggin', my friends!

The Times-They Are A-Changin'...

Aye Me. Nostalgic feelings. Today I found a tape in my junk drawer labeled "Sunnier Sessions" and realized it was a compilation tape that I'd made for my husband long before he was such. One side was called 'Carthage/Gatlinburg' and the other was called 'Memphis'. It consists of songs and sound clips that I associated, at the time, w/ our budding relationship and the time we spent together in those respective cities.

The first thing on the 'Memphis' side was a hilarious sound clip from the great Mike Myers movie, 'So I Married an Axe Murderer' in which Mike's character is singing a poem at the local speak-easy. Does anyone remember this hilarious bit? "Harriet. Harrie-it. Hard-hearted Harbinger of Haggis..." Classic stuff and just a great movie-back before Myers ruined himself and all of America w/ Austin Powers and Shrek (no offense anybody :) ). Anyway, I believe it came out around the weekend I threw my graduation party and a large group from Nashville came to the party and ended up staying for a long and fun-filled weekend that I'll never forget. So we saw the movie and spent the rest of their visit quoting lines from it, making it an instant classic of sorts. I aquaint that movie and the time surrounding it with the silly and carefree cavorting of that weekend-the Dr Seuss t-shirt my husband bought me and that I promptly began wearing almost daily (with cut off shorts, black and white striped tights, and docs, no less), the Dr. Giggles poster he wrapped it in, a patchouli-scented bead of some kind that fell off his necklace without his knowing and which promptly began to spend nights under my pillow, small hilarious photos from the Mall of Memphis photo booth of the whole group of us trying to shove each other into the picture, blanket tosses, , Paul singing 'Oh Lottie Pick a Bale of Cotton' from his pallet on the living room floor, eating lucky charms marshmallows out of a large bowl whilst playing all night games of Spades, 'Say Anything', 'Singles', and finally my mom kicking the whole group out of the house on Tuesday when they had evidently overstayed their welcome...haha.

Then there is the music. As I listened to my compilation tape this morning I was shocked how much the songs I chose WERE representative of those times and how there is little chance I'll think of anything else when I hear them. Smashing Pumpkins ('Mayonnaise' especially), Dinosaur Jr (The Wagon, Quicksand), Tool (Sober-which we listened to probably 200 times on our way back from Gatlinburg once), Primus, Belly, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. It was fun to take that little trip down the famous 'Memory Lane' this morning and I just wanted to share it for the sake of those who were there and those who SO should have been. :)

To all my old cronies, ' HEAD, MOVE!'

A Profound Sense of Pride

My family and I just finished watching the 'Independant Lens' documentary on PBS called 'Knocking' which details the lives of two families of Jehovah's Witnesses as well as the history of the organization itself.

I was so filled with pride and love for Jehovah by watching this little film. It is extremely well done and even though it was constructed and lensed by a non-'Witness', the truth of the information is very well-represented. It moved me to tears on more than one occasion and I especially loved how there were comments from non-Witness scholars and family members interspersed with the families' respective stories. It's such a positive step toward making the true nature of our message and our decisions in life known to the outside world. With all the 'mess' that is being publicized in the papers lately concerning our brothers and their handling of congregation matters, it's nice to see someone take more of an active interest in finding out the truth.

If any of you haven't seen this show yet, I believe you can find information about obtaining a copy of it on the PBS website under 'Independant Lens'. We recorded it on our dvr but we also would like to have a permanant copy for our library.

How priviledged we all should feel to be part of this wonderful work!