Pictures

I haven't posted pictures yet and I want to give it a try, so here you go.
Here are some pictures from the first Saturday of the year that Dad mowed the lawn.


Nathaniel and Jonathan helped water the lawn. The watering cans aren't very big so they had to go back and forth a lot.


Brigham had fun watching.


Jonathan refused to take that jacket off. He wore it for about five days.


Here's Nathaniel wearing his sun hat because his sunglasses are too small and now belong to Jonathan.


Here's Brigham trying to grab the camera.

American Idol...again!

Sorry to post about American Idol again so soon but last night's elimination was a shocker for me. First of all I thought Syesha had the best song. She was in her grove and, like Simon said, she was sexy. She was having fun and so she was fun to watch and her performance was flawless. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a fan of Carly's for some reason, but she had a good night too. Even though I don't appreciate the treatment of the subject matter of her song, she was having fun and it was fun to watch. So when it was Syesha and Brooke I figured it would be Brooke, as sad as I would be about it. It seemed Brooke was just as shocked, if not more, than I was. I heard her apologizing to Syesha, even though it's obviously not her fault. Then when it was Carly and Jason I was shocked yet again to see that Jason was safe and Carly was in the bottom. Of those two, I'm glad it was Carly. She's gotten so much exposure on the show that I'm sure she'll do much better than she was before trying to make it on her own.
So what about Syesha? She's obviously very talented and her performance was top notch, why was she in the bottom two? Voters this year, more than other years I think, are picking their favorites and sticking with them no matter what. I think Simon had it right when he said that Brooke's mistake of starting and stopping made her human. People vote for the person just as much as the talent. David Cook has a large following, but I wouldn't be surprised if he left before Jason or Brooke just because he's too confident. We love it when contestants are humble, not so much when they're cocky. This is not to say that Syesha is cocky or isn't humble, but the other contestants seem to embody one or the other trait more openly. For one reason or another, it seems she hasn't built up a fan base like the others have.
As a side note, I wonder if Carly left because of song choice. Sure it was fun to watch, but is it possible that some Christians might have been offended? I was a little put off by it, and non-LDS Christians might be put off by it too. Most Latter-Day-Saints don't appreciate that kind of treatment of something so sacred and it's possible that more Latter-Day-Saints are watching this year because of Brooke and David Archuleta. Perhaps I'm over analyzing, but if anyone else wants to venture a guess I'd like to hear it.

Top 8 American Idol

It's been a good season. There really is a lot of talent this year. Now that Amanda Overmeyer is gone I can see any of them doing really well.
I really enjoyed last nights show. The first to perform was Michael Johns. I've never been a huge fan because he always sounds like he's yelling, but I have to admit he does the rock ballads pretty well and I agree with the judges that he's at his best doing bluesy-rock.
Next was Syesha Mercado. I think she does really well. The judges gave her a hard time last week and this week for choosing songs that were too big. I thought both were very good. Fantasia's "I believe" is such a production number that to hear Syesha sing it in a more simple way was very satisfying. She was definitely up to the task.
David Cook is Jaaromy's kind of singer. I absolutely LOVED it when he sang Lionel Richie's "Hello", and when I finally figured out what song he was singing last week(Billy Jean) I loved how different it was. This week was a little weird, but I like the weird rock vibe he puts out. I think I do agree with the judges when they say he seems a little smug.
Carly Smithson sounds good but for some reason I don't like her. I don't know why. I read on Hatrack.com that she acts like she's the one to beat and I suppose it's possible that her attitude has effected my opinion. I don't know, for whatever reason I just won't be super excited if she wins. I agree with the judges that her song last night sounded to angry for a show that was supposed to be inspirational. I hope(although I don't know why) that she goes because of it.
I like Jason Castro, I love that simple vocal with guitar sound he does so well. His "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was awesome. It's great music you can just listen to and be happy. I doubt he'll win the whole thing, but it's fun having him on.
Kristy Lee Cook has been second-to-last almost every single week. I don't think she should go yet, but I can see where her weaknesses have almost gotten her booted off. She sang Martina McBride's "Anyway" which I LOVE and makes me think I could actually like country music. She was a little flat during one of the verses but over all I think she did wonderfully. I think her version would be just as enjoyable(assuming she fixes her pitch problems) as Martina's.
David Archuleta, is there a cuter boy with a better singing voice? His humility just makes him more endearing. Last night wasn't my favorite of his("Imagine" was. That could have been sung in the finals it was so good) but he sure has a feel for the right ornamentation. It's amazing a voice like that could come from one so young.
I love Brooke White. She, like David, has a refreshing humility that has saved her in her not-so-great performances. I'm worried she'll go tonight because, while she sang well, it wasn't very memorable. Plus, everyone just did really well.
Very exciting!