Day Out With Thomas

This is the second year we've done this and it's always a lot of fun. Leading up to it I wondered if it would be our last year because I wasn't sure if the kids were all that excited about Thomas anymore. I was wrong, Jonathan was so excited that he didn't want to talk about anything else on the ride up there. We'd ask: "Do you see the waterfall?" (Bridal Veil Falls) and he'd say "No, I want to ride on the Thomas Train!" Here are some pictures and a video.


There were a lot of fun things to do like this puzzle that Jonathan put together.



Brigham, despite his cool demeanor, had fun watching.



Here we are waiting for Thomas to pull us out of the station.



Jonathan was very excited.

Here's a video of all the excitement!




Brigham really enjoyed the ride. Heber is a beautiful place.



Nathaniel had fun too.



As a matter of fact, so did Jonathan.



After the train ride, we went through the maze.



Nathaniel was proud that he solved it.



I think Jonathan was trying to get lost on purpose.


There you go, that was our trip to Heber to ride Thomas the Tank Engine. We didn't get a picture of Thomas this year because EVERYONE was trying to get a picture with Thomas. Here's a picture from last year so you can get the idea.


I hope that wasn't too many pictures. I don't take pictures as often as I should so this might be the only chance you get to see us. I hope you enjoyed the show!

American Idol Finale

Okay, it's 2:19 am and I'm on the computer because I'm angry and I still need to cool off a bit. David Archuleta had this thing wrapped up ever since he sang Imagine several weeks ago. I was so shocked and now I'm depressed. I'm ready to accept any and all conspiracy theories.

Mother's Day

Actual Mother's Day wasn't super great. The Primary didn't sing any Mother's Day songs or make any Mother's Day crafts which was the whole reason I went to church that day. (I was really tired and Brigham and Jonathan were sick anyway)
HOWEVER, Thursday Jonathan came home from school with a wonderful Mother's Day card and a candy bar. Sweet. Friday Nathaniel came home with a decorated picture of him on the playground and a card that said: "Dear Angela, I love you so much I feel like I could hug you! You are the best Mom ever! Sincerely, Nathaniel." It made me cry it was so sweet.
The flowers are from Jaaromy for our 10th anniversary which was a few days before. I haven't decided what he's going to give me for Mother's Day yet.

Big Bang Theory

I've discovered this show on CBS called Big Bang Theory. Jaaromy and I have found it to be quite hilarious. It's very nerdy so we might be the only ones who enjoy it, but I thought it give it a shout-out anyway.

Now, as any real WoW-er knows, a weapon of that caliber would most definitely be bind-on-pick-up, but I won't hold it against them because it made me laugh so hard.

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!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I often have a hard time expressing my thoughts, at least out loud. It's a little easier when I write it out. Also, sometimes I avoid thinking about the hard stuff about the Gospel. Specifically the Atonement, Crucifixion, and Resurrection; basically what Easter is all about. The Crucifixion is hard. It's heavy stuff to explain to kids.
I've been blessed with a sensitive and inquisitive child. A little over a year ago, my husband's Grandma passed away. My oldest had a hard time with it. We talked about death a lot around that time. It's frustrating when your child has so much anxiety over something like that. We've been able to talk about the Resurrection a lot with him. Because he's such a worrier, I hope that he will learn to find comfort in Jesus Christ.
Last month his class watched a video about Abraham Lincoln and he came home so upset because President Lincoln had been shot. We had a really good discussion about the Resurrection then. Sometimes I wonder if I take it for granted that He was resurrected. When I'm telling my son that he doesn't need to worry because Jesus was resurrected, I realize that it truly is wonderful and although he still has his fears, I can see him relax a little at the thought that everything will be okay because of our Savior.
One other experience was just this weekend. As you might guess, I like to go to Townhall.com to get my politics. There was a blog posting that mentioned some churches that are omitting Jesus from Easter. I thought about it while I was making my rounds on the internet. I went back and decided to post a comment. I have been thinking about it ever since.
Sorry if this is going long. I've mentioned these experiences because this weekend I have been thinking about just how wonderful Easter is. It is peace and hope. Peace from knowing that everything will be okay. No matter what happens, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us and they're in charge. No one will be left behind or forgotten. Hope, because Jesus not only died for me, He lived again for me too. I will do my best to always remember His sacrifice so I can live with Him again.
Like I said, I have a hard time expressing myself so I hope you can forgive me if I sound clumsy.
Happy Easter!

"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen." Luke 24:5:6

Isn't it wonderful!

ROFLMAO!

I don't know if anyone will find this as funny as I did. I play World of Warcraft regularly and so this is funny for many reasons. But even if you're not familiar with the game it's funny for it's use of L33T speak.

I've been tagged!

I was just thinking about what I could post (since it's been a while) when I was tagged by my sister-in-law. So here is my post:
Ten years ago I was engaged to my current husband after waiting two years for him to serve his mission. I was working at the computer lab at UVSC and living in a basement apartment in Orem with three other girls.
5 places that I have lived are Pleasant Grove, Orem, Provo, Draper, and West Valley City, Utah.
5 things on my "To Do" list today were: get Nathaniel ready for school and pick him up(does that count as two things?) do the dishes, sweep up all the Cheerios and peas on the kitchen floor from Brigham's dinner last night, brush my teeth (I have to make it a priority or it just doesn't happen) and call and make an appointment with the eye doctor because I'm all out of contacts. Wow, I sound a lot more productive than I think I actually am.
5 jobs I've had are: I worked at McDonalds, telemarketer for Feature Films for Families, computer lab assistant at UVSC, data entry for Insurquote (my husband's employer for a while), and piano teacher.
10 years from now I will be doing about the same thing as I am now except will have more kids and they'll be older. Nathaniel will be almost graduated from high school. Wow. I hope we'll have six kids. One or two of them will be adopted (by us) probably from another country. We'll have a house and may or may not live in Salt Lake valley. I'm torn, I'm growing very attached to Utah County but all the family is in SLC.
I don't think I even know 5 people to tag. So I'll do as many as I can. I'll tag Megan, Richard, and Jaaromy. I don't know if anybody even reads my blog so we'll see how it goes!

American Idol

So I just started watching American Idol this week. I usually skip the auditions because they're painful and as far as the producers of the show are concerned, the more painful the better. So now that the auditions are over the REAL show can begin. I had heard that they're trying to do more back-story on the contestants and it's already begun. There were several contestants that they showcased that were immediately cut. I feel bad but it makes me laugh when these kids, who are barely 20, complain that their life is over. "This was my one big chance and now it's gone!" Ah, kids.
Anyway, a couple of people stood out to me. Brooke White was the first person to sing during Hollywood week. They showed a clip of her original audition and she mentioned that she had never seen an "R" rated movie and doesn't drink or smoke so I immediately thought she was LDS. Now she's in the top 24 so I'm sure we'll find out. Also, David Archuleta is from Salt Lake. Hooray! He's a very cute boy and he sings great for someone his age, or even someone older for that matter.
Another cute boy, Kyle Ensley, unfortunately was the last to be cut. He did really well with a Josh Groban song but it still wasn't enough. I just know we're going to have some guy that stinks in the finals and we'll all wish we had Kyle back.
Okay, now I have to talk about Josiah. He is actually the reason I'm posting this since it's really too early to be talking about the show just yet. The first time I heard him he had a nice sound. It was a little different. The back-story they were giving us was of a homeless kid who lives out of his car and is trying to make it in the music business because it's all he has. Well, his last audition was absolutely horrible. He never quite got it together with the band and so he sang A cappella. Big mistake. He sounds good with a band because his voice gives the song a certain flavor. Take the band away and you realize that he can't actually sing. His vibrato is too fast which means he's not singing correctly and is hurting his voice. So after that and all the crying he did about how this is all he's got and he doesn't know what he's going to do after this started to bother me. And here's why: based on his personality, his confidence and his emotional softness, I could tell that he was raised in a good home. The way he talks about how he's had a hard life didn't fly with me. I just got the impression that everything hard in his life had happened because he chose to have it that way. I figured that I could be wrong, but that's the impression I got. Before I posted this I thought I should check to make sure there wasn't something in his back story that I had missed as to why his life was so hard. Guess what I found! He dropped out of high-school, said his mom wasn't too happy about it and he's been living in his car. He also said that he doesn't think his family knows he's living out of his car. He hasn't told them because he knows they'd be upset and want him to come home. I was exactly right! So I'm glad he didn't make the final 24 because he needs something to make him go back home. All this crap about how he's homeless. He has a home, he just chose to leave because his family doesn't "get" him. It's time to be a man, Josiah. Go home, finish school, and for heaven's sake, toughen up a little!

Mistborn

I just finished reading Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson, second book of the Mistborn series. Once again he has told an absolutely amazing story, I think I will go so far as to say it's the best fiction I've ever read. He has created a very unique world in which metals are the source of magic for those who have the gift to use it. The characters are engaging and even supporting characters have their own story and depth.
I can't recommend it highly enough. Even if you don't think fantasy is for you, a good book is a good book no matter what the genre.

Another try

I'm going to try one more time to get in the habit of posting. Lately, especially, I've felt like I wanted to express my thought but had no way to do it. I've thought that perhaps I could treat this blog almost like a journal. I already keep a journal but the format is a little more personal in that I talk about the mundane things that happen throughout the week that only myself and possibly my posterity would care about. I'm hoping that this blog can be the place where I can express my thoughts and opinions more openly.
There are a lot of things I'd like to talk about. None of them right now, however. I know I said something similar in my last post, but I think I'm going to make a goal to post here much more often. I don't have many people to discuss thing with so I've got to get it out somehow.

Boy I'm not very good at this

Like I just said... It's been over a year since I posted. I think the idea sounds good at first but is harder to actually do. I like to discuss things in person but it's harder for me to put it on "paper". I suppose I'm not a very good writer and that is a talent that is very useful when posting any meaningful discussions. It also could be that while I feel my opinion is just as valid as the next person's, I wonder why anyone would care to read what I have to say.
There are so many issues that are important to me that I'd like to put out there for the world to see, but I don't know where to start. I'd also like to talk about fun things like American Idol. Even though I can't stand pop music, it's such fun to watch. Maybe I can post some more on that subject Thursday after the results show.

The first of many (hopefully)

After making the blasphemous suggestion of posting on my husband Jaaromy's blog, he promptly gave me my own and suggested I use it. I'm quite new at this and am not sure what I will even say or who will listen. Perhaps this is the beginning of a beautiful blogship.