As this decade comes to a close I found myself thinking back on how life was at the beginning of this decade for me... I started out the decade at age twelve and finished it at age twenty-two. I remember being in love with the backstreet boys that year along with having a huge crush on the boy next door... He was my first real big crush, and now that I think back on it I think he was a good one to have a crush on. He is a good guy still. That was the year that my older sister had her first baby boy and I became an aunt. I remember those were the days that I enjoyed playing basketball.... knock-out, horse, whatever game had to do with shooting a ball through a hoop. For being so short I became pretty good at that game. It was also the last year I played softball. I was very sad to say goodbye to my catcher position, but I can see why my parents decided to take a break from it. I played in a town outside of Bloomington, but was about a twenty-five min. to thirty min. drive for my dad to make two to three times a week. I loved that place though. There were a lot of Saturdays spent at that ballpark during the Spring and beginning of Summer. I remember that was the year that my homeschool group grew a ton. At the beginning of the year it was only my family and two others, but by the end of it we had I think eight families join us. The kids that came into that group that year stayed my best friends pretty much all through high school. We were all pretty inseperable until college came along.
I was hooked on reading Nancy Drew books when I was twelve. I still do enjoy reading suspense thrillers quite a bit.
2000 was the year I rocked out to "Its My Life" by Bon Jovie and "Kryptonite" and was obsessed with Faith Hills song "Breath." I could quote almost all the veggie tales movies by heart along with lines from the movie "Remember the Titans." It was the year that the first R rated movie came out my parents let me watch, "The Patriot" for history class. It was also the year "Bring it On" came out, and after watching that movie my friends and I wished we were in high school so bad so we could be cheerleaders.... not the wisest thing for us to want, but the movie glamorized it a lot.
It is so weird to me how fast this decade has gone by and I had a blast throughout it all! I wonder how much I will change at the end of the next decade... hmm.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
We're all a little cracked....
I borrowed this from a friend's note on facebook....
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water..
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do ha lf of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.'
The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?'
'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.'
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.'
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.
You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.
My Favorite Movies of 2009
10 . New In Town - starring Renee Zellwigger - A high-powered consultant in love with her upscale Miami lifestyle is sent to a middle of nowhere town in Minnesota to oversee the restructuring of a blue collar manufacturing plant. After enduring a frosty reception from the locals, icy roads and freezing weather, she warms up to the small town's charm, and eventually finds herself being accepted by the community. When she's ordered to close down the plant and put the entire community out of work, she's forced to reconsider her goals and priorities, and finds a way to save the town.
9. Year One - starring Jack Black and Michael Cera - Zed, a prehistoric would-be hunter, eats from a tree of forbidden fruit and is banished from his tribe, accompanied by Oh, a shy gatherer. On their travels, they meet Cain and Abel on a fateful day, stop Abraham from killing Isaac, become slaves, and reach the city of Sodom where their tribe is now enslaved. Zed and Oh are determined to rescue the women they love, Maya and Eema. Standing in their way is Sodom's high priest and the omnipresent Cain. Zed tries to form an alliance with Princess Innana, which may backfire. Can an inept hunter and a smart but slender and diffident gatherer become heroes and make a difference?
8. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - starring Bill Hader (voice) - A scientist tries to solve world hunger only to see things go awry as food falls from the sky in abundance. Bill Hader will voice Flint Lockwood, a young inventor who dreams of creating something that will improve everyone's life. Anna Faris, who recently turned heads as the star of the comedy hit The House Bunny, takes on the role of Sam Sparks, a weathergirl covering the phenomenon who hides her intelligence behind a perky exterior. James Caan plays Tim Lockwood, Flint's technophobic father. Andy Samberg plays Brent, the town bully who has plagued Flint since childhood. Bruce Campbell plays Mayor Shelbourne, who figures out that Flint's invention can put the town, and more importantly himself, on the map. Mr. T plays the by-the-rules town cop Earl Devereaux, and Tracy Morgan takes on the role of Earl's rule-breaking son, Cal.
7. Knowing - starring Nicholas Cage - In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one of the students, a mysterious girl who seems to hear whispered voices, fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead. Fast forward 50 years to the present: A new generation of students examines the contents of the time capsule and the girl's cryptic message ends up in the hands of young Caleb Myles. But it is Caleb's father, professor Ted Myles (Nicolas Cage), who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As Ted further unravels the document's secrets, he realizes it foretells three additional events-the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve Ted and his son. When Ted's attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place. This gripping supernatural thriller charts one man's faltering steps towards belief in the ultimate order of the universe even as he finds himself surrounded by mounting chaos. With the reluctant help of Diana Whelan (Rose Byrne) and Abby, the daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased author of the cryptic prophecies, Ted's increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster-and the ultimate sacrifice.
6. Love Happens - starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston - Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston star in the romantic drama "Love Happens." When a self-help author arrives in Seattle to teach a sold-out seminar, he unexpectedly meets the one person who might finally be able to help him help himself. Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart) is on the precipice of a major multimedia deal, but the therapist who asks his patients to openly confront their pain is secretly unable to take his own advice. Eloise Chandler (Aniston) has sworn off men and decided to focus on her floral business. However, when she meets Burke at the hotel where he's speaking, there is an instant attraction. But will two people who have met the right person at exactly the wrong time be able to give love another chance? As each struggles with the hurt of love and loss, they realize that in order to move forward, they need to let go of the past. And if they can, they'll find that, sometimes, love happens when you least expect it.
5. The Ugly Truth - starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler - In Sacramento, Abby Richter produces a morning news show that's about to be canceled. To boost ratings, her boss hires Mike Chadway, a local cable call-in host who promotes the ugly truth: sex is the only glue in a relationship, men can't change, and they only respond to women's looks. Mike offends Abby's sensibility: she has a checklist about the perfect man, and she's found him in her new neighbor, Colin, a hunky doctor. Mike offers to help her reel in Colin if she'll work with Mike on the show; she accepts the deal, ratings go up, and, with Mike's help, so does Colin's interest in her. Craig Ferguson, a hot air balloon, and the ugly truth help this take on "Cyrano" play out.
4. He's Just Not That Into You - starring Ben Afleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drue Barrymore, Jennifer Connolly, Justin Long, Scarlett Johansson, Gennifer Goodwin,Kevin Connolly, and Bradly Cooper - In Baltimore, five women and four men try to sort out the signals that the sexes exchange. Gigi imagines every man she meets is Mr. Right; she gets reality checks from Alex, a sweet but cynical saloon keeper. Janine and Ben seem solidly married until he chats with Anna in a market checkout line; meanwhile Anna is indifferent to the pursing Connor. Neil and Beth have been together seven years; she dumps him when she realizes he really and truly isn't going to marry her. Does he love her? And Mary sells advertising while searching on line for a man. Will those in love stay in love? Will those searching figure out who is and who isn't into them? Are men all that different from women?
3. Law Abiding Citizen - starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler - The plot focuses on a man who, ten years after his wife and daughter are brutally murdered, returns to extract justice from the assistant district attorney who prosecuted the case against their killers. His vengeance threatens not only the man who allowed mercy to supersede justice, but also the system and the city that made it so.
2. The Time Traveler's Wife - starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams - Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler--cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. Despite the fact that Henry's travels force them apart with no warning, Clare desperately tries to build a life with her one true love.
1. The Blindside - starring Sandra Bullock - "The Blind Side" depicts the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.
9. Year One - starring Jack Black and Michael Cera - Zed, a prehistoric would-be hunter, eats from a tree of forbidden fruit and is banished from his tribe, accompanied by Oh, a shy gatherer. On their travels, they meet Cain and Abel on a fateful day, stop Abraham from killing Isaac, become slaves, and reach the city of Sodom where their tribe is now enslaved. Zed and Oh are determined to rescue the women they love, Maya and Eema. Standing in their way is Sodom's high priest and the omnipresent Cain. Zed tries to form an alliance with Princess Innana, which may backfire. Can an inept hunter and a smart but slender and diffident gatherer become heroes and make a difference?
8. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - starring Bill Hader (voice) - A scientist tries to solve world hunger only to see things go awry as food falls from the sky in abundance. Bill Hader will voice Flint Lockwood, a young inventor who dreams of creating something that will improve everyone's life. Anna Faris, who recently turned heads as the star of the comedy hit The House Bunny, takes on the role of Sam Sparks, a weathergirl covering the phenomenon who hides her intelligence behind a perky exterior. James Caan plays Tim Lockwood, Flint's technophobic father. Andy Samberg plays Brent, the town bully who has plagued Flint since childhood. Bruce Campbell plays Mayor Shelbourne, who figures out that Flint's invention can put the town, and more importantly himself, on the map. Mr. T plays the by-the-rules town cop Earl Devereaux, and Tracy Morgan takes on the role of Earl's rule-breaking son, Cal.
7. Knowing - starring Nicholas Cage - In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one of the students, a mysterious girl who seems to hear whispered voices, fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead. Fast forward 50 years to the present: A new generation of students examines the contents of the time capsule and the girl's cryptic message ends up in the hands of young Caleb Myles. But it is Caleb's father, professor Ted Myles (Nicolas Cage), who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As Ted further unravels the document's secrets, he realizes it foretells three additional events-the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve Ted and his son. When Ted's attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place. This gripping supernatural thriller charts one man's faltering steps towards belief in the ultimate order of the universe even as he finds himself surrounded by mounting chaos. With the reluctant help of Diana Whelan (Rose Byrne) and Abby, the daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased author of the cryptic prophecies, Ted's increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster-and the ultimate sacrifice.
6. Love Happens - starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston - Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston star in the romantic drama "Love Happens." When a self-help author arrives in Seattle to teach a sold-out seminar, he unexpectedly meets the one person who might finally be able to help him help himself. Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart) is on the precipice of a major multimedia deal, but the therapist who asks his patients to openly confront their pain is secretly unable to take his own advice. Eloise Chandler (Aniston) has sworn off men and decided to focus on her floral business. However, when she meets Burke at the hotel where he's speaking, there is an instant attraction. But will two people who have met the right person at exactly the wrong time be able to give love another chance? As each struggles with the hurt of love and loss, they realize that in order to move forward, they need to let go of the past. And if they can, they'll find that, sometimes, love happens when you least expect it.
5. The Ugly Truth - starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler - In Sacramento, Abby Richter produces a morning news show that's about to be canceled. To boost ratings, her boss hires Mike Chadway, a local cable call-in host who promotes the ugly truth: sex is the only glue in a relationship, men can't change, and they only respond to women's looks. Mike offends Abby's sensibility: she has a checklist about the perfect man, and she's found him in her new neighbor, Colin, a hunky doctor. Mike offers to help her reel in Colin if she'll work with Mike on the show; she accepts the deal, ratings go up, and, with Mike's help, so does Colin's interest in her. Craig Ferguson, a hot air balloon, and the ugly truth help this take on "Cyrano" play out.
4. He's Just Not That Into You - starring Ben Afleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drue Barrymore, Jennifer Connolly, Justin Long, Scarlett Johansson, Gennifer Goodwin,Kevin Connolly, and Bradly Cooper - In Baltimore, five women and four men try to sort out the signals that the sexes exchange. Gigi imagines every man she meets is Mr. Right; she gets reality checks from Alex, a sweet but cynical saloon keeper. Janine and Ben seem solidly married until he chats with Anna in a market checkout line; meanwhile Anna is indifferent to the pursing Connor. Neil and Beth have been together seven years; she dumps him when she realizes he really and truly isn't going to marry her. Does he love her? And Mary sells advertising while searching on line for a man. Will those in love stay in love? Will those searching figure out who is and who isn't into them? Are men all that different from women?
3. Law Abiding Citizen - starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler - The plot focuses on a man who, ten years after his wife and daughter are brutally murdered, returns to extract justice from the assistant district attorney who prosecuted the case against their killers. His vengeance threatens not only the man who allowed mercy to supersede justice, but also the system and the city that made it so.
2. The Time Traveler's Wife - starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams - Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler--cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. Despite the fact that Henry's travels force them apart with no warning, Clare desperately tries to build a life with her one true love.
1. The Blindside - starring Sandra Bullock - "The Blind Side" depicts the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
My favorite songs of 2009...
My top 10 pop songs from 2009
Come Back to Me - David Cook
21 Guns - Green Day
Halo - Beyonce
If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
I Do Not Hook Up - Kelly Clarkson
Battlefield - Jordan Sparks
Hot N' Cold - Katy Perry
Love Drunk - Boys Like Girls
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
My top 10 country songs from 2009
Always the Love Songs - Eli Young Band
Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
The Best Days of Your Life - Kelly Pickler feat. Taylor Swift
Letter to Me - Brad Paisley
Here Comes Goodbye - Rascal Flatts
I Run to You- Lady Antebellum
Why Don't We Just Dance - Josh Turner
Temporary Home - Carrie Underwood
Green Tractor - Jason Aldean
Come Back to Me - David Cook
21 Guns - Green Day
Halo - Beyonce
If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
I Do Not Hook Up - Kelly Clarkson
Battlefield - Jordan Sparks
Hot N' Cold - Katy Perry
Love Drunk - Boys Like Girls
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
My top 10 country songs from 2009
Always the Love Songs - Eli Young Band
Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
The Best Days of Your Life - Kelly Pickler feat. Taylor Swift
Letter to Me - Brad Paisley
Here Comes Goodbye - Rascal Flatts
I Run to You- Lady Antebellum
Why Don't We Just Dance - Josh Turner
Temporary Home - Carrie Underwood
Green Tractor - Jason Aldean
So, how do you see Jesus?
Tonight I went to daily Mass. The gospel was about the story of when Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple and how the elderly man, Simeon recognized that Jesus was the savior he had been waiting for.
During the homily the priest asked us how we see Jesus in our daily lives. I thought about that question a little bit and realized that there are many people I see Jesus in. For example; when I am feeling a little frustrated at work and one of the kids will come up to me and say "I love you." I see Jesus in them at that moment and I love it... Or when I am having an awful day and a friend of mine looks at me, gives me a hug, and then tells me to tell them what's wrong and then they listen without judging... I see Jesus in them at that moment. Or when my oldest nephew helps take care of his younger brothers because he knows his mother is exhausted after working on her feet all day. I see Jesus in him. I realized again that I see Jesus a lot, but I do not recognize it always. That seems to be a theme in my life lately. I need to slow down and recognize little things from God more often then I do to really appreciate how He helps me in my day to day life.
The second part of his homily was about how we help others see Jesus through our own actions... It's a give and take thing, just like in every other aspect of my faith. I really enjoyed this priests homily today. I needed to hear it very much!
During the homily the priest asked us how we see Jesus in our daily lives. I thought about that question a little bit and realized that there are many people I see Jesus in. For example; when I am feeling a little frustrated at work and one of the kids will come up to me and say "I love you." I see Jesus in them at that moment and I love it... Or when I am having an awful day and a friend of mine looks at me, gives me a hug, and then tells me to tell them what's wrong and then they listen without judging... I see Jesus in them at that moment. Or when my oldest nephew helps take care of his younger brothers because he knows his mother is exhausted after working on her feet all day. I see Jesus in him. I realized again that I see Jesus a lot, but I do not recognize it always. That seems to be a theme in my life lately. I need to slow down and recognize little things from God more often then I do to really appreciate how He helps me in my day to day life.
The second part of his homily was about how we help others see Jesus through our own actions... It's a give and take thing, just like in every other aspect of my faith. I really enjoyed this priests homily today. I needed to hear it very much!
My Life According to facebook...
This was a fun application for facebook to have. I enjoyed looking back on all the random stuff I posted. It showed me all of the status' I put up over this past year so I could choose the one's I didn't want it to randomly put on the collage. It was fun to look at.
Monday, December 28, 2009
"I Run to You"
Lately I have really gotten into the newer country group, Lady Antebellum. I own one of their cds and I decided to listen to it today. When the song below, "I Run to You" started playing it hit me that this is another song I can easily associate with my relationship with God. Sometimes my life is so hectic with all the things I have had to do this year, and still have left to do. There are days when I would wake up and be so surprised with what month I was in because everything has been moving so fast. There has been one crazy thing after another that has happened with my life this fall... back in September being told that next year I might not have a job due to some organizational things happening with the pre-school program and the daycare program combining to later in October being told that no one is sure of anything and if something does happen it won't happen for a few years... That was a little stressful, it still is on the back of most of us teacher's minds... Novemeber there was some family drama I had to deal with. Then this month began with my car getting towed, my car mirror breaking off... some minor money issues, nothing too huge though. Finals week was stressful... and as I listened to this song and thought of all the stuff I had dealt with and realized that through it all my main man I go and talk it all through is God. He is the one I talked through everything with. When my life is going good I talk to Him, but I always feel more grateful that He is there for me when I need Him most. He hasn't let me down yet! :)
I Run To You
Lady Antebellum
I run from hate
I run from prejudice
I run from pessimists
But I run too late
I run my life
Or is it running me?
Run from my past
I run too fast
Or too slow it seems
When lies become the truth
That's when I run to you
This world keeps spinning faster
To a new disaster, so I run to you
I run to you, Baby
When it all starts coming undone
Baby, you're the only one I run to
I run to you
We run on fumes
Your life and mine
Like the sands of time
Slippin' right on through
Our love's the only truth
That's why I run to you
This world keeps spinning faster
To a new disaster, so I run to you
I run to you, Baby
When it all starts coming undone
Baby, you're the only one I run to
I run to you
Oh oh, oh I run to you
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