Five for Friday

I know, I know. I just can't seem to get my Five for Fridays on the right day. I promise I'll try to work on that. :)

1. Kloe and I were batchin' it (I have no idea how to spell that word, much less if it's legal to use it in reference to girls) last week, as The Mister was out of town on business, and Jacob went to spend a few days with my mom. We took advantage of the time alone and enjoyed dinner out at this fun place.
   
   
   
   
   
   I know that last picture looks like the guy sitting across from us was on fire, but really it was the onion "volcano" on the grill that was burning.
   
   It was the first time either Kloe or I had eaten there, and we had a lot of fun. Even though Kloe was afraid she was going to catch on fire. :) And...she was the only girl at our table who caught the piece of food the chef was trying to flip into everyone's mouths!


2. On Friday, the kids and I took a little road trip to a fun water park in a town a couple of hours away. And I forgot my camera. Great. Practically the only fun thing we've done together this summer and I have no pictures! We did have an awesome time, though. The kids loved the lazy river and the whirl pool; I loved that it is indoors AND heated! We're hoping to go again before the end of summer, so hopefully I can post pictures next time!


3. Flossing update: I went to the dentist last week, and the hygienist said I take "really good care" of my teeth. Yay! This is the only New Year's resolution goal I am still doing, so yay! On the down side, the dentist said I need to get braces again. Really? Really? Weren't 3 years of misery, embarrassment, and torture in my tween years enough? Yuck. I told Kloe what the dentist said, and she just slowly shook her head back and forth. "No?" I asked. "You're too old," she said. Thanks, sweetie, that makes it better.


4. Look what my mom bought me!
   
   
   
   I've been wanting a sewing machine FOR.EV.ER. I've asked for one for every birthday and Christmas for I don't know how many years. I'm so excited! Not that I'll be whipping out all my home decor or my children's wardrobes any time soon, but I'm excited nonetheless. There are so many times I've thought, "Ugh! If I only had a sewing machine!" ....and now I do! Yay!


5. I am lovin this lately. Have you tried it?
   
   

For me.

You know how sometimes you're sitting in church....or listening to the radio....or watching TV....or surfing the internet....and you hear something or read something and you think, "Wow, that's good."

And then other times you're sitting in church....or listening to the radio....or watching TV....or surfing the internet....and you hear something or read something, and it stops you in your tracks. And you absolutely, positively know, without a doubt, that God Himself is speaking that message directly to you. Straight to your heart. For you. Exactly at that moment.

You know that feeling?

That's what happened to me when I watched this video on my friend Jenifer's blog last week.



Remember a couple of months ago when I asked you all to pray for me about a difficult time I knew was coming? Well, I'm in the middle of it now, and it's hard. It's yucky, and not fun, and I don't like it at all. But I know it's what God has for me right now.

And even though I'm not Mormon, I knew - in the middle of this hard, yucky time - God was speaking the words of this video directly to my heart.

Don't you quit.

You keep walking.

You keep trying.

There is help and happiness ahead.

Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.

It will be alright in the end.

Trust God, and believe in good things to come.

I don't know if God is speaking these words to anyone else right now, but I know they were for me. And I wanted to share them with you just in case you, too, are going about your day, minding your own business, needing to hear from God....and God wants to speak this message directly to you, too. Straight to your heart. For you. Exactly at this moment.

Don't you quit.

Toy Story Fun

I love finding "easter eggs" in movies....and accidental goof-ups, too. The Mister says it's my hidden talent. :) I found this list of fun facts about Toy Story 3 on Yahoo, and....I think I missed every. single. one. of them when we saw the movie last week. Actually, I did notice the license plate thing (see below) but (of course) had no idea what it meant. *sigh* Maybe I'm losing my touch.



• A113, the number of a classroom at CalTech where many Pixar animators studied, shows up as an Easter egg in every Pixar film. In the Toy Story series, it's the license plate on Andy's mother's car.

• Sid, the bully from the first movie who wears a skull T-shirt, appears as the garbage man in the new film wearing the same skull T-shirt. (!)

• There's a postcard on Andy's dresser addressed from the featured characters in last year's movie Up, Carl and Ellie Fredrickson.

• Lightning McQueen from Cars is referenced a few times throughout the film: A miniature toy car at the daycare center, on a child's shirt at the center and on a train that shares McQueen's number, 95. That number is itself an Easter egg, referring to 1995, the year the first Toy Story was released.

• A calendar from Pizza Planet is clearly seen. Pizza Planet has appeared in every Pixar film except The Incredibles. (IT HAS?? Did you guys know this?)

• Pixar has a history of hiding a character to be featured in a later movie somewhere in a current film. Nemo first appeared in Monsters, Inc., and Toy Story 3 newcomer, Lots-o-Huggins Bear (who, ironically, is not very huggable), first appeared alongside a bed in Up. A poster on Andy's wall shows a character from next year's Cars 2. It shows Finn McMissile, a British sports car/secret agent who plays a major role in the sequel. (anyone remember Buzz in the credits of A Bug's Life?)

• Buzz Lightyear's batteries are from Buy 'N' Large, the giant corporation responsible for ruining the planet in WALL-E. (hahahaha - this one made me laugh!)

• At the Sunnyside daycare center, Mr. Ray the Scientific Stingray from Finding Nemo makes a cameo. Nemo himself appears as a sticker on Andy's toybox.

• John Ratzenberger keeps his streak alive of appearing in every single Pixar film made to this point(!). For Toy Story 3, he reprises his role as Hamm.

• Ken, voiced by Michael Keaton, was based on a 1988 version of him called Animal Lovin' Ken which included his "own chimpanzee to care for and love." Um, okay. The Barbie featured in the film is based on a 1983 version titled Great Shape Barbie.

• Ken wears 21 different outfits in the movie.

• Woody has 229 animation points of movement in his face. Buzz has 215 animation avatars in his face.

• There are 302 characters in the film.

• Toy Story 3 marks the best opening weekend in the history of Pixar, which is quite a feat, considering all eleven Pixar films have opened at number one on their respective weekends. Toy Story 3 is the first film in the Toy Story series to be released in the very lucrative 3D format.

There you have it, your Toy Story trivia fix for the day.

Glad I could be of service.

Find Your Wings

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**Update - you can now watch the video for this song at the end of this post.
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Are you ever just struck with amazement by the wonder of the gift you've been given?


The thought that these two little ones have been entrusted to me leaves me so....glad? happy? thankful? stunned....that God chose me for them and them for me.



It’s only for a moment
that you are mine to hold.

The plans that heaven has for you
will all too soon unfold.
So many different prayers I’ll pray
for all that you might do,
but most of all I’ll want to know
you’re walking in the truth.


And if I’ve never told you,
I want you to know that
as I watch you grow,
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
and that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things.


I’m here for you whatever this life brings,
so let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings.

May passion be the wind that leads
you through your days,


and may convictions keep you strong,
guide you on your way.
May there be many moments
that make your life so sweet...


Oh, but more than memories,
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
and that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things
I’m here for you whatever this life brings,
so let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings.

It’s not living if you don’t reach for the sky.
I’ll have tears as you take off,
but I’ll cheer you as you fly.


I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams,
and that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things.
I’m here for you whatever this life brings,
so let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings.


Written by Mark Harris and Tony Wood
Watch the video here:

Guess what we did today?

Off on an adventure!



Oops, sorry Jacob....let's try that again....



Oh, good grief. I give up. Let's just get going!

First showing in town....likely to be sold out, says the nice lady at the box office, so get there early!



Very fun! One and a half thumbs up from us. Some parts very unsettling for the youngest of toy-lovers. Anxious shoulder-taps and "Will they be ok, Mama?" whispers.

But then fun at camp, where crafty kiddos made these fun bobble heads of themselves. :)


(aren't they the cutest?)

A quick trip to the store for Father's Day craft supplies.



And a sweet, rare, after-dinner treat.



A fun and happy day.

What did you do today?

Five for Friday Wednesday

Hello? Anybody still out there? I know, I know....where have I been? Well, mostly I just haven't had much to write about. That, and my internet's been down. So I know it's not Friday, but maybe Five for Wednesday will catch on. :)

1. My internet has been down for.ev.er. Like, more than a month. Hubby has an air card with a different provider, so that's how I did my last few posts. And if you remember from my "10 things you might not know" post, I HATE calling people I don't know....defined: the internet repair man. Yep, hate it so much I'd rather go a month without internet than call customer service. But last week I finally got frustrated enough that I broke down and called. The guy was supposed to call us before he came so that we could be sure and be home when he got here. Instead he called as he was sitting in front of our house - when no one was home - wondering where we were. And I didn't hear my phone ring, so he got my voice mail and left a message. Guess what that means. Yep, I had to call AGAIN. Joy. Thank goodness the second time was the charm and our internet is now peachy keen again. And all for free. Bonus.


2. I don't think I ever told you that I found my camera. Probably because I wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad about it. Happy that I got back those pictures that were on it (which turned out to be a couple different family nights, Jacob's football tryouts last fall, and a few pics of my kids' only cousin!), but a bit sad that now I don't have an excuse to buy a new camera.


3. Apparently I can't blog so well while brushing my teeth.


4. We recently signed up for Netfl!x and we love it! We've talked about it for several years, actually, but I never thought it would really be that great of a deal. Then my friend Jen did this post (and also told me about it in person), so we decided to try the free trial. We were hooked instantly. So long, Redbox! The very first DVD we got in the mail was season one of The Br@dy Bunch. My kids loved it! They watched it over and over and over. We don't have cable, and I was always sad that they had never seen any of those old TV classics, so Netflix is PERFECT for us! We've seen many Br@dy Bunches, Gillig*n's Island, H@ppy Days (oops....why didn't I remember this being so risque?), and some great movies we had never heard of. Love, love, love. Thanks for the tip, Jen!


5. My kids have been having lots of fun this summer, but I'm working more this summer than I did last year, so I'm sad that I don't get to do as much with them. They have been getting to go on picnics, eat ice cream, do some fun programs that our library does every summer, and go to the movies once a week for the Cinem@rk Summer Movie Clubhouse. Jacob has done basketball camp, and this week they are both doing science camp.
   
   Me? Well, the three of us went swimming on the first day school was out, but that's about the only fun "summer" thing we've done so far. Oh, and we're doing the summer reading programs both at our library (where they get fun prizes like a stuffed animal and a free kid's meal at App1ebee's, among other things) and at B@rnes and N0ble, where they get a free book. I also bought a new Bible activity book for us to have some fun writing God's Word on our hearts.
6. 
   AND...this Friday morning we are going to see the very first showing of T0Y ST0RY 3!! Yay!!


7. My phlox are (is?) blooming! Aren't they gorgeous?
   
   
   
   I LOVE these flowers. Every summer it's a big to-do in our family, waiting for the first phlox to bloom. We wait and watch and examine and predict when the first color will appear. These pictures don't do them justice (although the one below is pretty good). They are such a rich, beautiful shade of orchid, and they smell wonderful!
   
   
   
   We literally have people knock on our door time after time every summer and ask us what they are and where we got them. Which is saying a lot since we live on a cul-de-sac. I've given away lots of little dug-up plants. All of these that you see in the picture came from one little pot I bought at Lowe's several years ago. I absolutely love them and they make me smile every single time I see them. If we ever really do sell our house, my phlox are (is?) one of the things I will miss the most about living here.


8. A couple of random pictures from our summer so far....
   
   It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Basketball-playing Cowboy Spiderman! Hahahaha, I love this picture!
   
   
   
   Making Summer Wish List books:
   
   

Sorry, I know that's more than five. Guess I had more to say than I thought!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Wow, this week went by fast! Can't believe it's already Tuesday again.

In the car the other day (seems like a lot of our funny words happen in the car).....

Kloe: "Mom, what's nitrogen?"
Me: "It's a gas, like oxygen."
Jacob: (giggling) "A gas?"
Kloe: "You breathe oxygen."
Jacob: "No wonder I stink!"

----------------------------------------------------

Sunday night we were eating dinner and it was just barely starting to rain. Jacob hates thunderstorms. There was a flash of lightning and Jacob looked at the Mister, startled.

Jacob: "What was that?"
Mister: "Lightning."
Jacob: "Outside?"

[Think about it for a minute and you'll see the humor. :) ]

For more Tiny Talk, head over to Mary's blog at Not Before 7.