Vader Of The Opera

One of the girls at work found this today. I like Star Wars and the Phantom of the Opera, but I really don't think the two should mix. ENJOY!

Somedays you just need a bubble bath

That is all.

In the last two weeks, I have started a new job, finished my on campus courses, moved out of my apartment and into my sister and brother-in-law's house, and am now trying to figure out where to go to church. I can either go to a singles ward associated with the college, or to a singles ward full of non-students. I admit, I am a little wary of going to the non-student ward for fear of who might be in the ward. At least with the college ward, I am guaranteed somewhat concerning what age of people will be there. We'll see how it goes.

Life is good. I am finally starting to get things figured out. Sometimes you just need to mull things over in the hot water a bit. (Ten points if you can tell me what book talks about mulling things over in the tub.)


Things at the job are going alright, and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. Tomorrow I go in for advanced database training, so I will be able to help create the searches and things we use in the company and on Monday I get to go to Human Resources and learn about all the benefits I get for working for the company full time. Finally, blogging might still be few and far between as I will be working a lot of overtime and still haven't unpacked.

Buckley and I did hang a pole in my closet last night, so now all my clothes have a place to live and be happy, other than in a suit case in my corner. That's about all for now. I'm heading back to the bath.

Things sure happen fast

To quote Ferris Beuller:


"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Well my life, it seems has been flying by. Summer term is nearly over. And today I got some absolutely fantastic, stupendous, serendipitous, Jesus-loves-me-this-I-know, Oh-what-a-beautiful-morning-oh-what-a-beautiful-day-I've-got-a-beautiful-feeling-everything's-going-my-way, news.

I got a job. A full time, career, benefits, vacation pay, 9-5 actual salaried career.

It is with my same genealogy firm I work part time for now. My internship ends tomorrow (Friday) and I start my full time job on Monday morning bright and early. The whole application/interview/offer process took less than 72 hours. My new manager got my name from my current manager, and wants me to start immediately. Life is wonderful, back to normal, and I am ready to start my life as a college graduate.

It's amazing how much I've learned about my life and about what I want to do with it. Firstly, I want to work towards being a fully accredited genealogist. I am hoping that I can be finished with the accreditation process in the next 18 months to 2 years. being accredited is basically like getting your masters in Genealogy, but it is endorsed by a private genealogy group instead of being an actual degree from a university. More than anything accreditation allows me to pass myself off as a true authority in genealogical research.

After my accreditation I think I want to get either my MLS, or an MBA. With the MBA I would be able to better start my own genealogy consulting company. Because let's face it I really don't know much about owning my own business. The beauty of having my own clients is that I would then be able to do a little more work from home. and since I hope to be able to stay at home with my kids, this seems like a pretty good deal if I will need to work while my kids are young. My company offers tuition reimbursement so when I do decide to go for my masters, I'm not going to be footing the whole bill. SWEET!

OK, I know that this wasn't a particularly funny post, but I am so excited about my future plans that I just wanted to share them with you. Maybe tomorrow I'll post about the other things that have been during the few months I was on hiatus.

But if you are still reading this, congrats, now go and bug Grammy and Papa to go and post about their news.

As a final note, check out this old picture of me and Bucky. I think it may be my favorite picture of all time.

And There was much Rejoicing . . .

yay!!!

I got my grade back for spring term and I passed my killer class. This means I will be graduating for sure, and that I will be able to finish.

In other news, jobs seem to be opening up left and right. I haven't been offered any yet, but I've been applying like crazy. One that I applied for today is with my same company writing statistical reports on the genealogical data that we put out. I figured iout today that if I were to get this job I would actually be able to start working before graduation, just because of the way my classes are structured right now.

I'm going to continue on with my break, but I just wanted to keep you posted on what is goin on here.

I am still alive.
My Heavenly Father still loves me.
My Family Loves me too.
I will be graduating.
Life is looking up.

Taking a Break

Hey things are still pretty crazy here is graduation land. I'm just posting to let you know that I'm going to be taking a break for a little while, just until I feel like things are a little more in control. And I can post about things other than the stress of graduation.

I'll still check your blogs out, but for now, I really need some time to work on the things that really matter, like papers etc.

You are all great, Be happy!!

Here's how I know . . .

God loves me!

I am not used to the emotional rollercoaster that is graduation. I was doing fine for a few days, but once life calmed down a bit and I was feeling alright with letting life happen when it happens, and I started freaking out again. I feel like I'm 12 years old again and I don't know if I'm going to be laughing or crying at any moment.

Tonight was spent worrying about the future, the fact that I don't have a job, and that I only have 2 1/2 months left until "Go time". I came home from an evening of praying and reading my scriptures looking for some kind of resolution and my roommate Lis was sitting on the couch. We sat and talked for a while. She mentioned that sometimes when our faith is tested, it's only a little while before the Lord sends the blessings we need. Alot of times they aren't the blessings we are looking for, but they are definitely blessings.

I came back to my room to work on my paper, and check my e-mail. The only thing in my inbox was the monthly newsletter from my department at school, which I rarely read, and only briefly check out the employment section. Usually the jobs available are part time contracting work, which I would love to get involoved with once I start having kids and settling down. However, these jobs are supplemental in nature and are not meant to be a sole income.

Well, as I checked it today, there were a few jobs listed looking for full time genealogists, specifically genealogists working towards Acreditation, and who already have a degree in Genealogy. One of the companies is a molecular genealogy firm, they are working on a database of DNA samples and linking those people into pedigree charts using DNA and records. They are looking for people with my degree, and I would be able to stay in the area. There are a few more, and I will be sending out my resume as soon as I refine it a little more.

All this job talk got me excited, and I checked my job sites that I haven't looked at in about a week and half, and there are alot of exciting prospects on that website as well. It was just another way that I saw today that the Lord loves me and is going to help me get where I need to be, just so long as I keep close to Him, and I keep working on my faith.

In other news I have a new roommate. She showed up on my doorstep yesterday. I'm a little nervous because she is a brandspanking new freshnam. She graduated from highschool last Saturday and is from a very small town. So far she's been in her room quite a bit, and hasn't really come out to meet Lis and me, but I'll keep you informed of how it goes.

Have a fantastic day!!

On the upside

Well, I'm back, and life is still life, but it doesn't seem nearly as overwhelming as it has in the past. Thanks for all your prayers and support, they mean more than you know.

I don't have any funny stories or anything, but I've been thinking a lot about Memorial Day this weekend. Maybe it's because I am working for a genealogy company and so Memorial Day is a pretty big deal (I've had three e-mails about it in less than 24 hours). I've had three grandparents pass away, the one that I've been thinking of the most is my Grandpa Joe, my mom's dad. Grandpa passed away a few years before I was born, and the only way I've ever really known him is by the stories my parents and uncles tell about him.

The first time I remember hearing about him was when I taught myself how to whistle when I was about 3 or 4. My mom sat me down and told me about how Grandpa would whistle everywhere he went. The stories kept adding up, how he dipped his bananas in sugar, was the world's picky-est eater, how he would take the steps two at a time, and the way he cared for his children and his wife. My mom always told me that she thought he must have sent me to her and my dad. One aspect of this was that I was a right holy terror when I was really young, and Grandpa would have thought it was a good laugh, another aspect of this is that mom said I reminded her of him in many ways.

This has always made me wonder about the day when I will get to meet him. The closest I have ever come is when I was working on a paper for one of my genealogy classes and had a chance to listen to an oral history Grandpa made in 1978. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to hear my grandfather tell the story of his life, growing up a well-mannered-tennis-playing-garage-deconstructing-hyperactive-boy, falling in love with my grandmother (he was totally smitten, he proposed everyday for 3 months until she said yes, mostly to see what his reaction would be, he wanted to be married right away, but Grandma's mother thought she was too young to marry), and then the experiences he had as he became a father, lost children prematurely, and found his faith.

There are so many more thoughts I have about this wonderful man, but I don't have the time or space to share them all.

What are your favorite memories of your family?

Swinging

There is a saying my mother taught me when I was younger.

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and Swing!!"

Well, It's not that I've been doing any swinging, but I've been feeling the need lately. Graduation is looming ever closer. I'm starting to realize what people mean when they say I have no idea about what the "real world" is. I've been desparately trying to do homework, and work, and still keep my head above water. I have to admit, I'm having a pretty hard time.

It seems like no matter what I do it just keeps adding up. The papers, reading, figuring out finances, insurance, and all the million other things when I don't have a job lined up after graduation. It's just really frustrating, and maybe it's because people have moved out, and my mom and dad aren't here, but more than anything it just feels lonely. My older sisters graduated from college together and moved into a house with their best friend. They had each other when they were faced with the black wall of graduation. At this point I am leaning towards staying where I am because I think the job field for my degree might be better than down in Texas, but I'm just so frustrated with not knowing.

It's times like this when I wish I knew my future husband. And it's not that I'm out actively looking for a husband right now (heck, I don't even have time for laundry!), but I just think it would be nice to have that partnership, someone in it for the long haul. Someone to hold me when I need to be held, to help make dinner and do the dishes afterward, someone who looks into my eyes and wonders what he did to be so blessed. Someone for me to serve and love, and to look at them and wonder why I have been so blessed. My faith is the most important thing in my life and I know that the family is central to our Heavenly Father's plan for us. And I know that marriage and family takes alot of work, but it also takes and returns a lot of love.

My parents and siblings are all wonderful examples to me of love and respect and service in marriages. I watch them all working in partnership with one another and with the Lord to make their homes safe havens, where love wins out, and everyone works for the better of the family. My parents have been married for over 30 years. When we would catch Mom and Dad kissing in the kitchen, we would run from the room screaming, and Dad would so lovingly remind us that the best gift a father can give his children is to show them that he loves their mother. I have four siblings. All of them are now married, and starting families of their own. It's not that I feel left out of the family, because all of my siblings, and my in-laws are so aware of me, and my feelings, and I know that I am so lucky to be loved by so many people.

Don't worry, it's not like I am going to rush into something that is not right. I know that when the time comes to make that decision, it will be made with a lot of prayer, and trust that the Lord will let me know that I am on the right track. I am just excited, and a little impatient for the day when I can pledge my heart and soul to the man who will love me forever.

I know that the Lord will help me in the coming months, and years, and will help to ease this uncertain time. Sorry if this had seemed like a depressing post, but I just needed to express some things. Putting it all into words has already helped more than you know.

Make New Friends But Keep the Old

This summer term has been full of friends moving out and moving in. First to leave was my roomate and friend Kerry.

Kerry is amazing. She is completely loving and selfless. During the move that nearly cost me my blogging habit, We were all tired, we had just finished killing our selves with finals, and Kerry came down with a really bad cold the night before the move. Finally, on Friday morning when I wasn't sure if I would be done with cleaning before check out, Kerry got on her hands and knees and helped me scrub the kitchen floor. Kerry is fantastic, she's gone out of state for the summer, and I miss her like crazy.

Another good friend I will be missing is my dear friend Agis. He went home last week. We've called him several times, but it doesn't make it any easier to think that he is going to be gone for two years. We wanted to do something special to show him that we love him, so for his birthday we made a cardboard cut out of his head and took pictures. We threw a birthday party for him,

then things got a little crazy.


And finally, my roommate Elle Scorcho has decided to go home for the next two months. She is practically family, (she's planning to come to the family reunion in 4 years). I came home tonight and suddenly the apartment felt so incredibly empty. Life will go on, and I keep telling myself she will be back in a few months. Until then I will just have to talk to her almost constantly, and take lots of pictures while she is gone. This pic is from our totally awesome Cinco de Mayo party.

Basically we went and ate Mexican food. Then we came home and watched a movie. Not super festive, but good all the same.

On the bright side, I got a chance to meet Agis' older brother, Shayster, who just moved out here to go to school. I met him yesterday. So far, he's a pretty cool cat.

That's about all the news for now. I'll keep you posted on the sparsness of my friends and my new budding social life.

The Flip Flop Mamma tagged me, so here goes:
The "I" List...
I want my whole family to live in one place.
I wish I could travel the whole world, and change someone's life for the better.
I hate people who are purposefully hurtful.
I am a little neurotic.
I miss my family, and Gelati's from Rita's "Wooder" Ice I hear my roommate screaming because I just hid the giant Legolas Cut Out in the shower again.
I wonder what I will end up doing in my life.
I can't see a chubby baby without wanting to zurb their tummies (when you lift up their shirt and blow on their stomach. Thanks to The Cosby Show for the technical name and to Papa for teaching the Tummy Gummer's poem by Mason Williams)
I regret not calling my Grandma more often.
I am not the most tactful person in the world. My bluntness has tapered off since highschool, but sometimes I still blurt things out when I should bite my tongue.
I sing loudly in the car, with my windows down.
I dance like a maniac. People think I know what I'm doing, but it's all just pretending.
I cry when I read my dad's blog, and during chick flicks. (Strangely enough 13 Going on 30 gets me everytime. There is one part where Jenna Rink's world is falling apart, and she climbs into bed with her mom in the middle of the night. I saw this movie for the first time when my world was falling apart, and there had been times when I curled up in bed with my mom. About my dad's blog, My mom has told me that I am alot like my dad, so sometimes he writes about things that may not seem to be super important, but they mean alot to me. That's my horn, my hopechest, and everything in the lavender room).I do my happy dance when things are going really well.
I would like to learn how to fix my car.
I make fish faces when I'm bored.
I am secretly shy about asking for help from people I don't know.
I write anonymous love notes and send them in the mail. Everyone like to get something nice to read sometimes.
I confuse the names of my sister and my niece.
I know that God loves me, and that prayer helps everything!
I should spend more time exercising.
I start panicing when I think of life after Graduation.

I'm going to tag anyone who reads this and thinks they can give me something entertaining to read.

Links

Check out the sidebar, I finally got my links working!

I'm not dead yet!

Sorry I've been gone so long. The end of April brought a flurry of finals and a big weekend of moving. I've been in my new apartment for almost 2 weeks at this point and it's about time I got back into the habit. Here's what's been going on:

1. The move. We were told by our landlord that since we were switching apartments, but staying in the same complex we would need to have everything out of our old apartment by noon. We thought that this meant we would be able to start moving our things into our new apartment by about 12:30. the problem was that the girls who were in our new apartment didn't get out until about 3:30. Moving was a little nuts and I have come to the following conclusions:
- I hate moving.
- I want to marry the person who crafted this fine piece of hardware:


It may not look like much and it may not be fancy, but it gave me the best shower I have ever had in my life. Some people may argue that The shower merely seemed better because I was so tired and hot and sweaty after moving, but seriously, this is an amazing piece of Chrome.

In other news, Grades came out for last semester and I was really pleased. There was one big surprise when I managed to pull off a B+ in a class I was afraid I would have to retake

My new job is fantastic.

Old friends have moved away for the summer, but new friends are being made all the time. My new Apartment is alot more central to the complex, and my social life has increased exponentially. Hooray!

I'll post again in a day or two, I promise it won't be another 3 weeks again.

Be Happy!!

Freedom and Sushi

Well, that's it. Here's the final countdown:
Pages typed: 34
Tests taken: 1 (3 full hours of writing frantically and still not being able to say everything I wanted to)
Hours it took to get rid of massive writers cramp: about 3
Showers taken: enough to not feel like a complete slug, right now I am feeling squeaky clean.
Boxes packed for the move on Friday: 1
Celebrations with bargain sushi: 1

That's about it!

I'm finally done. It seems like this semester has gone soe quickly. It hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm sure it will.

About the bargain sushi: Demai is a restaurant in town that offers $3 sushi rolls on tuesday nights. I know what you're thinking, bargain sushi, why not just swallow rotten eggs and get the food poisening over with quickly. Actually the food is really great, and I've had friends eat there every Tuesday for about a year and they have never been sick from it. I've been planning to join Elle Scorcho aka Roomie #5 for Sushi night for quite a while, but something else always seems to come up. So tonight as a celebration for finishing, Elle, Nantie Buckley, Nuncle Candy, his brother Agis, our friend Mo, and I got sushi. I am a huge fan. It will probably become a regular tradition for us all to get together for sushi on Tuesdays from now on. Agis will only be here for another week or so, but he will be here next week, and that is the most fun.

Agis is one of my favorite people. He is my brother-in-law's brother. He's not quite 19, but we get along so well. I refer to him as my brother-in-law, and he refers to me as his sister-in-law. HIs nickname is Agis, as given to him by the Bean. The other day Beanie needed to call someone. Grammy and Papa were out, Buckley and Candy were entrenched in a big project, and there were very few people who would be amused by a random almost 2 year old calling to chat. After a quick look through my phone book, I decided Agis was the perfect person to call. As with any college freshman, we called and he was out with friends. The best part came when he told his friends he need a minute because he needed to talk to his niece. He is awesome. He is getting ready to serve a two year mission for our church. He doesn't know where he's going yet, but I'm sure that where ever he goes, the people will all love him.

Anyway, enough with the fabuslousness of the Agis. This post was meant to show how excited I am to be done. And I am.

PS-I didn't get the job I wanted in Hawaii, but I did get a new Job working with a large genealogy firm. I'm starting part time next week, and I hope that after Graduation I will be able to switch to full time. I'll probably stay at electronics-R-us for at least one shift a week. I really like the people, and just in case the full time thing doesn't work out at the new place, I will still have an option to go full time when the mega-store opens a new location in October.

Let the countdown begin

In honor of my last real finals week here is the countdown:

All nighters pulled: 1, still to go 2
Pages typed: 25, Pages to go: 10-15
Papers turned in: 2, Papers to go 1
Tests taken: 0, Tests to go: 1
Trips to the vending machine for another caffinated beverage: 2
Trips to go: 6
Showers taken: 0
Loads of laundry done: 1. Loads to go: 2 (the last 2 loads can wait until I'm done)
Games of minesweeper played: 12 or 13 (I play a quick game every time I finish 2 pages)
boxes packed to prepare to move next week: 0
Pictures taken by my crazy roommate: 1

# of Roommates trying to reach a zen like state: 1

# of People in my apartment actually studying: 3 (sorry I don't have a pic of me, but there was studying, I promise!


Random blog posts to avoid going to campus: 1

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

Life after College

Ok, So I'm getting ready to graduate! I am so excited. And freaked out of my mind. I know that in four months I will be thrown into the real world with things to worry about like insurance, car payments, having a "real job" as opposed to the Large electronics-mart I work for now. So these past few weeks have been filled with Job hunting. It is still a little too early to be interviewing for fulltime, career-type jobs, but I just want to know what it is that I'll be doing once I'm done in August.

Well, today I got a call from a company that I've been interested in, they want me to interview for a part time position that I would start now, before graduation. This position is in the field I want to concentrate on, and there are opportunities for advancement once I graduate, so YAY!

But at the same time I've been looking at job with the church. I figure if I am going to graduate from college I might as well take a chance to travel, or strike out on my own for once. So, this past week I've been looking into Jobs in Utah, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, and even Hawaii. I know I probably won't do them, but they all start out paying really well, and I am qualified for all of them. It's not something I'm really considering because they won't hire me four months ahead of time, but it's kind of nice to know that the option is there. Maybe if I move to Hawaii I'll learn how to surf for real. And maybe if I move to Washington I could see The Daring Young Family more than I do now.
We'll see how it all works out, but until then keep your fingers crossed about my interview in the morning!

How weird am I?

I was tagged by Gabriella who's "Livin' La Vida Loca" to list 6 wierd things about me. Here goes:

1. I have to sleep with my left foot uncovered. It doesn't matter if it's 40 below, that foot must be free!!

2. I answer rhetorical questions.

3. I eat my meals in segments. Example: Thanksgiving dinner goes a little something like this: Salad is the first thing off my plate. I won't start in on the mashed potatoes until every lettuce leaf is off my plate. Next comes mashed potatoes, crescent rolls, corn, stuffing, and finally the turkey. No food is started until the last item is gone.

4. My left shoe always goes on first. In fact, my left leg always goes first, putting on pants, socks, slippers, you name it. There really is such a thing as starting the day off on the wrong foot.

5. When I am bored, I make wierd faces. Seriously. Sometimes I'll be sitting alone in the library and realize that I've been making a fish face. I don't know how long I've been doing it, but I think I can trace it back to when my sisters started having kids. I used to make faces at Laylee, Magoo and the Bean, and pretty soon I just started making faces when I was bored or lost in thought. Go figure.

6. I have no idea where some of my words come from. I was born in Canada, with an American mother and moved to the States when I was about 11. Some words just mush together. Is it sneakers? runners? tennies? Trainers? Beats me, they're all athletic shoes right? Also, late at night, my Canadian accent comes out. My roommates like to mock me for it. When I try and do one normally it sounds forced, but late at night it all comes back and I suddenly start sounding like a hoser again. Meanwhile, a Texan drawl comes out when I'm stressed, angry, or offering someone more food. I think that part comes from being a waitress in Texas for several summers. And finally, I've watched and listened to too many Lord of the Rings Special Features and Commentaries that I can no longer do a British Accent. It always comes out sounding Australian or New Zealand-esque. (What is the right word for that?)

Anyway, that's me. Now I have to tag someone else:

1. Flip Flop Mamma
2. Elle Scorcho
3. Papa at PapaRocks
4. Grammy at Grammy Rules
5. Justin at Myveryownatheblog
6. Anyone else who might stumble upon this and want to participate.

An Open Letter to the Jerk who called at 2:30 AM

Dear Sir:

Did you enjoy our conversation last night? I sure didn't. I don't know if your mother ever taught you this, but it is rude to call people at 2:30 am and ask them to help you with your psychology homework. My mother always taught me that you don't call someone after 9:00 at night unless you know for a fact that they will be up. Even in my college apartment, my roommates and I are thrown off if someone calls after 10:30. Yes, we are always up that late, but it is unusual to receive calls from people after those hours.

I understand that maybe you have been having trouble in this psychology class you told me about. And please know that I recognize how important extra credit work can be. But waking someone up in the middle of the night is never the best way to get them to cooperate with you.

Ive decided that since you didn't know what was going on at my end of the phone, I might help you out further and let you in on a few conclusions I have drawn. Maybe they will be of help in your final write-up.

Here are some things you should know about me:
1. I am an insomniac. I had only been asleep for about 15 minutes before your call. Because of our fantastic little conversation, I only got about 3 hours of sleep before I got up for church on Easter Sunday.
2. When the phone rings in the middle of the night my first thought is that something is wrong, and someone has died. When you called I was paniced that I might have to tell one of my roommies that their mother had died. Scaring people like that is not a nice thing to do.
3. When I do go into panic mode, it is very easy for my mind to wake up, thus taking me out of the relaxed state you had hoped for by calling in the middle of the night.
4. I am passive agressive, (thus the open ended letter that you will never read, instead of hanging up on you last night or should I say early this morning).
5. My mom always taught me that no one can have power over me, unless I let them. I'm sorry, but I don't let anyone put me in a situation like that. I've seen what hypnotists can do, and I'm not such a fan of being so relaxed that you can get me to do anything.

Here's what happened on my side of the conversation, When I woke up enough that I realized what was going on, I didn't want to tell you to go suck a lemon, because I know what it's like to need extra credit in order to save your final grade in class, so I thought if I just stayed silent you would think that I had fallen asleep. You didn't fall for that one, you tricky little snake. SO then, I pushed a bunch of buttons with my cheek to make you think I had let go of the phone. THat seemed to work a little better although you were very persistant in trying to get my attention back on the phone. Finally I won, and you gave up. It's good you gave up when you did, because I would have beaten you anyway, and it's better to have people defeated quickly than to draw out the process.

For future referance, you may want to avoid dialing random numbers in the future, you never know who you may get, and in the end, waking people from a sound sleep in the middle of the night to run psychological experiments over the phone is just a mean thing to do.

Please keep what I have told you in mind as you write your paper, and hey, maybe you can use some of it to include in a section on passive aggression.

Sincerely,
Meg

P.S.- Don't ever call me again. Thanks!

Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?

Or Vanilla Cream Mini Spooners?

Because I do!


There was recently a big sale on cereal that was very near it's expiration date. I think my roommates may have purchased the entire stock.

OK, maybe not the entire stock, but this is only about half of the cereal stash.

In other news-

Ummm... Finals are almost here. Blaaahhh!
I'm still here. I'm still going to school. I'm still a nantie.

yup, that's about it.

If I ask nicely and give it a good build up, will you go see it please?

My roommates and I skipped out on our Monday night FHE activity and went to see Chronicles of Narnia at the $1 movie last night. It was 50 cent night. (Not that 50 cent was part of the movie but that it only cost 2 quarters to get in).

Anyway I will say that this is the best movie I have seen in the last year. Generally when a movie comes out and it is based on a book, I try and read the book before seeing the movie. I finished the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe about a week ago. I was impressed and thought it was cute. I love CS Lewis, and I think he was really able to capture the Christian symbolism in a very moving manner. The book didn't make me cry. Yes I did feel a little choked up, but I didn't necessarily feel a great spiritual experience while reading the book.

Well, my roomies and I went to see it and it was excellent. It stayed relatively true to the original story, and did so much more to build on the characters and situations that in the book are generally covered in a sentence or two. I knew that I would probably need the tissues in my purse during one of the first scenes when Mrs. Pevensie puts her four children on a train to live with strangers in a different part of the country, in hopes that they would be safer there. I don't have any children of my own, but I was struck with the sudden realization that children were sent away. This moment did so much to remind me of how blessed I am to not need to make decisions like that. (Who knows if I will ever have to make a similar choice. Right now, I don't know who so many mothers did it during WWII.)

The movie was very well shot, with amazing cinematography, great sweeping vistas, seemless CGI, and excellent color temperatures and combinations. If I didn't already want to go after Lord of the Rings, I really want to go to New Zealand now. Overall an excellent job in film making. Way to go Andrew Adamson (writer, director, producer)!

Interesting thing my roommate pointed out to me. The White Witch showed a counterfeit for everything good in the world. She even tried to appear as a counterfeit Aslan in the final battle sequence. Her costume then consisted of mostly gold colored furs, with a great mane of golden fur around her neck to look like the mane of Aslan. Just and interesting tidbit Roommate #5 pointed out.

The part that moved me the most was the great poinancy with which the death of Aslan was portrayed. (I can just hear My highschool English teacher shuddering at the way that last sentence was formed). Maybe it is because of recent events that have occured since I finished the book, but it seems that now I have a much greater appreciation for the great significance. I knew that death was coming, I knew that the great king would be mocked, tortured and ultimately killed for another's wrong doing, but it still came as a shock how affected I really was by the great paralells to my faith.

Words really can't do justice to the great personal way in which I was moved. It is a great movie for anyone looking to be edified.

I can walk away from that film knowing that God loved us so much that he sent his son to be offered as a sacrifice in my place. With Easter approaching it is so amazing to know that God loves me and prepared a way for me to return and live with him, even though I am imperfect.

Go see it. It'll definitely be worth it.

(Just make sure and take some tissues, my little pack of tissues was passed down our little row of roommates and we all needed them)

In which Nanties and Nuncles are discussed

I am a Nantie.

As many of you already know a Nantie is the fancy pants way of refering to what normal people might call an Aunt. But then, if you read any of my family members' blogs you probably are already aware that we are not exactly "normal" in the "normal" sense of the word. (When I was 12, I thought it was so deep to discuss normalcy, and pretend to be a free thinking philosopher, when really I was just being 12).

Anyway, back to Nanties and Nuncles. I think the "Nantie" thing started before Laylee knew how to talk, or maybe it started when she was still putting N's at the beginning of all her words. Either way, I got to be Nantie Meg, which is the coolest ever. Pretty soon the Nanties decided that the Uncles probably felt left out, so we started calling them Nuncles, and it all kind of goes from there.

My responsibilites as a Nantie include:
free babysitting
Reading Snuggle Puppy and other books approximately 12 million times in a row
Singing silly songs
Providing fun things, like my camera case, for teething Magoos to chew on

Making Fish Faces
Discussing matters of Court with Princesses
Encouraging Tickling between cousins Magoo and The Bean
And taking pictures of Grammy Tickling Laylee


Now it's time for a Sesame Street Sing-along "These are the Nanties in my neighborhood"
Most of the Code Names come from the inability of the children to say the actual names:
Nantie Thurwheat is married to Nuncle Buckwheat

Nantie Daring is married to Nuncle Daring

Nantie Sila is married to Nuncle Ace

Nantie Meg is ... ME!

Nantie Bucky (aka Buckley, Bucklintine, Bucklintino) is married to Nuncle Candy.

All in All, we have a pretty good time.