December 2018

I decorated my dad’s house for the holidays. I was happy to do it for him.

Lily came home from her first semester at college on December 7th! We went to see Bohemian Rhapsody and that kicked off a month of movies for us.

The girls decorated their gingerbread houses.

So

We went on an airplane ride over the area to see the Christmas lights from the sky. It was such a fun adventure that Lily’s roommate’s dad arranged for us. Afterward, we walked through one of the light displays.

Lily was part of a college panel at her former high school. They answered questions about the freshmen experience.

A few days before Christmas, we went with John’s family to Wintergreen. It was a fun family weekend. Shelly tried skiing and wasn’t a huge fan, but I was happy she tried.

On Christmas Eve, we went to John’s sister’s house for the festivities with his family. Then we spent the night at my dad’s house awaiting the arrow Santa.

Christmas Day was fun and filled with thoughtful gifts. We spent the evening at my sister’s house playing games and eating yummy food.

We did a little after Christmas shopping and found a few good deals. 

New Years Eve, Lily went to a friend’s house for a party and Shelly had her friend Kenzie over. We had the traditional Foster NYE appetizers and we all stayed up until midnight!

Movie Review

Checking in with a little movie review post. Last weekend we went to see Gnomeo and Juliet. The girls were very excited about this one. I was mildly interested but agreed to go. Surprisingly, it was a little better than I had anticipated. I especially enjoyed the Elton John tunes. The girls both gave it a thumbs up and really liked it.






Our next review is for the Justin Bieber movie, Never Say Never. Now this one was my suggestion. The girls aren't very big Bieber fans so they weren't initially eager to go see the movie. I, on the other hand, like his music and had heard good things about the movie. The girls agreed to go and by the end of the show, we all liked it. I enjoyed the story and the girls liked it, as well. We only had the 3D option. This isn't normally a movie format I am wild about, but overall it was fine with the 3D effect. We all gave this one a thumbs up. Oh, and this is a solid 2 hour movie that kept my interest the entire time.

Movie Reviews

This summer we have spent quite a bit of time at the movie theater. The girls and I love a good flick. So, for others who haven't yet seen some of these shows, here is our quick little review guide:

The first movie I didn't see myself, but the girls went with their cousin Krissy to see it. Lily is giving this one a C and says that it wasn't as good as the other Shreks. My niece (a 17 year old) also mentioned that it wasn't that great.

The next movie we saw was Toy Story 3. We agree that this one is about a B (maybe even a B-). I was disappointed with the somewhat dark side of this flick.

I was pleasantly surprised with Despicable Me. I had no real expectations, but this one really came through with a good story line. We are rating this one an A-. Oh, and we especially enjoyed the soundtrack for this movie.

Ramona and Beezus was, by far, the best of the movies we have seen this summer. The plot was entertaining for kids and parents, alike. This movie receives a solid A!!!

You'll notice the lack of movie reviews for anything dark or scary. We just aren't into those shows. So, if you see one of the spooky movies, you're on your own!

Alone at the Movies

On Friday afternoon I went by myself to see a movie. This movie...
I brought in my own chocolate covered raisins and an iced tea in my big red bag. I settled in to see the show and it was just okay. The story line wasn't much like my own family, but here and there I could feel a few similarities. It made me fairly emotional.

I enjoy going to see movies by myself. To date, I have seen Flashdance, Stepmom, Sex and the City, and now this one alone. It's kind of a fun little escape. If you haven't done it, give it a try.

Say a Little Prayer

Lots of emotions and oh, so tough to be here and not there. My mom was admitted to the hospital yesterday and they have diagnosed her with pneumonia. Please say a little prayer for her. I spoke with her this morning and she sounded ok. I am thankful that my sister, Linda, is able to be there for my parents. Again, please say a little prayer.

My sister, Kathy, and mom...December 26th

(photo taken by Lily)

Last night we watched a very compelling movie. It stars one of my favorite actors, Joaquin Phoenix. You may remember my obsession with one of his other movies. This one was really an interesting story and worth seeing.

Really Cute Movie

Yesterday, January 1, 2009, we went to the movies as a family and saw Bedtime Stories! It was super cute and we all really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it for everyone...laughs and silliness abound.

The year is shaping up nicely. I am still working on my "one word" idea for this year. The past two years I chose the word simplify and I really liked that one, but now I think I'm ready for a change. I am not big into resolutions because I think they just make you feel badly when you don't accomplish them. So, the "one word" idea is nice...it makes you reflect on what you did right in relationship to the word. Here are some great ideas for words. Check it out.

Photo Shoot and an Alien

Yesterday around 5:00 we had just the right outdoor lighting to get some fun pictures of the girls. I took tons of pictures, but here are just some of my favorites:




































































































A true redneck...recliner pulled out from the garage, beer in hand, an apple in the other, and the garbage can in the background (nice!)
































The girls attempting to jump for me:























And on Friday night we began watching ET. We weren't sure how the girls would like it, but they both really enjoyed the movie and we finished it on Saturday afternoon. Loved seeing this movie again. Can you believe it came out in 1982????

Kit

The girls and I went to see Kit the Movie last night. There were a total of 16 of us (11 girls/5 moms) who went from our 'hood. The movie was just adorable and followed the book very closely. I loved how well it highlighted the time period and by the end 4 of the 5 moms were in tears. Highly recommend this movie. After the movie, all 16 of us headed to Steak 'N Shake for dinner. What a cool memory for all of these little girls (and moms).

Feeling Good

The family is all back in working order. What a relief. Lily and Shelly had both recovered by Wednesday morning and Lily went into school late that day. We went to Charlotte for her field trip to this place and she was really worn out once we got home. Both girls were asleep by 7:30. Shelly had her Easter Egg hunt at school and had a great time.

Friday was our first official day of Spring Break and we went to this movie:

It was cute. Lily seemed to enjoy it and Shelly fell asleep with about 20 minutes left to go. We also had a little lunch of bagels while we were out together. The girls and I always enjoy this ritual.

Last night we had dinner at our friends' house. Yummy asparagus (and I'm not even an asparagus lover), flank steak, Italian sausage, salad, corn on the cob, and an apple caramel pie with nuts. Lots of laughs.

Today is BEAUTIFUL outside. The girls and I spent the morning cleaning their rooms and the hovel. Then we decorated our Easter eggs and had a picnic lunch outside. They played outside while I read this mag. This hasn't been one of my favorite magazines, but this issue was inspiring with all of the visuals of wall decor. Then we had a little walk in the sunshine discussing life, dogs, birds, and pools.

Tonight we are preparing for the bunny and the hope of new beginnings that come with Easter. Looking forward to it all.

Some sites that are inspiring me:

• This cool, hip site.
• Always love her images.
• This story is heart-wrenching, inspiring, and captivating...read from the beginning.
• A fantastic array of tags, cards, and what-nots.
• Her foods always make me want to jump up and prepare them.

And well, I'll be back soon with those Easter pics. Happy Easter...Happy Spring!!!

07.02.07

Busy fun this weekend. John and I went to see this movie on Friday night and thought it was very funny. Good to go to the theaters and see something worth watching. We also made a pit stop here for appetizers beforehand...yummy!

Saturday we did some organizing around the house and then Lily's friend came over to spend the night. I finished going through our expansive CD collection in the office. It was full of computer related cds, picture cds, and scrapbooking layout cds. So, I took some time and purged the unecessary cds and filed (in order) the other cds. Now they all have a happy home and I can access necessary info at a moment's notice.

Saturday night we took the girls (and friend) to see Ratatouille. The girls all seemed to love it and I thought it was fine...not great not bad. After the movie, we hit Chik-Fil-A for dinner and playing and then home to rest.

Sunday John and I put down a rug in the dining room and it really spruced up the appearance of that room. Then we headed to Lowe's for various items to complete an outdoor project. John is hard at work on a small walk area at the bottom of our deck stairs and he is doing a great job with it. He hopes to complete it today.

I also got a little pot to put the Peace Lily in and it is making me happy to see some live greenery in our home. I most definitely do not have a green thumb and I look forward to keeping this little plant alive.

And for some who might be interested, here is the photo album system I am using. It has a variety of sizes in it (12x12, 8.5x11, and 6x6) and a variety of styles...both paper and digital.

Happy first week in July!

K :)