Merry Christmas 2008

This pretty much sums it up.

please click picture to enlarge

We received this card from our bishop in church and I think it puts forth what gifts we really should be focusing on giving others...and in turn...ourselves.

Now THAT'S more like it!

Got this info from my good friend April.

MTV News can confirm that 26-year-old "Scorpion King 2" actor Michael Copon [pronounced "COPE-on"] is one of several actors Weitz is considering to play the new, larger Jacob Black. A representative for Copon told us that they're making a full effort to land the high-profile gig. And in a bit of 21st-century self-publicity, the actor has even recently updated his Facebook status with messages like: "Michael Copon [is] in a Twilight Zone!" and "Michael Copon is the older Jacob Black!"

My thoughts: He is MUCH more what I would have pictured, and I'm liking it...HOWEVER...I wish they could find a genuine Native American to play the role. I'll take it though!!

Don't worry...I am now done with my Twilight posts!!

Art Masterpiece...and the fear of embarrassment.

(Breezing Up by Winslow Homer)

Today I was able to go to the kids school and teach "Art Masterpiece". I was excited because I LOVE art and I LOVE going to my kids school. The picture and artist we discussed was Breezing Up by Winslow Homer. I love learning more about artists and their techniques. I really love this painting.

So, the funny thing was that this morning as I was getting the kids ready for school I was reminding them that today was the day I would get to come and teach in the class. Ella looked at me and her eyes grew wide. Then she said, "can I choose what you are going to wear?" WHAT?!!! This...coming from my daughter who barley notices if her shirt is on backwards or even matches?! I think she saw my confusion and said, "your not going to wear THAT to school are you?"...as she pointed to my pajama bottoms and bra-less old t-shirt. I assured her that I would shower and get dressed. I really do get ready most days, but never before she leaves for school. She must assume that I stay that way until she gets home from school. I realized that she is now at the stage where parents make a big impression on the kids when they show up for school. I'll try to keep that in mind and only embarrass her on occasion.

I'm sure I didn't do a very good job at teaching, but I sure had a good time.

Update to my thoughts four posts ago.

Here is an article my dear friend Natalie sent to me!! Parts to take note of are in red, and my commentary is in orange!

'Twilight' sequel: New details on 'New Moon'

Dec 10, 2008, 01:00 PM | by Nicole Sperling

Categories: Movie Biz

Summit Entertainment has tentatively slated Nov. 20, 2009, as the release date for New Moon, the Twilight sequel, which means any director who signs on to replace Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke has to be in Vancouver by Dec. 15 to begin 12 weeks of preproduction before a mid-March start date. Reports have speculated that Hardwicke was fired for being difficult on set, but sources close to her suggest Summit's aggressive production schedule turned her off. "She'd love to do the sequel if she could do it better than Twilight,” says one. “It ­became clear that Summit didn’t have those same priorities."

Indeed, at press time the second movie appeared to have ­little more than a rough first-draft working script. As Summit’s production president Erik Feig told EW during Twilight’s ­record-busting first weekend, “There is that first...script. All the finesse that turns a screenplay into a movie hasn’t ­happened yet.” Two weeks later, Summit is saying it’s happy with screenwriter ­Melissa Rosenberg’s progress.

Okay, these first two paragraphs make me nervous that they are too excited about getting another movie out there. I would assume with the success of Twilight that there will be a bigger budget for New Moon. Let's try to put it to good use huh?! I mean sure, it's exciting have another one come out so soon, but c'mon I'm looking for quality not quantity.

Another of Hardwicke’s primary concerns was that hunky vampire Edward remains MIA throughout New Moon’s middle portion. In her own opening-weekend interview, she told EW, “You have to get the chemistry as strong ­between Jacob and Bella as it was between Bella and Edward. You also have to do ­some­thing with that arc: She’s in love with somebody, he disappears, she falls in love with someone else, and the first guy comes back. Movies like Pearl Harbor have tried it. It absolutely didn’t work.” Maybe I'm crazy, but I thought it absolutely DID work in Pearl Harbor. I liked that movie.

With or without Hardwicke, Summit ­faces other snags. Two sources tell EW the studio doesn’t want to rehire baby-faced Taylor Lautner - my thoughts exactly -(pictured) as Jacob, though Lautner’s agent has apparently reached out to the ­imaging company behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in an attempt to demonstrate to Summit how a digitally bulked-up Lautner could work. No, no, no...that was MUCH of the problem with him in the first one!!! He wasn't authentic!!! The wig was obviously horrible, but he didn't even look Native American! (Summit says it won’t make a decision until a new filmmaker is on board.) There’s also the matter of finding a cast of Native American actors to play Jacob’s werewolf clan (oh yes, they were sad...very sad) — a difficult challenge Hardwicke was also faced with before ­settling on Lautner, who isn’t completely ­Native American. (ummmm...yeah...like I said...we all could tell!!!) And with a slightly increased budget of $50 million — much of which is ­assumed will go to leads asking for heftier paydays, location shoots in Italy, and ramped-up F/X — Summit will have to scrimp somewhere.

So what director would want to take on such a big headache? Well, at press time, an offer was out to Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass), who put Summit on the map years ago when its foreign sales operation made tons of cash off of his first film, American Pie. (One source says Weitz has already had conversations with below-the-line crew for New Moon.) “We are in a recession,” ­reminds one Hollywood insider. “It’s a hit franchise. Whoever steps into it is guaranteed a $100 million gross. Everyone wants this movie.” Adds an exec at another studio, “You’d have to have a very high standard for art, (he he he)hate the movie business, and hate ­money to walk off this sequel.”

I just have to brag.

This truly is his handwriting...1st grade!

2009 - A Space Odyssey

Wait...make that....We traded the 2002 Chrysler (plus a little cash) for the 2009 HONDA Odyssey!!! But it is so nice that even Max said, "this car feels safe...like a rocket. Can it go into space?!" No son, but I sure am glad you like it...I do too!

Yup! We finally did it. Merry Christmas to me!!

I feel special!

Apparently my friend Gabi from "The Gab Blog" fame thinks I am interesting enough to feature on her blog! Who knew?! So if you want some advice for the holidays (I really need to put it into practice) then head on over and let us know what you think!!

P.S. Many of you may have been introduced to Gabi from this post. She was plagiarized like crazy...like this. She's brilliant, funny, and just a regular mom of 4 like me.