Literally....

I grew up in the infant era of MTV.....back when they actually showed music videos. The glorious early 80s. And then VH1 came along. Double the fun. But obviously the era of the music video has long since expired and I honestly have NO idea what is on either music network. Probably mindless dribble for the mindless. Classic music videos will always rock, though.

Brilliant minds have created LITERAL translations of favorite 80s music videos. Since we'll be crazy busy this week and probably won't post much if at all, we'll leave you with a few laughs...

Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler


Making Love Out of Nothing At All by Air Supply


Anything for Love by Meatloaf

The Call

It arrived yesterday, after a week of anxiously waiting each day for the mail to arrive. My little brother, Sean, was too excited to wait for the family to gather and tore open the envelope to find out where the Lord wished for him to serve his mission. I'm not sure what he was thinking as he read the words "Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission" but I imagine he was elated to know that the Lord had work for him to do, in Wisconsin. In our church, young men have the opportunity to serve the Lord, through missionary work, when they turn 19 years old. The mission is a voluntary, 2-year call to service in which the young man leaves his family and works to share the gospel and serve the people in another part of the country or the world. Missionaries are some of the nicest guys you'll ever meet on the planet; they're kind, respectful, and eager to share the gospel.

Sean leaves for the Mission Training Center on August 26th!

I have to admit I was a surprised to hear Wisconsin.

What's in Wisconsin????

For weeks we have been trying to guess where Sean would be called to serve. Some thought he would serve in the southern United States. Clarke and I thought he'd be called to Teaxs. My dad thought it would be Arizona. My mom was hoping for Hawaii. Obviously we all had thoughts of balmy warm weather.

No wonder Wisconsin hit us like a snowball!

A quick google search uncovered these Wisconsin facts:

*Is nicknamed the badger state

*Is home to the Harley Davidson Motorcycles, the ice cream sundae, the hamburger hall of fame, the national freshwater fishing hall of fame, and the mustard museum

*Has the nation's largest water park: Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells

*Is the nation's dairy capital (produces more milk than any other state!)

*Summerfest in Milwaukee is the nation's largest music festival

*Famous Wisconsinites include Harry Houdini, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Douglas MacArthur

*Green Bay, Wisconsin is the toilet paper capital of the world

*Sheboygan, Wisconsin is the bratwurst capital of the world

*Eagle River, Wisconsin is known as the snowmobile capital of the world

We know that Sean will be a stellar servant of our father in heaven and will make a positive and lasting impact on the people in Wisconsin!

What post wouldn't be complete without a hysterical YouTube video
(that proves Mormons do have a sense of humor)??

"Hey There Delilah (I'm at the MTC)

URGENT!!

Tomorrow, Congress intends to vote on H.R. 2454 (also known as Cap and Trade).
If you're unfamiliar with Cap and Trade, please educate yourselves ASAP:
Cap and Trade

It is so important that as Americans, we oppose this corrupt and dishonest bill. I understand that some of our family and friends may disagree with us, politically. Please understand that this is not a political arguement.



The following is from JBS.org:
Oppose the Cap and Trade ‘Tax’ Increase Bill, H.R. 2454

“[U]nder my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” -- Barack Obama

An expensive new “tax” bill will be considered on the floor of the House as early as this Friday, June 26. This bill is known as the “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,” H.R. 2454, also known as the Waxman-Markey climate change bill.

Most Americans know this bill as a “cap-and-trade” bill for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and global warming by creating a system of pollution permits that energy companies must buy before releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

There are several very important reasons for Americans to oppose this bill:

(1) At exactly the time when more and more Americans are realizing that our federal government is out of control, this bill would establish a whole new unconstitutional activity of the federal government and give it yet another regulatory tool for increasing the cost of doing business, which would necessarily translate into higher costs for consumers.

(2) This bill would lead to increased expenses for American households of thousands of dollars per year. A recent Congressional Budget Office report estimated that the cost per household would be as little as $175 per year. However, the Heritage Foundation has responded with “CBO Grossly Underestimates Costs of Cap and Trade,” in which they point out that the CBO study assumes nearly 100% of the increased costs for businesses will be rebated to consumers by the federal government (when has this ever happened?) and omits consideration of negative impacts on the economy of thousands of dollars per household per year. Bottom line, don’t rely on the CBO report to be an accurate forecast of the additional costs you’ll be paying each year due to this cap and trade bill. For additional analysis of the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill, see "The Waxman-Markey Global Warming Bill: Is the Economic Pain Justified by the Environmental Gain?"

(3) The whole reason for existence of the expensive cap and trade scheme in H.R. 2454 is based on the global warming myth that man’s activities are producing significant temperature increases. Take a cold bath in reality by reading "A Cooling Trend Toward Global Warming."

We must not provide the federal government with new powers to regulate businesses that would lead to at least hundreds of dollars of new expenses per household each year and more likely to thousands of dollars of new expenses per year.

********

Please copy the following letter, fill in the appropriate spaces, and email it to your congressman/congresswoman


Dear Congressman/Congresswoman ____________:



I strongly urge you to oppose the so-called American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). Even if this bill’s emission targets are achieved, it would have virtually no impact on global temperatures because other countries are not compelled to do the same. Rather than enacting this flawed bill and its massive expansion of the federal bureaucracy, I encourage you to call on the Obama administration to negotiate an international treaty that requires all nations to participate equally to address climate concerns.


ACES would adversely impact the economic and energy security of the United States. The bill's aggressive emissions reduction mandate will limit the amount of energy available to run our economy, and fails to provide any assurance that substitute "green" energy will be available. This will mean energy shortages and high energy prices, resulting in higher prices for just about everything at a time when our economy is already struggling.



The cap-and-trade provisions in this legislation represent a massive new energy tax on American consumers. Without intense government oversight, its trading provisions will create new opportunities for market manipulation and further inflate the bill’s enormous price tag.


Other sections of ACES will require a massive expansion of the federal government. Its new federal programs represent an intrusion into, and control over, the lives of every American. For example, it creates a set of federal building codes that would impose limits on the way we construct our homes and business. Its transportation planning section will open the door for environmental groups and others to second guess every state and local road-building project in America. The legislation even imposes efficiency mandates for hot tubs and office water coolers. It is not the proper role of the federal government to exercise this level of control over the lives of Americans.



Instead, we should focus on an international treaty that addresses the climate issue in a way that sets real, enforceable targets for all nations. In the meantime, we should devote resources to research and development that will allow us to deploy clean energy technologies in the future.



I urge you to oppose the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Happy Daddy Day!

Clarke is an excellent father.
Just ask his son.

The first thing Brock greets me with every morning isn't "goodmorning mommy" or "I had a good sleep" or "I'm hungry."

He says "Is daddy home?"


Daddy & Brock go everywhere together in "daddy's twuck"

they love to swim

watch Star Wars

play football

learn to golf

tickle

go on walks

play with the dogs

tell stories

go shopping

and work in the garage

When Brock grows up he wants to be a jedi knight....and tall, just like daddy.

Happy Father's Day Daddy.

(And we know daddy's little girl is smiling down on him today, from heaven)

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Remember when...

...your childhood Saturday mornings found you parked in front of the TV, in your pjs, chowing down on cold cereal and hanging out with Tom and Jerry?

Well, its time to watch cartoons again.

Pjs are optional.

Cold cereal is a must!

"Make Mine Freedom" from 1948.

(This is so relevant for TODAY, it will blow your mind...)

Whole Hog

I never do things halfway
...except, perhaps, housework.
My hair is certainly no exception.

I was blonde as a baby. Blonde as kid. Awkwardly blonde as an awkward teenager. And blonde as a bride. However, as the years accumulate, its becoming increasingly more difficult to keep up the blonde. That's right, folks. I'm a bottle blonde and have been turning to the "bottle" since I was a teenager.

Keeping up the towhead has been an expensive battle of late as my inner brunette was fighting to escape her blonde prison and it was with reluctance that I made yet another salon appt to remedy the curse of dark roots. With economy in mind, I chose to take a chance on a beauty school instead of the old safe and spendy salon.*gulp*
I went to the Scot Lewis Beauty School on Vinnel Way in Boise.

Instead of just asking for something small and minimal off their menu to test the talents of the student (her name was Amy. Night student. :Insert shameless recommendation here:), I went whole hog and chose one of everything. I'm conservative in many things, but when it comes to my hair, I'm a bit cavalier, throw-caution-to-the-wind, devil-may-care, impulsive. Hair always grows back, after all.

Best of all...

At only 1/3 of the price of a normal salon, I got a color, foil highlights, a cut, and bangs!

Only $40. That's it. $40

So I walked in as a blonde...

...and I walked out as a brunette.

Isn't life grand?

Two

Life has thrown a generous amount of busy-ness in our direction and blogging is number 9,344 on my list of things to do. In the meantime, I found these two treasures while sorting through the millions of pictures I've taken the past several weeks and they were too cute to pass up.

Taken Memorial Day weekend, at the Boise River.

Poor Baby

It started on Sunday with sneezing.

Monday was greeted with sneezing, a runny nose and red eyes.

Tuesday found Brock sneezing, with a runny nose, red eyes, and battling a fever of 102*.

Wednesday it was all about the runny nose, red eyes, fever, and coughing.

Today it is a runny nose, red eyes, fever, coughing, and ear infection.

Tomorrow?????

The cradle will fall...

This year a rather unlucky red-breasted robin chose our lopsided, lace leaf maple as the home for her spring nest. We watched the nest eagerly for a first glance at the new family growing from within it's twigs. Last night our amateur birdwatching efforts paid off...

Last night Clarke also noticed that the nest looked like it was beginning to tip and after some conversation, we decided to not to interfere with the nest. I really wish we had though...


Because the cradle fell.



It was Brock's cries of alarm, this afternoon, that alerted me to the fact that the nest had not only tipped but that two of the fledglings had fallen out of the nest and were lying at the base of the tree. Max and Meli were anxiously sniffing at them. I went into freaked out momma bird mode and quickly locked the dogs in the kennel before assessing whether or not the babies were dead. I used a stick to gently poke at the unmoving bodies.

They stirred.

I was holding my breath and might have passed out had they not reacted to the poking.

The momma bird was chirping madly at us and there was a non-stop flurry of birds all over the place. I know how she feels. Losing a baby is all too fresh a feeling for me and I imagine she probably feels the same way.

There is still one little fledgling in the nest.

The two little fallen fledglings seem to be okay, nested in the grass. For now.

When Clarke gets home, we'll borrow a taller ladder and try and remedy the situation.

To be continued......

UPDATE!

Momma bird watched her babies all afternoon, delivering juicy worms to her hungry babies in their grassy nest at the base of the tree. There were two robins flying about and I'm assuming that the other bird was "dad."

Fortunately Clarke was able to reach the nest as the two anxious parents flapped wildly around him--undoubtedly panicked. The one little fledgling was still in the nest and in a matter of minutes, all babies were tucked safely together in a nest that seemed several sizes too small to accomodate them. They chirped insanely at their hero.

Clarke put the nest back up on the same branch---a little more steady this time and after an hour, the ever watchful parents finally returned to feed their babies in what must have been a very happy reunion.

Now, if only they'll stop chirping at 6 a.m. EVERY morning....

Song for Rainy Afternoon

As I was frequenting one of my favorite design sites, I came across a YouTube video that the site's author encouraged everyone to watch. She described it as "a.maz.ing." Naturally, I had to check it out. Its a mix of two songs, both completely unfamiliar to me, but the finished arrangement is a.maz.ing. Enjoy!

(it takes several mintues to load...)


LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift) meets VIVA LA VIDA (Coldplay)- Piano Cello - by Jon Schmidt

The Campground

Does Your Campground Have a BC?

The story is told of a lady who was rather old-fashioned, always quite delicate and elegant, especially in her language. She and her husband were planning a week's vacation in Florida, so she wrote to a particular campground asking for a reservation.
She wanted to make sure the campground was fully equipped, but didn't quite know how to ask about the toilet facilities. She just couldn't bring herself to write the word "toilet" in her letter. After much deliberation, she finally came up with the old-fashioned term BATHROOM COMMODE. But when she wrote that down, she still thought she was being too forward. So she started all over again and rewrote the entire letter referring to the bathroom commode merely as the BC. "Does the campground have it's own BC?" is what she actually wrote.
Well, the campground owner wasn't old-fashioned at all, and when he got the letter, he just couldn't figure out what the woman was talking about. That BC business really stumped him.After worrying about it for awhile, he showed the letter to several campers, but they couldn't imagine what the lady meant either. So the campground owner, finally coming to the conclusion that the lady must be asking about he local Baptist Church, sat down and wrote the following reply:

Dear Madam:

I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I now take pleasure in informing you that a BC is located nine miles north of the campground and is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I admit it is quite a distance away, if you are in the habit of going regularly, but no doubt you will be pleased to know that a great number of people take their lunches along and make a day of it. They usually arrive early and stay late. It is such a beautiful facility and the acoustics are marvelous. Even the normal delivery sounds can be heard.The last time my wife and I went was six years ago, and it was so crowded we had to stand up the whole time we were there. It may interest you to know that right now a supper is planned to raise money to buy more seats. I would like to say it pains me very much not to be able to go more regularly, but it surely is no lack of desire on my part. As we grow old, it seems to be more of an effort, particularly in cold weather.If you do decide to come down to our campground, perhaps I could go with you the first time you go, sit with you, and introduce you to all the other folks.Remember, this is a friendly community.

Sincerely,

Campground Owner

To my Twilight peeps!

Happy Thought Tuesday:

Mark your calendars ladies! November 20th is Girls Night Out:

Driven to Extraction?

With a family history of truly hideous teeth, I was destined to have the worst teeth on the planet. Copious amounts of brushing and flossing couldn't chase away my fate. I was doomed.

Four years of braces, two extractions, two root canals, two crowns, and about 251billion fillings later finds me in EXCRUCIATING pain and relying on prescription Motrin, every 8 hours, on the dot!

I even googled home remedies and was insane enough to take a few for a spin.

*Vanilla Extract. The directions were to rub it on your gums around the infected tooth.

*Ground Cloves. The directions wer to rub it on your gums around the infected tooth.

*Caffeine Free Diet Coke. Swish around your infected tooth for two minutes and *voila?*

Nothing worked, but I must say the Diet Coke was so good, I had another one...just to make sure I had the swishing technique down to a science.

In the meantime, fantasies of do-it-yourself exctractions, thanks to 'Castaway' and the ice skate & coconut scene (yes, you know which one I'm talking about) will have to suffice. *cringes* At least until my dentist appointment.

Update: The dentist sent me to see an endodontist (specialist) when yesterday's x-ray indicated that there was a serious problem with the tooth in question. Turns out, the dentist who had originally performed the root canal may have left one of his instruments in one of the canals, knowingly or not, and then crowned it. Now its horribly infected (how do you get an infection under a crown anyway???) and I had to have a retracted root canal yesterday--two hours of unbelievable pain. We won't know for a month if it worked or not.

Seriously, haven't I been through ENOUGH this year already??? Geez!

Thankfully, there is Vicodin to get me through the next few days.