Thanks Hollywood...

I've been thinking about this quite a bit over the last couple of weeks, and then Erik's blog pushed me over the edge to do the same thing. (Thanks Erik for letting me copycat...in many ways.)

I saw a bunch of movies last year. It's been a while since I've seen that many in a year. I remember the days when it seemed like Steve & I were seeing a movie once a week, or at least 2-3 times per month. Those were the days. We saw sooooo many. And I remember reactions to bunches of them. But in reviewing 2010, I couldn't help but come back to one thought - thanks Hollywood for the great family movies of 2010. Honestly. We saw a bunch of really great and really good movies last year that were appropriate and amazing for our family... Let's be honest - when you walk into the theater to see a kids movie you have this presumption that it's for the kids and you hope you make it through, right? These I totally would see again and again...and will...gladly!!! Did you see any of these??? Here they are in no particular order...

Tangled




















I absolutely loved this one! Loved the music - the story - the animation - the characters --- loved it loved it loved it! An instant classic for sure! Can't wait for the DVD!

Ramona and Beezus



















This one really caught me by surprise to be so good. I mean really good. AND... it's set in Oregon - how cool is that! Sweet story - touching. Love it! (Already have the DVD - thanks Mom!)

Toy Story 3
















Sooooooooooooo worth the wait. Amazing!!! Boo-hoo-ed!! Soooooo wonderful!

Despicable Me













When I saw the commercials I was NOT looking forward to it. Then my fam saw it and loved it! Just saw it after Christmas (another Christmas DVD - thanks MOM!)... wonderful wonderful story. And with many friends adopting and bringing home babies this year... WOW! That much better!

Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The books are amazing, and they're doing a pretty good job with the movies to go with them... Dawn Treader is Steve's favorite of the three...and definitely a great one to see!

Other good ones: Megamind (another sleeper surprise) and How to Train Your Dragon (Noah and I are reading this series right now and loving every minute of it...) and The Karate Kid (ok, I confess I didn't see all of it --- I was on a plane when I saw it, but I did like it...)

Then there is the non-kid movie that I saw and loved... Inception. Whoa - amazing.

And then...there is the one I really wanted to see, but didn't... Secretariat.

So, Hollywood...thanks for giving us lots of options of family friendly films to enjoy this past year. Good stories, great animation or cinematography, without those "need to filter" inappropriate moments. I am truly and honestly grateful. Hopeful for what 2011 is expected to bring our way...

Cars 2 - man, I can't wait!





















Hoodwinked Too! - this was supposed to be released in 2010, but wasn't. The original was an instant classic. Can't wait.












So, what was at the top of your list of great movies for 2010? What did I miss? What are you looking forward to (movie-wise) for 2011??

A new show --- and it surprised me...

Day 3. I found a new show. I know, I know. TV is considered wasting time. It's entertainment that can numb and make you disengage. Tonight I caught a glimpse of one that made me think and look at things, I don't know, different. Call it an "aha" moment like she did, or maybe I just liked the inside peek into what has been so successful for such a long time. I can't say that I always agree with the show or the stances it takes, but you can't help but acknowledge that the show and the person with the most visible face there have made an indelible impact on the entertainment industry. Tonight I watched "Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes". I know I'm on a break from school these days, and I know I committed to spend this time reading more and doing more things with my fam & friends while I have the break. But I also confess that tonight I set my DVR to record the show when it comes on. It makes me look at me different, and what I do, and why I do it - amazingly on more levels than I would ever have imagined. I watched just to see what it was like. I was pleasantly surprised...and challenged...and encouraged...and thankful... I'm not an "ultimate viewer" of Oprah, but have watched it numerous times over the last 25 years. I've watched many of the top 100+ series finales ever shown, including the last Johnny Carson - M*A*S*H - Cosby Show - Newhart - Cheers - Seinfeld - Friends - Family Ties - Home Improvement - Frasier ... skip down to Who's the Boss - Mad About You (one of my all-time fav shows) - Alias (ok, so it wasn't on the list but I loved it!) - Jack Bauer & 24 - and the list goes on... Most recently I watched Larry King's last show. And yes... I will watch the end of Oprah. I know many of the shows on that list probably have some of you going "huh? what's that?" and that's fine. There were many on that top list that I didn't recognize as well, or at least I didn't watch. But I admit - I've watched Oprah, and I'll be watching Behind the Scenes for the whole season.

I know I said I would...

The last week of Christmas vacation has been full...of sickness. Sick everyone except me. Steve, Kaylee and Noah each had a run of it - some crisscross of symptoms and some things unique to each. Seeing that everyone felt fine by new years eve I thought for sure I was free and clear. I was wrong. So, I finish the break...sick. In bed most of the day. Wiped out but now not able to sleep (I guess that's what a 3 hour midday nap does). So... That's the story (and blog entry for today). Hopefully tomorrow it'll be more blog worthy...but still reality. Day 2. Check.

:)

2011...

Ok...It's 2011. Two thousand eleven. It's a weird sounding year isn't it. I mean we're past the 05, 08, 09 kind of years --- we can just say it's 11. Or can we? At the beginning of a year everything seems so different, but it really isn't. It's a flip of a calendar, the change of one numeric figure in a string of numbers we see often. Yet - when a new year comes we have this opportunity (or for some of us...challenge) to see chances for resolutions. I've never been good at the resolutions thing. I think I have talked about it before. Whether you call it goal-setting, resolutions, self-inspection or reflection... I'm not good at it. I am typically so go-with-the-flow, easy does it, that those other ideas seem so "out there" to me. Or at least they have been. What I've begun to discover (at the end of last year) it that I haven't been a goal-setter, or introspective, or even just really had or taken time for myself. I don't say that in a selfish kind of way (which is how I've always seen it), but I guess it's just become a realization. Don't get me wrong - I have it good --- really good --- ok, pretty great... I love my husband, my family, my friends, school and what God has called me to... Yet I have come to realize that I don't ever really get time to turn off and just do "me" time very often. Or at least I don't take the time to do that. I wonder why? That's a question I have been thinking about lately. Is is that I don't take time, or that I don't want to take time? Is it that I'm not a goal-setter, or that I don't want to be a goal-setter? Is it that I'm not introspective, or that I don't want to be introspective? (HA! That's a funny question for someone who isn't introspective huh?)

I guess that's my point. This year --- 2011 --- in as deliberate as I am about longing to be a good wife and mom and friend and student and youth pastor and whatever else is a role I have... I want to be a good me. I want to learn a little about what really makes me tick - re-discover things that I just like to do for fun (sorry babe --- it's not a bowling league). Actually it's bigger than that (although I think that's part of it). There were many times in the latter part of this year when I was challenged about what I do that I just like to do... or fills my tank... what do I do for Sabbath-rest. What do I do that allows me to turn off for a while and just refuel? Hmmmm... it's bigger than "just" reading my Bible and praying... I think I've almost lost that ability to "rest" --- to just "be" --- to do things I just like to do... I feel a little like I'm rambling, because I'm still working through it in my head... but I know that I need to. Which I guess means I need to be introspective...

I raised the idea of the 40-days of blogging again to my friends and fam at dinner New Years Eve. I needed a kick-start to get back at it. But it's funny --- there's a part of me that doesn't want it to just be 40-days. I'm thinking 60... 90... And just like I want to be committed to doing this...I want to be committed to, in the midst of all this year brings my way, introspection...goal-setting...resting... I saw the question somewhere this week of "how are you different today than you were a year ago?" The non-introspective me doesn't exactly know how to answer that question... The thinking-I-need-to-be-introspective me believes I want to know how to answer that question... Maybe next year I'll just be the able-to-answer-that-question me ...

So...2011. Day 1 is done. 364 left. I wonder what's in store for us... I'm not sure what is in store for me this year. I can look ahead and see lots of great opportunities of fun and amazing things to do with family and friends... I see finishing my bachelor's degree - finally... I see things that are going to be bumpy roads where I'll need to hold on tight to Him to get through (ok, so I need to hold on tight to Him in those fun amazing times as well!)... So, here we go. Along for the ride, together...to embrace and live and reflect on whatever it is that God brings our way this year...