Before they royally screw this one up too...

I would like to introduce you to the actors I've cast to play the Volturi in the upcoming guarenteed piece of crap, New Moon. In my head, it's a lovely movie, and the characters look just like this. But let's keep in touch with reality. Summitt has openly stated that they see no reason to give New Moon a bigger budget than Twilight had. So I'll just enjoy the movie in my head by reading the book again, with THESE pretty faces to go with the names.


Francesco Cura as CAIUS

Ruper Friend as ARO

Christian Camargo as MARCUS



Remy Thorne as ALEC

Jodelle Ferland as JANE



Raffaele Febbraio as FELIX

Eduardo Verastegui as DEMETRI



Amanda Carrier as HEIDI

Eva Marcelle as RENATA

There is some hope, as the Twilight Casting Director, Lana Veenker, has NOT been rehired. But since the ideal casting agent (ME) has also NOT been hired, the perfect cast is unlikely to come to fruition outside of this sensational blog. Soon the "official cast" will be out and corrupting my vision, so eat your hearts out while you can Twilight Bloggers!

Sith Lord of the Server

Jonathan's company usually makes a video to use as entertainment for their Holiday party. This year, they ran out of time and were very worried about disappointing the crowd. That's when Jonathan swept in and saved the day. He came home and wrote up a screen play in an hour or so, took it back to work and they filmed it in a day. The video was filmed in the style of The Office, so if you enjoy that show and its humor, you'll get a kick out of this too.

Those of you who know Jonathan are aware of the fact that the man is BRILLIANT. He truly has an incredible mind. He learns things with absolutely no effort on his part whatsoever. It is frustratingly incredible. That fact makes this video even funnier. There's something wonderful about a man who can laugh at himself. It's even better if he can get us all laughing too.

I Swoon

Romance is a tricky business nowadays. We all hail Hollywood Romance as ideal, but when it actually happens to us, we either laugh in its face, or we label Said Romantic as a desperate psycho. It's a sad double standard. People used to declare their love through a beautifully written letter or sonnet. The closest we get to that now is a sappy Ecard or a song dedication on the radio.

Song lyrics are generally filled with things that would be too stupid to say, but are worth expressing anyhow. Because let's face it. We all still FEEL in poetry. It is the language of the heart. And music is the language of the soul. That's what makes it the ideal venue for emotional expression. A song can cut right through the bullcrap of our minds and our insecurities, to the dark corners of the soul that never see light and that nothing else can reach. The songs that reach you as an individual can be very telling. If you pay attention to the songs that speak to your Love, I believe you would learn a great deal about what they crave, what they delight in, what they look for and what makes them feel complete.

I would like to give you a peek at my inner sap by listing for you 20 of my Favorite Love Songs. Some of the most beautiful love songs out there are about love lost, love unrequited or obsessive love. But I'm not going to list those songs today. Though they are powerful enough to rip through my emotional memories like a knife, they don't reflect my current situation. Thank GOD. So, past hauntings aside, I invite you to take a moment to enjoy romance through the filter of my experience.

*If you're talented enough to read while you listen to music, scroll to the bottom of the post and click play!


Nessun Dorma by Lucianno Pavarotti

"And my kiss will break the silence,
that makes you mine!
...at daybreak, I WILL WIN!"




When You Say You Love Me by Josh Groban

"And when you're with me,
if I close my eyes,
There are times I swear
I feel like I can fly."


The Glory of Love - Peter Cetera

"I am a man who will fight for your honor.
I'll be the hero you're dreaming of."


Come What May by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor

"Storm clouds may gather
and stars may collide,
But I love you
Until the end of time."



I finally Found Someone
by Barbara Streisand and
Bryan Adams

"You're exceptional,
I can't wait for the rest of my life."



She Belongs To Me by Harry Connick Jr.

"I just wanted someone I could sing to
Who'd listen to every song."
*Jonathan sang this song to me at our wedding reception.
Awwwwwww.
He introduced the song by saying it was 'our story in a nutshell.' He really worked the crowd. They were going crazy!


At Last by Etta James

"My lonely days are over
And life is like a song"





My One and Only Love
by Frank Sinatra

"You fill my eager heart
with such desire
Every kiss you give
sets my soul on fire."


The Way You Look Tonight by Steve Tyrell

"I will feel a glow just thinking of you...
And the way you look tonight."


Unforgettable by Nat King Cole

"Unforgettable in every way.
And forever more,
That's how you'll stay."





The Power of Two by Indigo Girls

"And if we ever leave a legacy
It's that we loved each other well."



Something in the Way She Moves
by James Taylor
"She has the power to go where no one else can find me,
Yes, and to silently remind me
Of the happiness and good times that I know."



Love Song by The Cure

"Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again."






Breathe by Faith Hill

"In a way I know my heart is waking up
As all the walls come tumbling down."





Thank You by Dido

"Just to be with you
Is living the best day of my life"

This was "our song" for the first year of my marriage. Awwwwww.



Ice Cream by Sarah McLachlan

"Your love is better than ice cream,
Better than anything else that I've tried."


When You Say Nothing At All
by Alison Krauss

"The touch of your hand says
you'll catch me if ever I fall"


Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne

"With you by my side I will fight and defend."





Everything I Do by Bryan Adams

"Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all - I would sacrifice."


You're The Inspiration by Chicago

"And I want you here with me
From tonight until the end of time."



There are hundreds of other amazing love songs that I don't have room for on this list. So let's see how many you guys can add. What song speaks to YOUR inner sap?

Highlights of 2008

I know New Years is a time that we as a society tend to look ahead. But I like to use it as a time to look back at all the amazing changes and little adventures I've had in the last 12 months.


THEME SONG OF 2008:

I have felt a strange sort of deepening in all my significant relationships this year. It's like my heart has expanded to twice its original depth and my capacity to love has doubled with it. My Jonathan and I have achieved this amazing place of friendship, respect and passion. My best friend Kristen has really come through for me in some difficult moments, which has brought us closer. I have experienced a remarkable healing and forgiveness with relationships that have been damaged or felt strained in the past. Even my children have become somehow more important to me than they were before. Something about the song Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne, puts all those emotions into a tangible form. I've listened to it more times this year than I can count. It will forever take me back to 2008 and all the growth that it brought me.



Enjoy the song with a slideshow of some favorite pictures from 2008.


FAVORITE BLOG ENTRY:

My very favorites are posted on the sidebar. If I had to choose one, I think it would be Blasting the Past.There's a lot of "me" in that one.



GREATEST CHANGE:

The change that brought on all the change: We bought a house this year and moved to BFE. That meant a new school, new church, new neighbors, new callings, new routines, new clients, new EVERYTHING. It would be much faster for me to name the things that haven't changed in my life this year. Fortunately, every change has been for good.
**Of course that's actually a picture of my house.
What do you mean there are no palm trees in Washington!?!**



*FUNNEST* GIRLS NIGHT OUT:

I'm awarding this year's #1 night to Valentines Day. We went to Madame K's, which is a little Italian Bistro that actually used to be a Brothel. They have several racks of pretty little negligees that you can try on while you're there. We played dress up, shared all our entrees and generally basked in our own fabulousness.

Honorable mention: The Sex and the City Sleepover at my house. It's not a night out, but it was a GREAT girl's night IN. We made lots of yummy mixed drinks and stayed up half the night watching 2 episodes from each Season of Sex and the City.



MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:

The missionaries for my church are all young men, ages 19-21. I give them free haircuts every month as my small thank you for their service. One morning, the day after haircuts, they dropped by my house to say thank you again and to ask if there was anything at all they could do for me. We were chatting politely when my daughter came downstairs and asked loudly, "Mom? Why was the cap to the Cool Whip under your bed?" It took about five awkward seconds for realization to replace their smiles with unabashed, wide-eyed shock. I've never seen anyone end a conversation and exit the building so quickly.



MOST IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP:

There isn't much competition for this one, because my sister-in-law, Melissa, has simply blown the competition away. I got to know her last year when we visited her home in California. Jonathan used to say that she and I wouldn't get along because we're so different. While it's true that we are very different, I totally got her brand of humor and enjoyed every conversation we had. This year, she got bumped from friendly acquaintance to Sister Status when she came to visit me for a week. She teased me about my "Rockstar Lifestyle" and I teased her about her Mom Purse... all mutually satisfying shenanigans. I've gone from liking Melissa to loving Melissa, and I can't wait to hang out again for another kick-A photoshoot!



WORST HABIT:

I've always loved running on a treadmill. I turn on some high energy music and do some intense interval training. I could do it every morning and never get sick of it. Well, this year I realized that I could set my laptop in front of my treadmill and watch all my favorite shows while I run. And now, I don't really run. I sorta walk. I'm no longer focused on my workout, because I'm totally focused on the show! I have DEFINITELY seen the results of that lost intensity. I think it's time to get back in the habit of interval training.



BEST GETAWAY:

We really didn't do much in the getaway department this year. But among the few things I did do, my trip to Forks, Washington with two of my best friends definitely hits the top of the list.




BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:

One of the MAJOR reason we chose to move here was so that our kids would have lots of kids their age to play with in the neighborhood, at church, at school... I confess myself very disappointed by the little girl selection in Shiney's age group. She aches for that one "best friend" that will really love her and understand her and put some effort into spending time with her. She's such a social little thing and, not unlike her mother, is also VERY spur of the moment, so the prearranged playdates just don't work very well. I'm extremely disappointed that there isn't someone in our neighborhood for her. Maybe the perfect girl will move in this year and fill in the little hole I see in my baby girl's heart.



FAVORITE WARDROBE ADDITION:

I splurged on these red Via Spiega heels from Nordstrom at the first of the year, and I seriously could wear them with EVERYTHING and feel prettier for it. I'll even confess to wearing them while reading and doing housework. They're just that hot.



GREATEST NEW FRIENDSHIP:

Julia is the girlfriend of a friend of a friend who I met at a birthday party in January. When my husband was looking at all the pictures from the party the next day, he shouted, "WHEN did you start hanging out with JULIA?!" Apparently Jonathan has known her whole family most of his life. He had nothing but nice things to say about her, and that's just amazing to me. I'm pretty sure anyone who's known me most of my life would have some pretty unsavory stories to scare people away with. I can't place the exact moment I decided to keep her forever, but there is no describing how much I love being around her. She's smart and funny and has a knack for making me laugh until I'm on the floor clutching my stomach and begging for mercy. She's definitely a keeper.



FAVORITE NEW HOBBY:

I've never made a secret of the fact that I am absolutely NOT athletic. While I love exercise and enjoy things like dancing and swimming, I am all thumbs when it comes to actually playing group sports. Well, since I rather enjoy pushing myself into things that make me uncomfortable, I decided to join a local volleyball team this fall. It's good exercise and, though I'm not much of an asset talent-wise, it has been really rewarding to watch myself improve. I've also enjoyed the great friendships that have come from it. GO RC-TEAM!



FAVORITE MOVIES:

Normally I would have a 6 mile list for you with a dozen opinions to go with each bullet point. But I REALLY laid off the movies this year. I feel like I've hardly seen ANY! I made it to the major blockbusters and the rest just sorta slipped through the cracks. I'm rarely impressed with big blockbuster movies, though I did like some of them enough to see again. I'll be better about giving the little guys more attention this coming year. As it is, my awards for 2008 are as follows:

Best Blockbuster: The Dark Knight
Best Chick Flick: Sex and the City
Best Action: Iron Man
Best Drama: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animation: Kung Fu Panda
Best Comedy: Pineapple Express
Best Independant: Happy Go Lucky
Biggest Letdown: Twilight

Honorable mention to Frost Nixon and the Curious Case of Benjamin Button.



FAVORITE BOOKS:

I spent most of my reading time this year going back over some old favorites. Jane Eyre, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Vampire Chronicles... I love them all dearly. But there is one new read that stands out in my memory a little sharper than the others, and that is 'Salem's Lot. It is the first Stephen King book I have ever read. I remember the fights my mother and oldest brother used to have about his bringing those books into her house. Now I fully understand her strong reaction to them. It's not exactly wholesome reading and I don't think I'll seek out any more of his work, but I take off my hat to his literary genius.



GREATEST MUSIC DISCOVERY:

I know I'm a little retarded for having just discovered them, but I cannot get enough of MUSE this year. The vocalist drives me a little nuts, but the MUSIC... It's seriously hypnotic to me! There is something incredibly magical about it. Some favorites: Supermassive Black Hole, Starlight and Hysteria. Just close your eyes, bob your head and listen to the music. I LOVE it.



CELEBRITY CRUSH:

My crushes moved with my obsessions this year. Discovering I could watch TV shows on line got me on these major kicks for weeks when I would obsessively watch every single season of whatever show struck my fancy. And for those weeks, I would majorly crush on whoever was the hot guy of that particular show. So this year, my crushes are divided between a few people. In short, we have Henry Cavill, Sendhil Ramamurth, Chad Michael Murray, with the honorable title of Girl Crush going to Sophia Bush. Congratulations Hotties!



BIGGEST OBSESSION:

I admit that my biggest obsession this year has, hands down, been Twilight. My friends and I had such a fantastic time anticipating the final book and going to the midnight release party, choosing the perfect cast for the movie, taking a trip to Forks, putting together our own soundtracks, meeting the author, waiting to see the movie and pulling it to pieces when it was done. We have had more Twilight themed conversations than I care to admit. I know it's not actually the greatest story out there. But it was an incredibly fun obsession!



FAVORITE MEMORY:

After sifting through a heap of memorable awesomeness, I have decided my favorite memory this year is the visit I had from my little brother Daren. He and I have our own strange little world when we're together. It's encrypted with years of inside jokes that are ever evolving yet somehow unchanging. He's in Iraq right now and I don't know when I'll see him again. But I do know I can't wait for it.



MOST VALUABLE LESSON:

Fear is an enemy, and anger is a wasted emotion. I've known that for quite some time. But this year I learned it on a deeper level; the level required for a person to put knowledge into action. I feel like those two things have been controlling some of my actions on a subconscious level. I'm excited to see how far I can go as I conquer them.



NEW YEARS RESOLUTION:

Ironically, my resolution is to become a habitual goal setter; setting daily personal goals, weekly business goals, and monthly family goals. My natural disposition doesn't leave much room for discipline or productivity, and I am beginning to feel unsatisfied by that. I'm ready to start imposing some structure on myself. Wish me luck, and I'll keep you 'posted.'
HAHAAAAA! YAY for my first bad pun of the year!