Movie Review: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

1975 Best Picture winner - I believe it was the first Best Picture winner we watched out of town, but not sure.

A criminal named Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) gets sent to a mental ward of a hospital, because he has been acting crazy, but he is not crazy at all. He pumps some life into the overly medicated and oppressive lives of the patients. The nurse in charge of the ward, Nurse Ratched, seems only interested in keeping them sick. And so the criminal and nurse butt heads and fun stuff happens and sad stuff happens, and surprises happen.

So yeah, I don't know what it is about this movie that I don't like - i think maybe it is that it is not clear what kind of message it is sending. One message I got is that our institutions can fail us by making things worse than they were already. But mostly it's just a story, and doesn't really have a point.

But i think it is definitely a classic -lots of funny parts, lots of good acting, and the end was the most memorable other than Casablanca, Bridge over the River Kwai, and The Sting.

St Louis Trip - Feb 2009

The fact only two people commented on my previous post could mean several things:

1. Not enough people even read my blog
   
2. People somehow feel uncomfortable commenting that my wife is attractive!
   
3. I maybe didn't write the post well enough to elicit comments.
   

In any case, I will keep blogging now.


We trekked to St Louis last weekend, and had brought the nieces along on the return trip.

The first thing we did was to walk to the local art muffin shop. Avery and Maya were upset that they didn't get to eat muffins right there. But we distracted them by making it cool to use crayons to decorate the box that they were in. A 5 minute trip turned into 20 as Avery looked for "treasures" as we went along - rocks and other stuff.






Then we had some King and I Thai food - at least the third time I had been there through the years. And I learned first-hand about the challenges of sitting down in a restaurant with a 3 and 1 year old. (Is there a theme yet about how kids change everything? I don't mean this to come across negatively - just making observations.)

Saturday we visited the gem stores of Brentwood - Trader Joe's, the Container Store and REI. Trader Joe's was great as usual. I'm looking forward to trying out my dried dragon fruit, whatever that is. REI was like a small Galyans - i almost bought a small Nalgene. And Container Store was actually disappointing to me. I wanted to see some awesome displays about how to organize my garage. But it turned out to be like a Wal-mart or Target, just with a bunch of products on shelves.

That night, Steven put on his movie-watching glasses, and we watched "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", our next Best Picture winner. I went in with high-expectations, and i don't think they were met, but it was still an entertaining movie throughout.

Sunday morning, we loaded the nieces into the Jeep, and left town in a new way because of a highway closure. Then with only one stop we made it home.

My Wife Looks Good - Please comment and encourage

Can I get a witness?

Not blogging until I get more comments!

Book Review: The Inner Game of Work

Short Review:

• This is a book by W. Timothy Gallwey. He wrote the Inner Game of Tennis, and now has applied the same logic to other fields, such as work in general.
• The book is about how we have two selves: Self 1 is the criticizing voice telling you what to do, and Self 2 is what you'd do naturally. How this applies to tennis, is that Self 1 becomes so loud that it gets in the way of improvement.
• He champions the idea that work should be the same as learning and enjoyment. I have done well at this so far, and it has worked out for me.
  
• I like the STOP method - Stop, Think, Organize your thoughts, and Proceed. this means you don't find yourself reacting to everything, but you decide what really needs to get done to move the company forward.
  
• Also, the point is that the teacher-student model (handing out instructions) gets in the way of learning, and the coaching method (holding up a mirror to the student) is effective.
• At the end the author is candid that he doesn't like the idea of God telling him what to do, because it causes Self 1 interference. This surprised me, I understand his objections, but don't agree.
  

Longer review:

The Self1-Self 2 concept was really eye-opening. I think a lot of Gras' (my family) have a loud Self 1 - we are kind of self conscious. It would be good to let some of that go, and just live in the Self 2.. The book expands on this much better than I would be able to here. See below "More from an earlier post"

I've used this STOP method. It seems so simple. But I had gotten into a habit of reacting to every email immediately. Now, instead, I write down exactly what needs to happen during the day to move the company forward, or move my life forward. I have enjoyed it so far. I also tried to apply this to my life, but got stuck on really deep questions, like what is my purpose in life? This question was really heavy, and I think the answer is multi-faceted and I don't know it exactly. But it is something to think about.

At the end the author is candid that he doesn't like the idea of God telling him what to do, because it causes Self 1 interference. I agree in the fact that many Christians struggle with guilt or other problems due to "laws". But I would disagree that what God has said is not worth paying attention to - in other words, I want to obey - I willingly subject myself to His commands, even though it can limit my freedom, because He loves us.



More from an earlier post:

I am currently reading a book The Inner Game of Work, by W. Timothy Gallwey. It has turned out to be a deep book about psychology. I really like it. Here is a long quote:

When I was growing up, the voice of "the others" seemed very big and powerful...So a Self 1, which embodied these voices, emerged within me. It looked for approval and direction from those it was dependent upon for safety and acceptance. Whether I was alone or with people, Self 1 was always there, a judgmental audience ready to make its criticisms or grant its approval. The goal was to become someone worthy of respect in the eyes of this audience.
Meanwhile, Self 2 [DG note: the true inner self] was relegated to a background position....it was not until I was in my thirties that I came to recognize and again honor Self 2

In terms of my own application, it means that the critical voice is not necessarily something that is making me better, but may be distracting me from finding joy in being my self. The purpose is to minimize Self 1

Movie Review: Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh

Quick facts for those who don't want to read my longer review:

• This was a documentary
• This made me more interested in Vincent Van Gogh, and art in general.
  
• There were some really weird parts to it that I could have gone without
• The movie consisted of a guy with a heavy English accent reading Vincent's letters to his brother Theo. As he reads, there is video of nature, pictures of his paintings, and a few acting scenes of townspeople he might have encountered.
  

Longer review:
This movie was made in 1987...but the jacket didn't mention that...instead it said One of the Top 10 documentaries the year it was released"...probably a marketing ploy. It was produced/directed/created by Paul Cox, a very independent film maker. I watched the appended documentary about him, and he is kind of odd, but I appreciate his skills.

The heavy accent of the guy reading Vincent's letters (John Hurt) - I'm positive that was a mistake - it made me want to turn it off immediately, but I persisted.

I found it interesting that Vincent started out wanting to be a preacher, but was rejected, and he was also rejected by a woman that he loved. He quickly became cynical about religion. Around that time, he decided he wanted to paint, and became obsessed with it. In his 10 year career, he made 1,800 works, and only sold one. His brother Theo sent him money for supplies, and otherwise Vincent would not have survived for so long.

The creativity and color that Vincent used amazed me. I can't really see colors well, but I am way impressed with the boldness of the colors. And the number and variety of them used to make a whole. It makes me think of music - how the care put into it, and the complexity creates admirers - and how much dedication is necessary to create that.

I admire Vincent's dedication to his values - his love for nature. He did not want to be a slave to a job - and this led to his downfall - but we are left with beautiful paintings - makes you wonder. He struggled with insanity, but continued to paint until his suicide.

The song Vincent is one of my favorite songs (and of Courtney's). Here is a video

Best of January 2009

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Ken Burns Jazz hon mention: Elf

Best Book I Read: For the first time I haven't read one! It has a lot to do with how I had to return one to the library, and then be on the waiting list for weeks to get it back.

Best Life Happenings:

• LaVergnes taught us Cities and Knights (expansion for Settlers)
• Listened to Bill Frisell - Blues Dream - great jazz album
• I had a good experience of leading worship
• The new season of 24 started
• Michele called to announce she is pregnant
• Game Night at Meadors
• Trip to Zona Rosa to see Devin perform magic

Worst Life Happenings:

• The gym smelled like polyurethane when they redid the basketball court, and it was almost suffocating!
• I messed up on something at work that could have caused the company some embarrassment. Thankfully, I caught it in the nick of time. Also thankfully, this is not a monthly occurrence.
  
• Spent all day on Saturday sanding walls.

Best online video I watched for the First time: The Don't Song



2nd place: Waking Up is Hard To Do



Picture(s) of the Month by our camera.

didn't really take any of note

Restaurant Review: Joe's Crab Shack

1) We pretty much never eat out 2) we never eat out for seafood. So this was almost a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me. Courtney's parents and aunt and uncle went to eat at Joe's Crab Shack and we went along.

I ordered crab legs. It is "a lot of work for a little food" as Kenny said. I had a special plastic tool that they gave me to open them and get the food out. It was difficult at first, but I got used to it.

The crab legs also came with sausage, potatoes, and corn on the cob, and shrimp. Needless to say, I had some leftovers that I am taking home. It all tasted great!

The interior really looked like a shack - wooden walls and tin roof.

We were the special needs table - Courntey said she is highly allergic to shrimp. They said they couldn't promise that steak or chicken wouldn't be cooked on the same grill as shrimp. So she got a salad. It was nice of her to hang in there. Laurie had them turn the strobe light off because it would give her a seizure. I didn't even say anything about wheat.

The waiters do a little dance - really fun- I've never seen that before in a restaurant!

Right before we left, the Steelers scored that 100-yd interception return on the little TV we were watching. Bummer.

Movie Review: School Of Rock

This one was on our list to watch for a while. Out of the 3 comedies we've seen recently (Evan Almighty, Elf), this had the most chance of being realistic...but they didn't do too well. The Battle of the Bands was in the middle of the work day for example - how does that make sense? But the definition of a comedy seems to mean that it is not realistic.

Jack Black does a great job of being an unsuccessful rocker who assumes his roommate's identity as a teacher at a high end prep school to make money for rent. He of course knows nothing about teaching, and makes the students start a rock band. They get into it, and aren't supposed to tell their parents about it. It all comes to a head on Parents night (why would the parents wait until then to express their concerns?).

Anyway, Jack Black is hilarious in the movie.

Movie Review: The Alamo (1960)

I thought I was going to be bored last weekend, so I picked this from the library. I ended up sanding walls for hours, and didn't see much of it. But I obviously watched it eventually.

The first thing I noticed was the really bad acting EXCEPT for John Wayne himself, who played Davy Crockett. The dialogue is really odd and fake.

There are some nice scenes with hundreds of cows, horses, and authentic Mexican military garb.

The special features were really interesting - John Wayne wasn't getting much support so he produced the movie himself, and ended up losing money. He produced, directed, and acted in the movie.

But it is still worth seeing, despite my so-so review. I've seen too many movies this month, and have not finished any books!

Movie Review: Saint of 9/11

I am interested in having documentaries around, in case I have no energy and want something to watch. So I picked up this randomly. I had heard about Mychal Judge, a Fransiscan priest who was the chaplain of the NY Fire Department on 9/11. He rushed to the World Trade Center, as it was his custom to join the men at large catastrophes. He was believed to have been killed by debris when the first tower fell. He was 68 when he died.


Judge had a real heart for the poor. A friend interviewed related that he gave Mychal a jacket, and gave him a call later and asked how he liked the jacket, and it turned out that Mychal saw a homeless man on his way home, and just had to put the coat over him. He was always there to minister to others in tragic times, and took seriously his position as the NYFD chaplain.

The documentary pointed out that he had formerly been an alcoholic and was a huge fan of AA. He also had a homosexual orientation. He was not completely open about it because he did not want to damage his relationship with the firefighters. The DVD implies that his homosexual orientation had him more able to minister to AIDS victims - in the 80s this was known as "gay-related immune deficiency" or something like that. There was a lot of paranoia about this at the time, and people with AIDS had no dignity in the hospitals. Mychal Judge went in and encountered resistance to a religious figure. He prayed to find a way to reach them. And from that point, first when he walked in, he rubbed their feet, and then they were open to talk to him.



I found out at the end via a rainbow-colored logo that this movie was produced by a homosexual awareness group. This I realized is why they spent so much time talking about his sexuality, and why over half the people interviewed were obviously gay men. I'm not sure this is a bad thing, but I have two complaints. One, the back cover said nothing about sexuality. I feel like there was a hidden agenda. (Now I know how people feel about materials with hidden Christian agenda! ) Second, I don't know if Mychal Judge wanted to be a hero of the gay community - and is it all taken out of context of his life?

This documentary raised obvious questions for me. My strong feeling and conclusion from studying Scripture is that homosexuality is contrary to God's will.

-A man obviously moved by Christ and listening to him - was his ability to minister to others hampered by his sexuality? Was his relationship with Christ hampered by his sexuality? Since priests are required to be celibate, his sexuality was a feeling and tendency, not an action.
-Are homosexuals saved? (My conclusion is yes.... Are racists saved? What about liars? At what point can we decide that God's grace is not strong enough? I conclude that having a relationship with Christ through his sacrifice is the only criterion, and I assume this man had it. )
-What should be the role of the church with homosexuals. The spirit of condemnation doesn't work, I don't think. It just pushes people away from Christ. On the other hand, I couldn't bring myself to ignore someone's homosexuality when teaching them to obey Christ. But overall, the church needs to minister to these people better. Mychal Judge opened up his church to them, so that they could have a gay worship service. Deep question, huh?

Movie Review: Ken Burns Jazz

This was 15 hours if you combine each of the 10 DVDs that are 1.5 hours each. This was my filler DVD, when I wasn't feeling well or did not have much to do. Life-filler I guess you could call it. So now I am going through withdrawals. And as new life-filler, I picked up a random DVD, and I watched a documentary that looked promising, and later found out that it was published by a group that promotes homosexual rights and awareness and such. But more on that later.

Ken Burns jazz is a collection of pictures, videos and interviews, narration, and of course jazz music in the background. It covers the history of jazz back to its roots in New Orleans. The series is really obsessed with Louie Armstrong, covering his life in every DVD. It is also heavy on Duke Ellington, Billie Holliday, and Lester Young. But I'm a fan of Duke, so I didn't mind that.

It covers New Orleans Style, stride, big bands, swing, Basie, bebop, hard bop, free, and avant garde. It really covers the birth and death of jazz. Jazz was believed to have died in the 70s but has made a comeback today, although it is still probably a small part of the music market. During the swing era, jazz was THE popular music genre of the country.

I feel like I learned a lot about jazz history (obviously) and grew in my appreciation of jazz. See my previous post here about my history of appreciation of jazz music.

Oh, and I almost forgot that this movie is a good coverage of African American issues, such as providing military service, but coming home to be discriminated against. And providing entertainment to all, but being mistreated by police. Jazz originated with Black people and was moved along by them. And jazz brought White and Black musicians together --initially behind the scenes in the middle of the night, and later on in integrated bands. And of course now we don't think twice about things like that.

Best of 2008: Movies

Here's my top ten movies of 2008!

1. The French Connection (1971). Drug cops in New York City try to track down a big shipment of drugs from France. Although the very end of it was a horrible ending, this movie as a whole gave me the best impression of any new movies I watched in 2008. It was suspenseful and interesting, and had good acting. And the car chase scene was incredible.
















2. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). A couple of misfit outlaws try to escape from the law. This is creative and fun and entertaining, and a great piece of art as well.









3. Ben-Hur (1959). A man in Judea, during the time of Christ, is stripped of his power and influence when the Romans take over. This is the story of how he loses his life and then finds it again. If this movie didn't feel so old fashioned it would have been #1.













4. My Fair Lady (1964). This is a musical that takes place in England. A gentleman makes a bet that he can turn a poor street merchant into a true lady. I have a soft spot for musicals, and the songs are great in this one.











5. Bridge on the River Kwai (1956). About British soldiers in a Japanese prison camp forced to build a bridge, and Colonel Nicholson who insists on building a good one, for morale. Then there is a secret military mission to try to blow the bridge up. It is a great guy movie with a good theme song.









6. The Diary of Ann Frank (1959). It was based on the Diary of Ann Frank, which we are all familiar with. Most movies were in color by this time, but they chose to go with the black and white. The movie is really suspenseful even though we know the sad result, and it leaves an impact.










7. 12 Angry Men (1957). 12 men in a jury decide the fate of a young man accused of murder. It's really well written. I think it was towards the end of the black and white era.









8. Midnight Cowboy (1969) A naive young man from Texas goes to New York City to make a living as a prostitute. He meets a sickly friend who is a conman and tries to help him in his career. As the movie goes along, we learn a bit about their past. Even though this plot is about adult themes, the movie left an impact because it was well done. Movie scholars rate it way higher than I did.










9. Poseidon (2006) A ship overturns on New Years Eve, and a group of people try to survive. The movie from 1972 is a favorite of the Bades. I wasn't sure that a remake was going to be good. I also had doubts because the same director made the Perfect Storm, which was a horrible movie. But you know what - I really enjoyed it.











10. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) T.E. Lawrence helps the allies by fighting with and against Arabs in World War I. I am clearly not a scholar, because if I were, this would apparently be ranked #1. But hey, it did make my top ten list.










Stats:

I watched 32 movies in 2008 - 15 fewer than than 2009. One reason we watched fewer movies was that we went to the gym more often.

Rentals: 0
In the Theater: 1 (Prince Caspian)
Library: 27
A friend rented or owned it: 3 (Eragon, Ten Commandments, Home Alone 3)
TV movie: 1 (Sweet Nothing in My Ear)

Best of 2008: Books

I'll be doing it differently this year. I'll be slowly revealing my top ten list. First, this is more fun to keep up the suspense. Also, it will let me write a short blurb about each book. So here goes!

1. Dishwasher, by Pete Jordan. A self-written account of a man's quest to wash dishes in all 50 states. This book hit me just right - we were on a trip and I needed some leisurely reading while traveling. I fiound myself laughing out loud at this guy whose work habits and thought patterns were really hilarous. And I learned a lot about dishwashing facts - an activity that I perform daily.












2. Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers. This book is already great because it takes place during the California gold rush. What makes it greater is that it is a modern day allegory to the Old Testament book of Hosea. An upright man believes that he is to marry a prostitute. The story is told from the point of view of both the prostitute and the man. It is a powerful story. And it was Courtney's birthday book to me - meaning I read the book as a gift to her - and she says it is her favorite book.










3. Doctor Zhivago, by Boris Pasternak. This book about the Russian Revolution was published in 1957 in Europe. It is a fictional story in a historical setting about young kids who grow up, fall in love, and then get their lives messed up by the revolution and war in the Soviet Union. I was impressed by the poetic feel, even though it's a translation. And it is truly an epic book, and it doesn't get too boring.









4. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Bilbo the hobbit goes on an adventure with dwarfs and Gandalf the wizard. It was a book written for young boys, and I somehow avoided reading it in my childhood. I enjoyed it, especially since it is in the same fictional world as the Lord of the Rings.










5. The Client, by John Grisham. A boy comes across some very valuable and important information, and hires a lawyer who becomes his guide and defender. This was the first lawyer book I've read from Grisham, and I really enjoyed it. I actually had ranked this as #2 until I suddenly did not feel right putting it above these other books.









6. The Problem of Pain, by C.S. Lewis. A book seeking to explain the theological problems surrounding the existence of pain. I didn't understand all of it, but it made me feel a lot smarter!










7. Presence-Centered Youth Ministry, by Mike King. A book that redefines youth ministry, and connects it again to methods of being in the presence of God. Students aren't afraid of that stuff - they love it! This book had an impact on my spiritual life, and it also led Courtney and me to spend time in prayer together. I wish I could have ranked it higher, but I read a lot of classic books, and it's hard to compete on my rankings!










8. It's Called Work for a Reason!, by Larry Winget. The pitbull of development writes his second book about work and personal responsibility. I liked the common sense approach to work.











9. The Cat Who Came to Breakfast, by Lilian Jackson Braun. Jim Qwilleran and the cats take the mystery series to an island called Breakfast Island. This is probably one of the rare times a "cat book" will show up in my top ten. I think the change of environment made this one better.








10. How to Read Genesis, by Tremper Longman. A summary and explanation of the book of Genesis. I also read Genesis twice while reading this book. This helped me to understand and remember what goes on in the "book of beginnings".










Honorable Mention: Messages. A good book about communication skills. It would have made the top ten any other year.










Stats: I read 28 books this year, four fewer than 2007.

General nonfiction: 10
Fiction: 9
Religious nonfiction: 7
Technical nonfiction: 2

Best of 2008: Life Happenings

Yeahh....I guess not much happened. Or at least I didn't remember about things that did. Here are my top 5 events of 2008!

1. Receiving a personal letter from Millard Fuller after his wife, Linda, read my blog review on one of his books. This happened the same day as life happening #5. It was a thrill that someone I admired wrote me a letter based on what I perceived as my lowly blog. My blog had a wider influence than I realized. And that's how my life changed forever...no not really, but I was really excited. The Fullers also sent me a free copy of their new book.











2. Dismantled Shed #2 and Jackhammered the remains
It's fun to swing sledge hammers and it was exhausting but interesting to use a jackhammer fot the first time.




















3.New Year's in NC, and Elissa's wedding. We brought in new year at Jake and Trish's house along with almost the entire Mark and Susie family. We played Wii for the first time, and went to Hanging Rock National Park. Then we traveled to Knoxville, where I sang in Elissa and Martyn's wedding on January 4.



















4. Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting. It is fun to randomly be somewhere and stumble upon something we wouldn't have gone to otherwise.













5. Medaling in volleyball. Yeah, it was bronze. But when you get 7 guys together who are pretty much horrible at sports and you still win a medal, it's a real thrill!

Me and Jazz Music

I just finished watching the PBS series Ken Burns jazz, which I think is 15 hours total. I think I started watching them around summer time. I thought that this merited a movie review post.

First, let me explain my history with jazz music.

I believe my first exposure to jazz was with Doug Talley, when jazz band was an after school activity at Trailridge Middle School. My instrument was trumpet at that time, and that is when Mr. Talley gave me the nickname Catfish. Then throughout high school my interest in jazz was kindled by listening to evening programs on public radio. Then finally, I joined up with Mr. Talley again my senior year of high school as the piano player for the jazz band.



In college, my lack of money or time, and the lack of jazz on public radio in central Kansas, led to me not making any progress in my appreciation of jazz. After college I continued at the same pace. Recently however, I picked up Internet jazz stations that have exposed me to new music and rekindled my love for the art.

As to why I like jazz, my only explanation is that certain performances touch my soul and stimulate my intellect. My own performance of jazz on piano leaves a lot to be desired, both technically and creatively. One of my life's goals is to be able to intellectualize jazz, and then be able to perform it. I am also working on learning jazz for bass guitar.

Movie Review: Elf

This 2003 movie is about a man in his 30s who was raised by elves in the North Pole. One day he overhears that he is a human and not an elf, and he goes on a quest to New York to find his father. Then he does a bunch of naive things that you wouldn't normally see a grown man doing...or any human in that case...and that situational humor keeps the movie going. Examples are wanting to hold his dad's hand, pouring syrup on everything (because syrup is a food group in the North Pole), being outraged that the real Santa isn't in the department store and getting in a fight with him! The end kind of falls flat like so many comedies do when they try to resolve the serious side of the plot. I would definitely watch it again, just to laugh at the funny parts.

We also liked the supporting actors - James Caan, of Godfather fame, played the father. And Zooey Deschanel plays Elf's love interest, and she wasn't dubbed on the songs. And it also has Bob Newhart as Elf's adoptive father in the North Pole.

Happy 28th Birthday Courtney!

We've been away from home all day at church and celebrating Courtney's birthday.

I am so proud of her. And when I say I'm proud, that includes but is not limited to how she has lost 30 pounds since summer. I thought it would be fun to post a picture of her on her half birthday - the 4th of July, to highlight her weight loss this year.

Fourth of July:




Today:


It has been a lifestyle change. We used to eat a lot of fatty foods, including cheese, ice cream, Wendy's, Chinese buffet, Mexican food, "Sunday morning doughnuts", etc. Weight Watchers has helped to manage the amount and type of food that she eats every week. We don't just eat salads all the time - we can still eat great meals.

I also used to somewhat drag Courtney to the gym, and now she is dragging me!

I love my wife for many other reasons as well, but time is winding down, and it's time to be rested for a new day of work. Happy 28th!

Restaurant Review: Nordstroms Cafe

For Dad and Courtney's birthday, mom took us to the Nordstroms Cafe in Oak Park Mall.

It's a cafeteria style. The guy made my Lime and Cilantro salad right in front of me. I would totally be nervous making a salad in front of someone. Courtney had a Chicken and Strawberry salad. And we both had tomato soup. Dad kept questioning the accuracy of the price of the meal, so I assume it was kind of pricey!

The bread eaters in the family had paninis, which is just another name for a sandwich in my opinion. The restaurant was just like a high end Panera, except you order your food at the various stations, then at the end you pay at the cash register. I found this to be really confusing at first, because I wasn't sure where to order a salad. There is still a server that helps you out at your table.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I think 2009 will be a great year. We're now getting ready for Courtney's birthday on Sunday.

Extended family on Courtney's mom's side

Cousins

Cousins

Grandma

Best of December 2008

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Evan Almighty

Best Book I Read: The Cat Who Said Cheese

Best online video I watched for the First time: All I Want for Christmas

(Disclaimers: I didn't watch very many videos, and my true best video got disabled on YouTube. Enjoy!)



2nd place: Time Warp SawStop Table Saw on Discovery Channel



Picture(s) of the Month by our camera.

These were both taken by Courtney. (Cameras don't shoot things, people do!)

Top pic:





Other favorites: