CARS 2 Review

I took the boys to see CARS 2 last week. I saw today that there is an article online on MSN's TODAY: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43543750/ns/today-entertainment/

I tried to post an online comment, but since I couldnt get it to work, I am going to post it here. I know several people who have already seen it too, I would be interested to see what others think or how they reacted.

I was very disappointed with CARS 2. My boys have been looking forward to seeing it since we found out they were making a second one. I was appalled that it opened in James Bond style and just got worse from there. I saw my son's favorite characters suddenly armed to the teeth with massive weapons, and participating in excessive violence, drinking and and other very negative behavior. I watched my son sit through most of it with his hands over his ears and often hiding from the screen. I dont know how theygot away with only having a G rating for this movie.

This was supposed to be a film for CHILDREN. What message is being sent from this movie? That Disney supports violence and drinking and weapons and espionage. Walt Disney would be mortified that his good name continues to be used to promote the negative influences of the world.

We have many Disney movies in our personal library - the ones that Walt Disney intended to meet his objective - to bring happiness and joy and enjoyment. We will not be adding this movie to our library, just as we have not added many that go against those things that made Disney a name that everyone loves.

I hope that PIXAR will start to take a good long look at how they are using the Disney name, and hopefully turn their work back to all those things that Walt Disney cherished. We will be much more hesitant to ever go see another Disney movie again.

Anyway - there you have it. Really was very disappointed. Will be sad to not be able to take my kiddos to the movies at all anymore - it seems that along with PG ratings now being used for what used to be R movies, the G rating has also been tainted. Guess we will continue to be thankful for Netflix and being able to choose good things for our kids and our family.

Silly & Sweet

Anyone with little people residing in their home knows how fabulously funny they can be. Kels has spouted off with some doozies in the last couple of weeks besides finding her sleeping in very odd places.
Today Colton came to let me know somewhere new she had crashed....Just cant figure out how she can actually sleep in some of the places that she does....crazy girl....

Some of her recent funnies:

Me: In the bathroom (which any mom of really little people knows you can NEVER do by yourself)
Kels: "Whatcha doin' mom, goin' poop?"

Kels: "Mom, my jacket is dirty. We need to wash it with a wipe!" (which we wash just about everything with these days)
Me: "No, we need to put it in the washing machine."
Kels: "I want to help put it in the fishing machine! Pleeeease!"

There is one other thing that she said recently. My brain just cant come up with it. Hoping when I remember that I can add it here....

Ky was my gentle little snuggle bug today, and a true blessing to me because of his sweet tenderness. Last night was very rough for me. Dreams were traumatic and lasted even through this morning when Preston noticed I was positioned weird in my sleep. Sundays are always just rough, kids just seem to be off kilter no matter what. This morning I got after Ky a bit for not listening or obeying. I went upstairs to help him get dressed. Suddenly I looked up at him and saw big alligator tears and his heart broken. I apologized to him and I snuggled him on my lap as we talked about being how we can both be happy - by listening and obeying and being good helpers. Maybe my talk got through somehow because he showed me sweet kindness and was a kind helper at sacrament meeting.

My dreams last night left me feeling very unsettled about several things. My fasting prayer just brought images more to the front of my thoughts and weighed heavily on my mind. I couldnt stop the tears that flowed down my face. My anguish was almost more than I could bear today. As I was praying I felt Ky's little hand touch my cheek and his thumb wipe away my tears. He climbed up in my lap and wrapped his arms around my neck and nestled his head under my chin. He continued to keep his hands on my face and wiped my tears away. When I opened my eyes to look at him he took my face in both his hands and said "it is ok, mom" and then hugged me tighter. I cried even more as I just held him close to me. I dont remember when he climbed off my lap, or when the tears stopped. I only know that when he moved on to his little coloring activity I was much more calm and each of the testimonies today seemed to be just for me. I was able to sit and listen and things were more quiet. The concerns from my dreams still weigh heavy, but they seem a bit easier to bear because my little one was given the precious gift to comfort me today.

Little ones are a joy, through laughter and tears, I dont know what I would ever do without them.

New Favorite Beach!

Yesterday the little kiddos and I got the chance to go out to the coast. Friends who are visiting from Colorado are here for a couple of weeks and since we havent seen them for a very long time, it was the perfect chance for us to get together. We had a fun lunch at their beach house and then went and played for the afternoon.

Our first stop was to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse area. We rambled through the visitors center and got there in time to actually go into the lighthouse. I dont think I have ever been there before when it was open to go inside. There was a great tour guide there who gave us great information and history about the lighthouse. Ky & Kels were too little to be allowed up the 111 steps to the top, so we wandered outside while the others went up.
The grounds and area are so beautiful, even on an extra windy day!

Left-Right: James(7), Kelsianne(3), Jessica(12), Colton(8), Ky(5), Simon(6)

Not knowing what the weather would be like, and for how long we would be gone, I left my good camera at home. Thankfully I remembered that my new cell has a camera on it too. I wasnt holding out any hope that picts would turn out well, but I have been pleasantly surprised that they actually turned out pretty good and I could even play with them a bit. I wanted to esp get a pict from under the amazing staircase in the lighthouse. It was just a very interesting angle I was glad to capture :)

I think that we have found a new favorite beach that is definately worth the 2hr drive. Agate Beach Wayside in Newport is amazing. It is a long, wide beach with a river that runs along the East end and the coastline that runs at the other West side. I am always a bit nervous about the kids and the waves, so this little spot was ideal to let the little ones play and be completely safe and to still hear and see the waves.

There was a big sandbar in the river where we camped out. Ky & Kels had so much fun digging and splashing and playing and I didnt have to worry one ounce about them and could just relax and let them play. The sand was so soft, and very fine density. It was more than perfect for building sandcastles and held the water really well and the shapes . The kids esp loved that the water literally splashed across the surface of the sand and then stayed that way for a long time. I have never seen a beach that reacted that way.

I just couldnt decide which of these I loved more. Little toes are just so fun to photograph!

Usually when you go out to the coast you can guarantee there will be wind - and lots of it. We were about blown over when we were at the lighthouse, but when we found our little spot on the beach, the wind was barely blowing and it was warm. The boys got both the kites out and could fly them all by themselves because the wind was so ideal.

This is our first outing to the beach for the season, so all the sand toys were brand new. Kels couldnt wait to get everything out (literally) and try everything out in the sand. I think she finally decided that digging and splashing were her 2 favorite activities.

The kids were all so close in age that they all got along really well. Our friends moved away when James was very little, so Colton didnt remember him. The kids have never met Simon. They did amazingly well considering they had just met. It really made it fun to just watch them enjoy each other.

More of Kels digging....

Jessica was really sweet to take time for the little kiddos. Ky esp took a liking to her and she was so sweet with him. When Rebecca and I were chatting she noticed that Jessica had buried the 2 little boys. They thought that was great fun.

More of Kels digging.....She just really loved that sand

Colton's special treat was that he was big enough to go play in the waves with Rebecca. She took the 3 big boys to see the waves and play for a bit. When she gets me copies of the picts she took, I will be sure to post them.

Of course Kels had to get in on the same deal as the boys. She was just caked in sand in every nook and cranny, including inside Kels' diaper, even though she had several layers of clothe on. She and the boys will need another bath tonight because we still didnt get the sand out of their ears or all of her hair.

Pasta Fagioli Minus The Pasta...

So...we fed the missionaries again this week. I was at a loss as to what to feed them since we just had them here last week. I had decided that with the weather still cold and blah that soup and bread would be perfect. I am not usually one to do "big" cooking, but found this recipe and thought I would try it out. I had helpers here and there. Caiden was helping me with the carrots, until he grated his own finger, and then he was done. Kaeli helped with the beef stock and taking picts. As things started to go together, the house smelled lovely and taste tests confirmed that I was doing everything right! It was exciting to know that I was making something extra yummy and that it was working.

Dinner went off well (besides the fact that Elder T wolfed his down to fly to another appt and Preston had taken the big boys off to scouts and completely missed dinner) I got lots of good compliments about the soup ("I would have NEVER eaten stuff like this before my mission, and havent eaten it on my mission until tonight. This is REALLY good") We also treated the elders and extra guests to Italian sodas (which they had never had before and I forgot to take picts of) AND "mile high" choc cake from a local restaurant (which is so rich and yummy you almost die trying to eat the last bites :) and I also forgot to take picts of )

Something kind of funny happened concerning the soup tonight. Finally, Preston got to sit down and have a bowl after church today. He thought it was great and as we were talking Kaeli mentioned that the soup would be really good over pasta. I about dropped dead right there - in all the chaos of making the soup the other morning before all of our back-to-back appts- I had completely forgotten to add the macaroni to the soup! All I could do was to start laughing. Not only had I forgotten the pasta in the first place, I didnt remember that I had forgotten it until 5 days after I made it! Really my brain is so empty sometimes.

Even without the pasta, the soup turned out absolutely amazing and one I will defintately make again - WITH the pasta added.
Lots of slicing and dicing going on. Kaeli took lots of picts and had fun getting different angles

Before....

After....

I kind of got a light bounce off this one, but still thought it was a fun image