Up.

From the company who brings us the greatest animated films of all of forever and from the director of the hilarious Monsters Inc., Peter Docter along with his co-director Bob Peterson who plays the voice of the Roz in Monsters Inc. have done it again!

Up is about a 78-year-old man named Carl Fredricksen who, by tying thousands of baloons to his home, sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting, off, however, he learns that he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer who happens to be 70 years younger than him, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip. Pixar's "Up" stars the voices of Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, and even Bob Peterson. The movie is rated PG for some peril and action.

We showed up late and missed the first couple minutes of the movie, but it was easy enough to catch on to. And since we were late, we sat in the front row of the movie theater. With the screen so close it was easy to see the great detail in the animation. "Up" is a mix of love, adventure, humor, and learning to let go. It was the best movie I've seen in a long while. Grade wise I think I'd be doing myself a great misfortune if I gave it anything less than an A. It was good. You should watch it!

My Roommates Making Popcorn.

This video always makes me laugh. ...I've never seen popcorn made quite like this before.

Facebook.

Today, for whatever odd reason, I feel like posting about facebook.

Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg who, with his roommates Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, and Eduardo Saverin, launched Facebook from their Harvard dorm room.

From Harvard, Facebook took it's first steps in the world and now reaches to the farthest four corners of the Earth. Here are some staticts straight from facebook.com:

The General Growth: More than 200 million active users. More than 100 million users log on to Facebook at least once a day. More than two-thirds of Facebook users are outside of college. The fastest growing demographic is those 35 years old and older. The International Growth: More than 40 translations available on the site, ith more than 50 in development. And about 70% of Facebook users are outside of the United States. Wow. As for the User Engagement: The average user has 120 friends on the site. More than 3.5 billion minutes are spent on Facebook a day (worldwide). More than 20 million users update their status at least once a day. And more than 4 million users become fans of Pages each day.

Facebook's headquarters are in Palo Alto, California and it's offices run from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, New York, Venice Beach in California and it's International offices are in Dublin, Ireland; London and Paris.

Up here in Idaho on the university campus, the word is used everywhere. Facebook this. Facebook that. Today, more specifically, I'd like to touch on those common facebook relationships.

Just the other day someone was telling about how silly they thought facebook was. She mentioned that a friend of hers had been dating this guy and naturally they made it known on facebook. However, when they had 'the talk' the girl decided that the relationship just wasn't working out. "So," the boy said sluggishly, "I guess this means I have to change my status on Facebook." I laughed when I heard the story. I mean, of all the things on his mind the one thing he was worried about was facebook.

For me, I have a total of 193 friends on the site and I think I talk to maybe ten of them. I know them all personally, though, whether I remember them or not is another story. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to know who's married, or engaged, or expecting, but honestly I find it pretty crazy to have so many friends that I'd hardly call friends at all.

When the semester started a girl in my art class made the suggestion that we should add each other on facebook. So we did. And do you know what? We've barely said a word to each other. The other day in class this friend asked for the names of the two boys that sit at our table. (It's funny, in college -even though really none of my classes have assigned seating -the students always sit in the same spot anyway.) When we re-learned the boys' names I asked my friend if she remembered my name. "Julia," she said as-a-matter-a-factly and continued. "We're friends on facebook. Of course I know your name." That was reassuring. At least now I know that all 193 of my facebook friends will never forget my name.

Facebook, to me, seems to say "Our relationship has already been determined. We're friends. So, there really is no need to chat with each other."

...Well, that's my opinion. I could say more on the matter, but I think this post is long enough as it is. Right now, I'd actually like to hear what you have to say. What do you think about facebook?

Monsters VS. Aliens

What do you get when you add the director of "Shark Tale", Rob Letterman, and the director of "Shrek 2", Conrad Vernon? Answer: A hilarious tale stuffed with ridiculous aliens and clueless monsters. Monsters VS. Aliens stars the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, and Will Arnett. The movie is rated PG.

Monsters VS. Aliens is about a young bride named Susan Murphy who gets squashed by a meteorite and then turned into a giant monster. Just as with Gulliver in "Gulliver's Travels" (which by the way, is coming out as a new movie in June, 2010 directed by our own Rob Letterman) Susan is tied down and taken captive. She ends up in a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years. As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger, on a desperate order from The President, the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction!

I went with one of my former roommates Tuesday night to the cheap theaters. The movie was hilarious! I was laughing through the entire thing. It surprised me though how much fun the movie was making of our government, our president, and with how things are run in the United States. But, like I said, it was hilarious. With rating I'd give the movie a B- and I guarantee that you will laugh your head off, or at least a whole lot.

Star Trek

From the man who brought us "Forever Young", "Cloverfield", numerous episodes of both "Alias" and "Lost" comes the newest Star Trek. (And btw: the sequel has already been announced!) Star Trek is directed by J. J. Abrams and stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and the legendary Leonard Nimoy. The movie is rated PG-13.

I watched the movie Monday night by myself as all of my roommates were currently out-of-state. It was a long walk and I made it just as the movie was starting. And just as soon as it started I was hooked! The movie was amazing! The graphics were unbelievably good and the characters played their parts perfectly. I was blown away! Rating wise, having nearly grown up on Star Trek, I'd put it on the lower end of the A's. It was good, but it was still PG-13.

My Subconcious Habits.

The other day I was talking to one of my roommates about quarks. I listed mine off to her and was surprised at how many there were. When I'm not thinking about them, they come easier. Anyway, I know I've posted this kind of thing before but I'm not sure I covered these...Oh well, if I have more (which I'm sure I do) I'll add them later. And maybe, if you share some of yours with me, it might jog my memory.

1. I check my cell phone at least four times every night, just before drifting off into sleep, to make sure that I set all three of my alarms correctly.
2. When I check the mail, I unlock the box open it and when there is nothing there I shut it, lock it, unlock it, and check it again. Always. I have no idea why.
3. Even when I was young, I always had to have my door shut and I always know when it's open. Like a draft comes in or the noise is louder or something. Sometimes, when I'm conscious of it, I try really hard to keep it open that way I'm not literally shutting out the world.
4. I have a bad habit of picking apart my nails. Ever since I got braces I stopped biting them, but now I just pick at them.
5. I have to watch the toilet flush before leaving the bathroom.
6. I can't stand leaving the house with any of the lights on (that is, when no one is home).
7. I always have music playing.
8. Whenever I got out of my car I would stand there (typically in the dark after a long day at work) and make sure that the lights went out.
9. I play with the tips of my hair. I like the sound and then I like the feeling when I brush it against my lips -It drives me crazy, though. And I'm sure that anyone who knows me well enough knows that I do this. How could you not?? I've tried to quit, but I can't seem to shake it.
10. I check my facebook, my personal email, my school email, and my bank account at least five times a day, in that order.
11. I like chewing on my tongue.
12. When I shower I follow a very specific pattern.
13. I always put my right shoe on first.
14. I like to straighten things. Last semester I was playing a game of cards with my roommates and I kept straightening the discard pile. I didn't notice I was doing it until my roommate pointed it out. I guess it's just impulse.
15. When I sit I slouch.
16. When I dish up my food I have to eat it in the same position that I dished it up in (like, say when I dish up the potatoes on my plate and put them closest to me, I have to eat with my plate in that same position, with my potatoes closest to me) and so I think it's funny to rotate people's plates when they're not looking.
17. I'm always cracking my knuckles (and sometimes my neck and back too).
18. Oh and here's something, but I'm not sure it counts. When someone does something funny and a friend or whoever is next to them mimics it immediately declaring: "Ha-Ha! You did this!" and then do it or say it again. Drives me nuts!
19. I always drown my ice cream in milk when I eat it.
20. When I need to cross at a traffic light I always have to press the "Walk" button (or whatever it's called) three times.

Sheldon's Last Leg.

As many of you know, I am attending school in Idaho right now and I do not have my car with me. My car is home in Missouri and it seems that every time I come home I find out something new about him. And by new I mean something that wasn't broken before is now broken. My car seems to be on his last leg. I decided to post up his many medical problems because I thought it was funny. Funny and expensive.


This is Sheldon, my '96 Buick Skylark. He may look fine, but really he is very very sick.


The trunk -as you can see- won't shut. My brother John took a wire to the inside of it and somehow managed to hook it to the bottom of the car to keep in somewhat shut.

This is the steering column. Of all the things wrong with it, this I think is the worst. When you sit in the driver's seat the steering wheel is literally in your lap. The car turns and all that, but the column can't decide if it wants to stay put or not. My brother John also took a bright orange string to this to keep it still.


This is the Glove Compartment. The previous owner stuck a clump of paper in the opening which managed to keep the compartment shut. That is -until you decided to open it. Once open, the paper would fall, and the door would hang open. And that reminds me of another thing. When the door is open you can see that there are actually a couple of drink holders on the inside. How strange is that? I mean, who in the world would want to use them??

This tire (at least, I think it's this tire) is bigger than all the others. Which makes it wobbly to drive. In my absence my brother John has taken good care of Sheldon. He's patched it up and fed it gas and, surprisingly, it's still running. He has been a really good doctor. Thank you Dr. John!

Another Garden.

We pulled the tarp away to reveal the ugliest casket I have ever seen. It was green. Apparently my grandpa had found a good deal on the thing. Not that I would know. I had never given it any thought about how much it would cost to die. I was surprised to find that my grandpa was starting to think on these lines. "Talk about emergency preparedness" they said. "He was a real boy scout."

I helped carry the casket into my grandparents barn where I was sure it would sit for years collecting dust and spiders. It was spring break then and death was far from my mind. No. That's not completely true. Before I left for school I said goodbye to my grandparents and for the first time in my life that dreaded thought slipped into my mind: What if this was the last time that I would see my grandpa? I wrapped my arms around him and told him how much I loved him.

Today before I left for school I looked at my cell phones. No, I thought. I'll leave them here today. When I got home I checked them. A small black box appeared in the middle of my phone. 7 Messages. And on the other there were two. They were all from my mom. Something had obviously happened. For whatever reason, I expected to hear good news, but when I heard my mother's voice I knew that I was dead wrong...

"Death," said President Monson, "eventually comes to all humankind. It comes to the aged as they walk on faltering feet. Its summons is heard by those who have scarcely reached midway in life’s journey, and often it hushes the laughter of little children. Death is one fact that no one can escape or deny."

Death is sad. Death is hollow. Death cuts at the heart. Death hurts.

As with the rest of my family, today has been very hard for me. I want to be home. I want to be within the comfort of my home with my loving family around me. I feel so far away. My Grandpa is gone. In this life, I shall never see him again. I am reminded of the plan of salvation. I know I will see him again. I know he is with his children who went on before him. I know he is happy. But I am selfish. I want him here.

President Monson continued: "Frequently death comes as an intruder. It is an enemy that suddenly appears in the midst of life’s feast, putting out its lights and gaiety. Death lays its heavy hand upon those dear to us and at times leaves us baffled and wondering. In certain situations, as in great suffering and illness, death comes as an angel of mercy. But for the most part, we think of it as the enemy of human happiness. The darkness of death, however, can ever be dispelled by the light of revealed truth. “I am the resurrection, and the life,” spoke the Master. “He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

When I think of my grandpa I think of him in his garden. I believe that I shall always remember him that way. Outside, working on his garden. There is a hymn that, when I hears it's words, I see my grandpa. "There are chances for work all around just now, Opportunities right in our way. Do not let them pass by, saying, 'Sometime I’ll try,' But go and do something today." Because life is fragile and death inevitable, we must make the most of each day. My Grandpa was such a man. He was constantly learning, constantly working, constantly sharing his love with all who were around him.

I remember once, a family reunion. The majority of the family was able to attend and it was held in the gym of our church back home. We put on dozens of little skits and in the midst of the audience my grandfather watched. At the end, all of my family, all of my cousins, all of my aunts, and all of my uncles were invited to stand at the foot of the stage and sing to our Grandpa. By the time all of us made it to the stage, my grandpa was the only one left in the audience. At that moment I felt a great connection with him, one that I had never before felt. I could see the tears in his eyes. The perfect bliss in his face. This was his family. His. Of all the things he fixed, of all the places he has served, of all the things he has done, he always seemed to regard his family as the most important of all the things he has ever accomplished.

I regret to say that my memories of my grandpa are hazy and old. Of these recent years my relationship with him was one of quiet words and secret observations. I love my grandpa. I loved watching him work. He was always dedicated in everything he did and he always found time to do what was needed.

I remember the stories. The story of my grandpa attaching a sail to his bike and ending up miles from home. The story of my grandpa running away from his fellow sailor-mates who did their best to give the Mormon-boy some beer. The story of my grandpa walking into one of his class' and finding that one of his students was goofing around on top of their desk -"Get down from there," my grandpa said, "you're not a jackass!" (That was the only time I have ever heard of my grandpa swearing.)

I have never met a man quite like my grandpa. Perhaps it is because I was young. Perhaps it is because I was never with him on those rare occasions. Or perhaps my grandpa was just one of those rare people sent to earth simply to act as a standard to all those around them, but I have never seen my grandpa make a mistake. In my eyes he was perfect. He was a sealer in our Father's Temple. His posterity is "as the sands of the sea." He knew how to fix anything. He knew how to fly. He knew how to work the land. He knew how to be thrifty. He knew how to teach. He knew how to love.

I miss my grandpa. Today, as I was told over the phone, my grandpa made a few trips into town to get some mulch for his garden. After his second trip, my grandpa didn't come home. My mom was sent out to check on him and see if everything was alright. My mom went with my youngest sister of only three years. My mom tells me that she found him lying on the ground. He had put his shovel on top of the mulch filled buckets in the trunk and was now lying on the ground with his ankles crossed, as if in sleep. He left before she got there. There was no life in him then.

My younger sister did not understand. Why would someone kill grandpa? No, my mom explained. The Lord needs Grandpa with him. It was his time to go home. My sister seemed to understand. "So," she said, "He is in another garden."

I know my grandpa is in heaven. I know he is watching his family from On High; perhaps in silence as all of his children, and all of their children cry and mourn over his loss. Or perhaps he isn't watching. After all there is too much work in heaven just to sit around.

I cannot wait for the day when I rejoin him and walk through the gardens of heaven. The gardens that I know he is planting for his family.

Art 110.

This semester I am taking an art class. The class is one of my favorites and yet one of the most time consuming. I enjoy it though. I seriously thought about dropping it, however, when I realized that I'd have to buy an art kit that would cost me over $100, and its not even something I can sell back. But I decided to stick with it anyway and I'm glad I did. I think the worst part of the class is having to lug the kit around everywhere. The kit is quite enormous. And since it's always a winds-day in Rexburg I am constantly being blow across campus. Like today. Even without the kit I was being blow everywhere. Maybe that's why they have the students buy all these big books for class, they act as a weight so that you don't see students flying all over the place like some kind of Mary-Poppins storm.

Anyway, for our first assignment we were to construct an ink drawing and it had to be from real life and an organic shape. We made three drawings total and here I am posting them all for you. We hung them up in class to be ripped to shreds -I mean critiqued, by the teacher and other students. Mine held their own fairly well. Especially my last one. But it was strange hanging them up alongside every one elses. It always felt like a competition. But anyway, here are my drawings. I know that there are a lot of things wrong with them, but if you want to tell me anyway you are more than welcome to. Oh and one more thing. These drawings are huge. I don't remember the exact measurements but I couldn't scan them off so I just took pictures of them with my camera and that's why they're really dark (and they might look a tad squished or cropped because of it). If you click on the image you might be able to see it better.

Drawing I: A Daffodil (just in case you couldn't tell)


Drawing II: A Pineapple (again, just in case you couldn't tell)


Drawing III: Another Pineapple

Not Disney.

I like to ask questions. One of the questions that I like to ask is: What is your favorite Disney movie? It really isn't a hard question to answer, but, regardless, I find myself getting answers such as these: Anastasia, The Swan Princess, Thumbelina, All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Iron Giant, and Shark Tail. Well, if you're one of those Disney buffs like my entire family is, then you'd know that not a single one of these movies is actually Disney. Nope. Not one of them. And then, whenever I ask them: Are you sure that's Disney? Then I get answers such as these: "Oh yeah, no I think Anastasia is actually Pixar" or "No, Toy Story is definitely NOT Pixar" or "Shark Tail? Oh wait, isn't that Pixar?" I guess you could make it a valid argument that whatever is Pixar is Disney also, but with every answer that I got it was never Disney in the first place.

I mean, come on people! It is really not that hard to tell the difference between Disney and Not Disney or Pixar/Disney and NOT Pixar/Disney. Well, due to so many common misconceptions I have constructed a list of NOT DISNEY MOVIES. Some of these I myself was a little surprised at. I had just never really thought about who produced it. Well, here I go. If I have left any out please, do not hesitate to add them!

NOT DISNEY:
*Anastasia - Fox Animation Studios
*The Swan Princess - Nest Family Entertainment (but it was directed by an ex-disney animation director named Richard Rich.)
*Thumbelina - Golden Films
*The Iron Giant - Warner Bros. Animation
*Balto - Universal Pictures
*All Dogs Go to Heaven - actually a United Artists Entertainment Film
*An American Tail - Amblin Entertainment
*Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron -Dreamworks
*Land Before Time Series - Amblin Entertainment
*Shark Tail - Dreamworks

And for those of you who are just curious, Pixar has made a total of nine feature films: Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, and Wall-E. Their 10th film, Up, is set for release on May 29, 2009 and will be the first Pixar film presented in Disney Digital 3-D. Their 11th film, Toy Story 3, is set for release around June 18th, 2010; soon to be followed by 'Newt' (summer 2011), 'The Bear and the Bow' (winter 2011), and 'Cars 2' (summer 2012).

My Favorite Class.

I remember when I first added the class. It was almost midnight and I had to get up just couple hours later for work. I REALLY wanted this class. But I had to wait. My registration time wasn't for another ten minutes and there were only two seats left for the class. I was determined to get this class. Like I said, I REALLY wanted it. Well, as you can guess -I got the class (why else would I be writing this post?).

The class is called Preparation for Eternal Marriage. (And just in case some of you reading this may want to attend school at BYU-Idaho -my teacher's name is Boyd Baggett. I highly recommend him too.) I LOVE this class. I LIVE for this class.

-Now, do not think that I am just some silly college girl overly excited about getting married. That is not the reason I love this class (or else, not the only reason). The reason I love and live for this class is for the simple fact that there is a book -a manual, eleven inches long and almost eight and a half inches wide. The book is just that a Student Manual titled "Eternal Marriage". With this manual, the scriptures, and the workings of the Holy Ghost in every single classroom setting I am enriched with the teachings of the Lord's Plan of Happiness. In studying eternal marriage I have found that with it comes all other principles of the Gospel. I will not go into how this is so, as it is that many of you already understand this principle.

For those of you who are unmarried, and even those who are, I recommend having this Manual in your homes and in your constant personal study. If you do not have it, I say: Get it! It was the cheapest thing I bought for school this semester -but that really isn't saying much as I spent well over $500 for books. The manual was about seven or eight dollars and it is worth much more than that.

If you are young and are crossing that threshold into dating and growing up; if you are married with children on their way through High School; if you desire more for your marriage and more for your testimony; even if you are the happiest person on earth -to all of these I give you my recommendation. (For those who already posses this wonderful book: Kudos!)

So, anyway. All I mean to say is that I love this class. Yup. I sure do!

X-Men: Wolverine.

If I could describe this movie in two words they'd be "Pure Action". It was neat to see all the different mutations and how they worked with each other. If you go and see this movie (and enjoy it) I'd highly recommend setting out the first X-Men for when you get home. I nearly guarantee that you'll want to watch it just as soon as the movie gets over. At least, I did. I still want to. The movie is rated PG-13 and, of course, it's action packed. Lots of fighting, some language, and yeah. I actually really enjoyed it, but then I enjoy almost anything with superheros and amazing abilities. I suppose grade wise... Hmm. I liked it, but it wasn't the most amazing film in the world. I'd probably give it a C. But that's just me. It was good, but not that good.

"Fall For You"

This is my youngest sister singing the song "Fall For You" by SecondHand Serenade. Isn't she the cutest? And perhaps the most spoiled?

Three Simple Steps.

The other day upon asking my sister what she thought I should blog about she said "Blog about losing weight." And so I did. Or well, I actually constructed it like an essay and I think it might have gotten wildly out of hand. Anyway, my five pages of essay didn't fit as well as I thought on this post and so I have now placed it on your left under "Talks and Essays." You don't have to read it (well...my sister does! Just kidding. I love you Sister!) but it is there if you'd like to. I enjoyed writing it and I'm anxious to put it to action. If you read it: Enjoy. If you don't: Your loss not mine.

My Second Date.

Well, it isn't really my second date. It's actually just my second date since I got up here to BYU-Idaho. (Not to mention the fact that it was also a "Blind" date.)

His name was Paul and he's from Wisconsin. We went bowling at the Teton Lanes yesterday and then after that we went out and had dinner at Dairy Queen. There were five couples total and, in case you're one of those people who are bad at math, that's ten people!

Bowling was fun. Though, I can honestly say that I stink at it. And there was always that one pin that never wanted to fall. And I swear it was the same one each time. It's like a bowling curse that I have. Anyway, dinner was fun too. Our group date split up for dinner; the half who finished early went out to Cold Stone and the rest of us, as you know, went to Dairy Queen. After that we all went back to our apartment and played a few card games. And I was bad at those too.

...When I first started writing this post I thought: "Why? Why does it matter that my readers know about this?" Well, it doesn't. It wasn't some spectacular thing -though it was very fun. And there really is no reason for you to need to know this. But then, there was something, one very tiny thing that I thought you might enjoy. And that tiny thing -something that I hope you've never experienced -was simply this: My date, throughout the entire evening, reminded me so much of my brother Jacob. So much in fact that there were a few times that I wanted to call him 'Jacob'. Is that bad? I mean, I hear people say all the time that girls tend to marry a man who is much like their father, and visa-versa for men finding someone like their mothers. But is this the same thing? Finding someone like your brother? I don't know. Regardless, I thought it was very ...interesting. I haven't seen my brother in almost a year and, most unfortunately, this date was almost like seeing him again.

My date and I got along very well. We always had something to talk about and literally everything he told me was something that reminded me of my brother. He told me a story on our way home of how his sister, just a year younger than him, was always getting on his case whenever he drove. He told me that the two of them were usually very good friends and that there were a few times that they'd want to rip each others heads off. More or less. Now, if you know my brother and I at all you'll know that we have this same relationship with each other. I mean, when Paul told me these things it was like hearing my brother again, only describing us instead. Is that weird? I mean, think about it. For those of you who are married, do your husbands, at any point in time, ever remind you of a certain brother you have?

Me At Twenty-Four.

The car rolled to a silent stop in front of a two story house. Blue with white shudders. A long porch wrapped around the front where it was mostly hidden by shrubs growing wildly out of hand. I meant to trim those before I left. Guess I never really got around to it.

I pulled the keys from the ignition still watching the house. It was pretty much a simple square except for where it jutted out in the front right half giving it an extra foot. On the first story of that awkward extra foot was a set of three windows that arched outward. A built in couch sat on the other side of these windows. This is the library -or was until Henry was born. At that point it became a nursery, once we discovered that books and slobbery boys didn't mix very well. The books were now in boxes shoved in the corner of our basement. No matter what I do they always seem to end up down there.

I inhaled breathing in the fresh scent of May. I couldn't help but feel relieved. Relaxed almost. I was back. I was home. I let the bright noon sun beat against my face before jumping out of the car -literally.

The car was a red Volkswagen bug convertible with sleek black leather seats. I loved this car. It drove smoother than anything I've ever driven. (I even had a few possible names picked out.) A woman in our ward was trying to sell it and she let me borrow it for the last two weeks to see how it drove. It was supposedly going to be my late twenty-fourth birthday present. But, things never turn out the way we expect they will. Just eight days ago I called my husband to tell him the news. We couldn't keep the car. Número Tres was already on the way.

The gravel crunched beneath my shoes as I hit the driveway. This was something I missed. Los Angeles isn't exactly my cup of tea and two weeks was more than enough time away from home. Not that Kansas is exactly my taste, but it works.

My husband and I were married mid August 2010 in the Jordan River Temple out in Utah, but we lived in Rexburg, Idaho until we both finished school. We got our degrees in the same month over a year and a half later. I guess you could say that it was his fault we never made it to our own graduation. No, we spent that day in the hospital and left with a bouncing baby boy. That fall we moved here to Haysville, Kansas on account of my husbands job. We like it here. It suits us.

I leaned across the open car and grabbed my bag and best-selling novel of almost four months (-hence the reason for my being in Los Angeles) and started for the door.

I could hear them before I even reached the porch. The rumbling sound of a human airplane being followed by two fighter jets attempting to shoot it down. I smiled walking up the steps. When I reached the door, however, I didn't open it. Instead I leaned against the outside wall and peered in through the front window. There they were. All three of my boys. The youngest flying around piggyback with his arms around the neck of the handsomest man while the middle one raced around the room, arms outstretched, in his pajamas and what seemed to be a military helmet made of tin foil. I watched as they all raced into the next room mimicking the sounds of a plane about to crash. I laughed finally deciding to open the door.

When I pulled open the screen a loud squeak echoed through the house and all went silent. I hesitated a moment before pushing open the front door to reveal an empty living room. "Hello?" I called into the quiet house. "Is anyone home?"

I heard it then, the sound of tiny feet tapping against the kitchen floor and the shout as my oldest son ran toward me. "Dad -it's Mom! Dad -it's Mom!"

His eyes lit up when he saw me standing there. I knelt to the ground and caught him up in my arms. After kissing every inch of his face I balanced him on my hip and saw the rest of my family standing at the edge of the kitchen waiting for me. My husband smiled at me holding our youngest in his arms. "Welcome Home."