Twilight - The Movie

Okay, I'll admit it - I saw the movie at midnight the day it opened. I was actually in my seat about 11:00 pm on the 20th - in anticipation of the 'grand opening'. Me and several hundred of my closest, weirdest, middle-agiest mostly female friends. The theatre was packed with fans of the books and what I assume to be caterpillar eyebrows. I have a bias towards Robert Pattinson - the guy cast as Edward - his eyebrows are too bushy to be Edward. I'll admit that right up front, I thought he was all wrong for the part and I'm sticking to it! My not-so-professional opinion of the movie:

Goods:
Cinematography - location, awesome! The shot of them climbing in the trees was magnificent
Bella - cast well and Kristin Stewart is a fine actress for this role
The role of the father - he was younger than I pictured and I liked it.
Jacob - not bad, could have done more in the picture
Edward - eyebrows still distracting but there were times he 'grew on me' especially the biology class scene when the scent of Bella first hits him.
Forks - quaint and perfect

Bads:
Length of the film - it drug on and on and on
The Cullen family - not enough of them
Victoria - should not be talking
I don't want to hear the word 'spider monkey' used as a term of endearment ever again!!!
The 'venom sucking' scene in the dance studio was laughable and I don't think it was meant to be...laughed out loud when Bella's eyes crossed!

Uglies:
Eyebrows on Edward - did I mention that already?????
Alice - her baseball throwing stance - hello???what's with the pointed toe???
Bella's prom dress...could they not have found something more suitable and beautiful!?
The kissing scene in the bedroom - where was all the romance leading up to it!?
All the women in the theatre screaming at the top of their lungs for every little thing - come on ladies, get a life!!!! (Oh wait, I was there too but not screaming, mind you!)

I could go on - but will spare you. I loved the books and while dissapointed with #4 and the movie - still think they are refreshingly new in their concept. Will I see it again? Probably? Will I buy it? Yes. Will I meet Robert Pattinson in a dark alley with a waxing pot and linen strips? Most definately!!

Falling for Soup

I love soup...there I've said it! Fall is the perfect time for me to dust off some old 'tried-and-true' recipes and also launch into some uncharted territory with soup cooking! All growing up my favorite was potato soup that my mom made with home-made french bread. It's still a great one but here's my favorite (and a real kid-pleaser) for the moment!

Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb ground beef

3/4 Cup chopped onions

3/4 Cup shredded carrots (I buy them pre-shredded)

1 tsp Dried Basil

1 tsp Dried Parsley Flakes

4 TBSP Butter

3 Cups Chicken broth

4 Cups diced, peeled potatoes *

*(if in a hurry - I buy the frozen breakfast potatoes with green pepper)

1/4 Cup All-purpose flour

2 Cups Shredded Velveeta Cheese (or cubed)

1 1/2 Cups Milk

3/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/4 Cup Sour cream

In a large saucepan brown the beef; drain and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 TBSP butter. Cook until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes) Add broth, potatoes and beef. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. In a separate skillet melt the remaining butter. Add flour to butter; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add the flour mixture to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for approximately 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream. Serve.

Thankful for 5!

This past weekend I participated in the Telos Turkey Tri 5k in Orem. It was my fifth 5K - and I can hardly believe it! My good friend, Clint, did the actual sprint triathlon: run 5K, bike 10 miles and swim 350 meters. I was so proud of him!!! I had toyed with the idea of entering that part but knew I wouldn't be ready - good thing I know my limits (well, at least where chocolate is not involved!). I finished the race and while I don't know my time, it doesn't really matter. I was surrounded by hard-core racers and triathlon athletes. I know that I stick out like a sore thumb - not having the body of a 41-year old who's been running/biking/swimming her whole life. Rather, the body of a 41-year old who's just started running and is grateful just to finish without collapsing.

I am extremely grateful for a Heavenly Father who made our bodies so forgiving. Who knew that you could actually change your body shape and make-up this far into life? Every time I run a little further and am less winded than the time before, I give thanks. When I walk/run up the hills I am grateful that I have legs to carry me, lungs that work right and a will that's been strengthened by a powerful belief. I know that my Heavenly Father wants me to be healthy, strong and happy - He's helping me through each race I've entered. It's something I wish that I'd done sooner in life, but it's better now than never!

I have to stop myself from comparing to the wrong crowd - instead I think about all the folks who don't even enter races, whatever the reason. I think about all the times I sat on the sidelines admiring people who could run and yet didn't feel motivated to join them. Wow! I'm one of those people now and despite coming in the end of the 5K, I couldn't be happier. I'm holding out the banner for all you sitting on the sidelines - if I can do it, you can too!

Halloween

It was a perfect day! The temps were in the 70's during the day so there was just a slight chill in the evening. There were plenty of fall leaves to crunch while walking around and I had 6 kids to oooh and aaaah over their cute and costumed selves.

I truly love fall - many people get invigorated by spring but for me it's fall. Growing up in Arizona we didn't really have 4 seasons - just 2, hot and not-so-hot! I always dreamed of beautiful trees changing colors, leaves piled up in the yard - perfect for leaping and driving down the street and watching leaves swirl around and behind the car.

I got my first taste of a true and lovely Fall when I lived back east. There are so many trees and the chill in the air plus autumn leaves were a magical mixture to me. While I love Arizona - I was thrilled when we moved to Utah that my lovely autumn dreams were coming true again.

I couldn't help snapping some photos yesterday - but they just don't do it justice! You'd have to have crunch-o-vision, smell-o-vision and feel-o-vision to appreciate these fully. Just take my word for it - it's perfect!