school pictures 2009-2010

school pictures always turn out a little interesting. i remember my own looking slightly "cheesy"?! actually, one year when i was in middle school i took my turn sitting in the chair for pictures and before the photographer could open his mouth, i put out my hand and said, "don't say anything trying to make me smile, it just makes my smile turn out fake..." (i know some of you are now shaking your heads and probably think, mindy, mindy-just go with the flow... oh well, that's just not how i do things.)

luckily for me we have entered the age of digital cameras and affordability. that means we do not purchase the traditional school pictures. i take my own! this year i waited until the fall leaves were at least beginning to turn color and we set out on a beautiful, sunny sunday afternoon for a walk on our land.
i think they turned out pretty good. there are some really fun pictures that definitely show each boys personality. but you be the judge...what do you think?

sponge bob square pants

this is a fun little test that i was sent by a great friend. it is quick easy and fun. the basis is that according to our personality we are all cartoon characters... I'll let the test itself explain:



EVERYONE has a personality of a cartoon character. Have you ever asked yourself what cartoon character do you most resemble? (seriously, I have never asked myself this question, but keep going...) A group of investigators got together and analyzed the personalities of well known and modern cartoon characters. The information that was gathered was made into this test.

Answer all the questions (only 10) with what describes you best, add up all your Points (which are next to the answer that you choose) at the end and look for your results.

Do not cheat by looking at the end of the e-mail before you are done . (when you are done leave a comment letting me know who you are. I want to see what kind of friend I have and if I agree with the synopsis... Yes family, that means you too. I know you don't often comment because you are somewhat google illiterate, but figure it out, I want your comments...)

1. Which one of the following describes the perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner (4 pts.)
b) Fun/Theme Park (2 pts.)
c) Painting in the park (5 pts)
d) Rock concert (1 pt.)
e) Going to the movies (3 pts.)

2. What is your favorite type of music?
a) Rock and Roll (2 pts.)
b) Alternative (1 pt.)
c) Soft Rock (4 pts.)
d) Country (5 pts )
e) Pop (3 pts.)

3. What type of movies do you prefer?
a) Comedy (2 pts.)
b) Horror (1 pt.)
c) Musical (3 pts.)
d) Romance (4 pts.)
e) Documentary (5 pts.)

4. Which one of these occupations would you choose if you only could choose one of these?
a) Waiter (4 pts.)
b) Professional Sports Player (5 pts.)
c) Teacher (3 pts.)
d) Police (2 pts.)
e) Cashier (1 pt.)

5. What do you do with your spare time?
a) Exercise (5 pts.)
b) Read (4 pts.)
c) Watch television (2 pts.)
d) Listen to music (1 pt.)
e) Sleep (3 pts.)

6. Which one of the following colors do you like best?
a) Yellow (1 pt.)
b) White (5 pts.)
c) Sky Blue (3 pts)
d) Dark Blue(2 pts.)
e) Red (4 pts.)

7. What do you prefer to eat?
a) Snow (3 pts.)
b) Pizza (2 pts.)
c) Sushi (1 pt.)
d) Pasta (4 pts.)
e) Salad (5 pts...)

8. What is your favorite holiday?
a) Halloween(1 pt.)
b) Christmas(3 pts.)
c) New Year (2 pts.)
d) Valentine's Day(4 pts.)
e) Thanksgiving(5 pts.)

9. If you could go to one of these places which one would it be?
a) Paris (4 pts)
b) Spain (5 pts)
c) Las Vegas (1 pt.)
d) Hawaii (4 pts)
e) Hollywood (3 pts)

10. With which of the following would you prefer to spend time with?
a) Someone Smart (5 pts.)
b) Someone attractive (2 pts.)
c) Someone who likes to Party (1 pt.)
d) Someone who always has fun (3 pts.)
e) Someone very sentimental (4 pts....)

Now add up your points and find out the answer you have been waiting for!

10-16 points) You are Garfield :
You are very comfortable, easy going, and you definitely know how to have fun but sometimes you take it to an extreme. You always know what you are doing and you are always in control of your life. Others may not see things as you do, but that doesn't mean that you always have to do what is right. Try to remember, your happy spirit may hurt you or others...

(17-23 points) You are Snoopy:
You are fun; you are very cool and popular.. You always know what's in and you ' re never out of style , you are good at knowing how to satisfy everyone else. You have probably disappeared for a few days more than once but you always come home with the family values that you learned Being married and having children are important to you, but only after you have had your share of fun times.

(24-28 points) You are Elmo:
You have lots of friends and you are also popular, always willing to give advice and help out a person in need. You are very optimistic and you always see the bright side of things. Some good
advice:try not to be too much of a dreamer. Dreaming too big could cause many conflicts in your life.

(29-35 points) You are Sponge Bob Square Pants.
You are the classic person that everyone loves. You are the best friend that anyone could ever have and never wants to lose. You never cause harm to anyone and they would never not understand your feelings. Life is a journey, it's funny and calm for the most part. Stay away from traitors and jealous people and you will be stress free...

(36-43 points) You are Charlie Brown:
You are tender, you fall in love quickly but you are also very serious about all relationships.. You are a family person. You call your Mom every Sunday. You have many friends and may occasionally forget a few Birthdays. Don't let your passion confuse you with reality.

(44-50 points ) You are Dexter:
You are smart and definitely a thinker.... Every situation is fronted with a plan. You have a brilliant mind. You demonstrate very strong family principles. You maintain a stable routine but never ignore a bad situation when it comes. Try to do less over thinking every once in a while to spice things up a bit with spontaneity!


Okay. How did you do? It turns out that I am Sponge Bob Square Pants! I never though I would ever relate myself to Sponge Bob, but here I am. I am flattered by the description and wonder if other people really view me this way. If so I will use it as a tool to build my
self esteem. I'll say to myself, "You are Sponge Bob Square pants and dangit people like you!"

jelly beans

so who knew that jelly beans could taste so good? i have had jelly belly jelly beans several times and of course like them. this easter eli really wanted jelly beans, it is actually about the only thing he talked about for easter. he didn't care if he got anything else during the easter egg hunt, but he would have been one sorely disappointed boy if he missed out on the jelly beans. he even announced in primary that easter was coming and easter means jelly beans! as you can imagine, i didn't want him to be disappointed. i bought the good kind! the boys have been having so much fun sorting through the bowl of jelly beans and matching them up with the bag to find the good flavors! i sorted through and took out several buttered popcorn ones. have you had these? how do the do it? i mean really, how do you pack in enough flavor that an eraser sized candy really tastes like you are eating popcorn? i'm not sure how they do and i guess i don't care just as long as they keep doing it. yum!

last summer my niece kylee generously shared some jelly beans with me and my sisters. these were not just any jelly beans, these were the harry potter selection from jelly belly. it became almost a contest to see which one of us could gross out the other the most by being brave enough to eat the nastiest flavors. we actually tried things like green grass (tastes just like fresh cut grass), black pepper, boogers and dirt. they were amazingly real tasting! there were however flavors that none of us even dared to smell, let alone taste. thing like vomit, poop, ear wax, etc... nasty! but very funny. we had such a great time tasting and laughing. i never thought i would make memories with anyone while eating rotten egg and earthworms! you should give it a try... if you don't like them you can always wash out all those tastes with a soap flavored one!

miss austen regrets

last night i finally got to watch a movie that has been on my netflix q for way too long. i have been anxiously waiting to watch this movie, hoping that it would be another love. last fall i watched the new "sense and sensibility" by bbc and absolutely loved it! when i looked it up to purchase it i notices that it was being sold with "miss austen regrets". i of course placed it on my netflix q right away and have been waiting to see it. i know that i could have moved it to the top of my q, and it was there off and on. but i guess i was also a little nervous about seeing this movie in fear that it wouldn't hold true with my picture of the perfect jane austen. i must say, it was wonderful! i love jane austen and her books, but especially the movies. i love to read, but there is something transforming about watching your favorite characters come to life on the screen. i have more to say, but i won't. watch it and decide for yourself.

here is a trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pddz_MR1WkY

jury duty

friday i had the privelage of serving jury duty! i know that some people dread being called to serve as a juror. some will come up with any excuse to get out of the drudgery. many who make it to the big day are annoyed at the "inconvenience" and show this with hostile body language. i on the other hand, though it is never overly convenient to fit this into your life, was looking forward to the opportunity. i carefully read all the instructions, even the repeat ones in the handy jurors handbook! i know this shocks some of you as you know i normally fly by the seat of my pants. but this is one way that i am able to go with the flow. i read everything that i can about a subject that interests me or involves me and then i can relax and pretend i know everything!...
did you know that in massachusetts you will serve approximately once every three years! that of course does not mean that you will get to become a juror. on friday i got up bright and early (i know, another surprise!), i arrived at the hall of justice in springfield, massachusetts (the murder capital of all massachusetts in case you didn't know) at exactly 8:00 am. once there i hunkered in for a long morning of waiting! a judge came to talk to us, she said that even if we don't get picked we are serving an important part in the legal process just by being there. she further explained that many people don't realize that they can settle a case until the stress of the moment that they are going to bring in the jurors arrives, this prompts them to settle with out the battle. good, however on my particular friday that meant over 100 people sitting around for 4 1/2 hours, doing nothing, all to just get sent home without doing anything! yep, that is the brilliance of the whole legal system in action. instead of hundreds of people being able to work everyday, helping the local economy, they get paid (by their employer) for work that doesn't get done. that means massachusetts is also getting free 'labor' from the population of the willing. they charge us taxes, depend on volunteer labor and rack up large financial burdens for those who don't benefit all so that cases can be settled out of court. sorry about the rant, i didn't mean to go there. it probably didn't even make much sense.
i was rather disappointed that my day went this way. i wanted to be a part of it all. i wanted to stick it to some poor fellow who was the scum of all the earth. i had big dreams of being liek jimmy stewart in "twelve angry men" and teaching everyone that you have to think for yourselves and not just assume the person is guilty. aw, the dreams of the idle... i guess maybe next time.