I Rescind My Statement

My most recent email from my niece, Shelbi informed me that I was wrong to be so hard on Drew. She is not the face of Revlon but instead the face of Cover Girl. Duh. She did not endorse 3-D but instead Lash Blast! I feel bad that I brought up Drew's sordid past and knocked her BFF-hood with Cameron Diaz. I will be visiting the makeup mecca tomorrow or within the next 2 weeks to exchange and see what Drew is endorsing. May it be better than what JESSICA ALBA is endorsing. Sorry Drew. Can we be friends?

I mentioned that I love makeup. I recently had the privilege of going on youtube and seeing some really passionate makeup lovers. Here is a link to my personal fave. Enjoy! She's...well, I'll let you decide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHLxrtsPXjU&feature=related

Remember When

There are things in a person's life that will forever be defining. I hear of my mom and dad speak of where they were when JFK got assassinated. I will forever be carried back to the second grade when the Space shuttle crashed. I cried every night for weeks as I prayed that the woman astronaut's family would be okay without her. Of course, 9-11 is etched my memories and now, in the way that my children will know a different world than I knew because of the events of those moments that were so brief and so altering. There are always going to be those times when you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing and thinking when a particular event occurs that changes everything. Last night was one of those moments. My beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, finished his sojourn on this earth last night and when my mom called to tell me the news of his passing I felt it happen. That moment. Where everything stops so that your cells and fibers of your being can take it in and record it's profoundness. So while we, who are on this earth, lost a great leader and inspirational person, heaven welcomed him openly and I am sure that the celebration was beyond human comprehension. The events that I have recorded in my moments of 'remember when' to date have been sad to me and last night I was sad once again. But this time it was different because no sooner than I felt such a wave of sadness, a wave of pure joy spread over me and I was so happy for him to be exactly where he was, doing exactly what he was doing. I think that my prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley was having a moment of his very own that was being recorded in every fiber of his expansive spirit as he was received and heard "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

3-D This

One of my biggest weaknesses as a human being is being suckered in by makeup commercials. I love them! Especially the mascara commercials. After each and every one I really feel compelled to run to my nearest drug store and purchase a brand new tube. As of late I have been having mascara issues so I am really vulnerable right now. So a couple of weeks ago in passing I see a commercial. I stopped dead in my tracks to watch. I was on my way to the laundry room so it didn’t take much to bring me to a halt. But still the same, I halted. On the big screen is a face I have come to not necessarily like but know and have welcomed into my home in the form of Ever After…A modern day Cinderella story. Who else but Drew Barrymore. And she is talking to me! I think she even said my name. ‘Natalie, do you want thicker, fuller lashes with more dimension bla bla bla?’ At this point I believe that she was dangling a string in front of my face and I entered into a hypnotic trance that left me feeling very, very, very in need of this life changing product. What was this product you ask? Revlon 3-D Mascara. It comes neatly packaged in a silver tube with this promise:
Get the extreme lash makeover with 3D Extreme™ Mascara! 25X fuller, 70% curvier and 80% visibly longer lashes.
I held off for weeks and yesterday I gave in. I ran into my nearest Ulta cosmetic Mecca and there is was. Beaming from the shelf, hanging on the hook with a come hither stare. I forked out the $8.99 and knew that my life was about to change forever. I love new makeup. Sometimes after I buy it I feel excited to wake up the next day, shower, and get ready for my day. For those of you who know me, you know that it takes an act of Deity to make me shower, AND put on makeup. It doesn’t happen unless I am forced to leave my house. Today I woke with a start knowing that today is the day that I get to don my lashes with a black-brown layer of hope that they will be looking better than ever before. I showered, primed, dressed and opened my package of hope only to find that Drew Barrymore lied to me. She outright lied. She looked right through my screen, focused in on my weakness for pretty lashes and lied. I don’t know where she lost her moral fiber. I wonder, personally, if it was when she entered into BFF-hood with Cameron Diaz. I knew that girl was trouble from the get go. Maybe it was her stint with cocaine? I don’t know, but I do know this: she is not to be trusted. This mascara was awful! The ‘3’ stands for approximately how many clumps will remain on each and every lash after your first sweep and the ‘D’ is for D*%# her. For being a liar. Or it could stand for dumb dumb Drew. You pick. So I am back at square one still on the lookout for a lash changing experience that really holds up to its promises. Any suggestions?

*For clarification. I shower every single day at least once. I just don't shower and makeup.

Better Late than Never Says I

Christmas, New Year, fun festivities, and a break from school came and went without much mention on my blog. Just wanted to update with some pictures of some of the good times. They were bounteous and we appreciate all of our family and friends. Not pictured because we are lame and didn't take enough pictures were Christmas day with the Kidd family, the annual Kidd family tamale party (Laura and Wes, thank you!), New Year's Eve with Kristen and Mike and Nan, New Year's Eve with the Bingham's, and lots more fun stuff that I can't remember right now. Ding dong me didn't take pictures of any other decorations, just the tree during the day...not so magical. It was magical at night. I love Christmas trees.

Christmas lights at the temple. Then Ryan got a toothache. Then Ryan got a root canal at 11:30 p.m. Happy Christmas Eve!

Christmas morning at our house and the next Christmas morn at Oma and Papa's. Note: Our Christmas morning yielded yet another root canal for Ryan. HO ho hO...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Sledding in Flag was a delightfully cold and joyful experience. Those not pictured but forced to put up with us for the day were Laura, Shelbi, Becky. Good times! I think it should be a tradition.

Crue started on solids. He hates them. The dr. said he best learn to love them or else his little tiny behind is going to shrink into oblivion. No worries about his head, it couldn't hurt to have that shrink little bit;).

Because Crue started on solids he also spent A LOT of time in the bathtub. One of his favorite pastimes. Other pastimes currently being enjoyed by Crue are passing gas, getting tickled, napping and SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT (most of the time)! Hooray for me!

Finally, Zoo lights with the Weech family. Such great neighbors, such great friends. I can't get the picture of Ryan and Jared Crue and Ava to turn over but you get the idea, such cute babies, such cute dads. And finally, two tired but very happy moms, Nat and Jenn. Such great friends. We love you guys! (even though Jen (or Jared for that matter) doesn't read my blog, and will never know that I publicly professed our love for them. If you see them, let them know they're loved)
Finally, the Christmas decoration that I just can't take down. Is everything calm at our house? Not too often. Is all bright, not on the surface. As I type Piper is having a breakdown about too much homework, Crayton and Lennon are on the trampoline fighting and Ryan is going to be late....again. But at the end of the day there is an undercurrent of peace that runs through our home that I am so grateful for. All really is calm, all is very, very bright. Here's to 2008, may it be as wonderful as 2007.

Sorry About the Cleavage...

Not mine. If I had cleavage I certainly wouldn't apologize for it. I was apologizing for Tyra's, or actually the picture that I posted of Tyra's. I have been getting quite a few comments by friends and family that the picture is a little racy. I didn't realize that you guys couldn't focus on her nice smile, or beautiful hair, or the symmetry of her FACE. Come on people;).

BE BACK SOON...

Dear loyal readers, (i am sure that there are masses of you)

I regret to inform you that I have become temporarily obsessed with something really, really, mind-twistingly, idle and dumb. I have so much to catch up on, i.e. Christmas, New Year, habit #2 (which i haven't started yet), and some other really interesting stuff. However, until this marathon that has lasted for three days so far is over, I cannot cook, clean my house, or otherwise function as a normal human being, and that includes updating my blog. I feel so confused that something that I merely stumbled upon three days ago has wasted so much of my life, has kept me up really late, and has consumed my thoughts. I told Crayton that he should be really grateful that he has a mom to tell him that he HAS to turn the TV off. He laughed at that and told me that he could pretend to be my mom. "Natalie, turn the TV off" he says. I told him to be quiet....I couldn't hear what Tyra (yuck! What am i doing?!?!?!?) was saying to the girls. Anyways, I admonish you not to judge me and tune in to VH1. See for yourself...it'll suck you right in! And you might even realize that your neck is entirely too short. I hadn't ever thought about it until I was "enlightened" by America's Next Top Model. However, I have also been reminded how great it feels to be a really real person. On that note, my dear friends, I must part. Another episode just started. And I am dying to see who comes one step closer to becoming America's Next Top Model, and who will be asked to return to the house, pack her bags and leave immediately. Oh the suspense!

With love,

Natalie