farewell oprah...

i have always loved oprah! she is a true example of humilty, honor and honestly. i will miss her show very much! but i am excited for her next journey on OWN.

let me share a fun story about the oprah show...

when i started college, my mom moved away. so i moved in with my best friend and her family. it was amazing! loved it! well, my bf has 3 younger sisters and i found myself with them alot in the afternoons watching oprah!

i thought they weren't really paying attention to what i was watching... just playing with their toys and stuff... well, i was wrong!

one day after turning on oprah, kristine, the middle girl, asked me ...

"do we have to watch that black lady again?!"

ha! i have laughed many times over that comment over the years!

let me just say... that i cried during the 2 surprise shows ...

and during the final show... i felt her "love letter" for us, her viewers, was amazing! i plan on watching it again and making notes of her message. it touched me that much!

here is an article i found online that highlighted a few pieces of her show...

(CBS/AP) CHICAGO - After 25 years on the air, Oprah Winfrey ended her famous talk show on Wednesday by sharing memories, reflecting on life lessons and thanking fans for coming along on the journey with her.

The episode featured no guests - just Winfrey herself, standing alone on stage. It opened with a clip from her first show, and she then spent the hour showing favorite clips from throughout the years and recounting what she's learned during the show's quarter-century run.

She told viewers that sometimes she was a teacher - calling her show "the world's biggest classroom" - but more often her viewers instructed her. She called Wednesday's episode her "last class."

Among the life lessons she shared was, "You are responsible for the energy you create for yourself, and the energy you bring to others. Don't wait for somebody else to save you, to complete you, to fix you."

"Each one of you has your own platform. You can help somebody, you can listen, you can forgive," she said. "My greatest wish for all of you ... is that you carry whatever you are supposed to be doing and don't waste any more time."

She also thanked viewers for watching throughout the show's 25 years.

"Twenty-five years and I'm still saying, 'Thank you America,'" Winfrey said. "Thank you so much. There are no words to match this moment."

The taping came a week after Hollywood A-listers and 13,000 fans bid Winfrey farewell in a double-episode extravaganza at Chicago's United Center. The shows that aired Monday and Tuesday included Aretha Franklin, Tom Cruise, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jordan and Madonna, among other stars of television, music and movies. They were just a few of the approximately 30,000 guests who have appeared on the show over 25 years.

On Wednesday, Winfrey called the event "a love intervention on steroids."

Winfrey ended Wednesday's show by saying she felt "all sweet, no bitter."

"I won't say goodbye," she told fans. "I'll just say until we meet again."

Winfrey then stepped off the stage and through the audience and hugged and kissed longtime partner Stedman Graham before walking through the halls of Harpo Studios in Chicago, hugging, crying and high-fiving members of her staff.

She shouted "We did it!" The last shot of the finale showed Winfrey walking away with her cocker spaniel, Sadie

until we meet again, my friend, until we meet again...

On the Tenth Day of Christmas...

my loved ones gave to me...

10 Christmas Movies!

i love christmas movies! this year i have been watching a ton of them on tv!

they are so great!

here is a list of my favorite 10 this year!

(in no particular order)

White Christmas

Miracle on 34th Street

Holiday Inn

A Season for Miracles- Hallmark Gold Crown

Holiday Switch- Lifetime Channel

Snow- ABCFamily Channel

Flirting with 40- Lifetime Channel

Silver Bells- Hallmark Channel

Comfort and Joy- ABCFamily Channel

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year- Hallmark Channel

tv thoughts...

ok... so i have been thinking about the tv shows i watch... and i feel like there is lots going on with them that i need to talk about...

gilmore girls: i started watching this series again a few months ago. i am watched alot this weekend and only have the final episode left! i love this show! i feel like in know the characters! i want to move to stars hallow and be part of the town! what a great place to be! even if only for an hour or two...moonlight: this show is no longer on tv and i am sad about that! i thought it was a great show ! and he was a cutie! the story line was a good one, and i was waiting for even more to happen! i would love to see it come back on the air...

the mentalist: this is a new show this season and i am really enjoying it! the main guy is pretty quirky and fun! i think he is very interesting and i am having fun watching it!


survivor: this is always a good one to watch! i have only been watching it a few years... but am a faithful watcher now! i like the host and each year the cast members are interesting. this year i have not been disappointed... always a good one!

ghost whisperer: i have watched this show from the very beginning! i love it. i have to admit that i have to record it and watch it the next day... when the sun is out. no nighttime watching for me! i am not happy that they are changing all of the characters though! i am bummed that the professor friend is gone and now the husband! not good! i bawled like a baby on both departures! not sure what is going to happen now!

fringe: this is one of my new favorites! i have to admit, i started watching it because of hottie, joshua jackson! but the show is very interesting! i little edgy, but i like it! and let's be honest, he is really fun to look at!

amazing race: this is another reality show that i enjoy! the people on here drive me crazy sometimes! i have a hard time watching all of the bickering, but it must be very stressful to be on the race with your loved ones. it seems that they are the ones we can "get away" with being mean to! why is that?

the biggest loser: i have always been a fan of this show! someday, i would like to be part of it... not sure i have the courage or strength though! this season has been a hard one for me to watch... a few of the blue team couples are driving me crazy and they are there to win money, not necessarily to loose weight and change their lives! very frustrating!

ok... there you have it! a handful of my favorite tv shows! what do you watch? what are your fav's?

oh, so many things to tell...

oh! where do i start! there is so much to tell you!

ok! so i am just gonna make a huge list and get started! you better get comfy! this might be long! lol!

* you all know about my friend jami! well, her sister started a blog with regular updates about her... i am so excited! you can check it out here!

* so i haven't really been working out like i should be. however, i did go today! ya for me! but i was weighed and measured! yuck! what a horrible experience! hopefully next month it will be better!

* my cute friend maryruth is going to have a baby any day now! i can't wait! she and her hubby are going to be such great parents!

* my best friends family is still living with us and we are having a blast! unfortunatley for them, they have not been able to find a home yet... but they are still looking. they might have to rent something for awhile first. i am sure it will all work out for them soon! they are such good people!

* my sister in law is going to be coming out for a visit in less than 2 weeks! i am excited. it will be great to have her here!

* this last friday i attended the scrapbook expo in slc! it was so fun! i went to with a handful of people! some i knew well, some i have met a few times, and a couple whom i had never met! but we all had such a great time! thanks girls! i sure love ya!

* while i was in salt lake for the expo i was able to see a couple very dear friends! kris and carma! we went to lunch to celebrate birthdays! i miss those gals! they are such good friends! (thanks again for the bread, kris! it is delicious!)

* i got to visit with my friends from paperloft too! what fun! first, their new lines were out! what amazingly cute paper! but most important, i was able to visit with marsha and sandi! so fun! i hadn't seen them since may! way too long if you ask me!

* ok... so i know i am a little late in this... but i am finally reading breaking dawn! i really wanted to read all 3 books again before i started it... so i did... :) i am loving it so far! shhhh... don't tell me what happens!

* my poor little toes are feeling very deprived! they are in need of a pedicure! oh wait! next week i am getting one! oh... they are so happy now! lol!

* we got to see sally struthers!!! she is so funny! i fell in love with her during gilmore girls! she played babbett, the crazy neighbor lady! she is starring in the 25th anniversary of nunsense! it was sooooo funny! on her website is the schedule for the tour! i am pretty sure it just started, so take a look and see if she is coming to a town near you! you have to go! the show is traveling all around the country! so check it out!

* ya... and i still addicted to solitaire! my new favorite is the algerian solitaire... thanks emily! now i can't stop playing! lol!

* fall is coming! act

ually, monday was the first official day of fall! and i am soooooooooooooo excited! i love this time of year! it is my favorite! while traveling through the canyon this weekend i saw the beautiful leaves that were starting to change! oooooo.... love it!

* my cute friend holly had a pretty major surgery a couple of weeks ago. she is home and recovering! ya! can't wait for her to feel better! i sure miss her!

* my mom and i were able to attend time out for women a couple of weekends ago! what an amazing spiritual experience! we were truly blessed to be able to go! this event was on my mom's 60th birthday! there were amazing speakers, inspirational music and great company!

we attended both the friday and saturday sessions. the theme this year was "living a joyful life". the speakers were great examples of that!

my fav's were mary ellen edmunds, and kenneth cope and merrilee boyack! so incredible! these pics are with mary ellen and kenneth!

on saturday there was a "joyful life" presentation where they spotlighted 3 women out of the 2047 that were there! i had sent an essay in to the committee to share my mom's story and they read it! i was so excited! here is the essay i wrote about my beautiful mom!

A Joyful Life: My Mother, Sally Carlsen

I am so excited for the opportunity to share with you a peek into my mothers’ joyful life! First of all, the day of this Time Out for Women (September 13th) will by my moms’ 60th birthday! J It is the first time that either one of us has attended this type of event, and we are thrilled!

Sally Carlsen has a life grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ and she faces every day and every trial with a song in her heart. My mom has not had an easy life. She has endured many struggles along her way. With the Lords help, she has found peace and strength with each obstacle. Through prayer and music, my mom has found joy- true joy- even during the rough times.

Mom joined the Church when she was 30 years old, with one small child and another on the way. As a single parent she learned quickly that she needed the loving guidance of our Heavenly Father in order to survive, let alone find joy! J As she sang to us each night before bed, we felt the peace and power of her happy life.

Families are a funny thing! They can bring such great happiness or sorrow and heartache. My sweet brother has made some choices that have caused a few heartaches. My mom is amazing! She handles it all with such faith and strength. She reminds me to rely on the Lord and give that heartache she is feeling to Him. The Atonement is her guiding strength through those hard days. She believes in its power to give her the courage to go forward and find the rainbows after the storms. She has learned to delight in the good days and in the little things.

Recently Mom broke her foot and then lost her job shortly thereafter. She could have totally fallen apart, because she is the soul provider in her home. Not my mom! She found the silver lining and decided this was a blessing in disguise! She felt that a door had opened to a new “work from home” job opportunity!

My Mother, Sally Carlsen, is my hero! She lives a joyful life through every trial and triumph, smile and tear! She is an amazing example of living a Christ centered life, each and every day!

i sure love her! and am very proud to be her daughter! happy late birthday mom!

* one of the things i love about the fall is the new seasons and shows on tv! wahoo! some of the ones i am looking forward to are: survivor, biggest loser, ghost whisperer and moonlight!

sorry this was so long! i will try to be better about posting more often so you little bums don't get so tired of reading my mammoth posts! lol!

happy fall y'all!

So you think you can Dance!!!

i am a huge fan of this show!

and i was very pleased with the final four!

(in order of picture below..) twitch, katee, courtney and joshua...

my 2 fav's were joshua and courtney. the finale was amazing! so many wonderful dances! i loved it!




but the best part was... the winner !! ...

Joshua Allen!!!





he has been my favorite from the very beginning! his original audition was so cool and every single performance since then has taken my breath away!!

he won!!! Joshua is "America's Favorite Dancer" !!!

he sure is mine!

sweets and sours...

i have so many sweets this week! let me share...

sours:

* kevin sprained his ankle last week... poor boy! but he is feeling much better now!

* i have not really felt good this last week either... lots of crazy things going on with me! i decided this morning that getting old sucks!

* i have not blogged in a long time... sorry friends!

sweets:

* saturday we had a yard sale! it was a ton of work... and in the middle of a really busy week, but now its over! we did well! and got rid of a bunch of junk!

* part of my busy week was hosting a bridal shower for a friend from work. she and her fiance met at sam's club and he proposed there too! it was fun! we had a handful of people there from work and some really great (wink wink) gifts!

* BREAKING DAWN is not out! wahoo! i haven't started it yet... but i will soon!

* i love reality tv! and my all time favorite reality show is on! Big Brother! i wait all year for it! i know... probably not the best... but i am allowed a guilty pleasure from time to time! any other BB10 fans out there?

* ok... another reality show i am loving! "So you think you can Dance?" love it! i am thrilled with the final 4! i couldn't have hand picked them any better! i am a huge fan of Joshua and Courtney!

* i love starburst!

* last week for mutual we took the girls up to the temple and had pictures taken in their church clothes. they were so cute! i can't wait to see the pics!

* has anyone heard of CHA CHA? not the dance... but the number you can text any question to? i love it! just text to CHA CHA (242 242) and ask a question. they will research it and respond to your text message. it doesn't cost anything... standard text messaging rates apply... we have asked everything from what is the best bbq sauce, when is jeff going to get married, how to remove pen marks from a microfiber couch to where is the cheapest place to get gas in logan, utah!

well, friends... enjoy your week!

#3 : hell

so, my dad and i are huge fans of survivor...

and one of the cast members (erik) is from... HELL! (michigan that is!)

erik works at an ice cream shop in hell, michigan. my dad lives only about 30 minutes from HELL, so off we went! we even had ice cream at "Screams", the shop where erik works! let me tell you... it is really good to know that there is ice cream in hell... i would have missed it! lol!

erik is known for being the dumbest survivor ever... however, i think he was great. he is a very trusting guy that got suckered by the girls!

here is his bio from the show...


"Erik Reichenbach, a true SURVIVOR junkie, was too young to be in the first 14 seasons of Survivor. Reichenbach religiously studied the game from the comfort of his home, until he was of age to audition. Determined to play the game, Erik practiced his survival skills last summer off a small island in Florida. Reichenbach was born and raised in Pinckney, Michigan.

He is currently in his senior year of studying art at Eastern Michigan University, and is a member of the college's track team. Reichenbach works at an ice cream parlor called "Screams" in Hell, Michigan, where he also designs t-shirts, hauls canoes and entertains his customers. He previously worked in landscaping, construction and as a freelance graphic designer. His hobbies include drawing, writing comic books, rock-climbing and studying philosophy/religion. He describes himself as animated, earnest and familiar. He is very proud of his running accomplishments during his senior year of high school, where he set the school's 400 yard record (49.3 seconds), and being able to run in the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Carolina. Reichenbach is a member of the Eastern Michigan Cross Country and Track team, Pinckney Pirate Track and Field Alumni and a rock climbing club.

Reichenbach believes he'll go far on SURVIVOR because he is a good listener, entertaining, optimistic, athletic, a creative thinker and can easily be a leader or a follower. Reichenbach is currently single and lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with his cats, Furrball and Kittyfizzle (K-Fizz for short). His birth date is November 27, 1985. "


we started chatting with a couple of ladies that were working in the country store and then at screams! they were so nice and very proud of erik!

screams is also a halloween store! i love halloween! it was so fun! lots of little things for the holiday... most of them were for the scary halloween and i do much more of the cute and fun halloween... but it was still amazing!

i have to say... my overall experience to hell was great! i would love to go back! lol!

sweets and sours...

Sours:

* i have a huge to do list today...

* we are working overnight on sunday and monday night... yuck!

Sweets:

* i have a huge to do list today... but i love to check things off of it! so here is my list! ( i will update as i go...)

~ dishes DONE

~ vacuum DONE

~ put laundry away DONE

~ shop for a few groceries DONE

~ make dessert for dinner tonight DONE - bring one to friend too DONE

~ organize calender events and hang calender DONE

~ update personal progress DONE

~ start t-shirt quilt DONE

~ make more cards DONE ( i have made over 100 cards this week! i am on fire!!! lol! )

* i am leaving wednesday for a week! i have a scrapbook show in michigan this weekend i haven't seen my scrapbook friends in awhile and i have missed them! i can't wait!

* then i am extending my trip a few days to spend some time with my dad! i am so excited! i haven't seen him in a couple of years, so this visit will be great! plus, i haven't seen his new place since he moved to michigan last year... very exciting!

* i went to a friends wedding reception last night. dave works with me at sam's club and he is so great! he is so happy and his new wife is darling! i am thrilled for them!

* lots of fun baby news too... this week i found out that my cute friend maryruth is having a boy! and a good friend from church, tiff, just adopted a little girl! i can't even begin to describe how excited i am for both of these wonderful ladies!

* i have been watching gilmore girls again and still love it! last night i finished season 2! so great!

* i can't remember if i shared this or not, but i am an official member of curves! i am happy to get this next phase of my life started! the trainers are great and i love the way i feel when i am done!

* we had lots of milk left over from the breakfast last week and that means that i get to drink chocolate milk everyday if i want too! yummy! i love chocolate milk! (ok...i realize that this comment kinda contradicts the previous one on curves... but... the the chocolate milk calls to me!)

well, i better get going on that to do list! have a great weekend!

the big give...

have you seen this show? i think it is great! and it has really got me thinking....

i want to give big!!!

ok.... so i want to give big to my friend jami and her family. she was in 3 different hospitals within 4 weeks. lots of medicine, tests, doctors etc...

how can i raise money to help them? any ideas? let me know what you think!

bring on...

the new episodes!

the writer's strike is over! wahoo!

bring on the new episodes of:

moonlight

ghost whisperer

how i met your mother

without a trace

cold case

can't wait!

On the Ninth Day of Christmas...

my loved ones gave to me...

9 favorite tv shows...

as most of you know, i love watching tv! and when i love a show... i really love it! so, here is a list of my 9 favorites... in no particular order...

* big brother

* ghost whisperer

* the amazing race

* the biggest loser

* cold case

* kid nation

* survivor

* without a trace

* american idol

* moonlight

there you have it! 9 of my fav's! what are some of yours!?

happy 9th day!

and happy friday!

On the Seventh Day of Christmas...

my true love gave to me...

7 seasons of gilmore girls!!!!

(hopefully....)

i have posted many times before how much i love gilmore girls! i still have not watched the 7th season yet... but i am hoping that i will get the complete set for christmas!








this is for all of those gilmore girl fans!!!


happy 7th day of christmas!

let's watch some tv!

terrific tuesday!

ok... so i am so excited today!!! i think my system is on sensory/excitement overload!!!

today is such a great day! why? well, let me tell you!!

1. gilmore girls season 7 is released today!!!! i am so excited! that means it will be coming in my mailbox from netflix tomorrow!!! wahoo!!!

i totally love gilmore girls and have anxiously awaiting the release of the last season!!! i am really trying to be a good girl so that santa will bring me the grand daddy set of all 7 seasons for christmas!!!

i first started watching the series a year or so ago... and quickly fell in love with all of the charactors! it is such a great show!

2. celine dion has a new cd that comes out.... TODAY!!!

this is her first english cd in over 3 years! how exciting! i can't wait to get it... i might be ok if i have to wait until christmas to get this cd...

but it looks so good! did ya know that celine was on oprah yesterday? i watched it.... it was coooooooooooooooooooooooool! and the songs that she sang (from her new cd) sounded awesome!!!

3. tonight is BUNCO!!!! i love bunco nights! we have such a fun group of ladies that play!

yep... one of the best days this week!

i am in LOVE!!!

ok... i have a secret to admit!

i am in love with pacey j. witter!

(aka... joshua jackson)

who, do you ask? just a boy from dawson's creek.

ya... and i love him...

(i told my husband today)