The Fault In Our Stars Movie

Back in October, I finally had the opportunity to read THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green.  Three months later I am still thinking about the characters and the lessons learned from two teenagers.  Check out the link to my review, HERE.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS is one of several books coming out as movies this year.  Yesterday, the book trailer was released and I can't stop watching it! Mark June 6th on your calendar now and get your tickets.  You won't want to miss this one!

A Little Monday Inspiration

I haven't posted one of these for awhile.  I hope this gets your week off to a great start!

It's supposed to be hard. 

If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. 

The hard is what makes it great!

Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own

This quote can apply to so many things in life:

• marriage
• parenting
• working out
• eating healthy 
• school
• sports
• your career
• Practically anything you want to achieve

What a great movie.  Anytime it is on, you just have to stop what you are doing and watch! 

Keep pressing on............and when you achieve the hard stuff............the really hard stuff..........it feels that much better!

Best of 2013 - Books, Apps, Music, Movies

I am sharing with you some of my "Best Of" from this past year.  Not all of them are things that actually came out in 2013, but instead experienced by me in 2013.  Links will take you to my posted review. Amazon links will take you to my affiliate page and if you purchase, I will get a small kick back without you paying a penny more for the item.

Favorite Book Club Book

I couldn't choose one.  Both of these books were full of discussion and were liked by all of us in book club.  I also have thought back to both of these books several times and still wonder about the characters 

(Yes, I know they aren't real).  This is the mark of a good story, one I can't forget about. 

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline 

Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Favorite Book Published in 2013

This was also a book club choice, but one I couldn't forget about. 

I would have read it if it we hadn't chosen it for book club. 

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Favorite Book I Read for My Own Enjoyment

I chose this book because I wanted to read it.  I had heard so much about it and it sounded like a book I would enjoy and I did.  A perfect beach read with history, drama, and romance.  One you can read anytime of year! It also helps if you read it with a friend so you can dish about all the drama.

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

Favorite Non Fiction

I really love Memoirs and WILD was a really interesting and inspiring read.  

I am anxious to see the movie version! 

REPLENISH is a book I took a lot of insight from and one I still refer to.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Replenish by Lisa Grace Byrne

Favorite Children's Book

I've been getting more children's books to review and am really enjoying it.  Since I give Storytime once a month at our local library, it is nice to be introduced to new children's books.  This pick was not a review book, but one I read during Storytime.  It is a new one this year and was a cute, funny story about a sly fox, some smart ducklings, and an even smarter mama goose. 

That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems

Best Apps

Once Google removed their feedreader, I needed to find a new one and Feedly has been just the perfect fit for me.  I can use it from my computer or from the app on my iPhone or Kindle.  It is the easiest way for me to stay up to date on all the blogs and websites I want to say connected to.  Since it shows me the title of the post, I can decide if I want to read it or not, read it, and if I want more I can access the website from there.  It also allows me to put them into categories so I can access all those great book blogs in one visit.  

Feedly

At first glance, you might think Words of Wonder is an app for kids, but you will be surprised that it is challenging and fun for adults.  Words of Wonder is a cross between Boggle and Candy Crush.  So for all of you addicted to Candy Crush out there, you may want to check this game out.  For wordy's like me, this is the perfect challenge.  You play by making words from the image on the screen.  But sometimes you have to make words in certain areas to make feathers fall, make ink or ribbons disappear, or make words in a short time frame.  You do all this while traveling through a map and achieving levels.  

It is addictive, challenging, and keeps your brain active.  

Words of Wonder

Everyone else in my family is addicted to Dots.  They all have it on their devices and can be heard connecting the dots during their spare time.  In the game, you connect the same colored dots in a straight line and earn extra points by connecting them in boxes.  I've played it, but I'm not as addicted as the rest of my family is.  It encourages strategic planning to get your certain colored dots to line up and create a large box.  Even our daughter who is 8 likes to play it. 

Dots 

Best Movie

I saw this in the theater and I was transfixed throughout the whole movie.  

It angered me, shocked me, saddened me and ultimately, showed me that love can prevail.  

The actors were amazing and I bought the DVD (even though I haven't watched it yet) the day it came out. 

 I want to watch it again soon and hopefully get my husband to watch it with me.  

Les Miserables

Best Song

I'm just really loving Katy Perry right now and every time this song comes on the radio,

 I just have to turn it up.  I think we've all had our moments where we needed to 

ROAR and Katy Perry says just what we are thinking! 

Roar by Katy Perry

I hope you enjoyed my list of favorites from this year.  

If you have a favorite I should know about, let me know if the comments! 

Happy New Year! 

Vacation Planning On the Mind

As school ends and summer begins, one of the things at the front of my mind is our family vacation.  We are still trying to figure out where we are going to go.  Chatting with my sister-in-law, Julie, she also is unsure of where they family will be traveling this summer.  The planner in me wants to know and have it all figured out NOW, but we just can't decide for sure.  I am not the kind of person who can just jump in the van and say...turn here, turn right...and drive until we decide to stop.  I need to know WHERE we are going and WHAT we are going to do.  

This quote inspired me today: 

"After all, a vacation is not a matter of place or time. We can take a wonderful vacation in spirit, even though we are obliged to stay at home, if we will only drop our burdens from our minds for a while. But no amount of travel will give us rest and recreation if we carry our work and worries with us."

- Laura Ingalls Wilder, essay September 1919

This quote led me to remember a line from one of our favorite family movies:

It really isn't about where we go, it is about all of us being together and having fun. So, I'm going to relax and know that the vacation will fall into place, as it always does.  Having family discussions and getting the kids involved in the planning now that they are older will give them more ownership in the vacation and take some of the pressure off of me.  Maybe this will be the summer that I just "go with the flow".  Boy, that will shock my family! :)

Do you have any great ideas for us?  We live in Iowa, can only be gone a week and need to be able to drive there.  Share your favorite vacation destinations with me!

Movie Review: The Lorax in 3D

Today was our final day of Easter break and I found out the small town near us was showing THE LORAX in 3D. I have been avoiding the whole 3D movie craze.  I have seen different 3D things in the past and have gotten queasy or a headache from watching them.  I also haven't wanted to pay all the extra money to watch the movie in 3D.  So, today was a treat.  We had passes that we got in an auction and it was only $4 per ticket, so I figured, why not?

I was so pleasantly surprised.  Technology has come a LOOONG way.  I thought the 3D enhancements were excellent.  I didn't get a headache or feel queasy at all.  I did get a little tired of wearing the glasses, kind of like I do when I have been wearing my sunglasses for awhile.  But, it really was quite fun.

The movie, of course, has a great lesson about standing up for what you believe in, as well as taking care of our natural resources.  It reminded me a bit of Disney's WALL-E and what can happen if we take our world for granted.  It really was a sweet story and the time flew by.  The movie was also filled with fun, catchy songs that made it more a musical rather than just a movie.

If you haven't treated your family to a 3D movie yet or seen THE LORAX, I highly recommend it.

Movie Review: VeggieTales THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

In this Veggie-version of a holiday classic, Junior Asparagus stars as The Little Drummer Boy, a lonely child who finds the true meaning of Christmas when he stumbles upon the birth of the baby Jesus. A story of generosity, hope, and love, this timeless tale will warm the hearts of children everywhere!

I showed this movie to our Kindergarten - Second Grade kids at our After School JAMS program last week.  As I talked about the movie, I was surprised how many kids hand NOT heard of the story of the Little Drummer Boy.  Some of the kids did recognize The Little Drummer Boy song once they heard it in the movie. 

VeggieTales and Big Idea have found the magic way of telling Bible stories with that unique way of entertaining the kids and the parents.  They find a way to insert grown-up humor and tell the story with a modern twist to get the kids involved.  When I asked the kids afterwards about the movie, they were right away able to identify lessons on forgiveness, anger, and being kind.  As a parent, I appreciate the ability to tie in those lessons to real life. 

If you are looking for a new Christmas story to enjoy this year, THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY is one to choose.  This DVD is available for $8.99 HERE or at your local Christian or discount store.  Prices are subject to change.

This review is my honest opinion.  As a VeggieTales Ambassador, I receive movie kits with the understanding that I will share them with our church community as well as letting others know about their movies.  I was not compensated in any other way for this review.  I will not review any products that won't benefit myself or my family.

Things I Love - Breast Cancer Awareness, a Movie and a Song

Things I Love....................


This is my feature where I get to share something that I just love. Since you are my friends, I like sharing things I love with others. It could be anything from a new product, food, recipe, song, image, to a person and everything in between. This will be something I am completely doing on my own, without pressure or compensation from a company, author, PR/Marketing firm, friend, business owner, etc. This will just be something that makes me happy and I want to share it with you. Enjoy some love!

Today's love is............................Breast Cancer Awareness, A Movie and a Song

I have always been interested in breast cancer awareness and efforts to fund research to combat this disease.  I have had family members and friend battle this disease and win and for that I have hope that this disease will be conquered some day. 

This week I watched a movie on the Lifetime TV network, called FIVE.  This is what Lifetime TV says about the movie:

The groundbreaking original movie “Five” is an anthology of five short films exploring the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives. “Five” highlights the shared experience each short film’s title character endures from the moment of diagnosis, through an interconnected story arc that uses humor and drama to focus on the effect breast cancer and its different stages of diagnosis have on relationships and the way women perceive themselves while searching for strength, comfort, medical breakthroughs and, ultimately, a cure.
Directed by Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Independent Spirit Award winner Patty Jenkins (“Monster”) and Penelope Spheeris (“Wayne’s World”).

Each one of these short films touched me in a different way....as a mom, a daughter, a friend, and a sister.  I was deeply moved by each one and was brought to tears many, many times.  These really must be watched and I encourage you to tune in this weekend to watch them.  Lifetime will be replaying the movie this weekend on Saturday at 7PM Central and 11PM Central and  on Sunday at 3PM Central.  If these times don't work for you, check out their website for other showings or you can actually watch it online at any time.  Go HERE to watch online or get more information about the film.



Along with Breast Cancer Awareness I wanted to share a song with you.  One of my favorite artists is Martina McBride and her new CD, ELEVEN came out on Tuesday.  Pat surprised me by bringing it home for me yesterday.  One of my favorites from this CD is "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" and is about a woman being diagnosed with breast cancer.  The first time I heard this song, I remember I was in my bathroom getting ready for the day and our local radio station played this "new song" from Martina.  I had to redo my makeup because I messed it up by crying during this song. 
 
Martina's video encorporates survivors as well as celebrity survivors sharing how people loved them through it.  I dare you not to cry while watching this video. 
 

 
Unfortunately, it is very likely we will be affected by breast cancer through someone we know or love.  The more we can give of our money or our time to those who are suffering from this disease, the more chance we have of stopping it before it gets to our children and our children's children. 

Review: Quest for Zhu DVD and Giveaway

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANKS FOR ENTERING!

Quest for Zhu - DVD
Released September 27, 2011

When Pipsqueak magically travels to the land of ZhuZhu, she finds a whole world filled with colorful and friendly Zhus!  Mr. Squiggles, Chunk, Num Nums, and Stinker join Pipsqueak on an exciting adventure in her quest to find her way back home.  With the help of the Great Wizard ZhuFu, the Zhus learn the value of friendship, cooperation, and hamster power! 




Bennett, Reagan, and Patrick ready for the movie

It was movie night in the Gorkow household as we had the awesome opportunity to review the QUEST FOR ZHU DVD before it even hits store shelves.  We made our popcorn, opened up the Twizzlers, and settled in for the movie. 

As I was watching the movie, it reminded me a bit of the WIZARD OF OZ storyline. A ZhuZhu pet is magically whisked away to another world and finds that it isn't so great.  There is an evil creature, Mezhula, and she tries to stand in the way of the ZhuZhu's dreams.  There is also a Great Wizard ZhuFu who imparts great lessons on the ZhuZhu pets.  The movie was a fast-paced 113 minutes and kept the kids and my attention.  There was great music and I thought the animation was comparable to many of the other animated movies out there.  The messages in the movie are also great lessons for your kids to think about.

When I asked the kids what they thought of the movie these were their responses:

"I loved the opening song."  - Reagan
"I liked the the remake of the song, ABC".  - Patrick
"My favorite character was Mr. Squiggles and Num Nums." - All 3 kids 

Patrick and Bennett both felt the message was "When something isn't going your way, just keep going on and it will get better".

Reagan took this lesson from the movie, "Best friends are always there for each other and should share everything".

I thought it was a great family movie and I would expect to find preschool to early elementary aged kids as their biggest fans.  Also any ZhuZhu Pet fans will want to see their little friends come to life in this movie.  QUEST FOR ZHU comes to your local DVD store shelves on Tuesday, September 27, 2011. 

For more on the new QUEST FOR ZHU movie, check out their Facebook page HERE or the Movie Website HERE.

But.......... if you would like to win your very own copy of the QUEST FOR ZHU DVD, all you have to do is leave a comment below.  In your comment be sure to leave your email address, such as NameATgmailDOTcom.  All entries must be received by Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 11:59 PM.  I will choose a winner on Monday, October 3, 2011.  I will email the winner and the winner will have 48 hours to contact me or I will choose a new winner.

I received the Quest for Zhu DVD as well as limited edition Zhu Zhu figurines, an authentic movie poster, and Twizzlers snacks for review purposes.  I was not compensated in any other way for my review.  This review is my honest opinion.  I wouldn't review anything that wouldn't benefit myself or my family.  Thanks to Zhu-niverse, MomSelect, and Hershey's. 

A COURAGEOUS Invitation

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

--Excerpt from THE RESOLUTION, featured in the movie COURAGEOUS

From the creators of Fireproof, COURAGEOUS is an exciting new movie with the powerful message that honor begins at home.  COURAGEOUS opens in theaters this coming weekend, September 30, 2011. 

Below is the opening scene of the movie.  It will put you on the edge of your seat. 



To find out more about COURAGEOUS and the message of the movie, check out http://ecards.dayspring.com/courageous/ or http://www.courageousthemovie.com/.  Make a date with your husband to go and see this movie. 

The movie trailer is below.  You can't go wrong going to this movie.  Go with other couple friends, go with a group from church, go with your family.....just go.

Thing I Love - Footloose

Things I Love...


This is my feature where I get to share something that I just love. Since you are my friends, I like sharing things I love with others. It could be anything from a new product, food, recipe, song, image, to a person and everything in between. This will be something I am completely doing on my own, without pressure or compensation from a company, author, PR/Marketing firm, friend, business owner, etc. This will just be something that makes me happy and I want to share it with you. Enjoy some love!

Today's love is...........................FOOTLOOSE!

Did you know there was a new FOOTLOOSE movie coming out October 14th?????  I just found out this week.  I am super excited because FOOTLOOSE is one of my all-time favorite movies ev-er! 

To get the full scoop go to http://www.footloosemovie.com/.  Or just check out this awesome movie trailer!!!

Tags: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Quest for Zhu Movie Trailer

You had to expect that as popular as the Zhu Zhu Pets are, they would be coming out with a movie.  Sure enough, Cepia LLC, the makers of your favorite ZhuZhu Pets, have announced that they will be releasing two animated movies with Universal Pictures! Zhu-natics around the world will see their beloved ZhuZhu Pets characters come to life in two feature-length, animated films based on kids’ favorite ZhuZhu Pets characters in, “Quest for Zhu™” and “Power of Zhu,™” to debut exclusively on DVD in 2011 and 2012, respectively.




Check out the trailer for the "Quest for Zhu" movie.  Your favorite Zhu Zhu pets will be starring in it, including Pipsqueak, Mr. Squiggles, Chunk, Num Nums, and Stinker.  Watch them as they go off on a crazy  heartwarming and heroic adventure. 




Get your Zhu-groove on with Pipsqueak, Mr. Squiggles, Chunk, Num Nums, Jilly and the Rockstars in their own rendition of the Jackson 5's "ABC". 





As an extra bonus, here is the newest trailer for the "Quest for Zhu" movie, coming out on DVD this fall!

Movie Review: Babies

BABIES
2010
PG (cultural and maternal nudity)
78 Minutes

Documentary filmmaker Thomas Balmes charts the simultaneous early development of four babies from different parts of the world, illustrating what makes human life unique, similar and precious wherever it occurs. Training his camera on newborns Hattie from San Francisco, Ponijao from Namibia, Bayarjargal from Mongolia and Mari from Tokyo, Balmes captures everything from first screaming breaths to first steps.

Even though this movie has been out for awhile, since it is a documentary and didn't get as much media attention, I don't think everyone has heard about it.  If you have a Netflix account, you can watch this on Netflix instant right now, which is how I watched it.

The documentary features babies from Africa, Mongolia, Tokyo, and the USA.  It was absolutely fascinating to me from the very first clip.  The babies from Africa were the first to be featured and as the two were playing next to eachother, the younger of the two immediately was trying to copy the older one and wanted to grab the rock that he was using.  Of course, then a squabble ensued and one hit the other and then he bit him back.  This scenario played out in my household on a daily basis when our boys were little.  The point this documentary was trying to make was that no matter where babies are raised and how they are raised, they are just as happy and fulfilled as babies exposed to more industrial/technological advances.  The babies in Africa and Mongolia live in such stark contrast to how babies in Tokyo and the US live.  Their lifestyles were fascinating to watch.

There was no narration or talking during this movie except for small background conversations.  I really wished I could understand what the 2 moms from Africa were saying to eachother.  I was wishing the translations were scrolling across the bottom.  But, that is the only negative from the movie.  The babies were adorable and the featured lifestyles were eye-opening.  Do babies really need the hundreds of toys we smother them with here in America or will they be just as happy with their cat or dog and a rock to play with?  I had many questions after watching the movie including, where where the fathers/husbands in the African feature? 

If you are looking for a relaxing movie to help you wind down at the end of the day, this is it.  It is definately a "feel good" kind of movie, but watch out....it may just make you want to have another baby!  This movie is appropriate for all ages, but there is many instances of breast feeding and the African mothers are not clothed at all during the movie.  This would be a great opportunity to discuss different cultures with your children.  I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars!

Movie Review: VeggieTales Sweetpea Beauty: A Girl After God's Own Heart

Our family watched the newest movie put out by Big Idea Productions in their VeggieTales line titled, SWEETPEA BEAUTY.  SWEETPEA BEAUTY involves many of our favorite fairy tales including Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and the Princess and the Pea all wrapped up into one story. 

Once upon a time, there lived a royally sour blueberry, a fair rhubarb maiden, and a dastardly deceptive mirror!  Sweetpea Beauty knows that what's on the inside is what matters most, but insecure Queen Blueberry can't see past her own reflection! So, when a decree is handed down that only the most beautiful can rule the land, the Queen gets nervous and things turn ugly! Banished to the dark forest, Sweetpea's fate seems bleak until a charming prince, a band of merry minstrels, and seven snow peas come to the rescue! Will Sweetpea and her friends be able to warn the Queen in time to save her from the clutches of the tricky mirror - or will the crumbling kingdom and the Queen's own heart be lost forever?  Find out in this fairy "Veggie" tale about the real meaning of true beauty. 

I knew our 5-year-old daughter would love this movie, but wasn't sure about our older boys.  But, as VeggieTales fans, it didn't matter that this was more of a "girly" story.  We all enjoyed the movie and the boys said, after I asked how they liked it, "It was good, Mom.  It doesn't matter how you look on the outside but what is inside of you that counts."  Well, I guess they got the message!

This is definately another VeggieTales winner.  It is a quick 50 minutes and has the usual opening act with Bob and Larry and some fun songs sprinkled in.  The key verse from this movie is from
1 Samuel 16:7b
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (NIV)
A message all of us need to hear.

Movie Review: Sex and the City 2

Yesterday I met my BFF, Tammy and we went to the movie SEX AND THE CITY 2.  We went to the first movie on opening day and LOVED it.  Unfortunately, it took us a couple of weeks to get our schedules arranged to get to this one.  Since it had been out, I had seen numerous reviews, several trailers, read Facebook postings, and heard numerous comments about it.  So, I went into it knowing that it was over-the-top and was disappointing to some. 

SEX AND THE CITY 2
The fun, the fashion, the friendship: “Sex and the City 2” brings it all back and more as Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) take another bite out of The Big Apple—and beyond—carrying on with their busy lives and loves in a sequel that truly sparkles.


What happens after you say “I do”? Life is everything the ladies ever wished it to be, but it wouldn’t be “Sex and the City” if life didn’t hold a few more surprises…this time in the form of a glamorous, sun-drenched adventure that whisks the women away from New York to one of the most luxurious, exotic and vivid places on earth, where the party never ends and there’s something mysterious around every corner. It’s an escape that comes exactly at the right moment for the four friends, who are finding themselves in—and fighting against—the traditional roles of marriage, motherhood and more.
After all, sometimes you just have to get away with the girls.

As a true SEX AND THE CITY fan, I did enjoy the movie.  Yes, it was over-the-top at times.  Yes, it was cheesy in places.  But, I could relate to the marriage issues that Carrie was having.  I could relate to Charlotte's frustrations with motherhood (not the nanny part, but the being a mom part).  I really liked the beginning and the ending.  The middle was "fluff" and fun to watch.  The fashion, the shoes, the jewelry, the hair...I took it all in.  I didn't feel like I was looking at the clock wondering when it was going to be over, but at times I did get a little bored with the Middle East trip part of the story.  I also think Liza could have been left out of the movie.  That whole scene was a bit much. 

Overall, if you are true fan, I think you will enjoy the movie.  I will probably rent it and watch it again when it comes out on DVD, but not likely to buy it.  My husband tolerated the first movie, but doubt I could get him to watch much of this one.  So, once it is out on DVD, it would be a good girls-night-in flick. Make sure you are watching it in HD for the amazing colors and scenery!  Also, this is not for young eyes.  There is nudity and sex scenes.

Review: The Lovely Bones Movie

Last night I was finally able to see the movie The Lovely Bones.  I posted a review of the book The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold here. 

This is not the type of movie that I can say was a "great" movie because of the subject matter.  This is a very disturbing story and was as hard to read as it was to watch unravel on the big screen.  Also, I am usually very disappointed by the movie after reading the book.  My only exception to that was the movie version of The Secret Life of Bees, which I loved.  But, I wasn't that disappointed with this adaptation of the book.  Of course, I realize that not every storyline and scene from the book can be placed in the movie and I think the correct scenes were edited out of the story.  Some of the timing of events were also different in the movie from the book, but the main storyline, succession of events, and ending to the story remained the same, which I appreciated. 

I absolutely adored the young woman who played, Susie, the daughter who was murdered.  Saoirse Ronan is just lovely and I thought her portrayal of Susie was exactly how i imagined her. 

I thought the images of the "in-between" and heaven were interesting and beautiful.  One of profound images was all the ships in glass bottles crashing in the ocean while the dad was smashing them in the house.  A very powerful scene. 

I appreciated that the movie left out the graphic images of the murder and left that to viewer's imagination.  If you read the book, you were well aware of the horriffic end to Susie's life. 

I gave the novel 3 out of 5 stars and I would give the same rating for the movie as well.  It is not a feel good movie, but if you enjoyed the book, I think you will enjoy the movie as well.

My Sister's Keeper Movie Review

I have been anxiously awaiting the debut of "My Sister's Keeper", the movie based of the novel by the same name by Jodi Picoult. I LOVED the book and couldn't wait to see the movie. My friend, Tammy, and I planned to see it on opening night. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed. I would suppose that if someone hadn't read the book, they would probably like the movie. Of course the movie is about cancer and a sibling who no longer wants to use her body to help save her sister. So, the topic isn't a happy one. But, there was so much more they could have done with the movie. I felt the character development was very weak. Alec Baldwin played the lawyer and he was such a pivotal character in the book, but wasn't as amazing in the movie. Jesse, the troubled brothers character, was also not as developed as he could have been in the movie. But then other external family members were part of the movie who I think were completely unnecessary to the storyline. I think the actress who played Kate was amazing and the makeup used to show her cancer was very realistic. I loved seeing Jason Patric as the father. It has been years since I have seen him in something and he looks as good as I remember him! :) The ending of the movie was the most frustrating. I think any lovers of Jodi Picoult's novels know relish in the twists and unexpected storylines and this movie adaptation ruined that for us. It totally changed the flow of the whole story and really ruined it for me. Again, I think if you haven't read the book, you probably won't be as disappointed. I would love to know Jodi Picoult's take on the movie and her feelings on the storyline. I would give this a 2 out of 5 stars.

Christmas Movies

Last night we all snuggled up in front of the fireplace and the big screen tv and watch 'The Polar Express". This is an annual Christmas tradition for us as well as watching other Christmas movies. I store all of our Christmas movies and books away with all the other Christmas decorations so that we can only have them out at Christmas. I think that makes them more special when they are only out for 6 weeks at a time. Some of our favorite Christmas movies to watch are "Elf", The Wiggles "Yule Be Wiggling" and "Santa's Rockin", "Sponge Bob's Christmas", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", and of course, "The Polar Express. Our daughter will be 4 in 3 weeks and last night, it was like she was watching "The Polar Express" for the first time. She became very emotional during the scenes where the boy is in danger, she was in awe of the North Pole and Santa, and ran over to her bell on the tree when the movie was over to make sure she could hear it ring! It was a joy to watch her experience it and know that she and her brothers feel that magic of Christmas.

This year we also added a new Christmas movie to our list, The Little House and the Prairie Christmas. This is one of my favorites. In the Christmas at Plum Creek, the children are all young and the family has very little to spend for Christmas. Everyone in the family is sacrificing in order to purchase a gift for someone else in the family. But, Laura makes the biggest sacrifice. It was a very good lesson for our kids and even my hubby got a little misty!