Friday Quiz

I haven't updated my blog in forever (Facebook and Twitter are my shortcuts these days). We are currently in Puerto Vallarta and spent a wonderful morning on my grandpa's boat going whale watching and getting thoroughly sunburned. :) Kaleb is now taking a nap so we are cooling off inside for a while. Saw this on Marie's blog and thought I'd fill it out while I have a bit of free time.

1. I’ve come to realize that my hair:
is never going to be the hair I want. I would love to have naturally straight, silky hair but alas, I was "blessed" with curls. Even when I have it straightened, it still doesn't have that silky soft look to it like Katie's. I'm sooooooo glad my kids all got Kevin's straight hair.

2. I’ve come to realize that when I talk:
I have to intentionally slooooooowww down. It took me years to perfect this. I used to sound like that girl on Blossom...I could have an alternate career as an auctioneer if I wanted, lol. People used to not be able to understand what I was saying because I would talk so fast. Acting has really helped me a lot with my speech. My acting coaches and directors when I was younger would always get after me to slow down. I think I finally have it down but sometimes when I'm excited about something it will still come out really fast.

3. I’ve come to realize that all I really need is:
to be surrounded with people I love and be pursuing my dreams and doing what I love. If you are doing something you love, you have already "made it". If you can get paid to do what you love, well then that is the ultimate in success. Goals are always good to have though. Goals keep you going and give you inspiration when you feel down.

4. I’ve come to realize that I’ve lost:
the most difficult thing anyone could ever lose....my child. I did it. I lived everyone parent's worst nightmare and somehow I'm still standing. There was a time when the pain was so intense, so all-consuming, I couldn't imagine a day when I'd ever be happy again. There is still so much pain but I've learned how to contain it, to balance it with the good and enjoy life again. But there is a part of me that feels like I've already survived the worst thing that can happen to a person, so it gives me a special kind of strength.

5. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when:
People don't tell you when something is bothering them and get all passive aggressive. It drives me insane! Just let me know what's wrong so I can try and fix it. I'm BIG on communication, it solves ALL problems. But when people won't tell you what's wrong, it just makes the problem worse. Like I tell my kids, use your words!

6. I’ve come to realize that if I’m drunk:
it was 1998, lol. Seriously, I haven't been drunk in over a decade. I think I did so much partying in my younger days, I just have no desire for it anymore.

7. I’ve come to realize that money:
makes life a WHOLE lot easier. Money does not buy happiness though, you have to find that through relationships and in yourself. Money does however make life significantly easier and a lot more fun.

8. I’ve come to realize that when I get old:
I will be able to say I have no regrets. If I spend my life pursuing my dreams and making my family my top priority, I will look back and smile.

9. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always be:
trying to learn and see new things and be a better person. Life is a short adventure and I want to squeeze every possible drop out of it. I never want to stop learning.

10. I’ve come to realize that I have a crush on:
hmm, I honestly can't say I have a crush on anyone. The last crush I had was in highschool on a boy I never even got the courage to speak to, lol. I have a girl crush on Rachel McAdams though. Not in a lesbian sort of way, it's just that she is so insanely gorgeous and such an amazing actress, I'm in awe of her.

11. I’ve come to realize that the last time I cried was:
When I was filming the short film, Reunion. It always amazes me how easily the tears come when I am in character. Other actors struggle with that, but is no more difficult than laughing for me. If the character is sad then I am sad and the tears just come naturally. There is no "technique".

12. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone:
is the coolest thing in the world. It's my mini computer, I am lost without it.

13. I’ve come to realize that when I wake up in the morning:
I am never ready to get up. I get woken up by Kaleb every single morning. I'm greatly looking forward to the day when he is old enough to just get up and go play with the other kids and not jump up and down on my face and refuse to get out of bed without me.

14. I’ve come to realize that before I go to sleep at night I:
have to be reading a book or watching tv. I can't just lay in a dark room and fall asleep, my mind just wanders and I toss and turn.

15. I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking about:
How I need to be memorizing the sides for an audition I need to film and email to my agent by tonight. I swear, it will be slow for months and the moment I leave town 3 auditions will pop up!

16. I’ve come to realize that my life:
will always be a work in process. I am incredibly happy with my life right now but I love the excitement of having new goals to strive for and new experiences to look forward to. There is so much I want to see and do in my life. I'm enjoying the ride and looking forward to seeing what else is in store.

17. I’ve come to realize that my favorite drink is:
Water. My tummy hurts when I drink anything else now. The more I drink water, the less I can drink sodas or juice. A glass of ice cold water is the most refreshing and quenching thing. When I drink soda now, especially dark sodas, I just feel like crap.

18. I’ve come to realize that today I will and MUST:
RELAX! I am always running 100 miles an hour, trying to keep up with so many different things. Sometimes it's hard for me to find the off switch.

19. I’ve come to realize that tonight I will:
take a walk on the beach with my kids. We've been doing it every night since we got here, the kids call it "night beach". Every evening they say "I want to go to the night beach!" It's so peaceful and relaxing to walk along the beach at night in the moonlight with all the stars above. It grounds me and centers me. There is just something so calming and primal about the ocean. It's why I have always wanted to live near the beach.

20. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow I will:
see my mom! Her flight arrives tomorrow and I can't wait for her to get here!

21. I’ve come to realize that I really want to:
Make acting/film-making my career for the rest of my life. I just enjoy the process SO incredibly much. It's never work. It's so much fun, from the creative process of being an actor and reading a script for the first time and creating a real, fleshed out character from a piece of paper, to writing a script and imagining a whole story and world play out in your mind, to being on set and laughing so hard you cry in between takes, to finally seeing the finished project and being blown away that you were a part of creating it, the whole thing... it's the most amazing, fun, creative, wonderful, rewarding process and experience. It almost seems too much to get paid for it too.

22. I’ve come to realize that relationships are:
the most important thing in your life. If you have good, open, loving relationships then you will be happy.

23. I’ve come to realize that love:
is everything. Loving and being loved in return is really what this life is all about.

24. I’ve come to realize my best guy friend(s):
are hilarious. They are all actors that I have met on set or in class and they are the ones that make me laugh till my face hurts.

25. I’ve come to realize my best girl friend(s):
are people I don't see or talk to nearly enough. I miss them a lot.

26. I’ve come to realize food is:
my weakness. I have the biggest sweet tooth, especially for anything with the words baked and chocolate in it.

27: I’ve come to realize that this summer:
might be the summer I've been waiting for my entire life if we move to LA. It will be taking one huge leap forward to realizing my life long dream.

28. I’ve come to realize heartbreak is:
something that ends up making you so much stronger. How can you really appreciate the good when you have never experienced the bad?

29. I’ve come to realize that crying:
is something I have done more than my share of. The year after Kyle died, I cried every single day. I woke up and the moment my eyes opened, they filled with tears.

30. I’ve come to realize that death:
is a thief that steals when you least expect it. I think that is why I don't want to a waste a moment of my life. I want to do and experience everything I can while I am able and spend all the time I can with the people I love. It's such a short ride, I want to make the most of it.

31. I’ve come to realize that if I’m sick:
I won't get a "sick day". There is no such thing as a day off when you are a mom and run your own business.

32. I’ve come to realize that when I’m bored:
I will immediately find something to do. Although I actually can't remember the last time I was bored, lol. That's the way I like it, no time for boredom!

Pike's Peak Cogway

This morning Kevin and I were talking about how our time in Colorado might be coming to an end soon (if this LA job transfer works out) and how there are SO many things we haven't done yet here that we really want to do. We decided to go down to Manitou Springs and ride the Pike's Peak Cogway Train to the top of Pike's Peak. We packed up and hurried out because we had to get there before noon to catch the train. Thankfully we made just in time and were able to hop on the train. The ride up was beautiful and so fun to be on a train going up a such a huge mountain! That is definitely something I've never done before. We got to the summit and it was SO windy and cold (I guess what else should I expect going to 14K feet in the beginning of February?!) We ran into the gift shop and got all the gloves and hats out of the bag and bundled everyone up and then headed out to the observation deck. That lasted about 30 seconds, lol. We posed for one picture and then ran back inside. There were 30 mile an hour wind gusts with a wind chill of negative 30!!! We had hot chocolate and donuts and hung out in the cafe and then headed back to the train. We managed to get one more picture behind the gift shop since it offered some shelter from the wind. I really wanted to get a ton of pictures from the summit but it was just too cold and windy and also foggy so you couldn't really get any pictures of the view. Oh well. It was still a lot of fun and I'm really glad we went. After we went back down the mountain and got back to the station we went out to eat in Manitou Springs (yummy polish sausage and sauerkraut), then got home made ice cream cones and walked around the down town area for a while. It's such cute little town and the kids had fun putting their hands in all the natural springs and feeling how some were warm and some were cold. Here are a few pics from the day (in reverse order because blogger is dumb like that and I don't feel like rearranging them all) :)

View from the summit

Avoiding the wind by standing behind the gift shop

Braving the wind for a picture! Click on this one to enlarge it if you want a good laugh :)

Snip, snip...or more like buzz, buzz.

Kaleb's hair is really challenging, it's super straight so if we try and keep it short, it just sticks up everywhere but when we grow it out, it's impossible to find a good cut for it. As you can tell from this pic from Christmas, it was getting pretty long and shaggy.

It was starting to get in his eyes so we finally took him in to get a haircut last week and the lady ended up giving him the "Dumb and Dumber Haircut"...

Yeah, that one. The only difference is that Kaleb's was a little longer in the front but just as straight across.

So we took him back in to try and get it "fixed" to a new girl who "texturized" his bangs so they weren't so straight but didn't really blend it into the rest of his hair so then he had sort of a pilgrim look going on. Finally today after his bath, I decided to take matters into my own hands and just buzz it all off. I should have taken a before pic but I totally forgot. Here is the aftermath...

Here is the final result...

I think I'm going to let the top grow out a little and just go with it's natural tendency to stick up (can you see how it's only an inch long and sticking up in the back already?!) and and just have him wear it spiky. His hair is so silky and soft and such a pretty blonde color, it seems a shame not to have it long, I just cant a good haircut that will work with it's extreme straightness. Kobe's hair curls just a tiny bit at the ends and that makes all the difference in the world when it comes to being able to have a longer style.