For those of you who don't watch American Idol...

I have one reason why you should: David Archuleta! What talent!!!

The Question You've All Been Waiting For...

I don't really have any shows that I watch regularly, but lately one has creeped into my schedule. That show: American Idol! This season has been so good (so far)! The other day Adam and I were talking about it in the car, and he asked me, "If you were on American Idol and could sing any song, what would you sing?" I have to say, this question totally stumped me! I have been pondering it for almost two weeks, but I have a problem...I know way too many great songs that I would love to sing (if I had the talent to be an American Idol singer). If you spend enough time around me, you'll quickly realize that I listen to all sorts of music genres from all different time periods. It's a large collection of songs in my head that I have to sort through. I do wonder about everyone else. So I ask, If you were on American Idol and could sing any song, what song would you perform?

Dan in Real Life

If you have not seen Dan in Real Life, I would stongly urge you to stop reading this post. I cannot promise that what I write will not spoil the end of the movie for you. This movie is worth seeing; it has many truths and laughs in it that are all too familiar too all of us and our families!

Friday nights are mine and Adam's date night. For as long as I can remember, date nights have consisted of us going out for dinner. Last night we were both in the mood for something a little different, so we decided it'd be fun to go see a movie. Now, going to the movies is not something we do very often because one of two scenarios always takes place:

Scenario 1- We go see a movie Laura wants to see, usually a chick flick or Disney movie. Adam laughs in parts that are NOT funny and doesn't laugh in the parts that are. This annoys Laura a little. Laura places herself in a move when she watches it, so by the end of a good chick flick she feels happy and in love! After the movie she wants to talk to Adam about her feelings and thoughts, and gets little to no response from Adam except "Good movie." This really annoys her, and they both wish they hadn't gone to see the movie together.

Scenario 2- We go see a movie Adam wants to see. Laura drags her feet a little because they're usually filled with some kind of fighting and a story line she can't follow. This annoys Adam a little. Due to the fact that Laura "lives" every movie she watches, the violence eventually gets to her. She doesn't like the way the movie is making her feel and walks out. This makes Adam very annoyed, and they both wish they hadn't gong to see the movie together.

Well last night, after debating between Adam's choice, Beowulf, and Laura's choice of Enchanted, we decided to go middle of the road and see Dan in Real Life. We fell in love with the dynamics of the family. They were so real and deep. Not the kind of deep that you have to analyze to figure out, but the kind of deep that hits your heart because as you watch it you feel the love and concern that exists in your own family. The comedy was there too, and it was so real. None of those silly jokes that make it look like they were "trying" to be funny, but the kind of jokes and funny things that happen in every family.

It was a little coincidental that the two main characters' names, Dan and Marie, were both names that Adam and I have and don't go by. Their love story reminded my a lot of those first few experiences I had with Adam. This first time I met him, I felt a connection with him that I'd never felt with anyone else. He made me feel valuable and safe at the same time, just by the way he looked at me. For a month after that he stayed away from me because his roommate (not brother, liked me...we were not dating though). One Saturday afternoon , a group of us were over at his apartment. As usual, he wasn't saying much to me because of his roommate. As we were all talking, he picked up his guitar and started playing "To Make You Feel My Love." As he played that song, I knew that somehow I was going to have to get him to talk to me, if not date me. Well, our romance unfolded pretty quickly after that. He asked me out on a "non-date," and we talked for hours. Everything was the best with him, and he lifted me up. At the end of the movie, Dan talks about how we always tend to plan our life out, but it never turns out the way we plan. He says that we should teach our children to "plan on being surprised." As amazing and wonderful as my husband is, he is far from the blonde hair, blue eyed, sensitive, rugged person I had dreamed up. But as Adam said, "I was pleasantly surprised."