The Modern Day Marvel (Things That Make You Go Hmm)

A new drug has plagued our society. A drug that exposes the innermost thoughts of millions for all to know. Codename: Facebook.
Yes, I have a facebook account that I check most every day. I do know of some that check it hourly and some who have it as a permanent screensaver. Basically, addicted and a slave to it.
One of the best things about Facebook is reconnecting with people that you've "lost." I've lost touch with so many as we are all spread globally, yet, I've been able to reconnect and see their updates and family pictures. It truly has been wonderful.
The other "best" thing about Facebook is the never-ending stream of status updates. You can change it according to your mood, activity, private joke, song lyrics, sports smack talk, you name it. In return, you comment on other people's statuses, agree with them, tease them, debate, etc. I know, I know. You know how Facebook works. But I am going somewhere here. This is a Simple Etiquette take on facebook.

Anyway, the FB status update is unique that everyone in your network has the ability to have access to your thoughts. I have around 350 friends with this access. These friends include a variety of people. Some are friends from school, friends of today, friends from church. Some are professional colleagues and professional acquaintances...yes, even people from my doctor's office requested to be my friend. (?) And so, when I post my status updates, I have to think, at least for a moment, about whether I want all 350 of these people to know that I can't stand my HOA, or my disdain of how dirty my husband's truck is, or how I really wish I hadn't had that extra piece of pizza at lunch.
I'm just saying -- remember the two rules of communication: (1) consider your audience (2) consider your message. This is why I am amazed at the things people write for their status updates. Some examples:

...Was on the treadmill for one hour and elliptical for another 45 minutes.
...When am I going to be happy with my weight...I miss my size 5's.
...really hates people who pretend to be your friend and then TURN ON YOU and stab you in the back.
...can't believe her boyfriend decided that he wanted to see other people. I guess all those "I love yous" didn't mean anything after all. I'm over it. Men are pigs!
...hates Monday morning. Why is it Monday again? Dreading the huge pile of work I have to do today! Waaaaanh!
...knows that there has to be some point to life. But just wonders why I have to put up with so much drama and when I have had my fair share already!
True stories.

Here is my take:

1) Everyone hates Monday.

We don't need to know EVERY Monday your feelings on Mondays. We get it. Very few people in the world spring out of bed each morning to go tackle their jobs, which they love and adore. Most of us make daily efforts to enjoy our time at the grindstone, find the joy, do the work, and reap the rewards. A reminder that it is Monday brings everyone down. Enough, Debbie Downer!

2) Your FB circle is not your personal trainer.

I totally respect and appreciate status updates where people say they enjoyed their run/trip to the gym/bike ride/or kid's game. It's great to know what people are up to in their spare time, and sometimes those updates can be a great motivator to get out there! However, I differentiate when the status update reads like a workout journal entry, a justification, or a call for praise. . See, this is where the extended nature of the Facebook network comes into play. I don't need my board member colleagues and my friends in professional offices to know how long I spent on the treadmill or that I feel like I have a triple chin coming on. Why on earth would I want to share that with everyone I have deemed FB friend-worthy? No way.

3) Your FB circle is not your therapist.

Let me be clear: While being on FB and chatting with new and long-lost friends may be therapeutic, your FB status is not the place to look for epiphanies or getting professional marriage counseling. If you need therapy, get it, but airing dirty laundry in life via facebook for professional advice just isn't right.

4) Friend drama does not make a status update.

So, you got in a fight with your friend. You eventually will make up...yet, we, your facebook friends, don't get to see that process unfold. So, we are left with these statements about your friends that you have so publically 'thrown under the bus.' Even more awkward if your friend is ALSO my friend.

5) Trashing your ex in your status makes you look trashy.

He might be a total slimeball, and he might have broken your heart. But I promise that using your status update to share those raw emotions with your entire FB circle won't make you heal faster, feel better, or even make him flinch. Quite the opposite, in fact. You run the risk of putting your bruised heart on your online sleeve for everyone to see. And let's face it, it's best to lick your wounds in private.


So, to sum up for status updates on Facebook: be sarcastic, observant, informative, wry, cryptic, punny, contradictory, opinionated, or bold. Just don't whine about work, life, Monday, your sucky friend/ex-friend/significant other/ex-significant other. Stay in control..because now we have the ability to read your thoughts.

Teenage Years

It's official. I'm the mother of a teenager. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. On one hand, she feels like she's slipping through my fingertips. On the other, we are growing a strong bond as mother and daughter. It's hard sometimes to remember when she was as a baby and toddler...it seems like so long ago, yet it's gone by in a blink of an eye. She had the hardest start in life and to see her and how far she's come has been miraculous. We can never be thankful enough for the blessing she has been to us. She came here with a specific purpose, one of which was served during her first few months. Jason and I needed her more than anything. She brought our hearts closer together with faith which started our family on the foundation needed to last us through a lifetime and throughout eternity.

We now move to the next stage. I can hardly wait to see what lies ahead: driving, dating, jobs, high school, first loves, first heartbreaks, etc. I'm sure it won't get easier, but she is becoming a beautiful young woman who I so enjoy just hanging out with. She's starting to really understand me and my personality. She has started sharing her humor more and makes me smile when she gets a little sassy. We can laugh and cry at the same TV shows, and sit and talk about hard things in life. I hate to lose my little girl, but I love the friendship I'm developing with her.

For her 13th birthday, I wanted to share something with her that I love and since she's into music as well, I knew I wouldn't have to talk her into it. We got tickets and went to the Muse and Silversun Pickups concert.

First up was Silversuns. I have loved this band for a long time. If I wasn't married with a family, I think I could easily become a groupie. I would be happy just to set up speakers and drum sets. I have followed them from state to state attending concerts. They remind me of earlier Smashing Pumpkins music..which again, is one of my favorites. I have autographed junk from SSPU's and have hung out with them after concerts getting all the inside 411 on albums and music. It was nice to see them have an extended audience and play in an arena like US Airways. Yet, they kept their humble attitude and remarked how they knew since they were in such a large crowd that the people were not there to see them. They definitely interacted more with the crowd than Muse did. They played most of their songs from the Swoon album, of which I was excited because all the other concerts were from Caranvas and Pikul. They sounded great and were full of energy.

But then, Muse came out.

It made SSPU's look amateur, but what can you expect? More money and experience go a long way.

Muse was spectacular. Once they appeared, no one sat the entire concert. I can honestly say, they sound better live than on CD.

Here was their playlist for the evening:

Uprising

Resistance

New Born

Supermassive Black Hole

Guiding Light

Interlude

Hysteria

Nishe

United States Of Eurasia

Feeling Good (Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)

Helsinki Jam

Undisclosed Desires

Starlight

Unnatural Selection

Time Is Running Out

Plug In Baby

Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 1: Overture

Stockholm Syndrome

Knights of Cydonia

Megan and Hannah were also there...so we obviously had good commentary throughout the night since I saw we texted 159 times throughout the concert. Ahhh...if only I could post all of those. :)

On Saturday, Brynna went with some friends to see 'The Last Song' and had ice cream afterwards. I hope she had a great birthday and truly feels special. We feel so blessed to have her in our lives.

**On a side note...Alisa Jones: I didn't save your blog address on my blog, so I tried to go and my invitation had expired. Can you send me another invite? Preeettyyyy Please? jenjatan@hotmail.com

40 Seconds For a Friend

To my blog readers: time to help a friend of a friend. Daniel, a BYU college student, is in a competition to get the most views of his video on You Tube to win. He's down by a couple hundred. It's a 40 second video...which can be watched up to 15 times per computer, per day. He definitely deserves to win especially after seeing his ridiculously amateur competition.

Thanks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhEwgMu5woE

California Spring Break 2010

We love every opportunity to return to Cali. We had stalkers follow us...so we figured, what the heck...the more people to torment, the better. Our first stop, was to Disneyland. We got a cheapo hotel at Super 8..but it was walking distance and had adjoining rooms. We stayed at Dland for over 16 hours. Open to close. By the way...if you want to get cheaper park hopper tickets, buy through ebay. That was our route and we saved over 50 percent on our tickets.

Notice how empty the park was when we got there.

The man behind the camera for the better part of the day.

Pimp my ride.

Serious competition. I was turning green from the sidelines.

Multicultural: American, Asian, and Adopted.

'One day, my dream is to be at one with the dolls. I want to live like they do: dance, smile, and sing. I want to be a part of their world. A world where everyone is watching...as they float by on a river of happiness...coming to see me and be inspired by my appearance and charm. If only.....in my dreams. But if that dream were to come true..I hope they place me by the coconut girls.'
Deep Thoughts of Tyler Kellis

Diva wannabe

Adorable

We make you pizza, no????

(Horrible hair after getting soaked all day)

Jason...LOL

Better than a school photo.

Tower of Terror where no photography is permitted. Also, in case your wondering, neither is smoking. I still want to know who is going to light up on that ride.

Real men, complete with barf shields.

Keep an eye on Tyler.

Tyler trying to get a picture with the 'princesses.' These girls were seriously around 16 years old wearing the little girl princess dresses that came above the knees.

Kellis Family: Most photogenic.

Water Divas

An hour long wait.

An hour long wait at Disneyland.

I was TICKED. I got soaked on this ride. I looked like a drowned rat when I got off. I took one for the team.

Sesame Street sang it best: "One of these things is not like the other things...one of these things just doesn't belong...Can you guess which thing is not like the other things...before I finish this song?"

Best ride at California Adventure.

We started and ended the day with Space Mountain...the best ride yet at Disneyland.

The day was complete with ice cream and apple pie caramel apples.

Our next stop was the LaBrea Tarpits in Los Angeles. We went to 'da hood'.

Attention: Not a jungle gym.

It really was fascinating..I highly encourage it.

Sid.

Betty Crocker stirring the tar.

The best things in the whole wide world.

He liked the magnets WAY too much.

Our gnome went everywhere. Ask Quinn about his fascination with owls.

Our next stop: Huntington Beach.

Trackball. Tell me someone else knows what this is. Every time I talk about it people act like I'm speaking another language. I LOVE trackball.

She had more fun making me chase 'em.

2012 USA Olympic Trackball Favorites.

"We will crush you."

Contemplation.

Contemplation.

Great whites on land.

FOOD!!!

It was pretty chilly. I tried to stay as close to the fire as possible. Until, my shoe caught on fire.

Some of our best memories are beach trips. I love my man.

Later that night, we had a vicious nerf gun war in the hotel. An old couple got caught in the crossfire. It was ugly. Multiple injuries.

Our final stop was the Getty Museum. It has tripled in size since Jason and I last were there.

So Anya, you had the gnome picture wrong. It was NOT in the temple. I laughed so hard. It was in the French section of the museum. You have no idea how hard it was to avoid security. They pull you back if you even come within breathing distance of the art. That picture was our holy grail. Here is a pic of most of the crew overlooking LA in our panoramic shot. We headed through heavy traffic for our long ride home. It always feels so good sleeping in your own bed....but hard to get back to reality. I now officially have Spring Fever.