Comedian, Adam Corolla, talked about what makes America great on the Jay Leno show last night. It really helps put perspective on how rich we are…

“Griffith Park is the greatest place on earth. It’s why the US is number one. I take the kids there to ride donkeys and go in a circle… In other countries their donkeys have to work for a living…dragging lumber and coal…. Then they get in a miniature train and that thing goes in a circle… Then you go see a fountain with clean drinkable water that we don’t need just firing it up in the air and down the drain. We have so much as a country we don’t even need the water. You want to irrigate or drink? We don’t care. Fire it up in the air…and then if you look IN the fountain you see money! They were weighing my trousers down so we decided to throw money into the thing of clean water while the donkeys go in a circle. That’s why we’re number one.”

We got so tired of door to door interruptions at our home we placed a sign up on the door. It has eliminated a lot of unnecessary the traffic…use it if you like… Download the simple No Soliciting Sign.

NO SOLICITING
(unless you’re selling girl scout cookies)
We’re sure you’re a nice person with a worthy charity,
ideas to share, or great products to sell but
please DO NOT ring the door bell or knock.
We already give to charity, support great ideas,
and search out services we need on the internet.
Have a great day!
(If you’re a friend or neighbor just stopping
by to say hello, we’d love to see you.)

Noodles and Company…one of my favorite restaurants…

Anyone notice Mickey Mouse in this?

Here are a few of the movies we thought were worth mentioning that we saw in 2010 (not all released in 2010):

Despicable Me — Great message in a funny package. Shows how the heart of a hardened criminal can be changed by the lives of three young children. Favorite movie of the year.

Tangled — Just a fantastic adventure movie with lots of laughs. Favorite movie of the year.

Open Season 2 — Cute story about a dog that escapes the wild and then recaptured by his humans.

Planet 51 — Funny movie with a good message.

Case for a Creator — Documentary

The Case for Christ — Documentary

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale — Based on a true story from Japan of a dog that was extremely loyal to his master. Get ready to cry.

Julie & Julia — The story of Julia Childs and a woman that blogged through her cookbook in a year. Inspiring and entertaining with some views of France as well.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs — Fantastically funny and creative movie. Great message about pursuing your gifts and talents.

I Can Do Bad All By Myself — Serious message in a movie that makes you laugh, too. Lots of great music.

Jeff Allen: My Heart, My Comedy — Comedian Jeff Allen shares funny stuff about family and ends with a message that could save a few marriages.

The Blind Side — Inspiring story of a teen from a broken home that is adopted by an affluent couple and rises to play in the NFL.

Thou Shalt Laugh 1 — Very funny. A night of comedy for the family.

Thou Shalt Laugh 2 — Very funny. A night of comedy for the family.

Thou Shalt Laugh 3 — Very funny. A night of comedy for the family.

Thou Shalt Laugh 4 — Very funny. A night of comedy for the family.

How to Train Your Dragon — Incredible graphics and adventure in a gripping story that’s funny with meaning. How to train your dragon is the story of Hiccup, a young Viking boy who is the son of the king and doesn’t fit in with the others. After he invents a device that helps capture a dragon, he befriends it and learns new things about dragons that no one else knew.

Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue — A great fantasy film without the incredibly evil villains sometimes common in Disney movies. Cute, fun, and funny. When Tinkerbell gets captured by humans her friends set out on a quest to save her.

The Tooth Fairy — Funny movie with a message that we must believe and have imagination like kids do in order to achieve our dreams.

This weekend Jason Anderson from Eagle Brook Church provided a very practical message on parenting based on the words of Moses in the Bible. Even if you’re not a believer in the Bible or a follower of Jesus, anyone can learn from the wisdom presented in this book. Jason also shared ideas from the excellent book Parenting Beyond Your Capacity: Connect Your Family to a Wider Community by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof.

The basic premise presented was that people are creatures of habit with regular routines in our lives. We should leverage these routines by being intentional and consistent in building them to be positive times. We need to make sure the routines we establish are moving us in a good direction and communicate what we value and believe.

Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.”

This suggests four routines we can take advantage of as parents with our families to help us reach our goals of a healthy family:

1. Eat meals together. (“When you sit at home.”)
Meal time is a great opportunity to talk and learn. The key is you need to be together and free from distractions. Turn off the TV and computer. Do not answer the phone. Concentrate on the moment. During this time parents can act as a FACILITATOR and move the conversation forward by asking questions that get at critical issues like “Any new friends? What are they like? What do you appreciate about our family? What can we do better? Where would you like to go on our next vacation?”

2. Travel together. (“When you walk along the road.”)
Often parents are the drivers carting their kids from one activity to the next. The time together in the car is valuable and should be used wisely. During this time parents can act as a COMPANION and friend. Take the opportunity to be one-on-one with your kids. In addition, taking an actual vacation together can be a very valuable bonding time for families.

3. Put them to bed. (“When you lie down.”)
Just before bed your kids are in a place of comfort and security. Take a moment to ask them how things are. During this time parents can act as a COUNSELOR. Talk through the feats. Then tuck them in, tell them that you love them, pray for them, and say good night with your blessing. It can be a very powerful time 365 days a year.

4. Get up in the morning.
Every day is a new day, a clean slate, and a chance to reset. Do your best to provide positive encouragment and inspiration to start each day off right. During this time parents can act as a COACH. You can do it!

Here are some products I’ve found to assist you with valuable conversations. They provide a little guidance to help make it fun and interesting to spend time together as a family.
TableTopics Family
TravelTalk Conversation Cards
TableTalk Conversation Cards
Kid Talk: Conversation Cards for the Entire Family

During these times with your kids be sure to listen and be open to hearing what they say. You can learn from them…even in their lack of wisdom and experience in comparison to you. It can give you a new perspective on things. Overall, if you increase the quantity of your quality time together as a family you can have a better life.