Having Seen Australia

No, not the continent.

Kenyon and I were given tickets last night to see a free movie at the new theatre in town (a VIP ticket, by the way. Because we're very important, as you well know) There hadn't been a lot of buzz about Australia, but we took a chance on it since it was free. We were nervous, as we were the youngest people in the theatre by at least 20 years, but we went for it. We like Hugh Jackman. How bad could it be?

It was a beautiful film. Not a boring romance, not a war movie, not a western, not a drama, but something amazingly in between. It was serious with a tinge of humor through the whole first half, reminiscent of Moulin Rouge in several instances (whether that was directing or Nicole Kidman, I'm not sure), but an incredible and powerful story the whole way through.

So, we suggest it to anyone who's up for a good movie. It's nearly 3 hours long, but we were riveted the whole time. The acting was pretty darn good, the story was lovely and it's a crowd pleaser all around.

Plus, it was one of those movies that made us want to stand up for something and fight for it with all of our hearts. (I love stories like that!) It's a story where- rather unintentionally, I'm sure- the adventurous, loving, courageous, redemptive heart of God shines through, even though it's not really about Him at all. At least intentionally. :o)

Dishwashers. Best idea ever.

True story: Dishwashers are the greatest invention ever known to man. Anyone who has talked to me (Michelle) recently has probably heard all about it. We (and by 'we' I do mean we) have actually kept our kitchen clean for the last week. A whole week! And by clean I mean clean. No stacked dishes, no cereal boxes, swept, tidied, the whole shebang. I know... this is standard for most people. But, truly a victory for us! And we shall share it with you for the sake of celebrating.

My brain seeks order in everything, and to maintain an orderly kitchen helps me want to cook, want to tidy, want to bake and want to grocery shop. It's the truth. Don't know why, but it makes all of life easier. So, we've been cooking & baking up a storm. And it's wonderful.

And thanks to a dear friend who has been sharing quite wonderful recipes with the world. Her blog is perfect for young adults and full of recipes that are both easy & tasty. Check it out here.

American Idol

So, this season, we're way too emotionally attached to American Idol.

I, Michelle, cried twice during last night's show. Not like I bawled or anything, just a tear or two. BUT STILL.

Kenyon, despite his oh-so-manly demeanor looked super sad about some things. I figure he might as well as cried, considering his usually emotionless appraisal of American Idol.

Anyway, we're in mourning today because Jamar went home. So sad.

Lovin' It.

So, we're loving Mint.com recently. Quality program. Mint.com works with your bank account (quite securely), registers your transactions like any online banking, but then allows you to assign it to budget categories, which you have set with preset limits at the beginning of the month! We love it! We'd always worked through out budget on a spreadsheet which took forever. But this- is not only easy- but free. Yay.

AND- it supports a wicked cool iPhone application. So- on the go- we can check how much we have in a specific budget all the time. It's my favorite. See screen shot below.




Thought we'd pass it along. It made our life so much easier, and we hope that it might do the same for you!