this is....american idol

 Last week as I lay confined to my bed with vertigo I got an email on my phone letting me know my name came up on the wait list for the final performance show of American Idol (cue teenage daughters giddy with excitement)  We made plans to go - the girls and me along with am American Idol loving cousin who was going to come in from St George.  Without going into a big long story...cousin couldn't make it, it was becoming clear that there was no way I was going to make it (the vertigo kicked my behind) and since the person whose name is on the ticket must be present Megan and Emily were not going either.  

I decided to call the ticketing place just to see if they would take pity on a woman suffering with vertigo with two teenagers that really wanted to see Lee and Crystal.  They did!  They let me transfer the tickets to Megan as long as the girls came with an adult.  To avoid any friend favoritism I decided to find two adults willing to take my girls so we wouldn't have to choose any of the girls friends and their mom.

Big thanks to these two that stepped up to make the long drive to LA and were willing to endure long lines and hours in the sun...

The girls in their outfits adhering to the must follow dress code

Live from the Nokia Theater

Big Mike 

Remember him?

Does this picture help? 

How about this one?  Norman Gentle.

Hello Blake Lewis, you are one of my favorites and I'm not the least bit embarrassed to tell the world I own your album and that I love to run with your beat boxing melodies playing from my ipod.  Blake lovers of the world stand up and be proud!

Could Brooke White be any prettier?  We saw a rehearsal show the year she was on - she is gorgeous in person.  And look who is with her...curly haired Justin from Season 1 - I'm glad Kelly won that year.

Little David Archuleta was busy with the press so this was as close as the girls got.

Before heading in to the theater the girls had to lose the camera, phones, etc so no more photos of the night.  The had 5th row seats after the pit so they got to see the show from amazing seats.  They got their fill of star sightings and even got to sit near Mr Blind Side as well as some old American Idol alum.

They finished the night at LA Farmers Market for dinner and then headed home to do homework, study for a seminary test and pack for a trip.  They had a long night!

our connection to the island

Remember when I mentioned these educational plans for the first day of the teachers strike?


Heading out to the Happiest Place on Earth (which was definitely not our schools that day) turned out to be a brilliant idea.  Disneyland was free of crazy crowds.  We couldn't have had a better day at the park.


We ended up seeing lots of friends from church and school - it seems we weren't the only ones that thought Disneyland was educational.  However the person we were most thrilled to see had a connection to THE island.  Yes, that island...the one with the crazed black smoke running around killing people.  The one with the cool Darhma packaged food.  The island where people say "hey Freckles" and "brutha"


Here is photographic proof of our brush with fame...

Do you recognize him?  If you don't you have some serious issues.  The guy has an action figure even.  Only really famous people have action figures.

We met Dr. Arzt of LOST fame.  So what if  he blows himself up pretty early in the show and we don't see him often.  He does show up in the real world, or is it an alternate reality or is it some spirit world?  I'm too confused.  Whatever world it is he is a teacher at a high school with Benjamin Linus - he helps Ben hack into the school computers.  Now you know who he is.  I knew you'd get it.

Since most of the kids/youth we were with aren't fans of LOST (my girls tried watching it one night but now refuse to even be in the room when we watch it - Megan is creeped out by crazy Claire) they were more impressed when he mentioned he has been on Sunny With a Chance and Wizards of Waverly Place.