Movie Game

Here is another game for you:
SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen and add them up.

***Prior to starting this very long list of movies, I predict that the results will likely show that I "have no life", since I'm sure that I've seen more than 85. But hey, what can I say?? I LOVE movies!

(X) The Rocky Horror Picture Show Love, love, love it. But I will admit, it's a little weirder as an adult than is was when I was 21.
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(X) Fight Club Billy's favorite
( ) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story the song was better than the movie
( ) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane
Total so far:7

(X) The Princess Bride
( ) Anchorman
(X) Napoleon Dynamite I honestly don't really "get" the appeal of this movie...sorry
(X) Labyrinth
(X) Saw ick
(X) Saw II ickier
(X) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( ) Anger Management
( ) 50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 14

(X) Scream
(X) Scream 2
(X) Scream 3
(X) Scary Movie
(X) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie funny in a really bad kind of way
(X) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 21

(X) Harry Potter 1 I love Harry Potter!
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
(X) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
(X) The Village wouldn't you love to see what goes on inside M. Night Shyamalan's head? Or not.
(X) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 29

(X) Finding Nemo
(X) Finding Neverland LOVED it!
(X) Signs
(X) The Grinch LOVED it!
(X) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
(X) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
(X) I, Robot
(X) Robots
Total so far: 37

(X) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(X) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(X) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
( ) Kingpin
( ) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
(X) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
(X) King Kong Hate this movie...don't know why exactly, just do
Total so far:43

(X) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber hee, hee, hee...
(X) Dumber & Dumberer
(X) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
(X) Halloween
(X) The Ring awesome...
(X) The Ring 2
(X) Surviving Christmas
(X) Flubber
Total so far: 52

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle I got sick last time I ate at White Castle...
( ) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
(X) Hellboy
(X) Secret Window
(X) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 56

(X) The Day After Tomorrow
(X) Child's Play
(X) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
(X) Gothika
(X) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles ahhhh...the good old days
(X) Remember the Titans
(X ) Coach Carter
(X) The Grudge too scary!
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask after this, it took me a long time to actually like Jim Carrey again
(X) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 67

(X) Bad Boys
(X) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
(X) Lucky Number Slevin weird
(X) Ocean's Eleven Love these Ocean's movies...make me want to go to Vegas
(X) Ocean's Twelve
(X) Bourne Identity I love these, and I love Matt Damon
(X) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
(X) Predator
(X ) Predator II
(X) The Fog this was the scariest movie I'd ever seen when I was 12
(X) Ice Age
(X) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
(X) Curious George
Total so far: 79

(X) Independence Day
(X) Cujo the book was way better. I used to be a Stephen King addict
( ) A Bronx Tale
(X) Darkness Falls
(X) Christine again, the book...
(X) E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial who doesn't love this one?? cried my eyes out as a kid
(X) Children of the Corn I only remember thinking - "Who would ever name their kid Malachai?"
( ) My Boss's Daughter
( ) Maid in Manhattan
(X) War of the Worlds dumb
(X) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 87
...OK, 87. So I've passed the point of actually having a life at this point.

( ) Best Bet
( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
(X) Sideways I'm pretty sure I'm the only person that didn't like this movie. At all. And funny thing is - - I love wine!
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(X) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz Ooooo...flying monkeys give me the creeps.
(X) Forrest Gump Top 5 favorite movies of all time. I can do a great impression of Forrest...
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
(X) The Terminator 2
(X) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 94

( ) X-Men
( ) X-2
( ) X-3
(X) Spider-Man hated it
(X) Spider-Man 2 hated it more
(X) Sky High
(X) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek favorite kids movie, ever!
(X) Shrek 2
Total so far: 103

(X) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
(X) Old School gotta love Will Ferrel
(X) The Notebook I love this because it made my sweet hubby cry.
(X) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember I really can't stand things by Nicolas Sparks (except for The Notebook)
( ) Ice Castles
(X) Boogeyman
(X) The 40-year-old Virgin Steve Carrell is my favorite of all time. That's what she said...
Total so far: 110

(X) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Rings This trilogy is in my top 5 favorite ever. I've watched them all more times that I can count
(X) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 116

( ) Baseketball
(X) Hostel OMG! most horrible thing ever; I wish I could erase it from my mind! What kind of person thinks up this crap????
(X) Waiting for Guffman I LOVE these kind of movies!!!
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
(X) The Devil's Rejects This was almost as bad as Hostel
(X) Elf again, love Will Ferrell
(X) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
(X) American History X Loved it! But will never get that 'head on the curb' thing out of my mind...
( ) Three
Total so far: 122

(X) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(X) Monsters, Inc.
(X) Titanic I saw this movie when I was 7 months pregnant with my twins. Love it, but will always affiliate it with the multiple potty-breaks during that really, really long movie
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail This is just fun to watch just to see the reactions of Will and Bill
(X ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willa74
Total so far: 127

( ) High Tension (Haute Tension)
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
(X) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
(X) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(X) 28 Days Later
( ) Orgazmo
(X ) Phantasm I think of this every time I get close to slamming my fingers in a door
(X) Waterworld
Total so far: 133

(X) Kill Bill Vol. 1 dumb
(X) Kill Bill Vol. 2 dumb vol. 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
(X) Wolf Creek
(X) Kingdom of Heaven
(X) The Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave (aka The Day of the Woman)
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 138

(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace I loved them all...
(X) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 144

(X) The Matrix I absolutely do not understand the whole premise of these movies no matter how many times I see them or how many times Bill explains them to me...
(X) The Matrix Reloaded
(X) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
(X) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
(X) Hannibal

Grand Total: 150

Yikes! I'm feeling a little pathetic. I think I'll go start reading a book or something...

Christmas Relaxation

I hope you all had a great Christmas!

Ours was fabulous. Over the years, when we aren't away with my side of the family, we usually spend Christmas Eve with Bill's family and then dedicate the entire day of Christmas to our family, just the 4 of us. And honestly, I LOVE it! It's nothing but fun, relaxation, 1:1 time with the kids, Christmas cookies, and junk food. All day.

We were actually so relaxed yesterday, that today we're still all basically in the same jammies we went to bed in on Christmas Eve!

We spent a good portion of the day messing around with the new Wii that Santa brought. I've discovered that I'm pretty good at boxing and baseball. Bowling, however, is not for me. It's funny, but it seems the kids' favorite thing to do is create the little Mii characters. I think they each have a whole team of versions by now.

Maddie got a LIPS x-box game. It's kind of like Guitar Hero, except it's a vocal competition. We sang out hearts (and our voices) out. In fact, my throat is a little sore today. You can all be thankful that we were holed up in the home theater with the door closed. I'm sure it wasn't a pleasant thing to listen to.

Will got a pair of Eye-Clops night-vision goggles. And seriously, these are the freakiest things I've ever seen. They really, really work. We all played along for awhile when he asked us to join him down in our dark basement so he could scare the crap out of us. But soon, we'd all had enough of him sneaking up and grabbing us in the dark. Well, except for Will.

We also played Battleship, Battleground, and did some watercolor paintings.

Right now, Maddie's trying out her new ice skates at the pond across the street. Will's taking target practice at the basement door with his Tommy 20 Nerf gun. Bill is recovering from a bought of the flu (poor guy).

And for me, I'm felling pretty energized by this relaxing Christmas vacation...and I'm thinking that today I might actually even shower.

Avatar Family

This is so funny! I can hardly help it, but I'm almost peeing in my pants right now. For a couple reasons...
1. Because this whole concept is so incredibly weird. And incredibly ridiculous.
2. Because 2 months ago, I had no idea what an avatar was...And now check me out. Me and my whole avatar family. We're a good lookin' bunch aren't we?

See if you can guess the identity of these avatars:





And here are some more members of my extended family (hint: they live in Seattle...):



And this might be the funniest of them all because you wouldn't believe how this one looks exactly like my cousin Jordan. I wish I had a recent picture!

My Daughter...

She’s my girl, my daughter.

She loves art. She loves her Converse. She aspires to be a fashion designer, a swim coach, and a chef. She’s in control of herself.

She’s smart. She’s brave. She’s beautiful. She’s motivated by so many things – grades, praise, friends, and Michael Phelps.

She’s a thinker. She’s an organizer. Sometimes she coordinates the colors of her hangers in her closet. I know exactly where she learned that.

It’s astounding, but sometimes I feel that she, at the age of 10, has things more "together" than I do right now. I wish she could teach me.

She’s got a pre-pubescent emotional streak that peaks out every now and then. Neither her, or I, are quite sure how to handle it. I’m sure we’ll both learn together.

She loves clothes. She loves shopping. She loves Hollister. She has a problem with things pink, ruffled, high-waisted or with flowers. She picks out her own clothes these days.

She has had an independent and strong spirit since the day she was born. She spent her first 5 days in this world in the NICU. I sometimes think she has those traits because of that. But don’t get me wrong, they fit her perfectly and they will serve her well as she grows.

She's my child that cries at the loss of a grandmother she faintly remembers. That fact makes my heart ache more than anything. My mom would be amazed at her granddaughter.

She loves music. Upon getting in the car, she somehow changes the radio station without me ever realizing it. That is, until I hear the beat of Lil' Wayne. The only reason I let her listen to rap music in the car is because I love her so much.

I’m her proud mom. She’s something else. She’s my girl.

My Son...

This is my guy. This is my son.

He likes Legos. He likes books about Harry Potter and Dragons. He's a skilled artist. He likes making snow forts with his friends. He likes x-box and Halo (maybe a little too much). He's got a quirky sense of humor that constantly makes me smile.

He’s got the gift of empathy that I’ve never seen in a 10 yr old. In fact, he’s more empathetic than many people 2 or 3 times his age. I’m not sure how it happened, but I’d like him to spread it to others.

He wears his heart on his sleeve. Sometimes I want to hide it, protect it, give it a little coating of armor. His heart’s right out there for all to see. And really, that’s part of his charm.

He’s brilliant. He’s sweet. He’s caring. He laughs at inappropriate jokes. He hides his head and lets out an “Ewww…” when he sees any form of PDA on TV. He’s a little scatter-brain. But that’s OK.

He loves to cuddle his mom and dad. He swears that he’ll still cuddle us when he’s 16. I’m not holding my breath; but I’ll just keep hoping.

He is strong. As the expression goes, "he is his own man." When he marches, it's the beat of his own drum that he hears. I don't worry much about peer pressure with him.

He has a special pillow and wants to be tucked into bed every night. Loft beds are over-rated. They make it hard to do a good job tucking.

He likes to know what we’ll be doing after he’s in bed; his favorite is when we’re on the computer. He likes to fall asleep to the soft clicking of the keyboard.

I could stare forever at his eyebrows. And at the tiny dimple in the middle of his left cheek. He is growing out his hair. That is driving my dear husband crazy. But I've packed away the clippers and the #2 attachment. I think the shaggy look suits him fine.

Since he was born, he smells like maple syrup to me. In fact, I got a hint of that subtle smell last week. He thinks it’s funny and rolls his eyes when I tell him that.

I’m his proud mom. He’s amazing. He’s my guy.

Photo album tag

I was tagged by Leah for this photo album game. Here's the deal:
- pick your 6th folder from your photo files
- pick your 6th photo in that file and post and describe it
- tag 4 friends

Well, here it is. I have a hard time describing it since I was not even within a 200 mile radius when this picture was taken. But anyway, here is what I can tell you -
- Time: early spring of 2005
- Place: outside Gallagher's hunting shack near Brimson, MN
- Occasion: Boy's weekend up north
- Subjects: I think that's my brother-in-law Brian lounging in the 4-wheeler and a friend of his (maybe Jason or Jared or John) sitting in the chair next to him. As you can see, they're enjoying a beverage while catching some rays and basking in the springtime Minnesota sun. In the background, you can see the highly-luxurious sauna. You can also see our friend Tim's truck to the right. It appears that they've just enjoyed a meal of cheeseburgers and ketchup. The box on the fancy outdoor dining table is probably filled with bullets or shells (or whatever you call them), because more than likely they have just finished shooting stuff the backyard.


Fun, huh? Now, you're all "it"...

What we've been up to...

OK…now to get you caught up with things happening at the Gallagher house since I’ve last posted.

First of all, in case you’re wondering – No. I haven’t gotten a new car yet. I’m still waiting for the “perfect” one to come along. For now, all I can do is dream. And keep racking up the miles on that old minivan.

Second, it’s winter here in Minnesota. #$@$%$# winter. I’m not sure if you know this or not – but… I hate snow. I hate ice. I hate cold weather. I hate driving in snowy, icy roads. I can’t ski and I don’t want to learn. I don’t like to throw snowballs. I don't like sledding. I don’t like snowmen. I don’t like wearing big, bulky coats.

I. Don’t. Like. Winter.

And, don’t ask me why I still live here – because I have no idea.

Third, just keep swimming, just keep swimming. (This works best when you say/sing it to the voice of Dory in Finding Nemo). Will and Maddie are still at it…early mornings, late nights, and the permanent smell of chlorine in their green-tinged hair. They are doing great and are still looking for those State cuts! Wish ‘em luck! Look for more pictures and videos to come…

Fourth, Will’s weekly (and sometimes more) Lego League meetings have come to an end for this year. He had the Regional Tournament last weekend. It’s a really cool program; you can check it out here to get the gist of it. I’ll try to post a video of the tournament sometime soon.

And last, I’d love to share a bit of our Thanksgiving in Seattle with you. Here are the highlights:

Beckett. We got to meet the newest little guy in the family – Beckett Brenne. What a dollface!!! It seemed like we just couldn’t hold him enough. And yep, he’s as cute in real life as he is in the pictures!


Campbelle and Christian. It’s amazing to see how much these two have grown since we’ve seen them last. They are cutie-pies too! Will and Maddie were in Princess/Ninja Turtle heaven the entire time.


Family. It was really nice to spend the holiday with both my sisters Jill and Gina, Jill’s family, my dad and Marva. And it was also great to see Leif’s parents and brother from Norway.

Food. Turkey dinner and all the accompaniments just so happens to be my favorite meal of all time. Jill and Leif did a fabulous job with the giant Costco turkey. I’m not sure how my little sisters got to be so Martha-ish, but they actually make their own toasted and seasoned bread crumbs for the stuffing, make real whip cream for desserts, and pick fresh herbs right out of the backyard garden. As for me – I can show you right where all the equivalents are at Super Target.

Home. Jill & Leif and Gina have moved into new homes since we’ve last been to Seattle. It was so fun to see their digs. They are both beautiful and I think they need to come and help me redecorate my house soon. Very soon.

Weather. You know what??? Somedays…in Seattle… we didn’t even need coats.

Christmas Picture. We got our annual Christmas photo taken while we were there. It took all of 137 shots, but we finally got it. Thanks, Brenne’s!


Parlor of Games and Amusement. This is also known as the Brenne House. I’ve never seen such a fun-filled, activity-riddled abode in my life! There is a limitless supply of fun in store for all who enter. Really. Without actually leaving the couch, you can sing karaoke, play in a band, make a movie, play a trivia game, and kill an alien. All with the flip of a switch. Errr, maybe a remote. I don’t really get into the whole alien-killing thing of Halo (actually, now that I think of it…are they aliens or army guys?), but I can sing a mean version of “Every Rose Has a Thorn” and can act like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Leif’s brother Tor introduced Will and Christian to World of Warcraft. The boys (young and old) played Halo until the early morning hours on more than one occasion. I think it was a treat for them to be in the same room instead of 3,000 miles apart. And I had to buy my own Rummikub game when we returned home.

We had a great Thanksgiving. And honestly, it was hard for me to leave.

So...we've had a really busy and fun past month.

Now, I'm going to turn on the fireplace, get a cup of hot chocolate, put on a second pair of socks, pick out a great CD, and get comfy with my hubby and kiddos in front of the Christmas tree.

Now, that's the only good thing about a Minnesota winter.

I've missed you!!

OMG - I've missed you all so much!!! You would not believe the blog-guilt I've been having. Really, I've been meaning to post photos, stories and amazing tales for the past several weeks. But then...I didn't.

I'm not sure if it's my crazy life, the crazy holiday season, that crazy facebook, or just the fact that I've grown incredibly lazy and unable to manage my time effectively in my old age.

But anyway - I'm back now because I've missed my blog and I've missed you all!

...And plus, I just sent out Christmas cards yesterday and I've referenced my blog on the backside of them. You know...gotta make it look good:)