The Lost Art of RSVP

By definition RSVP may refer to:

• "Répondez s'il vous plaît", is a formal French phrase that, directly translated, means "Respond please" where "vous" is the plural or formal version of "you"; more simply, it means "Please answer".^[1] It is with this meaning that invitation cards and similar documents are often marked with "RSVP".

I'm pretty sure EVERYONE knows and realizes what RSVP stands for and in essence means... however, I believe we have lost the art of the RSVP. Overall, I believe that these days, the mass majority of folks do not take the time to RSVP anymore. Do you disagree?

I do not know if it's because our parents' generation did not ingrain the importance of it into the heads of my generation like their folks before them did, or if it's because we're now in a "fast food" culture that wants what they want now and don't think much outside of their own self fulfillment. Regardless of the reason, it's no good and annoying!

Without people respecting the need and importance of the RSVP, they are in essence often causing the people who plan the event stress, extra finances as they end up buying too much food out of the possibility people will just show up, and/or being purely inconsiderate.

I cannot tell you how many times over the last several months I've had friends complain about the lack of response from folks... even when wedding invitations have a stamped and addressed rsvp card in the envelope, people let it sit without a care or notice.

Now, I understand that SOMETIMES things happen, and folks just forget - but the reality is this is RARELY the reason that so many stink at sending in rsvp's or taking the time to email or call that they will be there or cannot make it. I say it's really because people are either:

• Waiting for the next best thing and do not want to commit in case something better shows up - THAT'S STUPID AND WRONG BY THE WAY,
• Just plain inconsiderate of other people's time, attention to details and finances,
• They don't care, or
• Don't want to hurt someone's feelings by saying they don't want to come or cannot be there. (ps. you wouldn't hurt someone's feelings, they rather KNOW than not, promise!)
  

I'm a believer that any of these reasons are stupid and silly... Seriously folks, how long does it take to dial a number, leave a message on a machine to say "see you there, or sorry not this time" - 3 minutes max?! Or how long to send an email, when you're probably on your computer or techy phone 12+ hours out of the day?! Or how long does it take to mark a number & name on a rsvp card and stick it in the mail when it's already addressed, labeled, and stamped for you?! Are we that lazy?!!!

I think we are... to prove it to you all I have to is take you to the grocery store parking lot, stand there for 5 minutes and you'll watch person after person leave the grocery cart in the middle of a parking spot rather than walking it 20 feet or less to the cart holder... L.A.Z.Y - and we wonder why there is a problem with obesity in this country...but I digress.

We have lost the art of the rsvp. What can YOU do about that?

Ps. I'm not saying that I haven't EVER forgotten to RSVP, I know I have - HOWEVER.... the more events I've planned and the more I'm hearing from my network of friends and family that plan things, learning how lack of rsvp hurts those hosting - we have got to figure out a way to be more considerate in this department. I'm making a point by this post that I too will yearn to be a pro at the rsvp... not dismissing the art - making it important and a priority to do!

I'm stepping off my soapbox now... but seriously!?

American Idol Weekly Results: Top 6 to 5

Well, my predicted American Idol in the AI Elimination 2010 Bracket Challenge is gone... America didn't vote enough for her (neither did I because I don't vote), so we said goodbye to Siobhan Magnus last night.

Ironically this was the same lady that "Vote for the Worst" just decided to support when Tim Urban finally parted with the stage and a week later - tata Magnus. Interestingly enough, (probably very interesting to some folks in this competition that have him winning), they have chosen MICHAEL to be their go to guy next week... will "Vote for the Worst" be his curse also? Only time will tell.



I really believe Siobhan had the pipes - that girl could sing. She came into the competition seemingly knowing who she was and being true to her oddness - it worked at first, but she might have peaked too quickly in the competition. I would also have to say the song choices for her in the latter part of the competition were not always great choices and caused some trouble. Additionally, I will agree with Mr. McGoo on this one, he predicted over the last several weeks that the "weird factor" was going to be Siobhan's downfall. I would guess that the majority of AI watchers are going to be more straight laced than the quirkiness Siobhan had to offer. When you walk out in butterfly decor and military boots, you better hit every note, every time to not get a strange look and turn people away.... that didn't happen the last few weeks.

Also, I will quote Riser on this one:

"When your dad says you're peculiar you must be a pretty odd person....We'll miss the high notes Siobhan!!!!!!"

Good luck Siobhan!

Here are your weekly AI Elimination Bracket Results:

1st: Allison - 96 pts - Lee is her AI pick - she picked this week's decision correctly
2nd:

• Josh - 95 pts - Crystal is his AI pick
• Mrs. McGoo - 95 pts - had Siobhan as her AI. Uh oh!

3rd: Kelly - 94 pts - had Siobhan as her AI. Uh oh!
4th: Mr. McGoo - 91 pts - Lee is Mr. McGoo's AI pick
5th:

• Alan - 90 pts - Michael is his AI pick
• Candace - 90 pts - had Katie as her AI. uh oh!

6th: UFrank - 87 pts - Crystal is UFrank's AI pick
7th: Leon - 86 pts - had Siobhan as his AI. Uh oh!
8th: Cindy - 84 pts - Michael is her AI pick
9th: Riser - 82 pts - Michael is his AI pick
10th: James - 77 pts - had Katie as his AI. uh oh!
11th: Julian - 69 pts - had Didi as his AI. Uh oh!

Highest possible points (perfect brackets) = 114 points

I Love My Mother

I wonder where I get some of my goofiness genes - and my sisters too for that matter... hmmm....?

Home Sweet Home

So we're home... resting a bit at the house, ignoring the house work that definitely needs to be done, and instead are catching up on "all things computer". I'm thinking maybe I'll get to the house post dinner or will just crank through it tomorrow after work - we'll see how I feel in the next few hours.

We had a great trip to Lexington, Kentucky. We visited Mr. McGoo's family there and were spoiled with their time, attention, and deliciously provided grub. We probably both gained weight during our three days/four night stay... but I'll say it's worth it. We'll begin tackling that problem in the morning. Mr. McGoo's mom sent us home with Derby Pie and enough cookies to feed a small village - we're not complaining, PROMISE! Mmm, Mmmmm... I think I'll grab a cookie now.....

Okay, now that I've brushed the crumbs off my shirt, I'm ready to continue - couldn't help it - she makes the type of chocolate chip cookies I only dream of making. They are big and chocolate chip covered, and still soft somehow. I meant to ask her this time "HOW DO YOU DO IT?!", but forgot to until we were far on our way home. I think I'll have to watch her do it one day to catch the "trick" - because I'm sure she uses the same type recipe as me, but she has the special touch... maybe I'm doomed to never create such deliciousness, because she has that "mom" automatic, done it a million times, full of love thing that creates something special.

Anyway - the yumminess distracted me, I'll get back to business- we enjoyed our time in Lexington. We wanted to take advantage of my two week break in between Spring trimester and summer trimester beginning next week. We also wanted to visit with Mr. McGoo's family, but especially his mom. Anyone that knows someone who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis knows that this disease is a life-long battle. It can flare up excruciatingly or it can be in control and almost in a "remission" like state. Unfortunately over the past six months or more, Mr. McGoo's mom has been experiencing some of the most painful and difficult rheumatoid arthritis flare ups... to the point of being immobilized due to agonizing pain and joint inflammation all over. Mr. McGoo and I, and many friends and family have been praying for my mother in law - asking that the pain would subside and daily life could go back to normal. We PRAISE GOD that this past week due to answered prayers as well as a change in medication and undergoing a new procedure, Mr. McGoo's mom had a fantastic few days while we visited with her. It was great to see her up and about, and enjoying the friends and family around us throughout the weekend. We pray this trend continues as the medications continue to be tweaked. (Pray for Mr. McGoo's mom - her rheumatoid arthritis, her doctors, her husband that cares for her so well, and for the discernment as to when it's time to rest and recoup for another day instead of pushing it and possibly doing too much!)

During our time with Mr. McGoo's family, we not only ate like kings and visited the family, but we also took a day for ourselves to see a few new sites on Friday. Partially out of a need to fulfill a requirement for Mr. McGoo's tourism course this semester, but mostly just because we were interested, Mr. McGoo and I visited the Woodford Reserve Distillery. Although I am not a bourbon drinker, I will attest that this was a cool experience. I very much enjoyed the tour, as did my husband, and I definitely now have an appreciation for bourbon.

In addition to visiting the Woodford Reserve Distillery, Mr. McGoo and I went to Keeneland. For those of you who are not aware (like me, until I married a Kentucky boy) - Keeneland is a huge horse farm in Lexington, KY. According to its website, "Keeneland is unique in that we are both a Thoroughbred racetrack and an auction company." While we were in Lexington, Keeneland was in full bloom - folks were coming from everywhere to watch the horse races happening there daily. For $5 each, Mr. McGoo and I got into the park and I was able to experience what horse racing looks like. We were able to get close to the horses before they raced, seeing the massive nature of them, as well as getting a better appreciation for how beautiful those animals are. Ps. Keeneland is the place they shot Seabiscuit and it is not only huge, but also gorgeous.

While there we watched three races happen, one while eating inside, and two while sitting in the stands and getting a feel for the environment. It was awesome. I don't have a clue as to how people bet on things like that, seemed to complicated on me, but I enjoyed just telling Mr. McGoo before the race started what horse I would root for. I chose a horse the first race (while we sat outside in the stands) due to its beautiful coat. It was a very light brown, more dainty seeming than the rest - yeah she came in almost last. So the second race, I told Mr. McGoo I'd root for the horse that was acting a fool before they got the horses in the posts... she was ready to go - and boy was she - she won! Check out this action shot I caught!


And last but not least, the remaining full day of our Lexington visit (Saturday), Mr. McGoo and I helped tackle his mom's garage. After enjoying waffles from Grams & Grandaddy's house, we brought Grandaddy home with us to begin a Clean Sweap! You see... the Lichaa garage had turned into a catch all for all the kids stuff they didn't want to take but didn't want to throw away. With five children, this process turned into "project take over the garage". Therefore, to help lighten the load for Mr. McGoo's mom, we tackled the garage and left it spacious and clutter free! Check out the before and after!


So all in all, the KY visit was a success and worth every second we were there. We got some great quality time with family there, as well as were able to show love through some acts of service. We were spoiled with delicious eats and love, and we look forward to the next visit!

American Idol Weekly Results: Top 7 to 6

We knew it would happen SOONER or LATER, but America finally said goodbye to the smiley boy, Tim. Although he seems like a very nice guy - this was NOT the next American Idol - so no one was really hurt in our competition by his departure. Not much to say more than that... so....

Here are your weekly AI Elimination Bracket Results:

1st: Allison - 80 pts - Lee is Allison's AI pick
2nd:

• Josh - 79 pts - Crystal is Josh's AI pick
  
• Mrs. McGoo - 79 pts - Siobhan is Mrs. McGoo's AI pick

3rd:

• Candace - 78 pts - Candace's AI pick is gone - Katie
  
• Kelly - 78 pts - Siobhan is Kelly's AI pick

4th:

• Mr. McGoo - 75 pts - Lee is Mr. McGoo's AI pick
• UFrank - 75 pts - Crystal is UFrank's AI pick

5th:

• Leon - 74 pts
• Alan - 74 pts

6th: Cindy - 72 pts
7th: Riser - 70 pts
8th: James - 69 pts
9th: Julian - 61 pts

Highest possible points (perfect brackets) = 94 points

Challenge & Inspiration

Sometimes the best blog post for me is sharing another post that has moved me, challenged me, or encouraged me. I have shared with you before, the blog of Katie Davis - a young TN girl doing amazing work in Uganda for the Lord. She is the epitome of listening to God's calling, and being the hands and feet of Christ. She is making a difference through Christ's strength one day and person at a time.... it inspires me!

Please take the time to check out this blog post - it will be well worth your read, and if you like, follow up by buying that special lady in your life (whether just because or for Mother's Day) some Ugandan beaded necklaces. You'll have a beautiful story to share with your purchase and make a difference along the way!

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-spend-much-of-my-time-in-little-slum.html

Weekend in Photos

The photos are almost fully in the opposite order in which they were taken, oh well. I'll let photos speak for themselves. Here is a glance at our weekend.

A Sigh and A Cheer

Saturday marked the completion of my Anatomy & Physiology 2 class, complete with a final exam. I woke up, prepped for the day, took my exam, and then jumped into the car to make our way to Charlotte, TN - about an hour outside of Nashville.

The midpoint to the weekend (mid-day Saturday) was marked with a SIGH and a CHEER. The sigh was for my completed course, "ahhhhh, I get two weeks break until my next trimester begins". The cheer was for the introduction of Mr. & Mrs. Johnny Adelman! We so enjoyed celebrating Johnny & Erin Marie's union as husband and wife this weekend. What a beautiful day, ceremony, and full event.

I have tons of pictures from the weekend that I'll probably post on a picture only blog post later, but for now... Mr. McGoo and I are enjoying our couple nights at home before we depart again to make our way to Lexington, KY. Wednesday evening or Thursday morning we will travel that same I40 stretch that we've seen now two weekends in a row.

Ethiopia Bound Fundraiser

For more information and to RSVP - check out our web event page:

http://event.pingg.com/CrawfishforaCause

We are so excited about our upcoming fundraiser for our mission trip to Ethiopia this summer. Each year we enjoy doing a crawfish boil, whether large or small, and this year we're happy to announce that our crawfish will be for a cause! All proceeds after expenses are paid will go to support the mission trips of our Sunday School class this summer. In addition to me and Mr. McGoo, we have four other Sunday School classmates that are heading God's calling to attend and take part in a short term mission trip. The proceeds will go to support us, two people's trip to Guatemala to work with Aqua Viva Children's home, and a couple's journey to the Dominican Republic to share the gospel through baseball camps and medical ministry.

Join us for an AWESOME event, and supporting a good cause with each bite. $10 per person for more crawfish, potatoes, corn, and sausage you can eat. For those local folks, bring your family and friends and enjoy the festivities. Check out our event web page to learn more and to rvsp. Having an idea of numbers will greatly help our crawfish amount estimates. See you there!

American Idol Weekly Results: Top 9 to 7

Due to the judges save last week, America said goodbye to not one, but TWO Idol contestants tonight. The competition went from the Top 9 to 7 contestants left to compete for the prize.

We first said goodbye to Andrew Garcia. Although he started his AI journey solid with an awesome remix of "Straight Up" by Paula Abul, Andrew never seemed to find his solid footing on the big Idol stage. It was no surprise to me this evening that he got the boot, best of luck of Andrew.

In addition, Idol said goodbye to the youngest female contestant of the bunch, Katie Stevens. Katie's departure will definitely make some changes in the AI Elimination Bracket Results as a few folks had her going all the way. Although Katie sang well this week, I believe America didn't buy into the song... I walked away feeling it was a little cheesy, even though the vocals were good. And then you have "vote for the worst" securing Tim Urban's spot, as well as him performing for the teenyboppers with a love song.

Before the elimination show, I had shared with a coworker that I figured Andrew, Aaron, and Katie would be on the chopping block - knowing Tim had secured a spot with his performance this week and the vote for the worst campaign. I was surprised to see Aaron saved quickly during the evening and Michael back into the bottom again - if Michael doesn't pick it up - a few more AI Elimination Bracket contestants might be in trouble. Only time will tell. I sure wish Tim was gone - he's not in the same league as the other folks, but so goes the vote from America, I guess.

Here are your weekly AI Elimination Bracket Results:

1st: Candace - 66 pts - C is in trouble after this week because Katie was her AI
2nd: Allison - 65 pts - Lee is Allison's AI pick
3rd:

• Josh - 64 pts
• Mrs. McGoo - 64 pts

4th: Kelly - 63 pts - got the MOST pts this round - 18 pts which means 6 out 7 correct
5th:

• Mr. McGoo - 60 pts
• James - 60 pts - James had Katie as his AI choice
  
• UFrank - 60 pts
• Cindy - 60 pts

6th:

• Leon - 59 pts
• Alan - 59 pts

7th:

• Julian - 55 pts
• Riser - 55 pts

Highest possible points (perfect brackets) = 76 points

The Gospel

I was reading a friend's blog and she had someone comment on her post... I happened to click on the girl's name that commented and it took me to her blog. While on her blog, I found her "my journey" page in which she posted the following. Too awesome not to share. Thanks Shay- I know you don't know me, but hope you don't mind I am grabbing material off your blog. Awesome stuff!

THE GOSPEL

This is from Mars Hill Church in Seattle and I really love the way they put it:

What is the Gospel? The word gospel simply means “good news.” The central message of the Bible is the gospel, or good news, about the person and work of Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Paul provides the most succinct summary of the gospel: the man Jesus is also God, or Christ, and died on a cross in our place, paying the penalty for our sins; three days later He rose to conquer sin and death and give the gift of salvation to all who believe in Him alone for eternal life.

The great reformer Martin Luther rightly said that, as sinners, we are prone to pursue a relationship with God in one of two ways. The first is religion/spirituality and the second is the gospel. The two are antithetical in every way.

Religion says that if we obey God He will love us. The gospel says that it is because God has loved us through Jesus that we can obey.

Religion says that the world is filled with good people and bad people. The gospel says that the world is filled with bad people who are either repentant or unrepentant.

Religion says that you should trust in what you do as a good moral person. The gospel says that you should trust in the perfectly sinless life of Jesus because He alone is the only good and truly moral person who will ever live.

The goal of religion is to get from God such things as health, wealth, insight, power, and control. The goal of the gospel is not the gifts God gives, but rather God as the gift given to us by grace.

Religion is about what I have to do. The gospel is about what I get to do. Religion sees hardship in life as punishment from God. The gospel sees hardship in life as sanctifying affliction that reminds us of Jesus’ sufferings and is used by God in love to make us more like Jesus. Religion is about me. The gospel is about Jesus.

Religion leads to an uncertainty about my standing before God because I never know if I have done enough to please God. The gospel leads to a certainty about my standing before God because of the finished work of Jesus on my behalf on the cross.

Religion ends in either pride (because I think I am better than other people) or despair (because I continually fall short of God’s commands). The gospel ends in humble and confident joy because of the power of Jesus at work for me, in me, through me, and sometimes in spite of me.

My church has just started a series called, JESUS IS LORD OF MY? This past Sunday our Pastor began the series by talking about Jesus as Savior and Jesus as Lord. What does that mean and how does it look? He stated the following statistics: Less than 5% of churches/Christians evangelize! Less than 5% of churches/Christians tithe! and Over 50% of Christian marriages end in divorce! Why? Lack of Lordship! I believe the contrast shown here between RELIGION and THE GOSPEL show another great reason why churches/Christians are often not effective - we've bought into religion rather than grabbing hold of and being blown away by the gospel. I'm as guilty as anyone!

Lord help me die to myself and grab hold of YOU and the gospel, rather than religion. Help me to submit to you not only as Savior but as the Lord of my life. In every area (that's hard)!

Final Exam

1 final exam down, 1 final exam to go.

Yup, this weekend I tackled the ever scary A&P2 lab practical exam. It was difficult for sure, but thankfully I was not totally lost throughout the majority of the exam. I'm certain I did not do grand, but I'm confident that I at least knew 50% of the material tested, which is a good thing in such a final. Last exam like this, our lab midterm, we only had one A- a 91%, two B's, I think five C's and the rest were under 70% - - - so you can imagine how tough these exams are.

Oddly enough, as I walked out of the lab Saturday once both parts of my exam were completed, I noticed another classmate was drawing a diagram. "Hmmm... that's interesting," I thought. So when I made it outside and another classmate asked me how I thought I did, I couldn't help but inquire, "Were we supposed to draw something on the test?" What I found out through this conversation is that I in fact totally skipped the second part of one of the questions on the exam. Apparently after filling out the process of air flow in the body, I did not go back and read the LARGE paragraph of instructions above the air flow inquiry. According to the students that remembered their 1st grade lesson of reading ALL directions, we were asked in the second half of the question to draw a diagram of something -- - OOPS! I'm making myself feel better about that boneheaded move by saying, "nah, I wouldn't have known the diagram anyway, so I just saved myself some frustration." ha. Bonehead move. Seriously.

This Saturday marks my lecture final exam for A&P2. I'm expecting greater things on my performance on this exam to come. Study time begins tonight...

American Idol Weekly Results: 2nd Chances

When I heard about last night's results ---- American "choosing" to send home Big Mike over Tim Urban, I about fell out of my chair. Seriously?! How is this kid still in the game?! Although he's a cute kid, always smiles, seems relatively like a very nice guy, and had a great response to Kara's criticism about his constant smiling (could learn something from him there), in relation to the singing competition -HE'S HORRIBLE... he's the farthest from the "next American Idol"!

And then I remembered... there are folks out there who desire to sabotage the good singers and push along the ones that are lacking. Meet "Vote for the Worst" - as I went to their site today to make sure my suspicions were correct, I saw what I guessed...


So ladies and gents - THAT IS WHY TIM URBAN is still around and other folks are long gone. They're getting folks to vote - meaning if you want him gone and someone else to stay, we've gotta start calling too. I admit I've yet to vote, and probably won't considering I watch American Idol on the DVR regularly, so I shouldn't REALLY have a right to complain. But still... come on!

Two folks go home next week, so everyone better bring their A- Game. Mr. McGoo thought he was tasting steak last night, but the AI judges saved Big Mike. So with that being said...

Here are your weekly AI Elimination Bracket Results, folks that have Michael still in the game get the points for him this week because of the SAVE, folks that had Michael out this week get 3 points because they had American's vote correct:

1st: Candace: 51 pts
For those that are interested, Candace's A-Idol choice is Katie.

2nd: Allison - 50 pts
3rd:

• Josh: 49 pts
• Mrs. McGoo: 49 pts

4th: James: 48 pts

5th:

• Mr. McGoo - 45 pts
• Kelly: 45 pts
• UFrank: 45 pts
• Cindy: 45 pts

6th:

• Leon: 44 pts
• Alan: 44 pts

7th: Julian: 43 pts (Had Michael out this week so got an extra point)
8th: Riser: 40 pts

Highest possible points (perfect brackets) = 55 points

Ethiopia Bound - Update

McGugan Mailer - 2010 Volume 2

Rock Star Weekend

We had a rock star Easter Weekend!

After a breakfast meeting with an old friend Friday morning and class for Mr. McGoo, we made our way to Nashville for the rest of the weekend. There we stayed with our dear friends, Mike and Tab and soaked up their wonderful hospitality, enjoyed their beautiful home, adorable dog- Bailey, and just had a great time visiting with them intimately over the weekend. Thank you Mike and Tabitha for a wonderful time, as well as the awesome encouragement and love. We think ya'll are great and are blessed to have you in our lives.

Among the activities of the weekend were a bachelor party event for Mr. McGoo and buds, dinner out with friends and family, an early to bed night for Mrs. McGoo (love it!), Pancake Pantry breakfast with the brother-in-law, a wedding, a wonderful time of celebration for the things are Savior has done for us at a Easter service at Green Hills Church, lunch and visit time with the sis and bro-in-law on Sunday, and a gorgeous drive home with awesome weather.

We came back refreshed, encouraged, and looking forward to our next visit. Below are some of my favorite photos of the weekend - these were all taken at the wedding venue we attended - Cedarwood. Gorgeous location.


Now the zoom-zoom week and weeks have begun... I have my lab practical final this Saturday - attempting to study for that as I may, and my lecture final exam for A&P2 next Saturday. We had bunko last night - YAY I actually brought home some more cash then when I left! This is an important detail because Mr. McGoo had put me on probation to my "stinky" playing of past. He said if I did not win something this month or next, he'd suspend me. Whoooo, I got highest points this month so I'm clear for awhile. ha ha.

Tomorrow I have my first Bible Study (a monthly affair) with our Sunday School women. I'm excited... we are beginning a study, I believe on the Spirit-Filled life. I look forward to being challenged and encouraged along in my walk.

Thursday and Friday I'm hoping to devote my evenings to my study habits - "hoping" is the key word there... this dang beautiful weather sure is distracting.

Lots going on as usual with the McGoo's - just a small glimpse here. More to come soon.

Nashville Bound

Mr. McGoo and I are Nashville bound this weekend. It's Easter weekend and we're going to have a chance to celebrate our Savior's resurrection and victory over death while being out of town. We're headed to Nashville (a city we really enjoy) for multiple reasons.

Some specific reasons why we're excited to go this go around:

1. It's Nashville, why not? We have a 3 day weekend due to Good Friday, so we're taking advantage of that and going.


2. We're going to a wedding at this place - Cedarwood. Our buddy Keith is getting married on Saturday and we've been invited to share in the festivities. I cannot wait to get photos of this place, it looks GORGEOUS!


3. We get to hangout with my sister and brother in law. We wish they lived closer - love spending time with these two, so I'm definitely looking forward to some quality time with them in between my sister's work schedule.


4. We get to visit with our fur-niece for a bit. This is Maeby, she's (our fur-baby) Dexter's sisters. They both just turned two so we need to wish her a happy birthday!


5. We get to eat some YUMMY pancakes at the Pancake Pantry. Definitely looking forward to these eats - Cinnamon Spice Pancakes here I come... Mmmm Mmmm Goood!


6. We get to stay with the Harder's and not only see their NEW house, but also get some good quality time with them while we're there!


There are definitely more reasons and more people we will enjoy while in Nashville this weekend, these are simply a few.

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Easter.

American Idol Weekly Results: 10 to 9

Well, American Idol sent home a possible goodie, while allowing a "can't really sing, but I'm cute to the teeny-boppers" to stay. But hey, that's the story of American Idol and what seriously makes the Bracket Elimination Challenge just that - CHALLENGING. Only two folks out of the 13 participating in the American Idol Bracket Elimination Challenge chose correctly with America last night... goodbye Didi.

I knew the judges were not going to use the save on Didi... she's been too inconsistent and they really believe she had "lost her way". She had the look, but couldn't seem to put the rest of it all together. Best of luck Didi.

Here are your weekly AI Elimination Bracket Results, as well as the number of additional weeks the contestant will be plagued by America's decision last night:

1st: Allison - 36 pts - 5 weeks
For those that are interested, Allison's A-Idol choice is Lee.

2nd: Candace: 35 pts - Picked this week correctly!
3rd: Josh: 35 pts - Picked this week correctly!
4th: Mrs. McGoo: 35 pts - 3 weeks

5th: James: 34 pts - 5 weeks

6th: Mr. McGoo - 33 pts - 3 weeks
7th: Kelly: 33 pts - 3 weeks
8th: UFrank: 33 pts - 4 weeks
9th: Cindy: 33 pts - 6 weeks (never saw the show before she filled out the bracket)


10th: Leon: 32 pts - 1 week
11th: Alan: 32 pts - 3 weeks

12th: Riser: 30 pts - 2 weeks
13th: Julian: 30 pts - 8 weeks and he just lost his A-Idol (never saw the show before he filled out the bracket)

Highest possible points (perfect brackets) = 39 points.