america the beautiful...

So, only in America can someone PAY you $35 to sample Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Several years ago I got involved with Bellemy Research, so they call me from time to time, ask me a few questions, and if I answer them "correctly" I go in for research studies. I have stuck my head in boxes and smelled tobacco, reviewed community websites, and now, I have sampled KK doughnuts. This was by far the easiest. :-) I think they are wanting to introduce a new glazed doughnut, maybe something a bit less fattening or carb loaded. I don't know, but the ones that I tasted had that kind of "stale, dry, good for you" taste that says "REDUCED something." But hey, it was still a doughnut and didn't make me gag, so it was a $35 easily earned.

Now, I can put 1/2 tank of gas in my car.

when I grow up...

So, last week, Brooklyn's school started "Summer Camp." Now, this is somewhat of a joke, because she goes there year round and really nothing changes during the summer. BUT, some smart guy at the school said "Hey, let's start a summer camp, charge parents $30, and make them feel guilty if they don't pay because the kid will be there anyway and will be left out." So, obviously, I paid my $30. So far it's gotten me (well, Brooklyn), a visit from a dietician (to which Brooklyn comes home and tells me that we don't eat anything that comes out of our bottoms. Gross, I know! Her teacher assured me that this did not come from the dietician, but Brooklyn derived this from her own logic), a "cookie decorating class," a visit from Flame- the Fire Safety Clown, and a lime green t-shirt that's cute, but I think was designed by one of the 5 year olds. And that's just one and a half weeks...so I may be impressed where my $30 gets me (er, Brooklyn) by the end of the summer. Today, she was supposed to come dressed as what she wants to be when she grows up. What three year old do you know has made this type of life discovery? I asked Brooklyn this morning, and she said "I don't want breakfast." My point exactly. So, we went searching through her closet for something to wear (UNC shirt- well, that's a given, a Greensboro Grasshoppers t-shirt- maybe another day, dresses/skorts- no different than any average Wednesday) and found this Mets Cheerleading Outfit. Hmmmm.....it's really cute, she has no other reason to wear it, Grandpa's a fan, and she was super excited about it so there were no early morning clothes fights. Sold. So, I am now declaring that when Brooklyn grows up, she would like to be the captain of the very first New York Mets Cheerleading Team. Take that Village Kids.

shameless plug...again

I know it seems like I am beating a dead horse here, but really folks, you should buy Brendan James's album "The Day Is Brave" on Amazon.com, iTunes, or in your local music store. He hit #5 on the iTunes Pop Chart last week and he is SO close to breaking through onto the Billboard list.

Really....you won't be disappointed....really.....

We saw Brendan in Chapel Hill last night...Chad and I got a date night (thanks mom and dad!). It's always so great to see "Brendan-the friend" and not just "Brendan-the musician." The venue was small and we were early, so that gave us some precious moments to catch up. We're so proud of him and often think back to the days in my Village apartment in Carrboro where we would say "One day, after college graduation, we will reach our dreams....Brendan, you will be a famous recording artist, and Chad and I will have the family we have always wanted." It's nice to see both dreams have become a reality.

God is good.

randomness on the way to school

SCENE: RIDING IN THE CAR ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL

(completely out of nowhere)

Brooklyn: "Mommy, you are not God."

Me: "You are right, Brooklyn."

Me to self: "Who ruined that for her so early in life? Has she been talking to Daddy???"

Brooklyn: "Church is God's house."

Me: "Again, you are right, Brooklyn."

Brooklyn: "We don't stand on God's furniture."

Me: "We don't stand on anyone's furniture."

Brooklyn: "Because it's durn-ger-ous, right?"

Me: "Dangerous?"

Brooklyn: "No, durngerous."

Me: "Oh, my fault- durngerous."

Brooklyn: "Alright.....the wheels on the bus go round and round......."

(SCENE ENDS WITH BROOKLYN SINGING AS IF THIS CONVERSATION NEVER HAPPENED)

move over steven and george...

Here are some cool still shots from my brother, Eric's, most recent film. It's currently titled "Dead in 10."

That's so cool that you can see "Director: Eric Bader." :-)

We are so proud of Eric and cannot wait to see the finished product!

a million dollar smile

So, Brooklyn made another huge step into "big girl-dom" this morning. She took her first trip to the dentist! Here are a few pictures chronicling our morning...

Brooklyn in the car saying "I'm going to the dentist today!"

Brooklyn chose to sit in my lap during the hygenist's cleaning, but she did a great job as Stephanie brushed her teeth and flossed between them. She said "no thank you and maybe next time" to the polishing, but Stefanie said that was OK. It was after the cleaning that she decided to sit in the dentist chair to play.

As you wait for the dentist, children can sit in the chairs, watch movies, color, or play with the train set. Brooklyn did all four, but here she is coloring a picture of Sleeping Beauty.

Because it was her first visit, Brooklyn got her picture taken in the chair with a stuffed character of her choice...and you guessed it...D-D-D-D-D Dora!

Dr. Malley met Brooklyn in a small examination room after her picture/play time, and Brooklyn laid with her head in Dr. Malley's lap as she counted teeth (20!), checked for cavities (0!), and applied a flouride solution to her teeth (painless!).

Brooklyn was such a big girl all morning. We left the dentist, had a few chick-n-mini's from Chick-fil-A, and went to school!

See you again in 6 months, Dr. Malley!

sweet spring treats

Last weekend, we took a quick, spur of the moment trip to Bernie's Berries on Groometown Road. My mom had taken Brooklyn there about two weeks ago, and she loved it, so we went back for another trip since we had run out of strawberries. She loves riding on the "strawberry cart" and then choosing just the perfect ones for her basket. I think her favorite part, though, was running up and down the rows and checking to see how everyone else was doing. Bernie's Berries has an awesome supply of strawberries, were priced VERY reasonably (we got two huge baskets for $4.95), and as an added bonus, it is owned by my high school math teacher, Bernice Kenan. Mrs. Kenan was one of THE hardest teachers at Ragsdale but always had a smile on her face. And, because of her, I didn't have to take a single math class at Carolina- so yay for that! So, it was great to catch up with her and show off the family.

Another sweet treat this week was a surprise visit from some furry friends. My CEO here at the Girl Scouts breeds basset hounds, and she had two litters a few weeks ago. Her husband brought all SIXTEEN to the office yesterday so we could play. She only has 4 left to sell, so if you are interested in one, let me know! :-) They are VERY sweet.....and, as you can see, the brown ones were my favorite.

News:

A special HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to our bestest friends/god-family, Joe and Misty Henzler. We love you guys and are glad to see you made it another year- ha ha!

And also a big CONGRATULATIONS to my friend, Andi, at work who announced she is 11 weeks pregnant. May the next 30 weeks be happy, healthy, and memorable!

And finally...the day is almost here...our friend, Brendan's, CD, The Day is Brave, is due out June 3rd! iTunes has released his single, Green, for sale this week, so if you have the 99 cents, buy it and support our boy! Just search Brendan James Green in the iTunes store.

Warning: Proud Mommy

Brooklyn deserves a post all to herself because I am so proud of her. Brooklyn's teachers completed a three year old "Developmental Assessment" for Brooklyn last week, and she did soooo well. Here's me as a proud mom (*with my usual sidenotes in pink).

Gross Motor Skills:

Mastered (Can do well and does often): running around obstacles, balances on one foot, marches, hops, slides, catches balls, jumps over 6 inches, push/steer toys

Emerging (Learning to do, does occassionally): walks stairs alternating feet

Fine Motor Skills:

Mastered: draws recognizable pictures (smiley faces and some letters), imitates cross (not sure what that means, but I mean the girl goes to church enough she should know what a cross looks like), traces patterns, copies circles, rolls/shapes clay, builds 9-12 block tower, drives nails (that makes her grandpas happy)

Emerging: strings 1/2 inch beads, cuts across paper strip, fastens snaps

Language Skills:

Mastered: uses plural, understands "let's pretend," repeats rhymes, sings songs (apparantly loves to sing "Better is One Day" when the other kids are napping), 4-5 word sentences, repeats 3 or more numbers in order, understands time concept, describes events or stories, 1000 word vocabulary

Emerging: NONE!

Personal Skills:

Mastered: eats independently, washes hands, uses potty independently, wipes nose with tissue, cleans up centers, dresses self with help, brushes hair

Emerging: snaps or hooks clothing, buttons and unbuttons large buttons, pours from a pitcher (when would I EVER want Brooklyn to pour from a pitcher?? "Here Brooklyn, please go set the table and fill the glasses with water...um, No!")

Social Skills:

Mastered: sings/dances to music, plays games with rules, enjoys play pretend, take turns/shares (that's arguable), helps with chores, answers phone (thank goodness for digital phone/caller ID), greets familiar adults (again, arguable), imitates peer actions (unfortunately, the good and the bad), joins other children in play, participates in show and tell

Emerging: NONE

Intellectual Skills:

Mastered: follows 2-4 related directions, understands same-different, matches geometrical forms, understands past-present, refers to self by I or me, knows gender and age, names 10 body parts, matches three colors and shapes

Emerging: NONE

General Comments:

-Brooklyn has excellent language skills. She can carry on conversations like an adult.

-Brooklyn loves to cook food in "home living." She also loves to do art and listen to stories.

-Brooklyn has good self-help skills. She can put her socks and shoes on all by herself.

-Brooklyn is very smart. She can recognize all the letters of the alphabet. She can even write many of them as well.

-Brooklyn is a joy to have in the classroom.

Jaclyn 1, Vacuum 1

So, as usual, we are busy. But when I read back to my other posts, I realize that I didn't know what busy was until the past two weeks. One of the perks in my job is to set my own schedule and plan my own events. Well, apparantly one of my weaknesses is my inability to see the "large picture", or large calendar. I scheduled three huge events and a few smaller ones within two weeks of one another. My bad. So, needless to say, Chad and I haven't spoken in about 8 days (because we haven't been home at the same time), and I have been getting quality time with Brooklyn by sitting with her at breakfast at school. But, things are slowing down now- finally- and summer will be here before we know it. Yay!

Many of you have asked about house selling/hunting. We put the hunting on hold until the selling transforms into "offering/negotiating/contracting/signing." We get soooo many people coming by the house, but no serious offers in a while. But, we are at peace with whatever happens. In fact, we are enjoying a clean, clutter free house and a low mortgage payment for as long as we can.

Most days keeping the house clean is fairly easy. If I know someone is coming that day, I do a quick vacuum around the house to give it that "fresh vacuum lines look." Well, I think the stress of work and our busy lives caught up to me yesterday, because we were leaving the house, running late for a meeting at church, and I wanted to vacuum real quick because someone was coming that evening. We have had numerous problems with this vacuum in the past, but Chad and I had just cleaned it all out- every nook and cranny- and it was working fine. Well, of course that thing decides to not suck up anything and as a bonus, proceeds to cough up dust balls the size of Cleveland in the hallway. Well, I had had enough of just everything at that point and just kicked the hell out of that vacuum. I wish I could say that it pepped up and started up again like a champ, but no, it still was a crappy vacuum, but I felt better after slapping it silly.

james taylor said it best...

Since Wednesday nights are generally "Girls Night", and I received this forward today, I thought it was worth re-posting. The author is unknown. My own little comments are in pink. :-)

When I was little, I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
And then I started to become a woman.
I found out that if you allow your heart to open up, God would show you the best in many friends.
One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man. (Problems with Chad? Never!)
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom. (Problems with your mom? That's unheard of!)
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers (or on the couch) as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
One friend will say, 'Let's cry together,'
Another, 'Let's fight together,'
Another, 'Let's walk away together.'
One friend will meet your spiritual need,
Another your shoe (or scrapbooking!) fetish,
Another your love for movies (well, more like Netflix),
Another will be with you in your season of confusion,
Another will be your clarifier,
Another the wind beneath your wings.
But whatever their assignment in your life,
On whatever the occasion,
On whatever the day,
Or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back (to paint!),
Or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself. (Wait....have you done that yet?).
Those are your best friends.
It may all be wrapped up in one woman (not for me!),
But for many, it's wrapped up in several.
One from 7th grade,
A few from high school,
Several from the college years,
Many from church (and TEC),
A couple from old (and current) jobs,
On some (every) days your mother,
On some days your neighbour,
On others, your (Phi Beta Chi) sisters,
And on some (every) days, your daughter.

So whether you've been my friend for 20 minutes or 20 years, I thank God for each of you!

say cheese...or not

So, I have been super busy with work and family the past two weeks, but I have had the urge to blog a bit this morning. First of all....Spring, where are you?? I thought that when these guys (below) were born at the Manor, we would be wearing capris and eating outside lunches in no time, but alas, it's a mystery every day as to what the weather entails.
Brooklyn has been great. She is becoming quite the little diva...the latest being her insistence on getting her fingernails painted pink. So, with the deal that she would stop biting her nails (sorry, girl, you got that bad habit from me), I painted her nails last night.
After painting, I said "Hey, guess what comes on TV tonight?"
Brooklyn: "What?"
Me: "American Idol."
Brooklyn: "Great! Ryan is going to LOVE my pink fingernails!"

LAWD!

This morning was school picture day. Now, Brooklyn gets her pictures taken at Portrait Innovations (LOVE THEM!) every 4 months or so, so we have plenty of pictures of her, but since they are right there at the school I always say "hey, why not?" And I always leave pissed off. This morning was no different. I cannot STAND that women who they send to take the pictures. She is the most UN-KID-FRIENDLY person I have ever met. Brooklyn has had 5 sets of pictures taken at her school, and I have not liked ANY of them. Brooklyn does awesome at PI because they let her run around and be herself, so obviously, they get natural smiles. This lady forces her to stand or sit in uncomfortable, unnatural poses, and REPRIMANDS her when she moves a hand or a toe. I usually stand back, seething, just so I don't scare all the other kids in line with my rage. Last fall, she actually got MAD at a BABY for crying in the hallway because she was afraid he would upset the other kids...no lady, that's YOU who upsets the kids. I got so mad on behalf of the baby (and his mother who had to leave to go to work) that I told the administration they needed to step in. Well, unfortunately they continue to use that company (maybe they are the only one that makes house calls), but I doubt I will ever buy any pictures. Not that I need any, when I can take sweet ones like this at home:

So, anyways, it was a crazy morning, but Brooklyn wasn't damaged. (She would have been more upset if she were the only kid to NOT get pictures done, so I just bite my tongue and let her do it.)

Oh, and I am late on a few shout-outs...

1. Congratulations to Chrissy and Tani on their baby girl Chloe!

2. Congratulations to Loryn and Lee on the purchase of their 1st home!

And finally...

Happy Birthday today to one of my dearest and oldest friends, Katie. I hope your day is great! Come home soon!

brendan james update

From Brendan:

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that a video of me performing "Early April Morning" was the Video of the Day on PopEater. com!Check it out here: http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnBvcGVhdGVyLmNvbS8yMDA4LzA0LzA5L2JyZW5kYW4tamFtZXMtZWFybHktYXByaWwtbW9ybmluZy12aWRlby1vZi10aGUtZGF5Lw==Please check it out and be sure to leave a comment, who knows what it could lead to!Thanks everyone, talk soon.- b.

happy birthday to me...

What a busy birthday weekend! We never stopped moving (or driving) the entire weekend, but we did have a lot of fun as we were running around. Friday night, we drove up to Boone/Blowing Rock with Joe and Misty to see Drew's band, What's On Tap, play at Canyons. It was the first time in a looooong time that I stayed up until 2am (and now I remember why this doesn't usually happen!). After a much-too-short stay in a beautiful hotel room with a king-sized bed and yummy continental breakfast, we drove back to Greensboro to get our girls and set up the house for a showing.

The band...

Jaclyn, Misty, and Joe...

After a too short nap on Saturday (thanks a lot, Brooklyn!), we got showered and ready for my birthday dinner with friends. I chose J. Butler's because I would just about give my right arm for their chips and ranch dressing (sooo much better than Ham's), and I was so excited that 20 people came out for dinner. Thanks to my wonderful husband and baby girl, the Kinlaws, Bumps, Henzlers, Stevensons, Jenna, Heidi, Morrisons, and (soon to be) Weavers for making the trek to Butler's. Several people came back to the house to watch the oh so sad Carolina game but we got to eat probably the BEST Oreo ice cream cake I have ever eaten, so that was well worth another late night, a headache, and a devestating loss.

Jenna, McKenzie, Jon, Jennifer, and Jay...

The YUMMY cake...

My sassy star...

And finally, a congratulations to Jennifer and Jay, who closed on their house last week and started moving in on Saturday (again, thanks for coming out Saturday despite all your busyness!). Good luck with everything, and we are excited about that wedding coming up!

i heart fur baby

Wow. We have been so busy lately. Between work and the band and family, we have been going non-stop the past few weeks (and it's only getting crazier). First, Eric surprised us all by coming into town for a "Spring Break" last week, so we got some quality time with him, Caroline, and "fur baby," the CUTEST, yet strangest, kitty I have ever seen. Now, if you know me, you know I am not a cat lover, but I am a kitten cuddler, and I loved this sweet thing, extra toes and all. But alas, as soon as it grows up, my allergies will kick in, and my love affair with "fur baby" will be no more. Regardless, we had a great visit with my "little" brother and celebrated his and Caroline's birthdays.

My birthday snuck up on me Tuesday- thanks to everyone's emails, voicemails, and songs. I had the pleasure of not one "Happy Birthday" songs at work, but TWO, a coffee cake with candles at the staff meeting, a free Thai lunch, a wonderful dinner with all 4 parents, Chad, and Brooklyn (LOVED my Olive Garden salad!), and I am now listening to my new iPod on my new iTrip in my office. Life is good.

But back to the real world on Wednesday, and work was piling up. I am in charge of two fairly large events coming up at work within 2 weeks of each other, each bringing in about 100 people. So, between them and GRD, our weekends are booked from now until Memorial Day.

Speaking of GRD, we had a great show in Eden last weekend. It was good sound quality, good set up, and good people. We couldn't ask for any more. Our next gig for the public is going to be at iCoffee (formally Moby's) in Summerfield...so if you out and about on Saturday, April 26, come stop by and see us around 7pm. If you want more information, you can check our MySpace at www.myspace.com/gracereignsdown.

And finally, the house. Ahhh, the house. We are nearing the stage of "this isn't really fun anymore." But really, we have only had it on the market less than two months, and had a great amount of traffic, so we really can't complain, but once we get in our heads we want to move, we WANT TO MOVE. Patience is running thin in the Johnson house. Hopefully if this rain clears up and temperatures warm up, the offers will come pouring in. :-)

And finally, FINALLY, a Brooklyn update. Well, she is beautiful, smart, funny, and sassy- everything that we had hoped she would be at three years old. She is a blessing to have in our lives, and we just throughly enjoy being with her at this stage. The things she says and the actions that she mimics only reinforce further that we can only be blamed for her quirks- she is so our daughter.

We have big plans this weekend (surprise, surprise), but for once it does not involve work or GRD....we have a quick, quick trip up to Boone to see Drew (brother in law) and his band play a gig and then we have the whole gang getting together Saturday night for my birthday celebration- yay!

a week in review

What a busy week! The fun and excitement started on Wednesday when we had Luke, Emily, and Zoe Bump over for dinner to celebrate Em's birthday. The girls had a great time, as always, playing together, and they even decorated some Easter eggs.

On Thursday afternoon, Brooklyn had her Easter party and egg hunt at school. She was a bit nervous at first when the kids were all let loose on the playground, but she quickly got the hang of it. :-)

Since the egg hunt lasted oh, about 3.5 minutes, we left early and I took Brooklyn for her first "real" haircut at Great Clips. Gone are the days when Mommy and Gramma could just "tame the mullet" as Brooklyn watched Dora on TV, but Marianne at Great Clips was great with her, and Brooklyn was awesome.

We had a great day on Saturday and were fortunate to spend a few hours with the McIntyre family (www.familyofmgms.blogspot.com). Maddox was adorable, and such a sweet baby! I hate that I forgot to take out my camera and snap a picture of the girls.

Easter Sunday was hectic as it normally is- church, eat, nap, egg hunt, eat, church- but we had a great time at Nanny and Grandpa's house with our family. Here is Brooklyn Sunday morning before church with her newest baby.

And outside at the family egg hunt...

We are very fortunate to have such great family and friends!! So many memories, so little time!

deep thoughts

I got this email today, and it made me laugh outloud, so I thought I would share.

1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
6. He who laughs last thinks the slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.
9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.
14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?
15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines
19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
20. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'
22. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates; it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your rear end tomorrow.

birthday party take 2

So, this weekend was Brooklyn's "friend party" at the Greensboro Children's Museum. Everyone had a blast despite no singing "Happy Birthday" (Brooklyn's new fear), no present opening (I am convinced it would be complete chaos for 2 and 3 year olds), and a monsoon of a rain storm when everyone was trying to leave. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with Brooklyn (and to Nanny and Gramma for their EXTRA help!). Brooklyn said when we were leaving, "That was SO much fun." And that makes it SO worth it for me!

The excited birthday girl...
Having cake and snacks in the party room...

Playing with the balls in the museum...

The Dora Cake (#2)...

say "ahhhh"

Brooklyn went to see Dr. Davis (aka Doogie) yesterday afternoon for her three year old check up. Here's what went down:

1. She weighs 32.5 pounds (75%).

2. She is 37.5 inches tall (60%).

3. She refused to do the vision test with the nurse, saying her infamous safe word "mommy" over and over again instead of answering the questions.

4. She wondered why mommy had her hand in the potty with a cup and then refused to pee in it.

5. She did awesome on her social skills test, physical skills test, and cognitive/problem solving skills test. When Dr. Davis came in the room, she decided to test ME, and made me show Dr. Davis how I could draw a circle and repeat numbers in a certain order. (I passed!)

6. She let Dr. Davis check out her tummy, opened her mouth, and showed him her "hurt" foot.

7. She was rewarded with a cherry lollipop and a sticker and left feeling very proud of herself for being such a big girl. :-)

catching up

So...

1. The house has been on the market for exactly one month today! We are doing great keeping it clean and have had a steady stream of "shoppers." I have mixed feelings- some days I want to sell right away, and some days, I want to live there forever- just the three of us! I think once the weather warms up for good, things will start moving quickly, so I better prepare myself now. :-)

2. Brooklyn has her first "friends" birthday party on Saturday at the Children Museum. She is very excited about having all her friends come to her party and eat her "Dora and Boots" cake. I'm excited for her, too!

3. Our next GRD gig is on Saturday, March 29th at the Crosswalk Cafe in Eden. I know Eden isn't really "on the way" to anywhere, but we would love to have everyone come out and hear us! If you want more info, you can check out our website, www.myspace.com/gracereignsdown.

4. I am working with a bunch of friends to get together our 10 year high school reunion. This is frustrating. On many levels.

5. Chad started coaching golf last week for Greensboro Academy. Between that, grading papers, and teaching guitar lessons, his work is keeping him pretty busy.

6. Brooklyn informed me this week that her bed was not "comfortable like mommy's." Chad and I may be out shopping for a twin bed this weekend, so if any of you have any suggestions on where to go, let me know!

And, oh yeah...

7. We are going to VEGAS! We are headed to Sin City with my parents, Eric (brother), and Caroline (E's girlfriend) after Christmas for a short vacation! It will be the farthest west I have ever traveled, and we are all very excited. Chad, for obvious reasons, and me, for all the shopping, sightseeing, and cool little places to visit with Brooklyn. I doubt I will even see Chad for the three days we are there- but I am sure my dad will prop him up at the poker table when he gets sleepy. :-)

congrats to brendan on a pretty big week!

Some big things are happening to a friend of ours, Brendan James. Brendan is a friend of mine from UNC (Go Heels!), and he sang in our wedding in 2002. Last week, Brendan's EP was selected as a featured album this week by the iTunes Editorial Staff. (See his email below)

Soooo my EP - The Ballroom Break-In was selected by the iTunes Editorial Staff as a featured album this week! If you go to the folk section of iTunes you'll see my mug under 'staff picks.' If you haven't bought my EP yet, check it out for only $3.96 on iTunes...That's about as salesy as I can get...hopefully music works out b/c i don't see a career in sales ;-) iTunes Link: http://phobos. apple. com/WebObjects/MZStore. woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=259242210&s=143441- b

Then....he sent word that his original song, Hero's Song, will be part of a double album hitting stores March 18th. He's surrounded by some pretty impressive company:

Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Bright Eyes are among the artists contributing songs to a forthcoming double album benefiting Iraq Veterans Against The War.'Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran', was compiled by was by Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, who was paralysed in the war after only one week of service.The collection, due out in the US on March 18, includes a previously unreleased version of Vedder's 'No More', which he wrote specifically for the 'Body of War' documentary about Young's life. Vedder performed the song with Ben Harper at Lollapalooza in 2007."Tomas has taught me a great deal, and our friendship has become one of depth and sincerity," Vedder said in a statement. "It has been a mind-expanding experience. I see how he relies on the strength of the songs to help him through each day. It is a true living example of the power of music."The double-CD set also features songs by Rage Against The Machine, Roger Waters, Tom Waits and Tori Amos, among others. Sales proceeds will go toward Iraq Veterans Against The War, a non-profit organisation that gives voice to active-duty service people and veterans who areagainst the war, but are under various pressures to remain silent.The album tracklisting is:Disc 1'Hero's Song' - Brendan James' American Terrorist' - Lupe Fiasco'Light Up Ya Lighter' - Michael Franti & Spearhead 'Guerilla Radio' - Rage Against The Machine 'Son Of A Bush' - Public Enemy 'Empty Walls' -Serj Tankian 'Let Them Eat War' - Bad Religion 'White People For Peace' - Against Me!'Letter From Iraq' - Bouncing Souls'War' - Dilated Peoples'Overcome (The Recapitulation)' - RX Bandits 'Fields Of Agony' - No Use For A Name 'Bushonomics' - Talib Kweli & Cornel West 'The 4th Branch - Immortal Technique 'B.Y.O.B.' - System Of A Down 'No More' (Live) - Eddie Vedder & Ben HarperDisc 2'Devils & Dust' - Bruce Springsteen'Masters Of War' (Live) - Pearl Jam'When The President Talks To God' - Bright Eyes 'Gimme Some Truth' - John Lennon 'The Restless Consumer' - Neil Young 'Battle Hymns' - The Nightwatchman 'Anthrax' - Kimya Dawson 'WMD' - Blow Up Hollywood 'State Of The Union' - David Ford 'Yo George' - Tori Amos 'Love Vigilantes' - Laura Cantrell 'Black Rain' - Ben Harper 'To Kill The Child' - Roger Waters 'Day After Tomorrow' - Tom Waits--