Sister Barlow

So last night I got to be a sister missionary for a few hours. I got home from work and Lars and I chatted for a while and then my brother called so I talked to him. Before we knew it with was after 7 pm and we hadn’t eaten dinner yet. So we jumped in the car and went to Ralphs to pick up something from their deli. I like to dilly dally sometimes when I am at the grocery store to see if I can’t get a managers special from the fresh produce. Lars was in a hurry to get back home to relax so he helped me move along. Good thing he did too. When we were walking up our stairs the sister missionaries caught us. They wanted to know if I would go with them to visit an investigator who lives a few doors down from us. The other member going with them bailed and they couldn’t find a replacement so they called me, but my phone was left at home. They said that they prayed that someone will go with them and then they ran into us while we were getting out of the car. This investigator has been on and off again and out of no where he called them and wanted to see them right away.

I never served a mission and I never went on splits so I am usually very nervous when it comes to visiting investigators with the missionaries because I am always afraid I will say the wrong thing or misrepresent the church and totally screw things up. Since Lars got his calling we have been spending more time with investigators and the missionaries so I thought today is a good day to start trying. So we went to the investigators home. We started teaching a lesson and then it turned into a Q&A session about feeling the spirit which was fine. It was so awesome. The spirit was there and it was strong. The investigator couldn’t believe or describe what he was feeling only that he liked it and wanted more of it. Sometimes I think I take the Holy Ghost and the spirit of God for granted. It is something that has always been there and something that I have always known and been comfortable with. Other people have no clue what it is and when they feel it for the first time it freaks them out. How do explain to someone that what they are feeling okay? We all come from different experiences and understanding. Some things that are hard for other people to wrap their minds around may be something I don’t give a second thought to and vice versa. It was an amazing experience and brought new perspective to my mind. I am so grateful for the gospel and the comfort the spirit brings me and for knowing that what I feel is the true spirit of God.

Movie Soap Box

We are in a dry spell of good movies people. This last few weeks I have been itching to see a good movie with action, comedy, a good story, characterization, and some innovative special effects. Friday we saw Watchmen. There are times where I will see a movie I know nothing about. I don't mind being surprised. I have never read the graphic novel that this movie was based from. The only thing I knew about the movie was what I saw from the previews. The previews peaked my interest. I like super hero movies. However, Watchmen, was not a super hero movie, it was a mystery disguised as a super hero movie. Let me tell you...I still have the itch to see a good movie. Watchmen really sucked! There were some cool effects, but overall it lacked what I wanted see in the movie it was made out to be. Save your money and wait until it is on TBS in a year.



The last good movies I remember seeing in the last year that have had an impact on me have been: Transformers, The Dark Knight, Twilight, and Bedtime Stories. I am sure I have seen a lot of other movies but I just can't remember them because they either weren't that good or well...maybe my memory is going or maybe there really hasn't been any good movies worth seeing! I watch at least 1-3 movies a week whether at my house or at the theatre. I think this is why Lars and I want to be apart of the movie business so we can put movies out that we want to see more of.





Having a dry spell of good movies is like working between labor day and memorial day without anytime off. You work and work, but don't get a holiday off for some fun! I guess my itch won't be satisfied for a few more weeks. I have some high hopes for the new Star Trek movie and a few others later in the year. Time will tell.

411-Don't Worry Be Happy

We haven't updated our blog for a bit because things have been kept us from doing so. Here is the 411 on the past month. On MLK Holiday I didn't have to work so we went to the beach to go roller blading with a friend. It was fun and the weather was perfect. We watched the surfers, fed a crane, We went to eat at one of the Piers but the wait was too long so instead we headed back to the car to find food somewhere else.

When we were less than 75 ft from the car my skate caught on a palm tree seed and I fell forward. I wasn't going fast at all. I tried to catch myself with my right hand but landing on my fingers and then slid on my right side. It all happened quick but I felt it happen in slow motion. I remember closing my eyes as I went down and then opened them up when I was laying on the road. I looked at myself and thought I was okay, but then I saw my hand and screamed. My two middle fingers were completely mangled. Lars and our friend, Leighton, were right there and Leighton had a 1st aid kit. Blood was gushing out of the server road rash on my hand and fingers. Lars told me I had to set my fingers back into place so they could tape them up. So I sat up and put them back into place. Then we got in the car and headed home. It was the worst pain I have every felt in my life. We got home and cleaned it up and two splints in. The next two days I spent on the couch resting. But the swelling wasn't going down. So we went to urgent care. They took an X-ray and then sent me to an Orthopedic Surgeon. My two middle fingers were fractured by the joint knuckle. He put my hand in a fiberglass cast that went from my hand to my forearm. I kept it on for a week and then went back for a check up. The bones were healing nicely so no surgery was required. I count that as a blessing. I had the cast on for two more weeks then they took it off. My hand and wrist was still really bruised and tender and the road rash was healing okay. Now my fingers are really stiff and I am doing stretches and exercises to break through the cartilage to regain full movement. I go back to the doctor in two weeks to see if I have to have therapy. I am starting to do more things with it than I have lately, but it is still a slow process.

Me trying to add humor to the situation

One of these hands is not like the other

The cast I wore, we called him Handy or Goose

After all this happened I felt really crappy. I think I did well to tough out the pain (I mean come on, I set my own two fingers back), but the whole situation really sucked. It is inconvenient financially and physically. You never know what you really have until you lose it. I was really scared in the beginning then frustrated. So I haven't blogged recently because 1) It is hard to type one handed 2) Typing one handed reminded me that I fractured my fingers which then made me depressed.

My Hand After the Cast

My bruises and flaky wrist

SO it has been a emotional roller coaster. But now that I am on the mends I am feeling a lot better about it and have learned a lot. 1) There is a first time for everything, 2) I am not as invincible as I thought I was, 3) Safety precautions should always be considered (My skates were old and shouldn't have been used and I should have had the proper safety gear i.e. wrist guards) I am also going to learn how to fall correctly so if this should happen again (hopefully never) I will fall in away that I won't break anything. 4) I am stronger than I think I am, what can't kill you can make you stronger. 5) My husband is the best husband ever. We aren't even 90 years old yet and he has helped me get dress and wash my hair for the last 3 weeks. He has been very supportive and has been a great nurse and friend through all this. So that's what happened. But I will face my fears and skate again. Maybe by the end of the year. Oh yeah, the Tiger is back and she is bouncing better than ever. :)

This video was taken from my phone so it is not that good, but it is where I am currently at with moving my fingers!

What else has been happening....I celebrated my 26th birthday! Yeah! We just went out to eat at Ruby's Diner with some friends. It was a jolly good time. Lars gave me David Archuleta's CD and a gift card to Old Navy. Valentines Day we went to a movie then dinner at Applebee's. Other than that we have just been working and healing. Oh...Lars got a church calling, he is now the Ward Mission Leader. The timing is awesome because some of his meetings are during American Idol nights so I don't have to kick him out of the t.v. room to watch and vote. I am such a supportive wife.

I am using both hands to type again so as long as something is happening I will be blogging. Thank you all for your love, calls, support, and prayers. I really appreciate it! SO that's what has been up with us. What's happening with you?

Rollerblading Accident

I had an accident. I will explain later, but for now here are some pics that may say a thousand words.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lars.solunar/SkatingAccident#

ITS BACK!! dodododododododododo

Hooray! American Idol is back on TV tonight. It is a new season and they are changing it up so it should be pretty awesome. I am very excited. Lars can't say the same. I love this show because it is fun, cheesy, exciting to see some dreams come true, but sad and maybe a little relieved to see some never happen. Lars doesn't care for it because it is rigged (I realize this as well, but am OK with it) and it is just not his cup of tea, but what he really doesn't like about it is that it take me away from him for a few hours a week. How cute is that. The only time I was able to get him to watch it with me was when Neil Diamond was one of the featured artist. One of the greatest episodes ever. Jon Bon Jovi would have to be my second favorite episode. Anyway, enjoy the show tonight if you choose to watch and then my review tomorrow. The front row in my TV room belongs to me tonight. :)

Burrrrrr...NOT

Weather is so funny. I am used to cold weather and snow in January, but instead I am getting 80-90 degree weather with some wind and sun. I never thought I would have to turn on my A/C during usually one of the coldest months of the year. It is different, but boy I love living in California.

Holiday

I had a lot of time off these last two weeks due to the holidays. We closed really early on Christmas Eve and I was off the rest of that week, then New Years Eve we closed early again and had the rest of the week off as well due to office closure. Awesome, for two weeks in a row I got 4 day weekends. I loved it! Here is what happened during the holiday.

Christmas eve Lars and I made his families traditional Christmas Roll, which is basically a giant cinnamon roll, but we make the sweet dough from scratch and it is delicious and fun to make together. This is something we decided to do every Christmas as a family. It is something his Mom started in the 70's because she said her family didn't have any holiday traditions. So what do you do, you start your own.

Then on Christmas day we had breakfast with our neighbores family, Leighton and Angela Chun. He is Hawaiian so the more the merry and it was a fabulous time. Their families were so kind and the food was good and there was a whole lot of it.

Santa came to visit while we were at our neighbores house, but he came in the form of a dog.

Just kidding, our neighbores have a cute dog that they dressed up.

Afterwards we called our families and then saw the movie, Bedtime Stories. Absolutely cute movie one the whole family would enjoy. The day after Christmas some friends from San Francisco came down for the weekend. While they were here we did a lot of shopping and other fun activities like Scandia (an amusement park in CA). They have two kids, a 4 and a 7 year old so most of the activities were geared towards draining their energy. We had a great time with them and can't wait to have them over again.

For New Years we met up with some people in the ward and just played games and celebrated the new year. I have this shirt that I wear every new years. My mom gave myself and my siblings 2000 Millennium shirts and I have kept mine since. I used duck tape and change the last digit every year. The shirt is getting old, but it is fun to pull out each year. And of course we brought in the New Year with a kiss. :)

The rest of the holiday we spent hanging out with some new friends, eating, shopping, starting a solo drummer and then singing career on Rock Band, leveling up on Gantlet, shooting bad guys in Medal of Honor, watching Stargate, and relaxing. I got to do some fun things that I have been meaning to do for sometime now. I love holidays and cannot wait for the next long weekend. Until then I will work hard, but play harder. :)