The Christmas (Insert Object Here)

It's that time of year again. The time when everywhere you look you see books titled "The Christmas (Insert Object Here)". Some of you may remember my mentioning this last year, and I am afraid it has only seemed to get worse this year.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a Scrooge when it comes to "The Christmas (Insert Object Here) books - in fact there are a fair few that I really enjoy (ie: The Christmas Jars, The Christmas Sweater, The Christmas Box) I just wish that they would come up with a more creative name.

That having been said, it is time for my own little "The Christmas (Insert Object Here)" story.

The Christmas Song

by:

Malori Jo Saline

"This year our class is in charge of the manger scene for the Christmas Concert! This is a huge responsibility and I know you will all do great!! I will assign parts on Wednesday."

Mrs. Sneebs' sixth grade class could hardly contain their excitement! Every year the manger scene is rotated between the five, sixth grade classrooms, so this opportunity only came around every five years! The manger scene was the center of the Christmas Concert. All of the other sixth graders only got to sing in the choir wearing blue jeans and red and green turtlenecks, but the manger scene kids got to dress up in elaborate costumes made by the PTO and they had lines, and some of them even got to sing solos! This was a big deal!

At recess the playground was buzzing with talk of who would be given what part. Only three kids could be wise men (naturally) and they got to sing "We Three Kings" all by themselves. They had the fanciest costumes, so that was a pretty great part. Then there was the Angel, who got to stand on top of the manger and wear really pretty wings and a halo that really lit up! Baby Jesus was always played by a Cabbage Patch Doll dressed in swaddling clothes. Then there were the Shepherds and Animals, played by all the kids who didn't get picked for the major parts. It wasn't bad to be chosen as an animal, the cows and horses got to have two people (one for the head and one for the rump) and all of the animals got to wear cool face paint.

The big parts were, of course, Mary and Joseph. These parts were always given to the smartest and most well behaved and liked of the class. It had to be that way, because if no one liked Mary and Joseph...well, it wouldn't be very good.

Nobody was really sure who would be selected to play which part, but there was one part they were sure of...the pig. Naturally the part of the pig would be played by Ann McPherson.

You see, Ann was quiet and awkward. She was very small with a mousy face. Her hair always hung in her eyes and her clothes were always two sizes too big. She never ate lunch with everyone else - she always sat in the corner with her book and half a peanut butter and cheese sandwich. Not only that, but Ann had a smell about her. It wasn't a terrible odor, but not something you wanted to accidentally rub off if you spent too much time with her. She was the perfect choice for the pig.

Sarah Hamilton was sure she was going to be given the part of Mary. After all, she had straight A's, had never had her name written on the board for bad behavior, was friends with pretty much everybody, and was very pretty. Not to mention the fact that her singing voice was much better than everybody else's. Nobody would be able to sing "Mary's Lullaby" quite like her.

On Wednesday Mrs. Sneebs' class sat in their desks anxiously waiting to find out who had been chosen to play which parts. Finally Mrs. Sneebs walked to the front of the room followed by Mr. Parkins, the principal, and Mr. Delphi, the choir teacher. Mrs. Sneebs unfolded her reading glasses and set them on the very tip of her nose so she could see both the paper she was now holding up and her class, and she began to read, "The parts of the Wise Men will be played by Mike Bell, Sammy Mackintosh, and Billy Reed..."

Mike, Sammy and Billy all did "air high fives" while everyone in the class patted them on the back and murmured their congratulations.

"The parts of the Shepherds will be played by Frank Rosenthal, Margaret Southerland, Daniel Howards......."

One by one Mrs. Sneebs read the list...Millie and Bobby had been chosen as sheep, Victor and Dave had been chosen to be a camel while Howie and Josh were chosen as the cow.

Now it was down to the final three roles - Mary, Joseph and the Angel.

"The roll of Joseph will be played by Jimmy Benson. The roll of the Angel will be played by Sarah Hamilton, and finally, the roll of Mary will be played by Ann McPherson."

"WHAT!?" Sarah jumped out of her chair in astonishment. How could Ann get the part of Mary? Ann was terrible for the part, she was so.....strange!!

Sarah tried to talk to Mrs. Sneebs about what was obviously a huge misunderstanding, but to no avail. Mrs. Sneebs said that the choice was made and she needed to be happy with the part she was given.

That afternoon Sarah was walking home with her best friend Brittany (who was given the part of a sheep, which she was happy about because she hated being in the spotlight - that's why she could be such good friends with Sarah) and she was explaining why Ann should not have the part and she should, "I mean, look at me and look at her! Besides, have you ever heard her sing? No you haven't because she it too quiet. She never talks to anyone! She doesn't have friends, she doesn't fit the part!!"

Brittany let Sarah continue to talk during their walk home and when they arrived at Brittany's house she asked if Sarah wanted to come in and watch the newest video from their favorite band.

Sarah explained that she couldn't, "I have to go to the stupid Soup Kitchen with my parents. The other night Oprah was saying that parents should teach their kids to be more active in the community, so my mom decided this was the way to do it. I will call you when I get home though."

They said their goodbyes and Sarah walked to the corner of the street to her house.

"Sarah, you can stand here and hand out the biscuits. Just one per person at first, we need to make sure we have enough to go around."

Sarah grudgingly took the tongs and stood in her assigned spot behind the giant glass sneeze guard. If her friends saw her now she would never hear the end of it. She was wearing a plastic apron, giant plastic gloves, and to top it all off, a hair net!! She looked like the lunch lady at school!

One by one people started walking through the line and one by one Sarah set a biscuit down on their tray next to their bowl of hot chicken noodle soup.

The people looked tired, like they hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time, and their clothes looked worn. Sarah had never seen any of them before and she wondered where all of these people lived.

A young girl walked through the line behind her mother with her head down. Sarah set the biscuit on her tray.

"Say thank you." The girl's mother encouraged in a tender voice.

Just then, the girl looked up a little, a small thank you came out of her mouth, and she quickly walked off to join her family.

Sarah stood frozen. That little girl was Ann.

Sarah finished serving, all the while watching Ann eating her soup as though it was the best food she had ever tasted.

After she had pulled off all of her plastic gear, Sarah and her parents got in the car to go home to their nice warm beds.

"Sarah, you seem awfully quiet, are you alright?" Dad asked sounding concerned.

Sarah thought about it for a minute, "Dad, those people, they need a lot of help right?"

Dad nodded.

"Well, there was a girl from my class there, and I was thinking, if they can't afford food, the probably can't afford Christmas present either."

Again, Dad just nodded.

"Well...." Sarah seemed to hesitate for just a minute "Dad, would you mind if I gave Ann the presents you were planning on giving me? I mean, I'm grateful for them and everything, but I already have a lot of stuff, and Ann doesn't have anything."

Dad and Mom looked at each other and finally Mom said, "Sarah, it is your choice what you want to do with your Christmas present, but you need to know, if you give Ann all of your gifts, we won't be able to afford to get you anything else. You won't have anything for Christmas."

Sarah thought about this for a moment and then she looked at Mom and Dad with resolution and said, "That's ok, she needs Christmas more than I do."

The night of the Christmas Concert, Sarah was ready early and rushing her parents out the door, "Come on, we need to get to Ann's house before she leaves, Hurry!"

Sarah arrived at a small house located at the end of a dark road. The house had not lights. It didn't have a Christmas wreath hanging on the door. There was no sign of Christmas anywhere. Sarah knocked and waited.

Slowly the door opened and there stood Ann in her Mary costume. She looked as though she had been crying.

"Hi Ann, we have a surprise for you! Can we come in?"

Ann nodded looking very confused and opened the door wide. Sarah walked in and gestured to the car. Ann looked to see what Sarah was doing when she saw Sarah's mom walk up the steps carrying a box filled with brightly wrapped gifts. Then she saw Sarah's dad walk up with a freshly cut and already decorated Christmas tree. He set it down in the living room, plugged it in and suddenly the house was filled with a warm light.

Ann's mom heard the noise and came down the stairs to find Sarah stacking the gifts under the tree and Sara's mom and dad unloading the making of a Christmas feast on the table.

"Oh look at what time it is, Ann we need to get going we will be late for the concert!"

Ann just looked at Sarah, tears in her eyes, and again she just nodded.

The Christmas Concert was going great. The choir sounded wonderful, the Wise Men were a little off key, and the Shepherds and Sarah did a great job with their song.

Finally it was time for "Mary's Lullaby" and everyone looked at Ann as the music began.

Ann started off very soft, you could barely hear her, but as the song went on her voice grew. She held the Cabbage Patch Baby Jesus and sang to him. Her voice was filled with gratitude and love. The music seemed to fill the hearts of everyone in the room, but Ann didn't seem to notice any of them. She was singing to her Savior.

When the music ended, Ann slowly lifted the Baby Jesus to her lips and kissed him, and she whispered, "Thank you". Then she looked up at Sarah, who was overwhelmed with tears and she smiled as she had never smiled before.

People still talk about the year Mrs. Sneebs' class was in charge of the Christmas Concert. Never had they felt such a beautiful Christmas Spirit. But no one ever knew what inspired that music. No one ever knew about the Angel's love that inspired Mary's Christmas Song.

So that is my "The Christmas (Insert Object Here) story. I know the punctuation, spelling and grammar aren't great...but I hope you enjoyed it.

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

Crazy Life!

Life has been so insane lately and I realized that I haven't posted in practically a million years!! So, here is a brief nutshell of what has been going on in the life of Malori and Jon Saline:

1) Thanksgiving: We went up to Snowflake for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful!! We went to both sides of the family and had amazing dinners at each and I am sure I gained 20 pounds just from turkey and potatoes!! Of course I brought my camera, but I forgot to take any pictures! It was so fun to play with Collin at the Saline's house and to play Apples to Apples with the family! It was fun to watch the parade and play games with them! We had a blast!!
2) Work: Work has been especially insane - but that is how it always is at the end of the semester and right before the holidays. It is like a full moon every day - the kids get a little weird and a little crazy. That on top of getting everything ready for the end of the semester and it makes for some craziness.
3) Finals: Jon is right in the middle of finals. Naturally he is stressed and nervous and very busy with studying and getting his papers done and finishing his projects. Poor guy! Luckily he has already finished his graduation paper and turned it in, so he can check that off of the list and he won't have to do it next semester - his very last semester!! (his graduation date is May 14th!! YAY!!)
4) Getting ready for Christmas: This year both sides of our family are doing homemade gifts for our drawn names. This is such a fun tradition! It requires everyone to really think about that person and spend time on something special and that makes the gifts much more special! It does make for a little bit more work for the holidays, so that does take time -but I wouldn't trade it! I love the tradition!
So, just like everyone I'm sure, we have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get everything done and trying to be where we need to be and finish everything we need to finish. It sounds like things are out of control, but it is organized chaos and we are enjoying every minute of it! I love the holiday season and I can't wait for Christmas!! My sister is flying in from Florida for a week before Christmas and I am so excited to see her!
This Christmas is going to be awesome!!!!!!!!!

Taylor

Sunday night my cousin Taylor Hancock passed away. He was only 15 years old. They aren't sure what exactly happened, but it has been very difficult for my family.
I just wanted to write and tell my Aunt Annette, my Uncle Tim, and my cousin Trey that I love them and that we will all get through this together. It will not be easy, but we will get through it.
Last night I was talking to Jon about it - I had just spoken with my Aunt on the phone and it was very difficult to hear her grief and pain. Jon told me that we shouldn't worry because his Grandpa Saline is up there taking good care of Taylor...I know that is true....
If you could all keep him and our family in your prayers (especially my Aunt and Uncle and my cousin) these next few days and weeks.
Taylor will be deeply missed.

I am finally getting around to blogging about Halloween!! I know, it's a little bit late, but here it is!
We went to Snowflake and spent the day with my parents. We went out to the Willis' pumpkin patch and picked out some pumpkins. Jon and Tanner had to search the entire patch for the two biggest and roundest pumpkins, but the rest of us found our little ones pretty quickly.
The first picture is Dad's pumpkin. He had the idea of shaving the skin off of the teeth to make them look more scary. Brilliant huh?

Here is a picture of mom and dad's together. Mom's looks so happy huh? It's because it is eating a Snickers! During the day though, we looked and the Snickers had disappeared. We were really worried that a dog got it and is now very sick...I hope not!!
Ok, this is a picture of our pumpkins before we carved them....all of our pumpkin heads!

These are all of our pumpkins at night - you can't really tell, but Jon's is the one that is laying down. It has "brains" falling out (the pumpkin insides) and Tanner's looks all mean and has some "brain" coming out of his mouth like he is eating it....it looked so awesome!!
This is a close up of my little pumpkin - he is so happy cuz he is all in love....hee hee hee it's pretty silly.
That night my parents got trick-or-treaters for the first time in 11 years and they were so cute!! We were playing a board game and every time the doorbell would ring both my mom and my dad would jump up and run to the door. My dad was especially excited about it. He was so cute!!
It was really fun!

Malori's Movie Reviews

Let's start with one of my all time favorite movies of all time ever!!! I seriously know ever line to this movie and can start at the beginning at any moment and quote to the end without any prompts - ok that makes me sound a little bit lame, but that is how much I adore this movie!!
First of all, who in their right mind doesn't love a good Jane Austen story? She writes the most romantic and heart wrenching stories and creates the most amazing characters that you can't help but fall in love with!
So, turn an amazing Jane Austen book into a movie and cast Emma Thompson (my favorite actress!), Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant and you have an automatic winner!! But it doesn't stop there...who would have thought that Ang Lee - director of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - could create such amazing moments!!
My favorite scene by far is when Elinor (Emma Thompson) who is in love with Edward (Hugh Grant) is talking with Lucy (Imogen Stubbs) who is Edward's secret fiance of 5 years - who he is not in love with...because he is truly in love with Elinor, but he can't break a promise to Lucy - so anyways, Lucy and Elinor are visiting and suddenly, who comes to visit but Edward!! How awkward for him to have his true love and his fiance sitting in the same room! Then, to make matters worse, Marianne (Kate Winslet), Elinor's sister, comes in and starts asking all sorts of questions about why Edward hasn't gone out of his way to visit Elinor.....
The scene is filled with the most silent and awkward humor and everyone does such an amazing job in it!! I just love watching it!!
So...if you have not seen this movie, please, please, please find it and watch it immediately - it will change your life!!
Ok, we are going to go from a great movie to a not-so-great movie. Jon and I rented this movie from the redbox because the commercials looked promising and because I think that Michael Cera is so darn funny!! Well, Michael didn't let me down (he is super funny), but the writers did. This movie had it's moments but was mostly sacreligious and offensive. It also contained the stereotypical "Jack Black" kind of humor - cheap gags, slap stick, and "potty jokes" that are geared toward human beings with the maturity of a 6th grader.
Needless to say, I do not recommend this movie......not at all.......
Normally I don't like Renee Zellweger so I was not sure if I wanted to watch this movie - that is why it is now a year after it came out and I am just barely seeing it. And, I only rented it because they were out of The Proposal in the redbox and I wanted to watch something girlie....
Luckily, I was very pleasantly surprised! Let me just say that I have a little bit of a crush on Harry Connick Jr. (don't worry, Jon knows and he is ok with it) so that certainly helped....
But this movie was very, very sweet. Kind of a typical storyline - big city girl comes to small town and learns to adapt to the small town lifestyle and ends up preferring it over her big city experience.
What I loved about this particular movie is that the big city girl doesn't end up giving up her dreams and her success to live in the small town - instead she becomes more successful and ends up making her dreams a complete reality!
This movie made me laugh so hard and it made me cry and feel really good inside when it was over. It was a really a good time!
Last, but certainly not least, Love Happens. I was very excited for this movie because I really like Jennifer Aniston and I really like Aaron Eckhart (from what I saw of him in Batman - I have never seen him in anything else) - or so I thought.
This movie's storyline was really sweet and I really enjoyed watching it. However, I did not like Aaron Eckhart in it. I guess he isn't the type of guy who should be in chick flicks. Whenever he was feeling strong emotions (in love, stressed out, upset) he would breath really heavily - as though he had just run a marathon - and whenever he was serious, he would show it by pressing his fingers to his forehead. He never looked happy either....maybe I am being to picky.
So it was an alright movie, but not fantastic. I did cry like a little girl in it, but I didn't laugh or think it was a good time. I would suggest getting it at the redbox - then you only spend a dollar and it is a good time.

So those are the movies I have seen recently - I hope it helps you in your movie renting decisions.

Patriotism, Birthday Fun and Random Acts of Kindness

To start I have some making up to do - so we are going to go clear back to September 11th. The Tempe Town Lake Park displayed 3,000 American flags in honor of those who died on that historic day.
Jon and I went and I was in awe of how beautiful it was.
Jon was especially touched - he is truly one of the most patriotic people I know.

Jon took these pictures at sunset - aren't they stunning? (Yup, he takes great pictures too!)
I was so moved by this experience. As we walked up and down the rows of flags, I couldn't help but think about our amazing country and how blessed we are to have the freedoms and liberties that we have. I was so proud of the members of my family who have fought and served this country in the armed forces in various wars all over the world. I was and am so proud to call myself an American!

In more recent news, last weekend was my 22nd Birthday. I took the day off, so the day before my Birthday (Thursday) my office really spoiled me. My friend decorated my desk with streamers and balloons and big Happy Birthday banners! My boss got me flowers, and all of the kids sang to me and wished me a Happy Birthday. It was so sweet!

Then the day came!

All day long I received the sweetest phone calls and text messages from friends and family wishing me a Happy Birthday! Thank you to all of you who remembered me and were thinking about me - you have no idea how much it means to me!!

Jon decided that we should go on a small road trip (and I was so excited!)

So off we headed toward beautiful Sedona (I had never been there and Jon had told me about how beautiful it was, so I was totally excited!!!!!!)

On our way we ran into Montezuma's Castle, and couldn't help but take a look!

Here's Jon sitting on the bench and taking a breather (we had been walking for a whole 15 feet when we came across this bench - hee hee hee)
And here it is, the infamous Montezuma's Castle!! Here is an interesting tid-bit of information - nobody named Montezuma ever lived in, or even near this place.....hmmmmmm........
Here is Jon going Native and grinding our dinner....thanks honey!
He really wanted to climb the mountain up the the castle and search inside the caves, but these very serious looking signs stopped him (couldn't they at least say please?)
Finally we arrived in Sedona and it is so beautiful!!! It looks like a painting!
We were driving around, after having gone to an amazing art gallery, and we saw this.....how can you not stop at a place called "Ye Olde Alien Store"? Turns out there have been some UFO sightings in Sedona.....probably by the fortune tellers they have in abundance around there.
I just loved this sweet little kissing toad....
This was in that sweet little place called Tlaquepaque (yup, I had to look up how to spell that). I loved it in there, it looked like a little Italian village - or what I imagine a little Italian village would look like, since I haven't actually seen one....

Every where you looked there was something to see - it's as though the entire little place were an art gallery!
Jon and I had an amazing day in Sedona!!! Thank you Honey for taking me there!!!!!!

The next morning (Saturday) we got up bright and early (like 4:30am) to head up to Snowflake where my dad greeted us with an amazing biscuits and gravy Birthday breakfast!!! Yum!!!!

Then we watched some Conference until Grams and Gramps came over for the big Birthday dinner!! I chose rice-a-roni (the chicken flavor), steak, Grams' bean dip, and salad. For dessert - brownies and vanilla ice cream with Reese's hardening syrup on top! Oh my goodness it was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yummy!!! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water all over again!

It was so fun to hang out with the family all weekend and it was so fun to share my Birthday dinner with Grams who's birthday is only a week after mine.

That night, as the boys headed off to the Priesthood session of Conference, mom and I decided to go the the dollar store and look for something fun to do. What did we find? Nail polish and coloring books!!!

When the boys got home, mom and I were sitting at the table, coloring princesses and fairies and just chit-chatting. It was sooooo fun!!!

Ok - here is a brief preview of some of the cool gifts I received (and yes, I know that I am totally spoiled!):
This is the cutest piggy bank!! As you can see, "his plasma screen" piggy bank is much smaller than "her diamond ring" - but it's ok because his piggy bank has a hole in the bottom so all of the money goes straight into her account! I think this is so cute and so hilarious!! Thanks Mom!!!
Mom also did something very amazing - she sewed!! Now, those of you who know my mom, know that she is amazingly talented. She can paint and put together the cutest crafts - but if you can't stick it together with nails or hot glue - she isn't interested. But, she bit the bullet and used a sewing machine to make me this cute little scripture case!! Isn't it awesome!! She made it out of a placemat and ribbon - brilliance!! I might add that her stitches are straight and everything! I am so impressed!!!!!!!
Here are some of the cards I got from (going from left to right) Nikki and Brenden, Granny and Papa and Grams and Gramps - they all had some dinero in them too which has been spent wisely (on some really great clothes and accessories - it was sooooo fun!!) Thank you all!!!
These next two pictures are gifts that mean a lot to me. These are some things my dad bought when he was on his mission in South Africa. I have always loved studying South Africa and hearing his stories and seeing his pictures, but my favorite thing was always looking at his amazing statues and things. I love having a piece of that place and of my dad's life in my hands! It is so incredible to have these beautiful things in my house!!! I love my daddy so much and am so proud of him!!
Thank you so much daddy for trusting me with these - I love them so much!
This shirt is from my little (bigger than me) brother Tanner who plays football for Snowflake - that's right everyone, my little brother is a Lobo and I'm afraid I am going to have to support the Blue and White. I know it makes me a traitor to my Show Low Cougars, but I am very seriously outnumbered (Jon is a Lobo, my parents, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, now Tanner) and with Laney in Florida I can't hold the Green and Gold banner by myself. So I have given in and I will wear this shirt with pride!

How can I not be proud - my "younger" brother is an awesome football player for the Snowflake Lobos and I am so proud of him.

Besides, it's a really sweet shirt!!

But don't tell lots of people about this treachery ok?? Hee hee hee

Needless to say, it was a pretty darn awesome 22nd Birthday!!! Thank you to everyone who made it that way!!!

* * *

This week has been an interesting one at work - the week before breaks always are (this coming week is fall break - yay!!). The kids are restless, the teachers are ready for a break, and emotions are wearing thin....it is hard on everyone.

Being in the front office, I spend most of my time around the kids who get "sent to the Principal's office" so it's no wonder why I can get a little discouraged when it comes to the choices kids make. But every so often I am surprised by how selfless and kind kids can be. There are two particular instances this week.

1) A senior girl and a freshman girl were putting up some student artwork around the office. Naturally the freshman girl was a little shy around this confident upperclassman. When the senior girl asked for her opinion on how the artwork should be displayed, the freshman girl quietly said that she didn't know. The senior girl kindly suggested some things and they went to work. The freshman girl hung a few of the papers on the wall, and when she was finished, the senior girl praised her as though she had just painted the Mona Lisa. She told her that they were in the perfect place, that she was so smart to think of arranging them like that, and that she should go into interior design because she had such a natural eye for things like that. The freshman girl's face lit up and I could just see her confidence level growing! I was so touched by the sincerity of senior girl - she will never know what an impact she made on freshman girl's life!

2) A young man came into the office asking if we knew which class another young man was in. When we questioned YM #1's motives (was he planning on disrupting the class because of some huge argument they were having over a girl?....things like that have to be stopped before they start and that is our job) he explained that he wanted to meet him outside of his class to give him a Bible.

Apparently YM #1 was talking about a church activity he had attended (he is not a member, but is very strong in his religious convictions) and YM #2 was interested. YM#1 invited him to a youth activity, and while they were there he noticed that YM #2 did not have a Bible. He questioned him and his suspicions were confirmed - YM#2 did not own a Bible.

So YM #1 promptly went out and purchased a beautiful little Bible. He made certain that it was the type that printed the words of Christ in red so YM#2 would be able to recognize those verses, and to top it all off, he paid the extra few dollars to have YM#2's name engraved on the front.

When we called YM#2 to the office and he was presented with his gift, he practically had tears i his eyes...and so did I.

Just when I lose hope in today's youth - they surprise me and I regain hope! There are some really awesome kids out there and I know they will make this world an amazing place!!

I'm Still Here

I haven't posted in a really long time! Same ol' excuse...I have pictures but it is hard to get them while I am at work, and life has been so crazy that I haven't had a chance to do it at home!
I have a whole ton of stuff to blog about, so don't worry...it will be coming soon! I just wanted you to know that I haven't fallen off the face of the planet or anything!!!

All The Difference

The last time Jon and I were in Utah, we stopped and visited some people at a store he used to work at. The store is the only real wood turning store in the world!!
While we were there, he let me pick a block of wood for my very own piece of art!!
It was just a giant cubed chunk of wood when I picked it - and he turned it into this amazing piece!
He named it "All The Difference"
I love my sweet husband so very much - he is without a doubt the most talented person I know!!
When I was showing this picture to some people at work, one of the ladies said, "what can your husband not do?"
I couldn't come up with anything!! He is seriously amazing!!!
I am a lucky girl!!!

Julie & Julia - One Of My Favorites!!

I can honestly say that it has been a long time since I have seen a movie as fun, hilarious, heartfelt, moving and inspiring as Julie & Julia. I laughed and cried (yup, that sounds super cheesy, but it's true!!) and came out of the theater with the desire to be a better person and accomplish something amazing.

The movie simultaneously tells the story of Julia Child and Julie Powell.

Julia Child - as you probably already know - was a cooking legend! She was a brilliant chef, brilliant on television, and had an amazing cookbook, but there is so much more to her than that. She was a passionate person who loved her sweet husband more than anything and loved life no matter what! Still, she was not perfect, she got discouraged, she had her heart broken, she was cranky sometimes, but she was an inspiration.

Julie Powell is a 30-year old government secretary dealing with the after effects of 9/11 - and she hates it. She feels like she is drowning in her meaningless life. She finds her solace in her husband and in food. She loves cooking and soon gets the idea to cook through Julia Child's entire cookbook in a year. During the year she gets overwhelmed, disappointed, and through it all, she finds herself.

Both of these women are amazing, and they have amazing husbands who love and support them through it all. It is hard on them sometimes, but they never stop loving their wives and being excited for them, and their relationships grow stronger and stronger.

This movie inspired me to follow my passions and to cherish my husband.

I encourage anyone who loves romance, fun, and food to watch this movie. I encourage anyone who is married and wants to see a movie where marriage is valued, encouraged, and portrayed as the beautiful bond it is to watch this movie.

Bon Appetit!

The Tastey Club

I have an exciting new blog with an exciting new goal!!! Please check it out!!! It's called The Tastey Club - and the site is

http://thetasteyclub.blogspot.com

It is also over on the right hand side of this blog!

Check it out and you can see the whole story!!! It is so exciting!!!!

Zip Line and $20.00

A few weeks ago we went to Bro. Caldwell's house in Taylor. Over the little creek out there he has built a zip line. It goes in a giant triangle from tree to tree and I was so afraid that I would chicken out! Apparently Jon had no qualms about jumping out there and hanging upside down!!

Luckily they strapped us up in these major harnesses with some very serious ropes and pulleys and stuff - and I made sure that it would hold me!
Here is dad flying through the air!! He kept turning backwards so he had to land backwards!
Here is a picture of a Moo Cow that was just sitting on the wrong side of the creek watching us. We kept flying over it's head and it would watch us and then eat some grass as though seeing people flying was the most natural thing in the world.
Here is mom. She was very nervous because she is very afraid of heights. But she was determined and after a while she didn't have any problems stepping off of the edge!
Here I am!! After some major pep-talking from Jon, I finally was brave enough to step off! It was soooooo exciting!! After I stepped off the first time, I was so brave - not as brave as Jon (no upside down stuff for me) - but very brave.
Here's Tanner Man - he was so funny! You could tell that he was a little bit nervous, but he had to be brave since he is now a big, tough football player. Soon he was a pro!!

It was such a fun adventure!!!! I didn't think that I would like it - but it turns out, I loved it!!!! Thanks Mom and Dad!

* * *

On our trip home from Snowflake (after the zip line experience) Jon spotted something flapping on the road in Star Valley. He said that it looked like a dollar and that we needed to turn around.

Now, I was just thinking that he was crazy and that it was a leaf that looked like a dollar and we were turning around for nothing - but he was determined.

We turned the car around and I got in the drivers seat. Then we pulled in to a little shop near the alleged dollar.

I sat in the driver's seat and watched as my sweet (but hallucinating) husband ran out into the crowded street and picked up this "imaginary" dollar.

His grin was priceless!! He ran out of the road holding up his prize like a kid who just earned hs first allowance!

He climbed back in the car with a big "Woo-Hoo!!!!" and handed me not a leaf, not a dollar, not even five dollars. My husband handed me a $20 bill!

You would have thought he won the jackpot, and of course I couldn't help but be excited! $20 in the middle of the street? We must be lucky!!!!

Woo-Hoo!!! 

For All Of You Ensign Readers Out There.....

As most of you know, my husband is practically the most amazingly talented man on the face of the planet!!! You may also remember that he entered a piece in the Church's Worldwide Art Competition and was selected to have it displayed in the Conference Center in Salt Lake for a year. Well, if that wasn't cool enough, if you turn to page 45 in September's Ensign you will see a giant picture of his the platter he made!! It's huge and beautiful and there is even a quote next to it by him!!!

Well you can imagine that I have been on the phone non-stop since we saw it!

I am so proud of my sweet husband! 

So everyone, make sure you check out page 45 (and I guess you should read the other stuff too....)

2 Amazing Years!

My Dearest Love,
It was barely over two years ago when I received that sweet email - the one where you described yourself as "devilishly charming" and having a "contagious smile". At once I knew that we would hit it off. When we talked on the phone, and you laughed....I was sure that I wanted to meet you. When you pulled up in my driveway and smiled your amazing smile, I knew that you were someone extremely special. And when we were talking over dinner, hitting golf balls into the lake and starting little forest fires, I knew that we were meant to take a long journey together.
You astounded me with your confidence and intelligence (aside from how incredibly handsome you were - and still are!!). I loved hearing your opinions on politics, religion, food, everything! I loved hearing you talk about your family. I was so impressed by the close relationship you have with your parents and that your long-term goals included a family. I was incredibly impressed by your artistic talents! I was smitten from the beginning!!
When you danced with me on the bridge and we told each other that we loved each other - my heart almost exploded! I didn't think I could be happier!!!
Then it happened - you asked me to be your wife! I was so excited! I felt so humbled that you would want me to be your eternal companion - you who are so wonderful!
Our wedding day was a blur of magic and happiness! I remember feeling like I was floating because I knew that we officially belonged to each other forever!
It has been exactly two years since that day, and while we have had our share of ups and downs, I can honestly say that these past two years have been the happiest of my life.
You are my best friend. I love talking your ear off about everything that I am thinking and then turning around and listening to you tell me everything that you are thinking! It's amazing how after 2 whole years, we haven't run out of stuff to say!
I feel like every day brings us closer. Just when I don't think I could love you any more, that love increases and I am not sure that my body can contain it!!!
Jon, you mean the entire world to me. I am so grateful for the man that you are and the wonderful husband you are to me. I am so grateful and proud of the hard work you are putting in to school and work. I know it gets stressful, but you are smart, that you breeze right through it and do a wonderful job on everything you do!!!
I love you, I love you, I love you forever!
Thank you for the most amazing two years of my life - I look forward to a million more with you!

Happy Anniversary!!!

Always,
Me

Aunt Malori and Uncle Jon - BABY NEWS!!

My sister-in-law, Nikki, just had her first baby!!! I mean, literally, just a few hours ago!!! He is adorable and she looks fantastic!! Everyone is healthy and happy! He was over 8 pounds which is huge for her because she is a tiny girl!

I don't have any pictures yet or anything, but we are so excited for her!!!

Brenden (the new daddy) did really well!! He was nervous (of course), but was so excited!! Certainly a proud papa!!!

We Love You Brenden, Nikki and Baby Collin!!! 

The Bachelorette Season Finale

I am at work so I don't have a lot of time to post, but I had to put this!
The season finale of The Bachelorette was on last night. Now we all know how hooked I was on it and I was on Team Ed from the beginning (Ok, I was also fond of Jacob, but I knew he wouldn't last, so I was rooting for Ed) and last night - she picked him and he proposed!!!! It was so romantic and they were both so happy and the ring was HUGE!!!
I was so excited for them! It was a drama filled episode (helped by the producers and editing I'm sure) as Reed came back right after she broke it off with Kiptyn. She broke it off with Reed again and made Ed the happiest man because he was so in love with her!
Tonight if the "after the final rose" show and I am excited to watch it and find out if they are still in love - I sure hope so, they are such a cute couple!! I like to think that they can last out in the "real world".
But for now, they are living happily ever after!!
YAY ED!!!

He's Just Not That Into You, Star Track, The Bachelorette

After a long, long time Jon and I finally redboxed (is that a verb?) the movie He's Just Not That Into You. I figured it was a sure-fire hit!! I mean, it's a "chick flick" with an all-star cast (Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Scarlet JoHansen, Ben Afleck, that cute guy off of Failure to Launch - not Matthew McConaughey, but his good looking best friend, that girl off of Mona Lisa Smile, etc...), and tons of hype!
Needless to say, I wanted to see this movie really badly, and Jon...not so badly...but I had "movie credit" (when we watch a guy movie, I get "movie credit" towards a girl movie and vise versa) so he didn't have a choice but to watch it with me!
We sat down in front of the tube, my anticipation peaked, and it all went downhill from there.
Girls, don't waste your time on this movie!!
There are a few stories going on in this movie (as you may have guessed by the trailor).

Story #1
Pathetic girl who is always pursuing (and by pursuing, I mean stocking) the wrong guys who are 'just not that into her' meets a guy at a bar who is teaching her how to tell if the guy isn't interested. SPOILER ALERT Along the way, she finds her independence and he falls for her and they live happily ever after. Cute, predictable, not bad.

Story #2
Girl and Guy have been living together for years, but he "doesn't believe in marriage". The entire time he makes her feel stupid for wanting to get married because marriage means that you lack confidence in your love for one another and have to prove it to everyone else. She is unhappy with this and breaks up with him, but after her father has a heart attack at her sister's wedding and she has to go home to take care of him and the family, she gets overwhelmed and who comes to save the day? That's right, the anti-marriage knight in dingy armour.
She realizes that she loves him and would rather live a life with him and not married that without him - but it is obvious that she is giving up something very important to her.
SPOILER ALERT Only after again and again going on and on about his disdain for matrimony does he finally relent and propose - but he makes sure the audience knows that he still doesn't believe in it, he only wants her to have everything she ever wanted. Sweet of him, I didn't like him through the whole movie, this story made me a little cranky.....

Story #3
Girl 1 and Guy have been married for 5 years. They met in college and after dating for while she told him that they needed to get married or she was going to move on. She was ready to settle down and start a life. He was afraid to lose her, so he married her. They are now remodeling a new condo in the city. Things have been rocky in their marriage, but she still loves him.
Along comes Girl 2. She is in a grocery store and he allows her to cut him in line (making up some lame excuse that he has to choose some gum to be able to check her out). She ends up winning a cooler for being the 1,000th costumer and eventually they strike up a conversation about her music career and how he is in a PR type business that can help her out.
You got it, they start sleeping together and he just loves the excitement of sneaking around. She knows that he is married, but she continues in the relationship.
Eventually he tells his wife that he is having an affair and she is willing to work through it. She decides it is her fault and she needs to work harder at her relationship.
I am not going to go into huge details about this story, but needless to say, both girls end up leaving him (which is what he deserves) and neither one find love of their own.
Lame!!!!

I felt a little bit bad for Jon because every time one of the guys from any of the stories did something stupid, I would lecture him. The lecture would go something like this, "If you ever did that I would....."
I was so disappointed by the lack of morals, lack of good story, and lack of anything romantic in this movie.
I am just not into this movie

* * *

Our new apartment complex has a fitness center that has all sorts of workout machines. I am not an expert in the working out feild, but I can tell you that our fitness center has the coolest workout machines out there!! The brand name is Star Track (cute huh?) and they are awesome!! All of the cardio machines (is that what they are called? You know, the stationary bike thing and the treadmill thing and the stair stepper thing) have personal little TV's and iPod docks. You just simply plug your headphones right into the machine and you have the ultimate in entertainment while you work out!! It really helps to motivate me, and heaven knows I need it!!
The first time I went to use these machines I climbed on the stationary bike, turned on the Bachelorette, and went to town!! It wasn't until an hour later that I realized I was still spinning away!! I didn't even realize how tired I was!
These machines might actually work for me!

* * *

Speaking of the Bachelorette - this has been a great season!! Jillian is super cute and super likable, which helps because you really want her to find someone who will be good for her.
I am not going to go into detail about it (that will happen next week after the finale - which is going to be crazy!!) but I will say that I want Ed to win!! He is cute and I think he really likes her. Reed is suppossed to be coming back to try and win her back, but I don't think she will pick him. She didn't give him a rose for a reason. Get over it Reed!!
Good Luck Ed!!
Stay tuned Monday night at 7pm to catch the exciting finale of The Bachelorette!!

Aunt Malori Reviews Uncle Orson's Reviews

Orson Scott Card is my favorite author. I really enjoy his books, short stories and especially his essays. My favorites are his essays in the Mormon Times (which I have read all of, and wish that he would be faster and writing) and his "Uncle Orson Reviews Everything" essays. I haven't started the "Ornery American" essays yet, but you can bet I soon will!!

Now when Orson Scott Card says that he reviews everything he truly means everything! From books to movies to TV shows to post-its to turtles to restaurants to stores to spaghetti sauce to soap to toilet paper in hotels - he covers it all!!

I just really love reading about how he wanted to buy turtles for his back yard but learned that in his home state it is illegal to buy them, how he thought he was going to get around this problem, and how, in the end, he learned that his state had the right idea because raising turtles is a pain!!

The more I read this essays and articles the more I am inspired.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not, nor would I ever claim to be as talented as Mr. Card. He is completely brilliant!! But he has motivated me to create my own version which I am going to call - Malori Jo Reviews All Sorts Of Stuff!

This is going to be my own little pet project and you are welcome to take it or leave it - but I hope you will take it, because I am sure going to have fun with it!!!

Nothing will be off limits - no thoughts will be held back - I am going to tell it like it is - just the facts......or at least the facts according to me.

So, stay tuned for some crazy posts mixed in with the normal "this is what we are up to" stuff that will still be around. This is going to be an adventure!!

PS - To read "Uncle Orson Reviews Everything" simply go to
http://www.hatrack.com/osc/reviews/everything/ and to read his Mormon Times articles (which are fantastic) go to http://www.mormontimes.com/home/
and simply click on his picture. They are well worth the time!

New Home

We are officially moved into our new apartment!! I don't have pictures yet, but I will soon. We love it so much!! We went to our new ward and everyone was incredibly nice, so that was very comforting.
I just wanted to give a big thank you for everyone that helped us: MomR, DadR, MomS, DadS, Bug, Tanner, and Brenden especially!!!!
We love you guys and really appreciate everything you did for us!!!
I will send pics soon!!

Birthday Boy

Today is my dear sweet husband's Birthday!!! He is the big 29 and you can bet that I let him know all morning (just kidding...kinda)
I am so lucky to have Jon in my life. He is without a doubt the most talented, most handsome, most hilarious, most wonderful-est man I have ever met and I am so happy every second I get to spend with him!!!!
Happy Birthday Sweetie Pie!!! I love you so much!!!

Moving

Hi Everyone,
We have good and bad news - we are moving. Our lease is up on the 30th of this month and we are going to be heading to an apartment complex in Gilbert.
It is a little bitter/sweet for us. We are excited to move. The apartment we are going to is bigger and a bit nicer, so that is very exciting.
It's sad because we love our ward! You guys are incredible and we love you all so much!! We have made very close friends, and I hope those friendships will continue in spite of not seeing each other every Sunday.
We still have a couple weeks left, so we are packing like crazy and trying to get things together (this moving thing was kind of sudden) - we didn't realize we had so much stuff!! It's incredible what you can accumulate over the course of 2 years!!
I will keep you all posted on our moving adventure!!

Tweet Tweet

Ok guys, I have just signed up for Twitter. It's very cool, very trendy, very confusing. That's right, I signed up, but I don't know how to work it, and I don't know anybody who is on it........I just got caught up in the excitement of this new and exciting way to communicate.
So if any of you know how to Tweet - please fill me in. Otherwise, I will continue to be "signed up" as PrincessMaloriJo, and I will continue to be confused!!

What's New??

It's been a while since I have posted, and it's been a while since I have seen some of you, so here is a quick little update on what has been going on in the life of the Salines:

1) Jon's second year of law school is officially over!!! It is such a relief and it's so exciting to think that he only has one more year left!!! Yay Jon!!

2) With the happiness of Jon's second year being over come the sadness of Jon's new internship starting. I won't go in to detail about that now, but just know that I don't like it.....

3) The school where I work is out for summer....finally. Now I am up to my ears in reports and enrollment information and updating student records......just getting ready for the next year. Fun, Fun, Fun.

4) My little brother Tanner was graduated from the 8th grade. He is awesome because in spite of dealing with dyslexia, he managed to get 100% in all of his classes and was the valedictorian of his class...and he was the Class President. Yup, he's an overachiever, but he had a great speech!!

5) Jon's brother Brendin graduated from ASU with a double bachelors in Business and Civil Engineering. He has worked so hard for so long and he was able to graduate with honors! It was so exciting!! They will be having a baby in July (see Brenden and Nikki's Blog for more information).

6) More graduations - my daddy has been driving down to Phoenix all year to take a "Principal Class". I don't know exactly what it is, but I do know that it gives him hours towards his Doctrite and that he is the first class to complete the program. His graduation in next week!!

7) My little sister is leaving in August for Florida where she will be working at Disney World! She is an incredibly talented dancer so she will be perfect there! We are so excited for her!!

8) Jon and his twin brother Lon will soon be turning the big 29 (on the 26th of June - if you see them on or around that day, make sure to make a big deal about it and embarrass him about it) We still don't have set in stone what we will be doing, but it will be fun!

That is about it - There aren't a whole lot of new things in my own life, but I love seeing everyone around me accomplish things and do amazing things!! I am so blessed with an amazing family full of talent and smarts!!

I will try not to be such a lame blogger and keep you updated when new stuff starts happening!!

Observations of a Registrar

As you may or may not know, I am a Registrar at a Secondary (grades 7-12) School. Because of my job, I spend 10 hours a day, 5 days a week with teenagers ranging from 12 to 19 years old.

As you may or may not (also) know, I am the Activity's Day leader in my ward. This means that I spend 2 hours a month with 8-11 year old girls.

Sometimes when I come home from work I am discouraged. I feel like there is no hope for kids these days. Like they are all out there hardly wearing any clothes, piercing everything, using words I had never heard of till I started working here, making out in front of people and doing heaven only knows what else behind closed doors, making crude remarks, disrespecting teachers, their parents and their peers, getting in fights, shoplifting, doing drugs and drinking and just making bad choices.................

That is not to say that all of the kids here are like that, but a lot of them are involved in one or all of these things and that is cause for concern.

I am concerned because I don't want my future children to get wrapped up in all of the craziness of adolescents, but I am not entirely sure how to prevent it. It sometimes seems like a hopeless cause.

But then I go to Activity's Day or a church function and I feel so much better! I mean, here I have 12 year olds who still act like 12 year olds! They are still innocent and naive and happy and seemingly untouched by the world. There are 15 year olds who don't go to prom because they aren't going to date until they are 16 and there are 16 year olds who don't go on single dates because they aren't 18.

These kids get good grades, they wear stylish, modest clothes. They have friends, they have morals, they don't get in trouble. They smile and laugh and have fun hanging out. These are good, happy kids.

This group includes my sister and brother and Jon's younger siblings - heck all of us kids - we were all good, modest and extremely happy children.

So what is the difference between the delinquents at my school and these "normal" kids? I think I have it figured out and the answer may already be extremely obvious to you - it's the family.

Now, your "typical Mormon family" has regular family home evening, scripture study, they pray together, uplift each other, they get to know each other's friends and they encourage each other in worthy activities.

It's not just Mormon families who participate in this kind of behavior - we just have names for things like "family home evening" so it is easier to explain.....

Basically good families are involved in each other's lives, even borderline nosey, and that naturally creates normal, well-balanced adolescents.

I am not a mom, I'm not an expert, I am just a Registrar and an Activity's day leader, and this is just an observation.........

2 Down!!

Jon finished his very last final today!! That means that his second year of law school is officially over!! That's right - only one more to go until my honey is a full blown lawyer!!! Jon H. Saline Attorney At Law - sounds pretty nifty huh??
I am so proud of him. I know that there have been times when he has felt discouraged or just overwhelmed. Law school is not an easy thing to do, especially with a wife who demands so much attention.
He is such an incredible man and he does an amazing job of balancing out his school and his family and succeeding at both!
I love him so much!!! I am the luckiest girl ever!!!

Heros

Our TV broke. Not the whole thing, just the part where you plug the cable cord into it. This means we have not had cable (yup, no American Idol - it's making me crazy - doesn't the TV know it's close to the end!!???) and have had to fend for ourselves.
Luckily, we stumbled upon the first season of Heros - a show we have been interested in, but never had a chance to catch up on.
Let me tell you a little bit about this show:
The idea is that evolution will take over and the human race will die out because of the natural progression of things - but, evolution will take over and there will be a few normal, average Joe type of people who will be born with a slight difference in their DNA which will allow them to survive the extinction and move our species forward.
These people have special "powers" because of their DNA and they have to figure out how to use them and how to adapt to them.
At the same time there are people in the "company" who are trying to get them and study them (their entire intentions have not yet become known to me, I just know that they are bad) and there is one "special" guy name Sylar who is killing all of the "special people" and stealing their powers so he can have a bunch of them.
All the while they are trying to save New York from getting blown up which is destin to happen because Isaac - the guy who can paint the future - painted it.........
It is like Xmen meets soap opera meets steroids.....and it's awesome!!
I totally recommend it - but watch a happy show before you go to bed cuz it is intense and can cause some strange nightmares!!