Brenna's 1st Birthday!

Jared had to work but I went to Brenna's birthday swimming party on 6/6. There was tons of food, including a huge three-layer strawberry shortcake from Cocoa Bean in Hammond (awesome!). The kids and some of the adults swam; I did not. There was also an inflatable water slide for the little kids. Brenna was over-the-top cute, especially eating her own Mickey Mouse birthday cake. Here are some of the 300 pics I took that day (yes, that many pics just in just the three hours I was there):

{The big girl in her birthday shirt--it had Mickey Mouse on it and said "Happy 1st Birthday Brenna!"}:

{Havin' fun in the pool with her daddy and Uncle Tim}:

{Just floatin' and relaxin'}:

{Me & the birthday girl}:

{She was so ready for the cake she started grabbing at it before Becky even put it down!}:

{Getting a little more messy}:

{And even more messy! Totally demolished the cake!}:

{She even got icing in her eyelashes}:

{Opening presents. Someone gave her that headband and she KNEW she was cute!}:

{How cute is the look on her face?}:

{"Talking" on the phone she just opened}:

{Paw-paw (my dad) put that bow on her head}:

{Big sis was there to help celebrate, too}:

It was a really fun party. I can't believe she's one! She should be walking before too long. She'll walk if you hold both of her hands and walk behind her. If you let one hand go, she looks up and you and fusses and waits for you to hold both hands again before she'll take another step. Silly girl! She really couldn't get any cuter, though--especially with a bunch of teeth coming in, ha ha!

Catch-up #2 {May}

First off, I have to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jared! I love you, babe! He had to work today but he was able to come home a little early. I've just let him relax and watch TV since he got home and now he's playing Lego Star Wars. I'm making a special dinner (a cheesy shrimp pasta) and some dessert for him. He got his birthday present early--something he bought for himself, ha ha, which is good 'cause I would have had no idea to get him that--a wicked awesome drill kit (it hammers and screws at the same time?). He seemed pretty excited about it so I'm really glad he bought it.

OK, back to catching up. May began with a youth dance--our 2nd one since being called to Young Women and Young Men. We have fun dancing together!

That first week of May, I was visited by an old friend of mine:
We were friends throughout jr. high and high school; we both played clarinet in band and both played percussion in the same drum & bugle corps all four years of high school. Then, we roomed together our freshman year at LSU and were in the Tiger Band together. We had so much fun! We lost touch after that first year of college, however, when she left LSU. After college, she ended up moving to Colorado and getting married and I moved to Utah and got married. We had both searched for each other online but were never able to find each other...UNTIL we both joined Facebook. I was so happy when I got a message from her! She ended up flying to Louisiana to visit family and go to the Jazz Fest and she came to my house to see me. It was so cool seeing her again. She is truly one of the sweetest, most genuine people I have ever known. Not a mean bone in her body. Anyway, I'm thankful for Facebook for putting back in touch with so many people I hadn't talked to in years. Really cool!

My dad's and brother's (Tim) birthdays are both the first week of May and our family went out to eat to celebrate them both. Tim is now 30! Some pics from the restaurant:

On Mother's Day, we had my parents over for lunch; I made a really yummy crockpot chicken dish over rice and cupcakes for dessert. Dad had to leave for work a short while after we ate but Mom stayed for a while. That night, Ben, Becky and the girls came over and we played Guitar Hero.

{This is the picture blanket Kiki and I had made for Mom with pics of all her grandkids; she loves it.}:

Last week, I had some of the young women come over to watch the American Idol Finale results show. We had all kinds of snacks and had a blast watching it together. The video of us screaming when Kris won (watch below) is hilarious!


The next night, Jared and I drove to Hammond to go to Belle's pre-school graduation, then we went to my Mom and Dad's house to eat dinner and see Maw-maw (she stayed at my parents house for a few days). We all hung out for a while, then we drove home.

{The girls sure did love the spaghetti my mom made!}:

Not too much else going on the rest of the month. I just have Enrichment tomorrow, we're having a family over Friday night, and we have a wedding reception to attend Sat. night. I'll post next month! :)

Loooong catch-up! {April}

I was just gonna stop blogging because, it seems to me, only a couple of people were looking at it and those couple of people pretty much know everything I do or keep up with me through Facebook. However, Jared said he misses my posts and wants me to keep posting. Plus, I really don't add many photos or videos on Facebook. So now I'm gonna attempt a really short version of our goings-on for the past couple of months, then I'll start posting more again.

The first week of April, we finally got rid of the uncomfortable twin bed in our TV room (and moved the elliptical into the master bedroom) and got a new sectional couch! One problem: We couldn't get it to fit through the door to the TV room! I have an extremely ingenuous husband, though, who figured out how to take part of the couch off, get it into the room and put it back together so that you can't even tell it was ever taken apart. It's so much more comfortable to watch TV now, and 1,000 times better for my back and neck! Here's a pic of the couch in the room:

The Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula was the first weekend in April. I hadn't been to it in about 12 years and couldn't believe how many people go to it now! Jared saw one of his drivers from work who lives in New Orleans and we saw some people in our stake who live in Mississippi. People come from all over now. It use to be much smaller. It was pretty fun, though. We got there early enough to watch the parade, then we rode a few rides (my fave was the Chainsaw, pictured below) and, of course, had lots of great food--boiled crawfish, crawfish pie, seafood baked potato, strawberry beignets, chocolate covered strawberries. We just had a great day together, just the two of us, and I loved it!

Even after eating all that yummy food at the festival, we still went out and ate a huge meal at Texas de Brazil with another couple--all you can eat meat, baby!

The second week of April, we did some major shopping--new desk chair and mat for my scraproom, Wii (with Wii Sports), Wii Play, Wii Fit, Guitar Hero World Tour band w/ extra guitar, Lego Star Wars & Lego Indian Jones. We have spent many hours playing Lego Star Wars together and have a lot of fun playing it together. I've had fun playing Guitar Hero with friends and family, too. Jared doesn't like to play it as much as I do.

Easter Sunday, we went to my SIL's parents' house after church and had dinner and the kids hunted eggs in the house because it rained most of the day. Here are some pics and videos from the day:

{Belle had gotten into some of her Grandma's chapstick and rubbed it all over her face; Ben about had a heart attack when she came out, thinking she had burned her face or something}:

{Just some funny videos of Brenna; she is mostly the sweetest, most cuddly baby but can be pretty feisty at times, ha ha}:

The weekend after Easter, Jared flew to Utah for business and stayed a few extra days to visit family and friends.

{He got to see his little brother perform in a piano recital and they got to hang out quite a bit}

{He went and visited my sister, Kiki, and her kids}

{He drove up to Idaho with one of his sisters and one of his nieces to visit two of his other sisters and their seven kids}I was quite jealous of his trip to Utah but I was happy for him that he was able to spend some quality time with his family and see a niece we hadn't met yet (I still haven't met her, boohoo!). He was also able to visit one of his best friends, who was one of his mission companions, and he was there for one of our nephew's birthday party. It was a great trip for him. I can't wait 'til we both go in July!!!

While he was partying it up in Utah, I participated in the Day of Service. Our ward cleaned a park in our town. I picked up branches and stuff and helped paint a fence. It felt good to do some service. That pretty much sums up April, besides all the youth activities and other normal stuff we do.

AI Top 7

I just realized I never posted my comments from last week here.  This is what I posted on Facebook last Tues. night:

Disco night--always a scary thought but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. Most of them, I thought, put their own spin on it.

1. Lil [I'm Every Woman by Chaka Khan]--Not updated or original and not the best vocals. It was too much like the original but she paled in comparison to Chaka Khan so it was a flop for me.

2. Kris [She Works Hard for the Money by Donna Summer]--GREAT arrangement! He really made it his own in a style that is so....him. Glad he was back on the guitar; his vocals were really good.

3. Danny [September by Earth, Wind & Fire]--Good song choice for him (for having to pick from disco). I thought he gave it a touch of his gospel flare and contained his usual high energy. Great vocals and riffs.

4. Allison [Hot Stuff by Donna Summer]--I really liked the slow beginning and her vocals were awesome. She made it current and I liked the arrangement.

5. Adam [If I Can't Have You by the Bee Gees]--Great version, so original. LOVED the beginning but didn't totally love the middle-end--too much screaming/screeching for the soft feeling of the rest of the song--but I liked it overall. And I respect how he gave Michael Orland props for helping him come up with the arrangement.

6. Matt [Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees]--I wouldn't have picked that song but I liked the little bit of R&B feel he brought to it with all his riffs. I thought his vocals were pretty good and I found it to be very entertaining--I liked the dancing/movement around the stage.

7. Anoop [Dim All the Lights by Donna Summer]--I didn't really know that song and didn't like it or the cheesy band arrangement. I didn't mined the vocal arrangement, though, and I thought he sounded great (if you could separate him from the band). It was just a flat performance for me, though.

My top three: Kris, Danny, Adam
My bottom three: Lil, Anoop, ??

I'll be shocked if Lil doesn't go home and I think Anoop will probably go but, who knows, it could be Matt.

AI Top 5

Rat Pack standards, Jamie Foxx as mentor.  I thought Jamie Foxx was a great mentor--I really liked that he cared enough to bring Matt back in to give him some real feedback.  I have to say, though, that every time I see him, I always see Wanda (from In Living Color)--makes me laugh every time!

1. Kris [The Way You Look Tonight]--Loved the suit, loved the rendition, LOVED the last note!  It was a great performance with really good vocals--showed range and passion.  Not my fave performance of his, though.  Really good but I wasn't blown away.

2. Allison [Someone to Watch Over Me]--Vocally, it was a great performance but I just didn't get the feeling that she really connected with the song.  I kind of agreed with Simon that it seemed a little "mechanical".  It was a teeny weeny tiny bit on the boring side for me.  I can't say I didn't like it, though--just wasn't my fave of the night by far.

3. Matt [My Funny Valentine]--Great rendition but not the best vocals--a bit pitchy at the beggining of the song.  I loved the arrangement, though, and thought the ending was super.  I felt an emotional connection and liked it for the most part, it just didn't blow me out of the water.  I was shocked that Simon thought it was "absolutely brilliant."  I do love me some Matt, though!

4. Danny [Come Rain or Come Shine]--I thought it was an awesome arrangement.  I loved it from the first not he sang.  Great vocals, he sounded amazing, and I adored his version of the song.  The ending was FABULOUS.  I'd buy that song in a minute and listen to it over and over again.

5. Adam [Feeling Good]--It was very smart to use the stairs as an entrance to the stage--it looked awesome and fit the mood of the night.  I LOVED the beginning of the song but then it got just a bit too theatrical for me.  And the tongue wagging--EEEW!  I can't stand it!  I wasn't in love with the last part of the song.  I'd rather watch that performance again, though, over Allison's and maybe even Kris' or Matt's.

My bottom two: Allison and Matt
My fave of the night: Danny
Who I think will go home: Allison (only because I just don't think she's made a real connection with enough of the viewers)

This is hard because I really like everyone left in the competition.  I will be sad to see any of them go.

AI Top 7

Quentin Tarantino as mentor--not my favorite; he bugs me and I didn't agree with some of the suggestions he made (like to Anoop and Danny). I liked all of the performances but didn't TOTALLY LOVE any of them.

1. Allison "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"--There were a lot of flat notes in her lower register in the beginning then, in the middle of the song, a lot of her vocals seemed forced. It got better towards the end. I thought it was a good performance, not great.

2. Anoop "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"--I think it was a good song for his voice and his vocals were great--very controlled and in tune.

3. Adam "Born To Be Wild"--A bit too theatrical for me and on the cheesy side; it was definitely energetic, though! Simon hit the nail on the head when he said it was like watching the Rocky Horror Show Musical. I definitely didn't like his performance tonight as much as I did last week's. There had to be a better song on the list for him to choose!

4. Matt "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman"--Loved his voice on this song and his version of it but it wasn't his best vocal performance--he tried to do too much; but I liked it OK for the most part.

5. Danny "Endless Love"--It was a beautiful, emotional performance. Great vocals after the 1st verse. I really liked it.

6. Kris "Falling Slowly"--Very heartfelt and sweet; I really liked it. It started a tiny bit rough but his vocals just got better and better as the song went on; I love his falsetto.

7. Lil "The Rose"--Once again she changed her hair completely! It made her look older, which fit the old-fashioned song she chose. At least she FINALLY made a song a little more her own and she sang OK--except for that last note, ouch!

My top 3 (almost too hard to choose this week): Danny, Anoop, Kris
My bottom 3: Lil, Allison, Matt

I think Lil might go this week but wouldn't be surprised if Allison did just because she doesn't seem to have as big a fan base as others. I hope they all bring better game next week!

Princess Party & Family Dinners

I've been meaning to post these videos from a dinner at my parents house two Sundays ago:

Brenna not wanting to stand on the ground--hilarious!!!


Ben playing tea party with Belle--he's crazy!


Brenna doling out kisses--she's so sweet!


A quick clip of Ben's British tea impersonation:


Last Sat., I had a busy day! We had to be at the church at 8am for a youth basketball tournament. I stayed until noon and cheered on our girls (who smoked the other team--there was only one other girl team); Jared had to coach one of our boys' teams (he coached the younger team, who lost all their games, but our older boys won the tournament). I drove to my parents' house for Belle's 4th birthday party--a princess fashion show. It was so cute! After the party, I drove home and was home for maybe 20 min. before I had to go to someone else's house to watch a Young Women broadcast. Here are pics from the party:

{Belle, in one of her princess costumes, after jumping on the trampoline}:

{Belle modeling one of the dresses on the runway}:

{Hamming it up}:

{The super cute cupcake cake}:

{Ben & his girls}:

{Brenna playing after the party}:

The next day (Sunday) was also very busy. Jared had to be at church early for meetings and I got there a little early to play sacrament prelude music. We were at church the normal 3+ hours, then went home for a VERY quick bite to eat, then went to a Catholic church were I sang in the Livingston Parish Adult Choir. We left straight from there to go to my SIL's parents' house for a birthday dinner for Belle. We had steaks an all the fixins. It was a very busy but very fun weekend. We sure were pooped by the time we got home Sunday night, though!! Some pics from Sunday:

{Belle petting the bullfrog her Daddy caught for her}:

{Brenna & her Uncle Jared--both cute! :) }:

AI Top 9

OK, I'm a little late posting this here but I did post this on Facebook Wed. night:


Most of the performances tonight underwhelmed me. Here's my take on each:

1. Anoop [Caught Up by Usher]--I did not like this song for him--not in the least bit! He's trying SO hard to be something he's not and it is extremely off-putting. I didn't like the arrangement and didn't like how he sang it--boring! I nodded my head in agreement to Simon's "wannabe" comment.

2. Megan [Turn Your Lights Down Low by Bob Marley]--Ack! HORRIBLE, boring, out of tune, painful to watch... She actually gets worse and worse each week! I know I've said it time and time again but I just can't avoid mentioning her horrid, weird, distracting body movements. Yuck. Please go home now.

3. Danny [What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts]--I thought it was a great choice for him and I liked that he chose a ballad. It was heartfelt and I love his voice. Great arrangement and vocals.

4. Allison [Don't Speak by No Doubt]--I liked her spin on it and her on the guitar; she brought power and attitude to the song. Was it my favorite performance of hers? Nope, but it was good.

5. Scott [Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel]--Really good choice for him! He sounded great and looked cute, too. I liked that it was just him on the piano, no band--it allowed him to be more musicall.

6. Matt [You Found Me by The Fray]--I liked him standing at the keyboard. It did have a shaky start but got better and had a pretty good ending. I liked it but didn't think it was his best--it wasn't the type of song I thought he would/should do. I still like him, though.

7. Lil [I Surrender by Celine Dion]--Before the song even started, I was like "Celine Dion??? What the???" She sounded more nasally than usual. The song choice did even more to confuse me as to what kind of music she would do on her own. The performance was so boring and out of tune and I could not wait for it to end! Her little girls sure are cute, though.

8. Adam [Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry]--At the beginning, I thought that it was a bad song choice and that it was cheezy. I really don't like how his tongue sticks out when he screams the high notes. The song did get better for me as it went on and the ending was way better. Not my fave performance of his, though.

9. Kris [Ain't No Sunshine]--Fabulous song choice and rendition! Wow! Great vocals, hot performance! Loved him on the keyboard. Fave performance of the night.

My top 3 of the night: Kris, Danny, Scott
My bottom three: Megan, Anoop, Lil
I really hope Megan goes home but I think Anoop is probably in trouble

AI Top 10

Motown Week, with Smokey Robinson.  Some of the people I thought would really shine with Motown week (Anoop, Michael, Lil) just didn't really do it for me. 

1. Matt [Let's Get it On by Marvin Gaye]--WOOOO!  Great choice for him!  I really like how he started behind the piano, then got up.  It was a great performance.  I love his falsetto and riffs!  Like Paula said, it had a "sexy, cool vibe".

2. Kris [How Sweet It Is by Marvin Gaye]--LOVED how he started it and I adore him with the guitar.  I really liked his rendition and his vocals and runs were good.  It had great energy and personality.

3. Scott [You Can't Hurry Love by Diana Ross]--I liked the piano part; not the best vocals, though, and the performance didn't hold the energy it should have.  I don't think it was the best song choice for him but I do like that he did a more up-tempo song.  I thought it was cute what he said about the pink pants: "They didn't tell me 'til 10 minutes before".  Funny.

4. Megan [For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder]--Can you say Carnival Cruise?!!  I thought it sounded OK in the room with Smokey but the band arrangement completely ruined it and her vocals did even more damage.  The outfit, for me, just added to the cruise feel.  Cheezy!!!  Bad, just bad, performance.

5. Anoop [Ooh Baby Baby by The Miracles]--For me, not the very best song choice but the boy can sing.  I love the timbre of his voice.  He did show off his vocals a bit and sounded nice for the most part but I think he could have done a more fun song that still showcased his voice but in a more youthful way; I thought it was good overall, not great.

6. Michael [Ain't Too Proud to Beg by the Temptations]--Should have been a good choice for his soulful voice but it just didn't completely grab me.  I like that he showed off his vocals more than last week but, while it sounded good in some parts, he pushed too hard in others.

7. Lil [Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas]--Way too old-fashioned.  She really could have picked a better song that would have lent itself more to her own interpretation; I knew right when I heard the song choice that it was gonna be old-fashioned.  She's a great singer but she has not shown (in the past two weeks, at least) that she can make songs her own.  She sounded great but it was nothin' new.

8. Adam [Track of My Tears by Smokey Robinson]--When they first showed him before the commercial break previous to his performance, I was like "WHAT?!!!  This will be interesting--and not in a good way."  Boy was I pleasantly surprised!  I thought he looked really handsome--I like the "clean" version of him.  What a great arrangement and AWESOME vocals!!  I am in awe of the control he has over his voice.  I loved his toned down side.  Parts of the song gave me goosebumps.  It was such a heartfelt and musical performance.  I loved, loved, loved it!

9. Danny [Get Ready by the Temptations]--It sounded great and it was energetic and fun to watch.  I love how much he moves around the stage.  Probably not my most favorite performance of his but pretty good overall.  I'm definitely a fan.

10. Allison [Papa Was A Rolling Stone by the Temptations]--Great vocals, even though I wasn't really fond of the band arrangement (some weird stuff going on, in my opinion).  She did great, though. 

Sidenote: I was LOL at Simon drawing a mustache on Paula.

Who I voted for (yes, I actually did vote this time): Adam (clear favorite of the night), Danny, Matt, and Kris

Who I think will be in the bottom three: Megan (hope she's the one to go), Michael and Scott

AI Top 11

Grand Ole Opry Night with Randy Travis as the mentor--who I thought was super nice and seemed really genuine. I didn't get to vote, again--I'm gonna have to fight Jared for the TV with the Tivo every week and come home straight from church every Tues. to watch it in time to vote. I think it will be OK this week, as I think my very favorites will be safe. I have to say that this has to be the best group overall for a top 11; I thought they all did really well--some better than others, of course. Here goes:

1. Michael ["Ain't Goin' Down 'Til the Sun Come Up" by Garth Brooks]--I thought it was good, not great; he has a country look and sound but I think he should have done a song that showed his vocal capabilities better; he had fun with it, though, and sang it OK; I liked the personality he showed. Simon said it was "a bit clumsy" which may be a tiny bit true--some of the rhythms were a little lazy.
2. Allison ["Blame It On Your Heart" by Patty Loveless]--Great song choice for her voice; she had fun with it and showed a lot of personality and great stage presence; I would have like for her to make more of a rock rendition, however, than keep it country; she sang it great, though!
3. Kris ["To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks]--I was nervous for him when Ryan said he'd be singing it without his guitar but his voice REALLY shined. I LOVED his rendition--he really made it different and it was very heartfelt. LOVED it!
   
4. Lil ["Independence Day" by Martina McBride]--Sang it great but I say forget honoring the country genre--this competition is about showing who you're gonna be as a recording artist. But I do think she did great, even if it was a teeny tiny tad bit on the boring side in the verses. I agreed with Simon when he compared her to a wedding singer who is forced to sing a requested song, that she looked uncomfortable.
5. Adam ["Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash]--OMGosh, Randy Travis' reaction to Adam was HILARIOUS! The comment about the nail polish had me LOL--literally! Priceless! Bwahahahaha! OK, on to the performance: Whoa, what a risky choice of arrangement; I was skeptical at first but kind of liked it by the time it was over. I know I say something about his vocal range every week but it really is something spectacular. What I liked about the arrangement was that it showed here is someone who truly knows how to be himself. I nodded in total agreement with Kara when she said it was "strange but I liked it". Still laughing at Randy Travis, though! :)
6. Scott ["Wild Angels" by Martina McBride]--I thought it sounded lovely and I liked that he powered up his voice a bit the 2nd time through the chorus--I appreciated the build to the end. He definitely is a true musician, even if he doesn't have the strongest voice. When Paula was talking about the piano separating him from the audience, I thought Scott was so cute when he said "we could move it closer". I happen to really like him at the piano and agreed with Simon about there being no point to him going w/o the piano when he's so good with it. I also agreed with Simon that Scott's song choices have been a little too similar. I really liked this performance, though.
7. Alexis ["Joleen" by Dolly Parton]--I love her voice but I'm still trying to figure out what kind of music she would record--very confusing. Some pitch problems throughout the song and she over sung it in a few places but who can deny she has a great power voice?
8. Danny ["Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood]--It was painful to watch him make so many mistakes when he was singing for Randy Travis; I felt so bad for him. I wasn't thrilled with the verses but I didn't think it was horrible, either. I LOVED the chorus, though! Not his best performance overall by a long shot but I liked it as a whole. He could use some work on his lower register. I still love 'im, though!
9. Anoop ["You Are Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson]--Now THERE'S the Anoop voice I've wanted to hear the last few weeks! Gave me goose bumps! And, wow, way to make it his own! That boy can SING!--and in tune! Great performance!!
   
10. Megan ["I Go Walking After Midnight"]--Good choice for her and she DEFINITELY put her own spin on it. The arm movements were completely out of place, though; and, of course, there were pitch problems out the wazoo--as always with her. I loved the arrangement, though, and she looked beautiful, even though I'm not a fan of the tattoos. I wrote the previous statements before finding out she had the flu; I gained some respect in that she was able to do that well being that sick. Kudos to her for being strong enough to push through that. She always sings out of key, though, so she can't blame that on being sick. Just sayin'.
    
11. Matt ["So Small" by Carrie Underwood]--I love that song and I REALLY love what he did with it. He sounded amazing (both voice and piano playing) and I really felt his emotion. I've been thinking the Michael Buble resemblance (that Simon mentioned) from the beginning--I should have mentioned it sooner. I loved his performance! Probably my fave of the night.
    

So my faves of tonight were Matt, Anoop and Kris. I think Michael or Megan might be in trouble (Michael more so than Megan) but they were all pretty good so who knows? I just hope that Matt, Anoop, Danny, Kris, Allison and Adam are safe. I feel like this is such a close competition already--woohoo! SO exciting! :)

AI Top 13

I meant to vote last night but I didn't, argh!  Jared got home from a Young Men's activity at church right when AI was ending and we started watching something else and I completely forgot to vote.  I thought, for the most part, they all BROUGHT IT last night!  I didn't know what the heck they would do with Michael Jackson night but this was probably the best over-all Top 12/13 week one ever!  Here are my critiques (as a side note, I always pause the DVR before the judges speak to write my notes before I hear what they have to say--yes, I know I'm an AI nerd):

1. Lil Rounds {The Way You Make Me Feel}--Good song for her; I really liked her rendition of it to make it more R&B; she's great up on the stage.
2. Scott MacIntyre {Keep the Faith}--I didn't know what the heck he would pick from MJ's repertoire but I think he chose a great song for his style and voice; I just love him on the piano; he doesn't have the strongest voice of the group but it's really pleasant and I like him!
3. Danny Gokey {PYT}--When Ryan announced the song, I was like "Uh oh, what the heck is he gonna do with that???"  I LOVED how he changed the beginning of the song and then how the rest of it was so fun and energetic and soulful!  I love his stage presence and his vocal were amazing!!  I watched it two times in a row.  I can't say enough about how much I like him.  I disagreed with Simon about the dancing--I liked it! :)
4. Michael Sarver {You're Not Alone}--Good song choice for his voice and he sang it well; I liked how he started it seated;  I agreed with Simon's comment "not the best singer but [he] sings with passion, heart and gives it 110%".
5. Jasmine Murray {I'll Be There}--NASALLY!!!  Blech.  It was "beauty pageanty" to me.  Simon hit the nail on the head when he said it was "robotic".
6. Kris Allen {Remember the Time}--He has a great pop voice; I loved the guitar for this song and the personality he showed.  Not the best song for showing off vocals but I really like it.  I agreed with Paula about him being "engaging" with the guitar.
7. Allison Iraheta {Give In To Me}--Not my favorite song but I liked her rock rendition of it; she has such a powerful voice and AMAZING stage presence for a 16-y.o.!
8. Anoop Desai {Beat It}--Didn't show off his voice and I know he has one; the song is near impossible to do and not come off as karaoke.  He's been trying too hard to come off as fun and hip but I just want to hear more of his voice.  Like Paula said, that song is "untouchable" by anyone other than MJ.
9. Jorge Nunez {Never Can Say Goodbye}--Didn't like the song and the arrangement was horrible; it came off as really cheezy to me; he can sing, though; I agreed with Kara that he wasn't "emotionally connected" to the song.  I think he'll make it through off of Hispanic votes.
10. Megan Corkrey {Rockin' Robin}--Once again, I abhor her body/hand movements; I thought it was a good song to match her voice and fun style but it definitely wasn't the best vocals.  And WTH was up with the "caa caa!" at the end?!  Crazy!
11. Adam Lambert {Black and White}--He looks and sings like a star already; very energetic and I liked his spin on it; GREAT vocals and range!
12. Matt Giraud {Human Nature}--I LOVE LOVE LOVE him on the piano; I really dug his version of the song and I love his riffing and falsetto!  Great performance!
13. Alexis Grace {Dirty Diana}--Love her power voice but her low notes aren't as good; I liked her version but there was something about it that I didn't like and I couldn't put my finger on it until Simon said she "over sung" it.  Bingo!

My faves, who I really hope make it to next week: Danny, Matt, Adam, Lil, Kris.
Who I hope will go home:  Jasmine and Megan (but I think Anoop might get sent home, even though I'd like to see what he does next week, as I really want to hear him SING).

BTW, I stayed home from Young Women's last night because I got another steroid injection in my neck yesterday morning--it went well, except for the fact that my blood pressure dropped pretty low in the recovery room after the injection (normal when procedures involve nerve stuff), which is a horrible feeling--nausea, dizzy, hot & cold at the same time, woozy--but it passed fairly quickly. The worst part was having to wait for over two hours for them to get to me. Glad I have another one over with, though!  Please pray that this one works better than the first two in my neck!

Wild Card Night

Well, America didn't get to vote but I still have my opinions on tonight's performances and choices. BTW, my DVR stopped recording the show before they announced the fate of the last four contestants. SUCKY! Oh well, I'm glad there are message boards to find out stuff, ha ha!

1. Jesse Langseth--The song should have worked really well for her voice and style but it just didn't; I couldn't even tell if, when she first started singing, she was in tune or not; I do like her voice, though.
2. Matt Giraud--I smiled from the first phrase on; THAT was what I wanted to see from him! I LOVE his voice and style; he might have added a few too many runs but I still loved it. Finally a performance I was really excited about, yay!
3. Megan Corkrey--Great song choice for her but she can't stay in tune for the life of her. And I can't STAND her body and arm movements. So weird! The last note was horrible. However, I do like that she's different and she's such a cute girl.
4. Von Smith--OK performance, not blown away; very shaky start. I still just do not like his style--sometimes when he sings, if I didn't know, I wouldn't be able to tell if it were a man or a woman singing. Kind of freaks me out.
5. Jasmine Murray--Much better than last time but I CANNOT stand her nasally, nasally, nasally upper register! Blech. I agreed with Randy that the song was too big for her.
6. Ricky Braddy--I thought he sang it well, it was fun, had good rifts and he has a nice range.
7. Tatiana Del Toro--My critique starts before she even sang. AAAAACK!!!! Can you say FAKE accent?! SO freaking annoying!! I think she would do anything and act any way to be famous and the "accent" was part of it. I think she saw how people embraced Jorge and she wanted a piece of that. After her performace, I cracked up laughing when Paula called her out on it. Her explanation was total crap! Total copy of what Jorge said! What a fake piece of crap she is. It's too bad someone like her has a good voice--completely wasted since, no matter how good she sings, people do no want to support someone like her. And I LOVE that Simon criticized her doing the same song over and over. Can you say "one trick pony"??? Ha ha ha! I'm glad this is the last time I'll have to rant about her. DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD! Bwahahahaha!!! :) :) :)
8. Anoop Desai--I really think he could have picked something that showed off his voice better (because I definitely think he can sing) but it was fun and I like how it showed off a different side of him and showed a lot of personality.

My picks:
Matt G. by a MILE, followed by Anoop. Then, I was torn between Jesse, Megan and Ricky only because I really did not want Von, Jasmine or (especially) Tatiana. I was leaning more toward Ricky than Jesse and Megan, though.

Actual Results: I can't believe they put Jasmine through; it was totally just because of her, as Simon said, "marketability". Oh well, she probably won't last long, anyway. Megan--I'm sure she got through because Simon thinks she's "current". She doesn't have the vocal ability to last very long, IMO. And, even though I didn't see it, I've read that both Anoop and Matt (thank goodness) made it. So now there's the TOP 13, instead of 12. Should have seen this one coming. I mostly wanted Matt and Anoop to make it so I'm happy with the results.

Who I'm most looking forward to seeing in the Top 13: Matt, Adam, Danny, Lil and Scott (because he just makes me smile). Can't wait for next week! :)

American Idol Top 36 week 3

For the record, once again, I did not vote tonight. But here are my opinions about each of tonight's singers:

1. Von Smith--I didn't care too much for the song but he did show great range in it; I thought it was a good performance but I don't really like his style, if that makes sense
2. Taylor Vaifanua--Really nice voice but kind of boring--I really wanted to like her, too, since she's from Utah. :)
3. Alex Wagner-Trugman--Cute nerd, ha ha. I couldn't stand all the extra stuff he was trying to do with his voice (all the growling, etc.) and I found his movements to be strange. I loved what Simon said about him being a hamster trying to be a tiger.
4. Arianna Afsar--Such a doll! I liked the emotion she showed but she should have picked a younger song. She has a nice voice but there were way too many off-key notes!
5. Ju'not Joyner--I like how he changed up the song and I liked his upper register--lots of flat notes, though.
6. Kristen McNamara--Great voice and range but her voice didn't match the song--it came off a tiny bit like a lounge singer.
7. Nataniel Marshall--This guy bugs the crap out of me and I thought his performance was uber CHEEZY!!! What was up with the disco arrangment?? I don't even like his voice that much.
8. Felicia Barton--Has a good voice but I felt like she kind of yelled most of it and didn't change the song enough so it was a bit like watching karaoke.
9. Scott MacIntyre--I loved the emotions he showed and his vocals were OK. I like watching him because he puts a smile on my face--he just has a bright spirit. But, for me, (even though I want to LOVE his vocals), his voice just isn't strong enough--it leaves me wanting just a bit more, KWIM?
10. Kendall Beard--I like her bubbliness and I can see her as a country artist, between the looks and the voice; she needs to move around the stage more and there were a few off notes.
11. Jorge Nunez--I have to admit that I didn't think I'd like this guy at all but I did. He stayed on pitch, has a nice voice and good stage presence. I thought it was sweet that he teared up during his post-performance interview.
12. Lil Rounds--Wow, great voice and amazing stage presence--she looked like a star already! I love her spunkiness, too.

I think Lil and Jorge should definitely move on. I'm torn on the third spot between Ju'not, Kristen, Scott, and Kendall. I may be leaning more toward Kristen on voice alone and Scott because of his "likeability". :) I'm not sure what they're doing tomorrow night--are the wild cards performing or are they doing an elimination? Either way, I can't wait to see!