Easter- Isaiah 53

Here is Isaiah 53:

2-6The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
    a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
    nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
    a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
    We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
    our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
    that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
    that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
    Through his bruises we get healed.
We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
    We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
    on him, on him.

7-9 He was beaten, he was tortured,
    but he didn’t say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
    and like a sheep being sheared,
    he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
    and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
    beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
    threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he’d never hurt a soul
    or said one word that wasn’t true.

10 Still, it’s what God had in mind all along,
    to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
    so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
    And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.

11-12 Out of that terrible travail of soul,
    he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
    will make many “righteous ones,”
    as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly—
    the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch,
    because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
    he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

As I was reading this last night, I was overcome by just how much God loves us. I hope as you go throughout your Easter celebration, you remember the sacrifice that Christ mad for us. While we were living in sin, He came and He died for us. He wasn't even just mostly dead, He died. But the wonderful news is that He rose up and He came back to be with us, and now He sits in Heaven, waiting to return and call us into His arms. I am so blessed to be living in His love and grace. There is nothing anyone else can ever do for us that will even begin to the amount of love Christ showed by giving up His life. 

Genesis and Jeremiah

I was reading the story of Noah last night. I am not the best when it comes to spending time in God's word, and I have no idea why. But literally every time I open my Bible, I am immediately reminded of how much God loves us. This "realization" of His love always overwhelms me and I feel so empowered. Anyways, last night as I was reading, I came to the end of Genesis chapter 8 when I read this:   I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. I was overcome with the thought that we have been failing God for years. He created us, even though He knows that we are going to screw things up and in essence, let Him down. He says "Everything we think or imagine is bent toward evil from our childhood" and yet, He still created us, and He still loves us. 

It breaks my heart. I know that there is nothing I could do to make God love me anymore or any less. I know that His grace and is a free gift and He gives forgiveness when we ask for it. But, I cannot help but feel heartbroken over the fact that we let God down so much. We have been doing it since the beginning of time. It is so sad. And as I was reflecting on this, and my feelings towards this verse, another one came to mind. This one is found in Jeremiah 31 and it says: God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will.  Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again. I don't know about you, but I get chills when I read that. God, in all of His perfectness and holiness, will never stop loving us flawed and broken sinners. He loves us so much. I wish that I could convey that to everyone. I wish that there was someway we could understand just a little bit of how much He loves us, but there is no way that we can. I am so thankful that even though my heart is bent towards evil from childhood, God will never quit loving me. I hope that as you read this, you are reminded too of how much He loves you. 

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa and a Woka Woka

Well today I caught myself singing the song humuhumunukunukuapuaa from High School Musical 2 a lot. And I also listened to Woka Woka by Shaikra, so that is the title of my post tonight.

I haven't posted about what is going on in my life in a while, and I could use some therapy so here comes a blog post about what is going on in my life.

What Is Going On In My Life

By: Charlotte Walterhouse 

  I am continuing on in my work at Trinity Lutheran School and I absolutely love it! I find myself getting excited to do crafts with my kids, and I love reading books to them and I love bringing movies for them to watch that I used to watch when I was a little girl. This is how I know I am where I am supposed to be. I don't think that I ever grew out of being a five year old, I just got taller and slightly more fashionable (I sometimes do wish I could mismatch my outfit and wear pink cowgirl boots and tutus and not be judged.) I love being back in the school that I never wanted to leave. I love working with people who were so influential in my life and instrumental in helping me become the follower of Christ that I am today! I have found a wonderful friend in my co-worker Kristen. I also love laughing about high school and life in general with my other co-worker Taylor. I love how imaginative and sweet little kids can be and I will be honest, when they run up and hug my knees, or jump into my arms, or tell me they love me, sometimes it brings tears to my eyes. I am so happy being at Trinity. 

   I am also continuing my education through online classes at Ivy Tech. I have decided on Criminal Justice as a major. People who really know me, know that this major totally make sense for me. And those who don't might get a good laugh out of the thought of me ever being a police officer. Luckily for the universe, I don't want to be out on the streets catching bad guys and yelling at people, I want to work in the Juvenile Justice System. So I am going for my degree. God has given me such a peace about this. I know that He still has plans to use me as a missionary, but missionaries don't always have to live overseas in Africa or Asia. Sometimes they can be right next door to you. 

  

 And while I am on the topic of being a missionary, I have postponed my plans of going to YWAM (Youth With A Mission) for the time being. I still feel led to go, and I will when the time is right. I am continuing to have major problems with my right knee (the one I had 2 surgeries on this summer). Until we find out what will need to be done to fix it, I am postponing my plans of leaving the country.  I am not going to lie and tell you that I am fine, because most days this is not the case. I have no strength to go on anymore and I know that each day it is the Lord who is carrying me through. Knee pain is a weird thing. It is time consuming. The tasks that should be easy to do become very difficult and being in constant pain is frustrating and exhausting. I spend a lot of time in my bed, or on the couch with ice packs on my knees. And just like this summer, being in pain can bring loneliness sometimes. It is hard to get out and do fun things, so you have to relay on people coming to you. I am very blessed to have a wonderful family who do everything they can to make sure that I am comfortable and cared for and I have awesome friends who let me vent whenever I am getting stressed out. 

So that is where I am in life. I am just living it in the best way I can right now! I feel very blessed to be where I am. I know that God has big plans in the future, but until I get there I am content to wait and be patient. Life is a constant time of growing and I know that even in the never ending battle with my knees, God is still growing me! Also, being at home has given me the wonderful opportunity of watching Wheel or Fortune and Jeopardy every night while crocheting, so I definitely have the cool factor going for me ;)

You might be Charlotte if...(Part 2)

This is the second installment of my first post entitled You might be Charlotte if...
There are many things I do that are just silly, stupid of just plane weird. So here are a few more signs that you might be turning into Charlotte...

1. You eat waffles every week... Real homemade waffles, not the frozen ones by Eggo which are a really sad excuse for waffles. Seriously. I could write a whole blog dedicated to how delicious waffles are. The secret is to whip the egg whites a ton until they are super fluffy. That makes the waffles puff up. Also, do not put more than half a cup of batter in the waffle iron no matter how badly you want to. It will spill out and there will be waffle batter caked unto your waffle iron.

2. You average 3 episodes of Psych a week.... Even though you have watched all of them except for the current season and half of season 7. And you are constantly trying to decide who you lie better, Shawn or Gus... but on rare occasions, you really like Lassiter. Also, you love Buzz McNabb because he is the coolest police character ever. And even though you have seen some of the episodes multiple times, you still laugh at every joke because it is still so hilarious to you!

3. You have a crush on a Fish and Game Warden from California because you watch a show called Wild Justice and he is a superhero for saving all those deers and bears. His name is Mike Beals and if you could meet any celebrity, you would want to meet him because he is the coolest Fish and Game Warden ever.

4. You want to be a Fish and Game Warden even though you aren't really stable enough to hike the woods every day and if you ever saw a dead body in the woods you would probably pee your pants and pass out. But, deep down you have a desire to live in and be in nature every day.

5. You spend your weekends crocheting in your bed while watching shows about people in prison on Youtube. The scarfs you make are awesome and you really do enjoy watching shows about jail.

6. At least once a week you walk up to your mom and say, "I finally know what I want to do with my life!" And every time you say this sentence, some different life plan comes out. You also text your two best friends saying you know what you want to do with your life even though you know that they know that you are probably not serious and so they shouldn't take you too seriously at the moment.

7. One time you tried to climb the refrigerator while screaming, I am Spiderman. In your defense though, you had just watched Spiderman and you were really hyper and couldn't control yourself. Also after trying to climb the refrigerator, you stubbed your toe and cried because it hurt so badly.

8. You blast 80's music in your car when the weather is nice because it just puts you in such a wonderful mood! And you spend a lot of time trying to decide what your favorite 80's song is, but realize it is pointless because you love them all.

9. You hear weekly, "You are always getting hurt" or "You are always sick." And sometimes you just feel like telling people to shut up. Because it really isn't your fault. You don't intentionally go looking for injury or germs, they jut have a way of finding you! (Also this may be slightly passive aggressive.)

10. You walk around the house singing songs from Wicked or Frozen and that is basically it. I really don't feel like I need to explain this one, but I am pretty sure that both of my parents could sing Let It Go, For Good, Do You Want To Build A Snowman or Defying Gravity even though they have never heard the actual song but you sing it so frequently that they probably know all the words.

11. You have never dated anyone because you spend a lot of time at Walmart and the men at Walmart aren't really your type. Plus you are probably not their type because you don't wear Native American Wolf shirts with dream catchers on them, you are not squished into your clothing so tight that there is skin falling out, you don't have any full leg or arm tattoos of butterflies or Pooh Bear and you also don't have a hairstyle from the 80's such as a mullet. (I think that butterfly and Pooh Bear tattoos have the potential to be done tastefully).

12. You love driving your little car so much! Seriously, your Beetle makes you insanely happy and it is your dream car even if you will not admit it because it is kind of a lame dream car. It is your dream car because Barbie had a Bug and you wanted to be just like Barbie when  you were a little girl. Also you played with Barbies until you were in 8th grade and sometimes you wish that it was still acceptable to play with Barbies because they are kinda fun sometimes.

13. You made a second list about yourself exposing all of your secrets because you hope that it will make people laugh and provide them with some enjoyment.

Best Friends (Collaboration with My Best Friend!)

I wanted to take some time to make a list of the best best friends. I think it is always important to remember who your number one is, that person who will stand by your side no matter what life throws at you. And to commentate on my list, I have asked my best friend and wonderful cousin! Kara Walterhouse is my twin cousin, she is my best friend and a constant supply of love and laughter. I love her so much! 

1. Kara Walterhouse and Charlotte Walterhouse – DUH! I was going to start with us. We are adorable because you will never find two people who love each other as much as we love each other… (that is a pretty bold statement). We would wear matching clothes when we were younger which is precious. Even though we grew up miles and miles away from each other, when we did live closer we pretty much became inseparable. I get tears in my eyes sometimes thinking of how special this beautiful girl is to me. We graduated high school together, we have been there for each other during the good and the bad and I know that she will always be my number 1. (Sorry future husband and children, Kara is my real soul mate). Best Cousin and Friend ever!

You are the best. I agree with everything you said, and I don’t really have anything to add. Except that you make me laugh all the time and I am really happy that we are twin cousins. If I had to choose a different best friend for myself, I would never be able to find someone as fabulous and amazing as you. 

1.5. The Hoodrats- It had to be 1.5 because Kara and I make up 66% of this group. Just throw in Joe and you have the three coolest friends you will ever meet. We tend to bond over stupid songs, milkshakes, donuts, and Helm water. Even though the hoodrats haven’t hung out in a while, you can be sure that we are still some of the best best friends.

I cannot get a milkshake without that song running through my head. Also I can’t ride in Bubbles without making a reference to that other song. Guys, we drank Helm water and thought it was cool… what is wrong with us? Also we tried to make hanging out at the Helm a thing. Who were we kidding? That is never going to be a thing.

            2. Spongebob and Patrick- yes they are annoying and sometimes the things they do makes me question their friendship, but you have to agree that Spongebob and Patrick are pretty legit friends. They do everything together. They raised that scallop, Patrick helped Spongebob almost past his driving test, Spongebob got Patrick a job at the Crusty Crab… THEY GO TO GLOVE WORLD TOGETHER… They really are wonderful best friends, which is my I included them on this list. 

Plus in the Spongebob movie, they totally save Bikini Bottom together. And they almost die together, and don’t judge me, but the part when they almost die brought tears to my eyes. I that something I should admit for anyone to read? Oh well, I don’t care. They are great BFFs,

  3. Peter Parker and Harry Osborn- Notice how I said Peter and Harry… not Spiderman and the Green Goblin… Harry gives his life for Peter… and honestly this moment in the movie makes me a little bit angry and I also cry like a baby. Harry is misunderstood throughout the whole story, and then he gives his life for Peter. The feels are very real. I love how Harry stands up for Peter in High School. I love that Peter takes care of Harry after he hits his head and loses his memory. Yes their relationship has major issues-Peter killed Harry’s dad, Harry tries to kill Peter several times, Harry steals Mary Jane- but in the end, they are best friends through and through. Also had the two combined their powers at the beginning, they probably would have helped a lot more. We can learn that two superhero’s fighting crime is better than one.

How did I know that this would make the list? Yes, they are great BFFs, besides all of the attempted murder and girlfriend stealing. Here is my problem, when Harry dies it should be a very touching moment, but stupid Tobey Maguire is the ugliest crier on the planet, so I end up cracking up when I should probably be feeling bad that his best friend died. But how can you not laugh at that face?

     4.    Raven Baxter, Chelsea and Eddie- Raven and Eddie end up together in the end which goes to show that sometimes loving your best friend is totally worth it. Raven, Eddie and Chelsea had such a legit friendship though. They were all so goofy in their own way and when you put them together, it just made sense. They had their issues (what high school friends don’t?) but they were best friends from the beginning all the way to the end. It was super special. Plus also, Raven and Chelsea dressed as Coffee and Cream inspired Kara and I so much when we were younger (Fluffy and Puffy all day erry day). 

Yes, these three were great. And I appreciate the inspiration for Fluffy and Puffy, but I am going to take some time to talk about my favorite Disney channel BFFs, Lizzy, Maranda, and Gordo. They were great and they hung out all the time and they did ridiculous things that I loved watching. Plus Gordo was hard core in the friend zone with Lizzy, and I always felt so bad for him. But then they kissed at the end of the movie and to middle-school Kara that was the best movie moment ever.  But then it never actually said if they got together which was frustrating. But I still love them.

     5.   Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani (and sometimes Ross Geller) - They are the perfect friends. There was a whole show based around 6 people who were all best friends, but Joey and Chandler take the cake as best friends. They lived together, they lost a baby together, and they got matching bracelets. They depended on each other and that is what friendship is about. I like this friendship a lot. 

Plus Joey was able to forgive Chandler for stealing his girlfriend (he made him sit in a box during Thanksgiving, but he still forgave him). And Joey tried really hard to keep Chandler and Monica’s relationship a secret when they didn’t want everyone else to know. They just work through their problems, like when Joey lets the apartment get robbed, or when Chandler moved in with Monica. They are just great. 

6. Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable- they fought crime together and saved the planet numerous times, that kind of bonds you for life. You have Kim, the smart one, and then Ron Stoppable, the comedic relief. Also, they end up together in the end too! How perfect is that. Answer: very! They saved each other’s lives on multiple occasions. They had a truly wonderful friendship and I miss this show so much. PS Kara, call me beep me if you wanna reach me.

I am so happy that this friendship made the list. I love this show so much! It was when they ended up together, because how could they not? It was perfect. Also I like their last names. We need to watch more Kim Possible. Why do we never watch Kim Possible?

7. Drake and Josh- Step brothers and complete opposites, yet they made their friendship work. This friendship provided many laughs for me growing up. I could never decide which one I should have a crush on, bad boy Drake, or sweet Josh. I liked them together. And so did everyone else because Drake and Josh was one of the greatest teen shows ever!

Who couldn’t love this friendship? I was always super jealous of their room because it was awesome. And I had a crush on Drake, because he played the guitar and sang at the beginning and I was a sucker for all of that.

8. Princess Mia and Lilly Moscovitz- their friendship lasts in the movie. In the movie it is perfect. They have their little spats, but they always work it out. The books provide a different story as they end their friendship for a while because Lily is slightly stubborn. I am pretty sure at the end of the series though, they work it out and everyone is happy. If Kara or I ever find out that we are a princess, I hope that we stay friends and don’t have spats like these two. (Plus I hope we can be as attractive too!)

I like her relationship with Lilly more in the movies, but I like her relationship with Michael more in the books, because they actually have a relationship in the book. And didn’t you already find out that you are a princess? I definitely thought that already happened.  I’m totally cool with it.

9. Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber- I never really did care for Bob, but that doesn’t mean that these two did not provide a wonderful example of best friends when I was growing up. They told Bible stories together and helped spread the love of Jesus to all their tiny friends. Plus The Dance Of the Cucumber is one of the greatest Silly Songs ever and they were both in that. Bob and Larry were pretty legit.

The Dance of the Cucumber is my favorite silly song. I know both the English and Spanish parts (feel free to be impressed). I always thought it was kind of lame of Bob to hate on Larry’s favorite song, especially when that song was about reading the Bible. But it is cool because Veggie Tales is basically my childhood and I love them.

10. Sam and Frodo- duh. Do I even need to explain this one? I am going to… Sam loves Frodo so much. I get really frustrated with Frodo because he is just like totally taking Sam for granted. LIKE HELLO FRODO, SAM IS DOING THIS BECAUSE HE WANTS TO! NOT BECAUSE HE HAS TO! Plus total awwwww moment when Sam says: "Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you!" That’s what best friends do, they can’t always take your burdens away, but they can support you and help you walk through them. Sam is literally the perfect friend.

Don’t hate on Frodo too much, because he was being corrupted by the ring. He probably wouldn’t have been that much of a jerk if he didn’t have that huge burden. But they are pretty great. What better to bring two friends together than a crazy journey across Middle Earth to destroy a ring in a huge volcano? It is some great stuff. 

11. Lucy and Ethel- The perfect girly bff’s ever. Do not try to argue it, they are perfect. They had fun together and made each other laugh all the time. That is all that needs to be said about these two.

Favorite episode: when they get jobs at the chocolate factory and everything goes crazy. Is that everyone’s favorite episode? Probably.

12. Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster- I wish that I could own a detective agency with my best friend. I would also enjoying introducing Kara using different names such as “Hollaback Atcha.” They are the perfect combination of silly and smart and I adore Shawn and Gus. They two have saved each other’s lives on several different occasions. They have also been best friends for years which adds to the awesomeness of their friendship. Kara, lets become detectives and make references to pop culture constantly.

I’m sorry, but I was under the impression that we were already crime-fighting divas. But for real, I haven’t seen much of Psych, but what I have seen is hilarious. I was unaware that Gus’s real name was Burton. You learn something new every day.

13. Thor and Loki- before anyone tries to tell me differently, Thor and Loki were best friends growing up. Thor loved, and he still loves, Loki so much. Also you can see their friendship in the second movie perfectly. And yes, Loki tries to kill Thor a lot, but they are brothers and also best friends and you can’t take that away from them.

Can I be best friends with Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth? We would hang out all the time and they could talk in their beautiful accents, and then we would recreate scenes from Thor and Avengers. It would be glorious.

14. Any Disney Heroine and her animal sidekick(s)- Lilo and Stitch, Rapunzel and Pascal, Pocahontas and Meeko, Ariel and Flounder, Cinderella and the mice, Esmeralda and her goat… yes. We could keep going on this one.

You forgot Mulan and Mushu, and they are the best ones. I am disappointed that you didn’t say Mulan and Mushu.

15. Sam and Carter Farrell (from a Cinderella Story) - They have a great friendship. They talk about everything, he is there for her when she has a mental breakdown at the end, and they both push each other to be the best person they can be. I like their friendship. Also because they are a boy and a girl and they don’t end up together in the end, which is very unusual for characters these days.

  

I didn’t even think of this one, but it is perfect. He is so sweet to her and he helps her find her prince charming. They are best friends who are really there for each other, and it is really precious.  Plus Carter rocks the snoop-dizzle look like nobody else can.

 

16.   Junie B. Jones, that Grace and Lucille- these three ladies were the coolest friends in my mind while I was growing up. They played horses together, they stole each other’s boyfriends, and they fought about who would get to be a princess on career day. I just have so much love for this trio… especially now that I work with little kids who act like all three of these fictional girls. They make me happy!

I never really loved Junie B. Jones like you did, but I did read a few. It kinda confused me that she called her “that Grace”. But I figured it out eventually. 

17.Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins- The best best friends of all. Leslie totally supports Ann through all of her relationship issues and Ann is the perfect person to handle all of Leslie’s enthusiasm. They are the greatest. Char, sometime I want to compliment you like Leslie does Ann and say, “Charlotte, you beautiful tropical fish.” I think I am going to start saying that. 

I feel like we already give each other super weird compliments, so go for it girl! Also this season is totally heartbreaking because Ann is moving away and that is such a dagger to the heart. I don’t like to think about what will happen when one of us moves away, but I know that it will include a lot of tears and a lot of waffles. Also hopefully we have great guys like Ben and Chris to cheer us up by then! Ann and Leslie are the greatest, brought together over a park…. 

17. 5 Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson- So they aren’t really your traditional BFFs, but you can tell that they really care about each other. Even though Ron hates everything that Leslie loves, he really respects her. And she cares about him. They are both there for each other. Plus, they bond over breakfast food, which is the perfect thing to bring people together. 

If we are going in this direction, then we could also say Tom and Donna! Or April and Ron or Ben and Chris. The truth is that show is so full of best friends. And so is the Office… NBC just creates the greatest best friends ever. Thank you NBC for giving us guidelines on how to love our best friends. I love Ron and Leslie too, though I would say that he is more of a father figure to her… Also he walked her down the aisle at her makeshift wedding which was totally awesome!

And here we stop, even though we could keep going. I haven’t even mentioned Shaggy and Scooby, Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski, Chuck Bartowski and Morgan Grimes, Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucus, Wilbur and Charlotte… I really could keep going.  But here I end. Hug your best friend today and let them know just how much they mean to you! 

My Favorite Couples

It is Valentines Day and even though I posted a piece yesterday, I think that today needs another one. SO I am going to make a list of my favorite couples... some will be real, some will be from books or movies or television shows.... So here goes....

1. Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski - okay duh! Even though they broke up like a ton, they do get married in the end and that just makes me so happy... but Kelly should have stayed away from that older guy.... also Zack should have kept his lips to himself... yep. I would wake up at like 7:30 in the summers so that I could watch this show, and I watched ever episode this summer... I love Zack and Kelly

2. Noah and Allie-again DUH! And even though this is a completely made up it is probably one of the sweetest relationships ever. "If you're a bird, I'm a bird" "I want all of you forever, you and me" "Will you dance with me?" It is sweet on so many levels! For starters, Noah is absolutely charming and I think we can all agree that halfway through the movie or the book we begin to hate Allie a little bit for treating Noah the way she does. Next, THEY ARE OLD TOGETHER! and Noah still loves Allie even though she is loosing her memory and her mind and I JUST CAN"T HANDLE IT! I love it! 

3. Michael Moscovitz and Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Grimaldi Renaldo, Crown Princess of Genovia-Because he saw her when she was invisible, and he treats her like a princess, but in a lovey dovey way, not in the actual way that she is a princess. And in the movies their relationship doesn't laugh... but if you read all the books like a certain person I know, you find out that of course they end up together! Also Can I just point out that Michael is way more charming in the book?! He goes off to try and prove that he is worthy of Princess Mia! How adorable it that?

4. Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez... just kidding, I don't like them at all. 

4. (for real this time....) Maria and the Captain- at first we all secretly can't stand Captain VonTrapp, but then Maria literally sings her way into his heart and this makes them one of the greatest couples ever. Plus, they were real people! How awesome is that? Answer... very! 

5. Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum- I rarely root for celebrity couples, because well how often do they last? But I love this couple for the simple fact that they met while filming Step Up and they have been together since them and that is just super wonderful. So I like them a lot. 

6. Uncle Si and his Iced Tea- You think I am kidding, but I am not... he takes that iced tea everywhere... 

but in all seriousness, number 6 goes to Phil and Kay Robertson. They have grown old together and they are still best friends. He loved her so much and he is very vocal about that love. They go to show that when your foundation is built on Christ, it cannot be shaken. I think this couple is absolutely wonderful! 

7. Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet- this couple has bewitched me body and soul and I love, I love, I love it! Just kidding, my infatuation is not that strong, but I do love Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth B... no no... E Bennet (that was for you Kara Walterhouse). They overcome their pride and prejudice and find true love in the end which is my favorite part! And I love how they are portrayed in all the movies (ps... Pride and Prejudice A Latter Day Comedy is one of my favorite movies). So here is a couple that was beautifully written into existence. 

8. Jason Derulo and Jordin Sparks- how cute are they?! I just like to believe that all of his songs are about her because they are adorable! Jordin Sparks is just such a cutie, and Jason Derulo writes super romantic lyrics and you put the two together and you have my favorite celebrity couple! Jordin Sparks is definitely his it girl, he will not be riding solo because she took him to the other side and will one day ask her, "Marry me?" Yes... I just adore them. 

8. Jim Halpert and Pam Beasley- You knew from the first episode that they were going to make it! And yes the final season did have me a little bit worried, but Jim and Pam pulled through and left us with a smile on our faces, and tears in our eyes. 

and I have to have an 8.5 to take a moment and appreciate Angela and Dwight who beat all odds and ended up together in the end! 

9. Andy Dewire and April Ludgate-Dewire -what we have here is a cat and dog situation because he is an optimist and she is a pessimist. They make the saying opposites attract a reality- at least in the show Parks and Rec- and I love it! Yay for Andy and April and their super weird not even close to mature relationship! 

10. Shawn Spencer and Juliet O'hara but also James Roday and Maggie Lawson- they play a couple on Psych and they are a couple in real life! Come on... AWWWWW with me! I just love their super cute and sometime dysfunctional relationship and it makes it even better that they are a couple in real life! 

and my absolute favorite couple in the entire world....

11. MY PARENTS, Roger and Susan Walterhouse- My mom knew she was going to marry my dad the first time she saw him and here they are 22  years later and they still love each other! Plus without this couple... I would not be alive and I would not have an awesome little sister or such an awesome family! 

There you have it! My list of couples that I love! (I forgot Flynn Rider and Rapunzel, but they would make the list too!)

My Favorite Love Songs

It is almost Valentines Day, and I know that if I was normal, I would be expected to hate the day because I am single and I don't have a man. But, I love Valentines Day so much! It just makes me really happy. And today, while I was putting on my Valentines Day attire (to celebrate with the kiddos at school), I was listening to love songs and then I thought, "I should write a blog about my favorite love songs." So here they are... complete with sappy and mushy commentary.




1. Make You Feel My Love- I love the slow music and the way it builds. If you just listen to the lyrics you can tell writer was seriously in love with someone, like hardcore. I could listen to this song all day, over and over and over again.

Claire: I personally love this song. I think that it's great that a woman is singing this song. I feel like most love songs now-a-days are sung by men, and I like that this one is different.

2. Can't Fight This Feeling (REO Speedwagon)- Besides the fact that sometimes the singer seems like a hardcore stalker, I really, really enjoy this song. There are many reasons why... but the biggest reason is that my cousin and I were listening to this song and it described one of our situations just perfectly and it made us laugh and then we listened to a ton of 80's songs and tried to relate them to our lives. I just think it is such a fun song. I really enjoy listening to it, especially when I fell like I can't fight a feeling anymore.

Claire: It makes me laugh that this one is number two. First off, how cliche.. Second off, as good as 80's music was, I think that this is one of the crappier 80"s songs.. But at the end of the day, I still do like this song. 

3. Grow Old With You (The Wedding Singer aka Adam Sandler)- This song is one of the cutest songs about growing old with the person you love. It is so practically written, it says exactly what it wants to say without being overly sappy. And every time I hear it I picture two adorable old people loving each other for forever and it makes me so happy.

Claire: I absolutely love this song. It's so cute and precious and any other word that means the same thing. I love the movie that it's from, which is a bonus! 

4. Save The Last Dance for Me (a ton of people have sung it, but lets be honest Michael Buble's chacha version is the best)- Okay for those of you who have not heard where this song comes from, the writer of the song was like in a wheelchair, or disabled or something like that. His wife loved to dance, and he would tell her to go and dance and have fun, but remember to save the last dance for him. It is just beautiful and I really want to dance to it right now. Go ahead and dance, I know you want to too. 

Claire: I was just talking to my teacher the other day about how I thought this song was amazing. I was comparing it to all of the "love songs" from our culture. I think that this song is the epitome of true love. He knows that his disability could keep his wife from having fun, but he doesn't want that. He just wants her to go out and have fun.

5. Heaven (Bryan Adams)- This song makes me think of two high school students dancing at prom in the 80's. I am not totally sure why, but I love this song. It is super sweet and what girl wouldn't want to be told that she makes a man feel like he is in heaven? (minus the fact that the music video is completely ridiculous, but man that hair!) 

6. I Can't Help Falling In Love With You (Fools Rush In (Wise Men Say)) (Elvis)- I love the line, "but I can't help falling in love with you." How romantic is that? Its so romantic! Its like the other person is so perfect, and maybe you have tried not to, but in the end you just can't help falling in love with that person. So yea, this song is pretty much my favorite. 

7. Kiss The Girl (Sebastian the Crab from the Little Mermaid)- Watching the song in the movie just makes it so much better because all the sea creatures make it romantic for Ariel and Eric. They really set the mood with the whole blue lagoon and woah woah woah's. I mean, if I was in a rowboat with a gorgeous prince and I was being sung to by sea animals, yea I would probably be a little freaked out, but I would also really want to kiss that prince. I am just saying that these animals really know how to get it right. Also, if any one knows of a prince who is looking for a land-girl to row with in a romantic setting, I am free all week ;)

8. When God Made You (Newsong)-Besides the fact that this song is very incorrect theologically, it has a really sweet message! I really like how cute and romantic it is, even if it is not Biblically correct... (is that that a word)

  

9. I See The Light (Flynn Rider and Rapunzel)- This song is one of the sweetest disney songs ever. I just can not contain the happiness in my heart when I hear it. The whole scene is beautiful and I am not even going to hide it, I have teared up a few times because of how special it is! Also if a man ever took me in a row boat and there were floating lanterns every where and there was flowers in my hair, I think I would fall in love too. And Disney needs more row boats in their films, the most magical love songs take place in them... or in ball rooms.

10. Everything (Michael Buble)- I love this because he just sings about how he just loves this girl so much and how she is his everything and that is awesome. Plus it is also slightly childlike in it's romance. 

Okay there is a list of ten, I could probably go on for another 90 and still not have all the love songs I love written down! So if you have someone who loves you this Valentines Day, give them a hug and a kiss and tell them how special they are to you! Or serenade them with a song from the list :) (Also Claire's comments stopped because we are in different locations... she will be back in future posts)