Christos Anesti!

Nate looks a little crazy, but this is the only picture

I have of us from Easter.

Christos Anesti! That means "Happy Easter" in Greek. Orthodox Easter was yesterday, April 27th. We went to the midnight service on Saturday evening and did not get home until 3:00AM Sunday morning! Although the service was long, my brother John did not hesitate to go buy himself a gyro after the service. Nate and I, however, went straight home. We were exhausted. Eventhough the service is quite lengthy, Easter is definitely my favorite holiday. Yesterday afternoon we had a big Easter lunch/dinner at my parents' house. My mom made some traditional Greek food (pastichio and spanakopitas), but we also had some American favorites (sweet potatoes and cheesecake). Tonight we had dinner with my parents again to finish up some leftovers!

My Guilty Pleasure Revealed

Ok, I can't deny it any longer. I am a huge American Idol fan. I realize that not everyone appreciates the show like I do. In fact, I'm sure that most people reading this probably think the show is silly and juvenile. I thought so too, during the first two seasons, but by the third season I was hooked! Eventhough I watch the show regularly, I have never loved any of the contestants. Sure, I had my favorites and even voted every once in awhile, but there was no one that was really fantastic for me. Then this season, a cute boy from Austalia auditioned named Michael Johns. In my opinion, Michael was the best contestant ever. He is a talented singer and he has a very unique stlye. I expected that he would make it to at least the top three finalists. Then tonight, sadly, he had the lowest number of votes and was sent home. I was very disappointed. I guess I'll have to rely on old YouTube videos if I want to keep hearing Michael sing. I hope that he makes his own CD, you know I would be the first to buy it!

Here is my favorite video of Michael Johns singing Bohemian Rhapsody. I think it's fantastic. What do you think?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EUfE993iucg

Autism Walk

Nate and I will be participating in a fundraising walk for Autism on Sunday, May 18th. Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with Autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. There is currently no medical detection or cure for autism.

As an early childhood teacher, I have worked with several children who have this complex disorder. I have seen firsthand how devastating Autism can be for both the child and family. For this reason, I chose to participate in the walk for Autism. I am looking forward to walking for such an important cause.

You can support Nate and I by making a donation at our website:
http://www.walknowforautism.org/siteapps/personalpage/ShowPage.aspx?c=kpILKTOCJqG&b=3616691&sid=cuLNJaOXIkITL8PNIoH
You can also suppot the Autism cause by viewing the Five For Fighting music video at: http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214
Every time the video is viewed, a donation is made to Autism Speaks (it's a cute video to watch).