big HUGE day

You guys, I am home. Alone. HOME. ALONE.

ALONE!

I think this is probably the first time in six years that I've been home alone. (Minus the couple times Sam took the kids on a brief walk while I finished dinner.) See, every activity the kids have ever been in, I've sat and watched. I did preschool myself at the house. And even if one of them was gone at school or a friend's, I've always had the others. But today is the first day of our very first co-op preschool, and from now on both my boys will be gone for 2 1/2 hours every Tuesday. Two and half hours!

I don't even know what to do with myself.

Breaking the Routine

While on-set, the only thing Samuel does for himself is dress. Once he's done with that, the makeup artists apply sunscreen on his head, hands, and feet, and then dirty him up. They also do his hair, using about fourteen total of five different kinds of bobby pins. (Apparently there are actually different purposes for the different types of pins.  Who knew!?) After hair and makeup, Sam goes to the touchers (that's honestly what they're called, cuz they touch you all over), and they use previous pictures to fix him up to be uniform.

Good thing I got an iPad so I could take this picture.

Normally Sam leaves between 4:30-6:30 a.m., and gets home between 8:30-9:30 p.m. Then we stay up for an hour and he tells me absolutely everything. For the next three days, however, he won't be coming home. That's because for the next three days they are shooting Gethsemane, and their calls times are 5:00 p.m. til 5:00 a.m. The guys are crashing at a house in Payson to sleep during the day.  I hope things go well.  Sam says that yesterday during the crucifixion they were all sobbing. Jesus, James, John, all the women, and even the makeup artists that were applying the Savior's beating makeup. Hard day emotionally.  I'm guessing the next three won't be any better.

how do i use this thing?!

A couple months ago Sam decided to enter a random NPO illustration competition.  Illustrate a short story, whoever's illustrations are picked wins an iPad. So Sam hopped on the computer, and in two hours, had came up with some illustrations. He sent them in and BOOM!  He won.  Today the iPad arrived.  And Sam announced that he was giving it to me.

I feel old admitting that I don't see how I can use this. Anyone know what on earth I can do with this thing? I'm sure I'll love it, as soon as I can figure it out!

A Haggard Apostle

Well, Sam's first shoot day lasted about 16 hours (if you include commute) and in that time they got a whoopin' three minutes of footage. I guess that should explain why he looked so haggard when he got home. He's now done several days of shooting and this is pretty much how he looks afterward. 

Every day the makeup people dirty him up (his hands are washed below, but you can still see the fake dirt they put around his fingernails). And, not only do they dirty his face, hands, and feet, but they also put enamel yuck on his teeth.  So that whenever the apostles smile they don't reflect sparkly white teeth. You'll never see this kind of up-close mouth in the film. That's a spoiler perk of reading my blog. You're welcome.

In case you were curious, we found out why they switched the James and John parts. Apparently they were planning on shaving John, but at the last minute the director decided he just loved Sam's blond/red beard too much to shave it, so they switched James and John, and shaved this guy (formerly James, now John). Fine by me. I'm loving Sam's beard. They really do look like they could be brothers, don't they?

The "Professional" Actor

Today's the day! (The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we are gonna get out of here...) Sam woke up at 4:15 a.m. and headed off to his first shoot.  They are doing the ascension of Christ into heaven. Don't ask me why they are doing one of the last scenes first, I don't understand any of this film stuff.  A few days ago they switched Sam's part to James, too. Not a huge deal, as James and John are together in every scene and Jesus does all the talking.  Plus, James was first counselor (John was second). There will only be one short that will have John alone, and that's after James was beheaded. I'm guessing they aren't doing a beheading scene.   Although it might be interesting to see...

Anyway, last night I asked Sam what he was most excited about and what he was most nervous about.  This was his response:

"Well, I'm most excited about meeting all the other apostles and having all twelve of us together.  That's going to be cool. I think I'm probably most nervous about the acting.  I've never actually acted in a film before."

That is especially funny considering the script we got this week. Apparently there are only four main "cast" members: Jesus, Peter, James, and John.  All the rest of the apostles and actors are either "featured extras" or "extras." How on earth did Sam end up where he is?! He was actually on-set yesterday getting a few costume swaps for James, and one of the director's assistants asked him how he became a professional actor. "Well, I'm not really a professional actor.......Oh, I guess I am now..." Sam started, and then he explained how he got there.

As another aside, early this week Sam got this email:

Dear Apostles,

Your shoot dates are rapidly approaching and I wanted to make sure you have all the information you need to prepare. [Lots of information about shoot dates, times, etc.] 

If I haven't already mentioned it, you have been carefully and prayerfully cast (out of literally thousands of applicants) as part of an ensemble -- a brotherhood -- of Christ's original apostles.  I encourage you to get to know each other on set, look out for one another, and treat each other with the familiarity of true brothers and the respect of Apostles of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Each of you have received the highest ecclesiastical endorsement: meaning, approval of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in our day.  Have you taken time to figure out who your current-day counterpart is?  It might be an interesting study.

Anyway, thank you again, for being willing and worthy to shoulder this role.  We're so grateful to have you and look forward to working with you on this historical production!

Best regards,

Alisa Anglesey

Several thoughts:

1. Dear Apostles?!  That's awesome! I can't believe Sam just got an email saying that. So hilarious!  (In a completely respectful but odd sort of way.)

2. Love the brotherhood idea.  Male bonding at its best.

3. I wonder if Elder Holland recognized Sam...

4. James = Henry B. Eyring

As my final aside, we got a seven-page list of "Set Etiquette" rules.  I summarized it into one page. It's pretty amusing.

PROJECT: New Testament film

RE: Set etiquette and other important stuff. This is kind of an epistle, so settle-in, hunker-down, and read it ALL…very carefully. A test will follow.

Thank you for your willingness to participate in this landmark production of “The New Testament” for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Footage from this production will be purposed in a wide variety of venues for the Church, including General Conferences, Missionary, Welfare, Seminaries and Institutes, and web media like “Mormon Messages,” to name only a few. It is anticipated that footage from this production will be actively used for the next 20 years.

THE SET

The geographical location is ideal. The one-mile square property has all elements needed to bring these stories from ancient Israel to life: a river (River Jordan), sand dunes (crossed by the Wise Men), and other terrain that geographically resembles the Holy Land. This set is a sacred place. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the set last week. He said it is “a sacred setting… to the end that millions of [Heavenly Father’s] sons and daughters may have faith in Him and come unto Him.”

This is a CLOSED SET. This means that no other friends or family are allowed on the property without express permission -- in advance – by production authorities. There is a Security Gate at the property entrance. Bummer!  I would have loved to have seen it!

Please be RESPECTFUL of the set property. No graffiti… on anything… ever. Do NOT climb on the set walls! They may look tempting to you rock-climbers out there, but they are NOT designed for such stress. You will injure yourself and destroy the set if you attempt it. (And that leads to all kinds of unpleasantness… So, just don’t do it.)

CELL PHONE SERVICE. The location of the set is wa-a-a-ay out in the middle of nowhere: Cell service is sketchy at best. Most services don’t work out there and there is definitely no WiFi. Meaning Sam can't text me during breaks.  Boohoo! :(

SET ETIQUETTE

Please come ready and willing to follow directions and to be absolutely quiet on set. Wait, let me rephrase that: Please come ready and willing to follow directions and to be absolutely quiet on set. Did I say the same thing again? OK, let me try it one more time: Please come ready and willing to follow directions and to be absolutely quiet on set. I guess that covers it.

No loud voices: Please keep your tone at a conversational level while off set and use your “soft inside voice” while on set. There should be no shouting, except when required by your character in a scene. (Or maybe to say “FIRE,” if there really is a huge blaze headed toward set.) During a “take” -- when the camera is rolling -- please don’t cough or sneeze… at all. Hopefully Sam can suppress his sneezes, cuz that man can be across the entire house with at least two doors shut between, and still scare a nursing baby. True story.

Do NOT bring a CELL PHONE to set! Please leave it with your belongings or in your car.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Please do NOT go exploring “out of bounds.” There are many areas of the set which are treacherous. All of these dangers are in areas where people are not supposed to be. If you stay within the designated (and clearly marked) areas of the set, you won’t need to worry about any of it. Please don’t injure yourself by acting stupid.

STEPS. Please be careful! There are many steps built into the set. True to form, these steps have been made to look well-worn: They slope a bit at the front. Walk with caution. And just to make things extra challenging, you will be walking around in ill-fitting, period-looking sandals. Need I say more? -- Just be careful… Really careful.

SPEED. As you pass through Santaquin, Goshen and Elberta, please respect the towns and the people who live there by NOT speeding through their streets. P.S. – The local authorities LOVE to catch speeders in these areas! If you get a ticket; No, the production will NOT pay for it. Do people really ask?!

PARKING will be provided near the set. Please be polite when parking your car. Do not park too closely to the next car so they can’t get in or out. You may seriously consider getting a sun-shade for your front window if you don’t have one already. Either that, or bake some cookies on your dashboard. Then share them with Casting. They were also told to bring boots, because sometimes they actually have to hike to get to their shoot location.

CAMERAS & PHOTOGRAPHY

We realize that many of you may want to take pictures of your experience on this production. We ask that you please NOT do so. OH NO!!! Really?!! Here’s why:

(1) We are not responsible for lost, stolen, broken or destroyed property…especially cameras.

a. Blowing sand could ruin it.

b. You could lose it.

c. You could drop it.

(2) No unauthorized cameras are allowed on set.

a. Once you get it there, where do you put it? There are no pockets in this wardrobe.

b. There have been instances where someone left a camera where it shouldn’t have been in the scene, and we’ve had to rotoscope it out in post-effects. Rotoscoping = Time and Big $$$. It’s a mistake that should never happen.

(3) The contract you sign prevents you from publishing any photos from the area without express permission from the producer. Don’t ask him. He’ll say no.

(4) If you ignore our request and decide to covertly bring in a camera anyway, know this:

a. No photos you take on set can be published ANYWHERE… including the internet. (ie. no Facebook; no Picassa; no Snapfish; no blogs; no nothing… anywhere.)

b. If you do publish photos, you will be in violation of your contract.

HAIR & MAKE-UP

WOMEN of all ages (and MEN, too, if it applies)

a. No nail polish on fingers or toes. We had to clean off Sam's polish last night...

b. Absolutely NO make-up, please.

HOUSEKEEPING

Most film work involves a lot of “hurry up… now wait.” We recommend that you bring a BOOK or a QUIET (non-electronic) ACTIVITY to pass the time. Did we mention there will be no WiFi? Oh yeah, we did. There will be no WiFi. "Is this a good activiny?"

So, the bad news is that you will never see any pictures of Sam in his garb or on the set (unless some media company is allowed to take some and happens to get Sam).  The good news is that SAM PROMISED TO DRAW PICTURES OF THINGS FOR ME!!  And there are no rules about posting your drawings to a blog. Ha! I've instructed Sam to find a mirror or a large body of reflective water (he may or may not have laughed at me when I suggested that) and draw himself. Hopefully I'll have something fun up here soon!

Oh Canada!

Oh Canada, my home and native land!
Well, okay, my almost-native land. I've never actually lived there. But I am a citizen.

*Every single good picture taken in this post is from my cousin, Cassidy.

You know, when I got my Canadian passport I thought it would make my entry into Canada easier. Little did I know that Mr. Grumpy Pants would be manning the entry station. It all started when we pulled up to the port of entry line. After a whole day traveling in Montana, I was shocked to see that the car right in front of us was my little sister! So I rolled down my window and yelled hi. Mr. Grumpy Pants was not amused, and yelled at me to shut up. I did.

When we pulled up to talk to Mr. Pants, I made sure not to say a word. That is until my kids started getting rowdy. I turned around and told them what any other feisty spunky sweet mother would have, "Hey guys, this guy is a little grumpy, so you need to be really quiet." I guess that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Mr. Pants: [in a very gruff, angry voice] So that's what this is all about?
Me: [genuinely confused] Excuse me?
Mr. Pants: Did you just call me "grumpy"?
Me: [confused hesitation, then shock] You yelled at me!
Mr. Pants: Okay, that's it. Pull over!

Next thing I knew we were whisked upstairs to 'special screening' just to make sure one Canadian citizen and three American citizens weren't trying to break into Canada. We are super dangerous you know. It was probably the beard.

As a complete aside, the best part of that whole ordeal was actually Sam's disappointment that the officers weren't Mounties. Apparently he hoped that all Canadian police would be Mounties. Ha ha! Later Sam asked me, "What's the biggest city in Canada? Quebec?" [insert uncontrollable laughter] "Um, babe, Quebec is a province. That's like asking if the biggest US city is Texas." He claims that he never had to learn Canadian geography. Sam is such a smartie pants that these kinds of moments are few and far between. I have to revel in them. And post them publicly on the blog.

Anyway, here's what we did in Canada:

• Trip to Waterton and the Prince of Wales Hotel (where my grandpa worked as a teen and where Seara taught a hotel employee how to correctly say vase - apparently you don't say "vahz")

• Attend a temple session in Cardston (with original 1923 decor and indoor water feature)
• Family history interviews, site videos (including my great-grandparent's home), and grave visits (which included me bawling like an asthmatic baby upon finding my Martin Handcart pioneer ancestor's grave, while my brother and sister stood nearby and laughed at me)

• Watch the Canada Day Parade in Raymond (my first time in 26 years)

• Go to the Raymond Stampede (also my first time in 26 years)

So there you go.  The impetus behind our latest national park travels, my kids' first time out of the country, and Sam's first time in Canada. In case you were curious what I looked like the last time I celebrated Canada Day in Raymond, here you go.  In this picture I was the same age as Enoch.  Actually, one day younger.

Face Painting: the Childhood Trauma

I don't like to stand in long lines. And I especially don't like to stand in long lines with kids. Hence I avoid free-days, family-days, and any other crowded place like the plague. (The plague is really dangerous, you know. Don't believe all that jazz about rats and fleas. Really, you should just avoid people all together. Be a hermit.) But when my friend Bekah told me that all the Days of '47 parade floats would all be on display for free at the Sandy Expo, we gave in and went with her.

So there we were, standing in line for free face painting.  We get to the front and Seara tells her painter, "I want pink glasses with a heart in the middle."  Simple enough.  Enoch wants an owl.  Not too bad.  And then Elijah steps up. And he says something completely unexpected. Bizarre.  Outlandish.

"I want a dung beetle."

The girl looks at him.  Then at me. Then at him. Then at me. I was completely bewildered. Finally she says, "Um, I don't know what one looks like, why don't you wait for [pointing] that lady. She'll probably know what to do." So we waited for the lady.  She smiled big and knew exactly what to do.  ("Well, dung beetles are black, but that will be hard to show any details, can I do it green?")

When Elijah saw his face, he was THRILLED.  He walked around showing his beetle to everyone. He loved it. That is, until an hour later when Seara asked him, "Elijah, is that poop on your face?" It was like he just in that instant realized what a dung beetle was.  His face contorted into confusion, disgust, and then embarrassment. And I, being a feeling mama, quickly jumped in to save my poor boy. "No, it's not poop! It's dung.  You know, cuz it's a dung beetle." Relief wiped over Elijah's face, and he turned to Seara with a great big smile.  "It's dung.

And she took that as an answer.  Bless her heart.

Updates on the Apostle

You'd think (I least, I'd think) that since Sam is being an Apostle, we'd actually know stuff about the filming.  We don't.  In fact, I only found out where they'd be filming (Goshen) today when I ran across this news clip of the set:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

I knew they wouldn't be doing any filming in the Holy Land (besides being expensive, it is also waaaay too crowded for any real filming to go on), but I crossed my fingers anyway.   Cuz if Sam were going, I'd have to go too. I don't take to being left out very well. (This started at a really young age. Just ask my older sister.) Ironically, my parents are in Israel right now.  I am insanely jealous so happy for them.

Anyway, this last week Sam went into be fitted.  He has four outfits (that sounds girly, doesn't it?), I mean costumes:

• Early ministry of Christ
• Last Supper, crucifixion, etc.
• Baptizing with Peter (post-gospels era)
• Older missionary

Shooting will span 58 days, and Sam will be on set for half of those. On those days, he'll probably be gone from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.  We're in for a busy couple months!