Not too much to say about the special "holiday episode" of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The concept of the different people who had been helped by the show doing something to help others was nice. And because they had the full power of ABC, they were able to do some pretty big things. (did you know that ABC & Disney have the same parent company?)

Of course, I did wonder why Laura Bush went to help -- it seems like she is the only one in the White House who really cares about the hurricane victims. (ok, so I don't watch just reality tv) My favorite, though, was opening up Disney World at night for the kids who can't be out in the light. That was amazing. And I loved the girl who was excited that the princesses were there because the princess "only are out during the day." That's the type of thing that those families will never forget.

The only thing I had a problem with was the constant use of the phrase "pay it forward." It just seemed ridiculous. But the idea of paying it forward is simple -- I help three people out. When they ask how they can repay me, I ask them to "pay it forward" -- help out three other people. This means that now 9 people are helped. It's exponential growth in action. If it took a week to help the three new people, and everyone who is helped helps three more, continued to happen like this (each person helped helps out three more), in six weeks, 1,853,020,188,851,841 people will be helped. Really. (I double checked my math more than a few times). That's pretty amazing. Think I might go out and start my own campaign to get people to pay it forward...

I set a new record tonight watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. SIX MINUTES. That's right -- six minutes in, and I was already crying. Oh dear.

It was a really good epsiode. This house may have been one of my favorites, especially from the outside. Sometimes the houses are prettier inside than out (they look a little bit like all the others), but tonight's was beautiful from outside as well. And the stained glass angel was the perfect touch.

My only complaint was that they didn't show more of the house...I wonder if it had to do with the ages of the children. Because they weren't old enough to talk, they just might have not had as much footage as they usually do. It also may have had something to do with the circumstances that brought the team there. At one point the grandmother was with the family, then she wasn't in the footage. And there was a lot of time with the dad actually getting a chance to grieve. Of course, I did enjoy the camera inside the washing machine ("we even washed your camera for you!")

Now for more tissues...

I love Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It's an amazing show -- both as a "makeover" show and as a "home improvement" show. But I think that the best thing that it does is showcase issues and areas that the general public needs to be aware of. From gang shootings and special needs kids to homelessness and disease, they bring these issues to millions of Americans each week. And tonight's episode was no different.

So many families have the same story as the Lewis family. Cancer doesn't care who you are or where you're from. And the brave people who are struck with the disease are so often the strongest people I have ever known. Even though cancer might make us feel helpless, there are things we can all do to help.

First (and I think this was a big part of tonight's episode) is being a friend to those who have cancer. The Lewis family kept talking about how much the support of their friends had kept them going. I was blessed know a student who passed away last year from cancer who made it much longer than expected because of the love of his friends. Friendship can help the soul and the body.

There are other ways to help. Organizations like Locks of Love are amazing. And donating money to organizations that are doing research towards treatments and a cure helps too. Finally, Ty always tells people to check out www.abettercommunity.com. This is ABC's website to help you find ways to help the organizations they talk about on the show. Millions of people watch the show every week. Could you imagine what would happen if everyone who watched tonight's show gave $5? Or volunteered for an hour? The scope of the show knows no bounds.

Hoping that even more families can benefit from tonight's show...

Alright, I'm not afraid to admit it. I cried during tonight's episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. What an amazing family. And what an amazing kid.

The thing about this show is that it makes you realize how thankful we should be for all we have. Of course, when you're a rabid Red Sox fan, and the house that they are doing is for a family of Red Sox fans, jealousy creeps in as well. For those of you who were wondering, when Ed said that the Green Monster is the Holy Grail for Red Sox fans, he wasn't exaggerating (inside the Monster are the signatures of hundreds of players that have played at Fenway...wow) In my Red Sox room (yes, I do have a Red Sox room in my house...my husband, though, prefers to call it "the basement") I don't have lamps or pillows or signed bats. I don't have a replica of the Green Monster. I don't have a Red Sox bedroom set. And I certainly don't have Curt Schilling in my closet. (and I LOVED how the biggest concern of Mrs. Johnson was that Curt was supposed to be pitching that day!) But if I can't have all that stuff, I'm glad that the Johnsons do. Did you hear that the older kids have given up birthday presents so they could make donations? THIS is why this family deserves a home makeover.

One thing that ABC didn't mention (and I wish they had) was what happened after the crews left. Because the family had all new furniture, they had to do something with their old furniture. So they staged an "Extreme Home Yard Sale." All the money they raised went to support research to help kids with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Curt Schilling came back as well, and did his part to help raise money, giving autographs & photos for a donation to the fund.

So I've stopped crying, and stopped wondering where I can get a Red Sox jersey beadspread. And I've gone back to being so thankful for my family and friends and the many blessings in my life. What a perfect way to start the week of Thanksgiving.

Tonight's episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was not without a bit of controversy. On tonight's show, the Goodale family is living in some pretty bad conditions. The dad lost is arm in a gruesome lobster boat accident, and can't do the necessary improvements on the family's home. And winter is coming -- with no heat (and living in Maine) the family is in serious trouble.

Sounds like the perfect story for this show, doesn't it? Except that after filming, ABC found out that Mr. Goodale had quite the past. He was arrested for armed robbery (and did jail time), along with several other incidents & a drunk driving arrest. Apparently several residents of the town, including his ex-wife, tipped them off. It's unclear whether or not Mr. Goodale disclosed the arrests to ABC on the family's application. And regardless, the incidents occured when he was young -- 18 or 19. So the question now is, should they have done the show?

Honestly, what I think doesn't matter much. But I have been thinking about it; with all the really needy families out there, should ABC have rewarded this one? The answer I keep coming back to, is yes. First, he served his time. And apparently has done quite a bit of community service as well. He realized he made mistakes, and turned his life around. That, in itself, sounds like a story that this show loves. But more importantly, the makeover was for his kids. His kids did nothing wrong. His kids shouldn't have to suffer. And one thing that I always notice on this show is that the first priority is always the kids. The rooms were spectacular, and they even built a dance studio -- the studio that the girls had been dancing at had closed.

Next week the show is back to helping a family with a sick child...this week it was nice to see one with healthy children who just wanted a safe life for their dad.

It's hard for me to believe that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality show. It's so different from most reality shows, both in its format and its mission -- to help people who really deserve it. Not someone who won a bunch of challenges or lost a bunch of weight. Really deserving people, like the family featured in tonight's episode.

I'm not going to say a lot about the episode (which was a real tear-jerker) or the amazing house. I want to talk about the message of tonight's show -- regardless of whether a child has a disability or a disease, they are all still kids. The girls featured in tonight's show are just like any other teenage girls. They love to draw, watch the Backstreet Boys, read, and dress up. They want to hang out by the pool and lay out to tan. They are, above all else, kids. When you meet a kid with a disability, don't stare. Treat them like you would any other kid. Remember -- never judge a book by its cover.

Stepping down from my soapbox...