The Bell Still Rings For Me…

Well the year is almost over, a chapter is about to end in the Saunders' house and a new one to begin. We just celebrated our last Christmas together as family with just the two of us. From here on out there will be starting our own family traditions as we welcome our baby girl into our home.

But for this year we have many memories to take with us. On my side of the family, we went down to Heber to ride on the Polar Express. We sang songs, drank hot chocolate, Stopped at the North Pole and picked up Santa and Mrs. Claus, and got bells from his sleigh. We then spent the night in a rented cabin for a huge slumber party as we unwrapped gifts and slept out on the floor. Luckily we were prepared and brought our air mattress. The weather was bad going south, but when we left the next morning the sky was beautiful.

We then headed up north to Idaho Falls and spent a few days with Tiffiney's family and friends. We didn't have much luck with the weather because Tiffiney's dad got snowed in at work on Christmas Eve and ended up working about 40 hours straight missing the morning of unwrapping gifts and all Christmas day. Before he showed up the next afternoon, we played board games, worked on anagrams on my new DS game, and then visited a few friends. I was upset from the crapping plowing job Idaho did, but we still managed to get the car from point A to B with only a few snow jams.

Even though the weather was miserable, we managed to have clear skies when we traveled blessing us to see both sides of the family in such a short time. I hope your holidays were good as well and that you all have a Happy New Year…

The Locks I Loved

After a week or so I decided I really needed a change and no color was going to do it for me. Thursday I got home from work, looked in the mirror, and decided today was the day. Extremely nervous I made the appointment, went in, and had it chopped off! I was able to donate the locks I loved to Locks of Love!! I went home afterwards, washed and straightened my hair, and it was messed up. So the whole night I worried about my hair and how it needed to be fix immediately! Unfortunately I had to wait until morning, dragging my lovely Christopher out of bed for support, to go back and get it fix. It is fixed now and I love it!!

XX + XY = ??…

So today was the day and the little one posed for us. Did the girl trend continue or did the males enter the ring once again? Click HERE to find out…

Birthday Wishes…

Love you!
-Tiff

Free Christmas Downloads…

Seeing that my birthday falls around Thanksgiving I am one who usually forbids the Christmas season entering my house before the previous holidays have taken place. But since I spend a lot of time looking for online deals I had to share this with everyone. Click HERE to download some great renditions of Holiday Classics legally and for FREE. Oprah apparently has friends in high places and she figured we all could use a boost in spirit during these economic times. I hope you enjoy them…
-Chris

It All Began With A Mouse…

80 years ago Mickey Mouse made his debut and began the wonderful world of Disney. Today we celebrate his birthday! Leave your memories of the mouse and the empire his creator left for us to enjoy in the comments section…

-Chris

Re: Re: Re: Overdue Bill…

Lately I have come across the blog Geekologie which covers innovative gadgets, bizarre gizmos, and nerdy awesome stuff. I enjoy the writers sarcastic and dumb humor, but I also enjoy some of the things he finds. Today I came across the following: A man trying to pay his bill with a drawing, which ensues into a nice comedic exchange of emails …



You must click HERE to see what happens next. This is too funny…

Tagged…

So I got Tagged for the first time ever the other day by Taryl but have yet to post it! Mainly due to the fact that I am still coming up with the 7 Things. During that time I got tagged again and found this one to be a little easier to comply with. So thanks to Katy I am posting the 4th picture from the 4th album where I store pictures. Here it is:


Due to it being a more recent photo Tiffiney and I thought it wasn't fair. I don't rename photos but I reformat my memory cards, so the pictures aren't not always in the order of when they were originally taken unless I spend the time to organize them by date. That is something I may consider after today. Anyway here is the 4th picture by its chronological date:


So under the rules of being Tagged I believe I continue the process and tag others. TAG… Robyn and Matt, Cheez and Brianna, Jaime and Carson…YOU'RE IT!

*NOTE* Tammie made mention of how much things have changed, but if you take a close look at her husband in these pictures he hasn't changed a bit. By the way Jeff, my Mac & Cheese is still the creamiest…

FINALLY…

The new me!
I LOVE IT! Thanks Chris!

After debating the decision for about a month I decided to chop off my gorgeous locks and put my rock star days behind me…
*NOTE* This post is a homage to Tammie…

My New Musical Obsession…

So a few months ago I sat down to watch my favorite Late Night show with Conan O'Brian and the musical guest was Australian singer/songwriter Missy Higgins. I have never cared for any of the upcoming artists making their debuts on the Late Night shows before, but couldn't help falling in love with her and her music. I quickly bought her new album and found her on Myspace. As soon as I found out that she was going to be playing in Salt Lake and as soon as tickets went on sale I bought them.

So last Tuesday we traveled down to SLC to send Misty home to Virginia and spent the following day with the 3Balls before going to the show that night. The opener was a guy by the name of Joshua Radin who specializes in Whisper Rock. I really enjoyed his music, but each song sounded the same and both Tiffiney and I were getting tired of standing while listening to such calming music. Many of the songs that Missy sings are also very quiet so I expected the rest of the night to be pretty low key. I was excited when she finally took the stage because it was much more upbeat than what I had anticipated.

Joshua Radin is a pretty popular artist and I wish I would have taken a picture with him because he was so accessible and we were pretty sure that the majority of the people present were there to see him, but my main event was Missy Higgins. Tiffiney was in a hurry at midnight to get home so I didn't have the luck of meeting her, but I did end up getting her guitar pick after the show. Anyway check out the clips below for some of my favorite songs performed. I didn't get many of the songs in full recorded so these are taken from earlier shows and in better sound quality.

SCAR:

BEAUTIFUL MIND:

1 Man Thriller…

In view of today being Halloween and me a fanatic of Michael Jackson I bring you a video made by the frenchman François Macré. Although the singing isn't top notch, this video ranks at the top of the genius poll…



Thanks to Jenny Blumberg for the link…

3 In 1 Party: Birthday/Farewell/Halloween…

Last Saturday we had a farewell party to Tiffiney's sister who had been living with us since July. For those that weren't aware she came for vacation and ended up getting stranded due to certain complications. She attended school, got a job at Subway, and even made some new friends during her stay. On October 25th we celebrated her 18th birthday at my sister's house with food, games, and a movie. Tiffiney did a great job organizing the small event and prepared the activities for the night, while I made the food. The majority of the people who were invited showed up and we all had a great time, even when the girls got scared during the hit movie Poltergeist.

*NOTE* By the way Tiffiney and I dressed up as The Dread Pirate Roberts and Buttercup from The Princess Bride…

You Belong In…

Tiffiney

You Belong in 1996

With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

What Year Do You Belong In?

Chris

You Belong in 1962

You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too.

What Year Do You Belong In?

Even The Very Elect…

As many of you know on Nov. 4th elections will be held and you will be given a chance to vote for the next president, but another item of importance that has been getting a lot of press is Proposition 8. In California they are debating whether gay marriage should be banned in the state. I usually don't jump into political affairs nor have I ever condoned someone for standing up for their personal beliefs, but couldn't help myself after having read more about the issue. In fact the church has even made statements regarding it and have urged all members to support the proposition to ban same sex marriage.

I will admit that I was one who was thought it strange that the church would make an official statement regarding the situation. I have always felt that people should be given the right to act for themselves and be treated equal, regardless of my religious beliefs. Little did I know how much of an impact this could have if the moral issues of society were not controlled. After reading I was stunned by some of the remarks by members of our own church, who said "I think it's important that the leadership of the church knows that we have varying opinions within the church and that we're not all in lockstep behind them,"

Anyway just thought I would do my part and spread the news for those that may not be as up to date on this issue. I also got this video from Adelyn (Wimpy) Withers which puts this into perspective for the future of our own children…



Thank You Adelyn

Pregnancy Sucks!

Don't get me wrong, I love that I am going to have a child. I also love that it was planned just right (we got blessed). But I don't love being pregnant. I feel like this poor child in the picture. I could pass out anywhere, anytime! Waiting to feel like myself again....
-Tiff

May 5, 2009…

For all those that already know, assumed, or for those who have yet to find out, our first little baby is on its way! We posted the hint early on, but have yet to officially announce it until now. We are way excited to be adding to our family, and even more excited to know that he/she is healthy. Our favorite part was watching him move as we had the ultrasound. Maybe she will be able to dance like her old man. Also we got a special hello as he looked at us straight on…



*NOTE* Ignore the creepy looking photos! I wanted to have fun with the pictures but they turned out more disturbing than I had envisioned.
Oh and I am sorry to dissapoint, but Katy you guessed wrong…

Whatever You Like…

"Weird Al" blesses us with a song for these difficult economic times, so enjoy…



Parody of T.I.'s song "Whatever You Like"

Coronado

This is a tasty breakfast meal and I wanted all to enjoy! It is called a Coronado; it came from Center Street Grill. It normally comes in a huge tortilla with melted cheddar cheese, two eggs, bacon, avocado, tomato, cilantro, and a side of salsa; it is AMAZING! This delicious burrito is over five dollars. If you can afford it, try it! As for me I make it at home with sausage instead of bacon (I am not a big fan of bacon), small tortilla with melted cheese, two egg, lots of tomatoes, a half of an avocado, and a side of salsa. I love veggies! It really is easy to make and most of you probably have the items in your fridge just waiting to become a Coronado!
-Tiff
P.S. How I do it, makes for two, and I eat it whenever.

What A Golden Beak…

In my Art History class we are currently studying Goya and his series of plates entitled Los Caprichos. Some of the art is interesting, but I have enjoyed the little thought provoking captions below each print more. Anyway I thought I would share these with you on a regular basis and my own interpretation on how I feel regarding them in today's society.

Plate #53


This looks a bit like an academic meeting. Perhaps the parrot is speaking about medicine? However, don't believe a word he says. There is many a doctor who has a "golden beak" when he is talking, but when he comes to prescriptions, he's a Herod; he can ramble on about pains, but can't cure them: he makes fools of sick people and fills the cemeteries with skulls.

During the next few months we will be listening to "parrots" in presidential debates. Sometimes they will use their "golden beak" to persuade you to vote one way or the other. In the past, I never had to pay so much attention as I do now. Not being happy with either of the candidates makes this election so much more difficult especially at a time when our nation is struggling through an economic crisis. I hope that if you vote you are educated enough to make the right decision and choose the parrot that can cure the pains…

The Frustration Of Rising To My Potential…

On multiple occasions Tiffiney has stated that one of the reasons she married me was because of the potential she saw in me and although already great in her eyes she recognized the man I could become. Through my life I have always been below the standard of what I was capable of. Loving parents, a caring wife, great friends, and a powerful uplifting patriarchal blessing could never convince me to rise to the occasion. "Getting by" was the standard I placed upon myself, knowing deep down inside I could amount to great things if I truly applied myself. As the natural man has overcome the spirtual giant hidden within, some of my dreams have been placed on hold while I patiently await what the future holds.

What the future holds is finally graduating from college and entering the real world where adults feed. Having friends that are already successful in their fields, sometimes makes the future appear bleak. My friends chose to be doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, etc. and many seem to have the coming times mapped out. I, on the other hand, chose to be an artist and in recent years I have become frustrated realizing that my former self of "getting by" would no longer work. My field is a lot more challenging than I had anticipated and the competition between each other can be daunting. I have come to recognize that I run rather than overcome, and now the end is nigh. The ledge is close and if I don't rise up to my potential I will fall as the world will continue to move around me…


NOTE: I originally wrote this post to ask for ideas about what makes me unique, but apparently my emotions took over. My assignment is to brand myself and I need help in coming up with a logo that stands for who I am and what I can contribute to the design world. Any help would be appreciated, because apparently my teacher hasn't liked any of my ideas so far. …

Where Are The Wild Things?

With all the movies being made based off books, I could never understand why no one had ever got around to making a movie based of the children's book Where The Wild Things Are. After browsing through my Nintendo news I came across an article discussing a game in the works which was to be based off of the book AND movie.

So I quickly searched for the any news regarding the film and found out some interesting tidbits. It is being made and was supposed to come out this fall, but got pushed back due to the studio's interest in reshooting different shots than what the director originally envisioned. I also discovered that Disney had the rights to the film as early as 1983 but ended up losing them when nothing was developed. Check out the concept HERE

Anyway I guess movie studios have wanted to make the movie, but just never got around to it until now. Makes you wonder how many other of your most anticipated movie ideas are still in the concept phase. Below is an example of the direction that the director wants to go and I really like the simple style. It was used to basically get the studio behind him and get funding for the movie. I hope it comes to fruition this time and we don't have to wait for many more years…

????????…

I Like To Singa…

This is one of my favorite cartoons growing up and I still enjoy it today. The tune popped into my head the other day so I thought I would post it for you to enjoy as well…

-Chris

An Emotional Wreck…

So let me first say that I have always enjoyed movies that pull at the heartstrings and touch us in ways that we normally wouldn't experience, but when I get emotional during an average movie such as Herbie: Fully Loaded something is seriously wrong with me. I have been watching a lot of movies lately and each one has almost brought a tear to my eye; not because they were overly dramatic, but for the little things embedded within that relates to everyday life or the simple hardships that mankind must overcome.

I don't get the option to see some of my favorite dramatic films lately because Tiffiney doesn't understand the enjoyment of crying during a theatrical production, so many of the movies I watch with her are comedies or action packed. I enjoy these just as much as the rest but to fill in the gap of the missing tear jerkers, it seems my mind is looking for that moral within the chaos to appreciate the little things. Although I complain about my wreck of emotions, it is the little things after all that matter most…

-Chris

50 Years of Magic...

Today marks the 50th birthday of Michael Joseph Jackson, one of the all time greatest entertainers of the last century. You all know too well how much of a fan I am of MJ and his influence on some of my talents and hobbies and regardless of what you think of him now, there is no denying the impact he has made in the business and in the lives of millions of others.

I was going to write about how great he is as a person and musician, but most of you already have your minds made up and some can't look past the his personal appearance when it comes to making your opinions. I find it funny how we are told not to judge a book by its cover, and yet we do just that to each other. So rather than explain the man in the mirror or praise his thriller achievements, I thought instead you could just see a glimpse of how and why he became the King of Pop!

-Chris

p.s. Check out the first song on my playlist to hear his most recent vocals. The song is a collaboration with Akon which will be featured on Akon's upcoming album. The man still sings like an angel...


*NOTE* Thanks to bigdb2984 from YouTube for the great video.

A Wedding Weekend…

This last weekend we went down to Salt Lake for "The Wedding of the Century". My sister Robyn went to the Bountiful temple to be sealed for all time an eternity to Matt Storms. We had a good time and it was nice to see everyone again. Their reception was held downtown Salt Lake at the Gallivan Center with dancing, punch, cake, and all you can eat ice cream with 15-20 different toppings. I was glad to participate and step out of the ordinary "Mormon" wedding with a meet and greet line and experience what we normally see in the movies, except not quite as glamorous.

Since we were staying the night at Jeff and Tammies we invited them over to enjoy the dance. Many of you know how Carter likes to shake his grove thing, and he ended up out dancing us all. Sadly he had to go to bed and was forced off the stage. In memory of the yummy ice cream Tiffiney and I took a quiz online about which flavor we are. I was pretty disappointed with my outcome, but I think Tiffiney's pretty much hit it right on. The only good thing I can think about being vanilla is that I mix well with all the other flavors…






*NOTE* Kim, Jennifer and the rest of the family were missed and we hope that all is still going good with the new baby…

Music and Me…

We recently went to the new movie Mamma Mia based off of the Broadway musical and had a blast. I am one of the many that has enjoyed the slow comeback of musical films and look forward to more in the future. As odd as it may seem to some about breaking out in song, it is something that I have grown up with and continue to enjoy today. In fact I still sing at the top of my lungs while driving with the windows down and on occasion Tiffiney and I will sing and dance in the living room.

I believe somewhere early on in my life I was given the gift of music, although I don't have talent to play a musical instrument or carry a tune. It may have been my dad's random made up songs or it could be my families love for Disney cartoons, and I am sure a part of it could be my religious background of singing hymns. Whatever the reason, I am thankful for having this music in me. I believe most all music can move us to do good and it has helped me get through a lot of difficulties in my own life.

Memories…

I decided to join in on the fun happening over at The Life and Times of the Wassom Clan and begin a memory game. Although I know few people actually check this blog it is always fun to reminisce. Anyway the rules are quite simple; respond in the comments section regarding a memory of you and I together and if you are up to the challenge repost this same game in your blog for me to respond…

-Chris

Hyde Park Celebration…

I am playing catch up and one of the activities that we recently participated in was the infamous Hyde Park Celebration. I love this more than the Logan fireworks because everyone that I grew up with usually attends and there is free dancing included (check out The3Balls for the dance videos). We had a great time, but I realized how out of shape I was when trying to dance to a few songs in a row. My sister is getting married in a couple of weeks and I hope her shindig in Salt Lake will be as much as fun with all types of music, but what I really hope is that I will have the stamina to go all night…



***UPDATE: Tammie sent me a link to a video of Tiffiney and I dancing at the party and you can check it out HERE

Bear Lake Bash…

Last Monday we finally got the chance to go to Bear Lake. Tiffiney is an amazing person and loves to go outside and experience the world, but often times her husband gets tired and stays in the house doing boring things. However with our new daughter things are a little different. Tiffiney's sister Misty is visiting us for a month and we are trying to make her feel as welcome as possible by giving her a good time. Sometimes it is difficult when we work opposite shifts, but at the request of my wife I got Monday off so we could hang out together. We had a day in the sun and the water was perfectly clear and warm. We bought us a water toy and finally used our life jackets we bought last year; I always plan on going outside by buying things, but I never use them. Tiffiney also packed us our lunch and treats and individually wrapped each made-to-order sandwich with our initials. Although I am hesitant about listening to the demands of my wife, in the end I am thankful I do. I always enjoy the activities we share and look forward to future experiences together…

-Chris

Sadly the fun ended as soon as we left the beach. Although we used sun tan lotion, apparently it wasn't enough. My back, Misty's legs and even Tiffiney's non-burnable skin received some UV damage. I don't care how water proof the lotion is I am reapplying it everytime I exit the water so I can avoid this happeing again…

Home Sweet Home…

That isn't an actual picture of my house, but after spending one month abroad running from landmark to monument, it is really good to be home. I have decided that one month is about perfect for vacation if the finances allow it; any longer and I probably couldn't walk anymore. I wouldn't mind living in another country for an extended period of time and casually seeing the sites, but rushing from here to there really takes a toll on my body. Anyway now you can all call me again and hang out, cause I know how bad you have missed us…

-Chris

*SHOUT OUT* to Jeff B regarding the time trials; I already have 5 under my belt and it only took me 20 minutes…

Swiss Update #3…

A wise man once said that there must need be opposition in all things. A more simpler guy probably said everyone has ups and downs. During our last week of the schooling session of Switzerland I managed to misplace my camera on train and ended up losing about 3-4 days worth of pictures. The pictures are a sad loss, but more depressing is the loss of the camera. Ryan and Mckenzie know too well how much Digital SLRs costs and I just hope we find it before the trip comes to an end. Luckily I bought Tiffiney a point-and-shoot before we left so we had means of taking photos for Paris and Belgium.

We'll always have Paris and after looking through our collection of pictures we'll always have plenty shots of the Eiffel Tower proving we were there. It was a hectic two days getting as much in as we could but Tiffiney kept up with me until we got to a more relaxed area with my parents in Belgium. As mentioned before we saw the Eiffel Tower but we also went to the Louvre museum, Notre Dame cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, etc. In Belgium we visited the Atomium, the small town of Brugge, and the Grand Plaza in Brussels.

Anyway enough with the chatter, just enjoy the pictures…

-Chris

Swiss Update #2

Enjoy some more pictures! We have been all over the place and still have one more week of museums, cathedrals and then it is off to Paris...

Here are some video clips of our travels. First are the Cow Fights that take place up in the Alps. They gather muscled pregnant cows and they compete for their space with the others. It is somewhat of a hit and miss when they get upset enough to run down their competition, but Tiffiney got some good shots of a few that fought for quite some time. It is just another excuse to gather friends and have a barbeque cause I never found out which team won! The second clip is Tiffiney riding on our favorite park toy. It is like a merry-go-round, but with pedals so it is like riding a bike in circles until you throw up...

Swiss Update #1…

Well the community computers are hard to get time on, especially since we are so busy traveling from place to place so many of updates will be brief, but the pictures should give you an idea of our travels. We arrived on the 2nd of June and in 5 days have already gone to 2 castles and some ancient ruins, lived with monks in the monastery, and snow shoed the Alps in both Switzerland and Italy. It has been a blast and very tiring but worth every moment. When I get more time I will tell you more, but enjoy the pictures for now…

Friend Fiesta…

Last Saturday we had a little get-together with my friends down in Salt Lake and we went out to lunch at Biaggi's, a restaraunt suggested by my sister. The food was good, but spending time with friends made the experience. Afterwards we went to Hogle Zoo and checked out the depressed animals. I tried my best to take shots that improved their sad situations.

Finally we ended up at the Wassom's for the After Party playing Rock Band and eating popcorn. It was great to see everyone in person and spend some quality time. I mentioned before how my family often gets together but I also have been lucky to have good friends growing up who know how to have a good time without the negative influences of the world. It is something I appreciate more than they know and something I miss while everyone moves on with their personal families. Thanks for the good times…

-Chris