Sunday, June 28, 2009

TIMELESS…


I am sure the entire world has already heard the news, but I am just barely coming to terms with the idea of a world without Michael Jackson. For those that have already spoken to me you are aware how funny it is to grieve for someone that I don't even know. After supporting and defending him and following his life and music for 10+ years however, I start to believe I did know him on a personal level. So may you rest in peace, Michael. Thanks for the music…

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Saved By The Bell Reunion



Zack Morris made an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and he hasn't aged a bit. For all the fans out there, Jimmy Fallon is attempting to reunite the class together again, and only Kelly and Screech are left to confirm their appearance. Check out the awesome video above for some SBTB memories. This is one reunion I support fully…

Saturday, June 6, 2009

RECIPES: Asparagus Risotto…


To add some variety to our blog, I thought I would share recipes every now and then. On occasion (usually Sundays) Tiffiney and I will set out to cook something new to eat. We have a few big cook books and try to add some spice into our meals by selecting a recipe, buying the ingredients the night before, and attempting to cook something good for dinner. We have had some successes in the past as well as some major fails, so I will also share what works and what didn't as well as tips that may help those who attempt to make these dishes. We will start out with a recent dish that was very successful. I was proud of how it turned out.

Asparagus Risotto:
1kg (2lb 4oz) asparagus
500ml (2cups) chicken stock
500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
360g (1 2/3 cups) risotto rice (arborio, vialone nano or carnaroli)
70g (2 1/2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons thick (double/heavy) cream

1. Wash the asparagus and remove the woody ends (hold each spear at both ends and bend it gently-it will snap at its natural breaking point). Separate the tender spear tips from the stems.

2. Cook the asparagus stems in boiling water for 8 minutes, or until very tender. Drain and place in a blender with the chicken and vegetable stocks. Blend for 1 minute, then put in a saucepan, bring to boil and maintain at a low simmer.

3. Cook the asparagus tips in boiling water for 1 minute, drain and refresh in iced water.

4. Heat the oil in a large wide heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion and cook until soft but not browned. Stir in the rice, season, and reduce the heat to low. Stir in a ladleful of the stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring continuously. When the stock has been absorbed, stir in another ladleful. Continue like this for about 20 minutes, until all the stock has been added and the rice is al dente. (You may not use all the stock, or you may need a little extra - every risotto will be slightly different.) Add the Parmesan and cream and gently stir in the asparagus tips. Season.

TIPS: Don't rush this meal, and give it the TLC that it needs. Tiffiney made fun of me because I kept picking out the brown onions so it would look perfect. The hardest part is making sure the rice cooks thoroughly and not burning it in the process.

PHOTOS- left: what the book showed, right: how it turned out

Monday, June 1, 2009

She's Growing Little By Little…



So after graduating, quitting my job, and starting my new job, I think I can get back into the swing of things updating you with our lives. Right now the center of our attention is focused on little Lariah or, as our Sunday School class is calling her, La La Ri Ri. She is growing up now and she is letting us know by always wanting to be fed. Also, after some difficulty, she is learning to take the binky and comfort herself rather than always wanting to be held, in turn giving mom some free time to herself.

We recently went to Idaho Falls over Memorial Day Weekend and had a good cookout. Tiffiney's dad always spoils me knowing how little red meat I eat in our own home. We got to see Samantha's baby as well who was born shortly after Lariah. It will be fun having the two kids so close; Lariah and Araya will definitely be close cousins. It was a good time and we look forward to going back over the 4th of July weekend. Speaking of weekends, It is so nice to always have Saturdays and Sundays off, as well as having the nights off…

Sunday, May 10, 2009

MOM…

Celebrating the greatest new mom in the world…


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

DAD


Dad your great!


Just too cute not to share!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Lariah Ann Saunders: Take Two…


May 2, 2009
Weight: 6lbs 9oz
Length: 19.5 inches

Here's the official non-April Fool's Day Story:
Tiffiney told me early on that this baby wouldn't be coming until I got my homework done. By the time she had enough of the whole pregnancy, she was getting on my case about turning in my final essays so Lariah could be born. She was praying a lot that everything would go well, and it seems God was listening intently.

I was preparing for graduation and in order to do this required my procrastination skills to be put aside for a few days. I prepared and studied a little for my final on Monday and then I finished my website, printed my portfolio, and had my final BFA exhibition on Tuesday. The only thing holding me back were a few essays I had yet to finish in my Evolution class.

On Thursday Tiffiney's doctor swiped her membranes in hopes of progressing her more than she had been; she hadn't felt any contractions yet. Early that week I had the option of having a job interview on Thursday or Friday. Once again Tiffiney assumed that this baby's birthday relied on me getting my responsibilites in order and out of the way. She wanted the Thursday appointment, but as I didn't have school anymore I let the company decide on the best day; they chose Friday.

That afternoon, I ended up finalizing my essays and sending them in before heading to work. Friday morning came and I got dressed all fancy for my interview. It went well and I came home thinking that the membrane swipe wouldn't have much effect because she still hadn't felt anything. Tiffiney is not one to so easily give up, so she planned a short walk.

Well I have been eager to install the carseat, so if she felt there was still a chance I figured we should be prepared. As soon as the carseat was latched and tightened, Tiffiney gave a surprise "I think my water just broke." Since it was just a leak she didn't want to spend the whole day in the hospital so we began our walk. After we went around the block, and made a call to confirm the leakage, we went home and called the hospital. They told us to come right in and as for the rest of the story, well they lived happily ever after…

Saturday, April 25, 2009

And The Countdown Begins…



We are anticipating the arrival of our little daughter within the next few weeks, although the quicker the better as mommy has hit her breaking point. Above is a quick recap of what has happened so far. Hopefully we will be holding the baby in our arms soon instead of trying to give her affection through the belly…

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Dreams Do Come True…

I know many of you enjoy your American Idol and on occasion I enjoy catching up by watching YouTube clips of the contestants, but overall I think Britains Got Talent is a much better show. If any of you have watched it before you have probably seen a little girl named Connie that stunned the judges some time ago, but the story I want to share is on the other side of the spectrum with a woman almost in her 50s.



These are those moments where I really enjoy "reality" TV. Just like the sappy show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I get so emotional about these types of stories. I make fun of it until they say "move that bus" and then it justs pulls me in. The same can be said about Susan Boyle. As soon as she sang the first line and the audience was blown away by her performance my heart melted. The song choice was perfect and I am glad that her dream came true, even if it wasn't on a Broadway stage…

*NOTE* YouTube is disabling the embed features so if the video above doesn't work you can check it out HERE

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Lariah Ann Saunders…


Weight: 5 lbs 3oz
Length: 18 inches

She is beautiful and everything is fine, but due to time I will tell the story later…







APRIL FOOLS!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Guess The Movie Game…


My friend Ashley just finished her rendition of this game on her blog so I figured I would continue the trend. Anyway here are the rules if you want to do it yourself:

A-Pick 20 favorite movies
B-Go to IMDB and find a quote from each movie
C-Post them for others to guess
D-Include an actor's name as a hint and check off each quote when it's guessed correctly
E-Enjoy…

1. "You know what music is? God's little reminder that there's something else besides us in this universe…" (Keri Russell)

2. "You always, always say 'Be true to yourself,' but you never say which part of yourself to be true to! Well, I finally figured out who I am: I am your ward." (Samuel L. Jackson)

3. "No one cares about the man in the box, the man who disappears." (Michael Caine)

4. "Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid." (Geoffrey Rush)

5. "It all makes sense! In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain's going to be? He's the exact opposite of the hero. And most times they're friends, like you and me!" (Bruce Willis)

6. "I don't exactly know what I am required to say in order for you to have intercourse with me. But could we assume that I said all that. I mean essentially we are talking about fluid exchange right? So could we go just straight to the sex." (Jennifer Connelly)

7. "The game starts now. You have to score one thousand points. If you do that, you take home a tank with a big gun. Each day we will announce the scores from that loudspeaker. The one who has the fewest points will have to wear a sign that says 'Jackass' on his back. There are three ways to lose points. One, turning into a big crybaby. Two, telling us you want to see your mommy. Three, saying you're hungry and want something to eat." (Roberto Benigni)

8. "You've heard of the golden rule, haven't you? Whoever has the gold makes the rules." (Robin Williams)

9. "It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you. (Cate Blanchett)

10. "I fell so completely in love with these shoes, I bought enough pairs to last my whole lifetime. This is my last pair." (Natalie Portman)

11. "No, sir, I have no experience but I'm a big fan of money. I like it, I use it, I have a little. I keep it in a jar on top of my refrigerator. I'd like to put more in that jar. That's where you come in." (Drew Barrymore)

12. "It was Dad. I swear! Dressed like a homeless man. And you know what else was strange? A business man and a woman with a little dog came out of nowhere and forced him onto a bus." (Ed Harris)

13. "So the combination is... one, two, three, four, five? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! The kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!" (John Candy)

14. "You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" (Cary Elwes)

15. "Yea, if I could just have the thing and give it to you now, I totally would. But I'm guessing it looks probably like a sea monkey right now and we should let it get a little cuter." (Michael Cera)

16. "I'll tell you what a paramecium is! That's the paramecium! It's a one-celled critter with no brain, that can't fly! Don't mess with me man, I'm a lawyer!" (Dustin Hoffman)

17. "Y'know, this was supposed to be my weekend off, but noooo. You got me out here draggin' your heavy ass through the burnin' desert with your dreadlocks stickin' out the back of my parachute. You gotta come down here with an attitude, actin' all big and bad..." (Jeff Goldblum)

18. "They say that the best weapon is the one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That's how Dad did it, that's how America does it... and it's worked out pretty well so far." (Gwyneth Paltrow)

19. "Mind tricks don't work on me. Only money. No money, no parts, no deal!" (Liam Neeson)

20. "My balloons. Those are my balloons. He stole my balloons! Why didn't somebody tell me he had one of those... things?" (Michael Keaton)

Friday, March 27, 2009

There's One In All Of Us…


I mentioned this before, but now the trailer has released and it looks amazing. They are turning one of the most simple beloved children's classics into a loving and moving movie. I hope it ends up as good as it looks. I love the design of this movie. You can check out the trailer HERE…

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Tagged: Photophiles…

Once again I have been tagged to share a photo from my many files. This time taking from the 6th folder and posting the 6th photo. I usually have a place for photos on my desktop, but since most of you don't care about my mission as much, I will post the 6th photo from the Pictures menu.


This was taken when Tiffiney's sister was visiting us and she wanted to update her Myspace page with more photos. So they got the camera turned on in Photo Booth and began their photoshoot. They had a lot of fun with changing the modes and filters and came out with a lot of good shots. If you look closely I was present, but obviously not as important to the final picture.
TAG, Cheez, Ashley, Julie, and Heather, YOU'RE IT…

*NOTE*
Here is the official 6th photo from the 6th file taken from my photos folder. I didn't take the photo, but I thought it was still kinda cool. My mission president sent it to us when it snowed in Madrid.


Thursday, March 12, 2009

Mormon Temples…

It has recently been announced that the HBO series Big Love will be showing what happens in a temple ceremony as well as displaying the ordinances and clothing. The episode is scheduled to be shown this Sunday. The Church has made their official statement HERE and I ask that you read it thoroughly before taking any action.

Being bombarded with a lot of crap on YouTube I was unware of the great things you could find there as well. Apparently The Church has an account and recently updated it with the following video. Rather than follow the negative rumors that will air during the HBO broadcast I felt it would be better to focus on the positive…

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Baby Shower, Baby Bed, Baby Countdown…


We recently went to Idaho Falls for a baby shower before the storm. Tiffiney originally didn't want to have one, but since her sister is also pregnant they agreed to have one together. We came away with a lot of cute clothing and a few essentials for the coming newborn. It was nice to get away but wasn't long enough.

After having already bought the crib and bedding we were eager to get home to organize everything the best we could. I say the 'the best we could' because obviously it is difficult to make an appropriate nursery when you live with me. I like to store everything and since I hold onto everything I buy, I tend to run out of space quickly; which is why Lariah will sleep next to the Guitar Hero, iMac, and TV boxes (seen below). Anyway we finally got the mattress and made the bed so we can patiently await our little one;

Friday, February 27, 2009

Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy…



The best thing that will come out of the economic crash is this. It is funny how people take things for granted. The other day Tiffiney and I were discussing what to do about our phone bill because we have a good deal and yet we continue to run out of minutes. Should we upgrade the plan or not? Anyway we talked about going back to a house phone and laughed at the thought of it.

Technology is so great and once you have enjoyed something better it is difficult to go back. For this reason I love playing video games and watching HD television on my LCD screen. I lost my Digital SLR camera in Switzerland and am now saving up for a new one, but am getting a better model. I can't stand using the internet at my parent's house because it won't load YouTube videos fast enough. What has happened to us? Take a break from the world and relax…

Monday, February 9, 2009

Live Life To The Fullest…


“Life can only be understood looking backward. It must be lived forward.”

Well Tiffiney and I finally got around to seeing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button this last Saturday after missing it when it first came out and then it being sold out on another occasion. We may be late to the party, but we saved money in the end by going to the Cinefour theater. Anyway I wanted to share this quote from the movie that is spoken near the end of the film. I really liked it and it puts the things that are important in life in perspective, at least for me anyway. It will definitely be a part of my life forever…
pause for a second and then read:

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be.
There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want.
You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing.
We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it.
And I hope you see things that startle you.
I hope you feel things you never felt before.
I hope you meet people with a different point of view.
I hope you live a life you’re proud of.
If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”


*NOTE it reminds me of Baz Luhrman's song/poem "Everbody's Free (o Wear Sunscreen)"

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Tagged: Interesting and Random…

So it has been quite some time since I was asked to do a tagged post and I never got around to it. Lately another friend invited me to do it and now I decided to finally get it accomplished. The first one, from Taryl, was "7 Interesting Things About Myself" and the other, from Jamie, was "6 Random Things About Me." Rather than separating them into two equal posts I combined them for one great one, so enjoy!

1. My name is Chris, and I am a Popcorn addict; I could live off of it if given the choice. I mainly stick to the buttery goodness of movie theater style but any flavor will grab my attention and have me coming back for more. Sometimes this addiction is a painful one because I normally don't like carmel popcorn, but by some strange phenomenon I would eat an entire bowl if placed in my site.

2. Along with popcorn, is an eventual movie. I love movies and would love to spend an entire day in the theaters checking out the newest flicks. Sadly I don't have that kind of money or that kind of time, and have had to choose more fulfilling vocations. Also most depressing is the fact that most great films are rated R and I have chosen not to view them. So you will find it even more sad that when a good film is released in a suitable rating my wife doesn't find it interesting and would rather avoid it. I love a thought provoking movie and often those are sad or sometimes depressing, and being the cheerful person she is, she tries to avoid disappointment. To her credit though, she has been more accepting lately.

3. There was a time when I loved to shop. I still do but not as much as I used to. This is mainly due to the fact that shopping isn't always fun when you know you can't buy anything. However I still find opportunities to pick up something for myself every now and then. In a world where women seem to be the dominant shoppers, I am proud to say that there have been days where even Tiffiney was tired by me taking her from store to store. Regardless of our agenda, she always allows me to visit the electronics section even though I have seen the stuff many times before.

4. In the electronics store I get to check out music, tvs, movies, and video games, but it is the latter where I spend most of my time. So interesting fact #4 goes to my hobby of gaming. It is no surprise that I enjoy video games, but the sad thing is that I spend more time reading about them than actually sitting down and enjoying the the game I purchased. I am always looking out for the next best thing.

5. I hate garnished food. I was spoiled with great food when I went on my mission to the Canary Islands. I didn't have a lot of free meals, but the ones I did have were an absolute dream. Because of this I have never been fond of Mexican food. It may be the American's interpretation of Mexico but I hate the extra garnish of guacamole and sour cream that is accompanied with every dish. I know it adds to the appeal when you add color to the plate, but couldn't you have just cooked it like that instead of adding it later. I believe a dish should be prepared, cooked, and served as it was initially planned. Anything else added leads me to believe that the food doesn't taste good. This also applies to those that add steak sauce to an already perfect seasoned sirloin.

6. Obviously I like food, but I usually hate taking the time to prepare it myself. On Sundays, Tiffiney and I like to grab one of our cook books and try out new recipes. This is fun when doing it together or preparing it for visiting guests, but throughout the rest of the week I am not so eager to spend the time. Rather than eating a well balanced meal, you will often find me eating ice cream, juice, a slice of bread, or other quick snacks; rarely will you find me eating a full meal in one sitting.

7. Oh and for those that don't know, I have seizures. Maybe it is my lack of diet, my sleep deprivation, internet obbession, or my already mentally challenged brain, but they have cost me a lot of money and grades. Thankfully I am on the road to recovery and the bills will soon be paid and graduation is on the horizon…

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Life As A Musical…

I have seen this T-Mobile ad a couple times the last few days I since I haven't updated my blog for some time, I decided to share it with you. Look how much fun life could be if we all just got along and enjoyed the moment. I have often dreamed of what life would be like as a musical, and this is about as close as it gets…

Friday, January 9, 2009

Blogging Addiction…

I may not blog as much as some people in the world because of other responsibilities in my life, but I love doing so. I like to speak my mind and tell the few people that read my stuff about my life. Lately there has been a lot of things I have wanted to speak about and felt that it may interfere with my family blog so I quietly omit posting anything. Anyway to fix this situation I decided to start another blog. You can check it out HERE, if you want to hear my rants and opinions…