We haven't posted any family pictures from our recent October activities. We've had a fairly busy October and wanted to share a tiny bit with our family and friends. Enjoy . . .
Nelson Family Deer Hunt Weekend
Lexie and her cousin Shelby LOVE to throw rocks in the little river and are entertained for hours collecting and throwing rocks and sticks. Their newest adventure is using the longer sticks to fish.
Kirin's Birthday Party
My friend and old mission companion invited Lexie to attend her son's 5th Birthday party at Bouncing Off The Walls. Lexie had a ball and would spend hours on the "Monster Slide" every day if it were possible. She loves to jump and slide so this party was right up her alley.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Video Time!
Well, we haven't posted for a little while; things have been pretty busy and I picked up some extra shifts so I've kind of lived at the hospital for the past week and a half. We have some pictures to put up from the past week, but we haven't had a chance to upload them to the web just yet, so in the mean time, I decided to post another favorite video in the wildly successful "Video Time!" post series. I'm sure you've all been DYING for the next installment :)
First, a quick story: I was at my friend Dan's house the other night when I casually mentioned that I saw the movie version of "Mamma Mia" with Stacie on our anniversary. Dan proceeded to rip me up one side and down the other, threatening to revoke my man card among other physical threats after hearing such disturbing news. I tried to explain that I let Stacie choose the movie (it was even the sing-along version) because she took me to Skybox for dinner and tried to talk to me while I sat in front of 500 televisions showing sports, but he was truly disgusted with my news. Dan's dislike of musicals is legendary, and we had just finished watching a very poor football game, so I took his vitriol with a grain of salt. I also confessed that watching that movie made any James Bond movie starring Pierce Brosnan entirely unwatchable. Watching him belt out "S.O.S." with Meryl Streep was absolutely jarring. You can watch it here if you dare. The distorted view and German subtitles will only add more flavor to your nightmares. Fast forward to the 3:31 mark for the most heinous part. Yikes. But you have been warned; there are some things that you can't un-see.
That said, I enjoy ABBA's music. We grew up listening to ABBA; I remember being jealous when my cousin Missy's family got "Super Trooper" on 8-track, and we had a collection of ABBA videos on a videotape that got repeated watching. Music videos were in their infancy, so these were pretty cutting edge. I could never remember which girl was which, but I always remembered that Benny was the dude with full beard and fluffy hair, and Bjorn was the guy who looked like Vizzini in "The Princess Bride" (not the hair). They were the musical geniuses of the group, but in today's image-conscious market, they might have been left behind the scenes. Maybe not; it WAS the 70's after all. Today's video, then, comes from their enormous video vault. I didn't go with "Mamma Mia" or "Dancing Queen" or one of the songs that you hear on the radio frequently. I did, however, choose ABBA's best song HANDS DOWN. Please enjoy:
I understand that what little manhood I had left after admitting to being an ABBA fan is completely gone after proclaiming "Gimme Gimme Gimme A Man After Midnight" their best work, but it truly is. And as way of disclaimer, I never demand a man, either before or after midnight. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
What a great song! It's certainly straight from the disco era, with the synthesizer beat, and keyboard rise and fall. I love how it builds and builds up to the chorus, thumping faster and faster...then POW! "Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight...won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?". The chorus and the beat are awesome. Can't say that I really understand the lyrics...maybe it's a Swedish thing. My brother Nate served his mission in Sweden, so he may have a little insight. The girl in the song might need a late night man to help her dig up some rotting fish to eat or something. The video itself is just alright; it's one of those "let's pretend we're recording the song and film it" videos that seems like a cop out. It has the requisite faux shots of the band sitting behind the mixing board, turning dials and debating production of the song. In reality, I'm guessing that Benny and Bjorn sent the girls out for cigarettes and more blue eyeliner while they tweaked the recordings. You can see them mailing it in; at the 2:41 mark Bjorn is singing/lipsnyching something...just not the music that is playing. It's like they ran out of video so they just shoe horned a shot of him in there to fill space. And at the very end, Anni (the brunette) keeps looking at someone to the right with her hands on her headphones, like she's saying "Did you get it? Now? Are we done? Did you get enough footage?" until she pulls off the headphones with relief. Hey, that lipsynching is a tough gig.
The worst part about the video is that this is the shorter version of the song. I found a longer version, but it is a fan video that is basically the song with still pictures spliced together. it kills me that the last 15 seconds or so is just blank, while the music plays out. I guess whomever put the video together couldn't find a couple more pictures of the gang, or they didn't know how to extend each picture to stretch it out to cover the length of the song.
The best part about the longer version comes at the 2:34mark when they sing the chorus one step higher then the synthesizer comes in and goes "AH AH AH AH AH AH AH". I usually sing that part as loud as possible (including the AHs), especially if I'm alone. I can tell you that my performance is positively Brosnon-esque, so I tend to keep that one to myself. Great tune, though.
First, a quick story: I was at my friend Dan's house the other night when I casually mentioned that I saw the movie version of "Mamma Mia" with Stacie on our anniversary. Dan proceeded to rip me up one side and down the other, threatening to revoke my man card among other physical threats after hearing such disturbing news. I tried to explain that I let Stacie choose the movie (it was even the sing-along version) because she took me to Skybox for dinner and tried to talk to me while I sat in front of 500 televisions showing sports, but he was truly disgusted with my news. Dan's dislike of musicals is legendary, and we had just finished watching a very poor football game, so I took his vitriol with a grain of salt. I also confessed that watching that movie made any James Bond movie starring Pierce Brosnan entirely unwatchable. Watching him belt out "S.O.S." with Meryl Streep was absolutely jarring. You can watch it here if you dare. The distorted view and German subtitles will only add more flavor to your nightmares. Fast forward to the 3:31 mark for the most heinous part. Yikes. But you have been warned; there are some things that you can't un-see.
That said, I enjoy ABBA's music. We grew up listening to ABBA; I remember being jealous when my cousin Missy's family got "Super Trooper" on 8-track, and we had a collection of ABBA videos on a videotape that got repeated watching. Music videos were in their infancy, so these were pretty cutting edge. I could never remember which girl was which, but I always remembered that Benny was the dude with full beard and fluffy hair, and Bjorn was the guy who looked like Vizzini in "The Princess Bride" (not the hair). They were the musical geniuses of the group, but in today's image-conscious market, they might have been left behind the scenes. Maybe not; it WAS the 70's after all. Today's video, then, comes from their enormous video vault. I didn't go with "Mamma Mia" or "Dancing Queen" or one of the songs that you hear on the radio frequently. I did, however, choose ABBA's best song HANDS DOWN. Please enjoy:
I understand that what little manhood I had left after admitting to being an ABBA fan is completely gone after proclaiming "Gimme Gimme Gimme A Man After Midnight" their best work, but it truly is. And as way of disclaimer, I never demand a man, either before or after midnight. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
What a great song! It's certainly straight from the disco era, with the synthesizer beat, and keyboard rise and fall. I love how it builds and builds up to the chorus, thumping faster and faster...then POW! "Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight...won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?". The chorus and the beat are awesome. Can't say that I really understand the lyrics...maybe it's a Swedish thing. My brother Nate served his mission in Sweden, so he may have a little insight. The girl in the song might need a late night man to help her dig up some rotting fish to eat or something. The video itself is just alright; it's one of those "let's pretend we're recording the song and film it" videos that seems like a cop out. It has the requisite faux shots of the band sitting behind the mixing board, turning dials and debating production of the song. In reality, I'm guessing that Benny and Bjorn sent the girls out for cigarettes and more blue eyeliner while they tweaked the recordings. You can see them mailing it in; at the 2:41 mark Bjorn is singing/lipsnyching something...just not the music that is playing. It's like they ran out of video so they just shoe horned a shot of him in there to fill space. And at the very end, Anni (the brunette) keeps looking at someone to the right with her hands on her headphones, like she's saying "Did you get it? Now? Are we done? Did you get enough footage?" until she pulls off the headphones with relief. Hey, that lipsynching is a tough gig.
The worst part about the video is that this is the shorter version of the song. I found a longer version, but it is a fan video that is basically the song with still pictures spliced together. it kills me that the last 15 seconds or so is just blank, while the music plays out. I guess whomever put the video together couldn't find a couple more pictures of the gang, or they didn't know how to extend each picture to stretch it out to cover the length of the song.
The best part about the longer version comes at the 2:34mark when they sing the chorus one step higher then the synthesizer comes in and goes "AH AH AH AH AH AH AH". I usually sing that part as loud as possible (including the AHs), especially if I'm alone. I can tell you that my performance is positively Brosnon-esque, so I tend to keep that one to myself. Great tune, though.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Lexie's guys
It's very possible that you have been introduced to Lexie's guys (perhaps even multiple times!), but for those of you who haven't had the pleasure, please let me provide some background information.
"Guys" is a blanket term for any of the stuffed animals that Lexie transports/plays with/throws when she is mad. A comprehensive list of guys would probably have 25-30 entries. But for all intents and purposes, when you talk about her guys, you're talking about what I like to call "the fab four" (side note: I don't like the Beatles, so I'm actually referring to Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy).
1. Toby : Toby is a turtle who came to us via Build-A-Bear when her Aunt Cindee and Aunt Dawnie took her there shortly after her first birthday. Toby is Lexie's go-to guy. He has traveled many miles with her, and has a habit of saying "I love you" when you push his arm. Toby would be like Mickey in my analogy; he is the front man of the band. When we were watching Toby being "born", I had no idea how much Lexie would be attached to him. He has certainly been well loved...and shows signs of how well loved he is. Toby had to have some minor surgery with the Build-A-Bear plastic surgeon about a year ago, but he had a 100% recovery and is still going strong.
2. Bunny: Bunny is the original member of the entourage. Bunny was a shower gift from Auntie Missy and as I think about it, has been with Lexie since her first day at home. Bunny is one of those 12" square soft blankets with a bunny head attached to it, which made it perfect for Lexie to cuddle with from day one. When she got a little bit older, there was a certain way that she had to hold Bunny, with one finger tucked underneath just so. Bunny has actually been given to Toby, and sleeps with him always (I guess this shows how much Lexie adores Toby). Bunny is the Minnie of the group. She is attached at the hip to Toby, always at his side.
3. Doggy: Doggy is similar to Bunny, except he obviously has a dog head instead of a bunny head. Doggy came into our lives in a most curious way. One night, when Lexie was not quite a year old, her diaper leaked in the middle of the night, leaving us with a wet crib sheet and no options. For some reason, we didn't have another sheet to put on, so I had to race to Wal-Mart for a 3:00 a.m. visit (which, by the way, is the ONLY time that it isn't busy). Bunny, unfortunately, was a wet casualty as well, so Stacie instructed me to find not only a sheet, but a suitable (albeit temporary) replacement for Bunny while he was getting clean. Easier said than done...YOU try replacing an icon. Doggy was the answer, and when I returned home we put her back to bed with dry sheets and a new friend. Lexie found room in her crib and her heart for a new guy, and once Doggy was presentable, she latched on to both of them, and they became a formidable duo; akin to those memorable buddy movies with Mickey and Donald.
Last, but not least-
4. Whitey: Lest you think that we are encouraging racial stereotypes on Lexie at an early age, Whitey is actually a white alligator. We were visiting Hogle Zoo one day, and at the end of the white alligator exhibit was a stuffed white alligator with blue eyes. Lexie took a liking to him, and he came home with us. In a shocking turn of events, Whitey cracked into the guy triumvirate of Toby, Doggy, and Bunny, and has been a solid #4 ever since. If Whitey had to be named after his appearance today, it would likely be "Dusty" instead of Whitey, because he is showing the mileage on his tires, but he is still beloved. Whitey is like the Goofy of the group; he is a integral part of it, but is prone to going off on his own adventures. He was missing for a day, only to be found behind the bed. Then, we couldn't find him for several days, only to have him turn up in one of Lexie's bags. These adventures never cause the panic that a missing Toby would, but when he reappears, it is celebrated with all of the joy of the Prodigal Son coming home.
The main impetus for my posting this was what I found in our living room this morning when I was fixing breakfast for Lexie:
Lexie was getting a tea party ready, and in her words "didn't want her guys to get cold", so she carefully tucked them in while she fixed all of the dishes. I really think that she will be a good big sister; especially if she takes care of him as well as she takes care of her guys. As long as she doesn't throw her little brother when she's mad, we'll be alright!
"Guys" is a blanket term for any of the stuffed animals that Lexie transports/plays with/throws when she is mad. A comprehensive list of guys would probably have 25-30 entries. But for all intents and purposes, when you talk about her guys, you're talking about what I like to call "the fab four" (side note: I don't like the Beatles, so I'm actually referring to Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy).
1. Toby : Toby is a turtle who came to us via Build-A-Bear when her Aunt Cindee and Aunt Dawnie took her there shortly after her first birthday. Toby is Lexie's go-to guy. He has traveled many miles with her, and has a habit of saying "I love you" when you push his arm. Toby would be like Mickey in my analogy; he is the front man of the band. When we were watching Toby being "born", I had no idea how much Lexie would be attached to him. He has certainly been well loved...and shows signs of how well loved he is. Toby had to have some minor surgery with the Build-A-Bear plastic surgeon about a year ago, but he had a 100% recovery and is still going strong.
2. Bunny: Bunny is the original member of the entourage. Bunny was a shower gift from Auntie Missy and as I think about it, has been with Lexie since her first day at home. Bunny is one of those 12" square soft blankets with a bunny head attached to it, which made it perfect for Lexie to cuddle with from day one. When she got a little bit older, there was a certain way that she had to hold Bunny, with one finger tucked underneath just so. Bunny has actually been given to Toby, and sleeps with him always (I guess this shows how much Lexie adores Toby). Bunny is the Minnie of the group. She is attached at the hip to Toby, always at his side.
3. Doggy: Doggy is similar to Bunny, except he obviously has a dog head instead of a bunny head. Doggy came into our lives in a most curious way. One night, when Lexie was not quite a year old, her diaper leaked in the middle of the night, leaving us with a wet crib sheet and no options. For some reason, we didn't have another sheet to put on, so I had to race to Wal-Mart for a 3:00 a.m. visit (which, by the way, is the ONLY time that it isn't busy). Bunny, unfortunately, was a wet casualty as well, so Stacie instructed me to find not only a sheet, but a suitable (albeit temporary) replacement for Bunny while he was getting clean. Easier said than done...YOU try replacing an icon. Doggy was the answer, and when I returned home we put her back to bed with dry sheets and a new friend. Lexie found room in her crib and her heart for a new guy, and once Doggy was presentable, she latched on to both of them, and they became a formidable duo; akin to those memorable buddy movies with Mickey and Donald.
Last, but not least-
4. Whitey: Lest you think that we are encouraging racial stereotypes on Lexie at an early age, Whitey is actually a white alligator. We were visiting Hogle Zoo one day, and at the end of the white alligator exhibit was a stuffed white alligator with blue eyes. Lexie took a liking to him, and he came home with us. In a shocking turn of events, Whitey cracked into the guy triumvirate of Toby, Doggy, and Bunny, and has been a solid #4 ever since. If Whitey had to be named after his appearance today, it would likely be "Dusty" instead of Whitey, because he is showing the mileage on his tires, but he is still beloved. Whitey is like the Goofy of the group; he is a integral part of it, but is prone to going off on his own adventures. He was missing for a day, only to be found behind the bed. Then, we couldn't find him for several days, only to have him turn up in one of Lexie's bags. These adventures never cause the panic that a missing Toby would, but when he reappears, it is celebrated with all of the joy of the Prodigal Son coming home.
The main impetus for my posting this was what I found in our living room this morning when I was fixing breakfast for Lexie:
Lexie was getting a tea party ready, and in her words "didn't want her guys to get cold", so she carefully tucked them in while she fixed all of the dishes. I really think that she will be a good big sister; especially if she takes care of him as well as she takes care of her guys. As long as she doesn't throw her little brother when she's mad, we'll be alright!
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