Tangled

We just took the kids to see Tangled and I loved it so much more than I thought I would! Great movie!

Merry Christmas

The boys got a Honda 50cc for the Ranch. I'm sure they'll get many miles out of it.

Christmas Eve pajama photo

My two beautiful girls (Brynn was in a super crazy mood Christmas Eve)

Lord of the Rings

Each year, right after Christmas, we get out the projector, set up a little home theater and watch all three LOTR movies. It's just about my favorite time of year! Lindsay teases me that I look forward to this more than Christmas. Last night Jani, Mom, Dad, and Melanie came over to watch "Fellowship." Tonight we are doing "Two Towers." These movies are about as perfect as you can get in cinema. Can't wait for the extended Blu-Ray editions.

Sand Animation

Thought this was absolutely amazing! Just keep watching. The theme is World War II.

Top 5 Restaurants of 2010!

Below is a list of our favorite places we ate at this year:

1. P712-Absolutely the best restaurant in Utah Valley! We cannot get enough of it. The starters, greens, and pizzas are full of the best flavors we've ever had.

2. Red Iguana-We went here because of an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." Best Mexican food around. The moles are AWESOME!

3. Red Rock Brewery-They have a bruschetta starter with walnut crusted goat cheese that keeps bringing us back.

4. Hell's Backbone Grill-Located on Boulder Mountain in southern Utah. We ate here on Jani's recommendation. I never knew meatloaf could be so freaking good! Loved it.

5. The Radebaugh Kitchen-There is nothing like putting something together that you are proud of. I love the experience of eating at home with the family.

This picture is for you, Jonno!

Top 5 Albums of 2010

Not all of these albums came out in 2010, but this was the year I purchased them and fell in love with listening to them. I got a lot of singles this year, and I will include some in a separate list below. Anyway, here are my favorite albums of the year.

Frightened Rabbit: A duo of brothers from Scotland. Great indie music. I first heard them from the TV show "Chuck." I actually got most of my great music from "Chuck" this year. Check them out. This is their second album.

My absolute favorite album of the year! Not a bad song on the whole album. Barcelona is a cross between Death Cab and Keane. I cannot stop listening to this. Buy it now, thank me later.

I also heard Nico Stai on "Chuck." He sings with a lot of emotion and raw energy. Simple singer-songwriter. Really good stuff.

The man may be a total tool in real life, but he writes some great music. Couple songs on the album I don't like, but many that have been played 20+ times. Lindsay and I saw him live a couple years ago and he is an amazing musician.

Obviously this is not a 2010 release, but I feel like everything is right with the world when I listen to Nat. This is my cooking music. I should have been a child of the 50's.

Top singles of the year:
"No One's Gonna Love You"-Band of Horses
"We Don't Eat"-James Vincent McMorrow
"Kings and Queens"-30 Seconds to Mars
"Jar of Hearts"-Christina Perri

2010 Top Fives!

My cousin Marnie has been listing some of her favorite things of 2010. It has inspired me to do the same (since I can't think of much else to write about right now--and I love lists!). So I will be posting different lists each day of some of my faves of 2010. First list: MOVIES! (in no particular order)

FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2010

Loved this film! It had emotion, suspense, and an amazing performance by James Franco (who knew?). But what sold it for me was Danny Boyle and his vision. An amazing director.

I know this was also the year of Toy Story 3, but I think I enjoyed Dragon more. Great music, great choice of voices, and this was great to see in 3D. All around great!

I have a huge man-crush on Leo and he delivered in this film. He is so good in anything he does. I forgot about everything else when I was watching this movie. It totally wrapped you up in its world. The hallway scene is one of the best things ever put on film.

I anticipated this film more than any other this year! Lindsay and I saw it on the IMAX screen and it was so great! I thought the visuals in the film were perfect and the main three have come a long way with their characters. Ron stole the show for me! Loved it.

I'm not on Facebook and may never be, but this film was awesome. Great music, great performances. I was hooked the entire show. Can't wait to see it again.

Well, there you have it. It was a tough one to narrow down, but I am pleased with my list. I will include my runner-ups though.

The Crazies

Kick-Ass

Toy Story 3

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

The Town

127 Hours

Wow! Danny Boyle is just amazing. One of the best directors around right now.

Kam

 

Well, to round out the bios of each of our children, I come to our first-born, Kam. What an amazing young man! Kam is a natural leader. He has many friends at school who want to be just like him, and many girls who have crushes on him. He doesn't let this go to his head though (he actually hates the girl thing, thankfully). Kam loves to collect things. He has a billion rocks in his room that he or his Aunt Jani have found. He has a plethora of LEGOS, collecting cards, books, sand (another Jani idea), and a variety of other knick-knacks. He is a bit of a hoarder. Kam is getting into the Utah Jazz lately and will watch games with Lindsay and I. He is a sensitive heart. I love my Kam the Man!

Marcel the Shell...

If you haven't seen this yet, enjoy! It will make your day better.

Random Photos Pt. 1

Since we just started blogging, I thought I would post a few photos from this past year. Here is the first set...

I miss my long hair from the summer--even if people accused me of having a mullet.

Seriously?! Is there anything cuter?

Family photo taken on Boulder Mountain this fall.

Getting a pumpkin from the "Pumpkin Man" on 1600 north in Orem

Park City during fall break 2010

Adam

What can I say about our Adam? If it's possible to be frustrated with and in love with a child at the same time, Adam fits the mold perfectly. He is so full of life and excitement--he wants to express it in all he does. He has a wonderful heart and always wants to make sure that people feel his love. He can also drive you a bit crazy. He has some OCD that came from his daddy, but our lives would not be the same without him.

Christmas Carol

Each year I direct the children's production of "A Christmas Carol" at Hale Center Theater Orem. This year has been our best production yet! The kids are amazing, the costumes are so well done, and the whole process has just been a great experience. Adam got to play a party guest during the "Fred" scene and Max was the part of Ignorance. I had a very fun time working with my boys!

Max and his cousin Sophie

Adam and his cousin Ellie

Max

Max...we are really excited about his prospects. You will have a hard time meeting a better-natured child. Max has a great little smile that cheers up everyone. He has a soft voice and a warm, caring disposition. Max loves to draw and create things with his hands. Max sucks his pointer finger and chews on the corners of a blanket (it smells a little like a zombie's armpit). He always loves to point out that he is being a good boy when his brothers are not. We love this little guy.

More On Brynn

We'll tell you a few things about our kids so you can know them better. Brynn is our spoiled little girl. She has a very busy nature and is into everything. We cannot keep her still for very long. She loves to dress up in dresses. It doesn't matter how cold it is, she wants to be in a dress. She doesn't eat much right now and it worries us a bit. She is mischievous, but also very sweet. She has a comfort pillow she cannot be without. She has a shock of hair and a smile that will melt your heart.

Correction...

I apologize, but my Christmas movie list has been irking me since I posted it. I neglected one of my all-time favorites, "Christmas Vacation." I'm gonna have to scrub "Elf" from the list and add the Griswolds.

Lindsay's First Try

I am trying to blog for the first time! Yay! This is a photo of my little Brynn. So cute, don't you agree?

Top 5 Christmas Movies

This is a tough one. Try to narrow down all the great Christmas movies to just five. But my clear shot is the one I loved most when I was a kid: "A Christmas Story." So many quotable lines ("Not a finger!") and such a classic feel. Love it! My Christmas is not complete unless I watch each of these (and more).

1. A Christmas Story
2. White Christmas
3. It's a Wonderful Life
4. Home Alone 1 and 2
5. Christmas Vacation (had to remove Elf from the list)

100 Club at ESA

Keller invited me to join him at the Jazz game the other night. The great part about it--we got some sweet 100 Club tickets that were $900 each! Holy crap! We ate up on the upper floor of the arena and then sat on the front row right next to the Jazz bench. This was a totally different experience for watching the game. Any other seat will never be the same. The game was not the most exciting (we destroyed), but the whole experience was a blast! I was surprised to be sitting next to Brandon Blaser of "Buttercream Gang" fame. It was fun to see him.

SPOOK!

We got ourselves a dog! Never thought our family would go to this, but we are excited and we think he's a great addition to our family. We're all still getting used to each other, but he has been great so far. His name is Spook and he's a 6 year old italian greyhound. He's already potty trained and has been really good with our kids. His biggest challenge is humping just about everyone, and his sleeping at night. We'll give him time.

Happy Thanksgiving

Had the old feed this year with Lindsay's family. Everyone but the Hadleys and Purdies were able able to come. I made some crostini breads with goat cheese and a roasted red pepper pesto. Yummy! I also had some crostini with goat cheese and a cranberry-jalapeno jam. All the food that day was delicious. I am thankful that the Lord continually watches over me and my family, despite the fact that I am far from perfect. I am so grateful for my family and all they provide for me.

Ah, Those Jazz!

You really can't get much better than Deron Williams! The man is a clutch shooter and can get your blood pumping in ways that were only felt on prom night. It has been a blast to watch our beloved Jazz have such a great road trip! "The Comeback Kids" they have been hailed. All four games on the road ended in a win that was a comeback from behind. My favorite moments were Paul Millsap's career night against the Heat and Williams 0.08 second shot that put the Jazz over the top of the Bobcats! Sadly, their run ended last night against the Thunder. They just couldn't be stopped. Although, I am excited about our team's prospects this year!

A Sorry Excuse For Blogging

Sorry, folks, but I kind of suck at this blogging thing. My intentions were great and I am still really interested in doing this, but I just need to find the time and desire to get some posts going. Also, an audience. I need to send the word out to family and friends that I am doing this--maybe that will inspire me to get more going. Hope to get this going...

New Territory

Lindsay and I have decided to start blogging. We know we are behind and that blogging has become a bit archaic, but it took us years to get a cell phone, and we are still very happy with our Cricket. So that tells you a little about us. She may post on some days, I may post on others. Hope you enjoy.