Roast Beast

In the 4th installment of our Christmas play list we bring to you ROAST BEAST!

Just like a perfect roast, which begins its journey seared in a hot pan, dark and crisp so starts our holiday season.  Next the meat is roasted slowly on low in a warm oven. For our little family here in the Northwest, the closer to Christmas Day the more things slow down as we enjoy peaceful nights at home, together, in front of a slow fire, gazing at the lights of our Christmas tree.

We hope that this holiday brings you peaceful quiet nights with those you love!

Love,

Kenneth, Wendy and Awsumb

"I think the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small."

1.       "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

2.       "Naughty Naughty Children (Better Start Actin' Nice)" - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

3.       "Joel the Lump of Coal" - The Killers

"All the Who girls and boys would wake bright and early.  They'd rush for their toys.  And then!  Oh, the noise!"

4.       "Lonely Christmas Eve" - Ben Folds

5.       "Making Christmas" - Rise Against

6.       "His Favorite Christmas Story" - Capital Lights

"He took every present! … And he stuffed them in bags.  Then the Grinch, very nimbly, stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimbley!"

7.       "[Everybody's Waitin' For] Man with the Bag" - Brian Setzer Orchestra

8.       “Best Christmas Ever" - Julian Moon

"Cindy Lou Who... stared at the Grinch and said, "Santy Claus, why, why are you taking our Christmas tree?  WHY?"

9.       "Where Are You Christmas?" - Faith Hill

10.   "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Bright Eyes

11.   "Someday at Christmas" - Little & Ashley

"Every Who down in Who-Ville, the tall and the small, was singing!   Without any presents at all!"

12.   "Welcome Christmas" - cast of Glee

13.  "That's Christmas to Me - Pentatonix

(LINK TO MUSIC COMING...)

https://play.spotify.com/user/1225515021/playlist/0JoW4s3aF7WuhjKHwguouO

Maybe Next Year?

Awsumb was excited to play two teams this season.  Majors Braves and 50/70 Cubs.  It was exhausting and who would have ever thought we would think something was too much baseball.  This sure came close.  Awsumb had a lot of success on the 50/70 team and was excited to play with old friends and teammates on the Braves.

 When Awsumb was just a toddler in the afternoons he would sometimes ask to watch baseball. He didn't really watch much kids TV after a few morning shows so the afternoon request was always granted. In the afternoons the games that we often found to watch were Braves games.  Awsumb would get so excited pointing out the A's on their hats and say, "My team Mommy! My team!"  Then he would watch closely and as the pitch was thrown he would yell to the batter, "SWING!"  My brother Brian and his wife reside in Atlanta.  Awsumb was very excited to play for the braves as his Little League Majors team.

This past year Little League introduced a new level, 50/70.  Our league convinced Kenneth to get out league started in this level and coach a team this year.  As the league uniform coordinator I set aside some Cubs uniforms for the new team.  It was slow going and a bit of a bad news bears years as we had so many double rostered kids and just putting a team together every game was a lot of work.  But you have to start somewhere.  Hopefully all the kinks are worked out and next year will be pretty good!  Awsumb and Kenneth were excited to play and coach the cubs in honor of Duane's passing.

I didn't get many pictures this season as I was recovering from emergency surgery I had at the beginning of April.  But here are a few...
(coming soon...)

PUT ME IN COACH!
 I'm ready to play today!
Look at me, I can be
Centerfield
-John Forgerty

The Nutcracker

Oh, I better explain The Nutcracker....

Years before we had our little boy Kenneth used to buy me season ballet tickets.  And so of course we have seen The Nutcracker performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle many times.

And let me tell you the sets are magical.  All inspired by the art of  Maurice Sendak.  The pages of his book really comes to life!  The Christmas tree grows, it's amazing.

BUT the end.... OMG the end!

OK let me back up. When I was growing up my two sisters took dance classes at a cutesy little dance school.  "Miss Margene's" I think it was.  Anyway, every other year Miss Margene shared her scary Nutcracker nightmare with us.  Talk about the longest recital in history.  In order to make sure every class and child was showcased enough she added in all sorts of extra numbers and songs.  One year there was a sister dance and they both performed together as sugar plum fairies.  Cute.  Another year one of my sisters spent most of one number rolling back and forth across the stage as a wave. Yeah, you get the idea.  Nonetheless, the parents really did love it.  Mothers and Grandmothers anyway.

So back to PNB's Nutcracker.  The story finally wraps up at just the perfect time that you decide you need to get up and stretch your legs.  As you reach for the shoes you kicked off (I'm short, I can never reach the floor comfortable and often loose a shoe in church pews and theater seats)  just as you start to glance towards the exit here comes another number...

And one by one all these storybook characters that were never IN the story to begin with come out and get their special solo.  One after the other after the other.  Now that I think about this, I am pretty sure I am thinking about PNB's production of Sleeping Beauty, which is long, really long.  Well done, but long.  One year these two delightful grade school girls were sitting in front of us.  And they were pretty much finished with the ballet by intermission.  So when this finale of all finales started they just lost it.  Melting out of their seats, asking for food and drink as though they had been starved for a year.  Oh, it was so funny.  What's not funny is that you didn't have to be a gradeschool kid with zero attention span...  Any normal person would be wondering how long the nightmare would go on (except the performers own Mothers and Grandmothers of course).

It wasn't hard to get Kenneth to take me to the ballet. We already held season tickets to the Paramount so we could catch all the off Broadway shows that came to town.  And Kenneth LOVES music.  But those last few numbers always just pushed him just over that edge.

And so I laughed when I first heard Straight No Chaser's "Nutcracker" which he had included, unbeknownst to me, in our annual Christmas playlist.  And no, we don't see it as a lousy tradition.  Although, for some reason we have never taken Awsumb to the Nutcracker. We've talked about it, we just never make it happen. Next year for sure! 

So Kenneth, I'm leaning in closely and whispering softly, "I can't wait for you to take me next year!"

Royal Blue

 

The end of another year.

An eventful year.

A stressful year.

A painful year.

A mournful year.

Yet still a year

 filled with love,

hope and happiness.

 

 

No specific commentary on this year's selection.  But we are obviously missing a loved one.  And thinking about those close to us who will spend this holiday alone. Yet still thankful for all that we have and looking forward to celebrating with loved ones still with us, both near and far away.

Wishing you a

Royal Blue Christmas!

Love,

Kenneth, Wendy

 and Awsumb

 

 

You can listen to our 2013 Christmas Mix on Spotify

 

Click the music tab on the right side of this blog to see previous Christmas mixes.

Mixed Nuts

What's Christmas without a tin of mixed nuts?  As a kid I always picked out the peanuts.  Maybe you learned to like the almonds.  But in the end you always feel like your being cheated as your left with a tin full of the yucky nuts that nobody wants to eat.  As I grew older some of those duds became favorites like cashews and pistachios.  I even learned to love chesnuts (best enjoyed hot off a cart on a busy city street).  

I admit I have never and can never imagine enjoying walnuts. But I now view a tin of mixed nuts as a fun treat.... minus those nasty walnuts of course.  Because, with a tin of mixed nuts, we all have our favorites.  And that's a little similar to how I feel about Christmas music. There are songs I have always loved, songs I learned to love and songs I still don't care for.  And that's why this year's Christmas playlist is titled Mixed Nuts.  Merry Christmas!

You can listen to this playlist on Spotify – or just click play on the embedded playlist below!  Kenneth has included some comments on our selections below.

“Miraculum (Instrumental)”, Lincoln Brewster:
Wendy loves the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but the two songs (which I also enjoy) have officially crossed over into the “everyone’s heard them, seen them live, and has them on a portable device” category. So, this is a cool track in the spirit of the orchestra. From a whole cd perspective, I really liked this CD, which I can’t say about the Trans-Siberian stuff.

“I’m Getting Nuttin For Christmas”, Relient K:
(Obligatory nut reference, pt. 1)
Yes, we had to include versions of any nut-related songs we can find. So, sorry to everyone who may be tiring of Relient K, one of our very favorite Christmas CDs. It is fun, though!

“Christmas Without You”, OneRepublic:

”Christmas Song”, American Bang:
This is a nice track about embracing the Christmas spirit, reconciling a lost relationship and then resolving to stay together… “no one should spend Christmas alone.” (It couldn’t keep the band together… they broke up in 2010.)

“Christmas Card”, Steven Curtis Chapman:

Consider this playlist our Christmas Card. And each year, one of the themes for me is this: “I’m sending you this Christmas card to let you know somebody loves you… and let you know you’re not alone.” At Christmas, we celebrate the fact that “wherever we are, He is with Us”.

“For the Beauty of the Earth (Nativity Version)”, BarlowGirl:
Maybe this is usually classified in the Church as a “Thanksgiving song”, but it totally qualifies and Wendy and I both love it.

“When Love Was Born”, Mark Schulz

“The Christmas Song”, Colbie Caillat:
(Obligatory nut reference, pt. 2)

“Sunny Christmas”, Renee & Jeremy:
Awsumb’s best friend’s dad asked me a couple weeks ago, “So, are you going to Disneyland this Christmas?” I coughed a little and said “No,” while thinking “but we ARE going to Disney World!” (We hadn’t told Awsumb yet…) Anyway, we seem to spend as much time in sunny and 70 weather as snowy weather in December. So… “Have a Sunny Christmas!”

“Because It’s Christmas”, Sidewalk Prophets

“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, Lincoln Brewster

“All I Want for Christmas is You”, Bowling for Soup:
Semi-embarassing disclaimer: As a long-time Mariah Carey fan, I think “All I Want…” is a modern Christmas classic, but it’s definitely something I would include here. So now that the alternative versions of the song are starting to appear, I was surprised to hear Wendy say, “We should put this song on the cd…” I said, “You know that’s the Mariah Carey song, right?”

“Believe in Me”, fun.

“Always In The Season”, Pomplamoose:
We have a couple tracks from an indie-band, who has taken the YouTube train to modest success. They typically record their music as live videos where “what you see is what you hear”. Their music sounds timeless, but also eclectic.

“Little Drummer Boy”, MercyMe
Wendy's favorite Christmas tribute since childhood.

“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”, Pomplamoose:
(Obligatory nut reference, pt. 3… you know, it’s from the Nutcracker…) Speaking of eclectic, their CD is called “Christmas in Space.” You might get a sense of that from this track. (Maybe they should use this for a Space Mountain holiday overlay…)

“We Wish You A Merry Christmas”, Renee & Jeremy

BONUS NUTS 
These songs didn't make the playlist, but based on how many times Awsumb begged me to repeat them while working on picking tracks, these are probably his favorites:

These first two "bonus nuts" are Awsumb's picks.  They didn't make the playlist, but based on how many times Awsumb begged me to repeat them while working on picking tracks, these are probably his favorites...
 
“All I Need Is Love”, CeeLo Green.
Awsumb loves this track, which mashes up samples of the early 2000’s Mambo No. 5 and the Muppet’s “Mahna Mahna” for a danceable Christmas song… with the Muppets! Awsumb has been a lot less interested in kid’s music lately, but he wants to hit repeat on this song every time it comes on.

"Something in the Air", Grayson Sanders
I haven't seen this on TV yet, but I guess this is the Coca Cola Christmas jingle?  So if you see polar bears dancing, this is probably the song.

These next two?  They are just nuts - or the artists are...

"The Greatest Gift of All (the Hobbit)", The DoubleClicks
The DoubleClicks are the YouTube poster band for geeks.  If someone around you starts laughing during this song, they have just outed themselves as being somewhere on the plus side of the nerd spectrum.

"Christmas Unicorn", Sufjan Stevens
This song is just... nuts!

Crackers and Cheese

Why does Christmas music have to be so cheesy?

And I don't get some of them anyway...Let's start with Pine Cones and Holly Berries, which the elementary school choir teacher tortured us with every. single. year.  I still get this song stuck in my head today...



"Popcorn for you, apples for me"

Why can't they both have popcorn AND apples? Who is depriving these kids? Does one of them have braces? And if they do wouldn't apples be bad too?  These are the things I think about and it's just a downward spiral from there...

"Nutcracker handy"

Who wrote this song?  Meredith Wilson is who pops up on a quick internet search and apparently his parents were too poor to afford both popcorn AND apples.

And then there's Jingle Bells, which plaques me at all time of the year.  But at least it's a tune I can actually hmm or drum and get someone to recognize (remember, I'm tune deaf!)

Basically Christmas music can be an OCD nightmare... and not in a good way.   After all who wants to be stuck with some of these songs running through your head while your gardening IN JUNE?!

So in an effort to keep The Soundtrack of Kenneth's Life going he searches high and low to find me the very best NON cheesy Christmas music.  This year we give you....  CRACKERS AND CHEESE!

Kenneth's comments regarding our selections:

"This Time of Year", The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.  On the surface this track might sound a little anti-Christmas and some of you might like that about this song.  For me this song is opposed to many of the consumer-oriented customs of Christmas - massive consumer indulgence and Griswold-style Christmas lights - while emphasizing the feeling that "gets me and never lets me act like I don't care" and remembering that Christmas is special "cause all of us get together."

"Happy XMas (War is Over)", Sense Field.  Originally recorded by John Lennon, this Christmas song was intended as a call for peace.  At the end of the year, "what have you done" to help the "weak and the strong", the "rich and the poor ones" and everyone else have a "very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year?"  Someone else asked those questions a couple thousand years ago.

"One Silent Night", Ffh.  This track takes the spirit, setting and even snippets of the traditional Silent Night and wraps it all up in a mid-tempo pop anthem.  It's a really pretty version.

"The Lights and the Buzz", Jack's Mannequin.  This is the time of year when Awsumb always wants it to snow.  He says, "if it's going to be this cold anyway, we could at least have some snow!"  Sometimes the stress of life can keep us from feeling like it's Christmas.  Even if "life has been no holiday", the Christmas break can "remove the splinters" and remind us that "it's good to be alive."

"I Hope That it Snows", Madi Diaz.

"Forget You, Santa! (Cee-Lo Greeen vs. Jackson 5)", Voicedude.  Didn't get what you wanted from Santa this year?  I love a mashup and this song humorously mashes up the Jackson 5's Santa Claus with "Forget You" (the friendly version of the big 2010 hit song from Cee-Lo Green) and for good measure overlays some lines from great Christmas specials and movies.

"We Three Kings", Greg Simpson.  Now pretty hard to find, but it sounds like the Three Kings are driving across the desert, "following yonder star" with their gifts secured in the back.  You know, with their hands out the window riding the wind...

 "A Cradle in Bethlehem", The Beautiful Mistake.

"Rudolph (You Don't Have to Put On the Red Light)", mojochronic.  Another great holiday mash-up combining The Police's Roxanne with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - and sound clips from the classic animated show.  You will never hear another Rudolph like this!

"I'll Be Home for Christmas", Matchbook Romance.

 "Maybe This Christmas", Ron Sexsmith.  Another beautiful Christmas wish that we can find peace on earth, in our own families as well as in the world.  "Maybe this Christmas will find us at last in heavenly peace, grateful, at least, for the love we've been shown in the past..."

"Leaving Heaven (feat. Vince Gill)", Matthew West.

"(It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus", Harry Connick, Jr.  This song captures the excitement of a child on Christmas Eve.  He's old enough to have doubts about Santa, but young enough to imagine amazing things.  

"Hey Santa!", Straight No Chaser.

"Elf's Lament (feat. Michael Buble)", Barenaked Ladies.  "Girls and boys, before you wish for what you wish for...  consider the price to an Elf."  Christmas is the time of year to think about others.  This is the theme song of "Occupy North Pole."

 "Angel (Holiday)," Jack Johnson.  Christmas is good because it reminds us to think about how much we care about those we love.  I am lucky to have someone who lights up Christmas for me and makes our home a beautiful place to be, especially at this time of year.  "I've got an angel...  She give me presents with her presence alone, She gives me every thing I wish for, gives me kisses... just for coming home..." (Anyone who's groaning right now better stop, because we warned you!  This mix is called Crackers and Cheese, right?)

"Do You Hear What I Hear", Sawyer Brown.

"To Be Alone With You", Sufjan Stevens.  This unique artist is known for making independent "chamber pop" and has a seriously great Christmas album (four discs!) that sounds like no other Christmas album you'll hear.  This song is not from that album, but is sweet and powerful and reminds us what the Savior did for us, and is a great way to close this mix.

Previous blogs regarding Christmas music you may be interested in: Mixed Christmas and The Sounds of Christmas

What Christmas music is on your playlist this year?

Making Christmas, Making Christmas!

December 1st and so it begins... To some it truly is The Nightmare Before Christmas.  Last year at this time I was putting together 150 Christmas boxes at the office.  Shredded cardboard was all over the conference room and crinkle cut stuffing was flying about as red and green dust began to fill the air!  It was the job nobody wanted to do, but still the office felt obligated to do up special Christmas boxes each year.  Although they could have done something as simple as gift cards or a small bonus, they insisted on these frilly boxes and I totally loved every minute of it!  Because I cared about sharing something with these people to thank them for a job well done and wish them a Merry Christmas.  What's so bad about spending a few hours making mountains move (seriously, I was lost in mountains of gift boxes!) and listening to my favorite Christmas music?  This was totally my theme song!
Making Christmas - Nightmare Revisited

Rise Against
Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite movies and I have to watch it every year.  Jack, the King of Halloween grows restless, looking for something  more.  One day while wandering in the woods he finds Christmas land.  Curious about the joy and wonder he finds he brings all sort of things home trying to get down to the bottom of this thing called Christmas.  Why was it so magical?  What was it all about?  After kidnapping Santa and making a complete nightmare out of Christmas, Jack never really understands the meaning of Christmas because he spent all his time analyzing the "things of Christmas."

The Corner Critic's review of the movie said, "It is a carefully crafted satire against the blandness of traditional holidays, about how their meanings become diluted to the point of nonexistence."

Tim Burton was inspired to write this story after finding himself in a holiday display at a department store. "Christmas decorations were being combined with Halloween decorations – that was the genesis of the whole concept. So routine are our holidays that department stores almost cannot wait to decorate for them."

And don't forget the Christmas Music! Our family gets a kick out of Straight No Chaser's hit song The Christmas Can Can... because after just a few errands, you've heard them all! And just as Tim Burton discovered the typical store really can become The Nightmare Before Christmas!

The movie is a commentary on how our culture robs symbols of their meaning and mixes them together until they serve a different purpose all together.  And every year I notice more and more traditions that just clutter up Christmas and are really more about fueling consumerism.
 
And it's those things that create holiday stress make the season a nightmare to some people. Maybe Jack and The Grinch need to get together. Jack could never figure out what all the Christmas stuff meant... But Christmas doesn't need to be saved... because as the Grinch knows, even without all the stuff, Christmas comes anyway!

Adults who are asked to remember Christmases when their parents didn't have much, often have fond memories about what they did do or get that year.  Kids are more likely to remember a small or special thing than a lot of meaningless things.

What are your plans to create a simple and more meaningful Christmas for your family?

Previous blogs you may like to read:

Don't Let the Grinch Steal Your Christmas!

The Gift of Nothing

The Present

Love Is A Mix Tape

The story goes something like this... On one of our first 'dates' (if you can call it that), I leaned over and switched off Kenneth's precious radio and that was the end of the soundtrack of his life!

If I remember right, we were having a heated discussion, but I didn't consciously do this to get his full attention or something... I just did it.  The thing is sometimes music in the background just winds me up or distracts me.  Sometimes we listen to music in bed and I finally just have to turn it off because I will stay awake listening to it and never let myself fall asleep!

Kenneth's love of music started at an early age.  By age 7 he was painting his face and making carboard guitars and rocking out to KISS (Ya, I bet that freaked his mom out!) and then of course there was Billy Joel and Olivia Newton-John!  He found his voice in Jr. High choir classes and by High School performed with the Granger Madrigal's and On Stage (a performing group connected to a local dance studio.)

Kenneth likes just about all music (even country, which I can't stand  - yuck!) and has quite the collection.  I am so sick of finding bottle caps and pieces of carboard piled on his desk because they include free music download codes!  Thank goodness for music subscriptions like Rhapsody! 

When we were first married Kenneth actually sung in a grunge band. The grunge scene became popular while he served and LDS mission and though he didn't care for it he wrote some lyrics and sung as the lead singer to help out a friend. I never even saw him perform because I wasn't 21 and couldn't get into the private club's where they performed. Kenneth didn't really like singing in smokey clubs and it didn't last. 

If Kenneth didn't have to work at Mircrosoft to earn the big bucks to support his demanding wife, he would like to grow up to be Ben Folds (a modern day Billy Joel).  In the meantime he makes a mean mix tape!  He has been making mix tapes for me since before we were really “together.” Over the years he makes them with current old and even traditional vocals like Frank Sinatra and creates a story that’s relevant to what we are going through in our relationship, for special road trips, etc.

He made a CD for Awsumb once that included super hero theme songs and ended with the song Never A Better Hero, which he is often asked to sing in church. It’s a contemporary LDS song about Christ being the greatest hero. Who would think to add the spider-man theme song with a hymn? Kenneth!

If I ask Kenneth to do any random household chore, he takes more time selecting 'just the right music' for the job, than it would have taken for me to do that task myself!  And like father like son, Awsumb LOVES music and has it playing 24-7 when he's hanging out in his room or around the house. I actually had to draw a line on his kids CD player when he was 2 so he woundn't turn it up too loud!  So, although from MY perception we always have music on in the house...  I guess Kenneth seems to think I'm always  switching it off.  I just get sick of songs really fast (and don't tolerate much but alternative). 

Check out the book Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time  by Rob Sheffield 
Kenneth and I think the audio version should come with the soundtrack!

I guess this new generation no longer uses the term "mix tape" as we all just make "play lists" on our ipods or music players these days... Kenneth often gives me mix tapes at Christmas, Valentines or Anniversaries. The truth is I look forward to them as much as any other sparkly something he might give me (but don't tell him that!). Kenneth just had a way with coming up with great themes and putting songs together.

A few years ago, during a very trying time in our life Kenneth began a mix tape he called The Comeback that began with The Mixed Tape by Jack's Manneuin.  The song ends with this line,
"And this is my mixed tape for her,
It's like I wrote
every note
with my own fingers."

And because I know he can't spend all day writing music, it means a lot that he takes the time to make these for me! Thanks Kenneth!

Mixed Christmas

Because Kenneth makes the best mixed tapes ever, I have asked him to guest post:

At Christmas time, we usually just have music playing from the family room stereo so it can be heard all over the house.  Having all this Christmas music on doesn't mean that we can't get tired of some of it.  For example, one of the classics (in my opinion) is the Chipmunks Christmas.  Awsumb and I love it, but Wendy can't stand it.

It's easy to get sick of the best Christmas songs because all the stores barrage us with the same 10-20 songs, mostly of the secular variety.  Some of these songs are good ones...  but with the overwhelming volume of good Christmas music out there, it's surprising that we hear these same songs over and over.

Straight No Chaser nailed this problem in their song The Christmas Can-Can which takes a light-hearted jab at our Christmas shopping experience.  So this year, I made a "No Fruitcake, Please!" playlist, inspired by this track.  I wanted to make a list of great non-traditional Christmas songs or non-traditional performances of traditional songs. 

Here's this years list (all of these tracks are available on Zune, Rhapsody, or iTunes):

The Christmas Can-Can, Straight No Chaser.

Christmas Is Starting Now, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.  Ha!  Wendy liked this song a lot until she heard it came from a kid's show.  Seriously, though, do you watch Phineas and Ferb with your kids?  It is hilarious -- and I hope inspires kids to think big.  This is a great song from their great Christmas episode.

A Great Big Sled, The Killers.  This song is all about remembering magical life is through the eyes of a child.  Making snowmen, sledding, rolling down a hill, and imaging a flight on Santa's great big sled are all part of the magics.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,  Barenaked Ladies/Sarah McLachlan.  This is maybe the darkest traditional Christmas song there is, which is probably why BNL (a bunch of Jewish guys) perform it so often. This awesome track gets heavy rotation at my house every year. (For Halloween, their version of Disneyland's Grim Grinning Ghosts…)


(And Barenaked Ladies aren't really naked...  or ladies.)

The First Noel, Weezer.  If you pick up a Christmas album from your favorite artist, you often hear lots of secular "holiday" type songs, plus Santa and Rudolph.  This Weezer EP is the exception by being almost exclusively sacred tracks.  (Okay, they threw in a splash of figgy pudding...)  So, it's got the Weezer sound, but still sounds reasonably reverent.

River, Sarah McLachlan.  I think that once in a while we can all feel lonely at Christmas, even surrounded by our family. Many songs cover that ground ("Blue Christmas", etc.) but this song (originally by Joni Mitchell) is really sad and really pretty. Listening to it I imagine myself in the cold woods and I can see my breath rise through the empty branches of the trees.

You'll Never Find My Christmas, Bishop Allen.  Yeah, it's from the Target ad but you'll probably never hear it in their store! They have an entire cd of good holiday stuff on their website, including Guster, one of our favorite bands.  Follow this link to Target's site and you can download the whole album for free!  The tv ad with this song shows people looking around for presents… and this is a reasonable interpretation of this song, but I think it means something that they never say "you'll never find my Christmas gift". Because their "Christmas" is more than that...

(And Bishop Allen isn't a bishop.)

Merry Christmas Everybody, Oasis

The Christmas Song, The Raveonettes.  A modern-indie-surfer music take on "Let it Snow" or "Baby Its Cold Outside" with a little extra trance thrown in.

Boots, The Killers.  Didn't U2 already do a song with the word "Boots" in the title in the last five years?

(And The Killers aren't really U2, but they can sure sound like it sometimes.)

Away In A Manger, Sufjan Stevens.  Sufjan ("Soof-yan") Stevens is classified as "chamber pop" and when you hear it, that should make sense. It sounds like some hipster college kids grabbed random instruments at a museum and made some great music. This is from a four cd set and its full of really neat music. Away in the Manger is probably my absolute favorite Christmas song and this version is uniquely beautiful.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, House Of Heroes.

Wish List, Neon Trees.  (Free download on iTunes.)

Peppermint Winter, Owl City.  Owl City is like a bizarro-world Death Cab for Cutie, take soundalike vocals and pair them with super bright lyrics (instead of reasonably down ones). Okay, you might not admit it, but you remember that "Fireflies" song...  What other group could make a lyric like "I slip on the sidewalk and fall on my face" sound so happy? Every track they record bounces like a cartoon bunny in springtime. You might think this is the official song for "Christmas in July", until they ask "What's December without Christmas Eve?"

Home For Christmas, Cavo.  This is not your mother's "Home for Christmas", but I think it carries the same feeling of longing to be with loved ones for the holidays.

Christmas Lights,  Coldplay

I Believe in You, Sinéad O'Connor.  The world is quickly becoming a world of unbelievers. As if faith is something you grow out of, like belief in Santa Claus. I was surprised to find out it was written by Bob Dylan and probably not intended as a Christmas song, but it fits, as the story of someone trying to share in a town that won't believe has always been very powerful to me.  It's maybe my favorite song for the season.

There you have it...  our Christmas list for 2010.  What do you think?  What are your favorite Christmas songs?  (I'm always looking to add new stuff to our holiday music collection.)

To read about more of Wendy's favorite Christmas Music go to The Sounds of Christmas

It's A Love Story

Once upon a time, when I was young, I dreamt of the day I would be rescued from the Wicked Witch of the West by my Knight in Shining Armor, who would sweep me up, onto his white horse and carry me away into the sunset. Instead I was rescued by a nerd in a white Mazda with no air conditioning! Seriously, who lives in Utah and buys a car with no air conditioning? A nerd car shopping in the winter that's who!

Kenneth wasn't the man of my dreams, but I knew he would take care of me, my father approved and I married him. And as Kenneth likes to say, about 10 years later I finally fell in love.

May 16th will be 15 years since that rainy day we were day we were married. Since then we have been through a divorce (my parents), a 1600 mile move (Salt Lake City to Seattle), the death of most of our grandparents, a successful birth, a major home remodel, all weaved together with a great deal of pain and happiness.

The fairy tales of my childhood all ended with the marriage. But that's really when the story just begins. And 15 years later we've introduced the characters, set up the plot and this story is just getting good! Will it be "Happily Ever After"? Who knows, but at least it will be FOREVER!

It's A Love Story - Taylor Swift
I hate country music, but this is pretty cute...



John Schmidt - Love Story meets Viva La Vida



Anita Renfro - Love Story
This is a great spoof of Taylor Swifts Love Story



Franny's Dream -Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner
Fanny Agnes is a "sturdy girl" hoping her Fairy Godmother will deliver a prince.. or at least the mayor's son? Instead she marries Heber Jensen, a farmer. Together they share a home filled with babies, laughter, and love. By the time Fannny's Fairy Godmother arrives Fanny realized she has found her very own Happily Ever After!

I sent this book to my baby sister for one of her anniversaries. I recommend this book for girls of all ages! Because happily ever is usually realized after it's lived.

And if that's not enough reality for you.. read my blog about Fallen Princesses to see one artists version of not so Happily Ever After...

The Sounds of Christmas!

I admit it, I am totally tone deaf! But I love music and I love to sing. Even though it's usually the wrong words to the wrong tune. One such incident of note still haunts me to this day.

About 12 years ago we were playing Cranium. If you haven't discovered this one, it was a favorite around here and we had fun introducing this mix of trivia, pictionary, name that tune, etc. to our friends. So one night we had some new friends over to play and of course I end up with a "humdinger" card. The song was Somewhere Over The Rainbow, but I hummed Kermit The Frog's Rainbow Connection and I didn't even get that tune right! So, of course my team totally lost out on that one. To this day my friend's husband will play that made up tune on the piano whenever he sees me and we all get a big laugh out of it.

That's why when it's my choice and we play name that tune I always choose Jingle Bells!

Nevertheless, I often sing silly songs around the house. Last summer when a friend was visiting I freaked her out a little when upon waking I started singing Beautiful Life at the top of my lungs!

So when it's time to break out the Christmas music it's a pretty exciting time around here. And of course, being as sassy as I am, I am also picky about what Christmas music we listen to. This past year my favorite was Relient K - Let It Snow, Let it Reindeer!, a Christain rock band Kenneth discovered. Because we coulnd't find the perfect Christmas book, we choose this one to send to all our siblings this year. This may have to become a new tradition! The best song is Celebrate The Day. Click to the link to check it out!

Some of my other favorites are Straight No Chaser (Acapella group... You may have seen them on You Tube), Maybe This Christmas (various alternative artists), Barenaked For The Holidays, The Forgotten Carols (and just like the little Angel that wasn't good enough to sing in the Angel Choir, "I will be heard!"), A Very Special Christmas (various artists, vol. 1-7, some songs better than others), A Music Box Christmas (I just LOVE music boxes!).
What's your favorite Christmas Music?

Pirate Month!

It's officially National Pirate Month at our house. Here are a few good pirate game reviews... (excuse the IPhone shots)

Piratissimo is a pretty simple child's game. The 'bits' might be the best part of the game. At $44 it'ss over priced and I admit I bought it for the bits! Small wooden pirate ships gather treasure as they sail around the board. Watch out for the 'tornadoes' (something might have been lost in the translation there!). This is easy enough for a child to set up by himself. Awsumb LOVES it!

Pirate's Cove is our new favorite. From Days of Wonder, the makers of Ticket to Ride. While set up first felt daunting, the system was easy to catch onto. Navigate your pirate ship to the islands on the board trying to build up your ships defenses (sails, cannons, crew, hull) to earn fame! If you land on the same island as another pirate you must battle it out. Watch out for the legendary pirates as they can be hard to beat! The pirate with the most fame wins. Again, this has cool bits, beautiful art work, etc.

Dread Pirate We were given a special edition of this game as a gift. The bits are some of the best we have ever seen, metall pirate ships, colored jewels, etc. Move around the grid on the map much like clue (great for kids to add die rolls and count spaces) then battle it out to collect the most treasure... All while fighting to hold the title of the Dread Pirate! Kenneth thinks this is a little long. With kids it's best to play the simple rules version. Awsumb plays this quite often with his friends and afterwards, they love to just play with the cool pieces!

Pirateer is an old one that is simple and quick to learn. Following the direction of the tradewinds, chase after the treasure and try to get it back to your base to win the game... Watch out for the rivals who are now all after you!

And if you need some good tunes to get you in the pirate spirit, check out... Captain Bogg and Salty. Awsumb and Kenneth saw them in concert and just love their little tunes!

One of the best things about playing pirate board games with little kids is that they always opt for a battle... So, don't forget to talk like a pirate!
AAAARGG!!

Played any good pirate games lately?

I Would Die For That

I am not sure how to add video directly into my blog.I know it's been around a while. And I really don't like country music (this song really pushes the limit for me). But I was reminded of this song recently. SO... This is for anyone who has struggled with fertility issues...

I Would Die For That

or copy and paste

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqfGqOx2iDQ