Gliss

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Garrett's friend asked him to be Santa at their family Christmas party. He did a very good job.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

My Workout

2011-11-07T22:18:00.004-07:00

OMG I'm blogging again!

Amber had a birthday!

2011-06-25T13:40:00.005-06:00

This is a tribute to my best friend. We spent her birthday on a plane going to North Carolina and eating shrimp boil. Those are actually two of Amber's favorite things, traveling and experiencing new things like amazing southern food.

Pictures tend to tell a story better than writing can but my favorite qualities about Amber are her love to try anything once and make an adventure out of any unexpected situation. She is kind to others and helps me become a better person each day. She's a thoughtful sister, very talented singer, her friends turn to her for trustworthy advice and opinions, and all I can say is I am very lucky to have her as my wife.

Happy twenty-two!!

Summer is ...

2011-03-24T08:55:00.004-06:00

mountain bike adventures &

shooting the tube

Went for my first ride a week ago and found some really fun trails in the gully near suicide rock at the mouth of Parleys. Decided not to go to school summer semester so we've got plans to travel, bike, and finally have some time to hang out together.

Response to Dad's Comment

2011-03-15T23:14:00.000-06:00

I think there was a spring in my step for a lot of reasons. My study abroad in France is one of my favorite memories.
Just so you know, I was thrilled to be there with you, Dad. I'll prove it.

Friday, June 17, 2008
I met up with my Dad on Sunday and he and I have been enjoying ourselves since. It is very relaxing for me, I am enjoying be done with the school work part. I also love the "discovering" Dad and I are doing. For some reason, things are cooler when we happen upon them.
The Alps are amazing. I can't believe how green everything is. The whole mountain is just covered in green and sometimes a cloud will mist over the top so that it almost looks like it's just a mirage, too good to be true. Often, there are little villages that are on the side of the mountain; farming communities, usually growing grapes. I've never seen anything like it. I wish I could bring these beautiful images home with me. Pictures don't even begin to do it justice.
We found a castle today and I am glad because Dad hasn't been on a good castle tour before. It was interesting, very fun. I liked how thorough the tour was. (An audio guide.) It answered some questions I had about people in the middle-ages, such as toilets and bath tubs. I think Dad really liked it too.
To get an idea of what we decided to do this week (probably should have started with this) we drove through Nice to Geneva through Italy. That was really cool. I love the houses in Italy. We ate some Italian pasta and gelato, and climbed up to some random Italian castle. Now we are circling the lake in Geneva and seeing whatever. We ran into that castle today and have driven through some very beautiful places. Tomorrow we will take a tram to the top of Mont Blanc, which I am very excited for. We're right in the Alps right now, in a very cute little hotel. This is a very awesome experience.
Tomorrow, by the way, is my birthday. I'll be 19. I guess there isn't much significance to that age. But it is my birthday and that always makes me excited. I've made it 19 years, what's not to be excited about? Ha ha.
I've had this funny emotion this week being with my Dad. I don't feel homesick. It's kinda weird. When I was in Nice last week I did feel home sick. I wanted to be back in Utah. But Dad makes me feel less in a hurry to get home. I guess it's because he is part of "home." I've always felt such a strong connection to my Dad. He is a very special person. It's a different and important bond that we have.

Yup, I was excited to be there with you Dad. I love you.

The Day I Met Garrett

2011-03-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

At Naomi's request, here is the journal entry of the day I met Garrett. He has read this, so don't worry. This is actually a week or two after meeting him but it is my first mention of him in a journal.

Saturday, April 19, 2008
It is 1:48 in the morning, Bri is not home and I can't sleep. So I thought I'd write a little bit.
I'll admit to being lazy today. It is the first day of finals and I haven't been able to focus on anything. I am really bad at studying, probably because I never needed to in high school, and now all those kids that did need to are the ones with good habits. Funny how that turns out. I'm working on it though.
I guess I wish that I was more motivated. I need to be pushed to do things but I hate to be pushed.
There may be another reason for my distraction. It's time to introduce another character into my love life, please welcome Garrett Glissmeyer! (Don't you love my cheesiness due to fatigue?) I don't know exactly why, but my experience with Garrett so far is rather enjoyable for me. Garrett was one of Chris's mission companions. (Oh yes, the plot thickens!) We decided to meet one day, just because we had both heard so much about the other. Well, that same day he asked if I wanted to go to a movie with him the next day, so I did. We've hung out several times since then, we've gone on a bike ride, ate Mexican food, watched movies, mini golfed and eaten frozen yogurt. He is so much fun and very attractive. My mom really likes him, well, all of my family likes him. After one movie (during which we snuggled) he just leaned over and kissed me. I haven't felt twitterpated in a long time. But now I think I'd better get to know him a little more, before we kiss again or become closer. (Which is likely) I laugh at the irony of the situation. We'll see how everything works out. I've decided to definitely take relationships slow from now on. Hopefully I can stick to that.
I am looking forward to summer. First of all, I leave for France in a week, and I can't wait. I am also very scared. I can't speak French very well. It is reassuring sometimes because sometimes Garrett asks what a word is in French and I can usually give him an answer.

10 Years Ago Today

2011-03-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 10, 2001
Today I woke up at Amanda's house of course Because I had a sleepover. Then we went on a "Scooter Trip." We went all the way to Albersons on the bike trail! I bought a cute little doll named Ginger. We at at "Wendy's" and the we went home. We rode ten whole miles in 3 hours! Then I took a nap and just rested the rest of the day; until I had to babysit. I babysat at Wendys. When I came home my grandparents and cousin David were hear and will be hear until Next Saturday. (I think.) Good night!

This will probably be a little more meaningful to those who know me well. I've kept a fairly regular journal since I was eleven years old. This is one of my first entries.

If my house was burning down and I could save only one thing, it would be my box of journals. I think I have eleven or twelve completed journals spanning ten years. To celebrate ten years of solid journaling, I thought it would be fun to put a few past entries from some of the most important years in shaping who I am. And yes, the spelling and punctuation are as they are in my journal.

Do you have any date requests? Here's another.

March 25, 2001
Today I made more pancakes, then I played Chinese Checkers with Gramma. Me and Shauna beat her, a rare occasion, so we got to go to All A Doller to get a "prize." I got "War Heads" and friendship rings. Then we went to feed the horses, down the street from my Grand parent's house. They liked it.
Then we left. We rode a plane. Then we went to T.J.'s scout thing. He's turning eight soon. Now here I am.

2011-02-22T00:40:00.000-07:00

Awesome weekend. Great Peruvian food. Fun friends.

Look What Came in the Mail...

2011-01-23T00:59:00.000-07:00

Capstone Project

2010-12-08T14:53:00.001-07:00

This is a mini documentary that I did as a capstone project for my broadcast journalism major.
The video in Belize and Hawaii was shot by one of my teachers. I shot everything in the training section of the documentary. Yup, I got to use an underwater camera. It was pretty sweet.

Posted By: Amber

The Sound of Music

2010-11-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots from the show! I had so much fun. It was pretty amazing that our little neighborhood had so much talent. Everything from an orchestra to beautifully painted backdrops, not to mention the talent of the performers.

Rap-itics

2010-10-17T21:41:00.002-06:00

Catchy, no?

The Restoring Honor Rally

2010-09-04T11:39:00.000-06:00

We had the most incredible experience. There were so many people, all of whom were so nice and pleasant to be around. We could feel so much excitement in the air, and the speeches were amazing. Here are some pictures from our awesome experience.

A Little Shout Out...

2010-08-14T15:22:00.003-06:00

I have an awesome friend named Jessa.

We were close friends in elementary and middle school, but moved away just before high school. Even though that was quite a few years ago, I remember one of her most remarkable qualities: a strong desire to serve others. And this service wasn't just limited to making cookies for a neighbor. When we'd hang out, she would look through the phone book to see if there were any organizations needed volunteers. She once signed me up to take care of people at a rest home for a few weeks. She had the most spunky personality and more energy than she knew what to do with, so she'd use it to do some good!

A little while ago I reconnected with Jessa through Facebook. I learned that she had made the difficult decision to give a child up for adoption. Rather than being sad about it, she put her emotions and energy into what she does best, service! She started a blog for birth mothers to connect and share stories about love for their children, faith in God, and turning their lives around for the better.
http://birthmothers4adoption.blogspot.com

But she didn't stop there. She has now started a foundation to give scholarships to birth mothers. That's right, a spunky 21 year old started her own foundation to help people.

I am not surprised in the least, and I can't wait to see all the wonderful people who will be blessed because of her.

Way to go Jessa!

Proof that the Internet was Hevenly Inspired

2010-08-03T22:31:00.002-06:00

Watch 1st.

Watch 2nd.

Happy commenting :D

Boating, Just Push Play!

2010-07-23T16:08:00.000-06:00

FINALLY, A BREAK!

2010-07-15T23:14:00.001-06:00

We're going boating this weekend with my family. I can't wait. To show my excitement, I ask you all to watch this video.

I didn't like this song at all until I watched the music video. It is very funny, and makes me even more excited to spend the weekend at Bear Lake. Notice how well the lyrics go with the video. I love it!

Sunday Post (Part 2)

2010-07-11T17:05:00.000-06:00

More misunderstood than the symbol of the Adam’s rib in the Christian world is Eve’s decision to partake of the forbidden fruit. When Satan tempted Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit (which is another symbol that has not yet been revealed), she realized that she was not fulfilling her role to multiply and replenish the earth with Adam. She knew she needed the knowledge of good and evil in order to truly become like God and to create children. In the words of Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Fall was an essential part of Heavenly Father’s divine plan. Without it no mortal children would have been born to Adam and Eve, and there would have been no human family to experience opposition and growth, moral agency, and the joy of resurrection, redemption, and eternal life.” Eve, then, was a critical role in bringing not only children into the world, but knowledge that would give each of us the ability to become as God. Without the knowledge given to us by the fall of Adam and Eve, no atonement would be necessary, and none of us could ever hope for eternal life.

Eve’s crucial role in the Plan of Salvation proves not only her importance to God but also the importance of all women on earth. In the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Eve became God’s final creation, the grand summation of all of the marvelous work that had gone before.” Eve was not the only woman whose role was misinterpreted or changed during the Great Apostasy. The bible clearly shows God’s love for His daughters. We can see it in the story of Esther, who married the king to rescue the Jews. We can see His love of women in the stories of Ruth, Judith and Naomi, who were anything but weak or inferior to men. We can certainly find that the only person God could trust to bear and raise His Only Begotten Son on this earth was a woman: Mary. Christ even begged his disciple to care for Mary as He was hanging on the cross. Ironically, while windows in medieval cathedrals depicted these remarkable women in stained glass glory, the so-called everyday woman “has been put down. She has been degraded. She has been enslaved. She has been abused,” This lie could have only been crafted by the devil, “the father of all lies, who intends to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will.”

new want...

2010-06-29T23:28:00.004-06:00

Amber's awesome because she has self control when it comes to shiny cool new objects. My new want (not just for me, but for her as well) is

the iPhone4 looks a lot different from the 3g and the 3gS, its more brick like, has a sheet of glass that protects the screen, and is more durable. The video phone calls from iPhone4 to iPhone4 are simply amazing. Gates and Jobs are opening the future of business conferencing on a device that slips into your pocket. the 8gb (which is plenty big for me) starts at $199 with a new 2 year plan. They dropped their data prices for this phone and all other iPhones to 200 mb for $15/month or 2 gb for $25/month. I checked my data plan usage and for this month ive only hit 101.8 mb's this month so I'm cutting my data plan in half and saving cash. iPhone is getting cheaper and cheaper as their features get more and more attractive. The only thing the phone doesn't have is a built in lazer... Oh wait, there is an ap for that...

Sunday Post (Part 1)

2010-06-27T18:24:00.001-06:00

Feminine Feminism and the Pearl of Great Price

How the LDS Church Restored the Truth of the Divinity of Women

Almost a century before women were allowed the right to vote in the United States, a revolutionary text had already declared the need for equality between men and women. The documents making up the Pearl of Great Price testified that women play a crucial role in God’s plan for His children.

Though at the time the text was a new idea regarding the importance women, it was simply the restoration of truth lost between the time of Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith. That truth, when carefully studied, reveals that Eve played a critical role in the progression, not damnation, of mankind, that women are equal to men in their potential for Godhood and that God, therefore, created the world with the partnership of His Goddess wife like whom all women can become.

We, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, refer to the time between the death of Jesus Christ and the restoration of the Church through Joseph Smith as the Great Apostasy. During this time scriptures were altered, corruption thrived in the name of God, and the most simple and important doctrines of Christ’s gospel were lost under the tyranny of unholy holy men. I have pondered upon one particular doctrine that was not only forgotten, but completely turned upside down until it became a truly evil teaching. The doctrine of the fall of Adam and Eve was used as a way to persecute and demean women to the point that one could be drowned or hanged under the name witch.

Despite the many descriptions of remarkable women in the scriptures, woman “has so frequently through the ages been relegated to a secondary position.” Thankfully, the Pearl of Great Price reveals the truth behind Eve, and her role as the “mother of all living.” To begin understanding Eve and her role in God’s Plan of Salvation, one thing needs to be considered. All scripture describing the fall of man is symbolic. The first reference to Eve in Moses 3 is no exception. “And I, the Lord God…took one of [Adam’s] ribs and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof…and the rib which I, the Lord God, had taken from man, made I a woman and brought her unto the man.”

During the Great Apostasy, the symbolism of this scripture was so skewed that it came to mean the opposite of what the Lord intended it to mean. The symbol of Eve being taken out of the rib of Adam does not mean that she was created in a lesser image than Adam, but that she was the equal counterpart to man, or as Adam describes in the next verse, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” meaning they are equal in their abilities to do as the Lord commanded; to multiply and replenish the earth.

Baby Birds

2010-06-26T18:18:00.001-06:00

I've been planning to write about this for a while. A mama robin built a little nest in a bush outside our back door earlier this spring. She built it just perfectly so that it was hidden from predators but perfectly visible from the side of the bush. We peaked inside one morning when she was gone and saw four little blue eggs. It wasn't long before four little beaks were poking out. I shouldn't say little, they were very large beaks on very small heads. The baby birds were so cute in an ugly sort of way. One time I even saw the mom bird catch a worm and bring it back to the bush. It was so fun for Garrett and I to watch these little birds grow up over only a few weeks. We watched them grow feathers that looked like little bird mohawks. We saw them when their eyes opened and they started to chirp. And on a very happy and sad day we even got to see the first one try to fly for the first time. He couldn't go very far, but he'd fly a ways and then hop along the grass. By the end of the day all the baby birds had flown away. It made me kinda sad! I hope one of those babies comes back to that nest and starts her own family in it. We'll make sure it stays there so we can see this little miracle again.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures. I couldn't get a good one without the flash, and we didn't want to scare away mama.
This is pretty much what they looked like though.

I'm not sure why...

2010-06-22T19:42:00.006-06:00

But I really want one of these.

I think these are cool. Definitely better than the Snuggie.

Lame

Very Cool

They are a little out of my price range though, because the dollar is doing so poorly right now.

Happy Fathers Day Pappy

2010-06-20T20:31:00.004-06:00

And you wonder where I got it...

That's my father with the face and my older brother Spencer looking constipated.
I love em.

Happy Fathers Day Dad

Pearl of Great Price Paper

2010-06-13T18:13:00.000-06:00

I wrote this paper for my Pearl of Great Price Class. It's due on Tuesday, and I think it's one of my better papers. You can read it if you are interested.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AWgKyudWAjQeZGNtZzlod25fMGdjeGdjbmY1&hl=en

The Title is

Feminine Feminism and the Pearl of Great Price

How the LDS Church Restored the Truth of the Divinity of Women

If you have any suggestions or edits, feel free to let me know before Tues.

Voice Recital Spring 2010

2010-06-06T14:41:00.000-06:00

I had my first vocal Recital!

It turned out very well. These are all my students who performed. I have a few other students but they were unable to perform for one reason or another.

I also sang for the recital. Here's the video if you'd like to hear,

And to everyone's surprise/delight, Garrett sang a sweet little number. Here he is,

Memorial Biking

2010-06-02T22:40:00.002-06:00

For Memorial Day

We Loaded up the bikes and drove down to Moab!

I love road trips. It makes for great talking time and great memories.

We set up camp with two cots, a small fire and some sleeping bags. I found out later that night however that it wasn't nearly enough. My toes were freezing all night long and I spent half the night trying to warm up.

Garrett had a bright idea to make homemade sushi, then pack it up and eat it for our camp dinner. He thought it was great. Me? Not so much. I prefer my sushi fresh. But good try.

The next morning we geared up for what would be a 30 mile ride. Half the ride was up a paved mountain, 100% uphill. I actually enjoyed that part a lot. It was challenging, but it was somehow relaxing too.

The main thing to see was Gemini Bridges, which was really cool. Natural bridges are like arches, but thicker so we were able to walk on them.

It was awesome. Look how high up the cliffs were!

When you are on high ledges, do you ever picture yourself jumping off? I do. So does Garrett. Is that weird? It makes me dizzy.

We thought this rock mountain thing was pretty cool.

It was a good trip. We'll definitely do that more often.

Wait, I know that name!

2010-05-28T22:49:00.000-06:00

So I was listening to one of my favorite pandora stations (Alison Krauss) and an ad for this new country singer came on.

Laura Bell Bundy

I thought to myself, hey! I know that name!

Did any of you see the original cast of Hairspray? She played Amber. She's on the original Broadway cast soundtrack.

She was also Elle in Legally Blonde the Musical.

So, the combination of that fantastic singing voice, acting skills and dace moves made for one fantastic country music video. Check it out...

zoo-bound!

2010-05-26T22:03:00.000-06:00

We went to go look at bears but unfortunately they didn't have any polar bears or grizzlies.
But there was a lot of kids and lines to the water fountains....

Amber got lost for a while but I found her hanging out with the groundhogs

Is it just us, or when you see a picture or Bald Eagles in person, it makes you feel patriotic?

There was a new baby elephant, panthers, and monkeys. Hopefully Hogal gets bears soon so we can go back!

perfect day.

One Reason I Love Country...

2010-05-22T00:21:00.000-06:00

Among Many.

This is a brand new song by Daryl Worley, and I'm sure you all will like it very much. The only place you can hear it is on the radio and here. It's called "Keep the Change" and it's the first song on the play list.

Listen closely to the lyrics. It is fantastic.

im lucky because...

2010-05-18T22:34:00.001-06:00

my wife is a model... oh baby..

click here

M O A B

2010-05-17T10:00:00.002-06:00

slickrock

It was so dumb that it was funny...

2010-05-14T11:12:00.000-06:00

This last week at work has been employee appreciation week. Yesterday, they bought us ice cream sandwiches, popsicles, and italian ice. Since I'm trying to eat better but didn't want to miss out on free desert, I chose the Welches Fruit strawberry bar over the fat boy.

I stuck the treat in my back pocket, loaded my van for the day, and was headed off to work. I thought that since I had it in my back pocket for a while it would be soft and yummy....

I'm on 4500s about to get on I-15 when I put the fruit bar in my mouth and soon was made aware that the delicious strawberry fruit bar was not soft and yummy but a frozen solid and when I put it in my mouth, it melded my upper/lower lips and tongue to the fruit bar.

(this image flashed into my mind)

I never thought that having your tongue frozen to anything was as serious as it was for Ralphie's friend and I thought that with a little saliva and patience, you could get your tongue off the frozen pole within a few seconds.

So here I am, inner lips and tongue melded to the fruit bar about to get on the freeway north bound and my mouth was getting very very cold. Luckily I was in the inner lane of the freeway on-ramp so I flipped an illegal U-turn and headed back to the office at warp speed. I drove with the Popsicle dangling from my mouth and lucky my nose wasn't stuffy so I could breath. If it would have been clogged, I would have surely died of asphyxiation. Under the freeway. Death by Strawberry Popsicle....

I parked the van by the office door and just wanted to dunk my head in a bucket of hot water asap. I held the fruit bar stick and tried to act as normal as possible as I made my way to the bathroom. Once I got in there (by this time, my mouth was numb and the fruit bar was pretty much cemented to my lips and tongue) I turned on the sink and began splashing my face with water. It must have been an interesting site. Popsicle dangling from my mouth as I hum anguish pains and drench my face in water. After about 30 seconds, I got the top lip free, my tongue, and then my bottom lip (taking skin with it).

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. The past 2 minutes were the longest and coldest 2 minutes of my long hot summer day.

From this experience I learned that freezing office treats with dry ice so they can stay frozen throughout the day is a violent crime to the innocent fruit bar eaters and that from now on, if I ever have the choice of a Welches strawberry fruit bar or Fat Boy, I'm taking the Fat Boy.

after pic.

It hurts a lot more today than it did after it happened yesterday

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T13:25:00.002-06:00

Amber:
To my mom,
I love that on mother's day all the spring tulips are in bloom. Tulips are my mom's favorite flower, and I always think about her when I see them.
I appreciate my mom's example so much, especially now that I'm taking on the role of wife. I keep trying to be like her, and I often find myself thinking, "what would my mom do in this situation?" I really appreciate her example, and it becomes more valuable to me the older I get.
Thank you Mom, I love you.

Garrett:

My mom is one of the best examples of service that I know. She goes far out of her way to help others even if it conflicts with her plans. That is one lesson that I am trying to work on to become less selfish.

She has bailed me out of so many situations like needing the family suv, "hey mom, my car is broken... it doesn't seem to be running anymore" - meaning i need gas money, bringing me my car keys when I lock my keys inside my car at school, making me lunches when I stop by, being the go to parent since dad wouldn't ever let me have sleepovers, someone i can trust and talk openly to, and most of all, my best friend while growing up. I love you mom. Thank you so much for the thousands of sack lunches, fun dates, and being the best Christlike example I know. I love you so very much.

- G

That's Me

2010-05-04T14:38:00.000-06:00

So I googled my name to make sure there is nothing online that could offend a potential employer. I found this little tidbit from over a year ago. My half second of fame.

ksl.com - Holiday travelers get a welcome surprise at the airport

In April...

2010-05-03T15:31:00.001-06:00

Garrett grew a mustache

We climbed up a cliff

We built a gardener snowman

And Amber performed in a bluegrass band!

Bring on the summer!

Singing Lessons

2010-04-27T09:37:00.004-06:00

Check out my voice lesson site!

agvocalstudios.blogspot.com

Hallelujiah!

2010-04-25T16:49:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday!

Man, I love this music.

My Dad's a Delegate

2010-04-24T18:15:00.001-06:00

Sorry to Mislead...I had this as Candidate. I must have been tired or something when I posted it. He's a DELEGATE, trying to vote for a Candidate. Oops. Enjoy the clip ;)

ksl.com - Candidates speak to delegates on eve of county convention

My Brother

2010-04-20T10:07:00.000-06:00

made his first video for a school project. He and his classmate came over to use my editing software and spent HOURS working on it. I am very proud of the result. (However, I think he may never touch video editing software ever again, thanks to this project.) Way to go T.!

Humanities Final

2010-04-15T17:51:00.002-06:00

Amber: Pick YOUR favorite! These are mine

I usually don't have a reason to be unhappy when a semester ends, but this time I do. I took Humanities 202 with one of the best teachers I've ever had. I'm studying for the final right now, and I thought I'd share some of my favorite works of art that I've discovered in this class.
Note: I do have the titles of each of these paintings, the artists, and how to spell them memorized. Thank you. Thank you.

Girodet: The Entombment of Atala
This painting was part of the Romantic art movement. I love the way the artists captured all the emotional levels happening.

Gentileschi: Judith and Holophernes
The drama in this Boroque painting is so captivating. As gruesome as it is, I have a hard time looking away from it.

Bosch: Bearing the Cross

I think this is a fantastic Boroque painting that captures the nature of Christ so well. Don't you love the contrast between the faces of Christ and those surrounding him? There is so much good symbolism in this painting.

Caravaggio: The Calling of St. Matthew

I like this Boroque painting simply because it's a little weird. That is Christ on the right pointing to Matthew. Notice how they are dressed in "modern" clothing? It was a brave move to paint Christ in such a way, but I don't think it was inappropriate. That is my opinion however. Some general authorities may disagree.

Gericault: The Raft of the Medusa

I love the drama and desperation in this Romantic era painting. It is also cool how the people are leaning up, bringing the focus to the man with the flag. The painting was made as a political outcry against the French government.

Picasso: Geurnica

This is a rather famous Cubism painting by Picasso. Usually I'm not much of a Picasso fan, but I do like this painting. His cubist methods are extremely effective at capturing the emotion of a war that took place where he grew up. Like "Judith and Holophernes," this painting is captivating because it is so frightening.

Dali: The Persistence of Memory

This is another you're probably familiar with. This is a painting from the Surreal era, and I love the strangeness of it. The first time I saw this painting was in a seventh grade art class. Whenever the class got boring I would stare at this painting and try to understand what it meant. I think it's really cool.

Van Gogh: The Night Cafe

This is a painting by Van Gogh that you may not recognize. I love how even though the painting isn't exactly realistic, it is very easy to picture that cafe in your head. It also captures a sort of strange, sad emotion, like something is going to go wrong but you aren't sure what. Van Gogh was brilliant at that capturing of emotional atmospheres.

Well that was a good test review. I think I have the paintings pretty well memorized. Wish me luck tomorrow!

Imagine

2010-04-15T10:12:00.000-06:00

You probably already saw this on my mom's blog, but for those who didn't...

This is my final project for humanities. I wanted to put the song in its historical context, and express the ideas of peace and equality that people were fighting for at the time. God is important to society, and I think that He alone can give us the kind of world John Lennon was imagining when he wrote this song.

The Next Award Winning Movie

2010-04-06T08:54:00.000-06:00

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever -- powered by Cracked.com

I thought this was very funny, and so true. Enjoy!

If we were animals, we would be....

2010-04-03T23:27:00.002-06:00

H A P P Y E A S T E R

Garrett's Birthday

2010-03-27T00:29:00.001-06:00

Yarrrrrr

2010-03-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

garrett here...

SO my idea of a vacation would be to travel to
a) a place of ancient history
b) a place where there arent a lot of people (even if its not that popular of a place to go to)
c) a place where you couldn't get cell phone reception

A -

Ever since Bert and Earnie went and discovered the ancient tombs and pyramids in Egypt, I have wanted to do the same

To me, it would be exciting to go there, lite my torch, and explore a tomb, in the dark, and spook myself out while doing it.

yeah, egypt would just be rad.

B) A place where there are not a lot of people

for example -

Cairns Australia

miles of secluded beaches and green jungle to explore.

get lost somewhere in Brazil in the Amazon Rain Forest and stumble upon ....

that would be fun...

Ive always wanted to go to see the 'wonders' of the world and some of them would be

Easter Island, Chile

Bulgaria Belogradchik Rocks

and of course, my love...

Machu-Picchu, Peru

C) IF you were able to get cell reception at any of the above locations, there are some places where you definitely couldn't get it...

Ayers Rock, Australia

Antartica

or deep dive and visit the

titanic

Really i just want to be able to travel with Amber and see a lot of the cool places around us here in the states like the Redwood Forest, Oregon cost, Yellowstone, and surrounding cities like Seattle, New Orleans, Chicago, and I want to go back to San Antonio to actually appreciate the American Mexican war of 1812.

Once I get a little more $$ in my pocket, we will go and see all the above.

We Love to Travel

2010-03-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

And we're saving for a trip!
When: Amber's Graduation (April 2011)
Where: Undecided!

Amber's vote is for Paris
Garrett's vote is for Egypt or Peru

Amber: I've already been to Paris and I really want to show Garrett around. I already know exactly what I want him to see, and I have a few places I never got to see, even in the 5 weeks that I spent in Paris.

I know you've already seen pictures of the well known sites. But here are some unknown travel tips I've learned about Paris.

This is an Etap hotel. Please note the luxurious iron bunk bed, the plasma tv in the corner, and the lovely puke colored bed spread. Well, young married couples can't be picky, and it is a good place to stay. The best part is the continental breakfast in the morning, complete with croissants and nutella.

The way to get around affordably is definitely by metro. We would do a week and a half to two week trip, and we'd need to pick up a pass for that amount of time. Passes rock, they can get you unlimited train rides (which is a must for me, because I always get lost looking for stuff, sometimes on purpose) and bus rides. The map looks confusing, but it makes a lot more sense when you are using it.

This is one reason to ride the metro. Free entertainment and crazy beggars.

I'm very adventurous, and I'm not afraid to explore new places or foods. There are a lot of cool places in Paris that no one knows about. For example, the Jewish Quarter, where I ate this delicious falafel. There are so many delicious things to eat and cool things to see. Hopefully I can show Garrett some fun things like that.

Next Post: Garrett's plans for exploring ancient ruins in faraway lands.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-03-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Amber:

This is my dad.

It's his birthday today!

Happy Birthday Dad. You are my hero and my example. I love you.

Random Pictures

2010-03-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

That Garrett sent me from his iphone. So I'll make a post out of them.

This is us on our honeymoon. We would dress up and go to fancy restaurants.

This is me eating a delicious hot dog at a Jazz game.

This is Garrett playing with my last boss's dog.

Me eating some delicious Market Street Grill cake.

This is a pretty sunset behind our house.

Friday and Saturday

2010-02-13T22:07:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was pretty exciting; Garrett's little brother Bryce came home from Chile! Garrett was like a little kid on Christmas all day long. Some things to know about Bryce: He is 6'7". He speaks Spanish, but unfortunately it's "dirty Chilean Spanish", according to Garrett. He enjoys basketball and is fun to play with. He carries a heart...the size of his head...in his chest.

Today was the beginning of our Valentine's weekend. Garrett took me to my favorite restaurant, Market Street Grill, where we enjoyed this decadent beauty. I also tried some steel head, which is like salmon but better. Of course, my judgment may be flawed because everything at Market Street Grill is amazing.
(By the way, we shared one piece of cake. We didn't eat one each, as it may appear.)

We got dressed up for the occasion. Don't we look smashing?

Here's a picture of Garrett's face. Do you like his new haircut?

Our Wedding Video!!!

2010-02-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Wedding Video

2010-01-17T21:21:00.002-07:00

For all of you who weren't at our wedding, here's the video I put together for it.
I watched it for the first time today since the wedding, and I think I did a pretty swell job.

My First Video Blog!

2010-01-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

Two Thousand & Ten

2010-01-02T23:09:00.001-07:00

This winter break has been a blast.

We have had a lot of fun with friends and family and have enjoyed being together for the past few weeks.

Im really proud of Amber, she is really taking her voice lesson business to the next level. People are refering their friends and her student pool just seems to keep getting larger and larger.

anywho, on to the more important news: meet Patrick the Pirate snow man who resides in our own back yard

The snow was pretty much perfect for making our hooked friend so we couldn't resist.

Today, we spent the morning going to ARUP and donating blood then we went down to the asian store and picked up some curry and a huge bag of Thai rice. We made red curry the other night and were excited to try green w/ shrimp. I love how Amber is as adventurous as I am with trying new foods and cooking up new recipes even though they pollute the house with funky smells.

She taught some voice lessons then we jazzed.

pretty much an awesome end to a great winter break.

now back to school.

___________

haul out the holly

2009-12-27T00:30:00.001-07:00

Garrett:

This Christmas season has been one of the best. School is over, Stats class was passed with a B+, and I was able to take work off for the better part of these last two weeks.
It has been fun to hang around with the families, Eric my brother is in from Boston with his family and its always fun to get together and play basketball together as the glissmeyer group.

I think amber might have already posted this but this year, we got our own (real) tree :

it was a beast to put up, but i think we got all the tricks figured out so it wont be so bad next year.

Amber and I have started a new tradition. On Christmas eve morning, we had friends and family come over for a quick breakfast and had a decent turn out of 10 people. It was a lot of fun to hang out together and enjoy company before they all went home for the holidays. Thanks all for coming!!!

We went out to see the lights at famous Christmas Street here in Sugarhouse, I have gone ever since I was a little kid and I will continue to go, its one of the best neighborhoods completely lit up at this time of year.

And we were fully prepared with Hot Chocolate from our brand new Thermos! (thanks Krista n Ryan)

Now we are just getting ready for bed and Amber has had her nose in this book all day that she got for Christmas.

Its been a nice relaxing holiday and fun with friends and family

Santa stopped by early...

2009-12-21T00:06:00.000-07:00

And somehow, I ended up with one of these.

WOW.

It's REALLY cool. I'm a lucky girl.

Oh Christmas Tree...

2009-12-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

We got our first real Christmas tree a few weeks ago. It is beautiful and makes the house smell fresh and piny. We found our tree at Harmons, and we asked a guy to load it up. When he saw our little Corolla waiting in front of the store he said, "You're using THAT car? Well, ok." The tree made it home just fine.

Neither of us had ever set up a real Christmas tree, so that was also an ordeal. We couldn't get it to stand up straight without falling over! Finally we realized we needed to saw off the lower branches, which we did in the middle of our living room. I don't know if our vacuum cleaner will ever be the same again.

Lights and ornaments were easy. Everyone in Garrett's family gets an ornament every Christmas, which means we have 23 beautiful ornaments on our tree now. (Plus a few from other various relatives.) I still need to add mine, but I am so glad that Garrett's mom was thoughtful enough to build up our own little stockpile of ornaments. Thanks Ann.

(The framing in that last picture is bad. But that's what happens when the piano takes the picture.)

Carol of the Bells

2009-12-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

I've always thought this song is beautiful. However, I don't really like it with the words, I think that's a little too much. So here are my favorite instrumental versions of the Carol of the Bells
The first is by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. I heard this on the radio and thought whoa! That is sweet! It may be too modern for some of you, but you'll have to tell me what you think.

Here's one that my dad showed me several years ago. We laughed pretty hard at this one.

I also like the electric piano version by Barenaked Ladies, but sadly that one isn't on youtube. :(

(And thanks for all the comments, I feel better now.)

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2009-12-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

Amber Writes:
Continuing my Christmas music series (that apparently only my mom cares about) here's Santa Claus is coming to town! My mom had a music box that I loved to look at when I was little. It had Santa putting presents under a tree, while two kids peeked around the stairs and through the doors to see him. It was cool because the two kids moved. The music that it played was Santa Claus is coming to town, and for some reason I was fascinated with the moving kids. Anyways, that's my story for this song.
My favorite version is by the Jackson five. This is a new addition to my Christmas collection, and it makes me want to dance! You have to admire Michael Jackson's voice. Mariah Carey mimicked their R&B style, but I just think this one is better.

And while we're on the subject of the Jackson Five, here's another Christmas song of theirs that I love.

I love my wife... and Im proud of her

2009-12-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

I hope this post doesn't turn into a seriously so blessed thread...

I'm really proud of Amber. She is teaching voice lessons out of our home and is doing great in school in her Major. She is fantastic with video production, editing, and presenting a great news story.

Shes Funny,

She's hard working,

(picture of our study before remodeling)

And she is fun to adventure with.

love ya babe. Great work this semester. Keep it up!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

2009-12-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

I remember learning this song when I was in first grade. The teacher used pictures of course, and for the part that says, "with a voice as big as the sea," the teacher put a whale up. To this day when I sing this song, I want to sing, "with a voice as big as a whale," even though it doesn't even rhyme. Oh well. Here are my two favorite arrangements of this song.

The first is by Chaka Khan. I personally think her voice is phenomenal, but there are some that have heard this song that think she sings too high. I think when it sounds like that, the high notes are powerful and beautiful. But this could be because of my interest in singing technique.

The second is by Destiny's Child, and Beyonce is not the lead singer in this arrangement. I, again, admire the vocal technique in this arrangement. I love the harmonies and conflicting melodies that work.

I like the R&B take of both of these arrangements. The thing about Christmas music is that there are only a few songs out there, so they can get old pretty fast. I respect artists that change it up a bit, like these two.

2009-12-05T10:15:00.001-07:00

Garrett says:

So i have a friend named Rob. He built his own electronic Organ and is getting better and better each time I see him. This last time I went over to his house, he played this :

congrats rob on the many-a-YouTube hit. Keep it up!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings

2009-12-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

To be honest, I never really liked these songs for a long time. Then I heard the Barenaked Ladies version of it (featuring Sarah McLachlin) on the radio. It is groovin!

After hearing this song, I of course had to buy their entire album (Barenaked for the Holidays.) I loved it. It is really bizarre, but I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. Half of the songs are Hanukkah songs, and since I'm not Jewish I don't listen to those. But the rest are pretty funny, and I'll post a few more from that album in this series.

About two Christmases ago I found another excellent version of this song by one of my favorite bands: Rascal Flatts. I think it is tasty.

Which one do you like? I can't decide, I think they are both sweet! Do you have any other versions that you like?

My dad and his quartet also did a version of this song. You'll have to have he or my mom post that version. I think it is also lovely.

Amber's Christmas Music Series!

2009-12-02T14:06:00.001-07:00

Every year I search for the best Christmas songs or versions of songs I can find. This year, I'm asking for some help. I'll post a Christmas song and all my favorite versions of it, and you can decide which is your favorite. If you know of one that's even better than the ones I have (unlikely) let me know!

Also, I'll be posting a little tidbit about how Christmas music has made a difference in my life.

I'll start off with my favorite Christmas song of all: Oh Holy Night. When I was a little girl, about four or five years old I remember my dad coming in to play his guitar and sing songs to help me fall asleep. When Christmas time was coming, he always played Oh Holy Night. Now of course, this song has a very special place in my heart. The song itself is absolutely perfect. The music and words show the grandeur and importance of the special night. I can imagine angels singing this song at the time of Christ's birth.
And so...
Here is my favorite version by one of my favorite singers.

Now for everyone who is my age and was a big fan of 'N Sync, you may enjoy this one. These are some TIGHT harmonies

And for the American Idol lovers, here's another A Capella version by Kelly Clarkson. A little too show offy for my taste, but I love the gospel feel to it.

Which is your favorite? Or do you have a better one? Comment comment comment!

Elves!

2009-11-21T22:33:00.001-07:00

I love jibjab.
Here are some videos to start the Christmas season. Find yourself, or someone you want to see look ridiculous, and enjoy one of these splendid masterpieces.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

And another...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Snowball fight!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Ok, last one.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

My Favorite Broadway Show...

2009-11-12T23:50:00.000-07:00

Garrett went to bed. I was going to join him, but then I got distracted listening/singing to Les Miserables. Man, I don't know if there is a more beautiful sound than "Bring Him Home" or "One Day More" or "On My Own" or...any of it. Man, I forgot how much I love this music.

Here are some of my favorite scenes

I cry every time. And this is my favorite Eponine ever: Lea Salonga

ONE DAY MORE!

OH NO!

2009-11-11T22:36:00.002-07:00

Sorry that the comments on the last post didn't work. I think I fixed the problem. I still want to know what you had to say, so if you wouldn't mind trying one more time, I would appreciate it. :)

This and That...

2009-11-10T21:59:00.002-07:00

Amber:
Today, Garrett feels like this

So I decided to do a little bit of that

Some of this

And even some of that

I'm trying to be better at this

So that my honey will feel like that

Tonight.

:) Wish me luck

What we did on Halloween

2009-11-04T21:39:00.010-07:00

Amber:
Garrett and I decided to be a little nontraditional this Halloween. As much as we love dressing up and going to parties, we decided on a mini road trip for some scary fun. We headed to a ghost town hoping to spook ourselves out a little bit.

The problem with us is that we tend to get distracted on the way. This graffiti covered tower thing caught our attention first. It was actually pretty spooky on the inside. We were worried we might find a body in there. Then we remembered that we still haven't had the chance to try out Garrett's new gun, which he can legally carry around in case someone wants to attack us. So we bought some cream soda bottles (well, actually we bought cream soda, that was sold in glass bottles, and then drank it.) and set them up as targets. I hit one after several tries. Garrett's a much better shot than me.

After miles of desert landscape, egg salad sandwiches and Toby Keith songs, we arrived at a small town in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, it was too dark to find the ghost town. But we did end up at this neat hotel/diner thing where we watched a documentary of people telling their ghost stories. Garrett was pretty scared after that.

We checked out the ghost town the next morning. It wasn't nearly as scary as we hoped, probably because it was broad daylight. But it was rather fascinating, and we saw some cool old stuff. Like this rock polisher

And these kilns.
Then we headed home. We saw this restaurant which is supposed to be really good, and a couple celebrities have been to it. Unfortunately, it wasn't very good.

The Pho makes the sickness go away

2009-11-04T19:32:00.005-07:00

Garrett:

Ever had it?

Phở is served in a bowl with white rice noodl es in clear beef broth, with thin cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations feature tendon, tripe, meatballs, chicken leg, chicken breast, or other chicken organs. 'With the lot' (made with chicken broth and all or most of the shop's chicken and cattle offerings, including chicken hearts and livers and beef tripe and tendons) is known as 'Phở đặc biệt' (specialty phở)

thx wiki....

I like mine extra spicy and Amber is new to the experience so she is having hers a little more on the sweet side with the nummy Hoisin sauce.

Go give it a try and tell us what you think.

Googlesearch Pho soup. There are a lot around here

Meet Amber and Garrett . . .

2009-11-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

Garrett : My name is Garrett and I'm new to this blogging bit but am kinda excited to try it out.
I like guns, great tasting food, and adventure. Later (if your lucky) ill get back on and post some stories about my life and what I like to do, have done, and plan on doing... Apparently that is what blogs are for er something..

Amber : I'm...old?...to blogging. My mom is a hard core blogger and has convinced everyone else in her life to jump on board, including me. Since we got married and are a little more disconected to everyone, we thought a blog was a nice way to keep in touch. This is a wedding picture.