Top Ten 2008

So here are some lists of my top ten favorites of 2008.

BANDS:

These aren’t necessarily my top favorite bands of all time but ones that I discovered this year and LOVE! I have probably listened to these bands more than any other this year. (Despite Death Cab who has been my favorite for a few years. Also the Shins, Stills, and Stokes.) I could add a ton more to this list. I have found more great unknown bands on my own this year than I ever have. I have gotten tired of all the same old unoriginal popular music and have learned that there is a ton of great music out there that not a lot of people know about. It has sort of become a hobby of mine in finding new music.

1. Band of Horses
2. Rogue Wave
3. Death Cab for Cutie
4. The Stills
5. The Shins
6. Matt Costa
7. Fleet Foxes
8. Built to Spill
9. The Strokes
10. Regina Spektor

SONGS:

1. “Noones Gonna Love You” Band of Horses
2. “First Day of My Life” Bright Eyes
3. “Chicago x 12” Rogue Wave
4. “White Winter Hymnal” Fleet Foxes
5. “Gone for Good” The Shins
6. “Free bird” Lynryd Skynyrd
7. “A Movie Script Ending” Death Cab for Cutie (or pretty much anything by them)
8. “The End Has No End” The Strokes
9. “Else” Built to Spill
10. “Shiver” Coldplay

BOOKS:
I have grown to love reading more than ever.

1. The Age of Innocence
2. Wuthering Heights
3. Jane Eyre
4. The House of Mirth
5. The Fountainhead (I’m not nearly finished but so far its amazing!)
6. The Catcher in the Rye
7. The Thirteenth Tale
8. Twilight Series (I don’t necessarily think they are the best written books but I enjoyed reading them.)
9. Angels & Demons
10. Marley and Me

MOVIES:

This one was actually hard for me to find 10 of. There have been some amazing movies out this year but not as many as I thought. I still haven't seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which would probably make the list.

1. Ironman
2. Definitely, Maybe
3. The Dark Knight
4. The Incredible Hulk
5. Cloverfield
6. 27 Dresses
7. Quantum of Solace
8. 21
9. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
10. Valkryie
11. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

TV SHOWS:

1. The Office
2. Heroes
3. Chuck
4. Pushing Daisies
5. That 70's Show
6. Privileged
7. Bones
8. Seinfeld (always a favorite)
9. Scrubs

HAPPY 2009!

So this is Christmas...

So I haven't updated this whole month and it has become overwhelming because so much has happened! December is usually a busy month for everyone with holiday shopping and parties but this month was especially crazy for us. My sister Ashley was in the hospital because of complications with her pregnancy and she ended up delivering via C-section 2 months early on Christmas Eve. His name is Grant Mitchell Carlon and he is a tiny 2 1/2 pounds but growing! He will have to stay at the hospital for a couple months but should be a healthy baby boy soon. On top of that Jason's mom was in a car accident which totaled her van (not her fault) on Dec 23 which caused a mild heart attack. It may have been a good thing because they found some blocked coronary arteries and she had a triple bypass surgery on Christmas Eve as well. (Yes, this is the same van that I sandwiched Jason into and dented the door. Now we don't have to fix it.) It was strange because she had her surgery not only the same day as Ashley's C-section but they were both at 12:00! It would have been great if they were at the same hospital to make visiting easier but Jason's mom was in Phoenix and Ash in Mesa. They are both doing great and are at their homes now. Even though things were a little stressful we were still able to have a great Christmas! We are very grateful that Ashley and Jason's mom are both healthy again.

Jason and I Christmas tree shopping
She couldn't wait to get a drink at home

We got our gorgeous tree for only $32 at a lot! It was supposed to be $60 but the guy was very nice and helped us out.

Gingerbread decorating with the family

My family's new baby goat Coco!!

My parents got Jason and I a gorgeous bed frame for Christmas! Jason and I at the hospital

It is crazy that another Christmas has already come and gone. This whole year has sped by for me faster than any other. Christmas time is always a great way to end the year because you get to spend a lot of time doing fun things with the family. Even though this Christmas was different because Ashley was in the hospital it made me remember what is most important. I'm so grateful to have such an amazing family!

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot!

On Thanksgiving morning I did the 10k turkey trot!! A 10k is 6.2 miles and it really wasn't that bad because I have been training for it. I run every day at least 3 miles and I ran 6 miles twice last week so that this wouldn't be that big of a deal. I expected to be dead tired at the end but instead I had a ton of energy and my muscles felt tingly. It was weird but great! It was an amazing day for it as well because it was cloudy and perfectly cool.. I was glad that it wasn't raining though like it was the day before. The weather was perfect! I actually did really good and got 49 minutes! That is better than I have done when I was training and I think all of the people motivated me to go faster. There was probably 1000 people running in it! It was crazy but very fun! Jason's siblings ran the race also. I was surprised that I beat all of Jason's siblings (except Brendan who is an awesome runner and got about 36 minutes!!)- I did not expect to at all. Overall I had a great time and am very glad I did it!

I had to get a picture with the turkey!

All of us after the race!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Have you seen the new naked pirate movie? Its rated ARRRRR!!!!

So Jason and I were pirates this year for Halloween. I was excited when he agreed to dress up with me because its the first year that we've dressed up as a couple. Usually he'll dress up but it has nothing to do with my costume. Probably because I don't make it very easy for him. Like last year I was a flapper and its hard for him to find a costume to go along with that!

This was my flapper costume last year. I actually loved that costume with the feather and everything! It was one of my mom's costumes which she has tons of!

And this year's costumes!! They aren't that original or anything... especially since at a party we went to the next 2 couples that showed up were pirates! But we didn't care and had fun with our costumes.

Of course we couldn't leave Gigi out!

Michelle, me, and Brin!

Me with Frankenstein

Jason's very proud of his weird "pirate" beard.

THE BIRDS:

Gigi's second costume my mom got for her! It's pretty hilarious!

My mom with my nephew Caden. Lexie made Caden's duck costume!! It was adorable!

Weezer

First off, because we went to the race and managed to muster enough energy to make it to the Weezer concert that evening, this post (my first, how cute) is placed on top of Romi's Race Results. Read that first, then come back or Romi will cut off my... sugarmama spending.
Anyways, we made it to our second Weezer concert, the first being our second date. Let me just say... FREAKING AWESOME! They played with The Tokyo Police Club (we didn't see because the tickets had the wrong time on them) whoever they are, and Angels & Airwaves. When we walked in A&A was just starting and we were ushered to our seats way up front and watched Tom DeLonge SUI, (sing under the influence). The light show was pretty cool but I really like A&A drunk or not. After they played and they were setting up for Weezer we reallized were in the wrong seats the whole time. Ours were in the section behind us, still floor, but further back and there were people in ours. In the end it didn't matter because when Weezer came out, everybody rushed the stage. We were pretty close for the first three songs and then a 4'9" woman with mean flashlight skills started sending people back. I pulled the I-don't-speak-english card but still got flashlighted. We managed to find two empty seats closer than ours and stayed there the rest of the concert. Weezer is always a crowd pleaser with awsome covers, tag-team singing/playing, and family friendly topics. Tom DeLonge was invited back for "Undone-The Sweater Song." At the end they had around 30 people up there that won some radio contest and they all played their own instruments from home. It was funny. There were violins, guitars, trumpets, marachas, and a digeridoo. Weezer is a great concert if you ever get a chance. The whole concert ended at 9:00pm and the fair is too trashy for even me so we left. My ears are still ringing and I am content.
The newest member of Weezer