Lyric(s) of the Week

The new iPad2 is going on sale today. As much as I think I need it, I know that I don't. As John Mayer says:

"How come everything I think I need always come with batteries?"

This topic of wants versus needs has been on my mind a lot lately as I've been trying to strip away a lot of the unnecessary excess in my life. It was fitting, then, that while listening to music on my way to work one day this song sung by Jeff Buckley came through my earbuds:

"How many times have you heard someone say: 'If I had money I would do things my way?'  But little they know that it's so hard to find one rich man in ten with a satisfied mind.

Money can't buy back all your youth when you're old; a friend when you're lonely; or peace to your soul.  The wealthiest person is a pauper at times.  Compared to the man with a satisfied mind.

When my life is over and my time has run out; my friends and my loved ones I will leave there's no doubt.  But one thing's for certain when it comes my time, I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind."

Artist: Jeff Buckley (originally sung by Porter Wagoner in 1956) written by Joe Hayes & Jack Rhodes
Song: Satisfied Mind
Album: Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk) - 1998



Artist: John Mayer
Song: Something's Missing
Album: Heavier Things (2003)

 

Lyric of the Week

Although many things out of my control seem to be happening around me lately I'm continually reminding myself that if I want my life to follow the path I desire I have make a plan and steer the ship.

"Now you finally know that you control where you go. You can steer."  

Artist: Missy Higgins
Song: Steer
Album: On A Clear Night (2007)

What's My Excuse?

Girls can blame sudden emotional outbursts or out-of-nowhere crying on "that time of the month" or pregnancy. I saw this commercial on tv the other day and a immediately had tears in my eyes. What's my excuse?

Luke Sky(e)walker or is it Skye Lukewalker?

Her arms outstretched like Frankenstein
Determined; no sign fear
One unsteady foot in from of another
As parents' stand by and cheer
Skye can fly -- or so it seems
As she beams with smiles so proud
With those tiny toes now she goes
Wherever she's allowed
New freedom has come and soon she'll run
And jump, and dance, and play
The world is new and as you explore
Mom & Dad are never far away

Lyric of the Week

I've been a little bit depressed lately. I'll be turning 29 in a couple of months so the big 3-0 is quickly approaching. I always planned to be a millionaire by the time I turned 30. I guess "planned" is not the correct word to use here. I hoped to have a million dollars in the bank by now. There was no actual planning involved and I suppose that is the problem. I've dubbed 2011 as "The Year of Attacking Debt" because lets face it 

"I still owe money, to the money, to the money I owe"

In my attempt to be successful and realistic in this venture I'm accepting that my mortgage and student loans are going nowhere anytime soon. They'll be hanging over my head for many years to come (although I've got news for you Bank of America, I have no intention of living in my current home for 29 more years so you'll hopefully get your money back much sooner than the year 2040). So while I continue to pay the minimum payments on my student loans and mortgage for the time being I've got ambitions to "attack" some credit card and personal loan debt in 2011 and get some of those many monkeys off my back.

Now where to begin?

"Hey boss, can I get a raise...?"



Artist: The National
Song: Bloodbuzz Ohio
Album: High Violet (2010)

I Am Me

I can't even explain how accurately this architect's description of himself matches my own thoughts and traits exactly. Guess that's affirmation that I'm on the correct career path :)

Lyric of the Week

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday I wanted to find some words that would help me articulate my love to my Valentine. There are obviously countless songs and lyrics out there written with love as their inspiration. Thus, there are any number songs I could have picked to adequately express my feelings but I felt that these few lines summed it up with right amount of thoughtfulness and humor and describe almost perfectly the way I feel about Breck: 

“Someone who’ll make me laugh – someone to be my better half – keep me warm under the sack – share with me my midnight snack”

Artist: Hayden
Song: Bad As They Seem
Album: Everything I Long For (1996)

Lyric of the Week

I had a couple other lyrics in mind that I was going to highlight this week but this morning on my way to work I heard this tune by Nada Surf (yes that Nada Surf) and for whatever reason it resonated with me. Not that I have any specific weight I feel I'm carrying around at the moment, but it just felt like a good thing to remember next time I'm feeling weighed down:

"Maybe this weight was a gift. Like I had to see what I could lift"

Artist: Nada Surf
Song: Do It Again
Album: The Weight Is a Gift (2005)

Also see 1 Corinthians 10:13

I [heart] Hearts

It started a few days ago while browsing through a box of saved items of Breck's that Colleen had been storing at her house. There was our wedding announcement/invite from our nuptials way back in 2002. Breck was examining its detail and remembering how she had hand-tied each ribbon on the cards. She also noticed a detail she hadn't remembered being there before (all the details seemed new to me as I had no interest or opinion at the time what the announcements looked like & I don't think I ever took more than 1/2 second to really look at them; if it didn't have our names on it I probably wouldn't have been able to pick it out of a lineup). On the background of the card was written LOVE; or more accurately

L O

YE 

Neither of us had remembered that the "V" was written with a heart (how cute!)

Since then it seems I've been seeing this display of love everywhere I look. It's not even February yet and already I'm being inundated with all things Valentine's Day. Every bit of advertising is colored with pink and red and covered in hearts. The word LOVE is plastered all over everything. Yesterday Breck and I were comparing the LYVE pattern she just sewed on a shirt for Skye versus the LOYE displayed on a Krispy Kreme ad I was drooling over (actually the "O" was a donut and the "V" was a heart-shaped cookie).

 
I've never been hesitant to vocalize my dislike (okay maybe not 'dislike'...how 'bout 'indifference') for this frilly holiday. I claim to loathe the cheesy Valentine card or the silly love song yet every year I find myself sitting down to write my own version of a sappy love poem.  Why do I do this? They all tend to sound somewhat similar because really how many different ways can you say 'I love you'?
 
As this LOVEly season approaches I begin to anticipate what words I could write to my Valentine to express my feelings. I'm continually interested and amazed by song lyrics and occasionally write them down for future reference or use but they are disorganized, sporadic, and scattered in various places. I want to start a habit of writing down a song lyric at least once a week (its still January, so not too late to start a New Year's Resolution, right?) to post here so that I can remember and reference them later.  Here's one I came across the other day:
 

"Some people wanna fill the whole world with silly love songs. And what's wrong with that?"

- 'Silly Love Songs' by Paul McCartney

 
This year, same as every year, I've got no money to buy her jewelry. We have no time to take a romantic vacation (and who takes romantic vacations after they have kids, anyway?). I may give her a gift as suggested in a PSA I saw yesterday: "Give the one you love something special this year for Valentine's Day: check yourself for testicular cancer". But who am I kidding, that's a gift for me as much as anyone else:) So although I feel that they may have lost some of their emphasis and charm over the years and are getting a bit repetitive (did I already say that?), I will continue to write Breck silly love poems every year (I wish I could write music...maybe some day) because I know she loves them. And what's wrong with that?

Happy 1st Birthday Skye

November Sky
When you ask me why I do the things I do
Its so is easy, it’s because of you
Things have never been the same
Since that first second I said your name
If you want to know why
It’s my November sky

When you look up & see the clouds around
You’ll remember where my heart is found
Truer words I couldn’t say
Yesterday, tomorrow, or today
If there’s a reason why
It’s my November sky

When you see the look that is in my eyes
You’ll know its only truth, there are no lies
Each time the smile on your face
Takes me to a better place
There’s no question why
It’s my November sky

Today I got to spend time with some of my most favorite girls in the world for my birthday: My lovely mother gave me a ride to work this morning and baked me some birthday brownies; I went out to a delicious dinner (The Copper Onion) with my beautiful wife and daughter; and I just got back from a walk to the park with my two crazy dogs. Life is good surrounded by all these beauties who love me.

Me & my beautiful girls last weekend in sunny St. George. Good thing all of the houses in the Parade of Homes were way out of our price range, otherwise Breck would have tried to convince me to buy one. She's been desperate for some warm weather and this weekend just made her longing even worse.

One project always leads to another.
I started with a plan to just finish out the laundry room.























Then I decided to tear up the nasty carpet on our stairs.
























Now it appears I'm going to discover a dead body under this pile of asbestos in our crawl space.

I won!
Here's Skye's cool new chair I won from Grassrootsmodern.com.


















A photo of the two pieces of Skye's furniture she doesn't/can't use.

Being a new dad it is amazing to me the things that now jump out at me as I'm browsing the internet; things that in my earlier days would have easily passed by without a second glance: deals on diapers, sales on strollers, and bloggers' advice on anything and everything related to parenting.
Here's an interesting take on parenthood I came across from another new dad who seems to take a little more of a tree-hugger tone to life than I do, but in my current quest to lessen my negative impact on the earth and leave behind a more gentle legacy I quite enjoyed his thoughts:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/ode_to_women_and_nature.php

Today

Today there is sickness, today there is war

Today there is hatred, there are hungry & poor

Today in the world we find bitterness & strife

But the glass is half-full, because today brings new life

Today you were sent by God, down from heaven above

To parents ready to share with you no lies, just love

You were conceived with purpose, with meaning, & care

That your joys & your struggles, with us you'd share

We're your Mom & your Dad, through our life now comes yours

May you take it on an adventure through stormy seas & new shores

Grab life with both hands & enjoy every moment you're here

Don't be afraid to fall down, to have questions & fear

Each hurdle & boundary overcome makes you strong

Today may you breath life to live healthy & long

Pretty in pink, my blue Skye came today

Into my arms where forever you'll stay

Skye Harper Croxford

Born Tuesday, November 24, 2009 @ 2:28 pm

7 lbs, 14 oz., 21 in.

Hey baby, your room is ready! After over 4 months of renovations (refinished wood floors, paint, new shelving, new door hardware, new furniture, new lighting, etc.) our nursery and home office are finally complete. Hope the baby recognizes it will occupy the nicest room in our house.

Hopefully this will let our trick-or-treaters know why we're not home to pass out candy.

We had a fun trip up the coast of N. California and Oregon following the Utes football team last week. Nine hotels in nine nights, but we saw some amazing things from the big city and big bridges of San Francisco, to the beautiful vineyards in the hills of Napa & Sonoma, to the scenic coast and beaches on the coast, to the giant redwoods of N. California, and finally to the breathtaking rocky cliffs on the Oregon coast. A great trip that I've wanted to take for years and am glad lived up to and exceeded my expectations.
see our other pictures here

Don't worry if you're scared of the thunder & lightening. Mel will rescue you...just as soon as she gets the courage to come out from under Breck's desk.