Ben & Britney's New Blog

Hey everyone. As you probably heard, Britney and I are engaged! We started our own blog together. You should check it out: benanafamily.blogspot.com

UPDATE

I've been thinking about blogging for a while but haven't gotten around to it until now. A six-month blogging hiatus is usually caused by a lack of bloggable material. I guess I can't use that excuse this time since I've had a lot going on over that time.

But let's see, where do I start? How 'bout the beard?

About a year ago Larisa and a friend of mine separately suggested I apply for the New Testament project the Church was producing. I figured "what the heck!?" (an expression of casual indifference, not to be confused with "what the heck?!" an expression of unexpected discontent) and filled out the necessary application. A few months later I received an email informing me that I had been accepted and imploring me to start growing out my hair and beard. So I did.

It wasn't as annoying as I thought it would be. Sure, the occasional mustache hair would leave the pack and climb into my nose or my longer hair would get into my eyes and ears, but it wasn't as bad as I'd expected. In fact, it seemed everyone else noticed it a lot more than I did.

By the time filming rolled around, I had quite a crop of facial hair. Here it is in progression: Of course, going to shoot the movie meant I had to leave Washington and the hospitality of David and Jeanne's family. I had a great time living up there and working on the fun property they have. This time Cooper and I weren't roommates, but we still did a lot together. He's quite the athlete and can almost beat me in billiards and baseball fielding drills. I coached him to flag football stardom and we even got to see a couple of Mariners games. Sadly, our favorite team had an historic slump in July--losing game after game. On Saturday, July 23rd they lost their 14th consecutive game, tying a franchise record. Cooper, knowing I was leaving soon, asked how much longer I was staying. I had planned to leave on Monday the 25th but I said "maybe when the Mariners win a game". I expected him to say that he wanted them to win their next one, but instead he said "Then I hope they lose a hundred in a row". That's when I knew we were real buds.

On July 27th, the Mariners 17-game losing streak came to an end. I left the next day.

After leaving Washington, I swung by Nevada for a bit. Whenever I'm in Nevada, I visit the Faveros, spend some time with them, and have a lot of fun. Then I go to the homestead, spend some time with them, and decide I should have just stayed with the Faveros.

Filming for the New Testament project began in late August and went through early October. A typical day started early in the morning and went for at least twelve hours. It was a really neat experience and the production seemed to be really quality. I would feel extremely ungrateful if I didn't thank Liz and Ryan for letting me stay at their place during filming--it was really nice to be reasonably close to the middle-of-nowhere set (It took me 45 minutes to drive each way but I was closer than almost anyone else). I was on set 18 different days as a background player. Some days I was a villager, other days I was a traveler (basically the same as a villager but you're dustier and carry a satchel), and a couple of times I was a temple guard. People keep asking me when they'll see the clips. I don't know the schedule but I do know they'll be showing some applicable scenes at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. I'm in a few of those scenes for a couple of seconds.

After the filming was done I cut my hair and shaved my beard. I didn't even recognize myself. You know how when you lose a tooth and you keep feeling the empty spot with your tongue because it feels so different. It was like that with my chin after I shaved...except I kept feeling it with my hand instead of my tongue. I also thought about that one picture in Dad's scrapbook where he has a mustache and how hilarious I thought it was as kid. I'm glad I had an excuse to grow a big beard and think every man should grow theirs out at least once.

Anyway, after filming was done and my beard was gone, I began looking for gainful employment. This Monday I start my new job as the Marketing Editor for Silhouette America in American Fork. Here's a video of their main product. Basically, I'm going to be doing their writing.

Anyway, that should bring you up to speed.

Bye.

Happy Father's Day

If you've been keeping up with the different blogs, you have doubtless seen this picture from Jeanne's blog:

Of course, as you know, these are the Lindsey chicks--Midnight, Cinnamon, and Sunshine. They have been living here for a little while and the girls love them. I try not to get too attached.

You see, I too had a baby chicken for a pet once. She looked very similar to Sunshine in the above picture. My first-grade class hatched her in an incubator and I was lucky enough to take her home. She was the first (and best) friend I ever had.

As I recall, I was a quiet, reflective, and introverted child--being neither heard nor seen--never asking for anything and never getting anything. I spent my time, by myself, studying about dinosaurs and writing poetry.

One of my fondest moments of first grade was watching our class chick hatch, I knew that fluffy ball of feathers was something special. Little did I know then, as I watched her come out of her shell, that she would help me come out of mine.

The next few days were some of the happiest in memory. My little friend would follow me everywhere. I started to become more confident. My stammering and stuttering became less frequent. I was standing taller and smiling bigger. Below is a video still of me during that time:

As you can see, I was full of vim and vigor. I dreaded the hours I had to spend at school and away from my friend. Each day I would run as fast as I could from the bus stop to the house to be reunited with her. But one day, as I descended the hill towards our house, I could see Mom with a troubled look on her face. She told me that my friend had died. I was crushed--like a baby bird under the weight of an automatic garage door operated by a malicious three-year-old.

I buried her in the back yard. It was the saddest day of my life.

As I thought back on those days and the love a boy had for his chicken, I began to think about the love a father must have for his children. And, seeing as it's Father's Day, I thought I would be remiss if I didn't express my appreciation and love for my own Father.

Thanks, Dad, for all you do and all you've done. I love you and hope you're having a great Father's Day.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone...especially Mom

So I was surfing the internet t'other day when I remembered that, in the past, people had these individual sites called "blogs" and that, in fact, I had had my own such blog which I updated on rare occasion. I typed in my URL to see if it was still up and, to my amazement, it was. However, I didn't have anything to post until now.

You see, today is Mother's day, and if there's anything I love to blog about it's Mom. Now I know what you're thinking, "You're going to write one of your Mom-posts on Mother's day? How cruel." And the answer to your hypothetical thought is "No, I'm going to keep this post very civil. After all, Mom is like a brother to me."

Actually, the last few times I've talked to Mom she's been surprisingly pleasant--almost uncomfortably so. I kept expecting her to break character, but she never did. Of course the skeptic in me thought she was metaphorically building a gingerbread cottage in Virginia City (à la 'Hansel and Gretel'). But the psychoanalyst in me grasped on to this quote from her recent blog post .

Today I, David and Craig and I went to Virginia City for a picnic and I dropped Craig and DavidDad off for the much awaited 10 mile bike ride down hill to our home.

"I, David and Craig and I"!? Don't you see? Multiple personalities! I must have been talking to the nice side (we'll call her 'Mom') and not the other side (we'll call her 'moM' [Mom spelled backwards]). I remember 'Mom' being around more often when I was younger but this 'moM' character has been running the show for the last several years.

So, as I was reminiscing about 'Mom' I remembered one of her favorite poems:

"I love you, Mother," said little John;
Then, forgetting his work, his cap went on.
And he was off to the garden swing,
Leaving his mother the wood to bring.

"I love you, Mother," said little Nell,
"I love you more than tongue can tell."
Then she teased and pouted half the day.
'Til her mother was glad when she went to play.

I love you, Mother," said little Fan,
"To-day I'll help you all I can;
How glad I am that school doesn't keep!"
So she rocked the baby till he fell asleep.

Then stepping softly, she took the broom,
And swept the floor, and dusted the room.
Busy and happy all day was she;
Helpful and happy as a child could be.

"I love you, Mother," again they said,
Three little children going to bed.
How do you think that mother guessed
Which of them really loved her best?

I thought 'moM' might enjoy a poem of her own, so I jotted down this one:

"I love you, Mother," said Anabelle;
Then, 'forgetting' her script, she waved farewell.
And she was off to catch her flight,
Leaving her mother a play to write.

"I love you, Mother," said accountant Dirk,
"But this plan of yours will not work."
And he spoke logic half the day.
'Til his mother was glad when he went away.

"I love you, Mother," said brain-dead Blanche,
"I'll be a part of your guest ranch;
And all who come will be truly blessed!"
So she sewed a dozen cowboy vests.

Then, driving through Virginia City,
She lied and said "This place is pretty".
They talked and talked and talked some more,
About Nevada winning the Civil War.

"I love you, Mother," again they'll say,
When they talk to her on Mother's Day.
How do you think that mother'll guess
Which of them really loves her best?

Well, before I go, let me wish a happy Mother's Day to all the great moms in our family. And, Mom, I hope you know that I love and appreciate you (though I'm not too fond of that 'moM' lady you've been hanging around with).

I predicted it!

I knew Elise couldn't resist responding to the blog post I wrote an entire year ago.

Happy ___________ to you!

Today is a big day. It was supposed to be one of my best blog posts ever. For starters it is my 25th blog post! (Wow 25 already, that's almost as many as most people write in an entire week) It's also the birthsday of sister Weebs and niece Rachael (birthsday, I believe is the proper way to define a day on which multiple people were born, since more than one birth is being celebrated rather than more than one day). Also, Christmas is fast approaching and, since I average less than one post a month, it is more than likely that this post would have to serve as some sort of holiday greeting as well.

But it seems I'm having some technical difficulties and can't upload the pictures that I wanted to.

So...Happy 25th blog post to me, Happy Birthsday to Elise and Rachael, and here's a little video to get you in that festive mood.

Happy Halloween

So it's October 31st. If you're like me, you probably don't have a costume. Never fear. There's an old standby that you can dust off anytime and it's always a big hit.

First, you've got to get a disgusted look on your face. Second, bend one arm to a 72 degree angle and rest the bent elbow on your hip. Now, fully extend the fingers on that same arm but spread them out only slightly. Next, quickly thrust the same hand back and forth in 4/4 time with a range of motion of only three or four inches. Pull you chin into your upper neck. After you've got all these elements going simultaneously, say something like "Ugh! This is such an evil holiday." Then add something like "A lady in our old ward told me...", or "I was reading on the internet...", or "One time, when we lived in Alaska...". What you say after that doesn't really matter because you most likely will have been tuned out.

Can you guess what the costume is? That's right--a Witch! Ha ha ha ha!

I jest, I jest.

Anyway, I guess it was kind of ironic that my last post's purpose was to get Elise to blog again, and then I went on a blogging hiatus. But, you can't argue with results. Since I called her out less than two months ago, Elise has blogged 18 times.

DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH!

I guess she has more to write about than I do. I mean, right now I'm just typing words to take up space. This sentence is completely superfluous. As is this one. In fact, this whole paragraph is basically a waste, both in the time it took me to write it and in the time you took to read it. Yet I keep writing and you keep reading. Perhaps were both hoping it comes to some grand conclusion or helps to uncover some startling epiphany. At least then the invested effort would be justified. But nine sentences in and there is still nothing. Now ten sentences. Alright, I guess that last sentence was incomplete and shouldn't count but this sentence will make it ten and, if you count the incomplete sentence as a half, then the tally would be ten and a half, but this is turning into a run-on sentence and that should count extra which, when totaled with the incomplete sentence, makes it an even 11. Now any chance of salvaging anything useful from this paragraph is looking less and less likely. It's looking more and more like a lost cause. If some sort of meaningful substance isn't produced soon, not only will you regret reading this paragraph, but perhaps the entire blog post. Indeed, the negative aspects of this useless paragraph could offset any benefit from the rest of the post. The awesome Mom-jab at the beginning may not even be enough to redeem it now. And I really, really liked that Mom-jab. Now, my time has already been spent in writing, and if i delete this paragraph then all I've got is a really good Mom-jab. Sure, a good Mom-jab can stand on its own, but if I delete this huge paragraph then it will look like I went two months without posting anything except a Mom-jab (albeit a decidedly good one). Plus you've already read this far so you really probably don't have anything better to do. Here's what I'll do, I'll type a sentence in red before this paragraph telling you in no uncertain terms not to read it and then, if you do, you have no one else to blame but yourself.

Bentionary

Mom-jab [mom-jab] (noun) Any lighthearted observations about one's own mother's personality, habits, and/or mannerisms.