the bowen family quartet

Top Movies/New Movie Blog

2012-01-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

I started a new movie review blog with some friends and my top 10 films of the year can be found on it. Check out the link here.

Top Music of the Year

2011-12-23T23:06:00.000-08:00

I listen to a lot of music and it often guides my moods and vice versa. This doesn't make me unique, I know. If you threatened to hit my hand hand with a hammer if I didn't tell you my favorite music this year, this is what I would say:

Top 5 Records of the Year

5. Ghosts Upon the Earth by Gungor

I got to see Gungor with John Mark McMillan and David Crowder*Band at Regency Ballroom in San Francisco last month and they blew my mind. I had heard "Beautiful Things" a bunch of times in the past and I enjoyed the song, but I never really paid much attention to them until their newest record. It has an ethereal feel to it and they use a ton of instruments and funky arrangements without sounding forced. The singer, Michael Gungor, has a great blog too. I love this record!

Standout song: "When Death Dies"

4. Young Love by Mat Kearney

I have listened to Mat for a long time and have seen him live several times. His last record, City of Black and White, disappointed quite a bit in my opinion. Luckily, he went back to his roots with this record. The songs are catchy and have a hip-hop feel to them like the stuff off his first record, Bullet. I love how raw it is and am happy to see him return to form.

Standout songs: "Ships in the Night," "Down," and "You Can Count On Me"

3. Simple Math by Manchester Orchestra

This record is about everything from infidelity and drinking to love and God. It's a concept record where the singer, Andy Hull, has a conversation with God and his wife...sort of. The songs flow really well together and there are some epic moments. The title track is among my favorite songs of the year and I love how much this band has progressed. Manchester is among my favorite bands so I am a bit biased, but I would have loved this record even if it was the first thing I heard from them.

Standout songs: "Simple Math" and "Pensacola"

2. Vice Verses by Switchfoot

Trendy, cool me would love to include obscure bands on this list that only I have heard of like Goateater and The Way I Type (I made those up). However, the bands I love and have loved for a long time keep putting out great stuff. Vice Verses is an amazing Switchfoot record. Jon Foreman is my favorite song writer and I love the way this record moves lyrically. Songs about justice, hope, pain and sorrow fill the songs with a sense of authenticity. I got to see them in November and they were amazing.

Standout songs: "Vice Verses," "Restless," and "Where I Belong"

1. The Reckoning by NEEDTOBREATHE

This was a pretty easy choice for me as I have been listening to this band non-stop this year. I started listening to them shortly before this record game out. Their previous record, The Outsiders, has quickly become one of my favorites ever. Although this one doesn't quite match its predecessor, The Reckoning is still incredible. I listen to it while I run and while I drive. The songs touch on topics such as revenge and God's grace. It's a Southern rock record complete with banjo and electric guitar. I seriously love it. I get to see them in March at The Fillmore with Mel-Bo and I cannot wait.

Standout songs: "Able," "The Reckoning," "White Fences," "Slumber"

Top 10 Songs of the Year
10. "We Were Made For You" - Aaron Gillespie
9. "Restless" - Switchfoot
8. "Hope Still Flies" - Five Iron Frenzy
7. "Ships in the Night" - Mat Kearney
6. "Shadows" - David Crowder Band (feat. Lecrae)
5. "Perth" - Bon Iver
4. "Slumber" - NEEDTOBREATHE
3. "Let Me Feel You Shine" - David Crowder*Band
2. "Simple Math" - Manchester Orchestra
1. "The Reckoning" - NEEDTOBREATHE

Artist of the Year

NEEDTOBREATHE
As previously stated, I cannot get enough of this band. Check out their new record and their last record. So stinkin' good.

I realized that almost everything on my lists have a "Christiany" feel this year. As Michael Gungor stated in the blog post I linked, talented and creative musicians should exist regardless of genre. I feel like a lot of the bands I chose love God, but are also dedicated to making amazing music. They use their God-given talents to produce creative art.

Most Anticipate Music of 2012 (in no particular order)

Relient K - I love Forget and Not Slow Down.
fun. - Seeing them in March. Yay.
House of Heroes - I hope it's more The End is Not the End than Suburba.
David Crowder*Band - Their final record is out January 10. It is with bittersweet anticipation that I look forward to this one.

New life!

2011-12-23T15:02:00.000-08:00

Hello blog.
I have neglected you and I am sorry. It's just that you sort of got boring and became one of those digital picture frames. You no longer were an avenue of creativity for me. You simply became a place to post baby pictures and now you have been replaced. Facebook now serves that purpose. However, I am here to tell you that I plan on revisiting you from time to time. My primary animus will be to post movie reviews. I see a lot of movies and, like a nerd, keep track of each movie I see in a Google doc. I am here today to let you know that I will soon be posting my top movies and music from 2011 and will continue to post movies as I see them. Excited? I thought so. I saw The Artist today. Did it crack my top 10? You will have to wait and see! Talk to you soon.

Matter

2011-08-27T14:18:00.001-07:00

I started a video business a couple months ago. Most of my time has been spent getting stuff going with that. Check it out at www.mattervideo.com or on Facebook.

Best of 2010

2011-01-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

2010 was a year that found me spending more time with family, filming and school, and less time blogging. In what I like to call the "real world," I think this trade off has been healthy. Tate is transitioning from a little boy to a kid, which is fun, hilarious, surreal and bittersweet. It's actually a whole lot more than that, but I didn't want to keep adding adjectives. Lyla is starting to show glimpses of the young lady she will become and it would appear as though we are in for a future of exciting highs and dramatic lows. She is an adorable young lady who demands attention. Though the blog has been all but neglected this year, in keeping with tradition, I have decided to make my annual list of best-ofs and favorites (so original, huh?). Here it goes. Actually, here are some cute recent pictures of the kids first.

Movies of the year.

I decided not to number them or place them in any specific order because my love for them varies by the day.

Inception
The King's Speech
127 Hours
Toy Story 3
True Grit
The Fighter

(Movies I have yet to see and therefore cannot rate: The Town, The Social Network, Never Let Me Go, Winter's Book)

Worst movie of the year
Remember Me (If only I could forget how awful this overly sappy, poor attempt at indie/artsy film, this thing was).

TV show(s) of the year.

Contrary to popular belief, I actually do not watch a ton of TV because time doesn't really allow it. However, there were a few shows that we made time for this year.

Lost

I can honestly say I was satisfied with the finale, especially the more I thought about it after I watched it. I started with the show from the beginning and although all of the questions weren't answered, I am content with the holes they did plug.

Friday Night Lights

Although Battlestar Galactica claims the top spot in my all-time favorite shows, FNL is not far behind. The show combines stellar acting, excellent editing, music and cinematography is a way that few shows come close to matching. I love Peter Berg's style and am not looking forward to saying goodbye to the lovely people of Dillon after this season.

The Sing Off

I suppose I could file this under my guilty pleasure category, but this show had Mel and me (yes it's me, not I) hooked for 3 weeks this winter. The people were/are freakishly talented and we were highly entertained. Looking forward to next December's installment.

Songs of the year.
I bought less music this year than in year's past, but these are the songs that were stuck in my head for a while.

"Crossfire" - Brandon Flowers
"Skeleton Bones" - John Mark McMillan

"Ten Thousand" - John Mark McMillan
"Bamboo Bones" - Against Me!
"Birds" - Deas Vail
"Boots" - The Killers
"Beautiful Things" - Gungor

"You Wouldn't Have to Ask" - Bad Books
"Carousel" - Paper Route

"Kings and Queens" - 30 Seconds to Mars (I really wish I was lying. -5 indie cool points)
"So Far Away" - House of Heroes
"I Want to be Well" - Sufjan Stevens

and my #1 song of the year...

"Far Away" - Lecrae

This songs was released as a benefit track for Haiti relief. I liked the song prior to going to Haiti in March, but it really became an anthem for me upon my arrival there. I let several Haitian people I met listen to my iPod and they all wanted to hear the song. Each time I hear it, I am brought back to Port au Prince and am reminded of the people there and the hardships they are still enduring.

Album(s) of the year.
"The Medicine" - John Mark McMillan

I know this was a re-release but I heard it for the first time in 2010 and fell in love with it. "Ten Thousand" and "Skeleton Bones" are incredible songs.

"White Crosses" - Against Me!

"My Dinosaur Life" - Motion City Soundtrack

Concert/Show of the year.
I didn't get to go to as many shows this year, but there were a couple that stood out. Mae was nostalgic. Rocky Votolato was a nice reunion, but I preferred the previous year's outdoor ranch show. Brandon Flowers was pompous and he only played for 35 minutes, but sounded good nonetheless. The runner-up for show of the year was the "Where's the Band Tour" featuring lead singers from various bands I love (Thrice, Saves the Day, Bayside, The Get Up Kids). I went to the show on January 10 with Charlie and it was incredible. Dustin Kensrue covered a Tom Waits song called "Down There By the Train" and it was probably one of the best songs I have ever heard performed live. I may have even teared up a bit. The number one show of the year had to be Sufjan Stevens though. Mel and I saw him in Oakland and it was whimsical, bizarre and wonderful.

* Dustin Kensrue, Chris Conley, Anthony Raneri, and Matt Pryor @ Slims (1.10.10)

* Rocky Votolato House Show 2 @ the Ranch (7.27.10)
* Brandon Flowers @ Slim's (8.19.10)
* Sufjan Stevens @ Paramount Theater (10.25.10)
* Mae Farewell Tour @ Bottom of the Hill (11.10.10)

Family experience of the year.

This a tie between our family Hawaii trip and Disneyland.

It was quite wonderful going to Hawaii with the family and I look forward to heading back there this year. Check out this video if you have not already.

It was almost magical taking the kids to Disneyland for the first time. They absolutely loved it and the video ended up being one of my favorite things I have edited.

Personal Experience(s) of the year.

Another tie. I did the Wildflower Triathlon in May and that was a great personal achievement after 6 long months of training. I plan to run it again this May. However, I think traveling to Haiti had the greatest lasting impact on me. I went there to film with Barley, Matt Pine, Jake and Steve Foster and I still am struck by the memories and images I captured there. The devastation was overwhelming and it has been awful to see the ongoing difficulties facing the country since the quake (poverty, cholera, violence, etc). This video is probably my favorite thing I have ever edited:

My Word Is My Bond

2010-11-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

The recent pictures I promised...

Hi Blog

2010-11-16T13:00:00.001-08:00

This has been the longest blogging hiatus I have taken since I started this thing over 4 years ago. Facebook has replaced it in a lot of ways but I do miss the writing aspect of it and FB is getting a bit old for me. I have been doing a lot more video work lately, which has taken a lot of time. Not to mention the fact that the kiddies are blossoming into adorable, time consuming young people. Here is a video from Katie and Tyler's wedding and I will post some pics soon. I can't guarantee I will post everyday, but I will tend to this baby a bit more often.

Kids

2010-07-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos. They have kids in them. Some of the kids are mine. Some are not. Some are cute. Some are also cute.

Last Day of School

2010-06-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

Blogging has been on the backburner lately. However, today is the last day of school and I thought I would post some of my video student's final projects. I am proud of them. It has been a fun year and I will write more about it later. For now, enjoy the videos.

Dance-Off Outtakes

2010-04-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

Here are the outtakes from the Dance-Off Promo videos.

Haiti Video (full version)

2010-03-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Here is the full version of the Haiti video. This is the video that was shown at the Haiti Project Benefit at VBC tonight. Enjoy.

DANCE-OFF PROMO VIDEO #4

2010-03-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Travis and I were in the latest (and final) Dance Off Promo video. All the students saw it today. It is pretty funny if I do say so myself. The Dance Off was after school today and Mel and the kiddies came to check it out. It was a lot of fun. Our students are way talented. You should come next year. Seriously. You should.

HAITI::in video

2010-03-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of making a 20 minute video, recapping our Haiti experience. Here is a clip that was shown during Student Sunday @ VBC today. I will post more reflections and pictures from the trip in the next few days. Enjoy the video.

Haiti

2010-03-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

The destruction
Dan, Matt and Jake in Haiti
Faces of Haiti...

Dan and the team have made it safely to Haiti. They are working with Pastors from the area and are visiting orphans as well. Thank you for your prayers! I know they are being felt by Dan and the team!

Off to Haiti

2010-03-06T19:19:00.001-08:00

Through a series of events, I booked a plane ticket to Haiti on Tuesday. I will be going with Tim Barley, Jake Foster and his dad Steve, and Matt Pine. On Tuesday I received an email saying that Tim and Jake would be going to Haiti the following week. I happened to receive the email while I was in a meeting with some other teachers. Melissa happened to be online so I jokingly asked her if she cared if I went to Haiti with the guys. She asked me for the details. The fact that she didn't instantly say no piqued my interest and gave me a sense of optimism. I talked to my principal, Tim, Jake and Jay Scott, and within 5 hours of receiving the email I had a plan ticket to Haiti. We will be checking out an organization called New Life to the Children to see what we can do to support the relief effort in Haiti during the coming months. I will be in charge of filming and one of the stipulations for me to go on the trip was that I need to have a video done by Sunday. We get home Thursday night. It can be done! We will have some internet access while we are there and I will do my best to post some updates on here. Pray for our safety and that God would allow us to be used and give us insight as to how VBC can further his work in the country. We fly in to Miami tomorrow and the to Haiti on Monday. Pray!

D-Bo out

Dance-Off Promo Video #3

2010-02-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

This is the 3rd Dance-Off Promo I have put together. There are a couple more to come but this is my favorite so far. All three girls in this video are students in my Junior English classes. Enjoy.

So Funny

2010-02-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

If my sense of humor could be bottled and redistributed in commercial form, it would look and sound like this (only whiter).

Dance Off Promo Video #2

2010-02-19T08:14:00.000-08:00

Family Footie

2010-02-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a compilation of footage from the past couple months. There is more to come. Enjoy.

V-Day

2010-02-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Mel and the kiddies have colds so today is a pretty low key Valentine's Day. I am editing some videos that I will post shortly. Until then, enjoy this video. You may have seen it before. Phil Wickham is so legit!

Dance Off Promo #1

2010-02-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

I made this video for school. It is going to be shown to all of the classes next week. Enjoy!

Playing Like Kids

2010-02-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Sickness has had its way in the Bowen house again this week. I couldn't talk on Friday, which wasn't the most helpful thing considering I had to teach. I am feeling better today and was able to go on a bike ride this morning before the rain. It was fun. This afternoon Mel went to Megan's shower and I stayed home with the kiddies. I edited this video while they were napping. The footage is from last weekend at the Flory's cabin. We went for Cody's birthday. Enjoy.

Daddy's Day Not Out

2010-01-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

Tate is a happy little guy. Healthy is something he is not. I stayed home with the little scrapper today as he nursed his coxsackievirus (similar to hand foot and mouth disease). Not fun stuff. Anyway, I took him to the doctor, made Horton out of playdough, watched and tended to Lyla and played with candles. I was Mr. Mom. Here are some pictoral highlights from an otherwise unhappy day.

Tate and his 103º fever yesterday

Tate watching Cars this morning.

Tate hiding from me when it was time to get ready to go to the doctor's.
Lyla didn't want me to feed her. Since she can't talk, she told me this by hitting the spoon away each time it got near her mouth.

Heading to the doctor's.

Hey Tate, doesn't that hurt your knees?

Tate wanted me to make Horton out of playdough.

Green Horton.

I was cleaning out the garage while the kids were napping and found a box of candles that Mel had been hoarding. I decided to light all of them and place them on our counter to set a romantic mood when Mel got home. Nothing says romance like a child with a 103º fever, a daughter who won't eat, and 15 candles filling the air with a gross array of cinnamony, potpourri aromas.

DVHS Video Production

2010-01-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

This school year has flown by. The first semester ended on Friday and it always seems like the second semester goes by a lot faster than the first. That means summer is just around the corner. Video Production class has been both a headache and a joy, depending on the day. Here is a link to the DVHS Vimeo channel and a few of the video highlights from the year thus far.

For this project the students were given actual movie scripts that they had to story board and film.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

17 Again

For this project (their semester 1 final), the students were given really vague plot points and they were asked to write a script, create story boards and film a 2-5 minute short film.

These students were given the following plot point - a doctor delivers some bad news. They have some audio issues that need resolving but the video is pretty funny.

A PSA for the Sports Medicine class.

A music video. "Brass Monkey" by the Beastie Boys.

Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)

2010-01-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

10. "Keep No Score" - Sleeping At Last

I am someone who likes to listen to 1 or 2 songs on a CD on repeat. I pick my favorites and then stick with them. I just couldn't do it with this record. I love every song. I got this right before we (and by "we" I mean Mel) were prego with Tate and I was still want into it when he was on the way. So much of the CD (thematically) has to do with new life and it was very fitting for that season of life I was (and still am) in.

9. "Mute Math" - Mutemath

I saw these guys open for Mae and I was hooked. I had never heard of them before that night in 2006 and they blew me away. They are by far the best live band I have seen. This CD is great and it really captures what I love about this band- original rhythms and great melodies. I love this record.

8. "Like a Virgin Losing a Child" - Manchester Orchestra

This record has the potential to move up this list as the years go on. Every song is memorable. Andy Hull has a way of writing sad, thoughtful lyrics and he pumps out what seems like 1000 songs a year. I have seen these guys live a few times and I absolutely love them. Depressing at times, but somehow uplifting. This is an amazing album.

7. "Brother, Sister" mewithoutYou

I can't say enough about this bizarre band. I have seen them live a few times and they have several records that I love, but this is the one that got me into them. I saw one of their performances online from a Cornerstone festival and was enthralled. The closing track, "In a Sweater Poorly Knit," is one of my favorite songs. Their theology and way of life, though strange, is so intertwined with their sound and instrumentation that you can't help but love their uniquely idiosyncratic tunes. If being a gypsy is wrong, I don't want to be right.

6. "Bleed American" or "Futures" - Jimmy Eat World

I couldn't really pick here. "Bleed American" is the Jimmy album that I continually come back to but I have so many memories attached to "Futures." "Sweetness" and "The Middle" sucked me in and introduced me to "Clarity" (not trying for play on words here), but I think if I was held at gunpoint and asked to choose, I would ultimately pick "Futures." I got this record right before I went to Egypt and could not stop listening to it. It has a desperate, dark and unsettled feel that reflected the awkward time in America in which it was recorded and released (2001-2003).

5. "The Light of Things Hoped For" - Brave Saint Saturn

This Five Iron Frenzy side project ultimately trumped the latter band in terms of song quality and sincerity. This concept album reminds me of driving to Rocklin to visit Nick. I would start the record and let it play straight through (as I mention before, this is a feat for me). "Estrella" may be one of my favorite songs ever and this album is full of many more that are dear to me. A very nostalgic CD for me that I love to come back to.

4. "Deja Entendu" - Brand New

This one should earn me scene points or perhaps I will lose some for being cliche. This album preceded another great Brand New album (The Devil and God...) but I feel this has a lot more staying power. There are so many amazing songs on this record that bemoan the painful process of growing up. The quintessential emo album (ok, maybe my number one record would better fit that bill) and a must own for any Smiths-loving, pop-culture hating/loving, scenester, emo kid. From song one to the acoustic closer, this record is incredible.

3. "Suicide Medicine" - Rocky Votolato

I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to include "Makers" or this record at this spot in the list. Both records are amazing, but this one ultimately contains more songs that I love. I had the pleasure of hosting a house show for Rocky this summer and it was surreal hearing him play songs off this record with a group of my friends. Truly an underrated artist, this is one of my favorite records ever.

2. "The Everglow" - Mae

It was tough deciding between this record and Saves the Day for my number one of the decade, but I will explain that in a bit. I anticipated this record months in advance and was not disappointed in the slightest bit upon its release. I think I am a sucker for concept albums. I love the story and the artwork and the way each song blends seamlessly into the next. The piano and instrumentation is amazing. I have seen these guys a hundred times and have listened to this record at least twice that, and I never grow tired of it. I love this record.

1. "Stay What You Are" - Saves The Day
This record is my number one of the decade because it is and was so influential as to what I listen to today. Saves the Day was my segway out of the pop-punk world, into something more thoughtful, dark and melodic. Conley's lyrics were strange, uncomfortable and yet familiar. From beginning to end this record is full of songs that established a foundation, for better or worse, for the kind of music I listen to, write, and love today. Thanks Saves the Day!

Well, that's my list. This entry has taken me a few weeks to finish and here are a few more that could have easily made the cut into the top 10 depending on the mood I was in on a given day. They are in no specific order.

Honorable Mention:
"From Under the Cork Tree" - Fall Out Boy
"Makers" - Rocky Votolato
"Hot Fuss" - The Killers
'We Have Cause to Be Uneasy" - Wild Sweet Orange
"Oh, Gravity" - Switchfoot
"The Beautiful Letdown" - Switchfoot (this one should probably be in my top 10...woops!)
"Illinoise" - Sufjan Stevens
"Tell All Your Friends" - Taking Back Sunday
"Bullet" - Mat Kearney
"Give Up" - Postal Service
"Vheissu" - Thrice
"How to Start a Fire" - Further Seems Forever
"The End is Near" - Five Iron Frenzy
"Brushfire Fairytales" - Jack Johnson
"I'm Only a Man" - Emery
"A Collision" - David Crowder*Band
"Emotion is Dead"- The Juliana Theory
"Hell or High Water" - As Cities Burn
"Define the Great Line" - Underoath

Book of Eli & The Hurt Locker

2010-01-17T17:37:00.000-08:00

I saw The Book of Eli on Friday with Tony and Ben and watched The Hurt Locker last night on Blu Ray with Tyler. The Book of Eli was constantly on the verge of being quite good but ended up just kind of being ok. It was shot pretty well and Denzel was pretty good but a lot of the movie just sorta seemed forced. It also was a little too similar to The Road. Ok. It was pretty much the same story except Denzel was carrying the Bible and Viggo was carrying the fire. I kept waiting for Denzel's character, Eli, to pass The Man and The Boy on the road (both pushing shopping carts and toting pistols mind you) and say hello-or shoot each other. In Eli, nothing was very understated and it didn't really leave you with questions, which can be a good or bad thing. I can't really articulate why I didn't love it. I just didn't. It quoted scripture and had an interesting twist but it felt like a lot of what I have seen before with a splash of God. The Hurt Locker was another story (literally and figuratively). I was at Blockbuster and saw it on the shelf. It is a movie I have been wanting to see as it is in theaters still in some places. It is about the Iraq War and takes place in Baghdad in 2004 and follows a unit of bomb-disarmers (this is an actual Army unit who gets called in when an IED is discovered). The movie was super intense and the acting was great. It wasn't very propaganda-ish either, which movies like this can often be. I don't want to give too much more away but it is definitely worth seeing. It just won the Critic's Choice Award for Best Picture and Best Director and the past three Academy Award Winners for Best Picture also won the critics award so this film has a good shot of taking the Oscar. It was great and makes me so glad I am not and never was in Iraq. Scary place. Here is the trailer.

Arizona 2006

2010-01-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

I was able to add the full Arizona Outreach video from 2006 to Vimeo. It's an odd time of year to put it up but why not? Here you go.

Almost Live

2010-01-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

Oh the good old days. When everyone went to their local TV channel to obtain information about the goings on in their area. In 2003-2004, one such source of pertinent local information was Cal State Hayward's very own weekly news show, Almost Live. Ok, the show was a joke but we had a lot of fun making it. These videos (and more to come) were actual assignments from college for a Broadcast News class I took. Other students, who sought careers in broadcast news, took their news shows very seriously. My group did not. Enjoy.

This episode was in response to the outcry from the other students in our class who said we "did not take things seriously enough." This video was our "serious" episode.

This episode was the 10th and final episode we made at CSUH. It features Grammy Award winning artist James Locke (not a joke) and myself. The outtakes are hilarious.

Rocky Votolato House Show Videos

2010-01-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Another highlight of last year was hosting a Rocky Votolato house show at the Perry's ranch on August 10 (only 10 days before Lyla was born). The show was an amazing experience to share with a group of good friends. Here are the 14 songs he performed that night. The audio quality from the camera is surprisingly good. Enjoy!

White Daisy Passing

Makers

Where We Started

True Devotion

Red River

Suicide Medicine

Lucky Clover Coin

Father and Son (Cat Stevens cover)

Tinfoil Hats

Spiritual (Joshua Radin cover)

Sparklers

Silver Trees

Fragments

Holding Onto Water

The Entire Playlist (it plays straight through)

Best of 2009, volume 2

2010-01-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

Best of 2009

TV
Most people think Battlestar Galactica is for nerds and I tend to agree with them. However, I joined this brotherhood of geekdom this summer and watched the entire series in 10 weeks. It is a series that is just as much about religion and politics as it is about space (actually more of the former than the latter can be found in the show). I watched some of it with Nate Darnell who was already a fan, but the legion of nerds grew as Tony and Travis also became believers in BSG. My wife, Justin and Mandie have recently become fans as well. The show ended in the Spring of 2009. It is amazing. Watch it!

Books

I had been told by many people to read this book. It wasn't until I had to teach it for my Lit through Film class (senior English) that I actually read it. I finished it in 3 nights. If you haven't read it before, stop reading this right now and go buy it or check it out at the library, quit your job, drop out of school and read it. I know I am about 4 years behind the curve on this one but I am so glad I read it before I saw the movie. It's amazing. I also enjoyed Blankets by Craig Thompson (a graphic novel), A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy among others.

Movies

I see a lot of movies and sort of justify it by saying I teach Video Production and Lit through Film. These are some of my favorite movies from this year (in no particular order).

(500) Days of Summer, Avatar, District 9, Adventureland, Star Trek, Up in the Air, Away We Go

Tate and the beautful tree...

2010-01-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

Well, 2009 and and Christmas are behind us (I will post my last 2009 list by the end of the week) but I thought I would share a final Christmas video of Tate from my cell phone. I caught him playing with the Christmas tree ornaments and talking to himself. I had him repeat what he said to my camera.

Biggerest Snow 2009

2010-01-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I will post my last "Best of 2009" entry. Until then, feast your eyes on this piece of cinematic brilliance. I am in the process of trying to purge my computer of old video footage so I am sort of in an editing spree. I hadn't yet finished last year's MSM snow trip video so yesterday I dove into it and got it done. This year's trip is February 26-28. Should be fun.

Shaving can feel like losing a friend...

2010-01-01T22:50:00.000-08:00

Shaving one's beard can be like losing a friend. Deej knows this all too well.

Dan Gillette bet his wife that he could go 6 months (until the end of 2009) without shaving. He won. Today he shaved his beard. My father and I have also experienced such a loss. Video proof can be seen below.

Deej's day of reckoning.

Removing my baby boy beard.

My father shaving his mustache.

Best of 2009

2009-12-31T09:35:00.000-08:00

I listen to a lot of music and subsequently purchase a lot as well. From Pandora in my classroom (mainly Explosions in the Sky and Manchester Orchestra) to music in my car and on my iPod when I bike and run, my life almost constantly has a soundtrack applied to it. As such, I decided to do my best to compile my favorite records and songs from 2009. The top 5 records could have really been placed in any order since they were all #1 at some point this year. However, after much debate with myself, this is what I came up with.

Here are my top 5 records of the year:

5. "Mean Everything to Nothing" by Manchester Orchestra

This record is amazing. I got to see them play twice this year (once with Fun and once with Brand New) and they were great both times. This could actually be higher on my list.

4. "Aim and Ignite" by Fun.

I got to see Fun play at Bottom of the Hill as an opening band and I loved them. I used to like the Format a lot so naturally this band appealed to me. This record is incredible.

3. "Forget and Not Slow Down" by Relient K

This album displays a real maturation by this band. They have long been a cheesy, guilty pleasure of mine but this time around they dropped the cheese and became a legitimately solid band. It's a sad, almost somber album (for them at least) that is reminiscent of Jack's Mannequin, Ben Folds and the Beach Boys at times. I love this record and will for a long time.

2. "Hell or High Water" by As Cities Burn

This album came out of nowhere for me as I had never heard of this band before this year. This ultimately is their final record (they broke up) and they went out on top in my opinion. I love love love this CD. It is a combo of Bright Eyes, Brand New and Manchester Orcherstra. The vocals are rough in an endearing sort of way. I have since purchased other records by them and I love them all. Check out a song called "The Widow" (not on this record). It's amazing!

1. "It's All Crazy, it's all false, it's all a dream, it's alright" by mewithoutYou
I will admit I am a bit biased toward this band. I knew I would like this album before it came out even if it sucked. Fortunately it didn't suck. The music is more refined, more funky and more epic than their previous releases (much more akin to "In a Sweater Poorly Knit"). Tate constantly asked us to play the song "Timothy Hay" (which he referred to as "Doo doo doo") whenever we were in the car. The record is great and memorable. I love it.

Honorable mention goes to the following albums, which also received heavy play in my ears in 2009.

Top 10 songs of 2009

1. "Pirate Blues" - As Cities Burn
2. "Timothy Hay" - mewithoutYou
3. "Be Calm" - Fun
4. "Forget and Not Slow Down" - Relient K
5. "The River" - Manchester Orchestra
6. "God Almighty, None Compares" - David Crowder*Band
7. "Gates" - As Cities Burn
8. "A Melody, A Memory" - Mae
9. "The Hospital" - And Then There Were None
10. "I and Love and You" - The Avett Brothers

Honorable mention...
"Not Sure" - Fiction Family

"Hands" - The Almost

"I Gotta Feeling" - Black Eyed Peas
" I Can Feel a Hot One" - Manchester Orchestra
"Made Too Pretty" - As Cities Burn
"Lady Blue" - As Cities Burn
"If this is the end" - Relient K
"The King Beetle on a Coconut Estate" - mewithoutYou

"In Exile" - Thrice

"The Weight" - Thrice
"Benson Hedges" - Fun
"All the Pretty Girls" - Fun

Buddy the Elf 2009

2009-12-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago the MSM continued its tradition of making middle school students puke and leaders cringe during our annual Buddy the Elf night at thEvent. Enjoy.

Feliz Navidad!

2009-12-29T10:25:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated Christmas 5 different times. It was eventful, tiring and fun. The kids made out like bandits. They each received more toys and clothes than one human should have in a lifetime. They are quite spoiled. We went to Mel's parents and my parents on Christmas morning and then headed to the Degrano's for spaghetti with my aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. The day after Christmas found us on the road to Monterey. We spent the night at the Conley's and had a post-Christmas dinner celebration with them. I made a video documenting the Christmas festivities. I love my new camera!

Here are some photographic highlights for your viewing pleasure.

Christmas Weddings

2009-12-27T07:56:00.001-08:00

I finished editing Justin & Mandie and Chis & Ashley's wedding DVDs for Christmas. Here are some clips from the festivities.

Chris & Ashley's Wedding @ the Pine's (dance sequence).

Justin & Mandie's Wedding @ Ardenwood Farms in Fremont (vows and pictures).

Mural Time Lapse

2009-12-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

Armed with 4 2x4's, 2 pieces of sheetrock and assorted paints and brushes, Rob arrived at our hour at 8pm on Tuesday night and created an amazing Frosty the Snowman mural for our party. Below you will see a time lapse video sped up 10,000 times, documenting the artist at work.

Tacky Sweater 2009!

2009-12-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

Last night we had our annual Tacky Sweater Party. This year's rendition was a success indeed. Among other things, I debuted my new Christmas movie. Borrowing from such film pioneers as Frank Capra and John Hughes, I infused the charming tale of young Queesenthal with as many Christmasmovieesque details as I could muster. The intro scenes with the titling came out particularly well. Here it is.

A captive audience!

As far as the party itself, I asked Rob Willson a couple weeks ago if he would be willing to illustrate a backdrop on a bed sheet for pictures. He said he could. He called me the day before the party (Tuesday) and said he would be coming over at 8pm and that our backdrop may be more ambitious that we initially intended. He asked he if could stay late. We said yes. What ensued can only be described as a combination of overzealous artistic brilliance and insanity. Instead of a sheet, he brought sheetrock and 2 by 4's. Over the next 5 hours he created the masterpiece that you see below. When Tate woke up in the morning, he walked outside and said "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. There's Frosty!" He loved it. There are a ton of pictures on Facebook but I posted some highlights below. Justin brought his lighting equipment and took gaggles of pictures on our freezing back patio.

The Process

The Inspiration

Frosty's sweater is inspired by Charlies sweater, that Sally made last year.

One of my favorite pics from the evening. Well done Tont and Lauren! Wedding slideshow material for sure!

Charlie and Sarah's Engagement

2009-12-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

Charlie and Sarah's Engagement Video (Full Version) from dan bowen on Vimeo.

Charlie popped the question to Sarah on Saturday. Naturally, I called this a long time ago. the doubters and skeptics said it would not happen. All the while, D-Bo believed. It was a fun day surrounded by friends and perfect weather in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Here are some pictures from the day as well as the video I shot and edited.

December Fun-ness

2009-12-20T20:54:00.001-08:00

December has been a pretty good month. Tate and Lyla are getting big and are growing increasingly cuter. Today we celebrated Christmas with the Bowen side of our family, at my grandparents house. The kids were spoiled rotten. Wednesday is our annual Tacky Sweater party so we are gearing up for that. I will post some pictures and video tomorrow from Charlie and Sarah's engagement. Enjoy some pictures and video from the past month.

I got to play some songs at Barley's Christmas party a couple nights ago. Elise sang with me. We played a few Christmas songs and an original song I wrote a year or so ago ("The Brightest Days" - the video is below). It was pretty fun.

Avatar: A $300 million Fern Gully (only cooler)

2009-12-18T17:01:00.000-08:00

Today I took my video production class to see the movie Avatar in IMAX 3-D. I was a bit apprehensive to take my video kids since some of them can be a bit...well...unruly. On this particular day however, they chose to be angels. My dad, Jake, and Trav (Steph too) chaperoned for what turned out to be the coolest movie I have ever seen. It is not the best movie I have ever seen but is by far the coolest. The special effects were leaps and bounds beyond anything I have seen and the 3-D effect, unlike the other 3-D films I have seen recently (A Christmas Carol and Coraline), did not feel forced. It added life and vibrance to the film.

It was sort of like watching Fern Gully in space (see below) meets Terminator.

It is a film that needs to be seen in the theater and preferably in IMAX and is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. It is going to take a while for other movie to produce effects of this caliber. Go see it!

Light Parades and Light Sabers

2009-12-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

I am starting to get the hang of my new camera. It can be tedious shooting with a DSLR (it's an awkward shape for shooting video) but it allows me to get shots I couldn't otherwise get with another camera. This is part 1 of a Christmas montage that I will continue to add to. This segment features footage from last weekend's Christmas parade in downtown Pleasanton. We (Mel, Tate, and I) watched the parade from the street in the 30 degree weather and then went to the Moog's house and had pizza. Tate and Addie had a light saber battle that Addie ultimately won. It was a fun evening.

Christmas Time (Part 1) from dan bowen on Vimeo.

On Monday I will be shooting a Christmas movie with the help of world reknown actors Alex Rapine, my brother, Deej, Kyle Clark and more. Look for it to hit a web browser near you, by Christmas.

You might as well keep smoking...

2009-12-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

I was feeding Tate lunch today and a football game was on TV in the background. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard this commercial. This is not a joke. This is not from SNL. This is a real drug and the real side affects. I think I would rather keep smoking.

Willie!

2009-12-10T21:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a video from a couple months ago that I made for school. It's ridiculous.

MSM Christmas Caroling

2009-12-09T21:44:00.000-08:00

The MSM went Christmas caroling last night at a

senior center in Danville.

What we lacked in singing ability,

we more than made up for in enthusiastic

yule tide cheer.

Sure, we didn't know the

words but we had heart.

Team Scattante!

2009-12-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

tBen Foster and I went to the bike shop yesterday after church. We had just eaten lunch with some folks (wife, Tate, Lyla, Allison, Charlie, Sarah) and he said he wanted to check out some bikes. Long story short, they were having a crazy sale and I have been saving for a road bike for a while and Mel-Bo gave me the go ahead to purchase it (after we got home). Ben got one too. I am so excited to ride it! Unfortunately it freaking snowed today so that didn't really work out. So here's to tomorrow and the Wildflower Triathlon (May 2 - Olympic Course), which I will be competing in this May (by competing I mean attempting to finish).

The Princess and the Tate

2009-12-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

Tate loves the vintage fire truck at Uncle Chris and Auntie Ashley's house. It's the first thing he asks about when he finds out we are going to the canyon. Here is the proof.

Tate & the Vintage Fire Truck from dan bowen on Vimeo.

Lyla is much more sociable than Tate was at the same age. She smiles and even laughs on a regular basis. She's adorable!

Lyla & Mommy Snippet from dan bowen on Vimeo.

Cheese and Agility

2009-12-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple entertaining videos of Tate that I took right after I got my new camera.

I shot this when I was putting Tate to sleep (read: put to bed, not euthanized) the other night. The "cheese" was priceless.

Bed Time for Tate (CHEESE!) from dan bowen on Vimeo.

Unfortunately for Tate, his gene pool is not one known for agility or athletic grace. Here, he tries to stand on one foot. Sadly, this may be the best he will ever do.

Tate Standing on One Foot from dan bowen on Vimeo.

Tate's Quotes of the Month

2009-12-01T20:08:00.000-08:00

Tate, at 2 years old, is quite possibly one of the funniest and most talkative chaps I know. Here are some of his latest gems...

"Uh oh, what did my do? What did my do? (running around the living room naked after his bath) My drop a ducey. (pronounced - doo-see; definition - poop) I went poopoo on my blocks." Just for fun, I let Tate run around without his diaper after his bath the other night. Subsequently Tate decided to exercise his new found freedom by doing what any normal naked person would do - poop on their toys. It was gross and hilarious.

"It's ok baby Wywa. Don't cry. Don't be sad. I'm right here." - Tate talking to a very sad, crying Lyla on our way home from the canyon on Thanksgiving. Adorable.

"Cuz. Cuz. Cuz. Umm. Cuz. Cuz." (Daddy says "Because why?) "Cuz. Cuz I wanna go play with my cars." - Tate's response to being asked why he was not taking a nap. He had just gotten some new toy cars and felt they needed to be played with en lieu of napping.

"What's up, mommy?" - His favorite colloquialism.

"Mommy, my nose is like a rhino." - In reference to his stuffy nose. He confused his congestion with the size of a rhino's nose. He said his nose felt big.

"Watch me." (Said while waving his hands at whoever he is talking to) - He likes to perform and will say this at least 10 times in a row before he demonstrates his latest talent.

"Uh oh. Tate went poopoo. It's ok, when you get home daddy will change you and put diaper cream on and make you feel better." Tate consoling himself after realizing he had a poopy diaper in the grocery story. He said that whole phrase to me without pausing. Hilarious.

Cut a Tree for Your Tomorrow

2009-11-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

I sorta miss blogging. As impersonal as it is, I feel it is a bit more intimate than something like Facebook. I suppose a good old fashion face to face conversation is still the way to go though. I go back to work tomorrow after a week off. I enjoy my job but it has been a nice respite to be at home with the fam. We went to Frosty Farms Christmas Tree (place?) in Sebastopol yesterday as you can see below.

First Annual Christmas Tree Cutting from dan bowen on Vimeo.

It was a lot of fun. My family and Mel's enjoyed the experience. Both kids have been fighting sickness and it seems like I have been sick for the month of November. It seems like this because I have. I got antibotics yesterday and am feeling better now, but the illnesses were an unwelcome guest at our first annual tenenbaum slaughter. Life continues to be blessed for us. Mel reluctantly goes back to work on Wednesday. She too enjoys her job as a teacher, but much prefers her job as mommy. Below you will see another video. I wanted to capture the bizarre spectacle that takes place on a regular basis in our home. That would be Tate eating entire tomatoes. Whole. He is the first person (and likely last) I have ever seen do this. Enjoy.

Tate eats a whole tomato from dan bowen on Vimeo.

If you are looking for any good books, Mel and I both read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller (his latest book) last week and loved it. I have already purchased 3 copies to give away as gifts. I bought The Road by Cormac McCarthy on Friday at 8pm and finished it tonight. It was really dark and depressing, but amazing. I can't wait to see the movie. I am in the middle of several books right now (Peace Like a River and Friday Night Lights) but The Road sucked me in (plus I was sick so I had a ton of time on my hands) and took precedence over the other books I was reading. Enough trying to sound smart. Off to bed (yes it's like 9:20!). I will try to be more on top of this blog like the good old days. Christmas pictures and more video coming soon. I love my new camera!

New Camera - Canon 7D

2009-11-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

Mel, Tate & Lyla (Canon 7D test footage) from dan bowen on Vimeo.

Here is some test footage that I put together. I just got a Canon 7D (the camera they use for the SNL digital shorts) and I love it. Enjoy.

Halloween and Hiking

2009-11-03T13:50:00.001-08:00

Well November is here and that means only one more month before I return to work on Dec. 2 :-( I have so enjoyed this time off with my precious kids and I'm very thankful to have had this time! This past weekend was an eventful one, as we celebrated Halloween. Tate was a puppy and Lyla was a kitty. They looked very cute as you can see in the pictures. Tate actually had a great time trick or treating. Dan took all of his candy to school to give to the High school students :-) Next year we might not be able to make the candy disappear quiet as easy. I'm sure Tate will inquire about his candy next year! On Sunday we decided to take advantage of a beautiful day and went hiking. Our new house is only two minutes away from a hiking trail that turned out to be really beautiful! We are enjoying our new home and all that Dublin has to offer!

Our Pellet Stove Works!!

2009-11-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my dad, our Pellet stove is now working! He found it on Craig's list for us and spent the weekend installing it. It is so nice to have a handy father who lives only three minutes away! After Dan took these pictures, I made my dad wear glasses and a shirt as a mask! He was very dirty!! Thanks again dad! The stove works great!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T13:24:00.001-07:00

Here is some Halloween advice from Tate. We will add some pictures shortly. Enjoy.

Sweety Face and First Smiles

2009-10-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

The Zoo!

2009-10-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

Tate and Lyla

2009-10-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

Lyla is alomst seven weeks old and is doing great! Tate enjoys being a big brother most days :-) They are both changing before our eyes! Tate will be two years old at the end of the month and is talking up a storm! He really amazes us with his memory! It is scary sometimes! Tate went to the 2's,3's and 4's class second service at church this week. When asked about what he learned he said, "Baby Moses" we then asked him some follow up questions, like all teachers do :-) I said where did Baby Moses's mom put him? Tate said,"In the basket" then "in the river". Mind you we were not in the class and had no clue what the story had been about! Too cute and smart if I have to say so! :-)

Lyla's 4 weeks old!!

2009-09-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

Life in the Bowen household has been flying by! Lyla is already 4 weeks old and is getting big quickly! She went to a well check doctors appt. today and weighs 10 lbs. 11 oz. (89%), she is 21 1/4 inches long (50%) and her head is 14 3/8 (32%). Not bad for under a month old! Tate is doing great as a big brother. He loves to give Lyla huggies and kisses. He often asks to "hold her" and quickly changes his mind saying, "no, mommy do it!"
Two kids is a lot of work but also a lot of fun! We are so thankful for our families! I'm not sure what we would have done without their help?? I know that I'm especially thankful for being so close to both of them! Enjoy the pictures!

Chubby Cheeks!
Looking at my Daddy
Hanging out!
A proud Dad for sure!
Squeeze in...
Tate giving Daddy a kiss (not Lyla :-)
Funny Face!
Two kids and a rocking chair! Can I say super mom :-)
Silly boy!

Stay tuned for more...

Pictures!! Week 1-4

2009-09-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! As promised here are pictures from the first couple of weeks since we've been home. We are enjoying our precious kiddos and loving our new house! We just got our internet hooked up so I'm sure we will be a little better about posting new pictures! Enjoy these for now and check back soon for more!!

First car ride!

Two kids, Yikes!

Getting ready for Lyla's first bath at home!

Tate watches, I think he wanted to get in with her!

Big Brother Tate!

Pretty in pink

Fun with the hose!!

Celebration

2009-08-23T21:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight we had our celebration dinner and we will be discharged tomorrow morning at 11am. We are ready to move in to our new home with the whole fam!

L-Bo (but not Lynne)

2009-08-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Lyla (or L-Bo as her friends call her) continues to impress us with her charm and intellect. Actually, she's just cute. It's weird having 2 kids now, but in a good way. Tate and Lyla. Mel liked the name Lyla because it sounded cute with Tate. It's true. Today is our last full day in the hospital. Tomorrow we head back to our newly roofed home for our first night in Dub-Town. All of our stuff has been moved to the house and over the next few weeks we will be unpacking and finishing the remaining renovation items on the to-do list. I start school on Tuesday, which is not necessaily ideal but I am grateful to have a job! I will be taking some time off the following week to be with Mel and the kids (kids...weird!). Enjoy the pics!

The Roof
(the gutters go up this week)
BEFORE

AFTER
L-Bo & co.
Tom is captivated by Lyla's beauty.
Tired dad-bo.

Welcome to the planet, welcome to existence...

2009-08-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

Day 3 and Lyla and Mel are doing well. That sounds like the intro to a rap one might find on the yet-to-be-recorded Bowen family hip-hop record titled "D-Bo Flow" (dropping this Fall). Lyla was up from about 4-7am, which subsequently caused Mel and I to be bright eyed and bushy tailed as well. I seem to be more tired than Mel and she makes it a point to state the irony of this quite frequently. Today was a good restful day. I took Tate to the park, Target (to get juice for Mel) and to Peets (to get caffeine for myself and a cookie for Tate. The cookie was the proverbial carrot that I dangled in front of Tate all day to make him behave in the hospital). It was another fun time with Tate. I will miss this stage he is in. So vocal, curious and sweet (like his father before him). Mel and I are stil getting used to receiving pink gifts and are grateful for the outpouring of prayers, love and support from our family and friends. Enjoy the pics.

Tate's day with daddy

Mark bought this tractor at a garage sale and it was a wreck. Herb restored it and gave it to Tate today. It is from the 70's. Tate loves it!

Lyla

Lyla is 1 (day old)

2009-08-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Mel and Lyla are doing very well. The baby is eating great as food seems to be a favorite hobby of hers. Melissa is already up and walking and just took a shower (it took her 3 days to do that with Tate). I took the little guy to the park and Jamba Juice today. It was fun to get out of the hospital and play with him. He seems so big now even though it feels like we were just here with him.

We will be staying our first night in the new house when we get back from the hospital. As I type this, a new roof is being installed. We are all moved in (though there are still boxes and some loose ends here and there) and are excited to bring Tate and Lyla into our new home.

Moving and the Roof
Tate and Daddy's Afternoon Out
Lyla - 1 day old

Justin's Pics...

2009-08-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

He took more but here is a teaser...

Lyla Rose

2009-08-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Lyla was born at 7:54 this morning. She weighs 8 pounds and 11 ounces and is 20 inches long. She's a chub! Mel and the baby are doing well. We are both pretty shocked that we have a daughter. We were convinced we were having a boy. Here are some pictures and more will be uploaded throughout the day and throughout her life. If you would like to visit at some poiht between now and Sunday, send me a text or give me a call and I will let you know what time would work best.

Sparklers Only Burn For So Long

2009-08-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

Tate just got back from his camping trip with our families. He looks like some sort of nuclear war survivor. He was well taken care of and it sounds like he had a great time. Mel and I enjoyed our week at home. We moved all of our stuff to our new house and are in the process of unpacking. We slept in, went out to breakfast at Katy's Korner, went to a nice dinner and did all of the things that we used to do pre-Tate. That said, we missed him a ton and it was so good to see him today. I gave him a haircut because he mullet was starting to cause people to stare and question the ability of his parents to properly care for his hygiene. He didn't enjoy the hair clippers so we used sparklers to distract him. It worked. Kind of. On Monday Mel and I had the unique opportunity to host a house concert for Rocky Votolato. He is one of my favorite musicians and I have been fortunate enough to have seen him in the city twice before (see past blog posts here and here). The concert was by far one of my favorite musical experiences and was also one of the most enjoyable things I have been able to experience with my friends as a whole. It was a very memorable night. I will post some pictures and video or you can cruise over to his MySpace and check out the pics he posted on his site. Pretty cool. Below you will see pictures of Tate getting his haircut and a video of Rocky playing a new song called "Sparklers." I will post some more eventually.

Haircut

9 DAYS AND COUNTING!

2009-08-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

Mel had her last ultrasound today and everything looks good. The C-Section is scheduled for next Thursday (August 20 - Justin's birthday) in the morning. Come and hang out if you would like! Tate is camping with our families and we miss him a ton but it has been kind of fun being child-less for the past couple days. Mel talked to Tate on the phone today and he told her that a bear ate his sandwich (it really did) and papa took him in a kayak to see a waterfall. The kid is a genius. This video of Tate singing happy birthday to Mel will have to tide us over for now.

wait for it

2009-08-09T15:41:00.001-07:00

Family force Tate. He drops it like it's hot about half way through the video.

Post-crastinator: The Move-in date/Due date are near!

2009-08-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

Needless to say the due date for our yet-to-be-born, yet-to-be-named, sex of which is not yet known offspring is fast approaching. It has been crunch time for the Bowen/Conley construction team. We have made a ton of progress and there is now a house light at the end of the tunnel. Sadly, my family and Mel's are going camping this week without us! Mel and I are going to stay home and get the house ready (plus we are hosting a Rocky Votolato house show on Monday!!!) as summer slowly creeps to an end and the due date races toward us. We are pretty sure of what we will name the baby and we both are pretty convinced it is going to be a boy.

Below you will see some pictures of the house's latest construction developments including cameos from those who have helped along the way. Thank you to everyone!

Old school tile (before carpet was installed)

The garage.

Granite installation day.

Middle bathroom progression.
Herb hard at work. Master bathroom progression.
Master bedroom.

Work days.

Kitchen progression.
The baby's rooms.
Tate's room and the boat bookshelf Herb made.

Fetus-Bo's room.
Misc.
The hallway.

The front room (I don't know if it's called the family room or living room so I call it the big room because comparatively speaking, it is.)

Our new pellet stove (Craigslist baby!).

The fam.

FAMILY FORCE FUNNY

2009-07-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

House Pics

2009-07-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

We have made a bunch of progress lately on the house. We are shooting to be in the first week or so of August. We are sort of coming down to the wire considering the baby's C-section is scheduled for August 20 (be there!). Mel and I got to get away for the night last week when Auntie Allison watched Tate. This was the first time Mel and I left Tate for the night together. We went to The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito. It was so much fun. Our room was great. Thanks Allison. Here are some pics from the past few weeks taken on my cell phone.:

The House

Sausalito & Randoms
The view from our room.MSM Stuff (Big Ranch)

House Progress

2009-07-11T21:55:00.001-07:00

I'll post some pics in the next couple days, but we made a ton of progress on my dad's 52nd birthday. Here are some cell phone videos:

No More Single Bowen Boys (not including Tate)

2009-06-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Justin and Mandie got married. It was a really pretty ceremony. There will be a site up soon with all of the pics so I won't post a ton here. Below you will find a video of Tate from yesterday morning and a transcript of my best man speech. It was a really fun day and Mel and I are very happy Mandie is now officially part of the family.

June 27th is one of the most memorable days in the history of man. It is the day that Helen Keller was born. Ross Perot and Tobey McGuire were birthed on this day as well. But today we come together to celebrate the birth of something even more significant than the birth blind and deaf woman, a wealthy aristocrat, and Spiderman. Today, the 178th day of 2009, will forever be known as the birth of Justin and Mandie’s marriage.

When they started dating at roughly the age of 7, I anticipated that this day may eventually come.

My brother is the type of person who excels in everything he enjoys. Anything he wants to do, he does well. He was never much of a baseball player because he didn’t really like it. He isn’t much of a dancer, as you will soon see, because he is not particularly fond of it. However, he is quite gifted when he puts his mind to something.

My brother was a great gymnast. He loved the sport and was excellent at it. Because of his prowess, we were able to travel around the nation for his various competitions. It was fun watching him flip around and contort his body in ways I could never imagine doing with mine. We called him monkey for a reason. He is even good at things he doesn’t particularly care for. For example, after gymnastics he was politely forced by my parents to join the Cal High diving team much to his chagrin. He went on to win many diving competitions and ended up winning the league championship and MVP. One of my favorite Justin moments was watching him win the league championships, while the top seeded diver from another school stood shocked. As the top seeded, 2nd place diver cried in to the arms of his mother (no joke), Justin simply walked away from the award podium and handed his 1st place award to my mom and asked if we could go home. He had already moved on.

He was a gymnast and is an artist. He is a great guitarist even though he only started playing a couple years ago. He loves guitar and is a gifted musician. He is one of the best photographers I have ever seen. I call him Ansel Adams, Jr. Actually, I have never called him that, but I should. He captures the world through his lens unlike any photographer I have seen. He won best portfolio at the Academy of Art this year where he attends school. He excels in virtually every area he wishes to.

He was a gymnast and is an artist and a lot of other things ending with ist. There was even a recent time in which his beard caused him to be mistaken for a terrorist, but we won’t get into that today.

It is his drive to succeed and his meticulous care for detail that make me confident he will have a marriage that is successful - a marriage that honors God and is an encouragement and challenge to those around him.

There is another part of this marriage as well – a beautiful young lady named Mandie. Mandie fits seamlessly into our family. In fact, if my parents could have traded Justin and I for 2 daughters, I am fairly confident they would have sent my brother and I packing and welcomed Mandie and Melissa with open arms. Luckily this scenario won’t have to play out.

I can distinctly recall the moment I knew Justin and Mandie were in love. There was a series of many consecutive nights in which I was kept awake by the dull mumbling hum of my brother talking. My bedroom was adjacent to Justin’s and after 2 weeks of these assumed late night cell phone conversations with Mandie, I complained to my parents. Justin denied my accusations. He told my parents he was asleep and I was crazy. Being the crafty brother that I was, I found the cell phone bill and showed my parents the detailed minute-by-minute account of their clandestine conversations. He had been caught. He was willing to suffer the unrelenting wrath of his brother and the scorn of his parents for this girl. He was in love.

Mandie is like a little sister to me and her blend of wit, charm, mathematical skills and overall pleasant demeanor will be a welcomed addition to the Bowen lineage. Not to mention the fact that she is a great cook. Mandie, Justin loves you so much and it has been really fun for me to watch you grow up and to see the positive effect you have had on Justin’s life. You are a great aunt and I don’t know if I have mentioned it before, but I think you are going to make a great mom someday as well.

Justin and Mandie – I know that you will enjoy marriage and it is going to be a lot of fun transitioning in to this next phase of life with you both.

In closing, I thought I would quote one of Justin’s favorite songs. It is a song that has really spoken to both of us throughout our formative years. The words are simple, but the message transcends understanding:

“You’re my brother,
you’re my friend.
You’re my beginning and my end.
You’re all around me when the world
Turns and walks away.
You’re my sunshine on a cloudy day.
You’re the rain that washes my blues away.
And I can always count on you.
Because you’re my brother
And my you’re friend.”

Progress Makes Perfect

2009-06-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

There has been some progress on the home front lately. As of now we are only missing a kitchen, bathrooms, furniture, lighting, and well...pretty much everything. We're getting there though. It's kind of like the Bay Bridge. You can still drive on it, but it always seems like they are doing work on it.

End of School/All Nighter!

2009-06-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

This has been a pretty insane week. It started off with good news. I got my job back, which means I will be returning to my school in the Fall. I will be teaching Freshman and Senior English as well as video production. I am really excited. Thursday was the last day I had students and Friday was a teacher word day. Friday night was the annual MSM All-Nighter. My day began at 6am on Friday and I went to sleep at 8 am on Saturday. I made all the preparations for the All Nighter while planning for approximately 50-60 students. However, 78 showed up. That was by far the most students we have had for any previous MSM event. It was insanse. We did a huge scavenger hunt, rented Pump it Up (very cool place), had a neon dance room, and walked to Burger King at 5:15 (mile and a half walk each way...pretty horrible after not sleeping!). We had a ton of student and leader involvement. It was a blast, but I am still recovering! Now that I am done with school, I am going to focus on getting the house down so that our new offspring will not have to be raised in the same house I was.

Find Your Inner Wildcat

2009-06-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Find Your Inner Wildcat (Full Version) from dvhs on Vimeo.

This is a video that I made for school. It was played in 3 parts over the course of 3 Wednesdays this month. The video really has no point outside of entertaining the students. It's pretty epic.

Snoop Bloggy Blog

2009-05-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks since the blog and I last connected so I thought it's high time we rekindle our friendship. We have been quite busy lately and the blog has taken the backseat to real life. However, after a conversation with Lynne Clark she helped me to see that I should focus on the things that matter, like my blog. Rather than tell you all about what we have been doing (8th grade trip to San Luis, working on the house, Addie's birthday, swimming, and more working on the house), I figured we could just show you a bunch of pictures. Enjoy.

Working on the house (texturing >>> painting).

Enjoying the warming weather (the hose, Addie's birthday, the pool, 8th Grade Escape to SLO,our jungle of a backyard)
The Cunnington's came to town for Amy's wedding (spaghetti @ the DeGrano's)

Funny Faces/Not Funny House

2009-05-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Tate entertained us at the dinner table tonight with this tupperware lid. Meanwhile, tomorrow we are going to be texturing half of our house. Prepping for texture is so much fun!

Wuv, Twu Wuv

2009-05-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

Chris and Ashley tied the knot yesterday. The wedding was a lot of fun. Ashley looked beautiful and Chris looked quite dapper (I initially wrote Christ instead of Chris, but I was quick to correct such a blasphemous error). The wedding was at the Pine's home in Alamo. The weather was great. My wife was looking pretty hot with her prego belly in the bridesmaid dress that Ann made (she made all of the girl's dresses), but Tate was the star of the show (aside from Ashley and Chris I suppose). He wore a tux and was the ring bearer. I pulled him down the aisle in a fire truck. It was awesome! It was one of the most fun weddings I have been to and Mel and I (as well as Tate and unborn baby 2) were honored to be a part of it. Here are some pics from the event. I will post some more later and you can find a ton on Facebook as well .

Rehearsal

Wedding

Pictures from Easter!

2009-04-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I just thought I would add a couple more pictures from Easter. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Moving

2009-04-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

Mel, Tate and I moved in with my parents yesterday. This is a temporary move while we finish up the house. I will write about our adventures later. For now, enjoy this video:

Some house pics!

2009-04-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

The old pipes.New pipes.

Here's Tate & Bauer.