Dave and Amy Jones

Mixed Feelings

2011-05-02T10:15:00.003-06:00

Visiting Dave made me SO glad I don't live out there!

I would be bored out of my mind!

And I hardly got to see him.

Plus, I missed my friends and family,

and REALLY missed the dogs!

However, now that I'm back, I miss Dave! So much!

I'd love to be bored and stay in bed all day!

I want to see him!

Even if it's only for an hour a day!

Again, I know that's not really what I want.

I'd lose my mind.

I need to keep busy.

Not to mention I don't want to quit my job

just to have to find a new one in the fall.

Yep, mixed feelings about sums it up.

I'm going to try to have a good attitude

about the position I'm in,

because that's the only way to be happy

in such a complicated situation.

Wish me luck!

T minus 26 days and counting

until I see Dave again!!

Counting The Days...

2011-04-25T14:23:00.002-06:00

...until I get to see Dave!!

And it's just 3 days now!

On Wednesday night I fly out of SLC

and arrive in IN around noon.

It's going to be a short trip,

but better than no trip!

I fly out on Sunday afternoon

and get back late on Sunday.

I seriously cannot wait!!

Maybe seeing where he's living

and how much he's working

will make me grateful I'm

NOT out there with him

Pouty Face...

2011-04-18T15:17:00.004-06:00

I have no patience today, I'm ornery as can be, and I'm bluer than blue.

I know all the reasons I stayed here in Logan while Dave is gone, but it's still hard. I just want to go be with him.

I tried to keep to myself as much as possible at work today to try to avoid losing my job for biting someone's head off. I've been successful so far.

Maybe I just need a nap. And some ibuprofen.

P.S. Later in the afternoon on this day, Dave sent me flowers!! So sweet!

Dilemma

2011-03-23T11:07:00.004-06:00

Dave moves to Michigan in 2.5 weeks.

I was planning on staying in Logan because I love my job

(aaaand I went crazy last summer with nothing to do).

But...

Last week I was moved from my fantastic admin job

to be the receptionist.

And I hate it.

HATE. IT.

And if you know me at all,

you know I have a hard time hiding my true feelings.

So I've been openly

mad

ornery

sad

bitter

hurt

and just all-together unpleasant about it.

While complaining to a co-worker, a girl came in for an interview.

She overheard some of my ramblings and, after the co-worker left,

said very quietly and sweetly,

"At least you don't work at Arby's."

She does.

Brick to the forehead.

I may not have my dream job,

but they didn't dock my pay when they made me the receptionist,

they still treat me like a part of the executive staff,

and I get free lunch every Tuesday.

And I don't work at Arby's.

Bright side acknowledged.

It's still hart to be saying goodbye to Dave,

but I really was so lonely and unhappy last summer.

This summer:

I'll be living with a girlfriend whose husband will also be gone,

I'll be able to spend lots of time with my family,

and hopefully take a couple of amazing trips

(Brazil?? Please Dave?? Vanessa, come with me!!)!

So I'm trying to be more pleasant at work.

I'm grateful to have a job when so many don't.

Even if it means being the receptionist

when I am capable of so much more.

I'll just have to be the best damn receptionist around!!

P.S. My apologies for the language.

Since losing my admin job,

I've been throwing a lot of damn's and hell's around... :)

I Think I Need To Have Kids

2011-03-03T10:12:00.002-07:00

I never have anything to blog about, or to scrapbook about... so I either need kids or more money. Because if I traveled a lot I'd have stuff to blog and scrapbook about.

xoxo

Life is So Fragile.

2011-02-14T09:51:00.005-07:00

A friend from work was killed in a car accident on Saturday morning.

He passed out at the wheel

(not sure what happened, but I guess he had some sort of medical history...)

and was thrown from his car.

Please wear your seat belts!!

He was 20 years old, with a wife and 2 kids-- the younger is 5 months old.

He and his wife were married in the temple.

article here

Having this happen on the heels of almost losing my husband

has made it very clear to me just how fragile life is.

I'm so grateful for my family and friends (that means YOU!).

Sorry to be a downer.

On a lighter note...

Happy Valentine's day!

And happy 2nd anniversary to my honey.

xoxo

Adding Insult to Injury...

2011-02-10T12:07:00.002-07:00

Or vice versa I guess...

When Dave had finally made it back to Logan, he went to return the snowmobiles to his friend. They are kept in an enclosed trailer, so Dave just had to ride them in. There was a lip at the entrance to the trailer, so he had to get some speed to get over it. Well, he was paying attention to the floor and not the ceiling... so he hit his head HARD on the opening to the trailer.

So now he has a lovely gash on the top of his head that was gushing blood. Thank goodness it doesn't need stitches because it wasn't a cut coming straight down-- more like a scalping :) I know, lovely right?

My poor Dave needs a vacation. And so do I. :)

FEAR.

2011-02-09T15:35:00.002-07:00

Early yesterday morning, while I was getting ready for work, Dave was preparing to go on a snowmobiling day trip. He was so excited, he almost left without kissing me good bye. After a sweet kiss, I told him to be sure those lips came home safe and sound. He promised.

On my way to work, I was thinking about our relationship: our 2.5 years of dating and (almost) 2 years of marriage. I thought about all the issues we had to get thru before we could get married -- i.e. Dave had to stop being afraid of me :) I called him just to tell him I was so glad we were married and happy and I'm sorry I take him for granted. He agreed and said he loved me too. i didn't want to hang up, but I knew he was anxious to get going, so I said bye and told him to be safe.

Skip to 8 pm. No word from Dave. I didn't expect him to be home by 8, but I did expect him to be back in the range of cell service by 8. I was worried, but at the same time figured they were just having too much fun or had stopped to eat or whatever. I finally got a call from him at 8:30, and learned that my worries were justified.

Skip back to approx 4pm. Dave and his friend Dallas are having a great time playing on the snowmobiles. It was time to head back, so they were looking for a place to turn around. Dallas was following Dave-- or so he thought. Dallas found a place to turn around, and got stuck. Dave had no idea. he just kept going thinking Dallas was behind him. Dave then found a place to turn around, and also got stuck. They were each all alone, and it was getting dark. They each started heading toward a little shack they had passed earlier. It got dark and cold. They got scared.

Dave's dad and the people he was with got worried. They went to the shack and found Dallas there. He had made it there after hours of hiking thru the snow, in the dark. He had feared for his life, wondering if he'd be found, and even left a note to his wife on his cell phone, thinking it would be found along with his frozen body. They asked where Dave was. Dallas didn't know. He didn't know Dave hadn't made it back.

They called the Search and Rescue team , who was eventually able to find Dave only because he had the flash on his cell phone shining. Otherwise, he doesn't think he would have been found. He was preparing for the possibility of spending the night in the snow sub-zero temperatures. his fingers and toes were purple, hardly kept warm by his snow gear. Thank goodness nothing had to be amputated!!

I'm still very emotional about the whole thing, mostly because I haven't talked to Dave since 10pm, since there is no service where they are. He had to drive almost an hour just to call to let me know he was okay. And I'm obviously dying to see him!

I'm not going to lie-- as it approaches sundown, I'm getting nervous all over again. But I'm sure he's fine. Right?

I'm so glad tragedy was averted, but I'm also grateful I was able to tell Dave that morning just how much I loved him. I joked with Dallas's wife that Dallas loved her more than Dave loved me because she got a love letter! Then I said, or maybe Dave loves me more because he never lost the will to live ;)

CARLOS SANTANA SHOES FOR $26.70!! TODAY ONLY!

2011-02-08T09:37:00.002-07:00

Roulette shoes from Carlos by Carlos Santana

Retail price: $89

Discount price: $26.70

Percent discount: 70% off!

Promo code: Today2011

Possible Multiple Personalities

2011-01-31T12:08:00.005-07:00

I think I have multiple personalties. Just two really. Maybe.

My two favorite icons: Audrey Hepburn and Beyonce
My favorite brands: Chanel, Coach, Tory Burch, and Volcom
My favorite shoes: Platform heels (Jessica Simpson and Steve Madden) and flip flops or tennies (DC, Volcom, Vans...)
My favorite foods: Creme Brulee, Tirimisu, and pizza
My favorite shows: Fashion Police, Law and Order SVU and football
My favorite movies: Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Holiday and The Rock
My favorite books: The Scarlet Pimpernel, Pride and Prejudice, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (series)
Favorite songs: Heartbreak Warfare (John Mayer) and Diva (Beyonce)
Favorite outfits: heels with a pencil skirt or jeans with a t-shirt and hoodie
Favorite vacation places: Maui, Bahamas, and Disneyland

Obsessed

2011-01-17T11:41:00.005-07:00

I'm so obsessed with Audrey Hepburn!

Roman Holiday

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Charade

Wait Until Dark...

I've always loved her, but this book is what made me obsessed:

She was glamorous, fabulous, kind, and humble.

She was truly shocked by her success and fame.

Read it. Love it. Become obsessed.

You can find the book on sale here.

BaaaaaaaHumbug!

2011-01-04T10:18:00.008-07:00

Not in regards to Christmas, just winter in general!

Currently it is -2 degrees,

but the weather channel says it feels like -12!!

I think they meant to say

it feels like HELL!!

Hell is none of that fire and brimstone garbage.

Hell is cold.

And I am in it.

Meanwhile, my hubby is in Vegas.

He's there working, but still!

I would eat my left ear for a tropical vacation!

Or sell a kidney,

or whatever would get me on a beach in the sun.

This time last year,

we were on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera:

What I would give to be there now...

Christmas is Coming!

2010-12-20T15:00:00.002-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged! Such a slacker.

Christmas is right around the corner, and I'm totally ready for it! I spent the weekend finishing up Dave's Christmas shopping (as in: buying stuff for Dave to give to people. I finished my shopping for him and everyone else a long time ago). I also did quite a bit of shopping for my boss. His wife was RUN OVER by a car after the BYU/UofU football game. She broke both of her legs, and is in a wheelchair for another 3 weeks (it's been 3 weeks since the accident). So they needed some help. I had a bLaSt spending someone else's money!!

Dave and I will be heading to Washington for Christmas. We'll be spending it with his family. His sister and her family moved there last month. We're not excited for the 13 hr drive, but we are excited to spend time with everyone there!

I had 2 crowns done at the dentist last week. It's been almost a week, and I still can't eat! If I try, then I wake up in the night with my teeth and jaw throbbing. So I've quit trying. I'm having strictly protein shakes and pudding. I can't take it anymore...! Hopefully this won't last too much longer. I get the permanent crowns on the 29th. I hope that doesn't start the pain all over again! And I can't believe how much I'm paying for this pain!! After insurance, it'll be almost a THOUSAND DOLLARS for the 2 crowns. Gag.

Dave is selling his Audi for a BMW X5-- supposedly today! Merry Christmas to him! I'll post pics when all is said and done.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Let's all try to remember what Christmas is all about-- and enjoy the feeling of giving as much as receiving. xoxo

What to Post About? Car Accident.

2010-11-11T20:24:00.005-07:00

I'm sick of my Halloween post. Such a downer. I just want to forget about it. Not that a car accident is any less of a bummer...

On Saturday, Dave's company had a formal awards banquet. I was so excited! I NEVER got asked to a single dance in high school, so I was really looking forward to getting prettied up. I got my hair done at the beauty college in Provo. BAD IDEA. The bad lady from Goonies did my hair. okay, it wasn;t her, but she sure looked like her... plus 200 lbs. This chick weighed at least 300+ pounds and had purple hair. I should have run.

Next I went to Nordstrom and had my make up done at the Chanel counter (**highlight of the day!). The cute make up lady asked me what dance i was getting ready for. Bless her heart! that made my day.

I left Nordstrom and headed to my parent's house to change and then to meet Dave at the banquet. Traffic was horrendous. Stop and go. Bumper to bumper. An SUV in front of me stopped suddenly. I had to slam on my breaks, but was able to stop in time. Just then I hear screeching of breaks, and look in the rear view mirror just in time to see a little old civic crash into me. And that pushed me into the car in front of me.

Long story short, it was the fault of the guy behind me, he's been great to deal with, his insurance is paying for everything, I'm very sore but starting to feel better, I go to the chiropractor and a massage therapist every-other-day, aaand my car will be good as new tomorrow. Yay! I am not loving the bright blue Chevy Aveo rental.

So, I'm okay. The banquet was fun-- even though I threw up right before and I was shaky all evening. Tuesday was the most painful post-accident day, but it's been uphill from there.

Halloween Bummer

2010-10-29T13:59:00.004-06:00

Like I mentioned in my last post, I just switched offices for my job. Same company, different location.

Well, today was our Halloween party and it sucked. I don't know anyone, no one knows me, and everyone looked at me like I was nuts for dressing up! Only like 5 people dressed up.

I thought my costume was fun and creative: I wore pajamas, slippers, had my hair done (Thanks Isabel!) in a cute up-do and a tiara, and wore a fuzzy sleep mask (on my forehead). I was "Sleeping Beauty." I thought it was cute but I guess not.

At LANDesk, the company I worked for a few years ago, Halloween was awesome! Everyone dressed up and had a good time. They had everyone bring in their kids for trick or treating and a costume contest.

So, today I feel like an idiot because no one clapped for me in the costume contest.

Work Things

2010-10-27T13:40:00.005-06:00

So, I still really like my job. It's been awesome so far. Today they are rolling out some changes, one of which involves me:

There are two buildings of Call Assistant employees. The buildings are about a mile apart, and we will all be moving to a bigger space in March. In the meantime, I have been moved to the other building. This isn't necessarily a bad thing-- or a good thing really. It's just a thing. I still support Nathan (by original boss), but now I help his boss (Mike) and everyone else that works for Mike (Ashley and Sapi- who are in building 2). So that adds 3 more people to the list of people I support.

Not only that, but my desk is the front desk of the 2nd building. I thought my front desk days were over!! Sigh...

Things I've learned about the new building:

It's cleaner
It's quieter
It's colder
It's closer to my apt (by about 12 seconds :))
It's next door to Little Ceasars (this will be the death of me... or at least the death of my waist line...)
It's lonelier

And so it is. I will make the most of building 2, and hopefully I'll make some friends soon. Then maybe it won't be so lonely.

Funny story: As I was setting up my desk, some guy, about 22 yrs old, walks up and asks who I am. I explained I'm Nathan's assistant, but there were people at this building that needed an admin too. He sits down next to my desk with his lunch and says, "Well this is where I always eat my lunch, so I guess I'll be bugging you a lot." It's quite obvious that he's hitting on me. Then, even after I explained my job, he said, "So you're the receptionist?" "No, I am an admin. I just happen to sit by the front door. I'm too old to be a receptionist." He laughed and asked how old I was. "27." "Oh, you are too old." Then he picked up his lunch and went to the break room. Awesome. Crisis averted!

On a better note, these are the shoes I'm wearing today:

"Carrie" by Guess

xoxo

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

2010-10-06T10:10:00.004-06:00

If you know me AT ALL,

you know I looooove shoes.

Especially heels.

But I pretty much love them all.

My cute friend Heidi has an awesome new blog

documenting her shoes!

I would absolutely recommended checking it out.

I love to see her shoe of the day!

She has like TWICE as many pairs of shoes as I do!!

So it's going to be quite a while

before she gets each one posted.

Her project has inspired me,

and I think I'm going to do the same thing.

I'll be documenting my shoe collection on FB

(as soon as we move into our apt

and I get to pull my babies out of storage!!).

Heidi, "The Shoeologist," is having a contest,

so be sure to check out her blog

for a chance to win some fabulous Nine West heels!

The Shoeologist

Happy drooling!!

xoxo

Logan-ites

2010-10-01T15:33:00.002-06:00

It's true. I'm officially a Logan-ite (or Providence-ite to be specific). Dave is still in St. Louis, but he'll be back soon.

So here's the story:

I started applying for jobs, knowing it takes awhile to actually find a job and get hired. To my surprise, the day after emailing in my resume to a company in Logan, they called me for an interview. Since I was in St. Louis, we decided to do a webcam interview via Skype. The interview went really well, and they said they'd let me know on the following Monday or Tuesday. Well Monday comes and goes, Tuesday comes and goes, and no word from them. By Wednesday morning I'm sure I didn't get the job. I was sad about it all day, but came to terms with the fact that it just wasn't the right thing.

Wednesday night, just after midnight, I got an email saying they'd be sending me an official offer letter on Friday, but wanted to let me know I got the job. YAY!!!

So I had to come back from St. Louis sooner than we'd planned to start my new job. I flew home (with Maeby) and now poor Dave will have to drive back all alone (well, he'll have Boozer).

I found us a great apt in Providence and we're excited to get settled.

I have to give a shout-out to Amie and Sean Liston for letting me park my homeless butt at their place until Dave gets here and moves our furniture into our apt. I'm having so much fun staying there! I missed having friends. Their daughter Macy is such a doll and Maeby loves their little schnauzer Mercedes.

So, for now, life is good. Other than missing Dave (and Boozer) like crazy, things are just about perfect (knock on wood...). I'm loving my job. My boss, Nathan, is awesome. I asked him how I should keep track of my time (I'm a salaried employee for the first time) and he said, "Uh, in your heart...?" Sounds good to me!

My last job was a very hostile environment. I spent all day, everyday just waiting to get fired. This place is great. I just hope they're as happy with me as I am with them :)

Oh, P.S. The company is called Call Assistant. It's a call center (for a bunch of different companies including HSBC, Wells Fargo/Wachovia, APX, Pinnacle...), but I'm an Administrative Assistant. Back to a life of dress pants with heels and long sleeved T shirts :)

A Fun Few Weeks

2010-08-18T22:01:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in a long time, so it's time to play catch up!

The trip to Nauvoo with my family was awesome. We met up with Daniel and had a great time...mostly. We stayed in a tent and it RAINED. A LOT. We pretty much got flooded out and had to head to a hotel. My mom, Emily, my dad, and I went to the temple to do baptisms and the next day Daniel and I did an endowment session. Then we all did baptisms with the youth that Daniel was traveling with. It was so fun to be in a session with Daniel, and also awesome to have him baptize me.

The next week, Dave and I went back to Nauvoo. I had so much fun there with my family, I wanted to take Dave. The pageant there was especially awesome. Oh, and the Fudge Factory :)

Yesterday I got back from 5 glorious days in Utah. It was action packed!! My whole fam came to pick me up at the airport, including my niece and nephews. It was sooo good to see them all!

I got in on Thurday morning, helped my mom clean for most of the afternoon, got my hair did (Thank you Tara!! You're the BEST!), then just hung out with the fam. Friday I had lunch with a friend, stopped by LANDesk to say hi to a bunch of former co-workers, then went to the airport to pick up our new foreign exchange student Sofi. She's awesome!! She's 15 and from Germany. She'll be staying with my parents until the end of the school year.

Saturday we partied for Mckay and Carter's birthdays and Sunday was Daniel's farewell. He did such a great job. The rest hymn just before he spoke was "Families Can Be Together Forever." That sweet kid just bawled his eyes out up there on the stand. Which made me sob too.

After Sacrament meeting, we rushed home to find dozens of Daniel's friends already there. We put out the stuff for pulled pork sandwiches-- enough to feed an army (or so we thought)-- and it was GONE in 15 minutes. Thank goodness we had the chocolate fountain too! And I spent the next 4 hours frying up "Spudnuts," the famous Bangerter family's homemade donuts. It was a great day.

At midnight we went for a late night Beto's run. We ate at a park and told "scary stories," such as: "Once a time, boy named Aaron, in a car seat, smelled some matches, the end" (told by Gina's nephew). It was hilarious. Sofi must think we're nuts. Aaaand we are.

Monday I had lunch with another friend, got my nails done (I missed Justin so much!!), took Sofi to get a cell phone, and then home for dinner and Daniel's setting apart. Before the ordination, we all went around and told stories about sweet Daniel. We all cried and cried (mostly the girls).

Tuesday morning we met up at IHOP at 7 am for our traditional pre-MTC breakfast, then headed to the airport. Saying good bye was rough, of course. In fact, I'm not going to say anything else about it because it's too hard to talk about. Just love him.

Then, one of the highlights of my trip, my mom and I spent a couple of hours at The Gateway mall. She bought me a gorgeous shirt from J. Crew. Everything there was incredible. We both had dreams of spending thousands in that store! We stopped at Cafe Rio, and then back to St. Louis with me.

It was a great, fun filled trip. I love my family and Utah. Sorry there are no pics, but I left my camera in Utah :( I'll get some posted when I can!

Something to Live For...

2010-07-13T15:13:00.004-06:00

Dave's been working out of town a lot. The past two weeks, he was only here 2 days besides Sundays. It's been really hard to keep from going insane. But I finally have something to look forward to!! My family is coming to visit!

Daniel is on a senior trip to all the church history sites across the country. This weekend, he'll be in Nauvoo, so my family is going to meet him there. And meet me there! It's only 3 hours from St. Louis.

So my fam will leave Thursday night, and drive straight until Friday night. I'll meet them there. We'll hang out in Nauvoo and see Daniel on Saturday, go to Carthage jail on Sunday, then head back to St. Louis. Pedis for the girls, a baseball game, etc. It's gonna be great! Multiple days of being with people! Yay!

I love Nauvoo and my family. I can hardly wait!

Woe Is Me!

2010-06-21T22:21:00.003-06:00

Last year, when Dave and I were living in Baltimore, my dad had business in DC. My mom went out with him and I stayed with them. We spent 3 days there and had a BLAAAST! While my dad and Dave worked their little tails off, my mom and I played our little tails off!! We explored Alexandria, we devoured the Smithsonian (referring to all of the museums, but we also devoured the incredible flat bread pizza with goat cheese at the cafeteria in the National Gallery of Art!), we had pedicures and Bruegger's Bagels, and shopped like crazy.

Well, my parents are back in DC again, and alas, I am not. I am crushed to be missing out. And obviously my mom's not having hardly any fun without me ;). I tried to explain to Dave what it is I'm missing out on. I said, "Imagine you got to go on an amazing hunting trip last year. There were lots of big coyotes and you killed lots of them and there were rabbits all over that you could shoot, or even just kick if you wanted to. And elk and mountain lions and bears and buffalo! And free 4 wheelers! And this year you didn't get to go. And everyone else went and told you it was amazing." He was like, "Wow. That would be pretty sucky." He mostly just laughed at me :).

And so DC, just know I miss you. And mom, I miss you lots and lots. And pedicures, I miss you very much as well.

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waist!

2010-06-17T03:04:00.006-06:00

Yes, I know it's "waste," not "waist."
It was intentional.
That's one darling little flaw
about my husband that I love so much.
I giggle every time I get a text from him
saying something like
"It was such a waist."
He always mixes up the spelling.

On a similar note, while reading today,
I learned I was saying incorrectly
two different idiomatic expressions
(common phrases that aren't necessarily
to be taken literally):
"TOE the line,"
(apparently a very commonly misspelled phrase)
and "One FELL swoop."
For whatever reason, I thought they were
"TOW the line"
(having something to do with towing, as in pulling??),
and "One FOWL swoop"
(referring to something of a bird-like nature?
I don't know...).
In case you care
( I know I'm the only one that does...),
"Toe the line"
is referring to putting your toes on the line
before a race, and
"one fell swoop"
is referring to chopping down
(or "felling") trees.

I'm grateful that I have such a love of reading
because I know these are not the first two phrases
I was mistaken about.
I was something like 16 or so when I found out that
"making ends MEET"
wasn't "making ends MEAT,"
having something to do with food--
like feeding your family.

There are so many sayings that we use
on a regular basis
that can easily be misused
since most of the time we don't know
exactly where the reference came from.
My dad told me not too long ago
where the expression
"the whole nine yards"
came from.
Apparently a machine gun bullet belt
is nine yards long,
so saying to fire "the whole nine yards"
meant all of it.

I'm such a "word nerd"
that I'm probably the only person
interested in the least by this stuff.
But I love the English language.
I love to read it and study it
and continue to learn about it.
After all,
a mind is a terrible thing to waist!! ;)

**xoxo Love you babe**

American Idol?

2010-05-27T22:16:00.003-06:00

I'm so conflicted. All season I've been a fan of Lee. I was always voting for him. He's darling and talented. I've downloaded from itunes all of his performances and I very much wanted him to win. I was stoked last night!

Then, I read that he was kicked out of high school (supposedly for fighting, but lots of guys fight in high school and don't get kicked out...)and sent to an alternative school, but he still didn't graduate!

Not much of an Idol. Not a role model. He's 24. He's had plenty of time to get around to a high school diploma. Just seems sad...

A Day in the Life...

2010-05-25T13:07:00.002-06:00

...of a Summer Sales Wife! Okay, to be honest, I'm probably the laziest ever. So not all wives have lives like me. I'm pretty sure I need a little one to keep me busy :)

First of all, I need to mention how grateful I am to have a break from work every summer-- a chance to relax and read and relax and tan... I complain about being bored, but I know I'm spoiled.

So, my more productive days go something like this:

Wake up,
make a breakfast smoothie for Dave and me,
shoo Dave out the door to his meeting,
get my Jillian on
(Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD),
go tanning,
shower and get ready for the day,
grocery shop,
watch some tv,
maybe do some laundry and tidy up the apartment,
make dinner,
welcome Dave home from a long day,
eat and clean up dinner,
watch some tv with my love,
get ready and go to bed.

That's it.

My lazier days go something like this:

sleep late,
watch tv,
I may or may not shower...
watch tv
have some cereal or something
watch tv
make an easy dinner,
welcome Dave home,
eat dinner but only semi clean up,
tv with Dave,
bed.

The lazier days suck. I get depressed and feel worthless for being such a blob.
I like to be busy. So I guess it's up to me to make the most of my time off!

I don't know if I'll make it back to Utah before August for Daniel's mission farewell, but I'd sure love to (after the snow melts).

St. Louis

2010-05-05T23:13:00.004-06:00

We made it to St. Louis without
having our car broken into!
So the trip this summer was a major improvement
to the trip last summer!

We were only able to bring with us what
we could fit in the Camry--
with the dogs in the back seat.
So basically just the trunk.
So we mostly only brought clothes.
We had to buy dishes, sheets, towels,
blender, and on and on!!!
It cost a fortune, and it made me sick
to spend so much on stuff we
already have in storage,
but it cost less than renting a U-Haul
(which we couldn't have pulled anyway...). Oi.

So far, so good!
Dave is doing very well, and having fun.
The weather is perfect (for now...)
so he's taking advantage of it.
And I'm loving having some time off from work!

I miss my family a lot,
I think especially since my grandpa's funeral
was only a couple of days before we left.
Also because my little bro leaves on his mission
at the end of the summer.
I won't see him again except
for when I go home to see him leave!
And he and I are "Jazz Buddies."
We love the Jazz and used to watch
a bunch of games together.
We've been having Pizza Playoff Parties
for the past 6 years at least.
He's my buddy and I love him.

Good luck Danny and go Jazz!

(But in all reality I only see the Jazz winning one game in this series against the Lakers. Boo).

Mission Call

2010-04-21T21:03:00.003-06:00

My baby brother just received his mission call!

How is that even possible?!
I still think of him as a 4 year old.
When I left for my mission
he was a cute little boy,
but when came home,
he had become a man.
Now he'll serve the Lord for 2 years in
Johannesburg, South Africa.
Then he'll really be a man.

Love you Danny!

Last Week of Work

2010-04-12T11:00:00.004-06:00

You'd think that since I only have

4 and a half days of work left,
and then I'm done for the summer,
this week would be a breeze.
But it's not!
I can't handle it!
Not for one more minute!
Get me out of here!!

This tantrum will not end until Friday at 5pm.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T10:57:00.015-06:00

We had such a great weekend!

We went to the first session of Conference
on Saturday morning
(bright and early!)
and sat right by where the general authorities
come out of the tunnel.
Dave had never sat in the "good seats" before,
so he was thrilled (not that I wasn't...).

President Monson came out right before
the first session started.
He stopped and pointed to a 16 or 17 yr old
a couple of rows in front of us
and said, "Are you going to go on a mission?"
The kid nodded, and President Monson said,
"Okay, good." With that, and a big smile,
he proceeded to his seat.
How sweet!

My aunt (Julie B. Beck) spoke in that session,
and gave an incredible talk
(she always does-- they all do).
I'm so blessed to have such an awesome family!

She's so awesome :)

The session was amazing.
I love watching Conference at home in my jammies,
but it's a very different experience being there.

((Now I'll skip over the part where I very literally had an
anxiety attack when we were trying to leave
because the traffic (mostly pedestrian traffic) was so bad.
I almost jumped out of my skin!))

When we got home and changed,
we saw the Easter Bunny had come! WooHoo!
Treats for the afternoon session of Conference!

I'm looking forward to the
Conference edition of the Ensign.
I love reading over the talks and
being uplifted all over again.
Our goal this year is to read the talks together
(Dave and me of course).

I'm so grateful to have a knowledge and appreciation
for the real meaning of Easter.
How grateful I am for the gospel of Jesus Christ
and His sacrifice so that we may all return
to live with our Father in Heaven again.
What a miracle it was that Christ has
"broken the bands of death.*"
He rose from the tomb that we all might rise again.

"God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.**"

*Book of Mormon,
Mosiah 16:7

**The Living Christ,
The Testimony of the Apostles,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

I Hate April Fools' Day

2010-04-01T08:28:00.003-06:00

(That's how my calendar says it's punctuated...)

I should have taken a sick day. I hate people messing with me. And I work with some really annoying pranksters. Is it too late to go home? I guess I should just buckle up! Boo.

Divide Me

2010-03-30T15:24:00.003-06:00

Last night, I woke up at 4 am or so,
feeling very unsettled, but not sure why.
Dave tried to help me calm down and feel better,
but I just felt like something was wrong.
I was anxious and nervous.
So Dave pulled out his phone and played some soft,
happy feeling songs.
The last song he played is one of my favorite
Kalai songs called "Divide Me."
It's a song about his wedding day:

"I've waited my whole life to feel this way...

I can't believe I'm here with you,

Living this fantasy romance..."

I was able to relax
and think about our wedding day
and how much fun it was.
I couldn't have asked for a better wedding day or
a better husband.
I drifted off to sleep thinking of
my dress,
my flowers,
my cake,
my family,
and especially my sweet husband
on the best day of our lives.

I'm grateful for a husband who is willing
to wake up in the night with me
when I'm acting like a six year old.
I'm grateful for a husband to thinks I'm pretty
when I look homeless and
who "writes songs" for me, daily
("You are my love and I love you.
Let's eat some dinner..." That's a pretty accurate example).
I'm grateful for a husband who isn't shy about
telling me he loves me
("Hey babe, just love you. That's all. Bye.")
I'm grateful for a husband who works
hard to support us.
Basically, I'm grateful I married the best guy ever
and my best friend.

Dumbest Sicknesses Ever

2010-03-24T13:39:00.002-06:00

Tired. Nauseous. Dizzy.

But today I feel better than yesterday, so that's something to be grateful for.

What is causing my ailments? The dumbest things!

I'm tired because a new prescription I started taking causes insomnia. So for the last 2 weeks, I've been sleeping like 4 hours a night. Sometimes less. As soon as I start to drift off, I get what feels like a jolt of caffeine and I'm WIDE awake. Needless to say, those pills(which cost 5o dollars!!!)are in the trash. Sigh...

And I'm nauseous and dizzy because my new contact prescription is making me sick.
I get motion sickness VERY easily (like turning my head too quickly,or looking back and forth to check traffic more than a couple of times). So since my vision is different than I'm used to, it's making me sick. Yep, I'm taking Dramamine to keep from retching at work(I threw up at work twice yesterday).

Let me just say that throwing up at work is not cool, but it still beat throwing up in the ghetto in Rochester. Never get your face that close to a toilet in the ghetto.
***shudder***

I Have Nothing To Say...

2010-03-22T08:07:00.002-06:00

...but I was sick of my St. Patrick's Day post. That was sooo last week!

I hate that the Heath Care Bill passed. Let's see what happens from here. Maybe I shouldn't bring children into this world. If they ever find our long lost Constitution, maybe I'll consider it.

Also, I love English Muffins especially with Wegman's Triple Fruits jam. Delish.

Here's hoping for a happy Monday!

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!

2010-03-17T10:36:00.003-06:00

I have fond memories of milk dyed green
on the morning of St. Patrick's Day growing up.
I could never bring myself to drink it
(or the pink milk on Valentine's Day,
or the blue milk on Easter...),
but it was fun-- along with
green eggs and ham or green pancakes, etc.
My mom's the best. Today's green:

I stapled a green post it note,
that said "green,"
written in green marker
to a guy at work that wasn't wearing green.
I'm on patrol, so party poopers beware!

Shoes of the Day

2010-03-11T08:08:00.006-07:00

Purrrrr.
Need I say more?
Been waiting not-so-patiently
to break out these puppies.

*Geneviv by Jessica Simpson
**I really want these in "Karat Metallic" too. They're hot

I Give Up, House Hold Chores

2010-03-08T14:09:00.006-07:00

After an 8+ hour work day, I don't feel like doing house work. I feel like sitting on the couch and watching as the apartment cleans itself (too much Harry Potter on the brain). So, I am petitioning the chores to take a little initiative:

Dear laundry,
I truly don't mind sorting, washing, and drying you. I don't. I like it actually. But folding and putting away? I hate that. Please just crawl from the chair you're piled on (continually), and put yourselves where you belong. Thank you.

Dear fridge,
I know there is nothing in you that has gone bad, and yet you never smell very nice. And you don't like the baking soda I put in there to curb the problem? How else can I make you less gross?

Dear bathroom,
I know I regularly manipulate my hair from within your walls, and the powder from my makeup often clouds your airspace. I also know there are a million other things that contribute to your messiness, but please stop being instantly messy. It feels like the second I've cleaned you, you're dirty again (that goes for you too, toilet!). Help me out. I'm dying here!

Dear groceries,
Oh wait-- I don't have any. Please arrive of your own accord.

Dear dinner,
Make yourself.

SAN FRANCISCO!!

2010-03-04T16:48:00.012-07:00

So, I have permission from my sister Ashley
to blog about San Francisco. Yay!

(she's tougher than me...I cried last year when I couldn't go)

First of all, the reason for this (yearly) trip:
My dad goes to a conference in San Fran,
and we mooch off his hotel room!

So, our trip went something like this...
Sunday: we flew into Oakland.

I was across the aisle, and the plane was cold.

First stop was Denny's
We were famished!
Then we hung around Alameda (my mom is from there)
until my dad's plane landed at 4
(he had to participate in a ward conference
so he had to leave later than we did).

I had taken Dramamine and was exhausted all day,
so I slept in the car.
My mom and Em made
"daisy chains"
for our hair at the park.

Hippie style

After we picked up my dad,
we had dinner at what used to be my parents
Favorite restaurant, Spenger's
("It's just not the same anymore...").
Crab, crab, crab! Yum!
Then we crossed the bridge to San Fran,
checked into our hotel,
and hit the hay.

Very cool room. Thanks Dad!

Monday: we went to Pier 39 for
Nutella and strawberry crepes,
perused the shops, went to Alcatraz,

Mom on the ferry to Alcatraz

Graffiti from the Indian occupation

Typical cell. No decorations of any kind allowed

Solitary

Pock marks from grenades used to stop an escape attempt

The first light house on the west coast

had lunch at Red's Java House
(my dad's favorite place for burgers-
on sour dough. YUM!) ,
more walking and perusing,
then dinner at Boudin- the sour dough bread co,
followed by ice cream sundaes
at Ghirardelli Square!

We asked if they sell their amazing chocolate syrup,
but they said,
"No, but it's just Ghirardelli milk chocolate
with a little milk and sugar."
No wonder it's so good!!

Tuesday: it started out really rainy so we jumped on a cable car
and headed for Union Square-- Shopping!!

On the cable car, looking like drowned rats

We first had breakfast at our favorite bakery,
Posh Bagel
(strawberry cream cheese croissant and Naked juice).
We stopped by China Town,

Then some of my favorite stores:
Kenneth Cole
Coach
Kate Spade
Tiffany & Co.

(and lots of other places where I couldn't afford a key chain!)

We also went to
H&M
Forever 21
and
Old Navy,
where we actually did buy some stuff.
Mostly lots of fun jewelery.
Emily and my mom both have a great eye!

We had Del Taco for lunch,
took the cable car back to the hotel to drop off our loot.
By then it had transformed to a beautiful day, so
we walked the
treacherous 4 STEEP blocks
to Lombard Street.

Lombard Street

Coit Towers and the Bay Bridge from Lombard

Then we went back to our hotel room for a picnic consisting of
sour dough bread, amazing olive oil and vinegar, and
Goat's milk gouda- the best cheese I've ever had.

My dad was in meetings until late,
but we met him for dinner at The Franciscan,
a famous restaurant on the pier.
More crab! This time I had crab Fettuccine Alfredo.
Soooo good!

Wednesday: we had breakfast at the crepe place again,
headed up to Coit Tower to see the beautiful view,

Coit Tower

Alcatraz from Coit Tower

stopped by the Blake House in Kensington
(it's the home of the UC President.
My grandparents used to live there on the property
to look after things when the president wasn't there--
which was most of the time).
We had a family reunion there,
visited over the 4th of July and saw fire works
all over lots of cities from the balcony,
and filmed our own version of Peter Pan.
The Blake House was my childhood Neverland.

The Blake House

On our way to the airport we stopped at
Fenton's for ice cream

Classic Sundae

Bubble Gum Ice Cream

"The Jersey"

My ice cream! "Black and Tan"

and then headed back to dreary Utah.

(Please remind me why I live in Utah...)

It was a great trip. And now I'm missing "my city by the bay..."
Next year's trip can't come soon enough!

San Francisco

2010-03-04T09:16:00.002-07:00

I'm not going to blog about going to San Francisco,
out of respect for my favorite older sister Ashley
who wasn't able to come this year.
I posted some pics on Facebook,
but if you want to know more about it,
you'll have to email me.

Love you Ashley McAshley Space Cadet. Missed you!

A Late Night With My Four Favorite Kiddos

2010-02-23T08:46:00.007-07:00

My sister Ashley and her husband McKay had to take
a quick day trip to Vegas for a job interview.

I was lucky enough to stay with the kids from the time I got off work until about 1 am.
The afternoon/evening went something like this:

Carter's swimming lessons
Pizza for dinner
(They wanted spaghetti instead, but I'm not a fan.
Silly kids)
Baths and chores and reading
A movie (Hook!!)
Bed time

Now to elaborate a little bit:
The two younger kids fell asleep early on and I moved them to their beds
(Carter is three and Sammy is one)
We came to the part in Hook where Peter is remembering being a baby.
He remembers his carriage rolling away
and falling out of it in the rain. Then Tink saves him.
It always ripped my heart out when I was little to see that
baby crying and being rained on.
Right at this part, I hear a substantial sniff.
I look over at Gabriel (6) to see big crocodile tears rolling down his cheeks.
He's such a sweet heart. When he saw me look at him,
he wiped his tears and said, "It's just a really sad part."
I agreed. Such a precious little boy.

After the movie Gabe and Madelyn went to bed,
but not before
a drink of milk, a hug and kiss,
and a good old fashion tucking-in.

I settled on the couch, planning on sleeping until 1
when the parentals returned.
Nope.
10pm Boozer (my dog) throws up. I clean it up.
Back to sleep-- not so soundly
11:45pm Sammy cries. I rock him near his crib,
but he knows what I'm trying to do and isn't having it.
I went back to my couch bed and laid him on my chest.
He conks out.
12:15am I wake up and realize I should put Sammy in his bed
(but was sure loving holding him)
12:30am On the phone with Dave, and I see a small shadow standing over me.
Carter.
"Amy, I need my backpack in bed with me."
(Carter has a very special backpack.
It contains priceless items like a plastic dagger,
marbles(his most favorite thing),
books, etc. The zipper on his backpack broke,
so he did the obvious thing:
put that backpack inside of another backpack of course!)
I take the drowsy little one and his backpack to bed.
Carter's asleep before his head hits the pillow.
1:00 am Ashley and McKay return
1:45am home sweet home
2:15 am sleep sweet sleep

Am I tired today? That's a big, fat yes.
Would I do it over and over and over again?
That's a bigger, fatter yes.

Sammy (Spam, as I call him)

Gabe, Carter, Vovo, Sammy, and Madelyn

Softhearted Gabriel

Carter (aka Tank) and Mads

Carter, Aunt Emily, Gabe, and Mads

**Love these kids so freakin much!**

Patriotic and Proud

2010-02-18T15:20:00.014-07:00

I'm loving the Olympics!!
However, I haven't been glued to the TV 24/7 like so many people are these days.
Conveniently, I have an iphone app that has the
schedules, the medal count, the video highlights, etc.
(yes, there's an app for that)
So I've seen the good stuff! And by good stuff I mean:

Lindsey Vonn wins gold with a serious shin injury

The wrecks of Lindsey's competitors

Shaun White wins gold

Check it out!

I'm proud to be an American, and proud of all this country stands for and works for.
Let's hope it doesn't change so much that we can't recognize it any more as a
"nation under God . . . with liberty and justice for all.*"

I love this country and its noble history.
I love visiting Washington, D.C. and seeing all the work
that has gone in to building this country for centuries.
With all of the current political crises and
constant debate,it is so nice to take a step back
and see us as a TEAM-- all with the same goal.

USA! USA! USA!

*The English major in me insists I footnote my reference.
It's from the Pledge of Allegiance. I know you know that already

Happy Valentiversary!

2010-02-15T14:58:00.008-07:00

You might be tired of reading Valentine's Day posts
(I'm not because I love them),
but if anyone is entitled to gush about Valentine's Day,
it's me. Because
it's my anniversary too!
My first anniversary!!

Our engagement picture

We had 3 days of Valentiversary, which was okay by me!

Friday we had dinner at Tiburon on Sandy.
It was incredible! Dave doesn't usually like "fine dining,"
because he'd rather have steak and potatoes
than duck with asparagus or whatever.
And he doesn't like paying a fortune for it either.
But we had a gift card from my boss,
so it was free!!!
Dave had bison, which was amazing,
and I had tri tip which was also fabulous.
He had an amazing crème brûlée,
which is really saying something.
We are crème brûlée connoisseurs!
Perfect evening.

Saturday Dave came home with
two dozen long stem roses!
Then we "went camping" in our apartment.
This was my surprise for Dave.
I set up a tent in the living room and
we did camping activities:
fishing
(like in 1st grade where you throw the string over a sheet) for treats,
a bear hunt
by lantern light (a treasure hunt which ended with a bowl of gummi bears),
and s'mores and hot dogs
cooked over a small cooking stove.
It was as lame and cheesy as is sounds,
but it was also pretty fun and truly wonderful.
After camping, we went to dinner and a movie
with some good friends:
"Valentine's Day" and Tepanyaki.
That was a good time too.

Sunday, our actual Valentiversary
we didn't do much,
but that was the best part!
We watched TV from the tent
and had dinner at my parent's house.

It was an awesome weekend.
I'm so grateful for
my honey--

for humoring me and my silly camping idea,
for treating me like a princess even when I don't deserve it,
for telling me I'm pretty when I look like garbage,
for always having my back even when I'm being unreasonable,
for opening my door always,
and for everything else he does
that I don't even notice anymore
because I've become accustomed to his
loving treatment.

Our wedding day

I love you David.
You are my everything.
*I can't wait to spend many more Valentiversaries together*

So Blessed

2010-02-12T10:22:00.006-07:00

I read a quote the other day that I can't stop thinking about:

Do not spoil what you have
by desiring what you have not;
remember that what you now have
was once among the things
you only hoped for. ~Epicurus

This is so true! How many years did I dream about finding the love of my life? After finding him, how long did I dream about being married to him? When I was out of work, how many mornings and nights did I pray that I'd find a job? In college when I was driving a 1985 Mazda 626 (hatchback), and stranded on the side of the road every other day in sub-zero Rexburg temps, how many times did I wish I could afford a REAL car? When I was away from home in New York and missing my family so much, how often did I wish to be near them-- just to see their faces and hear their voices?

And now, how often do I point out Dave's weaknesses? How often do I wish this or that was different about our relationship? How often do I complain about work or my nice car or my family driving me nuts? I often do I focus on what we don't have, rather than what we do?

I'm trying to change my perspective-- even my paradigm. I am so blessed. I have so much to be grateful for. I will not allow myself to take for granted all of the things I used to only dream of having.

*Happy Valentine's Day!*

Poor Little Boozer!

2010-02-10T20:54:00.006-07:00

Boozer just turned 3!! But his birthday wasn't exactly a party...

He has had problems with his ear for the last few months. I've been cleaning it regularly, but it wasn't getting any better. We finally broke down and took him to the vet yesterday. We were hoping we would just need an antibiotic or something, but it turned out to be a bigger deal. The vet couldn't even see what was causing the issue because of all the build up.

So I took him back to the vet at 7 this morning for a minor surgery. They had to sedate Booz to get his ear thoroughly cleaned (SO EXPENSIVE!). He did well, and they found a cut deep in his ear. We have to take him back next week for them to see if it's healing, or if it's something more serious like a tumor. Yikes.

When I picked him up from the vet, he was really woozy. They said he'd act drunk for awhile. And he did. Apparently he's a sad drunk. He cried all the way home. And when I was walking him to our apartment, he wandered off aimlessly. I kept calling him, but he just looked around all confused. I was carrying Mae because she runs off, so I couldn't get Booz. Dave had to call him. He finally clicked into reality, just for a second.

He's still really groggy. He was totally out of it while I bathed and blow dried him, which was nice. He's a sweet little guy. I hope the worst is over. We love him so much-- enough to pay the vet bill!

U of U fans, as Opposed to BYU Haters

2010-02-05T11:49:00.014-07:00

My grandparents are U of U fans. President Monson is a U of U fan. Um, I think that's the complete list. Everyone else that cheers for the U is really just a BYU hater. Or an LDS church hater. And most of them are happy to admit it.

Don't hate. Just play. I know, it sucks for you people that BYU is so awesome at everything. Might as well come to terms with it. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." So come one over! We'd love to have you.

**Go Colts!**

I Know, I Know

2010-02-04T12:10:00.005-07:00

Yes, I know it's February. Yes, I know it's 35 degrees outside. Yes, I know that's the high temp for the day. But I wore these shoes anyway. Because in my office, at my desk, with my heater on full blast, I'm pretending it's spring outside.

*i heart steve madden*

McKay Choy Burrows

2010-02-02T08:44:00.003-07:00

Most of you have probably heard about the passing of 2 LDS missionaries last week. The missionary from Utah, Elder Burrows, was from my stake. I didn't know him, but my little brother (who is currently on a mission in Austria/Germany) knew and loved him. My dad, as stake president, got to know McKay when interviewing him for a mission etc. And now my sister, who writes for the Herald in American Fork, has written a story on him:

Highland Missionary Remebered for Smile, Dedication

My heart goes out to this sweet boy's family. I pray for them every day (and cry every time I do). I know they can use your prayers for strength and comfort. Having a brother on a mission now gives me a little bit of insight as to how heart breaking that loss would be. But we try to always remember the Plan of Salvation, and the joy that comes with returning to our loving Heavenly Father. What a priceless knowledge that is.

Please pray for them.

Love Reasons

2010-01-29T08:19:00.004-07:00

Dave and I are approaching our first anniversary in February. These last 11 and a half months have been some of the best of my life. That doesn't mean we haven't had any opposition-- there's been lots-- but dealing with it together is all I could ask for.

Dave is my rock. When I pout that things are too hard, he reminds me to be happy and have faith. I know that whatever life throws at us, we can handle it together, and we'll be stronger for it.

On Tuesday night, Dave brought home groceries and roses. Both were much appreciated. Our fridge has been fairly empty lately. After working a full day, grocery shopping is on my list of things to do just below gouging my eyes out.

When I asked him why he got me roses he said:

"No reason. Well, love reasons."

He's so good to me. I couldn't ask for anything better.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-20T13:34:00.009-07:00

I have a lot to cover in this post, but I'll try to keep it brief.

New Year's Eve has never really been much of a holiday for us. We mostly just hung out and said "Happy New Year" at 12 if we even noticed. Well this year was different!

Dave's Christmas present this year was tickets to the John Mayer Trio New Year's Eve show in Las Vegas! It was AMAAAAZING!!! We are huge JM fans. His concerts are incredible. They are very different from the music he plays on the radio. John is an unbelieveably talented guitarist, and he really shows that off in concert. Dave is a guitar player, so he really appreciates that kind of stuff. We were constantly looking at each other with dropped jaws because John's solos were "face melting."

Our "seats" were standing room only, GA, but right up front. So we stood for almost 2 hours waiting for the show to start. WORTH IT!

The next day we drove to Oceanside to stay with Dave's sister Jenny and her darling family. We are usually at their place for Christmas, but didn't go this year. We knew we'd be visiting at the first of the year, so 2 Cali trips in 2 weeks would have been a bit much.

We always have so much fun with them: shopping on base, eating great food (always a great family activity), goofing off with the kiddos, etc. Jenny and I made a bunch of headbands, which I love!! Thanks Jen!

We saw Avatar with them, which I totally wasn't interested in seeing. But it turned out to be an incredible movie. Sure, if you read into it there's a lot of "tree-hugging," "go-green" ideas being sold, but I was entertained. Loved it.

On Jan 3, we went to Long Beach Harbor to board our ship for a 7 day Mexican Riviera cruise. I know I don't even need to say it, but the cruise was truly incredible. Sun, sand, friends, and food. What else could a girl ask for?! We went with roughly 50 people from Pinnacle, the company Dave works for, so we were constantly with friends. Here's a quick rundown of our "7 Days in Heaven":

Days 1 and 2-- Sea days. Laying out, playing games, amazing meals, fun shows, etc.

Our cabin

Just arrived and discovered that we had a balcony!

The view out our cabin window

On our balcony

First formal night

Day 3-- Puerta Vallarta. Zip line! We all rode a bus about 45 minutes into the jungle and then "zipped" thru the jungle. 16 total zip line runs. Some hundreds of feet in the air, and as much as half a mile long. It was incredible!!!

Nate, Dave, Me, Gavin JOhnson, and Dallas Bradshaw

SUPER unflattering pics :)

Day 4-- Mazatlan. Took a taxi to the El Cid resort. Beautiful beach, but all of our friends were getting stung by jellyfish. So we just put our feet in. AND I STILL GOT STUNG! On the ankle. Not unbearable painful, but no fun at all. Still a fun day with friends.

El Cid Resort

Day 5-- Cabo San Lucas (our fave day). Left the ship early to maximize our day ashore (only had until 2). Took a water taxi to a restaurant called "the Office." it was literally on the beach. As in, toes in the sand. Beautiful. And great food. Then a water taxi to Lover's beach and a tour of the surrounding beaches and famous rock formations. We swam a lot that day. the water was perfect.

The view from our table

Our breakfast table

The view from "The Office"

Our ship and a pirate shop. Arg!

Clear blue water!

Tons of sea animals

The Dragon (he's drinking...)

Scooby Doo!

Day 6 and 7-- Sea days. Still lots of fun

Second formal night

Dave's brother Nate and his friend Gavin

After dinner, our last night

Or favorite dancer, Stewie. We nicknamed him "Reno 911 Guy"

I hadn't been to Mexico before, and enjoyed it just as much as the Caribbean. I cried the last day on the ship because I didn't want it to end. And I cried as we drove back to Utah watching the temp drop from 81 to 8. Really. No one wants to see that happen.

As you can see, we started this year out with a bang. I sure love Dave and sharing these amazing experiences with him. The rest of our year may not be as lavish, but it will be wonderful just the same, simply because we are together. Cheese!

2009-- The Highlights

2009-12-21T10:58:00.003-07:00

I tried to come up with one highlight per month, or one highlight per season, but although it was a great year, I can't come up with very many specifics.

Mostly what was great about this year was marrying Dave, and then being with him all year. We moved a lot, and when through a lot together, but it was the being together part that was a highlight for me. I love going to sleep next to Dave (okay, that rarely happens because I go to bed early) and waking up next to him (and then quietly creeping out of the room to get ready for work).

I love our happy little family: Dave, me, Boozer, and Maeby. Our mini schnauzers are our children.

So being married to Dave is my number one highlight. Other random highlights:

Getting laid off from LANDesk (yeah, it turned out to be a good thing)
Our Honeymoon to Hawaii (my first time there. Hopefully not my last!)
My little brother Mike's mission farewell (Oh wait, we missed that! We'd flown home from Hawaii all night long, and slept in. Mike might never forgive me...)
Having our car broken into as we drove across the country, and having almost $7,000 dollars worth of stuff stolen (Oh wait, that sucked.
Having everything replaced by renter's insurance which we'd paid a total of $13 so far!
Moving to Baltimore and visiting D.C.
A trip home for my 90 yr old grandma's wedding
A girl's weekend in Park City. Shopping, sushi, and pedi's. HEAVEN!
My parents visiting (my dad had business in D.C.), and then staying with them in D.C. for a few days (went nuts in the art galleries with my mom. One of my fave trips of all time)
Dave's family visiting for the 4th of July
Orioles games
Moving to Atlanta
Braves games
My dad visiting (he had business in the area) and going to Six Flags with him
Moving back to Utah!!
Finding a great apartment for a really great price
Finding a wonderful job at BidSync in American Fork

Overall, it has been a wonderful year. Thanks for your contributions which helped make 2009 a great year. And 2010 is looking good from here...

Things I Won't Buy Generic

2009-12-18T12:19:00.002-07:00

1. Tide laundry detergent
2. Windex
3. Q-Tips
4. Chanel Foundation
5. Zip-lock freezer bags (I'll buy cheap sandwich bags)
6. Toothpaste/toothbrush
7. Garbanzo beans (The Walmart brand ones are especially dry and gross)

I'll probably think of more and add to this list...

What things do you insist on buying only the name brand?

Merry Christmas?

2009-12-17T08:44:00.001-07:00

Worst rendition of O Holy Night known to man. Hysterical!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk4woNRD7NQ

My Bro Mike

2009-12-16T15:33:00.004-07:00

Some things I posted about Mike when he got his mission call. Been missing him a lot lately, so I thought it was time to post about him again.

Mike and I share some special little loves:

We loved to watch the new 90210 together. Yep, it's true.
He pretended to hate when I watch Law & Order but I know his heart skips a beat just like mine when we hear the "ching-ching!"
Andy Samburg and the SNL digital shorts ("Mmm, whatcha say....")
Harry-freaking-Potter!!!
Midnight trips to Beto's (this deserves a shout-out to Nick. He started the tradition)
Rad concerts: Def Leppard, Journey, Styx...just to name a few!
Relationship chats, often via text message (sometimes 7 incoming texts at a time!!)
Making up Facebook groups: Hillary Has Cankles, LaVell Edwards Fan Club, Austin Collie for Heisman.

The list goes on and on.

More awesome things about Mike:

Once I was having a hard time with my primary class. they were out of control. Mike was walking past the classroom so I had him come in for a minute and asked him to help me calm them down. He proceeded to tell my class he was in the Army and if they misbehaved they'd have to go into the army too. They quieted right up. haha.
He learned Greensleeves on the Viola because it's my favorite song
Lacrosse State champs '07-'08
When he gets excited he rubs his hands together really fast and shudders a little bit. it's adorable!
When I came home from my mission he had a MULLET!! Just to freak me out!
Mike was SO patient teaching me how to snowboard. I'm so athletically retarded! I was sure he'd get frustrated and ditch me, but he never left my side.
He used to call me his "Sugar Mama" for taking him out for sushi and getting him decked out in new school clothes.

The Best Men at Nick's wedding. What a babe!

Havasupai-- Dare Devil!

Hubba hubba! So ripped!

Super Mikey!!

Laundry and scriptures on Heritage Tours (He read the ENTIRE Book of Mormon in 3 weeks!!)

I love you so much Mike. I'm so grateful that we were able to become so close over these last few years! I will think of you and miss you everyday. A mission's not easy but that's what makes it so awesome! What I wouldn't give to have one more day as a missionary! For a long time you'll feel like your mission will never end, but CHERISH that!!! Because it does inevitably end. Your life will be forever changed and blessed for serving the Lord. When times are hard don't turn inward, turn to UPWARD! the Lord will carry you through the hard times more literally than I can tell you. I am thrilled for the experiences you will have and the friends you will make.

THE GERMAN/AUSTRIAN PEOPLE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU!!!!!
I love you Mikey.

My Favorite Chrsitmas Song

2009-12-11T11:36:00.002-07:00

This is one my mom taught me:

"I'm dreaming of a green Christmas,
Just like the one's I used to know.
With the palm trees swaying,
And children playing,
Without hats or coats or gloves!

I'm dreaming of a green Christmas,
With every Christmas card I write:
May your days be merry not mean,
And may all your Christmases be green"

"Workin 9 to 5..." ~Dolly

2009-12-11T11:20:00.004-07:00

Yep, I'm finally employed. I work (8 to 5 actually) at a software company in American Fork called BidSync. Great company, great people. It's a lot the same as my job at Landesk, except the company is roughly 50 employees (as opposed to the 400 at Landesk-- not to mention remote employees!). To be honest, I preferred the large company, but who doesn't?! More money, more supplies, more perks... But the small feel here is also nice.

We had our company Christmas party last weekend, which was nice (Landesk doesn't do parties any more. Budgeting.). We got all dressed up and ate yummy food.

After taking 11 months off from work, it's hard to put in a 40 hour work week! I got soft ;)

We're going to Cali for Christmas again. Yay! I'm dreaming of a GREEN Christmas! With sun and sand! We love being with Dave's family for Christmas because he hardly ever get to see them. One of these years we're going to have to buckle down fro a winter Christmas before my family disowns me.

Then from Jan 3-10 we'll me on a CRUISE IN MEXICO!! Can't wait!

Hope everyone has a great holiday!

Sammy turns ONE! And A Blast From the Past

2009-12-07T13:44:00.002-07:00

My sweet nephew Samuel turns 1 tomorrow, so I was looking at my posts from when he was born. In the process, I also came across one of my favorite posts of all time. My Portuguese professor at UVU showed me a list of actual names of people in Utah. This is the link to it. UNREAL!!

http://wesclark.com/ubn/faves.html

My faves:
~Jennyfivetina
~Chinchilla Zest
~Zestpoole
~Thankful Flood
~Christmas Cantata
~Vinyl
~Treasure Cocain

Long Overdue Update

2009-11-22T22:05:00.002-07:00

It has been so long since I've posted, that I'm sure no one even checks this anymore! Sorry. No excuses. Just haven't done it.

We came back from Atlanta at the end of September, and lived with Dave's dad until last week. We now have an apt in Holladay/Murray. It's beautiful, and since the housing/renting market is so bad, we're getting it for $250 per month LESS than they usually charge.

I'm looking for a job, and almost had 2. Weird experiences, but I 'm glad to know that everything happens for a reason. I'll get a job when it's the right one...right?

Dave's still working for Pinnacle Security, and doing very well with them. He'll be co-managing an office this summer with his good friend Luke Toone. am I looking forward to moving again? in 5 months? NO. But it'll be worth it...right?

So many un-surities at this time in life, but we're happy and doing well.

I HATE YOU BEVERLY

2009-08-28T20:50:00.007-06:00

First of all, sorry it's been so long (I say that like people are eager to read my worthless babblings...haha). I don't have a good excuse.

Life is good in Atlanta. We're really liking it. Work is going well for Dave, and I've been going out with him, so it's been fun to feel a little bit more useful and supportive. Also, my dad stopped in on his way to Huntsville Alabama, where he had business. He and I spent the day at Six Flags Over Georgia. It was HOT and crowded, but AWESOME!

There's a lot of fun stuff to do here. We LOVE going to Braves games. Dave wasn't really excited to go the first time. I practically dragged him there. But he ended up having a blast.

And a couple of weeks ago we went to the Coca Cola factory. That was so much fun!
The best part is the tasting room. They have like 60 different types of Coke products from all over the world. Some of them were good, and some were NOT. The very worst one is from Italy. Called Beverly.

If you google "Beverly Soda" there are some awesome youtube videos of people tasting it.

This one's my fave

We went with another couple, Brent and Noelle Hollingsworth. Noelle said "It tastes like poison!" I made a horrible face and started scraping my tongue with my fingernails to try to get rid of the taste. Dave said he imagines that's what Prostate Cancer tastes like (HAHAHAHA!!). In conclusion, it was BAD. It was bbitter and acidic and attacked your tongue ("like the scrubbing bubbles on the cleanser commercials" was how Dave explained it). Noelle took a picture of my reaction, so I'll post the oh so unflattering pic as soon as I get it :)

Vacations and Relocations (The Short Version)

2009-07-22T19:41:00.002-06:00

This is just a quick post to explain my lack of blogging lately!

1. My parents visited at the end of June
2. I spent 3 days with them in DC
3. The day after I got back, Dave's mom came to visit
4. The next day Dave's brothers, sister in law, and 2 nieces brought the total to 8 people staying in our 1 bedroom apt. We had a blast in DC and checking out downtown Baltimore on the 4th of July
5. The day they left, Dallas's female friend came to visit
6. The 4 of us went to Palmyra NY for The Hill Cumorah Pageant!
7. The day we came back from NY, we went to PA to work for Dave to work for a few days
8. The morning after we got to PA, we found out he wouldn't be working there (the 3 hour drive and a night's stay in a hotel were a waste), we'd be moving. To Tennessee. The NEXT DAY. We had from 8 pm on Thursday to noon on Friday to pack.
9. Upon arrival in TN, we were told we would be in hotels for a week until our apts were ready.
10. The next day we found out we were moving to GA instead.

It has been CRAZY!!!!! We're in a hotel until who-knows-when.

So, I want to blog lots more about the fun vaca's we had, but I'll wait until we unpack so I can post pics.

Blog Slacker

2009-06-25T10:59:00.004-06:00

Not much to report from Baltimore, but no news is good news. Work is going well for Dave. He started off strong, got into a bit of a slump, and has now picked up the pace again.

This morning we had a bit of a shock when Dave checked his bank account and saw that Pinnacle had deposited THIRTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS! It's obviously a mistake, but it was nice to look at for a minute. There's another Dave Jones that works for Pinnacle. We're wondering what that Dave did to get $13,000! We're doing fine, but not THAT fine! haha

My parents are flying in on Saturday-- my dad has business in DC (about 45 min from here). So we'll go to an Orioles game on Saturday and get some fresh crab at the harbor, and Sunday we thought we'd drive out to Gettysburg (about an hour away). Then on Sunday night I'll head to DC with my parents for a few days of culture at the Smithsonian with my mom. While the men-folk are working. Sorry Dave and Dad, but thanks for what you do to make it possible for me and mom to play!!

I don't know how much national coverage it got, but a couple of weeks ago a man shot up the Holocaust Museum. I was in DC headed to the temple when I heard the news. Such a scary thing, and I was only a couple of miles away. If any of you have been to the Holocaust Museum, you know it's enough to make anyone crazy. I left the museum after about 10 minutes. It was too painful. This man was an older gentleman filled with hate and anger. He killed a security guard and injured others. My mom and I will definitely avoid the Holocaust Museum, and hopefully we don't run into any other crazies!

I'm sure I'll have something to post about when I'm back from DC.

Vovo's 90th Birthday and Wedding!

2009-06-06T19:30:00.006-06:00

Kind of a long post, but lots of fun...

Many of you know I was in Utah a couple of weeks ago for my Vovo's 90th birthday celebration/family reunion/wedding. It was an eventful week!

The trip started out with a trip to see Justin, my favorite nail guy!! I've been going to him for almost 10 years (even when I lived in Rexburg! I went home every-other-weekend to get my nails done). I hate going to anyone else. I literally planned my trip around my nail appointment. I know, I'm ridiculous. But he really is that good!!

Next on the agenda was a "Girl's Trip" to Park City with my mom and sisters. We did LOT of shopping and had fun at the outlets, but I think the most fun shopping was on Main Street. There were lots of fun shops and some awesome deals! I got a beautiful black dress coat from a little boutique that was having a big sale. It was normally almost $300, I got it for $70!! Even though it was 80 degrees outside, I couldn't pass up the deal. Winter always comes back! Emily got a beautiful little dress there that was originally $100 for $25! And a hand made copper necklace to match that was originally $70 for $12!! She has great taste. I wonder where she got it!! We left happy :)

Then Gina, my sister-in-law, came up for an evening of sushi and pedicures- two of my very favorite things! It was a marvelous trip!!

We then headed up to my uncle's cabin (up past Daniel's Summit. I really have no idea where that is...). My mom has one brother (Dan) and one sister (Marlyn). Two of Dan's kids came and all of Marlyn's six kids came. There were about a million little kids running around, but it was a blast. My Vovo and her fiance Lorne were adorable.

When it came time for the wedding, she wanted everything to be just right. Because I used to do weddings at Thanksgiving Point, she wanted my opinion on everything. It was just funny because the wedding was held in a crowded family room with a bunch of little barefoot kids and people overflowing into the kitchen. A stuffed mountain lion, a moose head, and some stuffed geese looked down on the ceremony. Lol. Then she wanted me to show her the right way to cut the cake. there really is a technique to cutting an actual, tiered wedding cake, but her's was a sheet cake. Not much to it. I showed them how to hold the knife for pictures, but my Vovo didn't have the strength in her tiny arm to but through the cake. Lorne had to push down on her hand to get through it.

All in all it was a good trip. They were adorable. And although my dad tripped up his words during the marriage ceremony and said they were "illegally and lawfully wed," we think it
counted.

Vovo and Lorne. The night before the wedding we celebrated her 90th birthday

Her birthday gift. A quilt with one square for each family

Cute Gabe and Carter

I can't get enough of this kid!

Madelyn and Sammy. He's such a smiley baby! And at 5 months old, he says "Hi!"

I love my niece and nephews! Spending time with them was my favorite part of the trip!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-09T17:11:00.006-06:00

Happy Mother's day Mom! You're the best.

BYU Football Game. Go Cougs!

FHE Hike (with Dad and Gabe)

THE face. 90% of the pictures I take of my mom look like this

So cute!

Happy Mom's Day! Sorry I can't be there! Love you!

The Lighthouse's Tale

2009-05-02T15:31:00.006-06:00

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put your iTunes, iPod, MP3 Player, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Celebrate the Day-- Relient K

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Take Me Away-- Plain White T's

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
The Way You Look-- Michael Buble

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Who's Your Daddy-- Toby Keith

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
I Melt With You-- Bowling for Soup

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
We Are-- Vertical Horizon

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Heaven-- Angels and Airwaves

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN?
Your Arms Feel Like Home-- 3 Doors Down

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Collide-- Howie Day

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Without You-- Blake Lewis

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Hey-- Red Hot Chili Peppers

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
The Mixed tape-- Jack's Mannequin

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Foolish Pride-- Travis Tritt

WHAT WILL/DID YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Bold as Love-- John Mayer

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Venice Queen-- Red Hot Chili Peppers

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
No Rain-- Blind Melon

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Spoonman-- Soundgarden

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Angels-- Norah Jones

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Uptown Girl-- Billy Joel

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Rise-- Flobots

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Cinnamon-- The Long Winter

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Halloween Time-- Nate Jones

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Another Kind of Green-- John Mayer Trio

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Stop Children What's That Sound-- Forest Gump Soundtrack

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
In Repair-- John Mayer

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Oh Dear-- Matt Costa

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Battle Hymn of the Republic-- Kalai

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
There's Always Someone Cooler than You-- Ben Folds

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
The Lighthouse's Tale-- Nickle Creek

THIS WAS TOTALLY FUN. HOW HILARIOUS! TRY IT!

"Going Green" Gone TOO Far!

2009-04-22T20:37:00.005-06:00

I try not to rant on my blog, but here it goes. Buckle up!

Like I mentioned, Dave and I are living in Baltimore for the next few months. One of the things I've had to do in this new town is find the best grocery store around. You know, price comparison and whatnot. Well, one thing that all of the stores have in common is the desire to Go Green. Everyone wants to do their part. That's all good and fine; I like the earth just as much as the next person, but out here they've gone too far: They have cut back on the quality of their plastic!!!! In all forms!

Every time I bring in the groceries, the handles break on at least one bag. And it's usually while I have the dogs on their leashes in one hand. So I leave a busted bag of flour in a heap of broken plastic bag while I take the dogs back to the apt. Then I scoop up my wasted flour, throw it away, get a couple more bags from the car, and another bag breaks on my way back in. Unreal.

Then a week later, Dave was helping me bring in groceries. He picked up a case of water and the plastic on that broke too! Water bottles everywhere.

So yes, I want to save the world , but give me back my slightly more reliable and much more reusable grocery bags. That's how I recycle! JEEZ!

Long Time, No...Post!

2009-04-18T19:35:00.004-06:00

Wow! It's been WAY too long. But I have a good reason. It's a long story. I'll try to keep it short:

Dave and I moved to Baltimore for the summer for work for both of us. We drove from Utah and spent the night in hotels. While spending the night in Indianapolis, our car was broken into. That's now the 4th time Dave and I have had our cars broken into (2 for me and 2 for him). Awesome, right? Well most of our belongings were in a friend's U-Haul, but we did have LOTS of valuable stuff in my car as well. Like Dave's laptop. And his camera with our Honeymoon pics. Boo. And $5,000 dollars worth of other stuff including electronic (the ipods that were stolen had both been purchased to replace ipods that had been stolen out of our cars previously. So ridiculous). So we filed a claim with our renter's insurance and everyting has now been replaced.

It was such a pain getting the proof of ownership tat the insurance company needed. they said, "Do you have any pics of the items? like maybe, a picture with the laptop in the back groud?" I said, "Yes, probably, but our camera was stolen." The insurance lady had the audacity to say, "Didn't you back them up somewhere?" I totally yelled at her, "YES! ON THE COMPUTER! WHICH WAS STOLEN!" They ended up being really good to deal with, which was nice.

So we made it to Baltimore and I started work in the office while Dave was selling. The office job wasn't hard, but CONSUMING. I was working 12 hours a day, so my pay was something like 3 bucks an hour. After about a week, I quit. Yep. Quit. I help out in the office when needed, but I was so unhappy that it was starting to make Dave unhappy too. So we decided all things would be best if I quit. Yay!

Last weekend, for easter, we went to NYC to visit Dave's brother and sister-in-law (Dustin and Lyna) and their adorable little girls. It's only 3 hours from here so we left Saturday night and came back Sunday night. It was a blast, but too short. Dave had never been to the city so it was so fun to go with him to Time Square and everything. We're planning more trips in the future. When it's not Sunday so e can SHOP SHOP SHOP!! Both Dustin and Lyna are fabulously fashionable and so fun to shop with. Can't wait!

So that's the short version of the last 2 or 3 weeks. I'll try to do better now that I have some time on my hands. xoxo

Time Square
(It was cold and I only had a hoodie so
I was wrapped in the emergency blanket from my trunk.
It was an emergecy!)

Manhattan LDS Temple
So cool to see in the midst of the city

Wedding Pics!

2009-03-14T15:25:00.000-06:00

I posted them on my Facebook page, so check them out!

Hawaii Pics

2009-03-06T16:35:00.005-07:00

Some fun pics from our Honeymoon in Oahu

The Chinaman's Hat

Honolulu

Waikiki

Para-sailing!

700 feet in the air

Honolulu

Haleiwa, our first day

LDS Temple in Leia

I'll post wedding pics tomorrow!!

Wedding Teasers

2009-03-02T16:51:00.003-07:00

There are a few wedding pics posted on our photographer's site:

AMB Photography

We should have all of our wedding photos by the end of the week. And I'll post LOTS!

Loving Married Life

2009-02-25T17:19:00.003-07:00

Dave and I are back from Hawaii. As much as we LOVED being there, it's been good to be back too. We've been getting our apt all set up. It's starting to look good! And I'm starting to look for a job. Yuck. It's truly been a blessing that I lost my job when I did. We don't know how we'd get everything taken care of that we needed to if I wasn't able to take care of things during the day. But my sabbatical from working life must come to a close. Sad.

I'll post some Hawaii pics soon. The pic of Oahu in my last post is a pic of Waimea Bay. We played there one day and jumped off the big rock that all the people are standing on. It was a blast. I'll take some pics of our cute little place too.

5 Days!!!

2009-02-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

Ahh! Excited, anxious, and so many other things. The one thing I'm NOT is nervous. Life with Dave will be wonderful. Hard and complicated, but fabulous!

We finally have the keys to our apt in Taylorsville and we'll be moving Dave in tomorrow. Besides that (which makes me sick to think about--I hate moving!), we just have to pack for Hawaii. Could be worse, right? I've never been to Hawaii and Dave hasn't been since he was little so we're both really excited.

A picture of Oahu-- the North Shore

I had my bridals on Saturday. I haven't seen them yet but Isabel, Dave's cousin's wife (she did my hair and came with me to the pics), said they were awesome. I hope so! I get them back on Wednesday. We'll have some up for the reception. We took them at Sundance, but it was snowy so most of them were inside. We did a few outside so I'm hoping they turn out.

Hope to see you at the reception! If you don't have an invite yet, post your address. I'll send one out tomorrow.

The Home Stretch!

2009-02-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

11 days! Almost down to 10! I haven't posted in awhile because it seems like there's always one more thing that needs to be done! I still haven't done my bridal pics, which is insane! We had to reschedule because of the weather, and then my photographer got sick so we had to reschedule again. Now I'm finally getting them done the Saturday before my wedding. Wow. Talk about cutting it close! But I'm not too worried about it. I've come to terms with the fact that things WILL inevitably go wrong. But as long as when Feb 14th ends I'm married, nothing else matters.

Dave and I have had some incredible experiences this past week to remind us of the importance of the temple. What an amazing blessing it is! We are so excited for the opportunity to be sealed for time and all eternity, and to invite God to be a vital part of our marriage. We've been reading lots of scriptures and conference talks about it. We've also been praying for a more complete understanding of the temple. We know our understanding will never be complete in this life, but our knowledge and faith have increased SO MUCH these past few days.

A special thanks to our Stake President, President Bangerter, for his sweet council and loving words. We love you Daddy!

Jobless. Good Timing.

2009-01-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

NOT! I was just laid off. Due to "budget cut..." blah, blah, blah. Here's what's really sucky about it: I was working at the front desk at LANDesk. They hired a new Exec. and he moved me up to be his admin. Then got rid of me! After 3 months. Awesome. And I never got the raise promised me by LANDesk when I moved to be his admin! So I could STILL HAVE A JOB working at the front desk at least! For the same measley pay! I'm so bitter. Can you tell? No one will hire me and then give me a week and a half off for a honeymoon, so I'm just trying to get everything ready for the wedding. And constantly stressing about money. There's always something! I wend to pick up a prescription for Dave today and it cost $130!!! There's some stupid $100 deductable that has to be paid at the beginning of the year. I'm a mess. All I can do is pray. Cute dave keeps reminding me of that. "Where's your faith babe?" he keeps asking me. I left it in my desk at LANDesk.

Shoes and Cake!

2009-01-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

I found the most incredible shoes! they are Christian Louboutin and were designed in 2007. At that time, they cost almost $2000!! Unreal. Well, I did some digging and found them online for $150!! So these are my wedding shoes. They should arrive today. So anxious!!! They have black bows on the back and the bows have white on the inside. And all of Christian Louboutin's shoes have a red sole. Perfect!!

I'm having my cake done by a woman named Dawna Erickson. She's amazing! Her website is

utahcakes.com

After much deliberation, I chose this cake. it'll be White with black and there will be spaces between the layers for flowers-- mostly red flowers. It's going to be beautiful. I won't want to cut it!

The Drama of The Ring

2009-01-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so yesterday was a roller coaster in regards to my ring. Dave got a call from my cousin Heather, who we bought my ring from, (she and her husband own a jewelery store) saying my ring wouldn't be done until Feb 17th (We'd be in Hawaii by then) and it would cost $600 more than she told us it would. He called me not knowing what to do. We'd either have to get smaller bands than the ones I'd chosen to go with my wide band or pay the $600. Well money's tight (to say the least!) so I told her I'd take the smaller bands. Sad.

Later in the afternoon, Heather called me back to tell me she'd worked something out so that I could get the bigger bands for the smaller price! Just because she was sorry for the mix up! YAY!!! So I'm still sad that I might not have my ring for the wedding/ring ceremony, but she said she'd do everything she can to get it done before the 14th. Thanks Heather!!

New Blog!

2009-01-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

I moved my blog here so that it's a Dave and Amy blog, not just an Amy blog (although my posts were all about Dave anyway!). I plan on posting all the fun info about our wedding, but it'll be little bits at a time. For starters, our reception will be at the ALPINE ART CENTER and we're getting married in the SALT LAKE TEMPLE. Our wedding date is Feb 14 (yes, Valentine's day). We didn't necessarily want to get married on Valentine's Day, we just wanted to get married the weekend before my brother Mike goes into the MTC. So our options were Friday the 13th (YUCK!) and Saturday the 14th-- Valentine's Day. We went with that for obvious reasons.

I posted about Dave's proposal on my other blog (amesflames.blogspot.com). I'll post about my dress, flowers, and cake this weekend. I put up the pic of our announcement again. Just because I love them. :)