Big Changes

Well today was an emotionally crazy day for both of us.

I realized I did not receive the job that I interviewed for a couple of weeks ago. It was the last French teaching job I had seen and sent in an application for. I would have LOVED to teach there but they offered it to a girl who graduated with me. Now I am starting to accept that I will not be teaching for a year and if I apply next year there will be just as many applicants and I will not have furthered my experience in teaching French. I don't know what to do with my life right now. I guess I could try for any job in the world right now since I have no real goals for the next year. I can continue substituting but I don't really feel like I'm using my teaching skills all that often, plus I went to college so I don't get paid only $10/hour. It is not a steady job and sometimes it is really boring. I will keep it if I have no other option. I have sent in some applications for tutoring jobs. That might pay more but I'm not going to be helping kids with French which is what really makes me happy. There are other aspects of teaching that might be available like a teacher's aide or something. I just feel like I am not being given the opportunity to use this awesome skillset that God has given me and that I have worked hard to get better at. It is so frustrating and it makes me sad. I want to have a job with benefits and be busy. Does that mean I need to look elsewhere? Maybe God is trying to tell me to leave my professional goals behind and focus on starting a family. I had it all worked out so that I could teach for at least two years, Andrew would graduate, and then we would start a family. I want more time with just Andrew and I really want a big girl job. Uggghhh! I know that things don't always work out like you think. I am just trying to come to terms with reality and how it is not meeting my expectations at all. I will then come to peace with this and do what I feel shall come next on the "Adventures of Ashley."

Andrew has been working on the idea of expanding Vada. He did not know how to make it happen but he has too much demand and not enough resources to supply that demand. A once in a lifetime opportunity has arrived where he is teaming up with his coworker Russell who will run the business and finance part of their creative studio. Russell's Dad will be investing the money to help the business get going. All of Andrew's biggest fears about expanding his business have been calmed by getting other people involved to help him. It is really amazing and really scary for him! I have all the faith in him that he can make this take off and really happen. Like I have said before, he is such a good people person and knows how to make his visions a reality. Vada will become an LLC, he will hire more designers, programmers, illustrators, etc, they will be renting out space and creating a studio for the team to work in: All the works! This is going to be legitimate and Andrew is going to do so well. It is a little bit too much for him to emotionally handle because it seems too good to be true and he has never dealt with so much money before. I am proud of him for going out there and doing this. I know he will rock it!

Lake Powell Trip

Our ward had the lovely opportunity to go to Lake Powell this past weekend. We rode down with the Felsteds and shared great stories with great friends. We arrived and put all our things on the houseboat. There were a billion spiders on the marina! We slept outside under the stars. The next morning we had french toast and then headed out on the smaller boat to discover the canyons. The rock was red and the water was so nice. We went through a canyon and swam. Many people did some cliff diving. It was so fun to get to know more couples in the ward. We did a lot of laughing. Sister Harward got a group of people to take a floating table into the lake and play the card game BS. We had little spiritual messages each night and had great meals. We all pitched in to clean the boat but our car stayed behind to help bishop move the boat under cover. Sadly the motor or something was dead and they had to tow it. We waited around for quite a bit and when we did get on the road, we took a wrong turn and ended up driving an hour and a half longer. All in all, it was such a blast to live on a boat for a couple of days and play in the beautiful canyon.

What're ya kiddin' me? We got ourselves an apartment here!

Last week we went on a double date with Meredith and had a fun picnic. That night we drove up to Jeff's house to spend the night. The plan was to do a pioneer hike but it turns out it was actually yesterday. We ended up walking around a park and around the Bonneville Trail. The trail was gorgeous because it overlooked all of the valley. Andrew and I went to Ikea afterwards and got lots of new and beautiful furniture.

We got a new desk of glass that stands on two easel type legs. Our tapestry came in and we got two new chairs. One is see through and soo cool. Can you find it in the picture? We picked up a new bed frame too because it was inexpensive and soo attractive and Anthropologie-esque. We also got a picture for our room that is the alphabet in a pre-helvetica typeface (Andrew fell in love with it). We spent hours putting everything together Saturday night. We actually enjoy putting Ikea furniture together. We were giddy about our new look for the apartment. I used to hate shopping for clothes and home decor because I didn't ever have direction. Now that I have a goal for my fashion and a husband who helps me understand what to look for and what is cool, I love shopping.

Wednesday I started working with the Chinese youth camp. The first 3 days were so tiring because we were in the sun and active a lot. It has been fun though to learn a bit more about the language and culture. I get to be a camp counselor and do the fun activities with the kids as well as help supervise and organize 180 kids. We hiked Timp Cave and the caves were extremely cool. The people who discovered one of the caves just put a ladder down a hole and then climbed down and back up a rope. I would never have the guts to go into a dark cave and dangerously explore. There were so many formations and we got to experience true darkness.

Friday night we did sealings at the Mount Timpanogos temple with Debbie. We ate Thai food for dinner. We spent the night at Jeff's again and actually did the hike from Donner Park to the first encampment of the first pioneers. It was neat to take that path and see the view they had when they arrived (obviously today there are tons of buildings and so it is quite different).

Recently Andrew has gotten this idea of expanding Vada. He has been researching what it is like to open a physical studio and needs partners, etc.. I love having a husband who doesn't get scared by the thought of doing hard things. He has a vision that he will make happen if he wants. He doesn't have a scarcity mentality when it comes to money or business so that helps him think big. I support him and know that he will be successful. I would want to have experience working in a design studio before I set out to build my own. That is still a possible goal for his near future. It is great that he can say that he wants to expand and move forward because some people are just having trouble finding a job let alone move forward in it (namely me.......). We will see what happens. Speaking of waiting to see what happens, I had a job interview at an awesome school and I really hope this part-time job works out. I am totally at peace with my job plans for this Fall, whether this works out or not. I know that I will be using my talents in some way that will make me happy and feel fulfilled.

Georgia Family Reunion

First of all, the day before we left for Atlanta we went to a rooftop concert in downtown Provo with Jenny's kids and Debbie. There was an awesome cover band who did the whole Abbey Road album. We sang out loud to all the songs and I was so excited to use my Beatles knowledge (given to me by Sir Andrew Colin Beckikus) to better enjoy that opportunity. It was sooo fun!

We arrived in Atlanta and went over to my Grandpa's house. That night was the Hoppin' John dinner of black eyed peas and rice with cornbread. Our topic of discussion was the most important thing we own. Half of the reunion is made up of my family since it is way big. There were great answers and our family brought the most tears. I said my tweezers jokingly but then talked about my wedding ring and Andrew while crying. My Dad said the same thing. Little 11 year old Christian tenderly said his scriptures and Andrew talked about how this blog is his favorite, since the wedding ring had been overdone. Mom brought out the big guns and pulled out a very intimate family posession. She had a plaster done of Chet's hand right after he died. She had it made into bronze so that we could always hold it. It got big tears out of me and Josh. Joy and Laura did not want to deal with those feelings as much right then. It was a rush of emotion that was a bit too intense for an extended family get together. Nevertheless, that is such a precious posession and it was neat to be able to hold his hand again. Oh man, by the end of the dinner, I was all cried out.

Sunday we took family pictures and took a family walk around the neighborhood. Andrew and I had a great talk with Joy and Quin and we shared funny youtube videos.

Monday morning I watched little Josh and realized he is dang cute. Our 4th of July party was lovely as always. Andrew spent the first 45 minutes making awesome name tags for a ton of people. It was fun to hang out with my cousins who are now all grown up. We ate lots of nutterbutters and I had the most amazing banana pudding! Andrew was dying in the humidity but it was like 90% humidity that day. I don't think we will be living anywhere humid. I forgot how much it makes you sweat.

Tuesday started the craziness. That morning I ate some vegetables from Laura's garden that were cooked with some eggs. I got some hives right on my upper neck. They said it was an allergic reaction but I thought nothing of it. That night we arrived at Callaway Gardens. We stayed in a cabin in the woods. It was very nice. We ate salad and raw vegetables from the garden. 5 hours later my body was covered in hives and I was scratching like a mad woman. The only veggie I had never eaten before was a sweet cowhorn pepper. I took benadryl and then steroids for the hives. I was knocked out all of wednesday and almost passed out when I went outside. I had aches and chills a couple nights before and believe I had a viral infection during this whole allergic break out (if it was an allergic breakout and not a symptom of the viral infection).

Thursday we had F.H.E. together where the kids sort of failed at playing the improv game called "I'm a Tree."

Friday, me and my sibling went shopping together and bonded. That night we saw a flying circus.

It was good to be with my parents and siblings and play with the kids. It was very much a have fun and have an on the surface relationship with each other. People still have issues with each other and some of the family was there because it is important to let the children spend time together so they don't forget their cousins or grandparents. It is sad that there are so many underlying issues in the family that were masked by a fun vacation where we don't talk about the real problems. I wouldn't want that to be what our vacation is about but when looked at truthfully, people put on their fake smiles and obliged my parents so that we could make a fun vacation for everyone. It makes me sad that there are hard feelings and unhealthy relationships between the people I love. Life and love is not easy. I am so glad that my marriage with my husband is very healthy and that is what matters the most. I really appreciate the relationship Andrew has with his mom, Debbie. They had to work hard to get to where they are now but they can be really honest with each other and voice their unhappiness with things. That is much more healthy than keeping it all in and acting like there is not a problem. I don't feel that my parents are able to be real with their children like Debbie is. They seem to have to keep up this appearance that everything is fine.

Recently, I have been more aware of unhealthy marriages and I am just taken a back by the mask that people put on. You would never know they were having problems and then one day they are not married anymore. Obviously people don't want to flaunt their problems but atleast be honest about there being problems. Andrew and I have learned the the number one indicator of divorce is if there is contempt in the marriage (this is from John Gottman's 4 horsemen). If you ever see a short look of contempt or hear someone talk about the spouse with a bit of contempt in their voice, there is a good chance that marriage is on its way out. Those true feelings come out ever so slightly and can be masked with some positive interactions, which is where we as onlookers who don't assume the worst get tricked into thinking everything is perfectly fine. It seems so obvious that negative feelings toward a spouse would be so detrimental but many people don't pick up on it in a social setting where people try to be civilized and not show their true feelings. One thing that I have seen in some relationships is sarcasm where the couple puts each other down trying to be funny. It is just a way to hide your true feelings of contempt and will slowly eat away at your relationship. I try to stay away when I meet someone who feels that sarcasm is funny. I kind of want to analyze relationships more now.

It's fascinating.

Florence/ Dickamore Wedding Shenanigans

We left last Thursday for our California adventure. We piled Grandma and Grandpa, Debbie , and us into their 5 person car. It was pretty close quarters. We drove half way and stayed in a hotel.

We arrived in Loomis, CA on Friday. I absolutely love the Sacramento area. I think we will end up in California and this seems like a fantastic place. I got a tour of the lovely Florence home. It was super awesome and I dreamed about our own house and what we would decorate it like, how big, and what we wanted. I helped decorate a bit for the reception and I felt like a designer. We had a wonderful getting to know you dinner with the two families. There was a masseuse there to give massages. Andrew had never had a professional one and did not think it was that great. I liked it though. We watched a slide show of the couple and made some toasts. I loved being a part of Aurora's wedding to such a great guy who seems to match her in passion and energy.

Saturday was the wedding day! We arrived at the temple and I cried again thinking about what a glorious covenant they were making and we had already made. It is a bit overwhelming when you finally get to the part of your life you have been dreaming about and you are so excited to start this new chapter of your life that has such meaning and love behind it all. I love reliving that day for myself and Andrew. I cried with joy for them both. Mazel tov! There was a scrumptious picnic on the lawn outside the temple and we mingled some more with loved ones. The happy couple rode a cute tandem bike. Debbie, Andrew, and I headed over to the outlet stores where we bought new sexy clothes (thank you Banana Republic Outlet!). The reception was absolutely adorable like last week. It was so great to be able to just relax and have fun with each other. Andrew makes me so happy! I love dancing with him and laughing at different things that come our way. Marriage is the best thing ever! People probably got tired of seeing us be affectionate to each other all weekend but that's what happens when you treasure each other and love being together, plus marriage and love was in the air. We are really happy with how things are going in our life and we try not to forget that we are the most important thing in each others' life.

Our ride home was cut in half again but Debbie went home with someone else. It was just us and the grandparents. We enjoyed spending some one-on-one time with them. I have spent so much more quality time with Andrew's grandparents than I have with any of my own. They are incredible people and they always remind us how much they love and appreciate us. It's nice having grandparents like that.

Family Weekend

Our weekend was spent with Andrew's family. Recently Jenny and her youngest kids Mary Elizabeth, 7, and David, 9, moved back to Utah from Oregon.

Friday night we all got ready to go swimming in the pool next to our complex. Little did we know that kids were not allowed. We put everyone in the car and went over to Veteran Memorial Park. On our way we stopped for kids selling KoolAid and cookies (Andrew and I have a rule that we always stop for them cuz we always wished people would stop for us when we did that as kids.) At the waterpark there is a huge pool and waterslides and a kids waterpark with a fort type thing. So fun and exciting, right? Well we got there 30 minutes before it closes. After unsuccessfully talking the management into letting us pay a lower fee and just letting the let down little kids play in the pool, we walked away without swimming. If you were ever a kid who got excited about swimming and then not getting to, you understand what a bummer it was. Honestly I think Andrew was more bummed out than any of the kids. We went through some other options and I brought up getting a slushy. Jenny syggested Sonic and then Mary Elizabeth said, " We went there a year and a half ago," like it was so ridiculous to consider going back so soon. Nothing was working out and we finally decided to get huge ice cream cones from Macey's grocery store and eat pizza and breadsticks. It was a really healthy night. We watched "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and the kids had a pillow fight with Uncle Andrew.

Saturday afternoon was perfect weather for us to try the paark again. We stayed for a couple hours and rode the slides and played on the water fort. We headed up to Gateway to see the Chalk Art festival which was soo neat. Aurora and Jeff's reception was that evening. The decorations were amazing!!! It was the best looking wedding reception I have ever attended. We danced a ton, Andrew performed a song on the piano, and we mingled with family and friends. It was a great party. Afterwards we hung out with our cousins Summer and Berlin. We found out the location of Hobbitville, which may not really exist. We really enjoyed hanging out with them after so long.

Last night we had a Father's Day dinner at Debbie's home. Gma and Dado were here as well as Jenny and her two youngest, Meredith, and the Jeff Beck family. It was a huge feast and it was nice to be with all the family.

Why Is Our Culture Obsessed With Watching Sports??!

Disclaimer: I grew up playing soccer and watching football every Saturday during college football season. I enjoy watching sports and even got "Best Female Athlete" award in 8th grade. It is great entertainment.

I expect to get comments that wholly disagree or fully agree with my statement. Go ahead!

Recently Andrew and I had a discussion that really made me look at sports in a different light. Sports for Andrew were very hard. He didn't have a Dad who taught him everything from an early age and they just didn't appeal to him (granted he loves playing soccer). Sadly, for mutual activity every week, instead of a world of various activities, the boys played basketball. He wishes he had been given the opportunity to really learn something those nights, but the leaders were too lazy to make something like a music night (which they thought about doing many times for Andrew's sake) so they played basketball. Just because you are a boy does not mean you want to play sports all the time. It can teach you team work but also alienates those that aren't good and causes aggressiveness and unkind words.

Why are guys so involved with stats and who trades to what team and every win? I understand having a team to root for, but breaking the sabbath day to watch a game or choosing time watching a match over time with your wife is rediculous. Do they understand that their involvement with the team by sitting on the couch and yelling at the player through a t.v. screen does not make the team play better or worse? They do not know you exist.

I feel that addiction to watching sports is honestly for men who do not have real hobbies that involve cultivating a skill. It has become such a huge part of being a man that it is all many men talk about to connect. It has nothing to do with themselves and I guess they love that they do not have to truly connect with another guy. As long as you both love the same team or agree about that bad call, you have a friendship that will last.

You can see why such a deep, passionate, and talented man as my husband has a hard time fitting in with guys when they start talking about sports. He is so witty and can relate to anyone so it isn't hard for him to make guy friends. But when sports come up, to him the intelligence level goes down in the room and real meaning for life has just been pushed aside.

I actually tried to get Andrew into watching the Florida Gator games when they won the national championship in 2009. I taught him all the terminology so he would feel more comfortable around guys (he did not ask me to do this but indulged me anyway). I was way into talking about sports when I came to college. It was the way I connected with guys so it couldn't fail him. After a couple of games I realized that he did not care to learn it and I kindof started to realize that it was a waste of my time. My sports team was my identity and it took letting go of that a bit to help me realize I could explore a real identity. Andrew wants to learn so much in his life so he can be good at things and this was definitely not something he needed to waste his time learning. It profitted him nothing. It reminds me of the time he was a waiter and realized that the point of a job is to get good at it and he really did not have the goal to be a good waiter, so he quit.

What are we as a couple going to do with this information? Well we think sports are inevitable in life and our kids may want to play them. If they have a knack and love it then we will support them. It teaches kids great life lessons and it is entertaining. We just don't want our children to turn into "jocks" as you may say. Many people feel they are better than others because they can play sports better. Our children can be good at them but we do not want sports to define them or turn them into people who feel superior because of their talents. Plus there is so much out there in the world so why would sports be the only thing I expose them to?

This is one huge default in the male characteristics. Men inherently have the need to compete whether it be about jobs, women, grades, money, etc. I feel that sports have capitalized on this inherent trait and have become a horrible addiction for their need to win and be better than others. That is what is so appealing about watching sports (especially if you are too old and fat to play them). When your team wins, you feel that you have won too. Newsflash: you just sat on a couch for the past two hours. Where is your wife?

Anyway, if you can't tell, our family has a problem with wasting your life on watching sports on t.v. We love playing them for exercise or to socialize with friends and that is not what this post is about. This is about when sports/sports teams becomes a huge part of who you think you are. I was once that person and looking back at the times when people associated me with the Florida Gators, I had no real life or hobbies. Loser!

Example: A facebook status is supposed tell the world what you are doing or thinking about lately. I got quite annoyed when I kept reading my friends statuses that almost always related to professional sports. It's actually quite sad. It's like when you watch "Friends" and actually begin to think that they are your friends (that one actually happened to Andrew one summer). Below are his statuses over a weeks time. There was only one status not about sports and it was bragging about going on a date with a girl.

-Game over....Great series Mavs.

-No Foul?

-Free throws....

-HEAT!!!!

-Series not looking so great, Heat

-Not looking that great but some how still in the game

-Flop city

-Game 5 in Dallas....Rockin my new Bron shirt...LET'S GO HEAT!

-I love listening to people at work talk about the finals when they don't know anything about basketball at all....

-Reporters ask LeBron why he isn't playing like a super star at the end of Game 3, he blows it off saying there is more to it than just scoring. Game 4...he scores 8 points...looks like the media is right this time.

-Terrible 4th quarter

-Let's take a 3-1 lead in Game 4 HEAT!!!

And the list goes on...

I am very glad that my husband does not even want to watch sports. He has much better things to do. I feel bad for those girls who have to compromise with their husbands about how much time is spent watching sports. Men, you may have an addiction to sports and hopefully one day you will wake up and say, "Woah, when did watching sweaty guys take precedence over kissing my sexy wife?"

Crazy Artist Husband

Sometimes Husband Bear goes into crazy artist husband mode. Imagine Dexter from Dexter's Lab but replace all the beakers of goo with a mac computer and photoshop. He can't focus on anything else besides getting his work finished and his mind is reeling with ways to fix things or change them. Yesterday Andrew was putting together his final which is a type specimen booklet about a typeface called Bauhaus. He spent lots and lots of hours and a good amount of money on printing and decorating it. He realized he didn't have a distinction between the front or back so he got kinda crazy. Right then and there he should have spent a dollar to have the cover reprinted and bound with a new printed cover. He actually went looking for a dry transfer pen to do some magic with. After going to one store and calling many others, he bought some transfer paper since he couldn't find one. Long story short, he messed up the cover (even cut a whole in it) trying to refix and refix things. He got pretty sad about it and will probably reprint and bind the whole cover.

I love my crazy artist husband if not simply for the fact that he teaches me to make things happen and not get overwhelmed with the effort it takes to make those things happen. He is so persistent in getting his art exactly how he envisions it. When we were engaged, he told me that he wanted to take a piano in the woods for our engagement pictures. My brain reacted right away by telling him what he had to do to make that happen and how much work it would be. I don't have his vision and determination to make things happen. It upset him that I didn't believe in his ability to do a hard task. He told me that he has pulled off way harder things in the past. I decided to always believe in his vision and capabilities.

My crazy artist husband reminds me to make things happen in my life and calms me when I get overwhelmed with the idea of accomplishing them. He completes me in that sphere of life.

My New Commitment To Write Weekly

My entries are too infrequent. From now on I am writing atleast once a week. If my life isn't eventful then I will tell you the thoughts on life I have. I want it to become a habit. It makes Andrew happy to read this blog. As you may be able to tell, the last year of our life was just blogged yesterday and today. This was made possible by my trusty hard copy of a journal that I write in and transcribed onto the blog.

April and May have been good to us financially. We are all caught up and are actually able to save money now. Wow!! Mint.com is a great way to organize finances, by the way.

I walked for graduation on April 22nd. Debbie, Meredith and Andrew were able to come and support me. We made a nice video tribute for those who couldn't be there.

We went to the tulip festival and saw tons of my very favorite flower. Sadly I got super burnt. I looked like a lobster.

We took a lovely trip down to Moab to camp out and visit Arches National Park with our friends the McNeils and Fehlbergs. We really love those guys. The arches were absolutely gorgeous.

Andrew's birthday was full of presents. He got a t-shirt from Threadless.com, new wood looking glasses, and concert tickets to see a sweet band called Ratatat. We went to the dinosaur museum and ate at Carl's Jr. Andrew had never been to the museum but he loved dinosaurs as a kid.

Aurora and Jeff are getting married. We get to go to their wedding in Sacramento which will be soo neat. Andrew designed the announcements and they are super awesometastic.

I have recently been called to be Relief Society President and I am so excited. I have a great presidency and I look forward to the opportunity to get involved with the women around me and learn from this leadership position. Andrew is the Executive Secretary and does a great job of organizing for the Bishopric. He is working on a callings board that the bishop can use on his iPad. There seems to not be one available for the church yet.

Andrew has added a third job to his life. He is doing graphic design for BYU Football. His stuff will be seen more by a national audience. He gets to design Keynote presentations for Bronco Mendenhall and other things. He's so cool. He is so self motivated that he has so much stuff to do. He loves school and all of his jobs. What else could he ask for?

I have had 4 job interviews for French teaching positions in the Salt Lake Valley and wasn't offered any. I was surprised because I had impressive interviews. I guess my inexperience compared to others was overshadowed. Jobs could still pop up over the summer so I'm counting on things working out. I just wonder how this is going to end. The huge hiring push is kind of over so I'm not sure if there will be many more rare French teaching jobs.

For the summer I am helping with yearbook, sports, and activities for the BYU French Camp a couple hours a day. In July I will be a camp counselor with a China youth group studying English here. I get to go do activities with them around Utah. I am excited!

When we were at the Ratatat concert in Salt Lake we shopped at the Gateway. We entered Anthropologie and I almost cried because everything was so cool. I have never wanted everything in a store before. What's great about it is that vintage never goes out of style cuz it's always passe. It is also nice to have a style where things not matching is actually what's cool about the style. You can add onto it by taking garage sale stuff and redoing it a bit. When we have a huge house and lots of money to spend on decorating it, we are so going to Anthropologie. I fell in love with that store. I felt like I was where I belonged. I know that I will not be able to bring material things with me after this life, but I'm pretty sure I can design my own world to look exactly like Anthropologie.

23 And Still Sexy

April 11th- I finished my long-term sub job and I loved it. The students really had fun with me and I felt like since they asked so many more questions I really got to teach and explain more one-on-one. It was very rewarding to hear from seriously 20 students that they did not want me to leave because I was such a great teacher. I am so glad that I made the decision to quit the elementary position because that was what I eneded to do.

In the past 3 weeks we had a lovely dinner with the McNeils, made music with Aurora and Jeff, went to Zuppas for Dado's birtday, went to Viviana's endowment session, spent time with Candace Hoban and her family, and watched conference at the elder Becks home.

We celebrated my birthday with dinner at Carabbas and watching Tangled (in 3D might I add). Debra gave me a lovely bell for my classroom since I was having a hard time finding them and I got some lovely gift certificates from people.

Back In My Element

March 21st- Subbing has been good but I have had some nightmare classes. I had one class that wouldn't do the work and threw paper. It was an exact replica of a teacher's nightmare. I was not prepared for that kind of blatant disrespect.

I love teaching French at Churchill Junior High in Holladay. It is so refreshing to be back teaching French. I like the Junior High age because they are still curious to learn. They ask me so many more questions that the high schoolers I taught. I even get thank yous at the end of class. They love me and reinforce my teaching by telling me that they like me way better than their normal teacher. They say they actually learn something which makes me feel good about what I'm doing. I wish I could teach it longer. I sub in Provo every other day that I don't teach up in Salt Lake. It is nice to be making money and being productive. It has taken some stress off of us financially.

Lat week Andrew got a new Canon Rebel T2i for his photography class. It is so nice to finally have a camera. It takes video too so it is an investment for life. We messed around with it and took sexy model photos.

Acouple of weeks ago we went to Las Vegas for Dan Reynolds wedding reception. We spent the afternoon shopping at the biggest H&M in the world (located in Cesar's Palace). They are actually building one in a mall up in Sandy so it will now be closer to us. We got Andrew lots of hott clothes (the suit he is wearing in the above pic was only $150). I love having a husband who can shop way longer than me and dresses himself really well. Such a fun trip.

Andrew got a new job working for a start up App agency called Giraffon. They make games and apps for iPhones and iPads. He LOVES it and he gets paid more than Flagship so he quit that.

Working, working out, and making more money has made me more happier and I feel like I have more fun with Andrew because of that. Being comfortable monetarily and being physically taken care of help me be more stable mentally. Have I mentioned lately that I love my husband.

Subbing Commences with P90X

Feb. 4- Last week we went to an Indian restaurant with Debbie and we saw a Sundance film (a wierd one). We actually saw a great one a couple days before that. It is called "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" and it is a fantastic documentary about product placement.

I went to a RS activity where I learned about interior design, decoupage (I made an outlet cover), and did Zumba!

We went to see Peter Pan at BYU and went to dinner with the McKay Florence brigade. Aurora is kind of dating a new guy named Jeff Dickamore. I actually know of him through mutual French friends. We played cards with the Florences the next day and it was nice to hang out with them.

Meredith came over crying on Monday because she was so confused about life. She needed a friend and it is nice to know that she can come to us and we will always be there. Last summer she wasn't really close to us and we never really knew what was up. I'm glad I could give her some love and comfort. I think she is trying to make good friends and really live for herself. She has said that before but she really wants to do what makes her happy and start dating really quality guys. She just needs to be the kind of girl that is ready for a quality guy. She is so wonderful and I want her to see how amazing she is so that other people can see that in her too.

I started subbing and realized that subbing for elementary is actually fun. I just hated being the regular teacher. I haven't subbed too much for high school but I'm sure it will be enjoyable.

We started our extreme home fitness program called P90X. It is an hour a day, 6 days a week and it is going to get us in shape. It is hard but fun. It feels great to be active. We have been really sore this first week, but I can't wait for the results. It's hard to do it together becuase Andrew is way busier than me.

New Year, New Experiences, New Failures

January 27th- Our break was super fun. We spent lots of time with Debbie now that she is RETIRED! We got to see Jenny's kids and went sledding with Hannah. My ring got caught in a glove and one of the side diamonds came off. I found it and got it fixed but almost had a heart attack. Our New Years Eve was spent at the Busby's playing cards all night. It was quite enjoyable.

Well my teaching job started and I learned a lot from it. I ended up resigning after a week of transition. I should never have taken on something that made me feel 95% scared and intimidated and only 5% excited and challenged. Yeah... I just should not have ignored the insecurities I felt about the whole thing. All the things that made me feel uncomfortable about signing the contract were the things that made me resign.

What I did not like: I did not enjoy disciplining children all day and teaching math sucks (especially since it is the first time they have learned this stuff). People take courses on how to teach this stuff and I have only taught secondary, plus math sucks. No one warned me about how totally different it is to teach this level (except for the 1 day I came and observed). There are so many undiagnosed ADHD kids and I could not just teach for 5 minutes straight. I hated having to move from classroom to activities to recess and lunch, while walking them to these places and trying to keep them quiet and under control. I had no idea that my personality got fed up with doing this all day. I think it is not too bad when you are a good teacher with experience, but it was made worse by speaking to them only in French. It was too hard to get them to understand or for me to gain control, especially with my lack of experience. I do not understand the grading system or organization of work in elementary school. My co-teacher was a bit too abrasive for me and I had no idea how to use the aide in the classroom (she was wierd too). It was all just sooo exhausting and I was constantly having to discipline which annoys me to death (recess duty is just telling kids not to break rules). Overall, the age and curriculum did not fit me. This is not want I want to do for the rest of my life and I have an opportunity to substitute for Junior High French classes, which makes me super excited! That is what I want to do.

What I did like: Teaching literacy was fun because I was actually teaching them how to read French, granted it was hard because it was coupled with learning how to read letters anyway in English. I loved that they picked up on French through hearing it constantly. Their minds were like sponges. It showed me that I really can teach through speaking French a lot. The kids were adorable when they spoke French to me. I got cute kid art daily. I had this cool piece of technology called a document camera which displays any thing onto a projector (so like marbles on paper that you can move around and interact with so they can see better. I also loved having my own classroom with my name on it.

Every night when I came home, I was so depressed and had multiple breakdowns. I never felt like this when I student taught. I should be excited, a little bit nervous, but confident. I hated going to work (which was an hour drive in winter snow, which I LOVE). When I resigned I told the principal that I needed to do what made me happy. It was super hard to get the guts to admit I had made a mistake in taking the job.

A week after I resigned, I got a letter in the mail saying that I owed the district $1000 for resigning before giving 30 days notice. I was soo mad and soo sad. I hardly earned $1000 working there. My principal never mentioned that option and she assumed it was for ASAP. I figured it was fine since they found a replacement. I had never had a contracte djob like that before so I didn't realize I had to check that stuff. If I don't pay the fine then I cannot be rehired in that district. That happens to be the same district that I plan on long-term substituting. Now I have to find an extra $1000 dollars, no biggy. It's not like we are poor, need to pay off our credit card from the year I haven't been working, or like I don't have a current job. Taking the job actually added to our debt. Great dilemma I got myself into. Welcome to the real world miss college graduate.

So I had a horrible experience with my first real job. I am going to pay the fine and move forward withthe future. Wait, but I don't have a steady job, still can't get affordable health insurance, and have nothing to do until subbing in Provo starts. This was scarring but I needed to learn some things I guess.

I am so scared about making money and working now. I have been reading a lot of spiritually stregthening books and have decided to put faith in God that we will be blessed and things will work out. How are we going to pay $1000 dollars? Well, my parents are going to pay it and we can eventually pay them back. Time is important because I have to be ready to substitute for the pregnant French teacher whenever she has her baby. Being unblacklisted from the district takes some time and the teacher is due in a couple of weeks. I am so grateful to my parents for their willingness to help us. I am trying to make things happen instead of sitting here sulking (which I am pretty excellent at doing). It has been a really good experience for me to plea with my Heavenly Father for comfort and guidance. I feel like I pray to him so much right now. It is true that we tend to go to him more when we are in distress. I will remember him when things are going well too. He is in charge of all and I know he wants me to be happy. He is aware of my circumstances and is watching over me.

Our Anniversary and Christmas

Dec. 26th- It was our anniversary weekend last weekend and Debbie set us up for one night at the Hotel Park City. We had a huge cabin with a living room, kitchen, and our own jacuzzi on the patio (the best part). We walked down Main Street and ate at this really expensive restaurant. It was so beautiful to sit in the hot tub and watch the snow fall outside. It was absolutely amazing! Our Christmas was modest and fun. I received a scarf and beanie and nail polish. I got Andrew a Beatles book of music so he could play the guitar music to any of the songs. I did a scavenger hunt like our family does. It gave him clues to places around the apartment. At the end there was a handsome scarf for him. It was a beautiful first "White Christmas".

A Job Right Out Of College

Dec. 23rd- Since finishing school I have been worried about getting enough substituting jobs in Provo while waiting for my French teaching job to come around in mid February. One day I came upon a 2nd grade French dual immersion teaching opportunity in West Valley starting in January. I felt like it was a way to keep busy and seemed like a fun challenge. Dual immersion is where they teach kids math, social studies, and science in French and then teach French literacy. I applied for the job because it would be nice to start working now. I had my first real job interview with 4 people interviewing me. Nerve wracking. I guess I impressed them because they offered me the job 6 days later. I was really on the fence about it because this is not what I am trained for. I don't know if I'll like teaching math, and I know nothing about teaching kids stuff they have never learned before, and then in French. I was really confused and agonizing about the decision. After praying about it, I got the answer that I should do whatever I want. I was convinced by the principal that I would have support the whole way through and I felt that I could do it. I am still really scared because it is not my element. It is an impressive job to take on. I'm gonna be a big girl.

Christmas Decorations

Dec. 7th- We decide not to travel this Christmas and instead have our own real family Christmas. We bought a Christmas tree last night and decorated it with ornaments and also decorated our apartment with lights, mistletoe, and nativity sets. Our first Christmas not on our honeymoon! Our anniversary is coming up too! Almost one year. Andrew has it planned out. The other day, along with some other contributors, he bought me a gorgeous Banana Republic coat for the winter. It makes it so that I actually want to go outside and get dressed for winter. Andrew also applied for the Graphic Design program and fins out soon if he got in. They definitely don't let everyone in. I'm almost positive they will accept him. He's too talented.

Arizona In The Winter Is Nice, Utah= Bad

Nov. 30th- Our Thanksgiving weekend was so fun and so scary. We drove down to Mesa to visit Joy and Quin's family. Note to self, don't drive for 10 hours straight starting at 5 pm. We read Hunger Games, ate yummy food, sang songs, watched movies, visited Andrew's dad's grave, went repelling off a 60 ft cliff, and visited the lights on the Mesa Temple Square. It was wonderful to be with my family since that doesn't get to happen often.

The drive back was horrifying. The last day of student teaching was really icy and I slid off the road. My first time and it scared the poop out of me. Our car has rear wheel drive and our tires are made for racing. There isn't a good grip on them. Our drive back contained two more slides off the road. The first one ended in people stopping to help us out just like when I slid off on my way to the school. After we got back on the road I was paralyzed with fear. I couldn't stop crying because I did not want to die driving in a canyon. It was pretty okay weather until it got dark and we hit a patch of ice in Panguitch. Our car was completely stuck and we had to call a tow truck. We decided to stay in a motel over night and finish the last three hours the next day after the sun melted some of the ice. I was a wreck to say the least. The day after we arrived safely home, we had to make some repairs to our car since it had a bit of damage from the slides. We also had all weather tires put on. They make me feel much safer in the winter weather. I want a huge Jeep right now. No one told me my car would be a problem out here. I also never got trained in how to drive in the snow and ice. I hate Utah winters. I will not be sad to leave this place. I will visit and when I do, I will have a huge all wheel drive tank!

Student Teaching Comes To A Close

Nov. 23rd- Student teaching has come to an end. My last days were parties where we watched some French related videos and some girls gave me nice notes. They were such great kids. I am going to miss the routine and the interaction with them, but it's okay because I will move on to new students and get to create new relationships. All I have left is some ESL stuff and my huge Teacher Work Sample which is a 20 page analysis of a unit I taught my French 2 class. Then I am sooo done with college!!!!! $25, 000 in tuition and many wonderful growth experiences and hard work have profited me a degree in French Teaching and a mionor in TESOL. Who would have imagined that outcome 6, 4, or even 2 years ago. Life can change so quickly. I will be among the elite who can say they have a college degree. It really is quite an accomplishment even though I grew up expecting no less of myself.

Zombies and Unicorns

Nov. 1st- Halloween was fun because we each had two different costumes and went to a couple of parties. Our first party was the ward one at a cabin up in Sundance. Everyone wore couple costumes except for Andrew and I. I was a unicorn and Andrew was a Zombie. We definitely bought some makeup for the occasion. It was the best halloween party I have ever been to. Some couples slept over and we played "Smurf" and watched "Hocus Pocus." There was a lovely pancake breakfast and a gorgeous view of the snow capped mountains. The rest of the day was filled with "scary" movies, namely "Bewitched", "Batman Returns" and "Edward Scissorhands." That night we went to a party hosted by Jes and Kirby. I was a punk rocker and Andrew was a rapper with an old boombox (he even had thin facial hair to accompany his outfit). We needed that quality time and fun together. I am so lucky to have a husband who is so sensitive and cares so much about our relationship. He treats me like a princess and I am so happy that I am cherished by him.

"The Quail", Yeah Not As Pretty As "La Caille"

Nov. 1st- Andrew and I went to La Caille with the French program. It is a super chic, expensive French restaurant. Food was excellent and we ate escargot. I will never eat Bananas Foster because they put some kind of alcohol on it and then burned it away but it still tasted like nail polish remover. The out side was gorgeous and picturesque. My mentor teacher Charlotte is the one in the middle of the above picture.

We just ended the first term and I entered grades and everythinG. I only have 3 more weeks left! Both Andrew and I have been so busy working hard on our careers. We are at such a critical point where we are learning how everything works. It demands a lot of time and concentration. It's been a little bit hard to connect since our time is more limited. We are trying to adjust and give more attention and love. I hate that Andrew has night classes because I get home at about 4 and then I'm free and he's not always free.

Sisters in Town

Oct. 17th- Last week Erin and Jenny were in town so we had nonstop plans with them. The whole family of adults did an endowment session in Salt Lake and then ate Greek food. Erin had a smashing party in the back yard and Andrew and I made an interesting present for her. It involved a photoshopped picture of Erin's dream man (a sailor) and then surrounding him with crazy trinkets that were probably a part of his life. Wierd in know but different. Her party was so cool. The back porch was turned into a live music venue. The food was delicious and the decorations included colorful couches, old tvs, poloroids, colorful lights and an all around vintage feel. There was live music too.

Andrew played the piano and guitar at the "Education In Zion" exhibit on campus. Some gut tipped him 10 dollars for making his day better.

Yesterday started out innocently by going to the BYU Lost and Found sale where we found some great steals. It turned into lunch at Red Lobster and a crazy shopping spree. It was nice to have fun and buy new things instead of feeling poor and boring. I'm glad my husband loves shopping and knows what looks good on me. It was so relaxing and fun.

Playing Dress Up

Oct. 4th- Recently Andrew and I got to dress up like a Prince and a Princess for a little girl party. Our friend Janae asked us too. We just sang the Princess song and talked about what a princess does. The girls took pictures with us. Meredith did my makeup which looked hott and she took pix.

I had Parent Teacher Conferences for two days and didn't get home until 9. I had to write a paper before midnight too. Didn't see Andrew much. He shaved his hair and I no like that much.

Conference weekend was super. We went to Andrew's mission reunion where we ate Philly Cheesesteaks and I met his 2nd mission prez who he served as AP with for the most part.

I Found A Career

Sept. 23rd- I have noticed that I feel happier since I started teaching. I think it helps me to have a goal and purpose in my life so that I am busy learning and growing. I got great feedback from my first observation. I think I am meant to do this teaching stuff. It is soo hard yet so rewarding. Yesterday the French Club did a service activity helping a pregnant Swiss woman. Everything was in French. We ate quiche and Salade Nicoise and cleaned her house. She had an adorable 3 yr. old daughter who spoke both English and French and she was so adorable. Little kids who speak another language are too cute. As I was driving home I became overwhelmed with joy because I was so grateful that God helped me find something I love, that I'm good at, and that helps me make a drifference in someone's life.



Over Labor day weekend we had a 12 hour Star Wars marathon and watched all 6. Meredtih and Debra wer the only ones who watched them all with us. Others joined in occasionally. We recorded different music from the movies with our mouths.

We went to this awesome open mic night thrown by Ben Isaacs. So fun! They handed out percussions for the audience to play. It was so lively and the audience was so engaged.

Last Saturday we went tubing down the Provo River with our ward. Best tubing I've ever done. No seaweed, clear water, and the mountains were beautiful.

We attended the Homecoming dance at Copperhills. We danced the night away and Andrew impressed me with his sweet moves.

I found out that I can take a long-term substituting job for a French teacher who is pregnant. It is at a Junior High in Holladay. It is a great step before getting my own classroom since I am the real teacher but don't get to plan the lessons. I can tweek them though. Oh and I get paid!

Life is really good right now. I love learning how to be a better teacher, I'll soon be making money, and I get to hang out with teenagers a lot. I don't like getting up at 5:45 am and driving an hour to get to school every day. Kinda rough but worth it.

Let the Teaching Commence

Sept. 2nd- I started my Student Teaching at Copperhills High School in West Jordan and it is going soooooo well. I love my mentor teacher Charlotte Vanwagenen. She told me that she asked for the best becuase she is pretty protective and Dr. Erickson gave her me. She is young and gives me license to explore and change things. She is super helpful and thinks I'm fantastic. Her positive energy really helps me make things more lively and sets up a great lead to follow. I am scared about making mistakes and I'm not sure yet if I'm good at this or if I'll actually like it. I haven't started teaching yet so we'll see. I found a girl to carpool with, Denise. She teaches Math and I hope we will get along because we will be driving together for 2 hours everyday.

Andrew got a job doing graphic design for BYU Chinese Flagship. Yay for more of an income!

Visit with Mom in Florida

Aug. 23- I went to Florida for about 5 days to help Mom. She needed emotional support and love during her recovery. This was the first time Andrew and I have been apart since my last trip to Florida a year and a half ago. The trip opened my eyes to some things and I saw that it can be difficult interacting with Mom right now. Her life is really hard right now and she is going through a lot. I feel like there has been a big change in her personality and I hope we can figure out what is going on. I just want to continue loving her and giving her support because I know that she is such a wonderful person who is dealing with some hard things.

Andrew brought me Sushi when he picked me up from the airport. I told him to bring that to me whenever he has the urge to get me flowers. So cute!

Summer Activities

Aug. 16th- We attended a lovely going away party for Cassi and Drew. We also went to an Imagine Dragons concert with Meredith. KC Brown got married and we went to his reception which was really well decorated. Kim and Rob graced us with a game of Boggle. Rock Canyon Park showed "Penelope" on a huge screen. We helped Debra decorate her new classroom with science stuff like butterflies, clouds, UFOs, planets. Recently we invited the Fehlbergs over for dinner and a game. We feel they could become great friends.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Aug. 4th- My mom had breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Pretty serious stuff. I can't believe she keeps having such extreme health issues. She is doing okay right now.

Meredith has her own car right now so we don't have to help her get around anymore. Right now I'm a bum with nothing to do until student teaching starts. I hate being poor and unproductive with no job to help either of those problems.

Andrew's new name for his freelance job is VADA Creative Studio. I love it! He focuses on learning how to be better all the time. He studies design on his own and doew it all the time. I think that's the best way to get better.

Sometimes You Can Get Appendicitus

July 17th- Andrew had really bad stomach pains again and after getting a blessing from Jeff, we went to the ER. After 5 hours, an ultrasound and CAT scan, the result was Appendicitus. He had surgery 4 hours later. It was crazy quick and way expensive.

The surgery went well and we had fun lounging around the hospital, eating food, and spending time together. I'm glad I could be right by his side the whole time. Andrew has only his freelance to work on these days so he was able to keep working through the recovery. I like taking care of him but it was really scary to see him in such extreme pain. I'm so grateful that we were told in his blessing to seek medical attention.

A Wedding In The Temple

July 13th- Our wonderful cousin Summer had a missionary farewll at Bombay House. She will be greatly missed.

Our friend Janae was married in the Draper temple and it was so wonderful to be a part of that special sealing ceremony again. It was wonderful to see that she is happy and to remember the eternal covenants Andrew and I made. I loved feeling the feelings from our wedding day all over. It is such a great knowledge to know that our marriage is so strongly united with God. The temple is such a beautiful place of instruction and truth.

Atlanta Lovin'

July 6th- Our 4th of July celebration was in Atlanta this year. We started in Helen, GA (a German Swiss tourist town) with the family. We stayed in agorgeous cabin in the rolling Appalachian Mountains. We did some really fun activities with the peeps. We went to a waterpark, went floating down the Chatahoochee. Andrew flipped over and it was hilarious. We laughed our heads off playing Balderdash and hearing the definition of "nubbin". Andrew and I were having some problems during the trip and they were eventually resolved after some crying. The problems are still under construction but we finally are more aware of them. It was great for all the extended family to meet Andrew and this was a wonderful vacation from daily life.

Taking A Break From Creativity To Do Something Else Creative

Monday June 28- We had a picnic with Aurora and Ben before she left for Nauvoo. That is such a cool experience. Now that Andrew is focusing on Mindcloud he has been able to make a lot of progress and is working really hard (except that it isn't work because it is so fun for him.) His creative thoughts are never ending. He gets up and goes straight to the Mac to design. The other day he took a break and went and wrote a song. That perfectly describes him. I informed him that it is not a break when he goes and does something else that gets his creative juices flowing.

We played soccer Friday and as usual came home with bruises and sore muscles. We watched I Heart Huckabees with Mandy and talked to her about her life. I'm glad we are friends and get to be related. Vive le Kool Kids Klub, oops, I mean Cool Kids Club.

Quitting Pirateland and Looking Toward Design

Saturday June 19- Last week we babysat the Beck girls. The next night Andrew came home from work very upset. He ended up quitting his job at PI because of some people that made it a bad working environment. He is actually working on getting them fired. He was not making as much money as we thought he would and he doesn't strive to be a server all his life. He is applying to new jobs that have to do with design and is now focusing on Mindcloud. I am glad he can focus on something that really makes him happy and that he is in control of. He is working so hard and I want him to have success so that he can have more hope for his future as a provider and working man. He is so talented and he's a real go-getter that I think he should get benefits from his hard work.

We went camping down in Manti this weekend. We were with our ward and watched the outdated and sadly a bit cheesy Miracle Pageant. We told embarrassing stories around the fire and slept on the hard ground. We ate a good breakfast and then did a live endowment session. It was neat to be able to move to the different rooms. I almost liked it better. The temple was so gorgeous and old. The inside was decorated so elegantly in a 19th century way.

I attended Shanda's bridal shower at a cute Bistro. We had tea, scones, finger sandwiches and cookies for our high-tea party. It was a refined get together and Shanda loved it. Andrew designed the beautiful, girlie invitations. I am so glad that she is getting married and life will be on its way to proving that all her doubts about marriage and love were wrong. She did find someone who loves her and she will be stable and happy.

Don't Eat Too Many Donuts

June 10- We attended Andrew's High School reunion at a park and played with some buddies. Everyone was married with babies. Crazy, especially since these girls are 23. We watched "What's Up Doc" at Adam's house and Andrew ate way too much junk food. He threw up all morning and I was able to take care of him. It breaks my heart to see him in pain and to not be in control of making it all better. I got a little nauseous but we were finally all better by Tuesday.

I played soccer with the French Camp students and accidently met the French teacher who will mentor me for student teaching. She was young and very enjoyable. I think we will get along very well and I am more excited about it.

I took care of Meredith because she got her wisdom teeth removal surgery. I like taking care of people and I think that will help me to be a good mom.

I love my husband. He works so hard and he loves me so hard. We went to Costa Vida after I logged and captured some home videos that I am turning into DVDs. We sat on a blanket and looked at the stars at Rock Canyon. It brought us back to the old days. We don't really go on dates and it was nice to et out of our usual routine. Someday we will be able to do that more often and actually spend money.

Josh and Candie's family is moving to Gainesville at the end of the month. That is so great that Josh will go back to the school and they are humble enough to kind of start over again. They will be living with Mom and Dadda.

Andrew's Magical Birthday Party

Friday May 28- We celebrated Andrew's birthday last Saturday with a Childhood Imagination Party. Andrew loved it! All of his close friends came and we dressed up like kids, me in pigtails and my onesie. We ate macaroni and cheese with hotdogs, graham crackers and milk, Fruity Pebbles, Lucky Charms, and root beer floats. We played Candyland, told childhood memories, watched ninja turtles and played drawing games. The apt was decorated with kids books, stuffed animals, pictures, drawings, and figurines. Throwing a party meant a lot to Andrew and I was so glad he could play with his friends. Rob and Kim spent the night for our first ever couples sleepover. We read a bedtime story and made pancakes for breakfast and shared couple timelines of dating and love. That night we had a wonderful birthday dinner at Debbie's and played a fun card game. It was great to get to know Rob and Kim who are living nearby for the summer while they go to BYU.

In watching some of our old movies from the library we saw the Paris or French was always in older films. I guess it was the cool thing back them. Andrew is growing out his hair and I am excited to see what happens.

Florida Wedding

Wednesday May 19-Last week we were busy getting ready to leave for Florida. We borrowed a friend's camera and left Thursday. We traveled all day with Meredith and ate dinner with Mom and Dad. Meredith married Andrew and I under a Tiki hut on the beach like we had always dreamed about. Friday we finally went to Uncle Chet's where Andrew met Gpa John and Gma Karen. We hung out with Adrian and Lindsay and they loved Andrew. They are so fun and silly.

The day of the wedding Josh and Laura were there and we all got dressed up and were lookin hott. The wedding was on a beach but it wasn't private. There were lots of people and sometimes shots of people's butt cracks were in the shots. Lots of people dressed casual with button up Florida shirts. It was a Catholic and LDS mixed wedding and Dad married them after talking about the powers to bind on earth and in heaven as we believe. There was a Catholic coin ceremony and a blessing given to them from Joe. Andrew filmed it all and I am excited to see the finished product someday. We went to the reception and partied. I was feeling bad for the bride and groom by the end of the evening. I remember how tiring it is and wanting to just be done with everything and alone. We saw them off and I was glad to see them so genuinely happy. It will be wonderful when they are able to be sealed in the temple.

Sometimes We Eat Pancake/American Cheese Sandwiches

Monday May 10- We learned that life without Andrew's brain meds is not ideal. I never knew how necessary they were. We are both taking classes for the spring term. I hate TELL classes and he is taking some GEs. Andrew bought a real videographer camera from Ebay and he was sooo excited but then we found out it has need of an expensive repair. We have to either fix the problem or find another high quality camera before we leave for Florida to film Vivi's wedding. Agggh!

So we got through the last couple of days of April on Pancake and American Cheese sandwiches and cereal (we felt really pathetic and had to laugh) until Debbie gave us some food out of the blue. It was such a blessing and it is always good to pay your tithing.

We got callings in our ward. Andrew is the ward chorister and I am choir president. I will teach a choir basics class and be the choir cheerleader who gets people to come. It's good that we get to focus on music within the church.

A week ago our car wouldn't start. We tried jumping and nothing happened, which is a really bad sign. AAA came with a tow truck and got it started. Once I turned off the car, it wouldn't restart. They said it was a dead battery and that they could get a replacement one here and install it. I got a new battery and everything was fixed within two hours. I was so glad because I thought I would have to take it to a shop and we would be without a car for a day or two.

Last week we took a short bike ride to Andrew's old middle school. He showed me some old memories and it was a nice day for a ride. Photoshop is the new fixation for Andrew at this point. He is learning it very quickly and doing very nice work at that. We are now checking out some movies at the Library. It reminded me of when I would go as a kid and what a great place it is to learn.

Since Debbie went out of town we spent the night at her house and watched a suspense film from the 60's.

Saturday night was a GIRL'S NITE OUT!!! Woopee, Yip, Yip, Hooray! (This is all in great sarcasm.) Don't get me wrong, I love my friends but I don't need a girl's nite because I still really like my husband too much. I got to catch up with Shanda and eat junk food, plus a movie. I was so happy to be with Shanda again. I am bummed that I can't be at her wedding since I will be in Atlanta. I really want to be at a temple sealing of a close friend.

Last week we ate Hot Pot at Drew and Cassi's with their Chinese speaking friends. It was authentic Chinese food that tasted nothing like American Chinese food. It is much more tasteless food that has spicy broth added. We also ate legit Mexican at their house for Cinqo de Mayo.

Andrew and I gave talks for Mother's Day, Andrew's 4th time actually. I spoke about about the fear of many girl's at this stage in their life. Will I be a good mom and how can I prepare now? Andrew had some great things to share about repairing your relationship with your mom if it is broken and why that relationship needs to be healthy.

Last night we visited Debra Lowe's family at the home she was raised in. That was fun to see a bit of the world she came from in Lehi.

Adobe Creative Suite You Shall Be Well Used

Thursday April 22- Last week I had a crepe get together with the Switzerland girls and attended the ward party. A girl in the ward asked why my husband dresses up like a pirate and I was very amused. We bought lots of software for our new computer (Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut.) It is also decked out with a new hot computer case.

We had a date night where I got a tutorial about the Beatles by listening to some records and watching the movie "Help!" Andrew is teaching me about the real geniuses of music.

We saw the show that Mer's choir is touring with and hungout with her after. She is now an Arts and Visual Communications major and wants to go into Graphic Design. The sun is out and we are taking advantage of it. I love a tan husband and he loves a freckly wife, hence the URL of this blog.

Andrew is deeply considering his options for majors and hopefully he will get some inspiration and insight that will point him in the right direction. He had a rough night a couple of days ago and he is so much more happy and on top of things since that release of fears and troubles. He is trying to focus more on working out, figuring out his major for life, and not messing up in life (which are big things for all of us.) It is so hard to watch the person I love have such low self-esteem and become so overwhelmed by the fact that he is not his ideal self. Life can be rough. I am trying to be so supportive and help him feel and be more successful so that he can see how cool he is and I can show him how happy he makes me. He is so capable and Satan loves pointing out our weaknesses and flaunting them. My husband is os awesome, he just makes mistakes and, as everyone does, gets in a rut that drags him down sometimes. All I can do in those moments is hold him down and show him that I am always there and will always love him.