Matt & Andrea

Crawling

2010-10-04T22:30:00.002-06:00

Since we were unprepared and had no camera, our good friends snapped a picture of this momentous occasion. Thanks, Soren!!

Emma's first "crawl."

Adoption Run/Walk

2010-09-30T10:04:00.002-06:00

Anyone want to run with me?

Not Far From the Tree

2010-09-30T09:00:00.000-06:00

I come from a family that bleeds blue. All 8 kids in my family attended BYU, as did both parents. Matt also grew up in a true blue household. And that's a good thing, so we don't have to cheer against each other on game day.

With parents like that, it's a wonder that Emma hasn't had a BYU shirt before now.

One Man's Trash...

2010-09-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

I recently decided that we needed to find a couple of dressers and/or chests of drawers for Emma's room and the guest room. After shopping around a little, I decided to try my luck at yard sales. So I spent an hour or so driving around checking out the local yard sale scene. And I feel like I held my own! I found three dressers/drawers for a total of $35 and had a matching mirror thrown in. Then I spent a day sanding and painting my treasures. Here are the "before" pictures. I forgot to take the "after" photos, so those will have to come a little later. All in all, I'm pretty pleased with my loot!

My New Favorite Toy

2010-09-27T21:43:00.003-06:00

My husband knows me pretty well. So, in his quest for the perfect birthday gift for me (I'm just SURE he spent weeks in this endeavor), he hit a homerun! He got me a Kindle. A what?

A Kindle.

It's like an electronic book, but without the pages. You can download books onto it and read them anytime. Plus, all of the classics (AKA "the ones without copyrights") are free to download. So now I've got all of Jane Austen's books, plus books like Little Women and Oliver Twist and lots more. And the best part is that I didn't have to buy them. I wouldn't say they were free. After all, you had to buy the Kindle in the first place. But it still felt like I was getting away with something as I was downloading book after book without paying a penny. I think I even giggled.

Now I just have to make myself put it down long enough to get other things done, like feeding Emma. She's so demanding! I guess I'll have to start reading under the covers with a flashlight again.

Crawler!!

2010-09-27T08:46:00.002-06:00

We now officially have a crawler in the family! I guess there wasn't anything in the house worth crawling toward. We just needed to take her outside and point her toward the gravel and dirt!

Grandparents

2010-09-25T15:17:00.001-06:00

We are so lucky to live close to Matt's parents. We love going over and visiting. Matt and I don't even mind that everyone really just wants to see Emma. We love that Emma has another place to go where she is just loved unconditionally.

Splat!

2010-09-20T11:37:00.004-06:00

Since I have SOOOO much to catch up on, I'm posting this blog splat--a little smattering of everything.

This was taken at the temple after Emma was sealed to us. Her grandma made her the most beautiful temple dress and shoes for the occasion and her grandpa sealed us!! Does it get any better than that?!

Every year I run a local 10K. This year I recruited a couple of neighbors to run it with me. It's always more fun running with other people.

This is part of our team from the 2010 Wasatch Back. We're hanging out at the finish line waiting for our last runner. I didn't actually get to run this year, because we were in Florida finalizing our adoption (yes, WAAAY more important) at the time the race started. But I'm excited for next year!

Emma is now a pro at camping (in a 5th wheel). We went camping a few times this summer--with friends and for a family reunion--and Emma took it all in stride. It certainly helps that she's so easy going and that she LOVES being outside.

We've got a water-baby on our hands. Emma loves splashing, whether it be in the tub, or in the pool.

On July 4th, we went to Matt's parents' house to watch fireworks. We weren't sure how Emma would take them, but she did a great job.

Carrot-Tomato. 'nuff said.

"Yes, mother? Did you need something?"

What is it about babies and mirrors? We love to watch Emma giggle at herself.

As I was posting this, I realized that since Emma has come along, Matt and I don't have nearly as many pictures with us in them. We'll have to do something about that!

Dear Santa,

2010-01-15T07:40:00.004-07:00

Dear Santa,

Thank you for the WiiFit. It has been quite amusing watching my friends box each other. I'm not sure what to think about my balance board that exclaims, "OH!" every time I step onto the board.

Sincerely,

Andrea

Laryngitis

2010-01-11T07:24:00.003-07:00

My voice has been hiding from me for about 5 days now.

Each winter, I'll go through two or three days where by voice gets a little scratchy and it sounds funny when I try to sing. But I've never had it go COMPLETELY away. This was crazy. Last Monday at school my voice began its usual winter scratchiness. But by Friday, it hadn't gone away and had, in fact, gotten much worse. It's been interesting trying to command the attention of a room full of middle school students without being able to speak above a whisper. Luckily I have great students who were very thoughtful and tried to stay quiet. But though I could handle middle schoolers with a bell, clapping, and a white-board. I wasn't sure how I would manage speaking in church on Sunday.

So I called my bishop. When he kept telling me he couldn't understand what I was saying, we both knew that I wouldn't be able to speak, at least not effectively. Since I was supposed to speak about the new changes to the Personal Progress program in the Young Women's, the task fell to my fabulous secretary and Personal Progress leader, Xazmin. I went to her house (so she could actually understand what I was whispering) to break the good news! She accepted graciously and gave a FABULOUS talk yesterday. I felt it was very insightful and definitely different than the route I was taking.

Maybe that's why my laryngitis stayed so long this time. =)

(But now I'm ready to have my voice back...)

How long has THAT been there?

2010-01-08T13:27:00.003-07:00

Hey, stop looking at me.

The Ten Virgins

2010-01-04T18:28:00.003-07:00

Just before Christmas, I was fortunate to be part of a group that performed a musical retelling of the story of the Ten Virgins. The songs were amazing and although our background fell down during the second song, I felt a great spirit in the room--a sense of peace. I'm grateful for opportunities like this one to help me slow down and think about the important things in life.

We had a wonderful group of ladies in the cast. It was a lot of memorizing (at least to me it was a lot!), but well worth the effort!

Only Sissies Cook on Low

2010-01-04T18:16:00.001-07:00

For Christmas, my friend made me a little sign that says, "Only sissies cook on low." I love that she knows me well enough to know how appropriate that is!

Day 1

2010-01-01T11:09:00.005-07:00

Today marks the first day of the new year. I've been wanting to make some new goals for myself for a while now, but I guess I needed the date to show that it really is a new beginning. I'm excited to welcome in a new year and start being the new and improved me. Time to climb out of that rut. We'll see how long that lasts...

Since I've been a blogging SLUG for the past 6 months, I thought I'd briefly post about some of the bigger events since July. I have about a million and one pictures, but I want to finish this post before NEXT year, so I'm just adding a few at a time. I knew that would be appreciated!

First off was Girls' Camp. These are the leaders that were there all week. What amazing women! Camp went well--without any girl drama! The food was awesome (thanks, Kiirstin), snipe hunting was, well, highly entertaining (did you know they took the word "gullible" out of the dictionary?), and glitter toes were a big hit!

Soon after camp, a group of friends got together for "Christmas in July." Kiirstin put up her Christmas tree and I added a blow-up snow family to her front yard. We drank hot chocolate and watched Christmas movies and had a white elephant gift exchange. I think I have the best group of friends EVER!

The middle of August brought a family reunion for my side of the family. We had 7 of the 8 siblings there with their families. We stayed in cabins and went 4-wheeling and made icecream and played lots of games (of course). And what is a family reunion without a growling match between Julie and Tanner. Good times.

I started school at the end of August and that effectively killed my social life. I couldn't be in Voices, which makes me very sad. I was still tutoring and teaching piano and I'm still in YW, so my life was a little crazy. I ended up stopping almost all of the tutoring. Life sure gets busier when you add a full-time job into the mix!

In September I celebrated my birthday, and I had to share these cute little cupcakes by friend Xazmin made for me. She's amazing! They were almost too cute to eat...almost.

Road Trip?

2009-07-12T15:54:00.004-06:00

My life has been a little hectic lately. Math tutoring, piano lessons, voice lessons (for me--I'm not teaching them), Girls Camp (this week!), the Wasatch Back, Youth Conference, two family reunions, two college math classes (I have to take those to renew my teaching license), and trying to plan for teaching next year. I'm supposed to be running the St. George Marathon in October also, but I'm falling sadly behind in my training. Blah.

With all this...shall we call it resposibility?...I've decided that I'm ready for a break! I want to go somewhere. Somewhere I won't have to do laundry, or clean bathrooms, or even make the bed if I don't feel like it. But I'm not sure where to go.

So who out there has the perfect weekend getaway spot? I'm open for suggestions!

My Green(ish) Thumb

2009-07-10T09:23:00.005-06:00

In the last couple of days, I've started getting veggies from my garden. The first to produce were the peas, followed by the wax beans. I've had a lovely time snacking on fresh peas, so much that I haven't actually cooked any yet. But I thought I'd give a garden update. I posted pictures from when my garden was pretty much just dirt, and here are two more sets...

My zucchini plants--which the birds promptly ate. So I planted more. The birds ate those also. So I bought a slingshot and some jelly beans. I actually hit a couple of birds, but I still have birds in my garden. The zucchini and summer squash plants are pretty much gone, but everything else survived.

Baby peas.

Itsy-bisty corn stalks. (Side note: I'm not sure why this picture is sideways. It's not like that on my computer.)
These are my mini pumpkin plants and the wax beans.

Corn. Although Kiirstin's corn is about a foot taller. Grr...

Peas. They look kinda scraggly. Are they supposed to look like that? They were definitely cuter when they were smaller. =)

Wasatch Back 2009

2009-07-08T07:15:00.005-06:00

Okay, so I'm a little behind in my posts. But I had to share some pictures from our 31-hour, 187.5 mile relay from Logan to Park City. Our start time was 12:45 pm, Friday, June 19th. We ran through heat, rain, dark, animal sightings, hail, and cold. We had 12 people on our team, with 3 drivers. We lived out of our 2 vans, and catnapped when we could. It was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Our Fearless Driver, Matt

Mark after our 2 hour nap at Marcie's parents house.

Bill running like a mad man.

Cannon snoozing in the van. Believe me, he EARNED this nap!

Brent and me doing our chip commercial right after my second run. You gotta entertain yourself any way you can, right?

Stretching and waiting for the handoff before my 2nd run.

Mark handing the baton (slap bracelet) off to Cannon at 5:30 in the morning. We had to wear reflective vests and carry a flashlight or wear a headlamp during the dark hours. They were stylin'!

Brent and Cannon ran the "Ragnar Hill" which was in Wasatch Mountain State Park. It was a dirt road with about an 8% uphill grade if I remember right. Pictures just don't show how hard these two runs were. And it started raining during Brent's run. This picture was obviously before Brent started.

The handoff. These two definitely earned my respect!

Just before Brent handed off to me for my last run, it started hailing! And I must say that hail hurts bare legs! I passed this little snowman someone had made from the hail and made Matt go back and take a picture of it. It rained pretty hard for all of my 7.3 mile run. I was a popsicle by the time I finished. Then I handed off to Bill, who was our last runner, and we headed to the finish line to wait for him.

This is most of our team huddled at the finish line. It was still raining and cold, but at least we were finished running, right? Except that they have your entire team run the last few hundred yards to the finish line. So you wait for your runner and then join them so that they can take official pictures, etc.

Our team sporting our Wasatch Back 2009 medals. Don't we look tough?

Normal is Relative

2009-07-03T09:01:00.004-06:00

Occassionally, I post pictures of me and/or Matt that are a little...well...creative. You may wonder why we take pictures like that. Here's your answer. All of the following were taken at a recent family barbeque at our house. None were posed. This is just what my family does when faced with a camera.

My brother Rodney.

My sister Valerie.

My niece Sydney.

My brother Brent.

Either Jackson or Jordan. I can't tell.

My nephew Tanner. ( I might add that this is pretty normal for him, but I had to add the popsicle shot because he's a MOOCHER. Whenever there's food around, he mooches from anyone who'll share. It's kind of like grazing.)

My nephew Eli. Yep, we start 'em young.

Matt, the King of odd camera shots. (Also notice Eli in the background.)

Family Photo

2009-07-03T08:41:00.001-06:00

It's really sad when you go to take a family photo and this is the best one...

Aren't Cars Just Moving Billboards?

2009-07-01T11:56:00.003-06:00

I got this idea from someone else who recently adopted and thought that I would put my time stuck in traffic to good use! So my friend Kiirstin made this for me on her Cricut. (Thanks, Kiirstin!)

I hope we get the word out there a little more with this. We're so excited to welcome a little one to our family and its REALLY hard to be patient. I'm lucky to have nieces and nephews and neighbors to play with, but it's just not the same. I'm ready to change diapers and stay up all night!

Tagged!

2009-06-15T08:18:00.001-06:00

I was tagged by Xazmin at This is the Year. I'm supposed to list 6 unimportant things that make me happy. Only 6? This list could go on and on. But I'll try to contain myself.

1. Turtle Brownies. Anything with chocolate, caramel, AND nuts has to be delicious, right?

2. Watching my garden grow. Except that the birds keep eating my zucchini plants. But I recently purchased a slingshot that has definitely been put to good use!

3. Wind in my face. I've always been a fan of wind. That's one reason I love my little pink scooter.

4. A capella music. I love listening to a capella music. Especially men. My current favorites are The King's Singers and Voice Male. Good stuff.

5. Clean bathrooms. Especially if I didn't have to clean them. (Now to get started on that clean laundry pile that keeps growing in my bedroom.)

6. Running. I love the feeling just after finishing a run (and realizing I'm still alive).

Now I'm tagging:
Dadra
Cassie
Valerie
Kiirstin
Jennifer
Heather

Snapshots of My Crazy Life

2009-06-08T08:10:00.002-06:00

Wow. I've started this post half a dozen times, but I never know where to start. So I'm going to start rambling...

First off, I'm going back to teaching in the fall. I wasn't planning on it. I wasn't even looking for a job. I have connections to a charter school near my house and they needed a math teacher for their 7th and 8th grades. So I got a phone call. Not completely ecstatic about working full-time again, but I'm excited about the school. It's all about hands-on learning, and that makes it more fun to teach. Plus I'll only have about 100 students. Can't beat that. But...

In order to teach, you need a little thing called a valid teaching license. Mine expires at the end of the month. Blast! So now I'm taking two college math classes to renew my license. I'm trying to finish them ASAP, but we'll see how that goes! If anyone wants to brush up on their math, come on over! I'll let you do a few problems! I begged the teachers to let me join the online classes about 3 weeks late, so I have a lot of catching up to do before...

Youth Conference is this week also. It being a stake YC, I don't have as much that I'm in charge of, but I still get to go. Maybe they'll have wireless out there in the wilderness so that I can do my math homework. Then...

I have to leave YC early Saturday morning to head out to the Holgate reunion out in the Uintah Basin. I love these reunions, but it's too bad it's at the same time as YC. I'm excited to see all of Matt's family and see the amazing quilts they've made for the annual raffle. I'm pretty jealous. Maybe I'll sew one while I'm in the car for...

Next weekend is the Wasatch Back. I've posted about it before. But it's almost here!! I'm starting to get nervous because they changed the course and my legs got longer. Bummer. And they got more difficult. Bummer again. Well, if nothing else, I can walk, right? Our group secured a 15-passenger van, so we should have plenty of room to spread out, and I'm grateful for that!Last year was a little cramped. We start the race at 12:45 pm and are expected to finish at around 5ish the next day. After the race...

Girl's Camp is looming. It's a ward camp and I've never done one before. Neither have either of my counselors, my secretary, or my camp director. This oughta be a good learning experience! I'm just waiting to get up there only to discover we forgot something essential, like TP or forks or a tent! Only time will tell. But we'll definitely be prepared with lots of good snacks! And s'mores! Then back to life...

I've started teaching piano again and I have lots of math tutoring (including math camps that go for a couple of hours for a week--anyone need an Algebra review or preview?) lined up for the summer. Plus, Matt's as whiny as ever. Just kidding. Matt has been absolutely amazing. He's been helping more around the house, running errands, listening to my incoherent babbling about sine and cosine and which one equals 1 where, AND he's been rubbing my legs after the hard runs! I have a fantabulous husband!

Overall, life is crazy right now (did I mention that my 17 year old niece might move in with us this week?) but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have a wonderful husband, very supportive and highly entertaining family, amazing friends and neighbors, and a Heavenly Father that wants me to learn all that I can. Crazy? Definitely. But it's all mine.

A Post Stolen From My Sister--Thanks, Val!

2009-05-14T07:53:00.002-06:00

I read this on my sister's blog and had to share. It made me laugh.
Another good one from
www.SixWise.com
A teacher of first-graders gave her students the first half of a well-known proverb, then asked them to compete the saying. What they came up with will make you smile, laugh and likely wonder at the wisdom that comes from the mouths of babes.
Don't change horses … until they stop running
Strike while the … bug is close.
It’s always darkest before … Daylight Savings Time.
Never underestimate the power of … termites.
You can lead a horse to water but … How?
Don’t bite the hand that … looks dirty.
No news is … impossible.
A miss is as good as a … Mr.
You can’t teach an old dog new … Math.
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll … stink in the morning.
Love all, trust … Me.
The pen is mightier than the … pigs.
And idle mind is … the best way to relax.
Where there’s smoke there’s … pollution.
Happy the bride who … gets all the presents.
A penny saved is … not much.
Two’s company, three’s … the Musketeers.
Don’t put off until tomorrow what … you put on to go to bed.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and … you have to blow your nose.
There are none so blind as … Stevie Wonder.
Children should be seen and not … spanked or grounded.
If at first you don’t succeed … get new batteries.
You get out of something only what you … See in the picture on the box.
When the blind lead the blind … get out of the way.
A bird in the hand … is going to poop on you.
Better late than … Pregnant.

St. George, Here I Come!

2009-05-12T07:54:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to announce that I will be running in this year's St. George Marathon with my brother Rodney and my friend Heidi. I'm pretty stinkin' excited considering that I've tried to get in for the last 3 years. I ran it in 2006, but wasn't selected for the lottery in 2007 or 2008. They have a "3rd time's a charm" rule, so I got in this year! I've been training (casually, but still training) for the Wasatch Back in June, but this will give me incentive to kick it up a notch. Wish me luck!

2009-05-08T12:11:00.001-06:00

Wow. I'm ready for a vacation. Anyone want to join me?

Garden

2009-05-03T12:48:00.002-06:00

In my entire adult life, I've never really done a garden. I planted a watermelon plant once. Oh, and I harvested tomatoes from volunteer tomato plants.

But this year, I decided to actually plant a garden. Our new house has six beautiful planter boxes that I just couldn't let go to waste. (Also, my friend Kiirstin has a very green thumb and has inspired me to attempt to grow things.) So I planted. And planted. Why start small? We planted corn and peas and wax beans and zucchini and summer squash and tomatoes (for salsa-Matt and I don't actually eat tomatoes) and little baby pumpkins.

We have yet to find if I'm actually capable of keeping plants alive and healthy, but I'm ready to give it a try. Maybe Kiirstin will take pity on my poor plants and weed them every once in a while...

Riddle

2009-04-23T13:23:00.002-06:00

What do you get when you mix 3 packages of cream cheese with 3 cups of powdered sugar?

A MESS!!

So much for wearing an apron!

Beauty and the Beast

2009-04-17T13:42:00.004-06:00

Matt and I went to watch a production of Beauty and the Beast that my bro-in-law and two of my nephews were in. It was a community production but I thought it was very impressive. The twins were cast as "Chip" and cloves, and they alternated roles on different nights. It was so cute to see their "bio's" in the program! What cute little actors!

Here is Chip's costume. He got to be wheeled around all night. Pretty cushy!

Here are the cloves.

My bro-in-law played a spoon and a villager. Here he is as a spoon. The lighting is a little (or a lot) off here because he was in the aisle, but this is great!

Villager costume.

Matt and me with my sister during intermission.

Our niece was too young to be in the production, but she was excited to watch the show. And she was super excited to meet Belle and get a rose after the show!

Bring on the Disasters!

2009-04-10T10:45:00.002-06:00

Matt and I have been married for over 8 years now, and I've been working on getting my food storage that WHOLE TIME! I've added a little here and there, and moved the whole collection a few times (thanks, Julie) in my quest for the perfect food storage set-up.

Our new house has a marvelous food storage room, complete with built-in shelves for the smaller cans and space for my 5 Superman-proof shelves for the #10 cans.
But I think a food storage just isn't complete without...you guessed it--CHOCOLATE!

I am now happy to report that we finally have our full year's supply! It only took 8+ years. (If anyone wants to come over to look at it and "ooooh" and "aaahh", I'm only too happy to oblige.)

Two-fer!

2009-04-07T09:24:00.001-06:00

In making breakfast the other day, I found a two-fer in one of my eggs. Isn't it fun when you get an extra bonus. Kind of like finding a great sale!

Adoption Update

2009-03-23T07:15:00.007-06:00

It's been a very long time since I updated about our adoption efforts and I figured it was about time. We've been approved for just over a year and since then have been on a waiting list of sorts through LDS Family Services. We've been very pleased with them and our amazing case worker, Rachel. We've had a couple of maybe's, but we haven't been able to adopt yet.

Since many adoptive couples find their children through friends of friends, we're grateful to all of you who have been handing out these pass-along cards with our information on them. (And for those who need some, just say the word and we'll get some to you!) As always, if you know of anyone who is thinking of placing a baby for adoption, we appreciate you giving them information about LDSFS through the website and/or our adoption email.

The Wasatch Back

2009-03-22T19:03:00.001-06:00

"Picture this: You and 11 of your closest friends running day and night, relay-style, through some of the most scenic terrain North America could muster. Add in live bands, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation. The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it a Ragnar Relay. Logan to Park City."

Sounds great, eh? Last year I was a last minute sub for a girl who broke her foot. I'd never even heard of this race. The Wasatch Back? What's that? But the minute we finished I started plotting for this year. I started to plan out how many hills I'd run to prepare, who I could con into running with me, what vans to use, and what team names were best.

And then the recruiting began. I'm sure there are people out there that I've asked at least a dozen times if they wanted to be on our team (if you'd just say yes the first time, we could have been spared!). We finally got a team together and decided who would run which legs. (But if you're interested, I know of other teams that still need runners.)

The race isn't until the middle of June, but I'm getting stinkin' excited about it. I've even made a spreadsheet for my training schedule (nerd meets running). Plus, as you may have noticed, I am now publishing my progress with my little runner, although she looks like she's running a LOT faster than I do. I'll take it.

After all this rambling, you may be asking yourself, "why is she posting this?" And here's the answer:

Our team name is IGNORANCE IS BLISSTERS and I'm looking for ideas to decorate our vans for the race. I'm not really excited about putting giant band-aids on the cars, and that's all I could come up with. We have 2 vans to decorate and many of the teams get really into it. But I'd like the vans to be usable afterward.

Any great ideas?

Recipe for Cinnamon Almonds

2009-03-11T09:33:00.001-06:00

So, I've had a few people ask me for the recipe for the almonds (see previous post). Matt has tweeked it a bit, but here's the recipe we started with. We don't usually use vanilla. Matt has also tried it boiling the almonds a little before adding the cinnamon and sugar for softer nuts. Plus, he doesn't really measure. Let me know how you like them!

Cinnamon Almonds
2 c whole almonds
1 c sugar1
½ tbsp cinnamon
¼ c water
1 to 1 ½ tsp vanilla (optional)
Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over nuts in a non-stick skillet. Combine water and vanilla in separate bowl. Pour liquids over nut mixture. Mix and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to medium heat. Stir constantly for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and place on wax paper. Separate with a wooden spoon so that they don’t stick together, and cool. Nuts will be very hot-don’t eat until slightly cooled (even though they smell delicious and it will be very difficult to resist!).

Best Husband Ever!

2009-03-09T09:07:00.004-06:00

I just have to say that I have the best husband ever!

I made a deal with a friend and now I'm committed (not that kind of committed, although it can be argued that I should be) to going a

WHOLE WEEK WITHOUT CHOCOLATE!!!

I know. I'm still a little in shock myself that I agreed to it.

But when Matt learned about my deal, he fully supported me by making me my very own batch of Cinnamon Almonds (you know, those almonds that they sell at fairs and craft shows that smell so good you can't go within 200 feet of them without drooling)! Mmmm.....tasty! They are fantastic! And now I have a snack that I love almost as much as chocolate to keep the cravings at bay. It also doesn't hurt that our whole house smells like Cinnamon Almonds.

Thanks, Matt!

Favorite Movie Quotes

2009-03-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

If you know me even a little bit, you've heard me quote movies. So I thought I'd give all of you a chance to learn some of my favorite quotes. I skipped a few of the more obvious ones, but if you know what movie they're from, just comment. Bonus points if you can also name the character that said it.

1. "I am a lone reed, standing strong against the winds of commerce."
2. "Do chickens have large talons?"
3. "And yet I am unmoved."
4. "There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness."
5. "Hey! No forcefields!"
6. "Ugh, he's doing his own theme music."
7. "I've played a lot of cards-obviously. Wanna see my hand?"
8. "I could have been at a BARBEQUE!" "And WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!"
9. "Thank you for saving my bride, peasants."
10 "These potatoes are so creamy..."
11. "Oh, Bruiser, honey, you just look parched!"
12. "You smell like beef and cheese." "You sit on a throne of lies."
13. "I wish I could speak whale."14. "Here I am, your own personal Greek statue."
15. "Here's your breakfast. And it's happy to see ya!"
16. "Oh, that's nothing, _________ can make it with a whole jar of spiders in her hands."
17. "Ain't nobody say, 'I don't like no parfait.'"
18. "Great! Real bullets! You're in big trouble, mister!"
19. "I wouldn't say that I am. I only know that my friends think so."
20. "This is our puppet burn hospital. It's relatively new."

3+9

2009-02-26T12:38:00.003-07:00

I've been tutoring a lot lately. I had several people ask me to help their kids, so I decided I would just dedicate a few more hours each week and actually have a tutoring schedule. Mostly I tutor math, since that's what my degree is in. I have students ranging from 2nd grade to college right now, and I love the variety. I get to do something completely different each hour. Right now my 2nd grader is working on mastering her addition facts.

And I must say that there's just something about flashcards.

Why is it that you can study and study and not memorize until you put it on flashcards. Maybe I really am just a math nerd. I can accept that. But I still think flashcards are fantastic!

Wind and Picture Frames

2009-02-26T12:30:00.001-07:00

I've LOVED the weather this week. 50s and 60s, kinda windy, a few sprinkles here and there. But I love it. I'm a storm girl. I grew up in Maryland (mostly) where they have real rainstorms. Not like the whimpy ones here.
Huge, heavy raindrops.
Lots of wind.
Bright lightening.
And especially big puddles to splash in barefoot.
I have several pictures of me as a kid standing outside in a rainstorm, holding an umbrella, and walking barefoot down the ditch in our front yard. It doesn't get much better than that!

Now, don't get me wrong. A beautiful, sunny day definitely lifts the spirits, I just don't mind the clouds and the wind.

So, the weather this week made me excited for spring and warmer weather (and a few rainstorms). It was warm enough to open windows. And that made me look at the walls around the windows and think, "Wow. That could use some sprucing up." So I've been working on tiny projects around the house. I've put up new towel hooks and rings, hung a few more pictures (although I still can't find the perfect spot for my framed melted-carpet-in-the-shape-of-an-iron), changed a couple light fixtures, rearranged furniture, and I've even broken out the power tools a couple times. Bob Villa, move over!

What are you doing for your "Spring Cleaning"?

Once There Was a Snowman...

2009-02-17T15:26:00.002-07:00

tall,

Tall,
TALL!

Okay, so he's only medium tall, but there wasn't enough snow (or patience) to make a really tall snowman. But I felt the need to create whatever size snowman I could, since I haven't made one all winter! So I played in the snow while Matt used the snowblower to clear the snow from several driveways! Go, Matt!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-17T15:21:00.002-07:00

So I've never been a huge Valentine's Day fan. In a relationship or not, I chuckle at the idea of randomly buying gifts to celebrate. Isn't that what an anniversary is for? I don't dislike Valentine's Day, I just don't get all crazy about it. Matt and I usually just do something really small (sometimes just saying, "Happy Valentine's Day") to mark the occassion. This year Matt came home with a dozen red roses, and I must say, they're beautiful.

Luckily, I had also found the perfect card for us. I actually laughed out loud in the store when I first read it. I wonder how many times a similar conversation has taken place in our house.

I wonder what St. Patrick's Day will bring.

My Mother's Daughter

2009-01-30T09:45:00.010-07:00

I grew up with a mother who had an amazing ability to sniff out great deals. Deals on bread machines, deals on shoes, deals on baby clothes...you name it. It's not like she went shopping all the time. She just always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. One Christmas all of us kids got softball gloves and mitts because Mom found them for 99% off or some ridiculous price. It didn't matter that we only played softball once in a blue moon. It was a fantastic deal, so we started playing softball a lot more.

Although my Mom usually made my formal dresses, I decided to borrow one from a friend for Homecoming my junior year. It was bright blue satin (welcome to the 90s). Not an easy color to match. But that didn't stop my Mom from finding a pair of bright blue satin shoes that were just my size...at a yard sale for $1. What are the odds?!

Even after most of us were married, we'd get a call from Mom on a Saturday morning asking us if we wanted her to buy a chair or some shelves she found at a fantastic price. They had to load up the trailer and van every time they came out to visit just to fit in Mom's amazing deals. I don't want to sound ungrateful. I loved that about my Mom. Plus, she found me 5 brand new oak chairs that perfectly matched the kitchen table my Dad made. No complaints here.

So, with genes like these, I have to be excited about a great deal, right? I am. I admit it. I get really excited about finding things for 80% off. And all my friends know it. My sisters are both the same. It's not uncommon to hear some variation of the following conversation:

"Cute shoes!"

"Thanks! I got them for $4."

"Really? Where? I want to get some for ______. Is the sale still going on?"

Or this conversation:

"Hey, I'm at the store and I found some bins like the ones you were looking at. They're only $2. Do you want me to get you some?"

We have a running tally to keep track of the money we spend for each other.

So, I decided to blog about my latest deal. I was searching for a good price on "The Little Mermaid." After all, it's going back into that blasted Disney vault today, right? But while I was searching, I came across a cute corduroy bedspread. There were only two, and they were both the right size for my bed. It must be fate.

Original price: $89.99.

Andrea's final price: $8.99.

Yep, I found the perfect bedspread for 90% off. I must be my mother's daughter.

Back to Reality

2009-01-22T11:16:00.004-07:00

Matt and I just got back from our cruise to Mexico. Weather was absolutely perfect, the water was warm, the food was fantastic, and the company was great (we went with 3 other couples), so we were a bit sad to return to 20-30 degree weather and shovelling snow. Sigh. The group that we went with is already planning another warm getaway for next winter. I guess it was a hit!

This was our stateroom number. The rooms were tiny, so it's a good thing that there's so much else to do on the ship.

While walking around Ensenada, we were surprised at how HUGE the curbs were in some places--sometimes about a foot and a half tall. Here's Matt hiking up one.

This is a beach in Cabo San Lucas where we spent a couple hours. We had it mostly to ourselves to play in the water and snorkel. Now I remember why I love the beach so much.

It makes we warmer just looking at this picture!

I love walking on the beach barefoot, and you don't get many opportunities to walk where there are so few people around in such a beautiful place.

We enjoyed the sunsets from the ship. Pictures just don't do them justice.

A to Z About Me

2009-01-22T10:54:00.001-07:00

A--Attached or Single: Attached to Matt
B--Best Friend: Matt (how cheesy is that?)
C--Cake or Pie: I don't care as long as it's chocolate!
D--Day of Choice: Tuesday (Singing practice day)
E--Essential Item: I suppose a water bottle. I keep one with me at all times.
F--Favorite Color: ?? Orange? Red? Green?
G--Greatest Accomplishment: Running the St. George Marathon
H--Hometown: White Plains, MD
I--Indulgences: Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. I'm drooling just thinking about it!
J--January or July: July
K--Kids: Just Matt
L--Life is incomplete without: Matt, church, exercise, chocolate, good friends
M--Marriage Date: January 26, 2001
N--Number of Siblings: 7--5 brothers, 2 sisters
O--Oranges or Apples: Grapes
P--Phobias or fears: Public speaking
Q--Quotes: SO many, but here's one..."So what if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?"
R--Reason to Smile: Life is good!
S--Season: Spring
T--Tag 5 Friends: Valerie, Alona, Jennifer, Lacie, Dadra.
U--Unknown fact about me: Umm...I guess I'm an open book. =)
V--Very favorite store: The ones I can afford.
W--Worst habit: 4 words--piles of clean laundry.
X--X-ray or Ultra Sound: Ultra sound. It's kind of cool watching things move around.
Y--Your favorite food: Mmmm...warm chocolate melting cake. (But I would never turn down a good steak.)
Z--Zodiac: Libra

Is it SCOOTER WEATHER yet?

2009-01-06T13:28:00.004-07:00

I just looked outside and it is snowing AGAIN. I'm all for a little snow, but this is getting out of hand! I can hardly wait for weather warm enough to drag that scooter out of hibernation!

This was on Halloween (can you tell from my socks?). My friend's twins were being motorcross kids and our neighbor brought his bike to give them a ride. She is (obviously) pregnant, so we thought it would be great to get a picture on my scooter. The "helmet" was her idea.

Me and another neighbor forming a "scooter gang". We look pretty intimidating, don't we?

Around the Town

2008-12-29T12:08:00.002-07:00

Recently I got a chance to sing on Temple Square with the group I'm in, "Voices." We ended our Christmas singing season at the Visitor Center on the 23rd and it was a blast. Most of my family came to hear me sing. Aren't families great?! On the way home, we stopped to snap a couple pictures of the temple and the lights.

This is our group. I'm the one with the microphone in my face. (Matt's still getting used to being the photographer...)

I Hate Moving

2008-11-14T13:47:00.003-07:00

I realized a long time ago that I really hate the moving process. Why this hasn't stopped me from moving...who knows? But it hasn't. Matt and I decided to buy the house directly across the street from where we live now. (Double the square footage, craft room that's ONLY for crafts, huge master bedroom, STORAGE space, etc.) So we're not packing up boxes, having lots of friends over to help load a truck, having more friends over to unload the truck and then unpacking boxes. That method is bad enough. But no...we decided it would just be easier to carry stuff directly across. For the last week or so, I've been filling bins with items from our house, taking it across the street (with several strange looks from passersby), putting the stuff away, and bringing back the empty bin. Sounds great, right? No boxes, no unpacking that takes months. I thought so too, until I made about a thousand trips across the street and I'm not even close to being finished. And we haven't even started to move the furniture. We have a LOT of stuff. Yikes! Luckily we do have friends who are coming to help us finish Saturday, not to mention those who have already helped me carry lots of stuff across.

So Matt gets to listen to me whine while he reclines and watches TV. (He got a pressure sore on the bottom of his foot and he's supposed to stay off it for a while or it will continue to get worse. I think he bribed the doctor.)

All I can say...thank goodness for amazing friends who are also willing to carry about a thousand loads across the street.

A Lesson in Patience

2008-10-29T07:45:00.003-06:00

I've realized that, in a lot of things, Matt is more patient than I am. We attended the annual pumpkin carving for his family and these are the pumpkins Matt & I carved. I did the simplest thing I could think of and Matt went for something a little more challenging. The picture's a little blurry, but it's still easy to see who's is more impressive!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
May your day be filled with lots of chocolate you probably shouldn't be eating!

Is This Thing On?

2008-10-14T13:41:00.003-06:00

One of Matt's finer moments.

(Side note: This was taken while we were trying to get a good picture for Matt's passport. Can you believe they wouldn't accept this one?)

Sweet Success

2008-10-14T13:38:00.002-06:00

So, apparently no one expects much from me. So says Confuscious. Matt and I ordered Chinese food last Friday and my fortune cookie spoke volumes. It read, "Your success will astonish everyone."

I guess I'd better quit blogging and work on that new rocket I've been developing.

Life is Hard!

2008-10-09T09:24:00.004-06:00

So, Matt and I lead a hard life! We had to go on another business trip to San Diego. I know...rough. Actually, most of the trip really was business, but we found a couple hours to spend at our favorite spots, La Jolla Cove and Coronado Beach. Of course, we also had to stop by our two favorite San Diego area restaurants, Elijah's and Alfonso's. Good stuff!

At La Jolla Cove

Downtown San Diego. Taken from Harbor Island.

This shows how hard life really was! We didn't even have our beach garb on!

My favorite shot of the trip.

Next time you'll all have to go with us!

Sewing Projects

2008-09-29T08:28:00.003-06:00

My friend and I have been trying to motivate each other to finish sewing projects by having "sewing parties" where we get together and bombard my kitchen with sewing machines, fabric pieces, toys (for her daughter), cutting mats, pin cushions, and, of course, snacks. She's currently working on a cute dress, but she accidentally set the iron too hot. I don't think she'll do that again. Luckily, she had enough extra fabric to cut another piece.

The curtains are FINALLY up. These have been driving me crazy for months! You wouldn't think curtains would be that hard, but these sure had my number. The fabric was really thick and I had to use thicker thread that kept getting jammed in my sewing machine. And somewhere along the way, I miscalculated so that the curtains ended up just a smidge too short (and a little crooked, but I won't go there or else I'll scream). I also found out that it is really hard to find a needle big enough to thread cording through so that I could open and close these.

Whew! Next time, I'm forking out the cash to buy blinds!

BOWLYPMICS

2008-09-25T15:10:00.006-06:00

Last Saturday, we held an official "Bowlympics." Each frame had a different method of bowling and then you add up your score. This only works if you have a group that isn't afraid of looking like fools! We had a fantastic group of about 10. (Okay, yes, I am a COMPLETE nerd and we went bowling for my birthday.) Great fun.

This is my friend on the "no approach" round. You had to stand still and just swing your arm. What form!

Matt is seen here demonstrating the "between your legs" round.

This is me trying to get a strike on "hut, hut, hike!" No picture is ever flattering when you're in the midst of a Bowlympics.

Drum Roll Please...

2008-09-22T15:31:00.003-06:00

Here they are, the long awaited pictures. We lost our camera (the one with over 400 pictures from our trip to Nauvoo, along with other summer adventures), so I took new ones. Away we go...

In June, I got to be part of a 12 woman team that ran the Wasatch Back, a 180.5 mile relay from Logan to Heber to Park City. It took us about 30 hours and was one of the coolest things I've ever done. I've already signed up a team for next year, and almost have enough people for a second team. Anyone interested?

I've been keeping busy with Young Womens also. For one of our activities we had a photography professor come and teach us a few basics about taking pictures. This was one of our experiments that night.

This summer, I've decided to try my hand a little more at sewing. This is my first skirt. I even put in a zipper! I loved the fabric and even found a sweater that matched perfectly! Currently, I'm working on new roman shades for my kitchen doors, then I've got a couple more skirts lined up. Easier than buyin' them!

This is right after my Dad was sealed to his new wife in the Bountiful Temple. (Notice the skirt!) My mother passed away about a year and a half ago from cancer. We miss her, but we were also excited to welcome my Dad's wife to the family.

Blog Slacker

2008-08-14T21:41:00.002-06:00

So many things have happened this summer to write about, and I haven't posted anything about ANY of them. I'm such a blog slacker. In my defense, today is the first time in about 5 1/2 weeks that our internet has been working at home. So that's my excuse recently. Before that, who knows? Laziness, lack of creativity, being too busy. Take your pick. None of them are very good. But now that our computer is up and running, I'm ready to upload all the photos from our trip to Nauvoo, Girls Camp, new furniture, sewing projects, and Matt's new toy (his motorcyle). Now I just have to find that darn chord to connect the camera to the computer...

Weekend Warrior--Duchesne

2008-06-03T11:42:00.002-06:00

Matt & I hosted our latest edition of my family's Weekend Warrior out in the Uintah Basin. We stayed in trailers (5th wheel), rode horses, barbequed, hiked the hills, and went geocaching. Tons of fun, even if the weather wasn't totallyl cooperative. Isn't it supposed to be warm now?

Matt works with a guy who has several horses, and he was kind enough to let us all have a try. I have to admit I was a little more nervous than I thought I'd be on a horse. Not quite the same as my scooter!
We passed this trailer on our way through Heber and it made me chuckle! It's hard to read (I was taking this on the move in a car) but the bumper sticker on the back of the trailer says, "I love Alpacas!" We were amused to find later that the trailer was parked a few spots down from ours at the campsite!

Drive-In

2008-04-30T14:26:00.002-06:00

Our ward Young Women did a "Drive-In" and watched the old Johnny Lingo. This is a picture of the "Jeep" I made. It was a lot of fun, except that I couldn't sit in it very long because of the paint fumes. I had an opening door, reclining seat, and a glove box inside to hold my movie snacks!

Sunny Skies

2008-04-23T09:55:00.006-06:00

Matt & I just got back from a trip to Southern California in search of sunny skies. Here are a few of the pictures of our journey!

Of course, one of the stops we had to make was Disneyland! How can you resist? We rode the rides, saw the sights, and took breaks. Having fun is tiring!

This was my first time to see the San Diego Zoo. The weather was perfect and we took advantage of all the "photo ops." I just have to say that Matt is a ham!

We visited La Jolla Cove & absolutely loved the scenery! We had a lot of fun exploring and just listening to the ocean. The only bad part was that a squirrel tried to attack me! Apparently those California squirrels are NOT afraid of people.

Scooter Ride

2008-04-11T11:39:00.004-06:00

With the weather finally (SLOWLY) warming up, I'm ready to get my scooter out and start saving money on gas! I've only been able to get it out a few times so far-and ended up with bugs in my face. If you've ever been attacked by a bug at high speeds, you can attest that it HURTS! Or maybe I'm more of a wimp than I thought. This is a close-up of one that tried to blind me.

Since then, I've ordered a face shield for my helmet so I can keep those pesky critters at bay. It makes for a happier scooter experience!

Oh my, where is he?

2008-04-05T21:32:00.005-06:00

Andrea and I went on a Crusie with some family members to Mexico. What an adventure!! All of you that know Andrea, know that she's an adveturous kind of gal. While we were there,the poor girl got lost and was looking all over for me. Franticly she searched, spending hours and hours at the beach!! All hope seemed to be lost. As a last resort, she decided to check the area of the pier where the resturants are. You'll never believe it, but she found me!! I was, of cours, deep in thought. Normal for me. Anyway, Yeee Haaaa! I'd been found. Here are a couple of pictures to prove this adventure is all true.!!

Cadbury Cream Eggs

2008-03-31T20:53:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I've finally started running again and trying to be healthier. Matt's been very supportive, letting me get a gym membership, buying me cute new pink running shoes, tolerating new running clothes, and listening to me whine about sore muscles.

My only complaint is that he knows how much I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Cadbury Cream Eggs! Why is this bad? Because before Easter he bought me 54 of them! I (grudgingly) ate my way through them thinking that I'd be good as soon as they were gone. It would be such a shame to waste them when you can only get them at Easter time! In my defense, I did give away 7-8 of them, and it did take me OVER three weeks to finish them off!

So then I was really ready to add eating healthier to my daily workouts. I was really committed...for about a week. That's when Matt found an amazing Cadbury Egg blowout sale somewhere and decided to show me how much he loved me. He came home with 112 more! This was two days ago and I think I'm going to have to go through detox after I've eaten all of them! I think I'll be a bit more liberal in sharing this round.

Anyone want a Cadbury Egg?

2008-03-24T11:25:00.000-06:00

As days get warmer, Matt & I think about beaches and oceans. One of our favorite places to visit is San Diego. On many of our visits we take a tour of San Diego harbor. This picture is as we were passing the Coronado Bridge. Wow! Can you just feel that sun?

2008-03-24T10:36:00.000-06:00

Wahoo! I have officially added my first picture!

That wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.