Love, Lindsay

Our new home in photos

2012-02-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

It's the moment you've all been waiting for (OK, not really, but some of you are actually curious)! I finally got around to taking pictures of our new home! Don't judge me -- I know better than to take photos at night instead of using the natural light that filters through the window, but that is the only option when you work full-time and it's dark by the time you get home. :)

Our little kitchen (complete with Valentine's Day lights).

Living room

Office/craft room

Guest room (with my grandma's handmade quilt)

Bathroom. There's just one, but it's big and has double sinks!

Master bedroom

And there you have it! I am wishing the pictures were better now, because we absolutely love the paint, carpet and tiles in the condo. Everything is a nice neutral color, which allows me to feed my obsession with RED. :)

Also, did you notice my amazing Christmas present from Andrew in the pictures above? That's right, it's a digital piano -- and I absolutely love it. When we made the offer on the condo, I told Andrew that we had to get a piano now that we had our own place. Unfortunately, a piano would never have made it up the three flights of stairs without being seriously damaged, so the compromise was a digital piano.

I tried out several, but this one was the right price and has a wonderful sound. It also has weighted keys like a real piano and can be hooked directly to Garage Band via a USB cable -- which means I could record a song directly onto my laptop! I'll be trying that out soon.

Thank you again to those of you who came to our housewarming party last weekend! We loved seeing you and sharing our new home with you. I was overwhelmed that night by the love I felt from so many people that stopped by. We have some really amazing friends and are incredibly blessed.

The Artist

2012-01-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

I had the loveliest day today, and it all began at 3:00 when I went to see The Artist with my co-worker, Kristina. Following a team contest during the holidays, several of us won free paid time off and made a pact to use it together to see a movie. Unfortunately, everyone else bailed but Kristina, so we decided to go anyway. And boy am I glad we did!

I hadn't even heard of The Artist until a few weeks ago when I was watching the Golden Globes and kept seeing clips of a silent, black-and-white film. I had no idea what it was, but any thing in black and white with 1930s-era clothes and a man who looks like Clark Gable is right up my alley. It was absolutely beautiful. The entire film except for two scenes has no sound, although a gorgeous, sweeping music score keeps it from actually being completely silent. It was shot in black and white, too, but not the black and white from the '40s with a grainy, scratched picture. Everyone in the movie had flawless hair and skin, and you felt like you really had stepped back in time.

The Artist is also sort of a movie within a movie, which I loved. It's about George Valentin, a renowned silent film actor who loses everything when the Great Depression hits and silent movies fall away because of the advent of "talkies." It was romantic and visually stunning and basically perfect. I had to call both Andrew and my parents to talk about the movie right after it ended because I thought it was so wonderful.

I have also decided to cut my hair into a 1930s bob, which may prove to be a disaster. The last time I was so enamored with a period movie was when I watched Roman Holiday for the 20th time and cut my hair short like Audrey Hepburn does. Unfortunately, my hair is too curly and did not look as perfect as Audrey's. But here's a picture of Peppy Miller (isn't her character's name adorable?) and what I want my hair to look like:

Source

So then, after I drove home from that movie on cloud nine, I checked the mail and found a package from my wonderful friend, Denice, whom I used to visit teach. The last time I visited her before Christmas, we talked about how much we loved John Denver and The Muppets. When I opened the envelope, I almost cried. She had bought me the Christmas CD and written a beautiful card. I miss her a lot, and I'm really missing our old ward. Moving is always hard for me, because it takes me a while to meet new people and get comfortable.

Then, Andrew brought me a Baconator (yes, I know it sounds gross, but I kept seeing ads for it on TV and craving it -- and it was worth every penny) and the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, which I've been trying to find for several weeks now. And I turned on the TV and caught an episode of Glee for the first time in months, and it was dedicated to Michael Jackson music! LOVE MJ.

Anyway, that was my very random, wonderful day. By the way, I really am planning to post pictures -- just as soon as we finally get some pictures hung and get the final stuff put away. We sold our hutch today so we have money/room for a dresser, but now I have to put away all the stuff that was in the hutch. Ah, moving and unpacking. I hope not to meet you again for awhile. :)

ZBB for me

2012-01-22T20:02:00.001-07:00

I know I promised pictures of our new home, but I'm a perfectionist and hate to post pictures until all the photos are on the walls and we have everything organized the way we'd like it to be. So you'll have to wait for a few more days. :)

Here is one photo to make this post more interesting. Andrew and I went to the Zac Brown Band concert yesterday and quickly snapped this picture from our seats. They were actually on the top level of the Maverik Center, which you wouldn't think would be that great, but they were actually pretty close to the stage.

I will be the first to admit that this is not a great picture of me. I am still in a lot of pain from the wisdom teeth surgery, and my head was already hurting when we got to the concert. Combine that with REALLY loud speakers and four hours of sitting in a tiny stadium chair, and you get a massive headache.

Oh, and the people down the row from us felt the need to get totally hammered during the concert, so they got up about every half hour and made us move so they could get by and bring back beer. I'm sure each of them drank five tall cups of beer -- and then one of them kicked over another lady's cup going to get more beer, so Andrew and I were sitting in a deep puddle of it by the end of the concert. NOT COOL. Good thing there was a snowstorm, so we were able to wipe all of it off our shoes just walking to the car.

Anyway. The concert was amazing! Zac Brown and every single person in the band was incredibly talented. They did a rendition of "Devil Went Down to Georgia," and I have never seen someone play the fiddle that fast. I liked every single song they sang, and they looked like they were having the time of their lives. The guitarist kept running back and forth on the stage, and we could have sworn he was going to go crowd-surfing at one point. The bass player had a stunning voice, and all of the band members sang this incredible rendition of "America the Beautiful" as an intro to "Chicken Fried." It was so much fun to hear ZBB live. My toes were tapping and my hands were clapping the entire time.

The thing I liked most about it, though, was how real everyone was. Zac Brown looks like a normal guy, with his beanie and thick beard, and everyone else looked like they escaped from Woodstock -- but in a good way. I like that they're not polished and putting on a gimmicky show with fireworks or water or crazy lights. They're just a bunch of guys singing incredible, soulful songs who are playing their hearts out and giving you a great, heartfelt performance. If you get the chance to see them live, DO IT. You will love every minute of it.

Thanks for the great Christmas present, Andrew! Best concert yet, in my opinion -- although the 2008 James Taylor concert comes close. :)

For the longest time

2012-01-15T22:54:00.003-07:00

This has been one of the longest and shortest weeks of my entire life. How is that possible, you might ask? Here's how:

I spent eleven hours at work on Tuesday putting together a website that is supposed to launch January 19. That website has now undergone major changes, which kind of freaks me out, but I can do nothing about it until I'm back in the office next Tuesday.

I got about five hours of sleep on Tuesday night and was extremely exhausted at work on Wednesday. When combined with a sore throat and no food, I was basically a wreck. We signed all the documents and made the condo officially ours at noon. After packing two trucks, an Explorer and my Accord full of our stuff, we drove over to the condo and started unpacking. Andrew sent me home soon after because I hadn't eaten anything for hours and had to start fasting so I could get my wisdom teeth out the next day. Then Andrew, his mom and our good friend Anthony made several more trips and got almost everything into the condo.

I got my wisdom teeth out on Thursday morning and spent the day in and out of sleep. Andrew finished picking up the odds and ends left at our old place and started putting things together. Fortunately, we were able to spend Wednesday and Thursday night at his parents' home since nothing was together in our new condo yet. We planned on officially moving in last night, only to find out that the gas company had turned off the gas on Wednesday until we put the utilities in our name. By some miracle, though, the gas was turned on sometime Saturday afternoon -- which means that we can actually start living here now! :)

The good news is that it is FINALLY ours. It seems surreal. Andrew's done a great job of putting things together, and it's looking great. Once I stop swelling and feel a little better, I'll be able to organize things and we'll get some pictures hung on the walls to make it feel more like a home.

I know I've been promising pictures, but the camera is too far away from the couch and I don't feel like getting it and uploading a bunch of photos. More to come soon!

Wisdom

2012-01-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, the beginning of 2012 has not brought good news so far. We are still waiting for our condo to close (although it's almost certain that it will happen Tuesday -- cross your fingers!), and a trip to the oral surgeon brought even worse news. After sitting in his office for nearly two hours, I learned that a) I have to have all four wisdom teeth out immediately and b) the jaw surgery that I need will cost $10,000 plus hospital fees -- and that's after insurance covers about $2,000.

Needless to say, it was a frustrating week, and this one is shaping up to be very hectic. Andrew starts school again tomorrow, beginning with a 7 a.m. class, and I get my wisdom teeth out on Thursday. Even if we do actually close on Tuesday, we won't be able to even begin moving until about 8 p.m. that day, and then we'll just have Wednesday night to finish moving/start unpacking before I get my wisdom teeth out and will be out of commission for a few days.

To top it off, my parents are bringing our washer and dryer down from Idaho, so we'll have to have things somewhat put together before they get here so they actually have a place to sleep. I'm really frustrated and mad about how things have gone through this entire process. It's been absolutely ridiculous. Closing this weekend -- or about TWO weekends ago, like we were supposed to -- would have been ideal.

We did do the final walk-through this week, so as soon as I muster up some energy, I'll post some pictures of the rooms. It's going to be wonderful to have our own place and much more space. I just have to keep reminding myself of that, especially as we face another long, busy week.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

To counter the ugly Christmas tree photo from last week's post, here is a much cuter one of Andrew and I together with his 97-year-old Grandpa Wertz the day after Christmas. We love Grandpa Wertz. :)

We are still waiting for our condo to close, but we're shooting for the end of this week. We'll see what happens. Andrew is helping me to relax and not worry about it (something that I struggle with), and it was nice to have a few days off work again. I know 2012 is going to be a great year.

While I don't usually make resolutions, usually because I only get discouraged when I look back and see that I failed, I am definitely going to help my husband with his -- losing 40 pounds by June. He's started a blog -- Fat 2 Less Fat -- and would appreciate any support from friends and family as he posts about his progress. I'm also planning to get in better shape along with him and get the killer abs I've always wanted. :)

I'm also planning to focus more on stress relief and relaxation this year, which I've always struggled with, and doing more creative things with music and writing.

Here's to making 2012 great! We're all still around (the Mayans were wrong so far), so we might as well make it the best year ever.

In a bit of a rut

2011-12-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I was a little presumptuous in my last post. We are still waiting to close on our condo, and it looks like it's not going to happen until next week. I hate being in limbo. We haven't packed anything because we don't know when we'll be moving, and I just don't have the heart to put things away right now or organize the messy desk. To me, mess = stress. Sigh.

We did have a nice Christmas with my family in Idaho, and we drove home that night so we could spend the next day with Andrew's family. Andrew surprised me with some gorgeous handmade jewelry from Etsy (yes, I am obsessed) and the final three seasons of Gilmore Girls! Yesssssss. We also spent the evening with friends yesterday watching another one of my Christmas presents, The Help. If you haven't already seen it, go rent it. It always makes me a little sad, but it's a great movie -- and a great book as well.

Since I haven't taken many pictures of us lately, here's one of us in front of our Christmas tree.

Unfortunately, it's not great because a) we were both exhausted and b) I am going through an ugly stage. Seriously. I don't know if any of you go through times when you absolutely hate your hair, but I'm in that phase now. I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut it soon, because I can't stand it anymore. And, of course, the braces aren't doing me any favors. I feel so ugly all the time, especially at work.

One of my new year's resolutions this year is going to be a selfish one. I'm going to start getting up earlier and actually doing hairstyles and makeup ideas I've found on Pinterest. I'm going to lay out the clothes I'm going to wear the night before instead of scrambling in the morning and ending up hating everything in my closet. I want to be one of those people who looks put-together every day, and I know I can do it. I just need some self-confidence again to get myself out of this rut.

Are any of you in a style/self-esteem hole? Maybe it's just the cold weather and the awful Utah smog. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you're anticipating a happier new year! I know I am. :)

Home sweeter home

2011-12-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

**Not a current photo. We haven't taken pictures lately.

As promised, I am spilling the beans about one of the opportunities I mentioned in this post: We're moving! After our landlord decided to raise our rent beginning in February by quite a significant amount, we decided it was time to start looking for a house.

Unfortunately, we didn't find a house in the Murray/Holladay area that we liked and was in our price range -- but we did find a cute little three-bedroom condo in Holladay that we fell in love with! We made an offer and it was accepted about a month ago, but since then it's been wait, wait, wait. We should close this week or next, however, and then we'll be moving into our own place! Andrew and I are super excited for this new opportunity and so happy to have more room.

It's bittersweet, too, of course. I cried at church today when they released me from my calling as the primary pianist, and there are quite a few people in our ward that we've grown to love and are really going to miss. Andrew is also sad to leave his calling as elder's quorum secretary, and we'll miss the neighborhood we live in and how close it is to Murray Park.

Our new home is going to be wonderful, though. We know the neighborhood well, and we'll be close to I-215 and a bit closer to work for both of us. We'll also have our own washer and dryer, so we can avoid the moldy laundry room here, and big walk-in closets to store all of our stuff.

Photos of our new space will come soon. I hope you're all having a great December. We are just counting down the days to Christmas now. It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

The best way to spread Christmas cheer

2011-12-11T20:35:00.001-07:00

I love Christmas music so, so much -- and I love Christmas movies nearly as much (within reason). So I have to share a few of my favorite songs, albums and movies with you while you still have time to listen to/watch them! :)

Albums:

1. Harry Connick, Jr.'s "When My Heart Finds Christmas." The title track is beautiful, but I can honestly say that there's not a song on the album that I don't like. If you like classic big band Christmas music, you'll love this CD -- and, of course, Harry adds his own little jazzy twist to it. Soooooooo good.

2. The Vince Guaraldi Trio's "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The minute "Linus and Lucy" starts, you'll want to start dancing like Lucy and Charlie Brown and all of the Peanuts characters do. It's the best track on the album, but all of them are straight out of the movie. I am actually ashamed to say that I didn't even have this album until last year, when my friend Lizzy had it playing at her apartment. I'm so glad I bought it. It makes Christmas more fun and brings back great memories.

3. The Carpenters' "Christmas Portrait." If you don't already own this album, you need to get it. Karen Carpenter's voice is so gorgeous, and I love the arrangements of traditional Christmas songs. The song "Merry Christmas, Darling" is one of my all-time favorites, but they're all beautiful. "Christmas Waltz" is wonderful as well.

4. George Winston's "December." I usually prefer vocal Christmas music to instrumental albums (there is just FAR too much awful keyboard music out there, and I heard a lot of it on the radio as a kid), but this one is so peaceful and perfect. Last year the mp3 album was $5 on Amazon, so you might be able to get a good deal this year, too. It includes instrumental versions of "Carol of the Bells" and "Pachelbel's Canon" and several original compositions, too. I actually put this album on a lot when I'm trying to sleep because it's so calming. You will love it -- I promise. :)

Songs:

1. Celtic Woman's "Silent Night." I'm not really into Celtic music (read: I do not like it), but last year my visiting teacher gave me a CD of different Christmas songs and this song was on it. It is one of the most beautiful versions I've ever heard, hands down. She has an incredibly clear, ethereal voice, and the arrangement is simple and so pretty. I love it just as much as the next song, which is --

2. Jewel's "O, Holy Night." For some reason I can't quite understand, I only have this song from her "Joy" album -- but it is incredible. Jewel has such an amazing range, and this song really showcases her stunning talent. I LOVE IT and could listen to it all day.

3. Ella Fitzgerald's "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." I love jazz (as you've probably gathered), and Ella is queen of great jazz. This song just makes me smile and really makes me want to sing with a big band. Wouldn't that be AWESOME?

4. Michael Buble's "My Grown-up Christmas List." Sadly, I have not yet heard his new Christmas album, but I love his version of this song on his first Christmas album. He sings it so smoothly and it is ten times better than Natalie Cole's version (of course, I could write an entire post just on how much I detest her rendition of "The Holly and the Ivy").

Movies:

1. The Gift of Love. Oh. my. word. This is one of those movies that very few people know about, but it came out in the late '70s and stars Marie Osmond and James Woods and is SO GOOD. It's based on the short story "The Gift of Love" where the couple sells their most prized possessions to buy Christmas presents for each other. I'm actually watching it right now, and it's one of the most romantic movies I've ever seen -- but not over the top like The Notebook. Blecch. If you want to borrow it from me, let me know. Otherwise, you can get it on Amazon for about $20, and it's seriously worth every penny. Great music, period costumes, romance, wonderful Christmas message -- it's got it all! :)

And, that's actually it for movies. I'm sure that you've all seen the rest of the Christmas movies I like (Home Alone, Elf, It's A Wonderful Life), but I just had to share some of my favorites with you.

I hope you're all having the most wonderful Christmas season! These songs and that fabulous movie help me get into the season each year.

More things that must go

2011-12-07T21:34:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know it is the holiday season and a time to be charitable, but there are several more things I just have to add to my "things that must go" list. Here goes:

1. Rabid couponers who must post photos of their finds on Facebook whenever they go shopping. There's a reason they call it "extreme couponing." I don't need to see pictures of the rolls of toilet paper you bought or the boxes of macaroni and cheese and hear that you got everything for just $7.59. That's great that you have time on your hands to clip coupons and scan weekly ads for even better deals -- but I really don't care, and I don't want to hear about it.

2. The obligatory Christmas poems with incorrect rhythm. Unless it is freestyle, (read: doesn't have a set pattern and doesn't need to rhyme) a poem needs to have the same rhythm on every line. This is why Shakespeare was and is the master of poetry: his sonnets stuck to a RIGID iambic pentameter and flowed beautifully off the tongue; they were meant to be read aloud. There are way too many Christmas poems (and other holiday poems, for that matter) that just throw sentences together and rhyme the end of the second and fourth lines of the quatrains and call it good. OK, sorry. Please excuse all of the poetry terms there. It just REALLY bugs me when I read a poem out loud and the rhythm is way off.

Actually, that's it for now. Obviously, I read one too many bad Christmas poems this week. :)

Wired

2011-12-04T15:47:00.001-07:00

I got my braces on last Thursday, and I'm not going to pretend that I like them. In fact, I hate them, just like I knew I would. They are making huge sores on the insides of my lips, I have not been able to enjoy solid food for three days and I look like I'm 12 (or at least 14, as one co-worker put it) whenever I open my mouth. I just ate a bowl of chocolate pudding and enviously watched Andrew devour a buttered bagel, one of my all-time favorites. Also, I am currently lisping a bit when I talk because my lips don't want to move to accommodate the wires and brackets.

Before

After

Fortunately, they won't last forever, and when they're off, I will have a DAZZLING smile and no tooth or jaw problems. And I will look like I am in my mid-twenties again. :)

Due to my headaches and inability to talk like a normal person (or eat anything not pureed), we had a pretty low-key weekend spent at Andrew's parents' house doing laundry and watching holiday movies on TV. I introduced Andrew to "It's A Wonderful Life," which was just as great as I remembered it. I actually just read an article about how copyright laws have prohibited stations from showing that movie except on Christmas Eve and one other day of the year (yesterday). That movie reminds me of my late grandpa, who really liked it, and I wished I could have been watching it with him.

I also had the opportunity to sing one of my favorite Christmas songs, "O Holy Night," at the nursing home in our stake today. It was nice and depressing at the same time, especially since one lady couldn't talk but basically made these awful moaning sounds throughout the sacrament meeting and another lady was sitting in her wheelchair by the door as we left waving to her family as they drove away, looking incredibly lonely. Andrew told me we are going sky diving and not pulling the parachute when we get old so we don't end up in a nursing home. It is sad to see so many people who can barely take care of themselves there. At the same time, though, I definitely feel the spirit very strongly there and know that Heavenly Father is mindful of his elderly children, especially when they're hurting and feeling alone. It made me happy to know that I brought a little joy to their Sunday.

May you all have the happiest Sabbath day!

Anticipation

2011-11-29T22:44:00.001-07:00

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family, and I hope you all did as well! I took absolutely no pictures, ate way too much food and hung out with my siblings and my new sister-in-law for several days. It was nice to have a break.

And I have two BIG opportunities looming right now that are reminding me how much I struggle with patience -- and how anxious I get in the wake of the unknown. I always think I'm doing better with patience until I have to wait for some news. I think it's Heavenly Father's way of reminding me that He is in charge and things run on His timing.

Sorry for the ambiguity of this post. I desperately want to share good news, but I'm afraid to spoil or jinx anything right now. The minute I have confirmation, I will share it -- I promise. :)

Until then, I'm trying to unwind by watching Anne of Green Gables and getting lost in Anne and Gilbert's romance for the 50th time. If you haven't read the series or seen the movies, I highly recommend both. AHHHHH. They're just wonderful, and they're helping me calm my anxiety.

More to come soon!

Let's go fly a kite

2011-11-20T16:54:00.001-07:00

Are you familiar with Goodreads? If not, I highly recommend it. It's a cool website where you mark books you've read and want to read, which is excellent for me, because I can't remember books I've read years and years ago. And, like Facebook, you can add friends and see what they're reading and get ideas on your next favorite book. It really is an awesome place to keep track of books, write and read reviews and see what the latest and greatest books are.

Anyway, I've had The Kite Runner on my list of to-reads for months, and I finally picked up a used copy at D.I. a little while ago. I had absolutely no idea what it was about, only that it was supposed to be amazing and had been on The New York Times' bestseller list forever. So I started it one night and then brought it into work with me the next day so I could read it at lunch.

Almost every day since then, someone has seen me with that book and looked at it with the same longing look as a kid window shopping at a toy store. And, inevitably, complete strangers will hop on the elevator, take one look at my hands and say, "That's an amazing book," or "I absolutely loved that book." People would even come up to me in the break room while I was reading it and comment on how much they liked it. It was like being part of a cool club where everyone is suddenly getting the same haircut and looking fabulous with it -- you just wanted to have that same feeling.

I finished the book today, and I now understand why people I would probably never have a reason to talk to otherwise were looking at the cover so longingly. It was an incredible history of Afghanistan over about a 40-year period, but even more than that, it was a heartbreaking story about friendship, integrity, bigotry, heritage and honor. I swear I'm not trying to sound like a reviewer, but that's how wonderful this book was. At one point, I stayed up until 1 a.m. to get through a particularly intense part and ended the chapter nearly sobbing. The emotions in this book are raw, and you get swept up into the lives of the characters easily. I also loved how straightforward and simple the prose is -- Khaled Hosseini tells his story with vivid and powerful descriptions, but he lets the story take the forefront. You feel like you're reading his very private journal and, at the same time, looking through a scrapbook of his life.

Obviously, I recommend this book wholeheartedly, but it has also inspired me to focus more on my dreams as a writer, musician and photographer. I want to write something that makes perfect strangers stop each other in elevators to talk about how much they loved the book someone has in hand. I want to record a CD that makes people happy and that they'll listen to in their car when they need to unwind and feel content again. And I want to take more pictures that instantly tell stories and capture whimsy and emotion.

Here's to dreams and making them come true. What books have inspired you? I'm now on the hunt for the next Kite Runner.

Pedal to the metal

2011-11-16T22:01:00.001-07:00

So, it's official -- I am getting braces December 1. Merry Christmas to me.

The good news, however, is that my sister-in-law recommended an orthodontist in American Fork who is charging $2,000 less than the original orthodontist I got a consultation with. It is unbelievable that there is that much of a difference between two offices that are only about 45 minutes apart. Ridiculous.

I'm definitely not looking forward to the braces (who would be?), but I am looking forward to finally getting the problems with my teeth straightened out. I have always been very careful with how I smile, especially the last several years when I noticed that my teeth had gone back to where they were before the braces at age 14, but I'm hoping that the braces will not only straighten my teeth permanently but will also prevent any problems later in life with bone damage.

I'm also feeling particularly grateful for the things that I have right now and feeling very humbled. There is a saying something along these lines that has been in my head lately: "Be grateful for the trials you have, because if you knew what other people were going through, you'd beg for your own problems." Lately, I've discovered things friends are experiencing that are absolutely heartbreaking -- things that make me feel overwhelming gratitude for the time of life I'm in now.

I think it's human nature to be envious, no matter what you have. It's easy to forget all the things you do have and focus on the things you don't and the talents you're lacking. I'm envious sometimes of bloggers who can refashion old clothes and make crafts out of stuff laying around the house. I'm envious sometimes of women who have straight, easy-to-style hair and don't feel like they're taming a rat's nest every day. I'm envious sometimes of women who own a home and can decorate it however they'd like.

And then I realize that there are probably people who are envious of me! I am married to a wonderful man, I have a great job, I have a nice car that runs, and I have so many blessings in my life that I don't even think about. Heavenly Father throws curve balls from time to time, like He does in everyone's life, but I have no reason to feel down on myself or wish for something more.

So when I get braces next month, I'm sure I'll have a few tears at first. That's just me -- I have to cry things out sometimes. But I'm going to look at this in a positive way and remember that it's a blessing to have a bit saved up for things like this. And I'm going to stop myself when the "green-eyed monster" of envy starts creeping back in. There's too little time in the day to let her affect me.

Country music continued

2011-11-10T22:16:00.001-07:00

As promised, here is a follow-up post to yesterday's run-through of CMA winners. But before I list a few of my favorite artists, I have to tell you something that really bothers me: people who, when they hear that you like country music or happen to hear a few bars of something that sounds even remotely like a country song, automatically say, as if on cue, "I HATE country music."

This is like saying you hate American food when really you just hate onion rings (like I do). There's no way you could hate every country song or the entire genre, because it's like any other kind of music. Some songs/artists are incredible, and others are annoying and have so much twang in their voice that you can't stand to listen for more than 30 seconds. And I will be the first to say that I do not like country Christmas music AT ALL (but that is a post for another day). Anyway, if you're one of those people -- like my sister -- who think you hate country music, I implore you to give one of the following artists a listen.

The Band Perry: This group is pretty new, but I absolutely LOVE the song "If I Die Young," and I think you'll also like it, even if you're not a country fan. Check it out if you haven't heard it already -- the music video is adorable, too. And I want the dress Kimberly Perry wore during her CMA performance yesterday badly. The picture below doesn't really do it justice, but it's cherry red and covered in sequins. Impractical? Obviously. Would I ever have a place to wear it? Definitely not. But I love it just the same, and I know I could rock that dress. :)

Source

Zac Brown Band: Oh, this band could sing the phone book and I'd drink it in. All of their stuff is wonderful, but I really love "Colder Weather" (see if you can find the version featuring Amos Lee for an amazing treat -- unfortunately, you can't buy it, and all of the YouTube recordings are terrible). "As She's Walkin' Away" is also great, and it features the wonderful Alan Jackson!

Little Big Town: I have to admit that I haven't listened to their latest album, but I love "Boondocks" and "A Little More You." Their tight harmonies are incredible to listen to, and I like that one of the girls has really big, curly hair. It makes me feel better about my own wild hair. Just saying.

Lady Antebellum: This is another one of those groups that has a great sound, and Charles Kelley's voice makes me melt. I'm sure you've heard "Need You Now" on the radio (it was WAY overplayed), but I also like "Love Don't Live Here." They also have some pretty songs on their new album.

And I must add that I love the song "You and Tequila" by Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter SO MUCH right now. I could listen to it 10 times in a row and get tired of it. I have an off-on relationship with Kenny Chesney (actually, usually I don't like anything Kenny Chesney does -- especially after "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy"), but this song is folksy, slow and wonderful. Yes, I realize it is about tequila and no, I can't relate to alcoholism, but I just like the harmony and the melody so much.

I hope I have changed your mind a little if you were a country hater or just given you a few ideas of songs to listen to when you're looking for something to switch things up a little. I like that country songs always tell a story. They're not all great, but the ones that are make me a little bit happier. Just ask Andrew. All it took was four new country songs yesterday to keep me bouncing off the walls until well after midnight -- and just listening to them at work today on my iPod was enough to brighten up a long day.

She's country

2011-11-10T00:15:00.002-07:00

Since I have just spent about a half hour pestering Andrew (who is trying very hard to get homework done) with the results of the CMAs and going through why I dislike Taylor Swift (which he has heard 10 times before), I decided to make a better use of my time by -- that's right -- telling all of YOU about it! :)

I get into these country phases suddenly when something triggers them. First, it was my grandfather's death in 2009 that set off an obsession (and, subsequently, at least $50 in music downloads) with country for months and months. Since that point, I go in and out of country phases, and the current one started when someone at work suggested that this Friday be "dress-like-a-cowboy" day and started blasting country music from his cubicle this afternoon.

Of course, it didn't help that the Country Music Awards came on tonight and some of my favorite artists sang (which resulted in several more music downloads within the past hour). So here's my low-down on the winners:

Taylor Swift: I admire Taylor Swift's songwriting ability and have two of her songs, but the girl CANNOT PERFORM LIVE. Seriously. Andrew and I heard her sing once on a TV show, and it was awful. As a singer, I have performed many times on a stage with a microphone, and I know how hard it is to stay in tune when the music is playing behind you and you're focused on performing well to a crowd. This is why I also have little sympathy for multimillion dollar artists who suck onstage. Anyone (OK, not anyone) can sound fabulous inside a recording studio with equalizers and headphones and a quiet, soundproof room. The real test is whether you can perform well under pressure, and in my opinion, she can't. So I disagree with her award as Entertainer of the Year. Give that to someone who really has pipes, like Carrie Underwood (and definitely not to Faith Hill, who also is terrible live and was not too great singing at the CMAs tonight).

Blake Shelton: I like Blake Shelton's voice, but unfortunately, two of his most popular songs are covers that ruined the originals: "Home," by Michael Buble, and "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes. I mean, really? Both of those songs were amazing by themselves, and all Blake Shelton did was add a twang to them and slow them down. Artists who countrify pop songs really bug me (case in point: Reba's cover of "Because of You"). Don't get me wrong. I love a lot of covers out there. But if you're going to cover a song, it needs to either be better than the original or add some kind of depth and uniqueness to it. Sorry, Blake -- you did neither.

Phew. Glad I got that off my chest. I was planning on following up my rant about the artists I'm not big on with the country artists I love, but it's midnight and I'll regret it when I have to wake up in the morning. So, until tomorrow, friends! If you're a fan of country, please let me know! It's fun to discuss opinions with someone else since my family hates country. :)

Things that must go

2011-11-03T22:52:00.000-06:00

This is my "blowing off steam" picture.

I listen to a radio station in the morning for a few minutes on the way to work that has a weekly "Things that Must Go" feature. One week, the radio hosts list a few of the things that bother them, and the next week, it's up to listeners to send in their complaints.

This week, I've decided to create my own things that must go list. Don't worry; this is not going to be a weekly or even monthly thing. It's just my little vent-for-a-minute-about-things-that-annoy-me-and-then-go-back-to-life post. Note: Take this all with a grain of salt. As Andrew can tell you, things that bother me don't always bug anyone else -- but it's still fun to occasionally get them off your chest. :)

Couples who combine their Facebook profiles into one. OK. I understand when you get married that you want to "become one," but this does NOT mean that you can no longer have your own Facebook profile or -- heaven forbid -- your own email address. Every time I see a "Fred N' Ginger Rogers" or "TomandKatie Holmes-Cruise," I die a little inside. Really? You don't have the time to manage your own Facebook profile and keep in touch with your own friends, so you merge your spouse's profile with yours and then make it impossible for someone to know who, in fact, they are actually getting when they write on your wall? Here's a suggestion. Keep your own profile and your own individual posts and friends so that people can contact YOU and not "andDave." And please leave the "'n" to '90s musical groups like Salt-n-Pepa.

Give-us-money mail from universities. I am proud to tell people that I attended BYU-Idaho, and if I am ever wealthy, I would definitely like to be one of those philanthropists who donates money to scholarship funds or pledges enough for a new building named after them (doesn't the Wilcox auditorium have a nice ring to it?) But until that time comes, if it ever does, I do NOT need letter after letter from the university asking that I contribute and get my husband to contribute and ask our EMPLOYERS if they will match our contributions and submit my personal information so they can update their alumni database. This must go.

The omission of Gilmore Girls from ABC Family. Yes, I own four seasons of the show already, but this does not mean that you can just remove one of the greatest sitcoms of all time from your lineup and replace it with hours of That 70's Show, Pretty Little Liars and -- the worst of them all -- America's Funniest Home Videos. On the other hand, you have made it much easier for me to start weaning myself off cable TV, so maybe this isn't such a bad thing. But really? I'm sure I'm not the only one missing my Rory and Lorelai fix every weekday night.

OK, three things are enough for this list. I do feel better -- and I encourage you all to write your own things that must go if you're like me and just want to gripe about the silly things that bother you. It can be incredibly cathartic.

Thing 1 and Thing 2

2011-11-01T21:45:00.000-06:00

First of all, thank you all for your kind comments about my last post. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about the braces, but I'm meeting with another orthodontist on Thursday to get a second opinion, so we'll see.

Now, on to Halloween! Andrew and I both like SIMPLE for Halloween, which is why we came up with Thing 1 and Thing 2. All it required was matching shirts (which Andrew's brother made for us), a blue wig, crazy eyelashes and blue hair paint. We didn't go to any Halloween parties, but we did go out to dinner with friends at an Indian restaurant and got plenty of funny looks there. :)

I debated for awhile about putting that last picture of me on here because I look incredibly washed out and exhausted. But I am too tired to Photoshop it and fix the lighting, so you get the whole ugly picture. Blue hair obviously doesn't work with my skin tone.

Pictures from our trip to Andrew's uncle's cabin last weekend will be coming soon!

Brace yourself

2011-10-26T20:57:00.000-06:00

I am not what you'd call high-maintenance. I am the type of person who thinks it's annoying to spend more than 15 minutes getting ready in the morning -- and that includes showering, getting dressed and doing my hair.

Which is probably why I put off going to the orthodontist for so long. I kept pretending that my teeth weren't going to keep moving and that the dentist would only have good news at every checkup as long as I kept brushing and flossing.

Unfortunately, reality has a habit of biting you in the bottom when you least expect it. After sitting in a reclining chair and listening to the orthodontist telling his assistant phrases like "bone loss," "severe overjet" and "moderate crowding," I learned three things that I already knew:

1) My teeth will continue to move (and eventually suffer bone loss) if I don't get braces to fix them.

2) I really, really need to have jaw surgery if I want to protect my jaw from further damage (hence the phrase "bone loss" again).

3) I have to have the hard-core metal brackets and colored rubber bands, because Invisalign (the plastic braces that people with only slight dental problems can use) isn't strong enough for my teeth. Nice.

And, of course, I learned three things that I didn't already know:

1) Braces cost an obscene amount of money -- nearly $6,000 total.

2) No one (do you know anyone?) has orthodontic insurance, including me, and my dental insurance only covers $1,000 -- up to age 19. I am 24.

3) I will have to channel my inner teen again and wear braces for at least 20 months.

As I sat in the orthodontist's office looking at horrible mug shots of me straight on and from the side and x-rays of my jaw, all I could think of was I look like a criminal and How am I ever going to pay for this? and I'm almost 25 years old. I don't want to look (and feel) like a 14-year-old again.

Then I cried. In the orthodontist's office. Who cries in the orthodontist's office? And I'm crying again now. Stupid cry-at-everything genes!

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that the next time you see a picture of me, I will look ten years younger (in a bad way) and will probably not be smiling very broadly since the braces I had at 14 had the annoying habit of cutting into my lips.

Wish me luck as I try to figure out how to deal with two years of braces (and pay for thousands worth of metal wires and brackets)! I'd love to hear your dental stories, too -- I could use some cheering up. :(

Andrew channels Martha Stewart

2011-10-23T14:31:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, we found a recipe for Martha Stewart's macaroni and cheese and decided we had to try it. I was a bit skeptical, especially since it called for stuff like Gruyere and sharp white cheddar cheese (which obviously weren't available at our local Walmart last night), but Andrew put it all together after church this afternoon and the results were AMAZING:

We just ate a little bit of it because we're heading to dinner in about two hours at his parents' house, but it's creamy and tangy and crispy all at the same time. And, since Andrew decided to make it, I just had to help with clean-up. :)

As for last week, we didn't make it to the Haunted Village and probably won't this year, but we did hit a corn maze in West Jordan and discovered that there IS, in fact, a place in Salt Lake that serves butter brickle ice cream -- Culver's! To think that Andrew and some other friends didn't believe my favorite ice cream flavor (which, until now, I've only been able to get at Big J's in St. Anthony) really existed.

I also love the picture of our funny jack-o-lantern, Buster, below. Now if we only get some trick or treaters this year! We are ready for Halloween.

Frightmares!

2011-10-16T18:17:00.001-06:00

October is flying by just like September did, but we've managed to squeeze in a few fun Halloween things so far. On Friday, we went to Frightmares at Lagoon! I was SO EXCITED, because we didn't make it to Lagoon this summer. We got there about 6:45, but we still managed to go on every ride we wanted to before the park closed at 10. This is a picture of us at Wild Mouse (which Andrew doesn't really like to ride but I think it's hilarious):

Obviously, I am so thrilled to be riding it. And I'm wearing my new owl beanie, too -- which I have been wearing EVERYWHERE, even out to dinner. :)

We're also planning to visit the Haunted Village at the This Is The Place park sometime this week. For those of you in the Salt Lake area, I highly recommend it -- and you can go here to print out a coupon.

Pictures of our funny jack-o-lantern will come soon. And don't worry -- I'm still planning to share my travel blog once I get time to put it together.

Homeless

2011-10-08T22:19:00.000-06:00

Andrew will tell you that I am a big softie and can no longer carry cash around because I give it to all of the homeless people I see. Unfortunately, that's not the best idea for our budget, and it's not always the best for someone who is homeless, either.

That's why I got stoked about this great idea on a blog I follow, I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar: put together survival kits for people who are struggling! The writer didn't give a lot of details about it, so Andrew and I went to Walmart the other night and picked out stuff to make a few of our own.

Excuse the lame picture. It was 11 at night and I was tired and didn't feel like actually laying it out somewhere to take a good photo.

We bought two boxes of granola bars, some packaged cheese and crackers, packs of tissues, small bottles of water, bars of soap, individual first aid kits, gum and a little travel-size package that included a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. Then we bought cheap gallon-size plastic bags and put everything inside.

I'm going to keep some bags in my car for the right occasion. Andrew is really good about buying homeless people food when he sees them outside restaurants downtown, but this will be an easy way for both him and I to serve.

If you plan on making some, be sure to put the soap in a small plastic bag before you put it in the big one. Let's just say that an unfortunate incident at college with soap in the same drawer as a bag of Hershey's kisses has taught me the dangers of mixing soap and food.

Also, I would have liked to include a comb or a brush in these, but Walmart was out of individual combs when we were there. I may add some if I can find some in the next few days.

I'll keep you posted on whether I'm able to give the bags away! I'm really excited about this and just wanted to share. :)

Autumn leaves

2011-10-03T22:59:00.000-06:00

After conference, Andrew and I decided to take a drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon to see the fall colors before the snow comes (NOOOOOOOOOO). The canyon did not disappoint.

It's not the best picture of us (we're both pretty shadowy), but aren't the colors stunning? I love fall!

It was all yellow

2011-09-25T22:41:00.000-06:00

We decided to take a few days off for Jackson Hole and Yellowstone this weekend, so here are just a few of our favorite photos from the trip.

Going up there always makes me a little homesick for Idaho, because memories of going there with my family and spending so much of my life in the surrounding areas come flooding back. I was again struck by the beauty of this area and how blessed I was to grow up there.

We loved touring Yellowstone again and seeing the beautiful fall colors of Star Valley and Jackson, Wyoming, and we're already planning an even longer trip for next fall!

Also, due to the request of a co-worker who wants to see photos of all of the beautiful places in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana that I always talk about when I come home from road trips like this, I'm going to start a travel blog with photos of my favorite spots. Stay tuned for that!

I hope you all get a chance to see Yellowstone if you haven't already. It's incredible, and it makes me so happy each time we visit.

Wake me up when September ends

2011-09-15T23:46:00.000-06:00

The title of this post is actually not meant to be negative -- the Green Day song was just what came to mind when I was trying to come up with something that described this month. :) It has been busy, busy, busy -- and it's only the middle of the month! I decided to post a few photos of things we've been up to lately:

While this technically wasn't in September, we celebrated Andrew's mom's birthday August 28 in Millcreek Canyon. The weather was beautiful, and it was fun to spend time with a few of Andrew's siblings and their kids.

On September 9, we waited out the rainstorm and crazy lightning that followed us to the Usana to see Rascal Flatts!

It was Andrew's birthday present, and we had a lot of fun -- apart from the guy sitting behind us who had a particular love for the F-word, the crazy DJ who kept asking how the crowd was doing in a Rex Kwon Do voice (I am NOT exaggerating) and the morons in the parking lot who made us wait for an hour just to get on the road home.

We capped off a crazy month with a trip to the Utah State Fair on Tuesday, where we ate yummy burritos, drank watermelon water, walked around the photography displays and took tons of pictures of the rides at night. I am in LOVE with Ferris wheels!

I hope you're all having a wonderful September, too! Maybe soon things will slow down!

Ten years ago...

2011-09-11T20:04:00.000-06:00

I was 14 years old and sitting in my history class at South Fremont High School. I had never heard of the World Trade Center towers and suddenly, I was watching them crumble and wishing I could get the images of smoke and people running through the streets out of my head. It was like seeing a terrible movie, only it was REAL and people around the world were watching others die. The emotions of that day are what I remember most, and I can't forget the emotions of the surrounding months, either.

As I've watched footage from that day today, those emotions have come flooding back. I'm more grateful today for my family, for my incredible husband, for the beautiful area I live in and for the peace and freedom that I have and never even think about.

May God bless America, and may the next 10 years since this tragedy find you in peace. I hope you're all with those you love today and, if not, that they're in your hearts.

Live to work

2011-09-03T22:30:00.005-06:00

So I've been slacking off with the blog lately because I've been incredibly busy at work -- and absolutely LOVING it.

I haven't really talked much about my new job because I've been afraid to talk about how bad the old one was. Well, I'm not afraid anymore, and I will tell you -- that job was 18 months of hell. I came home almost every day crying to Andrew and absolutely miserable. I dreaded getting up in the morning and was SO tired at work. I didn't feel valued by my boss and was actually accused of threatening her because I stood up for myself when they were doing something that was wrong.

In April, though, everything changed. I am so HAPPY when I come home from work now. I have free reign over the CHG Pulse website and get to write feature stories about employees and meet new people daily. My supervisor gave me a sweet gift on my three-month anniversary and just sent me a flower gram during United Way Week.

Yesterday, at about 3 p.m., Vanessa (my co-worker/supervisor) told me I could leave at any time because of the holiday. If I had still been at Overstock, I would have had everything wrapped up and been out the door in five minutes. I actually stayed at work until 4:30 because I was excited about the stories I was working on, and because I really feel so dedicated to this company and want to work hard.

Just wanted to share why I've been so happy! I wish you all the same!

One of those days

2011-08-24T22:34:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning with the warning signs of a sinus infection (not AGAIN) and dumped out my entire purse and frantically searched the apartment for my keys -- only to call Andrew and realize they were locked in the center console of my car.

Once I had the spare key and was in the car, I got to work 20 minutes late, walked in the door and realized an hour later that I had left the portfolio I'd promised to deliver for a friend in the backseat. I walked the portfolio over to the director's desk, who walked over about a half hour later to tell me she hadn't gotten the job and hand me the portfolio again. Not only did I have to be the bearer of bad news to my friend, but she's on vacation in California until next week -- which means I am stuck with her portfolio, and I HATE having other people's stuff laying around and not being able to return it to them. I have an irrational fear that something will happen to it.

In more exciting news, I won a giveaway on a blog and received this dress today in the mail. I love it, and I'm so excited to wear it on Sunday! Now if only the pounding sinus headache and sore throat would go away. :)

Troubadour

2011-08-10T23:40:00.001-06:00

Andrew and I just got back from the showing of the Sundance documentary Troubadours, which tells the story of the famous venue in California and the singer-songwriters who became famous there: James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Kris Kristofferson, Elton John and many others.

I haven't written a really personal post in a while, mainly because I haven't had a lot to say. Life whirs by, and a lot of the days are the same. But this documentary struck a chord (pun intended) with me tonight, and I can't stop thinking about how much the music has affected me since I turned 16.

Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong era? Not really -- we all know we were born at a certain time for a reason -- but like you really would fit in a different time period? The music from the singer-songwriters, especially James Taylor, really resonates with me.

The day I was diagnosed with cancer at 16, I remember sitting in the car listening to James Taylor's greatest hits CD with tears streaming down my cheeks. "Fire and Rain" and "You've Got A Friend" both spoke to me, and I knew, while I was listening to them, that everything would be OK.

Tonight, listening to the Carole King, James Taylor, Eagles and Jackson Browne songs, made me feel that way again -- like everything's going to be OK. I felt so peaceful as we were leaving, and I am now buying the James Taylor and Eagles songs I don't have from Amazon. :)

I guess the point of this is to find the music that speaks to you and makes you feel warm and happy. For me, that's everything James Taylor. What is it for you?

One year older (and married, too!)

2011-08-08T20:40:00.000-06:00

Andrew and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary August 6. Can you believe it? We've been married for a year! It's crazy how fast the time flew.

We celebrated by taking a trip to St. George Friday to see The Little Mermaid musical at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre, which was wonderful. It was HOT (still 90 degrees at 10 at night) and I had heat stroke and a massive headache by intermission, but the music was great and ensured that I was singing the songs all the way home. :)

We also attended a session in the St. George Temple and went out to dinner for our anniversary at the Anasazi Steakhouse. I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant if you're in St. George. They cook their meat on hot stones, and it makes everything so much softer and juicier. I seriously had the best pork chop ever, and Andrew could not stop talking about how good his chicken was. Plus, they gave us a free cheesecake for our anniversary!

To finish off the trip, we detoured through Bryce Canyon Sunday afternoon and stopped at Cedar Breaks, too. It was beautiful, and the weather wasn't as scorching hot as St. George was. I actually got a little chilly at Cedar Breaks because it was 10, 000 feet high and breezy.

Phew! One year down, eternity to go! :) I love my Andrew, and it was fun to get away with him for a few days.

Randall's wedding

2011-07-31T20:54:00.000-06:00

Andrew and I drove to Idaho Friday night to attend my brother Randall's wedding in the Idaho Falls Temple on July 30. It was a beautiful ceremony, and the reception and wedding luncheon, held at a friend's house just outside of St. Anthony, were stunning. Even the weather cooperated!

Here are a few of the photos Andrew took at the reception. I was manning the guest book and handing out favors. :) Congratulations, Randall and Meg! We're excited for you to start your new life together.

As they walked and walked and walked and walked

2011-07-24T17:00:00.001-06:00

It's Pioneer Day! Sadly, I am in Utah now and away from the fun parade and musical that marks the 24th of July weekend every year. However, I thought I'd share a story I wrote about my great-great grandmother, Matilda Stolworthy Staker. Some of you may have already read it, because it was published in the October 2010 issue of the Friend, but I thought I'd share "New Shoes for Tillie" with you anyway. :)

Enjoy! It always makes me appreciate my pioneer ancestors more each time I read it.

Birthday update!

2011-07-22T18:22:00.001-06:00

Confession time: Andrew did not eat his birthday cake/blow out his candles until Sunday. Therefore, this photo was not taken on his birthday, and I feel like a horrible wife for not documenting it. We got home late from Super 8 (which I recommend, except for the terrible language) and didn't feel like eating cake on his birthday. Then we were busy on Saturday and too full from dinner to eat cake. So this picture, sadly, reminds me of a missionary picture because I took it Sunday morning before we were heading to church. Oh, well. I like my man in a shirt and tie. :)

We just got a new lens for our camera that we're excited to try out, so stay tuned for more photos soon!

Andrew turns 25!

2011-07-15T00:02:00.000-06:00

So I know I promised back on MY birthday that I would never do this again, but my honey Andrew is celebrating his 25th birthday today! In honor of this milestone, I've decided to share 25 things about him that you might not know (OK, you probably don't know). Enjoy!

1. He does not like anything with cherries in it or cherry-flavored. This goes for maraschino cherries, cherry ice cream and cherry Jolly Ranchers. Although he tells me that he can tie a knot in a cherry stem in his mouth. :)

2. He loves dogs and would like to have a chocolate or golden lab someday.

3. He is fabulous at working on cars. Since we began dating, Andrew has fixed my glove box, changed the oil numerous times, replaced the parking brake cable, replaced the axel (which would have cost us about $250) and several other things that I'm sure I've forgotten. I am a lucky girl!

4. He is a great cook and enjoys cooking, especially grilling. I really love it when he gets creative and adds ingredients, like cinnamon, to different things to see how they taste. They always turn out great!

5. He likes to play jokes and tease. Andrew came home the other day to tell me he'd put a cockroach on another banker's laptop -- and it got squished by the laptop top before he discovered it. He loves teasing his nieces and nephews, too, and will be a great father someday.

6. He loves to build computers and play with electronics. When we own a home in the future, it is Andrew's dream to build a network and put together a home media system with a custom-built computer. He can do it -- he already put our current computer together for playing movies. :)

7. He is really picky about pillows. For some reason, we cannot seem to find Andrew a good pillow that he likes. He has tried fluffy ones, memory foam, firm ones, flat ones (mine). If it weren't a lame birthday present, I might have bought him a new one that will be just right.

8. He absolutely loves fireworks. I think it's cute how excited he gets about the month of July and how ECSTATIC he was when they legalized a bunch of fireworks in Utah this year. He turns into a little kid that likes to blow stuff up again.

9. He is a romantic. Two Valentine's Days spent with Andrew have proved that he can be incredibly romantic -- which is wonderful.

10. He is a wonderful photographer. After showing me this amazing photo he took of two bighorn sheep, I was a believer. Now that we have a nicer camera, his shots are even better!

11. He is quite a handyman. Although I pretend that I helped, Andrew painted the bathroom and two bedrooms in our apartment by himself. He also built a shelf from scratch to fit in the corner under our TV and reupholstered four chairs, among other things.

12. He plays the trumpet.

13. He barely touches a soccer ball and it goes flying. It's really fun to watch him play soccer, because his kicks are POWERFUL.

14. He is the youngest of 8 kids and the only one without kids of his own.

15. He has really pretty blue eyes. I really love Andrew's eyes, and it means that our children have a chance to inherit them!

16. He doesn't get mad very easily. I appreciate this trait, because I often have a short fuse and he is able to calm me down. Plus, he lets things go -- something I struggle with.

17. He is a huge Real Salt Lake fan. When we're rich (if that ever happens), Andrew would like to have season tickets to Real Salt Lake at both ends of the stadium so that we can switch seats at half time to have the best view when they switch goals.

18. He eats cereal in a small mixing bowl. I just think it's cute to watch him eating Cap'n Crunch out of a giant white bowl. Maybe I should do it, too, because cereal never fills me up.

19. He wants a Porsche 911 Turbo. Badly. The other day he actually made a purring noise when he was talking to me on the phone because he passed one driving home. If we only had $500,000 to spare.

20. He likes to wear suits. OK, so not all the time. He does like to dress professionally for work, though, and he looks good in a suit. (See wedding photo above for proof)

21. His favorite childhood book is The Boxcar Children. Isn't that great? I bought him a copy of his own so that someday he can read it to our kids.

22. He loves Dr. Pepper. One of my favorite memories is how excited he was to discover that Cafe Rio has a soda machine that lets you add syrup. Vanilla Dr. Pepper is even better than regular!

23. He likes to hike and be adventurous. And he forgets how strenuous certain hikes are when we do them together -- which means that I need to be more adventurous, I guess. :)

24. He always uses people's names when he talks to them on the phone. This really is random, but I love that he repeats a salesperson's name when he's talking to them and gives any conversation a personal touch. I don't think he even realizes that he does it now.

25. He is an incredible husband and always takes care of me. I'm sure you knew that one already, but it's still true!

Happy birthday, Andrew! Here's to another 25 wonderful years!

Going fourth together

2011-07-07T22:10:00.000-06:00

Yay! The final pictures from our whirlwind weekend! Once we got home from the zoo, we had homemade pizza and homemade ice cream again. I haven't eaten so well in months! :) We played with all the nieces and nephews some more and thought about how fun it will be when we add our own to the clan -- in a little while.

Then the boys put together a firework show at the schoolyard near the house.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, too!

Going fourth again

2011-07-06T23:49:00.000-06:00

Here is the second installment of the Wilcox family reunion/4th of July pictures, as promised. :)

We went to the zoo Monday morning with Andrew's grandpa, parents, siblings and nieces and nephews and spent a few hours there. The weather was perfect. It was pretty cool and started raining just as we left. Normally the zoo is one of my LEAST favorite places (read: I hate smelly animals, screaming kids, broken water fountains, etc.), but this one was actually pretty fun.

The final installment of photos will come tomorrow. I'm too tired to keep going through them! :)

Going Fourth

2011-07-05T19:11:00.000-06:00

We had the Wilcox family reunion over the 4th of July weekend, and Andrew and I took enough pictures in three days to make up for taking practically none of ourselves since we've been married! :)

To start with, we celebrated Grandpa Wertz's birthday on Saturday with Andrew's extended family. He turned 97 on July 3 and is still going strong! We sure love him.

We enjoyed plenty of homemade pizza and had fun taking pictures of our cute nieces and nephews.

Since I get bored reading posts that have 50 million pictures of people I don't know, I'll save the pictures of the ZOO for tomorrow. :) Until then, friends!

Water, water everywhere

2011-06-28T20:53:00.001-06:00

This past weekend was the first time I've been away from Andrew since we've been married! It was kind of weird to make the drive up to Idaho by myself and to not have him with me while I visited with my family. But I'm glad I went up there to get to know my future sister-in-law better.

After camping in Firth Friday night for the Mortensen family reunion, I went shopping in Rexburg and helped my mom with the bridal shower for Megan, my brother's fiancee. It was fun to hang out with family and remember my own bridal shower, which happened about the same time last year.

It was also a rather eventful week because of this:

This is a picture from KSL of a parking lot in our condo's complex that was flooded Friday morning by the Little Cottonwood Creek, which also flooded Murray Park and caused our neighbor's sewer to back up. Every morning when we left the house for work, we were putting all of our belongings up on the table, couch or bed and praying we wouldn't come home to a flooded apartment. It looks like the worst has passed, but we're praying that the water doesn't get any higher! :)

Rockin' my body

2011-06-21T21:26:00.000-06:00

I have to be totally honest -- I absolutely hate working out. The entire idea that I have to set aside time to run on a treadmill or go jogging just does NOT appeal to me.

That said, however, I like being active. I like dancing, riding my bike, taking walks and going hiking. Since I have an opportunity at work to get a discount on my health insurance when I put a fitness program together, I have decided to set a new goal for myself to get into better shape. I am tired all the time, and I want to have more energy.

So here's my goal: Work out every morning for at least 30 minutes. Since I am too cheap (and self-conscious) to pay for a gym membership, I'm going to start this off just by doing Just Dance 2. It's actually really good cardio, and I always work up a sweat doing it. We also have a swimming pool that I haven't even been in this summer (curse you, rain and wind), and we're right next to Murray Park. I have no excuses to sit around this summer.

Now that I've written it here, I want you guys to hold me responsible for my goals -- and I'll do the same for you. Maybe if we all stick together and motivate each other, we can all get those rockin' bikini bodies (OK, one-piece bodies :)) or just have more energy!

Here goes nothing!

With one Accord

2011-06-13T20:54:00.000-06:00

Wow. I am just so funny with the blog titles lately! Not. If that fabulous headline didn't give it away, I got a new car last Tuesday -- yes, the day after I sold my little Cabrio and my heart was breaking. I have a talent for selling cars (and no patience for shopping for new ones).

It's a 2004 Honda Accord, and it has a killer stereo, power seats, a nice interior, massive trunk and plenty of room for hauling stuff around -- eventually. It also has a V6 engine, which may get me into trouble soon. :)

In other news, my parents and youngest sibling, Reggie, came down Friday night to visit us! It was an abbreviated trip because my mom had to be back on Sunday to teach her YW lesson, but it was nice to have them here. We didn't do much, but here are a few of the things we did.

- Stayed up until 1 a.m. watching Napoleon Dynamite
- Slept in for hours Saturday morning
- Went to the fabric store to fix my sewing machine
- Bought a bunch of secondhand children's books for my collection and my mom's elementary library
- Had yummy turkey burgers that Andrew barbecued
- Went to another barbecue with some friends and ate too much seviche and guacamole
- Ate giant milkshakes from Iceberg

I miss my family already, but I'll see them again in another month because my brother, Randall, is getting married July 30. This is crazy to me. Everyone is growing up!

Goodbye, Cabrio!

2011-06-05T21:03:00.000-06:00

After a year and four months of bliss, I sold my adorable little Cabrio yesterday. I have been thinking about it for a while, and I decided that it was better to sell it now in order to get something more practical while we have some money -- before it's a necessity when we're expecting a child in the next few years.

That all makes me sound very sensible, but the truth is, I'm kind of sad about it. That little car has been perfect for me, and I'm really going to miss it when the buyer comes to pay for it and take it away tomorrow. It wasn't perfect, especially since Andrew spent hours yesterday replacing the right axel before the buyer came to look at it, and it was really loud with the top up when we drove it on the highway. But it was red and small and sporty and simple, and I loved having the car I'd always wanted when I was 16.

It also means that starting tomorrow evening, I am out of transportation and have to start car shopping again -- a process I absolutely HATE. But this will allow us to get something a little bigger with four doors and a hard top that gets better gas mileage, too.

So I've posted a picture of my car here for you all to see and remember. I know it's silly to get so attached to a car, but I want to look back on it later and remember the good times. Goodbye, Cabrio.

Memorial Day weekend in Moab

2011-05-30T23:07:00.000-06:00

Andrew and I spent Memorial Day weekend in hot, sunny MOAB! It was nice to get away from the ridiculous rain and cold weather in Salt Lake, and I got to experience Moab for the first time. We took our awesome new camera out for a spin, too, and hiked up to Delicate Arch at sunset.

We spent Saturday hiking to the rest of the different arches, including Windows and Landscape Arch.

We had a great time and actually got a little sun -- only to come back to the rain that seems to prevail in Salt Lake right now. GAH! Oh, well. Hopefully the sun and heat will follow us back up here!

The top 24

2011-05-22T21:21:00.001-06:00

Yes, I turned 24 a month ago, but I never got the chance to do what every other blogger has been doing lately on their birthdays/spouse's birthdays -- write 24 things you might not know about me.

I really wouldn't bother doing it, except that 24 has always been my favorite number and I will never get the chance to do this again -- unless, of course, I do the same thing when I turn 48 and do 24x2 things. HAHAHAHA.

So please humor me as I list 24 things. I think these are fun to read, so I'll read yours when you decide to do it, too. :)

1. I can pop nearly every bone in my body. For most of you, I'm sure this is absolutely disgusting to read, but I am rather proud of this. I've always had loose joints for some reason, and my body just pops without warning. I don't know many people who can pop their tailbone, but I can. Just imagine what I'll be like when I'm 80, though. Shudder.

2. I absolutely hate to get my face wet. Andrew thinks this is funny and has shoved my face under running water before just to see me sputter and scowl at him as I squeeze my eyes shut. This, I'm sure, is the reason I don't swim very well. I just don't like my face to be in water AT ALL.

3. I HATE America's Funniest Home Videos. You might argue that this is a family show and that you grew up watching it and that it's clean and wholesome, but I change the channel the moment this show comes on. It is not even remotely funny to me to watch people fall off a see-saw, crash on a bicycle, break a diving board or fall into a mud puddle. Videos that result in injury are just not amusing. That said, however --

4. I love watching clips with babies on YouTube. Have you seen the clip of the baby who gets terrified when his mom blows her nose and then laughs hysterically? Or the one where the dad rips a piece of paper and the baby breaks into giggles every time he tears a piece? There are few things more funny to me than babies laughing.

5. I am addicted to buying children's books. Yes, we do not have any children, and children very rarely come to our little condo. There's just something about children's books that makes me happy, though, so I am browsing the shelves at D.I. at least monthly when we drop something off there to find cheap Berenstain Bear, Clifford and Mercer Mayer books. I'm also addicted to anything by Beverly Cleary that I loved as a kid. Our children had better like to read, because they already have quite a collection!

6. I never wear necklaces. There are several reasons for this. First, I have a really small neck and the length of most necklaces falls at weird places on me. Second, I have scar tissue from two surgeries around my collarbone that is pretty sensitive. However, I have been wearing necklaces lately because there are some ADORABLE styles on Etsy that I want, and I have to prove to Andrew that I will wear them so I can justify buying them. :)

7. I have killed three cactuses. Technically, my brother dropped Spike I on the floor and killed him, but I've definitely been responsible for the deaths of Spike II and III.

8. I fall asleep when I watch movies after 10 p.m. For some reason, no matter how interesting the movie is, I CANNOT stay awake to finish it if we start it at or after 10 at night. What can I say? I am old and tired.

9. I have completely filled up my 8 GB iPod nano and have to periodically switch songs and playlists out. Eight gigs sounds like a lot -- until you realize that it only holds about 2, 000 songs. I HAVE to have a lot of different music on my iPod for my different moods. Looks like I'm going to have to upgrade to a 16 GB iPod when I can afford it. :)

10. I get lightheaded and have passed out before when I have blood tests. As embarrassing as it is, I do enjoy watching the nurses fly into a frenzy to get me juice while I watch them from the floor.

11. I am REALLY annoyed by words/phrases that are capitalized for no reason. And things in "quotes" for no reason. And people who use ellipses ALL THE TIME... Basically, grammatical errors get under my skin. They just do.

12. I detest cleaning the floor. I will scrub the toilet, bathtub and sinks, but I put off cleaning the floor as long as I can (or I ask Andrew nicely to do it, usually). There is something about hair, crumbs and dust together that is gross, and I can never get that entire mound to go into the dustpan. Gah!

13. I watch the Food Network almost every day, but I don't really enjoy cooking. Andrew and I love watching Chopped and Restaurant: Impossible, but I have a hard time coming up with things to make for dinner, and then I feel discouraged when I make the same things over and over. I need to be a better cook before we have kids!

14. I like to pick out names for our future children and discuss them with Andrew. Names have always been fascinating to me, and I think it's fun to throw names back and forth. And who knows -- when we do have kids, the names we like right now might not fit them. It's still fun to come up with possibilities.

15. I am cold almost all the time, even in the summer. Fortunately, this also means that Andrew gets to cuddle with me all the time to keep me warm. :)

16. I am slightly afraid of dogs. They bark, they bite, they jump up on you. What's not to love? I do like Andrew's family's dog, Sally, now.

17. I love anything with birds on it. Stamps, paper, prints -- I just think birds are lovely, and I adore birdcages, too.

18. I do not like being in rain. See #2. I also do not like getting my hair wet, outside of a shower, because it gets frizzy and will not behave. And rain in Idaho and Utah, unlike England, is COLD. See #15.

19. I could eat fish tacos every day. As it is, I now order them at every restaurant that serves them. It makes it a snap to decide on what to have whenever we go out to eat.

20. I really like the scruffy look. It could be because my dad had a beard for 20 years of my life, but I really like it when Andrew grows a little scruff. I think it looks great. :)

21. I like to watch other people watch movies. It's really fun to watch Andrew's reactions when he watches movies I loved as a kid that I have memorized. I'd actually say that sometimes it's more fun than watching it myself, because I'm sharing something special with him and seeing him experience it for the first time.

22. I rarely eat cereal for breakfast, but I always eat it at night. What more can I say? Cap'n Crunch, especially the peanut butter kind, is great as a late-night snack.

23. I really like road trips with Andrew. Unfortunately, my convertible is too loud on the highway to be much fun, so Andrew has to drive every time we go somewhere -- and his car is stick, which I can't drive. So even though I'm always the passenger and he probably doesn't enjoy the trips as much, I love just driving anywhere with him and talking and listening to music.

24. I am never going to do one of these again. It sounded like fun at the time, but it has taken me all day to come up with 24 things about myself! If any of you decide to undertake it, though, I look forward to reading it! :)

Oh, snap!

2011-05-17T21:33:00.002-06:00

After months of drooling over this camera and plotting ways to save for it, we suddenly found a deal on it we couldn't pass up last week and bought it. As I sit here looking at the camera, I still can't believe it's ours. We have been talking about it forever, and it is so PERFECT for taking pictures!

It finally came yesterday, so of course we had to run down to Temple Square to take some photos after work before it got too dark:

We are SO EXCITED to take pictures this summer with the camera! Maybe now we'll start that photography blog I promised a long time ago. :)

Paint with all the colors

2011-05-09T23:45:00.000-06:00

Excuse the lame Pocahontas reference -- it's what came to mind when I was trying to think of a title for this post. We have finally finished painting and have photos, mirrors and shelves hung! All that is left now is doing the trim in our bedroom and touching up the ceiling, doors and closet doors.

We had some fun showing it off to some friends who came to our housewarming party, and the little yellow bedroom was perfect for my aunt Susan, who is in town from Hawaii until next week. It looks like an entirely different place with the fresh paint!

Here are some before pics of the bedroom:

Here are the after pics! Keep in mind that we also bought a new queen-size bed frame and mattress and new curtains, too, so more than just the paint has changed. :)

Andrew also painted the wall in the other room yellow to match the other three walls, so now it actually looks normal! No more ugly teal accent wall! Before:

As you can see, the teal does not exactly go great with the yellow (and, weirdly, the landlord painted the closet yellow, too, but ran out of paint for the last wall). Here's what it looks like now:

OK, the final pictures. I know I've already posted pictures of the bathroom, but we've added a shelf, cute framed prints and new towels and a bath rug since then. I must update with these photos:

Yay! Now you've all taken a tour of our cute little apartment. :) We had a good weekend celebrating Mother's Day and the one-year anniversary of the day Andrew proposed on Saturday. CRAZY that so much time has passed -- and I love him even more now!

Also, sorry to spring two parties in a row on you, BUT I am having a book club/meet the author party this Friday from 7-9 at our complex's clubhouse! My aunt, Susan Law Corpany, is an LDS fiction writer and has a new book, Lucky Change, that was nominated for a Whitney award. Come meet her, learn more about her books and snack on delicious goodies! We'll have giveaways and lots of fun! If you're interested, send me a message and I'll give you the address and directions!

I hope you're all doing well and having a lovely spring! We just want the rain and snow to STOP.

Snow, soccer and something exciting

2011-05-01T19:57:00.002-06:00

After our eventful trip to Idaho last weekend, Andrew decided I hadn't had enough birthday -- so he sent me GORGEOUS white lilies at work and set up a birthday dinner for me on Saturday with his parents, his brother Chris and his wife, Amy, and their kids, Franklin and Isabel.

Before that, though, we woke up to THIS on Saturday morning: 5 inches of snow! We couldn't believe it! So much for getting to ride our new bikes this spring. Every weekend, it is either raining or snowing. Oh, well. The snow had completely melted by last night and today was a pretty day.

We drove out to Tooele with Andrew's parents to watch Franklin's soccer game before we went to dinner. I took the nice Nikon I use to take photos at work home for the weekend at my boss' urging (who could say no to a sweet camera?) to practice and took some cute shots of Franklin playing.

Andrew played with Isabel at half-time and let her kick the ball into the goal. We also played on the swings for a few minutes.

After the game, we went to Stockton, a tiny little town 10 minutes away from Tooele, to eat dinner in the diner there. We had fun playing with Franklin and Isabel and coloring pictures while we waited for our food to come. They had really yummy burgers and sweet potato fries. :)

Today, we had Andrew's parents and his sister and her family, Rebecca, Jared and Mya. Andrew made a delicious pasta dish and another birthday cake with 24 candles for me to blow out.

It was a fun week, and Andrew made it wonderful. :) He also painted the wall in our second bedroom yellow to match the rest of the walls (it was teal) and reupholstered two of our chairs with fun red-and-white striped fabric we bought at Ikea. He is so good at making our house look wonderful! I am a lucky girl.

For those of you in the area who would like to come, we will be having a housewarming/Just Dance/come say hi party this Friday from 7-10 p.m. It's not formal at all, and you can come anytime. I just want to show off Andrew's mad painting skills and have a few friends come to visit that we haven't seen in awhile. If you want to come, send me an email and I'll give you the address and directions to get here. My email address is lindzlou_love@yahoo.com.

I'll be posting some pictures of the finished apartment as soon as we have the trim done and the pictures hung in the bedroom for those of you who are out of town. I'm so excited to have our little place looking so good!

Royal birthday

2011-04-25T23:48:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday to me! I celebrated my royal birthday yesterday -- I turned 24 on the 24th! Andrew and I spent the weekend in Island Park in a cabin my dad rented and just hung out with my family. It was nice to get away from our crazy lives for a little while and celebrate Easter in quiet, beautiful Island Park.

My mom even brought Easter baskets and Reggie hid them throughout the cabin (Andrew hid his). He is a FUNNY kid! He made us all laugh hysterically with his Family Guy impersonations (even though I've never seen the show) and background singing as Randall wowed us with his songs on the guitar.

We also spent some time with Andrew's sister, Mary, and her family, and I got to spend some time with cousins I hadn't seen in years and hold some new babies -- always a treasure with family.

Since we were traveling for most of the day on my birthday, Andrew surprised me with lunch at work today and a DINOSAUR balloon when I got home. He also made a delicious dinner and a red velvet cake because I was sad I didn't get to eat a birthday cake yesterday. :) Ignore the way my shirt is poofing out in the picture below. I am not sure why I look so big...

We also bought a NEW MATTRESS (long story short -- we bought a new bed frame, sold our old frame and mattress and slept on the couch for two days after an ill-fated trip to Saratoga Springs at 10:00 at night ended in anger over a so-called "gently-used" mattress), spent way too long in Bath and Body Works and got my wedding ring cleaned. I can't believe Andrew bought it a year ago yesterday. It's nuts! If I didn't think it was weird to do this, I would take another picture of it like we did when we got engaged because it is SOOOOO sparkly and beautiful!

Anyway, more pictures to come once we have our bedroom put back together. We finished painting it and just have to hang up the pictures and do the trim. We love our little home. :)

Bicycle, bicycle

2011-04-11T17:09:00.000-06:00

I spent today ATTEMPTING to print the rest of our wedding pictures to scrapbook them (Walmart's photo service was down), doing my favorite dances on Just Dance 2 (which is my new favorite way to work out), buying scrapbook stuff at Ross, wrapping a birthday present for our nephew, Franklin, and finally riding my NEW BIKE around Murray Park!

I am absolutely in love with my bike! Andrew spray-painted the basket white for me and tightened the screws and blew up the tires so I could ride it around, and it was perfect. I also got a shiny red helmet so I will be safe when I ride it, but I didn't wear it today. I know, silly unsafe me. I just wanted to take it for a little spin, so I didn't go too fast. :)

Andrew and I had a very productive weekend. He got the entire bedroom painted, except for the trim, and we went to our niece Mya's birthday party and to one of his mission companion's receptions. I finished our ENTIRE wedding scrapbook and was extremely proud of myself -- except that now I have to do the photos from the Utah reception, too. :)

Once we get the trim done and hang new curtains in the bedroom, I'll post photos. Our little home is coming together so nicely!

I want to ride my bicycle

2011-04-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

On Friday, Andrew and I went to The Gateway to walk around and enjoy the beautiful weather. We snapped this picture because I was afraid the warmth was too good to be true. Notice that Andrew is wearing a T-shirt, and I have my thin motorcycle jacket on.

The weather was incredible, and I wasn't shivering at all as we walked around different stores and even went to a movie at the Clark Planetarium. I highly recommend The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest if you're looking for an awesome documentary. I have been OBSESSED with looking up stuff about George Mallory, who disappeared with his partner, Irvine, on Everest in 1924, and speculating about whether he and Irvine reached the summit.

Then today, we woke up to THIS. I was so upset! Andrew found this darling vintage-inspired cruiser bicycle at a pawn shop on his way to work, and yesterday we went up there and I got to ride it around the block. It was perfect. It's brown, has thick tires, a comfortable, wide leather seat and even a cup holder (which I stuck a glass Coke bottle in to be funny) and a BASKET. So, even though my birthday is still 3 weeks away, Andrew bought me the bike of my dreams. What a guy!

And NOW, with 4 inches of snow and more falling as I write this, I can't even ride my bike around the complex or go for a ride with Andrew around Murray Park. Darn you unpredictable spring weather.

Oh, well. Pictures of me on the bike (taking pictures of it inside the apartment will make me too sad) will soon follow. And it is still a beautiful Sunday and a warm and fuzzy time with Andrew as we eat his chocolate chip-banana pancakes and listen to conference together. :)

Greener grasses

2011-03-31T23:17:00.000-06:00

I finally got the call I've been awaiting for months today. I got a job at CompHealth, and I couldn't be more excited! I'll be writing feature stories about employees and helping get the word out about company events, something that's right up my alley. It's been awhile since I've actually been able to use my journalism skills, and I am absolutely thrilled to be writing about PEOPLE again instead of products.

The women I'll be working with were equally excited to talk to me and couldn't wait for me to start! I'd forgotten what it was like to have your boss be happy to have you come to work, too. It has really been a long time, and I hadn't realized how depressed I was until I got a phone call from two ecstatic women who told me how impressed they are with my writing. I am a good writer! I have talent! Yeah! :)

What a wonderful feeling getting a new job is! I'm hoping to have pictures of my happiness soon (with Andrew, of course).

Splish splash

2011-03-22T23:26:00.000-06:00

This has been a long time coming, but I thought I would finally post pictures of some things we've been working on for several weeks.

After seven months of living with our landlord's horrible mint green, teal and burgundy paint choices, we decided it was time to paint the bathroom and the bedroom. Don't worry. We're not going to get in trouble for painting. Eventually, he wants to sell his condo, and he appreciates anything we can do to make it more marketable. While it's hard to tell from these pictures, take my word for it -- the mint green and burgundy were HIDEOUS.

So we chose a pretty steel-grey and replaced the towel racks, hand towel ring and even the light fixtures while we were at it. We're pretty happy with the result.

It's not finished yet, and the pictures aren't great (our lighting is terrible), but we love the contrast of the grey with our shower curtain. Now, we just have to start on the bedroom. We picked a lovely light brown color and are SO excited to get rid of the mint green and teal currently in there.

We hope some of you in the area will be able to come see the finished product soon! :)

My testimony

2011-03-13T16:58:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful stake conference this weekend, and a lot of the things the stake president and his counselors had to say really hit home for me. This was the first time I had heard the stake president speak since we've lived in Murray, and he is AWESOME. You can tell how much he loves the members of the stake, and he makes you want to be a more dedicated member of the church.

One of the things President Daw talked about was missionary work, especially about doing home teaching and focusing on the less-active members of our stake. In our own ward, our bishopric and ward missionaries have asked us to make a Mormon.org profile for missionary work.

Unfortunately, I can no longer log into LDS.org with my username and password, and I have no idea why. Andrew has banned me from attempting to log in for the time being because I end up REALLY angry and change my password again in the hope that I can finally log in. I am not sure what's going on.

So, until I can log in and create my Mormon.org profile, I've decided to post my testimony here. I know that many of you are members of the Church and many of you have strengthened my testimony, but allow me to bear my testimony here and feel better about not being able to do it on a world website. :)

First, I know that we have a Heavenly Father and a Savior, Jesus Christ, and that They live and are aware of our needs. I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers and has a plan for each of us, and I know that the Savior atoned for our sins, died for us and lives again today. He has experienced all of our pain and sorrows, so He understands our suffering and can truly comfort us whenever we turn to Him.

I know that temples are houses of God, and that He dwells there. I know that doing work for the dead in the temples brings us closer to Him and is part of His plan to bring all of His children back to live with Him. I know that The Book of Mormon is a true book, and that it was translated by the first prophet of the restored church, Joseph Smith. It was written by ancient prophets, but it was intended for us, the people of the latter days.

I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, and I know that he, and all of the other prophets of this dispensation, receive revelation from Heavenly Father about how to direct the Church.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Sabbath day! I certainly am.

Beyond the sea

2011-03-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

We spent today with this adorable little girl, Isabel. It's hard to believe she just turned two, but she did! We celebrated by spending a few hours with her, her brother Franklin and a bunch of our nieces and nephews at The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. It was a lot of fun seeing the penguins and petting the flapping stingrays. Sometimes it's fun to hang out with kids and pretend you're young again.

We also went out to dinner with our friends Anthony and Brittany and bought new fish to replace the Tetras we lost during the past few weeks. We have gotten better at keeping them happy, but it isn't rare for us to find another dead fish when we get home. :(

I have also realized that I haven't posted pictures of Andrew and I, at least recent ones, for a long time. We need to be better at taking pictures of ourselves, but it is inevitable that I will have a huge zit on my face (like I do today) or we just won't feel like trying to take a backwards picture of ourselves. Oh, well! Hopefully pictures of us will be forthcoming.

One fish, two fish

2011-02-23T21:37:00.002-07:00

So, as promised, here is a picture of our cute little aquarium. It's not a great image, as our apartment has very poor lighting, but you can see our little Molly and Tetra fish.

We actually started with two Mollies and three Tetra, but one Molly jumped out soon after we got him and I found a Tetra dead when I got home from work today. So sad! We have been feeding them, put fresh bamboo in their aquarium and installed a heater so the water would be warm. Thus, we haven't gotten too attached to them because we never know when they'll be dead. :(

I do love the aquarium, though. It's hard to tell from the picture, but it has this whole Zen thing going for it. The top basket is actually a little trickling waterfall with stones in it, and it's completely square. I love how it doesn't look like a traditional one at all, even though it is very small and limits the types of fish we can have.

We also went to Lava Hot Springs this weekend to meet up with my family and ate yummy pizza at the Royal Hotel down the street. I annoyed my brother by plunking quarters in the digital jukebox and making everyone listen to the Bee Gees, Johnny Cash and Montgomery Gentry. I would have kept going, but a little kid punched in "Don't Stop Believing" and stole my last quarter. Rude.

I love three-day weekends. :)

Love and fish

2011-02-17T18:13:00.003-07:00

I hope you all had a happy Valentine's Day! I certainly did. Andrew sent me these beautiful flowers at work and told me he had surprise dinner reservations that night. I was SO EXCITED I could barely get through the last few hours of work.

After driving home with the vase between my legs, slamming on my brakes and sloshing rose water all over my jeans, however, I was not as happy. I stalked through the parking lot, glaring at the man who was staring at my bottom half since I looked like I'd wet my pants, and opened the door to our apartment.

To my amazement, there were pink lights hanging from the ceiling, glasses full of floating candles and sparkly hearts on the walls. My FAVORITE, Norah Jones, was playing from the speakers, and Andrew was waiting in the kitchen to serve me a candlelight dinner! It was a complete surprise. He had gotten off work at 3:30, and I hadn't expected him home until almost 6:00. Andrew made delicious chicken cordon bleu, salad and even grilled asparagus. We had sparkling cider and, for dessert, peanut m&ms and moosetracks ice cream.

To top it off, he also bought me a manicure and pedicure and a cute little sock monkey I fell in love with on one of our trips to Wal-Mart a few weeks ago. I was spoiled rotten. He is a sweetheart.

In other news, we have been talking about getting an aquarium for awhile (yes, I know that sounds weird, but I am not much of an animal person) and last weekend, we finally decided to get some fish! We bought the cutest aquarium that looks more like an indoor water fountain and bought two cichlids, tropical fish from Africa. Sadly, they were both dead less than two days later. It was incredibly sad, even though I'm sure it happens all the time. So we now have an empty aquarium and have to figure out which fish will actually survive.

I hope to post pictures of the fish soon! Wish us luck! :)

Six months!

2011-02-08T19:55:00.004-07:00

So I promised that I wouldn't blog EVERY time Andrew and I celebrated an anniversary, but this one was actually important. Sunday marked our six-month anniversary, and I can hardly believe it! Six months ago we were kneeling across the altar, dancing in a friend's backyard, smearing cake in each other's faces and rushing through a shower of rice before leaving the reception.

Now, six months later, we're celebrating baptisms and baby blessings on both sides of our families, heading out to Tooele for Superbowl parties and snuggling while we watch the Food Network. I love having an amazing husband who loves me even when I'm grouchy and tired.

And I'll be honest -- I've been grouchy lately. It has been a difficult beginning to a new year for many reasons. Fortunately, Andrew hasn't given up on me and is willing to make Target runs for chalkboard piggy banks when I need a pick-me-up. He is wonderful, and marriage is wonderful. I can already tell that February is going to be a much better month than January was. :)

Seven-year-olds and sleepovers

2011-02-01T20:57:00.004-07:00

Andrew and I had our niece, Elsie, over for a sleepover on Friday night. Since I don't have a picture of her, I thought I'd include this one. She is the farthest to the right, in the green shirt with the black flower in her hair.

Elsie, who has four younger brothers and no sisters, was SO EXCITED to come to our house that she packed her bag five days early. Andrew picked her up at about 5:30, and we made macaroni and cheese together, watched Barbie: Thumbelina and Beauty and the Beast and read a Berenstain Bears book before bedtime.

Andrew had to work the next morning, so Elsie and I made valentines, played Trouble and went bowling -- on the Wii. She made sure to make extra valentines for her brothers to work on at home and for both Andrew and me. I hope she had fun, because it was fun to have a cute seven-year-old to keep me company for a little while. :)

Oh, fish tacos

2011-01-27T17:11:00.004-07:00

I decided to follow up my last post with a happier one about the things I love! There are so many things. Occasionally I just have to blog about the stuff I am obsessed with. So...here it goes.

Panache. When this store opened in Rexburg while I was still going to BYU-I, I was SO EXCITED. There aren't a lot of clothing places in Rexburg, and I'm always craving funkier clothes you can only find in thrift stores or boutiques. Panache has the greatest clothes and I can afford them! I kind of forgot about it when I moved away UNTIL I found out that the cute owner has a blog. And, best of all, she does giveaways and ships to out-of-towners! Check out her latest giveaway here.

Wallflowers. I can't walk past a Bath and Body Works and not stop in. The scents and sights are just too overwhelming. So OF COURSE I had to buy a bunch of wallflowers when they went on sale after Christmas. We plugged two in in our little condo, and it has taken away the awful old-lady-mothball-laundry-soap smell! Hey, we do live in the basement. :)

Gilmore Girls. The series ended in 2007, but that doesn't stop me from racing home from work to start dinner and watch a new episode every weekday on ABC Family. I don't think there will ever be a show I love as much. I hope I have a daughter and can have that kind of relationship with her.

Fish tacos. I actually just called Andrew to see if he could stop at Del Taco and bring home some fish tacos for dinner. I don't know why I'm so obsessed, but I have to have them at least every other week. They're covered in cabbage and cilantro, come with a lime to squeeze on top and have this delicious creamy white sauce. Oh, man. Andrew had better bring them soon. I'm hungry! :)

Miss Representation?

2011-01-25T23:05:00.004-07:00

At work lately, the Sundance film festival has been THE topic of conversation, particularly a documentary called Miss Representation, about the portrayal of women in the media and how they are underrepresented in positions of power because of it. You can read more about it here, although I can't recommend the trailer; it's pretty graphic and actually turned me off of the documentary.

All this talk has gotten me thinking about one of my favorite topics, feminism. You may have heard me mention it on here before, but I am absolutely sick of modern feminism. Don't misunderstand me; I agree that men and women should have equal rights in the workplace, and I agree that women were mistreated for hundreds of years and are still mistreated and abused today in many parts of the world.

What I am sick of, however, is feminist literature and movies that are supposedly "empowering" to women that really use every opportunity they can to belittle men. I was disgusted by Barbara's Kingsolver's treatment of the father in The Poisonwood Bible, and even one of my favorite sitcoms ever, Home Improvement, features the stereotypical "dumb husband" who messes everything up each episode (although he was able to redeem himself before the credits rolled).

I'm also sick of women who look down on other women for not being career-oriented. My mom only attended one year of college before getting married and starting a family a few years later, and she is one of the most giving, wonderful women I know. She wasn't meant to be a lawyer or a congresswoman; she was meant to be my mother.

Even when I read the Scroll occasionally, I see editorials and columns that belittle the women who attend BYU-Idaho for only a short time before marrying and having children. One particularly saddening editorial suggested that graduating from BYU-Idaho without getting married was the real accomplishment. That idea has stuck with me ever since I read it, probably since I graduated from BYU-Idaho without a husband and have never really thought of that as an accomplishment.

I guess what this long post is getting at is being happy with yourself and recognizing the positive things you've done in your life. If you never finished college because you were raising a family, you shouldn't let people bring you down! You're not going to retrieve your ACT or GRE score when you're standing at the pearly gates. If you haven't found the man of your dreams yet but all your friends have been married for years and have three kids, don't get down on yourself! You are a woman. You are a daughter of God.

Don't get down on the boys, either. Tell your husband you love him. Compliment a good guy friend unexpectedly. Bringing down the incredible men we have in this world doesn't strengthen women; it only makes it harder for everyone to be treated fairly.

Those are my two cents on feminism. Be happy! Hug your man! Don't be a catty woman of the world! :)

Under my umbrella

2011-01-16T19:56:00.004-07:00

While I didn't blog about it then, Andrew and I hit our five-month anniversary on January 6. I absolutely cannot believe it has been five months already. It seems we just got married -- and yet, I'm more in love with my wonderful husband than before.

Andrew remembers the little things that I need and completely surprises me with them. He bought a seatbelt pad for the passenger seat of his car because he knew that the belt irritated my neck and collarbone. He has been looking everywhere to find me a new job and even asking his customers at the bank if they know of any openings. He even ordered Martha Stewart Living for me for Christmas because he noticed how I made a beeline for the rack every time we went to the store.

Last night, he spent about an hour taking apart old adding machines we found and popping the keys off -- all so I could use them for making jewelry. I am a lucky girl.

We are happy together. I sometimes think back to life before I met Andrew, and I can't believe how much love I have in my heart now. I can't fathom the love he has for me, either.

So I guess this post is just about the lovey dovey stuff. Sure, it's a few weeks before Valentine's Day, but it's never too early to tell someone you love them or think about all the people who love you. Trust me -- when you get married, you realize how many people in your ward, your hometown and even your high school care about you and want the very best for you. And you realize how much the people you meet impact your life.

Who are you thinking about this time of year? I'm sure grateful for my husband, family and friends. Even when there's rainy days, someone is always there with a bright umbrella to keep me dry and warm.

Home Sweet Cabin

2011-01-07T21:24:00.002-07:00

We spent our New Year's Eve weekend at a cabin around Parley's Canyon with our friends Anthony and Brittany and had a blast. After we walked through about six feet of snow just to get to the cabin and finally got the place warmed up so we could see our breath, things were great. :)

I am striving, as one of my resolutions, to make this blog more interesting, so hopefully you'll see more fun stuff soon! We are being boring and taking a break in Idaho from the busy work life in Utah.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T16:33:00.002-07:00

One year ago today, Andrew and I went on our very first date. He doesn't count it as that because the REAL date, where he actually paid, was two days later. But to me, this counts as our first date because he picked me up and took me to the hockey game, where we met a bunch of other friends from the ward.

So much has changed since this day. Who would have thought I'd be married to this man!?!

Happy New Year, baby! :)

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T13:57:00.002-07:00

Andrew surprised me by sending me the most beautiful roses at work yesterday! It was such a wonderful present and absolutely made my day.

We are excited to celebrate our first Christmas together tomorrow. We've been watching Christmas movies nonstop, we baked about 100 sugar cookies that are probably going to be thrown away since we doubled the recipe and forgot to add baking soda and, I suspect, extra sugar. And our stockings are hung by the fireplace with care and red and silver presents are already piled beneath the tree.

I have also bought A LOT of Christmas music and make Andrew listen to it whenever we go anywhere. One of my favorite parts of the season was singing "Breath of Heaven" at the Relief Society party a few weeks ago. It's a beautiful song that always reminds me of Mary, who sometimes gets forgotten this time of year. It also reminds me of the Savior's humble birth. It's always a miracle to me that He was born in a barn surrounded by animals. I can't even imagine having a baby on my own in a barn -- especially the Son of God, destined to save us all.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas! We are so grateful for your friendship.

Reverence

2010-12-13T22:38:00.004-07:00

So, as promised, here is the other half of yesterday's blog about our interesting Sunday.

Before the announcements and even the opening song were sung at sacrament meeting, our stake president went to the pulpit and (gently) chastised the ward for being irreverent in the chapel. He then told about an experience he'd had the following week with Elder Bednar.

After Elder Bednar's fireside with the single young adults in the Murray area, the congregation formed a line in the chapel to shake hands with an apostle. In a few minutes, the chapel was roaring as friends talked to each other in line. Elder Bednar left his place in line, went to the podium and said, "Brothers and sisters. This is the chapel, and you need to be reverent." The crowd was hushed.

A few minutes later, however, the chapel was just as noisy as it was before. Again, Elder Bednar left the line and reminded the congregation that they were in the chapel and needed to be reverent. But this time, he said that if they were not reverent, he and the other general authorities would leave and that "everything that had been done in that meeting would be undone."

I was completely floored and felt so ashamed. While I wasn't chatting with anyone and I wasn't at Elder Bednar's fireside, I could definitely have been more reverent and reflective in the few minutes before sacrament meeting started. Our stake president then had the organist play the opening hymn for a few minutes until we were reverent and ready to begin the meeting.

I have been thinking about that experience a lot since yesterday. How many times do we enter the chapel and begin talking with friends instead of listening quietly to the prelude music and thinking about our Heavenly Father and His Son? How many times do I sit down on a bench and not even think about the holy place I have just entered?

So here's my goal -- be more reverent in EVERY aspect of my life. I would never want an apostle of the Lord to have to reprimand me twice when I was too distracted to listen and to be quiet. I'm going to make my Sundays more special and make time each day to be more reverent and in tune with the Lord. After all, those are the times when we can receive revelation and guidance from Him.

Christmastime is here

2010-12-12T22:05:00.004-07:00

Andrew and I had a busy week. We went to Forgotten Carols on Thursday, which was great. Ever since I performed in the production in Idaho Falls my senior year of high school, I've loved hearing the music. My favorites are "Homeless," "Mary Let Me Hold Her Baby" and "Three Kings Found the Lord." It's a beautiful story if you haven't heard or seen it. I recommend it. :)

On Friday, we went to Andrew's work party at the Sheraton! I got all dolled up (sorry, no pictures yet) and surprised Andrew in a dress I borrowed from a friend. It was fun to get dressed up at home while I was waiting for my honey to get home from work. It was almost like I got the prom experience I never had -- except this time I was with the man who loves me dearly and I love him back.

We went to Andrew's branch party on Saturday and sang Christmas carols to residents of a nursing home and spent a few hours shopping and getting ideas for Christmas presents for each other. I still need some more ideas for my man for Christmas. :)

We also had a wonderful Sunday that I'll explain more tomorrow. I am so grateful for the Christmas season!

O Christmas Tree!

2010-12-05T20:26:00.003-07:00

After our fun-filled weekend in Idaho, we started off the new week with a bang -- literally. I left for work around 8:30. At 11:30, I pulled into the parking lot.

Yes, I got a flat tire on the way, and Andrew had to race back from his way to work (in the other direction) to help me. The tire was smoking and completely shredded, then the spare was flat and the tire store didn't have the right tire. We finally got the car to Les Schwab and blew through $75 for a new tire. Gah. Cars.

But in happier news, we bought a tree and decorated it! It's so pretty and really brightens up our entire apartment. Our first Christmas together will be lovely. We've already hung our stockings and BRIGHT Christmas lights in the window (Andrew jokes that they light up the entire courtyard). And we bought a cheap advent calendar to mark off the days until Christmas with metallic chocolates. Yum.

Andrew and I have a few parties and concerts planned for December, so stay tuned for more fun to come! :) Happy December!

Thankful

2010-11-28T20:40:00.005-07:00

We have officially hit winter! Despite all of the snow, we did have a lovely weekend -- unfortunately, we neglected to take any pictures, so I decided this photo from last January would have to do until we take some new pictures.

The week didn't start out so well, however. The bank wouldn't let Andrew leave work early during the blizzard on Tuesday, (Overstock was letting people go at 3 o'clock so they'd make it home safely) and he got hit twice on the way home from work. He wasn't hurt at all, thank goodness, but he was shaken up and the passenger door is completely smashed in. To rub salt in the wound, the insurance company has claimed that he is at fault (even though he was hit by a guy going too fast on the icy roads), so now we're responsible for the deductible. Happy Thanksgiving!

Once I calmed down from that one, we were able to enjoy Thanksgiving with Andrew's family! Every one of his siblings and all of their kids, including our sweet new nephew, Camden, were there -- which hasn't happened in years, Andrew told me. It was fun to have everyone together and enjoy way too much food.

We drove up to Idaho after Andrew got off work on Friday for another Thanksgiving celebration. It was fun to see the new Harry Potter movie with my parents and sister (my brothers were being sticks-in-the-mud), spend time with my good friend Abby and run into friends from BYU-I unexpectedly. Even though our trips to Idaho are usually short and sweet, I always relish them.

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving! Happy snowy weather!

An attitude of gratitude

2010-11-21T15:23:00.003-07:00

Hi, friends! I haven't posted in awhile because I've felt a little boring -- which is odd, since I had one of the busiest weeks in awhile and all I wanted to do was sit down at the end of the day and unplug.

I thought this picture from a few months back was particularly appropriate, because I'm feeling incredibly grateful to be going to IDAHO this weekend to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I'm only four hours away, but I find myself missing the peace and quiet of my hometown and wanting to spend just a little bit of time in St. Anthony, seeing all the people I know so well.

This post is also my chance to mention just a few things that I'm grateful for. After Andrew's priesthood blessing two weeks ago, I started realizing how truly blessed I am, and how awful it is to constantly be wishing for something better. Here is my list of things I'm grateful for.

Andrew. I really should change the name of this blog to "Lindsay goes on and on about Andrew," because I rarely have a post now without him in it. But he is an incredible man! I think back to last year's Thanksgiving, wondering what plans Heavenly Father had for me. One year later, I'm married to a man who makes me laugh, who takes me on Del Taco runs when I'm hungry and grouchy and gives me a kiss before he leaves each morning.

Our apartment. After talking to a few of our neighbors in the ward last week, I realized how much we lucked out with our apartment. Sure, it's old, has teal walls in the bedroom and had no cell phone reception until we bought a cell phone extender. But we have a very nice landlord who has been extremely generous with the rent. Who cares what color the walls are? We may be painting them soon anyway. :)

Friends. It's never been easy for me to make friends, and sometimes I feel a little lonely in Salt Lake when I'm away from my family. Last week, I unexpectedly got to reconnect with one of my best friends from college, and it felt wonderful. I realized how much I need friends, and how much I need to keep in touch with the friends I have.

Family. My family grew A LOT in August, and I've loved getting to know Andrew's parents and siblings better. It's also fun to suddenly become an aunt and have nieces and nephews that like me and give me hugs when I leave. I've also realized how much I value my parents and my siblings. They are always calling to make sure I'm OK and to see how Andrew is doing.

I wish I was more grateful all the time, but Thanksgiving is the perfect time to remember and maybe do better in the future. :)

In A Coming Day

2010-11-08T21:39:00.003-07:00

On Saturday, Andrew and I passed the 3-month mark. I can't believe we've already been married for three months! Time has absolutely flown! It's almost Thanksgiving, and then we're into CHRISTMAS. Ah, Christmas.

I've had a rough few weeks, and yesterday I was reminded again how much I love my husband. He snuggled with me on the bed and just let me cry for a few minutes. Then he gave me a blessing. It was the first time my HUSBAND had given me a blessing, and it was incredibly special. How amazing is it to have such a wonderful man who holds the priesthood by my side through eternity!

And even though he wasn't scheduled to work until 1 in the afternoon today and could sleep in a little, (a luxury he rarely gets) he got up while I was still in the shower and made me breakfast and lunch! I came home to find that he had vacuumed the floor, done the dishes and folded the laundry before he went to work.

Then tonight, he surprised me by pulling up Elder McConkie's final testimony on YouTube so we could watch it for FHE. He told me he just really likes it, which is true, but it was also a reminder to me that the Savior has suffered everything for us. He knows when I have a bad day. He knows what it's like to feel alone. And He knows how to help us feel better.

I'm grateful for an incredible husband who sacrifices so much to make me feel happy again, and I'm grateful for a Savior who made the ultimate sacrifice. I will be able to see Him in a coming day with Andrew at my side forever.

The Silent Staircase

2010-10-30T11:02:00.003-06:00

To celebrate Halloween, I decided to share one of my family's spooky stories. I wrote this short story for my creative writing class at BYU-Idaho in 2008, but I thought you might enjoy it during this time of year. It is a true story based on the life of my great-grandfather, George Brinkerhoff. Cheers! :)

The Silent Staircase

George pulled the black bowler from his head and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief, already damp from use. He pulled his watch, the one fine thing he still owned, from his pocket, realizing that dinnertime had long since passed. He looked at Elder Ingersol, a heavy-set man who was struggling even more than he was in the Georgia heat.

“Elder, I think we’d better find a place to stay for the night,” George said.

Ingersol only nodded, too exhausted to form a response. It was 1927, and George Brinkerhoff was far from his home in Huntington, Utah, though Ingersol was even farther from his home in Sacramento, California. Sometimes he wondered why the missionaries were supposed to take the Savior’s words in the Bible literally, traveling without “purse or scrip.” It took quite a bit to fill Ingersol up, and George would have liked to know where he’d be staying each night.

But George couldn’t have picked a better place to stay for the night than the tall, white plantation house looming ahead. He nudged Ingersol, who was focused solely on putting one foot in front of the other, and walked a bit faster. He could almost taste the moist, yellow cornbread and tender meat of the fried chicken they might have for dinner.

George was not disappointed. “Hey, Hal, it’s them Mormon missionaries again!” hollered a bony woman with red hair as she ushered them onto the porch.

A tall man slowly made his way through the wide front door, rubbing the five o’clock shadow along his jaw. He took one look at George, holding his hat in his hands, and Ingersol’s sweat-soaked shirt and face and grinned.

“Walcome tuh Georgia, boys,” Hal Potter quipped.

An hour later, George and Ingersol were stuffed full of chicken and freshly-baked blueberry pie and ready to retire.

“I have the finest room prepared,” the redheaded woman, Bonnie, said. She led the two upstairs to a clean room with double beds. Old black and white photos of the Potters’ Civil War ancestors covered the walls, and she chattered about uncle this and uncle that as she turned the covers up and plumped the pillows a bit. George was too tired to pay much attention to the conversation, but he couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. He glanced at Ingersol, but Ingersol had already removed his shoes and necktie. He clearly had no qualms about the arrangement.

Finally, Bonnie decided the room was satisfactory and left the two alone, promising a hearty breakfast at seven the next morning. George said his prayers and climbed gratefully under the covers. Ingersol was already snoring loudly. He tried to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach, attributing it to the three pieces of blueberry pie Bonnie had heaped on his plate. Sleep came quickly and easily.

Suddenly, George was in the middle of a battle, and apparently he had traveled back in time as well, because it was hardly 1927 Georgia. He seemed rooted to his bed as two Civil War soldiers, a Confederate and a Union, pulled out their swords. So close he could feel the thick air sliced by their weapons, George gripped the covers, still unable to move or to speak.

As he watched with horror, the Confederate soldier quickly beheaded the Union soldier, the head bouncing across the floor next to George’s bed and down a flight of stairs. Thud, thud, thud – each sound jarred George’s ears as the head finally rested at the bottom of the staircase.

He woke abruptly, shivering despite the sticky heat of the room. Frantically, he looked around the room and stuck his foot on the floor, feeling for the blood that had pooled near his bed in the nightmare. Relieved, he lay back down and tried to get back to sleep.

The next morning, George tried to put the nightmare aside as he and Ingersol talked with Hal and Bonnie and determined where to continue their proselyting. Though the Potters did not belong to the Church, they had often provided missionaries with food and shelter, and insisted that Elders Brinkerhoff and Ingersol stay with them for the remainder of the week.

At the Potters’ urging, George and Ingersol met with many Georgians in the neighborhood that week. Though most of them claimed they already had religion (We go to the Baptist church ‘most every Sunday, yes sir), each one had a story to tell about their Civil War ancestors, and pictures like the ones framing Bonnie’s walls. The Great War had taken place only 60 years previously, and many of these people had grown up listening to their parents and grandparents talk about the battles and life before war had divided the South forever.

Although George had always liked learning about Civil War history and was fascinated by their stories, they made his nightmare seem more vivid than ever.

And every night when they returned to the Potters’ home for dinner and a place to rest, George woke up sweating from the same horrible nightmare. It was becoming more real by the moment.

Finally, the week ended, and George and Ingersol were making their final goodbyes to the generous Potter family. Despite their protests that they didn’t need another book to gather dust around the house, George had left them with a Book of Mormon and challenged them to read it. Though he and Ingersol wanted to get on their way before the heat made tracting nearly impossible, George couldn’t shake the nightmare that had haunted him for six days. He cleared his throat.

“Bonnie, I have to ask. Have any of your other houseguests had bad dreams while staying in that room?”

Bonnie looked up from the bacon she was frying, but her eyes didn’t quite meet George’s. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout,” she muttered, turning back to the stove.

But Hal’s hand, sticky with honey from the biscuit he was eating, covered his mouth. “What did you dream about?” he finally whispered, focusing on licking each drop from his fingers.

George plunged into the dream, describing the tattered appearance of the soldiers, the hatred he could see in their eyes, the varnished sword that eventually killed the Union soldier. He told them about the sickening sound the head made as it bounced down the polished staircase and landed at the bottom, and the pool of blood just inches from the bed where he was sleeping.

When he finished, Ingersol (the only one who had continued to devour his breakfast) was gaping at him, crumbs and honey forming a ring around his mouth. In contrast, Bonnie’s mouth had pressed into a firm line.

“My grandparents built this house and owned it during the Civil War,” she finally said. “During the War, they housed a few Confederate soldiers for a time, but the Union soldiers came in the middle of the night and attacked the house. I can still remember my grandmother’s eyes as she told us kids about opening the door and finding a human head, covered in blood, then a corpse in the bedroom she had tried to keep so fine for the Confederates.” Bonnie was sitting at the table now, her hand clutching Hal’s tightly.

“The stairs were always stained with blood after that,” Bonnie continued, “so when I inherited the house thirty years ago, we completely remodeled it and took out that staircase. Each time I walked down those stairs, I could almost see the soldier’s head resting at the bottom.” She grasped George’s fingers with her free hand. “I think there’s someone who wants revenge,” she whispered, her nails clawing into his palm.

And as they sat around the kitchen table in tense silence, George could almost hear the shouts, the cannons, and, most of all, the dull thud, thud, thud, as the head of the Union soldier rolled down the staircase that no longer stood and came to a stop at the foot of the kitchen door.

Our house is a very, very, very fine house

2010-10-26T22:40:00.009-06:00

OK. So it's not a house, but it's a CUTE apartment! :) I finally decided to post some pictures, even though there are computer cords on the floor and you can tell I've been curled up watching Glee. It gives it a lived-in look, right?

As for those of you who have asked when the housewarming party will be, cross your fingers for next week. Our October days quickly escaped from us, which is sad. I love October so much.

Andrew and I squeezed one more trip to Frightmares in with our friends Anthony and Brittany last Friday, and we went to Despicable Me at the dollar theater on Saturday. It was lovely to have a Saturday to ourselves.

P.S. My favorite Rexburg shop Panache (which I am making my sister shop at since I no longer live there) is having a giveaway, so you should check it out! Free headbands! :)

Pumpkins and parks

2010-10-19T22:35:00.003-06:00

Andrew carved these pumpkins on Saturday, and we've been lighting them every night since to add a little fun to our "patio" (the joys of a basement apartment). I bet you can't guess which one I designed. :)

We also went to Frightmares last weekend and got on the swings (one of my favorites), the Samurai, Jet Star and the white rollercoaster. It's REALLY cool at night when you're in the front seat and you're already freezing from walking around the park in October. The haunted houses were pretty lame, but it was fun to get another trip to Lagoon in before it closes, since we have season passes that expire soon.

I love October so much! I can't believe it's already more than halfway over! Fortunately we have cute new shelves and pictures on the walls to make our little apartment feel more like home. I'll be posting pictures soon and having a housewarming party, so if you're in Salt Lake, please stop by! We'd sure love to have you. :)

From this moment

2010-10-14T22:40:00.006-06:00

Jack Johnson said it best when he sang, "I believe in memories; they look so pretty when I sleep."

Today, I was listening to the song Andrew and I danced to at our wedding, and I got the chills when I remembered that perfect moment. It's amazing how one song can bring back all those emotions and still make you feel so incredible. I emailed Andrew at work to tell him how I felt, and he felt the same way! He even told me he'd like to go back to the day I said "yes" and pause that moment.

Here are just a few of the moments in my life I'd like to pause and rewind.

Our wedding dance: The song "Until You" by Dave Barnes was absolutely beautiful and fit our feelings perfectly. I remember feeling like time was suspended and I wanted Andrew and I to just be able to hold each other forever and float up into the clouds.

Kneeling across the altar: I could instantly feel the powerful love Andrew has for me and the love I have for him. Being in the temple with him and all of our family was the greatest feeling, especially as we looked into mirrors to see ourselves together for eternity.

The proposal: I'll never forget the look of absolute joy on Andrew's face as he suddenly dropped to one knee and, with a shaky voice, asked me to be his. We were under a gorgeous tree, it was incredibly peaceful and the man I loved had just asked me the question of a lifetime.

Lagoon Day: Riding the Ferris wheel with Andrew and kissing on the Sky Ride (which I had ALWAYS wanted to do) was one of the happiest days of my life. There's something about fairs and amusement parks that always sticks with me.

Our first date: Even though I threw up twice before Andrew picked me up. barely ate any of my food and nearly puked again while we were watching Avatar, Andrew was still interested and so worried about me. From that night on, I knew there was something special about him, and I knew that he was the guy I'd been praying to find.

What moments would you like to rewind? These are just a few of the incredible ones in my mind from my whirlwind year, but I'm awfully lucky to be experiencing even more moments with my wonderful Andrew every day.

They all FALL down

2010-10-06T22:40:00.007-06:00

I have become a bit obsessed with decorating for fall, so I thought I'd share my decorations with you. I spent days looking for a cake stand that would work for my GLITTER PUMPKIN and finally found it. Then I put it on one of the gorgeous doilies we received as a wedding gift and voila! A pretty centerpiece for the table.

Since I am also obsessed with owls, I had to buy this lovely vintage-looking tealight holder, too. Looking at these pictures, I think I need some more light and a better camera, too -- it just doesn't look as good. :)

In other news Andrew and I have been married two months today! Time is going by so quickly, and we still have Frightmares, corn mazes and HALLOWEEN to look forward to together! Ah, fall -- and a wonderful husband.

Picture this!

2010-10-03T14:02:00.005-06:00

For those of you who don't have Facebook, here are a few of my favorite wedding photos. I especially love the one of Andrew by himself. Isn't my honey a HONEY? I've been scrapbooking these during conference, and they make me happier than ever to have Andrew as my husband.

Four states in four days

2010-09-27T23:09:00.007-06:00

After a long work week, Andrew and I got away from the big city and drove up to Idaho Thursday night for an extended weekend! We started off with a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, stopping along the way in Driggs, Idaho, for a cute little farmer's market. I got a new fur-lined hoodie that I have become obsessed with, and Andrew and I ate yummy Mexican at the Merry Piglets.

Next, we drove over to Grand Teton National Park to go to my very favorite lake, Jenny Lake. It was the perfect day -- sunny, warm and peaceful. The Tetons were really pretty, too, and it was Andrew's first trip to Jackson in quite awhile. We finished off the day with a visit to his sister's house in Rexburg.

The next morning, sort of bright and early, we packed my parents' Home Alone van with camping stuff and a cooler full of food to go to YELLOWSTONE! Of course, my dad had to show us the south entrance of the park, so we spent about an hour and a half on a bumpy gravel/dirt/boulder road in the blue van. We finally made it to the park entrance and drove through, stopping at plenty of spots along the way. It was the perfect time to see animals! We saw a grizzly bear and two cubs, two black bears, TONS of elk, a few deer, some antelope and a bunch of bison.

Once we'd seen as much of the park as we could cram into one day, my dad drove us into Paradise Valley, Montana, where we spent the night at the nicest KOA I have ever seen! Our cabin was right next to the Yellowstone River, and the campground had an indoor swimming pool, playground and even outdoor exercise equipment (which I should have used to work off all the candy I ate along the way).

We finished our trip the next morning with brunch at Chico Hot Springs and a stop at Howard Springs in Island Park, Idaho, for fresh spring water. Then Andrew drove us back to Utah to begin another week.

It was a wonderful, peaceful weekend, and it was fun to be with my sweetheart in places that have always been dear to me. We always have fun together, even if we're in a tiny cabin in Livingston, Montana.

Keepin' it REAL

2010-09-19T19:55:00.002-06:00

Andrew and I went to our first REAL game together as a married couple on Sept. 15! You can't really tell from this picture, but he's wearing the jersey I bought him for his birthday. :) It was a good game, and the weather was great. I didn't even freeze this time.

We also went camping this weekend with Andrew's brothers (no pictures of that, though -- I spent the entire time snuggled up in my hoodie) and celebrated some friends' birthdays at Red Robin.

I am slowly decorating our little apartment with Halloween lights and pumpkins for fall. It's so fun to have our own place and a husband that lets me decorate it. He's amazing and cleans and does the laundry and helps me hang pictures late at night when I decide where I want them. I am incredibly blessed in so many ways!

All's Fair in Love

2010-09-13T21:07:00.007-06:00

We've been married a little over a month now, and life is great! We went to the state fair on Saturday and watched a terrible "comedic magician," ate funnel cake, watched some funny sea lions and looked at a cool photography exhibit.

I am getting better at being domestic, and I made some yummy chili tonight for Andrew! Yayah! We are slowly getting our house the way we want it, and I'm getting used to having no cell phone reception (it's a basement apartment) and not turning the dial on the stove until it clicks (otherwise the broiler stays on and heats the entire house).

We are also planning to start a photo blog, so I'll post the new blog for that here when it's up. I'll also be getting the wedding pictures soon, so a few of those will make it up here, too. I chopped my hair off on Thursday and I'm still getting used to it, so there will probably be more pictures of that, too. :)

Andrew has been awesome and still makes me so incredibly happy! He brought me tissues and searched 3 different Redboxes for a DVD I wanted to watch the other night when my cold was out of control. He went grocery shopping alone late at night when I'd had a bad day that involved two DMVs, a Social Security office, bad traffic and an empty gas tank. And he always kisses me good night.

Mawwiage is what bwings us together today

2010-08-24T15:07:00.002-06:00

Andrew and I have been married a little more than two weeks now, and I am absolutely thrilled to be his wife! I'm still getting used to sharing my bed, cooking for two and suddenly being called "Aunt Lindsay," but I love my man even more than I ever did before.

While I've been adjusting to my new job as a wife, Andrew has been an AMAZING husband so far. Here are just a few of the things he's done for me since we've been married.

He makes me breakfast. Lately I've been exhausted in the mornings and not getting a good night of sleep (Andrew told me I woke him up in the middle of the night yelling, "Reggie, NO! Reggie, NO!"), and Andrew has been taking care of me. He made me amazing banana pancakes in Hawaii and French toast on Sunday. He also does the dishes and made sure we bought dishwasher soap so we wouldn't have dirty plates anymore.

He makes lunches before work. OK, it sounds like all of this is going to be about food, but I think it is SO sweet that he makes lunches for both of us to take to work while I'm still in the shower. He even let me take the special dinosaur sandwich container to work and he took the pink heart one! Now THAT's love!

He makes the bed. Andrew knows how much I hate leaving the bed unmade, so he makes it or helps me make it before we leave for work. It's lovely to come home to a clean bed and not have tangled sheets and a pile of blankets (so I like to steal the comforter, ok) to make when I walk into the bedroom.

He takes out the trash, mops and scours and does laundry -- all while I sleep for about two hours. The other day, I crashed on the couch and woke up to find that Andrew had cleaned EVERYTHING without ever waking me up to help him. He said he knew I was tired.

I really don't deserve such an incredible husband, but I am working to be a better wife and increase my domestic capabilities -- a.k.a. cook breakfast and make lunches before Andrew once in awhile.

Two-and-a-half weeks down, millions more to go! I love my amazing Andrew!

Goin' to the temple and we're gonna get MARRIED

2010-08-02T21:59:00.004-06:00

Four days left. FOUR DAYS and I will marry Andrew Wertz Wilcox for time and all eternity!

I haven't updated this blog for awhile because I've been crazy busy, but I thought I'd post one of my favorite pics of Andrew and me. It's also the picture we chose for our announcement.

I am so excited and feel a little bit weird at the same time. I was cleaning out my old apartment this evening, and I realized it would be the last time I'd have a female roommate. I'm getting married! I'll have my own home with the man that I love SO MUCH!

So here's to change and love and answered prayers. Heavenly Father always gives me exactly what I need when I need it. I'm so glad He finally brought us together.

It's really happening. My man wasn't killed in the war in heaven... :)

S' Wonderful

2010-07-22T09:58:00.000-06:00

I had a lovely weekend with Andrew in beautiful IDAHO!! Of course, it didn't start out too lovely...

After Andrew drove for three hours through horrible construction zones and standstill traffic, we ended up stopping in Pocatello to get our marriage license -- only to go through metal detectors and find out that with 15 minutes before closing time, we were $5 short in cash for the license. As Andrew ran to an ATM downstairs in the courthouse, I furiously filled out the form (my hands were shaking so badly I could barely write) and gave the woman my driver's license.

Once we'd made things official, we raced to Rexburg, making it to the distribution center with only 5 minutes to spare so I could buy my temple clothes. Andrew and I snarfed down Arby's (the only food we'd had in hours), and I got into my wedding dress for some quick bridal pictures in the BYU-Idaho gardens. Once we'd gotten a few pictures and the mosquitoes were biting us, Andrew and I finally made it to St. Anthony -- at about 9:30 at night. Our short trip (if traffic isn't too heavy, I can make it home in about 3 1/2 hours) had worn us out.

After I stayed up talking to my sister until about 1 a.m., I finally fell asleep -- and woke up at 5:30 when she decided to get up an HOUR AND A HALF early to make it to a class in Idaho Falls. I was not exactly happy -- but my time in the temple more than made up for it! We hurried home for a bridal shower that ended up being really fun, and then Andrew and I escaped for a trip to Mesa Falls, my FAVORITE PLACE in the world!

We finished off Saturday with a barbecue with Becky and Brandt and their cute kids. They shot me with Nerf guns (the kids, not Becky and Brandt) and dropped plastic spiders in my lap. Good times. :)

Two weeks from tomorrow, we will be MARRIED in Idaho Falls! I can't believe it's almost here! Andrew will be my husband for eternity, and we'll start keeping house and fixing plumbing problems and cooking and praying that we can scrape by with two meager incomes. But most of all, we'll be loving each other and working our hardest to make each other happy forever.

As George Gershwin would say, "S' wonderful. S' marvelous." It really is.

Wedding bells and blues

2010-07-13T23:27:00.002-06:00

The wedding is coming right up, and I already have something blue -- the wedding blues.

Maybe it's because my family is living in Idaho and trying to plan things without me there, and I miss them. Maybe it's because I am realizing just how much everything is going to cost. And maybe it's because I feel like I'm being bossy and stubborn -- and I hate feeling like that.

So from this point on, it's time to focus on the best parts of this wedding, the parts that I'm excited about! I think every bride gets a little down when the planning is about through and you're still not sure how everything will come together. Here is my list of happy thoughts:

Bridal pictures. Andrew's sister, Mary, has been awesome through this whole process and took some of our engagement pictures. Now she's doing bridals for me this weekend, and I'm actually excited for them! I'll have pictures in the area of Idaho that I love and miss the most -- and I'll be in my beautiful white dress. :)

Family. One of the things I'm most excited for with this wedding is the chance to have all of Andrew's family together. I see a lot of his parents, and I love them. It's nice to feel at home since my parents are far away right now. But this will bring all seven of his siblings together. I'm also incredibly excited for all of my family to be with me and celebrate my marriage.

Flowers. My cousin Sabrina is making the bouquet, boutonnieres and corsages, and I can't wait to hold them and to see my parents and Andrew's parents wearing them! I'm also stoked for the flowers we'll have as decorations. My dreams of a vintage-style reception are coming true!

Andrew. In just a few short weeks, I will kneel over an altar and be wed for time and all eternity to the man I love SO MUCH. He makes me happy just by walking into the room or opening the car door for me. How could I be blue when I'm marrying the man I've hoped for and dreamed of for so long?

The blues have gone away! Now I'll have to find something else for the old wedding tradition...

One month left!

2010-07-05T16:56:00.003-06:00

Hi, friends! Sorry for those of you who have been reading my blog and were looking forward to a post last week. I was crazy busy and really didn't have much to report because... we printed out our invitations and started addressing them! We're officially getting married in a month from tomorrow! I am SO IN LOVE with my boy!

Now, for a quick update on what we did during the past few days. We drove Ruby to a parking lot a few blocks away from Andrew's high school and watched the annual fireworks there. Then we went to Lava Hot Springs on Saturday to meet my family halfway, spent Sunday evening with his family and went to Lagoon-a-beach today. It was nice to have a long weekend to just hang out and have fun before all the wedding stress happens.

Andrew is incredible. I fall more in love every day. It's crazy when we go shopping now, because all of a sudden, I'm wanting tables and chairs, loveseats and sofas for our new home. I start thinking about the meals I will have to learn to cook when we buy pots and pans. And I want even more DVDs and Blu-rays for our weekly date nights and evenings just snuggling at home.

We're getting MARRIED! No turning back now! :)

Two weddings and a Real game

2010-06-22T22:01:00.002-06:00

My weekend started a little earlier this time -- my friend and old roommate, Erin, flew in from California on Thursday for our friend Jen's wedding and stayed with me until Sunday!

We stayed up way too late and ate way too many fudge mint and peanut butter cookies. We reminisced about the good ol' days at BYU-Idaho and hung out with Jen on her last day as a single lady. And we walked around the farmer's market downtown just like we did two summers ago and sighed again over the vintage journals made of old book covers (although Erin actually bought one). It was nice to have her here for a few days.

Andrew and I hit up two receptions, a gallery showing and a sidewalk chalk festival -- all within about three hours. We spent Saturday night at the Real game in super awesome seats where we witnessed the second goal close-up. Then we topped things off with a big bowl of ice cream and The Incredibles. After a long Father's Day at Andrew's house and a drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon, we were ready for the weekend to be over.

There's only about a month and a half left until August 6, and I'm more in love with my boy than ever before. Wedding day, here we come!

Come to Zion, come to Zion!

2010-06-14T17:45:00.005-06:00

You guessed it. Andrew and I spent the last weekend in.... Zion! Zion National Park, that is. We drove down on Thursday (OK, Andrew drove and I watched Cars on his laptop) and stayed in Hurricane (pronounced Hurri-cun") for the night.

On Friday, Andrew and I and most of his family toured Zion National Park. All five siblings (two of his brothers couldn't make it) and their kids, plus Andrew, his parents and me, crammed onto a small shuttle bus to see the sights. I held Kalissa, my soon-to-be niece on my lap and talked up musicals with Emily, another niece, as we walked to the river and took pictures there.

Once the kids were exhausted and everyone else was heading back to the park for a picnic, Andrew and I decided to check out Weeping Rock, this beautiful mossy cliff with water droplets falling everywhere. We headed back to the park for lunch after that, and I took a nap (I'm a wimp during weekend excursions) while Andrew swam with his nieces.

We finished up the trip with a stop at his sister's house, a few hours at a great park where we took some fun pictures that might end up on the announcements, and a quick trip to St. George to see the temple, since I'd never been there. I was completely floored to discover palm trees in Utah!

A lot of Andrew's siblings joked about how I still had about two months to back out on the marriage now that I'd met the whole family. But you know what? It was fun to be in my own Zion with Andrew's siblings and parents. Sure, they're not perfect. None of us are going to be lifted up like the city of Enoch anytime soon. But they love each other purely, and they accept and love me purely, too. And that's what matters most to me.

I am less than two months away from starting my own little Zion with an incredible husband by my side. I can't wait to begin that journey.

It's what fun is!

2010-06-07T15:08:00.010-06:00

Andrew and I spent half of Friday riding, swinging, swaying, walking, spinning and dropping.

That's right. We went to Lagoon for Overstock.com's annual party! It was fun to be there with my fiance this time, walking from roller coaster to swings to haunted house with virtually no lines at all. We had a barbecue and took some time out on the Sky Ride when we got a little dizzy from riding the Samurai, Rocket and Paratrooper within minutes of each other.

I also had a lovely Saturday cleaning out Ruby and then going to the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians movie at the dollar theater with Andrew, despite the giggling 12-year-old audience we just didn't fit into.

And Sunday, we took some engagement pictures ourselves at this beautiful old church. Hopefully we'll have our invitations done in a few weeks! We just need to get the PERFECT shot to use.

My favorite part of the weekend, though, was our rides on the Ferris wheel. I've always loved Ferris wheels. There's something about being suspended high in the air and looking at the world from a new perspective that's inspiring. And, of course, it's amazing to be sitting alone with the man you love who will be your husband in two months!!

Ain't love grand?

Memories light the corner of my mind

2010-06-01T19:46:00.002-06:00

I had a great Memorial Day weekend with Andrew and his family, and it stirred up a lot of old memories I have with my family.

We went to his brother's house and watched The Princess Bride, and I was reminded of all the times my sister and brothers and I watched that movie -- and quoted the entire rhyming scene all the time (much to the chagrin of my mother).

Andrew and I met his friends at a Bees game, and I was reminded of the time I watched my first (and only) Yankees game with my brother and was horrified as the Yankees and Red Sox got in a huge fight when they knocked their elderly manager to the ground.

Andrew and I listened to a double quartet sing "Bring Him Home" in sacrament meeting on Sunday, and I was reminded of the many times I had listened to my father and then my brother sing that song at our home and at church.

And finally, we went to a cemetery on Monday morning and placed flowers on the graves of Andrew's grandparents, and I was reminded of my own grandfather, who has been gone for a year now.

I think memories are some of the most important things we possess. Photographs fade, flowers wilt, buildings crumble, but the memories we have of the people we love and the places we have always enjoyed will be with us forever.

I hope your own Memorial Day weekend was filled with beautiful memories like mine was -- and I hope, like me, you're looking forward to creating more of your own memories. I can hardly wait to make my own with Andrew, soon to be mine for eternity.

Never a... bridesmaid

2010-05-23T23:03:00.002-06:00

I spent this past weekend in Idaho and had my first (and probably last, since I'm 23 and an 'old maid' in my high school class) experience as a bridesmaid in my friend Kristen's wedding.

It was bittersweet for many reasons. I was happy for Kristen to marry Blair, this incredibly sweet man who has taken care of her for 3 years, but I'm sad that they're moving to New Mexico and I'll rarely see her anymore. I was happy to be in Idaho, home sweet home, but I was sad to be spending my first weekend away from Andrew since we began dating in January.

It was strange and almost surreal to be standing next to one of my best friends, knowing that she was married and I was the next one in line in just a few short months. I thought about the saying "Always a bridesmaid -- never a bride" and realized that I've always gone to weddings, especially for high school friends, and come home wondering when it would be my turn.

But this time, I had a gorgeous ring on my left hand, a huge smile on my face and a million things to tell all my old friends from St. Anthony about the amazing man I'm marrying in August. I missed Andrew and realized I love him even more when we're apart -- because I appreciate him and I think about all of the wonderful things he does for me and his kind, good heart.

I guess life is about those times when we're always a bridesmaid (or never, in my case) and wondering what life has in store for us. For me, life had Utah and Andrew in store, a man who treats me like a queen and still opens the door for me each day. Life had a brother's serious health problems in store, but it also had healing, enough that Reggie could give me a "tsunami" while I was at home this weekend (essentially shaking the shower and pouring a bucket of cold water on my head).

It'll be my turn to be the bride on August 6, but there will be plenty of other times in my life when I'm still just 'at the wedding' and wondering why my prayers haven't been answered. And you know what? That's OK. Heavenly Father knows what we need -- and sometimes what we need is something vastly different than what we expected.

So be happy and remember -- there is always plenty of nuts, mints and cake at the receptions we wait at along the way.

Sharing is caring

2010-05-18T11:40:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking about The Parent Trap today -- not the 1998 Lindsay Lohan blunder (OK, parts of that are good), but the 1961 version with Haley Mills and Maureen O'Hara. It was one of my mom's favorite movies, so we watched it a lot growing up.

The reason that movie came to mind was a part at the very end, where the estranged parents are sitting at a table trying to eat dinner and figure out what went wrong with their marriage. The husband mentions something really weird (and totally cute) that he misses about his ex-wife: "I miss the bobby pins being mixed up with the fishing line in my tackle box." This leads to more things he misses about her and, eventually, their decision to try again at their marriage.

I found Andrew's chapstick in my purse the other day and was reminded of that movie and how much we're going to share. I buy movies with Andrew in mind now, making sure he doesn't have the same movie or that it's a sappy chick flick he will NEVER want to watch (it's just not as fun to watch movies alone). I got rid of a bunch of old clothes and shoes since we'll be sharing a closet in a few months. And I've already realized that I WILL have to let Andrew teach me to drive stick since I will probably need to drive his car at times.

I haven't always been so willing to share. My sister and I had a bunkbed and dresser to share for most of my life, and I always wanted a space of my own. I didn't like sharing my clothes with my sister (although it did become flattering after awhile) and it was a drag to share my cute little convertible with my brother when he became old enough to drive.

A lot of things change when you fall completely in love and find the man you're going to spend eternity with -- essentially, you learn how to share. I can't wait to share an apartment with Andrew, share my food and even my books. But most of all, I can't wait to share the one thing that's most important -- my whole heart.

A prior engagement

2010-05-10T18:35:00.003-06:00

Most of you are already aware of this if you've checked Facebook or your phones, but...I'M ENGAGED! I'M GETTING MARRIED!

Andrew took me to Memory Grove, this park in the Avenues in Salt Lake City, and surprised me by suddenly getting down on one knee when we were taking pictures with his tripod. I could hardly breathe, and I had my face covered with my hands from shock.

No matter how much you love someone and how long you've anticipated the day when he will ask you a simple question, it still takes your breath away when this incredible man of your dreams asks you to spend the rest of your life with him.

OF COURSE I said yes, and the date is August 6 in the Idaho Falls Temple. It's absolutely crazy to think that I'm trying on wedding dresses tomorrow, and I have a gorgeous sparkly ring on my finger to show the world that I'm taken -- I'm Andrew's girl for eternity. :)

Now that I've got the happy news out of the way, I just want to ask those of you who know me and my family really well to do something for us. Please pray for my youngest brother, Reggie, who has been in the hospital since last Thursday with a terrible sickness. I don't want to go into details, but I have faith that continued prayers for him will help him to heal. He is in the Lord's hands, and he will make a full recovery. I love him SO MUCH, and I wish I could instantly make him better, but only the Savior can do that.

Thank you so much for your faith and for your congratulations on my engagement! It is absolutely thrilling to be so in love -- and in love with the right person at the right time.

A perfect match

2010-05-04T00:50:00.004-06:00

Every weekend I blog about seems to get better and better! Andrew and I spent most of Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Idaho celebrating his cousin Kalissa's baptism with his family and hanging out with mine. It was a lot of fun. I love going on road trips with Andrew and having him stay at the house I grew up in.

Yesterday, we went to a dinner that turned out to be a celebration of the women in the 48th ward, which was unexpected and made me feel kind of awkward. A lot of the guys in the ward were serving this fancy dinner and then they showed a slide show of guys from the ward, including the bishopric and former bishop, talking about the purity of womanhood.

Some of the things that were said made me laugh; others made me cringe because they seemed so crazy. But one of the bishopric members said something that really meant a lot to me.

"My wife is a perfect match for me," he said. "I like who I am when I'm with her."

I feel the same way about Andrew. Sometimes I'm too impatient, too quick to get mad and too quick to say something that hurts someone's feelings. But when I'm with Andrew, I feel like we fit. I'm at peace, and I don't have to worry about trying to impress him or anyone else, because he thinks I'm beautiful and special -- and he doesn't try to make me into something I'm not.

We played Memory on his phone the other day, and I couldn't help thinking that life and love are sometimes a lot like Memory. We have to turn over a lot of cards, not knowing what they hold, to find the right paths and people in our lives. But when we do find a perfect match, it makes finding another match that much easier.

I've found a match -- and I'm happier than I've ever been before.

Hot air AND balloons

2010-04-27T18:54:00.006-06:00

I had an EXCELLENT 23rd birthday last weekend, and there are still reminders of it in my room because of my fantastic boyfriend, Andrew! On Thursday evening, I came home to THIS:

There were (and still are) balloons covering the bed and the floor, streamers hung from the walls and ceiling, "happy birthday" posters on my mirror, and confetti all over the place. I have tracked confetti through my entire apartment. There was even some in the bathtub. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my man!

Then, on Friday, my parents and sister came down and we went to The Olive Garden and to the Gateway Mall. Saturday morning rolled around and my family, Andrew and I went to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point. It was really hot, and we both got a little sun, but the flowers were really pretty.

To top things off, Andrew took me to my favorite restaurant, Thaifoon, for honey walnut chicken and we watched Sweet Home Alabama in Cinderella Park on his laptop. He even made me a rainbow cake with homemade frosting on Sunday and gave me a cute pair of earrings, a copy of one of my favorite books, The Count of Monte Cristo, and one of my favorite musicals, The Sound of Music.

Life is so spectacular! I am 23, completely in love with the perfect man for me, have a job that pays the bills, a cute little convertible and a fun apartment to hang out in. What could be more exciting than that?

Learnin' to be in 23 places

2010-04-19T22:57:00.004-06:00

Spring (although it feels like summer) has officially sprung in Utah! Yesterday we put Ruby's top down (I came up with the name while I was sitting at work today) and drove up 45th South, where Andrew showed me this cute little park he calls Cinderella Park. I would have taken pictures, but I didn't have my camera and it was getting dark anyway. It was really cute and had a fun orange "carriage" and a castle to play in. If I were about 15 years younger (a scary thought), I would have been crawling through the tunnels and hitting the slides.

I put this picture of me on here not because it's a spectacular photo (I'm squinty and wearing my puffy coat because Idaho is cold), but because I'm turning 23 this Saturday, and it feels like a more grown-up birthday. Twenty-two was an interesting year -- I had just graduated from college, was still living with roommates and was looking for my big break while interning at a tiny newspaper. It was a birthday filled with "the world is my oyster" thoughts.

But this birthday, I'm a bit more of a realist. Don't get me wrong -- I still have the ambitions of actually sending in my children's book manuscript, starting a magazine and singing in jazz clubs around town. I'm just more grounded and more willing to accept the $300 brake jobs, head gasket failures, apartment lockouts, horrible viruses and expensive doctor trips I've had lately -- because I have so much good in my life, too!

So here's to being almost 23 and still playing with seven-year-olds in the bouncy castle slide, blowing bubbles to a 2-year-old and secretly wanting to build forts out of Lincoln Logs with the other kids. No matter how old I get, I'll still like merry-go-rounds and swingsets and fun little parks with castles and carriages. I'm grounded because I have to be -- but there's always enough sky to keep your head in the clouds for a little while.

Now, if only that Little Tikes castle I played in as a kid was a bit cheaper on Amazon. :)

Sick!

2010-04-12T14:31:00.004-06:00

This past weekend was one of the hardest I've had in seven years since my chemotherapy treatments -- and, unfortunately, it's not over yet.

I've been trying to treat a sore throat since Wednesday, and on Friday, it took a turn for the worst. I could barely swallow anything, my head ached and I was completely exhausted.

And instead of staying away so he didn't get sick and having a well-deserved night off with the Wii, Andrew came over to make me soup and take care of me and make sure I was actually eating something. When I got worse on Saturday, he and his dad gave me a priesthood blessing and then he made me some more soup and stayed with me to watch Mr. Mom before tucking me in and filling up my humidifier again.

On Sunday, I realized even more how much I love Andrew. He came over on Sunday morning, brought more drugs from his house and their copy of The Sound of Music since I still don't have my own, and took care of me. He even called the doctor on call because he was so worried and picked up another prescription for me. He watched me snore with my mouth wide open and saw my ugly pajamas -- and very few people can say that. He spent the entire day with me, my roommate's two birds and hours of golf. I haven't felt so loved since I moved away from Idaho.

I'm still sick, and now I have two bruises on my arms because the nurse didn't believe me when I said I have a problem giving blood. :) But I'm going to get better, and I have the most amazing boyfriend to make sure that it happens. I LOVE YOU, ANDREW!

Raindrops on roses

2010-04-07T22:47:00.003-06:00

I have been out of ideas on things to post lately, because I lead a very boring life. :) So it's once again time for a "favorite things" post! I think you just have to post things sometimes to keep yourself happy -- especially when you just shelled out more than 300 bucks to fix the brakes on your new car and paid the same amount in car insurance. Money, at least for me lately, is meant to be spent on cars and cars alone.

For those of you who DO have money to spend, however, I am going to list some of my favorite things. Most of them aren't too expensive, and one of them you just can't afford... you'll see why in a minute. :)

Andrew Wertz Wilcox. I hope he's not mad that I put his full name on here, but I think it's so AWESOME to have a cool last name as a middle name -- infinitely more interesting than my middle name, Michelle. He definitely tops my list of favorite...er...people ever. He fixed my glove box the other day, even though it was snowing outside and it took about an hour and a half to figure out how to repair it. He thinks I'm funny, and he holds my hand all the time -- which means I don't embarrass him! Can it get any better? :)

Bath and Body Works lip gloss. Just tonight, I stocked up on my favorite lip glosses because they were on sale, and it made me so happy! They're shiny, smell good, tingle your lips when you put them on and freshen your breath! They're pretty amazing, I must say.

Cafe Zupas. Maybe it's because it's right across the street from work, or maybe it's because they have my FAVORITE things, soup, sandwiches and dessert. Whatever the reason, I am completely obsessed with Zupas. For my Idaho friends, I'm afraid you'll have to come visit me down here and go to lunch with me, because they're kind of a Utah thing. However, you can check them out here. Today, I didn't have time to pack a lunch (and sadly, I didn't care), so I had the salmon chowder. Yum! The lobster bisque is to die for, too. Mmmmmmmm. I'm hungry.

Pandora. If any of you are not on the Pandora train yet, you really need to be. All you have to do is enter your email address and pick a band or singer you like, and voila! Pandora's beautiful magic box opens and you have an incredible personalized radio station! I have bought more music because of Pandora than listening to the radio for years with my parents in the car (although that MAY have had something to do with it anyway). Try it out if you haven't already. I promise you'll love it. Just be warned that you only get 40 hours free listening a month -- sadly, I always run out long before the month is over with my pathetic work days. :)

That's all for now! I'm tired and craving a yummy turkey avocado sandwich from Zupas, which means it's bedtime.

Home is where the heart is

2010-03-30T18:19:00.006-06:00

Andrew and I had a GREAT weekend in Idaho! I showed him my favorite bridge (which is where most of these pictures were taken), my favorite park, and my favorite people -- my family and friends, of course! We got to hang out in fabulous St. Anthony for two days, driving my cute little car all around town.

My mom made her famous cinnamon rolls (they aren't really famous, but they should be), pizza and Italian chicken. She even made crepes, my favorite. I felt like I was a little kid again. And on Saturday morning, she came into my room and gave me a hug in my bed, just like she used to do when I lived at home. I have a really nice mom -- and a really nice dad. He went through my owner's manual with a fine-toothed comb and discovered that my anti-lock brakes were not working (and I thought that red light meant they WERE).

And after my brother shot me in the eye with a Nerf gun and my sister and I sang the entire "Poor Unfortunate Souls" song before church, it was time to hit the road again and come back to Salt Lake City.

I realized something when I drove back into town this time, though. I miss Idaho. I'll probably always miss it. For 22 years, it was my home. But Salt Lake is my home, too -- and I love living here, too.

Aren't road trips just fantastic? :)

Song of the week!

2010-03-22T22:17:00.004-06:00

I had a fabulous weekend and wanted to share a picture with you all! Andrew and I went to a Jazz game to celebrate our friend Katie's birthday, and it was really fun. It was my first Jazz game and my first time inside the Energy Solutions Arena (even though I lived next to it for five months one summer -- go figure), so I was SO EXCITED! This was my excited face. :)

Andrew also had a GREAT idea for my blog, since I'm so obsessed with music -- a song of the week feature! So from now on, I'm going to put a different song on my blog each week for you to check out. It may be a new artist I'm currently into, or it may be an oldie that I love. It just depends on what I'm feeling.

I'm REALLY, REALLY excited about this, because I finally have my iPod back in my car! Andrew took apart my car stereo tonight and helped me hook up a cable so I can actually play my iPod again, so now I'm going to have to hit up Amazon again for more music. I just love that boy SO much! And I'm thrilled that I have an excuse to share the songs and artists I love with you all.

In other news, I am heading up to Idaho this weekend, so if any of you will be around and want to say hi, speak now or forever hold your peace! I am excited to come back after a three-month absence. I've been missing the peace of St. Anthony, my three-minute commute to work, and especially my family and my wonderful friends. Peace be da journey! I hope you are all doing well!

Have we not great reason to rejoice?

2010-03-15T22:01:00.003-06:00

I broke one of my New Year's resolutions today -- and it's the first time I've ever felt happy about it. In fact, I'm going to become even happier as the days go on.

At the beginning of the year, I made a resolution that I told only a few people about. This was the year I would finally be able to beat my depression and stop taking my medication. For those of you who are unaware, I have struggled with depression for nearly 2 years now, partly as a result of my cancer treatments, and partly as a result of life. :)

From January through February, I was doing great! Sure, I had my ups and downs, but I wasn't crying over weird things or having nightmares. When March hit, however, I realized that I wasn't OK. I called my dad at midnight crying one night because I'd had a terrible day at work and I was worried about a bunch of things, and he was not happy.

Have I ever mentioned that I do not have sympathetic parents? Well, I don't, and it's actually a good thing (although sometimes it's really maddening). My dad told me it was ridiculous that he was talking to me at midnight and asked me if I'd stopped taking my depression pills. This made me more mad, but I knew that he was right. I was anxious and sad for no reason again -- and I couldn't control the feelings at all.

My dad made me promise him I would think about taking them again to achieve a balance, and I agreed. Until today, when I started crying at work while writing the lamest articles possible, I held off making that decision. But I've prayed about it, and it's the right thing for me to do.

This isn't meant to be a sad post, nor is it meant to scare you or make you think about the things you struggle with. It's meant to be happy, or at least about becoming happy.

My all-time favorite chapter in The Book of Mormon is Alma 26. I read this when things aren't going right because you can't help but be happy when you read Ammon's testimony and his praises to the Lord. If I had to give a talk in General Conference and title it for the Ensign, it would be this (except I looked it up and Elder Uchtdorf already one-upped me :)):

Have we not great reason to rejoice?

Ammon says this three times during this chapter, and then he says this: "And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?"

I know I can't tell. I thought today about how sad it would be to no longer believe that God lives, like one of my coworkers does. I pray to Heavenly Father so much every day. I ask Him for strength, I pray to Him for safety, I plead with Him to forgive me. One of the great blessings He has bestowed upon me is Himself and my knowledge of Him!

I have a new car that doesn't overheat and scare me half to death. I don't have any debt. I have an incredible boyfriend who cares about me and loves me and amazing parents who love me enough to call me at least once a day and listen to me crying at midnight. I have good friends and ward members who support me and make me feel like I'm where I belong.

I am a cancer survivor, and I am surviving depression because of amazing medicines that, I have no doubt, are part of the light Heavenly Father gives to us.

Yes, I do have great reason to rejoice. We all do. So the next time you find yourself crying at midnight (let's hope you don't) or find yourself feeling down, pick yourself back up. You're in Heavenly Father's hands.

As Ammon said, "My joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things."

A day in the life

2010-03-08T23:10:00.002-07:00

For some reason, people are always asking me if they can follow me around with a video camera. I'm not sure why this is, except that I am dramatic and make things 10 times more horrible than they really are. I used to make my roommates laugh really hard at the dinner table just telling them about the incredibly awkward things that happened to me in college.

But I am no longer in college, and a lot of the awkward moments that used to happen in class are in the past now. That doesn't stop me from encountering weird things at work, however. I thought I would share a typical work day with those of you who are DYING to know what unfortunate mishaps occur even when I'm away from BYU-Idaho and the surrounding area. :)

First, I set my alarm clock for a ridiculously early hour and never get up to it. This is a given. Sometimes, I get up at the last possible minute I can to get to work early -- and other times, I sleep in until the terrified shrieks of attacking geese and ducks jolts me out of bed. This is not a joke. I live in a condo where geese, ducks and quails hang out in the parking lot. Who needs visitors when you have waterfowl just feet away?

Anyway, I quickly shower, dress and grab something out of the fridge for breakfast because I have once again slept too long to make actually cooking something a viable option. Lunch is also from the fridge or the freezer so I am no longer tempted to blow my money on a lobster pasta that consistently makes me sick.

I hop in my car, which used to overheat nearly every day and scare me half to death, blare a CD or switch from radio station to radio station (I have yet to find a good morning show -- one of the hosts sounds like she's trying SO hard to sound like an out-of-towner that she blended two annoying vocal idiosyncrasies into one), and get to work far more quickly than I expected.

This is where the first weird part of my day occurs. Almost every day, I am in a war with the shuttle driver (which is a white 12-passenger van that picks up Overstock employees). For some reason, the shuttle driver seems to think that I will get into the van, even though I NEVER have before. So he parks in the middle of the first parking garage lane, making it impossible for you to drive around him, daring you to try to WALK to the building. I deftly drive into the next lane, park my car, and wave the man off so he can wait for someone else who actually WANTS to ride in his shuttle. I am sure he is a very nice man -- but if I can make it to work faster by walking, I'm going to do that.

Once I get to the doors, I either realize I forgot my security badge and have to wait around for someone to let me in, or I go right in and begin eight hours of writing about toothpaste, jewelry or whatever else comes up for the day. Eventually, it is necessary for me to walk to the fridge to grab my lunch, so I walk as quickly as possible to avoid interrupting the team that is continually having "hall discussions" right in my path to food. And, since I get hungry quite frequently at Overstock, I feel that I am constantly walking past that group of people. It is embarrassing, especially on days when I have forgotten my badge and have to hope someone will let a poor, hungry fool back into the office.

After my 8 hours are up, I walk outside, into fresh air and.... the shuttle. This time, I take it, because the driver, Curtis, is really nice and once helped me add coolant to my old car when it overheated (and he is not the driver in the morning, by the way). Curtis is always in a fantastic mood (which is odd for someone who drives a white van back and forth all day long) and he always remembers what my car looks like and makes sure I get in it before he races off to pick up more tired employees. Today, he reminded me that I saved four minutes by taking the shuttle, and he asked me what I was going to do with my extra four minutes.

What would you do with an extra four minutes? You probably wouldn't read a super long blog post like this one again, would you. :) But for all of you who were curious, I hope your needs have been met. I guess awkward moments never really go away, at least not for me.

'Light' bulb

2010-03-02T19:09:00.003-07:00

I've been thinking about light lately -- and not just because I FINALLY got my birdcage and put a pillar candle in it for decoration! Doesn't it look great? And some of you thought I'd never actually do it... :)

No, actually, I've been thinking about light because I just finished Dan Brown's latest book, The Lost Symbol. Yes, I know it was published last year and I'm a bit behind the times, but it was interesting (and very disappointing -- I'm not going to recommend it necessarily, because it's definitely not of the caliber of The DaVinci Code.)

The book is about symbols and codes, obviously, but it also talks about the human mind and what we are capable of doing, specifically that we can become gods ourselves.

For someone raised in the LDS faith, this isn't a new concept. I've been taught for years that the point of my life here is to be able to become perfect so that I can live with God again and, if I achieve the highest glory, to become a god myself. I love that idea.

What was new to me was thinking about how much light I have -- and how little I use it. I 'blow the candle out' all the time in my life. I give up on things because I think they're too difficult or I feel like I just don't have the talent for them. I make mistakes and instead of learning from them and tweaking things so I improve, I beat myself up and feel like I'm hopeless. But I'm NOT hopeless! I just have to wait for Heavenly Father to light my candle again sometimes when it blows out or tapers down to a tiny flicker.

The other day, I locked myself out of my apartment -- and my roommate, who had the only other spare key that we knew of, was in Las Vegas for the weekend. My situation was not ideal, so I did the only thing a logical person would do: I cried, and I prayed. A lot. After repeatedly checking under the doormat for the key (like a little kid, I still believe Heavenly Father can move keys to different places), calling my roommate's parents, my sister and my boyfriend for help, I finally got back into my apartment when my roommate's mom magically inserted the right spare key into the lock.

I say 'magically,' but it wasn't magical. It was "light" -- and it was the result of prayers that had prompted me to call so many people for help. Heavenly Father lit my candle again -- and He let me get back into my apartment without the aid of a locksmith.

It's been an interesting past few weeks. Sometimes I feel like I'm a tall pillar candle that's lit and helping other people to feel happy and feel the warmth of the Savior's redeeming love. And sometimes I feel like I'm a short, stubby candle like the one in my new birdcage now (Andrew had to cut it down for me because it was scorching the wood). But I do know one thing: I have light from Heavenly Father, and I can become like Him. It's just going to take awhile.